General: April fools for sports' best month

It's finally here.

I've been waiting so long for the great sporting events April has to offer. You know, MLS soccer, the Boston Marathon and NHL playoff hockey. What an exciting time of year!

Okay, enough with the sarcasm. April really is a great month to be a sports fan. It just doesn't have anything to do with the above mentioned examples.

Marathons are every bit as exciting as televised chess, the MLS team (who cares who it is) that has Fred Adu doesn't even start him, and playoff hockey games tend to go into two or three overtimes before a team breaks a 1-1 tie.

Yawn.

If your talking about April, your talking about baseball, NBA playoffs and the NFL Draft. I love this month.

Just look at all the great story lines this year.

In the NBA, the championship is legitimately within reach of four teams: Minnesota, Los Angeles, San Antonio, and the East's champion (sure, I'll throw Detroit or Indiana a bone). There will be some great battles as soon as the second round begins and maybe even earlier.

I haven't been this excited about the NBA since I used to passionately pull for whoever was playing Jordan's Bulls in the finals. Garnett, Shaq, Kobe, Duncan, Big Ben, The Glove, Reggie, 'Sheed. Wow. All of those guys have a real chance to win the golden ball.

After a long and cold winter, baseball is finally back and even all the talk of steroids can't dampen the excitement surrounding our nation's pasttime.

Barry Bonds is simply breathtaking as a hitter once again, the Cubs continue to bring the type of drama we have come to expect from the northside of Chicago, and A-Rod can't buy a hit. How can it get any better?

Only the thought of Montreal playing home games in San Juan can bring your spirits down (come on, can't Bud Selig just get the Expos to Washington, D.C. and get it over with?).

Oh, and if you haven't noticed, Mel Kiper has been spending a lot more time on SportsCenter, so you know the NFL Draft is right around the corner.

Will the Giants trade up to grab Eli Manning? Will Dennis Green somehow get his man Larry Fitzgerald? Will Chris Berman do something about that hair?

Enjoy this month, America, because soon you will be stuck in a sporting quagmire otherwise known as the portion of summer after the NBA Finals and before the start of NFL training camp.

Unless, of course, you're a big horse racing fan.