What To Do, What to Do?

We are now in the heart of February and as a sports fan I am sad. The Super Bowl is now over and I am left with a whole lot of nothing to take its place. Oh I could watch the NBA and see the Celtics continue to blow big second half leads, but no thanks. I could turn my attention to the NHL, but watching the Bruin's scoring woes would probably cause me to hurl an object through my television screen and I'm sure the wife would not appreciate that. There is always college basketball, but they are still in a regular season that means almost nothing so why waste my time. When 65 teams make the tournament it kind of dilutes the regular season and hey there is even talk of expanding the field to 128 teams, don't get me started on that joke of an idea. Then there is always high school basketball to watch, no I think I would rather bang my head against this desk. Oh wait the Olympics are coming up, oh wait its the Winter Olympics, nevermind. So for the next few weeks I am left without much of anything going on in my world of sports. Pitchers and catchers will report soon and at least the pictures from the spring training camps will make me think of Spring. So if you see someone wandering around the sports world looking lost it is just me, don't worry though I will be fine come springtime.

The Song of the Blog: This time around the song of the blog is Last to Know by Three Days Grace from the CD Life Starts Now. My wife turned me on to this song as she is a huge Three Days Grace fan. Just a simple tune of a love gone bad, not a new topic but still a good song.

What Means Most to You as a Fan

I was listening to The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio this afternoon and they brought up an interesting subject, as a fan what championship means the most to you? Well like any good idea it was ripe for the stealing, so here goes. This column will list the top five sports championships that mean the most to me if my team wins it all.

5. NBA Championship: As a Boston Celtics fan I experienced this just a couple of years ago. I can't say I watch a whole lot of basketball in the regular season, maybe the final quarter of about every other Celtics game. I do start paying more attention when the playoffs come around, but if I miss a game it isn't the end of the world. Only if the Celtics are in the Finals does it become appointment television.

4. The Stanley Cup: Unlike a lot of Americans I like hockey. In fact I am more likely to tune into A Boston Bruins game than the Celtics. Unfortunately I haven't experienced a Stanley Cup victory by the Bruins and to be perfectly honest it isn't looking good for this year either.

3. The Super Bowl: The New England Patriots have been very good to me recently giving me three Super Bowl championships to celebrate. I also was quite upset when they lost their perfect season to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XlII. Still as happy as I was when the Patriots won it still didn't match the feeling that I get from my top two.

2. NCAA Frozen Four: This one probably comes out of nowhere for most people across the country, but when you are a product of the University of Maine you understand. Hockey is easily the best U. Maine Black Bears team. Maine has won two ice hockey championships and both hold a special place in my heart. I probably also felt closer to those titles because I went to so many games and would sometimes see the players on campus.

1. The World Series: I am a baseball fan first and foremost. I fell in love with the game and the New York Yankees when I was just six years old. I have been blessed to see my team win seven titles in my lifetime. The biggest win was in 1996 when the Yankees won for the first time in 18 years. Granted that isn't a long time between titles for some teams, but the drought lasted from elementary school through college for me. I know I have nothing on Chicago Cubs fans, but it was nice to win one again in 1996. It was also especially nice since it was the first time the Yankees had won since my brother, Dennis, dies in 1989. He was a huge Yankee fan as well and I knew just how much he would have enjoyed the 1996 season.

So there you have it the five sports titles that mean the most to me, How are yours different? Leave your comments in the comment section.

The Song of the Blog: The song of the blog this time around is Blue On Black by The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. A bluesy song that has great guitar, not much more to say.

Heaven Smiles Down on the Saints

Maybe it was all destiny. There has to be some explanation for the play of the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. It appeared at times that the football was covered with Crisco, the amount of times the Vikings fumbled the ball. Someone upstairs had to be pulling for the Saints when the Vikings inexplicably had 12 men in the huddle, and thus drew a penalty that took them out of field goal range. Divine intervention had to be at play when a veteran like Brett Favre makes a boneheaded throw across his body that leads to an interception. Whatever it was the New Orleans Saints survived Sunday and will now play the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

The Saints need to make sure they send a thank you card to the Vikings for they were given that game. A vaunted Saints offense managed only 257 yards, but capitalized on great field position given to them by the Vikings. While a less than stellar Saints defense was able to batter Favre around like a pinata. One wondered if the Vikings left their usual offensive line back in Minnesota and borrowed one from a local high school team.

Now the Saints have two weeks to gear up for the Colts. I don't think the Saints have enough on defense to cover all of Indy's receivers. I believe the only hope the Saints will have is if the old playoff Peyton Manning shows up, the one that defenses could fluster and cause him force the action and turn the ball over. If the Peyton Manning that systematically dismantled the New York Jets this Sunday shows up it is game over before the game even starts. I'll be rooting for the Saints come February 7, Super Bowl Sunday, but I think I'll be disappointed. Hopefully the food is good.

The Song of the Blog: This week's song of the blog is Ruby by the Kaiser Chiefs. Once again I was a little tardy to the party on this song and the sad thing is that I only discovered it by playing Lego Rock Band with my kids. The thing about playing these music games is I find these songs going through my head all the time, and this can be both good, Ruby, or bad, Kung Fu Fighting.

Warning obligatory book plug. If you haven't checked out my baseball novel, 33 Summers, please do at: http://www.amazon.com/33-Summers-Darren-Pare/dp/1608602605/ref.