WINNING OVER TWITTER > WINNING IN RACE

DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE! Isn't that what we're all used to hearing when we reach for our cell phones behind the wheel? Maybe someone should tell that to NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski...

During the Daytona 500 Brad tweeted pictures showing his view of the fire. He was also answering questions from his followers while being parked behind the wheel, or walking around talking to other drivers. Questions like "Are you sitting in the car right now tweeting?" He answered, "Yes, but at least it's not a Port-a-Jon."

 His goal was to peak at 200,000 followers. Correct me if I'm wrong Brad, but shouldn't your goal going into the race be to win the race, not just promote it? During downtime, shouldn't you be clearing your head, not facing it down toward your iPhone screen?

His tweeting sparked controversy as people thought he violated NASCAR policy. This wasn't the case. NASCAR was actually THRILLED with his tweeting! They loved it. Since NASCAR has been trying desperately lately to gain a younger fanbase, connecting with them through social media was the perfect way.

“He distinguished himself in being the poster child for an engaging athlete — the type of athlete that the fans really connect to in a multitude of ways,” said David Higdon, a Nascar spokesman.

NASCAR decided not to fine him. They even aggreed to let him keep his iPhone in his pocket for the rest of the season! It's ironic how in the MLB or NFL they are not allowed to use social media during a game, but in NASCAR it's allowed, and even encouraged.

(And just to update on my previous Blog post...Fox Sports racked in a record-breaking amount of viewers to ever tune it to watch the Daytona 500. Postponing the event was a success!)

In the meantime, Brad Keselowski may not be a top-10 driver, but he's certainly gained popularity!

Don't text and drive...but I guess tweeting and driving is okay?

-Sarah Kirk

PUMP YOUR BRAKES!

The phrase “rain or shine” isn’t always the case. While all of you NASCAR fans were anxiously waiting to hear “Lady and gentlemen, start your engines”—Mother Nature had other plans. For the first time in history (54 years!) NASCAR postponed the Daytona 500 season-opener. The Sunday night racing was pushed to Monday night, because of rain. Although I can imagine the disappointment of die-hard fans, can you imagine being a NASCAR driver?

Drivers like Danica Patrick, Carl Edwards, and Tony Stewart were going through vigorous preparation for the Daytona 500, to be told that the event was being postponed had to have really shaken them up. Aside from the drivers, the delay also caused the media to go into a frenzy. Fox Sports Media is airing the race and is interested to see how Monday night ratings will compare to the original Sunday night time-slot.

From a media standpoint, the delay will most likely work in their favor. Just to put things into perspective--Fox drew a 4.5 overnight rating despite no on-track action during nearly four hours of air time. Fox filmed coverage in the rain, even when no racing was occurring. Why is this a good thing? Because the pre-racing coverage added even more anticipation for NASCAR fans. Here we go…

Tonight the engines can officially start at 7:00pm.

-Sarah Kirk

A "LIN-DERELLA" STORY

Could it be? Another "divine experience" in the sports world? Often referred to as the Tebow of basketball, Jeremy Lin of the NY Knicks has yet to prove us wrong. Catch-phrases have started such as, "Linning" and "Linsanity." He certainly has quite a bit of hype to live up to now...

For the most part, Jeremy Lin came out of nowhere. We heard nothing about
him and now he's everywhere in the media. Just like Tebow was with the Broncos, Lin never talks about himself in an interview, but rather references the team as a whole. There is constant debate over the stats vs. the hype and whether or not he truly is a miracle sensation, but nonethless, the sports world is witnessing an unbelievable athlete and a part of history in the making.

Lin came off the bench for the Knicks when they beat the Nets on Feb 4th and he put up 25 points, and he's played better every game since. He saw his opportunity and deffintely ran with it. Even if Lin has his flaws to work on as a point guard, you can't deny that he has brought a confidence to the New York Knicks that has led the team to a winning streak. Not to mention, the game that shocked us all, Knicks Vs. Raptors where Lin made his game-winning 3-pointer with less than a second left on the clock!

The Knicks star players are returning to the court. Stoudemire has already made his return debut and Carmelo Anthony is also returning to the Knicks. If they can adjust to playing alongside the overnight sensation Jeremy Lin, then I see good things in store for the New York team.

-Sarah Kirk

LET THE SUPER BOWL CELEBRATION BEGIN!

Like most other people, I was at a friend's house on Sunday gathered around the television with a group of friends, anxious to see if New York would come out on top. Well they did (I'm never going to hear the end of it from Giants fans), but it was all-in-all a well-deserved win.

What  fascinates me the most about a Super Bowl win is it's ability to not only bring the team closer, but the entire city as well. As I commuted to work on Monday morning in NYC I passed people in the streets decked out in Giants attire. Strangers were high-fiving and mutual fans were re-capping the game with one another. The morning train ride had unlikely companions sharing a seat, linked together by a Giants hat.

I laughed out loud when I read a tweet that said, "Today I am going to slap every Giants fan I see on the back, because YOU played great out there and YOU deserve it." It was funny to me, because it's true. Die-hard fans tend to have the mentality that they actually played in the game. It still blows my mind to see a city so united after a major win. It just goes to show the kind of power sports can have.

At this moment I'd also like to also point out the group of guys from Middletown (my co-workers) who made the news for renting out an RV and traveling to Indianappolis to support the Giants. The televised news story featured their keg in the shower, lack of running water, and how excited the guys were to be a part of sports history. True dedication.

Today in Manhattan the Giants received a parade to celebrate their victory. When logging onto facebook it was obvious that every person who worked in NY took a break from their cubicle to watch the celebration. Whether the view was from an office window or up close in person, photos were uploaded non-stop.

Enjoy the spotlight Giants players and fans, you deffinitely earned it!

-Sarah Kirk