A February call-up (or please allow me to introduce myself)

Hello, Nats fans! I'm thrilled to be with you throughout the upcoming Nationals season. In the words of Mick Jagger or Eminem, depending on your era or musical preference, please allow me to introduce myself.

I'm part of what many would call a rare breed. I'm actually a native Washingtonian. I was born and raised in Wheaton, Md. Unfortunately, I grew up like most of you - without a baseball team in D.C. This probably helped my academic career, otherwise I probably would have broken the record for most classes skipped in high school, especially with Nationals Park just a few blocks away from my alma mater, Gonzaga. I guess you could say that baseball has always been around my family. My mom grew up in Cooperstown, N.Y., and my grandfather was actually an engineer on the building of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

I've spent the better part of the past two decades working in the D.C. sports media. ESPN 980 was my home for a dozen years as a program director, show host, reporter and producer. I consider Sept. 29, 2004 as a significant highlight in my time there. That day, I was privileged to be part of the breaking news coverage announcing baseball's return to the nation's capital. After ESPN 980, I moved on to co-host the midday show with Mike Wise on WJFK 106.7 FM. Along the way, there were some television appearances babbling about the Redskins.

So now I transition from your ears to your eyes, from your radio to your laptop or smart phone. The 2015 season promises to be an explosive year for this Nats team. I plan to continue on Dan Kolko's stellar work by bringing the best inside coverage throughout the season, beginning with spring training and hopefully ending in late, late October.

Later today, we'll gather and enjoy the Super Bowl. The true countdown to spring training begins as soon as the Lombardi Trophy is awarded to Tom Brady or Russell Wilson. Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann and company are due in Viera, Fla., in 17 days when pitchers and catchers report. On Feb. 19, we'll get our first look at former American League Cy Young winner Max Scherzer in a Nats uniform.

The Super Bowl also represents the biggest sports gambling day in this country. Las Vegas expects more than $100 million will be wagered on tonight's game on anything from the actual result to the length of Idina Menzel's national anthem. This weekend, I was agonizing over whether to put my money on blue or red for the color of Katy Perry's hair during the halftime show.

Anyway, I found my way over to odds to win the World Series. Two weeks ago, the Nationals had the second-best odds to win it all at 10/1. Then a sly Mike Rizzo pulled a trick from his sleeve and signed Scherzer to round out what appears to be baseball's most dominant starting rotation. That move leapfrogged the Nats over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top odds to win the World Series at 6/1. The Dodgers come in at 8/1. Here are the top five odds to win the World Series, according to Bovada:

Washington Nationals - 6/1
Los Angeles Dodgers - 8/1
Boston Red Sox - 12/1
St. Louis Cardinals - 12/1
Los Angeles Angels -12/1

We'll find out if Vegas is right next fall. In the meantime, there will be plenty to discuss and debate throughout the upcoming season. Please join me on Twitter at @masnCJ.

Enjoy the game!

Oh, my prediction: Patriots 24, Seahawks 20