PAGE 2: THE OPENING ESSAY

Does spring hope eternal, or is it the other way around?

Spring hopes eternal. Or something like that.

Whether you're in Clearwater, limbering up with the defending NL East champion Phillies, or at the Pyramid in Memphis realizing the madness will only increase from here on in, or on the Cavaliers' bench eyeing The King's new court, this is a great time.

Oh, there's still snow on the ground in some places, and the vernal equinox is a few weeks away, but once they waved the green flag at Daytona, the field of promise was at full speed: spring training, spring football, the NFL combine, blockbuster NBA trades, Sid the Kid's return to practice, Michelle Wie's return to form.

Granted, there are all kinds of reverberations from the Spygate allegations and the congressional hearings and Kelvin Sampson's phone calls. Stow 'em, along with the scarves and mittens and boots. Buy yourself a No. 32 Suns jersey or a No. 57 Mets shirt or a No. 12 NASCAR hat. Prep for your fantasy draft, get your Kiper on for Radio City, sneak a peek at some Kentucky Derby hopefuls.

Wait, what's that? You gotta be kidding. Trainer Steve Asmussen actually has a 3-year-old named Wait, what's that? You gotta be kidding. Trainer Steve Asmussen actually has a 3-year-old named Clemens?

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