The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
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by TLong
Finally. That's the only word that comes to mind right now. After persevering through months of Michael Vick stories, Barry Bonds coverage, arrests, suspensions, and boring news days, the highlight of the sports calendar is upon us. For the next month, the year peaks for sports fans everywhere. Baseball? Check. College Football? Check. NFL? Check. Ahhh, at last, we can sit back and stop worrying about how many more days until good sports programming comes on again, because that time is now.
The summer has brought many a memory to baseball fans everywhere. Between the Bonds/ chase (hate him or love him it was an important story), A-Rod's 500th homerun, pennant races picking up, and overachievers trying to surprise everyone, there was plenty of action to be had. However, things ratchet up a notch when the calendar turns to September. All of a sudden, every game means a little more, every players gives a little extra, and the playoff chase starts to grab everyone's attention. Yankees or Mariners in the AL Wild Card? Phillies, Braves, or Mets in the NL East? Brewers, Cubs, or Cardinals in the [[NL Central]? Tigers or Indians in the AL Central? Padres or Diamondbacks in the NL West? Who will grab the NL Wild Card? All of those answers are unclear at this point in time...and we only have 30 or so games to play. That, my friends, is excitement. With only two of the eight playoff positions seemingly determined (although neither the Red Sox nor Angels can afford to let up), things are as wide open in baseball as I can ever remember. As many as sixteen teams have legitimate playoff hopes, more than half the league, but only eight will realize that dream. With so few games remaining and so few spots to be had, the intensity of each contest will be lifted and things will get very interesting from here on out. There is plenty of drama and plenty of high-caliber play left in this season...and that doesn't even count the playoffs. Prepare yourselves, baseball fans, this is going to be a terrific end to the season.
My favorite sport is college football. I'm a sucker for the history, the pageantry, the win-or-you're-screwed setup, the rivalries, the no-names who become stars out of nowhere, the emotion, the packed stadiums every week, offenses that aren't scared to cross the goal line (well, except in the SEC), jubilation after a victory, depression after a loss, new coaches trying to make a name for themselves, bluebloods trying to maintain their status as an elite member of the fraternity, and all of the other nuances of a college football season that make it unlike any other. From the Big House to the Red River Rivalry to the wishbone to Bobby Bowden to Urban Meyer to The Best Damn Band in the Land to booing Notre Dame, there are a million reasons to love college football, and finally, after suffering through 8 months without it, we are again graced with its presence. There is no feeling in the world like waking up on the Saturday morning of a big game and knowing that you'll be witnessing something truly spectacular in just a few short hours. Whether it's a warm late-summer day or a crisp fall day, the air smells a little different, and the sky turns a different color blue when there is big time college football action on the schedule. No matter whom you root for, whom you hate, or whom you've never heard of, it's hard to watch an important game without getting caught up in the atmosphere surrounding it. You can have the Super Bowl and the Final Four, I'll take a big time college football game over them both any day of the week. With a season that's setting up to be wide open and full of surprises, get your mind right because it's going to be a wonderful fall with plenty of highlights and special moments...just like always.
America's favorite sport, professional football, starts back up on September 6th when the Saints and Colts play the Thursday opener live from Indianapolis. With two of the best offenses in the league being showcased, expect the NFL to hit the ground running with this game. Going into this NFL season, much like any other, there are a thousand questions to be answered. Can the Colts repeat? Are the Patriots unbeatable? Who's going to win the NFC? What really goes through Rex Grossman's head on the field? Can the Saints do it again? Will [[JaMarcus Russell] ever sign a contract? When will Brady Quinn start? Is Calvin Johnson actually a human? Will Ocho Cinco have a new end zone dance lined up? Will Herman Edwards effectively end Larry Johnson's career by giving him the ball even more this season? I could go on and on forever, but I'm sure you're already tired of me asking questions. The point remains, though, that there are a lot of storylines heading into the season. Every year, a new team, player, or coach grabs our attention out of nowhere and becomes a big story. Who will it be this year? Ok, sorry, I asked another question. The only things that seem to be certain right now are that Roger Goodell doesn't screw around, Brett Favre is still ruining the Packers franchise, the [Dallas Cowboys|Cowboys]] are overhyped, Pacman Jones still likes to make it rain, and Andy Reid's son will have pending drug charges. That's it. Oh yeah, and Manning's Colts and Brady's Patriots will make the playoffs because, well, they just always do. In the next 21 weeks, the NFL's mysteries will be revealed, but in the mean time, enjoy all of the spectacular plays and tightly-contested games in between.
So there you have it; the logic behind this being the most wonderful time of the year. I'm not trying to hate on Christmas by stealing its phrase, I'd just like to borrow it and put it to different use. If you're a living, breathing sports fan, you can't help but be excited by this time of year. Even if another sport is your favorite, or another event takes over your life when it comes around, you can still agree that there is no combination on the sports calendar that resembles what we are getting ready to experience. My sports fan brethren, get ready, get focused, and get your minds right; 'tis the season to be jolly.
