The Unthinkable

If you are dead to the world of college basketball, then you probably don't have the slightest clue that March Madness is going on, and your co-workers are most likely looking at you weird when you don't know what they mean when they ask you, "how does your bracket look?" For that, I'm sorry and invite you to watch the Sweet 16 games this weekend for one of the most exciting experiences in your life.

The brackets?  Well, they mostly are going as planned except for a lone #12 seed amidst some of the best teams in the country.  That team: the University of Arizona Wildcats, my alma mater.  Obviously I'm all for the Wildcats and carry a big bias towards them.  But the most important question now that they are in the Sweet 16 is: Can they knock off the #1 seeded Louisville Cardinals?  Let's take a look.

The big component is how they match up.  Louisville is huge.  And I mean, HUGE.  Besides the 6'1" Jerry Smith, and the midget 5'10" Andre McGee, they all are over 6'6".  Now in basketball height is an advantage but athletic ability will always take precedent.  These guys are both.  Anyone who is anyone has this team in the championship game knocking off the cheaters of UCONN to get to the Final Four.  These guys don't have one major go-to player, but they spread the points around well, which means their bench is productive.  Not to mention, the Big East is one of the best conferences, if not THE best conference this year in college basketball.  5 of the 16 teams left in the tournament are from this conference which says plenty about what kind of competition the Cardinals faced throughout the season.  

The Wildcats on the other hand had an on and off year.  They went on a 7-game run and knocked off 5 teams that were in the top 25, including Gonzaga and Kansas who are still left in the tournament.  Can this be enough for them to win?  Who knows.  There are certain things that have to happen in order for Arizona to knock off one of the overall #1 seed. 

-Wise, Budinger, and Hill need to combine for at least 15 pts. each

-Fogg and Horne need to put up points when needed

-Defense has to continue to be strong

-Hill can't get into foul trouble

-Zane Johnson needs to hit the 3's when he gets the shot

I think if these things happen, they have a good shot at keeping up with Louisville.  Arizona was said to be the LAST TEAM SELECTED for this years tournament.  Most experts said that they didn't even deserve to be there.  The case hasn't been made quite yet that they should be, after only beating a ridiculously high 5 seed in Utah, and the surprise in the first round Cleveland State.  There will be much to talk about if the unthinkable happens at 4:07 PST on Friday night.  Can the #12 seed upset the #1?

TIGER

Well if you haven't heard already, he's back.  He's been back for two days.  Tiger Woods came out and went birdie-eagle in his first two holes of match play at the WGC at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Marana, Arizona.  On a side note, those of us at The University of Arizona used to refer to the people from Marana as T-Loc's, short for Tucson locals.  They take on a personality one wouldn't believe.  Back to Woods.  He opened up his round against the 64th ranked player in the world, the Australian Brendan Jones.  What a daunting task to play against the guy who is the most talked about golfer in the entire world, and this is his comeback after miraculously winning the 2008 U.S. Open on a disintegrated left knee.  The gallery perhaps had a few more people in it than normal.  

Woods looked good.  I've made it a point to watch every tournament this year (thanks to the glorious Golf Channel), and I was eager to see the media-hyped return of Eldrick.  The critics are right.  His knee does look stronger than at his peak before the injury.  I think this could strengthen him more than hinder him,  allowing him to pulverize drives 380-yards, and hitting 180-yard sand wedges.  As expected his short game could use more work, but that's what happens when you haven't played for over 6 months.  From my recliner, he was turning and connecting with ease.  He did have quite a few missed fairways and greens, but this was a great opportunity to release him back to the wild of competitive golf.  As we know, he lost in his second round to Tim Clark, but I say hey, that's the beauty about the game of golf.  Even the #1 player in the world is beatable if you get hot.  And Clark certainly did, birdieing holes 11, 12, and 13 to take him 3 up with 5 to play.  Woods simply couldn't answer that birdie run and lost on the 16th when Clark birdied to win 4 & 2.  

So where does Tiger go after this?  I say you better get his green jacket sized up because I believe he will make a run at the Master's.  Don't count out the other majors either, to possibly win the grand slam of golf all in one year.  It's a daunting task I know, but Tiger is up to it, and I know it will happen sooner or later.  Why not this year?  He's worked hard, now has two children at home, and feels better than ever.  Once the flat stick starts to drain putts from unthinkable spots on the green, players better be on their guard.  His 2009 schedule is still up in the air, but you already know he's punched his card to play at Augusta come April.  I can't wait and neither can you. 

Tainted Game?

For those of you who are unaware of the recent events surrounding New York Yankees' third baseman Alex Rodriguez, let me shed a little light on it for you.  It has recently been found that Rodriguez tested positive for banned substances in 2003 while with the Texas Rangers.  At the time, it was not something that would get you a suspension or removal from the game of baseball.  At the time, according to Rodriguez, it was a "loosey-goosey" era.  I want to get into it a little bit on how the information surrounding Rodriguez has now tainted the view of baseball players for many fans, especially yours truly.

The thing that most people fail to realize is that doing steroids in baseball in the early 2000s was as much apart of the game as the pitcher throwing the ball to the catcher.  I don't doubt that over 90% of the players at the time were using some form of steroid to 'enhance' their play on the field.  The question remains however, are they still using now?  Are there forms of steroids available now that are undetectable?  Given the recent events surrounding Rodriguez, Pettitte, Clemens and Bonds, I wouldn't doubt it.  

Back to Rodriguez.  Here is a player who made the jump into the major leagues at the age of 18.  RARELY does that happen in the game of baseball unless you have serious talent.  That is something that I will not take away from Rodriguez, the guy can play baseball.  He played in the Mariner's system and then was given the most lucrative offer in the history of Major League Baseball to play for the Texas Rangers for $256 million for 10 years.  Of course Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees, who in 2007 gave him a deal for $275 million for 10 years.  It's an understatement that this guy is making some money.  However, being under the steroids radar has helped him achieve that, but now that it's all out there, you wonder how much he really was using.  He says that it was only from 2001-2003.  Do you believe him?  It's tough to say.

My point about the use of steroids by all these players, is that it gives you a horrible view about what it takes to be a professional athlete.  These guys are talented, you have to give them that, but in this game that isn't enough.  Where you have to play 182 games, you could become injured and lose your roster spot for good.  The pressure is high.  But not high enough to do something like that.  I've been against it from the beginning and want to see Bonds and Clemens go down for it.  A-Rod will escape it all by coming clean.  I commend him for that.  It's a shame that all of it is coming out now, giving us a surreal look at the post as though it has been tainted.    

There's one player that has avoided all of this.  A player who would have had the opportunity to beat the Babe's record if he wasn't injured.  My favorite player: Ken Griffey Jr.     The guy is a shoe-in for the hall, and has never been linked to using steroids.  I hope that it never comes out that he has.  I believe baseball is heading in the right direction, but it's hard not to just sit back and think while sitting at the ballpark, "Is that guy using steroids?" You may never know.

Great Writing Part III

Again, there are times when commercials are mind numbing, and times when they truly make you applaud what just took place.  Fed Ex has been doing a great campaign for their commercials on the Golf Channel, promoting their business and the race for the Fed Ex Cup.  This was my favorite of the bunch.  Let me know how you like it.  

Oh, Was That Your Face?

Last Saturday, something happened on the hardwood in Tucson that was absolutely uncalled for.  In the second half of the college basketball game between Arizona and Houston, Houston guard Aubrey Coleman stomped on the face of Arizona's Chase Budinger after he fell to the floor.  Here's the video for those who didn't see it:  

For those of you who don't believe that this was intentional (Houston fans) you are clearly mistaken.  Could it have been that Coleman was upset Budinger was an All-American and he wasn't?  Maybe it was the fans in McKale that just got under his skin a little too much.  Either way,  Coleman's act was intentional.  His words were, "I love the game too much do something like that intentionally.  I want to say I am sorry from the bottom of my heart.  I know that God knows what is in my heart, but I am hopeful that Chase will understand and forgive." 

Aubrey, I hate to break it to you, but if you were to step on his face by accident, wouldn't you lift your foot up as a reaction?  Not continue with a forceful motion to the floor like you unknowingly stepped on a piece of gum.  Aubrey Coleman, what you did was a disgrace to college basketball.  It just shows the type of attitudes that these players have and carry with them into the NBA.

Coleman was suspended one game by Conference USA for violation of the league's sportsmanship policy.  After the incident, the momentum went with Arizona, forcing overtime, and ultimately favored with the Cats who won the game 96-90.