Opening Day. Those two words speak volumes for America’s favorite pastime – baseball. As the calendar turns from winter to spring, we’re all reminded of fresh spring weather and a fresh sport that debuts annually in the month of April. Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is the best day in all of sports.
There’s a reason why it’s considered America’s favorite pastime – not everybody loves it, but everybody knows it and has some tie to it.
Every year on opening day, patriotism, dedication, athleticism, patience and passion all culminate into the ultimate day in all of sports.
American flags fly throughout the country symbolizing our freedom to cheer on our favorite teams and players showcase their hard work over the off-season, while some players showcase their talent for the first time. New coaches find their acclimation to atmospheres and even new players, while everyone in the ballpark shows up because they love the sport and have an extreme dedication to it.
The Master’s, NCAA March Madness, Daytona 500, Super Bowl and NCAA Football National Championship game all have their perks. The problem is that they all have more downfalls than the sport of baseball.
The Master’s at Augusta are special to the sport of golf, but let’s be honest, all of the action culminates into the last few holes on Sunday. In other words, only the dedicated fans pay attention to the opening rounds.
March Madness has evolved into one of sports’ biggest events, but there is no defined moment when all of America is watching. Out of 64 teams, fans’ attention gets spread out, and honestly, some fans lose interest depending on how the games play out.
The Daytona 500 might arguably be the next-closest day to Opening Day, but it all comes down to the declining interest in NASCAR; not to mention its already-low interest on a national scale.
The Super Bowl has become more of an event not based on the game itself. More time is modernly focused on halftime shows and commercials, rather than the game on the field itself. Not to mention its unpredictability, where you never know what can go wrong – wardrobe malfunctions or electricity issues – make the Super Bowl less attractive.
College football is big in the Deep South, but that doesn’t mean it’s as big of a deal everywhere else in this beautiful country. We love it and some of us will do anything to back and support our team of choice, but college football doesn’t expand throughout every state unlike baseball.
Part of baseball’s enjoyment and pastime experience can be related back to the early days when people as kids grew up on watching baseball. When MLB first came about, you were either a Cubs fan watching WGN or a Braves fan watching TBS. Because of that choice of one or the other, and the expansion of more than just two teams having TV coverage now, everyone in a way assumed the role of choosing a baseball team to root on.
Don’t forget, April 1 turn on the TV, kick back and enjoy the best day in all of sports, and let’s as a nation enjoy America’s favorite pastime.
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