Weekly Nickel 5-21-2012

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Due to rain, we are getting some bonus tennis today. Can Novak Djokovic (pictured above) handle Nadal on the clay in Rome?

By Josh Kramer

Saturday was not the best of days for the city of  Los Angeles to say the least.  As I have said before, people will soon stop calling Los Angeles “Lob City,” and start calling it “Heartbreak City,” if they haven’t already.   On Saturday, both of their basketball teams blew double-digit point leads. At least they have the Dodgers and the Kings. The NBA and NHL playoffs have been outstanding and the best part is there is still plenty to go.  In addition, I’ll Have Another would love “another” win at the Belmont to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.  Last week was great, but this week should be even better.  Here are the events to keep an eye on.

5.  Bonus tennis.  What could be better?  Due to massive amounts of rainfall, the Rome Masters final showdown between the world’s top two players (Djokovic/Nadal) was postponed today.  I by no means am complaining.  The clay-court season has been a bundle of fun as usual as we get ready to head down the home stretch. Roland Garros is just six days away.  Get excited.

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Weekly Nickel 5-13-2012

Photo courtesy of guestofaguest.com. Two former number ones left Madrid as Champions. Will Roger Federer (left) and Serena Williams (right) both make deep runs at the French Open?

By Josh Kramer

Playoffs, playoffs, and more playoffs.  It is a great time of year in sports.  And the best part is the playoffs are just starting to really heat up as we enter the later rounds for both the NBA and NHL.  Last week was a blast and the English Premier League’s heart stopping finale was the cherry on top, but this week should be a good one in its own right.  Here are the events to keep an eye on.

5.  Despite a good few months until the NFL season officially kicks off, the trash talking and storylines are just as juicy as ever.  Chad Ochocino has warned Goodell at the possible storm that seems inevitable in the wake of Junior Seau’s death and the heavy emphasis on head trauma.  In addition, two familiar NFC East foes were jabbering during yesterday’s holiday.  Osi Umenyiora wished LeSean McCoy, a “Happy Mother’s Day.”  Lastly, the Vince Young train has landed in Buffalo.  Talk about a major bust.  It may only be May, but the excitement is mounting.  Who else is excited for some NFL football?

4.  Madrid was full of surprises over the course of the past week.  In the end though, two familiar faces came out victorious (Roger Federer and Serena Williams).  Many of the top players were none too pleased with the blue clay.  Maybe this displeasure correlates to the frustration that opponents feel when they travel to Idaho to take on Boise State in football ?  Either way, the French Open is nearly upon us.  Next stop Rome though for what is always a great event.

Food for Thought 5-8-2012

Photo coutesy of zimbio.com. Albert Pujols (pictured above) and the Los Angeles Angels have not had much to celebrate during the early going of the 2012 season. Will the Angels turn things around and begin to live up to expectations?

By Josh Kramer

Is it me or has the MLB been turned upside down?  Derek Jeter is batting over 400 at age 37.  Albert Pujols has one home run (he finally hit one on Sunday).  And Ryan Dempster leads the National League in ERA (all of these stats were heading into play yesterday).  How about the current standings though?

Cellar Dwellers:

-Philadelphia “We are the cream of the crop in the NL East” Phillies

-Chicago “We have fun at Wrigleyville” Cubs

-San Diego “This is not a shocker” Padres

-Boston “We are always a contender” Red Sox

-Minnesota “Ron Gardenhire is a savior” Twins

-Los Angeles “World Series Favorite” Angels

Divisional Leaders:

-Washington “Never gone over 500” Nationals

-St. Louis “Albert Pujols-less” Cardinals

-Los Angeles “Divorced” Dodgers

-Baltimore “We play in the same division as New York and Boston” Orioles

-Cleveland “We are more famous for a movie” Indians

-Texas “Going for a three-peat” Rangers

Weekly Nickel 5-7-2012

Photo courtesy of thenewsportsguru.com. Robert Griffin III (pictured above) and other rookies are getting their first reps with their new employers already.

By Josh Kramer

The word “playoffs” is the best way to describe the wide world of sports over the past week.  And guess what.  “Playoffs” will continue to be the heart of the sporting world this week. Here are the main events to keep an eye on.

5.  Wednesday was one of the most wild days in recent memory regarding the NFL.  It even topped the Manning/Tebow bonanza.  There was some good, some bad, and some sad.  Well rookies like Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and others are getting their first real workouts in with their new employees.  Keep an eye out as rookie minicamp finishes.

Weekly Nickel 7-11-2011

Photo courtesy of mets636.glogster.com. The Home Run Derby is one of the big events going on this week. We all remember Josh Hamilton's (pictured above) memorable first round in 2008.

By Josh Kramer

On to the next one.  Last week was an epic week full of wild finishes, big time milestones, and a great conclusion to the first half of the MLB season.  This week should be another great one.

Here is what you should be watching for.

5.  The NFL lockout progresses with “cautious optimism.”  The end is near though.  Or so it seems.  We are getting to the point where matters need to be solved, or training camp and preseason games will be missed.  I firmly believe that the League will not let any games be missed, preseason or not.  Look for a conclusion to this ridiculous fiasco at some point within the next two weeks.

“Weekly Nickel”

Texas Ranger's slugger Josh Hamilton (pictured above) has put the Arlington boys on his back all year. Can he lead them to the World Series title?

Welcome to the 2nd annual “Weekly Nickel.”  Last week, due to popular demand, I decided to provide a list of the top 5 sporting events to occur during the upcoming week.  So this week I will once again deliver on this requested subject matter.

Now my top 5, may not be the same as yours.  That is perfectly fine, but please let me hear your thoughts on what your version of the “Weekly Nickel” should be.

5.  NHL hockey is in full swing folks.  I know the sport is not as followed as the traditional Big 3, but games are still very exciting nonetheless.  Tune in and watch Sid the Kid or Alex Ovechkin continue to transform the sport as we know it. 

4.  The NFL rumbles and stumbles into Week 8.  There are two matchups that deserve extra mention in my eyes.  First of all the two teams I picked to play in the Super Bowl, go to battle in the Meadowlands.  The underachieving and injury riddled Cheeseheads head to New York to take on a very tough New York Jets team.  The other major game is the Monday Night matchup.  Can Peyton exact revenge on the outstanding offensive show that is the Houston Texans?  All eyes will be on Manning and the Colts as they look to show the world that their reign over the AFC South is not quite finished.

3.  College Football heads into Week 9 as conference play has fully struck for everyone.  Boy has this season been unpredictable, as the number 1 teams have struggled the past few weeks.  Can Auburn stop this trend as they sit atop the BCS Standings?  There are plenty of notable matchups.  First, there is a Big Ten battle in Iowa as the Spartans look to take care of business in their last major test of the season.  Also, Missouri looks to show the world that their amazing victory over former number 1 Oklahoma was no fluke.  This will be an intense battle of Missouri’s stellar offense vs Nebraska’s outstanding defense.

2.  The NBA tips off tomorrow night with a major Eastern Conference matchup between the highly touted Heat and the always tough Boston Celtics.  Will the amazing Miami trifecta live up to the hype and show the world that they are the team to beat in the East?

1.  The World Series starts Wednesday night in San Francisco.  Who would have guessed this matchup?  I know that I sure didn’t.  I had the Yankees taking down the Phillies since March in my MLB preview.  But what remarkable stories for both of these great teams.  You have to be happy for Josh Hamilton in his amazing comeback to the game of baseball.  Can Tim Lincecum and the Giants great defense hold the great Ranger’s offense in check?  Though this may not be the most highly touted World Series in recent memory, it should be very exciting as two pretty evenly matched teams go to battle.  Will Nolan Ryan come out of retirement to throw and inning for the Rangers?

So there you have this weeks version of the “Nickel.”

Let me hear your thoughts.

Stay tuned for the next edition of TheSportsKraze.

-TheSportsKraze

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