A-Rod's Surgery, UNC over Duke, etc....

Straight in...

• A-Rod opts for surgery....this only impacts your life if you play fantasy (and were stuck with him in the top 3 overall somehow) or if youre a Yankees fan....but I was monitoring it b/c we had our fantasy baseball draft last night....so yea, he's out 6-9 weeks....at least a month of regular season play.....but the real key is how he responds off of this less invasive procedure
• Somehow the "lead" ESPN story is the Chargers presenting their "last" and "final" offer to LDT....This can't be news.....I object
• Jon Lester inks a $30 million extension....he deserves every penny...he was the ace of that staff last year and has been fantastic....

To the college hardwood....

• You already know I'm leading with UNC/Duke....The Heels swept the series this year despite the best efforts of Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler....and now have a virtual hammer-lock a number 1 seed barring some embarrassing loss in the ACC tourney this week....
• Speaking of conference tourney week....there's pretty much nothing better (other than opening weekend of the NCAA's of course) than live Big East basketball from the Garden starting at like Noon Wednesday.....brilliant!
• Speaking of great basketball....the West Coast Conference, the group of teams that I often shamelessly plug in this space, will play it's Finals tonight....but that's not what this bullet is....Gonzaga has made 12....yes, 12! straight conference finals appearances....that's an absolutely unbelievable number....let it sink in
• Northwestern's tourney chances took a significant blow....and I, for one, felt for Michael Wilbon....laughter

To the Association....

• Really Boston? We're suiting up Steph and Big Baby as starters? Yikes, it must've gotten bad up there....
• 35 points and 10 dimes for the still underrated (somehow) Devin Harris in New Jersey's home win....
• Maybe the most under-the-radar steal of this season in free agency? Nenad Krstic to the Team that Shall Not Be Named....Sam Presti fleeced the world on that one.....He's playing fantastic ball lately and he's still only 25...
• 2 of the top 15 point guards ever...Steve Nash and Jason Kidd....both are famously mediocre defenders....but now that they are up in years....Please do me a favor and just gander at their opposing PG's numbers every time they play them....and yes, I know Tony parker is good....but he carves Steve Nash like a rotisserie chicken every time they play....to the tune of 30 and 9 last night
• Somebody get Chris Bosh some help......

What to watch for!

• WCC Title Game 9:00 ESPN...Gonzaga vs. St. Mary's for the crown....Patrick Mills is healthy...and this is their dream matchup....I'm excited lol....like genuinely....and it's from Vegas and they have a 3-man announcing team involving Steve Lavin and Stephen Bardo? Do me a favor and tune in
• Hornets @ Hawks 7:00 FSN....The Chris Paul road show rides in....I actually like the Hawks in the matchup....but Mike Bibby guarding Chris Paul makes me throw up in my mouth a little...I can't lie to you on this....

Enjoy

TO to Buffalo, #1 Goes Down....

Even on an amazingly loaded basketball saturday....the lead is....

• TO on his way to Upstate New York....1 year, 6.5 million....ALL guaranteed....This seems like a coup for Owens and Drew Rosenhaus b/c it's guaranteed money and that's more than I thought he'd get....On one hand I think the smaller market may help him just play football....and on the other, it may make him go at Trent Edwards and company even harder....I don't see this ending well, but the honeymoon period gives them a suddenly competent skill-position lineup of Edwards/Lynch/TO/Lee Evans....I like that

To the college hardwood....

• Pitt knocks off #1 UConn at home....well it seems like Pitt is a very bad matchup for UConn but underneath the surface, Pitt has just played out of their minds in both matchups....thanks to Sam Young's 31 points, Pitt looks like it has a strong-hold on a #1 seed barring a Big East tourney implosion....
• Missouri has to be the best example of a good home team/worst road team combination in the land....they got blitzed by Texas A&M on the road after taking it to Oklahoma at home....
• Speaking of the Sooners....Blake Griffin is back to form with 33 and 14 in a Bedlam rivalry W....
• Marquette can't buy a win without Dominic James....they go down in OT thanks mostly to Johnny Flynn's 24 points in the Cuse's road win....
• The previous lock for "Best team in the dreadful SEC" LSU gets run out of the gym @ Auburn today....and there really isn't a single threat in that entire conference for even a semi-deep tourney run outside of them....so SEC fans better hope they get it together
• Washington wins the Pac 10 regular season....for the first time in 50+ years....amazing story of a bunch of guys who have been their forever finally coming into their own (Quincy Pondexter and Justin Dentmon mostly) with an infusion of freshman talent (Isiah Thomas)....I'm rooting for them
• Xavier with a classic let-down after clinching the A-10....The usual suspects are the "Non-major" threats again this year....Gonzaga, Xavier, Butler, and St. Mary's are the 4 you've heard about....but watch for Utah State, BYU, and Siena.....don't forget I told you...
• And a personal-interest story for me....Michigan wins @ Minnesota! It's looking to be a promising bubble situation...I couldn't be happier lol

To the NBA....

• The Hawks live and breathe again.....a huge, gigantic, massive, over-riding (enough adjectives?) home win over Detroit tonight....and Josh Smith re-emerges with 19 and 12....and 43 minutes....what changed? your guess is as good as Mike Woodson's....
• I had a proud moment....as one of my basketball man-crushes...Mr. Mike Conley had his career night....31 points...9 dimes....loved it
• Cleveland beats Miami with ease....but Lebron has only 15 points? seems impossible....until you factor his 12 dimes and 10 boards....Win at all costs seems like the montra to me....

What to watch for...

• Duke @ UNC 4:00 CBS....Speaks for itself....For the ACC crown adds even more...
• Missouri Valley Title Game: Illinois State vs. Northern Iowa CBS 2:00....Always an underrated league
• Clemson @ Wake Forest 6:00 FSN
• Phoenix Suns @ SA Spurs 3:30 ABC....gotta have the Sunday pm NBA game....but I'd choose Duke/UNC here

Boy that ran long....

Celtics over Cavs, and more NBA

It's an NBA kind of night....

• Boston takes care of Cleveland.... This was closer than it seemed until Boston blew it open at about the 6 minute mark of the 4th....Paul Pierce was outstanding (yet again in a big game) but the real key was Leon Powe....yes, that Leon Powe....He of 20 points and 11 boards last night...Lebron was a bit off shooting 5-15 and he can't afford to do that in a game IN Boston....
• Hawks goes down....Anytime you let a team shoot 81% (81!!!!) in the first quarter and you're suddenly down 18 on the road.....you aren't winning....but the real story is Josh Smith being unceremoniously benched for the entire 2nd half after a reported "argument" with Mike Woodson at halftime....The saga continues....
• Dwyane Wade leads Miami over Toronto.....42, 6 and 8 for Flash....and he's averaging a ridiculous 38 a game in the last 7.....when does the MVP buzz begin? If he gets that team homecourt in the 1st round, he should win it hands down
• Utah somehow came back from 17 down in the 1st half to beat Denver....but my favorite storyline? JR Smith putting up 27 points because he is....now....starting! Hurray George!

What to watch for on this Saturday....(and it's alot)

• UConn @ Pitt CBS 12:00....This speaks for itself....2 top-5 teams on national TV is a must-watch....unless....
• Michigan @ Minnesota Noon ESPN.....Okay, the other game is the must-watch unless you are Me.....Go Blue...win and you're in!
• Texas @ Kansas 4:00 CBS
• Wazzou @ Washington 5:30 FSN....Big-time Pac 10 game that you should be aware of
• USA vs. Canada in Toronto in the WBC....2:00 ESPN...I won't watch this...but it gives you a baseball option

Get it...

Even More A-Rod....Marshawn Lynch, etc.

A little slower than the day before (mercifully)....

• A-Rod diagnosed with Torn Labrum....this was thought to be just based on a cyst on his hip....but now the Labrum thing....reportedly, he'll try and avoid surgery and be back by opening day, but if he doesn't avoid surgery, he's looking at 3-4 months and the Yankees take a massive hit.....Let's see how his pain tolerance shapes up....
• Manny is always good for a hilarious press conference....
• NBA Roundup: Carmelo leads the Nuggets.... Fresh off his 1 game suspension for refusing to come out of a game (you can't make this stuff up), he responds with 38 and a convincing W over the Blazers....motivation!......CP3 is the best in the Business.....Chris Paul aka ya boy....27 and 15 last night and a 2nd half blowout of Dallas....it's like Jason Kidd wasn't even there...I don't love the +/- stat....but the highest and lowest by anyone in that game are....ready? Chris Paul at +22 and Jason Kidd at -22....not a coincidence
• NFL News: Roy Williams cut.... no, not the receiver....just the former Pro Bowl Safety that can't cover a stationary chair....I'd sign him as a linebacker if he gained 15-20 pounds though, b/c he can tackle.....Marshawn Lynch gets probation.... How many times can he do crazy stuff and avoid the wrath of Goodell? We'll see on this one....
• Earlier in the year....James Harden and Arizona State went on the road to Stanford and beat them by 30 points....last night? They took it on the chin AT HOME by 10....good luck explaining that one...

What to watch for....

• Cleveland @ Boston 8:00 ESPN....The game of the night (obviously) pits the top 2 teams in the East....I wish they were at full strength, but this will do
• Denver @ Utah 10:30 ESPN.....an underrated West matchup....this could be the #3 and #4 seeds eventually....and Utah has been hot
• Hawks @ Charlotte 7:00 SportSouth....Not the most glamorous matchup but hey, I'll be tuned in.... lol

Happy viewing...

A Busy, Busy Night in Sports....

Wow...a ton to get to....I'll break it up by subject....and b/c the NFL gives us the "lead" story...we'll go there first

• And that lead is....TO released by the Cowboys.....well, I'm not overly shocked but there's nothing I can really say about it....hasn't been worth the trouble in Dallas b/c he hasn't produced wins and he's getting up in age and down in production.....I don't necessarily support the move....they better get something out of Roy Williams this year or they suddenly have no receivers and with the way they timed this (TJ Housh off the board already and no real top flight FA WRs)....and if you haven't noticed, Jerry Jones is a terrible GM (he shouldn't be the GM anyway) and if he thinks getting rid of TO is the answer....good luck to him
• Kurt Warner agrees to stay in Arizona for 2 years, $23 million... a bit of a discount from what he asked for....but I can't see any reason he'd wanna leave there for San Fran other than pure $ b/c Arizona is still the better spot as long as he gets to throw to Fitzgerald....
• Other FA News....Ray Lewis stays in Baltimore (where he rightfully should be, lol) and Laveranues Coles signs with Cincinnati to replace TJ.....Sort of a "meh" move there
• Torry Holt asks for his release from the Rams....this is flying wayyyyy under the radar but the guy is a borderline hall of famer right now....yes, I said that....and still has some gas left....teams would be insane not to go after him if the Rams grant him this.....go get him Dallas...

To the NBA....

• The Hawks go down in New York....Al Horford gave what he had (20 and 13) but Josh Smith provided a fantastically terrible 2 rebounds on the night....I can't deal with him sometimes....
• Miami 135, Phoenix 129.....Gotta love Phoenix Boxscores...my favorite part of this one? Dwyane Wade...how does 35 points, 16 dimes and 6 boards sound? My goodness....anytime you can overshadow a 29 and 10 dime game from Steve Nash AND a combined 57 points from Daequan Cook and Michael Beasley off the heat bench? Awesome....
• Big win for the Mavs at home.....Tony Parker had a big-time 37 point game....but Dallas held on at home...at least JJ Barea is getting buried again (right Ryan? lol)
• Cleveland clinched a playoff spot tonight....MAN, that sounds early to me.....shows how bad the bottom of the East is too lol

To the unpaid athletes (we think).....

• Pitt over Marquette....well, Marquette has failed both tests since losing Dominic James...and have done so badly....Looking ugly for them going forward compared to what they thought they had
• Missouri over Oklahoma....Missouri goes a ridiculous 18-0 and undefeated at home for the year....and despite Blake Griffin's 21 boards, this is a big time game for the Tigers
• 2 pretty significant upsets.....#9 Kansas gets absolutely blasted in Lubbock by previously hapless Texas Tech....that one is shocking b/c of how bad Tech is but it looks like Kansas just let up after clinching the Big 12.....and Vandy takes down #12 LSU in Baton Rouge....not as shocking, but at the same time, this was a home loss....

Well there you have it

MLB Preview: AL Central

First of all....My God the AL Central is baffling....Let's get it

1. Cleveland Indians-Well if there is one thing I know....the best lineup top-to-bottom in this division belongs to the Indians....they are young, yes.....but guys like Shin-Soo Choo, Ryan Garko, and Ben Francisco (aka maybe guys you don't know) are very productive, young guys....add them in with Grady Sizemore, Victor Martinez (healthy now), and do-everything contributor Mark DeRosa....I'm in....The rotation is contingent on 2 things....The follow-up of Cliff Lee and the re-emergence of Fausto Carmona.....I think they hit one of those 2 things...if they hit both? It could be momentous....Lee will come down a little, but will still be productive, and I'm very high on Carmona....Add in Aaron Laffey, Anthony Reyes, and about 6 other guys vying for that 5th spot....I'm a bit wary of the bullpen because of Kerry Wood and inevitable Groin Pull or Elbow Sprain....but the setup crop is deep and effective....The LEAST holes in this division resides here... X-Factors: Victor Martinez's rebound, Cliff Lee's rebound, Fausto's health
2. Detroit Tigers- This lineup is definitely better on paper than it is in real life....Miguel Cabrera is a legit top-10 player in the league...Curtis Granderson and Magglio should be there....but Carlos Guillen? Placido Polanco? What do you get out of Gary Sheffield? I like the makeup...but there are questions....The rotation can't possibly be worse than it was last year...I think Justin Verlander rebounds...I'm a BIG fan of Armando Galarraga and Jeremy Bonderman is semi-solid....but Dontrelle Willis is a wreck....yikes...I'm scared to death....The setup guys are back in Zumaya and Rodney, but will they be healthy? X-Factors: Bullpen, Bullpen, Bullpen....Anything out D-Train Willis....


3. Kansas City Royals- Okay...quit laughing and hear me out....I love....not like, love....some parts of this roster....The lineup is very good (although young) with guys like Alex Gordon, the underrated Mike Jacobs, rising star Mike Aviles, and smasher Billy Butler at DH....factor in guys who needed scene changes like CoCo Crisp (who will steal 70-ish bases on this team) and Jose Guillen (who mashes when he's healthy) and I'm sold...Zach Greinke as your ace? I'm cool with that....Gil Meche? He was a top 10 pitcher in the AL after the break last year....The rotation isn't the deepest in the world....but Joakim Soria slams the door every night and the bullpen is better than advertised.....They'll be near .500....X-Factors: Backend of the rotation, young guys progressing (Namely Gordon, Aviles)


4. Minnesota Twins- You know the story....Smoke and mirrors....Mauer and Morneau are there...but I simply can't wrap my around the rest of that lineup competing for a division title....and with Mauer you don't even get the power....I just can't do it... I'm a big Denard Span fan though.....The rotation is actually nice....I think Liriano comes back strong and is an all-star caliber guy this year, and along with Scott Baker they form a very strong 1-2...The setup situation has taken a hit....but if they can consistently get the ball to Joe Nathan with a lead, they'll win enough where they won't be out of it until August..... X-factors: Liriano's elbow, Where does the power come from?


5. Chicago White Sox- When researching for this....I had the White Sox higher until I actually saw what they were working with.... Alexei Ramirez? Check...I love him...huge upside at SS...You know you're getting 30 bombs from Jermaine Dye and near that money from Paul Konerko and Jim Thome (despite their low averages)....but that's it on the sure things...Carlos Quentin is a one-year wonder who subsequently got hurt and looms as a question mark....Josh Fields is a malcontent....The once frighteningly deep rotation now has 3 starters in Buehrle (aging), Danks (solid), and Gavin Floyd....Bartolo Colon? Former Michigan Wolverine QB Clayton Richard? Yikes....The bullpen is a plus on paper until you realize that every single setup guy that you know the name of has aged significantly since they were good....Look for the implosion and possibly the removal of Ozzie before season's end....

Manny almost done?, Coast Guard Search Ends, etc....

Straight in....

• First of all....I wanna express that thoughts and prayers are with the families of the 3 current and former football players who have been lost at sea with the Coast Guard suspending its full search efforts....The story will fade away from the national consciousness, but not from their families hearts...

To sports...

• Manny set to sign a 2 year, 45 million dollar deal....at least we think he is....We've been here before but it's being reported as "agreed to terms" so that's what I'll go on.....Huge for LA....they have to have him in camp
• 2 NBA Signings....Joe Smith to Cleveland and Drew Gooden to San Antonio....Gooden is the better player at this stage, but has a health issue that he's been battling.....Smith has been to the buyout table before, and should contribute right away (especially since he's already been in Cleveland), but Gooden is a bigger flier that could pay huge for SA
• On the same night....ranked teams Washington and Gonzaga played Seattle and USC-Upstate respectively....in the middle/end of their conference slate....how does that even happen?
• Duke takes care of Florida State at home to set up the all-encompassing regular season ending tilt with UNC for the regular season crown....as it should be....
• Nothing too absurd in the NBA last night....so that gives me an opportunity to shamelessly plug 2 of my favorite young players in Kevin Love (18 and 14) and Brook Lopez (24 and 12)...but while we're here in the Association...
• What has gotten into Detroit? I know the Iverson injury has sort of forced Michael Curry's hand on the rotation....but they're beating good teams suddenly....I'm not gonna blame AI because there are other issues in Detroit (Sheed's decline, Stuckey's over-ratedness, lack of offensive identity, etc.), but they are playing infinitely better when the rotation forces itself
• I could watch Kevin Martin shoot free throws all day and night....

What to watch for this evening:

• UNC @ Va Tech ESPN 7:00.....Way bigger for VT than it is for UNC at this point
• Marquette @ Pitt ESPN2 7:30....I have NO idea why this is the ESPN2 game and not the ESPN game....
• San Antonio @ Dallas ESPN 9:00
• Hawks @ Knicks SportSouth 7:30....This is the type of road game the Hawks shouldn't lose but they often do...