Tis The Season To Overlap And Make A Buck Or Too

Now that the baseball season is FINALLY over, I thought I could finally catch my breath, a sports induced break. Yesterday was a strange day for me. For the first time in OVER 8 MONTHS, there was no baseball-exibition, regular season, All Star or postgame to worry about. No baseball whatsoever.

But then, you realize: All the awards are given out (like the AL Gold Gloves today), then the "hot stove" league as free agents hit the market. You just NEVER get a break with baseball. We're only about 90 DAYS from pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training.

Then I got to thinking: All our sports overlap. Baseball went into November this year because of the foolhardy World Baseball Classic. When I was born, America's Pasttime ended NO LATER than mid October.

Check out football. Back in the day, there was only 1 game on Thanksgiving Day. Now, thanks to advertising dollars, there are 3. Good chunks of America will be sleeping when the Giants play the Broncos, right here on PIX, too. Thanks to the day we stuff ourselves, we'll be ready to nap rather than cheer on Big Blue. The NFL now goes into February, as the NHL and the NBA become relevant. BUT-spring training now begins in February instead of March.

College football used to end January 1st. Today: up to 35 cash cow bowl games from Mid December through the BCS Title game the first week of the year. Hockey and hoops: 9 months-most of which is ignored till playoff time. The Knicks won their last title in early May of 1973. Now, the Finals go past mid June, as does the NHL.

Less than 7 weeks till Christmas, and all the major sports are in play. Sports never takes a vacation because, like it or not, money generated ratings make the world go round. Why else would there be 5 games on Christmas Day?

I shouldn't be surprised. I saw holiday catalogs in August. It's all commercialized. I can remember the days when the Yule Log ran on TV Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day, a traditional part of a restful holiday. This Christmas, I'll probably be stuck with playoff lacrosse and an inspiring Gossip Girl holiday extravaganza.