INDIANAPOLIS — There are too many days when we obsess about the things that bring us agita and angst in sports, too many times when the games force us to the bottles (Maalox, Excedrin) if not to The Bottle. That’s fine. The only reason why we so thoroughly enjoy the sweet is because we dabble so often in the bitter.
Today we are in one of those rare confluences. You can argue that this is a rare time when no matter your rooting interest, you have reason for cheer and good will, fleeting as it may be. Consider:
Giants fans — Yes, they rule our roost, and rightly, because there is never a bad day when you are a reigning champion. And no matter what transpires through free agency and the rest of the offseason, they will remain there. Good times.
Yankees fans — You could say that rare is the day when it’s not good to be a Yankees fan, but adding Andy Pettitte — regardless of what he has left — seems to have given a feel-good injection on top of the daily optimisms of spring.
Knicks fans — Even in chaos a little cheer can rise. And whether or not you like the circumstances under which Mike D’Antoni exited, it is impossible not to see that the Knicks — for now anyway — look like a different team.
Rangers fans — OK, sure, so the Penguins are lurking now, and they have Sidney Crosby back (for now), but you never know how the playoff crapshoot works out. Still, if you’ve seen this team’s body of work, you have to feel good about a long springtime run.
Jets fans — They get a bad rap, but I was impressed with how so many Jets-fan correspondents took a Zen approach to the Peyton Pursuit and understood the Mark Sanchez extension was good business. Sharing a town with a champion isn’t easy.
Mets fans — Sure, you could be cynical and say the best news happens whenever a court ruling goes against the Wilpons, but the fact is every day Johan Santana’s arm responds the way a healthy arm is supposed to is a very, very good day.
Nets fans — Maybe I’m alone in this, but if I’m a fan I hate nothing more than the waving of a white flag. Maybe it made little sense not to trade Deron Williams and less sense to acquire Gerald Wallace, but at least the Nets are trying. It may be delusional, but they are trying.
Devils fans — It’ll take some success and some finagling in the first round of the playoffs, but the Devils are good enough, and are playing well enough, that a second-round pairing with the Rangers could give us quite a two-week party around here come early May.
Islanders fans — OK. This may be the stretch of the bunch. But they did flirt with .500 for a long time (as hollow an achievement as that is in the NHL), and John Tavares is just 21. Those don’t inspire thoughts of Bossy and Trottier and Potvin yet, but it’s a start.
College fans — Yes, it ended bitterly for Iona. And LIU Brooklyn only had a half against Michigan State. But they were still fabulous seasons. Wagner and Manhattan and Stony Brook had terrific seasons. St. John’s will be back quickly. And Fordham is improving.
Me — Yeah, the Bonnies took me on a heck of a run. I’ll take it every time.
Whack Back at Vac
@RoadieRodecker: Does the Knicks thrashing the Blazers mean the coaching change was all that was ever needed, or all that was ever needed for the night?
@MikeVacc: Put it this way: The Blazers have been the NBA’s version of the Salk vaccine all year. They’ll cure whatever ails you.
Les Linebarger: At age 13 in 1981, I was all about the Razorbacks (still am). When I heard Bryant Gumbel throw it back to Austin, I lifted my head up to watch … then my dad and I were dancing around the room. By 6 p.m. that evening, my right elbow had tendinitis. I had spent a couple hours outside trying to hit a halfcourt shot like U.S. Reed.
Vac: For people of a certain age (let’s say, 40 or above) there are two names you summon while goofing around at half court. If it’s a hook shot, it’s Meadowlark Lemon. And if it’s a heave, it’s U.S. Reed.
Thomas O’Donnell: As a Siena grad and a big MAAC fan, what a painful watch that second half of the BYU-Iona game was. It is pretty safe to say this Iona team will never be confused with any of the Siena teams spanning the 2007-10 seasons, beyond paper that is. Makes one appreciate the latter team’s accomplishments.
Vac: I watched that game with a Marist man. One of the great things about mid-major conferences is the solidarity that takes hold when they forge out into the world. My Marist friend couldn’t have been sicker if that had been the Red Foxes wilting down the stretch.
John Cirando: How about them Bonnies?
Vac: Yeah. How about ’em?
Vac’s Whacks
If You listened close enough the other day, that sound you heard was a collective gasp from the borough of Brooklyn when it became official that Gerald Wallace absolutely, positively would be a Net. It was probably the same sound when Duke Snider made the club back in the day.
* The Peyton Manning 49ers are a team I would very much like to watch.
* The same folks who brought us “Lombardi” last year will begin previews on “Bird/Magic” Thursday at The Longacre Theatre, and that is a fine springtime thing to look forward to in New York City.
* I like Andy Pettitte a lot, and so I will say at the top I hope I’m wrong. But I don’t have a good feeling about this.