Davidson Beats Goliath... Again

These past two weeks have been quite busy in the sports world. First, you have baseball season leaving its final stages of spring training and entering the long duration of the upcoming season. Then you have Adam "Pacman" Jones trying to get his reinstatement in the National Football League, which he has succeeded in doing. But most importantly is the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament. Most recently, #10 seeded Davidson has ruined gambling pools everywhere. So far in this tournament, Davidson has never been favored to win a game and has always been out seeded. To start, Davidson upset Gonzaga by a mere six points, but hey, it bought them a ticket to face number two Georgetown. Nah, they can't beat Georgetown; yeah when they beat Gonzaga, it was a good upset, but they have no chance now, it's Georgetown. They go right in and take the Hoyas by four. Now a week passes and they're going to play number 3 Wisconsin. Sure, Davidson got lucky, Georgetown was probably just tired from the game two days ago. But now, the Badgers are fresh with a week of rest, they're not going to get beaten by Davidson. How does Davidson respond? They were sick of all the negativity so they decided to beat Wisconsin, with impressive force I might add, by 17. So now, don't count Davidson out to beat the number one seeded Kansas, because they just might.

Oklahoma STatement

Last night, Oklahoma State and Florida State battled it out, a 3 seed vs. an 11 seed. Late in the game, you could smell an upset brewing because the Seminoles had a one point lead. With a Shante Williams free throw, the lead was two with 20 seconds left. But six seconds later, Danielle Green made a layup to force overtime. In overtime, the Cowgirls took a five point lead, but then Florida State was able to climb back. A Tanae Cain-Davis and a pair of three pointers from Mara Freshour completed a 7-2 run and tied the game up. Then things got controversial when Freshour hit the second three and Andrea Riley for Oklahoma State took her time getting up the floor. She waited until there were five seconds left and she tried to drive right, but the defense was tight, so she tried to pass with one second remaining. However, Shante Williams had different plans and tried to block Riley from going any farther right, and block she did. The referee called the blocking foul, with one second left. There was a spark of hope when Riley missed the first foul shot, but she ended up making the second one to launch the Cowgirls into the Sweet 16. First of all, that was a stupid thing for Shante Williams to do. If she looked at the clock, she wouldn't have even moved because Riley was only passing and time would have expired before she even got the pass off. But in a clutch situation like that, the ref should have just let the girls play, and limit foul calls. To me, OSU won in a really cheap way.

Bracket Busters

As the Sweet 16 starts on Thursday, there are few bracketeers whose brackets aren't looking like a train wreck. First, Villanova made a spark of their own when they downed an unsuspecting Clemson Tigers team. Little did they know that a bigger upset was awaiting them in the second round when Siena beat a good team in Vanderbilt. Where in the name of Dick Vitale is Siena?Later in that Midwest region, there were more upsets. I can live with you if you say Davidson over Gonzaga isn't a huge upset (10 beating a 7), but then they took their luck to the second round and took the number two seeded Georgetown Hoyas. Then in the West region is where things got ugly. Who would have picked Drake, Cinderella Drake, to go down in the first round, and to of all teams, Western Kentucky. Nostradamus couldn't have seen a shot like that to end any game for that matter in the first round. WKU played a team with an upset just as big. San Diego defeated Connecticut to shock the world. But the West region wasn't done busting brackets. In the second round, heavily favored Duke couldn't out play West Virginia. However look at the East and South brackets, there wasn't one upset, unless you count a #9 over a #8, or a #5 over a #4.

Time to Tango

Well, it's March 19 and you know what that means, either hangover cures from St. Patrick's Day or March Madness. After the qualifying game was played last night between Mount St. Mary's and Coppin State, which was won by Mt. St. Mary's, the full 64 team bracket is set, and the pools are being constructed, and predictions are being made. This is the time of year where hoops fans around the country are losing sleep. Tomorrow, two of the #1 seeds play, UCLA vs. #16 Mississippi Valley State, and Kansas vs. #16 Portland State. All conversations are going to turn to the Big Dance. Upsets are going to shock the world, bust brackets, and change predictions a good four or five times. Three point shooting will live invincibly in the last two minutes of a seemingly hopeless game, stars will foul out opening up opportunities for the opponent, foul shots will make and break teams, and maybe just maybe, we'll see Mike Brey wear a tie (if they get past the first round this time). So get ready because tomorrow is the first day of the rest of March, and today is the last day of sanity until April showers.

Struggling College Sports

With the NCAA Basketball Tournaments upcoming and the immense popularity of college football, it's a wonder why the general public isn't interested in the other college sports like baseball and hockey. The college baseball season has just gotten started, and hockey is in the middle of conference championships. Yeah, these sports aren't televised, but who says they shouldn't be? Look at the junk that's on T.V. Now especially while still in the winter, all that's on Sportsnet New York are Mets classics and an occasional college hoops game. Look at ESPN during a Sunday afternoon; they'll have poker, billiards, strongest man. Who cares! NCAA hockey is going into their tournament also, which can be just as good as the NHL. Although you have your unheard of teams in the top five: Colorado College (#1), North Dakota (#3), Miami (Ohio) (#4), New Hampshire (#5); you also have your usual suspects: Michigan (#2), Michigan State (#7), Boston College (#9), even my Notre Dame Fighting Irish at #12. If you think their aren't die hard BC fans out there who wouldn't love to see the Eagles skate out a battle in the Frozen Four, you're mistaken. Even to a hockey fan without a favorite college, they would love to see another hockey game on T.V. let alone ESPN. And then there's baseball fans who never ever get sick of baseball. Look they made a 162 game season that cover three seasons. So ESPN throw your cameras to Chapel Hill, no, Hansbrough and the gang are in Raleigh, I mean to see Tim Fedroff and Kyle Seager hit the spit out of the ball. Let us see the unseen sports.

You Gotta Be Kidding Me

Today an article in the New York Post by Marc Berman revealed an interview with Jason Kidd after he and the Dallas Mavericks beat the New York Knicks on Monday. In the article, Kidd trashed his former team, the New Jersey Nets. He said such things like he "was on the wrong side of the Hudson", "everything they [the Knicks] do is under a microscope", alluding to the increased attention they get compared to the Knicks. Wrong side of the Hudson? I'm not sure Jason Kidd can spell loyalty. He played for the Nets for six and a half years and led the Nets to six playoffs, and two NBA finals. Who do you think you are Jason Kidd? He was even asked what would've happened if he was a Knick. Take a breather Kidd, I'll tell you what would've happened, you would've been the same player with a much shorter to no playoff resume but more publicity. That's all, "'Who knows what would've happened?'" What is he talking about. When Kidd comes back to the Meadowlands, he's going to be booed out of the arena, and it's bat night on a night he should be cheered for and remembered. Jason Kidd, I used to like you, when I say like, I mean worship. But now I'm going to be the guy that is rooting for you to get hurt and ruin your career. Hang up his number? That would be no good, he would have to travel to the wrong side of the Hudson.

Appaulused

Last night, the Duke Blue Devils played the North Carolina Tar Heels in a game that always lives up to its hype. A game where the referees let the players play, a lot of non-calls upset a lot of crazies including me. There was a breakaway - three on one - for the Heels, and Ty Lawson was coming head on with Greg Paulus and steamrolled him to a monster dunk. Paulus made a specific effort to put his hands in front of him and cement his feet into the floor and drew the non-call charge. Everyone in Durham wanted a charge called. Then to a more important part of the game, John Scheyer was obviously fouled by Tyler Hansbrough on a three pointer attempt that could have put Duke back into the game, but no such foul was called. Three free throws would have put Duke behind by three with 34 seconds left, time enough to possibly tie the game.
In another aspect, this was a great game from Speedo Guy to Dick Vitale to the outstanding defensive effort by both teams. The Duke Crazies (Crazy fans) kept putting fear into North Carolina and Speedo Guy kept forcing missed free throws for Carolina by dancing around behind the basket in nothing but a speedo. Plus Greg Paulus would keep putting hope into Coach K court, then the unbelievable Hansbrough would shut that momentum down. The game was started by the rather sad moment of silence for Eve Carson, UNC student body president who was killed on March 6. Then the game started and UNC was up 12 early, then Duke went on a 11-5 run, then Carolina went on a 13-8 run to get back up by 11 to end the first half. In the second half, Duke kept making shots and slowly but surely, they were back into the game. Then with 9:45 left in the game, Scheyer made a three to draw even. Then North Carolina would hit a series of shots, only for every shot to be matched on the other end by Duke. But then at a fateful point in the game, Scheyer broke away from the 66-66 tie with a layup with 5:47 to go. Unfortunately, those would be the last points Duke would score. It took nearly three minutes for the Heels to score, but they finally drew even with 3:04 to go with a Wayne Ellington layup. Finally, fate was sealed when a foul wasn't called on Hansbrough on a Scheyler three that would have cut Carolina's lead in half. Ginyard rebounded, and passed up-court, and a series of fantastic passing ended with a Danny Green jam to put the Heels up six with 30 ticks left to silence the Crazies for the rest of the night. This game has undoubtedly sealed a number one seed in the Big Dance for Carolina, and has officially won the regular season Atlantic Coastal Conference (ACC) championship.

Kiddless and not Kidding

Personally, I hate the National Basketball Association. But today I am forced to comment about it before I stay up to midnight watching Duke and North Carolina battle it out in Durham. Although I am against the NBA, I still will watch it. When I'm just flipping around and the Nets are playing, I'll turn it on. The thing that's a little annoying is how the New Jersey Nets are holding on to an eighth seed, which in about two months gets you a playoff spot. Although they're my team, it's a little disturbing and insulting to the Eastern Conference to see them with a 26-36 record, a .419 winning percentage. The first team in the Western Conference standings, the Sacramento Kings, are 11 1/2 games out of the eighth seed. Even the ninth seed, Denver Nuggets, have a .607 winning percentage The Nets are slightly more respectable than the Knicks (Fire Isiah!). Now with the loss of their franchise, best, and most respectable player, Jason Kidd (How could you Jason?), the Nets don't stand a chance. Yet they still manage to make sure that they lose at a lower rate than the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and Indiana Pacers. This just shows how weak the Eastern Conference is; it needs to get better or else people aren't going to show up. Plus moving the New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn isn't going to improve attendance for them.

Smells Like Gangrene

Now the New York Jets, my beloved Jets, have over the a three day span signed three linemen: Left Guard Alan Faneca, Defensive Tackle, Kris Jenkins, and Offensive Tackle Damien Woody. Plus they also signed Linebacker Calvin Pace. These groundbreaking deals made the cover of the New York Post on Tuesday. But is it really groundbreaking? Linemen, linemen, linemen! That's all I ever hear the Jets doing, oh wait they traded their best linebacker on February 29 for a DRAFT PICK! Good call General Manager Mike Tannenbaum. In the 2007 draft, I was going to cry if the Jets picked another lineman. When they picked Cornerback Darrelle Revis, I jumped for joy. I mean that literally, I hit my head on the ceiling, had to go to the hospital; it was a pretty big ordeal. Now after a very bad season, the Jets obviously need a better running back, quarterback, and some big name wide receivers. Look what they do, they go sign some linemen when they need big names to give the team a face, give them some personality. Who is making these decisions to get linemen instead of play makers, to trade all-star linebackers for a draft pick? Are they getting paid? How do these people get these jobs? Do they apply and say, "I can spend a lot of money on things that don't apply to what I need."? Let me tell you, the Jets better draft someone that actually does something with the football, or else they're going to be ruining a lot of people's expectations because linemen don't score touchdowns.

Favreite

Today, I was going to scream when I saw the cover of the New York Post praising the Jets instead of trashing them, but something has come up to save that for tomorrow. Today, one of the all time great quarterbacks, Brett Favre has retired from the game of football. Favre has only won one Super Bowl, but he didn't even need to with his resume. He has done so much for the Green Bay Packers it's not even funny. He is one of the most likable guys in the National Football League, excuse me, was one of the most likable, I still can't grasp this. A QB out of Southern Mississippi University, Favre was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons but played a mere two games for them with 5 passes, two to the wrong color jersey. The young Favre was then picked up by a daring Packers team who needed a quarterback. Boy did it help. Favre had a 64.1 completion percentage with over 3,000 yards passing, 18 touchdowns, and a mere 13 interceptions in his first season there playing 15 games. After that, he wouldn't miss another game in his career. The rest is history. But perhaps the most important thing that Favre has done was being an outstanding role model and example. His kindness, modesty, and good behavior off the field have proved that there still are good souls in the NFL who don't videotape their opponents, who don't get full-season suspensions, who don't cause national controversy etc. On the field, Favre has proven his outstanding skill, that he is able to benevolently throw a football that could shatter a lesser man's hands, and yet still enjoy the game, without unsportsmanlike conduct. Even with a questionable celebration last season, repeatedly slapping the referee's hand, the referee was too starstruck to throw the flag, struck with the fact that, "Oh my God, Brett Favre... Brett Favre... just TOUCHED me!" I think the words absolute respect come to mind when you think of Favre. The NFL would be extremely gracious if there comes a player as well rounded as Brett Favre again. So here's to you Brett Favre for a fantastic career. Good luck to you, Aaron Rogers, who will have to fill shoes bigger than Paul Bunyan. And someone call up Vinny Testaverde, there's a back-up quarterback position in Green Bay.