Inside Gerken’s Cranium

It’s times to clear my head and to share some things that I have been thinking about in the world of sports and a few other things too.

One quick thing before I begin this column. In college I was lucky enough to be sport’s editor of the college newspaper for one year. One of the toughest parts in doing newspaper layout is writing headlines.

I admit I was terrible at doing this. One late Sunday night I struck gold when I was coming up for a headline for my assistant sport editor’s column. I came up with the headline “Inside “His Last Name” Cranium.” He is a very talented writer and is great people. I hope he doesn’t mind I recyled an old headline for this blog column.

Baseball

If I’m a Yankee fan I’m very worried about A.J. Burnett starting a playoff game in October.

Its extremely hard being a Met fan right now. If I read the sentence saying “mets auditioning for 2012 roster spots,” again I just might lose it.

Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers is having his best season ever. I like how he throws a lot of innings and is not on a strict pitch count. He reminds me a lot of Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan.

I wish I had more time to read Baseball Prospectus and learn about the new way of looking at baseball statistics and evaluating individual player’s value.

I’m excited to see Moneyball the movie staring Brad Pitt as Billy Beane coming out this fall.

Baseball America is a must read publication if you love the game of baseball.

I don’t believe the Philadelphia Phillies will dominate the playoffs like they did the regular season.

I’m looking forward to seeing Toronto Blue Jays rookie third baseman Brett Lawrie play a game. He’s off to an amazing start to his major league career.

Football

Next time Osi Umenyiora of the New York Giants wants to complain about his contract or the team’s front office he need to find the locker of his new teammate of Mark Herzlich. Herzlich is an undrafted linebacker out of Boston trying to make the Giants roster. He has survived cancer, inspired so many people with his courage and is the best story of the Giants preseason. After talking to Herzlich he might realize how silly his contract demands are.

I’m glad the NFL labor situation has been settled. I hope NFL veterans who are retired get the right healthcare they deserve. Concussions in the game of football is a very scary thing. I think we’re just beginning to hear about the problems concussions cause down the road.

I think there should be a reality television show starring Rex Ryan and Rob Ryan during the football season. It would be must see TV.

I’m looking forward to covering high school football this season. Stepinac and White Plains High School should be providing a lot of interesting story lines throughout the year.

I can’t wait to watch college football in a few weeks. I haven’t thought as college football as an amateur sport for a very long time.

As usual Notre Dame is ranked too highly in the preseason rankings. They will not be a powerhouse this year but they have the right coach now in Brian Kelly. He will make that program relevant again.

It’s going to be interesting to see who win’s the starting quarterback job for the Carolina Panthers: Notre Dame’s alumni Jimmy Clausen or reigning Heisman Trophy Winner Cam Newton.

I really want to see a football game at West Point this fall.

Golf

I don’t want to read about Tiger Woods until he wins another golf tournament. I think playing some of the lesser known PGA Tour fall series events would be a great start for him.

Congrats to Fred Couples on winning his first senior major championship at Westchester Country Club this past weekend. Even at 51-years old he is still the coolest professional golfer alive. Sometimes I wonder if he is more concerned about his golf game or how the Yankees are doing.

David Feherty is the most talented golf broadcaster on television right now. His new show on the Golf Channel is a can’t miss for any fan of the game.

I wish that more corporations would step in and help the LPGA have more golf tournaments in the United States. The women’s game has a great history and its sad to see how few states side events there are on the schedule.

Here is a little known sports fact. This week the third oldest golf tournament in America The Metropolitan Open will be played at the beautiful Sleepy Hollow Country Club. The only two tournaments older are the United States Open and The Western Open.

Montauk Downs is a must play golf course.

Miscellaneous

I feel very fortunate to have the chance to work as a sportswriter again. Thanks Adam.

I hope people enjoy reading The White Plains Examiner newspaper which initial issue comes out Tuesday. I can’t wait to see the first issue.

I hope the weather in the next few weeks isn’t too hot for all of the high school athletes participating in double sessions practices.

The best sports article I read in the past year was “The Courage of Jill Costello,” by Chris Ballard in Sports Illustrated. Its great writing and a very emotional and moving story.

If I ever hit the mega ball I would give a significant amount of money to The Jimmy Fund. In 2008 I was driving to Boston for a friend’s wedding and put on the local sports radio station WEEI to catch up on the Boston sports scene. What I got by listening to the station was a very moving experience. WEEI and The Jimmy Fund do a telethon every year. Its coming up next week. After listening to the stories on the radio I was hooked to the charity for life. The people who work for The Jimmy Fund are very special people and deserve a lot more attention and appreciation for all the work they do.

Becoming and being a Dad is the most amazing thing in my life. Its gets better every day.

Is there any person powerful enough in the world of boxing to make a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweater Jr. really happen.

I miss seeing Bill Gallo’s sports cartoons in the New York Daily News. He was a very talented artist and even a better person.

I think you should be able to bet on the lengths of celebrity marriages and relationships in a Las Vegas sports book.

I believe the 1990’s was a very underrated decade for music. Lots of one hit wonders but so many fun songs. Tubthumping anyone?

Rest in peace Clarence Clemons. You brought soul and a great tenor saxophone to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The band will never be the same. Thank you “Big Man.”

I’m going to miss Christopher Meloni’s character on Law & Order SVU this season.

Its almost a month away to the start second of the season of Boardwalk Empire on HBO. I can’t wait to watch

Cheers,

Peter Gerken 8-21-11

Gerken is a Westchester County native and has published previously with The Patent Trader and the Bronxville Review Press. While attending Boston College he was the sports editor of the university’s newspaper, The Heights, and served as a staff writer for the Boston College sports publication Eagle Action. He can be reached at wpexaminersports@yahoo.com