Best sports day of the year. It's a difficult topic to tackle because there are so many quality options.
America is gripped during the first two days of March Madness.
That first Sunday that the NFL kicks off (and let's hope it happens in 2011) is always memorable.
Or how about that first Saturday of the college football season, when the weather is just right and the long gridiron layoff that lasts seven months for most programs is finally over.
The three aforementioned sports days contain blended feelings of excitement and hope, to where every team is alive in the quest for a championship. They are three great days to be a sports fan. There's one sports day that tops them all for me. One day that provides a feeling of joy that no other sport offers.
My favorite sports day of the year is Major League Baseball's Opening Day. Thankfully, it's only three days away for the Texas Rangers.
Opening Day offers a unique satisfaction. Even though I won't be in Arlington when Texas takes on Boston, the first day of the baseball season makes me feel like I'm the same age every year (say around 10). No other sport can trigger that feeling of innocence. Not to say that I'm a troublemaker, but when I watch Opening Day games, the stresses and struggles of life seem to freeze, while being temporarily overtaken by relaxation and 'just being.'
Opening Day only rolls around once a year, so I have to make the most of it. I'm thrilled to have Friday off from work, so I'll be watching baseball all day leading up to 3 p.m., when the Rangers host the Red Sox on ESPN.
A heavyweight southpaw pitching battle figures to take place between C.J. Wilson and Jon Lester. I'm curious how our offense looks with Ian Kinsler leading off, Elvis Andrus moving to the 2 hole, Adrian Beltre hitting cleanup and Michael Young dropping to the 6 spot. I'm even more curious to see Beltre and his reputation as a defensive wizard put to the early test.
I also will naturally have an eye for the little things, such as Josh Hamilton, now a year removed from hitting .359, remaining patient at the plate and keeping his walk total up; things such as C.J. managing his inflated walk totals from a year ago; how C.J. pitches without his personal catcher Matt Treanor, who was traded to Kansas City on Monday; Julio Borbon's defense; general 3-0 counts, first-pitch strikes and base path behaviors. Everything that makes baseball my favorite sport to watch.
In the grand scheme, the end result of Opening Day doesn't mean much. After all, there are 162 games to be played. But that first one can create important early momentum.
I'll always remember 2010, when Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a game-winning single to beat Toronto. It seemed the offense couldn't buy a hit for six or seven innings that day. Baseball is an odd, yet intriguing game. The Rangers, of course, went on to finish 90-72, win their first playoff series in team history and win the American League championship before eventually falling in the World Series to San Francisco.
I'm ready to begin the season as defending AL champions. Rangers fans will enter this season with a certain sense of pride that they've never before been able to display. I'll proudly be sporting my Rangers gear all week in anticipation.
So, is it Friday yet?
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