If it was unclear to you before, TBS and Fox have most certainly reminded you by now that there is only one October. And thank God.
Don't get me wrong, I love all that goes on in the sports world in October, but if November or December fought October for sports supremacy, I'd be flunking out of school even faster than I already am (Sorry Mom.)
Sure, there might be a presidential election, an economic downturn (I refuse to acknowledge that a crisis began the year that I'm applying for a job), wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a new Seth Rogen movie. And, oh yeah, I'm working on a college degree. But the only math problem I can do right now has nothing to do with quadratics or obtuse angles. October = baseball playoffs + football season + hockey + the NBA. I'm no math major, but I know that by the transitive property, October = me having no time for academics or a social life.
The Sox are in the playoffs, the Pats are on, the Celtics are getting set to defend their title, hockey still exists, and the MLS may or may not be shifting into do-or-die mode. As I said, I'm not complaining. I'm just overwhelmed.
As if it wasn't hard enough before, it's now simply impossible to get any work done. Like a circus clown and his knives, I'm dangerously juggling two to four sports teams every night. I've got pre- and post-games, studio shows and sideline reporters, fantasy leagues and teaser bets. How can there be time for anything else?
Take this past week, for example. Fall Break was no break, it just left me a little wiggle room with the sports gods because I actually had zero pressing engagements that were more important than the sports that were on television. Since last Saturday, I've spent 16 hours watching Red Sox games and another four hours watching the Patriots get shellacked by San Diego. And those are only the actual games; it doesn't include the countless highlights and analysis shows I've subjected my addled brain to.
The Celtics played three times this week and I didn't even watch. I think I'm getting soft in my old age. And don't even get me started on hockey or soccer; I've got too much on my plate.
And sure, it's better than the alternative. I'm lucky that I've got four or five professional sports franchises to follow. I'm fortunate that my baseball team is playing after September. I mean, what if I lived in?gulp?Buffalo?
It's never easy being a fan. In fact, it's a lot of hard work. Every good sports fan knows that their team can't win without the proper support. Just as it's a player's job to get out on the field and play, it's a fan's job to jump on the couch and root. We have to watch every play and buy every jersey. We can't miss a game or a chance to talk smack about an opposing player. My playoff beard is how legends are made.
Obviously, I've got to wear my favorite team's jersey or shirt, but it does not end there. We all have our rituals, both pre-game and during. Mine happen to involve lucky boxers, an African mask, a giant raspberry iced tea and, if it's an elimination game or against a team from the New York/New Jersey/Hell area, a Sweatin' '09 headband. Opponents beware.
October is a special month. The leaves are changing, the air is crisper, and I just got back from Fall break so I'm a little bit more broke.
The other months are nice, replete with holidays, birthdays, and Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day, but October is special. October showcases the raw passion of playoff baseball and the rebirth that accompanies the start of the NBA season. In October, every game counts in baseball and every basketball team starts undefeated. It's when the sports world collides and crescendos in a glorious month-long celebration of excitement, fury, and pride.
So crack open a Gritty's Octoberfest or six, throw on the jersey, and get psyched. Because you know when you spend more time watching sports on TV than you do with your parents and girlfriend combined, you're either a pathetic un-loving loser, or it's just October.