There are only a couple months of the year that please so many sports fans at the same time. First there is October, it’s the beginning of the NBA season, the MLB World Series, and both college football and the NFL are in full swing. Second there is of course March! For die-hard baseball fans, they have been waiting since October for Spring Training to start. March also brings us the beginning of NFL free agency, the NBA playoff chases tighten, and there is pure madness in NCAA basketball. Let’s take a look at each sport and what’s going down with each right now:
MLB Spring Training – How it is that baseball fans get so excited about “pre-season” games??? You would think that 160+ regular season games would be enough to satisfy fans, but that is where you would be wrong. This pre-season is a bit different for baseball this year because they have the bi-annual World Baseball Classic. The WBC has been successful in finding it’s little niche, but only because the Olympics axed baseball from the Games. So far the controversey surrounding Alex Rodriguez has been the talk of Spring Training. If you haven’t heard, Alex was NOT taking Tic Tacs when he was with the Texas Rangers back in 2001.
NFL Free Agency – Nothing reinforces your respect and admiration (or lack thereof) for professional athletes more than seeing them make millions and still demand more. So far the headlines are two free agents not available and one that is very available. Kurt Warner resigned with the Arizona Cardinals, Ray Lewis resigned with the Baltimore Ravens, and Terrell Owens was released by the Dallas Cowboys. You know the economy must be bad if even Owens is out of a job. He is the best wide reciever in NFL history, just ask him.
NBA Playoff Chases - There are really two halves to the NBA season for fans. The first half is where they solely cheer for their team to win. The second half is when fans start considering playoff seeding and not only cheer for their team to win, but also actively hope the teams in front of theirs loses. The Eastern Conference is already narrowed down to three teams: the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Orlando Magic, nobody else has a shot. Meanwhile in the West, much like every year, it’s anyone’s game. The Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs are on top, but they have both shown they are succeptible on the road. No teams are going to tank the season this year for a good lottery pick because there are hardly any good players declaring for the NBA Draft this year.
NCAA March Madness – Conference Championship week is upon us , which is where many of the automatic berths for the NCAA Tournmanet will be determined. As it is rightfully called, “March Madness” is the perfect fourm for David to beat Goliath. With a 64-team field, mostly filled with “underdogs,” everybody will be looking for this year’s “feel good story.” The Tournmanet itself is a feel good story when you compare it to college football’s BCS. Here are a few tips while filling out your bracket:
-All four #1 seeds have never made it to the Final Four
-7-10 and 6-11 matchups are the most likely to have an upset
-The Big East is very overrated and
-If you are torn between two teams, decide which team’s mascot would win in a street fight.
