Written by Rich Swerbinsky

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I love April.  Hands down, the best month of the year.

The Final Four.  Opening Day.  The Masters.  The start of the NBA Playoffs.  The NFL Draft.

Five major events, rapid fire one right after another.  From five of my six favorite sports, with just college football excluded.  Does it get any better than that?

Even leaving aside that impressive lineup of sporting events, April’s a great month for other reasons as well.  Being born and raised in Cleveland, it’s also the time of the year the weather breaks.  I can turn my heated seats off in my car, and take the freeway home from work with the windows down, and both commutes aren’t made in the dark. 

Then there’s the sound of Tom Hamilton’s voice blasting from my radio, both at home and on the road.  The first time each year that I hear “Swing and a drive!!!!  Deep left center!!!  WAAAAY back! GONE to the bleachers!”… I get goose bumps.  And after five months of hibernation, it’s time to break the golf clubs out.  Now having been married for almost three years, and a father for almost one … I have a new appreciation for Tuesday night golf league with the fellas and Friday afternoon golf with the boss.

It’s time to sit down with the wife, and have that talk tonight.  Where I explain that a little time away from each other is healthy for the marriage.  And here’s why …

April 1 – The Final Four

The culmination of the past three weeks of the most exciting sporting event of the year.  And especially this year.  The games have been incredible, and there’s no reason to expect it to stop now.  This Saturday, April begins, and with a bang.  Florida versus George Mason, and UCLA versus LSU for the right to advance to the national championship game.

April 2 – Indians Opening Day

8:00 PM.  Indians versus the White Sox.  Expectations are incredibly high for this years Indians, and for good reason.  I still have that bitter taste in my mouth after last years collapse, and that won’t go away until we get that first win of the new season.  Which hopefully comes this Sunday night against the hated White Sox.  Before all those front running fans in that dump of a ballpark.

April 3 – MLB Opening Day & NCAA Championship

This is one of the days I request off work each year.  Why?  So I can sit in front of my big screen and watch sports non stop for 11 straight hours.  The ESPN quadruple-header starts at noon, and the day ends with the NCAA title game at about 9:00 PM.  One great sport ends, another begins. 

April 6^th through April 9^th – The Masters

The hallowed grounds of Augusta.  The azaleas.  Amen corner.  Two minutes of commercials per hour.  The best golfers in the world competing at the finest golf course in the world.  Am I the only one that turns up the volume for the Masters commercials they show on CBS?  Jack Nicklaus sinking his putt with Verne Lundquist screaming “Yes Sir!” in the background.  Tiger’s “a win for the ages”, deftly called by Jim Nantz at age 21.  His dramatic chip shot last year where the ball hung on the lip of the cup before falling in.  During Masters weekend, do not call, do not stop by, do not write.  I am in lockdown mode.

April 12^th and April 16^th – Cavaliers at Detroit, Cavaliers at Washington

In the span of the same week, the Cavaliers hit the road for games against their likely opponents for the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs.  Regardless of who they play first round, the #1 seed Pistons will await the 4^th seeded Cavs in round two.  And it’s looking more and more each day like their first round opponent will be the Washington Wizards, who have given the Cavs fits this season.

April 22^nd – The Start of the NBA Playoffs

It’s been eight years since the Cavaliers have made the playoffs, and this fan can’t wait for the return.  Shit, it’s been four years since ANY Cleveland team has made the playoffs, when the Browns went one and done at Pittsburgh.  There’s just something about days where your team has a playoff game that night.  If I’m at work, I’m uneasy, and unable to concentrate.  I can’t think about anything except that nights game, and what my team will need to do to be successful.  With the future looking bright for the Browns, Cavs, and Indians … I hope to be able to experience many more of these days in the years to come.

April 29^th & April 30^th – The NFL Draft

As quick of a start as the month gets off too, it finishes with a bang as well.  I am one of those “draft geeks”.  One of those guys that can tell you the intangibles of Manny Lawson, and the Wonderlic score of Haloti Ngata.  The Browns have five picks in the first four rounds, including #12 overall.  I host a huge NFL Draft Party every year at Bunkers Bar & Grille in Medina, OH … which just adds to the excitement.  For info on the party, click on the “contact us” link at the top of the home page of my web site, or simply click here.