Thursday, Feb. 04, 2010

2-minute warning

On the diamond Winter baseball is just around the corner. Yes, I said winter baseball. Although baseball is normally considered a spring sport, Punxsutawney Phil, otherwise known as the famous groundhog of Gobbler’s Knob, Penn., saw his shadow Tuesday and we all know what that means — six more weeks of winter.

What does that mean to high school baseball players? It means baseball season will begin in cold weather. Most teams in the tricommunity area will begin the season during the last week of February, so if you are an avid high school baseball fan and plan to attend the games, make sure you take your blankets.

On the track NASCAR fans barely had a chance to cool their engines before revving ‘em up again. The NASCAR season kicks off again Saturday at Daytona International Speedway with the Daytona Shootout.

This season will prove to be exciting with the changes on restrictor plates and bump drafting. Drivers will get a little more get up and go from their cars with the change in restrictor plates giving the drivers more horsepower and faster throttle response to allow them to change gears quicker.

Drivers will also be allowed to bump draft as they see fit. Those are two major changes for this year’s races, and although the restrictor plates will primarily affect the races at Daytona and Talledega, NASCAR officials have said the looser rules will apply across the board. So, buckle up race fans, it’s going to be a heck of a year.

The Daytona Shootout will be televised Saturday on Fox beginning at 8 p.m.

On the Television Unless you’re out of the loop, you know Super Bowl XLIV is being played Sunday in Miami. The game will be televised from Sun Life Stadium on CBS beginning at 6:25 p.m.

While many will gather in front of the television to watch the game, many will be watching for the new commercials that are being unveiled.

I can’t wait to see the new eTrade babies in action, and word has it there will be a commercial spoof on Brett Favre announcing his retirement — again.

This year’s commercials will cost advertisers about $100,000 per second or between $2.5 and $3 million for a 30-second spot.

The most controversial commercial in the news is former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow’s anti-abortion ad. While I have no problem with advertisers spending their money any way they want, I would rather watch the lighter, more fun commercials than listen to a political ad.