Ring, ring. “Oh, that’s another friend calling about our Sunday fantasy football draft. Oh right, you guys probably don’t follow fantasy football at MIT, do you?”

Welcome to MIT, a place often described by its students as challenging, rewarding, and, to put it politely, hell on earth. Don’t be discouraged, though ­— for one thing, upperclassmen love complaining about MIT, even though we wouldn’t have it any other way. For another, MIT is a sports fan’s heaven: there are 41 varsity sports, 30 club sports, and countless intramurals for those interested in working off academic stress. Look for preview articles and spotlights of these sports in upcoming issues. Right now, however, I’m going to concentrate on the professional sports scene surrounding MIT.

Usually, I open Mozilla Firefox and expect to find typical sporting news on ESPN.com: the Red Sox won; the Yankees lost; Mark Cuban complained about X, Y, and Z; Scott Boras’ clients are holding out for more money; another Cincinnati Bengal was arrested; Shaquille O’Neal said something profound; the Celtics’ front office did something horrifying. In other words, I expect to find news causing the average fan to smile a little wider or groan a little louder.

What would you sacrifice for Red Sox-Yankees tickets at Fenway Park? A kidney, a 5.0 GPA, an advance copy of Harry Potter?

Tired of sunburns, mosquito bites, and long plane rides? Regretting those eight margaritas you downed in Miami Beach, Honolulu, or Cancún? Perhaps you're just eager to gain respite from the dimly lit lecture halls affectionately called the gates of hell.

The NCAA basketball championships involve more than Florida's quest for a repeat title or Ohio State's 19-year-old center, Greg Oden, who looks old enough to run for president.