Interview with Cincinnati ESPN 1530 Talk Show Host Mo Egger

Mo Egger is a lifelong Cincinnati sports fan and gets the chance every week day to talk about his teams on the radio. He works for both ESPN 1530 and 700 WLW as a sports talk show host. His talk show from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN 1530 is a must-listen on the ride home from school for all local sports fans. After months of being a daily listener, I decided to reach out to him for the chance to talk to him about the ever-changing radio industry, his career, and of course, Cincinnati sports.

Courtesy of http://www.espn1530.com/pages/mo.html

• When did you realize that you wanted to pursue a career in radio and what do you like the most about your job?

Mo Egger: When I was a kid, I was kind of a nerd. I listened to 700 WLW and sports talk radio when I was a kid. I was a terrible athlete so those dreams that most kids have about playing pro sports, I had them, but I knew pretty early that they weren’t going to come true. I love talking about sports as much as anybody. Even more than listening to the play-by-play of games, I’ve always enjoyed opinion sort of stuff. I listened to sports talk radio and heard those guys arguing with callers. I have a strong take on local teams and thought “Wow, you can get paid to do that? That sounds pretty good.” I wanted to be in radio, specifically sports radio, ever since I can remember, at least since I was 11 or 12 years old.

• As a kid, who was your favorite athlete and were there any radio personalities who inspired you to become a radio host?

ME: I don’t know if there was a specific personality. I grew up loving the NBA—Marv Albert was probably my favorite broadcaster but he really wasn’t a radio host or a talk show host. I always thought it was a cool profession. I thought the people who did it sounded like me arguing with my buddies as a kid. In terms of my favorite athlete as a kid, my favorite of all time had to be Bernard King, who played for the New York Knicks. Also, Barry Larkin was huge when I was a kid. The Bengals were actually good when I was a kid, with Boomer Esiason, so those would probably be my “big three.” And it’s going to be hard to find anybody my age that didn’t idolize Michael Jordan so he would obviously have to go on the list too.

• What was your first job in the radio industry and where do you want to go in your career?

ME: My first job was actually at WLW and I’ve been there since I was 19. My first job was when I was in college at the University of Dayton in the summer between my sophomore and junior years. I was hired to play the religious tapes that they roll on Sunday mornings. I would get up, work from five to nine, and would literally just sit there playing religious programs. I started working my way up and I’ve been with the same company ever since. As far as what I want to do, it sounds pokey, but I want to keep on doing what I do now. I really have my dream job—I do a radio show in a city that my family is from and I talk about the teams that I like. It would be really hard for me to go somewhere and talk about the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Miami Marlins. What I like about my job is that I care about the teams I talk about and talk about stuff that matters to me. Hopefully that comes across and makes listening to the show more fun. The best radio hosts are the ones who genuinely care about the things they say and I get the chance to do that.

• Where do you see the future of radio with the rise in technology such as live streaming, blogging, and Twitter?

ME: I think it’s good and I think it can supplement what we do. I don’t think radio is ever going to go away. People have been predicting the death of radio for decades. People thought that TV was going to kill it, people thought that satellite radio was going to kill it, people thought that the Internet was going to kill it and it’s still around. I think the new technology makes radio hosts a little bit more versatile. It’s become more engaging and we have to become more immediate. If I have an opinion on something, I can’t wait until three o’clock the next day to say it. I have to Tweet it or write about it. I also think that the next wave of radio hosts is going to be found on the Internet. They’re going to be found on YouTube and they’re going to do their own podcasts. I tell kids all the time, especially college students, when I was in college, you had to get on a campus radio station, which no one had ever heard of. Now you don’t have to—it’s great if you are, but you can do your own podcast or make your own YouTube videos and send them to everybody in order to have them go viral. That way more people see it than would ever hear you on a college radio station. Also, some small market stations have completely eliminated local programming so those opportunities just aren’t there anymore; you have to create your own. I do think it can give younger people a jump start on a career, a jump start on becoming comfortable in front of a microphone, and becoming comfortable on camera. I really do think that the impact of the new technologies is being felt now obviously, but it’s really going to be felt in ten to twelve years when radio stations are looking for the next wave of talent.

• What is a typical day like for you?

ME: I get up around seven and the first thing I do is jot down the three, four, or five things that people are talking about. Obviously there’s a lot of reading and watching involved. Usually I’ll write on my blog for about two hours and then I go into the radio station. My producer and I meet around ten to talk about the day’s show, what we’re going to talk about, different angles, and plan out stories. Then we go our separate ways—she’ll do her job and book guests. Then for me, it’s like taking a test—I spend the three or four hours before the show studying for a test. Reading, talking to people, coming up with angles, researching topics, and the test is at three o’clock. Eleven to three is the part that’s not that much fun but three to six is the fun part. It’s just like anything else, it’s all about preparation. It’s all about forming a plan for the show and making sure that I have enough content. It’s all about making sure I’m on top of what people are talking about. That’s how I spend most of the day and then three o’clock hits and if I did a good job from ten to three, then three to six will go well and if we didn’t, then three to six will be a struggle.

• Who is your favorite guest that you have had on your radio show before?

ME: The coolest experience talking to somebody would have to be when we did the show from the Baseball Tonight set and talking to Barry Larkin. It was a big deal for me and that was a very cool experience. We tend not to do guests for the sake of doing guests. We tend to make them topical and make them timely by bringing in somebody who can add something to the discussion. The one thing I wish we did more of would be long interviews where you can get to know people, but that’s really hard to do. My favorite person to have on consistently is Chris Mack, the coach of Xavier, because he’s funny and always insightful. He likes to give it to me a little bit because I’m a UC fan. He’s always is willing to go on, always friendly, and always accommodating.

• What advice would you give a high school or college student interested in pursuing a career in radio?

ME: The number one thing is don’t wait for a radio station to hire you, do it now. Buy podcasting software, do a daily video on YouTube, write as much as possible, or start a blog. Do it now. I believe that these forums will be where people are going to be hired from. I think the earlier you start, the better you’re going to be. I always tell people that I was lucky enough to start working at WLW at an early age and I knew that I was surrounded by people who were really good and who I could pattern myself after. I always tell people who want to work in radio to listen to the radio. If I wanted to learn to be a great rock guitarist, I would pay attention to and listen to the great rock guitarists. If I was going to be a quarterback, I want to watch Tom Brady and I want to pattern myself after him. Find the people that you like, find the people that you think are good, and not just sports, but in all disciplines, and listen to them. Listen to what makes them sound compelling, what makes them interesting, and listen to how they bring up different angles. I think the one thing we don’t do enough of is listening to those who are good at it. Find the people you really like, “like” doesn’t have to mean agree with, and find the people who are good. Some of the people I listen to the most are some of the people who I disagree with most of the time. Listen to the radio, listen to people as much as you can, and find what you can apply to your own skill set when you listen to others.

• As a lifelong Cincinnati sports fan, which team (from a specific year) is your favorite of all time and why?

ME: The 1992 UC Final Four team. It’s because, number one, they went to the Final Four. Number two, it’s not that they came from nowhere but they’re a team that people have forgotten. It was a program that hadn’t been relevant nationally in a long time but it was really before people cared about UC basketball. I was a freshman in high school and I loved those guys. I could give you details from every game. I could talk abut Nick van Exel going wall-to-wall at the end of the half against Brooklyn College and I could talk about them beating Memphis four times and stopping Penny Hardaway. I just liked that team because it was a team that the country didn’t pay much attention to and they came out of nowhere. That’s my favorite of all time and the one that I put on a pedestal.

• What does the tradition of Opening Day in Cincinnati mean to you?

ME: It’s bigger here than anywhere else. It’s a big deal everywhere but not what it is here. That’s not cliché, it’s true. I don’t really get worked up about the fact that the Mariners and A’s played in Japan or that the season doesn’t necessarily begin in Cincinnati anymore. I think it’s very cool that they let the Reds open up at home every year. I think it’s cool that it’s a big deal to the city. I went to every Opening day from ’97 to 2009 with my dad and I think about him and those memories with him since he’s not with me anymore. It made fathers and sons and traditions. It means a party and everybody loves a party.

• What are your thoughts on the new Joey Votto deal and can they still sign Brandon Phillips?

ME: I think it’s going to be really hard to sign him. I don’t know how you can financially make that work. I like it but I have questions just like everyone else does. I think it’s fair to wonder how they’re going to pay for it. I think you need to remember that the owner of the team is a good business man and he’s wealthy for a reason. He’s wealthy because he’s spent a lifetime making sound financial and business decisions and done so with a lot of homework. I think you have to keep in mind that this is not a person who accumulated a lot of wealth by just throwing dollars around. I think if the Reds are really good over the next four or five years, we’re going to be more than okay with paying an older Joey Votto, even if he clogs up the roster. I think it puts a lot of pressure on the Reds, which I like, and the Reds have to do a better job in their farm system because they’re not going to be major players in free agency. I love the message that it sends that we’re no longer going to be a team that settles for mediocrity. We’re going for it and we’re trying to win championships. That’s something that I don’t think this team has conveyed to its fan base successfully for a very long time.

• With Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder out of the Central Division, how well can the Reds do this year?

ME: It’s the most interesting division in baseball. If you listen to the experts, nobody has a feel for who the favorite should be. I still think St. Louis is going to be very good once Chris Carpenter comes back. I think people underestimate the influence of Dave Duncan, their pitching coach. I still think Milwaukee is going to be fine. They weren’t a very good defensive team last year and they’re going to have to be better this year. The Reds have question marks. Bronson Arroyo is going to start thirty plus games for them. He’s going to have to look more like the guy we saw in 2010. Scott Rolen has to hold up for 120 games. I think they’re equipped to compete but I haven’t picked them to win the division quite yet. I think they will be a playoff team and they’ve answered a lot of questions, but they have some major issues to address.

• After UC’s basketball program has had a few down seasons and having some of its player serve suspensions for the Crosstown Shootout brawl, how miraculous of a turn-around was it for them as they made the Sweet Sixteen this season?

ME: It was awesome. This was not a great team by any stretch. I thought the way they responded after the Shootout was great. I thought the way they played after the Shootout was really special. I don’t think most teams would have emerged from it for the better in the way that they did. It took a lot of mental toughness for them to make the season about more than just the fight. I’m happy for those involved with the program because people wrote them off, stopped going, stopped caring. They made people start caring and getting emotional about UC basketball again, that’s why it was special. When they beat Florida State, I thought of the people who abandoned the program, the people who stopped going, and I thought of the people who would laugh at me for still being a fan of the team. I felt bad for them because they missed what ended up being a pretty good time. They missed what ended up being a really fun, endearing team. And it made the last six years worth it. It was finally the payoff for their patience. I think that’s all sports fans want. We’re willing to be patient but we want a payoff. This year’s basketball season was a major payoff, at least for me.

• After Kentucky’s success as a “one-and-done” type of program, will other programs attempt the same style and how does it affect college basketball, if at all?

ME: I don’t think it affects college basketball as a whole. I think most programs in the country would like to have Anthony Davis. I think most programs in the country would like to have Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. I think most programs would like to have Marquis Teague and John Wall. If you don’t want your coach to get those players then you don’t want your coach to do everything he can to win. Is Duke going to start recruiting waves of players who leave after their freshman year? Sure, if they can get them. Would programs that can’t do it be able to do it? No. Kentucky is still going to gobble up the best players. I don’t think it affects the sport. I don’t think it’s going to really change anything. If anything, it gets people talking about the rule and maybe that will change, but probably not. I think some are overstating the impact and I don’t think there’s going to be much of one.

• How do you think the Bengals can improve their roster in the NFL Draft?

ME: They have to get a guy who can block and open up holes in the running game. They have to get a guard and they’ve done that in free agency. They want to run the ball better and they have to run the ball better. They have to have starters who can beat people at the point of attack, and up front, in the middle of the offensive line. The line was deficient last year. Nate Livingston and Bobby Williams aren’t going to cut it. They need to add somebody else to the interior of the offensive line. I’m a firm believer in this NFL, where people are throwing the football all over the place, that you can’t have enough good defensive backs. They need defensive backs. They need a corner, they probably still need a safety, and if they can get more than one at each position then I would probably be in favor of it. People are throwing the ball all over the place in this league. We sometimes talk about the third corner being the guy who’s your third best corner and he better be really good because he’s going to be on the field more than fifty percent of the time. Especially with the Leon Hall injury, they need guys who can play in the secondary and play at a high level. They have to find those guys in the draft.

• After the Bengals went 9-7 last year and made the playoffs, Xavier and UC made the Sweet Sixteen, and the Reds have a great chance in the Central, how does this year stack up with the best years in Cincinnati sports?

ME: It’s getting up there. Certainly in recent history we haven’t had a year like this. Think of 1990, the last year both teams were really good, but other than that there haven’t been many years like this. I would look at 2009 and 2010, when UC won all of their games in football and went to bowl games both seasons, the Reds followed it up with a division-winning season, and XU went to the Sweet Sixteen in ’09 and 2010, so that might be as good of a stretch. But in terms of an individual year, there haven’t been many like this.

Luke Kuechly: A Former Coach's Perspective

       St. Xavier High School is known both within the state of Ohio, as well as the national level, as a football powerhouse. The Bomber football program won state 2005 (#2 in the country) and 2007 (#1 in the country), has an accumulative 521-285 record, and has over thirty graduates currently playing at the college level. The football program’s biggest claim to fame is Rocky Boiman, a linebacker who played for Notre Dame and was drafted in the 4^th round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. He bounced around several teams, including the Super Bowl winning 2006-2007 Indianapolis Colts. Once again, St. X has the chance to leave its mark on the NFL with St. Xavier High School graduate (’09) and former Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly. Over his three-year career at BC, Kuechly led the nation in tackling twice (finished second in the country as a freshman), collected 532 tackles, was a two-time consensus All-American, won the Butkus Award (awarded to the best linebacker in the country, and the Lombardi Award (awarded to the best lineman or linebacker in the country). According to Scouts Inc., Kuechly is the 10^thbest prospect in this year’s draft class and will be a likely top 15 pick in the NFL Draft.



                                         

                                                  Courtesy of http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1031882-luk-kuechly-2012-nfl-draft-scouting-report

   

       With a member of the Long Blue Line making it to the highest level of football, I decided to see what makes Luke Kuechly such a great linebacker from his high school coach at St. X, Coach Steve Specht.

• Did you ever think that Luke Kuechly had NFL potential while he attended St. X?

Coach Specht: Talent and work ethic was never a question with Luke. He was always the first in and one of the last to leave. He wanted to get better and studied the game as much if not more than anyone I’ve ever coached. The question was always how much would he grow and how would he develop his game at the next level. As a high school coach you can only say, “I think he has a chance” and God takes care of the rest.

                                                     

• When was the first time that you realized that he was a “special” player and could be very successful at the next level?

CS: Watching Luke’s development when we moved him from Will linebacker to our Adjuster (Free Safety) position was very telling. Luke reminded me of Rocky Boiman the way he covered so much ground so quickly. He, like Rocky, had an incredible instinct and understanding of the game. More importantly, he worked at his game every day. Luke wanted to be the best he could be and worked very hard at his game.

• What separates Luke from other linebackers and defensive players?

CS: I’d have to say his work ethic, instinct and understanding of the game sets Luke apart.

• What is Luke’s best characteristic that will make him successful in the NFL?

CS: Luke is very humble and a team guy. He knows where he came from and what it took to get him to this level. He knows he is only as good as his last snap and will always work to get better….at any level.

• If you could give Luke one piece of advice, what would it be?

CS: Thank your mom and dad and let them know how much you appreciate and love them. Be true to yourself…and ALWAYS REMEMBER…every day is a GREAT DAY TO GET BETTER!

• One word to describe Luke is……

CS: I couldn’t describe Luke in one word….I’ve always said we want St. X football players to represent class, character and integrity off the field. We want gentlemen off the field, but once they cross that white line we want vicious football players. Luke’s able to “flip that switch” in ways I haven’t seen in many players. I’ve always referred to him as “the silent assassin”. You can’t put all of that into one word…

How I Met Anthony Davis

I have been fortunate enough to meet several local sports figures over the course of junior high and high school. Former University of Cincinnati football coach and current Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly as well as Anthony Munoz, the former Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle and Hall of Famer, both spoke at my school in eighth grade. In the fall of my freshman year, I met former UC quarterback Ben Mauk after storming the field when the Bearcats beat the Pittsburgh Panthers 45-44 at Nippert Stadium. Last summer, through my summer job as a snack shack employee at a local country club I served food to Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Leon Hall, former Bengals defensive tackle John Thornton, national radio host and television personality Bill Cunningham, and Cincinnati Bengals then-rookie quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton is a class-act and talked with me for a solid ten minutes, signed an autograph for me, and called me by name the next time he stopped by.

However famous and influential these sports figures are in the city of Cincinnati, meeting Anthony Davis at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport was on a completely different scale in terms of the timing and national spotlight. Only a week earlier, Davis had been cutting down the nets in New Orleans as a college basketball national champion. Add every 2012 National Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, SEC Player of the Year, and Freshman of the Year award possible to his one-year resumé at Kentucky and you have the biggest sports star over the past six months in the United States.

I was flying solo for the first time and was calling my parents about potentially getting bumped from my flight when I turned around and saw a 6’10″ African American with a unibrow, wearing a sweatsuit. I did a double-take and thought to myself “there’s no way that’s actually him.” Then I realized that there is honestly no one else I could be confusing him with and started following him. He was talking on the phone and I didn’t want to interrupt him so I followed him until he sat down at his gate, snapping a few pictures along the way.

A little bit creepy?

Yes.

Was it worth it?

Of course.

The entire time that I was walking a few strides behind him down the “G” wing of O’Hare I felt like I was the famous one, simply because of all of the people who were staring at the nationally-recognized ‘brow and whispering to those around them. Since I was by myself, there was no one to talk to about him, so I had to do the next best thing, which consisted of introducing myself to him and then Tweeting about it.

I was the one person with enough courage to actually approach him. He was sitting down and off the phone, so I went up and said, “Hey Anthony, I’m a big fan.” He had seen me coming so we had a half-second of awkward eye contact and he didn’t respond to my greeting. I had no idea what to do next so I blurted out “It’s nice to meet you” and stuck out my hand. He slowly reached out and gave me the infamous ”dead fish” that every etiquette teacher warns against. It may have been awkward but I walked away with my head held high because I just shook hands with the #1 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

And that is how I met Anthony Davis.

From the Press Box--April 4, 2012

       After an extended leave of absence from writing, due to finals, college visits, and scholarship applications, I'm finally on Spring Break. So much has happened since my last post on March 18th, both for me personally and in the world of sports. I finally experienced world renound Chicago-style pizza at Giordano's, was accepted to the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern and had a great campus visit (followed by being notified in the mail that the first year in Evanston would be upwards of $60,000 and I lost any interest I had in the school), officially became a second semester senior, and most importantly, decided on Indiana University for college and can not be happier about it. A month's worth of sports headlines have taken place in the past eighteen days; the Major League Baseball season officially kicked off in Asia, the Kentucky Wildcats won their eighth national championship, Nike released the new NFL uniforms, and Mohammed El Akkari, an International Basketball Federation player for Moutahed of Tripoli, allegedly scored 113 points in a single game.

March Madness

Going into the NCAA Tourney, UK was clearly the best team in the country and I picked them to win the National Championship, yet it was so difficult to choose the Wildcats because of the reservations I had about them. Coach Cal had choked in his previous appearance in the title game as well as Kentucky was relying on freshmen and sophomores to not crack under the pressure riding on them to win it all. Not to mention that UK entered the NCAA Tournament on a one-game losing streak after being defeated by Vanderbilt in the SEC Championship.

Coach Calipari and the University of Kentucky needed the National Championship to validate their one-and-done focused program. In each of Cal's previous six seasons, going back to his tenure at Memphis, his worst postseason finish was in the Sweet Sixteen. His teams were eliminated three times in the Elite Eight, once in the Final Four, and once in the National Championsip in 2008 (Memphis later had its entire 2007-2008 season vacated due to Derrick Rose's misconduct regarding his false SAT score). If he had fallen to Kansas, many of his critics would question his ability to close out a season. No one can argue his greatness from November through February, but if UK would have lost in the NCAA Tourney a part of Big Blue Nation would have been ready to show him the door out of Lexington.

Overall, this was an ideal tournament for college basketball. There were some major upsets, with #2 seeds Duke and Missouri exiting in the first round, and three double-digit seeds advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, but no "Cinderellas" made it to the Elite Eight. It was exciting to watch the likes of Xavier, Ohio, and North Carolina State challenge major powers in college basketball, but at the end of the day, the best matchups are between the premier teams. The 2011 National Championship between UConn and Butler may have been the ugliest college basketball game I've ever seen. Upset-minded md-majors and Cinderellas can make the first two weekends of the NCAA Tournament two of the best weeks of the year, but once the Final Four rolls around, basketball powerhouses are the only teams who can guarantee high-quality basketball that is enjoyable to watch.

Jared Sullinger to the NBA

I can't argue with his decision to leave because there is a direct correlation between the number of years of college and when a prospect is drafted. Sully has nothing left to prove in college. He's averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds for his two years of college, with a shooting percentage above 50%. He has lead Ohio State to the Elite Eight and Final Four in consecutive years and the Buckeyes have sixty-four wins in that time span. However, don't expect him to be dominant in the NBA as he is in college. While he is physically big at 6'9" and 265 lbs., he lacks the height and the jumping ability to average a double-double immediately at the next level. If he can develop a consistent outside jumper, he can become a very nice role player. He shares the size and stature of Indiana Pacers forward David West, who has career averages of sixteen points per game and seven rebounds per game. The longer he stayed at OSU, the more NBA teams would begin to see him plateau at the college level and it could only hurt his draft prospects.

Joe Flacco Thinks He's the Best QB in the NFL

On WNST 1570 in Baltimore earlier this week, Joe Flacco said that he believes he is the best quarterback in the NFL. I have no problem with him thinking this. If I were an NFL owner or coach, I want a QB who thinks that he is the best every single snap. However, his thoughts about how he stacks up compared to the rest of the starting quarterbacks in the league should not leave a four inch radius in his brain. He is only opening himself up to more criticism than he already deserves and his resumé does not warrant him being a top five quarterback, let alone the best one in the NFL. Last season he threw for 3,610 yards and 20 touchdowns while Aaron Rodgers threw for 4,643 and 45, Eli Manning threw for 4,933 and 29, and Tom Brady threw for 5,235 and 39, to name a few of the league's elite quarterbacks. Of course, statistics alone do not define a player and Flacco's two AFC Championship Games help his case but still not enough. If I rank all of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL, he is thirteenth on my list. Eli Manning has two Super Bowl rings, Aaron Rodgers has one, Tom Brady has three, Ben Roethlisberger has two, Peyton Manning has one, and Drew Brees has one. Until Flacco gets some jewelry on his hand, he is not in the conversation and should be careful about publicizing questionable statements.

Ubaldo Jimenez Beans Troy Tulowiztki

The pitch was by all means intentional, especially considering the bitter feelings Jimenez has towards his former club. It's a shame that he was willing to plunk Tulo in the preseason. He deserves his five-game suspension, but he still may be able to make his scheduled start if the MLB hasn't responded to his appeal in time. Hopefully Jimenez does not start for the Indians if they face the Rockies this season because there is a high likelihood that Colorado would get revenge in some form or fashion.

FIBA Player Drops 113?

It is highly unlikely that a story like this could be completely fabricated but part of me is still skeptical. Mohammad El Akkari averaged just under eight points per game heading into his three-point shooting contest that happened to occur in the middle of the Lebanese Division A League Final Eight game. Maybe it's that basketball overseas is different than what we're accustomed to in the NBA and there were 314 total points in the game, but Akkari's performance is out of the ordinary by all means. There are only three players in the modern era of the NBA who I could rationalize their taking of sixty-nine shots in a game--Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, and Monta Ellis. To make 40 of 69 shots from the floor and 32 of 59 from behind the arc is beyond comprehension. I'm not sure who his team was playing that night, possibly a team of local nuns or fifth-grade rec basketball team, but his performance goes down in history nontheless.

Joey Votto's Contract

It is great to see that the Cincinnati Reds are committed to winning and have a "World Series or Bust" mentality. However, the 10-year, $225 million dollar contract should raise an eyebrow. The Reds have no idea how good Votto will be in ten years, but if the first baseman can lead Cincy to a World Series, then it won't matter as much. The 2010 N.L. MVP's price tag makes it difficult to re-sign second baseman Brandon Phillips, which is very hard to swallow since Phillips is one of the best Reds on and off of the field. The contract extension tops off the biggest offseason in Cincinnati Reds history and is a great way to kick off the season with their best player under contract until 2023.

Mo Egger Interview

I got the chance to interview sports talk show host Mo Egger of ESPN 1530 tonight and it was fascinating listening to him talk about his career and Cincinnati sports. The interview will takes lots of editing but should be posted in the next week.

Matchup of the Day

St. Louis Cardinals @ Miami Marlins. Tonight's game is Opening Day in America since the Oakland A's and Seattle Mariners played in Japan last week and also is the first game played in Miami's new stadium. Two excellent pitchers in Kyle Lohse and Josh Johnson face off in the National League matchup.

Video of the Day

 Courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBMQ79NweQU

Keys to Xavier and Cincinnati Making the Sweet Sixteen

       The Xavier Musketeers and Cincinnati Bearcats are both in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and have the chance to both make it to the Sweet Sixteen for first season since 2001. Xavier takes on the 15 seed Lehigh and Cincinnati plays the 3 seed Florida State, both of which are winnable games for the Cincinnati teams. Here are my keys to the games for Xavier and Cincinnati to advance to the next round:

 

Royce White: The Definition of Versatility

       Iowa State is not known for its basketball program. The 2011-2012 season marked the fourteenth time that the Cyclones were selected for the NCAA Tournament. Iowa State made the Final Four once in 1944 but their most famous appearance in the tourney was when they were upset by 15 seeded Hampton, only the fourth time such an upset had occurred.

       After the Cyclones’ 23-11 season and fourth place finish in the Big 12, behind three top 10 teams in Missouri, Kansas, and Baylor, the selection committee chose Iowa State as the 8 seed in the South region. Much of their success can be credited to redshirt sophomore Royce White. The 6’8″, 270 lb. power forward spent the first eighteen years of his life in Minnesota, first as a two-time state champion in high school and then he committed to the University of Minnesota to play for Tubby Smith. After multiple run-ins with the law in his freshman year as a Golden Gopher, including charges for theft, disorderly conduct, and trespassing, White transferred to Iowa State. John Calipari had contacted the talented forward to play for Kentucky but he decided on Iowa State instead. Since his transfer was before the end of his freshman year, Royce White could not play for a scholarship in the following season and was forced to redshirt in the 2010-2011 season.

Courtesy of http://ksrcollege.com/

       In his first full season of playing college basketball, White hit the ground running and quickly became the Cyclones’ go-to player. In the opening game of the year, Royce White scored 25 points and pulled in 11 rebounds as Iowa State defeated Lehigh 86-77. The Minnesota-native recorded a double-double in the next game with 21 and 14 as he was began a season-long routine of putting up big numbers on a nightly basis. Iowa State reached the national spotlight when the Cyclones defeated #5 Kansas, giving the Jayhawks their first conference loss of the season. White and Iowa State tallied their second victory over a top 25 team in their last regular season game of the season against #10 Baylor. Despite heading into the Big 12 tournament on a high note, Iowa State lost to Texas in its opening game.

       Iowa State was matched up against the Connecticut Huskies in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament and defeated the reigning national champions 77-64 after a hot-shooting performance. The Cyclones were 6-16 from behind the three-point line and were nearly perfect from the charity stripe, missing only one of their twenty free throw attempts. White played very well against Jim Calhoun’s squad, scoring fifteen points, securing fourteen rebounds, and racking up two assists.
As the Iowa State Cyclones advanced to the Round of 32, the media took a closer look at the Big 12 team and found that it was the Minnesota transfer, who was named to the All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 Rookie of the Year that was making the Cyclones go. Royce White boasts himself on being the only player in the country who leads his team in every major statistical category. Despite playing power forward, a position which is traditionally known for scoring points in the paint and grabbing rebounds, White shines in every aspect of his game. Royce White has the ability to put up 25 points every game but focuses on the team’s success over his personal glory. He averaged 13.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.94 blocks per game in the 2011-2012 season.

       White faced a difficult test Saturday night when he was matched up against the front-runner for Player of the Year Anthony Davis of Kentucky. Even though Iowa State was defeated 87-71, White was one of the few bright spots for the Cyclones, finishing with 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. For the Cyclones’ opening possessions, it was Royce White who took the ball down the court and played point guard. Although, for most of the game, White was playing well in the paint, getting open for easy baskets and scoring crucial points whenever Kentucky started to pull away. His best play of the game was when he stripped Davis on defense and went coast to coast for the dunk. Despite his large stature, Royce White has exceptional ball control and court vision.

Courtesy of http://www.mysanantonio.com/slideshows/sports/slideshow/Texas-vs-Iowa-State-36531.php

        If White declares for the NBA draft, he will likely be a first round draft pick. Although, if he stays for his remaining two years of eligibility, Iowa State could be a very formidable team. They are only graduating two seniors, Chris Allen and Scott Christopherson. The guard duo combine for twenty-four points per game and will surely be missed, but with many young players with post-season experience, Iowa State can rebuild to challenge the powerhouses of the Big 12.

The Year of the Upset

       At the start of the NCAA Tournament Thursday afternoon, it seemed that there would be very few upsets. The first nine games went the way of “chalk,” meaning that the lower, favorited seed won. March became a little madder when VCU followed up its Final Four appearance in 2011 by upsetting the #5 seed Wichita State by three points. In the final matchup of the opening day of the tourney, Colorado set the tone for Friday’s games by shocking the UNLV Running Rebels, #6 seed and #25 overall in the AP poll. As a whole, the number of upsets was surprisingly small. On average, there are eight upsets in the round of 64 based on the seed, putting this year’s tournament to fill only half of the “quota.”

Courtesy of http://www.silive.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/03/a_pair_of_no_2s_out_of_ncaa_to.html

     After all the games are finished for the second round, there were eight upsets on Friday, including two #15 seeds beating #2 seeds. North Carolina State, who finished 22-12 and fifth place in the ACC, trumped #6 San Diego State 79-65. The game was close at halftime, with the Wolfpack leading by four points, but NC State took over in the second half, led by Richard Howell’s twenty-two points.
Entering the 2012 edition of the NCAA Tournament, #15 seeds were 4-104 all-time against #2 seeds. That’s an average of one every 27 years. In historic fashion, two #2 seeds fell on Friday to their higher-ranked opponents. The Missouri Tigers were a trendy favorite to represent the West region in the Final Four. Mizzou was 30-4 in the regular season and won the Big 12 Tournament by defeating Baylor handily in the championship game. Three of their four losses were to ranked opponents and tournament teams, proving to be a tough out all season. In its first NCAA Tournament appearance, the Norfolk State Spartans shocked the basketball world by upsetting Mizzou 86-84 thanks to a great shooting performance. Three Spartans had at least twenty points and the team shot 54% from the floor. Missouri fought back at the end of the game and had a three-point attempt at the buzzer but it clanked off the rim and Norfolk State completed to unexpected upset. What made the night even more unpredictable was when Lehigh came back from being down by two at halftime to stun Coach K and the Duke Blue Devils. Led by junior guard C.J. McCollum, who scored thirty points, grabbed six rebounds, and had six assists, the Mountain Hawks go on to play Xavier.

Courtesy of http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/tag/_/name/2012-columbus-region

     While a #9 seed beating a #8 is not usually considered an upset, Saint Louis beat Memphis behind Kwamain Mitchell’s 22 points. Robbie Hummell and the Purdue Boilermakers narrowly beat St. Mary’s 72-69. Two years ago, the Ohio Bobcats as a #14 seed stunned the Georgetown Hoyas in the first round. Some of those same players are on the current squad that upset #4 Michigan 65-60. In the final games of the night, South Florida handed Temple a fourteen-point loss to be the second twelve seed this year to upset a five seed. Lastly, Xavier rallied to overcome a ten point deficit to beat Notre Dame after a bad lane violation call nullified a Fighting Irish one-and-one.

Courtesy of http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebasketball/story/Xavier-Musketeers-beat-Vanderbilt-Commodores-in-overtime-112811

       At this rate, this will be the craziest March Madness in the history of the tournament. Almost every game is down to the wire and anyone can beat anyone else. While Kentucky is playing at a higher level than every other team in the field, it is a toss-up for the matchups in the round of 32. If you ignore that seeds of the teams and compare them without a bias, there is very little separating the teams who remain in the tournament.

       Out of the remaining teams who upset a lower-ranked seed, I predict Xavier, VCU, and South Florida to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Out of the 32 teams left in the field, Xavier, South Florida, and Murray State have the best chances to make it to the Elite Eight. Although, no matter who wins, I think everyone can agree that this has been the greatest opening weekend of the tournament we have ever seen and it can only get better from here.

How Will Fab Melo's Ineligibility Affect Syracuse?

       It has been a season full of drama and scandal for the Syracuse Orange basketball team, from the child molestation accusations against assistant coach Bernie Fine to center Fab Melo’s three-game suspension for due to academic issues to making a run at an undefeated season. All things considered, it should have come as no surprise that the Orange made headlines during March Madness. Most fans would expect the national spotlight to be on ‘Cuse for making it to the Final Four or for some other basketball achievement in the tournament. Instead, on Tuesday, March 13th, two days before the start of the round of 64, the story broke that the number two overall seed would once again be without Fab Melo. However, this time around, the seven-footer would not be returning to the court anytime soon. Once again, due to his academic standing, Syracuse University ruled Melo ineligible for the NCAA Tournament.

Courtesy of http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2012/story/_/id/7681715/2012-ncaa-tournament-syracuse-orange-announce-fab-melo-ineligible-tourney

       With a legitimate shot at making a National Championship run, the indefinite suspension was a major blow to Syracuse. The team made a statement the following day stating that their starting center did not let them down, but the Orange were only a two blown calls away from potentially being the first #1 seed to lose to a #16 seed in the first round in the history of the 64/68-team tournament. Facing UNC-Asheville on Thursday, the Orange found themselves down by five in the second half to the lower-seeded Bulldogs. Don’t tell me that his teammates and the Syracuse wouldn’t have been holding him partly responsible for that loss had the final few minutes turned out differently.
       While Syracuse is very well-balanced on offense (seven players average between six and fourteen points per game), loaded with future NBA draft picks, and plays a stifling 2-3 defense, their opening game exposed a new team that could easily be on a plane home within the next week. Historically, 1 vs. 16 matchups tend to be blowouts by 20+ points. There are a few exceptions every few years where a 16 seed plays forty minutes of quality basketball and loses by a small margin, but typically these are the most lopsided games in the tournament. In a game that was supposed to be a cake walk, Syracuse suffered greatly from the abscense of its big man in the middle. UNC-Asheville’s forwards scored forty of the team’s sixty-five points and the Bulldogs were equally as successful on the boards by being only two rebounds shy of matching the Orange’s thirty-three rebounds. Syracuse is still a good team without Melo, but they lose the “intimidation” factor. Standing at 7’0″ and weighing 255 lbs., Fab Melo is monstrous and has a size advantage over almost every player that he is matched up against. The center averages eight points per game, but scoring isn’t necessarily his forté. He grabs an average of six rebounds per game to go along with three blocked shots each outing. While “shots altered” is not a statistical category for college basketball, if it was a recorded statistic, Melo would be somewhere at the top of the list. Even if he does not get the block or grab the rebound, each possession, opposing teams try to find ways to limit Melo because of his domination of the paint.
       If Syracuse is going to make it out of the East region, it will need every player who gets significant minutes to step up his game to make up for Fab Melo being sidelined. With him, ‘Cuse was likely a shoe-in for the Elite Eight and even a candidate for National Champion, but without their big man, the Orange are much more vulnerable. The East is filled with forwards and centers who can take advantage of Syracuse without Melo. Jared Berggren of Wisconsin is 6’10″ 235 lbs. (10 ppg, 5 rpg), Festus Ezeli of Vanderbilt is 6’11″ 255 lbs. (10 ppg, 6 rpg), Xavier Gibson of Florida State is 6’11″ 248 lbs. (7 ppg, 4 rpg), Yancy Gates of Cincinnati is 6’9″ 260 lbs. (12 ppg, 9 rpg), and Jared Sullinger of Ohio State is 6’9″ 265 lbs. (17 ppg, 9 rpg). These are a lot of numbers and may not tell us much about the matchups, but the point is that every team Syracuse could potentially face after the Sweet Sixteen has an extremely talented four or five man.
       Syracuse’s tournament hopes are by no means squashed because Fab Melo is ineligible but they are severely limited. The Orange have enough talent on their roster between Kris Joseph, Dion Waiters, C.J. Fair, Brandon Triche, Scoop Jardine, Rakeem Christmas, and James Southerland to beat Kansas State in the round of 32 but they are in danger of getting bounced by Wisconsin or Vandy in the Sweet Sixteen. If the Orange have enough luck to squeak by to the Elite Eight, I think Syracuse comes up short of the
       It’s a shame to see a team with potential to win the tournament lose one of its key players but they are called “student-athletes” for a reason. No work, no play, and Fab Melo hurt his team greatly by failing to meet the academic standards required to be a college athlete.

March Madness 2012

       Which month would you give up to have more March? While Buffalo Wild Wings jokingly uses this phrase in their recent advertising campaign for March Madness, in all seriousness, I would willingly give up a few days of each month to be able to have more of the NCAA Tournament.

        After coming home last night from practice and looking at the bracket, I could not have been more pleased with the result. When the biggest complaint about a team being left out is Drexel, a team in the Colonial Athletic Association who did win nineteen of its final twenty games but did not have a single quality win out of conference, the committee did an excellent job. I was very excited about how well the local teams fared as Xavier’s run in the A-10 Tournament earned the team a 10 seed and Cincinnati claimed a six spot after giving #2 Syracuse only its second loss of the season. Here are my initial reactions from Selection Sunday:

 Is Kentucky’s Road to the Final Four Too Tough?

One of the biggest complaints I have heard in the past day is that Kentucky has a more difficult than usual for the number one overall seed. The Wildcats may potentially face the defending champions UConn, a team with eleven returning players and one of the greatest coaches in college basketball in Jim Calhoun, in the second round. Although, the rest of UK’s half of the South region is very weak since Indiana is not the same team away from Assembly Hall and they are without senior guard Verdell Jones III, which means that the Hoosiers will consider themselves lucky if they even make it to the Sweet Sixteen. Wichita State would not give Kentucky any trouble if they were to matchup in the fourth round and the Wildcats will have to beat another elite team such as Baylor or Duke if they want to make it to New Orleans for the Final Four.  

 Was Murray State Given the Proper Seed as a #6 and How Dangerous are They?

The Murray State Racers had the best record this season in all of Division I basketball by posting an impressive 30-1 record and winning the Ohio Valley Conference. While they have little competition within conference play, the Racers beat #20 Memphis and #16 Saint Mary’s  as well as another tournament qualifying team in Southern Mississippi. If a team from the Power 6 were to fall only once all season as Murray State did, the team would be a lock for a number one seed. However, mid-majors provide a challenge for the selection committee and the Racers were no exception. They do not have a an impressive strength of schedule (158) or a lengthy list of wins against the RPI Top 50 deserving of a two, three, or four seed, yet their regular season accomplishments would make giving them an NCAA berth as an eight seed would be an injustice. Being a #6 is perfectly fine given the resumé of Murray State and it does not put too much pressure on them in March. They are favored in their first matchup against Colorado State and then will be tested by facing #3 Marquette, the runner-up in the Big East behind Syracuse. Led by junior guard Isaiah Canaan, who averages nearly twenty points per game, the Racers should watched closely as they have a legitimate chance to upset the Marquette Golden Eagles and advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

 Upset Alert

In a year with extreme parody in college basketball and very small margins between the different tiers of teams, there are surprisingly few potential upsets that jump off the page at me when I look at the bracket. In the second round, I can find seven potential upsets and even if the underdogs do win, I cannot imagine them advancing to the Sweet Sixteen. Even though VCU has an entirely cast of players this year after shocking the sports world by making it to the Final Four last season, the Rams could challenge Wichita State. If they manage to win their first game, they could sneak by into the Sweet Sixteen against a vulnerable Indiana team. The 5/12 matchups are always a great place to look for upsets and I found a second upset brewing in the West region with Long Beach State and New Mexico. Long Beach State had a very good record, but similarly to Murray State, they find themselves with a higher seed because they play in a weak conference. In the Midwest region, Robby Hummel is taking on St. Mary’s in his final NCAA Tournament appearance and I cannot see the Boilermakers going home after their first game. In the same region, #11 North Carolina State plays #6 San Diego State. The Wolfpack have played Duke and North Carolina tough this season and these experiences of playing elite teams in their own conference gives them the edge over the Aztecs. South Florida had a remarkable season and finished in the top half of the Big East for the first time in recent memory. They pride themselves on slowing the game down and being tough down low. If the Bulls can beat California in the play in game, I like their chances to play #5 Temple very tough in the second round. Even though West Virginia is a ten seed, they are an incredibly tough out. The Mountaineers had only two quality wins in conference against Cincinnati and Georgetown but played all of the teams ahead of them very close. West Virginia lost to Baylor by two in overtime, UConn by seven, Syracuse by two, Notre Dame by four…I think you get the picture. Kevin Jones is a going to be a first-round draft pick in the NBA and averages a double-double with twenty points and eleven rebounds per game. The final potential upset is #5 Vanderbilt against #12 Harvard. This is probably the least likely out of all of them because of Vandy’s championship run in the SEC tournament, but Harvard was ranked for a good portion of the season and has only lost twice in the past two months. Plus, aren’t the biggest upsets the ones that no one sees coming. The majority of knowledgeable fans that filled out brackets probably put the Commodores in the Sweet Sixteen and completely overlooked Vandy’s first round matchup. It is definitely a stretch but I think Harvard has the potential to be a sleeper team and pull off an upset later this week.

 The Sleepers

While I do not see any team above a seven seed making the Sweet Sixteen, there are some second-tier teams who have the potential to be bracket killers later in March. Every bracket that I have seen thus far on ESPN or at school has Michigan State or Missouri representing the West region in the Final Four. I don’t deny that they are the clear favorites but Louisville is capable of knocking off Michigan State and even making it to the Final Four. Peyton Siva is an electric point guard with a constant motor and it is close to impossible to slow him down. Gorgui Dieng is a major presence down low in terms of both rebounds and altering his opponents’ shots. The best part for the Cardinals is that they have six players who average at least nine points per game. Even though no one on the team averages more than thirteen per game, Louisville has a well-balanced offense and can still win if one of its key players has an off night shooting.

The East region is probably the second most difficult to predict who will make it past the second round. Even though Syracuse has lost only twice this season, they are not as much of a favorite as I expected them to be. Vanderbilt has momentum on their side, Cincinnati has shown great potential coming out of the Big East, and Florida State might be the hottest team in college basketball after beating Duke and North Carolina twice this season, including victories over both in the ACC Tournament. Vanderbilt has played all of their opponents tough this season and excluding two out of conference losses early in the season, the Commodores have generally only lost to top 15 teams by small margins. They showed their ability to upset top teams by defeating Kentucky in the SEC Championship and if they catch Syracuse on an off day, Vandy could find its way in the Elite Eight. The Cincinnati Bearcats are a very intriguing team. They are just as likely to lose in the first round to Texas as they are to advance to the Final Four. When Yancy Gates plays well down low and Cashmere Wright, Sean Kilpatrick, and Dion Dixon shoot well from the outside, UC is very tough to beat. My only concern is how much Cincy has in the tank to be able to play at a high level in both the frontcourt and backcourt in multiple postseason games. That being said, I expect Florida State to beat Cincinnati in the third round and go on to defeat Ohio State. Then the Seminoles would go on to likely face Syracuse or Vandy. Florida State has a few good three point shooters, including the team’s leading scorer Michael Snaer who shoots over 42% from behind the arc, which is critical to beating the Orange’s 2-3 zone defense. Florida State has only one bad loss all season, which is overshadowed by four victories over Duke and North Carolina combined. The Seminoles know how to be a giant killer and I think Florida State has a very good shot at representing the East region in New Orleans.

 Bracket Predictions

First off, I realize that I did not follow all of the potential upsets that I pointed out. Some of them, such as VCU beating Wichita State and Cincinnati beating Florida State, I would place in the “not likely but don’t be surprised if it happens” category.

 In the South, I like Kentucky beating UConn in a close game in the third round as well as Wichita State upsetting a fading Indiana team. Baylor will beat UNLV easily and go on to beat Duke in a competitive game. Baylor can match up well with the Blue Devils’ talented young guards with Pierre Jackson and the Bears have the advantage down low with Perry Jones III and Quincy Acy. Kentucky will advance to the Final Four over Baylor.

 
The East was very difficult to determine who would make it past the second round. Vandy’s momentum heading into the tournament will carry them over Wisconsin but Syracuse will beat the Commodores in the Sweet Sixteen. I favor Florida State over Cincinnati because there is no guarantee that the Bearcats will shoot well and Yancy Gates will show up on the same night. Ohio State has been inconsistent this season and Florida State will be riding its win streak into the Final Four.

Only two teams have a legitimate shot to make it out of the Midwest—North Carolina and Kansas. I think Temple will upset Michigan, proving that they are worthy of admittance to the Big East, and Georgetown will fall to Kansas. Henry Sims is easily the Hoyas’ best player but Kansas can match Sims with Thomas Robinson, who averages seventeen points per game, hauls in eleven boards per game, and shoots over 46% from downtown. The Kansas vs. North Carolina matchup is a toss-up but I give UNC a slight advantage because of how long their frontcourt is and Kendall Marshall’s ability to distribute the ball.

The West is a very competitive region and at least four teams have legitimate chances to advance to the Final Four. I like Louisville beating Long Beach State follower by Michigan State. In the bottom half, I think Missouri will defeat three tough teams in a row in Florida, Marquette, and Louisville to play Kentucky in the Final Four.

In the Final Four, I think Kentucky has too much talent for Missouri to try to compete with and the Wildcats advance to the National Championship to play the North Carolina Tar Heels. UK wins in a pretty close game to give John Calipari his first title at Kentucky. 

Courtesy of http://games.espn.go.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/en/frontpage

Cincinnati Bearcats Stun Georgetown in Double Overtime

       The Cincinnati Bearcats were down 49-38 with just under eight and a half minutes left in the game. Goergetown, the number fourteen team in the country, had been leading for the majority of the game, led by senior center Henry Sims. Sims scored twenty-two points and grabbed a career-high fifteen rebounds, along with assisting Otto Porter for the game-tying basket at the end of regulation and scoring a game-tying layup at the end of the first overtime. However, UC finished the game with a miraculous 16-5 run that sent the game into overtime. Yancy Gates, Cincinnati's center who is infamously known for throwing a punch in the Crosstown Shootout Brawl, scored 10 of his 23 points during this stretch. He even had a fadeaway three-pointer at the end of regulation which looked destined for the basket but went a foot past the rim. In a game where Henry Sims' draft prospects increased exponentially, the Bearcats needed Gates' 23 and 8 to match the Hoyas' big man step for step.

Courtesy of http://slapthesign.com/2012/03/08/cincinnati-72-georgetown-70-in-double-overtime/

       In the first overtime, with the score tied 54 to 54, four different Cincinnati players scored while it was Sims and Porter who led Georgetown. Both teams exchanged baskets and it was Sims who made a layup with one second remaining to send the game to a second overtime. In the second OT, there were five lead changes and it was Cashmere Wright's jumper with nine seconds left that gave 72-70 lead. In Georgetown's final possession, the Hoyas showed no urgency getting down the court and Henry Sims ended up with the ball at the top of the key. He had a good look, but a 6'10" center with no three point attempts in the past two years is not the player to take the final shot from that distance. His shot clanked against the back of the rim and UC had clinched the victory.
       While Cincinnati had the lower seed in terms of the Big East Tournament, Georgetown has been ranked in the top fifteen for most of the season and UC was not ranked entering the matchup. The Bearcats move on to play Syracuse tonight and look to get revenge for their seven-point home loss to the Orange in January. If the Bearcats beat Syracuse or manage to win the Big East Tourney, they may end up being selected as high as a five seed in the NCAA Tournament. If Cincinnati loses to the #2 team in the country, they will likely be a seven, eight, or nine seed for the tournament. Georgetown is almost guaranteed to be a three or four seed.

First Tickets Punched for March

       The goal of every Division I college basketball team is to be selected to compete in the 68-team playoff in March. Larger enrollment, well-respected coaches, better facilities, die-hard fan bases, and historic programs benefit many of the premier college basketball programs and conferences. You can count on Kentcuky, Duke, and North Carolina to participate in March Madness on an annual basis, and usually as some of the top seeds. The Big East typically sends seven, eight, or nine teams to the Big Dance every spring. These are luxuries that smaller basketball programs can only dream of and have two ways to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The first possibility is to play a near-perfect season, meaning fewer than eight losses, and then hope for an at-large bid or secondly, to win a conference tournament at the end of the season. Conferences such as the Summit League or the Northeast are not considered elite by any means, in fact, most basketball fans probably cannot name a single team from either of these conferences. Schools that have "good seasons" for their standards can go unnoticed and the only guaranteed way to have their ticket punched is by winning three or four games in their conferences tournaments. For the most part, these automatic-bid qualifiers from smaller, weaker conferences fill up the thirteen through sixteen seeds, which is historically a recipe for a first round blowout loss.
       Over the weekend, three teams won their conference tournaments, which guarantees them an opportunity to play for the national title later this month. Belmont overcame a thirteen-point deficit to beat Florida Gulf Coast Saturday night 83-69 to secure the Atlantic Sun automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins were 27-7 during the regular season and lead the conference with a 16-2 record. They are currently projected to be a fourteen seed and face the struggling Baylor Bears. With the momentum in Belmont's favor, Baylor may be on upset alert as a three seed.

Courtesy of http://www.belmontbruins.com/landing/index

       The second team to win its conference tourney was the Murray State Racers, who finished off an impressive 30-1 season by besting the Tennessee State Tigers 54-52 on a game-winning layup with only a few seconds remaining in the game. The Racers were down for most of the second half but rallied in the end to finish with best record in all of Division I college basketball for the time being. Murray State won its second straight game against Tennessee State, who gave the Racers their only loss this season with a 72-68 victory on February 9th. Murray State is projected to be a six seed and face Mississippi State in the first round, a matchup in which the Racers are favored. If they win their opening matchup, the Ohio Valley Conference champions will be tested in the second round against only of the best teams in the Big East, the Marquette Golden Eagles.

Courtesy of http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gametracker/recap/NCAAB_20120303_TNST@MURYST/racers-rally-past-tenn-st-for-ovc-title

       UNC-Asheville claimed the Big South title over the weekend after an 80-64 victory over the Virginia Military Keydets. The Bulldogs led the conference with a 24-9 overall record and they were 16-2 in conference play. UNC-Asheville is scheduled to play in a play-in game against Savannah State to decide which team will play the number one overall team Kentucky. A number of sixteen seeds have been on the verge of upsetting their higher-ranked opponents but the higher seed has never prevailed. Murray State once took Michigan State into overtime but the Spartans won by four as well as Princeton had two shot attempts at the end of the game to upset Georgetown but both were blocked and the Tigers lost by two. Kentucky has been hot for the entire season, led by player of the year candidate Anthony Davis, and I see UNC-Asheville sharing the same fate as its sixteen seed predecessors.     

Courtesy of http://isportsweb.com/2012/02/27/unc-asheville-basketball-2-wins-over-weekend-set-up-tournament-run-dickey-named-big-south-poy/

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.