We are on the eve of tipping off three fortnights of phenomenal sports entertainment, with a little something for everyone. That’s heaven for sports fans, crammed into 45 magnificent, fun-filled days. Holy cow!
March 20
The 2008 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship gets underway in all of its glory. It all wraps up with the Final Four on April 5 and the national title game two days later.
March 22
The women’s version of the NCAA championship takes the stage. This year’s tourney takes on a more local flavor as Oklahoma City actually hosts an NCAA hoops regional for the first time ever (March 30-April 1).
March 25
Major League Baseball gets an early jump on its typical April 1 start date as the Boston Red Sox travel to Japan to meet Oakland in a two-game series.
April 9
The seemingly never-ending National Hockey League season starts its Stanley Cup playoff run. They finally crown a winner sometime in June.
April 10
The Masters tees it up amidst the beauty and majesty at Georgia’s Augusta National Golf Club.
April 19
Stars of the NBA start whittling the 16-team playoff bracket on this day and eventually get to the finals on June 5.
April 21
More than 20,000 runners compete in the famous Boston Marathon. Intrigue is always to be found along its painful 26 miles.
April 26
The National Football League holds its annual draft. There is always plenty of local interest with the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University players spotting the radar.
May 3
The Kentucky Derby is indeed the best two minutes in sports. And it’s just around the corner! “Jay C. Upchurch
This article appears in Mar 19-25, 2008.