March is synonymous with madness in the sports world and this year did not disappoint with Venezuela being the unlikely winners of the World Baseball Classic and with insane games during March Madness like the Duke vs. UConn matchup.
That got us thinking, what is the best month for sports fans? Usually there is no shortage of action for sports fans at any point in the year but one month has to be the best.
Adan- October
Two words: Sports equinox.
The sports equinox is the only day in a year when the four major American leagues — NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL — play at the same time.
This is the most action-packed day of the year for sports fans and it only happens in October, how could it not be the best?
There is no shortage of sports to watch all month long. The NFL is in the middle of their season, the NBA and NHL just began theirs, and the MLB has the playoffs and World Series during October. Throw in the WNBA Finals and good luck trying to be productive during this month.
That is only mentioning the professional sports, as the cool breezes and smell of pumpkins in October also signal high profile matchups in college football. There is nothing like watching the juggernauts of the Big 10 battle at noon and then watching the titans of the SEC come out to play in the evening.
With October having both quantity and quality when it comes to sports, it’s a no-brainer that it’s the best sports month.
Tanner – November
Is there anything better than watching the Cowboys lose on Thanksgiving every year?
November is the best sports month because it matches October’s jam-packed schedule but with higher stakes. The winner of the World Series hoists the Commissioner’s Trophy in November, as games six and seven often spill into the first week of the month.
The NBA and NHL seasons are just getting underway, offering competitive action before tanking becomes a factor. To top it all off, the NFL hits its stride, highlighted by a Thanksgiving Day slate that feels like a holiday tradition.
If professional sports aren’t your thing, then November offers a plethora of college athletics as well. Not only do you get more meaningful college football, but in November college basketball also opens their season in Hawaii with the Maui Invitational offering several high-profile matchups.
November has a unique blend of substance and volume, making a strong case for the best sports month.
Ty – April
While these guys ramble on about the later months of the year, I’m going to focus on the fact that we are in the midst of the greatest sports month of the year and that is April.
I will give Adan and Tanner the credit they deserve; October and November are great months that offer you all four major sports. The only problem is that three of the four sports are playing in the lowest-stake games of the year.
During these months both the NFL and NCAA Football are halfway through their seasons, and the NHL and NBA are simply just getting started. The only playoff action you are getting is in the MLB, which is one of the least popular of the four major sports.
In April, it is quite the opposite. You are getting four of the biggest events during the calendar year.
In the first week of April, you get the conclusion to the greatest sporting event of the year with the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball championship. A week later, you get the best golf tournament of the year with someone dawning the green jacket at the end of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
Then just a few days later, both the NHL and NBA playoffs start. This may not be a huge deal for some cities, but around Denver, it is something that fans wait for all year with the Avalanche and the Nuggets having found themselves at the top of their conferences for the past five years.
On top of that, opening day for the MLB comes at the beginning of the month, which is the only point during the season where Rockies fans like me get to have the excitement to watch baseball.
Even for fans of good teams in the MLB, the only time of the year that matches the feel of playoff baseball is the first month of the season that comes in April.
I know that these early months lack football, which is what glues a lot of fans to their televisions, but I would sacrifice that to get the high-stakes games that April has to offer.
Graphic by Josiah Dolan.