Editor's note: Each Wednesday from April 11 to May 23, NESN.com will highlight some of the cities the Red Sox visit on road trips this season. This week, we spotlight Baltimore and New York, where the Red Sox will play from Sept. 28 to Oct. 3. This will be the last road trip of the season for Boston.

In baseball's long regular season, anything can happen over the span of 162 games. Upsetting (or exciting) early-season runs can be long forgotten by the time September rolls around.

Many of the Red Sox' early-season losses (including one to the Yankees on Fenway's 100th anniversary) may be avenged by the time the leaves are changing colors. Of course, looking ahead to Boston's last road trip of the season means looking at opportunities for that very revenge.

From Sept. 28 to Oct. 3, the Red Sox will take a tour through Baltimore and New York, facing their division rival Orioles and Yankees. Boston may have its chance at revenge, but what about the fans? What is Red Sox Nation supposed to do when not taking in a game at Camden Yards or Yankee Stadium?

Well, as division rivals since the birth of the AL East in 1969, fans have had plenty of time to take in the various sites around Baltimore and the Big Apple. But as the Red Sox look for revenge, fans can use their spare time to revisit old favorites and hopefully find new gems in these cities.

In order to help the Boston faithful tour the cities of Red Sox foes, we put together a handy guide of the must-see attractions in Baltimore and New York. As the Sox take their last regular season road trip, be sure to catch some of our favorite sites along the way.

Click here for places to see and things to do in Baltimore and New York>>

NESN.com's Southwest Sports Destination Guides are presented by Southwest Airlines. Click here to book a trip.

After being passed up by every team in this year's NFL draft, Tanney was contacted by the Buffalo Bills on Friday, according to The Associated Press. The team reportedly extended an invitation to its three-day rookie minicamp to the former Monmouth College quarterback.

Believe it or not, the Bills were the second team to get in touch with Tanney. The Pittsburgh Steelers were the first team to extend an invite to rookie camp, but with only two signal callers set to make the Buffalo roster, Tanney thought the Bills would be a better fit.

Of course, all the attention shouldn't be totally surprising. While the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder is more famous for his YouTube work than his action on the field, he did manage to set an NCAA record with 157 touchdown passes in his five-year career.

Now, Tanney may get a chance to start a new tally if he makes the squad in Buffalo. Of course, while fans wait for Tanney to start slinging touchdowns in the NFL, they can always kill time watching a few trick shots.

To see Tanney's amazing accuracy, check out his trick shot video below.

After a 20-year career of happiness found in NFL locker rooms across the country, Seau seemingly disappeared after his retirement. He faded into a darker place, where in 2010 he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend during an argument, was arrested for domestic assault and later that day drove his car off a cliff.

While he sustained only minor injuries from the crash and was not convicted on the charges, that day in 2010 seemed wholly uncharacteristic of the man who had shined so brightly as a linebacker at the University of Southern California and in the NFL. So what changed?

The answer to that question is simultaneously easy and difficult. It's easy because there is a clear correlation between Seau smashing his head into other men for 20 years and the mental afflictions Seau likely suffered from in the years leading up to his death. It's difficult because that means the NFL and America's most watched sport is a death trap for the men who play it.

As hard as that is to hear, it should come as no surprise. Even casual football fans have seen hits like this or this or this. So the fact that NFL players are getting their brains smashed in ought to be apparent to everyone at this point.

The NFL claims to have cracked down on head injures, including implementing better testing procedures and higher standards for returning to play. But even those measures seem to be falling short of protecting players, many of whom claim they would hide an injury in order to play.

How can the league protect its players (and the millions of athletes playing in colleges and high schools) if its players don't want protection? Worse yet, how can they protect them when the game they play is so inherently violent?

The short answer is that they can't — at least not without changing the game entirely and undermining the wildly successful image of toughness that the NFL thrives on.

Meanwhile, the league's problem is rapidly extending beyond the bounds of active players. As commissioner Roger Goodell and his team take cracks at the tough questions for the league's present and future, more and more questions are arising about the league's past.

Players like Seau, Ray Easterling (the former Falcons cornerback who killed himself April 19) and Dave Duerson (the former Bears safety who took his own life last year) have been out of the league for years, if not decades. And while the players of today continue to get mutilated on the gridiron, the retired combatants are tragically sitting in rotting shells of their once athletic bodies.

Addiction to painkillers, depression and early onset dementia are just some of the ailments that come with that decay. And the longer the NFL stands idly by, the worse the situation gets.

Thankfully, there are people working to change things. Currently, over 1,500 NFL retirees are part of more than 50 separate lawsuits against the NFL for personal injury and wrongful death claims, according to NFLConcussionLitigation.com.

Of course, litigation is a mind-numbingly slow process. Even if legal action is what finally shifts the tide in the battle for player safety, that shift won't come for some time.

Between that day and now, the burden falls to fans, reporters and the players themselves. Those groups are the ones who can demand that players are given the proper care both during and after their careers.

That burden is not an easy one to carry. But neither is the burden of knowing only a dark and deadly fate awaits after a selfless career of providing joy to millions of fans, earning millions of dollars for league executives and sacrificing the prime years of life to further the game of football.

Easterling carried that burden. So did Duerson. And now, it seems, Seau was carrying it as well.

The least we can do is carry ours and hope that, as more information pours in about these players and the toll football took on them, definitive answers are coming soon.

We can't say with certainty why Seau allegedly shot himself in the chest on Wednesday morning. It could have been any number of reasons. But it isn't hard to believe that the violence of football had something to do with it. After all, the bullet to his chest preserved the only thing that may those hold definitive answers regarding Seau's death: his brain.

This new mascot consists of a man dressed in a barely visible gray fur suit, tee shirt and shorts, clownishly large shoes and a horse's head. Simply put, it's a bizarre sight to see.

Even still, FSU is moving forward with the new pony-boy hybrid in an attempt to promote the school's athletics at events where Osceola and Renegade were not appropriate, according to a report from FSUnews.com.

The new Seminoles representative could work out great for FSU, appealing to kids and families eager to come to university events. Or the prospect of genetic mutation leading to humans with horse's heads and horse's with human bodies could terrify them so much they never return. Only time will tell!

Check out photos of the new mascot below.

Photos via Facebook/Cimarron

Thankfully, two teams proved on Tuesday that it’s not all bad in the world of soccer.

In a match between Iranian club Sepahan and al-Nasr of the United Arab Emirates, sportsmanship shined through in a misunderstanding that could have decided the game.

Just after halftime, al-Nasr defender Helal Saeed was injured and in need of treatment. A teammate quickly put the ball out of bounds so trainers could attend to Saeed. After the treatment, Sepahan followed a soccer custom and intentionally returned possession to al-Nasr.

Unfortunately, the al-Nasr defender who received the ball did not understand that it was live and in play. He let the ball roll past him, allowing Sepahan forward Xhevahir Sukaj to gain possession and charge toward net. Understandably confused, al-Nasr keeper Abdulla Moosa Ali flailed at the ball. In doing so, Ali earned himself a red card and granted Sepahan a penalty kick.

Despite both teams pleading with the referee to change his call, Sepahan was forced to take the shot.

Yet instead of letting rip and extending his team’s 1-0 lead, Omid Ebrahimi simply passed the ball gently to back up al-Nasr keeper Abdulla Abdulghafoor.

Sepahan still benefitted from the presence of a second string goalie in net, and ultimately won the match 3-0. Nevertheless, both teams come out as clear winners after their incredible demonstration of sportsmanship.

To see the confusion and camraderie play out, check out the video below.

After spending much of the first month of the 2012 baseball season commemorating the park’s old memories, the Red Sox and Boston mayor Thomas M. Menino are teaming up to get a younger perspective on how the park has impacted its home city.

Children and young adults hailing from each state in New England are being encouraged to submit essays and art work that represents what Fenway Park means to them. While contestants may only be 16 years old or younger, Menino and Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino are expecting a myriad of compelling stories.

“Fenway Park is a truly special place,” said Menino. “I have so many fond Red Sox memories over the years, and I can’t wait to see the stories and memories shared by our young people.”

“In addition to written submissions, we are also eager to see the creativity and artistic ability of the children of Red Sox Nation,” added Lucchino.

Contestants have until June 2 to submit a 500-600 word essay or a piece of art work. One winning essay and one winning piece of art will be selected from the Boston Public School system. In addition, both categories will have a winner from each New England state. All the winners will be invited to a pregame ceremony at Fenway Park where they will meet a Red Sox player, Red Sox legends and get to take in a game at the 100-year-old landmark.

For more information about the contest, and for its official rules, please visit the contest page.

Thankfully, there was plenty of spirit for the home team, both at TD Garden and on couches across New England.

To get a better look at that spirit, we compiled some of the best fan and team photos leading up to Game 7. From fans in training to fully developed Bruins maniacs, the support is out in full force.

The Bruins weren’t able to advance in the playoffs, but the passion of the player and the fans will live on.

Click here to see fans’ Bruins spirit out in full force>>

The Bruins have been showing an electrifying pregame pump up video on the jumbotron, getting all the fans riled up as Boston takes Washington to a Game 7 on Wednesday. With the B’s at home, the video will likely be on display again just before the puck drops.

This video packs together all the brutal punches, spirit-crushing saves and laser shots that have helped the Bruins get to the postseason. If you haven’t had a chance to see the video yet, be sure to check it out below and, if you can put it into words, post in the comments on how it made you feel.

A tip of the helmet to BostonBruins.com for the video. 

Then his dad broke the trophy.

Carleton Tinker, Carson's father, held the BCS Championship trophy for a moment just as other players and parents had. But when he placed it back and turned to step away, he heard an unsettling noise behind him, he told ESPN. It was the sound of the $30,000 trophy bobbling off its stand, onto the table and down to the floor, where it shattered.

Thankfully, the elder Tinker has had a good spirit about it, even finding humor in the situation, according to ESPN.

And as for the Crimson Tide, a new trophy has already been ordered.

Thumbnail via Flickr/chasingfun

After elbowing the Thunder's James Harden in the head, Metta World Peace (formerly known as Ron Artest) towered over the concussed guard. Harden remained on the floor and was eventually removed from the game. He has yet to be cleared to play.

But Tuesday brought good news: Harden is improving and even worked out a bit to test himself, according to USA Today. Ultimately, the coaching staff decided to rest him, but he said he is feeling positive about his progress. In fact, after getting several concerned tweets from fans, Harden updated his followers on his condition.

Im solid. Feeling good. Appreciate y'all for checking on me!!

— James Harden (@JHarden13) April 24, 2012

Harden is averaging nearly 17 points per game, along with 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Those numbers have earned him serious consideration for the Sixth Man of the Year award.

Both parts of her life have contributed to who she is today. Starting at first base and point guard for the Tigers, along with developing an outgoing personality like her siblings, has made her a well-known figure in Newton.

But Beatrice and her family have become well-known for other, more unfortunate reasons. Jeffrey Beatrice, Madison’s father, died in October 2009, leaving the family in a serious state of financial uncertainty that culminated in the near-foreclosure of their home.

Since then, a swell of community support involving donations and fundraisers has kept the family afloat. Today, the Beatrice home is no longer at risk, and they have found some semblance of stability thanks to that support and a great deal of strength from Madison’s mother, Elinor Beatrice.

“We’re doing a lot better now. It’s obviously still hard, but my mom is always there. She was probably the one that handled it the best out of everyone,” Madison said. “We get scholarships for sports fees, so that helps. And food stamps help. The house is okay now, and a lot of that is thanks to the support from the community.”

But more than two years removed from her father’s death and with her family stable, the Newton North junior still holds the memory of her father close to her. Along with her athletic accomplishments and the size of her family, his passing and the edge it has given her is part of what makes her stand out.

“To have that fight in me, that motivation — I feel I could be stronger than other people. I’ll always have something to motivate me,” Madison said. “If someone made a mistake, they might want to fix it. But I don’t need something else to motivate me — I have that one thing.”

That fight comes from a childhood filled with memories of her father pushing her to excel in athletics. Now, as she looks forward to her remaining time at Newton North, those memories are helping her on the field.

“I definitely think of him more often,” she said. “I know he would want the best for me and want me to do my best and work hard. And I always want to do that for him.”

Part of doing her best will be helping the softball team replicate or even improve upon its semifinals appearance in 2009. Unfortunately, 2010 and 2011 brought early exits in the quarterfinals and the opening round, respectively.

Last season ended with that 7-2 loss to Central Catholic, but the Tigers have roared out of the gate with a record of 3-1, putting them atop the Carey Division of the Bay State League early in the season.

That record includes wins over division rival Braintree and Bay State foe Walpole. The 11-5 victory over Braintree on Monday was particularly sweet for the Tigers, as softball coach Lauren Baugher considers the Wamps the primary roadblock between Newton North and a Bay State League title.

“Our goal is to win the Bay State League, as always,” the 16-year coach said. “Of course, Braintree will be our biggest competition.”

Despite the early success, the Tigers would have little hope if not for leaders like Beatrice. After her first year at the varsity level in 2010, Baugher is not at all surprised that the junior is helping to bring the team together.

“I feel like so many times girls can be mean or snobby, and [Madison]‘s just such a nice person — she’s very genuine. I wish more kids were like that. It’s very refreshing,” Baugher said. “Her personality’s contagious and infectious, and people just want to be around her. I think because she’s dealt with a lot of adversity in her life, it’s something that people respect.”

Of course, Madison doesn’t take all the credit for her success. Her family has played a big role in her development, especially since her father’s death. Being a middle child in such a large family, she has worked hard to fill the shoes of the six Beatrice children who have already made their way through Newton North.

Her sister, Corinne Beatrice, just graduated last spring after being Madison’s teammate on the softball team for two years. Madison considers Corinne her closest sibling and still values the support her sister provides.

“There was always that sibling competitiveness, so that helped me a lot,” Madison said. “If I do something bad or don’t achieve something, Corinne is all over me for it.”

With Corinne finishing her freshman year at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Madison has leaned even more on her mother, who has provided support for the whole family since Madison’s father passed away.

“She’s a big motivation in my life. She is my role model. She’s literally the strongest person I know,” Madison said. “She knows [my dad] played a big role in all the athletics, so now she’s the one stepping up.”

Her mother’s strength has even made an impact on Baugher.

“I give her mom so much credit for so many reasons. She’s always there,” Baugher said. “Some kids don’t have a parent go [to games], but her mom has so much on her plate all the time and she’s always there. She’s always at the games.”

Of course, when Madison steps out on the field, it’s hard not to have her father watching from the sidelines.

“Last year for basketball, there was a day that all the parents can come in and watch us practice. And my mom had something to do that day, and obviously my dad — and he was the one person that I wanted to come. Obviously he couldn’t,” Madison said, her eyes welling up at the memory. “It was really frustrating to see all the other parents watch their kids play. It felt like I was the only person who couldn’t have that experience.”

But as hard it becomes for Madison to compete without her father by her side, she knows he still comes alive in her own achievements.

“There have been moments, especially in times of pressure — like we need this basket to win or we need this run to get in or we need this out to end the game,” Madison said. “That’s when I think of him most.”

The United States alone has seen two World Wars, 18 different presidents and 100 years of history. Of course, one thing has remained constant: the Red Sox playing home games at Fenway Park.

Friday marked the park’s 100th anniversary, a celebration that included a pregame ceremony featuring over 200 Red Sox alumni.

While the Sox couldn’t pull off a win over the Yankees on the special occasion, there were still plenty of sights to behold as the team paid tribute to its century at Fenway.

The teams wore throwback uniforms, created in the likeness of the jerseys from 1912. Clothing aside, former Red Sox players were invited to come onto the field to celebrate. And of course, fans were treated to a great show of history, even making a little of their own, as the Fenway Faithful helped set the world record for most people toasting in a single venue.

With so much to see, NESN.com compiled all the highlights for fans to relive the joyous occasion.

Click here to see photos of Fenway Park’s 100th-anniversary celebration >>

But for some runners, there was more on the line than the honor of completing all 26.2 miles in front of them. Some, such as former American Olympic soccer player Kristine Lilly, were determined to run for a good cause.

Lilly donned a blue and orange checkered singlet to show her dedication to the Miles for Miracles team running on behalf of Children's Hospital Boston. Lilly alone managed to raise almost $20,000 for the cause and finished the race in 4 hours, 27 minutes and 45 seconds.

The 40-year-old former Olympian is best known as the "Queen of Caps," as she leads all men's and women's international soccer players in appearances with 352.

Check out photos of Lilly running the race below.

Photos via AP/Aynsley Floyd

The real drool-worthy regular-season games all seem to come in the first half of the year, though. The season will kick off Sept. 9 with a road game against the Titans. Then, within the first seven weeks, New England will host the Denver Broncos in Week 3, led by Peyton Manning, and the New York Jets in Week 7, led by some hybrid of Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow.

Other noteworthy foes include the Baltimore Ravens, hoping not to flub this one with a wayward kick; the Indianapolis Colts, praying that Andrew Luck turns into all he's been hyped as; and the San Francisco 49ers, which will mark 2012's return of Randy Moss to New England. Oh, and the Jets will take their turn as host when they play New England in prime time on Thanksgiving Day!

With so many exciting games to look forward to, September can't get here soon enough.

Check out the full 2012 New England Patriots schedule below.

Week 1 — Sunday, Sept. 9, 1 p.m.: at Titans

Week 2 — Sunday, Sept. 16, 1 p.m.: vs. Cardinals

Week 3 — Sunday, Sept. 23, 8:20 p.m.: at Ravens

Week 4 — Sunday, Oct. 2, 1 p.m.: at Bills

Week 5 — Sunday, Oct. 7, 4:15 p.m.: vs. Broncos

Week 6 — Sunday, Oct. 14, 4:05 p.m.: at Seahawks

Week 7 — Sunday, Oct. 21, 4:15 p.m.: vs. Jets

Week 8 — Sunday, Oct. 28, 1 p.m.: at Rams

Week 9 — Bye

Week 10 — Sunday, Nov. 11, 1 p.m.: vs. Bills

Week 11 — Sunday, Nov. 18, 1 p.m.: vs. Colts

Week 12 — Thursday, Nov. 22, 8:20 p.m.: at Jets

Week 13 — Sunday, Dec. 2, 1 p.m.: at Dolphins

Week 14 — Monday, Dec. 10, 8:30 p.m.: vs. Texans

Week 15 — Sunday, Dec. 16, 8:20 p.m.: vs. 49ers

Week 16 — Saturday, Dec. 23, 1 p.m.: at Jaguars

Week 17 — Sunday, Dec. 30, 1 p.m.: vs. Dolphins

Coming off his first PGA Tour win since 2009, Tiger Woods will look to continue his long and painful return to the top with a win at the Masters.

The illustrious tournament will be held at Augusta National, as it has been since it began in 1934. With so much history, this major is often viewed as more important than the other three.

For that reason, Woods will face plenty of determined challengers when the first round is played on Thursday. Nevertheless, Woods — who will tee off at 10:35 a.m. ET — and everyone else will have all weekend to prove themselves.

Click here for all of the pairings.

If you don't have tickets to the event and are choosing to watch on television, check below for a handy viewing guide to help you follow all the action (all times ET).

Thursday, April 5

10:45 a.m.-6 p.m., Masters.com: live coverage of Amen Corner

11:45 a.m.-7 p.m., Masters.com: live coverage of hole Nos. 15 and 16

12 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Masters.com: live coverage of featured Groups 1 & 2

3 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Masters.com: In-Depth live coverage highlights

3 p.m.-7:30 p.m., ESPN

8 p.m.-11 p.m., Replay of ESPN

11:30 p.m.-11:45 p.m., Highlights on CBS

Friday, April 6

10:45 a.m.-6 p.m., Masters.com: live coverage of Amen Corner

11:45 a.m.-7 p.m., Masters.com: live coverage of hole Nos. 15 and 16

12:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Masters.com: live coverage of featured groups one and two

3 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Masters.com: In-Depth live video coverage highlights

3 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., ESPN

8 p.m. – 11 p.m., Replay of ESPN

11:30 p.m. – 11:45 p.m., Highlights on CBS

Saturday, April 7

11:45 a.m. – 6 p.m., Masters.com: live coverage of Amen Corner

12:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., Masters.com: live coverage of featured groups one and two

12:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Masters.com: live coverage of hole Nos. 15 and 16

3:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., Masters.com: In-Depth live coverage highlights

3:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., CBS: Live coverage

Sunday, April 8

11:45 a.m. – 6 p.m., Masters.com: live coverage of Amen Corner

12:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., Masters.com: live coverage of featured groups one and two

12:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Masters.com: live coverage of hole Nos. 15 and 16

2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Masters.com: In-depth live video coverage highlights

2 p.m. – 7 p.m., CBS: Live coverage

Unless, of course, the game being delayed is between old rivals Mississippi and Southern Mississippi.

When Wednesday's game between the two schools faced a lengthy rain delay, the teams first viewed it as an opportunity to show off their comedic talents. Both sides exchanged skits and generally tried to entertain the crowd at Trustmark Park.

Of course, a show can only feature so much comedy before moving on to the main act: a dance off! Ole Miss and Southern Miss players huddled opposite each other before sending out their best individual dancers to show off their moves.

Oh, and as for that bit of baseball, the game was cancelled and rescheduled for May 1.

It's unclear which team performed better Wednesday evening, but you can decide for yourself in the video below.

Torii Hunter

Police responded to secure the premises, but Hunter was already there. Unfortunately, the police did not know that.

When Hunter came out to speak with the officers, they quickly drew their weapons and held Hunter at gun point until he could verify his identity.

After being taken inside the house by the officers, Hunter confirmed his identity and was left to go about his business.

That business included immediately tweeting about the strange scenario, much to the surprise of his followers.

My alarm went off in my house while I was in it. 20mins later I saw cops checking out the scene. Went outside and they drew there guns on me

— Torii Hunter (@toriihunter48) April 4, 2012

When his followers reacted with some serious concern, Hunter was quick to clarify his tone and express his appreciation for the officers' work.

Hey Twitterland! I'm not upset that the cops did their job today. I'm actually glad they were protecting home.

— Torii Hunter (@toriihunter48) April 4, 2012

On a day when the Orioles lost to a Community College and Kyle Lohse almost threw a no-hitter on opening day, it makes sense that something else strange would happen. Unfortunately for Hunter, that strange occurence was a gun in his face.

If there's any silver lining here, it's that Hunter and the Los Angeles Angels open their season against the Kansas City Royals on Friday and perhaps the extra adrenaline will help the outfielder turn a couple would-be doubles into home runs.

Well, that would make today an unusual day, because the Baltimore Orioles managed to pull off one of those feats. No, it wasn't the pigs or the aliens — the AL East last-place finisher in 2011 lost to the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota chapter.

The 2-1 loss does deserve explanation. The Orioles provided pitchers and a catcher for the Manatees to use, and the game lasted only eight innings.

Nevertheless, a win is a win is a win. The Manatees came out on top and, interestingly enough, this isn't their first experience beating a professional team.

They also claimed a victory over the Pirates in 2009, although Pittsburgh wasn't fielding top-level talent like Baltimore did Wednesday.

Hopefully this loss doesn't eat away at the Orioles' confidence too much. They have a real season to play, after all. Either way, I think it's safe to say this will be their last charity game for a while.

Nevertheless, plenty of students, parents and coaches out there continuing to promote the bad habit of taking the games too seriously. And when they promote that habit, bad things can happen.

Such was the case on Tuesday, when Yuba City and Del Campo high schools had to cancel the rest of their baseball game after a brawl engulfed both of the teams.

The reports from the game indicate that the players had been jawing back and forth throughout the game, when a comment from Del Campo’s first base coach sent Yuba City’s pitcher over the edge.

The pitcher, Jaylon Deas, ripped a fastball right at the coach, setting both teams off in a fight that hadboth schools upset.

Yuba City has announced it will take action, suspending the program for a week and likely handing out individual suspensions to players.

In most cases, it depends on the person and it depends on the year. A child might say it’s a big difference, while an adult in his or her mid-30s might say the difference is negligible.

For professional athletes, the answer is consistent. One year can make all the difference in the world. That year can be a time when a professional athlete raises his or her game to the next level. Or it can be a time when he or she suffers a devastating injury and is never the same.

NBA commissioner David Stern is banking on the former as he asks the players association to approve a one-year increase to the NBA’s minimum age limit. He is hoping that the difference between a 19-year-old draft prospect and a 20-year-old draft prospect is overwhelmingly positive.

But Stern is wrong to hope for that.

When the NBA first instituted a minimum age limit in 2005, Stern claimed to want scouts and talent directors out of high school gyms. His cause was a noble one, and he succeeded. With the current rule (a minimum age of 19 years and at least one year removed from high school), the pressure on high school athletes to excel has been dramatically decreased.

It’s safe to consider Stern’s original mission accomplished. So why is he coming back to the issue, pushing for a minimum age limit of 20?

According to a report from NBC Sports, Stern told reporters that the increase will only help the NBA improve.

“We don’t think it’s appropriate for us to lecture kids as to whether they should or shouldn’t go to school,” he said. “For our business purposes, the longer we can get to look at young men playing against first-rate competition, that’s a good thing. Because draft picks are very valuable things.”

At least he has half of this right — college isn’t for everybody and the NBA isn’t in any place to tell a person if it is. But in a way, they still are.

The NBA will gladly welcome players as young as 18 years old to compete in the D-League, or even wish them well should they decide to compete in Europe or elsewhere abroad. But in both scenarios, that player is almost certainly resigning himself to a less promising future.

College basketball is almost the only route a player can take out of high school if he hopes to compete against the best talent and to get the publicity and attention he likely deserves.

The NCAA tournament final alone drew over 14.6 million viewers on Monday night. The tournament — and, more broadly, all of Division I college basketball — continues to garner dizzying television ratings and rake in millions of dollars in revenue. For a player to decide not to be a part of that is equivalent to a player deciding not to display his abilities to the widest audience possible, thus diminishing his perceived value.

With the choice almost made for them, most talented high school basketball players take the college route. For some, a clean college career is maintained. For others, NCAA violations or injuries ensue.

Regardless of how their careers go, players with NBA dreams have to wait at least a year before going pro. And for athletes who plan to make a living off of their natural gifts, even something as simple as age is the enemy.

Professional athletes’ careers generally last between three and five years, with the NBA falling closer to five, according to a league-wide survey conducted in 2007. With such fleeting careers, every year counts. Injuries and deteriorating ability are always around the corner, and in a world where new talent is always on the rise, players don’t have much time to establish themselves. For the safety and protection of the athletes’ careers, the one-year minimum is almost more than enough.

Take some of the most talented players in the league as examples and it’s not hard to understand why. Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and LeBron James all went to the NBA straight out of high school. Had they played in college instead, they would not have earned a salary while still putting strain on their bodies that could have diminished their talents or caused a value-sapping injury.

Instead, they decided to forego college basketball and profited from their athleticism immediately. They didn’t adhere to the risk of losing their value during a year in which they played for free.

And as for the competitive balance that seems to be at the heart of Stern’s argument, it’s hard to understand why he believes that an extra year of observing an athlete will make that much difference in his perceived value.

Those same three players were all taken in the first round of their respective NBA drafts. Sure, Bryant was taken 13th overall, but his draft featured a talented 1996 class that included Ray Allen and Allen Iverson. Howard and James, on the other hand, both went first overall. Today, those three players dominate the headlines as some of the most talented and well-known players in the world. And it’s not like it took them long to get involved.

Howard set records as the youngest player to ever average 12 points and 10 rebounds per game and the first rookie out of high school to start all 82 games. James also excelled, becoming the youngest player to score 40 points in a game and only the third player in league history to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in his rookie year.

While players directly out high school were — and likely still are — capable of competing in the NBA, Stern’s one-year rule has value and has brought that value to fruition. High school athletes face less pressure nowadays, and the NBA can focus on the college game rather than flooding local gymnasiums.

But what would adding a second year to that limit accomplish?

Those goals have been acheived and competitive balance is just like it was when there was no rule at all. Players like Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin entered the league talented and capable of competing.

The extra year Stern is pushing for would likely provide nothing but more opportunity for talented athletes to get injured without generating income from their abilities. There is no benefit for the players, there is no benefit for the league and the original goals of the rule have all been met already.

There’s no need for an extra year. After all, those 365 days could be the difference between a potential NBA career and seeing all the rewards of that career disappear in an instant.