The most wonderful time of the year

[Mr. TM]

perhaps for a sports fan.

Is there another point in the year that is as good as now for a sports fan in North America? Hockey is almost 10 games in, basketball is about to begin, baseball is about to start the World Series, and football is almost at its midpoint.

I don't even watch football, but I can feel the sports atmosphere out there. Teams in the NHL are stating to test what they can do out on the ice. The World Series always makes for exciting time in baseball, even if the Twins and Jays are out. We will look to see how the Suns do without that 300 pound anchor on the team this year.

So what is your favourite time of the year sportsfans?

 

[TwistofRKO]

Give me a week and a half and that's it.

World Series, College Football in rivalry games, and the NFL at it's best. There's nothing better than a 4:15 game that starts light and ends up dark. You also have the NBA and NHL.

I'm touching on what you had, but specifically, the first week of November.

 

[Big J]

On Nov. 1 for the 1st time EVER, NFL, nba, MLB and NHL all will play on the same day. This is the best time of year because, other than baseball, most of the teams in the other sports still have a chance to make the playoffs.

 

[The Todd]

April/May. The best time of the year for sport by a long shot.

The football, the bread and butter of the sporting world, is reaching it's conclusion in every important country. Cup semi finals are being played which are just about the best things in sport, as finals tend to be a disappointment, though the build up is fantastic, which happens in April and May. You have the semi finals of the Champions League, which are always entertaining. Every League game means something, either in the title race, a push for Europe, a push for promotion (Yank sports don't have that), a push for the play-offs or a scramble to avoid relegation.

Add to that the F1 season usually heads to Monaco, the cricket season is getting up and running and the tennis is intensifying ahead of the French Open and Wimbledon and you have the only important sports all going at the same time.

 

[Brilliant Human Being]

For me, it's the middle of August. The football season starts again, and there's so many questions to be answered: what will new signings do? Will anyone challenge the top 4?

Seriously, I always get excited about August every year, as I think every football fan does. The period between May and August, when there's no competitive football on is very boring, especially on a Saturday afternoon.

Next year though, it'll be June/July, simply because of the World Cup, one of the best tournaments on the planet.

 

[the troop]

October-November is a great time for a sports fan, but it is not my favorite time of the years. Give me about 4-5 months.

As the beginning of April comes around, the NHL playoffs are starting, the NBA season is winding down, and the NFL draft heats up. But for me, this is the time for the beginning of a great sport. If you havent guess it, it is baseball.

This being my favorite sport and pastime, I always get this itch to both play and watch baseball. As spring training winds down, the anticipation keeps building and building. It is great to think that every team has an equal chance to get to the playoffs. I just love it. I guess you can say this about every other sport, but baseball just has a different feeling...for me.

I don't know how to explain it, but as the calender turns to April, Baseball is just in the air....for me.

 

[Stormtrooper]

I agree 100% that April is better then October (not by much, but definately better).

October brings the following to the table:

• NFL mid-season: 2/3 of the NFL teams have a chance to make the playoffs still, and the rest of the teams are still playing hard, so usually the games are good.
• NCAA Football mid-season: 4 teams usually are still in the National Championship hunt, but 2/3 of the teams are vying for a bowl bid. Also, NCAA provides us with a lot of rivalry games in October, something that makes for exciting games, whether you are a fan of either team or not.
• MLB Playoffs: if your team is in it, it is great (until you're eliminated), if it isn't, then it's unbearable.
• NHL early season: the season is beginning to take shape, but the top teams have yet (for the most part) to show their true colors.
• NBA VERY early season: If I actually cared about basketball, I could make a case for this being good, but I really can't.

April gives us the following:

• NFL Draft: the draft itself happens at the end of the month, but the previews, speculating, and general banter about the draft make it last the entire month.
• MLB Opening Day: Baseball begins again, and 28 teams still have a chance to make the playoffs (sorry Pirates and Nationals).
• The Final Four: everybody and their mother does the stupid NCAA tournament brackets, and the Final Four crowns the champion (of both NCAA basketball, and the stupid NCAA tournament pools)
• NBA playoffs
• NHL playoffs: Half of the league makes the playoffs, and in April, you get the first 2 rounds, so that means 16 teams are still alive. Also, the NHL playoffs are the most entertaining playoffs of the 4 major sports, and it isn't even close.
• The Masters: I never used to watch Golf (I found it quite boring). Then HDTVs were invented, and Gold started using millions (.....AND MILLIONS) of camera's. All of a sudden, Gold not only wasn't boring, BUT it looked absolutely amazing.

To me, April brings more to the table then October. October will have a few amazing days (when MLB playoffs intertwine with football season), but there are also days in which there are NO sports whatsoever. April, on the other hand, provides less amazing days, but provides less nothing days. That is why, to me, April wins over October.