How do you pass time in the offseason?

[VaDukie]

With our season over and the Final Four right around the corner, how do you all pass the time from April to Thanksgiving (which I consider the unofficial start of the season because of all the preseason tournaments)?

As a political junkie living in Virginia, I've got it made. We're one of the only states in the union that has elections every year (statehouse races in 05 and 07), and campaigns really get moving in April and finish up in early November when our season is right around the corner.

*As a side note on Va politics, the Democratic house leader is Ward Armstrong, Trinity 77. If you go to his website (www.wardarmstrong.com) and click on bio, you can see a picture of him wat Wallace Wade.

[adam]

It's a very long off-season for me (being that I live in the Pacific Northwest). I'm stuck watching Seattle Mariner's baseball and Seattle Seahawks football. The Seahawks aren't nearly as painful to watch as the Mariners, though. Then again, Boise State football is the big thing here in town (Boise, Idaho), so I might just have to check it out this season.

[DukeBlood]

It's a very long off-season for me (being that I live in the Pacific Northwest). I'm stuck watching Seattle Mariner's baseball and Seattle Seahawks football. The Seahawks aren't nearly as painful to watch as the Mariners, though. Then again, Boise State football is the big thing here in town (Boise, Idaho), so I might just have to check it out this season.

Haha. Go Hawks. I love living up here.

As far as passing times, I play alot of golf... A few buddies try getting a few pickup games going on, but usually only one every couple weeks. Work, work and more work. It passes the time nicely

[DevilAlumna]

Hello, fellow PNW night owls! Personally, after hibernating through the very-rainy season, I'm so excited to stop watching sports, and get outside instead. I'm still skiing (went last Sunday, slopes were starting to get slushy, but the base is still 100"), but am hoping the spring (aka partly-rainy season) is dry enough to get in some non-muddy hikes and some good long bike rides; I love that the days extend past 7:45PM already up here! Oh, and the hubby wants us to get some more dives under our belt before we take a rescue diver course.

I'll watch the Masters and the rest of the NCAAT, but otherwise I'm done w/ watching sports on TV until college football season starts. Go Huskers! Go Duke! And since I'm up here, Go Dawgs.

[TheDuke11]

Lets Go Mets!!!!

[hurleyfor3]

It's time to turn off the teevee, get on a plane and go somewhere.

[wilson]

Boo, mets, boo.
Go BRAVES.

[feldspar]

Boo, mets, boo.
Go BRAVES.

ditto!

http://www.sportsexcitement.com/baseball/images/atlanta-braves-logo.jpg

[Bostondevil]

Go Sox!

Although my love of all things Duke goes back longer, I was born a Duke fan, asking me to choose between the Devils and the Sox at this point would be like Sophie's choice.

[BlueDevilBaby]

Boo Braves and Mets! Go Nationals! I can't wait for opening day. But I am awfully hungry for the 2007-2008 basketball season. :)

[Chard]

Read updates on Miami Hurricane football and Appalachian State football spring practices and wait for the college football season to start. In the meantime, I spend lots of time fishing and enjoying the outdoors. I try to stay away from the TV unless it is Tuesday night, then I have to watch Resuce Me. Baseball has no appeal to me unless it is the College World Series. Oh, and lots of yard work. Add a mini Chard to the mix and I've got a full slate ahead of me for the next 4 - 6 months.

On the topic of fishing: Is anyone going to Cherokee this weekend?

[vango]

1) enjoy family and friends
2) kayak the islands and marshes of SE NC
3) hike parts of the Appalachian Trail
4) take my yearly hiking trip out west (MT or WY this year)
5) Cheer on my COLTS!

[OZZIE4DUKE]

What time do we tee off?

Let's go Yankees! Let's go Yankees!

[wilson]

[QUOTE=Although my love of all things Duke goes back longer, I was born a Duke fan, asking me to choose between the Devils and the Sox at this point would be like Sophie's choice.[/QUOTE]

I totally feel ya there. Someone recently asked what I'd do if forced to choose between Duke and the Braves, and I replied that I would just jump off a bridge. Like you, I was born a Duke fan, but I came of age as a sports observer during a golden age for both teams. 1991 was a good year to be wilson--Duke wins the title, the Braves' division title streak starts, I got my braces off...heck, the Falcons even made the playoffs that year (and won in the divisional round to boot!).

[throatybeard]

I try to catch up on the work I've neglected while piddling my time away watching basketball games. :eek: I lose a lot of time I can't seem to account for in February and March and I get horribly behind.

I pray for the next basketball season mainly because that will mean it's notSummer.

Oh, and what the above folks said about

http://www.hotsauceharrys.com/AB1844000Store/images/hshimages/atlanta_braves_s.jpg

[RockyMtDevil]

At this point, it is almost a sigh of relief knowing the games are coming to an end. They are a great diversion from life, but I must admit they become more than just a diversion and more a reason to live from November through March.

I spend much less time in front of the tv, the only sports I watch from now through August is the four Majors. I detest baseball and it's nice to take time away from even watching Sportcenter, as the only highlights from now through August are homeruns, who cares.

So, playing golf, hiking, starting to actually enjoy running the trails around Colorado Springs, much yard work, reading but most of all, this offseason could be the quickest or the longest yet, as my wife and I have a baby due in June...

YIKES!!!

[hurleyfor3]

Someone recently asked what I'd do if forced to choose between Duke and the Braves, and I replied that I would just jump off a bridge.

Duke IS the Braves nowadays. Consistent regular-season success, followed by equally consistent postseason ennui.

[CMS2478]

Duke IS the Braves nowadays. Consistent regular-season success, followed by equally consistent postseason ennui.

I am also a Braves fan so it might be 2 dissapointing seasons back to back...............:(

[dukepsy1963]

Not much sports...save fishing out back on my lake...trout, bass, etc.
From May until August I do photography for the Brevard Music Center located here. I take photographs of musicians, concerts, etc. I sometimes sit in with various jazz groups too; though my skills are waning ....:).

Take a look at the Brevard Music Center...and come see us.....the mountains are great.......

www.brevardmusic.org

[CMS2478]

Not much sports...save fishing out back on my lake...trout, bass, etc.
From May until August I do photography for the Brevard Music Center located here. I take photographs of musicians, concerts, etc. I sometimes sit in with various jazz groups too; though my skills are waning ....:).

Take a look at the Brevard Music Center...and come see us.....the mountains are great.......

www.brevardmusic.org

I have a friend who has a place in Brevard.......Conastee Falls I think is what it is called.

[hurleyfor3]

Spelled Connestee. I like Transylvania County. And Jackson, Macon, Haywood, Swain and Cherokee. :)

[throatybeard]

The Braves do frustrate, but I'm also diversifying my portfolio by shamelessly bungee-cording myself to the Cardinals bandwagon when I get to StL. :p

[Oriole Way]

It's time for another excruciating season of Orioles baseball, to see if we can make it a complete decade of ten straight losing seasons!

Honestly, this is our best chance to break the streak, so it might be a fun summer. A guy can dream.

[vango]

The Braves do frustrate, but I'm also diversifying my portfolio by shamelessly bungee-cording myself to the Cardinals bandwagon when I get to StL. :p

Throaty:

Just curious - why the arch avatars? Going there in a month to bring my daughter up there for the first time. Family in Granite City, Ellisville, and Catawissa....

[feldspar]

Throaty:

Just curious - why the arch avatars? Going there in a month to bring my daughter up there for the first time. Family in Granite City, Ellisville, and Catawissa....

He's moving there in a few weeks? months? One of the two.

[vango]

He's moving there in a few weeks? months? One of the two.

Ah, thanks. Great town. Good people, arch, great zoo and museum, Grants Farm, Six Flags, easy flights to anywhere, and a pretty good baseball team ;) Great town for adults but even better for kids.

Oh, free samples at the end of the A-B brewery tour..... :D

[throatybeard]

About the end of July.

edit: now looking more like the end of June due to closing date hilarity & riot, although I'll be back in MS teaching the last week of Summer I and doing some fieldwork from my friend's house.

[SharkD]

Driving a race car.

[YmoBeThere]

Though memories of the 1991 season still haunt me. Duke b-ball is my true sports love, but my first love (from the age of 6) was the LA
http://dodgers.mlb.com/la/photo/history/logos/logoshoot.jpg

As a kid, it was the chance to go to the games with my grandfather. Later in life, it was the soothing story telling of one Vin Scully. Defintely a Dodger treasure and in my opinion the best broadcaster to work a baseball game in my lifetime.

[Son of Jarhead]

-Hibernate, mostly, until football season.
-Family, friends & work will finally have my undevided attention.
-Coach my daughter's soccer team
-Hit the links a few times (when I feel like torturing myself)
-I may catch a few Durham Bulls games
-I'll probably watch golf's Majors, & maybe a Braves game on TV
-I might go on a trip or two, at least one to Vermont this summer

(BTW, I like Jackson County, NC, too... went to college there at WCU in Cullowhee.)

Please let the football season be much better than the last... can't wait for late November to roll around. Oh. well... time to start that hibernating.

[Cameron]

I will be in hybernation most of the summer as well, anxiously awaiting my trip (hopefully, if everything falls into place) to Maui in November, to cheer on my Devils. I have never been much of a baseball fan, nor football, although I don't mind watching the MLB playoffs or big college games, as the game of basketball is pretty much all I have ever known. My grandfather was a legendary high school basketball coach, my mother was a great player back in the six girl team era, my uncle has a state championship under his belt as a girls coach, my dad coached, and I have played all my life, now forced to live my past hoops career through Duke University. I eat, sleep, and drink the game. So, I guess it is easy to see why the off-season is a living hell for me. I lose my mind at times. Let's just say that my old Duke game tapes get plenty of wear and tear during the summer months...

And, being completely impatient for the start of next season, I will probably make a trip down to Durham mid-summer, to see Taylor, Kyle, Nolan, and, hopefully, Patrick, do their thing in the pickup games. Many people think I am crazy for making this journey, but I don't care. It is time well spent. It is Duke Basketball. There is nothing else like it in the world.

Here's to a rapidly fast summer, and even faster-paced and better 2008 for the Blue Devils!! And thank you Hoyas for making the off-season a bit more bearable.

[throatybeard]

I think it's called estivating when you do it in the summer.

[mgtr]

a) restore British sports cars
b) travel by motorhome

[throatybeard]

It's opening night on ESPN2!

http://www.abcsafetymart.com/all-sports-team-hard-hats/mlb/logos/tn-cardinals.jpghttp://66.180.175.4/images/logos/baseball/mlb/new_york_mets.gif

And don't forget to root against the fighting Lattas tonight on ESPN.

[Chard]

Not much sports...save fishing out back on my lake...trout, bass, etc.
From May until August I do photography for the Brevard Music Center located here. I take photographs of musicians, concerts, etc. I sometimes sit in with various jazz groups too; though my skills are waning ....:).

Take a look at the Brevard Music Center...and come see us.....the mountains are great.......

www.brevardmusic.org

Are you John or Peter?

[dukepsy1963]

Are you John or Peter?

I'm John...Pete is doing Marlboro this year...so I am going to be really working....

[RelativeWays]

I route for the Cubs during baseball season and the Saints during the NFL season. Outside of Duke, I have a penchant for routing for longtime losers...then again I do pull for the Duke football team too.