Springing Forward

I've decided that this is one of my favorite times of year, regardless of the fact that occasionally I feel like absolute crap. Around here, Spring doesn't exactly come and stay. It's one of those situations where mother nature starts her job at Spring Time, Inc., and then has to go on instant FMLA Leave, to return, only to get the flu, and then come back full time.  And I get what I like to call "equinox allergies" so when it keeps trying to turn into Spring, I get sick. Same goes for the Fall.  (Naturally). So aside from this misery, I have recently come to the realization that this is the time of year where baseball season gets going, hockey season amps up, and there's actually starting to be some daylight when I get out of work occasionally.

But this week contained one of my favorite "holidays."  The NHL Trade Deadline. I get excited at the potential for huge moves and pivotal changes that could make or break a team.  I also love the fact that fans get to see the business end of the team.  We can appreciate more the fun and games aspect we see on TV seeing the weeks leading up to the Trade Deadline treating players like pawns. The uneasiness of the players who are likely to be traded may not be shown on the ice, but best believe you see it on the ice the first week they play for their new team. Or their same team.

For the past few days, in the games I've been watching, there has been such an energy on the ice now that the players aren't just pieces of property with dollar signs around their necks (or "dirty laundry" in the case of M. St. Louis). And while you have this excitement, you get games like the ones Detroit played last night.  Legwand had 3 points including a goal in his second outing as a Detroit Red Wing in a 7-4 blowout over the Devils. Or the game the Bolts played against the Bruins tonight without the face of Martin St. Louis, but with the recent return of Stamkos. Oh, and for the record, Columbus won a nail-biter in Nashville tonight, too. (The Nashville loudspeaker also played one of the most offensive versions of "Don't Stop Believin'" I have ever heard.  But that's only because Journey doesn't deserve to be twanged for one, and the version sounded so miserable to be from SOUTH DETROIT!).

And the playoffs are right around the corner. And once they get here, the MLB season will be picking up and the smell of popcorn and hotdogs will be outside, as opposed to ...say... Consol Energy Center. But I wasn't really a fan of those hot dogs.  Or at least the particular one I had.  But that was a game where Detroit was in town, and the Red Wings won, and I had a blast. And then I will start ranting about Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers closing pitchers. But it will be fine, because there's nothing better than having a team to root for.

In case I haven't told you yet, there are four seasons in the course of the year: Baseball, Football, Hockey, and Snow.  And they're all awesome, even when there's something to complain about.