Last year's breakthrough championship for LeBron was his most meaningful, but this second one is more important -- and will likely become a "most important" once LeBron gets to 3+ titles, as early as next year.
It was the toughest opponent he'll ever face -- far tougher than any of the six teams (5 if you count the Jazz only once) that Michael Jordan had to beat.
And he elevated his game to near-perfection -- by far the best he has ever been, and that's not too far off from "best there ever was."
I love that he didn't cheer as the clock hit 0.0 -- he later showed some emotion, but his initial impulse was to display a look that said "Well, of COURSE we won a title again."
Regardless of the handful of unlucky bounces for the Spurs (or lucky ones for the Heat) that ultimately gave the Heat the game, LeBron has put himself on another stratosphere.
Even if it feels like another Heat d'accompli next season, and... that's OK. This Heat-Spurs series was a non-stop thrill ride played at such a high level that it was entirely satisfying.
The only issue is if LeBron, like Jordan, can never again find a Finals foe that is worthy of pushing him to his limits and then, amazingly for him AND the rest of us, beyond.
-- D.S.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
6/19 (Wow, That Game) Quickie
I think it's worth asking: Was last night the greatest game in NBA history?
I don't think it's crazy, and -- given the stakes, stars, storylines, moments, flow and finish -- at the very least, I think it merits a place in the conversation.
Some people will hate that. And, yes, it is "instant history" at its finest/worst and me going once more to the "superlative" well.
(More superlatives from last night: The sequence from the moment LeBron lost his headband until the end of the game was the finest stretch of his career... Ray Allen's 3 was the biggest of his career... it was the best game of Chris Bosh's often-maligned career... That was probably the best half of Tim Duncan's career... It was certainly the best game of Kawhi Leonard's career.)
But that doesn't change the fact that it was one of the most epic games in NBA history. LeBron himself called it the greatest game he has ever been a part of.
If the Heat win Game 7, I think it seals Game 6 as the Greatest NBA Game Ever.
And, perhaps even more impressively, if the Heat lose Game 7, their effort in Game 6 ensures that no one -- at least no one reasonable -- would be able to say that the Heat were unworthy, even in defeat.
-- D.S.
I don't think it's crazy, and -- given the stakes, stars, storylines, moments, flow and finish -- at the very least, I think it merits a place in the conversation.
Some people will hate that. And, yes, it is "instant history" at its finest/worst and me going once more to the "superlative" well.
(More superlatives from last night: The sequence from the moment LeBron lost his headband until the end of the game was the finest stretch of his career... Ray Allen's 3 was the biggest of his career... it was the best game of Chris Bosh's often-maligned career... That was probably the best half of Tim Duncan's career... It was certainly the best game of Kawhi Leonard's career.)
But that doesn't change the fact that it was one of the most epic games in NBA history. LeBron himself called it the greatest game he has ever been a part of.
If the Heat win Game 7, I think it seals Game 6 as the Greatest NBA Game Ever.
And, perhaps even more impressively, if the Heat lose Game 7, their effort in Game 6 ensures that no one -- at least no one reasonable -- would be able to say that the Heat were unworthy, even in defeat.
-- D.S.
Monday, June 17, 2013
06/17 (Ginobili) Quickie
Happy belated Father's Day to all the dads out there. As I wrote on Twitter yesterday: If only I was half as good at being a dad as I love being a dad. But I work at it every day.
Meanwhile, the Heat are on the brink. Win or else for Game 6 in Miami tomorrow night. And even if they win that, it's win or else for Game 7 in Miami on Thursday night.
The issue is that the Heat have yet to be able to string together two straight winning peformances -- either against the Spurs or the Pacers a round ago.
Meanwhile, the Spurs might also be similarly stymied, but they have clearly been able to make the necessary adjustments from losing game to winning game, most notably last night and the starting of Manu Ginobili for the first time all season.
The Spurs treated last night like it was a must-win... because it really was. And now the Heat are in trouble.
-- D.S.
Meanwhile, the Heat are on the brink. Win or else for Game 6 in Miami tomorrow night. And even if they win that, it's win or else for Game 7 in Miami on Thursday night.
The issue is that the Heat have yet to be able to string together two straight winning peformances -- either against the Spurs or the Pacers a round ago.
Meanwhile, the Spurs might also be similarly stymied, but they have clearly been able to make the necessary adjustments from losing game to winning game, most notably last night and the starting of Manu Ginobili for the first time all season.
The Spurs treated last night like it was a must-win... because it really was. And now the Heat are in trouble.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
6/11 (Tebow/Pats) Quickie
It's not like I didn't see this coming. Frankly, it seemed obvious back in 2007, then again in 2008, then again in 2010, then again during this current Tebow interregnum.
Because of that, I have been mentally preparing myself for the fandom switch to the Patriots -- a team I have disliked and rooted against for a long time.
I certainly didn't want this, even if I saw it coming. But I accept it, obviously, and therefore will be buying the obligatory Tebow "5" jersey (the return back to his original high school number being a bonus side benefit of this move).
Most people loathe the fact that I, years ago, decided that I would simply root for whatever team Tim Tebow is on. First it was the Broncos. Then the Jets. Now the Patriots.
More on that later.
-- D.S.
Because of that, I have been mentally preparing myself for the fandom switch to the Patriots -- a team I have disliked and rooted against for a long time.
I certainly didn't want this, even if I saw it coming. But I accept it, obviously, and therefore will be buying the obligatory Tebow "5" jersey (the return back to his original high school number being a bonus side benefit of this move).
Most people loathe the fact that I, years ago, decided that I would simply root for whatever team Tim Tebow is on. First it was the Broncos. Then the Jets. Now the Patriots.
More on that later.
-- D.S.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Patriots Sign Tim Tebow
I have been pushing this since 2008: The Patriots are the best fit for Tim Tebow. Now we'll see for real.
-- D.S.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
6/4 (Heat-Spurs) Quickie
Here's the brutal (yet glorious!) thing about expectations for the Heat:
The Game 7 win over the Pacers was necessary, but not nearly sufficient, to consider their season a success.
In the end, the Heat -- exclusively -- are "NBA champs or fail."
Last night was something they had to do, but as I write for USA TODAY Sports today, it is meaningless if they lose the title to the Spurs.
I have written a lot about the core appeal of Florida fandom to me when I first had the opportunity 12 years ago: Crushing expectations.
After a lifetime of rooting for Northwestern (up to that point, "bowl eligibility or fail!") and the Wizards ("just don't lose your place in the draft order during the NBA Lottery!"), there was something so invigorating about rooting for a team where even a single loss can ruin a season.
I will be rooting for the Spurs, for a lot of reasons: I think the Heat are more interesting when they lose epically. I love the idea of the "Duncan Dynasty" extending beyond the Spurs' last title another half-decade, truly one of the most remarkable runs in the history of the NBA -- most uber-elite player can win multiple titles in a row. It takes a truly unique situation to win five titles over 15 years.
If I was a Heat fan, if I was LeBron James, if I was a fan of the NBA... I wouldn't want it any other way than it is right now.
-- D.S.
The Game 7 win over the Pacers was necessary, but not nearly sufficient, to consider their season a success.
In the end, the Heat -- exclusively -- are "NBA champs or fail."
Last night was something they had to do, but as I write for USA TODAY Sports today, it is meaningless if they lose the title to the Spurs.
I have written a lot about the core appeal of Florida fandom to me when I first had the opportunity 12 years ago: Crushing expectations.
After a lifetime of rooting for Northwestern (up to that point, "bowl eligibility or fail!") and the Wizards ("just don't lose your place in the draft order during the NBA Lottery!"), there was something so invigorating about rooting for a team where even a single loss can ruin a season.
I will be rooting for the Spurs, for a lot of reasons: I think the Heat are more interesting when they lose epically. I love the idea of the "Duncan Dynasty" extending beyond the Spurs' last title another half-decade, truly one of the most remarkable runs in the history of the NBA -- most uber-elite player can win multiple titles in a row. It takes a truly unique situation to win five titles over 15 years.
If I was a Heat fan, if I was LeBron James, if I was a fan of the NBA... I wouldn't want it any other way than it is right now.
-- D.S.
Monday, June 03, 2013
6/3 (Heat-Pacers Game 7) Quickie
Tonight doesn't qualify as a toss-up: The Heat will probably win.
Regardless of the sorry state of the full "Big Three," they still have LeBron. They have the result of Game 5. They have Chris Andersen back (and, in the effective absence of Wade and Bosh, that's a not insubstantial X-factor). They have home-court advantage. They have what I would qualify as a slight mental edge, even as confident as the Pacers might seem to be (or have reason to be).
That said, the only question for me today is: What if Miami loses?
It's kind of incredible: LeBron's superlative season would be a failure. The era of the Big Three would be effectively over. Instead of an epic Heat-Spurs, we get... well, not Heat-Spurs.
Every single bit of pressure is on the Heat. Will they fall short?
If they do, it is way more interesting than if they win.
-- D.S.
Regardless of the sorry state of the full "Big Three," they still have LeBron. They have the result of Game 5. They have Chris Andersen back (and, in the effective absence of Wade and Bosh, that's a not insubstantial X-factor). They have home-court advantage. They have what I would qualify as a slight mental edge, even as confident as the Pacers might seem to be (or have reason to be).
That said, the only question for me today is: What if Miami loses?
It's kind of incredible: LeBron's superlative season would be a failure. The era of the Big Three would be effectively over. Instead of an epic Heat-Spurs, we get... well, not Heat-Spurs.
Every single bit of pressure is on the Heat. Will they fall short?
If they do, it is way more interesting than if they win.
-- D.S.
Sunday, June 02, 2013
6/2 (Grant Hill) Quickie
Happy retirement to Grant Hill. We 40-year-olds have to stick together.
(Can't wait for Heat-Pacers Game 7 on Monday night. Wow.)
-- D.S.
(Can't wait for Heat-Pacers Game 7 on Monday night. Wow.)
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
05/29 (Rebounding) Quickie
Mrs. Quickie won me over on our first date when she talked about how offensive rebounding was the essential skill in winning basketball.
I couldn't help but think about that as the Pacers out-rebounded the Heat last night -- 49-30 for the game, 17-4 in the devastating 4th quarter.
Whew: That one sequence with about two minutes to go when Paul George missed a 3 and Roy Hibbert got the O-rebound and put-back, then on the Pacers' next offensive set, the missed shot by Stephenson, followed by a David West O-rebound, out to Hibbert for a jumper, which he missed... then followed up by grabbing his own miss and putting it back in, including a foul on the shot by LeBron, his 5th, which would emerge as rather important when, a half-minute later, LeBron was called for that absurd offensive foul and had to leave the game.
(Today's USA TODAY Sports column leads with Joey Crawford's officiating, but quickly moves to the more deterministic factor of Indiana's rebounding. Check it out here.)
It is important to keep in mind that everything broke right for the Pacers and they STILL only won narrowly. But they won. And they seem to have the template for keeping pace with the Heat: Rebound, rebound, rebound:
It was all the more impressive that the Pacers came back from Tuesday's Game 3 debacle at home to punch the Heat in the mouth, not unlike the way the Heat won Game 4 of their conference semifinal series a year ago.
The Pacers seem unafraid. Chris Bosh is hobbled, joining Dwyane Wade -- LeBron remains unstoppable, and even moreso when he gets a corrective measure in the foul category from the refs in Game 5 back in Miami. But he is more alone in his greatness than he has been since his final season with the Cavs.
The pendulum continues to swing in this series, and I'm back to the delightful idea that this is a toss-up -- no question: The Pacers have a shot at knocking off the Heat.
-- D.S.
I couldn't help but think about that as the Pacers out-rebounded the Heat last night -- 49-30 for the game, 17-4 in the devastating 4th quarter.
Whew: That one sequence with about two minutes to go when Paul George missed a 3 and Roy Hibbert got the O-rebound and put-back, then on the Pacers' next offensive set, the missed shot by Stephenson, followed by a David West O-rebound, out to Hibbert for a jumper, which he missed... then followed up by grabbing his own miss and putting it back in, including a foul on the shot by LeBron, his 5th, which would emerge as rather important when, a half-minute later, LeBron was called for that absurd offensive foul and had to leave the game.
(Today's USA TODAY Sports column leads with Joey Crawford's officiating, but quickly moves to the more deterministic factor of Indiana's rebounding. Check it out here.)
It is important to keep in mind that everything broke right for the Pacers and they STILL only won narrowly. But they won. And they seem to have the template for keeping pace with the Heat: Rebound, rebound, rebound:
It was all the more impressive that the Pacers came back from Tuesday's Game 3 debacle at home to punch the Heat in the mouth, not unlike the way the Heat won Game 4 of their conference semifinal series a year ago.
The Pacers seem unafraid. Chris Bosh is hobbled, joining Dwyane Wade -- LeBron remains unstoppable, and even moreso when he gets a corrective measure in the foul category from the refs in Game 5 back in Miami. But he is more alone in his greatness than he has been since his final season with the Cavs.
The pendulum continues to swing in this series, and I'm back to the delightful idea that this is a toss-up -- no question: The Pacers have a shot at knocking off the Heat.
-- D.S.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
5/26 (Duncan Dynasty) Quickie
Tim Duncan is amazing.
At his age, making 1st-team All-NBA, then leading the Spurs to an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals (potentially giving the Spurs extra rest and prep time while the Heat battles it out with the Pacers) and positioning himself for yet another NBA championship.
When I was writing for ESPN.com, I coined a phrase "Duncan Dynasty" to represent how we will remember the era between Michael Jordan's final title and LeBron's first. I still think that fits, and -- let's not downplay it -- at 9 years (1999-2007, Duncan's most recent title) it is longer than the Jordan Era (1991-1998), if not quite as many rings. But if Duncan extends it to 2013 (particularly in what is presumed to have been the peak of the "LeBron Era"), then it puts his greatness at a whole new level.
If you haven't yet, it's time to appreciate what Duncan is doing this season. The Duncan Dynasty continues.
Meanwhile:
*Who's watching the Indy 500? I always enjoy it, even if I don't follow the sport.
*Neymar to Barcelona: That's a biggie. Huge future awaits for him in Europe.
*Everett Gholson is out at Notre Dame: That's huge. He makes that offense go.
Oh, and sort of an important game for LeBron and the Heat tonight in Indianapolis -- win, and they take back the series; lose, and they are no worse off than they were a year ago after Game 3 in Indianapolis, but it would feel different, given how this series has started.
-- D.S.
At his age, making 1st-team All-NBA, then leading the Spurs to an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals (potentially giving the Spurs extra rest and prep time while the Heat battles it out with the Pacers) and positioning himself for yet another NBA championship.
When I was writing for ESPN.com, I coined a phrase "Duncan Dynasty" to represent how we will remember the era between Michael Jordan's final title and LeBron's first. I still think that fits, and -- let's not downplay it -- at 9 years (1999-2007, Duncan's most recent title) it is longer than the Jordan Era (1991-1998), if not quite as many rings. But if Duncan extends it to 2013 (particularly in what is presumed to have been the peak of the "LeBron Era"), then it puts his greatness at a whole new level.
If you haven't yet, it's time to appreciate what Duncan is doing this season. The Duncan Dynasty continues.
Meanwhile:
*Who's watching the Indy 500? I always enjoy it, even if I don't follow the sport.
*Neymar to Barcelona: That's a biggie. Huge future awaits for him in Europe.
*Everett Gholson is out at Notre Dame: That's huge. He makes that offense go.
Oh, and sort of an important game for LeBron and the Heat tonight in Indianapolis -- win, and they take back the series; lose, and they are no worse off than they were a year ago after Game 3 in Indianapolis, but it would feel different, given how this series has started.
-- D.S.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
5/25 (Very Saturday) Quickie
So impressed with the Pacers' win last night.
It flipped one narrative -- that the Pacers would be broken by how Game 1 ended.
It resuscitated another narrative -- that Roy Hibbert indeed is a series-changer.
It obliterated another narrative -- that LeBron has become infallible, particularly at the end of games.
It restored the "series doesn't start until road team wins" narrative -- the one we thought we lost in Game 1.
Good for Indiana -- hell of a win.
-- D.S.
It flipped one narrative -- that the Pacers would be broken by how Game 1 ended.
It resuscitated another narrative -- that Roy Hibbert indeed is a series-changer.
It obliterated another narrative -- that LeBron has become infallible, particularly at the end of games.
It restored the "series doesn't start until road team wins" narrative -- the one we thought we lost in Game 1.
Good for Indiana -- hell of a win.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
5/22 (Wizards Lottery!) Quickie
Guess I'm still in shock that the/my Wizards bounced from No. 8 in the NBA Draft order to No. 3.
For months -- since October or November, really -- I have been obsessing over the chance they have to draft Otto Porter, only to watch his draft stock skyrocket away from the Wizards' position.
Now, they have a shot.
I still think that there is a reasonable chance that Cleveland skips Nerlens Noel and drafts Otto Porter -- as weird as that might be to draft someone as sensible as Porter No. 1 overall.
But in the absence of the Cavs foiling Wizards fans for the umpteenth time -- I guess we got them last year when we got Bradley Beal, a player they coveted -- my Wiz just might land Porter.
It feels too good to be true -- that would be two straight years of ideal draftees, three in four years.
It actually makes up for the bungling of Jan Vesely in 2011 and the various other draft failures, in virtually every scenario other than the player falling into our lap as no-brainers (Wall, Beal).
That is the NBA Lottery at its best: Giving fans of largely hopeless franchises a boost of hope.
As I write in today's Morning Win column for USA TODAY Sports, I think that hope should extend to Cavs fans that bringing in Noel, combined with the rest of the talent (plus the cap space), might be enough to lure LeBron back to Cleveland after he finishes collecting rings in Miami.
-- D.S.
For months -- since October or November, really -- I have been obsessing over the chance they have to draft Otto Porter, only to watch his draft stock skyrocket away from the Wizards' position.
Now, they have a shot.
I still think that there is a reasonable chance that Cleveland skips Nerlens Noel and drafts Otto Porter -- as weird as that might be to draft someone as sensible as Porter No. 1 overall.
But in the absence of the Cavs foiling Wizards fans for the umpteenth time -- I guess we got them last year when we got Bradley Beal, a player they coveted -- my Wiz just might land Porter.
It feels too good to be true -- that would be two straight years of ideal draftees, three in four years.
It actually makes up for the bungling of Jan Vesely in 2011 and the various other draft failures, in virtually every scenario other than the player falling into our lap as no-brainers (Wall, Beal).
That is the NBA Lottery at its best: Giving fans of largely hopeless franchises a boost of hope.
As I write in today's Morning Win column for USA TODAY Sports, I think that hope should extend to Cavs fans that bringing in Noel, combined with the rest of the talent (plus the cap space), might be enough to lure LeBron back to Cleveland after he finishes collecting rings in Miami.
-- D.S.
Monday, May 20, 2013
5/20 (Fun Times) Quickie
Had one of my favorite moments as a parent yesterday. We had Gabe's 7th birthday party at a local sports complex, one of those ones that has an indoor football field, soccer field, floor hockey rink, basketball court, ice rink, etc. There was a half-hour of flag football, a half-hour of soccer, a half-hour of bouncy houses and then a half-hour for the kids to sit exhausted and eat pizza and cake.
Anyway, the kids got set up for the football game -- football is Gabe's favorite sport (despite the understanding that he will never be allowed to play the tackle version himself). The sportsplex-supplied "coach/QB" gave Gabe the ball on the first play, a handoff where he was quickly surrounded by his friends.
Gabe juked outside, then inside, then bounced to the outside again... then just turned on the jets. I have never seen him run so fast - or look so happy. The whole thing happened so quickly, I didn't even have my iPhone set up to video it, but instead I watched it first-hand, and I am much happier with the mythology and the memory of him zipping down the sidelines.
My first thought was: "He looked like Tavon Austin! No, really!" But then I realized what I had just witnessed was the purest expression of joy I have ever seen from him -- it is a memory for a lifetime.
-- D.S.
Anyway, the kids got set up for the football game -- football is Gabe's favorite sport (despite the understanding that he will never be allowed to play the tackle version himself). The sportsplex-supplied "coach/QB" gave Gabe the ball on the first play, a handoff where he was quickly surrounded by his friends.
Gabe juked outside, then inside, then bounced to the outside again... then just turned on the jets. I have never seen him run so fast - or look so happy. The whole thing happened so quickly, I didn't even have my iPhone set up to video it, but instead I watched it first-hand, and I am much happier with the mythology and the memory of him zipping down the sidelines.
My first thought was: "He looked like Tavon Austin! No, really!" But then I realized what I had just witnessed was the purest expression of joy I have ever seen from him -- it is a memory for a lifetime.
-- D.S.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
5/16 (Grizzlies) Quickie
The Grizzlies beat the Thunder so decisively that it made me wonder whether Memphis would have beaten OKC even if the Thunder were at full-strength.
It has become a given that as soon as Westbrook was ruled out of the playoffs, OKC was not even close to the team expected to win a second straight West title.
So what's a fair expectation, without Westbrook? Making (but losing) the conference finals? I don't think so -- the Thunder without Westbrook are a playoff team in the West, but clearly not a Top 2 team (let alone No. 1), and possibly not even Top 4. So this exit is fairly appropriate.
The real question is whether this Grizzlies team - as constructed, with those unstoppable two guys up front -- would have beaten OKC this year anyway. I think they would have. It's at least an argument.
And so I'm happy to give OKC an asterisk on this season, but let's not assume they would have gotten past Memphis either way -- at least in this scenario, they have an excuse.
Meanwhile, it is Gabe's 7th birthday. Some of you have been around long enough to remember when I announced he was born in the Quickie on ESPN.com back in May of '06, then all the adventures since.
Now he is a fully formed sports fan -- his favorite players are Cam Newton and Russell Westbrook. His favorite sports are football and basketball (although he also plays soccer and baseball). He loves NFL Red Zone. He is through the fifth Harry Potter book -- his signature gift this year was a Potter Quidditch jersey, which I'm not sure he'll take off. We are celebrating by taking him to Dave and Busters for dinner tonight -- his choice. He is wildly independent, and it is exciting to watch, even as I struggle to give him that leeway to figure out life. It's nice to have sports to bring us together.
-- D.S.
It has become a given that as soon as Westbrook was ruled out of the playoffs, OKC was not even close to the team expected to win a second straight West title.
So what's a fair expectation, without Westbrook? Making (but losing) the conference finals? I don't think so -- the Thunder without Westbrook are a playoff team in the West, but clearly not a Top 2 team (let alone No. 1), and possibly not even Top 4. So this exit is fairly appropriate.
The real question is whether this Grizzlies team - as constructed, with those unstoppable two guys up front -- would have beaten OKC this year anyway. I think they would have. It's at least an argument.
And so I'm happy to give OKC an asterisk on this season, but let's not assume they would have gotten past Memphis either way -- at least in this scenario, they have an excuse.
Meanwhile, it is Gabe's 7th birthday. Some of you have been around long enough to remember when I announced he was born in the Quickie on ESPN.com back in May of '06, then all the adventures since.
Now he is a fully formed sports fan -- his favorite players are Cam Newton and Russell Westbrook. His favorite sports are football and basketball (although he also plays soccer and baseball). He loves NFL Red Zone. He is through the fifth Harry Potter book -- his signature gift this year was a Potter Quidditch jersey, which I'm not sure he'll take off. We are celebrating by taking him to Dave and Busters for dinner tonight -- his choice. He is wildly independent, and it is exciting to watch, even as I struggle to give him that leeway to figure out life. It's nice to have sports to bring us together.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
5/15 (Knicks Et Al) Quickie
Flattered that Mike and Mike spent a block discussing my Andrew Wiggins column from yesterday. Greenberg had tweeted it out, so I knew it was on their radar. I feel strongly enough about the topic that I am glad it resonated with folks. (Ironically, the column itself didn't do nearly the same audience numbers as some of the other ones I have been doing over the past few weeks.)
Wiggins at Kansas is... sort of deflating. I will watch them, obviously, if only for Wiggins, but I am pessimistic that he can carry them to a national title, a la Danny Manning. This was a moment for a superstar prep to really make a statement about the vestigial role of college hoops, specifically for players only planning to spend a year in college before being a Top 5 NBA Draft pick.
Meanwhile, I'm circling around a concept for the NBA Playoffs that is tantamount to a "TKO" -- no team is eliminated until they lose four games, but at some point (say, down 3-1), it's effectively over. The Knicks are done -- not just because they are down 3-1, by the way, but also because the Pacers are playing so much better.
As a Wizards fan, it is heartening to see the success of the Pacers and Grizzlies -- two teams that grind -- making hay in the playoffs. Now, to call them "superstar-free" is misleading, because Paul George is one of the Top 10 talents in the NBA, and I'm pretty comfortable putting Marc Gasol in that group, too. But they are doing it with consistency across multiple positions, plus a winning system. (That is clearly how the Spurs are grinding down the Warriors.)
Last thing: Clayton Kershaw may well be the best pitcher in baseball, but 132 pitches is insane.
-- D.S.
Wiggins at Kansas is... sort of deflating. I will watch them, obviously, if only for Wiggins, but I am pessimistic that he can carry them to a national title, a la Danny Manning. This was a moment for a superstar prep to really make a statement about the vestigial role of college hoops, specifically for players only planning to spend a year in college before being a Top 5 NBA Draft pick.
Meanwhile, I'm circling around a concept for the NBA Playoffs that is tantamount to a "TKO" -- no team is eliminated until they lose four games, but at some point (say, down 3-1), it's effectively over. The Knicks are done -- not just because they are down 3-1, by the way, but also because the Pacers are playing so much better.
As a Wizards fan, it is heartening to see the success of the Pacers and Grizzlies -- two teams that grind -- making hay in the playoffs. Now, to call them "superstar-free" is misleading, because Paul George is one of the Top 10 talents in the NBA, and I'm pretty comfortable putting Marc Gasol in that group, too. But they are doing it with consistency across multiple positions, plus a winning system. (That is clearly how the Spurs are grinding down the Warriors.)
Last thing: Clayton Kershaw may well be the best pitcher in baseball, but 132 pitches is insane.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
May 14 (Wiggins) Quickie
Top prep -- the best prep since LeBron, actually -- Andrew Wiggins picked Kansas, in a bit of a surprise.
But the real move should've been to skip college altogether and go to the D League, where he would instantly have access to sponsor dollars, future earnings and NBA coaching -- all without hurting his lock-to-be-first-pick draft stock.
Longtime readers know this is one my capital-i Issues: The absurdity of professional league "age limits," which are sitting right there to be disrupted.
There is nothing -- nothing -- rational about a surefire NBA draft-pick prep spending even a single year in college before going pro.
If I had a lot of money, I would offer the top five preps $200,000 each to sit out the year and do nothing but train for the NBA, giving them access to the best trainers possible.
All the players would have to do is promise to tithe 1% of their first NBA contract extension -- probably somewhere around $400,000, but hopefully higher directly because of their experience in my one-year program -- which would allow me to fund the next player down the line, along with operating costs, which would also be supported by a shoe deal and other marketing deals, which would be revenue-shared with the players.
There is a lot of dumb investment money being thrown around -- it is hard to believe that raising $10M as the equivalent of a seed fund and accelerator for basketball talent (with the potential for at least a 2X return) is out of reach.
Anyway, here's hoping Andrew Wiggins doesn't get injured, like Nerlens Noel. (Of course, that ACL tear won't keep Noel from being the No. 1 overall pick of this year's draft.
-- D.S.
But the real move should've been to skip college altogether and go to the D League, where he would instantly have access to sponsor dollars, future earnings and NBA coaching -- all without hurting his lock-to-be-first-pick draft stock.
Longtime readers know this is one my capital-i Issues: The absurdity of professional league "age limits," which are sitting right there to be disrupted.
There is nothing -- nothing -- rational about a surefire NBA draft-pick prep spending even a single year in college before going pro.
If I had a lot of money, I would offer the top five preps $200,000 each to sit out the year and do nothing but train for the NBA, giving them access to the best trainers possible.
All the players would have to do is promise to tithe 1% of their first NBA contract extension -- probably somewhere around $400,000, but hopefully higher directly because of their experience in my one-year program -- which would allow me to fund the next player down the line, along with operating costs, which would also be supported by a shoe deal and other marketing deals, which would be revenue-shared with the players.
There is a lot of dumb investment money being thrown around -- it is hard to believe that raising $10M as the equivalent of a seed fund and accelerator for basketball talent (with the potential for at least a 2X return) is out of reach.
Anyway, here's hoping Andrew Wiggins doesn't get injured, like Nerlens Noel. (Of course, that ACL tear won't keep Noel from being the No. 1 overall pick of this year's draft.
-- D.S.
Friday, May 10, 2013
5/10 (Happy Mother's Day) Quickie
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms!
I had planned to write about Mother's Day today in the USA TODAY Sports column, but "Angry Heat Fan" needed some closure.
Between yesterday morning -- when I was pretty out in front of it (that's not to self-credit, but just to highlight that it only really popped once the casual/non-fans got to work and heard about it) -- and this morning, it became The Story. You would be -- or maybe wouldn't be -- shocked at how dominant it was among all sports stories fans could have chosen from yesterday.
There were a lot of good reasons why -- visual, accessible to non-fans, high-profile event, risque but not TOO risque -- and today I looked back on the 24-hour surge and tried to make some sense of it.
Enjoy your weekend. Lots of good NBA, good NHL and Players Championship, among other things. Don't forget Mother's Day.
-- D.S.
I had planned to write about Mother's Day today in the USA TODAY Sports column, but "Angry Heat Fan" needed some closure.
Between yesterday morning -- when I was pretty out in front of it (that's not to self-credit, but just to highlight that it only really popped once the casual/non-fans got to work and heard about it) -- and this morning, it became The Story. You would be -- or maybe wouldn't be -- shocked at how dominant it was among all sports stories fans could have chosen from yesterday.
There were a lot of good reasons why -- visual, accessible to non-fans, high-profile event, risque but not TOO risque -- and today I looked back on the 24-hour surge and tried to make some sense of it.
Enjoy your weekend. Lots of good NBA, good NHL and Players Championship, among other things. Don't forget Mother's Day.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
5/8 (Coaching) Quickie
Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson retired today. He is the greatest coach in soccer history, which qualifies him on the short list for discussion about the greatest coaches in sports history, period.
Domestically, it is hard to appreciate Ferguson's career, so in today's Morning Win column for USA TODAY Sports, I tried to pull it back to wonder what the toughest coaching seats to fill are, with the qualifier of current coaches.
Ferguson is near the top, but I would rank Nick Saban ahead of him. Alabama might be able to get a top-tier replacement eventually -- maybe not someone at the Urban Meyer level, but certainly Dan Mullen or, if the NFL doesn't work out, Chip Kelly. But the reality is that no one in U.S. sports runs a team like Saban.
I actually thought that Butler's basketball coaching job would be immensely difficult to fill -- I mean, they will find someone. But they will be hard-pressed to find someone as good as Brad Stevens, who is arguably the best coach in college basketball.
Jim Harbaugh has immediately set a new gold standard for NFL coaching, thus making himself fairly indispensable. (You wonder if Stanford's David Shaw could immediately step in and take over the role with little drop-off... that mitigates Harbaugh's "toughest seat to fill" status.
I actually think Doc Rivers will be hard to replace in Boston -- not only is the head-coaching pipeline in the NBA really weak, but it is almost impossible to find the combination of Rivers' prior head-coaching experience, plus his work as an assistant, plus his authority as a former player (who played for some all-time great coaches). Then layer in the end of the Big Three era -- and, with it, any realistic shot that Boston will be competitive at the top level for the foreseeable future. Maybe that makes the job easier to fill -- the expectations are fairly low, a testament to the job Rivers has done.
Anyway, please check out the column, which also includes a rip on Phil Jackson (as your team's top executive), praise of Matt Harvey (the obvious current choice to start the All-Star Game for the NL) and thumbs-up for the Grizzlies and Knicks.
-- D.S.
Domestically, it is hard to appreciate Ferguson's career, so in today's Morning Win column for USA TODAY Sports, I tried to pull it back to wonder what the toughest coaching seats to fill are, with the qualifier of current coaches.
Ferguson is near the top, but I would rank Nick Saban ahead of him. Alabama might be able to get a top-tier replacement eventually -- maybe not someone at the Urban Meyer level, but certainly Dan Mullen or, if the NFL doesn't work out, Chip Kelly. But the reality is that no one in U.S. sports runs a team like Saban.
I actually thought that Butler's basketball coaching job would be immensely difficult to fill -- I mean, they will find someone. But they will be hard-pressed to find someone as good as Brad Stevens, who is arguably the best coach in college basketball.
Jim Harbaugh has immediately set a new gold standard for NFL coaching, thus making himself fairly indispensable. (You wonder if Stanford's David Shaw could immediately step in and take over the role with little drop-off... that mitigates Harbaugh's "toughest seat to fill" status.
I actually think Doc Rivers will be hard to replace in Boston -- not only is the head-coaching pipeline in the NBA really weak, but it is almost impossible to find the combination of Rivers' prior head-coaching experience, plus his work as an assistant, plus his authority as a former player (who played for some all-time great coaches). Then layer in the end of the Big Three era -- and, with it, any realistic shot that Boston will be competitive at the top level for the foreseeable future. Maybe that makes the job easier to fill -- the expectations are fairly low, a testament to the job Rivers has done.
Anyway, please check out the column, which also includes a rip on Phil Jackson (as your team's top executive), praise of Matt Harvey (the obvious current choice to start the All-Star Game for the NL) and thumbs-up for the Grizzlies and Knicks.
-- D.S.
Sunday, May 05, 2013
5/5 (Very) Quickie
*Joakim Noah wins the weekend.
*Should've paid more attention to the pre-race odds on Orb.
*Games like yesterday afternoon when the Caps beat the Rangers in OT are when you realize that, even with the craziness for the Redskins and the new enthusiasm for the Nationals, D.C. is a really good hockey town.
*Mayweather? More like "Meh-weather," amirite?
*Grizzlies over the Thunder in 6.
*Knicks over the Pacers in 7.
*Don't feel particularly good about either of those last two.
-- D.S.
*Should've paid more attention to the pre-race odds on Orb.
*Games like yesterday afternoon when the Caps beat the Rangers in OT are when you realize that, even with the craziness for the Redskins and the new enthusiasm for the Nationals, D.C. is a really good hockey town.
*Mayweather? More like "Meh-weather," amirite?
*Grizzlies over the Thunder in 6.
*Knicks over the Pacers in 7.
*Don't feel particularly good about either of those last two.
-- D.S.
Friday, May 03, 2013
5/3 (Derby) Quickie
I spoke to a class of Georgetown seniors earlier this week -- great group, studying Sports Marketing.
I asked how many used Twitter - probably 25%.
I asked how many used Instagram - probably two-thirds?
I asked how many used Snapchat - felt like every hand in the room went up.
I asked what the appeal of Snapchat was. "No consequences, no commitment."
As we all focus on the Kentucky Derby for the one day a year it matters, it clicked for me that the Derby is the Snapchat of sports: It's interesting, but entirely fleeting. It matters, then it evaporates. We care, then we forget about it.
That is the lead of today's Morning Win at USA TODAY Sports' new For The Win site, and that about sums up my interest in the Derby: The Friday before, the day-of, the two minutes it runs, then... OK, what's next?
Meanwhile:
*So glad the Warriors are advancing - what a fun team.
*Last night was the first time I found myself resenting Derrick Rose sitting on the bench while his teammates tried to grit out a home win over the Nets (which they couldn't). You're telling me that Derrick Rose couldn't help his team even a LITTLE bit? He would be so ineffective he couldn't relieve for a few minutes Nate Robinson who spent his time-outs puking on the bench? Come on.
*Tonight is as interesting as the first round of the NBA Playoffs can get -- two Game 6s where the teams down 3-2 are at home, having both come back from 3-0 deficits and seemingly having all the momentum to force who-knows-what-can-happen Game 7s on Sunday.
*This week's big lesson: Tim Tebow is never not interesting. (Yesterday, I pulled together a quick thing about Tebow's fit with the Saints -- off of a fairly innocuous tweet from Yahoo's Jason Cole -- and fans went bonkers for it. For what it's worth, if Tebow's criteria is "great QB"/"great coach," then the Saints certainly qualify (not as much as my top "best fit" for him, New England, but up there.)
*Doesn't it feel like Jason Collins announcing he is gay was months ago, not days ago?
Enjoy your weekend.
-- D.S.
I asked how many used Twitter - probably 25%.
I asked how many used Instagram - probably two-thirds?
I asked how many used Snapchat - felt like every hand in the room went up.
I asked what the appeal of Snapchat was. "No consequences, no commitment."
As we all focus on the Kentucky Derby for the one day a year it matters, it clicked for me that the Derby is the Snapchat of sports: It's interesting, but entirely fleeting. It matters, then it evaporates. We care, then we forget about it.
That is the lead of today's Morning Win at USA TODAY Sports' new For The Win site, and that about sums up my interest in the Derby: The Friday before, the day-of, the two minutes it runs, then... OK, what's next?
Meanwhile:
*So glad the Warriors are advancing - what a fun team.
*Last night was the first time I found myself resenting Derrick Rose sitting on the bench while his teammates tried to grit out a home win over the Nets (which they couldn't). You're telling me that Derrick Rose couldn't help his team even a LITTLE bit? He would be so ineffective he couldn't relieve for a few minutes Nate Robinson who spent his time-outs puking on the bench? Come on.
*Tonight is as interesting as the first round of the NBA Playoffs can get -- two Game 6s where the teams down 3-2 are at home, having both come back from 3-0 deficits and seemingly having all the momentum to force who-knows-what-can-happen Game 7s on Sunday.
*This week's big lesson: Tim Tebow is never not interesting. (Yesterday, I pulled together a quick thing about Tebow's fit with the Saints -- off of a fairly innocuous tweet from Yahoo's Jason Cole -- and fans went bonkers for it. For what it's worth, if Tebow's criteria is "great QB"/"great coach," then the Saints certainly qualify (not as much as my top "best fit" for him, New England, but up there.)
*Doesn't it feel like Jason Collins announcing he is gay was months ago, not days ago?
Enjoy your weekend.
-- D.S.
Thursday, May 02, 2013
5/2 (Not Very OKC) Quickie
Have a point to make about the post-Westbrook Thunder in light of last night's loss, but first a quick point:
I've been doing this daily morning column for USA TODAY Sports for five or six weeks now, and yesterday's edition -- leading with a full 32-team ranking of fits for Tim Tebow as an NFL free agent -- was so massively popular (the most widely read thing on USATODAY.com, not just USATODAY.com/sports) that it just underscores the huge interest in all things Tebow.
My challenge is the same one since I started writing about Tebow obsessively at TimTeblog.com four years ago -- there are plenty of ways to simply take advantage of the situation by creating Tebow click-bait. I hate that. If I'm writing about Tebow, I'm doing it because (a) it is legitimately a big story that particular day, and (b) I'm doing it entirely uncynically. Yesterday's column was actually something I had been looking to do ever since it was clear Tebow was leaving the Jets. It is of a piece of what I did before the 2010 draft, when I meticulously covered which teams might want to draft him.
The point is that people really really really like to read about Tim Tebow -- folks in the media can serve that interest either for good or for evil. I'm going for "good."
It would have been really easy to go back to the Tebow well today -- actually, not easy at all, because there isn't much/anything to say today. I found the situation in Oklahoma City WAY more interesting:
Basically, the Thunder are done. It might happen this round (which, because they were up 3-0, would be astonishing) but it will certainly happen before they have a chance to get back to the NBA Finals, which was nothing short of a presumption heading into the playoffs. At this point, based on losing last night at home to the Rockets -- along with a general problem ever since Westbrook went down -- I can't see them beating the Spurs, and I'm not sure they can beat the battle-tested survivor of Grizzlies-Clippers. And, again, staggeringly, it is not out of the realm of possibility that they lose Game 6 in Houston, then -- reeling -- lose a toss-up Game 7 back in Oklahoma City.
But the takeaway is that the presumption of inevitability that the Thunder would advance to the NBA Finals has been replaced by a presumption of inevitability that they are going to fall short of that.
It's a really interesting dynamic (even more interesting than the passion play between the Celtics and Knicks, where the C's are one Game 6 win in Boston away from teeing up their own unprecedented comeback from a 3-0 series deficit in the NBA Playoffs.) Give today's column a read -- thanks!
-- D.S.
I've been doing this daily morning column for USA TODAY Sports for five or six weeks now, and yesterday's edition -- leading with a full 32-team ranking of fits for Tim Tebow as an NFL free agent -- was so massively popular (the most widely read thing on USATODAY.com, not just USATODAY.com/sports) that it just underscores the huge interest in all things Tebow.
My challenge is the same one since I started writing about Tebow obsessively at TimTeblog.com four years ago -- there are plenty of ways to simply take advantage of the situation by creating Tebow click-bait. I hate that. If I'm writing about Tebow, I'm doing it because (a) it is legitimately a big story that particular day, and (b) I'm doing it entirely uncynically. Yesterday's column was actually something I had been looking to do ever since it was clear Tebow was leaving the Jets. It is of a piece of what I did before the 2010 draft, when I meticulously covered which teams might want to draft him.
The point is that people really really really like to read about Tim Tebow -- folks in the media can serve that interest either for good or for evil. I'm going for "good."
It would have been really easy to go back to the Tebow well today -- actually, not easy at all, because there isn't much/anything to say today. I found the situation in Oklahoma City WAY more interesting:
Basically, the Thunder are done. It might happen this round (which, because they were up 3-0, would be astonishing) but it will certainly happen before they have a chance to get back to the NBA Finals, which was nothing short of a presumption heading into the playoffs. At this point, based on losing last night at home to the Rockets -- along with a general problem ever since Westbrook went down -- I can't see them beating the Spurs, and I'm not sure they can beat the battle-tested survivor of Grizzlies-Clippers. And, again, staggeringly, it is not out of the realm of possibility that they lose Game 6 in Houston, then -- reeling -- lose a toss-up Game 7 back in Oklahoma City.
But the takeaway is that the presumption of inevitability that the Thunder would advance to the NBA Finals has been replaced by a presumption of inevitability that they are going to fall short of that.
It's a really interesting dynamic (even more interesting than the passion play between the Celtics and Knicks, where the C's are one Game 6 win in Boston away from teeing up their own unprecedented comeback from a 3-0 series deficit in the NBA Playoffs.) Give today's column a read -- thanks!
-- D.S.
Monday, April 29, 2013
04/29 (Tebow) Quickie
If you thought any other storylines -- NFL Draft hangover or the Lakers being swept out of the NBA Playoffs -- would get any oxygen today, the Jets changed that plan by cutting Tim Tebow.
I filed today's USA TODAY Sports "Morning Win" column at 7 a.m. -- leading with what the Lakers should do next -- then went to get my kids off to school, then wham.
So it's a good thing that in anticipation of this moment, I had already put together a "Where will Tebow end up?" piece, leading with the Patriots. Check it out here.
It's not trolling -- go back to my pre-draft coverage in 2010 on TimTeblog.com, and you'll see that despite my personal aversion to the Patriots, I argued that they were the best fit. They still are.
The offensive coordinator was the guy who originally drafted Tebow as a first-rounder.
The head coach is best buddies with Tebow's mentor, doesn't care what anyone thinks and has made a living doing the smart (if countercultural) thing.
If Tebow was going to step back from QB for any coach, it would be Belichick.
I don't think it's hyperbole to say that Belichick could get Tebow in a position to score 10 TDs, if Tebow would let him use him anywhere on the field that Belichick wanted. For cripes sake, Belichick got Mike Vrabel 10 TDs as a linebacker-turned-tight-end.
There are a handful of other coaches -- Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll come to mind -- with the job security, the innovative thinking and the confidence to take on Tebow and reap the benefits.
But nothing seems as much of a slam-dunk as Tebow to the Pats. He hits the waiver wire at 4. We'll see.
-- D.S.
I filed today's USA TODAY Sports "Morning Win" column at 7 a.m. -- leading with what the Lakers should do next -- then went to get my kids off to school, then wham.
So it's a good thing that in anticipation of this moment, I had already put together a "Where will Tebow end up?" piece, leading with the Patriots. Check it out here.
It's not trolling -- go back to my pre-draft coverage in 2010 on TimTeblog.com, and you'll see that despite my personal aversion to the Patriots, I argued that they were the best fit. They still are.
The offensive coordinator was the guy who originally drafted Tebow as a first-rounder.
The head coach is best buddies with Tebow's mentor, doesn't care what anyone thinks and has made a living doing the smart (if countercultural) thing.
If Tebow was going to step back from QB for any coach, it would be Belichick.
I don't think it's hyperbole to say that Belichick could get Tebow in a position to score 10 TDs, if Tebow would let him use him anywhere on the field that Belichick wanted. For cripes sake, Belichick got Mike Vrabel 10 TDs as a linebacker-turned-tight-end.
There are a handful of other coaches -- Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll come to mind -- with the job security, the innovative thinking and the confidence to take on Tebow and reap the benefits.
But nothing seems as much of a slam-dunk as Tebow to the Pats. He hits the waiver wire at 4. We'll see.
-- D.S.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
4/28 (Sunday) Quickie
Continuing the theme of the NFL Draft second and third rounds, the most high-profile snubbees ended up in pretty good situations:
Matt Barkley is with the Eagles, where Chip Kelly wouldn't take him if he didn't think he could do something interesting with him.
Ryan Nassib is with the Giants, for whom he will be given every opportunity to prove why he should be the logical heir to Eli Manning. That is even more analogous to the Aaron Rodgers draft story than Geno Smith.
Marcus Lattimore is with the 49ers, who have the organizational confidence -- and competence -- to give him time to fully recover, then unleash him on the league as the greatest draft "value" pick of 2013 -- not saying he'll be Alfred Morris, the unknown 6th-round pick, but he will be hugely effective.
Even Denard Robinson -- drafted as a "running back" -- landed in a pretty good spot, with the Jaguars, whose new coach will be open to deploying him in innovative ways.
Kevin Durant: Ties playoff career-high with 41 in first game of Post-Westbrook Era. The game wasn't necessarily a must-win, but it sure helped underscore the idea that the Thunder aren't going away, even without Durant's co-star.
Nate Robinson: That is all.
-- D.S.
Matt Barkley is with the Eagles, where Chip Kelly wouldn't take him if he didn't think he could do something interesting with him.
Ryan Nassib is with the Giants, for whom he will be given every opportunity to prove why he should be the logical heir to Eli Manning. That is even more analogous to the Aaron Rodgers draft story than Geno Smith.
Marcus Lattimore is with the 49ers, who have the organizational confidence -- and competence -- to give him time to fully recover, then unleash him on the league as the greatest draft "value" pick of 2013 -- not saying he'll be Alfred Morris, the unknown 6th-round pick, but he will be hugely effective.
Even Denard Robinson -- drafted as a "running back" -- landed in a pretty good spot, with the Jaguars, whose new coach will be open to deploying him in innovative ways.
Kevin Durant: Ties playoff career-high with 41 in first game of Post-Westbrook Era. The game wasn't necessarily a must-win, but it sure helped underscore the idea that the Thunder aren't going away, even without Durant's co-star.
Nate Robinson: That is all.
-- D.S.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
4/27 (Very) Quickie
San Diego is an ideal spot for Manti Te'o to land, almost entirely because it is as off the radar as any team in the league (for now).
Arizona is an ideal spot for the Honey Badger to land, almost entirely because he will have a great mentor in Patrick Peterson (and a team desperate for playmakers).
New York is an ideal spot for Geno Smith to land, almost entirely because the incumbent starting QB is a mess, and the team is pretty much ready to try something/anything new (except Tebow).
Matt Barkley still on the board: Makes Matt Leinart's senior-year slide out of the Top 10 look palatable. Hell, it makes Brady Quinn's slide look palatable. Hell, it makes Geno Smith's slide look palatable. Could he go to the Jaguars at the top of the 4th? Can we at least all agree that him coming back to USC this year was as massive of a miscalculation -- at least as it relates to his professional future -- as has been made in NFL history? (At least Barkley knows he will get drafted today, so....)
Russell Westbrook out "indefinitely" with a knee injury: Even if he rushes back in 6 weeks if the Thunder make it to the NBA Finals without him (a dubious presumption, given that the Spurs are elite and the Thunder without Westbrook are not), it is hard to believe he would still be the same Russell Westbrook.
Spurs up 3-0 on Lakers: It's not really "the Lakers," but a husk. This one can't be over fast enough.
Knicks up 3-0 on Celtics: See "Spurs up 3-0 on Lakers."
Warriors up 2-1 on Nuggets: Pressure on Denver in Game 4.
Anibal Sanchez K's 17 Braves: Whew.
Aaron Rodgers gets paid: Highest-paid QB in NFL history. As he deserves. Good model for all the QBs taking a slide this week.
-- D.S.
Arizona is an ideal spot for the Honey Badger to land, almost entirely because he will have a great mentor in Patrick Peterson (and a team desperate for playmakers).
New York is an ideal spot for Geno Smith to land, almost entirely because the incumbent starting QB is a mess, and the team is pretty much ready to try something/anything new (except Tebow).
Matt Barkley still on the board: Makes Matt Leinart's senior-year slide out of the Top 10 look palatable. Hell, it makes Brady Quinn's slide look palatable. Hell, it makes Geno Smith's slide look palatable. Could he go to the Jaguars at the top of the 4th? Can we at least all agree that him coming back to USC this year was as massive of a miscalculation -- at least as it relates to his professional future -- as has been made in NFL history? (At least Barkley knows he will get drafted today, so....)
Russell Westbrook out "indefinitely" with a knee injury: Even if he rushes back in 6 weeks if the Thunder make it to the NBA Finals without him (a dubious presumption, given that the Spurs are elite and the Thunder without Westbrook are not), it is hard to believe he would still be the same Russell Westbrook.
Spurs up 3-0 on Lakers: It's not really "the Lakers," but a husk. This one can't be over fast enough.
Knicks up 3-0 on Celtics: See "Spurs up 3-0 on Lakers."
Warriors up 2-1 on Nuggets: Pressure on Denver in Game 4.
Anibal Sanchez K's 17 Braves: Whew.
Aaron Rodgers gets paid: Highest-paid QB in NFL history. As he deserves. Good model for all the QBs taking a slide this week.
-- D.S.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
4/25 (NFL Draft) Quickie
I enjoy the NFL Draft. I like the first round in primetime on Thursday -- I thought that was a brilliant move and it gives me/us a fun evening thing to gorge on while watching TV. I lead today's USA TODAY Sports column with the five most intriguing storylines of tonight's first round.
Longtime readers know my biggest quibble with the NFL Draft is the age limit -- if the NFL is willing to draft a player coming off their freshman or sophomore seasons (as they clearly would with South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney, who would have been the No. 1 overall pick this year and will be next year, barring some kind of Lattimore-esque injury that never should have happened), then that player should be allowed in the league.
Rather than place artificial constraints on players (and teams), let the market decide: If teams are unwilling to spend draft picks on 18-year-old O-linemen in the same way they would on 18-year-old receivers or running backs (Adrian Peterson coming off his sensational freshman year comes immediately to mind), great.
But there will always be one (at least one), and clearly the NFL is nervous that the market inefficiency will be glaringly obvious -- as it is with the NBA -- that the most talented younger players are clearly worthy of being drafted.
That is why I continue to be mystified that a professional minor league for football hasn't emerged -- the leagues trying to compete at the NFL's existing margins (taxi squad players, etc.) are terrible ideas.
The one and only viable idea remains going directly after the 18-, 19- and 20-year-old players that the NFL can't or won't.
And so for better or worse, we are left with obsessively thinking about the system as it is -- about where Manti Te'o lands or how the Jets plan to humiliate Mark Sanchez or why Eric Fisher is the best talent of the draft or why Tavon Austin is the guy you'll want on your fantasy team next year, regardless of what team he ends up with or what Chip Kelly will do in his first Eagles draft.
Those are the best storylines of the draft, heading into tonight and leading today's "Morning Win" column for USA TODAY Sports. Please give it a read, pass it along and enjoy tonight's spectacle. Bro-hugs for everyone.
-- D.S.
Longtime readers know my biggest quibble with the NFL Draft is the age limit -- if the NFL is willing to draft a player coming off their freshman or sophomore seasons (as they clearly would with South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney, who would have been the No. 1 overall pick this year and will be next year, barring some kind of Lattimore-esque injury that never should have happened), then that player should be allowed in the league.
Rather than place artificial constraints on players (and teams), let the market decide: If teams are unwilling to spend draft picks on 18-year-old O-linemen in the same way they would on 18-year-old receivers or running backs (Adrian Peterson coming off his sensational freshman year comes immediately to mind), great.
But there will always be one (at least one), and clearly the NFL is nervous that the market inefficiency will be glaringly obvious -- as it is with the NBA -- that the most talented younger players are clearly worthy of being drafted.
That is why I continue to be mystified that a professional minor league for football hasn't emerged -- the leagues trying to compete at the NFL's existing margins (taxi squad players, etc.) are terrible ideas.
The one and only viable idea remains going directly after the 18-, 19- and 20-year-old players that the NFL can't or won't.
And so for better or worse, we are left with obsessively thinking about the system as it is -- about where Manti Te'o lands or how the Jets plan to humiliate Mark Sanchez or why Eric Fisher is the best talent of the draft or why Tavon Austin is the guy you'll want on your fantasy team next year, regardless of what team he ends up with or what Chip Kelly will do in his first Eagles draft.
Those are the best storylines of the draft, heading into tonight and leading today's "Morning Win" column for USA TODAY Sports. Please give it a read, pass it along and enjoy tonight's spectacle. Bro-hugs for everyone.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
4/24 (Very) Quickie
We are "name them what you'll call them" parents. People make the assumption that Gabe's full name is Gabriel, but we have to clarify that -- indeed -- the legal name is "Gabe."
So you can understand why I am drawn to the name of the new college football playoff -- "College Football Playoff." Isn't that what we've been asking for all these years?
It is brilliant in its simplicity, and I heartily endorse the name in today's USA TODAY Sports "Morning Win" column -- now part of our exciting new "For The Win" product (ftw.usatoday.com).
I ended up ranking the names of sports championships, and "College Football Playoff" finished in the Top 5. Clearly, it's not "The Masters" or "Super Bowl" (or the vastly underrated "Frozen Four"), but it is better than "World Series" (inaccurate) and "NBA Finals" (classic logo, zero pizzazz).
Much more in the column today, so give it a read -- thanks!
-- D.S.
So you can understand why I am drawn to the name of the new college football playoff -- "College Football Playoff." Isn't that what we've been asking for all these years?
It is brilliant in its simplicity, and I heartily endorse the name in today's USA TODAY Sports "Morning Win" column -- now part of our exciting new "For The Win" product (ftw.usatoday.com).
I ended up ranking the names of sports championships, and "College Football Playoff" finished in the Top 5. Clearly, it's not "The Masters" or "Super Bowl" (or the vastly underrated "Frozen Four"), but it is better than "World Series" (inaccurate) and "NBA Finals" (classic logo, zero pizzazz).
Much more in the column today, so give it a read -- thanks!
-- D.S.
Friday, April 19, 2013
4/19 (Friday) Quickie
A brief diversion from following the insane story out of Boston:
*NBA Playoffs begin: As little drama as I can remember -- per my USA TODAY Sports column this morning, no one is beating the Heat, so I guess the excitement is watching everyone else knock each other off en route to Miami winning 16 games?
*NFL Schedule release: Once again, the NFL shows it rules -- the schedule release in and of itself is a big deal. Ravens at Broncos in Week 1 might be the highlight of the season.
*Michigan stars return: McGary and GRIII make Michigan one of the few non-Kentucky teams worth watching next season. (And, yeesh: The NBA Draft this year is awful.)
Have a safe and relaxing weekend.
-- D.S.
*NBA Playoffs begin: As little drama as I can remember -- per my USA TODAY Sports column this morning, no one is beating the Heat, so I guess the excitement is watching everyone else knock each other off en route to Miami winning 16 games?
*NFL Schedule release: Once again, the NFL shows it rules -- the schedule release in and of itself is a big deal. Ravens at Broncos in Week 1 might be the highlight of the season.
*Michigan stars return: McGary and GRIII make Michigan one of the few non-Kentucky teams worth watching next season. (And, yeesh: The NBA Draft this year is awful.)
Have a safe and relaxing weekend.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
4/17 (Wednesday) Quickie
RIP Pat Summerall, whose voice is the very definition of NFL broadcasting and whose partnership with John Madden offered the vision of NFL broadcasting that I remember most from growing up.
NBA regular-season finale: Lakers. If they beat the Rockets, they could end up 7th in the West. If they lose to the Rockets and the Jazz win, the Lakers are out of the playoffs. A must-follow.
Braves win 10th straight: Sheesh. And Justin Upton: Wow. I know I was touting Bryce Harper as the most must-see player in baseball a few weeks ago (most must-see player in sports, actually), but Upton has eclipsed him in the now.
Marcus Smart returning to Oklahoma State: He was a Top 3 NBA Draft pick in '13 and will instantly be a pre-season All-America for '13-14 and presumptive National Player of the Year. He won't have the breakthrough of Trey Burke, because he doesn't have the same supporting cast or media promotion. But he is the higher-upside NBA talent. Given the insane talent in next year's draft class, you would wonder if Smart will end up being picked lower than he would this year, but he is good enough that he will likely still end up in the Top 5.
Tracy McGrady signed by the Spurs: Amazing on multiple levels -- it's T-Mac (he hasn't been in the league all season); it's the Spurs (who make the savviest moves of any team); could the Spurs get McGrady a ring? How awesome would it be if he made a contribution? They clearly didn't bring him in to sit on the bench. McGrady is a throwback to another era in the NBA; here's to something wild happening with him during the playoffs, where he contributes meaningfully.
Stephen Curry is going to set the NBA record for 3s made in a season: Best pure shooter since...? (Let me take this moment to lament that my Wizards skipped taking Curry so that they could trade the No. 5 overall draft pick for Randy Foye and Mike Miller, which remains one of the biggest trade bilkings of the past decade, in any sport.)
I have not posted the past few days -- since Monday's tragedy in Boston -- and my thoughts have been with the victims, their families and anyone touched by what happened. The Yankees playing "Sweet Caroline" in honor of Boston was a nice
-- D.S.
NBA regular-season finale: Lakers. If they beat the Rockets, they could end up 7th in the West. If they lose to the Rockets and the Jazz win, the Lakers are out of the playoffs. A must-follow.
Braves win 10th straight: Sheesh. And Justin Upton: Wow. I know I was touting Bryce Harper as the most must-see player in baseball a few weeks ago (most must-see player in sports, actually), but Upton has eclipsed him in the now.
Marcus Smart returning to Oklahoma State: He was a Top 3 NBA Draft pick in '13 and will instantly be a pre-season All-America for '13-14 and presumptive National Player of the Year. He won't have the breakthrough of Trey Burke, because he doesn't have the same supporting cast or media promotion. But he is the higher-upside NBA talent. Given the insane talent in next year's draft class, you would wonder if Smart will end up being picked lower than he would this year, but he is good enough that he will likely still end up in the Top 5.
Tracy McGrady signed by the Spurs: Amazing on multiple levels -- it's T-Mac (he hasn't been in the league all season); it's the Spurs (who make the savviest moves of any team); could the Spurs get McGrady a ring? How awesome would it be if he made a contribution? They clearly didn't bring him in to sit on the bench. McGrady is a throwback to another era in the NBA; here's to something wild happening with him during the playoffs, where he contributes meaningfully.
Stephen Curry is going to set the NBA record for 3s made in a season: Best pure shooter since...? (Let me take this moment to lament that my Wizards skipped taking Curry so that they could trade the No. 5 overall draft pick for Randy Foye and Mike Miller, which remains one of the biggest trade bilkings of the past decade, in any sport.)
I have not posted the past few days -- since Monday's tragedy in Boston -- and my thoughts have been with the victims, their families and anyone touched by what happened. The Yankees playing "Sweet Caroline" in honor of Boston was a nice
-- D.S.
Monday, April 15, 2013
4/15 (Adam Scott) Quickie
I love being proven wrong. I love changing my mind in the face of superior evidence. I love having my assumptions and presumptions challenged -- I might put up a fight, but I am open to yours.
I blithely throw around the concept that the only golf storyline anyone cares about is Tiger Woods. Well, the mania around 14-year-old Guan Tianlang proved that wrong.
And even after Saturday's insanity around Tiger's drop and subsequent two-stroke penalty, in the end, Tiger fell short and we were all captivated by Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera last night.
Scott's putt on 18 to put him briefly in the lead was incredible. Cabrera's answer was brilliant. The first playoff hole was tense. Following Cabrera's agonizingly close putt on the second playoff hole, Scott's close-out was clutch.
And so Scott had his first major -- more importantly, he exorcised the demons from his implosion at the British Open last year. Even more impressively, he exorcised Australia's legacy of Greg Norman's epic chokery at The Masters in 1996.
And perhaps most impressively of all, he made everyone forget about Tiger and forget that Tiger was supposed to be the be-all-end-all of the sport. He was a reminder that golf can captivate without Tiger.
Today's Morning Win column for USA TODAY Sports is a celebration of Scott's performance and how he left us all cheering nearly as loudly as he cheered for himself on that epic putt on 18.
Because I cannot learn my own lesson, I will maintain that losing Kobe deprives us of the most compelling storyline -- perhaps the only compelling storyline -- of the NBA Playoffs, which are going to be an exercise in "How few games will the Heat lose en route to the 16 wins needed for a repeat championship?" You better be ready to find drama in the middle rounds, as we figure out who will inevitably lose to Miami. That said: For a team like New York or Indiana, making it to the conference finals before losing is entirely a successful season. Does anyone actually give them a chance to beat the Heat? Come on.
-- D.S.
I blithely throw around the concept that the only golf storyline anyone cares about is Tiger Woods. Well, the mania around 14-year-old Guan Tianlang proved that wrong.
And even after Saturday's insanity around Tiger's drop and subsequent two-stroke penalty, in the end, Tiger fell short and we were all captivated by Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera last night.
Scott's putt on 18 to put him briefly in the lead was incredible. Cabrera's answer was brilliant. The first playoff hole was tense. Following Cabrera's agonizingly close putt on the second playoff hole, Scott's close-out was clutch.
And so Scott had his first major -- more importantly, he exorcised the demons from his implosion at the British Open last year. Even more impressively, he exorcised Australia's legacy of Greg Norman's epic chokery at The Masters in 1996.
And perhaps most impressively of all, he made everyone forget about Tiger and forget that Tiger was supposed to be the be-all-end-all of the sport. He was a reminder that golf can captivate without Tiger.
Today's Morning Win column for USA TODAY Sports is a celebration of Scott's performance and how he left us all cheering nearly as loudly as he cheered for himself on that epic putt on 18.
Because I cannot learn my own lesson, I will maintain that losing Kobe deprives us of the most compelling storyline -- perhaps the only compelling storyline -- of the NBA Playoffs, which are going to be an exercise in "How few games will the Heat lose en route to the 16 wins needed for a repeat championship?" You better be ready to find drama in the middle rounds, as we figure out who will inevitably lose to Miami. That said: For a team like New York or Indiana, making it to the conference finals before losing is entirely a successful season. Does anyone actually give them a chance to beat the Heat? Come on.
-- D.S.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
4/13 (Very) Quickie
This Kobe injury news is the worst. Kobe willing the Lakers from NBA oblivion into the 8th seed in the playoffs was the best storyline of the NBA regular season -- and by far the best storyline of the first round of the playoffs. Now, we only get "What if?" It is a huge bummer, and I'm hardly a Lakers fan. Kobe's Facebook venting was epic -- one of the best things any athlete has ever said on Facebook or Twitter.
Should Tiger have been DQ'ed? Let's be real: If it was any other golfer -- say Guan Tianlang (see next item) -- they would almost surely be bounced. But it's Tiger. So he gets a two-stroke penalty and the chance to rally. Let's please not look to Augusta National for any sort of lessons about morality or sportsmanship.
Guan Mania: Youngest ever to make the cut at The Masters -- despite the absurd "slow play" penalty he was given, which is -- at least as it relates specifically to the play on the course during The Masters -- Augusta National at its stodgiest. (Obviously, Augusta National's stodginess has extended WAY beyond the course itself.) Meanwhile, tough break for Tiger on that flagstick.
A-Rod tried to pay to keep Biogenesis docs suppressed? If there is some kind of tangible proof, that's really bad for him.
Enjoy the day.
-- D.S.
Should Tiger have been DQ'ed? Let's be real: If it was any other golfer -- say Guan Tianlang (see next item) -- they would almost surely be bounced. But it's Tiger. So he gets a two-stroke penalty and the chance to rally. Let's please not look to Augusta National for any sort of lessons about morality or sportsmanship.
Guan Mania: Youngest ever to make the cut at The Masters -- despite the absurd "slow play" penalty he was given, which is -- at least as it relates specifically to the play on the course during The Masters -- Augusta National at its stodgiest. (Obviously, Augusta National's stodginess has extended WAY beyond the course itself.) Meanwhile, tough break for Tiger on that flagstick.
A-Rod tried to pay to keep Biogenesis docs suppressed? If there is some kind of tangible proof, that's really bad for him.
Enjoy the day.
-- D.S.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
04/11 (Masters) Quickie
As is pretty obvious, one of my fascinations is "win or fail" stakes -- teams and athletes for whom anything less than a championship is a failure.
That was the case with Louisville (and the Baylor women's team). That is the case with the Heat (if not quite the Thunder, because of the Heat). That is the case with Alabama football.
And, even more than the Heat, that is the case for Tiger Woods, as I lay out in today's Morning Win column for USA TODAY Sports.
The context of golf majors -- every golfer gets four chances to win one per year -- means that winning The Masters isn't do-or-die for Woods in terms of winning another major. He will get three more chances this year, and four a year from now until whenever he hangs it up.
But that doesn't mean that anything less than winning in Augusta isn't a failure for Woods. With the momentum he brings into the tournament, this year is "win or fail" more than any since before his personal life fell apart.
It used to be "Tiger versus the field," with the expectation that Tiger was going to win. Now it is "Tiger versus the field," with the expectation that he will fall short.
Tiger failing remains the most compelling story in golf and one of the most compelling stories in sports.
Give the column a read, if you would -- I nearly led with Kobe and his 47-point performance last night, because the Lakers trying to cling to their 1-game lead on the playoff 8-spot with three games to play is the best storyline of the NBA regular season. (And Lakers-Whoever in the first round of the playoffs will be the best storyline of the postseason, given that it is essentially a certainty that the Heat are going to roll to a title.)
-- D.S.
That was the case with Louisville (and the Baylor women's team). That is the case with the Heat (if not quite the Thunder, because of the Heat). That is the case with Alabama football.
And, even more than the Heat, that is the case for Tiger Woods, as I lay out in today's Morning Win column for USA TODAY Sports.
The context of golf majors -- every golfer gets four chances to win one per year -- means that winning The Masters isn't do-or-die for Woods in terms of winning another major. He will get three more chances this year, and four a year from now until whenever he hangs it up.
But that doesn't mean that anything less than winning in Augusta isn't a failure for Woods. With the momentum he brings into the tournament, this year is "win or fail" more than any since before his personal life fell apart.
It used to be "Tiger versus the field," with the expectation that Tiger was going to win. Now it is "Tiger versus the field," with the expectation that he will fall short.
Tiger failing remains the most compelling story in golf and one of the most compelling stories in sports.
Give the column a read, if you would -- I nearly led with Kobe and his 47-point performance last night, because the Lakers trying to cling to their 1-game lead on the playoff 8-spot with three games to play is the best storyline of the NBA regular season. (And Lakers-Whoever in the first round of the playoffs will be the best storyline of the postseason, given that it is essentially a certainty that the Heat are going to roll to a title.)
-- D.S.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
4/10 (Bubba Watson) Quickie
We're through the NCAA tournament tunnel and out on the other side. There are a few weeks until the NFL Draft, but the rest of this week is dominated by The Masters.
Today's Morning Win column for USA TODAY Sports is a salute to defending Masters champ Bubba Watson, whose "Champions dinner" menu last night was straight outta Publix.
And that is entirely consistent with Bubba's appeal -- his accessibility, his "everyman-ness," and his lack of pretense.
Compare that to the big Masters story of the week -- Tiger Woods, who is defined by his inscrutability and (at least on The Masters stage) his lack of signature major wins recently.
In golf -- and The Masters, specifically -- I am rooting for two things: (1) Tiger to fall short (because he is infinitely more fascinating as a loser than a champ), and (2) Bubba to repeat.
Check out the column here, which also includes two Top 5 lists -- "Athletes You Want to Fail" and "Most Accessible" (the second of which was probably too hastily constructed, aside from Bubba Watson at No. 1) -- a tribute to UConn's women's hoops dominance and more.
-- D.S.
Today's Morning Win column for USA TODAY Sports is a salute to defending Masters champ Bubba Watson, whose "Champions dinner" menu last night was straight outta Publix.
And that is entirely consistent with Bubba's appeal -- his accessibility, his "everyman-ness," and his lack of pretense.
Compare that to the big Masters story of the week -- Tiger Woods, who is defined by his inscrutability and (at least on The Masters stage) his lack of signature major wins recently.
In golf -- and The Masters, specifically -- I am rooting for two things: (1) Tiger to fall short (because he is infinitely more fascinating as a loser than a champ), and (2) Bubba to repeat.
Check out the column here, which also includes two Top 5 lists -- "Athletes You Want to Fail" and "Most Accessible" (the second of which was probably too hastily constructed, aside from Bubba Watson at No. 1) -- a tribute to UConn's women's hoops dominance and more.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, April 09, 2013
04/09 (Louisville) Quickie
Here is some classic Quickie "Instant History":
Last night's game was the most entertaining NCAA hoops title game ever.
Others have had more dramatic final sequences and maybe even more memorable single signature moments, but last night's game tops them for sheer end-to-end enjoyment -- college basketball played at a high level, with many (many) "shining moments," plural.
That is the lead of today's USA TODAY Sports "Morning Win" column -- from Spike Albrecht's first-half barrage to Luke Hancock's answer to Montrezl Harrell's alley-oop to the Siva-vs-Hardaway dueling takes to the rim (bridged by Siva's dad celebrating in that awesome tank-top) to Trey Burke's block-that-wasn't to Chane Behanan's relentless offensive rebounding spurt... play after play after play.
Rick Pitino becoming the first coach to win titles with two teams? Novel.
Kevin Ware cutting down the nets? Feel-good.
But it was the game, from tip to final buzzer, that superseded the easy narratives and made us all affirm how awesome college basketball can be.
Check out the column here, if you have a minute.
Meanwhile, my bracket finished just shy of the 75th percentile nationally -- way better than the past few years, and basically tied with President Obama. If I had used the National Bracket, of course, I would have finished better than 90% of the country. (And, true to form, Mrs. Quickie out-performed me with her bracket -- she was the top finisher among folks near the top who didn't pick Louisville to win it all.)
Let's do it again next year.
-- D.S.
Last night's game was the most entertaining NCAA hoops title game ever.
Others have had more dramatic final sequences and maybe even more memorable single signature moments, but last night's game tops them for sheer end-to-end enjoyment -- college basketball played at a high level, with many (many) "shining moments," plural.
That is the lead of today's USA TODAY Sports "Morning Win" column -- from Spike Albrecht's first-half barrage to Luke Hancock's answer to Montrezl Harrell's alley-oop to the Siva-vs-Hardaway dueling takes to the rim (bridged by Siva's dad celebrating in that awesome tank-top) to Trey Burke's block-that-wasn't to Chane Behanan's relentless offensive rebounding spurt... play after play after play.
Rick Pitino becoming the first coach to win titles with two teams? Novel.
Kevin Ware cutting down the nets? Feel-good.
But it was the game, from tip to final buzzer, that superseded the easy narratives and made us all affirm how awesome college basketball can be.
Check out the column here, if you have a minute.
Meanwhile, my bracket finished just shy of the 75th percentile nationally -- way better than the past few years, and basically tied with President Obama. If I had used the National Bracket, of course, I would have finished better than 90% of the country. (And, true to form, Mrs. Quickie out-performed me with her bracket -- she was the top finisher among folks near the top who didn't pick Louisville to win it all.)
Let's do it again next year.
-- D.S.
Monday, April 08, 2013
04/08 (Michigan-Louisville) Quickie
Regardless of who wins, my NCAA Tournament bracket will be as accurate as it has been in years, a long stretch in the bracket-picking wilderness that I am excited to recover from. That said, there is still a very good chance that the "National Bracket" will out-perform me -- if not, then it will outperform 85% (maybe even 90%) of the country. That's pretty good.
As for the game itself, I expect Louisville to roll, but - then again - I expected UL to thrash Wichita State. The best thing about the game is that it is the country's best defense versus its best offense -- you can't ask for much more than that. The big difference? Louisville's offense is still pretty good, while Michigan's offense remains just OK -- although way better since Mitch McGary became a force in the lane.
I'm facinated by McGary's ascension, which -- if you really consider it -- has been all of four games, and yet he is the leading candidate to be Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. I'd give him that through five games, to be sure.
He takes his place alongside a small handful of the most memorable freshmen in the history of the NCAA Tournament -- Carmelo obviously. Ewing. Ellison. Anthony Davis. Webber. Michael Jordan had a memorable shot (and a memorable title game in 1982 overall), but the rest of his tournament was just OK. Chris Webber was tremendous (as was the entire Fab Five -- but if you had to pick one, it would be Webber).
In today's USA TODAY Sports column, I ranked McGary sixth among NCAA Tourney frosh phenoms -- with the main qualifier being that the player had to get to at least the title game (Ewing, Webber) if not lead the team to a title outright (Carmelo, Ellison, Davis). If Michigan wins and McGary plays like he has the past four games, I would have no problem putting him in the Top 5 (if, as a hedge, tied with Webber for 5th). Unlike Davis or Ewing or Melo, McGary's contribution has almost entirely been in the tournament itself -- that alone makes him fascinating.)
Please give it a look -- and enjoy the end of the college basketball season tonight.
-- D.S.
As for the game itself, I expect Louisville to roll, but - then again - I expected UL to thrash Wichita State. The best thing about the game is that it is the country's best defense versus its best offense -- you can't ask for much more than that. The big difference? Louisville's offense is still pretty good, while Michigan's offense remains just OK -- although way better since Mitch McGary became a force in the lane.
I'm facinated by McGary's ascension, which -- if you really consider it -- has been all of four games, and yet he is the leading candidate to be Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. I'd give him that through five games, to be sure.
He takes his place alongside a small handful of the most memorable freshmen in the history of the NCAA Tournament -- Carmelo obviously. Ewing. Ellison. Anthony Davis. Webber. Michael Jordan had a memorable shot (and a memorable title game in 1982 overall), but the rest of his tournament was just OK. Chris Webber was tremendous (as was the entire Fab Five -- but if you had to pick one, it would be Webber).
In today's USA TODAY Sports column, I ranked McGary sixth among NCAA Tourney frosh phenoms -- with the main qualifier being that the player had to get to at least the title game (Ewing, Webber) if not lead the team to a title outright (Carmelo, Ellison, Davis). If Michigan wins and McGary plays like he has the past four games, I would have no problem putting him in the Top 5 (if, as a hedge, tied with Webber for 5th). Unlike Davis or Ewing or Melo, McGary's contribution has almost entirely been in the tournament itself -- that alone makes him fascinating.)
Please give it a look -- and enjoy the end of the college basketball season tonight.
-- D.S.
Friday, April 05, 2013
4/5 (Final Four) Quickie
No team in sports aside from the Miami Heat has more pressure on them to win a championship than Louisville.
That raises the stakes for this weekend's Final Four, which is otherwise a celebration of Wichita State's Cinderella status, Michigan's revival and Syracuse's once-a-decade trip. That is the lead of today's Morning Win column for USA TODAY Sports, if you would be good enough to give it a read.
Meanwhile, not in the column because it just happened, but Rutgers AD Tim Pernetti has been fired. If you've been reading the column this week, you know I have been calling for his job since the first minute -- Rice should have been fired for what he did, but Pernetti was the one who showed even worse judgment, which is saying something. Rice is unbalanced; Pernetti is pernicious.
The ultimate question is whether Rutgers president Robert Barchi will lose his job over this. He should.
There are open questions around "What did he know and when did he know it?" but the reality is that he is damned both ways:
If he knew the details in December and didn't overrule Pernetti and demand Rice's resignation, he committed a grievous failure of leadership that disqualifies him to run the school.
If he didn't know the details, it would indicate he didn't WANT to know the details surrounding one of his most high-profile employees being suspended under highly sketchy circumstances -- that too is such a grievous failure of leadership that it disqualifies Barchi from running the school.
Either way, he is disqualified from running Rutgers, which is why so many professors around the university -- appropriately appalled -- have protested that Barchi lose his job, too.
It's a Friday. This story has dominated the week but will lose steam over the weekend as our attention goes to the Final Four, then whatever is next. Barchi might be able to ride this out -- it depends on the level of leadership shown by the board of trustees at Rutgers. Will they lead where Barchi, Pernetti and Rice did not?
Anyway, that was a heavy story this week. It will be fun to get back to basketball this weekend, on both the men's and women's side. The NBA regular season is wrapping up and the whole situation with the Lakers is fascinating. The MLB season is off to a fantastic start, too.
And my Wizards are celebrating the 1978 world championship -- yes, the franchise was once NBA champs -- on Saturday night, and I will be there to try to get a sense of what it is like to root for an NBA championship team. It should be a lot of fun.
Enjoy your weekend.
-- D.S.
That raises the stakes for this weekend's Final Four, which is otherwise a celebration of Wichita State's Cinderella status, Michigan's revival and Syracuse's once-a-decade trip. That is the lead of today's Morning Win column for USA TODAY Sports, if you would be good enough to give it a read.
Meanwhile, not in the column because it just happened, but Rutgers AD Tim Pernetti has been fired. If you've been reading the column this week, you know I have been calling for his job since the first minute -- Rice should have been fired for what he did, but Pernetti was the one who showed even worse judgment, which is saying something. Rice is unbalanced; Pernetti is pernicious.
The ultimate question is whether Rutgers president Robert Barchi will lose his job over this. He should.
There are open questions around "What did he know and when did he know it?" but the reality is that he is damned both ways:
If he knew the details in December and didn't overrule Pernetti and demand Rice's resignation, he committed a grievous failure of leadership that disqualifies him to run the school.
If he didn't know the details, it would indicate he didn't WANT to know the details surrounding one of his most high-profile employees being suspended under highly sketchy circumstances -- that too is such a grievous failure of leadership that it disqualifies Barchi from running the school.
Either way, he is disqualified from running Rutgers, which is why so many professors around the university -- appropriately appalled -- have protested that Barchi lose his job, too.
It's a Friday. This story has dominated the week but will lose steam over the weekend as our attention goes to the Final Four, then whatever is next. Barchi might be able to ride this out -- it depends on the level of leadership shown by the board of trustees at Rutgers. Will they lead where Barchi, Pernetti and Rice did not?
Anyway, that was a heavy story this week. It will be fun to get back to basketball this weekend, on both the men's and women's side. The NBA regular season is wrapping up and the whole situation with the Lakers is fascinating. The MLB season is off to a fantastic start, too.
And my Wizards are celebrating the 1978 world championship -- yes, the franchise was once NBA champs -- on Saturday night, and I will be there to try to get a sense of what it is like to root for an NBA championship team. It should be a lot of fun.
Enjoy your weekend.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, April 03, 2013
4/3 (Rutgers) Quickie
UPDATE: Mike Rice has been fired. Looks like the AD isn't going anywhere (and would find the idea of losing his job to be absurd). The president is untouchable. My pick for next Rutgers coach: Danny Hurley, native son of NJ, former top NJ prep coach and on-the-rise college coach at Rhode Island.
ORIGINAL (which mostly still holds):
If there is a recurring theme here as it relates to scandals, it is this simple idea: The cover-up is always worse than the crime.
In the context of this Mike Rice/Rutgers awfulness, you can add another: If there's video -- uh-oh.
The visual evidence is the battering ram here: You cannot watch it and not find yourself outraged at Mike Rice's conduct, which appears to be a totally natural thing for him.
But then you peel it away and it becomes more insidious and more -- to lean on a pun I came up with related to Rutgers AD Tim Pernetti -- pernicious.
It wasn't just that Rice abused his players.
It was that the Rutgers AD for all intents and purposes covered it up -- a three-game suspension? It doesn't pass the smell test, especially after you watch the video. The AD's decision-making -- the lack of leadership -- was appalling.
And then you move up the chain: There is no way that the president of Rutgers didn't know about this -- an AD can't suspend the basketball coach without the president of the school (which had just spent an enormous amount of energy and resources muscling its way into the Big Ten) knowing why.
In that way, it was a disqualifying display of "leadership" from the Rutgers president.
And you get the sense that had Don Van Natta and his team at ESPN not dug all this up, Rutgers would have been content to let all of this slide. And that is where the rot is.
It is impossible to take Rutgers seriously as an athletic or academic institution while Mike Rice is the basketball coach, while Tim Pernetti is the AD and while Robert Barchi is the president.
Given that Rice wasn't gone this morning, either Rutgers is figuring out how to navigate through this without firing him -- which would be gobsmacking -- or they are getting rid of him and at this point, it's just about Pernetti and Barchi saving their own jobs, not that they have any credibility remaining.
The point of my column today for USA TODAY Sports is that while Mike Rice's actions were appalling, the institutional failures were just as bad.
There's a lot more in there: Yu Darvish and perfection, Mark Cuban and Brittney Griner, Shaq and Kobe, Louisville women's hoops and Louisville men's hoops, Nnamdi Asomugha and the 49ers and more. Give it a look, if you would.
-- D.S.
ORIGINAL (which mostly still holds):
If there is a recurring theme here as it relates to scandals, it is this simple idea: The cover-up is always worse than the crime.
In the context of this Mike Rice/Rutgers awfulness, you can add another: If there's video -- uh-oh.
The visual evidence is the battering ram here: You cannot watch it and not find yourself outraged at Mike Rice's conduct, which appears to be a totally natural thing for him.
But then you peel it away and it becomes more insidious and more -- to lean on a pun I came up with related to Rutgers AD Tim Pernetti -- pernicious.
It wasn't just that Rice abused his players.
It was that the Rutgers AD for all intents and purposes covered it up -- a three-game suspension? It doesn't pass the smell test, especially after you watch the video. The AD's decision-making -- the lack of leadership -- was appalling.
And then you move up the chain: There is no way that the president of Rutgers didn't know about this -- an AD can't suspend the basketball coach without the president of the school (which had just spent an enormous amount of energy and resources muscling its way into the Big Ten) knowing why.
In that way, it was a disqualifying display of "leadership" from the Rutgers president.
And you get the sense that had Don Van Natta and his team at ESPN not dug all this up, Rutgers would have been content to let all of this slide. And that is where the rot is.
It is impossible to take Rutgers seriously as an athletic or academic institution while Mike Rice is the basketball coach, while Tim Pernetti is the AD and while Robert Barchi is the president.
Given that Rice wasn't gone this morning, either Rutgers is figuring out how to navigate through this without firing him -- which would be gobsmacking -- or they are getting rid of him and at this point, it's just about Pernetti and Barchi saving their own jobs, not that they have any credibility remaining.
The point of my column today for USA TODAY Sports is that while Mike Rice's actions were appalling, the institutional failures were just as bad.
There's a lot more in there: Yu Darvish and perfection, Mark Cuban and Brittney Griner, Shaq and Kobe, Louisville women's hoops and Louisville men's hoops, Nnamdi Asomugha and the 49ers and more. Give it a look, if you would.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
04/02 (Bryce Harper) Quickie
Call it East Coast Bias or my own Nats fandom or the fact that Bryce Harper is -- less than a year into his MLB career -- my favorite baseball player right now, but what Harper did yesterday is more impressive than what Clayton Kershaw did (although if you're a West Coaster or a Dodgers fan or just a smarter baseball fan than me, I appreciate why you might side with CK).
Today's "Morning Win" column for USA TODAY Sports positions Bryce Harper as the most "must-see" athlete in sports right now -- ahead of LeBron, ahead of Messi, ahead of surprising No. 4 Russ Smith (remember, I qualified the list as "right now"). I honestly believe that, and here is the money line:
"LeBron offers the thrill of the expected, honed to near-perfection; Harper offers the thrill of the unexpected -- we have no idea what might happen, and that's the point."
If, like me, you are a little obsessed with Bryce Harper, don't forget to follow @harperatbat, the best Twitter feed ever.
More:
*Andy Enfield to USC: Over-under of 3 years until he is the coach of the Clippers.
*Clayton Kershaw and Felix Hernandez: The best two pitchers in baseball at the top of their game, already.
*UConn women's hoops: Sixth straight Final Four. So why do I find myself more fascinated by Cal?
*Jackie Bradley Jr.: Boston sports fans love their phenoms -- look for him to be a top-selling shirsey.
Read the whole column here -- thanks for the support!
-- D.S.
Today's "Morning Win" column for USA TODAY Sports positions Bryce Harper as the most "must-see" athlete in sports right now -- ahead of LeBron, ahead of Messi, ahead of surprising No. 4 Russ Smith (remember, I qualified the list as "right now"). I honestly believe that, and here is the money line:
"LeBron offers the thrill of the expected, honed to near-perfection; Harper offers the thrill of the unexpected -- we have no idea what might happen, and that's the point."
If, like me, you are a little obsessed with Bryce Harper, don't forget to follow @harperatbat, the best Twitter feed ever.
More:
*Andy Enfield to USC: Over-under of 3 years until he is the coach of the Clippers.
*Clayton Kershaw and Felix Hernandez: The best two pitchers in baseball at the top of their game, already.
*UConn women's hoops: Sixth straight Final Four. So why do I find myself more fascinated by Cal?
*Jackie Bradley Jr.: Boston sports fans love their phenoms -- look for him to be a top-selling shirsey.
Read the whole column here -- thanks for the support!
-- D.S.
Monday, April 01, 2013
04/01 (Opening Day) Quickie
I had no intention of rooting for Louisville to win the national title. First of all, I figured Florida would be in the Final Four. So much for that.
But in the absence of Florida, it didn't seem like much fun to root for the pre-tournament prohibitive favorite -- all three other FF teams are way more compelling.
Then Kevin Ware's injury happened -- and the team's immediate, heart-breaking reaction to it. And then Louisville destroyed Duke. And then they put on Ware's jersey. And then the news about how Ware told the team -- while laying on the court -- to win for him. And then the Instagram of him in his hospital bed, holding the regional trophy.
At this point -- as I wrote in today's USA TODAY Sports column -- how can you NOT root for Louisville to complete the journey and win the title?
It helps that they are clearly the best team left, with or without Ware. Wichita State will give them a battle for a half. The Michigan-Syracuse winner (I'll say Syracuse, but then again, I said Florida would handily beat Michigan) will also make it interesting for 20-30 minutes. And then this Louisville team will take its place among the more memorable champs of the past decade.
More:
*MLB Opening Day: I love that the Nationals are "World Series Championship or bust." That's all you can hope for, as a fan, no matter how much it might hurt more if they fall short.
*Matt Flynn to Raiders: He simply had no career left in Seattle -- a little crazy, given where we were a year ago, a month before Seattle even drafted Russell Wilson. (If Pete Carroll wants to raise the stakes, he should trade for Tim Tebow. I'm totally serious.)
*Louisville women stun Baylor: Lost in the men's tournament, let's please not lose sight of the fact that Louisville's women's team pulled off the biggest upset in sports in the past decade.
-- D.S.
But in the absence of Florida, it didn't seem like much fun to root for the pre-tournament prohibitive favorite -- all three other FF teams are way more compelling.
Then Kevin Ware's injury happened -- and the team's immediate, heart-breaking reaction to it. And then Louisville destroyed Duke. And then they put on Ware's jersey. And then the news about how Ware told the team -- while laying on the court -- to win for him. And then the Instagram of him in his hospital bed, holding the regional trophy.
At this point -- as I wrote in today's USA TODAY Sports column -- how can you NOT root for Louisville to complete the journey and win the title?
It helps that they are clearly the best team left, with or without Ware. Wichita State will give them a battle for a half. The Michigan-Syracuse winner (I'll say Syracuse, but then again, I said Florida would handily beat Michigan) will also make it interesting for 20-30 minutes. And then this Louisville team will take its place among the more memorable champs of the past decade.
More:
*MLB Opening Day: I love that the Nationals are "World Series Championship or bust." That's all you can hope for, as a fan, no matter how much it might hurt more if they fall short.
*Matt Flynn to Raiders: He simply had no career left in Seattle -- a little crazy, given where we were a year ago, a month before Seattle even drafted Russell Wilson. (If Pete Carroll wants to raise the stakes, he should trade for Tim Tebow. I'm totally serious.)
*Louisville women stun Baylor: Lost in the men's tournament, let's please not lose sight of the fact that Louisville's women's team pulled off the biggest upset in sports in the past decade.
-- D.S.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Congrats, Michigan -- Ugh, Disappointment
First of all, congrats to Michigan -- they played great. Better than great. They won the game in the first two minutes, against a really really good team.
As a Florida fan, it is some crushing disappointment -- the expectations were "Final Four or failure." At the very least! I thought this team was good enough to win the national title.
And they were/are. But as we all know, great teams that don't play well -- particularly at this stage of the tournament -- don't get that chance.
I love being a Florida fan, in part, because of the "title or fail" expectations.
But it offers very little margin for error, let alone a performance like this one, which was worse than they have played all season. Most disappointing of all, it wasn't even close, right from jump.
This senior group -- Murphy (who had an abysmal game that made me feel horrible for him more than anything else), Boynton and Rosario -- went to three straight Elite Eights. That is nothing to sneeze at. But this year's team was elite and should have had an elite (read: Final Four) finish.
Whether or not Patric Young comes back (and he should, although if the standard is "first-round pick," he clears that threshold), Florida will be very good again next year.
Wilbekin -- the team's MVP this year -- is back. So are versatile forwards Will Yeguete and Casey Prather. So is 3-point ace Michael Frazier. The team has two top freshmen coming in next year, along with the activation of two transfer interior players.
Hopefully, this year's successes -- and ultimate failure in the Elite Eight -- inspires the team to greater heights. Then again, I said the same thing last year. And the year before that.
Expectations are wonderful to have, but cruel when unfulfilled.
-- D.S.
As a Florida fan, it is some crushing disappointment -- the expectations were "Final Four or failure." At the very least! I thought this team was good enough to win the national title.
And they were/are. But as we all know, great teams that don't play well -- particularly at this stage of the tournament -- don't get that chance.
I love being a Florida fan, in part, because of the "title or fail" expectations.
But it offers very little margin for error, let alone a performance like this one, which was worse than they have played all season. Most disappointing of all, it wasn't even close, right from jump.
This senior group -- Murphy (who had an abysmal game that made me feel horrible for him more than anything else), Boynton and Rosario -- went to three straight Elite Eights. That is nothing to sneeze at. But this year's team was elite and should have had an elite (read: Final Four) finish.
Whether or not Patric Young comes back (and he should, although if the standard is "first-round pick," he clears that threshold), Florida will be very good again next year.
Wilbekin -- the team's MVP this year -- is back. So are versatile forwards Will Yeguete and Casey Prather. So is 3-point ace Michael Frazier. The team has two top freshmen coming in next year, along with the activation of two transfer interior players.
Hopefully, this year's successes -- and ultimate failure in the Elite Eight -- inspires the team to greater heights. Then again, I said the same thing last year. And the year before that.
Expectations are wonderful to have, but cruel when unfulfilled.
-- D.S.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
3/31 (Syracuse! Wichita! Who Else?) Quickie
For the record, my 4-year-old son Jonah -- who picked a complete bracket entirely on his own this year (proud dad) -- had Syracuse winning the East region. (Meanwhile, 6-year-old Gabe is beating 80 percent of the country, so there's that.)
Syracuse -- which has busted so many brackets in the decade since Carmelo (pound-for-pound, the single most impactful player in college hoops history) led them to a title -- is a great example of a really good team playing exceptionally well at exactly the right time.
Wichita State is a wonderful story -- in a region that was supposedly "busted," the Shockers beat the No. 1 and No. 2 seeded teams in the region. For all their close calls the past two weeks, Ohio State was particularly tough. That's earning your way in. There is nothing fluke-ish about Wichita.
Teams seeded in the bottom half of each region almost never make the Final Four -- only three teems seeded higher than Wichita State's 9th have made it (LSU '86, Mason '06 and VCU '11, all 11-seeds). That makes Wichita State's accomplishment all the more special. They are a worthy addition to the exclusive club of Absurdly High Seed Final Four Teams.
Florida is going to beat Michigan, because as good as Michigan's offense is, Florida's defense is better than anything Michigan has seen this season, which includes two losses to Wisconsin and a tough split with Ohio State, both defenses ranked in KenPom's Top 10. For what it's worth, Florida is No. 2, but spent some time at No. 1.
While Michigan's offense falters, Florida's offense -- also ranked in the Top 5 nationally, just like Michigan -- will find Michigan's 45th-ranked defense to be not quite as challenging as, say, Florida Gulf Coast.
It's not that Michigan isn't a really good team -- it's that this match-up particularly favors Florida, including an ideal match-up with Trey Burke (Scottie Wilbekin, one of the Top 3 defensive guards in the country) and Mitch McGary (Patric Young provides the muscle and Erik Murphy's shooting will draw McGary away from the basket).
Louisville will beat Duke, and it won't be close. Duke barely beat Louisville in the non-conference schedule, and that was with UL not having Dieng in the post. Seth Curry -- arguably the best shooter in college basketball -- isn't at his best on a two-day turnaround. And Louisville is playing like a team obsessed with not just making the Final Four, but winning it all.
More:
*Steve Alford to UCLA: Meh. And kind of a jerk. I don't begrudge him leaving for a better job; I begrudge him signing a 10-year extension 10 days ago.
Quick self-indulgent story: A million years ago, I accepted a job offer from SI.com to be an editor. The night before I was supposed to start, ESPN came to me with an awesome role at ESPN Magazine. It was something I probably would have enjoyed even more (in fact, a few years later, my SI.com boss ultimately left to take the ESPN job I was offered.) But I had committed to SI and there was no question I was going to honor that commitment. It's not quite the same -- again, let's put the emphasis here on self-indulgent story -- but the point is that Alford is an asshole, if a very rich one having the last laugh as he takes over a plum (if not Top 5) college hoops coaching role.
*Kevin Kolb to Buffalo: Not quite the missing piece.
*The MLB season starts tonight: World Series title or bust for my Nationals.
-- D.S.
Syracuse -- which has busted so many brackets in the decade since Carmelo (pound-for-pound, the single most impactful player in college hoops history) led them to a title -- is a great example of a really good team playing exceptionally well at exactly the right time.
Wichita State is a wonderful story -- in a region that was supposedly "busted," the Shockers beat the No. 1 and No. 2 seeded teams in the region. For all their close calls the past two weeks, Ohio State was particularly tough. That's earning your way in. There is nothing fluke-ish about Wichita.
Teams seeded in the bottom half of each region almost never make the Final Four -- only three teems seeded higher than Wichita State's 9th have made it (LSU '86, Mason '06 and VCU '11, all 11-seeds). That makes Wichita State's accomplishment all the more special. They are a worthy addition to the exclusive club of Absurdly High Seed Final Four Teams.
Florida is going to beat Michigan, because as good as Michigan's offense is, Florida's defense is better than anything Michigan has seen this season, which includes two losses to Wisconsin and a tough split with Ohio State, both defenses ranked in KenPom's Top 10. For what it's worth, Florida is No. 2, but spent some time at No. 1.
While Michigan's offense falters, Florida's offense -- also ranked in the Top 5 nationally, just like Michigan -- will find Michigan's 45th-ranked defense to be not quite as challenging as, say, Florida Gulf Coast.
It's not that Michigan isn't a really good team -- it's that this match-up particularly favors Florida, including an ideal match-up with Trey Burke (Scottie Wilbekin, one of the Top 3 defensive guards in the country) and Mitch McGary (Patric Young provides the muscle and Erik Murphy's shooting will draw McGary away from the basket).
Louisville will beat Duke, and it won't be close. Duke barely beat Louisville in the non-conference schedule, and that was with UL not having Dieng in the post. Seth Curry -- arguably the best shooter in college basketball -- isn't at his best on a two-day turnaround. And Louisville is playing like a team obsessed with not just making the Final Four, but winning it all.
More:
*Steve Alford to UCLA: Meh. And kind of a jerk. I don't begrudge him leaving for a better job; I begrudge him signing a 10-year extension 10 days ago.
Quick self-indulgent story: A million years ago, I accepted a job offer from SI.com to be an editor. The night before I was supposed to start, ESPN came to me with an awesome role at ESPN Magazine. It was something I probably would have enjoyed even more (in fact, a few years later, my SI.com boss ultimately left to take the ESPN job I was offered.) But I had committed to SI and there was no question I was going to honor that commitment. It's not quite the same -- again, let's put the emphasis here on self-indulgent story -- but the point is that Alford is an asshole, if a very rich one having the last laugh as he takes over a plum (if not Top 5) college hoops coaching role.
*Kevin Kolb to Buffalo: Not quite the missing piece.
*The MLB season starts tonight: World Series title or bust for my Nationals.
-- D.S.
3/30 (Florida) Quickie
First of all, after Florida's win last night (paired with Duke's win, which I begrudgingly picked), my bracket is in the 96th percentile nationally.
Anyone who has been reading this blog for the last six years knows that, historically, my bracket is anywhere between mediocre and horrible. This is my best performance ever. It basically comes down to this: If Florida wins it all, I'm in great shape. If they lose Sunday to Michigan -- or in the Final Four or title game -- I'm going to plummet.
But I feel pretty good about my pick, and last night's game displayed why: Florida has the best defense in college hoops this year -- start with that, and you will always stay in games. They also have a Top 5 offense, nationally; what that means is that even if they have their worst offensive game of the season (as they did last night, because of nerves or FGCU's defense or whatever), it is enough to pair with the elite defense to scratch out a win.
In fact, I was more nervous about a black swan like Florida Gulf Coast than I am about Michigan or the Syracuse-Marquette winner or even Louisville.
In the end, the game was sort of close -- not close close, but nothing I was comfortable with under there was less than a minute remaining in the game. And the first five minutes had me freaking out. But the last 10 minutes of the half -- when Florida stifled FGCU's offense almost entirely (FGCU hurt themselves with turnovers, too) -- I felt like a non-existent offense might not kill them.
And so it's on to the Elite Eight -- for the third straight year -- and Michigan, a team that pulled off one of the greatest comebacks I have seen in the Tournament in years. Michigan's offense is as better than any in the tournament (again, Florida's is Top 5, so hardly a slouch), but Michigan's defense is mediocre; Florida should have a much better time against it than they did against FGCU.
In short: Florida has been through its tournament crucible; Michigan has never seen or played a defense as good as Florida's. The closest proximation -- Michigan State -- yielded a 1-point win in Ann Arbor and a 17-point loss in East Lansing, with Michigan averaging only 54.5 ppg in both, well below its season average. Against Wisconsin's Top 5 defense? Two losses for Michigan, and a 60.5 ppg average.
Against common opponents, don't be fooled by Michigan's 2-0 record against Kansas State and Arkansas, who combined to go 2-1 vs. Florida -- Michigan played K-State in Ann Arbor; Florida played the in Manhattan, Kansas. And Michigan also played Arkansas in Michigan (Arkansas was awful on the road and a completely different team in Fayetteville, where they beat Florida).
The point is that Florida is precisely the kind of team gives Michigan problems. It is unclear that Michigan is the kind of team that gives Florida problems.
Regardless, the stakes for Florida are much higher: In their third straight trip to the Elite Eight, it is break through or bust-- Final Four or failure.
As for the rest of the regionals, I'll take absurdly confident Wichita State over Ohio State (on my bracket, I had Gonzaga over Ohio State) and Syracuse over Marquette (I had Indiana over Marquette) today, then Louisville over Duke (which I had on my bracket) and Florida over Michigan (I had Florida over Kansas). Should be a great four games over the next two days. Enjoy it.
-- D.S.
Anyone who has been reading this blog for the last six years knows that, historically, my bracket is anywhere between mediocre and horrible. This is my best performance ever. It basically comes down to this: If Florida wins it all, I'm in great shape. If they lose Sunday to Michigan -- or in the Final Four or title game -- I'm going to plummet.
But I feel pretty good about my pick, and last night's game displayed why: Florida has the best defense in college hoops this year -- start with that, and you will always stay in games. They also have a Top 5 offense, nationally; what that means is that even if they have their worst offensive game of the season (as they did last night, because of nerves or FGCU's defense or whatever), it is enough to pair with the elite defense to scratch out a win.
In fact, I was more nervous about a black swan like Florida Gulf Coast than I am about Michigan or the Syracuse-Marquette winner or even Louisville.
In the end, the game was sort of close -- not close close, but nothing I was comfortable with under there was less than a minute remaining in the game. And the first five minutes had me freaking out. But the last 10 minutes of the half -- when Florida stifled FGCU's offense almost entirely (FGCU hurt themselves with turnovers, too) -- I felt like a non-existent offense might not kill them.
And so it's on to the Elite Eight -- for the third straight year -- and Michigan, a team that pulled off one of the greatest comebacks I have seen in the Tournament in years. Michigan's offense is as better than any in the tournament (again, Florida's is Top 5, so hardly a slouch), but Michigan's defense is mediocre; Florida should have a much better time against it than they did against FGCU.
In short: Florida has been through its tournament crucible; Michigan has never seen or played a defense as good as Florida's. The closest proximation -- Michigan State -- yielded a 1-point win in Ann Arbor and a 17-point loss in East Lansing, with Michigan averaging only 54.5 ppg in both, well below its season average. Against Wisconsin's Top 5 defense? Two losses for Michigan, and a 60.5 ppg average.
Against common opponents, don't be fooled by Michigan's 2-0 record against Kansas State and Arkansas, who combined to go 2-1 vs. Florida -- Michigan played K-State in Ann Arbor; Florida played the in Manhattan, Kansas. And Michigan also played Arkansas in Michigan (Arkansas was awful on the road and a completely different team in Fayetteville, where they beat Florida).
The point is that Florida is precisely the kind of team gives Michigan problems. It is unclear that Michigan is the kind of team that gives Florida problems.
Regardless, the stakes for Florida are much higher: In their third straight trip to the Elite Eight, it is break through or bust-- Final Four or failure.
As for the rest of the regionals, I'll take absurdly confident Wichita State over Ohio State (on my bracket, I had Gonzaga over Ohio State) and Syracuse over Marquette (I had Indiana over Marquette) today, then Louisville over Duke (which I had on my bracket) and Florida over Michigan (I had Florida over Kansas). Should be a great four games over the next two days. Enjoy it.
-- D.S.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
03/28 (Sweet 16) Quickie
It's a good set of games tonight, but in today's USA TODAY Sports column, I'm focused on expectations.
For Indiana, if they lose tonight, the season is a failure. It's harsh, but true. It doesn't take away from Tom Crean's rebuilding job, but they are past the point of "happy to be good again!" and squarely in the "this team can/should win a title" zone. The same goes for Louisville -- maybe even more, which makes a Louisville-Indiana title game so interesting. One team will crap out, guaranteed.
As you roll down the field, expectations change: Because college hoops has this quirky thing where being a national semifinalist is nearly as meaningful as winning it all, simply making the Final Four is the expectation for the other 1-seed Kansas, the 2-seeds Ohio State and Duke, the 3-seeds Michigan State and Florida and the 4-seed Michigan.
Florida is a unique case: Because they made the Elite Eight the past two years, it's "Final Four or fail" for them, even if their seed doesn't quite justify that expectation. For Michigan State, it's the remarkable Izzo streak of every four-year player getting to at least one Final Four. For Michigan, it is simply that they are unlikely to have a team this talented in the near future. Again, that makes a Florida-Michigan regional final absolutely amazing, as it does for Michigan State-Duke.
Miami is an odd case: By seed, it should be "Final Four or bust." But because the program is so nouveau riche -- literally, this season -- you get the sense that getting to the Elite Eight will still be considered pretty good, albeit disappointing for those who thought this team was good enough to get to the Final Four.
As for the rest, it's pretty much all gravy. Oh, Arizona fans can/should be ticked if they don't get to the Elite Eight, but there isn't a huge shame in losing to a strong 2-seed.
Wichita State-LaSalle is fascinating: One of those teams is going to the Elite Eight -- bringing with it a puncher's chance at making the Final Four and earning college hoops immortality that would come with it. Both teams have to be saying to themselves: Why not us? In that case, losing tonight will be hugely disappointing to the loser, even if making the Sweet 16 at all should be cause for celebration.
Give the column a read -- this tension between "win or failure" and "just happy to be here" is a long-standing fascination of mine. Tons more in the column, too. Enjoy the games tonight.
-- D.S.
For Indiana, if they lose tonight, the season is a failure. It's harsh, but true. It doesn't take away from Tom Crean's rebuilding job, but they are past the point of "happy to be good again!" and squarely in the "this team can/should win a title" zone. The same goes for Louisville -- maybe even more, which makes a Louisville-Indiana title game so interesting. One team will crap out, guaranteed.
As you roll down the field, expectations change: Because college hoops has this quirky thing where being a national semifinalist is nearly as meaningful as winning it all, simply making the Final Four is the expectation for the other 1-seed Kansas, the 2-seeds Ohio State and Duke, the 3-seeds Michigan State and Florida and the 4-seed Michigan.
Florida is a unique case: Because they made the Elite Eight the past two years, it's "Final Four or fail" for them, even if their seed doesn't quite justify that expectation. For Michigan State, it's the remarkable Izzo streak of every four-year player getting to at least one Final Four. For Michigan, it is simply that they are unlikely to have a team this talented in the near future. Again, that makes a Florida-Michigan regional final absolutely amazing, as it does for Michigan State-Duke.
Miami is an odd case: By seed, it should be "Final Four or bust." But because the program is so nouveau riche -- literally, this season -- you get the sense that getting to the Elite Eight will still be considered pretty good, albeit disappointing for those who thought this team was good enough to get to the Final Four.
As for the rest, it's pretty much all gravy. Oh, Arizona fans can/should be ticked if they don't get to the Elite Eight, but there isn't a huge shame in losing to a strong 2-seed.
Wichita State-LaSalle is fascinating: One of those teams is going to the Elite Eight -- bringing with it a puncher's chance at making the Final Four and earning college hoops immortality that would come with it. Both teams have to be saying to themselves: Why not us? In that case, losing tonight will be hugely disappointing to the loser, even if making the Sweet 16 at all should be cause for celebration.
Give the column a read -- this tension between "win or failure" and "just happy to be here" is a long-standing fascination of mine. Tons more in the column, too. Enjoy the games tonight.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
3/27 (US Soccer) Quickie
It's funny -- I just got an email ripping me for this morning's USA TODAY Sports column that led with a celebration of the US's huge tie with Mexico last night.
Make no mistake: I am only a casual soccer fan. But the point of the take was that in a month dominated by "survive and advance" and "win or go home," it was refreshing to be reminded that we can enjoy thrilling sports and have the result be... a tie.
In this case, the old adage "a tie is as good as a win" (is that an old adage? maybe I'm thinking of "a walk is as good as a hit") really makes sense -- particularly in that stadium for this US team.
There is a ton of other great stuff in the column today: Brittney Griner! Dirk! Florida Gulf Coast! (Obviously!) And an amazing moment starring Mr. T!
Please give it a look. We're into week 2 on this experiment, and I'd like to know what you think.
Tons of Sweet 16 goodness coming tomorrow.
-- D.S.
Make no mistake: I am only a casual soccer fan. But the point of the take was that in a month dominated by "survive and advance" and "win or go home," it was refreshing to be reminded that we can enjoy thrilling sports and have the result be... a tie.
In this case, the old adage "a tie is as good as a win" (is that an old adage? maybe I'm thinking of "a walk is as good as a hit") really makes sense -- particularly in that stadium for this US team.
There is a ton of other great stuff in the column today: Brittney Griner! Dirk! Florida Gulf Coast! (Obviously!) And an amazing moment starring Mr. T!
Please give it a look. We're into week 2 on this experiment, and I'd like to know what you think.
Tons of Sweet 16 goodness coming tomorrow.
-- D.S.
Monday, March 25, 2013
03/25 (FGCU!) Quickie
Is Florida Gulf Coast the greatest Cinderella in NCAA Tournament history?
It is hard to measure up to NC State '83 or Villanova '85 (both champs) or George Mason 2006 (which made it to the Final Four).
But I would argue that even if they lose to Florida on Friday night, FGCU is in the conversation for Greatest Cinderella Ever, because of their unique confluence of factors.
Start with the unprecedented: They are the first 15-seed to reach the Sweet 16.
They play a highly telegenic style. They have amazing backstories. The program has no history except for this. They don't come from a major (or even mid-major) conference. They are a GIF industry unto themselves.
And there is no reason to believe that it will stop now.
If you asked me heading into the Tournament if there was a team that I thought would beat Florida, I'd say no -- after all, it's why I picked Florida to win it all.
But that didn't account for the "black swan" scenario -- the entirely unforeseen competitor that is a mix of moxie, motivation, method and manpower.
At this point, I am extremely nervous that Florida will lose to FGCU -- even with five days for Billy Donovan to prepare, even with the idea of "regression to the mean," even with Florida's history of smashing Cinderella's slipper (they beat George Mason in the Final Four in '06).
All I know is that what FGCU is doing is unprecedented (way beyond the 15-seed stuff), and that alone qualifies them for NCAA tournament immortality.
Check out the USATODAY.com column here.
-- D.S.
It is hard to measure up to NC State '83 or Villanova '85 (both champs) or George Mason 2006 (which made it to the Final Four).
But I would argue that even if they lose to Florida on Friday night, FGCU is in the conversation for Greatest Cinderella Ever, because of their unique confluence of factors.
Start with the unprecedented: They are the first 15-seed to reach the Sweet 16.
They play a highly telegenic style. They have amazing backstories. The program has no history except for this. They don't come from a major (or even mid-major) conference. They are a GIF industry unto themselves.
And there is no reason to believe that it will stop now.
If you asked me heading into the Tournament if there was a team that I thought would beat Florida, I'd say no -- after all, it's why I picked Florida to win it all.
But that didn't account for the "black swan" scenario -- the entirely unforeseen competitor that is a mix of moxie, motivation, method and manpower.
At this point, I am extremely nervous that Florida will lose to FGCU -- even with five days for Billy Donovan to prepare, even with the idea of "regression to the mean," even with Florida's history of smashing Cinderella's slipper (they beat George Mason in the Final Four in '06).
All I know is that what FGCU is doing is unprecedented (way beyond the 15-seed stuff), and that alone qualifies them for NCAA tournament immortality.
Check out the USATODAY.com column here.
-- D.S.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
3/24 (Wichita State!) Quickie
There is always this moment of hindsight -- when my bracket basically implodes -- when I wonder "What was I thinking?"
Saturday night, that was when Gonzaga -- a team I picked to go to the Final Four -- lost to Wichita State. The Shockers totally earned it, out-playing the top seed in the game's final minutes.
Why did I buy Gonzaga? Why did I ignore their decade of underachievement in the tournament? Why did I buy into this year as different?
In retrospect, my strategy in that region should have been "Anyone BUT Gonzaga."
And so it will be Wichita State playing the winner of Ole Miss and LaSalle for the right to play the winner of Arizona and (presumably) Ohio State to go to the Final Four. Amazing.
It was an awesome night for the NCAA Tournament. A 1-seed losing in the first weekend is big enough, but the Butler-Marquette slugfest -- ousting the Bulldogs -- was an instant classic.
Speaking of shockers (sorry), it was jaw-dropping to see Brad Stevens' team execute so poorly down the stretch. Credit Marquette -- I can't help but think that the buzzer-beating loss to Butler in the preseason gave Marquette that extra edge they needed to push through to the finish.
Meanwhile, I also lost Saint Louis. Oregon is very good. It finally dawned on me that folks griping about Oregon being "under-seeded" had it entirely backwards.
Being under-seeded is a huge advantage. Sure, you start with a 5, but presuming you get past that -- as 12-seeds tend to -- you are playing a 4, rather than a 1- or 2- or 3-seed, which you would if you got seeded "accurately."
And so instead of playing Louisville (and presumptively losing) or playing Duke (and presumptively losing) or playing Michigan State (and presumptively losing), Oregon draws Saint Louis -- a scrappy team of extraordinarily hard workers totally ill-equipped to keep pace with the Ducks' athleticism.
Oregon is in the Sweet 16 BECAUSE they were under-seeded, not DESPITE being under-seeded.
Somehow, my bracket is hovering near the 70th percentile. (I picked Marquette over Butler, but lots of people did, too.) But that ranking will change with every round Gonzaga isn't advancing toward the Final Four I predicted for them -- and shouldn't have.
Among the stronger feelings engendered by the tournament -- "Shoulda." It is frustrating, but helps contribute to what makes it so great.
In the end, I'll trade my mediocre bracket for thrilling nights like this every time.
-- D.S.
Saturday night, that was when Gonzaga -- a team I picked to go to the Final Four -- lost to Wichita State. The Shockers totally earned it, out-playing the top seed in the game's final minutes.
Why did I buy Gonzaga? Why did I ignore their decade of underachievement in the tournament? Why did I buy into this year as different?
In retrospect, my strategy in that region should have been "Anyone BUT Gonzaga."
And so it will be Wichita State playing the winner of Ole Miss and LaSalle for the right to play the winner of Arizona and (presumably) Ohio State to go to the Final Four. Amazing.
It was an awesome night for the NCAA Tournament. A 1-seed losing in the first weekend is big enough, but the Butler-Marquette slugfest -- ousting the Bulldogs -- was an instant classic.
Speaking of shockers (sorry), it was jaw-dropping to see Brad Stevens' team execute so poorly down the stretch. Credit Marquette -- I can't help but think that the buzzer-beating loss to Butler in the preseason gave Marquette that extra edge they needed to push through to the finish.
Meanwhile, I also lost Saint Louis. Oregon is very good. It finally dawned on me that folks griping about Oregon being "under-seeded" had it entirely backwards.
Being under-seeded is a huge advantage. Sure, you start with a 5, but presuming you get past that -- as 12-seeds tend to -- you are playing a 4, rather than a 1- or 2- or 3-seed, which you would if you got seeded "accurately."
And so instead of playing Louisville (and presumptively losing) or playing Duke (and presumptively losing) or playing Michigan State (and presumptively losing), Oregon draws Saint Louis -- a scrappy team of extraordinarily hard workers totally ill-equipped to keep pace with the Ducks' athleticism.
Oregon is in the Sweet 16 BECAUSE they were under-seeded, not DESPITE being under-seeded.
Somehow, my bracket is hovering near the 70th percentile. (I picked Marquette over Butler, but lots of people did, too.) But that ranking will change with every round Gonzaga isn't advancing toward the Final Four I predicted for them -- and shouldn't have.
Among the stronger feelings engendered by the tournament -- "Shoulda." It is frustrating, but helps contribute to what makes it so great.
In the end, I'll trade my mediocre bracket for thrilling nights like this every time.
-- D.S.
Friday, March 22, 2013
3/23 (FGCU!) Quickie
The names are immortal in college hoops history:
Richmond. Santa Clara. Coppin State.
Hampton. Norfolk State. Lehich.
The six 15-seeds that have knocked off a 2-seed, the most exciting and meaningful result possible in the NCAA Tournament (until a 16 eventually beats a 1).
Add to the pantheon: Florida Gulf Coast.
It wasn't close. It wasn't a grinder. It wasn't a nail-biter.
This was FGCU punching Georgetown in the mouth, then continuing to smack them around for the rest of the game (despite the Hoyas' final futile flurry). FGCU earned it all the way, the better team.
(That alley-oop near the end? Ridiculous.)
The Round of 32 is sizing up with a couple of teams that you have to be rooting for, because they deserve the spotlight that comes with being in the Sweet 16:
Ole Miss. VCU. Florida Gulf Coast.
When they play San Diego State on Sunday, FGCU should come in as confident of being a Sweet 16 team as anyone in the field.
More than that, they join arguably the most elite fraternity in college hoops -- the 15-seeds who beat 2-seeds. The name "Florida Gulf Coast" will live in college hoops history and with fans energized by what happened on Friday night.
More:
*My bracket: I'm in the 58th percentile nationally. I went 21-11 in my Round of 64 picks, but lost only two Sweet 16 teams (Wisconsin and Georgetown). Along with the "National Bracket," I am tied for 62nd in the DQR group. Mrs. Quickie is tied for 19th. My two boys -- who picked their own brackets this year -- are tied for 93rd.
*Today's games:
VCU-Michigan is the first (and best) game of the day.
Butler-Marquette is the second-most intriguing.
Give Wichita State a puncher's chance against 1-seed Gonzaga.
12-seeds Oregon and Cal don't feel like Cinderellas if they win.
The only real Cinderella today is Harvard.
-- D.S.
Richmond. Santa Clara. Coppin State.
Hampton. Norfolk State. Lehich.
The six 15-seeds that have knocked off a 2-seed, the most exciting and meaningful result possible in the NCAA Tournament (until a 16 eventually beats a 1).
Add to the pantheon: Florida Gulf Coast.
It wasn't close. It wasn't a grinder. It wasn't a nail-biter.
This was FGCU punching Georgetown in the mouth, then continuing to smack them around for the rest of the game (despite the Hoyas' final futile flurry). FGCU earned it all the way, the better team.
(That alley-oop near the end? Ridiculous.)
The Round of 32 is sizing up with a couple of teams that you have to be rooting for, because they deserve the spotlight that comes with being in the Sweet 16:
Ole Miss. VCU. Florida Gulf Coast.
When they play San Diego State on Sunday, FGCU should come in as confident of being a Sweet 16 team as anyone in the field.
More than that, they join arguably the most elite fraternity in college hoops -- the 15-seeds who beat 2-seeds. The name "Florida Gulf Coast" will live in college hoops history and with fans energized by what happened on Friday night.
More:
*My bracket: I'm in the 58th percentile nationally. I went 21-11 in my Round of 64 picks, but lost only two Sweet 16 teams (Wisconsin and Georgetown). Along with the "National Bracket," I am tied for 62nd in the DQR group. Mrs. Quickie is tied for 19th. My two boys -- who picked their own brackets this year -- are tied for 93rd.
*Today's games:
VCU-Michigan is the first (and best) game of the day.
Butler-Marquette is the second-most intriguing.
Give Wichita State a puncher's chance against 1-seed Gonzaga.
12-seeds Oregon and Cal don't feel like Cinderellas if they win.
The only real Cinderella today is Harvard.
-- D.S.
03/22 (Harvard) Quickie
Harvard: Wow.
The essential tension of the NCAA Tournament is between "Wow, do I want to see an upset!" and "Wow, do I want my bracket to be right!"
Two sides of that yesterday, which I lead today's Morning Win with:
Davidson: How could you not want to see a 14-over-3 upset? Argh! Well, what if you have Marquette to the Elite Eight, like I do? And so I'm resigned to Marquette losing, then jubilant when they break Davidson's heart. It felt horrible, but only until I looked at my bracket.
Harvard: How could you not want to see a 14-over-3 upset? Agreed! Especially if you think New Mexico was going to lose in the next round anyway, like I do? So it is virtually costless for me if the Lobos don't win, relative to the excitement of seeing Harvard pull off one of the most stunning first-round upsets in NCAA Tournament history?*
* - Let's unpack that for a second. First of all, nothing beats a 15-over-2. There have been six of those in history - they are sacrosanct. Next up is the 14-over-3 - there have been 16 of those heading into yesterday. In the column today, I ranked the Top 5 14-over-3s and put Harvard over New Mexico at No. 3, behind '86 Cleveland State over Indiana, which was the climax of "Season on the Brink," and '05's Bucknell over Kansas, because... it was Bucknell over Kansas. So even if you count the 20-some 13-over-4s, that puts Harvard '12 in the Top 20, which ain't bad.
Otherwise, yesterday was notable for Southern hanging with Gonzaga until the finish (which, for a 16-seed, offers about as much March immortality as you can get -- consider that people still remember 16-seed Western Carolina nearly beating 1-seed Purdue in 1996); the two Pac-12 12-seeds KO'ing 5-seeds (a fairly amazing "eff you" to the Selection Committee); and the vicious blowouts, including Syracuse, VCU... and Wichita State just clobbering Pitt.
Today's best? Wisconsin versus Marshall Henderson and Ole Miss is the most intriguing game of the day, at the start of the slate, and UCLA-Minnesota -- by far the most popular upset pick of the first round -- which is the final game of the night and only worth staying up for to see if the wisdom of the crowds (and pundits) is right.
How's your bracket? I went 11-5, and I suspect that most people were right around the 10-/11-/12-win mark. The bigger question is how damaging were your losses? Did you have New Mexico going to the Sweet 16? How about UNLV? The National Bracket went 11-5. President Obama went 10-6. My 4-year-old son, who picked his own bracket this year, went 12-4 to lead the family pool standings.
Enjoy the day and weekend! No Morning Win on USATODAY.com over the weekend, so check back here for shallow, quick-hit goodness!
-- D.S.
The essential tension of the NCAA Tournament is between "Wow, do I want to see an upset!" and "Wow, do I want my bracket to be right!"
Two sides of that yesterday, which I lead today's Morning Win with:
Davidson: How could you not want to see a 14-over-3 upset? Argh! Well, what if you have Marquette to the Elite Eight, like I do? And so I'm resigned to Marquette losing, then jubilant when they break Davidson's heart. It felt horrible, but only until I looked at my bracket.
Harvard: How could you not want to see a 14-over-3 upset? Agreed! Especially if you think New Mexico was going to lose in the next round anyway, like I do? So it is virtually costless for me if the Lobos don't win, relative to the excitement of seeing Harvard pull off one of the most stunning first-round upsets in NCAA Tournament history?*
* - Let's unpack that for a second. First of all, nothing beats a 15-over-2. There have been six of those in history - they are sacrosanct. Next up is the 14-over-3 - there have been 16 of those heading into yesterday. In the column today, I ranked the Top 5 14-over-3s and put Harvard over New Mexico at No. 3, behind '86 Cleveland State over Indiana, which was the climax of "Season on the Brink," and '05's Bucknell over Kansas, because... it was Bucknell over Kansas. So even if you count the 20-some 13-over-4s, that puts Harvard '12 in the Top 20, which ain't bad.
Otherwise, yesterday was notable for Southern hanging with Gonzaga until the finish (which, for a 16-seed, offers about as much March immortality as you can get -- consider that people still remember 16-seed Western Carolina nearly beating 1-seed Purdue in 1996); the two Pac-12 12-seeds KO'ing 5-seeds (a fairly amazing "eff you" to the Selection Committee); and the vicious blowouts, including Syracuse, VCU... and Wichita State just clobbering Pitt.
Today's best? Wisconsin versus Marshall Henderson and Ole Miss is the most intriguing game of the day, at the start of the slate, and UCLA-Minnesota -- by far the most popular upset pick of the first round -- which is the final game of the night and only worth staying up for to see if the wisdom of the crowds (and pundits) is right.
How's your bracket? I went 11-5, and I suspect that most people were right around the 10-/11-/12-win mark. The bigger question is how damaging were your losses? Did you have New Mexico going to the Sweet 16? How about UNLV? The National Bracket went 11-5. President Obama went 10-6. My 4-year-old son, who picked his own bracket this year, went 12-4 to lead the family pool standings.
Enjoy the day and weekend! No Morning Win on USATODAY.com over the weekend, so check back here for shallow, quick-hit goodness!
-- D.S.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
03/21 (First Thursday) Quickie
Last chance to join the Daily Quickie Readers group of the Tournament Challenge -- you can be a part of multiple groups at the same time. Join in!
****
Best day of the sports year? Best day of the sports year.
That's the lead of today's (new!) Morning Win column on USATODAY.com.
The epicenter is the 8 games this afternoon -- watching at night is fun, but watching during the workday, with everyone you know invested in the outcomes (despite not having a deep-seated fan-love of any of the teams) is special.
Here's a little clip from the column, because it's a Quickie tradition:
12:15 (CBS): 3 Michigan State vs. 14 Valpo (Auburn Hills, Mich. - Midwest)
Pick against Tom Izzo in the first round? Yeah, right.
12:40 (truTV): 6 Butler vs. 11 Bucknell (Lexington, Ky. - East)
Against any other 6, Bucknell would be the upset pick.
1:40 (TBS): 8 Pittsburgh vs. 9 Wichita State (Salt Lake City - West)
The classic 8-9 dilemma: Does it even matter?
2:10 (TNT): 4 Saint Louis vs. 13 NM State (San Jose - Midwest)
Billikens are the best team you’ve never watched.
2:45 (CBS) 6 Memphis vs. 11 Saint Mary's (Auburn Hills - Midwest)
Only upset of the day, thanks to Gaels’ running start in First Four.
3:10 (truTV) 3 Marquette vs. 14 Davidson (Lexington - East)
Upset special? It’s a sneaky-trendy pick, but Marquette too tough.
4:10 (TBS) 1 Gonzaga vs. 16 Southern (Salt Lake City - West)
Zags need a tune-up after long layoff.
4:40 (TNT) 5 Oklahoma State vs. 12 Oregon (San Jose - Midwest)
Is Cowboys PG Marcus Smart the Tourney’s top NBA prospect?
Most people's Round of 64 is chalky. (9-over-8 doesn't count.) My entire night slate is chalk (except for 9 Mizzou over 8 Colorado State, which I could have gone either way on, given the Rams' superlative offensive-rebounding skills. This afternoon is about Saint Mary's using the springboard of the First Four to catch Memphis flat-footed and pull off the only upset of the day. (Or so I'm picking.)
Meanwhile: Of the Heat's 24 straight wins, last night's was the most impressive -- down 27 in the 3rd, they still won... The pushback on the NFL's new rules around lowering the head is a pretty good indicator of the institutional issues that caused the brain-injury epidemic in the first place... I'm bummed for my LIU-Brooklyn team that lost in the play-in, but hard not to feel good for James Madison. (BTW: Those LIU uniforms have to be among the 5 coolest in the Tournament field.)
Anyway, check out today's column (and please try to share it around!) and get your bracket into the Daily Quickie Readers group.
Enjoy the day!
-- D.S.
****
Best day of the sports year? Best day of the sports year.
That's the lead of today's (new!) Morning Win column on USATODAY.com.
The epicenter is the 8 games this afternoon -- watching at night is fun, but watching during the workday, with everyone you know invested in the outcomes (despite not having a deep-seated fan-love of any of the teams) is special.
Here's a little clip from the column, because it's a Quickie tradition:
12:15 (CBS): 3 Michigan State vs. 14 Valpo (Auburn Hills, Mich. - Midwest)
Pick against Tom Izzo in the first round? Yeah, right.
12:40 (truTV): 6 Butler vs. 11 Bucknell (Lexington, Ky. - East)
Against any other 6, Bucknell would be the upset pick.
1:40 (TBS): 8 Pittsburgh vs. 9 Wichita State (Salt Lake City - West)
The classic 8-9 dilemma: Does it even matter?
2:10 (TNT): 4 Saint Louis vs. 13 NM State (San Jose - Midwest)
Billikens are the best team you’ve never watched.
2:45 (CBS) 6 Memphis vs. 11 Saint Mary's (Auburn Hills - Midwest)
Only upset of the day, thanks to Gaels’ running start in First Four.
3:10 (truTV) 3 Marquette vs. 14 Davidson (Lexington - East)
Upset special? It’s a sneaky-trendy pick, but Marquette too tough.
4:10 (TBS) 1 Gonzaga vs. 16 Southern (Salt Lake City - West)
Zags need a tune-up after long layoff.
4:40 (TNT) 5 Oklahoma State vs. 12 Oregon (San Jose - Midwest)
Is Cowboys PG Marcus Smart the Tourney’s top NBA prospect?
Most people's Round of 64 is chalky. (9-over-8 doesn't count.) My entire night slate is chalk (except for 9 Mizzou over 8 Colorado State, which I could have gone either way on, given the Rams' superlative offensive-rebounding skills. This afternoon is about Saint Mary's using the springboard of the First Four to catch Memphis flat-footed and pull off the only upset of the day. (Or so I'm picking.)
Meanwhile: Of the Heat's 24 straight wins, last night's was the most impressive -- down 27 in the 3rd, they still won... The pushback on the NFL's new rules around lowering the head is a pretty good indicator of the institutional issues that caused the brain-injury epidemic in the first place... I'm bummed for my LIU-Brooklyn team that lost in the play-in, but hard not to feel good for James Madison. (BTW: Those LIU uniforms have to be among the 5 coolest in the Tournament field.)
Anyway, check out today's column (and please try to share it around!) and get your bracket into the Daily Quickie Readers group.
Enjoy the day!
-- D.S.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
3/20 (Bobby Mo!) Quickie
Be sure to join in the Daily Quickie Readers pool of the Tournament Challenge. (Or maybe it should be called "Morning Winners.")
Today's Morning Win column on USATODAY.com leads off with Robert Morris' awesome upset of Kentucky last night. It is very possible that will be the most exciting result of the month, entirely understanding that the NCAA Tournament doesn't really start until tomorrow.
It's great for Robert Morris. It's great for the (largely irrelevant) NIT. It's great for people who revel in schadenfreude about Kentucky.
Let's be clear: In November, I picked Kentucky to repeat as champs -- so either I am the worst or best person to talk about this. But my big reason was the Calipari "system," a clever arbitrage of the NBA's age limitations.
Calipari promises elite recruits three things: (1) NBA development. (2) Playing time. (3) A chance to compete for a national title.
Clearly, (3) totally fell apart this year. Next up is (2), which also falls apart in the event that this year's highly touted freshmen stick around next year, when even more highly touted freshmen show up. Something's gotta give, because they all expect 30 minutes per game.
Here's betting that Cal runs off the current frosh -- the new guys coming in next year are way better and, again, his system is predicated on "one-and-done," not (as I write in the column) "one-and-one-more."
A few more pieces of extra commentary:
*The near-universal pick of Louisville to win the title by sports pundits is baffling to me. This isn't Kentucky '12; didn't we just finish a season where every day was a new example of "Parity!"
*I don't expect everyone to follow my lead and pick Florida -- but it's pretty validating that the leading prognosticator from last year (Harvard's John Ezekowitz) has Florida winning it all (and my same Final Four: Florida, Louisville, Indiana, Gonzaga) and basically my same bracket. If I am going to fail this year, I'm taking down the reigning King of the Bracket with me.
*Good for NC A&T. Really good for Saint Mary's -- makes the pick of Play-In Game Winner over Memphis that much easier.
*LIU is near and dear to me: My grandfather taught journalism there for 15 years and their awesome '97/'98 team surged just as I moved to Brooklyn. Here's to a huge win, then taking down Indiana.
*As for my picks this year, I'm chalky, with the following exceptions:
Round of 64: Minnesota over UCLA and Saint Mary's over Memphis and Colorado over Illinois. (I also have a few 9-over-8s, but that doesn't count.)
Round of 32: Arizona over New Mexico, Wisconsin over Kansas State, VCU over Michigan. (At this point, 5-over-4 hardly counts.)
Round of 16: Florida over Georgetown, Marquette over Miami. (At this point, 3-over-2 hardly counts.)
Round of 8: Florida over Kansas.
Final Four: Florida over Indiana.
Title game: Florida over Louisville.
Be sure to join in the Daily Quickie Readers pool of the Tournament Challenge. (Or maybe it should be called "Morning Winners.")
-- D.S.
Today's Morning Win column on USATODAY.com leads off with Robert Morris' awesome upset of Kentucky last night. It is very possible that will be the most exciting result of the month, entirely understanding that the NCAA Tournament doesn't really start until tomorrow.
It's great for Robert Morris. It's great for the (largely irrelevant) NIT. It's great for people who revel in schadenfreude about Kentucky.
Let's be clear: In November, I picked Kentucky to repeat as champs -- so either I am the worst or best person to talk about this. But my big reason was the Calipari "system," a clever arbitrage of the NBA's age limitations.
Calipari promises elite recruits three things: (1) NBA development. (2) Playing time. (3) A chance to compete for a national title.
Clearly, (3) totally fell apart this year. Next up is (2), which also falls apart in the event that this year's highly touted freshmen stick around next year, when even more highly touted freshmen show up. Something's gotta give, because they all expect 30 minutes per game.
Here's betting that Cal runs off the current frosh -- the new guys coming in next year are way better and, again, his system is predicated on "one-and-done," not (as I write in the column) "one-and-one-more."
A few more pieces of extra commentary:
*The near-universal pick of Louisville to win the title by sports pundits is baffling to me. This isn't Kentucky '12; didn't we just finish a season where every day was a new example of "Parity!"
*I don't expect everyone to follow my lead and pick Florida -- but it's pretty validating that the leading prognosticator from last year (Harvard's John Ezekowitz) has Florida winning it all (and my same Final Four: Florida, Louisville, Indiana, Gonzaga) and basically my same bracket. If I am going to fail this year, I'm taking down the reigning King of the Bracket with me.
*Good for NC A&T. Really good for Saint Mary's -- makes the pick of Play-In Game Winner over Memphis that much easier.
*LIU is near and dear to me: My grandfather taught journalism there for 15 years and their awesome '97/'98 team surged just as I moved to Brooklyn. Here's to a huge win, then taking down Indiana.
*As for my picks this year, I'm chalky, with the following exceptions:
Round of 64: Minnesota over UCLA and Saint Mary's over Memphis and Colorado over Illinois. (I also have a few 9-over-8s, but that doesn't count.)
Round of 32: Arizona over New Mexico, Wisconsin over Kansas State, VCU over Michigan. (At this point, 5-over-4 hardly counts.)
Round of 16: Florida over Georgetown, Marquette over Miami. (At this point, 3-over-2 hardly counts.)
Round of 8: Florida over Kansas.
Final Four: Florida over Indiana.
Title game: Florida over Louisville.
Be sure to join in the Daily Quickie Readers pool of the Tournament Challenge. (Or maybe it should be called "Morning Winners.")
-- D.S.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
3/19 (Wait, Wait... What's THIS?) Quickie
Wait a second... what's this?
Yes, I'm dabbling at being back in the morning game -- thanks to my pals and colleagues at USA TODAY Sports for the indulgence, patience and support.
So what will you find today? The easiest thing would have been to go big with Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn. The better thing is to talk about the self-doubt we all feel about our bracket when we hit the unofficial halfway point between Selection Sunday and tip-off on Thursday.
But there's more: Love for the First Four, love for the Heat hitting 23 straight wins and -- yes -- a brief item on Tiger and Lindsey.
I think you'll like it. It's zippy (I hope you would expect nothing less) and it is tricked out by my editor Mike Foss with all sorts of photo and GIFfy goodness.
So please check it out and pass it around to your friends and colleagues. Let's see if we've got something here.
-- D.S.
Yes, I'm dabbling at being back in the morning game -- thanks to my pals and colleagues at USA TODAY Sports for the indulgence, patience and support.
So what will you find today? The easiest thing would have been to go big with Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn. The better thing is to talk about the self-doubt we all feel about our bracket when we hit the unofficial halfway point between Selection Sunday and tip-off on Thursday.
But there's more: Love for the First Four, love for the Heat hitting 23 straight wins and -- yes -- a brief item on Tiger and Lindsey.
I think you'll like it. It's zippy (I hope you would expect nothing less) and it is tricked out by my editor Mike Foss with all sorts of photo and GIFfy goodness.
So please check it out and pass it around to your friends and colleagues. Let's see if we've got something here.
-- D.S.
Monday, March 18, 2013
3/18 (Bracket!) Quickie
Add your bracket to the Daily Quickie Readers group!
(You can join as many groups as you want.)
Final Four picks, in order of confidence:
*Louisville (over Duke)
*Florida (over Kansas)
*Indiana (over Marquette)
*Gonzaga (over Ohio State)
I am picking Florida over Louisville in the title game, which is high-risk/high-reward, given that everyone seems to be picking Louisville to win it all (and if not Louisville, then Indiana). It is also totally foolish, given that I am personally rooting for Florida to win it all -- it's like I'm forgetting everything I know about the Quickie jinx.
Yes, I am concerned about picking Gonzaga to the Final Four. There is a certain contrarianism to picking the Zags, given that they are the only 1-seed not to make it to the Final Four on the "national bracket" aggregate of all fans' picks -- a rarity over the past decade. I can understand the impulse to take Ohio State -- the Buckeyes' defense is among the best in the field and Gonzaga has potentially been softened up by playing a cupcake conference schedule.
There is a mind trick about getting behind a (or "the") hot team and getting burned, but this year's Gonzaga team feels closer to a traditional big-conference power than others in years past. (Speaking of which, how many people would be taking Saint Louis to the Elite Eight -- if not Final Four -- if they weren't in Louisville's region? I know I would be.)
There are a handful of specific picks that nag me, in an otherwise chalky bracket: Taking Kansas over VCU... taking Marquette over Butler... taking Duke over Michigan State... and the biggie: Taking Gonzaga over Wisconsin, which underscores how messy my West is: Gonzaga over the two Big Ten Tournament finalists, in addition to going long on Sean Miller and Arizona (taking the 'Cats over New Mexico and into the Sweet 16).
Meanwhile: Happy birthday, Mrs. Quickie -- whose mid-March birthday is right in line with her enthusiasm for the NCAA Tournament.
One more time: Join the Daily Quickie Readers group of the Tournament Challenge.
-- D.S.
(You can join as many groups as you want.)
Final Four picks, in order of confidence:
*Louisville (over Duke)
*Florida (over Kansas)
*Indiana (over Marquette)
*Gonzaga (over Ohio State)
I am picking Florida over Louisville in the title game, which is high-risk/high-reward, given that everyone seems to be picking Louisville to win it all (and if not Louisville, then Indiana). It is also totally foolish, given that I am personally rooting for Florida to win it all -- it's like I'm forgetting everything I know about the Quickie jinx.
Yes, I am concerned about picking Gonzaga to the Final Four. There is a certain contrarianism to picking the Zags, given that they are the only 1-seed not to make it to the Final Four on the "national bracket" aggregate of all fans' picks -- a rarity over the past decade. I can understand the impulse to take Ohio State -- the Buckeyes' defense is among the best in the field and Gonzaga has potentially been softened up by playing a cupcake conference schedule.
There is a mind trick about getting behind a (or "the") hot team and getting burned, but this year's Gonzaga team feels closer to a traditional big-conference power than others in years past. (Speaking of which, how many people would be taking Saint Louis to the Elite Eight -- if not Final Four -- if they weren't in Louisville's region? I know I would be.)
There are a handful of specific picks that nag me, in an otherwise chalky bracket: Taking Kansas over VCU... taking Marquette over Butler... taking Duke over Michigan State... and the biggie: Taking Gonzaga over Wisconsin, which underscores how messy my West is: Gonzaga over the two Big Ten Tournament finalists, in addition to going long on Sean Miller and Arizona (taking the 'Cats over New Mexico and into the Sweet 16).
Meanwhile: Happy birthday, Mrs. Quickie -- whose mid-March birthday is right in line with her enthusiasm for the NCAA Tournament.
One more time: Join the Daily Quickie Readers group of the Tournament Challenge.
-- D.S.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
3/17 (Selection Sunday) Quickie
Join the Daily Quickie Readers group of the Tournament Challenge.
Best sports day of the year? Today is on the short list, if only for that sliver of an hour tonight when Greg Gumbel reads the pairings on the 2013 NCAA Tournament bracket.
I have a tradition going back decades where I scrawl them all down by hand as he says them, then immediately afterward pick the bracket all the way through -- the crushing self-doubt, changes (and change-backs) come later in the night, through Monday morning.
Regardless, there is a day of hoops left. Of the eight teams playing today, 7 are tournament locks and one (Ole Miss) has probably done enough to get itself one of the final at-large bids, even if it doesn't beat Florida for the SEC automatic bid. Today isn't about "must-win" as much as "must-see."
If you want to do well in your pool, there is one game you must watch: Saint Louis vs. VCU. It doesn't matter who wins -- but you must pay attention to how they play. Both teams are strong contenders to make runs to the Sweet 16... possibly the Elite Eight and even the Final Four. Of all of the non-"power" conference teams, these two are the most likely to crash the Final Four. (1-seed Gonzaga doesn't count, because it is... well... a 1-seed; New Mexico is a Sweet 16 team, but I wonder about their offense when they meet elite defensive teams in the second weekend.)
Of the other three games, Miami is fascinating -- nouveau riche on the scene. There are always a few that pull 2- and 3-seeds and flame out in the first weekend. Is Miami one of them?
Ohio State is a Final Four contender (as is Wisconsin, if they can find the offense). Florida is a Final Four contender (and I'm thrilled if experts want to keep sleeping on them -- what I'm looking for with Florida is where they are sent, not seeded).
But even as a Florida fan, the game I'm paying attention to today is the Atlantic 10 title game in Brooklyn between the bruising Billikens and VCU's "Havoc."
More:
*Louisville wins Big East: Also on the short list of Final Four contenders. Great defense, more than good enough offense.
*Kansas wins Big 12: See Louisville. Great D, good enough on offense.
*Indiana loses: Everything you need to know about the uncertainty at the top of college hoops this season is captured by the fact that Indiana and Duke both lost before getting to their conference finals and are still locks as 1-seeds. The bracket is as wide-open this year as it wasn't last year.
Fire up the KenPom.com and get ready for tonight.
-- D.S.
Best sports day of the year? Today is on the short list, if only for that sliver of an hour tonight when Greg Gumbel reads the pairings on the 2013 NCAA Tournament bracket.
I have a tradition going back decades where I scrawl them all down by hand as he says them, then immediately afterward pick the bracket all the way through -- the crushing self-doubt, changes (and change-backs) come later in the night, through Monday morning.
Regardless, there is a day of hoops left. Of the eight teams playing today, 7 are tournament locks and one (Ole Miss) has probably done enough to get itself one of the final at-large bids, even if it doesn't beat Florida for the SEC automatic bid. Today isn't about "must-win" as much as "must-see."
If you want to do well in your pool, there is one game you must watch: Saint Louis vs. VCU. It doesn't matter who wins -- but you must pay attention to how they play. Both teams are strong contenders to make runs to the Sweet 16... possibly the Elite Eight and even the Final Four. Of all of the non-"power" conference teams, these two are the most likely to crash the Final Four. (1-seed Gonzaga doesn't count, because it is... well... a 1-seed; New Mexico is a Sweet 16 team, but I wonder about their offense when they meet elite defensive teams in the second weekend.)
Of the other three games, Miami is fascinating -- nouveau riche on the scene. There are always a few that pull 2- and 3-seeds and flame out in the first weekend. Is Miami one of them?
Ohio State is a Final Four contender (as is Wisconsin, if they can find the offense). Florida is a Final Four contender (and I'm thrilled if experts want to keep sleeping on them -- what I'm looking for with Florida is where they are sent, not seeded).
But even as a Florida fan, the game I'm paying attention to today is the Atlantic 10 title game in Brooklyn between the bruising Billikens and VCU's "Havoc."
More:
*Louisville wins Big East: Also on the short list of Final Four contenders. Great defense, more than good enough offense.
*Kansas wins Big 12: See Louisville. Great D, good enough on offense.
*Indiana loses: Everything you need to know about the uncertainty at the top of college hoops this season is captured by the fact that Indiana and Duke both lost before getting to their conference finals and are still locks as 1-seeds. The bracket is as wide-open this year as it wasn't last year.
Fire up the KenPom.com and get ready for tonight.
-- D.S.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
