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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

3/16 (Selection Sunday Eve) Quickie

Today's big winner: Maryland

Every once in a while, conference tournaments matter in a way that has nothing to do with the NCAA Tournament.

Maryland is not going to the NCAA Tournament -- maybe if they beat UNC today and make an improbable run to the ACC title game, they are part of the "First Four" in Dayton.

Duke is out of the ACC Tournament in the quarterfinals -- and yet this season is so shallow at the top that there is seemingly no way they lose their 1-seed status (another reminder the conference tournaments are largely vestigial).

And yet the mediocre Terps beating high-flying Duke yesterday was the highlight of Maryland's season -- and the two-year-old Mark Turgeon Era. It is the kind of win that fans relish not just for the year, but for years.

You could make the same argument for Syracuse -- the Orange are going to the NCAA Tournament. So is Georgetown. And so the win is entirely about pride, bragging rights... having the last word in one of college hoops' best (if soon-to-be-former) rivalries.

As both games wound down simultaneously -- and fans were hammering the "last channel" button on the remote or picture-in-picture function to flip between them -- it was the no-stakes portion of conference-championship week at its high-stakes best.

More:

*Today: So many win-or-go-home automatic NCAA Tournament invites on the line, teams whose names you will know like the back of your bracket notes by Monday morning -- New Mexico State versus Texas-Arlington, Pacific versus UC-Irvine, Montana versus Weber State, Stephen F. Austin versus Northwestern State, Chicago State versus Houston Baptist, Morgan State versus NC A&T, Prairie View A&M versus Southern, Albany versus Vermont.

*There are some intriguing finals: Akron could still get an at-large if they lose the MAC final to Ohio, but they don't want to chance it. UNLV probably doesn't get in without upsetting New Mexico in the Mountain West final. Similarly, Southern Miss is must-win versus Memphis, which is in regardless. Oregon and UCLA are both in, regardless. Kansas and Kansas State are obviously both in, making this about in-state bragging rights (and Kansas getting a 1-seed if they win). Syracuse and Louisville are both in, too; if the Cardinals win, they stake a claim for a 1-seed. (Speaking of 1-seed contenders, Michigan State needs to knock off Ohio State in the B10 finals if they want to stay in contention for a 1-seed, which is on the table.)

*What about Kentucky? I think they are out. It's not like they kept it close versus Vandy. They got blown out and looked terrible in the process. Last weekend's supposedly season-saving win over Florida? Just not enough. I suspect that the NCAA and Selection Committee will conspire to push the profile of the typically ignored "First Four" by slotting Kentucky in that game against a notable fringe mid-major.

*My most intriguing bracket-previewing game of the day? Butler versus St. Louis in the Atlantic 10 semifinals -- both are tournament locks, but both have the moxie to make deep runs. This is a good litmus test, if not for them, then for your confusion over the bracket.

Enjoy the day!

-- D.S.

3/15 (Selection Mania) Quickie

It's that time again: Join the "Daily Quickie Readers" group of ESPN.com's Tournament Challenge.

(Wow, I was just thinking about 2006, when we had more than 10,000 people in the group and it was something like the 3rd-largest non-team-related group in the world. That was also the year that Mrs. Quickie finished in the Top 10 overall, which was crazy.)

Forget the hyper-nostalgia for the Big East: The craziest ending you will get was in the Atlantic 10 pre-quarterfinal in Brooklyn between Charlotte and Richmond. Richmond was leading by three with just 4.7 seconds to play. Then, a wild series:

A 1-and-1 for Charlotte begat a tech on a Richmond player begat a Charlotte lead begat Richmond "fouling" a Charlotte player heaving a half-court "shot" -- another three shots. Then a bunch of technical fouls called on Richmond.

Voila: A seven-point Charlotte win -- a 10-point swing in 5 seconds, which rivals anything Reggie Miller ever did a few miles away at Madison Square Garden.

You hate to see that happen and you feel for Richmond fans. But if ever there was a "that's what makes March so great" bit of freakiness, that's the one.

What to look forward to today:

*Two days 'til Selection Sunday: The half-hour of the bracket reveal is the best 30 minutes of the sports year. Everything is all possibilities and gut-feelings and second-guessing. And that's just your bracket, let alone all of the analysis of the bracket by all of the hoops pundits.

*Sub-.500 Utah has reached the semis of the Pac-12. The game is at 11:30 ET tonight vs. Oregon. I feel for the teams on the Bubble, but how can you not be rooting for Utah to continue the run?

*Big East semis: Syracuse-Georgetown (because of course) and Louisville-Notre Dame (who played those many many OTs the last time they met). All are in the Tournament; this is for pride.

*Kentucky on the hot seat: They play Vandy in the SEC quarters. A loss here to the sub-.500 'Dores would put UK back on the edge of the Bubble, at the mercy of teams like... Utah (ironically, the team Kentucky beat for the title in '98).

*The Mountain West semis: San Diego State vs. New Mexico, UNLV vs. Colorado State. Four bracket-worthy teams likely playing for three spots (with UNM and Colorado State likely already claiming two).

*All the crazy adidas uniforms: I get it -- people in the media hate them. But they are having their intended reaction: We are talking about them. (Hard not to love Notre Dame's highlight-green uniforms from last night, but then again, I wear highlight-neon shoes in my weekly old man basketball league.)

More:

*Steven Jackson to the Falcons: Great fit for both.
*Ed Reed to the Texans? Would be great influence.
*Greg Jennings to Vikings? Harvin replacement?
*Geno Smith wows at Pro Day: Going No. 2 to Jags?
*Kobe: Hawks insist they weren't trying to hurt him.
(Still should have been a foul, which is Kobe's issue.)
*WBC: Does the DR care more than Team USA?
*Nadal: He's back! (beating Fed will inspire that reax).

Join the Tournament Challenge group. Get ready for Selection Sunday.

-- D.S.

3/14 (Ugh, No Internet) Quickie

Internet service got bonked, so tapping this out on my phone, which ain't ideal. Nevertheless...

*Big East quarterfinals: The quintessential Big East moment - bloated with nostalgia, brash, gluttonous, likely overrated.

(And vastly overrated in the grand scheme of "But how many of these 6-8 teams actually make the Final Four, let alone win a national title?" Steel yourself for yelps of "1985!" which is all well and good but nearly 20 years old, and I say that as both a yelper and someone who thinks the '85 Final Four was more important than any in history, including the over-exposed Bird-Magic '79 edition. So, yes, I am both conflicted and self-loathing.)

Regardless, it IS a quadruple-header of college basketball featuring a half-dozen "big-t" Tournament teams. Meanwhile, the Big Ten is asking what the fuss is about....

*Welker to Broncos: Of course. The "Ray Allen from the Celtics to the Heat" of NFL deals.

*Amendola to Pats: Makes the Welker "of course" above look like the surprise move of the year.

*RBs on move: In order of effectiveness for the acquiring team - (1) Bush/Lions, (2) Greene/Titans, (3) Mendenhall/Cards (unless Arizona gets itself a good QB).

Caveat: Steven Jackson signing with the Packers would trump all of those.

*Kobe hurts ankle: Ankle hurts Laker playoff run. (Yes, should've been a foul.)

*Carmelo returns to Denver: Unlike Dwight Howard in Orlando, Melo couldn't actually win, which is the sweetest of all comebacks to bitter fans.

*Heat win 20th straight: Can excellence be boring? We are reduced to "Well, at least the Sixers made it interesting."

*Jeter tries SS: Proof ain't in March.

*Pope x Sports: Apparently a huge fan of Argentina's San Lorenzo club. Presumably, he has a string rooting interest in next year's World Cup.

*Is today the final day of Northwester's Carmody Era.

- DS

3/13 (Wednesday) Quickie

Today's big winner: Dwight Howard.

He went back to Orlando for the first time since he left town. The fans were all over him. The Magic were hacking him.

And Howard put on arguably the best regular-season performance of his career: 39 points (including 39 foul shots!) and 16 rebounds, leading the Lakers to yet another must-win as they surge into playoff position.

This is the Howard that the Lakers wanted (needed!), that Kobe obsesses about and that shuts up all of the folks who had been taking pot-shots at him throughout LA's mediocre season.

And yet! Howard is nothing if not mercurial. It would be something to see if he has indeed turned a corner -- maybe last night's game will psychologically free him from everything and put him in video-game mode for the rest of the season (a prerequisite if the Lakers want to do anything interesting).

It is hard not to think "We'll see...." But then you watch what he did last night, and it's like: Oh wow.

If you think the NBA is better for having a competitive and fiesty Lakers team, last night was one of the biggest and best wins of the season.

That is thanks to Howard taking all that the fans and the opposing players could throw at him and proving himself the bigger (way bigger) person for it.

More of today's winners:

*Long Island-Brooklyn, Valpo, South Dakota State: All won their way into the NCAA Tournament. For LIU, it's their third straight trip... for Valpo, it will always inspire memories of Bryce Drew beating Ole Miss (one of my Top 3 favorite NCAA Tournament moments ever)... with South Dakota State, it's about how far their star Nate Wolters (27 pts last night) can carry them.

*NFL Free Agency Mania:
-Mike Wallace to Miami: It was a must-have for the Fins.
-Paul Kruger to Cleveland: Bold move new management needed.
-Martellus Bennett to Chicago: A Bears TE who won't drop the ball.

*Reggie Bush: Who wants him? The Lions clearly do -- and everyone seems to think he would be a great fit with Stafford and Megatron. He will shop himself around (it's Reggie Bush, after all), but here's betting that he ends up circling back with Detroit, a huge change of pace from Miami.

*Chip Kelly: No player captured the Eagles' sad "dream team" aspirations from two years ago like Nnamdi Asomugha. It's not his fault -- he was just intended to be the centerpiece. It didn't work out, and the team cut him yesterday, the most symbolic move they could make to signal the end of the Reid Era and the fresh start with Kelly. (More than symbolic, it saves them some cash.)

*Ryan Nassib: Could the former Syracuse QB become this year's Ryan Tannehill in the NFL Draft? His old college coach Doug Marrone, who now runs the Bills, just cut Buffalo's incumbent starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, leaving the Bills without a QB. Sure, they could be eyeing Geno Smith in the draft, but there is no guarantee Smith drops to the back of the Top 10, when Buffalo is picking. And the trade market (Nick Foles) and free agent market (who knows?) are seemingly thin.

*Notre Dame women's hoops: A week after gutting out a win over UConn to take the Big East regular-season title, they pull it off again in the Big East tournament title game. The East's top dog ain't the Huskies anymore. (Well, at least for now.)

*Miami Heat: 19 straight wins. Let's review the major themes of the streak: They are toying with the league... a repeat NBA championship is an inevitability (the only question is how many losses they take en route to 16 postseason wins)... it's OK that the NBA playoffs have no drama, because this team seems to be THAT good.

*Barcelona: Remember yesterday's previews of the Barca-Milan game, in which all the experts were trying to make sense of how fall Barca had fallen en route to being bounced from the Champions League? That was cute.

Down 0-2 in aggregate to AC Milan in the Champions League round of 16, Barca overwhelmed in the second game 4-0, including 2 goals by the brilliant Lionel Messi. And, once again, we are left wondering what would happen if other sports counted playoff series in terms of aggregate score.

*Today's must-see/must-follow college hoops: Lafayette and Bucknell play for the Patriot League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament... the (sort of last) Big East Tournament heats up, with "Last Four In"-ish Villanova in a must-win versus St. John's... Your sneaky-good game of the day is Boise State versus San Diego State in the Mountain West quarterfinals; both teams have the potential to go on a run and win the conference tournament (or even make it to the tournament finals and put themselves squarely in the "Last Four In" conversation).

-- D.S.

3/12 (Tuesday) Quickie

The best rivalry in sports right now is 49ers-Seahawks.

*They play in the same division.
*They are the top two teams in the NFC.
*Their coaches hate each other, going back to college.
*They are geographically proximate.
*It's the NFL, and the NFL is king.
*Both teams continue to make bold moves.

Yesterday was a collision course -- as close as you'll get to the two teams battling it out with each other on the field:

The Seahawks traded a 1st-round pick for the Vikings' dynamic (and disgruntled) playmaker Percy Harvin (my second-favorite NFL player behind a certain Jets back-up QB). It was a big bet on one of the league's biggest talents, but if -- if -- Harvin is healthy, there isn't a better QB-RB-WR combination in the NFL than Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and Harvin.

The 49ers used a 6th-round pick to give Baltimore at least something for WR Anquan Boldin, star of the Super Bowl and an incredible complement to the 49ers' existing offense, which centers around Colin Kaepernick, Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree. It was a deft move by the smartest franchise in the NFL, if not all of sports.

The two teams will play twice in 2013 in the regular season and -- in part thanks to yesterday's moves -- once in the playoffs for the right to go to the Super Bowl. You don't have to like either team (or notice the distinctly West Coast geography or methodology) to appreciate that they represent Best Sports Rivalry 2.0.

Follow-up: So what rivalries round out the "Right Now" Top 5? 
(2) Alabama-LSU
(3) Ravens-Patriots
(4) Nationals-Phillies
(5) Indiana vs. the Big Ten

More of today's winners:

*Gonzaga is in the NCAA Tournament, zipping toward a 1-seed that they are good enough to deserve, despite their flimsy schedule strength.

*James Madison is back in the tournament for the first time since the early-90s... Tourney regulars Western Kentucky, Davidson and Iona are back in, too.

*Today's must-see game: Mount St. Mary's vs. LIU-Brooklyn (one of my favorites) for the Northeast title and auto-bid into the Tournament. Two other bids on the line: The Summit (North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State, which at the very least sounds kind of awesome) and the Horizon (Wright State vs. Valpo). For all six teams involved, this is it -- win and in, lose and there is no consolation.

*San Antonio Spurs: Beat the Thunder, handily, and missing Tony Parker wasn't a problem. There has been a presumption that OKC vanquished San Antonio from true "West contender" status and that it was a glide path for the Thunder back to the NBA Finals. But what makes the Spurs so fascinating is that they refuse to be bumped from the discussion, and last night's win is more evidence that OKC will again have a massive challenge if it wants to hurdle the West's old standard-bearer to earn the right to get demolished by the Heat in the Finals.

*Steve Hutchinson is retiring from the NFL, and most experts see him as a borderline Hall of Famer. Remember when his jumping from the Seahawks (where he paved the road for Shaun Alexander) to the Vikings was a huge deal, because the Vikings put a novel "poison pill" in his contract offer that kept Seattle from keeping him? (It's irony that Seattle yoinked a star from Minnesota yesterday.)

*Darrelle Revis: Is he about to be traded? I'm with Peter King -- how can you trade for him (presumably a lot of good draft picks) let alone give him the new deal he wants without seeing how he plays following his injury and recovery?

*David Garrard: He has signed with the Jets and it's just a matter of time before he out-performs Mark Sanchez, which to Garrard must feel like a delightfully low bar that makes competing in Miami last season with Matt Moore and Ryan Tannehill look like competing with Rodgers and Brady. The obvious follow-up question, of course, is BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR TEBOW?

*The Big East: Begins its final tournament as something resembling the Big East you care (cared?) about. The Catholic 7 will keep the spirit of it going next year and beyond, but there is something about the mix of Syracuse and UConn (two fan bases that always pack Madison Square Garden) with the smaller basketball-only schools that will be missed.

*Manny Ramirez: Signs with a team in Taiwan. The ignominious end to his MLB career is up there with the ultimately ignominious end to Barry Bonds' MLB career. I would have liked to see both finish swinging at MLB pitches before retiring.

*Tom Crean: Apologizes for post-game outburst with Michigan. Don't apologize, Coach: Own it!

*Madden: Who is going to win the spot on this year's Madden video-game cover? I think it will be RGIII in a rout, but the introduction of old-school players is a wild card -- who doesn't want to see Barry Sanders on the Madden cover?

*Today's big non-winner: Adrian Peterson, who is more than a little ticked that the Vikings got rid of the player most likely to keep defenses from stacking everyone in the box against him (not to mention making Minnesota a viable playoff contender).

*Plus: Kyrie Irving, out 3-4 weeks with a shoulder sprain. If there is anything that will limit Irving's sky-high potential, it is his penchant for getting injured.

*And: Mike Vick, who canceled his book tour because of threats he was getting. He may be back in the NFL and he may be contrite, but there is a group of people out there who don't/won't/can't forget. Threats are never the way to go -- they would make more of a statement by peacefully (but loudly) demonstrating wherever he shows up.

*Anyone else still thinking about the DeAndre Jordan-Brandon Knight posterization?

-- D.S.

3/11 (Monday) Quickie

The play of the weekend -- and the NBA's play of the year -- was the Clippers' DeAndre Jordan posterizing the Pistons' Brandon Knight. First of all, watch it here:



OK, a few things:

*We need to retire the word "posterized" because it won't happen in a more textbook sense than here.

*Brandon Knight may do many productive things in his NBA career, but this is the moment he will be remembered for. (That he stays on the ground juuust a bit too long afterward did him no favors.)

*Why did Knight even try to challenge that lob dunk?

*The camera cut to the kids courtside freaking out is my favorite 3 seconds of video this year.

*The cut to Blake Griffin freaking out isn't bad either.

*The Clippers aren't going to win the NBA title this year. They aren't going to win the West and they probably won't even make it through the conference semifinals. And yet...

This is of a piece with the second most-incredible play of the NBA season -- Jamal Crawford's between-the-legs alley-oop to Blake Griffin, which happened only last week. The gist is this:

If you watch the NBA to see who wins the championship, you're doing it wrong. If you watch the NBA to follow your favorite team, your rooting interest is sincere (I say that as a lifelong Bullets/Wizards fan), but you're doing it wrong.

We watch the NBA for the truly jaw-dropping moments -- like Jordan (who will never again have to worry about sharing a name with that "other" Jordan) over Knight.

UPDATE: Good for Knight that he took to Twitter and displayed a ton of humor about the situation: "It wasn't in the scouting reports that the clippers threw lobs lol" (He might not fully understand the indelibility of the moment, but whether he does or not, good on him for acknowledging it.)

More weekend winners:

*Liberty: As of right now, the best NCAA Tournament story. 15-20 for the season, 6-10 in the conference. But they won four straight in the Big South Conference tournament (including yesterday's title-game win over 1-seed Charleston Southern) and now they are in the NCAA Tournament.

I don't care that they will be stuck in the "First Four" play-in game -- they are in the NCAA Tournament and they validate everything that is awesome about the conference-tournament system (and sort of validate my long-standing theory that we'd be better off getting rid of the conference tournaments and letting every team in an open-to-all mega-tournament.)

*Tiger Woods: ESPN's Scott Van Pelt has had the best reaction to this whole "Is Tiger back?" thing. Here's a representative tweet: "Context: Rory got red hot won 5/19 starts & got to # 1. Tiger now has won 5/19. Luke Donald, # 3 in world, has 5 total...in 237 PGA starts"

I would say that among other things, the win mostly heightens everyone's anticipation for what Tiger can/might/must do at The Masters next month.

*Tom Crean: Walks into Michigan's Crisler Arena and walks out with the first outright Big Ten title for Indiana since '93, barking at a Michigan assistant who was part of the pre-Crean Indiana debacle on his way out. ("You know what you did!" becomes part of Indiana lore.)

A couple of caveats on Indiana's win, which all but secures a No. 1 seed for the Hoosiers, presuming they make it to at least the Big Ten Tournament semifinals:

(1) A team that makes its foul shots beats them.

(2) That was a flagrant foul at the end and Michigan should have gotten both the free throws and the ball, which would have likely changed the game's outcome.

(3) That was Michigan's best defensive performance of the season (and it still wasn't enough).

(4) While appreciating the specific emotional trigger that got him riled up, Tom Crean seems pretty high-strung to navigate his team to six straight wins in the NCAA Tournament.

*Creighton: Fends off Wichita State to become the Mo Valley's automatic rep in the NCAA Tournament. They will be a popular Sweet 16 pick, but the Jays' defense is still a huge question. (Top 10 offense, according to Ken Pom, but by far the worst-rated D -- 77th -- among the Top 16 teams.)

*Miami Heat: That is 18 wins in a row. But the real value of this particular win was the symbolism: Any thought you had that the Pacers might be the team to challenge Miami in the East playoffs should be obliterated like Indiana was by the Heat on Sunday. Again, let's go with my soon-to-be-trademarked phrasing: This season is a "Heat Accompli." (re: here.)

*Dwight Howard: Is he manipulative? Or just flaky? Or just desperate to be loved? I'll say some combination of the last two. The big thing is that the Lakers can't make the playoffs without him stepping up his game (as he did yesterday).

*Matt Kenseth: Three cheers for early-fortysomethings.

*Team USA: Advances to the WBC second round. (Yes, I know you are wildly interested.)

*Cullen Jenkins: Gets $8M and, more importantly, jumps from the Eagles -- who cut him -- to their division rivals in New York, who have a pretty good track record with player personnel decisions.

*Great read: Getting excited for Selection Sunday? Patrick Stevens' daily Bubble Watch is really awesome.

-- D.S.

3/10 (Very Sunday) Quickie

Service-y! Don't forget to set your clocks one hour forward.

I should have known that tap-dancing on Kentucky's "First Four Out" status would result in a desperate UK edging my Florida Gators to put themselves back in the proverbial "Last Four In." The final seven minutes of that game (in which Florida didn't score a point) was both maddening as a Florida fan and impressive if you want to see a team playing as hard as it can to avoid an indelibly terrible basketball fate.

Duke throttled UNC: As expected? Duke can lose in the ACC Tournament and still end up with a 1-seed. It would be very (very) interesting if Duke ended up the 1-seed in the South with, say, Florida as a 2-seed, because the Gators present a particularly tough match-up for Duke. (As of now, that ain't gonna happen -- Lunardi has Duke pegged as the 1-seed in the East and Florida bumped off the 2-line.)

Georgetown obliterates Syracuse: In the rivalry's presumptive finale (at least as Big East conference-mates), the Hoyas get the last word, in the process clamping down on the Orange like no team ever has in the Boeheim Era.

I really really want to pick Georgetown to go far in the NCAA Tournament -- and maybe they will, if they can display some of the more-than-Porter offense that they did yesterday to go with that extremely effective D. But I've been bracket-burned by the Hoyas before.

Tournament bids! The Belmont win over Murray State was as exciting as you could hope for. Meanwhile, Florida Gulf Coast may only last the first day, but what a great name. Also: Harvard!

Tiger still up at Doral: He is playing this weekend as well as he has since The Incident. Either he slams the door today and the narrative is something along the lines of "Just wait until Tiger at the Masters!" or he chokes it away and... well, he's not going to choke it away.

NBA: Amare out for 6 weeks. It's the other knee this time. Meanwhile, Dwight Howard is motivated and ready to help Kobe get the Lakers into the playoffs. How can you not be rooting for the Lakers to get in and punch one of the top seeds in the mouth?

NFL Free Agency: Anyone want the game-breaking receiver from the Super Bowl champs? Anquan Boldin cost you and he is probably just a year or two from retirement, but he is available and can clearly make things happen.

Steelers cut James Harrison: In his prime, he was worth the trouble. Unclear where he ends up now. Probably on a desperate loser.

WBC: The US wins...but are you paying attention? (You almost certainly heard about the wild Canada-Mexico brawl.)

Bernard Hopkins: 48 and a boxing champ. Fortysomethings rule!

-- D.S.

3/9 (Saturday) Quickie

"You can't win them all." -- Jonathan Toews of the Blackhawks has the right idea. But Chicago's run sure was fun while it lasted (and, after that start, they are still expected to finish with a Cup title).

Now, the new super-streak is the Heat's. Miami won its 17th straight last night. While impressive, all that matters is whether or not Miami wins the title. (Spoiler alert: They will.)

Georgetown-Syracuse: End of an era. I grew up on Georgetown-Syracuse. It is arguably the defining rivalry of the East (Duke-UNC being "South") and the game of the day in college hoops.

I will miss it, but like Texas-Texas A&M, I don't quite understand why the two schools won't schedule a non-conference game against each other. Is everyone THAT petty? (Answer: Yes.)

So let's enjoy this now -- hopefully the game will have all sorts of clips of 80s and early-90s goodness from this fantastic rivalry.

Kentucky's win-or-stay-home moment: As discussed yesterday (see below), Kentucky's loss to Georgia on Thursday night means that they are now outside the NCAA Tournament field of 68, making today's regular-season finale versus Florida (the regular-season SEC champ) a must-win (short of UK storming to an improbable title in the SEC Tournament).

From Florida's perspective, the opportunity to ruin Kentucky's season (and Calipari's blueprint) should be all the motivation they need.

Oh, and UNC-Duke tonight. UNC has this "small ball" mojo going -- that's something that Duke has had some experience with in previous seasons. As well as the Heels are playing right now, Duke is playing better -- but in a season like this, it won't be a surprise if the presumptive 1-seed is upended. (It won't matter -- if Duke loses today and wins the ACC Tournament, it will be a 1-seed.)

Can't decide what was more impressive: Deron Williams' barrage of 3s to start the game versus the Wizards or Kobe's series of dagger 3s to end the game versus the Raptors.

Hey, Tiger is still up top at Doral -- making today a "watch the leaderboard" (if not "watch the tournament") day.

Enjoy your Saturday.

-- D.S.

03/08 (Friday) Quickie

The story of the year in college basketball isn't the turmoil at the top of the rankings. It's not Gonzaga's rise to No. 1. It's not the revival of Indiana or the sublime individual skill of Georgetown's Otto Porter (or the freakishness of IU's Victor Oladipo).

The story of the year in college basketball is Kentucky -- the sport's defending champion -- going from the top of the sport to its dregs in less than a year.

John Calipari was supposed to have cracked the code -- a "Moneyball"-style arbitrage of the NBA's mandatory college year for top prep players, importing a new crop of future Lottery picks on an annually renewable basis, harnessing their talent as a sort of NBA finishing school.

Cal's pitch was brilliant in its simplicity: You've got to spend a year waiting for the NBA Draft -- if you spend it with me, you will play, you will get developed for the NBA and you will compete for a national championship.

But the arbitrage falls apart if Kentucky misses the NCAA Tournament entirely, which they are now on the verge of after choking at mediocre Georgia last night.

With a regular-season finale versus SEC regular-season champ Florida tomorrow at Rupp, UK -- in Calipari's own framing -- is in a win-or-bust situation.

(Needless to say, if there were any concerns about Florida being motivated, the opportunity to effectively end rival Kentucky's season an invalidate the Calipari Model should be enough.)

Granted, Kentucky has been missing Nerlens Noel for weeks -- he was only the No. 1 NBA talent in college hoops -- but they were struggling while he was out there, too.

And, granted, next season Kentucky has the best recruiting class since the Fab Five coming to Lexington. (This season's freshmen were highly touted, too, but not like the '13 prep class.)

The reality is that if Kentucky isn't going to compete for national championships, all Cal offers is playing time (he better hope this season's freshmen don't stick around trying to make good on this season's dud, clogging the pipeline for next season's imports) and a track record of sending players to the NBA. There are plenty of coaches who can deliver that.

The model should work, but like arbitrage on Wall Street, sometimes the model doesn't stand up to the reality of the market.

More:

*Mariano Rivera to retire after '13 season: Only the greatest relief pitcher ever and, arguably, the greatest pitcher ever. Even Yankee-haters respect Rivera. More on this on Monday.

*Thunder hold off the Melo-less Knicks in NYC: Closest thing to a moral victory that the Knicks will get this season. (Meanwhile, is there a more confounding player in the NBA than JR Smith?)

*Tiger shoots co-leading 66 at Doral: All it does is set up "win or fail" expectations for the rest of the weekend.  (Beats the alternative, I guess.)

*Blackhawks Watch: At Colorado tonight (loss alert?!), hosting Edmonton on Sunday.

*Jadeveon Clowney takes out $5M insurance policy: Only $95M less than his ultimate market value in the event he blows out his knee next season like teammate Marcus Lattimore.

(Know what the best insurance policy is? Not playing college football and waiting for the 2014 NFL Draft -- like he wouldn't still be the No. 1 overall pick?)

*NFL: Dolphins lock up WR Brian Hartline -- he was Ryan Tannehill's binky, so it makes sense to keep him around. He's no game-breaker, but steady (and very productive last year). But they still need a game-breaker.

*Deals: Rockets lock up GM Daryl Morey through 2018. He is Houston's MVP and the best GM in the NBA.

*The non-Catholic Big East is the new "America 12": Reminds me of "Conference USA," one of the worst names in sports-branding history.

*Civics: Doesn't it feel like Atlanta just built the Georgia Dome?

*Weekend Viewing Guide: Syracuse at Georgetown (noon Saturday), the finale of one of college hoops' best rivalries. Still don't understand why they can't set up an annual non-conference match-up.

(This season, at least, Cuse-G'town is a bigger/better game than Duke at UNC, tomorrow night at 9. Yes, it's a great rivalry, but it lacks real stakes. So UNC loses? Still in the Tournament. So Duke loses? Maybe it makes UNC's season, but Duke still is positioned for a 1-seed if they win the ACC Tournament. It is the fundamental issue with college hoops rivalries in the regular season: There are no real consequences.)

But, occasionally, you get exceptions, like Florida at Kentucky tomorrow at noon -- bringing it back to what we were talking about at the top, the consequences of losing to a rival in the regular season couldn't be bigger for Calipari and the 'Cats.

-- D.S.

3/07 (Thursday) Quickie

Last night's big winner: Jamal Crawford, who pulled off a between-the-legs alley-oop pass to Blake Griffin that was a good reminder that even in a season that feels like a Heat d'accompli as it relates to the playoffs, the sport is built on the night-in-night-out aesthetic brilliance.

Was last night the Heat's best win of the 16 straight? It was arguably the grittiest, the kind of grinder that you typically need en route to 16 wins in the playoffs -- which, at this point, is the only "16" that really matters for Miami.

Speaking of streaks, the Blackhawks -- sports' best ongoing drama right now -- won again, on a last-minute tie-breaking goal in front of an absolutely frenzied home crowd. That's 30 straight games with a point, 11 straight wins and a 2013 season still without a loss. Amazing.

College hoops: It is an early-March truism -- desperate Bubble teams will necessarily play with more urgency (especially at home) than teams that are locked into the Tournament.

That was the story of Villanova over Georgetown, of Iowa State over Oklahoma State, of Xavier over St. Louis and of Georgia Tech over Miami.

Of those four winners, it's probably too-little-too-late for two of them, but for the other two, it is a resume-bolstering moment.

MLB Spring Training: Yankees-Red Sox has lost so much of its luster over the past year or two that it feels like MLB is ripe for a new leading rivalry, and I would nominate the Phillies and Nationals, who really do seem to dislike each other. The Phillies are on the decline, but clearly have enough money invested to want to scratch and claw back into relevancy; the Nationals are on the ascent, and clearly see beating down the former class of the NL East as a stepping stone to their own validity. When Roy Halladay is buzzing Nats in a spring training game, you know you're on to something good and ugly.

Today's viewing guide: Thunder-Knicks and Clippers-Nuggets NBA doubleheader on TNT... in college hoops, it's ostensibly Wisconsin at Michigan State at 9 on ESPN, but why not the opening round of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament on ESPN3? All four Mo Valley teams angling to make the quarterfinals have a theoretical chance of playing their way into the NCAA Tournament. All they have to do is win four straight games, and they're in. Easier said than done, but still: Doable!

Today's loser: David Akers, finally released by the 49ers.

-- D.S.

3/06 (Wednesday) Quickie

Today's biggest winners: (1) Ohio State, (2) Blackhawks, (3) Russell Westbrook, (4) Terrell Sinkfield, (5) Von Miller, (6) Regis.

*Ohio State beats Indiana in Bloomington: ESPN.com's Eamonn Brennan nailed this -- a road win over an elite team was the remaining hole on Ohio State's resume. Time to add the Buckeyes to the short list of teams with the potential to win four straight in late March and make the Final Four. 

(As for Indiana, they are still on the list, but -- yep -- those are doubts creeping in. Losing at home on Senior Night is what the old, pre-revived Hoosiers would do.)

*Blackhawks extend point streak: That's 20-0-3 on the season, 29 straight games with a point (extending back to last season) and 10 straight wins. The most must-follow team in sports keeps it going -- at this point it is folly to try to predict when this ride will end.

*Thunder thump the Lakers: Russell Westbrook (37 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) with a reminder of why he is among the Top 5 most must-see players in the NBA and the X-factor in OKC's run for a second straight West title. Even Kobe tweeted out compliments after the game.

*Name to Know: Terrell Sinkfield, the Northern Iowa wide receiver who dropped by the pre-draft "Pro Day" at the University of Minnesota and ran a reportedly blistering 4.19 (and if that seems too good to be true, he also reported ran a 4.27, which is hardly slouching). Speed alone isn't enough to make it in the NFL -- but it sure helps.

*Von Miller says the Broncos are going to win the Super Bowl: Whatever his motivation, isn't that exactly what you want any player on a contender to say? Like he's supposed to say "We'll try our best!" or "Next year: Making the AFC title game or bust!" The fact that he was inspired by his 6-year-old cousin emerging from a coma makes it all the more inspired. If any player is allowed to make that kind of boast, it should be someone in the argument for best defensive player in the AFC.

*Regis Philbin was the headliner of the official promotion for Fox Sports' new ESPN competitor, Fox Sports 1. Regis will host a daily talk show head-to-head with ESPN's flagship daily shows PTI and Around the Horn -- that won't end well for Regis. It is unclear that Regis resonates with a younger audience, but it is easy to understand the interest in bringing in a "brand name."

The key will be the co-host that they pair with Regis -- the sports version of Kelly Ripa. (It's not without precedent: Michelle Beadle was largely unknown before being paired with Colin Cowherd on ESPN's SportsNation show, where she quickly established herself as the real star of the show.)

In the end, sports talk shows are fun, but sports networks make their money (cable fees and advertising) on showing live events. Fox has the existing assets -- and certainly the deep pockets -- to be competitive when it comes to securing live sports rights (like, say, Big East basketball).

More:

*Tweet of the Day: "Kid Blake: Who are you? Future Blake: you from the future... Don't listen to anything else I've told you just start wearing a cup." (from Blake Griffin, in response to Serge Ibaka merely earning a $25K fine for his groin shot on Griffin from Sunday).

*ICYMI: Don Van Natta's #longread on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell -- the newsy bit was that Goodell's biggest fear is a player dying on the field, but that feels like Goodell's shiny object meant to distract you from the actual issue -- the thousands of hits to the head that, over time, trigger CTE and other brain injuries that inevitably overtake players long after they have put themselves at immediate risk on the field.

*Johnny Football Watch: If Johnny Manziel's family wants an insurance policy for the remaining year he plays college football before going pro, he should just drop out now and work with George Whitfield or another NFL-prep QB coach for the year...

*College football hot stove: Michigan's chances of being nationally relevant in 2014 got a big boost with incumbent starting QB Devin Gardner getting an extra year of eligibility. Michigan's offense got better when he took over for Denard Robinson, and two years from now, he should be an elite QB nationally.
*Conference realignment: For selling their league name and giving up their marquee basketball teams, the Football League Soon To Be Formerly Known As The Big East is going to make a cool $100M. And that's on top of the cash from their TV deal. Not bad...

And the farthest thing from a winner: Man U. fans, watching their side bounced from Champions League by Real Madrid after an entirely iffy red card.

-- D.S.

3/05 (Tuesday) Quickie

Today's big winners: Brittney Griner, Notre Dame women's hoops, the Heat (again x 15), Joe Flacco, Kobe, Dwayne Bowe (and Alex Smith), Jack Nicklaus.

First off: In the ongoing discussion about where LeBron James ranks among all-time NBA players (short answer: there is an apples/oranges problem, but he is probably already Top 10 and will finish his career no less than Top 3 but possibly No. 1), we clearly are overlooking one thing:

LeBron isn't even the most dominant basketball player in 2013 -- that would be Baylor's Brittney Griner, who capped Senior Night with 50 points. Greatest women's college hoops player ever? She's in the conversation, that's for sure. Unclear there is an analogue in the NBA for Griner's potential impact on the WNBA -- maybe Patrick Ewing when he came out of Georgetown?

It was a big night for women's college hoops: ND beat UConn for the Big East title in 3 OT, in the women's college hoops game of the year.

Meanwhile, on the LeBron beat: The Heat won their 15th straight. I might as well keep repeating what I said yesterday -- the season is over. Everyone else is playing for second place. And that's OK -- there is nothing wrong with watching basketball played at a near-ideal level by the runaway champs.

Tracking: Carmelo Anthony's knee.

Eating: Joe Flacco, flush with Ravens cash, going to a McDonald's drive-thru.

Talking: Kobe, who says that if Serge Ibaka gave him a groin-shot like Ibaka did to Blake Griffin on Sunday, Kobe "would have smacked" him. Kobe-in-twilight continues to be the best Kobe.

NFL: The Chiefs reached a deal with Dwayne Bowe, who will have as much to say about Alex Smith's impact in KC as anyone except Jamaal Charles.

Golf: Look at Jack Nicklaus with the Tiger-trolling! Jack said Tiger "better get going" if he is going to topple Nicklaus' record for major wins. Five years ago, we all would have said "That's just going to motivate Tiger even more!" Today, of course, it's unclear that the challenge won't unnerve Tiger. There is no "turning it on" for Tiger anymore.

Let's be real: Nicklaus is right.

-- D.S.

3/4 (Monday) Quickie

First of all: Oh my god, that buzzer-beater by the New Rochelle (NY) high school player to win the playoff game. To all the folks saying "Never seen a more incredible shot," I think I agree with you.

I consider the NBA season over. The Heat are going to storm their way to the NBA title, and LeBron is going to carry them there with the greatest individual season since the peak of Michael Jordan. Sunday's win in New York wasn't flashy -- just devastatingly effective.  Watching the league's best player at the peak of his effectiveness? There are a lot worse playoff plot lines.

Blackhawks keep winning/not losing: My kids love hockey, so we ended up watching most of the Blackhawks-Red Wings game yesterday, and oh wow, was it entertaining. Much of that had to do with the stakes (Chicago's season-opening point streak), but layer in the rivalry, how hard the Red Wings were playing and how rabid the Detroit fans were about watching the Wings snap Chicago's streak. Then the Hawks ripped their heart out. I have to imagine it is simultaneously thrilling and excruciating for Chicago fans that the incredible start has raised expectations to "Stanley Cup champion or Fail."

Kobe's dunk on Josh Smith (and leading the Lakers back to .500): LeBron may be jaw-dropping in his sheer dominance, but if I had to pick a single player to watch right now, it would be Kobe -- in his career twilight but so maniacally desperate to get the Lakers back into the playoffs that he seems to be playing as hard as he ever has.

CBB: Gonzaga will be No. 1? Covered this yesterday -- I can respect Gonzaga as an excellent team (I have no problem already penciling them into the Final Four, wherever they end up in the bracket) but reject them as having earned the (entirely vestigial) No. 1 spot in the latest regular-season poll. Their strength of schedule is just too spotty.

Michigan holds off Michigan State: Big win for Big Blue, but still don't see Michigan with the defense to win four straight in late March to get to the Final Four.

Meanwhile: No change to yesterday's opinion that Ryan Kelly had the single-best performance by a college basketball player this season on Saturday night in Duke's win over Miami.

MLB: Mike Trout's agent does him no favors griping about his salary. Of course he is wildly underpaid, but it is unclear complaining about it now fixes anything. On the one hand: Yes, some young stars are going to be underpaid relative to market value, often extremely. On the other hand, non-rich teams being able to control their young talent on reasonable contracts is at the heart of what little competitive balance actually exists in baseball. Isn't he satisfied that in 5 or 6 years, Trout is going to command $300 million?

NFL: Peter King has a great detail leading MMQB this week that Bob Kraft didn't want Tom Brady to leave the Pats like Joe Montana left the 49ers. I appreciate that, but if the Patriots had a successor to Brady who was as good as Steve Young was at the tail end of Joe Montana's career, wouldn't a clear-eyed organization like the Patriots do exactly what the 49ers did? Why get sentimental about it now, when sentimentality is precisely what the Pats have NOT stood for during its Belichick/Brady Dynasty?

Dennis Rodman's trip to North Korea: On the "Te'o Scale" of jaw-dropping absurdity, it's at least a 7, possibly an 8.

Get well soon, Bradley Beal.

-- D.S.

3/3 (Ryan Kelly) Quickie

I'm not a Duke fan (to say the least), but Ryan Kelly wins the weekend.

Coming off a 7-week layoff, his 36-point outburst in front of a frenzied home crowd (and floor-slapping teammates) against a Top 5 team that had previously thrashed the Blue Devils in a win that pole-positions (or "poll-positions") Duke for a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament was THE signature individual performance of the year in college basketball.

The five other college hoops stories I'm paying attention to:

*VCU. Holy moley. What the Rams did to Butler was something I never thought any team would be able to do to Butler. If you weren't at least noodling on the idea of VCU being talented enough to make a Final Four run, this is your moment to start.

*Louisville tops Syracuse at the Dome: The Orange aren't necessarily a team you consider an offensive juggernaut, but they are Top 20 in offensive efficiency. However, Louisville is No. 1 in the country in defensive efficiency, and it showed. The Cardinals have got to be on anyone's short list of bonafide Final Four contenders -- their defense is just too good, and combined with a more than "good enough" offense.

*Shabazz Muhammad didn't exactly dominate college basketball in his one-and-done year (as you might expect a No. 1 national recruit would), but 18 points in a home finale upset of a ranked conference foe isn't a bad finish.

*Otto Porter Watch: 28 and 8 in a G'town win over Rutgers for the should-be/could-be/would-be national player of the year.

*Gonzaga will probably be No. 1, but Saturday's 29-point thrashing of lowly Portland is a good reminder that the Zags play a creampuff schedule. Don't get me wrong: Gonzaga is a very very good team -- I will have no problem penciling them through to the Final Four. But there are a dozen teams that could go 16-0 in the WCC in any given year and many multiples that could put up gaudy win totals playing in that conference.

Watching today: Michigan St-Michigan at 4 on CBS, plus ducking in on the NBA afternoon double-header (Heat-Knicks, Thunder-Clippers) on ABC.

-- D.S.