Summertime Sports

This time of the year is what sports enthusiasts refer to as the dead zone. No football, basketball, or hockey just baseball and a bunch of ancillary sports that aren't very spectator friendly. I try to use this time to expand my sports knowledge and follow sports I wouldn't ordinarily pay attention to. Here's a few of the sports I've tried to get into.

1. Swimming. I tuned in to watch the US Grand Prix and it was the most boring 4:15 I spent the entire day. I'm not sure Michael Phelps could have made this interesting. Some guy from Brazil won, that's all I remember. On a scale of 1 to 10 for entertainment I give it a 4.

2. BMX Triple Finals. I fully understand there is an X Games generation that absolutely loves this stuff, but I can't get too excited about BMX bikes and skateboards. The ramps and the jumps are cool and all, but I can't give it more than 5 minutes. On a scale of 1 to 10 for entertainment I give it a 4 1/2.

3. Nathan's hot dog eating contest. This doesn't take place until the 4th of July, but Joey Chesnut vs. Kobayashi is shaping up to be one of the decades biggest rivalries. There's bad blood between these two and each contestant is a champion in their own right. I can't really watch the whole event because it grosses me out, but I'll definitely catch the Sportscenter highlights on Monday. On a scale of 1 to 10 for entertainment I give it a 5.

4. NASCAR. I Watched the end of the Sonoma race on Sunday in utter amazement. I couldn't believe hundreds of thousands of people pay to watch this kind of monotony. My guy Jeff Gordon came in 2nd so it was almost bearable, but there's no way I could sit through an entire race. On a scale of 1 to 10 for entertainment I give it a 5.

5. Women's World Cup. This is almost tolerable because there's a compelling storyline. Hope Solo is a feisty little thing that got kicked off the team 4 years ago for calling out the coach after he benched her. It's funny to see Brianna Scurry (the player Hope was benched in favor of) squirm awkwardly as she commentates about Hope's play as a goalie. Can't help but think there's still some animosity about the way things went down. On a scale of 1 to 10 for entertainment I give it a 6 1/2. If those two fight or have choice words for one another the entertainment value goes up dramatically.