Spring--a wondrous thing. (My Turn).

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens ... oops. Wrong script. My real favorite things:

March madness. I call it March Gladness. What other time of year holds such hope for the players, students and fans of basketball dynasties like Vermont, Wagner and IUPUI? Invariably, some lower-seeded school pulls off a Cinderella surprise and, for even a week or 10 days, gives hope to every David facing the athletic Goliaths in the NCAA. In Oklahoma City in 1998, we saw Bryce Drew drain a 3-point buzzer-beater, off a designed fullcourt play called the Pacer, in the first round. This shot started Valparaiso on a glorious run that ended with a loss to Rhode Island, but it gave us the feel-good story of the spring. To this day, that play is featured when the NCAA Tournament's greatest highlights are shown.

But it's great for the big boys, too. I grew up admiring John Wooden and his UCLA teams in their unprecedented run of national championships. I loved Al McGuire. His emotions flowing on the bench at the end of the 1977 championship game is a classic memory. Who can forget Jim Valvano running around looking for someone to hug after N.C. State's big upset in 1983?

Lake Eufaula, Oklahoma. The trees are budding, and the sweet aroma of honeysuckle delights the senses of evening porch-sitters. (People still rock on the front porch in my hometown.) Resort owners are sprucing up the cabins before the summer season. The guys at the marina are prepping the boats, and my brother Lawrence is priming the smoker for another season of the best barbecue in eastern Oklahoma. Next time you're motoring the ol' family van down I-40 near my hometown, pull off at the exit to Eufaula and check out Watts Barbecue on the marina. Lawrence will thank you for the business, and you'll thank me for the tip.

Spring training. I was never much of a baseball player, but count me as one of the millions of kids and adults who thrills to the sound of "pitchers and catchers report next week." For one month of the year, every Cubs fan in the ...