There aren’t a lot of positive things to be said about Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. He has been named the worst owner in the NFL and the least favorite sports personality by Sports Illustrated. He runs every coach he hires out of Dallas because of his controlling, egotistical nature. His intolerable behavior and lack of success has even lead to the formation of grassroots organizations aimed at displacing him from his position. The man is about as well respected as O.J. Simpson, but I will say this about the Jones, he is certainly not boring.
Jerry Jones never fails to impress me with his ability to get his Botox filled face all over the news. Tuesday night, Jones had one of his more embarrassing outcries for attention when he was caught on camera bad-mouthing Bill Parcells and Tim Tebow. Check out the inebriated Jerry Jones:
Jerry, saying that Bill Parcells is “not worth a shit” is a pretty cruel take on a Hall of Fame coach that came into Dallas and turned your franchise around. Parcells inherited a dysfunctional 5-11 team and left a playoff team when you eventually forced him out. I can’t say that I disagree with your comments about Tebow, as I am not a huge fan, but come on, you are 67-years old, there is no need to make such harsh remarks about a 22-year old kid.
I don’t know if you just were not loved enough as a child or what, but Jerry, it is time for you to finally grow up. As a Cowboy fan, I want to believe that you can change your ways, but based on your track record, I think we both know that is not a realistic expectation. I also think I speak on behalf of the vast majority when I say that I look for to the day that you are no longer anywhere near football.
How sweet it is to see a fellow left-handed golfer donning the green jacket. Especially when it was not just a lefty, but "The Lefty", going 16 under to win the Masters. As Rick Reilly reminds us, "Mickelson... is the guy who stayed true to his wife. He's the guy who's been missing tournaments the last 11 months while he flies her back and forth to a breast cancer specialist in Houston. He's the guy who didn't need reminding that women are not disposable" (Read Reilly's story here). Thank you Phil, for reminding us that its not just the philanderers and cheaters who finish on top of the leader boards. And thank you, for understanding my struggle to find a decent set of clubs (just because the rest of the world uses the wrong hand). I'm just saying...
Mickelson not only took home the win, but left Lee Westwood behind by 3 strokes, and went 16 under par to match the best score at the Masters since Woods in 2001. Plus, the dude made some incredible shots. Without, might I add, the prominent man boobs. Dude's been working out. My favorite shot was his 207 yard 6-iron off the pine needles, between two trees. Oh yea, and he knocked it down within 4 feet of the flag. Are you kidding me? Put me in that situation, and I'll be happy if I shank it into the second cut. At his press conference, when asked if he could talk about that shot on the 13th hole, Mickelson replied, "It was, uh, 6-iron, 207 to the hole, I knocked it four feet". Not a big deal or anything, right Phil? Check out the shot:
Congrats to you Phil, for coming back after a year of nothing better than 8th place finishes, and making a statement that morality is not absent from the world of sports. Plus, you kept the universe in order by keeping a cursing Tiger from putting on the green jacket. Remember that promise Tiger made? The one about keeping his outbursts under control? Yea, not so much:
The microphones on a golf course are designed to pick up the most minute of sounds. You really didn't think the mic would pick up, "Tiger Woods, you suck! God damnit!" Well, it did. And now everyone knows you're full of shit.
A few days ago, Kevin Durant increased his scoring average to 30 points a game and gained the NBA scoring lead. It looks like the scoring crown is a two horse race between Durant and LeBron James, who trails KD by a mere .3 points a game. Maybe I am a little bit biased because the baby faced Durant attended the University of Texas, but I honestly believe he will edge LeBron for the scoring title in what many believe to be the tightest race ever. The circumstances seem to favor Durant, or at least give him control of the race. The Cavaliers, having clinched the NBA’s best record, are resting LeBron so he hasn't had a chance to improve his scoring average. If the 21-year old Durant is able to hold onto his current lead, he will become the youngest player ever to win the scoring title. Although some consider the NBA scoring title to be one of the more selfish awards in all of sports, in KD’s case, that is the last thing it is.
Durant is the main reason the extremely young Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly the Seattle Sonics) are the NBA’s most improved team, having already doubled their 23 wins from last season. Kevin Durant scores 30 points a game, but what’s even more admirable is that he doesn’t do it in the egotistical way of Allen Iverson/Carmelo Anthony--take 60 shots a game and make 10. KD shoots a very respectable 48% from the floor, which is especially impressive considering that the majority of his shots come from the perimeter. And there is nothing selfish about Durant’s attitude toward the scoring title; the UT alum continually makes comments such as, “I can’t emphasize any more, I really don’t care about [the scoring title]. I’d rather be in the playoffs.” Not the reaction you would expect from a 21-year old kid, but that is just the type of guy Kevin Durant is. A lot of great scorers are very effective on the offensive end because they don’t put in any effort in on defense and just play what my dad likes to call “swinging-gate defense” (which is always letting the man you are guarding to blow right by you). Durant, on the other hand, is a defensive nightmare because he has those ridiculously long arms (7’6” arm span) and seems to get his hands on everything. Durant has increased his steals, blocks, and rebounds from last season and his effort on the defensive end is one of the reasons that the Thunder will be making their first playoff appearance in 6 years.
There is a lot to be said about this 21-year old phenomenon but watch this video:
Yes, he drops 45 points, but what really impresses me is the way he handled the post game interview. As you can see in the video, Durant was clearly fouled on that last second shot and his team was cheated out of a win, yet in the interview KD does not make one comment about the refs. He just says it was a fun game and that the Thunder need to focus on their next game. I guarantee you that 99% of NBA players in his position end up with a fine the next morning because of their comments about the refs. Any GM would sell their mother to have a guy like Kevin Durant to build their franchise around. I think everyone can agree that KD is going to do some great things in the future, like humbly winning the scoring title.
Tiki Barber recently left his wife of 11 years for a former NBC intern. His wife is 8-months pregnant. With twins. Oh, and the former NBC intern is 23 years old. Her name is Traci Johnson. Yea, Traci with an "i". Definition of class. Congrats Tiki, you've taken the douchebag spotlight off Tiger. That's pretty tough.
Tiki's wife, Ginny, supposedly found out about Tiki's affair last year when he moved out of their apartment. Tiki has been running around with the intern for quite some time, traveling with her to Senegal for the filming of a documentary, and possibly connecting with her at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
The real odd thing about this scandal is Barber's publicly expressed disdain for his unfaithful father. He was quoted in 2004, speaking about his parent's relationship, saying, "I don't give a [bleep] that the relationship didn't work. Not only did [my father] abandon [my mother], I felt like he abandoned us for a lot of our lives. I have a hard time forgiving that". Plus, in his memoir, Tiki wrote, "My family is everything to me" (Read more here). I mean, maybe Tiger got away from his Buddhism, but there's no way Tiki can get away from this quote. If you cared about your family, you wouldn't be caught up in an affair with a woman 12 years younger than you.
A lot of people had trouble believing that a stand-up guy like Tiki could've done this to his family. I, on the other hand, saw this coming a mile away. Ever since Tiki talked smack about Eli Manning and the Giants, he was dead to me. Don't retire, then question your former quarterback's leadership ability publicly. And try not to interview him after he wins the Superbowl for the Giants. Eli doesn't want to be interviewed by the guy who called his leadership skills "comical".
Anyways, check out Tiki's memoir to see what he had to say about his family:
Heading into the final days of 2009, it looked like my Texas Longhorns were going to assert themselves as the greatest program in all of college sports. The football team was 13-0 and just over two weeks away from playing Alabama in the national championship game.Coming off of big wins over North Carolina and Michigan State, the basketball team was also 13-0 and looked poised to have the best season in school history. The women’s volleyball team was set to take on Penn State for the national championship. The swimming and diving team was ranked number one in the country. Even the baseball team was ranked number one in the preseason rankings. Five teams ranked in the top 3 nationally…talk about your powerhouse.
This utopia all came crashing down on one gloomy night--December 19.Watching the longhorn volleyball game, it looked like it was time to light the tower up with a number one (what the university does when any Texas team wins a national championship) after the team won the first two sets and only needed to win one of the following three to take home a championship. But then star Destiny Hooker (one of the classier names you will ever hear) and the lady horns choked hard, losing the next three sets and the national championship. I thought to myself, its volleyball it is not a big deal, right? Wrong, it was the beginning of a very rough time for Texas sports.About two weeks after the volleyball’s team collapse, the college football national championship was upon us. Much like the end of 2009 for Texas athletics, the start of the national championship game was promising as our defense held Bama to a three and out and our offensive took over on their side of the field. But then it all came tumbling down when star Colt McCoy went down, along with our hopes of winning the national championship. (Don’t get me started on that game because if Colt is healthy Texas wins easily, no doubt in my mind). It is true, everything is bigger in Texas and so were my tears that night. After another disappointing loss, it was time to turn our attention to the basketball team; they still looked prepared to make a national title run. A few days after the football game, the basketball team earned its first number one ranking in school history, but you guessed it, they fell apart. Sorry, falling apart is a gross understatement, but then again there aren’t even words to describe what the Horns did. After starting out 17-0, the team finished the season losing 9 of their final 16 games and got booted out of the top 25. Yes, it’s true, the Longhorns went from number 1 to unranked in a little over a month, a feat that’s almost impressive. Of course it would only be fitting if the Longhorns lost in the first round of the tournament, which of course they managed to do. Playing a weak Wake Forest team, the Longhorns still managed to lose, even despite the fact they were up 8 points with 2 minutes left in overtime. One final hope to salvage our dignity remains: the baseball team. Starting off the season by losing the opening series to a far inferior New Mexico team is not a great way to start a championship run. In a nutshell, 2010 has been beyond horrible for the Texas Longhorns.
Fortunately for Longhorn fans everywhere, I think our luck is beginning to change. The swimming and diving team won the national championship, which I understand isn’t a huge deal, but at this point we need the small victories.Also, after a slow start, the baseball team is starting to kick it into gear and is ranked number 6 nationally with a 21-7 record.And then two nights ago, something amazing happened: Christian Westerman committed to Texas. Many believe that the 2011 offensive lineman is the best player in the nation and will be the best lineman ever to come through Texas. Westerman is the 19th addition to an already stellar 2011 recruiting class that is almost full a whole 10 months before national signing day.With Garret Gilbert at the helm of our football team and the help of our incoming recruiting classes, the future is very bright in Austin, Texas.Let’s all hope that we see this in the near future:
After Duke beat Butler in the national championship game, Coach Mike Krzyzewski was finally relieved of the immense (unjustified) pressure that had been on his shoulders all season.I will put it like this, you do not want to be the head coach at Duke if you are coming off four straight home losses to your archrival North Carolina and five straight early tournament exits.So much pressure, in fact, that after Duke beat Baylor in the Elite Eight, Coach K was so relieved to have made it back to the final four and finally have his critics off his back that he completely forgot to share the moment with his wife.An usher had to yell at him, “Hey Coach, you forgot your wife!” Krzyzewski quickly apologized to his wife telling her how crazy it was out there. The good news for Coach K is that he only needed to apologize to his wife, not duke fans.Having lead Duke to yet another national championship, Coach K cemented a place for himself among the greatest coaches of all time and also satisfied disgruntled fans.
With his fourth national championship win two nights ago, Coach K tied Adolf Rupp for the second most national championship wins among men’s college basketball coaches (only John Wooden has won more titles, winning 10 at UCLA from 1964-1975). Krzyzewski’s 11 Final Four appearances also tie him for second most Final Four appearances among all coaches. Furthermore, he holds the NCAA tournament record for highest winning percentage (78%).Not only is he first in wins in tourney history with 77 victories, but Coach K is also the first coach to win national championships in three consecutive decades. Under his reign, Duke has played more games ranked as the number 1 team (190) than it has as an unranked team (144). Averaging more than 25 wins a season, Coach K is expected to surpass Bob Knight as the all time winningest college basketball coach in the next season or two.Coach K is only 34 wins shy of Knight—his own former coach at Army—with a grand total of 868 victories.Duke fans sending him hate mail before this season seem to have forgotten all of these accolades and just how good Krzyzewski is.I mean, I can’t think of a coach I would rather have head my team.If Coach K was hated on so much with his past success, I can’t even imagine what Rick Barnes of the Texas Longhorns is going through right now.He is the primary reason that the Longhorns had what I consider their most disappointing basketball season ever. Then again, most coaches at high levels understand that they are only as good as their last season.
Coach K has clearly done some impressive coaching in the past, but I don’t think anything compares to what he did this year.Amidst all of the pressure, He guided his Duke team, which didn’t have the normal star power or depth of his previous championship teams, to a 35-5 record and a ACC tournament title. Then came the NCAA tournament where many people believed that the Blue Devils were over seeded.The Blue Devils certainly lacked the athleticism and NBA lottery picks compared to the other one seeds and some of the teams they faced in the tournament.But Duke had a “secret” weapon that no one else had: Mike Krzyzewski.He continually out-coached every team his Dukies played, as evident in Duke’s 17-point margin of victory heading into their showdown with Butler.And we all know how that game played out:Mike Krzyzewski was able to conduct his Blue Devils past Butler, a team that almost seemed destined to win it all and achieve a fairytale ending, in one of the greatest championship games in tournament history. And if none of that impresses you, perhaps Coach K’s most impressive feat was turning Brian Zoubek (easily the most klutzy and biggest goofball ever to walk this earth) into a productive basketball player.
As we all know, Tiger will be playing in the Masters this year. I got a chance to catch the press conference he gave in Augusta. For the most part, it was disappointing. The reporters treated him as though the wrongs he committed were somehow not his own doing. They asked him questions that did not reveal anything new about the scandal. Plus, they acted as if he was entitled to keep his scandal private. When asked what he went to rehab for, he replied, “That’s personal”. You went to rehab for sex, dude. You can say sex on T.V. I understand it’s embarrassing that can’t take responsible for cheating on Elin, but don’t blame it on being addicted to sex. That’s like if I told my Mom I got a D- in 8th grade math because I was addicted to Madden 2004. (“It’s a real problem Mom, every time I leave the Xbox I break out in cold sweats and start getting nauseous…”).
Tiger, we get it, you’re not a great guy. Whether you were a good guy or not beforehand, who knows. Maybe you really did “get away from your Buddhism”. Or maybe your bullshitting us with stories of meditation. I’m sorry, I just don’t see a guy like Tiger having time to meditate when he’s playing golf 99% of the day, and the other time is spent with Michael Jordan and Charles Barkeley:http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/the_naked_truth_kJhGO4wAlV9Xl8qvTWrglI
I do respect a couple reporters from the conference because they had the balls to ask some tough questions. One dealt with Tiger’s use of Vicodin and Ambien. Apparently, Tiger had been popping quite a few pills after his knee surgeries and the multiple tears of his Achilles tendon. He did admit to the use of these medications. The question that came later on, however, was a bit more probing. When asked if he had been under the influence of Vicodin or Ambien when he crashed his car, he replied with this line: "They (the police) cited me $166 bucks”. I dunno Tiger, but if you’re trying to convince us that you weren’t high on Vicodin when you crashed your car (less than 100 feet from your garage), you might want to flat-out deny the use of these drugs. Just throwing it out there…
Anyways, aside from the issues with Tiger’s character, I’m sure he’ll make it rain at Augusta. The man’s a prodigy. Plus, he’s going to try and “not get as hot” when he plays. He also won’t be as “exuberant”. He says he can’t play with one and not the other. Hopefully this means he won’t be pouting the entire time he’s on the course.
Be sure to check out the Masters on Thursday. I’m sure it won’t be too long until we see Tiger fist-pumping and cursing under his breath. I was hoping to end this article with some witty comment equating the amount of women Tiger’s slept with and the amount of holes he’ll play during the tourney, but I just don’t think there are enough greens at Augusta. Zing.
Everyone is saying that the Butler Bulldogs are finally going to meet their match tomorrow night when they face the Duke Blue Devils.And on paper they are right; the national championship game has all of the characteristics of a David vs. Goliath matchup.The powerhouse Duke Blue Devils hail from the illustrious Atlantic Coast Conference.The mid-major Butler Bulldogs from the modest Horizon League.Duke hopes to win its fourth title in 19 years, while Butler hopes to win its first in school history. Duke spends $394,068 per player; Butler spends $347,108 on their entire team.Duke has six McDonalds’s All-Americans on their team this year. Butler has never had one in school history.Duke’s coach Mike Kryzewski is one of the all-time greats who boasts 76 NCAA tournament victories, the highest tournament winning percentage among active coaches, three national championships, and an Olympic gold medal.Butler’s coach Brad Stevens (who was still in diapers when Mike Kryzewski took over at Duke) was mistaken for a player by the Final Four security a few days ago.
Fortunately for Brad Stevens and the Butler Bulldogs, basketball is not played on paper.If it were, then the Bulldogs probably wouldn’t be on a 25 game winning streak and coming off wins over the likes of Syracuse, Kansas State, and Michigan State.The secret to Butler’s success has been their ability to play suffocating defense.Last night against Michigan State, Butler shot a dreadful 15-49 from the floor, but the Bulldogs were able to sneak away with a win because of their impressive defense that held the Spartans to just 50 points.
The outcome of tomorrow night's game could very well rest in Butler's ability to contain the big three of Duke and keep the Blue Devils off the offensive glass.Last night, Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer, and Nolan Smith, combined for 63 points, 17 assists, 12 rebounds, and 12 three-pointers.They scored 63 of Duke’s 78 points, which was also 6 more points than the entire West Virginia “Brokeback” Mountain-eers scored.(Skip ahead to 1:15)
The good news for the Butler faithful is that the Bulldogs have just the players to defend the big three of Duke in Shelvin Mack, Shawn Vanzant, and Ronald Nored.
The Bulldogs must also do something that no one has been able to do thus far in the tournament: limit Duke’s second chance opportunities.The Blue Devils are the sixth best offensive rebounding team in the country, and the Duke big men do a great job of kicking their offensive boards to wide-open three point shooters.Last night, Butler showed their defensive rebounding ability as they only allowed Michigan State (another top-10 offensive rebounding team) to grab six offensive boards.But the bad news for Butler is that their star big men Matt Howard left last nights game with a minor concussion and is listed as a game-time decision.Bulldog fans need to pray that Howard is able to remember his name tomorrow night so that he can help keep the Dukies off the boards. If Butler is able to contain Duke’s big three and keep Duke’s bigs off the boards, then they have a chance to make history and become the first five seed ever to win a national championship.
Unfortunately, it seems as though the expansion of the NCAA basketball tournament to 96 teams is inevitable. The expansion of the current 65-team tournament, which will likely take place in 2011, is the worst decision that the NCAA men’s college basketball committe could possibly make.This year’s tournament is a perfect example of why March Madness, in its current form, is the greatest playoff system in all of sports.In what other sport, at any level, do you see so many unthinkable upsets? I mean, please improve the bowl system in college football and change it to a playoff, but don’t destroy college basketball.A 96-team tournament would mean that the top 32 teams receive an opening round bye.In other words, Cinderella teams will have to win an extra game in order to reach the Sweet 16.This will do nothing but decrease the number of upsets in the tournament; we can kiss goodbye 14-seeds upsetting 3-seeds on opening day, and say hello to the top 16 seeded teams advancing to the Sweet 16.
Now you might ask why would the men’s basketball committee ruin something so perfect? They claim the two advantages are an increase in revenue and helping coaches gain job security.And sure, the NCAA will make more money during the tournament because of the additional teams, but their regular season gross is going to plummet.Also, regular season ticket sales and TV ratings are going to diminish because no one will want to watch games that have absolutely no significance; any team that plays in the big 6 conferences is going to automatically make the tournament, even teams with losing records
The committee’s intent to improve job security with this expansion is completely counter intuitive.No matter how many teams are allowed in the tournament, there are always going to be teams on the bubble, always teams that don’t get in.What happens if you are one of the coaches at a big school and your team doesn’t make the tournament of 96 teams?You might as well resign on the spot and save some dignity.If the 96-team expansion takes place it will mean an end to March Madness as we know it. The best college playoff in March will soon be the Frozen Four (college hockey)…how upsetting is that?I don’t know about you, but I will no longer look forward to March with the same enthusiasm if this expansion takes place.
What Tom Izzo has done as coach of the Michigan State Spartans can be summed up in one word: miraculous.Just how good is Izzo?In his thirteen-year tenure at Michigan State he has taken his Spartans to six final fours.In those 13 years, Izzo boasts a 77% winning percentage and 35 wins in the tournament.The Spartans’ appearance at the final four this year means that every upperclassman Izzo has coached at Michigan State has enjoyed at least one visit to the final four.No wonder Izzo has been able to recruit so many McDonald’s All-Americans; who doesn’t want to play for a guy who can come into your living room and promise you a final four appearance?
Izzo has done some amazing coaching in past tournaments, but nothing compares to this year.The basketball gods did everything they could to keep Izzo out of the final four: his team was underseeded, placed in the region of death, and lost its star player Kalin Lucas in the second round.Yet, somehow Tom Izzo managed to perform another March miracle to get his team to the final four.So, now you are wondering, how does this guy not crack the top ten list of highest paid college basketball coaches?The answer is that Tom Izzo, unlike a lot of coaches, is a stand-up guy who cares more about his players than his next paycheck.
If a sleazy coach like John Calipari--who has had 1/10 of the success of Izzo with twice the talent--had Izzo-like accolades, he would be chomping at the bit to go to whatever school offered him the most money (he would have also racked up a few recruiting violations and ruined a few programs along the way).On the other hand, Tom Izzo is a coach who wants to see his players succeed on and off the court. Izzo has seen 12 of his Spartan players drafted into the NBA, and, in an era of college sports where the term “Student-Athlete” seems to have no meaning, has graduated 88% of his players that complete eligibility.
And who knows, maybe after this season Izzo will accept Oregon’s reported offer that will make him the highest paid coach ever (which I won’t mind, as I am a member of the Quack Attack Nation).Even if he does accept the bigger check, I guarantee you this: Tom Izzo will continue to invest time in his players, and I don’t expect to see him spending his extra money on fancy cars and excessive material things.Tom Izzo is very active in the community, always donating money to charitable organizations.In fact, just last year Izzo was presented with the Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award, recognizing his work in helping those suffering from cancer. It is always nice when good guys like Tom Izzo come out on top.
This NCAA Tournament has been the best in years. There have been countless upsets, and every game has been fun to watch. Unfortunately, I think I'll have to pass on watching the Duke v. West Virginia game. No, it's not because I think the game itself will be sub-par; I'm sure it will be a great match-up. And it's not because I despise any of the schools, coaches, players, etc. I cannot bring myself to watch the game because of one man: Kyle Singler (pictured left).
Hey, the guy is a great basketball player, and I'm sure he'd be fun to watch...provided he put a paper bag over his head. Kyle Singler is just plain ugly. He is the sole reason I wish sports were not broadcasted in Hi-Definition. I mean, look at the guy. He is borderline albino. I don't think he has seen the sun in a year. Plus, his features remind me of that deformed guy from The Goonies:
Not only is Singler tough on the eyes, but he's creepy as well. I'd be fine with him if he was some scrawny point guard, but the guy is 6' 9" and weighs 220 lbs. Every time the camera man zooms in on him, I shudder.
To be fair, ugly basketball players are not a rarity. It almost like there's a positive relationship between the ugliness of a player and their skill level. Just look at Stephen Jackson. The guy can play ball, but he's no male model:
Anyways, even though it'll be tough to watch the Duke game, I think Duke will pull through. I just don't see the West Virginia defense being able to stop Singler. I mean, let's be honest, would you go near him?
I think we have all seen the classic sports movie “Hoosiers” (with the exception of my ignorant co-writer the Breeneback) about a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that wins the state championship. On the back of Jimmy Chitwood, Hickory High School is able to overcome overwhelming odds to beat a deeper and more athletic South Bend team. This movie is also the story of the Butler Bulldogs, who have proven time and time again this year that they are a better basketball team than the big schools with big money. Every day the Bulldogs walk into practice on the same court where Hoosiers was filmed, which is also a mere 6 miles away from where the Bulldogs will play their final four game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Fortunately, the Bulldogs also have their own Jimmy Chitwood in guard/forward Gordon Hayward, who has been so originally nicknamed baby faced assassin (pictured left). Sure I knew Gordon Hayward was a good college basketball player when he was honored as the Horizon League Player of the Year this year, but until I watched him play against Syracuse and Kansas State, I didn’t understand just how good he really is. Hayward is arguably the most versatile player in college basketball this year and he has his father to thank for that. Both of Gordon’s parents are 5’9” so when he was growing up his father, believing that Gordon was destined to be short too, pushed his son to work on his guard skill set. To everyone’s surprise, Gordon actually grew to be 6’9” 207 pounds. So Gordon Hayward is a guard in the body of a power forward. How many power forwards can do this: (look at what he does at the 35 second mark) These Hoosier teams are similar in their commitment to solid fundamental defense and just playing old school basketball. Having a dad who is a basketball coach who always preaches the old school style of basketball, I can’t help but appreciate what Butler does on the defensive end. The art of the box out is lost among most basketball teams across the country; now it is all about out jumping the guy on the other team. But Butler did a great job blocking out yesterday, enabling them to outrebound a bigger, more athletic Kansas State team 36-27. As for the man defense Butler runs the majority of the game, it is the best team defense I have seen all year. The Bulldogs are very disciplined and, as a result, have very few breakdowns and give up very few easy buckets. As much as the Bulldogs have screwed my bracket over (I had UTEP upsetting them in the first round), they are my new favorite team in the tournament. Butler plays basketball the way it is supposed to be played, and the players have great (humble) attitudes that you never see anymore these days. Don’t be surprised if the Butler Bulldogs finish with a storybook ending and cut down the nets in Indy. Also, watch for Brad Stevens to continue to out coach whomever they face. He is only 33, but trust me, Brad Stevens has a very long, successful career ahead of him in basketball. Who knows, he may even draw up the “picket fence” to get Hayward an open shot to win a game.
The end of the term “mid-major” is finally upon us. By definition mid-majors are teams that are in conferences other than the big 6. And if the tournament thus far isn’t an indication that the discrepancy between the big 6 and the other conferences no longer exists, then I don’t know what is. Of the 16 teams remaining in the field, 5 of them are so called “mid-majors.” And we automatically consider these teams as underdogs just because they play in conferences such as the Horizon league and the Atlantic 10. But this era of college basketball where the best players are one-and-done has really leveled the playing field. While the big names schools may get the best players, their coaches have to spend the entire season babysitting and keeping their young stars’ egos in check, hindering their ability to coach. The coaches send their athletes on the floor and hope their talent alone allows them to make plays and win games.
On the other hand, mid-major schools get players who are not as highly touted out of high school and need four years of college basketball to develop their game. In these four years, the mid-majors develop great chemistry that seems to elude the big 6 teams because they lose their players early on to the NBA. And their coaches don’t have to deal with prima donnas, so they are able to coach without the drama. This is exactly how Jim Boeheim managed to get out coached last night by a man who looks like he just graduated from the eighth grade, Brad Stevens (pictured above). After watching the game last night, I am convinced that Butler is simply a better team than Syracuse. A lot of people think that the recipe for an upset is for the underdog to sit back in zone and hope the favorite has a bad shooting night, while the underdog knocks down a bunch of threes. But last night Butler’s strategy was anything but passive. The Bulldogs aggressive man defense never allowed the Orange to get comfortable, forcing Syracuse to turn the ball over 18 times and creating Syracuse’s largest half time deficit of the season. As for the underdog needing to hit the long ball, Butler shot a measly 6-24 from behind the arc…so much for that. The score doesn’t do Butler justice; they dominated all aspects of the game and are just a much better basketball team than the Orange, plain and simple. For most of the Butler Bulldogs it is nothing but “babies and memories” after this tournament, so they are going to continue to play their hearts out in hopes of a return home to Indianapolis for the Final Four.
As we all know, Ben Roethlisberger has been accused yet again of sexual assault. I’m sorry, scratch that; he is accused of either sexual assault or “sexual manipulation”. The last time he was accused was July of 2009. Congrats Ben, your on your way to becoming a registered sex offender! Just like this guy: (they kinda look alike, don't they?)
Now, crime and NFL players go together like peas in a pod. They have this funny love hate relationship: the players love to get themselves in trouble, but Roger Goodell hates to punish them. Apparently, Goodell has the intention of talking with Roethlisberger. Good, a nice stern talking to is all it takes to change the ways of a sexual deviant, right? Goodell says he “takes the situation very seriously” and is very “concerned Ben continues to put himself in this position”. I would be concerned too Roger, I might even suspend him indefinitely…naaaaaah. Come on, Ben’s middle name is Todd, how harmful could he be?
Not only does Mr. Goodell seem to have the best intentions for half-retarded sex offenders, but the owner of the Capital City nightclub in Georgia does as well, along with the GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation). Carl Cansino, the owner, said the security video from the night of the assault was recorded over after the club’s manager, Rocky Duncan, had watched it. The GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) was unable to retrieve the video as well. WOOPS! No more evidence for the prosecutors.
Now, normally I’d think something fishy was going on, but I think the employees at Capital City just might have been stupid enough to record over the security video. I can see the ignorance now…
(Rocky Duncan and investigators watching the security video, focusing on two smoking hot 18 year-old twins, missing the blatant sexual crime occurring in the bottom left hand corner)
Rocky: Woooo golly, that there is one fine piece of ass!
Investigator 1: She sure is purdy, and look at the hooters on her sister!
Investigator 2: What were we watching this video for again?
Rocky: Shut up! It’s getting to the good part!
(The two twins start grinding on the dance floor, while Roethlisberger gets away with yet another sexual crime…the tape ends)
Investigator 1: Hey Rocky, my wife’s gosh darn Tivo broke again. You think I can borrow one of these blank tapes?
Rocky: Hell, just take this one. I forget what it was for anyway.(Rocky hands him the security tape, and Investigator 1 returns home to record King of the Hill)
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not too surprised the GBI was unable to recover the footage. It’d be tough to recover security footage when your technological abilities stop at accessing email (is there even email access in Georgia?). Anyways, if you’re ever in Georgia, watch out, ‘cause these guys might really be the boss-men of the GBI:
The fourth seeded Purdue Boilermakers are the cinderella of this years tournament. You might think it is odd for a team seeded so highly to be a cinderella, but this is due to the Boilermakers losing their star player Robbie Hummel for the year.Purdue had to completely reinvent themselves down the stretch and are now a grittier, blue collar team.Chris Kramer and JaJuan Johnson have done a great job of keeping the Boilermakers together, but I do not think Purdue has enough firepower to take down a very hot Blue Devil team.Look for the experienced big three of the Duke to keep up their consistent play and kick Cinderella out of the dance.And if Brian Zoubek continues to play well, then the Dukies have a very good shot of winning it all.
Winner: Duke
3 Baylor vs. 10 St. Mary’s
I think this will be one of the better sweet 16 matchups between a very talented Baylor Bear team and the streaking St. Mary’s Gaels.The key to this game will be if the athletic big men of Baylor are able to contain Omar Samhan who has been unstoppable thus far in the tournament averaging 30.5 points a game.Even though Samhan (pictured below) might be the ugliest and least athletic-looking man I have ever seen, I think he is right in his predication that the Gaels will upset Bears.And though the game is in Houston, which is just a few hours from the Baylor Campus, I think the Gaels will do a great job of handling Baylor’s athleticism and will be able to squeak by in the end.
Winner: St. Mary’s
West Region:
1 Syracuse vs. 5 Butler
This is a very intriguing game because Butler is a very good three point shooting team, which is the one weakness of Syracuse’s infamous 2-3 zone.Butler has the longest winning streak in the nation and has not lost a game since December 22 because of the great play of the versatile Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack.But look for that streak to come to an end Thursday night at the hands of the powerful Orange.Syracuse is clicking on all cylinders right now and with Wes Johnson finally looking for his own shot I think the Orange will cruise to victory.If their big man Arinze Onuaku can return to form and Wes Johnson can continue his fantastic play, then I think the Orange are one of the favorites to win it all.Even if Jim Boeheim and his Orange overcome the field to cut the net down for a second time, nothing compares to his greatest feat…somehow managing to make this happen:
Winner: Syracuse
2 Kansas State vs. 6 Xavier
These two teams met earlier in the season and K-State routed Xavier by 25 points.Since then Xavier has become a much better basketball team behind the play of Jordan Crawford, who is having a great tournament averaging 27.5 points a game.I think this game will be much closer than 25 points but I still do not think that Xavier has an answer for Jacob Pullen, Denis Clemente, and the athletic bigs of the wildcats.And we must remember rule #31 of picking teams in the tournament, always side with the beard.
Winner: Kansas State
Midwest Region:
5 Michigan State vs. 9 Northern Iowa
I don’t think that anyone had this matchup in their bracket except for the autistic kid from Illinois.Northern Iowa shocked Kansas last week behind the shooting of the unforgettable Ali Farokhmanesh.Michigan State had to hit a last second three to advance to the Sweet 16.But in their win, the Spartans lost their star player Kalin Lucas for the rest of the tournament.My brain is telling me to never pick against Tom Izzo and his Spartans in the tournament, but my gut is telling me to side with the Mid-Major Panthers.I think Michigan State sneaks by Northern Iowa and advances to the Elite 8.
Winner: Michigan State
2 Ohio State vs. 6 Tennessee
Tennessee has probably had more highs and lows than anyone in the nation this year.The Vols beat two number one ranked teams this year but also got blown out by some sub-par teams.So far in the tournament Bruce Pearl has gotten his Vols to really play together and they have coasted to the Sweet 16.But I do not think the Tennessee goes any further in the tournament as they face the Buckeyes, who are arguably the hottest team still playing. The Buckeyes win because they have the best player in the nation in Evan Turner and I do not think Tennessee stands a chance at containing him.
Winner: Ohio State
East Region:
1 Kentucky vs. 12 Cornell
This game is truly the David versus Goliath match-up.It is the nerds from the Ivy League versus the superior athletes from the basketball powerhouse.Cornell has some great perimeter players and a 7-footer inside, which is something not too many mid-majors have, but I think Kentucky dodges the stone cast by David here.Kentucky just has way too much talent and is full of superior basketball players and dancers.I think Cornell keeps it close for a while but in the end Kentucky pulls away.
Winner: Kentucky
2 West Virginia vs. 11 Washington
The Mountaineer Faithful received devastating news yesterday that their starting point guard Darryl Bryant broke his foot in practice and will miss the remainder of the tournament.This blow to West Virginia could not come at a worse time as they face the red-hot Washington Huskies. Don't be fooled by the 11 next to Washington, they are just as talented as West Virginia.Yes West Virginia’s Da’Sean Butler is a great scorer and he is going to get his, but I am going to pick a little upset special here. The tournament has been crazy thus far and I hope the trend continues.
