March Be Gone

What a dismal month for sports was March!
The number one story on Sports Center was, where will Peyton Manning play next year? If you aren’t already sick of Peyton Manning from the way he calls the game at the line of scrimmage, let alone his commercials, the O.J.-like coverage of his every plane trip would surely have sealed the deal. It only got worse when he signed with Denver, for then we had to endure more weeks of analysis concerning the Jets’ new second-string quarterback, Tim Tebow. Oh, and don’t forget the hyperventilating over the Saints’ bounty program. As someone else pointed out, the bounties weren’t the problem, it was the refs who failed to call a penalty when the Saints hit Brett Favre too low and too late.
As for the NBA, the air went out of the ball when both Ricky Rubio and Jeremy Lin were injured, ruining the only two new and interesting stories of the regular season, which, as always, is largely a yawn. I’d just as soon skip to the playoff finals between the Heat and the Thunder, but that won’t take place until June.
We gave tennis a shot by attending the opening round at Indian Wells, but anything less than the majors is skippable. I did watch one set of the Federer-Isner finals, but found it the most uninspired, uninspiring tennis final I’ve seen. As for the women, the top U.S. player is ranked 35, which raises the question, if one Russian beats another Russian, does anyone notice? The golf season, of course, begins in April with the Masters.
With no football or baseball, no NHL or NBA playoffs, and no majors in tennis or golf, the sports world is made to due with March Madness, the college basketball tournament that receives more hoopla each year. While admitting that I watched almost none of the games, I must say that this year’s was the least interesting in a long time. After two opening round upsets, there was nothing in the Cinderella department to root for, and that is always my main rooting interest. No VCU, Belmont, George Mason, or even Gonzaga. Nor, to judge from the daily highlights, was there any individual star to follow: no Jimmer Fredette, Bryce Drew, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Larry Bird. Everyone gushed over Anthony Davis, and he may be a wonderful team player; but so is Tim Duncan, and no one pays to see him play. The fact that the best team won, and won handily, took some life from the event.
In short, I am more than ready for the newness, the unpredictability and the daily interest of the major league baseball season. The Twins have 14 new players and a new radio announcer. Bring on baseball! But protect us, please, from the Tigers.