The SUBWAY® Baseball DeSIGNS Tour includes more than 40 baseballs designed by young artists and signed by celebrities and athletes including: musician Katy Perry, actor Zac Efron, rock band Maroon 5, gold medal-winning swimmer Michael Phelps, pro football’s Drew Brees, baseball star Ryan Howard, basketball Rookie of the Year Blake Griffin, NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, tennis superstars Serena and Venus Williams, celebrity chef, Robert Irvine and Jared Fogle (the “SUBWAY® guy”) among others.
THE LIVE AUCTION:
Throughout the week, these one-of-a-kind baseballs will then be auctioned off to the public with all proceeds benefitting the Little League® Baseball Urban Initiative program which helps fund start-ups, developments, equipment, clinics and field maintenance for inner-city youth leagues and teams.
THE ONLINE AUCTION:
For fans that can’t make it to the live auction, no worries, as these amazing baseballs will also be up for auction on eBay. Online auctions for the celebrity-autographed baseballs will open to the public Aug. 19 and will run through the Little League® Baseball World Series, which concludes Aug. 28.
Let me tell you, I previewed these balls about a month ago at former New York Yankee shortstop Bucky Dent’s signing, so I can promise you it is worth taking a look at these amazing creations. Each ball will make your heart melt.
Congratulations to the city of New Orleans, and their Saints on winning the Superbowl! You are the Champions!!
The Saints can stomp on home and start celebrating. Not only did the franchise want their first championship, but the city needed something to celebrate after Hurricane Katrina wrecked it.
Whatever Katrina took, The Saints gave it back today, and nothing can take that away ever.
The game lived up to the hype, as the two best teams battled it out till the end.
Down 10-0 at the start of the second half, the Saints momentum needed a jolt. That is exactly what Coach Sean Payton did by calling an on-side kick to confuse the Colts. Payton’s seemingly gutsy moves were pure brilliance in the victory.
The Saints defense played Peyton Manning to perfection. The patience, against the best QB in the league, sealed itself with an interception in the fourth quarter. Saints defensive end Tracy Porter picked off Manning’s signature passage rout, to score a touchdown. Porter’s timing sealed the team’s eventual win.
While Manning got rattled, Drew Brees did not; as he played with dignity by spreading the ball around to eight different receivers throughout the game.
The Saints quarterback rightfully crowned the game MVP, throwing 32-of-39 passes, for 288 yards and two touchdowns. He was the underdog team’s leader, who played with heart. Having the stress of a city on your shoulders, Brees knew how much bigger this game was than football, and New Orleans should be immensely proud.
The team finished the Colts off with a score of 31 to 17. Saints kicker Garrett Hartley earning nine of the 31 points, going 3 for 3 with each kick being over 40+ yards playing as good as it gets.
The Colts did not have it this game, and the players were superior in defeat, giving the Saints all the credit for playing better football.
After 42 years in the NFL, the Saints made history today. Let the party stay on Bourbon Street, and for Saints fans everywhere because you are the Champions now!!!
“The glory of sport is witnessing a well-coached team perform as a single unit, striving for a common goal and ultimately bringing distinction to the jersey the players represent.”
—Dick Vitale
Last week, one out of the four NFL playoff games is all I predicted correctly. To be perfectly honest, picking the Vikings over the Cowboys was a sensitivity issue because I am a Giants fan.
It gave me that subtle reminder of why sports’ popularity never fades.
Quick recap of last week:
The Ravens handed the win to the Colts on a silver platter. Payton Manning is superb, but the Ravens just made mistakes. Ed Reed‘s interception gave a glimmer of hope, until he fumbled it right back to Indy.
The Jets played tough, simple football to beat the Chargers. Philip Rivers looked like a deer in headlights, but a well deserved victory for Rex Ryan‘s Jets.
The Cowboys were back to their former selves by not utilizing their running game. Relying on Romo’s authority doesn’t get the job done, as proven once again on Sunday. Green Bay’s defense took advantage of the Cowboys inadequate protection of Romo and a game when Favre continually hit his targets, easy win for Vikings.
New Orléans has their dominating Saints back again. On both sides of the football, the Saints prevailed. Reggie Bush has not played that well since college. The Saints defense made Kurt Warner‘s possibly last game one that he will not need to remember.
Now football fans enter the last weekend before the Superbowl. Here is my predictions:
JETS OVER COLTS…..It just sounds wrong even thinking it, but this Jets team is no joke.
The Jets have the scapegoat concepts edge, of already having gone further than expected. In turn all the uncertainty gives a teams the effort to prove the world wrong.
For the Colts to lose is not an option and would consider the season a disappointment. See, Payton Manning is the MVP and supposed to win the Superbowl, so anything else would be unreasonable.
The game is in Indiana, home of the Colts. Obviously because the Jets are the underdogs and that title comes with no advantages.
What is it, just luck that is about to run out? No, two negatives equal a positive and the Jets would love to show-up the gracious Colts in front of their fans.
In the last game of the regular season, Indy’s trusty vote in resting the starters to be more pressing than eliminating the Jets is an arrogant statement.
Do not forget that the Jets would not be here if Colts had won. That alone must piss a team-off Ryan and the Jets enough to win. Hell it pisses me off just thinking about it.
At this point, I have doubted Coach Rex Ryan enough and it is about time I started listening.
Final Score: 27-17
SAINTS OVER VIKINGS…..this has nothing to do with being a huge Kardashian fan, and more that the Saints have never been to the Superbowl in 43 years.
The Saints look unstoppable again.
Reggie Bush is on a mission. The defense shut down the Cardinals offense once they settled in, and again, Drew Brees looking together makes it a powerful formula to overcome.
Viking running-back Adrian Peterson is the foundation for the Vikings to win. Peterson has not carry by 100 yards in his last eight games and only ran 63 yards against the Cowboys. Peterson is like catching mercury but if he fumbles the efforts do not matter, and this week everything matter.
For the Saints, starting out strong against the run is crucial. Last week allowing the Cardinal’s Hightower to run 70-yards in for a touchdown in the first few minutes just that cannot happen against the Vikings. The defense only allowed 31 yards for the rest of the game last week, but missing assignments is intolerable.
The Vikings defensee is led by Jared Allen and overall a rugged, solid group. Allen & Co. love to disturb the QB’s progress, but against the Saints o-line will be a good match-up.
With all their best d-men healthy again, the Saints have the better defense in my opinion.
If Favre is ever going to ‘retire’, it would seem a Superbowl appearance would help. Favre’s having his most dominant term in 19-years. So far throwing for 37 touchdowns including 4 last week to beat Dallas, for a total throne of 4000+ yards. That is a 40-year old on a mission.
Favre’s not just on this quest. His old Packers teammate, Saints free-safetyDarren Sharper (a baby in age at 34) was dumped by the Vikings last season and has made them kick themselves ever since. Sharper intercepted nine times, ran three in for touchdowns, totaling 376 yards returned which is a new NFL record. Both veterans, familiar with the other and something to confirm will be fun to watch.
Having the home field advantage gives the Saints their crazy fans. Regarding the noise, the Vikings play in the Metrodome (aka Metro-dump) the loudest place on earth. Just for baseball people, when the Tigers and Twins played that season-deciding game, the Tigers practiced with blasting music to get ready because the echo in the Metro-dump is unbearable.
Plain and simple is when the Saints have their A-game swagger; you would be hard pressed to get a better team or one that could win.
The Little League Baseball and Softball, along with SUBWAY® restaurants is concluding the third annual SUBWAY® Baseball DeSIGNS Tour making their last stop at the Little League Baseball World Series (LLBWS) from August 19th – 28th in South Williamsport, PA.
THE LIVE AUCTION:
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