Don't get me wrong. I love baseball as much as the next guy.
In fact, I probably watched more Mariners games this summer than the good people of Seattle.
The Olympics were a nice distraction during the summer doldrums, too. I even got into the Euro 2008 soccer tournament.
But I don't think I'm alone when I make this proclamation: Thank God football is back.
The sport that runs this university and America finally returns nationally Thursday night and locally on Saturday. As always, it should be well worth the wait.
And quite a wait it has been. For the NFL fans out there, the memorable Super Bowl was almost seven months ago.
But for all you college crazies reading this, it's been an excruciating 232 days since LSU took home that pretty crystal trophy.
For new Gators running back Emmanuel Moody, it's been even longer. The junior transfer from Southern Cal hasn't suited up since Nov. 11, 2006, against Oregon.
"It's been a year and a half since I played an actual game," Moody said.
You could tell he has been dreaming about Saturday. The passion in his voice was obvious. "Just the spring game felt like I had a little taste of it, what it felt like to play in somewhat of a football game. But I'm just really waiting patiently until next week."
Moody isn't kidding about that spring game. Sure, it gives the fans a chance to see their team, much like the NFL preseason. But Moody knows and we all know that the spring games and preseason matchups are merely "somewhat of a football game."
Football does a great job keeping itself in the news with the NFL Draft, spring games, minicamps, training camps and fall practices. But, quite frankly, all of those things are incredibly boring. Wake me when it's all over.
Yeah, it's time for football to start again.
"America comes alive when college football season starts, we all know that," defensive line coach Dan McCarney said. "I can't wait. We've been out here in the winter, in the spring, in the summer, walkthroughs, and I've never been here on game day. I can't wait. This is what it's all about."
Who doesn't love the bone-crushing hits, the deep bombs, the ankle-breaking jukes, the hated yellow penalty flags and even-more-despised red challenge flags, punt-return touchdowns and last-second field goals?
Offensive lineman Jason Watkins sure does. He's tired of it being just practice and knows what he wants to do instead.
"Just football in general, man, so you can go out there and take it out on other people," Watkins said. "Every day in practice you see the same people."
Regardless of how we are supposed to devote our time while we are students here, the fall semester is devoted entirely to football.
On Saturday, when the fans are tailgating all around campus and shaking The Swamp, everything will be right with the world. The greatest sport on the planet is back for another year, and this town and the country are about to become enveloped.
Game on.
