It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It really is. Fall is my favorite season. The leaves on the trees are bright yellow, orange and red. New York fall isn't as picturesque as the Falls I've experienced in New England, but hey, take a picture, it lasts longer. The temperature is a cool 65 degrees but with the sun beating on you it feels like 72. It's perfect light jacket weather, the boots come out, and the Bill Cosby sweaters are in full effect. This is my time of year!!

But Autumn isn't just about the fashion. As per the name of this blog and my life's obsession, it's perfect sports mix. Some seasons are just getting started while others are almost over. It feels like every night of the week is must see sports tv.


The MLB postseason seems to go later and later into each year, which means fans are still watching baseball well into October. While the past few years have been lackluster as far as series matchups and wins, it's only a matter of time before the World Series returns to form, as will the slumping ratings.


We are knee deep in the NFL season!! Week 11 is underway, and the playoff picture is already starting to take some shape. Like every season, there are __surprises and unbelievable disappointments. Example? The Tennessee Titans are the league's sole undefeated team. Wholda thunk it!?!? The Indianapolis Colts have stumbled with their veteran QB Peyton Manning trying to regain his form following offseason knee surgery. On the other hand, 2 rookie quarterbacks, Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens and Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons, have made solid transitions from college to pro, and are playing better than some veteran QBs.

The COLLEGE FOOTBALL season is rounding its final corner and, as usual, we're arguing about rankings and wondering who's playing in what bowl. Should a top ranked 1-loss team (see Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Penn State) team play for the championship over a team that could possibly finish the season undefeated (Alabama, Texas Tech, Utah, Boise State, Ball State)? BCS seems to stand for Bowl Confusion Series, especially since a lot of people still don't even understand how the system even works. Should computers decide which teams are the best, or should coaches and media (many of whom have their own biases and agendas) decide teams' fate? We're still debating whether or not the NCAA should implement a playoff system - a discussion that only gets louder and louder as more deserving schools are left out of championship games. Whether you like it or not, every week is a big game with monumental post-season implications. Exciting to say the least.

The 2008-2009 NBA season started with a block buster trade that sent Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons, and Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets. This is also the tie where we get to see what this year's rookie class has to offer. Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Brian Westbrook, . And let's not forget the most unconventional rookie, 2007's #1 overall pick, Greg Oden. He missed all of last season after having knee surgery, and injured himself in his VERY FIRST GAME of his NBA career!! Sprained foot. People are calling him injury prone, and we'll see how the rest of his season shapes up.


And last but not least, COLLEGE FOOTBALL!! This is a long season that's already started. The preseason rankings have UNC, UConn, Louisville, UCLA and Pittsburgh as the top 5 teams. Last year's final teams, Memphis and Kansas are ranked 13th and 24th respectively. I was a little surprised at first when I saw the 2008 champs, the Jayhawks, were down near the bottom until I realized that they are quite a depleted team. Kansas lost all 5 starters (Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers, Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaun) and a repeat of last year is . Davidson, last year's Cinderella, is in the top 25, along with last year's disappointment, Florida. The Gators won back to back championships with Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer, then seemingly fell of the face of the Earth. From The Big Dance to the NIT? Womp. And Davidson's star PG Stephen Curry is already thrown into the mix as this year's top player. UNC is the #1 team, surprise surprise, but their #1 player Tyler Hansbrough starts the season on the bench, sitting out with a stress reaction in his right shin. Trouble in paradise...?


Now look, if the NBA, NFL, NCAAF, NCAAB and MLB don't float your sports boat, then there's still the NHL, MLS, PGA, and Nascar. I'm just gonna leave it at that.