Summers have usually been a rough time for me as far as sports go.
There's no football, except for the NFL Draft, which doesn't get me all hot and bothered like it does for other people. College basketball is done, and the NBA doesn't really hold my attention. And I only follow MLB when the Atlanta Braves are doing well down the stretch (so I haven't watched in a while).
Tennis and golf provide distractions for a week or so at a time, and then I spend the next week trying to be Roger Federer or Tiger Woods. Still, I could never find anything strong enough to make up for the loss of football.
Until last summer, when I did the previously unthinkable.
I got into soccer.
Euro 2008 captivated me. I'll never forget Turkey's improbable run to the semifinals, capped by a thrilling shootout victory against Croatia, where the only goals were scored in the 119th and 122nd minutes in extra time.
Next, I dove into the English Premier League and got hooked on Arsenal, but I wanted to follow a club that I had a realistic chance of watching in person.
So I went ten steps past my sacrilegious decision to follow soccer and chose to give MLS a chance.
The season started three weeks ago and runs through the summer to the MLS Cup on Nov. 22. It covers my summer dead period, and with most games on Saturdays, it fills the void of week-to-week excitement that football left behind.
Most importantly, it doesn't suck. If you enjoy watching soccer, MLS has enough talent and parity to hold your attention. The first step is picking a team to follow.
The Eastern Conference has been much tougher than the West in recent years - think SEC vs. Big East - but the wild card slots are awarded without regard to conference, so teams aren't punished for playing in a tough division. By this rule, New York won the West last year.
Compiled with my severely limited MLS knowledge and gut feeling, here are a few teams to start following this year, including current record (wins-draws-losses).
Chicago Fire (2-2-0): Founded on the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire (fun fact), the Fire has a solid developmental system and boasts former U.S. National Team forward Brian McBride. It's early, but Chicago figures to be one of the top teams in the East. Still, I wouldn't pick the Fire unless you're predisposed to Chicago teams.
LA Galaxy (0-2-1): If you like the Lakers, Yankees, Cowboys or any other franchise that picks up bandwagon fans by name and logo recognition alone, these guys are for you. They get David Beckham back in June and also feature U.S. star Landon Donovan, so sell your soul and jump on board! Just don't expect a playoff run. If you're more of a Clippers-type person, check out cross-town rival Chivas U.S.A.
Seattle Sounders (3-0-1): Simply put, the Sounders are awesome. Drew Carey is a part owner. Fans can vote to fire the general manager. They have a marching band. They've sold out season tickets, impressing the league enough to award Seattle the MLS Cup in its first season. Nearly 30,000 fans show up for each match, more than nine teams in England's Premier League draw. They have former Arsenal great Freddie Ljungberg, rising star striker Fredy Montero and Nathan Sturgis, the brother of UF kicker Caleb Sturgis.
I'm sold. Alligator writer Mike DiFerdinando and I are flying out for their May 30 match against Columbus.
Maybe being a MLS fan will turn out to be a miserable existence, but the time I've spent learning the intricacies of the league and its different clubs has been very entertaining thus far. If nothing else, it'll give me something different to follow this summer.
