Phil Hughes on the Road to Recovery

Yankees starting pitcher, Phil Hughes has been scheduled for a rehab start in the minors.

He has been out since April 15th with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, which caused him to struggle with his velocity, barely reaching 90mph with his fastball and resulted in a record of 0-1 record with a 13.94 ERA in 3 starts in 2011. It was completely inexplicable after Hughes had such a breakout season in 2010 in becoming a first time all star and finishing the season with a record of 18-8.

Hughes will be pitching on Sunday for the Yankees' Class-A Staten Island team and will be allowed 65 pitches. Hopefully Phil Hughes will have a successful outing and move closer to coming back into the rotation, especially with Bartolo Colon on the DL. It would even be good if he could contribute in the bullpen since the Yankees are weakened there after losing Joba Chamberlain all season.

Joba on the DL

Yankees reliever, Joba Chamberlain has been put on the 15-day DL, but that is surely about to change. It has just been discovered that Chamberlain has a torn elbow ligament, which will probably require Tommy John surgery and will miss the rest of the season.

This is a huge blow to the Yankee bullpen. Joba has been the set up man for Mariano Rivera with Rafael Soriano on the DL and he's been pitching great lately. In May, Chamberlain posted a 2.08 ERA in 13 IP with 10 SO. He also marks the second pitcher the Yankees will lose for the season in addition to Pedro Feliciano. This injury leaves just Mariano Rivera and David Robertson as the most dominant pitchers left in the pen with Luis Ayala on the rise.

I wonder if the Yankees will call up Mark Prior, who had a good spring training from the minors to help strengthen the pen. Also, I would look for the Yankees to look for relief pitching around the trade deadline. They're always a very active team at the end of July, except this was a very unexpected casualty that is very costly, so instead of getting a potentially available Felix Hernandez as a starting pitcher, the Yankees will need to look at relief pitchers instead.

Plaxico Burress Released from Prison

After nearly 2 years in a New York prison, former New York Giants wide receiver, Plaxico Burress was released from prison after shooting himself in the leg at a nightclub in 2008. His wound led to being indicted and convicted of criminal possession of a hand gun. With such strict gun laws in NY it was inevitable that Burress was going to miss significant time from football and more importantly his life.

Presently he's 33 years old, which is old for a football player, but he has had almost 2 years to heal and not get beaten up every week on the football field. Several Giants that have visited him during his sentence reported that he was in great shape and would have no problem coming back ready to play. As Burress was released it proved that he does stayed in shape and has talked about running routes with fellow inmates during his incarceration.

Despite his age I would definitely take a chance on him. Just his 6 foot 5 height is a enough to sign him. He's a great target in the red zone or to set him on a streak and throw it up for him to catch it. You also have to remember he was a vital part of the Giants offense in getting to Superbowl 42 and the year after. He's been a dynamic receiver in both Pittsburgh and New York and I'm sure he hasn't lost his talent. I would also believe that he'll be a more disciplined player that will not cause any distractions or trouble now that he's been humbled and knows the value of living life. His crime was nowhere near as terrible as Michael Vick and he's reformed his life immensely. It seems that it'd be easier for Burress since he didn't do anything that was evil like Vick.

What team is he going to land on? Personally, Giants running back, Brandon Jacobs and I would like to see him return to the gmen, but that seems highly unlikely. But there's a chance right? I can hope. Hines Ward would love him back on the Steelers, but that hasn't been thrown out there as a potential team. A few teams I can think of that have been mentioned are the Philadelphia Eagles, the St. Louis Rams, and the New York Jets. I think he could fit in anywhere, but I wouldn't blame him for wanting to go to a winning team since he's a top notch receiver. The Redskins have been thrown out there, but I wouldn't even want to play for them. They're not a good team and have quarterback and head coach issues. Burress' agent, Drew Rosenhaus told reporters that every team is an option.
 
"I wouldn't rule out any team, I wouldn't rule out the Giants, I wouldn't rule out any club. Ireally won't talk about specific teams because I don't want to hurt his position. As far as the Giants, my personal opinion is he wouldn't rule them out. I certainly wouldn't. We are going to be open to all 32 teams. Ultimately this will be Plax's decision, not mine. I am here to help him pick the best spot and get the very best contract. And that is what we will do," stated Rosenhaus.

UConn's Top Wide Receiver Will Not Play in 2011

UConn football's #1 receiver, Mike Smith has been determined to be academically ineligible to play in the 2011 football season. He started all 13 games last season and led the team with 46 catches for 615 yards and 2 TDs last season. However, he will still have one year of eligibility left.

This is a big blow to the Husky offense which is already filled with question marks. With no idea who the starting QB will be, who regardless of who it is will be inexperienced, or who the running back will be, this lack of continuity is not helping. In addition to the question marks at  those positions, the receiving corps. wasn't that great to begin with. Last season the passing game was awful with many missed opportunities, dropped balls, and turnovers. Hopefully there will be some improvement among the returning receivers in order to make the passing game more of a threat.

NFLPA to Host Their Own Rookie Symposium

In the wake of the NFL cancelling their rookie symposium due to the uncertainty regarding the lockout, the NFLPA has stepped in.

The Player's Association will stage a two-day program for NFL rookies towards the end of June and will cover all costs.

The NFLPA is calling it "The Business of Football, Rookie Edition," which will take place in Washington D.C. from June 28-29. All 254 drafted rookies are invited to attend.

The program will educate rookies about financial planning and how to manage themselves on and off the field, in addition to various life skills. You know, stuff people should pick up going through their lives.

The NFL's rookie symposium was cancelled because the NFL claimed they couldn't commit to the number of people necessary to run the program, in addition to the uncertainty surrounding the lockout. The NFL's vice president, Adolpho Birch said that it would be up to the teams to help acclimate the rookies into the NFL. However, it's currently the 11th week of the lockout with no end in sight and teams are not allowed to communicate with their players in any form.

Jeremy Lamb is Going to Summer Camp

After winning the national championship with UConn, the now sophomore, Jeremy Lamb has been invited to attend USA Basketball's Under-19 training camp. Only 17 players were invited to participate. The camp will run from June 17-24 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The team will play in FIBA's U-19 World Championship which runs from June 30 to July 10 with games played in 3 different cities in Latvia.

The coach of the U-19  team is George Mason's new head coach, Paul Hewitt.

Red Sox Fans Can No Longer Complain about Money

The age old excuse used by Red Sox fans in that the Yankees buy their players with exorbitant amounts of money no longer applies.
With the offseason acquisitions of top free agents Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, the Red Sox are now not so different than the Yankees. Crawford was signed to a huge deal of 7 years and $142 million. On April 15, Gonzalez was signed months after being traded to the Red Sox in December of 2010 in order to avoid paying the MLB's luxury tax. His deal was even bigger than Crawford's at a 7 year extension worth $154 million. Next season they'll have to pay the luxury tax. I know I'm a little late, but this has bothered me and other Yankees fans for a while.

Also, in 2011 the Red Sox have the third highest payroll being behind the Phillies and the Yankees up top. The thing is that Boston has been up towards the top of the list for a while, yet for the longest time, all I've heard is that the Yankees buy their players, which is why they win all the time. In 2010 the Red Sox were at #2, in 2009 they're 4th, in 2008 they're at 4th again, in 2007 they're 2nd. As far back as 2000, the Red Sox had the seventh highest, but every year after they were in the top 4 being at the 2 spot 6 times in the past 10 years.

It's funny how that's overlooked.

However, as shown notably by the Yankees and the Mets, money doesn't buy championships. Besides, most of the Yankees now 28 World Series titles came before they were known for paying the most for a player with only 5 coming in the past two decades, but with New York City being larger than life the goal is championship or bust. To be honest, the Yankees is a franchise that has been there and done that and all that matters now is championships. They expect to win it every year.

Eric Chavez Breaks His Foot

On Thursday while running out his RBI triple in the fourth inning, Eric Chavez broke his left foot in the Yankees' loss against the Detroit Tigers. He was filling in for Alex Rodriguez that game, which has given the aging slugger the chance to rest some days and also was a very competent replacement for that short stint Arod was injured.

Chavez will be fitted with a boot to wear for 2 weeks and then will be re-evaluated. He'll be out for 4-6 weeks, possibly longer.

Unfortunatley for the Yankees this injury means that Girardi can't give Rodriguez as many days off to keep him at 100%. Ramiro Pena, was called up from AAA to fill Chavez's roster spot, but probably won't get a lot of playing time. I expect to see some more of Eduardo Nunez.

New Caroline Doty Trick Shot Video

I just want to give a shout out to UConn's Caroline Doty for releasing her second basketball trick shot video. The first one was great and this new one is just as good.

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Jim Calhoun Finds New Assistant Coach

Glen Miller has been promoted to assistant coach by Jim Calhoun after the departure of Andre LaFleur to be head coach at Providence.

Miller, however has plenty of experience at the position. He previously served as an assistant coach for Calhoun from 1986-1993 before taking the head coaching job at Connecticut College. He then coached at Brown from 1999-2006 and Penn where he would claim the Ivy League Championship in the 2006-07 season. Then he was fired in the 2009-10 season at Penn.

He would come full circle after being hired the same year as director of basketball administration after the firing of Beau Archibald due to the NCAA violations.

UConn 2010-11 Recap

I just thought I'd share a video that sums up what a wonderful year it has been to be a Husky both academically and athletically. UConn isn't just your local public university.

Maya Moore Drafted No. 1 to the Lynx

With the number 1 pick in the WNBA Draft, the Minnesota Lynx have seleced UConn's Maya Moore. It was no surprise as Moore was a four-time All-American, two-time AP player of the year, helped lead the Huskies to their 90th straight victory this past season and back to back championships from 2009-2010.

As a Husky in 2011, Moore averaged 22.8 ppg and was the leader of the team. She becomes the second straight UConn player to be selected no. 1 overall with the selection of Tina Charles last year by the Connecticut Sun and the fourth UConn player overall to be selected with the first pick.

The Lynx finished 13-21 last season and have high hopes after winning the draft lottery and so does Maya Moore for this team.

"Every year the goal is a championship. That's what I expect. I go on to every team expecting to win a championship, especially with the amount of talent we have. I don't want to limit to the playoffs, I want to win a championship."

Moore also went on to sign with her new team soon after being drafted.

What's Up with Phil Hughes?

Yankees starting pitcher, Phil Hughes hasn't been the same pitcher he was last year. After beating out Joba Chamberlain for a spot in the starting rotation, winning 18 games, and becoming an all star, Hughes came into 2011 with his velocity down and after 3 games, 10.1 innings pitched, and posting an 11.94 ERA he finds himself on the disabled list trying to find a way to get back his velocity. His fastball last season could hit up to 96 mph, but in 2011 he was averaging about 89 mph and peaking at 92.

There's no explanation for such a drastic change in Hughes' velocity. He came into spring training healthy and there's nothing wrong with his arm. After performing so terribly in 2011, the Yankees placed him on the DL with a dead arm and will undergo arm strengthening exercises such as long toss to get his strength back. He hasn't pitched since April 3rd.

He threw in a bullpen session on April 25th, but it was cut short after around 20 pitches becuase Hughes had shown no improvement. Therefore, the decision has been made to shut Hughes down until some tests can be done and he sees some specialists to try and figure out why his velocity has disappeared. He's supposed to be out for 6-8 weeks.

Hopefully Hughes comes back soon because who knows how long either Freddy Garcia or Bartolo Colon will be successful. But either way it's hard to replace an 18 game winner . I was hoping for an even better season for him since he wouldn't be as limited as before, but now I just hope he comes back into the form he had last year. He's a future pitching star for the Yankees if he can recover. Fortunately he's young, only 24, so he has plenty of pitching left in his career.

UConn Assistant Basketball Coach Leaves for Providence

After working alongside Jim Calhoun for 10 years and as an assistant coach for the past 7 years, Andre LaFleur has left UConn to work as an assistant for Providence head coach, Ed Cooley.

He has signed a multiyear contract that will pay him about a quarter million dollars per year, a significant raise from the $161,859 he was paid in 2010.

LaFleur played key roles in the recruitment of recent players such as Kemba Walker, Stanley Robinson, Hasheem Thabeet, and Jerome Dyson.

His ultimate goal is to become a head coach and part of his reason for leaving Connecticut was that he felt he wasn't going to get the job when Calhoun decides to retire as former UConn player, Kevin Ollie appears to be an early favorite for the job.

UConn Spring Football Game

It was a cruddy day for the spring game as the cold and rain kept attendance to just 2,500 at Rentschler. The weather could also be attributed to the lack of offense displayed in the 16-14 Blue team victory over the White team.

The defense was strong as expected, which is a good sign for the Huskies. You can win games with a bad offense, but not with a bad defense. With most of the defense coming back next year hopefully they'll be able to keep Connecticut competitive against most of the teams they'll face next season.

The quarterback question was not answered as there was no clear standout. Scott McCummings went 1-7 for only 8 yards. Trick shot master, Johnny McEntee went 6-16 for 51 yards and an interception. Michael Box couldn't complete a pass in 4 attempts and freshman, Michael Nebrich went 2-5 for 10 yards.

With the departure of Jordan Todman to the NFL, the search for a replacement at running back has been an urgent one with not many options, especially since Todman last year was the primary form of offense for UConn. Senior and USC transfer, D.J. Shoemate looks like their next running back. After a mediocre performance in the 2010 season opener at Michigan, Shoemate ran for 110 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown in the spring game.

Spring games are a tough way to see how a team may fare in the regular season. It's mostly because you're splitting up the whole team into 2 and mixing the good players with the bad. A good amount of these guys may not see much playing time next season. As a whole unit this Husky team could look very good, but as of now there's no way to tell.

Pedro Feliciano Out for the Season

The lefty relief pitcher is going to miss his first year in pinstripes. The Yankees pitcher had an MRI which revealed he has a torn capsule in his pitching shoulder, an injury attributed to how the Mets abused his talents after appearing in 92 games in 2010. Surgery will most likely be needed.

With Feliciano out, that leaves only Boone Logan as the only lefty in the bullpen for the Yankees and he was supposed to compete with Joba Chamberlain for the 8th inning set-up job.

Pedro Feliciano could have made the Yankees already strong bullpen even better, but we'll have to wait until next year to see what he'll bring to the pen.

Kemba Walker to Enter the NBA Draft

Today as expected, Kemba Walker announced his decision to enter the NBA Draft after only his junior year. He hasn't hired an agent yet, but intends to and has been talking with some.

"There's no chance that I'm coming back," Walker said.

Jim Calhoun and Walker even joked how UConn doesn't have a scholarship for him anymore and that it was time to go. With Kemba's decision to leave, the Huskies will bring back 4 starters and 9 players for next year from the team that won them the national championship.

Kemba Walker is considered by many to be a first round pick. While perusing the internet, I've even seen suggestions that Walker could potentially be a top five pick and is a top five prospect in this year's draft, albeit being a weak NBA Draft this year. Another reason for Walker to leave school early coming off a stunning breakout season. Connecticut will also introduce blue chip recruit, Ryan Boatright. Personally I don't pay much attention to high school athletes so I YouTubed him and he plays just like Kemba Walker. He's of similar size, very fast, and loves to drive the lane for the layup or the floater, but also can make his jumpers and distribute the ball. Even as a freshman, he has the ability to fill at least some of the void with Walker's departure. When looking Boatright up on ESPN's recruiting page for UConn, one of his listed weaknesses is scoring too much and not passing as much. I believe this will be a non-issue with Shabazz Napier returning, who ran the offense for about the last half of the season because it allowed Walker to get better shots by playing off the ball. With Napier running the offense as an experienced sophomore next year, Boatright can score as much as he pleases because Napier knows how to distribute. Besides, players like Jeremy Lamb, Alex Oriakhi, and Roscoe Smith are going to be looking to play a bigger part in scoring. Next season look for UConn to still contend and maybe look to repeat as national champions.

I'm not only looking forward to next season, but I'm very interested to see the type of NBA player Kemba Walker will become. Walker will become the 27th player Jim Calhoun has sent to the NBA.

Kemba Walker's Press Conference at Storrs, CT:

Jim Calhoun's Future

Is Calhoun coming back for at least one more year as head coach of the UConn Huskies basketball team? As a Husky fan and UConn student I hope so. At 68, Calhoun became the oldest coach to win a national championship in his 25th season at Connecticut. He's under contract until 2014, but the topic of retirement has come up after winning his third title. When asked about retirement, Calhoun has stated he's going to take his time and enjoy his offseason, but continue to prepare the team for next year and recruit. The only thing that bothers me is that if he comes back it'll be because of his love of the game since he doesn't need to prove anything else. He's already a hall of famer, won over 800 games, won the NIT in 1998, and has 3 national championships, as well as sent 26 players to the NBA with Kemba Walker about to be added to that list. I just hope he's not ready to stop yet. Only time will tell.

Manny Ramirez Tests Positive for PED Use, then Retires

Manny Ramirez is officially retired. He informed MLB of his retirement after being cited for using performance enhancing drugs for the second time. Technically it was his third time because his name was mentioned in the infamous Mitchell Report. Had Ramirez not retired he would have been facing a 100-game suspension. Manny had previously served a 50-game suspension when playing with the Dodgers in 2009. What's next for Manny? He says he's going to Spain with his "old man." If Ramirez decides to come out of retirement he'll have to serve the 100 game suspension before he can start playing.

Manny is regarded as of the best right handed hitters in the game, but is he a hall of famer? Manny is one of three players ever to have 2,574 hits, 555 homers, a .585 career slugging percentage, and a .996 OPS. However, when looking how hall of fame voters have shut out names like Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, who despite having hall of fame numbers have been associated with PED use. Unless voters change their minds regarding players associated with PEDs, I don't think we'll see Manny Ramirez's name in the hall of fame once he becomes eligible.

Kemba Walker Inducted into Husky Ring of Honor

During the pep rally celebrating the UConn Huskies' 2011 National Championship, Kemba Walker was inducted into the Husky Ring of Honor.



Walker is the 14th mens player to be honored and joins the likes of Ray Allen and Rip Hamilton, but he is the first active player to be honored in the school's history.

Response to UConn and Jim Calhoun Haters

Recently after UConn's victory over Butler in the 2011 National Championship, I've had the misfortune to read some of the comments on some ESPN articles that bash head coach, Jim Calhoun and talk about how he cheated, doesn't deserve this title, about how this title will get vacated later, etc.

I just want to point out why Calhoun is not a cheater and why you won't see this title vacated. First off, until this year, Calhoun has never been reprimanded for NCAA violations and the violations UConn was cited for this year had nothing to do with Calhoun actually doing anything. It was someone on his staff who no longer works for the university giving illegal benefits to recruit, Nate Miles, which Calhoun did not know anything about. Calhoun has never given any reason to doubt his integrity, so there's no valid reason to believe he's lying about that. Secondly, Nate Miles never actually played in a single game for UConn, so there's no reason to think the 2011 title will get vacated. Calhoun is no John Calipari, who has had his 2 Final 4 appearances vacated at both UMass and Memphis. Nate Miles is no Derrick Rose, who played ineligibly for Memphis under Calipari by having someone else take his SATs for him. So, how did Calhoun cheat? I think his 3rd title is here to stay.

Kemba Walker's Future

After winning the national championship, what is there left to do for UConn's Kemba Walker? He's graduating after only 3 years and is projected to be at best a potential top-5 pick in the NBA Draft. There's nothing left for him by staying at school other than the opportunity to repeat as national champions. And it's a weak draft class this year, which allows him a better opportunity in the NBA

All indicators point to Walker leaving for the NBA Draft, but hold on just one minute. After this NBA season is over, like the NFL, the NBA's CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) is up, which could potentially lead to a lockout. ESPN's SportsCenter has recently had coverage of the potential future of the NBA and all signs right now point to a lockout that will continue into the regular season and is expected to take away a significant amount of games played next season. Like the NFL, the NBA's team owners are looking for as one ESPN NBA analyst described it as "draconian" amounts of money from the players. If it's anything like the NFL lockout right now, expect a major struggle between the owners and the players.

Given the current outlook on the situation of the NBA's CBA I believe that if Kemba were to shock everyone and stay one more year at school, he would be given a pass because of the possibility of missing professional basketball next year, which would give Calhoun another year to develop Walker and prepare him even more for the NBA. Personally, I'm going to be selfish and hope he comes back for one last year to give UConn another championship, but that's just me and every other UConn basketball fan.

Pep Rally and Parade to be Held in Honor of UConn Huskies Championship

On April 6th, there will be a pep rally to welcome the 2011 NCAA Champion Huskies back to Storrs, CT in Gampel Pavilion. The doors will open at 5pm and the rally will start at 5:30pm. It is a free event and will be open to the public. The team is expected to land at Bradley International Airport around 3:45pm and there will also be a gathering there as well.

Governor, Dannel P. Malloy has also announced that there will be a parade in Hartford on April 17th. The parade will start at 3pm and will begin and end at the State Capitol. Following the parade there will be a rally with the coaches and the team will take place on the north steps of the Capitol building.

UConn Huskies Win the National Championship 53-41

The UConn Men have defeated the Butler Bulldogs won their third national championship in school history. All three have been since 1999 when coach, Jim Calhoun won the Huskies' first title. Connecticut has more titles since 1999 than any other school. Not Duke, not Kansas, nobody. At 68, Calhoun is the oldest coach to win a championship and is the fifth coach ever to win 3 titles or more. With this championship, Calhoun enters a very select group of coaches that includes, John Wooden, Adolph Rupp, Mike Krzyzewski and Bob Knight.

This UConn team finishes the season on an 11 game win streak and 14-0 overall in tournament games this season. From Maui to New York to Houston, no one could beat the Kemba Walker and the kids.

This game will be remembered most by the great defensive play by both teams and by Butler's notoriously horrific shooting. UConn saved themselves from matching Butler's shooting performance by playing a great second half that won them the game. Overall, Butler shot 18.8 percent, the worst ever in a title game. They made just 12 shots of their 64 attempted. Thirty-three of those attempts were three pointers of which they made 9. The Huskies shot terribly as well, but were able to have a 34 point second half to finish the game with a 34.5 field goal percentage.

Another aspect of this game that made it memorable was how uncharacteristic it was of a game. Usually when a team outrebounds and scores more points in the paint than the other team, you can expect them to win. Until the second half, Butler defied all logic by winning 22-19 at the end of the first half, despite having 0 points in the paint and getting dominated on the glass. What made the game more bizarre was how Shelvin Mack went off in the first half making threes well beyond the arc, yet they couldn't score a single point in the paint or make any other jumpers. While watching in Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT I was thinking, what did Butler do, practice half court shots after last year's title game? I bet the other 8,000 plus students there were thinking along the same line. It certainly seemed like it. Mack's three pointer to finish the first half and send the Bulldogs up 22-19 was such a buzzkill in Storrs. It seemed they had momentum going into the 2nd half. However, in the end, the Huskies were able to prevail after dominating the paint scoring 26 points to 2 and outrebounding Butler 51-40.

Kemba Walker finished what he started. He led his team with 16 points and 9 rebounds. It wasn't his prettiest game as he shot 5-19 and missed all 4 of his three point attempts, but he made 6 of his 7 free throws and his leadership on the court is unparalleled, especially with such a young UConn team. Jeremy Lamb was ice cold to start the game, but came out of halftime on fire as he would score all 12 of his points in the second half. His second half play is what we expected all game and it just came 20 minutes too late. Better late than never for UConn. Sophomore, Alex Oriakhi was a monster. He had the paint on lockdown with 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. On top of that he scored 11 points. There couldn't have been a better time for him to play his best. It only sets him up for next year to play even better.

It was a fairy tale ending to a fairy tale season. Coming in, no one gave the Huskies a shot at anything. They were projected to have a mediocre finish towards the cellar of the big east, no NCAA Tournament bid and they were supposed to have an early exit in the Maui Invitational that they were invited to for some reason. Right off the bat, Kemba Walker told UConn Country this season was going to be different. All the more reason for Storrs, CT to celebrate. Storrs went wild and after storming the floor after the big win went outside to celebrate. A perfect ending to a shocker of a year. As a freshman, I've been very spoiled this year with such great sports success for the Huskies. Hopefully next year the UConn women can get in on the championship. Whether Kemba comes back next year or not, look for the Huskies to be a contender next season. As the academic year wraps up, there is no better way to end it.

Here's some videos to get the sense of how it was in Storrs:

UConn Women Fall to Notre Dame 72-63

Connecticut is no longer looking for a three-peat as they were defeated by Notre Dame in their fourth meeting of the year. Notre Dame will be heading to National Championship game against Texas A&M after their upset victory over Stanford.

UConn's Maya Moore played spectacularly, scoring 36 and grabbing 8 rebounds. Unfortunately for her, the rest of the Huskies wouldn't provide much support. Freshman, Bria Hartley was the only other UConn player to score in double digits with 10 points. In addition to no support from the rest of the team, the Huskies didn't get many fouls called their way in the second half which severely limited them. Had Notre Dame not been given so many easy points in the second half, I believe UConn would have either won or made the game even closer. I admit that Connecticut was not playing their best basketball. Notre Dame did a great job shutting down everyone but Maya Moore. They did exactly what they had to do to win. Moore is going to score her points and you're not going to outplay her, so the best way for a team to win is shut down the rest of the team. Unlike in previous years, UConn didn't have a second star player to help carry the team. It was somewhat of a rebuilding year with such a young cast of players and veteran, Caroline Doty out all season.

This game marks Connecticut's second loss on the season to a team that has played them tough all season. It's very tough for a team to beat another four times in the same season, especially a very good Notre Dame team. The familiarity between the two teams is very tough to overcome, especially when everyone knows Maya Moore is going to be leading her team. Now Connecticut has to move on from Maya Moore as she will graduate this year and is expected to be selected no. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft.

As a bitter UConn fan, I must say go Texas A&M. Please beat Notre Dame and win your first national title, but I'm also torn to say go Notre Dame to keep the national title in the Big East family. The title game is April 5th at 8:30pm on ESPN. It should be a good game regardless.

Former UConn Recruit Nate Miles Willing to Talk to the NCAA

So now former UConn basketball recruit, Nate Miles will talk to the NCAA while previously refusing to be involved in the investigation of recruiting violations against Connecticut that resulted in coach, Jim Calhoun being suspended for 3 Big East games next season for not promoting an environment of compliance.

Miles refutes the idea that Calhoun didn't know he was receiving improper benefits from a former team manager. Nate was expelled from UConn in October of 2008 without ever playing for the Huskies. He says he wants to set the story straight and get some details right.

"During these efforts, it was made clear Nate was not going to talk to us," NCAA Spokeswoman, Stacey Osburn said. "If new information comes to light, the next step is to assess its credibility and determine if further steps are needed."

Calhoun's lawyer, Scott Tompsett released a statement in which Calhoun reaffirms his story that he was unaware of Miles receiving any improper benefits. In addition to Calhoun's new statement, Tompsett reminded us that Nate Miles signed a statement last year, which contradicts the story he has come out with now. It sounds to me like Miles needs to keep quiet before he gets himself into any trouble. You can't go around changing your story to try and get Calhoun in more trouble. I think that Miles holds a grudge over Calhoun and was unhappy with the suspension the NCAA gave Calhoun, so he has come out with this new story. He had months to come out and say something to the NCAA during their investigation, but refused to do so and ignored the NCAA's attempts to contact him. His timing here appears awfully suspicious to me. Until shown otherwise, I'm not putting any stock into what Miles says.

NBC's Today Show at Storrs

Due to UConn's appearance in the national championship game, NBC's Today Show will be making an appearance in Storrs, CT to do a live TV shoot on Monday morning inside of Gampel Pavilion. The doors open at 6:30am and live shots will be shown on the air between 6:45am to 7:30am. The first 500 students get a free t-shirt, so make sure you show up.

I am currently  awake right now waiting for around 6am to head over to Gampel for a once in a lifetime experience. I'm proud to say I go to the University of Connecticut and I've been fortunate enough to go at the right time. I couldn't have asked more of the Huskies to make my college experience special and they've done so already in my freshman year. Hopefully this kind of tradition continues for the rest of my 3 years here.

Here's some footage from Gampel this morning.

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UConn Men are Going to the Ship

The UConn men are headed to the national championship after outlasting Kentucky 56-55.

The UConn campus at Storrs, CT went wild the second after the game was over. Yelling and screaming everywhere. Dorms were emptying out as kids went outside to celebrate such a spectacular win. I was fortunate enough to go out with some friends to see literally thousands of kids all walking towards Carriage chanting UConn cheers and exclaiming the love they had for their Huskies. It was a very happy night with high fives and cheers everywhere. Tonight was the one night everyone was friendly to each other. On Monday night I'll have the pleasure of joining thousands of students to watch the championship game in Gampel Pavilion and will hopefully be celebrating afterwards. This is just a glimpse of the campus reaction tonight.



And this is what happened the last time the men won it all in 2004.



Kemba Walker led the Huskies with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. While you may say he didn't play well just because he didn't score 20+, that's not truly representative as to how much impact Walker has on the game. If you combine his 18 points and 7 assists, Kemba is accountable for 32 points out of his team's 56. Freshman star, Jeremy Lamb had 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists as he has continued to play excellently throughout the NCAA Tournament. Despite the pressure of being in the Final 4 and under a national spotlight, this young UConn team has yet to falter. Alex Oriakhi played very well scoring 8 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. His play has been vital to Connecticut's success. I think that he's essential to UConn winning. If bigs like him, Roscoe Smith, and Charles Okwandu can score in the paint and outrebound the other team, the Huskies will win. Everyone knows that Kemba can make shots and will get his points, as well as Lamb, but if you want to beat the Huskies you have to limit plays in the paint.

Free throws in this game were key. Kentucky shot a mediocre 4-12 from the line while UConn went 9-11. If Kentucky were to only make 50% of their free throws they would have won the game, it's that simple. You also have to dish out major credit to UConn's defense. They have been playing some of the best defense in the tournament that caused Kentucky to make only 33.9% of their field goals on the night and 9-27 from beyond the arc. It's Connecticut's defense that allowed them to win despite only making 1 three pointer out of their 12 attempts. What sealed the game was when Shabazz Napier sunk 2 free throws with about 1 second to go to put the Huskies up 4. Ever since that Syracuse game in the Big East Tournament where Napier missed a free throw that could have won the game in regulation, he has been clutch in every opportunity he has gotten when put on the line late in games.

Monday will be UConn's third championship game in school history, all of which have been since 1999 when they first won it all. Connecticut won again in 2004 and made the Final 4 in 2009, but lost in the national semi-final game. Coach, Jim Calhoun will be looking to win his 3rd national championship, which will take him to a very prestigious group of coaches to have done so. The Huskies will be facing the Butler Bulldogs who are looking to win their first championship after losing to Duke in the title game last year. The game will be on CBS at 9:23 pm.

UConn Makes History

Now that Connecticut's womens basketball team has advanced to the Final 4, the University of Connecticut has become the first school to reach the men's Final 4, the women's Final 4, and a BCS game in the same year. Congratulations to UConn!

UConn Women Advance to the Final 4

The UConn women are headed to Indianapolis to play in the Final 4 for the 4th consecutive season and the 12th time in school history.

In round 2 against Duke, the Huskies still destroyed them. For the 2nd time against UConn, the Blue Devils didn't show up to play. Instead of winning by 36, this time Connecticut won 75-40, only a margin of 35 points. So you could make the argument Duke played them better than last time, just not by much.

Maya Moore was unstoppable and led UConn with a double-double of 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 steals. Part of her scoring effort led her to 3,000 points in her career making her the 7th player in Division I history to do so. Freshman, Bria Hartley also led the rout of the Blue Devils with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Duke only made 25.4% of their field goals, while the Huskies made 59.3%. Duke wasn't able to penetrate UConn's defense and was forced to take jump shots and scored very few points in the paint.

UConn will be playing a road game in Indianapolis against Notre Dame. The crowd will be ruthless. It will be the 4th time they will have played this season with the Huskies winning all 3 games this season. The game will be Sunday, April 3rd at 9pm on ESPN.

UConn Football Player Suspended

Senior wide receiver, Isiah Moore has been suspended for a violation of the team's policies according to head coach, Paul Pasqualoni. As of now there is no timetable for his return and will currently be missing spring practices. On Tuesday, Pasqualoni announced the suspension with 8 spring practices remaining.

Moore is 6 feet 1, 190 pounds and should play a bigger role this season in the passing game. Last season he played in every game and caught 15 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown.

He is the 2nd player to be suspended by the Huskies' new head coach. Prior to Moore's suspension, freshman running back, Lyle McCombs was suspended after being arrested for possession of marijuana on January 17th. It is unknown as to when he will return as well. However, Moore's absence does not appear to be criminally related as there is no police report about him.

Hopefully these two players will learn their lesson and when they get back on the field work harder than before to catch up, because as of right now there are question marks in both of those positions. The Receiving corps was weak last season with many missed opportunities and with Jordan Todman's departure for the NFL Draft; there is no clear candidate as to who will be the starting running back.

UConn Women to the Elite 8

The Huskies will continue on to the Elite 8 after surviving a scare from Georgetown. Despite being down at the half by 3 and then down by 7 with 9:36 to go, UConn was still able to come out on top 68-63 to mark their 3rd win against Georgetown this season. The Huskies had this tough outing coming since Georgetown had previously played Connecticut tough in their two previous meetings. Familiarity between the two definitely played a role. However, in the end the better team emerged.

Maya Moore led Connecticut with 23 points and 14 rebounds. The freshman, Bria Hartley also had a good game scoring 17 points and 6 assists. Stefanie Dolson helped in the rebounding effort with 13 boards, which ultimately helped them win the game. Another key factor was free throws. The Huskies made 70.6% of their free throws and with only a 5 point win margin, every point counted.

The Huskies move on to face Duke Tuesday, March 29th at 7pm on ESPN. The winner moves on to the Final 4. The last time these 2 teams met, Connecticut annihilated the Blue Devils 87-51 after leading 41-15 after the first half.

Yankees Starting Rotation Set

It's official now. Everyone can stop questioning the New York Yankees' pitching rotation.

Pitcher, Freddy Garcia has now been officially slated as the no. 5 starter in the pitching rotation behind Ivan Nova pitching 4th in the rotation.

Garcia had a good season in 2010 with a record of 12-6 and was great during spring training and ultimately deserved this spot. Ivan Nova went 1-2 with an ERA of 4.50 in 2010 in 10 games, 7 of them in which he started. Nova's spring training went well with the right hander going 2-0 with an ERA of 1.80 in 5 games, 4 of which he started.

It was decided that Bartolo Colon was going to be retained in the majors, but his role would involve pitching from the bullpen. Colon was a good candidate for that last starting spot, especially after not playing last year. However, the bullpen is an area that needed improvement, so Colon should make a good addition.

The Yankees starting pitching rotation will look like this for the regular season:
1. C.C. Sabathia
2. A.J. Burnett
3. Phil Hughes
4. Ivan Nova
5. Freddy Garcia

Outfielder, Curtis Granderson is still questionable to play in opening day this Thursday due to muscle soreness in his right side, but is optimistic that he is recovering well. He was able to hit off a tee, participate in a soft toss session, throw, and run the bases. The injury isn't serious and there's no need to worry. He'll be back as soon as possible and he shouldn't miss a significant amount of playing time.

UConn Holds Off Arizona to Head to the Final 4

UConn has just made its season even more spectacular after beating Arizona 65-63 to advance to their 4th Final 4 in school history, all of which under current head coach, Jim Calhoun. This is also their 2nd Final 4 appearance in 3 years after losing to Michigan State in 2009 in the national semi-finals and missing the NCAA Tournament last year.

The Huskies were able to win their 2nd consecutive road game in Anaheim since the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona is a lot closer than Storrs, CT. That crowd noise and the play of Derrick Williams provided a great challenge for UConn, but in the end they and their stellar defense prevailed.

Kemba Walker was very limited in this game because of Arizona's strong defense and was forced to become a jump shooter instead of weaving around players and driving to the basket for a layup. While he only had 20 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal, his leadership is one thing you can't stop no matter what. He elevates the play of his teammates exponentially, which is part of why they were playing to get into the Final 4 in the first place. That and Walker's stellar defense is the reason why he truly deserves to be player of the year. Freshman, Jeremy Lamb is continuing to play as he has all tournament. Saturday night he had 19 points with 3 critical baskets during the last 6 minutes of the game to keep UConn ahead. Sophomore, Alex Oriakhi had 7 points and 6 rebounds, which provided good play in the paint for the Huskies to help relieve the team from having to take only jump shots. Shabazz Napier also had a great game. He scored 10 points and had 1 steal that led to a breakaway basket to force Arizona to call a time out and spurred a run from UConn to lead 32-25 at the half.

The game was a nail-biter as Arizona got the last shots of the game which could have tied or win the game. They were down 65-63 coming out of a time out with 18 seconds left, but instead of going for the tie, the Wildcats played to win, but missed three pointers by Derrick Williams and Jamelle Horn at the end of regulation saved the Huskies from going home.

Arizona outrebounded Connecticut 39-28 and had a much more dominant presence in the paint, but still was unable to best UConn. That's partially because they committed 4 more turnovers than the Huskies and their star, Derrick Williams was forced to sit on the bench a good portion of the first half because he racked up 3 personal fouls, plus Arizona doesn't have Kemba Walker.

The Huskies will be traveling to Houston, Texas to play in the Final 4 against either UNC or Kentucky. Their opponent will be decided when those 2 teams play on Sunday night. Then on Saturday, April 2nd it will be decided who gets to play for the national championship.

This win marks UConn's 9th win in a row and their 12th win in tournament play this season. They are merely 2 games away from finishing their quest of shocking the world and are guaranteed to be well rested for their next game. Kemba and the rest of the team have been persistent that they are not tired, which can no longer be disputed after a tournament run like this.

Yankees' Sergio Mitre Traded

Yankees pitcher, Sergio Mitre has been traded to the Brewers, but what the Yankees got for him is currently unknown.

Mitre was competing for a starting spot in the rotation, but it appears that Ivan Nova has the no. 4 spot locked up and Freddy Garcia is the leading candidate for the last spot. Also with the acquisition of Kevin Millwood on Friday, things looked bleak for Mitre who hasn't pitched the greatest for the Yankees.

The 30 year old pitcher has a record of 13-29 with an ERA of 5.27 in 7 seasons in the majors.

I'm personally glad that he's gone. He has been given numerous chances to prove himself and rarely did. It just appears he doesn't have the stuff to make it. Perhaps in the easier National League he'll be able to pitch decently or better.

UConn Men Take Down the Aztecs 74-67

Despite being in an arena full of practically all San Diego State fans, UConn was able to get past the Aztecs. Seriously, there were probably more Duke fans at the game than UConn fans. There was the UConn Pep Band and then some Husky fans here and there, but the noise for SDSU was deafening. Connecticut's biggest challenge of the night was to silence the crowd.

Kemba Walker had no problem with that. He dropped 36 points, had 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals all on zero rest. He played the full 40 minutes with ease, just like he had in the Big East Tournament. Walker's partner in crime was freshman phenom, Jeremy Lamb. For a freshman, Lamb is superb. He's playing at a higher level than most. He scored 24, shooting 9-11 and 3-3 from behind the arc. Lamb also had a clutch 3 with 1:39 left in the game which secured UConn's lead from 1 to 4. Then with 24 seconds left, his outrageously long arms jumped up and intercepted a pass which would seal it for the Huskies. His tournament play has been incredible. Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb combined to score 60 of UConn's 74 points. It's a good sign for the Huskies to see a freshman stepping up in big situations.

While Connecticut started out each half slow, they persevered and were able to take the crowd out of it and because of it they're now the first team headed to the Elite 8 of the tournament. This is the 10th time in school history the Huskies have made it to this point. Hopefully their 4th Final 4 appearance will come too.

Connecticut will be playing Arizona Saturday, March 26 at 7:05pm on CBS. However, there will still be a strong Arizona presence due to the close distance between Anaheim and Arizona's campus in Tucson, Arizona. But, tonight's game was the first time UConn had beaten a team in their home state during the NCAA Tournament. Previously they were 0-7 in such situations. As Kemba would say, their goal is to shock the world.

Geno Auriemma Not Pleased with Fans

Connecticut's women's basketball coach, Geno Auriemma was not happy about the turnout at his team's game last night against Purdue, which sent the Huskies to their 18th straight Sweet 16.

Auriemma called the UConn fans spoiled in that they can expect the Huskies to win all of the time and that they assumed his team would make the Sweet 16 again and beyond. Geno proposed, "We probably have to win more games. You know everybody loves a winner." My favorite suggestion was, "Letting some of the fans participate in coaching the team, since they always volunteer to do that. Guest coach every quarter might help." I hope you all know while most of his time is spent sitting on the bench spectating the game, which everyone thinks they can do, I guarantee those people have no idea what it's like to run his practices or draw up the game winning play like at Notre Dame earlier this year or any of the other things he does that makes UConn the best. Just having the best players isn't enough, you have to know what to do with them, which is what Geno has done so well his entire coaching career.

The one thing Geno was serious about was his recommendation that UConn doesn't bid on the NCAA Tournament for the next 5 years. He sees how games between the XL Center and Gampel during the regular season and the Big East Tournament is costly for fans, which is understandable.

However, I don't see how only 5,729 people showed up in a venue that fits 10,027. Honestly, that's pathetic. I was on Facebook earlier today and UConn Country posted a status about how there were still plenty of tickets left that could be purchased at the box office before the game. They also commented that tickets were only $25 for non-students. That's nothing for an NCAA Tournament game, especially in such a great environment that Gampel Pavilion offers.

On another note, Geno is not addressing the students. He loves us. The students have been loyal all season and most of them stay until the end and would do so even if there wasn't a giveaway during every regular season game, while the rest of the fans walk out the door. Plus, you can't expect college kids to consistently buy tickets for the Big East Tournament or NCAA Tournament games such as this. It's simply not in the college budget when paying $21,198 for in-state students to live on campus and $37,662 for out-of-state students, especially with a 2.5% tuition increase for next year. Geno understands our situation, not the rest of the fans.

UConn is on the verge of a 3-peat and they need all the support they can get. Despite what some of you think, it's not always easy for them to win all the time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo22gyGPxO8

UConn Women Advance to the Sweet 16

As expected, the UConn women were able to take down Purdue 64-40 and advance to the Sweet 16 for the 18th straight season.

This win marked Maya Moore's last home game, which leaves her undefeated at home in her career. She had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. However, the player of the game was reserved for Tiffany Hayes. The junior scored 23 points, had 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in her dominance over the Boilermakers.

Turnovers were what kept UConn from pulling away early, as well as a Purdue initially controlling the pace of the game, which was a slow one in which they tried to use up the whole shot clock in an attempt to take away possessions from the Huskies. UConn overall had 16 turnovers as opposed to Purdue's 12. Another factor which foiled Purdue's game plan was how the Huskies dominated the glass. They outrebounded Purdue 45-25. Whatever chance Purdue had of winning this one quickly disappeared.

The UConn women will be playing Georgetown in the Sweet 16 at 12pm on March 27 on ESPN in Philadelphia. This will be the third time the Huskies face off against the Hoyas, in which both previous times UConn emerged victorious, but even Geno will tell you those weren't easy games. Let's see how UConn fares this time.

NFL Votes to Change Kickoff Rules

The NFL owners have basically decided to remove the kickoff return from the game.

Today, the motion passed 26-6 which will move kickoffs from the 30 yard line to the 35, but touchbacks will still be spotted at the 20 yard line instead of the proposed 25. Also, coverage teams are now only allowed a 5 yard running start before the kicker makes contact with the football. However, the two-man wedge was not eliminated as proposed before.

Pretty much every team will now be able to kick the ball out of bounds or deep in the endzone every kickoff and eliminate any sort of return. And with the touchback remaining the same there's nothing to make teams weary of kicking the ball out of the back of the endzone every time. Returners like Devin Hester probably won't get another chance to score off a kickoff return. Good thing he broke the record for most returns for a touchdown last year because he is now limited to only returning punts, in which teams try not to kick to him anyway. One of the most exciting plays in football has now been made extinct in the NFL.

These changes were made in an effort to address the amount of injuries that occurr on kickoffs and they certainly did a good job. Now with these rules there should be zero since there won't be any returns. You might as well just flip the coin to see who gets the ball first and then just start at the 20 yard line. That's essentially what the new changes are doing.

The other major proposals that passed today was if the booth official should be allowed to review all scoring plays, as well as keeping a 3rd challenge for NFL coaches if they get their first 2 correct. A big surprise that occurred was that the subject of hits on defenseless players was tabled. There was talk of expanded explanation towards the topic to help define to players and fans what was considered worth fining or suspending.

One question I have is why are the owners voting on this when there could be no football next year? They should be working on a proposal they think the players will accept or compromise on since they shouldn't be too confident in the courts ruling in their favor.

UConn Women Demolishes Hartford

As expected, the Huskies killed the 16 seeded Hartford Hawks 75-39.

Connecticut overwhelmed them from the start of the game and was leading 40-17 at the end of the first half. Everybody on the team contributed pretty evenly. Maya Moore had 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. The freshman, Stefanie Dolson also had 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Tiffany Hayes had 12 points and 5 rebounds. Kelly Faris had 10 points 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Another freshman, Bria Hartley produced 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.

This game also brought good news in that freshman, Heather Buck was able to play again after being out for about 2 weeks with a stress fracture in her ankle. Now the Huskies' bench isn't so shallow and if anyone gets into foul trouble, Buck is there to give them some time on the bench.

UConn will be playing either Kansas State or Purdue on Tuesday, which may be the same type of game we saw here today. The Huskies will probably cruise into the Sweet 16 pretty easily.

Women's NCAA Tournament Kicks Off

The UConn women will be playing the 16 seeded University of Hartford on Sunday at 12:05 on ESPN2. The game will be played at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT, so it is literally a home game for the Huskies, as well as the other no. 1 seeds.

This game is a virtual lock for the Huskies because of the history of games between the 16 and the 1 seed so I hope you picked UConn for your brackets, I know I did.

Connecticut is the favorite to win the championship for the 3-peat and if they play as well as they have all season they should win it, minus that one loss to Stanford, which I'm sure won't happen again if they do happen to meet in the championship game.

UConn Advances to the Sweet 16

UConn is continuing to "shock the world" as says Kemba. This whole season has been this UConn team out to prove everyone wrong and they still are. UConn is now dancing in the Sweet 16 and will play San Diego State University on Thursday.

The Huskies beat Cincy 69-58. This was no easy game for UConn. The Bearcats played them tough in the regular season and they did so here too. Cincy came out strong in the beginning of both halves, in addition to the Huskies shooting poorly. However, Connecticut was able to snap out of it due to the play and leadership of their star, Kemba Walker.

Walker dropped 33 points, 5 rebounds, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal. He was knicked up for most of the game, but was still able to dominate . The key factor of this game was free throws, which is how UConn won. Kemba was a perfect 14-14 in free throw attempts which helped elevate the Huskies over the Bearcats. Jeremy Lamb again produced good numbers, this time off the bench. The freshman had 14 points and 6 rebounds. Jamal Coombs-McDaniel also played well scoring 10 points and 4 rebounds.

Another key to the game was rebounding. UConn outrebounded Cincy 34-22. Even though Alex Oriakhi was quiet tonight with only 4 points all of which coming from free throws, he still managed to grab 10 rebounds, which were very valuable in a game like this.

Tonight's win marks UConn's 10th win in tournament play. Three wins in Maui, 5 in the Big East Tournament, and 2 so far in the NCAA Tournament.This team can win it all. I have them going past SDSU and into the Elite 8, especially after looking at how the Aztecs played today against Temple. The Huskies have proven that they aren't tired at all and they definitely won't be for their next game on Thursday or Friday.

NFL Draft Prospects Should Boycott the NFL Draft

Recently the NFLPA has asked the top draft prospects to boycott the draft. I completely agree that players should, but definitely would understand the ones that don't.

While going to New York with your family is a dream come true and a reward for the hard work a player has put in is spectacular, I think the fact that once you get drafted you're shaking the hand of the man that just locked you out is worth skipping.

Not all the players attend the draft anyway and their accomplishments aren't diminished any more than those present in New York. Having viewed the NFL Draft from time to time, it's not uncommon to see when a player gets drafted the TV network cuts to wherever the player is and we see them on the phone with their new team and celebrating with family and friends at home. The time players could have used in New York to thank their parents and agent could be spent thanking those people, plus everyone else that has impacted their life at home.

Here's a suggestion, for players that attend the draft, don't shake Roger Goodell's hand when you go on the stage when your name gets called. Be respectful and verbally thank him and be appreciative, but by not shaking his hand you acknowledge that you don't support what he stands for right now on the side of the owners. It's unfortunate for this year's players to be in this position, but they should understand that they can't do anything once they're drafted. Their team and coaching staff can't contact them and they can't fully integrate into the new systems they'll have to learn. The lockout imposed by the NFL is hurting their careers and they should send the message that a deal needs to get done before any time practicing or playing in games is lost.

UConn Rolls Bucknell

In the true 1st round of the NCAA Tournament, UConn showed that they were clearly not tired from their Big East Tournament run and didn't have a Big East Tournament hangover, unlike Louisville (which ruined several of my brackets).

Bucknell didn't stand a chance against the Huskies. While the game was kept relatively close for most of the 1st half, with around 8 minutes left, UConn pulled away and would never look back. The Huskies destroyed Bucknell 81-52.

Connecticut's star, Kemba Walker was practically a bystander throughout the first half and let the rest of his team step up, which they did. Walker still almost managed a triple-double finding himself 2 rebounds shy, but he didn't play the whole game and was taken out with 3:47 left in the 2nd half. Overall he had 18 points, 8 rebounds, 12 assists, and 2 steals. Freshman, Roscoe Smith had another great game. After establishing himself in the Big East Tournament, he continued to play well. He scored 17 with 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks. Another freshman, Jeremy Lamb continued his stellar play. He had 16 points, 2 assists, and 1 rebound. Sophomore, Alex Oriakhi played well too with 9 points and dominated the paint grabbing 12 rebounds.

The Huskies move on to the 3rd round (really the 2nd) of the NCAA Tournament and will play Saturday against either 6 seed Cincinnati or 11 seed Missouri.

This UConn team looked very promising without Kemba Walker dominating the game. Look for a deep run in the tournament. They're playing their best basketball when it matters most and are in tournament mode. They could potentially roll through whoever they play in their 2nd game and no.2 seed SDSU in their bracket may not last much longer or will lose to UConn. Expect an Elite 8 appearance at least.

The scary part of this team is that any player other than Kemba can step up any game and dominate, specifically the freshman, Shabazz Napier, Jeremy Lamb, and Roscoe Smith, as well as sophomore, Alex Oriakhi. No matter what happens this year, even if Kemba goes to the NBA, imagine this team next year. If Kemba comes back be even more afraid.

Chad Ochocinco Might Have Found a New Job

In the wake of the NFL lockout Bengals wide receiver, Chad Ochocinco has already been job hunting. Starting Tuesday, Ochocinco will be attending try outs over the next 4 days with MLS team Sporting Kansas City.

If the club likes what they see, they can extend the try out process for Ochocinco.

Chad is no newcomer to soccer. He started playing the game when he was 4, but chose to concentrate on football in high school and look how that turned out. Maybe he could have been a pro in soccer too if he chose that over football. Thanks to the lockout, Ochocinco has the opportunity to find out. In addition, he's already made friends with some of the international stars of the sport such as Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and in January had a visit with Real Madrid.

Sporting Kansas City's season starts Saturday in their new stadium after relocating and changing their team name this year. They barely missed the playoffs last year and maybe Ochocinco can prove himself to be what will get them over the hump.

Selection Sunday and Selection Monday UConn Recap

It's that time of year again, the time to fill out your brackets for the NCAA Tournament.

The UConn women deservedly received a no. 1 seed in the Philadelphia bracket. They will be facing off against the 16th seed Hartford Hawks on March 20th at 12:05 pm on ESPN2 in Storrs, CT at Gampel Pavilion.

The UConn men got a no. 3 seed in the West bracket and will be playing against the 14th seed Bucknell this Thursday, March 17 at 7:20 pm on TNT in Washington D.C.

Both games as you can see are a virtual lock for the Huskies so there shouldn't be any worries out there at least for the first round of the tournament.

Let the March Madness continue!

UConn Men are Big East Champs

It didn't matter that it was UConn's 5th game in 5 days. It didn't matter that UConn had lost to Louisville 2 times during the regular season. In the garden where the lights shine the brightest is where the Huskies played their best. Last night after UConn's win over rival Syracuse when questioned about winning a 5th game Kemba responded about how they came there to shock the world, and shock the world they did by winning UConn's 7th Big East title. No team has won 5 conference tournament games in a row before.

The road to the Big East Championship is no easy one. In the best conference in all of college basketball, if you want the conference title you're going to have to beat some of the best teams in the country. Nobody has it easy. UConn's run to the conference title proved no different.

UConn's 5 games:
1. W 97-71 over Depaul
2. W 79-62 over #22 Georgetown
3. W 76-74 over #3 Pitt
4. W 76-71 OT over #11 Syracuse
5. W 69-66 over #14 Louisville

It wasn't Kemba Walker's best night, but he still led both teams in scoring with 19 points and is certainly the difference maker in this young UConn team. Walker did however sit out the last 7 minutes in the first half after he picked up his 2nd foul, but came back in for the last shot of the half. Jeremy Lamb has had a great Big East Tournament. He had 13, including the layup to take the lead 65-64 with 33 seconds left. Lamb also had 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Freshman, Roscoe Smith had a great game with 12 points and 7 rebounds. Sophomore, Alex Oriakhi had another strong performance with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Shabazz Napier made 2 of his 5 points by sinking 2 clutch free throws to seal the win after missing 1 last night which could have kept the Syracuse game out of overtime.

Now we'll have to see how UConn's seed in the tournament is affected. ESPN's, Joe Lunardi said that it could move them up to a no. 2 seed. We'll see come selection Sunday. UConn's latest run sends a nice message to those that counted them out in the beginning of the season, projecting them to finish towards the bottom of the Big East and miss the NCAA Tournament for the 2nd straight year. Now the Huskies are out on top and finish the season as strong if not stronger than when they started in Maui. How can you not like the Huskies this year? Even Jim Calhoun was smiling and gave senior, Donnell Beverly a hug at the end of the game.

Can we have a new vote for Big East Player of the Year?

UConn Holds on to Beat Syracuse in OT 76-71

The Huskies won again in the semis of the Big East Tournament. UConn is now even with Syracuse winning this game in overtime after the 6OTs in the 2009 Big East Tournament.

Kemba Walker is a monster. He's having a phenomenal Big East Tournament. Tonight he dominated with a double-double scoring 33 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 6 steals. Freshman, Jeremy Lamb came up big, especially in OT with a few drives in the paint and finishing with the floater. He had 11 points and 3 rebounds. Alex Oriakhi had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, but fouled out towards the end of overtime. Freshman, Tyler Olander had a breakout game playing 27 minutes and scoring 7 points with 6 rebounds and took the pressure off of UConn's other big players with solid contribution.

Senior, Donnell Beverly had 2 key turnovers late in regulation that led to Syracuse tying the game and sending it into OT, but wouldn't cost UConn the game. Fortunately this game only took one overtime and UConn was able to close it out with many missed free throws by Syracuse. The Orange only shot 5-11(45.5%) in free throws, which was key in allowing the Huskies to pull away in OT.

Walker and the Huskies are back in action Saturday night at 9pm in the final round of the Big East Tournament against Louisville. It's winner take all and it could mean a boost in seeding for the NCAA Tournament. If Kemba keeps dominating, I don't know if any team will be able to stop them. UConn is playing their best basketball when it counts most and will be a very dangerous team heading into the NCAA Tournament. It's remarkable that such a young team is playing like a championship team. Head Coach, Jim Calhoun was even smiling after tonight's win. Take a picture because you won't see that too often. He really likes this team.

NFL Players Association Decertifies and Lockout Ensues

The NFL Players Union has opted to decertify and labor negotiations will no longer continue. The union has cited the lack of financial transparency between the owners and the players. This marks the first work stoppage since 1987.

After 16 days of mediation, the owners and the players couldn't reach an agreement regarding the distribution of revenue. Apparently both sides were hundreds of millions of dollars apart in their ideas.

The NFLPA now no longer represents the players and will not be collectively bargaining. Now players must file class-action lawsuits against the NFL. Players such as Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Osi Umenyiora have volunteered to be the leading plaintiffs as well as 6 other players.

As a result of the decertification, the owners locked out the players at midnight. That means no trades, no contracts, no training or workouts at team facilities, or any team meetings. The players have to do all of their offseason workouts elsewhere. The only thing that will continue is the NFL Draft in April. However, this will greatly impact the rookies drafted as they won't be able to do anything or start the development process with their respective teams. Teams looking for an immediate impact through players acquired in the draft probably won't have much success.

But I am and am not surprised about the outcome of this situation. I can't believe how greedy the owners are being, seeing as they already have an immense wealth that everyone less fortunate would be willing to have, and these owners are so protective of the money they make by running a team playing a game. I was optimistic that some progress was getting done with all the talk between the two sides, but when you only have a little over 2 weeks of talks what can you really expect? That's like studying for a test the night before or writing a paper or doing a project in one night. The results aren't going to be exactly what you wanted. What angers me the most is that they had 2 years to get a deal done and nothing was done until recently. That's not the way to get anything done. At this point all we can hope for is that we don't lose any of the regular season to this lockout.

Then there's the issues that appear to have not been addressed yet:

1. The Proposed 18 Game Season
2. Retirement Benefits
3. Rookie Wage Scale
4. The Division of Revenue

UConn is the Real Deal

Kemba Walker came up big against Pitt in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament hitting the buzzer beating jump shot to win the game 76-74 after a clutch rebound by Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, leading to a swift time out called by Jim Calhoun with just 18 seconds left.

The Huskies broke a 4 game losing streak against the Big East powerhouse Pitt has been the past few years. UConn was down almost the whole first half but came back to close the deficit to 41-40 Pitt at the end of the first half.

Kemba Walker scored 24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Freshman, Jeremy Lamb continues to play well as he scored 17 points and 4 rebounds. Alex Oriakhi came up big towards the end of the game and played a big part in keeping the game close and giving UConn a chance to win. When Oriakhi plays well the team seems to do the same. He scored 13 and grabbed 7 rebounds, which were key in outrebounding Pitt 27-24.

The Huskies will be playing Friday night in the garden at 7pm on ESPN in the semi-finals against Syracuse. Hopefully it doesn't take 6 overtimes to settle the game this time, although if UConn makes the final 4 again it won't matter. So far this season UConn hasn't been able to play against the zone defense. They'll have to be able to beat the 2-3 zone if they want to beat the Orange.

Kevin Love Passes Moses Malone

Congratulations to Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves for breaking Moses Malone's record of consecutive double-doubles. He now holds the longest streak of double-doubles since the ABA and NBA merger.

Wednesday night, the Timberwolves faced off against the Indiana Pacers as Kevin Love did what he's done for the past 51 straight games. Love had 16 points and 21 rebounds. Wednesday's game marks his 52nd consecutive double-double and don't count on him to stop anytime soon. There are 16 games left for the Timberwolves this season and Kevin Love could very well score a double-double into next season. I think he's going to own this record and it won't be touched for a while, if at all.

It's only Love's third season in the NBA and he's already made a name for himself. He was drafted 5th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft out of UCLA and is averaging 20.9 ppg and 11.7 rebounds a game this season.

The Timberwolves are back in action Friday night at home against the Utah Jazz as Kevin Love will be going for his 53rd straight double-double.

UConn Beats Georgetown

The UConn men had another strong showing against a good Georgetown team beating them convincingly 79-62. It was a strong performance by both teams with UConn sinking 50% of their field goals and Georgetown making 42.3%. The x-factor of this game was that Georgetown doesn't have Kemba Walker. Walker dominated once again with 28 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Anyone thinking Big East Player of the Year snub? Kemba was dominant in the beginning of the year and has re-emerged towards the end of the season into the Big East Tournament. One's overall body of work needs to be considered and Kemba's out of conference play was unparalleled by any other athlete. Just a thought.

Jeremy Lamb and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel had another strong outing scoring 11 and 12 points respectively. Bigger production by UConn's bench and other starters has been a big factor in this team's resurgence. Kemba scoring 20 plus points alone is not enough to win most of the time. It's good to see everyone step it up in these important games. UConn's seeding in the NCAA Tournament can still improve. Currently ESPN's, Joe Lunardi still has them as a no. 5 seed after today, but that may change, especially if the Huskies can beat Pitt on Thursday. The way they're playing now anything can happen.

The Huskies will be playing Pitt. Thursday in the quarterfinals at noon on ESPN. If they can beat Pitt, I wouldn't put it past them to win the Big East Tournament. And if Pitt wins, I wouldn't be surprised if they win the Big East as they have dominated practically all season. Including Thurdsay's game, UConn is 3 games away from winning the Big East Championship.

Even if the Huskies lose vs. Pitt, hopefully it's at least close and that it carries over to the NCAA Tournament. Especially since UConn went undefeated against out of conference opponents. They may not have to face off against any Big East opponents right away in the tournament.

Tom Brady Shakes His Tail Feather

Tom Brady just lost any chance he could have had with Dancing with the Stars after this video of him dancing at a carnival in Brazil emerged. And he's rocking the mini pony tail!




I'm glad that Brady is enjoying his offseason, but this is why he gets paid to play football and I think it'd be better if we're spared any more videos or photos from his trip.  Maybe he should take some initiative and finally cut that hair. I know Giselle likes it, but when you're putting it in a pony tail, it's too much for me. Maybe he just wanted to generate some smiles and laughs in a time where we're not sure if there will be any football next season.

UConn Men Power Through Depaul

The UConn Men's last victory in the Big East Tournament was in 2005, but they had no problem shutting down DePaul Tuesday afternoon.

The Huskies beat DePaul 97-71 as they saw production from several members of the team. Kemba Walker was outstanding with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. However, it was not a one-man show. Freshman, Jeremy Lamb followed with 19 points as well as freshman, Shabazz Napier with 11. The sophomores were well represented too with Jamal Coombs-McDaniel scoring 11 and Alex Oriakhi with 13.

UConn advances to the 2nd round in which they'll play Georgetown at noon on Wednesday. Despite UConn's ups and downs at the end of the regular season, Joe Lunardi has them still listed as a 5 seed for the NCAA Tournament and has placed them in the Southwest bracket. Including the Georgetown game, the Huskies will need to win 4 more games in order to capture the Big East title.

UConn Women Win the Big East

On Tuesday night the UConn women won their 4th straight Big East Tournament.

The Huskies beat Notre Dame 73-64. Notre Dame found themselves ahead early on, but couldn't hold on as the freshman, Stefanie Dolson led UConn with 24 points and 9 rebounds and Maya Moore with 22 points and 5 rebounds.

Notre Dame had a chance being only down by one after the first half, but the Huskies came out strong in the second with a quick 4-0 run forcing Notre Dame to call a timeout before things got out of hand, but there was really no turning back for the Huskies at that point. They never relinquished the lead and went on to win their 18th Big East Title for the Huskies and will enter the NCAA Tournament as a no. 1 seed and a strong favorite to win it all.

UConn Women Cruise Past Rutgers

The UConn women's basketball team blew past Rutgers to advance to the final round of the Big East Tournament vs. Notre Dame.

The Huskies won 75-51 with a strong performance by Maya Moore scoring 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Kelly Faris also scored 19 with 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block.

The final round of the Big East Tournament is Tuesday night at 7 pm on ESPN.

The UConn Men will be playing against DePaul at noon on Tuesday on ESPN 2 in the first round of the men's Big East Tournament.

UConn Falls to Notre Dame

The Huskies brought their A game on senior day, but it wasn't enough against #7 Notre Dame.

Kemba Walker went off for 34 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Freshmen, Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier each had 9 points. The Huskies only turned over the ball 3 times and made 100% of their free throws, shooting 11-11.

However, UConn couldn't close out the game. It seemed they would be able to hold on after going up 65-60 with 4:26 to go, but wouldn't score again until 1:09 left in the game. During that span the Fighting Irish went on a 10-2 run to come back and win the game.

The Huskies finish the season (21-9, 9-9 Big East) in 9th place of the Big East. They will be playing in the first round of the Big East Tournament against DePaul on Tuesday, March 8.

As of March 4, ESPN's, Joe Lunardi has the Huskies as a 5th seed in the Southeast bracket of the NCAA Tournament. I'm curious as to see how this week's 2 losses will affect their ranking and projected seed for the tournament. My guess is that they fall to around 19th up to the 21st and that in Lundardi's next projection they'll be either a 6th or a 7th seed.

We'll have to wait and see how UConn does in the Big East Tournament, but like I mentioned before, I don't think they can win the 5 straight games necessary to take home the title. However, they can certainly improve their tournament seed if they play well.

NFL CBA Deadline Extended

You can all exhale a little now. The deadline to reach a new CBA between the NFL and the players has been extended for a week. The mediating between the two sides in an attempt to avoid a lockout will continue on Monday. The four major issues the league and the players are deliberating over are:

1. The proposed 18 game season
2. Retirement benefits
3. Rookie wage scale
4. The division of revenue

If a new CBA has not been reached by next week, the idea of another extension has not been ruled out.

UConn Men's Basketball Senior Day

This Saturday is senior day for the UConn Huskies men's basketball team and a new honoree has been added to the short list to be recognized. Junior, Kemba Walker is going to be honored in addition to seniors, Donell Beverly and Charles Okwandu. Walker is going to finish his sociology degree in the summer, but will be participating in graduation ceremonies in May. It could be an indication that Walker will not come back for a fourth year, but he says he will wait until after this season to make a decision on his return next year. He's currently a candidate for national player of the year and projected to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft.

UConn Slides Against West Virginia

On Wednesday the UConn Huskies went to Morgantown to face off against the Mountaineers and came up short. It was a weak showing from the team overall. Collectively, the Huskies only made 37.3% of their shots, as well as several key turnovers throughout the course of the game.

Alex Oriakhi was for the most part a non-factor in Wednesday's game, playing 36 minutes, scoring 4 points, only 1 offensive rebound of his 9, zero blocks, and missing each of his free throws. The freshmen of the team were relatively unproductive except for Shabazz Napier who scored 18, had 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block. Jamal Coombs-McDaniel appears to have come back down to earth after a 3 game span of stellar play. Kemba may have scored 22 points, but he took a lot of shots to get there, only making 8 of his 23 shots.

As a result of the loss the Huskies are now in 9th place in the Big East with a conference record of (9-8) and no longer have a first round bye in the upcoming Big East Tournament, which makes this Saturday's game against Notre Dame even more important. The Huskies will need some help in order to get back that 1st round bye. If they don't get it I don't think they'll be able to win the 5 straight games necessary to take home the Big East Championship, especially when looking at their Big East play and that the tournament is in Madison Square Garden. Look for St. John's to play well because they're at home.

Yankees Want Liriano?

According to a "baseball official with knowledge of the conversations between the two teams"*, the Yankees asked the Twins during the offseason if pitcher, Francisco Liriano was available for a trade in an attempt to help solve the big question mark that is the Yankees starting rotation.

Well, the Twins obviously weren't interested and had no desire to trade Liriano, who is considered the team's ace. However, while he adds veteran experience, I'm not quite convinced that this would have been the right move for the Yankees had they made a move for Liriano. He has shown flashes of brilliance, but he's also been shown to struggle and has spent a considerable amount of his career on the disabled list.

Liriano had a phenomenal breakout rookie season as a starter in 2006 going 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA after a brief stint in the bullpen in 2005 into the 2006 season, but was sidelined with injury in August in which he missed about a month and finished the season, but later required Tommy John surgery in November and missed the 2007 season. In 2008 it was an up and down year for him as he bounced back and forth between the Twins' Triple-A minor league club and the majors. He started his major league season 0-3 with an 11.32 ERA in just a few weeks between April 13th and the 25th, when he was sent back down to the minors. After 10-0 in 11 starts with an ERA of 2.67 in the minors he was called back up to the Twins on August 1, 2008 and finished the year strong showing some of that brilliance and finishing the year with a record of 6-4 and an ERA of 3.91. His 2009 pitching was mediocre with a record of 5-13 and an ERA of 5.80. 2010 was a bounce back year where he went 14-10 with an ERA of 3.62 while posting good numbers in home runs allowed, walks, and strikeouts.

In order to consider a pitcher an ace of the staff I think you need more consistency than Liriano has shown thus far, which is also why I don't think the Yankees wouldn't have benefited too greatly if they acquired him. It's still early in his career and he's got plenty of time to prove me wrong and I wouldn't be surprised if he does, but right now nothing is a sure thing with him.

*Phrase quoted from http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=6169516

Cardinals' Chris Carpenter Injured

I feel terrible for the Cardinals right now. First losing one of their star pitchers in Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery and now another in star pitcher, Chris Carpenter. At least this one is much more temporary.

The Cardinals that got off to a rough start to spring training have just gotten a bit worse. Today, Chris Carpenter injured his hamstring in his spring training debut after pitching 2 and 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and zero runs.

Chris Carpenter doesn't believe the injury to be very serious and he's not concerned, but could it turn into a nagging injury over the course of the season? I think there's at least the possibility. It also seems like a hamstring injury can also take players out for a good portion of time. It may be early on, but for the Cardinals sake they better hope this injury doesn't cost Carpenter too much time needed to prepare for the upcoming season.