Tis the Season for the Sports bar

A few special times each year, sports fans sit real life down on the bench and live out their unattained childhood dreams of sports superstardom at the only field suitable -- the American sports bar. They enjoy the sensations of the buzzer beater, the unthinkable upset, and the game winning home run amidst the comfortable atmosphere of their friends, cheese nachos, and overflowing pitchers of draft beer. Surrounded by big screens, a plethora of sports paraphernalia and a mass of their sports adoring peers, fans can live vicariously through the triumphs and failures of the handful of athletes whose careers carried them beyond the driveway or the local YMCA.

It just so happens that right now, for these few precious weeks in April and early May, sports fans everywhere are in paradise. With the NCAA tournament highlights still fresh in our minds, the NBA and NHL playoffs just around the corner, and the early days of the baseball season where anyone (even the Red Sox) have a shot at the top, there are few times better to celebrate competition at your favorite sports bar.

And so on a Monday that screamed homework and came too soon on the heels of a Sunday morning hangover, a handful of Tufts seniors and even an honorary graduate headed downtown to enjoy the season's delights at the sports bar of all sports bars, the Fours. Located a mere moment from the North Station T-stop and a stone's throw from the Fleet Center, the Fours boasts one of Boston's most impressive sports bar scenes. The hopes and dreams of thousands of faithful Bostonians have lived and died inside its brick walls for over 20 years -- perhaps the only unchanging entity in a city whose teams have tortured its loyal fans with their innumerable ups and downs.

Despite its humble external appearance, the Fours is lavishly decorated with an impressive array of sports necessities that cover every inch of the walls and boasts incredible variety. Harvard hockey jerseys, uncountable photos of Celtics legends, memorable pictures of the Boston Garden and Fenway, autographed jerseys of Boston superstars, and even an entire Boston University crewboat adorn the walls and ceilings of this cozy establishment.

Named for the four major sports teams of the Boston area, the Celtics, Bruins, Patriots, and Red Sox, it's hard to find a bar more in tune with the needs of the Boston sports community. What's more, in terms of local flavor, it's seldom that you won't find at least two or three diehards raving about "next year" at the far side of the bar as the night ends.

Plus, with a great selection of draft and bottled beer that accompanies an equally tempting menu, it's hard not to pass up a chance to eat and drink with passionate Bostonians. The kitchen offers everything from pasta to barbecue chicken nachos to delicious sandwiches named after the most famous of Boston's superstars (try the Larry Bird). Just remember to get there early if you plan to go on a game night at the Fleet Center -- as tip off approaches, you'll be hard pressed to find a seat.

Admittedly, some may say that I am a bit partial to the Fours for reasons that go beyond the incredible atmosphere, great drinks at decent prices, and unforgettable menu. After all, most of my fondest memories of Boston sports have been brought to life while plastered to the green booths that line the first floor walls, not to mention the fact that my uncle is part owner.

But for as much as this may be a helpless ploy on the part of the extended MacGregor family, to this date my recommendations to friends about the best place in Boston to catch a bite to eat before the game have never, at least to my knowledge, produced disappointment.

In the end the Fours always speaks for itself. With first timers coming back for seconds and thirds, visitors and locals alike can't seem to get enough of the high class feeling of a moderately priced sports bar that doesn't leave your shoes sticky or your clothes permanently smelling of smoke.

And so although there was no Boston college team to root for at the finals of the NCAA basketball tourney this year, we decided to cast aside the rigors of our last few weeks at Tufts for a night of drinks, nachos, and Syracuse versus Kansas. Besides, I had called ahead and my uncle was behind the bar. As always, free drinks were hard to pass up.