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Frank’s food for thought: Odom, Goldschmidt, getting older, basketball in the Lou

Some hot takes from 5 On Your Side Sports Director Frank Cusumano
Credit: KSDK

ST. LOUIS — Things I Believe:

1. I believe the Paul Goldschmidt trade is very good with a chance to be great! What will make it great is if they sign him long term. How could they possibly let him go? It’s been a long time since they had a face of the franchise player. In fact, the last one, Albert Pujols, is the guy Tony La Russa compared Goldschmdit to me years ago. I know you can’t make a guy fall in love.   However, you have to try. Bill DeWitt and John Mozeliak have to wake up every day thinking what can we do to keep this guy a Cardinal for life. They made the deal and didn’t give up that much to get him. Now keep him.

2. I believe Barry Odom is on the cusp of something really special in Columbia. Heading into his bowl game, the man has won 19 games in his first three years. Gary Pinkel won 17. After struggling in his first few years with recruiting, he’s starting to clean up. Keep in mind, Kelly Bryant was the most publicized transfer in the country. Odom out recruited coaches who have won national championships like Mack Brown and Gus Malzahn to land him. He will not get outworked. He may not light up a room but his energy is infectious. Drew Lock told me, “I want to win for him.” Mizzou football is in good hands.

3. How about what a spring time could look in St. Louis in 2022!  We are talking on the same day say in April, we could have an XFL game at the Dome, an MLS game at new state of the soccer facility, a Cardinal game at Busch and a Blues game at the Enterprise Center. The XFL is definite and soccer will be soon. Our town has blown some opportunities in the past.  We won’t blow this one. When the local group is putting down 400 million and the league wants to come here, it’s going to happen. I can’t wait.

4. Getting older is really a great thing in a lot of ways. You work smarter, you try to eat smarter, you have more free time and usually more money to do things. However, one thing that is inevitable is the wear and tear on the body. If you play sports and work out almost all of your life there is no way in your 50s you can be pain free. I wish I would have spent more time working out in a swimming pool. It’s a tough balance. You play sports when you are a kid and a young man because you love it. When you get a little older, you workout to stay in shape. You want to do with a lot of passion. However, you eventually pay a price for it.

5. I have always believed that the great athletes from the past would be successful in any era. I mean if a healthy Bill Walton showed up today, he would be the best center in the NBA. Even with a thinner body, that skill would play in any era. However with that said, almost everything in sports now is bigger, stronger, faster and more athletic. I saw Vashon play the other night in high school basketball. They were dunking the ball like it was a slam dunk contest in the NBA. This was in the middle of a game. How in the world can 16 and 17 year old kids be that freaky athletic? I hope SLU and Mizzou end up with a few of these players.

6. Here is what is impressing me lately: The 30 for 30 on the final days of Bob Knight, the Chocolate Ravioli at Frank Papa’s, a Peter King podcast, watching the Billikens play at a high level in college basketball, seeing that magical hockey facility being built at Hollywood Casino, the NFL RedZone and the new series on Amazon called Goliath!

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