Food for Thought 7-17-2012

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Ben Sheets (pictured above) started his first Major League game in nearly two years on Sunday. It looked as if he had never left.

By Josh Kramer

Holy Sheets.  Ben Sheets is back.  After a nearly two-year hiatus between Major League starts, Ben Sheets proved that he isn’t done yet.  If I were the Washington Nationals, I would take note.  With Ben Sheets back, Atlanta not only is a wild-card contender, but they are a pennant contender.  Ben Sheets learned the number one rule that applies to all pitchers at a young age and never forgot it.  This rule is the secret to being a successful pitcher.

Throw strikes.

Did you forget when Sheets had a 116/11 strikeout-to-walk ratio back in 2006?  Or his 264/32 mark in 2004?  Guy could paint the corners in a similar fashion to Greg Maddux in the mid-90s while bringing the heat.  These days, the velocity is not going to be the same as it once was for Sheets.  Do not expect to see any 98 mph gas like the good old days.  But do expect to see the ball paint the corners and keep hitters off-balance.

With Beachy still out, the timing could not be better.  In order to compete with the Nationals, Hudson and Hanson desperately need the help of another quality starter.  Ben Sheets is only 33-years-0ld.  Despite all of the injuries and other various setbacks, Sheets could be Atlanta’s ticket back to the playoffs.  In addition, he could very well turn into the MLB’s comeback player of the year.  I know this much.  Sheets will be a hard guy to root against.

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Weekly Nickel 7-16-2012

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. The “Dwight Howard (pictured above) Soap Opera” continues. Most people just want it to be over with at this point.

By Josh Kramer

Baseball’s second half has begun with a bang.  NBA free agency continues at a rapid pace.  The “Freeh Report” has turned a legend into a monster officially.  And guess what?  Things are only going to get better.  Last week was one that will be remembered for a long time, but this week will fun its own right.  Here are the events to keep an eye on.

5.  All eyes will remain focused on the no longer “Happy” Valley.  The Freeh Report has shaken up the entire college football stratosphere.  Paterno’s legacy has been forever tarnished and his role in the horrific incidents are no longer in question.  The real question now is what will be the punishment doled out to Penn State’s football program?  Are we on the verge of witnessing college football’s first death penalty in over 25 years?

4.  Start your engines, and take a deep breath.  For the first and only time until mid-November, the NASCAR Sprint Cup series takes a break this weekend.  After Kasey Kahne stole the show in New Hampshire, everyone is looking to thrust themselves into the top ten of the standings during the course of the next seven races.  Either you are in or you or out for the CHASE.  As of now, Kahne and Carl Edwards are fighting to move up just a couple of spots by the end of the day on September 8th.

3.  The NBA free agency frenzy, has been just that, an absolute frenzy.  Nobody has any clue what is going to happen next in the “Dwight Howard Soap Opera.”  I for one do not really care at this point.

Weekly Nickel 4-30-2012

Photo courtesy of mutualuniversity.blogspot.com. People received a heavy dose of Todd McShay (left) and Mel Kiper (right) this weekend. There is still plenty more to come.

By Josh Kramer

How many times this weekend did you hear the following lines? “That’s a reach.”  “The sky is the limit for this guy.”  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am all NFL Drafted out.  It is a great event. But on to the next one.  What a great time in sports right now.  Major League Baseball is just getting going.  The NBA and NHL playoffs are in full swing.  Here are the events to keep an eye on this week.

5.  Have you had enough of the NFL Draft yet?  Well guess what, the coverage is not over.  Despite the insane amount of attention that the NFL’s marquee off-season event received, there is still plenty more to come as the experts try to tell you how good or bad your team did in the war room.  Here are a few interesting statistics in regards to the 2012 NFL Draft.

-55% of the drafted players (142 of 253) came out of the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12.

-Alabama has turned into the new NFL U (8 players selected).  Plus, the Crimson Tide became only the second school ever to have multiple underclassmen selected in the first round of the draft in three consecutive years (Miami is the other).

-Times are changing.  The Sunshine State was not smiling on Thursday night.  No players from Miami, Florida, or Florida State were selected in the first round for the first time since 1980.

-A new record of 19 early entrants were selected in round one (the previous record was 17 in 2010).

-Boise State had six players drafted this year.  Only Alabama, Oklahoma, and Georgia had more taken.  I am sure people will blame this on the “easy” schedule though.

Food for Thought 6-21-2011

Photo courtesy of USAToday.com. Albert Pujols (pictured above) will be out at least a month. St. Louis will really miss their star and will struggle to remain in contention without his big bat.

By Josh Kramer

A 22-year-old just made a mockery of one of golf’s most prestigious tournaments.  The best tournament in tennis just began.  And the NBA Draft is set for Thursday.  There is so much going on in the sporting world.

Here is what has caught my attention.

Lack of the “Machine” spells trouble for St. Louis