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ESPN.com:
Today is the 10th anniversary of the site's launch.
Your workplace productivity has never been the same.
(See last item for more.)
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The Lead Item
Two Words For You:
FINAL. FOOL.
Nothing says "April Fools" like the
gridlock of bandwagoneers sure this is the year
Roy Williams defies his history and wins that elusive
title.
Now that I can't use the age-old "Red Sox win the
World Series!" April Fool's joke, it falls on "Roy
Williams wins a title!" to carry the load.
Don't go emailing me if UNC wins on Saturday night
(see 3rd item). Your triumphalism will be answered on
Monday morning, when I pick whoever wins the
Illinois-Louisville game (see next item) to win the
title game.
In exchange, I promise not to gloat on Monday if/when
UNC loses to Michigan State.
Of course, given my perfectly imperfect track record
of NCAA Tournament picks since my magical 15-1 opening
day, it is quite possible that April's biggest fool
will be me.
L'ville/Illinois
You might as well wait to tune in until after
halftime, because both of these teams obviously save
their best for the end of games.
Even if UI is up 20 at the half and shooting 70
percent from 3, L'ville has shown they can come back
from that.
And if UL is up 15 with four minutes to go (or up 8
with a minute to go), obviously that's no problem for
Illinois.
The teams match up so evenly; both have a "champion's
aura" right now, the Illini just seem to have
more.
Prediction: Illinois.
Michigan St./UNC
Tuesday's anti-Roy rant predictably
yielded more harshness from UNC fans than support from
many of you I know who agree with me.
"May, May, May": He'll get his (but Paul Davis is no
slouch). One UNC fan sent a smart email of the only
matchup where UNC has a decisive edge:
Point guard: MSU freshman Neitzel is no match for UNC
standout Raymond Felton. That doesn't mean I'm
changing my mind...
Prediction: Michigan St.
Congress vs. ... NFL
Talk about April fools: The same
patriots who wasted our tax dollars parading MLB in
front of ill-informed pols and apathetic fans now want
to hear from the NFL about its 'roid-testing.
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CHECK OUT THE QUICKIE EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING! |
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| WHO'S GOT THE MOMENTUM ... |
Maurice Clarett: Runs improved 4.67 40 in private workout
NYC Jets Stadium: Approved (Olympics, Super Bowl next?)
Sin City: Sure, it's graphic. But, sorry: It looks COOL |
| ... AND WHO'S GOT NO MO' |
Lance Armstrong: More doping accusations (by former ass't)
LeBron: Can't stop Bulls in OT, even with a buzzer-beater
Heat vs. Pacers: Miami loses 12th straight to Indiana |
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The NFL's plan is the best in pro sports, but
football's rep is so bad that fans cynically don't
even bother worrying about an NFL 'roid
problem.
But if I was a pol, I'd simply ask:
"How do you test for HGH?"
(Trick question: It has been basically undetectable.
The point is this: How do you know if players are
using if there's no reliable test?)
Must-Read: Pasquarelli's eye-opening take (Q It
Up). It's an expert's powerful defense of the game
(but it doesn't touch the HGH question).
Red Sox at Yankees
Best. Opener. Ever. The irony is that
even though this is the best rivalry in sports, most
fans now loathe both teams.
If anything, the historic way the Yankees choked last
October makes them (gack!) sympathetic.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox are "the new Yankees." (Sunday,
8, ESPN2)
Split the screen! Catch the Women's Final Four
on Sunday, too: Baylor/LSU (6:30, ESPN) and Tenn/Mich
St (9, ESPN).
MLS Season X
Freddy Adu remains the top attraction
for the growing casual-fan base for MLS, but the
league is smartly building on localized intense
interest, launching Mexican spin-off Chivas (in SoCal)
and Utah-focused Real S.L.C.
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The Pulse ... on TV!
Do you participate in SportsNation?
Polls, chats... oh, maybe a little something called
"Morning Quickie?" (Mon-Fri, 9-10 a.m. ET)
Maybe you simply like to wield your influence in a way
that affects what you see on TV.
Either way, you must check out the debut of
ESPNews' newest show, "The Pulse." It's SportsNation
on TV, and you're calling the shots. (See Q It Up to
start now.)
Saturday, 1-4 pm ET, ESPNews.
ESPN.com 10th B-Day
How would you define the experience of
being a sports fan over the last 10 years?
The Steroid Era!
"The Work-Day Era": On ESPN.com's 10th
birthday, I'd argue that staying connected
weekdays from 9 to 5 has become the most critical part
of the fan experience.
Being a sports fan used to mean scanning the newspaper
in the morning (missing West Coast scores) and
watching SportsCenter late-night.
Now it's checking instant headlines and fixing your
fantasy team and emailing your friends for reactions
(and reading Quickie-style analysis!)
Here's to another 10 years of
eroding enhancing your office
productivity.
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Gary Barnett:
Now the IRS wants a piece of the Colorado coach,
involved in an investigation of his already-sketchy
summer camps.
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Today on ESPN.com
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| Quickie live! |
| Pulse on ESPNews |
| Len P. on steroids |
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| Ranking Final Four Coaches |  Rick Pitino
| 3 teams, 3 Final Fours
|  Tom Izzo
| 4 FFs in last 7 years
|  Roy Williams
| Wait: Is this the year?
|  Bruce Weber
| Best team, first F.F.
|  Fans on the Couch
| | Like we know anything... |
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Bruschi Update: Belichick says LB is showing up at
Pats practice facility every day. Here's hoping for
even more progress in April.
NIT Watch: South Carolina beats emo fave St. Joe's for
title. Does that make them 66th-best?
What was more satisfying for the T'wolves: Winning
their 5th straight (Thu), or putting what could be the
final nail in the Lakers' season?
WVA coach John Beilein may have gotten an extension
through 2011-12, but he's still only making $700K
base; when will another team double that?
NBA Wknd TV: Kings/LeBron (Fri, 8, ESPN);
Spurs/Nuggets (Fri, 10:30, ESPN); Sixers/Celtics (Sun,
1, ABC); Mavs/LeBron (Sun, 3:30, ABC)
Want to get a jump on MLS Mania? Catch Freddy Adu and
DC United at MLS rookie Chivas USA (Sat, 3,
ABC)
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