Time Out:Fighting an NFL addiction

Hi, everyone. My name is Tamika, and I'm addicted to the NFL scouting combine.
That's right. I watch the annual combine, where college players show off their fundamental skills in a mostly-empty football stadium, save for the NFL coaches who are salivating over their next potential draft pick.
I like to view the combine as a way of weaning myself off professional football for the year. Think about it: you have games every weekend from September to January. And don't forget the August preseason.
The Super Bowl comes around in February as kind of a last hurrah-type celebration. All the pomp and circumstance that comes with the championship game is usually well worth the hype, although I can think of a few exceptions.
Remember Super Bowl XXXV in 2001, when the Baltimore Ravens pummeled the New York Giants 34-7? Ouch.
Then comes ... the Pro Bowl?
Talk about a letdown. Watching football players lightheartedly toss around a pigskin and bask in beautiful weather while most of the country is stuck in winter's throes doesn't do it for me.
Sure, NFL players deserve a break after killing themselves all season long. But that doesn't make for good entertainment, either.
So I have to settle for the combine.
To me, college athletes have always competed harder than the pros anyway. In collegiate football, one loss can ruin an entire season, thanks to the sorry design of the BCS. They have to win to have a shot at a bowl game and most teams fight tooth and nail to get there.
I like to see these players get out there and fight for their place before they become pampered professionals and likely forget what got them there in the first place.
I'll admit the combine can become a bit mundane. There are drills I can't stand watching, such as the broad jump and vertical jump. It's not like track and field, where you get a running start and hurl yourself into the wind. It's just a cold leap, straight ahead or up in the air. Ho-hum.
But watching the receivers run different routes and catch passes from quarterbacks is great. It's the closest thing to seeing something that even resembles a football game. Plus, there's the added bonus of two guys who've never played together trying to connect while their future employers watch their every move.
So laugh if you must. But know that I'm doing everything I can to phase out of my football mindset and prepare for spring and summertime sports.
Oh, well. Only 157 days until the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins face off in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.