My magnum opus, surviving the dreaded bye week

Bye weeks stink, but let’s be real. They’re necessary. Yes, they’re necessary for the Badgers to help get healthy, rebuild their outlook and get them in the right position. But also, they’re necessary for you.

Bye weeks create the opportunity to get out, see the world, socialize and interact. I know it sounds scary, since you’ve probably been like a hermit the last two weekends, but I’m here to help. This play by play of how to execute the bye week will get you through this lonely Saturday, and set you up for future success as you get further into football season.

What you should do

As mentioned earlier, bye weeks are necessary for a team’s success. They’re also necessary for your personal success. Maybe you have a husband, wife, significant other, family, or friends that you’ve been overlooking because you can’t take your eyes off of the television. If so, now’s your opportunity to mend that.

Now’s your opportunity to get back into the world and show them you’re alive and well. It’s also a time to earn some brownie points. Tackle those chores you’ve been unable to get to like Jake mentioned in the podcast. Maybe you go out to a nice dinner, or tackle a nice fall activity (a little early), or maybe you simply just socialize with your family and friends.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you make your presence known. Not only are you trying to make up for the first two weeks, but you’re also setting yourself up for the future. Between your beloved Badgers and whatever pro team you affiliate with you probably only get four or five open weekend day’s to take advantage of. Make them count so you can get back to the couch next weekend.

What you’ll probably do

Above is plan A, but let’s be honest with ourselves here. That’s probably a little overachieving. Sure we’d like to see all our important people, and tackle the weekend chores but it’s doubtful that we’ll really knock it all out. In reality, you’ll probably do a little something like this.

You’ll go to bed Friday evening and set the alarm early. You want to sleep in until GameDay turns on, but that would mean burning some serious daylight that could be used to get stuff done so you decide you’ll get after it at the crack of dawn.

When that dawn comes you...probably hit the snooze and sleep an hour later than you wanted to. Sure, you’re off to a slow start but that happens. Next, you’ll get up and look at the projects or tasks you want to accomplish. You’ll start with the easy ones because that’ll get your momentum building in your head, but in reality you just don’t want to do the hard tasks.

Eventually you’ll get around and knock out a good chunk of stuff, but fatigue will settle in. You decide to go and relax for just a little bit. You flip on the game and catch a few minutes of action. When someone asks you to do something you probably respond with “In a minute or at the end of this quarter.” The rest helps though, and you find a second wind and get back to into the afternoon actives before preparing for the night ahead, whether it be dinner or drinks with friends.

When you arrive there, you’ll immediately look for a TV that has whatever game you’re interested in. Stay focused. Now is the time to sacrifice. If you’re desperate, just say you need to go to the restroom, its the perfect place to check the scores. Then you hang out, be present, and eventually say you’re tired (in reality you just want to be home for PAC-12 after dark) and head it back to the casa.

If executed correctly, you’ve just bought yourself just enough brownie points to get you to the next bye week.

What you want to do

Look, we want plan A, and we’ll settle for plan B, but in reality you wish you we’re at home for a full slate of college football. You wish you we’re sleeping until 9:30-10, flipping on College GameDay and waking up to the caressing voice of Tom Rinaldi as he tells some awe inspiring story that relates to the day’s game. You’ll get up and throw on your sweats, because you know you aren’t leaving the house today.

If you’re like me, you’re double checking your bets are all in. At that moment, you probably bet on something you shouldn’t just to give you a vested interest on the early kickoffs. You probably lose that bet, but it’s ok because the great games of the day are still ahead of you.

At this point, maybe you get some real substance in you like pizza or buffalo wings, or maybe you go with a strictly Spotted Cow diet. I don’t judge. After that, you probably take a little snooze and wake up just in time to catch the end of the 2:30 games and settle in for the evening games. Well executed my friend. As that rolls on, you watch the action and incredible happenings.

You probably take to Twitter or Facebook to see what others like you think and see that some of the world has accomplished something with their day. Maybe you feel a little guilty. It’s ok, they just don’t understand you. Football never judges you. Eventually those games wrap up, and some of you hit the hay. If you’re like me, the night is just getting started. PAC 12 after dark kicks off, and you take in all of it you can.

When that wraps up, you probably scrounge around for more football and notice Hawaii is still playing. Oh thank God. Eventually you drift into the night and fall asleep, probably on a couch not built for a a good nights rest, but who cares. You nod off and wake up the next morning...just to do it all again.