Jake Long (Not Howie’s Kid) To Be Named No. 1 Draft Pick

Jake Long, a massive left tackle out of Michigan, will be named the number one draft pick at Saturday’s NFL Draft in New York, according to sources at CNN.com.

The Miami Dolphins, who won one game last year, will sign Long to a total package worth $57.5 million.

Amazingly, Long’s contract is lower than Jamarcus Russell, last year’s number one pick by the Oakland Raiders, who signed a $61 million deal.

Click here to read the CNN article.

Chase Daniel, Tigers Aren’t Complacent

After a 12-2 season that officially brought football back to Missouri, the Tigers, and Heisman trophy candidate Chase Daniel, are focused on not making last season a fluke.

Here is a great article from espn.com about the Tigers aiming to win this year’s Big 12 championship.

My Alma matter should have no problem winning the Big 12 North division this year because Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech are absent from their schedule. Anything less would be a vast disappointment. Of course, the Tigers have had high hopes before i.e. see the 2004 men’s basketball team that was pre-ranked # 3.

Yet, I am somehow confident in this team. They have a pugnacious leader, Daniel, and one of the most dangerous players in the game Jeremy Maclin.

I expect Mizzou to make it to the championship game and have a repeat showdown with Oklahoma, with the winner possibly playing for a shot at the national title. At that point, it’s all up in the air.

Golden State Warriors: “We Believe in 2008” Tour Concluded

The Golden State Warriors failed to capitalize on what was likely their last chance to make the 2008 NBA Playoffs, with a 105-114  loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. 

The play of Nuggets’ guard, Allen Iverson, and Forward, Carmelo Anthony, proved to be too much for the Warriors to handle.  With 33 and 25 points respectively, the Nuggets’ big two effectively ended any hope of a 2008 playoff berth for the team from Oakland.

Golden State fought back with a late rally lead by Monta Ellis with a 33 point effort. The door was slammed shut, however, following an Iverson 3 point shot that swung the momentum back to the Nuggets for good.

“Everybody knew what was at stake,” Iverson later said about the game. Teammate Anthony said, “It was ‘win or go home’ in our minds.” The nuggets leveraged this ‘win or go home’ mentality for motivation and were able to effectively parlay that into a win.

There are still slim playoff hopes for the now frantic Warriors.  If Golden State was to win all three of their remaining games and the Nuggets were to lose out, the warriors would take the 8^th and final spot in the west.

In my opinion this is very unlikely to happen.  It appears to be much more likely that Golden State will take home the dubious honor of “winningest” team ever to miss the playoffs.  I will keep you all informed of any amazing comeback in the unlikely event it takes place, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Check out more on the Golden State warriors and Denver Nuggets at ESPN.com

If you liked this story be sure to check out: Golden State Warriors: “We Believe in 2008″ Tour Continued

Golden State Warriors: “We Believe in 2008″ Tour Continued

The Golden State Warriors remained in a tie with the Denver Nuggets for the final playoff spot in the west, with a 140-132 win over Sacramento Tuesday night. The warriors where led by strong guard play from Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson, who had 33 points and 20 points respectively.

Tuesday’s win sets up a showdown Thursday night in Oakland with Denver.  The winner of this match up takes sole control of the 8^th and final playoff spot in the west, and maybe (more importantly) will be able to control their own destiny the rest of the way.

Next up: Golden State hosts the Denver Nuggets on Thursday at 8:00 P.M. EST.  This game is a must win with three games left.

The Line:  Vegas has Denver as the 7.5 point favorites in this match up as of the date of publication.

 

Kansas Jayhawks the New NCAA Super Power?

The Kansas Jayhawks completed what must be considered one of their most memorable seasons Monday night, as they defeated the Memphis Tigers 75-68 in a thrilling overtime victory to clench the National Championship.

Kansas found itself trailing by three points with 2.1 seconds left in regulation when junior guard, Mario Chalmers, hit one of the most clutch shots in the history of Kansas basketball.  It was Chalmers’s three point shot that forced overtime play between the two teams.  In overtime, Kansas more than doubled up their foes from Tennessee 12-5 to clench the victory.

This national championship caps a keystone year for Jayhawks sports. This was a year that also witnessed the turnaround of the perennially dismal Kansas football program. Lead by underclassmen quarter back, Todd Reesing, the Jayhawks finished the year 12-1 and added an Orange Bowl trophy to a case that is overflowing with 2007/2008 accolades.

With all the success that Kansas has achieved, this year are we looking at the emergence of the next great NCAA super power?  While the information above makes a strong case, I don’t think I would go that far yet.  But one thing is very clear, Kansas (much to the chagrin of fellow contributor Shawn Brouwer who attended the University of Missouri), looks to be the power house of the Big 12 all things considered.

Looking to the future, Kansas will have ample opportunity to legitimize its claim as NCAA super power later this year when college football season kicks off.  The Jayhawks have a formidable schedule on the docket, with a huge game at Oklahoma before hosting Texas and Missouri to finish up the season.  If Kansas shows well in these matchups, we could be looking at the birth of a new dynasty in college sports.

Golden State Warriors: “We Believe in 2008”

The “We Believe in 2008” tour suffered a minor setback Sunday night as the Warriors fell to the New Orleans Hornets 108-96. The Hornets were led by David West’s 25 points.

This loss, while representing an opportunity cost, failed to negatively impact Golden State in the standings due to two losses over the weekend suffered by the Denver Nuggets. These losses have pulled the Golden State Warriors into a tie for the coveted eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Next up: Golden State hosts the Sacramento Kings in Oakland on Tuesday, at 10:30 P.M. EST. The game will be a final warm-up prior to the big showdown with Denver on Thursday.

The Line: Vegas has Golden State favored by three as of the time of this publication.

Golden State Warriors on the playoff bubble

The Golden State Warriors (the NBA’s version of the lovable underdog Rocky) find themselves outside of the playoff picture as the number 9 team in the western conference despite a 117-86 shellacking of Memphis Saturday. Golden State is still a ½ game behind 8^th seed Denver and 1 game back of 7^th seed Dallas with two weeks left in the NBA season.

Golden State endeared themselves to fans last season as they made their first playoff appearance in 13 years and staged a highly unlikely run deep into the playoffs, knocking off number 1 seed Dallas 4 games to 2 in the process. Fans from across the NBA and the sports world watched, chanting “We Believe” as this team (widely believed to be lucky just to be in the playoffs) became the first 8^th seeded team ever to beat a 1 seed. Fueled by this victory and a mish mash of fans from across the country, Golden State added a level of excitement rarely seen in professional sports. The atmosphere created was much more reminiscent of that created by the NCAA tournament than the NBA finals.

Golden State is looking to enhance the momentum they built last year but needs to get some key victories down the stretch in order to ensure their playoff berth.  No victory would be more advantageous than one over Dallas on April 10^th. While this win would not secure a birth, it would go a long way toward ensuring the opportunity for fans to chant “We Believe in 2008.”

A playoff berth for Golden State would be a great achievement for the franchise and would show that last year’s team was not just a fluke. Not only that, but it would add some much-needed pizzazz to a sport that has lacked excitement in the playoffs over the last few years.

There is no way to know how the next two weeks will turn out, but I will be starting the “We Believe in 2008” watch to keep you all informed about all relevant developments on Golden State’s march to the playoffs.  So stay tuned!

NCAA Final Four

 This year’s final four marks the first time that one seeds occupy the entire field. These teams, by all accounts, are the most talented in the entire country. Rolling through most tournament games easily, (the only hiccup being Kansas ‘s close win over Davidson in the elite eight), these teams have left little question as to their legitimacy. The question that now beckons is, “Who will advance on to the national championship? “

The answer to this question seems to be clouded in circumstance. These teams are all on the same plane. Vegas has even failed to find any clear cut winner with Memphis favored by only 1.5 pts. over UCLA and UNC favored by 3.5 pts. over Kansas. Each possesses the talent to outplay any of their foes. This is where circumstance is going to be key. We have all witnessed game-changing calls and pivotal blunders. These are the circumstances that are likely to give one of these talented teams the ultimate advantage in their matchup.

While the ultimate outcome may be anyone’s guess in both of these games, one thing can be sure; we are in for two very entertaining and well played matches. So…grab a beer, find some friends, sit back, and enjoy the finest final four matchups that this year’s bracket could afford us. Don’t forget to keep an eye open for that one call or big blunder that will be the difference.

UCLA vs. Memphis on CBS at 6:07 P.M. EST and UNC vs. Kansas on CBS at 8:47 P.M. EST

 

 

Matt Lienart Likes To Party…Duh

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart is in hot water over some pictures of him being in hot water with a group of scantily clad women.

Pictures were leaked of Leinart partying at his Phoenix-area home with a group of young women. One of the pictures shows Leinart in a hot tub with four women in bikini’s, and another has Leinart holding a beer bong with a woman crouching down on the other end with her lips on the bong.

Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt said he received a call from Leinart early Monday morning.

“I reiterated to him [Leinart] the type of behavior that we expect at all time from our players,” Wisenhunt said in a statement to the East Valley Tribune. “He understands that as well as the level of scrutiny that he’s under because of who he is. It’s being handled internally.”

FOX Sports on MSN – NFL – Leinart facing scrutiny over Internet pics

IU Hires Marquette’s Crean As Coach

The University of Indiana has hired Marquette’s Tom Crean to be their new basketball coach, ESPN.com’s Andy Katz reported.

Indiana hopes Crean, who compiled a 190-96 record with the Golden Eagles, can revive a program that fell apart when Kelvin Sampson resigned in February amid allegations of a phone-call scandal.

The rabid Indiana fans, who haven’t been happy about a coach since Bob Knight left, seem pleased with the hiring of Crean.

“I think he’s a great choice,” university trustee Philip Eskew said
after confirming the hiring. “He has a Big Ten background, a Midwest
background, he’s recruited in the state of Indiana and he has an
impeccable record, so I think Indiana is on the road to recovery.”

ESPN – IU has agreement with Marquette’s Crean to be new coach – Men’s College Basketball