Reds Look Strong & Future NFL Stars Shine
The Key for the week of February 24, 2025
Play Ball!
Chilly weather or not, it’s spring somewhere, and Ben is enjoying vicariously the sunny photos from Spring Training as the Reds are warming up the hearts of fans with optimistic reports out of Goodyear, Arizona. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Elly De La Cruz breaks out two home runs, one on each side, in Saturday’s spring game opener. With a month to go before the team comes north to start the season, pitchers are getting healthy, the infield lineup is starting to take shape and new manager Terry Francona is saying all the right things. You can’t help but feel as sunny as the 72° weather.
Because the NFL season never ends..
You can get an up close look at the stars of tomorrow at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis this weekend. What used to be hush-hush secret workouts now are free and open to the public at Lucas Oil Stadium and broadcast live on the NFL Network. While some of the bigger names (Shedeur Sanders, for example) will attend but not work out for clubs, you’ll be able to see most of the top prospects run through their drills for NFL scouts. It’s a fun, entertaining afternoon as you can evaluate, along with everyone else, which players will be the best additions for your team.
March Madness is just around the corner
Less than a month from now, we’ll be in the middle of March Madness with no clear number 1 on either the men’s or women’s side. In a season where Kansas and Connecticut keep sliding, where North Carolina might not make the show but St. John’s will, it’s a season that will be a nightmare for anyone with an office bracket. (Hint: BetMGM has Duke second favorite behind Auburn) On the women’s side, the place you don’t want to be in the weekly polls is number 1. Last week’s top ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish just lost in double overtime to NC State, joining USC, UCLA and a host of other number 1 ranked women’s teams to have lost. Perennial favorite UConn seems to be getting its act together at just the right time as the Huskies head to tournament week as the betting favorite.
Ben’s Best Bet..
Back from one of the shortest off seasons in professional sports, MLS started its 30th season this past weekend with the MLS expansion San Diego FC defeating defending MLS champion LA Galaxy, 2-0. Closer to home, FC Cincinnati may have lost star Luciano Acosta to FC Dallas, but in the process gained two electric players, Evander (one name, like Cher) and Kevin Denkey, both of whom already are making big contributions to the team—Denkey, in particular, scoring the only goal in the 1-0 win over New York Red Bulls in the home opener Saturday. The team is in the middle of juggling the regular season with the CONCACAF Champions Cup, but the sharps like what they see from the Orange and Blue. Right now FC Cincinnati is third favorite to take home the MLS championship this season, behind Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC. Ben says give FCC a little more time to gel with its new players, and that might not be a bad bet to take.