The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year?

I was just remarking to a friend of mine the other day that we are in a great time of the year for sports fans. There is such a variety of compelling sporting events to follow in these few weeks, it just may be better than Christmas for sports fanatics.

1. The Final Four. This tournament is arguably the best sporting event in this country. The drama and intrigue created is huge. It's a combination of the one and done format, the passion of the players, and the quality of the basketball. I much prefer watching college to the NBA. There is less one on one. In college basketball its more about which is the best TEAM instead of who has the best collection of players.

2. The Masters. This is my favorite golf tournament hands down. The setting is phenomenal. I can't think of a more majestic place than Augusta. For those who live in cold weather cities, seeing that beautiful scene in early April gets you excited for the coming weather. You start to think about being able to knock off the rust on your game that has collected over the winter. Secondly, they don't make it absurdly hard to score well. I know I don't watch golf to see pros struggle to make par. I want to see these guys get aggressive, shoot at pins, and make great shots. The Masters allows for that to happen. Also the prize that they are vying for is awesome. There is something really cool about that green jacket. The fact that the previous year's winner presents it to you is great. It goes along with this great sense of history and tradition that is so prevalent throughout this event.

3. Baseball Opening Day. What's not to love about opening day? Everybody is in first place and hope springs eternal. Even the perennial cellar dwellers have cause for optimism, if only for a few weeks. You get to be acquainted with the new faces on your team, and you get to see the old ones you've missed.

4.Playoff Push in Basketball and Hockey. The end of the winter sports regular seasons brings great drama. In hockey the battle for those final playoff spots is huge. Of all the major sports, I think seeding and home field advantage means the least in hockey. So everybody just wants a ticket to the dance. Once the playoffs start anything can happen, your goalie gets hot and you can make a deep run regardless of home ice. In the NBA the position jockeying is more important and intriguing in its own right. Take a look at the western conference right now. Spots 2 through 7 are separated by 4 games. That is a huge swing to deal with, none of those teams can afford to limp across the finish line. Home Field is a big deal in basketball. Cleveland(37-1 at home) is going to be a real tough out if they lock up home court throughout(crushing the hopes and dreams of Knicks fans everywhere, myself included).

5. NFL Draft Buzz. The approaching NFL draft is the focus of the football starved sports fan these days. If you look at the most successful franchises in the NFL, they all draft really well. So the savvy NFL fan knows that these two days in April are paramount for your chances at playing in late January. Football fanatics can delight in all the mock drafts and analysis leading up to it(not to mention the epic brawls that Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. have on ESPN).

6. UEFA Champions League Knockout Stages. The quarterfinals start up this week for those of us who follow the other type of football. Soccer fans in the U.S. have precious few opportunities to see play of this quality unless they have Fox Soccer Channel.

I already posted about the Final Four and will try to get to the others before they happen. Also some reaction might be on the way as well. In the end it just is a fantastic time to be a sports fan. Where most of the country looks forward to Christmas time, us sports junkies are partial to Easter.