TUNING IN…

BY: ARDITH STEPHANSON
FOR RODPEDERSEN.COM

If travel has a shoulder season – defined as the time between peak seasons – this is my sports viewing shoulder season.

While shoulder season for travel means fares tend to be relatively low….sports viewing shoulder season means my interest is relatively low.

The NFL is a distant memory, particularly the exciting playoff season, when my interest is highest. It is a couple of months to CFL season, when I love to watch the Riders in person and any other matchup on TV.

Hockey has some good playoff runs but the real excitement starts with that first round – which many years seems almost more exciting than the finals. Once it gets down to the crunch, the weather is too nice to be inside watching TV (unless my Red Wings make another run). In the first round, we have multiple games every night, a veritable buffet of what is such a great sport when played with the intensity of playoffs.

Baseball spring training is just a little too dull to care about – there are 162 regular season games yet to come (technically that’s 162 per team, for a total of 2430 games over approximately 180 days).

Curling is into the world championships, which are never as exciting as Canadian events, especially when this year I would have to get up at 5 a.m. to watch….

Golf is still in the midst of mostly boring events…

And I better mention March Madness, because I know many of you will point out that it is in full swing and has been for a while. Call me when the final is on. I just can’t bring myself to watch game after game of college hoops, gambling and brackets all considered. (Random thought – why is it still called March Madness when it now starts later and/or runs longer and the final is well into April?) And the NBA is even less exciting to me.

Thank goodness this shoulder season is short and sweet and will soon be over!

Baseball started for real this week, the final of March Madness is coming up, golf has its first major next week, hockey will soon be into playoffs and April means two more months until CFL…

COUCH EVENTS

Speaking of golf and baseball, is it just me, or do some sports lend themselves to couch viewing better than others?

Baseball kicked off its regular season on Sunday. I know of many people who badmouth baseball as boring, slow and not worth viewing. I beg to differ. Maybe it makes a difference to see it in person, as I have been blessed to attend several major league games in several different parks. The atmosphere is amazing, and (I guess like any sport) when you see it in person, you realize it really isn’t that easy! The speed of the game, the distance between bases and to the outfield, the hot dogs and beer….perhaps I would watch more March Madness if I attended in person.

On television, baseball may not seem as exciting as other sports. It is a calmer, quieter sport for spectators than hockey or football. I don’t always find myself on the edge of my seat. This isn’t always a bad thing! Sports that allow for mid-game naps are to be appreciated…

Such as golf. I love to play, don’t always love to watch. But if I’m feeling particularly lazy on a Sunday afternoon, what better to doze in front of than a golf match with the obligatory British-accented announcer whispering the results to me?

Curling is another good couch sport. If it wasn’t for that “hurry hard” and other variety of yelling, it would be downright perfect.

Nascar is good for a nap as well, although I don’t watch it a lot. The endless circles and monotonous engine noise are perfect backdrops for a doze on the sofa.

Am I missing any?

MASTER THIS

Speaking of golf, the Masters is one of those golf events that is worth watching. We have another week to wait, but it is looking like some of the big names will be missing due to injury, or at less than full potential if they do play. Which could mean for an exciting run by a couple of newcomers.

And if the golf is dull, the scenery is beautiful. The flyovers on the HD TV are amazing.

WILD FINISH TO THE SEASON?

Has the addition of the “wild card” component added to the excitement of the last few weeks of the NHL season?

I’m not sure I can declare one way or the other this year.

Every spring generally has some late-season runs by teams (see Red Wings), and late season collapses by others (see Maple Leafs, couldn’t resist) which make for some interesting rivalries and matchups. Has that changed dramatically with the wild cards? I don’t think so. It just means there are some different teams vying for the final spots – and not necessarily the traditional rivals or teams in the same division.

Send in your thoughts and follow me on Twitter @Ardith_S