Bradford works out; scouts swoon

OU's Sam Bradford worked out this week for a contingent of NFL management personnel, including representatives from the Rams and Redskins. No shockers there. He absolutely wowed the scouts, completing all but 2 of his 63 throws during his session. Again, no shocker.

What was a bit surprising was Bradford taking simulated snaps from under center; some scouts weren't sure if he'd be ready to do that consistently yet. He seems to have passed that test.

The question for Skins fans becomes: should we maybe, quietly, begin discussing with the Rams about how we can take him?

By all accounts, Bradford is a franchise QB. He's got a great throwing motion, underrated arm strength (Todd McShay said Bradford's arm is stronger than Mark Sanchez's was last year at his workout), and seems to have added bulk to his frame. Oh, he's also got a clean bill of health from Dr. James Andrews, the world's absolute best sports surgeon, according to some (and also the Redskins Senior Orthopaedic Consultant).

No matter what side of the Jason Campbell discussion you're on, you probably don't love him so much that you think he is THE franchise QB. Most people oscillate between him being a fringe-Pro Bowl player to simply a game manager. No one questions the value of franchise QBs; this year's Super Bowl duel between Drew Brees and Peyton Manning is a pretty clear example. If the Redskins, and Mike Shanahan, who groomed a guy named John Elway, thinks Bradford is the Redskins long-term answer at QB, does he give up the house to get him?

A somewhat similar example comes from 2004; Eli Manning was the prize, and the New York Giants were the suitors. The San Diego Chargers held the first pick in that year's draft. Manning's camp leaked that he was unwilling to play in San Diego and would rather play for New York. So the Giants swapped first round picks with the Chargers, and gave them a 2004 3rd round pick, as well as a 1st and 5th round picks in 2005. Jason Reid of The Washington Post's Redskins Insider hypothesizes the Skins may need to give up at least that much to get the 1st overall pick.

The Skins don't quite have that ammunition; they don't have a 3rd round pick this year because of their selection of defensive end Jeremy Jarmon in last year's supplemental draft. They do have the 5th pick in the 2nd round, which could bring down the cost of picks in 2011 the Skins would have to give up.

But there's also a hidden question about Bradford: would he prefer to play in D.C.?

According to a friend of mine who is a lifetime St. Louis resident, the Rams are on shaky ground. Their games are consistently in danger of being blacked out locally, a sure sign of weak fan support. And there's always that pesky rumor that LA wants their Rams back. Plus St. Louis really is a baseball town, no two ways about it.

If the Rams draft Bradford, he could very well be called upon early on to stat behind a woeful Rams offensive line in order to generate buzz. Ask Marc Bulger how that's going.

It's possible Bradford's people could see in St. Louis a losing situation and see in D.C. the chance to be groomed by Shanahan, widely regarded as an offensive genius, and his son, Kyle Shanahan, who has turned Matt Schaub into a top-tier NFL passer.

Many Skins fans would cringe at this possibility, especially if it means passing up Russell Okung, which it likely does. But if you think you can get the best QB of the next ten years, wouldn't you at least consider it?

Monitoring the Mid-Majors: Final Four

We're through the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament and it sure has been crazy. No. 1 seeds Kansas, Kentucky and Syracuse all lost before reaching the Final Four. Two No. 5 seeds have crept into the Final Four in Michigan State and Butler. No. 2 seed West Virginia is in its first Final Four since the 1950s, while Duke is picking up where it left off in the early 2000s.

While the Sweet Sixteen presented many opportunities for mid-major teams to burst onto the scene, only one (Butler) was able to do so. The rest of the Elite Eight: Kentucky, West Virginia, Duke, Baylor, Tennessee, Michigan State and Kansas State - all hail from a BCS conference.

No. 12 seed Cornell's magically run ended at the hand's of John Wall and Kentucky as the Wildcats were too athletic and fast for the Ivy-Leaguers to keep up. Northern Iowa ran out of gas against Michigan State. St. Mary's (Calif.) was totally outdone by Baylor, losing by 23 points.

But the best contest of them all was Xavier's bout with No. 2 seed Kansas State. The No. 6 seed gave Frank Martin's bunch all it could handle. The result was a 2OT battle. Several Xavier players heated up near the end of the game as they launched crazy-deep 3-pointers. But the Musketeers couldn't muster that late-game magic in the end of the 2OT and fell valiantly.

Which leaves us with Butler - a "Mid-Major" team making a huge impact on the NCAA. It reminds me of Gonzaga years back. This is not a George Mason team that has knocked off major NCAA powers in stunning fashion. This is a team that has been ranked in the top 25 the majority of the season and has several great players. While the Bulldogs' coach (Brad Stevens) looks like he could still be the team manger, this team is well-coached and focused.

Either way, a No. 5 seed that rarely received attention heading into the tournament will have the opportunity to play for the National Championship. For Michigan State, the title would cement coach Tom Izzo's legacy as one of the best ever - overcoming a number of injuries and disappointments this season. But for Butler, the title would change the way we look at the NCAA forever. It would give home to all the mid-major programs out there fighting for recruits. In the modern-NCAA, no mid-major has had the opportunity to do this. And Butler is fully capable. For a in-depth team preview of the Bulldog's, check back at the blog in the coming days.

Moeller reassigned, Tatum chosen as Orioles backup catcher

Everyone brace yourselves, because what I'm about to tell you is perhaps the most upsetting, heartbreaking news since the start of spring training.

As of yesterday, Orioles catcher Chad Moeller has been reassigned to Triple-A Norfolk, multiple sources reported, including MLB.com and the Baltimore Sun.

And the thing is, I'm not the only one upset about it.

Being the creepy Moeller enthusiast that I am, I've read numerous stories and blogs with him as the subject, not only looking at Moeller as a player, but also as a person. I've also read comments on the same stories and blogs from other Baltimore fans like me. There are many people out there who--with good reason, I'll admit--criticize Moeller's skills both behind the plate and at bat. But there are also a lot of people who love this guy. They believe in him as a veteran catcher who knows the game inside and out and can offer wisdom to a young pitching staff and an extremely talented, but still young and inexperienced, catcher (Matt Wieters). And it's been alluded to many times that "a lot of people" also includes Orioles players. So why does O's manager Dave Trembley insist on being a spoiler?

Thirty-five-year-old Moeller losing the backup catching job might have been all well and good if it was to someone that offered more than what Moeller has to offer, which is expertise at the position. And although Trembley said he believes Craig Tatum, 27, the player who beat out Moeller for the job, offers better catching and throwing skills, his inexperience makes the decision laughable (or cryable, which is what I want to do right about now). Moeller saw action in 492 games in 10 seasons; Tatum has played in just 26 games, all last season with Cincinnati. I understand the O's organization's desire to keep our team young, but that disparity seems a little ridiculous.

Not only that, but Moeller and Tatum were even offensively in spring training. Moeller batted .300 in 20 at-bats, with Tatum batting .294 in 17 at-bats. Moeller also showed some offensive promise after Zaun was traded away last season (and yes, I cried when the O's chose Zaun over Moeller, too) and Moeller was recalled to the majors. He finished the season with a .258 in 89 at-bats over 30 games. That's not too shabby for a then-34-year-old.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Moeller "was shocked and disappointed" by the news. "'I felt like I had a good spring and things had gone really well here last year and that's why I signed back,'" Moeller said in the story. Seriously, the runaround that this guy gets from the O's just breaks my little heart.

Trembley claimed that this all boils down to defense. According to the Baltimore Sun, he said that Moeller's veteran presence is no longer needed because "'This is Wieters' team'" now. Bull crap. Wieters hasn't even played a full year in the majors and the O's are just going to hand over the reins that quickly? I disagree. Give Wieters another year with someone who's played a lot of games with a lot of different teams, someone who's caught a lot of different pitchers.

Baltimore Sun blogger Peter Schmuck agrees. Check out his take on the Moeller situation here.
What I most like about what Schmuck had to say is him verifying the reality of a "leadership gap" and the fact that a lot of players were upset about the decision.

And Schmuck, other disgruntled Moeller supports and I can only wait and find out whether Tatum will stick in the majors or if the O's will come crying back to Moeller when things don't work out.

In the mean time, MASN's Roch Kubatko reported this morning that Moeller is waiting to find out whether he'll have the chance to see major-league playing time for another organization or whether he'll be headed down to the minors. We should find out in the next couple of days.

Later tonight: I'm going to talk about another surprising roster move, with pitcher Chris Tillman also getting reassigned. And I know it's been a while, so I'll give a wrap-up of what I haven't talked about so far in terms of spring training, which ends very soon! O's first game on Tuesday, followed by their home opener on Friday (and I'll be there).

UPDATE: Someone give me a tissue. :( http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-moeller0401,0,5387799.story

The NBA Draft and the lockout vacuum

Whooooooooosh.

That sound you just heard was the collective exodus of college basketball talent, both proven and fringe, to the next level.

With the threat of an NBA lockout looming ominously over the 2010-2011 season, it's become go time for any and all top-end NBA Draft prospects, and I can't really blame them. Why not take what money you can get and run, when there might not be any to be had next year?

The lockout's trickle-down effect on the draft pool has been been painfully obvious. Fittingly enough, Oklahoma freshman guard Tommy Mason-Griffin kicked off the "he's-going-to-enter-the-what?" sideshow last week when he announced his decision to go pro after a season in which he was the lone bright spot on a terribly underwhelming Sooner squad.

Mason-Griffin's a good college player, as his stats will tell you. In his first campaign in Norman, he averaged 14 points and 5 assists per game in a backcourt partially shared with star guard Willie Warren.

But ESPN's Chad Ford doesn't even have him among his top 100 draft prospects. There are 60 total picks in the NBA Draft, and a bunch of the last-selected never see a minute of action in the league. In other words, enjoy Israel/Spain/Italy, Tommy!

When you look at a talented team like Kentucky, it gets even more comical. Obviously, Big Blue's mighty triumvirate of John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson are all guaranteed lottery picks who'd be foolish to not chase the money this year when there might not be any in 2011.

But Eric Bledsoe? Daniel Orton? Really? If the rumors are true, neither will be back in Lexington next year, probably because they'll probably playing professional somewhere. Of course, it makes too much sense for someone like Orton -- who racked up a gaudy 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game this season -- to wait at least one and maybe two more seasons to get a guaranteed first-round contract.

And let's say a lockout is avoided. If an Orton or a Mason-Griffin were to abstain from The Great 2010 Draft Dash, they'd certainly enjoy a lighter class of competing prospects, and, as a result, more money.

Because, regrettably, isn't that what this is all about anyway?

A Golden Opportunity for Francisco

In the two months of the 2009 season Raul Ibanez was everything the Phillies had hoped he would be and much more. He hit 22 home runs and batted .309 before the all-star break. However after a stint on the disabled list in June of last year Ibanez was not close to being the same player he was at the outset of the season. In the second half he hit just .232 with 12 home runs. What is more alarming than his second half dropoff last season, is the fact that Ibanez is hitting a mere .114 this spring.

Jayson Werth has struggled as well hitting just .184. To make matters worse, Werth shaved his epic beard that he showed up at spring training with. However, Werth has over come another rough spring during his tenure as a Phillie. In 2008 Werth hit .170 in spring training, but went on to hit .273 with 24 home runs in the regular season.

Certainly if the struggles of Ibanez and Werth carry into the regular season Ben Francisco could see more playing time than he did for the Phillies last year after being traded from Cleveland in the Cliff Lee deal. It seems likely that he would be filling in more for Ibanez than for Werth given the way the spring has gone for both outfielders.

Francisco started 20 regular season games in the final two months of the season after starting 82 for the Indians before the trade. Though Francisco hit .278 with 5 home runs, his 24 strikeouts in 97 plate appearances were not winning him any extra playing time over a trio of all-star outfielders. While Francisco's .273 batting average and 3 home runs are not blowing anyone away this spring, his six strikeouts in 44 plate appearances are certainly an improvement.

It is also relieving to know that there is a capable bat on the bench to give Ibanez some rest if he can shake of his terrible spring. Then again, Ibanez could get a lot of rest if he continues to pretend to be Pat Burrell circa 2003.

My Babies grow into unsure toddlers who hopefully won't soil themselves

One thing my devoted readers (which judging by the comments on my posts is no one) will notice about my two teams is the presence of Phil Hughes and Jason Heyward. I paid for both, not knowing if either would have a job. Hughes I was banking on being the Yankees' fifth starter, Heyward on simply being in the majors.

In the past week, my risks have paid off as well as I could have even dreamed. Hughes beat out Joba Chamberlain for the Yanks' fifth spot, and it's been reported that there will be no repeat of the infamous "Joba Rules" for Hughes this year. He's expected to log about 170 innings, which means paying $2 and $8 for him in my leagues, with his talent, could be a dastardly bargain.

On Friday, the Braves made it official that Heyward, only 20 years old with only 50 career at-bats above Single-A, will be the Braves' starting right fielder. I excreted several different types bodily fluids when I heard this news, because he's that good and I get him for the next three years. He's been projected for anywhere from 10-25 homers and around 10-15 steals this year with an average hovering around .280. Modest numbers, but he's been called the surest hitting prospect since A-Rod or Ken Griffey Jr. So I can wait a year for a Hall of Famer, I think.

These examples are why you take risks in fantasy baseball, why you don't always play the sure thing and sometimes need to push all in when you need runner-runner. Sometimes it works, and you make ridiculous amounts of money.

Before I get too caught up, there is an enormous caveat with these two: everything. Hughes has never started effectively in the majors (except for pitching 6.1 innings of a no-hitter, pulling a hamstring, and missing the rest of 2008), compiling an ERA north of 5. He has the stuff (a mid-90s fastball, cartoonish curveball, and is developing a changeup, which effectively won him the job) and the experience, after winning the World Series, to put it all together. Here's hoping he will.

Heyward is even less of a sure thing...this year. I don't believe that he can fail, simply because I trust baseball people. I literally have read everything I could find on this kid (who is actually my age), and nothing had a negative word to say. His parents were Ivy Leaguers, he's never tried any sport but baseball, he has more understanding of the game than most veterans, he looks like a linebacker and destroys cars with his homers. However, 20-year-old hitters don't have excellent track records in their first year. Last year Elvis Andrus, another member of a team of mine, was 20 and struggled at the dish. Even Griffey and A-Rod had some trials and tribulations in their first years. It comes with the territory.

Luckily, he doesn't even have to start for me this year. In fact, he probably will be on my bench most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (days when every team plays). That's okay. I don't need/want him for just this year. Next year and especially the year after, everyone will be jealous because I have one of the best young players in baseball, and I'll have him for less than $10. That's something worth excreting over.

Is Bradford the Number One Pick?

NFL mock drafts across the Internet are constantly shifting back and forth between who is going where and when he'll be drafted, but it seems as though there is now a new consensus number one pick. It is no longer the heavily prized defensive tackle out of Nebraska, Ndamukong Suh, but the Heisman trophy winning quarterback out of Oklahoma, Sam Bradford.

Now first one must look at why the St. Louis Rams would pass on Suh. The guy is an absolute beast and has been compared to Reggie White. He has the least bust potential of any player in this draft. So why not take the safe pick? Well, that's what the Rams have done the past few years and it has not worked out. Drafting players on the defensive line like Chris Long has not worked for the Rams, and they have passed on some solid quarterbacks such as Matt Ryan and Mark Sanchez. They cannot afford to pass on a great quarterback, especially given their need at the position.

Just recently, Sam Bradford solidified his status as the number one overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft. Bradford has an amazing Pro Day. He completed 62 of 63 passes, with the only incompletion being a dropped pass. He showed no ill effects of his shoulder surgery that kept him out of most of his final season at Oklahoma. Bradford is proving to everyone out there that he is the real deal. Barring any contract negotiation problems, it is practically written in stone that he will go number one in this year's NFL draft.

NFL owners confident labor deal will be reached; players less so

And if you're a fan of the NFL, that's not a good sign.

It's the players, after all, who will be asked to give up some of the 60 percent of all revenue they took home the last two years. It's not the owners who are being asked to forfeit some of the almighty dollar; it's the players.

And, when you put it in perspective, the owners' optimism isn't all too surprising. It's not like they can be openly critical of the ongoing labor battles. Hoping for the best doesn't hurt anyone, and you'd think it probably inspires confidence among the hundreds of people under the employ of all the NFL owners out there.

Here's some thoughts from a couple owners, courtesy of USA Today:

"The feeling on both sides is that we're going to get a deal at some point here," said Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, co-chairman of the management council's executive committee "and we're going to move forward without any (labor) interruptions."

...

Said New York Giants co-owner John Mara:

"I think a deal will get done. There's too much at stake. Both sides realize that."

There's a lot at stake for the owners, to be sure. As everyone does in this whole conflict, they want more money. Why do they say they need it? Well, the recent economic downturn and rising player salaries have put a hurting on their bank accounts -- even though they refuse to open up their financial books to prove just how bad it truly is.

The owners also believe that they deserve a bigger share of the pie because of the risk they deal with in every phase of their business -- new stadiums, ticket prices, contracting vendors, etc.

Here's what the players think:

“I wish I can say that with all confidence, but I’m a little more confident now that we need to prepare for a work stoppage – not that that’s what we want," [NFL Players Association president Kevin] Mawae said during an interview with ESPN Chicago's radio affiliate, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. "We’re trying to avoid that at all costs, but it would be foolish for us not to make sure our players are prepared for the worst case scenario... As a player rep for the players, we are cautioning our guys for the worst case scenario.

----

Players are taking the long view. At meetings last week, union officials said players should start putting away up to 25 percent of salaries in case of a lockout.

Bengals safety Chris Crocker said most players he knows see a stoppage as inevitable.

"Honestly, I feel like there will be one," he said.

We're more than 300 days away from any final decision on a labor stoppage, but this apparent discord has to be disconcerting for the football-crazed swath of America.

But, hey, then again, some optimism is better than none, right?

Sixteen Deep: West Virginia Shoots the Lights Out

The one and only Big East team left in the Elite 8 pushed through to the Final Four Saturday as West Virginia crushed Kentucky 73-66.

The game was pretty close the entire time but you always felt the Mountaineers were in control. The game was awfully sloppy and that's just how West Virginia likes it. Kentucky didn't get out and run as much as they would probably have liked and when they did it seemed like they were forcing it just because that's their reputation.

But really this game was simple: West Virginia shot the lights out from 3-point range and Kentucky did exactly the opposite. I'm not sure what sports cliche that would be. They left the lights on and left the house?

West Virginia didn't have a 2-point field goal in the first half but amazingly still led by two because of their amazing three-point shooting. They had eight threes in the first half and shot 10-23 for the game. While that end stat may not be eye-popping, it was certainly what won them the game.

On the other side of the coin, Kentucky started 0-20 from long range and ended the game 4-32. Absolutely terrible for a team that really filled it up all year long. They weren't a particularly great three-point shooting team all year but then why take 32? They were faster, more athletic and better in almost every way. But they played right into Bob Huggins hand hoisting all those threes over the 1-3-1 defense.

Another story of the game was backup point guard Joe Mazzulla who averaged under three points per game in the regular season and after being thrusted into the starting lineup after the injury to Truck Bryant, scored a career-high 17 points on 5-11 shooting. He looked unstoppable at times and just completely picked apart the defense, driving to the basket and getting easy layups. It's as if Kentucky didn't realize he was left-handed. (It's a well-known fast Mazzulla has trouble going to his off hand.)

John Calipari really coached a terrible game. He didn't gameplan well and it showed. His overconfidence was obvious and his players did not respond to anything he was saying. His team was faster, but they didn't pressure the ball. The Mountaineers had a backup point guard in who has trouble going right, but they didn't press him or force him right. They were missing threes BADLY and they continued to shoot despite being down only a handful.

I rooted against Kentucky because I don't like this trend Calipari is starting where you get the five best 18 year old kids every year for just one year and try to win. He violates all the recruiting rules and doesn't seem to care about his players more than just a means to an end. I like watching players grow under the tutelage of coach like Gary Williams or Tom Izzo who molds them into good people as well as good players. Calipari is a joke who's a jerk and a sleazy guy. Glad to see him out.

At any rate, West Virginia is probably the prohibitive favorite to win the title now. Butler and Michigan State are hot, but five seeds who are too blue-collar to be expected to win. As for Duke. They match up badly against the Mountaineers.

Again, the Big East has high expectations. It'll take until next week to see if they can live up to them.

Sixteen Deep: And Then There Was One

Luckily for the Big East, the classic Agatha Christie novel doesn't quite apply to it yet, but it's getting there.

Syracuse fell to Butler last night in what was the night's biggest upset while West Virginia won one of the most boring tournament games yet over a really flat Washington team.

So now, the pride of the so-called best conference in the country (something I have wholeheartedly stood behind all year) is down to their final team. Luckily for them, it's arguably their best team or at east the one who has played the best since March began.

Why Syracuse lost is really a mystery. They executed well, got balanced scoring from their their guards and shot better than Butler from the field. But they really missed injured center Arinze Onuaku which was pretty surprising. Rick Jackson looked pitiful sometimes and had hands of stone all night as he was unable to hold onto the ball. Turnovers proved to be most costly for the Orange - they had 18 while the Bulldogs only had 7.

Despite 18 points on 6-10 shooting and 9 rebounds, I was disappointed with Big East player of the year Wes Johnson in this game. Sure he had a nice night. But when your team is struggling and you're the only forward playing well, you have to take over. He's a top-3 pick. When Ohio State and Kentucky are losing, Evan Turner and John Wall explode for 30 points or 12 assists or do SOMETHING extraordinary to push their team over the top. Wes didn't look like he had that ability. He looked like a great talent with little desire or drive.

West Virginia handled their business pretty well. As with the other game, this was a low scoring affair in which both teams shot the ball poorly and really didn't do anything to catch much attention. The Mountaineers were down 2 at halftime and rallied back to win by 13. It was an impressive showing in the beginning of the second half and solidified WVU as a title contender. But again, they really didn't wow you. They played sloppy most of the game and coasted to a win over an uninspired Washington team that ran out of gas.

What does this mean for the Big East?

It looks like all the bruises and beatings the teams took in the regular season really did take a great toll on them. Obviously the injuries were killer even though WVU survived without their starting point guard. I think Kentucky is probably going to take them out Saturday and end the Big East's season with one Elite 8 team.

Is that a disappointment? Maybe. But right now the pride of the conference is on West Virginia's shoulders. Let's hope they don't buckle under the pressure like Vera Claythorne.

"One little Soldier boy left all alone;
He went out and hanged himself and then there were none."

Ovechkin or Crosby: Better Distributer

Vanilla or chocolate? Coke or Pepsi? Alexander Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby?

Anyone who's followed hockey at all during the past few years -- or accidentally caught some hockey highlights between basketball game recaps on ESPN -- has heard the argument. The traditionally logic goes something like this: They're both great players. Ovechkin's the better scorer, Crosby the better distributer and playmaker.

Generally, the stats have borne this out. They've played about the same number of NHL games, but Ovechkin has 254 career assists to Crosby's 309, according to NHL.com. Ovechkin has a staggering 2,122 shots; Crosby has barely half that with 1,205. Ovechkin's scored on 12.4 percent of his for 264 goals; Crosby has scored on 14.7 percent of his for 177 goals.

Ovechkin: great individual talent. Crosby: great team player. Right? Well...

Despite playing 10 fewer games this year (the suspensions aren't helping, Ovie), Ovechkin has 9 more assists. What to make of this? Is Ovechkin suddenly a pass-first player? Not exactly. He still has 45 goals on 325 shots. (Crosby has the same number of goals on almost 60 fewer shots.)

But it does challenge the conventional wisdom on Ovechkin. He's developed into a better passer than expected early in his career. With 53 assists already, he's on pace for about 60 for the season, six more than his previous career high and way more than the entire Wizards team (I kid of course).

The Capitals have got to be happy with their star's development, and it should pay dividends come playoff time. No wonder their other stars Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin are playing well.

A Slight Update on Those Ravens

1. The team re-signed running back Matt Lawrence today. Lawrence was on the Ravens' practice squad in 2008 before joining the active roster last year. He was a productive player on special teams with a total of 16 tackles before being put on IR in week 12. The Ravens aren't necessarily in need of a running back when you've got guys like Ray Rice and Willis McGahee leading the pack, but he can bring added depth to the position. Also, when you've got a former Special Teams Coach for the Head Coach in John Harbaugh, it never hurts to bring some versatility onto that squad.

2. Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron tried a unique approach to working out QB Joe Flacco by taking him out to the University of Southern California to practice with a Trojan baseball pitching coach. The plan was to work the muscles around his shoulder and focus on his throwing motion, helping with throwing accuracy and overall arm strength. This somewhat of a mix between baseball and football is another attempt at making young Joe a future star quarterback.

3. It's a well known fact that the Ravens need to fix the issues with their secondary. Now, injuries may actually be forcing them to do that. Cornerbacks Lardarius Webb and Fabian Washington ended their seasons early with knee injuries last year and it is still speculation whether they will be ready for training camp. Coach Harbaugh said they are still playing everything by ear, but if Webb and Washington (who he said are still "a ways away" from being ready for action) are not healthy enough to play, they will be forced to make a plan of attack. He said this could involve signing two veteran free agents or signing one veteran and drafting a young corner. Here's hoping they figure out something that works at this position...and fast.

The Capitals are the undisputed regular season best, but are they Cup-bound?

I'll admit it- I'm a Pittsburgh Penguins fan and I hate the Capitals.

My hatred goes back to the pre-salary cap era where the Capitals would buy away the Penguins best players such as Jaromir Jagr. The first NHL game I ever attended was a Pens-Caps playoff game where everyone from the coaches to the players seemed to be involved in a fight at some point.

But I can only hate those whom I respect (I can only strongly dislike the dysfunctional New York Rangers), and Washington's 4-3 shootout win over the Penguins last night has only increased my belief that there is a legitimate chance it could be Alexander Ovechkin, and not Crosby finally hoisting the Stanley Cup in June.

Yes, the Penguins were missing superstar forward Evgeni Malkin and former Capital, top defenseman, and "power play quarterback" Sergei Gonchar. But the Penguins were given plenty of power play opportunities and were beating the Capitals for much of the game.

But these Capitals keep finding ways to win, to the tune an NHL-best 49-14-10 record. They've beat-up on a pretty bad Southeast Division, but here's a stat that should have Washington fans feeling good (and Penguins fans concerned) about their chances of making it to the Stanley Cup Finals:

The Capitals have a 3-0 record against the arch-rival Penguins this season, and have outscored Pittburgh 8-1 in the third period and overtime.

In a playoff format where grit, heart, and endurance are arguably almost as important as skill itself, the Capitals ability to wear out the Penguins and win late in games has to make them Washington the heavy favorites this year, even if they aren't the defending Champions.

It kills me to say this of course, but the Caps are simply an outstanding team right now.

We all know how good Ovechkin is. No. 8 is either the best or second best hockey player in the world. Crosby may be the better playmaker, but no one can will the puck into the net with the finesse or strength Ovechkin can.

But unlike past years, the Capitals have a legitimate team behind Ovechkin. Twenty-two year old Nicklas Backstrom (89 points in 73 games) has emerged as an stud center this season and winger Alexander Semin (72 points in 64 games) continues to score at an elite level.

The defense has been rock solid, and offensive-defensman Mike Green (71 points in 68 games) leads all NHL defenseman in scoring.

After losing his starting job in the playoffs to young Semyon Varlamov, Jose Theodore has been solid this season. With Theodore the starter but Varlamov still starting 16 games, both goalies have a .910 save percentage and are averaging less than three surrendered goals per game.

While the Capitals, sporting their best-ever squad, look to be the odds on favorite to win the East, their road won't be easy. Winning consistently in the regular season is one thing, but first place Eastern Conference teams haven't been able to reach the Stanley Cup finals as of late. Since the salary cap was imposed Ottawa, Buffalo, Montreal, and Boston (curiously all Northeast Division teams) have respectively finished the regular season with the No. 1 playoff seed.

None of those teams even reached the Stanley Cup finals.

So Capitals fans have a right to expect their team to finally win it all this year. But be forwarned Caps fans: History is against you.

Monitoring the Mid-Majors: Cornell

Here's my team breakdown for Cornell, who plays tonight at 10 p.m. Eastern.

No. 12 seed Cornell (29-4, 13-1 Ivy League) vs. No. 1 seed Kentucky (34-2, 14-2 SEC)
Series Record: Cornell leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Cornell won 92-77, Dec. 28, 1966 in Lexington, Ky.
Cornell -
Key Wins: @Alabama (71-67), vs. Davidson (91-88), vs. Vermont (67-59)
Key Losses: @Kansas (71-66), @Syracuse (88-73), @Penn (79-64)
Head Coach: Steve Donahue (146-137 overall)
Key Players:
Ryan Whittman - 17.8 points, 4.0 rebounds per game
Louis Dale - 12.6 points , 4.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds per game
Jeff Foote - 12.4 points, 8.1 rebounds per game

**For the first time since 1970, an Ivy League member is in the Sweet Sixteen. For the first time in 12 years, an Ivy League member won an NCAA Tournament game.

1st Round - Win vs. No. 5 seed Temple, 78-65
- Won rebound advantage 30-20, shot 56 percent
- The Big Red's big three of Dale (21 points, seven assists), Wittman (20 points, five rebounds) and Foote (16 points, seven rebounds) controlled the game and the 12th-seeded Big Red took advantage of 11 turnovers by Temple to score 18 points off of them.
- With the victory, Cornell tied the record for most wins by an Ivy League team since the formation of the conference with its 28th victory, matching the 1970-71 Penn squad (28-1)

2nd Round - Win vs. No. 4 seed Wisconsin, 87-69
- Led the entire game and never allowed Wisconsin to creep back into it
- The Big Red shot 61 percent from the floor and made 53 percent from beyond the arc (8-of-15), scoring the most points of the season against Wisconsin and shooting a higher percentage than any of its foes all year long.
- Dale scored a career-high 26 points, while Whittman put in 24
- Cornell entered the tournament 3-63 all-time against teams ranked in the top 25. Won two games against top 20 teams in a span of a weekend.
- "You know, I just thought in all my coaching, all the experience I had on any team that I ever played on, this game here was as well executed that I couldn't even imagine that we could play that well in the stretches that we did," Donahue said.

Second Auction Results

My second and final league roster is set (for now) after my first ever Skype auction. Here were my keepers (A * indicates I kept them twice and can't keep them again):

Tommy Hanson - 1

Matt Garza - 1*

Scott Baker - 1*

Jair Jurrjens - 1*

Andre Ethier - 13

Ryan Zimmerman - 10

Elvis Andrus - 1

I'll try to keep this shorter than last time, so here's some quick thoughts on my keepers: I have a young ace (Hanson) for this year and next for $1. Baller. I have two guys who hit 30 homers with 100 RBI last year for 23 combined. I have four young, but experienced and reliable pitchers, and Elvis Andrus so I don't have to worry about the abysmally shallow shortstop position, even though he's nothing to write home about yet.

Here's my roster after the auction:

C - Mike Napoli - 1

1B - Billy Butler - 15

2B - Asdrubal Cabrera - 7

3B - Ryan Zimmerman

SS - Elvis Andrus

IF - Michael Cuddyer - 3

OF - Andre Ethier

OF - Matt Holliday - 37

OF - Curtis Granderson - 28

OF - Shane Victorino - 12

Util - Jason Heyward - 8

Bench (All worth two)

Alcides Escobar

Michael Taylor

James Loney

P - Tim Lincecum - 43

P - Tommy Hanson

P - Matt Garza

P - Jair Jurrjens

P - Scott Baker

P - Phil Hughes - 8

P - Rafael Soriano - 12

P - Mike Gonzalez - 11

P - Brian Wilson - 13

P - Edwin Jackson - 13

Bench

Jason Frasor

Randy Wolf

I'll do a comparative breakdown of my two teams later in the week, but right now, I love them both. The overlaps are Hughes, Granderson, Cabrera, Heyward and Baker. Those are good guys to have on multiple teams. Hughes is about 98% on the Yankees' fifth spot in the rotation, Baker had an atrocious April but the rest of his year was stellar, Heyward is the best prospect in baseball, Granderson could hit 40 homers in Yankee Stadium, and Cabrera is a very cheap, solid player who's eligible at both 2B and SS.

I got Tim Lincecum to open the auction, and actually got him relatively cheap. Dan Haren and CC Sabathia both went for 37, Halladay and Felix Hernandez were both kept, and after that the pitching got insanely pricey. Hamels (who you'll remember I got for 20 in my other league) went for 33, Peavy (who I got for 19 a few weeks ago) went for 28. Josh Beckett went for 33. So did Johan Santana. Chad Billingsley, he of the 4.03 ERA and 1.32 WHIP last year, went for 28. Crazy expensive.

I also went for closers in this league, and succeeded. I waited until near the end of the auction, and got three closers who have spots locked up with strikeout stuff for cheap. They all should get 30+ saves barring injury (which admittedly is a huge risk, especially for Gonzalez), which will be good enough for 4-7 points, which is good enough for what I paid for.

I'm going to try and get another power bat in the coming weeks before the season. Holliday, Zimmerman, Ethier and Granderson are good, and I love Cuddyer for three (the man hit 32 homers and is in his prime at 31), but Butler at first base is weak-ish, so I'm going to try to spin Heyward/Taylor/Escobar and a pitcher for a power hitter. Critique my new team in the comments.

Allen Iverson's Winter From Hell

To say that four-time scoring champion, former NBA Most Valuable Player, and future Hall-of-Famer Allen Iverson has had a rough winter would be a massive understatement.

It all began in mid-November when Iverson and the Memphis Grizzlies agreed to terminate his contract. The team was not a good fit for Iverson from the beginning and many people questioned how and why he wound up there in the first place.

A week after he left the Grizzlies, Iverson announced his retirement from the NBA. The controversial 6-foot combo guard best known for his stint on the Philadelphia 76ers and a classic press conference was going to hang up his gym shoes for good.

The retirement was brief.

Just over a week later, Iverson signed a free-agent deal with the Sixers, the team that put him on the map and made him a national icon. He was welcomed back to the "City of Brotherly Love" with open arms and fans began to pack the Wachovia Center again to watch one of the greatest players in the team's history take the court again.

This lasted only 25 games, when Iverson took a leave of absence from the team to be with his sick 4-year-old daughter, eventually leading to the Sixers announcing on March 2 that he would not return for the rest of the season.

All of these events lead up to the story that Philadelphia Inquirer writer Stephen A. Smith wrote informing the world that Allen Iverson has gambling and alcohol problems. In the story, he said that the only two people who could save him from his free fall were two former coaches, perhaps the two people who know him best: Larry Brown, who coached him on the Sixers, and John Thompson, his coach at Georgetown.

A story by Chris Broussard for ESPN published on March 23 says that NBA commissioner David Stern and Thompson have both reached out to Iverson to express their concern since Smith's article was published.

At this stage in Iverson's life, he needs to take care of his health and personal life before he can even think about playing basketball again. While 34 might not seem like an old age to most people, it sure is for a player who has made a living sacrificing his body night after night on the basketball court.

Will Allen Iverson be most remembered for his downfall? Will he be remembered for the many years where he was one of the most exciting basketball players to watch in the world?

Basketball fans who have had the privilege of watching him since he was drafted in '96 will likely hope for the latter because of all the great things he has brought to the game throughout his career.

MLS reaches labor deal

It came in the 11th hour, but it finally got done: Major League Soccer now has a new labor contract.

Just five hours before the opening of the $200 million, brand-new Red Bull Arena in New York on Saturday, league officials and players agreed to a collective bargaining agreement that eliminates the possibility of a strike or lockout.

The deal is important for players in countless ways:

• It awards guaranteed contracts to a majority of the league's players, a key issue both sides had hotly contested during their weeks of negotiations.
• While the players' union did not achieve its ultimate goal of complete free agency, players with expired contracts now have greater flexibility and freedom in signing with new clubs. Before the new agreement, teams could exercise near-complete control over players even after their contract had run out.
• In lieu of a free agent market, "free agents" will be eligible to enter a re-entry draft in which other teams can select them -- at a certain cost, to be sure.
• Teams will have more money to spend. According to The Washington Post's Steven Goff, MLS has increased the salary cap from $2.3 million to $2.5 million in 2010, a 10 percent increase. That cap will continue to expand by 5 percent every year for as long as the agreement remains in place.
• Teams will have to spend more money on players. The minimum salary for senior roster players will surge from a paltry $34,000 to a more respectable $40,000. Like the salary cap, the "minimum wage" for these players will increase 5 percent annually.
• The agreement will remain in place for 5 years. After that window has passed, the two sides may be back at the bargaining table doing the same thing once again.

No matter how you cut it, this is a good thing for all parties involved.

Players get a forum in which they can showcase their skills, and owners get another revenue stream.

But perhaps most importantly, the sport itself continues to survive and advance. Labor strife in the NHL nearly killed the league, and it's been on life support ever since. When, for instance, was the last time you saw a Capitals game live on ESPN?

A similar blow to MLS could've crippled it beyond repair. Now, it can take its next step forward into a bright future.

Draft Spotlight: Offensive Tackle

Chris Samuels was a rock on the Redskins offensive line.

And that should be the last time the Redskins look backward or internally for a solution to their hole at Left Tackle.

The Skins have no left tackles of note to speak of on their roster. Looking internally for Samuels' replacement is a fool-hardy (and with this Skins administration, probably unlikely) possibility.

Available in this year's draft are several top-tier, though not otherworldly, prospects at left tackle.

Oklahoma State's Russell Okung (6'7, 300 pounds) led most draft boards at the position all season long. He's done nothing to dissuade that notion in his postseason workouts. He's known for his run blocking; the Cowboys led the Big 12 in rushing the past four years. Coincidentally, Okung started for four years.

Rutger's Anthony Davis (6'7, 330 pounds) is an intriguing prospect. Described by Scouts, Inc. as having "brute strength", his evaluation also reveals inconsistent tendencies. Coaching at the NFL level should do him some good, and he may ultimately be better than Okung because of his enormous frame.

Maryland's Bruce Campbell has raised eyebrows with his size (6'7, 310 pounds) and physical traits: a 490-pound bench press and a 4.85 40-yard dash, the fastest time at this year's combine among big boys up front. However, Campbell is regarded as even more inconsistent than Davis and needs coaching to tap into his potential.

Iowa's Bryan Bulaga (6'5, 315 pounds) is closing in on the #2 left tackle position in the draft because of his solid fundamentals. Scouts, Inc. gives Bulaga above average grades in all areas, including Awareness, Toughness, Pass Protection and Run Blocking. He also possesses tremendous intangibles which remind some of Joe Thomas, the #3 overall pick several years ago. He's seen as a safe bet, while Campbell and Davis are seen as higher-risk, higher-reward prospects.

Oklahoma's Trent Williams struggled at times at the left tackle position and many scouts see him as a right tackle.

With the fourth pick in the first round, the Redskins should have a good shot at Okung. He seems to be the best choice for the Skins, based on his overall grade and consistency. If some team were to nab Okung, which is unlikely considering the hype surrounding top prospects (DT's Gerald McCoy and Ndamukong Suh, and QB Sam Bradford), the Skins could possibly look to slide down in the top 10 to nab Bulaga, or the top 15 to pick up Campbell or Davis.

But take all Redskins draft advice with a grain of salt: many draft pundits predict the Skins will make a play for OU's Sam Bradford, he of the Blessed Arm and Cursed Injury History. That said, those same pundits were left speechless when the New York Jets took USC's Mark Sanchez, not the Redskins.

Who Will Be the Fifth Starter for the Phillies?

While the first four slots in the Phillies rotation have been set for months (Halladay, Hamels, Blanton and Happ), the fifth spot in the rotation is yet again a question mark for the Phillies entering the season. The two names that are being thrown around are both ones of players who have had up and down tenures in Philadelphia
.
The ageless wonder, Jamie Moyer, who is still pitching at age 47 could regain his spot in the rotation after being relegated to the bullpen last season following the acquisition of Pedro Martinez. It is somewhat surprising to see Moyer pitching this season after he expressed frustration after he lost his spot in the rotation last season. Before being moved to the bullpen Moyer led the staff with 10 wins, but had a 5.47 ERA. In his first Grapefruit League start of 2010 Moyer gave up one run on six hits over five innings, while striking out six. While the jury is still out on whether or not he can bounce back from a rough 2009, Moyer's extensive
experience make him the less risky choice for the final spot in the rotation.

Kyle Kendrick, the other candidate for the final spot in the rotation, was not a significant part of the Phillies' roster last season, throwing just 26.1 innings in nine appearances. Things once looked quite bright for Kendrick. In his rookie season in 2007 he won 10 of his 20 starts and finished the year with a 3.87 ERA. He started 30 games in 2008, but posted a 5.49 ERA and thus was left off the team's playoff roster. The 25-year-old right-hander has shown the potential to return to his 2007 form so far this spring. Kendrick has given up just two runs on seven hits over 14 innings.

While the decision could go either way, years past have shown that these decisions are certainly not set in stone. In addition to Moyer being taken out of the rotation last season, former Phillie Chan Ho Park also was moved to the bullpen after seven starts.

Both pitchers both undoubtedly have the talent to round out a strong rotation if they can forget their recent struggles. Either way, the man selected for the final spot will have something to prove. One will possibly be putting the finishing touches on a memorable career, the other will be trying pull his out of the fire.

2009-10 Phoenix Coyotes: The best sports story you probably don't know about

What a long, strange trip it’s been for the Phoenix Coyotes.

The team formerly known as the Winnipeg Jets has been in the Arizona desert (an interesting place for ice hockey) since 1996 and hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2001–02 season, when most of us were still in middle school.

In May 2009, the Coyotes' holding company filed for bankruptcy, leading the NHL to strip the group of their ownership rights and effectively take control of the team.

For a while it looked like the franchise would be sold to Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, who wanted to move the team to Hamilton, Ontario.

After a bankruptcy judge rejected Balsillie’s bid, the Coyotes were sold to the NHL for a meager $140 million, so the problem of finding a long-term owner who wouldn’t move the team became the NHL’s problem.

Not only were things messy off the ice, but the Coyotes didn’t have great on-ice prospects either.

Most experts picked the young squad to finish near the bottom of the standings, and the Great One himself (Wayne Gretzky) resigned as head coach and head of hockey operations just weeks before the start of this season.

Fast forward to the Coyotes today:

Phoenix, in the midst a franchise-best nine game winning streak, has surpassed the mighty San Jose Sharks for first place in the Pacific division. The Coyotes currently hold the No. 2 playoff seed in the West, and catching Chicago for the first seed seems pretty feasible.

How have they done it?

Under Coach Dave Tippett, a mostly no-name roster has bought into a defensive philosophy that has frustrated opponents all season long. These Coyotes don’t score the most goals in the league, but with a focus on two-way hockey they limit their oppositions’ scoring chances and have been able to score just enough to consistently win.

Tippett is considered a virtual lock to win Coach of the Year honors.

Veteran leaders such as Shane Doan and Ed Jovanovski have kept the team focused despite the ownership issues, and goalie Ilya Bryzgalov has had a Vezina-caliber (Goalie of the Year award) season.

The 2009-10 Phoenix Coyotes are an amazing story and a Stanley Cup run could make this season one of the greatest Cinderella stories in sports history. However, the mainstream media is largely ignoring them.

So for all of you fans of hockey, sports, and news in general: spread the word of the Phoenix Coyotes! That way, if the Coyotes make a serious Stanley Cup run and the media finally starts to play up their bad-to-good underdog appeal, you can say you jumped on the bandwagon first.

Sixteen Deep: More Tournament Woes

Let me just start by saying I know all you guys who've been fans of Maryland basketball for years look down your noses at the NIT. Hell, Gary tried to reject the invitation a few years back and they ended up losing badly to a Manhattan team way worse than the Terps.

But to many people, including Rutgers fans like myself, the NIT is really the most realistic goal you can set for your team. Rutgers hasn't made the tournament since 1991 so it's not like I expect them to anytime soon. But in 2004, they made the finals of the NIT and had probably their best team since 1996. Those games at the Garden were exciting, hard-fought and at least a little bit meaningful. (See: Quincy Douby, my absolutely favorite player of all time) They ended up losing to a Michigan team that would have made the NCAA Tournament if not for Chris Webber induced sanctions.

At any rate, for perennial powerhouses and bubble teams, this tournament may suck, but for the rest of us, it's really fun.

But now the final eight are set and not one of the five Big East teams remain. And the Big East had a couple real strong teams like number two Cincinnati and number four UConn. But both lost tonight in heartbreaking fashion.

UConn lost on a Dorenzo Hudson jumper with 14 seconds to go as the home Virginia Tech team won by the slimmest of margins. UConn had a nice look at the end but senior Gavin Edwards muffed a pretty easy layup.

Cincinnati lost on their home floor to Dayton by a much wider margin. The Bearcats never looked like they were into the game and ended up losing by 15 points to an Atlantic 10 team that had only beaten them twice in the past 40 meetings.

But at least those teams made it to the second round. The other three teams, Seton Hall, St. John's and South Florida, all lost in the first round and each loss was worse than the next.

St. John's lost by two on a buzzer beater layup by Memphis' Wesley Witherspoon as time expired. They put up a pretty good fight on the road but still couldn't convert.

South Florida lost on their home floor by one when N.C. State's Richard Howell hit the go-ahead layup with 8 seconds left. (Sound familiar?)

But the worst of all was Seton Hall. They were at home and managed to lose by 18 and make themselves look like thugs in the process.

So the Big East season is done for all but West Virginia and Syracuse. Not a proud year for the conference in the postseason so far. Both the Orange and the Mountaineers need to do further damage to bring up the conference's name. Otherwise chants of "overrated" will echo throughout gyms around the country.

Sixteen Deep: The Big Dissapointment - Is it football season yet?

See what a did with the title there? I figure this weekend was so rampant with cliche, hyperbole and awful puns (like how "Summers" was already here. Stupid Spartans and their lucky threes) I might as well just succumb to the pressure.

The Big East got the most teams in the tournament with eight and is now down to their final (and probably best) two. Truly a disappointing showing for the conference widely thought to be the best in the country.

So what went wrong? I, like so many others, thought the Big East was even a bit underrated in the middle. They beat up on each other all year making it hard to tell who's good and who's not. Even the Big East teams in the NIT are pretty solid. So why are there only one more team from the Atlantic 10, Missouri Valley and West Coast Conferences in the Sweet Sixteen?

The answer: probably overconfidence.

Of the six teams to lose (Notre Dame, Marquette, Georgetown, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Villanova) only the Cardinals lost to a higher seed and they were in the 8-9 game against a pretty mediocre California team.

Georgetown lost the worst first round game of the tournament in losing to number 14 seeded Ohio and Villanova lost to a number 10 seeded St. Mary's team after needing overtime to get past number 15 seeded Robert Morris in the first round. Ohio and St. Mary's didn't play flawless games or hit miracle buzzer beaters. They thoroughly beat these Big East powerhouses. And for that there is really no excuse.

Notre Dame only got 4 points from Luke Harangody in his last collegiate game. And Scottie Reynolds chucked up 26 shots making only 4 in those two games. Those are some big time players really choking.

Marquette met a streaking Washington team and Louisville fell to a 22-4 deficit in the first few minutes. The Pac-10 was in danger of only getting one team in and had been disparaged all year and they go 2-0 against Big East teams? That's embarrassing.

At least Pittsburgh put up a fight against Xavier, but they still couldn't best the Musketeers despite a notable talent differential in their favor. No one predicted that the Panthers team to be headed to the second weekend would be from Iowa.

Syracuse and West Virginia are really the cream of the crop and have yet to play a close game so they could still save the conference by both making the Final Four or just one winning it all. But if the last few days have been any indication, picking a Big East team is definitely not in your best interest.

Monitoring the Mid-Majors: Round of 32

I'm still reeling from what happened around 5 p.m. Eastern Time yesterday afternoon, but I will try to get past that right now. The second round provided just as much excitement as the first with mid-majors exerting their presence against some of the biggest names in college basketball

After the first round, which teams like Georgetown fell, there were many mid-major teams alive. The list:
Midwest Region - Northern Iowa, Ohio
West Region - Gonzaga, Butler, Murray State, Xavier, BYU
East Region - Cornell, New Mexico
South Region - Old Dominion, St. Mary's

The biggest upset must be Georgetown falling to Ohio, who only made the tournament because it won it's conference tournament. The Hoyas were a mess against Bobcats throughout and never really made a comeback despite being down by double-digits.

The Bobcats, though, were not able to keep up their streak in the second round as they fell to No. 6 seed Tennessee.

The biggest upset in the entire tournament, and in recent years, came on Saturday night. The overall No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks were tabbed by many to be next in line to hoist the National Championship trophy. But standing in the way was No. 9 seed Northern Iowa. The Panthers exhibited everything a mid-major is known to be. The game was never really close as Northern Iowa shot extremely well and confused the Jayhawks. Not until Kansas turned to full-court pressure in the final few minutes was the upset ever in jeopardy.

Leave it to Ali Farokhmanesh. The point guard nailed a gutsy 3-pointer after his team finally got through the full court pressure. Instead of pulling the ball back and wasting time off the clock, or driving and dishing to a teammate for an easy 2-on-1 score, he put up the prayer. When the ball fell through the nets, the chances of a Kansas comeback deflated.

Sweet Sixteen Mid-Majors:
Midwest Region - Northern Iowa
West Region - Butler, Xavier
East Region - Cornell
South Region - St. Mary's

So five of the 16 "best" teams remaining in college basketball are from non-BCS conferences. That just goes to show the parity in the sport right now. Hopefully this week I will be able to provide specific team coverage for some of the remaining teams in the tournament.

For now I leave you with this stat and quote from the weekend:
- For the first time since the NCAA tournament expanded in 1985, three one-bid conferences (the Horizon League, Ivy League and Missouri Valley Conference) had their teams advance to the Sweet 16.
- "Northern Iowa never played KU before, so you can't say it was really a big upset,'' Ohio State's David Lighty said. "It's just what people think.''

Anticlimactic Revenge Night in Boston as the Penguins Beat Bruins

I have some good news and I have some annoying news.

The annoying news: I’m changing the subject of my blog from profiling U.S. Olympic hockey players to general NHL news and analysis.

The good news: My blogs should be significantly more interesting this way.

For my first actual blog post, let’s take at the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 defeat of the Boston Bruins last night:

This was a game all hockey fans had their eye on. You may have noticed the recent ranting and raving in the media about all of the dirty hits NHL players have subjected each other to since the Olympics ended.

The worst of these recent hits was on March 7 with Penguins winger Matt Cooke’s elbow to the side of star Bruins center Marc Savard's head. Savard had just taken a shot so he was completely vulnerable and defenseless.

Savard was taken off the ice in a stretcher, and is out indefinitely with a severe concussion.

Cooke wasn’t penalized in that game, or by the NHL afterward.

The Penguins and Bruins met for the first time since the incident last night in Boston, and to say there was tension in the air would be an understatement. Everyone wanted to know: would the Bruins seek revenge? Would they be gunning for Cooke? Or would the Bruins hit the Penguins where it really hurt, by injuring franchise player Sidney Crosby?

Well, we found out the answer pretty quickly. Less than two minutes into the game, Bruins enforcer Shawn Thornton picked a fight with Cooke, with Thornton looking like the victor.

Later in the first period, Cooke was called on a blatant and pretty stupid tripping penalty, much to the delight of the Boston faithful.

However, as the Penguins took the lead, the Bruins’ (who are just barely hanging on to the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference) focus turned towards winning rather than enacting revenge.

In the end, the Penguins scored a goal in each period for their first shutout win of the season, Cooke made an ass out of himself, and Crosby left the game unharmed.

For the NHL, the lack of revenge against the Penguins shouldn’t hide the fact that the league still has no standardized system of punishment for cheap shots, and that the rules regarding finishing checks need to be clarified and modified to reflect the increasing dangers associated with collisions of increasingly bigger and faster athletes on the ice.

After all, there’s no way this Alex Ovechkin hit was more malicious than Cooke’s head-shot, yet Ovechkin was promptly suspended for two games by the league.

I am sure of one thing: If the NHL doesn’t fix this problem, someone is going to get seriously hurt in the playoffs.

For a sport that needs all the positive press it can get, it would be who of the NHL to take preventative action on this issue.

Alexander Ovechkin's Suspension

Now that Alexander Ovechkin has served his two-game suspension for his clavicle-breaking hit on the Chicago Blackhawks' Brian Campbell, it's as good a time as any to take another look at Ovechkin as a player. He's beloved in the district, but he's slowly acruing a reputation as a borderline-dirty player around the league. Is it deserved? First of all, here's the hit, in case you missed it.

For this, Ovechkin was suspended for Tuesday's 7-3 drumming of the Panther's and yesterday's overtime loss to the Hurricanes. In a sport where fighting is considered part of the game and does not automatically result in ejection, it's hard to believe that a push should carry with it such a harsh reaction. Clearly, Campbell's injury -- he suffered broken rib, a concussion and a broken clavicle and may miss the remainder of the season -- played into the league's decision. But should it have? Ovechkin couldn't have known at the time what the result of the play would be, and it seems arbitrary to punish people for how a play turned out rather than for their actions during the play.

At the same time, this isn't Ovechkin's first rodeo. Earlier in the season, he was suspended for two games for a knee-on-knee hit on Carolina's Tim Gleason.

Ovechkin's response to his most recent suspension has been to express regret without apologizing for his play style. He said he was "disappointed" with the suspension, according to a statement released by the team, and that he does not plan to change the way he plays.

"Every time I have the honor to play for my team, I will continue to do what I have done since I was taught to play," he said in the statement. "I will play hard, play with passion and play with respect for my teammates, opponents and fans. I look forward to returning to my team and doing everything I can to be the best player I can be."

But Ovechkin should change the way he plays, if not for anyone else than for himself. A league official called Ovechkin's check in the March 14 game "reckless" and it is hard to argue otherwise. Ovechkin injured himself as well as Gleason from the knee-on-knee hit in November, and continuing to play this way could endanger his own career as well as others -- either as a result of more suspensions or injuries.

As the Washington Post's Mike Wise puts it, "But the more he takes runs at people who are nowhere near the puck, the more taking another player out from behind becomes acceptable and palatable ... the more chance that Alex Ovechkin isn't going to be around as long as anyone thinks."

Mid-Majors heating up the tournament

I know the NCAA tournament has already begun, but I thought I should list all the mid-major teams playing this year. It's quite a group, and as we all saw yesterday (See Georgetown, Ohio), these teams should not be taken for granted. This weekend, I will break down the big winners and losers of the first round regarding the mid-major crop. Without further ado, here is the vast list of teams spanning across the country:

Midwest Region:
No. 8 UNLV (first round opponent:No. 9 Northern Iowa)
No. 9 Northern Iowa (No. 8 UNLV)
No. 11 San Diego St. (No. 6 Tennessee)
No. 12 New Mexico St. (No. 5 Michigan St.)
No. 13 Houston (No. 4 Maryland)
No. 14 Ohio (No. 3 Georgetown)
No. 15 UC Santa Barbara (No. 2 Ohio State)
No. 16 Lehigh (No. 1 Kansas)

West Region:
No. 5 Butler (No. 12 UTEP)
No. 6 Xavier (No. 11 Minnesota)
No. 7 BYU (No. 10 Florida)
No. 8 Gonzaga (No. 9 Florida State)
No. 12 UTEP (No. 5 Butler)
No. 13 Murray State (No. 4 Vanderbilt)
No. 14 Oakland (No. 3 Pittsburgh)
No. 15 North Texas (No. 2 Kansas State)
No. 16 Vermont (No. 1 Syracuse)

East Region:
No. 3 New Mexico (No. 14 Montana)
No. 5 Temple (No. 12 Cornell)
No. 12 Cornell (No. 5 Temple)
No. 13 Wofford (No. 4 Wisconsin)
No. 14 Montana (No. 3 New Mexico)
No. 15 Morgan State (No. 2 West Virginia)
No. 16 East Tenn. State (No. 1 Kentucky)

South Region:
No. 7 Richmond (No. 10 St. Mary's)
No. 10 St. Mary's (No. 7 Richmond)
No. 11 Old Dominion (No. 6 Notre Dame)
No. 12 Utah St. (No. 5 Texas A&M)
No. 13 Siena (No. 4 Purdue)
No. 14 Sam Houston St. (No. 3 Baylor)
No. 15 Robert Morris (No. 2 Villanova)
No. 16 Ark.-P. Bluff. (No. 1 Duke)

The region's are fairly balanced with the mid-major teams. As we saw yesterday, I see a few teams stepping up with an upset victory like Cornell and Siena.

I'll be back this weekend breaking down some of craziness we saw in Thursday's and Friday's games, including Villanova's head-scratcher against No. 15 seed Robert Morris, which dragged on through an overtime.

Tebow to Attend NFL Draft

According to ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft10/news/story?id=5003533), former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow will attend the NFL Draft on April 22. After a poor performance at the Senior Bowl, Tebow impressed scouts at Florida's pro day. He unveiled his new throwing motion, which is a significant improvement over his past mechanics.

"Two NFL personnel men told ESPN that Tebow's workout on Wednesday boded well for the Gators quarterback, especially with those teams that were considering him as a high draft prospect."

The team that has been most widely speculated to draft Tebow is the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars and owner Wayne Weaver have lost a lot of money and are in a dire financial situation. Tebow is an absolute icon in the state of Florida and drafting him would certainly increase ticket sales, which the Jaguars are desperate to do.

The unusual aspect of Tebow's attendance at the draft is that draft invitations are generally only given to guys who will go high in the first round, and Tebow is projected to be a second-rounder. There is however speculation that the Jaguars will trade down in the first round and draft Tebow. One should consider that there is still over a month until the NFL Draft and draft stocks can still skyrocket or plummet based on a myriad of issues, so all this speculation should be taken with a grain of salt.

MLS nearing closer to strike?

We're a mere eight days away from the start of the MLS season.

That is, the planned start of the MLS season.

Little progress has been made in labor talks between the players' union and the league's owners, and with players fully ready to strike -- all but two of 385 players voted in support of such action if a deal couldn't be reached -- it's certainly a possibility becoming increasingly likely with each passing day.

Throw in the intransigent matter of free agency, and it all seems to some like a matter of when, not if:

"There's no way the players are getting free agency -- no way," a source close to both sides said. "These are stubborn owners and they are not going to budge on this one. There is a deal to be done out there, to avoid a strike, but the players have to realize [free agency] is off the table."

Unfortunately, it's a touchy situation for both sides.

On one hand, you have dedicated owners who threw millions of dollars at a once-fledgling league that could have easily gone under and cost them everything. Now that MLS's are finally starting to surge from the red to the black, it's not entirely unreasonable for them to want a bigger piece of the pie.

On the other side, it's not like the league's players haven't made similar sacrifices and contributions to MLS's welfare. For so long, they took the meager salary offerings they could from owners. They could be waived mid-season, and be legally denied the rest of their contract. Now, they understandably want greater flexibility and rights in a burgeoning players market.

As a fan of the sport, I'm hoping the two sides can find some common ground.

Just how realistic is that wish? We'll find out in about a week.

Sixteen Deep: Below the belt

The NIT began yesterday and there were (and still are) a few Big East teams competing. #6 seeded St John's and #2 seeded Cincinnati play tonight. #4 seeded UConn scraped by Northeastern last night in Storrs. South Florida and Seton Hall, both favorites in terms of seeding, lost on their home courts.

But the story of the night in the NIT were the two crotch punches. Seton Hall's Herb Pope (who has played pretty well recently) got tangled up with Texas Tech's Darko Cohadarevic on the defensive end. As Darko ran down the court complaining for a foul, Herb obviously got a little annoyed and as he came down to defend, he got a jab straight to his manhood. Cringe-worthy.



That is just awful. Herb Pope has had a really tough life: he's been shot, his parents were drug addicts who abandoned him, etc. But that is absolutely no excuse. Basketball is a tough game and it takes some maturity and restraint (like mine to not make a "balls" or "nuts" pun throughout this entry) to not want to punch someone sometimes. But come on Herb. Relax.

As another note, Bobby Gonzalez, who is as sleazy a coach as they come, got fired afterward. I'm sure this incident wasn't the impetus for the firing. (Bobby G hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament in his four years as coach and this year had all his players.) But it could have been the straw that broke the camel's back. Good riddance.

Sixteen Deep: Analyzing the Brackets

The tournament starts tomorrow so I thought I'd take the time to analyze how the Big East fared in their draws. With so many teams in and many of those teams battle-tested in such a tough conference, the Big East is predicted to have a lot of success.

But no one's picking West Virginia, Syracuse or Villanova to win it all as Kansas and Kentucky are the heavy favorites for the finals. Let's take a look at what the Big East will have to deal with in the first weekend.


Midwest Region:
#3 Georgetown
First Round: vs. #14 Miami of Ohio
Second Round: vs. #6 Tennessee or #11 San Diego State
Analysis: After Georgetown's amazing run in the Big East tournament which left them one shot away from winning the whole thing, they get rewarded with the toughest bracket. Best number 1 seed, second-best number 2 seed and Maryland and Michigan State. Pittsburgh, New Mexico and Baylor were the other number 3 seeds and while I don't think Georgetown deserved a two, they definitely have a tough draw... but not early on. They'll easily get by Ohio because they have way too much size. Tennessee has been overachieving all year but they're not playing extremely well right now and Georgetown is. I think they will easily make the Sweet 16 no matter who wins the next game because they're peaking and playing at a really high level. Look for them to make the Elite 8.

West Region:
#1 Syracuse
First Round: vs. #16 East Tennessee State
Second Round: vs. #8 Texas or #9 Wake Forest
Analysis: I loved Syracuse all year. Not that deep but a complete team with some sick playmakers and the longest zone ever. They make the court look so small when they do that. They'll breeze by East Tennessee but they have a tough game after that. Texas as an 8 is very scary. I think they'll easily beat Wake Forest if for some reason the Demon Deacons take out the Longhorns. But if Texas plays like they were in the beginning of the year, this game could be a problem. I could definitely see Texas taking Syracuse out. Texas was ranked #1 not too long ago and while they went on an awful slide, experienced teams always pick it up in the NCAA tournament. There's so many variables with travel, intimidation, schedules and seniors and juniors handle that so well and Texas is an older team. The Orange aren't usually a great team in the tournament so I have to say, I'm thinking upset.

#3 Pittsburgh
First Round: vs. #14 Oakland
Second Round: vs. #6 Xavier or #11 Minnesota
Analysis: The Panthers have a nice draw here. They match up well with these teams and have been playing decently well recently in the midst of a tough Big East schedule. I think they move on to the Sweet Sixteen and get their hearts broken by Kansas State in the regional semifinals.

East Region:
#2 West Virginia
First Round: vs. #15 Morgan State
Second Round: vs. #7 Clemson or #10 Missouri
Analysis: West Virginia is the hottest team in the country and probably deserved a number 1 seed but got a good spot in this number 2 spot. Kentucky is a great team, but they're young so it's unknown how they'll react to this tournament. Youth is rarely served in March (unless your name is Carmelo Anthony). They'll crush Morgan State and then take on Missouri. Clemson is just an awful team in my opinion. Regardless, West Virginia will destroy their second round opponent leading to the an all Big East match-up with Marquette.

#6 Marquette
First Round: vs. #11 Washington
Second Round: vs. #3 New Mexico or #14 Montana
Analysis: Marquette is sneaky good and great with close games. Of their 21 Big East games, 13 of them were decided by four points or less. They won 7 of their last 8 of those games. Tournament games are always close and Marquette is the best close-game team in the field. I think they'll beat Washington because the Pac-10 doesn't have scrappy, talented teams like the Golden Eagles. New Mexico is pretty overrated and they'll advance easily as well. I think Marquette/New Mexico will be a tough game that Marquette will eek out as they are so prone to do. Look for them to make a run at the Final Four in a pretty weak bracket.

South Region:
#2 Villanova
First Round: vs. #15 Robert Morris
Second Round: #7 Richmond or #10 Saint Mary's
Analysis: Robert Morris hopefully will bring four other friends but they'll spend most of the game watching Scottie Reynolds run up and down the court. They have a nice draw of two overrated mid-majors in the second round so they absolutely cruise to the regionals. I don't think they're as good as everyone is saying they are, but they'll make it far because this bracket is pretty lame. Look for Baylor to beat them.

#6 Notre Dame
First Round: vs. #11 Old Dominion
Second Round: vs. #3 Baylor or #14 Sam Houston State
Analysis: Old Dominion is a hot and scary team but Notre Dame is just playing out of their mind. They have a slow down offense, a speed up offense, a great post player, a great three point shooter and a maniacal coach willing to do anything and adjust everything at the drop of a hat. I like them a lot because they can beat you in so many ways. Luke Harangody is healthy and dominating and their players just seem so much smarter than everybody else. I think they'll be a tough out. I think they can easily make a Final Four run if they continue to hit shots and take care of the ball. They have so many styles and can adjust so well. Baylor is a hot pick but I like Notre Dame to make some noise.

#9 Louisville
First Round: vs. #8 California
Second Round: vs. #1 Duke
Analysis: I'll be honest, I hope someone beats Duke early. I think Louisville definitely has a shot. I think the Pac-1o was looked at as an awful conference and then the better teams starting beating each other up and Cal and Washington have nice records that made people think they're better than they are. Rick Pitino coaches so well in the tournament so I think he'll beat Cal and give Duke a run for their money. I'd love to see all these Big East teams take over the South.

Sixteen Deep: Mountaineers reach the peak

Da'Sean Butler came through in the clutch again as West Virginia knocked off Georgetown for the Big East tournament title.

Butler has always been a pretty underrated player and has consistently hit game winners since first becoming a Mountaineer. Basically, if the game's on the line, I don't know who you'd rather have with the ball in their hands. John Wall? Scottie Reynolds? Cliff Tucker, maybe?

But seriously, Butler is a great player whose main flaw is inconsistency. They're definitely peaking at the right time now.

Georgetown made a great run and was definitely did not lose this game, WVU just won it. Chris Wright had another excellent game statistically but West Virginia did a great job limiting Greg Monroe - probably the best center in the country - who ended the game with only 11 points and 6 rebounds on only 7 shots. Wright did only shoot 6-18, although the Hoyas shot a better percentage from the field for the game.

Not the prettiest game in the world but a typical hard-nosed Big East contest. This is probably the best way the game could have ended for the two teams. The better team won by the slimmest of margins and the game was close the entire way. The game lived up to what little hype surrounded it. I, along with most people, thought this tournament would be a lot more epic with so many top-1o teams in the running, but it ended up being somewhat of a disappointment. West Virginia came out to be the big victor but a lot of other Big East teams took hits which kind of leveled the playing field. And the bubble teams didn't fare that well either.

Overall, Butler's last-second heroics saved the tournament from being one that merely made the best teams look worse and the middle teams look better.

But I think this bodes well for the Big East's chances in March Madness.