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.
Friday, May 03, 2013
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.
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