The Monday after the Super Bowl marked the beginning of a very dark time for sports fans. After Aaron Rodgers hoisted the Lombardi trophy, we entered the worst three weeks on the sports calendar. The NFL hangover is in full effect, March Madness is a few weeks away, Opening Day isn’t for another month and a half, and the NBA and NHL are in the “dog days” of their seasons.
You don’t have to look hard to notice it. The top three stories on ESPN revolve around the NFL labor talks, Albert Pujols’ contract negotiations,and Carmelo Anthony’s never ending trade discussions. I’d rather watch a Cavaliers-Wizards game—oh wait, that happened this past weekend. It’s painful to watch the media try to hype up stories that have minimal importance. It’s great that CC Sabathia came to spring training 30 pounds lighter, and it’s funny that he said he lost the weight by cutting Cap’n Crunch out of his diet, but I don’t need to hear that same story three times in one day. But to be fair to baseball at least, their season doesn’t start until the end of March—they have to do some overindulging.
The NHL’s biggest story right now isn’t even about the hockey. It’s about fighting on the ice, which has recently gotten way out of hand. But hey, I’m sure Gary Bettman isn’t complaining—the saying, “any publicity is good publicity” couldn’t be more true for hockey.
And because I don’t want to waste more paper by writing about how Donald Trump wants to buy the Mets, I’ll give you a guide to get through it until March Madness begins and the weather thaws.
At Georgetown, lucky for us, there is still important basketball to be played. It doesn’t compare to anything that will be going on next month, but there is something to look forward to in the biggest regular season game since Duke came to town last year. The Hoyas will take on Syracuse next Saturday. And to make the rivalry game even bigger, it’s a gray out, and senior day. Georgetown will also be in contention for a double-bye in the Big East Tournament.
Meanwhile, old Hoyas will be returning to the Verizon Center. On Tuesday night, you can retire some memories of the 2007 season when Roy Hibbert and the Pacers take on the Wizards. It won’t be the same as seeing him swish three’s against UConn, but watching him dunk over John Wall might be fun.
You may also want to use this time to take a break from sports, especially if you’re from Cleveland and are tired of suffering. Yesterday, Disney on Ice began a six-day stint at the Verizon Center. Those cute characters could help lessen the blow of a 26-game losing streak or even help a Steelers fan get over a Super Bowl loss.
Sports fans are spoiled all year round. Every other week there seems to be another epic game or match. I guess there has to be a break sometimes right? Not really, if ESPN had its way. But for now, these weeks are a test for the true sports fan. It is time to get creative and make the days go faster. Because before you know it, there won’t be any time off. After March Madness tips-off, it’s a non-stop ride to Super Bowl XLVI.
