November: A Sports Solstice

The scientists have had it all wrong. The astronomy textbooks state the solstice occurs in June and December, but what they forgot was the seasonal change in November. For students at the George Washington University, the "sports solstice" might have the greatest impact of them all. Of all 12 months, November is the most likely to include all four major American sports, which means rivalries that trump distances can also trump friendships causing chaotic damage.

"It's when the jerseys come out," says George Washington University student Yogin Kothari. "I can be most proud of my town even when I'm thousands of miles away."

From Munson to Mitchell, 2109 F Street to 1957 E Street, sports knows no boundaries. Ask any GW student walking in the street. With every baseball cap and team t-shirt, team pride is masked underneath the common student.

"Just because it matches what I'm wearing doesn't mean my [Philadelphia] Phillies cap means any less. I don't miss a game," says Phillies die-hard and GW sophomore Lyndsey Wajert.

November is the month of all sports. FOX and MLB re ending the baseball season with the World Series while TNT is capturing the NBA tip-offs. The NHL has undergone a month of the new season while the NFL is in month two. Sports fanatics are in frenzy trying to balance their team schedules and their class schedules on a daily basis.

An ESPN report done in August 2008 states "college-age men are major sports TV consumers, watching more than three hours of national sports TV each week." With the constant bombardment of sports on television, it is no wonder that a Gallup poll reveals 50% of students 18-25 watch 2 hours of sports a day.

"As a fan it's impossible to juggle it all. The NY Giants and the Yankees were playing the same day and time. Who has time for the Rangers?" Jessica Gottlieb, a Pepperdine University graduate and Mommy Blogger was one of the November victims. "As a social media speaker, I needed Twitter to keep me up to speed with what was going on with my other sports. [Twitter] isn't to shabby to smack talk either."

Pittsburgh native and DC resident, Lahne Mattas-Curry is an NFL.com blogger working at the Department of Commerce. Since moving to D.C. thirteen years ago, she has not had any luck keeping up with her Penguins, Steelers, & Phillies.

"A decade ago, our only source was the newspaper the next day. We had to chose one game and either channel hop or wait for Sports Center. It's a good thing the Phillies weren't that good."

The only benefit in sight to cope with the brutal sports tragedy that is November, is to wait for baseball to end.

"You don't want it to. You've been watching since April, and even after you're team has won it all, you want it to stay. Then you remember the [New England Patriots] have a big game this Sunday," says SMPA student and Yankee/Patriots diehard Corey Lewin.

His jerseys are lined up in the order in which the games come up throughout the week. With the Yankees season over, the hanger was pushed to the back of the closet. The Patriots and Celtics jersey hang first.

"I want to keep it within reach. Always want to be ready you know. Sometimes you put on both, just in case."