Resorts to Sports

CSI: Zippity Doo-Dah, Akron Falls to PSU

2009-09-06T11:58:00.004-04:00

There is a pretty obvious reason why Beaver Stadium on the campus of Penn State is the biggest and arguably toughest stadium to play in when it comes to college football. The sheer passion of the fans, aged from infants to senior citizens, makes the atmosphere that much more unforgettable.

And to think this is only the first of about 30 Penn State football games I will see in this hallowed palace!

Penn State ran out to a quick 17-0 first quarter lead en route to a 31-7 romp of the Akron Zips Saturday afternoon.

Upon the conclusion of this game, there were many positives that I drew from the game in terms of the way the team is playing. However, there are still some minor flaws that will need to be addressed before the big name games like Ohio State.

Penn State established an air attack in the first few quarters, as Daryll Clark hooked up with his new receiving corps of Chaz Powell, Graham Zug, and Derek Moye on a regular basis. Clark would finish the game 29-40 passing the ball, throwing 3 touchdowns in the process, to the aforementioned Powell, Moye, and Zug, respectively. Even though the stats say that Clark only threw one interception, Akron narrowly missed at least two other pick opportunities.

Penn State's rushing attack did not produce the major results that you come to expect from a Joe Paterno offense. This was probably due to the fact that the coaching staff wanted to see how Clark would fare working with new receivers. Evan Royster only got 14 touches for 61 yards, and backup Stephfon Green had a rough go, with only 17 yards on 7 carries.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the game was a fake punt Penn State ran to perfection midway through the second quarter. Andrew Dailey took the direct snap and as Akron ran around wondering why punter Jeremy Boone didn't have the football, Dailey scampered for 37 yards deep into Akron territory.

The Penn State defense left little room to worry, as they once again flexed their muscle in holding Akron to 28 rushing yards the entire ballgame, while sacking Akron quarterbacks four times and holding them to 3-14 on 3rd down conversions.

So one in the bag for the Nittany Lions, and next week, myself and Chris are sure to have some conversations about pre-game with the Lions hosting Greg Paulus and the Syracuse Orange from Beaver Stadium.

A footnote: A Zip is in no way associated with a kangaroo, so why is Akron's mascot just that, a kangaroo? If anybody can explain that to me, I'll be thoroughly pleased to hear it.

Adam Schefter a Great Hire for ESPN

2009-08-18T17:23:00.006-04:00

I have been critical of ESPN for a couple different reasons in previous posts. I was critical of some of their personalities, and the way they selectively covered stories. However, this is a post that will praise them for their newest acquisition. NFL reporter Adam Schefter started his tenure with ESPN on Monday, and I can already tell that this is a home-tun hire.

Adam Schefter's most recent gig was on the NFL Network. While a part of NLFN, Schefter established a reputation for being one of the top NFL reporters in all of the country. Some stories he would break well before anyone else had a beat on it. I remember a couple years ago, before a Thursday Night game, Schefter reported that Raiders coach Art Shell would be fired at the end of the season. Raiders owner Al Davis immediately denied this report, and called Schefter a "false rumor monger". Schefter already built the reputation among NFL fans as, "if Schefter says it, it must be true". And what do you know, he was right again. Art Shell was fired at season's end.

Ever since then, I considered Adam Schefter the most reliable NFL reporter. Now, he joins the ESPN roster, working along side one of his former rivals Chris Mortenson. It will be interesting to see how ESPN utilizes both of these "insiders". They both do pretty much the same thing, break stories and give us information from inside the team's front office. Schefter did a great job on his first day of work on Sportscenter and Monday Night Countdown. He gave interesting information nuggets, and did a solid job on reporting the alleged punch by Raiders coach Tom Cable (it always comes back to the Raiders). Similar to Vick with the Eagles, and Favre with the Vikings, Adam Schefter gives ESPN a better roster. ESPN will likely continue to be The Worldwide Leader in Sports.

CSI Syracuse: Paulus Named Starting QB

2009-08-18T01:07:00.004-04:00

Although I am a week away from being on the Syracuse campus, there is already big news regarding the Syracuse football team. If you remember from a previous post, we mentioned that we were doing a segment once we arrived on campus called CSI or College Sports Insiders. This is where Steve, Ryan, and I report on the sports stories surrounding our respective Division 1 colleges and give you opinion and reaction. Well, here is the first CSI post. Syracuse football coach Doug Marrone has decided that QB Greg Paulus will start opening day.

Many of you are familiar with Paulus as the point guard for Duke. At Duke, he was a 3 year starter at point guard, and graduated in May 2009. With one year of athletic eligibility still available, Paulus decided to tap into his high school greatness and retry football. At Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, NY, Paulus was the 2004 Gatorade High School National Football Player of the Year. Early in the summer, Paulus signed with Syracuse as a graduate student in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. He has now reached the top of the QB depth chart, and will get the start September 5th at the Carrier Dome against Minnesota.

Throughout the summer, Paulus was in a battle for that starting QB spot. Last year's starter Cam Dantley and redshirt freshman Ryan Nassib all had hoped of claiming the opening day start. Paulus and Nassib separated themselves, and looked to be in a dead heat for the spot. Both QB's have had significant reps with the first team offense.

This move will surely bring some national attention to Syracuse football, something they have been lacking for most of the decade. That is something that I'm sure 1st year coach Doug Marrone took into account when making this decision. Another fact that helped Paulus was that this is Paulus's only year of eligibility at Syracuse, while Nassib has another 3 years left after this year. Therefore, this is Paulus's time to shine, and we'll see if he does just that.

Vick and Eagles Could be a Great Match

2009-08-14T09:05:00.003-04:00

I was going to write this post about Bronson Arroyo and his borderline idiotic comments. Then, all hell broke loose, and Michael Vick signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Yes, those Philadelphia Eagles. Hopefully all the dust has settled from the initial chaos of the Michael Vick signing last night. Say what you want about Michael Vick, but he's coming back to the NFL this year, and coming to a stadium near you. I feel like as much negativity as there is surrounding Michael Vick right now, he has the potential to truly endear himself to the city of Philadelphia in his NFL Debut Part Deux, for two reasons.

One: Think back to last year, do you remember how putrid Philly's offense was in short-yardage situations? Keep your mind geared towards last year: remember how well Miami's Wildcat offense worked in short yardage situations? There's so much to defend against in a situation where the Defense is already on its heels. You've now added the most versatile QB in the NFL-- the QB who was basically born to run the Wildcat-- to the mix in Philadelphia. Don't you think that their short-yardage offense immediately becomes five times better than it was last year, with Mike Vick, Brian Westbrook, and DeSean Jackson on the field (and don't forget the addition of solid fullback Leonard Weaver)? I certainly do. I think that a lot of the people who are "shocked and appalled," by this move are going to be drinking the Michael Vick Kool-Aid the first time he punches one in from inside the 5 yard-line.

Two: Philadelphia is a city with a serious dogfighting problem. One of Michael Vick's main objectives after having been released from prison is to speak to youths about the evils of animal cruelty. A lot of the time kids fall into the dogfighting scene as youths, because it's part of the culture that they've been brought up in. Having a role model athlete speaking, from first-hand experience about the evils of dogfighting. I think that Michael Vick can truly have a positive impact on Philadelphia's dogfighting problem. Call me crazy.

You can act outraged and disgusted all you want about this signing. If you're going to let this change how you feel about the Eagles or the NFL in general, then that's up to you. However, I feel like there's a man with a second chance to turn himself into a quality human being, and resurrect himself as an athlete playing right in our back yard. You can hate Michael Vick all you want, but you cannot deny that this has added another element to what was already planning to be an interesting 2009-10 NFL season. I can't wait to see how this all turns out, and look forward to seeing how an offensive mind like Andy Reid chooses to utilize the weapon that is Michael Vick. It may be Pre-Season, but to me the NFL is already in full-swing.

Not So Slick Rick Pitino

2009-08-12T16:12:00.004-04:00

Add one more to the list of disturbing sports stories. This time, it's a high profile college basketball coach that seems to have done wrong. Louisville's mens basketball coach Rick Pitino admitted that he had consensual sex with a woman named Karen Cunagin Sypher (the woman accused of trying to extort money from him) at a restaurant. Two weeks later, Sypher received $3,000 from Pitino because she said she didn't have health insurance and needed an abortion. Clearly, this issue has some heavy elements to it. The people of Kentucky happen to be generally very passionate against abortion. Although Pitino has said that the money was for health insurance, not abortion, the reaction to this story has been substantial.

For some perspective about this story, Rick Pitino is a married father of 5 children. He has been a staunch Roman Catholic who's contract has dishonesty and "moral depravity " as grounds for firing. Louisville President James Ramsey issued a statement saying, "Several months ago, Coach Pitino informed me about the alleged extortion attempt. I've now been informed that there may be other details which, if true, I find surprising,"

This issue has certainly caused an image hit to Rick Pitino. In a profession where the coach's imagine is important in convincing recruits to play for a certain school, something like this can be damaging and devastating. As someone who is around the age of a typical recruit, I would be truly influenced by this story. I would have a hard time taking Pitino seriously as the man I'm supposed to look up to and respect. He would seem like the stereotypical sleazy college basketball coach that I wouldn't want in my house sitting down for dinner with my family. Usually, when a player is good enough to play for Louisville, that player is good enough to play for many other top level programs. Why would I want to commit to playing for him when I have equal or better other options?

I think, or at least hope that this situation hurts Rick Pitino as a college basketball coach. Stories like this give all of college basketball a bad reputation. It brings more spotlight to the coaches with shady character, and I would hate to see those coaches succeed.

The 2009 NFL Preseason is Here

2009-08-10T16:57:00.006-04:00

Last night was the return of live NFL football with the Hall of Fame game between the Titans and Bills. Count me in as one of the people who watched every second of that game. It's a celebration, of Hall of Fame players and the return of football for another season. I was just happy to be watching a live NFL game on NBC, because the last time we could do that was in January. Not only that, but the game was entertaining. There was Terrell Owens's Buffalo debut to start, then it was the Vince Young experiment that kept my attention through the third quarter. Oh yeah, and that tremendous fake punt fake reverse by the Titans on their first drive. There was also a nice ode to John Madden on NBC at halftime. All in all, a fun debut for the 2009 NFL season. So, with the preseason underway, I'm giving my list of one questiom I'm looking forward to seeing answered from each team.

AFC East

Miami Dolphins: What crazy plays can they run with Pat White in the wildcat?

New England Patriots: Is Tom Brady ready to return to elite form following a torn ACL?

New York Jets: Is Mark Sanchez more than a Hollywood QB?

Buffalo Bills: How will T.O. adapt to Buffalo, and vice-versa?

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers: Super Bowl Hangover?

Baltimore Ravens: Who will fill Bart Scott's shoes next to Ray Lewis?

Cleveland Browns: Will Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson emerge to become a starter?

Cincinnati Bengals: Can Carson Palmer's shoulder hold up to energize this offense?

AFC South

Tennessee Titans: Where will Vince Young end up on the depth chart?

Indianapolis Colts: How will the new regime balance keeping things the same while adding their own touch?

Houston Texans: Is Matt Schaub good enough to lead an otherwise talented offense?

Jacksonville Jaguars: Is Del Rio's off-season overhaul genius or a last ditch effort?

AFC West

San Diego Chargers: Is this finally the year they avoid key injuries to make a Super Bowl?

Denver Broncos: Does new coach Josh McDaniels actually know what he is doing?

Oakland Raiders: Can Jamarcus Russell hold off fiery backup Jeff Garcia?

Kansas City Chiefs: Can Todd Haley turn this offense into the one that got Arizona to the Super Bowl?

NFC East

New York Giants: Which receiver will step up to fill the void left by Plax?

Philadelphia Eagles: How will they deal with the adversity facing their defense?

Dallas Cowboys: Does "Romo friendly" equal playoff wins?

Washington Redskins: They tried and failed to get another QB, how will Campbell react?

NFC North

Minnesota Vikings: Did their failed pursuit of Favre hurt the confidence of their current QB's?

Chicago Bears: Is Jay Cutler the QB Bears fans have been dying for?

Green Bay Packers: Can Aaron Rodgers turn nice stats in year 1 into wins in year 2?

Detroit Lions: How long will it take to get a win?

NFC South

Carolina Panthers: What can Jake Delhomme do to make fans forget about that awful playoff game?

Atlanta Falcons: How much will Matt Ryan improve with more weapons this year?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs management wanted a coach like Mike Tomlin, is Raheem Morris it?

New Orleans Saints: Will Reggie Bush finally show he is an NFL RB?

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: Will the coordinator changes hold this Super Bowl team back?

San Francisco 49ers: Will Mike Singletary's coaching style be successful at this level?

Seattle Seahawks: Does a healthy Hasselbeck + Houshmanzadeh and a new coach good enough to reclaim division?

St. Louis Rams: What can Spagnuolo do with that defense?

Feel free to post your predictions for the answers of these questions in the comments section.

Steven's Scattered Sentiments

2009-08-06T12:32:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I've given you all my opinion on the way things are going in the sports world. Since it's been such a long time, I'm going to address a few issues that I've been meaning to write about: Cliff Lee, Fantasy Football, and as of the other night, Prince Fielder. I'll start with Cliff Lee.

You'll notice that in one of my older posts, I called for the Phillies to do whatever it took to go after Blue Jays Ace Roy Halladay, even saying that if they had to give up Kyle Drabek and JA Happ that they should. However, at the same time, it was rumored that the Indians were asking for Drabek also, so I didn't even consider them an option. When it came out that they could have gotten Lee for the package that they ended up getting him for, I was amazed. They kept their most prized prospects in the system, while adding a Cy Young winner to the rotation. This deal is almost if not better than going out and getting Roy Halladay. Your playoff rotation right now comes out to: Lee, Hamels, Blanton, Happ, and that's quite possibly better than any top 4 they'll face. Add to that the fact that the Phillies have an absolutely lethal batting lineup, and you may be looking at a repeat as World Champions. Great move by Ruben Amaro Jr, if they win the title he should be sainted.

Fantasy Football: Once, Scott Van Pelt could be heard saying "If you play Fantasy Football, you should just put on your Darth Vader mask, and move into your mom's basement." Some people just don't get it. Fantasy Football is a way of friends to get together and challenging each other's managerial skills against one another in a format that was not always available for them to do so in. You're drafting a team, making week-to-week roster decisions, managing injuries, and at times even working under a salary cap. Not everyone gets to be a General Manager in the professional sports world, but Fantasy Football has allowed those who aren't a glimpse of what the GM's life is like. I will always love Fantasy Football, for the experience, for the camraderie it builds among friends, and for the fact that it promotes a venue for trash-talking beyond the field of play. It never gets old, no matter what Scott Van Pelt says.

Prince Fielder is an absolute disgrace to professional sports. Call it hyperbole all you want, but this was the biggest "hold me back" (for those of you who are unfamiliar with "hold me back moments," they are instances where any athlete or person picks a fight in which they know someone around them will try to stop them, never really going one on one, trying to appear tough, but truly showing shameless cowardice, instead,) moment I've ever seen. Is he really that much of a thick-headed twit, that he actually thought he'd be able to get past security into a room full of bats, cursing and screaming? Honestly? I don't expect all professional athletes to be rocket scientists, but I do expect a certain degree of dignity, and Prince Fielder shredded all of his that night, in one fell swoop. He knew he was going to be held back, he knew he wasn't getting to Guillermo Mota, and he should very well know, that if Bud Selig has a single fiber of honesty or integrity left in his body (and there's a very good chance he doesn't) that he'll be facing a suspension in the very near future.

I apologize for having waited this long to update, and promise another one before monday.

How to Completely Botch A Possible Trade

2009-08-01T15:23:00.013-04:00

The MLB trade deadline has came and passed with many deals getting done to help the teams in contention, and many deals done that help the teams out of the race gather prospects. It's a very exciting time, as teams try to bolster their rosters to get in position to win a World Series. It is fun to listen to the positing and the game of poker between the GM's of each team. Every GM wants to make it so they have the leverage in the negotiations, that way they can get exactly what they want. However, it's just as fun to see a GM left with egg on their face, like Toronto Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi was at the end of this trade deadline. He clearly overplayed his hand.

One thing that is proven throughout sports is negotiations through the media does not work. That is exactly where the talks were heading when Ricciardi announced that he was "listening" to offers for Roy Halladay. Saying that you are fielding offers for one of the best pitchers in baseball, and still asking for an extremely high, premium price is negotiation suicide. It is unfair to the player involved, and is unfair to the team involved. Every start that Roy Halladay had between the time Ricciardi announcement and the trade deadline became a circus. His last home start against the Rays was a perfect example. After the start, he had to answer question after question regarding the potential of a trade. Also, it wasn't fair to the Blue Jays. It wasn't even about baseball anymore, and the team had to deal with this distraction fueled by their own GM.

If J.P. Ricciardi was bold enough to publicly put Halladay on the block, he had to be prepared to lower his price when the time insisted. Instead, Ricciardi did the opposite and reportedly raised his price for Halladay from the Phillies. Not only does that defy business sense, that also defies logic. Raising the price after you already set the price does not help you get closer to a deal. One other thing that completely defies logic is the "self-imposed deadline" that Ricciardi placed to trade Halladay that was 3 days before the actual trade deadline. This made no sense whatsoever. You're telling me that if a team made an overwhelming offer on July 31st, the Jays wouldn't even listen? Please.

Clearly, the arrogance that Ricciardi had in these discussions was through the roof. He thought he had a monopoly of the elite pitchers on the market, therefore any team with a pitching need would have to go through Toronto. That is why he initially set such a high price. Once again, Ricciardi was mistaken, there happened to be another Cy Young Award winner on the market. His name was Cliff Lee, and he could be had for a lower price. Therefore, the Phillies moved to acquiring him once the Jays raised their price for Halladay. Once the Phillies finalized that deal, it eliminated the team with the highest need for an elite starting pitcher. That means, the team that was most prepared to offer the highest package for the Jays was taken off the board. No other team was willing to meet that steep price. Case closed, no deal, the Jays are stuck with Halladay for the rest of the season.

Not only are the Jays on the hook to pay the rest of Roy Halladay's salary for the rest of the season, but also his value took a huge hit for a possible trade this off-season. Now, if he's traded, he will only affect one postseason race, instead of two. Buster Olney of ESPN is on record of saying that his value might be cut in half now that he didn't get traded. A similar thing happened to the Twins, when they tried to deal Johan Santana. They tried to deal him at the trade deadline, just like the Jays tried to with Halladay. However, no deal was reached at that time. Although Santana ended up being traded to the Mets, it was during the following offseason, and the Twins did not get the value that they could have if they traded him a half season earlier.

J.P. Ricciardi was the number one loser of this year's trade deadline. He did everything wrong in these trade talks. He lost his chance to get maximum value for his team's best player. He will likely try to trade him this offseason, but he will always know that he let a great opportunity go away. A classic case of a GM over-playing his hand. Ricciardi lost this game of poker.

Notable MLB Players Linked to PED's

2009-07-30T16:02:00.003-04:00

With David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez reportedly testing positive for steroids in 2003, here is a list of players linked to performance-enhancing drugs. This list is straight from ESPNEWS, meaning no made up names. Use it as a reference, it's in alphabetical order.

Barry Bonds- Implicated

Bret Boone- Implicated

Kevin Brown- Mitchell Report

Ken Caminiti- Admitted

Jose Canseco- Admitted

Roger Clemens- Implicated

Lenny Dykstra- Implicated

Chuck Finley- Implicated

Eric Gagne- Mitchell Report

Jason Giambi- Admitted

Troy Glaus- Implicated

Juan Gonzalez- Implicated

Wally Joyner- Admitted

David Justice- Mitchell Report

Chuck Knoblauch- Mitchell Report

Mark McGwire- Implicated

Magglio Ordonez- Implicated

David Ortiz- Reportedly tested positive

Rafeal Palmeiro- Tested positive

Andy Pettitte- Admitted

Manny Ramirez- Suspended

Brain Roberts- Admitted

Alex Rodriguez- Admitted

Ivan Rodriguez- Implicated

Benito Santiago- Admitted

Gary Sheffield- Admitted

Sammy Sosa- Implicated

Miguel Tejada- Mitchell Report

Mo Vaughn- Mitchell Report

Matt Williams- Implicated

That's a pretty heavy list of very successful players. And remember, there is that last of 98 names that are still not revealed.

Release the Names Please!

2009-07-30T12:40:00.004-04:00

Another month, another bombshell in the world of baseball and PED use. According to the New York Times, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. This is the first time that David Ortiz's name is directly related to steroid use. The infamous list of 102 players that tested positive in 2003 was supposed to remain anonymous, however, the leaks have given us 4 of those players. Monthly, we have to go through the same steroid discussions with different players. If baseball continues to let the list remain secret, and having these leaks come out, it will be impossible to move past the steroid era. That is why baseball needs to just release all the names on the list at once, so we can finally move on.

Think about it, this week the baseball headlines should have been trade rumors and deals, who is the World Series favorite after the trades, and other positive stories. Now once again, we are dragged trough this steroid discussion cycle. The same cycle that we went through with Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, and Sammy Sosa, the other names released on from that list. Sportscenter will be dominated by analysts saying they are not shocked, but a little surprised. Frankly, I'm tired of it, but the ends seems no where near. There is still 98 names on that list that still haven't come out. Instead of having monthly leaks, we need to get this all out, right now.

I find it funny that when someone tests positive for steroids, the public demands that the player tells the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. We need to demand that same standard from baseball. Give us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, starting with the list of names. Therefore, we'll spend a week yelling and screaming about how negligent baseball was for the span of 10-15 years, and we can debate whether the people on the list deserve to ever make the Hall of Fame. Then after that week, it's over. No more secrets, no more shock, no more outrage.

"Oh, but it's not fair to the other 98 names, they want this list to stay a secret." While it would be unfortunate for those players, I'm convinced that their names would eventually come out anyway, by the leaking process we are currently experiencing. It may not be next month, or the month after that, but one of these days, their name will come out. Then we'll start the round of Sportscenter discussions again. I'm more concerned about the dwindling majority of players that didn't take steroids, but might be concerned that people think their name is on this list. It is also unfair for Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez to take all the heat for a group of people who's names are not in the public.

This steroid era has pained baseball for long enough, there needs to be a stop to it. For baseball to completely move on, everything needs to come forth to the public. That all starts with this "anonymous" list of players keeping baseball hostage from moving forward. Baseball needs to take control, and release these names and maybe we can finally put this disturbing era behind us.

Brett Favre Stays Retired

2009-07-28T19:18:00.007-04:00

After a prolonged Hamlet-like inner debate, Brett Favre has finally made up his mind, for now. Favre has told the Minnesota Vikings that he plans to remain retired and not join the Vikings for the 2009 season. So, it looks like we have a resolution to one of the biggest annual off-season stories in the NFL. Hopefully, the decision satisfies Favre, someone who gave many priceless moments to NFL fans. Although many fans are elated that they no longer have to hear of Brett Favre, I'm disappointed that we will not see the future Hall of Famer for the 19th season.

Brett Favre to the Minnesota Vikings would have been great for this NFL season. As a neutral fan of the NFL, the more great storylines, the better the league. Seeing Brett Favre in the "enemy purple" after spending 17 years on the Packers would have been great drama. Whether you like Favre or not, most NFL fans would want to see the Vikings fans come to adore the man they hated for over a decade. The same reversal would come from Packers fans, as they would curse the greatest legend the city has ever seen. Then, the fateful day would come, October 5th. That would be the date that the Vikings and the Packers squared off for the first time in 2009. It would be in the Metrodome, imagine the storylines. It's Aaron Rodgers, the up and comer against the man who is the face of the Packers. It would be Brett Favre's chance at a direct shot to Ted Thompson, the GM who kicked him out of Green Bay. Not only would the game have all the angels, but it would also be on Monday Night Football. It's Favre vs. the Packers on center stage, isn't this the reason we like sports?

I also think that, if Favre was willing to grind it out for the entire season, this would be a win-win for the Vikings and Favre. The Vikings have a Super Bowl caliber team at every position on the field, except the most important one. Quarterback play has held this team back ever since Daunte Culpepper was lost for the season against the Panthers in 2005. QB's like Brad Johnson, Gus Frerotte, and Tavaris Jackson have not gotten the job done for a team as talented as Minnesota. Think about it, a team with the best running back in the league, the best run defense in the league, and weapons like Jared Allen rushing the passer, the Vikings should have won a playoff game in the post Culpepper-to-Moss era. It's not like the QB's don't have weapons to throw to, Bernard Berrian is a big-money deep threat that was signed before the 2008 season, and Sidney Rice was a 1st round pick in 2007 with a lot of potential. Clearly, QB is the problem here, and Brett Favre would have been a major upgrade. With him, the Vikings are a legitimate NFC title contender; without him, they will likely struggle to win their division.

For Favre, this could be a better way to end his career. Honestly, Favre was unfairly blamed for the Jets season, when in fact, he made them way better than expected. The Jets were coming off of an abysmal season, where they were not only bad, but also boring. Along came Brett Favre, with a lot of other free agents, and the team had a great start to 2008. At one point, the Jets were at 8-3, and at the top of many expert's power rankings after knocking off the previously unbeaten Titans. Favre was leading the league in completion percentage, and making big plays when he needed to. The Jets faded down the stretch, and Favre was partially to blame for it, but to act like the Favre experiment was a failure for the Jets is ludicrous. Favre did not have an awful season, he had a solid season and struggled at the end. A good final year with Minnesota could have left a better taste in the public's mouth.

Although I wanted to see Favre to the Vikings happen, if Brett wasn't fully committed and had doubts, then it's smart for him to retire. You never want to go into any situation half-hearted, especially with a complete resume' like Favre. It looks like the consecutive start streak record for a QB is set at 269. I just think that the next 16 games with Minnesota could have made the 2009 NFL season better.

Calling for the Doc

2009-07-28T01:58:00.004-04:00

By winning the World Series the Philadelphia Phillies revamped the landscape of sports fandom in Philadelphia. Everyone's a little more optimistic when it comes to sports matters now. I'm not going to go so far as to say that Philadelphia fans have become happy-go-lucky optimists (we'll save that for fans in fairweather cities like LA and San Diego.) However, things aren't as miserable as they used to be. The best example being: when football season comes now, it's more a pleasant surprise than a welcome respite from abysmal performances on the diamond. Winning this title means the Phillies now have to do everything in their power to maintain the title of "World Series Champions." If that means going out and sending a blue chip special to Toronto-- do it. Prospects are purely hype, because when they get to the majors it's always a crapshoot. If the Blue Jays want prospects (and they should), then scratch that itch for them. If parting with some guys that could end up being superstars means acquiring arguably the best pitcher in baseball, well...that's just a sacrifice I think that everyone rooting for the Phillies would be willing to make.

Why does dumping Halladay make sense for the Blue Jays? If you're unfamiliar with the situation you might not know that Roy Halladay is due to become a free agent after the 2010 season. Odds are when that day comes, it'll be the end for Halladay and the Blue Jays, since it seems unlikely that they will be able to pay Halladay what he will demand in the open market. This seems especially true when they play in a league where teams are allowed to throw money around like nobody's business (except Pac Man Jones, maybe.) So instead of letting Halladay go and receiving a few compensational draft picks for him, they should trade for prospects who have at least shown some promise. They're not sure-fire winners (no prospect is), but it beats extra draft picks. In this case they have direct control over who they are acquiring, where there is a lot more guesswork to be done in a draft. J.A. Happ is throwing well at the MLB level, and seems ike he could be a solid middle rotation guy for years to come. It makes sense that the Blue Jays would want him to help bolster what is, beyond Halladay and Ricky Romero, a pretty poor rotation. In the current offer the Phillies have on the table, they would also be sending the Jays prospects Michael Taylor, Jason Donald, and Carlos Carrasco. While Toronto isn't exactly thrilled by the assortment of prospects Philly offered here, it's better than ending up like the Twins and trading a Cy Young winner for 35 cents on the Dollar. The Jays have it bad for Phillies pitching prospect Kyle Drabek, who is widely regarded as the best prospect in the game, as well they should. Teams in the Blue Jays' position should have a strong affection towards prospects, because the future is more important than their dreary present-day situation.

That was a long paragraph.

Why would the Phillies want to part with all of these prospects? This is tricky. You want to do everything you can to defend your title without absolutely crippling your team for the future. Some teams like the Yankees never have to worry about this, because they have bottomless wallets. However, if you are not the Yankees, Red Sox, or Mets, you have to be a little more prudent with your green. Yeah, the Phillies are absolutely printing money right now with all of the sell-outs and World Series merchandise sales on top of the run-of-the-mill Phillies merchandise sales. However, they're still not in the same league economically as the aforementioned financial behemoths. The Phillies need to do this deal now. If it means giving up guys that appear to be future stars-- do it. They're in a perfect situation right now, none of the prospects they're offering in the deal are guys with MLB experience, therefore we don't know how they'll react to the Show. It affects everyone differently. Though JP Ricciardi, GM of the Toronto Blue Jays doesn't want to end up pulling an awful Minnesota/New York Johan deal, it doesn't mean that he has to make the deal by this year's deadline. He's got Halladay under contract for all of next season too. He's got the entire off-season to trade him, and he can make a deal at next year's deadline with a team looking to make a push for the title. (See: Sabathia to Brewers, Beltran to Astros.) What matters for the Phillies is to worry about winning right now. Nobody on the block gives you a better chance of doing that than Roy Halladay.

People might ask (though I'd wholeheartedly disagree with them): Why not wait until the off-season to trade for him, or wait until next year's deadline when the Blue Jays are more susceptible to make a bad deal. They don't know what's going to happen next year, it adds an element of the unknown to the deal for the Phillies, which they don't have if they make the deal by this year's deadline. They know how Halladay is pitching this year, and are getting an absolute tangible asset in this deal, whereas everything Toronto is getting is largely unproven. They know how he's pitching right now, and know that getting him means making themselves the odds-on favorites to win the NL pennant for the second year in a row. Making the deal right now makes sense for both teams. It doesn't make sense for Ricciardi to wait when he may never get a package this big, and it doesn't make sense for the Phillies to wait and let added variables enter into the equation. So I say make the deal now, and ride Halladay into the depths of October and increase your odds, vastly, of repeating as World Series Champions.

Gambling vs. PED Use: The Hall of Fame Debate

2009-07-28T00:07:00.008-04:00

The New York Daily News reported on Tuesday that MLB commissioner Bud Selig was considering lifting the ban on Pete Rose, the sport's all-time hit leader. Doing this would make him eligible to be voted into the Hall of Fame. ESPN is reporting that Rose's status remains the same, and that this report isn't true. Anyway, with Pete Rose's Hall of Fame chances are up for debate once again, I think we have a larger issue to discuss in baseball. With more, and more players from the "steroid era" on the ballot each year, and the thought of Rose gaining Hall of Fame eligibility, it is time to think about what is the more sinful act within baseball. Is it gambling on the sport of baseball, or using performance-enhancing drugs? We might find out within the next 5 years.

I say within the next 5 years, because in that timeframe we will have the ultimate showdown between performance-enhancing drugs and the Hall of Fame committee, which in essence is the governing body of legacy. Barry Bonds will be up for judgment. The parallels between Bonds and Rose are strikingly similar. One is the all-time home-run leader, while the other is the all-time hit leader. Both are locks for the Hall of Fame if it were solely based on on-field performance. However, both are the face of the infraction that they may, or may not have committed. Bonds has the steroid cloud, while Rose bet on baseball as a manager. I will be extremely interested to see who gets in the Hall of Fame first. I think the answer to the question of which is the bigger baseball infraction will be answered by who gets in first.

With this in mind, I would let Bonds in the Hall of Fame before Pete Rose, because I think PED use is a lesser sin than gambling. Both infractions do ruin the integrity of the game, and lessen the purity of the sport. However, while Bonds was cheating, he was making himself better, therefore the team better. What Pete Rose did was shameful, and was nothing more the disrespectful to the game of baseball. Rose thought he was bigger than the game by gambling on his team, whether he was betting for or against his team is irrelevant. That is why the worst scandals in sports are point shaving scandals. If fans believe that what they are watching is pre-determined, it can cause the downfall of the sport. People in position to determine the outcome of games cannot gamble on the results, period. For this reason, David Stern called the Tim Donaghy betting probe, "the worst situation that I have ever experienced."

Baseball is about to approach a sort of judgement day, where one after another Hall of Fame ballot will be debated and scrutinized, not for their on-field worthiness, but the methods they used to become Hall-of-Fame worthy. Meanwhile, the Pete Rose issue will not go away. Decisions will likely come down to declaring what is the lesser of the baseball evils. If it was up to you, who would you let in first, Bonds or Rose?

3 Up 3 Down: Week of 7/20-7/26

2009-07-26T23:41:00.008-04:00

Every week (probably on Sunday nights or Monday mornings), we will have a 3 up and 3 down post. 3 up and 3 down is designed to highlight the people, teams, and other aspects of sports that had good weeks, or bad weeks.

3 UP

Mark Buehrle- The rule of R2S: If you throw a no-hitter, you make it on this list. First, Jonathan Sanchez, and now Mark Buehrle. Buehrle not only threw a no-hitter, he pitched a perfect game. He is one of only 18 pitchers to throw a perfect game. Also, his perfect game was his second career no-hitter. He joins the elite company of Randy Johnson, Sandy Kofax, Jim Bunning, Joseph Aldie, and Cy Young as the only pitchers to throw 2 no-hitters with one perfect game.
DeWayne Wise- A Wise man once told me how to preserve a perfect game. Alright, that was cheesy, but the fact remains that DeWayne Wise was the hero of the perfect game with that home-run saving catch in the top of the 9th. He was so good that President Obama mispronounced his name at the Chicago rally after the game (he said it like Weiss). Well, you know you're doing something right if the President tries to say your name.
Leif Olsen- For this:

3 Down

Baltimore Ravens Receivers- I thought that Derrick Mason's retirement was shocking and would be tough to overcome. Obviously, the Ravens thought the same way, and signed Drew Bennett to help replace that void. Then a couple days later, Drew Bennett also retired. Maybe one, or both of them will change their mind, but as of now Joe Flacco has limited weapons.
Michael Vick- If you thought being in jail for over a year and not playing in the NFL for two seasons was enough, you were wrong. ESPN is reporting that Roger Goodell will likely suspend Vick anywhere between 2 and 6 games, but likely 4. Vick is free o sign with a team and attend training camp, but he will not play in a meaningful NFL game until at least week 5.
Steve Spurrier- How many of you believe that it was a "mistake" that he voted Tim Tebow 2nd among SEC QB's. Spurrier is way too smart to let something like that happen. There is a reason he didn't vote Tebow All-SEC 1st team, and it's not that an assistant coach filled out the ballot. However, The Ol' Ball Coach did not back up his reason, and has taken a hit for it.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh vs. Madden 10

2009-07-24T18:26:00.007-04:00

As silly as it sounds, an NFL player's Madden video game rating is extremely important to them. It is the ultimate showcase of how the public views your on field performance. That is why players are so obsessed with it, because many people will believe that the slowest player in Madden is the slowest player in the NFL. Also, players are usually built to believe that they are the best, it is just part of the make up of a professional athlete. Therefore, when they see themselves in Madden, they are usually disappointed when they are not a 99 in every single category. The latest player to voice their displeasure is new Seahawks receiver T.J, Houshmandzadeh.

Houshmandzadeh was on ESPN Radio's "The Herd" earlier this week where he said he was boycotting Madden until they "fix" his rating. After hearing this, ESPN First Take set up a meeting between two designers of Madden (Ian Cummings and Donny Moore), and T.J. Houshmandzadeh for them to air out their differences. Here is the interview.

Great Job Donny Moore for not backing down to Houshmandzadeh complaining about his speed rating. Athletes are always speaking about being disrespected in the game, but in this case, Houshmandzadeh is speaking without knowing the facts of Madden 10. He is obviously upset that his speed rating has sunk to an 82, and he feels that is extremely slow for a WR. In Madden 10, the ratings are "scaled back" this year, meaning that they are using the entire rating scale this year, making the difference between the average and elite greater. Moore had a perfect example of this new rating system, when he said in previous Madden games, CB's were never slower than an 87. This year, a Pro Bowl CB Ronde Barber has the speed of 82. Therefore, think of 82 as the new 87.

While Houshmandzadeh might be upset about how slow he is in Madden, he will be pleased that he will not be any slower than any of the players he was faster than last year. Madden will just play slower than it has in previous games. It is not a situation of Madden hating Houshmandzadeh, in fact, a 91 is a solid rating for a Madden player this season. Consider this, the best QB on the Vikings roster is a 68. In past years, a 68 would be a rating for a 3rd string QB. Heck, 2008 cover boy Vince Young is a 68. A 68 used to be saved for the awful players, and now some fringe starters have that rating.

In related news, the Madden 10 Gamestop Exclusive Demo was released this week. The game is Super Bowl XLIII between the Cardinals and Steelers, and features both of the cover athletes. My first observation from playing the demo is how much slower this game plays than previous versions. It will take some time to get used to it, but I think it makes the game run much smoother. The presentation is the biggest improvement, although there is no commentary in the demo. However, the cut scenes and information graphics are the best since ESPN NFL 2k5. It is really adds to the experience when you have a TV-style presentation to the game. The countdown continues until August 14th, the release of Madden 10.

Today, Perfection is Spelled "B-U-E-H-R-L-E"

2009-07-23T16:12:00.003-04:00

I'm a sports fan. Above being a Colts and Senators fan, I am a sports fan. So when something truly transcendant happens, it is especially moving. After all, the greatest moments in sports are all about transcendence. Fans of every team in the NFL (other than the Patriots) celebrated when David Tyree made "The Catch." Why? Eli Manning overcame immense pressure in the pocket, threw an absolute prayer, and David Tyree, a fringe receiver who found himself in the right place at the right time secured the ball between his glove and his helmet, and kept the New York Giants' Super Bowl dreams alive. When Jonathan Sanchez was throwing his No-Hitter a couple weeks ago, everyone was rooting for this pitcher who had recently been demoted to the bullpen suddenly finding himself, throwing what should have been a perfect game, if not for an error in the 8th inning. Great moments in sports captivate you, but they are even better when they involve the likes of Tyree or Sanchez, because they aren't superstars. They're the Everymen in the sports world of Ubermen. What I saw from Mark Buehrle today cemented him in my sports memory for the rest of time. I was not fortunate enough to see his no-hitter, but I did get to see the unforgettable 9th inning, and trust me, I will never forget it.

What does it all mean? Mark Buehrle is the kind of guy we'd like all professional athletes to be. He's not a showboater, he doesn't get his name in the paper for indiscretions off the field. He plays the game, and above all, he is more than simply a baseball player. He has recently stated that he wants to be a father above being a baseball player. He's perfectly content with finishing out his current contract, and leaving the game of baseball to be a significant part of his kids' lives. When was the last time you heard Terrell Owens say that? I truly wish there were more Mark Buehrles in the world of sports, because it would mean for more great moments like this.

Sidenote: Mark Buehrle, Randy Johnson, Sandy Koufax, Jim Bunning, Cy Young, Nolan Ryan, only modern Major League Baseball players with 2 or more no hitters. That's some pretty impressive company to be in. To just give you some perspective, Mark Bueherle was considered a throw-in in a recent trade in my fantasy baseball league, because the numbers he puts up aren't incredible, on a day-to-day basis. However, he has moments where he rises above the conditions, and becomes something bigger than baseball, like he did today, in throwing a perfect game, and like he did a few seasons ago in throwing a no-hitter.

People have described Buehrle's game as one that isn't overpowering. He's not going to blow you away with 98 mph heat. Instead, he plays "Baseball Lite" and gets everyone through the game in about 2 hours, dusts himself off, and prepares himself for the next start. All of this is coming from a guy who isn't even playing his best (or so we thought) baseball at this stage of his career. He doesn't walk a ton of batters, being in the top 10 pitchers in walks per nine innings 5 times over the last 10 years. Buehrle's numbers over his career are above average, but they are nothing that really grabs your attention until you look at the list of players he's in the company of in throwing multiple no hitters. Mark Buehrle just seems to have "It," in that some times he just can't be touched when he takes the hill, and July 23rd was one of those times.

All of that transcendence is great, it makes a great backdrop for the story. The 9th inning is what people are going to remember about that game. A full count strike out, a running-into-the-wall snowcone catch, dropped, and then caught again by Dwayne Wise , and finally a groundout to Alexei Ramirez that allowed everyone to be able to breathe again, and celebrate what truly was a great achievement. This game helped me realize that rooting for a pitcher in the 9th inning of a perfect game is possibly the most captivating moment on the field of play in any sport. You are living and dying with every pitch. Every ball he throws is one step closer to imperfection, and every strike he throws inches him closer to immortality. This is never more magnified than, obviously, in the 9th inning. I think there may have been some Rays fans that were actually, deep down, rooting for Buehrle to do this when it came to the 9th inning. It's an incredible moment that everyone wants to celebrate and be a part of. It's a moment I consider myself lucky to have been a part of.

You know what's great about all of this? I watched the 9th inning of the game, and it was captivating. It was a moment of greatness. I got right on my laptop and started writing this post. I needed to give my brother a ride to baseball practice, so I had to take a break from writing this. I put my shoes on, walked out to the car, turned it on, and the radio came on, as it always did. As I pulled out of my driveway, I realized "Perfect Situation," by Weezer was playing. You just can't make moments like that up. It's days like these, in the dead of July, when baseball hasn't quite reached the heat of the pennant race, and when none of the other sports are in action, I remember how great it really is to be a sports fan. Thank you, Mark Buehrle.

ESPN Ignoring the Ben Roethlisberger Story

2009-07-22T23:10:00.004-04:00

If ESPN is your sole source for sports information, then this story may seem like a shock, although it has been reported on some other media outlets over the past week. Andrea McNulty, a Harrah's employee at Lake Tahoe, alleges that Ben Roethlisberger sexually assaulted her in July of 2008. However, no criminal charges have been filed, only a civil suit was filed over the weekend. The details of the compliant filed by McNulty are pretty disturbing, if you want to read them (and to have a better understanding of my post), visit this post on profootballtalk.com. My post is not going to be about whether you believe McNulty, or whether you believe Roethlisberger is guilty. This post is about ESPN's decision to try to, for lack of a better word, cover this up.

Word that a civil suit was filed broke on Monday, and as I am writing this (Wednesday 9:30pm), not a single mention of this story on NFL Live, Sportscenter, Around the Horn, PTI, or anything. ESPN has buried this story from any of their television program. But, this story is out there, and news networks like Fox News, MSNBC have been reporting it. The Associated Press, Yahoo, and CBS sports have had updates on this story. This story is so big that TMZ has been involved in some of the updating of this story. But nothing from ESPN, not even a mention.

Wednesday's Philadelphia Inquirer had an article by John Gonzalez about ESPN's lack of involvement with this story. In that article, an ESPN spokesperson said, "At this point, we are not reporting the allegations against Ben Roethlisberger because no criminal complaint has been filed. As far as we know, this is a civil lawsuit that Roethlisberger has yet to address publicly."

However, John Gonzalez correctly points out that since when has an athlete's silence, or lack of cooperation stopped ESPN from covering a story? And as for Roethlisberger not addressing this issue publicly, his lawyer said (on Ben's behalf) that "Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone; especially Andrea McNulty,". Also, Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett acknowledged the situation to a TV station on Monday by saying, "We are aware of the allegations but cannot comment on the specifics of the case." This sounds like addressing this civil suit publicly.

Pro Football Talk correctly reminded its viewers that ESPN once swayed from its supposed policy of no reporting on civil cases without a criminal complaint in the case of the shooting that allegedly involved former Colts receiver Marvin Harrison. ESPN was all over this story from the start, with Sal Palantonio reporting. Why isn't the Roethlisberger story being treated like the Harrison story? There might be internal debate as to "why" at ESPN.

According to John Gonzalez's article, an ESPN source told him, "People were going insane. Fox News was doing the story. The AP had it. And they wouldn't even let us mention it. You can't ignore the story. It needs to be on SportsCenter. It makes us look bad. It's not a topic for discussion, but you have to acknowledge that it's being reported, that the story exists."

I 100% agree with the statement. You may not have to debate this on ATH, or PTI, but as "The Worldwide Leader in Sports", you have a responsibility to your audience to report the facts of the case. It makes it seem like ESPN has an agenda beyond giving sports fans the latest news and information in sports. There are some reasons why ESPN may not want Ben Roethlisberger to take a PR hit. First of all, last weekend ESPN ran an exclusive interview with Ben Roethlisberger. Maybe they didn't want to damage the credibility of that. Also, ABC (also owned by Disney, which owns ESPN) will air a reality show that features Shaq taking on athletes at their own sport. One of the episodes includes Shaq taking on Big Ben in a passing competition.

I do not know what ESPN is trying to accomplish by burying this issue. They seem to be the only sports and news media outlet ignoring this issue. Plenty of people on ESPN chastised Nike for covering up the video of Lebron James getting dunked on. Now, it looks like ESPN is guilty of something similar, except no one really seems to know why.

Update: ESPN.com has posted a news blurb about the Ben Roethlisberger on their NFL page headlined "No criminal look at Roethlisberger allegations". Also, ESPN TV has an item on the bottom line mentioning the same thing. Still, I haven't heard anything from the ESPN reporters.

Update #2: On Thursday morning, ESPN has acknowledged the story, and are carrying the Ben Roethlisberger press conference. Also, they have mentioned this story on their shows like OTL and Sportsnation.

The Michael Vick Redemption Tour

2009-07-22T18:35:00.004-04:00

I think dogfighting is absolutely, indefensibly, reprehensibly awful, therefore, Michael Vick got what he deserved. I think it's wrong of people to say that after serving his prison sentence, Mike needs to serve an additional suspension handed down from Commissioner Roger Goodell. Mike spent two years away from the game while doing time in a federal prison. Now people feel that he needs to be suspended another year or more while he's not doing time.

You may say that I'm comparing apples and oranges here, but I'd like to bring a couple other controversial issues to the table, in which athletes received no additional punishment other than that which had been handed down to them by courts of law in the United States of America. You know, the people whose job it is to determine what punishments fit the crimes that athletes commit off the field of play. I understand that yes, the commissioner's job entails him to make disciplinary decisions, but I don't think that they should be able to upstage a court of law.

In September of 2003 the Ferrari Dany Heatley was driving crashed into a wall, killing his teammate Dan Snyder. It was later discovered that Dany was driving his car under the influence of alcohol, though not above the legal limit. Be that as it may, Dany Heatley pleaded guilty to second degree vehicular homicide, and was handed down 3 years' probation, and wasn't allowed to drive a car that exceeded 70 miles per hour. Due to the injuries Heatley received in the accident he didn't play until January of 2004 (that same season), and appeared in 31 games for the Atlanta Thrashers. Let me repeat: Dany Heatley was responsible for the death of a teammate, and continued playing hockey that same season. Mike Vick-dogfighting ring (not condoning it, just putting it there for comparison's sake)- 2.5 years in prison. And people want Goodell to add onto that suspension?

In February of 2004, it was discovered that Jamal Lewis was involved in trafficking cocaine. Lewis was sentenced to four months in prison, which fell during the NFL off-season, and he was ordered to serve an additional 4 game sentence. Now, Michael Vick has missed 2 seasons of NFL football due to the prison sentence. Lewis would have missed no NFL action, and essentially wouldn't have seen any punishment from his league, so it was kind of necessary for the punishment to be handed down. If Lewis would have served his sentence during the NFL season, he would have probably been allowed to come back whenever his sentence ended.

What would the NFL have to gain by suspending Michael Vick additionally? People say that this is an image issue with the NFL. Well, if that's the case, what was the NBA thinking while allowing Kobe Bryant to play basketball during his rape trial? Yes, he ended up being innocent, but it's still not a situation that is going to do wonders for their image. Mike Vick has paid his debt to society, I don't see what the NFL has to gain by adding on to Mike Vick's suspension. Have we really gone that far as a society that we're not willing to grant people second chances? Let Michael Vick come back and re-gain all of our respect as an athlete. Let him prove himself as a man, too. I just know that I don't want to consider myself part of a society where we are so cold-hearted that we are not willing to grant a human being a second chance after making a mistake. I know that we, if we found ourselves in his position, would ask the same of society. I surely hope that Roger Goodell thinks the same way, and allows Michael Vick a chance to redeem himself, both on and off the field.

Update: A source tells ESPN that Roger Goodell will grant Michael Vick "conditional reinstatement" that will allow him to attend training camp with an NFL team, but he will be suspended for the first 4 games.

PS: My last 3 entries have been pretty negative, you can be sure that the next one will be much more upbeat and lighthearted. I mean, I feel like I'm turning into Bob Ley and Roger Cossack roled into one.

3 Up and 3 Down; Week of 7/13-7/19

2009-07-20T00:58:00.004-04:00

Prince Fielder- One of the premier power hitters in the NL, Prince Fielder defeated two local players en route to winning the 2009 State Farm Home Run Derby. There really wasn't any monster round during the derby, but it seemed to take forever. Prince Fielder defeated the little-known Nelson Cruz in the finals
Tom Watson- Watson's story is well documented in the previous post. One thing that I had to disagree with that an announcer of the British Open said was that Tom Watson's legacy wouldn't change because of this tournament, and Stewart Cink's (the Open Champion) would. I think that in the eyes of my generation, Tom Watson became more of a legend than he previously was. Many more people are aware of his accomplishments today than they were last week.
Richard Gasquet- A bizarre story in the tennis world happened this week as Richard Gasquet had his suspension taken away for testing positive for cocaine. His excuse? He kissed a girl in a nightclub that used cocaine, and he must have ingested it. Again, this story worked, and he avoided the suspension. Hopefully, the person in charge of this reversal will be my english professor next year. Dang, the dog ate my paper again.

3 Down

Jeremy Mayfield- Another drug related story, this time, a bad one. Jeremy Mayfield, after declaring he was innocent, tested positive again for methamphetamine. Now, Mayfield is insisting that NASCAR is out to get him, and he is being set up. The situation became more ugly when Mayfield's mother-in-law became involved and mentioned that she has seen Mayfield use methamphetamine many times. Mayfield then said to reports that his stepmother is a "whore" and a "gold digger". Ugly situation here.
Tiger Woods- For the first time in 3 years, and only the second time as a member of the PGA Tour, Tiger Woods missed the cut at a major tournament. The hole that was symbolic of Tiger's tournament was hole 10 on Friday, where he doubled bogeyed after hitting his tee shot into the heavy rough. A five minute search yielded no results, and he had to take an out of bounds. Three majors since the injury, and no victories, yet, we have seen 3 great tournaments. Maybe golf is bigger than Tiger Woods after all.
The NL- This is an embarrassment, how can you call yourselves all-stars, or even professionals and not beat one team in 13 tries. The team has had different players, players haves switched leagues, yet no wins for the National League over the American League. Now that "this one counts" this game has had more meaning, and the NL has had poor records in the World Series, maybe based on this.

Still Hasn't Cinked In

2009-07-19T17:27:00.011-04:00

AP Photo (John Super)

British Open 2009 had everything a golf fan could want, well, except Tiger Woods for the weekend. Although much was made on Friday as Tiger missed the cut, that will only be a mere footnote when we look back at this tremendous Open Championship. The other "TW" will be the player remembered, Tom Watson finished in 2nd place after having a huge chance to give us one of the best sports stories of all time.

Golf is a sport that gives you the drama of the most tense situations of any sport on a routine basis, especially in majors. That is why I think the back 9 of a major is the best thing that happens on the sports calendar, All three of the majors this year has been the equivalent of a player on the free-throw line with his team down by one in basketball, or a two minute drive for the win in football, or a shootout in hockey, or a closer trying to get the final out in baseball. I think you get the point, all of these situations are tense, and this is the reason we watch. In golf, we have had three championship level tense moments this year, and once again someone couldn't come through.

First on the list, The Masters, where Kenny Perry, at 48 years old, emerged to be a crowd favorite, amongst the Woods-Mickelson pairing when he held a lead going into the back 9, and a 2 shot lead with 2 holes to play. But, a bogey-bogey finish after 22 straight holes without a bogey forced him into a playoff with Angel Cabrera and Chad Campbell. In the playoff, Angel Cabrera won the hole and got to wear the green jacket. In the U.S. Open, Ricky Barnes at one point had a score of -12, and a 5 stroke lead. In the final day, Barnes fell apart, shooting a 76 and falling out of contention, giving Lucas Glover the U.S. Open title. And finally, the Britsih Open, probably the most disappointing of all, Tom Watson missed a par putt on the 18th hole for the win, and eventually lost in a 4-hole playoff to Stewart Cink.

This was heartbreaking, because this could have been the best, Tiger-less golf story that my generation has ever seen. Watson was playing the best, using his craftiness to make up for his lack of strength off the tee. He knew how to play the course, I guess 59 years and 5 British Open titles helps with that aspect. After birding 17 , it hit him on 18. Can I really win this tournament? All I need to do is sink this 10 foot putt and I would be the most incredible story in golf history. This isn't a layup, but it is a putt that he has made many times during this Open. As soon as he struck the ball, Watson knew it was off target. Watching it on replay, you could tell he rushed the putt, and it never really had a chance. After that, maybe it was his age, maybe it was his confidence, but he never had his rhythm in the 4 playoff holes. Stewart Cink took didn't make mistakes and won.

Watson said after the tournament that, "It will tear at my gut... it would have been a hell of a story". Maybe it won't win an ESPY next year, but many great things have come from Watson's amazing run. First of all, many more people will have an appreciation for the history of golf. It is refreshing to have a reminder that Tiger Woods did not invent golf. We had many great golfers, and tournaments before him. Even before the tournament, ESPN ran a story on the 1977 British Open at Turnberry, where Tom Watson upstaged Jack Nicholas in one of the best golf tournaments of all time. Each day after Watson remained in contention, they played that story. I think that is great for the sport of golf, people need to appreciate the history of the game to completely understand the context of what they are watching. Another positive outcome from this tournament was that this in inspiration for other older golfers. I guarantee you that plenty of older people were watching this tournament and decided that they were going to go into the attic, dust of the old clubs, and start golfing again. Look out at your local country club.

Rick Riley and Mike Tirico (Syracuse Class of '88) of ABC/ESPN over the air said something that sums it up best. "Thank You Tom Watson". As he put in his final put on the 4th playoff hole, everyone knew what he meant. Thank you for giving us a story in a Tiger-less weekend. Thank you for giving us a flashback of what golf used to be. Thank you for being another example of the reason we watch sports. However, we are all left wondering what would have been.

NL East, Meet J.A. Happ

2009-07-19T15:29:00.004-04:00

(Image courtesy AP/Tom Mihalek)

Is his name J.A., Jay, or something else? No matter what his name is, J.A. Happ, the Phillies' 26-year old lefty, just continues to win.

Sound exaggerated?

Not really. He is 6-0 so far this season, and just moments ago left the Phillies/Marlins game with a 4-0 lead behind seven shutout innings. As Phillies' broadcaster Tom McCarthy so astutely pointed out, this was the fifth straight start for Happ where he went seven innings or further. And to think that at the beginning of this season, he lost the battle for the fifth starting pitcher slot to Chan Ho Park (and I think we all know how that ended up.)

Ever since Happ took over, he has been nothing short of masterful in his 10 outings. His WHIP prior to Sunday's outing (walks/hits per inning) is a remarkable 1.17, and with the exception of his first outing, where his pitch count was being watched closely, he has gone at least 5 1/3 innings in every start. He has given up no more than 5 earned runs in any of said starts, either.

What is his formula, anyway? There is no way a pitcher with a 90 MPH fastball at its best and a changeup and a curveball should have this much success, the average fan probably thinks. He also only has 61 strikeouts in 87 innings prior to Sunday. What on earth could he be doing to have so much success?

Many within the Phillies organization have attributed J.A's success to his ability to hide the baseball so well in his glove that batters can't pick up on the ball until it's halfway to them, at times. He also has a "poker face" on the mound, as manager Charlie Manuel stated in an analogy, citing Happ's great mindset and quiet confidence.

So let's review. 16 career starts. 1 career loss. One loss in sixteen outings is sensational for ANY starting pitcher, let alone a rookie. Would it really be worth potentially packaging Happ in a deal for Roy Halladay? The jury is out on that decision, but with his success, Happ must be a piece the Phillies would be reluctant to lose.

So, NL East batters, if you haven't met him yet, this is J.A. Happ, the pitcher who just doesn't lose.

Tom Watson Steals the Show

2009-07-16T19:07:00.005-04:00

(Getty Images)

I woke up this morning, and immediately turned on the TV to TNT. I knew that I would probably miss Tiger's entire round, so I wanted to look at how the course was playing, and the leaderboard. At first, I thought I must have had the wrong channel, beautiful sunny day, barely any wind, doesn't seem like the British Open I know. Then I look at the leaderboard. At the top, it says "T. Watson -5 65". No, you can't be serious, not that T. Watson, he has to be like 60 years old. It has to be some other T. Watson, not the 5 time Open champ. It can't be the guy who went head-to-head against Jack Nicholas at the British Open in 1977 at Turnberry, in which Nicholas later called "the best tournament I played and lost." Then TNT flashes the reel that recaps the action from earlier, and indeed it was Tom Watson who had the stellar first round.

In favorable conditions, many older players had solid rounds, but no story is greater than Tom Watson who is in 2nd place after the first round of play, at the age of 59. This comes one year after the tremendous story of Greg Norman, at the age of 53, leading the Open Championship after 54 holes. We all know that being at the top of the leaderboard on Thursday does not mean you will be even in the hunt on Sunday, but what a tremendous start for Watson.

Let's think hypothetically, what if Watson can ascend and win this tournament, and capture his 6th British Open title. That would be one of the greatest stories in sports history. You rarely get a chance in sports to have a huge name like this, and someone this accomplished be an underdog. This is sort of like Magic Johnson coming back to the NBA and leading the Lakers to a title, or Pete Sampras coming out of retirement to beat Roger Federer in the Wimbledon Final. Maybe golf is a slightly different game, and older players have more of a chance to compete, but the fact that he had this kind of round against Tiger and the rest of the field (that beats Tiger 71% of the time) is something special.

After the round, Watson admitted that he wasn't sure if he could handle the pressure later in the tournament. One could imagine that it would be hard for a man at 59 years old to play 3 more strong rounds of golf, especially if the winds pick up and the rain starts to fall as expected. Although Tiger had a bad first round (again), look for him to make a charge as the weekend starts. However, count me in as one of the people who would like to see this tremendous story come true.

Frozen Fenway Fireworks in the Future

2009-07-16T01:16:00.005-04:00

After three weeks of waiting out the inevitable, it was finally announced Wednesday afternoon, by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, that the 2010 Winter Classic would match the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers from historic Fenway Park in downtown Boston.

Speculation early last month indicated that the game potentially could have pitted the Bruins against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, but NBC reportedly informed NHL officials that ratings would be higher if the Flyers were included in the game. Whether or not this is the reason the Flyers were chosen is up for argument, but the decision is final nonetheless.

The NHL kept the baseball park theme for the location, after witnessing the wonderful success of the 2009 game between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field in the Windy City.

This game rekindles an old rivalry from the 1970s. The Bruins and Flyers had many great battles in that decade, including the memorable 1974 Stanley Cup Finals, where Flyers netminder Bernie Parent stole the show and helped the Flyers reach their goal of winning their first Stanley Cup.

Even in recent years, the Philly/New England rivalry has been furious on the ice. In 2007, an innocent looking hit by Randy Jones on Patrice Bergeron placed the Bruins forward on injured reserve for the remainder of that season, and his poor reaction to Jones' apologies only fueled the fire between the two clubs.

Talent wise, this game will feature many of the most underrated players in the game. The Flyers' young corps of Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Claude Giroux and company, coupled with big bruising defenseman Chris Pronger, will go up against Boston and the likes of Marc Savard, David Krejci, Bergeron, and their own bruising d-man Zdeno Chara, the reigning Norris Trophy winner for best defenseman in the league.

The Bruins took home the NHL Eastern Conference's regular season title a year ago, and the Flyers are still left with a bitter taste in their mouth from their first round playoff defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

For two cities with such storied histories in all sports, a Winter Classic pitting the two against one another is bound to be a lifetime memory for all those associated with the clubs, from management and players, to just merely the 40,000 or so who will be on hand to see the game.

Ticket information will be announced in the weeks to come, but for Boston and Philadelphia, the countdown is already on to New Years, and an extra special celebration to ring in a new decade.

Much more on this as the date draws closer. This blogger will even have thoughts from Boston that memorable day.

Photo courtesy flyers.nhl.com

British Open Preview: Tiger vs. The Field

2009-07-15T18:55:00.001-04:00

On Thursday, the third major of the golf season will be underway by the time we wake up. Most of the best golfers in the world will be at Turnberry for the prestigious British Open, the birthplace of golf. One major golfer will be absent from the tournament, Phil Mickelson had decided to skip the British Open to be with his wife and mother who both have breast cancer. Without Mickelson in the tournament, and with Tiger Woods coming off of a win at the AT&T National, cue the Tiger Woods or the field argument. While this type of debate might be interesting to watch on Around The Horn or PTI, realistically, this is not a smart argument.

Don't get me wrong, I do not think Tiger is overrated. In fact, if you forced me to pick my favorite athlete, Tiger Woods would be the choice. Also, if you were to get $100 for picking the winner of any golf tournament, you would be crazy not to pick Tiger. But, to make it like it is a 50-50 chance that Tiger Woods will win any tournament, especially the British Open is just as crazy. Looking back at the history of Tiger, it has never been that way in major tournaments.

I think people underestimate how hard it is to win a major golf tournament, and how rare Tiger Woods, the best golfer ever, actually wins majors. He wins majors at a tremendously higher rate than any other golfer, but what exactly is the rate that Tiger Woods wins majors? Well, he has competed in 48 majors as a member of the PGA Tour, and has won exactly 14. That is only a 29% win percentage, which is exceptional and so much better than anyone else, but not the 50% win percentage that you would assume if you watched the sports talk shows before majors.

So, entering the British Open, I would give Tiger at least a 29% chance to win, maybe even a little more. With no Mickelson, Tiger's odds slightly increase. Also, the fact that the British Open is at Turnberry this year also helps his chances. Although he has never seen this course, the Turnberry has had a great history for someone like Tiger. The previous 3 times that the Open was held at Turnberry, the #1 ranked player in the world has won. These facts may increase Tiger's odds to somewhere around 35%, which is again phenomenal, but not really close to 50-50.

The British Open is known for having the undiscovered players compete near the top of the leader board, which opens the playing field. I would give Tiger Woods triple the chance to win than I would give any other golfer this weekend. But when this Tiger vs the field debate is going on, think of you at a casino, with $1,000 on the line. Are you taking the 35% chance, or the 65% chance? That's what I thought.

Bettman & Selig's Salaries a Disgrace

2009-07-14T19:00:00.006-04:00

Given: We are in a borderline-catastrophic economic downturn right now.

It seems kind of disgusting to split hairs over who has it worst in the world of multi-million dollar ballplayers. However, we still continue to pay their salaries by watching their ballgames on television, going to the games in person, and buying their merchandise. So I don't think anyone really has any room to complain as long as they keep supporting their team. After all, where do they want the teams to pour all that money those players are bringing in? Professional sports teams are oftentimes involved in community service projects, where they actually use some of the money they make to help the communities around them. It's only fair that the players you pay to watch get paid with the money you spend to watch them.

That being said, I've discovered a pretty big problem in the salaries of commissioners Gary Bettman and Bud Selig, who made $7.1 million and $18 million respectively. Let me put this in perspective for you. Here are the salaries of the four major sports commissioners in America:

1.) Bud Selig (MLB): $18.35 million
2.) Roger Goodell (NFL): $8.25 million
3.) David Stern(NBA): $8 million
4.) Gary Bettman(NHL): $7.1 million

Here's how much revenue each league brought in last year:

1.) MLB: $6.2 Billion
2.) NFL: $6.0 Billion
3.) NBA: $3.2 Billion
4.) NHL: $2.5 Billion

Therefore, the following reflects how much each commish is paid in relation to the revenue of his respective league (this is not necessarily the amount of revenue spent on each commissioner, simply how their salary number stacks up in comparison to the amount of money their league takes in, I'll call it their Commissioner's Cost Efficiency Rating: CCER):

CCER: (Note: This is a stat you want to have low numbers in, like golf score or ERA, so these are listed in reverse order of efficiency)

1.) Gary Bettman(NHL): 35.2%
2.) Bud Selig(MLB): 33.7%
3.) Roger Goodell(NFL): 7.5%
4.) David Stern(NBA): 4%

I'm not trying to diminish the role of the commissioner in a major sport, there is a lot of responsibility that goes with the territory. Every grievance filed with the league, every single issue their respective league has, is in one way or another dealt with by them, so they deserve to get paid. They keep things organized, they do a good job of maintaining order in leagues that would be crushed in the face of anarchy. However, they should not be among their league's highest paid PLAYERS. Keep in mind: people aren't paying to see a commissioner file paperwork. That's why I find Bettman and Selig's salaries particularly disconcerting, and commend Goodell and Stern on being cost effective commissioners. For, they aren't getting paid money that's going to make their league's highest paid players insulted, and, plausibly, in turn demand more money. How would you feel if you were among your league's elite players, and you were getting paid less than the Commissioner? I'd imagine you wouldn't be thrilled.

Gary Bettman and Bud Selig's salaries would put them among the salaries of the elite players in the league. Bettman would be the 12th highest-paid player in the NHL, and Selig would be the 10th highest-paid player in Major League Baseball. I don't know about you, but that just doesn't seem right to me. Neither Goodell nor Stern would even rank in their league's top 25 highest-paid players, and that's the way that it should be.

Just to give you an idea, here's a brief list of players getting paid less than Selig and Bettman:

Bud Selig(MLB): $18.35 million

Quality Players Paid Less than Bud Selig:

Alfonso Soriano, Torii Hunter, Aramis Ramirez, Todd Helton, AJ Burnett (in his Blue Jays contract), Tim Hudson, CC Sabathia (in his Indians Contract), Vlad Guerrero, Ryan Howard, Derek Lowe, Mariano Rivera, Miguel Tejada, Lance Berkman, and a list that goes on down the list of players constituting Major League Baseball

Gary Bettman: $7.1 million

Quality Players Paid Less than Gary Bettman

Chris Drury, Jarome Iginla, Jason Spezza, Mats Sundin, Vincent Lecavalier, Henrik Lundqvist, Nikolai Khabibulin, Roberto Luongo, Scott Niedermeyer, Pavel Datsyuk, Dan Boyle, Daniel Briere, Ed Jovanovsky, and a list that goes on down the list of players constituting the National Hockey League.

You could argue that commissioners deserve to be paid among the league's best, because after all, these commissioners are the best at what they do. They spent years at law or business school studying the trade, becoming the best in their field, and these leagues saw that, which led to their being elected or placed into their positions. However, if these commissioners are woefully unsuccessful in their endeavors, then I'm a little less inclined to condone their compensation. Guess what: the two leagues facing the biggest controversies of the four right now? NHL and MLB.

The NHL is three seasons removed from a catastrophic lockout, in which players' compensation was the big hangup in developing a collective bargaining agreement. (Well, I wonder why they were so upset!) Major League Baseball is having all of its home run records scrutinized because a commissioner (Bud Selig) and his administration turned a blind eye to ballooning statistics (and biceps for that matter,) and instead, I suppose found comfort in their rather desirable income. I wouldn't be surprised if, when their contracts come due, these two step down, willingly accept the money (the money you pay to go see their players play) they've been paid, and ride off into the sunset, knowing they've gotten away with robbery. And trust me, they'd know, they went to law school.

Campus CSI, Coming Soon to R2S

2009-07-14T17:20:00.001-04:00

We here at R2S are constantly coming up with ideas that would take advantage of our abilities as writers, while informing and entertaining the auidience. Fellow R2S contributer Steve Sabato came up with a perfect way to utilize our unique and fortunate situations to provide the reader with insight of the college sports scene. With all 3 contributers to this site covering Division 1 college sports teams as part of the student media, we have the opportunity to give you the sort of on-campus insight that most blogs simply don't have the resources to do. We have Ryan D. Smith on Penn State's campus, Steve Sabato on Marist's campus, and I will be on Syracuse's campus.

We will call this CSI (College Sports Insiders). Every so often, starting this fall, we will post updates about the college sports scene on our campuses. We will talk about issues surrounding those certain schools. We will give you first-hand hand reaction and knowledge about situations surrounding Marist, Syracuse, and Penn State, while giving you our thoughts of what is going on around the conference. That is one thing to look forward to as we continue make R2S bigger and better. We welcome all of the feedback about this new installment.

Troubling Pujols Discussion on ESPN First Take

2009-07-13T15:57:00.012-04:00

I was watching ESPN First Take this morning, and I was taken aback by what they were saying in their first issue of the day. Skip Bayless was talking about a ridiculous topic, is it fair to suspect Albert Pujols of using performance enhancing drugs. Didn't we have an issue like this about a month ago that fueled a war between the blogosphere and mainstream media? Every person in the main stream media that had an outlet found a way to destroy JRod of Mid West Sports Blog for such an "Irresponsible Article". Not only did I find the topic on First Take ridiculous, I found their answers to the question shocking. Take a listen.

This is one of the biggest contradictions I have ever seen by people who are supposed to be "journalists" of the mainstream media. We spent the better part of two weeks talking about how responsible journalists can't throw around performance-enhancing drug speculation unless they have any proof. People like Ken Rosenthal were angry that people could publish speculation without backing it up. Now, we have people of the mainstream media (ESPN, major newspapers, Fox Sports, etc.) doing the exact same thing. If a blogger said or wrote the same exact thing, they would be shunned by every reporter on television, or in print. Now that people like Skip Bayless basically said, on ESPN, that he will not rule out the possibility of Pujols using PED's, you expect the people who write blogs to just not discuss this issue at all?

This is the exact reason why JRod of Mid West Sports Blog wrote the blog post that he did, because people were discussing Raul Ibanez, just like Skip Bayless and the 2 Live Stews were talking about Pujols. In his article, he never said he thought Ibanez took steroids, in fact, he stated that he hoped Ibanez wasn't taking performance-enhancing drugs. However, he acknowledged that Raul's numbers raised his suspicion, just like Pujols raises Skip Bayless's suspicion. They both stated the fact that so many players before them have been thought to be clean, and then turn out otherwise. Therefore, if you were one of the people who chastised JRod, you need to be just as upset with Skip.

However, this won't generate the buzz that JRod's article got, because this isn't a media vs blog issue. I feel that the media vs blog was the heart of the discussion about a month back, even more than the steroids issue itself. Face it, bloggers and people of the mainstream media have resentment toward each other. Maybe it's rooted in jealousy; bloggers are people who want to be people of the mainstream media, and people of the mainstream media don't want fans to read blogs instead of their articles in the paper. Whatever the divisive factor is, I feel that it is completely unnecessary. The sports world is better when you have blogs that can entertain the fans, but not be taken as seriously as a legitimate mainstream media reporter. But now, we have one of those legitimate reporters doing the exact same thing that mainstream media thought was unacceptable for a blogger. That is definitely a troubling contradiction.

3 Up and 3 Down; Week of 7/6-7/12

2009-07-12T20:24:00.005-04:00

3 UP

Shane Victorino: It's always good to know that the fans appreciate the way you play, and fans voted in record numbers to send Shane Victorino to the All-Star Game. After becoming a well-known player in the World Series last year, Shane has batted over .300 this season and he is currently 2nd in the NL in runs scored. Also, he is the a reigning Gold Glove outfielder, and that defense has not dropped off.

Lance Armstrong: This story fascinates me, because it is amazing to me that this guy, at the age of 37 years old can take a couple years off, and be competitive against a bunch of people in their mid 20's who have spent the past year getting ready for this event. Anyway, Lance Armstrong is currently in 3rd place at the Tour De France, a position that he likes to be in during the beginning of the mountain stage. Plus, he has said that he thinks that this will "probably not" be his last Tour De France

Jonathan Sanchez: Ryan D. Smith has his blog post about this. Jonathan Sanchez went from a bullpen pitcher on the trade block to the pitcher who threw the 13th no hitter in Giants history. Not bad for a pitcher who was no supposed to start throwing to a catcher that wasn't supposed to play.

3 Down

Active Home Run Hitters: When I heard this stat, I was so amazed that I had to look it up and make sure it was true. After confirming the stat, I can share it with you. Of the 12 active career home run leaders, guess how many of them made the All-Star game this season? ZERO! That is really a surprising fact.

Lebron James: This video-gate story has gained so much momentum that it has spun out of control. Nike allegedly took Ryan Miller's video of Xavier's Jordan Crawford dunking on Lebron James. Ryan Miller, a Syracuse University Student Class of '09 (yes, I had to fit it in there), told many media outlets that Lebron James told the Nike reps to take the video. I personally don't have a problem with Lebron James in this situation, but many people do think Lebron was wrong in this case. The image hit has been pretty substantial.

Toronto Blue Jays Players: How does it feel to play the second-half of the year knowing that your GM doesn't think your team can compete for another 2 years? Unfortunately, that message was sent when the Blue Jays announced that they were listening to offers for ace Roy Halladay. This is far too common in baseball where you have a season with so many games, and no salary cap, or anything to even the way teams spend. We are at the All-Star break, and pretty much a third of the league can just pack their season in. This point is magnified in the AL East, where the Yankees and Red Sox dominate the spending, thus dominate the standings. It makes you appreciate what the Rays have done to be competitive with those teams for two years.

Steve's Introduction and the Tragedy of Steve McNair

2009-07-12T09:01:00.007-04:00

(Courtesy Google Images)

Since this is the first time I'm posting, it'd probably be a good idea to let you know a little bit about myself. I'm Steve Sabato, I love sports, I love to read, and I love to write. My favorite sports teams are the Indianapolis Colts, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles, and Flyers. I'm going to Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York this fall, and look forward to studying Communications with concentrations in Sports Communications and TV/Radio/Film. I look forward to interacting with any readers that have questions or comments about my posts, and ask that you're respectful in all of our interaction.

"So shall you hear

Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts,

Of accidental judgments, casual slaughters,

Of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause,

And, in this upshot, purposes mistook

Fall'n on the inventors heads."

-Hamlet (Act V, scene 2)

I think that the word "tragic" gets bandied about without any real type of significance or understanding, to the point where it is watered down and loses its true meaning. In the case of Steve McNair we have a true tragedy, one of Shakespearean magnitude (hence the quote.) For it is in this sad state of affairs that we have found a hero, someone who had represented so much to so many, struck down by a fatal flaw in his character. It is for that reason that I believe Steve McNair has attained the status of "Tragic Hero," in this great play that we call life. Dan Schwarzman of ESPN Radio 950 in Philadelphia put it best: "You couldn't write a play this depressing."

There seem to be two Steve McNairs that came to be known by all of us in the general public. The first one we came to know was the Steve McNair who was known for his incredible toughness on the football field. He was known for his ability to play through injury, because really, it was the only way he knew how to play. He wasn't necessarily the best passer statistically or technique-wise, but he was a good enough player to split an MVP with Peyton Manning for the 2003 NFL season. He was also known for his charitable involvement off the field. He was a man who involved himself in charities off the field, and made his most notable contribution to the community when he carried his own tools to help tornado victims in Nashville. Steve McNair was the person and player you wanted every NFL player to be like.

Yet, in death, a dark-side to Steve McNair has been unearthed. We find out now that he had been unfaithful to his wife of over a decade, Mechelle. It is this very infidelity that ultimately led to his demise. It really doesn't make sense that the man we saw carry himself the way that all professional athletes should, the player who showed himself to be so tough physically, turn out to be so very weak when it came to resisiting temptation. We can sit around and wonder forever what might have become of Steve McNair, had he just avoided the 20 year old Dave and Buster's waitress who is now forever attached to him in history. It has been said that Sahel Kazemi ended McNair's life, because he believed him to be involved with yet another woman, and in an "if I can't have you, no one can," act, she killed McNair and herself. I suppose that can serve as a lesson to all those who committed, commit, or even considered committing adultery. It never ends well.

This clashing of personalities has left the legacy of Steve McNair in limbo. Is it possible that in putting Steve McNair on the pedestal that we did, we raised him above human status? I think so. I believe we do it with all of our idols in sports, whether we mean to or not. We see only a glimmer of these people in the grand scheme of things, and yet we think so much of them, from such concentrated examples. Obviously, adultery is an act that I don't think anyone should condone, or be a part of. However, Steve McNair was a human being, and he had very human flaws. The super-human we saw transcend the game of football on the field, was compensated for by the man with the very human flaws we came to know of off the field. I think this is a lesson in idolatry for all of us. Praise Steve McNair for the player he was on the field, for the charity work he did off it, and understand that he acted on his temptations. Don't judge him, don't condemn him, because it is impossible to understand the life he led without walking in his proverbial shoes. I don't want the great achievements of Steve McNair to be forgotten because of the transgressions in his personal life. Respect him less as a husband and a father, if you wish, but as an athlete and a philanthropist, he still remains among the best.

Home Run Derby: A Spectacle Made by Steroids

2009-07-12T02:10:00.008-04:00

"Crack... Back, back, back...Gone!" That is a sound you hear multiple times when watching the home run derby. Partly because Chris Berman doesn't have much variety in his calls, but the concept is entertaining. It is fun to watch the biggest and the best crush the ball as far as they can, as many times as they can. Who doesn't want to see the most exciting play in baseball over and over, and over again? While the derby is a fun showcase of the stars of baseball, it is a reminder of the era that baseball wants to forget.

Steroids made the Home Run Derby the spectacle that it is today. At first, people may not be willing to accept that statement, but when you look back at the past competitions, that seems to be the case. The Home Run Derby started in 1985, at the Metrodome. The winner? Dave Parker, with only 6 home runs. In fact, after Parker and up until 1991, the winner of the derby never hit more than 4 home runs. After 1991, many people believe that steroids started to become a part of baseball. The "steroid era" is not a defined period of time, but I would go as far as to say that it covers some time between 1991 and 2002.

The winner of the 1991 Home Run Derby was Cal Ripken Jr., one of the players who is known throughout baseball as being clean. He set the trend that has continued today of the dramatic home run displays. He won the derby with 12 home runs, which was more than the winners of the previous 3 years combined. However, after he set the bar, many winners on the list have been known to taken steroids, or have had to fight off steroid rumors.

The hey-day of the derby might have been the battles in the years between 1992-2000. I am talking about the battles between Slammin' Sammy Sosa and Mark "Big-Mac" Mcgwire. Didn't we all enjoy watching those two slug it out? The power displays that we witnessed were compelling television. These two players are linked to steroids, and now it looks like they will not make the Hall of Fame. However, these two players helped make this Home Run Derby as popular as it is. Some other winners that have thrived in this competition that are linked to steroids are; Juan Gonzalez, Barry Bonds, Miguel Tejada, and Jason Giambi.

Sure, over the years, we have had clean players do well, and win this competition. Ken Griffey Jr. won it 3 times, and I mentioned Cal Ripkin Jr. earlier. I am also not saying that I believe everyone in the Home Run Derby is on steroids. However, the image that is built when I think of the Home Run Derby is steroid-inflated, superman bodies blasting the ball out of the park. That image was set by those winners that are linked to steroids that I mentioned in the article, and plenty other competitors that we do, or do not know took steroids. However, I do enjoy watching the Home Run Derby. Maybe steroids did help baseball in some aspects. Maybe steroids in baseball was not the worst thing that's ever happened to the game.

Who I Am, and Jonathan Sanchez, Bravo.

2009-07-11T01:11:00.007-04:00

Hello fellow sports fans. I am Ryan D. Smith (yes my name is so general that I do need to specify my middle initial). I reside in Doylestown, PA, an hour north of Philly, so naturally, I live and bleed red, orange, and green, depending on the season. I will be attending Penn State University this fall, majoring in broadcast journalism. My dream is to be the play by play announcer for the Philadelphia Flyers. I know everything possible about the NHL, and let's just say I'm not a fan of some aspects of it.

I do have a bit of an edge to some of my opinions. I certainly don't shy away from speaking my mind. My only request of everyone is that, love or hate my opinion, be respectful to me, personally.

So, details about me aside, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge young San Francisco Giants lefthander Jonathan Sanchez, who tonight threw a no hitter, retiring 27 of 28 San Diego Padres, with the lone blemish being an error committed by Giant third baseman Juan Uribe in the 8th inning.

It was the Giants' first no hitter since 1976, and the first thrown by a Giant in AT&T Park. The entire game, Sanchez worked a nasty 11 to 5 curveball that had even the best San Diego hitters baffled.

Perhaps the best part of this story, though, is the fact that, first of all, Sanchez was given a spot start in this game, replacing an injured Randy Johnson! He had been 2-8 on the season, and had just recently been sent to the bullpen. Boy, did he ever make the most of his second chance in the rotation! And secondly, his father was in the crowd, witnessing his son pitch for the FIRST time in Jonathan's big league career. Their embrace after the game was a chilling moment; your trademark "I'm proud of you son", "Thanks Dad", moment. That's always a great thing to see.

So this no hitter from a guy who was 2-8 on the season got me thinking just how elusive the no hitter has been in big league history. ALL of the following pitchers (Legends, in some cases) never threw one: Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Steve Carlton. Those are five of the most renowned names in pitching history, and yet it is the Jonathan Sanchezes, Clay Buchholzs, and Bud Smiths of the world who have thrown them.

It is quite an elusive feat, indeed. 22 pitchers this year have taken no-nos into the 7th. Sanchez is the first to complete the job. Heck, the New York Mets, in over 45 years of baseball, have had ZERO. And it still haunts them, just like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers never having a kick return touchdown (would someone tell me if that is still accurate, by the way?).

In short, enjoy this one, Jonathan, and you have something many hall of fame pitchers can never claim to have experienced in their storied careers.

UPDATE: The Bucs do, in fact, have a kick return TD. It happened in 2007. Michael Spurlock. Thanks to Chris for this detail.

Image courtesy Associated Press, July 10, 2009

What Madden 10 Better Not Have

2009-07-10T17:35:00.006-04:00

The Madden Franchise has many dedicated gamers, me being one of them. Just a little info about how far back I go; I played Madden 96 for the Sega Genesis. I feel that the Madden brand struggled to adjust to the "next-gen" consoles, until last year. That is why I was disappointed that they bought the exclusive rights to the NFL, leaving 2k Sports in the cold. ESPN NFL 2k5 was the best football game ever made for its time, given that it was made in 2005, and for the PS2 and Xbox. That game had aspects to it that I wish Madden had in their game today. The halftime shows were tremendous, the weekly NFL Primetime show in Franchise mode was unmatched, and the inclusion of ESPN personalities were awesome. Madden, in 2009 with stronger consoles, has not yet reached that level.

However, I do not think Madden is a terrible game, in fact, I think it is a very solid game with a lot of room to grow. I thought Madden 09 was a huge step in the right direction. The gameplay was terrific (until I get to my later point), the presentation had improved, and some of the details of the NFL started to appear in the games (field goal nets). I throughly enjoyed this game, until I found out about the most unexplainable, unbelievable, glitch that absolutely ruins the game of football. This glitch is known throughout the Madden community as the QB Walk.

The QB Walk is a terrible glitch that you will certainly find if you play Madden 09 online. That is because online, you will find someone who is willing to cheat to win a game of Madden, and move up the rankings. It is not too complicated to do, all you have to do is set your audibles a certain way, and press specific buttons at the line of scrimmage when your play is a QB kneel. If done correctly, your QB will start walking across the line of scrimmage without being stopped, or called for offsides. You can wait until your QB reaches the end zone, hike it, and your QB will kneel for a TD. Here is an example.

I was not the one who made this video, nor have I ever gone to such a low level to use that glitch. A glitch like this can not be in a finished product, end of story. Madden 10 better find a way to fix glitches like this, because it makes the game unplayable.

The Dilemma of Allen Iverson

2009-07-09T18:24:00.005-04:00

Allen Iverson was, at one time, my favorite athlete in all of sports. In fact, I would go as far as to say that he is the reason why I am a huge sports fans. It was incredible watching him play on a daily basis as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. He would go all out, and he lived up to his cliche of, "playing every game like it's his last." He gave 76ers fans a great ride when he lifted the team to the Finals, and he always put on a show trying to score as many points as he could. There was a time where everything he did was cool, from the hand on the ear, to the stepover of Tyrone Lue. That is why Reebok at one time was the more popular shoe than Nike, because Reebok was an AI product. Through the lows (practice?) and the highs (game 1 finals upset), I was an Allen Iverson fan. However, right now, it is sad to see how much he has fallen.

Nobody really wants him to help their team. Even I have to admit, as a GM of any type of team, I don't know how he could make my team better. For a team with Allen Iverson to be successful, a team would need to be built around him. I don't know a GM in their right mind would build their team around a 34 year old, 6'0" shooting guard. It wouldn't make any sense.

But there isn't any other way to use Allen Iverson. He was never made to fit into a team structure. As we saw in Detroit, you can't add him to an established team and expect him to fit right in and make them better. Teams like that will be forever searching for the balance between Iverson adjusting to the system, and the system adjusting to AI. Maybe he could be instant offense off the bench, right? Well, Iverson killed that when he made the comments that he would rather "retire" than come off then bench. Well Iverson, retiring might be your best option at this point.

Going to Memphis would be embarrassing for AI, just as embarrassing as it was to say you are interested in playing for Memphis. The Grizzlies have the worst front office reputation in all of basketball. That is why no one wants to be drafted by the Grizzlies. They are known for being cheap, and not dedicated to putting a winning product on the court. All they are looking to do is put butts in the seats. It sounds like the Grizzlies are running a circus; and if Allen Iverson signs with them, he becomes a clown.

New Computer, New Look, New Age

2009-07-09T17:47:00.006-04:00

I have recently acquired a new laptop, meaning that I can begin posting on a more frequent basis. And to celebrate the fact that there will be more posts, R2S has changed its template to an exciting, dark look. Be prepared for more posts about many topics, not just on the field sports, but also sports media, and whatever pops into my head.

Update: This post will mark the change in the R2S layot and format. With the fresh new look, fresh new writers, and fresh new opinions, R2S will continue to inform and entertain. That's right, R2S has two more contributors. You will hear from Steve Sabato and Ryan D. Smith in future posts.

Vince Young, Time to Grow Up

2009-06-02T16:54:00.005-04:00

I would like to start this post by saying that I know Vince Young is one of those polarizing players where either you love him or hate him. I have always been on the "love" side when it comes to Vince Young. I was a big fan of him at Texas, and I still think that the Championship Game against USC was one of the best performances in one of the biggest games that I have ever seen. Everywhere he has gone, he has been a winner, and while his stats are never great, he does what it takes to win. However, now he has to realize the situation he is in right now, and get on the right path to legitimacy.

His latest comments on a Baltimore TV station suggested that the Titans need to play him, or he is going to move on. This was the absolute worst thing he could have said. After the bizarre year he had last season, he needs to show me, not tell me, that he is focused and dedicated to playing football. Right now, he is more of a punchline than an NFL QB, and punchlines are not entitled to a starting gig in this league.

One thing he needs to do is stop listening to the people who feed his ego. His hometown friends are probably the ones suggesting to Young that Kerry Collins has no right to keep you from starting. If he takes his own advice, and keeps a low profile, starts working hard to get the job back, then maybe he will reach his ultimate potential. But, if he stays on the path that he has lead during the past month of partying and demanding, then he will never be taken seriously as an NFL QB.

Donte Greene Saves a Life

2009-05-27T14:30:00.008-04:00

You often hear a lot about the Michael Vick's and Terrell Owens and other negative sports stars of the world, but rarely ever hear of the many athletes who do positive things for their community. This might not make mainstream media, but stories like this need to be glorified. Kings Forward, and former Syracuse player Donte Greene used his former lifeguard skills to save a woman who was trapped in a dangerous river in Sacramento. Here are some of the highlights of the interview he did on KHTK in Sacramento, via www.sportsradiointerviews.com. A link to the entire interview will be at the bottom of this post.

What happened, Donte?

“We went down the American River, out there having fun, we were linked up with a few boats and everything. Been out there, basically all afternoon, so we were wrapping everything up, everyone was grabbing their buoys and everything, untying and trying to leave. She had let one of her friends drive her boat so she was at the back of the boat trying to pull her ladder in, and I guess she didn’t know she was back there and hit the engine and she flew off the back of the boat. So, I didn’t know, I thought she could swim, she couldn’t swim, I think I’m a swimmer, I was a lifeguard coming up in high school. So, I guess I just reacted and just jumped in, someone threw her a life preserver and I pulled her in to a boat (someone else’s) - almost got run over by one…”

What was going through your head when you jumped in?

“I didn’t even think about it, it was just instinct. You see somebody in a position and you know you can help them out. The water, I’m not even gonna lie, was freezing, freezing cold, but I was hot anyway so the water cooled me off, so that was good… It was just something that happened.”

Showing his humility about the moment he was asked to come on KHTK:

“I got the text earlier that you guys wanted to have me on and I didn’t even know what was going on, I thought a bad rumor had started. You know, these days everybody’s saying all sorts of things. No problem having me on, I’m just she’s okay and everything.”

Very refreshing to see an athlete be so humble after doing some as noteworthy as this. Hopefully, this type of deed can make people realize that Donte Grenne may not be as immature as everyone tries to make him seem. This is the side of sports that people need to read, see, and hear.

Donte Greene Interview with KHTK in Sacramento via sportsradiointerviews.com

Syracuse 2009 Lacrosse National Champions

2009-05-25T18:18:00.005-04:00

Today's NCAA Lacrosse National Championship provided all of the drama any sports fan could hope for. More scoring than hockey, faster than soccer, and more action than college baseball, college lacrosse is quickly becoming a popular sport. Games like we had today, on Memorial Day, prove why. Syracuse staged a roaring comeback to stun Cornell 10-9 in overtime. Syracuse won their 11th National Championship, most of any school.

Down by 3 goals with 3:37 left in the 4th, hope for the Orange was slim. The Big Red of Cornell were doing a masterful job of playing keep-away from Syracuse for nearly the entire 2nd half. That is the style of play that brought Cornell to the championship game. They built a quick lead against Virginia in the semi finals, and then milked away the clock with tremendous passing and discipline. However, this was a different game, as fatigue started to affect the Big Red.

Lacrosse is known for crazy comebacks, and this one will have to rank up there with some of the best. One of the reasons why is that a team can quickly score a run of goals if they can win the face-offs. That exactly what happened as Syracuse netted two goals to make the score 9-8 with about 1:30 left to go. Then came the ESPNEWS bonus coverage, because anyone could tell we were in for an epic finish. Syracuse won the face-off and made a quick rush, but were denied. They needed a steal against this careful Cornell team, but got fortunate to come up with one. With just under a minute left, the Orange called a timeout to set up one final play to determine a championship. Patience is often the key in lacrosse, but the Orange had to work quickly to get their final shot. Syracuse began to rush, and a simple pass went over a players head and out of bounds for a turnover.

The Orange needed one more steal, but it seemed impossible with under 20 seconds left. All Cornell needed to do was clear the ball and they would be National Champions. Syracuse's defense once again made a game-changing play, a steal at mid-field gave the Orange just enough time for one of the most clutch goals you will ever see. Syracuse's Matt Abbott fired the ball over his shoulder and it was tipped by a Cornell defender right into Kenny Nims's stick and a diving shot went past the goal-keeper for the tying goal with 4 seconds left.

With the momentum on Syracuse's side, it was no surprise that they won the game in the sudden death overtime. Dan Hardy rifled as pass to Cody Jamison, a player that was just reinstated a couple months ago, and it found the back of the net. Syracuse University 2009 Lacrosse National Champions.

Attention Cavs Sidekicks, Feel Free to Show Up!

2009-05-25T00:05:00.005-04:00

How does a team go from over-whelming favorites to trailing in a series? Easy, one player does not beat five. Right now, on both ends, Lebron has been the only advantage that Cleveland has against the Magic. He is the only player who is efficiently scoring, and he is the only player that can shut down the man he is defending. The Magic have been dominating the other 4 match ups on the court.

It's sad when Sasha Pavlovic is the best answer that the Cavs can come up with, because no one on Cleveland can defend Rashard Lewis or Hedo Turkoglu. Mike Brown is making a mistake by not assigning Lebron James to defend one of them instead of Rafer Alston. Anderson Varejao is not comfortable guarding Lewis, and Delonte West is too short to battle Hedo. We have not even mentioned the biggest mismatch of the series, Zydrunas Ilgauskas against Dwight Howard. Face it, the supporting cast of Lebron has to step it up on defense.

Also, the sidekicks have been a huge disappointment on offense. Mo Williams and Delonte West have been missing way too many open 3's. Lebron is the best passer in basketball, and when he drives the lane he finds ways to get them open looks. They have knocked those shots down during the regular season, but it is a different story in the playoffs. Instead, those two are taking difficult jumpers and are turning the ball over. If those two players don't become more consistent, Cleveland has no shot to win this series. Moving to Big Z, he should not take another 3 in this series. He only made 15 during the season, and every time he misses, the Magic get an easy fast break.

If I was Mike Brown, I would make a change to the starting 5. Joe Smith needs to start over either Zydrunas Ilgauskas, or Anderson Varejao. Smith is one of the few players on the Cavs that has a chance to defend Rashard Lewis. Therefore, Lebron can defend Hedo, and the Cavs have a lot fewer mismatches on the court. Also, it gives the Cavs the flexibility to switch on more of the screens. Big Z is just awful at defending the pick and roll, and Anderson Varejao isn't really giving the Cavs anything. One of them needs to come off the bench to let Joe Smith enter the starting lineup.

It looks like the Nuggets mental errors will prevent them from disrupting our dream matchup, but Orlando is not backing down from Cleveland. If the Cavs supporting cast continues to shrink from the big stage, and Mike Brown doesn't make adjustments, instead of having a Dream Final we will have a Disney Final.

Lakers vs. Nuggets, Game 3 Live Blog

2009-05-23T19:37:00.006-04:00

Tonight will be game 3 of the Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and the Nuggets. The series is tied up at 1-1, and the first two games have been spectacular. The Lakers took game one led by Kobe Bryant's huge 4th quarter. He finished the game with 40 points. Meanwhile, Carmelo Anthony rose up to the challenge of defending Kobe, and had 39 points himself. In game 2, the Nuggets fell behind early, but mounted a 12-2 run to end the first half. Chauncey Billups had a nice 2nd half to help the Nuggets not make mistakes down the stretch to win game 2.

Hopefully, game 3 can match the excitement of the previous 4 conference final games. Last night, Lebron James hit a shot that Cleveland fans will remember for the rest of their lives. Finally, they were on the positive end of a historic play. His game winner turned the tide of this series unlike any shot we have seen in these playoffs. They went from devastated to exuberant in a matter of 1 second. Game 1 of that series was no dud either, Rashard Lewis hit a game-winning 3 pointer with under a minute left.

This round has been so phenomenal that R2S has no choice but to do a live blog of game 3. The last, and only other time we did a live blog was the epic 6 OT game between Syracuse and UConn in the Big East Tournament. I can't wait for this game to tip off at 8:30 on ABC. Your participation is encouraged; post your thoughts, predictions, strategy tips, and reaction to the live blog below.

Two New York Stadiums, Two Thumbs Down

2009-05-23T12:53:00.004-04:00

Right now, baseball's biggest joke is the new Yankees Stadium. Baseball's newest launching pad has caused great concern among baseball. That is why we can already tell that this ballpark has become a complete failure.

Yankees Stadium should be a cathedral, a landmark, but not a bandbox. We have not even reached the hot, humid summer months, and we have seen balls fly out of the park at an unprecedented rate. There have been 82 home runs hit in the first 21 games of the new park. That number is beyond belief, and the highest number of home runs in any park's first 21 games in baseball history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Also, there already have been nine games of five or more homers and three of seven or more. Fifty-one of the homers have gone to right field.

Maybe they designed the park this way so A-Rod can get to 800 career home runs without steroids. It's good that the Yankees acquired CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett this off-season, because they might not be able to recruit another free agent pitcher, regardless of the amount of money the Steinbrenner's throw at them. The good news, only 99 more years until its time to build another stadium.

Now, the Mets new stadium, Citi Field, and I must say that from an on-field standpoint, the ballpark works pretty well. The Mets wanted a pitcher-friendly park, and that is exactly what they have. They have a quirky wall out in right field, which adds some uniqueness. All of this makes the ballpark look nice on-field, however, it would be nice if all the fans could see the field. There is no excuse for having seats in the stadium where major parts of the outfield are blocked. Obstructed views should not be part of a state-of-the-art ballpark. I was sitting in the highest deck in the left field section, and I literally could not see one-third of the outfield.

Along with having obstructed views, I don't think the ballpark looks that great. I think they tried to hard to create an old ballpark feel to a new stadium, but they didn't accomplish that goal. Instead, it has an ugly in-between feel that is overwhelming. It is such a large structure amongst a bunch of auto shops in the middle of nowhere. You just don't get the comfortable atmosphere that you get in the newer parks such as PNC Park, Camden Yards, Nationals Park, or even Shea.

New York is supposed to have the biggest and the best. These two new ballparks have failed to live up to the hype.

It's Amazing

2009-05-22T23:51:00.010-04:00

These NBA playoffs have fit their motto, "It's Amazing". Night after night, we as fans are lucky to be treated with these incredible games. Forget hoping for an easy ride for Lebron and Kobe to the finals, we have battles in the Conference Finals.

We are two games into these two series, and we have had tremendously competitive games, all going down to the final buzzer. Most recently, Lebron James hits an unbelievable three at the buzzer to give the Cavs a much needed game 2 victory. I hope this answers any questions to whether Lebron is clutch.

Charles Barkley said it best, surprisingly, "[The Conference Final Games] have been the best four games you'll ever see." I will hate to see these series end, but the good news is that all four teams seem to be prepared for a long battle. Sounds like seven games to me.

Both game 3's will tell us a lot about how each team reacts to their unique situation. Can the Lakers frontcourt muscle up the strength to match Nene, K-Mart, and Birdman? Can Melo keep up his hot shooting? How will the Cavs find a way to stop the pick and role with Lewis and Hedo? And how will the Magic bounce back from a devastating shot by Lebron.

These playoffs have been so great that I will have to make a top 10 post feeaturing the 10 greatest moments from these playoffs.

Update: This video captures the greatness of the shot by James

Lacrosse Final Four

2009-05-21T19:48:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts in recent time, but my computer situation has been shaky at best, and it has been inconvenient to continue to post. However, expect more posts during the summer.

Here is a preview of the NCAA Lacrosse Final Four, brought to you by Cedric Lewis, an SI Kids blogger.

The 2009 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament has cut through its original field of 16 and now is down to the final four. The fastest growing sport in the NCAA will hold the semifinal and championship rounds of its Championship Tournament at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA on Saturday and Monday respectively. The four Universities that are left standing are Syracuse, Duke, Virginia, and Cornell. All of these teams have won multiple National Championships except Duke, who has zero National Titles to their name. Syracuse leads the group with ten. On Saturday, the 2nd seeded Syracuse Orange will take on the 3rd seeded Duke Blue Devils at 12:00ET. Then at 2:00ET, the number 1 seed, the Virginia Cavaliers will face off against the 5 seed, the Cornell Big Red. Let’s take a closer look at these two intriguing matchups:

(3) Duke vs. (2) Syracuse
Duke will look to use the momentum that it gained from the nail biting 12-11 victory over their rival North Carolina in the quarterfinal round to beat the lacrosse powerhouse of Syracuse University. Syracuse is coming off of an 11-6 win over Maryland in the quarterfinals. The Orange have their eyes set on back-to-back National Championships and to raise another banner in the Carrier Dome, but Duke attacker and Tewaarton Trophy candidate Ned Crotty will whatever it takes to crush the Orange. All I know is, this should be a heated matchup between two established lacrosse powerhouses.
(1) Virginia vs. (5) Cornell
Cornell, the only Ivy League team left in the field is fresh off of an impressive defensive 6-4 win over Princeton, a usual force in NCAA lacrosse. Virginia, on the other hand, has dominated their way to the semifinals, with an average point margin of 11.5. Twin brothers, Rhamel and Shamel Bratton are leading this surge along with the Tewaaraton Trophy candidate Danny Glading. Shamel Bratton and Danny Glading combine for 12 goals so far in the tournament. Virginia shouln’t have any problem taking care of Cornell, but the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournamnet always has its craziness, so don’t count Cornell out so fast.

This Memorial Day Weekend’s Lacrosse action should be plentiful. This is Lacrosse’s grand stage. Come Monday afternoon, the 16 team field should be narrowed down to just one. Personally, I think the Virginia Cavaliers will be hoisting the trophy after the final whistle blows. Syracuse has some firepower, but Virginia’s offense will prove to be too much for the Orange in the National Championship.

MLB Season Preview

2009-04-10T11:52:00.002-04:00

The start of baseball has arrived, and this season has more storylines going into this season than any other season I can remember. The New York teams are opening up new stadiums with their prized free agent signings. The New York fans expect CC Sabathia and K-Rod to lead the Yankees and Mets, respectively, back to the playoffs. The Phillies are the defending World Series Champions, and have their eyes on another parade down Broad Street. Will the Cubs avoid another meltdown and actually win a playoff series? Manny Ramirez is playing his first full season with the Dodgers after a long contract negotiation. Will the Rays keep their magic from magic from last season, and keep up with the Red Sox and Yankees in the brutal AL East? The AL Central might be the most wide open division in baseball, I even heard some experts picking the Royals. And finally, will the moves that the A's made keep them competitive with the Angels?

Those are the storylines, here are my picks:

NL East- The Phillies are the World Champions, and they have improved their roster. Raul Ibanez will give that lineup fewer strikeouts, which will lead to more rallies, and bigger innings. Brett Myers won't be as awful as he was at the beginning of last season. The bullpen was the best in baseball last season, and the Bridge to Lidge returns. The moves that the Mets made in their bullpen will make it better, but K-Rod and Putz will soon learn that pitching in the West Coast is not the same as pitching in The Big Apple. I don't like the Mets pitching rotation behind Santana, a lot of question marks with Oliver Perez, John Maine, and Livan Hernandez. If Chipper Jones stays healthy, the Braves will be better, but Chipper never does go without injury. The Phillies are the pick.

NL Central- The Cubs ran away with this division last season, and I think they will win it again this season. No team has a more complete lineup and rotation than the Cubs. However, the Cardinals will be more competitive than they were last season, because their rotation is healthy. They will win the wild card, because they can beat up upon the Reds and Pirates. Some people are picking the Reds to be a surprise contender, but I don't see it. The bottom of that lineup is not strong, and I don't like their bullpen.

NL West- Once the Dodgers acquired Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers were clearly the best team in this division. Now that Manny has a full season in LA, the Dodgers will be even better. Manny has a huge impact on the rest of the hitters on the Dodgers, giving them the best lineup in that division. The young pitching staff came into its own last season, but they will have to pitch even better with the loss of Derrick Lowe. The only team that can even challenge the Dodgers is Arizona, but they don't play well head-to-head against the Dodgers.

AL East- This division, on paper, has the best three teams in the AL. The bad thing for the Yankees is that baseball is not played on paper. I see real problems with that team this year, They are relying too much on injury prone players, such as Joba Chamberlin and A.J. Burnett. CC Sabathia pitched his arm off last year, and he might not have much left. Alex Rodriguez will miss at least a month of the season. Way too many issues in a tough division. The Rays are the team to beat, but the Red Sox are the team to beat them. Their pitching depth is unmatched, and I think that Ortiz will have a bounce back year now that he is healthy.

AL Central- Any team can win this division, even the Royals? Their pitching staff has improved, but their lineup isn't strong enough to win the division. The White Sox are the defending division winners, but the Twins were the hottest team at the end of the year. I am picking the Twins in this division. They want to close out the Metrodome strong, and they have the best two players in the division, with Mauer and Morneau.

AL West- The Angels easily won this division last year, but they will be challenged by the A's this year. The A's had a strong off-season, which includes signing Matt Holliday. The Angels upgraded by signing Bobby Abreu to hit along with the always dangerous Vlad Guerrero. The Angels were so dominate inside their division last year that it is hard to pick against them, but the A's will push the Angels and will make the playoffs as a wild card.

World Series- Phillies vs Red Sox in the 2009 Fall Classic. The Phillies have the hunger to repeat and the heart to overcome any obstacle in their way. They have a true ace in Cole Hamels, and an offense that keeps them in every game. Now that they have the confidence of a champion, along with the same talent that they had last year, no one will stand in their way. Not even the AL Champion Boston Red Sox. Boston's pitching staff is remarkable and the core of their team is playoff experienced. They were one game away from reaching the World Series last year, and I think Brad Penny will give them that game. Along with Dice-K, Lester, and Beckett in that rotation, they will be tough to beat in the playoffs.

Championship Preview

2009-04-06T20:30:00.004-04:00

North Carolina has continued to show that they have the best team when all of their parts are clicking. They clearly have more talent than Michigan State. However, Louisville and UConn had more talent than the Spartans, and the Spartans won. That is what makes this game hard to call.

The Spartans have the "team of destiny" feel. They have under-appreciated and overlooked. They are playing the Final Four in their home state, for a community that needs something to rally on. Coach Tom Izzo has been out coaching teams left and right. However, North Carolina has the talent, and talent wins championships. UNC is on a mission right now, Ty Lawson is playing out of his mind, and Ellington will shoot the lights out. When you mix in Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green, you realize that there is no way to defend them.

Final Score: UNC-81 MSU-66

President Obama Wins Tournament Challenge; Final Four Preview

2009-04-02T19:19:00.005-04:00

There is no other way to say this, I was just terrible at picking my bracket this year. This is the worst bracket I have ever filled out during all my years watching college basketball. I don't know what happened, but I was completely awful. I have none of the Final Four teams, Pitt and Louisville really let me down. Even worse is that I only had 2 of the Elite 8 teams picked correctly. It is pretty hard to actually try and do that bad. Louisville and Pitt were my only Elite 8 teams.

Meanwhile, President Obama has the contest clinched by picking the Tar Heels to go this far. However, he was not flawless with his picks, he had only 1 of the Final Four. That shows how strange these pools can be, and how you have to be lucky to win. The prime example is in my tournament pool, where a person who picked Temple and Maryland to go to the Final Four is still alive.

I have learned my lesson about taking risks in this NCAA Tournament. Therefore, my Final Four picks are as bland as it gets. I have UConn overcoming the Spartan home-court advantage to advance to the championship game. Although I am rooting for 'Nova, I expect North Carolina to overwhelm the Wildcats. My next post will be a Final Four Review/Championship Preview.

Hopefully, Tonight's Action Will be Better

2009-03-27T17:20:00.010-04:00

So far, I must say that the games of the NCAA Tournament have not been stellar. Last night, was especially lackluster. In no games did we have both teams play well, therefore, we had 3 blowouts. The only game that was not a blowout was Pitt vs Xavier, because no team could score consistently enough to pull away. But at least that game had drama, Levance Fields hit a huge three with under a minute left to give Pitt the lead that they wouldn't relinquish.

The rest of the games were borderline awful. Memphis was down by as much as 24 against Missouri. Memphis could not take care of the ball well enough to counter the full court Missouri defense. Purdue was just completely rattled by Thabeet and UConn. Kramer could not find a way to score in the second half, and Purdue just missed a bunch of jump shots. UConn has looked like the strongest team in this year's tournament, despite the allegations made against them.

The embarrassing performance of the day came from Duke. That was probably the worst game I have ever seen a Duke team play. They were completely inept on offense, they had no rhythm or flow. Gerald Henderson was rendered useless, and no one besides Singler could pick up the slack. Villanova's defense designed by Jay Wright exposed Jon Scheyer as a point guard, took away any advantage Duke might have had, and 'Nova rolled to an easy victory. I am still convinced that VCU was 'Nova's biggest challenge before they got to the Elite 8, but Eric Maynor couldn't hit the shot to beat UCLA. Now, 'Nova seems to have a head of steam, and I think they can handle Pitt to reach the Final Four.

Moving towards today's games, you probably know what will have my undivided attention. Syracuse takes the court against Oklahoma in Memphis. That game should be close and competitive, but I thought the Villanova vs Duke game was going to be great. The key for Syracuse is for Arinze Onuaku to stay out of foul trouble, because if he does, he is one of the few players in the country that has the size and strength to contain Blake Griffin. If the 2-3 zone collapses into the middle, it's up to the Oklahoma guards, and their 4 players that shoot over 37% from behind the arc, to make their shots. If they do, Oklahoma will have the advantage. However, if they miss, it will lead to open court opportunities for the Syracuse guards to make plays.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I think Gonzaga has the personal to match up with North Carolina and make that a close game. Each team has an array of weapons that can score the ball, but who will make the key stops in stretch time? Louisville should be on upset alert tonight. Arizona has been playing their best basketball of the season in the tournament, despite many believing they were not tournament worthy. The big 3 of Budinger, Wise, and Hill are three potential pro prospects who can take over the game. Louisville has not played great in their 2 games in the tournament. If they don't pick up their play, Arizona will win this game.

If there is a game that is completely a toss-up, it is Michigan State vs Kansas. Tom Izzo's team can go 10 deep, and has four fully capable guards who can make big plays. Kansas will counter with Sherron Collins, one of the best scoring point guards in the nation. Cole Aldrich will attempt to protect the interior once again. This game is a toss-up.

An Absolute Injustice

2009-03-26T18:28:00.003-04:00

I saw this disturbing story (here) about NFL RB Ryan Moats trying to rush to the hospital to visit his dying mother-in-law and being stopped by a police officer for running a red-light. Before you read my reaction, read the story and watch the video.

Reaction: This is an example of an arrogant police officer that needs to be fired. He obviously was looking for a fight, and had no regard for the family's extreme circumstances. The officer's name is Robert Powell, and he has been, in effect, suspended for his conduct. He also reportedly pointed his gun at Ryan Moats's wife as she was leaving the car.

This was not the time for a lecture, if you want to give him a ticket, then quickly write him a ticket. Moats clearly explained why he ran the light to the officer, and that didn't seem to matter at all. It is not like Moats wasn't willing to accept the consequences, he just wanted the process accelerated, something that the officer could have easily done. The tragic part of the story is that those 13 minutes of unnecessary banter did cost Ryan Moats a chance to see his mother in law for the final time. She died before he could rush in and see her.

Game of the Day: Day 2

2009-03-22T11:31:00.002-04:00

Day 2 of the NCAA Tournament had a lot more action then day 1. The games were closer and more competitive, especially during the last session. It was also a better day for my bracket, as I correctly picked Arizona and Cleveland State's upsets. I still have a slim lead over President Obama. Here is the game of the day, from CBS Sports. There was plenty of choices, including Cedric Jackson taking down Wake Forest, or Wisconsin's furious comeback against Florida State. However, I think we can all agree on this.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Bill Raftery is simply the best. ONIONS, DOUBLE ORDER! The best color analyst in college basketball hands down.

NCAA Tournament Day 1 Recap

2009-03-20T11:08:00.007-04:00

Watch CBS Videos Online

Day one did lack surprises, and there was only a couple of good games. One of them was in the early session, when Memphis was pushed by the 15 seed Cal State Northridge. However, Memphis turned the switch on midway through the second half, and won the game by double digits. The same type of game was in Philly, where Villanova was challenged by the 14 seed American. 'Nova found themselves in shooting contest early on, and American built a 14 point lead. The higher seed eventually flipped the script and win the game by attacking the basket.

The game I was looking forward to yesterday was UCLA (6) vs VCU (11). It turned out to be the best game of the day, but the worst game of the day for my bracket. I had VCU going to the Elite 8, and I'm still convinced that they were one shot away from making a good run. Eric Maynor missed a last second shot that would have won the game for VCU. I felt that VCU played better than UCLA for most of the game, but they could not get over the hump and take the lead. If Maynor's shot would have dropped, VCU would have been a tough out for anyone in the tournament.

Overall, I was 13 of 16 in my picks. I am never good at picking the 8-9 game, and it was another failure on Thursday, 0 for 2. My only other loss on the day was VCU. Yesterday was a lot of safe games, not many upsets expected, or delivered. The only upset was sort of expected, Western Kentucky (12) over Illinois (5). On Friday, more exciting games are on tap, and it will be harder to pick over 75%, as many did on day 1. Syracuse (3) plays the early game against Stephen F. Austin (14), that will have my undivided attention for the start of the games.

The R2S Bracket Challenge vs. President Obama

2009-03-18T22:08:00.006-04:00

Watching this fun story on ESPN gave me a fun idea for the blog. The R2S bracket, which is at the bottom of the page, will go head-to-head against President Barack Obama in a bracket challenge. Following his campaign, it was obvious to see that our President is a huge sports fan, and might have more knowledge then you might think. Here's the ESPN piece.

So, it is R2S vs. President Ba-Chalk Obama. He only has one real upset, but it is a good one (VCU). Still, our Final Four differs on only one team, but he has UNC winning it all, while I have Syracuse coming out of the South. And what is his beef against the Pac-10, aren't you supposed to be nice to your in-laws. Oh well, it should be fun and I like that our President made a bracket. Keep track of the score on the right side of the page, and we'll see who comes out on top. Feel free to join it if you want while there is still time left. It is on ESPN.com and a link is also on the right side of the page.

Breaking Down the Brackets: Final Four and Summary

2009-03-18T17:43:00.006-04:00

The Final Four is the last section of the 5 post Breaking Down the Brackets series. To view what I think of each region, view the previous posts that are below this one. To view my bracket in its entirety, look at the bottom of the page.

Final Four- Memphis vs. Louisville: An old rivalry, when these two school were in the same conference. Now, Louisville plays in the rough and tough Big East, and Memphis plays in the soft and shallow C-USA. As simple as this sounds, I think that will be the difference in the game. Louisville is used to seeing the athletes that Memphis has, while Memphis has not seen a team this good during conference play. Can Tyreke Evans handle the full court, relentless press of Louisville? I saw Evans play a few games in high school, and enough of his college games to know that he is not a natural point guard. However, Memphis has been rolling since Evans was inserted at the point. That move was made at the beginning of conference play, where their toughest test is Tulsa (they did play a solid game out of conference during that span against Gonzaga). Is it that Memphis has been that good since Evans was the point, or have they just been untested. That risk alone makes me select Louisville to play in the Championship Game.

Final Four- Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh: A Big East game between Pitt and Syracuse, making it 3 Big East teams in the Final Four. In their game in conference play, Pitt handled Syracuse by double digits in Pittsburgh. That was one of the few Syracuse games that I didn't see, because I was in Washington DC for President Obama's Inauguration. More on President Obama in the next post, but back to this game. Both teams have been playing better since their last game against each other. Pittsburgh can not get sastified by getting past the Sweet 16, something they have not done since 1974. They need to keep their eyes on the prize, and hope that Blair doesn't get in foul trouble. Assuming that he does not, Pittsburgh has the better team at all posistions. Combine that with the fact that Pitt has been more consistent than Syracuse makes me select Pitt to face Louisville in the Championship Game.

Championship Game- Pittsburgh vs. Louisville: Another Big East battle, a rematch between Pitt and Louisville. Louisville won their previous meeting in Freedom Hall, a game that proved crucial in winning the Big East regular season title. Pitt was undefeated at the time, and poised to take the #1 spot in the polls. A lot more will be on the line in this game. The key of this game, as with all Louisville games, is how will Pitt handle the press. Levance Fields is as steady as point guards get, but will he be rattled by the Louisville trap? The answer is no! Fields has the best assist to turnover ratio in the country, and has seen this trap before. He knows what to expect, and how to not only get the ball up the court, but also attack the press. Louisville has no answer down low for Dejuan Blair, unless they want to double team, which leaves Sam Young open. Pitt has too many options, and they will defeat Louisville to win the National Championship.

Recap:
Final Four: Louisville, Memphis, Pitt, Syracuse
Championship Game: Louisville vs. Pitt
Champion: Pitt
Cinderella Teams: Cleveland State (13) to the Sweet 16 ; VCU (11) to the Elite 8

Breaking Down the Brackets: South Region

2009-03-18T16:58:00.004-04:00

The final region of the bracket, the South region. To view the other 3 regions, see the previous posts.

Top Seed: North Carolina is the top seed of this region. The Tar Heels have a lot of talent, maybe the most talent in the country. "Psycho T" Tyler Hansbrough is a tremendous player, and he has help on the wings with Danny Green and Wayne Ellington. This team is experienced, the nucleus of the team went to the Final Four last year. When healthy, UNC could win it all, but are they healthy? Their hopes rely on the toe of Ty Lawson, and Coach Roy Williams said that his toe will not be 100%.

Upsets: The underdogs will win a few games in the first round. I have the 9, 10, 11, and 12 seeds all winning their first games. The spread offense of Michigan (10) will disrupt the struggling Clemson (7) team. I like Dionte Christmas to get hot in one tournament game, and that will be enough for Temple (11) to get by Arizona State (6). Another 12-5 upset, Western Kentucky (12) will pull the magic again, and upset Illinois (5). However, I am going with the higher seeds to make the Sweet 16.

Sweet 16: The only 1-2-3-4 Sweet 16 on my bracket is in the South region. First, it's North Carolina vs. Gonzaga (3). This game will depend of Ty Lawson's toe, so we are forced to guess his health. I don't like to pick a team with a huge variable like an injury, so I will go with Gonzaga to pull off the upset. The other matchup is Oklahoma against Syracuse. Blake Griffin has been the best in the country this year, but Oklahoma has been inconsistent since Griffin concussion. Also, I do not trust the Oklahoma guard play to win them an important game. Arinze Onuaku has the size to handle Griffin, and the Syracuse guards win them this game.

Elite 8: The Syracuse Orange against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Seriously, if I have Syracuse going this far, do you think I am gong to let Gonzaga stand in the way of me picking them for the Final Four? I like Gonzaga's team, they have more weapons this year than any other year they have been in the tournament. Matt Bouldin is a point guard that has been through the battles, and knows how to win. If you look at it player-for-player, Syracuse has more talent, in fact, Syracuse has as much talent as anyone outside Pitt and North Carolina in the country. The guard combo of Flynn, Devendorf, and Rautins can score with anyone. Arinze Onuaku is a terrible free throw shooter, but he is a big man who defends and scores. It is a matter of them playing together, and I think they have learned how to at the end of the season. Syracuse in the Final Four.

Breaking Down the Brackets: East Region

2009-03-18T16:20:00.004-04:00

Next up, the East region, the region that Dick Vitale has called the best region in the tournament. See below for my picks on the Midwest and West regions.

Top Seed: The Pittsburgh Panthers are the top seed of the region, and the second ranked top seed. When Pitt stays out of foul trouble, they are nearly unstoppable, just ask UConn. Levance Fields is a perfect point guard, a great passer and dribbler that does not turn the ball over. Dejuan Blair is an absolute beast in the paint, and Sam Young is one of the most underrated scorers in the country. However, if Pitt gets in foul trouble, mainly Blair, then the team takes a step back, just like in their game against Providence.

Upsets: This region has the cinderella team of the NCAA Tournament this year. That squad is VCU (11). Virginia Commenwelth has tournament experience; two years ago they took out Duke in the first round on a game winning shot by Eric Maynor. Mark it down; Eric Maynor will be this year's Stephen Curry. You may not know of him now, but by the end of the first weekend, everyone will know his name. He is a guard averages 23 points per game, and has a knack for taking over close games with his scoring and defense, as he has shown in the CAA and NCAA Tournaments. They also have a foreward in Larry Sanders that can provide the scoring inside. Last year, I said that Davidson would make the Elite 8 before the tournament started, this year I think VCU is capable of that kind of run.

Sweet 16: I have VCU in the Sweet 16 against a team that pulled an upset to get there, Texas (7) knocking off Duke (2). I have the Rams of VCU, and Eric Maynor being able to outscore Abrams of Texas. The 11 seed VCU moves onto the Elite 8. I have chalk at the top of the region, with Pitt facing Xavier (4). Pitt does everything that Xavier is strong at, but better. Xavier is athletic and tough, but so is Pitt. I'll take the top seeded Panthers.

Elite 8: The cinderella team VCU against the heavy favorite Pitt. Can VCU pull off the stunning upset? Sure, they could, just as Davidson could have defeated Kansas last year. It will be a great game, but I think Pitt will overwhelm VCU with their tempo and physical play. Pitt goes to the Final Four.

Breaking Down the Brackets: West Region

2009-03-17T19:15:00.004-04:00

One down, three to go, let's fo through the West region:

Top Seed: UConn is the lowest ranked of the four to seeds. Many feel that Memphis deserved the top seed, but they will have a chance to decide it on the court, as Memphis and UConn are both in the West bracket. The Huskies have a had great season with tons of quality wins, but they are only 4-3 without their second leading scorer Dyson.

Upsets: A lot of chalk when it comes to this region. My only true upset is Utah State (11) over Marquette (6). Marquette has not shown they are a strong team without Dominic James, and are ripe to be taken down in the first round by Utah State's center who didn't even play high school ball. A mild upset in the first round is Maryland (10) over Cal (7), but that isn't really an upset.

Sweet 16: UConn should be realtively unchallenged before reaching the Sweet 16, but then they will go up against a stingy Purdue (5) team. Purdue will pull off the upset and once again send UConn home early. Purdue can force opponents into long scoring droughts, and UConn is prone to falling into those droughts. Purdue is looking strong, and since Hummel has come back from his injury, the Boilermakers have been rolling. On the bottom of the bracket is a potentially fantastic game between Missouri (3) and Memphis (2). Both teams rely on their athleticism, and both teams like a fast tempo. The differnce will be that Memphis is a deeper, and more experinced team, so they get the nod.

Elite 8: Purdue vs. Memphis in the regional final, and a battle of contrasting styles. Memphis will want to get out and run, while Purdue would pefer a half court pace. Purdue won't be able to contain the Memphis athleticisim because Purdue hasn't seen a team like this in the Big 11 (that's what I call the Big 10). Memphis goes to the Final Four.

Breaking Down the Brackets: Midwest Region

2009-03-17T18:31:00.005-04:00

Here it is, my NCAA Tournament picks. We'll take it region, by region, and then the Final Four picks. At the end, I'll have my tournament summary. Let's get right to it, first the Midwest.

Top Seed: Louisville is coming off of their Big East title, and they have really impressed me the way they have improved throughout the season. I have confidence in Rick Pitino, so much so that I had them in my Final Four last year. I have them reaching the Sweet 16 after taking out Siena in round 2.

Upsets: The Midwest is my region of upsets. One of my 12-5 upsets is Arizona (12) over Utah (5). Arizona does have impressive wins, and Utah is over-seeded. I am also picking Cleveland State (13) to upset Wake Forest (4). Cleveland State is a tough team, they beat Syracuse and Butler on the road, and can play a zone that will force Wake to take tough jumpers, which isn't their strength. One more upset for you in this region is North Dakota State (14) over Kansas (3). Kansas is a boom or bust Tournament team, and they are due for a bust. In the tournament, I like the small conference teams that have a big scorer, and Ben Woodside of North Dakota State fits that description.

Sweet 16: Cleveland State is my surprise team making the Sweet 16 by beating Arizona in round 2. However, their run ends here, Louisville marches on to the Elite 8. West Virginia (6) vs Michigan State (2) is my other regional semi-final. I like the tough, physical defense of West Virginia to carry them onto the Elite 8. The big three of Ruoff, Butler, and Ebanks should carry the Mountaineers on offense.

Elite 8: A Big East match-up in the regional final, Louisville against West Virginia. Just like in the regular season, I like Louisville to win and get to the Final Four. Their press is relentless, and it wears on teams throughout the game. I also really like Terrence Williams, because he does everything the team needs for it to win.

I Used to Like Joe Lunardi...

2009-03-17T18:23:00.004-04:00

However, I came across on ESPN.com . Joe Lunardi is great a picking the teams that will make the tournament, but hopefully he is not as good at selecting winners.

Seriously, Temple? I would understand having Syracuse lose to Arizona St in the 2nd round, but not Temple. I have seen Christmas play a few times, and he can get hot, but Temple over Syracuse? Stick to making brackets, not filling them out.

The NCAA Tournament Announcing Schedule, Rounds 1 and 2

2009-03-16T12:46:00.002-04:00

I not only watch the games for the college basketball, but I love hearing the numerous announcer pairings. My favorite is Gus Johnson, his reactions and spontaneity is just priceless. I will watch a game between teams I am not really interested in just because Gus Johnson is announcing the game. Hopefully, he will have a few opportunities for a trademark call; like Dequan Cook's shot against Xavier a two year's ago, or "Batista with the CAAATCH" from Gonzaga against UCLA.

The other play-by-play announcers that I really like are Kevin Harlan and Ian Eagle. Harlan's voice when a spectacular play happens, or when it is a close game immediately gets me excited. His call from last year's NBA playoffs, "Lebron James, with no regard for human life" is one of my favorite calls of all time. Ian Eagle is very similar, plus he went to Syracuse. My favorite color announcers are Bill Raftery and Jay Bilas. Coincedentally, they both called the greatest game I have ever seen, the Big East Tournament game between Syracuse and UConn that went 6 overtimes.

Here is the schedule for the NCAA Tournament rounds 1 and 2, and the announcers calling the game (from Awful Announcing). I'm happy that Syracuse gets to play on Friday, and has Ian Eagle as the play-by-play announcer, but I'm disappointed that they play at 12:15. It will be tough for me to see that game.

The fans who won this year's "Annual Gus Johnson Lottery" are as follows: Boston College, USC, Michigan State, Robert Morris, West Virginia, Dayton, Kansas and North Dakota State (GO BISON!)

Greensboro- Jim Nantz, Clark Kellog
Philadelphia- Dick Enberg, Carter Blackburn, Jay Bilas
Kansas City- Tim Brando, Mike Gminski
Portland- Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner
Dayton- Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery
Miami- Ian Eagle, Jim Sparnarkel
Minneapolis- Gus Johnson, Len Elmore
Boise- Craig Bolerjack, Dan Wenzel

ROUND ONE

Thursday, March 19th:

LSU vs. Butler (Greensboro, 12:20pm)- Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg
Memphis vs. Cal. St. Northridge (Kansas City, 12:25pm)- Tim Brando/Mike Gminski
BYU vs. Texas A&M (Philadelphia, 12:30pm)- Dick Enberg or Carter Blackburn/Jay Bilas
Purdue vs. Northern Iowa (Portland, 2:30pm)- Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner
North Carolina vs. Radford (Greensboro, 2:50pm)- Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg
California vs. Maryland (Kansas City, 2:55pm)- Tim Brando/Mike Gminski
Connecticut vs. Chattanooga (Philadelphia, 3pm)- Dick Enberg or Carter Blackburn/Jay Bilas
Washington vs. Mississippi St. (Portland 5pm)- Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner
Texas vs. Minnesota (Greensboro, 7:10pm)- Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg
Clemson vs. Michigan (Kansas City, 7:10pm)- Tim Brando/Mike Gminski
Villanova vs. American (Philadelphia, 7:20pm)- Dick Enberg or Carter Blackburn/Jay Bilas
Gonzaga vs. Akron (Portland, 7:25pm)- Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner
Duke vs. Binghamton (Greensboro, 9:40pm)- Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg
Oklahoma vs. Morgan State (Kansas City, 9:40pm)- Tim Brando/Mike Gminski
UCLA vs. VCU (Philadelphia, 9:50pm)- Dick Enberg or Carter Blackburn/Jay Bilas
Illinois vs. Western Kentucky (Portland, 9:55pm)- Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner

Friday, March 20th

Syracuse vs. Stephen F. Austin (Miami, 12:15pm)- Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel
Oklahoma St. vs. Tennessee (Dayton, 12:25pm)- Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery
Kansas vs. North Dakota State (Minneapolis, 12:30pm)- Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
Marquette vs. Utah State (Boise, 12:30pm)- Craig Bolerjack/Bob Wenzel
Arizona State vs. Temple (Miami, 2:45pm)- Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel
Pittsburgh vs. E. Tennessee St. (Dayton, 2:55pm)- Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery
West Virginia vs. Dayton (Minneapolis, 3pm)- Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
Missouri vs. Cornell (Boise, 3pm)- Craig Bolerjack/Bob Wenzel
Utah vs. Arizona (Miami, 7:10pm)- Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel
Louisville vs. Alabama St./Morehead St. (Dayton, 7:10pm)- Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery
Boston College vs. USC (Minneapolis, 7:20pm)- Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
Xavier vs. Portland State (Boise, 7:25pm)- Craig Bolerjack/Bob Wenzel
Wake Forest vs. Cleveland State (Miami, 9:40pm)- Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel
Ohio State vs. Siena (Dayton, 9:40pm)- Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery
Michigan State vs. Robert Morris (Minneapolis, 9:50pm)- Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
Florida State vs. Wisconsin (Boise, 9:55)- Craig Bolerjack/Bob Wenzel

ROUND TWO

Saturday, March 21st

Villanova/American vs. UCLA/VCU (Philadelphia, 1:05pm)- Dick Enberg/Jay Bilas
Memphis/Cal St. Northridge vs. California/Maryland (Kansas City, 3:20pm)- Tim Brando/Mike Gminski
Connecticut/Chattanooga vs. BYU/Texas A&M (Philadelphia, 3:35pm)- Dick Enberg/Jay Bilas
Purdue/N. Iowa vs. Washington/Mississippi State (Portland, 5:40pm)- Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner
North Carolina/Radford vs. LSU/Butler (Greensboro, 5:45pm)- Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg
Oklahoma/Morgan State vs. Clemson/Michigan (Kansas City, 5:50pm)- Tim Brando/Mike Gminski Gonzaga/Akron vs. Illinois/Western Kentucky (Portland, 8pm)- Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner Duke/Binghamton vs. Texas/Minnesota (Greensboro, 8:05pm)- Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg

Sunday, March 22nd

Syracuse/Stephen F. Austin vs. Arizona State/Temple (Miami, 12:10pm)- Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel
Florida State/Wisconsin vs. Xavier/Portland State (Boise, 2:20pm)- Craig Bolerjack/Bob Wenzel
Kansas/N. Dakota State vs. West Virginia/Dayton (Minneapolis, 2:30pm)- Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
Wake Forest/Cleveland State vs. Utah/Arizona (Miami, 2:40pm)- Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel
Oklahoma State/Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh/E. Tennessee State (Dayton, 2:50pm)- Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery
Missouri/Cornell vs. Marquette/Utah State (Boise, 4:50pm)- Craig Bolerjack/Bob Wenzel
Michigan State/Robert Morris vs. Boston College/USC (Minneapolis, 5pm)- Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
Ohio State/Siena vs. Louisville/Alabama State or Morehead State (Dayton, 5:10pm)- Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery

Awful Announcing: Your NCAA Tournament Announcing Schedule (Rounds 1 &2)

Watch College Basketball for College Basketball

2009-03-16T12:15:00.006-04:00

It is Bracket Monday, everyone wants to know, who's in your final 4? Comparing brackets are sharing your reasoning is one of the best parts about this time of year. Starting Thursday, the games will dominate, but there is one pet peeve that I have with some people while watching games.

I hate when people watch college basketball, especially the NCAA Tournament, and continue to bring up pro ball. These watch the players as if they were scouts, instead of watching the game for the entertainment. Enjoy what you are seeing at this level, worry about how they will do in the NBA once they declare for the draft.

Enjoy watching Tyler Hansbrough for the four years in which he gave it all for North Carolina. This guy is one of the best college basketball players you will see, especially with all of these one and done players. He will set the ACC scoring record in his first round game this year. He plays the game with the kind of passion that makes the college game great. I don't want to hear one person downplay what he is doing now and say that it doesn't really matter, because he won't be able to do this in the pros. Right now, I don't care what he does in the NBA, he is a joy to watch in college.

Last year's tournament had Stephen Curry, the most entertaining player in college basketball last season. He became a star during this time last year, by hitting amazing shots and putting up 30+ against teams they had no business beating. However, constantly I had to listen to; he has a small frame and he won't be able to get his shot off in the NBA, and the length of the NBA would shut him down. He is too small to be a shooting guard and not fast enough to be a point guard. ENOUGH! Watch one of the greatest performances in tournament history and appreciate what you are currently seeing.

So this year, let's all adapt my philiosophy about watching what you are seeing and liking it. Judge what you are seeing now, not what you think he will do a year or two from now.

Selection Sunday Review

2009-03-15T21:09:00.007-04:00

The brackets are set, and there are a few surprises. First of all, Louisville captures the #1 overall seed, a spot that most thought North Carolina wrapped up. The rest of the one seeds were as followed:

Midwest-Louisville
East- Pitt
South- North Carolina
West- UConn

The next thing that jumped off the page, was that Arizona made the tournament. St. Mary's should have made the tournament over Arizona. Arizona's record was 19-13, and only 9-9 in the Pac-10 while losing 5 of their last 6. Meanwhile, St. Mary's had a tough out of conference schedule, playing teams away from home, and still had a solid record. They were also beating Gonzaga before their best player Pat Mills got hurt. This is the primary example of my overall issue with the selections this year which is that only 4 of the 34 at large bids went to the non-power conference schools. It is continuing the disturbing trend of phasing out the mid-majors.

My other issue, which is small but worth mentioning, is that although Louisville got the top overall seed, the commitee puts them at a serious disadvantage in a potential second round game. If Ohio State beats Siena in the first round, they will face Louisville in round 2, which would be played in Dayton, Ohio. I'm sure the top overall team is not thrilled about having to play a virtual road game in the second round.

I have no more problems with the bracket. I like the fact that Syracuse got a 3 seed in the South by fighting valiently in the Big East tournament. They probably jumped from a 5 to a 3 seed. Mississippi State's win today really saved the SEC from looking even worse, only 3 teams. The West looks like the toughest bracket, when looking at the top 5 seeds. Memphis as a 2, Missouri as a 3, and Purdue as a 5 is tough. Marquette's seeding was interesting, because they were a top 3 seed before Dominic James was lost for the season. They dropped all the way to a 6.

I won't reveal my preditions until later in the week. I will tell you my final four, as well as the upsets and Cinderella Story. I will also post a link where you can view my entire bracket. This should be a blast, as always.

Something Else on the Sports Calendar

2009-03-15T12:19:00.002-04:00

A break in the college basketball posts to let you know about something else that is worth paying attention to. Last night in the World Baseball Classic, Team USA was housed by Puerto Rico 11-1. That forces the USA to play in elimination game against the Netherlands tonight. The Netherlands have already knocked out the Dominican Republic from the Classic, could they possibly take out another favorite? I have enjoyed watching this team, especially Jimmy Rollins, but team USA does lack power. They will try to stay alive in Miami, and end their two game losing skid.

Selection Sunday Preview

2009-03-15T11:40:00.004-04:00

The day has finally arrived, Selection Sunday will relieve the tension for many teams across the country. The two main storylines heading into the unveiling of the brackets are; who will be the #1 seeds, and which of the bubble teams will make it in the Tournament.

The four #1 seeds are an interesting story. For a while, it seemed like Pitt, UNC, and UConn were locks. Then Louisville made their presence known, and would have the edge over Memphis for the final #1 seed. However, in the epic Big East Tournament game, UConn lost to Syracuse in 6 OT's. That was enough for ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi to knock UConn of the 1 line. He has UNC, Pitt, Memphis, and Louisville as the 1 seeds.

I disagree with Memphis derserving of a 1 seed, they don't play anyone in conference. No team from the C-USA should be a 1 seed unless they were near perfect out of conference, which Memphis wasn't. They lost to Syracuse, Georgetown, and Xavier. Syracuse and Georgetown were not exactly powerhouses in the Big East this season, and neither would Memphis if they played in that grueling conference. I would keep UConn as a 1 seed, despite their overtime loss to Syracuse. Look what it took to beat them, an epic performance. Half of their losses were to Pitt, and they were dominate in most of their other games.

The bubble teams, as always, will be a tough call. St. Mary's is an interesting case. They played a stretch of their season wthout Mills, who is one of their best players. I wonder if the commitee will hold that against them. Their resume' might be a bit short, but they would be dangerous if let in. Maryland probably did enough in their conference tournament to get it, but their inconsistancies still leave room for doubt. We will see who's in and who's out at 6pm.

3/14 Conference Tournament Quick Hits

2009-03-14T15:47:00.014-04:00

This will be a running post, updated throughout the day:

North Carolina, again without Lawson, falls to Florida State in ACC Semis
Michigan State lost all hope in getting a #1 seed by losing to Ohio State
Memphis routs Tulsa to win the C-USA; 61 straight conference wins
Binghamton punches their NCAA Tournament ticket
Put Mississippi State of the bubble. Their victory over #16 LSU should put them in
Maryland failed to improve their resume' by losing to Duke. They might be the toughest team to declare in or out
The magic ends for Baylor as their season ends with a loss in the Big 12 Final
But the magic for USC gets them into the NCAA Tournament by winning the Pac-10
Syracuse finally ran out of gas and lost to Louisville in the Big East Final

Where's Dick Vitale?

2009-03-14T15:37:00.006-04:00

It's Championship Week, the last week in that ESPN gets live coverage of games, and I haven't heard Dick Vitale all week. Where is he? I have watched countless hours of ESPN, from the small conference tournament games, to the ACC and Big East Tournaments, and I can't find him. He is in the top 3 of my favorite color announcers in the sport, and ESPN's #1 college basketball guy. He is not even in studio to offer his opinions. This is the biggest time of the year for college basketball, a strange time for Vitale to go missing. If anyone knows why, respond in the comments section.

Update: Dick Vitale is calling the ACC second semifinal between Duke and Maryland. He has replaced Len Elmore and is working with Mike Patrick.

The NCAA Tournament Format is Perfect

2009-03-14T13:36:00.005-04:00

This time of year, with conference tournament games going on, and bubble teams see their chances pop, you hear a lot of coaches and commentators come up with theories that would make the tournament better. They include expanding the tournament to 128 teams, or eliminating the automatic bids and letting the 64 most deserving teams in, or putting a cap on the numbers of teams per conference in The Big Dance. None of those would make the tournament better, it is perfect the way it is.

All of those theories do one thing that I would extremely dislike, take away the significance of championship week. These last 10 days of college basketball have been almost as entertaining as the NCAA tournament itself. Every day we have had games that basketball fans live for, close games down the stretch decided by a single possession. I love watching the small conference championship games. These teams are usually evenly matched, they give it their all, and it seems like it always comes down to the final shot. Then the fans of the winning team storm the court as ESPN brings up the graphic that it is their first NCAA Tournament birth since 19xx. Meanwhile, you can see the tears well up in the eyes of the loser. Expanding the tournament field, or not giving automatic bids to conference tournament champions would take away this drama.

The aspect of the bubble teams is another reason why this week is interesting. Conference tournaments have a lot to do with how many bubble teams get into the Big Dance. The Big 12 tournament is the perfect example of how a team can rise out of nowhere and steal a bid from a bubble team. That team from nowhere is Baylor, a team that was below average in the Big 12. There is no way that they will get a bid unless they win the Big 12 tournament. All of the sudden, they get hot and beat Kansas and made it to the finals. Now, if they get a win, they would clinch a spot in the NCAA Tourney, which will make one fewer spot for a bubble team such as Maryland or Creighton. A similar situation happened in the A-10, with Duquesne and Temple in the finals.

It is fun to see all of the different teams to pay attention to during this time of year. It is almost as entertaining as the NCAA Tournament. Changing the way they select the teams in the NCAA Tournament would take away from intrigue of this week.

3/13 Conference Tournament Qucik Hits

2009-03-13T21:11:00.006-04:00

Some important storylines from the games on Friday the 13th, as I continue to be obsessed with the Big East Tournament:

Maryland surprised me today by coming up with a huge win against #9 Wake Forest. That might have pushed the Terps in the NCAA tournament.
Baylor's magical run continues by knocking out Texas to advance to the Big 12 Championship. Baylor needs to win the Big 12 to make the NCAA tournament, only one win away
Louisville uses a big second half to move onto the Big East Final by beating 'Nova
With no Ty Lawson, North Carolina struggled to a close victory against VA Tech
Patriot League Final: American defeats Holy Cross
Temple defeated Xavier to reach the A-10 final for the 2nd straight year
Michigan lost to Illinois, is Michigan's resume' good enough?
Same question goes to Kentucky after their loss
Duke and Boston College went back and forth, BC missed a last second shot to give Duke the win
Florida and Auburn battled each other tough in a game between bubble teams. Auburn pulled it out to win an important game
Are you serious? Another OT game for Syracuse, this time West Virginia the opponent. Syracuse absolutely gutted out a win. I am proud of this team, they show heart and they left everything out there today.

One Day After: Just as Sweet

2009-03-13T16:09:00.009-04:00

Wow is still the word that comes in my head when I think of the Syracuse vs. UConn Big East Tournament game. I can't begin to go into all of the aspects that made that great. So many great moments; Devendorf's shot that would have won it, UConn's half court shot that hit the back iron, Rautins' three to tie it, Flynn stellar play while playing 67 of the 70 minutes. Here are the highlights via ESPN, but even they don't give the game its justice.

I have had a day to have this sink in, and I still think this is the greatest game I have ever seen. I picked a tremendous game to have the R2S live blog. And also, the right team won. Syracuse will face West Virginia tonight at 9pm ET on ESPN in the Big East Tournament Semi-Finals.

ESPN Highlight

Syracuse vs. UConn Live Blog

2009-03-12T17:37:00.007-04:00

Tonight at 9pm eastern on ESPN, Syracuse will battle UConn in the Big East Tournament Quarterfinals. I plan to have a live blog this game using "Cover It Live". The more people who participate, the better. It should be a fun game.

BTW- I am a Syracuse fan, one of the few things I am not objective about.

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;altcast_code=87ffaf08ff" &amp;gt;Syracuse vs UConn Big East Tournament&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

3/12 Conference Tournament Quick Hits (Afternoon Games)

2009-03-12T17:06:00.009-04:00

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

I mentioned Marquette and Villanova in the previous post, here are some notes from other notable conference tournament games.

Baylor scored the upset of the day, knocking off top seeded Kansas in the Big 12 Tourney
Kansas State gave an overrated Texas team a scare, but Texas prevailed down the stretch
Louisville probably ended Providence's chances of making the tournament
Georgia Tech was terrible in conference, but knocked off #17 Clemson in the ACC Tourney
Arizona needed a win to keep their NCAA Tournament streak alive, but fell to Arizona State
Northwesten lost, and will likely remain the only BCS school to not make the NCAA Tourney
Kentucky got a win, and probably need one or two more
In a rematch of last year's A-10 final, Temple defeated St. Joe's

Marquette vs. Villanova, Fantastic Game

2009-03-12T16:37:00.005-04:00

I listened to and watched most of this game, and this was the best early game of the day. I was questioning whether Marquette even deserved to be in the tournament, especially after falling behind by 16 at halftime. They have been playing like a team that was undeserving of a bid since Dominic James was lost for the season. However, the second half was a different story. The Golden Eagles battled back valiantly, taking the lead with under a minute left. Villanova had the last possession, and the last laugh, as Dwayne Anderson layed the ball in as the time expired to give 'Nova the 1 point win. It was a tremendous game at The Garden, and the Wildcats will move on to face Louisville.

I live in the Philadelphia market, so I get to see a lot of the 'Nova games. One thing that stands out is that Jay Wright deserved the Big East Coach of the Year. He needs to get more national recognition for what he has done with 'Nova. I don't think that his teams have the talent to be a force in the Big East, but he brings the best out of his players. He never recruits a center, and that might keep him from making the Final Four, but 'Nova has been competitive with the UConn's and Pitt's of the conference. 'Nova Nation is happy to have him as a coach, it's about time the country realizes why.

Jazz Lose, But Still a Threat

2009-03-11T23:36:00.004-04:00

The Jazz might have had their 12 winning streak snapped by losing to the Hawks on Wednesday, but they still are a major threat to the Lakers in the West. This team has all of the components to reach the NBA Finals, especially if the Lakers don't have Bynum.

The media, especially ESPN, has already basically put the Lakers in the Finals. That thought is completely absurd. They will not have an easy time fighting through this conference. The Jazz have a system that can pose problems for any team in the playoffs. The Jazz will run Deron Williams on pick and rolls throughout the game, and he will make solid decisions with the basketball. A healthy Carlos Boozer is a perfect player to have set a pick, because he can fade out and hit the jumber, or roll to the rim and attack the basketball. Okur can also set a high screen, because he is a big man who can consistantly hit the 3.

Utah has one of the best home court advantages in the NBA. The crowd is so close to the court that it can be intimadating in clutch situations, and their home record shows they are tough to beat. Utah also has every bit the experience in the playoffs that the Lakers do, and a coach that can match the experience of Phil Jackson.

The Lakers better look in the review mirror, the Jazz will not back down.

Dominican Republic Goes Down, An Upset?

2009-03-11T15:58:00.006-04:00

The star-studded Dominican Republic team fell to the Netherlands in 11 innings with a 2-1 final. Some people will call this an upset, maybe the biggest since the "Miracle" in 1980. While it may have been an exciting game, we do not have enough of a scope of the World Baseball Classic to judge the magnitude of the upset. Sure, you could look at the rosters on paper and see that the DR has a lot more talent than the Netherlands. Even the Netherlands' manager called the win "a miracle", but future years will tells us how big of "a miracle" this really was.

In the NBA Playoffs, an 8 seed beating a 1 seed in a series is a tremendous upset. The team that just sneaked in beating the team that had the best record in the conference is rare in the NBA, in fact, it has only happened twice. Meanwhile, in the NHL, a 8-1 or 7-2 first round upset is no surprise, it near;y happens every year. Contrast that with the NCAA Tournament, where the 16 seed has never beat a 1 seed.

Was the Netherlands over the DR upset a 16 over a 1 in the NCAA Tourney? An 8 over a 1 in the NBA? Or was it just a lower seeded NHL team winning a first round game? We cannot say until we see more World Baseball Classics. If favorites and powerhouses dominate the event in future years, then we can call this upset spectacular. However, if the countries with low profile players constantly take out these powerhouses, then the Netherlands win would just be one of the bunch.

First Post; Big East Tournament Expansion

2009-03-10T19:00:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the Resorts to Sports blog. This is my first post, so I hope you enjoy. Tell me what you think, voice your opinion about the topic in the comments section.

Expanding the Big East Tournament, Not a Good Idea

At first, a bigger Big East Tournament sounded like it would be fun. Who doesn't like more relevant college basketball games at The Garden, right? The problem is, the expanded tournament is detrimental to the conference's bubble teams, as we saw on Tuesday.

When you have a conference that is as top heavy as the Big East, you are going to have teams at the bottom of the conference that are doormats. However, with the format that the Big East has this year, those doormats can ruin the resume' of the bubble teams. The Cincinnati Bearcats and Georgetown Hoyas found that out the hard way.

Depaul was winless in the Big East tournament this season, and with the previous format, they would not have been invited to New York, but this season, everyone gets an invite. However, for one game, they put it all together and defeated Cincinnati in the opening round. With that loss, Depaul punctured Cincinnati's bubble, they won't make the tournament. If Cincinnati were to beat Depaul, it would have done nothing to build the resume', but the loss is devastating. It is a classic lose-lose situation.

Meanwhile, with the previous format, the Bearcats would have faced Providence in round 1. That is a game the Cincinnati would have rather played, because a win would have earned them some respect from the Selection Committee, and maybe a NCAA Tourny berth. And that Tourny berth would have made the Big East look stronger.