Some people enjoy seeing how radar blips show the areas of precipitation over their local area. Others go nuts about highlights from the sports figures they’ve all come to know and adore.

Being a meteorology student and a sports writer, I get to see each side of the story every day: the jet streams, the strikeouts, the high pressure centers and bicycle kicks.

With so many choices, it’s so tough to choose which one is better.

So I’ve devised a plan to make everyone abundantly joyous.

Welcome to the first sports-weather news segment, combining great aerial satellite maps with exciting shots of dunks, aces and home runs. Who knew Vince Carter and clouds had something in common?

Your Super Doppler Sportscast

Well, today was a fairly interesting day around the nation. We’ll start in the West, where, in Salt Lake City, visibility was more than good enough to see the justice of the Canadian pairs figure skating team winning a gold medal and speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno not getting one.

Meanwhile, Portland’s seeing a buildup of clouds due to an impending Rasheed Wallace temper tantrum system coming in off the Pacific Coast.

Across the Midwest, an Alberta clipper has settled in, bringing bitterly cold football to the fans of Detroit.

However, this spell should be pretty nice for Red Wings fans. This system has also produced an unexpected lake effect snowstorm in Chicago, which could give the fans another excuse to not go out and watch the struggling Bulls again.

To the South, where the jet stream is moving through and causing some violent weather around the Dallas area. You might wonder if it’s Mother Nature or just John Rocker and Carl Everett going at it again.

Over in Florida, the rain is pulling out of Tampa, where a football coach has finally been found.

However, expect the clouds to drape over Raymond James Stadium for a little while longer.

In the East, the jet stream is digging that trough into the area and shifting the winds in Washington, where Michael Jordan has made the Wizards into a playoff contender rather than . well, his old team.

Meanwhile, Boston is preparing for an ice storm, but neither that, nor rain, nor sleet, nor snow could cool off the Bruins and Celtics, who are trying to follow the Patriots and make serious playoff runs.

With that, we’ll see how these current conditions will affect your six-day forecast for the area.

Absurd Forecast

Looking at our long-range forecast for this week’s golfing at the Accenture Match Play Championships (I didn’t say which area), we see that skies will cloud up over Phil Mickelson with conditions for his first-round match worsening as time goes on.

For round two, fog will develop during the early portion of the David Duval-Paul McGinley match.

McGinley’s sight should clear up by the back nine, while Duval’s should hang around most of the day.

Round three offers a nicer day, with a warm-up in store for Long John Daly.

The southwest winds will help him hit tee to green on four of the par-4 holes on the course as he completes his third upset of the tourney by defeating Padraig Harrington.

In the quarters, there may be trouble. We could end up having a severe fashion sense watch as a Jesper Parnevik high-bill system pushes another cold front Tiger Woods’ way.

Even though this front is fairly strong, it should rise Tiger, and his chances of winning, above the competition.

By the time the finals roll around, skies should clear with Cink … I mean, sinking air descending over the region. Temperatures will be cool, but Stewart Cink will have sunshine to look forward to as he pockets the million-dollar prize.

Jonathan Lowe is a senior in meteorlogy from Kansas City, Mo.