The most wonderful time of the sports year

With ‘March Madness’ about to get into high gear, here’s a little food for thought:

• This is the time of the year I’m so thrilled to be retired.

March Madness and the NCAA Tournament.

I can remember the days of scheduling vacation time or even taking sick days to watch as much of the NCAA Men’s Tournament as possible.

Unless I took a week’s vacation (which I hated to do in March), I had to be creative in how I would view the tourney. Depending on the television schedule, I would consider scheduling a day off by any means necessary to see the games most important to me.

Later in my career, when a flat screen television became part of the electronics in the news room, I could then pretty much watch whatever game I wanted to.

Until, of course, something annoying would get in the way … like doing my job.

Once I joined the ranks of the retired, I knew I was golden this time of the year.

I’ve always said even though my favorite sport is football (and I still live to watch pro and collegiate football), my favorite sports event of the year is the NCAA Tournament.

While it is hard to predict who will win the national championship, you just always know going in there will be memorable photo finishes and I try to never miss any of them.

• Speaking of college basketball, I’m wondering if the powers to be at Pitt are not considering at least looking down the road at what has been going on at Robert Morris.

Colonials coach Andy Toole is doing an amazing job and I personally think he is the best hoops coach in the city.

I know he is the best coach. I just wonder how well he would recruit in the ACC.

After a 12-2 start, to watch Pitt go down with a whimper the second half of the season is not a good look for Panthers mentor Jeff Capel. There is no way after a start like that the Panthers should have ended the season barely over .500.

• Add Pitt: Just like a year ago, the university announced it was not going to play in any tournament that was not the NCAA Tournament.

What a piece of cheese decision that is.

If Pitt would draw an NIT bid, it should play. And while you say nobody cares about that tournament, tell that to the two teams who eventually meet in the title game.

Plus, Pitt needs all the NIL money it can get. You would think maybe playing in the NIT and making a little run would be good for the boosters and companies the university depends on to raise a lot of that money.

Just a stupid decision. Again.

• There are two reasons why I want Aaron Rodgers to join the Steelers. One is that I believe he is better than Russell Wilson or Mason Rudolph.

The most important reason though is I would look forward to see just how crazy he makes coach Mike Tomlin get.

There is no way the alpha male ego of Rodgers would allow him to play the slow, boring, predictable, safe offensive style that Tomlin demands.

I hope we get to see.

• Add Steelers: Yinzers (of which I am one) never cease to amaze me.

Many of them during the season said over and over neither Wilson nor Justin Fields were good quarterbacks, yet many of those same fans have freaked on talk radio and social media against the team for letting Fields go elsewhere.

For most of his career, Rudolph was thought of as a career backup and everyone was excited when other quarterbacks were signed to come in and keep him from starting.

Today, Rudolph is back and is the Yinzers’ Flavor of the Week. He even blew away the other possibilities for starting quarterback in a Pittsburgh poll recently.

Fickle, indeed.

• Considering the time of year it is, I can’t ever remember the start of the high school spring season getting underway with such mild temperatures.

I guarantee none of the baseball, softball and track coaches are complaining.

I remember all too well wearing a parka or at least a hoodie and winter cap while sitting in the dugout or press box.

• Nothing in spring training so far has changed my mind.

The Pirates still stink and I can’t believe they did nothing to help one of the league’s better pitching rotations offensively.

Cheap and inexcusable.

• Add Bucs: If the Pirates have no desire to even try to keep ace Paul Skenes from leaving town as soon as possible or give him a few bats behind him for support while he is here, why is there so much concern for his innings?

If he’s gone in the next three or four years, then run him out there every fifth day and don’t worry about his pitch count when he is on the mound. Why allow him to develop and avoid overuse so somebody like the Yankees, Dodgers or Mets can benefit from him later?

One of the few things I liked about Tomlin was when he had a cannon, he would fire it. He was not afraid to give his bell cow the ball 25-30 times a game if necessary.

• I won’t lie. I was surprised at the stern decision the PIAA handed down to Meadville and Uniontown after their playoff brawl. Although I thought bouncing both from the tournament was the right thing to do, I never expected that to be the decision.

Bravo, PIAA.

• Oh, I started out by talking glowingly about the NCAA Tournament and I never picked a winner.

Here is my choice: Anyone but Duke.

Anyone with any thoughts, opposing views or comments on this column can reach Jeff Oliver by emailing justjto@verizon.net.