Are you the only one of your friends not obsessed with sports? That's a tough situation to be in, especially when your friends want you to spend every Friday with them at the local sports bar. Thankfully, there are a variety of ways you can still enjoy the sports bar scene without caring one bit about the game.

Meet New People

While your sports obsessed friends are obsessing over the latest game, you may feel a bit left out. Why not take the opportunity to meet some new people? Chances are, there's somebody there in a situation similar to yours.

Starting a conversation with a stranger can be tricky. Follow these tips to break the ice with stranger:

• Say something funny about the program on television.
• Make a comment on something personal about them, like a tattoo or piece of clothing, and relate it to something about yourself.
• Spot a person bored with sports and comment on your shared boredom.
• Just go up and say "hi."

You don't necessarily have to approach someone that you're interested in romantically to have a good time at a sports bar. Just spot somebody who looks interesting and take your best shot.

Just Enjoy the Food

Sports bars often have large menus filled with a wide variety of tasty foods. Why not order a few appetizers and a meal? Share the appetizers with your friends and dig in to some unique and tasty treats. Wash it all down with a beer you've never tried, such as a local micro-brew.

Watch the Less Popular Sports

Basketball, baseball, football, and hockey are the most popular sports in America, but they are far from the only ones on television. Less watched sports such as curling, soccer, wrestling, and cricket are commonly featured on at least one sports bar television.

While your friends are obsessing over the moves of their favorite basketball player, you can try to work out the intricacies of cricket. Maybe you'll even be able to tell them something about it by the end of the night. Just imagine the shock on their faces when you mention a cricket wicket!

Make it a Learning Experience

Why not break through your sports ignorance by turning your bar trips into learning experiences? Start by finding out which game your friends are going to be watching and reading up on its basic rules.

Now, research the team you'll be watching by visiting their team website, reading a few online articles about their progress, and learning the names of their best players. Will you be a sports expert? No, but you'll be able to contribute to the conversation.

Follow these tips to turn your weekly sports bar chore into an experience you can truly enjoy. Heck, you might even turn into a sports junkie by the time you're done.