Bleacher Report - Articles by Travis Miller

Repeat vs. No. 27: Choosing a Side in "The Worst Scenario World Series"

Travis Miller — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:04:55 -0400

Yes, that's CC Sabathia's tummy.

If it hasn’t been a tough enough couple of years (lifetime, even?) to be a New York Mets fan, things just got a whole lot worse with both the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees advancing to the big show.

Normally when one of our fiercest rivals is in the World Series, we can easily jump on the opposing team’s bandwagon and ride it ‘til the trail ends.

Not this year. We’re guaranteed hell until next October.

Each choice for the common fan has consequences this year. Getting a lobotomy seems extreme, and going into hibernation would just be an unnecessary ego boost for the already proud Yankees and Phillies fans.

Common sense begs baseball fans to root for the Philadelphia Phillies since nobody outside of New York wants to see the Bronx Bombers prancing around with their 27th championship by way of a $200 million payroll.

But nobody wants to see a team, other than their own, repeat. Phillies fans will think they’re God’s gift to baseball.

Then there is the New York pride factor – as a good New Yorker, I should root for the Yankees. Again, on the other side, as an extreme advocate of the National League style of play, I should want the title in the NL East.

But wait…the Phillies aren’t exactly a prototypical National League team, with all those home runs they hit and runs they score.

However, the Phillies at least do things the right way. Many of Philadelphia's stars are home grown, whereas many of the Yankees' stars are, well...bought.

But that's a tired argument I've been using for years against Yankees fans. Plus, why would I want a rival to win by playing the right way? Then I can't accuse them of buying the championship and I'm left with no defense.

Do you see my quandary?

It makes most sense to make a list of pros and cons to decide which team to root for, but since there really is nothing good about rooting for either side, I will present a list of cons and cons, by the end, hopefully making a decision as to which evil to root for.

Bright side

We get to watch one team’s hearts be smashed into a million little pieces. It’s always good to find a silver lining in a lose-lose situation.

Offense

It's Yankees vs. Yankees, Jr.

Each lineup is disgusting. Who do I hate less? Let’s examine.

I hate Jimmy Rollins less than I hate Derek Jeter. I hate Johnny Damon and Shane Victorino the same, but Victorino doesn’t make me want to beat my head against a wall when he speaks. Advantage, Victorino. I hate Mark Teixeira less than Chase Utley. I hate Alex Rodriguez less than Ryan Howard. I hate Jayson Werth less than Jorge Posada. I hate Robinson Cano less than Raul Ibanez. I hate Pedro Feliz less than Nick Swisher. I hate Melky Cabrera less than Carlos Ruiz.

That’s a 4-4 tie. I hate the designated hitter, so it comes down to which pitching staff will be funnier to watch at-bat. It’s not even close. Andy Pettitte, Sabathia…

Go Yankees!

Defense

Teixeira saved about 14 runs in the ALCS with his glove, despite not producing at all with his bat.

That’s not what I’m looking at.

I’m focused on the fact that every time Fox presents the defense, they never fail to mention how A-Rod’s gold gloves came at shortstop. To be fair, they should then make it known that Jeter’s gold gloves didn’t start arriving until after A-Rod moved to third base. It’s only fair to rain on his parade, too.

Go Phillies!

Pitching

Everybody take a moment to thank Mark Shapiro, because Sabathia and Cliff Lee are the only two stopping this series from seeing 30 runs scored between the two teams each game.

Every time Joe Buck and Tim McCarver mention Sabathia’s weight gives the Yankees an extra 290 points in my book. Get it? That’s how much he weighs. In pounds.

Plus the Yankees’ starting pitchers don’t have a history of talking trash then backing it up by going 10-11 with a 4.32 earned run average and being pushed out of the No. 1 starter role.

Did you catch the subtle dig at Cole Hamels there?

Go Yankees!

Bullpen

Tweedledee vs. Tweedledum

This is where the series will be decided. Both New York and Philadelphia refuse to lie down and die. It doesn’t matter if the offense is facing an eight-run deficit – it can, and likely will, be overcome.

I fully expect things to get ugly once the bullpen seals are cracked. I can count a total of…one reliever who can be trusted between the two teams. And even he’s blown a save to lose a World Series, and it was against a much less potent offense.

Remember that, Yankees fans? I'm referring to when Rivera blew the save in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Do you remember? Luis Gonzalez hit a bloop single into center field to win the World Series against the Yankees. If you don't remember, I can send you a link to the video. I remember that.

As I said before, the Yankees’ STARTING pitchers don’t talk trash with an undeserved sense of elitism. Relievers on the other hand…Phil Coke will get the beating he deserves, and we hopefully won’t have to see any Joba fist pumps.

The Phillies and their fans have been humbled enough this year for all the Brad Lidge praising they did last year. Let’s see Mariano Rivera blow some more saves!

Go Phillies!

Ballpark

Does it even matter? Neither park can contain any of the hitters in either lineup.

Philadelphia fans will probably do a better job of packing the stands since they have more affordable tickets.

Oh, so now they think they’re better because their ownership doesn’t beat up its fan base and take their lunch money?

Go Yankees!

Manager

Nobody deserves a ring less than Joe Girardi. He'll prove it several more times this series.

That is all.

Go Phillies!

Fans

There are only two sets of permanently insufferable baseball fans: those of the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Yankees fans will always be the way they are. There is no turning back or changing them.

There’s still a chance to shove Phillies fans back into the hole they came from, but a repeat may turn the ugly duo into an ugly trio of unbearable fans, and Phillies fans may never shut up, ever again.

This aspect trumps all other categories, because let’s be honest – it’s the fans who make their teams so hated (Patriots excluded).

Let’s keep Philadelphia humbled while there’s still a chance.

GO YANKEES! Buy that ring!

Disclaimer: I would rather the Angels have beaten the Yankees and ultimately lose to the Phillies than have had Yankees vs. Phillies. At least this way I wouldn't have a metaphorical gun to my head. I'd rather the Phillies repeat and the Yankees not be there than have to root for the Yankees against the only team that annoys me more than them. I am in hell.

A New York Mess: The 2009 Mets' Eulogy

Travis Miller — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:20:21 -0400

As the dog days of August have crept up on us and that "playoff fever" is beginning to set in, the New York Mets have given their nostalgic fans something magnificent—the feeling of not even being in it, forcing most to revert to rooting against the machine-like Yankees as we’re still watching training camp scrimmages.

This is not about excuses, this is not about looking forward. This is about doing what most fans already did more than a month ago—what management officially did when David Wright was placed on the disabled list.

Despite disappointments in 2006, 2007, and 2008, this season was almost more of a letdown. The Mets were exposed for what they really were—injury prone on offense, overachievers on the mound.

Wright didn't get to see a juicy fastball all season since there was neither a stolen base threat on the base paths, nor intimidating hitters around him. We'll take the .324 average, secure in knowing we have a real hitter on our team who did all he could to get on base and give his squad opportunities to win.

Shame on us if he steps on the diamond in September.

Johan Santana is human, unable to win every start, 1-0. It's difficult to swallow the "C.C. Sabathia gets paid more and is going to have a better record this year" pill. Don't try to fight it by citing earned run average or the supporting cast, Mets fans. Just turn the other cheek and pray for sympathy from the baseball gods next year. If we lived through 1996-2000, we can live through this.

We saw some glimmers of hope in our youth when they were healthy. Angel Pagan lobbied nicely for a starting position in the Citi Field outfield next year. Omir Santos is a fantastic choice behind the plate. The addition of Jeff Francoeur is helping us save face as we limp to the finish line.

Oliver Perez reminded us why we're keeping him. He'll put guys on base, but if the bases are loaded with no outs, he can strike the next three guys out. Not every pitcher in the big leagues can do that.

Mike Pelfrey hadn't figured things out like Mets fans hoped he had, but we remember what we saw for those three near-perfect months in 2008. The talent is there.

It's going to be difficult to relive the September of old, watching the Yankees barrel into October, favorites to bring home the jewelry, the Phillies one of their top threats.

It seems like the end of the world for our kind, but there is a silver lining in all of this.

Walk tall, Mets fans. Watch Mark Sanchez, Eli Manning or Terrell Owens in September and October. Even if you show the sly grin on your face, nobody will know why you're smiling.

You're smiling because the stage has been set for a coup. All the pieces have been put in place except for one.

First, the Mets have the superior New York medium. While the Mets and Yankees share the newspapers and network TV stations, there is a decisive advantage with Sportsnet New York (SNY) over Yankees Entertainment and Sports (YES).

SNY has more personality and is more hip to the New York sports scene, regardless of alliance. The "New York New York Sports Sports" commercials are on par with Geico and Bud Light these days in terms of quality of humor.

SNY reaches the essence of what a true New York Sports fanatic is in its purest form. Turn on YES. What's on? Bernie Williams playing guitar? The "Yankees Classic" of the Luis Castillo dropped pop-up? The best part of YES programming other than live games was Mike & the Mad Dog (also broadcast on WFAN, 660 AM, the Mets' radio station), but now that's even lost some luster since Mike Francesa and Chris Russo parted ways.

Both are still lacking in the race for quality programming all day long, but SNY is far, far ahead in comparison to YES.

Each network also has an effective announcing team capable of broadcasting the game with quality analysis, catering to home fans, but not crossing the line as you might experience if you watch a Nationals game with Rob and Bob on MASN (I assume it stands for "MASochistic Network—if you've heard them call a game, you don't disagree).

Second, we now have the better stadium. Players, announcers, and even Yankees fans admit it. Granted, the Yankees' stadium works for them in ways ours may never work for us, but the overall ballpark experience is more enjoyable at Citi Field.

Finally, we receive much less denigration from politicians, citizens, and the media about our spending and ticket prices, given the state and nation's current economic conditions. We aren't exactly angels in comparison, but we're at least the middle child who learns from the oldest, staying out of trouble just by being not as bad.

Of course, none of these three points are as valuable as the fourth, which we lack: putting a winning team on the field. The Mets flirted with the idea from 2006-2008, but completely dropped the ball this year.

The Yankees continue to win, which keeps us in the back seat. They will continue to spend to win, which apparently is finally proving successful, though the rings aren't on their hands yet (see: 2002-2004).

It's not fair or sane to predict the Yankees will ever stop winning, but they do wobble on that line where the history, pageantry, and mystique of being "The Yankees" can wear thin with New Yorkers.

Should the Mets decide to buck up and take their fans for a magical journey into October one of these years, the other pieces are in place to take the reins and rule the state of New York.

Keep your chin up, Mets fans. There's always next year. And at least we're not choke artists anymore, right?

Joe Girardi: Best Manager Ever (Humor)?

Travis Miller — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:37:32 -0400

In yet another instance of managerial magnificence, Joe Girardi was bailed out for the 158th time by the New York Yankees Sunday, as the Bronx Bombers completed a four-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox, winning 5-2.

While skeptics have speculated that the even most strategically inept human being can lead the 2009 New York Yankees to 100 wins, Girardi is well on his way to proving them right.

Leading 1-0 entering the eighth inning, Girardi brought in lefty Phil Coke to face Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, and Victor Martinez.

Rather than just facing the three batters, Coke instead elected to face five. He came in with a 1-0 lead and left trailing 2-1, his fifth blown lead of the year, complementing a stellar 4.98 earned run average and further showcasing Girardi's continued inability to manage a bullpen.

To Girardi's defense, the regular eighth inning man, Phil Hughes, had pitched the previous two games to the tune of a whopping nine pitches and two batters faced.

Three more would have been a lot to ask.

Hughes' ERA since being moved to the bullpen in June is 1.45, allowing runs in only three of 24 appearances.

Phil Coke allowed more runs (six) in 0.1 innings pitched just a week and a half ago against the Chicago White Sox than Hughes has total (five) since June. Given this kid's stat line for the season, you would think he was on the other New York team.

Coke, the weak link in an otherwise stabilized bullpen, even offered some bulletin board material after the game.

"So much for 8-0, huh?" he said, in an Associated Press report.

Let's answer Coke's question with a question of our own—should a win in the box score really generate such an unnecessary ego boost?

Andy Pettitte had one of his best outings of the season and gets a no decision. Ten minutes after coming in, Coke destroys everything the team had done for the first seven innings, yet registers a win and then gloats?

Please excuse me for a moment while I minimize this window and slam on my keyboard relentlessly.

So, what frustrates me more? Joe Girardi thinking he deserves any credit whatsoever for this team's success, or Phil Coke's completely undeserved sense of achievement?

Answer: Neither!

What really got me was after Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira went back-to-back in the bottom of the eighth. Everyone's favorite captain, Derek Jeter, knew exactly where the cameras would be, so he sat down right in between Teix and Damon as they excitedly discussed their bombs, not even paying attention to the conversation, just catching a tan in their sunshine.

Girardi should start getting advice from Jeter about strategy. That one definitely took the cake.

Enjoy the win, Yankee fans. Enjoy the sweep. Just don't get too confident. You've got a liability in the bullpen who is a favorite of your manager, who is an even greater liability.

The Best Home Run Swings in Major League Baseball

Travis Miller — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:38:53 -0400

Let's forget about the steroids and admire the swing for a second. The short, compact cut of Tony Gwynn, the smooth sweep of John Olerud, and David Justice's 9-iron shot are three swings I miss terribly. Butch Huskey (pictured above) had a back-breaking power hack I loved to watch growing up. Even Mark McGwire's effortless (keep it to yourself) slash remains vivid in my memory. Though the liaisons of the lumber won't be seen on "Touch 'Em All" any time soon, here are some of my favorite home run swings in the game today. I was going to create the obligatory "Honorable Mention" slide, but as I got about eight names into it, I realized it would go on for way too long for fear of leaving a pretty swing out. Apologies to Big Papi, Travis Hafner, and the like.

Begin Slideshow

News Flash: The Yankees/Red Sox Rivalry Isn't Hot Anymore

Travis Miller — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:46:25 -0400

I hate to be the one to break the bad news to fans of the most beloved franchises in Major League Baseball, but as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox prepare for a weekend series at Fenway Park, it has become even more glaring and evident than it was last year—nobody cares.

This, of course, is a generalized and embellished statement, because Yankees and Red Sox fans presumably still care, but it's no longer the national craze it was in 2003, 2004, or even 2007, no matter what ESPN tells you.

A sucker for storylines, I'm notorious for hanging on much longer than most. Hell, I'm still waiting for John Franco to win a World Series ring for his father.

The Red Sox and Yankees kept me entertained through the 2007 season, then suddenly last April when they had a three-game set in the Bronx, I realized I didn't care anymore.

The apathy caused such a terrible hangover, I didn't even bother to think about the reasons behind the rivalry's plunge until now.

Staying true to your colors

The peak of the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry of this generation was in 2003 and 2004 with the American League Championship Series matchups. Aaron Boone's walk-off home run in '03 followed by the greatest comeback in MLB playoff history in '04.

Things stayed heated in 2005 since the Red Sox were finally back on top after 86 years, then in 2006 when Johnny Damon accepted an offer he couldn't refuse, ditching the "Idiots" for the pinstripes, prompting the creation of one of my favorite shirts of all time: Looks like Jesus, acts like Judas, throws like Mary.

Genius.

While the usual suspects still lurk in the shadows, this isn't the Derek Jeter and David Ortiz show anymore.

The big names we'll be hearing this weekend aren't here for the navy blue pinstripes or the Olde Towne team, they're here for the green.

This isn't going to turn into an article about high payrolls or disingenuous motives, it's just to say C.C. Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Mark Teixeira, and the like have absolutely no emotional ties to the history of these franchises.

The Red Sox have managed to keep their roster intact for the most part, but is this quality entertainment without Manny Ramirez?

Not in my book.

A-Rod is now A-Roid, which puts a damper on things, as fun as it will be for Sawx fans once he's healthy and back on the field. Jason Varitek will have to be careful not to break a hip when Alex's 'roid rage kicks in again.

Speaking of broken hips, what's the over/under for David Ortiz at-bats this season?

Who am I to say the big names new to the rivalry won't learn a thing or two about bad blood during this series, but anyone who thinks things are still the same has been hanging out with Percy Harvin.

Increased parity

Since there is no reason to hate the Rays, we have to invent one. They ruined the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry!

How dare they win the division with a payroll a gazillion dollars less than the teams which finished in second and third.

Ah, the unfathomable fantasy—the Yankees or Red Sox tanking for 10 years straight while they build a foundation of homegrown youth. Spare me inane comments about they're doing so with the likes of Joba, Jacoby, etc...try doing it without 10 All-Stars on the team to hold down the fort while they develop.

Fresh Storylines

Remember when T.O. was on the Eagles? Then the Cowboys? Guess where the attention is going to be this season—up in Buffalo!

The same can be said for Manny, which I already alluded to. When he left Beantown, so did a lot of the camera crews. I hear L.A. is nice this time of year, and I also hear their team is doing quite well with some former faces from the New York/Boston rivalry.

Again, the Rays have stolen some thunder from the bigger markets, thus creating a firestorm of wonder about first place teams such as the Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, and Florida Marlins.

Discussing staying power of traditionally bad teams is a lot more fun than beating to death stories about whether the Yankees will win 90, 95, or 100 games.

What was more interesting a month and a half ago? Another story about how UNC will win the title, or one saying Cleveland State has the coconuts to make a run to the Elite Eight?

In Conclusion

As much as I'm knocking the Yanks and Sox, I truly believe there isn't a better storyline the playoffs roll around. However, when it's April, this series just doesn't have the flair it once had.

Let's get to know the other teams in the league which are having better success than these two right now. Let's get some Cubs/Cardinals or Dodgers/Padres.

Where has Ozzie Guillen been this year? Did somebody put a muzzle on him?

Yanks and Sox? Wake me up in September.

Oops! The New York Yankees Forgot to Bolster Their Bullpen

Travis Miller — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:59:26 -0400

Be it a groan, cheer, or a clever series of words strung together, everybody in and around baseball had an extreme reaction to the New York Yankees' offseason spending.

Through 10 games, it's not fair to judge the performances of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, or Mark Teixeira so far.

Fans and critics alike must give them ample time to settle in before making the decision to laugh at the Yankees' reckless spending or write a nasty letter to their own team's front office for not shelling out the green to land the big names.

After 10 games, however, it is fair to judge one aspect of Brian Cashman's latest Death Star, which may have been overlooked when being constructed this offseason—the bullpen.

Before going on, let me take you back to last September. Call me masochistic, but for some reason, I can't help but listen to John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman broadcasts on the radio.

As nauseating as it is, it's also like watching Bill O'Reilly or Pat Robertson—you just can't predict what they're going to say next.

Driving in my car, Sterling and Waldman were previewing the 2009 roster when Sterling blurted out something which really made me scratch my head.

He said something along the lines of the Yankees having the most feared bullpen in baseball with the combination of Phil Coke, Joba Chamberlain, and Mariano Rivera.

OK, as much as it pains me, I will admit Rivera is a great reliever.

Chamberlain, too, but as we all know now (and most of us knew then, or so I thought), isn't in the bullpen. He's a starter until he undoubtedly gets hurt again.

Now join me, everyone outside of Yankee Nation, when I say "Phil Coke? Who the hell is Phil Coke?"

I follow the Yankees enough to know who he is, but what baffled me was how anyone, even John Sterling, could crown someone with a dozen career appearances as one who should be "feared."

Maybe Coke was in the game, or had just left the game, so he was on Sterling's mind while he was sucking up to Yankee brass.

Really though, Phil Coke?

Coke had a great little run in 2008, only allowing one earned run in 14.1 innings pitched, but come on—feared? He's not even established!

Fast forward to present day, my suspicions may have had some legitimacy to them. Coke, in five appearances, has allowed seven runs, four earned, to the tune of a 9.00 earned run average.

He has yet to work a perfect full inning.

Coke isn't the only problem within the 'pen. Damaso Marte, acquired last July in the Xavier Nady deal, has appeared three times this season. In the lefty-specialist's first two outings, he faced four batters, retiring three of them.

Thursday was a different story. The offense he was facing wasn't that of the Royals or Orioles; it was the Indians.

Marte squeezed three innings worth of batters—the entire Indians lineup—into one inning. He allowed the runner he inherited from Jose Veras to score, then six more who were his own responsibility.

Veras has allowed a run in three of his five outings, including three against the Indians.

Edwar Ramirez has only allowed a single run to score in his two outings (3.1 innings of work), but has an alarming 2.40 WHIP, albeit early in the season.

Jonathan Albaladejo was effective against the Orioles, but the Rays got the best of him in two of his three innings of work in Tampa.

Newcomer David Robertson, who was just called up to take the injured Xavier Nady's roster spot, gave the Yankees a promising two scoreless innings of work, but wasn't exactly lights out in his 25 appearances last season (5.34 ERA in 30-plus innings pitched).

The Yankees are forced to make a decision, but the injury to Nady makes it a little harder. With only four outfielders on the roster, it's near impossible to permanently move Nick Swisher to the setup role, and they apparently need his bat much more than anyone could have anticipated.

To sum up, it's early in the season, but the Yankees' two left-handed specialists can't be trusted to get outs, nor can the righties leading up to Mariano Rivera, and the most impressive reliever so far other than their closer is their right fielder.

They've lost in situations where they were winning late, lost where they were called upon to hold a tie, and have let marginal deficits become huge deficits.

But hey, at least the new ballpark looks great!

NCAA Tournament Opening Weekend: Winners and Losers

Travis Miller — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:54:31 -0400

Remember the days when it wasn't far-fetched to argue in favor of the Atlantic Coast Conference as the best conference in college basketball?

Those days are gone.

Remember when it was trendy to write about how Arizona didn't belong in the NCAA Tournament?

Seems like forever ago.

Remember when it wasn't funny to make fun of Luke Harangody and Notre Dame?

Yeah, me neither.

Conferences, teams, and players emerged as gold mines or complete busts in the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament this past weekend. Here are the winners and losers.

Winner: Big Ten

Though only two conference teams remain and three went out in the first round, the Big Ten successfully defended its seven bids and, more importantly, its style of play.

The landmark games for the conference were Michigan beating Clemson and Wisconsin beating Florida State in the first round, and Purdue taking out Washington to advance to the Sweet 16.

ACC/Big Ten challenge? What?

Western Kentucky over Illinois was not an upset, no matter what anyone says, and Tubby Smith's Minnesota squads always fade down the stretch. Shame on you if you had the Gophers dropping Texas.

Ohio State losing to Siena was the only slap in the face to the Big Ten, as the Buckeyes tried to push the Saints around with a very physical game, and oh, how it backfired.

Still, watching the double-overtime game, the Big Ten's physical tendencies really garnered respect from naysayers. No wonder there was a 38-33 game earlier this year.

The conference is 6-5, and with a Michigan State win over Kansas or a Purdue upset of UConn later this week, a .500 tournament showing is locked up.

Loser: Atlantic Coast Conference

Once again, its up to Duke and North Carolina to help the conference save face.

Wake Forest proved to be too young and timid. Boston College was just embarrassed by Southern Cal. The Clemson Tigers forgot to eat their Wheaties Friday morning, and Florida State, the toughest, most physical team in the conference, looked nothing like the team that beat UNC in the ACC Tournament.

While each team excelled in early-season non-conference play, the fast-paced, often defensively-inept nature of ACC play they became accustomed to may have caused a culture shock when they ran into teams which controlled the tempo and snagged momentum.

The Big Ten made the ACC look like a bunch of divas who can't handle being pushed around. Though the ACC is 5-5, Maryland is the only non-Duke/UNC team to win a game.

Duke/UNC: 4-0. Five other ACC teams: 1-5.

Winner: Big East

West Virginia was the only of the seven Big East teams to bow out in the first round.

Marquette was the only of the six remaining conference teams to exit in the second round, and the Golden Eagles didn't go out easy—Dominic James made a surprise comeback, a valiant attempt to destroy my bracket.

The Big East is 11-2 with five teams in the Sweet 16. Syracuse is playing inspired basketball, reminiscent of an impressive run made six years ago by another Jim Boeheim team.

Their zone is either that crushing, or the Sun Devils just are who we thought they were.

Louisville and Pitt had their scares, but are still getting the job done with the game hanging in the balance. Sam Young is going to be one hell of a pro. UConn is good. A.J. Price is very good.

The Big East will send at least three teams to the Elite Eight, and at least two to the Final Four.

Loser: Ben Woodside

It's too bad North Dakota State ran into Kansas in the first round. Had the Bison earned a No. 13 seed, or perhaps drawn Villanova or Missouri instead, Woodside would be this year's Stephen Curry.

It would have been great to watch him for multiple games.

Woodside scored 37 points in one of the best performances of the first round. He played all 40 minutes, and combined with teammate Brett Winkelman for the following line:

80 minutes played
19-for-37 from the floor (rest of team shot 7-for-25)
6-for-10 from three-point range (rest of team shot 4-for-14)
52 of team's 74 points

Doesn't it suck to have teammates?

Winner: Big 12

All year long, the Big 12 has been comprised of one player: Blake Griffin.

Suddenly, all six teams sent dancing from the Big 12 won their first-round games, three of which are sitting pretty in the Sweet 16.

Where the Big 10 is all physicality and defense and the ACC is all offense, the Big 12 seems to be a perfect mix of the two, and it's paying huge dividends this March.

Missouri is flying under the radar as the third seed in a UConn and Memphis-dominated West Regional, and defending champ Kansas has the experience to make some noise in the Midwest, also as a No. 3 seed.

Then there's the most talked about man this season: Blake Griffin.

Oklahoma has the pieces to take on Syracuse, and should the Sooners pass that test, they can give UNC a run as long as Griffin excels in the paint and Austin Johnson and Willie Warren do their thing.

Is the Big 12 crashing the Big East and ACC's party?

Loser: Mid-majors

Arizona is hardly a Cinderella, considering the Wildcats are built to compete and win in March, and have consistent resources to do so.

That being said, there are three mid-major teams in the Sweet 16, none of which (Memphis, Gonzaga, Xavier) are a surprise.

Western Kentucky had the personnel to advance, but ran into Gonzaga, which had the guys to fend off the Hilltoppers in the final minutes.

Virginia Commonwealth was a sexy pick to do damage, but UCLA was a tough draw for them, as the Bruins had the perfect answer for future lottery pick Eric Maynor: Darren Collison.

Siena outlasted Ohio State in the first round and gave Louisville everything it could handle in the second round, but again, an unfortunate draw doomed the Saints. Cleveland State was a great story, but only for one game.

We were spoiled by George Mason in 2006 and Davidson in 2008. There isn't always a Cinderella run, and the inspiring stories of past years make it even tougher to swallow when none of your upset specials pan out.

Winner: Arizona

While St. Mary's and Davidson are set to square off in the NIT, Arizona is going to Indianapolis to take a shot at the Big East champs.

Say what you want about Arizona still not deserving to be there, but the Wildcats were given the chance and cashed in. Then they cashed in again.

Beating Utah and Cleveland State isn't exactly the toughest road, but who they play isn't in their hands. All they can do is go out and beat whoever they're scheduled to play, and that's exactly what they've done.

On the fence: CBS

After ESPN's exceptional production of championship week, the ball was thrown into CBS's court. I'd give their handling of the first two rounds three stars out of five.

The major gaffe that stuck out to me was in the Florida State/Wisconsin game as Jordan Taylor threw up a potential game-winning shot. As time expired, CBS switched back to the Siena/Ohio State game, which still had time left in it.

Another small one was at the beginning of the Siena game, when the graphic came up identifying uniform colors. "Sienna" was wearing green.

There weren't many camera angles for the opening round games. When I was paying close attention, I counted four, maybe five.

The Ohio State/Siena game was the easiest to get sucked into because it was such a great game. Even the VCU/UCLA game didn't grab me, nor did the Purdue/Washington game.

Urgency in the announcers' voices was missing, as were the influential camera angles. Granted, there were a lot of games to cover, so CBS gets a bye for the opening weekend.

If there are not more camera angles and better announcing this coming week, it will be very disappointing.

Women's NCAA Tournament Preview and Predictions

Travis Miller — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:09:42 -0400

We could get this out of the way first and say the University of Connecticut is going to win the NCAA Women's Tournament and chalk up yet another 39-0 season—but like my girl Courtney Paris, I'm not ready to do that quite yet.

Biggest Snub: Bowling Green. The Falcons fell in their conference championship to Ball State, and an RPI of 48 just didn't do the trick, mostly due to a terrible non-conference schedule. At 28-4, it doesn't kill you to give a mid-major a chance, does it?

Oh well, let's take a look at the regions:

TRENTON

Favorite: UConn. The only name recognized by the casual fan is Maya Moore (pictured above, from above). What most people fail to realize is the 33-0 record isn't due to one person alone. Each of the Lady Huskies' starting five can hurt you, as can their bench, as will their coach.

Tina Charles (16.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG) and Renee Montgomery (15.8 PPG, 5.2 APG) will have increased roles if coaches decide to go the Jimmy Pastos route and focus completely the star player...though Moore will probably still tear the double- and triple-teams to shreds.

Top scoring offense, second best scoring defense, best field-goal percentage, most assists per game, and best assist-to-turnover ratio. Good luck matching up.

Upset Special: Hello? Marist! Given the 12-seed in the region, the Red Foxes are heading to Hollywood for round one (and hopefully two). They play the Lady Cavaliers out of the University of Virginia in the first round. Like most schools from the Big Six, UVA has a great size advantage on Marist.

Brian Giorgis (three NCAA Tournament victories in the last two seasons) has until Saturday to prepare.

He will likely go with his normal starting five, but the option is there to try to match up on the inside, inserting freshman Brandy Gang into the starting lineup to take pressure off Maria Laterza and Rachele Fitz.

This move would be a gamble, because the Red Foxes lack depth in the paint and would have to sit one of their experienced guards. If Laterza, Gang, or both get into foul trouble, only Emily Stallings is available off the bench to roam underneath.

Coming off the bench at 5'10", Lynzee Johnson is too undersized to be given the task of guarding UVA's frontcourt, but gives Marist better depth in the backcourt, where she is also lethal.

Guard play is important, and the Red Foxes will be bringing a different point guard to the Dance for the third straight year. Alisa Kresge guided Marist to the Sweet 16 in '07, Nikki Flores led them to the second round last year, and Elise Caron takes the duties this time around.

Caron averages 2.7 assists per game, while Erica Allenspach (3.1 APG) and Julianne Viani (4.5 APG) also know what to do with the rock.

One of Marist's greatest strengths is free-throw shooting, where Giorgis' squad ranks seventh in the nation at 78.4 percent. It could be important in a physical, down-to-the-wire game.

Should the Red Foxes advance, they likely face an over-seeded California team, which again has a size advantage, but if Marist is hot from deep, magical things can happen.

A victory in the second round would set up a Sweet 16 matchup against UConn. Take my advice: Root for Marist. It will make you a better person.

Sleeper: Notre Dame. Despite being the No. 7 seed, the Irish play their first round game at home in South Bend. Should they win, their second round game is at home...in South Bend. The home-court advantage could vault them over No. 2 Texas A&M, sending them to lovely New Jersey for the Sweet 16.

Prediction: To nobody's surprise, UConn will emerge from this region. No. 3 Florida State isn't playing its best basketball anymore, and if Texas A&M falls to Notre Dame in the second round, it would make UConn's course even easier.

Berkeley

Favorite: Stanford. Duke somehow stole a No. 1 seed, but nobody is fooled. Stanford is absolutely the favorite to come out of this region. Jayne Appel and Kayla Pedersen can both score and rebound. Jeanette Pohlen is the three-point threat to complement a brutal inside game.

Stanford is second in the nation in rebound margin and only trails UConn in scoring margin, assists per game, and assist-to-turnover ratio. An unselfish team which rebounds the ball is very dangerous.

The knock on Stanford is the team's vulnerability to give up the trifecta. Opponents hit almost 33 percent of three-pointers attempted against the Cardinal.

Upset Special: None.

As is the case too often with women's basketball, none of the lower-seeded teams pose an actual threat to higher-seeded teams in Berkeley.

If you want to count No. 9 Michigan State over No. 8 Middle Tennessee State in the first round as an upset, that's your prerogative...but if the game were played anywhere but East Lansing, MTSU and its brutal full-court press and three-point barrage would prevail.

If you really want to reach, spring for Sacred Heart over Ohio State, but the game is in Columbus. A fundamental team, Sacred Heart makes 75 percent of its free throws and 39 percent of its three-pointers.

Still, Ohio State has too much size and athleticism, not to mention the crowd's support.

Sleeper: Tennessee. Cute, right? It's almost impossible to sell any Pat Summitt team as a potential sleeper, so I won't even try. She has never missed an NCAA Tournament, and come to think of it, the No. 5 seed this year is as low as any of her teams have ever been ranked.

She knows how to coach in March, so Duke better be ready for the Sweet 16 showdown. Duke won at Tennessee by eight points earlier in the year.

Prediction: I like Stanford to advance from Berkeley. The advantage of playing in its home state the entire time will play a huge factor.

Duke has the right components to beat the Cardinal. With Abby Waner and Jasmine Thomas threatening from outside, the Blue Devils still match up on the inside with Chante Black (6'5").

If necessary, Krystal Thomas (6'4") is available off the bench to help under the rim.

Duke commits a lot of turnovers, but plays stifling defense to overcome it.

Neither team is particularly efficient from the free-throw line, but Duke is slightly better. In order for the No. 1 Blue Devils to "upset" the No. 2 Cardinal, they will need to convert from the stripe.

Raleigh

Favorite: Maryland. Name a hotter team (not coached by Geno Auriemma) right now than the Lady Terps. Can't be done. When a team not in Durham or Chapel Hill wins both the ACC regular-season crown and the ACC Tournament title, it's something to talk about.

Winners of 12 straight games, Maryland does a little bit of everything—except play defense. The Lady Terrapins are the top three-point shooting team in the nation (41 percent), 13th in free-throw percentage (76 percent), but their best defense is their stellar offense.

Allowing almost 70 points per game, Maryland could run into trouble against a strong defensive team which also happens to be hitting its shots on the other side of the court.

Upset Special: University of Wisconsin-Green Bay over LSU. The No. 11 Phoenix have the best scoring defense in the land, allowing just over 50 points per game, as well as the best turnover margin.

Though LSU will have the advantage when it comes to size and athleticism, UWGB's Celeste Hoewisch and Kati Harty lead an attacking defense which averages over 12 steals per game.

Though there is nothing impressive about UWGB's 66 points per game, the Phoenix make the most of their opportunities, converting 46 percent of their field goal attempts.

Sleeper: South Dakota State. I haven't bought into the hype yet, as the Jackrabbits didn't run the table in-conference, and didn't beat any high-profile teams. Still, they only lost at Maryland by a dozen, and won at Gonzaga, in addition to beating several teams from major conferences.

With a No. 7 seed, it's hard to see them getting by Baylor in the second round, but crazier things have happened. If they beat Baylor, you have to like them to at least make a run to the Elite Eight, because that win confirms all the hype, making them completely and utterly legit.

The Lady Jacks have some lengthy bodies coming in, but not right now. Being out-rebounded and pushed around inside will be their downfall. Their star, Jennifer Warkenthien (15.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG), stands only 6'0" tall.

She was able to register 17 points and seven boards against Maryland very early in the season, but she'll be getting extra attention since SDSU has now hit the national rankings.

Regardless, making the NCAA Tournament, and even potentially winning a game, is a huge accomplishment for South Dakota State. Any team which wins 31 games, including 17 straight, commands respect.

Prediction: Baylor. The Lady Bears aren't the biggest team in the Big 12, but they were able to win the conference tournament. Though they didn't have to go through Oklahoma to win the title, there's no telling what would have happened if the teams did meet up.

Despite losing both meetings to the Paris sisters this season, they only lost by five and eight points, respectively.

Against Maryland, Baylor will use its experience against Oklahoma to bump around on the inside to create havoc for the Lady Terps. They don't turn the ball over much, and boast the eighth-best rebounding margin despite playing in the Big 12.

A sturdy 42 percent from the field is no aberration, and will help Baylor to the Final Four.

Oklahoma City

Favorite: Oklahoma. I didn't mind at all when Courtney Paris offered to pay back her scholarship if she didn't guide her team to a National Title. Over the course of the season, the Sooners have become much better than the 28-point loss at UConn might lead people to believe.

I plan on donating money to Marist when I finally start making some, and though it won't be $64,000, and I didn't play on the basketball team, it's kind of the same thing, right?

Upset Special: This region is filled with all sorts of goodies. Charlotte over Purdue looks good, Gonzaga over Xavier can totally happen, and Montana over Pittsburgh would be a stretch, but why not?

The Charlotte/Purdue winner plays UNC in the second round (UNC will win), and the other four teams will run into Oklahoma in the Sweet 16, so this is the best spot to take a gamble in your bracket.

Charlotte has three solid scorers in Aysha Jones, Shannon McCallum, and Danielle Burgin. McCallum and Burgin both rebound. Jones, Traci Ray, and Ashley Spriggs all drop dimes like they're wishing for good luck at a fountain.

Susceptible on defense, the 49ers still stayed in some games they had no business being in early in the year.

Gonzaga has a great turnover margin, plays tight defense, and has two excellent scoring options with 6'2" Heather Bowman inside (19.5 PPG) and 5'8" Courtney Vandersloot outside (16.4 PPG).

The Lady Bulldogs' opponent, Xavier, is great on defense, but the team's kryptonite is at the free-throw line, where the Lady Musketeers shoot an abysmal 63.8 percent.

For Montana to knock off Pitt, the Lady Griz (best name in the Dance) need Sonya Rogers (40.6 percent from range) to expose Pitt's lack of three-point defense in the most urgent of ways.

If you don't think she'll set the nylon on fire, don't advance Montana to the second round.

Sleeper: Can a No. 3 seed be a sleeper? In women's ball, yes. North Carolina has faded into mediocrity since losing to UConn in January. They even struggled in a tuneup game a couple of days ago against South Dakota (not to be confused with South Dakota State).

The Lady Heels only beat the 18-11 Lady Coyotes by six points, but they can still heat up and make as much noise as any other team in the NCAA Tourney.

Scoring 83 points per game, Carolina can hurt you with the ball in anyone's hands. Rashanda McCants (14.9 PPG), Jessica Breland (14 PPG), Italee Lucas (13.6 PPG), and Cetera DeGraffenreid (12.1 PPG) can all score at will.

The Lady Heels rank in the top 10 in the nation in steals per game (12.1), blocked shots per game (6.5), and assists per game (16.8).

They've fallen off the radar, but I've got them beating No. 2 Auburn in my bracket, setting up an Elite Eight game against Oklahoma.

Auburn has a beast on the inside in DeWanna Bonner, listed at 6'4", averaging 21 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest. Bonner doesn't blow you away from the floor, only shooting 48 percent on field goals, but when she gets to the free throw line, she converts 84 percent of the time.

The Lady Tigers also have one of the nation's premier guards in Whitney Boddie, averaging 11.3 points and 8.1 assists per game.

Why am I taking Carolina over them? Let's call it a hunch, a bias, and a prayer.

Prediction: Two words—Courtney Freakin' Paris. Two more words—Ashley Freakin' Paris. Two final words—Danielle Robinson.

Oklahoma has too much inside and good enough guard play to get the job done to advance.

Courtney boasts over 16 points and over 13 rebounds per game. Ashley isn't far behind with 12.7 PPG and 9.5 RPG. Robinson gets them the rock. In addition to scoring 12.8 PPG, she has 5.8 assists per game.

Final Four

Oklahoma will beat Baylor for a third time, and UConn will outlast, not embarrass, Stanford.

Though I wasn't ready to crown UConn when I started the article, I am now.

In the championship game, I've got UConn over Oklahoma, handily.

Worldwide Leader Aces College Basketball Championship Week

Travis Miller — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 14:57:56 -0400

Did you notice anything different about the college basketball games you watched on TV this weekend?

There were story lines. Compelling story lines. Viewers grew attached to teams they normally don't care about, or even dislike.

There were good guys, bad guys, and bad guys turning into good guys.

But that wasn't all. There were extra camera angles, grade-A announcers, and viewers got to know each team personally.

Love 'em or hate 'em, the folks at ESPN did every college basketball fan a solid this weekend.

Some may chalk it up to the teams playing, but ESPN at least deserves a dime on the stat sheet.

Welcome to March Madness. It has begun.

ESPN brought a ton of games to the table starting March 5. With everything from the Horizon League to the Big 12, we've gotten it all. However, ESPN's little princess this weekend was the Big East Tournament.

It started with a simple game plan—wait for survival of the fittest to take its course as titans clash day after day.

DePaul winning its first round game was cute, and the Blue Demons even gave Providence a run for its money in the second round, but everything went as planned as the top eight seeds advanced to the quarterfinals.

In the quarters, Louisville spanked Providence, likely ousting the Friars from the Big Dance. Villanova beat Marquette on a Dwayne Anderson buzzer-beater, prolonging questions about the Golden Eagles' ability to get a quality win without Dominic James.

Then the aforementioned madness took its toll.

West Virginia disposed of Pittsburgh without using the three-ball as a major asset. DeJuan Blair was in foul trouble and Sam Young and Levance Fields didn't pick up the team on their shoulders.

Not to take anything away from the Mountaineers, but the Panthers didn't look like they had too much invested in making a lot of noise at Madison Square Garden.

Syracuse beat UConn in the nightcap. It was an alright game I guess.

In the six-overtime thriller, ESPN really left its mark. For those of us who weren't fortunate enough to be there, it still seemed as if we were there.

Eric Devendorf had emerged as a villain the day before against Seton Hall. After a few scuffles, Devendorf became enemy No. 1 when he posed as he was shooting a three-pointer.

The showboating was unnecessary, and the announcers let him have it, and that was how he was characterized for the tournament.

The onslaught continued when the Orange faced the Huskies. Nothing Devendorf did warranted a pat on the back—he was in the dog house. Hasheem Thabeet, on the other hand, could do no wrong.

Sean McDonough and Jay Bilas were singing his praises on every defensive possession. It's too bad Dick Vitale wasn't there, or we could double the love-fest. You know Dickie V loves Thabeet on offense.

"Get the rock inside, you gotta get the big fella some touches, baby!"

Devendorf almost redeemed himself as the buzzer signaled the end of regulation, hitting a triple, beaten by the buzzer by about a tenth of a second. As I groaned, he did his best Dwyane Wade impression, standing on the table in front of press row.

Get down from there. It didn't count.

We all know the story from there. Every player played their hearts out. Devendorf fouled out (the world cheered), Thabeet fouled out (nobody honestly felt bad for UConn, did they?), but one man remained: Jonny Flynn.

Our hero, Jonny Flynn.

The media has been waiting for someone like Flynn to emerge this season since Stephen Curry hasn't worked out. Kevin Pittsnogle or Gerry McNamara, reincarnated.

A pass-first, even-tempered point guard, there's nothing not to love about Flynn. He played 67 of a possible 70 minutes, had 11 assists, six steals, and 34 points.

Oh yeah, and he went 16-for-16 from the free throw line.

Then he came out the next night against West Virginia. The game went to overtime. Flynn played all 45 minutes, scoring 15 points and making another 90 cents giving his teammates the ball.

Are you kidding me? If you weren't already in love with Jonny Flynn, you were at this point. And it's thanks to you, ESPN.

If they were concerned about the economic repercussions of producing such a high-profile event, they could have limited the number of cameras send to shoot the game. ESPN did no such thing.

There were so many different perspectives available, we were able to follow Flynn's every move. Every gasping breath, every wince of pain, then the sly grins after something went better than you or I could have scripted it.

With the same core of announcers spending several consecutive days with the Big East teams, they really got to know them.

For the first time this season, Dan Shulman and Bilas seemed as passionate about and emotionally invested in the games as the fans were. And it was reflected in their call of the game and leaked to the audience.

With a matchup against Louisville on the horizon, everybody wondered what Syracuse had left in the tank. But considering how the Orange came out of the shoot against West Virginia, everybody expected them to be ready to play.

They were—for one half. This is where Louisville, which had been mired in UConn and Pittsburgh's shadow for most of the season, acquired its personality.

The Cardinals are big, tough, and athletic. They will wear you down with their cut-throat defense and expose any weakness. A complete team inside and out, Louisville isn't the lovable, feel-good story like Syracuse, but rather the result of Rick Pitino being back atop the coaching world where he belongs.

Pitino's style of recruiting and coaching is much different than Jim Boeheim's, Mike Krzyzewski's, or Jim Calhoun's, but like those other legendary coaches, the way he constructs a team is lethal when he gets it exactly how he wants it, and ESPN made sure to let us know.

There were many questions looming around the Louisville locker room concerning the legitimacy of the team as a contender.

The Cardinals didn't play at Pitt or at UConn, so despite winning the Big East regular-season crown, many still debated whether or not to give it the old Barry Bonds asterisk.

After their performance against the 'Cuse, the answer for now isn't just "no," or "nah," it's "absolutely not."

This team is legit. Thanks to ESPN's coverage of the Big East Tournament, Louisville will be taken much more seriously when the brackets come out. Many more people will take them into the Final Four, and a good chunk might even have them cutting down the nets.

With Syracuse's remarkable run and Jonny Flynn winning the tournament's MVP award in a losing cause personified the Orange as a team which has the heart and skill to make a semi-Cinderella run. They don't give up.

Just don't forget what happened in '05 and '06 when 'Cuse had tons of confidence heading into the Dance. First round losses hurt a lot of brackets.

Though the ACC has had just as many amazing games, things haven't fallen into place for ESPN in Atlanta. UNC, Wake Forest, Duke, and Clemson all avoided playing each other.

Maryland's dream was cut short by Duke, but Florida State emerged as a team some people might feel inclined to take the extra mile when they fill out their brackets.

However, being manhandled by a smaller Duke team in the ACC Championship may have hurt those dreams.

Duke isn't the team to capture the hearts of millions. They're simply the second-best team in North Carolina and the most hated team in America. Even ESPN can't bring outsiders over to their side.

But at least there was the Big East.

ESPN has really set the bar. It will be interesting to see how CBS counters next week when the NCAA Tournament starts.

CBS has a more conventional way of producing games in the Big Dance, showcasing the glitz, glamor, and pageantry of the event, but given the way ESPN handled Championship Week, they may have to kick things up a notch to keep the common fan engaged.

The [Brutal] Life Of a New York Mets Fan: Part Seven

Travis Miller — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:18:31 -0400

The following is an elaborate spin-off of an essentially live blog entry I wrote in August as the New York Mets bullpen blew a lead for Johan Santana for the sixth time in the 2008 season. Part one/two/three/four/five/six.

The first step is admitting there's a problem.

Collapse.

There, I finally said it.

I wrote an entire article about the 2007 and 2008 New York Mets campaigns without using New Yorkers' least favorite eight-letter "C" word (caffeine and cupcakes being our favorites), but I've finally come to terms with it.

Collapse, collapse, collapse. See? I'm over it.

Why? Because 2009 is here.

We aren't the favorites in the National League East this season (though Mets fans know better), and our friends in the city of brotherly love are getting a little too cocky.

The Braves, Marlins, and Expos...err...Nationals, all think they got better, but none of them are even 85-win teams. It's a two-team race.

The Phillies replaced a right-handed offensive threat with yet another left-handed bat.

These lefties are no slouches—they can hit left-handed pitching, but bunched together in the middle of the lineup—likely with only one right-handed bat squeezed in between them—might make them vulnerable in late innings.

Philadelphia can win 90 games if Cole Hamels stays healthy, Joe Blanton keeps up his facade, and Jamie Moyer continues pitching like a seasoned veteran, not a senior citizen.

The biggest change in the division came in the most glaring weak spot since the 1991 Indianapolis Colts' offense.

Omar Minaya dumped those late-inning 89 mile-per-hour fastballs with earned run averages north of 5.00 for blazing heat with complementing breaking balls that will make Mets fans forget last season quicker than you can say "Aaron Heilman."

J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriguez anchor a revamped Mets bullpen which, despite the high expectations, really only needs to keep the total blown saves under 29 to be statistically considered an improvement.

Considering the aforementioned middle of the Phillies lineup, it would be beneficial to have a second left-handed specialist in addition to Pedro Feliciano. Ron Villone isn't the answer.

Putz and K-Rod can get lefties out, but they aren't coming in the game in the fifth, sixth, or seventh innings to get crucial outs. If the starter ducks out early, the middle innings could still be a weakness.

As for starters, the media has tried to scare Mets fans this month with the whole Johan Santana arm drama.

Don't buy it. He says he'll be fine? He'll be fine.

Mike Pelfrey struggled in 2006, 2007, and early 2008, but really turned the corner last May. As soon as he figures out how to beat the Marlins, he'll be a legit No. 2 without the pressure of having to pitch in the second spot.

Speaking of legit No. 2s, John Maine and Oliver Perez both turn 28 this year. The Mets have a great set of young starters who are only getting better.

Not having a fifth starter should bother Mets fans a little. Pedro looked great for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. Just throwing it out there. There's no reason to trust any of the three currently vying for the No. 5 spot.

Questions looming in Port St. Lucie pertaining to the offense include how Carlos Delgado will fare this season, how long Luis Castillo will stay healthy, and whether or not Daniel Murphy is the real deal.

If Delgado gives the Mets 140 games, 25 home runs, 100 RBI, and a .260 average, we can chalk one up in the win column.

Anything Castillo gives us is an added bonus. Expectations are so low outside of the actual organization, nothing would surprise fans more than a healthy, productive season.

Did you see Murphy at the plate last year? The kid's a pro. Don't worry about him. Fernando Tatis will be ready if Murphy struggles early.

David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran—stay healthy. Do your thing. Ryan Church and Brian Schneider need to stay healthy, too, but the team's success doesn't rely on them as much as the big three.

The bench is always up in the air. It just boils down to what kind of season those guys are having. The biggest foreseeable problem with the bench could also be an asset.

There are a lot of left-handed bats available late for the Mets, but aside from Tatis, there isn't an impact bat from the right side of the plate.

Jerry Manuel and his staff worked wonders when they took over last June. Here's to hoping they can get the Mets off to a quick start and finish stronger than they did last season.

Let's stay healthy, boys. If we do, in less than eight months, life won't be so brutal anymore.

Coming soon—glory.

Marist Women Punch Their Ticket: Let's Dance!

Travis Miller — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:48:24 -0400

The top-seeded Marist College women's basketball team won its fourth straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament Sunday, beating No. 2 Canisius 78-63.

Despite the comfortable victory, things were anything but comfortable for the Red Foxes heading into the contest. The flu bug hit the team before the weekend began, as inside presence Brandy Gang (MAAC All-Rookie team) had to sit out Friday's quarterfinal matchup against Loyola, MD (won 81-27—the points allowed were the lowest in MAAC tournament history).

Then on Saturday, freshman forward Emily Stallings, who scored 10 points the day before, had to sit out with a similar illness. Gang was able to play, but clearly under the weather (Marist beat Iona 76-69—wasn't as close as the score indicates).

Late Saturday night, head coach Brian Giorgis received word that three of his players had taken ill—Gang was sick again, as were starting point guard Elise Caron and former MAAC Sixth Player of the Year Lynzee Johnson.

Johnson had been huge for the Red Foxes in the first two games, scoring 11 points and pulling down six boards in the quarterfinal, then going off for 16 points and eight rebounds in the semis.

Gang and Caron were able to play, but only combined for five points, four rebounds, and four assists in 32 total minutes. Johnson sat out completely, resting at the end of the bench in street clothes.

Johnson had emerged as the third scorer that is crucial to Marist's success. In her absence, someone would need to step up in order for the Red Foxes to escape with a victory. Erica Allenspach rose to the occasion.

Allenspach torched the nets for a career-high 22 points, sinking 4-of-7 threes, a couple of which were from NBA range. She also had six rebounds, a steal, an assist, a block, and no turnovers.

Over the three games, Allenspach had 35 points, 15 assists, and only three turnovers.

She was named to the All-Tournament Team alongside MAAC Player of the Year Rachele Fitz and Tournament MVP Julianne Viani.

Fitz had 15 points and four rebounds in the quarterfinals, a monstrous 29 points and 18 boards in the semis, and 18 points and 14 rebounds in the finals.

Viani scored 53 points throughout the tournament (8-for-21 from deep), dishing out 13 assists, and grabbing 10 rebounds.

The key coming into the game for the Red Foxes (29-3) was holding the Golden Griffins at bay from long range. In two meetings this season, Canisius' success relied completely on the deep ball.

They shot 6-for-17 from three-point land and lost at home, 70-52, but then went 11-for-20 at Marist, winning 68-60.

Canisius came out cold and stayed cold, only hitting six of its 23 three-point attempts (26 percent). They tried several different things, including dishing the ball inside, but Marist kept its composure under the basket, not committing too many fouls or giving the Griffins free points.

Another deep run in the NCAA tournament for Marist relies heavily on the selection committee. With a very complete team last season, Marist was given a No. 7 seed in Baton Rouge, where the Red Foxes ran into No. 2 seed LSU on their home court in the second round.

With a record of 29-3, RPI around 35, and strength of schedule in the 140s, Marist is looking at as high as a No. 9 or 10 seed and as low as a 12.

Put on your Marist gear, do the Red Fox Rumble, and as my first ever B/R article concluded, getcha Cinderella slippers ready!

The Top 10 B/R Communities You Don't Want to Offend

Travis Miller — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:55:25 -0500

Let's face it. Some communities here on Bleacher Report are a little deeper than others.

Some are very knowledgeable. Some overwhelm authors with their vast numbers. Others pester writers with inane arguments.

They aren't hard to find. Check any top 10 list or controversial topic. They leave their mark, then spend the next 15 hours refreshing the page waiting for the next response to their comment to roll in.

It's not a bad thing (most of the time). It's great for the site, and great for everyone involved to engage in the discussion to broaden their sports horizons.

For one reason or another, here are the top B/R communities you don't want to be on the opposite side of when it comes to debate.

Honorable Mention: Quarterbacks

Insult a fan's quarterback, prepare for hell on a keyboard. David Arreola and Angel Navedo can tell you all about it. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Brett Favre...man, it's March, and I still have nightmares about going to the B/R home page and seeing four Brett Favre articles featured.

"Quarterback" isn't exactly a community, but I bet even Dan Orlovsky has had people come to his defense on B/R.

10) Memphis men's basketball: 64 members

I'd be lying if I said the last few Memphis debates I've stumbled across weren't the inspiration for this article.

The deadly infractions include submissions suggesting Memphis doesn't deserve its high ranking, wouldn't perform as well in a more competitive conference, and should, indeed, switch conferences.

Tigers fans are so irritable, Jameson Fleming's name surfaced on a non-affiliated message board just because he predicted they might lose a game!

They're a small but feisty community. You don't want to offend them...or suggest their team could, in fact, lose. Ten B/R accounts will be created just for the sole purpose of destroying your sister's good name.

MEMPHIS TIGERS, 2009 NCAA CHAMPS! Don't hurt me.

Despite my criticism, I must give credit to Leroy Watson, who leads the way and gives Tigers fans a great name.

9) Notre Dame men's basketball: 83 members

The football community would have made the list a few years ago, but they're so demoralized, they've severed all Internet capabilities and have gouged their eyes out so they aren't tempted to read a newspaper or magazine.

Sulking in self-pity and booze, they then (collectively, of course) stumbled into Notre Dame Stadium, sat as close to the speakers as possible, and listened to the fight song at full volume until their hearing was blasted to hell along with their hope for a BCS bid within the next 40 years.

My point being, it's impossible to offend Notre Dame football fans, no matter how bad their team is.

But basketball fans, on the other hand...piece of cake. Just be careful. Their feelings are very tender, and they bite hard. Real hard.

Luke Harangody's National Player of the Year chances are about as good as the Irish's NCAA hopes. In what was supposed to be a magical season, Mike Brey and the boys are going to limp into the NIT just a few games over .500.

Anyone who points that out is doomed to hear about it from ND fans. What do they contend? I can't quite tell you. It sure isn't a cogent argument, yet they still let their presence be known.

Hey, at least you're not DePaul.

Really though, I wish the best for Harangody. I hope he gets a nice, fat contract when he goes pro...so he can pay someone to cut his hair for him.

8) Los Angeles Lakers: 665 members

Honestly, I'm a little disappointed. I thought they would make it higher on the list, but the deciding factor was when I looked back at Lisa Horne's (what's a B/R article without mentioning the legend) Diary of a Lakers Fan's Wife and saw nobody took her on!

If I were a Lakers fan, I'd be livid about being portrayed that way.

There's always something to talk about when you're a Lakers fan, and there's always a line of dissenters waiting to knock you off your high horse.

While we're at it, let's throw the Celtics in the same boat here at No. 8. Those two teams should be used to getting comfy together by now.

7) Dallas Cowboys: 846 members

You have to be tough to be a Cowboys fan, especially nowadays. Sure, the '90s were fun, but defending Tony Romo isn't exactly like defending Brett Favre. There isn't much success to fall back on.

James Williamson and Robert Allred lead the charge for Big D's community, which suffered one of the harshest winters of all B/R sections.

T.O. being released isn't going to help keep the eye off the 'Boys, but I'm sure these guys will be ready to defend their turf when Eagles fans inevitably come to toilet paper their houses for the 50th time in the past few months.

6) Boston Red Sox: 1,247 members

Strength in numbers, strength in bragging rights.

Not many teams can match the success of the Red Sox over the past five years...and their fans aren't afraid to let you know about it.

Like the Cowboys, Bulls, and Yankees of the '90s (I strategically left Duke off that list), the BoSox are the sexy bandwagon to be on nowadays.

One writer even offers advice as to how to jump on the bandwagon!

Don't think you can get a black eye when you're trash talking on your computer? I wouldn't test it with Beantown's finest.

Rumor has it that Rihanna, a Yankees fan, mentioned "Bill Buckner" on a message board. Chris Brown is a Sawx fan (too soon?).

5) New York Yankees: 1,221 members

Strength in numbers, strength in bragging rights. Is there an echo in here?

I'm just causing trouble by putting the Yanks and Sox next to each other, and perhaps even hinting that the fanbases suffer from the same superiority complex. At least I didn't group them together like the Lakers and Celtics, and like I'm about to do at No. 4.

Yankees fans may not be the brightest (calm down guys, I kid!), but there's always a plethora of them no matter where you go. Unfortunately for me, I'm in the great state of New York, so they're in full force here.

Don't dare question Derek Jeter. While you're at it, don't bring up 2001, 2003, or Joe Torre unless you want to hear a nauseating "TWENTY-SIX!"

Yankees fans can wiggle out of tight situations, mostly by throwing someone (A-Rod) under the bus. I wonder what would happen if it turns out Jeter was a 'roider—the earth would probably explode.

4) Ohio State football: 484 members

If the list was longer, Michigan, Penn State, and Ohio State would all be on here, but since there's limited space, I'll bunch them all into one category and call them "Ohio State."

JoePa is pretty endearing (tell me that's not a cute picture), and Michigan fans have behaved considering the slide their team is in.

That leaves you, Ohio State. You lost at USC, which is fine.

Then you lost to Penn State. I expected to stop seeing so much from you.

Then you lost to Texas. But still, you remain! You have an obnoxious coach and questionable personnel, year after year.

Give the Buckeyes' fans some credit. They don't give up. Check out this article from a week ago. It probably would have reached about 400 comments and ended with Tim Tebow breaking all of their hearts had it been posted in October or November.

3) New England Patriots: 820 members

Who is better, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning?

See, that's what happens when you stop winning championships. Fans still need to talk, but they need to dodge heavy topics such as Spygate, 18-1*, and just flat-out not winning.

Were we seriously supposed to feel bad when the Pats went 11-5 and missed the playoffs? I saw plenty of B/R articles contending so.

Would I ever engage in a conversation about it? Absolutely not. The New England community boasts the likes of Pete McKeown, Mike Dussault, and some fella named Sean Crowe. You might have seen his name at the top of the NFL rankings...he's been there since you were knee-high to a grasshopper.

2) Oakland Raiders: 615 members

This is where I start to be careful.

I'm not sure if any of those scary Raiders fans they show on TV know how to work computers, but given the fact that there is always a Raiders article among the most read or most commented, I'm assuming they do—and I don't want to die.

These guys get so hardcore into their team, they actually think they're in control of the draft!

If you haven't bumped into any of the Raiders writers on comment threads, consider yourself lucky. They take no prisoners—even if it's one of their own.

1) Philadelphia Eagles: 568 members

Donovan McNabb is overrated. Andy Reid deserves the pink slip. The Eagles will never win the big game.

That's how your inbox gets flooded with comment notifications.

Come on. When you saw this headline, who was the first person you thought of?

It's safe to say it. I notified him before I wrote this, and he even offered his two cents in helping out with the list.

Love him or hate him, Bryn Swartz is one of the most persistent users on this site, and if you read any of his articles, you can't deny how much time and research he put into it. He answers every comment and never backs down from a debate.

This is not to take anything away from anyone else in the Eagles community. Check out the writer rankings for the NFL. Dan Parzych, Cody Swartz, Eric Quackenbush, Bob Cunningham...the list goes on. All Eagles guys.

I've had my run-ins with them, as have many. When it rains, it pours.

If you disagree with them as No. 1, write an article trashing the Eagles and post it on any of their boards.

I dare you.

They'll be as condescending as possible while still remaining respectful. It's quite the anomaly.

Let's just remind them how cute it was to watch the Eagles get their hopes up so high as the winter progressed, only to suffer the same old fate.

Apologies to anyone who is offended because I forgot to offend their community with this list—especially the smaller communities. I'd love to learn about your sport or community so I can offend you in the future.

But just in case:

Hockey—Is that even a sport anymore?

F1—What's that, Europe's version of NASCAR?

NASCAR—I have better things to do on my Sunday afternoon. Like anything other than watch NASCAR.

Wrestling—You guys know it's fake, right?

FIFA—It's called "soccer," not "football."

And I've saved myself for last. Me? I'm the worst of all. I just mention all the greats in hopes of hanging onto their coattails to enjoy the ride. Even worse, I did it form of the ever-popular top 10 list. Pathetic.

Taking Issue: "The Sandlot"

Travis Miller — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:15:37 -0500

Few movies have had as much a positive an impact on a generation as The Sandlot.

One of the best sports movies of all time, The Sandlot reached multiple generations when it was released in 1993—kids who loved to play baseball and had big dreams, and adults who grew up in the 1950s or 1960s and remember similar times.

Though children were the target audience, anyone can enjoy watching this movie.

However, as blasphemous as it sounds, The Sandlot was not perfect. In watching it again, I took issue with several aspects of the film.

Kenny's favorite player is Babe Ruth

Nothing against the Babe. I'm just throwing this out there, but I figure an African-American kid growing up in Los Angeles in the 1960s, and aspiring to be a big league pitcher might be a fan of Satchel Paige or...I don't know, Jackie Robinson or Hank Aaron. Maybe not.

Fireworks provide enough light for a night game

During the Fourth of July scene, the kids play their "only night game of the year" because the fireworks allow them enough light to see the field. It's hard to see a baseball when the sun is still setting, let alone when the sky is completely devoid of any sunlight. I'm not buying it. Smalls would get another black eye.

Home team bats first?

One of the more empowering scenes from the movie is when the privileged, uniform-clad Tigers ride their bikes to the sandlot to talk trash. Ultimately, Ham tells one kid he "plays ball like a girl," resulting in a challenge for the teams to play the next day at the Tigers' home field.

When the sandlot kids show up to L.C. Romney Baseball Park, Ham does the honors, screaming "PLAY BALL!" from behind the plate. You would think the visitors might bat first.

Chewing tobacco

"All the pros do it. It gives you energy!"

Then why did they wait until after he game to use it as a celebratory treat? You don't need energy to go on rides at the carnival!

The ensuing vomit-fest conveys to kids you shouldn't use chewing tobacco, but all it tells me is you shouldn't use it before going on the Tilt-A-Whirl.

Screw steroids, somebody go grab me some Skoal!

Benny hits the cover off the ball

Nope, not buying it.

It didn't even leave the field of play! Smalls caught it! Reminds me of the scene from "Little Big League" where Lou Collins breaks his bat and almost hits a home run, which we know is impossible.

Nobody inspects the Babe Ruth-signed ball

Smalls gives the ball to Benny. Benny hands it to Kenny DeNunez, who throws it around the diamond. Smalls misses the first pitch, giving Ham and DeNunez more time to see the Babe's signature. Nobody noticed the autograph? Really?

The chase scene

Solid, solid action. Knocking over trash cans, breaking windows and movie theater screens, ruining the fresh-baked cake—I love it.

My only question is this—is the "Mommy, Mommy, look at doggy! Ooooh, a big doggy!" kid a boy or girl? I've never been able to tell.

And shouldn't Hercules' ADD kick in at some point? I've never seen a dog dedicated to something for such a long time. Even licking its own—ah, nevermind.

PF Flyers make Benny run faster and jump higher

Actually, I don't have a problem with this. My PF Flyers do the same for me.

Aftermath

We all know Benny becomes a professional pinch runner for the Dodgers and Scotty Smalls becomes the next Vin Scully, but do you remember what happened to the rest of the gang?

Ya-Ya: The only one of the group to join the army. The Vietnam War didn't end until 1975. You would think at least one or two others might have been drafted.

Bertram: A victim of the 1960s. Nobody ever saw him again. He was reincarnated as a character in Family Guy. Unless Bertram is just the obligatory name given to any ginger kid.

Timmy and Tommy: Became architects. Lame.

Squints: Married Wendy Peffercorn, had nine kids, and owns the local drug store. Life didn't turn out to be everything he hoped for when he hit his mid-30s and Wendy was no longer sexually appealing at the ripe old age of 50. Now, all he looks forward to is working for the rest of his life to put all nine kids through college.

Ham: Professional wrestler, "The Great Hambino." Wait, he was a ginger, too. His name should be Bertram.

DeNunez: Made it to AAA ball, but never got his big break. Now he's a little league coach. He didn't even blow out his arm or anything. He just wasn't good enough.

What a great movie.

Further reading - Taking Issue: The First Mighty Ducks Movie

Confessions Of a Superstitious Sports Fan

Travis Miller — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:56:46 -0500

Like any rational sports fan, I know the outcome of my favorite team's game rests solely in my hands.

Hygiene, clothing, diet...nothing is safe, but some things are sacred. The following is an intimate look at how I help my teams win.

New York Mets

It's tough to say where this one started, but if I had to pin a date, it would be in the early 1990s when I was at Shea Stadium.

I couldn't have been older than seven or eight, so I had very little control over the situation. Regardless, the Mets were winning big, so my dad decided it was better to beat traffic than to sit through the last two innings.

We listened to good old John Franco blow the game via WFAN on the painful ride home.

I haven't left a game early since, but the superstitions have only gotten worse.

When is the last time I had a member of the Mets on my fantasy baseball team? I couldn't tell you for sure, but my best guess would be Edgardo Alfonzo in 2001.

You see, I have this terrible habit of being the worst fantasy baseball manager in the world—King Midas' polar opposite, if you will.

My players either get hurt or have bad years. Wondering why Adrian Beltre has been so bad the past few years? Look no further. Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez last year? My bad!

Curtis Granderson's broken finger and Kelvim Escobar's arm injury—guilty as charged.

Remember in 2007 when Chris Capuano started 5-0? I traded an apparently-injured Chien-Ming Wang for him in early May (I know I broke the cardinal rule of sell at highest value, buy at lowest).

Capuano finished 5-12. Wang went on to win 19 games. They can both thank me for that.

That, my friends, is why I don't ever have any Mets on my team. Though I may consider drafting Luis Castillo so I can win Richard Marsh's challenge. I pick April 23 for him to play or injure his way out of the lineup.

Back to the superstitions, I only wear my David Wright jersey or drink out of my Mets pint glass on travel days. I only wear a Mets hat after a win.

Of course, once we hit a three-game slide, the rules change. It's no holds barred. I'll rock the Wright jersey, my black-on-black Mets hat, and drink out of my pint glass until they win.

If that doesn't work, I change the combination until it does. Then it's back to square one.

During the first game of the 2006 Division Series, I had to go run an errand when the Mets were up 4-1 against the Dodgers. I put on WFAN in my car with Guillermo Mota on the mound. I was driving down a hill when the static became unbearable.

By the time the audio was clear again, the score was tied, 4-4. I blame myself as much, if not more, than Mota. You better believe I turned the car right around and sat back on the couch to allow the Mets to regain the lead and win the game.

I still haven't figured out how I lost Game Seven of the NLCS against the Cardinals, but I think it has something to do with predicting an Endy Chavez grand slam after "the catch." I got cocky. The baseball gods made me pay.

That's enough sharing of embarrassing secrets about my life as a Mets fan.

Duke Blue Devils (Basketball)

As I mentioned cockiness earlier, the middle name of every Duke fan is "Cocky," whether they admit it or not.

It all started when my family drove from New York to Florida in the summer of 1990. On the way back north, we stopped to visit our friends in Durham. My dad wanted to meet Coach K, who was in a meeting with Grant Hill.

I found a penny in the parking lot and strategically placed it heads-up at center court.

Maybe Mike Krzyzewski won those championships. Maybe his players did. Most likely, it was me.

Recently, the Josh McRoberts and Tyler Hansbroughs of the world have foiled my ability to guide my Dukies to the promised land, but I can take my share of the blame.

Those early-season 25-point spreads are often too tempting. The low late-season spreads are even more tempting. Forget battling the spread—ask Ryan Brennan how my straight up Duke picks have turned out the past month and a half.

I pick Duke to win, they lose. Simple as that (I won't tell you who I picked for the Sunday matchup at UNC).

I try to just sit and watch the games. I don't wear any of my Duke gear from January through March, for fear of the inevitable.

Trying to control Duke's season is tougher than you might think.

Virginia Tech Hokies (Football)

Game day for the Hokies is much different than for the Blue Devils or Mets. People who have spent time in Blacksburg know how to embrace the Maroon and Orange. I am no different.

Be it Thursday night or Saturday morning, I've got it down pat.

"Get out of our LANE!" t-shirt (2003 Orange Effect!), maroon gym shorts (don't care how cold it is), and my game day VT hat, the only adjustable hat in my collection.

Why does Virginia Tech not go undefeated every season? Again, I get cocky sometimes. My "steal of the week" for the first week of the college football season was Virginia Tech over East Carolina.

I should never bet on my teams, but I always do. It's something I'm working on.

How did Virginia Tech win the Orange Bowl despite me picking them to win? Some Cincinnati fan must be a bigger jinx to his/her team than I am to mine. Praise the college football gods for that one.

I could keep going, but I'm pretty gassed thinking about all the pain and suffering I've caused my teams—I'll keep working on it, and I'll get it right one of these times.

When the Mets win the World Series, the Hokies win the BCS Championship, and the Blue Devils cut down the nets at the Final Four, you'll know I've perfected the art of being a fan.

What are your sports superstitions?

Marist Women Clinch Sixth Straight Regular-Season Title

Travis Miller — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:01:12 -0500

The Marist College Red Foxes women's basketball team clinched its sixth Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular-season championship Sunday with a 78-49 trouncing of Siena in front of almost 3,000 fans.

Coming off a hard-fought 78-73 overtime victory at Hartford last Sunday, ending the Lady Hawks' 34-game home winning streak, the Red Foxes won a tough road game at Manhattan on Thursday, 91-82.

Marist (25-3, 15-2 MAAC) started the game a little slow, playing to a 12-12 tie before really laying it on the Saints.

Sophomore Elise Caron was instrumental to the Red Foxes' success to begin the game, scoring eight points and taking a hard charge before getting her first breather. She finished with nine points, three assists, two steals, and no turnovers.

Any words or stat sheets don't do justice to Caron's defensive presence on the court. She's as tough as they get.

Rachele Fitz was held in check early, as Siena sophomore Serena Moore had the height and wingspan to control the paint on the defensive end.

Even with a sub-par game from Julianne Viani and Fitz being suppressed, Marist's supporting cast stepped up in a big and balanced way.

For the fourth time this season, every available Red Fox converted a field goal as Brian Giorgis' squad shot 47 percent from the floor and 50 percent from downtown.

The biggest scare came towards the end of the first half when Viani fell to the floor grabbing her upper quad. She sat out the rest of the half and was visibly affected by it in the second half.

The injury appeared cramping in her leg, as she was able to return and run the floor, but the discomfort she showed was enough reason to give her a rest.

Viani finished with only six points, but still managed to dish out five assists. She has 14 dimes and only one turnover in her last two games.

Patience was a virtue as Fitz eventually found her swagger, pouring in 16 points and pulling down six rebounds. She was the only Marist player in double-digits.

Defending MAAC Sixth Player of the Year Lynzee Johnson has caught fire this past week, beginning with her 12 points off the bench at Hartford, which included several clutch baskets and free throws at the end of regulation and in overtime.

She continued her hot streak with a career-high 17 points at Manhattan, going 4-for-4 from three-point land for the second time this season.

Johnson scored nine points Sunday on 4-for-7 shooting, making her only three-point attempt. At 5'10", she poses a threat both inside and outside, creating havoc for whoever is trying to guard her. She rebounds, handles the ball, and plays solid defense.

Contributions like hers will be very important in March, as Marist continues to have a super-sized target on its back when playing conference games. Having won three NCAA Tournament games the last two years, the Red Foxes won't be catching any teams by surprise if they make the Dance this year.

If Johnson and freshmen Brandy Gang and Corielle Yarde continue to be effective off the bench, giving the team multiple options when the normal game plan isn't working, it will make the Red Foxes even more dangerous than they already are.

Marist finishes up the regular season Saturday at home against Rider and gets a few days off before the MAAC Tournament, being held in Albany from March 5-8. As the No. 1 seed, Marist gets a first-round bye and faces the winner of the No. 8/9 seed opening round game.

Despite only having three losses on the season, Marist's strength of schedule (161) and RPI (42) might not be enough to lock up an at-large bid (though reputation may help), so winning the conference tournament to get the automatic berth is crucial.

Marist has a plethora of talent and a great mix of youth and experience to earn a fourth straight MAAC Tournament trophy.

Duke Beats Up the Big East's Little Sister

Travis Miller — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:47:49 -0500

Mike Jarvis was fired in 2003.

Duke should have stopped playing St. John's on a yearly basis right then and there.

The glitz and glamour have been removed from the game since the Johnnies stopped putting a competitive team on the floor. Part of this I understand is due to NCAA violations that Jarvis was responsible for, but there are no longer any storylines when this game is played.

None.

It's just a December game being played in February.

Mike Krzyzewski discontinued the annual Temple matchup just a couple of seasons after John Chaney retired. He had no more connection with the school. There was no longer a reason to help out the Owls by giving them a competitive non-conference game.

Furthermore, I could barely listen to the broadcast because Bob Knight and Brent Musburger kept glorifying Duke. Nonstop. I'm a Duke fan—and I couldn't handle it.

With 4:05 left in the game, Knight was finally critical of Duke without sugarcoating it with five or six compliments. Finally.

Coming off of four losses in six games, and dropping two straight, I guess it was nice for the gimme, a 76-69 victory at Madison Square Garden.

Don't let the score deceive you. It wasn't a seven-point game. Duke had a comfortable double-digit lead for half of the game.

Therein lies the problem—comfort.

The Blue Devils (21-5, 7-4 ACC) came out of the gate stagnant, and only perpetual personnel changes kept the juices flowing as the game progressed.

Conference play can take its toll, as it has with "The Dukes" as Coach Knight kept calling them (Duquesne vs. James Madison?), so a change of scenery always helps, but a weaker non-conference opponent won't do the trick.

Playing Georgetown in January was beneficial, even if the Hoyas have since faded. Bringing in a Gonzaga, Texas, or Florida-type team at this stage would be great.

St. John's (12-14, 3-10 Big East), on the other hand, is bad, and everyone knew it when the game was scheduled.

With No. 8 Wake Forest coming to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday and trips to College Park and Blacksburg on tap for next week, an emotionless win like the one tonight is not a proper tune-up.

Playing any ACC opponent tonight would have paid better dividends, exponentially.

The Blue Devils missed 10 free throws tonight, registered assists on less than half of their field goals, and were recipients of four bench points. Four.

They turned the ball over on their first two possessions, which made their apathy toward this game most evident.

In an interview this morning, Coach K said he doesn't mind losing unless his team played as if it deserved to lose. I wonder how he feels about this win. There was nothing special about it, and an otherwise blindly supportive Duke fan is being excessively critical.

Maybe it's Bob Knight's fault. Where's Dickie V, baby?

Notre Dame an Early Favorite To Win NIT after Loss to West Virginia

Travis Miller — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:50:07 -0500

Hear that collective sigh of relief? It's finally over.

Barring a truly unbelievable run, Notre Dame can officially be crossed off the list of undeserving teams which might sneak into the NCAA Tournament.

Luke Harangody, his $8 haircut (mine costs $13), and his fadeaway jump shots will not be causing bracket headaches next month after the Irish suffered their eighth Big East loss, this time at the hands of West Virginia, 79-68.

The couches will be burning in Morgantown tonight.

You might be saying, "Travis, we knew Notre Dame was done like two weeks ago."

I agree, but Nathan B's article published a few days back scared me and put some irrational thoughts in my head.

At 5-7 in-conference coming into tonight's game, this was one of the more likely upsets the Irish needed to stay in contention, the others being at UConn, at Providence, or vs. Villanova.

Having the Irish in my bracket would be a scary situation. They have the talent and experience to cause some real havoc, but I'm not ready to even advance them past the first round unless they're playing N.J.I.T.

Notre Dame (14-11, 5-8) shot 56 percent from the field in the first half, but the Mountaineers tightened up their defense considerably in the second half as the Irish finished at 46 percent overall.

Harangody (or "Kyle McAlarney," as John Sanders called him multiple times) had his normal diet of 20-something shots, making half of them, scoring 26 points, and pulling down 13 boards.

He also gave us the poor man's version of DeJuan Blair/Hasheem Thabeet, as he tackled West Virginia's Cam Thoroughman to the floor when the game was out of reach.

People who don't like to start trouble might tell you they were fighting over the ball.

Alex Ruoff led the Mountaineers (18-8, 7-6) with 24 points, as Da'Sean Butler complemented him with 19. Kevin (non-Hokie) Jones contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, and Devin Ebanks scored 11.

There wasn't anything pretty about the game, with Notre Dame making only half of their free throws and the Mountaineers making 18-of-27.

The teams combined to go 15-for-49 from beyond the arc, led by McAlarney's 2-of-8, Butler's 2-of-10, and Darryl Bryant's 0-for-5.

Notre Dame made the first basket of the game about 40 seconds in and led until the final seconds of the half, when West Virginia took a two-point lead.

The Mountaineers extended it to as many as 12 midway through the second half, but Notre Dame cut it to four before West Virginia put them away for good.

McAlarney only scored three of his 12 points in the second half, going stone cold from the floor.

When you've only got two primary scoring options in such a talented conference, it's tough to win games. Ryan Ayers is the best bet for Notre Dame to step up as the third option, as he has shown glimmers of hope, especially scoring 19 against Louisville, but it's just too late.

As for the couch-burners, they climbed to within a half-game of Providence, which lost at Louisville, 94-76.

West Virginia is tied for seventh place in the Big East with Syracuse and Cincinnati. The Mountaineers hit the road for three straight games—at Rutgers, Cincinnati, and South Florida—before returning home to finish the season vs. DePaul and Louisville.

Winning two of the three road games would put West Virginia in great position for the Big Dance.

Ah, the Big East. At least it's not the Big Ten. 38-33? Are you serious?

Marist and Hartford Set To Clash in Mid-Major Women's Hoops Showdown

Travis Miller — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:59:03 -0500

Don't make fun of my glitter-glue ineptitude.

Two of the top mid-major programs in women's college basketball over the past several years square off Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2 as the Marist College Red Foxes (22-3, 13-2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) visit the Hartford Hawks (14-8, 9-1 American East).

The game is part of the "Pink Zone" initiative to raise awareness about and raise funds for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund.

Don't be misled by the Hawks' eight losses. They're probably the best eight-loss team in the game—by far. Hartford beat Duke on a neutral court in November, 53-51, and it was no fluke.

The high of beating a national powerhouse got the best of the Hawks, as they dropped their next two games to DePaul and THE Ohio State, both NCAA Tournament teams last season.

The Hawks then suffered road losses to George Washington and Quinnipiac, games they probably should have won. Their next three losses came at Louisville (22-3), at Bowling Green (21-2), and at UConn (24-0).

Their last loss game Jan. 21 at Boston University, which is 10-0 in American East conference play. Hartford has won six straight and sits in second place in the conference.

If you'll notice, none of these losses came at home, where Hartford boasts an impressive 34-game home winning streak, one of the longest in the nation.

In addition to it being a Pink Zone game, Hartford will try to "pack the house," another women's college ball initiative to achieve better attendance. Chase Arena in West Hartford holds almost 4,000 spectators, and is already sold out. It's just up to the students to fill their section now.

As for Marist, the Red Foxes started the season 17-1 and reached No. 20 in the Associated Press polls before being knocked off at home by Fairfield in overtime on Jan. 23. It was their first conference loss since Feb. 16, 2007.

Marist rebounded nicely by winning three straight, but then was again beaten at home by conference foe Canisius Feb. 6.

The rude awakening has helped the Red Foxes regain focus as they trounced Loyola (MD) by 33 on Sunday, then avenged the loss to Fairfield by beating the Stags in their house by a dozen last night to regain sole possession of first place in the MAAC.

The matchup Sunday will be a rematch of last season's December meeting where Hartford beat Marist in Poughkeepsie, 49-32.

It was not a pretty game.

Only Rachele Fitz of Marist (12 points) and Danielle Hood of Hartford (10 points) reached double-digits in the scoring column. Hood has since graduated and was drafted by the expansion Atlanta Dream of the WNBA, but failed to make the team.

Marist and Hartford have only a pair of mutual opponents this season, neither of which is very telling—Albany and Boston University. Albany lost at Marist by 18, the first game of the season, and lost at Hartford by 26 two weeks ago.

As for Boston University, the Terriers lost at Marist by 11, but beat the visiting Hawks by the same margin. If Marist had played at BU or if the Terriers had played at Hartford, it would be easier to analyze the games, but that isn't the case.

BU is a very physically gifted, athletic team. The rematch at Hartford will be interesting on Feb. 24. Something tells me the Hawks aren't looking ahead.

Diana Delva is the Hawks' top player this year (12.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG), and tallied nine points in last season's meeting while grabbing an impressive 16 rebounds. Brandy Gang and Maria Laterza will have their hands full with Delva on the inside.

Another matchup to watch is Fitz (20.2, 9.2) against Erica Beverly (10.7, 7.2). Things are going to be physical in the paint, so free throws could be crucial to the outcome.

Delva (63 percent) and Beverly (71 percent) aren't locks to drain their foul shots, nor do they get to the line much, whereas Fitz (82 percent) and Julianne Viani (89 percent) make a living at the charity stripe.

Lisa Etienne, Ilicia Mathis, and MaryLynne Schaefer are an interesting trio of guards for Hartford. Etienne and Schaefer are experienced seniors, while Mathis is a star freshman.

The Hawks have a miserable assist/turnover ratio this season, as they are considerably in the red at 0.8 a/t. Marist is much more comfortable at 1.08. Look for Marist to pressure the ball and force turnovers. Viani (43 steals), Elise Caron (32), and Erica Allenspach (40) are all superb on defense.

The key for Hartford is to neutralize Fitz, Gang, and Laterza inside while still keeping pressure on the 3-point line so Viani and company don't start making it rain inside Chase Arena.

Fitz and Viani will be the main focus of the Hartford defense, so bench play for Marist (Gang, Corielle Yarde, Lynzee Johnson) will be important. Emily Stallings has been great off the bench since coming back from an oblique injury, so her to knock down mid-range jumpers could be huge.

The Hawks don't shoot particularly well from long range, so it will be important for them to get the ball inside and get Marist in foul trouble. If Marist's guards keep pressure on the ball and force turnovers, it will be a long day for the Hartford faithful.

My biased, glitter-glued mind predicts Marist in a tight, 64-56 game.

The [Brutal] Life of a New York Mets Fan: Part Six

Travis Miller — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:01:12 -0500

Part five left us with Carlos Beltran staring at an Adam $*%@ing Wainwright deuce.

After over a month of procrastination, I'm set to face my demons. No Mets fan in their right mind wants to write about the "C" word, but it is and forever will be an integral part of our history.

Let's make this as quick and painless as possible.

The reaction to the Mets' exit from the playoffs wasn't as devastating as it could have been, because our core was still intact, and we were still very much a top team in the National League.

In November 2006, Guillermo Mota, already in Mets fans' doghouses, was suspended for 50 games for violating the MLB Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, effective Opening Day 2007.

Omar Minaya rewarded him with a two-year contract.

We bid adieu to the likes of Steve Trachsel and Victor Zambrano (finally!), lost Chad Bradford, Darren Oliver, and Roberto Hernandez to free agency, and traded Heath Bell and Royce Ring to San Diego.

We said hello to the likes of Jorge Sosa, Aaron Sele, and Ambiorix Burgos. It's kind of like when you have a heap of old, flaming, ineffective manure, and you throw it away in favor of a new heap of flaming, ineffective manure.

The Mets gave new contracts to Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, and Jose Valentin.

Is it getting old in here?

The infield stayed the same, but the outfield was tweaked slightly. Shawn Green (acquired in August 2006) stayed on board to platoon with Lastings Milledge and Carlos Gomez in right, and Omar made another brilliant signing by bringing in Moises Alou in favor of Cliff Floyd (see flaming heap of crap analogy above).

But we're Mets fans, so we're hopelessly optimistic when it's evident to the rest of the world—nothing good will come out of this.

Pedro spent April through September on the DL, recovering from offseason rotator cuff surgery, but came back in the last month to earn his 3,000th strikeout.

Tom Glavine limped his way to win No. 300, but that's not what we'll remember about him from the 2007 season.

The aforementioned Valentin, Alou, and Green all went down with injuries, but the Mets survived. Despite Mike Pelfrey being a bust (they replaced him in the rotation with Sosa), they took sole possession of first place on May 16 and didn't look back...until September.

My favorite dumb move will haunt us for years to come: the acquisition of Luis Castillo in August. Look, I had him on my fantasy team in like...2000. I didn't want him; I don't think anyone did. We're optimistic, but we're not stupid.

Anyway, seven games up, 17 games to play.

These games are mostly a blur to me, but if I recall correctly, most of them went something like this: score six or seven runs early, and let the opposing team (usually the Nationals or Marlins) gradually chip away until they overcome us late in the game, when our offense mysteriously disappears.

Another vague memory from September 2007 was when I was interning at SportsNet New York, the Mets' TV station. There was a "home run" jar. You put a quarter in, predict a home run for the person at-bat, and if they go deep, you win whatever's in there.

One of the on-air talents, I can't remember which (may have been Brian Custer), was a huge Cincinnati Reds fan, so he loved Austin Kearns, who was now with the Nationals.

I don't remember at what point in the game it was, or even what game it was, but he called an Austin Kearns home run, and it happened. I remember that loss being particularly devastating.

We fell out of first place with five straight losses from Sept. 24 to Sept. 28.

There was a collective numb feeling in New York City on Sept. 30, 2007. John Maine, who had emerged as a big game pitcher over the previous year, had thrown a gem the day before as we stayed alive in the playoff race.

We needed a win. We needed Tom Glavine to come through for us. In his time with New York, he came through more for the Braves and Phillies than he did for the Mets.

I got on the 11:33 train and got into Manhattan around 1:15. I started my 10-block walk from Grand Central to SNY as the first inning was starting. Before I got to 51st and 6th, I received a text message from a fellow intern: "7-0 Marlins."

A nice, numb feeling. Thanks, Tom Glavine.

This is where I would cash in on my depressing conclusion and announce the next part is on its way, but unfortunately, we're not done with the "C" word yet, so let's jump right into 2008.

It was time for wholesale changes. Paul Lo Duca—see ya! Glavine—adios! Guillermo Mota—peace out! Alou, Castillo, El Duque—sayona—what?! We kept them?!

(I'd slam on my keyboard right now, but the editor would probably take it out. I'd be profane instead, but that might make the editor feel awkward. I've got nothing but love for my B/R editors, so I'll spare them.)

The Mets did manage to dump Lastings Milledge, trading him to the Nationals for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider.

I had the opportunity to meet Minaya in November of '07 at an Associated Press Sports Editors meeting at the New York Times. Minaya was a guest speaker, and was absolutely delightful.

Off the record, he told us Jose Reyes was safe, Rickey Henderson would not return to the playing field for the Mets, and he would do everything he could to get Johan Santana on board.

Santana, the man responsible for these entries, was the big fish on the market after 2007 ended. The Twins were asking for things the Mets didn't have, and the Yankees and Red Sox were the favorites to land him.

Minaya pulled off the impossible and delivered huge for the Mets and their fans.

Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008, Johan Santana was traded to the Mets. Nice.

Though we had to part with youngsters Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, and Kevin Mulvey, it was probably worth it. I would have liked to hang on to Gomez.

The most overlooked move made by the Mets was putting Ruben Gotay on waivers. Though his defense was questionable, he brought youth to the second base position. He ended up being claimed by the Braves, and like all ex-Mets (Kaz Matsui, anyone?), he hurts us when he plays us.

The season started, and with Santana, the Mets were again among the strongest teams in the league, near the Cubs and the Diamondbacks.

Let's pretend none of these teams are the punch lines of jokes and get through this unscathed.

April 6, Santana was making his second start as a Met. Coincidentally, it was against John Smoltz and the Braves.

Pedro Martinez's second start as a Met was against Smoltz and the Braves. Smoltz pitched a gem, striking out 15 batters, but Pedro pitched more of a gem, and the Mets won 2-1.

Johan wasn't so lucky.

Like Pedro, he allowed one run. Unfortunately, the Mets couldn't cross the plate at all. Just in case they managed to (which they did after he was taken out), Aaron Heilman gave up an extra deuce to the Braves in the ninth inning. Santana takes the loss.

Dear Johan, welcome to New York!

Santana finished 16-7 with a Major League best 2.53 earned run average. Had it not been for the bullpen blowing six wins for him, Santana would have some more hardware in his trophy case at home.

Injuries plagued the Mets, yet again, all season. Pedro was a ticking time bomb; Church, Maine, Billy Wagner, and Alou (of course) all missed time due to injury.

The bullpen was a disaster, as we all know. Responsible for blowing leads in 29 games, it was only safe to watch the first five innings of games (six or seven when Johan was pitching!).

In June when the team wasn't performing up to expectations, manager Willie Randolph was the victim. Rick Peterson and Tom Nieto went down with him. Jerry Manuel took over on an interim basis, and the Mets started playing well again.

Carlos Delgado went on fire as soon as Manuel took over, and whatever anyone thinks, it was a coincidence. It had nothing to do with Randolph's departure.

Fernando Tatis was the feel-good story of the year, as he went from rags to riches, out of baseball to the back of Page Six. He was instrumental in keeping the Mets afloat over the summer, as was Daniel Murphy.

Three-and-a-half game lead with 17 games to play. Not as bad of a "C" word as 2007, but September 2008 was the same story, just a little worse.

You see, baseball's ultimate bragging rights went to our rivals in the city of brotherly love.

It was only five months ago, but I can't remember much, if anything at all, from September 2008.

I just remember a whole lot of losses, including in the final game ever played at Shea Stadium, already out of playoff contention.

The life of a Mets fan is brutal.

Coming soon: Part Seven—Time to write a new page.

B/R Home Court Advantage: Marist's McCann Center

Travis Miller — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:04:11 -0500

The James J. McCann Recreation Center in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. is regarded as the toughest venue in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for teams to play at.

Most recently, Loyola (MD) head coach Jimmy Pastos and Manhattan head coach Barry Rohrssen have used their postgame press conferences to praise Marist's home court while stressing how fortunate it was to escape with wins, even considering the Red Foxes' rebuilding year.

After a brief history lesson, Pastos revealed where he was going with his opening statement.

"To come out of this building which is, I think, the toughest place in the league to play...the loudness, the packed—the people, the fans and the students and the band, combined with everything else, I think this is the hardest place to play," he said on Jan. 25.

Rohrssen issued the same sentiment in fewer words Feb. 2 when the Jaspers came to town.

The Red Foxes are currently in a freefall to the tune of a six-game losing streak, stemming from a monumental collapse when arch-rival Siena visited Jan. 15, coming back from a 15-point second half deficit to force overtime and eventually win, but for the team picked to finish last in the MAAC to even have such a lead was unthinkable.

The game prior, they defeated current second place Niagara handily by 20 points. It was the Purple Eagles' first conference loss.

McCann's capacity is 3,200, with the most recent expansion coming in January 2006. Bleachers were installed behind each basket, and the seating behind the south basket (pictured in front above) serves as the student section where the band, cheerleaders, and dance team all sit as well.

Coming into the 2008-2009 season, Marist's in-conference record the last three years was better than any other team in the MAAC. At 31-7, the next most successful team was Siena, which was 30-11 in-conference at home.

The Marist women have only lost three times at home in the last four seasons.

The following are memorable moments the McCann Center has witnessed over the years:

A near upset of eventual champion Villanova in 1984. The Red Foxes led for most of the game, but ultimately lost 57-51.
A 64-55 win over Farleigh Dickinson to win the ECAC Metro Conference on March 7, 1987, sending Marist to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
Rik Smits' final game, March 3, 1988, where he scored a then-school record 45 points, matching his uniform number.
February 27, 2000, Sean Kennedy hit a half-court buzzer beater to give Marist a 70-67 win over Siena on the final day of the regular season.
A 98-88 overtime win against Siena on Feb. 24, 2007. The game was televised on ESPN2 and Marist's sellout crowd participated in a "whiteout." The win clinched the Red Foxes' first outright MAAC regular-season championship.

The local supporters always come out to support the basketball teams, but the student section is crucial to the Red Foxes' success. The drunken supporters stop at nothing to help their team to victory.

The devoted students always do their "homework," with my personal favorite coming a few seasons back. Two Niagara players were arrested and charged with assault and battery several months before the seasons, but were allowed to stay on the team. When they visited McCann, any foul committed prompted a "That's A-SSAULT!" chant.

Current crowd "favorites" include Canisius' Frank Turner, Fairfield's Jon Han, and Poughkeepsie native/Siena star Edwin Ubiles, not to mention the always lovable Jimmy Pastos.

Win or lose (and valid or not), the demoralizing "SAFETY SCHOOL" chant can be heard at every conference game, with the obligatory "Na na na na, na na na na, hey, hey, hey, goodbye" alongside "Start the buses!" as time expires in Marist victories.

Quite possibly the most outrageous aspect of attending a Marist game is band director Art Himmelberger. Among adjectives to describe him, "insane" pretty much sums it up quite nice.

As the fight song plays just before the game starts, he sings along quite emphatically as he parades around the court, doing everything he can to get people in the crowd to rise to their feet. He even shakes the hand of the opposing head coach (when they welcome it), and of all three referees (their reactions are priceless).

Himmelberger eats up the attention, so when games are televised, he brings his A-plus game. Most recently against Manhattan (on MSG-plus), he stole the announcer's microphone to sing the fight song at center court.

His most notorious (alleged) infraction came at the 2007 Sweet 16 when media members supposedly filed official complaints to Marist because he was so rambunctious. Not too hard to believe.

Several notable players have roamed the McCann court for the Red Foxes over past years. The list includes:

Rik Smits - 7'4" center, 1984-1988. Jersey No. 45 is retired. Second all-time leading scorer (1,945 points), second in career scoring average (18.2 ppg), first in career FG percentage (60.9), blocked shots (345), and field goals (756). He holds the school single-game record in free throws made (22), and single-season record in field goal percentage (62.3).
Drafton Davis - 6'0" guard, 1984-1988. Jersey No. 3 is retired. Holds single-season (88) and career (301) record for steals. Held every school assist record until Jared Jordan hit the scene. Recorded three consecutive 200-assist seasons and finished with 804 for his career.
Steve Smith - 6'5" guard, 1979-1983. Jersey No. 12 is retired. Holds school scoring record with 2,077 points and is first in career scoring average (20.7 ppg).
Jared Jordan - 6'2" guard, 2003-2007. Holds single-season (286) and career (813) records for assists, and games played (tied with 117). Led NCAA in assists two years in a row.
Rachele Fitz - 6'0" forward, 2006-present. Reigning MAAC Player of the Year, 2006 MAAC Rookie of the Year and MAAC Tournament MVP, 2007 First Team All-Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. Just broke women's school scoring record as a junior, eclipsing 1,600 career points. Holds single-season records in points scored (649), field goals made (224), free throws made (201), and free throw percentage (86.6). Holds career records for scoring (16.7 ppg), field goal percentage (56.2), free throw percentage (84.6), and free throws made (434), and probably about 30 other things, but I think you get the point. Again, she's only a junior.

Ladies and gentlemen, Marist's home court advantage: James J. McCann Recreation Center.

(Photo courtesy of Sean T. McMann, not to be confused with James J. McCann.)

Busy Week Helps Women's College Hoops Rebound from Loss of Kay Yow

Travis Miller — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:17:47 -0500

In the week following the death of Kay Yow, women's college basketball has come together and is now stronger than ever.

The lead story this week developed Thursday night after then No. 15 Tennessee avoided an upset, beating Mississippi 60-59. The Lady Vols' Angie Bjorklund hit a three-pointer with six seconds left to give Pat Summitt her 999th career win.

No coach in Division I basketball history, women's or men's, has won 1,000 games. No active coach is within 100 wins of Summitt. Bob Knight has 902 career wins, Texas Longhorns women's coach Jody Conradt won 900, North Carolina legend Dean Smith finished with 879, and Kentucky icon Adolph Rupp led his teams to 876 victories.

Even more remarkable is that Summitt has only been coaching 35 years. Each of the four aforementioned coaches were at the helm 42, 38, 36, and 41 years, respectively.

Like in football and men's basketball, this is a down year for Tennessee. However, a "down year" for Summitt simply means not being ranked in the top five.

Considering she just lost one of the best players in women's college history, Candace Parker, it's quite remarkable to still be a nationally ranked squad, even more so considering the team's schedule (six ranked non-conference opponents, 10 total ranked opponents, No. 2 SOS, No. 3 RPI).

Unfortunately for Summitt, her first attempt at 1,000 came Monday night as her Lady Vols went on the road for a meeting with the Paris twins at Oklahoma.

Tennessee wasn't able to pull off the upset, losing 80-70, but Summitt's next chance comes Thursday against Georgia at home. It should be a very special night.

The Tennessee/Oklahoma matchup is a perfect transition to the next remarkable accomplishment, or the end of one, rather.

Courtney Paris, the more successful of the Sooners' twins, had a 112-game double-double streak snapped against Summitt's Lady Vols.

The streak pretty much dates back to when Jamie Moyer was in grade school. Paris is a double-double machine:

In 2005-2006, she averaged 21.9/15.0 (fourth in nation/led nation). In 2006-2007, she averaged 23.5/15.9 (third/second).

In 2007-2008, Oklahoma emerged as a much more well-rounded team, so her scoring took a dive, as she averaged 18.6/15.0 (26th/first), and this year, she's averaging 15.4 points per game and is second in the country with 13.5 boards per contest, but leads the nation in total rebounds with 284.

Paris got her 12 boards against Tennessee, but was taken out of the game with only nine points, so the NCAA-record 112-game streak ended. She was brought to tears after the game because of the overwhelming support of her teammates and fans.

Courtney and her sister, Ashley, are truly dominant forces inside, and can cause headaches for many teams, as Ashley averages 10.0 rebounds per game. Smaller teams don't stand a chance, and only superb guard play (see: Connecticut, UNC) can overcome neutralize their advantage in the paint.

The final highlight from the week comes straight out of Poughkeepsie (you didn't actually think I could write about WCBB without mentioning Marist, did you?), as Rachele Fitz broke the women's school scoring record Friday night.

Ursula Winter held the record for over 20 years with 1,587 points, which is nothing extraordinary. What's special about this? Fitz is only a junior. Provided she stays healthy, she's got a more-than-realistic chance to break the school scoring record of 2,077, held by Steve Smith (not any of the ones you're thinking of).

What was most special about the history-making night was that the Red Foxes were decked out in pink. It was Marist's leg of the WBCA Pink Zone Breast Cancer Awareness games.

There was a moment of silence for Kay Yow before the game, multiple instances of honoring breast cancer survivors before, during, and after the game, and an all-around special night to be in the McCann Center.

Setting the record wasn't easy as everyone thought it would be, and ended up being very ironic.

Fitz came into the game tied with Winter, so she only needed one point to break the record. Two minutes into the game, she was already on the bench with two fouls and didn't see any time the rest of the half.

She got her points on a turnaround jumper just under three minutes into the second half, but only finished with six for the game.

Though she attained the scoring record, it snapped a 54-game streak of scoring in double-digits, dating back to the first game of the 2007-2008 season, a six-point loss at Ohio St.

Fitz didn't care about the 54-game streak being snapped, she was just happy to get the win. A week earlier, the Red Foxes dropped only their second contest of the season, at home against Fairfield. Their only other loss came at Oklahoma in November.

The win got Marist back on track where they needed to be, and if they continue winning, they should sneak back into the national rankings (Associated Press, anyway).

Marist is up towards the top of a shallow mid-major class this year. South Dakota St., New Mexico, Middle Tennessee St., and Gonzaga are among the other mid-majors looking to make some noise in March.

Marist has won three NCAA Tournament games over the last two years, and is poised to make another run this March. We'll see if the Cinderella slipper still...FITZ (good one, I know)!

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference BracketBusters Games Announced

Travis Miller — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:47:58 -0500

The seventh annual ESPNU BracketBusters pairings have been announced, and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is reaping the benefits.

Three of the 10 MAAC games will be televised.

ESPNU is televising five total BracketBusters games, while ESPN360.com is showing two. ESPN2 is offering six contests (also simulcast on ESPN360). So for the MAAC to get three of 13 total is a great deal for the conference.

The three televised games are Hofstra (14-8, 6-5 Colonial Athletic Association) at Fairfield (14-9, 7-5 MAAC), Illinois State (18-4, 7-4 Missouri Valley Conference) at Niagara (17-6, 8-3 MAAC), and the game everyone should have their eyes on, Northern Iowa (16-6, 10-1 MVC) at Siena (18-5, 12-0 MAAC).

Game time and network assignments will not be announced until next Monday, and the games will be played either Friday, Feb. 20 or Saturday, Feb. 21.

Other MAAC BracketBusters games are Canisius at Bowling Green, Iona at Boston University, Loyola (MD) at Drexel, Manhattan at William & Mary, Hartford at Marist, University of Maryland Baltimore County at Rider, and St. Peter's at Youngstown St.

In last year's BracketBusters games, the MAAC produced six winners in Canisius, Fairfield, Loyola, Niagara, Rider, and Siena.

Each conference has the opportunity to select participating teams prior to the season, and matchups are then determined by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences.

As a part of the agreement, home teams for this month's BracketBusters pool will visit their opponents' home court in November or December of the 2009-2010 season.

Other marquee matchups include Butler at Davidson, Utah St. at St. Mary's, Virginia Commonwealth at Nevada, and George Mason at Creighton.

Wake Forest Escapes a Late Duke Rally, Takes Out No. 1

Travis Miller — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:37:59 -0500

Name the last team to beat both No. 1 North Carolina and No. 1 Duke in the same month.

You need to go all the way back to January of 2009 when Dino Gaudio's Wake Forest squad did it.

There's no such thing as a "good loss," but the Blue Devils can't take the bus ride back to Durham with their heads hanging too low. Despite Duke's comeback when Wake went cold at the end, nobody was going to beat them on their home floor Wednesday night. Not even Virginia Tech (wait, what?).

Though Jeff Teague and the Demon Deacons' offense was shaky at times, their defense never wavered in the 70-68 win.

Each team played a suffocating man-to-man early. It was evident from the start—Wake had the superior defense. There weren't many open looks for Duke in the opening minutes, and Wake's open looks were few and far between—but at least they got a few.

The Demon Deacons (17-1, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) weren't converting from long range early, so Duke didn't have to extend its defense. Jon Scheyer and Greg Paulus each hit a trey to open things up a little.

The Blue Devils (18-2, 5-1) were crashing the offensive glass early—it didn't mean they're bigger (because they absolutely aren't), it just meant they came out with enthusiasm and were making a point to send three or four guys in on each shot because of their size deficiency. They were getting great positioning under the rim.

Foul trouble for both teams early gave them a chance to showcase their depth, and each team did just that.

Duke was able to hold Jeff Teague at bay, in the first half. Unlike Stephen Curry, E'twaun Moore, and other star players the Blue Devils have faced, Teague still found a way to hurt Duke without the ball, thus creating opportunities to make plays with the ball.

Who knew how big his acrobatic three-pointer with a few seconds left in the first half would end up being?

Wake wasn't perfect—non-Teague guards had a lot of trouble converting open looks from long range—but they were really, really good.

The Demon Deacons' size and length made the paint impenetrable, which proved to be Duke's Achilles' tendon. Unable to put the ball on the floor to get to the foul line or open up looks from three-point range spelled disaster for Coach K and company.

Early in the second half, Wake perpetually pounded the ball inside, dumping it off to a big man who would finish the job.

When Wake went cold a little more than halfway through the second half, Duke couldn't capitalize. A seven-point margin stayed a seven-point margin for way too long. The Blue Devils were finally effective on defense again, but would bring the ball down the court in transition and settle for a stupid shot.

Duke wasn't cold from long range, Wake just didn't give them many open looks. The Blue Devils finished 4-for-22 on three-point attempts, and shot 33.3 percent (22-for-66) from the field overall.

The main reason for the loss can be attributed to lack of athletes to play with Wake Forest. It was the Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler show on offense. Henderson finished with 20 points, eight boards, and seven turnovers. Singler went for 22 points (on a Luke Harangody-like 7-of-19 from the field), 12 rebounds, and four turnovers.

Duke caught up on free throws toward the end of the game, going 20-for-24 as a team. Jon Scheyer was a perfect 8-for-8 and Singler made all six of his attempts.

Wake Forest only turned the ball over 11 times (to Duke's 15), and registered nine blocks on defense, to further exemplify the Blue Devils' troubles in the paint.

The scoring was a little more balanced for the Demon Deacons. Al-Farouq Aminu had 15 points and 10 rebounds, James Johnson (not to be confused with Jimmy Johnson or Jimmy Johnson) contributed 13 points and 11 boards, and Teague had 11 points in what might be considered a sub-par game.

Numbers-wise, perhaps it was. But if you watched the game, you know better. I didn't want to buy in to Teague until I saw him play my team, and I'm officially impressed. Put me on the bandwagon (Blake Griffin is still National Player of the Year, but Teague at least deserves to be in the discussion at least as much as Harangody).

Wake Forest was the recipient of 18 points from the bench, where as Duke only had seven.

Duke's next opponent is the University of Virginia on Thursday, at Cameron Indoor. Whatever the line is, take Duke and the over.

Wake travels to Georgia Tech on Wednesday to face a struggling Yellow Jackets team.

Now that every ACC team has a conference loss, things are really going to start heating up. No game is a gimme. Take T.O.'s advice. Getcha popcorn ready.

Aaron Heilman Playing Musical Chairs

Travis Miller — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:29:48 -0500

It'll be okay, big guy. The game will be over soon. I'm sure somebody wants you.

Aaron Heilman was traded to the Chicago Cubs Wednesday, in a move sending the ex-Seattle Mariner (I'm funny) packing after just a month and a half with the club.

The Mariners acquired youngsters Ronny Cedeno and Garrett Olson in return.

Cedeno, 25, will add depth to the Mariners' bench and perhaps have a chance at winning a starting middle-infield spot in spring training. Olson, also 25, is a left-handed pitcher who will compete for the No. 5 spot in the Mariners' rotation.

Olson was with the Cubs for less time than Heilman was in Seattle, having been acquired from Baltimore on Jan. 18 in return for Felix Pie.

Heilman's 2008 numbers with the Mets include 78 appearances, all out of the bullpen, with a 5.21 earned run average, five blown saves, and eight losses. He was traded from New York in mid-December in the 12-player J.J. Putz deal.

Heilman is still looking for a starting gig, but with an exceptional Cubs' rotation, it will be difficult for him to win a spot in the rotation in spring training.

Sean Marshall and Heilman's fellow Notre Dame alum Jeff Samardzija are front-runners for the No. 5 spot behind Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden, Ryan Dempster, and Ted Lilly.

With only one lefty among the aforementioned four starters and Samardzija's bullpen success, Marshall should be a favorite to get the nod. Heilman won't be a happy camper, but could get a chance if any of the injury-prone starters go down or if Marshall doesn't perform.

Olson was thought to be a piece to the Jake Peavy puzzle, but with him headed out of Chicago, the Cubs might finally be letting the Peavy ship sail.

Unless the Padres decided they want Heilman now! Is Chicago just another connecting flight for Heilman?

Probably not, considering he's the ripe old age of 30, but it's fun to speculate. He's been through hell in his stay in Queens and deserves a chance at starting somewhere to prove us haters wrong.

Remembering Kay Yow

Travis Miller — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:37:26 -0500

If you work at a media outlet, you probably know deep within the computer systems, there's a folder containing obituaries for people who have yet to die.

It's not an insult to one's age or poor health—quite the contrary, actually. It's a tribute to the immense impact someone has had throughout their life.

Researching their laundry list of accolades is way too much to dump on one, two, or even three people who are trying to put something together on deadline, so the foundation and the big bulk of the story are already written.

Sports figures such as George Steinbrenner, Joe Paterno, and even Michael Jordan have one.

Kay Yow had one.

Yow, the head women's basketball coach at NC State, died Saturday at the age of 66 after a 22-year battle with breast cancer.

Hired in 1975, she won 680 games at the Wolfpack helm, and her 737 career wins rank sixth all-time among Division I women's basketball coaches.

Yow was a member of the coaching staff of the 1984 women's Olympic team which won the gold medal, then was the head coach of the gold-winning 1988 Olympic team, the year after she was initially diagnosed with cancer.

Though she never won an NCAA title, she coached the Wolfpack to a 20-win season 21 times, led her team to the NCAA Tournament 20 times, and peaked by reaching the Final Four in 1998.

In 2002, Yow was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame.

She coached alongside NC State men's basketball coach Jim Valvano from 1980-1990. Valvano was diagnosed with cancer in 1992 and died in 1993. The "V Foundation" is a charitable organization dedicated to cancer research in Jimmy V's name.

In 2007, Yow created the "Kay Yow/WCBA Cancer Fund" to work in partnership with the V Foundation.

Also in 2007, NC State named the court at Reynolds Coliseum after Yow.

In women's college basketball, which takes second stage to most everything in the sports world, Kay Yow is a legend. Though she can't match the NCAA Tournament success of legends like Pat Summitt, Yow will be remembered for much more than her coaching accolades.

To continue coaching for over two decades despite knowing of her illness, Yow deserves admiration of the entire sports world. She took multiple leaves of absence to deal with her battle, but continued to come back, showing strength and resolve nobody could expect from her.

This season's WCBA Pink Zone Breast Cancer awareness games in women's college basketball have recently begun, and will continue through the month of February.

Check the schedule of your local women's college team, get out there and support Kay Yow and the cause, and see some exciting, fundamentally sound basketball while you're at it.

How Enforcing Title IX Would Fix College Football

Travis Miller — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:04:06 -0500

Two complicated issues plaguing collegiate sports could use each other to solve both problems.

Is it easy? No. Will athletic departments be willing to compromise? Probably not.

Athletic departments have become such independent entities, ideas of "pay for play" are actually now being seriously lobbied for, despite it being impossible. The NCAA would really need to flex its muscles to make this possible.

Title IX, in short, was enacted in 1972 to ensure there was no sexual discrimination in educational institutions which receive federal funding. There is no mention of sports, but Title IX's most public function revolves around athletics.

Rarely is a school Title IX compliant, but due to a flawed three-pronged test, less popular men's college sports have suffered unjustly.

The three-pronged test to check Title IX compliance is as followed:

A school must provide athletic opportunities substantially proportionate to the ratio of male-to-female students enrolled in the institution.
If the first is not met, there must be a history and continuing practice of program expansion responding to the interest of the underrepresented sex.
If the second is not met, the interest and abilities of the underrepresented sex must be fully accommodated.

The easy solution for non-Title IX compliant schools is to cash in on No. 2 by cutting men's sports, which just cost the athletic department money, not making any. There is only a handful of college football teams turning a profit year after year, and the same can be said about men's basketball teams. It is uncommon for any women's sports to turn a profit.

Wrestling, men's tennis, and men's gymnastics suffer the most, and the athletic departments win all the way around. They remain safe and cut some costs at the same time. Schools will often expand women's programs at the same time, but don't end up spending more money when it's all said and done.

It's unfortunate what has happened to the lesser men's collegiate athletics, and the solution is right in front of everyone's face, but it's such an unpopular decision, nobody has the grapefruits to make it happen.

Most major Division I schools (the Patriot and Ivy Leagues are the only Football Championship Subdivision conferences with non-scholarship football) offer 85 football scholarships.

Do the math. Guys who never see the light of day on a football field in their four, five, or six years of college are on free rides for football, while the star of the women's tennis team, who has a legitimate 4.0 grade point average might have a partial athletic scholarship or an academic scholarship if she's earned it.

This is where things get murky. I try my best to stay away from the BCS controversy because there is no simple solution—if there is one at all.

ESPN's contract with the BCS starts in 2011 and runs until 2014, when the Rose Bowl's contract with ABC (also owned by Disney) runs out.

In terms of Title IX, prong one of the three-pronged test needs to be reinforced as the ultimate goal. The second and third prongs are acceptable for the meantime, but there needs to be full compliance for this to be effective.

The NCAA should look into either amending the act to specify in terms of athletics, or enacting its own rule to complement Title IX so all athletes can prosper. Rather than requiring overall equal proportions, it should just be specified towards scholarships.

Gradually through this time, major conference schools should be forced to transfer several football scholarships per year to either women's sports or other men's sports if the school is already compliant.

There is absolutely no need for 85 scholarships, and with the newly amended Title IX just proposed, teams would still be able to have something sick like 105 players on the sideline. Also, men's sports which don't make money won't have to continue to suffer.

By the time the ESPN/BCS contract runs out in 2014, football teams should be down to 50-60 scholarships per football team. This would encourage top-tier players to head to non-BCS conference teams in search of a scholarship, thus increasing parity.

The BCS and NCAA would have no choice but to either expand BCS conferences to
include many more, or to consider some sort of playoff.

This isn't a war on college football. I'm a fan of a major conference team. I just believe amidst the whole BCS controversy, the struggle for women's athletics is a much greater issue, and is being overlooked.

The NCAA's core purpose is "to govern competition in a fair, safe, equitable, and sportsmanlike manner, and to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount."

It's not about money, or so they say. Athletic departments will be suffering even more now due to economic issues, which should be even more motivation to look into change.

It's time to step up to the plate.

The Derek Jeter Conspiracy Continues (Satire...?)

Travis Miller — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:33:57 -0500

There is a massive conspiracy in Major League Baseball, and it could involve countless teams. The details are starting to come to fruition, but I'm still investigating.

The Texas Rangers' decision to move Michael Young to third base has me convinced: There is a conspiracy surrounding American League shortstops, and I'm tracing it back to everyone's favorite captain, Derek Jeter.

It all started in 1997 when Cal Ripken, Jr. was mysteriously moved to third base.

A 14-time All-Star at this point, Major League Baseball's darling, the most important player to the game, is moved from a position he had been playing in the Majors since 1981—to make way for Mike Bordick?

Please, I'm a Mets fan. I know what Bordick is all about: nothing.

Something wasn't adding up, but there clearly was not enough evidence yet.

Certainly, 1997 is an interesting year for this to happen. Who won the World Series the year before? And who jumped onto the scene? Ah, yes. The Yankees, and 1996 AL Rookie of the Year, Derek Jeter.

Camden Yards is "Yankee Stadium South," after all. Remember the Jaret Wright trade? I think the Orioles are either in cahoots with the Yankees, or they owe the Bronx Bombers some serious favors.

Anyway, around this time, there were three amazing shortstops playing in the AL: Nomar Garciaparra (1997 AL Rookie of the Year), Alex Rodriguez, and Mr. Jeter.

Now you see where I'm going with this. Hang tight.

Omar Vizquel still had a stranglehold on the Gold Glove award at the position, and was even garnering some All-Star Game loving.

Starting in 1997, here's the odd man out of each mid-summer classic for a few years:

1997—Jeter, Vizquel

1998—Garciaparra, despite finishing second in the MVP voting

1999—A-Rod

2000—Vizquel

2001—Vizquel, Garciaparra (injury)

2002—All four left made the All-Star Team, as did Miguel Tejada. Five shortstops. FIVE. A-Rod started the game. Quite the heavy load just so Joe Torre can justify taking No. 2.

Rodriguez won the Gold Glove in '02 and '03, and Vizquel's career began its downslide, so he fell out of the picture.

Then in 2003, Derek Jeter didn't make the All-Star team. The Yankees finally didn't represent the AL in the World Series the year before. Darn, bad luck for Jeter!

Commence turmoil.

The ensuing offseason, the Yankees made a minor acquisition. They traded Alfonso Soriano to the Texas Rangers for shortstop Alex Rodriguez. They moved him to third base.

Problem solved.

Garciaparra fell from grace in Boston unusually quick and was traded to the National League in July '04.

Two down, but the Red Sox got their revenge in October.

Jeter enjoyed little competition for "best shortstop in the AL" the next few years. Without Vizquel or A-Rod sharing a mutual position, he won the Gold Glove by default from 2004-2006.

However, Jeter missed the '05 All-Star game, and Miguel Tejada and rising star Michael Young got the nod over him.

I don't know who is behind the conspiracy, but I suspect it's the Steinbrenners. Baltimore already gave into whatever pressure was put on them in 1997, so they weren't prepared to do it again.

Someone started to play dirty when they had to get rid of Tejada. I'm not saying they're behind the Tejada smear-campaign, I'm just saying his fall from shortstop stardom was much uglier than anyone before him. The Mitchell Report (okay, he played in Oakland) and the age controversy were not pretty.

Since when has it taken a face-to-face interview to confront someone about their age? It wasn't the case for Rafael Furcal or Orlando Hernandez.

So now we get to Michael Young. Five straight All-Star appearances, the 2008 AL Gold Glove award winner at shortstop, and two years younger than Jeter, now the best shortstop in the AL.

He's also the poster child for everything right in the league. A less-crazy version of Tim Tebow, perhaps.

The conspirators have several tricks up their sleeves, so this one probably involves calling in a favor for taking A-Rod, a clubhouse cancer, off their hands a few years back.

"Hey, Texas Rangers, remember that time we took A-Rod from you and haven't won the World Series since then?"

"Yeah..."

"Well you kinda owe us for that. Move Michael Young to third base."

"But..."

"Just tell them you have a prospect who is gonna tear it up at the Major League level."

So, Texas Rangers, enjoy Elvis Andrus, the second coming of Mike Bordick!

Yankee fans, enjoy another undeserved All-Star appearance and Gold Glove for Jeter.

And to the Steinbrenners, or whoever is in charge of this operation, please don't hunt me down and kill me. Even though I've figured out your diabolical plan, I won't tell anyone.

Mid-Major Watch: Siena Survives a Trip to Marist—Make Your Free Throws!

Travis Miller — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:12:06 -0500

Never in my life has such an exciting game been so hard to watch.

The Marist/Siena men's basketball rivalry is one of the premier ones the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference has to offer. These two schools hate each other.

Ryan Schneider pitted against Edwin Ubiles is the most legitimate matchup between forwards the conference has to offer.

Siena (13-5, 7-0 MAAC) won 91-85 in overtime. It was the third straight time the two teams have gone to overtime when playing in Poughkeepsie.

Holy crap, though. Make a free throw (I'll keep you waiting).

Tied at 32 apiece going into the locker room, neither team had momentum. It was just a back and forth dogfight the entire first half.

Neither team was at its best, featuring poor shot selection and a few dumb turnovers. The officiating was solid, though the refs were having no tolerance for lazy dribbling. They called four carries in the first half. I believe two were called on each team.

Siena fans traveled ridiculously well for this game. Though there were only two chunks of them, they made a ton of noise, which was important down the stretch.

At the start of the second half, Marist (7-12, 3-4) came out on fire. The team went 6-for-6 from long range in the first five minutes to the tune of a 19-4 run. Ryan Schneider was responsible for half of them, finishing with 19 points and 13 boards.

Marist led 51-36. Siena had yet to hit a field goal, and was surviving on free throws (ironic).

With eight minutes and change left in the game, Dejuan Goodwin led the Red Foxes in transition. He drove into the lane and floated up a pass for Kaylen Gregory, who slammed down the alley-oop.

Rather than taking a timeout, the Saints panicked, ran down the court, and missed a three-pointer. For all intents and purposes, the game was over.

Marist fans started leaving, Siena fans started leaving. The obligatory "start the buses" chants began.

Siena began poking away at the lead, but it stayed above double digits until less than four minutes remained left in the game. Even then it was around eight or nine.

This is where I lecture you on why foul shots are so important.

The final two minutes of the game. Make your free throws.

Marist went 8-for-17 from the stripe in the last two minutes of regulation. As much as Siena "won" this game, Marist lost it, three-fold.

The Red Foxes shot 16-for-30 (53.3 percent) for the game, and the Saints didn't do much better, shooting 27-for-48 (56.3 percent). Ridiculous.

Before giving complete credit to Marist for losing this game, Siena did have to earn the win. Kyle Downey gave it to them.

His only shot in the first half was a three-pointer to tie it at 32 going into the intermission. He hit two clutch triples down the stretch to bring his team within striking distance. He also came up with an offensive rebound/putback and a huge block of a Marist three-point attempt down the stretch.

He finished with 15 points (career high) in 18 minutes. He averaged 4.5 points and 9.6 minutes per game before last night. He was 2-for-6 from the line, but he's the only one who gets a pass.

Ryan Rossiter (16 points) hit all four of his free throws, and Alex Franklin was 10-for-15. Nobody else on Siena was better than 50 percent.

For Marist, Schneider was 3-for-4 but didn't get to the stripe down the stretch when he needed to. He's by far the Red Foxes' best free throw shooter at over 85 percent.

The Red Foxes put the ball in R.J. Hall's (21 points) hands the most during the waning minutes. He went 6-for-10, but being at the game, the four misses seemed more like 40.

Goodwin was 1-for-5 from the line, Devezin (15 points) 3-for-5, and so on and so forth. It wasn't pretty.

Siena started overtime on a 9-1 run and didn't look back. Marist was crippled by the collapse.

For the Saints, Ubiles only finished with eight points. Rossiter had 16, Franklin scored 19 to go with 10 boards, Kenny Hasbrouck scored 13, and Ronald Moore had 11 points and six assists. Siena shot 41 percent from the floor and 50 percent from long range.

Marist had similar numbers, with a 46 percent field goal percentage and 42 percent from three-point land. Decent, but the free throws negated everything.

Conference teams could have breathed a sigh of relief if Marist finished off the upset last night, but instead, Siena carries on its merry way at 7-0 in the MAAC.

Though the Saints aren't the best five-loss team in the country (Tennessee, Boston College, and I'm purposely leaving Wisconsin off this list), they certainly have the potential to make some noise in March. The five losses are to Kansas, the aforementioned Tennessee, Wichita St., Oklahoma St., and Pittsburgh. Not bad.

Keep an eye on this team. Siena needs improve its free throw shooting (64 percent), ball distribution (only 13 assists on 29 field goals last night), and roster depth (four of five starters average over 30 minutes per game) before we really start talking, but they can certainly hang with the big boys.

Marist Women Rise In AP Rankings, Gaining Confidence

Travis Miller — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:27:04 -0500

Up to No. 21 in Monday's Associated Press rankings, the Marist College women's basketball team is in a groove and playing its best basketball of the season.

The ranking ties the school's highest in history (last season in ESPN/USA Today Poll). It is the third straight year the Red Foxes have earned a national ranking.

Despite a significant discrepancy between the two polls (No. 21 AP, No. 29 ESPN/USA Today), the Red Foxes are playing much more like the former than the latter.

Depth was a huge concern for the first third of the season, but recent games have laid those worries to bed for good.

Averaging about 68 points per game in their first 13 games, the Red Foxes have exploded for 81, 98, and 86 respectively in their last three with an average margin of victory of 37.3 points.

Granted, these are against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponents (Marist has won 33 straight in-conference), but those aren't the important numbers.

Marist's freshmen have stepped up in the biggest way, taking a huge load off the shoulders of Julianne Viani and All-American candidate Rachele Fitz.

Brandy Gang is leading the way, with double-digit scoring in four straight games. Though she had scored in all but one game before this stretch, she had not reached double-digits.

She has found her swagger inside, and plays like she's been in college longer than Gerry McNamara (he's still in school, right?).

Corielle Yarde is averaging 13.5 in her last two games (15, 12), and has jumped up the depth chart.

A pure shooter and No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 scoring option in high school, the transition to coming off the bench hasn't been easy for her. Head coach Brian Giorgis groomed her quick, and the sharpshooter has added a dangerous element to the Red Foxes. Oh, and she also has 11 assists and only one turnover her last two games.

Kristine Best finally looked to be breaking out of her shell as she dropped 10 points against Niagara on Jan. 9, but then found out she had mononucleosis and may be out until March.

Mono is nothing new to the Red Foxes, as Julianne Viani missed considerable time down the stretch last season with the illness, but came back in time for postseason play. This loss isn't as severe (no offense to Best), but will still be felt, as Marist will only be dressing 10 players until she comes back.

Rounding out the Diaper Dandies, Emily Stallings proved against Niagara she can come through when given playing time, too, as she dropped 10 points. In the 98-51 win, all four freshmen reached double-digits, setting career-highs.

All available players hit field goals for Marist (15-1, 6-0 MAAC), the second time this season 10 or more Red Foxes reached the scoring column.

In the most recent win, an 86-44 beating of Loyola (MD) on the road, all 10 available players registered double-digit minutes.

Junk time or not, the importance of being able to trust everyone on the bench to produce solid minutes was the biggest uncertainty when the season started.

The Red Foxes swept the MAAC awards this week, with Fitz winning Player of the Week and Gang winning Rookie of the Week. Both should be favorites to win the end of year awards as long as they continue playing as they have.

Marist hosts St. Peter's Friday and heads up to Albany to face Siena on Sunday.

Elsewhere around women's college hoops, Duke (No. 4 AP/No. 10 ESPN/USA Today)showed their resilience against Maryland (No. 12/16) Monday night, fending off a second half comeback to take out the Terrapins at Cameron Indoor.

The Blue Devils (14-1, 2-0 ACC) shot poorly from the floor (34.2%), which has been an Achilles heel this season. Duke shot 26.6 percent in its only loss of the season, a 53-51 upset courtesy of Hartford.

Courtney Paris notched her 106th (yes, 106) straight double-double last week, scoring 18 points and grabbing 20 boards in a 21-point win over Nebraska. Oklahoma has a tough week, albeit at home, facing undefeated Kansas State and top 10 foe Texas A&M.

Notre Dame (No. 10/4) lost tonight at Marquette. The Golden Eagles forced the issue, keeping the Irish in constant foul trouble. Notre Dame shot poorly from the charity stripe (8-14), while Marquette was 17-for-22.

Barring a UConn slip up at home against Syracuse or a North Carolina loss to Virginia, next Monday will be a special day as the two top teams in the country, both undefeated, meet at Chapel Hill.

It should be a great game. UConn hasn't played a ranked opponent on the road yet this season (the Huskies have actually only played five road games so far). Both teams beat their top mutual opponent, Oklahoma.

The Huskies blew out the Paris girls and company in Storrs by 28, while the Tar Heels had the tougher test, traveling to Norman, surviving by a single point. I think UConn takes advantage of matchups and prevails, but not by much.

Photo courtesy of daylife.com

Tim Tebow Declares for NFL Draft, Urban Meyer Lands "Dream Job" (Satire)

Travis Miller — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 13:31:12 -0500

When Tim Tebow declared early for the NFL Draft after winning his second National Championship at the University of Florida, pundits everywhere thought it was the end of the world for Urban Meyer and the Gators, and the beginning of great things for Tim Tebow.

Five years later, those wise guys have faded into obscurity after going down in history for making the worst prediction in sports history.

The media's love affair with Tebow went to his head, and resulting criticism affected him even further. His competitive nature got the best of him.

"People said his efforts abroad for the less fortunate were all for show," his father, Bob, said. "Something snapped inside."

Tebow led a band of loyal followers to the Philippines, his place of birth, changed his name to "Lord Timmy," and hasn't been heard from since.

"Timmy's Tribe" has been spotted in India, Djibouti, and Central America doing missionary work.

As for Meyer, with Tebow gone and two BCS titles under his belt, he felt his work was done with the Gators.

"The recruiting had reached a high point, but how do you rebound from losing the greatest player in college football history?" he asked. "You don't. It just so happened there was a vacancy for a job I have dreamed of having for years."

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was seeking a replacement head coach for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

Though Meyer had no experience coaching Quidditch, he had become familiar with the sport.

"Two of my children (Gigi and Nathan) were big into the Harry Potter books," he said. "When I would come home late, I liked to snag the books and sneak downstairs to read them. Guilty pleasure or not, coaching at Hogwarts became my dream job. I never thought it would actually happen."

With an impressive resume, and a very solid recruiting ability, Hogwarts headmaster Severus Snape decided to make the hire.

"Meyer is magic on the field," Snape said. "He does some remarkable things as a coach."

In his five years at the helm, Meyer has led Gryffindor to the Quidditch Cup at Hogwarts each year, earning the No. 1 ranking in the world for an astounding 215 consecutive weeks.

His team has also won tournaments in Japan, Poland, and Luxembourg.

"Not having the NCAA breathing down my back is beautiful," Meyer said. "There are no strict eligibility or recruiting rules, so I take advantage of every opportunity I didn't have in college football."

Meyer pushed the envelope at first, challenging every rule posing a threat to his dominance of the sport.

"It turns out they don't enforce anything," he said. "And the school doesn't seem to be restricted by financial issues, so I can pretty much offer to pay people whatever they want."

Harry Potter, in his 11th year as seeker, has led Gryffindor in the air each year. By far the longest tenured member of Meyer's squad, Potter is the only player remaining from the pre-Meyer era.

Meyer, through exceptional recruiting, has lured several stars away from their respective sports. Former football star Brett Favre, baseball pitcher Jake Peavy, and softball strikeout machine Angela Tincher serve as chasers, with baseball Hall of Famer Barry Bonds playing alongside Sidney Crosby, a star in the now-extinct National Hockey League, as beaters.

NFL defensive great Ed Reed is the keeper, and Rickey Henderson is the backup seeker.

"Rickey likes having another chance to be great," Henderson said. "Rickey should be in the Quidditch Hall of Fame. Rickey, Rickey, Rickey."

As for the Gators, they rebounded remarkably well without Meyer and Tebow.

They hired former University of Buffalo head coach Turner Gill, who picked up right where Meyer left off. Gill has led Florida to three SEC championships and a National Title in his five seasons in Gainesville.