Saturday preview

Just about every team in top 25 will be in action on Saturday.

However, we're going to take a look at the games that I see as marquee matchups.

The Big East powerhouses will take the floor on Saturday, with No. 1 UCONN up against Seton Hall. Also, No. 12 Marquette takes on St. John's, and Georgetown and No. 22 Syracuse square off in a rivalry week game.

These games could alter the make up of the Big East. A loss by Marquette and a win by UCONN would help the Huskies get even closer to the season title. Also, Syracuse needs a win over Georgetown to help their tournament hopes.

The ACC also has important conference games this weekend. The best matchup of the weekend will be No. 25 Florida at No. 8 Wake Forest. Wake Forest has been struggling lately, dropping three out of their last four games. The Deamon Deacons suffered a 27 point to Miami, and are coming off an 82-76 loss to North Carolina State. If Wake Forest wants a top seed in the tournament, they must win this game.

Purdue and Iowa sqaure off in an always tough Big Ten game. Purdue comes in to the game ranked No. 23 in the nation, and essentially the favorite, but the Boilermakers can't let up at all against the Hawkeyes. Both teams like to shoot the three, so it will be interesting to see which team can catch fire. Purdue has a little edge in size, so they will have to exploit that as well.

Heels win round one

North Carolina was simply too much for Duke to handle.

The third ranked Tar Heels defeated the fifth ranked Blue Devils 101-87 in the first of two meetings for the rival schools this season.

Ty Lawson led all scorers with 25 points, and tacked on 5 assists to lead the Tar Heels past the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tyler Hansbrough had 17 points, and Wayne Ellington and Danny Green had 15 apiece. Kyle Singler led Duke with 22 points and six rebounds.

Duke was simply overmatched from the beginning. The Blue Devils had no answer for Hansbrough and the outside shooting of North Carolina. Lawson was nothing short of magnificent in this game, essentially taking over the second half, where he scored 21 points.

Duke took a 52-44 lead in to halftime, but was outscored 57-35 in the second half.

However, the difference in this game was free throws. North Carolina went to the line 31 times, converting 27 attempts, where Duke was only 11 of 18. Lawson was 9-9 from the stripe.

Hansbrough and Green became the first players in North Carolina history to never lose a game in Cameron Indoor.

This win shakes up the race for the ACC regular season title even more, now that Wake Forest has dropped two games that they were favored to win.

Duke and North Carolina meet again on March 8, this time in Chapel Hill. This game could be the deciding factor for the ACC regular season title.

Hoosier Follow-Up

Pat Forde's famous "Forde Minutes" today examines "Hoops schools vs. non-hoops schools". In the same vein as my previous post on the same subject, Forde focuses on Indiana, where average capacity is enormously larger than the winning percentage. Forde goes on to examine 15 other schools that are enjoying a lot of success on the court, but aren't always seeing that same success translate over to attendance. His conclusion? Indiana fans "are overachieving."

Rodriguez apologizes for steroid use

The truth has finally come out.

In an interview with ESPN's Peter Gammons, Alex Rodriguez openly admitted to using steroids during his time with the Texas Rangers.

"When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt like I had all the weight of the world on top of me and I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day," Rodriguez said.

This confirmation came less than two days since Sports Illustrated released a report that Rodriguez had tested positive for steroid use in 2003.

"Back then, baseball was a different culture," Rodriguez said. "It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid. I was naive. And I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time. "I did take a banned substance. And for that, I am very sorry and deeply regretful," Rodriguez added.

Following his blog post that I cited in my previous post, Curt Schilling praised Rodriguez for "manning up" and admitting his mistakes.

"Do whatever you want, speculate on whatever you want but the guy ‘manned up’, admitted his mistake, that’s enough for me," Schilling said. "Nothing we can do about it at this point but move on as fans and players."

Well here's my thoughts on that. Rodriguez was in no way "manning up." Come on, Curt. It took the guy six years to admit it. And this was after he publicly denied his use of banned substances. If he was truly "manning up," he would have came out long before now, at his own will. The only reason he came out now and admitted to it is because he got caught.

Who knows how long he had been doing it? He lied before about not taking steroids, so why should we believe that he only took them in Texas? Would he ever have admitted to it if he was not caught?

This is not "manning up" at all. He would have saved his image much more had he just come clean when he had his "wake up call," as he said in his interview with Gammons, rather than waiting until he was caught. He obviously was not that upset about it if he never admitted to it, and even denied it when he was asked on a nationally televised interview.

This whole situation upsets me greatly. As a baseball fan, I am deeply disappointed in Alex Rodriguez, a guy who appeared to be the epitemy of a clean baseball player. I can honestly say that I did not see this coming, and I feel betrayed as a baseball fan.

Schilling calls for names to be released

Curt Schilling has suggested that the remaing names on the list of 104 players linked to steroid use in 2003 should be released.

In Schilling's blog, he spoke out against the recent reports surrounding Alex Rodriguez and his alleged steroid use in his MVP season in 2003.

"I’d be all for the 104 positives being named, and the game moving on if that is at all possible," Schilling said. "In my opinion, if you don’t do that, then the other 600-700 players are going to be guilty by association, forever."

The sad thing about this is that is true. As fans, whether we want to admit it or not, we view players differently once they have been linked to steroid or HGH use, no matter how miniscule the issue is, or even if it ends up being untrue. In a country where someone is supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, the sad fact is that American's are quick to presume people as guilty until they are proven innocent.

However, as fans, we want to see the integrity of the game upheld, and once someone's name, especially someone like Alex Rodriguez, is released and linked to steroid use, we cringe. We begin to wonder things like "How long has he been doing it?" "Should his stats be in question now?"

But in my opinion, Schilling hit the nail on the head. Since no names have been released, it's typical for many fans to just assume the worst and say things like "every baseball player takes steroids." Now, we know that is not the case, but what we do not know is exactly who it is that has been using performance enhancing drugs.

Also a sad reality, is that when a player emerges and has a good season, the first thought that comes to many fans mind's is not "Wow, he must have worked hard this offseason to get where he's at now. He must have tremendous work ethic." Instead, fans begin to think things like "Oh, he must have taken steroids or something."

But as for me, I'm with Schilling on this one. I think the names need to be released. Let the guys that aren't playing the game correctly get called out for it, and let everyone else who plays the game right be out of the doghouse with baseball fans. It's simply not fair that guys who need to cheat to have success end up ruining the integrity of the beautiful game of baseball.

The only way to move on from what has been called the "Steroid Era" in baseball, is to release the names of those using performance enhancing drugs. Baseball simply needs it to be done. I hate it that when I watch a baseball game nowadays, or any sports show such as Sportscenter, I have to sit and hear the words "steroids," "Human Growth Hormone," or "performance enhancing drugs," until I get sick to my stomach.

It's time for the game to move on and be played like it should be played.

Elbows continue in Big Ten

The Big Ten is officially the most violent conference in America.

In a span of two weeks, we have seen four incidents in the Big Ten involving elbows, all of which appear to have been deliberate. Michigan's Zack Novak was ejected from a game against Ohio State for throwing an elbow at P.J. Hill, and eventually suspended. Wisconsin's Joe Krabbenhoft was not ejected or even called for a foul, but appeared to have used his left elbow to knock Purdue's much smaller Keaton Grant to the ground when setting a screen. Michigan guard Manny Harris received a technical foul and an immediate ejection for his elbow on Purdue's Chris Kramer, knocking Kramer to the ground and breaking his nose on the play.

On Saturday, Indiana's Devan Dumes added his name to this list. Dumes was ejected in Indiana's game against Michigan State for throwing an elbow at center Tom Herzog. In the first half of the game, Dumes hit the Spartans' Travis Walton in the chin with his elbow when swinging a ball through, much like the Harris/Kramer incident, but was only called for a personal foul.

Also in the first half, Dumes appeared to have intentionally elbowed Michigan State's Guron Suton in the crotch, but referee Ed Hightower ruled that it was inadvertant, and that Dumes caught him in the running motion.

However, the third time was not the charm for Dumes, as he was ejected after throwing his third elbow of the game.

"After coming home and having the opportunity to review the game film, I believe that discipline is necessary and deserved in this matter," Crean said in a statement released by the athletic department. "A line was crossed that was unacceptable."

The Big Ten has been trying to crack down on the recent elbow incidents, and has issued a statement supporting Crean's action regarding Dumes' incident.

"The behavior of Devan Dumes during the Michigan State game is unacceptable," conference commissioner Jim Delany said. "Dumes' actions have no place in the sport of basketball or the Big Ten Conference, and we support his indefinite suspension."

"I truly regret my actions and I will learn from this situation," Dumes said. "I apologize to everyone involved for doing something that is uncharacteristic of how I play the game."

This is a big loss for the Hoosiers. Dumes has been one the team's best players, averaging 13.8 points a game, and has acted as a team leader, being an upperclassman among many freshmen.

"Devan is one of ours and, like with all of our players, we want them to learn and understand what it takes to be successful," Crean said.

Steriod era grabs another great

In 2003, Alex Rodriguez's monster season earned him the title of American League MVP.

After earning that honor, the Yankees were pushed to a breaking point and the front office decided that they just had to have this talented athlete, even if it meant trading second baseman Alfonso Soriano.

However, following this trade, Rodriguez did not quite live up to the hype. Many believed that the reasoning behind this mystery was due to the media-crazy New York. Others believed that it was because Rodriguez had little chemistry with his teammates. However, the true reason may have been revealed this weekend.
On Saturday, Sports Illustrated released an article claiming that Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids, testosterone and Primobolan, in 2003. Testosterone is legal, but only with a prescription, while Primoblan, also known as methenolone, is an injected or orally taken drug with few side effects. Primobolan is not an approved drug in the United States now, nor was it in 2003.

Despite the fact that neither of these drugs were legally administered to Rodriguez, BALCO founder Victor Conte gave him the benefit of the doubt, saying that both of these drugs can be taken in shakes and drinks, and that it is quite possible that Rodriguez unknowingly took both.

With so many people siding for and against Rodriguez, only one thing is truly certain: Knowingly or not, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for these two drugs in 2003. No matter what happens next, this will stay true. However, this is just the beginning of the betrayal. Not only did Rodriguez take steriods, he repeatedly denied it to interviews, including once on 60 Minutes in December of 2007. This is what really hurts for Yankees fan. After his repetition, Rodriguez finally convinced all of baseball that he had never taken steriods. He convinced us that he was clean.

Alex Rodriguez was supposed to save baseball. He was expected to break Barry Bonds' 762 all-time home run record, and do so without cheating. This is no longer the fact, but rather the opposite. Alex Rodriguez will still likely break the all-time record, but who will actually consider him the all-time record holder? This breaking news has showed fans that Alex Rodriguez is a cheater, a liar, and, yes, "A-Fraud."

Hoosier pride

The sad reality for most sports programs is that fans are fickle.

When the wins are racking up, so is attendance. But once a team falls on hard times, fans will fall off the bandwagon and lose interest.

Yet not all programs are created equal. Some illustrious tradition-rich franchises garner such loyalty and passion from their fan base that they seem generally immune to such fluctations.

In college basketball, one such program is Indiana. Plagued with the youngest and most inexperienced team in Big Ten history, the Hoosiers are last in the conference and tied a program-record losing streak before finally beating Iowa. And yet, in spite of what most would consider an utter disaster by Indiana standards, attendance at games is actually increasing.

There's little doubt that the passion and work-ethic of the team itself engenders the same passion from the IU fan base. The growing pains this season are not necessarily easy to take, but the response and attitude through it all from the team and the fan base will be something to look back on with pride. IU athletic director Fred Glass may have said it best during an ESPN Game Day special today:

It's like in the movie Apollo-13 when they are bringing the module back to earth and somebody shakes their head and says 'This could be the worst disaster NASA's ever faced', to which somebody else replies 'With all do respect sir, I believe this will be our finest hour.'"

Colts hire new defensive coordinator

Looks like the Indianapolis Colts will have someone new controlling the NFL's worst run defense in the history of football in Larry Coyer today.

Coyer inherits the NFL's worst run defense ever assembled starting with the defensive line, where all the defensive tackles are 260lbs. "HELLO have you heard that was good back in the 1970's?" But nowadays most of the Defensive Tackles are 300 plus pounds. Coyer has been in the college ranks for most of his career, before going to the Denver Broncos for 4 years and then with the Tampa Bay Buccanneers for 2 years.

As a die hard Indianapolis Colts fan, I'm not holding judgement until Coyer tells GM Bill Polian to draft 330lb defensive tackles to help stuff the run. If they can stop the run, then Peyton can get on the field more often and win games and Super Bowls.

Overall, I want the Colts to get bigger on defense. Enough of the short guys playing unless it's Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders. If there's one thing the Colts need to do in the upcoming 2009 NFL Draft, it's draft two big hoss defensive tackles.

There are several candidates for the Colts to draft this year in the 2009 NFL Draft to stop the run. Ole Miss DT Peria Jerry, USC DT Fili Moloa, Missouri DT Evander Hood, Boston College DT Ron Brace could be good picks for the Colts. I would like to for the Colts to get Jerry and Moloa to plug up the gaps in the line. Let's just hope Coyer can get the Colts to stop the run and get bigger.

NBA implements 'H-O-R-S-E' to All-Star weekend, changes name to 'G-E-I-C-O'

The classic blacktop game has been given a new name.

"H-O-R-S-E." It's a game that any basketball player has played. This year, among the other festivities on NBA All-Star weekend, NBA stars will be seen playing this childhood game.

However, there are some catches to this. The event won't be featured with the Slam Dunk and 3-Point contests, but rather during an episode of Inside the NBA.

What's the other catch? According to ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, the name of the game is being changed to "G-E-I-C-O," in order to get the sponsors name in.

Hey, David Stern. Here's an idea. How about the winner gets a chance to take on the Geico ad lizard to decide the true winner. Or maybe, for his prize, you should give him a googley-eyed stack of five dollar bills.

Here's my thoughts. This is absolutely ridiculous and it infuriates me. I'm sick of seeing everything in sports being sold out to corporate sponsors and businesses. It takes away from the uniqueness of the sports, which include the names of stadiums, fields, arenas, and in this case, a classic backyard basketball game. I understand that the economy is down, and David Stern is trying to do the best he can with what he has, but do we really need to result to this?

Said Tony Kornheiser: "This is so stupid, not even a caveman would do it!"

SEC, Pac 10 see uncharacteristic seasons

This season has been full of surprises.

For me, two of the biggest surprises have been the SEC and the Pac 10. These two conferences generally combine for anywhere from 6 to 8 teams in top 25. This season, there are only three, all coming from the Pac 10.

The SEC is significantly down this season. Tennessee has dropped out of the top 25, just one season after being the number one team in the land. Vanderbilt, and both Kentucky and Florida are also struggling this season, depsite playing well as of late. LSU has also been playing well, atop the SEC West with a 6-1 record.

The Tigers are riding a three game winning streak in to the rest of their schedule, which has them in games against Alabama, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Florida, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. Also, a pesky Arkansas team could play spoiler to the Tigers, much like they did to Texas back on Jan. 6.

Florida's remaining schedule isn't much easier. The Gators still have to play Kentucky twice, Alabama, Vanderbilt, LSU, and Tennessee, who is still dangerous. The Gators lost to the Vols back on Jan. 31, 79-63.

After losing to Kentucky 90-72 on Jan. 13, Tennessee will get a redemption match-up against the Wildcats on Feb. 21. The Volunteers are essentially in a must win situation now throughout the rest of the conference schedule if they want any chance to win the regular season conference title.

With that being said, my pick is going to Florida. They're in great position right now, only a half game behind LSU for first place. They're riding the momentum of an exciting overtime win over South Carolina, and will need that momentum in their Feb. 24 meeting with LSU, which could potentially decide the champion.

Now, we head out west to the Pac 10.

After putting six teams in last year's NCAA tournament, the Pac 10 will likely only get three teams in this year.

UCLA is the clear favorite to win this conference, and is also my pick to take the season title. The Bruins sit atop the Pac 10 with an 8-2 record, suffering a loss to Washington, and an overtime loss to Arizona State.

Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, and freshman Jrue Holiday are all averaging double figures in points, and are making their cases for a spot on the All-Conference first team. As a team, the Bruins are third in the nation, shooting just over 50%.

Look for the Bruins to come out firing when they enter their rematches with Arizona State and Washington. My predicition is that the leadership of Collison and Shipp will take over, and the Bruins will remain at the top of the conference and win the season title.

This is the only team from this conference that I see doing anything in this years tournament. However, I don't see them getting any farther than the Sweet 16, but we'll discuss that later on down the road.

Manny being Manny, or just the Dodgers being the Dodgers?

With only two weeks before spring training, Manny Ramirez has still not found a home.

It took less than 24 hours for Ramirez to reject the Dodgers second offer of the offseason, this time for 25 million for one year. Scott Boras has made it clear that Manny is wanting a long-term deal, possibly anywhere from four to five years.

With today's economy, things aren't looking too hot for the first ballot hall of famer and his agent, even though Boras has stated that the economy should not be a determining factor in where Ramirez plays next year.

It seems the Dodgers and Joe Torre have made it clear that they want to see Manny in Dodger blue next season.

"We are an entirely different ballclub with Manny," Joe Torre said. "He has shown our young players how to relax and have fun."

Without the presence of Ramirez, the Dodgers probably wouldn't have made the playoffs last season, and without him, the 2009 Dodgers will be in the same boat they were at the beginning of last season.

Dodgers chairman Frank McCourt has also told the public that signing Manny Ramirez is still the Dodgers main priority right now.

"Scott Boras is very difficult to work with. We've made three efforts and Boras has still not given us a specific number," McCourt said.

Boras has tried a few tricks already to try to speed up the process of signing Ramirez to a long-term deal. When Ramirez turn down the Dodgers first offer, Boras announced that the slugger would retire if he did not receive the contract he felt he deserved. This was later proven to be false about two days after that statement was made. The agent's second trick was reporting that there were other teams that were interested in Manny, besides the Dodgers, but he could not give any names.

The San Francisco Giants seem to be the only other team that is really interested in Manny, but they do not have the money to sign Ramirez. ESPN Radio reported today that Boras told Ned Colletti if the Dodgers want to play with fire, they might get burned. This is another game Boras tries to play with general managers to scare them into giving his client what he feels he deserves.
In my opinion, no Manny Ramirez in L.A. means no October for the defending NL West Champions. Although the Dodgers have many young and promising players, such as Andre Either, Russell Martin, James Loney, and Matt Kemp, it's not enough to get them to the playoffs. They need the presence and experience of Manny Ramirez to fuel their offense to the postseason.

It makes no sense to me why the Dodgers wouldn't give Ramirez a four year deal. Even if he doesn't end up producing the last year or two of his contract, it is still better to make the playoffs for the next two years rather than not making it the next four.

It's ridiculous for Ned Colletti and the rest of the organization to say they are not only looking at the present, but also the future of the club, because without a leader like Manny in the dugout and on the field, their future does not look very promising.

Ramirez turns 38 this year, which is probably the main reason why most teams are shying away from signing him to a long-term deal. Although, sometimes Ramirez might be portrayed as a player who doesn't hustle or doesn't seem to care, no one can overlook the numbers he has put up over his seventeen year career. He has a lifetime average of .314, 527 homeruns, 1725 RBI's, and 2393 hits. He also has 525 extra base hits, which means 44 percent (almost half) of his hits go for extra bases.

Three year, 62 million dollar contract. That's my prediction on what it will take to keep Manny in L.A.

New Jersey star chooses school on coin flip

Call it in the air: heads or tails.

No, this coin flip didn't decide who would kick or receive, but rather which university a highly recruited high school football player would attend next year.

Ka'Lial Glaud, from Winslow, NJ, was torn between going to West Virginia and Rutgers. So torn, that he left it up to the flip of a coin to decide his future. Heads, he was headed to West Virginia. Tails, he was on his way to Rutgers. The coin landed on tails, and the star recruit's future was set, to remain in state and play his college football at Rutgers.

"I really didn't know until I flipped the coin," Glaud said at the news conference in his high school cafeteria. "It's the hardest decision I ever made in my life."

Glaud's high school coach Mike McBride said that he had never seen a player make a decision on a coin flip.

"I think it's a credit to all the schools involved with Ka'Lial that it was such a difficult decision for him," said McBride.

Glaud's high school principal, Glen Jackson, knew this was going to be a tough decision for him.

"I asked him 'Want to flip a coin?' And he said said 'Yes.' I didn't think he was serious. But he was serious."

You could say it's destiny, or maybe just chance.

Glaud left the press conference yesterday, still holding the quarter that decided his future as a football player.

"I'm going to keep this quarter," he said, smiling. "This might be a collector's item."

Michigan State, Oklahoma lead way in 'Big' conferences

It's time to turn the focus to the Big Ten and the Big 12.

The Big Ten, as a whole, has been a pleasant surprise to any college basketball fan this season, and the Big 12 is still a tough conference, just like every year, with three teams in the top 25.

The pairity in the Big Ten this season is absolutely remarkable. This is one conference that I honestly believe every team, with the exception of a rebuilding Indiana team, has a chance to win the conference tournament come March. Also, there are nine teams fighting for spots in the NCAA Tournament.

However, I came here to discuss who will win the regular season title. In that case, only one team sticks out to me at this point, and that team is Michigan State. After an impressive 76-47 win over 19th ranked Minnesota, the Spartans remain atop the Big Ten standings with an 8-2 conference record.

The Spartans suffered losses to a surprising Northwestern team, and a very talented Penn State team. Their remaining schedule isn't all that easy, either. They have road games against Michigan, Purdue, Indiana, and Illinois, not to mention home games against Wisconsin and another battle with Purdue. Of these opponents, the Spartans have only played two of them so far, Illinois and Iowa, both of which they won. They also need to watch out for Purdue. The Boilermakers have struggled as of late with the injury to Robbie Hummel, and now Chris Kramer, but this team can still play, and is right in the thick of things in the race for the title.

However, Penn State and Illinois pose the biggest threats for the Spartans to lose their top spot in the conference, so the March 1 contest against the Illini will likely be the difference between an outright Big Ten championship, or a possible shared title.

The Big 12 has also been a fun conference to watch this season. Kansas and Oklahoma are both still unbeaten in conference play. The Sooners have impressive wins over Texas and Baylor, but had to survive a close one against Texas A&M. Right now, they are the strongest team in this conference, and ultimately one the strongest teams in the country, led by Player of the Year candidate Blake Griffin.

Texas had a slim chance at making a run at the title, but after the upset loss to Missouri, they will have to wait until the Big 12 tournament to have a chance at being conference champions. At this point, it really boils down to just Kansas and Oklahoma. Missouri is still hanging by a thread, and will get a crack at Oklahoma on March 4 and still have two meetings with Kansas.

My prediction is that Kansas will beat Missouri, and that it will come down to the February 23 showdown when the Jayhawks take on the Sooners in Norman.

My pick is going to Oklahoma. Blake Griffin is just too strong for Kansas to contain, and is, in my opinion, the favorite to win National Player of the Year. Oklahoma will win the conference, earn a number one seed in the NCAA tournament, and have a great chance at playing in the Final Four in Detroit.

National Signing Day 2009

As you may know, I'm a college football recruiting junkie. I can't go 2 hours without checking Rivals or Scout for the latest news in recruiting. That being said, Today, on a day called National Signing Day, the top prospects sign their Letters of Intent to attend the top programs in the country. Today is like Christmas for programs to get their toys to play with on the gridiron. I will be focusing on the top schools in the nation that had top classes in the nation. Also, with a profile of what to expect out of them in the coming years.

We start off with my beloved Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who signed 17 recruits today. The Irish got the #1 rated Linebacker in the nation in Manti Te'o (The person in the picture) The 6-2, 225lb, 4.5 40 kid has got all the tools to be one of the finest linebackers ever to play in the "House That Knute Rockne Built." He provides the Irish with an immediate impact this year. He possesses the athletic ability, instincts, and tackling ability to be one of the best. The problem is, he has to take a Mormon Mission Trip sometime during his college career. But one thing is for certain. Manti will be on the field this year.

The same can be said for Cierre Wood, the 8th ranked running back in the country. But, personally, I think he's better than Miami commit Bryce Brown. Cierre uses his 4.4 40 speed to elude defenders all night long. He also has the the explosiveness to be dominant in college and in the NFL in 3 to 4 years. He possesses great hands coming out of the backfield. Look for Charlie Weis to get him on the field immediately. This kid will be a household name in the future. Also, Charlie got himself a burner at the wide reciever slot in Shaq Evans, who has tremendous speed with a 4.3 40. He has got the tools to be an All-American in the coming years. He can catch almost anything thrown his way, and is a threat to score everytime he touches the ball.

The Irish also got a heck of a roadgrader at the offensive guard spot in Chris Watt. The 6-3 280lb run blocking fool is the best guard in the nation in my mind. Look for him to open up holes for the running backs in the near future. They also got a heck of a nose tackle in Tyler Stockton, a 6-1 295lb mammoth of a man to clog up the middle to stop the run and get to the QB. He will be an offensive lineman's worst nightmare in the coming years. It's safe to say the Irish got one heck of a recruiting class. With the talent the Irish landed, they will be back in hunt for national championships and Heisman winners, just like the good 'ol days.

Of course it can't be a recruitng day if the U$C Condoms (Trojans I mean), have their fair share of talent to re-load every year. Looks like Pete "The Poodle" Carroll got some of his own weapons as well. As much as I hate to talk about the Condoms, I have to mention them. They got the #1 QB in the nation in Matt Barkeley, a guy who possesses the arm strength, accuracy, and awarness to be good in college. But looking at the Condoms depth chart, he's got stiff competition ahead of him. They also got some offensive firepower to keep "The Poodle's" offense to click, in athlete Patrick Hall, who is blazing fast and has good hands. The Condoms will most likely be using him to run up the score on teams as they normally do game by game. What a dirty program they are.

They also got their fair share on the defensive side of the football with Devon Kinnard, who is a pass rushing fool as a defensive end, and corner back T.J. McDonald, a shut down corner. Its safe to say the Condoms keep on re-loading every year. But I would like to say one thing: TO HELL WITH U$C CONDOMS and SCREW PETE "THE POODLE" CARROLL. I hope the U$C Condoms have a losing season every year 'til pigs can fly, as most Irish fans would say to their arch rival.

With the Irish and the Condoms in the fold, we have the National Champion Florida Gators. Urban Meyer and his staff re-loaded, big time to say the least, with a talented wide reciever in Andre DeBose, a guy who possesses the 4.4 speed to stretch the defense out and catch the football all day long. But it's on the defensive side of the ball where the Gators made their mark, signing outside linebacker Jelani Jenkins, a hard hitting, fast, athletic kid who brings the lumber. But he still needs to bulk up at 6-0 200lbs. Look for him to red-shirt this year, and come back next year strong in the SEC. They also landed a stud hoss Defensive Tackle in Gary Brown, who is both a pass rusher and a run stuffer at defensive tackle. Look for the Gators to be back in the National Title race almost every year.

There is another SEC school that had a heck of a recruiting class this year, the LSU Tigers. After a horrible season this year, by their standards, it's safe to say Les Miles will be playing a lot of freshmen this year to get talent on the field. Starting with athlete Russell Sheppard, who can play QB and WR. He has all the talent to be an All-American type when he graduates. He can provide the Tigers with a threat everytime he touches the ball. The Tigers signed the #1 rated reciever in Reuben Randle, who will be outstanding at the next level. The 6-3 190lb reciever will give the Tigers a desperately needed weapon on offense from the get-go.

They also got their fair share on defense with #1 safety Craig Loston, who is drawing comparisons to Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens as a ball hawking safety who can hit like a ton of bricks. Look for the Tigers to be playing a lot of young talent to get back in the SEC race.

If I didn't mention your team just let me know, and I will do my best to bring you the best recruiting news outside of Rivals and Scout.

College basketball feature: My picks for conference champions

We're just about midway through the conference schedule in NCAA basketball, which means it's time for me to lay down my predictions for who will win the regular season title in each of the six major conferences. Tonight I will showcase the ACC and the Big East, tomorrow the Big Ten and Big 12, and then following that will be the SEC and Pac 10.

We start with the ACC. The ACC is undisputably one of the top conferences in the nation. Duke is currently at the top of the standings, but has arguably the toughest schedule of the remaining power teams, which include the Blue Devils, Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Clemson. They still have to play Clemson, an upstart Miami team, North Carolina twice, and Wake Forest again, the only team to beat them in coference play thus far. This being said, I don't see Duke staying atop the conference.

North Carolina and Wake Forest have the same amount of losses in conference play, two, and both have significantly easier schedules than Duke and only one more loss than the Blue Devils. With that, my pick is going to Wake Forest to the win the season title. The Deamon Deacons and the Tar Heels will likely win out the rest of the conference schedule, barring an upset. But since Wake Forest defeated North Carolina on January 11, they would win the tie breaker, giving them the ACC regular season title.

Now to the Big East. This is arguably the best conference in America, putting six teams in the current top 25. As many as 10 teams from the Big East could get in to the Big Dance.

Marquette is currently at the top of the conference, remaining unbeaten, with impressive wins over Villanova, West Virginia, Notre Dame, and Georgetown. However, their remaining schedule has them at Villanova, at Georgetown, at Louisville and Pittsburgh, a home game against Syracuse, and a battle againt Connecticut, the number one team in America. I don't see Marquette being able to hold on to their undefeated record much longer, especially against these teams.

With that being said, I think UCONN will win out the remainder of the conference season, retain their number one ranking, and be crowned Big East regular season champions. However, it won't be easy for the Huskies. They have a non conference battle with Michigan, and games against Marquette, Syracuse, Notre Dame, and Pittsburgh twice. But Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien are true leaders, and will continue to play like they did when they beat they beat seventh ranked Louisville by 18 points.

Favre Watch Resumes

The dust hasn't even settled from Super Bowl XLIII, yet Brett Favre is already finding his way back into football news. The NY Daily News is reporting that Favre will take "at least two to three weeks" before declaring his intentions for next season. The 39-year-old quarterback seems to be in constant flirtation with retirement, and this off season will be no different.

There's little doubt that Favre had a commendable season, but how long can he keep it up? Unfortunately for Favre, performance isn't the only issue. He made $13 million in 2009, but the Jets are already projected to be $10 million over the salary cap. Thus, in a theme all to familiar to the Packers, Favre's lingering decision will have a major impact on Jets personnel planning. Allegedly Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum told Favre he could take "months," but one has to think that behind the scenes Jets management and Jets fans are fretting. Favre owes it to them to make a definitive decision, and make one soon.

Knight to Georgia?

ESPN's Bob Knight has reportedly shown interest in the coaching vacancy at Georgia.

Former head coach Dennis Felton was fired last Thursday, and assistant coach Pete Herrmann was named the interim coach for the remainder of the season.

However, Georgia officials cannot vouch for the validity of the reports surrounding Knight becoming the new coach of the team. According to them, no one has said whether or not the school has interest in Knight.

This story sounds a lot like a report I heard last year, when reports were swirling that Western Kentucky was interested in hiring Knight after former head coach Darrin Horn took a job at South Carolina.

Personally, I think this is a perfect fit for Knight. Knight has even mentioned that he would be "interested if the right situation came along." He would take over a struggling program that saw success last season, surprisingly winning the SEC Conference tournament. Before joining ESPN, Knight took over at Texas Tech in 2001. This Texas Tech program was also struggling, and had not been to the NCAA tournament since 1996. He ultimately rebuilt that program, leading them to the NCAA tournament four times in his six full seasons as head coach there, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2005.

Also, Knight is winningest coach in men's basketball history! This is almost a no-brainer for me. Georgia has been struggling for years, despite their cinderalla run last season in the conference tournament. What they need is someone like Knight that can turn this program around.

I had a chance to watch this Georgia team play this season when they came to Western Kentucky. Their starting shooting guard, Terrance Woodbury, is one of finest shooters in the SEC, and being in a major power conference, Knight would have the luxury of being able to recruit some of the better players in the country.

However, University of Georgia president Michael Adams is a close friend on NCAA president Myles Brand, the man who fired Knight at Indiana.

But Knight's astonishing graduation rate, 902 career wins as a coach, three national championships, and 45 tournament wins eliminate all doubt and in my mind, and put him as a top candidate for the job.

National Signing Day on Wednesday

As an NCAA Football recruiting junkie and National Signing Day 2009 on Wednesday, I will be doing a special feature on some of the top teams. This leads me to this. What teams do you want me to cover for you? The only certain one is my beloved Notre Dame Fighting Irish. But other than that, give me some teams to cover.

NCAA Basketball Midseason

With March Madness coming up in four weeks, it's time to give out the best starting five so far.

Of course, every starting five has to have a great Center. In this case, it would be a sin if 6-10 240lb North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough was not on this list. Hansbrough, bar none, is the finest Center NCAA Basketball has seen in quite sometime that has actually stuck around for 4 years. This season, Tyler has averaged 22.4 pts a game with 7.6 boards a game, and has been dominating the paint for the Tar Heels this season. He will be a finalist to win his second National Player of the Year award. But one thing is for sure. "Physco T" will have his #50 jersey up in the rafters of the Dean Smith Center when he graduates.

With Hansbrough in, who will be the Power Forward? This one is a no brainer. Look no further than 6-10, 250lb Oklahoma sophomore Blake Griffin. Griffin, in most cases, is the best player the Sooners have had since Wayman Tisdale back in the 1980's. This hoss of a man is unreal on the hardwood, averaging 22.4 pts a game and an astonishing 14.1 boards. He is on most watch lists for every major individual player award this season. Griffin will probrably go to the NBA after this season and likely be drafted #1 overall, but most NCAA Basketball fans want him to stay unless, that is, unless you're a Texas fan.

So far we've got the Center and Power Forward spots locked up with "Physco T" and Mr. Sooner. Now it's time for the wingman. Look no further than Junior Earl Clark out of Louisville. The 6-9 225lb Small Forward is a lethal weapon for the Cardinals this year, averaging 14 points a game, 9 boards, and 3.1 assists for the Rick Pitino led Cardinals. Clark is sure to be on everybody's All-American team after the season.

With Hansbrough, Griffin, and Clark, that's a great group of talent. But who will be the guard that can light up the net 24/7? There's only one guy that can claim that post. The 6-4 208lb Shooting Guard out of Kentucky who goes by the name of Jodie Meeks. Jodie is a SHOOTER and quite possibly, outside of Hansbrough and Griffin, the best player in college basketball right now. Jodie is averaging a whopping 25.5 points a game for the 'Cats this year and already has a few school records to his name. He is Mr. Everything for the 'Cats. Number 23 is what we call a sharp shooter from the land of 3, averaging 44.4% from outside. Jodie is the heart and soul of the Wildcats this year and is one heck of a guard.

We've got 4 of the 5 guys on the court so far. But who will lead the troops down the court all night long? We'll have to travel to North Carolina for that one in 5-11, 195lb floor general Ty Lawson. This kid is one of the best to ever play the position in quite sometime. His passing ability and great ball handling skills make him a must have for this team. This floor general is one of a kind, averaging 15.2 points a game and 6.5 assists a game, making him the best in the nation at this position. Look for Ty to be on every All-American team and take home some hardware as well this year.

But in the end, only one player can claim the best in the nation. My pick goes to Jodie Meeks, with Tyler Hansbrough coming in at a close second.

Coming soon is who will bring down the nets this year.

Which catch was better?

We as fans have been blessed to see two great Super Bowl games these past two years. In both of these games, we have also had the privilige to see two of the best catches in Super Bowl history.

We all remember David Tyree's catch in Super Bowl XLII. It started out with quarterback Eli Manning miraculously evading the Patriot defense, eventually heaving the ball down field to David Tyree. Who? That's right, David Tyree. This is a guy who caught four passes in the regular season, but on this night etched his name among the Super Bowl greats. Tyree leaped up over Patriots defender Rodney Harrison, grabbed the ball out of midair, pulled it down, and caught the ball on the top of his helmet.

This catch kept the drive alive, and was anything but an easy catch. If Tyree did not make this play, we would be looking at the Patriots possibly completing the first undefeated season since the the 1972 Dolphins.

However, Tyree made the play, and the Giants eventually scored on a Plaxico Burress touchdown, winning the game and ending the Patriots hopes of an undefeated season.

Last night, in Super Bowl XLIII, Santonio Holmes also made one of the best catches in Super Bowl History. The Cardinals took the lead off of a Larry Fitzgerald touchdown, and the Steelers had 2:37 to get the ball down the field and score. Roethlisberger somehow found Holmes in the corner of the endzone. Holmes made the amazing catch among three Cardinals defenders, keeping both feet in bounds, with just 42 seconds left, to give the Steelers the lead 26-23.

But which was the better catch?

To me, there is really no question at all. It is still David Tyree's catch, and here's why. What makes that catch amazing is what was on the line for him to catch this pass. The Giants were the true definition of underdog in this game. They were matched up against one of the best teams in the recent memory, the 2007 Patriots. It's the whole package that makes this catch better, with the game winning drive to defeat the undefeated Patriots, Eli Manning's Superman heroics, and David Tyree's improbable catch to keep the drive alive, eventually allowing the Giants to score and win the game.

In my opinion, David Tyree's catch in Super Bowl XLII is among the top 5 catches in not just Super Bowl history, but NFL history.

Steelers Claim 6th Super Bowl Title

Super Bowl XLIII was one of the finest Super Bowls in recent memory. It featured two outstanding quarterbacks in 37 year old Kurt Warner, a 2 time NFL MVP and winner of Super Bowl XXXIV with the "Greatest Show on Turf," and 26 year old "Big" Ben Roethlisberger, winner of Super Bowl XL as the youngest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl.

But this night helped "Big" Ben grow even closer to famed Steeler quarterback Terry Bradshaw, from the 1970's Chuck Noll years with 4 rings to his name. The Mike Tomlin lead Steelers came in with a gameplan to do what the Steelers do best: Control the ball with that always good 3-4 defense. Pittsburgh, from the start of the game, wanted to control the game with the offense bh using Roethlisberger's talents to the best of his ability. It included using Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes, who had 9 catches for 131 yards and the game winning touchdown, and Tight End Heath Miller for 5 catches and 57 yards. Roethlisberger also made plays with his feet to keep the play alive.

Defensively, the Dick Lebeau patented 3-4 defense, which is ranked #1 in the NFL, used a lot of blitzing. NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison and rookie linebacker LaMarr Woodley disrupted the potent Cardinal offense by getting to Warner and stopping the running game of Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower with the help of All-Pro nosetackle Casey Hampton clogging up the middle.

But this night was all about James Harrison, who looked like a whirlwind when he ran a 100 yard interception back for a touchdown, which was the longest in Super Bowl history. He was in Warners face all night to say the least.

The Cardinals, on the other hand, looked like a team that did not have experience from the get go. The first 3 quarters they looked lethargic, out manned, and out gunned. Who would expect that from a team that has All-Pro recievers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin? They did not use them effectively at all which was surprising. They never attempted a pass longer than 10 yards it seemed like. But they looked like the Cardinals we've seen in the 4th quarter, using Larry Fitzgerald for 7 catches for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Steelers completely shut down Fitzgerald by double covering him with Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor. But eventually the great ones break out in which Fitzgerald did in the 4th quarter, coming up with 2 touchdowns. The 4th quarter was the best the Cardinals played all game.

The Cardinals sure had plenty of stupid schemes, i.e. not DOUBLE TEAMING SANTONIO HOLMES! Especially on the game winning drive and not going deep to Boldin and Fitzgerald. The Cardinals game plan was conservative for the most part of the game until the 4th quarter. The Steelers really had it going on all night which ultimately lead them to a 27-23 victory and their 6th Super Bowl Title. The city of Pittsburgh will be drinking the Iron City Beer long into the night.

Phelps caught with marijuana pipe

This just in: Michael Phelps is human.

The 14 time Olympic Gold Medalist was seen in a photo from British tabloid News of the World inhaling from a marijuana pipe. Phelps was quick to admit to this report and was sorry for his actions.

"I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment," Phelps said in the statement released by one of his agents. "I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again."

The picture was apparently taken in November when Phelps visited the University of South Carolina.

The paper itself did not come right out and say that Phelps was smoking marijuana, but did note that the pipe is typically used for that purpose. However, someone at the party where Phelps was at was quoted as saying that Phelps was "out of control from the moment he got there."

This is not the first time that Phelps has been noted for engaging in unlawful behavior. Shortly after the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Phelps was arrested on a drunken driving charge, then at the age of 19.

Regardless, the events that transpired that night will not jeopardize his eight gold medals that he won in the 2008 Olympics. According to David Howman, the executive of the World Anti-Doping Agency, an athlete is subject to WADA sanctions only for a positive test that occurs during competition periods.

"We don't have any jurisdiction," Howman said. "It's not banned out of competition. It's only if you test positive in competition."