PLAY BALL!!!....here are my predictions for the National League....
NL East
1. Phillies - Charlie Manuel may not make the season, but someone will push the right buttons with Howard, Utley, and Rollins in the lineup....Ryan Howard is the anti-Mark McGwire....don't be surprised if they trade for Mike Piazza late in the year since he is a Philly native....
2. Mets - the Mets will lead the division at the start, but they lack starting pitching....unless they trade for someone at the break, they will fall short.....thank goodness for the wilcard....will have to trade youngster Milledge for pitching....maybe Milledge and others to Cleveland for one of their pitchers - C.C.?
3. Braves - the A.T.L. may have the best pitching in the division....they need a big year from the Jones boys....
4. Marlins - will someone please tell me how you fire the Manager of the Year?.....
5. Nationals - it seems like years ago since that first year season in D.C......
NL Central
1. Brewers - the beer will be flowing in Milwaukee....
2. Cubs - you have to give ownership credit - they went out and got a good manager and spent for the best free agent.....
3. Cardinals - St. Louie got hot in the playoffs....but don’t forget they struggled down the stretch last season....
4. Astros - Lance Berkman will take the MVP this year.....
5. Pirates - things are starting to look up in Steeltown.....maybe the division next year?.....should have traded for Josh Hamilton....
6. Reds - speaking of Hamilton....he will be one of the few bright spots in the Queens City....
NL West
1. Dodgers - LA will win a playoff series this year -- and maybe more.....should dominate a weak division....
2. Padres - how much longer can Wells and Maddux go?......
3. Diamondbacks - Brandon Webb may be the best pitcher no one knows about.....have some good young players coming up....
4. Giants - its transition time in the Bay.....Bonds finishes with 32 homers....
5. Rockies - at trade deadline time, contenders will be lining up for the services of Todd Helton.....
NLDS
Dodgers over Mets
Phillies over Brewers
NLCS
Dodgers over Phillies
Now to the Junior Circuit....
AL East
1. Yankees - maybe Carl Pavano will do something before the end of his contract.....
2. Red Sox - you don’t spend all that money for D. Mat and not make the playoffs....after a year off, Beantown is back in the playoffs....Big Papi finally gets his MVP....
3. Blue Jays - they locked up Vernon Wells and have Roy Halliday as an ace and BJ Ryan as a closer....too bad they are stuck with the Yanks and Bosox....
4. Orioles - remember when the Orioles were always contenders....where have you Earl Weaver?...
5. Devil Rays - good young talent....but same old team.....I have 1 word - contraction!!!.....
AL Central
1. Twins - starting pitching is the key....after Santana, there is not much there....great hitting team with Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Hunter, and Kubel.....a Greg Maddux would look good in a Twins uniform....
2. Tigers - lineup will be powerful with Sheffield on board.....pitching will be solid, but they will lose out to Boston for the wildcard....
3. White Sox - they key is Mark Buehrle....he was in the tank last year....Chisox still have very powerful middle of the order in Thome, Konerko, and Dye....
4. Indians - Sizemore is the best young player in the AL.....Hafner will crack 40+ homers....but their manager sucks....
5. Royals - give this team a few years....like the Pirates in the NL, their worst days are behind them.....two words - Alex Gordon!!!....
AL West
1. Angels - this team has some of the best young players with Brandon Wood, Howie Kendrick, Jered Weaver, etc.....and don't forget Vlad is still there....
2. Rangers - young pitcher Eric Hurley will give this team some hope....new manager Ron Washington is supposed to be a "player's manager".....
3. Athletics - Billy Beane cannot pull a rabbit out of the hat every year....plus this is the first year without a Hudson, Mulder, or Zito in the rotation....
4. Mariners - the most coveted prize at the trading deadline will be Ichiro....
ALDS
Twins over Red Sox
Yankees over Angels
ALCS
Twins over Yankees
World Series
Twins over Dodgers - what the heck....it takes some grapefruits to go with the Twins....
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Final Four Predictions
After doing some yardwork and painting around the house, I now have time to give my predictions for today’s Final Four....
Georgetown -1 vs. Ohio State - from the beginning of the tournament I called for Georgetown to win the title, so I am not backing off now....however, Ohio State concerns me even though the Hoyas are the better team....but somehow the Buckeyes are on a lucky streak of late and we all know what could happen.....the 3 concerns I have are:
1. Georgetown ripped Ohio State last year in the second round of the tournament....even though most of the Buckeye players from that team are no longer there, I know Thad Matta is using that for motivation....
2. Like I stated earlier, Ohio State has been fortunate....a blown call in the Xavier game kept OSU alive....who knows what can happen now....
3. God will be in the house....yes, Jim Tressel will be at the game....
I still am going with Georgetown even though the sweatervested wonder will be at the Georgia Dome.....Georgetown by 6
Florida -3 vs. UCLA - in my brackets, I had Florida playing Georgetown for the title....but this Bruins team is playing some solid basketball and great defense.....for 1 year the Bruins have been stewing about the shellacking they took from the Gators in last year’s title game....very few college teams have an opportunity to redeem themselves by playing basically the same team 1 year later.....UCLA will take advantage of the situation.....Bruins by 1 point....
Georgetown -1 vs. Ohio State - from the beginning of the tournament I called for Georgetown to win the title, so I am not backing off now....however, Ohio State concerns me even though the Hoyas are the better team....but somehow the Buckeyes are on a lucky streak of late and we all know what could happen.....the 3 concerns I have are:
1. Georgetown ripped Ohio State last year in the second round of the tournament....even though most of the Buckeye players from that team are no longer there, I know Thad Matta is using that for motivation....
2. Like I stated earlier, Ohio State has been fortunate....a blown call in the Xavier game kept OSU alive....who knows what can happen now....
3. God will be in the house....yes, Jim Tressel will be at the game....
I still am going with Georgetown even though the sweatervested wonder will be at the Georgia Dome.....Georgetown by 6
Florida -3 vs. UCLA - in my brackets, I had Florida playing Georgetown for the title....but this Bruins team is playing some solid basketball and great defense.....for 1 year the Bruins have been stewing about the shellacking they took from the Gators in last year’s title game....very few college teams have an opportunity to redeem themselves by playing basically the same team 1 year later.....UCLA will take advantage of the situation.....Bruins by 1 point....
All I know, forget about Joakim Noah or Greg Oden stealing the show....the real show stopper is this UCLA cheerleader...WOW....
Friday, March 30, 2007
Five Good Questions with . . . David Andriesen of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Today’s segment of "Five Good Questions with . . . " is with Seattle Mariners beat reporter David Andriesen of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.....
Q1. With a history of erratic pitching, which Jeff Weaver did the Mariners sign, the one who pitched for the Cardinals in the World Series or the one who was cut by the Angels?
My first thought when they made that signing was, "Do they really not feel like they already have someone in the organization who can go out and lose 14 games next year -- and for the major league minimum instead of $8 million-plus?" But the Mariners are convinced he turned the corner when he was traded to St. Louis in the middle of last season. In talking with Jeff, it sounds like he really did get bogged down trying to make too many adjustments with the Angels and a lot of his problems were mental. He has not had a good spring, however, and will be the most expensive No. 5 starter in baseball.
My first thought when they made that signing was, "Do they really not feel like they already have someone in the organization who can go out and lose 14 games next year -- and for the major league minimum instead of $8 million-plus?" But the Mariners are convinced he turned the corner when he was traded to St. Louis in the middle of last season. In talking with Jeff, it sounds like he really did get bogged down trying to make too many adjustments with the Angels and a lot of his problems were mental. He has not had a good spring, however, and will be the most expensive No. 5 starter in baseball.
Q2. The Mariners have almost $26 million tied up in their two corner infielders, Sexson and Beltre. Which of those two players do you think could be traded during the season if the Mariners fall out of contention?
Sexson is thought to be the more likely trade bait of the two. He doesn't hit for average but does hit a ton of home runs (just not in critical situations), which makes him appealing to other teams, especially someone with a smaller ballpark. The Mariners have several other options at first base, including Ben Broussard, who's on the bench but started for the Indians a year ago. Beltre brings the added dimension of terrific defense at a difficult position, and there is no obvious heir to third base in the organization.
Sexson is thought to be the more likely trade bait of the two. He doesn't hit for average but does hit a ton of home runs (just not in critical situations), which makes him appealing to other teams, especially someone with a smaller ballpark. The Mariners have several other options at first base, including Ben Broussard, who's on the bench but started for the Indians a year ago. Beltre brings the added dimension of terrific defense at a difficult position, and there is no obvious heir to third base in the organization.
Q3. Pitcher Mark Lowe was impressive last season with his fastball. How are the Mariners going to utilize him?
Mark's season ended prematurely with an elbow injury that has required two operations. He isn't expected back before midseason, and everyone will be holding their breath to see whether he comes back with the same stuff.
Mark's season ended prematurely with an elbow injury that has required two operations. He isn't expected back before midseason, and everyone will be holding their breath to see whether he comes back with the same stuff.
Q4. Will manager Mike Hargrove make it through this season?
Not unless they win and stay in the hunt for the division. The owner declared this winter that both Hargrove and GM Bill Bavasi are "on the hot seat," and the team brought in manager-in-waiting John McLaren, the No. 2 man behind Lou Piniella during Seattle's best years, as bench coach. If this team comes out of the gate 7-22 or something, Grover is probably history.
Not unless they win and stay in the hunt for the division. The owner declared this winter that both Hargrove and GM Bill Bavasi are "on the hot seat," and the team brought in manager-in-waiting John McLaren, the No. 2 man behind Lou Piniella during Seattle's best years, as bench coach. If this team comes out of the gate 7-22 or something, Grover is probably history.
Q5. Who is the best minor league player coming up for the Mariners and when will he make it to The Show?
Baseball America says it's outfielder Adam Jones, a converted shortstop who is still learning to play center field and didn't hit in a major league stint last year. They need him to be ready to take over in case they trade Ichiro at the trading deadline or lose him after the season (he's in the last year of his contract with talks at a standstill). Last year's first-round draft pick, right-hander Brandon Morrow, absolutely blew everyone away this spring and it looks like he's going to make the team as a reliever despite having only a handful of minor league games under his belt.
Baseball America says it's outfielder Adam Jones, a converted shortstop who is still learning to play center field and didn't hit in a major league stint last year. They need him to be ready to take over in case they trade Ichiro at the trading deadline or lose him after the season (he's in the last year of his contract with talks at a standstill). Last year's first-round draft pick, right-hander Brandon Morrow, absolutely blew everyone away this spring and it looks like he's going to make the team as a reliever despite having only a handful of minor league games under his belt.
I want to thank David Andriesen for taking the time to respond.....it is much appreciated!!!!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Five Good Questions with . . . Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis-Star Tribune
This is the first installment of a new segment on Stiles Points called "Five Good Questions with . . . ."...
..the purpose of the segment is to get an in-depth opinion of people who are involved with sports.....today’s segment is with Jim Souhan, sports columnist of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune....Souhan began writing for the Star-Tribune in 1990 and has covered the Vikings and Twins....we asked Souhan five questions about this year’s Minnesota Twins....
Q1. There is talk that this may be Torii Hunter's last season with the Twins, if he should go elsewhere, who are some of the young candidates to take his place? Is Denard Span a possibility?
Span is almost a lock to be Torii's successor, and Torii knows it. He flew Denard to his home in Texas this winter for workouts and career guidance. Torii is looking for a big contract, and the Twins are trying to figure out how they're going to afford Santana, Mauer, Morneau and Nathan. Span most likely will be the Twins' leadoff hitter and centerfielder next opening day.
Q2. Have the Twins done a good enough job to patch-up the rotation with Francisco Liriano out for the season?
No. They're starting the season with three veterans who have spotty resumes at best. Carlos Silva has looked terrible this spring. Ramon Ortiz has looked OK, but he's had four straight poor seasons. Sidney Ponson actually looks the best of the three, but he's a rather unpredictable chap. He once punched an Aruban judge in a beach fight. Not many big-league pitchers can say that. Boof Bonser is a solid young pitcher who should be fourth or fifth in the rotation. In this rotation, he's second.
Q3. What type of spring training did young pitchers Boof Bonser and Matt Garza have?
Bonser has been fine. Matt Garza looked dynamic but the Twins want to see him develop better command of his off-speed pitches, so he's been sent to the minors. He, Glen Perkins and Kevin Slowey will compete to be the first pitcher called up.
Q4. Does Ron Gardenhire get enough credit for the job he does year-in and year-out?
He's very good at running the clubhouse and instilling a sense of cameraderie and daily competitiveness in his players. Tom Kelly was a better strategist, but then TK was better than almost anyone at in-game strategy. Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson also have excelled at pasting together rotations that survive and bullpens than excel.
Q5. Will Johan Santana, Joe Mauer, and Justin Morneau be with the Twins for their entire career, or will the move on like so many other good Twins players?
I can't see the Twins ever letting St. Paul Joe (Mauer) leave. Morneau wants to stay, and I think that's probably (going to happen). Santana will want about $20 million a year, and I can't see how the Twins can afford to invest 30 percent of their payroll in a guy who plays 33 times a year. Closer Joe Nathan should be a priority, because with him the bullpen is exceptional, and without him it could collapse.
I want to thank Jim Souhan for taking the time to respond to the questions.....it is nice that he took a few minutes to help out a blogger....
..the purpose of the segment is to get an in-depth opinion of people who are involved with sports.....today’s segment is with Jim Souhan, sports columnist of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune....Souhan began writing for the Star-Tribune in 1990 and has covered the Vikings and Twins....we asked Souhan five questions about this year’s Minnesota Twins....Q1. There is talk that this may be Torii Hunter's last season with the Twins, if he should go elsewhere, who are some of the young candidates to take his place? Is Denard Span a possibility?
Span is almost a lock to be Torii's successor, and Torii knows it. He flew Denard to his home in Texas this winter for workouts and career guidance. Torii is looking for a big contract, and the Twins are trying to figure out how they're going to afford Santana, Mauer, Morneau and Nathan. Span most likely will be the Twins' leadoff hitter and centerfielder next opening day.
Q2. Have the Twins done a good enough job to patch-up the rotation with Francisco Liriano out for the season?
No. They're starting the season with three veterans who have spotty resumes at best. Carlos Silva has looked terrible this spring. Ramon Ortiz has looked OK, but he's had four straight poor seasons. Sidney Ponson actually looks the best of the three, but he's a rather unpredictable chap. He once punched an Aruban judge in a beach fight. Not many big-league pitchers can say that. Boof Bonser is a solid young pitcher who should be fourth or fifth in the rotation. In this rotation, he's second.
Q3. What type of spring training did young pitchers Boof Bonser and Matt Garza have?
Bonser has been fine. Matt Garza looked dynamic but the Twins want to see him develop better command of his off-speed pitches, so he's been sent to the minors. He, Glen Perkins and Kevin Slowey will compete to be the first pitcher called up.
Q4. Does Ron Gardenhire get enough credit for the job he does year-in and year-out?
He's very good at running the clubhouse and instilling a sense of cameraderie and daily competitiveness in his players. Tom Kelly was a better strategist, but then TK was better than almost anyone at in-game strategy. Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson also have excelled at pasting together rotations that survive and bullpens than excel.
Q5. Will Johan Santana, Joe Mauer, and Justin Morneau be with the Twins for their entire career, or will the move on like so many other good Twins players?
I can't see the Twins ever letting St. Paul Joe (Mauer) leave. Morneau wants to stay, and I think that's probably (going to happen). Santana will want about $20 million a year, and I can't see how the Twins can afford to invest 30 percent of their payroll in a guy who plays 33 times a year. Closer Joe Nathan should be a priority, because with him the bullpen is exceptional, and without him it could collapse.
I want to thank Jim Souhan for taking the time to respond to the questions.....it is nice that he took a few minutes to help out a blogger....
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Why do people hate the Florida Gators?
Sometimes you just can’t win.....
Florida is the most hated team left in the Big Dance.....it is understandable why most people would feel that way because of the Gators success on the court with their showboating superstar in Joakim Noah and slick coach Billy Donovan.... basically, American sports fans hate successful teams....
Even though I picked Georgetown to win the tournament, it would still be nice to see the Gators win back-to-back titles because players like Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer, and Taurean Green all by-passed the big money of the NBA last year in order to comeback to try and win another title....
Now if these players all chose to opt for the NBA, after beating UCLA to win the title last season, the majority of sports fans would have called them money hungry and cried for the days of their youth when players stayed in college for four years....
From what I read about Noah, off the court he is a very engaging person who is smart and has many opinions about world events and societal problems....Noah could be considered a "model" student-athlete....he’s a young person who is not only a talented athlete but a talented person in class....also, I have yet to hear any of these four players names linked to arrests, DUIs, drugs, etc that can be found with other successful college athletes....
So after this tournament, Noah, Horford, Brewer, and Green have another decision to make....being they are all juniors, the Fab Four can decide to comeback and try for a possible three-peat (if they win this year).....
But no matter what choice they make, they will be vilified for it....
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Remembering Al McGuire
Every year during the NCAA Tournament I always think about former Marquette head basketball coach Al McGuire....
McGuire was a street tough Irishman who was a quirky odd bird of sort....he came from the hard streets of New York City and started his coaching career at a little school in North Carolina called Belmont Abbey....
Of course, he gained his notoriety as the head coach of then Marquette Warriors....it has been 30 years since McGuire won his only national title at Marquette in his last game as head coach.....his team, led by Butch Lee and Jerome Whitehead, beat Dean Smith’s North Carolina 67-59 in Atlanta, where this year’s Final Four will be held....
McGuire was a different coach alright.....over 90 percent of all his players eventually graduated from college.....he recruited his players from inner cities....he once said, "My rule was I wouldn’t recruit a kid if he had grass in front of his house. My world was a cracked sidewalk....
He cared about his players.....while at Marquette, one of his best players Jim Chones had to make a decision whether to leave school early and enter the NBA draft or stay for another year....Chones grew up dirt poor and had five younger siblings....McGuire told him, :"When I look into my refrigerator and then I look into Jimmy’s - I told him - take the money"....
After retiring, McGuire probably gained greater fame as a college basketball analyst for NBC and later CBS....
Who could ever forget his screams of "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh......Holy Mackerel!!!....Holy Mackerel!!!"...after Georgia Tech stunned Southern Cal with a buzzer beater shot in the 1992 tournament...
There was the other time when he started dancing with the Syracuse players and fell down on his behind....
Basketball was his trade, but he was passionate about other things such as riding his motorcyle or collecting toy soldiers.....he loved seashells, balloons, clowns, and weepy country songs...
McGuire died in 2001 from leukemia.....in his last few days, after being hooked up to IVs for over two weeks, McGuire’s long time friend and former assistant Rick Majerus came to visit him....McGuire disconnected all his IVs and asked Majerus to get him a hamburger with onions and a hot fudge sundae....he was determined to go out "his way....
They don’t make them like Al McGuire anymore....
So this weekend, when the Final Four is about to tip-off, raise a frosty glass of beer to Al McGuire in honor of the 30th anniversary of Marquette winning the national title...
McGuire was a street tough Irishman who was a quirky odd bird of sort....he came from the hard streets of New York City and started his coaching career at a little school in North Carolina called Belmont Abbey....
Of course, he gained his notoriety as the head coach of then Marquette Warriors....it has been 30 years since McGuire won his only national title at Marquette in his last game as head coach.....his team, led by Butch Lee and Jerome Whitehead, beat Dean Smith’s North Carolina 67-59 in Atlanta, where this year’s Final Four will be held....
McGuire was a different coach alright.....over 90 percent of all his players eventually graduated from college.....he recruited his players from inner cities....he once said, "My rule was I wouldn’t recruit a kid if he had grass in front of his house. My world was a cracked sidewalk....
He cared about his players.....while at Marquette, one of his best players Jim Chones had to make a decision whether to leave school early and enter the NBA draft or stay for another year....Chones grew up dirt poor and had five younger siblings....McGuire told him, :"When I look into my refrigerator and then I look into Jimmy’s - I told him - take the money"....
After retiring, McGuire probably gained greater fame as a college basketball analyst for NBC and later CBS....
Who could ever forget his screams of "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh......Holy Mackerel!!!....Holy Mackerel!!!"...after Georgia Tech stunned Southern Cal with a buzzer beater shot in the 1992 tournament...
There was the other time when he started dancing with the Syracuse players and fell down on his behind....
Basketball was his trade, but he was passionate about other things such as riding his motorcyle or collecting toy soldiers.....he loved seashells, balloons, clowns, and weepy country songs...
McGuire died in 2001 from leukemia.....in his last few days, after being hooked up to IVs for over two weeks, McGuire’s long time friend and former assistant Rick Majerus came to visit him....McGuire disconnected all his IVs and asked Majerus to get him a hamburger with onions and a hot fudge sundae....he was determined to go out "his way....
They don’t make them like Al McGuire anymore....
So this weekend, when the Final Four is about to tip-off, raise a frosty glass of beer to Al McGuire in honor of the 30th anniversary of Marquette winning the national title...
Monday, March 26, 2007
The last title game rematch - Duke-UNLV
The early line is out....Florida is favored by 3 ½ over UCLA.....the Georgetown-Ohio State game is Pick....
UCLA has waited an entire year to erase the thumping they received from Florida in last year’s title game.....
1991 was the last time there was a rematch of the previous year’s championship game.....the rematch also took place in the semifinals when defending champ and undefeated UNLV played Duke....
The two teams met in the 1990 title game with the Runnin Rebels routing Duke 103-73.....the Rebels were led by Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony, and Anderson Hunt while the Blue Devils had Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, and Thomas Hill....
While Jerry Tarkanian’s Rebels were routing everyone they played in 1991, Duke had one eye on a possible rematch....it happened in the semifinals in Indianapolis....
As you know, Duke got its revenge by beating UNLV, then two nights later, Coach K got his first championship by beating Kansas.....
Both Billy Donovan of Florida and Ben Howland of UCLA should remind their team about that 1991 Duke-UNLV game.....it is an interesting history lesson for both teams....
In some other tidbits.....most people assumed Tony Kornheiser would not be back in the Monday Night Football booth for ESPN.....but it was reported this morning by Newsday that Joe Theismann got the boot.....the report stated that Ron Jaworski or Bill Parcells may replace Theismann....
What was Warren Buffett doing at a Cleveland Cavaliers game on Sunday night?.....
If you ask me, this great tandem of Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson has not blossomed as expected.....the Nuggets are still 6th in the Western Conference.....
Did North Carolina drop a bomb in the last five minutes of regulation or what???.....that has to be one of the worst five minutes ever for a Roy Williams coached team....
What about Duke ACC Player of the Year Lyndsey Harding.....on Saturday, Harding had a chance to win the game for the Lady Blue Devils.....down by 1 point against Rutgers with a tenth of a second left, Harding, the All-American, went to the free throw line for two shots.....yep, she shot two bricks.....Duke finished the season with only 2 losses, but nothing to show for it....they did not win the ACC Tournament and failed to make the Final Four....
UCLA has waited an entire year to erase the thumping they received from Florida in last year’s title game.....
1991 was the last time there was a rematch of the previous year’s championship game.....the rematch also took place in the semifinals when defending champ and undefeated UNLV played Duke....
The two teams met in the 1990 title game with the Runnin Rebels routing Duke 103-73.....the Rebels were led by Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony, and Anderson Hunt while the Blue Devils had Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, and Thomas Hill....
While Jerry Tarkanian’s Rebels were routing everyone they played in 1991, Duke had one eye on a possible rematch....it happened in the semifinals in Indianapolis....
As you know, Duke got its revenge by beating UNLV, then two nights later, Coach K got his first championship by beating Kansas.....
Both Billy Donovan of Florida and Ben Howland of UCLA should remind their team about that 1991 Duke-UNLV game.....it is an interesting history lesson for both teams....
In some other tidbits.....most people assumed Tony Kornheiser would not be back in the Monday Night Football booth for ESPN.....but it was reported this morning by Newsday that Joe Theismann got the boot.....the report stated that Ron Jaworski or Bill Parcells may replace Theismann....
What was Warren Buffett doing at a Cleveland Cavaliers game on Sunday night?.....
If you ask me, this great tandem of Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson has not blossomed as expected.....the Nuggets are still 6th in the Western Conference.....
Did North Carolina drop a bomb in the last five minutes of regulation or what???.....that has to be one of the worst five minutes ever for a Roy Williams coached team....
What about Duke ACC Player of the Year Lyndsey Harding.....on Saturday, Harding had a chance to win the game for the Lady Blue Devils.....down by 1 point against Rutgers with a tenth of a second left, Harding, the All-American, went to the free throw line for two shots.....yep, she shot two bricks.....Duke finished the season with only 2 losses, but nothing to show for it....they did not win the ACC Tournament and failed to make the Final Four....
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Kobe Bryant is finally DA MAN!!!
Kobe Bryant is finally happy....after years of playing second fiddle to Shaq, Kobe is now Da Man in Los Angeles.....
On Friday, Kobe scored 50 or more points for the fourth straight game – a mark that only Wilt Chamberlain accomplished....
Kobe has three World Championship rings....so he is in no rush to try and chase after an elusive title like that of Kevin Garnett, Steve Nash, or Jason Kidd....its all about Kobe – 24/7/365....for now, I believe Kobe is more concerned about getting his name in the record books.....
The Houston Texans made a good move by trading for Atlanta back-up quarterback Matt Schaub.....nothing against former Houston quarterback David Carr....Carr is still young and could be successful if on a more experienced team with an actual offensive line to protect him....
Maybe Carr accepts a role as a back-up for a year or two and then take over as the starter....a team that might fit that bill is Carolina....Jake Delhomme is the starter, but he is on the backside of his career....and as was evident late last season, the Panthers need a quality back-up if Delhomme should suffer an injury....
It was time for Tubby Smith to move on from Kentucky.....he was never truly accepted as the head coach in Basketball Capital USA.....Smith had to always defend his coaching ability while at Kentucky.....if he could turn around the dismal Minnesota basketball program, Smith will no longer have to answer any of his critics....
Some names mentioned to replace Tommy Amaker as the head coach of Michigan are Sean Miller of Xavier and Bruce Pearl of Tennessee.....both are good coaches, but I would be hesitant to have them lead Michigan basketball after both coaches could not seal the deal against Ohio State in the tournament.....Michigan already has enough experience with coaches who play Ohio State tough, but somehow always come up short.....
I am also hesitant about Miller after he was not vocal about the blatant no-intentional foul call last Saturday against Greg Oden......maybe Miller did not want to grandstand his mentor, Thad Matta.....but I am sorry, he needed to be more vocal about the official’s poor call....basically, Michigan needs a coach who flat-out hates Ohio State....
Elite 8 Call
Ohio State -3 vs. Memphis - the Buckeyes are fortunate to be in this situation after two lucky victories....I don’t see them "lucking out" again....Memphis plays in a weak Conference USA....Buckeyes win by at least 8 points today....
Kansas -2 vs. UCLA - like OSU, Kansas is also fortunate to be playing after their lackluster effort against Southern Illinois.....even though Kansas is the higher seed, UCLA is basically playing in their backyard in San Jose.....I just think Kansas is due to make the Final Four under Bill Self.....it will be a close game, but Kansas wins by 5.....
On Friday, Kobe scored 50 or more points for the fourth straight game – a mark that only Wilt Chamberlain accomplished....
Kobe has three World Championship rings....so he is in no rush to try and chase after an elusive title like that of Kevin Garnett, Steve Nash, or Jason Kidd....its all about Kobe – 24/7/365....for now, I believe Kobe is more concerned about getting his name in the record books.....
The Houston Texans made a good move by trading for Atlanta back-up quarterback Matt Schaub.....nothing against former Houston quarterback David Carr....Carr is still young and could be successful if on a more experienced team with an actual offensive line to protect him....
Maybe Carr accepts a role as a back-up for a year or two and then take over as the starter....a team that might fit that bill is Carolina....Jake Delhomme is the starter, but he is on the backside of his career....and as was evident late last season, the Panthers need a quality back-up if Delhomme should suffer an injury....
It was time for Tubby Smith to move on from Kentucky.....he was never truly accepted as the head coach in Basketball Capital USA.....Smith had to always defend his coaching ability while at Kentucky.....if he could turn around the dismal Minnesota basketball program, Smith will no longer have to answer any of his critics....
Some names mentioned to replace Tommy Amaker as the head coach of Michigan are Sean Miller of Xavier and Bruce Pearl of Tennessee.....both are good coaches, but I would be hesitant to have them lead Michigan basketball after both coaches could not seal the deal against Ohio State in the tournament.....Michigan already has enough experience with coaches who play Ohio State tough, but somehow always come up short.....
I am also hesitant about Miller after he was not vocal about the blatant no-intentional foul call last Saturday against Greg Oden......maybe Miller did not want to grandstand his mentor, Thad Matta.....but I am sorry, he needed to be more vocal about the official’s poor call....basically, Michigan needs a coach who flat-out hates Ohio State....
Elite 8 Call
Ohio State -3 vs. Memphis - the Buckeyes are fortunate to be in this situation after two lucky victories....I don’t see them "lucking out" again....Memphis plays in a weak Conference USA....Buckeyes win by at least 8 points today....
Kansas -2 vs. UCLA - like OSU, Kansas is also fortunate to be playing after their lackluster effort against Southern Illinois.....even though Kansas is the higher seed, UCLA is basically playing in their backyard in San Jose.....I just think Kansas is due to make the Final Four under Bill Self.....it will be a close game, but Kansas wins by 5.....
Friday, March 23, 2007
Is it 2002 again?
Have I been asleep for the past five years???....
I thought it's 2007, but after watching the last two games Ohio State played in the basketball tournament, I swear it is 2002....
Ohio State fans know 2002 pretty well.....that is the year their football team undeservingly won the BCS title....
That is the year when they won 7 games by 7 points or less.....the season when they would convert of fourth down when they had to, but their opponent couldn’t....
Another similarity is that an official played a role in one of their victories....Buckeye fans, you know that was not pass interference in the Fiesta Bowl and that was an intentional foul by Oden....
If this is a 2002 season all over again, God played a major role in it after his inspirational speech in January....
Maybe....just maybe this team is destined to win it....sometimes the best team does not always win....
Thursday, March 22, 2007
God Spoke to Brother Thad's Team
Back in January after Ohio State lost to Wisconsin, head basketball coach Thad Matta was befuddled about his team....the Buckeyes had three losses on the season and was preparing to host nationally ranked Tennessee in the "mecca of basketball" - Columbus, Ohio....
After much gut wrenching thought and prayer, an idea came to Brother Thad....."let me ask God to intervene"....
So Brother Thad scurried to the gates of heaven at the Hayes Football Complex....there he fell to his knees and ask God himself if he would be kind enough to speak to his feeble basketball team.....after saying 20 Hail Tressels, God smiled and agreed to assist Brother Thad in his dilemma....
God pulled on his grey sweatervest and adjusted the American flag pin on his shirt and away he went as he walked across the Olentangy River to meet with the basketball team...
Brother Thad’s prayers were answered....as God spoke to the Goliath-like players, not a dry eye could be found in the Buckeye lockers....before his eyes, he saw his young men become enlightened and strengthened to the point of where they broke out in song -- Carmen, Ohio....
Brother Thad has proclaimed that the speech was one of the greatest talks he has ever heard.....
Since then, Ohio State has not lost a basketball game....they have risen to the heights of number 1 in the nation....just last week, God’s work came through again as a referee suddenly, and mysteriously, was unable to move his arms in the position of an intentional foul....
Yes all non-believers.....God is here on earth -- and he resides in Columbus....
After much gut wrenching thought and prayer, an idea came to Brother Thad....."let me ask God to intervene"....
So Brother Thad scurried to the gates of heaven at the Hayes Football Complex....there he fell to his knees and ask God himself if he would be kind enough to speak to his feeble basketball team.....after saying 20 Hail Tressels, God smiled and agreed to assist Brother Thad in his dilemma....
God pulled on his grey sweatervest and adjusted the American flag pin on his shirt and away he went as he walked across the Olentangy River to meet with the basketball team...
Brother Thad’s prayers were answered....as God spoke to the Goliath-like players, not a dry eye could be found in the Buckeye lockers....before his eyes, he saw his young men become enlightened and strengthened to the point of where they broke out in song -- Carmen, Ohio....
Brother Thad has proclaimed that the speech was one of the greatest talks he has ever heard.....
Since then, Ohio State has not lost a basketball game....they have risen to the heights of number 1 in the nation....just last week, God’s work came through again as a referee suddenly, and mysteriously, was unable to move his arms in the position of an intentional foul....
Yes all non-believers.....God is here on earth -- and he resides in Columbus....
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Why March is Magical
Each year CBS concludes its coverage of the tournament with its traditional "One Shining Moment" clip of highlights from March Madness....
However, right before the clip begins, to me, the best part of the entire tournament is when CBS takes a few minutes to roll its credits while showing the winning team cutting down the nets....the raw emotion and excitement from not only the players, but also the cheerleaders, fans, and parents is unmatched....
What makes this also a special moment is that each player, no matter if he is the star or a walk-on 12th man, climbs the ladder and gets his opportunity to cut a piece of the nets....that is every kid’s dream from the time they are shooting baskets in their driveway or in a park....for that one moment, they get to take those few steps up the ladder and be acknowledged for their contribution....all the hard work and sacrifice was worth it....
This is best shown in a clip I found on Youtube from the 1987 tournament when Indiana beat Syracuse.....back then, even the losing team remained on the floor and awaited the presentation of the runner-up trophy....when watching this clip, just look at the contrasting emotions between Syracuse and Indiana....look at their eyes....look at the excitement....look at their faces...
This is why March Madness is great
One Shining Moment 1987
However, right before the clip begins, to me, the best part of the entire tournament is when CBS takes a few minutes to roll its credits while showing the winning team cutting down the nets....the raw emotion and excitement from not only the players, but also the cheerleaders, fans, and parents is unmatched....
What makes this also a special moment is that each player, no matter if he is the star or a walk-on 12th man, climbs the ladder and gets his opportunity to cut a piece of the nets....that is every kid’s dream from the time they are shooting baskets in their driveway or in a park....for that one moment, they get to take those few steps up the ladder and be acknowledged for their contribution....all the hard work and sacrifice was worth it....
This is best shown in a clip I found on Youtube from the 1987 tournament when Indiana beat Syracuse.....back then, even the losing team remained on the floor and awaited the presentation of the runner-up trophy....when watching this clip, just look at the contrasting emotions between Syracuse and Indiana....look at their eyes....look at the excitement....look at their faces...
This is why March Madness is great
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Ranking the Sweet 16
1. Kansas - the Jayhawks are playing the best ball....they are kinda like on the same roll Florida was last season....
2. North Carolina - Tyler Hansbrough (photo) may "will" this team to the title...he has been a monster...
3. Georgetown - I still believe the Hoyas will win it all....Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green can take over a game....
4. UCLA - they almost blew the Indiana game....the Bruins have the experience of making it to the finals last year....
5. Florida - this is flat-out the most talented team left, but it seems like they have a lack of focus at times.....they need to step it up....
6. Tennessee - the Vols will beat Ohio State....they are a seasoned team who played in a tough conference....Lofton is a legit leader...
7. Ohio State - over-rated!!!.....they played in a weak conference and lucked out against Xavier....
8. Texas A&M - the Aggies proved something to me by beating Louisville in Lexington....
9. UNLV - the Rebels impressed me with Kruger and Umoh running the show...plus head coa
ch Lon Kruger has been to the Final Four before....
10. Memphis - the Tigers have the impressive numbers - 30+ wins....but the competitions gets tougher now....
11. Pitt - the Panthers are capable of beating UCLA....but then I could see them getting smoked by Kansas.....plus, they could not close the door on VCU the other day....
12. Southern Illinois - Tatum and Falker have been impressive this season....
13. Butler - A.J. Graves baby!!!....if the Bulldogs have the lead late in the game, Graves is the best free throw shooter in the land...
14. Vanderbilt - Derrick Byars (photo) is the best player no one has heard of....Byars, not Noah, Horford, Lofton, etc, was the SEC Player of the Year....
15. Oregon - the Ducks stop quacking....
16. Southern Cal - the Trojans have made a nice run....but it ends now....
2. North Carolina - Tyler Hansbrough (photo) may "will" this team to the title...he has been a monster...
3. Georgetown - I still believe the Hoyas will win it all....Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green can take over a game....
4. UCLA - they almost blew the Indiana game....the Bruins have the experience of making it to the finals last year....
5. Florida - this is flat-out the most talented team left, but it seems like they have a lack of focus at times.....they need to step it up....
6. Tennessee - the Vols will beat Ohio State....they are a seasoned team who played in a tough conference....Lofton is a legit leader...
7. Ohio State - over-rated!!!.....they played in a weak conference and lucked out against Xavier....
8. Texas A&M - the Aggies proved something to me by beating Louisville in Lexington....
9. UNLV - the Rebels impressed me with Kruger and Umoh running the show...plus head coa
ch Lon Kruger has been to the Final Four before....10. Memphis - the Tigers have the impressive numbers - 30+ wins....but the competitions gets tougher now....
11. Pitt - the Panthers are capable of beating UCLA....but then I could see them getting smoked by Kansas.....plus, they could not close the door on VCU the other day....
12. Southern Illinois - Tatum and Falker have been impressive this season....
13. Butler - A.J. Graves baby!!!....if the Bulldogs have the lead late in the game, Graves is the best free throw shooter in the land...
14. Vanderbilt - Derrick Byars (photo) is the best player no one has heard of....Byars, not Noah, Horford, Lofton, etc, was the SEC Player of the Year....
15. Oregon - the Ducks stop quacking....
16. Southern Cal - the Trojans have made a nice run....but it ends now....
Monday, March 19, 2007
Tournament Quick Hits
Now that the first two rounds are done, here are some tournament thoughts....
The tournament committee made a massive error by putting Arkansas and Stanford in the tournament....both teams were not competitive in their first round losses....
Syracuse, Kansas State, or even Akron should have been selected before Arkansas and Stanford....
It seemed as if Florida was not playing hard in their win over Purdue....
Just like in football, the Big 10 was the most over-rated conference....Wisconsin and Ohio State were ranked in the top 5 most of the year because the conference lacked strong teams who were consistent throughout the year....
Wisconsin got bounced yesterday by UNLV and by rights, they should have lost on Friday to Texas A&M Corpus-Christi....
I wonder what Jerry Tarkanian is doing?....
Ohio State needed help from a referee’s no-call to survive against Xavier....
Tennessee will beat Ohio State on Thursday night....
Greg Oden reminds of Robert Parrish....
Kansas has been the most impressive team so far....
There are no double-digit seeded teams left...
For the first time, all number 5 seeds survived their first round game against the 12 seed...
Tyler Hansbrough is the best center in college basketball this year....
The tournament committee made a massive error by putting Arkansas and Stanford in the tournament....both teams were not competitive in their first round losses....
Syracuse, Kansas State, or even Akron should have been selected before Arkansas and Stanford....
It seemed as if Florida was not playing hard in their win over Purdue....
Just like in football, the Big 10 was the most over-rated conference....Wisconsin and Ohio State were ranked in the top 5 most of the year because the conference lacked strong teams who were consistent throughout the year....
Wisconsin got bounced yesterday by UNLV and by rights, they should have lost on Friday to Texas A&M Corpus-Christi....
I wonder what Jerry Tarkanian is doing?....
Ohio State needed help from a referee’s no-call to survive against Xavier....
Tennessee will beat Ohio State on Thursday night....
Greg Oden reminds of Robert Parrish....
Kansas has been the most impressive team so far....
There are no double-digit seeded teams left...
For the first time, all number 5 seeds survived their first round game against the 12 seed...
Tyler Hansbrough is the best center in college basketball this year....
Saturday, March 17, 2007
The time was right to replace Amaker
Tommy Amaker came to Ann Arbor in 2001 from Seton Hall....there was much promise and hope for the Michigan basketball program after being mired by allegations, violations, and sanctions....
Amaker was a young refreshing leader with a good pedigree from Duke's Coach K....during Amaker's six years as head coach, he ran a clean program.....he seemed like a nice person who cared about his players....he helped stabilize the basketball program and brought it back to respectability.....but in the end, he could not win on a consistent basis to lead Michigan back into the NCAA tournament or to a Big Ten title....
In 6 years he posted a 109-83 record and 3 NIT bids including the 2004 NIT championship....
However, when you are the head basketball coach of a program the size of Michigan’s you are hired to win Big Ten and NCAA titles, not NIT banners....
People within the coaching brethren will bemoan the fact that Amaker was a good man who did all the right things, but ultimately was fired because he could not win....
Right or wrong, that is the nature of the beast....
The time was right for Michigan to move in another direction....the athletic department has been more than patient with Amaker....as Michigan received annual invitations to the NIT, their Big Ten opponents continued to move forward.....
During the last 6 years Illinois came close to a perfect season and lost in the title game....Michigan State made another Final Four appearance....Wisconsin rose to number 1 in the nation....and even hated rival Ohio State has become a national power in basketball as they somehow snatched Greg Oden from the state of Indiana to help the Buckeyes win back-to-back Big Ten titles and possibly a national title....
During the last six years, even the Purdue basketball program fell to the basketball dungeon only to rise again within 2 years.....In 2005 the Boilermakers finished 7-21 and was 10th in the Big Ten under legendary head coach Gene Keady....in just 2 short seasons, new head coach Matt Painter has the Boilermakers back in the Big Dance as they will play defending champion Florida on Sunday in the tournament's second round....
The time was right for Michigan to make the move because too many teams have passed them by over the last six years....it is now time for Michigan to put the pedal to the metal.....
Officials lack guts to call intentional foul on Oden!!
No guts....
That is what the officials in the Ohio State-Xavier game had - no guts....with less than 10 seconds remaining and the Buckeyes fighting the strains of defeat, Greg Oden clearly and intentionally fouled Xavier’s Justin Cage after Cage grabbed a rebound under the Ohio State basket....
Oden did not try to strip the ball or steal the ball....it was clearly a malicious shove of frustration....it clearly fit into the parameters of an intentional four....the Xavier bench also was making the hand motion of an intentional foul....instead an intentional foul was not called....
This was a poor call by the officials which helped lead to Xavier's loss....
It a shame that Xavier’s gallant effort was thwarted by game officials who lacked the guts to make the correct call of an intentional foul which would have given Xavier two foul shots and the ball with 9.6 second left....
That is what the officials in the Ohio State-Xavier game had - no guts....with less than 10 seconds remaining and the Buckeyes fighting the strains of defeat, Greg Oden clearly and intentionally fouled Xavier’s Justin Cage after Cage grabbed a rebound under the Ohio State basket....
Oden did not try to strip the ball or steal the ball....it was clearly a malicious shove of frustration....it clearly fit into the parameters of an intentional four....the Xavier bench also was making the hand motion of an intentional foul....instead an intentional foul was not called....
This was a poor call by the officials which helped lead to Xavier's loss....
It a shame that Xavier’s gallant effort was thwarted by game officials who lacked the guts to make the correct call of an intentional foul which would have given Xavier two foul shots and the ball with 9.6 second left....
Saturday's Tournament Predictions
Here is look at Saturday’s key games....
Ohio State -8 vs. Xavier (1:10 pm) - Xavier has not played the Buckeyes since 1984 and they would love nothing more than to beat their former coach Thad "Mr. Good" Matta....X is led by former Pitt hotshot guard Sean Miller....X is a team with balanced scoring....look for them to give Mr. Good a hard time, but in the end, Ohio State wins by 9....
Texas A&M - 2.5 vs. Louisville (3:40 pm) - this was the one game that screwed up my brackets because I was wanting them to face-off later instead of in round 2....this will be one of the best games of the tourney....the Aggies have the best 3-point shooter in the tourney in Josh Carter and stud leader in Acie Law.....but The ‘Ville is my team in this region......The ‘Ville wins by 2 because of their experience at coaching.....
Pitt - 7 vs. Virginia Commonwealth (5:50 pm) - a win here by VCU and the Rams officially get sized for the Cinderella show....something tells me the Rams are going to win this game.....VCU wins by 5...
UCLA -8 vs. Indiana (8:05 pm) - these are traditional NCAA basketball powers....this is a classic match-up - in name only.....Bruins win by 12....
North Carolina -10 vs. Michigan State (8:15 pm) - everything favors Carolina in this game....except the coaching match-up where it is even between Tom Izzo and Roy Williams....Sparty must hit the 3 ball if they want to pull the upset....they led the Big 10 in 3 point shooting....look for Sparty to hang around, but Carolina wins by 8....
Other games
Maryland -6 vs. Butler (3:20 pm) - Maryland wins by 10
Georgetown -8.5 vs. Boston College (5:45 pm) - this is like old times when BC used to be in the Big East.....Georgetown wins by 12
Washington State -2.5 vs. Vanderbilt (5:40 pm) - Vanderbilt wins by 7
Ohio State -8 vs. Xavier (1:10 pm) - Xavier has not played the Buckeyes since 1984 and they would love nothing more than to beat their former coach Thad "Mr. Good" Matta....X is led by former Pitt hotshot guard Sean Miller....X is a team with balanced scoring....look for them to give Mr. Good a hard time, but in the end, Ohio State wins by 9....
Texas A&M - 2.5 vs. Louisville (3:40 pm) - this was the one game that screwed up my brackets because I was wanting them to face-off later instead of in round 2....this will be one of the best games of the tourney....the Aggies have the best 3-point shooter in the tourney in Josh Carter and stud leader in Acie Law.....but The ‘Ville is my team in this region......The ‘Ville wins by 2 because of their experience at coaching.....
Pitt - 7 vs. Virginia Commonwealth (5:50 pm) - a win here by VCU and the Rams officially get sized for the Cinderella show....something tells me the Rams are going to win this game.....VCU wins by 5...
UCLA -8 vs. Indiana (8:05 pm) - these are traditional NCAA basketball powers....this is a classic match-up - in name only.....Bruins win by 12....
North Carolina -10 vs. Michigan State (8:15 pm) - everything favors Carolina in this game....except the coaching match-up where it is even between Tom Izzo and Roy Williams....Sparty must hit the 3 ball if they want to pull the upset....they led the Big 10 in 3 point shooting....look for Sparty to hang around, but Carolina wins by 8....
Other games
Maryland -6 vs. Butler (3:20 pm) - Maryland wins by 10
Georgetown -8.5 vs. Boston College (5:45 pm) - this is like old times when BC used to be in the Big East.....Georgetown wins by 12
Washington State -2.5 vs. Vanderbilt (5:40 pm) - Vanderbilt wins by 7
Friday, March 16, 2007
The Big Dance - early thoughts
Here are quick hits after the first day of the tourney....
Those who cried that Drexel should have been in the tournament - SHUT UP!!!....Drexel got bounced at home in the first round of the NIT against N.C. State....
Stanford did not belong in The Big Dance....that was a pathetic effort the Cardinal displayed against Louisville....
I like Rick Pitino because he goes into the streets of New York City to get his players....freshman point guard Edgar Sosa (photo) learned the game while playing at famous Rucker Park.....these NYC kids are tough and do not get rattled.....this is where Michigan coach Tommy Amaker should be recruiting....recruit the NYC kid!!!....
Just think Blue fans....Pitino could have been coaching in Ann Arbor if the Michigan athletic department would have put out the money for him....
Bob Knight will never make it to the Final Four while at Texas Tech....
By the way, if anyone cares, Michigan got smoked by Florida State in the second round of the NIT....
If Florida is going to get tripped up anywhere, I just have a feeling it may happen in the Sweet 16 if they have to play Maryland....
I had Virginia Commonwealth in my bracket.....but I also had Oral Roberts....
I would rather have the grapefruits and make some bold picks than have BB’s and play it safe...
Butler survived the dreaded 5-12 match-up.....three other 5-12s go today....#5 USC vs Arkansas.....#5 Tennessee vs. Long Beach State......#5 Va. Tech vs. Illinois.....history shows that at least one, if not two, number fives will fall....I think Va. Tech has to worry....
All the so-called "experts" are calling for Notre Dame to lose to Winthrop today....the only reason I don’t see it happening is that too many people are expecting it....the Irish know that people are calling for them to lose so expect Notre Dame to play well and win a tough contest....
Those who cried that Drexel should have been in the tournament - SHUT UP!!!....Drexel got bounced at home in the first round of the NIT against N.C. State....
Stanford did not belong in The Big Dance....that was a pathetic effort the Cardinal displayed against Louisville....
I like Rick Pitino because he goes into the streets of New York City to get his players....freshman point guard Edgar Sosa (photo) learned the game while playing at famous Rucker Park.....these NYC kids are tough and do not get rattled.....this is where Michigan coach Tommy Amaker should be recruiting....recruit the NYC kid!!!....
Just think Blue fans....Pitino could have been coaching in Ann Arbor if the Michigan athletic department would have put out the money for him....
Bob Knight will never make it to the Final Four while at Texas Tech....
By the way, if anyone cares, Michigan got smoked by Florida State in the second round of the NIT....
If Florida is going to get tripped up anywhere, I just have a feeling it may happen in the Sweet 16 if they have to play Maryland....
I had Virginia Commonwealth in my bracket.....but I also had Oral Roberts....
I would rather have the grapefruits and make some bold picks than have BB’s and play it safe...
Butler survived the dreaded 5-12 match-up.....three other 5-12s go today....#5 USC vs Arkansas.....#5 Tennessee vs. Long Beach State......#5 Va. Tech vs. Illinois.....history shows that at least one, if not two, number fives will fall....I think Va. Tech has to worry....
All the so-called "experts" are calling for Notre Dame to lose to Winthrop today....the only reason I don’t see it happening is that too many people are expecting it....the Irish know that people are calling for them to lose so expect Notre Dame to play well and win a tough contest....
Thursday, March 15, 2007
More Sterger
For more about Jen Sterger, here is a link to her latest S.I. posting
Sterger S.I.
Here is another shot of the lovely Jen
Here is another shot of the lovely Jen
The Big Picture Interviews Jen Sterger
Check out The Big Picture's interview with Sports Illustrated.com's Advice Babe - Jenn Sterger....click on The Big Picture link on the right
By the way, Sterger is the one on the left
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Long live Chief Illiniwek
Tuesday was a sad day for longtime Illinois fans as The Chief was officially chopped....
The University officially voted to end all ties with Chief Illiniwek, their longtime mascot....
Chalk one up for the Political Correctness Police....now the Chief’s scalp hangs in their offices....
Chalk one up for the Political Correctness Police....now the Chief’s scalp hangs in their offices....
Long Live The Chief....may his memory be eternal!!!
Talkin women's hoops
Good news Steel City people....it looks like the Penguins are not moving....ESPN reports that inside sources state there will be a news conference today announcing that a deal has been struck to build the Penguins a new arena in the city of Pittsburgh....
The women’s bracket was announced last night.....Duke, North Carolina, Tennessee, and U. Conn are the number 1 seeds...
An interesting possible Sweet 16 match-up would pit Tennessee vs. Ohio State which would be played at Dayton....
First, OSU will have to get through a tough second round match-up against Middle Tennessee State who has a 26 game winning streak....
Duke is the top overall seed with a 30-1 record....but they too may have an interesting Sweet 16 match-up if they have to play Michigan State.....Lady Sparty is a quiet #5 seed....
I will give my women’s picks on Wednesday....
Can someone please tell me why Akron, Washington, and U.Conn did not make the NIT???...
What about the Golden State Warriors ending Dallas’ 17-game winning streak....on Sunday I took the Lakers, at home, and with seven points against the Mavs....the Lakers lost by 35!!!....
The women’s bracket was announced last night.....Duke, North Carolina, Tennessee, and U. Conn are the number 1 seeds...
An interesting possible Sweet 16 match-up would pit Tennessee vs. Ohio State which would be played at Dayton....
First, OSU will have to get through a tough second round match-up against Middle Tennessee State who has a 26 game winning streak....
Duke is the top overall seed with a 30-1 record....but they too may have an interesting Sweet 16 match-up if they have to play Michigan State.....Lady Sparty is a quiet #5 seed....
I will give my women’s picks on Wednesday....
Can someone please tell me why Akron, Washington, and U.Conn did not make the NIT???...
What about the Golden State Warriors ending Dallas’ 17-game winning streak....on Sunday I took the Lakers, at home, and with seven points against the Mavs....the Lakers lost by 35!!!....
Monday, March 12, 2007
Bracket Thoughts
Before the pairings were announced on Sunday evening, my Final Four choices were Florida, North Carolina, Texas, and Georgetown....
Well, that changed after everything was announced because Carolina, Texas, and Georgetown are all in the same bracket....let’s breakdown the brackets....
East
This is a very tough bracket with Carolina and Georgetown as the 1-2 seeds....Texas has the talent and t
he one player in Kevin Durant to win this bracket....Carolina has a tricky second round match-up against either Marquette or Michigan State....you can never discount Tom Izzo during this time of the year....Doesn’t belong - Arkansas....I believe that spot should have went to Syracuse.....
Don’t sleep on - Oral Roberts - they winnable games in the first two rounds
Who will win this bracket - Georgetown - the Hoyas gained valuable experience last season by making the Sweet 16....Jeff Green is hot for the D.C.. crew...
South
Thad Matta has a possible second round match-up against his former team, Xavier who could give OSU some trouble....BYU has an RPI of 18....a possible Sweet 16 match-up for is OSU vs
. Tennessee....these two played earlier this season in Columbus with OSU winning by 1 point....I was surprised that Louisville was a number 6 seed....I think the Cardinals are better than that....Memphis has to be the quietest team all year....the Tigers are 30-3 and not talked about... .a possible second round match-up between Louisville-Texas A&M will be a good one...Don’t sleep on - Tennessee - they have the talent to win this bracket because they can shoot the 3 ball....they got shocked in the first round of the SEC tourney, so they will be ready for a run....
Who will win this bracket - Louisville - if the Cards can get by Texas A&M in the second round, they should win this bracket....Ohio State will have a hard time with Tennessee in the Sweet 16....my second choice is Texas A&M.....
Midwest
It all c
omes down to Florida, Florida, Florida.....say what you will, the fact remains they are the team to beat....they are the defending champs and Joakim Noah has elevated his game.....however, the Gators possible second round game against Arizona could be interesting....the Cats had the second toughest schedule in the nation this year and never underestimate Lute Olsen....this wily coach may have the ability to pull off an upset....many people are calling for Winthrop to upset Notre Dame....I don’t see it happening....Wisconsin is fortunate to be a #2 seed with their dismal performance over the past two weeks...Don’t sleep on - Maryland - the Terps got bounced early in the ACC....but they may have the freshest legs.....
Who will win this bracket - gotta go with Florida....
West
UCLA is not the #1 seed - big deal....they are still seeded out west.....Kansas’ second round match could be Kentucky or Villanova.....I could see Villanova beating Kansas....Kentucky cannot hit the three-po
int shot this year....Duke has been playing poorly as they are 4-6 in their last 10 games....look for VCU to win....a nice Sweet 16 game is Pitt vs. UCLA....Ben Holland goes against his former Steel City team....Don’t sleep on - Pitt - they are battle tested by playing in the Big East
Who will win this bracket - Kansas - they are due to make the Final 4 again, but really, don't sleep on Pitt - they are my "ghetto" pick...
Overall - Look for Georgetown to beat Florida and cut down the nets in Atlanta...
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Saturday Morning Tourney Thoughts
What has happened to the ACC tournament?....Maryland - gone, Duke - gone; Virginia - gone....and what about N.C. State and their two impressive wins....the Pack was down by 14 last night to Virginia but came back and won by 8....
The Georgetown-Notre Dame semi-final game in the Big East tourney was one of the best games of the year....Big East Player of the Year Jeff Green had a monster game with his silky smooth game that reminded me of James Worthy....the spark for the Hoyas was the play of Patrick Ewing, Jr off the bench (photo)...
The Hoyas take on Pitt tonight for the Big East title....boy does time go by fast....1989 was the last time Georgetown won this tournament.....Hoyas win tonight....
Don’t look now, but the Holy Cross Crusaders are dancing....
When will the Michigan administration wake up and smell the coffee after its third loss this season to Ohio State?....
Looks like we are looking at an Ohio State-Wisconsin title game....
Bubble teams that I would put in - Kansas State and Texas Tech......bubble teams that are out - Florida State, Iowa, and Stanford
Finally, I just saw one of the sickest things on television.....the Today Show was showing a video of Rose O’Donnell hanging upside.....the dingbat supposedly does this for 15 minutes each day to help with her depression.....just the site of her hanging upside down was gross....
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Random Thoughts
This Pittsburgh Penguins saga about possible relocation needs to get resolved now.... The New York Jets got a steal in Thomas Jones at running back....the Jets have a young upcoming offensive line anchored by Nick Mangold and D’Brickashaw Ferguson....Jones should do well especially since he probably will not be sharing time in the backfield.....
The Chicago Bears are taking a risk with just Cedric Benson as their number 1 back....Benson is a load, but he has not proven he could carry the ball 20-25 time a game....plus he has a history of nagging injuries....
Cleveland finally got a big name back in Jamal Lewis....Lewis is a definite upgrade from what garbage Cleveland has back there now....but the fact remains that Lewis is getting up in age and has seen his better days as a workhorse....the Browns would have been better to trade for Thomas Jones....
Looks like the Raiders are a lock for Jamarcus Russell....
Just when it looked like Mike Shanahan was going to commit to Mike Bell as his running back, the team went out and got Travis Henry....
With Detroit picking up Tatum Bell from Denver two things can be assumed: 1. the team has lost faith in Kevin Jones; and 2. Adrian Peterson will not be drafted by Detroit....
What is up with Kobe Bryant slyly giving a cheap shot to opponents?....
Did anyone notice Hillary Clinton’s fake drawl this past weekend when she was campaigning in Alabama?.....she is a piece of work....
What’s up with this story about John Rocker allegedly using HGH when he played baseball?.....who cares....the guy is out of baseball and is a whack job....
It’s almost 7:30 a.m. on the east coast, does anyone know where Barry Bonds is?.....
What is up with Tommy Lasorda and his alleged visits to prostitutes?....he allegedly liked watching some girl-on-girl action....Tommy is our boy!!!....so maybe it wasn’t the Slim-fast diet that helped him lose weight years ago....
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
PAC 10 Tournament Overview
The PAC-10 tournament begins today ta the Staples Center in Los Angeles....UCLA is the top seed and the team to beat....
The Wednesday match-ups are actually play-in games for the four bottom teams.....if Washington wins tonight, they get to play in-state rival Washington State (#2 seed) on Thursday....State is higher ranked, but watch the Huskies in this game....Washington is a deceiving 18-12 as UCLA found out this past Saturday when they lost up in Seattle....the Huskies are led by freshman guard Spencer Hawes....
Another good match-up on Thursday is #4 Oregon vs. #5 Arizona....the 20-9 Cats have been an inconsistent team of late even though they have an RPI rating of 13.....the Ducks are 5-6 in their last 11 game
s but are 23-7 overall....take the Cats here....
This could set up a possible Arizona-UCLA semi-final....the kitties have lost twice to UCLA so don’t expect an upset here either....it should be a good game, but UCLA wins...
In January, this may have been the best conference in the nation....but the top teams have faded over the last month....UCLA is the clear cut best team in the conference and will win the league tournament....I could see Washington beating Arizona State, Washington State, and even USC to make the conference finals....but the luster has faded from this conference....
The Wednesday match-ups are actually play-in games for the four bottom teams.....if Washington wins tonight, they get to play in-state rival Washington State (#2 seed) on Thursday....State is higher ranked, but watch the Huskies in this game....Washington is a deceiving 18-12 as UCLA found out this past Saturday when they lost up in Seattle....the Huskies are led by freshman guard Spencer Hawes....
Another good match-up on Thursday is #4 Oregon vs. #5 Arizona....the 20-9 Cats have been an inconsistent team of late even though they have an RPI rating of 13.....the Ducks are 5-6 in their last 11 game
s but are 23-7 overall....take the Cats here....This could set up a possible Arizona-UCLA semi-final....the kitties have lost twice to UCLA so don’t expect an upset here either....it should be a good game, but UCLA wins...
In January, this may have been the best conference in the nation....but the top teams have faded over the last month....UCLA is the clear cut best team in the conference and will win the league tournament....I could see Washington beating Arizona State, Washington State, and even USC to make the conference finals....but the luster has faded from this conference....
Big XII Tournament Overview
The Big XII tournament begins on Thursday in Oklahoma City with the top four seeds getting a first round bye....the top seeds are: #1 Kansas, #2 Texas A&M; #3 Texas, and #4 Kansas State....
Without a doubt, the team to beat is Kansas....but there are some other loaded guns ready to explode in this conference....
Bob Huggins makes a difference....in just his second year at the helm at Kansas State, Huggins has the Wildcats a #4 seed with a 21-10 record....their second round match-up should be a doozy against Texas Tech....after a mid-season slump, The General has Tech back on track with a 20-11 mark and three straight wins to close out the regular season....
An interesting first round game is #7 Oklahoma State vs. #10 Nebraska....Okie State is 20-11 but surprisingly they are 0-8 on the road in conference games this year....they have a tremendous player in Keith Boggan who can take over a game....I believe Okie State needs to prove to the committee that they can win on the road if they want to go dancing....they need to win at least 2 games in this tournament....I don’t see it happening....the children of the corn will rise and pull the upset here...
If everything pans out right, the big match-up in this tournament will occur on Saturday in the semi-final game between Texas A&M and Texas....they split the season series....Acie Law vs. Kevin Durant....this will be a great game....I’ll say this, if Durant surprises everyone and does not go to the NBA after this season, look for Texas to win the NCAA title next year....this team is loaded with young talent, and Durant is a special special player.....if he gets blazing hot, he is the type of kid who can carry the Longhorns on his back....
Anyway, I will have to go with the Aggies if there is a rematch....that would set up a Kansas-Texas A&M title game...the Aggies have beaten the 27-4 Jayhawks already this year in Lawrence, Kansas....but that was back in early February....as much as I think there are many quality teams in this conference, right now I have to take Kansas to win the conference tournament....they are playing too well of late....
Here are a couple of interesting Big XII facts....the Jayhawks have held every opponent under 50 percent shooting this year....Kevin Durant has nine 30-point games this season.....
SEC Tournament Overview
The Southeastern Conference tournament begins in Atlanta on Thursday with the top four seeds getting a first round bye....the top seeds are: Mississippi State, Florida, Vanderbilt, and Ole Miss... When you think of the SEC tourney only 1 team comes to mind - Kentucky - as the Wildcats have won the title 25 times during its 47 year history....this year it will take a big effort for Kentucky to get number 26.....they open up tomorrow against an up-and-down Alabama team....Kentucky is rated 11th in the RPI and is #1 in strength-of-schedule....the Tide is # 44 in the RPI.....look for Kentucky to win in a very close game....the Achilles heel for Tubby’s boys this year has been their inability to hit the three-pointer....
Other first round winners are Arkansas, Georgia, and Tennessee....
On the top half of the bracket, if Kentucky gets by Alabama, I could see them upsetting Miss. State in the quarterfinals and even sneaking into the title game....on the bottom half, everyone is wanting to see
the semi-final match-up of Florida vs. Tennessee....the Vols are 8-2 in their last 10 games and have the 4th toughest schedule in the country....if these teams hook up, I am calling for an upset win by Rocky Top.....the key for the Vols is their 3-point shooting by Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith....if they can consistently shoot the 3 ball, the Vols will win....In the end, look for a Kentucky-Tennessee title game with the Vols winning.....Lofton is the engine of this team....earlier this season when he was out with an injury, Tennessee went 1-3....but since his return, they have posted a 7-1 mark....
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
ACC Tournament Overview
The ACC tournament begins on Thursday in Tampa....the top four seeds get a first round bye: #1 UNC, #2 Va Tech, #3 Virginia, and #4 Boston College....Asides from Carolina, the top seeds are a tad different than usual....no Duke, Maryland, N.C. State, nor Ga. Tech as one of the top seeds....I guess some things are changing in ACC Country....
Three of the four first round games are intriguing....#8 Clemson vs. #9 Florida State....both teams are on the bubble and probably have to win at least two games in the tournament to make The Big Dance.....
#7 Duke vs. #10 NC State.....the Pack stands at 15-14, but they are very capable of pulling the upset.....
#6 Georgia Tech vs. #11 Wake Forest.....don’t sleep on Wake....just ask Virginia who lost to the Deacs on Saturday....also, the Jackets posted a dismal 1-8 record on the road this year and are 2-1 at a neutral site.....also, Tech has never won an ACC first round game....they are 0-3 lifetime....
The hottest team in the conference is #5 Maryland....they should breeze by the Canes of Miami and set-up a nice match-up on Friday against Boston College....the Terps have won 7 in a row and are 24-7.....
Because there are so many quality first round games, I am unable to give an accurate pick on second round games.....so I will update those later in the week....
I have to say, my money is on North Carolina to win the tournament....Tyler Hansbrough was a freakin beast on Sunday against Duke....and I loved how he was ready to "throw down" after getting a cheap shot from the angelic Dukie....I am hoping for a Carolina-Maryland semi-final game on Saturday.....by rights, that should be the title game....
As far as the hot chick goes....I came across her while looking for the ACC logo....don’t ask me who she is or what she has to do with the ACC....and who cares!!
Big Ten Tournament Outlook
The Big Ten tournament starts on Thursday in Chicago....the top five seeds received a bye: #1 Ohio State, #2 Wisconsin; #3 Indiana; #4 Iowa, and #5 Purdue....
First off, at the beginning of the season who would have thought that Purdue would have a 20-10 record and a first round bye....on Friday, the Boilermakers take on Iowa, a team who came on late in the season to secure a #4 seed....Iowa is ranked 84th in the RPI while Purdue is 45th....even though Purdue head coach Matt Painter has to be the Big 10 Coach of the Year, look for Iowa to win this game....
In Thursday’s opening round, the chalk will talk....look for Michigan, Michigan State, and Illinois to win which will set up some nice match-ups on Friday.....
In addition to the Friday’s Purdue-Iowa game, it is quite possible that Michigan will get their third shot at Ohio State this season....the Wolverines have the talent to pull the upset, but in the end, they lack the heart....if the Blue is going to pull the upset, they must contain Mike Conley while Dion Harris must score at least 25 points....
The second round game between Michigan State and Wisky should be a donnybrook....this will be their third match-up in just over 2 weeks...Sparty took the first game, but Wisky came back and beat MSU this past Saturday on a last second shot....Wisky is ripe to get dumped here...
The Indiana-Illinois game is a toss-up....both should make it to The Big Dance though....
Ultimately, I could see a Michigan State-Ohio State championship game with Sparty pulling the upset....a team like Iowa could make some noise because they have a 3-point sharpshooter in Adam Haluska...
Monday, March 5, 2007
Big East Tournament Outlook
The Big East tournament starts on Wednesday in New York City.....the top four seeds are: #1 Georgetown, #2 Louisville, #3 Pitt, and #4 Notre Dame....
The one first round game that catches my eye is #5 Syracuse vs. #12 U.Conn.....Syracuse needed a win on Saturday at Villanova to guarantee them a first-round bye....this is a reversal of last year when the Orange was on the bubble to upset top-ranked Connecticut in the conference tournament...even with a first-round loss, Syracuse should still make the tournament, but they will be sweating bullets until Selection Sunday....the Huskies are headed to the NIT unless they make it to the conference finals....these two teams usually play tough games as they split the season series this year.....watch U.Conn in the upset....
The one first round game that catches my eye is #5 Syracuse vs. #12 U.Conn.....Syracuse needed a win on Saturday at Villanova to guarantee them a first-round bye....this is a reversal of last year when the Orange was on the bubble to upset top-ranked Connecticut in the conference tournament...even with a first-round loss, Syracuse should still make the tournament, but they will be sweating bullets until Selection Sunday....the Huskies are headed to the NIT unless they make it to the conference finals....these two teams usually play tough games as they split the season series this year.....watch U.Conn in the upset....
Another possible upset is #10 Providence over #7 West Virginia....the Mountaineers need to win at least one, possibly two games, in the tournament to guarantee a spot in The Big Dance....and Providence is one of those teams who could catch you with your hand in the cookie jar....
A possible second round match-up of #9 Villanova vs. #1 Georgetown is intriguing....as is a #6 Marquette vs. #3 Pitt....Marquette has beaten Pitt twice this year including this past Saturday night....
My call for championship game on Saturday night is for a Louisville-Villanova or Louisville-Georgetown match-up.....one team that could surprise is U.Conn....they might not win the tournament, but they could possibly spoil a few teams season....
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Saturday Night Thoughts
Even though Michigan put forth a valiant effort, the Wolverines fell short of beating the top ranked Buckeyes, which could be the last game in Ann Arbor for head coach Tommy Amaker....six seasons at the helm and he has yet to take Michigan to The Big Dance...Amaker needs to be fired after this season....
The Kentucky Derby is wide open again after favorite Nobiz Like Shobiz came in third in Saturday’s Fountain of Youth Stakes race at Gulfstream Park....two other Derby contenders, Scat Daddy and Stormello, took the top two spots....
Greg Oden may get all the headlines at Ohio State, but the Buckeyes are only going to go as far as point guard Mike Conley takes them.....he is the engine of that team....
Penn is the first team to get their ticket punched for the tournament...
Could the Big Ten get 2 top seeds in Ohio State and Wisconsin?....
Will someone explain to me why Tampa Bay now has three viable starting quarterbacks: Chris Simms, Jeff Garcia, and Jake Plummer?.....
All year long, people in Ohio heard about the burner speed of Ted Ginn Jr.....at the Combine last week, Georgia Tech’s Calvin Johnson showed that Ginn may not be the fastest player in this draft....
The Cleveland Browns should go all out and sign former Steeler Joey Porter....they need a vocal team leader who can create a swagger...
All I know, the 2007 Steelers will not be team of Bill Cowher’s....
Duke at North Carolina on Sunday.....gotta go with the Tar Heels at home after they have lost their last two games....
Kentucky Derby favorite gets another test today
It’s not to early to start talking about the Kentucky Derby....eight more weeks will be the Run for the Roses in Louisville.....and today, the early favorite will get another test....
According to all reports, Nobiz Like Shobiz is the horse to beat.....the trainer is Barclay Tagg and the jockey is Cornelio Valasquez ......
A few weeks back, The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Railbird Roberts quoted Tagg of saying this is "the most magnificent horse I’ve ever seen"....now remember, Tagg knows a few things about horses as he was the trainer for 2003 Derby winner Funny Cide....
Nobiz gets another test today when he runs in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.....it’s a mile and an eighth race....Nobiz will face off against other Derby contenders Stormello, Drums of Thunder, and Scat Daddy....
Tagg chose to run Nobiz in the Fountain of Youth instead of next week’s Louisiana Derby....
Friday, March 2, 2007
What is a "relationship"?
What is up with the word "relationship" when it involves Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter?....this week A. Rod said that their "relationship" is not the same....the next day Jeter commented that he had no problem with their "relationship"....
I don’t know about any of you, but I don’t have a "relationship" with any of my buddies....a friendship - YES.....a relationship - NO.....I am in no way starting any rumors, but I think they both could have used a better word than "relationship" when discussing this saga....
I’m a little disappointed that Bernie Williams has not taken the time to return Joe Torre’s phone calls....supposedly, over the last two weeks Torre left two messages for Williams but as of Wednesday, he has yet to hear back from the former centerfielder.....there is no doubt that Williams has to be a bit upset by not making the 40 man roster, but he needs to talk to Torre who is very loyal to his "original" Yankee players....
Whatever happened to Chuck Knoblauch?.....
Mel Stottlemyre has a book coming out on April 10th called "Pride and Pinstripes: The Yankees, Mets, and Surviving Life’s Challenges".....I miss seeing Mel in the Yankee dugout....
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Random thoughts heading into the weekend
Some thoughts going into the weekend....
- Pacman Jones is one of the most talented players in the NFL, but he is a thug....instead of appreciating his chance of playing in the NFL, he is constantly running amuck of the law....don’t forget, Jones and Bengals team thug, Chris Henry, were teammates at West Virginia....say what you want, both are flat out THUGS.....
- Why isn’t Maryland getting any love from the pollsters....the Terps are 23-7 and just beat North Carolina and Duke in consecutive games....but they are still not ranked.....
- I heard on ESPN radio that Jeff Garcia could end up with the Oakland Raiders.....bad move for both....
- The Packers and Patriots are both interested in Randy Moss....hmmmm....
- Finally, after three weeks, Anna Nicole is being buried....
- In her prime, Anna was certainly sexy.....
- If Butler wins the Horizon Conference, it will be interesting to see if Wright State also gets a ticket to The Big Dance....
- Saturday is a statement game for Michigan basketball....number 1 Ohio State comes to Ann Arbor....this may be the biggest game for the Wolverines in the last 10 years....
- Saturday - Texas at Kansas; Michigan State at Wisconsin .....Sunday - Duke at North Carolina
; Kentucky at Florida.......doesn’t get any better than that...
- The city of Pittsburgh better get a deal complete to keep the Penguins from moving....the Pens are a team on the upswing....they will win a Stanley Cup within the next five years....
- Mellon Arena is one of the oddest, but neatest shaped areans...
- Whatever happened to Tom Barrasso?....
- This is going to be a long baseball season in hearing about Barry Bonds....
- Can you believe a friend of mine still thinks Bonds is innocent!?!?....
- It’s Thursday, has anyone seen Britney Spears today?....
- ESPN.com had an interesting article about how new Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio is trying to make Sparty mentally tough....Dantonio article
- New Boston pitcher D. Mat has a pitch named the Gyroball....I don't get it....D. Mat is Japanese, so why are they naming his famous pitch after a Greek sandwich?.....
- Pacman Jones is one of the most talented players in the NFL, but he is a thug....instead of appreciating his chance of playing in the NFL, he is constantly running amuck of the law....don’t forget, Jones and Bengals team thug, Chris Henry, were teammates at West Virginia....say what you want, both are flat out THUGS.....
- Why isn’t Maryland getting any love from the pollsters....the Terps are 23-7 and just beat North Carolina and Duke in consecutive games....but they are still not ranked.....
- I heard on ESPN radio that Jeff Garcia could end up with the Oakland Raiders.....bad move for both....
- The Packers and Patriots are both interested in Randy Moss....hmmmm....
- Finally, after three weeks, Anna Nicole is being buried....
- In her prime, Anna was certainly sexy.....
- If Butler wins the Horizon Conference, it will be interesting to see if Wright State also gets a ticket to The Big Dance....
- Saturday is a statement game for Michigan basketball....number 1 Ohio State comes to Ann Arbor....this may be the biggest game for the Wolverines in the last 10 years....
- Saturday - Texas at Kansas; Michigan State at Wisconsin .....Sunday - Duke at North Carolina
; Kentucky at Florida.......doesn’t get any better than that...- The city of Pittsburgh better get a deal complete to keep the Penguins from moving....the Pens are a team on the upswing....they will win a Stanley Cup within the next five years....
- Mellon Arena is one of the oddest, but neatest shaped areans...
- Whatever happened to Tom Barrasso?....
- This is going to be a long baseball season in hearing about Barry Bonds....
- Can you believe a friend of mine still thinks Bonds is innocent!?!?....
- It’s Thursday, has anyone seen Britney Spears today?....
- ESPN.com had an interesting article about how new Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio is trying to make Sparty mentally tough....
- New Boston pitcher D. Mat has a pitch named the Gyroball....I don't get it....D. Mat is Japanese, so why are they naming his famous pitch after a Greek sandwich?.....
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