Michael Redd and crew @ The Palace

Since I will be in attendance for the game Friday night, I thought I would provide a write-up. I have already seen the Bucks earlier this year (01.25.2006) where Detroit won in overtime 106-102. This data research is from a sports site I like, TeamRankings.

Detroit Pistons Overall
Record: 57-14
Power Rating: 107.5
Ranking: 1
6-2v #1-5
9-4v #6-10
7-6v #11-16
14-0v #17-22
21-2v #23-30

Detroit Pistons at Home
Home Ranking(31-3): 109 (1) 4-0v #1-5
5-1v #6-10
4-2v #11-16
6-0v #17-22
12-0v #23-30

Milwaukee Bucks Overall
Record: 36-35
Power Rating: 99.4
Ranking: 15
4-7v #1-5
4-8v #6-10
2-8v #11-16
8-8v #17-22
18-4v #23-30

Milwaukee Bucks on the Road
Away Rankings (14-21): 100.0 (16)
0-5v #1-5
2-4v #6-10
1-5v #11-16
4-4v #17-22
7-3v #23-30


Suggested Play: The line for the game is set at 10. Both teams are on 2 game winning streaks. Detroit had a solid home victory against Dallas, followed by a B2B last night win in Philly. The bench has been seeing considerably more playing time. The Bucks should be rested, are a solid squad, and will want to try and snatch a victory away from the Pistons after that nail-bitter of a game in January. Margin of victory predicted to be about 7 points. Taking Bucks +10

I uploaded this video of Rasheed Wallace on MTV Cribs. I have embeded the video below, but if you would like a copy you can click here.

Rasheed Wallace post game interview. March 28.

Baseball to investigate past steroid use

Major League Baseball will investigate alleged steroid use by Barry Bonds and other players and plans to hire former U.S. Senate majority leader George Mitchell to lead the effort. Mitchell will not be the lead investigator, but he will head the investigation effort.

A baseball official told The Associated Press on Wednesday that final plans for the investigation were still pending, as was a definite answer from Mitchell. An announcement was expected later this week.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because commissioner Bud Selig has not yet made an announcement.

ESPN's confirmation of Mitchell as the head of the investigation comes after Wednesday's New York Times reported that Selig was on the verge of announcing an investigation into steroid use by Bonds and other players as detailed in the book "Game of Shadows" and that Mitchell's name was being floating around baseball circles as the outside person to head such an investigation.

ESPN has learned that Bonds and any other current player who may be part of this investigation will be allowed to play while the investigation is ongoing.

Selig has been under pressure for weeks to form an investigation. Two books being released this spring accuse Bonds of using steroids, human growth hormone and insulin for at least five seasons beginning in 1998 -- "Game of Shadows," written by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters, and "Love Me, Hate Me: Barry Bonds and the Making of an Antihero" by Jeff Pearlman. Baseball did not ban performance-enhancing substances until after the 2002 season, and Bonds has denied ever knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs.

Some in Congress have called for an independent investigation. Mitchell, a Maine Democrat and a director of the Boston Red Sox, has been a director of the Florida Marlins and served on an economic study committee that Selig appointed in 1999.

Mitchell is the chairman of the board of the Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ESPN.

Mitchell's possible involvement was first mentioned Wednesday in The New York Times. The name of a lawyer who will run the mechanics of the probe was also to be announced.

No matter what the findings of an investigation, it would be difficult for baseball to penalize anyone for steroids used prior to Sept. 30, 2002, when a joint drug agreement between management and the players' association took effect. Baseball began drug testing in 2003 and started testing with penalties the following year.

"I will only comment on things about Barry's on-field performance or contractual status," said his agent, Jeff Borris.

It is unclear whether current or former players would cooperate with an investigation or could be forced to do so by baseball. Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the Major League Baseball Players Association, declined comment.

Under pressure from Congress, baseball toughened penalties last year and again this season, when an initial positive test will result in a 50-game suspension. Twelve players, including Rafael Palmeiro, were suspended for 10 days each following positive tests last year.

Former commissioner Fay Vincent called this month for an investigation and suggested it be headed by Mitchell or John Dowd, who led baseball's 1989 probe into gambling by career hits leader Pete Rose, who agreed to a lifetime ban.

"I think the investigation is the right step," Vincent said. "I don't think the issue is punishment, I think it's: 'Shouldn't the players be called to task for cheating, even if there is no punishment?' I think baseball has to recapture the moral high ground."

An after-hours left for Mitchell at his New York office was not immediately returned Wednesday. The New York Daily News first reported March 16 that Selig would launch an investigation, but Selig said no decision had been made at the time. More: NY Times, MLB

I have also uploaded (to YouTube) this TLC special on steroids. What do you mean my arms aren't suppose to be that big?

NIT Championship Preview

South Carolina (22-15) vs. Michigan (22-10)

The Sports Network

DATE/TIME: Thursday, March 30th, 7:00 PM

FACTS/STATS: Site: Madison Square Garden (19,876) -- New York, New York. NIT Record: South Carolina 20-8, Michigan 24-5. Series Record: Michigan leads, 2-1.

GAME NOTES: The last two NIT champions will meet up in the tournament title game this evening, when the South Carolina Gamecocks take on the Michigan Wolverines at famed Madison Square Garden. The Gamecocks took the NIT title last year and are trying to become just the second team ever to win back-to- back tournament crowns and the first since St. John's (1943 and 1944). Dave Odom's squad has won nine straight NIT games and advanced to this championship game with a rather easy 78-63 rout of Louisville in the semifinals on Tuesday. The Gamecocks' NIT record has been pushed to 20-8 overall, as the team has navigated the tournament field with additional wins over Western Kentucky (74-55), Florida State (69-68 in OT) and Cincinnati (65-62). Odom will be seeking his 100th victory with South Carolina in this game. The Wolverines are no strangers to successful tournament runs, as they have moved to an impressive 24-5 (19-5 with NCAA sanctions) in this event. Michigan opened up NIT play with a rout of UTEP (82-67), followed by narrow wins over Notre Dame (87-84 in 2OT) and Miami-Florida (71-65). In Tuesday's semifinals, the Wolverines destroyed Old Dominion (66-43). Michigan has won this event three times (1984, 1997 and 2004), although the 1997 title was vacated due to NCAA sanctions. These two teams boast the longest active winning streaks in postseason national tournaments, standing at nine straight victories. These two teams haven't met since 1977.

Renaldo Balkman was outstanding on Tuesday night, as he erupted for 23 points, going 11-of-14 from the floor. Balkman got plenty of offensive support, as Tarence Kinsey and Brandon Wallace also posted impressive games, finishing with 21 and 19 points, respectively. Tre' Kelley added just seven points, but did dole out a game-high 10 assists. The Gamecocks played an almost perfect game against Louisville, shooting a scorching .600 from the floor (33-of-55), amassing 21 total assists and turning the ball over a mere seven times. On the season, South Carolina's numbers have been somewhat lower, but still solid. The team is netting 67.5 ppg and is getting it done on .459 shooting. Kinsey paces the team in scoring at 15.7 ppg. Kelley follows with 12.3 ppg and is the team's top distributor (4.5 apg). Balkman is almost at the double-digit mark, with 9.6 ppg.

The Wolverines completely shut down the Monarchs on Tuesday to advance to the championship game. Michigan held Old Dominion to a mere .278 shooting performance (15-of-54), while forcing 16 ODU turnovers. Defensively, the Wolverines were smothering, while offensively, the team was paced by Courtney Sims. The 6-11 junior hit 8-of-10 shots and posted 18 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Senior guard Daniel Horton chipped in with 10 points, while senior forward Chris Hunter just missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Horton was just 4-of-11 from the floor and has been much more reliable offensively on the year. He leads four players that are averaging double digits, with 17.6 ppg. Horton is much more than a potent scorer, also leading the team in assists with 170. Dion Harris is a solid backcourt partner with 11.3 points and 2.8 assists per game. Sims (11.2 ppg, 5.9 apg) and Lester Abram (10.3 ppg) provide balance in the frontcourt.

Both of these teams have plenty of experience in this type of atmosphere, as evidenced by a pair of semifinal routs. Michigan did it with defense, while South Carolina was unstoppable offensively. Balkman will need to step up again and produce up front and if he can, the Gamecocks should be able to celebrate their second straight NIT title.

The Sports Network Predicted Outcome: South Carolina 73, Michigan 67

Prediction: I don't completely agree with the write-up provided by The Sports Network (final score included). The main concern with Michigan is their neutral/away court record and playing performance. ODU was a depleted and injured team, and Michigan did not have many problems taking that victory. However, The Gamecocks are looking for that repeat title and have been getting quality wins against tough competition. My suggested wager is USC -3

Too much time...

Don't forget to bid on I'm selling my wife's box, my cock won't fit NR!

Up for auction is my wife's box. I'm selling her box because my cock won't fit in her box. I wanted to try and put my cock in her box before we got married, but she would not allow it. Now I find out my cock doesn't fit in it, and as you can see in the picture if I shove my cock any further in I will tear her box, and she doesn't want that. So I am selling her box and looking for one that my cock will fit in. Thank you for looking. My cock is only pictured as reference and not included with her box. I have tried to get rid of her box several times, she gave her box to the neighbor twice, but he returned it. She tried giving it to the mailman, but he said he rather have my cock. We even tried to give it away by putting a flyer on the church bulletin board, but it was taken down for some reason. So I am at wit's end to try and get rid of this thing, please help! Shipping will be determind at end of auction, actual cost at most!
I'm selling my wife's box, my cock won't fit NR! (continued with questions)

Where did the money go?

The US economy has been growing since 2001, but all the benefits of that growth have gone into corporate profits instead of employees. In 2005, more than 80% of American workers saw their inflation-adjusted wages fall for the second year in a row. Since 1990, while median family income has risen 5.8%, the cost of a bachelor’s degree jumped 63% at public colleges and 47% at private colleges. Health-insurance premiums rose 9.2% in 2005, more than 2.5 times the inflation rate.

Humans spur worst extinctions since end of dinosaurs

According to the "Global Biodiversity Outlook 2", a report released by the United Nation's Convention on Biological Diversity, we humans are currently responsible for the 6th major extinction event in the history of the Earth, and the greatest since the dinosaurs disappeared, 65 million years ago. The other four extinctions were about 205, 250, 375 and 440 million years ago. Scientists suspect that asteroid strikes, volcanic eruptions or sudden climate shifts may explain the five. It estimated the current pace of extinctions was 1,000 times faster than historical rates. Other conclusions in this report:

1) 2/3 of the services provided by nature to humankind are in decline, worldwide;

2) demand for resources globally exceeds the biological capacity of the Earth by some 20%;

3) the average abundance of species declined 40% between 1970 and 2000 while species in species in rivers, lakes and marshlands have declined by 50%.

Dallas Mavericks @ The Palace

Dallas Mavericks (54-16) at Detroit Pistons (55-14), 7:30 p.m.
Game Recap, Detroit 97 Dallas 90

(Sports Network/ESPN) - The Palace of Auburn Hills will be the venue for the night's biggest matchup, as the Detroit Pistons host the Dallas Mavericks in a battle of two of the top teams in the NBA.

The Central Division-champion Pistons, who own the top seed in the Eastern Conference, had a 16-game home winning streak stopped on Sunday against the New Jersey Nets. (The Nets hammered the Suns last night--at one point leading by over 40)

Richard Hamilton scored 19 points in the 79-74 setback for Detroit, which had a four-game win streak stopped. Tayshaun Prince and Tony Delk each scored 12 points, while Chauncey Billups posted just nine points, all in the fourth quarter.

Detroit will wrap up a small two-game homestand against Dallas and is 30-3 at The Palace this season. Despite the loss to NJ, Detroit continues to hold the league's best record and has a 1 1/2-game lead over San Antonio and Dallas for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks will continue a four-game road trip in the Motor City. They are tied with San Antonio for the top spot in the Western Conference and Southwest Division.

They opened the trip with a 98-83 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday at Philips Arena. Dirk Nowitzki posted a double-double with 27 points and 13 rebounds, while Jason Terry had 26 points.

Jerry Stackhouse contributed 16 points for Dallas, which has won two of its last three contests. The Mavs improved to 24-10 away from home and will visit Cleveland and Orlando to finish the road trip.

Dallas is 3-1 in its last four road games and leads the season series with Detroit, 1-0, after posting a 119-82 win on November 19 in Texas.

The Mavericks have won two in a row, three of four and five of the last seven versus Detroit.

Dallas also has won two of its last three trips to Detroit.

Yzerman Record and Wings Clinch

Yahoo Sports
Not surprisingly, Steve Yzerman was humble after he tied Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux with his 690th career goal. Yzerman tied Lemieux for eighth place on the career list and helped the NHL-leading. The Detroit Red Wings also clinched a playoff spot by beating the St. Louis Blues St. Louis Blues 4-1 on Monday night.

However, you won't hear Yzerman compare himself to the retired Penguins great.

"I don't really know the significance," Yzerman said. "If anything, it shows how good (Lemieux) is; he played almost five years less than I did."

The 40-year-old Yzerman scored midway through the second period off a scrum that started with Niklas Kronwall's shot from the slot. Blues goalie Patrick Lalime made the save on Kronwall, but the rebound ended up on Yzerman's stick just to the left of the goal, and the Detroit captain buried it for his 12th goal of the season.

Next up for Yzerman is Mark Messier, seventh with 694 goals.

"It's fantastic to be around," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "It shows you how much he loves the game. When you look at the leadership we have, that's why we win on a consistent basis."

Especially in March. The Red Wings are 10-1-2 this month and 89-31-17 in March since 1994-95.

Kirk Maltby, Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom also scored for Detroit.

Manny Legace made 20 saves for the Red Wings. His bid for a second straight shutout was ruined when the Petr Cajanek scored of a faceoff with 57.3 seconds left on a slow-developing play.

"It's unfortunate it took an hour and a half to get to that puck," Legace said. "There were three guys in front of the net and they just touched it to Cajanek. My leg wasn't long enough to get there, but we got the win and that's the most important thing."

The Blues dropped all four games on their homestand and have lost seven in a row overall, marking the third time that St. Louis has lost at least seven straight. Heading into this season, the longest losing streak in Blues' history was seven games.

"This homestand is probably the most embarrassing in my career," Blues forward Keith Tkachuk said. "I don't like what I see. I know I always say I've got to be a lot better. Our better players have got to rise to the occasion and lead."

Maltby put the Blues behind early when he broke in on right wing and beat Lalime with a wrist shot from the right circle just 2:01 into the contest.

After Yzerman made it 2-0 at 9:45 of the second period, Franzen put the game away 47 seconds later when he scored off his own rebound.

"We had a game plan," Tkachuk said. "We just couldn't execute."

Detroit Notes: Detroit is the only team in the NHL that has not been shut out this season. Scott Young leads the Blues in scoring with 46 points and is the only St. Louis player with more than 40. Detroit has eight players with 50 or more points. The Red Wings are 33-0-2 when leading after two periods and the Blues are 0-28-4 when trailing after two.

Michigan to meet Old Dominion at MSG

The Michigan men's basketball team earned a return trip to Madison Square Garden with a 71-65 NIT quarterfinal victory over Miami (Fla.) Wednesday, March 22, in Crisler Arena. The quartet of Daniel Horton (19 points), Chris Hunter (16), Lester Abram (left, 15) and Dion Harris (15) combined for all but six of the Wolverines' points as U-M gained an NIT semifinal berth for the third straight season (two postseason, one preseason). Graham Brown added 10 rebounds for Michigan, which will face Old Dominion Tuesday, March 28. Game Notes

NIT Semifinals
Tuesday, March 28 • 7:00 p.m.
Madison Square Garden • New York
ESPN2 Television

Michigan Advances to Championship game

Leprechaun Sighting?

So yea...umm.... lets see....People in Mobile, Alabama claim to have spotted a leprechaun in a tree. I'll let the video do the talking.

Elite 8 Sunday Matchups (AP)

11 George Mason vs 1 Connecticut

Connecticut's first national championship run seven years ago included a victory over a mid-major in the regional final. If the top-seeded Huskies (30-3) are to reach their third Final Four, they`ll have to dispose of another mid-major in surprising George Mason (26-7) on Sunday.

Connecticut earned its first national championship in 1999, surviving a tense regional final in which it beat Gonzaga 67-62 to reach the Final Four. The Huskies won their second national title two years ago.

Coach Jim Calhoun isn't thrilled about playing the 11th-seeded Patriots for the first time at the Verizon Center, just a short drive from George Mason`s campus.

"It's going to be nice playing an away game, too, I'm looking forward to that," he said sarcastically. "I think that part of the pod system is really working out to protect the (No. 1 seeds), right? I believe it is."

The Huskies advanced to this game with a thrilling 98-92 overtime victory over Washington on Friday. Connecticut rallied from an 11-point deficit and forced overtime on Rashad Anderson's 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left in regulation. Anderson made five 3-pointers and scored 19 points off the bench for the Huskies, who trailed 78-72 with 1:16 to go in the second half and overcame a season-high 26 turnovers.

The senior guard, who battled a life-threatening illness last season brought on by complications from a skin infection, said he didn't get to sleep until 5:30 in the morning with the draining game still on his mind.

"I'm just happy to still be here," Anderson said. "This feeling is the best feeling ever in my life going back to what I went through last year, not knowing if I was ever going to get back to this point. It`s truly a blessing to still be here."

Marcus Williams also came up big for UConn with a career-high 26 points and eight assists to overcome his season high-tying seven turnovers. Williams is averaging 22.3 points in the NCAA tournament, marking the first time in his career he has scored at least 20 points in three straight games.

The Huskies - one of the favorites to win the national title - have survived difficult games in each round of the tournament, including a rally from 12 points down in the second half of a 72-59 first-round win over 16th-seeded Albany.

The unheralded Patriots scored the game's first nine points and never looked back in a 63-55 victory over Wichita State on Friday. Folarin Campbell continued his hot shooting and scored 16 points for the Patriots, who hadn't won an NCAA tournament game in three appearances until this year.

Campbell failed to score in double digits in the Patriots' four games before the tournament, but is averaging 17.3 points on 68 percent shooting in three NCAA contests.

He's one of five players who average in double figures for George Mason. Undersized 6-foot-7 center Jai Lewis leads the way with 13.5 points per game and Tony Skinn - suspended for the NCAA opener for punching a Hofstra player in the groin in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament - adds 12.7 per game.

The winner will meet Villanova or Florida on Saturday in Indianapolis.

Prediction: UCONN will probably win in a close game. George Mason is very talented but UCONN has the experience. Gregg Doyel, of CBS, thinks GM has no chance and has an interesting article as well about this matchup. I think you should take the points with George Mason though.

3 Florida Gators vs 1 Villanova Wildcats
This should be one of the closer matchups thus far in the tournament.

Why Florida might win:

This is not your big brother’s Florida Gators. Ever since UF lost to Michigan State in the 2000 championship game, Florida has tripped over its feet in the Big Dance. Last year, it was none other than the Villanova Wildcats that bumped the Gators in the second round of tourney and squandered some high hopes.

But now with a stable crew of starters that includes an few NBA prospects in Taurean Green and Joakim Noah, this team has all the pieces in place to make a run to the Final.

More importantly, Florida showed it can still win when the game doesn’t go its way. In Friday’s regional semi, Georgetown managed to grind the pace to a crawl and force Florida away from its preferred high-test running speed. But the Gators locked down on defense and got in the face of the Georgetown shooters, holding them to less than 40 percent from the field.

There’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to do the same thing against Villanova’s sharp-shooting guard-oriented offense. Florida hasn’t allowed many uncontested shots in the Tournament. No team has made more than 39 percent of its field goals against the Gators.

Why Villanova might win:

Jay Wright proved he can coach with the best of them. Without a timeout in the dying seconds of a game that was starting to look like a crushing loss for the No. 1 seed, Wright didn’t even need to tell his guys which play to run. They’d practiced it all year, in preparation for a situation like this.

A coach can’t win a game, but he put his players in a position to win and that’s exactly what happened. Even in a game in which the Wildcats’ biggest weapon – the 3-point shot – was taken away by a suffocating Boston College defense, Wright’s players showed the toughness to fight back and force overtime. That attitude might be called on again on Sunday versus a bigger, defensively tight Florida team.

“I know no one believes us, but these are the types of games that we like,” Villanova guard Randy Foye said. “Just grind it out, play defense and rebound.”

It’s a good sign that Villanova was able to shoot 21 percent from beyond the arc and still win a tough game. Nobody has managed to make 3-pointers with any regularity against Florida throughout the Tournament.

Prediction: This is a tough one to try and predict, but I think in the end Villanova will pull off the victory. I wouldn't be suprised to see an overtime or the game decided by less than 5 points. Lay the points on Villanova

The Wonderful World of Gonorrhea

After writing a bit about the Elite 8 below, I stumbled upon this 'hilarious 1944 LOOK magazine ad wherein Mickey Mouse fights gonorrhea by experimenting on other mice, and then ends up taking the gonorrhea drug himself.'

(Click to enlarge for easy reading, click again to zoom in)

I also found this video titled VD ATTACK PLAN (1973).



More interesting cartoon history/information: CartoonBrew

Elite 8 Saturday Match-ups

LSU, Texas, Florida, UCONN, George Mason, UCLA, Memphis, and Villanova all advance to the Elite 8. Duke, Gonzaga, Wichita State, WVU, Bradley, Georgetown, Washington, and Boston College have had their road to the final abruptly ended.

Thursday and Friday brought an amazing array of close and exciting basketball matchups. March Madness truly is what has happened in many of these games. Anything and everything seems possible during the course of 40 minutes of basketball. If your bracket looks better than swiss cheese, then you should congratulate yourself. If your bracket isn't looking to good, I hope you really aren't too shocked... I mean do you remember 2005...hmm... Did the Catamounts fuck up your bracket?

Ok, enough patting yourself on the back. On to the next round....

4 LSU vs 2 Texas 4:40 PM EST

The LSU Tigers Sweet 16 matchup, they only allowed Duke to put up 54 points, including blocking 9 shots as a team and holding JJ Redick to 11 points. JJ Redick, the all-time ACC scoring leader, only shot 3-18 from the field and all 3 makes were from beyond the arc. (recap)

Glen "Big Baby" Davis is a monster down-low for LSU. 6 foot 9 inches, 310 pounds, with some very good footwork. A solid defender and a consistent point scorer at around 20 a game. LSU is a young team, with Sophomore Tyrus Thomas providing solid defensive support. However, the Tigers have some Senior leadership in their guard, Darrell Mitchell.

The Texas Longhorns beat WVU with a buzzer beating 3-pointer, after WVU had crept back from trailing by 12 points at halftime. The Longhorns are a team full of capable scorers such as PJ Tucker, LeMarcus Aldridge, AJ Abrams, and Daniel Gibson. Brad Buckman also tries to make his presence felt defensively.

2 UCLA vs 1 Memphis 7:05 PM EST

Farmar and the UCLA 'gang' had an amazing comeback against Gonzaga from 17 down, to win by 2. The Bruins scored the last 11 points against the Zags. They made Adam Morrison break down into tears with a couple seconds left on the clock in a 1 point game.

"I hate losing, period," an emotional Morrison said afterward. "I mean, anything, especially basketball. Obviously I'm going to let it all hang out. And that's what I did."

Memphis didn't have quite as much trouble as the Bruins, leading most all of the game against Bradley. The Tigers are one of the quickest, most athletic teams that I have seen in some time. Rodney Carney is unconscious going at the rim. He is a player to keep an eye on.

Michigan downs Miami

The Diag, mlive.com

Michigan downs Miami in front of Beverley So pick which news from last night is better for the Michigan basketball program: Michigan knocking off Miami to head to the NIT Final Four in New York or highly-coveted 2006 guard recruit Patrick Beverley singing The Victors and cheering in the Crisler Arena stands. Either way you turn, last night was a successful one for the Wolverines - a much-needed success after the disappointing end to the regular season, writes the Ann Arbor News.

Mar. 23, 2006, Ann Arbor News: "Not many times do you have a second chance to have a final game on your home floor,'' Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said. "We were fortunate to have that this season and to be able to finish it right.''

It's not over yet. Michigan (21-10) faces Old Dominion on Tuesday in the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden in New York. After missing the NCAA Tournament earlier this month, now Michigan is the only Big Ten team still playing basketball.

We had a sour taste in our mouth after the Indiana game,'' senior Chris Hunter said. "We wanted to finish this game off the right way, for our seniors and everybody else.''

And if last night's game was the win that gets Beverley to Ann Arbor, it'd be hard to ignore that the NIT has produced some positives for Michigan. The Detroit News reported today that Beverley's including the Wolverines in his top two.

Mar. 23, 2006, Detroit News: It's going to be tough to replace senior guard Daniel Horton, but Beverley's signing would ease the pain. Horton is Beverley's host until he leaves Friday

My top two schools are Michigan and Arkansas," Beverley said. "I see a lot of improvement at Michigan. There are good people at Michigan and I can relate to them. If I sign with Michigan it's an opportunity to play right away."

And with Horton leaving, Scott Bell of the Michigan Daily argues that Michigan might be wise to hang his No. 4 jersey from the Crisler rafters - if for no other reason than to try and erase Chris Webber's legacy. Still, the fun police didn't stay hidden away all night. Ron Musselman of the Toledo Blade wrote today that there's no reason to be proud of another NIT run. Michigan now heads to New York's Madison Square Garden for the NIT Final Four and will take on Old Dominion on Tuesday. The winner there will take on whoever wins Tuesday's other semifinal between Louisville and tonight's victor in the Cincinnati/South Carolina contest.

Pistons Rally to Clinch Central Division

Although many sources reported that the Pistons clinched the Central Division with their win against Atlanta, the Pistons did not win that title until their victory tonight over the Miami Heat.

You may not remember the game on Feb 12, 2006 in Miami, but I sure do. They had a comfortable lead before Dwayne Wade scored the last 17 points for the Heat, for a 2 point victory over the Pistons.

"You never want to have a player that has so much confidence against you that he thinks he can just take the game over at any time," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. "At least he's not going to think he can walk on the floor and score 17 straight on us."

Tonight, Wade was held to a season low 13 points in a 82-73 Pistons win. Wade only shot 3 for 15 from the field. Miami's 73 points were a season low. Leading the Pistons was Billups, who scored 24 with 10 assists. Shaq also put down 27 points in a season-high 43 minutes of playing time. Shaq had sat out his last game with a thumb injury, Wade was questionable to begin with, and Alonzo Mourning went down in the second quarter with a leg injury.

Regardless of the so-called injuries, the Heat lead by 11 points at the half. They trailed by as many as 12 points in the 2nd half, but the Pistons managed to rally and to take a one-point lead by the end of the 3rd quarter.

Detroit has won 16 straight at home, five short of the team record. The Pistons also clinched the outright Central Division title, and reduced their magic number for the East title to six over Miami. The Pistons have not lost a regular-season home game in regulation since March 28, 2005, against Dallas.

The Pistons became the only NBA team since 1980 to start the same lineup -- Prince, Billups, Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace -- in the first 67 games of a season.

The Pistons performance did not equate to one of their best games, but they defended their home court successfully. They did show impressive patience and defense to stay in the game after an awful first half shooting performance. How awful? 31% from the field with a season-low 35 points at half time, including a 1 for 10 contribution from the bench.

"Both teams wanted to win this game in the worst way," Billups said. "It was kind of an ugly game, but the intensity was there. This was a playoff game. It really was."

"This wasn't any kind of statement -- you make statements in the playoffs," Rasheed Wallace said. "This was just playing a game against a very good team."

Congratulations Detroit!

Alfonso, you sound like the T.O. of MLB

Alfonso Soriano was suppose to make his spring training debut Monday night, after playing in the World Baseball Classic. However, after being penciled into the outfield, Soriano refused to take the field.

Soriano was acquired by the Washington Nationals in the offseason from the Texas Rangers. Jim Bowden, the general manager of the Nationals, said that Soriano will go on the disqualified list if he doesn't agree to switch positions

"The player refused to take the field, which we believe is a violation of his contract," Bowden said.

If you don't know much about Soriano, he is a four-time All-Star second baseman, and was listed in this game as leadoff batter and playing left field on a lineup sheet posted in the Nationals' clubhouse before Monday night's 11-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Before the trade took place, Soriano had made it public that he didn't want to play at any other position but second base. The Nationals already have an All-Star second baseman in Jose Vidro, so they told Soriano they want him to move to the outfield, and he indicated he doesn't want to do that. But, this was the first true objection that Soriano has shown since his return from playing with the Dominican team in the WBC.

"We told him if we get to Thursday, and he refuses to play left field, we told him at that point we will request that the commissioner's office place him on the disqualified list, at that time -- no pay, no service time," Bowden said.

"If he refuses to play and goes home, and the commissioner's office accepts our request to place him on the disqualified list, then at that point, if he were to sit out this year, he would not be a free agent, he would stay our property because his service time would stay the same."

If Soriano does show up for the game Wednesday, manager Frank Robinson said he would be willing to forgive him.

"It will be water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned," the manager said.

Apparently, manager Frank Robinson had a meeting 20 minutes prior to the game to explain the teams position and that he was going to play left-field. He was penciled in at that time, though Alfonso had made his position clear.

Bowden expressed that he wants Soriano to play left-field and hopes that the situation can be resolved, but also indicated that he would be fielding offers for Soriano but--"we're not going to give the player away. If we can make a deal that makes sense, we will."

Soriano is due to be paid $10 million this season.

Soriano batted .268 last season with 104 RBI, 36 HR, and 30 stolen bases. However, he also had 125 strike-outs and only drew 33 walks on the season as a lead-off hitter. He had 21 errors on the season and a fielding percentage of .972 (compared to Jose Vidro 5 errors, .985 fielding percentage).

Videos commentary by ESPN

Update: Soriano took the field Wednesday (the next game after he refused to take the field), so that may be the end of this drama.

The first day of QB school, or why the Lions signed Jon Kitna and Josh McCown

Reported in the posts below was the story of the triangle that was Joey, Kitna, McCown. Well, A recent report has been released by The Wayne Fontes Experience (one of my favorite detroit blogs) as to what really happened in QB camp. Presented below is an expert, with the link to continue reading (& I suggest you read it all).

(Extremely NSFW language ahead. You have been warned...*)

Rod Marinelli: I am Rod Marinelli, your head coach and worst nightmare. From now on you quarterbacks will speak only when spoken to, and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be sir. Do you maggots understand that?

Joey Harrington, Dan Orlovsky, Shaun King: Sir, yes sir!

Marinelli: What's your name, rag arm?

King: Sir, Shaun King sir!

Marinelli: King? King of what? England? The world? Pain?

King: Sir, no sir!

Marinelli: That name sounds like royalty! Are you royalty, rag arm?

King: Sir, no sir!

Marinelli: Do you suck dicks?

King: What? SIR, NO SIR!

Marinelli: Bullshit. I bet you could suck a football through a garden hose.

King: SIR, NO SIR!

Continued....

Buzzer beater footage

From the crowd, Michigan vs Notre Dame, Dion Harris buzzer beater.

What to watch? Wolverines vs Irish

Maybe you haven't been following the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), but you can quickly catch up on the action by taking a glimpse at the tournament bracket.

Tonight, Michigan will host Notre Dame, who had a winning season at 16-13 but only had a 6-11 record in Big East play. Don't let the record fool you, because this Notre Dame team loses' are by the smallest of margins—1 pt loss to UConn in overtime, 3 pts @ Louisville in overtime, 2 to Villanova, 1 to West Virginia, 3 to Georgetown in overtime, 2 @ Marquette. Lots of tough losses to very talented teams. Those tough losses have only built Notre Dame's desire to win the NIT.

Game Time: 7PM EST
Projected Winner: Notre Dame +4
For a program of the game, follow this link.

Final: 84-87 Michigan wins with a 3 point buzzer beater in 2OT. Michigan will play Miami (Fl) March 28th @ Crisler Arena. game recap

Oh yea, the WBC Final is at 9PM featuring Cuba and Japan. It won't be a showcase of major league stars, but of "hungry players that have mastered team baseball". So get to know these finalists. The Detroit Pistons are also hosting the Atlanta Hawks tonight @ 7PM.

Bye-Bye Joey

Brought to you last week, was the breaking news of Kitna and McCown's signing. I presented rumors and speculation that that deal signaled the end of Joey in Detroit. Today, that rumor has been confirmed. The Detroit Lions are parting ways with Joey Harrington after four turbulent seasons in which the former third overall draft pick went from franchise savior to fans' scourge.

Although he declined to say whether Harrington had been released, coach Rod Marinelli told reporters Monday:

“I’ve decided to go in a different direction with Joey, I made the decision that I think is best for our team. We’re moving on at this point without Joey.

“I think [it's unfortunate] anytime things don’t work out for any player in any situation. As a coach, you’re always striving to be the best and striving to get the best out of every person. That’s part of your goal. That’s why you get in this profession. As of this moment, we’ve gone different ways.”

When Marinelli was asked what would happen to Joey, he said that he would leave the decision up to Matt Millen. When asked for the reasons that Joey will not be a part of the team, Marinelli responded:

“I won’t go into that. I won’t ever disrespect somebody,” said Marinelli. “Whatever happened, I’m moving in a new direction. I’m going to say it again: it was done by me, it’s me. I’ve decided to move in a different direction at the quarterback position. Things change. I’m very clear with that. That’s the direction we’re moving and I don’t know what else I can [say].”

Ron Marinelli is convinced that competition is good between the quarterbacks and that they are on even terms with him. When asked about McCown and Kitna, Marinelli mainly talked about the mental aspects of his players rather than the physical ability:

“I think they have really good, strong leadership ability. They know how to manage very well. I like that about them. I think the quarterback position, probably about 70 percent, is about the human being too; about the person’s ability to lead. I’m really excited about both those guys.”

Harrington will be replaced by either Jon Kitna or Josh McCown, both former starters signed who agreed to terms in the last week. Jon Kitna had an interview with 1270am sports radio, and it can be heard here.

As well as McCown and Kitna, the Lions already have under contract former Tampa Bay and Arizona starter Shaun King and second-year man Dan Orlovsky.

Oh, the Sweet 16...

With lots of suprises thus far in the NCAA tournament, the Sweet 16 is sure to be full of excitement. If you still have a live bracket, you should be congratulating yourself at this point. My bracket has 12/16 correct for the Sweet 16 and 6/8 of my chosen Elite 8 are live and all of my Final 4 teams are still kicking. Final 4 in my bracket: Gonzaga, Duke, UConn, Florida. If I had the opportunity to change one of my Final 4 picks, I would keep my picks the same. The Oakland region should provide some of the most exciting games as Memphis, Bradley, Gonzaga, and UCLA all look to be tough compeition. Tournament action will resume on Thursday, March 23.

Atlanta Region
▪ #1 Duke vs #4 LSU
Duke Blue Devil basketball under the reign of Coach K, Duke has visited the NCAA tournament 21 years, posting a 66-18 record. Duke is definitely no stranger to the Sweet 16. It is Duke's 9th straight appearance. Last year, the Blue Devils lost to Michigan State 78-68 in the Sweet 16. The last time that Duke won the tournament was in 2001, with a Final 4 appearance in 2004.
Duke boasts a 32-3 record on the season, as well as being 17-2 during conference play and also winning the ACC conference tournament. As a #1 seed, Duke handled #16 Southern 70-54 in the opening round, followed by another solid performance against #8 George Washington beating them by a final score of 74-61.

Against GW, JJ Redick led the scoring with 20 points, going 7-14 from the field, 4-9 from downtown, and 2-7 at the line. Shelden Williams chipped in with 17 points, connecting all 9 times at the line but only shooting 4-10 from the field. Williams pulled down a team high 14 rebounds. Josh McRoberts wasn't far behind with 13 rebounds and 14 points. Greg Paulus contributed 6 assists along with 10 points, although 6 turnovers was a part of the equation.

LSU has 18 years of NCAA tournament experience, with a 19-21 overall record in tournament play. They have never brought home the Championship, but they have made the Final 4 three times in their history. Their last Sweet 16 visit was in 2000. But records are records, and they are meant to be changed, so don't count LSU out of this game so quickly.

Going 25-8 during the season, and 15-3 in SEC play, LSU had little trouble with Iona in the opening round. Things were different against Texas A&M.

Glen "Big Baby" Davis scored 21 points and Darrel Mitchell drilled the game-winning 3-pointer with four seconds remaining to lift fourth-seeded LSU to a 58-57 triumph over No. 12 seed Texas A&M in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It was the ninth victory in the last 10 games for the Tigers (25-8).

Prediction: Williams will be a bit much for younger Davis. J.J. Redick is returning to his usual form and the Blue Devils are getting solid contribution from Paulus, McRoberts, and Sean Dockery.
Projected Winner: Duke pick and preview (covers)

▪ #6 West Virginia vs #2 Texas
West Virginia will makes its second straight Sweet 16 appearance, while it is Texas' 4th in 5 years. The last time these two teams met was 11/21/05 in Texas, where the Longhorns pulled out a 76-75 victory.

West Virginia finished the season 3rd in the Big East. WVU would have liked to have done better in the Big East tournament, losing the first round to Pitt. They have had little problems in the NCAA Tournament thus far with 18 point and 13 point victories. Although Kevin Pittsnogle only connected 3-14 from the field and 1-6 from downtown, his 5 for 6 at the foul line helped him put up 4 points. Other Moutaineers stepped up though as Mike Gansey, JD Collins, and Frank Young each had over 10 points. Herber and Beilein also combined for 15 points.

The Mountaineers lived by the 3-ball in the regular season and has not changed their style of play for the NCAA Tournament. In round one, they attempted 32 long balls and hit 11 (33.4%) while going 7-22 (31.8%) in round two. On the season, the connected for 34.5% from behind the arc.

Texas won the Big 12 regular season with a record of 15-4. They boast an impressive 29-6 overall record. Texas cruised by Penn by 8 points in the first round, but put on a display in round 2 vs North Carolina State. Texas shot 46% and 42% (9-19) from 3pt range, which was miles ahead of NC State shooting 39.3% and only connecting on 3-22 (13.6%) from 3pt range.

Texas may have the advantage in this matchup. They are full of capable scorers such as PJ Tucker, LeMarcus Aldridge, AJ Abrams, and Daniel Gibson. Brad Buckman will also try to make his presence felt defensively. If Texas can defend the long ball, the Mountaineers may have a tough time keeping scoring pace with Texas.

Projected Winner: Texas pick and preview (covers)

Oakland Region

▪ #1 Memphis vs #13 Bradley

lowest seed since 1999 sweet 16

▪ #3 Gonzaga vs #2 UCLA

Washington Region

▪ #1 Connecticut vs #5 Washington

▪ #11 George Mason vs #7 Wichita St
George Mason stunned North Carolina, overcoming a 16-2 early hole to beat the National Champions 65-60.

Minneapolis

▪ #1 Villanova vs #4 Boston College

▪ #3 Florida vs #7 Georgetown

▪ NCAA Record Books