i-Sports News

Maple Leafs Fire Coach Paul Maurice

2008-05-07T19:20:00.002-07:00

Paul Maurice was fired as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs after the team failed to make the playoffs during his 2 years.

The NHL club fired Paul Maurice in their first big move of what may be a busy off-season for the team. Assistant coach Randy Ladouceur was also fired and assistant Dallas Eakins was offered a position elsewhere in the organization. Keith Acton will remain as an assistant. They are now looking for a new General Manager after firing John Ferguson earlier this year.

When informed of the decision, Maurice said it was not a total shock. The Maple Leafs finished 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 36-35-11 record and missed a playoff spot by 11 points. "The way the season ended up and the changes that are going to take place on the team," said Maurice. "So I was very aware that it was a possibility and can't say that I was surprised."

Maurice had another year left on his contract. In 2003, he was fired as coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. Maurice being fired will pave the way for the new management team to bring in its own staff. This decision will allow Maurice to look for other NHL jobs. Maurice was quoted saying that he appreciated it happening sooner rather than later and that this dismissal was easier to take than the first one.

His job was spared in January when the team fired Ferguson and replaced him with Fletcher on an interim basis. Ferguson hired Maurice in 2006 after firing Pat Quinn, after the Maple Leafs missed the playoffs for the first time since 1998. Both Maurice and Ferguson thought that the Maple Leafs would be a playoff team competing for the Stanley Cup. Maurice declined to answer questions about his highlights and deficits during the 2 years he was coach.

Maurice played junior hockey for the OHL's Windsor Spitfires but his playing career was cut short due to an eye injury. Afterwards, he spent 6 years as an assistant coach with the Detroit Jr. Red Wings and was promoted to head coach in 1993-94. He coached the Wings to the OHL title and a berth in the Memorial Cup.

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Big Brown Wins Kentucky Derby 134

2008-05-07T19:20:00.001-07:00

Big Brown had a 4 3/4-length victory over Eight Belles to win the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby 134 is in the books and it was a victorious Big Brown that pulled away from the entire field. On an unhappy note, the filly Eight Belles was able to finish second, very close to Big Brown but was pulled up after the wire and was euthanized on the race track. It's a sad end for what would have been a great weekend for Larry Jones and his fillies.

Bob Black Jack and Cowboy Cal maintained their position in the run down the backstretch. Desormeaux kept Big Brown in the clear in the 3rd flight in 7th place. Approaching the far turn Big Brown began a looping move that put him in 3rd in the middle of the turn. Turning for home, Big Brown swept past Recapture the Glory, who had taken a narrow lead from Cowboy Cal. From there it was just a formality as Big Brown cruised to the wire in 2:01.82 for the mile and a quarter.

The victory was worth $1,451,800 and increased Big Brown’s bankroll to $2,114,500 in just four starts. Big Brown rewarded his backers with payoffs of $6.80, $5 and $4.80. Eight Belles returned $10.60 and $6.40. Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren Jr.’s Denis of Cork finished 3rd under Calvin Borel and paid $11.60 to show.

Completing the field in order were Tale of Ekati, Recapture the Glory, Colonel John, Anak Nakal, Pyro, Cowboy Cal, Z Fortune, Smooth Air, Visionaire, Court Vision, Z Humor, Cool Coal Man, Bob Black Jack, Gayego, Big Truck, Adriano and Monba.

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Rangers Face a 3-0 Series Deficit and the Possibility of Losing Jagr

2008-05-01T21:50:00.001-07:00

The New York Rangers are faced with pressures such as Sean Avery injury, the steep odds against a comeback from a 3-0 series deficit to the Penguins and whether or not it is Jaromir Jagr’s last stand in New York.

Jaromir Jagr came to the Rangers in a trade in 2004. He became the leader of the team’s source of revival after the lockout. After 3 consecutive playoff appearances, contract expires at the end of the season. Jagr wants out of the Rangers, although the team seems to want to bring him back. Jagr wants to play offensive hockey again.

After the Rangers dropped to 3-0, questions surfaced about the series deficit as well as whether or not the end is near for Brendan Shanahan and Jaromir Jagr. Jagr has become a dominant force again for the Rangers and Game 3 was a prime example, despite the Rangers’ loss. He scored a goal, took 10 shots and set up his teammates for countless more. Nevertheless, there are many reasons to believe that Jagr is done if the Rangers can't extend their series against the Penguins.

“He’s our best player, there’s no doubt about it,” said Brandon Dubinsky. “He’s helped me personally. I guess that’s kind of a selfish standpoint. I think the team would feel the same way, how important a guy like that is to not only the dynamic of our team in the dressing room, but he’s shown the last part of the season and in the playoffs how dominating he still is at this level.”

There is speculation that he will play in Russia next year. He also may decide to stay in the NHL, but perhaps on a team with a more open offensive system. Even though Jagr is 36 years old, he doesn't think age is important if you work hard saying, "If you do a lot for the game, it doesn't matter how old you are. The hard work always overcomes everything. Maybe not the injuries, but everything else.”

Jagr won Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992 and came within 2 points of winning a 6th scoring title in 2005-06. He led the Rangers to the playoffs in 3 consecutive post-lockout seasons. He's been their best player this season and he will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Jagr may still be back if he doesn't find what he is looking for with another NHL team. The Rangers probably will not bring back Brendan Shanahan or Martin Straka to a team looking to get younger. However, there is no doubt that the Rangers still believe in Jagr. It is a matter of whether Jagr believes in the Ranger.

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2008 Kentucky Derby 134 Prospects

2008-04-30T20:03:00.003-07:00

As the Kentucky Derby approaches, sports bettors gather their statistics to make the right picks for this year's race.

During last year's Kentucky Derby, Street Sense got ahead and won at 2:02.17. The year before that, Barbaro won in 2:01.36. It is undetermined as to whether this year's winner will be faster than 2:01.50.

Some experts say that Big Brown could win the Kentucky Derby this year. However, the unbeaten Florida Derby winner will have to contend with some others if he is to win the Run for the Roses. Winner of the Santa Anita Derby, California Colt Colonel John, had a solid practice on the track completing five furlongs in 57.80 seconds.

In the past, Pyro was a favorite among bettors until his disappointing 10th place finish in the Blue Grass at Keeneland. However, his earlier races imply that he's a force to be reckoned with.

Gayego was the winner of the Arkansas Derby and was ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith who also rode Giacomo to victory in 2005.

Eight Belles will be surrounded by 19 colts this year's Derby. If she wins, she will join 3 other fillies that have accomplished this noteworthy achievement. The others were Regret in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980 and Winning Colors in 1988.

Street Sense won last year lead by Calvin Borel. If he wins on Denis of Cork he'll be the first jockey to win 2 consecutive Derbys since Eddie Delahoussaye in the early '80s. Borel's mount is currently at 12-1 odds. However, experts say that there are very few who can ride the rail like him.

Dallas Stewart trained Macho Again who won the Derby Trial. “I was encouraged to see Dallas’ horse come back and win the Derby Trial, which legitimizes the race somewhat,” said trainer Graham Motion, referring to the Dallas Stewart-trained Macho Again, who struggled on the Polytrack surface at Turfway in the Lane’s End. “But Adriano certainly couldn't have won more comfortably.”

Because Adriano had previously run poorly in his only start on dirt at Gulfstream Park in the Fountain of Youth and had all of his success on turf, his trainer hesitated to commit to a Derby start directly after the Lane’s End. Motion said Adriano’s ninth-place finish in the Fountain of Youth could well have been a result of his colt’s prerace misbehavior in the paddock.

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Canadiens and Flyers Do Battle in Eastern Conference

2008-04-30T20:03:00.001-07:00

The Montreal Canadiens will try to draw even in the best of seven Eastern Conference semifinals when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers for Game 4.

Montreal won Game 1 in OT, but the Flyers took 2 in a row, earning a 2-1 series advantage. Philadelphia could move one step away from the Eastern Conference finals with another victory. After a 4-2 decision in Montreal, Philadelphia won a Game 3 match-up in South Philadelphia. The Flyers are trying to make it to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since losing to Tampa Bay in 7 games during the 2004 playoffs.

Martin Biron made 32 saves and the Flyers scored 3 times in the 2nd period as they held on for the 3-2 decision and a Game 1 lead in the series. In Game 7 of the Flyers' opening round series against Washington, Biron stopped 135 of 145 shots for a .931 save percentage. He's 6-4 with a 2.66 goals against average and .913 save percentage in 10 games during his first NHL postseason.

Price was solid in the Canadiens' conference quarterfinal series against Boston. However, he's had a difficult time in the 2nd round. He's allowed 10 goals on 68 shots in the series for a dismal .853 save percentage. Guy Carbonneau, Canadiens head coach, declined to name either Price or Halak as the starter in goal for Game 4. The are the only Canadian team remaining in the playoffs. No Canadian-based team has won a Stanley Cup since the Canadiens earned their NHL record 24th title in 1993.

The Canadiens are 3-1 all-time in playoff series against Philadelphia, including a win in the 1976 Stanley Cup finals. The last postseason encounter between the teams came in 1989, when the Habs defeated Philly in the Wales Conference finals. The Canadiens outscored the Flyers by a 15-6 margin in the regular season, but they were 8-0 against the Bruins this year and went 7 games with Boston in the 1st round.

Philadelphia had an average 21-14-6 record this season. The Habs posted a solid 25-12-4 mark as the visitors. The Habs are in the 2nd round for the first time since 2004 when they lost to Tampa Bay in the conference semifinals. Philadelphia was also last in the 2nd round that season. They made it to the East finals before losing to the Lightning.

The Canadiens were 9-1 all-time in playoff games in Philadelphia before their latest setback. It was their first postseason game at the Wachovia Center. Game 5 of this series is scheduled in Montreal.

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Mavericks Dump Coach Johnson

2008-04-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

The Dallas Mavericks fired coach Avery Johnson in what might be one of many off-season decisions after the league's highest payroll produced a 2nd consecutive first-round knockout from the playoffs.

Avery Johnson leaves the team with an impressive resume after more than 3 seasons. However, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wasn't happy with a bottom line of being 3-12 in the playoffs after blowing a 2-0 lead in the 2006 NBA finals. After that, the team had to deal with the embarrassment of being booted by Golden State in the opening round last year in one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. The Mavericks didn't win any road games in a 0-9 skid that was impossible to overcome.

Johnson was a championship-winning point guard for San Antonio. He became the Maverick's coach in training when he joined Don Nelson's staff in 2004. After a few months Nelson stepped down Johnson took over. Dallas went 16-2 the rest of that year and won the playoff series. During his first full season, the team went to the NBA Finals for the first time, making him the NBA coach of the year.

The Mavericks won 67 games, matching the 5th most in NBA history. They ended up wasting it with their opening round playoff loss to Nelson and the Warriors. Experts said that Johnson was out-coached by Miami's Pat Riley in the finals, then by Nelson. Johnson changed his starting lineup for Game 1 against Golden State even though his team was the overwhelming favorite.

Johnson's departure became imminent in the Hornets series. He admitted that he was to blame for the team being down 2-0. Afterwards, Josh Howard admitted on a local radio to show that he and other NBA players use marijuana. After losing Game 4, Johnson canceled an off-day practice but later found out that his players put themselves through a workout without him.

Johnson may not be unemployed very long. The Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks are among the teams in need of a coach. Either may be interested in a coach that preaches discipline and defense. It's hasn't been determined who Johnson's successor will be. Cuban inherited Nelson when he bought the team and then they both agreed to groom Johnson. Paul Westphal was on Johnson's staff and Del Harris is still on the payroll as a consultant. Jeff Van Gundy and Rick Carlisle are other experienced coaches who might be considered. Either way, whoever takes over will inherit a team of expensive, aging players.

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Chalmers Wins Nationwide Tour

2008-04-28T19:15:00.001-07:00

Greg Chalmers Became the 5th Australian to win in 8 events on the Nationwide Tour when he survived a playoff bogey to win the Henrico County Open.

Greg Chalmers defeated Henrik Bjornstad on the 2nd playoff hole at the Henrico County Open. They finished regulation play at The Dominion Club in suburban Richmond tied at 14 under par 274. Chalmers 3 putted for bogey from 75 feet on the 2nd extra hole. Bjornstad pulled his tee shot on the par 3 into the water and missed the putt that would have forced another hole. Chalmers is the 2nd player in the tour's 19-year history to win a playoff with a bogey. All but one of the previous 126 playoffs ended either with an eagle, birdie or par.

"It feels really good to win this early in the year," said Chalmers. "I've been playing very well up to this point. I felt this kind of win was just around the corner for me and it's nice to actually turn that corner."

Both Bjornstad and Chalmers finished under 70s on The Dominion Club course. Neal Lancaster finished 3rd, when his birdie putt on the final hole stopped a few inches away from the cup. Six players tied for 4th, including Bryan DeCorso and Matt Hansen, leaving Bjornstad and Chalmers to compete in the tournament's 3rd consecutive playoff and the 5th in the past 9 years.

They returned to the tee at the 18th hole, where they each made par. Bjornstad got on the green in 2 shots and settled for par when his birdie putt missed. Chalmers laid up on the par 5 and 2 putted for par. Chalmers had 3 straight birdies, reaching 15 under par. He missed a few birdie chances which prevented him from getting in the lead. A bogey at Number 16 dropped him back to 14 under, where he stayed.

Hansen stayed in the lead at 15 under with 3 holes remaining. However, he bogeyed the par 4 16th, falling into a tie. His 2nd shot on the par 5 closing hole fell short in the water and, resulting in a double bogey. "I though I could hit a 3 iron further than 198 yards," said Hansen. "If it's 5 yards to the left it's on land. There will be other chances."

Lyle, Chalmer and Porter now occupy the first 3 places on the money list with Price 5th and Coles 10th. The victory was worth $90,000 for Chalmers, bumping him to Number 2 with $161,154. The top 25 at the end of the year will earn 2009 PGA Tour cards.

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Penguins beat Rangers with a 2-0 Series Lead

2008-04-28T19:14:00.002-07:00

Jordan Staal scored a power-play goal in the second period giving the Penguins a 2-0 victory over the Rangers and a sweep of the first 2 games of their 2nd round series.

Jordan Staal's goal in the 2nd period broke a scoreless tie and Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made the lead stand up, giving the Penguins a 2-0 victory over the New York Rangers and a home-ice sweep of the first 2 games of their 2nd round series. Fleury helped the Penguins kill off 2 key Rangers power plays in the last few minutes and Adam Hall scored into an empty net with 16.7 seconds left. Staal has played well in the playoffs so far after having a disappointing regular season, getting only 12 goals, none short-handed. He had 29 goals and an NHL rookie-record of 7 short-handed scores.

Staal's power-play goal came with the Rangers' best penalty killer, Chris Drury, off for hooking. Evgeni Malkin gathered the puck in the left circle and fed it down low to Staal who lifted the puck over the goalie, who played a great game, making multiple saves. "He's a great passer," Jordan Staal said of goalie Henrik Lundqvist. "I'm just glad to be the finisher."

"We just have to go back home and still feel confident, we know we can beat this team," Lundqvist said. "We have to go back home and get two wins there and come back here, and it's going to be pressure on them."

With the Penguins clearing the puck in the last few seconds, Fleury hit Rangers forward Sean Avery in the backside with his stick. Avery spun around and hit the goalie with his stick before being pushed away. Officials gained control before things got completely out of hand. A few seconds before Staal scored his 2nd of the playoffs, Pittsburgh's Marian Hossa and Ryan Malone couldn't convert from in close as the Rangers' Martin Straka rushed back to the bench to replace his broken stick, creating a 5 on 3 for Pittsburgh.

Sidney Crosby also missed a good scoring chance. Instead, Crosby occupied the Rangers' attention at both ends of the ice, sometimes in a distracting way. He drew the penalty that led to Malkin's deflected game-winning goal in Game 1 on Friday, causing some of the Rangers to accuse him of diving to set up the power play goal in the final two minutes.

The Rangers have to sweep the 2 games in New York to regain a tie in the series between Atlantic Division rivals. Games 3 and 4 will be at Madison Square Garden where Pittsburgh is 0-3-1 this year.

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Kyle Busch Wins at Talladega

2008-04-28T19:14:00.001-07:00

Kyle Busch came back from being a lap behind in the Aaron's 499 for his 1st win at Talladega Superspeedway. A multi-car pileup froze the track and allowed Busch to make his way across the finish line.

Unlike his past experiences, this time the crash happened behind Kyle Busch, who drove into Victory Lane instead of leaving Talladega Superspeedway with a demolished car. He fell a lap behind halfway through the race, managing to avoid a crash with Jamie McMurray. This was his 2nd Sprint Cup race of the year, finishing just ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya in the Aaron's 499. Montoya finished 2nd, moving into the top 12 in series points. Hamlin finished 3rd.

The Sprint Cup series race was won under caution when a multi-car accident brought out the yellow flag on the final lap. Among those knocked out of the race were Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Jamie McMurray. The crash froze the field, allowing Busch to slowly make his way across the finish line.

"I'd like to say that I'm smarter than I look but that's certainly not the case," Busch said. "Today was just due to having a great car. Getting a lap down, that was like, 'Oh, typical Talladega' there. But I didn't wreck today and I was definitely happy of that and I was greatly appreciative that I was able to win today because it's certainly been a struggle for several years."

With 15 laps remaining, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Stewart were among those caught in the crash. Busch had the lead ahead of Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya when the racing resumed with 5 laps left. A spin by Bobby Labonte brought out the race's 7th caution.

In 6 previous Cup races, Busch failed to finish 4 times and crashed both events last year. This victory is his 2nd Sprint Cup win, the 7th spanning all 3 of NASCAR's top series. It also gives him 4 consecutive wins. Busch was one of the fastest cars for most of the race. He used a "Lucky Dog" pass to get back on the lead lap with about 60 laps remaining. From there he powered towards the leader.

At lap 61 the drivers began to head for pit road a couple at a time for fuel and tires. The next lap almost half the field made the slow left turn into the pits. The rest of the drivers came in on lap 63 and 64 so no one got caught in a caution flag situation, except for Busch. He missed his pit stall and had to go all the way around which cost him almost a full lap to the leaders.

This victory pushed Busch to within 13 points of championship leader Jeff Burton. The next race in the series is set for May 3rd at the Richmond International Raceway.

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Byrd Will Make Light Heavyweight Debut Against George

2008-04-25T18:46:00.002-07:00

Former 2 time heavyweight titleholder Chris Byrd is moving down to light heavyweight and signed a deal with promoter, Artie Pelullo and Banner Promotions.

After signing a new contract with Art Pelullo’s Banner Promotions, former WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Chris Bryd will make his light heavyweight debut against Shaun George next month at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, NV. Byrd dominated David Tua at the same arena back in a 2001 elimination fight, earning him a heavyweight title shot.

Byrd made his professional debut in 1993 at 160 lbs. He hasn't fought at less than 177 pounds since then. He recently lost an IBF eliminator to Alexander Povetkin in Germany. George has own 3 straight since losing on points to Alex Gurov in a bid for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific cruiserweight title.

If Byrd wins a title at light heavyweight, he becomes the 2nd former heavyweight titleholder to drop down to 175 pounds and also claim a belt. The others were Bob Fitzsimmons in 1902 and Roy Jones Jr. in 2003. Pelullo says that he's known Byrd for a long time and is looking forward to working with him. It may surprise some people that a former 2 time heavyweight champion is fighting at a lower weight class. Although, Pelullo thinks that Byrd will have some great fights in the division and most likely win the world championship.

"I'm excited to work with Artie Pelullo and Banner Promotions and look forward to becoming the light heavyweight champion of the world as soon as possible," Byrd said. "I know Roy Jones Jr. and Robert Fitzsimmons won titles at heavyweight and then light heavyweight, but I'll be the first two-time heavyweight champion to move down to light heavy to win the title."

It's been eight years since Byrd won his first heavyweight title against Vitali Klitschko and He had a great run as heavyweight champion after beating Evander Holyfield. In his last fight, Byrd was stopped in the 11th round of a heavyweight eliminator by Alexander Povetkin. After that fight, he originally planned on going down to the 200 lbs. cruiserweight division but the weight just kept coming off.

Ultimately, Byrd would like to land a fight with one of the big names in the division, such as Antonio Tarver, Jones, Clinton Woods, Glen Johnson, Bernard Hopkins, Joe Calzaghe, etc. He expects to be in that mix after a few good fights.

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Jets trade Robertson to Broncos

2008-04-25T18:46:00.001-07:00

The New York Jets traded defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson to the Denver Broncos in exchange for the Jets having a conditional 2009 draft choice.

The Denver Broncos acquired Dewayne Robertson from the Jets for a conditional pick in the 2009 draft. Robertson was with the Jets for 5 straight seasons. He was also the 4th overall pick in the 2003 draft from Kentucky. Although, he seemed to be out of position in the Jets' 3-4 alignment. He's also been troubled by knee complications.

Both teams have been discussing a trade since the middle of March. Earlier this month, the Jets allowed Denver to discuss with Robertson a new contract and both teams had agreed on a restructured deal. Although the Broncos and Jets continued to move toward an agreement on a compensation package and came to an accord Thursday.

"It's a great opportunity," said agent Hadley Engelhard. "He's got the chance to showcase his abilities." Engelhard is hoping to finalize a new contract for Robertson with the Broncos shortly.

This is the 2nd time the Jets have agreed to trade Robertson. Last month, they had a deal with Cincinnati for 4th and 5th round picks. However, Robertson failed their physical because of a knee problems. The Broncos gave Robertson a physical also but they were satisfied with his knee since he played all last season no problems.

Robertson will join Marcus Thomas as the starting defensive tackles in Denver as the team reorganizes their defensive line for the 3rd time in 4 years. Robertson was made expendable by the Jets because he doesn't fit in the team's 3-4 scheme. If the Jets weren't able to deal Robertson, he probably would have been cut. He was owed a $3 million bonus and has a salary cap number of about $11 million for this year.

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Rockets Beat Jazz 94-92 in NBA Basketball Playoff Game

2008-04-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

Houston Rockets center Tracy McGrady scored 7 of his 27 points in the final period, leading his team to a 94-92 victory over Utah Jazz.

With the Rockets down 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs, Tracy McGrady scoring 7 points was crucial. Rafer Alston also scored 20 points and 5 assists in his first game in almost 2 weeks as the Rockets avoided falling behind 3-0 in the series by defeating the team that had the best home record in the NBA during the regular season. McGrady scored all of his 7 points in the last 3:29, breaking out of a 4th quarter slump and ending with 27 to lead the Rockets to a 94-92 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Carl Landry had 11 rebounds and blocked Deron Williams' shot which could have won it for Utah right before the buzzer. Williams had 28 points and 12 assists. The Rockets were 2-0 coming to Utah, where the Jazz had the best home record in the NBA. One of Utah’s 4 losses in Salt Lake City was to Houston, which won the Jazz’s home opener and then did it again. Carlos Boozer had 15 points and 13 rebounds while Mehmet Okur scored 12 and pulled down 11 boards for Utah. Their poor free throw shooting caught up with them in the 4th quarter when McGrady started scoring.

“This was a very emotional win for us,” said McGrady. “We played like we really didn't want to go home early. We played with a lot of passion and a lot of heart.” McGrady scored 1 point in the 4th quarter of the first 2 games of the series, which Utah won in Houston to take a commanding 2-0 lead back home. However, this time around, McGrady's lead the Rockets from a 7 point deficit.

Game 4 in the series is back in Utah, where the Jazz were 37-4 this year. The Jazz will try to avoid doing the same thing Houston did during last season's opening round against Utah. The Rockets won the first 2 games of that series, then lost the next 2 and eventually the series in 7 games.

McGrady ended up tying the game at 86 on a foul shot with 3:29 remaining. He then gave Houston the lead with 2 more from the line with 2:50 left. He added a 19-foot jumper with 2:16 on the clock which was his first 4th quarter field goal of the series. He then followed with a 20-footer, giving Houston a 92-86 lead.

Utah went 20 for 33 from the foul line, getting 11 more chances than the Rockets but failing to capitalize. Kyle Korver hit a 3-pointer, McGrady was called for an offensive foul and Okur hit another 3 to draw the Jazz within 93-92 with 37 seconds remaining. McGrady missed at the other end and Utah had a chance to win. However, Landry blocked Williams' shot from the lane and the rebound went to Luis Scola, who was fouled and went 1 for 2 from the line with 0.2 seconds on the clock.

The poor shooting from the line and the resurgence of McGrady were enough to guarantee Houston will be at Game 5. “No one thought The Rockets could defeat Utah. However, they executed their game plan and took away what they wanted.

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Vikings Make Big Deal for Jared Allen

2008-04-23T12:44:00.003-07:00

Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen was traded from Kansas City to the Minnesota Vikings, making the Chiefs one of the major players in the NFL Draft.

Former Chiefs player, Jared Allen, has agreed to terms with the Minnesota Vikings on a contract that makes him the highest paid defensive player in NFL history, exceeding the deal the Colts gave to Dwight Freeney last year. The 6 year deal is just under $74 million, including $31,000,069 guaranteed. Kansas City gets Minnesota's first-round pick and both of the Vikings' 3 round selections. Both teams will swap 6 round picks.

Getting Allen is a big move for the Vikings and gives them the best defensive line in the NFL. Allen joins fellow Pro Bowlers Kevin and Pat Williams as well as Ray Edwards. Allen had an NFL best 15 1/2 sacks last season despite being suspended the first 2 games.

This deal means the Chiefs will have 2 first round picks and a slew of additional selections for the draft. Now that Allen is out, the Chiefs might shoot for Ohio State defensive end, Vernon Gholston, if he's still on the board when the Chiefs select at Number 5.

Allen's deal is a high salary for the Vikings, who were 8-8 last year. Although, defensive end was important to them after losing Kenechi Udeze to leukemia and with 1st round pick Erasmus James coming off a 3rd knee surgery. Allen will work with Pro Bowlers Kevin Williams and Pat Williams to form strong defensive line.

The Vikings conducted an extensive background check on Allen, who missed 2 games last year for being suspended on 2 DUI charges. They wanted to make sure Allen would be a model citizen and all accounts came back positive.

Allen is 26 years old and in his prime. He was a supplemental 4th round pick by the Chiefs out of Idaho State in 2004. He quickly established himself as a top-flight pass-rusher. However, he also has a tendency to over-pursue and sometimes gets out of position on running plays. He was recognized as the premier defensive player in NCAA Division I-AA as a senior but fell to the 4th round because of character problems. Last year he was suspended for the first 2 games because of multiple DUI's. If he gets any more, he could be suspended for an whole year.

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Parker scores 32 points, Spurs beat Suns 102-96

2008-04-23T12:44:00.001-07:00

Tony Parker scored 32 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 102-96 victory in Game 2 after the Phoenix Suns gave away another double-digit, first-half lead.

The defending world champion San Antonio Spurs attempt to take a 2-0 lead over the Phoenix Suns at the AT&T Center, as the teams continue their 1st round playoff series. The Spurs needed a few good shots and the benefit of foul trouble for the Suns in Game 1 to win that one in 2 overtimes. The Spurs were down by as many as 14 in the 1st half before outscoring Phoenix 27-11 in a breakout 3rd quarter.

In Game 1, Tim Duncan finished with 40 points and 15 rebounds and tied the game in overtime with his first 3 pointer of the year. However, it was Manu Ginobili's lay-up with 1.8 seconds left in the 2nd overtime that lifted the Spurs to a 117-115 win over the Suns.

The Spurs still had to withstand a 4th quarter surge that got the Suns within 5 points with 14 seconds remaining, but the defending champions now head to Arizona for Game 3 with a 2-0 lead and home-court advantage in tact. The Spurs finished in 2nd place in the Southwest Division and are the 3rd seed in the West playoffs. The Suns placed 2nd in the Pacific and are seeded 6th.

Amare Stoudemire led the Suns with 33 points but had difficulty after halftime when he shot 2 of 11 from the field. After Steve Nash tied the game with a 3 from the left corner with 15.7 seconds left in the 2nd overtime, Ginobili beat Raja Bell down the left side of the lane and banked in a lay-up to put the Spurs ahead. Nash's shot was well off the mark as the buzzer sounded and the Spurs ended up with a dramatic win.

The Spurs got as many as 17 points in the 4th quarter after taking control in the 3rd. It was Steve Nash who led a 10-0 run to bring the Suns within 96-91 with 2:44 remaining. Ginobili scored 24 points for the Spurs, who have won 7 consecutive playoff contests. Tony Parker added 26 points, while Michael Finley scored 13, including a 3 pointer in the last few seconds of regulation forcing overtime. Tim Duncan, who finished with 18 points and 17 rebounds had a dunk with 1:47 remaining and Parker followed with a bucket to put the Spurs back up 101-93.

The Spurs and Suns have both won two straight Game 2s in the postseason. Last year, the Suns were defeated by the Spurs, 4-2, in the Western Conference semifinals. The series took an interesting turn in Game 4, which was won by the Suns. Robert Horry committed a foul on Steve Nash. Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw left the Phoenix bench and both were suspended for Game 5. Horry received a 2 game suspension for his role in that incident.

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Seahawks Dump Alexander

2008-04-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Seahawks released Running Back Shaun Alexander, despite his previous NFL MVP status and a multimillion dollar contract.

Shaun Alexander led the Seattle Seahawks to their only Super Bowl appearance in 2006 and was rewarded thereafter with a $62 million contract. Since then, his career has been filled with injuries and ineffectiveness on the field. Seahawks President Tim Ruskell announced the release of Alexander just hours after he passed a physical.

It wasn't very wise for the Seahawks to sign Alexander to an 8 year, $62 million contract. In fact some say it was one of the worst contracts in NFL history. It was irresponsible for the Seahawks to give so much money to someone his age coming off a brutal 370-carry season. However, he'll still be receiving a $4.6 million salary cap in 2009, even after he's gone.

Alexander went to three Pro Super Bowls but was never the most liked player on the Seahawks. He may have had some popularity during the 2005 season when he set an NFL record with 28 touchdowns and a franchise mark of 1,880 yards rushing while leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowl and becoming the teams first MVP. However, many feel that he doesn't have anything to bring to the team any more.

The team now feels that there is no benefit to keeping Alexander around. The Seahawks are making one last run at winning a Super Bowl and Alexander obviously wasn't willing to restructure his deal to help the team get over the hump and bring in more players to help out. It appears as if he's on the downside of his career, not a team player. He is now more injury prone than ever and has never been able to catch the ball out of the backfield.

There is speculation that the Seahakws are looking at collegians such as Serna who cheaper and more eager. Some feel that Alexander is a washed up Running Back making way more than he is worth. Now, for the first time since they drafted him out of Alabama 19th overall in 2000, the Seahawks and Alexander going separate ways.

Even though his last 2 seasons have been his worst, Alexander said he is not retiring. “I will be playing for another NFL team this fall, and doing everything I can to contribute,” said Alexander. “I am healthy, energized and looking forward to beginning the next chapter of my NFL career.”

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Boston Celtics' Garnett wins the NBA's Defensive Player of Year

2008-04-22T19:46:00.005-07:00

Kevin Garnett beat out Denver's Marcus Camby and Houston's Shane Battier for NBA's top defensive player.

Kevin Garnett led the Boston Celtics with 9.2 rebounds per game and added 18.8 points, 1.2 blocks and 1.4 steals. He received 493 points, including 90 first-place votes. Camby, who won the award last season, finished 2nd with 178 points and Battier had 175 points.

As part of its support of the Defensive Player of the Year Award, Kia Motors plans to donate a new 2009 Kia Borrego 7 passenger SUV on behalf of Garnett to Boston Centers for Youth and Families. Kia Motors will present a Borrego to the charity of choice of each of the 4 year end award winners in 2008.

Garnett helped the Celtics to achieve records of 66-16 (.805) overall and 31-10 (.738) on the road. The team held opponents to just 90.3 points after allowing 99.2 points per game last season. Garnett led the Celtics to the biggest turnaround in NBA history when they won 42 more games this year than in 2006-07, surpassing the previous record of 36 games, set by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1997-98 season.

The 2007-08 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award presented by Kia Motors is part of a series of on-court performance awards called “The NBA Performance Awards Presented by Kia Motors.” The awards are part of a multi-year marketing partnership between Kia Motors and the NBA. They also include the Most Valuable Player, 6th Man Award and Most Improved Player as well as the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month.

Garnett's season was dominant in terms of the way he impacted his team. He brought a toughness and intensity that was contagious. He never let his team slack on the defensive end of the floor. The Boston Celtics ended with the league's best record, led the league in opponent's field goal percentage allowed and were 2nd in points allowed per game. None of that would have happened without Garnett.

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Dolphins agree to deal with Jake Long

2008-04-22T19:46:00.003-07:00

The Miami Dolphins, who have the first pick in the draft, have reached a contract agreement with Michigan offensive tackle Jack Long.

The Dolphins will select Jake Long with the Number 1 overall pick in the draft. Even though the Dolphins had originally planned to select Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston or Virginia defensive end Chris Long, since they opened negotiations with Jake Long, they are talking to him exclusively.

Long who moved to left tackle in 2006 and started his final 26 games, was an All-America selection and Big Ten lineman of the year in each of his last 2 seasons. Offensive line is considered the biggest need for the Dolphins, who went 1-15 last year. However, Dolphins Vice President of Football Operations, Bill Parcells, has been reluctant to use high picks on offensive linemen in the past.

The decision to focus on Long occurred largely as a result of in-depth research into the risk involved when selecting a tackle during the first round. The team's findings during that breakdown of past tackles have led them toward feeling more comfortable about the prospect of selecting Long over such prospects as defensive ends Chris Long and Vernon Gholston.

Long will fill a major void for a team burdened by a shaky offensive line throughout its 6 year playoff drought. The Dolphins have 2 starting spots open on the line, including one of the tackles. Ideally, Long would play on the left side, allowing Vernon Carey, the 19th overall pick in 2004, to move back to right tackle, where he played during his first 3 seasons with Miami.

After two weeks of negotiations centered solely around Long, agent Tom Condon and the Dolphins reached a deal that will avoid what could have been a potentially messy holdout had the negotiations lasted beyond Saturday's draft.

Long's deal is a 5 year, $57.5 million deal that includes $30 million in guaranteed money according to NFL Network's bottom line ticker. That's more per year than JaMarcus Russell got, but is less in guaranteed money. This was most likely the concession that the Dolphins had to make in order to get Jake signed to a deal that was worth less in total value than Russell's was to give him one less year, allowing him to hit free agency a year earlier. Joe Thomas signed a 5 year, $42 million deal with Cleveland last season, including $23 million in guaranteed money. This is quite an increase over Thomas' deal, but he was the 3rd pick, not the first.

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Knicks' Former Coach is Banned from Contacting Players

2008-04-22T19:46:00.001-07:00

Isiah Thomas was fired after his 2nd season with the Knicks, during which the team was 23-59 and suffered their 7th consecutive losing season. He has now been prohibited from communicating with any of members of the team.

Ex-Knicks coach Isiah Thomas is not allowed to have any contact with his former players. This was part of his agreement with the team's new CEO, Donnie Walsh, who replaced Thomas as the Knicks' president. Thomas went 56-108 leading the team, including this season's 23-59 disaster, which is the team's 7th consecutive losing season.

Walsh banned Thomas from contacting the players due to fears that he would try to undermine whoever becomes the new coach. However, the agreement does not prohibit Thomas from speaking with Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan.

Mark Jackson is the top candidate to become the team's next head coach. Jackson is the former point guard for the Knicks and is currently an NBA analyst with ABC, ESPN and the YES Network. He's a 17-year NBA veteran who ranks 2nd on the league's all-time assists list and played 7 seasons with the Knicks. Even though he has no coaching experience, Jackson has a good relationship with Donnie Walsh and is expected to meet with the team sometime soon.

Under the tutelage of Isiah Thomas, the Knicks became one of the NBA's most worst teams. In his 2 years as coach, Thomas won only 1/3 of his games. If Jackson accepts the position, he will inherit the mess created by Thomas. Walsh says that he wants a new coach in place by the draft in June, when the Knicks will finally have their lottery pick again after giving up their last 2 to Chicago in the Eddy Curry trade.

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Blue Jays and Frank Thomas Part Ways

2008-04-21T09:22:00.001-07:00

Frank Thomas was released by the Toronto Blue Jays after he threw a tirade for being removed from the lineup.

Blue Jays General Manager, J.P. Ricciardi said that he and Frank Thomas came to a mutual agreement. Thomas had been informed that he would no longer be the Blue Jay's designated hitter. Understandably, the news didn't sit well with him. When learning of the lineup change, Thomas vented his frustration over the matter publicly. However, this leaves the Blue Jays accountable for the rest of Thomas' $18-million contract.

Thomas was hitless in his past 13 at bats. He batted .167 with 3 home runs and 11 RBIs this season. Last year, he batted .277, leading the team with 26 home runs and 95 RBIs. Recognizing that Thomas is a slow starter, Ricciardi says that the team doesn't have the luxury of waiting 2 or 3 months for somebody to kick in. He said that the Blue Jays offered Thomas a lesser role playing 2 or 3 times per week. However, they weren't surprised Thomas decided not to accept the offer.

"Out of respect for his career, it's not fair for him to be sitting around and becoming a part time player," said Gibbons . "I know he wasn't going to be happy with that and we can definitely understand that. He doesn't deserve hanging around here and not being able to play. It's a privilege to be able to say you managed a Hall of Famer. I'll miss a lot of things about him."

Thomas has 516 career home runs which places him 18th on baseball's career list. Additionally, he's hit 264 career home runs as a designated hitter which is the most in baseball history. His career average is .302 and is one of 4 players in baseball history to have a .300 average, 500 home runs, 1,500 RBIs, 1,000 runs and 1,500 walks. The others are Ted Williams, Mel Ott and Babe Ruth.

The problem is that Thomas wasn't producing the way that the Blue Jays wanted him to as a Designated Hitter. They want to do everything in their power to compete for a post-season spot in the American League this season. This doesn't give them a lot of time to let Thomas work through another slump.

Thomas questioned whether the decision to reduce his playing time was a result of his statistics. Thomas will turn 40 years old this year and believes there is more to the situation that just his slow start, implying his contractual situation. Under the terms of his 2 year deal, he could have been guaranteed a $10 million salary for 2009 by reaching 1,000 plate appearances between the 2007 and 2008 campaigns. He needed only 304 more games this year for that to happen.

With Thomas off the team, the Blue Jays don't have to worry about owing him $10 million next season or an extra $1 million in performance bonuses this year. However, they do have to give him his full $8 million salary for this year. Without Thomas, the team will rely more on Rod Barajas and Matt Stairs to occupy the Designated Hitter position. Toronto recalled catcher Robinzon Diaz from Triple-A Syracuse to take Thomas' place. Diaz can help out behind the plate on days that Barajas is the Designated Hitter.

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Danica Patrick Becomes First Woman to Win a Major Auto Race

2008-04-21T09:21:00.002-07:00

Danica Patrick becomes first female winner in IndyCar history, capturing the Indy Japan 300.

Using successful fuel strategy to capture an IndyCar Series event in Japan, Danica Patrick became the first woman to win a major auto race after the top contenders were forced to pit for fuel in the final laps. She won the race by almost 6 seconds over Helio Castroneves who is the 2 time Indianapolis 500 winner.

"It's a long time coming. Finally," said Patrick. "It was a fuel strategy race, but my team called it perfectly for me. I knew I was on the same strategy as Helio and when I passed him for the lead, I couldn't believe it. This is fabulous."

Patrick started from the 3rd row and made her final pit stop on lap 148. She stayed close to the leaders throughout the race and went from 4th to 2nd place on lap 197 after Wheldon and Kanaan went into the pit on lap 196. She was as low as 8th place on the 189th lap. With 6 laps remaining, Scott Dixon led the race by 3.6 seconds over Wheldon. Dixon had to pit for fuel on the 195th lap, and Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan pitted the next lap. Castroneves had to conserve fuel, and Patrick passed him.

Patrick finished 2nd in one of the last races in the 2007 season. She was 7th in the 2007 points standings, her best effort in 3 full seasons in the series. She also won in her 50th IndyCar Series start. In 2005, she became the first woman to lead the Indy 500. Driving a car co-owned by talk-show host David Letterman, she started 4th and took the lead of the race with 10 laps remaining. She had to conserve fuel and was passed with 6 laps left by Dan Wheldon, who ended up winning the race. Patrick finished 4th.

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Georges St. Pierre Defeats Matt Serra at UFC 83

2008-04-21T09:21:00.001-07:00

MMA welterweight Georges St. Pierre beats Matt Serra in the second round to get the UFC title.

The Montreal's Georges St. Pierre celebrated after defeating Long Island's Matt Serra with a 2nd round TKO at the Bell Centre. That crowd set an all-time attendance record for UFC in its first show in Canada. St. Pierre stayed mostly on top of Serra for 2 rounds and earned the welterweight championship with a referee stoppage win at 4:43 of the 2nd round.

"It was amazing, the most beautiful day of my life, I can't believe it," said St. Pierre after becoming a 2 time champion. "It was for me a chance to win the title in front of my people. I can't wish for a better scenario."

St. Pierre displayed his impressive combination of technique, power and speed that makes him one of the top fighters in the world. The end came when St. Pierre had Serra on his knees against the fence. Serra continued rolling into different positions but was unable to get free from his opponent. St. Pierre threw a series of punches and hard knees to the Serra's body, causing the referee to call an end to the fight.

"It's never a good feeling," Serra said. "This game has such extreme highs and lows. I haven't had a fight stopped since Shonie Carter in 2001. So obviously I'm not happy."

Serra is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor on Long Island, NY. Fighting in Canada put him in hostile territory from the beginning. Besides having family, friends and nearly 20 of his students at the event, the cheers for St. Pierre overwhelmed everything, even the post fight Octagon interviews.

When Serra was asked if the crowd favoring his opponent got to him. "No, not at all," Serra replied. "I'm actually pretty cool with that. My head is pretty good with that stuff. I was hoping he'd get tired of hitting me. Every time I rolled, he'd answer with a strike. He was the better man tonight."

St. Pierre learning from his last fight with Serra, and started quickly. During their last fight, Serra knocked out St. Pierre and took him down early. Serra was able to stay guarded and survive the first round but was unable to hold St. Pierre back during the second round. Serra did his best to spin out of bad positions. However, St. Pierre landed devastating knees to Serra's ribs near the end of the 2nd round when the referee stepped in and stopped the fight. All Serra could do was curl up like a turtle.

Serra was originally supposed to have the rematch with St. Pierre last December. However, during a training session in November, Serra herniated two discs in his back and the fight postponing the fight. St. Pierre fought Matt Hughes instead that December for the interim welterweight title. When St. Pierre won that fight, he put it in his closet, believing it meant nothing until he defeated Serra. Now, he can add another belt to his collection as he holds the title of undisputed champion.

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Wenger Plans for Next Campaign

2008-04-20T08:59:00.003-07:00

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is already making plans for the next campaign but insisted that he is not in the market for David Villa.

The highly-rated Valencia striker has made his admiration for the Gunners known. He is expected to form a partnership with Liverpool’s Fernando Torres at Euro 2008 this summer. However, Wenger says he is more concerned with keeping the current squad together and feels it is his defense rather than his attack that would be a priority if he is to bolster.

“My first priority is to keep the team together,” said the Frenchman. “We want to continue to respect our wages structure because I feel that is very important.” In response to Villa’s comments, Wenger added that he made a big compliment to the team. “We have many requests from players who want to join. But I feel up front I need to give time to Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner because they have made big improvement for me this season.

Wenger also has to consider Mathieu Flamini’s future and William Gallas’ captaincy. Flamini has been given until the end of the month to decide whether he will sign a contract or leave on a free transfer in the summer. Wenger wants him in his midfield next season but whether he gives Gallas the armband again is another matter after the skipper’s leadership came under scrutiny during Arsenal’s recent collapse.

Gallas was not in his own half when Birmingham scored a last gasp penalty at St. Andrews. He then reacted to the 2-2 draw by lashing out at an advertising board. He has also been outspoken about Walcott and was recently highlighted by pundits for a lack of communication with his teammates. When he acknowledged a penalty against Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo scored, Arsenal’s hopes of silverware were crushed.

Wenger hasn't indicated whether or not Gallas will be captain next season. He says that he wants to analyze the season after it's over. Gallas will be his captain until the end of the season. Gallas has learned a lot this year and his commitment to the team has been exceptional. The team has been criticized but overall the team has made good progress this season.

Flamini could be an option as skipper if he agrees to a new deal. “We are getting close to a decision,” Wenger said. “He says he wants to stay and I believe him. But as long as he has not signed a contract, for me he is free to sign where he wants.”

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Tigers' Rose and Douglas-Roberts to Enter NBA

2008-04-20T08:59:00.001-07:00

Memphis announced that Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose will enter the NBA draft as early entry to the pros.

Chris Douglas-Roberts led Memphis with 18.1 points a game and helped them set a Division I record with 38 victories. He was picked for the NCAA all-tournament team after Memphis lost the championship game to Kansas 75-68 in overtime.

Earlier in the week, Derrick Rose declared for the NBA draft. He was a 3rd team All-American. Douglas-Roberts and Rose almost went out as NCAA champions. They combined to make just 1 of 5 free throws in the last 1:12 in the loss to Kansas. Rose often overshadowed Douglas-Roberts. However, it was Douglas-Roberts that Tigers coach John Calipari turned to when the team needed a critical basket.

Rose's departure began when CNBC reported that he was close to signing with agent Arn Tellem. It became official when Memphis sent out a release that Rose would give up his final 3 seasons of college eligibility. "This is not a step I take lightly, although it has always been a dream of mine to play in the NBA," Rose said. "After weighing all of my options, I feel that it is the right time for me to take this step."

Rose was never expected to stay at Memphis more than one season. If the NBA didn't institute their rule preventing direct entry from high school, Rose probably wouldn't have played college basletball. He scored 14.9 points per game and got the Tigers close to a national championship. In the NCAA Tournament, Rose averaged 20.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists, making himself a candidate to be the Number one overall pick.

"Derrick is one of the best players I've ever coached, but more importantly, he is one of the best teammates," said coach John Calipari. "We are forever indebted to Derrick for what he did for not only this basketball program, but also for the university and the city of Memphis. It was a tremendous opportunity for me and the staff to coach such a fine athlete."

Besides Rose and Douglas-Roberts, Memphis will lose 2 seniors, Andre Allen and Joey Dorsey. However, they recently landed Tyreke Evans who was the most valuable player of the McDonald’s All-American game. Memphis has a signed letter of intent from another top recruit, Angel Garcia. They are expecting to get another from Matt Simpkins, who has given a verbal commitment in January.

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Knicks Give Isiah Thomas the Boot

2008-04-20T08:58:00.001-07:00

Isiah Thomas was fired as coach of the New York Knicks after an extremely disappointing and embarrassing season of horrible basketball games and other atrocities.

At a meeting held at Madison Square Garden between Knicks ownership and coach Isiah Thomas was interrupted several times by fans chanting, "Fire Isiah". The chants were fueled by several things, mainly Thomas' conviction for sexual harassment, the fact that he didn't punish Stephon Marbury for abandoning the team and the failure of overpaid teammates that Thomas himself is responsible for recruiting.

Thomas has been the Knicks' coach for 2 seasons. He will remain with the organization and will report directly to Donnie Walsh, who is the new president . Thomas was team president about 2 weeks ago. Walsh took over at the beginning of April and his first big decision was to change coaches. The Knicks haven't won a playoff game since Thomas began.

Donnie Walsh is the 4th president in 7 years. During the 4 years and change of the Isiah Thomas era, the team lost more than 60% of their games which is a ratio that got worse after Thomas became head coach in 2006. During that time, the Knicks have amassed the largest payroll at more than $160 million and the 3rd worst record in the NBA. Never has so much money been spent for so little in the world of sports. Some people are even calling the Knicks the worst team in the history of professional sports.

Donnie Walsh believes that a new coach is necessary to change the direction of the team. The Knicks finished 23-59, matching the franchise record for losses in their 7th consecutive losing season. “I can't tell you really where we failed,” says Walsh. “The bottom line is we haven't won, and the team didn't look like it was motivated to try to win.” Walsh wants to have a new coach in place by the draft in June. He said he hasn't spoken to any possible candidates for either a coach or general manager job yet.

The season began with some promise after adding Zach Randolph. The Knicks were pegged for about 35 victories and a shot at the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they bottomed out. As of this week, they sat 35 games below .500, hurtling toward the draft lottery for the 4th straight season. They ranked last among 30 teams in assists and averaged the fewest blocked shots in history.

Thomas is 187-223 as an NBA coach, leading the Indiana Pacers to the playoffs in 3 seasons in a row from 2000-2003. Larry Bird fired him after becoming team president. Thomas’ time with the Knicks has been extremely embarrassing for the team.

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St. Pierre Seeks Revenge at UFC

2008-04-17T20:35:00.003-07:00

After being defeated by Matt Serra, Georges St. Pierre attempts to redeem himself for the Welterweight Title.

Canada hosts some big time MMA events delivered by the UFC. Georges St. Pierre and Matt Serra are trying to establish who is the better welterweight. After one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, Matt Serra was expecting the MMA world to embrace him with open arms. He ended up spending the last year hearing about how Georges St. Pierre would avenge his loss to him and restore his power in the welterweight division.

Serra is now unaccustomed to being written off. Hardly anyone outside of the Long Island area expected that he would would end St. Pierre's seemingly unstoppable run. After defeating Chris Lytle to win the season of The Ultimate Fighter, Serra defeated St. Pierre and knocked him out. It's been a year since then but Serra has remained on the sidelines due to a neck injury that put an end to a title defense against Matt Hughes.

That injury gave St. Pierre an opportunity to redeem himself as he took on Hughes for the interim welterweight title. St. Pierre excellent fighting skills at Hughes' expense. This came as no surprise. St. Pierre has been known to effortlessly outclass his competitor with a combination of talent and borderline unfair tactics.

St. Pierre bounced back well during his first match with Hughes but expecting the same against Serra may be asking a bit much of the MMA wanna-be king. Serra has already proven himself to be an excellent wrestler and has survived the submission skills of grapplers such as B.J. Penn or Jason Miller.

Pierre might seem to be a consummate MMA fighter in comparison to Serra, considering that he is undersized at welterweight and hasn't yet proven that he can use his grappling skills inside the Octagon. Nevertheless, experts say that Serra should be able to unleashing his keen MMA skills on St. Pierre a 2nd time.

It's possible that St. Pierre will resurrect his welterweight reign with the same safety first approach that he took against Penn. That could make things difficult for Serra, even if he gets off to a good start the way he did the last time around.

St. Pierre could quickly knowck Serra on his back with takedowns and gradually wear him down. Even though that could be a dangerous maneuver against a grappler with Serra's abilities, St. Pierre has the submission defense to block anything Serra may have up his sleeve. Things could quickly turn around if St. Pierre establishes his dominance and forces a stoppage late in the 2nd round. Unless, of course, Serra can pull things off again.

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Chicago Bulls Fire Interim Coach Jim Boylan

2008-04-17T20:35:00.001-07:00

The Bulls ditched their coach after an extremely disappointing basketball season.

Jim Boylan compiled a 24-32 record as the team finished the season 33-49, which is the opposite of their 2006-07 record when they advanced to the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs. Boylan was promoted from assistant to his first NBA head coaching job after Chicago fired Scott Skiles in December.

The team won 49 games and a playoff series last year but took a step backward in 2007-’08, finishing 33-49. Boylan was brought in to coach the team in the middle of the season before the Bulls ended his tenure.
“I had a lot of fun doing it,” he said. “It was full of all kinds of experiences — some good, some not so good. Sitting in the head coach’s seat was comfortable and enjoyable. I loved the challenge.”

Last season, the Bulls had a 1st round sweep of Miami and their first series victory since the Michael Jordan/Scottie Pippen days. They pushed Detroit to 6 games in the 2nd round, but the optimism started to disappear as the season began.

"It really just came down to the fact that I think we need the option to look at things differently," General manager John Paxson said. "I want to now be able to explore candidates and listen to different philosophies on how to use our personnel." Paxson also said he doesn't have any one person in mind to replace Boylan and that NBA head coaching experience is not required. He's willing to consider an assistant or college coach. A possible candidate for his replacement is former Detroit and Indiana coach Rick Carlisle.

The Bulls made their reputation the last few seasons as a team that played good defense. That fell apart this season as their defense fell to 16th in the NBA and several player discipline issues. Boylan's dismissal came as no surprise and he and the players seemed to accept it.

Boylan faced a difficult task in taking over a team that was 9-16, a poor start that probably was caused in part by Kobe Bryant trade rumors and failure to sign Gordon and Luol Deng to contract extensions. Luol Deng and Ben Gordon turned down 5 year contract extensions worth more than $50 million. The Bulls had gotten off to slow start in previous seasons but just weren't able to break out of it this year.

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Predictions Indicate Sharks Beat Montreal in 2008 Stanley Cup Finals

2008-04-17T20:34:00.001-07:00

Experts predicted that the San Jose Sharks will win the 2008 Stanley Cup Final beating the Montreal Canadiens in 7 games.

The 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs began with 4 of the 8 matchups going to a deciding 7th game. Pittsburgh defeated the Sens in 5 games and Jose Theodore put up a wall against Minnesota in 4 games. The Penguins creamed the Rangers and Carey Price's helped Montreal defeat Philadelphia in the East. Detroit solved Theodore to edge out Colorado in 7 games and the Sharks defeated the Stars in 6 games.

The Eastern Conference Finals were one of the most exciting series of the 2008 Playoffs. Saku Koivu's return helped Montreal edge out Pittsburgh. In the West, San Jose crushed Detroit who won the Presidents' Trophy in the regular season but couldn't make it in the playoffs.

San Jose made things difficulty for the Montreal Canadiens, with Thornton leading the way. Montreal held off a San Jose victory in games 5 and 6 with excellent offensive plays by Alex Kovalev. Kovalev led the NHL with 24 points throughout the playoffs. The Sharks had an early 3 goal lead in game 7 and won their first Stanley Cup.

If the Pittsburgh Penguins can manage to keep most of their young talent together that they have now, they will be unstoppable for years to come. Some say that the Penguins could win at least 4 or more Stanley Cups in the next 5 to 6 years, including this year. Some say that the Montreal Canadiens have the best chance to end an almost 15 year Stanley Cup drought for Canadian teams, which have been finalists the past 3 years. However, there is a lot of work ahead before that can seriously be contemplated and the West is going to be tough to defeat.

As for the Penguins are concerned, there could be a strong finish in 4 against Ottawa but the series isn't over yet. The Sharks and the Flames are both playing phenomenally tight but the Sharks will most likely come out in 7 in the west, the Sharks will come out over Dallas in 6, and in the East, the Pens will go on Habs. In all probability, in the Cup Finals the East will take it in 6.

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Derrick Rose Leaves Memphis for NBA

2008-04-16T11:43:00.004-07:00

Memphis freshman Derrick Rose announced he was heading to the NBA. Coach John Calipari also agrees to extend his contract with the school.

Derrick Rose ended his first season by leading Memphis to the national championship game. There they were defeated by Kansas in overtime. Rose averaged 20.8 points in 6 NCAA tournament games. Rose helped Memphis reach an NCAA Division I record 38 victories last season. He states that he enjoyed his year in college but is ready to make the jump into the NBA. Even though he's excited about playing in the NBA, he regrets not winning a national title for Memphis. Rose came to Memphis as one of the top recruits. He spent the year in college only because of the NBA rule that requires a player to be at least one year removed from high school before entering the draft.

Rose is expected to be the top pick in June's NBA Draft. He averaged 20.8 points, 6.0 assists and 6.5 rebounds in the NCAA tournament and led the Tigers to the national title game. Rose has done everything to make a case for himself to be considered the number one overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. A few weeks ago, it was likely that Michael Beasley would claim that spot. Rose has now given the NBA a lot to consider.

"Derrick is one of the great players I've ever coached, but of even more importance, he is one of the greatest teammates I've been around," Coach John Calipari said in a statement. "We are forever indebted to Derrick and his family for what they did for not only this basketball program, but also for the University and the city of Memphis. It was a tremendous opportunity for me and the staff to coach such a fine person."

Memphis is still waiting to see if Chris Douglas-Roberts will enter the draft. Douglas-Roberts is the team's leading scorer and Conference USA Player of the Year. During the season, he said that he would submit his name into the NBA draft to see if there is any interest.

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Tiger Woods Recovers from Knee Surgery

2008-04-16T11:43:00.003-07:00

Cartilage damage prompted an operation on Tiger Woods' left knee which will have him off the course for about a month while he recovers from the surgery.

Tiger Woods had surgery on his left knee last week to repair cartilage damange. This was his 2nd operation in 5 years on the same knee. It is expected that he will miss at least a month in recovery. The surgery came 2 days after he finished 2 shots behind Trevor Immelman in the Masters. He will most likely miss The Players Championship. However, he should be back in time to play the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

Woods made the decision to deal with the pain and schedule the operation until after the Masters. He has been through this process before and knows how to handle it. Woods plans on working through the rehabilitation process and so that he can get back on the golf course as quickly as possible. Woods’ left knee was operated on before in December 2002 and he also had surgery in 1994 on his left knee to remove a benign tumor.

His knee didn't seem to bother him the first 3 months of the season. He won his first 4 tournaments during his winning streak. However, Tiger has been experiencing pain in his knee since the middle of last year. When he had it looked at by his doctors, surgery was recommended. He has played through the pain in the past, but he knew it would be better for him to have the procedure done as soon as possible. The surgery repaired cartilage damage in his knee. The 2002 surgery drained fluid from around the anterior cruciate ligament and removed a benign cyst.

Woods won the Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship in August. After tying for 2nd at the Deutsche Bank Championship to Phil Mickelson, he wound the final 2 events to win the FedEx Cup. He also won his Target World Challenge in December and his first 4 events until tying for 5th at Doral.

Other than pressing his foot against a cooler on the tee box and stretching his knee periodically, there were no other signs indicating that he was hurting. His recovery is expected to take 4-6 weeks which means that he will not be able to defend his title in May during the Wachovia Championship. He will also most likely miss The Players Championship which is one of 3 non-majors he has never missed since he started playing professionally.

Commissioner Tim Finchem stated that he was disappointed when he learned that Tiger would be unable to compete in a PGA Tour event. However, he recognizes that his health concerns have to be a priority.

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NHL Season Ends with The Capitals' Winning Goals and Points Titles

2008-04-16T11:43:00.001-07:00

The Devils defeated the Rangers for home ice advantage, 3-2. They will play the Rangers in the 4 vs. 5 matchup and will be first round opponents.

The Washington Capitals took some time off while the rest of the NHL wrapped up the regular season. Their work was already done Saturday night. They are first in goals, first in points and first in the Southeast Division. The Capitals made their comeback from nowhere to the division title. Ovechkin won the scoring title with 112 points. Ovechkin won the Rookie of the Year trophy in 2006. The points title earned him the Art Ross Trophy and his league-best goal total carries the Maurice Richard Trophy. The MVP award might soon belong to him as well. The Capitals earned the Number 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and will play Philadelphia, who jumped two spots in the East with their final day win.

The New Jersey Devils took home ice advantage away from the New York Rangers in the first round by defeating them for the first time this year, 3-2 in a shootout. The Detroit Red Wings geared up for the playoffs with a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Devils will play the Rangers in the 4 vs. 5 match-up. Both teams knew that they would be first round opponents, but it's questionable as to who would own home ice advantage.

The 16 playoff teams were all decided when the Capitals defeated the Florida Panthers. That got Washington into the postseason party for the first time since 2003, eliminating the Carolina Hurricanes who has led the Southeast most of the year.

Pittsburgh lost to the Penguins, finishing 2nd with 106 points, including 47 goals. Their loss to the Flyers left them in 2nd place in the East and 2 points behind Montreal which didn't even qualify for last year’s playoffs. The Canadians will play their longtime rival, the Boston Bruins, whom they beat in all 8 meetings this year.

The Penguins will play Ottawa Senators, who finished 7th in the East after taking the lead in the conference until the end of February. Ottawa defeated Pittsburgh in 5 games last season on their way to their first trip to the Stanley Cup finals since 1992.

The Red Wings are the big team out West after they got the Presidents’ Trophy for the 6th time in 13 years. With a league-best 115 points, they will start the playoffs against Nashville.

The San Jose Sharks surged to the Pacific Division title on the strength of a season ending 14-2-2 spurt. Evgeni Nabokov led the NHL with 46 wins, topping New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur, who had 44 after breaking the league mark with 48 last season. Minnesota will play against Colorado and Anaheim will play Dallas in the other Western series. Red Wings goalies Dominik Hasek and Chris Osgood combined to win the Jennings Trophy by allowing a league-low 184 goals for the team.

In other NHL games, Dallas-Jose: 4-2, St. Louis-Columbus: 4-1, Colorado-Minnesota 4-3, Philadelphia-Pittsburgh: 2-0 and Anaheim-Phoenix: 3-2.

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i-Sportsbook.com Celebrates its 10 Year Anniversary (1998-2008)

2008-04-14T13:27:00.002-07:00

After a decade of unparalleled service to the sports betting community, i-Sportsbook.com continues to pave its way through the online gaming industry.

Even though the online gambling industry has endured some major blows lately, some gaming entities have managed to stay afloat, despite governmental land mines. With the many web sites available on the Internet that provide a virtual venue in which to bet on sports, i-Sportsbook.com stands out among the rest. In addition to recently winning a Gambling Online Magazine award for "best overall sportsbook", the site has also recently launched a new site redesign.

This web-based, sportsbook provides real-time wagering on hundreds of events around the world. Online wagering is provided for every major sport, including football, basketball, hockey, baseball, soccer, rugby, tennis, auto racing, boxing, mixed martial arts, golf, etc. I-Sportsbook.com also incorporates non-sports related wagering lines. These lines allow players to wager on political elections, the stock market, weather reports and celebrity lifestyles.

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i-Sportsbook.com Awarded Best Sportsbook

2008-04-14T13:27:00.001-07:00

Online sports betting megacorp, i-Sportsbook.com wins Gambling Online Magazine award for "Best Overall Sportsbook".

It's hard enough choosing which sports teams to bet on. Placing a sports wager on an online sportsbook that has slow pay-outs or poor customer service is something every sports fan tries to avoid. In the extremely competitive industry of online sports betting, sportsbooks have come and gone. Sticking with a sportsbook that has been around for a while certain has its advantages. Online sports wagering veteran, i-Sportsbook.com has recently received its well-deserved recognition as a powerhouse in the gaming industry by winning the award for Best Overall Sportsbook by Gambling Online Magazine.

Over the past 10 years, i-Sportsbook.com has carved out a dynasty among the online sports betting world. Built on trust, strength, and tradition, i-Sportsbook.com has continued on its commitment as the definitive American sportsbook.

While the sports betting industry has seen some changes, i-Sportsbook.com has experienced unprecedented growth. Even though many online sportsbooks have cut off U.S. bettors, i-Sportsbook.com has continued to implement options in an effort to continue serving its members. With online gaming sites being criticized for their lack of commitment to the American market, i-Sportsbook.com has built 10 years of trust and dedication to their loyal customers in the United States.

The online gaming industry is one of the world's fastest growing industries on the Internet, rivaling even the most traditional of industries. Studies indicate that 7 out of 10 U.S. adults place at least one wager with 35% of male college students betting on sports. These days, not only is online sports betting entertaining, it has become a part of mainstream culture. Trust, reliability and stability are among the biggest concerns for individuals who place bets on online sportsbooks. For the past decade, i-Sportsbook.com has solidified its relationship with their customers by setting the standards in these values. I-Sportsbook.com takes a customer-first approach, creating an unparalleled online betting experience.

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i-Sportsbook.com Launches New Site Redesign

2008-04-14T13:26:00.001-07:00

Online sports betting giant unleashes its new state-of-the-art redesign with new graphics and more wagering options.

Since 1998, i-Sportsbook.com has been known as a well-respected entity in the online sports betting industry. Last week, the company announced the launch of its new look and sleek, hi-tech design. This new user-friendly design allows members to access a variety of sports betting options, live odds, game scores and sports news.

In addition to offering members the ability to bet on more sporting events, the new site also includes poker and a variety of online casino games and newer graphics. I-Sportsbook.com is powered by one of the most advanced gaming software engines in the industry and has recently won a Gambling Online Magazine award for "best overall sportsbook". The site offers members the ability to bet on their favorite sports such as basketball, baseball, hockey, football, golf, soccer, Mixed Martial Arts, boxing, tennis, auto racing, etc.

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Kansas Crushes Memphis for the NCAA Title

2008-04-08T19:31:00.001-07:00

The Jayhawks defeated the Tigers in a miraculous comeback in the championship game in a 75-68 victory.

The Tigers kept missing their shots. However, Mario Chalmers' three pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining put the game into overtime, putting the Jayhawks in a 75-68 win for their first national championship in 2 decades.

Chalmers saved the game with his 3 pointers after the tigers missed 4 of 5 free throws. It completed a comeback from 9 points down with 2:12 remaining on the clock. It will probably go down as the biggest shot ever made in Kansas history.

The ending disproved Memphis coach John Calipari's theory that his team doesn't have to be good because they always come through when the stakes are high. The Tigers are one of the worst teams with 59% free-throw shooting. Memphis had the game in their grasp but lost it.

Even though Chalmers shot will go down in history, the most memorable overall performance came from Rose, who took over the game for the Tigers in the second half when he scored 14 of their 16 points during one stretch to bring Memphis to a 60-51 lead with 2:12 remaining. Kansas strategically fouling the heck out of one the worst free throw shooting teams. When Rose and Douglas-Roberts made only 1 of 5 over the last 1:12, it left the door open for the Jayhawks.

With 10 seconds left, the Tigers thought they had the game. Then out of nowhere, Chalmers makes his shot, and it was all over for Memphis. Bringing the ball down the court with 10.8 seconds remaining, no timeouts and trailing by 3, Sherron Collins handed the ball off to Chalmers at the top of the 3 point line. Chalmers took his shot and it hit nothing but net, tying the score at 63.

Robert Dozier missed a shot at the buzzer and Rose went limping to the bench, favoring his right leg. Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson scored the first 6 points in overtime putting the Jayhawks ahead 69-63.

The Tigers didn't get any closer than 3 the rest of the game. Rose played all 45 minutes in what could be his last college game. Arthur was dominant inside, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Chalmers finished with 18 points. Rush had 12 points and Collins had 11 points, 6 assists and did a great job shutting Rose for the first 28 minutes.

Rose ended up with 18 points, showing that he's ready for the NBA. He was 3 for 4 from the line, the shot he miss is what would have sealed the game and given Memphis their first championship title. It wasn't just the free throws. If they had played better before the free throws, they would have been in better shape toward the end.

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Jayhawks Win NCAA Championship Title

2008-04-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

Kansas defeated Memphis in an amazing overtime victory to win the 2008 NCAA men's college basketball championship.

Kansas overcame Memphis in a miraculous comeback in the championship game, 75-68. Trailing by 9 points in the last 2 minutes of regulation, Kansas tied the score on Mario Chalmers' long 3 point shot with 2.1 seconds remaining. This was their first NCAA championship victory in 2 decades.

This was only the second loss of the year for the Tigers. They seem to have it in the bag with a strong second half performance. Derric Rose scored 15 of the 17 points for the Tigers, putting them in the lead.
They have been plagued by foul-shooting most of the year

The Jayhawks claimed their 3rd NCAA championship title, continuing the momentum from Chalmers' shot into overtime, scoring the first 6 points. Douglas-Roberts scored 22 points, hit a trey with less than a minute left, cutting the Kansas' lead to 3 points at 71-68. Chalmers then hit a pair of free throws. There was only one game in the Elite 8 that was decided by less than 10 points. Both Final Four match-ups involving only Number 1 seeds were one sided.

The free throw line is an unthreatening place. No one challenges a shooter as he offers up 15 foot shots. The Jayhawks dominated this area, converting 13 consecutive foul shots down the stretch. They finished the night 14 for 15 from the line.

Free throw shooting is the one area that tormented the tigers all year, even as they were setting a single season NCAA record for victories. They were 12 of 19 from the line for the game. The costly 1 for 5 effort down the stretch in regulation was on account of their 2 top players, Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts.

It was a great game with a great finish. Kansas had so many great plays, including Chalmers, their best clutch player made a great clutch play at the end. He got himself in position for the game tying 3 after Sherron Collins worked his way through the Memphis defense.

Memphis scored points quickly and performed well. However, Kansas fought the good fight and prevailed. Brandon Rush kept Douglas-Roberts under control even though he scored 22 points. Russell Robinson and Collins were all over Rose most of the game. Simeon finished with 18 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds. However, he shot 7 for 17 overall and 1 for 6 on 3 pointers while committing 5 turnovers. Darrell Arthur scored 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Jayhawks and Darnell Jackson had 8 and 8. They had their way in the blocks and their defense limited Memphis to 40.3% shooting overall.

Memphis' own defense was equally stout which was why the led by 9 with only 2 minutes remaining. However, then came a steal by Collins, a jumper by Arthur, a 3 pointer by Collins and suddenly Kansas was only down 4. Douglas-Roberts made 2 free throws, as did Chalmers, which is when things went bad for Memphis.

With 1:15 left on the clock, Douglas-Roberts missed the front end of a 1 and 1. Arthur dropped a right baseline jumper. Douglas-Roberts missed a pair and then with 10.8 seconds remaining, Rose missed his first of 2 shots but made the next. This left the door open for the Jayhawks. Chalmers took a pass from Collins and hit the 3 that sent the game into overtime. Rose finished with 18 points on 7 of 17 shooting with 6 rebounds and 8 assists.

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Patrick Ewing Elected to Basketball Hall of Fame

2008-04-07T20:34:00.005-07:00

Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets and Patrick Ewing, formerly of the Knicks , will both be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Dick Vitale, a Broadcaster who brought basketball to millions of TV views, was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday along with one of the most successful NBA coaches of all time, Pat Riley. Vitale was emotional during the announcement in San Antonio which is the site of the NCAA Men's Final Four.

Vitale said in his speech that even though he can't run, jump or shoot, he has a tremendous passion for basketball. Even though Vitale was an NBA coach for a short period of time in the 1970s, he made his name as a college basketball analyst.

During the course of time, Vitale was known for using phrases such as "Get a T-O, baby," "You're a P-T-Per" and "Awesome, baby." He thanked Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight for being the driving force behind writing letters on his behalf.

Riley, who won 4 NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, received another one 2 years ago with Miami. He also has one championship as an assistant and another as a player. Even though he just lost his 64th game of the regular season, he's now in the Hall of Fame. Riley thinks the new Class of 2008 will be the best promoted ever as a result of Vitale being included.

Both Ewing and Olajuwon played in three Final Fours, with Ewing's Georgetown team beating Olajuwon's Houston squad for the 1984 national championship. Olajuwon got his revenge as a pro, playing for the Houston Rockets in the first of 2 consecutive titles with a 7 game victory against the Knicks in the 1994 NBA finals.

Ewing is the Knicks' all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocked shots and steals, as well as other categories. He remembered visiting the Hall of Fame as a child and said he never imagined being a part of it.

NBA All-Star,Dantley, played for seven teams during his 15 year NBA career, including Davidson's Detroit Pistons. Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, works for Davidson as the Pistons' President of Basketball Operations and played with Dantley in Detroit. Dantley was a finalist 6 times before finally getting in which is more than anyone in the current class.

Rush led Immaculata University to 3 straight AIAW national championships, won 149 games in 7 seasons and lost only 15. Rush jokes that she lost more nominations to the Basketball Hall of Fame than actual games.

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Kansas Jayhawks and Memphis Tigers in the Title Game

2008-04-07T20:34:00.003-07:00

It was expected by many that the Bruins would be playing North Carolina in the championship game, but the Tigers and Jayhawks made it through.

Kansas and Memphis made it to the NCAA championship on Monday night in San Antonio. However, some feel that these 2 teems were not the most likely to make it all the way through. Nevertheless, the Tigers and Jayhawks are the 2 best teams in this tournament. Only Kansas is on the same level as the Tigers in terms of depth, size and athleticism.

The Tigers were unstoppable during their game against UCLA where they celebrated a 78-63 victory. Derrick Rose stated that the team knew they were going to win before it even started. Despite being the Number 1 pick in many NBA mock drafts, Rose was never named first team All American. Joey Dorsey grabbed 15 rebounds without even scoring any points.

The Tigers' talent compensates for any lack of focus that there might be. They have now won 38 games, which is more than anyone else ever has in a season. After seeing the Tigers defeat Michigan State, Texas and now UCLA, it's safe to say that they could possible be the 2nd best basketball team in Memphis.

The Jayhawks played well on Saturday but were relieved that they avoided an upset to Davidson. They played tough against the Tar Heels, with a 40-12 first-half lead. Cole Aldrich only played a few minutes of the last few games but was the most impressive player on the court. He out fought North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough for rebounds, blocked shots, sending one halfway to Laredo.

No player on either Kansas or Memphis has received the notoriety that UCLA's Kevin Love or North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough had received this year. The pair comprises 405 of this seasons All-American team. Both Hansbrough and Love play very well. Love's forte is the chest pass and Hansbrough gets to the foul line often. Love finished with 12 points and 9 rebounds on just 36.4% shooting on Saturday. Hansbrough finished with 17 points in North Carolina's 84-66 loss. However, he was out played in the pivot by Aldrich in the first half and throughout by Kansas' Brandon Rush, who finished with 25 points.

Memphis up by 7 when Douglas-Roberts went back door along the baseline and received a bounce pass from Rose with 4:52 left on the clock. Love held his ground near the block as Douglas-Roberts passed him for the score.

Hansbrough was out manned late in game when North Carolina lost. Rush had the ball alone on the left side with Kansas up 69-61. Hansbrough stood between him and the basket. Rush went toward Hansbrough with the ball. Hansbrough stepped up to meet him. Rush threw the ball over Hansbrough's head to Darnell Jackson for the score.

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NASCAR Crash Stirs the Samsung 500

2008-04-07T20:34:00.001-07:00

Michael McDowell walks away from a life-threatening accident at Texas Motor Speedway, unscathed but shaken.

NASCAR driver Michael McDowell escaped a near death experience at the Texas Motor Speedway for the Samsung 500 last Friday. His car slammed into the wall unexpectedly. Experts say it was one of the most spectacular crashes in decades.

McDowell said he knew immediately that he was in trouble when he turned into the corner. The car got loose and hooked to the right. He was going about 200 mph as he entered the turn, knocking off a some speed before hitting the wall.

The car rolled about 8 times and was set on fire before landing on all four wheels near Turn 2. McDowell braced as his car tumbled out of control, feeling fortunate when the car finally ended right-side up. McDowell told reporters that he was thankful he walked away from the incident unscathed.

NASCAR safety crews surrounded the burning vehicle moments after it came to a complete stop. There is always the risk of explosion whenever there is a crash. Too often, the driver his burned to death in mishaps like this. Luckily, the safety acted efficiently and were right there as soon as he landed. McDowell hopped out of his car gracefully and walked on his own to the ambulance.

McDowell's wife, Jami, got a scare but remembered her husband advising her to keep calm during these types of circumstances. McDowell left the crash with minor bruises and went on to finish the Samsung 500 on Sunday in 32nd place.

Since Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s death in a crash several years ago, during the Daytona 500, NASCAR has significantly improved upon safety and precautionary measures, including restraints in the cars and safety barriers that absorb some of the energy during crashes.

This has been the second time in 2 weeks that McDowell has been in the headlines. Just before this crash, he had an incident with Jeff Burton regarding on-track etiquette. However, McDowell says that the next time he's in the headlines, he wants it to be as a result of his good racing abilities. He told NASCAR that he's done being the crash test dummy.

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Kansas to the Final Four

2008-04-03T14:44:00.003-07:00

The Jayhawks are Final Four Bound for the first time since 2003 and 13th time overall.

On their way to the Final Four, the Kansas Jayhawks defeated Portland State 85-61, UNLV 75-56, Villanova 72-57 and Davidson 59-57. In the first round, Brandon Rush scored 18 points when Kansas reached a 85-61 victory over Portland State. They shot 545 on 33 of 61 shooting, including 12 of 25 from 3 point range. Darrell Arthur socred 17 points and Mario Chalmers 16 points.

In the second round, the Jayhawks pulled away from UNLV in the second half reaching a 75-56 victory. Mario Chalmers scored 17 points, Russell Robinson scored 13, Brandon Rush scored 12 points and Sherron Collins scored 10 points. UNLV couldn't handle the Jaykawks defense, shooting the worst percentage by a Kansas opponent all season. 27% in a 12 of 45 brickfest.

Brandon Rush scored 16 points, Russell Robinson scored 15 points and Mario Chalmers scored 14 points as the Jayhawks defeated Villanova, 72-57, in the Midwest Regionals. The Jayhawks took control of the game from the beginning with a 14-2 run. They got 4 alley-oop passes in the first 9 minutes and made 7 three pointers, taking a 41-22 lead going into halftime.

The Jayhawks beat Davidson in a 59-57 victory, reaching the Final Four for the first time since 2003 and 13th time overall. When Sherron Collins missed a shot for Kansas with 21 seconds remaining, the Wildcats had a chance to pull off the upset. However, Curry couldn't get off a shot and was forced to pass to Jason Richards, whose shot bounced off the backboard.

The Jayhawks’ win in the Midwest Regional final sent all four Number 1 seeds to the Final Four for the first time. The Jayhawks play North Carolina in the semifinals Saturday night in San Antonio. Experts predict that the Jayhawks will defeat the Memphis Tigers in the championship game of the 2008 NCAA Men's Final Four in San Antonio.

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UCLA Bruins are Final Four Bound

2008-04-03T14:44:00.001-07:00

UCLA fans gathered on Bruin Walk on April 2nd to give the men's college basketball team a special send-off as they departed for their 3rd consecutive Final Four.

After seeking their twelfth national title, the Bruins beat Xavier 76-57 to win the West Region. They are returning for their 3rd consecutive season. It's the first time the Bruins have gone to the national semi-finals 3 times in a row since John Wooden ended his career with 9 straight trips before his replacement, Gene Bartow, capped the run in 1976. The last time the Bruins won the title was in 1995.

UCLA will meet the winner of Sunday's game between Memphis against Texas in the South Region final next Saturday. Kevin Lowe scored 19 points and had 10 rebounds and was named Most Outstanding Player in the region. Darren Collison also had 19 points and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had 13 points and 13 rebounds as the Bruins won their forteenth straight and improved to 35-3 for the season. UCLA led by 9 points at the half and won the game with a 14-0 run early in the 2nd half.

Since John Wooden retired in 1975, the Bruins have spent the last 30 years trying to replace him. They have had 8 coaches from Larry Brown to Jim Harrick. UCLA finally appears to have found the right coach in Ben Howland to rebuild what they once had. Howland says that feels his team is finally starting to look whole again, which has him confident about the future.

The team says that they don't hang banners in Pauley Pavilion to commemorate their 18 Final Four appearances but rather only for national titles. However, they appear to be much more prepared to add a banner now than they did in games against Western Kentucky and Texas A&M in the last 2 games. They seemed to lack offensive skills when they played against the Aggies, and it struggled during their game against the Hilltoppers.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute’s performance made a considerable difference Saturday as he had struggled with a sprained ankle. However, he made it seem as if he was in good health after he scored 13 points and had 13 rebounds. Darren Collison shook off an ugly 4 point, 4 turnover game against Western Kentucky with 19 points and 5 assists on Saturday.

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North Carolina to Final Four

2008-04-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

Known as one of the best college basketball teams, The Tar Heels, advance to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

Looking back at the history of events, North Carolina defeated Mount St. Mary's 113-74, Arkansas 108-77, Washington State 68-47 and Louisville 83-73. In the first round of the East Region, both Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough each had 21 points to help the Tar Heels beat Mount St. Mary's.

In the second round, Ty Lawson scored 19 points and 7 assists and Wayne Ellington scored 20 points for the Tar Heels. They made it to a double digit lead in the first 5 minutes in a 108-77 rout of Arkansas. They scored the first 9 points, led 51-26 at halftime and shot 68% for the game. North Carolina became the first team to score 100 points in its first 2 NCAA games since Loyola Marymount did it against New Mexico State and Michigan in 1990.

In the East Regional, Tyler Hansbrough scored 16 of his 18 points in the 2nd half and the Tar Heels beat Washington State, 68-47. That game sent North Carolina back to the NCAA tournament's Elite 8 for the 2nd straight season.

In the East Regional final, Hansbrough scored 28 points and 13 rebounds, helping the Tar Heels beat Louisville, 83-73, reaching the national semifinals for the first time since 2005. Hansbrough finished 12 for 17 from the floor in 38 minutes and was named region MVP.

Tyler Hansbrough, the likely college player of the year, took over when after Louisville erased a 12-point halftime deficit, finishing with 28 points and 13 rebounds before being named Most Outstanding Player in the East Region. His effort allowed North Carolina, the top overall seed in the tournament, to advance after losing in this same round last year.

The Tar Heels are 36-2 and have won all four NCAA tournament games in their home state, all by double digits. This will be the 17th Final Four for North Carolina and the 6th for Roy Williams, who also took Kansas to college basketball's big event. North Carolina returns to the Final Four for the first time since winning the title in 2005, with Williams as the coach.

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Coach Sean Sutton Resigns from Oklahoma State

2008-04-02T14:09:00.004-07:00

Oklahoma State basketball coach, Sean Sutton resigned under pressure Tuesday, after a 17-16 season.

Athletic Director, Mike Holder and Oklahoma State basketball coach, Sean Sutton met on Monday to discuss the state of the program, just 2 weeks after Sutton finished his 2nd season. Holder described the situation as a sad day for the university. Holder and Sutton agreed on the decision as the search for a replacement begins.

Sutton was his father's assistant before taking the top job. After the Cowboys lost 6 games in a row, he had been under scrutiny for most of the 2nd half of the season. That was the team's worst record in over 20 years.

Sutton was quoted saying that coaching Oklahoma State was a great experience for him. He was less than halfway through a 5 year, $750,000 per year contract when he was still an assistant on his father's staff, making him the head coach designate. This would have meant him taking over when his father left.

The Cowboys started 1-6 in Big 12 Conference play. They ended up winning 5 consecutive games, including an upset of Kansas. However, Oklahoma State lost its last 2 regular season games, ending 7-9 in league play. They defeated Texas Tech and lost to Texas in the Big 12 tournament before they lost to 69-53 at Southern Illinois in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. It was the 3rd consecutive year that the Cowboys lost a first round NIT game.

Sutton was 39-29 in 2 years. However, his relationship with the team goes back a lot longer. After leaving Kentucky, he played on his father's Oklahoma State teams for 2 years and then served as an assistant for 13 years, including 2 Final Four appearances. Now both Suttons are out of the picture.

The contributions that Sean Sutton made shouldn't be overlooked, making his way from a player to assistant coach and then ultimately to head coach. Both Sutton and his father revived OSU basketball and made the team a consistent contender for conference, tournament and national championships.

Before Eddie Sutton took over, Oklahoma State had made the NCAA tournament only once in the previous 25 years. Sean Sutton first served as the head coach of the Cowboys for the final 10 games of the 2005-06 season when his father took a leave of absence after a DWI accident. The team went 4-6 in those games and Sean Sutton was given the opportunity to coach the team when his father retired that year.

The Cowboys got off to a good start in Sean Sutton's first full season as coach. They got as high as Number 9 before losing Obi Muonelo to a leg injury. Oklahoma State was defeated bt Marist in the first round of the NIT, completing a 22-13 season. JamesOn Curry left his senior year to go into the NBA. Things went downhill from there. Three players were arrested and Kenny Cooper decided to transfer.

Things were tough on the court as well. They were defeated by North Texas and Oral Roberts in non-conference play and the slow start in league play. The Cowboys have made the postseason each of the last 11 years, including a run of 7 consecutive NCAA tournament berths that preceded the NIT streak.

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UMass Minutemen Beat Florida Gators 78-66

2008-04-02T14:09:00.001-07:00

Dante Milligan led the University of Massachusetts into the NIT championship game.

Dante Milligan scored 17 points and made several blocks against the Florida Gators, helping UMAS beat the defending NCAA champions, 78-66 on Tuesday. Both Chris Lowe and Ricky Harris scored 16 points each, Gary Forbes scored 19 points and the starters scored all but two points for UMass. They will play either Mississippi or Ohio State this Thursday.

The Minutemen got in the lead for the first time since early in the game when Etienne Brower hit a three pointer with 9:49 on the clock. A few minutes after that, Dante Milligan scored. They scored another three for a 59-51 lead with 7:25 left.

The Gators couldn't get closer than 6 the rest of the game, finishing a disappointing year, much different than the titles they won in the past. Marreese Speights had 12 points and 18 rebounds for Gators. Nick Calathes scored 12 points and Dan Werner got 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Milligan scored 24 points in the tournament against Stephen F. Austin. He also got 13 points to help UMass go from 22 down with 14:37 remaining to defeat Syracuse in the quarterfinals.

They were fortunate enough to be within 36-27 at the break after a horrible shooting performance which was uncharacteristic for them. They were just 1 of 13 from beyond the arc and after Milligan's put-back with 12:08 remaining, went more than 12 minutes without a field goal. However, the Gators weren't much better. They turned the ball over twice on inbound plays.

Forbes almost brought the shooting slump to an end with nearly 3 minutes left. The ball rolled around the rim and then popped out. Shortly thereafter, he scored on a lay-up.

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Buckeyes Beat Mississippi 81-69

2008-04-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

The Ohio State Buckeyes may possibly have another chance to win the title this season after a display of good performance in recent games.

Both Evan Turner and Jamar Butler scored 17 points. Using an early 14-0 run and a buckling half-court trap the Buckeyes beat Mississippi 81-69 Tuesday night in the NIT semifinals. Ohio State plays Massachusetts in the championship on Thursday. Luckily for the Buckeyes, the Minutemen beat the Florida Gators 78-66. The Gators have been their arch enemies this season, passing over Ohio State to win the 2007 BCS championship game and then the Buckeyes at the Final Four in Atlanta for a 2nd consecutive basketball title.

Ohio State will instead play a Massachusetts team that has been incredibly resilient in going from 2nd half deficits of 12 against Akron, 22 against Syracuse and 9 against the Gators to the NIT championship. Chris Warren hit a 3 pointer and Trevor Gaskins got 2 free throws, which were the first points by a nonstarter for Ole Miss. Afterwards, Kenny Williams converted a turnover by Butler to make it 56-45 with 12 minutes remaining.

Warren hit 3 three pointers for the Rebels on consecutive possessions getting within 75-68 with only 1:32 left on the clock. However, Butler scored on a driving lay-up winning the game. Warren scored 18 points for Ole Miss. Williams scored 11 points, Dwayne Curtis got 12 points and 15 rebounds and David Huertas scored 16 points.

The Rebels cooled down after a grim first half. The Buckeyes picked them up at the mid-court line and pressured them into turnover after turnover. The game was tied when the Buckeyes went on their big run, scoring 8 of 14 consecutive points off turnovers, taking a 27-10 lead on a jumper by Turner with 10:20 left.

Both Kosta Koufas and David Lighty got 16 points each for the Buckeyes. Ohio State had previously lost Daequan Cook, Mike Conley Jr.and Oden to the NBA last season. Although, they still had an RPI of 42 with wins over NCAA tournament teams Purdue and Michigan State last month. It looked like they had a good chance of making the tournament until the final name was decided on Selection Sunday.

The Buckeyes regrouped and beat Dayton, California, and UNC-Asheville, reaching Madison Square Garden. Unlike last season, they now have a chance to end it with a win.

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Louisville Beats Tennessee 79-60

2008-03-31T14:14:00.001-07:00

Rick Pitino leads Louisville on their way to the Final Four in a victory against Tennessee.

Wayne Chism attempted to recover the loose ball for Tennessee when he was outnumbered Louisville players Thursday night. Ultimately, the ball ended up deflecting off of Chism and out of bounds, leaving the Cardinals one win away from a 6th trip to the Final Four. Earl Clark scored 17 points and had 12 rebounds. Rick Pitino made things difficult for Tennessee in a 79-60 win that put Louisville in the East Regional final.

Pitino has won an NCAA title and has taken 3 teams to the Final Four. Thanks to him, Louisville has been playing well this year. After their 2 victories last weekend, Pitino held back the Volunteers to 34% shooting. The veteran coach improved to 8-0 in regional semifinals and secured a date with top-seed North Carolina on Saturday night.

Both Andre McGee and Terrence Williams scored 13 points. David Padgett scored 10 points and 8 rebounds for Louisville which almost blew all of a 16 point first half lead. The Cardinals are competing for their 2nd Final Four trip in 6 years.

Chris Lofton scored 15 points for Tennessee, even though he was 3 for 15 in his last game with the Volunteers who never made it past the round of 16. Despite a tough beginning, Tennessee got within 37-36 early in the 2nd half. Their defensive pressure forced 20 turnovers. Clark had a driving lay-up, hit a baseline jumper and converted a 3 point play in a 13-5 run.

The Cardinals hit all 9 free throws over the final 5 minutes to keep Tennessee at bay. Even though Tyler Smith got 11 points and JaJuan Smith had 12, the Volunteers continued their NCAA tournament shooting slump.

Tennessee went 5 for 20 from 3 point range and finished 11 for 58 in 3 games. The Volunteers haven't been able to get into the round of 8. They dropped to 0-5 in the regional semifinals, finishing with a team record for victories in a season.

The Volunteers got off to a bad start. Chism got 2 fouls in the first 2 minutes of the game and Louisville's extended 2-3 zone bottled up Lofton. When the Cardinals weren't turning it over, they were scoring baskets in transition. Louisville took a 24-8 with 8:58 remaining.

Despite Lofton not offering very much, Tennessee got within 7 at halftime and cut the deficit to 1 early in the 2nd half. Lofton was up against a defender every time he got the ball. He missed his first seven 3 point attempts. He was 2 for 11 from 3 point range but Louisville took the lead in the last minute. Louisville's defense were covering Lofton so tight that he couldn't make his shots.

The Cardinals will play against North Carolina next. They were supposed to play in Las Vegas but the Cardinals were upset by Brigham Young. The Cardinals are a confident this time around, thanks to their defense.

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The Bruins take Western Kentucky, 88-78

2008-03-31T14:13:00.002-07:00

Kevin Love scored a career high 29 points leading UCLA in their game against the Hilltoppers.

With a 21 point halftime lead, UCLA beat Western Kentucky 88-78 in the NCAA Western Regional. The Bruins will play Xavier on the way to their 3rd consecutive Final Four. They managed to survive the game against the Hilltoppers, who took advantage their sloppy play to get ahead within four points late in the game. UCLA definitely did not play up to par in the second half. If they continue playing that poorly, they're not going to be in this tournament much longer.

UCLA beat Mississippi Valley State in the first round but haven't been performing like a Number 1 seeded team since then. They managed to beat Texas A&M by 2 points in the second round. Without Kevin Love, UCLA would be in far worse shape by now. He had 14 rebounds and shot 10 of 14 shots from the floor. James Keefe, also had 18 points and 12 rebounds and Russell Westbrook had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Recovering from shoulder surgery last year, Keefe hasn't been playing that much this season. Tyrone Brazelton scored 31 points and Courtney Lee got 18 points for Western Kentucky, who dug themselves into a hole in the first half.

Things looked good for UCLA at first after creaming the Hilltoppers with a 23-4 run in the middle of the first half. They led 41-20 at halftime, but Western Kentucky let up. The Hilltoppers played tough, and the Bruins started to come undone. They had 12 turnovers in the first 15 minutes of the second half and ended with 19 which is a season high.

UCLA was in trouble when Darren Collison fouled out with 5:39 left. He had 4 points and 4 turnovers but didn't read the plays right. The Hilltoppers took the lead to 61-57 with 6:50 to left. Brazelton scored 8 unanswered points in under a minute, on consecutive 3 pointers and a lay-up. Slaughter missed a 3 pointer that pulled Western Kentucky within one point when Love scored. Josh Shipp, hit a 3 to push the Bruin's lead to 68-59 with 4:30 on the clock.

UCLA didn't let the Hilltoppers draw closer than 6 the rest of the game. They ended with a 12 game winning streak but they hadn't been dominant. Five of their last eight wins had been by 3 points or less and another came after they forced overtime. The Hilltoppers won 8 consecutive games and reached the round of 16 for the first time in years. At Number 12, Western Kentucky was the lowest remaining seed in the tournament. They had 4 turnovers in the first few minutes of the game, getting more turnovers than field goals the first half.

Lee made 2 of his first 13 shots from the floor. Both Jeremy Evans and D.J. Magley fouled Love in a 5 second span in the 1st minute. Evans got his 2nd foul in the first 3 minutes of the game. The Bruins have had difficulty being offense in recent games. Darren Collison and Kevin Love scored 40 of their 51 points in the 2nd round win against Texas A&M. However, things changed during the 23-4 run in the first half.

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NCAA Popularity Increases to an All-Time High

2008-03-31T14:13:00.001-07:00

The massive increase in spectator attendance shows an growth in popularity for NCAA men's college basketball and the need for redesigned arenas to accommodate the fans.

It is estimated that there will be a record breaking number of NCAA basketball fans at the Division I basketball regionals this season. Possibly more than there has been in the history of March Madness. Even more so than the last record attendance in 1999 by about 50,000 people. 250,000 fans were expected to attend the games. Tickets are selling out in a record-breaking fashion by the tens of thousands.

Houston's Reliant Stadium and Ford Field in Detroit both have new courts and seating arrangements with the court in the middle instead of at the end zone, bringing fans closer to the action. The Final Fours will be played at these venues in the future. It is expected that these arenas will break records again at that point.

They are predicting a turnout of over 100,000 fans in Detroit over the next 2 years, dwarfing the last record of less than 85,000 in St. Louis in 1999. There will be more than 60,000 spectators in Houston putting it in the top 5 regional venues. In the past 2 decades, George Mason University has had an average of more than 176,000 fans at the four regional venues. This season, that will be surpassed by about 75,000 people. These figures are unbelievable and indicative of the increase in popularity of the championship. Charlotte and Phoenix have been sold out for several weeks.

Over 3.5 million fans have attended regional competition in the past 2 decades, mostly consisting of the students at each participating college. Students will be much closer to the action at the arenas in Houston and Detroit at the next Final Fours. They will also have the opportunity to see the Final Four for a more reasonable ticket price. It’s only fair to the students who are the most loyal supporters of the teams, bringing a collegiate atmosphere back to the Final Four.

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Betting on NCAA Basketball

2008-03-27T19:19:00.001-07:00

When figuring college basketball odds, bettors should take point spreads, money lines and handicapping into consideration.

Henry V. Porter coined the phrase "March Madness" back in 1939 in an essay he wrote for the Illinois High School Association. It was picked up again by CBS reporter Brent Musburger in 1982 and later copyrighted by the NCAA and IHSA. Every year since then it has been used to describe the excitement of the 65 college basketball teams fighting their way to the Final Four and a chance championship title.

Betting on college basketball can be overwhelming. It's important to understand how college basketball odds work. Keeping up with the events that take place during the regular season can also be helpful. When setting college basketball odds, most experts go with point spreads and money lines.

Point spreads level the playing field between 2 teams. When it comes to wagering, the point spread is the handicap or the head start that the favorite team gives to the underdog. Another way to look at it is the number in which one team is favored to win over another.

The spread is set so that there is an equal number of money on both sides of the game. If line makers see that there is an large number of bets that favor one side, they move the spread up or down accordingly to level things out and keep it interesting. A money line is another way to set college basketball odds. A minus sign means you have to lay that amount to win, for example $100. A plus sign means you get that amount for every $100 wagered.

There are too many college basketball games happening during the regular season for anyone to follow carefully. When figuring college basketball odds, the bettor who chooses which games to play has the advantage, which is where handicapping skills are helpful.

It's better to focus on one particular conference and learn everything there is to know about those teams. NCAA basketball teams only play about 30 games in a season, unlike the NBA. This means traveling isn't as big of a deal. However, home court advantages are something to take into consideration. It's always good to consider a team's level of motivation and attitude when looking at the odds.

If you get a head start on the odds during round one of the tournament, you will have an advantage over people who set their odds a days in advance. Then for the rest of the tournament, watch the teams carefully as they make their way to the Final Four.

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March Madness and Betting on the Final Four

2008-03-27T19:18:00.002-07:00

During March Madness, statistics show that the teams that are not short upperclassmen generally tend to have a better chance at the title.

Sports fans have been betting on March Madness for decades. Ever since college basketball has been televised its popularity has continued to grow, becoming one of the most watched and bet on sporting events of the year. It is estimated that sports fans bet about $4 billion during March Madness which is twice as much as what is normally wagered on the Super Bowl.

Bets on the Final Four will be staggering going into this season's NCAA Tournament. As the tournament progresses and teams are eliminated, even more sports fans become interested in placing their bets on the Sweet 16 and the Elite 8. Everyone wants to choose a winner which becomes easier as the field narrows.

Most of the teams who have won the NCAA basketball tournaments have had the advantage of the experience of their upperclassmen/seniors. People who bet on the Final Four should take that into consideration. Even though experts suggest that you bet on a team's record against the spread at the start of the tournament, in reality, you should focus on intangibles such as a team's courage when betting on the Final Four. It always seems as if the teams that have strong senior leadership have the best chance of winning in the long run.

College basketball fans will most likely agree that seniors have the experience to deal with the pressure of this level of competition. They are capable of handling the responsibility of carrying their team all the way to the Final Four.

During March Madness, it's usually safe to bet on teams that play with the most enthusiasm. However, when betting on the Final Four, experience and talent is more important. A team's attitude and emotions can get them off to a good start but over the course of a tough schedule, the teams with experience usually pull out ahead. Some seniors may have a difficult time but it's generally the freshmen who break under the pressure.

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Working with March Madness College Basketball Brackets

2008-03-27T19:18:00.001-07:00

Bracketology can make a sports bettor a lot of money during March Madness if they know what to look for.

In the world of online betting, March Madness is the biggest event next to Super Bowl. The difference is, the Super Bowl only lasts for day while March Madness lasts for weeks. People who bet on sports should know a few things about NCAA basketball brackets.

The first thing to do is to determine which teams are producing the most action. An underestimated team that flies under the radar by sneaking their way all the way up can win a college basketball bracket. A few years ago, Louisville made their way to the Final Four, giving sports bettors who picked them in their March Madness bracket a lot of money. Louisville beat West Virginia and Washington. Anyone who picked Gonzaga or Wake Forest in Louisville's draw lost big time. Michigan State was also a success story for March Madness bracket players that same season. The Spartans beat Kentucky in the national semifinals and Duke in the regionals.

Syracuse made a few NCAA basketball brackets golden by making it to the Final Four and winning their first national championship in 2003, beating 2 top seeded teams along the way. It's true that the top ranking teams win most of the time. However, it's important to recognize that most people are going to choose teams like UCLA, Kansas and Duke in their bracket. Although, the people who pick the teams that surprise everyone will win in the long run.

Filling out March Madness brackets has become a popular form of entertainment. Some people even refer to this art form as Bracketology, which can also be used to describe how the NCAA selection committee chooses at large bids to figure the 65 teams in the tournament. Most people who fill out an NCAA bracket know how teams are selected and seeded.

Thirty teams qualify automatically by winning their conference tournaments. The 5 Ivy League schools don't hold a conference tournament so it's the teams that win the regular season. This leaves thirty five teams that receive at large bids, most of which come from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, EC and Pac 10.

When comparing the teams from weaker conferences to teams from major conferences, the teams from major conferences are required to play a much more difficult schedule. For instance, Duke from the ACC have to play teams such as Maryland North Carolina, Florida, Miami and Virginia in the regular season and 2 or 3 times during the conference tournament. Although, teams such as Gonzaga will play their hardest games with non-conference teams only a few times throughout course of the regular season.

The smartest way to consider a team before you fill out your March Madness bracket is by utilizing the RPI, Percentage Index or Ratings. One perspective is to go by 50% strength of schedule, 25% opponents' strength of schedule, and 25% winning percentage. A team with a good winning percentage and a weak strength of schedule will be penalized in the RPI ratings. However, when playing those tough games, those teams might develop the courage it takes to be bracket busters, which any sports better should take into consideration.

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Understanding March Madness Point Spreads

2008-03-26T20:05:00.005-07:00

Figuring how the NCAA Tournament will play out can be tricky but having certain techniques to consider could make it easier.

The NCAA men's college basketball tournament is one of the most entertaining sporting events of the year. There are a few things that sports bettors should keep in mind when getting a head start on March Madness. The point spread is the number of points allocated and shown with a plus sign (+) for the favorite and a minus sign (-) for the underdog. The favorite has to win by more than the point spread in order for you to win if you bet on the favorite.

During March Madness, the NCAA college basketball point spreads are more affected by the public because it attracts more inexperienced bettors than the regular season. Experts take this into consideration and adjust their point spreads accordingly. However, sports bettors who know the teams from different conferences can get ahead of the experts early on in the season.

Expert sports bettors configure their March Madness point spreads for travel and home court advantage during the NCAA Tournament they do during the regular season. However, they don't always make enough adjustments. By overlooking this, it gives the educated sports bettor more value when picking teams playing in familiar courts or against teams who traveled long distances to play. As soon as the participating teams are announced and the selection process is finalized, the best thing to do is to observe the schedule to figure out the travel arrangements.

If there are any surprise victories during the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the bookmakers will most likely overreact in setting their point spreads. This gives the rest of the sports bettors and opportunity to win big in the second round. Bookmakers can be stingy with their point spreads with the popular teams so there is little opportunity there. However, there is great value in the less popular teams if their willing to take the chance on them.

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NCAA Basketball Picks

2008-03-26T20:05:00.003-07:00

March Madness has arrived at i-Sportsbook.com so get a head start and place your bets early.

The NCAA Championship is underway and sports bettors are deciding on which men's basketball teams they think will make it through the 65 team bracket. Experts are predicting that Georgetown, UCLA, Memphis and North Carolina will be the schools making the Final Four.

The North Carolina Tar Heals are a favorite among sports bettors and are expected to win at San Antonio's Alamodome. They were the preseason number one team in the nation and are playing their best since the late '90s. The Tar Heals have already beaten Kentucky and Ohio State. So far, UNC's only real test was surviving the game against Davidson. Player of the Year Candidate, Tyler Hansbrough is averaging over 21 points and almost 10 rebounds.

The Tigers have stood up to Southern California, Connecticut and Oklahoma so far. The team's key players are Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose. Douglas-Roberts averages 20.1 points and 6 rebounds per game. Rose averages about 16 points and 6 rebounds per game. They have the advantage of playing in a weak Conference USA, so another top seed for the NCAA Tournament is fairly certain.

The Bruins have lost to Texas but beat Michigan State. Kevin Love has been providing the team with points and rebounds. UCLA has reached the Final Four the last 2 years. Odds are on Georgetown, UCLA, Memphis and UNC in the Final Four. The Hoyas haven't played a ranked team but they will play Memphis on December 22nd. They remain unbeaten in college basketball so far. Georgetown is led by Roy Hibbert who was about to enter the NBA draft but decided to return. He averages about 14 points and 8 rebounds a game.

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NCAA College Basketball Review

2008-03-26T20:05:00.001-07:00

March Madness begins to unfold as sports bettors make their picks for the 2007-2008 NCAA College Basketball Tournament.

At this early stage, it's hard to figure out which college basketball team will come out on top in the NCAA tournament. Sports bettors are making their picks by staying focused on the strongest teams as the season begins to unfold. There are a few teams that seem to be standing out among the rest. They played with amazing performance last year and they are coming around in full swing again this season. Even though some key players were lost, their confidence remains strong and their performance on the court hasn't wavered.

The UCLA Bruins placed first last year. They are also expected to be equally as impressive this season. Although they lost some key players, UCLA is will still most likely come out ahead. They gained a strong player with Kevin Love. So far, experts say that UCLA is the best pick this season.

The Memphis Tigers have been performing extremely well so far. They came in 2nd last season and they are doing just as well this year. As with the Bruins, they have soffered the loss of some key players. However, they have gained some strength with new players such as Joey Dorsey and Derrick Rose. Dorsey won Defensive Player of the Year from Conference USA. Memphis definitely seems to be a smart pick this year.

The North Carolina Tar Heels seem to be another solid team this year, even though they lost Brandan Wright who left for the NBA this year. However, the team has gained William Graves who is a strong new player and has done very well so far. Graves is very large so he'll probably be playing under the basket in many games. North Carolina plays a great running game but they've been known to stay away from the 3 point shots in previous games. It's uncertain if this will become their deficit or if their fast under the basket strategy work well for them.

The Kansas Jayhawks, only lost one player to the NBA this season. They are maintaining their style that brought them success last season. They lost Julian Wright to the NBA but Darrell Arthur will be filling in for him. Last season, Arthur averaged about 10 points and 19 minutes per game and has a lot more to offer the team this year. It is probably that 2 of their other players will go to the NBA next year.

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Online Sports Wagering

2008-03-25T20:14:00.003-07:00

There is a lot of money to be made in online sports betting if you take certain key factors into consideration.

Making money by betting on sports is not as easy as you might think. Betting on sports is something that requires a lot of dedication, extensive studying and a certain degree of luck. Bankroll management is an important matter to consider when betting on sports. Some sports bettors could be a lot more successful if they didn't forget about basic money management skills.

There's also the issue of handicapping, which by itself can be an intimidating challenge for most people. Not everyone is capable of mastering this art of sports handicapping. Its complex nature seem to escape most people who bet on sports. The reality is, if you're not planning on making sports betting a career, you probably won't be able to afford to put enough time into sports handicapping to become that efficient at it.

Remember that bookmakers are also professionally skilled handicapper as well. When bookies present their lines, they make sure a set of handicappers tweak them. In order for you to be successful at this, you would have to continuously beat all those handicappers who crafted the lines. If you aren't a professional sports bettor, it's not possible to win against these handicappers. Instead, it's better to somehow cut this huge edge that works against you. The Internet is an excellent source of information that can benefit you greatly. It's just a matter of putting in the time to do the research.

There are many web sites that sell sports picks and do the handicapping for you. It's just a matter of finding a site that is reliable and provides you with good results. If you look hard enough you can find some web sites that even offer free sports picks. There are plenty of sites that provide carefully handicapped picks by people who know where to look for value in the teams. If you look hard enough, you can find better lines. In some cases, winning a few points can make a big difference.

When taking advantage of these free sports picks, you can eventually learn to see where the value is yourself. Betting on the favorite teams doesn't always provide value. The difficulty in betting on sports is that it doesn't make a lot of sense to bet on the team that is most likely to win the match-up. The value is on the teams that the odds are apparently against you. This is called the hidden value and it is difficulty to identify. Home underdog games provide a lot of hidden value in the NFL. Most bettors don't realize this and as a result, they love underdogs. When a lot of people bet on one side, that will leave some uncovered value on the other side. The challenge is always knowing which underdog is worth betting on. The key is to do your homework to figurer out what teams will score in the long run.

The next thing to do is to pick a good online sportsbook. We recommend using i-Sportsbook.com and CasinoUnreal.com to place your bets.

Sports Betting and March Madness

2008-03-25T20:14:00.001-07:00

Below are things to remember when betting on the NCAA Basketball Tournament during March Madness.

When reviewing NCAA college basketball teams for your sports picks during March Madness, you should take the players into consideration. In college basketball, some teams have players that are good at shooting the 3. These teams are known for scoring big and getting the crowd going. There are also the teams with a few large players who have the capability to slow the game down by blocking shots, offensive rebounds and good defensive skills. It's always good to remember that even though outscoring your opponents might win the game, defense wins championships.

It's always fun when your favorite team plays in the tournament during March Madness. Even though you might want them to win, they may not always be the best team to pick when placing your bets. A good sports better goes with his gut, not his heart. Most fans know their teams better than the experts. Take advantage of your own knowledge and make the smart choice, even if it means you have to bet against your favorite team. Remember, in the end it's all about the money you win.

Always remember that high ranking teams are in demand. Finding value in these teams is hard because it could be expensive. Try to pick a solid team that might have been overlooked by the experts. Also, don't forget to have fun with this. Unless you are participating in a pool at the office, it's not necessary to bet on all the games. There are great games to bet on that take place all throughout March Madness is. You'll have plenty of chances to make some smart picks. Observe the first few rounds and you might be able to see a winner. The important thing is to continue the momentum going into the Final Four. Try not to deplete your funds prematurely by losing too many games early in the season.

The conference championships will help to determine the seeding. This is always a good segue intto what will be another great tournament. Look for the strong teams as well as the possible Cinderella stories of the NCAA tournament. If you get a head start, you will increase your chances of successfully betting on March Madness.

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Smart Picks for March Madness

2008-03-25T20:13:00.001-07:00

Round One NCAA men's college basketball tournament March Madness match-ups are in as sports fans gear up for the Final Four.

March Madness kicks off with the East Regional games in Charlotte, North Carolina. One of the biggest games this season will be when Arkansas plays against Indiana. While the Big 10 has been under the radar for most of the year, Indiana has been one of the strongest teams in the conference and is primed to edge out Arkansas by 1.5 points. Experts say that Oklahoma may have difficulty playing against St. Joseph's. However, they are expected to win by at least 1.5 points.

Butler has entered the tournament on a good note but will have their work cut out for them in South Alabama. They're only expected to win by 4 points in that game. Louisville is a safe sports picks for sports bettors because of the assumption that they will win against Boise State by at least 13 points. Tennessee is the team to bet on in the East Regional Tournament because of expectations that they will route American by at least 20 points.

The South Regional bracket has its share of good sports picks. It is predicted that Memphis will beat Texas Arlington. Memphis will most likely run the conference, being favored by 24.5 points in round one. It is expected that Oregon give Mississippi State a run for their money, even though they are a 2.5 underdog. Miami Florida might be playing in the most tightly contested games of the 1st round as the spread favors them by 1 point against St. Mary's. Texas is a big 16 point favorite when they play against Austin Peay.

In the first round of the Midwest Regional bracket, Clemson takes on Villanova. Both colleges have played very well. Although, Clemson is expected to win by at least 6 points. All bets are on Vanderbilt when they play against Siena, having 7 points against the spread. The game to take seriously is Davidson vs. Gonzaga. Davidson will most likely win against Gonzaga. Georgetown is also expected to cream UMBC with a 16.5 point spread.

There are only 2 games scheduled in the West Regional Tournament. Drake will most likely win against Western Kentucky with 4 points against the spread. Connecticut is the smart pick with 11 point favorites over San Diego.

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March Madness in Full Swing

2008-03-24T19:41:00.003-07:00

A, so far, unpredictable NCAA tournament is underway as the teams fight there way to the Elite 8.

For the first time in 30 years of the NCAA college basketball tournaments, the alignment of all Number 1 teams going to the Final Four is possible. In the first 4 days of the national showcase, 8 former champions were eliminated, including Georgetown , Duke and Connecticut who have previously won tournaments over the course of the past 9 years. Marquette, Arkansas, Kentucky and Arizona haven't lived up to their reputations either. Stanford and Tennessee are barely hanging on by a thread. Memphis and UCLA were defeated by the likes of Mississippi State and Texas A&M.

There is still a big possibility for changes at the top going into the 2nd week of the tournament. Only the Number 1 seed, North Carolina, has won a championship out of the sixteen teams. Maryland, Syracuse and Florida were not invited. Duke and UConn were eliminated. Michigan State won in 2000. They will play Memphis in the South Regional. UCLA won in 1995 and North Carolina earned its 3rd of 4 titles in 1993 which was 5 years after Kansas. Eight former champions remain, but only half have achieved the summit in the past 20 years.

Analyzing the March Madness brackets, the East region is the strongest and the West is the weakest. Number 1 through 4 seeds in the East will play in Charlotte, North Carolina. Even though North Carolina may have an advantage in terms of talented players, Washington State, Louisville and Tennessee have their set of challenges. In the West Texas A&M lost to UCLA on 2 goals by Kevin Love. Phoenix would have been Number 3 Xavier, which has never reached a Final Four. West Virginia and Western Kentucky also qualified.

The Midwest also lost 2 of its top 4 teams. Georgetown and Vanderbilt left Kansas to play against Wisconsin, Davidson and Villanova. The game against Villanova was tied for 8th in the Big East. Davidson is a seemingly unlikely team in the Sweet 16. However, thanks to Stephen Curry, they've been wracking in the points. Curry achieved a 35 point average against Georgetown and Gonzaga. He scored 55 points after halftime in both of those games.

Memphis is king in the South region. Pittsburgh was eliminated from the top 4 lines. Michigan State remains instead of the Panthers. Stanford and Texas will clash in the other bracket in Houston. The Tigers have displayed a disturbing tendency at the free throw line.

The Big East and Pac 10 each is represented by 3 teams and the Big Ten and Big 12 each claims 2 teams. The ACC, which is the top league in the RPI, is down to 1 team, equaling the SEC, Atlantic 10, Conference USA, Sun Belt and Southern. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out.

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Curry Helps Davidson Cream Georgetown

2008-03-24T19:41:00.001-07:00

Stephen Curry led Davidson to victory against Georgetown in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament.

Davidson was in the middle of an exciting run, making their way back from a 17 point slump against Georgetown. Stephen Curry had a 3 pointer giving Davidson a 5 point lead with 2:56 left on the clock. When they started to make their comeback Curry scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half of Davidson's 74-70 Midwest Regional 2nd round victory. They scored 30 of his 40 points in the 2nd half against Gonzaga just 2 days before.

Curry continued to make the shots scoring 18 of Davidson's 24 points in the last 7:13 of the game. Roy Hibbert scored with 11:57 on the clock, giving the Hoyas their last lead at 50-39. ,At that point Georgetown was outscored 21-20 thanks to Curry, who has been averaging 25.7 points per game. Before now, Davidson hadn't won an NCAA Tournament game since the 60s. They will reach the regional final if it can beat Wisconsin in Detroit.

Davidson didn't have it easy the whole time though. Curry had difficulty in the 1st half when he missed 6 of his first 7 shots getting 2 fouls. He misfired on 10 of his first 11 attempts and his stroke was way off. Luckily for Davidson, Curry was able to pull things together.

The Hoyas were in the lead, 48-33 when Curry's four-point play got him and the Wildcats going which started to lean things in Davidson's favor. Georgetown's Jonathan Wallace spent most of his time trying to guard Curry. Wallace stated he was anticipating a wonder play from Curry and saw it come to fruition.

One year after making the Final Four, Georgetown won't be moving on. But good news for the Wildcats.

"We stayed focused, stuck to our system and got Stephen Curry the ball," said Jason Richards who got 20 points, 5 assists and 1 turnover in forty minutes. "You can't think that you're not going to win the game. We fought for a full 40 minutes and came out on top."

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Winthrop Loses to the Cougars in Pac 10

2008-03-23T20:05:00.001-07:00

After being abused in the Pac 10 for so many seasons, the Washington State Cougars enjoyed being on top. The Cougars beat Winthrop 71-40 in the East Regional tournament, 19 points and 8 rebounds thanks to Aron Baynes.

Robbie Cowgill and Kyle Weaver both scored 14 points and Derrick Low got 11 for the Cougars. Washington State will be up against the winner of the Notre Dame-George Mason game in the second round. Washington State are 51-16 broke open a halftime tie with a 23-4 run getting their 2nd consecutive opening round win in the NCAA tournament.

The Eagles missed their first 7 shots after making 4 of 8 from beyond the arc in the first half. Winthrop had 17 points and ended with a breakaway score at 13:19 left. Michael Jenkins made his first and only bucket at 12:43 for the Eagles to pull Winthrop to 40-33. Even though Jenkins lead the Eagles with a 14.3-point average, they ended with a tie. Jenkins ended up with 2 fouls with 12:19 left before the half.

Chris Gaynor and McCullough got a trio of 3-pointers, including an off-balance shot that popped the net at the buzzer. Gaynor finished with 15 points, all on 3s, including one in the waning seconds that allowed the Eagles to avoid a single-digit second half. Baynes made all of his 9 shots in the first half. The Eagles were out scored 42-11 after halftime. The game ended a difficult season for the Eagles.

Washington State finished last in the Pac 10 but the Cougars ended their decade long losing steak after winning 26 games which got them to the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament. There they lost a double overtime game against Vanderbilt. This season they posted the team's 1st consecutive 20 win year since the 1940s.

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USC Lost to Kansas State in the First Round

2008-03-23T20:04:00.002-07:00

Mach Madness hasn't been good to Kansas State who finished 3rd in the Big 12 and fell to an 11th seed after losing 6 of their last 9 games.

Kansas State advanced in the NCAA tournament, beating USC 80-67 in the opening round. The Wildcats scored 23 points and had 11 rebounds for the 27th double-double. Walker scored 17 in the first half and had a 3 pointer in the last few minutes. Pullen scored 11 points and had 5 assists. Anderson scored 10 points and had 8 rebounds helping the Wildcats to the top of the boards.

Mayo scored a few shots late in the game reaching 20 points. The Wildcats will move on to play Wisconsin or Cal State Fullerton in the second round. Walker missed most of the season last year due to a knee injury. However, this year he was there for the Wildcats after Beasley got 2 early fouls and spent almost half the first period on the bench. Walker accounted for almost half of Kansas State's points, scoring 6 of 8 from the field. He had a 3 for 3 at the foul line pushing the team to a 37-27 lead at the break.

Beasley played just 11 minutes in the first half scoring only 5 points. He kept bullying his way in, picking up 3 points. He made 4 shots while being fouled and hit the free throw every time to complete the only trey that existed before the 3 point line.

Mayo couldn't get Sutton off or the rest of the Wildcats' defenders off his back. The inside game fell apart when Davon Jefferson and Taj Gibson got up one foul after another trying to stop Beasley. Jefferson had 15 points and Gibson 10. Kansas State had a 44-27 rebounding lead, including 21 at the offensive end to set up 22 second chance points. The Trojans had 3 second chance points.

USC came in at the second half, pulling ahead for the first time since Mayo stole a pass from Clent Stewart, driving in for the lay-up but was fouled. The free throw gave the Trojans a 48-47 lead with 13:06 left on the clock. However, the Trojans' lead didn't last as Beasley drew the foul and made both free throws for the Wildcats putting Kansas State back in front. Pullen scored on a drive and Beasley followed with his 4th three point play of the game which pushed the margin to 54-50.

Walker hit a 3 from the corner scoring his 1st points of the 2nd half, making it 67-58 with less than five minutes left on the clock. Beasley finished off the Trojans with a 3 pointer that made it 72-60.

Kansas State finished third in the Big 12 and fell to an eleventh seed after losing 6 of their last 9 games going into the NCAA tournaments. They lost to Texas A&M in the conference tournament.

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Robbie Cowgill and Kyle Weaver both scored 14 points and Derrick Low got 11 for the Cougars. Washington State will be up against the winner of the No

2008-03-23T20:04:00.001-07:00

Mississippi Valley State scored the least amount of points in the tournament since the 1940s. The Delta Devils also set a tournament record for least amount of points in a 1st round game since the late 1990s.

UCLA won 70-29 against the Delta Devils in the NCAA tournament on Thursday. Trying for a third consecutive Final Four position, the Bruins advanced to a 2nd round West Region game against Texas A&M which was a 67-62 winner over BYU. UCLA's eleventh straight win was similar to their 34 point win over Belmont in 2006 and Charleston Southern in 1997.

The Delta Devils got only 26 points against Washington State of the Pac 10. Their 9 game winning streak ended in the first NCAA appearance since 1996. They only made 5 baskets in the second half, shooting 20% for the game. It wasn't a fair fight from the beginning. The Bruins had a 12-4 lead in the first 5 minutes. Cox scored the only points for the Devils in UCLA's 23-4 scoring spree that increased their lead to 35-8.

Love scored 8 points, including two 3 pointers for UCLA. Lorenzo Mata-Real got scored consecutive points. Love's third 3 point ended the half with the Bruins in the lead at 40-16. Mata-Real had 9 points and 9 rebounds and Russell Westbrook had 9 points and 7 assists. Everyone scored for the Bruins except for DeAndre Robinson.

The Delta Devils shot 8 of 36 in the half which was a season low against the Bruins. They were almost tie with UCLA in offensive rebounds. They ended up losing 19-6 on the defensive glass and missed all 9 of their 3 point attempts.

Love's hit Westbrook for a lay-up and Darren Collison scored a 3 pointer as the Bruins scored 13 points for a 53-19 lead. Love just missed his 21st double-double with nine rebounds which helped the Bruins get a season high 52 rebounds to 34 for the Delta Devils.

Keefe filled in for Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who was out due to injuries incurred during the Pac 10 tournament. Even though Mbah a Moute made himself available, the Bruins didn't need him.

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Indiana Adjusts with New Coach

2008-03-20T22:52:00.001-07:00

Despite losing former coach Kelvin Sampson, the Indiana Hoosiers bounce back to tackle the NCAA tournament head on.

Indiana forced Kelvin Sampson to resign after the NCAA uncovered major recruiting infractions, leaving the team clueless as to what to expect. It was unclear at that time as to what type of rotation coach Dan Dakich use. The team prepared for the first round match up with Arkansas in the East Regional despite the despite the situation they've had to deal with since Sampson left.

Coach Dakich has done well so far and it seems as if the team is working well with him also. Nevertheless, it was a big transition, given the fact that the Hoosiers had already played 26 games. Dakich being on Sampson's staff might have made things a little easier. Getting a new coach after 26 games would have been a difficult transition for any team but the players seemed to just get right into the swing of things.

Indiana got wins in Dakich's first 2 games but lost 3 of their last 4. Either way, they still feel that their chances are good in the NCAA Tournament. White, Indiana's second leading scorer behind Eric Gordon at 17.3 per game, is a senior and won't be back. Gordon is considered to be a valuable player for the team and will probably get a nice salary when he goes pro.

There is speculation that Indiana has prospects for coaching candidates, including Scott Skiles, to replace Dakich. Indiana may be in a different place next season. Even thought the team has had to endure a great deal of transition, they are confident about their chance to make history this season.

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March Madness Picks

2008-03-20T22:51:00.002-07:00

March Madness is here, the greatest tournament in sports. Bet smart by making the right picks this season.

The Baylor Bears were the last team to be called for a date to the Big Dance on Selection Sunday. However, they are the team most likely to put out. Two decades have past since they have seen any NCAA tournament action which will most likely inspire them to push ahead. They are still dealing with fallout from the scandal involving the murder of Patrick Dennehy by teammate Carlton Dotson a few years back. Trying to put that behind them, they'll be up against Purdue in the first round.

The Bears are the twelfth highest scoring team in the nation at 81.4 points per game and 3 pointers per game at 8.6 in the Big 12. They were 13-10 against the spread this year and were good on the road at 7-2. All things considering, the Bears have played well in one of the hardest conferences in college basketball with a few big wins on the road. If the Bears can spread the floor and shoot a good percentage, they could have an excellent chance to beat Purdue and move forward.

The Titans entered the NCAA tournament for the first time in 3 decades and are up against a team susceptible to the upset. Last season, Texas A&M Corpus Christi gave Wisconsin a tough first round game. Like Corpus Christi, California State Fullerton scored 82.6 points per game and will make it hard for the Badgers to come up with offense. The Titans won the Big West on account of excellent teamwork. If Fullerton may have the opportunity to pull a first round shocker in Nebraska.

The Arizona Wildcats are making their 24th consecutive season in the NCAA tournament qualifying them as a 10-seed. They made it through a difficulty season. Kevin O'Neill took over after Coach Lute Olson took a leave of absence. They ended up having one of the worst overall records of any tournament team. This may have been due to the fact that they played one of the hardest schedules of any team in the country.

The Patriots took the Colonial Athletic post season tournament to dance their way into March Madness. Mason finish 12-6 in the regular season behind VCU. If they wanted to repeat the mid-major madness of 2006, they know that they were going to have to win out in the conference tournament, which they ended up doing. Some people thought it was a fluke.

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Wise March Madness Bets

2008-03-20T22:51:00.001-07:00

Be smart about betting on NCAA college basketball this season by understanding the most sensible techniques.

The NCAA Basketball Tournament has begun and plenty of sports fans will be placing their bets. With the right statistics and regression analysis, you could do well. Gathering decades of statistics on tournament teams that have been compiled from game programs, sports bettors will run regression analyses on teams Performance Against Seed Expectations. Or you could figure the teams that have done better in the tournament than you would have expected them to.

Most of the winning teams have had a few important qualities. They are all seeded one through four and come from a Big Six Conference for example, Pac 10, SEC, ACC, Big 12, Big 10, Big East. In addition, they most likely went to last season's tournament and have a coach who has been to the tournament at least five times. Good team pics also score more than 77 points per game and win by an average of at least 10 points per game. Only four teams meet that criteria; North Carolina, Duke, Kansas ad Tennessee. Oddly enough, the UCLA Bruins aren't one of them. They only score about 75 points per game which has been dropping since the late 80s. However, some experts still think that they might be a safe bet.

Another strategy might be to Just pick the higher seed, depending on your bracket. It's always good to go with your instincts. Some people run statistical regressions looking for teams that have done well in the past or determine teams that are underrated relative to their seed.

Other things to keep in mind are teams that go into the tournament winning more than eight games in a row tend to underachieve. Also, teams that are more dominant in the front court in terms of scoring overachieve. Over the past 2 decades, the Pac 10 has been the worst performing conference so stay away from those teams. Others suggest not to pick a champion lower than a 4 seed or a final four team lower than a 6 seed. It's never a good idea to pick a bigger upset than a 12 over a 5 either. However, it is advisable to pick teams that shoot a lot of three pointers.

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Georgia to NCAA Tournament

2008-03-19T14:01:00.001-07:00

The future is looking good for the Georgia Bulldogs this season as they make their way into Round One of the Tournament.

Georgia is on their way to the NCAA tournaments for the first time in 6 years. Things started to turn around for the Bulldogs when they won the SEC tournament and an automatic bid. It was one of the most incredible events in college basketball this year.

After winning only 4 SEC games during the regular season, the Bulldogs matched that total during 4 days in Atlanta. The SEC drew up a new schedule that has Georgia playing a doubleheader Saturday. They ended up beating Kentucky for the first time ever in the conference tournament and again going to overtime. The Bulldogs had a short break and then returned 6 hours later to beat Mississippi State, which won the SEC West.

Georgia lucked out when Tennessee is eliminated in the semifinals. However, there’s still the possibility of Arkansas making their way to the NCAA championship game. The Bulldogs got a 19 point lead and won the conference tournament for the first time since 1983.

Georgia missed the NCAA tournament in 2003. The Bulldogs won 19 games that year and would have received a postseason bid but scandalous allegations started to surface late in the year. There was talk of Coach Jim Harrick’s son sending illegal payments to a player which ended up being really bad press for Georgia. Harrick got fired and the Bulldogs ended up on NCAA probation. After that, Dennis Felton was hired to get things in order. He inherited a big mess but, given the circumstances, he did an amazing job.

It was a struggle though. The Bulldogs only won 2 games in the SEC and bottomed out at 8-20 in Felton’s second year. They somehow managed to get 19 wins last year and played in the NIT which raised hopes of a breakthrough season. Running a tight ship, Felton booted two of his best players off the team for breaking team rules. One more player quit and 2 others were lost to injuries.

Georgia made it through a 13-16 regular season with only 8 scholarship players and came in last in the SEC East. Many believed that Felton’s next loss would be his last with the Bulldogs going into the conference tournament. However, their week in Atlanta change all of that.

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Get Your Brackets Ready for March Madness

2008-03-19T14:00:00.002-07:00

North Carolina earned the Number 1 seed in the East Regional of the 2008 NCAA men's college basketball tournament.

North Carolina got the overall Number 1 seed for justifiable reasons. Their tenacious offense is up and running again now that their point guard, Ty Lawson is back after suffering a previous injury.

Mike Green hasn't gotten a lot of airtime or national media coverage but he may be the most valuable guard in the nation. He has greatly helped Butler in scoring, assists and rebounding this season. The transfer from Towson was the MVP of the Horizon League and the conference tournament.

Tyler Hansbrough has shown incredible efficiency and tenacity this year for North Carolina. He gets his 20 points and 10 rebounds just about every game as well as his fair share of scoring. He is extremely valued by his teammates.

Chris Lofton's long range percentage may be lower this year but Tennessee has done very well and the he still makes the shots when he has to. He hit the trey with 11.4 seconds left to lift the Volunteers over South Carolina in the SEC Tournament. The all time conference leader in three-pointers must be on target for Tennessee to reach its first Final Four.

Washington State never earned consecutive invitations to the NCAA Tournament until this season. Kyle Weaver may not be well known on the East Coast but he scores, plays defense and is a great passer.

The Patriots have gained a national following over the past few years. A few of their players even have Final Four experience. They'll be playing against Notre Dame.

Saint Joseph has had an inconsistent year. They had 2 victories against Xavier and Villanova. Oklahoma's Number 6 seed seems a little high. The Hawk may not come through in the second round but with a good coach (Phil Martelli) and scorer (Pat Calathes), Oklahoma could go down sooner rather than later.

North Carolina has too much depth and firepower to be stopped short of Charlotte, where the Tar Heels will continue to enjoy the state's hospitality. However, this seems to be a good season for Tennessee, who will probably take advantage of Carolina's defense. UCLA may be more prepared than any other team this year. Most of the Bruins have 2 years of Final Four experience. It's reasonable to assume that UCLA will be able to handle Texas in one semifinal and Wisconsin will slow Tennessee down before the Bruins win it all. We'll see.

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St. Mary Could be This Year's Cinderella

2008-03-19T14:00:00.001-07:00

As the March Madness craze starts do get underway, all eyes are on the Gaels and St. Mary.

The Gaels were ranked in the high 20s most of last year and finished the season with a 25-6 record and an RPI of 39. Despite all of this, they will go into this season's dance and are ready to put up a good fight. The Gaels will play Miami who is short their senior center, Anthony King, due to an injury. This game will be followed by a showdown with second seeded Texas if the Gaels win.

St. Mary has a great shot at this year's NCAA tournament after achieving some impressive wins against Seton Hall, Drake and the Oregon Ducks. Even though the Longhorns have a good starting five highlighted, the depth behind them is average. Abrams and Augustin will probably be tired by the time they play St. Mary's. Unlike their opponents, St. Mary's doesn't have any exceptionally talented players. However, they do have a deep team with all 5 starters averaging at least 8 points per game.

The Gaels have a strong front line with Omar Samhan (center) and Diamon Simpson (forward ). Together, they have 24 points and 17 rebounds per game. They could take down a small Texas team with their presence on the low block.

Todd Golden is St. Mary's strong player. Even though he only averaged 7 points per game this season, his 3 point field goal percentage was at 45 percent. If Golden continues to play well, he'll be able to carry the weight for the Gaels in future games.

Coach Randy Bennet has led St. Mary to 2 of its 5 all time NCAA tournament bids within the last 4 years. His experience and leadership is invaluable to his team. Later this season, every college basketball fan will remember the Gaels, and for justifiable reasons.

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Tennessee Has a Rough Road to Final Four

2008-03-18T11:35:00.001-07:00

The Volunteers have their work cut out for them during March Madness but they're intent on making history.

The Tennessee Volunteers thought they'd have it easy going to the Final Four. The didn't draw the Number 1 seed in the NCAA tournament like they thought, rather sharing the Number 2 seed with North Carolina. The East is very strong and Carolina is the Number 1 seed in the tournament. That makes going to the Final Four even harder. The Volunteers have done a lot this year. Their 29 wins are the most they've wound in the history of the team. They haven't won a Southeastern Conference regular season title since 1967.
Earning a top seed in the NCAA tournament would greatly improve the team's chances of reaching the Final Four for the first time. Going into the SEC tournament as the 4th ranked team, the Volunteers knew that they might have to win the championship in order to position themselves for a top seed. However, they were upset by Arkansas 92-91 in the SEC semifinals which pushed them down a spot in the Associated Press poll to Number 5.

Not getting the Number 1 seed and their loss to Arkansas was a big blow for Tennessee. They face Number 15 seed American in Birmingham who won the Patriot Leage championship. If the Volunteers win that game, they'll play Buttler or South Alabama. Any of the first and second round match-ups could upset Tennessee. The Patriot League has gone 2-1 in the first round in the last three tournaments. Tennessee lost to Butler last season.

If the site of the first two games is a factor, Tennessee should be in good shape. They won two NCAA games in Birmingham in 2000, making one of their only 2 trips to the regional semifinals. Tom O'Connor, the NCAA selection committee chair said that the site was a factor in the committee's decision to place Tennessee in the East Region, which will hold its semifinals in Charlotte, North Carolina. The first 8 teams in the country were viewed as teams that could win the national championship. The committee tried to balance the top four lines in each region and having Tennessee in Charlotte made geographic sense.

If Tennessee reaches the regional semifinals, they could face a number of tough match-ups in a bracket that also includes Louisville and Washington State. They could make history if they reach the regional finals.

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Big Players in NCAA March Madness

2008-03-18T11:34:00.003-07:00

The Gators faught the good fight against the Bruins but have their work cut out for them against Ohio State.

The Florida Gators are in the NCAA finals again this season. They beat the UCLA Bruins in their Final Four match up, 76-66. The Gators shot 53% to UCLA’s 39% and from three-point land, hitting 40% to their opponent’s 22%. Even though UCLA shot a higher percentage from the free throw line, the Gators had 31 free throws to the Bruins’ 13 attempts and scored 19 free throw points which was 8 more than the Bruins.

Corey Brewer hit for 19 points, including going 4 for 5 from the 3 point mark. Al Horford and Joakim Noah both had 17 and 11 rebounds each. Lee Humphrey scored 14 points and Taurean Green scored 10 points and 3 assists. Chris Richard had 16 points and 4 rebounds.

The Gators blocked 6 shots and grabbed 46 rebounds to the Bruins’ 25. The biggest problem for the Gators were turnovers. They had the ball stolen from them 6 times and gave it up 16 times. They'll have a hard time making that up when they play against Ohio State. Even though the Gators are playing well this season, their biggest problem is in their ball handling. They don't not want to give the Buckeyes' more opportunities by handing the ball over to them. In addition, the Gators can't afford foul trouble given that they lack the reserve depth that Ohio State has.

The Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Georgetown Hoyas in their Final Four, 67 to 60 and covered the college basketball point spread. Ohio State hasn't made it to the finals for the NCAA basketball title since 1962. Now, they're taking on the reigning champions, the Gators. They beat the Hoyas by being more disciplined and committing 10 fouls to Georgetown’s 15, sending the Hoyas to the foul line only 8 times. Ohio State shot 19 frees and accumulated 13 points at the charity stripe to the Hoyas' 3.

Conley got 15 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds. Ron Lewis scored 9 points, going 7 of 8 from the free throw line. Jamar Butler had 4 assists and scored 10 points. Oden had 9 rebounds and scored 13 points. Ivan Harris had 7 rebounds and scored 9 points. The Buckeyes scored 11 points and 10 rebounds.

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Tigers Tackle March Madness Head On

2008-03-18T11:34:00.001-07:00

Despite tournament loss and the loss of key players, the Tigers find a way into the post season.

With a season record of 21-5 and an 11-3 conference record, the Tigers overcame their loss of four key players and the challenge of putting together a new team. Up until now, their season had been a success. The won the SCIAC regular season championship for the second consecutive season. However, the team started to lose hope after suffering a four point defeat to Claremont.

The NCAA has offered the Tigers a Pool C bid, allowing them and other teams a chance to make it into the national tournament. After winning the regular season SCIAC championship and then losing in the first round of the SCIAC tournament, it was disapointing. However, the NCAA has given them a second chance and by inviting them to the NCAA March Madness tournament. The team is extremely happy about that and plan on capitalizing on the opportunity. they also get a rematch against Pomona-Pitzer who beat them at home a few weeks ago.

This season's players have gone over and above everyone's expectations. Some of which have improved from previous seasons and contributed to wins this year include Sean Anderson, Huston Conti and Chris Pitcher. All three have made exceptional progress during the course of the year. The others have also but those 3 have excelled greatly.

Every player has played a different role in the team's success going towards the SCIAC championship. There is a definite synergy among teammates with each given 100 percent. Each player contributes in some way to make the team as good as it is.

After losing many valuable players, the team has bounced back better than expected and as a result, they have been able to compete and put themselves in a good position to win SCIAC. Luckily for them, they value the game more than the result, which is exactly why the future holds just as much promise as this season has shown.

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NCAA College Basketball News

2008-03-16T21:24:00.002-07:00

The Cardinals battle the Hoyas on their way to the March Madness games.

March Madness all comes down to one game for the Big East regular season championship. On March 8, Louisville plays the Georgetown Hoyas. Even though the Hoyas are 8-2 in their last 10, it’s the Cardinals that really seem to be making their way into March Madness. Louisville hasn't lost since a 69-67 game at Connecticut, thanks to their team-first attitude and a strong coach, Rick Pitino.

The Cardinals will have to beat Georgetown at the Verizon Center in D.C. which no other team has done this year. With some problems at the beginning of the season, including injuries and losses, many people were pessimistic about the Cardinals. However, they are 16-11-1 against the spread overall and 8-1-1 ATS this year.

Most of their success is because of Padgett’s inspired play. Padgett broke his knee earlier in the season and despite this injury, he returned after missing only 6 weeks. A lesser player would have missed a lot more than that with a broken knee cap. The Cardinals know that it’s Padgett’s leadership that made the difference in turning things around this season.

Padgett is averaging 11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2 assists on 22.7 minutes per game. He has also adopted Pitino’s team approach which has helped the Cardinals position themselves to win the Big East Championship. They were in last place in the conference at the beginning of the year and now they're tied for first which isn't usually how a team makes it to the championship.

The Hoyas' Roy Hibbert might be giving the Cardinals a run for their money. Between his size and the guidance from coach John Thompson's, he has redefined the Hoyas' defensive status. Hibbert averages 2.3 blocks per game. His team is the best in the nation in defensive field goal percentage and 4th in points allowed. Hibbert takes pride in defense and helping his teammates out by coming from the weak side and blocking shots. Hibbert has also improved his all around play and leads the Hoyas in both points and rebounds.

Thompson feels Hibbert has matured both professionally and personally this year. However, the Hoyas haven't been much of a bet so far, with just 11-14 ATS and 4-8 at home. Georgetown had two razor wire wins, one over Villanova and one over Marquette that could have gone the other way and sunk them in the standings.

Jonathan Wallace hit 2 free throws with a tie score and 1/10 of a second on the clock giving the Hoyas a 55-53 victory against the Wildcats. Wallace was fouled beyond the arc with 2.8 seconds left in the game against the Golden Egals. He made all 3 free throws, sending the game into overtime, where the Hoyas got a two-point win.

Both teams are 14-3 in conference play and are the top 5 defensive squads in the country. Georgetown is 14/1 to win the NCAA Basketball Championship. Louisville is 8/1. With Georgetown and Louisville being as close as they are, free throws could make the difference between a team going into the conference championship as the top seed. The Hoyas shoot .669, the Cardinals .659.

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March Madness Notes

2008-03-16T21:24:00.001-07:00

Experts question whether UCLA's luck is about to change going into the NCAA tournament.

UCLA didn't become the Number 2 team in the country on accident. The Bruins won 28 games this year beating Maryland, Michigan State, Michigan, Stanford, Washington State, Arizona, etc. They have key players in every position. Even though the Bruins have earned their ranking they've also had a lot of help. UCLA has rolled down the Pac 10 stretch, with 7 straight wins to leave Stanford in the dust. Although, some people think they may have gotten lucky their last 3 games.

The Bruins knew senior night on a Pac 10 rival floor would be hard to win. It was made even harder when Lute Olson came to honor Arizona's seniors for their final home game. The Bruins almost blew a 67-63 lead with less than 50 seconds but then started to get lucky. Jerryd Bayless only connected on 1 out of 2 free throws late. After they batted the rebound out of bounds, Arizona had a chance to win or tie but Bayless missed the buzzer shot and the Bruins walked away with the W.

The zebra led the Bruins out of harms way, forcing an overtime session where UCLA went on a 14-4 run to beat the Cardinal 77-67. They were in trouble for most of the game. The Lopez twins were all over Love and the Bruins ended up with a season low 18 points in the first half. However, Thanks to coach Ben Howland's ability to make halftime adjustments, they ended up with a 45 point second frame.

Josh Shipp’s shot with 1.5 seconds left gave the Bruins an 81-80 victory over Cal. However, it was questionable as to whether or not the shot should have counted. Shipp's jumper appeared to come from behind the backboard which would have been in direct violation of NCAA rules which states that the ball should be out of bounds when it passes over the backboard from any direction. Despite requests from an angry Cal coach Ben Braun, Dave Libbey said that the play was very close and not reviewable. Cal forward Ryan Anderson was mugged by Westbrook and Shipp with 17 seconds left which forced a turnover that gave Shipp a chance to win the game.

The real question going into March Madness isn't whether or not the Bruins are getting calls, it's how long it will last. Things always seem to have a way of evening things out in the end.

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Betting on March Madness

2008-03-16T21:23:00.001-07:00

Some powerful college basketball teams may not be able to work their way into the NCAA tournament.

Schools like Kentucky, Florida, Arizona, Maryland, Syracuse have all won NCAA tournament titles in the past decade. People who bet on College basketball know that these teams have plenty of talent. They have the ability to get on unexpected rolls but they can also burn out fast the way Seton Hall did 2 years ago after losing by 20 points to Wichita State after coming in as a potential Cinderella 10 seed from the Big East. Experienced sportsbook enthusiasts don't bet on teams like these. Experts say that the following teams are most likely to make it to March Madness.

In December, the Wildcats were 7-9. Since then, they've had 11 wins in 13 games. They're hoping that will be enough to get them into the tournament. The Wildcats are most capable of putting up a good fight because they're playing like they belong in the tournament and have been consistent. They beat Tennessee twice and Vanderbilt once. After losing 4 games in December, they've dropped back to back games only once. If they don't get upset in the SEC tourney, they should make it to the tournament.

The Gators have won back to back championships but lost some top players after last year's title run and are expected to be in the bottom of the SEC this season. They're 1-7 against opponents with an RPI rating in the top 50 which might be the key figure heading into Selection Sunday. Their loss to Kentucky reduces their chances of an at large bid. Unless they have a good run in the conference tournament, the Gators won't be an option to three-peat when sports betters fill out their March Madness bracket.

Arizona has lost to UCLA, USC, Washington State and Stanford, all of which are headed for the NCAA tournament. If the Wildcats don't make the tournament, it will end a great run of 23 straight years in the Big Dance. A strong presence in the Pac-10 tournament will probably get the Wildcats in.

The Maryland Terrapins have been extremely inconsistent. After beating North Carolina earlier this year, they won four games their after. Then, they lost 3 games. In addition, they didn't cover the point spread in their last 3 home games. You can trust Gary Williams' team to make you money about as much as you can bank on a Wall Street broker these days. It's reasonable to assume that they won't be making it to the tournament.

Syracuse Orange began the year on a good note because of some talented freshmen recruits. Johnny Flynn and Donte Greene played well but not as good as Carmelo Anthony did in his first year. They lost 5 of their last 8 games. Between injuries and loses, their bubble will likely burst for the second straight year.

The Orange's March Madness odds are at 100/1. However, after upsetting Marquette, there may still be hope because Syracuse is usually a tough out in the conference tournament at Madison Square Garden. A run to the Big East final could put Orange in the position to get in as a 9 or 10 seed.

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March Madness Prospects

2008-03-13T18:31:00.002-07:00

The top half of the Eastern region contains 4 teams, North Carolina, Texas, Marquette and Michigan State, all of which have reached the Final Four since 2003. Two other teams, Arkansas and Georgetown, have won National Championships in the course of the last 25 years.

North Carolina is a favorite among sports fans in the East region. However, a 2nd round match up against the Marquette Michigan State winner and a possible 3rd round match up against Texas could eliminate Roy Williams' chance of a 2nd title in 3 years.

It might be easier for the Georgetown Hoyas to get to the Elite Eight. Princeton offense, John Thompson, keeps the Hoyas shooting percentages high and their opponents' point totals low by passing the ball around the perimeter and running the clock down. The Hoyas also have Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green on their side.

Georgetown won the East regular season and Tournament and will enter the NCAA field winners of 15 of their last 16 games. Eight of those games were against teams that are in the NCAA Tournament. The Hoyas will be competing against the winner of Texas Tech-Boston College.

USC will play against Arkansas in what could possibly be the best first round game of the tournament. USC took the college basketball season by storm this season signing O.J. Mayo, opening a brand new arena and finishing a tie for 3rd in the Pac-10.

The Cougars, who beat Kansas at Phog allen Field House last December, won 3 times against Washington. The Trojans had 2 losses to rival UCLA by 6 points. They'll play against an Arkansas team who got into one of the lasts spots in the field by making the Southeastern Conference Tournament finals. Georgetown will most likely win the East region and go to the Georgia Dome as one of the four best teams in college basketball.

The Western region of this year's NCAA Tournament could be an interesting first rounds. Virginia Commonwealth University will play against Duke who lost 3 of their last four games coming into the big dance. They are definitely not playing their best basketball this year so far. Virginia Commonwealth University seems to be much more experienced and might be able to pull off a first round upset and send the Blue Devils.

Virginia Tech lost the last two games of their regular season and to North Carolina State in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament last weekend. It is questionable at this point as to whether or not Virginia Tech can get themselves into the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight?

Pittsburgh has also been underperforming in the NCAA tourney. If their opponents can put Aaron Gray into foul trouble early like Georgetown did in the Big East final last weekend, then any of the teams have a chance of beating the Panthers.

Kentucky lost to UCLA and Florida, but you never know if they can pull it together under the pressure. With the possibility of Tubby Smith losing his job, the Wildcats might find a way to win a few games.

Kansas had a good season winning the Southeastern Conference Tournament against Kevin Durant, but look it might night last by the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight if they're up against Virginia Tech or UCLA. Kansas is young with all four of its top scorers listed as underclassmen and that alone will be hard to overcome.

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March Madness, a Time for Sports Fans and Wagers

2008-03-13T18:31:00.001-07:00

The famous basketball tournaments started small and then grew to a huge sporting event that millions of sports fans across the country wait anxiously for each year.

Sports fans young and old enjoy betting on college basketball during March Madness. Everyone has a bracket and their predictions for each of the 63 games. March Madness got as huge as it is because of sports wagering. The NCAA Men's Basketball Championship owes its popularity to the basketball pool. Every sports news publication and website is flooded with NCAA information and a copy of the 65 team bracket. In the month of March, millions of sports fans will talk about who to put in the Sweet 16 and what the outcomes will be. Employees across the country will be gathering around the watering hole, talking about their picks and brackets.

However, the tournament hasn't always been this intense. In fact, March Madness did not originate around the press or the publicity of the multimillion dollar sports industry. In 1939, the NCAA started a postseason tournament for teams with conference affiliation. Schools such as Notre Dame, Marquette and Temple were unable to secure bids into the NCAA because of their independent status. Instead, these schools played in the National Invitational Tournament which was the NCAA's postseason rival that started the year before.

The NIT was created by New York City's five colleges to showcase East Coast basketball. It was played at Madison Square Gardens. The NCAA changed its rules in the '50s and allowing more conferences to participate in the tournament, creating at large bids for schools not affiliated with a conference. The bracket grew from 8 teams to 16 teams in 1951 and eventually 24 teams by the following year. In the '70s, forty teams were invited each March, and in the '80s the NCAA had 64 teams, a full 4 region bracket with sixteen teams each.

More popularity came with the increase in teams. UCLA was in the spotlight under the tutelage of John Wooden when the Final Four began to be played in larger stadiums. The games got even more coverage when NBC broadcasted the Final Four to a national television audience in the '60s. Larry Bird, faced off against Magic Johnson in the national championship game in 1979. Magic Johnson's team, Michigan State Spartans, won the title that year in a game that ended up being the most viewed college basketball game in television history. This game brought millions of new college basketball fans to the sport.

During the past 25 years, equality has hit the NCAA Tournament, altering the results. The top seeds fight it out from the first round to the last to get to the Final Four. Today, March Madness is the most popular ring of sporting events next to the Super Bowl. As we get closer to the Conference Tournaments and the First Round, sports fans will be making their picks to place their bets on their favorite teams.

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March Madness, Get in the Action

2008-03-13T18:30:00.001-07:00

The story about how the famous NCAA tournaments got their name and how it became a favorite time for wagering.

With Spring around the corner, the NCAA men's basketball tournament known as "March Madness" is almost ready to kick off. March Madness has its origins in Illinois where the statewide high school basketball tournament began in the early 1900s. Around that time, an Illinois High School Association official named Henry V. Porter wrote an article for the their newspaper about the tournaments entitled, "March Madness" and the name stuck. A famous line from the article contributed to the slogan, "A little March madness may complement and contribute to sanity and help keep society on an even keel".

March Madness was used in reference to Illinois high school ball until the 1980s when a CBS broadcaster named Brent Musburger used it during NCAA tournament coverage. The Illinois High School Association decided to trademark the saying by the late '80s. In the mid '90s, the Illinois High School Association sued the NCAA from distributing a CD-ROM game with the March Madness title. Both sides agreed to form a joint holding company called the March Madness Athletic Association. The Illinois High School Association has rights to the name on the high school level and the NCAA holds a license to use the phrase for the college tournaments.

At one point in the '80s, CBS began referring to the 3rd round of the tournament as "Sweet 16" when the tournament expanded to 64 teams. However, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association had a trademark on this term that they used in reference to their annual championship tournament. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association decided to negotiate with the NCAA by sharing the phrase. The NCAA owns the trademark for "Elite Eight". Even though the origin of the phrase, "Final Four" has been debated, it is believed that the term was coined by a Cleveland sports writer named Ed Chay.

In addition to being one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year, March Madness has become a favorite among those interested in wagering on the tournaments. Sportsbooks all over the country are eager to accept bets on the games which seems to make it even more exciting for the sports fans. For sports enthusiasts interested in betting on March Madness, below are some important dates to remember for the 2008 tournaments:

March 7 through March 13 - NCAA Conference Tournaments

March 20 and March 21 - March Madness begins

March 22 and March 23 - Second Round

March 27 and March 28- Regionals / Sweet 16

March 29 and March 30 - Elite 8

April 5 - Final Four

April 7 - Championship Game

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It's Do or Die for the New York Islanders

2008-03-11T15:08:00.002-07:00

The Islanders recognize that they could lose their shot at the playoffs if they lose to the Rangers.

With the Islanders being 5 points away from a playoff spot, their game against the Rangers isn't going to be easy. Their whole season could be over if they have a bad week. Islanders Coach, Ted Nolan says that he's not concentrating on anything other than winning one game at a time.

The Islanders recently set an NHL record with 53 wasted shots, without even winning the game when they lost to the Panthers, 1-0. After the game, Nolan went easy on his team and encouraged them to just work harder. He was also sarcastic when he said that maybe one of these days the puck might hit someone and go in. Nolan has faith in his team and feels they'll do better in the future. At this late stage of the season, the Islanders have to keep from being too desperate to the point where they start making mistakes.

Both Make Comrie and Sean Bergenheim have played well the second half of the season. The rest of the Islanders just need hold their ground knowing that its do or die when it comes to the Rangers. On another note, Goalie Rick DiPietro, was scheduled to rejoin the team after taking some time off due to a death in the family. The team is also taking it one day at a time in determining the return of Defenseman, Bruno Gervais after he endured a concussion.

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Knicks Lose to Hornets, 100-88

2008-03-11T15:08:00.001-07:00

With the Knicks losing another game, Basketball fans wonder if MSG made a mistake by extending Isiah Thomas' contract.

The Knicks were defeated by the New Orleans Hornets at Madison Square Garden, 100-88. The team is in the middle of a 4 game home stand and Isiah Thomas' contract is coming to an end. Some people wonder if Madison Square Garden chairman, James Dolan, made a mistake by extending his contract. His decision to extend Thomas' contract has been scrutinized throughout the NBA.

The Knicks' losing streak comes at a bad time now that Stephon Marbury has been in the controversial spotlight. Even though Thomas told the press that Marbury would be attending the game, he didn't. As usual, Thomas wouldn't talk about the situation and didn't answer questions as to whether or not Marbury would be fined for not appearing. Lately, Thomas' most common response to questions about Marbury has been to ask him.

Even the Senior Vice President of MSG, Barry Watkin refused to comment on the matter. James Dolan doesn't seem to be willing to offer his opinion to the press either. Now the word on the street is that Marbury wants to leave the Knicks.

During the game, Jamal Crawford hit two free throws with 3:33 on the clock. However, New Orleans scored the last 10 points. Chris Paul scored 5 of them and played an important role in setting up his teammates for the other 5. The Knicks only got 15 points in the 4th quarter. David West got 19 points and 8 rebounds and Chandler had 15 points and 18 rebounds for the Hornets. Curry had 19 points and 8 rebounds, Crawford had 20 points and 6 assists and Nate Robinson had 17 points for the Knicks.

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Hockey, NHL, Islanders, sports, sports news, sportsbook, sports book, Rangers, New York

2008-03-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Yankees' second baseman, Robinson Cano has accomplished a lot so far in his short career and his future looks even better.

The Yankees have been valuing their teammate, Robinson Cano, and think he's capable of doing just about anything on the baseball field. There has even been talk of him being an MVP candidate. Despite a rough first half, he batted .306 with 19 home runs and 97 RBIs. He's also gained the confidence of manager, Joe Girardi, who's had Cano hit in the number 3 slot in spring training. Girardi thinks there's no play he can't make or ball he can't hit.

The Yankees signed Cano to a long-term, pre-arbitration contract this season. They don't necessarily need him to hit in the middle of the order. With all of their offensive stars on the team, he can move down the lineup without attracting too much attention.

Cano is a little more experienced than Joba Chamberlain, Shelley Duncan and Melky Cabrera, all though he has a thing or two to learn from Mariano Rivera. When Hideki Matsui, Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi's contracts are up, the Yankees might consider him to be even more important. Cano hopes to improve his game in the future. He's already improved his defense from 2005 to 2006 and had shown better plate discipline last season by increasing his walks from 18 to 39. He hit .274 and .343 last year and his on-base batting percentage increased 200 points in the second half.

Getting off to a slow start last season made Cano work extra hard this season in an effort to prove that he can do better. He's 9 for 9 in Grapefruit League games which shows that his determination is paying off. Although, he probably needs the most help in the power of his swing with his home runs lagging a bit. Cano knows there's room for improvement and is working toward achieving his performance goals.

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Nigel Dawes Wants to Stay With Rangers

2008-03-09T21:27:00.001-07:00

Dawes is happy to be with the New York Rangers and enjoys playing strategically with his teammates.

Nigel Dawes is determined to stick it out with the Rangers this time and find his spot with Brendan Shanahan and Scott Gomez. In his last 24 games, Dawes had 6 goals and 12 assists. He may be fast but his passing and play making are underrated. For example, the pass he made to spring Shanahan for the opening goal 1:29 into the Ranger's 4-1 win against the Islanders. Dawes spotted Shanahan at the Islanders' line and shot a tape to tape pass to set up the goal.

Rangers Coach, Tom Renney, knows that Shanahan can close the deal with two other players setting him up, forming an extremely effective trio. Dawes started playing junior hockey in 2001 when he moved to Kootenay, British Columbia. He scored 159 goals in four junior seasons, then had 35 during his first full year in the pros at Hartford. When playing against Buffalow, Dawes had 2 passes right on Shanahan's stick in the slot. At that game, Dawes showed the courage and skill the Rangers knew he had. Even though he's not happy about traveling back and forth, he enjoys playing with the Rangers and hopes to stick around.

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Girardi Finds Excessive Roughness Unacceptable

2008-03-09T21:26:00.002-07:00

Elliot Johnson (Tampa Bay Rays) collides with catcher Francisco Cervelli (New York Yankees) at home plate while trying to score during the 9th inning of a spring training game, breaking his wrist.

Elliot Johnson, a Tampa Bay Rays player, crashed into Francisco Cervelli in the 9th inning, fracturing his wrist. Already dealing with the team's share of injuries, Yankees Manager, Joe Girardi was furious, saying that the move was unnecessary. Cervelli said that he didn't believe the play was dirty and feels it's just part of the game. Girardi wasn't as forgiving about the incident and said that he would expect that sort of rough housing during the season but not at Spring Training. Rays manager Joe Maddon brushed off the incident, citing that it's all part of the game. Cervelli just returned from breaking his right hand in winter ball.

Elliot Johnson reportedly got several compliments from his teammates on the play and said he'd do it again if given the chance. Johnson says that even though he's not out to hurt anyone, he's main focus is to score the run. Johnson said that he hopes Cervelli is ok and doesn't lose his position on the team because of the incident. Even though Johnson doesn't admit to any wrongdoing, he indicated to reporters that he could understand Girardi's point of view about it being inappropriate to crash into a catcher during spring training.

Even though Girardi understands that the teams play aggressively but discourages that sort of conduct if done excessively. The Rays had a similar incident when Carl Crawford slammed into Astros catcher Humberto Quintero, forcing him to drop the ball. Astros Manager, Cecil Cooper didn't seem to have a problem with the incident and said that his team would have done the same thing.

Cervelli is considered a top defensive catching prospect. The Yankees signed him out of Venezuela in 2003. He hit .279 for Tampa last season and was ticketed for Double-A Trenton. It's unknown if his condition warrants surgery at this point and it is unclear as to how long he'll be out of commission.

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Knicks Struggle Against Trail Blazers

2008-03-09T21:26:00.001-07:00

Despite the absence of 3 important players due to injuries, the Knicks proceeded against the Trail Blazers in yesterday's game. Unfortunately, they lost in overtime, 120-114.

Even though Robinson scored 45 points, without Jamal, Zach and Curry, the Knicks had it rough against the Trail Blazers. Down 14 in the first quarter, the Knicks attempted a comeback all night. Nate Robinson scored a career-high 45 points with 6 assists in 52:15. He was 16 for 28 from the floor and 11 for 13 from the foul line when he scored 22 points in the second quarter. With 2.3 seconds left, he hit a driving lay up, forcing overtime. However, Brandon Roy scored 8 of his 27 points in overtime for Portland.

The Blazers shot 6 for 10 in overtime and the Knicks just couldn't keep up. Robinson brought the Knicks within 103-102 with a drive and lay up with 1:16 left. After Steve Blake scored for Portland, Fred Jones scored on a goaltending call with 18.9 seconds left to make it 105-104. Then Jarrett Jack hit two free throws with 14.3 seconds left for the Blazers. Robinson scored on a drive with 9.3 seconds left and James Jones split two foul shots with 8.1 seconds left giving Portland a 108-106 lead.

The Knicks played without Jamal Crawford who was recovering from bruised right hand during the game against Detroit. He had an MRI after that game that was negative and expects to be back for the game in Dallas. Also injured, Zach Randolph missed his 4th straight game with a bruised right foot. Randolph is also expected to be back in the game shortly. Coach Thomas reported that Crawford would be out but did not discuss Curry's injury. Curry most likely won't be playing against Dallas but might join the team in time for Wednesday's game in Miami.

Even though the Knicks were lacking key players, they still fought the good fight, as they have in every game.

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Chandler and Morris Working Hard for the Knicks

2008-03-07T20:56:00.003-08:00

Seeing more action in recent games, Wilson Chandler loses notoriety in the shadow of Lebron James' star performance.

Wilson Chandler played more Wednesday night than he has all season, scoring 11 points for the Knicks' against Cleveland where they lost 119-105. Chandler spent most of his time trying to guard LeBron James so that he could score 50 points that night at Madison Square Garden In addition, James added 10 assists, 8 rebounds and 4 steals in what turned out to be one of his best performances yet.

Even though it was James doing all the work, Chandler was just thrilled to be on the court. Chandler was a college star for two seasons before becoming eligible for the 2007 draft. Appearing in only 15 games, he's been somewhat frustrated spending a lot of time on the bench.

The Knicks have Randolph Morris on the court a little more too, appearing in 3 games before playing his season-high 12 minutes against the Cavs. Coach Isiah Thomas says that the increased playing time for both players is based on merit. Although, maybe he's just giving the younger players a chance toward the end of another lost season.

Thomas has said that the two players have worked extremely hard in practice and have earned their game time. Chandler played well Wednesday, shooting 4-for-9 and contributing 5 rebounds. Unfortunately his efforts were shadowed by James having an amazingly good game. However, Chandler's physical approach to James was noted. James is known for overwhelming his opponent with his athleticism. Even though Chandler might not have necessarily been overwhelmed by James' athleticism that night, his ability to shoot was noticeable.

Chandler know that he has to prove himself the rest of the season but is looking forward to the opportunity. He's happy just being able to play at Madison Square Garden which he recognizes as an experience of a lifetime.

On another note, Randolph will probably miss a 4th straight game against Detroit because of a sore right foot, even though he said he felt ready to play after Wednesday's shoot around. It just seems as if it's not healing as fast as he thought it would.

As usual, Thomas is avoiding questions about Stephon Marbury although the tune seems to be changing about Marbury staying with the team.

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Farnsworth is Glad Torre's Out

2008-03-07T20:56:00.001-08:00

Despite poor results in his recent past, Farnsworth is hoping to turn things around under the supervision of Joe Girardi

Kyle Farnsworth is happy about Joe Girardi replacing Joe Torre after feeling as if Torre lost faith in him in 2007. Farnsworth remembers throwing a scoreless inning with one walk, one strikeout in the Yankees' 12-8 exhibition loss to the Reds.

Farnsworth wasn't happy with the way the Yankees handled things last year because he wasn't asked if he could pitch on consecutive days or in the middle of an inning. Although it seemed apparent that he seemed to play better the more rest he got. This showed last year with 2.70 ERA on two days' rest, 5.47 with one, 7.11 with none. He would have numerous physical ailments making him unable to be in the game. When Joba Chamberlain came into the picture in September it made Farnsworth seem almost unnecessary.

Some might even say that Farnsworth became an over paid middle man. He was 2-1 with a 4.80 ERA in 2007 and his strikeouts dropped from 10.8 per nine innings in 2006 to 7.2. Even though Farnsworth is in his last year of a 3 year, $17 million free agent contract, the Yankees have decided not to try to trade him. General manager Brian Cashman has said that he's glad he didn't move Farnsworth at last year's trade deadline.

The Yankees are hoping that Girardi and new pitching coach Dave Eiland can help Farnsworth find the consistency that he lost over the course of the past 2 years. It's the lack of results that has made Farnsworth one of the least popular Yankees. Farnsworth feels he can make a fair turnaround, especially with Girardi's help. Farnsworth is comfortable working with Girardi since they worked together in the past with the Cubs.

Girardi has attempted to figure out what makes Farnsworth tick like he did in the past during his second season. With Girardi taking Farnsworth under his wing, he might just have a shot at turning things around. Eiland has also been working with him using a more technological approach by watching videos of him pitching and suggesting that he change the way he breaks his hands. They've been focusing on him letting go of the ball earlier, giving his arm the opportunity to catch up with the rest of his body instead of having it lag behind. Girardi thinks Farnsworth has a lot to offer and feels he can be successful this year.

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Will the Rangers Make it to the Stanley Cup?

2008-03-07T20:55:00.000-08:00

Despite a rough season, the Rangers may be primed for their shot at the Stanley Cup if they play their cards right.

Hockey season is here and the playoffs right around the corner, people are wondering if the Rangers could be next in line to win the Stanley Cup this year. They beat the Islanders, 4-1 and the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island and have earned at least one point in each of the past 11 games (8-0-3). They're also alone in 6th place in the Eastern Conference and with 79 points, they're only 4 points away from 1st place. Brendan Shanahan, who scored a goal at 1:29 of the first period, is pretty confident that they'll get there. Some hockey fans think that the Rangers have a good chance with no one else in the Eastern Conference.

Chris Drury is one of the best clutch players of his era. With him on the 3rd line the have just as good a shot as any other team. Not to mention goalie Henrik Lundqvist who was outstanding in the first period of the game against the Islanders. They've got some great players that create a powerful force.

Some might think that it's better to be in first place in the conference at the end of the season than at the start of the season. Avery's goal at 13:25 of the first period proved to be more than the Islanders could handle even though he missed a wide open net just before that. A team can't win the Stanley Cup too early in the season but they're feeling good about the way things are turning out. Coash Tom Renney is confident about his teams prospects and feels the Rangers will end up on top in the end.

The Rangers' downfalls are that Lundqvist has been inconsistent, they don't have good enough defense men and they've had their share of bad performance games. Renney feels that his players could try a little harder at times. He says that sometimes when a team does something out of their realm, they leave themselves vulnerable. However, he also believes that the Rangers have the goalie they need to protect them. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the hockey season pans out.

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LeBron Scores Big for Knicks at MSG

2008-03-06T19:21:00.003-08:00

Even though morale is low among the Knicks because of the nonsense involving Stephon Marbury, LeBron James pulled through and scored 50 points.

MVP candidate and the NBA's leading player, LeBron James, scored 50 points last night at Madison Square Garden in a 119-105 win over the Knicks. The Knicks trailed 99-98 when James went on a tear in the final 3:51, hitting four three-pointers. His 50th point came with 1:04 left in the game. James made 16 of 30 shots, including 7 of 13 threes, and 11 of 16 from the line, along with 10 assists and 4 steals. It was his fifth 50-point game and his second this year. He received a standing ovation for his efforts and said it was a great honor to get one in the greatest basketball arena in the world.

Even though it was LeBron's time to shine, the spotlights still seemed to be on Stephon Marbury. Lebron James reportedly feels that Marbury constantly puts himself in front of the team, which is extremely disheartening for the Knicks. The team doesn't foresee the situation with Marbury getting better any time soon either.

It's still unclear as to whether or not Marbury was banned from Madison Square Garden because of his ankle surgery or because of unexcused absences. Isiah Thomas doesn't seem to be too quick to answer any questions regarding Marbury so it's still a mystery. It's even unclear as to whether or not Marbury even wants to stay with the Knicks because of the discrepancies in his statements. Marbury's teammates are beginning to feel that he cares more about himself than the team. This could be an extremely toxic notion among players.

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Injuries Plague the Mets at Spring Training

2008-03-06T19:21:00.001-08:00

With more injured teammates than healthy ones, the Mets struggle through spring training but feel they will have enough time to recover and go into opening day in good form.

Despite the many injuries that have plagued the Mets so far during spring training, they remain hopeful that they will be at their full potential by Opening Day. However, that may no longer be possible after finding out that Moises Alou is scheduled for hernia surgery will be out of commission the next 4 to 6 weeks.

Out of all the their recent problems, this one hurts the most. As a result General Manager Omar Minaya may have to seek help with a possible trade. Minaya knew that productivity would be limited due to Alou's situation. Last year, Alou batted .341 even though he only appeared in 87 games. He's not off to a good start this year which doesn't say much for his $8.5-million salary.

Minaya still feels confident in his decision to trade Lastings Milledge and Carlos Gomez for Alou. Now the Mets need a good right hand banner with all of their lefties. Their only options are Angel Pagan and Brady Clark who were originally considered to be back-ups in the best case scenario.

Alou was sent back to New York because he was experiencing discomfort in his right groin area after the game on Monday. With all of these injuries occurring at the same time, it will take a lot for the Mets to be successful this year. Minaya hope to overcome the challenges that his team has been faced with and move forward.

This may be wishful thinking for Minaya considering that the beginning of the baseball season is approaching soon and the fact that there are more injured players than there are healthy ones. This puts them in an extremely disparate situation. At the moment, only David Wright, Jose Reyes and Ramon Castro are in good shape.

The Mets are already on the hook for $140 million this season and they won't be beating many division rivals if they have to resort to aging New Orleans Zephyrs and other teams' rejects, even with Johan Santana. Santana somehow pitched a good game yesterday with a three-inning, four-strikeout performance in a 3-2 win over the Dodgers at Tradition Field. Santana says he's fine and that he's where he's supposed to be.

Unfortunately, things aren't looking as well for most of his other teammates who are spending most of their time in the hospital or at home. Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo, Damion Easley, Endy Chavez and Jose Valentin haven't appeared in any of the 8 games.

Alou and Carlos Delgado might just be showing their age. Alou, who is now 41, missed 2.5 months last year with a strained quadriceps muscle. His hernia is just the latest injury setback for him in a career filled with injuries. Delgado's hip complications might require him to receive many injections just to get him to a point where he can play. Catcher Brian Schneider has only made one start because of a strained hamstring. Ryan Church is recovering from a concussion after Saturday's collision with Marlon Anderson, who has a bruised sternum. Ruben Gotay has a badly sprained ankle. What a mess. Manager Willie Randolph is still optimistic and thinks that his team has enough time to recover and get back into the game.

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Yankees Pitcher Gives Up Home Run to Twins

2008-03-06T19:20:00.001-08:00

Joba Chamberlain pitched a home run hit to Twins batter Garrett Jones in spring training yesterday and Ian Kennedy gave it up to Delmon Young.

Garrett Jones hit the ball into the right field bleachers for a 2-run home run at yesterday's Twins-Yankees game. His home run was surprising considering the fact that Joba Chamberlain was pitching. Then again, this is spring training and Chamberlain wasn't throwing his usual 100 mile per hour pitches. Chamberlain allowed the 2 runs in 2 innings in the Yankees' 7-5 loss which is their first defeat in 5 spring games. Chamberlain didn't seem too concerned given the fact that it's just spring training.

On Tuesday, the Yankees renewed Chamberlain's contract for the major-league minimum which is $390,000. That might seem like a lot of money to some people but it's peanuts to most professional athletes. It actually might seem like a lot to Chamberlain, too since he claims that he doesn't play the game for money. He claims he plays because he loves the game and that the money is just a bonus.

Chamberlain wasn't the only one to give it up at the spring outing yesterday. Ian Kennedy allowed a long home run to center field by Delmon Young. Kennedy didn't seem to be too disappointed with his outing even though Young hit his fastball that started outside and tailed back over the middle.

Analyzing the outings, Yankees Manager, Joe Girardi said that neither of his right handers were that sharp during the game. A realistic Girardi knows that no one is perfect and chalked it up to a learning experience.

The Yankees, their fans and even Hank Steinbrenner are going to have to be patient at times. Otherwise, every screw up by Chamberlain, Kennedy and Phil Hughes could have Steinbrenner complaining to General Manager Brian Cashman about the decision to trade Johan Santana.

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Bad Blood Between the Knicks and Stephon Marbury Continues

2008-03-05T13:43:00.001-08:00

Tension rises as personalities clash between Marbury and the rest of the team. His ankle injury isn't helping the situation.

This basketball season has been extremely heated and controversial for the Knicks so far concerning Stephon Marbury and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Marbury didn't show up at Madison Square Garden last night despite orders from coach Isiah Thomas to attend and address reporters about whether he had been banned from home games. There's even word that the NBA Players Association might have to get involved.

Marbury hasn't able to play because of complications with his left ankle and hasn't attended a home game since his surgery. Some people think that the team has ordered him to stay away from the Madison Square Garden because he's such a distraction to them.

Even though Thomas has insinuated that Marbury's days are numbered, the Knicks' training staff has been instructed to work on his ankle in order to get him back in the game before the end of the season. Although, the recovery time for his kind of surgery would make that impossible. The word on the street is that Marbury wants out of the Knicks.

The players association said that if the Knicks don't want Marbury on the team, they should either buy out his contract or trade him to another team. Pressure from the union could help Marbury's chances of receiving a buyout. However, if it's confirmed that Marbury has been ordered not to attend home games, it would be damaging to his reputation and minimizes his chances of playing with another team.

Thomas walked out of a pregame media session, refusing to answer questions about Marbury's status. Madison Square Garden's Senior Vice President of Communications also had no comment. Marbury is being pretty closed-mouthed about the situation. Madison Square Garden's edict forbids him from talking to the media. The National Basketball League probably won't interfere because policies regarding media availability for injured players are nebulous. It's unclear whether forbidding a player to attend home games violates any rules.

Things started going down hill for the Knicks when Marbury left the team in Phoenix and flew to New York when Thomas told him he was losing his starting job. After that, the Knicks lost again but this time to the Suns. When Marbury came back to play against the Clippers in LA, Thomas disregarded the team's vote to not let him play. Marbury ended up being docked one game check which is about $180,000. The players association appealed the fine but it's not likely to be heard until after the season is over.

The fact is, even his teammates have lost patience with Marbury and it's creating tension all around. Burdened by the result of an 18-42 season, the Knicks are disgusted that everything still revolves around Marbury.

by Dan Johnson, staff writer for i-Sportsbook.com and CasinoUnreal.com

Green Bay Packers' Brett Favre Retires

2008-03-05T13:42:00.001-08:00

Favre calls it quits after a long run of record breaking accomplishments, leaving his fans and teammates stunned over his decision to retire.

After considering retirement for years, Brett Favre finally calls it quits. The Green Bay Packers quarterback announced his retirement after 17 eventful seasons. Favre told ESPN that he's just too tired mentally. This came as a surprise considering his accomplishments including setting several football records. Favre announced his decision Monday night.

Ted Thompson, the General Manager for the Green Bay Packers, thanked Favre for his 16 committed years with the team and commented on his legendary accomplishments. It's not yet known when Favre will be addressing the media about his retirement.

Favre led the Packers to the NFC championship game in January but his interception in overtime set up the Giant's winning field goal. Favre and his wife discussed the possibility of him coming back but only if he was capable of winning a Super Bowl. He feels that going to the Super Bowl and losing would be worse than anything. It's unclear at this point if Favre's decision is final. Troy Aikman told Fox that he wouldn't be surprised if Favre changes his mind by the end of the season.

Favre's retirement came as a surprise to many people, including former Green Bay Packers General Manager, Ron Wolf. Some say that even his teammates couldn't believe the news. Favre's passion and enthusiasm of the game will most definitely be missed by many.

Last season, Favre broke Dan Marino's records for most touchdown passes and most yards passing and John Elway's record for most career victories by a starting quarterback. Favre retires with 5,377 career completions in 8,758 attempts for 61,655 yards, 442 touchdowns and 288 interceptions. In his final season, Favre continued his quarterback-record streak of consecutive regular-season starts to 253 games . Including the playoffs, his streak stands at 275.

Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach, Mark Levy was noted commenting on Favre's intuition, toughness, resilience. In the past few years, Favre's indecision about his football career became a tradition in Wisconsin, with Cheeseheads hanging on his every word. Unlike in 2006 when he got all choked up during a television interview when he walked off the field in Chicago, only to return once again. Almost everyone assumed he would be back the following season.

It was a complete turn around from 2005 during his last season with former head coach Mike Sherman. Favre threw a career worst 29 interceptions as the Packers went 4-12. Surrounded by group of wide receivers who proved to be hard to tackle after the catch, Favre had a completion percentage of 66.5. He threw for 4,155 yards, 28 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

Before the Packers' divisional playoff game against Seattle, Favre told the press that he wasn't going into the game as if it was his last and stated that he was more optimistic than in ever before about returning. However, Favre ended up finishing the season on a bad note in a 23-20 overtime loss to the Giants in the NFC championship game. After that, Favre was unsure about his future. McCarthy suggested that he take a step back from the season before making a final decision. Now he's decided to call it quits. Thompson feels that the team owes a lot to Brett Favre and regards him as one of the most enduring figures in NFL history.

by Dan Johnson, staff writer for i-Sportsbook.com and CasinoUnreal.com

Do the Knicks have Faith in Morris?

2008-03-03T21:18:00.003-08:00

Knicks fans wonder if Randolph Morris will get to see more NBA action or will he remain inactive.

Backup center, Randolph Morris, has played in only 2 games for the Knicks. He's only put on his uniform 5 times since the beginning of the year and played once against Washington. Dwight Howard thinks Morris can play well in the NBA if given the chance. Morris and Howard go way back to their days as high school rivals in Atlanta when Morris was at Landmark Christian and Howard was at Southwest Christian. They were unbeatable when they played together on an Atlanta Celtics AAU team with Hawks forward Josh Smith. Howard became an all-star, Smith is the new human highlight video in Atlanta and Morris hardly ever gets to play most nights.

The Knicks played with 11 players because Thomas was not told that Zach Randolph's injured foot would keep him from playing until after Thomas submitted the active roster, which is usually just before the game. Thomas admitted after the game that his team lacked the necessary size to contend with Howard, who finished with 26 points and 22 rebounds. Thomas also said that Jerome James would not have been healthy enough to play.

Morris could have had a chance to play in Orlando but with such little game experience, Morris couldn't have made enough of an impact against his old rival. Morris has played in only 7 NBA games since Thomas signed him out of Kentucky last March.Hopefully, he can get a chance to play sooner or later so that somebody can see his potential.

by Ken Johnson, staff writer for i-Sportsbook.com and CasinoUnreal.com

Panthers Win 1-0 Despite 53 Shots by the Islanders

2008-03-03T21:18:00.001-08:00

Stress peaks with extreme highs and extreme lows all in one game with 53 goal shots. The Islanders broke the record for the most shots by a losing team. Panthers win 1-0.

The Islanders hit 53 shots on Panthers goalie, Craig Anderson, but he stopped every one of them, giving the Panthers a 1-0 victory yesterday at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. The Elias Sports Bureau determined that it was the most shots by a losing team in a shutout since the NHL made shots on goal an official statistic in 1955. The Islanders had 29 shots on goal in the second period alone, which is one more than the previous team record accomplished twice before, in 2004 and 1978. The previous record for the most shots without a goal in one game was 42 in 2002 against Montreal.

In the old days with Mike Bossy and the gang, there would never be that many shots at the net without having a few go in. Islanders coach, Ted Nolan, said his team should have had a better result. Coming off a 4-1 loss to the Flyers the day before, The 1st period began slowly for the Islanders . Backup goalie, Wade Dubielewicz, started instead of Rick DiPietro, who was out due to a death in the family. Dubielewicz had a good start but he allowed one rebound off his stick that went to the Panther's David Booth in the slot. The shot deflected off of Josef Vasicek's stick at 9:57.

Florida's Stephen Weiss was knocked down by Freddy Meyer, Islanders' defense man, during the 2nd period. Anderson made a stick save on a break-in by Andy Hilbert and got some help from the right post on a shot by Mike Comrie.

In the final 5 minutes, Blake Comeau stopped Jeff Tambellini on a point-blank shot in front. A minute later, Anderson stopped Sean Bergenheim's rebound attempt, then made a left pad save on a shot that Ruslan Fedotenko couldn't lift on the doorstep. The Panthers might have had the best scoring opportunity in the period, but Dubielewicz stopped Steve Montador on a 3-on-1 rush with 35 seconds left. It was frustrating to see the Islanders miss a couple of open nets.

Despite all the shots, there were too many times the Islanders were not in position for rebounds in front and were a too slow in getting to passes through the slot. Scoring hasn't been the Islanders' strength. They had their previous season high of 52 shots Tuesday in a 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh. With losses in 4 of their past 5 games, they stand tenth in the Eastern Conference, 5 points out of a playoff spot. Next is a challenge against the Rangers, who are 7points ahead in seventh. It's definitely do or die for the Islanders at this point.

by Ken Johnson, staff writer for i-Sportsbook.com and CasinoUnreal.com

Giambi and Pettitte Look to make Improvements for the Yankees

2008-03-03T21:17:00.000-08:00

Joe Girardi complimented Andy Pettitte on his second of his two innings. Pettitte pitched 2 scoreless innings in spring training, with one hit and one walk.

Two Yankees are trying to return to their peak in the first part of Spring Training, Andy Pettitte and Jason Giambi. Giambi is trying to become a premier batter again after missing half of last season with a bad foot injury. Pettitte is hoping to focus more on baseball after admitting that he used human growth hormones and dealing with his son's serious car accident.

Giambi went two-for-three with a home run, an opposite-field double and 4 RBI's. His double off the left field wall could be traced to the work he is doing to counter his tendency to pull the ball. He also hit a 3-run homer to right field off left hander, Cole Hamels. This is the first time Giambi has to earn his keep since joining the Yankees in 2002. He has competition from Shelley Duncan and Morgan Ensberg for the first-base position and from Hideki Matsui at DH.

The Yankees hope Giambi can play first base without hurting them too much defensively. This would allow them more flexibility. Giambi is a .309 hitter with a 1.008 on base plus slugging percentage as a first baseman. As a batter, he has hit .246 with an .864 OPS. Giambi says that he likes being in the field and thinks that recovering from the torn plantar fascia in his foot and being in better shape allows him to do that.

Pettitte pitched two scoreless innings in the Yankees' 7-7 Grapefruit League tie with the Phillies. He had one hit and one walk. He's just trying to stay healthy and improve his pitching. His 2nd inning was much better than his 1st. He walked Jayson Werth with one out in the 1st but got Chase Utley to hit into a double play. In the 2nd inning, Pettitte threw to Giambi and picked off Pedro Feliz after his infield hit. He struck out Val Pascucci looking to end the inning.

Pettitte has reported still feeling a little behind because of his hectic off season and his late arrival at spring training. However, he expects to make 5 more starts before the regular season and be up to 90 to 100 pitches by then. He's also hoping that his steroid incident will begin to die down.

by Ken Johnson, staff writer for i-Sportsbook.com and CasinoUnreal.com

Melky Cabrera Hopes to Stay with the Yankees

2008-03-02T14:31:00.001-08:00

Cabrera had a good season in 2007 but the Yankees would like to see more consistency from him. He intends to improve his game and further establishing himself as a player, hoping that he's with the Yankees for good.

If someone were to think that Melky Cabrera is the reason why the Yankees didn't get Johan Santanam, they would be wrong. In fact, General Manager Brian Cashman's bigger concern was not giving up too much on the pitching front, like Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy.

The general feeling among the Yankees is that Cabrera is important to his teammates. Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada and the rest of the Yankees referred to Cabrera as being indispensable. Former manager, Joe Torre, always complimented Cabrera on his energy. Even Alex Rodriguez has taken Cabrera under his wing. The fact is that Cabrera has accomplished so much for his age and he's still growing.

Cabrera knows that there is a lot of things he needs to work on improving this year. For example, running bases, his batting, his defense as well as stealing bases. He stole thirteen bases last season and was caught stealing 5 times. However, he hopes to get more flexibility from new manager Joe Girardi this season. He did a lot of running during the offseason and also hopes to improve his instincts on the basepaths. Back home in the Dominican Republic, Cabrera used to work out with Robinson Cano but in New York, he tags along with Rodriguez.

Cabrera has reported feeling more prepared than ever before, who took over the centerfield spot from Damon last year and proved to have a powerful and accurate throwing arm. He says that he's always wanted to play every day and help the team. Cabrera finds comfort in knowing that, like Joe Torre, his new manager has showed confidence in him.

The Yankees, however, would like to see more consistency from Cabrera. He batted .200 in April, .254 in May and .180 in September. He also hit .298 in June, .368 in July and .306 in August, finishing with a .273 average, 8 home runs and 73 RBIs in 150 games.

With prospects such as Brett Gardner and Austin Jackson coming up through the minor leagues, Cabrera needs to keep improving to stay in position. Not that he has been stagnant the past two years. He has shown development in his outfield defense. He just needs to understand the game more, says Cashman.

Cabrera recognizes that he still needs to work on his English as well as being more outgoing. Despite his shortcomings, he's a favorite not just of Joe Torre and close friend Cano, but of Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter who calls him Leche. Underneath his quiet exterior, Cabrera knows exactly how lucky he is to be playing centerfield for the Yankees. Cabrera enjoys the fact that he's in the same place that Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Bernie Williams and Johnny Damon were in. Girardi feels that the older he gets, the more he'll appreciate the other people who have been in his position.

Thats one of the reasons why Cabrera was concerned about the possibility that he might be traded to the Twins in a deal for Santana. If Cabrera had it his way, he would stay with the Yankees for the rest of his life the way Williams did.

by Ken Johnson, staff writer for i-Sportsbook.com and www.CasinoUnreal.com

Stephon Marbury wants out of the Knicks

2008-03-02T14:30:00.001-08:00

This could be the point guard's last season with the Knicks as bad blood continues to boil.

This last season has been somewhat of a nightmare for Stephon Marbury with the Knicks. No one knows exactly what's going on in his head at this point because he's going along with the orders given to him from Madison Square Garden not to correspond with the media while he is healing from his surgically repaired left ankle. However, the word on the street is that the Coney Island point guard has had enough of the Knicks and wants out.

It's possible that the feeling is mutual. Despite the fact that Isiah Thomas has insinuated that Marbury doesn't fit into the team's long-term plans, the Knicks' training staff has been instructed to work on Marbury's rehabilitation for the purposes of getting him back in the game this season.

The bad blood goes back to Phoenix, when Thomas informed Marbury he was removing him from the starting lineup. They docked Marbury one paycheck after he left the team and flew home to New York,. The grievance filed by the NBA Players Association in that dispute still hasn't been arbitrated and probably won't be until after the season.

When Marbury announced after the loss to Toronto on January 11th that he had been suffering from chronic pain in his foot and needed to have it checked by a specialist, the Knicks accommodated him. They sent Marbury to their own foot and ankle specialist who found inflammation around a fractured bone spur but didn't recommend surgery. After a follow-up MRI, Marbury decided to have surgery. Knowing that the recovery time from such an operation is between 2-3 months, the procedure ensured that he would miss the rest of the season.

When reporting Marbury's condition, the Knicks said that he had chosen to have surgery. This put an extreme strain on the relationship between Marbury and Thomas as well as Management at Madison Square Garden. Thomas attempted to trade Marbury at the deadline. However, no other team was willing to pay him his current salary, especially with the uncertainties of his physical condition. Before the Knicks lost to Charlotte, Thomas said the Knicks' top priority this summer will be to upgrade the backcourt, which did not include Marbury.

Marbury can't believe that even though they've made it clear that his days are numbered, they're still expecting him to finish out the rest of the season, despite his ankle problems.

by Ken Johnson, staff writer for i-Sportsbook.com and www.CasinoUnreal.com

Hunter's Goal Salvages a Win for the Islanders in Over time

2008-02-29T21:21:00.001-08:00

Islanders' goalie makes a save during the 3rd period against the Thrashers and Hunter scores a winning goal in overtime.

With leads of 3-0 and 4-3 and Bobby Holik's goal with 1:22 remaining, the NY Islanders almost found themselves in a third straight loss at Philips Arena. Even their own coach referred to it as a bad hockey game. With 3 straight goals the Thrashers scored in the 2nd period to tie the game at 3 things seemed to be falling apart. Fortunately, they found a way to get the 2 points.

The Islanders aren't the best team for 4-on-4 play in overtime. However, forwards Josef Vasicek and Trent Hunter found a way to make it work. Vasicek lost a faceoff to Holik but still got the puck on the back wall and passed out front to Hunter, whose goal with 1:09 gone in overtime gave the Islanders a 5-4 win. Vasicek struggled against Holik all night on faceoffs, but when Holik drew this one back to defenseman Ken Klee, Vasicek anticipated a pass behind the net and got on it. Hunter called for it and let Vasicek know he was open.

It was a rough night for goalies. The Islanders jumped to a 2-0 lead in the 1st period when Mike Comrie put one under Lehtonen and then Hunter intercepted the puck from the Thrashers' goalie and passed in front to Vasicek for the shot. A beautiful play from Bill Guerin to Bryan Berard coming up the right side to Andy Hilbert for the deflection at the left post made it 3-0 at 1:02 of the 2ndperiod.

Berard's turnover with the Islanders on the power play led to a breakaway by Craig Perrin, and Berard hauled him down to give him a penalty shot. Perrin scored the twelfth shorthanded goal against the Islanders this season. Then Klee came down the middle on a 3-on-2 rush and slid a shot through goaltender Rick DiPietro's pads at 13:46, and former Islander Alexei Zhitnik tied it with a shot at 15:00 of the second.

The Islanders responded in the 3rd period when Berard kept a clearing pass in the offensive zone and slid it to Comrie in the high slot. He made a shot at 3:17 for his 2nd goal of the game and team-high 20th of the season for a 4-3 lead. However, Holik's goal deflected off Islanders defender Rob Davison and left DiPietro doubled over in pain. Luckily, Vasicek and Hunter made it happen for the Islanders in overtime.

by Ken Johnson, staff writer for i-Sportsbook.com and CasinoUnreal.com

Justice Department Investigates Clemens

2008-02-28T20:18:00.001-08:00

Roger Clemens is known as one of the best pitchers in baseball history. With his recent task to convince Congress that he never took steroids or human growth hormone, he also attempted to suggest that his accuser and former trainer, Brian McNamee, was lying. Unfortunately for Clemens, members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether Clemens committed perjury under oath when he denied any use of illegal drugs.

The request did not ask that McNamee be investigated for perjury. While questioning McNamee and Clemens, most Democrats appeared to support McNamee and most Republicans attacked him, with one accusing him of lying.

Even if Clemens knew he had not been injected with the drugs by McNamee, he was foolish to testify for fear of being accused of perjury. The contradictions in Clemens' testimony were enough to bring the congressional referral. It's a felony to lie to a federal officer or a congressional committee. Additionally, federal agents do not need a congressional referral to investigate possible perjury or potential crime they witness.

Federal agents who have been debriefing McNamee and leading the investigation into drug abuse in professional sports, were in the hearing room listening to Clemens' and McNamee's testimony. The congressional letter to the Justice Department did not state that Waxman and Davis thought Clemens lied. They believe that his testimony in a previous deposition and at a hearing, indicating that he never used anabolic steroids or human growth hormone, warrants further investigation.

According to the committee, Clemens' testimony was found to be implausible. McNamee testified Clemens asked to be injected with steroids. Federal investigators may have more evidence than the committee that McNamee is said to have turned over to federal agents.

McNamee's lawyer who specializes in congressional hearings had released a statement saying that the committee's investigation shows that no one is above the law, not even our most athletes. Clemens' attorney released a statement saying that the committee's decision is unwarranted and not factual. Roger Clemens has known from the beginning that if he chose to speak publicly and challenge what was said about him, he would one day face a criminal referral from Congress. The fact that he chose to testify twice under oath while knowing the short-term consequences is clear proof of how strongly he believes that he is innocent.

by Ken Johnson, staff writer for i-Sportsbook.com and www.CasinoUnreal.com

Martinez Might be a Keeper for the Mets

2008-02-27T21:00:00.000-08:00

Pedro Martinez, who has a surgically repaired right shoulder, wants to stay with the Mets.

Pedro Martinez almost retired in a Mets uniform. It could have happened last year, if Martinez, in the midst of a grueling rehabilitation from shoulder surgery, decided to call it quits rather than endure the pain with no guarantees. Two weeks into spring training, Martinez, was asked about retiring with the Mets. However, he's expected to sign an extension, perhaps even before his contract expires at the end of this season.

Martinez is ready to begin the final lap of his 4 year contract that he'll get paid $53-million for. And if he regains his Cy Young form, the Mets most likely would enter discussions about a new deal before Martinez reaches free agency. Martinez has openly disclosed his interest in staying with the Mets. However, he prefers to focus on pitching and to let Omar Minaya bring up the subject with him first.

Martinez says that he would talk if they approached him. He has also indicated that he's very thankful and satisfied with the way the Mets have treated him so far. Even though the Mets has Martinez's respect whether they offered him an extension or not, he'll just have to go somewhere else if they don't. Martinez has mentioned that he wouldn't ask them to extend his contract. He's just going to wait and fishing the season.

The Mets would be better off trying to secure Martinez. In the past, the Mets have relied on personal relationships to help fortify the franchise, whether it was Minaya's aggressive courtship of Martinez in 2004 or COO Jeff Wilpon bringing back Tom Glavine for the 2007 season with negotiations that involved little more than a handshake. That could easily happen again with Martinez, as long as he proves himself to be an elite starter before the All-Star break. The Mets would like to see the proof first before placing a large wager on his surgically repaired right shoulder. Minaya says he wants to evaluate Martinez's performance before he makes a decision.

The early reviews of Martinez have been excellent. Martinez impressed fans during yesterday's bullpen session with an impressive display of control and surprising speed. With Wilpon among the spectators, Martinez showed off his curve ball.

Guy Conti was extremely impressed by the session. In addition to being his longtime friend, Conti is Martinez's personal pitching guru, and no one in the organization knows him better. It was Conti who believed that Martinez would be effective when he returned last season and he is even more optimistic 6 months later. Conti says that Martinez is always telling him not to wish him luck but rather wish him good health and he'll make his own luck.

Martinez will make his first start March 6th against the Nationals in Viera. The date is unusual because it's one of the Mets' few night games. Martinez seems to be welcoming the opportunity without worrying about his upcoming free agency. He knows he has to prove that he's healthy and worthy of another contract. The Mets probably needed him more than he thought. Last season was more about survival for Martinez. However, this year Martinez started a completely different mentality. He has people believing he could win a 4th Cy Young Award.

by Ken Johnson, staff writer for i-Sportsbook.com and CasinoUnreal.com

Chris Bosh Scores for Raptors in Toronto

2008-02-26T19:41:00.000-08:00

Toronto forward Chris Bosh found his stroke early and led the Raptors over the Pacers with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

Chris Bosh had 40 points going 14-for-16 from the field and 11-for-11 from the foul line. Jose Calderon had 19 points and 13 assists as the Toronto Raptors beat the Orlando Magic 127-110. Bosh made 11 of his first 12 shots and even made a rare 3-pointer in the third quarter, struggling to contain a smile as he retreated back down court. Bosh is 3-for-6 from 3-point range this season.

Carlos Delfino came off the bench to score 23 for Toronto, including five 3-pointers. Jamario Moon had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Anthony Parker scored 10. Dwight Howard led Orlando with 37 points and 15 rebounds, going 13-for-16 from the field and 11-for-15 from the free-throw line. Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu each finished with 16, Jameer Nelson had 13 and Maurice Evans 12.

With 30 seconds left in the 3rd, Juan Dixon gave the Raptors 100 points. Jason Kapono added two more with a baseline jumper as Toronto took a 102-82 lead into the fourth. Bosh and Calderon returned after Orlando opened the final quarter with a 10-2 run, closing to 104-92, but the Magic were never able to get the deficit below 10 points.

Calderon helped ice the game with back-to-back 3-pointers and an alley-oop pass to Moon, giving the Raptors a 16-point lead. Moon added an exclamation point with a wide-open, one-handed jam after a half-court pass from Delfino. It was Orlando's first road loss since a 101-93 defeat at Detroit on Jan. 25. The Magic are a league-best 20-11 away from home.

by Fred Banx, staff writer for i-Sportsbook.com and CasinoUnreal.com

College Sports on the Internet

2008-02-25T09:50:00.001-08:00

Sports fans now have a more convenient way to watch sports and stay current with sports news. The Internet is providing sports enthusiasts with the means to stay informed and be entertained, in some cases, more than TV.

There's no shortage of college sports in the United States. At any given time on television, there's likely to be some university playing another on the football field or basketball court. College sports are big business in the U.S. and they have the fan base to support it. For example, College Sports Television which was the first 24-hour network devoted exclusively to collegiate athletics reaches more than 52 million homes nationwide.

With so many people showing interest in college sports, football and basketball dominate the headlines, leaving other less popular sports, such as lacrosse and soccer, in the dust. Colleges and Universities now have the opportunity to announce certain sporting events that hadn't typically received as much exposure in the past. The Internet is now becoming the new distribution platform for sports. With the ability to watch from anywhere and chat with others while watching, sports fans are going online more often to catch their favorite games.

For sports enthusiasts hoping to see the latest track and field or swimming event from their alma mater, the Internet provides a convenient way for not only watching these types of sporting events but also interacting with other fans, placing bets with sportsbooks, buying tickets or even customizing their viewing experiences. Some media players even allow schools to provide their fans with a variety of camera angles to choose from and allow for viewer participation with polls and surveys.

With these kinds of features as well as the ability to broadcast whatever sporting events they like, Universities may soon be giving fans their own virtual stadiums where seating is always front row and the weather is always clear.

by Dan Rodriguez, staff writer for i-Sportsbook.com and CasinoUnreal.com