Bring on the TIGERS

Like I always say, being a Royals fan is a roller coaster ride. We're starting the ride to the top and it's so exciting. The Royals have won 8 of their last 10 games, are 3 games above .500,  and are only a 1 game behind the 1st place Detroit Tigers. 

Over the last 10 games, the Royals have scored 49 runs off of 99 hits. It's hard not to feel good about those types of numbers. But history has shown us that they probably wont last forever. 

Numbers aside, the Royals have an opportunity right now to take full advantage of a hitting burst and an excellent bullpen. The confidence of this team is finally starting to pick up and you can see it in both the faces and body language of the players. 

The Royals have a very important 4-game series coming this week against the Tigers in Detroit. They have a chance to take sole possession of 1st place in the AL Central and get the monkey off of their back by at least splitting a series with Detroit. 

The series with Detroit will be a good measuring stick for the Royals at this point in the season. 

My prediction: The Royals will win the series 3-1. 

I'm ready, BRING ON THE TIGERS. 

Where it all started...

Yes, I'm a girl but I will tell you right now that I love sports more than most men.

It all started when I was just a little girl in small town named Lincoln, Missouri. Most of you probably haven't heard of it, but hey, we all came from somewhere. When I try to think of what specifically sparked my passion for sports I have a hard time narrowing it down to just one thing. It might be the crack of a bat, or those bright stadium lights. It could even be something as basic as the competition involved with sports. Simply put, I love sports. 

As a small town kid, I tried every sport; volleyball, basketball, cheerleading, softball, basketball manager. I was even a mascot once! I was never a very good athlete but I always  gave it my best effort. What I loved most about playing sports was that I was a part of something. I was always the most spirited person wherever I went. 

My family has always loved the Kansas City Chiefs. I will never forget my mom screaming at the TV at Marty Shottenheimer thinking that he could hear her. (She sure loved Marty ;) ) 

During high school I always thought I was going to become a Missouri Tiger! If you know me now, you'd probably be shocked to hear this. As we all know, life is what happens when you're making plans! In the middle of high school, my family and I moved to Kansas! This was a HUGE change for us but we adapted very quickly. I went on visit to Kansas State University and fell in love. 

My first year of college was spent juggling a sorority, classes, and part-time job at KJCK in Junction City. My stint at KJCK is where my passion for sports was further ignited. Even though I was just "reading" sports, I learned more than you can ever imagine.

Again, life happened and I found myself facing some serious adversity. The good news about adversity is that you can allow it to make you or break you. For awhile, I allowed it to get the best of me. But one day I decided to use it to my advantage. It still drives me today.

Eventually, I finished college and got my Bachelors Degree! I interned at KAKE News last summer, which was incredible. Last September, I got to marry my best friend. 

This is just the beginning to my next chapter of life. I decided to start a sports Twitter page (@SportsWithDara) and this blog. I want to share my passion and understanding of sports with others. I also want to build my resume so that I can work in sports someday. We all have dreams, I'm choosing to fight for mine! This will be my only blog post about "my life". Going forward, I will share my perspective, understanding, and passion for sports. I will write about the Royals, Chiefs, Sporting KC occasionally, K-State, KU, WSU, the Big 12, NFL, NBA, and any other sports story I decide to write that day. 

Feel free to comment, Tweet me, or shoot me an e-mail at darabitler@gmail.com.

Have an AWESOME day!