Sports And Valentines Day, Who Knew?

When I think about Valentine's Day, I think back to grade school. You know, making your mailbox and hanging it on your desk. Then going home and getting those Valentines cards that you write on, the single side kind, then going to school and dropping them in your classmates mailboxes on their desks, plus you got your mailbox filled with Valentines from them. Good times I tell ya!

Now, I think of my wife Rochelle and how much I love her. How much I appreciate her.

Well, that got me thinking, why do I love sports so much?

Here is what I came up with.

I love football season for the fresh cut grass smell right when the weather starts to change in the fall and for tailgating with friends.

I love going to basketball games and you get that smell of popcorn that knocks you down right when you enter the concourse and the squeaky shoe sound from the court.

Baseball for a for the crack of the bat and looking around at dad's with their kids. The kids have gloves on and they always think they are going to catch a foul ball or home run. Plus it always reminds me of my first game with my dad. I was in the left field nose bleed section of Riverfront Stadium and yes, I had my glove on! Oh, and the beer and peanuts don't hurt!

There is only one reason for Hockey, the fighting rule of course! The referee's will not stop a fight until a player hits the ice. If you are standing, continue to fight! I love that rule!

NASCAR for the loud roar or the engines as well as the smell of the tire rubber burning and the gas mixing together. There is nothing like that smell, AHHH, I can smell it now! I can tell you the sheer excitement of my first NASCAR race brought tears to my eyes, It was AWESOME!

Golf, well I have a different view on golf than most people. It holds a special place in my heart. Those who are really close to me know the passion and my feelings. I will leave it at that, I don't want you to think I am too weird!

I love soccer for the early weekend mornings it gives me. Getting up to watch an early match with a beverage and a breakfast burger from Carl's Jr., well, it is pretty good let me tell you!

The thing I love most about sports though, is that they show you that anything is possible if you work hard enough. Just ask the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team, the 1983 NCAA Champs in basketball, N.C. State, how about Villanova in 1985? Rudy. Hickory High School from the movie 'Hoosiers'. A local hero, Tuff Hedeman. The rugby team from South Africa in the movie 'Invictus'.

The list can go on and on but you get my point.

I understand I am different than the average sports fan, or at least I have been told, but there has to be a reason everyone loves the sport or sports that they love.

I know and I am proud of my reasons. Plus I am happy I have a wife that excepts this!

What are your reasons?