Friday, March 30, 2007

UCLA for #12

I'm sick simply writing this, but I expect UCLA to beat Ohio St. to win the National Championship. There are too many people picking Florida, thereby giving UCLA the dreaded chip on their shoulder and lockeroom peg board material. I just believe they are missing one key thing. Each team is one year wiser, and usually the loser from the year before has more to prove, and feels a greater sense of urgency.

I'm disappointed that this will happen, mainly because I like Florida, and they are SEC family.

Ohio St. will beat Georgetown, because they are straight up better. Everyone is talking about Ohio St.'s close calls, but Georgetown had to rally to beat Vandy and really were in the right place at the right time to beat UNC. They are good, very good, but Ohio St. seems to have 9 lives with a couple left to spend. I actually don't think this game will be close, and when the championship rolls around, look for it to be played in the fifties. The 1950's and a score in the 50's. Lots of defense, Arron Afflalo can shut down Mike Conley Jr if he has to guard him, which I figure he will have too. Collison, might get burned for a little while.

Anyway UCLA wins 56-51.

UGLY.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

It's Almost Here

I haven't posted in some time and now guilt has set in. So this is a contrived post to make me feel a little bit better.

My favorite two weeks in sports starts this weekend. Here's what's on tap.

-Cooper River Bridge Run...a local 10k that has 30,000 runners most of which are there to party, and exercise...great event.

-Final Four...obviously the basketball weekend of the year...Go Gators...ugh.

-Opening of the Major League Baseball season. I do love opening day, and really the whole month, then I get back into the pennant races circa August. Watch out for those Twins. Every trendy pick seems to have the Indians, Tigers and White Sox as the top three in the Central. Twins have always responded to adversity with someone you've never heard of...I will not count them out.

-The Masters, and really the following week's Heriatige Golf Event on Hilton Head. This will carry the best week into three weeks but seriously not that many people are reading, and even more truthfully I could careless for the rules I've applied. The Master's to me is the beginning of the golf season. It is the official beginning of spring and the best Sunday of any Sunday that isn't Super Bowl Sunday. And I contend if America treated the final round at the Masters the way we treat the Super Bowl, it would be the best day of the year. I'd buy gifts for my family and friends and bake a turkey. LOVE Masters' Sunday.

-Also Spring Football and the NFL Draft...okay so its really a month...April is my favorite sports month. Until September, when college football starts...and baseball is in fever mode, and every two years the Ryder Cup gets contested...oh good stuff

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Snuggle Soft McCreamy

Josh McRoberts will be an absolute failure in the NBA. This guy is horrible in college, so why not "take his game to the next level". I hate that phrase. McRoberts has a ton of speculated talent, and potential, but I've never seen it. Don't tell me you have. If you have, seriously seen some quality in McRoberts, I beg you to tell me when you saw it. He never lived up to the hype for Duke. Matter of fact, I think he might be the biggest bust Coach K has recruited. Chris Burgess was a stiff that needed to do some morman missions so he left. At least he left with dignity, McRoberts is leaving having done nothing.

Did Josh McRoberts make the second team All ACC? If he did its only because he's the most recognizable player for one of the two most popular teams. He didn't deserve it. At least not during the 20 games I watched. McRoberts would be better off on Grey's Anatomy. He would make a great McCreamy.

See you later Josh, enjoy the D-League.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Houston, We Have The Answer?

Hoops start back in earnest tomorrow. I need Vanderbilt, and UNLV. Oh do I need that to happen.

I actually haven't much to say, except that I love that the Falcons finally traded Matt Schaub, and especially to the Texans. I laugh at these moves. First it will hurt the Falcons. Mike Vick can't stay healthy, are you serious. He'll miss two games a year the rest of his career.

Second, the Texans are essentially giving up on David Carr. Good move in one sense. He's not going to have a very long career with the protection offered in Houston, so he becomes a liability. The other thought though is...is Matt Schaub that much better, even potentially than David Carr?

I guess though, the 49er's did get Steve Young from Tampa Bay.

I'm ready for baseball too though. I just want to see Barry Zito snapping off knee bucklers for the Giants. Excited. Finally a player on the Giants I like. I miss JT Snow.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

For Us By Us

Bruce Springsteen sang I'm on Fire, whoa, whoa, I'm on fire....he was talking about sex. Whoa, Whoa I'm on fire...I'm talking about the Black Coaches Association.

First some backstory. I'm a Southern White Male. I am a University of South Carolina Alumni. I am a USC football fan and appologist.

Now the problem. USC received a failing grade from the Black Coaches Association..heretofor recognized as the BCA. The failing grade was for not conducting a minority based or at least equal search when seeking a football coach to replace Lou Holtz. Now as we all know USC is the flagship university for the state of South Carolina, a state the BCA, NAACP, and what ever else groups despise.

USC received an F for not interviewing a minority candidate, not hiring a minority and I guess generally for its attitude toward the process of finding a head football coach.

What the BCA does is find examples in hot button states and pursues them. You mean to tell me that UCLA didn't interview a minority for its basketball job, and the BCA pounced and set up shop in Westwood. NOT A CHANCE. They want this to happen for publicities sake. I'm sure the same garbage is happening in Tuscalosa...So the BCA already with it's satelitte office set up just a few miles from the Confederate Flag, decides to embarass USC, and publicly slam us for not conducting a "proper search".

Well BCA, when you are in your position you open yourself up for criticism. I'd like to know how often a school should interview a black coach for its position before it becomes a feeble attempt at passifying you? If a school like USC has its top choice and gets it, should we conduct silly token interviews? Probably wouldn't be a bad idea for the experience. But you are John Smith, quarterback coach Toledo Rockets. USC has a coach in place, would you like to come to Columbia for an interview? If I'm John Smith I'd ask for what position, knowing full well that no coach is going to be hired, even as a part of the cabinet.

The BCA can go national with this and probably gain some points, unfortunately the mother in Ames, Iowa or the steelworker in Allentown, PA might not understand that Lou Holtz while he was at USC had a deal in place to have his son succeed him. After that fell through, when Skip pursued another job, Lou put one of his best friends in the coaching business and National Championship winner, and multi SEC champion Steve Spurrier in the job. Spurrier had been interested since October, and patiently waited for the year to end. Holtz resigned and alluded to his successor, which was the worst kept secret in the southeast. The next day the top candidate in America was a Gamecock.

Now I ask and I do this with all due respect. Doesn't Robert Johnson owner of the Charlotte Bobcats have every right to hire any coach he wants for his team when Bernie Bickerstaff finishes the season? Or should he be forced to interview Larry Brown? I ask you NAACP does Russell Simmons not have the right to name any CEO he wants for FUBU? College is a business, it should be more proactive in minority promotion, and hiring. It should not do that at the cost of its success.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Ides of March

Its here, the ides of March are upon us. Luckily it shouldn't mean we are about to be stabbed in the back by our closest ally.

It means today we tip it off. And actually the first game for me is one of the most important. Maryland vs. Davidson. I have Maryland in the Final Four for one of my entries. I'll be upfront and honest. I do multiple brackets. I have my #1 official bracket that tends to be conservative, in a pool of my closest friends. My other brackets are more extreme, and I post those on websites like espn.com or cbssportsline.com. I only enter those to win TV's and what not. I have an official bracket that will be of most concern, because believe it or not I'd rather beat my friends than win a TV. Bragging rights are very valuable.

Anyway Maryland was a team I had in my official bracket but have sinced backed off of, Florida is just too much. Anther game to be leary of in the Midwest is Arizona and Purdue. I have no doubts that this is a bad mix of Arizona players, but five of them might be drafted this coming draft, so there's talent there. I'd hate to see them jell against Florida on Sunday or whenever.

Another critical game, same region is UNLV and Georgia Tech. I have UNLV in my elite eight in every bracket. I believe strongly in this team. I saw them play Texas Tech when Bobby Knight was going for 890. The slaughtered TTU for 32 minutes. Tech made it close late, but couldn't get it done. They are pissed about only having a 7 seed, and maybe they play like they have something to prove. Plus GIT only won 3 road games this year...I don't like that.

Boston College is playing a bunch of critical games also. I've got them as an elite eight team...and I'm worried. If they lose today, with UNLV, I'm as good as done. But the most important game of the weekend is Louisville and Texas A&M. If they both make the weekend, I must have Louisville win. I've got them in the Final Four and need them to make it happen.

Three teams to watch...desperately.

One non tournament related note. I watched highlights of Jamarcus Russell....he looked really good. Mechanics were much much better than what I've seen in the past. I still don't know about him making a great qb, which is what you expect from a #1 pick. But wow he looked good.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Old Man Take a Look at Your Life

Okay I promised some lock and an upset. Here's what I'll do. I'm still feeling a little funny about throwing out some picks when I haven't finalized my stuff.

I'll tell you this. This tournament is like all the others even though I at first thought there was no way the four 1s or at least some 1s and some 2s would make the final four. I can see each 1 losing, but only to the 2 in that bracket. Well I've changed my tune. I say this is like the other tourney's in that you can lock it up, the 1s advance on Thursday and Friday, but not necessarily past Sunday. I think this year one can lose during the weekend.

I'll also say I'm sure a 12 will take a 5. Don't know who, but it'll probably happen.

I'll give you the upset I think is a certain thing. Creighton over Nevada. I'll also tell you I expect whole heartedly that UNLV knocks out Wisconsin this weekend.

That is more than I'd give my mother.

I'll tell you this also. I think UNC hangs on two guys out of the dozen they play. Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansborough. If they struggle, this team might slip. They are too young. They don't feel an urgency I'd expect if they were Seniors and Juniors....just a thought....

I feel I've given too much....

One more thing. Forget about Greg Oden....he's already gone...

Monday, March 12, 2007

Piles of Paper

Arkansas got robbed. What they got in? Oh no, I was only trying to defend the SEC...really they got in? Hmm. Let's see. Well supposedly the SEC is the #2 RPI conference...Arkansas was the best team in their division right? No, third. Really. They must have won a bunch of games against superior competition. Not really, they lost to South Carolina. Arkansas, the Razorbacks right. Interesting.

Well, I'm the biggest non-Walton Arkansas fan in the world right now. I hope they crush So. Cal. Mainly because I have SEC ties, but also because...wait for it....this is exactly what people do every year to some team, and that team usually handles themselves rather well. George Mason comes to mind. Arkansas has some talent, and I was going to pick them for the West next year. Stan Heath is one of my 5 coaches I'd want in Columbia, and his guys are young...its gonna happen for them, probably next year. If anyone is shocked by this, its probably Stan Heath. He really was on the proverbial hot seat in February, thanks largely to USC for putting the lumber to his Hogs in Columbia.

I'll tell you another team I'm pulling for. VCU. These guys have had a really good year quietly, and will be able to prove how good Jeff Capel is as a coach. They're his guys, going against his alma mater. Interesting. Most interesting to me though are the potential matchups of Louisville and Memphis, Callipari against Pittino...ohh. And Florida against a good UNLV. Lon Kruger the guy that really dug Florida out of the marsh, and into the Final Four. Don't mistake me. Billy Donovan took over and raised them to incredible heights obviously culminating in a championship. But it could be interesting. Also think back to December and January when all of the four #1 connected in some way. Florida played Kansas, and Ohio St. UNC played Ohio St. Each matchup will be different this time around and will make for extremely good television.

The other thing I see when I see these brackets are the lack of certifiable upsets. Yeah Winthrop is trendy, and I always find a 10 that will beat a 7, but for the most part, do you feel good about any 3 getting beat, or do you think its that, an upset, they happen this way all the time. I for one picked some of Syracuse's losses, and Kansas. I have always been able to get a feeling for some of those. Of course the real bracket busters are the stupid picks when I take a 4 seed a little too far. I can remember sitting in bed at night watching scores and pulling for Tulsa as if my father founded the school and my sister was a sophmore.

Funny thing. I am pursuing a job, and of course I have an interview Friday morning. I'm not worried about making the good impression, with no sleep the night before, I'm worried about making it back home for enough of the early broadcast where you get to see the next day get started. For me that 's what it is all about. Greg Gumbel sending me out to Des Moines for the early game with Witchita St. and Georgia....I'm ready...can't you tell.

So, I've filled out three bracket and keep running into one problem. All the #1's are in Atlanta, or 3 of the 4. I can't seem to beat the 1's out of the tourney. Worst part about it is the easiest two to eliminate are the ones I thought would play for the championship.( I'd list that info, but its proprietary knowledge and as such will not be published until useful.)

Enough already. More tomorrow. Maybe I'll throw you a bone and give you my lock and upset for round one.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Lottery Ballers

Its Selection Sunday, but I want to briefly write about a different kind of selection. The NBA Draft. I'm not an NBA guy but I can see talent, and I can usually spot the kind that translates well to the pros.

Some weeks ago I stated that I'd take Kevin Durant over Greg Oden. I want to ammend that by saying, I'd take Greg Oden only in a situation where Durant wouldn't start at Small Forward. For example, I would take Oden if I'm the Celtics or Hawks. Both have swingmen that will not be supplanted by Durant. Other than that I take Durant over Oden.

Main reason is he's just better, and Oden doesn't do it for me in the intangibles. There seems to be a lack of hustle, and energy. I don't know call me crazy, but I think he's gonna have health issues in his pro career. If Greg Oden and Dwight Howard were in a room together..you might see what I mean. Howard is energetic, smiling and powerful. Oden slumps and sags every time I see him.

On the 3 pick and beyond let me give you a couple of names I love. Julian Wright, Kansas. I was shocked how good he was against UF in December, and he's played well all year including today. I like Corey Brewer and Al Horford at UF a ton also. Brewer is the Shane Battier of Florida. He does it all. He can go into the NBA and be a Manu Ginoboli style player. Another guy that impresses me and will be bonafide hit is Alando Tucker. He won't go out and dominate like I think Durant and Horford can, but he can be that really good shooting guard with a winning team. Add him to the Pistons or Utah and they get that much better. I don't think he makes the lottery, but he might be the guy in five years that teams regret passing up on. Especailly those that take Joakim Noah into the wrong situation. Noah can't help a team like Boston, or Memphis as much as he can help a team that is close to making the turn from poor to good. Memphis needs too much, and Boston needs a dominating big.

I think this is gonna be a tournament that a single guy takes over...like Carmelo Anthony, and Danny Manning. I always use these examples, but I really think it can be that year....

Selection Show is an hour away...I'll post here quite a bit in the coming days and maybe again tonight. My method is pretty simple. I'll do a bracket tonight (gut reaction)...tomorrow I'll listen to some of the media pundits and make another. Then Tuesday and Wednesday I avoid it like the plague. I don't want to be tainted. During that time I make another I call my final. After that...who knows.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Room at the Top

Mid February I was ready to say this could be the year that all four #1 seeds could make the Final Four. I'm more confused and now more confident this will not happen. Mostly because some of the best teams took losses and may have to play from a #2 seed. I would have been willing to bet UNC, Florida and UCLA were locks, with Wisconsin or Ohio St, being the fourth. I felt very comfortable thinking it could be a clash of the titans in Atlanta.

It's been a wishy washy type year... I have felt since the beginning that there are only 8 really good teams in basketball and the rest are just pretty good. The above 5, Kansas, Arizona, and a combo of non power conference schools to make one team. (It is a known fact I do not like the term mid major...it hits my ear wrong, and I typically disrespect non power conference teams, its a form of power conference snobbery I subscribe to). I was wrong about Arizona, although with enough talent to beat the Celtics they don't look like they can win it all unless...(we'll get to that later). Kansas is just outside of the big 5, if this were a big six good teams then maybe, but these are the really good teams.

Okay, so my theory all year has been UNC, UF and UCLA were the best teams, until I saw Wisconsin and Ohio St. At that time I could see a final four of Wisconsin, UNC, UF and Ohio St. UNC would play Wisconsin for all the marbles and Wisconsin would win in that Danny Manning, Carmelo Anthony sort of way...one superstar against a heavy favorite.

Now its a different ball game. The beauty of college basketball is that the season has such tremendous importance. Maybe wins and losses aren't very important to UNC and UF, or UCLA, but their momentum certainly is... they must regain that immediatly, Florida more than anyone. With these teams reeling, and some late bloomer surging it has my mind all a flutter.

It's a kerfuffle if you will. I don't want to give away my trade secrets or give the teams I'm really looking at hard for making a run, because you never know, some of my competitors might make an effort to read this for once. I'll tell you this though. I feel stronger than ever that the four teams I predicted for the final four, UNC, UF, Wisconsin and Ohio St. will not be there together. I don't know if UF or UNC have the heart. We've got a couple of games to figure this out, but they've got a ways to go. I'm starting to feel like some of their rivals are wanting it more, playing with more desperation. So with out the big reveals, I'm watching teams like Arizona as mentioned above...they are loaded, they should be better...Texas A&M, Marquette, and Georgetown, teams ranked nearly all year...they've survived...

One week from today is Selection Sunday, one of the best days of the tournament. I love scribbling out my bracket on scratch paper to get a head start on the pools...I really want to see if all the teams that were bounced from #1 seeds a week ago, losing together helped them regain their position. I also doubt that it will help very much. This year could be the most shaky set of #1's in a long time.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Thorns in My Side

Two hot radio topics lately, safety at the NBA All Star Game, and fans rushing the court after wins.

The first.

Saftey in the city of the NBA All Star Game is obviously not going to improve until the rouge element in the players and this league's life get out. The wanna be hip hop producers, small time rappers, and pimps need to quit traveling around to these events. If it were only that easy. It's pretty well known that hookers travel to the Super Bowl, All Star game and many events in Las Vegas to score the big bucks. Think of it as your nerdy college buddy that went to comic book shows. Now imagine that instead of poor nerds, there are tons of well paid athletes and corporate types looking to get some strange.

How does the Super Bowl tend to survive these problems? I figure two reasons. Extremely well run league handles itself and secures itself really well off the field. Second it does have a heavy dose of corporate america visiting. Typically the CEO of Dow Corning doesn't hang out at gas stations looking for drugs or drinkin' 40's. He may however drink some Johnny Walker and get an 8pm massage in the hotel room.

I hate to make this a black white issue, but when you read what was written ahead of this, didn't you picture a young black guy at the gas station and a grey haired white guy with his hooker in the hotel. It's unfortunate that young black guys are attracted to this life style, its what is wrong with the All Star game. If 45 year old white guys liked the NBA maybe having it in Miami, New Orleans, or Las Vegas it could survive, but until its gonna be dangerous.

The only way the N. O. All Star Game is okay is if there is such a heightened prescence of law enforcement and heavy pressure from the NBA on its players to be insulated.

Last this issue of court storming in NCAA Basketball. I hate it. I hate field goal destruction also. We beg our players to "act like they've been there before" when they score...why don't we beg our fans to act accordingly. It's okay to dance and scream and hollar after you have a big win, but do it within your area...not the players.

Sure safety is important, I'm for it...but if absolutely no one was going to get hurt..it still is ridiculous. The SEC has a fine system in place to prevent it, it doesn't work, but at least there is a penalty. Maybe its a step in the right direction, but I think education would be even better.

The fans of Syracuse stormed the court after a win over #10 Georgetown Monday. If they had read their almanacs or press guides they may realize they hold a commanding advantage over Georgetown. Have they no recollection of how good Syracuse has been over the last 25 years, and really since the beginning...

I don't know, it is intoxicating to win in a big game, and it's difficult to find ways to express it, especially when you know the ruiner of all things pure in sports will show it.

I don't mind saying if USC wins 11 more games this year, I'll storm the court and maybe Utah Beach.