So, tomorrow, college football will take over the airwaves and the Directv channels. On Sunday, millions will sit around to watch a bunch of guys named Favre, Brady, Manning, Manning, and Moss play play ball. Dwayne Wade is still suffering from a hamstring injury, so Miami's Big Three of Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh haven't gotten to play together yet, and the NHL preseason is in full swing.
On a personal note, I'm very excited that I don't work this Sunday (for once), so I actually get to watch some NFL games. I'm planning to see Pittsburgh-Cleveland at 1 (Ben Roethlisberger returns for the 3-1 Steelers while former Texas great Colt McCoy starts for Cleveland with the #1 and #2 quarterbacks injured), and Minnesota-Dallas at 4:15 (matchup of this year's surprising underachievers).
Baseball doesn't get a lot of press these days. It is, and always has, been nicknamed "America's Pasttime", but, when I was in college, college football, pro football, pro basketball, college basketball, and even hockey were more talked about than pro baseball. There were a select few guys I could hablo with about the MLB, but far more people talk about LeBron, or Kobe, or Ovechkin, or Favre, or Manning, than they do about baseball. Plus, it's common knowledge that pro football and even NASCAR are the most-watched sports in the US, far out-pacing baseball.
Yet, it's that time of year when baseball is fun. There are only four teams left, but the fact that two of the teams (the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers) are anything but postseason staples, adds some excitement to the mix, and makes baseball fans out of people you wouldn't expect. Every team has a following, of course (why else are 40,000-capacity stadiums packed all the time?) but, as I watched a video about Rangers' fans reactions to the Rangers' win over Tampa Bay, I was somewhat surprised. A whole bar full of people wearing Rangers stuff, cheering on the Rangers? I thought Texas people were all about the Cowboys, the Longhorns...somehow the Rangers, because they lack the success of those other programs, always seemed under-the-radar.
Well, this is the time of year when baseball is fun. Facebook is suddenly alive with people cheering on their teams, and bars and houses are packed for people watching baseball. Now, it's worth mentioning that, in my opinion, football, hockey, and even basketball are usually more exciting to watch than baseball. It's true. Baseball can be slow, and the games are long. But I'll be darned if October baseball isn't exciting.
It has other people excited, too, and not just me. Check out this video of San Francisco Giants fans: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/thelife/news/story?page=goingviral/101310. They've re-made the Journey song "Don't Stop Believin'" with Giants lingo attached.
And check out this video of Philadelphia Phillies' first baseman Ryan Howard (the 2006 NL MVP) presenting the Top Ten on Letterman's Tonight Show: "Ten Reasons to Watch the Baseball Playoffs." These are always amusing. I've seen Cole Hamels and Mark Buerhle present the top ten's on Letterman before. In case you don't have time to watch, here they are:
10: Fox's Coverage Now Extends to the Post-game Shower
9: What Are You Gonna Do: Watch Hockey?
8: One Lucky Viewer Will Win A Free Tommy-John Surgery
7: We Just Had the Phillie Phanatic (their green, fuzzy mascot) Clipped, Wormed, and Neutered
6: Trips to the Mound Now Include a Fabulous 'Glee'-style Dance Number
5: The Crack of the Bat Replaced by a boing sound
4: Do You Really Need An Excuse to Sit on the Couch and Drink Beer?
3: Mention My Name, and You Can Re-Broadcast the Game Without the Express Written Consent of Major League Baseball
2: It's About Time the Yankees Got Some Attention From the National Media
1: If You're Watching This, You'll Watch Anything
Seriously, though, it's worth watching. Even if you're just a casual fan. Everything matters more, now. The drama is heightened. Lincecum and Halladay will face off Saturday night, in one of the greatest pitching match-ups you're likely to see in this era.
C.C. Sabathia of the Yankees faces off with C.J. Wilson of the Rangers tonight at 8 in Game 1 of the ALCS.
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