#1 for All

For the first time since the NCAA started seeding teams for the NCAA Basketball Championship Tourney, all four #1 made it to the Final Four.

#1 Memphis Tigers vs. #1 UCLA Bruins

#1 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. #1 Kansas Jayhawks

Final Four Notes:

• UCLA and North Carolina are now tied for the most Final Four appearances by a school with 17 each.
• Memphis' has 37 wins and could set the record for most ever by a Division 1 basketball team with a win over UCLA in the semis.
• Both UCLA and Memphis have both won 30 games for three consecutive years.
• This is UCLA's third straight Final Four appearance under Coach Ben Howland.
• This is Memphis' first Final Four appearance since 1985 and Coach John Calipari's first since his #1 UMass squad lost to Kentucky and his mentor Rick Pitino in 1996.
• When KU plays NC, Coach Roy Williams will be facing his former program in Kansas. He has already won a championship with the Tar Heels and although KU was the winningest program in the 1990's, Williams never won a championship with them.
• Should both UCLA and North Carolina win their semi-final games, then UCLA Super-freshman Kevin Love will meet NC's two-time Player of the year Tyler Hansbrough in a much anticipated match-up.

Notes from the Coast:

Don't worry Myra Kraft, contrary to rumors Pacman Jones will never be a Patriot. By randomly mentioning teams like the Patriots and the Detroit Lions, Jones' agent is trying to entice the Dallas Cowboys, who do have some interest and a bunch of draft picks, to trade for him. The Lions have already denounced the rumor and the Patriots have stated that they aren't interested in the talented but troubled Cornerback who has yet to be reinstated by the NFL, so I think this plan will backfire.

• The Celtics came off a great road trip going 4-1 and 3-0 against the 'Texas Trio' but looked sloppy in back to back losses against the Hornets and Sixers. Some have blamed the losses on fatigue from all the traveling, but as Allen Iverson say's "we're talkin' 'bout practice". To give his players some added rest, Doc Rivers hasn't had the starters involved in any practices the last few weeks which may have resulted in a multitude of turnovers, sloppy play, and the back to back losses.
• UMass came from behind again to beat Syracuse 81-77 in the Carrier Dome. UMass is the only team legendary Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim has played more than once without scoring a single victory. Now Coach Travis Ford and the Minuteman advance to the NIT Final Four at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
• In an effort to convince the Red Sox to open the season in Japan, supposedly MLB made the Sox schedule easier. Not so sure about that. The Sox off-days consist of long flights as they go from Japan to Los Angeles, then Oakland, and then Toronto. When they finally do return to Boston on April 8th they have six games in six days against the two top teams in the American League, Detroit and New York. Then they hit the road again!
• The Boston Bruins dropped back to back games to the Montreal Canadiens last week. Now with 6 games left the Washington Capitals are only 2 points behind the Bruins for the final play-off spot in the East.
• Along with many, I'll be attending this Saturday's Red Sox vs. Dodger exhibition game at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The stadium holds over 100,000 fans, so this could be the largest crowd ever to view a baseball game.

Sox start off '08 with a win

It's Opening Day! (Morning)

Ironically the Red Sox open their 2008 season against the Oakland A's in the land of the 'Rising Sun' at 6 AM EST and 3 AM PST today. It will be Daisuke Matsusaka pitching for the Red Sox in his country of origin against Joe Blanton of the Athletics. The Red Sox are fairly healthy but will be without Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Sean Casey, Mike Timlin, Jed Lowrie, Bobby Kielty, and Tim Wakefield for today's game.

Sweet & Sour

As usual, there was madness abound in the first week of the NCAA tourney with many top seeds like Georgetown, Duke, Vanderbilt, and UConn losing early. Even #1 seed UCLA got a scare in their second round match against Texas A&M but was fortunate to escape with a 51-49 Saturday night. Now the top 3 teams from the Pac-10 Conference (UCLA, Stanford, and Washington State) have all advanced on to the Sweet 16.

Here is a little follow-up after the first week of competition;

• O.J. Mayo lost the battle of the Freshman when USC lost to Michael Beasley and Kansas State in their opening round match.
• UC San Diego upset Connecticut 70-69 in their first round game but then lost to Western Kentucky and missed a chance to go up against UCLA for a 'Battle of So Cal' in the West Regional semifinals next weekend.
• The Cinderella slipper also fell-off for Drake, Baylor, and Cal State Fullerton as all lost in their first round NCAA tourney games.
• UMass also had a scare but outscored Akron 19-2 down the stretch for a 68-63 comeback victory. Now the #2 seed Minuteman will face top-seeded Syracuse (21-13) for a chance to go to the NIT Final Four. Both teams just missed getting an NCAA Tourney bid and have already played each other in an exciting game earlier in the year in which UMass won 107-100, so it should be a battle in the Carrier Dome.

Notes from the Coast:

There is a theory that Arkansas All-American Running Back and two-time Heisman finalist Darren McFadden may fall to New England with the 7th pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. The Pats already have Lawrence Moroney and Sammy Morris is coming back from injury but some have said that McFadden could be the next Adrian Peterson, so if he does slide and you're the Patriots what do you do? Select and keep, select and trade, or trade the pick? Whatever happens, it should be an interesting draft. Especially with the hated N.Y. Jets picking right in front of the Pats.

• The Boston Bruins are hanging on by a thread. With 9 games left in the season they are only 3 points ahead of the Philiadelphia Flyers for the final play-off spot in the Eastern Conference and beginning Thursday night have to face their rival Montreal Canadiens in back to back games.
• Tony Allen needs to stop worrying about being considered part of the new 'Big 4' of the Celtics and worry more about making a team next year. He came back successfully from knee surgery but the Celts still did not renew his contract, so maybe his confidence is low. Either way, his shooting, dribbling, and passing are horrible, and now his defense is getting worse. When he replaced injured Ray Allen in the starting line-up against the Spurs, he looked completely lost.
• With all the free agent signings the New York Jets have made this off-season, some are worried that the Jets might catch-up to the Pats. Sure they've made some progress, but on the bright side if the Jets underachieve again after spending all this money, then Eric Mangini's chances of getting fired increase as well and I doubt anyone will be hiring the ungrateful snitch as a Coordinator any time soon. Ah, karma.
• The Red Sox opening day in Japan is only a few days away and everything looks like it's coming together. Daisuke and his wife had their baby early, so now he will pitch opening day in Japan. A great honor for him that will only pump him up even more for the season. Josh Beckett will miss the trip which is a blessing. Now he can avoid traveling and heal his back and better his chances of returning to the form he was last year. Another good thing is that it looks like Coco Crisp will make the trip to Japan. Now the team that covets him most, the Oakland A's, will have plenty of time evaluate him and make a deal with the Sox.
• Don't do it! Troy Brown's flirtation with the Jets will not make the Patriots jealous enough to bring him back for his 15th year. However, it could jeopardize him working in the Pats' front office when he retires.

Tank This! Celts' Road Show rolls on

The Celtics blasted Houston 94-74 last night and ended the Rockets' 22 game winning streak. Now with a win against the Mavericks in Dallas tomorrow night, the Celtics could be the first team since the 2001 Sacramento Kings to sweep all the Texas teams on a road trip.

Dancing with the Stars

Aside from Duke losing in the ACC Tournament and missing out on a #1 seed, most of the top dance contestants (UCLA, Kansas, Memphis, and North Carolina) who battled in the polls throughout the year got their VIP tickets to the 'Big Dance'. Some teams came to the dance through the back door, while others couldn't get on the floor. Here are some interesting tid-bits going into the tournament.

All the Right Moves:

• Baylor University had only their 4th 20 win season in the last 120 years of the school and got themselves an 11th seed in the tournament.
• Drake and Coach Keno Davis, son of former Boston College coach Tom Davis, made their first NCAA tournament in 37 years.
• USC meets Kansas State in a first round game that pits Michael Beasley and O.J Mayo, two of the most talented freshmen in the country.
• San Diego upset Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament, and Georgia, who only won 4 games in the SEC, won the season ending tournament to squeak into the dance.

Two Left Feet:

• Cal State Northridge, my alma-mater, was picked to finish sixth in a preseason conference poll, so it was a huge surprise when the Matadors earned a share of the Big West Conference title and took a (20-9, 12-4) record and the No. 2 seed into the Big West tournament. However, CSUN eventually lost in the tourney to Cal State Fullerton and lost the automatic bid to the dance as well.
• The UMass Minuteman (21-10) had a good year and were favored to make the NCAA Tournament until they blew a 17-point halftime lead and a 62-53 lead with 4:55 to UNC Charlotte in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Now UMass will have to try their luck as a #2 seed in the NIT.
• No miracle bid for a young Boston College Eagles squad as they got trounced by the Clemson Tigers 82-48 in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.

An Irish Blessing...

May your Potatoes always be ripe, your Corned beef always be pink, and may you never have to drink green beer.

Slainte & Go Celts!

Texas Swing

Just in time for St. Patrick's day, Boston will parade the Celtic green on the road for one of their toughest trips of the year. Beginning tonight, the Celts will play 5 games in 7 days against some of the best teams in the Western Conference and the NBA.

After opening in Milwaukee, the Celtics square-off against the defending champ San Antonio Spurs, a Houston Rockets team that has won 21 games in a row, the Dallas Mavericks with newly aquired Jason Kidd, and the upstart New Orleans Hornets with All-NBA point guard Chris Paul. Their last 4 opponents are all considered title contenders and have a combined record of 176-84.

The Celtics lost their last game to the Utah Jazz (another strong Western Conference team) at home 110-92 and in the process may have lost Ray Allen for a couple of games due to an ankle injury, so with only 18 games left in the season, this trip should be a true test for the team and good way to prepare for the upcoming play-offs.

Road Trip:

• @ Milwaukee Bucks (3/15)
• @ San Antonio Spurs (3/17)
• @ Houston Rockets (3/18)
• @ Dallas Mavericks (3/20)
• @ New Orleans Hornets (3/22)

March 12th Notes from the Coast:

With Favre's retirement, the Red Sox trip to Japan, Sam Cassells' activation, and the upcoming March Madness, there is much to talk about.

However, since it is my Birthday, I thought I would take a break from the 'Notes' column this week and instead pass along a little March 12th Sports trivia.


This Date in Sports:
1903 - NY Highlanders (Yankees) approved as members of AL
1908 - Stanley Cup: Montreal Wanderers sweep Winnipeg Maple Leafs in 2 games
1951 - Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler loses fight (9-7) to stay in office
1972 - NHL great Gordie Howe "Mr. Hockey" retires after 26 seasons
1984 - British skating team, Torvill and Dean, become 1st skaters to receive 9 perfect 6.0s in World Championships
1987 - Navy's David Robinson scores 50 points in a NCAA basketball game


Famous Birthdays:
Bert Campaneris - All-Star Shortstop (Oakland A's)
Albert Johanneson - First high-profile Black Soccer star
Grant Long - First -round pick, NBA Forward (Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks)
Merton Hanks - NFL Safety famous for his 'Duck' dance (SF 49ers)
Rod Smith - NFL Cornerback from Notre Dame (Carolina Panthers, GB Packers)
Isaiah Rider - First-round pick, NBA Guard (Minn Timberwolves, Port Trailblazers)
Raul Mondesi - NL Rookie of the Year Outfielder (LA Dodgers)

Beckett's front (not back) may be the problem

It looks like Josh Beckett adopted Curt Schilling's off-season work out program and now he is paying the price. Last Spring Schilling showed up at Fort Meyers overweight and later admitted he had spent more time building his new video game company than getting in shape for the last year of his contract. The result for Schilling was an injury riddled 2007 season that now has spilled into the 2008 season.

Josh Beckett recently joined Schilling on the diabled list with a back injury. Known as a workout warrior and someone the Red Sox trust to set the standard for their younger Pitchers, Beckett came into camp with a few extra barbeque ribs around his belt. Supposedly the added weight was to improve his stamina throughout the season but most likely it has led to his strained back. The bad news for the Red Sox is that Beckett is likely to open the seaosn on the disabled list. The good news is that it is a very, very long season and Josh Beckett's back injury has not led to any arm problems as of yet.

Who are these guys?

Call it the new "No Name" defensive. After losing All-Pro Asante Samuel, Randall Gay, and Eugene Wilson, the Patriots are desperately filling big holes in their defensive backfield with journeymen and recycled players.

As always, the team is playing a numbers game. Invite a bunch of underachieving players into camp in hopes that the Patriots scheme and coaching will somehow allow a player to finally reach their potential. The good news is that they come at a cheap price. The bad news is that most of them won't make the team.

That said, let's meet the new contestants:

• Cornberback Lewis Sanders, 29, is a veteran of eight NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns (2000-04), Houston Texans (2005-06) and Atlanta Falcons (2007).
• Hank Poteat, 30, is a 5'10" free-agent cornerback that has already spent parts of (2004), (2005) and (2006) with the Patriots.
• Safety Tank Williams, 6'2", 223 lbs. was with the Minnesota Vikings from (2005-07).
• Jason Webster, 30, is a 5'9" 187 lbs. veteran of eight NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers (2000-03), Atlanta Falcons (2004-06) and Buffalo Bills (2007).

On top of that, right now the Patriots only have Ellis Hobbs, Tim Mixon, Mike Richardson, Antwain Spann and Jason Webster under contract at the Cornerback position, so new Defensive backs coach Dom Capers will really have his work cut out for him beginning this Summer.

Don't print play-off tix just yet...

So much for the nice words in my post earlier this week. After winning 6 games in a row, the Boston Bruins lost their next 3 games by a combined score of 19-4!
Just last week the B's were third in the Eastern Conference in goals allowed and now they are giving up over 6 goals a game and are 4 points away from missing the play-offs.

Notes from the Coast:

It looks like the Boston Bruins could be peaking at the right time. After winning 6 games in a row and 7 out of their last 10, the B's are in 6th position for the NHL play-off run with less than 15 games left in the season. Plus, there is still a slight chance that Patrice Bergeron and goalie Manny Fernandez may be back for the play-offs.

• Glad to see the Patriots finally came to their senses and resigned Randy Moss. After already losing weapons like Branch, Givens, and Stallworth, who knows how Tom Brady would have reacted had the Pats let Moss walk. Now if they can only fill-in all the holes at Defensive back, Linebacker, and Tight End, we might make it back to the big game.
• Ironic that after the Celtics signed another big man in PJ Brown, Kendrick Perkins went from scoring 8 points and getting only 1 rebound against Cleveland to 19 pts. and 9 rebs. against Charlotte and then a dounble-double against Atlanta.
• It seems every time the Bruins are on National TV they get blown out. After winning 6 games in a row, they finally appeared on the Versus Network again the other night only to lose to the Washington Capitals by a 10-2 score!
• Not sure why the Pats first free agency signing of 2008 was Wide-receiver/Special teamer Sam Aiken. Didn't the Pats resign Kelley Washington for the same role? Besides the money that went to Aiken was basically the same amount they got from cutting blocking Tight End Kyle Brady.
• A new documentary called 'Len Bias' is expected to be out sometime this year. Bias was the Maryland star who suffered a fatal drug overdose less than 48 hours after being the second overall player selected in the 1986 draft by the Celtics. He was once described as a taller, stronger Michael Jordan and Larry Bird claims the Celtics would have been unbeatable had they played together. You can view the upcoming movie's trailer at http://www.len-bias.com/.

Round 3: Celts Beat Pistons, Clinch Play-offs

Finally, Sam's Our Man

The Celtics and Danny Ainge came through and signed two players before the March 1st play-off roster deadline. PJ Brown was signed as a free agent and at 6'11" provides some needed rebound and defensive support down low. While Sam Cassel was finally bought out by the Clippers so he could sign with the Celtics before the deadline.

Brown hasn't played all year and is expected to sit until he gets his wind back and even though Cassell has a wrist injury suffered on Feb. 20, he did pass his physical and is expected to play before the end of the week. Now with Cassell running the second unit, Eddie House will be free to set up his shot more. Also, Rajon Rondo and even older players like Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen should benefit from Cassell's experience controlling the game's tempo.

Mass Exodus?

It's safe to say that the off-season has not got off to a good start in Foxboro. To begin, Asante Samuel signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on the first day of free agency. One must assume the Patriots didn't want the All-Pro back because Samuel didn't even ask the Pats to counter the Eagles' offer. Last year Samuel was given the franchise tag but was promised it would not be given this year, so he was free to leave town and he did so at the first chance. What's more unfortunate is that Lance Briggs and the Chicago Bears were in a similar situation as the Pats and Samuel last year, yet both were able to reconcile and sign a new contract this year.

Also, over the weekend Randall Gay, a possible replacement for Samuel, left the Patriots and signed with the New Orleans Saints. On top of that, Eugene Wilson was told by the team that he would not be resigned which leaves the team with more holes in an already weak defensive backfield. Another weak area for the Pats is the Tight End position. After Daniel Graham left for the Broncos last year, the Pats signed Kyle Brady to replace Graham's blocking and when healthy the veteran filled in fine, but now we learn that the Patriots released Brady with another year left on his contract. These all sound like moves for a team desperate to free up salary cap space, yet Kyle Brady was making minimal dollars and the Patriots are projected to be $22 million under the cap.

Which leaves us with the Randy Moss saga. If the Pats are choosing to gather money to resign Moss, then why isn't he signed yet? He was brought in last year to give Tom Brady a much needed weapon and there is no one in free agency or the draft with the same impact on a passing game. Donte Stallworth (a possible replacement) was already let go and signed with Cleveland, Moss wants to stay and the Pats need him, so what is the hold-up?

Granted all the free agency signings the Patriots made last year didn't bring a fourth Superbowl Championship but it wasn't a failure by any means either. They had a very potent team that was only one play away from the title, so why let everyone go? Why haven't they used their franchise tag on anyone? The Pats do still have the 7th overall pick (and at least one pick in each round) of this year's NFL draft; however, their success in the draft has been limited to Offensive and Defensive Lineman lately, both of which are the current strengths of team. Also, the Pats have learned that drafting specialized positions like Wide-receiver and Defensive backs is hit or miss and seem to prefer picking up seasoned Linebackers from other teams. That said, I'm not sure what Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli have up their sleeve but the window of opportunity is closing fast both on the off-season and on a veteran-laden team seeking another title.