NBA Lockout Guide to Entertain the Bored Fan Missing a Full Season

How bored will you be without an NBA season?

While NBA games are technically only cancelled until mid-December, the news that the owners and players were not able to come to an agreement only increased the likelihood that there will not be a season at all.

For those of us who are used to following the NBA, tracking fantasy stats and heading to arenas to cheer on our favorite teams, there is a sense of loss and confusion about what to do now that the league is not playing.

If you find yourself in that situation and are having a hard time figuring out what to do next, here are some suggestions of what a bored NBA fan can do to pass the time until the players can get back onto the court.

Some of these are other sports that can fill some time, some are a bit more practical and some are in case things get really bad and you need something new.

If your plans of what to do to survive the lockout are not on the list, let me know what you plan to do to stay occupied.

NFL Playoffs

Thank goodness that one of the major sports leagues that had lockout problems this year was actually able to work things out.

Can you imagine if neither the NBA nor the NFL were playing right now?

The NFL is currently in the middle of its season and will play into February in the Super Bowl.

Football is one thing that might help sports fans who are missing the NBA make it through this tough time.

Non-Sport Events

Believe it or not, there is a whole lot more to do out in the world than watch sports.

Maybe a break from NBA action will give us more time to go to other events not involving basketball.

Perhaps there is a concert or a movie that fans can go see, or maybe it is time to take the significant other out to a museum, the theatre or an art show.

If you have kids, show them how good of a parent you can be and take them to do something they really want to do instead of making them go to a game with you.

Please keep in mind that there are some limits to what you can do. If you go to see the latest Twilight movie or go see Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber, you may be taking it a bit too far.

NHL

If you are not already a fan of the National Hockey League, maybe it is time to become one.

Even if you have never watched it before, it will not take long to figure out the difference between a legal hit and a penalty, how to kill a power play and how to recognize icing.

The NHL and NBA seasons generally run at the same times, and the playoffs will be next spring. If the NBA can't get it together, tune in to hockey to see how great this sport can be.

Start on the To Do List

We all have a to-do list that could use some attention.

Maybe it does not have things on the list as big as roofing the house, but why not take some time to tackle the side projects that have been sitting around for a while.

It might be something around the house, the half-finished hobby project or even doing something nice for someone else.

There is always something good that you can find to do, and you may score points with others in your life.

College Football Bowl Season

In addition to professional football, NCAA football may fill the NBA void for a few months and at least get us to the would-be NBA mid-season.

One thing is certain in every college football season: the debate over who really is the best team in the country. 

The debate over the conference championships, who makes it to BCS bowls and which team deserves a shot at the national championship will no doubt be as strong as it always is and will provide a nice distraction to missing out on NBA games.

Play Basketball

Here's a weird idea for taking care of the basketball void: how about going out to play basketball while the professionals aren't.

Why not start a pick-up game or at least head out to the park or the driveway to shoot some hoops.

Now that there are not games to watch, do the next best thing: get out and play.

Who doesn't want to go back to the days of playing one-on-one, pretending to be an NBA superstar or trying to hit the last second shot to win the title.

Practice Beer Pong

This one doesn't need a lot of explanation.

It is said that practice makes perfect, and you never know when this skill may come in handy.

One other benefit of this is the more you play the less you care about missing the NBA.

MLS Soccer

Soccer is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation. If you have not taken time to check it out, maybe the lack of an NBA season will give you a great opportunity.

While this season is not quite over yet, Major League Soccer does not take a long break between seasons and will start a new one next spring.

If possible, go to a live match before you really make a judgement about it. If you do go, take some time to figure out the difference between a goal kick and a corner kick, learn what the red and yellow cards mean and get educated about the off-sides rule.

If you look at soccer with an open mind, you will find out why it is the most popular sport in the world.

Following it will also help ease the pain of not having the NBA.

Take a Vacation

What better time than now to take that long-deserved vacation?

It does not have to be anything big, but why not get away without the stress of wondering if the last NBA game was set to record or having to check the ESPN bottom line to catch the score.

It may be a good distraction to help forget about all of the frustration of the lockout and what we are all missing out on.

Watch Hardwood Classics on NBATV

If watching the NBA is the only thing that will help, NBA TV has been showing classic basketball games during the lockout.

It is a great opportunity to relive some of the best games in NBA history.

Not only does it show games we might remember, but it also shows matchups between some of the great players of the 70s and 80s.

It is pretty interesting to see how the game was played before the three-point line was instituted, the classic uniforms and how Hall of Famers of the past played the game.

Perhaps one could catch a classic game involving their favorite team and can fill the lost season with basketball games of the past.

Major League Baseball Spring Training

Even though the World Series just ended, it will not be long until Spring Training starts for Major League Baseball.

Now that there is no NBA, maybe take a trip south to catch a Cactus League game in Arizona or a Grapefruit League game in Florida.

Spring Training starts in mid-February, about the time that NBA fans are usually focused on the All-Star break and trade deadline.

Perhaps early-season MLB games will draw more interest this season without the NBA, and fans can go there to help kill the boredom.

Start Planking or Tebowing

For those who are really bored, perhaps planking or Tebowing will help pass the time.

Planking involves finding interesting places to lie face down like a plank of wood with your hands to the side and have a picture taken that is later posted on the internet.

Tebowing is a variation of planking that comes from the prayer-like pose used by Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow during games.

Both have caught on as an interesting trend with participants trying to find new and different places to do it.

Even Detroit Lions Linebacker Stephen Tulloch gets into the Tebowing act by showing his best impression after sacking Tim Tebow in a game earlier this season. (Link to Video)

Attend a Support Group

Hopefully the loss of the NBA does not get so bad that this is necessary, but if it is, there is no shame in getting help.

Perhaps attending some type of support group to help deal with issues that may arise from the lack of an NBA season would be a good thing.

Whether it is an anger management group designed to help with grief and loss or one that helps with the depression and anxiety of the situation, it is a good way to deal with the boredom and the pain.

Maybe an NBA support group can be started just to help fans to be able to cope with the uncertainty or frustration that is coming from the lockout.

Lingerie Football

Don't think I need to explain why to become a fan of the Lingerie Football League.

If nothing more, maybe bored NBA fans can check it out to see these highly skilled athletes pull off the double reverse, go long for a score or even try to pull off the old fumblerooski.

If this doesn't help to end the basketball drought, there is also a lingerie basketball league—but they play their games in the summer.

Create a Video Game Season

If here is absolutely no way to cope without an NBA season this year, maybe the best thing to do is to create a virtual season.

Those who play NBA video games set up seasons like this all of the time, but maybe try stretching things out to match the pace of what a real NBA schedule would be.

It may be difficult, but try only playing one game per day and three to four per week instead of 10 games in a row.

Setting up a virtual season with friends to play against online may be just enough to beat the boredom and help with not seeing the real players on the court.

Coach Youth Basketball

In addition to getting out to play basketball, one other suggestion might be to volunteer your time and coach a youth basketball team.

Coaching youth sports is a great way to share the basketball knowledge that you have and a great way to stay connected to the game.

Youth leagues are always looking for good coaches, and being a coach is always an adventure.

Depending on how young and how good the team is, it may help you easily forget about the NBA and may help you want to forget about basketball all together.

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