Spring Sports

It seems spring might actually be sprung here in the average state of Oklahoma. Although still chilly, it even snowed a little yesterday, there are the tell tale signs of the new season everywhere. Birds a chirping and little bits a greenery are appearing scattered throughout my yard. Saturday it was 77 degrees and beautifully sunny.
This time of year always does something special to me, always excites me and sends me into an almost euphoric state of youthfulness. Four little words that in my youth meant the world to me
" MARCH MADNESS - SPRING TRAINING" as a Hoosier fan and horsehide hurler from way back this is by far my favorite time of year. Unfortunately there are numerous reasons why the season has lost it's luster. I will give you a comprehensive list of said issues, and you may feel free to add your own as well:
1. The early defection of College stars to the NBA - Do you believe that if great players stayed at least three years as they did a decade and a half ago we would be discussing Tyler Hansborough and Michael Beasley as national player of the year. A freshman and a, dare I it, white guy as colleges best players. The other nominations are Kevin Love (he is a freshman and a white guy), D.J. White, and Derrick Rose. I love D.J. because he's a Hoosier, but c'mon you know better than that. While Derrick Rose may be an outstanding pro prospect he has not been a dominant player at the college level yet. Doesn't he shoot like 50% from the line, okay for Shaq, not so good for a PG who handles the ball at the end of a close game. All this to make one little point - lack of star power in the NCAA's
2. The NBA influence! Pure basketball, pure shooters, pure point guards (D Rose might be an exception) all are become scarce in the NCAA. I really could care less about watching or listening to a bunch of thugs playing one on one. I can go to north Tulsa and get that for free. You would think that watching the Celtics ( should this be pronounced seltics or keltics)the Cavs and the Spurs that team basketball still works. Why dosen't anyone on the college level get it. Texas lost to Tech this weekend because Augistine and Abrahms forgot they could also throw the ball to other guys wearing the same color as them instead of just at the orange round thing.
Okay on to baseball....
1. At the risk of sounding like a coverall wearing hillbilly - are there any Americans playing America's favorite past time anymore. I love baseball, I love seeing a RHB's knees buckle when a LHP throws a wicked slider, seeing a lefty with his right arm extended over his head bat in hand as the ball edges past the right field foul pole. Man that is good stuff, I could go on for ages,a good pick off move, back to back homer, a blocked ball in the dirt that saves a run, and the mother of them all,the suicide squeeze, but all the Gonzalezes, Martinezes, and Rodriguezes are making it so you can't tell the players without a program.
2. The steroid scandals - I am sickened at this whole issue. The mess congress has made out of it, the fact that players partook and then lied, and the fact that the record book is now all amok with falsehoods and half-truths. Guys like Clemons and McGwire (neither of which did I ever really like) take so much away from guys like Maddux and Junior who did things the right way. They were not as dominant, but they were fun to watch, and never gave me a sick feeling in my stomach like I had just seen something perverse (see M McGwires forearms). You can have you freakish bald Barry Bonds give me a chubby Terry Pendleton playing the hot corner or fouling off pitches until he gets one he likes, Kruck, Gwynn, Puckett, or even the noble Chris Sabo. That was when baseball was a beautiful thing - now is a bunch of addicts and aliens (legal I hope) and it has lost my attention and my affection.
The green shoots of grass are nice, love to hear the birds sing, and while I will see what Dickie V has to say about the big dance, and I'll check on the Big Red Machine spring will just never be the same. RLR