Tebow Time has just begun

Tebow Time is up with the Jets

Why the NFL needs more guys like Tim Tebow

By Caleb Odom

   He was that guy that college football fans other than Florida loved to hate because teams couldn't stop him. He had the Bible verses on his eye black, two BCS national championships with the Gators, and a Heisman Trophy under his belt. But to most of the 'experts', Tim Tebow didn't have what it took to play quarterback in the NFL.

Tebow won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 at Florida

   The Denver Broncos took Tebow as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. The left handed quarterback saw limited action in 2010 but in his sophomore season, Tebow was instrumental in leading Denver into the playoffs with his passionate play. In 2011, Tebow passed for 1,729 yards with 12 touchdowns while rushing for 660 yards and scoring six touchdowns.

   All season long, the doubters like Merril Hoge, a football analyst who constantly attacked Tebow on ESPN, said that the quarterback was terrible and that he didn't belong in the NFL. The following year, Tebow was traded to the New York Jets and talk became what Tebow would add to the team that routinely stalled out in the playoffs in recent years.

   The question was who would be the starting quarterback for the Jets? Mark Sanchez or Tim Tebow? What happened was that Tebow didn't get a chance to win the starting job and because of that the Jets floundered all season long. Sanchez was a train wreck under center for New York and now he is only known for the 'butt fumble'.

Sanchez's butt fumble was must see TV

   The Jets would go on to finish a dismal (6-10) on the year and many wondered why head coach Rex Ryan was even the coach because he didn't do much of it during the season. The Jets had a pilot dead a the controls and Tebow was just a victim of a horribly ran organization. It is impossible for any player to expect to have success when they are brought in for one play a game with no real plan involved.

   The best thing that could have happened to Tim Tebow was for him to be released by the Jets because now he has a chance to play some where else that might know how to use him. The Jacksonville Jaguars' GM has said that he has no interest in getting Tebow which is insane. Tebow is from Jacksonville so he will fill seats on Sundays because he would be a hometown hero and think of all the Florida Gator fans who would come out to support Tebow because of what he did in college.

 You would think that people in charge of NFL teams would take notice to the players who sell the most jerseys as players worth having. Back in 2011, Tebow's jersey was the second most purchased behind only Mr. Discount Double Check Aaron Rodgers. Last season, despite the lack of playing time, Tebow's green No. 15 jerseys were 8th most purchased out of all the NFL jerseys.

   The thing about Tim Tebow is that there is more to his life than just playing football. The man is going to do anything with a smile on his face and with class because of his faith in Jesus Christ. Tebow doesn't want people to remember him as a football player but as person on fire for sharing Jesus with a lost and dying world. Tebow should be a motivation for anyone who believes in Jesus Christ simply because the quarterback really lives it on a daily basis.

   If you were to walk up to Tebow and ask him how he was doing since the Jets let him go he would probably just give you a Bible verse like this:

Romans 8:28

 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

   

Standing Strong with Boston

Standing Strong with Boston

Sport brings us closer when things are falling apart

By Caleb Odom

   As a fifth grader I was rather numb to how the world worked but when my elementary school was locked down because men had flown a plane into the World Trade Center, I still knew that the world was going to change forever.

   Even as an 11-year-old kid I remember how the professional teams rallied with the city of New York like every other red-blooded American with a heart did.

   I remember all the American Flags on Major League Baseball jerseys, football helmets, and basketball jerseys.

   The players felt the grief that everyday Americans had for all of those taken on September 11, 2001 and it was like they felt that it was their duty to soothe the pain of loss.

  Then their was Hurricane Katrina destroying so many homes and lives in 2005 and the New Orleans Saints provided that fire and passion for the city to rally around.

   But what happens when a beautiful tradition like the Boston Marathon is turned into a nightmare with bombs that killed three and injured over 170?

  What do you do when an 8-year-old boy is killed by the blasts?

   The fact was that Boston was rocked by bombings during the Marathon and many people were left speechless.

   

   The New England area is big into their sports so in times like this, the sports teams can serve as a remedy for Hell of on Earth of reality.

   One of the most moving things I have ever heard in my life was the singing of the National Anthem in the Boston Bruins' first home game last Wednesday, April 17, just two days since the bombings.

  The crowd as one sang the anthem before the hockey game and the sound of the scene gave me chill bumps as I heard it on TV.

  When the Boston Red Sox returned to Fenway Park for its first game since the Monday bombings the team was wearing modified jerseys.

  Normally at home the Red Sox wear white jerseys that bear the name Red Sox in red but on Saturday the team's white uniforms proudly bore the name Boston in honor of the healing city.

   Sports teams offer a way for people to come together as one when the times get tough.

   So as the city of Boston shows that the city is strong and united so too are the sports teams that call Boston home.

   The longer I live on this Earth the more people disappoint me with how evil they can be but at the same time through that evil there are people who come together from that adversity.

   Stay strong Boston because I am staying strong right with you.

Justin Upton is saving Atlanta

Justin the nick of Time

The younger Upton is saving the Braves from failure one swing at a time

By Caleb Odom

 

   All eyes are on No. 8 as he stands in the right handed batters box on Saturday night at Turner Field against the Chicago Cubs.

   Sure he has already hit four home runs during this young season of just six games but honestly, how many people really thought Justin Upton could do the incredible like story-book in the bottom of the 9th?

   Upton's brother B.J. had just tied the game up 5-5 in the inning with a lead-off solo home run to left center but come on. What are the odds of Justin hitting a walk-off home run to win it for the Braves?

   That kind of stuff only happens in movies, not for the Atlanta Braves who are playing their first homestand in the post-Chipper Jones era.

    The Chicago Cubs' closer Carlos Marmol, who needs to try out for a pitching job in the home run derby, grooved a pitch right into Justin Upton's wheelhouse and the Atlanta left fielder did the rest. 

   Upton's swing was mighty and instantly he let go of his bat because he knew no Cub was going to catch that ball.

   The ball flew high over the outfield grass to dead center landing in the stands as the Atlanta crowd exploded.

   Game over.

   As Justin Upton rounded the base pads for the second time that day one thing had been made clear.

   When the game is on the line Atlanta's new number three hitter is going to deliver with a bomb.

   Through six games Upton has a .318 average with five home runs and thanks in part to him his team is leading the Washington Nationals by one game in the division.

   The skeptics will say, "It's only been six games" or "They haven't played Washington yet".

   Go ahead, doubt.

   But when Justin Upton and the Braves stay hot the doubts will fall apart like an ash bat meeting a 95 mph fastball.

   The real test for Atlanta is of course on April 12 in Washington, DC when the Braves face the defending NL East champs at Nationals Park.

   What Justin Upton brings to the Braves is hope.

   Hope in that possibility that this Atlanta team has what it takes to compete with the best the National League has to offer.

  Hope that the Braves can silence teams like the Reds and the Giants while putting distance on the NL East teams.
   For the Braves to lose a player of the caliber of Martin Prado in a trade the organization has to be certain that the new player can improve the team further than what the former player provided.
   Justin Upton has big shoes to fill and only time will tell if the trade was worth it or just another Frank Wren blunder like the acquisition of Dan Uggla.
   Justin has the potential to strike fear in the hearts of every pitcher in the NL East if he stays hot like he is.
   For a franchise that has been trying to find a winning combination in vain for the last few years, Atlanta needed hero to emerge from the all the young talent of Heyward, Freeman, and Simmons while making veterans like McCann and Hudson even better.
   Justin Upton is that hero for the Braves.
   He makes his team better because of his defense and offense that includes his presence at the plate.
Upton and Atlanta are after World Series rings in the years to come.
   Every time Justin steps up to the plate he is saving the Braves from failure with his swings.
   This is only the beginning of Upton era in Atlanta.
   Just don't be shocked if Justin wins the 2013 National League MVP along with a World Series victory for his Braves.

  

   

Opening Day is Here!

Baseball is back

My MLB season predictions NL and AL East

By Caleb Odom

   Today is the day when hope springs eternal for every team in Major League Baseball.
   The cameras are flashing, the hot dogs are fresh, and seats are full for America's favorite pastime.
   All the off season talk has led up to the moment when the first pitch is thrown and there is just silence as the ball smacks the glove.

   Then the talk begins again.

   The big questions that fans dicuss is who do they think is going to win the divisions and the wildcard spots for October baseball when the games matter the most.
   Below I will break down my picks for the 2013 season for the National League and American League East.

NL East

   In 2012, the National League East was dominated by the Washington Nationals with its deep pitching led by Gio Gonzalez, who went 21-8 with a 2.89 ERA and 207 strikeouts, and its young star Bryce Harper, who won the NL Rookie of the Year last season with his 22 home runs and 59 RBIs, took the baseball world by storm.
   The only other competitive team in the NL East was the Atlanta Braves who saw Chipper Jones' legendary final season come to a disapointing end at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL one game playoff game.
   The rest of the NL East is made up of the aging Philadelphia Phillies, the hopeless New York Mets, and the Miami Marlins who traded the entire team off to the Dodgers and Blue Jays.

My 2013 Picks for NL East

1. Atlanta Braves

2. Washington Nationals

3. Philadelphia Phillies

4. New York Mets

5. Miami Marlins

   The Braves have added power to its lineup with the additions of the Upton brothers to help the young sluggers Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman while Atlanta's pitching rivals Washington's in depth.
   Look to see Atlanta grab the NL East in May and not look back.
   The Nationals will be the only team to fight the Braves for first place but in the end they will have to settle for the number one wild card.
   The Phillies will look like it did last season, a shell of the team from the late 2000's with former ace Roy Halladay pitching like a minor leaguer, last year his 4.49 ERA in the 4's for the first time since 2004.
   The Mets just lost its best pitcher, Johan Santana for another full season when he re-injured his shoulder.
   As for the Marlins who had all the expectations in the world in 2012 there are non for a team with brand new ballpark that it can't even fill up.
   Look to see the Marlins sink lower than any team in baseball this year.

AL East

   Last season, the American League East was full of drama from Bobby Valentine making waves in Boston to the Yankees looking unbeatable early on but in the end, New York fell apart, Baltimore fell short, and Boston fell out of love with Bobby Valentine.
   Now the Toronto Blue Jays are loaded up with the Marlins old players, Tampa Bay has Evan Longoria healthy again and The Red Sox are starting from scratch while the Yankees are dropping like flies.

My 2013 Picks for AL East

1. Baltimore Orioles

2. Tampa Bay Rays

3. Toronto Blue Jays

4. New York Yankees

5. Boston Red Sox

   Baltimore is the dark horse nobody saw coming last season until they hit you in the jaw so why will 2013 be any different for Buck Showalter's club?
   Look to see Tampa play stronger with Evan Longoria playing a full season at third base for the Rays.
   Toronto is the preseason favorite for the AL East with the additions of Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera, R.A. Dickey, the list goes on and on but I'm not drinking the Kool-aid on the Blue Jays because after all, when most of these guys played in Miami they were bad so why will Canada make them play any better?
   The Yankees, the question marks abound for an old hurt team like Derek Jeter's ankle and when will Alex Rodriguez come back.
   Let's face it, last season the Red Sox were a mess.
   Part of it was the head case manager Bobby Valentine who got fired but the other side of the coin is that Boston needed a change anyway.
  This year unfortunately for the Red Sox will not be a good one in Boston unless the Bruins start playing better.

Heads Up!

HEADS UP!

The top sports you should watch from the couch not the stands

By: Caleb Odom

The whole point of watching sports dating back to the days of gladiators and other death sports was for entertainment. But when the entertainment flies up to your seat and smacks you in the face, maybe it is a good time to find a new form of entertainment. Here are some sports you might prefer to watch from the couch.

Baseball is a beautiful game full of timeless memories like a father and son watching their favorite player hit a home run while eating  hot dogs at the ballpark. But in the technology driven age of almost everyone having a smart phone and almost everyone having to check it every five minutes it comes as no surprise when a foul ball flies into section AA row 12 seat 3 and clocks 14-year-old Becky right in the nose Marsha Brady-style that baseball might be better on the couch.

I'm not even going to get into when a sweaty Brian McCann steps into the left handed batters box. Let's just say the Braves power hitter has been know to literally "let loose" on his swing so much that the Atlanta catcher frequently launches his bat into the crowd. A flying bat into the crowd is reason enough for a more cautious fan to enjoy the game at home.

A similar sport where danger can be avoided by planting yourself on your couch is hockey. Yes the addition of netting has tempered the volume of stray pucks reaching the seats but the threat is still there of being beamed by an errant puck to the melon. At the beginning of the season or lack there of, the NHL kept the threat of hockey fan related injuries down to just the occasional fans who were in depression from the lockout but now that hockey is back in swing fans needs to stay awake if they venture to a game.

The biggest sport that fans who are concerned about their safety should maybe watch from the couch is NASCAR. At the super speedways like Daytona and Talladega, cars reach speeds of 190 mph but are still clustered together because of restrictor plates that limit the cars' horsepower. With the cars bunched together in packs it leads to more wrecks.

With the cars going at such high speeds when the big wrecks occur, they are more likely to get airborne becoming a threat to fans in the grandstands. A prime example of this happened on this past Saturday, Feb. 23 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona. On the final lap, a cluster of cars became a 12-car wreck that sent driver Kyle Larson's car flying into the front stretch fence. When Larson's car hit the fence, it sent debris raining into the stands.

Larson's number 32 Clorox car on impact sent its front tires and engine flying into the stands and when the smoke had cleared, at least 30 fans were injured by the horrific scene at Daytona. The injured fans were taken to nearby hospitals and two fans were listed in critical condition but stable with one sustaining life threatening injuries. All of the drivers involved were fine but when interviewed after the race they voiced their concern for the safety of the fans and even the race winner Tony Stewart hardly celebrated the win because of what had just taken place on the final lap.

So where is the line of being entertained by something in-person or being entertained by something in the comfort and safety of your own home? For some sports being part of the action is putting yourself in the danger zone and at the end of the day is it really worth it? As for myself, I'm going to continue to bring a glove to the big league games I go to and sitting in the nose bleed seat at a hockey game is a safe and cheap way to go. When it comes to watching NASCAR, I feel like I can enjoy it just as well or even better at home on my couch away from the flying Good Year tire looking for my head.

    

Danica Patrick can change NASCAR

Danica can make the difference

A win at Daytona for Patrick could change stock car racing for the better

By: Caleb Odom

Love her or hate her, drool at her sight or want to puke when you see her, Danica Patrick is here to stay in NASCAR. Patrick proved herself in the male dominated sport by qualifying on the pole for the upcoming Daytona 500 on Feb. 24, 2013. The speed week sex symbol who had been making waves with her new relationship with fellow driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.set the tone for the field with her 196.434 lap time at Daytona International Speedway this past weekend.

For the most of her career, Danica Patrick was known as the cute Indy Car driver who won that one race back in 2008 and is half-naked in all the provocative Go Daddy Commercials. But then Patrick made the jump to stock car racing just to be a part of all the big wrecks each week. No one can deny that the female brings attention to NASCAR but the argument was always "yeah but she won't ever win a race". But what if she did?

What if Danica Patrick had a perfect race? Or everybody else had some bad luck and she did the unthinkable? Patrick has the potential to change NASCAR in a way that Brad Keselowski can't. Danica winning races would bring unconventional fans to the sport just to see her in action. The casual sports fan doesn't get excited about Jeff Gordan winning after leading the last twenty laps at Martinsville but if it was Patrick it would cause a frenzy.

If Danica can somehow win the Daytona 500 this Sunday she would shock the sports world and more importantly take the pedestrian sport of NASCAR off of life support. Sponsors would gravitate back to Sprint Cup racing and more people would tune in to watch in the weeks that follow just to see Danica. Her personality with wins to validate her would boost fan intrigue and other driver rivalries.

The first race of the season is the one that means the most to every NASCAR driver . Just ask veteran owner/driver Tony Stewart who has never won the prestigious Daytona 500 in February. The Great American Race, as it is known, is the equivalent of winning the Super Bowl to a NASCAR driver.

Stock car racing is not what it once was during the '80s and '90s from a popularity standpoint. Sponsors have pulled out and to be frank the sport doesn't exactly mesmerize the casual sports fan. The days of  "watching the race" appear to be gone for the time being just because of lack of interest. Maybe it was because the dominance of Jimmie Johnson who won five straight championships from 2006-2010.

In decades past, names like Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott, and Darrel Waltrip were huge in the sport that so many loved. But in 2001 at the Daytona 500 on the final lap the sport was changed forever when Dale Earnhardt died in a crash. The late Earnhardt's son Dale Jr saw the spotlight placed on him in the years that followed but the shadow the black number 3 car left was too big for the son of the legend.

It's time NASCAR got a face lift in the form of the bright green number 10 car in victory lane. The stage is set for Danica Patrick at Daytona, the sport's biggest stage to change everything. Patrick is on the pole at Daytona, and the only thing she is going to strip this time is the checkers from the boys on the track.

Bold Prediction

Manny Machado

A name that every baseball fan should know

By: Caleb Odom

Lost in the shuffle of offseason moves and Spring Training hype is the 20-year-old third baseman who made some noise last season for the Baltimore Orioles. Manny Machado, from Miami, Fla. is below the radar for the average baseball fan but the upcoming season just might be the Oriole infielder's coming out party.

Last season, Baltimore's defense from Opening Day through the end of July was the worst in baseball but when the minor league shortstop Manny Machado was called up to the majors on August 1 everything changed. The Orioles defense became the best in the bigs and Machado was shocking the world with his slick glove at the hot corner and with his bat.

Machado started in all 51 of the games he played in and made just five errors while playing third base. The young big leaguer racked up 50 hits during that time, seven of which were home runs. When Baltimore made the playoffs beating the Rangers in the one game Wild Card game Machado was suddenly thrust into the American League Division Series with all eyes on the games.

The ALDS between the Orioles and the New York Yankees went five games with Machado drawing some national attention with his home run and double in the series. Baltimore would be eliminated by New York but the Orioles were a scary team nonetheless. People who watched Baltimore and its kid third basemen were watching what just might be a future superstar for the Orioles.

Just like Bryce Harper and Mike Trout last season Machado is all upside for the game of baseball. The 20-year-old has all the potential to be the next great face of the franchise, like Derek Jeter is to the Yankees. Machado is still a relative unknown, evidenced by the coverage of the media. Not much has been said of the budding star in Baltimore.

So when June rolls around and everybody is talking about number 13 for the Orioles, Manny Machado you can tell me I told you so. And when Machado is in Flushing, NY for the Allstar Game you can remember that I called it back before the season even started. And when Machado is pushing the Orioles past the Blue Jays that are supposed to be so good in the month of September when the games count the most you can remember what I told you.

The lesson of the story? If you don't know who Manny Machado is yet you are behind the game because he is about to make the game try to catch up with him. Yes Mike Trout is a freak of nature but Machado is that guy you didn't see coming until he is here to stay and he explodes just like his team around him.