For the love of spring

By Jackson Morgus

I don't need another excuse to love spring. The return of beautiful California weather, the approaching summer vacation and an influx of events on the spring social calendar is a satisfying combination.

But my love for springtime does not stop there. Excitement accompanying this season is topped by what the sports calendar brings us for March, April and May. Don't be misled by the revolution of the sporting world around pigskin, which is the only major sport on hiatus during these months. Spring is the best time on the calendar for sports fans, bar none.

March Madness kicked off the joy this season. This year, the tournament did its best to ruin itself. The expectation that the team with the best guard would win was destroyed in the elite eight, my bracket along with it. The near Cinderella story of Butler, which was a pre-season top-10 team, failed to help as Duke edged them out in a final four that had seen more bricks than a veteran mason.

Even though it proved to be one of the hardest championship rounds to watch, the tournament provided three weekends of entertainment, just like it does every spring.

The highlight of the spring for many is the return of the national pastime to diamonds across the country. The baseball season drags on for 162 games, and by August, following the Big Leagues can seem arduous, especially if you don't live in Orange County, Boston, New York or Philadelphia. I would apologize to Ray's fans for not including them in the list, that is, if the Rays had fans.

But in the spring, baseball is fresh in fans' minds. Thirty teams open the season on an even footing in the standings, and each game appears to hold a heightened sense of significance early on. The return of the game itself, along with the season it stands for -- nothing says warm weather like the sound of balls hitting bats and gloves -- makes the beginning of the baseball season perhaps the best part.

Then there is my personal favorite: the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. No tournament matches the speed, excitement and intensity that are seen throughout the entire four rounds. Even for non-hockey fans, a playoff game is must see TV and serves to provide an unforgettable experience for viewers.

The NBA Playoffs and NFL Draft are excellent supplements to the three big sporting events of the spring as well, though they do not carry quite the same excitement.

So in case it wasn't entertaining enough already, the sporting world will once again deliver, making spring, with due respect to football, the best part of the year.