Facing NFL withdrawal

As the clock ticked to zero during the Super Bowl XL Sunday evening, some fans shrugged their shoulders and sighed in disbelief, wondering what competitive activities might occupy their Sundays for the next five months. \nA variety of games and competitions around town offer competitive or recreational play. From bowling to fishing to board games, people can get their professional football fix from other, less violent sports.\nJulie D'Argent, a graduate student and Back Alley employee, said bowling and billiards offer both fun and competition. \n"Bowling is not a contact sport, but you have to throw the ball accurately to knock all the pins down. You also have to (have) accuracy to put all the balls into the pockets in billiards," she said. "Most of the time people don't really care about the score, but you can tell who is a serious bowler by the way they stand and throw the ball."\nIf bowling doesn't satisfy the competitive spirit of those used to football, local politics might offer an arena of competition. \nFormer Bloomington City Council President and current council member at-large Andy Ruff said the debate of topics affecting the campus community is worthy of family entertainment.\n"All these fascinating public discussions and debates about the smoking ban, living wage, tax abatements and historical designations make for dramatic, real reality television. In the process, people become more educated and informed citizens," he said. "I say a city council meeting is not only good sport, but it is also much more important than the Super Bowl or sports entertainment because it affects (people's lives) directly."\nComparing it to battles of professional football, Ruff said plenty of debates unfold at each meeting.\n"These debates get played out in a dramatic fashion with strong statements and other oratory from community leaders and regular citizens," Ruff said. "It's always a colorful, dramatic environment when people feel passionate about some issue."\nCity Council meetings are broadcast to the public at 7 p.m. every Wednesday by Bloomington Community Access Television. Reruns, as well as most other city and county government boards and commission meetings, are played throughout the week.\nAnyone yearning for a more traditional approach to competitive sports can turn to fishing.\nBloomington resident Amanda Vaughn, an employee at the Fishin' Shedd, 4855 S. State Rd. 446, said her bait and tackle shop advertises several fishing tournaments held at Lake Monroe each summer. She said community members wishing to fish should not expect the same instant gratification as those watching a professional football game, but hooking a big fish is often worth the time.\n"With the Super Bowl, there are millions of people watching, tons of money is put into it. It's a very intense contact sport with very much adrenaline and a lot of people get hyped up watching it," Vaughn said. "Fishing is more relaxing ... You have to be patient, and sometimes you can feel like a loser if you get your line tangled or you don't catch anything. The winner is often the person who catches the biggest fish of the day."\nFor those who prefer to participate in competitive action from the comfort of their couch, traditional board game play might offer an outlet.\nBloomington resident Justin McNeely, an employee at The Game Preserve, 101 W. Kirkwood Ave., said his game shop offers competitive play for all ages.\n"There are so many types of board games made that every interest is filled by at least one board game. In playing a board game, you have that sense of sitting down with buddies or family and actually interacting with one another," he said. \nMcNeely said two main types of board game players seem to exist: the competitive player who lies, cheats, steals, sabotages or breaks deals with other players, and the fun-seeking player who is satisfied whether winning or losing. He said the goal of any game is to win, but the difference in most players is the extent of their effort to win. \n"With board games, you are still sitting around the living room, but instead of watching a game on television you are actively engaged in a game of your own," McNeely said. "So board games are a bit more exciting that way"