Phillies off to a rough start in early spring training

Last week the Daytona 500 started the NASCAR season with much fanfare when Danica Patrick became the first woman to win the pole in any NASCAR race.  I'm not much of a follower except for the highlights of the races.  I think it is a bit anticlimactic to start the season with their most important race. Is this because of the constant threat of thunderstorms throughout the summer in Florida? Jimmie Johnson won, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished second and Danica Patrick finished eighth. Let's see if she can hold this position through the rest of the season.

In baseball, the Phillies' spring training losses have proven quite disappointing. I hope they leave this behind and show up with some decent relief pitching when the season starts. I don't usually feel bad for the Yankees, but their center fielder, Curtis Granderson, broke his forearm on his first at bat. Talk about a rough start! By the way, the spring training games are occasionally on the MLB network if you have extended cable coverage.

In golf this past weekend, Matt Kuchar won the Match Play Championship in snowy Arizona. Not only did they have to stop play one day for snow, but it was the coldest final round Sunday that I can remember  in my 16-year history of watching golf. This tournament has always been a bit of a mystery in that the top seeds never get to the final round. Tiger Woods and Rory McElroy held this tradition by losing in the very first round.

Championship Week starts Monday, March 4, for college basketball. Half of the spots for the NCAA tournament are determined by who wins these games in the next week. March Madness is right around the corner!