The best sports day of the year?

Does today feel like Christmas to you, too? (Minus the annoying relatives, wrapping paper, and egg nog, that is.) The first Monday in April, with Major League Baseball's Opening Day games being played in the afternoon and evening, followed by college basketball's National Championship game at night, is a sports holiday. We should all have the day off. (Here in Detroit, we're probably saving that for the Tigers' Opening Day at Comerica Park next Monday.) I would also make the case that today is the finest day on our sports calendar.

Some of you might think the opening Sunday of the NFL season is more exciting. And I wouldn't argue much with that. I'm much more likely to spend the entire day in front of the TV (especially because it's a Sunday) on that day than I will be today.

I'm not saying it's my favorite time of year. That would be September, with college and pro football getting started, and the late-season pennant races in baseball. Every weekend (and most weeknights) seems to have something at stake in the fall.

But there's something about today - with the end of one season and the beginning of another - that feels more special to me. And this will be the first time in a long time that I'll really be able to enjoy it. In the last few years, I either couldn't (or didn't) get the day off from work, or I had a paper due and ended up pulling an all-nighter because I spent all day watching TV. Of course, I could never fully enjoy watching baseball and basketball with the dark cloud of a term paper and a night of no sleep looming over my head.

Not this year. The calendar is cleared. I have the food ready. It all began with picking up the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press baseball previews this morning. And they're on my coffee table, along with Sports Illustrated's preview, ready to be read. It's time to rock. Bring on the Nats and Mets!