Ted Will Never Win, Even If The Packers Do

Milwaukee has seen its share of sports villains. Gary Sheffield is one of the most reviled sports figures the city has ever seen (as he should be). Gary Payton will never feel the love here the way he feels it in Seattle (deservedly so). The day that Ned Yost got fired by the Brewers is a day some Brewer fans would like to see turned into a holiday. And then there's Packers GM Ted Thompson.

I feel bad for Thompson. That statement alone is sure to lead to some interesting emails. But, it's true. I do feel bad for him.

Why? Because no matter what happens, Thompson is never going to win the hearts and minds of Packer Nation. Ever.

The off-season is well underway, and Thompson has done exactly what I said he'd do. Nothing of note. There has been - up to this point at least - no big splash. No Albert Haynesworth. No Julius Peppers.

This has fans in an uproar. I expect that, but what I didn't expect is the way the media has turned on him. The same media that almost universally was behind Thompson throughout Favre-gate is now screaming for him to do something.

I was surprised last week when a columnist I respect, Michael Hunt, took Thompson to task for standing pat. If you want to rip Ted for what he said about the Packer roster, go ahead. I don't have a problem with that. Those comments were misguided, at best.

Everyone - including the media now - wants Thompson to spend money like a drunken sailor. Spend the way the Redskins did on Hayneswrth (a contract I think Washington will one day regret). Spend the way the Giants did on Chris Canty (calm down on that one - he's Chris Canty after all).

I've said this before, but I think it needs to be repeated. Thompson isn't going to change. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. Thompson isn't all of a sudden going to run the Packers the way Dan Snyder runs his team. He's got his own way, and for better or worse, it will be the way the Packers are run until Thompson leaves - either on his own or with a shove out the door.

There's no doubt that Thompson is taking a chance here. If the Packers don't improve upon last year's 6-10 record, the rumble to remove him as GM will turn into a full fledged roar. And, if the Packers don't turn it around, it's very possible President Mark Murphy will decide to make a change.

But, there is also reason to believe the Packers will turn things around after a disappointing 2008 season. Aaron Rodgers has a year of starting in the NFL under his belt, and he should improve upon what he did last season. Bob Sanders' read and react defense is gone, and Dom Capers is installing the 3-4 in its place. Considering Capers' track record, it is reasonable to believe that the defense will be a lot better than it was a year ago. The Pack will also benefit by the return to health of players like Nick Barnett, Cullen Jenkins, and others.

The Packers are in much better shape now than they were heading into the 2006 season. At that point, the team was coming off a 4-12 season, had a new coach, and no one knew what to expect. Three years later, the Packers have a foundation. The offense is one of the better ones in the league. The defense, with its new scheme and healthy bodies, could be a lot better than it was a year ago.

I tend to believe the Packers will be a better team than last season's 6-10 edition. Are they a playoff team? I'm not willing to go that far yet. But I will say this. There weren't many people who had the Arizona Cardinals pegged as a Super Bowl contender in March of last year. We saw what happened there, right?

There also weren't many who thought the Packers would have gone 13-3 in 2007. But, the NFL is not a league of absolutes. If you haven't learned by now, the NFL is a league where almost anything can happen.

And let's say it does. Let's just say the 2009 Packers are better than anyone expects them to be. Will Ted get any credit? Will a restless Packer Nation back off the embattled GM?

Probably not. Fans (and media) will probably give credit to Rodgers if he matures into a winner (the one thing he hasn't done as of yet). Coach Mike McCarthy will probably get credit as well, just as he did for what happened in 2007. Capers will probably get credit for installing a defensive scheme that turned the defense into one of the better ones in the league. Thompson, though, will not get credit. Even if he deserves it (and if they trn it around with the players he brought here he would deserve it).

There are a couple of reasons for this. First of all, Thompson will probably never be forgiven for trading Brett Favre away last August. To that, all I can say is that Favre, injured and looking older than we thought he would, failed to lead his new team to the playoffs. Thompson, who reportedly judged Favre to be on the downside after his performance against the Giants in the NFC Championship Game and against Chicago at the end of the 2007 season, turned out to be right about Favre.

Thompson had to make the decision on Favre based on what he had at the time, and what he would have had beyond 2008 (if Rodgers had asked for a trade - which was possible). It's a GM's job to make decisions two or even three years down the road. That's what he did when he decided to trade Favre. He wore the black hat in that entire saga, there's no doubt about that. But, part of his job is to make the tough decisions, and sometimes those decisions make you look like the bad guy - even if you're not.

Thompson also will never be looked at as a guy who will spend to win now. But, if you look a little closer, he actually has. What do you think the Charles Woodson signing was about? What do you think signing Ryan Pickett was about? It wasn't about building for the future. It was about trying to win now.

Going back at some of the non-moves Thompson has made, it's clear he was right more than he was wrong. Granted, not going giving up a fourth round pick for Randy Moss was a mistake, but outside of that, there isn't a lot to complain about. Who did the Packers miss out on in Thompson's years here? Edgerrin James? There were a lot of people (myself included) who wanted to see James in Green and Gold. But, it's safe to say James was never the player in Arizona that he was with the Colts.

The other player that many wanted to see Thompson sign during his tenure here was Adam Vinatieri. Thompson passed on him, and even though Vinatieri went to the Colts and helped them win a Super Bowl, he wasn't the same guy he was with the Patriots. On top of that, I didn't really hear anyone complain about Dave Rayner or his eventual replacement - Mason Crosby.

Thompson is never going to be Mr. Popular. The track record actually shows he's not as bad as some people make him out to be. Perception is totally different. He's the guy in the black hat. He's the bad guy for letting a legend get away. He will never recover from Favre-gate. Even if his Packers manage to turn it around and turn into winners. Big winners.

And that's why I feel bad for him.

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Four Thoughts For A New Week

This was one of the better sports weekends we've had so far in 2009. There was plenty of drama on Saturday night between the Pitt Panthers and Villanova Wildcats. Sunday's NCAA Tournament games might not have been nearly as entertaining, but Tiger's comeback at Bay Hill certainly made up for it. Here are four final thoughts to put a nice bow on a pretty darn good weekend.

The Final Four is set: Michigan State will play UCONN while North Carolina takes on Villanova next Saturday night in Detroit. Can you say there's really a surprise among the bunch? MSU, UCONN, and UNC have been in the top ten all season long. Villanova hasn't necessarily been a top ten team all season, but they certainly haven't come out of nowhere to make it to college basketball's biggest stage.

Think about the coaches that we will see his coming weekend as well. They are all stars. Tom Izzo's resume speaks for itself. Jim Calhoun has won a couple of national titles. Roy Williams brought the pride back to Chapel Hill. And Jay Wright is considered one of the rising stars in the game.

Last season the selection committee got it right when all four of their number one seeds made the Final Four. They might not have gotten it right from that standpoint this year, but I don't think anyone will complain.

Tiger wins: Tiger Woods made a big statement with yesterday's win at Bay Hill. That statement - get that green jacket ready for me. Woods started the day five shots behind Sean O'Hair at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. O'Hair's cushion wasn't nearly enough. The youngster was clearly rattled by playing with Woods in the final group yesterday. And even though he managed to get himself back on track coming down the stretch, it wasn't nearly enough.

That's because we saw another Woods moment on 18 with daylight quickly fading. It wasn't quite like the putt that Woods sank on that very same hole a year ago to beat Mark Bryant, but it was almost as dramatic. I'll be honest. I wasn't expecting Woods to make that putt. I figured we'd be going to extra holes, and that Tiger would get his victory then. Boy was I wrong.

Yesterday was just another example of what we are all getting to witness whenever Tiger walks up to the tee box. I never saw Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer in their primes. I have seen Tiger. And he simply is the best I've ever seen.

The folks in Augusta would be wise to get a Green Jacket in Tiger's size ready. From the looks of things, he might very well add another one to his already sizable collection.

Bye Bye Billy: The University of Kentucky basketball program isn't used to not making the NCAA Tournament. Not only didn't the Wildcats make the tournament, they lost early on in the NIT. That all spelled doom for Billy Gillespie. He was fired late Friday afternoon.

Gillespie was a rising star in the college coaching ranks after supervising turnarounds at UTEP and Texas A&M. He wasn't Kentucky's first choice two years ago, but no one was upset with his hiring.

The only problem is that being the Kentucky basketball coach is more than just being the basketball coach. Coaching is not even half the job. In that position you have to be part coach and part politician. Gillespie just wanted to coach. He wanted no part of everything else that came along with coaching at Kentucky. That, as much as anything else, sunk Gillespie.

It wouldn't be the first time a high profile coaching job ate someone up. It happens more often than you think in college sports. Just look at what happened to Tyrone Willingham at Notre Dame or Matt Doherty and North Carolina. They were good coaches who weren't ready for those kind of jobs.

My hunch is Gillespie will get another chance somewhere else. Somewhere where he can just be the basketball coach. Somewhere he will succeed.

Let the carousel go round and round: Now that Gillespie is out at Kentucky, and Billy Donovan has decided against pursuing the job, who will be the man in Lexington?

My hunch tells me it will be John Calipari. Forget about the rumors that he wants to come back to the NBA. Calipari knows he's a college guy. He knows that's where he belongs. That's something he's told me on more than one occasion (I covered him when he was with the Nets). I doubt he'll jump to the NBA.

But leaving Memphis isn't out of the realm of possibility, especially for a job like Kentucky's. Calipari would be a great fit. He can coach - there's no doubting that whatsoever. He also loves being the politician. He will embrace the other parts of being the Kentucky basketball coach in a way Gillespie never did. Calipari loves the spotlight. The Kentucky job is tailor made for him.

Now, a guy Calipari's been compared to many times in the past, former Kentucky coach Rick Pitino, could be on the move as well. There are rumors out there that Pitino might very well be on his way to Arizona to replace Lute Olson (Russ Pennel was only the interim coach).

I wouldn't be shocked if Pitino does make the move. I would be if it was an NBA job, but not a college job. And Arizona is one of the best jobs out there (he's never, EVER going back to Kentucky, so get that out of your mind now). Despite the coaching problems of the last two years, the Wildcats haven't fallen off the map. This year's run to the Sweet Sixteen shouldn't have been a surprise. Arizona has always been able to get talent.

Granted Arizona will lose some players to the NBA this spring. But, Pitino has seen worse situations. Louisville was in sad shape when he got there earlier this decade. He turned things around fairly quickly there. If he goes to Arizona, my guess is he will have the Wildcats back at the top sooner rather than later.

Lousiville has history. But so does Arizona. Pitino wouldn't be leaving for just any school. He'd be leaving for one of the better programs in the nation. And that's why the rumor that he's the guy they want in Tuscon shouldn't be discounted.

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Brewers Need Braun and Fielder Now More Than Ever

That sigh of relief that you heard yesterday was from Brewers fans who found out that Ryan Braun's MRI came back clean.



In case you have missed it, Braun has been struggling with tightness in his right side. It's the same area that gave him trouble last season (the famous inter-costal injury that led to his struggled in August and September). It's the same area that flared up again in the World Baseball Classic. The same area that forced him out of an exhibition game on Wednesday.



And Wednesday was when the fun really started. A beat reporter went on the radio and said he was concerned that Braun's injury was more serious than the Brewers let on. The host on the radio show went over the deep end (it wasn't my former station), and started implying that the injury could be serious enough that Braun could miss a chunk of the 2009 season.



Now we know that the MRI is clean. Braun, according to the Brewers (who have a history of understating injuries) just needs rest and relaxation. That he just needs time before the tightness in his side goes away.



The Brewers had better be right about Braun's injury. Because the way it looks, this team will only go as far as Braun and Prince Fielder will take them.



It's a little bit different than it was last year. Sure, the Brewers needed Braun and Fielder to produce, but they had some pitching to lean on as well. You know, some guy named Sabathia.



But, he's gone, now in New York, where he'll start the season opener for the Yankees. The Opening Day starter for the Brewers? No, not Yovani Gallardo, but Jeff Suppan. Yes, you're reading correctly. Jeff Suppan. The same Jeff Suppan that was dominant against the Mets while pitching for the Cardinals in 2006. The same Jeff Suppan who hasn't looked nearly as dominant in two seasons as a member of the Brewers.



This week wasn't a good week for the youngsters, either. Both Gallardo and Manny Parra were lit up in Cactus League starts. Now I know that you can't get worked up over March starts in Arizona, but part of me wonders whether or not too much is being placed on the shoulders of the young guys. Part of me wonders whether Gallardo and Parra are ready to grab the mantle of staff leader just yet. Not that they never will. Just that it might be too early in their careers to do it.



And then there's the news that Trevor Hoffman could start the season on the DL. The same story goes for Braden Looper. On top of that, David Riske, Carlos Villanueva, and Jorge Julio have all struggled so far. Again, I realize it's March, but there are too many things that seems to be going on at the same time for me to write it off as it just being March.



The pitching is just not in good shape right now (and I say that knowing Dave Bush has had a pretty good spring). It could all turn around, and all this worrying I seem to be doing could be for nothing at all. Then again, this could also be something that could linger on for a portion of the 2009 season. It could go either way.



That's why the Brewers need Braun and Fielder to be at their best while the pitching sorts itself out. These are two guys that could carry a team. We've all seen it before. If Braun can get past his ailment (whatever it really is), then there's no reason to expect we won't see the same guy that we've seen for the last two seasons.



And, now that Fielder has his security in the form of a two year contract, maybe he can settle down. A big portion of his problems last season were the result of his trying to do too much. In simpler terms, he was swinging for the ten million dollar contract every time he stepped up to the plate. Well, now he's got a little bit of money. Let's see how he does now.



If Braun and Fielder are clicking, scoring runs shouldn't be a problem. And considering the state of the pitching staff, the Brewers will need all the runs they can get.

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Quick Takes

It's one of those days. And by those days, I mean the kind of day where I just have too much on my mind and not enough time to get it all out. Like last week, I'll let everyone else 'preview' the Sweet Sixteen. I have 14 of the 16 remaining teams in my bracket (but lost Wake Forest). My wife has 15 of 16. Heck, maybe she should preview the games tonight

That being said, here's what else is on my mind.

1. UCONN reportedly violated NCAA rules: Nate Miles, a UCONN recruit, reportedly got lodging, transportation, meals, and representation while the Huskies were trying to get him to come to Stoors. Are you really shocked by this? I'm not. In fact, I'm surprised we don't see more schools caught with their pants down. I'll never forget Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski once telling Sporting News Radio that he's surprised he's never been busted by the NCAA police. Coach K always claimed the rulebook is too long and changes too frequently; that it's impossible for each coach to know every rule that's written. Ultimately, I don't think UCONN will suffer any major penalties for this. Someone far down the totem pole will take the fall and we'll all forget that this ever happened.

2. Dwight Howard is a beast: Did you see what he did against the Celtics last night? All I can say is WOW! I know he's not near the top of the league in scoring, but he does lead the NBA in rebounds, he is Mr. Double-Double, and has the Magic (with 53 wins) calling themselves division champions. I understand all the MVP talk has been centered around Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Dwayne Wade, but Howard now has to be in the conversation. I don't know that I'd give him my vote, but I know that I'd think about it. Very hard.

3. The Commish wants more games that count: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would like to see the regular season expand to seventeen or eighteen games. I think it's a great idea. This way you get rid of at least one pre-season game (I have no use for exhibition football). The naysayers might say that you can't keep players healthy in a seventeen or eighteen game season. Guess what? They can't keep players healthy in a sixteen game season, and the NFL is doing just fine thank you. The Patriots were thought to be toast after Tom Brady went down in Week 1 last season. We all saw how that worked out. The NFL is Darwinism at its best. Only the strong survive. The good teams figure out a way to overcome injuries. The bad ones don't. It's as simple as that.

4. Washington wants to butt in on the BCS: The Senate must have some free time on their hands. They are now reviewing whether or not the Bowl Championship Series violates antitrust laws. Look, I hate the BCS just as much as most rational college football fans. But, I gave up fighting the good fight last year, and I firmly believe Washington should as well. I think the Senate has more important issues to attend to. For instance, a slumping economy (I'm being kind). And then of course there are two wars we're in the middle of fighting. Health care concerns. And these guys want to investigate the BCS??? I think their time could be used more wisely and efficiently.

5. John Cena sounds off on A-Rod: Cena, one of the top draws in the WWE (admit it you watch), thinks Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez should go to jail for using steroids. Let me get this straight. A pro wrestler (who has avoided answering questions about whether or not he used steroids in the past) thinks A-Rod should go to jail. If that's not the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is.

That's enough for one day. Enjoy the games tonight!

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Update: Sports Radio Hosts Fired For Profane Outburst

As I expected, Clear Channel has come to a final decision on the future of Larry Cotlar and Marty Tirrell, the two hosts that I wrote about on my blog earlier today.

And, as I figured, the final decision was the conservative play. Cotlar and Tirrell have been let go. Here is the link to the story.

I feel bad for Cotlar, who got dragged into this confrontation by Tirrell (from what I could tell by listening to the audio). He is a good guy and hopefully will land somewhere. He's not completely a victim in this because he contributed to the situation, but in this economy, losing a job in the Sports Radio industry is particualrly tough.

I don't know Tirrell, but my guess is he will have a harder time finding a new gig. The audio makes it clear that he has anger issues.

Sports Radio The Way It Ought Not To be

I've been doing sports radio - in one form or another - for eighteen years. I've been a producer, a sports anchor, and a host. I've said a lot of things on the radio (some smart, some maybe not so much). I've heard many other hosts say things on the radio - things that may or may not be appropriate (the whole Sports Talk vs. Guy Talk thing).

What I've never heard, until earlier this week, was someone dropping f-bombs on the air like it was nothing. That's exactly what happened at KXNO radio in Des Moines, Iowa. Hosts Marty Tirrell and Larry Cotlar (full disclosure here - Larry and I worked together at One on One Sports) got into an argument off the air. However, the person running the board (the guy in charge of making sure the microphones are off during commercial breaks) screwed up (it happens), and the entire verbal confrontation (I'm being polite) made it on to the air. The story has a link to the actual audio of the confrontation. I'd suggest you check it out at your own risk, though I have chosen not to link it.

As of yesterday, both Cotlar and Tirrell had been suspended 'until further notice.' Will further action be taken? I imagine so. Clear Channel, the company that owns the radio station, will probably let one of the two suspended hosts go. In fact, I wouldn't be shocked of both Tirrell and Cotlar are cut loose.

Simply put, and I say this having not been in the room when the incident occurred, both hosts are in the wrong here. Yes, it's true that whoever was running the board screwed up. And yes, that person should have realized his mistake and hit the dump button immediately. But, ultimately, the board operator is not the one to blame here. The hosts are.

The first thing they teach you in radio, and I do mean THE FIRST THING, is to be careful about what you say when you are in the studio. Why? Because you never know when a microphone is live. Even if you know that the mics are off, you have to be careful . These two guys (and from listening to the audio Tirrell is more guilty than Cotlar is) weren't careful.

But, they are both equally guilty. You can clearly hear both of them using profanity. To me, it's an open and shut case. Especially when you consider the language that was used could result in a hefty FCC fine.

Clear Channel ultimately will have no choice but to terminate at least one of these two hosts. Firstly because of the language that was used. It wasn't like it was just one f-bomb. It was a dozen uses of the word (give or take). If the word was used one time, the station (and its corporate owner - Clear Channel) could write it off as an accident. But when the word goes across the air twelve times, well, let's just say it's a different ballgame.

You also have to remember that this took place in Des Moines, Iowa. It didn't happen in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. Des Moines is a small market in the Midwest. People there aren't as forgiving about that kind of language being used on its public airwaves.

And then you also have to remember that the station could be in a lot of hot water with its advertisers. Some will stick around, but I am sure that there will be more than one that decides to spend their money somewhere else. And, when a station is threatened with the possibility of losing money in this economy, it has to act. Remember, radio is no longer just ratings driven. Especially sports radio, which doesn't usually deliver high ratings anyway. The bottom line is more important, and if that bottom line has to be written in red ink instead of black ink, someone is going to pay with their job.

It's a shame that it has to happen. You don't like to see anyone lose their job in this economy (especially in this industry). As I mentioned, I know Larry Cotlar. He's a good man. He's a veteran broadcaster. He's not Jim Rome (who is?) but he also isn't the worst host I have ever heard either. That being said, he's sitting in the same boat as Tirrell is right now (and I admit I don't know Tirrell, nor do I know why these two got into the confrontation in the first place).

And the boat they are in right now is taking on a lot of water. When the smoke clears (and it might take some time) I think both of them will find themselves in the same situation. Without a job. And with no one to blame but themselves.
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While You Were Dancing...

The music has stopped. Neither Marquette or the Wisconsin Badgers are dancing anymore. Both teams saw their seasons come to an end in Boise, at the hands of Missouri and Xavier respectively.

Most of us have been consumed by March Madness. So much so that we might have taken our eyes off the Bucks, Brewers, and Packers. So, as a public service, I'm here to help catch you up on what you might have missed while watching all that college basketball these last couple of weeks.

Bucks: March hasn't been kind to Scott Skiles and company. The team, which as of a few weeks ago, looked like a pretty good bet to make the playoffs for the first time in three years, has won just twice (beating Washington and the Celtics) while losing seven. As a result, the team is now looking up at Chicago and Charlotte (yes you're reading correctly) in the Eastern Conference standings.

The upcoming schedule isn't going to help, either. The Bucks have eleven games left in the regular season, and this week features a road trip to Toronto on Wednesday, Orlando and Dwight Howard on Friday, and Miami with Dwayne Wade on Saturday. Playoff hopes that looked so bright just a few weeks ago are getting dimmer by the day.

As disappointing as that is, there is still hope (slim as it might be). The Bucks will have to beat some pretty good teams along the way while hoping other teams do them a favor. But, when was the last time this team played games in late March that mattered?

The bottom line is that this season has represented progress. The Bucks are 31-40, and those 31 wins are the most this team has had in the last three seasons. The fact that they are still in contention with Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut wearing suits instead of uniforms should be looked at as a positive. If Senator Herb Kohl and GM John Hammond can somehow come up with a way to keep the young players (Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva) in the city beyond this season without breaking the dreaded luxury tax threshold then there's a chance the Bucks could use the lessons learned this season as a building block for better things to come.

Brewers: The last time I wrote about The Brew Crew, I offended some of the faithful with my seemingly negative attitude. Unfortunately, my mindset about this team hasn't changed all that much since then.

Adding to my already lengthy list of questions is now the state of the bullpen. It's looking more and more like Trevor Hoffman, the big off-season free agent signing, is going to start the season on the DL. If that's the case, then Ken Macha will likely have to choose between hard throwing Seth McClung and Carlos Villanueva as the interim closer.

McClung has the stuff to be a closer. He throws hard. But, he has always been inconsistent. Would you be comfortable with him as the go to guy? Do you think he could put his inconsistency behind him and close games day after day after day? I'll admit that I'm nervous.

As for Villanueva, well, he hasn't had the best of months. Inconsistency would be a great way to describe his spring so far. And because of it, Macha has been growing frustrated with the youngster.

The bottom line is that we've all seen how an inconsistent closer (Eric Gagne) can adversely impact a team. If Hoffman can't answer the bell Opening Day then an inconsistent closer is exactly what the Brewers could have on their hands. And we haven't even mentioned David Riske's problems so far. We haven't mentioned Jorge Julio's ups and downs either.

The bullpen was supposed to be something this team could count on. It isn't working out that way up to this point.

Packers: This has been a typical Ted Thompson off-season. Not much free agent activity (hey, he did sign one player). But then again, you didn't expect that did you (if you did, then where have you been for the last few years)?

Thompson has done what he always does. Sit back and watch while everyone else spends crazy amounts of money on players that (for the most part) don't deserve it). He does take care of his own (for the most part), re-signing Michael Montgomery to a two-year deal while matching Tennessee's offer to defensive back Jarrett Bush (three years, $4.5M).

Thompson also has managed to tick off one of his own players. Nick Collins had a Pro Bowl season in 2008 and was hoping that would lead Thompson to reward him with a new contract. When the Packers didn't make a move towards that end, Collins decided to skip the first week of the off-season program. Normally I wouldn't worry, but Dom Capers is installing a new defense, and Collins would be wise to come in, learn it, and let his agent deal with his contractual issues.

So, there you go. You're all caught up. Glad I could be of service.

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Sixteen (Not Always) Sweet NCAA Tournament Thoughts

The NCAA Tournament started last week with sixty-four teams. We, after some strange twists and turns, are down to the Sweet Sixteen. So, here are Sixteen (not always) Sweet thoughts about what we saw over the last few days..

16. Don't call them Cinderella: A lot of people thought Arizona didn't even deserve to be in the tournament. But, here they are, into the Sweet Sixteen. You wouldn't expect them to give Louisville a tough time. But, don't be so shocked that they are here, either. They have one of the nation's better players in Chase Budinger, and were hoping for big things this season before Lute Olson retired due to health concerns. They might be a double digit seed, but the talent on this Wildcats club is much better than that.

15. The slipper didn't fit Cleveland State: So, Cleveland State wrecked my bracket (more on that later) by beating Wake Forest on Friday night. They gave Arizona a bit of a run as well before crashing down to Earth. It was a nice little run for a team that wasn't supposed to be here, and wouldn't have been had they not beaten Butler to win the Horizon League Tournament. They lasted one game longer than anyone thought they would, and don't be shocked if coach Gary Waters winds up leaving the Vikings for a bigger job.

14. This Griffin kid at Oklahoma is pretty good: Blake Griffin is a man among boys. There's no other way to say it. He's showing why he's a consensus Player of the Year. How about that effort on Saturday against a Michigan club that was determined to make their first appearance in the NCAA's since 1998 more than just a one and done? Not only did Griffin score over thirty points and grab double digits in rebounds, but he kept getting up after Michigan tried to bounce him around. Like a Timex watch, he took a licking and kept on ticking.

13. A number one that needs to be worried: Pittsburgh might have made it into the round of sixteen, but they haven't necessarily looked like a former top ranked team doing it. East Tennessee State gave them a good run on Friday, and Oklahoma State put a scare into them yesterday. Somehow, Jamie Dixon has to press the reset button and get his club back to where they were a few weeks ago, when they beat UCONN for the second time this year. If he doesn't, they are ripe for the picking.

12. Xavier is this decade's Gonzaga: You certainly can't consider Gonzaga a surprise anymore. And maybe Xavier should get the same kind of respect now. They play in the Atlantic 10, which will not be confused with a power conference anytime soon. However, for the second straight year Xavier is in the Sweet Sixteen. Sean Miller, like Thad Matta before him, is no longer a secret. Last year he turned Marquette down when they wanted him to replace Tom Crean. Will he stick around in Cincinnati if Arizona comes calling? Stay tuned...

11. I miss Billy Packer: I never thought I'd say it because he sounds like he's a whiny pain in the butt half the time. But, I miss Billy Packer. I miss his honest analysis. He doesn't have any shtick. He doesn't scream and shout. He doesn't match his tie to his hiliter. He just breaks down the action he sees, and sometimes he offends people with his honesty. It's a shame he's not working the tournament this year. Clark Kellogg doesn't do a bad job, but he's no Packer.

10. Duke isn't Duke: Yes, the Blue Devils are in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in a few years. No, I don't expect then to go any further. Texas gave them everything they could handle, and Villanova will beat them this week. Sure, Duke can shoot. But, their relative lack of toughness is going to be exposed when Jay Wright's Wildcats get a hold of them in Boston later this week.

9. You shouldn't have written off Kansas: There weren't many who thought Kansas would be in the round of sixteen after winning the whole ball of wax last year. Not after all those players went pro. The run to this point is just further proof of what a great coach Bill Self is. He doesn't rebuild. He just reloads.

8. That Tim Floyd guy can coach too: USC wasn't supposed to be here, not after losing O.J. Mayo to the NBA. Someone forgot to tell that to Tim Floyd, who went out and got one of the best high school players in Demar Derozan to play for the Trojans. What was supposed to be a year in which USC took a step back has been anything but. Floyd might not have been a big success in the NBA, but he's doing just fine in the college game thank you very much.

7. Someone tell Digger Phelps to get over himself: Digger Phelps used to be a really good analyst. Now he's just another analyst who has taken his press clipping too easily. Forget about the whole matching the hiliter to his tie thing. That's ridiculous enough in and of itself. But, the final straw for me was Phelps talking over his fellow ESPN analysts. It's one thing to talk over Hubert Davis and not give him any air time. It's another to try it on Dick Vitale. Vitale is loved by most people because of his shtick and the way he simplifies the game. Phelps wants to show you how smart he is. It comes off as being annoying.

6. Dominic James deserves a lot of credit: Dominic James' season was supposed to be over after breaking a bone in his foot against UCONN on February 25th. Someone, though, forgot to tell that to James. He worked to come back and did yesterday against Missouri. Many other players in his position - looking at a possible NBA career - would have just packed it in and waited to play another day. James showed everyone he was more about the name on the front of his jersey, not the name on the back. The college game could use more players like him. It's a shame Marquette couldn't extend James' career by one more game.

5. Memphis got mad: Cal-State Northridge might have awoke a sleeping giant in John Calipari's Memphis Tigers. Because after Thursday's close call they took a good Maryland team and made them look silly. I don't think they'll beat a more experienced UCONN team if and when they meet in the finals of the West Region. But, I do expect them to give UCONN a good push because Calipari will have them motivated and ready to go. Not only is Calipari a good coach, but he's a master motivator.

4. Dick Enberg's still got it: He might be 70-something, but I can't get enough of listening to Dick Enberg do a game. He might make more mistakes than he used to, but he's got one of the smoothest deliveries in the business of broadcasting. He and Jay Bilas were really good together (I have always been a big fan of Bilas, who gets overshadowed by Vitale and Phelps at ESPN). More play by play guys should learn from his example (more on that in a minute). Let the game come to you as opposed to trying to make every play worthy of being on your demo.

3. The Big East deserved all those bids; the ACC didn't: Let's see. UCONN, Louisville, Pitt, Villanova, and Syracuse are still alive. The ACC got the same amount of bids (seven) and only North Carolina and Duke are still dancing. Anyone want to argue about who the better conference is now????

2. I am not a fan of Gus Johnson: Remember what I wrote about Dick Enberg letting the game come to him? Well, Johnson does the exact opposite. I know he's popular, but I just don't get it. The excitement he displays seems phony to me, and I couldn't help but wonder if his partner - the even-headed Len Elmore - was getting sick of the whole thing. Johnson needs to learn that not every three pointer or slam dunk deserves the treatment he gives it.

1. My bracket is screwed: I pretty much ripped my sheet up on Friday night. I had Wake Forest in the Final Four. I'm still sick over that. Thanks for nothing, Demon Deacons!

James Is Back For MU!

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dominic James will return from his broken foot today when Marquette faces Missouri for the right to go to The Sweet Sixteen.

I'm not sure exactly how many minutes James will be able to play, but his return will be a shot in the arm to a Golden Eagles club that has struggled since he got hurt in late February against UCONN.

Missouri is coached by Mike Anderson, a Nolan Richardson disciple, so James' return couldn't come at a better time. Maurice Acker is a nice point guard, but James is this team's leader. Everyone, especially, Jerel McNeal, feeds off of him, and he will be better equipped to handle Missouri's defensive pressure than Acker or David Cubillan would be able to.

If you think about it, this really is the only way for James to go out. He's been cleared by the doctors, so the risk for further injury should be minimal. He also looked out of place on the bench as a quasi-assistant coach/cheerleader.

He's a player. He is Marquette's most valuable player (even if the stats don't necessarily prove that). This is really the only way it could have happened. Anyone who knows James knew he was going to do his best to get back on the floor to help his teammates.

Will his presence translate into a win for MU? Well, let's just say this. I had Marquette winning this game and getting to The Sweet Sixteen. I was more than just a little nervous about the pick before this morning. Now, I feel a lot better.

The Memphis Bandwagon Almost Crashed

Day One at the NCAA Tournament brought its usual excitement. There were the upstarts giving the more established teams a run for their money. There was the upset in the 5-12 matchuo we were all talking about. And, there was the usual - two number one seeds blowing away their competition.

So, how did you do yesterday? Personally, I went 12-4 using the new strategy that I started to employ. I'm glad I did better than President Barack Obama (he went 11-5 according to the ESPN guys). But, Tony Reali - from Around the Horn fame - went 15-1. I said 15-1! The world must be coming to an end.

Where did I go wrong yesterday? Well, BYU nearly got run out of the gym by Texas A&M. They made a valiant comeback towards the end of the game, but it wasn't enough. Had Butler not lost Matt Howard to fouls, maybe the Bulldogs would have wound up beating LSU. Clemson had their chance to tie Michigan and send that game into overtime, but the three that they tried at the end of the game was horribly executed. VCU came up just short against UCLA>

The good news is that these losses don't hurt me. I didn't have any of these teams getting past the second round anyway.

The bad news is that my wife, who picked the games by team nickname and color, also went 12-4. She did zero research whatsoever, and still had the same record as I did. Go figure.

So, that's where my bracket stands. Here are some of my thoughts on the other action we saw yesterday.

UCONN, UNC Cruise: Ty Lawson didn't play for the Tar Heels, and it might come back to haunt North Carolina down the road, but UNC didn't need Lawson yesterday, as they pounded Radford in the South Region. UCONN had little trouble with Chattanooga, but had to play without Jim Calhoun yesterday, who was taken to the hospital with an undisclosed illness. Calhoun should be back on the bench for Saturday's battle of the Huskies with Washington.

Western Kentucky does it again: Illinois might have been 24-9 heading into the game, but I was never impressed. That's why I had the Hilltoppers pulling off a first round upset for the second straight year. When you are as offensively challenged as Illinois has been at times (when you score 30-something points in a game you just aren't very good), you don't deserve to be a five seed.

Okay, Memphis fans. You can breathe now: Cal State Northridge almost wrecked a lot of brackets yesterday by giving Memphis a run for their money. Maybe John Calipari's Tigers couldn't get motivated for the game after not being given the number one seed they thought they deserved. Maybe Northridge is better than we all thought they were. Bottom line - the Tigers survived and advanced, but not before causing a lot of people who had them going to The Final Four reason to be concerned.

An upset that wasn't an upset: Maryland is clearly better than the ten seed they got. Greivis Vazquez led the Terps to a win over Cal in one of the most entertaining games of the day. If Gary Williams' job was in danger before the tournament started, it shouldn't be anymore.

Villanova survives: I'm one of the people who have Villanova going far in The Big Dance. Very far. All the way to the Elite Eight far. American almost made me rip my bracket sheet up yesterday, especially when Jeff Jones' team found themselves up by ten at half. But they stopped doing what made them successful in the first half, and 'Nova took advantage. Now that the scare is over, I expect Jay Wright's Wildcats to settle down and move on to the Sweet Sixteen.

All in all, an exciting first day at the NCAA Tournament. Today's games have a lot to live up to.

Check out my podcast and find out what I expect to happen today at The Big Dance!

The Great Tournament Debate: Where To Watch The Games?

So, here we are. Day One of the NCAA Tournament.

Everyone has their way of taking in the first two days of The Big Dance. Some people take the day off today and tomorrow just to watch the games. Some work, and get their dose of torunament action at night. Some hang out with their friends at the bar, where every game is on television. Some prefer the comfort of their own home.

I've done it many ways over the years. I've worked (which isn't really work when you consider I either hosted shows or done updates during the games). I've had days off. I've hosted shows at a bar during the games. I've done remotes from minor league football arenas (that's not a lie, but an indictment on the last place I worked).

Everyone has their routine. What's right for one person might not be right for someone else. At the end of the day it doesn't really matter.

This year (for plenty of reasons, including my being in between gigs), I get to take in the first two days of the tournament the way I like best. Sitting at home with a beer in one hand, remote in the other, and my bracket sheet on the coffee table (with two hiliters to mark winners and losers). My apologies to those that invited me out to have a beer (or seven) with them.

You see, for me, the first two days of the NCAA Tournament are like Super Bowl Sunday. These two days are like Opening Day in Major League Baseball. I like to take it in on my own (okay, my wife is allowed to watch with me, but she needs to keep the talking to a minimum).

I have my reasons for wanting to watch the games like this. It's not that I'm anti-social. Here they are:

10. Food: I control the menu at home (ok my wife does). But at least I have input. If you go to a bar, you might not find anything you like on the menu.

9. Crowd Noise: I'm a person who likes to be able to hear what the announcers are saying while the games are going on. When you're at a bar, there isn't much crowd control. I find that conversations or just plain noisy people can ruin my enjoyment of the games.

8. The Basketball IQ of the people you're watching with: The wannabes tend to come out during The Big Dance. You know, the casual fan that doesn't know what North Carolina's nickname is. Have you ever watched a game with people like that? Not fun. At home, I don't have to put up with that crap.

7. I've got the best seat in the house: I don't have the biggest television in the world but it's not bad (32 inch HD). I also have the luxury of watching it from my spot on the couch. The best seat in the house. I have an unobstructed view of the television. I don't have anyone in my way. I don't get that at a bar.

6. I can keep track of the other games: Unless you have super vision, there is no way to see the scores of the other games on the scroll at the top of the television that you're probably fifty feet away from at the bar. At home, that isn't a problem.

5. I have a DVR: If I go to a bar and I miss something (for whatever reason), I miss it forever. At home, the good folks at Time Warner Cable have provided me with a DVR. So, if I miss something, I can simply go back, rewind, and watch it again.

4. I don't have to put up with any boring conversations: Try this, go to a bar and watch the game with a group of friends. Let me know how many of them complained about their wives, jobs, or kids. Staying at home - well I don't have to worry about that. We all have problems. Keep them to yourself. I'm watching basketball.

3. At home, it's just about the games: At a bar, I have to worry about the people who decided to get plastered. Try watching games with someone who decided to drink.. and drink... and drink. By halftime you want to punch them in the face. At home, if I'm drunk, it's my own fault. I have to put up with me. No one else does.

2. It's a School Night: The games don't end untill midnight. If you have to work the next morning. you're probably going to be useless. Who needs that headache? So, once the games are over, my head hits the pillow, and it's good night!

1. I can be comfortable: When you go to a bar you have to dress to impress (especially if you're single). When you go to a bar you can't look like a slob (especially if you're single and are looking for Ms. Right or even Ms. Right Now). When you watch the game at home, you have no such worries.

Like I said, this is what works for me. It might not work for you, and that's just fine. There is no right or wrong here.

Happy Tourney Day!

Listen to Cliff's podcast to find out what he expects to see today during the NCAA Tournament!

A New Method To My Bracket Madness

This is the year that I'm making a change. I'm going to improve myself. I'm going to correct a mistake that I've been making for years.

No, I'm not going to go on a diet and work out like a maniac. I already work out six days a week (but I have a sweet tooth so they kind of cancel each other out). I quit smoking (for the second time) two years ago. So, the change we're talking about has nothing to do with the changes we promise ourselves we will make every year at or around January first.

No, the change I'm making has to do with how I fill out my NCAA Bracket Sheet.

Here's the drill. In past years, when the seedings were announced, I'd immerse myself in all the analysis I could find, whether it was on television, radio, or the internet. I listened to more Dick Vitale than any human being can possibly handle. I heard all twelve of CBS' college basketball analysts talk about who they thought would make The Final Four. I read all the blogs on ESPN, FOX, CBS Sports, and about fifteen other websites. I thought I was prepared. Little did I know the college basketball g-ds looked down on me from up above and said "So, you think you know what you're talking about, huh? Guess what, you don't know jack!"

In past years, I'd take all that knowledge, enter two or three different pools, and submit two bracket sheets to each one. The first sheet was the one I always played straight. The second sheet was the one that had the upsets on it. If I picked the eight seed on sheet number one, I'd be sure to pick the nine seed on the second sheet.

I thought I was protecting myself. I thought I was covered. I thought I had it all figured out.

I was wrong.

I started filling out bracket sheets and entering pools when I was eighteen years old - a freshman in college. I'm thirty-seven now. Would you like to guess how many times I won? Zero. I have never won a pool. Ever.

I've gotten close. I finished third once (not a whole lot you can do with the $40 prize). That was it. One third place finish in nineteen years. One freakin' third place finish.

So, I'm changing it up. The way I figure it, my way of doing things hasn't been working out. So, a couple of weeks ago, I hateched a plan. A new strategy, so to speak.

I'm still going to devour as much information as I possibly can. That means a lot of time in front of the television, the computer, and the radio.

But, here's the difference. I'm only going to fill out ONE pool sheet. No more two sheets per pool. One sheet.

The old way obviously wasn't working, so I figure I'm going to combine my two sheets into one.. I have nothing to lose. It's not like I've ever won before.

And, since I happen to be 'between gigs' (in other words, out of work) right now, I'm not putting any money on this year's bracket. I'm just having a friendly competition with my wife that will be played out on CBS Sports' Bracket Manager. She'll pick the winners based on team colors, nickname, and mascots. I'll pick winners based on my supposed knowledge.

If I win (and there is no guarantee) then I'll enter a 2010 pool using my successful strategy. If my wife wins, then it's back to square one. In other words, if my wife wins, I'll be forced to change again.

If at first you don't succeed....

Check out my podcast today and find out why I think a certain NL Central team (not the Astros) should take a hard look at Pedro Martinez!

Cliff's Notes: Random NCAA Tournament Thoughts

The NCAA Tournament is here. Alabama State and Morehead State battle tonight for the right to get blown out by Louisville (is tonight the opening round or play-in game?). By now, you've read all the breakdowns, you've watched sixteen analysts break it down on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and yes, even CBS College Sports. Well, here's one more for you to read.

How will Marquette and Wisconsin do? Who is in my Final Four? What do I like best and worst about the college basketball orgy that is Thursday through Sunday? You are about to find out!

The Local Teams: I actually think the selection committee got it right by seeding Marquette sixth. They deserved to be knocked off the five line thanks to the injury to Dominic James. They didn't deserve to be underseeded though, because let's face it, they lost to some pretty good teams in UCONN (a #1 seed), Pitt (a #1 seed), Louisville (the #1 overall seed) and Syracuse (Big East runners up).

MU, despite the losses, is still talented enough to give anyone in the country a run for their money. Utah State on Friday presents a problem because they are more of a mystery than anything else. Their biggest win of the year was beating Utah (a five seed), yet their RPI was a surprising 27 as of last week. The Aggies have older players who have spent time on Mormon missions, the WAC Player of the Year in Gary Wilkinson, and have found their offensive rhythm since installing Jared Quayle as the starting point guard. But, MU will benefit from playing someone other than a Big East team, and the Aggies lack of schedule strength would lead you to believe that they haven't seen anything like MU. Utah State might throw a bit of a scare into the Golden Eagles, but I'd expect MU to move on.

The Golden Eagles might get Missouri in the second round (okay, should get, but I didn't want to assume). MU matches up well against Mike Anderson's club. The Tigers are undersized, just like the Golden Eagles are, and my gut tells me that MU's seniors are going to go out with a bang, not a whimper. So, I have MU into the Sweet Sixteen (where they would run into Memphis).

As far as the Badgers go, I was stunned that they were a twelve seed. I was shocked that Bo Ryan's kids were one of the last teams into the dance. I thought they had done enough to take themselves off the bubble. The committee obviously thought otherwise, and they put them in as a twelve against Florida State.

As much as I'd like to see the Badgers be one of those twelve seeds that pulls off an upset, I just don't think it's going to happen. Wisconsin isn't nearly as athletic as Florida State is. The Seminoles just beat UNC (without Ty Lawson), and Toney Douglas can light it up. The selection committee wasn't kind to the Badgers, and I think their run in the tournament will be very short.

My Final Four: I admit I have a lot of chalk on my bracket sheet. I like UCONN out of the West, though Memphis will give them a battle in the Elite Eight. I am picking North Carolina (with Ty Lawson back from his toe injury) to win the South. Pittsbugh is my choice to win the East over Villanova. And despite Louisville being the overall number one seed, I have Wake Forest winning the Midwest.

What I Like Best About The Tournament's First Week: Thursday and Friday are the best two days of the entire sports year. Better than Opening Day. The sheer number of games gets me going (and my preference is to sit on my couch with a beer going from game to game to game). And, there are always two or three teams that come out of nowhere to surprise everyone (and make me rip up my bracket sheet).

What I Hate Most About The Tournament's First Week: I'm probably in the minority here, but I just don't get the whole Gus Johnson thing. He's not as good of an announcer as some make him out to be. The excitement he displays used to be refreshing, but now it just comes off as being contrived.

Check out my podast today for my thoughts on Jay Cutler!

The Weekend Wrap: What You Might Have Missed

Yes I know yesterday was Selection Sunday. And I know that March Madness is what's on top of everyone's mind right now. And deservedly so. However, there were three stories this weekend that deserved the spotlight as well. So, we'll let you in on those in case you got caught up in Bracketology.

Marty Catches Patrick: Martin Brodeur - already one of the best goalies in NHL history, cemented that fact Saturday night in New Jersey's win over the Canadiens. With the win, Brodeur tied former Canadiens goalie Patrick Roy with 551 wins - the most in NHL history. He also wound up catching the great Roy in Montreal - his hometown.

Brodeur, despite his greatness, has never really gotten the credit he's deserved.

Had he played in Montreal, for instance, he'd be a bigger name than he is right now. But, he plays for the Devils, and has done so his entire career. New Jersey takes a back seat to the Rangers, and up until the mid 1990's they took a back seat to the New York Islanders as well. Even with their Stanley Cup victories, the Devils were always like your little brother - looking for attention.

It's too bad this story didn't get more attention, because it certainly deserved it.

And, there was a time that it certainly would have. Before the NHL started having labor problems in the early 1990's, the league enjoyed a much higher profile.

But then the lockout of 1994 came. Instead of taking advantage of the fact that its most popular team (the Rangers) had just won a Stanley Cup) the owners decided to be hard liners and lock the players out. Fans discovered they didn't miss hockey as much as they thought they would.

By the time the league had the lockout that wiped out an entire season earlier this decade, fans had pretty much written off the game. The NHL didn't help themselves by taking its television package to Versus, which will never give the league the kind of profile that ESPN did.

Now, you can tell me all you want about how Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have helped put the NHL back on the map. but they would never have had to had this league stopped shooting itself in the foot.

And a moment like Brodeur catching the legendary Roy would certainly have gotten more attention than it wound up getting.

Wade Serves Notice: It was only a couple of years ago that the NBA was trying to re-create the Magic-Larry-Michael Era in the form of LebronJames, Kobe Bryant, and Dwayne Wade. It seemed like a smart move to make, considering that Wade led Miami to the 2006 NBA Championship. At that time, he deserved to share the platform with Kobe and Lebron.

Staying on that platform proved to be difficult for Wade. Injuries cut him down just when his star was seemingly shining at its brightest. But injuries are in the past, and so is losing.

Wade poured in 50 on Saturday in a triple overtime win by Miami over Utah. It was the tenth time this season that Wade has scored forty or more points.

Wade is averaging thirty points a game this season, which just happens to lead the league. And, Wade is the main reason why Miami has gone from lottery team to the #5 seed (if the playoffs were to start right now) in the Eastern Conference.

So, you can talk all you want about how much Kobe and Lebron deserve consideration for the MVP award. My vote - right now - would go to Wade. Not that James or Bryant are undeserving. But, is there a player more valuable to his team than Wade? I don't think so. Kobe has Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom (he also had Andrew Bynum before his injury). James has Mo Williams. Who does Wade have? MiachaelBeasley? Nice player with loads of potential, but he's clearly not there yet. Shawn Marion was such a disaster they dealt him to Toronto for a Jermaine O'Neal that could very well be considered past his prime.

Make no mistake, the Heat would be a lottery team again without Wade. If that doesn't scream MVP at you, I don't know what does.

Lefty Tames The Blue Monster: It was an adventure at times, but Phil Mickelson won his second tournament of the season by winning at Doral. The one shot victory over Nick Watney was entertaining to watch, because not only was it Lefty in the lead. But, it was Lefty at his riverboat gambling best.

You need to look no further at what happened on the par-5, 605 yard 12th hole. A hole in which Mickelson hit his tee shot so badly that he had to play his second shot right handed. A second shot that backfired, as it caught a tree and only went about thirty yards.

Mickelson was lucky to make bogey on that hole. It should have opened things up for Watney, but he bogeyed as well. Watney hit his approach into the bunker to the left of the green. He's normally a pretty good bunker player, but he needed two shots to get out of the sand trap. That was pretty much all she wrote for the young man nicknamed Rube after Rube Walker of Major League 2 Fame.

The television executives had to be happy with what they saw this weekend. A victory for Mickelson. Plus, Tiger Woods well enough for NBC's cameras to track him holy by hole.

We're only a few weeks away from The Masters. You'd have to think Lefty is among the favorites to win, just based on the way he's played this year (two wins and three top tens overall). As for Tiger, he hasn't quite looked like the Tiger of old (his short game is betraying him right now), but would anyone be shocked if it's Tiger and Lefty in the final pairing on Sunday at Augusta?

I wouldn't be. You shouldn't be, either.

Check out my podcast for my thoughts on The Field of 65!

A Smart Business Move That Might Backfire

I have been in radio for eighteen years. I have seen a lot of things happen in my nearly two decades in the business. I've seen a lot of good things. I've seen a lot of bad things. I've watched managers make good decisions, and I've also watched managers make bad decisions. I never thought I'd see what I saw yesterday.

Before we go any further. This is the drill. There are three radio 24/7 sports radio networks. ESPN Radio, FOX Sports Radio, and Sporting News Radio. I am one of the few people that have worked at all three. I was a behind the scenes guy for ESPN Radio from 1995-1997. I spent six years at Sporting News Radio from 1999-2005. And I have done fill in work at FSR as well (2005).

If a station wants to become an affiliate of any of the three networks, they normally just have to run the network commercials. That's usually all it takes. Sometimes stations have to promise that they will air a certain amount of network programming every weekday to become an affiliate. Usually no money changes hands. That's why network programming has become more prevalent in recent months. Stations (and their parent companies) have been hit hard by the economic downturn. Ad revenue is down. Cuts have to be made. That's why local shows are disappearing while national acts like Colin Cowherd, Dan Patrick, Jim Rome, and Tony Bruno are taking their place.

And then came this bit of news yesterday. In a nutshell, ESPN Radio is thinking of charging affiliates in Top 30 markets $100K a year for the right to air their shows. Stations in smaller markets would be charged less.

My first reaction was one of surprise and disbelief. This couldn't possibly be true. But, I was able to confirm that it is indeed the case.

Look, I am not going to sit here and rip on ESPN Radio for doing this. I don't believe they deserve it. What they are doing makes a lot of sense from one standpoint. The bottom line.

Radio isn't about ratings as much as it is about revenues. Sports radio, in most cases, is not a big ratings winner. What it is, though, is a winner in advertising dollars. Advertisers love reaching out to men between the ages of 25 and 54. Research has shown that most listeners to sports radio fall into that category. The studies also show that many sports radio listeners have an average income of over $75,000 a year. Those are the people that advertisers want to reach.

Up until the recession that we're currently going through, most sports radio stations (despite high ratings) made plenty of money through their advertising. The networks also benefited from that. Listen to any of the three networks for a half an hour and you are likely to hear spots from some of the biggest companies in the nation.

The recession has changed things a little bit, though. Revenues are down. Down big. That has forced station operators (like Clear Channel, Entercom, Cumulus, etc.) to cut back. That's why hosts like myself, Dan McNeil (formerly of ESPN 1000 in Chicago), Lee 'Hacksaw' Hamilton, and FSR's Ben Maller are among those currently looking for work. That's why stations are being forced to make do with less.

Those stations are turning to network programming. ESPN sees this, and realizes there is a money making opportunity that has opened itself up. Stations need the networks, and let's face it, ESPN is the leading name in sports television, one of the leading names in sports internet sites, and the largest sports radio network in the country (they can claim more affiliates than FSR and SNR). ESPN Radio sees that there is a need for their product (maybe now more than ever), and they believe they can make some money based on that fact.

Again, this isn't to take ESPN Radio to task. They are a business. Businesses need to make money. They need to develop more ways to make money than they ever have had to in the past. Charging affiliates for the right to brand themselves as ESPN was just the next natural step in the evolution of what they do. I suspect FOX and Sporting News will think hard about doing the same thing.

That being said, I believe this is a move that could backfire on ESPN Radio. Here's why.

This news breaks at the worst possible time for ESPN Radio. Few businesses have been hit as hard by the recession as radio has. I don't know of many stations, even in the biggest cities in the country, that have $100K a year just laying around to give to ESPN. In fact, I don't know of any. Stations aren't only laying talented people off. They are being told by their corporate bosses that if someone leaves for a non-recession related reason, that they cannot fill that open position. There simply is no money to do so. Many Program Directors around the country have been frustrated by this.

So, what might the result of ESPN Radio's move be? Well, it could be one of two things. Stations who have the ability to turn to either FOX or SNR (if no other station in their market is airing them) will do so. Why pay for Colin Cowherd when you can air Dan Patrick's show (if available) for free?

That's one scenario. The other way it could play out is this. Stations who do not have the ability to turn to FSR or SNR (because someone else in the market is airing them) will have to choose between paying ESPN their rights fee and hiring local talent.

I believe more stations will choose to hire local talent before they pay the rights fee to Birstol. The local talent (because of the economy) is very likely to cost less than ESPN Radio's rights fee. And, it's easier for salespeople to go out and sell a local show as opposed to Mike & Mike, or The Herd, or Tirico and Van Pelt.

ESPN Radio has a right to do this. It's their product. It's their ball, and they can choose to go somewhere else and play if they want to. But, ultimately, this move could force operators into doing something they've tried to get away from. Investing in local talent.

As a radio guy, that's the best thing that could happen to this business.

Check out my podcast for the latest on March Madness!

Shedding A Tear For The Newspaper

I'm thirty-seven years old. I grew up in a city that had three newspapers going after each other every single day. When I had my first experience in radio (in 1987 as an intern at WABC with the legendary Art Rust Jr.), there was no internet. You did your show prep by watching games, Sportscenter (which was very different back then), and reading the newspaper.

I grew up in a time where you read the paper (or papers) on the subway. It was a way to avoid eye contact with people you didn't want to be bothered by. Reading the paper, as opposed to listening to your Walkman (yes, I wrote Walkman) was a way to avoid making yourself a target for those who were looking to mug you.

I grew up in a house where we went to the candy store get the paper every day (before we discovered home delivery). Sunday was like a holiday in my house. My parents would buy all three newspapers just to get the maximum amount of coupons!

I have worked with and for newspapers as well. My first job in high school was working weekends at a local convenience store, where one of my jobs was to put the Sunday papers together (you don't think all those sections magically came together on their own, do you?). I also worked for the local paper in my junior year of high school, manning the sports desk at night for scores of high school games, and writing the occasional feature article.

My dream in high school was to be a sports columnist (boy did I take a left turn in college). In other words, I was a newspaper guy. I still am in many ways, but I fear for my friends who work for newspapers in this economy.

That's because newspapers are dying. This isn't just some internet blogger/podcaster saying it. This isn't may old friend Jay Mariotti saying it as he resigned his position with The Chicago Sun Times for a job at AOL. No, there is some tangible proof to this statement these days. That's because in Denver a couple of weeks ago, The Rocky Mountain News, one of that city's two daily papers, published its last issue. Denver, in the blink of an eye, went from being a two-paper town to a one-horse race (The Denver Post).

And, The Rocky Mountain News may not be alone. According to Time Magazine, there are ten other newspapers who are in danger of going under before 2009 is over. They are:

- The NY Daily News
- The Miami Herald
- The SF Chronicle
- The Fort Worth Star Telegram
- The Philadelphia Daily News
- The Minnesapolis Star Tribune
- The Cleveland Plain Dealer
- The Chicago Sun Times
- The Boston Globe
- The Detroit News

These aren't small newspapers. There are some of the biggest papers in the country. There is the chance that some of these papers will survive as internet entities only. But some of them will go completely under.

The prospect of this makes me sad. This will affect many of my friends and colleagues who work for newspapers (if you haven't noticed, radio stations use newspaper guys as paid insiders and guests) At the same time, I understand why newspapers are on the endangered species list.

The newspaper is no longer timely. Let's face it. By the time you open up the paper in the morning, you've seen the highlights of your local teams already. Maybe you already watched those highlights online somewhere. The bottom line is that radio, television, and the internet all have the ability to give you the news in a timely fashion. Newspapers have become yesterday's news today. It's a battle that papers have fought since the internet boom. It's a battle they have never won. People want their news, scores, and highlights now. They don't want to wait.

Newspapers are also not interactive. Sure, you have your Letters to the Editor and your Op-ed pieces, but for those who are tech savvy it isn't enough. We live in a world where anyone can launch a website and become a blogger. Anyone can have a voice. Anyone can call a radio show and rip on the coach or player. Anyone can vote in a poll on any of the major sports sites like ESPN. Newspapers were slow to offer their readers the chance to interact online, and by the time they did it was too late.

The paper has gone the way of the home phone. I have many friends who no longer have home phones. Their cell phone is their home phone. The economy has played a big part in this trend. Why pay for two phones when you can save money with just one? Those same people have decided it's easier (and less expensive) to log onto the net and get the same information at no cost as opposed to spending fifty cents a day for it.

The end result is what we saw happen to The Rocky Mountain News. We'll see more papers go out of business over the next few months and years.

And, as someone who grew up with the newspaper being a major part of my life, it makes me sad.

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These Guys Get It

We are living in the worst economy since The Great Depression. Despite what happened on Wall Street yesterday (a 379 point gain on the Dow), unemployment is at its highest level since the early 1980's. Consumer spending is down. Home foreclosures are every day occurrences.

As a result, people are cutting back. There are fewer Saturday nights out on the town. Vacations are scaled back (if there are any vacations at all). People who have been victims of this economy are trying to make ends meet. Those who haven't been are acting as if they have been, in order to save for that rainy day.

Chances are you know someone who has been impacted by the events of the last year or so. If you don't, well you do now. I was a victim of this recession. I was laid off from my radio job nearly five months ago.

That means I've had to make some adjustments in my life. One of those adjustments is going to be not using my 'spending money' on baseball games this coming season. My wife and I weren't season ticket holders, but we got to Miller Park about ten times each year (we paid for the tickets, unusual for us media types). As of now, there won't be any trips to the ballpark in our future.

I imagine I'm not the only one who will be making that kind of adjustment. In fact, just go to the Bradley Center any night the Bucks are in action. There are plenty of seats available. Part of it is that the team is struggling, but the bigger reason the BC isn't filled is because of the economy. People just don't have the money to go to the games anymore.

It seems as if some of the franchises in big league sports are starting to understand what their respective fan bases are facing. It didn't get the headlines that it probably deserved, but the Houston Rockets announced that 98 percent of their tickets would be sold at reduced prices for the 2009-2010 season. The two percent unaffected by this are the most expensive seats in the house.

The Rockets aren't alone in trying to help their fans. The Minnesota Timberwolves have decided to reduce season ticket prices as well. But, the T-Wolves have taken it a step further. Actually, two steps further. The team is offering their fans the option of paying in installments, and offering full refunds to season ticket holders who lose their jobs during the 2009 calendar year. Now, that's what I call customer service.

I hope we see more pro teams offer this kind of deal to their fans. You would think that's coming, considering the economy. But then again, I'm also not surprised more teams haven't taken the plunge. After all, lowering ticket prices isn't usually good for the bottom line. Especially when that bottom line keeps getting bigger and bigger every year.

You see, player salaries haven't really gone down during this recession. For instance, the Yankees spent nearly a half-billion dollars on CC Sabathia A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira. The Redskins gave Albert Haynesworth a $100M contract. Those teams have to make that money up somehow. Normally, it's ticket prices (and the annual increases in those prices) that help offset the cost of big contracts.

Players aren't going to give teams discounts because of the economic situation today (ahem, Manny Ramirez). Actually, that isn't true. There is one. Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner.

Warner just signed his two-year deal with the club worth $23M. But, earlier this week, he re-iterated his desire to give the team $2M to help them resolve their contract dispute with Anquan Boldin.

What a novel concept. A player giving money back to his team in order to pay someone else with the ultimate goal being winning a championship. Rod Tidwell of 'Jerry Maguire' fame would surely have a big problem with that.

So you have Kurt Warner giving money back, and two NBA teams lowering ticket prices. In a day and age where teams and athletes are usually just out to get theirs, Warner, the Rockets, and the T-Wolves get it.

As a fan, you hope they become the rule, and not the exception.

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Hey Marquette Fans! Do Not Panic!!!!!!

So, the regular season for Marquette is over. That means the Golden Eagles are done with the gauntlet we were all pointing towards since December. Many MU fans are breathing a sigh of relief because of that.

It wasn't that Buzz Williams' kids got run out of the gym. They lost their floor leader in Dominic James. As a result, they lost some (okay, a lot) of the swagger they built up during the first two months of Big East play. And even though they lost James they refused to go down without a fight.

The final score might have told you otherwise, but the Golden Eagles gave UCONN everything they could handle and then some. Marquette went to Louisville and put a good scare into one of the hottest teams in the nation. And they battled a tough Pittsburgh team on their own home floor. They ran out of gas, but they still gave Pitt fits. Probably more than they had a right to on paper, considering how dominant the Panthers are on their own floor.

Granted, the loss to Syracuse last Saturday on Senior Day is a little tough to swallow, but there are a couple of things you should remember. The game went to overtime, and Syracuse isn't a bad team by any stretch. They are a solid Top 25 team with a couple of dynamic players in Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris that would (and do) give any team in the country their share of problems.

MU finished the gauntlet with a 1-4 record. If you read what some of the columnists had to say, if you listened to what some of the radio guys had to say, you would have thought the Golden Eagles finished at 6-24 (Tom Crean's record at Indiana) not the 23-8 mark they compiled in Williams' first regular season. If you listen to some of the talk around town, this team won't even win a game in the upcoming Big East or NCAA tournaments.

To that, all I can say is now is not the time to jump ship. I'm not going to sit here and tell you this team can win the Big East Tournament. I'm not even going to tell you this team can reach The Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA's. But, I also don't think the season is over. Not by any stretch.

The Golden Eagles will play the winner of today's game between St. John's and Georgetown tomorrow afternoon. Expect their opponent to be the Hoyas (the Red Storm are just not that good). That would be the third time MU and GU have matched up. This isn't the same Georgetown team we've seen over the last couple of years. Jeff Green hasn't walked through their locker room door in a couple of years. Roy Hibbert isn't coming back either. Marquette already has two wins over the Hoyas and I would expect they get their third win over John Thompson III and company again tomorrow afternoon.

After that, I wouldn't expect MU to beat Villanova, Louisville, and either Pitt or UCONN in the quarterfinals, semis and finals. But, I do expect them to get a win tomorrow afternoon.

Then it's on to the NCAA's. I'm not expecting the selection committee to be kind to the Golden Eagles. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you saw MU seeded as low as a 6 or a 7. The James injury is going to have an effect on their seeding (history suggests that injuries do have an affect on seeding - just talk to Bob Huggins about his Cincinnati team nine years ago, after they were dropped out of a one seed because of Kenyon Martin's injury).

But I also wouldn't be surprised if the Golden Eagles win at least one game in The Big Dance. You see, with James in the lineup, MU is a threat to any team in the country. With James on the shelf, MU drops one tier. They go from being a really good team (with the potential to be elite) to being a good team. And being a good team should be enough to beat the likes of Michigan, Florida, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, St. Mary's, Miami, Arizona, and Penn State - all teams they could face in the first round of the tournament (if you believe the projections).

Sure, going 1-4 to finish the regular season isn't what anyone had in mind. It wasn't the way Coach Williams drew it up. But, they did lose games to three teams that are in the running for number one seeds, and a fourth team that has the ability to play with anyone in the country on any given night. Had they gone 1-4 with James in the lineup, I could understand the panic that seems to exist. But that wasn't the case.

The season is not over. Not that anyone should be making hotel reservations for Detroit just yet. But this isn't the time to wave the white flag. It's not the time to panic. And, if I'm saying it isn't time to panic, then you should listen.

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