Kurt has still got it?

Why retire when you could have an amazing touchdown dance with Larry Fitzgerald like this. This is what you learn in Arena Football!

Tim Tebow Told to Shut Up

I know that one of the most polarizing character in college football in years is Tim Tebow. I sniffed at the possibility of the Packers picking him and got shot down. Again, I don't want to pick him in the first few rounds I just think he could be a late round gamble that could pay off.

Anyway to satisfy the Tebow hate, I thought you would show you this article. Apparently Tim Tebow tried to lead a prayer before the Wonderlic and another player told him, "Shut the F#$@ up!" The whole room erupted in laughter.

Needless to say his in your face religious ways may not go over as smooth as Florida. I still think he is the most interesting pick of the draft to see where he is drafted will be a fun story to follow.

I Love Basketball

This guy is one of the best interviews I have ever seen. Maybe Bo Ryan should watch this kid for tips on how to improve his interview skills.

Bill Simmons Milwaukee Bucks Diary

Bill Simmons wrote his play-by-play of the Milwaukee Bucks game the other night. It was not only extremely entertaining to read but "The Sports Guy" gave the Milwaukee Bucks some big complements and sees them being trouble during the playoffs.

Song Made Entirely From Caddyshack Lines

I really like this song, it also gets me a golf article that isn't Tiger...

Enjoy...

Josh Smith Likes To Touch Mike Bibby

The Hawks couldn't handle the Bucks last night, but from this video it is obvious it is not because of lack of team chemistry.

Banged Up Spartans To Face Up-and-Coming Panthers

On Friday the Michigan State Spartans and the Northern Iowa Panthers square off in a sweet sixteen match-up that looks to be an exciting game.

Both teams are coming off wins sealed by huge shots with just seconds remaining in the game: Korie Lucious nailed a buzzer-beater three to win over Maryland and Ali Farokhmanesh hit a huge three with less than 30 seconds left to put NIU out of Kansas' reach.

Michigan State, however, faces some problems coming into this game.

Kalin Lucas, point guard and last year's Big Ten Player of the Year, went down in the Maryland game with an ankle injury.

Prior to an Lucas receiving an MRI, Spartan head coach Tom Izzo stated that regardless of the outcome Lucas would almost certainly not be playing in the Northern Iowa game.

The MRI this morning confirmed that Lucas has sustained a ruptured Achilles tendon, an injury that will keep him out of basketball for 4-6 months.

This leaves Korie Lucious, the hero form the Maryland game, to run the point for the Spartans. On the season, Lucious averages 21 minutes and 5 points per game, down considerably from Lucas' averages of 31 minutes and 15 points.

As if losing Lucas isn't enough, Michigan State has injuries in other areas as well.

Chris Allen played just four minutes against Maryland with an injury to the arch of his foot. Raymar Morgan is nursing a broken tooth, and Delvon Roe has been playing on a surgically repaired knee for some time now.

Draymond Green becomes a huge factor for the Spartans. He and big man Durell Summers will need to step up to take some of the weight off Lucious' shoulders.

Northern Iowa, conversely, is healthy...and they will need to be. Michigan State, even while injured, is much more athletic than NIU.

The Panthers need to stay on their hot streak and rely on outside shooting from Ali Farokhmanesh and the inside presence of Jordan Eglseder.

If NIU can slow down the potent offense of Michigan State they have a very realistic chance in this game (ESPN has already picked them over the depleted Spartans).

Northern Iowa is one of the four remaining teams who are at least a 9 seed. (#10 St. Mary's, #11 Washington, and #12 Cornell the others)

Michigan State, in the sweet sixteen for the ninth time in thirteen seasons, is two wins away from a nation-high sixth appearance in the Final Four since 1999.

Coach Izzo gave some insight on his team's injuries and the upcoming game:

"We've got a 'MASH' unit," Izzo said. "The bottom of Chris' foot is purple, Delvon is playing on one leg and Raymar looks like a hockey player with his tooth cut in half. We think we can get Chris back -- after showing toughness we've never seen from him -- and we'll hold Delvon out of practice to let him rest as much as we can."


"We're going to need everybody we have in uniform to step up," Izzo said. "There were times we had two walk-ons, a freshman and a sophomore on the court Sunday and that probably won't be the last time in the tournament. Northern Iowa is good, but thank God they're not a team that presses like Maryland."

Childress Has Different Favre Strategy

Minnesota Vikings' coach Brad Childress has decided to go a different route than the Green Bay Packers in dealing with Brett Favre's indecisiveness. Instead of rushing Favre into a decision, Childress has told Favre he can take as long as he wants to decide on whether he is going to come back.

Childress believes that rushing Favre into a decision may led him into retirement, after hearing his reasoning for coming back after retiring from the Packers the first time. Childress believes that with Favre they are a Super Bowl caliber team and without him they probably miss the playoffs. Instead of focusing on an eventual future plan for life after Favre, it seems the Vikings have put all their eggs in Favre's return basket.

It will be interesting to see if the Vikings use their draft picks to pick a quarterback for the future in this April's draft. If Vikings wait until August and Favre comes back they could be a Super Bowl favorite. But if Favre does decide to retire in August, the Vikings will be desperately searching for the last piece they need for their strong team to make it to the Super Bowl.

Once again, another off-season that will be filled with Favre news...

Tiger's New Interview

Tiger Woods did an interview with ESPN to continue his huge uphill battle to fix his image. What I think he did is just continue to not answer any questions. Half of his answers in this interview were no comment, or that is between my wife and I.

I have no problem with Tiger Woods not telling everything about that day but sometimes I guess I don't get why he would do this interview and really say nothing. If you want to completely fix your image you have to be completely straight with others. But to be honest he is going half way but what is happening is that he is making it worse.

My favorite question in the interview is when Tom Rinaldi asks Tiger, why he made the public apology it was just a personal issue after Tiger didn't answer any of his questions.

Another Game.... Another Last Second Shot

Milwaukee native Korie Lucious comes up big for the Spartans! I guess Izzo is happy he didn't finish his timeout call!

Scrub takes it Hard

This has to be my favorite video of the tournament, not because it is of a huge upset where a small school beat a powerful Kansas. The reason is that the man who can not be dragged of the floor had as much to do with the game as the water boy.

It is very common to see a player that happens to lose the game for his team by missing free throws to stay on the ground and cry. I can't say I don't understand but sometimes players that don't play great cry. In rare occasions a role player- Tim Jarusmzesque player will cry and people will question it.

But this is epically the funniest person to not be able to drag off the floor. Mario Little, a redshirt senior.... Does that even exist? Yes it does for players this bad. Little has been redshirted as a senior and has not gotten a single minute during the season. However when they are upset by Northern Iowa he is the one the team has to console. This is epic and probably my favorite video of March Madness.

It's like if when the Milwaukee Bucks lost in the 2000 playoffs, George Karl had to drag Joel Przybilla off the court. ENJOY!

Top Seed Kansas Hits The Showers Early

The number 1 overall seed Kansas Jayhawks were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament yesterday by an unlikely opponent, the 9th seeded Northern Iowa Panthers.

The Jayhawks' opening basket and the 2-0 lead that followed lasted just 56 seconds. It proved to be the only time Kansas lead Northern Iowa.

Early in the first half the Panthers took an eight point lead, and maintained at least a 4 point lead for the rest of the half. Northern Iowa went into the half up 36-28.

In the second half the Panthers quickly built upon their lead, going on top by 12 at one point, the largest lead Kansas had surrendered to this point in the tournament. 

Kansas, however, was the overall number 1 seed for a reason.

With around five minutes to play Kansas went on a run, pulling the scoring-gap to within three points by the three minute mark.

With a minute to play, Kansas made a basket to make the score 63-62.

UNI responded in monumental fashion.

Ali Farokhmanesh brought the ball down the court for Northern Iowa, found himself left alone, and drained a three-pointer to put the Panthers up four points.

Kansas guard Sherron Collins was called for an offensive foul on the next possession and UNI was able to connect on one of the free throws. 

After another missed basket and foul for Kansas, Farokhmanesh sealed the game by hitting two free throws, making Marcus Morris' buzzer-beating three-pointer irrelevant, the final score 69-67 in favor of the Panthers.

This game was a huge upset, as Kansas was heavily favored to go deep into the tournament. The top ESPN analysts all had Kansas in the final four, and many of them picked Kansas to win it all. Sports Illustrated had Kansas as their champion.


Kansas becomes the first number one seed to lose before the sweet 16 since 2004, when both Kentucky and Stanford fell in the round of 32. This also marks the 13th time a number one seed has fallen in the second round, the third time it has happened to Kansas.


Northern Iowa becomes the first Missouri Valley tournament champion to reach the sweet 16 since 1979 when the  Indiana State Sycamores, led by the now NBA Hall-of-Famer Larry Byrd, went there and beyond, eventually losing in the National Championship to Michigan State.


Farokhmanesh's huge three at the end of the game was not the first big shot he has hit in this tournament. In the first round, UNI was tied with UNLV with just seconds to play. Farokhmanesh nailed a deep three to win it for the Panthers.


In the first two games of the tournament Farokhmanesh has amassed 33 points, and has hit 9 threes out of 19 attempts, none bigger than the game-changing threes to end both tournament games.

Personally, I would love to see this underdog UNI team keep rolling - forget my bracket (which is still in decent shape despite the Kansas loss).


UNI's next challenge will be decided today when #4 Maryland and #5 Michigan State square off.

2010 NCAA Tournament, Round 1: Madness Indeed!

When I first saw this year's NCAA Tournament bracket, I couldn't help but think this was one of the weakest fields of 65 I have ever seen, with the absences of teams such as North Carolina (last year's champions), Connecticut, Memphis and Virginia Tech.

Despite this seemingly skimpy playing field, the first round of March Madness was one of the most thrilling and exciting in recent memory.

Three games went into overtime, with one of those heading to double overtime.

Nine games were decided by five points or less, and 10 games saw the lower seed advancing to the round of 32.

Here's some observations from the first round:



Newcomers


The Southern Conference Champion Wofford Terriers and SWAC Champion Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions made their first ever NCAA Tournament appearances.

Ark-Pine Bluff won the play-in game against Winthrop and earned the right to take on #1 seed Duke, who proceeded to quickly diminish any hopes of a second tournament win for the Golden Lions, beating them 73-44.


#13 Wofford, in its first tournament appearance, drew the 4th seeded Wisconsin Badgers.

In a game that was much too close for my liking, Wofford fought back from a ten point deficit to take their first lead of the game with around five minutes left.


Jon Leuer, however, proved to be too much for the Terriors.

With less than 30 seconds remaining, Leuer hit a baseline jumper to put the Badgers up 51-49. After a Terrior turnover Leuer was fouled and hit both free throws to seal the victory for the Badgers.




Major Upsets

#14 Ohio over #3 Georgetown

Georgetown looked great heading into the tournament. They lost in the Big East Tourney Championship Game on a shot by West Virginia's DeShaun Butler in the closing moments of the game.

Ohio, on the other hand, had a losing conference record this season and was seeded ninth in the MAC Conference Tournament.

Despite the daunting challenge, Ohio came out with guns blazing. Armon Bassett dropped 32 points as the Bobcats toppled the Hoyas in convincing fashion, 97-83, wreaking havoc on brackets all over the country.

The win was the first tournament win for Ohio since 1983, when as a 14 seed they knocked off the third seeded Kentucky Wildcats.

#13 Murray State over #4 Vanderbilt

Danero Thomas. You had probably never heard of him before this game.

Expect to see his game-winning shot over and over in future March Madness commercials.

The inbound play that led to Thomas' winning shot was intended for the Racers' star Isaac Miles. Instead, Thomas, the third option on the play, received the pass and proceeded to shock Vanderbilt, 66-65.

This upset marks the second time in three years that Vanderbilt stumbled in the first round as a four seed. (In 2008 they lost to Sienna)



Close Call

#2 Villanova over #15 Robert Morris

Villanova needed overtime to put away the Colonials.




Scottie Reynolds, Villanova's star point guard, shot abysmally from the field the entire game, going 2-for-15 (13%).

He made up for it in the closing minutes of the game by drawing fouls and sinking his free throws, as the Wildcats went on an 11-3 scoring run to end regulation and force overtime. Reynolds made 15 of 16 free throw attempts on his way to 20 points.

Nova escaped becoming just the fifth 2 seed ever to lose to a 15 seed in tournament history.

Murray State Defeats Vandy

Another game, another upset

Old Dominion Beat Notre Dame, Harangody Pats Stats

First upset of tournament...

Get Off Your Knees Ref...

The Blackhawks trip to California for back to back tilts with the Ducks and Kings is now half way over. Their nightmarish 4-2 loss to the ducks showcased what has been called some of the officiating of the season, but the greater loss was Olympian D-man Brent Seabrook. Word on Seabrook's condition is still unknown, but it's said he's nursing a concussion. Seabrook left the game during the second period after taking a dirty hit from former teammate James Wisniewski. Take a look at the hit that somehow didn't result in a power play...

And then take a look at a shove from behind that somehow didn't result in any penalty at all, and led to the Duck's go ahead goal...

South Park Takes On Tiger Woods

Here you go, South Park takes on Tiger Woods.

Packers Unveil New Alternate Jerseys

Nick Collins, Brad Jones, and Jordy Nelson recently showed off the new Packer alternate jerseys at the 2010 Packer Fan Festival.

The new jersey is reminiscent of the Packers' 1929 jersey, with slight modifications to conform to new NFL guidelines.

Alternate jerseys can be worn up to 3 times a season (twice at home, once on the road) and can be used for a period of up to five years.

Packer CEO Mark Murphy stated that the Packers would likely wear the jerseys just once this season, but said to expect to see it over the next few years.

WCHA Final Five

This is one of the most competitive and highly-ranked fields in the 23-year history of the WCHA Final Five Playoff Championship. One consisting of the nation's No. 1 team in Denver, the nation's No. 3 team in Wisconsin, No. 6 St. Cloud State, No. 5 North Dakota and No. 11-ranked Minnesota Duluth who all head to Saint Paul this week for the 2010 Red Baron WCHA Final Five, to be held Thursday-Saturday.

All five of these teams have at least 22 victories overall this season and those five clubs also finished first, second, third, fourth and fifth respectively in the WCHA during the regular season.

WCHA regular season and MacNaughton Cup champion, Denver (27-7-4), is the No. 1 seed for the league playoff championship, second place regular season finisher Wisconsin (24-9-4) is the No. 2 seed, St. Cloud State (22-12-5) is the No. 3 seed, North Dakota (22-12-5) is the No. 4 seed and defending WCHA Final Five and Broadmoor Trophy champion, Minnesota Duluth (22-16-1), is the No. 5 seed.

Although the tournament will be without the home town Gophers this year, it should still make for a very interesting finish with such a talented field and also more of a variety of colors in the stands. The UMD Bulldogs will take on the Fighting Souix this Thursday night for the play in game at 7:07pm Ct. time.

Both teams will try to match what the Bulldogs did last year when Minn. Duluth became the first play-in team to ever win the tournament.

Lets get some feedback on this.. leave some of your picks and further comments!

A Snapshot of the Top of the Western Conference

With the conclusion of the 2010 Winter Olympics it’s time for the world’s best hockey players to return to the NHL and head down the home stretch to the playoffs. As of now the top eight Western Conference teams are the Sharks, Blackhawks, Canucks, Coyotes, Kings, Avalanche, Predators, and the Redwings. While these teams are by no means locked into their position and shake ups in the best of West are inevitable, here’s a few strengths and weaknesses of the elite eight.

Sharks

· The Sharks are (and have been for the majority of the season) leading the West anchored by arguably the best offensive line in the NHL with Thorton, Heatley, and Marleau. The only worry plaguing shark fans is an embarrassing first round play off loss to the Anaheim Ducks in the 08-09 season bringing a seemingly premature end to their once promising season.

Blackhawks

· This skilled young team anchored by their six Olympians has shined all season and is a shoe in for a 1 or 2 seed in the west. Also the return top enforcer and former badger Adam Burish adds some much needed grit and energy to the squad. However, their goaltending tandem of Cristobal Huet and newcomer Anti Niemi leave the Chicago hopeful skeptical that the hawks will win their first Stanley Cup since 1961

Canucks

· This gritty and strong Canadian squad leads the Northwest division winning six of their last eight. They’ll head into the playoffs lead by their gold medal netminder Roberto Luongo. Despite their strong finishes the fraternal duo of Henrik and Daniel Sedin have been uncharacteristically quiet as of late tickling the twine only once in their last 11 games on an empty net.

Coyotes

· The coyotes are a solid team, there’s no question about it, but with red hot Ilya Bryzgalov tending the twine who wouldn’t be? He’s set a franchise record with 34 wins this season for the hungry coyotes. Without much depth elsewhere, Phoenix may find problems down the stretch having no real stars and only one skater with 50 points or more.

Kings

· The Kings are a skilled young team with an average age of 23. They play a fast paced style of hockey and goal tender Jonathon Quick boasts a league high 37 wins. In order to make a run late into the season the Kings will need to step up their 22^nd ranked penalty kill.

Avalanche

· While Avalanche haven’t exactly shined since their return from the Olympic break with a 2-2 record the Avs have shocked haters and established themselves as a powerful team in 2010. A major key for this former NHL super power is just getting pucks to the net. Averaging only 27.1 shots per game, the Avs are worst in the league.

Predators

· The predators are a team with good depth and skill throughout. They also have decent support in the net between Pekka Rinne and Dan Ellis, but, much like the Coyotes they lack a star player to lead the team deep into season. They also struggle on the penalty kill with only the lowly Maple Leaves acting as a buffer between them and the worst PK in the league

Red Wings

· The Red Wings are on track to loose their division for the first time in almost a decade to the mighty Blackhawks due to a plague of injuries to key players. While they may be on the playoff bubble in the West if they can maintain their position they’ll be sure to give the top seed a very difficult first round.

New Guy

Hello to the Two Cents nation. I'm Kevin Kennedy, freshman at UW Madison and potential journalism major. I'm super excited to be a part of Two Cents From the Nosebleeds and I look forward to contributing to the site. I was born and raised in the Northern suburbs of Chicago making me a Cubs, Bears, Bulls, Badgers and (most of all) Blackhawks fan.

Most of my posts will probably relate to what I know most about, which is hockey and the NHL. Don't worry Brewer fans, I won't be commenting much on the Cubs. One of my major goals is to bring new perspectives on hockey especially to those who may not watch a whole lot of it.

I understand it's not nearly as mainstream as football, basketball, or baseball but when you start to watch it you really get hooked on it. Hockey is an exciting sport and I look forward to posting all about it here, mostly at the professional and collegiate levels. Having said that, I look forward to reacting and hearing your reactions. More to come soon Two Cents Nation...

Brandon Jennings Will Protect this House!

Nice Under Armor commerical, giving some Milwaukee love! As much as it has been an up and down season for Jennings there is no way you can ignore how much he helps open the floor for the Bucks! Still think one of the most valuable rookies on the best team out of the other leading ROY candidates.

Bucks Finally Getting National Attention

The slogan "Fear the Deer" is echoing in the heads of the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics, two of the probable first round opponents for the Milwaukee Bucks heading into this years playoffs. The Celtics came to town on Tuesday and expected to get an easy win with their physical play and star power. Well, the Bucks did not back down. They outmatched the Celtics for an 86-84 victory in which the Celtics' aging veterans came up short down the stretch. Remember the Bulls-Celtics classic 7 game playoff series a year ago?

Well this easily has the potential to match it. The Bucks are the hottest team in the Eastern conference, with their only blemish in the last 13 games coming in Atlanta against a superhuman Joe Johnson led Hawks' team in a game that went into OT. Surely the physical team-oriented style of play can not be something the Hawks or Celtics wish to see in the first round of the playoffs, especially after these recent games against the Bucks.

However, the Bucks get two more shots at Atlanta at home to see just how well they matchup against the Hawks, and have one home and one away game remaining against the Celtics. I strongly recommend checking out the Bucks-Clippers game Wednesday on ESPN at 8:30 if you had not had the chance to see the team play at all this year.

Check out these articles on the Bucks for additional info:
Sekou Smith talks about how the Bucks and Bobcats will be scary come playoff time
Bucks rank 11 in NBA.com Power Rankings, other sites have them even higher
For instance, ESPN.com has the Bucks up the 8th spot, 3rd highest team in the East
Brew Hoop explains the bigger picture for the Bucks

Steve Francis Picks His Nose

Bogut Named Eastern Conference Play of The Week

Andrew Bogut has received the Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor. The Bucks are the talk of the NBA and are starting to get the recognition for it. Experts see the Bucks' stock rising and the Hawks and Celtics stock falling. Many predict that the streaking Bucks may even catch the Celtics and take over home court advantage. Its an exciting time to be a Milwaukee Bucks fan, as weird as that sounds!

FEAR THE DEER!

Inspiring Story

While many know that Trevon Hughes is a Queens point guard who spent a few years at a Wisconsin High School, few know the whole story. I can say that I am a pretty avid Badger fan and was a little awed and inspired when reading Hughes' story in the NY Daily News.

Hughes was able to defy all odds and stay out of the trouble that most in his crowd he hung with in Queens had to deal with. As a 14 year old through talking to his AAU coach and his mother, Hughes decided to leave the streets of Queens and give a military school in Wisconsin a try. Hughes says, "he was tricked," but through some inspiring words from his grandpa, he decided to listen to his mother and go to St. John's Military Academy in Delafield.

Despite hating his new military life the Queens' boy understood his future was more important and this was his way of accomplishing his dream. Now this is a wonderful story that hopefully for Badger fans can end in a Final Four!

Wisconsin Man Says Packers Saved His Life

Check out this ESPN article here.

Amazing Ending

Evan Turner may have just locked the player of the year with this shot! I still don't get how there is no pressure on him, but either way amazing shot!

Gomez's Concentration is Key

Carlos Gomez' concentration this season will be key, thank God girls don't dress like this is in Wisconsin

Nomar Retires

Nomar Garciaparra, best known for his quirky batting stance and superstitions at the plate, retired today after signing a one-day minor league contract with the Redsox. Nomar's best playing days came in his nine seasons in Boston, winning the rookie of the year in 1997 and batting titles in 1999 and 2000. With the Sox, he hit .323 with 178 homeruns and 690 RBIs.

The trade that sent him the Chicago Cubs in 2004 was controversial, given his enormous popularity in Redsox Nation, but vaulted the Redsox to their first World Series title since 1918. Though he didn't play on that team, the Redsox players voted to also get a ring him. Nomar finished out his career with the Cubs, Dodgers, and A's, making the All-Star team once, in 2006, but mostly riddled with injuries. He will continue to follow baseball, as he will be a baseball analyst on ESPN.

Batting Stance guy imitating Nomar:

Sports Science Shows How Much Shaq Sucks

This is funny to me, I love Sports Science.

Notre Dame may consider Big Ten after all

It appears that there is still hope for the Big Ten to get Notre Dame to join the league. Though Notre Dame still wants to stay independent, they claim they would have to at least consider a change if big changes are made in the Big Ten, Pac-10, and in effect, the Big East. Check out the article here!

Bowl Game at Yankee Stadium?

The Yankees announced Tuesday that Yankee Stadium will be host to the "Pinstripe Bowl" starting this year on Dec. 30. The 3rd place team from the Big East will play the 6th place Big 12 team.

As a baseball fan, this disgusts me. Yankee Stadium, whether you like the Yanks or not, is all about BASEBALL, and nothing else. It's the hallowed ground of the sport. Football doesn't belong there. The Yankees are just using this as yet another way to bring in revenue. What makes it even more pathetic is that it's going to be a sub-par match up. If we based it off of this past year's standings, it would be West Virginia vs. Kansas St. or Missouri. Not exactly the type of classic game I'd head to Yankee Stadium to watch.

More Bucks

ESPN just released an article explaining how the Celtics would not want to matchup with the Bucks first round. It is clear that people are noticing that this 10 of 11 streak is no fluke and that this gritty hard nose team is here to stay. The way things are looking the Bucks are playing their way into solidifying this 5 seed and whoever they face, Atlanta or Boston it looks like it will be a great series.

With Salmons, Bogut, Jennings, and Delfino this team looks as though they have a number of different scorers they can count on down the stretch. I am on the Bucks bandwagon and seem them pushing the first playoff series to 7 and maybe pulling of an upset.

What a turnaround this year would be.... from being one of the worst teams in the NBA to winning a playoff series...

Bucks Gain Respect

The Bucks have now won 10 of 11 games, including victories over Cleveland and Boston. Many people are saying that the victory over Cleveland isn't as big without James but isn't this a TEAM that is supposed to win the Finals? Clearly the supporting cast Danny Ferry brought in was raved about so why should a victory over them be diminished?

The only blemish on their last 11 games was an OT loss to the 4th place Atlanta Hawks because of a superhuman effort by Joe Johnson down the stretch. Despite this, the Bucks still had not gotten respect until their victory tonight. Boston had no injury excuses, and if anything, the Bucks could say they would have won by more if they had Jerry Stackhouse at their disposal.

The point is that the Bucks progress has finally been accepted, and they are the team no one wants to play in the first round. They play on ESPN on March 17th against the Clippers, a team they could man handle on national television. It appears the Bucks recent play could even allow them to climb to the fourth seed and claim home court advantage in a first round matchup, something that would be huge considering they are 21-9 at home and 13-20 on the road.

Manny Pacquiao Shows His Soft Side

Is this why Floyd Mayweather didn't want to fight him?

Buzz Williams Can Dance

Well it seems as though Buzz can do more than just coach. He has become a Youtube sensation, who else seen Buzz Williams say YEAAA!!! Boom goes the Golden Eagle!

Leuer Wins Big Ten Player of the Week

Jon Leuer was last week's Big Ten Player of the Week after his impressive performances against Iowa and Illinois. Over the two games Leuer amassed 38 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks.

This is Leuer's first Big Ten POTW of his career, and the second POTW the Badgers have earned this year (Trevon Hughes in December being the other).

The Badgers take the court on Friday in the Big Ten Tournament, playing the Illini for the second straight game.

More Fielder/Zito Talk

A little reaction from Mike and Mike in the Morning on Prince Fielder getting hit by a pitch... (If you can't see the video click here)

Braun and Fielder

ESPN recently released an article featuring Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. You can check it out here.

Giants "Retaliate" for Fielder's HR celebration

After an entire offseason to get over it, the Giants are still unhappy with Prince Fielder's "bowling pin/explosion" home run celebration. With his first pitch to Fielder today in the Brewers' first spring training contest, Giants Pitcher Barry Zito hit Fielder square in the back. Really? Is this still an issue? Fielder and the Brewers were just having fun. They weren't trying to show up the Giants, they were just excited to walk off with a win.

How did Fielder feel about it afterwards? Here's his thoughts via JSOnline:

I asked Prince if he thought the celebration was worth taking one in the back.

"Hell yeah," Fielder said. "That's something I did with me and my teammates. It has nothing to do with them.

"You're damn right it was worth it."

There is no reason the Giants need to retaliate, much less 6 MONTHS after the fact. I mean, they aren't ten years old, they need to suck it up and get over it. At least Fielder was good about, as he just picked up the ball and gave it back to Zito, without saying a word. He even got a good laugh about it with 1st base coach Ed Sedar. I was always a fan of Giants manager Bruce Bochy but today changed my opinion. Stay classy, San Francisco.

Fan Dunk Contest

Doesn't this sound like the best idea ever, fan slam dunk contest... Guess this video is the reason why it hasn't caught on and probably won't ever happen again...

New Overtime Rule Proposal in the NFL

The NFL has recently released a proposal for new rulings to determine the outcome of a tied game.

Oh, and Donovan McNabb, under these proposed rulings, a regular season game can still end in overtime!





The Current Rule


Currently, the NFL operates overtime with a sudden-death rule: the first team to score wins.

At the onset of overtime, a coin toss takes place, with the visiting team given the opportunity to call the toss.

From then on the game is played regularly until the 15 minute overtime period is complete (in regular season games).

In playoff games and the Super Bowl, 15 minute overtime periods are played until a team scores, ending the game.

Theses overtime rules have been scrutinized and criticized, as many overtime games end with only one team ever having possession of the ball.

The Proposed Rule

The format would be similar with a slight change.

Overtime would again be a 15 minute period (more if necessary in post-season games). A coin toss would take place to determine possession, followed by a kick-off to begin the period.

Here’s where the changes start.

If the first team to score points does so by scoring a touchdown, the game would be over. BUT if the first team to score does so by means of a field goal, the opposing team would be given a possession to match or surpass that score.

This new proposed rule would eliminate what often happens in overtime: a decent kickoff return followed by a short, 40 yard drive which leads to a game-winning field goal.

The possibility for only one team to have possession the entire overtime still exists, but that team must score a touchdown on their opening drive for that scenario to take place.

While this is the NFL’s proposed plan, other plans have arisen on the internet. Here are some that I found interesting.

The College Rule

In college football, each team is given the ball on its opponent’s 25 yard line on alternating possessions.

The teams will alternate possessions until one team can’t match the score of its opponent.
Under this system, while each team is given equal opportunities to score, I feel this takes out an important part of football: special teams.

Under the college system, there is no chance for a great kickoff team to pin the opponent deep or a great return game to set up the offense with excellent field position.

Special teams are often overlooked, and therefore can often be keys to victory.

Modified sudden death

This version states that if the first team to score does so with a touchdown, the opponent would get one possession to match that touchdown.

If both teams score touchdowns on the opening drive, the game would then become sudden death with the next team to score deemed the winner.

While this version brings the special teams back into play, it still has the sudden-death situation, the factor complained about in the current ruling.

The shootout

This version is similar to the college rule, with one small change…

1st and goal from the 10.

And you have to go for two when you score a touchdown.

This version, while quite possibly very exciting, would not only take away the special teams aspect, but would automatically put defenses’ backs against the wall from the onset of overtime.

In the pass-happy score-happy league the NFL is evolving into, this may be a legitimate possibility one day.


Tell us what you think!

Do you like the current NFL overtime ruling? Do you like the proposed change? Let your voice be heard…

NHL in Milwaukee?

This article is also posted here on the Bleacher Report.

Milwaukee showed an incredible interest in the USA vs. Canada gold medal game in the Vancouver Olympics. Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Minneapolis were the only cities with higher ratings during the gold medal game.

You'll notice those top four cities currently have NHL teams.

In 1990 Milwaukee withdrew a bid for an NHL team. Can Milwaukee host an NHL team today? Several factors contribute to the decision.

The Bradley Center:
One of the main issues with the Bradley Center is its age.

Opened in 1988, it is currently the 4th oldest NBA stadium in use today, behind Madison Square Gardens (renovating this year), the Oracle Arena (recently renovated), and the Izod Center (soon to be replaced).

With this old age comes problems, including outdated video boards, sound/light systems, and heating/cooling/ventilation systems. The Bradley Center also lacks club seating and has poor parking availability.

When set for hockey the Bradley Center can hold almost 18,000 fans, which is similar to other NHL franchises. The lack of club seating, however, differs from the majority of stadiums in use today.

Last year Governor Doyle included a provision in the capitol budget that sought $5 million to renovate the Bradley Center. The BC's board of directors estimated a need of $23 million, and agreed to raise the remaining $18 million on their own.

The Bradley Center is currently home to The Milwaukee Bucks, The Marquette Golden Eagles, and the Milwaukee Admirals. Adding another team could cause many more scheduling issues, especially with the addition of a second hockey team.


The Milwaukee Admirals:
The Admirals (the AHL affiliate team of the Nashville Predators) currently calls Milwaukee home. Should an NHL team be added, the Admirals would likely need to move. As I said before, scheduling conflicts could become an issue.




Personally, I think an NHL team would easily be as successful in Milwaukee as in a city such as Tampa Bay, which currently is home to the Lightning.

Anyone else want a rubber match?

This was probably one of the most exciting hockey games I have ever seen, despite being upset with the finish. If you didn't know, Canada beat Team U.S.A 3-2 when Sidney Crosby scored 7 minutes and 40 seconds into O.T. The goal came from Jerome Iginla who was being pushed to the ice when he slid the puck past an out stretched Brian Rafalski. Sid then rifled it through the legs of the U.S. goaltender, Ryan Miller.

The game started off looking as if Canada would run away with the gold after going up 2-0 early in the second period. Canada started things off in the first period with a US turnover just to the left of Ryan Miller. There was a shot and then a rebound which landed right on the stick of the Chicago Blackhawks captain, Jonathan Toews, who shot just over the pad of an out stretched Miller; virtually a wide open net. Canada's Corey Perry then scored yet another rebound goal 6 minutes and 46 seconds into the second period, one second after Eric Staal stepped out of the penalty box.

But with 7 minutes and 16 seconds left to go in the period Ryan Kessler deflected a Patrick Kane shot past Roberto Luongo. The intensity of the game ratcheted up exponentially after the Kessler goal, energizing Team U.S.A. Also shifting momentum to the U.S. was when Canada missed a great chance to put a so called, "Wayne Larrivee dagger" in the U.S. back when Dan Boyle’s brilliant pass sent Eric Staal in alone with 53 seconds left in the period, but Stahl’s shot went high and wide. The shots were nearly even, with Canada holding a 25-23 advantage after two.

The third period started with Canada hitting back to back pipes, keeping Team USA in the game. The rest of the period would be a stand off between Miller and Luongo shutting down shot after shot. With two minutes to go Sidney Crosby grabbed a US turnover and shot the other way on a clear breakaway, only to have an amazing effort of a backchecking Patrick Kane to catch up to him and lodge the puck from Crosby's stick. Just 30 seconds later Team U.S.A pulled Miller and sent on an extra attacker. With 24 seconds left in regulation Kane picked up the puck just to left of Luongo and fired a turnaround shot on goal when New Jersey Devil's forward Zach Parise put in the rebound to tie the game!

Canada would go into the locker room with their heads down while Team U.S.A was on cloud 9. Kane would say after the game, I thought it was over, I thought we were going to win for sure, we had all the momentum. This game would be decided with a 20 minute overtime period and then a shootout if the game remained tied.

Sidney Crosby would then go on to score 7 minutes and 40 seconds into O.T. The goal came from Jerome Iginla who was being pushed to the ice when he slid the puck past Brian Rafalski. Sid then rifled it through the legs of the U.S. goaltender, Ryan Miller. Canada out shot the U.S 7-4 in Overtime and it proved costly. Both goaltenders played amazing and it was a shame that one of them had to lose.

Side note: Interesting to me was that throughout OT I hoped that it would turn out like the World Junior Gold Medal game when Team U.S.A beat Canada 6-5 in overtime on Canadian soil, right after Canada tied it up with just over a minute to play. Guess we'll just have to wait 4 years for some more Olympic hockey action...

Olympic Roundup

With the Olympics now over, here is the final medal count.

USA - 37 total
9 Gold, 15 Silver, 13 Bronze

The 37 total medals is a new Winter Olympic record.

Germany - 30 total
10 Gold, 13 Silver, 7 Bronze

Canada - 26 total
14 Gold, 7 Silver, 5 Bronze

Canada led all countries with 14 gold medals.

Worst Inbound Pass Ever?

Tebow a Packer?

ESPN reported today that the Green Bay Packers could take a chance on Tebow. McCarthy said that he would love to coach Tebow. I think its a possibility if he is still available in later rounds to take a chance of Tebow. I think he is a winner and will find a way to help his team in the NFL.

It's weird seeing Tebow in Green and Gold though.

Fielder Extension Talk

There has been discussion lately on whether the Brewers will be able to sign Prince Fielder to a long-term extension past 2011. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio has publicly stated that the Brewers are prepared to offer Prince a very large contract in the near future, probably somewhat similar to CC Sabathia's 9-figure offer last offseason. A large issue with Fielder is that he's represented by Scott Boras who always tries to get every last penny out of his clients, which makes people believe Prince will either be wearing pinstripes or red sox in a couple years. ESPN's Buster Olney claims that Prince's best option may be taking the Brewers offer though, as the Yanks have Mark Teixeira and the Red Sox are going strong after Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres. I can't read the entire article since I don't have ESPN Insider, but I feel that Olney has left out the fact that both teams play in the American League and could very easily stick Prince at DH. I would love to see the Brewers sign him, as it would show a real commitment to winning for the organization. And just imagine Braun and Fielder hitting 3-4 for the next 5 years. That could turn out to be one of the most lethal combos in history (Plus I want to see more of their awesome boxer/trainer home run celebration).