Instant Classic

So Syracuse and UConn played the night away last night, yes six overtimes. The game did not end to approximately 1:22 a.m., which made it impossible to get the result in both of schools local newspapers, but have no fear the New York Daily is here to safe the day.

The Daily News sums it up best

UConn vs. North Carolina in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament?

With Selection Sunday only a couple of days aways and last weekend being the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, it got me to thinking. How fun would the NCAA Tournament be if it was held in a blind draw like the FA Cup.

For almost a decade, the selection show has been a national institution everyone goes around talking about the last four teams in and the last four teams out, now we could extend that process for a couple of hours.

The format is easy for the draw is easy, each team is given a number that is then put on the ping pong ball and put in a pot, a presenter then picks the ball out of pot and reads the number and then you find out the team.

"The draw for each round, performed by drawing numbered balls from a bag, is a source of great interest to clubs and their supporters, and is broadcast live on television. Sometimes two top clubs may be drawn against each other in the early rounds, removing the possibility of them meeting in the final. Lower-ranked clubs with reputations as 'giant-killers' look forward to meeting a top team at home, although in some cases the expense of providing policing for a game can outweigh any financial windfall from larger crowds. Mid-ranked teams hope for a draw against a peer to improve their chances of reaching future rounds. Top-ranked teams look for easy opposition, but have to be on their guard against a lower team with ambitions. The draw was once broadcast from a television studio, and was done by officials of the Football Association. By 2007 it had become a public event.,'' according to Wikipedia.

So say North Carolina has ball number one and UConn has number two, they could be draw in the first round, second round, or even the regional semi-finals. After each round of completed games the ping pong ball draw would then be completed.

I know what people are saying wow that is not fair, but lets go back to last year's FA Cup when Arsenal were drawn against Manchester United in the fourth round of the Cup. Sure sometimes it could be bad deal and give you a Cardiff vs. Portsmouth final, but the drama of the draw might be something to behold. I'm not saying that would should change anything about the tournament but with all of the talking heads talking about how to change the dance let's just make it a little more interesting.

Where have you gone Real Madrid?

For year, Los Merengues dominated the European Cup, but lately the all whites have showed that they are closer to being a second tear side in Europe's Premier Club Tournamen. This was best show with their 4-0 beating at the hands of Liverpool Tuesday afternoon.

A couple of things are clear in their performance at Anfield, they lack a central midfielder that has the ability to control play, similar to Michael Carrick at Manchester United. During the game, Gago and Lassa were unable to control anything and made Real nothing more then a one trick pony. The answer to that part of the question might have been wearing red during the game, Xabi Alonso. Alonso, who has been in Rafa doghouse at times, would allow the great Real wingers to the get the ball in the good positions instead of having to do all of the work themselves.

The second thing that Real's board must do is get a manager that will be there for sometimes. It's becoming clearer and clearer that changing managers every year is not the way to be success full, just look at the Manchester United. Maybe the board should go look at Arsenal and back up a truck filled to the top with the money to get the Wenger to Spain.

Until they change these couple of aspects of the team, Real will continue to go out in the Round of 16 and not be considered one of the elite teams in Europe.

The Real March Madness

Every year basketball people talk about drama and the greatness of March Madness and the NCAA Tournament but one of the best part of the March Madness is Arch Madness, yes the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

Like clockwork every year teams gather in St. Louis to produce one of the more exciting conference tournaments around. Every year, some guard throws in a wild shot to win a game and have his team advance.

Bradley's Deon Jackson's famous three against Southwest Missouri State.


Illinois State Shawn Jeppson's three against Drake in the 2002 tournament.


Creighton's Booker Woodfox wins the game against Wichita State in the 2009 version of the tournament.


The best thing about the conference is that the drama for the league doesn't stop at the conference tournament level, MVC teams over the years have made it hard for the big boys, every year they are out there knocking off some of the better teams in America. So as the big boys wind down their regular season, lets not forget the greatness of Arch Madness.

It's all about the Benjamins

On Friday NFL free agency started and teams all over the league started throwing money around like it was confetti. Players who you associated with teams forever changed teams, one in particular really shook me to the core. Brian Dawkins signing with the Broncos. It was not supposed to that way, Weapon X was supposed to be a bird for life and have his number retired at the Link. He has given his heart and soul to the team, from the bone crushing hits to the great leadership, but something changed.

After the NFC Title Game Dawkins stood in front of the media and apologized for the loss and another loss chance at Super Bowl glory. So what happened between late January and Saturday afternoon. One thing, well actually 9 million things. For all of the love that Weapon X showed for the fans of Philly, he proved that he is just like every player in the league out there for the money. I'm not saying that Dawkins did not deserve the money and in the future to have his number hanging above the Link, but lets get over this notion that he is such a special player that wanted to spend his career with the Birds. He got a better deal and quicker then you can say salary cap he was on his way to Denver for $9 million guaranteed on a five year deal.

For all of the people that wanted to kill the birds for not giving him the money, lets be honest with ourselves a five year deal for a 35 year old, you can not do it good faith. Lets go back to the start of the season when Dawkins looked like he could not play anymore, sure he was super over the last five games, but his body of work was not the best this year and we was not even the player in his own defensive backfield.

The Bird made the right move and for all of the people talking about what a bad decision this is, just remember Brett Farve retired as a jet, Joe Montana retired as chief, and many other have the same story to tell. We will never forget B'Dawk and when is done we will all welcome him back with open arms and celebrate his great career, but later this year when he comes in with the Broncos, I don't want to see any tears out of him, maybe he can use one of the $9 million he has to wipe them.

A couple of more to go

It's not even the FA Cup but United claimed another trophy the Carling Cup yesterday in a PK Shootout. So the drive for five continues, if you count the World Club Cup. Lets see this continue.

Highlights below

Going Global and Wayne comes on late

The Special One is moving across Europe and Wayne comes on late and fails to make an impact.

A UEFA Cup Knockout Round game or a Spring Training Game?

Baseball Spring Training means a couple of things, residents of the North can look at sunny Florida and Arizona and be jealous and crazy numbers. Like pitchers and batters wearing numbers in the 50s and 60s.

During yesterdays UEFA Cup round of 32 game between Tottenham Hotspur and Shakhtar Donetsk, Spurs manager Harry Redknapp decided to pay homage to Spring Training and play a squad of players with numbers that soccer players never wear.

The squad

1 Heurelho Gomes
16 Chris Gunter
21 Pascal Chimbonda
6 Tom Huddlestone
11 Gilberto
17 Giovani Dos Santos
12 Wilson Palacios
24 Jamie O'Hara
3 Gareth Bale
18 Fraizer Campbell
80 Jonathan Obika

Substitutes

30 Oscar Jansson, 51 John Bostock, 52 Dean Parrett, 59 Calum Butcher, 67 Adam Smith, 77 Ryan Mason,81 Andros Townsend

Wow there is a 77, 80 (in the starting lineup), 51, 67, and an 81. I don't know if Harry thought he was managing a game in a little warmer climate or just did not care about the UEFA, we all know what the true answer is.

Its almost time to start shopping

While the Eagles made the NFC Championship game this year, people are still seeking improvements to the team and with the start of free agency on Friday fans of the eagles are all developing their wish list and I will be no different. The thing about developing a list is that its easy to just put all of the top ranked players on it, sure would I love to see Boldin wearing #81 in an Eagles, yes but lets be serious that is not going to happen. This list also assumes that Tra Thomas and B'Dawk will both be back with the birds.

So here is the Only Time Will Tell Eagles wish list

1. T. J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, Cincy: Would be perfect fit for the Eagles offense. Could open the field up more Jackson.
2. Reggie Williams, WR, Jacksonville: Another big receiver, has not been great with the Jags but has enough natural talent to warrant a look.
   
3. Leonard Weaver, FB, Seattle: Besides receiver the positions that the Eagles have never addressed is full back. I know its not a sexy signing, but it fills a hole and just think what Route 36 could do with a good lead blocker.
4. Maurice Morris, RB, Seattle: It seems like Buck is heading down the road and Morris would be the perfect one to give Route 36 a rest.

The wild card in this list is Julius Peppers. He has said there are only a couple of teams that he would like to play for is one of those teams the birds, I think that it might be. Remember a couple of years ago on the start of free agency the birds signed The Freak, could this be a similar situation, where the Eagles are doing all of their work behind the curtain. I really don't know, but you never know with this group.

Is he worth it?

For the last eight months Miami fans have thought that their offense next season would feature uber recruit Bryce Brown, but that appears to all changing over the last couple of weeks. First Brown decides not to sign with the 'Canes on National Signing Day, fine some people don't like signing on NSD, but then the fun starts.

First his advisor, Brian Butler, says that Brown is going to visit a ton of schools and Miami remained quiet at that time, but now it appears that the Brown's are getting mad that Canes are not showing him the proper the love.

I know that our struggling offense could use a jump start and Brown would be the perfect person to that, but at what cost. Is Brown going to continue to drag this out so no one knows what their offense is going to look like next season. Today, the Browns said that they are not going to visit Miami instead head to LSU.

This situation has gotten so out of control that most Canes fans could really care less what happens to the supremely talented running back. Remember what they say if you play with fire you could get burn and if Oregon, LSU, and Tennessee are going to continue to recruit him, they might not like how the story ends.

No more pimping of the Pompey

After getting beaten by the United State in a World Cup Qualifier, Sven is looking for a new job. Tom Cruise is trying to keep David from Milan in the United States.

Everything has Championship Logos on it

A walk around any store in the southern part of the state and you will see everything from hats, shirts, shoes, bumper stickers, and soda cans with Phillies World Series Champions logo, yes soda cans. I was walking around the local Shoprite with the wife and came across this sitting on the end cap, yes a championship logo on a soda can.

It takes me back to the days of the Wolf pack soda, I had. The soda remembered the great NC State basketball team that beat Houston in the National Championship game. Nothing says celebrating a championship like soda.

Look out Kobe and Lebron

Findlay Prep in Nevada is the one of the top five teams in prep basketball. At the start of the year, the team decided to make a version of the famous Air Force One commercial and it turned out ok. Compare the two for your self below.

Their version

Findlay Prep Nike Airforce Commercial Remake - The most amazing home videos are here

The Classic Version

Separate at Birth: Old School Style

Sometimes you watch a game and it hits you who a coach looks like, well that happened a couple of days ago, when I was watching the Villanova vs. Marquette game. I keep thinking who does Buzz Williams look like and then it hit me, MC Search.

Buzz Williams

MC Search

The pictures might not tell the complete story, so when you see Marquette on just take a minute and see how much Williams looks like Search.

Same ole story

Maybe North Carolina should start playing their home games at Cameron Indoor. Last night the Heels did what they do best win at Cameron Indoor, for the four straight year the Heels went into the so called toughest place to win and beat Duke again.

Oh it makes me feel so good to know that Duke fans are all questioning what is going on and with the classes that the Heels have coming in during the next couple of years this could go on for sometime.

And you thought the NBA and NHL were bad.

During the last couple of years, the NBA and the NHL have been know as coach killing leagues. You hire a coach and then after a run of 10 bad games or so they are shown the door. Now that is happening the Barclays Premier Leagues, coaches are going left and right.

First in September it was Alan Curbishley and Kevin Keegan being shown the door. In late October the Magic Juande was shown the door at Spurs. Premier League clubs took November off and then the manager changes started in early December when Roy Keane left Sunderland and Paul Ince was shown the door at Blackburn Rovers. Managers in the league were safe in January but come February it has been a different story, yesterday as Big Phil was shown the door at the Bridge and Pompey sent Tony Adams packing.

In a 20 team league, 8 teams have changed manager this season and with the situation at 'Boro and Manchester City there is no saying that number could not be higher by the end of the year.

Some of the tenures of the managers that are being axed are less then a year, I know this is going to sound craxy, but the reason that teams like Manchester United and Arsenal have dominated the last decade is that they have stability at manager. Sure Sir Alex and Mr. Wenger do it differently but the one thing they have in common is that they have been at their clubs long enough to install a system and stick to it.

Maybe teams should look at Arsenal and United to see what stability at manager can do for a club.

Wenger Got His Arshavin, LOL

The Special One questions Wenger on his shaving habits and Sven is doing hard work to get ready for Mexico's clash with the United States on Wednesday night. As usual its quality.

EPL Transfer Window: Winner and Losers

The transfer window has finally shut and some teams in the EPL made out better then other. Here is a list of teams that got better during the window and got worst during the meeting.

Winners:

• Aston Villa: They only made one signing but it was a great one. Emile Hesky (right) only cost 3.5 million pounds and gives Martin's gang another international quality striker. What else can you say about it.
• Wigan: Sure they sold a couple of players at huge profits, but their biggest deal might be bring in Hugo Rodallega. In his first couple of games Rodallega has come off the bench and given Wigan a spark.
  
• Chelsea: Watching them this year has been a couple bore, they lack imagination and width, but that now may change with the loan signing of Ricardo Quaresma. Sure he has not worked out at Inter so far, but he could give the Blues something that have lacked.
  
• Manchester City: Bellamy, De Jong, Given, and Bridge. Sure they spent a lot of money but in the end they got back quality.
  

Losers

• Liverpool: Let Robbie return to Spurs and did nothing to replace him. This is the problem with Rafa, there is never a back up plan.
  
• Arsenal: I know they spent a ton of money on the Russian Pele (right), but spending the same amount on De Jong might have been a better fit for the Gunners. They are still lacking that hard man in the midfield.

Different Year Same Story

Over the years National Signing Day has become one of the highlights of the college football season, but sometime you run out of things to write about and to take photos of, just ask the Athens Banner Herald.

National Signing Day 2009

National Signing Day 2008

So we get it, the Herald needed somewhere to go, but these pictures are almost the same. Come on a little more thought please.

Springdale Five: Where are they now

National Signing Day is a day for college football fans to look forward to the future, but sometimes that future is not so bright and doesn't turn out they you want it to.

No group of players better shows that then the Springdale Five. The Springdale Five were a group of five players from Springdale High School in Arkansas that went on to get Division 1 scholarships, but it has not turned into roses for them.

The biggest of the group was quarterback Mitch Mustain (pitcured above), the National Player of the Year. Mustain decided to stay at home and attend Arkansas with fellow Springdale Five member Damian Williams. The pair both started as freshman, but the summer before their sophomore years things started to go a little of the boil. Williams transferred to USC and Mustain and his mother got in a public fight with then Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt and then he decided to join Williams at USC.

Late last year, the first of the much-celebrated Springdale Five saw his playing days come to an end. Bartley Webb, the left tackle for Springdale High's 2005 state championship team, recently "retired" from college football. Webb, who took part in the 2006 U.S. Army All-American game in San Antonio and has been on scholarship at Notre Dame the past two seasons, underwent shoulder surgery after this past season. The injury was severe enough for Webb's career to come to an end, though he will continue on scholarship at Notre Dame and help as a coach.

Tight end Ben Cleveland has had an ok career at Arkansas, while the final member of the club Andrew Norman has had an ok career at Tusla.

Razorbacks fans thought that Williams and Mustain were going to lead them to the promise land in the SEC, but it all ended in the train wreck. So as college football fans celebrate the newest players in their program, remember this class might could turn out to be like the Springdale Five.