Saturday, my NFL season ended. It was a great game between the Green Bay Packers and the Arizona Cardinals, but nonetheless my team failed to come out on top.

I’m glad the season is over. While the Packers embarked on an early undefeated streak to begin the season, they struggled in their final few games. Two games came down to Hail Mary throws and both times Aaron Rodgers miraculously found open teammates in the end zone.

When the announcement was made that Jordy Nelson was being put on injured reserve and was out for the season, I figured coach Mike McCarthy would find other players to attempt to fill the void. He was able to find some luck, but no one as consistent as Nelson.

I’m not going to take the time and explain how I feel the NFL overtime rule is bogus and that everyone who says “just stop the offense from scoring” is spewing rhetoric that is easier said than done. I’m just going to take this loss and move on to the next in-season sport.

Normally people wait until Christmas or after the Super Bowl to focus their attention on basketball, but I don’t.

From the moment the first college basketball game tips off, my attention to college football takes a backseat to the team in Durham, N.C., wearing the right shade of blue. But, much like my Packers, they’ve given me heartache and stress.

I’ve always said sports is an emotion and the investment made by fans can definitely hurt. Duke has lost its third straight game for the first time since 2007. This could be a result of winning the NCAA Tournament twice since then, or watching a handful of students selected in the first round of the NBA draft, including Mississippi’s own Rodney Hood, but this is foreign territory to me.

On the flip side, the San Antonio Spurs are enjoying winning every home game while trailing behind the sharp-shooting Golden State Warriors. This team has proven for decades it can win with solid fundamentals and model citizens as players.

Another bright side to cheer up my sports blues, is the return of tennis. The Australian Open kicks off the official start of the tennis season and Serena Williams is penciled in to make it another great year for the women’s side. It’s amazing to see how she’s gotten better at her game as she ages well into her 30s and chases history in her sport.

I’m sure I’ll get out of this sports funk sooner or later.

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Alex Swatson is a sports writer at The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at alex.swatson@vicksburgpost.com