The Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy are over and I couldn't be any happier.

It's not that I don't appreciate the fine skills required for skiing, sledding and whatever other "sports" they compete in during the games. And it's not that I don't want to see our fine (read: rich) nation rack up medals on the global stage against many excellent (read: poor) competitors.

And it's definitely not because my girlfriend called American speed skater Apollo Ohno "cute" after he whipped everyone during an admittedly thrilling 500-meter gold medal race.

Oh no, the main reason I'm glad to see the torch doused is that the only sport that I really care about is here now, awaiting countless hours of my rapt attention. I'm talking about baseball, of course.

People whipping around in circles on frozen puddles are boring and stupid, but guys whacking balls with a thin stick are too exciting for words.

Despite the mercenary mentality of players, the dominance of big money teams over small market fishies and the probability that the entire era is tainted by steroid abuse, I cannot get enough of the sport once the season begins. Even if "Casey at the bat" jokes and comments increase by approximately 80 percent.

Even though the season doesn't start for another month, the winter months have been full of the usual intrigue and soap opera drama that marks every break between seasons. It's always fun watching studs spit on their longtime teams (see Frank Thomas, Manny Ramirez) and seeing teams flail about in attempt to plug holes in their oft-sinking ships. And naturally there's the anticipation that comes with planning for a fantasy baseball league.

Spring training is going to be particularly exciting this year due to the introduction of the World Baseball Classic, a tournament taking place between 16 of the biggest baseball countries in the world.

Many star players have pulled out over fears that they'll get injured or wear out more quickly during the real season, but there will still be a fair number of studs in the mix on a few of the teams.

Of course, the more I read about it, the more it seems like a sham event set up to rake in more ad revenue for MLB and the networks airing the games.

But at the very least, it's more baseball. And the more baseball there is, the merrier.

Thankfully, we don't feel the same way about the Winter Olympics. See you in four years, Ohno.