Random thoughts from a cluttered mind...
This weekend we go to Atlanta for the Final Four. The finalists include the Ohio State Buckeyes, who will play the Georgetown Hoyas in the first semifinal, and YOUR Florida Gators, who will face the UCLA Bruins in a rematch of last years’ championship.
There are plenty of storylines to follow for this weekend.
For the Buckeyes, the spotlight will be on freshman C Greg Oden and his crew, who have done some battling, coming back from being down in their games, to get to Atlanta. It’s not fair to say they are the favorites, but they certainly carry a big spotlight. The Hoyas, meanwhile, are a team bringing back a Thompson as head coach and a Ewing as a player. The sons of the fathers from yesteryear are doing Georgetown right, and it’ll be fun to see them if the do indeed survive their battle with the Buckeyes.
The UCLA Bruins have emerged out of the West yet again, and I think they are certainly a stronger, more explosive team than they were last season. You can feel a sense of retribution off the loss in the Finals last season, and they actually relish the ability to face a Gator team in tact from last year and ready to clean up yet again. Florida certainly plays with a strong degree of confidence, in knowing what they are doing on the court, and what they need to do to take care of business.
Now, wouldn’t it be WILD to see Ohio State and Florida in the Championship, since the two schools duked it out a few months ago in the BCS Championship? You couldn’t get any better than that, and I doubt it would ever happen again for a long, long time. But it is very, very possible, and it should be great to watch how this all evolves over the coming days.
Like a bunch of little, whiny kids, NASCAR drivers were complaining about their new rides. The ‘Car of Tomorrow’ created a stir before, during, and after the first race using the vehicles in Bristol last weekend. We heard everything from ‘the cars can’t turn’ to ‘they’re not fun to drive’. There are certain differences and changes between the cars the boys normally drive, as opposed to what is now being rolled out for the future, and it will certainly take some getting used-to for various teams in determining what exactly these cars are all about.
Its hard to tell yet whether the fans care about the cars of before or the cars of tomorrow. I think they just like to see good, competitive racing being done between their favorite drivers, and that’s what the Bristol race certainly gave them. This weekend the rides will be used again in Martinsville, and we’ll hear more griping and grumbling as we go along. Hopefully, there won’t be too many problems, but you never know.
As we hit the homestretch of the regular season in the NBA and NHL, we see some very interesting races, primarily for final playoff slots in the Eastern Conferences.
In the NBA, the Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, New Jersey Nets, and New York Knicks are battling it out for a couple of spots. All four of those teams have records below .500 and will most likely go into the postseason with losing records, which is a shame, in a way. None of those squads has made a run, when a simple three- or four game winning streak will solidify their position in the standings.
Meanwhile, we’ve got a fierce battle for three slots among six teams in the NHL Eastern Conference. The Lightning, Rangers, Islanders, Hurricanes, Canadiens, and Maple Leafs all are going after it hard each night, with only a few points separating the six franchises. This is a nasty battle certainly worth gauging interest, if you are a fan of the battles on the ice.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said earlier that fighting between players during games in the League he operates is ‘a part of the game’ and is OK to be done, but he doesn’t want players injured or hurt by the action.
WHAT! HELLO? EXCUSE ME?!
Isn’t fighting all about wanting to injure or hurt whoever it is you’re fighting? Isn’t that why people engage in the action in the first place? The reason why it happens is one guy has done something the other guy doesn’t like, and he figures the only way to resolve the situation is starting throwing punches.
I’m not a proponent of fighting in the NHL at all. It serves no purpose, and it’s a ridiculous act during a game. I think it’s a bunch of crap, really. Imagine if the other leagues felt this way. Can you imagine?
Bettman should come out and take a proactive stance in this matter. It would make the game carry a stronger reputation.
Tom Weppel talks trash with Greg Larson, Tom McManus, Ron Duguay, and Lonnie Marts on Sports-
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