April showers bring……LOTS OF SPORTS!

Hello April!

March has been packed with sports fun - football trades, college basketball on every channel and the revving engines of motor sports, but April is when things start to heat up, and I’m not just talking about the weather!

Top 8 sporting events that happen in April:

• Starting 3/31 - Baseball is back in the swing of things.  Get ready for seven months of analyzing how much money it takes for a team to put together a winning roster, and be on the lookout for the younger teams to try and make a name for themselves, like the Kansas City Royals started to last year.  2013 Baseball Schedule

• 4/8 – March Madness will come to an end when Syracuse, Witchita State (Who?), Michigan or Louisville will be crowned College Basketball King for the year! These next three games should be exciting!  Final Four Schedule

• 4/9 – Women’s College Basketball takes the court after reining champion and top seeded Baylor goes down in the Elite 8.  Who will be taking home the tiara this year? Final Four Schedule 

• 4/11 - 4/14 – The Golf Masters at Augusta.  Tune in to see if Tiger Woods can remain the #1 golfer in the world and win his 15th major! Do you even own 15 pairs of shoes? Masters at Augusta Schedule  
• 4/13 - College Hockey Frozen Four takes the ice when the four remaining teams slash it out on the ice for the top championship in college hockey.  This is also where smaller schools make a name for themselves on a National stage…this year in the Frozen Four: St. Cloud State, Yale, UMass Lowell and all mighty Quinnipiac.  Frozen Four Schedule

• 4/20 - NBA Playoffs begin and you can bet all eyes will be on the reigning champions, The Miami Heat!  Not only have they been on fire all year, but it doesn’t look like they are ever going to cool off.  We’ll be able to let Lebron know if he gets to keep his crown in June, but he better watch out – teams are coming for him.

• 4/25 - 4/27 - NFL Draft Weekend aka college graduation for football players! This is the weekend, when the top 200 college football players find out where they are going to go to training camp in the summer.  Tune in for a lot of crowd noise, and pictures of athletes and their families (oh yeah, and their hot girlfriends)!  Draft details

• 4/30 - Stanley Cup Playoffs begin.  Due to the lockout, there was a much shorter hockey season this year.  So teams are just starting to get to know each other and get an idea for where their teammates are on the ice.  So the playoffs are really going to act like the middle of the season.  Should be a good one! 

As I sit here and write this, I realize that someone might want to reconsider the name April for this month, and just call it Playoffs month!

As always – feel free to ask me any sports related questions in the comment section below. 

Can you smell the fresh cut grass?

Ok, not yet, but it’s coming I promise.  Baseball fever is here - it’s already hit the warmer parts of the country and will official kick off on Sunday, March 31st with a night game between the Rangers vs. Astros.  Then April will bring the real start of spring, when all 30 teams will take the field and start their quest to still be playing in the month of October (playoffs)!

 To start the 2013 season off as a home run – below are five answers to commonly asked questions that will have your friends asking, ”how’d you know that?”

Five commonly asked baseball questions answered:
1.    How long is the baseball season? Baseball has the longest season in terms of number of games played by a single sport; there are 162 games before they even hit playoffs.   
2.    What is the purpose of the 1st & 3rd base coaches? The 1st & 3rd base coaches are on the field to give signals to the player at bat and the runner/s on base.  They are also there to provide guidance on whether a player should continue to run to the next base or stay safely on the base they are at after a ball is hit.
3.    What is stealing a base and why does a player do it? Stealing a base is when a base runner advances to another base while the pitcher is delivering a pitch. Base runners often take chances and steal bases so that they can get in better scoring position.
4.    What is DH and why do some teams have them and others don’t? DH stands for designated hitter, which is a position used in the American League.  It allows for the pitcher to focus on pitching and a different player to be in the batting line-up instead of the pitcher.  The National League does not have the designated hitter except when there is an interleague game. The league of the home field team determines if DH is used or not. So for example, if the Yankees play the Mets at Yankee stadium both teams will have DH’s because the game is being played on an American League field. 
5.    If a ball is caught in foul territory or over the home run fence, is the batter out?  Yes, the batter is out!  As long as the ball is hit in the air and the player on the field catches it, the batter is out.  That is why you see some players running to catch the ball that is in foul territory or even in the stands – because their efforts could result in an out. 

Feel ready for the 2013 season?  Check out the MLB schedule and head to your local stadium for a game or two this season.  Just remember to stay alert and watch out for foul balls, you’ll never know when you’ll have a player in your lap!

If you have any baseball related questions – feel free to ask in my comment section below.

The weekend you’ve all been waiting for….NASCAR 2013 is back!

Yup, that’s right. I’m talking about NASCAR.  The 2013 season revs up on Sunday, 2/24 at Daytona.  The sport that many don’t consider a sport, but let me tell you – it has all the elements of a sport.  It has rivalries, it has strategy, it has Gatorade.  Anyway, we are not here to argue about that.  We are here to learn about the facts for the 2013 NASCAR season and to congratulate the first NASCAR woman driver to start the Daytona 500 race up front!

Top 10 facts to help you understand NASCAR, and maybe even learn to like it:

1. Series: The NASCAR series has two different racing series – the Nationwide series and the Spring Cup Series.  Think of it as JV (Nationwide) and Varsity (Sprint) 
2. Popularity: NASCAR is the 2nd most popular sport in America (NFL is #1) 
3. NASCAR Car: A NASCAR stock car weighs, 3,400 pounds, which is about the same weight of a Toyota Camry. This is 150 pounds lighter than it was last year, and all cars on the racetrack must weigh the same.
4. Race Format: There are 43 cars that start off the race, and they race from 350 miles to 600 miles, depending on the track. They race on either road-courses or oval tracks. Their speeds can get up to over 200 mph! 
5. Strategy: At the start of each race, every driver and their team have a pit strategy to win the race.  Of course, not everyone’s strategy is the same – which is what makes it exciting.  Also, you never know when a tire is going to go flat and take out a few cars along the way! 
6. Drivers:  Every driver has their own personality and characteristics that make fans either love them or hate them.  There are the guys who have been around forever (Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart), there are drivers who have come over from Indy Car or Formula 1 racing (Juan Pablo Montoya), there are nice guys you want to take home to meet your parents (Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin), there are mean bullies (Kyle Busch), and there are some who totally understand the business and are sponsors dreams (Carl Edwards).  All of these guys DO NOT get along and will sometimes go out of their way to knock a guy out of the race.  Another reason you never know what’s going to happen! 
7. First Woman: Danica Patrick will be the first woman to drive in all 36 races this season.  She has also won the pole position for the opening race on Sunday – she is a force to be reckoned with, so boys should watch out.  She is also newly divorced and dating one of the other drivers (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.)
8. Are Drivers athletes?:  Many years ago, before I got into NASCAR, my initial feeling was that drivers weren’t athletes.  However, over the past couple of years I have began to sing a different tune. Let me explain… Have you ever had to parallel park your car by inching forward and then back and then forward and back a few times?  Have you ever broken out in sweat or your arms were tired and you had to stop?  Well, that is the type of strain that these drivers endure for 3 to 4 hours and they have 40 other cars chasing them at 200+ mph.  They are also sitting in the same spot for that amount of time in fire-retardant outfits that automatically make them feel like they are in a sauna.  Have you ever sat in a Bikram Yoga class for longer than an hour? Didn’t think so.  The amount of pressure and strain they put on their body every weekend (not including in practice) is reason enough to call them an athlete.  Can they outrun Usain Bolt, no probably not, but can anyone?
9. How do you win the overall NASCAR championship?: Each driver who finishes the race gets a certain number of points – pending on what order they finish the race. Towards the end of the year, the top 12 drivers compete in the final 10 races for a chance to win the NASCAR Championship! 
10. How do you recommend I watch the race?:  DVR is amazing! I don’t think I would watch as many races as I do, if it wasn’t for DVR.  I would recommend you record the race and the next hour or so after the race is slotted to end (they rarely end on time), and sit back and watch it.  Pending on the network that is airing the race will determine how good the information and broadcast will be.  Highly recommend tuning into Fox & ESPN/ABC when they do the broadcasts (full schedule), because they are entertaining and you can learn a lot just by listening to them.  DVR lets you turn a 3-hour race in 90 minutes, and that’s if you don’t fast forward and just look for wrecks.

Now, sit back.  Grab some beer and chips and enjoy listening to the sound of 200+ mph through your TV.  We will check in mid-season to see how you’re enjoying NASCAR!

2013 NBA All Star weekend is approaching – make sure you know the top facts about the starting line-up!

NBA All star weekend starts this Friday and is a time for NBA fans and non-fans to see basketball players in a different light and enjoy some old school basketball.  In my opinion, the NBA is the only professional sports organization that has figured out how to incorporate family fun and professional sports together for an entertaining weekend!  There is a celebrity basketball game, a skills challenge, a slam-dunk contest, that has you saying, “how’d he do that?” and then caps off with a friendly game of the best basketball players in the league having fun.  The game looks like it should be being played on a schoolyard in Brooklyn.  For full schedule of events and when you should set your DVR, click here - All Star Event Schedule

The All Star game is made up of the best players from the East teams vs. the best players from the West teams. So now let’s learn about the starting line-up for the game! 

A Basketball Fact & Fun Fact about the 2013 All Star starting line-up:

East Starters: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett, Dwayne Wade, Brooke Lopez (who replaces injured Rajon Rondo)

LeBron James –

Basketball Fact: He ranks #2 in field goals per game. 

Fun Fact: engaged to his long-time girlfriend Savanna Brinson, who is the mother of their two children (LeBron Jr., 8 and Bryce, 5)

Carmelo Anthony -

Basketball Fact: He is ranked the #1 total leading scorer in the NBA.

Fun Fact: Married to Lala Anthony, who is a TV personality & radio host.  They have a 5 year old son, Kiyan together.

Kevin Garnett -

Basketball Fact: Has been in the NBA for 17 seasons and has been selected for the All Star game 13 times.

Fun Fact: Kevin is the man behind “Anything is Possible” which he emotionally screamed after he helped the Boston Celtics win the NBA Championship in 2008.

Dwayne Wade –

Basketball Fact: Known as an all around player who is reliable both on defense & offense. In his career, he has been to the playoffs every season except one.

Fun Fact: Just came out with a book about fatherhood, titled “A Father First: My life became bigger than basketball.” He opens up about being a single dad with sole custody of his two sons (Zaire, 13 and Zion, 5).

Brooke Lopez –

Basketball Fact: 1^st time selected and starter to the All Star Roster.  He is on pace to break his personal best for points scored per season (1,673 in 2010 – 2011 season).

Fun Fact: He has an identical twin brother who plays for the New Orleans Hornets, Robin Lopez.  Brooke & Robin played their college basketball together at Stanford.

West Starters: Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard (might not play due to injury), Blake Griffin, Kobe Bryant & Chris Paul

Kevin Durant –

Basketball Fact: Ranked #1 in points per game with an average of 29.1 points.

Fun Fact: He wears No. 35 to honor his childhood AAU coach, Charles Craig, who died when he was 35 years young.

Dwight Howard –

Basketball Fact: Ranks #1 in rebounds per game (11.8).

Fun Fact: In 2008, Dwight wore a Superman cape during the dunk contest and won the overall contest.

Blake Griffin –

Basketball Fact: Blake leads his team, the Los Angeles Clippers in points per game (18.5) and rebounds (8.5).

Fun Fact: Blake is known for his dunk skills and now is a spokesmen for Kia, thanks to his dunk over a Kia car in the dunk contest in 2011

Kobe Bryant –

Basketball Fact: Arguably the most powerful player on the court, Kobe is ranked #1 in minutes played and field goals made.

Fun Fact: Kobe is married to Vanessa Laine.  The coupe have two girls, Natalia, 10 and Gianna, 6.

Chris Paul –

Basketball Fact: Chris leads his team, the Los Angeles Clippers in assists (9.5) and steals (2.5). 

Fun Fact: Chris married his college sweetheart, Jada Crawley.  The couple have two kids together, Chris Paul II, 3 and Camryn, 6 months old.

Now that you know the players – enjoy the All Star weekend.  It is guaranteed to be a lot of smiles and laughs!

Well, football is over...now what?

February is an interesting month in sports. Football is over, Baseball hasn’t started, Basketball is mid-way through its season, NHL just came back, and Nascar doesn’t rev up until the end of the month (yes, I’m serious…Nascar), so what should you spend your time doing?  Time to become a college basketball fan! 

March Madness is right around the corner (starts 3/19) and we all know how much fun it is to fill out a bracket and get involved!  So this year, you should start watching a few games, so that you don't go down the same route you did last year and pick the schools with the hottest players (you know who you are)!  Click here for the full schedule of the top games going on around the country.

Top five things to love about college basketball:
1. The heart & soul that the college athletes put into each play is admirable and might even get you off the couch to go for a run!
2. College basketball games are broken out by two 20 minute halves (NBA is four 12 minute quarters), so the game doesn't last too long. 
3.  Dunks are still celebrated!
4. The 3-point line in college basketball actually looks attainable for us common folk! So if we shot 30 basketballs we might make 1 in!
5. The fans, the fans, the fans - nowhere else will you see as many people with their faces painted with school pride.

So, have fun watching and let me know which college team you think will be a cinderella story this year?!

Be prepared for Super Bowl XLVII

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Five fun facts about Super Bowl XLVII:

1.     This will be the 10^th time New Orleans has hosted the Super Bowl

2.     This is the first Super Bowl where two brothers will face each other as opposing coaches - Jim Harbaugh & John Harbaugh

3.     There are 3 unrelated players with the last name ‘Smith’ on the San Francisco 49ers active roster (Aldon, Alex & Justin)

4.     Ray Lewis, Raven’s Hall of Fame Defender will be retiring after 17 seasons in the NFL

5.     49ers Tight End, Vernon Davis, owns an art gallery in San Jose – called, “Gallery 85”...his jersey number also happens to be #85!

Five football facts about Super Bowl XLVII:

1.     Both the Baltimore Ravens & the San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks can throw the long ball – so if the game gets close, the last few minutes will be very exciting!

2.     The running backs on the 49ers & the Ravens have very similar rushing yards for the season - they average 4.4 – 4.7 yards each time they get the ball. Making the running back talent equal on both teams.

3.     Based off my top two points, this should be a high scoring game. I envision the offense coming out strong and setting a high intensity tempo right off the bat. 

4.      The teams have had more time off than usual, so it’s important for the offense to have a mix of run plays & pass plays.  The team who can execute both of these plays will keep the defense on their toes.  

5.     The 49ers & the Ravens were #6 & #7 in best defense this season and the difference between #6 & #7 was .5 yards – that’s NOTHING!!!

So who are you going to root for?  Need help figuring it out? It’s a safe bet to root for the team that originates from the coast you live on! If you live in Georgia, root for the Ravens, if you live in Oregon, start chanting for the 49ers.  Live in the middle of the country? Pick a team whose city you’ve been to before!