Two Brilliant Goals from Liga BBVA

       If there was one sport that I wish was televised more often, it would be professional soccer. And I'm not talking about the MLS, no offense to American soccer, but rather the English Premier League and Liga BBVA where the best soccer in the world is played. That being said, whenever foreign matches are publicized in the U.S. that means that the best teams were in action and they scored some fantastic goals. I saw two this week from Liga BBVA, Spain's highest professional soccer league, in which Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo, two of the best goal scorers in the world netted two phenomenal goals.

                             (Go to 2:42 for the goal) Courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYwhAYV33VE

                                                  Courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSBNFCDRQsk

How Ryan Braun Escaped A Fifty Game Suspension

       In unprecedented fashion, Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Ryan Braun won his appeal to Major League Baseball's decision to suspend him for the first fifty games of the season for his failed drug test that resulted in his testosterone levels being twenty times what is normal in the human body. While he narrowly avoided a suspension, there is a difference between not guilty and innocent. Braun's appeal was that the standard procedure of testing a player's urine sample as part of a drug test was not followed. Luckily for him, it just so happened that the collector had a lapse in judgment. The rules for drug testing state that the sample collector must take the sample directly to a FedEx or keep the sample in a cool, secure location. According to the arbitrator Shyam Das, the collector's decision to keep the sample in a container on his desk at home for two days did not meet either of his two options. If he would have kept it in his fridge and checked on it periodically, however, Ryan Braun's 50-game suspension would have been upheld.

Courtesy of http://jacksonville.com/sports/baseball/2012-02-24/story/ryan-braun-feels-vindicated-ruling

       It's amazing to think that Braun can get out of his suspension because the collector did not stop at FedEx on the way home from the drug test or at least keep it in a secure location. Before the arbitrator ruled in his favor, Braun was willing to take a DNA test to prove that the failed sample was not his. However, once the suspension was lifted, Braun has backed away from the DNA test. Now, we will never know if he is actually innocent or guilty, but baseball fans are definitely going to be skeptical of him for the rest of his career. If his numbers are not identical to his numbers last season, fans are going to claim that his declining production proves his guilt. Numbers often vary year to year, and without Prince Fielder batting behind him, his numbers are almost guaranteed to decline, it's just a law of baseball. When a player has a teammate who hits for a .300 average with 30+ homeruns and 100+ RBI's behind him, Braun's going to get better looks at the plate.
       Major League Baseball definitely needs to change its drug testing procedures and regulations. There should be full-time employees, not part-time workers who do it as a side job, such as the collector who took Braun's sample home. This was a major loss for the MLB, to have its case locked up and then have a small loophole exposed, which caused them to lose the case.
       While the city of Milwaukee must be thrilled by the decision, no one else involved in Major League Baseball can be happy with this outcome, especially the Brewers' N.L. Central opponents. As a Cincinnati Reds fan, this upsets me because the Milwaukee Brewers are just one more team that stand in the way of an N.L. Central title. Without Fielder and Braun, the Brewers wouldn't have a chance, but with the reigning MVP, the Brew Crew can be a threat to Cincinnati's postseason bid.

What We Learned from the NBA Last Weekend

• Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are the greatest scoring duo in the league. 91 combined points! Are you kidding me? That many points could win a third of OKC's games if they put those numbers up on a consistent basis. Every time the Thunder step on the court they show why they are the best team in the Western Conference. They have two All-Star caliber players along with some very good role players. Serge Ibaka didn't get much attention Saturday night against the Denver Nuggets because of the barrage of scoring from his teammates, but he quietly had a triple-double. James Harden would be a borderline All-Star on half of the teams in the league.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/ian_thomsen/02/23/lin.vs.heat/index.html

• Jeremy Lin is the second best point guard in greater New York. On February 4th, Linsanity started with the New York Knicks beating the New Jersey Nets 99-92. Deron Williams put up 21 points, 11 assists, and 6 rebounds for the near triple-double, yet the highlight of the game was Jeremy Lin--the young point guard who broke out for 25 points off the bench. Last Monday, Deron Williams made it his goal to shut down Lin and show the country who really was the premier point guard on the court. Williams went off for 38 points, including eight threes, and stole the show. Through three quarters, with the score 82-64 in favor of New Jersey, Williams had outscored Lin 34 to 11. Half of Jeremy Lin's points came in garbage time when the Nets had sealed the victory. Yes, Jeremy Lin is a great fit for the Knicks but I doubt that he could put up the twenty points and nine assists that he's been averaging in February for any other team. Excluding marketing and advertising Jeremy Lin, the Knicks would take Deron Williams over Lin any day. Deron Williams is often overshadowed and forgotten about because he plays for a 10-25 team with no star teammates and in a market that has to compete with the rising Knicks. Put Williams on the Lakers, Knicks, or Mavericks and they are all legitimate title contenders.

Courtesy of  sbnation.com

Matchup of the Year: The New York Knicks at the Miami Heat

       Which NBA team is currently in first place of the Eastern Conference? No, not the New York Knicks or the Chicago Bulls. Actually, the Miami Heat are leading their conference with their 26-7 record. Ever heard of them? They're the only team with three All-Stars and were the runners-up in last year's NBA Finals. No one ever thought that the Heat would be under the radar, but Jeremy Lin's rise to stardom out of nowhere has turned the national spotlight to the Big Apple. The Knicks have won nine of their eleven games with Lin as a starter and the microscope has intensified with Carmelo Anthony's return to the lineup. With the media's attention turned away from LeBron James and the Heat, Miami has quietly won nine of their ten games since Linsanity took over the country.

Courtesy of http://reddogreport.com/2012/02/thursdays-news-81/jeremy-lin-knicks-kings-2-15-12/

       The Eastern Conference matchup is a statement game for both teams. The Miami Heat have the chance to give the Knicks their third loss in the Jeremy Lin Era and prove that they deserve the hype as the league's premier team. For the Knicks, tonight's game is their biggest game of the season and Jeremy Lin's greatest test as an NBA starter. New York needs to figure out its chemistry between Lin, Melo, and Amar'e Stoudemire.  
       The first quarter was evenly-played but the Miami Heat were always a basket ahead of the Knicks. Miami showed why it is a legitimate title contender-not just because of its offense, but because of its lockdown defense. The Heat forced eight turnovers, three of which were on Lin, including a Mario Chalmers strip in the open court, which he took for an uncontested dunk. Between LeBron, Joel Anthony, and Shane Battier, the Heat blocked five shots. New York outrebounded the Heat thirteen to five but shot poorly after grabbing the offensive boards. Miami had lots of fast break opportunities but missed a handful of easy layups. The Knicks took three charges from the Heat, in a quarter in which Miami committed seven total. The Knicks gradually cut the deficit to four by the end of the quarter after rotating bench players Steve Novak, who hit a big three, and Baron Davis.
       New York came out strong in the second quarter with a 12-4 run, including two more threes from Novak. Amar'e Stoudemire and Chris Bosh came out hot in the new quarter. Bosh hit a pair of baseline jumpers for the Heat while Amar'e had a monstrous block on D-Wade, followed up by a statement dunk after blowing past his defender. Lin committed his fourth turnover of the game when he was pickpocketed by Heat rookie Norris Cole. Miami got some big minutes from its key bench players. Cole gave Mario Chalmers a needed rest as well as Haslem and Battier played great defense in their limited minutes. The pace of the game increased as the game progressed and both teams stepped up their game on defense. Lin committed two more dunks that led to dunks by LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. Miami's transition offense was at its best and contributed to the Heat retaking the lead. The Heat went into halftime leading 51-47 after both teams hit big shots in the final ten seconds of the half.
       A few things stuck out to me in the first half:

• This is the first game where Jeremy Lin isn't bigger than the game itself. Tonight's matchup is a playoff environment against the Knicks' biggest Eastern Conference foe on the road. Lin has played against the Lakers and Mavericks but New York has to make it past Miami if the Knicks want to make a run to the NBA Finals. He has never faced a team with as much starpower as the Heat. Miami has made it its goal to shut Lin and the Knicks down. He is tightly pressured every time down the court and committed six turnovers in the first half with only two points and two assists.
• The Knicks were lucky to be down by only four points at halftime. New York turned the ball over fifteen times in the first half and Lin and Melo were a combined 4-15 from the floor. The Knicks can't survive a playoff series if they commit this many turnovers and their scorers go cold shooting.
• Both teams have bench players with defined roles that are crucial to their respective team's success. The Heat have a solid backup point guard in Norris Cole, a good shooter in Mike Miller, and two extremely hard workers who hustle up and down the court in Udonis Haslem and Shane Battier. On New York's bench, J.R. Smith provides another scoring option and Steve Novak is an incredible spot-up three-point shooter.

       In the third quarter, Melo started to heat up with six points to bring his game total to fifteen, but the Knicks were countered by Chris Bosh and D-Wade, who has nine and eight points respectively. Jeremy Lin continued his worst performance of the season by only scoring four points and dishing out one assist in the quarter. He had some success driving to the basket and drawing the foul, but only two of his eight points through three quarters were not from the free throw line. He was not getting good looks at the basket and was not setting up his teammates in positions for them to score. Shane Battier scored a quick three after coming into the game and the Heat shut down the Knicks offense as their lead grew to twelve points.    

Courtesy of http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/heat/for-miami-heats-dwyane-wade-and-lebron-james-1166040.html

       It's the end of the third quarter and Miami Heat are up 80-66. It's 9 o'clock and probably a good time to open my backpack to start tonight's homework. The Knicks could could go on a run in the fourth quarter but New York and Jeremy Lin haven't shown me that they can win a quarter on the road against the Heat. The outcome may have been different had the game been played at Madison Square Garden, but it is clear that Miami is a much better team. The Heat have too many great scoring options between LeBron, D-Wade, and Chris Bosh, not to mention the solid production off the bench from Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers. Their transition offense and defense are unrivaled. With the possible exception of the Oklahoma City Thunder, there is not a team as athletic as the Miami Heat. Currently, the Heat are the number one seed in the Eastern Conference and the New York Knicks are the seven seed. If these two teams were to play in te playoffs, Miami would win in four games in a five game series and five games in a seven game series. If the Knicks continue to improve their record and earn a higher seed, I think they have the capability to win one playoff series, but I can't see them beating Chicago or Miami in the postseason.

What If Wednesday: What if LeBron Does Not Win a Championship in His Career? Will He Still Be One of the Greatest Players Ever?

       This is the first article for a new series called "What If Wednesdays," where I create hypothetical scenarios and examine the results of them. I do not necessarily think that these events are going to happen or should happen, but it is always fun to make conjectures.

       Never before in the history of professional sports has a single player's offseason and free agency been as widely publicized and scrutinized as that of LeBron James prior to the 2010-2011 NBA season. LeBron showed all other athletes who will be in similar situations in the future why it is a bad idea to change teams and leave your previous team in the dark until the last minute. The goal of this article is not to rip on LeBron, so before anyone wants to jump on Cleveland's Anti-LeBron Bandwagon, keep in mind that the worst decision he made in his professional career resulted in him donating thousands of dollars to the Boys and Girls Club. LeBron James had every right to find a new team--he spent seven years in his home state of Ohio, completely revitalized the city of Cleveland, and even took the Cavs to the NBA Finals. LeBron was the Cleveland Cavaliers and the front office never put the proper pieces around him for them to win a title. There were a few nice players such as Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao, and Mo Williams, but they lacked someone who could take over the game if LeBron was having an off night. When the Cavs won, all credit was given to LeBron. And when they lost, especially in the playoffs, most of the blame fell on James' shoulders. The Miami Heat gave LeBron to play with two close friends and NBA All-Stars on a nightly basis. LeBron James lived in northern Ohio for the first twenty-five years of his life and as the best basketball player in the world, he had the opportunity to go to any major city in the United States. All loyalties and allegiance aside, which city would you choose? Florida, seventy degree weather, sunshine, lots of different forms of entertainment or Cleveland, a city destined to never win a major championship in sports, and it's fifteen degrees with six inches of snow on the ground. Miami wins that battle every time. Plus, having Pat Riley in the front office never hurts either.

Courtesy of http://chasing23.com/revisiting-the-decision-lebron-james/

       After "The Decision" was over and LeBron had been criticized nationally, his jersey burned in Cleveland, and the Heat filled up the rest of the team's roster spots, the new Big Three (LeBron, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh) put a target the size of Texas on their backs by declaring that they were going to win eight championships, after they rose out of center court in a cloud of smoke. Of course they got caught up in the moment and were trying to get the fans in Miami excited for the star-studded roster, but winning that many championships is quite a bold prediction for someone who played in one in his previous seven years in the league.        
       Let me make it clear--I think LeBron James will win multiple NBA Titles in his career, with the first of which coming this season. The Heat have developed a good chemistry and he is arguable having the greatest season of all time with his averages of 27 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals per game for a 26-7 team. However, let's say LeBron continues to choke late in important playoff games, he suffers a major injury, or the Big Three's chemistry goes down the drain. The Miami Heat as we know it today split up and LeBron lands with a new team.

Courtesy of http://www.nowpublic.com/sports/lebron-james-miami-heat-introduction

       Even if LeBron James never wins a ring, he is guaranteed to be a Hall of Famer. However, there is an honor, that is in name only, which is even greater than the H.o.F. and that is the small, exclusive room within the Hall for the best of the best. Michael Jordan is there. So is Bill Russell. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Karl Malone, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, and Elgin Baylor are there. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal will be there once he retires. A common theme in this elite group is rings, and often multiple of them. Karl Malone never won a title but he is also second all time on the NBA's scoring list.
       LeBron James will go down in history as one of the greatest players of all time even if he does not win an NBA Championship. He consistently averages a near triple-double. Through eight and a half seasons in the NBA, James has scored over 18,000 points and is on pace to finish in the top ten, if not the top five of all time. The change in the Cleveland Cavaliers' record from 2009-2010 to 2010-2011 should speak enough to the impact LeBron James has as a player. 61-21 to 19-63. That's a forty-two game difference because one player left. I think LeBron will overcome his fourth quarter struggles at some point in his career which should get rid of the bad taste in some people's mouths after they say his name. While true success and historical recognition largely depend on the number of rings a player has, LeBron James is a superhuman athlete who can turn any team in the league into a 55+ game winner and legitimate contender. Plus, when you consider the rest of his recognitions-2 MVP's, R.O.Y., 8-time All-Star, NBA Scoring Champion, 5-time All-NBA First-Team, 3-time All-NBA Defensive Team-he seems a lock to join the Jordans, Russells, and Chamberlains of the Hall of Fame. If LeBron still has three or four or five more years in his prime and another seven or eight years in the league, he is going to retire with numbers that few people could match.

Bracketology: West Virginia Mountaineers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish

       Looking at the schedule for the college basketball games tonight deciding which one I was going to watch, West Virginia at Notre Dame stood out to me from the rest of the matchups. The third place team in the Big East and #18 in the nation hosting a conference rival who is fighting for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. If watching two teams from the best conference in college basketball play wasn't enough, Notre Dame's come-from-behind four point victory at West Virginia two weeks ago gave the Mountaineers the chance to get a critical payback win over the ranked Fighting Irish.
       For the first fifteen minutes of the game, I thought West Virginia was going to pull off the upset and beat Notre Dame on their home court. West Virginia was controlling the tempo of the game. The Mountaineers took their time on offense and had good ball movement to find the best possible shot. West Virginia's big man, Deniz Kilicli was finding lots of open looks and utilized his unorthodox European jump-hook to get some early baskets. However, for the most part, Kilicli missed far too many easy shots at point-blank range. Notre Dame's 2-3 zone can be credited for West Virginia's shooting woes as their tight defense helf the Mountaineers to just over 30% shooting. Bob Huggins' squad dominated the offensive boards and allowed West Virginia to maximize their possesions on offense. Darryl Bryant and Kevin Jones were the only bright spots for West Virginia and their scoring was what gave them their first half lead. Notre Dame was extremely sloppy with the ball early in the game and the Fighting Irish committed dumb fouls over twenty feet away from the basket on defense. Notre Dame was not getting the ball inside to Jack Cooley, where he could attack Kilicli and Jones in order to get them in foul trouble.
       However, the momentum switched from West Virginia to Notre Dame after Fighting Irish coach Mike Brey had a technical foul called on him for arguing a moving screen call. Brey fired up his team and his technical sparked a 24-11 Notre Dame run and his team never looked back. Notre Dame outhustled West Virginia and dominated the Mountaineers in transition. Jerian Grant, Scott Martin, and Eric Atkins all caught fire for the Irish. Martin and Grant shot lights out beyond the arc, making a combined seven out of nine threes. The Fighting Irish rode the enthusiasm of the student section and won 71-44 after holding the Mountaineers to only sixteen second half points.

West Virginia Mountaineers
Conference: Big East (8th)
Record: 17-11 (7-8)
RPI: 45
Strength of Schedule: 19
Quality Wins:

• vs. Kansas State 85-80 (2OT)
• vs. #9 Georgetown 74-62

Bad Losses:

• vs. Kent State 70-60
• @ Seton Hall 67-48
• @ St. John's 78-62

Courtesy of http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700216729/Jones-leads-West-Virginia-over-Marshall-78-62.html

       West Virginia has played all over the spectrum this season. The Mountaineers have proven themselves against quality opponents but also lost to bad teams by big margins. West Virginia has had many opportunities to beat ranked Big East rivals but have fallen short at the end of games. They lost to #7 Baylor by two points in overtime, seven points to #16 Connecticut, two points to #2 Syracuse, four points to Notre Dame, and three points to #23 Louisville. West Virginia has three very good players in Kevin Jones, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, and Deniz Kilicli, but other than their main three players the Mountaineers have very little depth on the bench. Jones and Bryant are future NBA draft picks and the duo can take over a game for West Virginia. The Mountaineers are definitely a middle-of-the-road Big East team, which means they are deserving of a ticket to the Big Dance but I have difficulty seeing them making a run past the second round. The West Virginia Mountaineers are currently a ten seed in Joe Lunardi's projected bracket for ESPN.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Conference: Big East (2nd)
Record: 19-8 (11-3)
RPI: 37
Strength of Schedule: 17
Quality Wins:

• vs. #22 Pittsburgh 72-59
• @ #10 Louisville 67-65 (2OT)
• vs. #1 Syracuse 67-58
• @ #19 Connecticut 50-48
• vs. #15 Marquette 76-59

Bad Losses:

• @ Cincinnati 71-55
• @ Rutgers 65-58

Courtesy of http://urbanchristiannews.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=2&tag=Notre%20Dame&limit=20

       Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach Mike Brey has led his team to a record nine straight conference wins and ND is one of the hottest teams in college basketball right now. The Irish have rebounded very impressively from last season after losing four starters including Tim Abromaitis, who was injured after in the team's second game of the season. Notre Dame has a lockdown defense and a balanced offense. Forward Jack Cooley averages nearly a double-double down low while Jerian Grant, Eric Atkins, and Scott Martin light it up from the outside. Notre Dame has transformed into a completely different team in the second half of the season and can play with the best of them. The Fighting Irish are a six seed and are on their way to improving their seed as their win streak continues. If Notre Dame can beat Providence and St. John's as well as Georgetown in the final three regular season games, the Irish could be a three or four seed in the NCAA Tournament. I think Notre Dame will be a Sweet Sixteen team in March.

The Greatest Haircuts in Sports

       J.R. Smith, a seven year veteran in the NBA, was signed by the New York Knicks in the past week to put another scoring option into the mix with Jeremy Lin, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Carmelo Anthony. Smith signed with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association during the NBA lockout and failed to put an opt-out clause in his contract, which meant that he would have to play for the entire Chinese season before he could come back to the United States and the NBA. J.R. Smith was an All-Star in the CBA, with his best performance coming against the Qingdao DoubleStar, in which he scored 60 points in a Zhejiang victory.
       Smith is back playing basketball in the Western Hemisphere and ironically, is playing with one of China's favorite players in Lin. In his return, J.R. Smith received a lot of attention from both his 15-point performance and ridiculous haricut.

Courtesy of http://larrybrownsports.com/basketball/j-r-smith-crazy-haricut-pictures/117871

       Smith's new hairdo prompted me to think of some of the other unusual and unique haircuts in professional sports.

• Troy Polamalu--Pittsburgh Steelers Safety

       Polamalu has one of the most reocognizable and marketable hair styles in all of professional sports. He's not too shabby of a defensive back either with over six-hundred career tackles, seven Pro Bowl selections, five All-Pro selections, and two Super Bowl rings to weigh down his fingers. He only lets his hair out for NFL games and yes, he has been tackled by his hair before.

Courtesy of http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/08/31/troy-polamalu-hair/

• Tim Tebow--Denver Broncos Quarterback

       This catastrophe took rookie hazing to a whole new level. Take a former Heisman Trophy winner, National Champion, first round draft pick, and one of the most beloved sports figures of modern times and turn him into a monk, which is very fitting when you consider his religious beliefs. Tebow accepted his fate and set the new standard for rookie hazing.

Courtesy of http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=5446619

• Julius Erving--Virginia Squires/New York Nets/Philadelphia 76'ers Shooting Guard

Courtesy of http://www.eanext.com/hairstyles/tag/2009-men-hairstyle

       Dr. J was one of the few players to be a star in both the ABA and NBA. He sported an inconic 'fro and was an innovative dunker, as he was one of the first players to attempt dunks from the free throw line.

• Brandon Jennings--Milwaukee Bucks Point Guard

Courtesy of http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Worth-a-second-look-Brandon-Jennings-Kid-N-Pl?urn=nba-212074

Courtesy of http://niketalk.yuku.com/topic/236171

Courtesy of http://dardamedia.com

        A former McDonald's All-American, Brandon Jennings was the first American player to play in the NBA without going to college since the league enforced its new policy. Instead of playing at the University of Southern California or the University of Arizona, Jennings headed to Italy to play for Lottomatica Roma. After one season overseas, Brandon Jennings came back to the United States and was drafted by the Bucks. His hair style has changed frequently in his short career and each one is completely different from its predecessor.

• Chris "Birdman" Andersen--Denver Nuggets Forward

Courtesy of http://bleacherreport.com/articles/783355-20-most-ridiculous-haircuts-in-sports

         Not only does the "Birdman" have one of the most unique haircuts in sports, he has one of the most unusual overall appearances as well. Andersen was undrafted out of Blinn College, but was able to build enough of a reputation overseas to make it to the NBA D-Leauge. He started with the Nuggets, jumped from team to team and ended up back in Denver. Andersen has dealt with substance abuse, but has overcome them to remain in the NBA.

• Latrell Sprewell--Minnesota Timberwolves Shooting Guard

Courtesy of http://izismile.com/2012/01/10/laughable_haircuts_of_athletes_25_pics-12.html

       While Sprewell is best known for choking his coach P.J. Carlesimo and various other altercations with teammates, he did have one of the most embarassing haircuts for a professional athlete. Latrell Sprewell was an excellent scorer, but his hairdo was not intimidating anyone.

•  Dennis Rodman--Chicago Bulls Forward

Courtesy of http://sigalonoddities.soup.io/tag/Fail

       Dennis Rodman was a key contributor for the Chicago Bulls during their NBA Championships in the 90's and was one of the best defenders in the league at the time, as well as an all-time great rebounder. He had serious mood swings and his hair often portrayed his emotions at the time.

Bracketology: Cincinnati Bearcats

Conference: Big East (6th)
Record: 19-8 (9-5)
RPI: 84
Strength of Schedule: 51
Quality Wins:

• @ #22 Pittsburgh 66-63
• vs. Notre Dame 71-55
• @ #11 Georgetown 68-64
• @ #11 Connecticut 70-67

Bad Losses:

• vs. Presbyterian 56-54
• vs. Marshall 73-69 (OT)
• @ #8 Xavier 76-53
• @ Rutgers 61-54
• @ #19 Marquette 95-78

       The Cincinnati Bearcats started this season as a top 25 team according to Sports Illustrated but failed to live up to its potential by starting 5-3 with three bad losses. The Cats fell to both Presbyterian and Marshall by two points before the start of Big East play. However, after getting blown out by the Xavier Musketeers in the Crosstown Shootout, Mick Cronin changed the team's direction and they went on a seven game win streak and won ten out of eleven, including victories on the road against the ranked opponents of Pittsburgh, Georgetown, and Connecticut. The Bearcats missed three opportunities in a row when they lost to West Virginia in OT by three points, followed by seven point losses to Syracuse and Rutgers. UC has fallen to a .500 team in its past eight games. Cronin needs to find a way to transform his team into their form from earlier in the season--a high-powered offense who played a fast-paced game. While it is not necessarily smart to rely on the three ball, UC was playing its best when Cashmere Wright, Dion Dixon, and Sean Kilpatrick were dominating the perimeter and Yancy Gates was cleaning up down low. Outside of Gates, Cincinnati does not have the depth or experiences in the post to pound the ball in the paint to its big men compared to a team such as Syracuse, but it has a handful of very talented guards. If the Bearcats can control the pace of the game and make their opponents run the floor, UC is much more likely to have success in its remaining games.

Courtesy of http://blog.sgdoesit.com/blog/2012/01/syracuse-proves-too-much-for-the-bearcats/cashmere-wright-11/

       The 'Cats have four regular season games remaining and three of them are against teams that are ahead of them in the Big East standings--Marquette, Louisville, and South Florida. Cincinnati needs to win and should win the final game of the season at Villanova. The Bearcats need to prove themselves once again against ranked opponents in order to be selected for the Big Dance, so Mick Cronin's squad needs another signature win over Marquette or Louisville. Once the Big East Tournament rolls around, the Cincinnati Bearcats will have their chance to boost its tournament resumé since roughly half of the teams will qualify for March Madness. The rest is up to UC. The further they made it in the Big East Tournament, the more ranked teams they will have to beat to continue to the next round.

Courtesy of http://www.gobearcats.com/sports/m-baskbl/archive/cinn-m-baskbl-archive.html

The Verdict:
The Cincinnati Bearcats have accumulated a number of great wins against ranked Big East opponents on the road. While their quality of play has gone down slightly of late, they are still competitive in almost every game they play. They have only been blown out twice all season, and both times were on the road to top twenty teams in Xavier and Marquette. The rest of their losses have been by seven points or fewer. UC has shown it can play with the big boys and still has a number of chances to beat some of the elite Big East teams.

• Best Case Scenario-UC beats Villanova and South Florida, as well as at least one of the two ranked opponents left on its schedule. The Bearcats make a deep run in the Big East Tourney and bring down another two or three teams ranked above them. The 'Cats are currently a twelve seed according to ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi and could make their way to the seven/eight/nine range if they have an excellent showing in the Big East Tournament. Playing in the Big East would definitely help UC in the Big Dance. They would be an extremely tough out. In ESPN's projected bracket, UC is scheduled to play the 5 seed Wichita State and I think the Bearcats could roll over the Shockers. I think the Bearcats have Sweet Sixteen potential if they are placed in the right region.  
• Worst Case Scenario-The Cincinnati Bearcats choke at the end of the season and lose three of their last four to Big East opponents ahead of them in the standings. They win their opening matchup in the Big East Tournament but have a second round exit to a better team. They go to the NCAA Tournament as an eleven or twelve seed, don't show up in the first round, and go home early.

The Cincinnati Bearcats have winnable games left on their schedule against elite Big East teams and I expect them to win at least one or two of them before Selection Sunday. UC will be in the neighborhood of a nine/ten/eleven seed and will advance past the first round in March Madness. I can't see them making it past the Sweet Sixteen, although, they are talented enough to win two games and make it to the round of 16.

Bracketology: Xavier Musketeers

Conference: A-10 (3rd)
Record: 17-9 (8-4)
RPI: 52
Strength of Schedule: 52
Quality Wins:

• @ #19 Vanderbilt 82-70
• vs Purdue 66-63

Bad Losses:

• vs. Oral Roberts 64-42
• vs. Long Beach State 68-58
• @ Hawaii 84-82

       At their peak, the Xavier Musketeers were #7 in the nation, riding an 8-0 start and senior point guard Tu Holloway was on pace to be a potential All-American. However, all of that changed after Xavier's 76-53 victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats in the annual Crosstown Shootout. While a lot of credit goes to Holloway for their hot start, he is part of the blame for their sudden downfall. Both teams were at fault for the brawl that occurred with less than ten seconds remaining in the game, but Tu Holloway rekindled the enmity between the two teams when he started jawing at UC players when Xavier had clearly secured the win. Punches were thrown, suspensions were given, and in the immediate aftermath, the Musketeers' legs were taken out from under them. It was apparent that XU would lose to Oral Roberts, when Holloway, Mark Lyons, and Dez Wells were serving their suspensions. The trio of guards average nearly fourty-five points per game combined and it was unlikely that Xavier's young bench players would be able to step up enough to win the game that early in the season. Luckily for the Muskies, the NCAA Tournament Committee will most likely take the suspensions into consideration when examining some of Xavier's losses early in the season. Xavier went on to lose three straight after falling to Long Beach State and Hawaii. However, once again, suspensions played a role in the losses. Lyons did not play against Long Beach State and Wells was absent for both matchups. With a full roster, Xavier would not have lost those games and would be sitting at 20-6 with only a few weeks remaining until March Madness. Even after all of their players returned from suspension, Xavier showed signs of deeper issues. Maybe it was the media's criticism of the responses Xavier players gave in the post-game press conference. Maybe the team's morale was crushed after dropping three straight in a regular season in which they could have realistically survived the entire season with only three losses. No one can point to one specific reason why the Musketeers were in a funk, but they have not been able to turn the corner. The loss to Gonzaga by seven points was respectable. Ideally, Xavier would have won that game at home, but Gonzaga was a ranked opponent who brought its A-game into the Cintas Center. The two conference losses XU would like to have back are the ones to La Salle and Dayton. Both opponents are middle-of-the-pack A-10 teams and would be bottom feeders in better conferences. When schedules are released each year and teams analyze their matchups, these two games are ones that are "gimmes," or winnable games that you can't let slip out of your grasp. No matter who wins the A-10 tournament, Temple and St. Louis are both likely going to the tournament. They are the two teams standing in Xavier's way of first place in the Atlantic 10 Conference and prove to be tough competition for Xavier on a yearly basis. The loss to Memphis was another missed opportunity but not a make-or-break game for Xavier's tournament chances. Memphis was a highly ranked team earlier in the season and boost Xavier's strength of schedule.

Courtesy of http://www.pickinsplinters.com/2011/11/29/holloway-posts-24-as-no-1111-xavier-defeats-no-1920-vanderbilt-82-70-in-overtime/

       The key for Xavier to solidify itself as a tournament worthy team is to win out in the rest of the regular season. Two of the remaining games are against bad opponents in Charlotte and Richmond. Along with the matchup against Massachusetts, these games are opportunities to boost Xavier's confidence and record. The biggest game left on the Musketeers' schedule is against SLU, who is in second place in the A-10 by half a game. XU can get a payback victory over the Billikens and even make their way into one of the top two positions in the conference. If Xavier were to enter the A-10 Tournament on a five games win streak, the Muskies would hopefully be able to ride that momentum to an A-10 Championship and a NCAA Tournament berth as a result.

Courtesy of http://northwesternwins.wordpress.com/tag/xavier-musketeers/

The Verdict:
       I think it is safe to say that winning the A-10 Tournament is the only way for Xavier to guarantee that it will be heading to the Big Dance in March. Other than their first eight games of the season, Xavier has not proven to be an excellent or consistent team. The Musketeers have a few nice wins, but their bad losses greatly outweigh any bright spots of this season. Four of their nine losses were by seven points or less, but Xavier cannot consistently come away with the W when it matters the most. Also, Xavier struggles greatly outside of Cincinnati. The Musketeers are 4-5 on the road and tournament-qualifying teams are able to win on the road. Xavier is on the outside looking in. It's a shame to see a team with such potential and promise let its season go down the drain.

• Best Case Scenario-Xavier wins its final four games of the regular season and wins the A-10 Tournament. The Musketeers would likely be between a ten and a twelve seed in the NCAA Tournament. Depending on which team they were to draw, they could upset a 5, 6, or 7 seed. Even if they do make the tournament, they will have an early exit. When at their best, XU's guards can play with any backcourt in the country, but the Muskies lack depth down low.
• Worst Case Scenario-Xavier struggles in the rest of the remaining conference games. The Musketeers go on to lose to La Salle, Dayton, Temple, or St. Louis, all teams that have given Xavier trouble this season and in recent memory.

       The Xavier Musketeers could have been as high as a two or three seed if the Crosstown Shootout incident had been avoided or if they were able to rebound in better fashion. However, they may have played their way out of an at-large bid. Joe Lunardi, ESPN's bracketology expert, has recently added Xavier as an eleven seed from the first team out for this year's NCAA Tournament. Tu Holloway and Kenny Frease must rally the troops in their final games of their college careers and prove that Xavier can win enough games in a row to guarantee a tournament bid. I hope XU proves me wrong, but I do not see Xavier making the tournament and they will have to settle for a top seed in the N.I.T. The Musketeers will get the great seed they have had their eyes set on since getting eliminated last season by Marquette, but it will be in the wrong tournament.

In Case You Missed It: Three Stellar Goals from the UEFA Champions League

1. Zenit and Benefica played in the round of sixteen in the UEFA Champions League, and while I won't pretend to be an expert on either of these teams, I do know that Sergei Semak's goal was one of the most impressive collective efforts I have ever seen in professional soccer. Zenit was attacking and had two passes in Benefica's goal box to set up the goal. The first was a back heel flick that sent the ball into the box for a teammate to one-touch it across the goal to Semak, who had a 180 degree back heel kick of his own to score the goal. Each of the three players involved were equally impressive in their ball control and placement, which led to this stunning goal.

 Courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyVq_3GZju0

2. Christiano Ronaldo is one of the top goal scorers in the world, hands down. Plus, he makes millions of dollars to be able to make this type of goal and I bet he could make it seven times out of ten in he was blindfolded. However, seeing him being able to create his own shot and put enough top spin on the ball to put it over the goalie's head and then curve into the goal is fantastic to watch.

Courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY9iHkcW1RE

3. Kevin Prince Boateng is one of my favorite names in professional soccer and maybe all of sports. Luckily for him, he has more to his game than a cool name on the back of his jersey. Boateng plays for AC Milan, one of the Italian squads, and they put a beating on Arsenal, of the English Premier League. KPB scored the only goal AC Milan needed to be Arsenal 4-0. He showed magnificent control of the ball, receiving it off of his chest, and then he kicked the ball across his body to the one place the keeper couldn't reach, the top cross bar. The ball glanced off of the bar and into the goal to give AC Milan the lead.

Courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH0gaT4RBNw

The Best Lin-isms

      With the recent rise of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin, fans from across the United States are creating lots of ingenious slogans that incorporate "Lin" in household words and phrases. Here are my ten favorites:

10. Linderella

Courtesy of http://friendfeed.com/g38/71ec0c29/you-missed-mike-tyson-cursing-and-clyde-frazier

9. Just Lincredible

Courtesy of http://www.obsessedwithsports.com/2012/02/16/super-lintendo-jeremy-lin-signs-get-creative/

8. Lindemonium

Courtesy of http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_magic/

7. Linning and Grinning

Courtesy of http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/02/10/schmeelk-for-knicks-fans-full-blown-linsanity/

6. Lintendo 64

Courtesy of http://www.obsessedwithsports.com/2012/02/16/super-lintendo-jeremy-lin-signs-get-creative/

5. Va-Lin-tine's Day

Courtesy of http://www.webpronews.com/jeremy-lin-is-huge-on-twitter-2012-02

4. All I do is Lin

Courtesy of http://friendfeed.com/g38/71ec0c29/you-missed-mike-tyson-cursing-and-clyde-frazier

3. To Lin-finity and Beyond

Courtesy of http://www.businessinsider.com/the-25-best-jeremy-lin-signs-weve-seen-so-far-2012-2

2. Linternational House of Lin-cakes

 1. Linsanity

Courtesy of http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/300100/20120216/jeremy-lin-linsanity-time-magazine-cover-photo.htm

Linsanity

          Reflect on your life beyond the past two weeks. With the exception of Valentine's Day, chances are that you have not had any life-changing experiences or moments where you think to yourself, "I'm going to remember this day for the rest of my life." However, two weeks ago, 99% of the United States had never heard of Jeremy Lin. One fortnight ago, Lin was the last player on the bench of the 8-15 New York Knicks. He had played double-digit minutes only once all season and had 3.5 points per game to his name. Luckily for the twenty-three-year-old Harvard grad, his brother in medical school was letting Jeremy sleep on the couch in his apartment.
          And then came the perfect storm. In a horrible tragedy, Amar'e Stoudemire's brother died in a car accident the morning of February 6th and missed four games as a result. If that wasn't enough for the New York Knicks, NBA All-Star and the league's seventh leading scorer, Carmelo Anthony, injured his groin. His status remains uncertain as he has missed five games and counting for the Knicks. New York's season appeared to be in shambles before the absence of their two elite, eighteen-million-dollar players, so the Big Apple braced itself for a nose dive when the Knicks' starting lineup was without Melo and Amar'e for the time being.
          The New York Knicks needed someone to step up and lead while its stars were gone, and more specifically, they needed a point guard. Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni's offensive system lives and dies on whether the team has a point guard who can distribute the ball, as well as being able to score when the game calls for it. Before February 6th, despite having four point guards on their roster, the New York Knicks were relying on Carmelo Anthony to run the offense. It was no wonder why they were losing, and Carmelo Anthony was definitely not the cause of their struggles. Carmelo Anthony is 6'8" 230 lbs. and plays small forward. He averages 22.3 points per game because he is a natural scorer, not the orchestrator of New York's offense. Mike Bibby and Baron Davis are on the other side of thirty and clearly past their prime. They provide necessary veteran leadership but are not the players to depend on to make a high-powered offense run. Toney Douglas is a much younger option to run point, but averaging seven points, two assists, and two rebounds per game don't meet the qualifications to start in the NBA.
          That left the Knicks at 0-for-4 (including Melo) in their search for a point guard with one option remaining-Jeremy Lin. Lin was claimed off of waivers on December 27th. He had been cut twice and passed up more times than that in just over one year playing professional basketball. If it weren't for Carmelo Anthony insisting on giving Jeremy Lin a chance to prove himself, he would likely be warming a seat cushion for another team or even finding a new career for himself. New York was planning on cutting him in the first two weeks of February. D'Antoni gave Lin the opportunity to make his first career start at Madison Square Garden against geographical rivals, the New Jersey Nets. Lin played three-quarters of the game and had a career night with 25 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, a pair of steals, and only one turnover. More importantly, the Knicks won the game.


Courtesy of http://palyvoice.com/node/30002

          Sure, it was just one game, but those numbers are very impressive for a player making his first career start. So where did Jeremy Lin come from? Lin played for Palo Alto, a school that has received national publicity from its athletic accomplishments, won a California DII State Championship, and achieved the All-State honor. Similarly to his career in the NBA, colleges were unwilling to be committed to him, as University of California, Stanford, and UCLA did not offer an athletic scholarship. Lin decided on Harvard, where he was guaranteed a spot on the basketball team. Lin started turning heads as a sophomore at Harvard and averaged over sixteen points per game as a senior. His greatest performance and greatest praise were the result of a thirty point, nine rebound performance on the road against #13 Connecticut Huskies. UConn coach Jim Calhoun told reporters that Lin could play for any team he's seen play because of his skill and knowledge of the game.

Courtesy of http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1953708,00.html

          After graduating from Harvard, Lin was undrafted but played with the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Summer League but was eventually cut from the roster. Lin was then signed by the Golden State Warriors, where he saw minimal playing time and scored less than three points per game. As soon as the NBA lockout ended, Golden State parted ways with the point guard and the Houston Rockets picked him up three days later. He saw the court in the preseason with the Rockets but was cut on the day before the season started on December 24th. Due to a depleted roster from injuries, the New York Knicks took their chances on Lin and signed him on the 27th.

Courtesy of http://www.thegrio.com/sports/race-matters-with-jeremy-lin---and-thats-ok.php

          Jeremy Lin has led the New York Knicks to their seventh straight victory and they have climbed back to .500. During this streak, Lin has averaged 24.4 points, 9.1 assists, and 4 rebounds per game. His minutes have skyrocketed and what may be most impressive about Jeremy Lin thus far is that he has sustained All-Star caliber numbers on back-to-back nights while showing only small signs of fatigue. Other than his 1-12 second half shooting against the Timber Wolves, the New York Knicks point guard has never played poorly since his rise to stardom. And remember, this win streak occurred while Amar'e was out for four games and Melo was injured for six of the seven. Lin has single-handedly revitalized Madison Square Garden and Knicks fans across the country. Never before in any professional sport, has a player gone from being unheard of to untouchable overnight.

          It makes one wonder how so many teams passed him up and didn't see this potential in him, yet it was always there. He showed his basketball talents in high school at Palo Alto and then at Harvard, but the he never fit the team that signed him until now. Mike D'Antoni hit the jackpot and may have saved his job by starting Jeremy Lin on February 4th. Lin is the ultimate D'Antoni point guard and lets us reminisce about D'Antoni's stay in Pheonix, where Steve Nash was a two-time MVP. The Suns scored over one-hundred points almost every night because of their high-octance offense featuring Nash, Stoudemire, Shaun Marion, Jason Richardson, and Leandro Barbosa. Lin's court vision, unselfishness, and scoring ability have guaranteed him the starting job for the forseeable future with the Knicks. He has few apparent weaknesses so far but they can be corrected as he gets more game experience. He sometimes struggles going to his left, he has set a record for the number of turnovers he had in his first few games, and he is not a superior athlete. However, he has the right demeanor and motivation that should propel New York to a successful future.

Courtesy of http://www.salon.com/2012/02/08/jeremy_lins_social_media_fast_break/

            Many fans and analysts are curious about how Carmelo Anthony will fit in the mix with Amar'e and Lin. As long as Lin continues to create open shots for his teammates and Melo doesn't feel pressured to hold onto the ball too much, the Knicks should continue to improve as they add another elite player to their starting rotation. Jeremy Lin's points per game will decline from the twenties to the twelve to fifteen range, but that is no sign of caution. Instead, he has the chance to average at least ten assists per game once he has two talented forwards who can put up big numbers on the offensive end of the court.

Courtesy of http://www.businessinsider.com/the-25-best-jeremy-lin-signs-weve-seen-so-far-2012-2

            Jeremy Lin is a great change of pace for the league. We aren't stuck with talking about who will take the last shot for the Miami Heat, where will Dwight Howard land, or can the Lakers put enough talent around Kobe Bryant to make another Finals run. In a league filled with many self-centered players, Lin is the NBA's Tebow. He is an extremely humble, team-centered player who has exceeded expectations. While Lin isn't as outwardly religous as Tim Tebow, he frequently tweets about his Christian faith, which is never a bad thing. The Knicks are one of the most entertaining teams to watch now, with their underdog, in every sense of the word, putting up draw-dropping numbers night in and night out. Professional sports could use more stories like Jeremy Lin-an Asian-American, Ivy League graduate who has broken every stereotype about his background and athletics. When was the last time a player's name was added as a prefix to half of the words in the English language (Some of my personal favorites are the "Lintendo 64" and "Linternational House of Lin-cakes"). Two weeks ago he wasn't owned in a single ESPN Fantasy Basketball league...now he is owned in 100% of the leagues, which is all that needs to be said about his rise in popularity. New York may be on its way to becoming the third best team in the Eastern Conference if Jeremy Lin's success and the Knicks' team chemistry continues into the spring.
           Don't b-Lin-k, because the combination of New York City, the Knicks being without Amar'e and Melo, social media, and a multi-racial Ivy League graduate may never be reproduced. There has never been a sensation, or Linsation, such as this. Even people who could care less about the NBA are tuning in to watch this Linspirational player. Good luck with the rest of your bright future in the NBA Jeremy Lin, and basketball fans, good luck thinking of creative ways to incorporate "Lin" into your everyday vocabulary.