Before Ellsbury, Before Kemp, Before Ichiro, Mo and Thomas. Before Gywnn, before Ozzie, Before Murray and Carew. Before Frank, Before Ernie, Before Aaron and Mays. There was Jackie.
Those words are narrated by the great Vin Scully in a new PSA from MLB for Jackie Robinson day which takes place across Major League Baseball today. You can read the press release by MLB about Jacking Robinson day here.
Number 42 will again be the magic number throughout baseball today, especially at Yankee Stadium, in a 65th anniversary tribute to Jackie Robinson’s first major league game.
Every player and everyone else in uniform throughout the big leagues will wear No. 42 in honor of Robinson, who broke baseball’s racial barrier for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. His number was retired for all teams during a ceremony at Shea Stadium on the 50th anniversary in 1997, a service attended by then-President Bill Clinton, commissioner Bud Selig and Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s widow.
The latter will be at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night for another Jackie Robinson Day ceremony before the start of the 8:05 p.m. game against the Angels (ESPN). The Robinsons’ daughter Sharon also will be on the field, after having helped host an afternoon youth baseball clinic at Macombs Dam Park, across the street from the Stadium.
New York Yankees star center fielder Curtis Granderson will wear a pair of specially designed shoes, with a No. 42 logo. The shoes will be donated and auctioned to raise funds for the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
Jackie Robinson’s contributions to baseball and beyond are far greater than any home run record or All-Star appearances. In my mind, his contributions to society speak volumes about who he was as a man, not just a baseball player. In my opinion, Jackie Robinson should be mentioned in the same breath as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks.
Baseball has recognized his contributions far and wide and not just on the diamond and between the chalk lines. Long after his playing career ended, Jackie Robinson continued to fight inequality, we should continue to follow in his footsteps.
There once was a tale about two very big and very different fish. One fish was on Marlin who recently moved from Chicago to Miami while the other one is affectionately known as the “big tuna”. While each fish is very different, they both carry a high-profile.
Okay, so not really talking about fish. Of course, I’m talking about Ozzie Guillen and NFL coaching legend and soon to be Hall of Famer Bill Parcells.
They have more in common than you may think. Well, besides the fact that they’ve both been in the news a lot lately albeit for two very different reasons.
Let’s start with Ozzie.
The Florida I mean Miami Marlins – Ozzie’s new team - suspended the outspoken manager for five games for comments he made in which he expressed admiration for Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Last week Guillen told Time magazine that he loves Castro and respects him for staying in power for so long.
Those comments started a firestorm of criticism and backlash towards Guillen that ultimately led to his apology and subsequent suspension. Here is a portion of his apology originally spoken in Spanish but later translated in English by ESPN:
“I’m sorry for what I said and for putting people in a position they don’t need to be in. And for all the Cuban families, I’m sorry,” he said, according to ESPN’s translation. “I hope that when I get out of here, they will understand who Ozzie Guillen is. How I feel for them. And how I feel about the Fidel Castro dictatorship. I’m here to face you, person to person. It’s going to be a very difficult time for me.”
“The interpretation didn’t come out as I wanted,” Guillen said in Spanish, according to ESPN’s translation. “I was thinking in Spanish and I said the wrong thing in English.”
Guillen was then asked how this statement “I love Fidel Castro” can be misinterpreted and he followed with this response:
“Everybody in the world hates Fidel Castro, including myself,” Guillen said. “I was surprised that he’s still in power. That’s what I was trying to say to the journalist. And that’s the first thing that came out of my mouth. I admit it. It was the wrong words.”
Showing admiration for Fidel Castro is nothing new for Ozzie. In fact, Ozzie was asked in a 2008 interview with Men’s Journal who was the toughest man he knew. Without hesitation he answered the question… I’ll give you one guess who he said it was.
Obviously, Ozzie is no stranger to controversy especially when it comes to him opening his mouth and saying something he probably shouldn’t have. This is his first season at the managerial helm of the Marlins after a handful of tumultuous seasons as manager of the Chicago White Sox. If he doesn’t change his ways or at least think before he says something he may regret, Ozzie may find himself on the outs in Miami just as quick as he got there.
Parcells to Saints unlikely
From one big fish to another. Bill “big tuna” Parcells seems highly unlikely to coach the New Orleans Saints this upcoming season. Suspended Saints coach Sean Payton had hoped to bring in Parcells to help fill the void while Peyton serves his season-long suspension for his role in the bounty scandal.
While there has been minimal communication between the Saints and Parcells in the past week, a source said that Parcells indicated to Payton in a recent conversation that he preferred to remain retired.
T
here are growing indications that the Saints will turn to Joe Vitt, the assistant head coach/linebackers, as the interim coach when the Saints begin their offseason program Monday, the day Payton begins serving his one-year suspension.
Vitt will serve a six-game suspension, but will be available to oversee the team’s offseason program. If he is asked to become the interim head coach, other assistants will manage the team when the season opens until Vitt returns after the sixth game.
The Saints still could ask other candidates on staff to fill the interim position, but Vitt is the strongest candidate. Other candidates on the Saints’ staff include offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr., and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
Last season, Vitt and Carmichael took on significant additional responsibilities when Payton was rehabilitating for weeks from a broken leg.
Vitt took on many of the broader responsibilities, including handling the head coach’s media availability. Carmichael began calling plays, something Payton had done before his injury. Payton allowed Carmichael to continue calling plays through the final 10 regular season games of 2011 as the Saints went 9-1 and broke numerous NFL offensive records.
Last Monday night John Calipari coached his Kentucky Wildcats to a national championship as a result of a 69-61 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks. Calipari’s path to the title game was very similar to the 2008 season when Calipari led the Memphis Tigers to the Final Four only to fall short to the Kansas Jayhawks in the championship game. The 2008 team was fueled by Derrick Rose who left for the NBA after just one season under Calipari’s guidance.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Anthony Davis are expected top-five picks if they go pro. John W. McDonough/SI
Fast forward to this year. Kentucky’s run was fueled by a pair of would be one and done players Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist who many scouts believe will be the first two picks in the NBA draft . Calipari started three freshmen and two sophomores this season— again will bring in young superstars who only will play college ball briefly.
His in-state rival and Louisville head coach Rick Pitino said he marvels at Calipari’s ability to recruit one-year wonders, then do it all over again.
“I marvel at what John does, I couldn’t do it. I can’t say hello and goodbye in seven months. It’s just not me. I love getting to know [my players]. I feel like they’re my children, part of their life. Not that [Calipari] doesn’t feel that way about his kids. I could never do it because I just emotionally get too attached to these guys.” - Louisville head coach Rick Pitino
A lot of people like to blame Calipari and call him a cheater but he’s not doing anything wrong or anything against the rules. Furthermore, he isn’t doing anything different from what any other of college basketball’s premiere programs have done. In fact, just two weeks ago three players from the North Carolina Tar Heel’s starting line-up left school early to declare for the NBA draft. Folks, John Calipari didn’t create the system. He just works within it, doing what he needs to do to be successful.
On Sunday John Calipari had this to say about his players leaving early.
“I don’t like the rules, I want Anthony to come back next year. It’s what I really want. There’s only two solutions to it: Either I can recruit players who are not as good as the players I’m recruiting, or I can try to convince guys that should leave to stay. At the end of the day, I don’t apologize for anything we do. We had a 3.0 grade-point average last year, 2.8 last term.” – Kentucky head coach John Calipari
Some will chuckle at the notion of Calipari, who has had his brushes with NCAA law, playing by the rules. But that’s his story, and he’s sticking to it. In April of 2010, I wrote about this exact issue during Kentucky’s NCAA tournament run featuring John Wall, Brandon Knight and company. At the time, I said that A leopard never changes it’s spots and that continues to hold true.
Calipari has enjoyed a run of success by recruiting one and done players and on Monday night that recruiting strategy led the Kentucky Wildcats to a national championship trophy and in Lexington Kentucky, that’s what it’s all about.
WWE’s road to WrestleMania 28 has been a dull and repetitive one, for the most part.
That’s what happens when a wrestling promotion relies almost exclusively upon dueling speeches and video packages to hype a show. In the main events especially, that’s all we got: lots and lots of talk from The Rock, John Cena, Triple H, The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels.
There was a time when WWE would have generously sprinkled action over all those words. Can you imagine how much intrigue – and ratings – WWE could have wrenched from a tag-team Raw main event pitting Triple H and The Undertaker against The Rock and John Cena? And what about the old-fashioned beatdowns of yesteryear? Outside of Cody Rhodes comically teeing off on a tied-up Big Show with boxing gloves, not one WrestleMania bad guy made me want to see him get some comeuppance at the April 1 show (Chris Jericho’s Raw stage attack on CM Punk already feels too long ago to even count here).
Its shortcomings aside, the build-up to Sunday’s show has been successful in one way: I have no idea who’s going to win anything. But that’s not so much a credit to the WrestleMania 28 hype machine as it is to the WrestleMania 29 rumor mill – and I’ll explain why in my predictions for this Sunday’s show:
It’s that time of year again, the time when even the most casual fan of pro wrestling is aware of what’s going on. Wrestlemania 28 will be live this Sunday from Miami, Florida. Millions will watch on pay per view, and 70,000 plus will pack Sun Life Stadium to see a main event with a full year of hype behind it. Current WWE Superstar John Cena will take on legendary WWE superstar and current Hollywood box office draw Dwayne Johnson, otherwise known as The Rock.
As I did last year, I’ll look at who I think will win each match and who I think should win each match.
World Champion Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship
Who will win – Sheamus – This is actually a rematch from last Wrestlemania, only the roles are reversed. It’s now Bryan that is hated by the fans while Sheamus is the babyface. Personally I’m not a fan of Sheamus, but I can’t see them having him lose with the huge push he’s been receiving of late.
Who should win - Sheamus – I hate to say it, but a win for Sheamus may be the best thing to happen for the current story line. Bryan is so over right now with his little prick persona, that he could still get a crowd hot even without the strap. And Sheamus could use the title to keep him at the top of the Smackdown brand for a while.
Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos vs. Beth Phoenix and Eve
Who will win - WWE always has some non wrestling celebrity come in for the Granddaddy Of Them All, and this year it’s Menounos. However, I’ve never really cared for the celebrity matches in the past and I don’t like the woman wrestlers at all so this match isn’t even worth my time.
Who should win - Again, I don’t care and I think these matches are pointless. See the notion above.
Randy Orton vs. Kane
Who will win – Randy Orton – Orton has been injured a bit leading up to Wrestlemania, otherwise he would have had a higher profile match. Kane came back after a long hiatus, but his character seems stale. This is a throw in match that no one really cares about, but it does get their top face from Smackdown on the big show.
Who should win – Randy Orton – Kane winning makes zero sense.
Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes vs. Big Show for the Intercontinental Championship
Who will win – Cody Rhodes – I can see this one going either way. Rhodes has really been pushing the “Big Show as a Wrestlemania failure” angle the last month, so you have to expect them to let Show get the W. But since that’s expected, they’ll probably go the other way and have Rhodes win. I think he’ll win, but the Big Show will have the last laugh somehow.
Who should win – Big Show – A win by Big Show would help squash the notion that he’s been a boob in Wrestlemanias past. Also a win by the Big Show, in a way that allows Rhodes to save face somehow, will allow him to take the next step in his career and have him challenge for the World Title without the Intercontinental belt.
Team Johnny (David Otunga, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, The Miz, and Drew McIntyre) vs. Team Teddy (Santino Marella. R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, Great Khali, Zack Ryder, and Booker T) 12 Man Tag Team Match for Control of Both RAW and Smackdown
Who will win – Team Johnny – Every one loves to hate John Laurinaitis these days. His segments are usually the best on TV, even though he flubs a line or two every week. But the star power on his team far outweighs Team Teddy, so no way will his guys lose.
Who should win – Team Johnny – They need the win to set up the evil GM on both shows. With the obligatory story line to follow with Teddy Long trying to get his show back.
WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship
Who will win – CM Punk – Punk is as popular as he’s every been with the WWE so keeping him on top is the logical thing to do. They can milk a couple rematches out of this feud, and have a title switch take place in a month or two.
Who should win – Chris Jericho – I think angry CM Punk is better than top of the world CM Punk. Having Jericho win in an underhanded manner would be good for the current story line. Jericho plays smug as good as anyone in the business, and Punk can be the rebellious challenger trying to get his title back. If we’re lucky, they’ll bring back Stephanie McMahon to interfere some how.
Undertaker vs. Triple H In a Hell In A Cell Match with Shawn Michaels as Guest Referee
Who will win – Undertaker – I’ve never liked Undertaker (that’s no secret to any of you who know me) but that fact is, he’s undefeated at Wrestlemania, and he’ll eventually lose to an up and comer when it’s the right thing to do. Losing to a part timer like HHH makes no sense what so ever.
Who should win – Undertaker – As I said, I don’t like the guy and I’m an HHH fan but let’s face it, If HHH wins his ego will have officially surpassed Hulk Hogans. Taker wins in a bloody exhausting match similar to last year.
The Rock vs. John Cena
Photo courtesy of CagesideSeats.com
Who will win – The Rock – This will no doubt be the Main Event of the evening, and the WWE (9 times out of 10) has the popular choice go over at Wrestlemania to send the crowd home happy. And even though the WWE has tried to steer the storyline so Cena and Rock will have more of a 50/50 crowd reaction, there’s no way the Miami crowd will boo their hometown Rocky. Even though Cena has to get back to work on WWE TV the next night while The Rock goes off to Hollywood to film another flick, there’s no way WWE Head Honcho Vince McMahon will disappoint the majority of the crowd. I could see a scenario where Cena wins only to get a after match beatdown, but that wouldn’t be any fun.
Who should win – The Rock – I was solidly of the thought that Cena needed to win until I read this article from the pro wrestling website, Cageside Seats, then I made a complete 180 on the subject.
“But sometimes it is failure that defines a moment, a game, a season, a lifetime. There is a reason John Cena is loved and cherished by many. He represents hard work, dedication, passion, and perseverance. Never give up, and never surrender. No matter how high the odds are stacked against him, Cena always finds a way to rise above. The funny thing about always winning, though, is that it is boring as hell.”
It’ll be good to see Cena have to build himself back up and it will be good to see him struggle and maybe even go on a prolonged losing streak. Have him tease a heel turn while becoming frustrated with his situation. That is as long as they don’t panic and turn him back into Super Cena after only a week.
**Possible Spoiler** According to F4WOnline.com former WWE and UFC star Brock Lesnar has signed a one year deal with WWE, which would clear him to make an appearance tonight WrestleMania. Lesnar has reportedly landed in Miami and was flanked by a large contingent of security.
*Wrestlemania 28 will be a live 4 hour show this Sunday, starting at 7pm Eastern time and only on Pay-Per-View! Head over to WWE.com’s WrestleMainia 28 page for more details.
As Kansas prepares to play Ohio State on Saturday for a spot in the national championship game against either Louisville or Kentucky, one of Bill Self’s top assistants has landed a new gig. Danny Manning has agreed to become Tulsa’s head coach but he will remain on Kansas’ staff until the conclusion of the Final Four this weekend.
The move will be a tough one for Manning only because he’s so well connected to Kansas. Manning is the program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, he remains ninth on the NCAA’s career scoring list with 2,951 points. Manning was a consensus All-American in 1987 and ’88, and led the Jayhawks — the team coined “Danny and the Miracles” — to the 1988 NCAA championship, according to College Basketball Reference.
Manning is known media shy, has earned a reputation as a solid recruiter and one of the elite coaches of big men. Under his tutelage, Thomas Robinson went from backup forward to a first-team All-American, and Jeff Withey from the bench to one of the Big 12′s top defenders.
Manning has also worked with future NBA players Wayne Simien, Julian Wright, Darrell Arthur, Darnell Jackson, Cole Aldrich, Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris.
“I’m excited and looking forward to being the head basketball coach at The University of Tulsa,” Manning said. “I’d also like to thank coach Self for giving me the chance to be a part of his staff for the past nine years. I have learned a tremendous amount about the game and the profession from him and all of the members of his staff.” – Danny Manning
Danny Manning wasn’t the only one to land a new coaching gig. Ohio University’s John Groce has left the school to become the head coach of the University of Illinois. Groce takes over for Bruce Weber who was fired prior to the start of the tournament. Groce is fresh off of taking the Ohio Bobcats to the Sweet 16 and nearly defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels only to lose in overtime.
Groce arrived at Ohio after being an Ohio State assistant coach from 2004-2008. With the Buckeyes, he developed a reputation as an elite recruiter as he helped sway Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. to Ohio State.
Groce was also previously an assistant at Xavier from 2001-2004, at Butler from 2000-2001, North Carolina State from 1996-2000 and Taylor (Ind.) University from 1993-1996. Groce has recruited the state of Illinois before. At Ohio, he signed Bobcats current starting point guard D.J. Cooper from Seton Academy in South Holland, a Chicago suburb, and former Ohio player James Kinney from Champaign Centennial.
Groce or Illinois will have to pay Ohio $200,000 for terminating his contract early. He signed a contract extension in April of 2010 that took him through the 2014-2015 season.
Is Magic Johnson the perfect owner for the Dodgers? (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images / February 1, 2012)
NEW YORK (AP) — One Los Angeles institution is buying another.
A group that includes former Lakers star Magic Johnson and longtime baseball executive Stan Kasten agreed Tuesday night to buy the Dodgers from Frank McCourt for a record $2 billion.
The price would shatter the mark for a sports franchise. Stephen Ross paid $1.1 billion for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins in 2009, and in England, Malcolm Glazer and his family took over the Manchester United soccer club in 2005 in a deal then valued at $1.47 billion.
Mark Walter, chief executive officer of the financial services firm Guggenheim Partners, would become the controlling owner.
The deal, revealed about five hours after Major League Baseball owners approved three finalists for an intended auction, is one of several steps toward a sale of the team by the end of April. It is subject to approval in federal bankruptcy court.
“I am thrilled to be part of the historic Dodger franchise and intend to build on the fantastic foundation laid by Frank McCourt as we drive the Dodgers back to the front page of the sports section in our wonderful community of Los Angeles,” Johnson said in a statement.
As part of the agreement, the Dodgers said McCourt and “certain affiliates of the purchasers” would acquire the land surrounding Dodger Stadium, including its parking lots, for $150 million.
“If they invested that much money, I’m sure they’ll invest to get us a winner,” said Tommy Lasorda, the Dodgers’ retired Hall of Fame manager. “I wish them all the luck, and I admire them. I know both of them. I know Magic from the day he came into Los Angeles as a basketball player for the Lakers.”
The acquiring group, called Guggenheim Baseball Management, has several other investors, among them Mandalay Entertainment chief executive Peter Guber, Guggenheim Partners president Todd Boehly and Bobby Patton, who operates oil and gas properties among his investments. Kasten is the former president of the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals.
“I am truly honored to have partnered with such talented individuals and to be associated with the Dodgers organization,” said Walter. “We look forward to building upon the legacy of the Dodgers and providing long-term stability to one of the most revered franchises in baseball.”
The 52-year-old Johnson played 13 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships and three MVP awards in a Hall of Fame career.
He retired from the NBA in 1991 after being diagnosed with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. He briefly came out of retirement during the 1995-96 season and had a short stint coaching the Lakers. Since leaving basketball, he has been very successful in business, investing in movie theaters, a production company and restaurants.
He has also been an activist in the fight against HIV.
“I’m upset he didn’t cut me in,” current Lakers star Kobe Bryant said. “I’m going to have to talk to him about that.”
McCourt paid $430 million in 2004 to buy the team, Dodger Stadium and 250 acres of land that include the parking lots, from the Fox division of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., a sale that left the team with about $50 million in cash at the time. The team’s debt stood at $579 million as of January, according to a court filing, so McCourt stands to make hundreds of millions of dollars even after a $131 million divorce payment to former wife Jamie, taxes and legal and banking fees.
Kasten is expected to wind up as the team’s top day-to-day executive.
The other two finalists were:
- Stan Kroenke, whose family owns the NFL’s St. Louis Rams, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids. He also is majority shareholder of Arsenal in the English Premier League.
- Steven Cohen, founder of the hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors and a new limited partner of the New York Mets; biotechnology entrepreneur Patrick Soon-Shiong; and agent Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group.
It remains to be seen whether Major League Baseball will challenge the deal in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, where the case is before Judge Kevin Gross.
Under an agreement reached by MLB and McCourt in November, a private auction was to be held among the finalists and McCourt was to select the winner by Sunday. The sales agreement is to be submitted to the bankruptcy court by April 6, ahead of a hearing seven days later, and the sale completed by April 30, the day McCourt is to make a divorce settlement payment.
“This agreement with Guggenheim reflects both the strength and future potential of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and assures that the Dodgers will have new ownership with deep local roots, which bodes well for the Dodgers, its fans and the Los Angeles community,” McCourt said in a statement.
The acquiring group would gain the ability to sell the Dodgers’ local broadcasting rights starting with games in 2014. The Guggenheim group likely would use money gained from the rights sale – or from the team’s own network with outside investment – and use those funds to pay down the acquisition debt.
“The amount of leverage is a big question,” said Marc Ganis, president of the Chicago-based consulting firm Sportscorp, which is not involved. “The likely scenario is that they have a broadcasting deal in mind so that they pay up now and pay themselves down from a big broadcasting upfront payment.
“The problem with this strategy is that the more paid upfront by the broadcast deal, the less money is available for team operations. The more debt they take on, the more debt service is required, the less money that’s available for team operations. With the only beneficiary being the man walking out the door. A challenging result that baseball tried to avoid.”
The current record for a baseball franchise is the $845 million paid by the Ricketts family for the Chicago Cubs in 2009.
The Dodgers filed for bankruptcy protection in late June, just days before the team was expected to miss payroll. The filing came after baseball Commissioner Bud Selig refused to approve a 17-year agreement between the Dodgers and Fox’s Prime Ticket subsidiary that would have been worth $2 billion or more. MLB feared McCourt would use about half of an intended $385 million cash advance to fund his divorce.
Los Angeles finished third in the NL West last season at 82-79, had just three sellouts and fell short of 3 million in home attendance in a full season for the first time since 1992. There was some concern among MLB officials about the financing of the Walter bid because some of the money was coming from insurance companies that are owned by Guggenheim. A person familiar with the baseball owners’ teleconference Tuesday said several team owners voiced that during the call. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because MLB did not make any announcements.
“The problem there is a fundamental problem as you go into an auction, and that is the absolute reliance on other people’s money,” said Ganis. “It means a lot of regulators. It means either shareholders or, depending on which insurance companies it’s coming from, the insured themselves.”
Kasten was hired as legal counsel of the Braves and the NBA’s Hawks in 1976, and three years later became the NBA’s youngest general manager at 27. He was promoted to president of the Braves and Hawks in 1986 and also became president of the NHL’s Thrashers in 1999. After leaving the Atlanta teams in 2003, he became president of the Washington Nationals from 2006-10.
Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti recently had dinner with Kasten in Glendale, Ariz., the team’s spring training home.
“He’s very successful, very driven, relentless in his pursuit of excellence,” Colletti said. “He’s seen a lot and he’s won a lot.”
The Dodgers have won six World Series titles but none since 1988, when they were still owned by the O’Malley family that moved the team from Brooklyn to California after the 1957 season. Fox bought the team in 1998, then sold it to McCourt.
Colletti, whose baseball moves appear to have been constricted because of the team’s financial problems, says the sale announcement brings “clarity.”
“It’s time to turn the page and move toward a new chapter in the history of the Los Angeles Dodgers,” he said.
Perhaps the biggest headline of the Sweet 16 and beyond surrounds the health of UNC's Kendal Marshal who broke his wrist late in the second halt against Creighton last weekend. His status remains uncertain. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
The Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament kicks off on Thursday night with a schedule of four games, the same as Friday. Games on the weekend will determine who advances to next weekend’s Final Four in New Orleans. Here is a look at the matchups:
East Region (Boston) (1) Syracuse vs. (4) Wisconsin Thursday, 7:15 p.m. ET
After a scary game to open the tournament, Syracuse looked much more confident against Kansas State, playing without academically ineligible starting centre Fab Melo. Wisconsin will look to expose Syracuse in the middle, but does not have a high-end inside threat.
Pick: Syracuse
(2) Ohio State vs. (6) Cincinnati Thursday, 9:45 p.m. ET
The intrastate rivals are meeting for only the second time in 50 years. Both teams are among the stingiest in the country, with Buckeyes post presence Jared Sullinger an easy-bucket machine.
Pick: Ohio State
West Region (Phoenix) (1) Michigan State vs. (4) Louisville Thursday, 7:47 p.m. ET
You are going to see lots of reaction shots from both benches, as the matchup pits two of the NCAA’s most recognizable coaches: Tom Izzo and Rick Pitino. Izzo’s Spartans surprised Pitino’s Cardinals in 2009 to reach the Final Four.
This matchup will determine just how much experience matters. Marquette is led by two seniors, Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom, who combined for 34 points in last round’s win over Murray State. But Florida will have the most highly touted player on the floor, freshman guard Bradley Beal.
Pick: Florida
South Region (Atlanta) (1) Kentucky vs. (4) Indiana Friday, 9:45 p.m.ET
Christian Watford hit a three-pointer at the buzzer when these teams met in December, handing Kentucky its lone loss of the regular season. Can the Hoosiers stay close without the benefit of a frenzied home crowd?
Pick: Kentucky
(3) Baylor vs. (10) Xavier Friday, 7:15 p.m. ET
Brady Heslip, from Burlington, Ont., drilled nine three-pointers in Baylor’s win over Colorado in the third round. He is shooting 56% from long range in the Bears’ last five games. Can he keep it up?
Pick: Baylor
Midwest Region (St. Louis) (1) North Carolinavs. (13) Ohio Friday, 7:47 p.m. ET
If the Tar Heels are without starting point guard Kendall Marshall, who fractured his right wrist against Creighton, they will have to turn to freshman Stilman White or senior Justin Watts to run the team. Both players rarely see floor time, leaving North Carolina susceptible to sloppy play.
Pick: North Carolina
(2) Kansas vs. (11) North Carolina State Friday, 10:17 p.m. ET
The Jayhawks boast a scoring power forward in Thomas Robinson and a defensive-minded centre in Jeff Withey. Wolfpack big men Richard Howell and C.J. Leslie, both foul prone, will need to stay on the court to give their team any chance at concocting a third straight upset.
Tim Tebow, who made the Broncos arguably the biggest NFL story in 2011, will bring his athleticism and fervent followers to New York.
The Broncos have traded their star ‘quarterback’ (I use that term loosely) with the polarizing skill set, and a seventh-round draft pick, to the New York Jets in exchange for a fourth- and a sixth-round pick, according to NFL sources.
As a result of the deal, the Denver Broncos now have seven picks in the 2012 Draft in April— one in first, second and third rounds; two in the fourth round, one in the fifth, one in the sixth and none in the seventh.
Perhaps the Jets interest in Tebow wasn’t as big a surprise as I originally thought. Rex Ryan and Tebow have the same agent in Jimmy Sexton (thanks Wiki.) Ryan’s offense in 2011 seemed to miss the Wildcat formation after losing it’s catalyst Brad Smith, who became a free agent after the 2010 season and signed with Buffalo. Let’s not forget, new Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sporano was the man to first utilize the Wildcat package in the NFL during his tenure as head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
With the Jets, Tebow will likely first be used in that type of specialty package or to help the Jets’ running game.
Of course, the wild card in all of this is that the Jets recently extended the contract of starting quarterback Mark Sanchez after deciding not to pursue Peyton Manning. Now, with the addition of Tebow, if Mark Sanchez struggles at any point next season coach Rex Ryan will undoubtably feel pressure to play Tebow.
As if their was ever any doubt, by trading Tebow this now ensures the keys of the Broncos’ franchise go to Manning, whom the team just gave a $96 million contract with $18 million in full guarantees and $58 million in guarantees other than if he suffers a neck injury.
*Information from the Associated Press, USA Today, and Denver Post was used in this entry.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has lowered the boom on the New Orleans Saints as a result of the bounty system that was put in place by former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams for three seasons. Williams left the Saints earlier this offseason to take the same coaching position in St. Louis where longtime friend Jeff Fisher is now the head coach.
The Saints knew that discipline was going to come from Roger Goodell at some point but I don’t think they knew it was going to be this harsh.
Per a league source and PFT’s Mike Florio, Saints head coach Sean Peyton has been suspended for the full year. Gregg Williams has been suspended indefinitely and Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis has been suspended for eight games.
Obviously, I’ll have more on this as it becomes available.
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