The National Football League lets people around the United States relish in a physically rigorous sport from the comfort of their own homes. And every year, men who have trained their entire lives to make their NFL debut are let down when they don't make the cut. And yet, it is the fans who practice couch-sitting and victory dances who would have probably felt the sting of emotional devastation most acutely if had they been denied the chance to don their favorite jerseys during their team's television debuts.

The NFL lockout broke hearts and it was hardly just the die-hard fans who held their breath for the duration of those 130 days. For the first time, ESPN was rattled by minute-to-minute updates that overshadowed other sports that took place during the summer, probably aggravating viewers who just wanted to see last night's big MLB plays. The period between March 11 and July 25 was about preparing for the worst.

In Maryland, approximately $40 million dollars of revenue would have been a distant dream if the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins didn't hold their home games. The economic fallout there and in other states could have been catastrophic in what has already proved to be trying times.

For 18 weeks and four days, we weren't quite sure if one of America's most celebrated and cherished pastimes would once again grace our living room TV screens and give us reason to band together to support our teams.

It goes without saying that those uncomfortable weeks were felt not only by fans, but players also. They were facing unemployment in a job field that was already both incredibly difficult to penetrate and challenging to remain valuable in for more than an average of four to five years in most positions.

The lockout could have robbed any one of us from the process of digesting the spewed expert analysis that occurred every morning and evening about the potential of players, mainly because we didn't actually know if they would play. We missed out on a vital part of the excitement in the selection process of the athletes. We wanted to be filled with the expected eagerness — instead, the lockout held our insides twisted in a vice grip as we anticipated either the fulfillment or denial of what we hoped.

This is a sport where people buy only the finest team T-shirts for their little ones and record games like they would if their own family member was on the roster. This is a sport where fantasy leagues have the power to make or break friendships, where everyone can be an expert and where knowledge of statistics makes you the king of conversation at the dining room table.

Above all else, professional football in the United States is a relationship, one that I am glad to see heading out for another date.