February has always struck me as an odd month in sports. Everything seems to be on the “verge”. Baseball season is on the verge of starting (for that matter, spring training is on the verge for most of the month). College basketball is on the verge of entering March Madness. The NBA and the NHL, in mid-season form, are on the verge of entering the regular season stretch drive. You get the picture.

That’s why Wednesday being an interesting day feels right. Nothing super huge occurred… but lots of neat little tidbits. In no particular order:

The Good:

1. Spring Training is finally here! Yes, players had already reported and practices begun, but Wednesday marked the first actual games.

2. Tiger still has his stripes! Tiger Woods’s return to tournament play after eight months of rehab was, well, Tiger-like. The PGA, television networks and fans rejoice. Other PGA players… probably not so.

The Bad

1. Alex Rodriguez leaves with his cousin? Those of us wanting to see A-Fraud struggle after his admitted steroid used had to be disappointed by him hitting a home run in his first spring training game. But what happened afterwards? To be fair, it hasn’t been confirmed, but after the game he left the park in an SUV that looked to be driven by the very cousin he implicated in his ‘roid abuse. Does he really think that his so-called apology absolved himself? I would think any truly contrite person would avoid such a guilty party like the plague.

2. James goes down. In the marquee college basketball match-up of the night (#2 Connecticut’s victory at #8 Marquette), Golden Eagles senior guard Dominic James suffered a season–and college–career ending broken toe. I hope that this injury does not bring to a halt Marquette’s great year. Will they be like Connecticut, which has weathered Jerome Dyson’s season ending injury with only a minor hiccup, or Oklahoma, which has lost all of its momentum in its two games without Blake Griffin? Only time will tell (fortunately for the Sooners, Griffin’s concussion is not a season ender).

The Just Plain Odd

1. The Clippers beat the Celtics. Whoever took Los Angeles straight up has got to be feeling pretty proud right now.

• March 23, 2009 -- One And Done (0)
• April 29, 2009 -- The Hate List: 4/29/09 – My Top Two Most Hated Sports Teams (11)
• March 13, 2009 -- Fierce And Nerdy: The Madness Has Begun (2)
• February 18, 2009 -- Cinderella Story, Part 2… Who’s to Blame? (12)
• January 20, 2009 -- Domination (5)