If you’re like most sports fans, you’ve been a lifelong fan of a particular sport, but enjoy watching other types once in a while, too. You can enjoy watching an NBA game, even if you like pro football even more. That’s completely normal, and it makes for a much more interesting year as no sport is in season all day, every day.
If you like one sport, there’s a good chance that you like others, too. And odds are there are probably sports out there that you’ve never considered watching or getting into that you would really like. Start with what you currently like. If you’re a soccer fan, focus on the sports that are variations of this. Hockey is surprisingly similar to soccer when you break it down. There is a goal on each end guarded by a goalie, with position players in between them. In soccer, the goal is to kick the ball into the goal; in hockey, the puck is shot into the net. They are both fast paced, highly athletic games, but one takes place on grass and the other on ice. It might seem like a stretch at first, but both are of a similar nature.
Basketball is quite similar, too. There’s a net at each end of the court, and the five players on each team need to pass the ball around until they can get it through the hoop. The rules are a little different, the ball needs to be bounced instead of kicked or hit with a stick, but the goal is the same: get the ball into the net. Different types of shots are worth different point values, but this just adds an extra element of skill and strategy to the game.
Perhaps you are more of a fan of Major League Baseball. Baseball is a pretty unique game in the United States as there’s not really an equivalent to it that is often played, other than softball. But, in much of Europe and India, cricket is a very popular game. This is the game the baseball was originally based on, and while the MLB has expanded the game in North America, cricket is still widely played in many parts of the world on a professional level. In fact, these games have a reputation for being extremely exciting, even if they can last for days before a winner is declared. This just adds to the fan appeal, though. It’s a totally different type of skill than baseball requires, but once you watch a few games, it’s hard not to be hooked on it. If you’re a baseball fan, watching the game takes on an extra element of interest when you take into account the fact that baseball grew out of this tradition. Each has evolved since then, but they are cousins nonetheless.
The games do not need to be similar in order for you to find them interesting, of course. Baseball fans can still love the NFL, and so on. There’s no rule saying that you need to keep following the same vein to enjoy it. That’s why a NASCAR fan can still watch and find satisfaction out of a slow paced sport like golf. It’s a little bit different for everyone out there, so it makes sense that everyone will enjoy the games in different ways.
If you’ve never watched college football, for example, try it. You might find that you like it even more than you enjoy watching NFL games. You might not, but there’s really only one way to find out. Also, this is just an example, there are dozens of professional sports out there, so starting with something you’ve never paid attention to will likely be quite rewarding and educational for you. The worst that can happen is you have a newfound appreciation for the sports that you already enjoy.
