Opening Day

I remember a few years back, Sports Illustrated or ESPN had a list of the Best Baseball Cities. They ranked St. Louis the best. And it is a good baseball town - lots of fan support, and everybody dresses in Cardinal red at home games. But I remember being somewhat offended on behalf of Cincinnati and my Reds. Opening Day is essentially a city holiday in Cincinnati. Businesses close. I've heard school is let out. There is a parade right through downtown. Nobody does Opening Day better than Cincinnati. And I think that is a measure of how much Cincinnati loves the Reds.

This year, the Reds defeated the Cubs in convincing fashion, winning 5-1. The general consensus is that this will be a rough year for the Reds. It's been a rough few years for the Reds, actually. And I concede, this probably won't be much different. Sportswriters often comment on the Hope of Opening Day - every team is still undefeated, still in the race, this could be The Year. I don't hold out a lot of hope for this season - but I am excited because I love baseball, and my team is on the field. That is enough. Go Reds!