Here now, finally, is our reward for suffering through winter: baseball is back, mixed with the college finales of basketball and hockey. This is the best time of the year for sports fans.
No, I didn't go to Opening Day for the Yanks. I used to do so, back when you could phone a live person and just buy a ticket and you could afford a ticket and I was foolish enough to imagine that I wouldn't need my winter coat. I even froze through a couple of Opening Days at Fenway in the early 1970s, when I was a student at Boston University (more on that in a moment).
Have you noticed the weather since the new season began? Fun times, yes? I got caught in a sudden snow squall this week in Hamden. Thus, it is best to watch baseball on TV this time of the year.
Meanwhile, yes, we had the Huskies. The men gave us hope for a few weeks but were awful last Saturday when they needed to do the job. I was at the Playwright in Hamden with my wife and some of our pals, watching the disaster. In the early going, when the teams were trading baskets, a friend of mine said with his great air of authority that the Huskies would win easily, that Michigan State couldn't possibly keep up. Beware people with airs of authority.
So yes, the women. It's not their fault they were so much better than anybody else. It's not their fault the games were blow-outs. Even though the outcomes were never in doubt, it was good to see them win a national championship. I watched that happen with my teenage daughters, at home.
So what's "wrong" with the Yankees? Everybody was asking me that question after they lost two games. Well, as J. Damon said last night after the second loss, "Tomorrow is another day." Brilliant cliche, but true. And today, which is that "tomorrow," the Bombers woke up and bombed the Birds, 11-2.
Now everybody can relax. I even had a judge come up to me today in the courtroom in New Haven, before the Yanks won their first game of the season, to ask me what was "wrong" with the Yankees. He's a fan of the team, too. I tried to hose him down. It's only the third game of the season!
Oh yes, B.U. My alma mater's hockey team plays tonight in the semi-final for the national championship, vs. Vermont. (B.U. can avenge Vermont beating Yale in the lead-up tournament in Bridgeport).
I saw the Terriers win national titles when I was a student, and I want to re-live that experience. And it's on ESPN. Perfect. So what if nobody in my family cares? I'm there.
Best time of the year for sports fans.