The seasons are changing. Spring is finally here and the chill and snow of winter have finally gone. The seasons are also changing in the world of sports. I’m talking specifically about that majestic time when all the great teams of the NBA and NHL regally migrate into the promised land of the second season. The postseason.

Yes, with swan-like grace, teams like the Bulls and Avalanche flap into the postseason with hopes of fulfilling their missions of a championship season.

But what about the birds that stray from the flock? What about those teams that nature, scheduling and a lack of God-given talent have selected not to make it to the postseason? What about teams like the Bruins and Celtics, the professional sports world equivalent of the dodo and the passenger pigeon? Are they simply allowed to die out and become extinct, no longer troubling the sports viewing world with blown layups and wasted power plays?

In a perfect world, yes, this is exactly what would be allowed to happen. But unfortunately the world of professional sports is not that humane.

These teams will be allowed to continue to flounder in environments that give them no chance to obtain success.

But how did they get where they are and is there any prayer they may one day escape, scaling the wall out of the gutter and reaching the mystical goal of every truly pathetic team: mediocrity?

Put quite simply: no. A team simply does not wake up one morning feeling crappy and decide to stink for a decade or more. There’s usually a pretty good reason for it.

Look at some of the sterling examples of the sports world. The Clippers, Kings (hockey or basketball), Jets and Cubs.

OK, granted the Jets and Cubs aren’t in the NBA or NHL, but their past performances have made them walking punch lines and prime examples of what not to do.

And what’s in the water in Boston? Look at the Bruins and Celtics, two once-proud franchises that both finished last in their respective leagues and are now forced to live off past glories, because let’s face it, achieving any new glories are beyond them.

No, these teams are all never-weres, with a few lucky has-beens because of poor decisions. Bad drafts, personnel decisions, coaching, ownership, stadiums, maybe even bad uniforms can be blamed.

After this goes on for awhile, there is literally no hope of redemption.

Players get scared off, threatening to go to Europe rather than play for theses teams, or they take less money to go somewhere else. (Does the name Greg Maddux ring a bell?)

So the owner cleans house firing everyone and starts over. Problem is the new coaches and GMs are usually people who just got fired somewhere else.

These retreads don’t exactly build confidence.

So what’s left to do? Why change the uniform, get rid of the symbol that’s associated with losing.

But a dodo in a new suit is still a dodo. No, the truly bad teams will be allowed to continue playing for one simple reason: someone’s got to provide footage for all those blooper reels.

---

KEVIN PETTY is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Carlisle.