I am going to admit that there are actually some sports related things that I am looking forward to in 2009. Actually, there were a few things even on New Year’s Day too like the Rose Bowl and the Winter Classic. That was cool–they transformed Chicago’s Wrigley Field from a baseball park to an ice hockey rink! And everyone on t.v. looked bitterly cold. Good times!

1. Super Bowl XLIII

• It’s in Tampa and I live right there on the wonderful Sun Coast! It’s going to be nuts! I went to Jacksonville the year it was there and the city was a great place to be. Really looking forward to the madness this could bring.
• The commercials. I love seeing if they can top the previous year!
• Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash. Big concerts taking place the week of the Bowl with Rihanna (is there a song in 2008 that she didn’t sing?) Lifehouse and Fall out Boy! I’d love to say I’m looking forward to the halftime show but they just haven’t been the same since Janet’s boob incident. Now they play it save. This year we have Bruce Springsteen.  JT had to go and ruin it for everyone.
• The Super Bowl party.  Already have the cutest outfit picked out. Just need someone to have one!
• Maybe I’ll actually remember the game this year…

Oh and if anyone is coming in to town for this event, let me know! I can recommend some great places to eat, drink, party and sleep.

2. MLB Spring Training

I live in a 60 minute radius of the summer homes of: the Red Sox, the Yankees, the Pirates, the Phillies, Blue Jays, Twins, Reds, Rays and I’ve never been to a spring training game. I’m actually really excited to get a sneak peek at the 2009 season!

• Spring training begins on February 25
• There are two leagues, Grapefruit in Florida and Cactus in Arizona

• Looking for a great spring break trip to please everyone? May I recommend Florida? Plenty of beaches, fun things to do oh, and Spring Training Camps! Get your tickets now!

3. Opening Day at the New Yankee Stadium

As much as I truly destest this whole thing, it is what it is and no one asked my opinion before they built a new one. It does now give us something interesting to look forward to in 2009.

• The first exhibition games there are on April 3-4 against the Chicago Cubs,
• The grand opening for the regular season is on April 16 against the Cleveland Indians.
• Who will have the first home run? Who will win the first game there? The 2008 season was the season of lasts at Yankee Stadium, 2009 is the season of firsts.
• Think about what happened when the first Yankee Stadium debuted: Babe Ruth’s smashing home run.

And to all my Mets fans, enjoy Citi Field. That irritates me almost as much as Yankee Stadium.

4. March Madness

I will admit it’s my fave time of year! The weather is perfect, the flowers are blooming (the snow birds begin to leave my state….) and my brackets are full of the best college basketball teams in the country! Yay! March Madness showcases 64 teams in 10 days. It’s do or die. None of this 7 game series crap. There is only one shot at the next round. There’s only one March Madness!

And because I wasn’t able to watch Kansas win it all last year, I’m extra excited to see if they can defend their title this year. It’s going to be interesting to watch. They lost a majority of their line-up to the NBA draft at the end of the season. So far they are 9-3 at the start of January and just beat the crap out of U Albany 79-43, which I find hysterical since I’m from Albany but love KU!

In any case, March Madness is never boring. So many teams. So many upsets. So many hot guys. And a Cinderella or to just to make the Big Dance even more special!

• The Team Selection Sunday: March 15, 2009
• Opening Round: March 17, 2009 (This could be the craziest St. Paddy’s Day ever!)

• First Round, 64 teams: March 19-20
• Second Round: March 21-22
• Sweet 16: March 26-27
• Elite 8: March 28-29, 2009
• Final Four: April 4 & 6, 2009 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.

5. The NBA Finals

It’s a long way off but I’m already waiting fot it. And, like 90% of the sporting communities out there, I’m hoping for Lakers-Celtics re-match. Playoffs are much more fierce when they pit arch rivals against each other. And it’s so nice to see the rivalry restored between the C’s and the Lakers! It’s been a bit dull in the league since the 90s! After their match up on Christmas Day when the Lakers put a stop to the Celtics 19 game winning streak, predictions began flooding in that these two will be returning the playoffs to battle it out once more. If it happens, it will be their 12th Finals Matchup!

I will admit that if these are not the teams in the Finals, I will not be as interested. I find March Madness much more thrilling then the multi-round, three-month long, drawn out NBA playoffs.

6. Tiger Woods Return

a baby Tiger in his golfing debut

If you haven’t tried watching golf, you should. Because it is fun and fun is good! I used to mock my father for watching such a boring event. Then he made me watch bowling and billiards and I realized golf ain’t so bad!

Actually it was Tiger Woods debut into golf that first got me into watching it. I’m not saying I would choose to spend my Sundays watching golf over a Lifetime movie or hey, even football. But it’s really not so bad, especially with Tiger playing. Seriously, that man can play golf better with one leg then most people can with two. And in 2009 he should be returning after having to take a leave of absence to have surgery. He was impressive in 2008 even with jacked up knees! I am really looking forward to his comeback to see what he can do this year, that he hasn’t already done before!

check out my favorite Sports Moments of 2008

About the author: Jennifer Taglione is the owner of this fabulous website Stiletto Sports. Despite writing well over 500 posts, she still maintains that she is not a sports writer! She is however a huge fan of Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Mark Sanchez, the Celtics, and totally kicks butt on March Madness brackets! Connect with her by following her on Twitter @StilettoSportsJ and subscribing to her weekly newsletter. For more info check out the About the Editor page!

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