No bones about it, I am a sports fan.
I have my favorites, of course.
I love baseball and basketball, and I really can't stand football and hockey.
I have always loved baseball. It is the first sport I understood and the first sport I played, and it is as much a part of me as my blood is.
I grew up in an urban environment, and basketball is king in that environment.
I was never much of an athlete, but I always liked playing--and watching--baseball and basketball.
The other sports I can live without, and in addition to hockey and football, I have no use for tennis, golf and soccer.
I also like bowling, too, but that is an individual sport, not really a team sport.
Anyway, right now, sports in my neck of the woods is in a pretty exciting mode.
The baseball season is in full swing, and my Yankees are doing a bit better than everyone--including myself--thought.
I don't know if they are playoff bound, but with all the injuries they have had, many predicted them for a lowly finish.
Right now, they are near the top of their division, and if they can hold on until their many injured players come back--including Derek Jeter--they might make a run for it.
On the other side of the pond, the Mets are also playing way above expectations, led by many young players. I am not a Mets fan, never have been, but I am a baseball fan, and I marvel at the skills and talent level of their young players.
And then we have the Knicks.
No team captures the imagination of the general Metropolitan area populace as the Knicks.
They own this area, always have, always will, and when they are going good, everyone roots for them.
Right now, they are going quite good, beating the Celtics last night for the second game in a row in the first round of the playoffs.
With the best team they've had in 20 years--led by Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith--this team has a real chance to win a championship this year.
I am convinced of that.
And then we have the Nets, who might stand in the way of the Knicks as the two teams push for the championship.
In their first year in Brooklyn, the Nets captured the fancy of many fans, and they currently are deadlocked at 1-1 with the Chicago Bulls in the first round of their playoff series.
The Nets will always be the second team in New York, but it is fun to watch them battle.
So right now, New York sports are red hot.
With all the horrible things that have happened in other places lately--including nearby Boston--it is nice to take a break once in a while, and all of these local teams are providing that for fans.
What could be a better tonic right now?
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