Kevin: Can A-Rod Deliver?

Poor A-Rod.  We know he can’t deliver in the clutch in October.  And now we come to learn he can’t deliver in the delivery room either. 

The Yankees third baseman tells the Yes Network, or at least his wife does, that A-Rod passed out during the birth of their first child.  Some Yankees fans would argue he blacked out during every post-season in pinstripes as well. 

All kidding aside, maybe there is a theme here.  In less stressful times, shall we say, A-Rod delivers.  But when the pressure is really on, he stops breathing perhaps and then stops performing.

I’ve never faced a 95 mile an hour fastball with the bases loaded in a playoff game in October.  But I have stared down three kids in the delivery room.  No cold packs.  No blood pressure monitoring.  No passing out on the couch like A-Rod for this father of three.  Ooh, that felt good.  Really good.  Of course, now that our kids are older, my wife handles all needles and blood related injuries.  

My advice, Alex, my friend.  Breath.  Relax. Remember what they taught us in those birthing classes and then try it out next October.   That’s if your Yankees are in the playoffs.  At this rate, you probably have more control over getting back to the delivery room than you do of getting back to the playoffs.  Either way, your wife is better under pressure than you are.  So is mine.  I am just glad I was awake to see her deliver in the clutch.  We are all still waiting for you to do the same.

    

   

 

      

Kevin: Extra Points

Does anyone truly understand the NFL draft?   Can you really tell me you saw all of these first round picks play—most of them even once?  Sure, you saw Michigan.  But did you watch Jake Long (the Dolphins first pick) actually block.  I know I didn’t.  I also know that they all sound like great players on draft day, but that half will end up busts.  It’s just the way it is.  I just wish people on tv would admit that once in a while instead of telling us how every single guy is the next this or that.

Let me give you an example(s).  Tony Mandarich was supposed to be the prototype offensive tackle.  When the Packers drafted Mandarich, he was this mammoth beast from Michigan State.  A few years later, probably post steroids, he was useless.  Conversely, a guy like UConn’s Donald Thomas could be one of the steals of the draft.  Thomas did not play high school football. He walked on at UConn.  Made All-Big East and Sunday was picked in the 6th round of the NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.  At this point, based on the upside and attitude of Thomas, I would take the over/under that he has a much better NFL career than Mandarich. 

From baseball, I know Red Sox fans are concerned amid this current five game losing streak.  But I would venture to guess that the Sox turn things around quickly.  As for those Tampa Bay Rays, they are a young, talented, hungry—but probably a year or two or even three away.  Still, it is fun to see the Yankees and Red Sox face some other legit competition in the A.L. East besides each other.             

   

Kevin: Final Four Time

My poor son Ryan.  Through bad advice from his dad and the apple not falling far from the tree, he is in last place in our “brackets.”  You know, those things some of us like to fill out at work in March.  Wink ,wink.

Ryan can finish no higher than….drum roll please…..last.  Sorry Ry guy.  Pittsburgh is not beating Vanderbilt for the title.  Oh well. There’s next year, Ryan.

That has always been my mantra with sports predictions: Next year.  I picked the Giants and the Patriots in last year’s Super Bowl.  I  was only a year off. 

 I have North Carolina beating UCLA for the National Championship “this” year.  Wow, I actually could still be right.  Miracles do happen, but unfortunately not for Davidson.  That is one team I didn’t pick that I could have lived with in the Final Four.  How can you not love Stephen Curry? 

So what is the moral of this Final Four tale?  There really isn’t one except for this:  Anyone who claims to be an expert on the tournament in the way of picking teams is fooling themselves.  Bobby Knight won three National Championships at Indiana.   And Coach Knight picked Pitt to win it all, just like Ryan Nathan. And my son is much less abrasive!

               

   

Kevin: UConn is just Fine

Okay, maybe that isn’t the image Jim Calhoun wishes I pulled up for this blog. And I know, it only adds to the perception that many of you have of this man: He yells, he screams, he’s too tough on his players and he lacks compassion. Now some of you have added this to the list; he should step away from UConn. Are you kidding me?

This was one of Coach Calhoun’s finest coaching jobs at UConn. No, they didn’t win a third National Title. Spoiled UConn fans will have to live with two. No, they didn’t win a record 17th Big East Title. UConn fans had to settle for fourth place. But with a team picked in the middle of the pack, UConn won 24 games and ripped off ten straight wins in the middle of the season.

Coach Calhoun pointed out today that in 1986, the year he was hired, the most ever wins by a UConn team was 23 games. So this season was better than any other pre-Calhoun, at least in terms of wins.

Perspective. That is what UConn fans often lack. Only Jim Calhoun, Billy Donovan at Florida and Coach K. at Duke have won at least two National Titles in the last 20 years (Coach K. has three). I know the end to the last few seasons has been frustrating; the ’06 loss to George Mason in the Elite 8, no post-season in ’07 and one and done at the ’08 NCAA’s. But please…should they get rid of the coach? Someone actually suggested that to me on the radio last week. Sure, go ahead, get rid of him. Schools would be lined up to hire him.

As longtime, former UConn Sports information Director Tim Tolokan once said, Jim Calhoun will not be fully appreciated until after he is gone. It is about time everyone started appreciating him now.

And one final thought, and it’s about that picture. Remember the “big” picture. The “ends” do ‘justify” the means with Coach Calhoun. How many of his former player return for his charity events? Too many to count. How many of those same players were back for his Hall of Fame induction. I think it was like 55 or 60. That is all that you need to know. He is compassionate. Ask Caron Butler. He just doesn’t always show that compassion during a basketball game.

I never liked my college football coach much when I was a player. I love him now. The same can be said of Coach Calhoun’s former Huskies–UConn Huskies and Northeastern Huskies. Eventually, I think UConn Nation will have the same collective feeling. They didn’t always like Jim Calhoun at UConn…but someday they will love him.

Don: Keep High School Hoops off ESPN

I am watching the McDonald’s High School All-American game tonight, and I just can’t help but wish this wasn’t televised.  These kids aren’t playing basketball…they are playing towards the cameras.  They are all trying to make the highlights on SportsCenter tonight.  To me, this is everything that is wrong with sports.  All these kids think they are already multi-millionaires (and they very soon may be!).

There is no reason to put high school sports on TV.  I don’t even like the Little League World Series.  I mean, come on, how many kids do I have to hear about whose favorite food is pizza!

I won’t watch these games on my own time.  The reason I am watching them tonight is to show highlights of the any kids that would be going to UConn (Kemba Walker does look pretty good).  Keep the high school sports in the small gyms where they are real. 

Don: Bracket Update

I told you not to listen to me when it comes to picking brackets.  I am doing awful as always.  Already I have a team out who I had in the Championship Game (Georgetown) and I only have nine teams left in the Sweet 16.

 Oh well, at least baseball season is almost here!

Don: Final 4 Picks

Like I said last year, I have never won an NCAA Tournament pool, so take these picks with a grain of salt:

My Final 4 teams are North Carolina, Georgetown, Memphis, & UCLA (which means I have UConn winning just 2 games)
Then I have UCLA beating the Hoyas in the Championship Game.

Enjoy the games.

Kevin: Bracket Busters

It’s March. And that can mean only one thing. Those bracket sheets. Next to operating power tools, I am not sure I am more incompetent at anything else in life than filling out those brackets.

Last night, I introduced my son Ryan to the process… for fun, of course. I do not want to be followed across state lines for filling out a piece of paper. Our big wager is simple: The loser has to be the first to mow the lawn this Spring. And judging by the weather, that won’t be anytime soon. And that’s good….because it will be me.

Speaking of meteorologists, they are far more accurate than I am. Their projected cold front looks a lot better than my picks in the first round of the tournament. Let’s see, I had Georgia, Kentucky and Temple today. And guess what? They all lost. I am 1-3 so far. 1-3! Are you kidding me!

My son has Pitt beating Vanderbilt for the title. Two four seeds. But I guess I can’t trash talk these picks given my start or past history.

So to my neighbors, don’t laugh when you see my mowing the lawn next month. You now know why. My son Ryan also stands to win a soda. Perfect. He can watch me mow while he drinks his coke. It’s only a matter of time before my picks get mowed down.

And for those of you wondering, I have Carolina, Wisconsin, Pitt and UCLA in my Final Four with UNC beating the Bruins of UCLA. I feel so sorry for those coaches. I just ruined their season.

Kevin: Oh Maya!

The Big East got it right. UConn’s Maya Moore is the first freshman in league history to win Big East Player of the Year honors. I won’t bore you with stats. Her 18 points a game is just a small part of why this is a no brainer. To me, this goes way beyond numbers. Anyone who knows even a little about basketball can simply see she is just better than everyone else.Maya Moore brings back memories for me of a baseball camp I attended 24 years ago. There was a scout there from the Pittsburgh Pirates name Dick Probola. I asked “Pro” (the nickname he went by) what it took to make the Majors. He said, “Nate, the first thing I look for is body control. A good ballplayer is always in control of their body.” As a 16 year old, I didn’t get it. Today I do. Especially when I watch Maya Moore play hoops.She has phenomenal body control. There is almost no wasted motion. She can shoot…so smooth. She can pass. She rebounds. She plays tight, tough defense. She is always in control.I believe Maya Moore will surpass Diana Taurasi as the greatest Husky ever. In fact, barring an injury, I think she will end up becoming one of the greatest women’s basketball players ever, period. “Pro” would have liked Maya Moore. She has body control. She has game. She has the Big East Player of the Year award. She has some future.

Kevin: Super DeMario

Are you kidding me? DeMario Anderson hit a three point shot from half court tonight as Quinnipiac beat Central. The best part of the play came after it went in the hoop. Anderson led his team off the court into the locker room. Only one problem. It was his old locker room from when he played for Central.

What a moment, what a shot. We’ve all practiced it at the gym and in the driveway a thousand times. But how may people do it to win a game against their old college team? Bring on the Madness that is March.