Mark Prior pitched batting practice! I repeat, Mark Prior pitched batting practice! Thirty whole pitches! We've got Mark Prior!!! You can keep your dependable pitchers who actually, you know, pitch in spring training games.
Well, despite the absence of Prior, it appears as though the USA World Baseball Classic is still going to make the next round (they only need to beat South Africa today). Take that Bill Wennington! Take that Steve Nash! Take that Ann Murray! Take that all you Canucks! Not even Stubby Clapp can save you now!
Pitching today for the USA WBC team will be Roger Clemens. Did any of you see Clemens' comments to the USA Today regarding his plans for the rest of the season? Apparently, Clemens has announced that he will retire after the WBC...unless he changes his mind. Excuse me? Let me make sure that I fully understand what Clemens is saying. He is going to retire unless he doesn't. Oh, I see. This is precisely the kind of all-important, breaking news that we had to live without in the 1970's before ESPN was created. By the way, the Random Thoughts has breaking news from Cubs' pitching coach Larry Rothschild. It appears as though Mark Prior will start the second game of the season against Cincinnati, unless he doesn't. John Paxson wants everyone to know that the Bulls will go after Kevin Garnett this off-season, unless they don't. Lovie Smith reports that Rex the Wonder Dog will be the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL and is definitely the Bears' starter next year.
What you were expecting something more in the last sentence?
(Hmmm...this gives me an idea)
Let's get on to the hoops, shall we?
Now that we are only a little more than 52 hours from the announcement of the field, I figured that this would be a good opportunity to take a look at where we are at. A lot has happened in the last 3 days and most of it has muddied the waters. But before we take a close look at who's in, who's out and who needs to do a lot of work, a few interesting little nuggets...
* For the last couple of weeks, I have been referring to Connecticut as the 2006 NCAA Champion and I am not ready to back away from my prediction just because the Huskies lost to Syracuse in the Big East quarterfinals. That said, no team has EVER lost their first conference tournament game and gone on to win the national title. This does not bode well for UConn, West Virginia or George Washington. Cleveland State and Southern Utah...sorry. The moral? Connecticut will not win the national championship, unless they do.
* If you see a roving gang of toothless men, carrying pitchforks and referring to the same woman as "wifey" and "sis," please do not give them my address. West Virginia is now 4-6 since I adopted them as my second favorite team. I fear my face may be unrecognizable by this time tomorrow, unless it isn't
* In the last ten years, amazingly there have been ten different winners of the Southland conference tournament. The only team that did not enjoy a championship and a trip to the Tournament was Stephen F. Austin (as opposed to Stephen Q. Austin or Steven F. Austin). Alas, the Lumberjacks lost last night in the semifinals. That said, I now predict that Northwestern State wins the title, unless someone else does.
CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN
ACC
In: Dick Vitale University, Michael Jordan University, Doug Flutie University, N.C. State (who in the heck went to N.C. State?)
Bubble: Florida State (losing to 12th seeded Wake Forest yesterday was a BAD idea); Maryland (still needs to do a little more..can make a fairly convincing argument with a win today versus Boston College).
Dan's Gut: Maryland beats BC and then only needs to be competitive on Saturday versus Carolina to get a bid. Florida State heads to the NIT, unless they make the NCAA.
Atlantic 10: George Washington is safely in the field and will be joind by whomever wins the tounament championship. I think it will be Temple, unless it's St. Joseph's, or maybe Xavier.
Big 12
In: Texas, Oklahoma, The Team-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named
Bubble: Texas A (screw the ampersand) M and Colorado. The two teams play this afternoon. Colorado needs the win and needs to be competitive on Saturday versus Texas to make a case. A M has a decent shot either way, but a win would seal the deal.
Dan's Gut: Colorado beats A M to add a little more confusion to the mix. Buffs' star Richard Roby scores 27 points, unless he only scores 12.
Big East
In: UConn, Villanova, Georgetown, Marquette, Pitt, West Virginia
Bubble: Syracuse (likely safe with their win over UConn yesterday). Cincinnati and Seton Hall will both be sweating right up until 5:00 on Sunday (and there is nothing worse than a bunch of sweaty Pirates)
Dan's Gut: The OrangeMEN get in, Cincinnati joins them, and, argghh, da Pirates got no loot, unless they do.
Big 10
In: Illini, Buckeyes, Hawkeyes, Hoosiers, Badgers, Spartans
Bubble: Wolverines (losing to Minnesota in the Big 10 tournament was another BAD idea. UM has now lost 7 of their last 9 games and only one team has gotten a bid after stumbling down the stretch so badly.
Dan's Gut: Jeez, I don't know. Michigan really struggled down the stretch, but the bubble is awfully soft this year. Oh man, I really don't know, unless I do.
Colonial: UNC Wilmington is in as the tournament champ. George Mason and Hofstra are both borderline candidates (I've beaten the GM and Hofstra horse to death!)
Dan's Gut: I like cheese fries or maybe I prefer them with ranch dressing. In other words, I'm trying to change the subject.
Conference USA
In: Memphis
Bubble: UAB (likely safe given softness of the bubble); Houston (needs to beat Memphis in Memphis tonight to have a legitimate shot).
Dan's Gut: Houston, you have a problem -- see how clever I am? UAB, you do not, unless you do.
Missouri Valley: Can't we just pretend that this conference does not exist? Tournament champ SIU is in, regular season champ Wichita State will join them and the rest of the schools are essentially the same team. I say that Northerniowabradleymissouristatecreighton either get in, or they don't.
Mountain West
In: San Diego State
Bubble: Air Force (the Falcons were shot down -- see, I told you I was clever-- by Wyoming last night). BYU ("Great! Air Force lost! Now we get to avoid playing them in the semifinals and we can waltz into the Mountain West final! NCAA Tournament here we come!")
Dan's Gut: I hate to rain on BYU's parade, but it looks like you forgot to beat Utah. Air Force and BYU are both headed to the NIT, where I am sure they will do quite well, unless they lose in the first round.
Pac 10
In: Washington, UCLA, Arizona
Bubble: California (Likely sealed a bid by beating USC last night. Will move into lock range with a win tonigh versus Oregon)
Dan's Gut: Vic-tor-ia is going dancing! What she does after the dance is her business...
SEC
In: Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Alabama, Arkansas
Bubble: Vanderbilt (needs to beat LSU today to have a chance. A loss and they are done).
Dan's Gut: They're done. NIT here come the Commodores, unless they beat Tennessee. Nah, not going to happen, unless it does.
WAC: Nevada is in. I really do not think that Utah State has a chance, but a number of the "experts" are considering them, so I had better mention them or look like quite the fool.
Dan's Gut: The experts have no idea what they are talking about half of the time. Period. No "unless" needed.
I will try and post mine and Tom's official bracket prediction on Sunday afternoon, but cannot guarantee access to a computer.
Have a great weekend! Happy hoops!
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3 comments:
Oh Mark Prior, why couldn’t you have been traded to our off season dumping ground for Furcal? I like Prior a lot, but trying to get excited about his return is like trying to get excited about Troy Aikman’s music career- you’re just setting yourself up for disappointment. There is no way that Prior is going to be in 2003 form and have an ERA below 2, unless of course he does.
Clemens’ comments just add to the pile of reasons why I think he’s a selfish, worthless moron using up a finite supply of air that could be better used by people that actually think before they act or talk. He also recently said that he’s more concerned about Barry Bonds’ body that his alleged steroid abuse. Barry Bonds stopped caring about his body when he started doing the juice- why would Roger care? That coming from somebody who pitched a fastball in high and tight to brush his son off the plate in a minor league game. Clemens also got tossed from a high school game last year for spitting seeds at and yelling at the Umpire. Class act, Roger.
My favorite thing about the NCAA tournament is knowing that my alma mater will most likely retain their title of being the only Illinois team to win the championship!
Not off of the top of my head, I had to "Go to the Google" but the best I could find on NC State alumni was either John Edwards or Torry Holt. How about you refer to it as Torry Holt University, unless you don't.
Jimmy V....... that's all you need to know about NC State (past, present or future) - "don't give up, don't ever give up"!
Maybe you shouldn't follow your gut or at least don't wager, pick the opposite of Dan's gut :)
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