Octoberfest: The Banquet Of Sports

October is the best month on the sports calendar. Baseball crowns a champion. The NFL season is taking shape. The NHL and NBA return. And if that isn’t enough, college football is rolling , while even college hockey and horse racing make cameos.

Here’s how we’ll set the table at TheSportsNotebook:

BASEBALL: WALL-TO-WALL

The regular season ends September 28, and we’ll close it out by naming full All-Star teams in both leagues and handing out awards. Then it’s postseason time. Before it begins, we’ll have a complete overview of all 12 teams, including an analysis of how betting markets are reacting.

Then it’s time to play. We’ll have a recap of the Wild-Card Round, and both previews and recaps of each subsequent round:  

• Wild Card Round (Sept 30–Oct 2)
• Division Series (Oct 4–11)
• League Championship Series (Oct 12–21)
• World Series (Oct 24–Nov 1)

THE FIRST NFL CHECKPOINT

By mid-October, the NFL season hits its first checkpoint. After Week 6 concludes on October 13, we’ll break down every division — who’s in control, who’s chasing, and who’s already in trouble.

HOCKEY & HOOPS: THE SOFT OPENING

• NHL Faceoff (Oct 7): The puck drops and we’ll spotlight early themes that could set the tone for the winter.
• NBA Tipoff (Oct 21): The new season begins, with an early check-in on storylines to watch.

EVERYTHING ELSE

While we won’t be covering these at the blog (at least in October), we’ll be paying attention to:

• College Football: The race for playoff positioning and the first official rankings in early November heats up.
• College Hockey: The Frozen Four journey begins October 3.
• Horse Racing: The Breeders’ Cup closes the month under the California sun on Oct. 31/Nov. 1.

October is the sports fan’s harvest season. We’ll cover the heart of it here — baseball playoffs, NFL checkpoints, and the first sparks of hockey and basketball. Bookmark TheSportsNotebook and settle in for the feast.