This Sports Guy Has A Lot To Be Thankful For
Monday, June 21, 2010
For the last 22 years I have been a radio sports talk show host and, as such, I have always dreaded this time of year. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the summer months just like the next guy. I like the warm weather, the sunshine, outdoor activities like playing golf or going to the beach. I love grilling and sleeping with either the fan or air conditioner on. But there’s one thing that I can’t take. It’s the “all baseball, all the time” mentality.
Red Sox fans have a tendency to treat every game like it’s the seventh game of the World Series. We analyze and dissect every pitch, every at bat and every managerial move. I suppose it beats the alternative of being a bunch of disinterested baseball fans. Still, I prefer variety. And during the dog days of summer there isn’t much else to talk about in these parts other than baseball.
This is why I am thankful for a lot of things that have delayed this moment. Because if it weren’t for some of the things I am about to mention, we would have been relegated to talking baseball exclusively at a much earlier date than now. So here is what I am thankful for:
-The Boston Celtics. Their magical playoff run into the middle of June had us all captivated and wanting more. It may not have ended the way that we wanted it to, but it was a hell of a fun ride.
-The Boston Bruins. I know, I know, they choked away a 3-0 series lead to Philly in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Still, they got us excited about hockey again this spring and it hasn’t been that way for a while around here. And you have to admit that it was pretty cool when we had a Bruins playoff game one night and a Celtics playoff game the next night.
-The World Cup. I am not a huge soccer fan. In fact, I’m not even a casual soccer fan. What I am, however, is a fan of this huge event. The magnitude of the World Cup sucks you in. Seeing how important it is to other countries around the world makes me realize that maybe I should be more interested in it, so I am. I’m also a patriotic person so, “go USA!”
-Golf’s majors. In April it was the Masters and this past weekend we had the US Open. It’s certainly more interesting when names like Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods are on top of the leaderboard as opposed to Graeme McDowell and Gregory Havret.
-The NFL Draft. In early April the NFL released its schedule which is always fun for fans. And, late in the month, it’s the annual draft. This year they moved it into primetime with round one on a Thursday night. To use a baseball term, they hit a homerun with that move.
-Conference musical chairs. I’m a college football and basketball junky. So when Colorado bolts the Big 12 for the Pac 10 and Nebraska does the same and heads to the Big 10 conjuring up all sorts of major realignment rumors, I’m interested. The end result wasn’t as seismic as it could have been, but it was interesting to follow none the less.
-Providence College Basketball. Okay, I’m not thankful about any of the bad things that have happened with the men’s program this spring but I am a huge college hoops fan and the diversion was interesting to follow from all that happened to how it was handled. Thankfully, things seem to have quieted down for Keno Davis and company of late.
I am thankful for all of those things for they have prevented me from talking about only baseball from the beginning of April until now on my Saturday morning talk show. But now things are beginning to quiet down which means that baseball will take center stage. And, come to think of it, I should be thankful for one more thing.
I’m thankful that the Red Sox have put themselves right back into the thick of things in the American League East. Less than a month ago on May 23rd they were 8 ½ games out of first place and considered to be a dead team in the eyes of many. Now they are one of baseball’s hottest teams winning 23 of their last 31 games and right on the heels of their hated rival – the New York Yankees.
I am thankful that the Boston Red Sox may make this an interesting summer after all.
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