Tom’s Two Cents: Who the Hell Is This Guy?

Hello Bean’s Blog!

Welcome to the first edition of Tom’s Weekly Two Cents, your go-to corner of the internet for sports takes that are equal parts passion, sarcasm and unfiltered honesty. Every week I’ll break down what’s hot (or ridiculous) in the sports world, tossing in some entertainment flavor where it fits, and wrap things up with my signature rant in my weekly "Soapbox" segment. Think of it as a group chat with your most-opinionated buddy, except you can’t argue back!

Before I dive in, let's get a few things straight about the man behind the keyboard.

I am a St. Louis native, born and raised! I’m a lifelong Cardinals diehard (I still get chills watching reels of David Freese in Game 6), a Blues faithful, and a Battlehawks enthusiast.

And don’t get me started on the Rams, or more specifically, Stan Kroenke, the NFL’s human embodiment of betrayal. I don’t forget and I definitely won't forgive, so I'd expect the occasional Ram’s slander.

Outside of obsessing over sports and yelling at my tv (similar to your republican father watching Fox News), I’m a single-digit handicap golfer. That means I hit just enough good shots to think I’m better than I actually am, but just enough bad shots to bring me back to Earth. You’ll probably get some golf takes here, both for the pro-level golfers and for the weekend warriors.

Like most twenty-something year old guys, I live for the NFL. Fantasy football, gambling, pick-em leagues, and just enjoying the most beautiful game there is. I claim no allegiance to any NFL franchises (verbal meme: Rob Lowe wearing the NFL shield hat and a black jacket) but I care deeply about the overall league and watching good football.

The Cardinals Were Hot… Until They Weren’t

For a minute there, the Birds looked like they finally figured it out. Nolan Arenado and the offense were hitting, the rotation was (somehow) buzzing, the bullpen was doing its job (S/O Steven Matz). There were whispers around the city of “maybe we turned this thing around.”

And then… reality showed up. I consider this a speed bump, the Tigers are one of the best teams in baseball, and dropping 2/3 to them isn’t the end of the world. I am looking forward to seeing how the boys respond this weekend with the Diamondbacks in town for a Memorial Day Weekend series.

I think this team can compete - they are gritty and fight for every win. But still, it's only June, and there is a lot of ball left to be played. Let’s see how things shake out.

Bobrovsky and the Panthers Are a Problem

Sergei Bobrovsky is playing like prime Patrick Roy. He’s got the Panthers looking like a team that’s not just hot, but built for this. Florida doesn’t just win, they smother you, frustrate you (thanks to Tkachuk and Marchand), and then hit you with a dagger before you even realize it.

If Bob keeps playing this way, they’re winning the Cup. Simple as that. It’s not just him either - the depth, the grit, and the speed of this team is next level. It’s all working for the Ps. And I know Canadian fans are sweating thinking about yet another Cup slipping south of the border.

I Still Don’t Like the NBA, Even in the Playoffs

I'll be brief with this one: I don’t care. I don’t care about 7-game series where one team gives full effort every other night. I don't care about 15-minute reviews that somehow still get it wrong. And I definitely don’t care about superstars flopping like they got hit by a bus.

The NBA’s great at drama, but the on-court product? It just doesn’t move the needle for me. Wake me up when the Finals start, and maybe I’ll tune in. Until then, let me enjoy playoff hockey and game 52 of the Cardinals season.

Soapbox Segment: ESPN Killed SportsCenter

ESPN has ruined a national treasure.

SportsCenter used to be sacred. For as long as I can remember, it was how I started my mornings. Picture this: grade school Tom, parked in front of the TV with a bowl of CTC, locked in on SVP, Stan Verrett, Steve Levy, and Jay Harris breaking down every game from the night before. Real highlights. Real analysis. Real sports coverage.

What an era.

But the SportsCenter we grew up on? It’s long-gone. Replaced by a Frankenstein version of First Take - louder, hotter, dumber. It’s like ESPN decided actual sports coverage wasn’t “engaging” enough. So now it’s wall-to-wall talking heads arguing about nonsense, stretching one storyline into a weeklong circus.

“Let’s get these people yelling into microphones on as many platforms as possible” - Jimmy Pitaro (probably).

We used to get box scores and breakdowns. Now we get debates about whether LeBron tying his shoes left-handed will strike fear into the rest of the league.

It’s not SportsCenter anymore. It’s content for content’s sake. And I get it - clicks, engagement, social media metrics. But somewhere along the way, they lost the soul of what made that show great.

I’ll still watch. Out of habit. Out of hope. But it’s not the same, and it hasn’t been for a long time.

That’s it for the first edition of Tom's Two Cents. If you made it this far, you either agree with me, you're hate-reading, or you're just really bored at work. Either way, I appreciate the read!

See you next week!