The Greatest Stretch in Sports

A sadness crept over me Tuesday morning as I realized college basketball was out of my life until November. The game had been so good to we the fans, producing unscripted drama throughout the NCAA Tournament that culminated with Kris Jenkins' title-winning 3-pointer to defeat North Carolina Monday night. For three weeks it was hoops heaven, but suddenly it was gone for seven months.

Fear not though, baseball and the Masters have come to the rescue. MLB Opening Day was conveniently placed in between the NCAA Final Four and National Championship, while the Masters began Thursday. The sadness of college basketball being over quickly faded as baseball and golf started up. In addition, the NBA and NHL playoffs are looming and that begs the question: is this the greatest time of year for a sports fan?

Within a month there is the NCAA Tournament, beginning of the NBA and NHL playoffs, The Masters and MLB Opening Day. Depending on your taste in sports, MLS also starts up and the European soccer leagues are coming down to the wire. The NFL Draft will take place April 30 and for those college football fans, spring football has begun.

Whether it's the best time of the year or not, there's no denying that your remote gets a workout around this time of the year.

Here are some other potential candidates for best time of the year...

October - November
The weather becomes a little unfriendly, but the games are wonderful in the fall. NFL and NCAA football are in full swing, which occupies America for the entire weekend. The MLB playoffs take us through October and the World Series caps the postseason in the beginning of November. In addition, the NHL, NBA and NCAA basketball seasons all get underway sometime during the two month stretch. For soccer fans, MLS season is winding down and European soccer leagues are just starting up.

May - August
The summer months are kind to sports fans as several sports give us championships. The NBA and NHL playoffs are played during May and June, while the MLB season is in full swing and the weather is perfect for attending a game. Golf gives us three majors within a six-week stretch and tennis also has three majors in the span. The Triple Crown horse races are run at the beginning of the summer and, depending on the year, the Olympics or the World Cup are played.

December - February
December and February sometimes get lost in the shuffle, but there's plenty to watch in the thick of winter. NCAA football bowl season takes us through Christmas time before the NFL playoffs take over, which leads to the Super Bowl in early February. NCAA basketball conference play gives us enticing matchups every week and the NBA season is in full swing. NHL and European soccer are also in the middle of the season and the Winter Olympics come once every four years. The winter months also feature some of the best stand alone days in sports. Besides Super Bowl Sunday, Christmas Day is fantastic for NBA games, the Premier League takes over Boxing Day with a full slate of games and New Year's Day is must-see TV with college football bowl games and the NHL Winter Classic.

Which time of year is the best? Did we miss anything? Let us know by commenting below with your opinions and be sure to vote on our Twitter poll @WorldofWadley.