Yup, it's that time again---Friday nite; and your latest Gulf Watchers Block Party, where there is fun, laughter and lots of drinks & food.
With this crazy weather that has given us a serious taste of spring; many of us sports fans are ready for the baseball Spring Training to begin, which it does next week.
Let us rejoice in the fine outdoor sport of Baseball; and forget those cold days of football in the snow....and basketball and hockey indoors.......
Follow me below the fold for a VERY brief look at our National Pastime, ecetera, ecetera,
ecetera.....
There are some on here (only one I think) who love hockey....a game that is played by guys who like to fight,..![](http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/3765/hockeyfights02.jpg)
and hit a little black puck that you can never see on TV. Pretty dull, except for the fights. There are teams in towns you almost never heard of: Columbus, SanJose, Ottawa, etc; and most teams make the playoffs (16 of 30 teams).
Same with NBA basketball: most teams make the playoffs, and they also have teams in cities like Charlotte & Oklahoma City (Yikes). Biggest problem here is it is a 60 minute game that is only important in the last 2 minutes----which usually takes 30 minutes to play!! Up & down the court they go for 58 minutes, then suddenly it sometimes gets interesting---and everyone starts to pay attention. Never watch a whole game----dull as hell.![](http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/7890/yawningd.jpg)
Having just finished off the recent NFL football season with the crappy NY Giants winning the Super Bowl![](http://img813.imageshack.us/img813/7130/superbowlc.jpg)
--we can properly say: Good riddance to a dismal end to a mediocre season-----the truly best teams didn't get to the promised land. (well, maybe one did--Patriots belonged, I guess)
So, now this brings us to the great game of Baseball: the game that has been around for more than 150 years, and has the largest American attendence of the major sports---Of course they play more games, but so what???
The best part of this is: It is played outdoors in the Spring & Summer...on fields like this:![](http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/6857/wrigleyfield720.jpg)
![](http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/6572/ballbat.jpg)
Unfortunately, it is a dying sport for kids, as you need minimum 10 kids to even pretend to play(and 18 to do it right)---so long term, it will decline in drawing in the youth to appreciate the fine art of the game.
![](http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/6572/ballbat.jpg)
There is also the fact that there are more famous stars of Baseball than in any other major sport (who can forget Joe DiMaggio?![](http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/3603/joedimaggio.jpg)
OR, Babe Ruth?)![](http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/8168/baberuth.jpg)
Yes, there are many many more very recognizable names from Baseball----not so much the other sports.
And, then there are also many many songs tied to the game:
Simon & Garfunkel refer to Joe D....
In the Forties, Joe again
Mickey Mantle I love Mickey.
Willie, Mickey & the Duke
Say Hey, about Willie Mays
and the most famous of them all Take Me Out to the Ball Game
So let us hear about your favorite sports--whether they be from Winter or the warm sun of Summer....(best beer drinking time).....................