Column: Sports that could have filled the lockout void

Today, NFL football will begin.

Football fans, advertising companies, bar owners and tailgaters across the country will breathe a sigh of relief for the season that almost wasn’t.

Months and months of the offseason had millions of people hoping for a good outcome for a variety of reasons. Some may have been financially motivated, and some may have been socially motivated, but nevertheless it would have been difficult to fill the void NFL teams would have left.

Yes, the season will go on and NFL players and owners will get the money they want, but think of the places our imaginations could have gone if we had to find other sports to entertain ourselves for five months out of the year.

If the NBA cancels its season due to a lockout, some of these sports may still have a chance to entertain.

Synchronized Swimming
USA has one of the best synchro swimming teams in the country. However, the sport rarely gets the love it deserves. We know NFL players may be able to lift hundreds of pounds and run faster than most, but these swimmers can hold their breath, for two minutes at a time, while being completely inverted under water. That, my friends, is a real talent.

Let’s also not forget the creativity in outfits. All those football uniforms look the same after a while. The designs for those bathing suits and head jewels is something that is begging for mainstream Americans to notice.

We could have filled Oct. 16’s NFL game slots with the finals of the U.S. Masters Synchronized Swimming Championships in prime time on NBC. This would bring ratings back to a dilapidated Sunday lineup on NBC.

Equestrian
Some people may think equestrian means riding horses over a couple of hurdles.

Those people would be wrong. On the international competition scale, there are nine different disciplines including jumping, dressage, endurance and vaulting.

Well-to-do patrons in barns and stables across the country are waiting for their time in the spotlight. A lockout could have given them just the opportunity they were looking for to grab the attention of male sports fanatics, everywhere from New York City to Omaha, Neb.

The first weekend in November wouldn’t need Green Bay at San Diego. We would have a broadcast of United States’ Equestrian Federation’s Las Vegas National. The lights and sounds of a busy Las Vegas provide a great back drop to this premier competition.

Cricket
What better time than now to bring one of Europe’s most beloved sports to our great country? Yes, there are some people who play it in this country, but it does not get the appreciation it deserves like it does in India, Ireland and England.

The TV networks would have no need to find programming for pre- or post- game events, because sometimes cricket matches can last days at a time. Think of the money sports bar owners across the country could make with a sporting event broadcast 14 hours at a time. The possibilities are truly endless.

There are too many cricket matches throughout the winter to even name, so it would be best to bring two national teams to our home turf and see what they have to offer us.

The best idea would be to bring England’s National team and India’s National team to Lambeau Field in the middle of December for a match. There’s no doubt it would be a sellout. The people in Wisconsin would already be so lost from a season without Cheeseheads. This would give every Packer fan an excuse to go out in the 20 degree
weather.

Rhythmic Gymnastics
Gymnastics gets its fair share of TV coverage throughout the year, so it is time for its sister sport to get some of the love, too. Spend five minutes watching a rhythmic gymnastics routine and, I promise, your head will spin.

The ribbon is not just a toy young girls play with. It is an important element in some of the best routines. The way these women can move and bend themselves is unbelievable. The smartly assembled routines show the flexibility of the dancers and creative processes behind their moves. This is a sport that would not disappoint.

The 2011 Rhythmic World Championships will be from Sept. 19 to 25. This is exactly when the lockout of the NFL season would really be sinking in for fans. Fox could do a whole weekend of profiles on the athletes competing, and then top it off with the finals being broadcast all day Sunday live from France.

But, it is clear the NFL has squashed the potential of these sports’ chance in prime time. They’ll have to wait until the next time football players decide they want an extra million dollars.

Cheers to next year.

­— cursini@indiana.edu
Caitlin Ursini is a senior majoring in journalism.