[sportscurmudgeon]

If you are actually equating your following of football with some kind of "religious" feeling and you are sensing a feeling of emptiness during parts of the calendar year when football is "taking a breather", you might want to consider getting some counseling.

Football is a GREAT avocation for one's life. But unless you are playing football at the pro level or coaching football at the Division 1-A college level or higher, it really should not be the single focus of your life. And football should never cause you to feel "depressed" or in a way that makes your heart sink when you can't be part of "football fandom".

For your sake, I really hope your note here was an exageration or some kind of hyperbolic attempt at humor. If not, get help... Quickly!