I am going to apologize for any grammatical errors in this post ahead of time. I am way too lazy and tired tonight to read through this twice. I (would like to say 'recently' here...but it was too recent) made a post with some predictions and some have come true, some have yet to conclude, and some were wrong of course. A lot has happened since I last posted, some of it good for the sporting world and some of it awful. Sportscenter is still in existence nearly 24 hours a day so obviously not all is perfect in the world of sports.
Since I haven't had time to get my Lebron hate out of me in so long why not continue that now. As far as his decision to join the Heat with DWade and Bosh, I don't blame him one bit. But it does prove the fact that the NBA is changed from it's past, no longer do all the stars want to win with themselves as the only ones in the spotlight. However, the way he announced his decision was absolutely ridiculous and the tiniest fractions of respect I had for his athletic ability -- not his character or basketball skill -- have completely vanished. I honestly dislike him more than any other human being on the planet. That is all.
DELMON YOUNG ANYONE?? 'Nuff said.
Jul 25, 2010
Jun 1, 2010
Predictions
It's been awhile folks and for that I apologize. Not only am I temporarily crippled from trying to stop a moving car, but I work at a job where I am able to be on a computer and I still haven't posted lately. Some predictions:
Prediction #1. Ubaldo Jimenez will win at least 26 games this year for the Rockies while losing less than 9....but his ERA will rise to over 2 by the end of the season. In the long term he will go on to win 2 Cy Young awards, and probably won't make the Hall of Fame because he will eventually test positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs. Gotta love the MLB, right?
Prediction #2. This isn't much of a stretch but.....Derek Fisher's elbow is going to find the face of someone from the Celtics sometime during the NBA Finals. He has been known to be one of the toughest and most physical (sometimes looked upon as cheap) players in the game and won't back down if he feels that he needs to stick up for himself or one of his teammates. Luis Scola knows how this works firsthand.
Prediction #3. If the Celtics win the championship: Kevin Garnett will not give another interview where none of us can understand what he is saying because he's screaming the whole time. However, I don't rule out a few random screams in the middle of the interview. Here's his interview after his first championship. Notice he does give a shoutout to us Minnesota fans. "This is for everybody in 'Sota"
Prediction #4. If the Lakers win the championship: Kobe will cement his place in history as one of the winningest players in history and Phil Jackson will retire despite the rumors that will pair him with Lebron in who knows what town. We will also see another ridiculously dumb celebration by Adam Morrison like these that he has done in the past.
Prediction #5. The Lakers win the championship. Adam Morrison cries.
Prediction #6. Getting my hourly wage that I am getting here at work while writing this is going to be the most someone ever pays me to write. 1) I am just not that good.. 2) In this economy, people like spending their money on more reasonable things like large SUV's and Kit Kat bar's... 3) Rick Reilly isn't old enough for me to take over his job yet... 4) I won't seek a writing job because I am going to replace Andrew Bynum as the Lakers center. I hear my knee is better off than both of his are and I would actually try during the game.
Prediction #7. Garrett Wittels won't break Robin Ventura's 58 game hit streak. He will get drafted in the next MLB draft somewhere before the 20th round because of this hit streak.
Prediction #8. In desperation after Favre retires, the Vikings bring Jamarcus Russell in for a tryout and think they see a franchise quarterback in him, sign him to a multi-year deal, and move him to guard where he becomes a Pro Bowl player.
Prediction #9. Tiger Woods doesn't win a Major within a year of his 'accident' that has made him more famous than his golfing ever did.
Prediction #10. Not so much a prediction but just a thought....does anyone else wonder what went on at the after party last night for Duke's Lacrosse team after they won the championship yesterday? After all of the different scandal and allegations in 2006 I can't help but be curious.....
Prediction #1. Ubaldo Jimenez will win at least 26 games this year for the Rockies while losing less than 9....but his ERA will rise to over 2 by the end of the season. In the long term he will go on to win 2 Cy Young awards, and probably won't make the Hall of Fame because he will eventually test positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs. Gotta love the MLB, right?
Prediction #2. This isn't much of a stretch but.....Derek Fisher's elbow is going to find the face of someone from the Celtics sometime during the NBA Finals. He has been known to be one of the toughest and most physical (sometimes looked upon as cheap) players in the game and won't back down if he feels that he needs to stick up for himself or one of his teammates. Luis Scola knows how this works firsthand.
Prediction #3. If the Celtics win the championship: Kevin Garnett will not give another interview where none of us can understand what he is saying because he's screaming the whole time. However, I don't rule out a few random screams in the middle of the interview. Here's his interview after his first championship. Notice he does give a shoutout to us Minnesota fans. "This is for everybody in 'Sota"
Prediction #4. If the Lakers win the championship: Kobe will cement his place in history as one of the winningest players in history and Phil Jackson will retire despite the rumors that will pair him with Lebron in who knows what town. We will also see another ridiculously dumb celebration by Adam Morrison like these that he has done in the past.
Prediction #5. The Lakers win the championship. Adam Morrison cries.
Prediction #6. Getting my hourly wage that I am getting here at work while writing this is going to be the most someone ever pays me to write. 1) I am just not that good.. 2) In this economy, people like spending their money on more reasonable things like large SUV's and Kit Kat bar's... 3) Rick Reilly isn't old enough for me to take over his job yet... 4) I won't seek a writing job because I am going to replace Andrew Bynum as the Lakers center. I hear my knee is better off than both of his are and I would actually try during the game.
Prediction #7. Garrett Wittels won't break Robin Ventura's 58 game hit streak. He will get drafted in the next MLB draft somewhere before the 20th round because of this hit streak.
Prediction #8. In desperation after Favre retires, the Vikings bring Jamarcus Russell in for a tryout and think they see a franchise quarterback in him, sign him to a multi-year deal, and move him to guard where he becomes a Pro Bowl player.
Prediction #9. Tiger Woods doesn't win a Major within a year of his 'accident' that has made him more famous than his golfing ever did.
Prediction #10. Not so much a prediction but just a thought....does anyone else wonder what went on at the after party last night for Duke's Lacrosse team after they won the championship yesterday? After all of the different scandal and allegations in 2006 I can't help but be curious.....
May 13, 2010
Lebron, I apologize....
So, lately I have gotten into a bad habit of doing some things like ESPN and just ripping Lebron when things aren't ALWAYS his fault. I feel like an apology to him is necessary...
Dear Lebron "The Prince" James,
I am sorry for blaming you for everything that goes wrong with your team. After watching you actually try in tonight's game, I realized you aren't good enough to win by yourself, and I don't think you are ever going to be Michael Jordan, but I do still think you are one physical specimen that is freakishly beastly. IF I recall correctly though, and that is a capitalized IF, did you only have one dunk tonight? Like over 5 hours ago now, on your first possession? That is disappointing with how much of a spark you can give your team with a huge one, and how much you can quiet any crowd with something impressive. One thing I did enjoy watching during this series was Shaq continually getting the ball in the post and everrrr soooo slowlyyyyy back down his defender only to miss a shot. Did your front office actually think Shaq would be a big enough difference maker to get you a ring? The only thing he was able to accomplish was to slow down your team and take away touches from other players. Some things you can't control is how poorly your teammates play and how out coached your team gets when it gets to a series where coaching actually makes a difference. Between this year and last you have been out coached by a Van Gundy and a Doctor....at least this year the coach who beat you doesn't have the most annoying voice God could create. Even after posting a triple double tonight, and every triple double is impressive, you still disappointed me. Seriously, would it have been that hard to turn the ball over at least once more and complete the quadruple double? That would have been the ultimate way to cap off your season as the MVP. But hey, we shouldn't talk about you so much because you didn't really lose the series, the Boston Celtics won it. They were the better team throughout the six games and their depth is beyond belief. Plus, who can complain about watching a passionate and energetic Kevin Garnett do work? He is magical, and that turnaround fadeaway jumper he has is a work of art. Congratulations on another MVP and for shaking hands with Boston after the game tonight. I know it was a hard step to take for you.
Yours truly,
Aaron "The Real Deal" Haugen
P.S Pictures like this are why I love twitter
P.S.S Even though I may post at some point, on the topic of free agency for those select NBA stars who may find themselves in a new home in a couple months, I really don't care about talking about it 24/7 like ESPN will. I probably won't care until July 8th when contracts are available to be signed. Therefore, Deadliest Catch is on right now and I am more than happy with this decision
Dear Lebron "The Prince" James,
I am sorry for blaming you for everything that goes wrong with your team. After watching you actually try in tonight's game, I realized you aren't good enough to win by yourself, and I don't think you are ever going to be Michael Jordan, but I do still think you are one physical specimen that is freakishly beastly. IF I recall correctly though, and that is a capitalized IF, did you only have one dunk tonight? Like over 5 hours ago now, on your first possession? That is disappointing with how much of a spark you can give your team with a huge one, and how much you can quiet any crowd with something impressive. One thing I did enjoy watching during this series was Shaq continually getting the ball in the post and everrrr soooo slowlyyyyy back down his defender only to miss a shot. Did your front office actually think Shaq would be a big enough difference maker to get you a ring? The only thing he was able to accomplish was to slow down your team and take away touches from other players. Some things you can't control is how poorly your teammates play and how out coached your team gets when it gets to a series where coaching actually makes a difference. Between this year and last you have been out coached by a Van Gundy and a Doctor....at least this year the coach who beat you doesn't have the most annoying voice God could create. Even after posting a triple double tonight, and every triple double is impressive, you still disappointed me. Seriously, would it have been that hard to turn the ball over at least once more and complete the quadruple double? That would have been the ultimate way to cap off your season as the MVP. But hey, we shouldn't talk about you so much because you didn't really lose the series, the Boston Celtics won it. They were the better team throughout the six games and their depth is beyond belief. Plus, who can complain about watching a passionate and energetic Kevin Garnett do work? He is magical, and that turnaround fadeaway jumper he has is a work of art. Congratulations on another MVP and for shaking hands with Boston after the game tonight. I know it was a hard step to take for you.
Yours truly,
Aaron "The Real Deal" Haugen
P.S Pictures like this are why I love twitter
P.S.S Even though I may post at some point, on the topic of free agency for those select NBA stars who may find themselves in a new home in a couple months, I really don't care about talking about it 24/7 like ESPN will. I probably won't care until July 8th when contracts are available to be signed. Therefore, Deadliest Catch is on right now and I am more than happy with this decision
May 11, 2010
Lebron Back Isn't Quite Strong Enough to Carry the Weight the Cavs Placed On Him
I don't like Lebron James. But for the MVP of the NBA...could you please at least look to take a shot every once in awhile?! Instead of just swinging the ball around the perimeter a few times and chewing up the shot clock until someone else has to chuck up a desperation shot, why don't you try and create a shot for yourself and carry your team on your back? Maybe if he would have gone to college he would have learned how to create a shot for himself...I understand wanting to get your teammates involved at times and having 4 or whatever assists after tonight's first quarter is good, but when your only bucket in the whole first half is a cherry picking dunk, the MVP's game is too passive.
Tonight's game showed why he was chosen as the MVP though, and it also showed me why he won't win a title with the Cavs. If Lebron has any sort of off night, they lose. If he is on but has a few too many turnovers, they lose. He has to play his best ball every night for them to have a chance and if he doesn't, all those 'stars' they brought in to keep him around town and to help him get a championship can't get it done without his best game. On the other hand I did like to see him throw off his elbow sleeve tonight in the 2nd half so the poor announcers could start talking about that all over again. I think if Lebron was in perfect health, just had an average game, and the Cavs lost, those announcers would have nothing to talk about. Especially if Rajon Rondo is having a statistically quiet night as well, we might as well have our tv's muted and have the Twins on the radio at the same time as the basketball game.
The Track and Field season is in full swing right now and I found myself going to youtube to watch one of the most awesome, disturbing, painful events I have ever seen. Here is that video...make sure you watch the slow motion section of the video so you can see for sure what happens to this poor guy. I hope he came out of it in one piece.
Tonight's game showed why he was chosen as the MVP though, and it also showed me why he won't win a title with the Cavs. If Lebron has any sort of off night, they lose. If he is on but has a few too many turnovers, they lose. He has to play his best ball every night for them to have a chance and if he doesn't, all those 'stars' they brought in to keep him around town and to help him get a championship can't get it done without his best game. On the other hand I did like to see him throw off his elbow sleeve tonight in the 2nd half so the poor announcers could start talking about that all over again. I think if Lebron was in perfect health, just had an average game, and the Cavs lost, those announcers would have nothing to talk about. Especially if Rajon Rondo is having a statistically quiet night as well, we might as well have our tv's muted and have the Twins on the radio at the same time as the basketball game.
The Track and Field season is in full swing right now and I found myself going to youtube to watch one of the most awesome, disturbing, painful events I have ever seen. Here is that video...make sure you watch the slow motion section of the video so you can see for sure what happens to this poor guy. I hope he came out of it in one piece.
May 4, 2010
Car > Human.... Usually
If any of you caught what Derek called me out for in his last post...I did get hit by a car last Tuesday. Not really bumped either...like full out collision style. The worst part of it was that I wasn't even on the road. I was standing on the sidewalk waiting to cross the road and a car jumped the curb from my left and took me out, then took out a stop sign, and took off. Yeah, he didn't even have the guts to stop and face me. I would have taken him on! Not really....once I got hit I was knocked unconscious for 30 seconds and next thing I knew I woke up on the road with a bunch of people around me. Anyways, I am recovering at home now with a bunch of scrapes and bruises, 6 staples in my head, and a messed up knee. Not too shabby, considering what happened. That's my story though...hopefully I can get back on the golf course soon enough, not too mention get back on the softball diamond for summer, and living the lake life...there are just too many things I can't do with this dumb immobilizer brace on my knee!
The weird thing is, I think I came out in better shape than the car. I don't know how much damage I actually did to the car but from what I've heard the front of the car has more dents in it now than I do, but the majority of those are probably from the stop sign, not me. Even though the guy (or girl) took off, the police have a suspect so I'm hoping they catch that person soon enough.
Anyone miss Joe Mauer right now? I guess I miss him as a legend, but that is it. We sit down last year's MVP and bring up a guy who decides to come in and hit nearly .800... The farm system of the majority of the MLB teams can't be compared to the Twins. Plus, it doesn't hurt to be a little lucky sometimes.
To say the least, I was quite disappointed with The Prince's performance against the old and run down Celtics last night. The past couple of days on First Take (yes I do watch ESPN occasionally still) Skip has been talking about having this imaginary item that allows others to feel actually how hurt pro athletes are when they come public with injuries. Lebron has one of those injuries right now that I would love to know how he actually feels. If last night has any indication, he either has lost any desire to win basketball games or he is actually hurt. I really really don't care for him at all, but nevertheless I still enjoy watching good basketball and his attitude and performance during last nights game still disgusts me. I guess after last night I should just tune in to watch Steve Nash for the rest of this year because he played like a man on a mission. He had passion and fire and took over the game with an intensity that I didn't think we would see from him ever again. Too bad we aren't watching Kevin Love do that to other teams right now ;) haha. LET'S GET IT!!
The weird thing is, I think I came out in better shape than the car. I don't know how much damage I actually did to the car but from what I've heard the front of the car has more dents in it now than I do, but the majority of those are probably from the stop sign, not me. Even though the guy (or girl) took off, the police have a suspect so I'm hoping they catch that person soon enough.
Anyone miss Joe Mauer right now? I guess I miss him as a legend, but that is it. We sit down last year's MVP and bring up a guy who decides to come in and hit nearly .800... The farm system of the majority of the MLB teams can't be compared to the Twins. Plus, it doesn't hurt to be a little lucky sometimes.
To say the least, I was quite disappointed with The Prince's performance against the old and run down Celtics last night. The past couple of days on First Take (yes I do watch ESPN occasionally still) Skip has been talking about having this imaginary item that allows others to feel actually how hurt pro athletes are when they come public with injuries. Lebron has one of those injuries right now that I would love to know how he actually feels. If last night has any indication, he either has lost any desire to win basketball games or he is actually hurt. I really really don't care for him at all, but nevertheless I still enjoy watching good basketball and his attitude and performance during last nights game still disgusts me. I guess after last night I should just tune in to watch Steve Nash for the rest of this year because he played like a man on a mission. He had passion and fire and took over the game with an intensity that I didn't think we would see from him ever again. Too bad we aren't watching Kevin Love do that to other teams right now ;) haha. LET'S GET IT!!
May 1, 2010
Random Rumblings
Been a while since I put up a post so I thought I would post on some of the recent happenings. Maybe I've just been in a stupor since Duke actually escaped with the championship but looking back, that was an amazing game and perhaps I would enjoy it more if Heyward would have sunk the shot. Butler is going to be the team to beat next season if no one enters the draft and will finally get the chance at being a favorite in one of the games. The Heels should be back strong next year and hopefully my Gophers will make the tournament as well. I was nervous that Tubby was going to leave but it is great he is coming back. Justin Cobbs and Paul Carter are both set to transfer to other schools. Its too bad that Cory Joseph is going to Texas but it seems like he is going to go the Longhorn way and be a one-and-done player. Its too bad because he could have fit in perfectly in the back court for the Gophs.
I think that Phil Mickelson may have passed Tiger as the most popular golfer in the PGA. With all the hardships for him (uncreated unlike Tiger's problems), it is remarkable how well he played at the Masters. Tremendous win and so far in the Quail Hollow tournament, he is looking very strong again. Callaway Golf has to be the happiest company in the world with Father's Day quickly approaching. When a wife is searching for a nice golf gift for the hubby or a child for their dad, Callaway is going to be the equipment of choice over Tiger's Nike. This could be the first time in 10 years that Tiger isn't the highest grossing athlete for the year.
The NFL draft was certainly interesting and there were two teams that really stood out to me as failing. The Jags and the Broncos. The Jags just screwed up the first round and the Broncos got a 3rd round player in the 1st round. I enjoy my FSU Seminoles so I'll try to keep this as unbiased as possible but what were the Broncos thinking? Tebow, even with his "new and improved" throwing motion, still is inaccurate, has a slow throwing motion, is small in NFL standards, isn't that fast, and won't get by on athletic ability like he did with the Gators. It is just shocking to me that a high character guy like Tebow is a first round selection because he is a great guy yet Myron Rolle, a genius and great guy in his own rights, was a 6th round pick. If he had come out last season, he could have been a late first to second round pick but because he went to Oxford for a season, he is looked at as a high risk pick when players with high character problems are 1st or 2nd round picks. Absolutely foolish. My prediction for Rolle this season, he starts half way through the season and competes for Rookie of the Year awards and is an eventual Pro Bowl player within his first 5 seasons. Great pick by the Titans.
On to the Viking's selections. A good call moving down in the first round and they got a player that they wanted in Chris Cook. I think that he will be a solid player and has a bright future in the league. Toby Gerhart was my favorite selection and if he wasn't white could have been a first round choice. This man has wheels and hits like a car. You can ask Aaron how that feels (get better soon). Everson Griffen was a solid value pick and should contribute if he gets his ego in check and becomes a great team player. Speaking of Griffen, he helps show some of the reasons why I despise USC football - Pete Carroll and the rest of the coaching staff. Carrol and his crew were so hellbent on selling to recruits that USC makes them great pro prospects that they completely forget about the kids. Carrol, now head coach of the Seahawks, passed on Taylor Mays in the first round to take a different safety even though he told Mays that Mays was the choice if he fell to him. Here is a great article on what I'm talking about. USC players are rarely prepared for the NFL yet they keep selling it to the kids. Griffen, Mays, and Joe McKnight are players that also have been affected by Carroll's irresponsible preparation. Also, for some reason I have a feeling that Lane Kiffin won't change that now that he is coaching USC.
The Minnesota Twins are off to a great start and I have to say that Target Field is absolutely stunning. I was lucky enough to get tickets for the opening series from a friend's dad. It is great to actually feel the sun and wind rather than the fake lights and fans from the Metrodome. Let's hope that the Vikings can soon escape the Teflon baggy soon enough as well. Back to the Twins. Liriano is back to looking like the Franchise that he was back in his rookie season and the acquisitions of Hudson, Hardy, and Thome are all paying off nicely. Here's to hoping they keep it up and we can find out what baseball is like with snow come October and November.
Well that's all I've got for now and with classes almost done for the summer, hopefully I will be able to post more actively. Until next time...
I think that Phil Mickelson may have passed Tiger as the most popular golfer in the PGA. With all the hardships for him (uncreated unlike Tiger's problems), it is remarkable how well he played at the Masters. Tremendous win and so far in the Quail Hollow tournament, he is looking very strong again. Callaway Golf has to be the happiest company in the world with Father's Day quickly approaching. When a wife is searching for a nice golf gift for the hubby or a child for their dad, Callaway is going to be the equipment of choice over Tiger's Nike. This could be the first time in 10 years that Tiger isn't the highest grossing athlete for the year.
The NFL draft was certainly interesting and there were two teams that really stood out to me as failing. The Jags and the Broncos. The Jags just screwed up the first round and the Broncos got a 3rd round player in the 1st round. I enjoy my FSU Seminoles so I'll try to keep this as unbiased as possible but what were the Broncos thinking? Tebow, even with his "new and improved" throwing motion, still is inaccurate, has a slow throwing motion, is small in NFL standards, isn't that fast, and won't get by on athletic ability like he did with the Gators. It is just shocking to me that a high character guy like Tebow is a first round selection because he is a great guy yet Myron Rolle, a genius and great guy in his own rights, was a 6th round pick. If he had come out last season, he could have been a late first to second round pick but because he went to Oxford for a season, he is looked at as a high risk pick when players with high character problems are 1st or 2nd round picks. Absolutely foolish. My prediction for Rolle this season, he starts half way through the season and competes for Rookie of the Year awards and is an eventual Pro Bowl player within his first 5 seasons. Great pick by the Titans.
On to the Viking's selections. A good call moving down in the first round and they got a player that they wanted in Chris Cook. I think that he will be a solid player and has a bright future in the league. Toby Gerhart was my favorite selection and if he wasn't white could have been a first round choice. This man has wheels and hits like a car. You can ask Aaron how that feels (get better soon). Everson Griffen was a solid value pick and should contribute if he gets his ego in check and becomes a great team player. Speaking of Griffen, he helps show some of the reasons why I despise USC football - Pete Carroll and the rest of the coaching staff. Carrol and his crew were so hellbent on selling to recruits that USC makes them great pro prospects that they completely forget about the kids. Carrol, now head coach of the Seahawks, passed on Taylor Mays in the first round to take a different safety even though he told Mays that Mays was the choice if he fell to him. Here is a great article on what I'm talking about. USC players are rarely prepared for the NFL yet they keep selling it to the kids. Griffen, Mays, and Joe McKnight are players that also have been affected by Carroll's irresponsible preparation. Also, for some reason I have a feeling that Lane Kiffin won't change that now that he is coaching USC.
The Minnesota Twins are off to a great start and I have to say that Target Field is absolutely stunning. I was lucky enough to get tickets for the opening series from a friend's dad. It is great to actually feel the sun and wind rather than the fake lights and fans from the Metrodome. Let's hope that the Vikings can soon escape the Teflon baggy soon enough as well. Back to the Twins. Liriano is back to looking like the Franchise that he was back in his rookie season and the acquisitions of Hudson, Hardy, and Thome are all paying off nicely. Here's to hoping they keep it up and we can find out what baseball is like with snow come October and November.
Well that's all I've got for now and with classes almost done for the summer, hopefully I will be able to post more actively. Until next time...
Apr 27, 2010
Flip-Flops
So my title is a little wishful thinking that I will be done with finals soon...but it is definitely only a wish! Because they're still a couple of weeks away. However, if you traveled to Mars or the moon recently, here is a video you NEED to see. It is an awesome play and still brings a smile to my face each time I watch it. What many people don't realize is that the same general play has happened before and even has more views on youtube. The original happening of the play can be found here. The thing about this second video is that it happened 3 years ago and got absolutely no coverage while this one is merely a copycat. I tell you ESPN is a corrupted powerhouse that too many people in this nation worship. I like it enough to catch highlights from some of the games, but it has become too much of a political machine for me to tune in for Sportscenter back to back to back like I used to do. Sorry for the delay in posting but I am back in action now...don't worry fans! LET'S GET IT!
If you don't get that you need to follow clubtrillion (Mark Titus) on twitter here. You can follow me on Twitter here.
If you don't get that you need to follow clubtrillion (Mark Titus) on twitter here. You can follow me on Twitter here.
Apr 4, 2010
National Title Game
In what has already been billed as the David vs. Goliath battle, Butler takes on Duke tomorrow night for the championship. Although I don't feel like either team deserves a championship this year, that's how it has all shaken down. Both teams have gotten lucky on their run to this game but that is what it takes. Butler played against two teams that you could consider at full strength and Duke has played against one team in Baylor and got some very questionable officiating down the stretch. Granted, this is coming from a huge UNC fan so you can take it as you will. I'm going to give you a breakdown of how the teams stack up and what my prediction is for the game.
Guards
This is a lot closer than many people like you to believe. Scheyer and Smith average more points than Mack and Nored but you have to look at the whole picture. Duke is an up and down, shoot it in your face team while Butler is content grinding it out until the end. Butler is a tremendous perimeter defensive team and won't let Duke get a lot of the easy shots that they got against West Virginia. And if Butler doesn't get in their face and stop the shooting barrage, it will be a long night for the Bulldogs. Advantage: Duke
Forwards
This again is pretty close. Veasley against Singler, Hayward against Thomas. Veasley is going to be a mismatch against either on the defensive end but should be able to score on either of them on offense. Hayward is a special player and I don't know if there is a defender in the nation that could shut him down. Problem is that Duke doesn't play defense with just one player and it is going to be 5 men looking to stop him. However, Michigan State, Kansas State and Syracuse all play great team defense and they are all sitting at home watching the game. Hayward has been the star of stars. Advantage: Butler
Center/Post
Howard isn't really a center but he is going to be forced into that role Monday. Zoubek is huge, plays great interior defense, and shoots a high percentage. Howard is a bit undersized, banged up and might not even play, but he is a scrapper and won't give Zoubek an inch. If Howard can't play, this is going to be a long day for Butler. Advantage: Duke
Bench
If you haven't heard all the talk about "The Big Three," get ready to hear about it a lot during the game. There is a reason they have received that nickname...there isn't a lot left over for scoring besides them. Duke has 7 or 8 players that will most likely see the court and don't have much for guard bench play. Butler doesn't get a lot of box score numbers from their bench, but if you have seen any of their games this year, you know that Butler's calling card is their defense and not if they can score 80 points or not. Their bench runs 9 deep and get the production necessary out of each player. If Duke's guards get in foul trouble, don't expect them to be holding the trophy. Advantage: Butler
Coaching
Neither team would likely be in this game if not for their coaching staffs. Coach K has been doing it for a lot longer than Brad Stevens but Baby-face Brad is no slouch. I don't think that either coach will determine this game because they are both too good to make a mistake but its hard to argue against the soon to be all time wins leader. Advantage: Duke
Intangibles
Butler is the feel good story of the tournament. The Cinderella who is not a Cinderella. The crowd is going to be full of Butler fans and most likely more than a couple of Duke-Haters. Neither team is going to get outworked by the other and emotions will be high for both sides, but that Hoosier crowd is going to make a difference. Advantage: Butler
Final Breakdown
The only way in which this is a David vs. Goliath match up is in the history of the programs because these teams are pretty equal. Many people will like to think that because Duke came out of the ACC that they are by far the better team. Although a "Mid-Major" (disgusting word) Butler is different from many of the other small schools. Just remember that it wasn't too terribly long ago that Duke was the Butler of college basketball.
Duke is going to try to keep the game at a solid up and down tempo but don't be surprised to have this game scoring in the 60 point range. Fans of physical tough nosed defense are going to enjoy this game. I think that its going to start off with a lot of feeling out in the first half and the action picking up in the 2nd half. Duke has the offense, Butler is going to supply the defense. Look for Hayward to score 25 points, grab 10 boards, win the MVP award, and lead his team to the upset. Butler-67 Duke-63
Guards
This is a lot closer than many people like you to believe. Scheyer and Smith average more points than Mack and Nored but you have to look at the whole picture. Duke is an up and down, shoot it in your face team while Butler is content grinding it out until the end. Butler is a tremendous perimeter defensive team and won't let Duke get a lot of the easy shots that they got against West Virginia. And if Butler doesn't get in their face and stop the shooting barrage, it will be a long night for the Bulldogs. Advantage: Duke
Forwards
This again is pretty close. Veasley against Singler, Hayward against Thomas. Veasley is going to be a mismatch against either on the defensive end but should be able to score on either of them on offense. Hayward is a special player and I don't know if there is a defender in the nation that could shut him down. Problem is that Duke doesn't play defense with just one player and it is going to be 5 men looking to stop him. However, Michigan State, Kansas State and Syracuse all play great team defense and they are all sitting at home watching the game. Hayward has been the star of stars. Advantage: Butler
Center/Post
Howard isn't really a center but he is going to be forced into that role Monday. Zoubek is huge, plays great interior defense, and shoots a high percentage. Howard is a bit undersized, banged up and might not even play, but he is a scrapper and won't give Zoubek an inch. If Howard can't play, this is going to be a long day for Butler. Advantage: Duke
Bench
If you haven't heard all the talk about "The Big Three," get ready to hear about it a lot during the game. There is a reason they have received that nickname...there isn't a lot left over for scoring besides them. Duke has 7 or 8 players that will most likely see the court and don't have much for guard bench play. Butler doesn't get a lot of box score numbers from their bench, but if you have seen any of their games this year, you know that Butler's calling card is their defense and not if they can score 80 points or not. Their bench runs 9 deep and get the production necessary out of each player. If Duke's guards get in foul trouble, don't expect them to be holding the trophy. Advantage: Butler
Coaching
Neither team would likely be in this game if not for their coaching staffs. Coach K has been doing it for a lot longer than Brad Stevens but Baby-face Brad is no slouch. I don't think that either coach will determine this game because they are both too good to make a mistake but its hard to argue against the soon to be all time wins leader. Advantage: Duke
Intangibles
Butler is the feel good story of the tournament. The Cinderella who is not a Cinderella. The crowd is going to be full of Butler fans and most likely more than a couple of Duke-Haters. Neither team is going to get outworked by the other and emotions will be high for both sides, but that Hoosier crowd is going to make a difference. Advantage: Butler
Final Breakdown
The only way in which this is a David vs. Goliath match up is in the history of the programs because these teams are pretty equal. Many people will like to think that because Duke came out of the ACC that they are by far the better team. Although a "Mid-Major" (disgusting word) Butler is different from many of the other small schools. Just remember that it wasn't too terribly long ago that Duke was the Butler of college basketball.
Duke is going to try to keep the game at a solid up and down tempo but don't be surprised to have this game scoring in the 60 point range. Fans of physical tough nosed defense are going to enjoy this game. I think that its going to start off with a lot of feeling out in the first half and the action picking up in the 2nd half. Duke has the offense, Butler is going to supply the defense. Look for Hayward to score 25 points, grab 10 boards, win the MVP award, and lead his team to the upset. Butler-67 Duke-63
Apr 3, 2010
Target Field
Hey everyone, just watching the Twins game and getting ready for a great season. I still believe that they have a great chance to win the AL Central and compete for a World Series crown even after Joe Nathan's injury. Nathan will definitely be missed but you can never count out the coaching staff of their club. Gardenhire is the most underrated manager in baseball and should be considered for Manager of the Year for the next 10 seasons. They have one of the most potent offensive line ups in baseball and should be a top 5 scoring team again. There are some questions with the starting pitchers and the bullpen, but there are some solid arms and some solid players like Neshek coming back from injury. Rauch showed some good stuff last season and should put together a solid year, and with our powerful batters, we can only hope that there will be a lot more 3 run save opportunities than 1 run save chances.
The great thing about this year is definitely getting baseball back outside. The ballpark is absolutely beautiful and everything is looking great. Complaints about the weather haven't stopped fans from coming out already with both spring training games being near sellouts. As of March 30th, 24,000 season tickets have been sold and over half of the games have already sold out. So if you plan on getting some tickets this season, you better think about ordering them pretty soon. At last check, tickets for the season opener are going for $200 or more on Stub Hub for the worst seats in the building.
The great thing about this year is definitely getting baseball back outside. The ballpark is absolutely beautiful and everything is looking great. Complaints about the weather haven't stopped fans from coming out already with both spring training games being near sellouts. As of March 30th, 24,000 season tickets have been sold and over half of the games have already sold out. So if you plan on getting some tickets this season, you better think about ordering them pretty soon. At last check, tickets for the season opener are going for $200 or more on Stub Hub for the worst seats in the building.
Mar 22, 2010
Ohhhh My Jayhawks, Thou Will Be The Death of Me, Someday
Well we can all tell how my bracket and life have been going since the great defeat Saturday night. This is just going to be quick but I haven't posted in a couple of days...I'd like to say that I have pulled myself out of depression and in the past 12 hours or so have started to like college basketball again. I figured that was a relatively quick recovery, wouldn't you say? After the game the texts started rolling into my phone....from everyone, including people I hadn't heard from in years (probably since the Bradley/Bucknell disaster). One of the bests was from Ty Storrusten: "Differnce between nc n kansas.... nc wins national championships when they have a powerhouse... kansas chokes... ahhhhhh hahahahahahahah" Well I can't exactly argue with him on that one, but I do have to say he could have picked a better year to pick on somebody using North Carolina as the comparing team. Has North Carolina losing just become so regular that it doesn't hurt it's fans anymore?
Mar 19, 2010
Banged Up but not Busted
The greatest thing about the NCAA Basketball tournament is that one game can ruin a 2 week stretch for somebody. With some fair luck on my side my bracket isn't quite wrecked but I did happen to get 6 games wrong. I had Georgetown going to the Elite Eight and I have Vandy and Marquette going to the Sweet Sixteen. However, it is completely possible to win any bracket pool as long as you still have your final four teams still playing and I do have that.
The best thing about the UNLV and UNI matchup is that if these teams played 10 times I honestly believe each would win 4 times...and they would tie twice. That is how equal the game was and it played out exactly as I imagined, just with the wrong winner.
Across the bracket, the Texas and Wake Forest game was another great 8-9 game and I thought for maybe 15 of the 45 minutes played in this game, I saw flashes of the Texas team that was ranked in all of the polls for multiple week. It just wasn't enough as two half court buzzer beaters at the end of regulation and end of overtime both were close and got my heart racing, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
On to the Big East...honestly....this is why suicide rates spike during tournament time. I understand the occasional upset that a big time team loses to what used to be a no-name team. I'm a Jayhawks fan, I've had to experience it a few times in the past 5 or 6 years. But stillllllllll, Georgetown! Not only did you get beat by Ohio University, you got your butts whooped. Ohio University! 7-9 IN THE MAC CONFERENCE. Ohio only played two tournament teams in their regular season. They lost to Pitt by a large margin, and then lost to Robert (Robbed) Morris by 2.
The worst part about the Georgetown loss and Villanova's near loss to Robert Morris? It fuels the fire to those who think the tournament should be expanded to 68 or 96 or however many teams the expansion is pushing right now. I don't agree with the expansion, but sadly I can see the proof the expansion pushers now have in their arsenal. Since Ohio probably shouldn't have been in the tournament as it is--automatic bids are wonderful :) --certain people can now say that there are more teams that didn't make the tournament that could upset a "power conference" team. The thing is, there are 65 teams in the tourney right now, and I don't think the selection committee left out the team that should win the tournament. Adding another 3 or 31 teams isn't going to do anything but put more money into pockets that are already full. If the tourney is one or two games longer, pay the players if they win, but that brings up a whole new controversial topic.
I need to go get ready for the Gophers game against Xavier, but everyone can breath a sigh of relief after yesterday, Kansas wasn't the first 1 seed to lose to a 16 seed.
M. I. N. N. E. S. O. T. A. minnesota. minnesota....Yeaaaaah Gophers!
The best thing about the UNLV and UNI matchup is that if these teams played 10 times I honestly believe each would win 4 times...and they would tie twice. That is how equal the game was and it played out exactly as I imagined, just with the wrong winner.
Across the bracket, the Texas and Wake Forest game was another great 8-9 game and I thought for maybe 15 of the 45 minutes played in this game, I saw flashes of the Texas team that was ranked in all of the polls for multiple week. It just wasn't enough as two half court buzzer beaters at the end of regulation and end of overtime both were close and got my heart racing, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
On to the Big East...honestly....this is why suicide rates spike during tournament time. I understand the occasional upset that a big time team loses to what used to be a no-name team. I'm a Jayhawks fan, I've had to experience it a few times in the past 5 or 6 years. But stillllllllll, Georgetown! Not only did you get beat by Ohio University, you got your butts whooped. Ohio University! 7-9 IN THE MAC CONFERENCE. Ohio only played two tournament teams in their regular season. They lost to Pitt by a large margin, and then lost to Robert (Robbed) Morris by 2.
The worst part about the Georgetown loss and Villanova's near loss to Robert Morris? It fuels the fire to those who think the tournament should be expanded to 68 or 96 or however many teams the expansion is pushing right now. I don't agree with the expansion, but sadly I can see the proof the expansion pushers now have in their arsenal. Since Ohio probably shouldn't have been in the tournament as it is--automatic bids are wonderful :) --certain people can now say that there are more teams that didn't make the tournament that could upset a "power conference" team. The thing is, there are 65 teams in the tourney right now, and I don't think the selection committee left out the team that should win the tournament. Adding another 3 or 31 teams isn't going to do anything but put more money into pockets that are already full. If the tourney is one or two games longer, pay the players if they win, but that brings up a whole new controversial topic.
I need to go get ready for the Gophers game against Xavier, but everyone can breath a sigh of relief after yesterday, Kansas wasn't the first 1 seed to lose to a 16 seed.
M. I. N. N. E. S. O. T. A. minnesota. minnesota....Yeaaaaah Gophers!
Mar 17, 2010
Tournament Challenge
Hey everyone. We set up an ESPN Tournament Bracket if anyone wants to join. Check it out here. Good luck to anyone who joins.
Derek
Derek
Mar 10, 2010
Childress is a Cool Dude
Hey all,
Quick thought about why Brad Childress is a cool dude. This is old news but if you haven't seen it yet, I know you'll enjoy it. I may not agree with some of his in-game decisions but he could be a solid GM someday and here's why his players like him. Here is the proof.
Quick thought about why Brad Childress is a cool dude. This is old news but if you haven't seen it yet, I know you'll enjoy it. I may not agree with some of his in-game decisions but he could be a solid GM someday and here's why his players like him. Here is the proof.
Why March Madness Shouldn't Expand
Hello everyone and sorry for the long delay. With the NCAA Basketball Tournament right around the corner, I thought that I would let everyone know why the big dance is perfect the way that it is. If anyone else out there is like me, you have been keeping an eye on the little guys winning their conference tournaments to advance to the big show. For the many of the Mid-Major programs (and I say Mid-Major with a great amount of distaste), making it into the tournament is considered the goal for the season. With an expansion to 96 or even 128 teams, what is the great reward of making it anymore? Expansion is not a way to let more of the small programs in, its a way to let the cash cow BCS schools get many more teams in. From a financial stand point, the NCAA should definitely let more teams in, but from a fan's point of view, this would be disastrous.
I love college basketball more than any other amateur, collegiate or professional league out there. The NFL is a close second, but how can you argue against the passion that is displayed game in and game out? The rivalries, the traditions, the fans, college basketball is what sports should be. March Madness culminates a regular season that has the length to find the best teams while also being short enough to have every game count. For a majority of the players out there, this is going to be the last organized basketball that they will play. They leave it on the court every single night. Yes, there are the bright lights, stardom, and Per Diem that some of the players are playing for but many are playing for the love of the game.
The average college fan couldn't tell you who the starting forwards are for North Texas or that Ronald Moore is leading the nation in assists. But if the Mean Green pull off an upset or the Saints continue their previous success, everyone will know about George Odufuwa and Eric Tramiel 25 minutes after the game. Ronald Moore will be called the next Chris Paul. With an expansion to 128 teams, no one is going to care about upsets in the first round. Is it even impressive if Uconn as a 20th seed beats Minnesota as a 13th? America loves a good a good Cinderella team and this could effectively eliminate one of the best things in sport.
This is going to kick off a week of posts on the tournament getting ready for the greatest event in sports. Make sure to check back later.
Derek
I love college basketball more than any other amateur, collegiate or professional league out there. The NFL is a close second, but how can you argue against the passion that is displayed game in and game out? The rivalries, the traditions, the fans, college basketball is what sports should be. March Madness culminates a regular season that has the length to find the best teams while also being short enough to have every game count. For a majority of the players out there, this is going to be the last organized basketball that they will play. They leave it on the court every single night. Yes, there are the bright lights, stardom, and Per Diem that some of the players are playing for but many are playing for the love of the game.
The average college fan couldn't tell you who the starting forwards are for North Texas or that Ronald Moore is leading the nation in assists. But if the Mean Green pull off an upset or the Saints continue their previous success, everyone will know about George Odufuwa and Eric Tramiel 25 minutes after the game. Ronald Moore will be called the next Chris Paul. With an expansion to 128 teams, no one is going to care about upsets in the first round. Is it even impressive if Uconn as a 20th seed beats Minnesota as a 13th? America loves a good a good Cinderella team and this could effectively eliminate one of the best things in sport.
This is going to kick off a week of posts on the tournament getting ready for the greatest event in sports. Make sure to check back later.
Derek
Feb 25, 2010
We Might Actually Win.....nevermind
The frustrations of being a Minnesota sports fan were not given a break last night as the Gophers lost to Purdue in basketball after leading most of the 2nd half and having a couple bounces just not go quite their way in the end. Here's the story from the Star Trib.
Feb 23, 2010
Quick Musings about Everything Sport
It's been a long time since either of us has posted but the life of a college kid isn't all what it is cracked out to be and we have both been quite busy. I do have a test at 12:30 but there is nothing like putting off studying with a quick post, right?
First, I have been completely engrossed in the Winter Olympics over the course of the past week and a half. I have watched everything from men's hockey to the biathlon to figure skating. I am a nut for sports and I can only hope they have the Olympics in heaven.
The USA men's hockey team posted a great upset the other night of Canada and it was one of the best hockey games I have ever watched. Easily, it was the best game I have ever watched on tv. I wasn't alive when the "Miracle on Ice" took place (I do own the movie, however) but this isn't close to as big of an upset as that was.
Bode Miller is NOT back. He has never been at this level before so how can people say he is actually back. I am enjoying watching his successes but when he does it again at the next Winter Olympics after a drought at the World Cup, or some similar large event, then HE WILL BE BACK.
The USA women's hockey team is maybe more impressive than the men's. After defeating Sweden 9-1 yesterday afternoon they are now set to play in the Gold Medal game Thursday afternoon, having outscored their opponents 40-2. I don't think I speak for myself when I say that beating Canada for the Gold Medal would go a long way in our country's pride, and it would diminish Canada's to less than nothing. If Canada lost to the United States TWICE in hockey in a three day period, a sport which they claim to have invented, how could they possibly look people in the eye. If you admired Ovechkin's goal he made last year passing it off the boards to himself that made highlights around the world, here is one that gives him a run for his money.
Having lost three games in a row, do the Cleveland Cavaliers have a must win game tonight against New Orleans? I wouldn't say so...but Shaq, The Diesel, The Big Aristotle, The Big Daddy, etc., has hardly played like Superman lately and a flashback to his prime could help get the team and Prince James back on track. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of the Cavs, or Shaq, or the Prince for that matter, but I do enjoy watching some good basketball and having them play well will help my chances to see a good game.
I can't help but have one North Carolina bash on here especially when it is something this good. I don't remember who posted it but there was a facebook status awhile back saying this, "The women's national championship game has now been set, UCONN women vs. North Carolina men." We all know Carolina actually isn't that bad but this year they have brought it on themselves.
Hey, the Gophers are bringing a winning streak to the Barn this Wednesday night against 4th rated Purdue. A win and a good showing in the Big Ten tourney, and they could be legitimately on the bubble for the NCAA tourney.
Check out this 4 second pin. I don't know if I've seen more of a dominant performance. The best thing is, the kid called it. Here's the article on that.
Hope you all have a good rest of the week and keep tuned into the Olympics. It is a rare event that we all should embrace.
First, I have been completely engrossed in the Winter Olympics over the course of the past week and a half. I have watched everything from men's hockey to the biathlon to figure skating. I am a nut for sports and I can only hope they have the Olympics in heaven.
The USA men's hockey team posted a great upset the other night of Canada and it was one of the best hockey games I have ever watched. Easily, it was the best game I have ever watched on tv. I wasn't alive when the "Miracle on Ice" took place (I do own the movie, however) but this isn't close to as big of an upset as that was.
Bode Miller is NOT back. He has never been at this level before so how can people say he is actually back. I am enjoying watching his successes but when he does it again at the next Winter Olympics after a drought at the World Cup, or some similar large event, then HE WILL BE BACK.
The USA women's hockey team is maybe more impressive than the men's. After defeating Sweden 9-1 yesterday afternoon they are now set to play in the Gold Medal game Thursday afternoon, having outscored their opponents 40-2. I don't think I speak for myself when I say that beating Canada for the Gold Medal would go a long way in our country's pride, and it would diminish Canada's to less than nothing. If Canada lost to the United States TWICE in hockey in a three day period, a sport which they claim to have invented, how could they possibly look people in the eye. If you admired Ovechkin's goal he made last year passing it off the boards to himself that made highlights around the world, here is one that gives him a run for his money.
Having lost three games in a row, do the Cleveland Cavaliers have a must win game tonight against New Orleans? I wouldn't say so...but Shaq, The Diesel, The Big Aristotle, The Big Daddy, etc., has hardly played like Superman lately and a flashback to his prime could help get the team and Prince James back on track. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of the Cavs, or Shaq, or the Prince for that matter, but I do enjoy watching some good basketball and having them play well will help my chances to see a good game.
I can't help but have one North Carolina bash on here especially when it is something this good. I don't remember who posted it but there was a facebook status awhile back saying this, "The women's national championship game has now been set, UCONN women vs. North Carolina men." We all know Carolina actually isn't that bad but this year they have brought it on themselves.
Hey, the Gophers are bringing a winning streak to the Barn this Wednesday night against 4th rated Purdue. A win and a good showing in the Big Ten tourney, and they could be legitimately on the bubble for the NCAA tourney.
Check out this 4 second pin. I don't know if I've seen more of a dominant performance. The best thing is, the kid called it. Here's the article on that.
Hope you all have a good rest of the week and keep tuned into the Olympics. It is a rare event that we all should embrace.
Feb 12, 2010
Uga VII's Reign and PETA's Rain
Many of us or our families own a dog, have owned a dog, or aspire to own a dog or some similar animal or pet. There aren’t many dogs that are more famous than Georgia’s mascot named Uga. This past fall marked the death of the seventh bulldog mascot since 1956. Uga VII’s reign only last approximately one and a half seasons and that was enough for PETA to take a stand for what they think is right.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are the largest animal rights organization in the world, boasting over 2 million members. They focus their attention on four main areas of abuse: factory farms, in laboratories, in the clothing business, and in the entertainment industry. They have raised awareness about many different BAD animal situations but this is a new extreme (and joke) that needs to be talked about.
Ten days after the latest Uga died PETA released a statement saying they want a robot to take the place of an actual dog. What?!?!! Did I just hear that right!? They want a ROBOT to take the place of THE most spoiled dog ever to live on this planet? Don’t they ever THINK about what they say before they say it? Often times there are two words, common sense; which should be applied to whatever is going to come out of your mouth, and apparently PETA has yet to realize this.
I understand if a living mascot has to sit in a cage during the event or is treated harshly, but these bulldogs sit on bags of ice during the games to prevent overheating; and when they fly to some of the away games, they are traveling in an air conditioned dog house. I don’t think the human, who is in a costume, mascot could get ice bags to sit on or their own air conditioned cabin in the airplane if they paid for it themselves. There are more pressing needs in the animal world than to pick on a dog whose life can’t get any better; try cracking down on dog fighting, or puppy mills, or some other ‘unethical’ treatment of animals. I realize PETA is trying to do the right thing but maybe next time, actually look at the situation before raising a stink about a dawg that is probably treated better than your own dogs.
To learn more about the latest and past Uga's click here.
Big Ten Expansion
With news coming in heavy about another potential Big Ten expansion member (this time Texas), I thought it would be a great time to weigh in with my opinion. As a student of a Big Ten school, the University of Minnesota, I feel that adding a 12th member would be great. Good things always come in 12's: muffins, days of Christmas, Ocean's Twelve, and most importantly, The 12th Man...in the Huddle. Either expand or the Big Ten Commission could just do the right thing and shut down Wisconsin. With that occurrence seemingly unlikely, the best option would be to steal a team from another conference. The obvious choice would be Notre Dame, but other possibilities include Rutgers, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Nebraska, and Texas.
Notre Dame - Notre Dame is the team that is favored by the BTC (Big Ten Commission) and also the team that makes the most sense. With the strong academic record, huge endowments, a large fan base, and an athletic department with proven success, it seems like all that should be necessary is signing on the dotted line. They already play many of the Big Ten teams and the location of the university would make traveling easy. However, the Fighting Irish enjoy being an independent, meaning they don't have to share revenues and can sign with a national TV network. Rather than playing in one of the most prestigious conferences, Notre Dame will most likely continue to deny all conference offers until the TV deals stop coming. I would place the odds of them joining at 20:1 unless the Big Ten steps up their efforts to secure this big win.
Rutgers - Although Rutgers is a fine academic institution and have had some success in the athletic department, but not as much as their competition, they don't bring the large amounts of endowment that other Big Ten school obtain. Considering that Iowa has the lowest amount at about $1.0 billion, Rutgers would be by far the least endowed school in the conference. This would would seem to be a bad business strategy for the Big Ten because they have been doing fine without the 12th team for 20 years. The BTC is more than likely to approve of one of the big money schools before they look to accept Rutgers. Odds for them would be about 10:1.
Missouri - The Mizzou Tigers have been the team that has been tossed around as the most likely suitor for the 12th spot. However, they don't belong to many of the academic organizations that the Big Ten schools are involved with so it remains to be seen how that will be treated. Mizzou has a perfect location so travel would be easy, endowments are fairly relative to the current schools, and athletically they would fit right into the mix. I would place Missouri towards the top of the list and have their odds at 5:1 to join.
Pittsburgh - Pitt is another school that is definitely in the mix to join. They stack up well with every category that the BTC will be looking at. High academic record, strong athletic programs, large market for the Big Ten Networks expansion, and equally large funds coming in. This would bring Penn States rival back into the same conference and that would finally appease Joe Paterno. The only knock that can be found for them is the fact that many Big Ten purists want to keep the conference in the mid-west and stop the expansion out east. Another issue is the Big East requires a 27-month notice before a team leaves. If Pitt is indeed the team, they will have to notify the Big East sometime soon so that a Big Ten Championship can be in place for 2012. Pitt would probably be my favorite team to join besides Notre Dame and I would give them the odds at 4:1.
Cincinnati - Personally, I don't see Cincy matching with the Big Ten at all. They haven't even been a BCS school for that long, since 2005, and are trying to move to the best conference out there. I just added them to the list because of the rumors about them being a team considered. The Big Ten already has the best team in Ohio with the Buckeyes and nothing else besides location ties Cincy in. Odds are at 20:1 with the only chance being if the Big Ten decided to become the Big Sixteen or if they got denied by every other university on this list.
Nebraska - The 'Huskers have a solid program in football and match up very well with what the Big Ten is searching for. They have great athletic programs all around, however, their men's basketball program is extremely lacking, and more than likely, the Big Ten also wants a team that can compete in the second largest of college athletics. Northwestern would love it because they wouldn't be the only team left in the conference never to have won an NCAA tournament game. It depends on what they are looking for, but there seem to be strong options out there than Nebraska at this point. Chances for them would be about 10:1.
Texas - Texas would be the prized gem for the committee if Notre Dame is impossible to coerce. They have huge funds, a national powerhouse in football, a basketball program that is on the rise, strong academics, and an enormous fan base. So what is the problem with Texas? They are in Texas. This rumor is probably completely false and will likely never happen. It looks all and well for the football and basketball programs, but what about travel for the smaller athletic teams? It would be costly for travel. Also, I have a feeling that the Longhorns would be a little bit afraid of the snow come fall. Big Ten teams have different teams than most universities down south. Winter weather plays a major role in recruiting and Mack Brown would be none too pleased to have to tell star recruits that 2 times a year they would have to play in temperatures that dip below freezing. Also, why would they choose to get rid of the huge rivalries that they have with the Big 12 teams? Going after Texas makes as much sense as if they went after Florida or USC. I'm not even going to put odds on this one because there is a 0% chance of it going through.
For all you non-math majors out there, I have a calculation of 75% of the Big Ten making an announcement for expansion this year. I would give it 20% of non-expansion, 3% of finding a team that isn't on this list, and a 2% chance of taking on 3 or 5 teams to become the Big Fourteen/Sixteen. The most interesting thing to me is the fact that if they pick up only one more team, they still won't have a name for the conference. Being the Big Ten with eleven teams is silly enough, but what happens if they get that 12th team? Some of the teams would eliminate the hope of being called the Midwest Conference and the Big 12 is already taken. If they do reach this obstacle, I would definitely recommend The 12th Team...in the Conference. If this blog achieves nothing else I hope that it will land me on the Big Ten/Ten+2/Fourteen/Sixteen's naming commission.
Future Big Ten Name Commissioner,
Derek
We just started up a new Streak for the Cash group on ESPN.com. If you haven't tried this game out, I highly recommend it. What it consists of is picking certain games and trying to build up the longest streak for the month. If you win then you get $100,000 so its not a bad way to waste some time. Plus as an added bonus, if you lead the group for the month, we will let you do an honorary blog post. You can check it out here. Also, make sure to follow us on Twitter here and Facebook here.
Make sure you check back for daily updates and add us to your bookmarks. And since this was a long post, I thought I would add a video of some funny sports bloopers. Enjoy and have a great weekend.
Notre Dame - Notre Dame is the team that is favored by the BTC (Big Ten Commission) and also the team that makes the most sense. With the strong academic record, huge endowments, a large fan base, and an athletic department with proven success, it seems like all that should be necessary is signing on the dotted line. They already play many of the Big Ten teams and the location of the university would make traveling easy. However, the Fighting Irish enjoy being an independent, meaning they don't have to share revenues and can sign with a national TV network. Rather than playing in one of the most prestigious conferences, Notre Dame will most likely continue to deny all conference offers until the TV deals stop coming. I would place the odds of them joining at 20:1 unless the Big Ten steps up their efforts to secure this big win.
Rutgers - Although Rutgers is a fine academic institution and have had some success in the athletic department, but not as much as their competition, they don't bring the large amounts of endowment that other Big Ten school obtain. Considering that Iowa has the lowest amount at about $1.0 billion, Rutgers would be by far the least endowed school in the conference. This would would seem to be a bad business strategy for the Big Ten because they have been doing fine without the 12th team for 20 years. The BTC is more than likely to approve of one of the big money schools before they look to accept Rutgers. Odds for them would be about 10:1.
Missouri - The Mizzou Tigers have been the team that has been tossed around as the most likely suitor for the 12th spot. However, they don't belong to many of the academic organizations that the Big Ten schools are involved with so it remains to be seen how that will be treated. Mizzou has a perfect location so travel would be easy, endowments are fairly relative to the current schools, and athletically they would fit right into the mix. I would place Missouri towards the top of the list and have their odds at 5:1 to join.
Pittsburgh - Pitt is another school that is definitely in the mix to join. They stack up well with every category that the BTC will be looking at. High academic record, strong athletic programs, large market for the Big Ten Networks expansion, and equally large funds coming in. This would bring Penn States rival back into the same conference and that would finally appease Joe Paterno. The only knock that can be found for them is the fact that many Big Ten purists want to keep the conference in the mid-west and stop the expansion out east. Another issue is the Big East requires a 27-month notice before a team leaves. If Pitt is indeed the team, they will have to notify the Big East sometime soon so that a Big Ten Championship can be in place for 2012. Pitt would probably be my favorite team to join besides Notre Dame and I would give them the odds at 4:1.
Cincinnati - Personally, I don't see Cincy matching with the Big Ten at all. They haven't even been a BCS school for that long, since 2005, and are trying to move to the best conference out there. I just added them to the list because of the rumors about them being a team considered. The Big Ten already has the best team in Ohio with the Buckeyes and nothing else besides location ties Cincy in. Odds are at 20:1 with the only chance being if the Big Ten decided to become the Big Sixteen or if they got denied by every other university on this list.
Nebraska - The 'Huskers have a solid program in football and match up very well with what the Big Ten is searching for. They have great athletic programs all around, however, their men's basketball program is extremely lacking, and more than likely, the Big Ten also wants a team that can compete in the second largest of college athletics. Northwestern would love it because they wouldn't be the only team left in the conference never to have won an NCAA tournament game. It depends on what they are looking for, but there seem to be strong options out there than Nebraska at this point. Chances for them would be about 10:1.
Texas - Texas would be the prized gem for the committee if Notre Dame is impossible to coerce. They have huge funds, a national powerhouse in football, a basketball program that is on the rise, strong academics, and an enormous fan base. So what is the problem with Texas? They are in Texas. This rumor is probably completely false and will likely never happen. It looks all and well for the football and basketball programs, but what about travel for the smaller athletic teams? It would be costly for travel. Also, I have a feeling that the Longhorns would be a little bit afraid of the snow come fall. Big Ten teams have different teams than most universities down south. Winter weather plays a major role in recruiting and Mack Brown would be none too pleased to have to tell star recruits that 2 times a year they would have to play in temperatures that dip below freezing. Also, why would they choose to get rid of the huge rivalries that they have with the Big 12 teams? Going after Texas makes as much sense as if they went after Florida or USC. I'm not even going to put odds on this one because there is a 0% chance of it going through.
For all you non-math majors out there, I have a calculation of 75% of the Big Ten making an announcement for expansion this year. I would give it 20% of non-expansion, 3% of finding a team that isn't on this list, and a 2% chance of taking on 3 or 5 teams to become the Big Fourteen/Sixteen. The most interesting thing to me is the fact that if they pick up only one more team, they still won't have a name for the conference. Being the Big Ten with eleven teams is silly enough, but what happens if they get that 12th team? Some of the teams would eliminate the hope of being called the Midwest Conference and the Big 12 is already taken. If they do reach this obstacle, I would definitely recommend The 12th Team...in the Conference. If this blog achieves nothing else I hope that it will land me on the Big Ten/Ten+2/Fourteen/Sixteen's naming commission.
Future Big Ten Name Commissioner,
Derek
We just started up a new Streak for the Cash group on ESPN.com. If you haven't tried this game out, I highly recommend it. What it consists of is picking certain games and trying to build up the longest streak for the month. If you win then you get $100,000 so its not a bad way to waste some time. Plus as an added bonus, if you lead the group for the month, we will let you do an honorary blog post. You can check it out here. Also, make sure to follow us on Twitter here and Facebook here.
Make sure you check back for daily updates and add us to your bookmarks. And since this was a long post, I thought I would add a video of some funny sports bloopers. Enjoy and have a great weekend.
Feb 10, 2010
Joe Mauer -- Hometown Hero
Hello all. Something that I’m sure many of you are following is Joe Mauer's contract situation. I’ve lived in Minnesota my entire life and have loved the way that the Twins play baseball since I can remember. Four players have always stood out as being my favorites: Kirby Puckett, Torii Hunter, Johan Santana, and Joe Mauer. Only one of them remains with the Twins organization and hopefully he will be sticking around for a long time. Recently, talks have been heating up with rumored deals and both sides are saying that it is just a matter of time.
As much as I love the rest of the Twins players and the entire organization, Santana and Hunter are still greatly missed. Hunter's magnificent catches were usually a highlight of my day and it always felt special to have seen the catch live before it would inevitably appear on the Sportscenter Top Plays. The passion and the way that he played the game was always a fun thing to watch, and because of him, my favorite part of baseball is still watching an outfielder snag a home run away from the batter. Eventually, Hunter became yet another All-Star that was too big to fit within the Twins payroll so he left for the big bucks in Los Angeles. He rejected the 3 year $45 million contract to take a 5 year $90 million one. I always thought that Hunter would forever protect Minnesota pitchers in the Metrodome but I guess some things just don’t last forever. He is still one of my favorite players but it is hard to watch him in an Angel’s uniform.
It was a little easier seeing Johan Santana leave but only because the initial punch to the gut from Hunter leaving softened the blow from Santana getting traded to the Mets. He was the first pitcher that I remember marking down on the calendar the games that he would be pitching. I still remember his 17 strikeout game, wishing I would have been there because one of my good friends got to go. But at the end of the season, as it is customary for all small market baseball fans, you could just feel that he was soon on his way out. He rejected a 5 year $100 million offer from the Twins and was soon sent packing to the Mets. It was always easy to blame the Twins management for not dishing out the cash for these big players, but looking back I don’t think it would have been good to pay a pitcher 25% of your payroll. It would be hard for any team to justify that.
This winter, it seems as though everything has changed for the Twins. A new ballpark, a trade for a proven player in Hardy, two big name signings, and the possibility of signing one of the top 5 players in baseball to a long term contract. They also recently inked this old time Twin to a minor league deal. Joe Mauer is the face of the Minnesota Twins right now and if they let him walk, I’m not sure if the team would ever recover. With the new ballpark ready for action, the chances that Mauer is not going to get lock down seem to be slim to none. The hometown kid doesn’t seem like the player to take a simple pay cut to stay with his cities team, but he strikes me as the kind of player to take a massive one. Now this isn’t to say that the Twins should just low ball him, but his agent has been in negotiations with some big time ball players who have stuck around with one team, such as Cal Ripken, Jr. and Kirby Puckett. If the Twins can finally make the right move and keep their franchise players around (already have Morneau, Cuddyer, and Kubel under multi-year deals and hopefully soon to be Span) the prospects of a World Series title coming back to Minnesota are certainly looking up.
Derek
As much as I love the rest of the Twins players and the entire organization, Santana and Hunter are still greatly missed. Hunter's magnificent catches were usually a highlight of my day and it always felt special to have seen the catch live before it would inevitably appear on the Sportscenter Top Plays. The passion and the way that he played the game was always a fun thing to watch, and because of him, my favorite part of baseball is still watching an outfielder snag a home run away from the batter. Eventually, Hunter became yet another All-Star that was too big to fit within the Twins payroll so he left for the big bucks in Los Angeles. He rejected the 3 year $45 million contract to take a 5 year $90 million one. I always thought that Hunter would forever protect Minnesota pitchers in the Metrodome but I guess some things just don’t last forever. He is still one of my favorite players but it is hard to watch him in an Angel’s uniform.
It was a little easier seeing Johan Santana leave but only because the initial punch to the gut from Hunter leaving softened the blow from Santana getting traded to the Mets. He was the first pitcher that I remember marking down on the calendar the games that he would be pitching. I still remember his 17 strikeout game, wishing I would have been there because one of my good friends got to go. But at the end of the season, as it is customary for all small market baseball fans, you could just feel that he was soon on his way out. He rejected a 5 year $100 million offer from the Twins and was soon sent packing to the Mets. It was always easy to blame the Twins management for not dishing out the cash for these big players, but looking back I don’t think it would have been good to pay a pitcher 25% of your payroll. It would be hard for any team to justify that.
This winter, it seems as though everything has changed for the Twins. A new ballpark, a trade for a proven player in Hardy, two big name signings, and the possibility of signing one of the top 5 players in baseball to a long term contract. They also recently inked this old time Twin to a minor league deal. Joe Mauer is the face of the Minnesota Twins right now and if they let him walk, I’m not sure if the team would ever recover. With the new ballpark ready for action, the chances that Mauer is not going to get lock down seem to be slim to none. The hometown kid doesn’t seem like the player to take a simple pay cut to stay with his cities team, but he strikes me as the kind of player to take a massive one. Now this isn’t to say that the Twins should just low ball him, but his agent has been in negotiations with some big time ball players who have stuck around with one team, such as Cal Ripken, Jr. and Kirby Puckett. If the Twins can finally make the right move and keep their franchise players around (already have Morneau, Cuddyer, and Kubel under multi-year deals and hopefully soon to be Span) the prospects of a World Series title coming back to Minnesota are certainly looking up.
Derek
Feb 9, 2010
SI Swimsuit Issue
Hello all. One of the greatest things in sports arrived once again this week. And no, I'm not talking about another USC quarterback being linked with a smoking hot babe. I'm talking of course about the SI Swimsuit Issue. Now, the reason I'm bring this up is because Brooklyn Decker is a huge Tar Heel fan. After Aaron took a couple of cheap shots at my Heels, I thought I would have to step up to defend them and Brooklyn Decker is the ultimate trump card I can pull out. Whether the Heels win or lose against Duke tomorrow, I think we can all be considered winners with this years issue.
Go Tar Heels!
Derek
Go Tar Heels!Derek
Rivalry Week
Hello all. Throughout each college basketball season there are many games played that will not be forgotten for a long time. Last year's instant classic, six overtime thriller between Syracuse and UCONN was one great example. Without thinking too far into it I think it's the best basketball game I have ever watched. The schedule makers try to plan those games out, hence the games highlighted by ESPN's coverage of Rivalry Week.
This years games provide some marquee match-ups and last night Big Monday provided two intense and emotional games. Being the biggest Kansas Jayhawks fan in the state of Minnesota (besides Cole Aldrich's family perhaps) I was ecstatic when Texas started shooting worse than 3rd grade girls, most of whom can't get the ball up to the rim. After a 22-0 run on Kansas' behalf I couldn't help but be amazed not by the Jayhawks offense, but by their defensive dominance and perfection. The only other place to see that kind of swarming defense is in the Big 10 and many people argue that their defense is more of a lack of offense than anything else...
...The lack of offense topic brings me to what is usually the centerfold game of Rivalry Week. There is literally nothing like a basketball game between North Carolina and Duke. Usually, a match-up between two of the premiere teams in the country, this rivalry is bigger than any Yankees/Red Sox series or a Vikings/Packers game. This year is slightly different. Instead of being a top team this season, North Carolina seems to have taken a step back and is simply a premiere program and not a team. If you haven't followed close enough here is a quick recap of their last game.
As I continue to post more you all will come to realize my hatred for North Carolina basketball in general. I can't explain the source of this hate but I have to venture a guess to a combination of the following: 1) Roy Williams leaving Kansas for UNC and Kansas replacing him with a guy I hardly LOVE. 2) My brother Matt's (one year and 18 days younger than me) favorite team is UNC. 3) Derek's favorite team is UNC.
When it comes time for the game to start I will be wearing my one Duke t-shirt. There is only two (sometimes three) days a year that I know what I will be wearing way ahead of time. My world won't come to an end if UNC pulls out the unlikely victory tomorrow night because I have been alive long enough to see them win a ton of games. However, if they do lose (and the way they've been playing, the Gophers could play close to them right now) needless to say I will be completely content for one night this week.
At one point last night the Kansas defense had 10 blocks and 12 steals. To give credit where some credit is due, Texas did make a run over the course of the 2nd half to cut the lead down to six points but by that point in the game it was just a formality to keep playing. I do believe Texas has a good team and that they will be a sweet sixteen team when the tourney rolls around, but it's hard to ignore the fact that Kansas is a legitimate contender especially after a performance like that last night. Don't forget to check out ALL of the games during Rivalry Week on ESPN and throughout the rest of the season on all sorts of different networks. Here is ESPN's interactive schedule for this week so you don't miss a classic like last year. I am a company man. (Podcast shout out).
This years games provide some marquee match-ups and last night Big Monday provided two intense and emotional games. Being the biggest Kansas Jayhawks fan in the state of Minnesota (besides Cole Aldrich's family perhaps) I was ecstatic when Texas started shooting worse than 3rd grade girls, most of whom can't get the ball up to the rim. After a 22-0 run on Kansas' behalf I couldn't help but be amazed not by the Jayhawks offense, but by their defensive dominance and perfection. The only other place to see that kind of swarming defense is in the Big 10 and many people argue that their defense is more of a lack of offense than anything else...
...The lack of offense topic brings me to what is usually the centerfold game of Rivalry Week. There is literally nothing like a basketball game between North Carolina and Duke. Usually, a match-up between two of the premiere teams in the country, this rivalry is bigger than any Yankees/Red Sox series or a Vikings/Packers game. This year is slightly different. Instead of being a top team this season, North Carolina seems to have taken a step back and is simply a premiere program and not a team. If you haven't followed close enough here is a quick recap of their last game.
As I continue to post more you all will come to realize my hatred for North Carolina basketball in general. I can't explain the source of this hate but I have to venture a guess to a combination of the following: 1) Roy Williams leaving Kansas for UNC and Kansas replacing him with a guy I hardly LOVE. 2) My brother Matt's (one year and 18 days younger than me) favorite team is UNC. 3) Derek's favorite team is UNC.
When it comes time for the game to start I will be wearing my one Duke t-shirt. There is only two (sometimes three) days a year that I know what I will be wearing way ahead of time. My world won't come to an end if UNC pulls out the unlikely victory tomorrow night because I have been alive long enough to see them win a ton of games. However, if they do lose (and the way they've been playing, the Gophers could play close to them right now) needless to say I will be completely content for one night this week.
At one point last night the Kansas defense had 10 blocks and 12 steals. To give credit where some credit is due, Texas did make a run over the course of the 2nd half to cut the lead down to six points but by that point in the game it was just a formality to keep playing. I do believe Texas has a good team and that they will be a sweet sixteen team when the tourney rolls around, but it's hard to ignore the fact that Kansas is a legitimate contender especially after a performance like that last night. Don't forget to check out ALL of the games during Rivalry Week on ESPN and throughout the rest of the season on all sorts of different networks. Here is ESPN's interactive schedule for this week so you don't miss a classic like last year. I am a company man. (Podcast shout out).
Feb 8, 2010
Top 10 Failures of the Week
Hello all. It is time to announce this weeks Top 10 Failures. Let's start it off with number 10. Phil Mickelson's wedge caused quite a stir, and even though I love Phil, using a club that you find in your garage to try to get around the rules can help find your way onto this list. Scott McCarron has been flip flopping back and forth on whether he thinks Phil is cheating or just bending the rules and this debacle probably hasn't been what Phil wanted since taking over for Tiger as the king of the swing.
On to number 9, the Pro Bowl preceding the Super Bowl. First of all, no one cares about the Pro Bowl. Second, there are some players that actually want to go, especially if it is their first selection. And finally, just look at the rosters. Are 8 of the 16 AFC quarterbacks really deserving of a Pro Bowl selection? If it is suppose to be an honor to be selected, well this is an awful way of showing it.
Number 8. Tiger Woods Affair. Yeah, yeah, I know everyone is sick of hearing about it. Did you hear Tiger changed his name to Cheetah? What's the difference between a car and a golf ball? Tiger can drive a ball 400 yards. I know they are all getting old by now but this is still one of the biggest failures around.
Number 7. Allen Iverson being voted in as an All-Star. This is a game for the fans but it is still a joke. Many of the voters probably didn't recognize the new stars of the league and voted him in by name only. Sorry AI but the only Answer to this problem is for you to fake an injury.
Number 6. The NCAA's talks to expand the basketball tournament to 96 teams. This would be an absolute disgrace. I'm a huge fan of the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Minnesota Golden Gophers but at this point, I don't feel like either team is deserving of a tournament selection. While both teams definitely have a chance to turn it around, with the change to 96 teams, both would be locks to make it. This completely takes away the meaning of having a regular season. Seems backwards that the NCAA wants college football's regular season to mean so much but at the same time throw college basketball's under the bus. Just goes to show how much an extra buck means to collegiate sports.
Number 5. The Texas Longhorns slump after reaching number 1. Losing 4 of 6 is bad enough for any team, but for a potential number 1 seed? Come on. However, this could all change with a big win over Kansas tonight. Aaron is a big Jayhawks fan so I wouldn't mind getting the chance to remove this from the list next week.
Number 4. The New Jersey Nets. This could definitely be number one but how much can we beat up on a team that is this unlucky? Well at least it isn't the Timberwolves anymore.
Number 3. Warren Sapp's battery charges. Sapp supposedly assaulted a woman because she wouldn't leave his room when he was expecting company. Where did her swollen knee and bruises come from? Sapp says she fell when he tried to help her off the couch. You stay classy Warren!
Number 2. Lane Kiffin offers scholarship to 13-year-old. This is just absurd. I've coached little league baseball for the previous 2 summers and can tell you from experience, no 11, 12, or 13 year old is mature enough to start thinking about his future at that age. Now, I'll be the first to tell you that this kid is good, but how about we let kids be kids? Maybe I'm just jealous that this kids is more successful at 13 than I will probably be in my entire life but this is still a complete joke.
And now for number 1, Bryant McKinnie getting kicked off the NFC Pro Bowl team. Now, he may have actually just been hurt and the trainers failed to inform this team, as he claims, but based off of his twitter account, he definitely didn't have any troubles with injuries to stop him from hitting up the clubs. While I'm on the subject of Twitter, don't forget to follow us at 12thManInTheHud. Well, that's it for this weeks Top 10 Failures. Questions, comments, suggestions? Something that we missed? Leave a comment below or send an email to the12thmaninthehuddle@gmail.com and we will try to make amends for it next week.
Derek
On to number 9, the Pro Bowl preceding the Super Bowl. First of all, no one cares about the Pro Bowl. Second, there are some players that actually want to go, especially if it is their first selection. And finally, just look at the rosters. Are 8 of the 16 AFC quarterbacks really deserving of a Pro Bowl selection? If it is suppose to be an honor to be selected, well this is an awful way of showing it.
Number 8. Tiger Woods Affair. Yeah, yeah, I know everyone is sick of hearing about it. Did you hear Tiger changed his name to Cheetah? What's the difference between a car and a golf ball? Tiger can drive a ball 400 yards. I know they are all getting old by now but this is still one of the biggest failures around.
Number 7. Allen Iverson being voted in as an All-Star. This is a game for the fans but it is still a joke. Many of the voters probably didn't recognize the new stars of the league and voted him in by name only. Sorry AI but the only Answer to this problem is for you to fake an injury.
Number 6. The NCAA's talks to expand the basketball tournament to 96 teams. This would be an absolute disgrace. I'm a huge fan of the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Minnesota Golden Gophers but at this point, I don't feel like either team is deserving of a tournament selection. While both teams definitely have a chance to turn it around, with the change to 96 teams, both would be locks to make it. This completely takes away the meaning of having a regular season. Seems backwards that the NCAA wants college football's regular season to mean so much but at the same time throw college basketball's under the bus. Just goes to show how much an extra buck means to collegiate sports.
Number 5. The Texas Longhorns slump after reaching number 1. Losing 4 of 6 is bad enough for any team, but for a potential number 1 seed? Come on. However, this could all change with a big win over Kansas tonight. Aaron is a big Jayhawks fan so I wouldn't mind getting the chance to remove this from the list next week.
Number 4. The New Jersey Nets. This could definitely be number one but how much can we beat up on a team that is this unlucky? Well at least it isn't the Timberwolves anymore.
Number 3. Warren Sapp's battery charges. Sapp supposedly assaulted a woman because she wouldn't leave his room when he was expecting company. Where did her swollen knee and bruises come from? Sapp says she fell when he tried to help her off the couch. You stay classy Warren!
Number 2. Lane Kiffin offers scholarship to 13-year-old. This is just absurd. I've coached little league baseball for the previous 2 summers and can tell you from experience, no 11, 12, or 13 year old is mature enough to start thinking about his future at that age. Now, I'll be the first to tell you that this kid is good, but how about we let kids be kids? Maybe I'm just jealous that this kids is more successful at 13 than I will probably be in my entire life but this is still a complete joke.
And now for number 1, Bryant McKinnie getting kicked off the NFC Pro Bowl team. Now, he may have actually just been hurt and the trainers failed to inform this team, as he claims, but based off of his twitter account, he definitely didn't have any troubles with injuries to stop him from hitting up the clubs. While I'm on the subject of Twitter, don't forget to follow us at 12thManInTheHud. Well, that's it for this weeks Top 10 Failures. Questions, comments, suggestions? Something that we missed? Leave a comment below or send an email to the12thmaninthehuddle@gmail.com and we will try to make amends for it next week.
Derek
Seantral Henderson
Hello all. Just a quick word out about one of the top recruits in the nation, Seantrel Henderson. There was a story on the Star Trib website today that caught my eye, and all signs of him going to USC aren't quite true. Click here to read the full story. I would be excited if I happened to be an Ohio State, Notre Dame, Miami, Florida, etc. fan...there is still a shot.
About the Failures and Quote of the Week
Hello all. Just thought I would let you all in on our plans for our "of the Week" parts of the blog. The Quote of the Week is pretty self explanatory; if there is something stupid that an athlete says or if there is something funny or we find particularity in line with our blog, we will post it for the world to share. As for the Failures of the Week, this is going to be a ranking of the biggest failures in the world of sport. We plan on updating this weekly and it doesn't pertain to only things that have occurred in the recent week, if something is a massive failure (looking at you New Jersey Nets and Tiger Woods) then it will remain on the Failures of the Week for two, three, or more weeks in a row. Sorry for the short post but that's all I've got for tonight.
Derek
Derek
Feb 7, 2010
Welcome to The 12th Man's Blog
Hello all and welcome to our blog. The 12th Man is a blog that will help others cope with the losses and devastation that can come with sports. As many of you may have witnessed a couple of weeks ago, the Minnesota Vikings threw away their best chance in over a decade of making it to the Super Bowl. The cause, an extra player was in the huddle listening to Brett Favre describe how we could choke away another shot at a title. If you haven't figured out how all of this relates to our name of The 12th Man, well I might consider that you move onto the next blog that you can find.
The writers will consist primarily of myself and my good friend Aaron. We may also have some other guests appear over time to weigh in with their two cents in case we get a little out of control. We are both huge Minnesota sport fans so we will definitely have our say about the latest happenings around our great state but we also want to reflect on other sport teams around the globe. Also, as our name suggests, we will have some fun with other failures in the sports world. Our Quote of the Week and Top Failures of the Week will focus on those failures.
Our main purpose of The 12th Man is to provide some entertaining input in the world of sports. We are both huge sport fans that will contribute our knowledge on many different on and off the field things that take place. We will try to post as often as possible and update the failures and quotes weekly but as college students, we occasionally have homework and class to attend. Please contribute anything that you want and spread the word about our new blog.
Derek
The writers will consist primarily of myself and my good friend Aaron. We may also have some other guests appear over time to weigh in with their two cents in case we get a little out of control. We are both huge Minnesota sport fans so we will definitely have our say about the latest happenings around our great state but we also want to reflect on other sport teams around the globe. Also, as our name suggests, we will have some fun with other failures in the sports world. Our Quote of the Week and Top Failures of the Week will focus on those failures.
Our main purpose of The 12th Man is to provide some entertaining input in the world of sports. We are both huge sport fans that will contribute our knowledge on many different on and off the field things that take place. We will try to post as often as possible and update the failures and quotes weekly but as college students, we occasionally have homework and class to attend. Please contribute anything that you want and spread the word about our new blog.
Derek
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