Virginia "Fucking" Tech....I am amazed yet again.

I can't say much, because I had 7 heart attacks during the final 5 minutes or so of the Hokies game and I have to go to the hospital...the Hokies came back after being down 13 to one of the best defenses in the Nation and we did it....WE WON!!! Deron Washington is my new hero, he did it all. He perfectly executed the full-court press and forced Illinois into about 170 turnovers, he came up with the game winning shot and he has some sweet hair. Damn, that was nerve racking, but we did, that's all that matters, Great win against a tough team. Oh and fuck Brian Randle...

Hokies win 54-52! We advance to face the winner of the Holy Cross/Southern Illinois game.


FIGHT DA POWAH!!!!

A conversation amongst friends.

Well the Hokies-Illini game is on right now and surprisingly me and Davey are both getting it. Here's a little sample of how are intuitive conversation is going at the moment.

Davey: Hey Jay, what are you doing?
Jay: oh you know...just the usual...
Davey: snorting lines of coke off of a Cambodian hooker?
Jay: no, no...i'm watching the Hokies game...I only do that on holidays.
Davey: Oh, I see how's H2kies doing?
Jay: Kicking ass and taking names...like always
Davey: Jay, they're losing
Jay: *sarcastic tone* uhh, Davey you don't have to be winning to be kicking ass..duh!
(Brian Randle scores)
Jay: Oh what the fuck, fuck that guy...I hear he kicks babies.
Davey: Hahahaha, now now...don't be starting rumors
Jay: whatever.....(Randle scores again) Oh what the fuck, fuck that guy...him and his unnecessary facial hair...he looks like fucking Juwan Howard. Go kick a baby you inconsiderate douche.
Davey: Hahahahahahaha...damn man, you killing me.
(Randle misses an alley-oop and it sails into the stands)
Jay: Hahahahahahaha...damn skippy he missed it, Deron Washington wouldn't have missed it.
Davey: Did you just use the phrase "damn skippy"?
Jay: Yeah...so?
Davey: oh never mind
(Offensive foul called on A.D. Vassallo)
Jay: Fuck that...offensive foul my ass...A.D., I demand you kick that man in the mouth...KICK HIM!
(Rich McBride hits a 3-pointer as he's falling down, and gets the foul)
Jay: fuck that...
Jay: fuck that....What happened to GRAVITY!!!...
Davey: Wow, come on, you gotta admit, that shot was nice
Jay: he cheated...I don't know how he did...but that bastard cheated
(Coleman Collins misses a break away dunk)
Jay: How do you miss an open dunk....what the hell...Oh now he's smiling...don't smile you thick necked muthafucka....
Jay: I take that back Mr. Collins...I just remembered you are a very large individual and you would beat me like Ike beats Tina.

More to come I suppose...it's halftime Illinois leads 29-21

Just a quick recap; VCU, you are my heroes!

Before the second day of the NCAA Tournament begins, I thought I would do a quick recap on how i'm doing with my picks. I did about 115 different brackets and most of which are in crisis mode, so to speak. I had, in a lot of them, Oral Roberts not only beating Wazzu in the first round but I had them winning the second round game as well. Another upset that I thought would happen is ODU over Butler, obviously I neglected to take into fact Butler's superior 3-point shooting and it proved to be ODU's downfall as they hit just 4-20 from the arc and Butler hit 9-24. But with that said, as of right now I am 14-3 and i'm doing quite well if I do say so myself. Now this wasn't the most exciting games that we have seen, well until the later games started.

In my opinion the two best games were VCU-Duke and Xavier-BYU. Both games came down to the last possession and were back and forth for there entirety. There were a lot of players that stepped up Thursday but the three that stood out the most to me were:

3. Stephen Curry G (DAV)

Freshman, Stephen Curry took the game over and carried everyone on his back. Curry had 30 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Although Davidson ended up losing to Maryland, his performance proved that this Davidson team not only deserved to be in the Big Dance, but they could have probably beaten a lot of teams given the chance. Curry is just a freshman and he and his Wildcats appear to be looking at plenty of trips to the NCAA Tournament in the near future.

2. Drew Lavender G (XAV)

The 5'7" Junior was huge in the final two minutes against BYU. As the clock was melting away, Lavender hit two clutch floaters in the paint, after that he grabbed a crucial rebound on BYU's missed shot and sank the two following free throws that proved to be the final blow against a sharp-shooting Cougars. Lavender had 17 points in all, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. And he's going to have to have another huge game against his former coach, Thad Matta and his Buckeyes Saturday if the Musketeers look to have a chance to pull off the huge upset.

1. Eric Maynor G (VCU)

The sophomore guard, Maynor, hit a15-foot floater with 1.8 seconds left and powered his VCU
Rams over the Duke Blue Devils to a 79-77 upset win Thursday night. Not only was this a huge upset it was the only upset of the day as all of the other top seeds won out.Maynor had 22 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals. He was also a huge reason why the Rams were able to over come two double-digit deficits including one that was 13. Also this first round upset is even more significant because it was the first time Duke lost in the first round since 1996, and it also ended the Blue Devils' nine straight appearances in the Sweet 16. VCU will need every bit of Maynor's big shot dramatics if they hope to knock off the number 3 seeded Pittsburgh Panthers on Saturday.

Here's the full scoreboard of the action from yesterday.

(13)Davidson- 70
(4)Maryland- 82

(11)Stanford- 58
(6)Louisville- 78

(10)Texas Tech- 75
(7)Boston College- 84

(14)Oral Roberts- 54
(3)Washington State- 70

(12)Old Dominion- 46
(5)Butler- 57

(15)Belmont- 55
(2)Georgetown- 80

(14)Pennsylvania- 52
(3)Texas A&M- 68

(11)George Washington- 44
(6)Vanderbilt- 77

(11)Virginia Commonwealth- 79
(6)Duke- 77

(16)Central Connecticut State- 57
(1)Ohio State- 78

(9)Michigan State- 61
(8)Marquette- 49

(15)Weber State- 42
(2)UCLA- 70

(14)Wright State- 58
(3)Pittsburgh- 79

(9)Xavier- 79
(8)Brigham Young- 77

(16)Eastern Kentucky- 65
(1)North Carolina- 86

(10)Gonzaga- 57
(7)Indiana- 70

Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)

Before I get started, I know the Jacksonville Jaguars come before the Bengals, but I have asked Davey to do them, and I will fix the order when he's finished...now onto the Awesomeness that is the Bengals...ROAR!!!...(yeah, I don't know why I decided to do that, that's probably one of those things that sound better in my head)

2006 season: 8-8
Head Coach: Marvin Lewis
Offensive Coordinator: Bob Bratkowski
Defensive Coordinator:Chuck Bresnahan
Pro-Bowl: Carson Palmer(QB), Chad Johnson(QB) and Willie Anderson(OT)

Offense:

The Cincinnati Bengal's offense was great yet again this season. They were ranked 8th in total offense and 6th in passing yards per game. After returning from a torn ACL in the first game of the playoffs the season before, Carson Palmer looked to rebound, and rebound he did. He threw for 4,035 yards, which was a career high, he threw 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. And for those impressive numbers he put up he was rewarded with a trip to Hawaii at the season's end. Rudi Johnson continued his streak of at least 1300 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns every year, that is now at 3. He has done it in all 3 of the seasons that he has been a full-time starter. This season Rudi rushed for 1,309 yards, 12 touchdowns and he also caught 23 balls for 124 yards. Speaking of receiving, The Big Three did it again this year. Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry(when not in jail) all had big years. Chad Johnson led the NFL in receiving yards with 1,309, he also chipped in with 87 receptions and 7 touchdowns. For all that "Call Me" Chad was rewarded with another Pro-Bowl selection. T.J. Houshmandzadeh continued to prove that he is the best number two receiver in the NFL with catching 90 balls for 1,081 yards and 9 touchdowns. Chris "how do you plead" Henry proved that he was the Bengals number 1 redzone threat with catching 9 touchdowns. He also had 36 receptions and 605 yards. You can trust me when I say he would've had a lot more if he could've just stayed out of trouble. The Bengals continued to have one of the best offensive lines with stars such as Levi Jones, Willie Anderson and Eric Steinbech(now with the Browns). One of the biggest problems on offense for the Bengals is that they don't have a threat at tight end. Reggie Kelly's 21 receptions and 254 yards and 1 touchdown just aren't going to get it done.

Defense

And much like expecting the offense of Cincinnati to be great, you expect the defense of the Bengals to be bad, and bad they were. Cincy's defense ranked 30th in total yards allowed per game with allowing 355.1 total yards. Surprisingly the Bengal's run defense wasn't that bad, ranking 15th allowing 116.4 per game, not that's not great by any means but it's decent enough. Now you can go with the "at least the run game was decent" plea, but sadly you can't say the same for the Bengal's pass defense. They were tied for last place in the entire NFL with the Minnesota Vikings. They allowed 238.6 through the air and that was due to a lack-luster secondary. The secondary of Cincy is kind of confusing in a way, and by that I mean, they get a lot of tackles and they get a lot of interceptions but they can't cover a 6-year old school girl. They have some young guys that have tons of potential such as Madieu Williams and Johnathan Joseph but other than those two guys they are kind of old and not very good. Williams led the secondary with 88 tackles and he also snagged 3 interceptions. Joseph tallied 57 tackles and recovered 2 fumbles in his rookie year. Other notable secondary contributors were Kevin Kaesviharn who had a great year with 63 tackles, 4 sacks and led the team with 6 interceptions, he also was not retained and signed with the New Orleans Saints(Brian Simmons did the same), Tory James added to his amazing career total that now stands at 39 career interceptions with 4 more this season. He also had 41 tackles and 10 passes defended. The Bengals had to do without the athleticism and great pass rushing abilities of David Pollack this season. Pollack broke his neck in week 2 and was lost for the season and he may have ended his career unless he decides to try and play again. Landon Johnson led the Bengals with 112 tackles, he also added 0.5 sacks and 1 interceptions. Also having another great season was Justin Smith. He racked up 81 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries. And rounding out the Bengals front seven was Caleb Miller who was forced into the starting role and shined, getting 99 tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble and 1 recovered fumble.

Special Teams

Shayne Graham didn't have as good of a season as he did two years ago, but still he had a pretty good season nonetheless, hitting 83.3% of his field goals and a total of 25-30. Kyle Larson also had a pretty good season with an punt average of 44.5, 11 touchbacks and 26 punts that landed inside the 20 yard line. On the other had, punt returns were a problem with Keiwan Ratliff getting the majority of them. He had a abysmal average of 6.5 per return and 176 yards. Glenn Holt shouldered majority of the load when Chris Perry went down with an injury(again) and he had a very nice average of 24.6 yards per kick return and 419 total yards.

Draft Notes

The Bengals have some significant needs, most of which are on the defensive side of the ball. For instance, we could really upgrade all facets of the secondary, meaning a safety and a cornerback. Then we could definitely use some help at defensive tackle, although our run defense wasn't as bad as it was in recent years, but it is still isn't good by any means. A solid pass catcher at Tight End is something that we haven't had, maybe ever and it is really becoming more and more important to offenses these days. And finally we could really use some depth on our offensive line. With the loss of the versatile Eric Steinbech, it really leaves a hole that must be filled in order to sustain a top tier running attack.

Positions that must be addressed during the draft.

1. Defensive Tackle
2. Safety
3. Cornerback
4. Tight End
5. Offensive Line

DT:

Like I said, defensive tackle is probably the number one need for us going into the draft. Sam Adams and John Thornton are just not getting the job done and Domata Peko may not be the answer either. Although this is our biggest need we probably won't address the need until the 2nd round or even the middle rounds. If I had it my way we would somehow land the second best DT in the draft, and that is Amobi Okoye. But unless we trade up to somewhere around #11-#13, we won't get him. So that would leave us with going after someone in the middle rounds, someone to look out for is Ryan McBean of Oklahoma State, he is a guy with great potential, but he is one of those "Huge Stars or Big Busts", but he may be worth the risk. Another guy to look at is Antonio Johnson. Johnson went to Mississippi State for two years and although he didn't have stellar numbers he has tremendous potential and is could really be a steal for the team that chooses him.

S:

The Bengals do have a need at safety, that much is clear. Madieu Williams is a great young star but other than him, there is just no one left. Dexter Jackson is a short term fill and Kevin Kaesviharn has left so they literally have no depth at either safety position. I would absolutely love the idea of Cincy getting Micheal Griffin with their 18th overall pick. He is probably the second or third safety in this years draft(depending on who you ask). Griffin has had 4 very good seasons at Texas including 124 and 126 tackle seasons the past two years. He has great speed, he's very tough and physical and would go along way in improving both the pass and the rush defense for the Bengals immediately. If we don't take him(I pray we do) then we could look at someone like Brandon Meriweather out of Miami or Aaron Rouse out of Virginia Tech in the 2nd round. Both are very good and should turn out to be very good pros but neither one are at the level Griffin is.

CB:

In all likely hood we will be taking a cornerback in the first round if we decide to pass on Griffin. Now who that would be really depends on who is available. With the recent trade of Willis McGahee the Bill are probably looking at taking Marshawn Lynch with the 12th pick, and that could mean that the #1 overall cornerback, Leon Hall, could fall to the Bengals and if he does they could find it hard to not pick him. He is a great cover corner that is technically sound in a facets of the game and has a great understanding of the game, and can shut down most receivers. There is a possibility that he could play both corner and safety and if that holds up that he could fill two holes that Cincy has immensely. Other possibilities are Eric Wright(UNLV), David Irons(AUB) and Tarrell Brown(TEX).

TE:

Although on paper, this group of tight ends doesn't look all that great, it does have a couple of standout stars and a couple of guys that I feel have a lot of upside. Obviously Greg Olsen of Miami, really distanced himself as the top tier tight end at the combine and added to his great stock that he already had by running a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash and is a top 15 pick this year. Zach Miller out of Arizona State is also another tight end with lots of talent and will most likely go in the 2nd round. But someone I am really high on right now is Ben Patrick of Delaware. He is a 6'4" 250 pound tight end from a little school who can do big things given the chance in the NFL. He has good size, great athlete with very soft hands and is an excellent route runner. Given the chance he could prove to be an absolute "GEM" of the draft, i'm talking Pro-Bowl type player in a few short years.

OL:

After losing Steinbech to free agency the Bengals have a glaring need at right guard. Someone that could thrive in the Bengals system is Josh Beekman out of Boston College. He is has good size and gets a great push in the run game. He is very much fundamentally sound and has very good strength and awareness. HE really has great instincts and intangibles, all the things that teams look for in a long-time starter in the NFL. I also like Manuel Ramirez out of Texas Tech. He is probably the strongest player in the draft, benching over 550 pounds and he would do wonders for Cincinnati's running game, the only knock on him is he isn't really all that athletic. From the tackle position, i'm really high on Tony Ugoh out of Arkansas. He's 6'5" 301 pounds and is extremely athletic and versatile. He has great quickness and is very strong. He could probably play both guard and tackle, with that ability he reminds me a lot of Steinbech. he could pack on some weight though.

I see no reason whatsoever why the Cincinnati Bengals can't return to the playoffs this coming year. If they can avoid getting into trouble(CHRIS!!!) and stay healthy then they should be just fine. I see them winning the AFC North and winning around 12-14 games.

I have failed over and over, yet I try again.

I have decided to join a fantasy baseball league although I did miserably in both football and basketball, yet something keeps me going, sorta like the President when he makes his speeches. Any who, the draft was held today, and I have to say, I am quit happy with my team, that is until they all mysteriously develop smallpox and can no longer take the field leaving me with Pete Orr, Ricky Henderson and Jimmy Gobble for my team.

Anyways, here is my team, don't be to cruel with your criticism.

Position Players

Catcher: Ivan Rodriguez (DET)
1st Base: Adam LaRoche (PIT)
2nd Base: Josh Barfield (CLE)
Short Stop: Jose Reyes (NYM) ...Bobby Cox frowns upon my decision to take a Met and frankly, I don't blame him.
3rd Base: Chipper Jones (ATL)...there, there all better, I took a Brave and not just any Brave but my favorite player.
Outfield: Vernon Wells (TOR)
Outfield: Delmon Young (TB)
Outfield: Craig Monroe (DET)

Pitchers

Carlos Zambrano SP (CHC)
Cole Hamels SP (PHI)
Rich Harden SP (OAK)
Chuck James SP (ATL)
Daniel Cabrera SP (BAL)

Mariano Rivera RP (NYY)
Adam Wainwright RP (STL)

Bench

Carlos Quentin OF (ARI)
Edwin Encarncion 3B (CIN)
Josh Bard C (SD)
Wilson Betemit UTIL (LAD)
Chris Duncan LF (STL)
Jhonny Peralta SS (CLE)
Martin Prado 2B (ATL)

My Sports Talk's 2007 NCAA Tournament (Updated)

1st Round

Play in Game

Niagara (22-11) vs Florida A&M (21-13)

winner: Niagara

MIDWEST(ST.LOUIS)

1. Florida (29-5) vs 16. Jackson State (21-13)

Winner: Florida

8. Arizona (20-10) vs 9. Purdue (21-11)

Winner: Arizona

5. Butler (27-6) vs 12. Old Dominion (24-8)

Winner: Old Dominion

4. Maryland (24-8) vs 13. Davidson (29-4)

Winner: Maryland

6. Notre Dame (24-7) vs 11. Wintrop (28-4)

Winner: Wintrop

3. Oregon (26-7) vs 14. Miami(OH) (18-14)

Winner: Oregon

7. UNLV (28-6) vs 10. Georgia Tech (20-11)

Winner: Georgia Tech

2. Wisconsin (29-5) vs 15. Texas A&M-CC (26-6)

Winner: Wisconsin

WEST(SAN JOSE)

1. Kansas (30-4) vs 16. Niagara (23-11)

Winner: Kansas

8. Kentucky (21-11) vs 9. Villanova (22-10)

Winner: Villanova

5. Virginia Tech (21-11) vs 12. Illinois (23-11)

Winner: Virginia Tech

4. Southern Illinois (27-6) vs 13. Holy Cross (25-8)

Winner: Southern Illinois

6. Duke (22-10) vs 11. Virginia Commonwealth (27-6)

Winner:Duke

3. Pittsburgh (27-7) vs 14. Wright State (23-9)

Winner: Pittsburgh

7. Indiana (20-10) vs 10. Gonzaga (23-10)

Winner: Indiana

2. UCLA (26-5) vs 15. Weber State (20-11)

Winner: UCLA

EAST(EAST RUTHERFORD)

1. North Carolina (28-6) vs 16. Eastern Kentucky (21-11)

Winner: North Carolina

8. Marquette (24-9) vs 9. Michigan State (22-11)

Winner: Marquette

5. USC (23-11) vs 12. Arkansas (21-13)

Winner: USC

4. Texas (24-9) vs 13. New Mexico State (25-8)

Winner: Texas

6. Vanderbilt (20-11) vs 11. George Washington (23-8)

Winner: Vanderbilt

3. Washington State (25-7) vs 14. Oral Roberts (23-10)

Winner: Washington State

7. Boston College (20-11) vs 10. Texas Tech (21-12)

Winner: Boston College

2. Georgetown (26-6) vs 15. Belmont (23-9)

Winner: Georgetown

SOUTH(SAN ANTONIO)

1. Ohio State (30-3) vs 16. Central Connecticut State (22-11)

Winner: Ohio State

8. BYU (25-8) vs 9. Xavier (24-8)

Winner: Xavier

5. Tennessee (22-10) vs 12. Long Beach State (24-7)

Winner: Long Beach State

4. Virginia (20-10) vs 13. Albany (23-9)

Winner: Albany

6. Louisville (23-9) vs 11. Stanford (18-12)

Winner: Louisville

3. Texas A&M (25-6) vs 14. Penn (22-8)

Winner: Texas A&M

7. Nevada (28-4) vs 10. Creighton (22-10)

Winner: Creighton

2. Memphis (30-3) vs 15. North Texas (23-10)

Winner: Memphis

2nd Round

MIDWEST(ST.LOUIS)

1. Florida vs 8. Arizona

Winner: Florida

12. Old Dominion vs 4. Maryland

Winner: Maryland

11. Winthrop vs 3. Oregon

Winner: Oregon

10. Georgia Tech vs 2. Wisconsin

Winner: Wisconsin

WEST(SAN JOSE)

1. Kansas vs 9. Villanova

Winner: Kansas

5. Virginia Tech vs 4. Southern Illinois

Winner: Virginia Tech

6. Duke vs 3. Pittsburgh

Winner: Pittsburgh

7. Indiana vs 2. UCLA

Winner: UCLA

EAST(EAST RUTHERFORD)

1. North Carolina vs 8. Marquette

Winner: North Carolina

5. USC vs 4. Texas

Winner: Texas

6. Vanderbilt vs 3. Washington State

Winner: Washington State

7. Boston College vs 2. Georgetown

Winner: Georgetown

SOUTH(SAN ANTONIO)

1. Ohio State vs 9. Xavier

Winner: Ohio State

12. Long Beach State vs 13. Albany

Winner: Long Beach State

6. Louisville vs 3. Texas A&M

Winner: Texas A&M

10: Creighton vs 2. Memphis

Winner: Memphis

The Sweet Sixteen

MIDWEST(ST.LOUIS)

1. Florida vs 4. Maryland

Winner: Florida

3. Oregon vs 2. Wisconsin

Winner: Oregon

WEST(SAN JOSE)

1. Kansas vs 5. Virginia Tech

Winner: Kansas

3. Pittsburgh vs 2. UCLA

Winner: UCLA

EAST(EAST RUTHERFORD)

1. North Carolina vs 4. Texas

Winner: North Carolina

3. Washington State vs 2. Georgetown

Winner: Georgetown

SOUTH(SAN ANTONIO)

1. Ohio State vs 12. Long Beach State

Winner: Ohio State

3. Texas A&M vs 2. Memphis

Winner: Texas A&M

The Elite Eight

MIDWEST(ST.LOUIS)

1. Florida vs 3. Oregon

Winner: Florida

WEST(SAN JOSE)

1. Kansas vs 2. UCLA

Winner: Kansas

EAST(EAST RUTHERFORD)

1. North Carolina vs 2. Georgetown

SOUTH(SAN ANTONIO)

1. Ohio State vs 3. Texas A&M

Winner: Ohio State

The Final Four

1. Florida vs 1. Kansas

Winner: Florida

2. Georgetown vs 1. Ohio State

Winner: Georgetown

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Florida vs 2. Georgetown

Winner: Florida

And there you have, it. Florida is my pick to repeat because in my opinion they are the most well balanced team in the whole tournament, they play great defense with their shot blockers down low, Al Horford and Joakim Noah and they have a versatile scorer in Corey Brewer, they also have a 3-point weapon with Lee Humphrey and a true point guard in Taurean Green who also leads them in scoring. The Florida Gators, the 2007 National Champions for the second straight year.

2007 NCAA Tournament

MIDWEST(ST.LOUIS)

*1. Florida (29-5)
16. Jackson State (21-13)

8. Arizona (20-10)
9. Purdue (21-11)

5. Butler (27-6)
12. Old Dominion (24-8)

4. Maryland (24-8)
13. Davidson (29-4)

6. Notre Dame (24-7)
11. Wintrop (28-4)

3. Oregon (26-7)
14. Miami(OH) (18-14)

7. UNLV (28-6)
10. Georgia Tech (20-11)

2. Wisconsin (29-5)
15. Texas A&M-CC (26-6)

WEST(SAN JOSE)

1. Kansas (30-4)
16. Florida A&M-Niagara winner

8. Kentucky (21-11)
9. Villanova (22-10)

5. Virginia Tech (21-11)
12. Illinois (23-11)

4. Southern Illinois (27-6)
13. Holy Cross (25-8)

6. Duke (22-10)
11. Virginia Commonwealth (27-6)

3. Pittsburgh (27-7)
14. Wright State (23-9)

7. Indiana (20-10)
10. Gonzaga (23-10)

2. UCLA (26-5)
15. Weber State (20-11)

EAST(EAST RUTHERFORD)

1. North Carolina (28-6)
16. Eastern Kentucky (21-11)

8. Marquette (24-9)
9. Michigan State (22-11)

5. USC (23-11)
12. Arkansas (21-13)

4. Texas (24-9)
13. New Mexico State (25-8)

6. Vanderbilt (20-11)
11. George Washington (23-8)

3. Washington State (25-7)
14. Oral Roberts (23-10)

7. Boston College (20-11)
10. Texas Tech (21-12)

2. Georgetown (26-6)
15. Belmont (23-9)

SOUTH(SAN ANTONIO)

1. Ohio State (30-3)
16. Central Connecticut State (22-11)

8. BYU (25-8)
9. Xavier (24-8)

5. Tennessee (22-10)
12. Long Beach State (24-7)

4. Virginia (20-10)
13. Albany (23-9)

6. Louisville (23-9)
11. Stanford (18-12)

3. Texas A&M (25-6)
14. Penn (22-8)

7. Nevada (28-4)
10. Creighton (22-10)

2. Memphis (30-3)
15. North Texas (23-10)

*Top Overall Seed

Let me just start out by saying, the Drexel Dragons were screwed, i'm talking Paris Hilton in a certain movie that bares her name in the title, type of screw. Drexel's case that they should be in the Tournament was far better than most that did. The Dragons went 23-8 and 13-5 in their conference, their RPI was 39, they had 13 road wins and they beat Syracuse, Villanova and Creighton all on the road. Add all of those together and what do you get? A trip to the NIT Tournament, that's what.

Another pick that kind of got to me is, how in the hell does the Duke Blue Devils get rewarded with a 6 seed. Duke went 8-8 in their conference and they were taken out in the first game of their Conference Tourney by NC State, who will be participating in the NIT Tourney. Not only that, they lost 10 games and losing 10 games isn't that bad for most teams, but it's Duke University, they aren't supposed to lose 10 games. But with that aside they have been horribly inconsistent. They have had three different losing streaks including one 4-game losing streak and one 3-game losing streak in which they are currently on. And if you are asking yourself if I am a Duke hater and am I saying all this because of my pure hatred for the Dukies than yes and no. Yes I am a Duke hater, I absolutely despise the Blue Devils and I have never and will never root for them, but I AM saying that they should have been a lower seed than 6 and their means for receiving that seed is the same reason they were out of the Top 25 one week and back in it the next ranked 17, THEY ARE DUKE!

I'll be making my picks in a day or two.

Big Names getting Big Deals pt. 4

The Seahawks have to re-write history in order to sign Grant.

The Seattle Seahawks were content on not losing out on another highly touted free agent, and they were willing to pay in order to secure safety Deon Grant. The Seahawks and Grant agreed to a 6-year $30 million deal and included into the deal is a signing bonus that is certainly going to raise some eyebrows because it is being reported to have topped the $11.1 million given to Dallas Cowboy's safety, Roy Williams. If in deed it is higher than that then it would be the highest signing bonus given to a safety in NFL history.

Deon Grant is very athletic and durable, he has started in 96 consecutive games. He is also a very good coverage safety that will surely upgrade the Seahawks dismal secondary. The 6'2" 210 pound safety registered 60 tackles last season and 2 interceptions.

The Rams sign one of the best tight ends in football; and I find another reason to hate them.

The St.Louis Rams have agreed to terms with recently released tight end, Randy McMichael. It is a 3-year $11 million and includes a $3 million signing bonus. The craziest part of this deal is year-by-year breakdown. McMichael is an absolute bargain, he will be getting $1.5 million in 2007, $2.9 million in 2008 and $3.6 in 2009. And just think, the Miami Dolphins released him over the $3 million he was owed for a roster bonus. Meh!

hate all the Ram's players...in fact I like exactly 3 of them, well 4 now with the signing of I'm sure not many people that read this blog(all 3, not including Grandma) are unaware of my hatred for the St.Louis Rams. Well, it exists even though I am a resident of St.Louis(sadly) and it is partly because of the 1999-00' Super Bowl, when I was a fan of the Tennessee Titans(before they threw dirt in their great players such as Eddie George) and the Rams beat them by that 1 fucking yard. But that is a story for another time. Anyways I don't necessarily McMichael, I think Steven Jackson is a great runningback, Torry Holt is one of the best wide receivers I have had the pleasure of watching over the years and Marc Bulger is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league. But I hate Kurt Warner(even though he doesn't play there anymore) , I hate Mike "can't manage a game" Martz and I especially hate Mike Fucking Jones(no, not the rapper.)

Baltimore? Whatcha talkin bout Willis?

Just moments ago, the Baltimore Ravens acquired runningback, Willis McGahee in exchange for 2007 3rd and 7th round draft picks and 2008 3rd round draft pick. The Bills reportedly traded McGahee over a contract dispute, McGahee wanted an extension before the year started and Buffalo wasn't willing to provide him with that quite yet. McGahee has $2.155 remaining and 1 year left on his current contract and league sources say McGahee and the Ravens have already began discussions on an extension.

McGahee was very public with his trade demand, and it was widely thought that he would be dealt to the New York Giants who had shown keen interest in the former first-round selection. Baltimore was late to the party so-to-speak, they had wanted to try and re-sign Jamal Lewis but he signed with Cleveland last night and without anyone who could shoulder the load on their current roster, Baltimore quickly pulled the trigger before anyone else could make a serious offer.

Buffalo's 1st-round pick out of Miami in 2003, had a down season in which he rushed for a career-low 990 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Torn side muscle looks to sideline Hampton for months.

During his third and final session of batting practice Wednesday, Mike Hampton swung and then dropped to his knees in pain. Hampton is just now finishing his 18 month recovery from Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss the whole 2006 season and the end of the 2005 season and now he is expected to miss at least a month or more with an apparent torn side muscle, most likely an oblique.

"The sad thing is he was feeling great the last two times - he felt normal," manager Bobby Cox said. "This is going to set him back quite a ways."

Exactly how long Cox didn't want to speculate. "It'll be a while," he said.

"He was just getting his arm strength back to normal and now he's not going to be able to throw at all," said Cox, meaning when Hampton's side heals he'll have to start over again to get his arm in pitching shape.

Hampton left Braves camp on Thursday morning to see Braves team orthopedist Norton Baker in Orlando.

Hampton was expected to be the Braves 3rd or 4th started this year and was one of the main reasons the Braves were quickly looking like one of the top teams in the National League. Last season the Braves came in 3rd place in the division with a record of 79-83, this was the first time Atlanta failed to win the Division in the past 14 seasons. The 14 straight division championships is a record that may never be reached by any team and with the return of Hampton among others, it seemed as though the Braves had an extremely good chance to return to the Post-Season.

Atlanta should be able to weather the storm until he returns again, with Kyle Davies and Lance Cormier. Hopefully he returns sometime in May or early June and the Braves are still in contention for a division crown.

Unnecessary use of spandex -1 any hope of a tourney run-0

For the third consecutive season, the Syracuse Orangemen have defeated my beloved UCONN Huskies in the Big East Tournament. Coming into the game on Tuesday afternoon, I had been aware that we had one chance and one chance only to make it to the NCAA Tournament and that would be an amazing run in the Big East Tourney and somehow make and upset unbelievable upset to win the whole damn thing. And of course, that didn't happen. The stupid spandex-wearing Orange defeated the Huskies, 78-65 thanks to dumb Demetris Nichols' 28 points and his "special friend", Eric Devendorf, and his equally dumb 19 points.

What makes this loss even more unbearable(if at all possible) is once again we had the lead at half-time and we end up giving it away at the end. So yes, that was a bad way to end a bad season, what's that? We still have the NIT you say? Well maybe not, according to this site, we're on the bubble for even a NIT bid. How embarrassing would that be? Pretty damn if you ask me. I mean how many teams have their been that were the #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Elite 8 the previous season and not only miss the NCAA Tourney but the NIT Tourney as well, the following year? I don't have the statistics in front of me, but I can tell that there is many.

It was pretty evident that this season was beyond frustrating for Coach Jim Calhoun who went from arguably the most talented team last year(four 1st round picks in the NBA Draft) to one of the most inexperienced with no seniors or juniors that played an significant part for the team. Mid-way through the second half, he received a technical foul for kicking the the Big East sign in front of the scorer's table.

"When bad things happen to you by incompetent people, and they do happen to you at times, and as that built we became a little more frustrated," Calhoun said.

Although this was a horrible season, I'm not worried about the years to come, with outstanding play from freshman guard, Jerome Dyson and sophomore forward, Jeff Adrien the Huskies could be back to their usual winning ways next year. We really A.J. Price, Doug Wiggins or Craig Austrie to develop into a true point guard. It showed that we didn't have anyone that could manage the game on the court or set up guys with clean shots and it hurt us in the end. Better luck next year.

Big Names getting Big Deals pt 3. (& trade rumors)

Daniel Graham is getting paid by the Broncos.

After Daniel Graham left the New England Patriots for more of a starting job and a bigger payday, well he has received both from the Denver Broncos. Late Tuesday night, the Broncos locked up the talented tight end with a 5-year $30 million and that includes $15 million in guaranteed money. Although Graham is very talented and is a good route runner and can be very useful in the redzone he hasn't had the "break-out" season quite yet. I am a fan of Graham and I think he will be great in Denver, because one of the biggest reason for him not having great numbers was the system he was in, in New England they run a two tight end system and sharing time with an unbelievable athlete like Ben Watson it's no wonder why he hasn't quite had his coming out party so to speak.

Minnesota is hoping Bobby Wade can solve their receiving problems.

Bobby Wade has been getting a lot of attention after entering free-agency and the Minnesota Vikings have locked up this young talented receiver before anyone else really got the chance to court him. Wade has agreed to a 5-year $15 million deal and he will likely start with the possibility of having some returning responsibilities. Included into is deal is $4 million in guaranteed money.

The Miami Dolphins and Trent Green are kinda into each other.

According to league sources, ever since the Kansas City Chiefs inked Damon Huard to a 3-year deal Green has been expressing his interest in being traded. And according to those same sources, the Miami Dolphins are extremely interested in acquiring the veteran quarterback. Green in all likely hood would be an insurance option in case Dante Culpepper isn't ready to go. And if he isn't then their is something seriously wrong with him, because that would give him almost two years to recover from his torn ACL, MCL, PCL and any other "CL's" he may have torn while in Minnesota.

Ladies and Gents, I present to you, The 2007-08 Super Bowl Champion...

The NFL Fanhouse is reporting that the New England Patriots and Donte' Stallworth have agreed to a 6-year $32 million deal that would give the 25-year old wide receiver almost $12 million guaranteed. Although they did update with reports that the deal is premature.

I had mentioned earlier that the Patriots were still desperately searching for the elusive "#1 receiver" and if this deal has legs, they may have just found him. Although Stallworth only played in 12 games last season, he racked up 725 yards on just 38 receptions, 5 touchdowns and an impressive average of 19.1 per catch. Meaning he is a HUGE big play threat and if he can stay healthy he can be an All-Pro wide out and then add Tom Brady in the mix, the Patriots are going to be awfully hard to beat, no matter what Davey says.

The New England Patriots have been very busy during the past week, here's their moves.

Added:

1. Adalius Thomas- Outside Linebacker(BAL)
2. Wes Welker- Wide Receiver(MIA)
3. Sammy Morris- Runningback(MIA)
4. Kyle Brady- Tight End(Jacksonville)

Lossed:

1. Corey Dillion- Runningback
2. Daniel Graham- Tight End

The Patriots and Wes Welker agree to a deal.

Newly acquired widereceiver, Wes Welker has agreed to a 5-year $18.1 million deal that includes a $9 million signing bonus with New England. Welker was acquired via trade yesterday from the Miami Dolphins for the Patriots 2007 2nd round and 7th round picks.

Welker is a fantastic return man, one of the best in the NFL in fact and last year he emerged as a viable pass catching threat as he caught 67 balls for 687 yards and 1 touchdown. Welker also added 1,064 kick return yards and another 378 on punt returns.

He will add depth to a depleted receiving core in New England that had to rely on guys such as Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell to make their playoff run. Welker isn't the #1 option that the Patriots still seek but he is someone that can stretch the field, provide a deep threat that the Patriots don't currently have and take over returning duties for rookie Laurence Maroney so he can focus on becoming the premiere runningback in New England.

Joey Porter is reportedly a dolphin.

According to WXPI.com,

The outspoken outside linebacker is on his way to South Beach. The complete details of the contract are immediately known but sources say that included into the deal is $24 million guaranteed and a $12 million signing bonus.

Although Joey Porter is 30 years old, he still has plenty of good years ahead of him. Porter will add more versatility to an already great defense with his ability to get to the quarterback. In 2006 Porter had 55 tackles, 7 sacks and 2 interceptions(1 returned for a touchdown). Add him to a defense that has the reining Defensive MVP(Jason Taylor), the greatness that is Zach Thomas, and with up and coming stars such as Channing Crowder and Matt Roth, this team appears to be on pace for a very successful 2007. Well defensively, obviously they still have some problems on the offensive side of the ball.

Porter said that his final choices were between the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals. Oh great, looks like we just missed out on adding someone that would help stop the comparisons to that of a defense of a 5th grade girl's flag football team. Oh well, hopefully Landon Johnson and Caleb Miller can up their play and hey maybe even Odell Thurman can avoid puking on Cops and getting suspended for the entire year. Oh and David Pollack is eye a return to the NFL after breaking his neck, hopefully he does well seeing as how he is one of my favorite defensive players.

Update: ESPN is now reporting that the deal is for 5-Year $32 Million. Also the guaranteed amount is $20M, not $24M as I mentioned earlier.

Big Names getting Big Deals pt.3.

After the Broncos trade Tatum Bell, they sign runningback Travis Henry.

The Denver Broncos are going to try something new this season. Instead of taking a random runningback and turn him into a 1000 yard rusher, they are going to sign a known 1000 yard rusher and see what happens. After they traded starter, Tatum Bell to the Lions, the Broncos had a bit of a hole at RB, a hole that will be filled quite nicely by Henry. The deal is reportedly a 5-year deal that includes $12 million guaranteed.

The New York Jets rape the Bears of their starting runningback.

In a shocking move Monday, the Chicago Bears agreed to trade Thomas Jones and their 2nd round pick(63rd overall) to the Jets in exchange for one of their 2nd round draft picks(37th overall). Jones was frustrated when Cedric Benson started receiving more and more carries as the season went along. That prompted the 1,210 back to request a trade as soon as the offseason started. So just a quick breakdown, the Bears give up a Pro-Bowl like runnningback who still has many years ahead of him just to move up in 26 spots in the 2nd round. I am still not seeing the point of this trade, if you could be so kind, explain it to me. Please?

My Sports Talk's Mock Draft : Updated

1st Round

1. Oakland Raiders- JaMarcus Russell QB (LSU)

2. Detroit Lions- Joe Thomas OT (WISC)

3. Cleveland Browns- Adrian Peterson RB (OU)

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Calvin Johnson WR (GT)

5. Arizona Cardinals- Gaines Adams DE (CLEM)

6. Washington Redskins- Alan Branch DT (MICH)

7. Minnesota Vikings- Jamaal Anderson DE (ARK)

8. Houston Texans- LaRon Landry S (LSU)

9. Miami Dolphins- Brady Quinn QB (ND)

10. Atlanta Falcons- Amobi Okoye DT (LOU)

11. San Francisco 49ers- Ted Ginn Jr. WR (OSU)

12. Buffalo Bills- Leon Hall CB (MICH)

13. St. Louis Rams- Adam Carriker DE (NEB)

14. Carolina Panthers- Levi Brown OT (PSU)

15. Pittsburgh Steelers- Jarvis Moss DE (FLA)

16. Green Bay Packers- Marshawn Lynch RB (CAL)

17. Jacksonville Jaguars- Darrell Revis CB (PITT)

18. Cincinnnati Bengals- Michael Griffin S (TEX)

19. Tennessee Titans- Dwayne Jarrett WR (USC)

20. New York Giants- Lawrence Timmons OLB (FSU)

21. Denver Broncos- Charles Johnson DE (UGA)

22. Dallas Cowboys- Aaron Ross CB (TEX)

23. Kansas City Chiefs- Sidney Rice WR (SCAR)

24. New England Patriots(f/SEA)- Dwayne Bowe WR (LSU)

25. New York Jets- Chris Houston CB (ARK)

26. Philadelphia Eagles- Patrick Willis ILB (MISS)

27. New Orleans Saints- Paul Posluszny OLB (PSU)

28. New England Patriots- Marcus McCauley CB (FRESNO)

29. Baltimore Ravens- Anthony Spencer DE (PUR)

30. San Diego Chargers- Robert Meachem WR (TENN)

31. Chicago Bears- Greg Olsen TE (MIA)

32. Indianapolis Colts- Justin Harrell DT (TENN)

Green Bay Packers (8-8)

2006 season: 8-8
Head Coach: Mike McCathy
Offensive Coordinator: Joe Philbin
Defensive Coordinator: Bob Sanders
Pro-Bowl: Donald Driver (WR) and Aaron Kampman (DE).

Offense

The Green Bay packers were one of those up and coming teams due in part to their offense. Brett Favre snapped back from a miserable season last year when he threw a career high 29 interceptions. This year Favre threw for 3,885 yards, 18 touchdowns and just 18 interceptions. Although they aren't stellar numbers they were significantly better than last year. The Packers only real problem on offense was their mediocre running game. Ahman Green bounced back from an injury plagued 2005 season and started 14 games. He rushed for 1,059 yards and 5 touchdowns. Donald Driver had another great season, making 92 receptions for 1,295 yards and 8 touchdowns and capped it off by being selected to the Pro-Bowl. Another key target emerged this season in the form of rookie wide receiver, Greg Jennings. Jennings caught 45 balls for 632 yards and 3 touchdowns. With more playing time, Greg Jennings could become something very special in Green Bay. Besides Driver and Jennings the Packers had absolutely no one else in the passing game. The next highest player in receptions was Ahman Green who had 46 receptions for 373 and 1 touchdown. Bubba Franks continued his recent trend of being useless, catching only 25 balls and for the first time in his career, 0 touchdowns. Obviously they are in dire need of another receiver to help out Favre and the Packers.

Defense

The Packer's defense was very good this season, ranking 12th overall. Most of the great stats the defense put up last year was due to their 1st round pick last season, A.J. Hawk. Hawk led the team in tackles with 119. In addition to his tackles, he recorded 3.5 sacks and 2 interceptions. Nick Barnett continued his excellence in once again racking up 100 tackles which he has done in each of his 5 seasons in the league. He also had 2 sacks, and also picked off the ball twice. Green Bay's lone Pro-Bowl selection, Aaron Kampman had an amazing season. Kampan had 89 tackles, 3 forced fumbles and a staggering 15.5 sacks. Also bouncing back from a disappointing 2005 season was cornerback Charles Woodson. Woodson played in just 6 games in what turned out to be his last season in Oakland and in his first season with the Packers, Woodson tallied 59 tackles, 12 passes defended and tied for the NFC lead with 8 interceptions(Which is a career high).

Special Teams

The Green Bay Packer's special teams was a bit of a problem this past season. Dave Rayner only hit 74% of his field goals ranking 29th among kickers. But on the bright side he did score a lot of points, 109 but then again that was due to the Packers lack of red-zone scoring. Their Punter, Jon Ryan was pretty good this season, his average per punt was 44.5 which ranked 9th overall and he also had 12 touchbacks. Returning the ball proved to be a bit of hassle, especially with kick returns. The Packers had 9 different guys attempt to return kicks before setteling on Vernand Morency who ended the season with 670 yards. Charles Woodson wanted to return punts and the Packers granted him his wish and he didn't do too bad, ranking 17th in average with 8.9.

Draft Notes

Although Green Bay was a playoff contending team last season, they have a lot of needs that need to be filled during the draft. The number one glaring need for the Pack is runningback. Even before Ahman Green left for free-agency rumors were flying around that they were looking to replace him. Well now Green has signed with the Houston Texans they will most likely address that need with their 16th overall selection in the 2007 NFL Draft. The consensus is that they will take runningback Marshawn Lynch out of California and I have to agree. Lynch is very fast and has surprising strength. He can also catch out the back field which the Packers tend to do a lot.

Positions that must be atteded to during the Draft.

1. Runningback
2. Wide Receiver
3. Safety
4. Cornerback
5. Defensive Tackle

RB:

Like I just mentioned, their former starting runningback, Ahman Green has signed on with the Houston Texans leaving behind a huge hole that the Packers must fill. I really feel that they will use their first pick(16th overall) on Marshawn Lynch(CAL). Lynch compares favorably to last years stand out rookie runningback, Laurence Maroney in the sense that he is also a big play threat with good size, strength and speed.

WR:

Another desperate need for Green Bay's offense is the wide receiver position. They have no depth with Koren Robinson not being able to stay out of trouble and Robert Ferguson not being able to stay healthy. That leaves them with two very good receivers and a few very bad ones. I could really see them looking for receiver help in the 3rd round. Someone like Jason Hill(WSU) would be a great addition and he is quickly rising up the draft boards after running a 4.32 in the 4o yard dash during the combine. Other include: Johnnie Lee Higgins(UTEP), Craig Davis(LSU) and Paul Williams(FRESNO).

S:

Nick Collins has proved that he can be a serviceable safety but Marquand Manuel is more of a back up than anything else. If someone like Aaron Rouse out of Virginia Tech or Eric Weedle out of Utah is available in the second round the Packers could go for them. If neither are there(which at least one of them should be) then the Packers could look to Jesse Daniels(LSU), Brandon Sharp(LOU) or Gerald Alexander(BOISE) in the later rounds.

CB:

Much like their receiver dilemma the Packers have two very good corners in Charles Woodson and Al Harris but beyond them two their is no depth. I could easily see them picking up two corners in the draft this year. Some potentials are Tim Mixon(CAL), John Talley(DUKE) and C.J. Wilson(BAY) to name a few.

DT:

Ryan Pickett and Cullen Jenkins are fine, but neither are really studs that can stuff the run. A couple of big guys that could stop the run are Paul Soliai(UTAH), Stanley Doughtry(SCAR) and Joe Cohen(FLA). Also don't look past Marcus Thomas who is slipping on a lot boards but he has all the potential in the world to be a top tier defensive tackle if he can sort out his character issues.

Green Bay was one of those teams that eeked out wins and and their record was better that the team actually was. But if they can get Lynch, add some solid depth at both receiver and defensive back they could make some noise much like they did this year in the NFC North.

Duke and North Carolina, Blue blood? I think not.

I think it's safe to say no matter how much you love your team and no matter how high a player's loyalty is to their team, they don't actually "bleed" their team's colors. Hate to break it to you, but I don't believe Sandy Koufax bled "Dodger Blue" and I certainly don't bleed Atlanta Brave red...well technically I do bleed red...but you know what I mean. Anyways if we learned anything from Sunday's Duke-Carolina game it is Tyler Hansbrough doesn't bleed Carolina Blue.

Tyler Hansbrough received a bloody nose at the hands of Duke guard, Gerald Henderson. With just 14 seconds left of a North Carolina, 86-72 win, when Bobby Frasor missed a free-throw, Tyler Hansbrough went up to retrieve the rebound and when he came down, Gerald Henderson's forearm landed right on the bridge of Hansbrough's nose splitting it open. Hansbrough landed hard onto the ground and covered his face, when he stood up blood was pouring from the gash and Hansbrough was fuming. He was desperately trying to fight his way to Henderson but he was held back buy a couple of teammates. After reviewing the tape, officials rejected Henderson and because of the NCAA rule, he will miss the next Blue Devil's game which happens to be the start of the ACC Championship next Thursday against North Carolina State.

The only real question that is left is, was the the foul intentional. In my opinion it most certainly was. Henderson along with the rest of the Duke team was obviously upset with their embarrassing 14-point loss and rightfully so, but what Henderson did was probably unnecessarily. But of course, Henderson thought differently.

"I was not intentionally trying to hurt anybody," Henderson said. "Obviously, it was a foul. I was not trying to hurt or hit the kid."

And not surprisingly, Duke Head Coach, Mike Krzyzewski didn't agree with the punishment. He said that he would like for the ACC office to take another look at the play and they should be expecting a call from people over at Duke. Of course he is just saying this because Henderson is one of his best players and that's what coaches do, right? They neglect the obvious that Henderson intended to hurt Hansbrough and when he succeeded he has to act shocked and probably come up with some bullshit on how Henderson just tapped into some childhood memory where he was beaten up at the playground for being different.

"We'll take all responsibility, but if there's any way Gerald Henderson did that intentionally, that's crazy," Krzyzewski said. "That's not the way he plays and not the way we play. ... I feel badly for Tyler and what happened, but there was no intent."

"The game was over before that," he said. "I mean the outcome of the game, let's put it that way. That's unfortunate, too, that those people were in the game in that play. Maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Now where have I heard that excuse from, oh yeah, it's the same damn thing Isiah Thomas said in defense of his player that started the Brawl at Madison Square Garden. And if Hansbrough hadn't been held back it's likely that we would've seen a similar situation. In response to Coach K's quote, Carolina's coach, Roy Williams wasn't happy with what took place on the court and Coach K's reasoning for his player's action.

"I don't understand that," Williams responded, when told of Krzyzewski's barb.

Playing starters at garbage time, he was told.

"Gerald was in," Williams said, although Henderson did not start. "I mean, both teams had 'em in. Anybody else got any questions?"

So with all that said, North Carolina won their 4th game against Duke out of the last five and regained the top spot upon the ACC rankings and a first round bye something the Dukies don't have the luxury of.

Are the Patritots intrested in dealing with the Seahawks again?

According to the Boston Globe the Patriots are reportedly very interested in acquiring the services of Seattle wide receiver, Darrell Jackson. Last year, the Patriots sent disgruntled wide receiver, Deon Branch to the Seahawks in exchange for Seattle's 2007 first round draft pick.

Despite missing the final three games of the season last year, Darrell Jackson still made 63 catches for 956 yards and 10 touchdowns. Just for a little comparison, the leading receiver for the Patriots last season was Reche Caldwell, who had 61 receptions for 760 yards and 4 touchdowns. Jackson would be a huge upgrade over the pass catchers that are currently in Boston right now. New England went the entire season without a #1 receiver and still made it to the AFC Championship game, which they lost for among other reasons because their WR kept dropping balls. With possibly adding Darrell Jackson and them already signing Adalius Thomas this offseason and not to mention their two 1st round picks in this year's NFL Draft the Patriots are going to be looking might difficult to beat next year.