March 12, 2009

ARE WE THERE YET?

Besides being that popular refrain from the backseat of “Daddy’s” car during an endless pursuit of running errands on my day off, it also describes my mood towards this winter. Without sounding too soft, it’s been a long one and I’m done with it. I’m ready for re-birth, for the sap to start flowing again. Well, this weekend couldn’t come soon enough. No, I’m not talking about the 2nd round of the World Baseball Classic. (What I refer to as the Sweetest Day of sports tournaments, a contrived Hallmark/Selig holiday.) It’s that sign that spring will soon be here, it’s Selection Sunday. And while that signifies the start of March Madness, it also reminds me that 2 other things are just within reach: Opening Day and the Masters The spring trifecta! While I’ll admit that I’ve been less than blown away by this year’s college basketball season, I know that, like everyone else, I’ll be hooked by Thursday, convinced that MY pool will be a winner. (Maybe it won’t take that long, since as I’m typing this, I keep diverting my attention to the Syracuse-UConn SIX over-time Big East quarterfinal. 6 OT’s? Are you kidding me?) First though it’s a weekend full of conference tournaments and speculation over whose bubble will burst and whose ticket to the Big Dance will be punched. Then it’s time to hear that word that takes over sports talk for the next 3 weeks: BRACKETS. I can’t think of another word that is on everyone’s lips, then disappears for a year, well, not one that I can talk about here anyway. (The bar’s a different story!) So, load up on RPI’s, key wins and conference records then go to HARRYCARAYS.COM and make your picks. Me? I have a different method. It involves a dart-board, a monkey and a bottle of tequila. To each his own. If you think you can do better, match your results to mine. Good Luck. Either way, we’re going to have fun watching and at the same time realize that our long, bleak, cold nightmare is almost over. Madness to end the madness.