Non NFL Weekened

Pardon me but why can't I find a pigskin on the tv this weekend? Answer: Because we're at the midway point of Colts/Bears Superbowl hype. I hate the two weeks of reporters mining through the trivial and inconsequential elements of player's lives.

I liked it when you went from conference championships one week to world title the next. So what do I do this weekend? Well, I can watch college basketball. Thankfully Ohio State men are #5 in the nation! I'll check to see how many balls Greg Oden swats and how many times he rattles the glass as he goes up strong. But most of all I'll just come to terms with the fact that another season is on the brink of going in the record books.

I know some say but then there's the Pro Bowl. Ever watch that? 5 minutes is enough, almost like watching some NBA teams play NON-defense.

This weekend my mind will start gearing up for another season of NASCAR. In truth, I've lost some interest here but knowing that ESPN is assuming the mother-lode of coverage this year finds me hopeful that I'll be watching more. A just maybe Bobby LaBonte will break into the winner's circle this year.

It will also be the time when my mind starts wandering to places like Sarasota and Vero Beach where baseball dreams are on the line once again. Although I am mired in 20 something degree weather, mentally I can smell fresh cut grass and hear brand new mitts popping somewhere far from here. Actually my mind shift into the MLB gear as I was passing down the grocery aisle lined with magazines. There I spotted it, the first fantasy baseball magazine of the year. I chalked up the brakes of my cart, and dove headlong into the magazine of player rankings and projections.

Ah, it's a most wonderful time of the year! No football? No problem. (Of course if the Miami Dolphins were in the chase I might feel differently.) Truth is, the world of sports is bigger than the NFL. It's time to start dreaming of things on the horizon. And maybe that's just what I'll do this Sunday afternoon in the absence of football games. Soundly and warmly tucked away in my blankets with visions of better sports dancing in my head.