the 4-POINT STANCE

the 4-POINT STANCE: The Three Day Reality Check: Pirates Contender or ...

2011-07-25T09:25:00.000-04:00

the 4-POINT STANCE: The Three Day Reality Check: Pirates Contender or ...: "Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher (above) Paul Maholm (6-10) and his Pirate teammates had a rough weekend series against the St. Louis Ca..."

The Three Day Reality Check: Pirates Contender or Pretender?

2011-07-25T09:19:00.001-04:00

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher (above) Paul Maholm (6-10) and his Pirate teammates had a rough weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals winning one of three. Both Maholm and Kevin Correia (11-8) got roughed up by one of MLB's deepest and most powerful line up's. The difference in runs scored was 18-9 in favor of the Cards over the three game series.

Call gut it a gut feeling but the results of this weekends Pirates/Cardinals series did not come as a shocker. I felt like I was watching the old Pirates playing on Friday and Saturday with all the runs the Cards had piled-up and the lack of starting pitching. The wave has crashed and the high of being MLB's sweetheart team and feel good story is now over. July, August and September baseball is much, much different than April, May and June ball. St. Louis skipper Tony La Russa knew the importance of this weekends series and threw his three best pitchers at the young contenders. And, both the Pirates and the fans can thank LaRussa for allowing us to see, first hand, how far away our beloved Battlin' Buc's are from becoming that fighting and nasty team that it needs to be to be a serious division contender let alone playoff team. It will take perseverance and character to stay competitive the rest of the way. The dumb luck of youth is on their side, but, Pirate's Mgt. needs to add someone who has been in a pennant race to help lead this team into being a "contender in September". Other good news is that they had enough wins that this past three game skid (going back to the Houston series) didn't hurt them as much in the standings as much as it did in their guts. It was a reality check given to them by probably the second or third best top-to-bottom line up, not team, in MLB.

Anytime a team scores more that three runs in a game the pressure is on this powerless line-up to manufacture runs. Which is what the Pirates did to scratch out a win during Sunday's game. The problem is that the Pirates needed to make it happen in every game of the series but only managed to do it during the final game which went 10 innings. That's the difference between a team like St. Louis who can drive in runs at almost every spot in the batting order and the Pirates who have to wait for the top of the order to have a realistic chance of getting someone on, let alone a home run. The top three team batting leaders combine for an average of .257. The leader is All-Star Andrew McCutchen who's hitting a scorching .280 while the third is Lyle Overbay with a dismal .233 average- now that's money well spent! Now, how can we as fans expect the same Pirates management team to go out and acquire the needs of the team if they thought Overbay was the answer at first base. That's a $5 million mistake that was supposed to cure the problem and bring some respectability to the position. But instead of looking at other positions of need, Pirates' management have to be looking at the possibility of signing another first baseman before the trade deadline. That's been the Pirates problem for so many years. Paying too much money for either over-the-hill or overrated talent. The Pirates would have been better suited to shuffle first base prospects in-and-out from the farm system until someone proved their worth. Next-up are the NL East's second place Atlanta Braves (59-43) for four games and then off to Philadelphia (64-36) for three games against not only the National League's but MLB's best team. A real test and show for these Pirates and fans will be the results of these next two series'. The last time the Phillies and Pirates met, the Pirates took two out of three from them back in early June.

The 2011 season will be won or lost in the month of August. A quick look at the month of August reads like a list of Pirates' demons. Six games against both the Cardinals and Brewers, and, three games each against the Giants, Reds, Cubs and Padres. The Cubs are the only team one has to feel good about and they gave the Bucco's fits during the last series. A very competitive upcoming schedule for a team that has struggled against the upper echelon of the National League. The question is while every team that is competing for a division title is looking to get better before the trade deadline, will the Pirates use some or all the money that the fan's have spent this season by showing up and supporting their team and put it toward acquiring top notch talent?

A New Era of Pirates Baseball

2011-05-10T09:47:00.002-04:00

Those Battlin' Buc's

  The energy is different, the names of both the coaches and players have changed and so has the attitude of these 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates. After nearly a generation in which the organization had to continually dig itself out of poor personnel decisions, cheap ownership, poor coaching and false promises to it's fans, the Pirates seem to be poised to make a move into the middle. The crowded ranks of MLB's average teams. All that said, I remain cautiously optimistic and remind myself that it is only May. But, I still can't resist the visions of fighting for a playoff spot in late August and September.
  These Bucco's have a certain energy surrounding them, an aura so to speak. They are winning the games they used to lose and getting the breaks. No matter what sport, all teams that try to break through to that next level go through it. In football, it's a team like Tampa Bay or Arizona finally going to a Super Bowl. In basketball, it was like the Chicago Bull's landing Michael Jordan and growing with him. And in Hockey it was like our beloved Penguins drafting Mario Lemieux to completely change the culture of a futile franchise. An example of this sports karma, so to speak, went on display last night during Jose Tabata's "catch" in the eighth inning against the Dodgers. If it's ruled a trap, the Pirates probably don't win the game against the troubled Dodgers. The Dodgers are going through ownership troubles of their own and MLB has taken over operations of the team. That hasn't even happened here. But, that's sports and one could say the Pirates and the Dodgers have changed spots in the landscape of MLB.
  We've seen special teams and seasons before in Pittsburgh where things just seemed to the right way. It's the "benefit-of-the-doubt" factor that teams must earn . For example, the Steelers's phantom touchdown against Miami last season that gave the Steelers a one-point win on the road.That Miami win became a even bigger win at the end of the season when it came to playoff seeding. Big Ben's QB sneak that was ruled a touchdown in Super Bowl XL. And, Sidney Crosby leaving game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals with an injury, with his team down 1-0 to the defending champion Red Wings, only to watch his Penguins pullout a 2-1 win and capture the cup.
  These Pirates have this type energy and momentum going for them. An energy that won't come from opening up a checkbook. A much needed change for a team that has had the grayest of clouds hanging overhead on the sunniest summer of days. I don't see this team playing for just a .500 record. This team wants to win. The Battlin' Bucs have as many wins as the Rangers and the Giants to tie last year's World Series teams with 18 wins. Remain in third pace behind perennial division leader St. Louis and last year's upstart Cincinnati Reds. The Buc's won the series against both teams earlier in the season. But as all Pirates fans know the true test will come against Milwaukee. The Pirates will travel to brew-town after they wrap-up this series against L.A. I like this series for the Buc's for a number of reasons. But, the main one is that it's on the road where the Pirates are 11-8 this season.

2011 1st round NFL Draft Results and Commentary

2011-04-28T23:45:00.002-04:00

Ahh what a spectacle it was, players huggin' it out with the mighty commish; just like the "olde" days when owners and players had the common goal of winning on Sundays and not in the court room. But last night was a cause to celebrate and not to alienate these freshly minted millionaires into an exclusive fraternity known as the NFL. NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell looked uncomfortable when he stood fornt and center as all the Boo Birds chanted "We want football". The Commish responed with an "I hear ya!" over and over. Can someone please tell Goodell that redheads don't tan, we burn. He needs to give the tanning booth a rest and get back to the bargaining table. The 26th pick went all over the place in this year's draft. Atlanta, Cleveland, Kansas City to Baltimore. Overall it was an exciting

No. 1, Carolina Panthers- Cameron Newton (QB)- Auburn, Well Rivera is on the clock with this choice. Either toward respectability or to unemployment. He should have waited to hire an offensive coordinator. Hopefully, Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski won't ruin him and helps build- up the confidence of Newton by playing to his strengths first instead of jamming things down his throat right away. All the while, this pick becomes a waste and the Ron Rivera era begins with extreme scrutiny if after a year of professional football under his belt, last years second round pick Casey Clausen out-performs Newton in training camp and ends up becoming the opening day starter? This pick clearly speaks of Rivera's opinion of Clausen and potentially Rivera's eye for talent.

No. 2, Denver Broncos- Von Miller (LB)- Texas A&M, After not one, but two less than stellar first round picks last year, both on offense, the Broncos really needed to address the defense. Miller needs to start right away for the Broncos and become a force from the beginning. Interesting that they do go defense with Bronco great John Elway in his "special advisory role." Great pick in a wide-open mediocre AFC West. Could this be a special draft for the lowly Bronco's? Miller's ever-running motor and relentless pursuit of the QB will put quarterbacks on notice for years to come. Hey, he could always play safety!

No. 3, Buffalo Bills- Marcell Dareus (DT)- Alabama, The Bills couldn't really go wrong as long as he is a starter right away. The Bill's haven't had much sucess drafting defense in recent years and thought the pick would have been best suited for the offensive side of the ball- QB, WR or a play maker.Dareus needs to start week one and give the struggling Buffalo defense an identity..

No. 4, Cincinnati Bengals- A.J. Green (WR)- Georgia, With Carson Palmer's attitude toward never playing again for the Bengals again, the only pick here should have been a quarterback. But maybe Bengal brass feel like they can lure him back with a new toy. At worst, Carson's brother, Jordan, should have fun throwing the ball around with Green until a decent QB arrives. But, to Marvin Lewis' credit, this was the safest and smartest pick for a team struggling to change it's losing culture and drafting players with character issues.

No. 5, Arizona Cardinals- Patrick Peterson (CB)- LSU, A quarterback was the only answer here. Make Fitzgerald happy and get him someone who can get him the ball or he's gonna leave. Think he liked watching Anquan Boldin playing in late Januaury? While Wisenhunt may have caught lightening in a bottle his first year, we all know now that was because Kurt Warner could get the ball to the wide receivers which made the whole offense work. But, a shut-down corner is a premium in a pass happy league. Wisenhunt rolled the dice by not going QB here and will be first in line at the cafeteria on QB day when the league returns for business.

No. 6, Atlanta Falcons (from Cleveland)- Julio Jones (WR)- Alabama, Great pick that came at a high price.But, QB Matt Ryan is going to be picking secondaries apart with the weapons he has a wide receiver and at tight end. This pick immediately makes the Falcons the early NFC favorites going into the 2011 season.

No. 7, San Francisco- Aldon Smith (DE)- Missouri, One would think that Harbaugh would go QB here and he will but not this year. His former pupil, Stanford QB Oliver Luck, will be on his board in next years draft. This is a good year for the 49ers to see who they have at QB i.e. Alex Smith and Troy Smith. The 49ers will also aggressively seek a veteran QB in free agency. Maybe Palmer? But after last years two first round choices going to the offensive line, The 49ers had to address the defense.

No. 8, Tennessee Titans- Jake Locker (QB)- Washington, It's official, the Vince Young era is over and it will be Kerry Collins' job, once again, to mentor a young QB. Touted as the anti-Vince Young, Locker is expected to be the QB the Titan's wished Young would have been. The much more mature Locker should become the QB nerd in a AFC South division where he'll be competing against Peyton Manning

No. 9, Dallas Cowboys- Tyron Smith (OT)- USC, Dallas QB Tony Romo has to be gushing like a little school boy over this one. Romo 's season ended early when a hit broke his collar bone. Smith is expected to be long-time tackle Flozell Adams' successor.

No. 10, Jacksonville Jaguars (from Washington)- Blaine Gabbert (QB)- Missouri, Jacksonville moves up and gets a much needed QB. In the long run, this pick will save Del Rio's job in Jacksonville if all goes well. However, Gabbert will have time to learn the position and eventually be Garrards replacement. It will be interesting to see how the Jag's move Gabbert along in the learning process. Gabbert is coming from a spread offense at Missouri. Hopefully he doesn't end up like Missouri's other stud QB Chase Daniel who's skills are having a hard time transferring over to the NFL.

No. 11, Houston Texans- J.J. Watt (DE)- Wisconsin, The Texans got their bookends on defense in former No.1 pick Mario Williams and now Watt. Great pick for a defense that had a hard time getting to the QB last year

No. 12, Minnesota Vikings- Christian Ponder (QB)- Florida State, After Minnesota lost Locker to Tennessee, there were reports the Vikings were looking to move down in the draft, instead, Minnesota took Ponder much in the way Pittsburgh took Roethlisberger when Rivers was taken by the Giants and eventually shipped off to San Diego for Eli. Great pick for the Vikings.

No. 13, Detroit Lions- Nick Fairly (DT)- Auburn, When a player like this falls in your lap the Lions did what any rebuilding team would do-take him! Couple this pick with last years No.1 pick Suh and the Lions are a serious contender in the now competitive NFC North for years to come. The Vikings' Ponder will get to meet Suh and Fairly in the backfield in coming years.

No. 14, St Louis Rams- Robert Quinn (DE), North Carolina, A player who didn't play college football in 2010 goes in the first round- this is the new NFL! Great pick for a defense in need of help on the defensive line. With Long and Laurenitis, the Rams are putting together the pieces to become a force upfront in an NFC West that has relatively inexperienced QB's around the division.

No. 15, Miami Dolphins- Mike Pouncey (C/G)- Florida, By drafting Pouncey this must mean the Dolphins are Giving QB Chad Henne another year to develop. If he's anything like his brother, Pouncey will become an immediate starter and longtime anchor for the Dolphin's offensive line for man years. Henne's needs to start taking reps with his new best friend ASAP.

No. 16, Washington Redskins (from Jacksonville)- Ryan Kerrigan (LB)- Purdue, With a reputation as a hard worker, Kerrigan will be expected to become the leader of an underachieving defense. By not drafting a QB, this could be a silent vote of confidence for Donovan McNabb to start at QB in 2011?

No. 17, New England Patriots- Nate Solder (OT)- Colorado, This should give Brady some peace of mind while the Patriots work out the free agent contracts on their offensive line.A solid pick considering offensive tackles have been going quicker than the Patriots defensive needs. With the 28th pick I would expect the Patriots to go defense.

No. 18, San Diego Chargers- Corey Liuget (DT)- Illinois, After last years less than spectacular pick in running back Ryan Matthews, the Chargers, and especially head coach Norv Turner, really need this pick to produce. Turner's job depends on it. This pick addresses a need on horrible special teams unit and provide a presence on defense the Chargers haven't had since Shawne Merriman's first few seasons.

No. 19, New York Giants- Prince Amukamara (CB), Nebraska, A solid choice in a division with some speedy wide receivers.Amukamara will need to adjust his technique to live up to his draft spot. Overall, a surprise pick by Coughlin who seems to always pick a stud out of Boston College when his former school produces first round talent.

No. 20, Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Adrian Clayborn (DE)- Iowa, A monster on the D-line, Clayborne should be the final piece to the Buc's defensive puzzle. Tampa Bay put the NFC South offensive coordinators on notice with this pick. Couple this pick with last year's No. 1 in Gerald McCoy and the Buccaneers will be giving

Cleveland Browns (from Kansas City)- Phil Taylor (DT)- Baylor (via Penn State), Don't look now but the "Clev Brownies" are putting together a team. With a couple of unforeseen trades that increased their number of draft choices in both 2011 and 2012, the Browns have lined themselves up for a memorable draft class. Could this be the draft that makes them competitive in the AFC North? Not sure why the Browns didn't go after Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers but Holmgren seems to know what he's doing.

No. 22, Indianapolis Colts- Anthony Castonzo (OT), Boston College, As long as the Colt's can keep Manning up-right, they'll have a chance and they know it!

No. 23, Philadelphia Eagles- Danny Watkins (OT)- Baylor, The Eagles go out and get Vick a 26-year-old rookie to protect him. Sounds good on paper, but wait util he has to try and run block for the running quarterback.

No. 24, New Orleans Saints- Cameron Jordan (DE), California, The Saints plug in an opening day starter with Jordan. Surprised the Saints didn't take a running back here after last season's lack of depth at the position in 2010. Saint running backs had a hard time staying healthy last year. Look for the saints to address this need in the second round. With the exception of Alabama's Mark Ingram, the talent at running back this year belongs in the second round.

No. 25, Seattle Seahawks- James Carpenter (OL), Alabama, A surpirse pick for Pete Carroll who is need of QB Matt Hasselbeck's heir apparent. Maybe Hasselbeck can stay healthy with a little added protection. Is Charlie Whitehurst the answer?

No. 26, Kansas City Chiefs- Johnathan Baldwin (WR)- Pittsburgh, A tall receiver who can get down the field in a hurry. Had a poor senior year due to a freshman QB at Pitt. Could have come out last year and been drafted higher. A great tool for K.C. QB Matt Cassell.

No. 27, Baltimore Ravens (passed on 26th pick, slid to 27th; 27th pick from Cleveland who traded with Atlanta for No. 6 overall)- Jimmy Smith (CB), Colorado, Solid pick and a great fit for defense who had a hard time stopping the big play down the field last season.

No. 28, (from New England)- Mark Ingram (RB)- Alabama, The Saints moved back into the first round to draft the highest rated running back and Heisman Trophy winner. Ingram should give the Saints the every-down back they thought they were getting with Reggie Bush. The pick should send a message to Bush to put his house up for sale. The Saints are playing with house money for rest of the 2011 draft. All the teams in the NFC South have really had a solid first round.

No. 29, Chicago Bears- Gabe Carimi (OT), Wisconsin, No excuse for Cutler now, as the the Bears go and address their OL needs. Whoever starts at QB for the Bears in the future will benefit from this pick. The Bears OL got QB's knoked out of games left and right last season.

No. 30, New York Jets- Muhammad Wilkerson (DT), Temple, The Jets boost a DL that gave up a lot of short distance first downs last season.

No. 31, Pittsburgh Steelers- Cameron Heyward (DE), Ohio State, A surprise pick for a team in need of OL and who's secondary got scalped by Green Bay's Rodgers.

No. 32, Green Bay Packers- Derek Sherrod (OT), Mississppi State, The Packers sure up their protection for their franchise QB Aaron Rodgers.

the four point stance: PIttsburgh Steelers, NFL Draft First Round Draft T...

2011-04-28T10:39:00.000-04:00

the four point stance: PIttsburgh Steelers, NFL Draft First Round Draft T...: "The Steelers are said to be in love with the idea of re-uniting the Pouncey brothers. Mike (left) is one of the top offensive linemen in the..."

PIttsburgh Steelers, NFL Draft First Round Draft Thoughts...

2011-04-28T10:22:00.003-04:00

The Steelers are said to be in love with the idea of re-uniting the Pouncey brothers. Mike (left) is one of the top offensive linemen in the 2011 NFL draft. Maurkice (right) was the Steelers No. 1 pick in 2010 and started at center his rookie year. Maurkice, who started from week one, quickly became the anchor on the Steelers injury riddled offensive line in 2010.

One has to believe the Pittsburgh Steelers have to move up to get they're man, otherwise, they would be better suited to move out of the first round and into the second. The Steelers could possibly take Denver's 36th and 46th picks, in the second round, and still cash in on their 63rd pick at the end of the second . The drafting pool isn't much different from picks 31 to 36 plus they would pick again at 46. Quality players can be found there. If the Steelers decide to move-up, we can look for that to begin somewhere around Miami's 15th pick. This, I feel, would come at a very steep price, like a No. 2 pick which would almost have the Steelers waiting 4 rounds for their next selection-not a chance. Also, i could see them swapping picks with teams drafting from 19-30 without giving up too much.

****New England is loaded this year with high draft picks. The Patriots have 2 picks in each of the first three rounds and we all know they will make quality selections. This draft could very well put the Pats back in the Super Bowl in coming years.

****If I were Carolina, I would stay away from drafting a QB in the first round. Draft a wide receiver with the first overall pick or better yet, trade down before settling on their man. Give Clausen someone to throw to. It doesn't make sense for the Panthers to use high draft choices in consecutive years at QB. Give Clausen time to grow and be the man. Carolina is truly in a rebuilding period at it will take some time to collect another core group of players to restore it's winning ways.

****I find it very interesting that in most mock drafts the two best wide receivers are projected to go to AFC North rivals Cincinnati (No. 4) and Cleveland (No. 6). This is all the more of a reason for the Steelers to address their cornerback needs. But, Cincinnati is in greater need of a QB than a receiver at this point. I could see the Bengals, who haven't learned a thing about drafting character, drafting Cam Newton and setting their franchise back another 10 years or so. Marve, Marve, Marve, Marve, Marve -good-bye!

**** Please remember to vote today's poll question****

****Check back for updates as I will be updating this throughout the day

NCAA Basketball No.1 Pitt v No. 8 Butler Game Summary- Pitt seconds away from Sweet Sixteen

2011-03-19T23:33:00.004-04:00

Butler's Matt Howard (center), the hero in Thursday's win over Old Dominion, does it again. His Free throw gave the Bulldogs a one point lead and the win in a frantic finish that left No. 1 seed Pitt feeling numb in defeat.

It could have gone either way last night, but it had to go one way or the other. Down by one with 2.8 seconds left to go in the game, the Pitt Panthers went from a low percentage, wing and a prayer half-court shot to win the game, to Gilbert Brown standing at the foul line shooting two. One would tie the game at 70; two would almost have assured the win- a lucky win. A by the skin on their teeth win. A let’s get the hell out of here win.

The Pitt Panthers have a history of making things hard on themselves come NCAA tourney time. So, Brown missed the back-end of his two-and-two and unnecessarily mixing it up under the basket was junior forward Nasir Robinson. Robinson was called for a foul when he tried to defend a Matt Howard last second shot from the paint with .08 seconds left. Howard, the hero with the last second tip-in against Old Dominion, made the front end of the of his shots to put his team up by one at 71-70 for what could go down as the most thrilling 7.0 seconds in recent tournament history.

The officials called the game the same the entire way through. Each coach had particular cases to argue on certain calls. At first, I began to wonder if the NCAA selection committee had made a call to the officials during a timeout when they called a foul on Butler’s “workhorse”, Shelvin Mack, as Brown drove up the floor for Pitt’s last gasp. And out of nowhere a whistle, Brown at the line for two with 1.4 seconds left in the game. Now this is where I think Pitt and Jamie Dixon were out-coached by his counterpart. Why is Robinson, standing in his own paint, fighting so hard for a ball that really has no real chance to go in the basket. not even Jordan could rebound, get position and get a serious shout off with 1.4 seconds left from roughly 79 feet away. Why not play off, count your blessing that you have over time to settle it. Just drop back and play defense. Heck, don’t even go to the paint. Just set-up your defense so they can’t push the ball near half court- at best.

Instead of the Panthers punching their ticket for Bayou country and becoming a part of the college basketball elite, the Panthers and their fans will leave Washington D.C. bringing home the stomach flu. This loss will go down as the most gut wrenching loss in Pitt’s post season history. There have been tough losses, but nothing in recent history can compare in the way the pendulum swung from the Panther’s feeling the inevitability of a loss, to Pitt fans brimming with hope after Brown made the first foul shot to tie it at 70. The crowd’s “swish”, after the first foul shot, sounded more like a choreographed exhale. There was immediate relief coming from the Oakland Zoo and everybody could breathe again-for a second.

As much as this game may have been lost in the final 2.4 seconds, the Panther’s had a chance to win it with 1:13 to go in the game. This was probably Pitt’s worst possession of the season and one you wouldn’t expect from a No.1 seed. With 1:13 on the clock and with :19 seconds remaining on the shot clock, Pitt Head Coach called a timeout to gather his team one last time. The safe play would have been to go for the easy bucket underneath to put the Panther’s up by three, putting all the pressure on Butler’s eagle-eye perimeter shooters Pitt came out of the time-out and wasted 9 seconds before they started to work their offense. Pitt passed the ball along the perimeter but couldn’t get a good look at the basket causing an irresponsible air ball by Gilbert Brown that was waved off due to the shot clock expiring. The shot clock violation gave Butler the in-bound near half court. Butler head coach Brad Stevens immediately took his final time-out after the in-bound. Butler head coach drew up a masterful play to lure Pitt’s aggressive inside defenders out of the paint and dish to cutting Andrew Smith for an easy lay-up and the lead with 2.8 seconds left on the clock.They made it look simple against a team whose reputation is predicated on defense.

Believe it or not, this game could have been worse. It could have been a Big East team like Georgetown, West Virginia or UCONN. But, it came against a team who less than a year ago lost the National Championship game to Duke by two points, 61-59. The Butler Bulldog’s know heartbreak. Butler has gone further in the NCAA tournament than Pitt ever has. Pitt would love to lose a national championship game. Butler was a No.5 seed last year they stunned No.1 seed Syracuse. Not enough can be said about Butler head coach Brad Stevens’ comments after the game. Stevens knows how Pitt feels- he’s been there. Instead of Stevens bragging about his players’ performances, all he really wanted to talk about was how he “(felt) bad for Pitt.” A class act by a coach, an educator and by someone’ that has lost the “final one -not the second one.

NCAA Basketball Game Summary: No. 1 Pitt v. No.8 Butler

2011-03-19T07:49:00.003-04:00

Butler guard Ronald Nored maneuvers to make a play against Old Dominion's Darius James in Southeast Regional action Thursday. The Bulldogs advanced with a thrilling last second tip just before the buzzer to stay alive and move on to play No. 1 seeded Pittsburgh.

It's the wanna-bes' verses the has-beens, It's about Final Four experience verses early exits. It's about playing like a No. 1 seed verses underachieving. And, it's about setting the new standard. In a way, it's about NOT losing just as much as it is about winning. The amount of pressure the Pitt Panthers (28-5) have going in to today's third round game verses Butler is as about as heavy as it's ever been for any No. 1 seed- ever. I truly believe that Pitt's No.1 seed was a gift from the selection committee for the great regular season success and tourney appearances Pitt has been able to establish over the last decade. There were slightly better or hotter teams out there to choose from and I have to ask myself-why Pitt? Because, Pitt is on the cusp of establishing themselves as national program with a winning tradition. The only thing missing- a Final Four appearance. Pitt will begin part two of the 2011 NCAA tourney journey when they take the court against an experienced Butler team at 7:10 p.m. on TBS.

   After a blow-out win over UNC Asheville, the NCAA Selection Committee assumed that last year's runner-up, No. 8 Butler Bulldogs (24-9), would have taken care of business over No. 9 Old Dominion and apply the pressure right away with a quality tourney team from last year. Butler lost to Duke in the final seconds of last year's national championship game, 61-59. Butler is a formidable opponent that Pitt should not take lightly. Butler will be facing a No. 1 seed for the second consecutive year. Last year the Bulldogs pulled off a second round upset over another Big East power and No.1 seed-Syracuse. Butler also has 6-foot-11 sophomore Andrew Smith to clog the lane. The Bulldogs are also winners of their last ten while Pitt are winner's of nine of their last 12. The Panthers and the Bulldogs will meet for the first time in 65 years with the Bulldogs holding a 7-5 edge over the Panthers. The Bulldogs have a 14-16 all-time record verses ranked teams and were the first team ever to play a No. 1 and No. 2 seed in a tournament when they pulled it off in last year's tourney. The number of Pitt's Sweet Sixteen appearances is beginning to put them alongside the elite company of top programs as Duke (7) and Kansas (6), and, a win today would make six for the Panthers. It's all there for the taking.

   The year's squad looks a little more polished than teams of years past. Ashton Gibbs, the perimeter shooter, and Brad Wannamaker, the "court" general, make for a potentially great but at times cold shooting back court. There's not a team in the land that can hang with the Panther's for 40 minutes when Pitt play's to their potential. It's that simple. Pitt, on more than a few occasions, has allowed to teams to look better than they are because of the lack of focus. The identity of this year's Pitt squad has been to play a close first half, then take over the second halves of games. In game's Pitt has lost, teams that are able to withstand Pitt's second half surge were able to put runs together, hang in there and got relatively lucky (see St. John's) at the end to win. Hopefully Pitt will draw the same officials they had when they played UNC Asheville. Those officials allowed the teams to bang it around a bit and didn't call a close game. By doing so, Pitt was able to avoid foul trouble. But at the end of the day, It's about living up to that No. 1 seed and playing like a No 1 seed. All Pitt has to do is win-"Just Win Baby!"

NCAA Tournament PSU Game summary, scores: Nittany Lions Lose Late to the Owls

2011-03-18T08:14:00.001-04:00

Penn State's Talor Battle passes to teammate David Jackson during second round West Region action of the NCAA tournament against No. 7 seeded Temple yesterday. The No. 10 seed Nittany Lions lost on a last second desperation heave by Temple's Juan Fernandez.

Hearts are hanging heavy in Happy Valley today as the No. 10 seeded Nittany Lions got bounced out of the second round of the NCAA tournament by their in-state rival, Temple Owls, 66-64. Temple's Juan Fenandez's ugly last second desperation jump shot sent the Nittany Lions into off season conditioning sooner than they had hoped.
   The Nittany Lions (19-15) played their style of game most of the first half. While the Nittany Lions rode the timely and accurate shooting of guard Talor Battle all the way to the Big 10 Tournament Champioship game, the only way to survive the big dance is with big bodies in the paint. When Penn State Head Coach Ed Dechellis chose to sit 6-foot-8 forward Jeff Brooks due to first half foul trouble, the Nittany Lions were not the same team and Temple (26-7) managed their way back into the game. At one point, Penn State had opened up a nine point lead with just over 11 minutes to go in the first half only to see it evaporate heading into the half down 35-33.
   As if the character of this team hadn't been tested enough throughout the season, Brooks, who had sat in the first half due to foul trouble, went down within the first minute of the second half when he re-aggravated   a shoulder injury from earlier in the season.A huge loss for the Nittany Lions. The teams leading rebounder, second leading scorer and dominant big man was lost for the rest of the game.
   The resilient Nittany Lions didn't panic, they stayed true to their game and never got down by more than four points in the second half. Down by three with 16 seconds left in the game, Penn State's money man, Talor Battle, hit a three pointer to tie the game with 11 seconds to go and try to force OT. And then, the ugliest shot that ever won a game went down with two seconds left putting an to end the Nittany Lion's dreams of making a deep and respectable run in this year's NCAA tournament.

   Penn State guard Talor Battle had his usual game going 5-11 from behind the three-point line on his way to a team-high 23 points. Guard ,Tim Frazier scored 15 points to go with his five rebounds and seven assists.
And, Andrew Jones led the Nittany Lions with eight rebounds. The loss extends Temple's win streak over the Nittany Lions to seven games and pushed Temple's record to 5-1 against Penn State on a neutral court.
NEXT: Penn State spring football practice begins tomorrow and will conclude Saturday, April 16th with the annual Blue/White scrimmage game. Is it autumn yet?

NCAA Second Round Tournament scores of note

East Region
No. 5 West Virgina 84, No. 12 Clemson 76
   4 Kentucky 59, 13 Princeton 57

West Region
   3 Connecticut 81, 14 Bucknell 52

Southeast Region
   4 Wisconsin 72, 13 Belmont 58
   1 Pittsburgh 74, 16 UNC Asheville 51
   11 Gonzaga 86, 6 St. Johns 71
   7 UCLA 78, 10 Michigan State 76
   2 Florida 79, 15 U.C. Santa Barbara 51
Southwest Region
   4 Louisville 61, 13 Morehead State 62

BCS conference records after the first day:
Big East (11 teams): 4-2
Big 10 (7): 1-2
SEC (5): 2-1
PAC 10: (4): 1-0
ACC (4): 0-1
Big 12 (5): 1-1
Non-BCS schools: 4-4

NCAA Basketball- No. 1 seed Pitt wins big over UNC Asheville

2011-03-17T19:26:00.005-04:00

Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon coaches up his No. 1 seeded Panthers against No. 16 seed UNC Asheville. Pitt won the first round Southeast Regional match-up 74-51 to move on and play No. 8 seed Butler on Saturday.

   The Pittsburgh Panthers took care of business like a No. 1 seed should- show no mercy. After starting slow, the Panthers (29-5) came out in the second half, put on a Big East basketball clinic and schooled UNC Asheville (20-15) all the way to 74-51 second round knock-out.

   To put it simply, Pitt was too big and too physical. Pittsburgh, who was knocked out of the Big East tournament exactly one week ago, looked rusty in the first half and allowed the Bulldogs to keep the game relatively close. Pitt captured it's largest lead of the first half when the Panther's jumped out to 23-11 lead with 7:42 left to go. The Bulldogs fought their way back to a respectable five point deficit down 30-25 heading into the half.

   And then, the Big East clinic began. Pitt was lead by Ashton Gibbs' 26 points while Gary McGhee lead the Panthers with 11 rebounds to go with his seven points. Pitt dominated the boards with 44 to the Bulldog's 24 and ended the game with more offensive rebounds, 27, than UNC Ashville had total rebounds. At one point in the second half, Pitt had more rebounds than the Bulldogs had points. Pitt went on a 21-6 run that took the better part of nine minutes to put the game out of reach with a little more than five minutes left to go.
   Almost as important as winning was how Pitt would win. Style points by a No. 1 seed goes a long way in getting confidence restored to a team who lost 3 of 6 down the stretch, including a one-and-done performance in the Big East Tournament . This win also will help to repair the reputation of being labeled as a tournament bracket buster. A lot can also be said about the officiating too. The officials let the teams play and at times it seemed like a Big East Conference game as bodies bounced around hardwood.

   The Panther's can now take a deep breath and focus on playing Butler. Saturday's Bulldogs beat Old Dominion, 60-58, in a last second Matt Howard tip-in to avoid OT. Butler was the darling of last years tournament losing to Duke 61-59 in the championship game.

The results to last opinion poll: Which Big East team would be the last one in the NCAA Tournament? UCONN with 66% and Pitt with 33%. Thanks, the new poll is up!

Thursday NCAA Tournament Thoughts

2011-03-17T09:51:00.002-04:00

Before I get started, I would like to get e few things off my chest. First, anyone who watched ESPN's 30 for 30 special Sunday night about Michigan's Fab 5, had to wonder why would they even stroke the superficial ego's of these kids and put together a film about them. Yes, I remember them; I was in high school at the time and remember they didn't win anything. To me, their only legacy was the black shoes and black tube socks. That's it! And yes, it was a real tense time in America concerning race relations. The popularity of gangster rap music had worried mother's storming Capital Hill and the L.A. riots permanently changed the fabric and culture of our country. Our country had 12 years of Republican presidents, this inevitably causing the political spectrum to slide a little to the right. Alumni and fans of University of Michigan basketball may have had a hard time embracing this team,but, to the be honest, any school's Alumni and fans would have a hard time. Society stereotypes races. But, the trash talking, "trend setting" Fab 5 did nothing to try and change the minds of America. But to be fair, it would be a lot to ask of 18 and 19 year-olds to do so. It's not like today, where student athlete's visit children's hospital's and volunteer their time to charities. After both a federal and NCAA investigation, the Fab 5 were found to have taken money and consequently the Fab 5 was erased from Big Blue's record books. It was all for not. Those of you who watched Sunday's movie, it was mentioned that Chris Webber was to have made his mind up to go pro before the national championship against Duke. I found it ironic that the game against Duke ended with Webber calling a phantom time-out which then sealed the deal for Coach K., Laettner and the "Uncle Tom's" of the Duke basketball team. In my opinion, The Fab 5 are still the Fab 5 and still need to grow-up and realize what they were is no more and the only reason we're talking about this is because it's tourney time. They were erased, expunged, deleted. I would rather not have won a championship, than for it to be taken away!

If only the NCAA football committee or the brains behind BCS could think outside the box like the NCAA tournament selection committee does. Two of the four play-in games this week plugged the winners into the No. 11 and No. 12 seeds. Now, No. 11 seed Virginia Commonwealth will take-on No. 6 seed Georgetown and UAB will play Kentucky. Now correct me if I'm wrong, if it would have worked out the other way and USC replaced VCU and Clemson took UAB's place they would be worthy of those seeds. The problem I have is why aren't these teams a part of the 64 team field? The four play-in games should only be for the four No. 16 seeds.

#NCAA Tournament Preview: Penn State v. Temple and Wednesday Headlines

2011-03-16T19:04:00.004-04:00

Penn State and Temple re-new their long standing rivalry as they travel to Tucson to play one another tomorrow in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Owls are 4-1 against Penn State at neutral sites with Temple beating Penn State 84-72 in the 2001 South region semifinals.

   What does the NCAA tournament selection committee do when they pit two teams separated by 194 miles, send them both nearly 2,300 miles west to play. The NCAA selection committee brain-trust should have thrown both teams a bone and scheduled this match-up closer to both fan bases. Washington D.C.? Cleveland? I'm sure the players are enjoying the sun after their cold dark and gloomy winter travels through Big 10 country and along the east coast.

   So, Penn State (19-14) and Temple (25-7) will meet for the 92nd time tomorrow at approximately 2:10 est on TNT. The Owls of Philly own Penn State in basketball with a convincing 59-32 record. The two programs date back to the days of the old Eastern Eight Conference and, before moving to the Big 10, Penn State and Temple rivaled as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Temple, still in the Atlantic 10 Conference, has gotten the best of this rivalry as of late by winning six in a row with it's last win coming on a 45-42 in Philadelphia. The Owls last loss came back in 2001 at the Bryce Jordan Center, 66-60. Temple also holds an edge over the Nittany Lions at a neutral court with a 4-1 record.

   With all that said, these aren't your grandfather's, dad's or even your drunken older brother's Nittany Lions, these Nittany Lions have won seven of their last 10 games, have beaten two teams ranked in the top 25, have five wins against teams ranked in the top 50 and has set the new standard for Nittany Lion teams to come with it's first ever appearance in the Big 10 Championship game. These Nittany Lions have blazed a new trail behind the lights-out shooting of senior Talor Battle.

   More important than Taylor's great shooting this season, is the remarkable poise this team has when things begin to go wrong. That's when the character of a team is defined. Penn State tends to dig themselves into a whole early on in games. Some teams would cave in and accept the underdog status but this team has proved odds makers and the so-called experts wrong night after night.(see Big 10 Conference tournament)

   They're not the sexy team; they're not the funnest team to watch (see Big 10 Conference game against Wisconsin), no McDonalds All-Americans coming out of high school. They are a team in every sense of the word. They play their game and head coach Ed DeChellis does a fine job of keeping them focused on what they're good at-ball control, perimeter shooting and attacking the boards. Penn State should have taken something away from the loss against Ohio State- they played Jared Sullinger the best they could. Sullinger is a freshman freak of nature and very few teams have a player like that. They played the No. 1 team in the country as a tune-up game heading into the NCAA tournament. As a competitor, who could ask for more of a litmus test.

Wednesday headlines

*Hours after a story surface about Chad Johnson owing nearly $12,000 dollars to a Cincinnati clothing store, word comes that he plans on trying out for Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer.

*The NFL competition committee has said that it will look in to moving kickoffs form the 30-yard line to the 35. Also, instead of the ball being placed at the 20 after touch backs, the committee will look in to spotting the ball at the 25-yard line.

*Randy Moss is trying to boo-hoo his way back to New England by flattering Belichik with greatest coach comments. Yeah Belichik is a great coach and that's why Moss is no longer on the team.

*The suddenly fragile Tiger Woods will take his naughty skills to the Arnold Plamer Invitational he announced today. Like his caddy didn't know. He was the butcher's dog.

The No.1 seed Pitt Panthers learn their first round opponent

2011-03-16T11:30:00.001-04:00

UNC Asheville's Matt Dickey begins to celebrate his teams OT win over Arkansas Little Rock in last nights play-in tourney match-up. The Bulldogs will now travel to Washington D.C. to play the No. 1 seeded Pittsburgh Panthers on Thursday at 3:10 est.

   Was it by design? With all of the recent trouble and disappointment in past years, did the NCAA selection committee put Pitt in the Southeast bracket on purpose. The talking heads on TV believe the Southeast bracket is by far the easiest. If the NCAA selection committee could hand over a final four appearance without directly doing so, this would be the year. But that doesn't mean much to Pitt, the gray rain clouds of March swirl above this very successful regular season program come NCAA tournament time.
   Pitt left for Washington D.C. early enough to arrive before the tip-off of the UNC Asheville v. Arkansas Little Rock game. The usually meaningless play-in games suddenly became meaningful to Pitt fans and followers.
   UNC Asheville and Arkansas Little Rock battled to the bitter end and needed overtime to decide before the Bulldogs pulled out a 81-77 win to punch their ticket to play the No. 1 seeded Panthers. I'm sure the UNC Asheville head coach Eddie Biedenbach informed his team of Pitt's less than stellar performances in the big dance.
   So who are these winners of the Big South Conference tournament? Who is their star player? How did they get here? The bulldogs, 20-13, finished third in the regular season and beat Coastal Carolina to win their conference title. The Bulldog's success seems to be centered around guard play. Matt Dickey averages 15.5 points per game and the other guard, J.P. Primm, averages 14.6 points per game. Both guards are juniors and stand 6-foot-1 tall. If one doesn't know a basketball team, the only real way to get to know them is through the numbers. Where do these Bulldog's rank? They rank No.147 in the ratings percentage index (RPI), 0-2 against top 25 competition, score 74.4 per game, shoot just over 20 percent from behind the three-point line and 56 percent from two-point range, shoot 71 percent from the foul line and average nearly 20 turnovers per game. All of this has the makings for a great first round match-up or tournament tune-up game for Pitt. But as we all know, Pitt has the ability to make something that should be really easy and turn it into something difficult. The last thing Pitt needs is to have this team hanging around with five minutes left in the game.
   The UNC Ashville's campus is approximately 478 miles, or 7.5 hours, away compared to Pitt's 247 miles or a four hour drive. Will the foaming at the mouth Bulldog faithful show up and become a force; and, does the Oakland Zoo have the confidence in their team make the relatively short drive and turn this game into a home court advantage for the Panthers? The Oakland Zoo taking over the Verizon Center would be a sight to see.

NHL, Crosby and fun with headlines

2011-03-15T19:05:00.005-04:00

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby on the ice after Washington Captial's David Steckel's "accidental" hit to the head during the 2011 Winter Classic. Crosby took another hit to the head four days later against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Crosby hasn't seen the ice since Jan. 5 due to concussion symptoms.

Despite the efforts from Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemeiux and others, the NHL brain trust has decided against a ban on blows to the head all together. They instead decided place an emphasis on allowing the referee's determine if a hit was flagrant or not to call the penalties and leave the disciplining up to the league. It was a wise decision by the league to do so for a couple of reasons. One, blows to the head are apart of the game and truly can't be eliminated. This was the problem football, of all sports, had a hard time determining when the NFL "changed" the rules on hits to the head in mid-season. It's part of the game-period, end of story. Two, hockey is too fast a sport; to ask these players to be more concerned about Sidney Crosby bending over and taking a breather rather than making a play for his team is irresponsible. I don't care if your on the ice, a football field or walking through downtown traffic, I was always told to keep your head on a swivel.
More interesting to me is how Sidney Crosby will be as a player if and when he comes back. I say "if" because once someone takes a hit, or a series of hits as he took, some people no longer have the heart or the courage to put themselves back into the position to have it happen again. I truly believe that the Penguins' inner- circle are aware of this and ultimately have debated this. How could you not? Sidney saw his "first" ice time in 2 and half months yesterday. He spent a whopping 10 minutes on the ice working out. He gave interviews afterward, his eyes looked clear and he spoke well, but never directly answered reporters questions about his return. In my opinion he's done for the season. I don't think he'll be back before the playoffs and if he did get healthy enough to play during the playoffs, Penguins' management would be wise to keep him out due to the way playoff hockey is played- physical and brutal. I hope I'm wrong. The gritty and competitive play this team has demonstrated during Crosby's absence automatically makes this team relevant again by adding him back to the lineup. The Penguins become a serious contender if the old Sidney Crosby shows up. But as it stands now, I see a first round win in seven games. I don't see this team going any further than that without Crosby.

Tuesday Headlines

*NFL lockout injunction set for April 6th- Ah progress! Will the owners and the NFLPA cozy up again before the next contract is up. The way this is handled will define NFL owners and NFLPA's relationship for generations to come. Fight nice boys!

*Word is that the 2012 Olympic countdown clock in London stopped after only 17 hours. Wow, I'll take that as an omen. Those Olympic games are going to be very tense.

*Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel apologizes to Buckeyes fans during a packed luncheon at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. I'm sure he took a lot of tough questions there. In a related note- Columbus attorney, who sent Tressel the e-mails informing him of his players actions, is receiving death threats. How sick are we! As petty as it is, rather than teach these kids responsibility, the Buckeye faithful would rather find fault in someone who did the right thing- Now that's bass ackwards!

Finally, please play along and vote your answers to the poll questions off to the top right of the page. I'll change them every couple days and even take requests from readers. I'll deliver you all the results; it's good stuff! ~Thanks

Tuesday Morning Impressions: #NFLPA, #Final Four picks

2011-03-15T10:04:00.000-04:00

The 2010 NFL draft invitees. The NFLPA recently asked all 2011 invitees to decline their invitations to appear at the April draft.

Wow, who does the NFLPA think they are when they ask college players not to accept the draft day invitation to appear at the NFL draft when their name is called. First, while this not their fight quite yet, the NFLPA, especially, should understand the honor of and dreams that are fulfilled at that moment. I understand the bitterness between the union and the owners, but, let's wait until after the draft before we ask this years crop of players to join the cause. They are victims of circumstance. Hopefully those players that do show up don't get black-balled by the union heads. It's not like they're crossing the picket line. They are merely doing what Peyton, Drew and other players have done-fulfill a dream. It's tough to take the side of the NFLPA when they ask these players to give up a once in a life time opportunity.

The March to Madness

Arguably the best sports month of the year has arrived and as always arrives with controversy, heartbreak and, for some, disappointment. There are many intriguing first round games that could send some big budget powerhouse programs into earlier than expected off season. As I wrote yesterday, I like Belmont over Wisconsin with mild upsets of Richmond over Vanderbilt, Virginia Commonwealth over Georgetown, Michigan State over UCLA, Oakland over Texas, Clemson over WVU and George Mason over Villanova.

My Final Four are Ohio State, UCONN, Notre Dame and Pitt with UCONN and Notre Dame playing in the championship game and UCONN winning it all. I have Kansas being knocked off by Louisville, Arizona knocking out Duke and Syracuse over North Carolina.

#AFC North Notes: 3-14-11

2011-03-14T19:28:00.005-04:00

Cleveland Browns- Last Season: 5-11 (1-5 division; 3-9AFC ) Draft slot: 6th overall Needs: WR, DL/ DE, RB
If  there is one team this NFL lockout will really hurt, it's the Browns. The Browns have clearly found their running back in 1,000-yard rusher Peyton Hillis. But with the players locked out, this prevents Colt McCoy getting in the much needed reps with his receivers and learning the play book from front-to-back.
   All is not bad in Cleveland; a closer look at the 2010 schedule reveals that the second half of the season the Browns began to find their stride going 3-5 with a win over New England and an OT loss to the Jets the following week. If the Browns beat the Jets do they go to Jacksonville and lose by four-points to the Jaguars? That Jets loss hurt in a big way, With the exception of the week 17  41-9 blowout loss to Pittsburgh, the Browns were in every game. The Browns lost by an average of of 5.8 per game from nine through 17. What helped was that they made the decision to let Colt McCoy take his licks and bank on him getting the playing experience needed for the 2011 season. Cleveland quarterbacks threw only 12 touchdowns in 2010 to seven to wide receivers and three to a tight end. This glaring statistic means they should be thinking wide receiver with their No.1 pick or at the very latest in rounds 2-3.
   Advice for Colt McCoy: Become a leader and take charge of your offense; Call up your receivers, get together with them and start practicing. You have something special starting there and the time is now!

Cincinnati Bengals- Last Season:4-12 (2-4 division; 3-9 AFC)
Draft slot: 4th overall Needs: QB, WR, RB, DL, CB

Wow, This is one team that should be counting their blessings because there is a lock-out. First, they need all the time in the world to get a game plan together for replacing their QB Carson Palmer. Their worst case scenario is replacing him with his brother Jordan Palmer, who completed all three passes he threw in 2010. Outside of that, the Bengals' cupboard is bare at quarterback.
The Bengals need to make that "splash" draft pick and take Cam Newton. He may not be the most A-typical QB in the draft but he brings something that the Bengals desperately need- a winning attitude. His tuck-and-run quarterbacking style is perfect for the AFC North because of the aggressive style of defense that is played by division heavyweights Steelers and Ravens.Second, the Bengals need to learn how identify character in their draft choices. In addition to signing the leagues free agent misfits, it seems as though this team drafts the most dysfunctional players each year.
In all fairness, the Bengals were hit by the injury bug in 2010, but the bug that really bit them was the Batman and Robin duo of Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens. The much hyped duo combined for 17 touchdowns and just over 1,800 yards with neither Batman or Robin going over 1,000 yards for the season. Advice for Bengals' management: trade Carson Palmer during the draft for more 2011 draft picks and maybe a future 2012 pick that should be determined by Palmer's performance. The last thing you want is a QB with a bad attitude leading your offense.

Baltimore Ravens- Last Season: 12-4 (4-2 division, 9-3 AFC)

Draft slot: 26th overall Needs: WR, LB, DE/DL, CB, QB

First and foremost the "Big, Bad" Ravens need to get over their divisional playoff loss to the Steelers. I've been reading recent reports of Harbaugh whining about the game. They won't be able to move forward until they do.
   Second, someone in the organization needs to question whether or not Joe Flacco is the QB for the long-term future. The up-and-down QB plays well against teams he's supposed to beat but hasn't shown that he can take over a game. Knock him around early in the game and your secondary will be catching interceptions like an outfielder catching pop-flies. I would draft a QB in the late rounds to get him thinking. If I were Ozzie Newsome, I would be looking for Ray Lewis' heir-apparent.
   The Ravens don't have many holes to fill, so this may be the time to start thinking about who's going to be with the team two or three years down the line. One can't expect the Ravens to replace a Hall of Fame linebacker like Lewis, but Lewis can mentor and teach the defense to a gifted rookie. Another receiver to take the double team off Anquan Bolden would help. Other than Bolden, the Ravens receiving corp is a collection mediocre castoffs from other teams.
   Advice, get over last season, find the faults within your own team and move on. So, your in a position draft for depth- so do it!

Pittsburgh Steelers- Last Season: 12-4 (5-1 division, 9-3 AFC)

Draft slot: 31st Needs: OL, CB, DL/DE, RB, LB

First and foremast, the AFC champion Steelers have been getting by with a mediocre offensive line for years. Granted injuries played a huge role with last years team, but, for a franchise whose reputation for dominating the line of scrimmage, it's been way below the standard set by teams of the 70's, 90's and even the 80's.
   The best example of the Steelers poor offensive line play was in Super Bowl XVL when Roethlisberger dropped back to pass and his offensive lineman was pushed straight back into his lap forcing a poor throw that led to an eventual interception return for touchdown. That seven points was the difference in the game.
   The other glaring need for the Steelers that could be seen almost right away during Super Bowl XVL was the need for a cornerback. They don't need a "shut-down" corner but one that can cover as well as tackle (see Rod Woodson). The Steelers need to find a running back that can hold onto the ball. (see Super Bowl XVL). Mendenhall, while very productive, seems to have a hard time holding onto the ball. The talent level drops off considerably after Mendenhall.
   The thing about the Steelers, is that you can bet they will draft one or two linebackers and find/coach-up the diamond in the rough. Their defense relies heavily on great linebacker play and with that said it is hard to find the perfect fit at linebacker. Will LB Jason Worilds ever get over his hamstring problem? Will LB Lawrence Thimmons re-sign. Better yet, is he worth the money he's going to ask for? Hopefully, LB Larry Foote and WR Antwan Randle-El will talk to him about going for the money. It's one or the other; chase the money or the championship. Rarely does it work out both ways. Will CBWilliam Gay take over opposite CB Ike Taylor. Is CB Bryant McFadden even worth a roster spot? Is Flozell Adams gonna play another season?   Advice: People who know me will tell you that I've been saying for years that the Steelers need to protect their most prized possession-Ben Roethlisberger. While Big Ben may take a lot of sacks, the fact is that he's running for his life most of the time due to poor line play. He has been the most sacked QB in the league the last couple years. Played with a pin in his ankle, broken nose and a list of other injuries. Ben's growing old fast.

#Monday Morning Sports: #March Madness

2011-03-14T10:16:00.004-04:00

No. 9 seed Northern Iowa Panthers turned out to be the 2010 tournament's bracket buster with it's second round win over No. 1 seeded Kansas Jayhawks. The Panthers advanced to the sweet 16 round.

The March to Madness

Wow, if it wasn't for conference tournaments and March Madness, hard core football fans would be standing on the edges of buildings, bracket in hand, and threatening to jump. March basketball is as close as any sport can get, with the only other exception being playoff hockey, in matching football's intensity. God bless college basketball-in March. It's American on a number of different levels. As with most of the popular sports in our culture, it was invented here. We don't need soccer, cricket or any of those third-world country sports. we know what we want and that's we came here to do. The premise of the NCAA tourney is that anyone can get hot and win it. For me, it's about the possibility of a team that comes from what otherwise would be a D-II or D-III school in football, laying the wood and breaking the hearts of a nationally ranked powerhouse program. It's much easier to put together a DI basketball program. All of that said, do we really need another four teams? It's a feeble attempt to add teams and feels like a quick money grab. If your gonna go--go big!

First Impressions: 2011 NCAA tourney bracket
*A Soft and wide open field, this is probably the least flattering field of "68" in a while. But, that's been the season as a whole. No sexy team, no wow factor. Ohio State's good, but as good as No. 2 seed Syracuse, No. 3 North Carolina and No. 4 Kentucky? All are in the Buckeye's region.
*As expected, the Big East got 11 seeds with no team seeded lower than 11.
* The Wisconsin Badgers are going to have their hands full with Belmont.
*Oakland over Texas. Oakland had some quality wins. Oakland upset Tennessee a week after Tennessee upset Pitt.
*The potential for a Penn State v. San Diego State second round match up.
*Can UCONN's Kemba Walker keep up the frenetic pace of tourney basketball? I think that he can. UCONN has a talented young team that follows Walker's lead. I look for UCONN to go deep. Five Big East games in five days only helped this team.
*Congratulations to Penn State; they knew what they had to do and they did it. Interesting first round match-up with Temple. A lot of history between those two schools. I expect history to hold true and Penn State to continue the dominance of the Owls.
*Can all 11 Big East teams adjust to non Big East Conference officiating? It's my opinion this is the reason for conferences poor showing in recent years.
*Can Pitt make it past the second round with the potential to play either Butler or Old Dominion. This match-up feels eerily similar to the 2003 Pitt team's second round loss to Kent State in a NCAA tourney game that played in Pittsburh's old Civic Arena. Arguably the toughest loss in Pitt basketball history.
* After an up-and-down season, could Michigan State be just a tournament team? The bracket sets up nice for Sparty.

2011-03-12T22:54:00.001-05:00

#Penn State V. #Michigan State- #Battle, Frazier find stroke

2011-03-12T22:50:00.006-05:00

Penn State's big man in the middle Jeff Brooks (25) defends the Spartan's Derrick Nix. Brooks gave the Spartan's fits on the boards and in the paint all game.

It been a while, a long while, but, the Penn State faithful finally have a basketball team to put their arms around. Underdog Penn State (19-13, 9-9) pulled off another upset with a 61-48 win over Michigan State (19-14, 9-9) to advance to the Big 10 Conference championship game tomorrow angainst No. 1 seeded Ohio State. The win over Michigan State almost assures the Nittany Lions a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Led by two sharp shooting guards, Taylor Battle (25 points) and Tim Frazier (22) put their previous night's shooting woes behind them and were the catalysts in leading the Nittany Lions to their first ever Big 10 championship game appearance. The Nittany Lions started the game sluggish having some scratching their heads and wondering if all in attendance were in for another "offensive" show Penn State and Wisconsin put on the night before. At one point Penn State was down 11-2 after the game's first five minutes.

But these Nittany Lions have been slow starters for most of the season. A Jeff Brooks steal snapped Penn State out of it's slump. The Nittany Lions' patience, solid defense and timely scoring brought them back to tie the game at 26 going into the half.

The second half belonged to Battle and Frazier. Battle, who played all 40 minutes, found his stroke from behind the arc going 6 for 11, while Frazier went 9 for 13, pulling in eight rebounds to go with his six assists. Sophomore Jeff Brooks was the unheralded star of the game. Brooks', 3 steals, 2 blocks and 6 rebounds, physicality under the basket was something Michigan State had no answer for.
NEXT: OHIO STATE 3:30 p.m. est., CBS

RANDOM THOUGHTS

1. What's the deal with Roger Goodell's $1 salary now that the lockout's official. What a guy! The man makes $10 million a year. I'm sure he's not going to be a regular at the New York City soup kitchens anytime soon. Hey Roger, give the players your $10 million and we'll call it a deal. And for that, we thank you!

2. San Diego State beat BYU to win the Mountain West Conference. This time, the third time is definitely a charm for the Aztecs. Is everybody on board in saying that BYU is NOT a No.1 seed. If one player (Jimmer Freddettte) has an average shooting night this team becomes very average

3. Word is Chris Collinsworth had a rough time at dinner the other night. He was eating at a floating restaurant on the Ohio River when it broke away and started floating down river due to high waters. Does anyone really care? Too bad there were other people there, otherwise, the rescuers would have been wise to watch and see what would happened. Wait, doesn't he look a little, no a lot, like a bird? He could have just flown to safety.

4. This I found very intriguing when I heard it a couple weeks ago. New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Peyton moved his family to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Well, the Cowboys just signed a new head coach so that's out of the question. Wait, won't he miss his wife and kids. Is he going to commute? By plane? Ford fusion? Recently, the word is he's having an affair with New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson's daughter, Rita Benson. Ahhh now it all starts to make sense. A good friend once told me not to S**t where you eat. Evidently Sean Peyton doesn't have any good friends.

5. It's nice to see the squeaky clean image of Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel's take a hit. I mean come on, he had to be doing something wrong and I'm sure there are more things that we don't know about. One has to question his credibility. While coaching at Youngstown State, Tressel recruited a local standout running back and said that if he took the OSU job that he would take him with him. That running back-Maurice Clarett. Probably the most troublesome player at the university in the past 20-30 years. He knew who he was, how he was and the baggage he brought. Too bad Clarett has no credibilty left because he could probably give us all good insight into coach Tressel.

6. And the hits keep coming for Sparty. It still seems as though Michigan State is still recruiting mediocre talent these days. Two MSU football players failed to escape from Aspen police. Seems as though Max Bullough and Brian Linthicum mixed it up with a couple of bar partons before fleeing and being caught. Aren't they one year removed from having half the team suspended or dismissed. Kids these days.

#First Impressions for 3-12-11 Penn State basketball;#Pitt v. #Penn State #NCAA match-up?

2011-03-12T09:04:00.006-05:00

Penn State's Tim Frazier goes to the hoop against Wisconsin in Big 10 quarterfinal action.

#Penn State beat #Wisconsin, the No. 13 team in the country, by a field goal 36-33 last night. The only thing is that it was the Big 10 basketball tourney. I have covered many high school games with higher scores than that. Penn State advances to the semi-finals against Michigan State. This will mark first time the Nittany Lions have advanced to the conference semi-finals since joining the Big 10 in 1990. The Nittany Lions (18-13; 9-9) have had the Spartans (19-13; 9-9) number this year and have played solid against the conferences top teams. The most recent game came on Feb. 7 with MSU winning 75-57; Penn State won on it's home court 66-62 on Jan. 8. This will be the rubber match between the two teams. Both teams have have a lot to prove to the NCAA tourney selection committee. Penn State should be taken seriously, a win against MSU almost assures the Nittany Lions a spot in the tourney, while a loss may put them in the 65-68 seedings that will begin play on Tuesday, March 15. Can anyone smell a Pitt, Penn State NCAA tourney match-up? This writer can, and if I were a Pitt fan and the way Pitt has been playing down the stretch; I would be nervous. Pitt has a history of underachieving in the "big dance."

***Any coincidence that the only team to advance to the Big East conference 2011 finals after receiving the conference's dreaded double-bye is Louisville. The Cardinals had the 3rd seed going in and will play the No. 9 seeded team in Connecticut. Either the conference is that good or the double-bye throws a team who hasn't played in days against a team that has played on back-to-back days. In my opinion it's the former.

#NFLPA decertifies- NFL v.# Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees...

2011-03-11T19:05:00.002-05:00

   Well the time is here and what most fans have feared could become a reality- no pro football next fall. At 4 p.m. est. today, the #NFLPA announced that the only way they would consider another extension would be for the NFL's owners to accompany the extension request with 10 years of financial records. A move that the owners clearly won't do until summoned to do so in the courts.
   #De Maurice Smith has been taking a hit by people, who probably have never played the game on any level, because of his hard-line approach to the owners. He embodies the toughness, grit and determination of the players he represents. He is negotiating not for the present but for future generations of players to come. Two years ago when the NFLPA hired Smith all one had to do was take one good look and realize the owners were in trouble.
   The previous agreement, which was settled in 1993, has been extended 5 times since. With each extension nothing changes. Let us not forget that the owners exercised the "opt-out clause" that was included in the previous extension-not the players. The previous extension was signed in 2006 under commissioner Paul Tagliabue. Three months before the late #Gene Upshaw,the NFLPA's last union leader, passed away.

NFL v. NFLPA-CBA (2)

2011-03-11T08:46:00.001-05:00

The one question that needs to be answered is... how the owners feel about the #NFLPA #decertifying. If they fear it them, they will begin to budge. If not, then we're probably in for a lengthy standoff. It will all make for compelling theatre in coming days, weeks and dare I write months. #DeMaurice Smith is and has come out like a seasoned boxer who refuses to go down.

NFL v. NFLPA- CBA

2011-03-11T07:41:00.000-05:00

One has to feel that the #NFL owners will pull the #NFLPA's punk card and make them live up to the threats to decertify. If the owners are going to open the books completely, as the NFLPA insists upon, they would rather create a larger spectacle and do it in court. Is this a plan to shorten the upcoming season? Then go to #18 games in 2012? Well, I guess this is why it's probably a good idea to spend all 4 years in college and get that FREE education.

Pitt basketball- In Like a lamb

2011-03-10T17:52:00.000-05:00

It maybe just me, But I get the feeling that this is another one those Pitt teams that seems to nosedive as March
nears ?