Sports Betting

Under the Big Red Afro

Date 4/10/2003 12:00 AM | Topic: Sports

Ahhh. It feels like it has been so long since last time we met. So much has happened, and I don't know where to start. Have no fear, just read on. I once heard a Christmas carol that said that Christmastime is the most wonderful time of year. I disagree, at least in the mind of a sports fan, and I'm here to prove why. Sit back, put your feet up on your sleeping dog and lose yourself in the top seven reasons why this is the best time of the year.

7. The National Hockey League begins Playoffs
The NHL playoffs may be the longest thing in sports. They start in the beginning of April and don't finish until about the middle of June. Although they may be long, there is a certain something that sparks people's interest. It may be the fact that, come playoff time, the NHL transforms into a completely new game. No longer do players sit out because of injuries or take a day off. The pace of the game is quicker, they play with more passion, and it is a more physical contest, regardless of the teams. This makes for great hockey and always brings out classic rivalries.

6. United States International Water Polo Cup
As obscure as you may think that this reason is, it deserves to be on here. Actually, I just didn't want a "top six" list, so this won out. Besides, you go tread water for an hour with large opponents trying to drown you. Does that sound like fun? I'm not sure.but it definitely sounds like excitement. This international tournament is held in the first part of May on the Stanford University campus.

5. NBA Playoffs are closing in
Can you catch the theme? It is playoff time and it is exciting. There is a reason why so many more people see playoff games. It is a race to see who will even get a chance at extending their season. The NBA, like the NHL, somewhat transforms come playoff time. It isn't as drastic, but players start to sit less and you find out who really has nerves of steal. It is also a good chance to see how quickly the Portland Trailblazers will break down and start fighting each other on the court, which will cause mass confusion among league officials because they don't have a policy about suspending players for fighting their own teammates. It also means all the more Bill Walton analyses.

4. The Masters
It is only the most prestigious golf tournament of the year, and this year we even get to see protestors! We will have women's groups fighting for equality while the KKK tries to make more noise than them so people can't hear them. Inside, you will have media wondering if they should actually go outside the gates and a club director who doesn't even think women exist. Have I mentioned it is also some of the best golf on one of the most storied courses in America? And people in Vegas will be discussing the classic "Tiger vs. the field bet." I'll take Tiger and have fun watching the rest of the circus.

3. NCAA Hockey Finals
Iowa fans wouldn't know about this, because they don't have hockey. Wisconsin fans really wouldn't know either because their team doesn't keep up. But Minnesota fans are well aware that their team is in pursuit of a second straight national title. So it might be a biased entry into the top 7, but deal with it. I am allowed to gloat. The Gophers are on a role and hopefully will get that repeat. This will prove that we are, and forever will be, "The State of Hockey."

2. March Madness
Even though it breaks my heart to say it, this year's tournament was fantastic. Syracuse seemed like a team of uncharacteristic destiny and beat Kansas. I had to hold in the tears. And hearing Dick Vitale go crazy for two weeks straight puts a smile on my face. Outside of that, college basketball at tournament time may be one of the purest forms of sport that we have beyond Little League. Players play for the joy of it. Emotions are high and so are hopes. For some teams, those hopes die quickly, and for others, they become the Cinderella team of the year and surprise everyone. Regardless, the game is pure and the players are real. There is nothing like it in sports.

1. Major League Baseball starts its season
As Jeff Branstad wrote in his article before spring break, baseball is still America's pasttime. This shows in the fact that everyone has their team that they pull for on opening day. It could be the perennial winners (Yankees), the perennial heartbreakers (Cubs, Red Sox) or the feel good teams that people seem to connect with (Twins). Whoever it may be, opening day always brings with it the hope that this is the year that your team will do it. They will break the spell and make it to the World Series. Even if two weeks in, your team has already crushed you (Tigers), baseball still brings hope. The game has a magnetism that, as a nation of sports fans, we are drawn to. We can deny it all we want but inside we know it's true.

Well, there it is, the top seven reasons why this is the best time of the year, at least in the eyes of this sports fan.

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Andy Haugen
Sports Editor

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