TE-BOOOOOED AT THE YANKEE GAME

Yes , that is Tebow coming out to support his new home—New York City. New York, on the other hand, is not so supportive of Tebow.

At Yankee Stadium on Sunday night Tebow smirked at the camera as it zoomed in on him. Of course his face was immediately shown on the big screen and the crowd went wild…but not cheering, mostly booing! His own city booed him as he sat near Dwyane Wade who was also booed….until the Miami Heat player lifted up his Yankee hat and the fans cheered like crazy.

This just goes to show that New York fans don’t accept change easily, but the more you show your pride the more they warm up to you.

Keep at it Tebow. NY fans love seeing pride in their city, but more importantly they love seeing wins on the scoreboard.

Prove yourself on the field come football season and you’ll win over The Big Apple faster than you took the Broncos to the playoffs.

-Sarah Kirk

OPENING DAY HAS ARRIVED

Opening day is finally upon us! I think I speak for all baseball fans when I say THANK GOD. I can already envision the green diamond and hear the chanting from loud New York fans. The upcoming 2012 season for the New York Yankees looks promising, but as we all know as sports fans...anything can happen.

Here's a brief preview of what we have in store for the 2012 season along with some raised quesions that will be answered after Opening Day...

Let's start off with Jeter (mostly because he is my favorite Yank). Jeter is the heart and soul of the team and the face of NY. He truly holds the team together and really portrays what every MLB player should be on and off the field. He bounced back from his calf injury with his 3,000th hit and let's just hope for 2012 he can keep it up. We all know he's getting older, but we'd all like to see him stick out another few seasons...at least he's not going anywhere for 2012.

Another face of NY, but in a more controversial way is Alex Rodriguez. Last season the Yankee vet suffered hip and knee injuries causing him to decline in his performance and stats. He dissappointed many fans and rightfully so, considering everyone expects a player to stay at the top of his game once he reaches it. We can only hope that A-Rod remains healthy this season, but with his previous history of injuries...this is uncertain.

Pitchers is not something that Yankees need to worry about. Even with the loss of Michael Pineda who Cashman quickly aquired to the team, causing mixed feelings about the trade. Pineda was supposed to be one of the best rookies in the game and solidify the pitching rotation. Many fans had high expectations for him and were eager to watch him step out onto the mound. He will be sitting out the beginning of the season for a few weeks due to soreness in his shoulder.

Now, Ivan Nova will be starting the season in the rotation and will have the opportunity to secure his spot. It's a strong incentive for Nova to perform well and give it his all this season. The options for completing the starting rotation are CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova, Michael Pineda, Freddy Garcia, Phil Hughes, and soon enough Andy Pettitte. At this point, Phil Hughes (who in training was pitching more on target and with high velocity) and Nova are looking like the best options.

As stated in The Star Ledger, "For Girardi and pitching coach Larry Rothschild, the decision was agonizing because Nova had pitched well enough to stay. The challenge for Nova, Phil Hughes and even veteran Freddy Garcia will be to make the Yankees looming rotation decision difficult."

Pineda should be back quickly, because right-shoulder tendinitis won't keep him out of the game too long. Either way, with or without Pineda the Yankees don't have anything to worry about. Their pitching rotation is rounded out with strong players and their pitching talent will be an X-Factor this upcoming season.

Catching is just as important and top-prospect Austin Romine is showing a lot of promise for this season. He is young and strong and he is expected to step in for Russell Martin when he moves on, which could be very soon at this point. Still not very many options though. Did the Yankees concentrate too much on pitching that they forgot about catching?

Andy Pettitte couldn't give up the game. He is coming back in May after retiring to try and earn a spot in the majors starting rotation. Some argue that he should have left it at retirement why he was at the top of his game. What if he fails? Will he go out looking dumb? Or will he make a remarkable comeback? Some fans say he should have stayed with the Yankees as a coach or mentor and others are just glad to have Pettitte in the mix.

Manny Banuelos was invited to the spring training camp for the second year in a row and didn't fail to impress. Will this be his year to prove himself? I predict yes.

Joba Chamberlain is still suffering from his hard-hitting ankle injury. It's frustrating to see him like this, because I was hoping for this season to be his comeback, but I have no hard feelings for the way it happened. (trampoline when playing with his son)

Overall, the Yankees are ready for yet another exciting season.

Let's Go Yanks!

-Sarah Kirk

NEW YORK: FROM ‘LINSANITY’ TO ‘TIMSANITY’

TEBOW GOES TO THE JETS- Yes, so we’ve heard, it’s only the most talked about headline in sports news right now. After Manning went to the Broncos, Tebow became Pro-choice; a free-agent. New York won the bid on Tebow and added even more hype to his name. Why all the hype? Because, the trade spiraled into a NY frenzy, aka an insane public reaction, and even team reaction—not all of it being good.

Antonio Cromartie was personally targeted for his negative response to the Tebow trade. He was quoted from Twitter saying, quite simply, “We don’t need Tebow.” Wow Cromartie, tell us how you really feel. But the Jets cornerback does have a point. The question has been raised; do the Jets really need Tim Tebow?

They already have a QB, some may argue he isn’t a very good one, but regardless another quarterback may not be what the Jets need. Cromartie’s point of view, among countless others, is that they should be building the team around Sanchez…especially since they just extended his contract another 3 years. His reasoning is to build something for Sanchez to work with. They need a team to win the east and take the division, and many fans/critics just can’t see Tebow doing that.

Others argue that Tebow may be what the Offense needs for running plays. It’s been said that Tebow was brought in for a “more mobile game to complement Sanchez’s less mobile game.” Really, rotating QBs? Okay, you’ve got my attention. I’m more than anxious to see how this is going to play out.

In other news: Tim Tebow—the Heisman-winning do-gooder, who says all the “right” things is about to make the move to The Big Apple…where people define the word attitude.

Will NY change Tebow or will the QB change New York?

-Sarah Kirk

GOING BEYOND 'MARCH MADNESS'

It’s that time of the year again, when college basketball takes it to a whole new level. However, in the midst of the “March Madness” fever, some athletes were spotlighted for going even further beyond their student-athlete obligations.

While everyone is busy making predictions and filling out brackets for the NCAA tournament, Buick took the time to put together a highlight reel, focusing on athletes that have remarkable stories. There were several short videos to choose from, each highlighting a specific college athlete.

Chris Duhon,- a Duke basketball player who now plays professionally. His Stand Tall Foundation works with children to encourage teamwork, commitment, discipline, and work ethic through community outreach events.

Amber Tollefson,- a former Florida State soccer player who founded the Give N Go Project. While traveling abroad, Amber was inspired by poverty-stricken children playing soccer with nothing but goals made of sticks and a coconut for a ball. She now raises money to provide equipment and raise self-esteem in Third World countries.

Tyrone Grant- played college basketball at St. Johns. He now works with inner city youth in Brooklyn, N.Y., as a mentor through his Team First program. The organization uses competitive athletics to promote responsibility and teamwork.

Jason Taylor- a University of Arizona football player who later had a career in the NFL. His Jason Taylor Foundation works to improve health care, education, and quality of life for children in southern Florida.

It’s refreshing to see that even with all of the talk of ranking and stats; there is still focus on the players and their lives outside of college athletics. It shows that they can make a difference on a team and individually in the world.

Buick is the NCAA partner of human achievement and is involved with the Final Four.

“The NCAA Final Four showcases incredible human achievement on the basketball court,” said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of Buick Marketing. “With the Human Highlight Reel and our involvement with Samaritan’s Feet, Buick hopes to demonstrate the difference men and women can make away from the court, all around the world.”

-Sarah Kirk

THE ARNOLD CLASSIC 2012

Columbus, Ohio--Never in my life, had I seen so much testosterone in one area! For those of you who don’t already know, the annual Arnold Sports Festival in Ohio, just passed this weekend…and I had the pleasure of attending.

The Arnold is typically known for two things. One is its muscular bodybuilders and lean fitness models that compete for one title. The other is THE EXPO, which are 700 booths promoting various trends in the industry.

There was everything from clothes, protein bars, workout equipments, free t-shirts, contests, and more. I’ve never witnessed anything else like The Expo in my life. Flex Lewis, the runner-up in the last Olympia was signing autographs at the Gaspari Nutrition booth, along with other legends from the industry.

One of the main attractions in Expo was “The Cage” which is where the pros and Universal-sponsored athletes lift and everyone can watch from around the caged off gym. They all wear “Animal” shirts, because the group of athletes is referred to as the Animal Pak. I had the honor of being inside of The Cage on Friday and Saturday with the Animal crew. 

Besides the various bodybuilding competitions and events, there was also fencing, dance, cheerleading, Zumba/Cross Fit classes, martial arts, marathons, and more! It was also crazy to see how excited the city of Columbus gets for this annual event…

It was not uncommon to pass a restaurant with a sign that read, “Arnold Fans Welcome: Special Protein-Lovers Meal.” The people of Columbus, the vibe at and around the events were truly indescribable. It was amazing to be a part of such a huge event and to see the dedication from fans of the fitness industry. I will certainly be attending again next year.

In the words of Arnold himself, “I’ll be back.”

-Sarah Kirk

                                              

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