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

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