HERE WE ARE AGAIN

This is a weird time of year for me. I can't really put the way I feel into words. It's the doldrums of the sports year, and it's a real downer. However, there's also the "kid at Christmas" feeling of spring training being right around the corner.

There are certain things that get me from one week to the next at this time of year. My interest in pro basketball is non-existent, and my interest in the NHL is waning. But there is college hockey, and with Boston University being consistent, that keeps me going. It helps that the first two Mondays in February are the Beanpot tournament - that helps two weeks go by. Then there's college basketball, and the NCAA tournament, but that borders on more of a sick obsession than an enjoyment for me lately, and I end up by the end of that tournament feeling like I just completed a couple of weeks of work rather than watched a sporting event that I enjoyed.

This is on my mind because suddenly there are just 4 days until pitchers and catchers report for the Mets, and that really snuck up on me. Of course, things are busier this year at the House sponsored by DirecTV than they have ever been (thanks to The Baby), and my focus has been more on next week, when I have a week off to be with her, rather than baseball season. That either makes me a bad fan or a good dad...I'm not sure.

And I guess I decided to write this as a preview to the baseball season preview I'll be writing soon. February vacation is really when I start to step up the writing, so that will be happening in a week or so. I'm also writing because I can't believe the whole off-season has gone by and I only posted a couple of off-season updates.

I have a bunch of notes that I keep to remind myself of what I want to write, so that I don't sit in front of the computer and suddenly forget. Well, the danger of that is I write the note instead of the actual posting, and I end up never writing the posting. I was ambitious enough to write right away when Barry Zito signed with San Francisco, but you will probably not read my opinion of why Derek Jeter got screwed when he was not voted the 2006 American League Most Valuable Player. Luckily, most of my notes are still relevant, and there will be postings on:

So come on back, and check the site for updates. Remember you can always e-mail at johnnymetsmail@yahoo.com, and we can post those as well. I'll be back next week as we kick off what will hopefully be a championship season...until then, I'll be rooting for a snow day and waiting for vacation.