It's frickin' Opening Day!
And, it's in March!
Where does March 31, 2008 rank among the greatest sports day of the year? Find out with this top 10 list ...
10. Day before/after baseball's All-Star Game: There are 365 days in a calendar year (366 on those special Leap years, 2008 is included on that fun), and each contains some sort of sporting event. Err, actually, 363 days a year contain some sort of sporting event. This is actually a non-sports day entry in the greatest sports days of the year. The day before, and after, Major League Baseball's All-Star Game contain no sports (we don't count the home run contest —- held the day before the All-Star Game —- that's just an exhibition). For those of us working in sports journalism, it gives us a much-needed breather.
9. Trade deadline day: Last minute deals can make or break a title hopeful, and when the 11th hour hits some blockbuster deal may or may not go down and may or may not make some pretender into a contender.
8. Thanksgiving: Turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and football. How could you go wrong? You can't, unless the Lions and Cowboys both really suck. Then, you won't feel guilty if the ol' tryptophan-induced coma takes effect and you pass out on the couch.
7. NFL draft day: At the beginning of this Saturday marathon, everybody's a winner. Suddenly, the Oakland Raiders can reach the playoffs and the Arizona Cardinals are Super Bowl contenders. Of course, that is, until teams go out and draft Ryan Leaf, Heath Shuler, Blair Thomas or Tony Mandarich.
5. New Year's Day: After a full night of boozing and carousing, there's no better way to ring in the new year's first day than by laying on the couch and taking in a full day of gridiron action. Whether you're watching your alma mater, or trying to get a glimpse of the NFL's next big stars, college football's grandest day is one of the most eagerly anticipated days of the year.
6. NFL kickoff Sunday: All 32 teams kick off 0-0 with high hopes for the Super Bowl. When the day is done, 16 teams are 0-1, with a handful of teams getting beaten down so bad their season already seems lost. On the other hand, some underdog may shock a traditional power and suddenly there's a new contender. Parity can be fun.
4. NFL conference championship Sunday: Over the course of time, conference championship Sunday has provided some of the most memorable games moments in football history ... the Ice Bowl, The Catch, The Drive, The Fumble all occurred on conference championship Sunday. If it wasn't for the recent string of amazingly competitive Super Bowls, this day would be ranked ahead of Super Sunday.
3. Baseball's opening day: In the rich tradition of baseball's openers, hope springs eternal, and there's always hope your favorite team can reach the Fall Classic. For the countless millions who live in parts of the country where winter can still hold a firm grip well into March, the opening of the baseball season can mean an end to the year's bitter chill and beginning of more comfortable weather. With stadiums laced with bunting and presidents throwing out first pitches, baseball's openers are part of this country's rich sporting heritage.
2. Super Bowl Sunday: This unofficial national holiday features the year's most-watched sporting event and the biggest group gathering day of the year. If you're not watching for the football, then you've certainly got your eyes glued to the TV for the commercials. Every once in a while the Super Bowl produces a real gem of a game.
1. NCAA tournament opening round: For casual college hoops fans, the Final Four can be very anticlimactic. Many will agree that the tournament's opening round is the NCAA basketball's real gem. In a two-day span, your bracket turns to mush as year-in and year-out some Cinderella shows up to ruin some top-notch program's hopes of advancing far into the tournament.
Extra credit goes to this great sports day when it happens to land on St. Patrick's Day.
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