Goodbye Kobe, Hello Summer of Dull Sports

As I prepare to watch Kobe hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy tonight (OK, so it might not be tonight), I find myself fighting back tears.

No, these are not tears of joy for Kobe and his long-awaited Shaq-less championship. Or for Phil Jackson and his record-breaking, now-I-got-one-for-each-finger, 10th ring as a head coach.

Rather, the tears I am fighting back are tears of sadness. But not for the crushed dreams of a rising Magic franchise. These are tears of realization that the "Summer of Dull Sports," as I call it, has officially arrived.

Yes, that dreaded part of the year, from the last NBA Finals Buzzer in June to the opening kickoff of the NFL, is coming up on us, and fast. It's that time of the year when SportsCenter is really just an extended version of Baseball Tonight.

When the Top 10 Plays typically consist of eight rather boring outfield catches, one double play, and a foot-race between a couple of condiments.

Its that time of the year when I can expect to endure an hour-long analysis of an NFL OTA on sports radio during my morning commute. The only time of year that I find Tiger-less golf highlights refreshing.

Now, I know, I know. Baseball is America's sport. It is our pastime, so rich with culture and history. But that's exactly what baseball is becoming. A past time. History.

Now, I'm not going to put the blame on steriods (although they have certainly made getting sick of baseball talk all the easier). I'm not going to put blame on the mammoth 162-game season.

On second thought, I will put some blame on that. It's ridiculous. But the real problem is in the very nature of the game. Baseball is not a team sport.

Baseball is a one-on-one sport. Pitcher versus batter. The batter's "team" is sitting in the dugout, each waiting his turn to play. The pitcher's "team" is at least on the field, but they're just standing there watching the one-on-one take place.

Now, I admit, you do get to see a bit of teamwork on occasion. Sometimes a defensive player has to field the ball and throw it to a second player. What teamwork! If you watch long enough you may actually get to see a defensive play that involves three different players, and on very rare occasions, four.

Now, of course, I'm being facetious, and baseball does carry a significant fan base. This article will no doubt upset many people. But the majority of sports fans find this time of year to be boring.

Baseball was a sport that was fun for our fathers to play in the field. It was the perfect sport for radio, because you didn't have to pay too close attention when you listened. But in today's Sports world, it is failing.

So, I propose a change in the NBA season. NFL isn't going anywhere because, whether we like it or not, it is the King of Sports. So, the NFL has September through February taken. Why not push back the NBA a few months and let it take from February to August? Oh, how that would solve everything.

It would keep the NFL and NBA from competing with each other. It would spread the commotion of the winter a little more evenly. And most importantly, it would get rid of the summer of dull sports.

But, for now, I am forced to dig in and brace myself for the summer. Oh, I'll still be watching ESPN and listening to sports talk shows, because I'm a true sports nut. But inside I'll be longing for the day when I can tune into the Top 10 Plays and see a windmill jam. Or maybe a break-a-couple-of-tackles-and-dive-for-the-pylon touchdown.

Goodbye Kobe. Hello Summer of Dull Sports.