A little pressbox humor

I have spent my life around baseball and have seen my fair share of rain delays. In fact I have been on just about every end of a rain delay.

I have sat countless times in a dugout as a player wondering if we were going to get the game in. I have been in charge of the grounds and been the person to decide when to tarp the field and then at what point we take it off. I have pulled more tarps on and off fields then I care to remember. Most recently, I have been in the press box just sitting around waiting on a decision to be made.

One of the best parts of rain delays is seeing what everyone does to pass the time. In the press box, the stories start coming out about rain delays past. The longer people have been in baseball, the better their stories are.

I have my own fair share of rain delay stories, but what happened last night might top the list. The Bearkats were getting ready to play the first of three against Central Arkansas with bad weather in the area.

Just as batting practice was ending, the lightning hit and the tarp came out on the field. I had about three of my student workers in the booth and I start telling some rain delay stories. Finally, one of my students who will remain unnamed looks at me with a bit of a confused face.

“So how does this work?” she said.

“We will sit here and wait. They are going to try to get this game in,” was my reply.

Still not fully grasping what was going on, she asks another question.

“So how do they see the bases with the tarp on the field?”

Everyone else in the booth turned and looked at me. I wasn’t sure what to say.

“So I’m taking it this is your first rain delay,” was about all I could get out.

We had to then go on to explain the purpose of the tarp and that they in fact do not play with it on the field.

I texted a few people after the fact, and got some pretty good responses that I wanted to share.

I got a few “No ways” and “You’re making that up.” I got a “Is she blonde?’ text as well. One of the better responses was “Tell her that is what they have base coaches for.”

But by far the best response came from Mike Coffin, who works for the Corpus Christi Hooks and has a sense of humor like no one else. Coffin hit a pair of homers last night with two separate responses. His immediate response was “Tell her to go and find a box of curveballs.” And hour later, he followed that up with “I’m looking for the keys to the batter’s box at the moment.”

There is no telling how many more rain delays I have left in my life, but I now know I will always have a good story any time the tarp is on the field.

Dez, Tebow, TJ and Chucky

On the whole I like the draft on Thursday night. In the end it worked for me. I had some doubts about how it was going to go, but it went really well. There was good energy in the room both in the crowd and on the set.

First off, I think the highlight of the draft was John Gruden. He did a tremendous job all night and after Mel had his say though the first 10 picks or so, Gruden took over. He was first to talk most of the time after a pick and his analysis was very good. He left Kiper waiting to talk and I can’t remember when the last time that happened.

Kiper was his usual self-serving self early on. It is the kind of stuff I think makes everyone roll their eyes when he talks. Gruden was the one who realized it, and took over the show. Had he not, it would have been disaster for ESPN. Chris Berman was off all night. Did Steve Young add anything to the show? And then there was Tom Jackson.

What an embarrassment for ESPN. He made a total jackass of himself, even before the Tim Tebow pick. When Denver took Demaryius Thomas at No. 22, he clearly didn’t like the pick. He was agitated when Ed Werder said the Bronco brass thought he reminded them of Brandon Marshall. His posture was slumping and he clearly needed to step away for a bit.

Unfortunately for ESPN, Denver traded back up and took Tim Tebow. Jackson show his true colors at that point. He was pissed and it showed. He didn’t speak more than two words for the next hour. I have to think ESPN is going to take a hard look at his behavior tonight and think about his future with the network.

As for Tebow, I am glad he was taken in the first round. He may or may not ever be a regular quarterback in the NFL, but I think he is a hell of a football player. The guy broke Emmitt Smith’s career TD rushing record at Florida and Hershel Walker’s rushing touchdown record in the SEC. Think about that for a little bit and let it soak in. He did so much at Florida, I think those two accomplishments have gotten lost in the shuffle.

I got agitated at times when all you heard about from ESPN was Tim Tebow, but I don’t think he deserved all the criticism he has been getting leading up to the draft. I think it has been proven time and time again that nobody knows what makes a good NFL quarterback, so why have so many people been so quick to write Tebow off? There have been a lot of can’t miss guys who have failed miserably. I think he is the type of guy who will be able to step on the field right now in some capacity and help his team win.

As for the Cowboys pick, I love it. Dez Bryant is a guy I talked about in September hoping the Cowboys would have a chance to get. But at the time Bryant looked like a top 10 pick and I certainly hoped Dallas wouldn’t be drafting anywhere near that. I am not at all concerned about “off-field” issues around him. I never agreed with the suspension from the NCAA to begin with.

Bryant has the potential to be a great receiver for a long time in Dallas. Hopefully this spells the beginning of the end for Roy Williams. It just got so hard watching him drop balls left and right. Bryant can step in right now and be a great compliment to Miles Austin (not the other way around Steve Young.)

I had hoped the Cowboys would go safety, but when the opportunity was there to get Bryant, I am glad they did. The best thing is, Taylor Mays is still on the board going to round 2. Dallas picks 27th on Friday, so Mays probably won’t falls to them, but with two fourths, they might be able to make another move to go up and get him. If Dallas could pull Bryant and Mays in this draft, it wouldn’t matter what else happen, it would be a hell of a three days for Dallas.

Edit - 11:38 p.m.

One last thing on the first round. Are the Rams now kicking themselves seeing they could have Clausen to start the second round? I don't think there is a huge difference between Bradford and Clausen. They chose Bradford who I don;t think was a No. 1 pick. Looking at it now, they could have had a guy like Suh and Clausen. You have to think there is some second guessing going on tonight as they prepare for day 2.

The 2010 NFL Draft

I'll be blogging during the draft throughout the night tonight. Probably won't be going pick-by-pick, but just posting some general thoughts as the draft goes prime time for the first time.

I had mixed feelings about the first round moving to Thursday night. I really kind of like getting up and watching on Saturday and Sunday mornings. But then I remembered for the last five years I have always worked on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and can't remember the last time I was able to watch the draft. So maybe this is a pretty good deal. I'll at least get to watch the first round before having to work on Friday and Saturday.

The Rams are now on the clock:

6:40 No. 1 pick - Rams
So Sam Bradford goes No. 1 overall. No real surprise. I don't think I get why the Rams took him No. 1. I was never sold on Sam Bradford. That is a lot to put on a guy who really doesn't have a lot of experience. He seems like a good guy. Just don't know if he is THE guy.

6:43 No. 2 pick - Lions
Suh to the Lions. Congrats. We won't hear from you again until free agency in four years.

6:52 No. 3 pick - Bucs
McCoy to Tampa Bay. He looks very happy about this pick. Good to see a guy who doesn't expect everything coming his way. I think he will do good in Tampa. Can't believe the Bucs were last in the league against the run. They have fallen off hard.

Dallas had a field day against the Bucs through the air in week 1. Romo went for 353. They need some more work I guess.

6:59 No. 4 pick - Redskins
Trent Williams will have the task of pretecting McNabb (which I still think is a good trade). When are teams allowed to start drafting players from other conferences?

7:10 No. 5 pick - Chiefs
Eric Berry is good. Real good. He was a guy I wouldn't have minded the Cowboys jumping up and getting.

7:15 No. 6 pick - Seahawks
Okung from Oklahome State. Again, not a big surprise here. The Cheifs must have thought when Berry told them he played for UT, he was a Longhorn in college. Aren't we just taking Big 12 players tonight?

7:21 p.m.
Does Todd McShay need a step ladder to reach ESPN's fancy new touch screen?

7:23 No. 7 pick - Browns
Joe Haden corner from Florida. How many guys are left in the Green Room. I am ready for some suspense. Every time they cut to a guy on the phone crying, it just takes a little bit out of the commish going to the podium and making an announcement.

7:29 No. 8 pick - Raiders
Ahhh, the Raiders. Nothing like getting a curve from the Raiders in the draft. I guess this started the run on SEC players.

7:31 No. 9 pick - Bills
Spiller. Very nice pick. Bills must have been thinking, no way he falls to us. They wasted no time with that pick. I will have him high on my fantasy board since we get return yards as well.

7:37 No. 10 pick - Jaguars
Alualu to the Jags. I love how just because Mel didn't have a player high on his board, it is a huge reach and a surprising pick. Get over yourself. "Most people had him going at the end of the first." Come on Mel, who else do you listen to other than youself. Don't try to sell us on the fact the Jags were the ONLY team who liked Alualu. If they thought they could have gotten him lower, they would have. Mel is going to make this a long night. I'm begining to rethink prime time is a good deal.

7:46 No. 11 pick - 49ers
Now the draft is about to get interesting. This could be the first of several trades for the next few picks. I just wonder who on the desk at ESPN will be able to keep track of who is now drafting where.

7:57 No. 13 pick - Eagles
Brandon Graham taken to Philly. How long till a Philly fan pukes on him?

8:01 p.m.
News producer to rookie camera man. "We don't think Tim Tebow will get drafted tonight, but we are going to need you to set up across the street from his house and just see what he is doing all night. Welcome to television kid."

8:06 p.m. No. 14 pick - Seahawks
Earl Thomas. I kind of thought he might go a little higher. Another guy I was hoping the Cowboys. Does Taylor Mays fall to 27? For some reason I am locked in on a safety this year.

8:13 No. 15 pick - Giants
Pierre-Paul from South Carolina. Great, another pass rusher for the Giants. Doesn't bother me any. We have been blocking them for years.

8:32
All of these linemen are boring me. Time for some sizzle. We haven't seen what Tebow is doing lately. Can I get a cut to his house? Are there even any receivers available this year? The NFL should have waited until there were a few more playmakers before going primetime for the first time.

8:37 No. 20 pick - Houston
Jackson from Alabama. Texans need a good strong corner, this guy might be that. They need someone to stop Manning. The offense seems to be taken care of. Texans need to stop teams.

8:39
Finally the quarterback updates. What took so long??? Now I see why Clausen stayed home tonight. He gets to spend draft night with Erin Andrews. Screw New York. I'd take that as well.

8:41 No. 21 pick - Bengals
A tight end goes. The first pass catcher is Gresham, a tight end, not a receiver. When was the last time that happened? Kyle Brady in 1995?

I do have to give credit to ESPN tonight. They have managed to go three hours without mentioning Rothlisberger.

8:46 No. 22 pick - Broncos
Thomas from Georgia Tech. Finally a receiver is gone. If Bryant keeps falling, I am changing my tune on a safety to Dallas.

Is Tom Jackson a Bronco? I can't tell. His is pissed. Dude needs to step off the set for a bit, get a drink and calm down.

8:59 No. 24 pick - Cowboys
Yessssssss. I wanted Safety, but I didn't think Bryant would fall. I love this pick.

9:06 No. 25 pick - Broncos
Tebow. Glad he went in the first round. I think he is going to be a very good NFL player at whatever position he steps on the field in. He had a Bronco hat on pretty quick. I want to know how many different hats he had at his house. I am assuming the NFL game them all to him, because they were the "new draft day hat"

9:31 No. 28 pick - Dolphins
Odrick to the fins. A Penn State guy goes in the first round. Nice to see after seeing all the Penn State first round busts the other day. Hopefull Odrick doesn't fall into that.

9:44
The set is starting to get a little heated. Tom Jackson is hard to watch. They need to take him off the set. He has not been part of the show for the last hour

9:55 No. 31 pick - Colts
Hughes from TCU. And we all get reminded of those hideous helmets the Horned Frogs wore. I knew they were going to come back and huant us.

10:04 No. 32 pick - Saints
Drew Brees just plugged Madden. I wonder if the NFL knew he was just going to get free advertising for EA Sports?

First round done in 3 1/2 hours. Going to miss the rest of the draft. Glad I got to see this.

An Opening Day to remember

I love college football. Dallas Cowboys dominate Sunday’s in the fall. There is nothing more thrilling than the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. When asked what my favorite sport is, my response is usually ‘what season is it?’

But there is just something a little extra special about Opening Day. No matter what age and what level of baseball, Opening Day always had a special feeling to it. In Little League it was the one game everyone was introduced and ran out on the baselines just like the pros. One year we had Milo Hamilton come out and speak to us on Opening Day.

High school and college baseball all get started in early February. Little League gets going sometime in March and Major League Baseball usually gets going that first week in April. Each celebrates the first day of the season.

In college I made a point to get down to the Dome on Opening Day. If the Astros weren’t home, then I went to the home opener (we also always made it out a day or two later for magnetic calendar night -- very important). The tradition was always the same. It didn’t matter where I was sitting down for the first MLB game of the year, I always had a dog. Sometimes it was a “Dome Dog,” sometimes it was a dog cooked in my kitchen and for the last five years it has been a hot dog at “Fat Boys.”

For 14 years, opening day was also the start of what was to be another championship season for the Atlanta Braves. From 1992 to 2006, the Braves opened the season the same way, by unveiling the championship banner from the previous season. It became old hat. You started to take it for granted.

Opening day was always a great day for the Royals, Orioles, Pirates and Cubs fans, because there was the optimism. “Maybe this is going to be the year.” Opening Day for me was always me laughing at the experts who were predicting this was going to be the year a different team won the East. I knew they were going to be wrong. That was one of the joys of Opening Day. While most people’s season was going to be over by late July, I knew I was going to be rolling strong well into October.

The last few years have been a different story. Things have changed a bit in baseball and the Braves have not been part of the postseason. As a result, Opening Day didn’t have that same luster as in the past. There was no banner being hung at Turner Field. The question being asked now has been, are the Braves going to get back to the playoffs. As good as the Phillies (and Mets to an extent) have been, it was easy to see the answer was probably "no."

Monday however was a little different. No banner was being hung at Turner Field and the Phillies are pretty much considered the best team in the National League. So why did I feel an extra sense of excitement going into Monday? The Braves have had a good spring, but they usually do. No real big free agents came in during the offseason (Billy Wagner is a nice addition, but nothing to get overly excited about). Chipper is coming off a season where his batting average had dropped 100 points from the season before.

But I was really looking forward to the game against the Cubs. It didn’t take long to figure out why I was so excited. It was the arrival of Jason Heyward. He has been the story of the spring for the Braves. The can’t miss prospect who had played just 50 games above the Class A level. While I liked everything I had read about him, it was something that happened on August 7 of last year that had me excited about this season. I was at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville, Ala. watching my third AA game in three nights. The Mississippi Braves were in town and we were sitting behind home plate. I had a great view of an absolute mammoth shot by Heyward. He hit a ball that I think landed sometime last week. He was just 19 at the time, but you could tell he was going to be a special player.

Heyward isn’t the reason I was watching the Monday afternoon game. I would have been watching because it was Opening Day. Heyward might be the reason I left work at 2 p.m. on Monday to be home by 3 so I could watch the game on my TV sitting on my couch.

When the lineup was announced, I was a little upset when I saw he was hitting in the seven-hole. Unless the Braves had a good first inning I was going to have to wait until the second to see him make his Major League debut. Well the Braves did have a good first inning, and Heyward got that chance to hit in the first. I think because the Braves scored three in the opening frame before his at bat, was actually good for him. He didn’t have time to think about the moment. He just stepped in the box and on the third pitch took a hack.

I had the windows open in the house and I think I could hear the Turner Field crowd roar from 800 miles away. At the very least, I know my neighbors could hear me. Replays where you could hear the fans chanting “Let’s go Heyward” just moments before connecting on a three-run bomb, gave me chills. I wrote one time about “the noise.” A moment in a game that gets the crowd and atmosphere in general to create a noise that "might swim in your ear canals and rustle your soul and electrify your skin and maybe even prolong your life." This was one of those moments.

Yes, there are still 161 more games to go, and the Braves are probably an outside shot at making the playoffs. But this season already seems to have a little more energy, a little more life. I am not going to go Cub fan on you and say that this is our year, but if the rest of the team can feed off the youthful exuberance of a 20-year old in the clubhouse who performed like a seasoned vet on opening day … maybe.

Miracle on Ice - 30 years later

It has been 30 years, but the "Miracle on Ice" is still the measuring stick for upsets in sports. Not since David cast his stone has someone overcome so much to go on to victory.

That is what we have always been told right? I mean I saw Kurt Russell himself on the big screen convincing me it is the greatest upset ever and has still not been topped. I was just three when Mike Eruzione and his plucky bunch knocked off the Soviets, so I really don’t have much to go off of other than what I see on TV.

But by all accounts, this game is the undisputed underdog story. A true David vs. Goliath, right? How could it not be? It wasn’t until I stumbled across a story in the Toronto Sun that I realized not everyone felt the way I had perceived the whole world did.

Bill Lankhof, a columnist for the Toronto Sun has a differing opinion, sort of. In his column, Hockey’s little Miracle, (the headline alone should have told me his real thoughts) Lankhof gives the impression he is making a case for that 1980 triumph in Lake Placid as the greatest upset ever.

His lead looks like it is going to set up a look back at the signature Winter Olympic moment.

There are moments in history when time, place and opportunity converge to create magic.

One of those Cinderella events unfolded Feb. 22, 1980, when 20 fuzzy-cheeked college kids pulled off the greatest upset in sports history.

He continues

It was the day that hockey came of age in the U.S. American colleges began taking hockey programs more seriously. It was the impetus that helped change the face of the National Hockey League so that today it has 216 American-born players. In 1980, it had a mere handful. It hastened the development of a sport that has allowed the NHL to put teams in non-traditional places such as Dallas, Florida, Nashville and San Jose. It fostered minor hockey programs in every state.

It is the day the sport took root in America and allowed it to grow into one where players -- like their basketball and baseball cousins -- now earn millions of dollars.
…

What also set The Miracle On Ice apart from ordinary upsets is that this was about much more than sports. The Cold War was still casting a chill over the globe. U.S. president Jimmy Carter was considering a boycott of the Moscow Games. The Iron Curtain divided the world, the Iran hostage crisis was unfolding and America was still binding the wounds left by the Vietnam War.

This wasn't just a game as much as it was a war of lifestyles; it was capitalism vs. communism, a clash of cultures and societies that had political implications.

Just taking these excerpts, it would appear Mr. Lankhof is on board with what the rest of the world thinks, right?

Well mixed in with the admiration and praise for what the underdog American’s did on that day is a slew of backhanded shots and anti-American sentiment.

When the United States defeated the mighty Soviet Union at Lake Placid, television commentator Al Michaels called it a miracle.

In other words, supernatural: Something incomprehensible, improbable and beyond human understanding. It is a comment meant in the noblest of fashions. But, it has also left a lingering impression that it was a victory not so much earned as one that came like a lucky roll of the dice; like a bolt of lightning from the hockey gods, perchance angered by the smugness of the almighty Soviets and Canadians.
…
Eruzione's goal to put the U.S. ahead came with 10 minutes to play. And, thus was born the chant of "U.S.A., U.S.A!" that has energized and nauseated (depending on your point of view) the world ever since.
…
Unfortunately, America didn't hear it. While the game was shown live in Canada, it was on a tape-delayed basis in the U.S. Even then, even at home, they got disrespected. Two days later the Americans beat Finland to seal their gold medal. But the U.S. had lost a chance to wave Ol' Glory in the world's face -- and when can anyone remember that ever happening?
…
It allows the hockey intelligentsia to smile and nod and maybe, acknowledge that, "Well, yes, that was cute!" -- then, dismissing Monday's anniversary as just a day 20 kids caught lightning in a bottle.

This article is such a conflicting piece. You can almost see the writer’s inner angst and anguish as it is written. He wants to “believe” but he just can’t. For every bit of praise he heaps on the Americans, his next sentence is there to discredit it.

Evidently the Canadian’s 1972 victory over the Soviets was a big win. I’ll have to take Lankhof’s word for it, because it is the first I have heard of it. The 40th anniversary of that great Canadian moment is coming up in two years and I will be interested to see Lankhof’s tribute to that. One thing I am pretty certain of is no one from the New York Times or Washington Post will give it any ink.

The 1980 game changed so many things in the world of sports, from the way they are covered and televised (do you think anything like that will EVER be tape delayed again?) to just the attitude of any athlete at any level who is facing a near impossible challenge.

So was the “Miracle on Ice” the greatest upset in the history of sports? I’d like to think it was. I mean here we are 30 years after USA beat the Soviet Union and a Canadian is still getting worked up about it – the game just keeps giving.

I think I am starting to dislike the Super Bowl

As I have gotten older, I think I am starting to like the Super Bowl less and less.

This was a good game this year, there is no doubt about it. You have to hand it to the Saints, they played a good game and are the champions. It was an entertaining game, but not the best this season. There were a lot of better games this year.

The main problem I have with the Super Bowl is it seems it is the one day out of the year people who are not football fans can pretend they are. They will go to parties and discuss why they know the Colts are going to win based on the extensive knowledge they learned from Tony Dungy.

I don’t need to get excited about the Super Bowl to prove I am a football fan. I think that was taken care of at some point during the last 20 Sunday’s when I was on my couch in front of my TV while 80 percent of the 106 million Super Bowl viewers were shopping, eating, jogging or whatever else it is that non-football fans do on any given Sunday.

You can always tell who the non-football/sports fans are by the questions they ask in the days before and after the Super Bowl:

The first, who do you have winning the game? I hate when I get asked that question. They don’t care who I think is going to win, they just want me to know they are aware there is a game that society tells them they are supposed to be interested in.

Do you have any money on it? Again, another question I hate. First off, no, according to NCAA rules, I can’t have money on it. But the reason for the question is basically so they can then tell me about the great pool their cousin got them in that is paying out $1,000 per quarter plus it has these new bonuses that are unique to their pool only and last year they almost won $2,500 if it wouldn’t have been for that catch by that one guy at the end of the game.

When I tell them I really don’t have a rooting interest, (and I really got asked this question this year), do you think you would be a little more excited if the Cowboys were playing in it? Well no shit, obviously. What tipped you off, the Romo jersey I wear every Sunday or the Cowboy polo I wear to work every Monday after a Dallas victory?

Then the questions on Monday after the game:

Did you watch the game? Of course I watched the game. I always watch the game. And I am not just talking about the Super Bowl. I am talking about nearly every game that comes on TV here. I am a football fan. That is what I do.

What did you think of the game? I thought it was a good game. Not really sure what you want here.

Did you go to a party? No I watched the game. I thought we covered this already.

Can you believe they intercepted Peyton Manning and returned it for a touchdown? (substitute any big play from any Super Bowl here – can you believe that big guy ran all that way and no one tackled him; can you believe that guy caught the ball on his helmet; can you believe they kicked to Hester; can you believe Brady was drafted in the sixth round, I bet every other team feels stupid now; can you believe the Titans almost scored at the end; can you believe Elway dove like that and got spun around; can you believe they threw the ball directly to Larry Brown, twice; can you believe Lett had the ball knocked out of his hand at the goal line; can you believe that field goal went wide right; can you believe the 49ers scored on that last drive; can you believe the Fridge scored a touchdown; can you believe Swann made that catch; can you believe how cold it was at that game; can you believe they finished the year undefeated; can you believe the MVP was from the losing team; can you believe Namath guaranteed they would win and then they did; can you believe Max McGee had seven catches?) Yeah, I can.

I think the hyperbole that surrounds the Super Bowl actually takes something away from the game. The Super Bowl is becoming bigger than the sport. It is becoming its own event that is not about football anymore. Because of the hype, the media feels the need to then try to make this bigger than it should be.

The funny thing is, the players and coaches get it. On more than one occasion, a player came out and said they are going to treat this like any other game and everyone thought it was lip service. The fact is, it is just like any other game.

Yes, the stakes are higher and a championship is on the line. For that reason, there doesn’t need to be any added drama. The game is its own dramatic moment and nothing artificial needs to be built in to it. Just let it play out like we did for 99 percent of the other games played this season (Brett Favre and the Packers reunion excluded).

This is shaping up to be a fun tournament

This March I will get to make my sixth trip to the NCAA basketball tournament when the regional is played at Reliant Stadium in Houston (and maybe a first round trip as well if things go right).

The NCAA Tournament is easily one of the best events in all of sports. I have had the privilege of going as a fan twice, a member of the media and twice working the event. I have seen the games from the nose-bleeds and five feet from the court. The best part of the tournament experience, is it doesn't matter where I have been sitting, the games are just as exciting.

The way things are going this season, the tournament is shaping up to be a very good, balanced field. There just isn't that one great team that looks like they can run away with it. Kentucky is very good, but they are young and that scares me. The rest of the contenders have all shown a tendency to take a night off. In the Dance you can't afford to let that happen.

That is why this year's field could be a really fun one to see play out. There might be 15 teams capable of winning six straight in March. It just seems this season there have been a lot of top-10 teams losing to unranked opponents. Even when a pair of top-25's hook up, the lower-ranked team has been the team pulling out the win.

There are some mid-majors that can get in the dance and make some noise this year that wouldn't be a surprise. Northern Iowa looks to be tough, as does Butler and St. Mary's. While debatable about actually being a mid-major, Gonzaga is a threat again this year.

While I expect a few mids to make some noise early, I think the surprise this year could come from the mid-ranged seeded teams. Two years ago, every No. 1 seed made it to the Final Four. I could very easily see none make it this year. And while it is unlikely, there might not be a 2-seed advance to the last weekend either.

The way things are shaping up this year, this might be the season for the teams in the 5-9 range to make some noise. That is where you will see might see Baylor, Oklahoma State, Florida State, Georgia Tech and a handful of Big East teams. All are capable of winning a few games and getting a step away from Indianapolis.

The tournament is less than two months away and there is still a lot of basketball to be played. But if the first two months are any indication, this year's bracket will be anything but chalk.

Speaking of the Big Dance...

Just looking ahead at the future NCAA Tournament sites, there are lots of opportunites within driving distance over the next few years to go watch basketball in March.

This year the NCAA Regional will be in Houston, but 2011 is the year I really have my eye on. The Regional is in San Antonio and the Final Four will be in Houston. Tulsa will be hosting as well in the first round, meaning I could cross one thing off my list if I can go watch all three weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

Here are the opportunities over the next few years:

2011 Division I Men's Basketball Championship

1st and 2nd Rounds: March 18 and 20
BOK Center, Tulsa, OK
Host: University of Tulsa

Southwest Regional: March 25 and 27
Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Host: University of Texas-San Antonio

Final Four: April 2 and 4
Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
Hosts: University of Houston, Rice University

2012 Division I Men's Basketball Championship

Final Four: March 31 and April 2
Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Host: Tulane University

2013 Division I Men's Basketball Championship

1st and 2nd Rounds: March 22 and 24
Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX
Host: University of Texas

South Regional: March 29 and 31
Cowboys Stadium, Arlington/Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
Host: Big 12 Conference

2014 Division I Men's Basketball Championship

Final Four: April 5 and 7
Cowboys Stadium, North Texas
Host: Big 12 Conference

2016 Division I Men's Basketball Championship

Final Four: April 2 and 4
Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
Host: University of Houston, Rice University

The BCS Championship game

Here is my running blog of the BCS title game. Just some random thoughts as the game goes. They might not even have anything to do with what is actually happening on the field.

11:35 p.m.
With the pending legislation in Washington right now, Alabama might be the last FBS "National Champion" for a long time as long as they don't determine it with a tournament.

11:30 p.m.
Not that it really matters, but who is No. 2, Florida or Boise? I hope it is Boise. Don't want the SEC to go 1-2.

11:25 p.m.
Blake Gideon probably cost Texas a chance at two national championships. If he intercepts the ball last season against Tech, Texas probably plays for it. This year if he doesn't intercept the ball on the fake punt, everything is then different with Texas' play calling and Colt doesn't get hurt. That has to be tough to live with.

11:10 p.m.
You have to hand it to Colt for stepping in front of a mic and take some questions right there at the end. That couldn't have been easy.

11:07 p.m.
If I am Saban, I frame that shirt, stained and all. I wouldn't let that thing hit a washing machine.

11:03 p.m.
The art of the Gatorade shower has been lost. I have seen too many bad Gatorade showers where the cooler hits the coach. You guys are too big and strong to let that happen. 37-21 Bama, Final

11:00 p.m.
Gilbert and the Texas D made this a much more interesting that it looked like it was going to be at halftime. Just too much to ask after losing McCoy. Game plan and everything had to be changed. Everyone on the offense had to do things differently.

10:57
Once again, can't believe they looked at that. Pretty clear cut and the official was right on top of the play.

10:54
You knew they would go to the Heisman winner there. As expected he punched it in. Would have been really disappointing if he didn't. Hate it when Heisman winners don't perform in the bowls. Bama 31-Texas 21 2:01 to play.

10:50
Any chance they hold them to a field goal???

10:49 p.m.
Herbie just jinxed them. Asking Gilbert to rally the troops was probably asking a little too much. It was fun for a while thinking what if.

10:47 p.m.
No matter what, Texas should have a top 3 preseason ranking next year now that there won't be as many questions about the Horn offense heading into 2010.

10:45 p.m.
Does this just have the same feeling as the last time Texas was here?

10:44 p.m.
This is a huuuge play for Texas. Need a stop on third and long

10:39 p.m.
Do we see Ingram on this drive? They need him here.

10:35 p.m.
That is why they should have gotten Shipley involved earlier in the game. The guy is a playmaker. He is just about the only one Texas has on the field right now. How is Alabama letting him get that open??? There is no one else on the field who can hurt you. 24-21 Bama, 6:15 to play

10:33 p.m.
Herbie, we have a game now 11 points with 7:30 to play. You don't have to make something of it that isn't there. just call the damn game.

10:32 p.m.
Gilbert is getting no help around him. Too many penalties and drops.

10:28 p.m.
College football looks at waaaaay too much stuff for review. I didn't think that was even close live. If you look at any play close enough, you can probably pick it apart.

10:26 p.m.
Texas is going to need points of some sort here on this drive. It need to happen fast as well.

10:21 p.m.
Not a good call on the PI. Let's see how it affects this drive. Another 15 yards against Texas. Both weak calls.

10:20 p.m.
How different is this game right now if Texas takes a knee at the end of the half.

10:17 p.m.
Texas defense playing like we thought they would. Just like the offense was flat after McCoy was hurt, I think it took a little out of the defense as well.

10:08 p.m.
Texas pulling out all the stops. ABC has to love this. It is a game again. Well on second look, I think that was just a lucky bounce on what was just a low squib kick.

10:06 p.m.
You had to figure they were going to find Shipley eventually.

10:01 p.m.
Usually if you are the quarterback at a school like Texas, your first few games are against North Texas, UTEP and New Mexico. Not Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Can't blame Gilbert for not being ready for this. He went to LA wondering what his $500 bowl gift was going to be. He had no concern for the coverages in the Bama secondary or the blitz schemes he was going to see.

10:00 p.m.
Gilbert might be the quarterback of the future for Texas, but at what point do you worry about his confidence going forward? This could be mentally damaging for a long time.

9:54 p.m.
ESPN is showing 30 for 30. The Deuce has World's Strongest Man. Next year, the Southland needs to see if we can get in this time slot for a basketball game. Might be our best shot at a ESPN appearance.

9:48 p.m.
OK. Shipley has to make that catch. Never mind.

9:47 p.m.
Got to find more ways to get the ball in the hands of Shipley. Too good of an athlete not to be involved in the game like this.

9:46 p.m.
A Williams receiver for Texas with multiple drops in the game. Where have I seen this one before???

9:41 p.m.
On my ESPN Streak for the Cash, I decided to go with Ingram rushing for more than 53 yards in the first half. I got the win for that one. Now I need to have a touchdown of 30 yards for more in the second half to give me three wins for the day.

9:38 p.m.
A fan on the field might be the most exciting thing to happen in the second. Half. I hate when tv stations cut away to something else while they are chasing the "idiot" around. I like what ABC did just now. They went to the blimp cam so you could see what was going on, just no closeups to give the guy his moment of glory.

9:36 p.m.
Gilbert has virtually no chance of getting back into this game, but the penalties are not going to help the kid out.

9:30 p.m.
WOW. The ABC scoreboard to start the second half was 0-0. Is Fox running this production?

9:28 p.m.
The Horns need to go a different route with this offense right now. Gilbert may have a great future ahead of him, but that can only go so far. With no McCoy they rest of the way, I don't like the way this second half is going to go.

9:24 p.m.
Was Corso drunk during that halftime report? I didn't understand anything he was trying to say. Just spit it out already. It might be time to send him the way of Beano Cook.

9:20 p.m.
So does Colt pull a second half Willis Reid and try to came back in and play? I would have to think he is going to try and give it a shot. I just can't imagine a senior not going to give it a go. Even if he is just out giving handoffs, I think there might just be a little more life in this Texas team. They are dead right now and they need something to pick them up. I don't think there is any way they come back to win this, but they could at least keep it respectable.

9:11 p.m.
Texas is now down 24-6 at the half and this thing is over. I am sure at this point they are looking for Legendary Texas High School coach Bud Kilmer to give McCoy and injection so he can finish the game. The question is, does Jordan Shipley step in and do his best James Vanderbeek and stop it from happening?

9:08 p.m.
You could tell Saban isn't even excited about this game because Colt is not in there. It has even taken the edge out of him. He is not even interested in the game anymore.

9:03 p.m.
DID THAT JUST HAPPEN????

9:00 p.m.
A minor victory for the Longhorns. Crazier things have happened, but I just don't see them coming back. They can at least feel somewhat good about their chances.

8:57 p.m.
If Mark Ingram wore No. 23 instead, would people still compare him to Emmitt.

8:55 p.m.
If Texas can hold them here to at least a field goal, they can consider this still a ballgame.

8:51 p.m.
I will not recognize this victory for Bama. I put is in the same category as the Rockets two championships. Put a big * next to this one.

8:46 p.m.
This game really has lost its shine. How does ABC keep anyone around after halftime. Can't wait to hear the enlightening conversations Herbie and Musberger have.

8:41 p.m.
Well that should just about do it for this game. I don't think they can sneak VY into the game as the unknown "third stringer" 14-6 Bama 2nd quarter.

8:37 p.m.
Texas is going to have to create something on defense. I don't see the offense putting a drive together. I love how Herbie is trying to keep it interesting. "This is a young man with a great arm and he will be able to throw it around if Davis wants to open up the offense."

8:32 p.m.
Anything else good on TV tonight? 7-6 Alabama 2nd quarter.

8:27 p.m.
If Gilbert can't go, they just need to put Shipley in the shotgun and go Wildcat the rest of the way.

8:24 p.m.
Kirk Herbstreet has gotten worse the longer he has worked with Musburger.

8:20 p.m.
That is ball game. There is no way Texas comes back to win this game if Colt is not in the game.

8:11 p.m.
If Colt is going to be out the rest of the way, Texas has to come away with more than six points there on those two possessions. Even if the defense plays lights out, those two series might have cost them the title. 6-0 Texas 1st quarter.

7:40 p.m.
Wow. Can't believe Saban just called that fake punt. I thought he was going to be the difference maker in this game, but not because he was going to make decisions like that.

Boys back in postseason

Last week we knew the Cowboys were back in the playoffs for the first time in two years. Now we know the opponent and where.

With a win over the Eagles, the Cowboys win the NFC East and get a first round home game and the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. The problem is, the first round opponent for Dallas is Philadelphia.

I guess that is why I am not as excited about the playoffs as I probably should be. It is not even about the whole "you can't beat a team three times in one season." I don't buy into that theory. It only gets talked about when it doesn't happen. No one keeps track of the times someone has beaten a team three times in one season.

What makes me nervous is Philly. The recent history between the two has not been kind. Yes the Cowboys took both games this season, but you don't have to look far to find a 44-6 beating at the hand of the Eagles to keep Dallas out of the playoffs last season. Andy Reid and Donavan McNabb have been a thorn in the side of the Cowboys for a long time which is one reason why I despise them so.

Two years ago I thought it was the year. Dallas had a great season end after the first playoff game in a loss to the Giants. The aftermath of that game was not pretty and spawned the creation of this blog. But that year they went into the playoffs losers of two of their last three and couldn't turn it back on after playing so well all season long.

2006 was much the same. Dallas backed into the playoffs losing three of the last four after an 8-4 start to the season. They ended up having to go on the road for the first round of the playoffs and lost a heart-breaker to Seattle.

That is why I am hoping this year is different. Dallas has won three straight including two wins against playoff teams (New Orleans and Philly). They are peaking at the right time which is something they have not been able to do the last three years.

They started the run with a win on the road at New Orleans against an undefeated Saints squad no one thought Dallas would beat. They then knocked off Washington on the road followed by today's win against Philly.

The best part about the last two games is they have done it with a stifling defense. By blanking both Washington and Philly, the Cowboys recorded the first back-to-back shutouts in franchise history. Take a moment to let that sink in -- first time EVER. That is not just the JJ era, but Tom's boys as well. The Doomsday Defense never had consecutive games like Dallas just did.

When you look at the playoff picture, there is reason for hope. Just like the Cowboys last two trips to the playoffs, the top contenders are not going in on a high note. Top-seeded New Orleans is riding a three-game losing streak after having visions of a perfect season. Minnesota is not playing much better. Sure they thumped New York today, but it was a lame-duck Giant squad that had nothing to play for. The previous four weeks, Minnesota has just one win to show for its efforts. Even the fourth seeded Cardinals are just 2-2 in their last four.

That is why there is reason to be optimistic about a playoff run. That is also what makes Saturday's playoff game even more nerve racking. In a year when things look like they might be setting up for the Cowboys, you have the Eagles standing in the way. Today's result really means nothing as far as how the playoff game will be played. You can't expect the Cowboys to shut out the Eagles again, and you can't expect Philly to play this bad again. I never felt comfortable about the game this week and I won't ever feel comfortable about next week's game until it is over.

100-ish things I want to do in sports

Here is a list of things I want to do in sports. It is kind of a running list I have always had in my head, but just never put on paper. Some of them are already crossed off the list. Some of these things seem pretty simple, I just haven't gotten a chance to do it yet.

My teams

1. Watch Penn State play at Beaver Stadium
2. Watch a game from the sideline at a Cowboys regular season game (I have done it for a scrimmage against the Texans).
3. Watch Manchester United play.
4. See the US men's soccer team play
5. See the US men's soccer team play outside of the United States
6. Watch the Bearkats win an NCAA Tournament game (not the opening round)
7. See the Braves play in Atlanta

8. See the Cowboys play on the road
9. See the Cowboys play on the road in a game not in Houston
10. Go to a Cowboys game on Monday Night
11. Go to a Cowboys game on Thanksgiving

12. See the Cowboys play in the playoffs

13. See the Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game

14. Watch UConn play in college basketball

The Rivalries

15. Watch Duke-Carolina basketball game

16. Go to the Iron Bowl (Alabama-Auburn)

17. Go to Texas-OU football

18. Go to Texas-Texas A&M football

19. Go watch Army-Navy football

20. Go see Harvard-Yale football

21. Go see a Yankee-Red Sox game

22. See the US men's soccer team take on Mexico

23. Go to a Cowboys-Redskins game

24. Go to Michigan-Ohio State football game

25. See Federer vs. Nadal

The Stadiums

26. Watch a game at Old Trafford
27. Watch a football game at the Big House
28. Watch a football game at LSU
29. Watch a football game at Notre Dame
30. Watch a football game at Tennessee
31. Visit the Roman Coliseum
32. Visit every Major League Baseball ballpark
33. Visit every minor league ballpark in Texas. (MLB affiliated clubs only)
34. Watch a college basketball game at Rupp Arena
35. Watch a college basketball game at Pualey Pavilion
36. Watch a college basketball game at Madison Square Garden
37. Watch a college baseball game at Rosenblatt Stadium.
38. Watch a Big 5 game at the Palestra.
39. Watch a game at Cameron Indoor Stadium
40. Watch an afternoon game at Wrigley Field from the bleachers
41. Watch a game at Lambeau Field

The Events
42. Go to the Final Four.

43. Go to the Super Bowl
44. Go to the World Series
45. Go to the BCS National Championship game
46. Go to the Cotton Bowl (the game, not necessarily the stadium)
47. Go to the Rose Bowl.
48. Go to the Sugar Bowl
49. Go to the Fiesta Bowl
50. Go to the Orange Bowl
51. Go to the College World Series.
52. Attend the Masters.
53. Attend the US Open
54. Attend the British Open
55. Attend an English Premier League match
56. Go to the MLB All-Star Game
57. Go to a World Cup match
58. Go to a World Cup match outside of the United State
59. Go to a World Cup Final
60. Attend the Heisman Trophy presentation

61. Attend an NHL game

62. Attend an NHL playoff game
63. Attend a Stanley Cup Final
64. Attend an NHL game in Canada
65. Attend a NASCAR race (I just have to see what the big deal is)
66. See a UEFA Champions League Match
67. See a UEFA Champions League Final
68. Attend the Olympic opening ceremonies
69. Attend the Olympic closing ceremonies
70. Attend an Olympic event
71. Attend the NFL Draft
72. Spend a weekend at the Big East basketball tournament
73. Spend a weekend at the ACC basketball tournament
74. Attend the Big 12 football Championship game
75. Attend the SEC football Championship game
76. Attend the FCS National Championship game
77. Go to a Texas High School Football State Championship game.
78. Go the McDonald's All-American game.
79. Go watch a match at Wimbledon
80. Go to the tennis US Open
81. Go to the French Open
82. Go to the Kentucky Derby

Just do it

83. Take batting practice at a major league ball park.
84. Play a round of golf at Pebble Beach.
85. Play a round of golf at St. Andrews.
86. Sit in the outfield for home run derby.
88. Catch a ball during an MLB game.
89. Never see another NBA game in person again (Last one was 2007 in San Antonio and I only went because it was free.)
91. See every NFL team play
92. See every Division I men's basketball team play
93. Touch the Heisman Trophy
94. Walk 18 holes (as a spectator) with Tiger Woods
95. Hit a hole in one
96. Step in the batters box against a major league pitcher
97. Watch the first round of the NCAA Tournament at a casino in Vegas (obviously if I don't work in college athletics)
98. Broadcast a game at Madison Square Garden
99. Go to a Texas HS 6-man game
100. Go to all three rounds of the NCAA Tournament in the same year.
101. Do a bowl game tour (see as many bowl games as possible in the same season.)

102. Play in the Main Event of the World Series of Poker

The Empire is Evil again; baseball offseason

I cringed this morning when I heard the news -- Curtis Granderson will be going to the Yankees. You have got to be kidding me. Granderson is such a good guy and someone I like to root for. I can't do that if he is in New York.

The Tigers have always been my American League team to root for, so I took a liking to Granderson. He is just a guy who seems to play the game the right way. Plus with everything he is involved in off the field as well, you just can't help but wish for good things for him.

Now he is a Yankee. My only hope is it doesn't last long.

The Braves have spent the offseason looking for a couple of arms for the pen and seem to have found them in Takashi Saito to replace Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez. I think Saito is solid, but I don't know what to expect from Wagner. I have seen him play quite a bit going back to his Houston days.

If Wagner can settle into the closer role, I think the back end of the pen is in good shape. The Braves are also set with the starting rotation, with six starters signed right now. Someone is probably going to have to go and I wouldn't mind it being Derek Lowe.

The last think they need to address is getting a stick. If they move Lowe's 15 mil off the books, that could really open up some opportunities for Frank Wren in the free agent market. The two big names out there right now are Jason Bay and Matt Holliday. I think Atlanta will probably be priced out of those negotiations meaning they will have to take a look at the next level of guys, including Jermaine Dye. I wouldn't mind seeing the former Brave coming back to Atlanta.

After the strong push at the end of the season, with Wild Card talks going to the last week of the season, there is reason for some excitement going into this season. I think they do need one, maybe two more bats to put the whole package together.

Has it been that long?

Wow. I can't believe I haven't been on here since the first of May. I guess it has been busy around here. We have wrapped up a pro baseball season and are damn near through with college football, at least for the Bearkats.

I am going to have to get on here more, because there is so much that has been going on. The Braves made a run this year and then just ran out of gas at the end. But I do like the direction they are going and think next season they have a good chance to contend for another division title.

The Cowboys are always going to be a rollercoaster ride, and frankly, it is the only rollercoaster you will ever see me on. A month ago, Romo was crap and on his way out the door and Wade wasn't going to finish the year. Now after four staright wins, people are talking a playoff run and I have even heard "Super Bowl contender" from someone in the national media.

I don't know what to think about the Cowboys. They still scare me to death. My heart was racing a mile a minute for fear they were going to get destroyed last week at Philly, and why not? What have they ever done in recent memory to make me think otherwise. After beating the Eagles I jumped up, gave a fist pump, and nearly dislocted my elbow in the process.

Penn State is playing some good ball and is in position for a New Year's Day Bowl game again. I had hopes of a BCS Bowl early in the year, but knew they my fall short on the offensive end. Don't get me wrong, Daryl Clark is a great quarterback, but it is tough to replace three senior receivers and win the Big 10.

My Bearkats have been, well, we will leave that one alone. But basketball looks to be in position for a great season, and this may be Bob Marlin's best team top-to-bottom yet. I watched practice the other day and they looked good. Can't wait to see them Saturday night. Also can't wait to get back on the air. I haven't call a game since June when baseball was in the NCAA Regional in Rice.

Looking forward to a great finish in 2009 for the Cowboys and Nittany Lions and hopefully Marlin and the Bearkats will make the first few months of 2010 one to remember as well.

And with the 151st pick of the NFL Draft …

The New York Giants select – a story line.

So Rhett Bomar is going to be in New York. For most athletes making the move from Sam Houston State to the Big Apple would be a huge shock to the system. I am sure Rhett will experience some of that.

One of the aspects of playing in New York that a lot of people seem to have problems with is dealing with the New York media. That is an area I don’t think Rhett will have any trouble with. He is certainly better equipped to handle the throng of reporters in New York than any other athlete coming out of Sam Houston State.

First off he was the starting quarterback at Oklahoma as a freshman. Since the Sooners are about as close to a professional team as you get in Oklahoma he has had a taste of what it is like being in the spotlight.

Since coming to Huntsville he faced no shortage of interview requests and the questions were all the same. I didn’t matter how good of a game Rhett had played for the Bearkats, the national media only wanted to talk about Oklahoma. ESPN’s Outside the Lines was on campus to do a feature on Rhett before he ever played a down for the Kats.

In addition, Rhett has done interviews with Sports Illustrated, LA Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Houston Chronicle just to name a few. I can’t tell you have many interviews he did over the last three years or how many we turned down because we just had a bad feeling about it.

All the interviews were the same. The guys would start off asking about life in Division II football and Rhett would have to correct them and tell them this is Division I. Then they would lob a few softball questions about how the season is going before working their way to Oklahoma. Rhett always answered the questions the same way, but each reporter had is set in their head they were going to be the one to uncover “the real story” at Oklahoma.

Three quarterbacks were selected in the first round this past weekend and they will all get the scrutiny that comes with being a first-round QB. There will be a host of other rookie quarterbacks heading to camp this weekend and they will be just like any other player new to the team. When they do talk to the media it will mostly be about what happened on the field that day.

Rhett will face the media this weekend as well. Someone will toss him an easy question about how his first day went and he will handle it like any other rookie. But unlike the other rookies, Rhett will then have to respond to questions about something that happened more than four years ago. It won’t matter how seasoned the reporter, no one will ask Rhett a question he hasn’t already heard. He also won't give an answer they haven't heard.

A few college basketball items

I posted this on the 12th Street blog as well, but I wanted to get it up here as well.

One story that has not gotten much coverage is a situation that happened this week in the America East Conference.

Voting for all-conference can be tough. I have done it for seven years and there are always varying opinions on who should make first team and who is the player of the year. Most of the voters only see a player in action once or twice in a season and have to make a determination at the end of the year of who are the most deserving 15 players.

It can be a difficult process and there is always going to be someone left out. It is the nature of the beast. But what happened in the America East Conference this week is inexcusable. Binghamton won the regular season and guard D.J. Rivera led the league in scoring. He was also top 10 in rebounding, but when the all-conference list was announced, he was not player of the year.

The problem with this story is that he also was not named to the first team. Rivera, along with a teammate were both second team selections. Apparently, Rivera was denied the honor by a group of coaches in the league as a protest to an NCAA decision to allow Rivera to play after transferring from St. Joseph's without sitting the required season for moving from one Division I university to another. Rivera was granted a hardship waiver from the NCAA and was allowed to play this season.

The most unbelievable part of this story is the conference office is not only confirming the coaches voted with an agenda, but is also condoning it. Conference commissioner Patrick Nero said "It wasn’t a protest toward the kid at all. It was a protest toward the NCAA in allowing him to be eligible. It’s unfortunate, I don’t think it’s right. It’s unfair to the young man. He didn’t do anything wrong."

Nero should be ashamed of his comments. This should have never been made public. If Nero had any sense what-so-ever, he would have taken care of this internally. The coaches who left Rivera off should have had their ballots thrown out and never counted toward the final vote total. Rivera may still have not been the player of the year, but my guess is he would have been a first team selection where he belonged.

Binghamton and Rivera got their revenge, winning the America East Conference Tournament to grab a spot in next week's dance. Rivera fittingly was named tournament MVP.

I stayed up for all 6 OT's

When I got home from Katy on Thursday, I wasn't planning on watching much basketball. After seeing the Kats knocked out in the first round, I just wasn't up to it. But the Big East tournament game between Syracuse and UConn was on and I have always been a Husky fan so I turned the game on to watch the second half. Little did I know that would turn out to be a three hour commitment.

I was texting a few people at the end of regulation after they declared Eric Devendorf's 3 to win the game had come as the final horn was sounding. Syracuse seemingly had a victory and it was taken from them. A few people wanted to see the game end that way, but I was glad it was going to OT. I am a sucker for drama and overtime always brings drama.

Midway through the second overtime I sent out a text saying they might as well play 5 OTs. And then the fourth OT came and went and I really couldn't believe I was watching a game go to the fifth. In the fifth OT I didn't think either team was going to score. Both teams were gassed. Syracuse resorted to playing a walk-on who had a total of 60 minutes all season.

After the fifth overtime ended, I didn't see any foreseeable way either teams was going to win. It was a tournament, so someone was going to have to move one. Even though I was rooting for UConn to win, I wasn't upset when Syracuse sealed the deal in the sixth and final OT.

It was fun to watch those guys lay it on the line for 70 minutes of basketball. They were still diving on the floor and running and gunning even though you could see the guys who had been out there the whole time had nothing left.

I still think UConn is a No. 1 seed. Despite the loss in the first round, I think they showed enough in that game they deserve a spot on the top line of the bracket. Amazingly Syracuse knocked off West Virginia the next night in overtime once again, and then pushed Louisville to the brink. I always like Syracuse in the NCAA tournament. Jim Boeheim is one of the best coaches in college basketball and he always finds a way to win. I just have to wonder how much this run in the Big East Tournament will affect them in nest week's Big Dance.

The search of the "noise"

I am reading a book right now called "Bloody Confused" by Chuck Culpepper that I am really enjoying. He is a sportswriter who has become disenchanted by American sports so he spent a spring in England watching the English Premier League.

During the early part of the book he talks about the reason people love sports is for a particular moment. What he calls that noise. An moment in a game that gets the crowd and atmosphere in general to create a noise that "might swim in your ear canals and rustle your soul and electrify your skin and maybe even prolong your life."

He writes about a goal between Portsmouth and Manchester City as being that it moment for him that truly hooked him into the EPL. He was not even at the game, but watching on TV, but he could just feel the noise through the television.

As a sportswriter Culpepper has covered 11 Super Bowls, seven World Series, five Olympics, 25 major golf tournaments and countless bowl games among other events. But one he remembers most is a moment he missed. When Kirk Gibson hit his famous home run off Eck in the '88 Series, Culpepper was in the hallway outside the Oakland locker room waiting to interview the supposed winning pitcher Dave Stewart.

He witnessed one of the biggest home runs in baseball history on a monitor in the hallway at Chavez Ravine and said he only wishes he knew what the noise in the stadium sounded like.

That got me thinking about whether I have ever experienced that noise. That moment in sports that "rustled my soul or electrified my skin." Have I ever experienced a moment that some people search their entire sporting lives for? Some never find it.

I guess I have been lucky. In my 31 years of the pursuit of the "noise" I can pinpoint four times I experienced it. That moment that not only qualifies as a fantastic moment in a game, but changes the environment around you. For that reason, the finish to the Sam Houston State/Eastern Washington playoff game in 2004 doesn't qualify because the game was in Cheney, Washington. Although the silence in that stadium was awesome.

The first was in 1997 at the Alamodome at the NCAA Basketball Midwest Regional. With the UCLA Bruins trailing 73-72 to Iowa State Cameron Dollar sprinted the length of the floor after a shot by Iowa State's Shawn Bankhead scored to put the Cyclones up with 10 seconds left in overtime. Dollar floated a 3-footer over the outstretched arm of Kelvin Cato to give the Bruins a thrilling victory.

To top it off, it was the second game of what had to have been one of the most exciting nights in NCAA regional history as Minnesota had beat Clemson in double overtime the first game of the night. When Dollar hit the shot, the place erupted. I have never experienced anything like. It was my first NCAA Tournament and I loved every second of it. Probably because of that night, I have been to the Big Dance four more times.

My second it moment was another college basketball game (this is going to be a theme here.) This is my only Sam Houston game on the list. It was the 2003 Southland Conference Championship game. In overtime, Donald Cole hit a 3-pointer with 18-seconds left to beat Stephen F. Austin.

I was sitting on press row right next to the Bearkat bench. The final moments of that game are a blur. To noise in Johnson Coliseum was indescribable. I have since watched the shot again and it looks nothing like I remember it in person. I had been to the NCAA Tournament two times before, but that shot meant I was going to see my Bearkats in the Big Dance. That was one of those moments.

The next one stings. Simply known as the 18-inning game. The 2005 playoff between the Astros and the Braves. As a Braves fan the game was absolutely gut-wrenching to watch. I don't remember what inning it was in, maybe the 15th or 16th, but the Astros hit a ball that looked like it was in the Crawford Box, that just drifted foul. For a moment I thought I was going to puke.

After getting stop after stop and forcing yet another inning, I just kept feeling like the Braves were finally going to break through and get a run. And then in the bottom of the 18th Chris Burke of all people hit a bloop that managed to find its way into the seats.

The Minute Maid crowd erupted. It was easily the most energy I had ever felt from a stadium. I don't think I even saw Burke cross home plate. As soon as the ball dropped in the Crawford Box I was out of my seat and heading to the exit.

The thing I remember the most is being in the concourse afterward and heading down the escalators. We were the only two people out there as you could here the noise out in the stadium. There was an eerie clam heading down the escalators. Little did I know at the time, but that is the last time Atlanta has walked off the field in the postseason.

The final moment for me was this past year at the Final Four. My fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament and my first Final Four. I was assisting the media services staff and had the fortunate pleasure to watch the games courtside. I was standing just off the baseline on the opposite end of the court when Mario Chalmers hit the 3-pointer to force overtime in the National Championship game.

Once again, the energy in the Alamodome that night was indescribable. While there was still five minutes of overtime to play, you just had a feel there was no way Kansas was going to lose. Before the game started a friend sent me a text and asked me who I thought was going to win. I sent back and said I didn't care, I just wanted to see the greatest game in NCAA Championship history. I think Chalmers certainly gave me a chance to make that claim.

All of these moments are ingrained in my memory not because of what I saw, but because of what I felt in that moment. Culpepper says these are the moments in sports that "rustle your soul and electrify your skin" and I have never thought about it that way before, but it is so true. Now here's to hoping they also help prolong my life.

One more video clip

Here is one more clip that I was able to get together. This is probably not one of my finer moments on the sideline. I honestly have no idea why I did it. I guess I was just pissed we let them score right before the half.

Video by request

I was asked to put this clip up on the web so here it is. This is during the 2001 SFA game. Obviously at the time I thought this was a horrible call and reacted accordingly. Looking back on it I think the ref made the right call.

The Greatest Pitcher You'll Ever See

It was kind of sad the other day seeing Greg Maddux hang up his spikes for good. For so long Maddux was a big part of the Braves and one of the best pitchers to ever lace them up.

I always think back to the Sports Illustrated cover from 1995 saying Maddux was "the greatest pitcher you'll ever see." Being a Braves fan I got to see a lot of him, just about every fifth day.

Unlike some of the top pitchers in the past, Maddux didn't have the overpowering fast ball he could resort to if the other stuff wasn't working. Maddux wouldn't blow the ball past any one. Instead he had to out think the opposing hitters. More often than not, that is exactly what he did.

For that reason, he never had the huge strikeout numbers that some people use to judge a pitcher's career. He didn't have a no-hitter in his career either like some of the top throwers in baseball did. But he was about as efficient as a pitcher who ever took the hill.

Maddux went one season nearly having fewer walks than wins in the season, finishing the 1997 campaign with 19 wins and 20 walks. Two years earlier he put together one of the best single seasons for a pitcher going 19-2 with an ERA of 1.63 and an astonishing WHIP of 0.81. In fact, even with some down years at the end of has career, he still finished with a career WHIP of 1.14. Only Johan Santana has a better career WHIP (1.10) among active players.

His years with Atlanta were clearly his best, although he did win a Cy Young with Chicago. In 10 years he went 194-88 and twice had an ERA under 2.

I don't know how many times I saw Maddux pitch in person, but there is one game I remember specifically. It was two days after I graduated high school. Maddux went seven innings against the Astros without giving up a hit. Jeff Bagwell was leading off the 8th and I looked at my friend and said if he can get past Bagwell he has a good chance to throw the no-no. Bagwell then took him deep. Maddux then retired the next six hitters for a one-hitter. It is the closest he ever got.

Maddux will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and that will be a speech I don't plan on missing. I figure I have seen more than 200 major league baseball games and have watched guys like Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan, Dwight Godden, Roger Clemens, Kevin Brown, Andy Pettitte, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine toe the rubber and I still can't argue with SI, Maddux is the greatest pitcher I will ever see.

Don't give up ... Don't ever give up

It has been more than 15 years since Jim Valvano delivered his "Don't give up" speech at the ESPY's and to a crowd at NC State and it still gets me to this day.

ESPN can be accused of over hyping a lot of things. Every week on the network has some sort of corny tag like "Rivalry Week" or "Showdown Week" or the build up to the "Collision in the Coliseum."

Most of the time it is just some petty attempt to hype something that either A) doesn't need hype to begin with, or B) isn't really that big of a deal, but ESPN is trying to convince everyone it it. Usually it is the latter.

But with "Jimmy V Week," they have flat out nailed it. The cause aside, Jimmy V Week is such a special week because we get to relive the speech Jim Valvano gave on the podium at the ESPY's in 1993. I don't think I got choked up the first time I saw the speech, because I was a sophomore in high school and you just didn't do that.

But at the time, I had not had anyone in my life fight cancer. As a 31-year-old with a family, it is much different. I can relate more to what Jimmy V was saying on that night as his gestures and nods to his family really hits home.

Every year during the Jimmy V Classic I try to catch the speech between games. If I am not home I try to record it. By the time it is done, I always have a massive knot in my throat and usually a little moisture in the eyes.

I was talking to a group of students a few weeks ago, and I was amazed they have never seen the speech before. I have to remember they weren't born yet when Jimmy V was running around the court in 1983 after winning the national championship. When he was giving his speech in 1993 they were about eight years old and more concerned about a lot of other things on TV than some old coach wearing a tux and speaking to a group of people they had never heard of.

I told them all to google his speech and watch it. I don't know if any of them ever did. So if you are reading this, I have found a link to the speech and you now have no excuse for not watching it.

My brother knows how much I liked Jimmy V even before he passed away, and especially how much I have grown to like him in the years since. For my birthday he ordered a DVD of the ESPY speech from the V Foundation and with the DVD came a blue wrist band with "Don't give up ... Don't ever give up" written on it.

No matter what the situation, where I am or what the dress code is, I don't take that band off. In fact since I have had it, I have worn it more than my wedding band. Without really even thinking about it, not a week goes by I don't stop and look at it and think about the words written on it.

In Jimmy V's speech he has another part I think of quite a bit and repeat to other people at times:

"When people say to me how do you get through life or each day, it's the
same thing. To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should
do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day.
Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think
about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck
of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something
special."

Not a day goes by that I don't laugh and at least spend some time in thought. I probably don't cry enough for Jimmy V's liking, but I guess that is what his video is for. It is amazing how often at the end of the night that I have had a really bad day that I think back and realize I just blew through the day and didn't spend time doing any of the things Jimmy V talked about doing every day.

This turned into being much longer than I was anticipating it being. I really just wanted to get a link of the speech up. Now I am not really sure how I want to close it, so I guess I do it the same way Jimmy V did.

"I thank you and God bless you all."