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Posted 03/24/2007 at 09:53 PM
I'll save us all the recap of another great few days of NCAA basketball. What I will take the time to do tonight is lay into some of my thoughts on the past few days. Because it's basketball related, we'll first talk about the coaching moves this week. I'm guessing that Tubby Smith was told to look for another job so that Kentucky could save some face by not firing him. I can't imagine why "Tele-Tubby" would choose to leave a premier program to take over at a second rate Big-10 school by choice. It's not that Minnesota can't win, it's just that they don't. It's a tough place to recruit kids and his competition is going to bury him for the first few years. This is bad for you Tubby, very bad.
Steve Alford left a job that Smith should have considered, Iowa. If lightning striking your plane in mid-flight (as it did Alford's this week), isn't that a sign you shouldn't be going somewhere? I'm sure Albuquerque is a nice place to live and raise a family which must be the only reason Alford fled. I can't think of another.
Before the tournament started, I wrote an article on how I wanted to see the best teams in the final four. So far, it looks like that might actually happen with Ohio State and UCLA punching tickets today. If Florida and Carolina can both win tomorrow (they're both favored), we'll have three number one seeds and a team that could have been a one seed. Not too shabby.
Off to the NBA where its time to wonder just how dominant Kobe Bryant really is. After four straight 50-point games, I'm starting to believe that Bryant could give Michael Jordan a challenge as the best player ever to step foot on the hardwood. It's almost a sin to consider that it's possible but I may do some more pondering on this topic.
Another topic to ponder is baseball's spring training. As if the baseball season isn't long enough, this extra month seems to me to be mostly a waste of time. Coaches will tell us that they use this month to get their players in shape and lay out their lineup and pitching rotations. I'll challenge that spring training does nothing but create injuries that force players to miss opening day. I guess you can say I'm bitter because I watched Dodgers shortshop Rafael Furcal go down with an injury and the Yankees look like they're going to go the first month without pitcher Chien Ming Wang. How about MLB tries this concept; players come to camp a week before the season already in shape and ready to play. Is that too much to ask?
Word out of South Florida is that University of Miami QB Kirby Freeman looks good. The problem is that he's throwing against his own defense. Now what does that say?
Need more action in Miami this week? Head over to the Doral where you can once again watch the greatest golfer in history run away with a title. That's right, I'm handing Tiger Woods the CA-Championship trophy on Saturday. If you think I shouldn't be doing that, let me know.
If Woods didn't have to play on Sunday, he'd likely be watching his new best friend Roger Federer at the Sony Ericsson Open. That tournament has barely started but I'll consider giving Federer the trophy now too. If you disagree, let me know.
I don't expect any emails this week.
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