I am a happy man.
I have neither fallen into a large sum of money, nor have I found the love of my life. No, I am happy because finally after a long, mysteriously warm winter, football season is over and the real sports, baseball and basketball, are thrust into the spotlight once again.
I am a Seminole fan at heart. As a Tallahassee native, it is almost instilled at birth that one is going to be a ‘Nole, and I am no exception.
But with the promise from football head coach Jimbo Fisher for an above average year, and then subsequently logging a less-than-stellar football season, an 8-4 record and a win against Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl, the ‘Noles left this fan and many others feeling like we got the raw end of the deal.
Thank you, Jimbo.
Now, the reasons why I can’t wait for February, March, or April.
In March, the NCAA basketball tournament starts and with Florida State on a seven-game winning streak with big wins against Duke and North Carolina, it is a good possibility that Leonard Hamilton and the number 25 ranked squad will be heading to the Sweet Sixteen if they keep it up.
The middle of February is the beginning of FSU baseball, my favorite time of year. As a long-time fan and a long-time player of the sport, I have a very soft spot for baseball. This is when my year turns around.
April marks the beginning of the Major League Baseball season, an event that usually leaves my roommates spinning from my constant need to watch what they call “the slowest sport alive.” I watch close to 100 professional games a year. Add in the numerous college games and that number skyrockets.
There is something magical about the laziness that is allowed to baseball fans in lounging in the grandstands, enjoying sunflowers seeds and the liberty to engage in good conversation instead of counting seconds off a clock.
Baseball season brings out the best in me. The sun shines brighter; the sky seems bluer than usual and my mood changes for the better. I am convinced it is because I will no longer have to hear football dominating the airwaves.
It gives me a chance to reflect and to sit back and enjoy the time passing, until I hear the crack of the bat.