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The Grind

By: boom booms room staff on

It actually started Monday.  Do you know what it is?  It’s the grind.  It’s the sports grind.  What is it?  It’s the time basically known as the month of February for sports fans.

Sure, there is the NBA and the NHL.  Both leagues are going full regular season throttle right now.  The NBA is already through 50 plus games per team in its schedule.  So is the NHL.  But, both leagues qualify so many teams for the playoffs that the regular season’s importance is significantly lessened.

Since October we’ve had MLB baseball playoffs, World Series, NCAA conference championships, bowls, CFP playoffs, the CFP Championship Game, NFL playoffs, and the grand finale-the Super Bowl.

Now what?  Did you watch the Toronto Maple Leafs skate against the Arizona Coyotes last night?  You didn’t for two reasons.  First, a midseason hockey game has nowhere near the interest of a Thursday Night NFL game as an example.  Second, the Coyotes and the Leafs didn’t drop the puck against each other last night.  Gotcha!  How about the Denver Nuggets v. Utah Jazz?  Well, at least they really did play last night.  NBA All-Star Game anyone?

But, for some cities this season is one that they cannot wait for.  Who are those cities?  What cities in North America have only the NBA as one of the four major sports?

  1. Orlando, of all places, is one.  It’s surprising given its population.  Though Tampa is a stone’s throw and a half away with the Bucs (if you call them major) and the Rays.
  2. Salt Lake City (Utah Jazz) is another.  New Orleans, you messed up.  Utah, change your damn nickname.
  3. Oklahoma City makes three.  How did they get a major sports franchise?
  4. Memphis sings the major sports blues save for the Grizzlies.  Formerly Vancouver, the nickname fits the midsouth city.
  5. Portland only has the Trailblazers, but they’ve strongly supported them since the franchise’s inaugural 1970 season.  It’s a woke town.
  6. San Antonio loves the multiple time NBA Champions Spurs.  But for all of the other months, it’s “remember the beautiful, beautiful Alamo.”
  7. And Sacramento only has the Kings.  And, that’s not much to brag about.

In the NHL nine cities have only a hockey team to call their own.  Though in fairness, there is the Canadian Football League.  That would reduce the list significantly.  Six of these NHL teams call Canada home.  They are Winnipeg, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, and Ottawa.  The three US teams follow.

  1. Las Vegas is one, but that ends this year as the Raiders of Oakland make the move to Sin City.
  2. San Jose has the Sharks and a Greyhound Bus stop as far as we know.
  3. Columbus(OH) has only the Blue Jackets.  Some would argue that THE Ohio St. University is a professional football team given how well they play and how well they are paid.

February has 29 days this leap year, not 28.  So, there is a need to grind out an extra day before Spring pops, NBA and NHL playoffs begin, and other sports (the Masters, MLB, etc.) bloom all over again.

March 1st is 24 long days away.