A word about soccer fans

What's the deal with soccer fans?

First, take a second to acknowledge this obvious 'Seinfeld' reference; then, actually think about the question. What IS their deal?

The fact that they enjoy the game is not in question. In fact, not only do I enjoy watching quality soccer, I played it in high school - minus the quality part. My problem is the way fans conduct themselves in the stands.

The Kansas City Wizards and Los Angeles Galaxy have just started the second half of a 1-1 game being nationally televised on ESPN 2 when fans behind the KC net shower the pitch with blue and white streamers.

Is this the soccer version of "makin' it rain"?

Efforts by the grounds crew and players to clean the area in front of the goalkeeper would inevitably be useless as the field would be showered by streamers again minutes later.

My question is how can they get away with this?

Name another major sports league in this country that would allow fans to litter their playing surface with foreign objects. The NHL and hat tricks might be a possible answer, but I think that is different. The play has been stopped and the hats can not effect play.

So why is this behavior accepted in Major League Soccer? Here are my guesses:

1. They feel it contributes to the atmosphere
2. It sets the league apart from others
3. League officials are just waiting for streamers to turn into flairs, like in other countries, before taking action.

I understand the soccer fans are very passionate, which is great, but keeping their passion in the stands and off the pitch would be even greater.

MLB mid-season review

The all-star break is upon us, signifying the half-way point of the Major League Baseball season. At the beginning of the season I gave my projections for how the season would go; some where good and most were... lets just say not as good.

Here is my chance to make up for my bad projections (Kansas City). Below are the up-to-date standing, followed by post-season predictions.

American League
East
Boston Red Sox: 54 - 34
New York Yankees: 51-37
Tampa Bay Rays: 48-41
Toronto Blue Jays: 44-46
Baltimore Orioles: 40-48

Central
Detroit Tigers: 48-39
Chicago White Sox: 45-43
Minnesota Twins: 45-44
Kansas City Royals: 37-51
Cleveland Indians: 35-54

West
L.A. Angels: 49-37
Texas Rangers: 48-39
Seattle Mariners: 46-42
Oakland A's: 37-49

Team on the Rise: Original - Kansas City Royals. New - Seattle Mariners
Team on the Decline: Original - Minnesota Twins. New - Cleveland Indians
Upset Special: Original - Kansas City Royals. New - Texas Rangers
Biggest Disappointment: Original - Cleveland Indians. New - Cleveland Indians
Wildcard Race: Original - NYY vs. Bos vs. KC vs. Clev. New - TB vs. NYY vs. TX
ALDS: Original - L.A. over NY, TB over CWS. New - TB over BOS, TX over DET
ALCS: Original - Angles over Rays. New - Rangers over Rays

National League
East
Philadelphia Phillies: 48-38
Florida Marlins: 46-44
Atlanta Braves: 43-45
New York Mets: 42-45
Washington Nationals: 26-61

Central
St. Louis Cardinals: 49-42
Milwaukee Brewers: 45-43
Houston Astros: 44-44
Chicago Cubs: 43-43
Cincinnati Reds: 42-45
Pittsburgh Pirates: 38-50

West
L.A. Dodgers: 56-32
San Francisco Giants: 49-39
Colorado Rockies: 47-41
Arizona Diamondbacks: 38-51
San Diego Padres: 36-52


Team on the Rise: Original - Florida Marlins. New - San Francisco Giants
Team on the Decline: Original - Milwaukee Brewers. New - Arizona Diamondbacks
Upset Special: Original - Cincinnati Reds. New - Colorado Rockies
Biggest Disappointment: Original - Philadelphia Phillies. New - Chicago Cubs / New York Mets
Wildcard Race: Original - NYM vs. Cinci vs. St.L vs. Ariz vs. Phili. New - Phili vs. SF vs. the Central
NLDS: Original - CHC over NYM, FL over L.A. New - L.A. over CHC, StL over FL
NLCS: Original - Cubs over Marlins. New - Cards over Dodgers

Breaking News: Former Titan McNair found dead

Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair was found dead today in downtown Nashville according the Nashville City Paper.

McNair and an unidentified 20-year-old woman were found with apparent gunshot wounds in an apartment complex on 2nd Avenue. Sources suspect the incident to be a murder/suicide or made to look as such.

Who wins in the WWE / NBA rumble?

The heavyweight match-up between World Wrestling Entertainment and the NBA's Denver Nuggets ended much like a wrestling match would - a third party snuck in and stole the show.

The event will not change days, rather change cities and be held in Los Angeles at the Staples Center.

WWE originally booked the episode of "Monday Night Raw" at Denver's Pepsi Center for the night of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. The deal was made well before the team even made the playoffs, but Nuggets ownership should have shown some foresight.

Despite the troubles, Denver was surprised to lose the event to Los Angeles.

Kroenke Sports Enterprises, the company that owns the Nuggets and the Pepsi Center, thought they had reached an agreement with WWE chairman Vince McMahon to stay in Denver, but move the show to May 24.

"We believed we had a deal," said KSE executive vice president Paul Andrews. "And Vince himself asked if he could, as part of deal, get five tickets to the Nuggets game on Monday night. So we are a little shocked. But I guess we are not surprised, because the sensationalism employed by WWE and Vince is standard practice for him. The amount of publicity and coverage by their group over the last few days has become their new business goal."

Oh! Andrews laid the smackdown on Vince McMahon. He should be on the canvas for a 10 count right?

Well.. probably not, but both groups came out of this situation with a plus.

L.A. is a much bigger market than Denver so McMahon should be happy, and the NBA did not cave into what they saw as an inferior in the WWE. If they had cracked and moved their event they would have been the laughing-stock of the American sports leagues.

Even the National Hockey League could take some shots at them. Oh wait, the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins had to play on back-to-back nights because of a previously scheduled Yanni concert.

Top 10 Tuesday: American League Allstar ballot

First base: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
Key stats: .375 batting average, 30 RBI

Second base: Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
Key stats: 11 home runs, 32 RBI

Third base: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
Key stats: 11 home runs, 46 RBI, .345 batting average

Shortstop: Jason Bartlett, Tampa Bay Rays
Key stats: .385 batting average, 11 stolen bases

Catcher: Victor Martinez, Cleveland Indians
Key stats: .401 batting average

Outfield: Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Rays
Key stats: .327 batting average, 24 stolen bases

Outfield: Jason Bay, Boston Red Sox
Key stats: 11 home runs, 40 RBI

Outfield: Torri Hunter, L.A. Angels
Key stats: .313 batting average, 30 RBI

Pitcher: Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals
Key stats: 7 wins in 8 games started, 0.60 ERA, 65 strikeouts

Thank God I'm not a Gator

University of Florida head football coach Urban Meyer seems to be taking a page from rival-coach Lane Kiffin's book by creating waves in the media.

Meyer was upset with comments made by former Gator quarterback Shane Matthews after the team's 31-30 loss to Mississippi last fall according to espn.com. Matthews criticized team strategy for not being able to take advantage of Ole Miss playing Gator wide-outs man-to-man 90 percent of the game.

" If you want to be critical of a player on our team or a coach on our team you can buy a ticket for seat 37F, you're not welcome back in the football office," Meyer said. "You're either a Gator or you're not a Gator."

Who does Meyer think he is?

Hey Urban, in America there's this thing called the First Amendment. It gives all U.S. citizens freedom of speech - with certain exceptions. One of those exceptions is NOT criticism of the Florida Gators by a former Gator though.

I wonder if Meyer will have the same reaction if golden-boy, and jean-shorts wearer, Tim Tebow makes similar comments ten years down the line?

What if he does? Meyer would be at the entrance of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with a crowbar prying off that ridiculous plaque of the Tebow speech - which just happened to follow the Ole Miss loss that Matthews criticized.

As much as I wish that would happen, I really doubt it.

So speak your mind Shane Matthews. Criticize Gator players and coaches all you want - it's your right. Just keep your mouth shut after this year's UT/UF game. We know - it's going to be a tough game.

Top 10 Tuesday returns

Top 10 Tuesday returns to the blog today, but its going to be a little different. The list today is a ten-man roster of NBA players from my childhood.

Starters

PG: Magic Johnson - Great vision and ball handling skills. His size makes him a very versatile player in that he can play anything from point to center.

SG: Michael Jordan - The greatest player ever to touch a basketball. Can do anything on the court you need. His intensity and desire to be the best is matched by none.

SF: Larry Bird - Great shooter who puts himself in positions to make plays on the court. Will get in the heads of his competitors on both sides of the court.

PF: Kevin Garnett - The youngest player to make my list. His fierceness on both sides of the court gives the starting lineup a tougher look.

C: Shaq O'Neal - The Big Aristotle can not be checked by any defender, and with great shooters on the perimeter opponents won't be able to double him.

Bench

PG: Gary Payton: Good passer, but great defensive player. You don't get the nickname "the Glove" for nothing.

SG: Reggie Miller: Best three-point shooter in NBA history.

SF: Scottie Pippen: Played Robin to MJs Batman. Don't let that fool you; he's still a great player on his own.

PF: Charles Barkley: Undersized, but great work ethic and rebounding ability. Good locker room guy.

C: Hakeem Olajuwon: Very athletic big man with great post moves.

Manny out + A-Rod back = worst week ever

Major League Baseball is one giant life-cycle -- or at least it was last week. The league losses one of their biggest stars at the beginning of the week only to regain another by the end.

Manny Rameriz, the greatest right-handed hitter ever according to some, was suspended 50 games for testing positive for a banned-substance no-more than five days before Yankees third-baseman Alex Rodriguez rejoined his team from offseason hip surgery. Rodriguez had previously tested positive for steroids but was not suspended.

Take a look at the numbers; both players are statistically similar.

That being said, these players could not be more opposite.

Ramirez is gone and I'm upset. Lets face it, baseball can be pretty boring at times. It's really a bunch of sitting and waiting for something to happen, but when Manny's in the game anything can happen.

Baseball needs personalities like Manny to keep the middle-of-the-road fans interested.

Rodriguez, on the other hand, I could do without. While Manny brings child-like joy to his game, A-Rod brings a business-like feel to his.

Memo to A-Rod: baseball's a kids game. The less you treat it like a business, the more people will enjoy watching you play. Let the front office people worry about the business part.

Breaking Obama News

The past three or four weeks minor things have been added to the blog such as new polls and weekly predictions, but no new stories.

That changes today.

I saw the following clip on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and immediately became inspired.

BARACK OBAMA EATS FAST FOOD!? ..... and orders really slow.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Where's the Chief?
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

Who knew that watching the President order a hamburger would be just what I needed to start writing again?

So thank you Mr. President. You're ability to order food slower than anyone else in the world was just what the doctor ordered.

Just think, who would have inspired me if McCain had won the election?



Oh yeah, forgot about her.

MLB Preview Day 2

National League

East
Team Approx. Wins

1. Florida Marlins 85-90
2. New York Mets 84-89
3. Philadelphia Phillies 83-88
4. Atlanta Braves 75-80
5. Washington Nationals 55-60

Central

1. Chicago Cubs 93-98
2. Cincinnati Reds 82-87
3. St. Louis Cardinals 80-85
4. Milwaukee Brewers 77-82
5. Pittsburgh Pirates 70-75
6. Houston Astros 60-65

West

1. L.A. Dodgers 86-91
2. Arizona Diamondbacks 82-87
3. San Fransisco Giants 75-80
4. Colorado Rockies 70-75
5. San Diego Padres 60-65

Team on the Rise: Florida Marlins

Team on the Decline: Milwaukee Brewers

Upset Special: Cincinnati Reds

Biggest Disappointment: Philadelphia Phillies

Wildcard Race: NYM vs. Cinci vs. St.L vs. Ariz vs. Phili

NLDS: Cubs over Mets, Marlins over Dodgers

NLCS: Cubs over Marlins

MLB Preview Day 1

American League

East
Team Approx. wins

1. Tampa Bay Rays 90-95
2. New York Yankees 88-93
3. Boston Red Sox 87-92
4. Toronto Blue Jays 80-85
5. Baltimore Orioles 70-75

Central

1. Chicago White Sox 85-90
2. Kansas City Royals 82-87
3. Cleveland Indians 80-85
4. Minnesota Twins 78-83
5. Detroit Tigers 70-75

West

1. L.A. Angels 97-102
2. Texas Rangers 76-81
3. Seattle Mariners 72-77
4. Oakland A's 65-70

Team on the Rise: Kansas City Royals

Team on the Decline: Minnesota Twins

Upset Special: Kansas City Royals

Biggest Disappointment: Cleveland Indians

Wildcard Race: NYY vs. Bos vs. KC vs. Clev

ALDS: Angels over Yankees, Rays over White Sox

ALCS: Angles over Rays

More Breaking News: Cutler traded to Bears

ESPN is reporting the Denver Broncos have agreed in principle to trade pro-bowl quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears.

ESPN.com reports that the Bears are giving up quarterback Kyle Orton, along with first round picks in the 2009 and 2010 drafts.

Finally, the biggest drama-filled escapade in the National Football League (not involving Terrell Owens) is over.

After rounds upon rounds of blows being thrown between the two, the bout is up for a judge's decisions. Who gets the better end of this deal - Jay Cutler or the Denver Broncos?

This judge says it's a tie; they both end up worse.

You can't tell me that Denver couldn't have gotten a better quarterback in return than Orton. He's the one QB in the league that makes Chad Pennington's arm look like a rocket launcher. The Washington Redskins were alleged to be in the Cutler conversation and could have offered Jason Campbell. That would've been a better deal.

And good luck in Chicago Jay. Besides Walter Payton, the Bears are best known for never having a good quarterback. Have fun with the expectations of being the savior of that franchise.

Better hope the Bears use one of their remaining high picks to get a receiver. The Vandy connection between you and Earl Bennett won't be enough to win games in Chicago.

Breaking News: Calipari to Kentucky

The Memphis Commercial Appeal is reporting that John Calipari has accepted the University of Kentucky's 8 year, $35 million offer and will be the Wildcats' new Head Coach.

Calipari is expected to bring at least some of his recruiting class with him to the Blue Grass State according to Dan Wolken of the Commercial Appeal.

Wolken, who broke the news on ESPN's SportsCenter, said that he expects the split between Calipari and the University of Memphis to not be a pleasant one.

Yeah, I would think that Memphis would be a little upset if their coach decides not only to leave, but take his top-notch recruiting class with him.

Terrible news for Memphis, but great news for Kentucky and the entire Southeastern Conference. Don't expect the SEC to be the sixth best conference next season. Great coaches bring great players into the league, and now three of the NCAA's best coaches hold SEC jobs:

• Florida's Billy Donovan
• Tennessee's Bruce Pearl
• Kentucky's John Calipari

If it's even possible, Tennessee vs. Kentucky has just reached a new level. Within two years it will rival Duke vs. North Carolina.

Top 10 Tuesday: Athletes' Quotes

10. "Whoever said, 'It's not whether you win or lose that counts,' probably lost" - Martina Navratilova

Who did originally come up with that saying anyway? I'm guessing not a professional athlete. And if it was, I'm sure they weren't a pro very long.

9. "I dunno. I never smoked any AstroTurf." - Tug McGraw


Tim McGraw's dad, a two time MLB all star, was asked whether he preferred grass or AstroTurf and this little dandy of a quote came out. Surprised it didn't spawn a country song.

8. "The only reason I don't like playing in the World Series is I can't watch myself play." - Reggie Jackson

Sorry Mr. October, you were couple of decades before your time. Today's players can TiVo their games and watch themselves as many times as they want. Jealous?

7. "Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." - Joe Theisman

To be fair to Joe, maybe Albert Einstein had a brother named Norman. No? He didn't? Wow, great use of that Notre Dame education Joe.

6. "I have the same malice in my heart as far as the fight game is concerned, but outside the ring, I won't say anything a dignified man won't say." - Mike Tyson

Really Mike? Aren't you the same person that said "I want to rip out his heart and feed it to Lennox Lewis. I want to kill people. I want to rip their stomachs out and eat their children."? Not sure how dignified that is.

5. "I'm traveling to all 51 states to see who can stop 85." - Chad "Ocho-Cinco" Johnson

Congratulations to Puerto Rico for becoming our 51st state! No, they're not a state? Guam? Not them either? Mexico or Canada? Good luck finding No. 51 Chad.

4. The many quotes of Shaquille O'Neal

• "I'm tired of hearing about money, money, money, money, money. I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, wear Reebok."
  

Don't forget make bad movies and sell bad records. The best movie/record you ever made was that YouTube video of your Kobe rap.

• "We're not worried about the Sacramento Queens. Not at all."
  

Name calling will always get you on a best quotes list as long as it's funny. Just last week Shaq called Chris Bosh the "RuPaul of NBA big men". Now that's borderline Diesel; borderline the funniest comparison I've ever heard.

• "My game's like the Pythagorean Theorem. It ain't got no answer."
  

Of course it doesn't have an answer; it's a theorem. Shaq's size ^2 + Shaq's skill ^2 = ?

3. "We're going to turn this team around 360 degrees." - Jason Kidd

Jason might need Shaq to teach him some geometry. You see Jason, by taking your team 360 degrees, you just wind up where you started.

2. "He treats us like men. He lets us wear earrings." - Torrin Polk

Who is Torrin Polk you ask? Well, he was a University of Houston receiver who thought earrings were manly. Google search him; that's all you'll find.

1. Charles Barkley

• "I'm just what America needs - another unemployed black man."

Those were Chuck's words after he retired from the NBA. I think you'll survive Charles.

• "When I was recruited by Auburn, they took me to a strip joint. When I saw those titties on Buffy, I knew that Auburn met my academic requirements."

I'm going to play it safe and not make a joke about this one. There's a joke just sitting right there that's really obvious, so I'll let you find it and take credit for it.

• "All I know is, as long as I led the Southeastern Conference in scoring, my grades would be fine."

All the leading scorers in Vanderbilt history are wishing they went to Auburn right about now. Those degrees are about equal, right?

• "Somebody hits me, I'm going to hit him back. Even if it does look like he hasn't eaten in a couple weeks. I thought he was going to pull a spear on me."

This took place during a 1992 Dream Team game against Angola where Barkley got into an altercation with another player. A 116-48 beat down would call for some spear throwing in some countries, so way to stand your ground Chuck. And just in case that actually happens, you know it's your responsibility to dive in front of anything headed towards Michael Jordan right?

If at first you don't succeed, keep slamming to the left

I discovered this video during my daily, lunch-time YouTube voyage and it's really pretty incredible. Incredible that the guy in the blue has such a lack of ping-pong strategy.



He's smart enough to remember what side of the table he has to hit when they get their sides switched up, but he can't figure out 'maybe I should throw in a drop shot, or maybe just HIT THE BALL TO THE OTHER SIDE!'

Sweet 16 leaving dull taste?

The beauty of the NCAA Tournament every year is the Cinderella story. A team that hardly anyone had heard of during the regular season puts together an incredible run of upsets, catapulting themselves into national headlines.

Evidently, Cinderella's invitation to the big dance got lost in the mail this year.

Each region has essentially been left with chalk - the highest seeded teams. The top four teams in the East and South Regions have all advanced, while No. 5 Purdue advanced in the West and No. 12 Arizona in the Midwest.

People will say that the tourney is having a down year because of the lack of underdogs making the Sweet 16.

I disagree.

While routing for the underdog is always entertaining, the depth and quality of teams left is beyond the usual this year. A case can be made that 14 of the remaining teams have a legitimate shot at winning the title.

Teams being excluding:

• Arizona - Wildcats have been unable to put together solid winning streaks all season.
• Xavier - Points will become a problem for the Musketeers. Their leading scorer only averages 14 points per game.

I wouldn't look for this year's trend of top seeds advancing to continue. The gap between a No. 1 and No. 3 this year is as minuscule as .. well.. lets just say it's barely even there.

If you put an all No. 1 seed Final Four in your office pool bracket be prepared to be disappointed.

Better late than never

I know St. Patrick's day was last Tuesday, but I just couldn't resist a chance to share this.

Top 10 Tuesday: Reasons the World Baseball Classic is a dud

10. No drama
Watching other sports, there's a certain sense of urgency where your team losing is the end of the world. The WBC just doesn't have that in America. Your team team losses; life goes on.

9. Team USA doesn't win
Anything Americans aren't good at isn't worth watching, right? Explains hockey ratings in the U.S. doesn't it.

8. Not in season
When people think March, they don't think baseball. Put the tournament two weeks after the World Series in a warm-climate city. More people will watch if baseball is still fresh on their minds.

7. U.S. doesn't field best team possible
The U.S. Olympic basketball team faced the same problem. How can you win if you don't have the best players in the dugout?

6. All-star mentality
Like MLB's summer classic, players who make the team expect to play. Stop giving everyone equal time and play to win the game! Right Herm?

5. MLB teams don't want their players hurt
Imagine paying someone $100 million to work for you, then they get hurt working for someone else. Feel good about your investment?

4. Seriousness of other countries
Other teams don't just want to win; they really want to win. People in their countries actually care. You'd think it was the Super Bowl or something?

3. Unfamiliarity with majority of foreign players
Once the U.S. gets knocked out, Americans have no one left to route for. The other countries might have a major leaguer scattered through their roster, but for the most part its the equivalent of watching a minor league game.

2. Competes with NCAA tourney
March belongs to college basketball in this country. From favorites to underdogs.Cinderella to diaper-dandies. There's a sense of drama and urgency that the WBC is severely lacking. Heck, everyone - including the President - fills out a bracket. You don't see Obama talking about the Classic on Sportscenter do you?

1. It was Bud Selig's idea
Paraphrasing Tom Hanks - there's no crying in baseball. Adding to that - there's no ties in baseball, except that one time Bud Selig called the all-star game a draw because teams were out of pitchers. Way to go Commish. At least you cleaned up the whole steroids thing - right A-Rod?

Top 10 Tuesday: All things Irish

10. Bono
Who would save the world if it wasn't for this rock star?

9. Notre Dame
Good school; incredibly over-rated football program. America's team? Yea.. right. The best thing to come from Notre Dame football the past 20 years has been the movie Rudy.

8. Lucky Charms
Frau Farbissina of Austin Powers described them best by saying: "there are these little tiny pieces of marshmallow just stuck right in the cereal. So when the kids eat them they think, 'Oooh this is candy, I'm having fun!'"

7. The Irish Jig Guy
Michael Flatley, also known as Lord of The Dance, became a spectacle in the mid 90s. He became somewhat of a pop culture figure when he was mentioned in an episode of "Friends" as the phenomenon that scared the bejesus out of Chandler because his legs flailed around as if independent from his body.

6. The Departed
Great movie from 2006 that won lots and lots of awards. Set mostly in the south-side of Boston, this film just oozes Irish from every pore.

5. Notable writers
Once again showing off my college education, here's a list of Irish writers to read: Jonathan Swift, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, William Butler Yeats, and Samuel Beckett. Yeats and Beckett won the Noble Prize for their work, while Joyce was thought to have been snubbed of one.


4. Conan O'Brien
You would never guess by watching him on television that this man is a Harvard graduate. That aside, no one on the small screen screams "I'm Irish!" louder than Conan.

3. Guinness Beer
Most likely the official beverage of the Republic of Ireland, where everyday is considered a "lovely day for a Guinness".


2. St Patrick's Day
Never has one holiday been so associated with one color as this day is with green. Wear green or get pinched. Drink green beer. Dye the Chicago River green. I'm sure there is some pure Irish kid in the world who had the misfortune of being born on this day that is named Green.

1. Boston Celtics
17 NBA Championships. That's all that has to be said.

My Projected NCAA Tournament Seeds

No. 1 Seeds:
*North Carolina *Pitt *UConn *Louisville

No. 2 Seeds
*Memphis *Duke *Michigan St. *Oklahoma

No. 3 Seeds
*Missouri *Kansas *Xavier *Syracuse

No. 4 Seeds
*Wake Forest * Washington *Florida St. *Villanova

No. 5 Seeds
*Tennessee *Illinois *Utah *Gonzaga

No. 6 Seeds
*Butler *Oklahoma St *Purdue *Arizona St

No. 7 Seeds
* Clemson *UCLA *Marquette *West Virginia

No. 8 Seeds
*Ohio St *Temple *Texas *BYU

No. 9 Seeds
*Texas A&M *Cal *Boston College * LSU

No. 10 Seeds
*Utah St. *USC *Dayton *Maryland

No. 11 Seeds
*Sienna *Wisconsin *Michigan *Minnesota

No. 12 Seeds
*VCU * Northern Iowa *Mississippi St. *Creighton

No. 13 Seeds
*American *Western Kentucky *Cleveland St *Binghamton

No. 14 Seeds
*Stephen F Austin *North Dakota St *Radford *Akron

No. 15 Seeds
*ETSU * Portland St *Morgan St. *Robert Morris

No. 16 Seeds (5 teams: 2 play in play-in game)
*Morehead St. *Alabama St. * UT – Chatt *Cornell *Cal St. Northridge

Late night Garden party goes to Syracuse

Congratulations Syracuse Orange. You outlasted the Connecticut Huskies through six overtimes, the longest game in Big East Conference history, to win 127 - 117. So what do you earn for this Herculean effort? A date with the Mountaineers of West Virginia roughly 18 hours later.

'Cuse guard Jonny Flynn carried the Orange on his shoulders over the Huskies, scoring 34 points and dishing 11 assists while playing all but three minutes. To compare, West Virginia leading scorer from Thursday played 40 minutes - an entire non-overtime game. Flynn played for 67 minutes, nearly the equivalent of two games.

Syracuse's talent has never been questioned this season, but their will and desire has. Thursday's game alleviated those doubts and have elevated the Orange to the level of championship contender. The team trailed in every overtime period, not taking their first lead of extra time until the final period. Once they got that lead the whole arena knew they weren't going to give it up.

Nevertheless, Syracuse will most likely get destroyed tonight by West Virginia. Even though the Orange are the far better team, there is no way they can come back after a 3 hour 46 minute game to even stay close with a Big East team.

'Cuse really does not even need to win tonight though. They were a lock for the NCAA tournament even before last night's game, and with the way they performed the selection committee has already penciled them in for at least a four seed. The best thing for Syracuse now is rest.

D.R. KO'd by Netherlands

The World Baseball Classic played host to one of the biggest paradoxes of recent memory Tuesday - having less than half-a-million dollars being greater than three-fourths of a hundred million.

The Dominican Republic team, made up of athletes that combined to earn 83.4 million dollars in 2008, were knocked out of the WBC by a Netherlands team that collected 400 thousand.

One has to look at this Dominican team full of major leaguers and wonder what went wrong. How can a team made up of 23 current MLB players lose to a country with only two?

Showing off my college education, I'm going to use a philosophical theory known as Occam's razor to find out what went wrong for the D.R. .

The theory states that simplest and most obvious answer is usually the correct one. One can deduce from this to look at the top, or best players on the team, to place blame on the losses.

The highest paid player on a team is most likely considered the best, or most valuable. Alex Rodriquez was that person for the Dominican. Rodriquez reporter to camp for the team but was forced to leave in order to have surgery on an injured hip.

Nevertheless, whenever his major-league team suffers A-Rod is the first person to get the blame; therefore it makes sense that when his national team falls on hard times he should shoulder the shame blame.

Him not being able to play did leave a big hole at third base, forcing short stop Miguel Tejada to play an unfamiliar position.

Looking back at the last World Baseball Classic, the most disappointing team was an American team that could only manage an eight-place finish. What does that team have to do with this year's Dominican team? A certain Alex Rodriquez was a part of both teams.

So there's the answer. When in doubt - blame A-Rod.

Top 10 Tuesday: Excuses for not doing a top 10 this week

10. The economy
It's getting blamed for everything else going wrong right now, why not this too. In my mind though, if it wasn't for the bad economy I would have a real job and not be doing this blog in the first place - so it's also to blame for this whole site.

9. Daylight Savings Time
Not falling asleep until 3 a.m. two nights in a row would throw a wrench in your creativity too.

8. World Baseball Classic
Who would have guessed that baseball in March would be entertaining enough to distract people from things they should be doing? See no. 9: lack of sleep equals easily distracted.

7. It's so nice outside
Temperatures in the 70s are not normal for Nashville in March. Enjoy it while you can - highs in the 40s are just around the corner.

6. Too hot in my office
FYI - I'm calling the upstairs in the house my office - and it's ridiculously hot up here. Turning the air conditioner on in March is anti-religious in the Stone house. Instead we open windows. Any one else think they can be clever in a 82-degree room?

5. Facebook
It keeps college kids from doing their homework so I figured I could still use this excuse. I'm only less than three months removed from school.

4. Heyy TV!
If you read last weeks Top 10 you know that I like TV - a lot. Sometimes it can be a curse. (Have no fear employers out there. TV would not affect my work if this were a real job.)

3. Spider in the shower
Strange but true, I do most of my good thinking in the shower every morning. Something about the heat and steam just opens up my creative side. Tragically, my shower was interrupted before it even began today by an eight-legged assassin climbing up my foot. I did manage to send it on the most wicked water slide of its life before any damage was done, but the ritual was of course ruined.

2 & 1Upcoming NCAA Tournament
March Madness is so important that it takes up two spots in this countdown. Creating tables and updating records, RPI's, and SOS's took up the majority of my mid-afternoon. Nine teams have clinched tourney bids and six teams unable to win their conference tournaments have been added to the at-large side of the chart. Check back most likely Saturday for my full NCAA Tournament blog which should include seeds for every team I project to make the big dance.

Weekend Wrap-up

In case you spent this past weekend under a rock - here's what you missed.

T.O. + Buffalo = ...?

Former Dallas Cowboy wide receiver Terrell Owens didn't stay on the open market long, signing with the Buffalo Bills over the weekend. Owens should bring a much needed boost in touchdown receptions to the team, as-well-as his usual baggage to the locker room.

World Baseball Classic

Surprise, the WBC is actually somewhat entertaining. Even more surprising is the play of the American team - they're actually taking it serious this time. With big wins over Canada and Venezuela, the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team doesn't look to be the only redeem team this calendar year.

A-Rod goes under the knife

Yankees' third baseman Alex Rodriquez opted to have surgery on his hip last weekend instead of rehabbing it. The procedure should sideline the player for 7-10 weeks. It's a shame this couldn't have happened to Rodriquez any time between 2001 and 2003. Who knows the time he might have been out. Two weeks? Three weeks at the most right?

NCAA basketball heating up

Selection Sunday is less than one week away and things began to heat up last weekend. Pitt over UConn, Carolina over Duke, and Davidson bowing out early in their conference tournament were some main headlines from the weekend. Watch for my NCAA Tourney projections on this page later this week.

Ta-ta T.O.

Weeks upon weeks of speculation can now be labeled as fact. The Dallas Cowboys cut wide receiver Terrell Owens late Wednesday night.

The move comes as a surprise due to weeks of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones assuring fans that the outspoken receiver would have a star on his helmet next season.

Owens production was down last year, and he made it known that he was not happy about it. Quarterback Tony Romo eyed tight end Jason Witten too many times in Owens opinion, leading to multiple alleged back door meetings with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

Despite being the no. 2 option in his opinion, Owens was the teams most productive wide-out, recording 69 catches and 10 touchdowns. Patrick Crayton was the next closest receiver with 39 catches.

So where does T.O. go from here?

Former Kansas City Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said on ESPN's First Take this morning that he would be a good fit for the Tennessee Titans because of the strong leadership from Jeff Fisher and veteran players. The Titans could use a receiver of Owens talent, but his personality would not be a good fit.

Maybe the Denver Broncos should make a play for him to mend fences with Jay Cutler. It would be mighty hard for Cutler to walk away from a team with Brandon Marshall and Owens as weapons.

Cutler cutting ties with Broncos?

Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler is steaming mad - with good reason this time.

The signal-caller, going into his fourth year in the NFL, has been known in the past to be fiery and over-emotional at time. Just watch any Broncos verse Chargers game and you can see the Vanderbilt grad spouting what no one believes to be pleasantries with the San Diego sideline. This time; however, Cutler has every right to be perturbed.

After fewer than three months as Broncos head coach, Josh McDaniels allegedly tried to trade Cutler for the then New England Patriot Matt Cassel.

Really? You really think that's an even trade coach McDaniels?

Well lets look at the facts. You want to trade a Pro-Bowl quarterback just coming into his prime for another quarterback who is one year older and prior to last season had not started a game since high school.

I understand that the Broncos are a proud, once-great franchise that feels they should be in the playoffs every year, but why try and replace someone that wasn't a problem last season. Throwing for over 4,500 yards and 25 touchdowns should be considered above average at worst.

If not winning a playoff game in two years as a starter is worth getting rid of a quarterback, then of course it makes sense to replace him with someone with the exact same number of playoff wins: zero.

So now that the deal has fallen through and Cassel is in Kansas City, really stick it to them Jay. Demand out and pack your bags. There's a team out there willing to accept your 62.5 career completion percentage.

Lets see how another guy does under center for a team with the league's no. 30 ranked pass defense.

Top 10 Tuesday: 90s TV

10. Saved by the Bell

Nothing was a better after-school treat than this family friendly comedy in the early 90s. Every kid could identify with at least one character: Zack Morris - the preppy, yet mischievous one, A.C. Slater - the jock, Kelly Kapowski - the all-American girl next door, Lisa Turtle - the trendy, fashion girl, and Jessie Spano - the academic. Then there was Screech...

9. Boy Meets World

Ben Savage stars in this coming-of-age show where his character grows from childhood to manhood while viewers are along for the ride. This show is eerily similar to Savage's older brother Fred's show "The Wonder Years". Even though both shows ran in the 90s, little brother gets the edge on this list because his show stayed on the air longer.

8. Wings

One airport, two opposite-minded pilot brothers, a kooky mechanic, and Tony Shalhoub -- mix together and you have a sitcom that will last eight seasons. Odd though that person most successful after the show ended was the taxi driver. Who saw three Emmys, two Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards in that guys future? Not even Mr. Monk could see that coming.

7. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Will Smith went from a skinny, big-eared kid to an A-list film star all because of this show. His cocky yet charming character endeared him to a country ready for a new type of comedy. Smith brought his quasi-hip hop culture to the small screen and America ate it up... well... they ate what was left from Uncle Phil. Man that guy was big.

6. Home Improvement

A trend began in the mid-90s of comedians getting their own sitcoms. Home Improvement held one clear advantage over other shows based on one man's stand-up - Tim Allen was the best actor of the bunch. The show eventually became too predictable, but for a stretch it was the funniest thing on television, and Allen was the small screens biggest star.

5. The Simpsons

Iconic is the best word to describe this animated, satirical comedy which is the only show on our list that still runs new episodes. Now in their 20th season, Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie have graced television with their antics for 431 episodes. The shows reach has gone farther than anyone could have anticipated, with books being written such as "The Gospel According to the Simpsons" and "The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer", the show has actually changed the way people think about the way they think.

4. Frasier

If you are smart enough to understand the jokes, this show is a non-stop laugh riot. The 98 percent of us that don't can relate to Frasier's dad Martin. I don't see how he ever got a word in. The show is still enjoyable with out understanding all the dialogue between Dr. Crane and his brother Niles. Eddie the dog was a big hit - may he rest in peace.

3. Spin City

One of the most under-rated sitcoms of its time; that is... at least while Michael J. Fox was on the show. When Fox left after Season four due to his Parkinson's Disease the show took a turn from wildly funny to so-so funny. What do you expect, they replaced him with Charlie Sheen. The show was set in New York City at City Hall where Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty tried to keep a not-all-there mayor and his staff in line. A close second to Fox in the show was Cameron Frye from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". Think about it - Cameron Frye as a perverted city official. Hilarious!

2. Friends

You would think that six 20-somethingths turned 30-somethingths living in New York City wouldn't be able to spend what seems like all their time in a coffee house joking around or talking about their dating problems. Living in New York is fairly expensive. You'd think they would have to have pretty solid jobs to afford their fancy clothes and nice apartments. Well, these friends made time for each other somehow and American tuned in to watch. Friends was one of those shows that reached full stride in the middle of their long run - right about when they shortend that incredibly annouying theme song. Towards the end they got too deep into the Ross and Rachel plotline, but the humor never really suffered.

1. Seinfeld

The show about nothing was really something wasn't it. The sheer creativity to have a show about nothing is just mind blowing. Everyone has their own favorite Seinfeld moments, but it is impossible to narrow them down to just one. It's a shame that the show that gave us the mansiere, yada yada yada, and double dipping a chip had such a bad final episode though. The Good Samaritan Act? Really? That's just trying to hard to be creative.

Honorable Mention

• Baywatch


• 3rd Rock from the Sun

'tweeners (shows that are spread too evenly between decades)

• Everybody Loves Raymond


• That 70s Show


• The Drew Carrey Show


• Dharma and Greg