I seem to have one thing in common with almost every 18 to 22-year-old female on campus – October is my favorite month.
However, it is not because of yoga pants, the availability to order pumpkin-spiced-anything-you-want or a certain sports writer’s birthday (it’s the 15th so don’t be afraid to get me something). It’s because of loaded sports schedules.
But to be fair, yoga pants and my birthday aren’t far behind.
Being a native of the St. Louis area, this month has always been special to me.
The Cardinals are usually still playing for a chance at another World Series, the Rams are in the heart of their schedule and the Blues begin their year with the eternal hope they will finally capture a Stanley Cup.
And as of Tuesday, all three of my teams are still playing.
I know everyone can’t be from one of the greatest sports cities in America, so I’ll give you some reasons to enjoy the month of sports – starting with baseball.
Whether you love or hate it, the beginning of October marks the start to the end of the season.
You can hold your breath pitch-by-pitch, like I do, and enjoy the drama of playoff baseball or you can count down the days until this “boring” sport runs out of games.
It’s up to you, but if you’re not a baseball fan there is always football to keep everyone from falling into depression.
The NFL starts to hit its stride, running through weeks five to nine. Peyton goes back to Indy. Surprising teams like the Chiefs try to remain unbeaten and fantasy leagues everywhere take shape.
I’m on the losing end of my league thus far, but that’s a completely different column.
Not only are NFL and fantasy teams in full swing, but college football’s main story lines start to emerge as the month comes to a close.
Although rivalry week is saved for November and conference championships for December, land mine-riddled conference schedules and potential upsets create some of the best atmospheres in all of sports.
If you still aren’t convinced, the NHL and NBA both begin their seasons as well.
The NHL opened up at the beginning of the month to a highly anticipated comeback, while the NBA tips off at the end with marquis match-ups like Clippers and Lakers or Miami and Chicago on day one.
Both leagues have seen increased attendance and TV ratings over the past years – trends that don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
If that’s not enough to quench your thirst, NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup has four races in October with the series finale in mid-November.
Can you see why it’s my favorite month now?
Hopefully with school and midterms piling up, the stacked sports schedule this month can help keep you sane.
Column by Nick Dolan, Assistant Sports Editor