Woah

Looks like my last post here was September 20th. Just wanted to say that I am still here and plan on blogging.

From this point on I will just be blogging for my enjoyment and for working on my writing and interview skills.

Although, I do have some cool stuff that will be up here. I'm disappointed that I didn't get any previews about the NHL season, and seeing as how it "officially" started a couple of hours ago. I plan on attending Central Michigan's "Friday Night Madness" event on October 30th, with many thanks to Darren Kohne. I also have a interview with the Michigan Tech hockey coach I need to post, and also I may have an interview with Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson in the works. Adding on to Michigan hockey, I think I will be going to a Michigan hockey game with some credentials, so that should be exciting.

Obviously things have been busy here. I earned my varsity letter as a freshman in Tennis, which is very cool but time consuming. Not to mention all the extra events which coming with being in high school, so that has been my life so far.

Just a little update, enjoy the weekend!

College Football Week 4 Picks

Michigan State over Notre Dame - Even though the road team has won the last seven games in this series, I expect that trend to break today. Michigan State's running game will be the difference here. Javon Ringer has proven himself as one of the best running back's in the country, and I think he will put up big numbers today.

(15) East Carolina over North Carolina State - After last week's scare at Tulane, the Pirates will start 4-0 for the first time in nine years, beating NC State. Look for QB Patrick Pinckney to play a great game as East Carolina faces another BCS opponent.

(13) Ohio State over Troy - I have heard some thoughts about an upset here, but I really don't see Troy, even with them averaging 48 points per game, taking them down. Terrelle Pryor will probably be taking most of the snaps in this game, part because Todd Boeckman has been struggling, and part because I think OSU will have a good lead. But that's obvious.

(16) Penn State over Temple - Temple is crushed after losing on a Hail Mary play to Buffalo as the game ended last week, so Penn State will take advantage of that. Also, Penn State is better than Temple. Their deadly offense will overpower the Owls.

(9) Alabama over Arkansas - The Razorbacks will keep it close, but 'Bama will run over the Arkansas with their rushing attack. I think the tandem of Glen Coffee and Mark Ingram will have a big day.

(10) Auburn over (6) LSU - My game of the week and also my upset of the week, if you will. LSU has not won at Jordan-Hare Stadium since 1998. I love Auburn's defense in this game too. LSU quarterback Andrew Hatch will be playing in his first SEC game, and the Auburn defense will be sure to let him know about it. Auburn's defense has also allowed only three -- yes, three -- third-down conversions in 46 attempts. This could go either way, and it will be a great game to watch, but I think the Tigers of Auburn take down the Tigers of Louisiana State.

Other predictions: Georgia Tech over Mississippi State, Central Michigan over Purdue, Clemson over South Carolina State, Missouri over Buffalo, BYU over Wyoming, Arizona over UCLA, Virginia Tech over North Carolina, Miami (FL) over Texas A&M, Florida over Tennessee, Wake Forest over Florida State, Georgia over Arizona State.

Interview with Jake Fehling

Jake Fehling is the Director of Media & Public Relations for USA Baseball. Mr. Fehling was kind enough to answer a couple of questions for Nick On Sports.

What is it like being apart of USA Baseball?

It’s an organization dedicated to growing the game both domestically and aboard, it’s tied into the U.S. Olympic Committee and Major League Baseball, and we just got back from medaling at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the 2008 IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cup. Life and business are good.

What are your thoughts on the team after the Olympics?

We of course thought that we would bring home the gold. Obviously that didn’t happen and to some extent we were disappointed. However, this was baseball’s toughest field ever in Olympic competition, and finishing behind an undefeated Korean squad and Cuba isn’t anything to be ashamed of.

What did the team do to get tuned up for the Olympics?

We worked out in San Jose and played exhibition games against Canada’s team in Durham and Cary , N.C. before heading over to Beijing ..

Which pool of players is the team selected from?

Non-25-man roster players.

What do you think could be done to get baseball back into the Olympic program?

I handle the media operation for the IBAF as well, so I live this one every day. [Jacques] Rogge made it very clear at the Games – we want the best players. We’re working with MLB almost daily to try to accomplish that in some way shape or form for the four remaining bid cities for 2016. Whether we accomplish it or not does not make or break our argument, however. At the end of the day baseball is one of the most high profile sports on the international stage and with events like the IBAF Baseball World Cup and MLB’s World Baseball Classic growing like they are, the future of baseball around the world is promising.

Thank you Jake for taking these questions.

Like I said in the post earlier, I've been very busy, but please continue to check back every day for new content.

Sorry

I realize that I am doing a bad job at keeping this blog updated.

Just wanted to let you know that I am still here and will plan on being here long term.

Some things have came up like school stuff, hockey, and now a new sport I am playing -- tennis -- so those things are pretty much dominating my life right now. Which is understandable, I hope.

Hopefully I can try and get the Bob Harig interview up tomorrow. I also got some some other interviews coming up along with NHL and College Hockey previews (can't leave out my favorite sport), so stay tuned for that.

Zambrano No-No

Chicago Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano tossed a no-hitter last night at Miller Park. Which is actually quite amazing. First, the no-hitter itself. Then that he was able to do it at a neutral site, even though it was 99.99999% pro-Cubs fans.

This, of course, brings up the "Why wasn't the game played somewhere other than Miller?" It seems like every situation that involves a game being canceled is made up at Miller Park. In my opinion they might as well just played the game at Wrigley.

It is also funny that Bug Selig moves it to his hometown ballpark. They could have played the game in Arlington or Dell Diamond in Round Rock (Astros AAA stadium).

And no, this is not the main reason why the Astros lost. I don't even think it is a minor reason. But, it was just a stupid decision by Bud Selig and Major League Baseball.

The thing that surprised me the most is how well Zambrano kept his emotions in check. Normally Zambrano is a fired up guy on the mound, and can lose his temper and/or control sometimes, but last night he looked calm and composed until the very end. Really the only time he showed any riled up emotion at all was after he struck out once and threatened to break his bat over his knee.

Maybe more importantly here is that it all but solidifies the Cubs as NL Central winners, as they are now up 7½ games over the Milwaukee Brewers. This also intensifies the race for the National League wild card spot, because now the Astros are two games behind the Philadelphia Phillies and Brewers. Congrats Mr. Zambrano on the no-no, let's see how October goes for you.

Gone For The Weekend

No content will be up this weekend, simply for the fact that it is my grandma's birthday tomorrow and we are having a huge party, and I got a lot of tests from the days I missed school so I need to study a lot.

Check back with us on Monday.

Have a good weekend.

Interview with Paula Creamer

Continuing with the interviews...today I am posting an interview I did with Paula Creamer, who happens to be the No. 5 ranked golfer on the LPGA circuit. Judging from her responses, the 22-year old definitely has her head on straight. Here it is:

Your nickname is "The Pink Panther." What is the story behind that and what do you think of the name?

I almost always am wearing something pink, and my friend once kiddingly called me the "pink panther". It has stuck with me ever since. I really like the color pink (all shades of it) as it's soft and fashionable, yet it also can be a sign of strength, which is me when I'm in competition!

You turned pro in 2005 at the age of 18. Most kids are seniors in high school, and you were becoming a professional golfer. What was it like knowing that you rank among one of the best golfers in the world at that time?

I had a great summer of golf tournaments on the LPGA when I was 17 and still an amateur. I received special invitations to play in about 6 LPGA events. Based on those results, I knew I was ready for the LPGA Tour. It wasn't an easy decision (not going to college and turning pro instead), but I knew it was the right one for me. I don't really dwell on what my ranking is really. I just am trying to be the best that I can be. I am always working on my game and trying to be # 1. That is my goal.......to be # 1.

You have been a part of both the 2005 and 2007 U.S. Solheim Cup teams. How much does that mean to you and how is it playing with the world's best golfers as a team instead of competing individually?

There is nothing better for me than to be representing the USA. Wearing red, white and blue is so cool. I hope it's part of the Olympics soon as I'd love to compete in those games like so many other sports get to do. To be in a team environment is also neat (since golf is usually such an individual sport). I was honored to play on both victorious Solheim Cup teams in 2005 and 2007. The 2009 Solheim Cup can't get here soon enough!

In the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic this year, you shot an 11-under 60 in the first round. That was just one stroke off the LPGA record held by Annika Sorenstam. What made you so effective on that day of golf?

It sounds like a cliche, but I played one shot at a time, and really didn't know I shot 60 until after I finished my round. I made a lot of good putts that day, which really is the difference in shooting a good score and shooting a great score! If I counted up all the times my putt grazes the lip of the hole and subtracted them from my actual score, I'd shoot 60 a lot of times!! You need to be swinging the club well for sure, but it all comes down to making those putts inside 15-20 feet, which I did quite a bit that day.

You are one of the golfers that people can choose to play with in the game Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08. What is it like seeing yourself in a video game and do you ever play as yourself?

I just attended the 2009 Tiger Woods PGA Tour Game in NY city a few weeks ago and they had set up all these games for people to play. It was kind of fun walking around watching people play against me. I have played the game, too, and it's a lot of fun.

The David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Florida played a big part in your development as a golfer. How did you know at age 13 that you were serious about playing golf?

I had already decided to get very serious about golf when my family moved with me to Bradenton, Florida to attend the DLGA. Still, I didn't know where my future was going to lead me, I just knew that I was going to put 110% into it and see what happened. As it turned out, my hard work and dedication wasn't wasted. I still have a lot of goals left to accomplish, but overall, I'm proud of these first four years of my professional career.

One of the all-time greats in Annika Sorenstam is retiring at the end of this season. Just how big of a role did Annika play on the LPGA tour (I think some of us do not know how successful she was on the tour) and was she a mentor-like figure to younger players like yourself?

Annika's contributions to professional women's golf were tremendous. I will miss competing against her in 2009. It will be kind of strange not seeing her after this year, especially at the Majors. I wish her nothing but the very best as she moves onto the next chapter of her life.

What are you expectations for the rest of this season and then the 2009 season?

I would love to win more events this year. Although it's already September, I still have about 8 or 9 events left, and I will be trying my hardest to win them all!

I'd like to thank Ms. Creamer for the interview, and Jay Burton for setting it all up.

In the coming days look for an interview with an ESPN.com golf writer (should take me a couple hours to convert into text) and what? Hockey in Algeria? Yes. So stay tuned.