Dear ESPN

Dear ESPN,

First of all, it's nice to see that you have expanded your baseball coverage beyond the Yankees and Red Sox and reached the realm of the Tampa Rays. It only took them getting to the World Series for you to notice them. So does that mean the Royals are next?

Thanks for taking out the "Touch 'Em All" segment from "Baseball Tonight" and replacing it with "That's not Filthy, That's Nasty." I would say there is no reason that you can't keep both segments, but that would require you to cut out on John Kruk's screen time, and nobody wants that, right?

And it's a good thing that this year the "Baseball Tonight" crew is keeping score on Web Gems. I am sure you guys will figure out a way for a player from the Red Sox or the Yankees to win the whole thing in the end.

OH, and thanks for your constant, round-the-clock coverage of Mathew Stafford and Tim Tebow. It's a good thing you give me a daily update on how good Tebow is. As an Alabama fan, and a college football fan overall, I had no idea. Also, it's nice to know that you have nothing better for good ole Kirk Herbstriet to do during the off-season than stick a microphone in Stafford's face and talk about his NFL prospects.

Speaking of college football coverage, I love your Mike Leech, Texas Tech analysis. Now that Crabtree and Herrel are gone, how will a powerhouse football program such as Texas Tech ever recover? And on the same subject, I am so grateful for your detailed and constant updates on one of the most successful and deserving coaches in college football, Charlie Wiess. I mean, there is a lot to gloat about there with the fantastic season Notre Dame had last year. I mean, come on ESPN, why do you have such a hard-on for Weiss and the Fighting Irish? What the hell has he done lately that even resembles strong leadership and integrity. Besides, we all know that the crutches and the fashion-forward, Boca Raton style Hawaiian shirt at the Aloha Bowl were just part of a massive publicity stunt planned by your fantastic network. I am begging you ... TAKE CHARLIE WIESS' FAT, DOPEY FACE OFF MY SCREEN FOR 24 HOURS!!!!

It's a good thing that when discussing college football, you give 95% percent of the coverage to one of the following programs: Florida Gators, Ohio State, S. Cal, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Michigan. It's not like there are ANY other programs out there that actually matter. Forget the teams that are going to make a huge impact on college football next year. Never mind that Colt McCoy is returning to Texas for one more year, or are your heads so far up Sam Bradford's ass that you can't see Texas being relevant? Forget that Paul Johnson has started a new era in Georgia Tech football. Forget that Saban took Bama to an undefeated regular season after only winning half of their games the year before. Never mind that while you guys are drinking scotch and smoking cigars with Urban 'Look What I Can Do' Meyer, Houston Nutt is about to take over the SEC. That actually started last year, but you guys were way too busy kissing Tebow's ass to notice. And that's just the tip of the 'irrelevant information' iceberg that you guys didn't cover.

And to answer the burning questions that you ask EVERY DAMN DAY on "College Football Live" ... NO, Michigan will NOT BE GOOD next year! Stafford WILL be picked in the FIRST ROUND and NO, Charlie Wiess does not have a future at Notre Dame or in college football.

And on a more sensitive note. Good job on your coverage of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart's tragic death. You gave the story a sensitive feel when posting on ESPN.com the day after his death this poll question: Which team will be the most hurt by their pitching? Choice A: The Angels Now that ESPN, is what I call class!

Oh, one last thing. Please tell Herbstriet that he looked great on camera last week. And don't forget to tell him to meet Kayla at 'The spot' at 5 pm Saturday. He knows what it means.

Sincerely,
The girl who loves you and hates you all with a big smile on her face!

Adenhart's tragic death hits home

Hello friends, readers and baseball fans. While my blog has typically been reserved for snark commentary and humorous criticism of the sports world, today I shift gears to touch on something that has saddened me and urged me to push for change among my friends.

After hearing about the tragic death of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, I was profoundly moved by the influx of e-mails and texts sent to me by friends and family who were also touched by the tragedy. Much of the discussion included the tragic nature of drunk driving.

One friend described the situation as one that "really hits home" because he knows two people whom within the last month were arrested for DUI.

Another friend in Chicago was outraged, calling the accident "100% preventable." And questioned that after something like this, "how could anybody drive drunk?"

A family member, during a discussion on the phone, said it was such "an awful awful thing to hear this about somebody so young."

And the saddest part of all is that all of these people are right. The issue should hit home, because if even YOU don't drink and drive, somebody who does choose to drink and drive could cause an accident that could take away your life or the lives of loved ones. People should be outraged because this is 100% preventable. And it is a crying shame that anyone, especially somebody so young, could be taken so tragically.

I write this entry with a heavy heart and tear-filled eyes. I know in my heart that I have driven drunk in the past. I am sorry to anyone, my parents included. I am ashamed. I vow to never do it again. I can only be grateful that this tragedy was a 'wake-up call' for me and several of my friends, who have also vowed to not drink and drive.

I encourage everyone out there to do the same. Below is the number and some information about a local car service that serves as an excellent alternative to traditional taxi services. To all my friends and family, I urge you to put the number in your phone and use it. And as always, if you know can't drive, ASK THE BARTENDER. Almost every bar in town has a cab service telephone number at hand that they will call for you.

As the silver lining of this tragedy, become one us ... BFADD (Baseball fans against drunk driving.) Cheesy I know, but perhaps you won't feel that way knowing that you made the right choice to not drink and drive and instead became part of something to prevent these senseless tragedies.

For anybody who saw the Angels game in dedication to Adenhart, you know how emotional it was. Players, one by one, ran out to the newly designed outfield wall where an image of Adenhart is displayed, to pay their respects. What really choked me up, was see two Angels plays holding Adenhart's jersey during the national anthem (pictured above). I was touched to see the shrine the fans built outside the stadium in memory of Adenhart.

Please please please I ask everyone to do their part to make sure that next time it isn't you or someone you love who is being mourned.

In closing, I would like to say that my heart and blessings go out to the families of Adenhart and the other two young men killed in that tragic accident, as well as anybody else who has lost a loved one as a result of drunk driving.

And to all the fans, broadcasters and my friends who gave this story umph, I thank you too for being a part of change for the better. God bless. My new motto in light of this incident: 'GET DRUNK! GET A CAB!'

FOR ANY LOCALS (MARIETTA/ATLANTA) HERE IS NUMBER AND SOME INFO OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED CAB SERVICE.

Company: Metro Cab Service
Info: Unlike most taxi services, Metro brings two drivers to each pickup. One driver drives you home in YOUR car, while the other follows. This is great for those of you, who like me, prefer to wake up the next morning knowing you have your car.
Cost: Metro charges $20 for the pickup and then standard cab fare per mile. It seems expensive, but it's totally worth it!
Phone: 770-507-3332

Bring on the baseball

Well folks, that special time of year is here. The weather is warm. The pollen count is high and the college football decorations come down from my walls to make way for the Braves pennant flags. Yup, baseball is here.

And for the first time that I can remember, I wasn't the only one showing enthusiasm for the start of the 2009-2010 season. Facebook was covered with comments from people expressing their excitement as baseball season kicked off today.
The Braves won their first game of the year in a highly publicized match up with the reining World Champs, the Philadelphia Phillies. I have yet to gather any other scores from around the league, as I was at work when the events took place. However, I am sure 30 minutes of the late-night edition of Baseball Tonight will catch me up. Which just brings up one more reason to love baseball season: ESPN's Baseball Tonight. The leader in sports coverage has always impressed me with in-depth analysis and round-the-clock highlights in ALL sports. However, of all their specialty sports programming, "Baseball Tonight" is by far the best. And for a young, passionate fan, who works in the evenings when most games are played, I must extend a thank you to ESPN for keeping me posted. Thank you.

The real party begins this Friday, when the lights come on in Turner Field and our own Atlanta Braves take the field for the first regular-season game of the season. In true Kayla tradition, I will be at the game. And of course, I will be partaking in a tailgating extravaganza before the game complete with food, friends and of course, beer. And to my friend Heather who thinks I drink too much, you ain't seen nothing yet. At least I can hold my own.

Peace y'all. And may we all have a wonderful baseball season.


PLAY BALL!