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Does the sports world get any better than right now?

by Steve Wulf

WITH THE NO. 1 PICK of the first round, we select — well, right about now. This is the Green Period, the best time of the sports calendar, and we're not talking just about the Celtics, Fenway or Trevor Immelman.

Look around. Nearly every pastime is in bloom. We get to watch NFL draft choices dance onstage at Radio City. We get to see Sid the Kid try to grow a playoff beard. We get to witness the NBA's great Western shoot-out. As for baseball, we get to marvel at the astonishing performances of George Sherrill (six saves), Nate McLouth (.384 BA), Mike Jacobs (on pace for 61 homers) and the Florida Marlins (11 — 7).

Okay, there are ants at the picnic: Carmelo Anthony gets stopped for suspicion of DUI. José Canseco is promoting memoir No. 2. There's a congressional call to investigate the BCS. Let's brush them away and turn our attention to all the freshmen declaring for the NBA draft (Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose, Kevin Love) or to the lone woman ever to win an IndyCar race (Danica Patrick).

Simply speaking, it's a time of promise. We're kind of like the last remaining fans in San Diego the other night, watching the Rockies and Padres in the 22nd inning. We're hoping it all ends up all right. But we're also hoping it never ends.

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