Wonder what happened to Phil?

Here is part of Rick Reilly article on Phil Mickelson.

His wife got breast cancer. His mom got breast cancer. He got psoriatic arthritis so bad that he was walking up stairs at the U.S. Open like an 80-year-old man. He even gave up meat for a while. When Phil Mickelson, one of the great burger eaters in America today, gives up meat, you know it's serious. Then somehow, his luck turned even worse.

 "We've had a really scary time with [8-year-old son] Evan this year," Mickelson says. "There was a problem with his kidney. We think it must've been something that he got when we were in China [where Mickelson designs golf courses]. He was having to get tested every week and it really was worrying us. It looked like he was going to need surgery."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6246670
He won the masters by three. The emotional hug with Amy. But then, by June, more trouble.
"I'd be laying in bed and it would be like my wrists and ankles were on fire," he says. Psoriatic arthritis. His left pointer finger wouldn't bend. Try to swing a driver like that. He tried vegetarianism. Phil Mickelson, owner of Five Guys burgers franchises, eating vegetables? It was like seeing a lion at a salad bar.

At the U.S. Open, he'd finish his round, ride in the air-conditioned car for five minutes to the practice range and get out walking like Methuselah. He had to learn to inject himself in the thigh. "Freaky at first, but you get used to it," he says.

But what to put in the needles? They tried different medications, different doses, all of them with new side effects.
The timing couldn't have been worse. With Woods' life upside down, Mickelson had a chance to take over the No. 1 ranking in the world. Instead, he slid the other way. He fell from the doorsill of No. 1 to sixth today. Tiger is fifth.
"Two great players of the past," Johnny Miller called them.

If it is, if the grand Tiger Woods/Phil Mickelson era really has expired, let it be written that Tiger Woods' fatal wounds were self-inflicted while Mickelson's came from a piano falling on his head

J-  Sports is humbling.

While I am on a tangent to complain.

All of the screaming about Colleges and "One and Done" players is deafening.

First off, I think that the major league sports should accept the best players no matter the age and the collective bargaining agreement seems almost anti-capitalism.   Let them play and earn the money.  People having to go to Europe to play when they need money is ridiculous.

Back to my point, Before the one and done change from the NBA, these players were going directly to the NBA and if not they  always had the option to go hardship after their Freshman year.
   Because of this fact, I find most of the screaming to be hyperbole.
Yes, it does make the benches at Kentucky and Ohio State weaker, but it was happening when Magic and Bird played.

What if it is something else?

What if all of the AAU teams and Training has closed the gap on the 2nd tier players?

Thus the VCU and Butler's of the world are closer in talent and the players do not expect to be leaving as quickly and mature.  Thus the guard at VCU is every bit the talent that the 2-4 guard at Kentucky is after playing in more games and getting the experience that bench players at big schools miss.

 It is not because of one and done, but because of preparation, expectations and a willingness to work through the learning.  The reason more kids leave now is because of the huge amounts of money and the lack of discipline being played in the NBA games.

The modern High School Superstar has already played more highly competive games at 18 than Bird did in 3 years at Indiana State.


j

Rangers Manager

With the Rangers set to defend the pennant this year, I sat down to watch Babe interview Ron Washington on Sunday Night. 

Well my stomach turned on one question and so did my channel of preference.  I was strong in my opinion that he should have been fired last year and his handling of pitchers in the Playoffs gave me cause for concern.

Here is a summary of what was said.
Babe-  Do you felt it made you stronger as a person going through that (Drug situation)
Washington- No I was Strong already, my family became stronger.

When I heard this I wanted to Puke! 
Someone tell the boob that being strong doesn't lead to drug abuse.
J

Big 12 Blogger on 2010 Football Season

Not the most productive season for the Big 12.
Here is the bloggers comments.

And what about the Big 12 as a whole? Anything that happens within conference play is a bit of a wash, but here's everything I considered in the Big 12's grade.
No team in the thick of the national title race after mid-October. Missouri was the league's last undefeated team, but was beaten soundly by Nebraska a week after giving Oklahoma its first loss.

Good nonconference wins: Oklahoma over Florida State, Kansas over Georgia Tech, Nebraska over Washington by 35 in Seattle, Colorado over Georgia
Bad nonconference losses: North Dakota State over Kansas in Lawrence, UCLA over Texas in Austin
Overachieving teams: Oklahoma State, Baylor
Underachieving team: Kansas
Grossly underachieving team: Texas
Record vs. other BCS conferences: 11-9 (third-best among big six conferences)
Bowl record: 3-5 (tied for 10th among the conferences, better than only Conference USA)
Five teams finished in the top 25: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Texas A&;M and Missouri all finished their seasons ranked in both polls.

J  - Ouch.

If your Jonesing for some SEC College Football.

ESPN Schedule for Spring Games.
APRIL 9


1 p.m. ET: South Carolina (ESPN3.com)
4 p.m. ET: LSU (ESPN/ESPN3.com)
6 p.m. ET: Mississippi State (ESPN3.com*)

APRIL 16
1 p.m. ET: Georgia (ESPN3.com*)
3 p.m. ET: Alabama (ESPNU/ESPN3.com)
3 p.m. ET: Arkansas (ESPN/ESPN3.com)
3 p.m. ET: Auburn (ESPN3.com*)

* Games subject to blackout
j

What is the worst scouting report you have read? Poor Cam

I found this ont he SEC Blog on ESPN-

However, Nolan Nawrocki, who took over the Pro Football Weekly draft preview for the late Joel Buschbaum, absolutely torches Newton when discussing "negatives."


Nawrocki writes of Newton: "Very disingenuous -- has a fake smile, comes off as very scripted and has a selfish, me-first makeup. Always knows where the cameras are and plays to them. Has an enormous ego with a sense of entitlement that continually invites trouble and makes him believe he is above the law -- does not command respect from teammates and will always struggle to win a locker room . . . Lacks accountability, focus and trustworthiness -- is not punctual, seeks shortcuts and sets a bad example. Immature and has had issues with authority. Not dependable."

I have thought some of these things with certain people but this is a mouthful.
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/21049/draft-analyst-unloads-on-newton
j

Auburn

I have spent the last 3 days in Birmingham and have heard my share of Bama and Auburn football jabs.

Now s story comes out that 4 players admit to getting money to attend Auburn during the Tubby years.
At least with infractions in 2007 they will not cause Auburn to lose the NC trophy, but I am sure something else will come out. 

How come the southern teams are always being hit on TV, while the Ohio State, USC and the other markets have almost no new stories? If the drug bust sting wouldn't have reported it the Ohio State info would still be hidden.    In the recent past Bama was hammered for selling school books, so I would think that Ohio State should get a penalty twice as severe  since the coach was involved in the cover-up.  In the meantime, HBO and ESPN are digging in Auburn while the Midwest and Western schools are loading on criminals and selling sports items for services.
J

Fiesta Bowl Chronicles

One of the most confusing things I have seen in College Sports was the change from the in importance from the Cotton Bowl to the Fiesta Bowl.

 The Fiesta bowl seemed to come out of nowhere, they had no tradition, no fan base, but a warm climate.
Suddenly they were hosting national title games and a big player while the Cotton Bowl was delegated below the Citrus Bowl.
Well, history has a way of unfolding strange stories. The latest in crooked politics is coming out of AZ with the Bowl  PAYOFFS.  We may finally know the real reason why the Cotton Bowl disappeared. They learned to grease the palms of the right politicians.  With this anything can happen, especailly during a time that independents like Miami, ND and Penn State were ruling the world and a bowl without a conference affiliation allowed for the perfect game.

What a funny story has unfolded this month while the money makers consider adding the Cotton Bowl in Arlington to the BCS.   Jerry's World opens up and suddenly the cheating payments behind the scenes come to public media.   Jerry must have used his Bill and HIlliary ties to get this one out so soon.

J

Mavs and 50 wins. - I think I posted this last year.

For the 11th straight year the Mavs won 50 games, which is truly a great feat.

Here is the negative side from and artilcel on ESPN
Consider the exclusive company:
*Bill Russell’s Celtics won at least 50 games for 10 straight seasons, spanning from 1958-59 to 1967-68. Boston won nine championships during that decade-long run, plus another after going 48-34 in the 1968-69 season.
*Magic Johnson’s Lakers won at least 50 games in 12 straight seasons, starting with his rookie campaign in 1979-80. The Lakers held five championship parades in downtown Los Angeles during that era.
*Tim Duncan’s Spurs recently extended their 50-win run to a dozen straight seasons. They’ve won three titles during that run, plus one more in the lockout-shortened season right before the streak started.

J
Maybe I should hate the Spurs, but I just enjoy the wins.


No wonder Nowitzki can’t even muster up false excitement about hitting 50 wins again, a streak that is evidence of his excellence and owner Mark Cuban's commitment. Historic as it is, it’s a hollow accomplishment without at least one ring.

The New Offenses in College Basketball.

After spending time watching the Dribble Drive and motion offenses for the last few years, I have some definite points of view.

1. Dribble Drive- The lack of screens creates severe issues with this offense at cruch time.
The defenses are literally an inch away and focused creating many difficult shots.
Kentucky was running many more screens this year, if Coach Cal runs that last year all of those missed 3pts FGs against WVA would have been lay ups and they would have hoisted the trophy.

2.  Motion offense- The winner to me. Spread them out - Use Screens- Ball and Back Screens to get free space and mismatches on switches.

J.

Cowboy Draft Talk

Some writers are in the mode to speculate, So I will join them.
9th Pick on the board, what would I do.

1.  If Peterson drops past 2, trade the farm.
2.  Would I pick a Green or Jones at WR? 
      Depends on Garrett's future- Long Term or Short Term.
     Long Term, Yes on Green, as I have said before I think he is the 2nd most impactful player in draft.
     Short Term,  Romo runs for his life on nearly every play OLINE Sucks and the D Line is WEAK.
Get rid of Roy UNO UNO, let Miles and Green push super freak Bryant.  He is a first round trade at anytime.
3.  OL or DL-  I go OLINE everyday, they are pathetic and if its not the OLINE Coaches fault or the strength coach.  They just suck. 
I see where Red Jesus was at USC pro day watching Tyron Smith. 
If he doesn't play tough, I hope they pass on him, even if he is the most talented.  I see where he gained 25 pounds to get ready for PRO Day and still ran good times. Is this a guy that worked hard in his years at USC, I dont know, but 25lbs seems like he just decided to prepare.
The DLine guys to me drop significantly after those top 4.  But you cannot teach heart so maybe they find a steal later.
4.  DB- Our Nebraska CB seems to be in Flux, but I would take him if he truly can play man to man press coverage. Heck even if he can't, at least they would have a safety that can play coverage.

Final 4

The final 4 teams, as crazy as they look from a distance, probably represent exactly where the sport is.  You have 2 young talented teams who have worked and peaked late in the year, you have an experienced but less-talented team with a great coach, and you have a true cinderella.  This is what we should expect going forward as the big programs exist with youngsters who are unpredictable and there is room for programs like Butler to build strong teams with players who play 3-4 years.  It's fun but I miss the great teams.

S

TX HS Hockey

You may remember last year this time I posted that Allen High won state in Hockey, won a prestigous tournament out West, then went to the National Tournament, advanced through the round-robin and lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion.  Well, this year Southlake won state, went to Nationals, won 5 games, advanced to the finals, but lost to the same team that won last year from Illinois, 3-0.  Texas high school hockey is becoming a real force and the teams up north are taking notice.

http://www.usahockey.com/Tournament/TournamentScheduleUser.aspx?EventID=2645&AgeDivisionID=1898

S 

Final Four - Wow

Where do we start with this group of teams?
VCU or Butler will be in Finals?  Butler two years in a row? Wow.

VCU- What a job this coach has done preparing his defense to attack everyone. I have been wrong

Butler- Can anyone really believe they are in 2 Final Fours in a row.  Someone needs to offer this guy big bucks.

UCONN- Prior to December this was a probable final 4 pick for everyone, but then they fell apart with the NCAA scandals.    Now, Walker has looked great and they should definitely be favored.

Kentucky- I will be pulling for these freshman next weekend.  It is enjoyable to watch them pressure on defense and pull up on offense if the fast breaks isn't there.   Coach Cal is special!

Who would have thought that the SEC would have two teams in final 8 and the city of Richmond would add 2 of there own?

J

I really hate the UCONN will probably win this thing. 
I want a Bulter/Kentucky Finals.

The Feliz Quandry

Rangers want to make Feliz a starter, but have no ready closer for the pen.  Still no decision.  I don't think we can afford it without a closer in the wings.  I give him another year in the pen to work on other pitches, and either discover a closer in the minors or deal for one.  My hope is that he is eventually a starter.

S

Richmond Basketball.

It is truly a unique day for Richmond and it is very pleasing for me to watch.

How can two teams from Richmond, VA be in the Sweet 16?

The story VCU and Richmond advancing is truly amazing in the world of big time athletics.

Richmond Va, is the about the same population as Shreveport, LA at 204,000.

That is where the similarities end. 

"Within 500 miles of Richmond you will findHalf of the Population of the United States"

Wow
J

Baseball Comments on a rivalry.

Another funny thing about perceptions in baseball.  
Here is an example of a superstar supposedly getting calls and the players awe of media darlings.

This is part of the ESPN article on Buck Showalter.

"The first time we went to Yankee Stadium, I screamed at Derek Jeter from the dugout," Showalter said in Men's Journal, according to the Bergen Record. "Our guys are thinking, 'Wow, he's screaming at Derek Jeter.' Well, he's always jumping back from balls just off the plate. I know how many calls that team gets -- and yes, he [ticks] me off."


Buck is right, Jeter does get favorable treatment.
j

Officiating in Tourney.

Maybe its my past years of officiating, but I have seen some calls in this tourney that are difficult to accept at the end of the games.

1. - The back court call was inexcusable.   It is a rule that creates fan reactions because of the vagueness of the rule, but an official shouldn't miss this type of call.

2.  Texas 5 Second call was predetermined but more understandable and wrong.

3.  The Pitt-Bradley foul with 0.9 seconds left for the foul on the arm.
Was it a foul?  Yes. 
Should it have been called after the hacking going on during the last 5 minutes...No.

The first two calls should be reviewable on instant replay in the tournament during the last 2 minutes.

J.

I like the hire in Arkansas.

Mike Anderson leaving Missou to go back to Fayetteville is great for the SEC.

I like his offense and defense, pressure all over the court.   Maybe he can fill that huge arena back up and bring back the Sutton and Richardson days.  

111-57 in five seasons at Missouri.

Next up, Maybe Johnson will leave LSU and they will go get Johnny Jones from North Texas.


J.

Dez Bryant - Why?

How does a multi millionaire get kicked out of a mall and reported banned for 3 months.

What a ridiculous story coming out of Dallas.

Here is part of the article:
Bryant has a history of problems at the mall, according to the police report, including an incident at a store where police had to intervene after the wide receiver cut in line and a parking citation for parking in the fire lane. Bryant was also involved in a "major disturbance" at one of the mall's restaurants with an unknown woman. Police were called, but both Bryant and the woman were gone before they arrived.

It looks like Mr Bryant is still thinking that the establishment is out to get him.
Jerry is going to add a few wrinkles before Dez leaves town.
http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/news/story?id=6248159

J

My New Favorite Golfer

Bubba Watson.  I read the SI feature this week.  Never had a lesson, has a swing no teacher would ever teach, has pocketed around $6 million playing his way.  I hope he can stand the criticism when the talking heads rip him when he's in contention on Sundays on television.  The golf establishment won't cotton to someone who won't conform.

S

Rock Band Bracket Update - Elite Eight

The Elite Eight in the Herd's rock band tournament:

Stones (1)
AC/DC (3) - took out Nirvanna

Led Zeppelin (1)
Eagles (2)

Aerosmith (4) - upset U2
Pink Floyd (2)

Beatles (1)
Guns 'N Roses (3) - got by Van Halen

Vote at:  http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/story?id=6177864&match=109045#top

S

NAIA Tourney

Do I qualify as a junkie?  March Madness is great.

I have purchased the NAIA package and LSUS games should start around 10PM.
Win and go to final 8.   LSUS is going for first quarterfinals in school history.
Can the 3 pointers keep falling in the big arena?  I hope so.


I must admit it is nice to not to have to listen to Barkley, Smith and Anthony.
My NCAA games are muted for the next two hours.

J

Smart and Marcus

I was somewhat surprised during the TX Championship game and agree with you on the lack of visible quickness for Smart.   The game itself was rather hard to watch.  I was left scratching my head with the collapse of the Marcus players with Garland's full court press.  Truthfully neither team looked any more impressive than the 4A and 5A schools I watched in LA championships.  I do realize the depth is probably better, but pure talent and speed is similar.

On a positive, Smart has a better outside shot than I expected and he has a NBA body.

The most impressive thing I saw him do was after the game.

Smart did a "somersault and back flip" on the court after the buzzer sounded. 
I guess his explosiveness is hidden for the time being.

J

Marcus Smart - TX Player of the Year

Flower Mound's Marcus Smart got 5A player of the year; he is a junior.  He was listed at 6-5 all year, but today they had him at 6-4 in the paper.  He plays point guard and controls the game.  I think he'll go to a big school, but I'm not overly impressed at this point.  I don't see much quickness although he is strong and somewhat athletic.  That championship game was pathetic on all counts.

S

Superstars in Tourney.

When I watch this years games it becomes more evident that there is a lack of a superstar in college this year.  Kemba Walker at 6'1 is good, but I just haven't seen the wow factor that I expected.

Jimmer Fredette is fun to watch and will absolutely shoot from anywhere.
But at 6'2, he will really have trouble later in the tourney. 
I was hoping he would be as good as Scott Skiles was at Michigan State, but its not close.

Sullinger as a frosh has smooth moves and the bulk to create space, but will he is no Oden.

Marcus Morris,  He may be the best player and I just have seen games in which he disappears, but I haven't seen him take over yet.  I really wanted to pick Kansas to win this tourney.

JaJuan Johnson at 6'10 with an outside shot, he scores when he needs to but he is not the physical freak we have grown accustomed too.

J

Vols Pathetic Display

Chad called me with a simple question.
How does a SEC team lose by 30 to a Big 10 team in tourney? (75-45 to Michigan )

Admittedly, I am confused and can only say this:
"Character matters" 
Bruce Pearl and his ridiculous ride of cheating, lying and living on emotion finally killed his team.

I would assume that this display has signalled the end of Pearl in Knoxville.
j

Basketball Madness

My infinite knowledge of this years basketball bracket is lacking. I missed 7 of the games yesterday and all 4 last night to kill my bracket.

On a positive note,  LSUS Pilots advanced as the number 4 seed in KC last night.
They will play tonite at 945pm after the 106-80 win.

J.

Bracket Challenge

I have been getting comments on my delay for setting up the Tourney Bracket.
Here it is: http://games.espn.go.com/frontpage


You will need a free Espn ID, so sign up it only takes a minute.
Chad will set our prize schedule and acknowledgement later.

Group Name- PGR BBALL TIME
Group Type: Private
Group Creator: JAC
Group Motto: "We know how to play"
Group Password (Password): SEC Help

J

Fab Five

Another great show by ESPN.  Some impressions:

• God Chris Webber was a force of nature.  He should have been better than any of his contemporaries at power forward in the NBA.  But he wasted some years being the spoiled athlete and then the knee injury killed that amazing explosiveness.  Ah, those hands!
• It truly was a mind-blowing accomplishment in that era of college basketball for 5 freshmen to go to the finals.  Even 5 sophomores getting to the finals is amazing.  The talent was just absurd.
• I forgot how highly Jimmy King was rated in high school.  The graphic they showed had Webber #1, Rose #3, Howard #5, King #11, and Ray Jackson #46.  Four of the top 11 in one class!
• Mitch Albom's recollections about Webber asking for pizza money makes you really think about the allegations against him.
• I find Jalen Rose interesting and candid, and I didn't have much of a problem with much that he said.  Uncle Tom was obviously over the top, but the rest of his comments were I think honest and made sense.
• I disagree with J regarding Rose's career.  He played 13 years in the NBA and averaged 14.3 pts.  He had 5 years averaging more than 18.  He had limits; not a pure shooter, lacked quickness.  I think he got about as much out of his career as I would expect.
• The idea that this group under-achieved is totally ridiculous.  Webber bailed after 2 years.  As sophomores they went 26-4, gained a #1 seed, then went 5-1 in the tourney losing in the finals to Carolina.  31-5 as sophs and #2 in the country is under-achieving?

I admit that I pulled for this hip-hop revolutionary group.  I loved Webber's pure talent, King was from Plano, Jackson from Austin, and I remember that Rose was the heart of the team, making the big plays, handling all the pressure ball-handling at 6'8".  They did not fold or back down from the expectations.  I for one will remember them fondly.

S

Bracket Choices

I really dislike the trend with the NCAA committee toward picking teams based on "quality losses" and conversely picking apart teams' wins.  I have absolutely zero interest in seeing major conference teams with records like Marquette (20-14) and Illinois (19-13) just to name a couple.  So what if they are actually among the best 68 teams in the nation?  I don't think that should be the goal of the committee.  Those teams had their chances during the year and they finished in the middle of the pack in their conference.  Who needs to see them again?  I would much rather see teams with great records in small conferences get their shot, like Harvard at 23-6.  This bracket is filled with teams with 12, 13, 14 losses.  I just think it's stupid and does nothing to make the tournament more exciting.

S

Bossier Peabody- 4A about to start.

Now that Devonte Frances got Bossier past Salmen, I think they can beat this Peabody team barring foul trouble for Frances. 

The game he played against Salmen was amazing,  He literally collapsed the Salmen offense with his quickness.   He sat out about 8 minutes of the game and let Salmen get ahead before Bossier won in OT when NSU signee West made a shot with 1 second left.  Great game.

It maybe the first title in Bossier since 1960.

J.

Jalen Rose

I am glad you posted on this article because I was trying to avoid the subject.

Two Things:
1.  Never have I wanted to hear Jalen Rose open his mouth.  I find him elementary and jaded toward things that will not accept his lazy and anti-establishment mindset.

2.  Calling people that play at Duke "Uncle Tom's" is flat out disgusting and racist.

Duke is a lot of things, presumptuous, arrogant, a better representative of the population in terms of race and a winner on the court, but this kind of slander is just sickening.   I praise Duke for avoid the thugs when they can.  

Beside Jalen Rose was an incredible talent that never lived up to his potential.  Between he and Webber the issues they had off the court it is ashamed they never reached the level of skill they could have.
J.

Jalen Rose Comments about Duke

Jalen Rose comments in the new 30/30 show about the Fab 5 that he hated Duke and everything they stood for because they didn't and wouldn't recruit kids like him.  Meaning inner city kids.  This brought back this feeling I always had about Duke and Coach K that they were basically snobs; recruiting only rich white kids and rich black kids.  When they did bring in the edgier kids like Elton Brand and Corey Magette, they couldn't get out of there fast enough because of what Brand referred to as the blatantly snobbish fan base.

I've certainly softened regarding Duke although I still don't really pull for them.  I dislike snobs more than just about any group of people.  But I have to recognize that Coach K knows what kind of kids can fit in at Duke and which ones will likely have trouble.  The alums, fans, and students are overwhelmingly upper or upper middle class with the attitudes that go along with it.  Duke is what it is and they make do pretty well without the inner city players.  I don't see it ever changing.

S

Efficiency Rankings

I frequently take a glance at the NBA efficiency rankings, but I don't typically re-sort it using the 48-min column which corrects for certain players playing tons of minutes, or very few.  Some very interesting results:

• Why the Lakers are still the team to beat: Gasol is 6th, Bynum 16th, Kobe 21st, and Odom 26th.  Four of the top 26 most efficient/productive players in the league.
• Kevin Love is 1st whether sorting by total score or by score/48 min.  He has 1 year left on his deal.  Who is going to make a run at him?
• Dwight Howard has taken it to another level.  I always criticized him for having no offense, but he is improving rapidly; his line now reads 23-14 with 2.3 blocks.  2nd in efficiency/48 min.
• Surprisingly high: Love 1st, Gasol 6th, Blake Griffin 7th, Al Horford 10th, Tyson Chandler 24th.
• Surprisingly low: Durant 22nd and Carmelo 25th (pure scorers only)
• Tim Duncan at his age is still 11th per 48 min. and Steve Nash 15th.

S

Young Gun Point Guards

The story on Derrick Rose in SI this week was very interesting.  He seems to be almost the anti-modern athlete; hard not to like how he is going about his career.  There is much debate on who is the best point guard in the NBA right now with this group of young guns making a lot of noise.  I took a look at the current stats:

Rose:  24.6 pts  8.1 ast  1.0 stl  .442 fg%  .328 3pt%  .840 ft%  6'3" 200
Williams:  20.8  10.2  1.2  .450  .333  .849  6'3" 210
Paul:  15.9  9.6  2.4  .467  .423  .893  6'0" 175
Westbrook:  22.4  8.4  1.8  .442  .315  .841  6'3" 190

I also looked at efficiency rating per 48 minutes; Westbrook is 18th, Paul 20th, Williams 29th, and Rose 32nd.

Williams has been my favorite because of his size and all-around game.  But Westbrook and Rose are closing fast and Rose probably has the most upside.  If I had to build a team?  Rose.  But tough call, these guys are all really good.

S

The Big 10 and Ohio State - So much for that self reported honest rep.

Last week SI shows the incredibly high number of criminals playing on a few of the upper echelon teams in the Big 10.   This following Ohio State's issues prior to the Sugar Bowl and Coach Tressel and the admin denying any knowledge to the NCAA in January.

Today Tressel was fined 250k and a two game suspension for the lies.

(Well, I still enjoy the Penn State issues finally being reported on Joe Pa and his fake rep. )

Now, the letters are out on Ohio State and Tressel knowing about everything prior to the season.

They were notified during spring football of last year with details of the players and what was happening.
Emails are being published showing Coach had information that the players were dealing with a convicted criminal and known suspect in drug issues.

The NCAA needs to come clean on what they are doing and treat all schools equally.

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/documents-read-the-actual-jim-tressel-emails-29547
j

Scouts Inc.writer has article on LB Sean Lee

My frequent comments on my displeasure with the Sean Lee's lack of playing time last year is well documented.  He looked like a bolt of lightning compared to James and Brooking.  He can make the sweep a 1 yard gain instead of the 4 yards due to lack of reaction time currently being played in Dallas.

Here is a scouts view of Sean Lee and part of the last paragraph.

At this point, Lee’s path to playing time isn’t real clear, but I don’t think it will take long before he proves to be the best inside linebacker on the Dallas roster.
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/25572/soon-to-be-stars-sean-lee

I cannot stand to watch pro teams that play veterans because of experience over talent.

j

Cowboys in need of a Safety.

I found and interesting blog on what the Cowboys can do at Safety without a draft pick.
First the article questioned not going after O.J. Atogwe and Bob Sanders in free agency, telling people to feel free to panic.

The positive side of the article. The possiblity to sign any of the following six players: Michael Huff, Quintin Mikell, Eric Weddle, Danieal Manning, Dawan Landry or Brodney Pool.


Huff is the player getting the biggest scuttle and this would make me very happy.
j

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/25578/cowboys-have-plenty-of-options-at-safety

College FB Criminals

Regarding J's earlier post on this subject; I read the story today and it's eye-opening.  No surprise when it comes to schools with a recruiting disadvantage like Boise taking the character-issue players.  Bobby Petrino also does not surprise me; he has always been an ass and I won't be surprised if he leaves ARK with a black eye before it's all done.  Iowa surprises me.

I think the TCU model where Patterson sits with a committee and discusses each scholarship offer makes sense.  There has to be input from several sources before making a decision on some borderline cases.  There is a big difference between being in a bar fight vs. robbing people at gun point like the Utah kid.  Utah should be ashamed to even consider putting someone on scholarship who has robbed people at gun point.  I mean really?

Then, schools have to make the decision on whether they will risk the embarassment for wins, like Pitt.  What kind of president and AD do you have to allow 22 players with a criminal background to be on scholarship in your football program?  That's more than embarassing for the school and the whole state since Pitt represents PA.

But, here's a question: if LSU was on the top of this list, would we stop watching and pulling for them, or would we make excuses like the fans at Pitt, Iowa, Boise, etc. will do?  The answer is that most fans don't care and so there is little incentive for these schools to clean it up.  As long as attendance is good and TV ratings are good, their world is perfectly OK.

S

Some Love for Love

Tonight against the Mavs, Kevin Love tied Moses Malone's record of 51 consecutive double-doubles.  Despite foul trouble he grabbed 17 boards, 1 more than his league-topping average for the year.  In addition to his 21-16 nightly line, he makes some amazing passes and hits 42% from 3-pt range.  Watching him play is a treat because he plays with no ego and works his butt off.  Love is a guy you can build around; unfortunately he is exiled in Minn where there is little hope.  He would quickly become my favorite player if I could see him play more often.

S

NFLPA Health Gripes

I find it ridiculous that the players' association is whining about 18 games and better health care when they across the board have resisted the NFL's attempts to police head shots.  Most teams and players have completely ignored the new rules designed to reduce head injuries and their long-term affects.  I'll believe they are concerned about the players' health when I see some changes in the way they tackle and stop spearing and trying to decapitate each other.

S

TX State Roundball

FM Marcus (37-1) and Garland Lakeview (36-1 with 35 wins in a row) have been ranked 1 and 2 for most of this year in 5A and remain on a collision course this weekend.  Both will face underdogs Friday in Austin for the right to play the final Saturday night.  The UIL will try to stage 6 finals on Saturday at the UT Erwin Center.  They tip off at 8:30am with 1A.

S

Michael Young Saga

Some comments on this ongoing saga between the Rangers and Michael Young.  It's very unusual to find such contention between a franchise icon and the team he came up with.  As a recap, Young has been a fixture for Texas for 10 years, has a .300 career average with a little pop, and is the franchise all-time hits leader with over 1,800.  He moved from 2nd base to accomodate Alfonso Soriano and later moved to 3rd base to accomodate Elvis Andrus.  Through all the losing and the position moves, Young continued to hit and be the unquestioned leader in the clubhouse.

Jon Daniels bungled the relationship with Young this off-season leading to a rift between the 2.  Asking Young to switch positions a 3rd time and pursuing a trade left him feeling understandably unwanted, and he feels that Daniels has been dishonest during the process.  Despite all of this, I actually think the Rangers have done what is necessary to make the team better and it tells me that this management group is willing to make tough calls to produce a winner.

Young's defense is very average, he lacks speed or a great arm.  As this team has improved across the board, his deficiencies have been magnified.  The roving utility player role that the Rangers have proposed is probably the best fit for him because he can do a good job at about 5 positions on the field and will hit in the clutch.  And his clubhouse skills are invaluable.  Yes, he could start for several teams, but Texas is talented enough now that he just doesn't belong in the starting lineup each day.

It's a tough call for a franchise and a player who deserves better.  Young could become a thorn and force a trade, or take his 400 at-bats and continue to be a positive influence on a young team.  At 34 no one wants to be told his best days are over, but I think the Rangers have made the best decision and given Young the best role possible given his declining skills.  I'm hopeful it will work and won't be a season long soap opera.

S

Herd Rock Band Bracket

The Collin Cowherd show on ESPN radio released their 64-team rock band bracket today.  The link is below.  The top seeds:

1. Rolling Stones
2. Nirvana (overrated)
3. AC/DC
4. The Police

1. Led Zeppelin
2. The Eagles
3. The Doors (overrated)
4. Metallica

1. U2
2. Pink Floyd
3. The Who
4. Aerosmith

1. The Beatles (not a rock band)
2. Van Halen
3. Guns 'n Roses
4. Jimi Hendrix Experience

Inexplicably left out: Credence Clearwater Revival, R.E.M.

Not rock bands: Earth, Wind, & Fire, Parliament

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/story?page=bracket/rockbands

S

My initial top draft picks for Jonathan.

Jonathan and I were talking about what I should post.
My top draft picks.
1.  Peterson- Shut down CB are just so rare.
2.  Green- 6'4 with hands and smooth routes.
3.  Dareus- Bigger and Stronger than Fairly with the ability to play two positions
4.  Fairley-  Dominant in the best conference in America.
5.  Bowden- I hate that he missed the year, he was a freak the year before.
6.  Quinn-  He is a freak athletically, but I worry about him for an unknown reason.
7.  Von Miller- I like his ability to get past people.
8.  Julio Jones-  An animal athletically that will block.
9. Prince Amukamara- You cannot have enough DB's that can tackle.
10. Blaine Gabbert- Redskins at 10?

j

Golf

Did you realize that the top 4 players in the world are all Europeans?

1. Kaymer
2. Westwood
3. Donald.
4. McDowell
This hasn't happened since the Faldo, Woosman, Lyle, Seve years.
We should have see this coming with the Ryder Cup dominance, it has turned into a European fanfest spectacle. 

More is coming with McIroy and Casey a couple of wins away.  They are climbing fast to pass the Tigerless and Phil at 5 and 6 slot.

My Rant:
The cause is something you have heard me scream about for years, the "Cookie Cutter" teachers in America making everyone swing the same way.  They take originality away from the young guns with the mental requirements and teach them to be robotic.  Thus they lose the ability to grow into their own movements.
 
Someone has to let the players have flaws and NO FEAR!  I always fear the player.
How can a player go real low and score with thoughts of an unnatural swing in the back of his mind?  
Speaking from personal experience (I know I am not on that level), the worse thing in golf is high pressure and thinking about mechanical thoughts.  It creates tension in your swing and the putting stroke suffers with your lack of easy putts from easy putts.

S,
I started complaining about this when it started in the 80's. 

People just have different muscle and ligament elasticity and I absolutely believe that letting a person get in a groove naturally allows for greatness. Tiger never had the prototypical coaching and dominated, Phil refused to let his swing become mechanical and is a hall of famer. Tiger is a just freak of nature with his mental approach to putting and explosion, this is the same characteristics Jack Nicklaus dominated with during his time.  Tiger has now fallen because he became mechanical in his approach to golf and forgotten what we learn as kids, No Fear is more fun and contagious.

La High School Semis Set.

Bossier and Evangel are the only teams from Bossier/Shreveport to survive the weekend. 

The only North La schools that I think will win State are Zwolle and Pleasant Hill.
I really want Bossier to win, but I am not sure Francis can stay out of foul trouble while trying to
make things happen when Salmen gets past the first line of defense.
Evangel has Riverside if they win the semis and they are just too talented for Evangel.

4A
Bossier will play Salmen Friday at 430pm.
Peabody plays Northside  Friday at 8pm.
The winner will play on Sunday at 530pm.

2A
Evangel plays Friday at 245pm
Riverside plays Episcopal-
Winner plays Sat at 6pm.

1A- Grambling plays Southern Lab

In Class B- Zwolle is playing Castor 245 Thursday.
                  Rapides -Fairview.
Winner at 2pm Sat.

Class C-
Pleasant Hill and Pelican could meet in Finals.

5A is Brother Martin-St Aug  and Scottlandville - John Ehret.
8 of the 28 are from North La with 2 more from the Monroe area.
 7 of the 28 teams are from the New Orleans area. 
Lafayette Area had a good year with 5 teams.
http://lhsaa.org/images/db_sports/583.pdf
j

LSUS PIlots Claim 6th Tourney Title in a row.

71-67 Final.
 The 5th ranked LSUS Pilots beat the 3rd ranked Texas Wesleyan Rams to win the conference tournament.  LSUS won 2 of the 3 matches this year, both teams winning at home until this neutral court affair.

I talked to the Pilots coach after the game and he summed it up best, it was a game of two halves.
High scoring in the first half and a defensive match in the 2nd half.  The game really slowed down in the 2nd half,  LSUS was up 64-47 with 10min to go and the Rams made a close game. 

He did make the comment, it was like a national tournament game.
The perfect tune up for the national tournament in Kansas City.

http://www.lsus.edu/athletics/pilots-claim-their-6th-straight-conference-tournament-title
 
j

Patrick Peterson.

I have been very adamant about drafting Peterson number 1 since last fall.
Here are the comments after the Combine.

http://blogs.nfl.com/2011/03/04/could-lsus-peterson-go-no-1/

j

Duke - UNC

ESPN's Headline was UNC Steals Title from Duke.
I never expected Duke to not win the ACC.
This Duke team needs to adjust on Defense and learn to shot better.  Losing the Frosh PG has really hurt this teams ability to attack. 

Compliments to the Tar Heels,  they have improved a ton with their Frosh PG.  It seems Drew2 was a drain on team chemistry.

How can any school with Tar Heel Blue in their school colors not copy the Dean Dome!!

J

Follow up on Top 8 players in Draft and Julio Jones.

It has been interesting to watch some draft experts trying to stick to the mid first round label mistakenly placed on him during the year.
Julio Jones may not be better than Green, but he is a monster.
I personally would draft Green 2nd in this draft behind Peterson.   DB's and WR's are game changers.

Follow up on Jones- How about this for a person being willing to compete in pain.
He found out in before he was set to compete, that he needed a surgery to repair his broken foot.  
Jones chose to run against the other WR's and blew the other players away with a broken foot!.

On NFL.com Gil Bryant listed his tier 1 players.  I listed them below.
(I will exclude QB's as I find it ridiculous with this years QB draft picks. )
Top 8 Players in the draft.
5 SEC Players-Dareus,Fairly, Peterson, Green, Jones. 
The other 3-Von Miller the aggies and 2 ACC players.-Quinn and Bowers.


And the SEC rolls on and on!
J

SI article on Criminals in College Football.

In some ways I really wish this article had surprised me.
It shows how turning the other cheek is OK in big time athletics.

Two primary states for football players do not share juvenile records -  Texas and California, so the data may be a bit off.  With that in mind, I tend to smirk at the Texas, Oklahoma and California schools low numbers.

SI listed the top 25 teams from their 2010 preseason rankings with the number of criminal players.

It did shed light on a few things.  
Joe Pa is what I thought he was  "A Big Hypocrite."
(The Big 10 came out worse than I even expected.)

The moral of the story, keep your kids away from college football teams.
40percent of these crimes are considered serious. 

SCHOOL- PLAYERS CHARGED
1.  Pitt 22
2. IOWA 18
2. ARKANSAS 18
4. BOISE STATE 16
4. PENN STATE 16
6. VIRGINIA TECH 13
7. WISCONSIN 9
7. OKLAHOMA 9
7. FLORIDA STATE 9
10. MIAMI 8
11. OHIO STATE 7
11. OREGON 7
11. USC 7
15. ALABAMA 5
15. NORTH CAROLINA 5
15. CINCINNATI 5
15. UTAH 5
19. NEBRASKA 4
19. GEORGIA TECH 4
19. OREGON STATE 4
22. LSU 3
23. TEXAS 2
24. STANFORD 1
25. TCU 0


http://www.sportsillustratedeverywhere.com/issues/protected/com.timeinc.si.web.inapp.03072011/rap-sheets-recruits-and-repercussions-5016.html

j

FM Marcus Update

The UIL ruled yesterday that FM Marcus guard Marcus Smart is eligible for the playoffs.  I find this another confusing example of an organization not enforcing their own rules.  The by-laws state that any attempt to recruit a player for the purpose of participating in UIL sports is prohibited, and recruiting can be defined as offering a student "board or lodging".  Phil Forte is the booster club president for FM Marcus and is reportedly charging the Smart family little more than half of market value for rent on the home.  As an AAU coach, it is clear to me that Forte recognized Smart as a talent, wanted him in Flower Mound, and offered the home to the family.  A clear intent to recruit.

It's a sham and a mockery, a shamockery.

S

Rangers Camp/Payroll

Evan Grant calculated today that the Rangers' payroll increased to $94 million for 2011, about a 70% increase from '10.  Greenberg and Ryan are bringing a huge optimism to the organization.  They already spent a mint on stadium upgrades for this season.

As usual pitching is the question.  Wilson and Lewis will anchor.  They are hoping for Brandon Webb to be at full strength by May.  The newest prospect being closely watched is 6'5" starter Tanner Scheppers who dominated at AA last year but struggled in September in AAA.  In yesterday's one inning of work all of his fastballs topped 95 mph and Grant says his repetoire is superior to Feliz although the fastball is 2-3 mph slower.

One note in his column gave me pause today; he said that the Rangers could have had Matt Garza if they would have included Mitch Moreland in the package.  Surely that can't be true.  I like Moreland, but Garza is a front-line starter.

S

Aroldis Chapman 105mph Fastball

This mornings USA Today paper they had an article on the Cuban defector pitching for the Reds.
The 23 year old will pitch again out of the bullpen this year.

The paper listed some of his freakish accomplishments: 
This happened in a Sept 24 game in San Diego last year.
1.  His first 3 pitches in MLB= 102mph 102mph 103mph...Strikeout against Adrian Gonzalez-He swung at all pitches.
2.  He hit 104MPH on the gun 3 times and then 105MPH.

There is little doubt in my mind that I have never seen anything like this.
MLB hitters will rue the day, if he learns control and the intricacies of how to pitch.
j
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/reds/2011-02-28-aroldis-chapman-pitcher_N.htm