DL549: Well, At Least It Was Close

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Nick and I talk first about the NCAA Title game, the commentators, the Tweeters and recap a pretty lackluster finale. We do talk about Jim Nantz’s inexplicable “dog fight” reference during the game and I pat myself on the back for almost nailing the Nantz-ism that ended the game.

Then Jon Tannenwald joins the show to talk more about the game and talk about the legacy Butler has created for itself. We use Butler to talk about the leveling of the NCAA basketball playing field, and how in now way are the Bulldogs anything like the Green Bay Packers, despite NFL PR head Greg Aiello trying to convince us of that.

Oh, yeah, I do break down the studio show in “basketball math” terms. It might be more entertaining than the game was.

Congrats to UConn. Thanks for listening.

DL548: Final Four, Logistics, MLB Openers & Is Mark Cuban Wrong About ESPN Tweeters?

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We start with a conversation about the Final Four and marvel at the fact that the UConn men’s team got to the title game and the women’s team didn’t? You know what I blame…Logistics. (if you haven’t been bombarded with the UPS Logistics ads featuring coaches — especially UConn women’s coach Geno Auriemma — you’re one of the lucky ones. I can’t wait for those ads to go away.)

We talk about VCU and Butler and wonder why some media folks suggested the ratings would be higher if VCU were in the game. Don’t we know the Butler players? Isn’t the fact that a team like Butler is in the title game the best story in college basketball in years? Isn’t the UConn run in March (and April) another great story? I’d be shocked if people were turned off by this title-game matchup.

Talkin’ Baseball

If the season ended today…

In all seriousness, should Boston and Tampa be worried at all? The season is a grind, but being in a division where every singleREAD MORE

Zoe (and Max) Picking Brackets

We do this every year and every year it seems Zoe’s bracket gets better. Well, Morehead State might prove her wrong…or prove ALL OF YOU WRONG.

Here’s Zoe (and Max) picking brackets. Happy basketball, everyone.

What’s On In Sports, Tonight: March 16th

Tonight is a great night.

Why? Gus Johnson begins his NCAA Tournament season on truTV this evening, calling the second half of the First Four games. The action begins at 6:30 with UTSA and Alabama State, and continues immediately after (around 9 p.m. EST) with USC vs. VCU. Normally, I would link to some videos of Gus’ most memorable calls, but the New York Times has already done that. If you haven’t checked out that collection yet, or read the profile of Johnson it accompanies, you should get out from under your rock and do so.

Now on to the rest of the field:

6 p.m.

ESPNU- WLAX: Georgetown at Johns Hopkins. Rob Simmelkjaer (PbP), Kristen Kjellman (Analyst).

6:40 p.m.

truTV- NCAA Tournament First Four: UTSA vs. Alabama State. Gus Johnson (PbP), Len Elmore (Analyst), Marty Snider (Sideline)

7 p.m.

ESPN2- Men’s NIT: Nebraska at Wichita State. Also available on ESPN3.com

7:30 p.m.

Versus- NHL: Washington Capitals at Detroit Red Wings.

8 p.m.

ESPN- NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Miami Heat. Mike Tirico (PbP), Hubie Brown (Analyst) Also available on ESPN3.com ESPNU- Men’s NIT: Bethune-Cookman at Virginia Tech. Beth MowinsREAD MORE

DL538: Bias, Chalk and Why I Already Hate My Bracket

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Nick and I run through the bracket and I basically have chalk. And I hate myself for it. Nick has a few more upsets than me. Listen along and don’t forget to join in on the bracket challenge at With Leather. (or follow this line of direction from Zerkle: If you’re hard-up for a bracket pool, join ours. The link is here and the password is “dukesucks”.)

You can’t not beat me.

Before our bracket breakdown we also talk about John Feinstein’s WashPost column ripping the NCAA committee for, well, everything. The lesson here: get better, ACC, so the writers in your area don’t put out columns that rip the selection committee for having a secret agenda, thus exposing the writer’s own secret agenda.

Madness!

DL537: Brackets, Networks, Announcers, Barkley, Bilas, Vitale, GUS, More

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What else today? Brackets!

This show is basically in two parts — the first part with Jon Tannenwald of Philly.com’s college hoops blog Soft Pretzel Logic and the second part with Nick — talking all about the brackets and the media coverage, including what announcers will be calling games on what networks, how we think Charles Barkley will and won’t fit into the telecast, Jay Bilas ostensibly lobbying to get himself on the NCAA Selection Committee, Dick Vitale’s annual rant for those who didn’t get in, Gus Johnson as an indie rock band and a whole lot more.

We get a little bit into the brackets and what we think could be some good matchups — including the Temple Penn State game that is a big deal around here and the balance of watching games live and still trying to catch the other games you care about on TV, something Nick will have to face on Thursday and Saturday in DC.

We also talk about whether you should fill out a bracket that’s chalk,READ MORE

DL535: Joke Referees, Villanova’s Madness, Tressel’s Cheating & Tiki’s TV Failure

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We have four topics today and while Jim Tressel is taking over every show in the world, we decided to start with actual sports first, then get into that whole cheating mess.

• First, Robin Van Persie called the referee that gave him a double yellow in Arsenal’s farewell Champions League match “a joke.” He actually said, “It’s just a joke. He’s been bad all evening. He’s been a joke all evening, whistling against us. I don’t know why he’s here tonight. I think it’s a joke.”

What happens to RVP, or his teammates who sarcastically tweets about how good a job the ref did? Sir Alex was slapped for questioning an EPL referee, but what does UEFA do about it? And how great is it when athletes just don’t care and say what they want? It’s really great.

• Next, we rip on Villanova. A lot. We also talk about ESPN putting the Big East women’s final on the mothership while the Big East men’s first round was on ESPNU. What do youREAD MORE

DL529: Down The Jim Calhoun NCAA Violation Rabbit Hole (Wait, That Sounds Bad)

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We spend (almost) the entire show talking about the NCAA’s ruling to suspend Connecticut head men’s basketball coach for three Big East…next year…for his role in a series of major recruiting violations.

We also take a look at some of the national reporters and pundits. Read along with us, friends!

• Here’s the official ruling from the NCAA.

• Let’s start with Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports:

No postseason ban.

That’s honestly all that matters.

Sure, UConn coach and Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun, he of two national championships, took a whack from the NCAA when the organization finally rendered its decision Tuesday afternoon, after a nearly two-year investigation.

Maybe a light slap on the wrist is a more appropriate term.

• Here’s ESPN’s Pat Forde:

On Tuesday, the NCAA Committee on Infractions knocked a chunk out of the Cult of the Head Coach by suspending Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun for three Big East games next basketball season. As penalties go, it’s not a haymaker — especially when you consider what all transpired at UConn in its recruitment and enrollment of formerREAD MORE

Jim Boeheim Thinks Being Tournament Tested Is “Bullshit”

I love Jim Boeheim. I want to hug the old curmudgeon sometimes. Eh, he’d probably just say it’s bullshit. From Tannenwald at Soft Pretzel Logic:

Reporter: You came up with an overtime win at home [against Rutgers on Saturday], and then a tough, tough game on the road here. Do games like this help you at this stage of the conference season?

Boeheim: I think that’s all [cow-based fertilizer], you know. All that stuff, it’s all [cow-based fertilizer]. We could play next week and get in the same game next week and lose. We could have ten of these in a row and win them, then get in a tournament and have one and you lose it. It’s all [cow-based fertilizer].

Tannenwald certainly transcribed this answer for a PG crowd. Make no mistake, the “bullshit” was flying from the acerbic coach last night.

Now, obviously Boeheim doesn’t believe it’s all bullshit. Surely, winning these close games is great now and gives the team a load of confidence, but it doesn’t mean a whole heap of anything come NCAA TournamentREAD MORE

DL512: Plowed In. Jimmer. Hoops Family. Eating In-Show Crow. Federer. Steelers Knockoffs. Snow.

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I bitch about getting plowed in. Nick and I talk about the San Diego State-BYU game and he makes me eat a ton of in-show crow for watching part of one game and deciding there’s no way SDSU is the fourth-best team in the country. Totally not fair and I deserve the crow I’m fed. (Note: I still don’t believe it, but he’s right to call me out.)

We talk about Gary Parrish’s heart-wrenching story of Thomas Robinson of Kansas, and his sister Jayla, who lost everyone in their family last week. What should the NCAA do, if anything, to help?

Roger Federer lost while we were taping, so we touch on that, and what it means for the Aussie and for tennis in general this year that Nadal and Federer aren’t even in the final.

We talk about the next in a long line of stories where the little guy company tries to make the NFL look like a tyrannical, heartless machine. In this case, the company in Pittsburgh that keeps makingREAD MORE