I can’t decide what I feel about the ACC. There are several teams I think are pretty good, but I’m not sure of any of them. The winner could very easily come from the ACC, but they could also be shut out of the Final Four. The conference isn’t as dominant as they looked like they would be before the season, but they are still very dangerous.
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There is one word to sum up this conference – Brutal. I’m not convinced that any team here is worth a damn. It wouldn’t be an upset in my mind if this group’s tournament hopes were over by the end of the first weekend.
I am not generally that impressed by the Big 12. The fact that Kansas could win the regular season after being ravaged in the draft last year is partly a credit to their program, and partly a sign of the general weakness of the conference.
I’m heading down to Arizona for a few days to watch some spring training. I’m most looking forward to seeing Manny Ramirez in the Dodgers’ shiny new home in Phoenix. I’ll be back in time for the tournament in all of its’ glory, so while I am gone I wanted to leave you with a preview of what I expect. For each of the next seven days I am going to take a look at the best and worst of each of the seven major conferences’ tournament offerings (I have elevated the Mountain West because of how strong they are). On the last day before my return I will look at a random collection of thoughts and predictions about the beautiful lunacy called March Madness.
It has been more than 60 hours since it happened, but it still hasn’t entirely sunk in – Michigan is going to the tournament. Probably. Hopefully. Fingers crossed. For the first time in a long, long, long time. It would obviously help if we won a conference tournament game or two, but I think it would be a massive travesty for us to get bounced now given what we have accomplished so far and given the last win at Minnesota. Now I’m nervous. Not about how the team will do, mind you – I’m just thrilled we are there this year, so I’ll take whatever I can get. I’m nervous about how to act when your team is in the tournament. I was a much younger man the last time the Wolverines danced, so I feel lost.
I want Terrell Owens to find a team where he can settle in, shut up, and just play his game. It’s not that I am a huge fan of his, though I respect what he can do. For me, it’s more personal than that. For much of my life I lived peacefully as a T.O. No one had ever heard my name before, and no one cared. It was blissful. Then Owens started making the news every day for his stupidity, and suddenly my name became a dirty word. Owens needs to get back way under the radar and give me my name back. There are a few teams where he could do that. Here, in descending order of my preference, are five of those teams. In other words, if I was his agent this is the list of teams I would tell him to go to.
It is looking more and more like Oklahoma City made a monumentally bad decision. They were able to get Tyson Chandler from New Orleans for a steal, and he would have added some talent and stability to a team that is playing better than their record. But then the team doctors for the Thunder pulled an unexpected move and rejected the trade because of a case of turf toe and an ankle injury even though neither problem seemed serious. Since Chandler returned to New Orleans and to action he has met or exceeded his season Continue reading “Notes For Wednesday”
I’ve got this fascination with Big East basketball this year. Part of it has to do with the up and coming Syracuse Orange, another part has to do with the Luke Harangody-led Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and another part has to do with unpredictable clubs like the Providence Friars. But overall, the Big East has my full attention because five of the top-10 spots in the AP poll are occupied by Big East clubs.
Here’s the way it looks as of today: Continue reading “In College Hoop the Big East is Big this Year”
Matt Cassel is a Chief. Bizarre. It seemed destined to happen – the Chiefs didn’t have a true number one in town, and Scott Pioli left the Pats on good terms to go to K.C. as the main man. What is so surprising, though, is that the Pats essentially gave Cassel away. New England packaged linebacker Mike Vrabel with Cassel, and all they got in return was a second round draft pick, 34th overall. The Chiefs get two starters in two positions of high need, and they give up just a pick that is far from guaranteed to produce an instant Continue reading “Quarterbacks on the Move”
The Redskins must operate in a different reality than the rest of us. Most people would look at their recent history – a dizzying number of high priced free agents have produced nothing but heartache – and learn from it. Not Daniel Snyder and company. Free agency had only just begun when the Redskins spent the first $154 million. $154 million! They signed Albert Haynesworth to a $100 million deal that could be worth as much as $115 million if he performs well over the course of the deal. The chances are almost none that it will play out over the whole contract, but what is particularly ridiculous about this deal is the amount of Continue reading “Free Agency Lunacy”
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