After a dismal summer of cold temperatures and bad weather, fall has thus far given us more of the same.
But our time spent indoors avoiding the foul weather is a bit more bearable with the start of the fall television season.
I resorted to golf and NASCAR most of the summer, watching a baseball game on occasion, but the reruns were what really killed me.
When I should have been outside or at the beach, I was forced to peruse Netflix and Hulu for old seasons of my favorite shows.
No more. Sports are finally something to look forward to. The Major League Baseball postseason is looking very promising with both the AL and NL championships tied up.
Basketball is almost here and the three-man force de resistance of the Miami Heat is making promises of a stellar performance in the face of the reigning champion, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Even football is uncharacteristically evenly spread with no team in clear domination. Off-field happenings have been making headline news all over America.
The way we talk about the Greek epics and the heroes of the ancient world, one day the same will be said about the sports stars of our day and age.
There was a spectacular performances less than a year ago of the middle-aged quarterback Brett Favre of the Minnesota Vikings.
This was last season before his epic fall from grace this season.
Favre was accused of sending illict and provacative text messages and images to Jenn Sterger, the sideline reporter for the football team the New York Jets.
They will tell tales about the clash of the Basketball Titans, the Miami Heat, whose unification came from the betrayal of Cleveland’s golden child, Lebron James. We are all witnesses to legend, broadcast to millions worldwide in an instant.
But not all of our fall programming is edge of your seat, non-stop action. The return of the sitcom, albeit in an evolved form, has almost entirely killed off the low-budget reality show. Something that we are all grateful for.
Writers, actors, producers (in other words, people with talent) are finally allowed back on the tube to replace the thoughtless reality show.
New shows are beginning to gain popularity.
Our old favorites are maturing and entering the prime of their era, such as the resurgence of “Saturday Night Live” and it’s many spin-offs are the litmus test of prime time programming.
Cable programs are seeing their rise to prominence with “South Park” leading the way and “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” being hailed as the “Seinfeld” of our generation.
With the Internet, it’s never been easier to watch your favorite program.
Full episodes are available on many sites and whole seasons can be bought or rented instantly.
Even if you miss the airing of “Family Guy” or “Hawaii Five-O” you can still watch them later online.
Never has the couch potato been so versatile.
So with temperance and good company, or even alone on a rainy day; browse your local listings and see what’s on.
Flip through the major networks on Sunday and see what amazing feats football players are performing.
You can also go to a bar in your neighborhood and catch a few games of the World Series. Enjoy a little television at a local bar, and enjoy watching your favorite sport’s team on a large plasma TV.