College basketball season started 32 days ago. So far, around 3,500 Division-I games have been played, most of which have been televised or streamed. And I have not watched one of them. Or one minute of one of them. For most of my life, the anticipation of the start of college basketball began once the calendar hit October. It was something akin to the excitement children feel waiting for Christmas morning, with all its wonderment and special gifts. When it wasn't college basketball season, I'd fill my entertainment needs by playing or watching lacrosse, hiking, beaching, going to the theater or a comedy show, and attending a few Springsteen concerts if he was on tour. All of that was a filler of time and space, however. Like the coming attractions before a movie, or the opening act before a favorite band takes stage. Once Autumn's cool air ended the summer's heat, the countdown began, like December 1st began the countdown to Christmas and Santa Claus. But this year, there's been no countdown, no anticipation, no Christmas morning. College basketball is dead to me now. My five-month long season of joy and dedication, spanning four decades, has come to an end.
