THE NEW CURSE

      

On May 15, 2004....I wrote this in my Blog:

WHY CARE ABOUT THE RED SOX??

You know, every year all we hear is about the "Curse Of The Bambino" and how sad the history of the Red Sox is.  HBO even had a documentary about their "long suffering fans".  To be frank, to heck with the Red Sox.  For a team that hasn't won anything in 86 years...they sure do get a lot of TV pub.  I mean, you can't watch Baseball Tonight without a Pete Gammons take about Pedro and the Bunch.  And they get almost as many games as the Yankees on national TV.  But why should I, a non-Red Sox fan, give a crap about that? 

What about the Chicago White Sox?  Those Pale Hose have won TWO World Series in their history [Boston has won 5] with their last title the year BEFORE the Red Sox last title.  So, they've suffered a year longer.  And those White Sox have been in ONE World Series since 1919.....the year they THREW the World Series to the Reds.  No one talks about that curse.  Their last World Series appearance was back in 1959.  That means a 44 year old man has never seen the ChiSox in the World Series.  Granted, you don't see memorable ChiSox hearbreaks like Bucky, Buckner and Boone....but they did have Disco Night.

Oh, and we know about the Cubs.  They haven't won a World Series since 1908.  They haven't even BEEN to the WS since 1945.  But, ask Steve Bartman if those fans are bitter.  This team, though, hasn't had consecutive winning seasons since the early 70s.   What about some teams you don't normally think about when it comes to heartbreak and misery?

How about the Atlanta Braves?  Unlike the Red Sox, these Braves have won 13 straight division titles.  THIRTEEN straight playoff appearances.....and 1 World Series title to show for it.  In fact, THREE times have they seen the team that finished behind them get to the Series ahead of them [Marlins '97 and '03, Mets '00].  Hell, the Florida Marlins....who played their first game in franchise history the season the Braves won their 3rd straight division title....have won TWO World Series rings.  Then, they watch the Arizona Diamondbacks in their 4th season win a title. 

How about the Cleveland Indians?  They haven't won a World Series since 1948, and since then were the punchline of theMLB.  And, you want heartbreak.....how about blowing a 9th inning lead in GAME 7 OF THE WORLD SERIES!!!!!!  That happened in 1997.  How about the Philadelphia Phillies?  In 120 years of Phillie baseball...they have one World Series ring.  One.  And, just like the Red Sox, they blew a Game 6 that they had won.  RememberJoe Carter? 

How about the Houston Astros?  They've been around since 1962 and have never won a playoff series.  Ever.  Oh, and neither has the Texas Rangers...and they became a franchise in 1961.  So, 74 seasons of Texas baseball and they have ZERO playoff series wins.  In fact, the Astros have lost 19 of their 25 playoff games.  The Rangers have lost 9 of 10 playoff games in franchise history.  A robust 7-28.

What about the Milwaukee Brewers?  They've had 12 straight losing seasons.   What about the San Francisco Giants?  They've had Barry Bonds and Willie Mays.  And the Giants haven't won a title since moving to the West Coast.  Pssst....they also had the heartbreak of relinquishing a lead late in the WS winning game.   What about the Montreal Expos?  They've only had Randy Johnson, Larry Walker, Pedro Martinez, Vlad Guerrero, Gary Carter, Andres Galaragga and Andre Dawson.  And the season they held the best record in the majors, the strike ended the season.

So while the media believes the Red Sox to be the "loser darlings" every year....find a little space in your heart for some of the other teams who have had travesty filled moments in their histories.

I wasn't hate for Boston as much as it was wondering why other teams don't get the love for being bad, or even worse, that the Red Sox.  So....who is the darlings now??  Well, I'll rank them and add some points in there.

                  

#1a-CHICAGO CUBS.  Let's see.  The Cubs play in a small ancient ball park.  They have those ol' skool uniforms.  And they haven't won a World Series since 1908. That is 97 years to you and me.  Just imagine....imagine...when the Cubs hit that 100th year of not winning the series.  I'll bet they'll be wearing some patches celebrating that 1908 team.  They have a goat curse, Steve Bartman and they have a grounder that rolled between a first baseman's legs [Leon Durham in 1984].  But what puts them numero uno is the fact that they haven't even BEEN to the World Series since 1945.  That means you'd have to be 60 years old to even be alive the last time the Cubs won the NL pennant.  Amazing.

                               

#1b-CHICAGO WHITE SOX.  The other Chicago team is a mere smidge below.  Why?  Well, they haven't won a World Series since 1917 [the year BEFORE the Red Sox last title] and they've only been to one World Series since 1919 [that was in 1959].  And, again, that 1919 team was the one that threw the World Series to the Reds.  "The Curse Of Shoeless Joe" never gets discussed.  Why do these Sox get placed this high?  Well, unlike the Cubs they play in one of the least attractive ballparks and really haven't been close to even getting to the World Series in quite a while.  Not to mention those uniforms in the 1970s get sympathy from me.

                    

#3-CLEVELAND INDIANS.  When they make a movie about how bad your franchise sucks [Major League], you are bad.  The Indians might as well been dirt for 40 years until their resurgance in the mid-1990s.  They haven't won a Series since 1948....but have been to two Series in 1995 and 1997.  In fact that 1997 series they had a 2-1 lead in Game 7 going into the bottom of the ninth against Florida and blew it.  Blew the game...blew the Series.  At least when Bill Buckner blew that grounder, they got to play one more game.  And barely anyone remembers that it was Jose Mesa that gave up that HR to Bobby Bonilla in that 9th.

                             

#4-TEXAS RANGERS.  This is the highest rated franchise that has done nothing.  Nothing.  The Rangers [formerly the Washington Senators] have exactly ONE playoff win in their un-illustrious history.  Just one.  No World Series titles.  No appearances.  This is a team that had Nolan Ryan, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodgriguez and Juan Gonzalez [heck, Ryan, Sosa and Juan were on the 1989 team together].  They played in a minor league park for years and were owned by the current President of the United States.  Not to mention they were the ones that broke the payroll structure in baseball by signing A-Rod to $250M.

                           

#5-SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS.  I normally do not feel sorry for the Giants or their fans.  They have a beautiful ball park.  They have Barry Bonds, who holds the single season HR mark and could soon break Hank Aaron's record.  But, they haven't won a World Series in 47 years of baseball on the left coast.  They lost the 1962 World Series with the winning run on base in the ninth.  They lost the 1989 World Series to Bay Area rivals Oakland in the "Earthquake Series".  They lost the 2002 World Series with a 5-run lead late in Game 6.

                      

#6-HOUSTON ASTROS.  The Astros came around in 1962.  Last year was the first time they won a playoff series.  Ever.  They almost won a second series...leading the Cards 3 games to 2 in the NLCS before bowing out.  Add that to the 1980 NLCS loss when they led games 5 and 6 in the 8th inning.

SPORTZ NFL MOCK DRAFT

                         

#9-WASHINGTON REDSKINS: CB Pac Man Jones, West Virginia
The Skins think they’ve address some needs in free agency. But the cornerback position has been left bare with trading Champ Bailey a year ago and Fred Smoot heading off the to Twin Cities this year. So Pac Man seems to be the man here.

Read more of my Mock Draft [the first 20 picks] on SPORTZ ASSASSIN ON REDSKINS

While you are looking at the mock draft...please take time to read about the unfortunate incident involving Al Lucas, who died Sunday as a result of a spinal cord injury sustained in an Arena Football game.  Lucas was 26.

                                 

SPORTZ' NBA AWARDS

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Shaquille O’Neal, Miami.

                                         

Technically, Shaq could have been the MVP seven times already because he is the ultimate matchup problem. There is no one like him in the league. But perception has kept him with just the lone MVP award. As Wilt Chamberlain said, no one roots for Goliath. He was the biggest guy on the (most of the time) best team. Really, this hasn’t been his most productive season...it actually may be, statistically, one of his worst. So why does he get it now? Well, look at the effects of the addition of him to the Heat and the subtraction of him from the Lakers. The Heat have already wrapped up the East, so much so that Shaq has been chillin’ on the sideline with a "stomach virus". The Lakers will miss the playoffs for only the fifth time in franchise history. Yeah, Miami does have Dwayne Wade...but look at what Kobe Bryant is without the Big Man. And my stab at his stats? Well, he is still #11 in the NBA in scoring [23.0], #5 in rebounds [10.6], #1 in FG shooting [60%] and #6 in blocks [2.4]. And as far as the scoring goes...he’s fifth in points-per-minute....behind Iverson, Amare, Kobe and Dirk.

ALL NBA TEAM: Steve Nash, Phoenix...Allen Iverson, Philadelphia....Shaquille O’Neal, Miami....Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas....LeBron James, Cleveland

                           
                           

I’ve said my piece on Shaq. Nash has given the Suns that nudge that has made everyone on that team better. Iverson is having his finest season of his career, even ifno one cares to acknowledge it. Nowitzki has been there all season long. His scoring, rebounding and leadership have been key to a tough [did I just say that?] Dallas team. LeBron?s Cavaliers are struggling...but it isn?t because of him.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Ben Gordon, Chicago.

                                      

I really like Emeka Okafor....but I think Gordon will edge him out. Two reasons. First, Gordon is averaging pretty much the same amount of points [15.0] as Okafor [15.3] but in 11 less minutes per game. And other than Gordon?s teammate Luol Deng, there really isn?t anyone in these guys? class. Second, Gordon has been a big part of Chicago?s breakthrough success. Gordon?s legend, as of now, is his ability to come off the bench and win games in the fourth quarter. Sure, Okafor is having a great, great season as well. On a team with nohelp, he is the fourth leading rebounder in the NBA. But Gordon is my choice here.

COACH OF THE YEAR: George Karl, Denver.

                                              

I hate to give this award to someone who came in mid-season....but c?mon! Before Karl arrived in Denver, the Nuggs were 17-25. They are 28-6 since. At that rate, if Karl was there all season, the Nuggets would finish 67-15. In reality, they have a legit shot to win 50 games. Amazing since they were on pace to win 33 before he arrived. The turnaround has to have something to do with Karl. There were no deals done to infuse talent into their lineup. The Suns? Mike D?Antonio and the Bulls? Scott Skiles are deserving as well....but what Karl has done is on another level.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Tim Duncan, San Antonio.

                                  

He?s doing the same things he usually does. Guards his guy...helps on double teams...blocks some shots...kills on the boards. But he gets the award more forthe fact of what other guys aren?t doing. Ron Artest [last year?s winner], missed pretty much the entire season for taking on the Palace crowd. Andrei Kirilenko [my pick last year] missed a ton of time this year for Utah.

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Ricky Davis, Boston

                                  

Just like in the defensive category...this hasn?t been the best year for sixth men. There are some darn good ones out there [Gordon, Stackhouse]...but nothing that takes your breath away. Well, except for Davis. Davis is averaging 16 ppg for Boston and shooting 47%. Not to shabby for a guy that was known primarily as a dunker with some issues.

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Grant Hill, Orlando

                                 

How could it not be him? Hill was done. If he was a horse, he would have been shot a few years ago. He was left available to Charlotte for the expansion draft. Yet, he averaged under 20 pts and helped give the Magic one heck of a ride this season. Not only was Grant Hill an All-Star...but he was VOTED in as an All-Star...meaning fans and his peers really appreciate his season. And all this is coming from a Tar Heel fan!!

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Bobby Simmons, LA Clippers

                              

The difference between "comeback" and "most improved" is that comebacks used to be good. Most improved players weren?t anything. So with Simmons. Here is his NBA career. He was drafted #42 overall by Seattle in 2001. His draft rights were traded to Washington for Pedrag Drobnjak. He was then traded to Detroit [in that Rip Hamilton-Jerry Stackhouse deal]. Two weekslater, the Pistons waived him....and he signed back up with Washington a week later. He averaged 3.5 ppg in two years in DC [just 66 games]. He signed with the Clippers last year a did average under 8 points. This year, he has started 69 games thus far and averaged 16.6 pts and 6 boards. His career high in Washington was 15 points.

BIGGEST WASTE OF MONEY:  Brian Grant, LA Lakers

                               

He makes $13.3M this year....and gave the Lakers a robust 3.7ppg.  And it isn't like there was anyone ahead of him in the lineup.  Chris Mihm??  Heck, Vlade Divac, the guy slated to be the Lakers starter is just getting off of injury.  Of all of the things that sucked about dealing Shaq was the fact that the Lakers had to take on Grant's contract to do so.  And he still has a few years left on it. 

BIGGEST BARGAIN:  LeBron James, Cleveland

                                 

Obviously, if this was the old days....James would be pulling in a huge salary.  But, in the age of the rookie salary scale, LeBron makes a bargain $4.3M this season.  To put that in perspective, Eric Snow makes $500K more than LBJ.  Milwaukee's Michael Redd makes a mere $3M.

SURPRISE TEAM:  Chicago Bulls

                            

Da Bulls were 23-59 last year and the team was having internal issues.  The attitude of their young players was question as was the ability of new coach Scott Skiles.  Not to mention Jay Williams, their #2 overall pick of 2003, had his career ended due to a motorcycle accident.  This year, they actually drafted well [Deng, Gordon] and everyone is on the same page.  The promise everyone was mumbling about is starting to bloom.  Now, they are sitting as the #4 seed in the Eastern playoffs....a place they had not been since 1998 when Jordan hit a jumper at the FT line against Utah. 

DISAPPOINTING TEAM:  Minnesota Timberwolves

                            

You could say the Lakers...but many people had them doomed.  But who possibly had Minnesota missing the playoffs this year?  They essentially borught the same team back from the Western Conference finalists of 2004.  They had the defending MVP winner in Kevin Garnett.  They were in a new division, away from the Spurs and Mavericks.  However, it hasn't worked out that way.  They've all but been eliminated from the playoffs.  The year began with Sprewell complaining that he can't live on his $14M salary...and continued KG smacking down rookies...with Olowokandi getting busted at the club....to Mr Wolf Coach Flip Saunders getting canned.  This is a year to be forgotten in Minnesota.

BRACKETOLOGY 2006???!?!?!

                          

I can go to NBADraft.net and see that Rudy Gay will be the #1 pick in the NBA draft in 2006.  I can go to Vegas and see the odds on next year's Super Bowl winner.  Apparantly a few people have crystal balls that can tell you what's up in sports.

I love college basketball. I love the NCAA tournament. I’ve even caved in to the practice of Bracketology. But Joe Lunardi has taken it off the hook!! ESPN’s resident Bracketologist already has the field of 65 set for next year’s NCAA tournament.

Why? Who needs it? Well, to those people who are a little nervous about next year’s team can feel a bit better if they see their school high on his list. But, that just means you have promise.

*He has Duke, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Villanova as his #1 seeds next year.

*Defending champion North Carolina is a #2 seed. He has Illinois as a #5, Michigan State as a #2 and Louisville as a #9 seed next year.

*Speaking of Louisville, it seems that going to the Big East [and losing Garcia] will hit them big next year. But, that’s not the only team that is affected. Lunardi has new Big East Cincinnati as a #5 seed.....new Atlantic 10 team Charlotte as a #6 seed...and new ACC member Boston College as a #3 seed.

*Bubble teams?? Well, Maryland, Indiana, Arkansas, Memphis, St. Joseph’s and Georgetown are all getting in.

Check out Lunardi's bracket here.....ESPN.com - Bracketology

                 

SPORTZ BLOGOSPHERE

THE REDS ARE 3-0

                 

Baseball is back!!  And my Cincinnati Reds have smoked out of the gate by sweeping the new-look New York Mets.  Enjoy the Reds season and other baseball smack on my Sportz Reds Baseball Bunch

NBA BRACKETOLOGY

                           

I love the NFL.  I love the NCAA.  But my real love is the NBA.  Sure, my Lakers are done...but the NBA is in it's stretch run.  Is Miami the best team?  Are the Suns legit?  How good are these Nuggets?  Can the Wolves and/or Nets sneak into the playoffs?  How bout them Bulls?  We will go deep into every playoff series on my SPORTZ' HOOPS LAND blog. 

SURVIVOR: APRIL 7

                             

Who got kick out on this week's Survivor??  Find out what's going on on my wife's Survivor : Palau - Bravenet Web Journal.  She's got the haps on everything goingon....and find out what happened that made her want to honk up her dinner.

A CAROLINA CELEBRATION

            

If you haven't heard, my Heels won the NCAA tournament!!  Relive the madness on my SPORTZ NCAA TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS.  Go back and look at my picks to see how bad [Syracuse in the Final Four] or how good [Wis-Milwaukee beating Alabama] I did. 

LADIES, STAY AWAY FROM MICHAEL VICK!!!!

Hey, ladies!!  How many of you would love to hook up with Mike Vick??  I mean, they guy has fame and fortune.  Well...he also has herpes.  He apparantly has smacked a few ladies with the STD and they aren't too cool with it.  Don't worry.  If you take Xylozex, you can still take walks on the beach, play some tennis, relax on your porch swing, walk your dog, and run for 1000 yards in the NFL.  How many S-TD passes will Vick throw in 2005???

Who Will Challenge For UNC's Crown??

North Carolina will be defending National Champions....but their team could look drastically different.  So it goes in Chapel Hill.  But, who will be there to challenge the Heels for the ACC crown and the national scene??  Here is a quick rundown of the ACC's best and some other schools that are ready to cut down the nets in next year's Final Four.

NORTH CAROLINA. Of course, all depends on who is coming back. It sounds as if Sean May is returning...Rashad McCants is leaving....and Marvin Williams may come back. Other than that...who knows. But, as live is in Chapel Hill, you gotta bring in some fresh faces and Carolina has a few in Hansbrough, Green, Ginyard and Frasor.

                                     
                                         New Dookie to hate: Josh McRoberts

DUKE. The Devils will lose Daniel Ewing...and that is huge. Remember, Coach K signed Shaun Livingston to take the reigns over next year...but he is now a Clipper. So freshman Paulas may have to get in there and play some big minutes. That front line should be stacked for Duke. All-ACC performers JJ Redick and Sheldon Williams will return. Redick really needs to work on his "with the ball" game. I’ve found that JJ is easiest to guard when he has the ball. It is when he’s running around those screens that he’s tough to deal with. The biggest addition in the ACC will come from high school player of the year Josh McRoberts who will form a very tough front line with Sheldon.

MARYLAND. I think the Terps will bounce back from their disappointing 2005 season...even without Gilchrist. Cander-Medley, the Terps leading scorer, will be back....as will Chris McCray. Sterling Ledbetter will take Gilchrist's spot. Gary Williams must instill confidence back to this program. They won the 2002 NCAA title....then missed the tournament 3 seasons later.

MIAMI. The Canes could be for real. After making a pleasantly surprising debut in the ACC...they return Diaz and Hite....the second and third leading scorers in the ACC. Anthony Harris and Anthony King will be back. They lose Frisby....but should have enough talent to keep improving in the conference.

WAKE FOREST. Chris Paul will most likely jump to the NBA and be a very high draft pick. The Deacs will also lose Downey, Levy and Daneluis. Eric Williams and Justin Gray should be back. Kevin Swinton could come in and start as a frosh.

GEORGIA TECH. Tech has quite a few people leaving. BJ Elder, Isma?il Muhammad, Will Bynum and Luke Schenscher are all graduating. That may forced rising senior Jarrett Jack to bounce to the NBA early. If so, then the Jackets have a major rebuilding effort to deal with.

NC STATE. Julius Hodge is gone...but Andrew Brackman and Cedric Simmons will be back. They have some nice recruits [Costner, Fells] coming in and could get back to the NCAA tournament.

FLORIDA STATE. Von Wafer, the only Nole that averaged double figures this past season, will test the NBA waters. He isn't hiring an agent, which is a good thing. I don't think he's pro material yet.

VIRGINIA TECH. Everyone knows that UNC, Duke and Wake Forest finished as the top three in the ACC. Did you know that V-Tech finished 4th? The Hokies lose Carlos Dixon...but everyone else is back. They could make a strong run for the tournament next year.

BOSTON COLLEGE. The Eagles leave the Big East as regular season champions and step into a very tough ACC. BC will hold it's breath to see if Craig Smith leaves for the NBA. Nate Doornekamp and Jermaine Watson graduate. After that, everyone will be back. And if Miami and V-Tech can make such nice debuts...then BC could surprise some folks.

VIRGINIA. The main issue in Charlottesville is finding a new coach to guide the Cavs into the second half of the decade. The Cavs lose their top two scorers, Devin Smith and Elton Brown, from an already bad UVa team.

OUTSIDE OF THE ACC....

CONNECTICUT. Sure, they lose Charlie Villenueva to the NBA...but the team is still loaded. Rudy Gay will take Charlie V?s spot as the main man. Marcus Williams, Josh Boone, Rashad Anderson and Denham Brown will all return to UConn to make a strong run for the national title. They will most likely be the pre-season #1 if many Tar Heels defect to the NBA.

VILLANOVA. Remember, the Cats were just a borderline traveling call from possibly beating the Tar Heels in the Sweet 16. And that was without Curtis Sumpter. They return pretty much everyone, Randy Foye, Allan Ray, Mike Nardi, Kyle Lowery and Jason Fraser. This may be a team to watch!

KENTUCKY. These Wildcats lose Chuck Hayes...and Kel Azubuike is leaning toward testing the NBA waters. But Rajon Rando, Patrick Sparks and Randolph Morris will be back with a year of UK experience under their belts.

TEXAS. The Horns will fight Oklahoma for Big XII supremecy. Daniel Gibson will be a super soph next year...and will join LaMarcus Aldridge and Brad Buckman to head up a tough squad.

OPENING DAY IN CINCINNATI

       

Ah....Opening Day.

In the city that housed the first professional baseball team, Opening Day is as much a holiday as any. In a city that faces gray winters....Opening Day seems to be the unofficial first day of spring. People are just crawling out of their homes, getting their lawns shaped up, planting flowers, going on walks, cleaning those grills and getting ready for another season of Cincinnati baseball.

Unlike the Yankees and Red Sox...who every year know they will be fighting for a spot in the World Series every season....being a Reds fan brings different excitement. Hope. The season could be magical...or it could be a bust. Being a mid-major MLB team brings that. You hope you have enough hitting...your pitching holds up...and you avoid as much injury issues as you can. If so....you have a chance to be relevant in September. If not....you’ll be trading away those guys you were supposedly building your team around.

This year’s Reds team could contend for the NL Central. Or they could finish 25 games out. There is the question of Ken Griffey, Jr’s health. Every year since he’s been here....Griffey can’t stay on the field. The Reds were 46-40 when Griffey suffered his hamstring injury that knocked him out for the season. They were 30-46 after that. There is the question of the new pitchers Ramon Ortiz and Eric Milton. Milton gave up more HR than anyone last year...and he’ll be pitching in a hitters ball park.

This is a team with a ton of character. You have All Stars like Griffey, Sean Casey and Adam Dunn. You have youth in Wily Mo Pena and D’Angelo Jimenez. They have those gritty guys like Ryan Freel and Jason LaRue and added Joe Randa and Rich Aurilla in the offseason. Not to mention some young pitchers like Ryan Wagner, Joe Valentine, Aaron Harang and Brandon Claussen.

In that Opening game....Adam Dunn hit two moon shots....Pedro Martinez came in and struck out 12 Reds....and the Reds scored 3 in the bottom of the ninth to win the game. A great start to a new season.

Hopefully we’ll have a great finish.

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KEEP UP WITH THE SPORTZ ASSASSIN'S TAKE ON THE REDS ON THE Sportz Reds Baseball Bunch BLOG

CHAMPIONSHIP PHOTOS

NORTH CAROLINA!!!! C'MON AND RAISE UP!!!

             

We are the champions!

North Carolina beat Illinois for the National Championship tonight. It is Carolina’s first title since 1993 [my senior year in high school] and Coach Roy Williams’ first title in his 17-year career.  As a Carolina fan...this is just so sweet after going thru the horror of the 8-20 season of 2001-2002.  Guys like Adam Boone and Brian Morrison transferring and the whole Matt Doherty debacle. 

I watched Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace and Jeff McInnis get outmuscled in Seattle by Arkansas in the 1995 Final Four.  I watched Vince Carter and Antwan Jamison fall short in the 1997 and 1998 Final Fours even though they were the best teams there.  All of them didn't do what this team did tonight.

It was a very good game.  It was nip and tuck for the first 15 minutes or so...then UNC went on a run that gave them a 13 point halftime lead.  Illinois made their patented run and tied the game at 70 with over 2 1/2 minutes left.  That was the last time they scored. 

One ongoing trend in Noth Carolina titles has been bad turnovers late in games.  In 1982, we all remember Freddy Brown tossing the ball to James Worthy to seal Georgetown's loss.  In 1993, Chris Webber called a timeout when Michigan had none.  Tonight, Luther Head drove then kicked the ball out to Raymond Felton's outstretched arm. 

Also, in 1982, a freshman named Michael Jordan hit the game winning shot.  Tonight, a freshman named Marvin Williams hit the game winner. 

When your team wins...you want to pump your chest and scream out loud [I am doing both]. But I want to scream about how well I predicted this game. Look at my blog entry about this game.

SPORTZ SAID: "I think that Illinois' love affair with the 3-pt shot may be their undoing. They shot over half of their shots Saturday from behind the arc. If they don't hit a great amount of those shots...it will start the North Carolina fast break and that's what Illinois doesn't want. I think THAT fact combined with May having yet another superb game will make the North Carolina Tar Heels National Champions with a 77-71 victory!"

This is exactly what happened. Illinois shot FORTY 3-pt shots. FORTY!!! That is unreal. It broke the record for most 3pt shots attempted in a title game by 25%!!!!! [The record was 30 treys]. It didn?t really create a ton fast breaks for UNC, it did create some and it really kept Tar Heels out of foul trouble. I even got the score somewhat correct. While it wasn?t the 77-71 game I predicted...the score was very close to it as was the margin of victory. Oh, and May had that "superb game".

           

SPORTZ SAID: "One thing North Carolina seems to have an advantage is from their bench. Against Michigan State, Marvin Williams, David Noel and Melvin Scott each played at least 16 minutes. For Illinois, Jack Ingram played 21 minutes but the Illini got only 15 bench minutes from everyone else combined. If the game does become a track meet...it seems to favor the Tar Heels."

The benches did play big parts in this game. Since Augustine was in such foul trouble, Illinois needed to rely of Jack Ingram for major minutes. And they didn?t have anyone to back him up. And none of the Illini big men could do anything against May. The rest of Illinois bench gave them zero points, one rebound and no assists in only 8 minutes. Deron Williams played the full 40 minutes. Brown and Powell played 38 apiece. Head played 37. You could see tired legs on those final Illini shots.

Ingram played 30 minutes as a reserve. Only May, Felton and McCants played at least that much for North Carolina. On the surface, Illinois bench out-scored UNC [11-9], but bench guys David Noel, Marvin Williams and Melvin Scott did play many minutes out there. Noel played excellent defense and Williams got the game-winning put back.

SPORTZ SAID: "Both teams technically use a trio of guards. North Carolina has the better PG in Raymond Felton and the better offensive player in Rashad McCants. Not to mention Jackie Manuel is one of the tougher defenders around. But Illinois' trio of Derron Williams, Luther Head and Dee Brown gives them a slight edge. All three of them defend excellently....all three can stroke it from anywhere...and all three have high basketball IQs."

Felton had a tremendous game. He scored 17 points and dished out 7 assists...all while trying to stay out of foul trouble. McCants scored his entire 14 points in the first half. Add in Manuel, and the Carolina backcourt scored 31 pts on 10 of 25 shooting. The Illinois Trio scored 50 of their 70 points...and needed 47 shots to do so. Head, Williams and Brown shot 34 of the three-pointers. Head shot 16 threes by himself.

                            

SPORTZ SAID: "Roger Powell came to play in the Final Four. And Augustine will nab some boards and put a bit of a buffer in the middle. Jack Ingram can come off the bench and contribute. But North Carolina has a clear edge here. Sean May could be the MOP of this tournament. He's played against tougher centers in the last two games [Davis, Wilkinson] than he will on Monday. Carolina also can throw Marvin and Jawad Williams in there. Jawad struggled in the regionals...but was insane on Saturday. He knows that Monday will be his last game and he may make the most of it. It also could be the freshman Marvin's last game....and he is just such a tough matchup for anyone. Add in a David Noel who works hard on defense and runs the floor and the Heels have the clear advantage."

Illinois got just 20 points from their front court....and none from Augustine. Powell was a beast on the boards...nabbing 14 total and 8 offensive. But UNC got 44 points from their big men...including 26 from Sean May. Marvin Williams, though mostly ineffective, got the game-winning tip in the closing minutes.

SPORTZ SAID: "Illinois must slow the game upenough on defense that it forces the Heels to play more of a half-court game. Stop the dribble. The Illini has the defense to do it. Illinois must slow down the guard penatration of McCants and especially Felton. If they break down Illinois' defense, it will be a long day."

Illinois did a pretty good job limiting fast breaks and penetration by Felton. The problem is that North Carolina played so well in the half court game due to Sean May. They didn?t need the break outs since they could just dump it into #42 all night long.

SPORTZ SAID: "North Carolina has to establish May early and often. They forgot about him in the first half against Michigan State and it cost them a halftime lead. May should be able to do damage against Augustine."

Well, duh. We all saw how this one turned out.

SPORTZ SAID: "North Carolina has got to play better defense on the perimeter. This has been a sticking point at times during the season....especially when they were in Syracuse. D Williams, Brown and Head will completely murder them if they don't stick on 'em."

I was very surprised how well the Heels played defensively. Sure, they weren?t the greatest defensive team ever....but they played much better than usual. They really forced everything Illinois did outside. They had virtually no inside threat and never could dribble the ball to the hoop.

                                

THE WORLD OF SPORTZ

                                        

*Alex Sanchez, an outfielder for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, has become the first player to be suspended in baseball’s new drug policy. He will be suspended 10 days beginning Monday when the D-Rays season starts. What a month for Sanchez. A few weeks ago, he was reunited with his mother and brother who he had not seen in 11 years since fleeing Cuba on a raft. A few days later, the Detroit Tigers cut him loose. He caught on with Tampa....then this happens.

*How great is it to see a women’s Final Four without UConn! Nothing against the university....but I’m tired of seeing them winning. This is the first championship they won't win since 2001....and the first Final Four they've missed since 1999.  Now, if we can just get those Lady Vols out of there too.  They lost in Arizona-style against Michigan State on Sunday....so we get to see Baylor-Michigan State championship game....they first women's title game that didn't involve the Vols or Huskies [or both] since 2001. 

 

*How about North Carolina winning the NCAA tournament and South Carolina winning the NIT tournament??

                        

*Jim Calhoun and Jim Boeheim will be announced as the 2005 inductees to the Basketball Hall Of Fame. Both are deserving....as both have won the last two NCAA championships. However, the spotlight may be on who wasn’t elected: Dominique Wilkins. Nique scored over 26,000 points in his career...which he went to 9-All Star games and averaged 24.8 ppg. Nique suffers from "second-tier sydrome" and "never won it itis". During his career, Wilkins’ Hawks were always second stringto the Milwaukee Bucks or Jordan?s Chicago Bulls. Not to mention that not only did he never win an NBA title....he never even got to the Finals. That isn?t his fault. During his prime, the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls were cleaning up the Eastern titles. He could be the most overlooked player of our time....which is quite a shame.

*Monday marks the beginning of the MLB season....and the end of the NCAA basketball season. It will also mark the 200th day of the NHL Lockout. The NHL should be in its closing weeks of the season and gearing up for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Instead, the league is shelved with no talks in sight and no reason to hope. However, the real issue is the fact that they haven?t realized that no one misses it. The AHL and ECHL has boomed....so it is showing that it isn?t so much NHL action they want to see....but just any hockey. Not to mention the launch of ESPN-U has brought the college hockey playoffs to us. Also, with no hockey....ESPNhas more opportunities to show NBA, NCAA and MLB games....which further helps those sports and will hinder the NHL?s television relevance. Truth be told, I?d be willing to bet that ESPN would rather televise the World Series Of Poker than the NHL regular season.

                       

*Speaking of the NHL Lockout....it seems the player's union is having a bit of problem.  The leadership is trying to de-certify agents and take away their lockout stipend if they become replacement players.  Already, the membership is showing some cracks.  The NHL already cancelled the Entry Draft.  Buffalo is experimenting with blue ice with orange lines so action can be seen better.  GMs are thinking about making a bigger net.   There is even some sentiment to find a way to settle ties...the worst thing [and most pointless] in all of sports.  It shows that the problems aren't just the labor issues...but the product.  I like hockey at this time of year.  The Stanley Cup playoffs.  But everything in between is a bore.  Hockey is slowly becoming soccer.  Yeah, you can say "how American of you" but the Euros play a much more exciting game with the simplest of all changes....bigger ice.  But that would involve dropping those expensive lower level seats which, right now, are empty anyway. 

        

*As I said, Monday night will end a great NCAA hoops season. It will end with #1 Illinois vs #2 North Carolina....the first matchup of the top two rated teams since 1975. Amazing, since the March Madness has blossomed into probably the second biggest sporting event in America...right behind the Super Bowl. Do the football people even notice this??? While the BCS gets tweaked every year, ABC elected not to keep the BCS games and undefeated teams go home empty handed.....the NCAA tournament thrives on one network and even has spawned "bracketology" in which just evaluating who gets into the tournament has become an event. Every spring I see this...and it reminds me how stale the BCS and college football itself is.

                        

*I've never been to Michigan....but I hear bad things.  We all saw the Pistons-Pacers brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills....then the bomb threats that delayed their rematch.  Now, after Michigan State LOSES in the Final Four....the Spartans fans got a little rowdy in East Lansing.  In all, there were more than 60 arrests.  There were 15 fires [a Michigan staple].  The sad thing is that MSU officials are saying "hey, this isn't as bad as it usually is.  I guess we are making progress!"   WHAT???  Back in 1999 when the Spartans lost to Duke in the Final Four...fans spilled into downtown and smashed up windows, turned over cars and set some more fires.  God knows what may happen there if the Michigan State women's team wins the title Tuesday night!  Maybe they'd behave as they did when MSU won the men's title in 2000.  I guess they really are sore losers.

ONE MORE GAME!

        

NORTH CAROLINA 87 - MICHIGAN STATE 71

Click on my SPORTZ NCAA TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS for my predictions on Monday night's championship tilt!

Survivor Update: March 31, 2005

                             
                           Un-Survivor Of The Week

Check out Mrs Sportz Assassin's
Survivor : Palau - Bravenet Web Journal for all of the haps on this week's Survivor.