ST. LOUIS -- Are you as excited about instant replay in baseball as I am? Seen any good videos lately? Are you getting Olympic fever?
Welcome to Teryn's Hot Topics, my new weekly column for the FOX Sports Midwest website. As a FOX Sports Midwest Girl, I'm all about the local sports teams and athletes. I truly love the Cardinals, Blues, Rams, Billikens and, yes, my Mizzou Tigers, plus other sports events going on nearby.
So each week, from the top regional headlines to the stories that slipped under the radar, I will highlight topics that caught my attention in the Midwest world of sports. Let's get started.
CAN I GET A REPLAY?
Score one for the fans. Major League Baseball tends to move ahead with baby steps, but the historically conservative institution took a leap forward Thursday with the unanimous approval of the expansion of instant replay. Now, most plays are reviewable and managers will be allowed at least one challenge per game -- all in an effort to correct missed calls.
Hallelujah. As a baseball fan, I believe instant replay will make the game better. With a quick review of replays rather than lengthy arguments on the field, games should move along a little quicker . And fans will love watching the replay of close plays on the scoreboard. Just one more reason to look forward to the upcoming season.
Need another reason to get pumped for 2014? It's time for the Cardinals Winter Warm-Up! Kayla and I will be there this weekend at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch Jan. 18-19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Jan. 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
GRACIE IS GOLDEN
Springfield, Mo., is experiencing a gold rush.
Native Gracie Gold became figure skating's golden girl this week when she won the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships on Sunday. That title makes Gold one of the faces of the 2014 Winter Olympics and, according to former Olympic star Scott Hamilton, the favorite to top the podium in Sochi.
Gracie Gold celebrates at the end of her routine in during the ladies free skate at the Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Gold's rise, along with the 20th anniversary of the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan scandal, has the nation buzzing about a sport that generally sits on the back-burner during non-Olympic years. One thing is for sure: It makes the iconic event even more dazzling to be able to root for a hometown girl.
Good luck to Gold! We hope her name is synonymous with her success.
STL IN THE MLS
Given St. Louis' rich soccer culture, it should come as no surprise that the area saw a few of its players walk across the national stage this week.
Three local players were chosen in the 2014 Major League Soccer draft Thursday: A.J. Cochran (CBC, Scott Gallagher, Wisconsin; 16th overall), John Berner (St. Mary's High, SIUE; 35th overall) and Adnan Gabeljic (Mehlville High, SLU; 38th overall). Gabeljic, the final pick of the MLS SuperDraft's second round, will be able to play close to home with Sporting KC.
A.J. Cochran (CBC) shakes hands with MLS commissioner Don Garber after being selected by the Houston Dynamo in the 2014 MLS Superdraft.
Something tells me it won't be the last time we see several locals on MLS draft boards, despite the recent rule changes that force academy players to choose between club and high school soccer due to overlapping seasons, according to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
PUNT, PASS AND PUETT
It was nice to see a Rams jersey Sunday, even if it wasn't being worn by Zac Stacy or any of the other Rams players. And it was refreshing to see it on 11-year-old Eryn Puett of Columbia, Mo., who proved football isn't just for boys when she easily won the National Punt, Pass and Kick competition title in the 10-11 year-old age group in Denver last Saturday. In so doing, Eryn set records in each of the event's categories.
This was Eryn's third appearance in the national competition. Puett proudly wore the St. Louis blue and gold while being honored in Sunday's Chargers-Broncos game in Denver.
It turns out Eryn has more fans than just myself. After I gave Eryn a shout-out on our Twitter page over the weekend, Meg@2128LGB2717 responded:
@FSMidwestGirls She is going to do big big things!! Great kid!!!
— Meg (@2128LGB2717) January 13, 2014
MY VIDEO PICKS OF THE WEEK
This video from the "Cardinals Hot Stove Report" highlighting some of Joe Kelly's funniest moments last season was more than enough to put a smile on my face. I'm sure Joe Kelly fans everywhere are hoping his antics continue in 2014.
This video shows that people really are starting to get Olympic fever. Kayla showed us one of her favorite figure skating routines by Sasha Cohen at our St. Louis Blues promo shoot Wednesday between takes, paying homage to the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino, Italy.
Have a topic that is important to you? Share it with me on our Fox Sports Midwest Girls social media pages (Facebook: Fox Sports Midwest Girls, Twitter: @FSMidwestGirls).
