This and That
Each week I'll give my thoughts on the world of sports:
• I think we are on our way to a great March Madness. Just look at what happened in the last week, with Connecticut, North Carolina and Oklahoma all losing. My friends, the field of 65 should have some great teams, and it will be very competitive. The race to make the big dance is on now, and ever game seems to have more meaning. I love this time of year and it should be awesome, baby with a capital A!
• To all of the bracketologists out there, let's see how things play out. Notre Dame has the ship back on course and could be .500 in the Big East when it is all said and done. Maryland is back to .500 in the competitive ACC thanks to a win over North Carolina. These teams could go dancing, even though a lot of people wrote them off.
• The Alex Rodriguez saga is continuing as newspapers and media members look for more information on his cousin, on other people he associated with. I am not sure when this story is going to end, or if it ever will. Right now I am sure Alex wants to concentrate on just one thing -- baseball.
• I was surprised to hear the saga of Alabama's Andre Smith, who decided to leave the NFL draft combine. He still has time to get back on track and go high in the first round of the draft. Smith has a lot of talent, but it is hard to believe he came to the combine unprepared.
• LeBron James and Kobe Bryant seem to enjoy putting on shows. Did you see what LeBron did in the third quarter of a recent game against Milwaukee? He finished with 55 points; all I can say is ... WOW! Both of these stars keep putting up impressive numbers. Imagine if they meet in the NBA finals! Of course the Celtics and a number of other teams may have something to say about that.
• I think the Dodgers got a real steal when they signed second baseman Orlando Hudson to a contract. Los Angeles lost a great bat in Jeff Kent, but Hudson will do a great job shoring up the infield defense for Joe Torre. There are a number of very good free agents still out there and I think there will be some more movement this week.
• When I heard about a reporter questioning Connecticut men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun about his salary, I had one simple thought. Did this so-called journalist take into consideration what Calhoun and women's coach Geno Auriemma mean to the state of Connecticut in terms of income? Think about what the men's and women's programs have meant as national champions. Their success has brought additional revenue in many areas, from merchandise sales to more students wanting to go to the school. I understand in difficult times that questions come up about state employees, but give me a break. Calhoun and Auriemma have meant so much to Connecticut, and not just sports fans.
