2011 MLB Opening Day and My World Series Pick

Already a good 2011 MLB Season. 6 games were played and one of them ended with a walk off HR. Ramon Hernandez and the Reds were down by 2 in the 9th with 2 outs. Hernandez hits a 3 run Walk Off HR to win the game, 7-6, over the Brewers. Now that's the right way to start off the season. The Yankees played today as well as they beat the Tigers, 6-3. Also the Braves beat the Nationals, 2-0, the Angels beat the Royals, 4-2, and the Padres beat the Cardinals, 5-3. As for the big prime time game, the World Series Defending Giants would lose, 2-1, to the Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw gets the win, Tim Lincecum gets the loss (not his fault), and Jonathan Broxton gets the save.

There is one thing I did forget to do before the season started: Pick my World Series team. As for the AL, the Red Sox look better than ever and, if they remain healthy, they will get into the World Series. The NL looks like it's between the Phillies and the Giants. I'll pick Giants to remain loyal to the Bay Area. There is bias here but the Giants did manage to beat all those Philly pitchers in the postseason at one time or another. As for my two picks, I'll stay with the Giants considering the pitching is slightly better. That's it: Giants to repeat.

A good opening day all around, especially with the Reds. Hope everyone can make it to at least one ballgame. PLAY BALL!!!

P.S. Don't worry, Giants. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

P.P.S. Also, DAMN IT POSEY!!!

The Fiesta is Over

Okay, this one confused me a bit. Apparently the Fiesta Bowl President and CEO, John Junker, has been fired due to the fact he has used Fiesta Bowl money to fund local Arizona political campaigns. He then tried to reimburse the money to the employees of the bowl game and to also cover it up. Because of all of this, the BCS is actually asking for the Fiesta Bowl to defend itself as to why it should remain a BCS Bowl Game.

First I want to know how Bowl games can be non profit organizations? Is it because they work with the schools? Still sounds stupid to me. Also, who would replace the Fiesta Bowl if it is taken off the BCS Bowl list? Eyes at ESPN are already thinking the Cotton Bowl in Cowboys Stadium. Jerry Jones would love that kind of annually publicity and to also host host the BCS National Championship once every four years.

I think they should change it anyway. How is anyone supposed to take a BCS Bowl game called the Fiesta Bowl seriously? If this change is to occur, it will be interesting to see what happens to the Fiesta Bowl after this process.

P.S. As for a new bowl game that seems good, the Cotton Bowl in Cowboys Stadium does seem pretty perfect. I mean just look at the last Bowl game they hosted (BURN!!!).

From Football to Futbol

Since their is a NFL Lockout to deal with, players have to find a way to pass the time or, more importantly, stay in shape. Chad Ochocinco seems to have found a way to do both. He has tried out for Sporting Kansas City in MLS. Ochocinco seems to have played Soccer in high school until his grandmother convinced him to play football which ironically involves almost no kicking. Chad has tried out for the team for 5 days and at the end of it he didn't make the actual squad. Instead, Sporting KC gave Ochocinco a spot on reserve team. He will work out a couple times a week with the squad and is also a honorary member of the team.

This is a very intriguing story on various levels. First, it brings up the whole two sports athlete thing again. Now it's not like Chad is going to play both at the same time or on the same weekend but it does kind of reminds me of the days where athletes could play for two different sports like Deion Sanders. Second, it speaks to the amount of press MLS and Sporting KC wants for their team. Would any team of a lesser league or sport (by lesser I mean less popular) ultimately turn down this press? Probably not as to hope to get people excited about their sport and/or team.

Third, WHY DIDN'T YOU STAY WITH SOCCER? Now this seems like a ridiculous question but as a fan of soccer that wants to see it elevated on the US level I have to ask. Now before anyone says there is not future in it that's not true. You could always play in an top level league (if you're good enough) in Europe like the English Premier League or La Liga. Great players there can be paid as much as NFL Players. Also, you would be helping raise the popularity of US Soccer and it's talent level. Maybe even get us closer to a World Cup Title.

Overall, this does seem like a stint that is just for keeping in shape. Sporting KC has said Chad lacks the Soccer skills to play which means he won't ultimately see any time on the pitch. Still a nice story to follow.

P.S. I still believe the US could crush any International Soccer team if Soccer was the revered sport in this country and not Football.

P.P.S. Or at least more popular than Basketball.

VCU Topples Kansas and Kentucky Back in the Final Four

Remember back when this tournament began and VCU had to play a play in game vs. USC and all the commentators were just screaming that VCU had no business being in that game? When do you supposed VCU worked past that criticism?

Either way, VCU continues to bust the brackets as they now have taken down a #1 seeded team. They faced Kansas (my pick and Obama's) for the Southeast Regional Final and they ready again. They went into San Antonio and dominated Kansas in the first half going into the locker room with a 14 point lead. Kansas would fight back, though, and managed to cut the lead down to 2 but VCU rallied and keep their lead intact. They would win it, 71-61, and earn a first ever trip to the Final Four. Jamie Skeen was the lead scorer for VCU with 26 points. VCU also dominated in three's shooting 48% from beyond the arc while the Jayhawks only shot 9.5%.

As for the second game of the day, Kentucky faced UNC for the East Regional Final. Both teams were traditional powerhouses looking for a spot in the Final Four. Kentucky would end up on top. They would beat UNC, 76-69, and have now earned a spot in the Final Four. It's their first Final Four appearance since 1998. Brandon Knight was the big scorer for them with 22 points but every starter for Kentucky scored at least 10 points in this game. Impressive overall team effort.

The 2nd weekend off the Tournament is over and the Final Four is set. UNC will take on UConn in what is sure to be a great Semi-Final match up. And VCU will take on Butler in Cinderella vs. Cinderella, David vs. David, Underdog vs. Dog that should've never qualified.

P.S. Who foot fits the glass slipper? Who will win over the prince's love and earn the last rose? Who is the true princess and who is just a mean stepsister? Who is...

P.P.S. WILL THE REAL CINDERELLA PLEASE STAND UP!!!

Cinderella Returns to the Final Four and UConn Holds Off Arizona's Rally

The Elite 8 had begun and 2 teams punched their tickets to Houston. The first game featured last year's Cinderella team, Butler, facing Florida who had just beaten Jimmer Fredette and BYU. It was a close game throughout but it seemed at one point that Florida was going to win as they had a 11 point lead with less than 10 minutes to go. Butler fought backed, however, and forced Overtime. A second OT game for the Gators and this time it did not go their way. Thanks to a 3 pointer and key free throws made, Butler would beat Florida, 74-71, and advance to a second straight Final Four. Shelvin Mack was the big scorer for the Bulldogs as he put up 27 in the win.

The second game featured Arizona vs. UConn to decide the West Region. A good game down the stretch as well as the Wildcats pulled within 2 points with about a minute left. However, UConn would hold them off despite late 3 point attempts from Arizona. The Huskies win, 65-63, and advance to the Final Four for the 2nd time in 3 years. Kemba Walker was the big player for UConn as he scored 20 points, got 7 assists and 4 rebounds in the win.

UConn and Butler are still dancing while the rest of the Elite 8 will play tomorrow. VCU will play against Kansas and Kentucky will face UNC.

There Can Be Only One #1, VCU Still Alive and More

The second day of the Sweet 16 would would see another top seed bite the dust. We already saw Duke fall this weekend and now Ohio State follows them out the door. The Buckeyes faced Kentucky and it came down the final seconds. Brandon Knight of the Wildcats made the game winning shot with 5 seconds to go. Ohio State's last shot to win did not go in. Kentucky advances to the Elite 8 and knocks off the #1 overall seed, 62-60. Meanwhile the last #1 seed, Kansas, beat a Cinderella team, Richmond, 77-57.

As for the other games, VCU continues to dance as they squeak by Florida State, 72-71. The game went to Overtime and VCU managed to edge out a win as Brandon Burgess made the winning lay up with 7.1 seconds to go. They've show everyone that they can play the close game too. Maybe too close. The last game was UNC vs. Marquette. This game wasn't so close. UNC has a 25 point lead at the half. They would end up winning, 81-63.

The Sweet 16 is over and we now head on to the Elite 8. We have four more games scheduled for the weekend. Today we have Butler vs. Florida for the Southeast Final and Arizona vs. UConn for the West Final. Sunday has UNC facing Kentucky in the East final, and VCU vs. Kansas in the Southwest Final.

P.S. Don't forget to tune into the Sports Khan Radio Show every Thursday at 2 pm on KSUNradio.com... Pretty Good.

The Champs are Done, BYU Eliminated by Florida and More

Last year's champions, Duke, entered the Sweet 16 to face #5 seed, Arizona. Arizona had just beaten the Texas and looked to continue their momentum against Duke. They did just that. Despite trailing at halftime, 44-38, the Wildcats came out of the break and scored 55 2nd half points. Arizona would beat the defending champs, 93-77. Derrick Williams was the big scorer for Arizona with 32 points but most of those came in the first half. Impressive game by this Wildcat team in the clutch. As to who they will face in the Elite 8, it turns out to be UConn who beat San Diego State, 74-67, effectively ending the Aztecs great season.

As for the other Mountain West team, BYU came into the Sweet 16 against a team they had beaten last year in the tournament, Florida. This game was hard to predict and by end of regulation, we still didn't have a winner. In OT, however, Florida pulled away from the Cougars scoring 15 points against BYU's 6. Florida wins, 83-74, despite Jimmer Fredette's 32 points, and goes on to the Elite 8. Who will face Florida? It's Butler as last year's Cinderella team keeps going by beating Wisconsin, 61-54. Matt Howard was the teams best player with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 steals.

The Champs fall and BYU is out. The remaining 4 games of the Sweet 16 are today.

Nuggets Doing Better than Knicks?

Okay, who really got the better deal?

The Knicks just lost a 4th straight game, this time to the Orlando Magic, 111-99. Dwight Howard had a huge game with 33 points and 11 rebounds while Melo had 24 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds. Meanwhile, Melo's former team, the Nuggets, beat the Spurs, 115-112. Al Harrington scored the most for the Nuggets with 27 points and he was a bench player. Right now, the Knicks are 35-36 and the Nuggets are 43-29.

What the hell is happening with these two teams? Since they've acquired Melo, the Knicks are 7-10 and are now below .500 for the year. Meanwhile the Nuggets are 11-4 since the trade and just beat the Spurs. Also it seems that the Knicks are getting worse. They have now lost 7 of their last 8 games. This Melo trade hasn't seemed to have worked out so far. Right now, the Knicks have the 7th seed in the East while the Nuggets have the 5th seed.

Maybe this is what the Nuggets needed; to simply get rid of the distraction. It seems to me that they are doing better without him. Meanwhile, New York cannot get a break.

2011 NL West Preview: LET'S GO, GIANTS, LET'S GO!!!

The most unexpected thing in baseball happened last year regarding a NL West Division team: the Giants won the World Series. How did they do it? Pitching of course. And that's how they will wrap up the NL West this year. I'm saying it outright, the Giants are my favorite to win the NL West. Now admittedly I am a Giants fan and have a bias but to be honest I didn't expect them to get to the World Series last year, let alone win it. I picked the Phillies. What a pick that was.

The Giants will take the NL West with their superb starters: Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, and Jonathan Sanchez. This rotation may be only second to the Phillies. In fact, depending on how well they do, they might equal them. Plus the Giants have the NL Rookie of the Year, Buster Posey, who's expectations will be high. Plus a returning Cody Ross, Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell and Andres Torres still grace the lineup. I know they're not exactly the best players but that's how the Giants won it all. Also, Pablo Sandoval is said to have lost some weight which could give him new life plus how did we get Miguel Tejada?

The Dodgers, though, look like the best choice for overthrowing the Giants. They have formidable pitchers with Clayton Kershaw, Hiroki Kuroda, Chad Billingsley, Jon Garland, and Ted Lilly, all of which had ERA's under 4. Plus, they got the former Giant, Juan Uribe, to add to their lineup of Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp. The Dodgers will make the Giants earn the top spot.

As for the other teams, the Padres' great run from last year won't carry over as they have lost Adrian Gonzalez. They will likely have a worse year. The Rockies basically are built around Ubaldo Jimenez and Troy Tulowitzki. And the D'backs' only threat I can see is Chris Young.

In summary, I see a head to head race between the Giants and Dodgers with the Giants eventually coming out on top. The Dodgers might have a shot at a Wild Card spot, though.

P.S. Don't forget to tune into the Sports Khan Radio Show every Thursday at 2 PM on KSUNradio.com... Pretty Good.

Bruce Pearl Finally Gets Fired

The year long Bruce Pearl Controversy has finally come to an end. Yesterday, Tennessee fired Bruce Pearl as the head coach of their men's basketball team. Pearl had been the coach of the team since 2005 and has made quite an impact there until this season when it was discovered that Pearl made illegal recruitment contacts and lied to the NCAA about them. After suspensions and sanctions imposed by the team and the SEC, Tennessee has just decided to fire Pearl. The university has yet to receive any official punishment from the NCAA.

Another recruiting scandal in the NCAA comes to an end. Okay, there is still NCAA punishment to be handed down but the source of the infractions seems to be gone. It seemed that Tennessee really wanted to hang on to Pearl any way they could and their one hope to do that seemed to be in the tournament and how far the team could go. However, losing to Michigan in their first game seemed to be the last straw.

I doubt Pearl will get another prominent head coaching job, at least so soon. As for the university, they won't recover from this for a long while.

2011 NL Central Preview: Who's the Favorite?

This is where my guess is pretty much worthless. Last year I thought the Cardinals would win it. Instead, the Reds shocked everyone and took the division while the Cardinals fell 5 games short of them.

What about this year? I would say the Cardinals again thinking they wouldn't surrender the division for a second straight year. However, Adam Wainwright is already out for the year due to a right elbow injury. Also, Chris Carpenter has seen a injury scare so I'm staying away from the Cardinals.

As for the Reds, they still have Johnny Cueto, Bronson Arroyo, and the recovering Edinson Volquez. Their hitting is still good with Joey Votto (the NL MVP) and Scott Rolen on offense. The Cubs, meanwhile, have acquired Matt Garza to help out in their rotation and also Carlos Pena for the lineup though it is uncertain how much Pena can do for them.

The rest of the division doesn't seem ready for a takeover. True the Brewers have gotten Zach Greinke but that doesn't seem like it is enough. The Astros seem to just have Carlos Lee who's batting average last year was below .250. And the Pirates... well they're the Pirates and will just stink like they always do (my opinion until they prove otherwise).

I will pick the Cubs for the hell of it although the Reds look like they can easily take this division again provided that Volquez gets his groove back.

Rest of the #1's advance, VCU is Very Alive, Seminoles Take Down Irish and More

After the Butler win over Pittsburgh, speculation began on how long it would take to bring down another #1 seed. Duke seemed to be that target as they faced Michigan. The Wolverines fought back from 15 down and managed to bring it down to the final seconds. However, the Blue Devils would win this one, 73-71. It gives Coach K his 900th win and a trip to the Sweet 16. As for the other #1's, they turned out fine. Ohio State beat George Mason, 98-66, and Kansas defeated Illinois, 73-59.

As for some Cinderella hopefuls, VCU continues to prove it belongs by defeating Purdue quite handily, 94-76. They dominated the paint and the scoreboard for their first trip to the Sweet 16. As for the hyped Notre Dame, they were elminated by Florida State, 71-57. The Seminoles defense did a great job to beat Ben Hansbrough and the Fighting Irish. Arizona would beat Texas, 70-69, thanks to a Derek Williams lay up and one (thanks to a foul) play for the win. UNC does get by Washington, 86-83, and Marquette upsets Syracuse, 66-62.

The First weekend of the Dance is over and the Sweet 16 is on the horizon. The Judges have removed 48 dancers but there are quite a few Cinderellas remaining on the Dancefloor. Can any of them make it to the Final Four?

2011 NL East Preview: It's Still Going to Philly

Who else is there pick? They have Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and that other guy. Even if one of their pitchers gets injured, they have 3 others to back him up. They might have the best rotation in the Majors. Plus, they have Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino in their lineup. That's pretty solid stuff.

As for the Braves, they are going through there first season in 20 years without Bobby Cox as their manager. Fredi Gonzalez has some big shoes to fill. The Braves haven't won a Division Title since 2005 and it looks like that's not going to change this year. They do have Jair Jurrjens and Derek Lowe but this team won't pass the Phillies. They have a shot for the Wild Card spot again especially with their new bat, Dan Uggla.

The rest of the NL East, however, looks pretty bad. The Marlins look like there talent is resting with Hanley Ramirez and Ricky Nolasco. The Nationals did make some improvement by adding Jeyson Werth but they still have no pitching until Stephen Strasburg comes back. As for the Mets...

So basically it's all Phillies once again. It would be a huge surprise if one of the other teams topples the 4 time defending NL East Champions.

P.S. Okay, the Mets don't look bad on paper but let's face it, they're going to suck. One way or another, THEY WILL SUCK!!!

Cinderella Butler Upsets Pitt, BYU Gets by the Zags, Wisconsin Beats K-State and More

Sorry about the absent coverage of the 2nd half of the 2nd round yesterday. Got a little sidetracked with a few things.

As for today, the 3rd round began and we have lost a #1 seed. It's Pittsburgh of the Southeast. They faced the runner up to the title last year, Butler, and were they surprised. Crazy finish with some foul calls at the end but Butler would beat Pitt, 71-70, with Matt Howard scoring the game winning point via free throw. Butler goes on to Sweet 16 while Pitt goes home. Who will Butler face? They will take on the Badgers as Wisconsin took out K-State, 70-65. Jacob Pullen tried for a tying 3 pointer but was blocked by Jordan Taylor.

As for the diminished BYU, they look pretty good. The Cougars beat Gonzaga, 89-67, thanks to 34 points from Jimmer Fredette. Fredette has keep the Cougars alive for another week. As to who they will face in the Sweet 16, it's #2 of the Southeast, Florida, who just beat UCLA, 73-65. A big obstacle for BYU which will truly test this team's strength. As for the other notable team from the MWC, San Diego State took on Temple and eventually beat them, 71-64, but needed two OT's to do so. They will face UConn next who just took down Cincinnati, 69-58.

One top seed is already eliminated. The other #1's will all play tomorrow.

2011 AL West Preview: Rangers vs. Halos

The AL West finally had the Rangers out in front which later lead to a World Series Berth. That was last year, however, and with Cliff Lee. What about this year?

Likely a tight race for the Angels and the Rangers. The Angels will rely on Dan Haren and Jared Weaver in the pitching department while the bats seemed to have diminished to first year LA Angel Vernon Wells. Rangers, meanwhile, have recovering Brandon Webb (newcomer), Tommy Hunter, and CJ Wilson as their starting pitchers. Hitting for them seems as solid as ever with returning Josh Hamilton, Michael Young, and Nelson Cruz leading the way. I pick the Rangers in the long haul.

As for the A’s and the Mariners, don’t look for them to surprise the Majors. The Mariners are still relying on King Felix to do most of the pitching work while getting no hitting support. As for the A’s, they somehow got the diminished Rich Harden back and they still have Dallas Braden. But other than that, they don’t look much better than the Mariners.

Right now, the Rangers are a hard team to pick against, at least for me. But crazier things have happened in this division.

2011 AL Central Preview: Ain't Going to be the Royals

Now for the Wild Al Central... actually, the NL central looks just as wild too.

The Twins still look the best team here but only slightly. They have a great lineup with Joe Mauer’s .327 and great catching ability along with Justin Morneau and Jim Thome. Also with a returning Joe Nathan, it makes the end of games much more bearable. Maybe the big question mark is how is Francisco Liriano going to do this year.

As for the White Sox, they do have Jake Peavy which gives them a boost at the rotation but their pitching really rests on whether Mark Buerhle is going to play better. He had a 4.28 ERA and was 13-13 last year. The hitting looks alright with Paul Konerko being the main guy but much more needs to happen with the other hitters like Gordon Beckham.

As for Detroit, still a lot of craziness surrounding Miguel Cabrera and his arrest but, assuming that legal his problems don’t become an issue, the Tigers have a shot at usurping the Twins. Their starting rotation seems like the point of concern and who is around Justin Verlander. Brad Penny has not been a great pitcher as he’s shown to have struggled in the AL in 2009 and Matt Scherzer and Rick Porcello are nothing to hang a season on.

As for the Royals, they don’t seem like a threat and trading away Zach Greinke hurts there development cause. They do get Jeff Francis but he has arguably never been a great pitcher. As for the Indians, it seems another bad year is coming as Travis Hafner struggled 2010 batting .278, with 13 HR’s and 50 RBI’s in 118 games. Fausto Carmona did have a better ERA in 2010 with 3.77 compared to the two previous seasons which gives their team hope for the future.

Another year where it could go to either the Twins, the Tigers, or the White Sox. My money is going to the Twins as they seem like they have become an established power in the AL Central for years to come.

Louisville Ousted, Buzzer Beater for Butler, Richmond Topples Vanderbilt and More

The first day of the REAL March Madness contest began as there were a couple upsets with some notable advancements. The Big upset of the day was Morehead State over Louisvile, 62-61. Demonte Harper of Morehead State nailed a 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds left which gave the Eagles the win over the Cardinals. The 13th seed of the Southwestern conference moves on to face the 12th seed Richmond who also had a upset win over #5 Vanderbilt, 69-66. Two unlikely Cinderella teams now have to eliminate the other to move on.

As for the rest of the day, Butler had a great ending in their win over Old Diminion as Matt Howard was able to score the game winning layup just as the buzzer sounded, 60-58. Last year's Cinderella team is able to keep some of the magic alive. Pittsburgh gets an routine win over UNC-Asheville, 74-51. They will take on Butler next. Kentucky manages to win over Princeton, 59-57, with the difference being from Brandon Knight's only basket at the end of the game. They will take on West Virginia in the next round who just beat Clemson, 84-76.

Not a bad first day of the Tournament. Coach K says that Kyrie Irving will be able to play a bit in tomorrow's game vs. Hampton. Sounds like good news for the Duke Blue Devils.

2011 AL East Preview: Put on your Red Sox

It's that time of year again as we are simply a couple weeks away from the start of the 2011 MLB Season and I will look at each division and tell you my prediction.

First is the AL East and the traditional heavy hitters of the Red Sox and the Yankees. The Rays are not going to take a Wild Card spot this time as they have lost Matt Garza, Carlos Pena, and Carl Crawford. The Red Sox, meanwhile, look ready for a AL East takeover as they actually acquired Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. The Yankees, meanwhile, look like the same and maybe even depressed considering that they blew their free agency getting Derek Jeter to re-sign and failed to bring Cliff Lee to the Big Apple. As for the other teams, the Orioles do look a bit better and a solid 3rd place team in the division with Derrek Lee, Vladimir Guerrero, and Adam Jones. The Blue Jays, meanwhile look like they are simply stuck with Jose Bautista and that's it.

My prediction is that the Red Sox will take the AL East provided that their pitchers stay healthy. They can't simply rely on Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, they need Dice-K (don't trade him) and Josh Beckett to be on their top game. Still don't count out the Yankees, however. They've been trying to get Francisco Liriano from the Twins, a move that could get the Yankees back on top provided Liriano is pitching well.

P.S. Don't forget to listen to the Sports Khan today at 2 PM on KSUNradio.com... Pretty Good.

2011 MLS Preview: New Year, New Teams

Well here is my yearly push for more attention to be given to MLS.

The Season began yesterday with the LA Galaxy going into Seattle and beating the Sounders, 1-0. Vitor Junior or Juninho scored the only goal of the game in 57' which gave the Galaxy the win.

With the first game over, what does MLS have to offer us this year? A couple of new clubs now join the ranks of MLS. One is the Vancouver Whitecaps which are based off of teams previously called by the same name but in different leagues. They play their first game at home against Toronto FC on Saturday. The other is the Portland Timbers which is also replacing a team by the same name in the past. They will play their first game on the road against the defending MLS Champions, the Colorado Rapids, on Saturday as well.

As for who will win the MLS Cup, no idea. That's the fun thing about MLS, it seems very unpredictable because of it's format. If it was simply like the leagues in the Europe (no Playoff system for each league), I would say the Galaxy. The current format, though, makes it very hard to guess. 8 playoff teams still seems like too many percentage wise. I would actually be okay if they trimmed down the postseason to 6 or 4 teams.

Back to the MLS Cup prediction, I would have to pick Galaxy but that is just a wild guess. Be interesting to see how Beckham will do in his last contract year with the team. Could this be his last year playing proffesional football?

Boycott the Draft?

Okay, this sounds like an interesting concept. There are reports that the NFLPA are actually trying to prevent prospects from attending the 2011 NFL Draft. 17 prospects have apparently been asked not to go to the draft. Of course this move by the NFLPA is a labor tactic to try and put pressure on the NFL. Roger Goodell responded basically saying it would be a shame for these young men not to be able to attend the Draft.

I don't know where to stand on this issue. Prospects in theory should be standing with their soon to be co-workers in solidarity and not attend the draft. Even if they do go, it's not like they will be signed or do anything with their new team anyway. But I also understand Goodell's point that this event has become a proud moment for the players that are invited. To hear your name called and to shake the commissioner's hand under the bright lights seems like a high moment in a player's career.

If possible, I would leave it up to the prospects. Should a prospect care about the labor rights of a union he will soon be apart of? Or should a prospect be able to enjoy his shining moment so many have had at the beginning of their careers? Let the prospects choose?

GRAB A PARTNER AND DANCE!!!

It's that wonderful time of year for Las Vegas folks as the NCAA Tournament is about to begin. That's right, now is the time to start paying attention to college basketball. This is the first year of the 68 team schedule and it starts with the First Four round beginning Tuesday with UNC-Asheville and Arkanasas Little Rock playing the first game. The Four #1 seeds are Ohio State in the East, Duke in the West, Pittsburgh in the Southeast, and Kansas in the Southwest. The #1 overall seed is Ohio State.

Of course now I have to pick a winner in order to make this exciting. All 4 top seeds seem like the best teams in the country. However, there is UNC who is #2 in the East that seems like they're due for a rebound year. I pick Kansas. They might have a tough game if they run into Notre Dame but I have a good feeling about them.

P.S. This is just a guess. I have no idea who is going to win this tournament. But I do know that no 16th seed is going to win this dance... still.

P.P.S. If I did know, I'd stop typing right now and head for Vegas with every penny I have.

Scare for the Lakers

As I have said many times, the Lakers are going to win the NBA ti... why is Kobe limping? HOLY CRAP!!! Don't worry folks, he seems all right.

This was the line of events for the Lakers when they faced the Mavericks on Saturday. During the 3rd quarter, Kobe Bryant seemed to have injured his ankle when he rolled on it after the ball was slapped away from him by Shawn Marion. Kobe went to the lockerroom but didn't stay there for long. He would come back out and finish the game helping the Lakers beat the Mavericks, 96-91. It turns out Kobe just reaggravated a ankle sprain he had received against the Hawks earlier in the week. For a second, the Lakers thought their year was done.

Sure this isn't really news but it does speak a bit to the age of Kobe Bryant. How many times can he really land awkwardly and not have it be something serious? Also, his numbers last night weren't really that good. 6-20 and 16 points? That's not impressive. True, he is still getting 25 points a game on average and the Lakers are still the team to beat but that can't last forever. One of these years I'm not going to pick the Lakers to win it all.

P.S. Remember to listen to the Sports Khan Radio Show every Thursday at 2 PM on KSUNradio.com... Pretty Good.

Time for a Lockout

Today was the deadline for the new CBA extension and it didn't look promising going in. Both sides were talking to the media therefore breaking their agreed silence. However, it appears they were closing the gap a bit as the money that was debated was slimmed down a bit. The NFLPA wanted to see the books of every Team in the league and was told they couldn't. Eventually, the deadline came and shortly before it, the NFLPA decertified in order to make their case before the courts under the Sherman Act. Ten players, including Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning, then filed an antitrust suit against the NFL.

I'll admit it, I'm very confused by all this legal talk. I'm a sports blogger and this legal move sort of confuses me. If I understand it correctly, it means that through this suit the players can challenge the budget and policies of the NFL with the courts. Judge Patrick Schiltz has been assigned the case but Judge David Doty could still end up with it. Doty has apparently been a judge the players seem to like.

There is still no reason to panic if you're a football fan. The season is months away and we all knew it was going to come to a lockout anyway. If this is still a problem by August, then you can panic.

P.S. If you're a player or a coach, different story. I'd be confused and a bit on edge. Not being able to coach your players through the off season and the potential of no training camp sounds like a tough thing to work through when the new season starts.

P.P.S. Yes, I still think there will be a football season in 2011. Arena Football just started. HA HA HA.

Heat End Skid with Win Over the Lakers

This has been a rough time for the Heat. They have been heartbroken, beaten down, upset, and even cried a little. But it is finally over. The Heat finally win another game by beating the Lakers, 94-88. LeBron had 19 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds while Chris Bosh had 24 points and Dwayne Wade had 20. Bosh got more shots and it made an impact. This is the second time the Heat beat the Lakers this year as the first one was at Christmas. It seemed that the Heat would never beat a good opponent again but they managed to beat the Lakers twice. This gives them some hope but not much. They still have to go through the teams they can't beat in the Eastern Conference.

What a Lovely Streak

A historic night for anyone who likes streaks. Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves has just passed Moses Malone for the longest double-double streak since the NBA-ABA merger of 1976. Love had 16 points and 21 rebounds in the 101-75 win over the Pacers which lead to his 52nd consecutive double-double. Truly a phenomenal feat but it made me wonder what is the longest streak for double-doubles. I mean it can't be that big... It's not been offically recorded? And according to Yahoo! sports Wilt Chamberlin had around 227 straight? Damn, that's a lot. It's still pretty impressive for Love considering that this accomplish covers the last 30 years of the NBA. A time that has included some really great players like MJ and Magic.

Good for Kevin Love anyway to get a feat like that done. Doesn't matter though because you're team still bites.

Tiki's Comeback

Why can't professional athletes just stay retired? Michael Jordan couldn't do it, Brett Favre couldn't do it, Lance Armstrong couldn't do it. And now Tiki Barber has joined that list. Barber, who hasn't played since the 2006 NFL Season, has filed paperwork to come out of retirement. As for his team, it won't be with the Giants in which Tiki has spent his entire 10 year career with.

I don't know if you've heard, Tiki, but there is a labor dilemma currently going on in the NFL. Not exactly the best time to make a comeback. Also, you are 5 years retired. That's a lot of time off. Players with that kind of break usually can't come back, especially in the NFL. Yes, you were a great player but now you are almost 36 years old and running backs have shown that their bodies just can't take it anymore by the early 30's (when you originally retired).

As much as this seems like a bad idea, good luck in your comeback. Try not to break your leg before training camp (if there is one).

Jim Tressel Knows Too Much

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!! THE HYPOCRISY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL KNOWS NO BOUNDS!!!

The NCAA had suspended 5 Ohio State football players, including Terrelle Pryor, for 5 games apiece for receiving improper benefits and selling jerseys and memorabilia. That was back in December of 2010 and the suspensions are to start at the beginning of this upcoming season. The story is not over though as a report came out through Yahoo! Sports that Jim Tressel, the head coach of the Buckeyes, knew of the improper benefits long before the NCAA were alerted of them. As a result, Ohio State has suspended Jim Tressel for 2 games and fined him $250,000. Tressel made an apology (which he had to do) and will have to attend a compliance seminar. And this is just the university as the NCAA will investigate the matter and likely add to the punishment somehow.

This is laughable. The fact that a head coach of a major university has been caught knowing about these infractions and didn't tell the university just adds to the hypocrisy of college football. Now it's not like Tressel encouraged it or even gave them improper benefits (that we know of) but he still violated the so called sacred rules of the "Amateur" sport. This is just another example of wanting to win more than doing the right or responsible thing.

P.S. I still think that college sports in general need to change their rules regarding what players can accept or do. This system is broken all across the country and it just seems like every major team has had some history of improper gifts to players. I can't look at a National Champion anymore without thinking they didn't break some rule in order to get there.

THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASKETBALL!!!

Four straight loses now for the Miami Heat. All against quality opponents with the last loss going against the Bulls, 87-86. LeBron James had 26 points in this one but failed to score the winning layup over Joakim Noah and Dwayne Wade would fail to score a winning jumper after that. It seems to have gotten so bad that Erik Spoelstra, the head coach of the Heat (AKA the team you can't boss around), said "there are a couple guys crying in the locker room right now." This was after the loss and seemed too revealing of the teams current condition.

It also brought up a good question: Who was crying? Was it Chris Bosh for not getting the ball enough in the 4th quarter? Was it Wade who missed the last shot of the game? Was it LeBron James finally realizing that leaving Cleveland was a mistake? Or was it likely some other team members the media couldn't care less about? My money is on the last one. Either way, Spoelstra has now said the media has taken this out of context and have focused on it too much. Well next time don't make that kind of comment guy who's just there to fill a position.

The more important question now, however, is can the Heat beat any team that is an NBA Championship contender? Better yet, can they beat the Knicks? BURN!!!

P.S. Don't forget to tune in to the Sports Khan Radio show every Thursday at 2 PM at ksunradio.com... Pretty Good.

Heat Lose Another Big Game

What has happened to the Triple Heat? The Heat for Miami seems to have been shut off (Man that was a bad pun). First they lose to the Knicks on Sunday, 91-86, with James trying and failing to get them a tie in the final minute. Then they blow a 24 point lead to the Magic and lose thanks to a 40-9 run by Orlando, 99-96. And now they lose a game to the Spurs and returning Tony Parker, 125-95. Manu Ginobili was the top player for the Spurs as he put up 20 points, 7 assists and 2 rebounds. The Spurs were shooting an amazing 56.1% while the Heat were shooting 47.4%. In fact, every starter for the Spurs had at least 10 points. The Spurs bench also did better with 58 points while the Heats bench only had 26.

A lack of depth for the Heat is showing is this 3 game losing streak. Their recent performance seems to portray them as a team that is not ready to succeed in the playoffs.

CBA Talks Go Into Overtime

The initial deadline of the of the previously agreed upon CBA was Thursday at midnight. If the deadline had come, the NFLPA would've decertified in order to take their players' cause to the courts under anti-trust laws. However, the deadline did not arrive as they had extended the CBA for 24 hours. Talks continued today and it turns out that both sides agreed to another extension of the current CBA, for one week.

One more week to hashing out disagreements. This sounds like a good thing as they might be close to solving dividing issues. If you're an optimist, it sounds like they could get a new deal done by the end of the next business week. I, however, am a pessimist but to be honest there doesn't seem to be much negative possibilities to this. Maybe that a week isn't enough to settle the matter and that a lockout is inevitable but this extension makes me think that both sides don't want a lockout or the courts involved.

I still doubt a new CBA will be achieved by next weekend but it does seem that both sides will be able to get one by the start of next season.

P.S. Don't forget to listen to the Sports Khan every Thursday at 2 PM on Ksunradio.com... Pretty Good.

BYU Dismisses Davies and Then Loses to the Lobos

BYU has been on a great run this year as they are #3 in the country and are looking to wrap up a #1 seed in the tournament. Jimmer Fredette is shooting the ball well and the team is solid around him... or at least it was. Brandon Davies has been dismissed from the team for violating the school's Honor Code Policy. Davies was the team leader in rebounds averaging 6.2 a game. The Cougars played their first game without Davies and it did not go so well. The Cougars lost, 82-64, against the New Mexico Lobos. The Lobos had 4 players score 10 or more points in the game while the Cougars only had 1 player and that was Jimmer Fredette with 33 points.

Bad week for BYU as a top player is gone and they have lost their first game they've played since his dismissal. But still you have to sort of admire BYU for standing by their Honor Code and dismissing Davies. A lot of Universities could learn from their continual example to adhere to principals (Auburn, Florida, USC, Tennessee, etc.). True, it was for something the common person consider trivial nowadays (making the beast with two backs) but BYU is a religious institution that puts there policy on everyone that goes there. They make sure prospects (and potential students) know the Honor Code and that they stick to it.

I hope the Cougars still do well for the rest of the season but this loss may be a sign that they are not ready for a #1 seed.

Carson Palmer Considering Retirement

The NFL is on the edge of a lockout that could keep players away for a while but there might be one player that may not come back anyway. According to a "confidant," Carson Palmer says he would retire than play for the Bengals again. According to the report by WCPO-TV in Cincinnati, Palmer has said he has $80 Million in the bank and that he will never set foot in Paul Brown Stadium again.

Now Carson Palmer does sound like a diva that he usually throws to but consider the fact that Palmer has not had a successful career with the Bengals organization. Any time they have gotten close to making a playoff run to the Super Bowl, they've fallen flat on their faces. This team has just had a terrible postseason record and Palmer has just had enough of it and wants to try and win somewhere else.

Now are the Bengals going to give into Carson's demands and trade him? I would. You have a unhappy QB and you know you can get good value for him in a trade. You also have the 4th overall pick and are likely to get hold of a good quality QB to start over again. That's what the team is doing anyway. They are in no shape to make a postseason run. Might as well start over.

Of course they could just wait Palmer out and force him into early retirement out of spite but that would be the wrong move. My bet is that Palmer will play again but for someone else.

P.S. Please, 49ers, call the California native home.

Knicks get Beat by the Magic

It was just a couple nights ago that the Knicks defeated the Heat in Miami, 91-86. They were starting to stand out when they were knocked back down again by the Magic. The Knicks went to Orlando and lost to the Magic, 116-110, despite 30 points from Stoudemire and Billups each and 25 from Melo. The Magic's Dwight Howard had 30 points, himself, along with 16 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 2 assists. The Magic were a bit more spread out as 44 of their points came off the bench while the Knicks only had 11 points off the bench.

A big win for the Magic as they are trying to prove they still belong in the Eastern Conference Elite. As for the Knicks, this has to shake their confidence quite a bit.

P.S. Don't forget to listen to Ksunradio.com... Pretty Good. And also don't forget to listen to the Sports Khan live at 2 PM every Thursday.