Is it the sports world that revolves around the seasons, or vice versa? It is a tough call to make, because every March, much of the country seems to break out of its wintry slumber and prepares for spring, arguably the most exciting of sports seasons. Rogers Hornsby used to say that he'd spend his winters staring out the window waiting for spring, and I find myself cut from the same cloth.
The winter months are all about meaningless regular season games, but spring offers a colorful array of exciting playoff games, each of which captures the country's imagination at one point or another. Most obvious is March Madness, to which my Herald colleagues and I have paid great attention. But aside from all those "One Shining Moments" we are sure to see in the next two weeks, here are some other things to look forward to in springtime.
Baseball seasonNo other sport symbolizes rebirth and renewed hope as much as baseball, especially in this day and age when the sport is more competitive than ever. What was once a sport dominated by a select few has become parity-laden to the point that there are more teams that have a shot at the playoffs than there are ones that don't. Teams coming off sub-par years have proven they can contend with the right mix of talented up-and-comers and established veterans (see Exhibit A, last year's Tigers), while those high-payroll teams that look dominant on paper don't necessarily succeed in October.
Aside from the increased level of competition, the start of baseball season is always enjoyable because of the anticipation of seeing new players in new uniforms. Not since Pedro Martinez joined the Ole Towne Team nearly a decade ago have the Red Sox gone to such great lengths to welcome a new player, but the red-carpet treatment given to Daisuke Matsuzaka this winter may trump that. Will he adjust to his new, pressure-filled environment? Does the gyroball actually exist? Storylines like these are so juicy, there's no need for dessert.
The NBA and NHL playoffsSo the NBA is admittedly a one-conference league, but any Brown student who has forsaken their work to stay up late and watch a Western Conference game knows that as long as you look west, you will be entertained. The top three contenders for the Larry O'Brien Trophy - the Mavericks, Suns and Spurs - will be locked up in some pretty memorable games in their quest for the finals. And don't forget that added storyline of the MVP race and how each of the candidates - namely Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki - will try to ratchet up their play down the stretch to bring the trophy home.
Meanwhile, the NHL is being dominated by, appropriately enough, two teams that come from warmer climates - the Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks. The Predators are still in the running for the league's best overall record, while the Quack Attack is getting healthy at the right time and priming itself for another run deep into the postseason. Now if only NBC could lure Gary Thorn away from ESPN, people would actually tune in.
The NFL draftIt is somewhat disconcerting that an event with no actual athletic activity could be considered one of the premier sporting events of the spring, but the draft has become such a circus-like event in recent years that fans dress up for it.
Yet just as baseball is exciting for the prospect of seeing new faces in new places, football is exciting for fans who believe that one stud rookie can reverse their team's fortunes. The cream of this year's draft crop should be no different. Can man-child JaMarcus Russell and his ridiculous arm turn the Raiders into a winner again? Will Golden Boy Brady Quinn stay golden if he ends up on a sub-par team like the Lions? Is Adrian Peterson really the once-in-a-generation tailback that people say he is? The anticipation in answering all these questions is a thing of beauty.
Outdoor intramural sportsOn a more personal, close-to-home level, spring is also the time when all the amateur Brown athletes such as yours truly can finally venture outside for intramurals. Basketball, inner tube water polo and ice hockey were nice wintertime diversions, but none of them stack up to running after a fly ball or an errant Frisbee throw as the sun kisses your face (wow, that was really trite).
Getting out of class for the day and heading straight for an IM game behind the OMAC is the closest thing I've had to recess since fifth grade, and the level of joy I feel is paramount to that of an elementary schooler. There's a reason why I talk about intramural softball with the rest of my Dienasty teammates year round.
And there it is: A handful of springtime joys that are just waiting to be had. The temperature is finally rising, and it's safe to come out and enjoy yourselves, sports fans. Don't you feel reborn already?
Chris Mahr '07 would have his One Shining Moment if Kansas beat Georgetown for the national title.
