Jared Max: Pardon Me, But I Have The Summer Sports Blues
By Jared Max
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The hardest part about the end of a romantic relationship is knowing that no partner could seamlessly replace the present void.
"I need something strong to distract my mind. I'm gonna look at you 'til my eyes go blind."
For 20-plus years, Bob Dylan lyrics have served me like essential oils that possess multiple healing powers. Among the 14 billion songs Dylan has written, there is always one to bail me out when tangled up in blue. For this argument, blues. Winter sports blues.
I am sorry, baseball. You are going to have to give me some time. And, even when I am ready to date again, it will be a while before I can develop the level of feelings for you that I have been riding with another.
Stephen Curry and LeBron James have answered each other's wowing prowess in every game but one. They are the first such sequel to the late 1980s duels between Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins. On steroids.
Yes, metaphorically speaking.
Saying goodbye to hockey season on Monday night was like having to part ways with romance. While we know it will come again, the present void cannot be entirely filled by the company of another. No matter how hot she or he is.
Come tomorrow morning, our once-busy homes may feel like ghost-town shacks — pop-up dance clubs returned to abandoned warehouses.
In a span of 24 hours, we stand to lose two nine-month-long relationships. I feel like I have been hosting my best friends and family for a monumental party weekend that should never end. But, suddenly, my house guests are all leaving at once. And they have been ever-gracious.
It did not go unnoticed that every Chicago Blackhawks player who was interviewed on the ice after winning the Cup thanked NBC's Pierre McGuire — by name! In other major pro sports, the only people who regularly show such respect to reporters are superstar players, head coaches and management. Another element of hockey's big night I took note of was the nature of a genuine celebration -- without confetti canyons firing shiny cray paper over the playing surface. Is it just me, or has this routine made every sport's championship seem cut from the same cookie tray?
While the NBA season has been largely a bore -- riddled with 82 layers of fat (and then some) until trimmed to its prime meat in the Finals — this series between the Warriors and Cavaliers has ignited my pro basketball appetite. I have gone to watch the games at restaurants and pubs in New Jersey and New York City, where the scenes have been reminiscent of Las Vegas sports bars. Despite no local rooting interest, the weeknight crowds have been spirited and loud.
"Ooohs" answer "Ahhhs" nightly, regardless of which magician — Curry or James — creates the "How'd he do THAT?" moments. It has been a blast. But, the five-star meal may end before its seventh course. No coffee. No dessert. Just a reality check.
Ninety-nine games left for the Yankees. Ninety-seven for the Mets. Eighty-six days until the NFL season opener.
While Memorial Day was more than three weeks ago, we are just entering the unofficial start of our sports summer now. Those lazy, hazy baseball days.
By the way, the Dylan lyric is from his 2001 song, "Mississippi." For my money, this song is not only Dylan's best in the last three decades, but it belongs on a select Greatest Hits compilation, sharing space with "Like a Rolling Stone" "Blowin in the Wind," "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," "Positively Fourth Street," "Tangled up in Blue," "Love Minus Zero/No Limit," "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues," "Dignity" and "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again."
Oh, I could go on.
"She Belongs to Me," "Corrina, Corrina," "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall," "Forever Young," "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Thunder on the Mountain, " "Duquesne Whistle."
In case you need more selections to get you through the long summer, drop me a line. We can meet at the beach and listen to baseball games on the radio and play music between innings.
Jared Max is a multi-award winning sportscaster. He hosted a No. 1 rated New York City sports talk show, "Maxed Out" — in addition to previously serving as longtime Sports Director at WCBS 880, where he currently anchors weekend sports. Follow and communicate with Jared on Twitter @jared_max.
