By Aswad Walker
The answer to the question “Which of the four seasons is the best,” is really not even up for debate. No shade to any of the others, but how cool of a season do you have to be to have your own color scheme? How big-baller-shot-caller of a season are you to have not one, but two names? C’mon now. Y’all already know it’s Autumn/Fall’s world, and Winter, Spring and Summer are just living in it. But do you know why, specifically?
Well, here are the top five reasons Fall/Autumn is “numero uno” when it comes to the best time of the year.
BREAK FROM THE HEAT
I know Houston only has two official seasons: hot and hotter. Still, even though H-Town autumns don’t really get rolling until late, late October (if we’re lucky), just the fact that moving from September’s 90 degrees to the high-to-mid 80s of October is a win in and of itself. And there’s nothing like when those cooler temps really start rollin’ in. You know, when it’s time to break out the coats! When that moment hits… oh, it’s on then!
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON
If I have to explain why the arrival of college football season is on this list, no amount of words could ever help you fully grasp the significance of college football season. It’s just one of those things – if you know, you know (the traditions, the hype, the rivalry games, the never-ending arguments about which team, which conference is the best). And if you don’t, not only is there a 0.00001% chance that we know each other, but there’s a 99.9999% chance that we will never, ever cross paths, because I’m all in on the Red River Classic, those old-school SEC battles on CBS and of course, the greatest rivalry in all of sports – THE Ohio State versus that team up north.
MLB PLAYOFFS
I’m from Cincinnati, home of the Big Red Machine… the Reds of the 1970s; otherwise known as the greatest baseball team ever assembled in the history of baseball (outside of those Negro League all-star squads). I was born and raised on baseball. I saw Reggie Jackson’s three-pitch, three-homerun World Series game as the Yankees beat the Dodgers. I saw Hank Aaron and his teammate Dusty Baker, playing for the Atlanta Braves, taking on my Reds in Cincy’s Riverfront Stadium – way back in the day. I remember the Lumber Company, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Willie Stargell, Dave Parker (who later played for the Reds) and Al Oliver. I was around when stolen bases were a regular thing, done by the likes of Lou Brock, Joe Morgan, Maury Wills, Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines, etc. I remember the Montreal Expos. I saw that famous 1975 World Series Game 6 homer by Carlton Fisk against the Reds… who eventually won that World Series in seven games, and then won it the next year, sweeping the mighty Yankees. I saw the sorry Astros (with those horrible popsicle-striped unis) transform into contenders in the 1980s and play an epic series against the Phillies. I was even an Astros Buddy (even though I was always rooting for them to lose because they were in the same division as my Reds). Full disclosure: I’m a serious Astros fan now… now that my youngest daughter, out of nowhere, became a huge Astros fan (the Astros have never lost a game when she and I attend). I literally knew every team’s starting line-up. When I played baseball (little league through high school), I used (mimicked as best I could) the batting stances of George Foster, Pete Rose, Rod Carew, Ken Griffey Sr., etc. And even though I don’t watch baseball as religiously as I used to, I’m still all the way here for playoff season.
NEW SCHOOL YEAR
I liked school… the idea of learning. And even though I was even shyer and more socially awkward back then than I am now, I always, always looked forward to a new school year. New classes, new teachers, new and old classmates and friends. I even loved that stuff they passed off as food during lunch… those burritos, chicken fried steak and/or that square/rectangular pizza. Playing sports. Being active in various clubs. I loved it all. But hey, I’m weird like that. My almost favorite time of year during my college days was midterms and finals time – I loved the pressurized studying and all-or-nothing exams. But only after those first days of a new semester.
BEGINNING OF HOLIDAYPALOOZA
Even if you’re not into or here for all the holidays during Fall, there’s still something crazy cool about the fact that the season is just holiday after holiday after holiday. The way they hit, one after another, makes the days go by lightning fast. One minute it’s Memorial Day, and the next it’s New Year’s Eve. And even though they’re not holidays, those fall festivals are an experience in and of themselves.
HONORABLE MENTION: WINTER IS COMING… BUT
One of the most famous lines from one of the most famous series of all time is “Winter is coming.” That’s a big part of what makes Fall the best season – we know winter is coming… but it ain’t here yet! The weather is cool, but not freezing cold. Jackets and sweaters (two of the coolest items of clothing ever… behind socks) rule the day. But those big, huge, monster coats stay chillin’ in the closet because they’re not needed yet.
