I want to stay up tonight to watch Game Six of the NBA playoffs.  I really do.  After staying up late the last two nights to watch Game Five of this series and Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals, however, it might not be in the cards.  All I can do is hope that if I doze off early tonight, the Mavs have the decency to win and force Thursday's Game Seven, when I will hopefully be more rested.

While I'm on the subject, can anyone defend the NBA's decision to start these games at 9 PM EST?  I understand that Dallas is located in the central time zone and that starting the games slightly later makes sense because they are an hour behind eastern time.  I'm fine with that.  But isn't 9 PM overdoing it a little?  What's wrong with an 8 PM start time (provided they actually tip off at eight and not 8:19) -- that extra hour would make a difference in markets from Los Angeles to Boston.

And I'm not only complaining for selfish reasons, but for the fact that this approach is not the best way for the NBA to work toward developing a younger fan base.  Because the games begin so late at night, it has become increasingly difficult for teenagers and other casual fans to follow the games all the way through, if at all.  This seems especially silly on a Sunday, when the ratings for an afternoon game can't possibly be all that different from those for an evening game.  The only thing working in the league's favor is that of the other three major sports, only football has figured out that earlier isn't necessarily better, annually beginning its signature event at 6:20 PM EST.

Tell me again: what sport is the most popular in America right now?