Farewell for now

Photo courtesy of jackaruteonsports.com. Sports are a universal langauge.

By Josh Kramer

I have been waiting for this day for a long time.  It was something that I had dreamed of.  And now it is finally here.  A little over three years ago when Kraze Sports (yes that was the original name) came to fruition, I set three goals for myself:

-Improve as a writer by practicing every day (Check).

-Stay dedicated and reach 1,000 posts (Check).

-Get a job at the the Worldwide Leader in sports (very recently checked).

I have mentioned before what a pleasure it has been writing on this forum each and every day for the past three years.  What started out as a little project transformed into a major part of my daily life.  Blogging has been my release from everyday stresses and became almost therapeutic; something that I really enjoy. But the time has come to put TheSportsKraze on an indefinite hiatus. It was meant to be a launching pad, not a destination, and it fulfilled its purpose with flying colors.  Now, just because TheSportsKraze is going on a break for the foreseeable future does not mean this is the end.  It is the beginning of a new journey as I look to continue towards my dream of being an on-air sports broadcaster.

So thank you to each and every one of you for supporting me the past few years.  Whether you read the blog, provide constructive criticism of my writing, or just provide motivation in general, it truly means the world to me.

The Open Championship Preview: Parity is Certain

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Will Tiger Woods (pictured above) be all smiles come Sunday?

By David Clark

Tiger Woods was the poster child for the game of golf for decades.  The man was simply unbelievable—racking up 14 Major Championships in a ten-year span.  Tiger was not only the best golfer in the world; he was the best and most dominant athlete of our generation.  He transcended the game by dominating it like nobody ever has in the history of sport and golf was rolling in the dollars that he was attracting on a weekly basis.

Then, the unthinkable happened, and we realized that Tiger Woods was, indeed, human.  The man who was on top of the world came crashing down to Earth in the blink of an eye.  Ever since the man who wears red on Sundays lost his mojo, the game of golf has been able to promise one thing: uncertainty.

Who You Should Want to Win on the PGA Tour

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Despite not playing this weekend at the Masters, golf expert Peter Schmidt says Dustin Johnson (pictured above) is a definite player to keep an eye on during 2012.

By Peter Schmidt

It is common golf etiquette that one player never roots against or jeers on another player. In a game that prides itself on its gentlemanly nature, a sign of negative disapproval is seen as a lack of integrity and honor. It is because of this that golfers shake hands, tell each other “nice shot” even while competing against one another, and wait their turn politely.

However, this is 2012. We, as a race, love to pick sides and cheer for and against our favorite teams and athletes. Sometimes this can be difficult with the PGA Tour because there are always so many fresh faces and it is so difficult to differentiate many of the players. In order to remedy this situation, I would like to present you with who you should and shouldn’t be cheering for this year at the Masters and for the remainder of the PGA season. I left out some of the more obvious players like Tiger, Phil, and Rory because I am sure even the casual golf fan has developed an opinion on these guys. I will split it up into three categories to help you pick which type of player is right for you: The John Daly’s, The Rocco Mediate’s, and the Payne Stewart’s.

The John Daly’s

These are the kind of guys who play the sport with reckless disregard. They are so villainous that they may have an alcoholic drink named after them someday. They are out to earn championships and will cut throats to do so. If you are looking for the bad guys, here they are.

Dustin Johnson. The towering power hitter just does not care what you think about him. He tees it up and is hoping to hurt the ball. He has had a few encounters with greatness (2010 US Open where he choked, 2010 PGA where he cheated, and 2011 British Open), but has yet to reach the pinnacle of his golfing career. He is the gunslinger out to cash checks. He oozes arrogance and although he is not playing at the Masters this weekend, he will surely have an impact on the tour. Plus, he is sponsored by Taylor Made’s Rocket Ballz, which just sounds devious (or childish).

The “Woes” of Wozniacki

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Once again Caroline Wozniacki (pictured above) has disappointed at a Grand Slam event. This time, it will result in loss of her number one ranking.

By Josh Kramer

When the next WTA rankings are released, there will be a new world number one in Women’s tennis.  How many of you out there are actually aware of who the current number one player on the WTA tour is?  I am sure for the vast majority of my casual fans; you had to really think about that one.  Well I will give you a hint.  She has been ranked number one for 67 of the past 68 weeks.  That probably did not help.  Here is the giveaway hint.  She is currently dating rising PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy.   I bet every one of my casual fans can name the top four players on the ATP tour in the present though.  Who doesn’t know about the “Fantastic Four?”

As I have said on this blog before, the WTA tour has turned into a Nancy Drew novel.

How could Steve Williams be surprised?

Photo courtesy of the orlandosentinel.com

By Josh Kramer

The biggest news in the golfing world since Darren Clarke’s triumph at Royal St. Georges pertains to none other than golf’s biggest star Tiger Woods.  It is refreshing to see that things are somewhat back to normal.  I was getting a little tired of hearing about golf without hearing about Tiger Woods.  There is a reason why the “Golf” page on ESPN.com has a “Tiger Tracker” section.

When the casual golf fan thinks about the life-long sport, Tiger Woods is still the first name that comes to mind these days despite all of his recent troubles.  Well lately, all the attention has been focused on the “young” version of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke, and others.  Golf misses Tiger just as much as Tiger probably misses golf (or at least winning).  So what if the guy has not won a Major since he put on the gutsiest effort the majority of the world has ever seen on a golf course, winning the 2008 US Open on basically one leg.  The guy has not won a PGA tournament since 2009.  But any Tiger news, whether it is on or off the course, always captures the attention of not only the golfing world, but the entire sporting world.

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

Weekly Nickel 6-20-2011

Photo courtesy of draftpacks.com. My main event for this week in the wide world of sports is none other than the NBA Draft, set for Thursday night.

By Josh Kramer

Last week was absolutely wild.  A Stanley Cup Game 7.  Riots in Vancouver.  A 22-year-old making a mockery of golf on the big stage. Plus there was continued hope,  and then loss of hope from the NFL regarding a possible CBA.  What should you be looking forward to this week?

Stars younger than I

Photo courtesy of golf.com. Rory McIlroy (pictured above) is one of the young stars making major headlines in the sporting world.

By Grant Freking

In lieu of Father’s Day I thought I might come up with an interesting list of the best players in each sport. That is the best players in a sport that I am older than. That doesn’t make me their dad, but it does make me feel old. It also means I can refer to them as “kid” or “young fella.”

Baseball

Jason Heyward

The right-fielder for the Atlanta Braves is off to a slow start this season but he’s also been injury riddled to begin 2011. However, Heyward did finish second in the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year Voting behind San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey. Make no mistake about it, this 6-foot-5-inch, 240-pound athletic freak is the future of the Atlanta organization.