Friday, February 27, 2009

WGC-Accenture Match Play Brackets and Tiger's 1st Day


Here is the link to the WGC-Accenture Match Play Tournament Brackets and times.

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/features/accenture?id=3913305
from www.espn.com

For the one or two of you that will still watch this now that Tiger is out!!!
It was business as usual.
After 254 days away from the competitive scene, after nearly six months without hitting a golf ball, after enduring countless days of agony after reconstructive knee surgery, Tiger Woods returned Wednesday and it felt as though he'd never left. He knocked it stiff at the first hole for a birdie, did so again at the second for a conceded eagle and never looked back in his first-round encounter with Brendan Jones at the Accenture Match Play Championship.
A 3 and 2 victory over the overmatched Aussie seemed to be a foregone conclusion, and Woods had a relatively stress-free return to the PGA Tour at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.
"It felt like nothing changed," said Woods, who made a rock-star-like entrance to the first tee, where fans greeted him with "Welcome back" chants. "Walking down the fairway, and it felt like business as usual. Go out there, I thought I would be more nervous on that first tee, but when it comes right down to it. … it just came back down to just playing the game again, and that felt good."
To summarize: He had not played a competitive round of golf since June 16, the day he defeated Rocco Mediate in a playoff to capture the U.S. Open, his 14th major championship and his 65th PGA Tour title.
An arthroscopic procedure two days after the Masters meant he could play no more tournaments before the Open, but unbeknownst to all but his inner circle, Woods played with two stress fractures in his left leg despite doctor's orders to shut it down.
He didn't -- and won anyway. Then had surgery to replace his anterior cruciate ligament, putting him out of action for the rest of the year and leaving the golf world to speculate on how quickly he would return to form.
"I thought it was very good," said Woods' coach, Hank Haney. "I'm always happy as long as he wins. I thought it was good. I'm always confident in Tiger, and I thought he did quite well."
If it all seems like rather ordinary stuff, perhaps that is what Woods wants at this point.
It has been quite the whirlwind of activity the past two weeks. The birth of his son, Charlie, occurred Feb. 8, and all the while he has been preparing to come back, saying it could have been even earlier had the baby situation not interceded.
Some 40,000 tickets were sold by the tournament in the wake of Woods' announcement that he would be playing this week, and his Tuesday practice round was a surreal scene, his first public golf shots in nearly nine months.
When his return to the tour finally began for real Wednesday -- after a brief delay so the Stewart Cink-Richard Sterne match could go extra holes -- hundreds of fans tried to follow in the hot desert, with grandstands filled along the way and spectators lining the ropes, shouting encouragement.
During the long walk between the first green and the second tee, Jones found himself walking with the masses, where he heard somebody remark that just nine more holes were necessary for a 10 and 8 outcome -- which would mean Woods' winning every hole.
"That annoyed me to a point," said Jones, who couldn't have been happy to see Woods float a 5-iron from 235 yards to 4 feet at the second to set up an eagle.
"I've never hit a shot like that, that high and soft," Jones said. "He hits some shots that other people can't hit."
Woods got off to that hot start, then began to show some of the rust that should have been expected. He made three bogeys over his next five holes to drop to just a 1-up lead. But a birdie at the eighth hole gave him a 2-up advantage, and Jones never got closer.
Woods won five holes and lost just two, hitting 8 of 12 fairways, including 6-for-6 when using his 3-wood. He also hit 9 of the 16 greens he played.
"His ball flight is different to pretty much everybody else's, and it was fun to see different trajectories that he hits the ball at," Jones said. "But yeah, he's Tiger; he does freakish stuff. He made two eagles on me, and he just really didn't waste any shots out there."
And in truth, Jones made it easy on Woods. His first birdie of the day didn't come until the 13th hole -- where Woods eagled -- and he continually missed fairways.
Woods will get a much tougher opponent in Thursday's second round, South Africa's Tim Clark. Although Clark has never won on the PGA Tour, he is ranked 32nd in the world and did win the Australian Open last year. Clark defeated countryman Retief Goosen 3 and 2 in the opening round.
With Woods' game in seemingly good shape, the question that will linger concerns his left knee. Although Woods trained vigorously throughout his rehabilitation and drew raves for his game among friends John Cook and Mark O'Meara at their home club at Isleworth, walking was not much of the process. He played most of his golf in Florida out of a cart.
So some soreness and recovery time can be expected as Woods works his way back.
"I'm sure that's going to be a little while," Woods said. "But I'm very pleased at how it felt all day. I thought it would be more stiff on the 15th tee when I had to hit my shot after that long wait. But I felt fine."
It was a day that was anything but ordinary, but in Woods' case, it seemed rather routine.

Tiger's scoring (Final, through 16 holes)
Eagle Birdie Par Bogey
2 3 8 3

Tiger's driving accuracy Wednesday
Fairway hits Fairways missed Fairways missed left Fairways missed right
8/12 4 1 3
Tiger around the greens Wednesday
Sand saves Scramble pct. 1 putts 2 putts 3 putts
1/3 2/3 5 8 0
• On two holes, putts were conceded
• Made putt from fringe on No. 13 for eagle, which counts as 0 putts
Tiger on the rebound Wednesday
Wins Halves Losses
Holes after wins 2 3 0
Holes after halves 1 5 2
Holes after losses 1 1 0
* Source: Compiled by Nathan Easler, ESPN Stats and Information Group

Thursday, February 26, 2009

A look at the 20 most intriguing non-conference games of 2009


A look at the 20 most intriguing non-conference games of 2009


• USC at Ohio St. (9/12)
• Alabama vs. Va. Tech (9/5)
• Georgia at Oklahoma St. (9/5)
• Oregon at Boise St. (9/5)
• Oklahoma at Miami (10/3)
• Nebraska at Va. Tech (9/19)
• Florida St. at BYU (9/19)
• LSU at Washington (9/5)
• California at Minnesota (9/19)
• Nevada at Notre Dame (9/5)
• BYU vs. Oklahoma (9/5)
• Utah at Oregon (9/19)
• East Carolina at UNC (9/19)
• Texas Tech at Houston (9/26)
• Arizona at Iowa (9/19)
• Miami at South Florida (11/28)
• Boise St. at Tulsa (10/3)
• UCLA at Tennessee (9/12)
• Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (10/3)
• Fresno St. at Cincinnati (9/26)

1. USC at Ohio State, Sept. 12
With Mark Sanchez turning pro, this suddenly becomes a fascinating contest pitting two QBs who have little experience as starters. Mitch Mustain (or perhaps Aaron Corp) inherits a Trojan offense that returns almost entirely intact, including the nation’s top offensive line.
It’s Terrelle Pryor’s show in Columbus, but the sublime soph will miss tailback Beanie Wells and the pass-catching Brians, Hartline and Robiskie. His new favorite target? Dane Sanzenbacher!
With Florida and Texas both opting to avoid a non-conference juggernaut game to keep the blogosphere panting all spring and summer, this must suffice for the nearest facsimile to a game of the year. It won’t be. But it will be USC’s first visit to the Horseshoe since 1990, when they beat the Buckeyes 35-26 in a game shortened by lightning. In fact, USC has zapped Ohio State in its last six games dating back to the 1975 Rose Bowl.



I agree that it is the T.P. show in Columbus, but if Ohio State still has the same coaches calling the defense and offense, then it will be the same ol show for Buckeye fans. Meaning USC will put a thumping on OSU unless, the coaching staff has made some changes and they let T.P. be T.P. As of now, there have been no changes to the staff, which could mean a lot more L's and heat on Tressel.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

College Basketball Scoring and Rebounding Leaders

2009 College Basketball Scoring and Rebounding Leaders as of Feb. 24, 2009

LEADER - POINTS/GAME
Rank Player Team CONF P GP PPG FGM FTM 3PTM
1 Stephen Curry Davidson SOUTH G 27 28.6 250 169 104
2 Lester Hudson Tennessee-Martin OVC G 27 26.9 259 128 81
3 David Holston Chicago State IND G 29 25.8 245 126 132
4 Jodie Meeks Kentucky SEC G 27 25.4 208 171 98
5 Jermaine Taylor UCF USA G 26 25.3 240 101 78
6 Luke Harangody Notre Dame BIGE F 24 24.2 219 134 8
6 Ryan Toolson Utah Valley IND G 25 24.2 181 175 68
8 Josh Akognon Cal State Fullerton BIGW G 27 23.7 205 119 111
9 Stefon Jackson Texas-El Paso USA G 26 23.2 176 229 21
10 Eric Maynor Virginia Commonwealth COL G 28 23.1 209 171 57
11 Jeremy Hazell Seton Hall BIGE G 26 22.7 189 134 79
12 Ben Woodside North Dakota State SUMM G 27 22.5 186 180 55
13 Chavis Holmes VMI BSOU G 26 22.2 180 150 66
14 Blake Griffin Oklahoma BIG12 F 27 22.0 220 151 3
15 Drake Reed Austin Peay OVC F 27 21.8 220 133 16
16 Michael Deloach Norfolk State MEAC G 26 21.2 201 121 28
16 James Harden Arizona State PAC10 G 26 21.2 175 156 44
16 Kevin Tiggs E. Tennessee State ASUN F 28 21.2 200 159 35
19 Tyler Hansbrough North Carolina ACC F 23 21.0 155 166 6
19 Mike Rose Eastern Kentucky OVC F 28 21.0 197 98 95
21 Seth Curry Liberty BSOU G 29 20.7 210 93 88
22 Toney Douglas Florida State ACC G 27 20.5 174 149 57
22 Marcus Thornton LSU SEC G 27 20.5 192 113 56
24 D.J. Rivera Binghamton AEAST G 27 20.4 200 110 41
25 Aubrey Coleman Houston USA G 24 20.3 172 137 7
25 Darryl Proctor Maryland-Baltimore County AEAST F 27 20.3 220 106 2
25 Jeff Teague Wake Forest ACC G 25 20.3 157 153 40
28 Troy Jackson Alcorn State SWAC G 27 20.1 175 158 34
28 Jack McClinton Miami (Fla.) ACC G 26 20.1 173 92 84
30 Devan Downey South Carolina SEC G 25 20.0 189 79 44
30 Dior Lowhorn San Francisco WCC F 27 20.0 206 92 36
30 Jerel McNeal Marquette BIGE G 27 20.0 189 95 66
33 Craig Brackins Iowa State BIG12 F 27 19.9 204 111 18
33 James Florence Mercer ASUN G 29 19.9 199 129 50
35 Alex Barnett Dartmouth IVY F 24 19.6 168 86 48
35 John Cantrell Chicago State IND G 29 19.6 220 100 29
37 Dionte Christmas Temple ATL10 G 26 19.5 169 90 78
37 Ahmad Nivins Saint Joseph's ATL10 F 26 19.5 173 161 -
39 Travis Holmes VMI BSOU G 22 19.3 142 114 26
40 Jamal Barney Loyola-Maryland MAAC G 29 19.1 204 116 29
41 David Huertas Mississippi SEC G 26 18.9 149 123 70
42 Stephen McDowell Chattanooga SOUTH G 29 18.8 174 82 116
42 Jerome Tillman Ohio MIDAM F 26 18.8 158 152 22
44 Wesley Matthews Marquette BIGE G 27 18.7 157 160 32
45 Nick Calathes Florida SEC G-F 27 18.6 163 116 60
45 Charles Jenkins Hofstra COL G 28 18.6 167 161 26
45 Erik Kangas Oakland SUMM G 28 18.6 178 54 112
45 Tywain McKee Coppin State MEAC G 28 18.6 174 113 61
45 Kenard Moore Southeast Missouri State OVC G 28 18.6 182 69 88
50 Malcolm Delaney Virginia Tech ACC G 26 18.5 129 169 55

LEADER - REBOUNDS/GAME
Rank Player Team CONF P GP OR DR TR RPG
1 Blake Griffin Oklahoma BIG12 F 27 93 279 372 13.8
2 John Bryant Santa Clara WCC C 29 120 278 398 13.7
3 DeJuan Blair Pittsburgh BIGE F 26 156 181 337 13.0
4 Kenneth Faried Morehead State OVC F-C 29 124 251 375 12.9
5 Luke Harangody Notre Dame BIGE F 24 93 208 301 12.5
6 Ahmad Nivins Saint Joseph's ATL10 F 26 102 199 301 11.6
7 Jon Brockman Washington PAC10 F 26 112 183 295 11.3
7 Joseph Harris Coastal Carolina BSOU F 28 118 197 315 11.3
9 Jordan Hill Arizona PAC10 F 26 108 180 288 11.1
10 Artsiom Parakhouski Radford BSOU C 27 100 193 293 10.9
11 Cole Aldrich Kansas BIG12 C 28 78 221 299 10.7
12 Daniel Emerson Mercer ASUN F 29 108 197 305 10.5
12 Diamon Simpson St. Mary's WCC F 27 90 193 283 10.5
12 Hasheem Thabeet Connecticut BIGE C 27 96 188 284 10.5
15 Marc Egerson Delaware COL G 29 51 252 303 10.4
15 Tony Gaffney Massachusetts ATL10 C 25 84 176 260 10.4
17 Jeff Adrien Connecticut BIGE F 27 81 195 276 10.2
17 Joshua Henley Gardner-Webb BSOU F 27 98 178 276 10.2
19 Gani Lawal Georgia Tech ACC F 26 97 163 260 10.0
19 Wendell McKines New Mexico State WAC F 27 92 178 270 10.0

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

NBA Power Rankings


NBA Power Rankings
1 Last Week: 1 Los Angeles Lakers (46-10)
If you don't believe them when they say they can win a championship without Bynum, at least consider what others around the league are saying. "I think they are better without Bynum," an Eastern Conference head coach said. "Look at the way the league is trending. The really good teams are the ones that play fast. This Lakers team plays really fast." Bynum's replacement in the starting lineup, Lamar Odom, continues to play well, having pulled down at least 14 rebounds in seven games this month.

2 Last Week: 4 Cleveland Cavaliers (43-11)
Remember when Wally Szczerbiak was deemed expendable, when the only reason to speak his name was to remind everyone of his expiring contract? Maybe the Cavs decided to hold on to him because he is actually needed. Szczerbiak's consistent scoring during West's absence helped keep the Cavs rolling. It's looking more and more like Szczerbiak will be counted on to play significant minutes down the stretch.


3 Last Week: 2 San Antonio Spurs (37-17)
Ginobili had been coming on offensively of late, scoring at least 30 points in three of his last six appearances, before being sidelined for two to three weeks with a stress reaction in his right ankle. Coach Gregg Popovich expressed optimism about Ginobili's status. "New bone has already been laying down, they've seen it on the X-rays," Popovich told reporters. "So the healing process has already begun."

4 Last Week: 3 Boston Celtics (45-12)
There are two ways to look at Garnett's recent injury. One, the Celtics may struggle without their defensive quarterback. Or two, the injury could turn out to be a blessing in disguise, as it gives the hyperactive Garnett a few weeks to cool his engines and refresh his body in time for the playoffs. I'll take Option B. Remember, Garnett missed nine games in the middle of last season and had a full tank for Boston's championship run.

5 Last Week: 5 Orlando Magic (41-14)
Their deadline acquisition of Alston for, essentially, the seldom-used Brian Cook and a first-round pick isn't in the Pau Gasol-to-the-Lakers category, but it was a savvy move. "I couldn't believe they got him," said an Eastern Conference assistant coach, who noted that, when Nelson returns next season, the Magic could get more for Alston than the the pick they gave to Houston. Alston was steady in his first start, scoring 12 points with nine assists as Orlando dusted division rival Miami on Sunday.

6 Last Week: 7 Denver Nuggets (37-19)
Could free-agent forward/center Mikki Moore be bound for Denver? While Boston is still considered the front-runner, Moore's agent reportedly had discussions with Denver last week. The Nuggets could certainly use another big man. Kenyon Martin has back spasms and the Nuggets suffered a scare when Nene went down with a bruised right knee in Sunday's loss at Milwaukee.

7 Last Week: 8 Houston Rockets (35-21)
Who will be Alston's long-term replacement at point guard? Houston should have a good idea by the end of the season whether it will be Kyle Lowry, a 2006 first-round pick acquired in the Alston trade, or Aaron Brooks, a 2007 first-round pick who had 19 points and eight assists as a starter in a victory against Dallas in the first game after the trade.

8 Last Week: 10 Portland Trail Blazers (35-20)
Memo to those who have questioned me about putting Joe Johnson over Brandon Roy on my All-NBA third team in Sports Illustrated's midseason package: It was close. Razor close. That's not to say Roy won't end the season with the spot, especially if he continues to have more weeks like this past one. Roy averaged 29.3 points in three Portland home victories.

9 Last Week: 13 Utah Jazz (33-23)
A 3-0 week was overshadowed by the loss of longtime owner Larry Miller, who died from complications from diabetes on Friday. "I looked up to Larry," Mavs owner Mark Cuban wrote in an e-mail to SI.com. "He was fiery, he stuck to his beliefs, even if they weren't popular, and he wanted to win as badly as anyone. He pulled no punches, whether it was letting the guys know how he felt in a huddle or in the locker room, or his work ethic in the business community. It was clear that there are few people in this world as competitive as Larry."

10 Last Week: 6 Dallas Mavericks (33-22)
Jerry Stackhouse, who expected to be traded or bought out by now, will now be thrust back into the rotation after the Mavs lost Jason Terry to a broken hand. After missing 40 games with a right foot injury, Stackhouse went scoreless in his first two games back last week. "If you love to play basketball, you love to compete," Stackhouse told the Dallas Morning News. "That's all my focus is, to be a contributor in helping us achieve our goals, and that's winning a championship."

Monday, February 23, 2009

Top Performers from the 2009 NFL Combine







40 Yard Dash Times
QUARTERBACKS
White, Pat 4.55
McGee, Stephen 4.66
Stafford, Matthew 4.81
Bomar, Rhett 4.82
Boltus, Jason 4.83
Painter, Curtis 4.87
Wilson, John Parker 4.87
Willy, Drew 4.90
Daniel, Chase 4.92
Reilly, Mike 4.92


RUNNING BACKS
Peerman, Cedric 4.45
Johnson, Ian 4.46
Sheets, Kory 4.47
Brown, Andre 4.49
Brown, Donald 4.51
Williams, Javarris 4.52
Goodson, Mike 4.54
Scott, Bernard 4.56
Coffee, Glen 4.58
Lucky, Marlon 4.59

Wells, Beanie 4.59

WIDE RECEIVERS
Heyward-Bey, Darrius 4.30
Wallace, Mike 4.33
Knox, Johnny 4.34
Butler, Deon 4.38
Thomas, Mike 4.40
Underwood, Tiquan 4.41
Harvin, Percy 4.41
Byrd, Demetrius 4.42
Murphy, Louis 4.43
McKinley, Kenny 4.44


TIGHT ENDS
Cook, Jared 4.50
Nelson, Shawn 4.56
Morrah, Cameron 4.66
Ingram, Cornelius 4.68
Branson, Marquez 4.71
Johnson, David 4.73
Bronson, Jared 4.76
Sperry, Kory 4.77

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Murtha, Lydon 4.89
Meredith, Jamon 5.03
Fulton, Xavier 5.04
Beatty, William 5.12
Cadogan, Gerald 5.12
Luigs, Jonathan 5.14
Bell, Joel 5.15
Britton, Eben 5.16
Walker, Brandon 5.17
Cooper, Jon 5.18
Smith, Jason 5.22


Bench Press 225lbs
RUNNING BACKS

Fiammetta, Tony 30
Jennings, Rashad 29
Southerland, Brannan 28
Peerman, Cedric 27
Johnson, Ian 26
Glenn, Cody 25
Williams, Javarris 25
Wells, Beanie 25
Moreno, Knowshon 25
Brown, Andre 24

WIDE RECEIVERS
Foster, Brooks 27
Britt, Kenny 23
Orton, Greg 22
Lawrence, Quinten 20
Harvin, Percy 19
Johnson, Taurus 18
Barden, Ramses 17
Collie, Austin 17
Heyward-Bey, Darrius 16
Williams, Derrick 15

TIGHT ENDS
Beckum, Travis 28
Casey, James 28
Gronkowski, Dan 26
Quinn, Richard 24
Morrah, Cameron 24
Cook, Jared 23
Williams, Eddie 23
Pettigrew, Brandon 22
Branson, Marquez 22

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Vasquez, Louis 39

Bright, Travis 34
Garcia, Juan 34
Boone, Alex 33
Shipley, A.Q. 33
Smith, Jason 33
Felix, Robby 33
Cooper, Jon 31
Meredith, Jamon 31
Feinga, Ray 30
Bruggeman, Rob 30
Wood, Eric 30
Fletcher, Alex 30

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Taylor, Terrance 37
Miller, Roy 36
Veikune, David 35
Hood, Evander 34
Raji, B.J. 33
Brace, Ron 32
Grady, Adrian 31
Magee, Alex 30
Mitchell, Khalif 30

LINEBACKERS
Orakpo, Brian 31
Cushing, Brian 30
Freeman, Marcus 30
Maiava, Kaluka 30
Felder, Anthony 28
McKillop, Scott 27
McKenzie, Tyrone 27
Brinkley, Jasper 26
Curry, Aaron 25
Casillas, Jonathan 24
Robinson, Lee 24

SPECIALISTS
Buehler, David 25

Verticle Jump
QUARTERBACKS
White, Pat 35.0
Freeman, Josh 33.5
Daniel, Chase 33.0
McGee, Stephen 33.0
Sanchez, Mark 32.5
Hoyer, Brian 32.0
Boltus, Jason 31.5
Stafford, Matthew 30.5
Reilly, Mike 30.5
Willy, Drew 30.5
Brown, Nathan 30.5

RUNNING BACKS
Brown, Donald 41.5
Peerman, Cedric 40.0
Goodson, Mike 39.5
Southerland, Brannan 38.0
Brown, Andre 37.0
Greene, Shonn 37.0
Sheets, Kory 37.0
Coffee, Glen 36.0
Kimble, Anthony 36.0
Ore, Branden 36.0
Scott, Bernard 36.0

WIDE RECEIVERS
Dillard, Jarett 42.5
Underwood, Tiquan 41.5
Thomas, Mike 40.5
Wallace, Mike 40.0
Heyward-Bey, Darrius 38.5
Norwood, Jordan 38.0
Kelly, Aaron 38.0
Orton, Greg 38.0
Robiskie, Brian 37.5
Britt, Kenny 37.0
McKinley, Kenny 37.0
Edison, Dominique 37.0

TIGHT ENDS
Cook, Jared 41.0
Casey, James 36.0
Branson, Marquez 35.0
Phillips, John 33.5
Sperry, Kory 33.5
Ingram, Cornelius 33.0
Nelson, Shawn 33.0

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Bright, Travis 35.5
Murtha, Lydon 35.0
Walker, Brandon 34.0
Slauson, Matt 34.0
Beatty, William 33.5
Fulton, Xavier 31.0
Luigs, Jonathan 31.0
Shipley, A.Q. 31.0
Levitre, Andy 30.5
Wood, Eric 30.5
Brewster, Robert 30.5
Oher, Michael 30.5


Broad Jump
QUARTERBACKS
Freeman, Josh 9'11"
White, Pat 9'9"
Sanchez, Mark 9'8"
McGee, Stephen 9'4"
Boltus, Jason 9'3"
Hoyer, Brian 9'1"
Reilly, Mike 9'1"
Willy, Drew 9'1"
Holbrook, Chase 9'0"
Stafford, Matthew 8'11"

RUNNING BACKS
Wells, Beanie 10'8"

Brown, Donald 10'5"
Scott, Bernard 10'5"
Kimble, Anthony 10'2"
Coffee, Glen 10'1"
Greene, Shonn 10'1"
Sheets, Kory 10'1"
Jennings, Rashad 10'0"
Southerland, Brannan 10'0"
Goodson, Mike 9'10"

WIDE RECEIVERS
Dillard, Jarett 10'9"
Underwood, Tiquan 10'9"
Wallace, Mike 10'9"
Massaquoi, Mohamed 10'7"
Heyward-Bey, Darrius 10'6"
Thomas, Mike 10'6"
Orton, Greg 10'5"
Britt, Kenny 10'4"
Knox, Johnny 10'2"
Ogletree, Kevin 10'2"

TIGHT ENDS
Cook, Jared 10'3"
Sperry, Kory 10'2"
Gronkowski, Dan 10'2"
Quinn, Richard 9'11"
Pettigrew, Brandon 9'10"
Bronson, Jared 9'8"
Nelson, Shawn 9'7"

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Caldwell, Antoine 9'3"
Fulton, Xavier 9'3"
Monroe, Eugene 9'2"
Slauson, Matt 9'2"
Murtha, Lydon 9'2"
Walker, Brandon 9'1"
Bell, Joel 9'1"
Bright, Travis 9'0"
Beatty, William 8'11"
Cooper, Jon 8'9"
Meredith, Jamon 8'9"

Friday, February 20, 2009

Ole Miss Basketball Coach Andy Kennedy Arrest Videos

Here are two of the videos from Ole Miss's Basketball Coach Andy Kennedy's Arrest in Cincy.


Thursday, February 19, 2009

QBs among key questions for NFL Combine


QBs among key questions for NFL Combine

The NFL's annual Scouting Combine features roughly 325 collegiates, including 45 underclassmen, all of whom are going through drills testing straight-line speed, raw strength, change of direction skills, intelligence, and physical fitness.
As is often the case this time of year, the debate at the top of the draft is whether a quarterback with "red flags" is worth the No. 1 choice. Matt Ryan's 19 senior-year interceptions at Boston College naturally led to questions about his decision making. Arguments against Georgia's Matthew Stafford include his 56.9 career completion rate and the staggering history of underclassman quarterback busts.
Stafford is expected to bypass the Combine in favor of working out at the Bulldogs' March Pro Day. Ryan took the same approach last year and still went No. 3 to the Falcons. However, Ryan was projected to go first in numerous pre-draft projections and Brady Quinn tumbled to No. 22 overall after sitting out the Senior Bowl and most of the 2007 Combine. All three quarterbacks are represented by agent Tom Condon. Only time will tell if Stafford's absence results in a draft-day plunge.
Solidifying Second Place
After Stafford, three underclassmen fall in line as quarterback prospects two through four. USC's Mark Sanchez, Kansas State's Josh Freeman, and Ball State's Nate Davis all boast impressive arm strength and mobility. Perhaps the most striking physical QB specimen since JaMarcus Russell, the 6-6, 250-pound Freeman could make a run at Sanchez to be the second QB taken.
Anyone who's seen Freeman play knows he has a cannon, and Davis won the distance throw in January's ESPN college all-star event. Sanchez might be the finest on-the-run passing prospect since Carson Palmer. Accuracy is the most vital characteristic for a successful quarterback, but arm strength improves draft stock. Without bulky shoulder pads or knee braces, the Combine provides a level playing field to gauge pure throwing power. Some separation should be created between the next three quarterbacks.
How Big Is Harvin, Really?
Like arm length for a tackle and hand size for a quarterback, height is always a key measurable for a wideout. Percy Harvin will never be big, but he'll struggle to go in the top 20 picks if he measures 5-9. Florida is famous for exaggerating a player's size, and it's hard to imagine Harvin living up to his 5-11, 195 college listing. It does help Harvin that weigh-ins are on the first day. He'll burn up the track later in the week and leave a strong impression.
A Weightier Issue
Some news broke last week regarding a pair of college defensive ends teams are looking at as 3-4 outside linebackers. Everette Brown of Florida State and Penn State's Aaron Maybin are both underclassmen with size question marks.
Maybin, who graduated from high school weighing 220 and was listed at 6-4, 236 by the Nittany Lions, plans to report at 6-4, 250 on February 18. The 20-year-old third-year sophomore will be put through cover drills at the Combine. On top of his Big Ten-best 12 sacks, Maybin flashed the ability to drop into a zone from a three-point stance last season. But will the added weight affect his agility? Whereas a good showing could secure Maybin a place in the top nine, he could fall into the 20s if he struggles.
A 21-year-old fourth-year junior, Brown was possibly the nation's most explosive defender in 2008. Using a Dwight Freeney-esque spin move and scintillating up-field speed, Brown was unblockable by single teams at Florida State. He led the ACC in sacks (13.5) and tackles for a loss (21.5). But it was revealed that Brown played his final college game at 225 pounds after being listed as 6-4, 252 by the Seminoles. Brown could be bumped down draft boards by teams that employ four-man fronts if he reports to the Combine under 240.
Differing Opinions on Iowa's Greene
Early entrant tailback Shonn Greene started only one season at Iowa, but showed starting-caliber NFL ability with 1,850 yards on 307 carries (6.0 average) and 20 touchdowns as a junior. The 2008 Doak Walker Award winner is considered the best blocking back available, may be the draft's finest pure power runner, and possesses Marshawn Lynch-like tackle-breaking ability. But opinions differ on the 5-11, 235-pounder, who at 23 is a shade older than the usual underclassman.
The media's most recognized draft analysts -- ESPN's Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, and NFL Network's Mike Mayock -- weighed in on Greene's draft stock in a conference call with beat reporters last week.
Kiper mentioned Greene's inexperience as a pass catcher and said he won't be surprised if Greene falls to the middle rounds. Mayock is concerned with Greene's off-field history. He was rumored to balloon to 300 pounds after being temporarily kicked out of school for bad grades in 2007. Running backs don't need Harvard degrees to explode through holes, but teams will surely check Greene's Wonderlic score at the Combine.
From a physical standpoint, straight-line speed is Greene's biggest question mark. A forty time in the low 4.5s could guarantee Greene a spot in round two. A 4.7, however, could put Greene on the Tony Hunt career path.
Much to Gain
Another prospect with speed concerns is North Carolina WR Hakeem Nicks. The 6-1, 215-pound split end plays like he's 6-4 and will stand out in the receivers' Gauntlet Drill as a pure hands catcher. Nicks never lets passes get into his body, snatching them out of the air with outstanding coordination. But he's rumored to run in the 4.6 range, and in a receiver-rich draft such a time would hurt. After Crabtree, Nicks is battling Jeremy Maclin, Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Harvin to be the second receiver off the board. Nicks' competitors will likely all run sub-4.4s.
Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins is the draft's consensus top cornerback, but some feel he's better suited for safety in the pros. Jenkins is a vicious, aggressive tackler, possesses safety size at 6-1, 201, and has trouble with smaller speed receivers in coverage. If he runs a 4.4 flat at the Combine, however, teams will feel comfortable keeping Jenkins outside. Cornerback is the more valued position and Jenkins could solidify a place in the top eight picks.
Like his older brother Vernon, consensus No. 2 corner Vontae Davis of Illinois is a physical freak at 6-0, 204 and will likely run faster than Jenkins. Davis even has a fighter's chance to emerge as the first CB drafted if he performs well in position drills and his forty is significantly better.
Under the Radar
Off-field problems and fumbling affected Texas A&M RB Mike Goodson's playing time early in his college career, and dominant short-yardage specialist Jorvorskie Lane vultured many of his potential touchdowns.
As a junior in 2008, Goodson was given the full-time tailback reigns with Lane converting to fullback, but the Aggies were terrible under new coach Mike Sherman and Goodson generated only 406 rushing yards. Still, the early entrant offers plus size (6-0, 220), receiving ability, and straight-away speed. Despite little fanfare as an Aggie, Goodson is a candidate to shoot up draft boards with a dominant Combine.
Southern Mississippi "move" tight end Shawn Nelson was the surprise star of January's Senior Bowl, exhibiting willingness as a blocker, soft hands, and an impressive 6-5 frame. This draft lacks a clear-cut No. 2 tight end after Oklahoma State's Brandon Pettigrew, but Nelson is the early frontrunner. Jared Cook of South Carolina, who Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier once compared to Calvin Johnson, converted QB and onetime Florida basketball player Cornelius Ingram, and versatile Rice H-back James Casey are other tight ends to watch.
Brian Orakpo of Texas is considered the draft's top defensive end, but many teams view the Nagurski Award winner as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Northern Illinois' Larry English, Georgia Tech's Michael Johnson, and the aforementioned Brown and Maybin fall into a similar category. There is no consensus top base 4-3 end.
That's where Utah redshirt sophomore Paul Kruger could come in. Listed at 6-5, 265, Kruger was unstoppable in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama and already wears a borderline first-round grade. Kruger, who went on a two-year Mormon mission before his breakout 2008 campaign, could move into the top-20 range with a big week.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Top 10 Super Bowl Halftime Shows

This is from www.msnbc.com. It was fun to read and remember some of these halftime shows. I really couldn't remember who else was with Janet Jackson and J.T. I agree with the list except, I would have to say that Prince's halftime show was the best I have ever seen and the only one that I wanted to keep on going instead of the game. I liked Michael Jackson's performance too. The 9-11 tribute was O.K., but it was a tribute, not a entertainment show. Anyways, I thought you would enjoy looking at these.

Top 10 Super Bowl Halftime Shows




Months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, U2 delivered a moving tribute to America and the victims of 9/11. The Irish rockers opened with "Beautiful Day," followed by the subdued "MLK" and a powerful rendition of "Where the Streets Have No Name." As the Edge played the hypnotic guitar part, the victims' names scrolled to the heavens on a towering backdrop. At the end, when Bono opened his jacket to reveal a stars-and-stripes lining, the whole stadium erupted.



In 2007, the artist currently known as Prince put on a royal performance. The 1980s icon launched into "Let's Go Crazy" and covered "Along The Watchtower," "Proud Mary" and the Foo Fighters' "Best Of You." Finally, he brought the house down with "Purple Rain" in a coincidental downpour. The phallic imagery caused a minor stir. It's just a guitar, people.



In 1993, the then-undisputed King of Pop moonwalked through smoke and blazing pyrotechnics, delivering a medley of hits: "Jam," "Billie Jean" and "Black or White." Surrounded by 3,500 local children (insert your own joke here), Jackson closed the set with "Heal the World." FOX aired the entire performance live, and never again would a network cut away from a halftime show.



No one seems to recall that Jessica Simpson, Nelly, P. Diddy and Kid Rock also performed at this particular halftime show in '04. That's because Super Bowl XXXVIII will always be remembered for Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction," when Justin Timberlake ripped off part of Jackson's outfit at the very end of "Rock Your Body" to reveal her bare breast. The incident, dubbed "Nipplegate," led to a widespread debate and a major crackdown on indecency in broadcasting. Consequently, MTV was banned from future halftime gigs and CBS absorbed a $550,000 fine.



Billed as the NFL's tribute to Motown's 40th anniversary, The Temptations kicked off the 1998 show, followed by a Smokey Robinson medley. Queen Latifah belted out ''I Heard It Through the Grapevine'' before Boyz II Men popped up from under the stage singing ''Motown Philly.'' The cast came together for a ''Dancing in the Streets'' grand finale.


In 2001, the worlds of rock, pop and hip-hop collided in an MTV-produced extravaganza. N'Sync and Aerosmith headlined the show, which included spectacular fireworks and constant strobe lights. The collaborative closing number ("Walk This Way") was memorable, as was Britney's ridiculous Barbarella-meets-Mrs.-Jetson outfit.



In 1996, Diana Ross sang a few lines from a dozen of her classic hits while making four costume changes. For her exit, she hopped into a helicopter, swung her legs out the side and flew off into the sunset -- to the strains of "Take Me Higher." Now that's a diva!



Strutting across an enormous stage designed as a replica of the Stones' trademark tongue logo, Mick Jagger, at 62, proved that time is indeed on his side. ABC introduced a five-second delay in 2006, and censors cut lines from two of the three songs ("Start Me Up" and "Rough Justice"). "Here's one we could have done at Super Bowl I," Jagger wryly said in introducing "Satisfaction."



In 1988, Chubby Checker was joined by the Rockettes and 88 grand pianos for a halftime extravaganza that would set the stage for bigger recording acts in the years to follow. While Checker and "The Twist" hadn't been relevant in, well ... decades, it was a step up from previous halftime fare such as Carol Channing (1970, '72) and the performance troupe Up With People (1976, '80, '82. '86).




From the lame to the outrageous, Super Bowl halftime shows have wowed, bored and stunned. Halftime entertainment has come a long way since the University of Arizona and Grambling State marching bands took to the field for Super Bowl I, which didn't come close to selling out (and wasn't even called the Super Bowl -- yet). Collegiate marching bands did the honors at seven of the first eight Super Bowls.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Is the Wii really FIT?

This is from www.yahoo.com. I have recently purchased a Wii Fit and my family has just now started an exercise program, so we'll see what exactly happens. I have heard a lot of people have used it a lot the first few weeks and then they really haven't touched it since. I have used it everyday for a week so far, but we'll see what happens as the weeks go by.
If anyone has any other info, or their own opinion on the wii fit, please write a comment.


WII Fit?????

BURLINGAME, CALIF.--Nintendo's exercise game Wii Fit is still flying off retail shelves eight months after its U.S. release last May. The all-in-one instructional tool, weight tracker and fitness coach advertises itself as a painless way for the whole family to get healthy thanks to the game's "balance board," which measures players' movement. Offering a selection of activities--from running to push-ups to yoga--Wii Fit is now in almost 1.5 million homes across the country. But is anyone actually using it?

Not really, says Brian Crecente, managing editor of the popular gaming blog Kotaku. Despite optimistic predictions that Nintendo had unleashed a new era of videogames, Crecente calls Wii Fit little more than an exercise fad that's bound to come and go like any other. "I don't know a single person who has bought the game who uses it routinely after a month," he claims, stressing that getting results from the game requires dedication and real physical exertion. "What Nintendo did is they tapped into that desire people have to be healthier... Everyone wants to work out, but nobody really wants to put the effort into it."


In Pictures: 10 Ways Videogames Can Help You Lose Weight


One of the things that's made Wii Fit so popular is the excitement Nintendo has stirred up with people who don't normally play. For Crecente, that excitement--and the let down that often comes with it--hit home. "My mom and step dad both tried Wii Fit before it came out," he says, "and like every other middle-aged American, they loved it." In fact, they loved it so much they went out and bought a Wii of their own. Months later, though, when Crecente stopped by for a visit, he didn't need to ask if they'd set foot on their balance board. Their Wii had never even been set up. So much for physical fitness.

Don't blame Nintendo for people's sloth, observers say. The company has marketed its new cash cow brilliantly, and it's not responsible for whether consumers play the game or not. Nintendo declined to comment for this article, but Wii Fit creator Shigeru Miyamoto has previously gone on record and said that the game is less about people losing weight and more about broadening the videogame market. Still, it seems a little disingenuous for Nintendo to heavily market a fitness tool that's sitting in more than a million American living rooms collecting dust.

That's not to say Wii Fit doesn't work--if you play it. Brian Ashcraft, another Kotaku editor, tried the game out faithfully for a month when it was first released in order to review it. The results: He enjoyed the yoga, and started to feel more in shape. But the novelty wore off, and Ashcraft admits he hasn't picked up the game in a long, long time.

Not everyone, however, is prepared to give up on Wii Fit. Instead of relying on anecdotal evidence, Scott Owens, a professor of exercise science at the University of Mississippi, has started a six-month study to uncover whether placing Wii Fit in a home will actually improve a family's physical fitness. By donating the game to local participants for three months at a time, then taking it away for another three months, Owens will be able to observe how the game impacts cardiovascular fitness, flexibility and balance. How often families use Wii Fit will be up to them.

Of course, the overall goal of Owens' study isn't to question Wii Fit's effectiveness--it's to provide more insight into the American obesity epidemic. Right now, Owens speculates that playing traditional videogames might be a contributing factor because it's a sedentary activity. Results of his study are expected to come out this June.

In the meantime, gamers like Crecente remain skeptical about the Wii Fit hype, predicting that this, too, will pass into fitness fad history. When a neighbor mentioned heading out to buy a Wii Fit recently, Crecente's advice was simple: Don't do it. "I have to keep reminding people," he sighs, "even though it's a videogame, it's still exercise. It might be fun a little bit, but it's work."

Monday, February 16, 2009

Racing without his father


Racing without his father


Friday, February 13, 2009

2009 NBA All-Star Game




NBA All-Star Game
Date: Sun. Feb. 15, 2009 Time: 8 p.m. ET TV: TNT
Venue: US Airways Center (Phoenix, Ariz.)



2009 All-Star Game Starters
East West
Dwight Howard, Orlando, C Yao Ming, Houston, C
Kevin Garnett, Boston, F Amar'e Stoudemire, Phoenix, F
LeBron James, Cleveland, F Tim Duncan, San Antonio, F
Dwyane Wade, Miami, G Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers, G
Allen Iverson, Detroit, G Chris Paul, New Orleans, G
Coach: Mike Brown, Cleveland Coach: Phil Jackson, L.A. Lakers


2008 NBA All-Star Game Recap
NEW ORLEANS -- Toss some leftover Mardi Gras beads toward the East. LeBron James and his crew earned them.
Outdunking, outpassing and outperforming their more trumpeted counterparts from the Western Conference, the Eastern Conference All-Stars avenged a year-old beating with a 134-128 victory on Sunday night. 2008 NBA All-Star Game Recap



Slam Dunk Contest Past Winners
Year Winner Team
2008 Dwight Howard Orlando Magic
2007 Gerald Green Boston Celtics
2006 Nate Robinson New York Knicks
2005 Josh Smith Atlanta Hawks
2004 Fred Jones Indiana Pacers
2003 Jason Richardson Golden State Warriors
2002 Jason Richardson Golden State Warriors
2001 Desmond Mason Seattle SuperSonics
2000 Vince Carter Toronto Raptors
1997 Kobe Bryant L.A. Lakers
1996 Brent Barry L.A. Clippers
1995 Harold Miner Miami Heat
1994 Isaiah Rider Minnesota Timberwolves
1993 Harold Minor Miami Heat
1992 Cedric Ceballos Phoenix Suns
1991 Dee Brown Boston Celtics
1990 Dominique Wilkins Atlanta Hawks
1989 Kenny Walker New York Knicks
1988 Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls
1987 Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls
1986 Spud Webb Atlanta Hawks
1985 Dominique Wilkins Atlanta Hawks
1984 Larry Nance Phoenix Suns


Shooting Stars Past Winners
Year Players Team
2008 Tim Duncan, Becky Hammon, David Robinson San Antonio Spurs
2007 Chauncey Billups, Swin Cash, Bill Laimbeer Detroit Pistons
2006 Tony Parker, Kendra Wecker, Steve Kerr San Antonio Spurs
2005 Shawn Marion, Diana Taurasi, Dan Majerle Phoenix Suns
2004 Derek Fisher, Lisa Leslie, Magic Johnson Los Angeles Lakers



Rookie Challenge All-Time Results
Year Winner Loser Score MVP
2008 Sophomores Rookies 136-109 Daniel Gibson, Cleveland
2007 Sophomores Rookies 155-114 David Lee, New York
2006 Sophomores Rookies 106-96 Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia
2005 Sophomores Rookies 133-106 Carmelo Anthony, Denver
2004 Sophomores Rookies 142-118 Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix
2003 Sophomores Rookies 132-112 Gilbert Arenas, Golden State
2002 Rookies Sophomores 103-97 Jason Richardson, Golden State
2001 Sophomores Rookies 121-113 Wally Szczerbiak, Minnesota
2000 Rookies Sophomores 92-81 (OT) Elton Brand, Chicago
1998 East West 85-80 Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland
1997 East West 96-91 Allen Iverson, Philadelphia
1996 East West 94-92 Damon Stoudamire, Toronto
1995 White Green 83-79 (OT) Eddie Jones, L.A. Lakers
1994 Phenoms Sensations 74-68 Anfernee Hardaway, Orlando


Skills Challenge Past Winners
Year Players Team
2008 Deron Williams Utah Jazz
2007 Dwyane Wade Miami Heat
2006 Dwyane Wade Miami Heat
2005 Steve Nash Phoenix Suns
2004 Baron Davis New Orleans Hornets
2003 Jason Kidd New Jersey Nets


NBA All-Star Game Yearly Results
Year Site Score MVP
2008 New Orleans East 134, West 128 LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
2007 Las Vegas West 153, East 132 Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
2006 Houston East 122, West 120 LeBron James, Cleveland
2005 Denver East 125, West 115 Allen Iverson, Philadelphia
2004 Los Angeles West 136, East 132 Shaquille O'Neal, L.A. Lakers
2003 Atlanta West 155, East 145 (2OT) Kevin Garnett, Minnesota
2002 Philadelphia West 135, East 120 Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
2001 Washington East 111, West 110 Allen Iverson, Philadelphia
2000 Oakland West 137, East 126 Tim Duncan, San Antonio;
Shaquille O'Neal, L.A. Lakers

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Tennessee's Lane Kiffin a Cheater....... Already!

Lane Kiffin! What a jackass! He calls out Urban Myer of Florida, which turned out to be a lie and then commits two violations of his own. This idiot has not coached a single game in college yet. I don't think he will come out of the Florida game feeling very good about himself. Win some games, earn some respect from your peers then you can run your mouth about other coaches. I have a feeling that everything Al Davis said about Kiffin was true. I see him lasting 2 or 3 years at Rocky-Top!



Vols' Kiffin commits minor recruiting violations
Tennessee coach admonished, had earlier called Florida's Meyer a cheater
New Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin got a letter of admonishment from his employer after committing two secondary recruiting violations.


Tennessee notified the NCAA it found a Southeastern Conference coach committing recruiting violations — the Volunteers’ own Lane Kiffin.
Kiffin was reprimanded by SEC commissioner Mike Slive on Thursday for falsely accusing Florida’s Urban Meyer of a recruiting violation.
In letters to the NCAA and SEC, the Tennessee athletic department said the secondary violations occurred in January. One violation occurred when nine prospects on an official visit to the school participated in a mock press conference at Neyland Stadium’s media center.
Another violation occurred when a fog machine was used as a recruit entered the field at Neyland Stadium during his official visit on Jan. 9.
Under NCAA recruiting rules, schools are prohibited from simulating a game experience for recruits during official visits.
Tennessee issued letters of admonishment to Kiffin and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron and provided the staff with a review of NCAA recruiting policies. Neither the NCAA nor the SEC has issued any punishment.
“They understand that they must ask questions of the compliance office about anything ’creative’ regarding campus visits,” the Jan. 26 letter said.
The violations were first reported Monday by The Knoxville News Sentinel.
Tennessee’s coaching staff believed the mock press conference was allowed because it was not done in public. They thought the use of the fog machine was allowed after seeing it used at other universities.
Kiffin, who was introduced as Tennessee’s new coach on Dec. 1, said Meyer broke recruiting rules by phoning wide receiver prospect Nu’Keese Richardson as he was making his official visit to Tennessee. Doing so would not constitute a violation of either NCAA or SEC rules.
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier questioned whether Kiffin broke rules by contacting a recruit before being cleared by the NCAA to do so. Kiffin assured fans that he had been notified by the NCAA that he was cleared before making his first phone call.
Kiffin joked later that he received a 39 out of 40 on his recruiting test required by the NCAA.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

A-Rod's not the only villain in steroid scandal

I agree with this article from www.msnbc.com. Where are the 103 other names on this list? Don't just ruin A-Rod's life and career, ruin everybody else's too. At this point I could care less who did and did not do steroids. Obviously, everyone at one time or another has tried some sort of enhancer. It is just that some got caught and some did not. Look at Shauwn Merriman of the San Diego Chargers...... he got caught doing steroids, served his suspension and no one cares. If you are going to bring out a list of names, then you should have the balls to list everyone, not just the ones you can write a book about and make some money off of their humility!!!!!

A-Rod's not the only villain in steroid scandal

My first thought after Alex Rodriguez was outed for being among 104 major leaguers who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003 is, “Who are the other 103?”
Come on, Bud Selig and Don Fehr. If we’re going to let one guy get crucified for the results of a test that was supposed to be anonymous, let’s crucify them all. Let’s line the streets with gibbets and hang the lot of them in public so the pious can pelt them with rotten vegetables and mock them for trying to meet our demands to be entertained.
I’ve never been much of an A-Rod fan, as my past columns about him amply demonstrate. But I’ve always been a fan of fairness, and what it happening to the man baseball fans most love to hate (Barry Bonds is out of work, so we’re not counting him.) is, simply put, not fair.
To A-Rod’s credit, his response to ESPN after being caught sounded pretty honest. He said he was young and naïve and he wanted to prove he was worth the biggest contract in baseball history. ‘Roids were part of the culture of the game then, so he took whatever the other guys were taking that helped them play better.
It might sound shallow, but the guy’s a jock. What do you expect?
I know Rodriguez lied a couple of years back when Katie Couric asked him if he had ever used the juice, but I’m not going to hold that against him. That was the same as asking him if he had ever cheated on his wife. Or asking elected officials if they’re atheists. People don’t answer those questions honestly unless they are under oath or confronted with the evidence against them. Even then, they try to wriggle out of it because if you admit it, you’re dead.
Anyway, none of this should surprise anyone. This is, after all, what you get when you let Major League Baseball and its players association try to do anything that might have the kind of consequences A-Rod is suffering now.
The testing that Sports Illustrated says caught A-Rod was supposed to be an anonymous process that would set a baseline for real testing, which would begin in 2004, with penalties. The obvious question is why names were recorded if the tests were to be anonymous. Baseball and the players' union argue that the samples were identified only by number, and the list of names was kept in a separate location so the two would never meet.
But it was the players' association that demanded that the names of the malefactors be preserved, and on Donald Fehr’s head can be heaped the largest pile of abuse. Fehr’s thinking was that he wanted a record to protect against false positive tests, but if the tests weren’t going to be used to discipline anyone, why bother.
How dumb could he be? Doesn’t anyone read the papers or follow the media? If it is possible to connect names and numbers, they will be connected. You could have one list on Mars and the other list on the third moon of Saturn, and somebody will still find them and put them together, especially if it might provide a chance to humiliate someone rich and famous.
In this case, the connection apparently was made by federal prosecutors who subpoenaed the test results as part of the investigations into steroids and baseball. And once the lists were joined, it was only a matter of time before some nitwit who loves bringing down the mighty leaked the big name to reporters, because, you know, it’s A-Rod, and he deserves it.
The trouble is A-Rod doesn’t deserve it. Nobody does.
But baseball and its union have mishandled the steroids issue at every turn. Both started by ignoring that there might even be a problem. The players’ association fought testing or penalties at every turn. Bud Selig was delighted at all the fans and money that came into the game because players were hitting heroic numbers of home runs. And the media, with rare exceptions, raised few questions until the truth came out. And then the reaction was shock and outrage.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

NCAA Bubble Watch



Early Bubble Watch for the NCAA Tournament according to www.si.com

If you needed an illustration of the Butterfly Effect as it pertains to college hoops, look no further than Saturday in the ACC. The second halves of games at Duke and Clemson may end up changing a lot about the eventual NCAA tournament bracket.
Presumed top-seed Duke, fresh off getting mauled at Clemson, was being embarrassed at home by Miami, currently a bubble team that was trying to cap its own epic week after crushing Wake Forest. Meanwhile, the surging Tigers were hammering Florida State, which still was looking for a marquee win for its at-large resume. Two huge rallies later, Duke had stabilized (for now), Clemson was kicking itself, Miami had wasted an enormous opportunity, and FSU had a huge validating road win. Crazy.
This kind of stuff happens almost daily around the nation, as one result here or there can impact league races, which can impact tournament seeding, which can impact the Field of 65, but rarely do you see examples this pronounced running in tandem.
It just goes to reiterate how every game does matter, and how March Madness extends into the months before it. If anything falls under the general definition of Chaos Theory, this is it.
(Records listed are Division I only, per NCAA tournament selection guidelines. All RPI and SOS data are from Sunday's collegerpi.com RPI report.)

ACC
Locks: Duke, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Clemson

The locks stay the same, but to assume nothing happened would be incorrect. Can Duke's effort and resolve continue to overcome the kind of bad shooting nights that torpedoed the Devils down the stretch last season? Did Wake Forest just need a wake up call or have people figured out the Deacons and now they need to figure out how to beat a zone? Did UNC see the final score in Clemson on Saturday, and say, "See, our buzzer-beating win in Tallahassee was solid." Can you ever trust Clemson to handle prosperity?

SHOULD BE IN
It's hard to overstate the importance of Florida State's (18-5, 5-3; RPI: 18, SOS: 24) rally at Clemson. It pushed the Noles away from the .500-level in conference play and gave them the kind of validating road win their resume had sorely been lacking. This team is clearly positioned as the fifth team in from the ACC at this point.

IN THE MIX
Virginia Tech (15-7, 5-3; RPI: 42, SOS: 29) had eight days to prepare for N.C. State at home, and still needed to rally from a big hole to win in overtime. The Hokies would be wise to take full advantage of this stretch, which continues with a home game against Georgia Tech and visits to Maryland and Virginia. After that, the final five are very tough. Boston College (18-7, 6-4; RPI: 51, SOS: 72) faded after the half at Wake Forest after beating Virginia on the road. The Eagles now get Clemson and Duke at home, so the potential is there to add to the UNC upset.
Oh, Miami (14-8, 4-6; RPI: 39, SOS: 12). Poised to have the best week of any team this season, the Canes let Duke off the hook. Clobbering Wake Forest is still a big plus, and this team showed it could play at an elite level, but it's still 4-6 in the league and has some ground to make up. Next up, North Carolina at home.

Big 12
Locks: Oklahoma

Both games were closer than you would have expected, but Oklahoma improved to 23-1 and remains well positioned for a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs. Let's see what happens on the road at reeling Baylor, struggling Texas and surging Missouri down the stretch.

SHOULD BE IN
Last week's three-way debate is now a two-way battle between Kansas (19-4, 8-0; RPI: 15, SOS: 49) and Missouri (19-4, 7-2; RPI: 21, SOS: 75), which meet tonight in Columbia, Mo., in what should be a terrific game. The Jayhawks were slightly ahead last week and remain so this week after dispatching Baylor on the road and Oklahoma State at home. They have more to lean on in nonconference play and remain perfect in the Big 12, while Mizzou has two losses against a comparable conference schedule.
Texas (15-7, 4-4; RPI: 44, SOS: 40) will stay in this category for now, in part because its closest pursuers all struggled, and looking at the big picture, this league will get at least four teams in. The struggling Horns have nonleague wins over UCLA, Villanova and at Wisconsin, but they need get back on track soon, starting with Oklahoma State at home on Tuesday.

IN THE MIX
We have to introduce Kansas State (15-7, 5-4; RPI: 69, SOS: 89) and Nebraska (15-7, 5-4; RPI: 67, SOS: 64) to the mix. The Wildcats have now won five straight after winning at Texas A&M and get struggling Texas Tech next before an in-state showdown with Kansas on Saturday. The Wildcats' nonleague slate is woefully empty, so they need to keep doing work in the league. The Huskers are a similar story after toppling Texas to go with their Missouri win. At least the nonleague loss at Oregon State looks more respectable now.
Baylor (14-8, 3-6; RPI: 55, SOS: 20), which has now lost five straight after a crushing defeat at Texas Tech and gets to host Oklahoma on Wednesday. The game against Texas A&M (16-7, 3-6; RPI: 45, SOS: 36) on Saturday looms as a virtual elimination game for both after A&M lost at home to K-State. Oklahoma State (14-8, 3-5; RPI: 31, SOS: 5) continues to be all schedule, minimal substance.

Big East
Locks: Pitt, Connecticut, Louisville, Marquette

UConn continues to look the part of a national title favorite. Pitt is not far behind. Louisville needs to find some ballhandling to go with its defense. A frustrating loss at South Florida ended Marquette's perfect league start. Now the real tests begin which will help determine how high the Golden Eagles are seeded on Selection Sunday.

SHOULD BE IN
Villanova (19-4, 7-3; RPI: 12, SOS: 24) is now clearly next in the batting order after edging Providence and drilling Syracuse, and you could make a strong argument that they should be one level higher than this, as the resume is quite comparable with Marquette's given the Golden Eagles' easier conference schedule so far. Nova's remaining schedule isn't easy, though, so let's hold off a week. The Wildcats can help themselves on Tuesday night when they host Marquette in the return match from their New Year's Day loss in Milwaukee.
Syracuse (17-6, 6-5; RPI: 24, SOS: 37) had a solid home win over West Virginia before losing at Villanova. The Orange have dropped five of seven and it doesn't get easier with a visit to UConn on Wednesday. After that, the Orange get some home games and should be able to stabilize. The nonleague performance continues to support the resume, with neutral-site wins over Florida and Kansas and a victory at Memphis providing much more than the Orange typically have. West Virginia (16-7, 5-5; RPI: 16, SOS: 7) buried Providence after losing at the 'Cuse, and now gets a road shot at Pitt before hitting a very favorable schedule down the stretch.

IN THE MIX
What a big week for Cincinnati (15-7, 6-5, RPI: 50, SOS: 28), which beat Notre Dame and then finished a surprising sweep of Georgetown with a two-point road win. Beating St. John's at home next is a must ahead of trips to Pitt and Syracuse sandwiched around home dates with Louisville and West Virginia. Georgetown's (13-9, 4-7; RPI: 36, SOS: 4) loss to Cincinnati was the Hoyas' eighth in its last 11 games. The next five (at Syracuse, at USF, Marquette, Louisville, at Villanova) are very tough and raises the very real possibility that this team could miss the NCAAs altogether. The Hoyas have beaten Memphis and UConn, but even 8-10 in the Big East might be a tough sell.
Providence (14-9, 6-5; RPI: 66, SOS: 27) couldn't get it done against Villanova or West Virginia and remains on the fringe. Sitting on the fringe would be an improvement for Notre Dame (11-10, 3-7; RPI: 81, SOS: 38). The Irish were crushed at UCLA after losing at Cincinnati. With seven straight losses, the Irish are life support at this point. Next up? Louisville. They also have trips left to West Virginia, Providence and UConn.

Big Ten
Locks: Michigan State

The Spartans made easy work of Minnesota and Indiana at home to maintain a two-game lead at the top of the league. They're still very much in the mix for a two-seed in the NCAAs.

SHOULD BE IN
Ohio State (17-5, 7-4; RPI: 19, SOS: 35) made it four straight with home wins over Purdue and Minnesota, which helped them climb the Big Ten ladder this week. They have nonleague wins over Miami, Notre Dame and Butler, which help. The struggling Illinois (19-5, 7-4; RPI: 17, SOS: 44) offense finally revived a bit as the Illini throttled Purdue on Sunday. They now have two winnable road games at Northwestern and Indiana. Purdue (17-6, 6-4; RPI: 35, SOS: 60) took a half-step back with an overtime loss at Ohio State preceding the defeat at Illinois. They need to get Robbie Hummel back. Worth noting: Purdue still has to play Michigan State twice.
The bad news for Minnesota (17-5, 6-5, RPI: 25, SOS: 41)? It was routed at Michigan State and then fell short at Ohio State. The good news? The Gophers are done with the league's top three and have four home games left against the bottom half of the league. As long as they take care of business the Gophers should be fine.

IN THE MIX
So much for that Penn State (17-7, 6-5; RPI: 68, SOS: 147) surge. The Nittany Lions were routed at Michigan and shut down at home by Wisconsin. With three of their next four on the road at Purdue, Illinois and Ohio State, these Ls could prove costly. Meanwhile, Wisconsin (13-9, 5-6, RPI: 37, SOS: 2) won a pair to right the ship for now. Michigan (14-9, 5-6; RPI: 48, SOS: 14) blasted Penn State and then came up a bit short at UConn -- no shame there, but a missed chance to add to UCLA and Duke wins on the profile. Northwestern (13-8, 4-6; RPI: 61, SOS: 43) couldn't afford to lose at struggling Iowa. This next stretch -- home to Illinois, Michigan and Ohio State -- is make-or-break.

Pac-10
Locks: UCLA

The Bruins took full advantage of its four-game homestand to assume top-dog status in the league. With a season-ending home weekend against the Oregon schools, it's hard to find a way for the Bruins to miss at this point, so they're locked up.

SHOULD BE IN
Washington (17-6, 8-3; RPI: 21; SOS: 17) bounced back from a disappointing effort at Cal to beat Stanford and remain ahead of Arizona State (18-5, 7-4, RPI: 41, SOS: 95), which beat Oregon and Oregon State on the road. A bigger test awaits Thursday night when the Sun Devils host UCLA. They're still struggling badly from the three-point arc, shooting 26.2 percent in their last seven games. Five of the last seven are at home. California (18-6, 7-4; RPI: 29, SOS: 45) had a strong weekend, taking out both Washington schools at home with a revived offense that had its best efficiency performances since a Jan. 4 win over Arizona State.

IN THE MIX
USC's (15-7, 6-4; RPI: 40, SOS: 22) lone outing of the week didn't go well at UCLA. Now the Trojans need to get something done down in Arizona. Arizona (16-8, 6-5; RPI: 53, SOS: 66) got both ends of the must-get Oregon road trip. Now they have a big home game against USC Thursday in advance of a Saturday matinee against UCLA.

SEC
Locks: None.

Things are starting to look a lot like football season in this conference, with Florida and LSU the divisional flagbearers. This wasn't a good week for many of the at-large candidates, with Kentucky fans rightfully being the most concerned.

SHOULD BE IN
After holding off South Carolina to get a season split and take over first place in the East, Florida (19-4, 6-2; RPI: 30, SOS: 106) had the rest of the week off. Just asking: What was up with the modest crowd at the O-Dome against the Gamecocks?

IN THE MIX
South Carolina (17-5, 6-3; RPI: 43, RPI: 80) couldn't quite get it done at Florida, but handled Georgia to remain squarely in the mix. Remember, the Gamecocks get Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky all at home down the stretch, but up next is an important road trip to Alabama and Mississippi State. Tennessee (14-8, 5-3; RPI: 20, SOS: 1) couldn't escape by the skin of its teeth a second time, losing in the final seconds at Auburn after edging Arkansas. That's a disappointing loss for a team that looked to have turned the corner a bit. They get Georgia and Vandy at home this week, which needs to be two wins. Worth considering: The Vols are like the bizarro Gamecocks, in that they have road games remaining at Kentucky, Florida and South Carolina. They also have the most nonleague plusses on their resume.
LSU (19-4, 7-1; RPI: 54, SOS: 131) hasn't had the schedule Tennessee's had, but it does have many more wins. The Tigers rolled past Alabama to continue its West division surge, and already has beaten both South Carolina and Tennessee. The Tigers get Florida and Kentucky back-to-back in late February, which will help establish pecking order. This three-game homestand is not going the way Kentucky (16-7, 5-3; RPI: 75, SOS: 96) wanted. After losing to South Carolina and then absorbing Mississippi State's three-point assault last Tuesday, tomorrow's game against Florida is now really critical. The Cats are pretty clearly fifth in the league pecking order right now, their schedule the rest of the way is not easy, and they currently have an RPI that would be the worst ever for an at-large NCAA team. Mississippi State (15-7, 6-2; RPI: 82, SOS: 79) is behind LSU in the West division, but needs many more wins to make up for its barren nonleague resume.

Atlantic 10
Locks: Xavier

A loss at Duquesne might dent X's seeding, but the Musketeers are in no danger of missing the NCAAs, especially after Dayton returned the favor and lost at Charlotte on Sunday.

SHOULD BE IN
Dayton (21-3, 7-2; RPI: 26, SOS: 145) saw its run end Sunday in Charlotte but still has an overall profile that's worthy of a bid.

IN THE MIX
Temple (13-9, 5-3; RPI: 46, SOS: 31) needed to beat Xavier in Cincy and couldn't get it done. Edging Rhode Island is fine, but the Owls need more. Saint Joseph's (14-8, 7-1; RPI: 72, SOS: 52) rallied at UMass to keep the dream alive. The Hawks are now tied in the loss column with Xavier and one ahead of Dayton, with a string of winnable games on tap.

Mountain West
Locks: None

There's finally some separation at the top of the league, which is not good news for BYU and UNLV.

SHOULD BE IN
Utah (16-5, 7-2; RPI: 11, SOS: 11) won road games at TCU and Wyoming to keep pace with league co-leader San Diego State, which visits Salt Lake City on Wednesday. The Utes have a weird profile. There are two terrible nonleague losses (home to non-DI Southwest Baptist and at Idaho State). They also lost to Cal and at Oklahoma and Utah State, while beating Gonzaga, LSU and Ole Miss. The computer numbers are better than that actual performance, but they have the best resume in the league right now and look well-positioned schedule-wise.

IN THE MIX
San Diego State (15-5, 7-2; RPI: 47, SOS: 81) got a huge overtime win at UNLV and backed it up by throttling Air Force to get to 7-2 in the league. The Aztecs now have a chance to sweep Utah and take over first on Wednesday. They have a tougher schedule than the Utes (also at New Mexico and TCU, with BYU and UNLV at home) and have less in their nonleague slate, so winning the league is paramount for them. Remember that "favorable" schedule mentioned last week for UNLV (17-6, 5-4; RPI: 56, SOS: 94)? Well, two overtime losses later, the Rebels are in fifth place in the league and in some trouble. There's only so far the win at Louisville can take them, and they'll be at least two games behind the SDSU-Utah winner with six games left. A comparison with BYU (16-5, 5-3; RPI: 34, SOS: 47) is very interesting. UNLV won in Provo and the Cougars' best nonleague win (Utah State) isn't Louisville, even though they have better computer numbers. There's not a lot separating these three teams at the moment, which makes league finish critical.

Others
Locks: Memphis, Butler

Butler's loss at Wisconsin-Green Bay made things a lot tighter in the Horizon, but it doesn't impact the Bulldogs' lock status. Memphis flexed its muscle in Spokane Saturday night. The odds remain that no other league besides C-USA, the Horizon, the WCC and the SoCon have a chance for multiple bids, and even the WCC's quest may have been damaged by Patty Mills' injury.

SHOULD BE IN
After Saturday night's thrashing by Memphis, Gonzaga (16-5, 8-0; RPI: 38, SOS: 69) should feel even more fortunate that Patty Mills' hand injury altered the WCC race. Earlier in the week, the Zags did what they needed to do, winning at second-place Portland. Now two games up on the field, a regular-season league title looks almost certain and that would be enough to get them in.
Utah State (22-1, 11-0; RPI: 33, SOS: 203) gets a deserved bump this week. The Aggies still must travel to second-place Boise State and third-place Nevada in addition to a road game at struggling Saint Mary's in the BracketBusters, so they'll need to keep taking care of business.

IN THE MIX
Saint Mary's (17-4, 6-3; RPI: 60; SOS: 239) lost at Santa Clara Saturday and remains in third place in the league. The Gaels now have four straight home games against Gonzaga, Portland, San Diego and then Utah State in BracketBusters, but they continue to carry a Patty Mills-sized asterisk. The big question: Assuming they get Mills back healthy before the end of the season, how much does this stretch even matter? There are no great wins with him, but they did beat Providence and San Diego State on neutral courts and won at Oregon (along with everyone else). They also could wind up 20-2 with Mills should they finish third or fourth in the league and ultimately lose to Gonzaga in the WCC title game. That wouldn't be good enough for an at-large?
Davidson (19-4, 13-1; RPI: 49, SOS: 132) burned one of its safety nets on Saturday, losing by two at home to a solid Charleston team to end its 43-game SoCon winning streak. The game was on national TV and the Wildcats didn't look particularly good, with Stephen Curry shooting blanks after halftime. This now makes the BracketBusters home game against Butler very important. It seems less likely that Davidson could now lose that one and not win the automatic bid and still get in. Beating West Virginia and N.C. State isn't a ton to fall back on, with a tough loss at Oklahoma and lopsided Ls against Purdue and Duke the other measuring sticks.
Another team that might be down to its final loss is Siena (18-6, 12-1; RPI: 28, SOS: 50), which got nipped at rival Rider on Saturday. The Saints whiffed on every nonleague chance they had and drawing Northern Iowa in the BracketBusters isn't a plus.

ON THE PERIPHERY
Terrible midweek losses for both Northeastern (16-7, 11-2; RPI: 65, SOS: 136) and VCU (17-7, 10-3, RPI: 73, SOS: 133) make it a virtual certainty that the CAA will only get one bid this season. The league is having a MAC-type season, with some solid teams cannibalizing one another.
Northern Iowa (16-7, 11-2; RPI: 79; SOS: 166) still leads the Valley, but a home loss to Creighton puts a major dent in whatever modest at-large hopes the Panthers had. Second-place is now owned by Creighton (19-6, 9-4; RPI: 70, SOS: 152), which beat Dayton and Saint Joe's in nonleague play, after Illinois State (19-5, 8-5; RPI: 52, SOS: 223), had an awful home overtime loss to Indiana State on Sunday.
Can a second team make it from C-USA if Memphis wins the automatic bid (again)? UAB (16-8, 6-3; RPI: 32, SOS: 32), which won at Arizona, is trying to stake a claim, but the Blazers will need to finish ahead of Tulsa (16-7, 7-2, RPI: 71, SOS: 113), which beat Texas A&M. In the MAC, Miami, Ohio (14-7, 7-2; RPI: 58, SOS: 84) continues to maintain the best computer profile, but the RedHawks are still looking up at Buffalo (16-5, 8-1; RPI: 60, SOS: 203).

Monday, February 9, 2009

NASCAR is Back


Nascar is back!!!! The Daytona 500 is this Sunday!



DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Martin Truex Jr. suffered through an uncertain winter, unsure if his revamped race team could take him to the top.
Mark Martin also endured a long offseason, anxious to join NASCAR’s premier program.
Their waits proved worth it Sunday when the former teammates took the top two starting spots for the season-opening Daytona 500.
Truex, now driving for the organization born from the merger between sponsor-strapped Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing, earned the pole for the Feb. 15 showcase event. With a lap of 188.001 mph in a Chevrolet, he showed Earnhardt Ganassi Racing will go on — perhaps stronger than the individual teams ever were.
“It was a tough winter for most of us in the community,” said Ganassi, the front man for the new race team. “Bringing two companies together is a difficult task, a painful thing for a lot of people. My hats off to these guys because there was a core group of people who never wavered, never lost focus on what they wanted to do and today was a reward.”
The merger resulted in roughly 150 layoffs, coupled with an additional 70 employees Ganassi let go in July when he shuttered one of his three race teams. And it came together with just a week left in the season, giving management only three months to ready for NASCAR’s biggest event of the year.
But they were clearly ready for Daytona: Truex had the fastest time, Juan Pablo Montoya was fourth and Aric Almirola was seventh. Truex and Almirola were in old DEI cars, while Montoya will race in a car from the Ganassi inventory.
“It’s good to see the hard work pay off. They’ve been through a lot this winter,” said Truex, who earned just the second pole.“In two months, to move shops, to move everything and start over — that’s a big deal to the guys. To start working with a lot of new people, for both sides to fit together as well as they have, I think it’s going really well.”
Martin shared the sentiment after earning his highest-qualifying position in his 25th Daytona 500 start.
He spent the past two years driving a limited schedule for DEI, but was lured back into another run at the championship when Hendrick Motorsports offered him a seat in its elite equipment. It’s re-energized the 50-year-old veteran, considered the greatest driver to never win a Cup championship.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Martin said. “I feel so grateful to Rick Hendrick, because that’s where it all starts. What an incredible person he is for giving me this opportunity. I just can’t wait to drive it. I wish we were starting (the race) in five minutes. Just give me enough time to get strapped in, and I’d like to start the 500.”
Martin, who turned a lap in his Chevrolet at 187.817 mph, has never won the 500. He came oh-so-close in 2007 when he was nipped in a photo finish at the line by Kevin Harvick.
Only the top two spots were secured under the complicated qualifying process for the marquee race, and the rest of the field will be set by a pair of 150-mile races Thursday.
But the top 35 drivers from last season are ensured a spot in the 500 field. Four other drivers were technically locked into the field, although their starting spots will not be determined until after Thursday’s qualifying races. Two-time Daytona 500 winner Bill Elliott, two-time series champion Tony Stewart and Travis Kvapil earned their way in by posting the fastest speeds among drivers not already assured a spot in the field.
Terry Labonte earned a berth in the field as the fastest former champion attempting to make the field.
Many believed Elliott had a solid shot at the pole after pacing both of Saturday’s practice sessions in the storied No. 21 Ford for Wood Brother Racing. Like many smaller teams, the Wood Brothers have been saddled with sponsorship woes. Despite being one of the oldest teams in NASCAR history, the team currently has only enough funding for 12 races this season.
“I have such mixed emotions,” said Elliott, who was fifth fastest in qualifying. “This whole (sponsor) Motorcraft team, they really put a good plan together to come down here for the 500 this year and I’m so proud of what they’ve done. I’m disappointed for those guys that we didn’t sit on the pole.”
Stewart, who left Joe Gibbs Racing after 10 years to take over his own team, posted the 10th-fastest speed then waited in uniform with his new crew to see if it was good enough to lock down a starting spot.
Ryan Newman, his teammate, posted the third-fastest speed of the session but was already locked into the field based on last season’s points.
“To have a new organization and a new group of guys do this ... this is a good effort for sure,” Newman said.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Is the Nintendo Wii failing to meet its potential?

Interesting article about the WII. I would have to agree with the author, because my family recently purchased a WII and have yet to buy a new game to play. We are content to play the games that came with it, but other than that, there are no new games that interest any of my kids or myself. I would have to give my vote to the PS3 because it plays all sorts of games and there are always new games worth buying, or at least renting for awhile. Plus they are full HD and sports games are much better on the PS3 or even the 360.





Is the Wii failing to meet its potential?
Console overwhelmed with "crappy games," says publisher
By Mike Smith
ADVERTISEMENT


There are too many crappy games on the Wii.

So says the global boss of 2K Games, Christoph Hartmann, and at least in the opinion of video game critics, he's on to something. Using figures from review aggregation site Metacritic.com, almost half of Wii games released since the console launched in 2006 have scored below 65%, compared with about a third of Xbox 360 and PS3 titles. And 65% is a pretty crappy aggregate score, considering that many game review sites rarely score below 50%.

Raise the bar to 85%, and the difference is even more pronounced: 360 owners can play twice as many games rated above 85% as Wii owners, while the PS3 nearly triples Nintendo's numbers.

Broadly, this problem isn't Nintendo's fault. In fact, without sterling first-party games like Super Mario Galaxy, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Wii's situation would be far worse. Nintendo-developed games, with the possible exception of Wii Music, are a beacon of quality in a sea of, as Hartmann so indelicately puts it, crap.

Fortunately, this situation isn't lost on most consumers. According to game sales authority NPD Group, the top ten best-selling Wii games -- titles like Mario Kart, Wii Fit, and last year's number one game, Wii Play -- accounted for about 44% of all Wii game purchases in 2008. The remaining 56% spanned over 400 other titles.


Explore An Unsung Wii Classic
That's not the worst of it. Sales of Wii games that reviewed poorly (including 2K Games' own Carnival Games, which aggregated a dismal 56%) eclipse those of many of the Wii's real gems, including the breathtaking Okami, the superb Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and even the lighthearted, family-friendly Steven Spielberg project Boom Blox, which should have been a perfect fit for the Wii's unprecedentedly broad audience. The Wii has a curious ability to make big hits out of low-scoring games.

Perhaps it's the critics' fault. Do video game reviewers, who typically boast decades of gaming experience and a deep affinity for the integrity of video games as a serious pursuit, miss the point of casual-friendly Wii sales hits like Carnival Games? Perhaps, but the connection isn't as tempting as it might appear. Because Roger Ebert lists La Dolce Vita and Aguirre: Wrath of God among his top-ten films, should we assume, when he slams Bride Wars, he's doing it because he's elitist and doesn't understand movie consumers? Or maybe he just knows what makes a crap movie.

By and large, consumers do, too. Who, once burnt by a tempting but terrible Wii game like Ford Racing Off-Road or Jenga: World Tour, would not be hesitant to take a chance on a genuinely outstanding title like Zack & Wiki or Boom Blox? If they buy games at all, consumers will limit their picks to reliable names, while the delightful upstart games to which the Wii is so suited will sink beneath the tide of crap. At worst, they'll be so disgruntled that they'll shelve the Wii altogether, relegated to a dust-gathering embarrassment that's pulled out for a token Wii Sports or Wii Fit session once every few months.

So what can you do about it? Get educated. Without good resources, your odds of dodging bad games are not favorable. Sites like metacritic.com and gamerankings.com both provide great jumping-off points for research. Best of all, take a web-enabled phone with you to the store and you can look them up right before you buy. Although it's true that some reviewers miss the point of broad-appeal titles like Tetris Party or Monopoly, the majority will at least help you dodge the crap.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

The Top 10 Super Bowl Ads of All TIme

These are the top 10 Super Bowl Ads of All Time According to www.msnbc.com. I would have to agree with all of these, but I think that the Dorito ads have to be considered too. The Coke ad with Mean Jo Green is obviously number one and the new ad during this year's super bowl with coke zero was awful. Anyways, take a look, it was fun to go back and watch these ads.




10. Master Lock — “Shot Lock” (1974)
One of the first high-profile Super Bowl ads featured little more than a bullet, a padlock and the following words: “On December 5th, 1973, at a rifle range outside of Los Angeles, a high-powered .30-caliber rifle was fired at a distance of 40 yards, to try to open this Master padlock. …” The results were definitely more entertaining than Super Bowl VIII (Miami 24, Minnesota 7)


Economic stimulus: Master Lock enjoyed record growth in the 1970s and is still an industry leader in the 21st century. It doesn’t hurt that Discovery Channel’s “Mythbusters” recently shot a bullet through a Master Lock and got the same result.




9. Coke — “Parade Balloons” (2008)
Just when we were convinced that memorable advertisements are a thing of the past, Coca-Cola unveiled this gem near the end of last year’s Super Bowl. Parade balloon versions of Underdog and Stewie from “Family Guy” fight for an inflatable Coke bottle over the New York skyline, but are thwarted when a Charlie Brown balloon shows up and steals the drink.



Economic stimulus: “Family Guy” was mired in a writer’s strike, the “Underdog” movie was a box office disappointment and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade got Rickrolled later that year. Was this commercial cursed?




8. Budweiser — “Sleigh Ride” (2004)
Borrowing heavily from a popular “Seinfeld” episode, a flatulent hansom cab horse turns a candle into a flamethrower and torches a guy’s date. (He escapes the danger because he reaches for a Bud Light.) We learned a valuable lesson after putting this on a “10 worst” list a couple of years ago: There are many, many Americans willing to go to war in defense of a good fart joke.



Economic stimulus: A gassy horse and third-degree burns didn’t appear to make anyone switch to Coors. Anheuser-Busch will have seven commercial spots in this year’s Super Bowl.




7. E*Trade — “Money out the Wazoo” (2000)
Most of the dot-com ads were terrible, but E*Trade had two classics in 2000. In this one, a man is rushed into an emergency room and is quickly diagnosed with “money coming out of the wazoo.” Several good one-liners followed. (“Does your husband have insurance?” … “Insurance? He’s got money coming out of the wazoo!”)



Economic stimulus: E*Trade has had its ups and downs, but its mere survival puts it ahead of most of the dot-com companies that advertised in this era. “E.R.,” the television show that this ad appears to spoof, is currently in its 132nd season.



6. McDonald's — “The Showdown” (1993)
Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, two of the most recognizable and popular athletes in the world, engage in an increasingly logic-defying shooting contest for a Big Mac. (“Over the second rafter, off the floor, nothing but net.”) The commercial ends with the players throwing a ball off the John Hancock Tower in Chicago.


More on this story
Newsvine vote: What’s the best Super Bowl ad?
At $3 million, Super Bowl ad time is ... cheap?
Super Bowl pregame ads proving a tougher sell




Economic stimulus: Larry Bird’s visible back hair in this ad didn’t seem to hurt sales. The 650-calorie sandwich continues to be a staple, and McDonald’s is posting solid numbers even in a rough economy.


5. Budweiser — “Frogs” (1995)
With the Bud Bowl and its anthropomorphic bottles and cans becoming increasingly intolerable, Anheuser-Busch needed a new gimmick. The best idea advertisers could come up with: Three frogs sitting on a log and croaking the words “buuuud,” “wiiiise” and “errrr.” Americans predictably loved this ad, which included lizard and ferret-themed spin offs.



Economic stimulus: Anheuser-Busch didn’t just sell a lot of beer in the 1990s. For the next several years the company also sold the frogs on T-shirts, beer steins, key chains, neon pub lights and a motion sensor-activated frog lamp that repeated the catchphrase when anyone walks by. (It’s currently going for $500 on EBay.)




4. Apple — “1984” (1984)
An Orwellian scene of lockstep fascism is broken up by a woman in red Dolphin shorts, who hurls a sledgehammer through a theater screen. Then we see this text: "On January 24th, Apple will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like '1984.'"



Economic stimulus: The Macintosh didn’t quite change the world as we know it — we’re typing on a PC, and bet you’re reading this on one — but Apple has managed to stick around and make a few bucks. While the original Macintosh is likely gone for good, Dolphin shorts have made a comeback.




3. Reebok — “Terry Tate Office Linebacker” (2003)
Workers at a fictitious corporation who breach office etiquette receive bone-crunching tackles from Terry Tate, a Reebok sneaker-wearing linebacker who barks observations like "Break was over 15 minutes ago, Mitch!"



Economic stimulus: The nation’s jobless rate may be rising, but Terry Tate actor Lester Speight has plenty of work, including video game voiceovers and a guest spot on TV’s “Prison Break.” Rawson Marshall Thurber, who came up with the Reebok spot, now directs feature films.




2. Budweiser — “Respect” (2002)
The Budweiser Clydesdales, easily the most recognizable icon in Super Bowl ads, walk across a snowy field and the Brooklyn Bridge before taking one knee in front of the New York skyline where the World Trade Center towers used to be. Budweiser followed this theme three years later with its “Heroes” ad, featuring people at an airport applauding returning soldiers.



Economic stimulus: Don’t be so cynical. It’s not always about the money.




1. Coke — “Mean Joe Greene” (1979)
Apple spent more money and the frogs were cuter, but there’s no beating Mean Joe Greene (even though this advertisement technically debuted just before the Super Bowl). Greene meets a kid in a stadium tunnel after the game. The kid offers Greene a Coke, and the player smiles and gives him a jersey. You’re crying just thinking about it, right?


More on this story
Newsvine vote: What’s the best Super Bowl ad?
At $3 million, Super Bowl ad time is ... cheap?
Super Bowl pregame ads proving a tougher sell




Economic stimulus: This advertisement became an economy in itself. Remakes were made in other countries with different athletes, including one in Argentina with soccer player Diego Maradona. There was even a 1981 movie based on the commercial called “The Steeler and the Pittsburgh Kid.”





Honorable mention: FedEx “Cast Away” (2003); Pepsi “Diner” (1995); EDS “Herding Cats” (2000); Tabasco “Mosquito” (1998); Budweiser “Heroes” (2005); Monster.com “When I Grow Up” (1999).