#gobuccos

[maureenmacgregor]

Warm summer nights are for baseball, beer, and best friends ⚾️🍻👯❤️ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #pittsburghpirates #gobuccos #pgh #pncpark #30ballparks #baseball (at PNC Park)

[the-badgetastic-voyage]

Not in our waters @pittsburghpirates #gobuccos

[cmcwhertor]

My Top Five: Sports

The recent scumbaggery of the NFL players and administrators made me think about what my favorite sports were. So I made a list, trying to evaluate on how much I enjoy to not only watch but also follow (read about, listen to analysis) the sport.

5. Soccer - Gasp! Soccer has made it into my top five list of sports? Maybe this is reactive to the NFL situation but there is a lot I like about soccer. I love the tradition and history. The tournaments are great, and having the Euro Cup or the World Cup every two years makes for exceptional "event" watching. The games themselves still pose some problems for me (see here) but overall the sport has risen in my opinion.

4. College Football - While professional football is not nearly as interesting to me, I do find myself more interested in college football, at least in terms of watching games. I am not interested in recruiting, or bowl games or traditions. I do like watching my favorite schools play. And even though they usually blow it, routing for my alma mater Pitt Panthers adds a personal level to my fandom.

3. College Basketball - This is only because of March Madness. Knowing that there will be a month filled with games and exciting upsets keeps me interested throughout the season. It is an event unlike any other, and it defines the sport.

2. Hockey - A sport that is completely stuck in neutral. It fails to develop new fans because it refuses to move on from its gritty and dirty lifestyle. But I still love watching a beautiful goal being scored. The real reason for the high ranking though is playoff hockey. A brutal schedule and games that can go deep into the night until someone scores. It is an incredible event that any fan can appreciate.

1. Baseball - I am obsessed. I love how long the season is. I love how many games there are. I love how exclusive the playoffs are. I love watching games. Most people have moved on from baseball as their favorite sport but my love grows stronger. There are so many stories and so much analysis every day in baseball. If your team does poorly, they will have another game the next day and there will be hope. Sure, baseball has the absolute worst competitive and economic system of any of the sports and is pretty much unfair to smaller market teams, but it offers me the most entertainment. The game experience also plays into this, as it is the cheapest and most accessible sport to view live. But that sounds like another top five for another day.

[watchinghockeywithmymom]

Guess who's baaaaaaaack?!?!?!!!! Although mom posited that Pens and Steelers were stepping aside so the Buccos could shine, let's hope that changes soon so she can enjoy her hockey season.