Charlotte Gets The "Hornets" Back ... Now What???

"We Beelieve That The Bugs Are Back!" was a slogan used
in the 1990s for the Charlotte Hornets.  The name is back, but
what else does the franchise need to do?

Michael Jordan made official what everyone knew:  the Charlotte Bobcats want to change their name to the Hornets.

A little history for those who somehow don't know.  The Charlotte Hornets entered the NBA in 1988 and the city led the league in attendance in 8 of their first 10 seasons (the expansion Minnesota Timberwolves led the other two seasons when they played in the Metrodome).  Original franchise owner George Shinn ... who was beloved by the city ... got into some hot water for some extra-marital affairs and a sexual harrassment suit.  The city soured on him and he ended up bolting for New Orleans.  The NBA let it happen, though they immediately gave Charlotte another expansion franchise, which would become the Bobcats.  Shinn sold the New Orleans Hornets to the NBA, who sold it to Tom Benson, who changed the name to the Pelicans.  With the Hornets name available, Jordan (who now owns the Bobcats), claimed the name.

Got it?

Now that it has happened, let's look at some other aspects of what should take place.

TEAM COLORS:  Jordan said that they hadn't decided on the team colors.  I'd bet nearly everything that the teal, purple and white will be back with the Hornets.  After all, the "Bring Back The Buzz" campaign that the Bobcats/Hornets have been pimping out there has those original Hornets color schemes.  Remember that it was the Hornets that turned the sports world onto teal in 1988.  No one had it.  After the Hornets, the San Jose Sharks, Florida Marlins and Jacksonville Jaguars had a bit of teal in their logos. 

It belongs back in Charlotte.  But let's just think for a second if they went another direction.  What could it be? 

They could continue to use the dark blue, Carolina blue and orange that the Bobcats currently use.  That way it could meld the franchises together.  I'm not a big fan of that, but I can't blame the Bobcats/Hornets if they did it.  It keeps the Bobcats fanbase a bit happy that the orange they've been used to would be there if the name wasn't.

Original logo

Outside of that, nothing makes sense.  If you were going to go away from the Bobcats current colors, then you may as well stick with the teal and purple.  No one else in the NBA has those colors.

LOGO:  No one in the city would object to the new Charlotte Hornets using their old logo.  Not only is the logo a favorite, but it has been popular in retro gear.  I mean, you could buy Charlotte Hornets merchandise over the last decade even though there was no Charlotte Hornets. 

I do understand a tweaking of it.  After all, the Hornets logo underwent some changes when they moved to New Orleans.  I don't see anything too wholesale being changed.  I think we'll see a fluttering hornet dribbling a basketball just like we always have.  I doubt we'll see it look exactly the same as the old logo, but I don't think they will go off the wall.  Maybe something like this.

UNIFORMS:  Now, I can see anything happen here.  There's is no way the unis will look the same as what Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning and Muggsy Bogues are wearing at the top of this page.  Those uniforms will make appearances as a retro jersey of some sort.  Believe that.  But Jordan and the Bobcats spent a lot of time changing the Bobcats look over the last two years that some of those ideas could be incorporated.  I don't see the pinstripes returning, for some reason. 

Still ... and this goes back to the logo and colors as well ... why even bother changing the name "back" to the Hornets if you don't stick to the main focus of the original Hornets?

BOBCATS FANS:  I know it doesn't seem like it, but there are some pissed off Bobcats fans that don't like this change.  Some may not remember the old Hornets.  Some may have bought completely into the Bobcats clothing and merchandise.  I mean, what are you going to do with all that Bobcats stuff?

That's where Jordan and the team should really tread lightly.  Give into those fans.  Sure, some like this change, but treat all your ticket holders respectfully.  Throw them some bones.  Maybe invite fans to exchange certain Bobcats gear for Hornets stuff.  Give away a lot of Hornets stuff, especially at the games.  Possibly even during the upcoming season (they will be the Bobcats for the 2013-2014 season before most likely becoming the Hornets in 2014-2015).  Give stickers, hats, towels, whatever to these fans so they can stock up on things.

EMBRACE THE OLD:  Dell Curry is the TV analyst for the team.  But Jordan needs to reach out to the other ol' skool Hornets.  Bogues still does a lot in Charlotte and is possibly the most popular Hornets player.  Maybe Kelly Tripuka can make an appearance.  Or Rex Chapman.  Or J.R. Reid.  Or LJ.  Incorporate some of the things Hornets fans loved about the original franchise that made them yearn for those memories to come back. 

Oh ... AND HUGO BETTER BE BACK!!!!  He is loved in this city. 

UM, THE TEAM:  None of this will mean anything if the club doesn't get better.  There will be a very short honeymoon for these Hornets.  The original Hornets got a standing ovation after losing to the Cavaliers by 40 points in their first game.  They had a parade after the end of the first season.  They were rabid as the franchise rose to the playoffs with Johnson, Mourning, Bogues, Dell Curry, Kenny Gattison and many others.  Remember that the Hornets didn't have a losing season their last 10 years in Charlotte.  The Bobcats, by comparison, have had just one winning season in their 9 years of existence.

There isn't much on this roster.  The upcoming draft offers little help.  Somehow they have got to at least show they can turn it around and get on a winning track. 

If not, then what's the point.

Kings Stay In SacTown; Seattle Should Be Angry

The NBA has made it clear: the Kings are staying in Sacramento.  To make a long story short, the Kings owners are losing money and want a new arena to replace ARCO (or whatever it is called this week).  They had a deal to sell it to an ownership group that would move the team to Seattle and rebirth the SuperSonics.  The NBA was on board until Sacramento mayor and former NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson got together an ownership group that would keep the team in town as well as the funding to finally build a new arena.  Kings owners didn't care and still wanted to sell to Seattle.  NBA owners and Commish David Stern shot it down.

Let me state my top opinion on this.  I agree that the Kings should stay in Sacramento provided they replace ARCO Arena (I just looked it up -- it is Sleep Train Arena.  Yeah).  I agree with Stern that this was a win for the small market cities and that the NBA has been good to those markets.  That's all good to me. 

I grew up in Charlotte, NC and saw how the Hornets turned the town into a city.  I also saw how greedy, down-on-their-luck ownership can shop their team to the highest bidder and screw over the people who support them.  Charlotte saw all sides of it.  They were the small market like Sacramento who saw their owner (George Shinn) become a pariah and do everything to make a windfall of money with a move (the Hornets would ultimately move to New Orleans).  Charlotte was also in Seattle's shoes, a city who lost their team but was promised a replacement would be coming (the Bobcats started play two years later; Seattle holds the rights and history for a new Sonics team). 

Seattle deserves to feel upset.  Back in 2008, Seattle watched their team move to Oklahoma City without the same kind of care that the NBA gave Sacramento.  Sure, in both cases, arena financing was the major issue for relocation.  However, the Sonics move to OKC smelled extremely dirty.  There seemed to be a hidden agenda by Clay Bennett, who bought the team, to move the team no matter what. 

So if you are Seattle, you are wondering why their team ... which was in that city for 41 years ... was easily swept away but the Kings (who have been in California's capital for 28 years) had the NBA's support to find ways to keep the team.  Again, I'm not slighting Sacramento, Seattle or Oklahoma City.  All three deserve NBA teams.  The way both situations were handled seem bogus to me.

I also agree with Stern.  Small markets are a big thing for the NBA and a reason for their success.  The NBA is the only major pro franchise in Sacramento, Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, Orlando, Portland, Memphis and San Antonio.  They were the first pro franchise in Charlotte, Indianapolis and Phoenix (and Seattle).  Still, the feeling that the people of Seattle have for the commissioner is valid.

The Andrew Wiggins Decision Says More (Bad) About Fandom Than Anything

Recruiting is different now.  There's always been elite players (think how Lew Alcinder's recruitment would be handled today) and great coaches selling great programs (imagine UCLA's John Wooden, UNC's Dean Smith and Kentucky's Adolph Rupp going after you).  But today there is access to it unlike any seen before. 

Sure, there is the media that's greater.  That's a given, but there has been massive media for quite some time.  No, there is the availability of fans to (a) the media and (b) the information or misinformation that has gotten this out of hand. 

In Andrew Wiggins' case, it was bad.  Here was a kid that did the exact correct thing in each and every way.  He never promised any fan base -- he was considering Kentucky, Florida State and North Carolina before ultimately picking Kansas -- that he was leaning their way.  He never lied to anyone.  Never showed his hand.  When asked about it, he either deflected the question or gave a blunt "I have no idea" response.  He took his time so he could make the correct decision for himself.  He actually signed the letter in virtual privacy and not on an ESPN set or in front of a packed gymnasium filled with cameras where he put on a hat (like they did in the old days) or via Skype (as Harrison Barnes did) or even with a school's mascot.  He did this thing perfect ... which may actually did more damage in the social media-sphere. 

Kentucky fans were convinced he was coming to Lexington.  I mean, they are "Kentucky".  They have this awesome class coming in.  Their fans will elevate you into a star even though you really aren't one (right, Josh Harrelson?).  Despite all the signs, Kentucky fan knew he was coming.

So did Florida State fans.  I mean, his mom and dad went there.  It is in the state of Florida ... which is a lot more fun than Kansas, Kentucky or North Carolina.  And why else would the Seminoles be on a recruiting list along with those three heavyweights?

Kansas and North Carolina fans also had their own factions who were convinced that Wiggins belonged there.  Great coaches, great arenas, great traditions and great rosters were waiting for them in Lawrence and Chapel Hill, respectively. 

But if you were a Kentucky, North Carolina or Florida State fan ... Tuesday was a tough day.  Wiggins used that day to select Kansas as his stop gap to the NBA and those other fanbases didn't take very kindly to it.  Sure, there were many fans who moved on without vitriol, but there were also tons of them who took it too hard.  Hard enough that some even went to Wiggins' Twitter account with some very harsh things to say to the 18-year old.

Given what we've seen about Wiggins' maturity in a very wild world of both recruiting and college athletics, I hope that he understands that this is just a bunch of scum who have no self worth in their lives aside from the success of their teams.  He should also know that those people reside in every school's fan base ... though some schools have more than others.  He should also tell himself that those same people would fawn over him if he attended their favorite university ... meaning that those people don't have HIS well-being at heart but that of their school.  To know that you won't represent those folks at all should make him feel even better about his decision.

The fact of the matter is that fans can get where the feel soooooo close to the recruiting scene than they really are.  And people who are in that scene are way more media savvy than you realize.  Every other day, somebody was going on Kentucky sports radio stations and giving hope to Big Blue Nation that Wiggins was a lock to go there.  That same guy could go to a station in the Triangle and sell the same plot to North Carolina fans.  Then head down to North Florida and say he's following his parents' footsteps to FSU.  From there, fans hearing that get on Facebook or Twitter or their blogs and buzz it around.  If you hear it from enough "sources", then you start to actually believe it.  I mean, why else would four fanbases enter Tuesday feeling as if Wiggins was set to sign with their school?

Wiggins just did what millions of kids do each year: choose the college that best fits them. 

Which is also what fans usually do as well.  I mean, why are you the fan of the school you are a fan of?  Maybe you attended that school?  Maybe someone close to you went there?  Maybe you happen to be born in the city or state that the school hails from (or in Wiggins' choices, were the Big State School)?  Maybe you are just a bandwagon fan that just picks the best or most popular team?  Maybe daddy passed on the love for that school ... just as Wiggins' daddy had done for Florida State. 

And if Wiggins' mother and father can support his decision to attend Kansas, then why in the hell can't you?

Sportz'NBA Second Round Predictions

Well, I went 6-2 in the first round predictions ... surprising losing the Nuggets over the Warriors as well as the Bulls over the Nets (I had the Nets winning that Game 7).  I did predict a Heat sweep and the Pacers winning their series in six.

So let's move on to the second round.

#1 MIAMI HEAT vs #5 CHICAGO BULLS:  The Bulls have played the Heat tougher than anybody this season.  However, these two teams are on different ends of the spectrum.  The Heat are healthy, rolling and easily dismissed the Bucks in a sweep.  The Bulls are decimated by injuries, illness and had to go the distance before finally knocking out Brooklyn.  And they will be on a quick turnaround while the Heat had about a week off.  Heat in 5.

#2 NEW YORK KNICKS vs #3 INDIANA PACERS:  Like the Heat-Bulls, this is another great throwback to the late 1990s.  The Knicks had some surprising struggles against the Celtics in the last round and J.R. Smith is having a tough time with his shot.  The Pacers are a physical team that will try to knock the Knicks out of rhythm ... which Boston was able to do.  However, Carmelo Anthony can't let us down for a possibly epic Heat-Knicks conference final, can he?  I'll take the Knicks in 6.

#1 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER vs #5 MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES:  When we last saw the Thunder, they had Russell Westbrook.  He's out for the rest of the postseason and OKC is a noticeably different team.  Memphis looked great by winning four straight over the Clippers after falling down 0-2.  Memphis isn't the team that the Thunder want to face right now.  While nobody can stop Kevin Durant, Tony Allen can at least slow him up a bit.  Zach Randolph did a number on Blake Griffin in the first round that it will be interesting to see how he fairs against Serge Ibaka.  I feel the Grizz are up to the challenge and will upset the Thunder in 6.

#2 SAN ANTONIO SPURS vs #6 GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS:  G-State is hitting right now.  The Spurs just dispatched the wounded in every way Lakers.  This should be a whale of a series.  I just don't like a team that relies on the jumper making in past a Spurs team that can beat you with so many different ways ... including with experience.  I think the experience of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker along with Greg Popovich gets them by the Warriors.  Spurs in 6.

Stop Complaining About NBA Early Draft Entrants!

You see these guys wearing your favorite school's jersey.  They smile.  They get up for your big rival.  You know what they bring your team and how good they could be.  You blog, tweet and call talk radio about them.

But you don't know them.  You think you do, but you don't.

Every year, we have a lot of guys leaving college early to put their name in the NBA Draft.  A lot more than you think do not get drafted.  They could be relegated to the NBA's D-League or try to carve out a career overseas.  They aren't all Anthony Davis.

Every once in a while, your team has one of these guys bolt.  This year for my beloved North Carolina Tar Heels, Reggie Bullock fits that bill.  He is leaving after his junior year to get into the NBA Draft.  He may be a 1st round pick, but will most likely have to wait until the 2nd round to hear his name called.  What!!!  What is he doing!!! He's giving up on playing at UNC for one more season ... his senior season ... on what could be a highly ranked squad just to maybe make it in the League?

I would kill for that one season!

But I'm not him.  I didn't come from where he came from.  I don't have the financial considerations that he may have.  I mean, how many people get this opportunity?

No, Bullock really isn't ready for the NBA.  He will be a one trick pony in the league.  A nice shooter who can guard a bit out there ... but not much else.  At UNC, he'd be a key cog in the upcoming season with those abilities, but it won't translate as well to the League.  Who knows?  He could have a Hubert Davis kind of productive career.  Or he could have Joseph Forte's career. 

Still, I can't fault him.  The Heels fan in me would love to have him back for his senior season.  But I can't fault him.  Why?

*This is a very weak draft.  I seriously doubt Bullock will develop much more skill-wise than he has to this point.  He'd be the same cat next year as he is now.  May as well go now since the draft is so weak.  This draft ... he could crack the first round.  Next year with that amazing 2013 freshman class entering the draft, Bullock's stock will suffer.

*His class is gone.  Remember that Bullock came to Carolina with Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall.  Both just finished their rookie seasons in the NBA.  Barnes is in the postseason.  Marshall had a rough start but started to play well when the Suns gave him a chance down the stretch. 

*From what I've heard, he is one of those kids who has a meager background.  He and his family needs money.  I can't fault him for that since he isn't sure any money would be available if he waited. 

So cut these kids some slack when they leave.  There may be more than meets the eye.

Who Is The Favorite For Andrew Wiggins?

Andrew Wiggins may be the best high school prospect
since LeBron James and has four schools hoping he
chooses them

If you are a college basketball fan, you are probably aware that Andrew Wiggins is the top recruit in the 2013 class.  He may be the best high school player since LeBron James back in 2003.  Not only is he good, he still hasn't made up a college choice yet.  That fact has kept him one of the buzziest names on Twitter and a guy that has four fanbases sweating and fawning over.

The Final Four is (alphabetically) Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina.  And unlike most recruiting that goes on, there really is no read on this at all.  No leans, no educated guesses.  All there has been is speculation and cryptic reading into everything he says.  Still, there is one thing we can do:  guess.

Of the four, here is why I think he will and won't go to these programs and the percentage I have them truly in the running.  Again, we go in alphabetical order.

FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
PRO:  Both his mother and father were athletes at FSU.  His high school teammate and friend is heading to Tallahassee.  Wiggins doesn't crave the limelight, so Florida State wouldn't be as big a spotlight as Kansas, Kentucky or Carolina.  He would be the definite star there and would have an offense that would feature him and his talents.  He'll put up big numbers.  Leonard Hamilton hasn't had the talent that North Carolina or Duke has had, but they have continuously been among the elite in the ACC.  He'd get to face prime competition in a league with North Carolina, Duke, Syracuse, Miami, Notre Dame, Pitt and Virginia in it.

CON:  Of the four schools, FSU is the nowhere near as elite.  The Noles not only didn't make the tournament like Kentucky, they weren't even close.  While FSU isn't as TV-friendly as the other schools, Wiggins would become a really big fish in a really small pond.  And while the Noles have been one of the better programs in the ACC, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh are joining the league and wins will be even tougher. 

COACH:  Hamilton has been an NBA coach and his defensive style fits Wiggins' game.  However, he easily has the worse credentials of the four with no Final Fours and no championships (he was an assistant on Kentucky's 1978 title team). 

CHANCE HE COMES:  26% - Just not as gifted a program as the others and the thinking is that if he went here it would be solely to please his parents

KANSAS JAYHAWKS
PRO:  Bill Self may be the best coach of the four.  In his visit to Allen Fieldhouse, Wiggins said he enjoyed the atmosphere there the best.  Kansas offers a big-time program that isn't in as big a fishbowl as Kentucky or North Carolina.  The Jayhawks went the furthest last year by advancing to the Sweet 16.  Self is 3-0 against Roy Williams in their current jobs and split NCAA title tilts with John Calipari. 

CON:  Wayne Selden is another big time recruit that Kansas has got and he plays the same position and game as Wiggins.  Kansas loses a lot from this year's Sweet 16 squad and would be starting fresh.  They have a nice crop of freshmen coming in, but Kentucky's is better.  While the Big 12 is a very good league, he may not feel he is getting the push that he has been looking for in his opponents. 

COACH:  As I said, Self may be the best actual coach of the bunch.  I told you his record against Roy Williams and John Calipari.  At their current schools, Self is the lone one to miss the NCAA Tournament.

CHANCE HE COMES:  18% - I think Kansas looks really good to Wiggins, but Selden being there and a roster overhaul may scare him away. 

KENTUCKY WILDCATS
PRO:   John Calipari can sell a ketchup popcicle to a woman in white gloves.  His short run at Kentucky has included sending guys exactly like Wiggins straight to the top of the NBA draft boards.  The incoming class may be the best in the history of college hoops.  They have commits from the top PG, SG, C and PF.  If Wiggins joins, they'd have a clean sweep and make them the odds-on favorite to cut down the nets in Dallas next year.  Wiggins wants to be able to win in his lone season in college.  Coach Cal's style fits Wiggins with the dribble drive as well as the attention to defense. 

CON:  Would the Wildcats roster be a bit crowded?  Not only did Calipari bring in a large, talented class but the heralded, but underacheiving class from last year has guys coming back.  He doesn't need Kentucky to get to the top of the draft.  Wiggins also shies away from attention which isn't a good thing to be in Kentucky.  His desire to compete against the best won't be quenched in the usually light SEC (his best competition would be in practices).  He may rather be the man instead of just one of the big time recruits. 

COACH:  Calipari's main selling point is that he gets these amazing amount of talents together and gets them to perform at a high level.  Sure, last year puts a dent in that, but the 2012 class doesn't have this kind of talent.  Calipari, like Hamilton, has NBA coaching experience.  Plus, Cal could have yet another No. 1 overall pick this season (Nerlens Noel) to join Derrick Rose, John Wall and Anthony Davis.

CHANCE HE COMES:  28% - Kentucky is hot right now, and the appeal of being part of the most legendary class in history and a shot at a title may pull him in.

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS
PRO:  The Heels could have the top returning team among the four.  As of now, the Heels lose just two players of note and their best NBA prospects would be sticking around.  Not only is UNC the school of Michael Jordan (and Wiggins always wanted to be "like Mike") but it is the school of Vince Carter, the Raptors great and Wiggins is a Toronto fan.  Roy Williams' attacking running style would really showcase Wiggins and allow him to score a ton.  Also, he'd get to face his "rival" Jabari Parker, who is at Duke.  Plus, the competition would be tough with UNC's scheduled to play Duke twice, Kentucky, Syracuse and (most likely) Louisville as well as a top Big Ten team. 

CON:  The Heels have underacheived a bit of late.  They haven't reached a Final Four since 2009.  It isn't known if Reggie Bullock's move to the NBA will help or hurt the decision.  Wiggins "legacy" would be tough to acheive in an arena where dozens of jerseys already hang.

COACH:  Roy Williams is the lone Hall Of Fame coach of the lot.  He has as many NCAA Championships as a head coach as the rest of the group combined.  He has more Final Four appearances as the other coaches do ... combined.  He also is known as the guy who got Michael Jordan to Chapel Hill.

CHANCE HE COMES:  28% - North Carolina has been  darkhorse in this race.  They return the best roster of the four schools and have less of the unknown as the other schools.

These odds change basically every day.  Or with every interview done.  Or every rumor.  Take it as just one person's guess to this entire courtship. 

What Would I Like To See Week 17 Look Like!

The NFL Schedule will be released tonight.  As we all know, the final week of the season is made up of nothing but divisional matchups to help ensure we have at least one game with something on the line (like last year's Cowboys-Redskins matchup for the NFC East title).

So how would I like to see Week 17 look like?

Giants at Redskins
Cowboys at Eagles
Falcons at Saints
Dolphins at Patriots
Vikings at Packers
Texans at Colts
Bengals at Ravens
Jets at Bills
Bears at Lions
Panthers at Buccaneers
Steelers at Browns
Titans at Jaguars
Broncos at Chargers
Raiders at Chiefs
49ers at Seahawks
Rams at Cardinals

This Year Especially ... I Don't Care About The NFL Draft

Every year about this time, I make a post or comment about how I don't really get into the NFL Draft.  I don't hate it.  I don't not watch it.  I just don't get into it.  The draft is long winded, tedious and usually boring to me.  From the long time allowed between picks (which has gotten better) to listening to Mel Kiper Jr pine about this guy or that guy to Chris Berman's schtick ... I've checked out of it.

Here is where I talk about maybe being a Redskins fan has led to this.  The Redskins usually deal away picks every year so it is rare that I can even look to the draft for some salvation.  Obviously, the 2012 Draft was different in that regard.  However, the Redskins picked 2nd in the draft (so I didn't have much of a wait) and we knew for months who that pick was going to be (Robert Griffin III).  I couldn't tell you when any of the Redskins picks this year are just because ... well, I'm not that into it.

It isn't that I'm not a draft guy.  I absolutely love the NBA Draft and will watch the entire thing.  It isn't that I'm not an NFL guy because I've been an NFL Sunday Ticket subscriber for 14 years now and whose wife even calls herself a "football widow" during the fall. 

I will look online to see who those Redskins picks were.  I will then search to see who the heck those guys are.  I also check to see where any UNC Tar Heels go.  I search for info about Mr Irrelevant.  I may look at the draft grades and those odd-ball picks.  Or guys I've heard of.

I won't be sitting on my coach locked into the telecast.  I won't be involved in any mock drafts.  I won't treat the NFL Draft as if it was an actual game.

But that's just me.  Again.

Sportz' NBA First Round Predictions

Here we are again!  The two month trek to find out who will be the 2013 NBA Champion.  And, in reality, this is all much ado about nothing.  To me, only Miami and Oklahoma City have a great shot at it with San Antonio and New York having a puncher's chance.  From there, it is just extra basketball.

#1 MIAMI HEAT vs #8 MILWAUKEE BUCKS:  It seems that every year, some Eastern Conference team sneaks into the playoffs and we have no clue how they got there.  Usually, we don't hear from them after the fact either.  This one is easy:  Heat in 4

#2 NEW YORK KNICKS vs #7 BOSTON CELTICS:  In most years, this one would be the premiere playoff series in the East.  Well, at least historically.  Boston is a bit down with Rajon Rondo out, but this is still a great series.  The Knicks are riding high ... which is the good part of their streakiness.  Boston, like I said, is older and banged up and are obviously emotional after the events at the Boston Marathon this past Monday.  Remember that Game 3 in the Garden will be the first Celtics home game since the horror of the day.  Still, I think New York is playing so well that I have them in 5.

#3 INDIANA PACERS vs #6 ATLANTA HAWKS:  The Pacers are a very good team with no real star power nor are they some team offensive juggernaut like the Nuggets.  The Hawks are that team that just shows up in the playoffs every year and doesn't do much.  This will be a closer series than people will initially believe it to be, but the Pacers are just better and will win in 6.

#4 BROOKLYN NETS vs #5 CHICAGO BULLS:  Probably the best series in the East.  The Bulls have done very well for themselves despite not having Derrick Rose this season.  The Nets have come back from a very slow start to the season to get home court in the first round -- Brooklyn's first time hosting the NBA postseason.  The Nets are the more talented team, but the Bulls get a lot out of what they have.  I have to go with talent and the Nets in 7.

#1 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER vs #8 HOUSTON ROCKETS:  The Thunder will win this series as they are the best team in the West.  Still, the Rockets and former Thunder James Harden will make them work for it.  OKC in 5.

#2 SAN ANTONIO SPURS vs #7 LOS ANGELES LAKERS:  This is an intriguing matchup of two veteran squads that have won 9 of the last 14 NBA titles dating back to 1999.  They are also two banged up squads.  The Spurs have seen Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker in and out of the lineup; the Lakers have seen Pau Gasol, Steve Nash and Metta World Peace miss time of late and, obviously, will be without Kobe Bryant for the entire postseason.  The Lakers are playing very well right now, but I got to give the nod to the Spurs.  San Antonio in 5.

#3 DENVER NUGGETS vs #6 GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS:  I don't care what team you root for (unless it is one of these teams) you should just watch this series because it will be something to see.  The Runnin' Nuggets against those young Warriors.  Both teams' leading scorer is their point guard (Ty Lawson and Stephen Curry), both teams have high flying dunkers (Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes).  Both teams are deep, they work hard and they crash the boards.  Both teams hustle it.  Great series, but I'll go with the Nuggets in 6.

#4 LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS vs #5 MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES:  These two played one of the best postseason series of last season.  I think it happens again.  The Grizz are still tough despite a roster upheaval of sorts during the season (the Rudy Gay trade) while the Clippers are as flashy as they can get.  This year, though, I think Memphis gets its revenge.  Grizzlies in 7.

So to recap, my second round matchups will be:

1-Miami vs 4-Brooklyn
2-New York vs 3-Indiana

1-Oklahoma City vs 5-Memphis
2-San Antonio vs 3-Denver

R.I.P. Pat Summerall

Pat Summerall meant many things to many people.  Since I'm not a "reporter" type blog, I'm not going to do the same tired biography that you could get on virtually any website.  No, I'll just talk about what he meant to me.

As a child of the 1980s, obviously Summerall is best known to me as one half of the greatest NFL announcing duo with John Madden.  And, folks, I remember when those two weren't as mocked as they were in their last five or so years together.  Summerall's commanding voice paired with Madden's excitable analysis suited the masses. 

The two called 8 Super Bowls together, including Super Bowl XXVI ... the last time my Washington Redskins appeared in (and won) the title.  They also called many Washington Redskins games when I was playing many, many editions of Madden on my Super Nintendo and Playstation consoles. 

When you are a kid, you are usually oblvious to your sports/movie/whatever stars' personal lives or faults.  I didn't know Summerall was an alcoholic while watching him.  Of course, in that time with no internet or 24-hour news channels, it wasn't brought out like that.  While I can't go as far as to say I idolized him or anything like that, he was a major part of my sports childhood as well as my development in understanding the game of football.

Rest well, Mr. Summerall.  You will be missed.

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Elite 8

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY ROUND: Wichita State vs Ohio State. Pretty simple, really.  The other three games ended as blowouts, this one actually became a blowout before the Buckeyes made a furious comeback to make it a close one late.  When it looked as if the Shockers would break, they didn't.  A huge three and key free throws late sealed the unlikely berth into the Final Four.

UPSET OF THE DAY ROUND: Wichita State vs Ohio State. Who had Wichita in the Final Four?  Pretty much no one.  Seeing the other schools there isn't a shock, but the Shockers joining them is extremely unexpected.

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY ROUND: Big East. Half of the Final Four is from the soon to be demolished Big East with Louisville as the favorite to cut down the nets.  Second place in this category is the ACC, who will house both the Ville (2014) and Syracuse (in July) very soon.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY ROUND: Big Ten. I can't really say there was a league that had a noticeably bad round, but I'll go with the Big Ten just because they really "underperformed" in the tournament, I guess.  Indiana was the preseason favorite and didn't get out of the Sweet 16.  Wisconsin was upset in the first round.  Minnesota actually won a game and then fired Tubby Smith.  Michigan State didn't make as deep a run as we've grown to expect.  And Ohio State were down 20 to Wichita with a Final Four spot on the line.  You can go through many conferences and have similiar breakdowns, but the Big Ten was THE league this year and got just Michigan into the Final Four.

DUD OF THE DAY ROUND: Michigan vs Florida. This game was, to me, the 2nd most anticipated game of the round (behind L'ville-Duke).  But Michigan made this game a snoozer early and easily chomped the Gators.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY ROUND: Michigan. Again, they just nailed Florida.  This Florida squad was making their 3rd straight Elite 8 appearance yet just looked lost against a hot Michigan team.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY ROUND: Kevin Ware. This will be the underlying story of the tournament.  Ware's broken leg in the first half of Louisville's win over Duke was one of the most horrific and gruesome sports injuries I have seen.  And I am a Redskins fan who remembers Joe Theismann's broke leg when it happened.  Many things jump out at me over this.  The shock of his teammates.  The silence in the arena.  The class of the Duke team.  The love of Rick Pitino and that Cardinals team.  The reaction all across the country and the sports community.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*This has been a wild tournament, but it hasn't been a good one.

*Respect to CBS for not showing the replay of the Kevin Ware injury beyond the initial two that caught what actually happened.

*Yes, Charles Barkley only knows the college basketball he was briefed on.  He's an NBA guy and that's fine.  But I don't mind Charles being there as he does bring some comic relief at times as well as bluntly stating things that others gloss over.  The NCAA just isn't used to that. 

Sportz NCAA Tournament Recap - Sweet 16, Day 2

What a shot!

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch both games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Michigan vs Kansas. Easy pick since the other three games were pretty much blowouts.  But this one had an epic ending.  From Trey Burke's ridiculous three to the overtime dominated, This was a furious game with a very exciting ending.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Michigan over Kansas. As far as seeding goes, this was the only upset.  Even then, many people had the Wolverines getting past the Jayhawks here.

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: Big Ten. A day after Indiana was knocked out of the dance, Michigan saved a spot in the Elite 8. Ohio State will be favorites to beat Wichita on Sunday so a Michigan win would put two conference teams in the big dance.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Big 12. Really, no conference deserves to be here, but Kansas was the next #1 seed to lose ... and heart wrenchingly.

DUD OF THE DAY: Florida vs Florida Gulf Coast. For a half, this game was pretty decent.  But the Cinderella story ended with about 5 minutes left in the first half.  The Gators went on a 16-0 run to stop the life out of FGCU.  While there are still some good stories left, the ultimate darkhorse has been knocked out.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Louisville. They're the only #1 seed left now and boy do they look good.  They took their foot off the gas pedal a bit against Oregon, but they just owned the Ducks.  With a huge game against Duke up next, the Cardinals will try to continue to be the class of the tournament. 

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Cinderella's broken slipper. The NCAA Tournament is a great event because it means so many things at different times.  The first weekend is all about those no-names that come up and bite one of the big dogs.  The second week, however, usually has balance restored.  Sure, there are times where you get a Butler or VCU surprising us (or even a Wichita State playing for a Final Four spot tomorrow), but usually it is those teams who believe they can win a title flexing their muscle.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*The Elite 8 is set.  We have the Big East (3), Big Ten (2), ACC (1), SEC (1) and Missouri Valley (1) conferences represented.   My picks?  Louisville, Ohio State, Florida and Syracuse. 

Sportz NCAA Tournament Recap - Sweet 16, Day 1

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch both games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Ohio State vs Arizona. Another game, another huge shot to win the game for Ohio State.  This one was huge since they'll be seeing the #9 seed Wichita State on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four.  The Buckeyes came back from down big to take this game over and fought back a scrappy Zona squad.  Now onto the bruising Shockers.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Syracuse over Indiana. Looking at the matchup, you may not think it was an upset -- I saw it to be a Syracuse win -- but when you look at the season as a whole, it kinda is.  Indiana was the preseason fixture atop the polls and the odds on favorite to win the title.  Or, at the very least, get to the Final Four.  That didn't happen.  The Hoosiers won two games in this tournament and are now gone.

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: Big East. The final run just keeps on going.  Not only did Syracuse upset Indiana in one side of the East Region, but Marquette upset the Miami Hurricanes in the bottom half.  That means that we get an all-Big East regional final and guaranteeing the conference will send a team to Atlanta for the Final Four.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: ACC. Four different conferences lost today (ACC, A-10, Big Ten and Pac 12), but the ACC's regular season and tournament champion was just demolished on Thursday.  Miami looked bad ... really bad.  They couldn't hit anything, showed nothing that resembled an offense and just looked shook.  Not a great national showing for one of the pleasant surprises in the nation this year.

DUD OF THE DAY: Marquette vs Miami. To piggyback off what I just said, Miami looked horrible.  Marquette, to their credit, jumped all over it and should be given props for helping the Canes look this bad.  Still, this game wasn't close at all and most people were switched over to TBS to watch that great OSU-Zona game pretty quickly.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Wichita State. Yes, Marquette could go here, but Wichita State just owned LaSalle.  I mean OWNED.  This looks like a team that could Cinderella its way to Atlanta.  They get an Ohio State team that has needed near buzzer beaters to win its last two tournament games.  The Shockers continue to out-physical their opponents and crashing the boards.  This will be a very good game on Saturday.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Promise unfulfilled. As I mentioned before, Indiana's coronation ended on Thursday.  They were the overwhelming preseason No. 1 squad (for what its worth, Kentucky started the season at #3) and were kept at or near the top of the rankings despite them repeatedly showing weaknesses.  Miami wasn't expected to do much, but they dominated the ACC's regular season and tournament to become a sorta sleeper pick to win it all.  Neither got past the Sweet 16, meaning their seasons are come to a thud.  Neither team will be what they were this season.  Miami loses its senior leadership while Indiana will likely be plucked through by the NBA draft.  Both will start from scratch a bit and getting this far next year won't be as much a given.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*Again, Wichita State can beat Ohio State and that shouldn't be looked at as a big upset.  This has been a darn good team this year.

*Of course, most people on the East coast didn't really watch Wichita beat LaSalle since the game started around 10pm.  I know it was played in Los Angeles, but the Philly area (where LaSalle is located) had to wait until after bedtime.
*Really, were any of the results on Thursday that big of a surprise?  Syracuse's zone was going to keep the runnin' Hoosiers from getting out of the box, Marquette was going to out-Miami Miami, Wichita State was just to big and strong for LaSalle and Ohio State is just a better team than Arizona. 

*Indiana has lost 7 straight NCAA tournament games against the Big East.

*The Marquette-Syracuse East region final will be the first time conference mates will meet with a Final Four berth on the line for the first time since 2009.  Big East foes Pitt and Villanova met in a classic affair that the Wildcats won.

*Midwest represent!  Three of the four winners on Thursday are midwestern teams (Marquette, Ohio State, Wichita State).  With the Kansas-Michigan winner joining that group and Louisville the tournament's top seed, at least 5 of the Elite 8 will be midwestern schools.  That's not even adding if Michigan State upends Duke.

Let's Have a BIG EAST Reunion Tournament at MSG Each Year!

So the Big East ... as we knew it ... is dead.  We all will miss that tough conference schedule, but what most people will miss the most is that conference tournament in Madison Square Garden.

As the Sportz Assassin, I'd use my "Commish Of All Sports" power to force a preseason tournament at MSG featuring those current and former Big East teams.  Just like any of those other 8-team preseason dances, let's have one for the former Big East.

It would never happen in real life.  For one, that would mean that this would be their one preseason exempt tournament.  Another would be that these teams are facing 18-game skeds and they are already whining about having less space in their non-conference schedules.  You could schedule one of those double or triple headers at MSG, but that doesn't have the flavor of a true tournament.  Have a three day weekend deal -- maybe the Thursday thru Saturday runs.  And as the "Commish Of All Sports", I'd allow for this to be in addition to any tournaments these teams would want to be in and allow for this to be in addition to any non-con schedule.  We want it; make it happen.

So here would be the 8 teams that I'd want in this tournament every year. 

ONE OF THE CATHOLIC 7 OF THE "NEW" BIG EAST TEAMS:  This is easy.  Have one of those new Big East teams in this.  Georgetown would be nice.  Villanova, St. John's, Marquette, Seton Hall, Providence or DePaul.  Not the newer teams like Xavier, Creighton or Butler.  No, one of the originals.  And, really, I'd rather have G'town, Nova, St. John's or Marquette above any of the others. (2014 rep:  Georgetown)

ONE OF THE FORMER BIG EAST TEAMS LEFT BEHIND:  Really that is just UConn, Cincinnati or South Florida.  No one cares about USF there, so UConn or Cincy.  Have them rotate year to year.  Start with UConn in the even seasons (2014 rep:  UConn).

ONE OF THE FORMER BIG EAST TEAMS IN THE ACC:  This one opens up a bit.  Not only would you have access to new ACC schools Syracuse, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Louisville ... but you could also use Boston College, Miami or Virginia Tech.  If you wanted.  Of course, the Orange would be the big draw but you can rotate at least the other three ready to join (heck, Louisville is defending two-time tournament champ and will probably be favored to win the Old Big East tournament next year before joining the ACC).  There are your three really big dogs in your dance.  (2014 rep: Syracuse)

RUTGERS:  You need teams in here, and you cannot have teams in the same conference in this tournament.  Rutgers will be the lone Big East school in the Big Ten, so they get the nod.  It will help bring that "New York" thunder that the Big Ten thinks they're getting with the Scarlet Knights.  So Rutgers is in each and every year (2014 rep:  Rutgers)

WEST VIRGINIA:  They've been out of the league for a year as they are now a Big 12 school.  But bring them in.  Remember WV had that great run a few years back in the tournament, so they'd belong.  (2014 rep: West Virginia)

Now here is where the wrinkle comes in.  Unless you double up in a couple of leagues, you are out of Big East options.  No other conferences house former or current Big East schools.  So now you have to look to schools that weren't in the Big East.  To me, go for those mid-majors in the northeast.  You could add these teams according to who is hot.  Like maybe get LaSalle next year since they are a Sweet 16 team this year and people are getting familiar with them.  Or Albany since they made the dance this year.  Something like that.

ATLANTIC 10 TEAM:  Really the right thing to do.  Have one of the A-10 teams (hopefully from the northeast) in.  Someone like Fordham, Rhode Island, St Joe's, La Salle, George Washington, UMass.  If they wanted a bigger name, maybe reach down to VCU, Saint Louis or Dayton.  Either way, that would be nice to have a school from there into this tournament. (2014 rep: La Salle)

TWO MID-MAJOR TEAMS:  Again, take teams from the area.  Maybe someone from the Northeast Conference (Long Island U, FDU, Wagner, Monmouth), Patriot League (Army, Navy, Holy Cross), MAAC (Manhattan, Iona, Marist, St. Peter's), America East (Hartford, Stony Brook, Vermont, Albany, Boston).  (2014 rep: Albany and Long Island)

So here are the 8 teams in the first MSG Invitational to be held in the fall/winter of 2014:  Albany, Georgetown, LaSalle, Long Island, Rutgers, Syracuse, UConn, West Virginia 

The bracket will be:

#1-Georgetown vs #8-Long Island
#4-West Virginia vs #5-La Salle
#3-UConn vs #6-Rutgers
#2-Syracuse vs #7-Albany

Maybe 2015's looks like this:

#1-Louisville vs #8-Army
#4-VCU vs #5-West Virginia
#3-Cincinnati vs #6-Rutgers
#2-Villanova vs #7-Manhattan

Tournament Times Show NCAA Doesn't Care About Student In "Student-Athlete"

I haven't been shy in saying I'm not a fan of the NCAA -- for a variety of reasons.  One of which has bothered me this weekend and, upon seeing the schedule for the Sweet 16 games, bothers me even more.

Last night ... SUNDAY night ... Duke played Creighton in the city of Philadelphia.  The game time was set for 9:40pm.  It really didn't get going until 10:00pm.  Lovely that the NCAA has schools playing this late.  It would be one thing if it was a couple of west coast teams going at it, but it was an Eastern Time Zone team facing off against a Central Time Zone team in an Eastern Time Zone city.

Sunday night.

I can get with the late start times on Friday and Saturday.  I can even get on board with the Thursday night late tips.  But not Sunday night when these students ... whether it is the ones playing on the court, the ones in the bands, the ones cheerleading, the ones who made the trek all over the country or even the ones who stayed home to watch it on television ... have school bright and early on Monday morning. 

The Sunday schedule is a new thing.  When it as just CBS holding the tournament, this didn't happen.  CBS' final Sunday game was typically at 7:00pm or so in order for them to get to the 11:00 news with no issues.  Now with TNT, TBS and TruTV showing games, the NCAA sees no problem in having these late night tips. 

Never mind that these players miss about 2-3 weeks of school during this tournament (as well as the conference tournaments that preceeded it) or that the NCAA mandates when these teams get into town or their media availability.  That only matters when the NCAA is worried about if football playoff  money will be more than the bowl money. 

To me, this isn't the same as people complaining about the World Series or NBA Finals games starting so late.  That's a different animal.  This one is more of a gripe since this is supposed to be about the "student-athletes" that the NCAA loves to say are going pro in more than just sports.  Yes, sports do provide many kids with the ability to further their education in ways that they may not have been able to do financially.  But for the NCAA to pimp out these kids this badly says something.

By the way, I can't wait to watch the Florida-Florida Gulf Coast game on Friday night in Dallas.  Game time?  10:00pm.

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Round of 32, Day 2

Florida Gulf Coast is the first 15-seed to get to the
Sweet 16

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Ohio State vs Iowa State. There were several good games that could fit in here.  But this one finished with both controversy (the charge call) and a buzzer beating shot.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Florida Gulf Coast over San Diego State. Sure, it isn't like a #7 seed losing in the Round of 32 is that big of an upset ... except that this is the one time that it is.  Florida Gulf Coast has become the very first #15 seed to make it to the Sweet 16 (making them the lowest seed to ever get this far).  Yeah, FGCU is vastly underseeded, but that is besides the point.  They are in the Sweet 16 while programs like Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA are not.

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: ACC. Hard to call one league that had the best day today, but I'll go ACC.  Both the ACC and Big Ten sent two teams to the Sweet 16 on Sunday.  Both leagues had teams knocked out (ACC had North Carolina; Big Ten had Illinois and Minnesota).  Both Duke and Miami grinded out wins over their opponents, whereas Ohio State had a clutch three (and that controversial call) to eek out a win and Indiana used a 10-0 run to finish out their game and win against Temple.  Splitting hairs.  Still, the maligned ACC has .

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Mountain West. The MWC were the top RPI conference, but none of their members will be in the Sweet 16.  The A-10 has someone there; So does the Atlantic Sun and the Missouri Valley Conference.  San Diego State was the last man standing after UNLV, New Mexico and Boise State lost their first games and Colorado State lost yesterday.  They not only didn't get it done, but they lost to Florida Gulf Coast.

DUD OF THE DAY: Kansas vs North Carolina. It was the sexy game of the day with two of the blue bloods going after it.  However, neither team really played that well.  Neither could hit anything in the first half, both turned the ball over way too much.  Kansas imposed their will in the 2nd half and quickly turned what looked like an upset ready Tar Heels bunch into a rout over the last 10 minutes.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Florida. On a day where pretty much everyone was tested, Florida cruised by Minnesota with minimal challenge.  Though Kansas did look pretty good outscoring UNC by 21 in the second half.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Block/charge call. It already has been debated on Twitter, ESPN and among friends.  The Aaron Craft block/charge call.  It looked like a blocking foul by the rule book but was ruled a charge by the officials.  It changed the game as it turned a would-be four point lead away from Iowa State into a charge call.  I will be debated in Ames, IA for many years.

There was also a bad call at the end of the Miami/Illinois game which game the ball to Miami after it was clearly out of bounds off a Hurricanes player.  Illinois was down just 2 points with just under a minute left when that happened.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*Florida has three schools in the Sweet 16 for the first time ever.  Miami, Florida and Florida Gulf Coast will all be playing next week.  In fact, Florida and FGCU will battle for a spot in the Elite Eight.
*Conference call:  Here is the myriad of leagues left in this tournament

Big Ten (4 - Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan St, Michigan)
Big East (3 - Louisville, Marquette, Syracuse)
ACC (2 - Miami, Duke)
Pac 12 (2 - Arizona, Oregon)
Big 12 (1 - Kansas)
SEC (1 - Florida)
Missouri Valley (1 - Wichita State)
Atlantic 10 (1 - LaSalle)
Atlantic Sun (1 - Florida Gulf Coast)

*I've been all about the bird mascots this tournament.  Well, Florida Gulf Coast and Kansas won ... but Temple and Creighton lost.  Now the bird mascots are 12-2 in this dance.

*While you were watching the tournament, UCLA fired Ben Howland.  Howland did take UCLA to three straight Final Fours in 2006, 2007 and 2008.  However, UCLA has struggled in the last few years and their recruits haven't always panned out.  There was that Sports Illustrated cover story which put the program on blast and just a basic malaise about the team as a whole.

*Also while you were busy, George Mason is heading to the Atlantic 10.  The conference has to replace Butler and Xavier (who are leaving for the New Big East), Temple (the old Big East) and Charlotte (Conference USA).

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Round of 32, Day 1

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Marquette vs Butler. Just a great game to watch.  Close with nice coaching and both teams just giving everything in this one.  Both teams made some great plays all game long, huge shots and we got a last second shot that was off the mark.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Wichita State over Gonzaga. Whenever a #1 seed goes down in the first weekend, that is an upset.  Even though Gonzaga was looked upon as a weak top seed, those teams should at least get to the Sweet 16.  Wichita not only played their patented defense on the Zags, they hit some great shots with a memorable flurry to end the game.

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: Big Ten. The Big Ten keeps on moving on.  They are now 9-1 in this tournament with both Michigan and Michigan State blowing out their opponents on Saturday.  Not only that, but with Gonzaga going down, Ohio State is now looking at a West Region with just Arizona, Wichita State and the winner of an Ole Miss/LaSalle game waiting in Los Angeles ... provided that they dodge the upset bullet against Iowa State.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Atlantic 10. The A-10 was pitching a shutout until today.  All three schools that played on Friday lost.  Saint Louis (the regular season and tournament champ) were blown out of the gym by 12th-seeded Oregon.  VCU also were spanked in their game.  Butler lost a close one to Marquette.  Now only LaSalle and Temple remain, and Temple faces off against Indiana on Sunday.

DUD OF THE DAY: Michigan vs VCU. I was really excited about this matchup, but it really didn't go as planned.  That VCU pressure defense doesn't work as well when they face off against an opponent with guard play like Michigan.  The Wolverines just bowled over the Rams and coasted into the Sweet 16.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Michigan. Amazing performance by the Wolverines.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Bad seeding. Not only were the people who were against Gonzaga getting a No. 1 seed a bit vindicated, but Oregon and Arizona showed that the Pac-12 was grossly underseeded when the brackets were announced a week ago.  More on Gonzaga below.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*Louisville is the 15th team since 1985 to have won its first two games by at least 25 points.  Only ONE of the previous 14 teams have gone on to win the National Championship (2005 North Carolina).

*Another amazing stat:  Wichita State is just the fifth #9 seed to reach the Sweet 16.

*With Louisville, Marquette and Oregon winning, bird mascots are now 10-0 in the tournament.  Kansas, Temple, Florida Gulf Coast and Creighton play on Sunday.

*Gonzaga got their respect ... then lost it.  These Zags, who have been "the Boise State of basketball", have continued to disappoint in the postseason.  Since their surprise appearance in the Elite 8 in 1999, the Zags haven't gotten back since.  They've had great teams, great players and favorable matchups but can't get it done.  Now they've had the #1 seed they've craved and were ousted before the first weekend was over.  They can't be trusted anymore.

*And that may be the underlying story for this entire weekend.  When the brackets were announced, many bought in to the Zags and had them in their Final Fours.  Others listened to the experts tell us how great New Mexico and Saint Louis were and watched them get upset.  We even bought into VCU who were just spanked by a Michigan team that struggled down the stretch.  Next year we will all probably stick to those power conference teams we are more familiar with (even though Wichita State is in the Sweet 16 as well as the SD State-Florida Gulf Coast winner).  This Sweet 16 will probably see 13 or 14 power conference schools in it. 

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Round of 64, Day 2

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Kansas vs Western Kentucky. This almost was one of the, if not the biggest, upset in NCAA tournament history.  And it wasn't one of those where the underdog stunned the favorite early and then lost the lead.  This was very much a back and forth affair with the backdrop of a heavily packed and nervous Jayhawks crowd in Kansas City.  Quite an amazing.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Florida Gulf Coast over Georgetown. Stunning.  This is a school that is younger than the players on their basketball team.  They just beat the team that were co-champions of the Big East.  And they did so rather handily.  I know that six other #15 seeds have beaten a #2 seed in tournament history, but this seems the most unlikely.

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: Atlantic 10. The A-10 is amazingly 6-0 in the NCAA tournament.  Not only did Saint Louis, VCU and Butler win games as the better seed, but Temple upset a NC State squad that was highly ranked in the preseason and LaSalle (who also won in their First Four matchup) upset Kansas State in Kansas City.  Crazy.  This league will have 5 of the 32 teams remaining at the end of the day.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Big East. The Big East struggled.  Georgetown was the biggest seed to go down in the tournament.  Notre Dame was crushed by Iowa State.  Villanova and Cincinnati lost close ones.

DUD OF THE DAY: Minesota vs UCLA. After all the hype of the Pac-12's success on Thursday, I was excited to see what UCLA could do against a Minnesota team that barely made the tournament.  Well, the Bruins didn't show up.  Tubby's Gophers took it to UCLA and made a must see close game into a laugher.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Miami. The Hurricanes flexed their muscle with a 29 point win over Pacific.  The ACC regular season and tournament champions have that look as a title contender.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Blowouts. There were upsets, yes, but even they were blowouts.  Only 5 of the 16 games were decided by 8 points or less.  And even in those games, they could/should have been blowouts.  North Carolina were up by 20 on Villanova, LaSalle was up big on Kansas State and Illinois had a 16 point halftime lead on Colorado.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*Bird mascots are now 7-0 in the NCAA tournament.  Louisville, Oregon, Creighton, Marquette, Temple, Florida Gulf Coast and Kansas all won their second round games.  On the flip side, those frisky cat mascots are just 2-8.  Only Memphis and Arizona won their 2nd round games. 

*We will have a #12-vs-#13 game for the second straight season.  Ole Miss will play LaSalle on Sunday with a Sweet 16 bid on the line.

*Kansas will play North Carolina on Sunday in Kansas City.  56 years ago today, North Carolina beat Kansas in Kansas City in one of the greatest NCAA Championship games in history.  The game went to triple overtime before the Tar Heels beat Wilt Chamberlain and the Jayhawks for an undefeated season and a championship.

*The Big Ten is proving how great a league they were this year.  They are 7-1 in the dance with only Wisconsin losing..

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Round Of 64, Day 1

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY:  Marquette vs Davidson.  This is the one game that held my interest the most.  The first half was back and forth after Davidson jumped out to a lead.  Then the Wildcats owned the second half until a late ... and I mean late ... flurry by Marquette ending on the only NCAA tournament game in the last two years that saw a team take the lead on a shot in the final 10 seconds.

UPSET OF THE DAY:  Harvard over New Mexico.  I was convinced that this was the one non-#1 vs #16 game that was in the bag.  Harvard isn't the same team they were last year when they went dancing ... and I don't mean that in a good way.  Not to mention that people all over are mad as ESPN and other sports outlets whose "experts" kept preaching to us how legit this New Mexico squad was.

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY:  Pac-12.  The Pac-12 was thoroughly disrespected in the seeding of this tournament.  Oregon won the Pac-12 tournament and got a #12 seed.  So did California.  Yet both beat their opponents pretty handily.  Arizona also won their game to advance.  The A-10 gets an honorable mention with Saint Louis, VCU and Butler all winning, but they all were the better seed so the Pac-12 gets the nod.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY:  Mountain West.  The MWC was on a roll.  They got five teams in the tournament and were out to show that they belonged with the power leagues.  Well, they are 1-3 so far with only Colorado State advancing.  Boise State lost in their First Four game while UNLV and New Mexico were soundly upset.  San Diego State begins play on Friday.

DUD OF THE DAY:  Michigan vs South Dakota State.  All I heard this week was how SD State's Nate Wolters was going to be so exciting to watch.  On this blog, I even hyped that up.  He is quite an impressive player, but he didn't have his Wally Sczerbiak or Steph Curry moment against Michigan.  Wolters scored just 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting.  Even the hyped matchup with the Wolverines' Trey Burke was a dud as Burke struggled to score (2-of-12). 

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY:  Syracuse.  The Orange not only blew out Montana, they did so by allowing an amazing 34 points.  The Grizzlies leading scorer had FIVE POINTS!  They shot 20%.  Just 5 assists to 17 turnovers.  Ouch!

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY:  Western hoops.  Thursday was all about the Westsiiiide.  Western hoops isn't given the respect of the eastern side due to coverage and overall star power.  But we got quite a glimpse of what's going on with Gonzaga struggling against Southern, New Mexico losing to Harvard.  But Arizona took care of a lot of people's upset pick Belmont.  St. Mary's nearly pulled off a stunning comeback on Memphis.  Colorado State did their thing against a confusing Missouri team.  And of course Oregon and California pulled off those #12-vs-#5 upsets (which also shows UNLV's weakness).  It was a mixed bag to say the least. 

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*I can't believe how bad Pittsburgh looked against Wichita State.  I thought Pitt was vastly underseeded.  Shows how much I know.

*VCU looked very impressive against an Akron team that lacked a point guard.  Now they get Michigan in what could be the game of the day on Saturday.

*That Butler-Bucknell game ... especially the first half ... was hard to watch.  Ugh.

*The ACC is the only conference to have multiple teams in the tournament (four) to not have appeared on Thursday.  Miami, Duke, North Carolina and NC State are all in action on Friday. 

*Verne Lundquist may need to hang it up.  I've always enjoyed his announcing but the last few years have been grating.  His guffaws over anything Bill Raftery says, continues to get names and calls wrong ("and the ball goes out of bounds" ... long pause ... "OH!  There was a foul called.").  It is getting Pat Summerall-esque right now. 

I HATE These Bland NCAA Courts

I know I've posted this at least once on this blog if not several times.  I believe I posted this when I worked for AOL's FanHouse.  But I have to say it yet again.

I HATE THESE BLAND NCAA COURTS!!!!!

It is stupid.  Several years ago, the NCAA decided that those regional semifinals and finals would be played on courts that have black endlines with blue free throw circle and a huge NCAA logo at halfcourt.  Now, all of the courts in the entire tournament is like this and I find it dumb.

As a viewer, it sucks because you forget which game you are watching and where it is.  Like, I'm flipping back and forth between Michigan State-Valpo and Butler-Bucknell and find myself forgetting which one I'm watching (since I don't really care about either game).  Why can't the Butler-Bucknell game in Lexington have all that blue that we know Rupp Arena has.  Sure, hide the Kentucky Wildcats stuff, but let it have its identity.  Same with The Palace Of Auburn Hills.  Let them have those Pistons colors.  It gives each site its own identity.

Remember the red flooring of The Pit when NC State shocked Houston in 1983?  Or the orange floor of the Superdome when Michael Jordan hit the game winning jumper in 1982?  The burgundy floor at the Metrodome in 1992 or that one moment whatever your school made back in the day.  Now all those moments are on an ugly sanitized court that looks like the other 13 tournament sites that year. 

I hate it.