Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. But your bar tab is way overdue, so an Internet message board is pretty much your only option.

Hockey Fight Forum
pub4.ezboard.com/brinkratfightforum
The Talk: Fight fans trade gory tales-and videotapes.
Dweeb Factor: Gotta be high-everyone's from Halifax.
Overheard: "Stu Grimson is one scrap from being the 10th man with 200 fighting majors. We may never see another get close."

AnnaK Central
annak.org
The Talk: Fans alert each other about articles on their fair maiden.
Dweeb Factor: High. Many beg Anna to join the chat herself. Naked.
Overheard: "Say you got married and Anna made a final. Would you take time out of a honeymoon?" (Talk about rhetorical questions.)

XFL Board
xflboard.com
The Talk: Dish about the Rage, the Maniax and the Hitmen.
Dweeb Factor: Pretty high -- they spend hours whining about ratings.
Overheard: "Got back from the WingHouse (Hooters, only better!). Three waitresses said they've been to a game and want to go again."

Cockfighting in the Philippines
sabong.com.ph
The Talk: Fascinating stuff about vicious chickens in a ring.
Dweeb Factor: These people breed fowls and hang out in underground betting parlors. So ... no comment.
Overheard: "My brood pen is really coming together!"

SITE UNSEEN

Fanning the Flames
Fanhome.com
The latest annoying dot-com buzzword is "user-created content." Translation: We just laid everybody off -- you do the work. Fanhome.com has no news, stats or photos. But who needs "content" when you've got discussions like Food that you love but others find disgusting? Who cares about "leveraging eyeballs" and "stickiness" when you can dream up NHL team names you'd like to see? (Top three on the board: Seattle Armada, Portland Trailfreezers and the New York Teamthatpaysalotforoverratedplayerspasttheirprime.) Whether you want to talk rasslin', minor-league baseball or whether Joe Sakic looked cuter in that Quebec Nordiques uniform, chances are good you'll find someone here with a willing ear. Good but not certain. Truth be told, the Brewers fourm ain't all that crowded.

This article appears in the April 16 issue of ESPN The Magazine.