Finally, after a very long wait, regular season football is back. I was lucky enough to attend the Rams’ home-opener Sunday, and let’s just say I was thankful to be on the visiting team’s side of the dome. The other half of the dome looked pretty depressing.

If you’re a die-hard Rams fan, well, as you know, this year ain’t lookin’ too swell. (update: I could be wrong about that after seeing game 2) Nevertheless, it’s a good time and I’m always up for going.

I know I’ll take some flak from my baseball-loving friends from what I’m about to write below, and I welcome it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of baseball, I really am, but to me, baseball doesn’t even come remotely close to comparing to the excitement of professional football — with the exception of say, games six and seven of a World Series.

I know some of you are nodding your heads in agreement right now, while others are shaking their fists at me. Keep reading. Below, I present seven reasons why football beats baseball, any day.

1. Every game matters. In football, 16 games are played during the regular season. In baseball, 162 games are played. You can turn around an entire football season on any given Sunday. In baseball, you can lose 20 games in a row and it doesn’t really matter. Everything is always on the line in football.

2. Football rarely stops because of the weather. Rain, snow, sleet — it doesn’t matter in the NFL. Makes for a great game. Baseball games get delayed if it sprinkles too hard.

3. Football coaches are more passionate. Watch the sidelines of any football game. See the coaches? They’re in players’ faces, full of inspiration and motivation and leading them into the next battle. In baseball, managers are really good at chewing sunflower seeds. Oh, and leaning on the rail.

4. Football has parity. Thanks to salary caps, as well as the opportunity for poor-performing teams to pick up big draft picks the following season, a football championship is reasonably within reach of all teams. In baseball, rich clubs consistently pick up the best players.

5. Football is fast-paced, active and very “watchable.” It appeals to the ever-shortening attention span of a majority of Americans. Things are constantly happening. Baseball just doesn’t have that. How many times have you heard, “I like watching baseball if I’m at the stadium, but otherwise it’s just too boring on TV.” That’s because it’s true. That’s why grandmothers knit socks and baby blankets during a baseball game.

6. Ratings. No contest here. Football consistently gets higher ratings across the board than baseball could ever hope for. See reason #1 – less is definitely more.

7. Football has cheerleaders. Baseball does not. Need I say more?

Again, I’m certainly not anti-baseball. It’s a great sport and I’m a fan, but I think baseball’s glory days are fading. One aspect of baseball I can appreciate is that a fan can attend a baseball game in person much easier than one could a football game, and that’s mainly due to the sheer volume of games played during the season as well as pricing.

Rebuttals welcome.