Local Sports
October is best time of year for sports
By Brandon ShieldsSports fans in Alabama, we’d better enjoy it while it lasts because it’s only going to be here for a few more days.
The “it” I am talking about is the greatest time of year for those of us who love sports.
That is the reason why the month of October probably edges out March and December and early January as my favorite month of they year.
The four major professional team sports are currently competing in some way or another. While most of us around here do not care much for hockey, it is a tradition of mine to try to become a hockey fan until I get tired of looking for the puck and I turn the TV back to the mid-major conference college football game that’s on ESPNU.
High school football is in the final stretch of the regular season with teams fighting for position in the playoff races, which plenty of people in the area have a lot to watch with Cullman, Good Hope, Vinemont and Addison still in the thick of things.
Volleyball is getting close to the state championship level as the remaining teams will play the sub-state round Thursday, and cross country section meets are coming up as well.
College football is at mid-season as everyone around the nation begins to look at Rivalry Week in November and trying to determine how much of a shot their favorite team has of playing for the national title, playing for the conference title, playing in a BCS bowl or just playing in a bowl, period.
While the Associated Press released the results of a poll it conducted earlier this week that revealed America does not care as much about Major League Baseball as it has in the past, no one can deny the excitement of the World Series, which began last night with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers, the feel good story of 2006 in baseball if not all of sports.
We’re beginning to figure out the difference between contenders and pretenders in the NFL as recent playoff mainstays like Indianapolis are maintaining their regular season dominance while other teams like Chicago are back on the rise.
Basketball is starting up as college and high school teams have begun practice, and the NBA has played a few preseason games as storylines like Ben Wallace in Chicago and Isaiah Thomas taking over the Knicks on the sidelines are getting ready to unfold.
In addition to all that, NASCAR is in the middle of the Chase for the Cup, while golf and tennis are coming close to crowning their international champions for the year.
Yes, there are different times of the year that have their rightful claim to the most enjoyable time of the year, but I’ll take October over March Madness, Bowl Season, Super Sunday and any other time of they year any day of the week.
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Late in the fourth quarter Friday night, just before a couple of big free throws, Cold Springs High girls basketball coach Tammy West pulled aside Georgia Myrex for a quick pep talk.
Except for one thing: When West placed both hands on top of her star player’s head, it looked a little more like some kind of crunch-time benediction.
Or something like that. -
PREP BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Eagles hold on, defeat Holly Pond in nailbiter
Late in the fourth quarter Friday night, just before a couple of big free throws, Cold Springs High girls basketball coach Tammy West pulled aside Georgia Myrex for a quick pep talk.
Except for one thing: When West placed both hands on top of her star player’s head, it looked a little more like some kind of crunch-time benediction.
Or something like that. - PREP BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Holly Pond stays unbeaten, sets up showdown with defending champs
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Behold the power of three.
Heading into its Class 5A quarterfinal tonight at Russellville, Cullman High’s football team has already avenged two of its three losses from the 2008 season.
In week six, the Bearcats beat Erwin 42-16 to avenge a 25-20 loss from last season. And in week eight, Cullman downed Mountain Brook 28-13 to get revenge for last year’s 49-34 defeat.
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Just about as long as his big return last weekend against Georgia.
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PREP BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Eagles hold on, defeat Holly Pond in nailbiter
