Football season is over. That means two things. First, it means that I (probably) won't have much to say about the NFL or FBS until April. I suggest you go elsewhere if you're looking for thoughts on football. Second, it means that I have more time to devote to other great stories in sports today.
Okay, maybe some of them aren't so great. The steroid issue re-surfacing in baseball? Not great. The never-ending saga of Michael Phelps and his bong? Uh-uh.
However, the NBA has been edge-of-your-seat good the last couple of weeks. Like, NFL Playoffs good. Sure, the usual suspects have been sensational - but with Denver and San Antonio playing lights out, every division leader has a legitimate shot at the title this season. Now that's something to talk about.
And believe it or not, the college game has been just as great. In the past week I've had a chance to watch Carolina at Duke (the best rivalry), Blake Griffin (the best player), and Pitt at UConn (the best teams). If only I could get a little less Dicky V and little more Erin Andrews....
Anyhow, Three and Out is here. I bring you college basketball's front-runners and two of the dumbest men in all of sports. Enjoy.
Three and Out
1. In 1978 the NCAA Tournament began the process of seeding its participants. While the format went through many changes over the first thirty years, one thing remained the same: Never had all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four.
That changed last year as Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina and UCLA were the last four standing. Taking history into consideration, very few predicted such a thing. Each was deserving of a #1 seed, but they don't call it March Madness for nothing. Most people -- and that includes me -- figured that one of them would get knocked off.
As rare as this was, though, there's a great chance that we could see it happen again this year.
The current polls feature the following four teams at the top: #1 Connecticut, #2 Oklahoma, #3 North Carolina and #4 Pittsburgh.
I just watched Pitt win at UConn, so these four will surely trade places. But does it matter?
Regardless of the order, these are the nation's four best teams. They each have two or fewer losses, they've all shown that they can win on the road, and their coaches -- not to mention, their athletes -- are among the best in the nation.
If history has taught us anything, it's that anyone can be upset in March. Just don't be surprised if it's not one of these teams.
2. Lane Kiffin is a fast-riser in the coaching world. In fact, he's been coaching since his senior year of college. He actually gave up his final year of athletic eligibility because he knew that coaching was his calling.
Kiffin, now 34, has held various positions with four Division I football programs and two NFL teams. There aren't many thirty-four year-olds with that type of resume.
Now the head coach at the University of Tennessee, Kiffin's last job didn't go as planned.
After a 5-15 start to his NFL head coaching career, Lane Kiffin was fired by the owner of the Oakland Raiders, Al Davis, four games into the 2008 season. This firing was both highly-publicized and very controversial.
I didn't know who to believe. Kiffin said one thing, Davis said another. In the end, though, I gave the benefit of the doubt to Kiffin. With the history that Al Davis has, who wouldn't? He's known for having little patience and alienating his head coaches. I assumed this was just another case.
After disappearing for a couple months, Kiffin was hired by the University of Tennessee to replace long-time coach Phil Fulmer. He quickly put together an impressive staff (including his father, legendary NFL coach Monte Kiffin) and an even more impressive recruiting class.
I liked what I was seeing. He went from a bad situation to a great situation. Then he opened his mouth.
On National Signing Day, Lane Kiffin accused Urban Meyer (two-time National Champion and head coach of the Florida Gators, Kiffin's greatest rival) of recruiting violations. Ironically, Kiffin has committed three such violations since being named head coach at UT. And as it turns out, Meyer has been exonerated.
Kiffin may be a bright football coach. He may be driven. He may be hard-working. And he may be the one that brings Tennessee back to prominence. But he may also be stupid.
Cheaters don't prosper in the long run. And talking smack to your greatest rival is a bad idea. Especially when that rival has won two of the last three National Titles.
3. Professional baseball has been hit by another hard slider. High and tight.
The game's greatest player, Alex Rodriguez, has admitted his use of performance enhancing drugs. Is it surprising? Not really. Should it be? Probably. Does it hurt? Absolutely.
How many times will the game take this chin music before it retaliates? When will they (the "brass") fight back and enforce stricter rules?
One of the problems is that Bud Selig doesn't appear to care. Nor does the union's director, Donald Fehr. They don't want to fight back. They may say they do as they sit in front of cameras, reporters, sometimes even Congress, frowns on their faces, looking disturbed. They want people to feel sorry. And we do feel sorry. Just not for them.
We, the fans, are embarrassed. No one likes to be betrayed. We invest a lot of trust in our athletes and we expect them to act a certain way. We're upset when they don't live up to our standards. Someday fans may give up on baseball. They may grow tired of the disrespectful behavior.
Commissioner Selig says he wants what's best for the game. But what exactly does he mean by that? Grandstands that are full? Eight-dollar beers flowing? Home runs flying out of the park?
Doing what's best for your business means knowing what's going on inside the company. If someone runs a business, they know what their employees are up to. They know when someone is a junkie, when someone is having problems with their spouse.
Of the last four commissioners, someone had to have known something about the prevalence of steroids over the last few decades. Including minor leaguers there are about a thousand players per season that play in the majors. That many players, over that many years, and no one knows a thing?
Bug Selig needs to retaliate. He needs to act pissed off. He needs to do what's right.
