March '07

3/25 10:03pm: I’m currently finding myself in a bit of sport’s fan’s “no man’s land” here. It’s a difficult time of year for this Baseball fan. I’m not an over-the-top Football fan (I’m a Giant fan who also follows the Pat’s) and the NBA has possibly lost me for good (I used to be a HUGE Knick fan). Hockey has lost everybody (as a kid I followed the Rangers). I used to be a rabid College Basketball fan but the NBA’s greed and complete lack of discipline has somehow poisoned the college ranks.

College hoop has seemed to take a turn back in the right direction. The NBA will not allow High School students to enter into the league directly from High School. So now kids that were highly touted HS basketball players are entering Div. 1 schools and playing for a year. This alone has helped the quality of play tremendously. We were blessed with Keven Durant (University of Texas at Austin) and Greg Oden (Ohio State). Both these young men had tremendous Freshman years and most would think we’d see both of them head to the NBA this year. There is however an outside chance that one or both could return to play another year of college ball. Not to mention, other young players have had a year at the college level (per the new ruling) and realize they aren’t ready for the NBA. They will now strengthen their skills at the college level for another year or more.

The thing I find most interesting is that people are actually talking about the intangibles that the college experience offers. We watched the starting five of the University of Florida Gators all return after winning a National Championship in 2006, just to defend their title and repeat as Champions. Now Durent and Oden are hinting at the possibility of one more year.

So after the ultimate goal being power and money in the world of sport, it seems that some folks are finding that there are possibly more important options, like fun, camaraderie and pride.
Just when I thought the world had completely gone to shit and most people only care about money and what they perceive as power. I’m confronted with the possibility that good will always triumph over evil! This is making a mess of everything for me! I’m still convinced that most straight women really just talk a good game and what they still really want is a daddy with a checkbook, but maybe there’s hope for the rest of the world. I’ll have to talk this over with Bill Maher.

Thank God Baseball season is almost here. My Mets are a reason to live unto themselves.