Binge Sports: It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Welcome back to Binge Sports and picture me singing that classic song…It’s the most wonderful time of the year. We’ve got so many great events on the horizon and this is by far the best six weeks or so in the world of sports. I won’t get too much into detail today on each topic as I’ll get to that when the event rolls around, but let’s take a look at what’s coming up and why I’m so jacked.

 

MARCH MADNESS

In my eyes, this week alone is one of the greatest weeks of the year. Starting on Thursday, 64 teams will vie for the top prize in college basketball. By Sunday night, 48 teams will have been eliminated. You’re talking wall-to-wall games for four straight days. I always marvel at the productivity lost this week.  And before you get angry, yes, I know that 68 teams get in, but let’s not even attempt to pretend that you watch the play-in games unless there’s nothing else on at the dive you’re sitting in. And if you’re sitting in a dive bar on a Tuesday night, maybe you’ve got more things to worry about, but we’ll save that for another day. I do have one quick thought on the Tuesday night games. I actually find it funny that the first four games are always played in Dayton and who by chance is in one of these first four games? You guessed it. Dayton. So technically, they actually get a home game in the NCAA tournament. I’m not sure why I like that so much, but I do.

At this point, it would take way too much work for me to break down every single game this week, but I’ll start getting into more detail next week when we reach the Sweet 16. We do know that Kentucky is the number one overall seed and continue their quest for perfection on Thursday night on CBS. They enter this tournament with a 34-0 record and are looking to become the first team to run the table since the Indiana Hoosiers in 1976. On the same side of the bracket in the West Region, number one seed Wisconsin kicks off against one of my favorite schools in the country, Coastal Carolina, on Friday night on TBS. I love Myrtle Beach, okay?

On the opposite side of the draw, we’ve got number one seed Villanova leading the way in the East with a 32-2 record. They’ll get going on Thursday evening on TBS. And, of course, we’ve got the team that everyone loves to hate rounding out the number one seeds in the South. The Duke Blue Devils begin their quest for Coach K’s fifth NCAA title on Friday on CBS.

Is there anyone in the field that can take down Kentucky? See how the draw played out last night at print your brackets right HERE.

Enjoy the madness that leads up to the Final Four in Indianapolis on April 4.

 

WRESTLEMANIA XXXI

Okay, this one may not be for everybody, but I have no problem admitting that I am a 35-year-old man that still watches wrestling. I just can’t stop. I’ve been watching since I was five and really haven’t stopped. I’m still and will always be a Hulkamaniac and I don’t care who knows it. I know there are still haters out there who call it “fake”, but if you’ve ever stepped into a ring and taken a few bumps (which I have), you’d know that it freaking hurts. These guys are some of the best athletes on the planet and are dedicated as hell about what they do and put their bodies on the line each and every night to entertain the audience. We’re adults. We know that the outcomes are predetermined. But that doesn’t take away from the entertainment value of it. We like other television shows that are scripted. If you don’t like it, I’ve got no problem with that. But don’t watch Game of Thrones and then judge me because I still do. Wow, I’m sounding really angry right now, but honestly, it’s always been a nice getaway for me. Some of my fondest memories growing up actually have something to do with professional wrestling, especially the biggest event of the year, Wrestlemania.

This is the 31st installment of the “showcase of the immortals” and this year’s event has the potential to be good or really, really bad. I’ll be back in a few weeks with a match-by-match breakdown before Wrestlemania XXXI airs live from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA on March 29th at 7E/4P on the WWE Network for only…….$9.99.

 

MLB OPENING DAY

Oh, how I love the return of baseball. The green grass. The infield dirt. The crack of the bat that lets you know that the boys of summer are back. Spring training is in full swing (pun intended) as we speak, but let’s not get too excited about exhibitions and split-squad games. Let’s focus instead on Sunday night, April 5th. Well, first of all, let’s be happy that the schedule doesn’t call for the season to start in Japan. Do we all remember those actual regular season games that were played overseas while the exhibition season was still going on? Ridiculous.

Nope, this year we get a real start to the season with my favorite rivalry opening things up. The St. Louis Cardinals visit my beloved Chicago Cubs at historic Wrigley Field, although it may not actually look that great on Opening Day with all the renovations going on, but that’s beside the point. There’s a ton of excitement on the North Side these days and there’s nobody better to kick off the season against than the standard-bearers of the division, the 11-time World Series champion Cardinals. The other 28 teams get going on Monday, April 6.

 

THE MASTERS

Hello friends. Every April, I look forward to the soothing sounds of Jim Nantz and my favorite sporting event. No, seriously, give me the choice of watching the Masters or the Super Bowl every year and I’d take the “event unlike any other” any day of the week. I’ll dive into why I love this golf tournament so much as we get closer, but this is the event that really lets me know that spring has arrived. Magnolia Lane. The azaleas. Amen Corner. The back nine on Sunday afternoon. Drama doesn’t get much better than this.

As I’m legally required to mention Tiger Woods in any golf-related piece that I write, he will be a topic of conversation leading up to the event as we await word on whether or not he’ll play. But I’d rather focus on those we know will be there. There’s of course the world number one, Rory McIlroy, who will be looking for his third straight major and the career grand slam at only age 25. However, the “future of American golf” as he’s been called by many, Jordan Spieth, is coming off of a great win at this past weekend’s Valspar Championship. Sure, it was only his second win, but he showed yesterday that he can make some putts at crunch time. Also involved in that playoff was golf’s new bad boy, Patrick Reed, who will also be looking to make a big splash at Augusta National. Tiger or no Tiger, the field will be packed with stars looking to take the title from two-time winner and defending champion, Bubba Watson.

Look for another drama-filled four days starting Thursday, April 9.

 

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Speaking of high drama, is there anything better than a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs? I really don’t think so. And what if that Game 7 goes into overtime? Holy hell! I’ve seen people literally on the edge of their seats when this happens. We’ve still got nearly a month before the regular season ends on April 11, with the playoffs starting soon after, so we’ll obviously have to wait to see who gets in and who matches up with who. But just as I did last year, I’ll be back with previews and fan votes during every single series.

 

NBA PLAYOFFS

I, for one, am very excited about this year’s NBA Playoffs. There’s no favorite. Last year, it was pretty easy to know that LeBron and the Heat were going to match up with the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs. But a year later, LeBron is back in Cleveland and the Spurs are a year older in a very competitive Western Conference. Is Golden State the real deal? Did you really pick the Atlanta Hawks to be a top seed in the East? Can Russell Westbrook even get the Thunder in? We’ll have a lot more answers when the NBA Playoffs begin on April 18. And once again, just like the NHL, I’ll be back with breakdowns and fan votes for every single series leading up to the NBA Finals in June.

 

NFL DRAFT

I gotta be honest with you. I almost didn’t even put this on here, but you can’t deny the power of the National Football League. When the draft rolls around on April 30, there won’t have been a game played for nearly three months nor a game that matters for four more, but people will still sit and talk at length about what their team needs. The names Mel Kiper and Todd McShay will be everywhere as ESPN will undoubtedly tell us about the combine performance of the backup quarterback from Appalachian State. But we’ll listen like we always do. I told myself last year that I wanted nothing to do with the draft as the overabundance of NFL coverage has gotten out of control. Yet there I was in front of a TV with the hope that Johnny Manziel would go the whole night sitting in the green room. And this year, I’m sure I’ll get sucked in again for at least a little while as we await the decision of where Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota will end up.

Tampa Bay…you’re on the clock.

 

KENTUCKY DERBY

I will not ever pretend to be an expert on horse racing, but it’s hard to not watch the Kentucky Derby. Do I see the need for four hours of coverage for a two minute race? No, and I certainly don’t subject myself to it, but when race time rolls around, I’m in. And this year, as it’s on May 2, it will actually be a nice warmup to what comes later that night….

 

FLOYD MAYWEATHER v. MANNY PACQUIAO

It’s finally happening. Sure, it’s a few years later than it should have been, but “Money” versus “Pacman” is actually going to take place. If you really know me, then you know that I’m still a big fan of boxing. I realize that’s it’s taken a backseat to MMA in recent years, but I still believe that this sport has some life left in it. There are some young stars on the horizon, but for now, the sport’s two biggest draws are still Mayweather and Pacquiao. Say what you want about Floyd, but the fact remains that 47 have tried and 47 have failed to beat him. He’s one of the smartest fighters to ever step in the ring. He doesn’t need to knock you out. Hell, only 26 of those wins have been via knockout. But he’ll just outbox you. He knows where he is at all times and rarely looks vulnerable. But if anybody has the chance to knock him off, it’s Manny Pacquiao. With 57 wins of his own, he’s got the tools and the patience to test Mayweather. Believe me, as the fight gets closer, I’ll be back with a huge breakdown of the biggest fight that boxing has had since Mike Tyson v. Lennox Lewis in 2002.

I told you there was a lot coming up. The sports world is going to be as busy as can be and Binge Sports will be there every step of the way. Keep checking back in for all the updates, breakdowns, and fan votes you can handle. What are you most looking forward to? Who survives this weekend? Give me your thoughts below or even better, follow me on Twitter @BingeSports and/or @THElukenorris and let me know if there’s something I’m missing. Enjoy the madness and we know I’ve got no choice but to be back soon.