Tebow Influential; Spurs-Warriors Tonight; Red Sox #1

Tim Tebow Named Most Influential
Former Broncos and Jets quarterback Tim Tebow was named the most influential athlete in sports by Forbe's magazine. The other three named were Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Jamaican track phenom Usain Bolt and Yankee's shortstop Derek Jeter. Current Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning finished fifth in the running. 

What is important to remember about this is that it isn't to be judged by the player's playing ability or stats, it is simply based on how much the player can be marketed. Tebow is good for this because of all his sponsorships and his christian following. Colin Cowherd offers some of his thoughts on it. Cowherd agrees with Tebow being top, but feels like Peyton Manning is much better for the top. Peyton Manning has numerous advertising contracts, more than Jeter, Bolt, and Phelps. Peyton Manning also appeals to the public more. Colin Cowherd used the example that Peyton Manning has kind of your "Average Joe" appearance and people across the United States like him.

In the mean time, Jacksonville Jaguars fans are intending to send a petition to President Barack Obama to call the Jaguars front office to take Tim Tebow. But the White House struck it down.

Spurs-Warriors Playoff Game Tonight

(Warriors Stephen Curry, Right, and Spurs Tony Parker, Left are an interesting match-up tonight. Photo taken from sportsillustrated.com)

The NBA Conference Semifinals continue tonight with a double-header. We all know the story in tonight's first match-up of the tournament. Miami is working on their second consecutive title, and LeBron James has been magical all season. Chicago is their opponent and they are wondering, "When will Derrick Rose come back?"But this Spurs-Warriors match-up could be a classic. 

The Golden State Warriors are coming off of the upset of the playoffs thus far by taking the Denver Nuggets out of the playoffs. The Warriors have been on a surprising run being led by fourth year player Stephen Curry, who is averaging 24.3 points per game in the postseason. The Spurs on the other hand have been the model of consistency for the NBA the last several years. They are being led, as usual, by Tony Parker who is averaging 20.3 points per game, and the Spurs were first in the league in the regular season for assists.


Red Sox No. 1 Team in MLB
The Boston Red Sox are now sitting atop the Power Rankings according to ESPN. The Texas Rangers are a close second, despite sweeping the Red Sox over the past three days. Yu Darvish has been very impressive for the Rangers this year as he leads the majors in strikes outs with 72. Teams that have found their way into the Top 5 are the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants. Detroit scored 37 runs in a sweep over the Astros. Bottoming out the Top 10 are the Colorado Rockies, who are 18-13 and signed Nolan Arenado, who hit a grand slam on Saturday.

Fun in the...Snow? The Enjoyment in Cold Weather Games.

Your hands are freezing. Your breaths are giving off steam. But inside you don't care because your body is filled with either the enjoyment of your team being up, or the frustration from your team trailing in the game. Football is not the only sport the endures cold-weather games. Conspiracy theories aside, much of the country is experiencing unseasonably cold weather. Major League Baseball fans are having to dig out their cold-weather gear again just to watch their favorite teams.  The Kansas City Royals are playing in low-40's degree weather right now.

For some fans it can ruin their experience at a game, personally I would be more worried about the game being delayed due to rain, or lightning if your watching the NFL. But after watching some nostalgic NFL films videos where they describe some of the games from the 1960's and 1970's at Lambeau Field described as the "Frozen Tundra," there is a sense of pride that goes with a fan who can sit through the cold weather to watch their team play.

My most prideful experience comes from the 2009 Homecoming Game for my soon-to-be alma mater. West Texas A&M University was playing their Homecoming Game in early October and the weather was forecasted to be cold. By halftime, half of the crowd had left the stadium as the temperature had dropped to 29 degrees, and even lower on the field. WT would win the game and my wife and I left with a cold that would bug us for a week, but it created a memory that we have not forgot and share to this day. It is not always the event that you go to that makes the memory, sometimes it is the conditions your attending in.

Just for you guys, here are some other cold weather games that you may remember watching on TV:

The Tuck Rule Game, 2000 AFC Divisional Round: 

Oakland Raiders at New England Patriots

NFL Network's Top 10 Cold-Weather Games:

#1 The Ice Bowl 1967 NFL Championship Game

Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers 

Seahawks No. 1; Blackmon Suspended

Seahawks No. 1 in Post Draft Power Rankings

In a Post-Draft Power Rankings done by analysts at espn.com, the Seattle Seahawks have been crowned the No. 1 team in the NFL. The second and third place teams are, division rival and Super Bowl runner-up, San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos respectively. They are going into their second season with quarterback Russell Wilson at the helm and they also drafted former Texas A&M running back Christine Michael to help share the load with Marshawn Lynch. The team also acquired wide receiver Percy Harvin from Minnesota to give Wilson another target. I tend to agree with the Seahawks being one of the best teams, I just don't think they are no. 1, especially considering how the San Francisco 49ers finished. But this is definitely a team that has improved, benefiting from excellent drafting and a strong defense. Look for the Rams to also be better in that division as well. The Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens were placed eighth on the list, likely because of all the departing players.

Justin Blackmon Suspended
Jacksonville Jaguars Justin Blackmon has been suspended for the first four games of the 2013 NFL Regular Season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. It has not been revealed what the substance or occurence was but this is a blow to the Jaguars and Blackmon, who had a strong finish last season, including a Week 11 outing visiting the Houston Texans in which he had seven catches for 236 yards. Through his last four games he had 25 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Besides Blackmon the Jaguar receiving corp. has Cecil Shorts and Jordan Shipley. 

Here is the game at Houston for Blackmon:

Tim Tebow Cut By The Jets

The major news coming out of New York today is that polarizing quarterback Tim Tebow has been cut by the New York Jets. Tebow was one of the six quarterbacks on the Jets' roster, after they drafted rookie out of West Virginia Geno Smith. Tim Tebow was attempting to fix his much criticized throwing mechanics by working out with quarterback guru Chris Weinke and former Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde, according to ESPN. I find it hard to believe that Tebow's NFL career is over. Tebow has been a proven winner in the NFL despite having poor accuracy and dismal statistics to back up his wins. In 2011, he led the Denver Broncos to an 8-8 season, and a win in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, after incumbent starter Kyle Orton was benched when the team started 1-4. While many analysts believe that his hometown Jacksonville Jaguars won't pick him up (after all they did say they had no interest back in January). But they did not take a quarterback in last weeks draft, which says they either have faith in quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who will be in his third system and third offensive system, or they are going to be looking for a veteran to challenge Gabbert in training camp and the preseason. Arizona did not take a quarterback in the draft last week either, but they also have veteran Carson Palmer, whom they acquired from Oakland. Either way, his career may be over, but only time will tell if this is the last we hear about Tim Tebow. 

I had the pleasure of covering Tim Tebow's Speech at an area church in March. Here is the link to that story: http://bit.ly/15XRWVg


Here are some Tebow memories:

(Tim Tebow at Broncos training camp in his rookie season)