Wondering why Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fischer were benched? Well that “minor teaching point” has been discovered. Rumors are circulating around the media that Reynolds and Fischer were involved in an altercation the night before their first game in the NCAA Tournament – because Fischer has been sleeping with Reynold’s girlfriend and she is allegedly pregnant.
We gave you our brackets… Unfortunately. Although all of us have given up on March Madness, we couldn’t leave the results from being published. So as of the Sweet 16, here are your results:
Upper Deck Underdogs is proud to bring you the second annual UDU Bracket Challenge. Check out Matt and Cori’s bracket, along with our guest-bracketologists (Team2Beat’s John Russo and CSNPhilly.com’s Josh Wheeling), and see where you match up. Fair warning: We are not experts.
Cori:
Matt:
John Russo
Team2Beat
Josh Wheeling
CSNPhilly.com
Was the Title Game Really a Proof?by Corianne Egan
Sports are terribly unpredictable. Swings in momentum, a quick gadget play… there are so many things that can affect the outcome of a game. This is why handicappers aren’t ever perfect. The Lakers lost to the Clippers this week for God’s sake. There is no guarentee in this world – and especially not in the sports world.
Colt McCoy being injured in the first quarter of last nights’ BCS Championship game is just further proof of that.
There was too much hype. Every day for the last week ESPN has had 24/7 coverage; everyone was waiting for that moment. There was just too much pressure for everything to go as planned. What was supposed to be a marquee game pitting two major programs against each other couldn’t be the game we all wanted it to be… because the sports gods said so.
The incredible part was that blow by fate game only five plays into Texas’s first offensive possession of the game. That big Alabama defense, the subject of most of the talk surrounding the team this week, came across and pounded McCoy to the ground. His throwing shoulder was injured – speculation played out many scenarios but it ultimately resulted in the senior quarterback being forced to watch from the sidelines.
Although the game got close at times (the Longhorns pulled it to 24-21 at one point), there was never any doubt that Alabama would pull this out. Freshman quarterback Garrett Gilbert took over, and with the exception of a costly fumble that ultimately lost the game, he was impressive. Don’t they call that a baptism by fire?
But this is the problem with BCS bowls and one game to determine the champion. Last night’s game was decided in the first quarter. You no longer saw two top ranked teams facing off. It wasn’t McCoy vs. Mark Ingram and Greg McElroy. It was fate vs. destiny. McCoy sat out while Ingram got his touchdowns and McElroy concentrated on not giving away the ball. A game that was supposed to highlight defense ended up showing off rushing offense and special teams.
The point is, you have to play the best to be the best. Did Alabama do that? They were a perfect 14-0 this season, but with the exception of the Florida game – who did they play? The only team close to contending was Virginia Tech, who finished the season ranked 7th. Their closes game of the year was against unranked Tennessee. Yes, by BCS standards this team won a championship – but by fans standards this wasn’t even a game without McCoy in it.
I would have personally paid a million dollars (… uh Bank of America, could you raise my limit?) to have them stop the game and replayed it when McCoy’s shoulder healed. I’ll wait. I want to see the best effort by both teams. I wanted to see McCoy bring this team back. Let’s face it – the game would have been more interesting with him in it and a hell of a lot more competitive.
Maybe next year there will be two teams who go without injuries and provide the fans a true matchup, a Goliath vs. Goliath again. Maybe next year we will get the best teams with the best effort. Maybe next year, the sports gods will be kinder to us poor fans.
The Irish Get Their Manby Corianne Egan
Brian Kelly is a Notre Dame fan. In his press conference Friday, he described scenes of himself as a young Irish fan in Boston… clammoring to listen to Notre Dame play their games.
That’s why it’s not surprising that Kelly took the job. It’s not surprising that he left Cincinnati after being so successful and went to the college to pursue his dream.
What is surprising was how it happened. Kelly didn’t wait until after the Bear Cats played in the Sugar Bowl. He didn’t wait until the end of an undefeated season. He left for something better, but the point is he left.
Cincinnati players said they knew it would happen. What they were confused about is why Kelly waited until the end of a three hour awards ceremony to announce it. Their star wide receiver left the room in anger and many other players were quoted, on the record, saying how they felt Kelly had betrayed then and how he had “gone for the money”. Cincinnati feels betrayed, and for good reason.
The Irish took a chance on a coach who had success, but this isn’t an overnight job. Kelly talks about his “five minute plan” and how he is going to institute it in South Bend, repairing Charlie Weis’s problems in meer days. It’s typical press conference talk, but it got him the job didn’t it?
We’re not sure who is hurt more in this. Kelly left players who had given their all to him (then rudely thanked them for playing their hearts out, something which ultimately got him the job at Notre Dame). He comes to Indiana for a new start, one that Irish fans hope is as good as his last start… but he has lost a starting quarterback and his best receiver. Cincinnati is left to fend for themselves, with a coach to be named later, feeling scorned and left behind.
Kelly didn’t seem to mull the decision to leave. He’s going to a new place, his ultimate goal is realized… except for one thing. He needs to be successful. He needs to win. Irish fans won’t put up with this much longer. He needs to be the answer. Can he be? Time will tell. But he might not even have that…
Texas vs. Alabama a Goby Corianne Egan
Quietly, Colt McCoy and his Longhorns have made their case. Sunday, after a win against Nebraska, the nation and the BCS standings listened.
Alabama had to prove themselves, taking the spot in the title game away from Florida and Tim Tebow. Greg McElroy may not be the most well-known quarterback, but he hands the ball off to Heisman hopeful Mark Ingram. They had to shout, but eventually the BCS standings listened.
On January 7, the Crimson Tide and the Longhorns will face off in the national championship game. Like most years, it’s a matchup of Heisman contenders (McCoy has played spectacular this season as well), but this game is much more than just a tryout for a prestigious trophy.
While the Longhorns were in the title game in 2006 (and won behind Vonce Young), Alabama hasn’t won a title since 1993. Nick Saban, their often annoying head coach, won it with LSU before leaving them for the Dolphins. It’s been quite a wait for these two, and surely it will be nice seeing someone on top.
For the first time in history, two other undefeated teams will quare off in a game other than the national title. TCU and Boise State, number three and four in the final poll, will play each other in a battle of smaller conference teams that have (for two years) made their case for a national title and been ignored. Cincinnati is also unbeaten, and will be taking on the Florida Gators.
College Recruiting Process Losing LusterThere was always something so pure about collegiate sports.
The idea that athletes could be that young and that good was something capable of boggling minds. Now, however, it seems more than ever as though the term “student-athlete” is nothing more than a fraud.
A few weeks back, Iowa basketball standout Harrison Barnes was expected to select his college of choice.
He sat in front of thousands. He looked into the crowd which included members of his family, teammates, students, and reporters alike. He declared that he would announce his decision via a session with his future coach over Skype, a popular web-chatting service. In a matter of mere seconds, Roy Williams, head coach at the University of North Carolina appeared on a projector screen grinning from ear to ear.
Williams is a respected coach within the college ranks, without a doubt. The man has two national championship titles and is a recent inductee of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. What is he doing presenting his pure joy to the masses? It’s okay to feel satisfied when a student commits to your respective school, but isn’t there a line that needs to be drawn?
What happened to the days when athletes respected their coaches so much that they feared them? When did such a mutual friendliness between player and coach become commonplace? For goodness sakes, where is Bobby Knight?
From what has been said and written about Harrison Barnes, it’s apparent that he’s a solid kid. He works hard in the classroom and on the basketball court, but what makes him any different than a high school student committing to a college and only using the opportunity for and education as a gateway to professional sports?
Events like this cause sports fans to lose their faith in where things are headed. Can anyone imagine Mike Krzyzewski hugging Grant Hill as he signed his letter of intent? Is it possible to even fathom the idea of Lou Holtz with tears streaming down his face as he got a verbal commitment from Ricky Watters?
Roy Williams is an excellent coach, and North Carolina has an excellent basketball program, but the actions seen on that given day surely made Dean Smith shake his head in disapproval.
The Killer Coachby Corianne Egan
Google Mark Mangino, and you will see a number of different things. First, you will see a multitude of fat jokes. You will also see plenty of news articles on his recent problems coaching Kansas University. Finally, there will be references… you know… the ones to his previous indiscretions.
You see, Mangino has had rage problems before. He’s yelled at refs, had NCAA violations, and has lost his cool more than once. The parents at the high school he coached at even signed a petition asking him to leave. It’s not hard to believe he yells at people. It’s not hard to believe he pokes his players and calls them names.
It might not be true, but it’s not hard to believe.
Mangino says that this all has to do with his contract, which runs through 2012. Normally, a dismissal would mean the college would have to pay his wages through the contract, but Mangino’s contract has a clause called “termination for cause”, which would allow Kansas to dismiss him. Mangino says they want to get rid of him.
It might not be true, but it’s not hard to believe.
Anyone who follows Kansas University football has given Mangino the benefit of the doubt because of one season. In 2007, Mangino went 12-1 and took the Jayhawks to the Orange Bowl. The team looked together, and Mangino’s hard knocks seemed to pay off. But he is only five games over .500 as a coach at Kansas for the last eight seasons, and is seemingly having problems controlling the team, thus the rage.
It might not be true, but it’s not hard to believe.
This isn’t Mangino’s first investigation. In 2007 he was investigated for numberous parking tickets, and apparent verbal abuse of of the people who gave him the tickets. But how do you investigate and take action against a coach who, at the time, was heading towards a BCS Bowl? Correct answer: you don’t.
It may not be true, but it’s not hard to believe.
Maybe some of it has to do with his abrasive attitude. He yells. He’s sarcastic at news conferences. He takes to his radio show to make comments like : “I can’t do the work of some parents, what they should have done before [the players] got to me.” People have seen him lose his cool, and he never apologizes. He’s kind of a jerk.
And there’s the players… the ones who came out of the woodwork and said that Mangino verbally abused them too. The ones who said he’s put his hands on players before. Or that he is just a little bit racist.
It’s all about the controversy in Kansas. He said she said… and so on. Who do you believe? The coach with the attitude, who won something once? Or the players who say he’s been this way the entire time? Do you trade a winning season for verbal and physical abuse? Do you sell your soul for a BCS game?
Urban Meyer Just Doesn’t Careby Corianne Egan
By now you have read 400 versions of this article. You’ve seen the video on ESPN a thousand times. Brandon Spikes jumps tackles someone, then reaches his hand into the player’s helmet and pokes his eyes. You saw it, you heard the national reaction.
But have you heard Urban Meyer’s reaction? You probably didn’t, because there was none. ESPN calls Meyer’s non-action cowardly, and proof that some people will do anything for a title. We just call it stupid.
Eye gouging isn’t a new thing in sports, especially in football. It happens. You can’t see everyone’s hands at the bottom of the pile can you? You get poked in the eye. If no one gets hurt, it isn’t at the forefront of the news. It even happens in the NFL. It is a fact of sports life. One video of a player isn’t going to change it.
The only problem we have with Urban Meyer not reacting is that there is the aforementioned video. He has proof. And doing nothing is a gouge in the eye of America. After such public outrage, doing nothing seems silly. Florida is ranked No. 1 in the nation (according to some people), and they are obviously in the spotlight. Then, you come out and suspend him for half of a game? Is that a joke? Florida is playing Vanderbilt, and Spikes isn’t going to play the first half?
We can totally understand a one game suspension. The Gators are playing South Carolina in two weeks, which is an in-conference clash and could be trouble. So one game is enough. A half of a game is a joke. It is pathetic. Unless he’s sitting on the sidelines getting poked in the eye for 30 minutes, it means nothing. Everyone knows that, so why doesn’t Urban Meyer?
Bradford Goes Down Againby Corianne Egan
Every year, the story is the same. Someone wins the Heisman, then goes through the next with a target on him. Tim Tebow went through it. Reggie Bush left before it could happen. For Sam Bradford, it may be too much.
Bradford has started only three of Oklahoma’s six games this year, and couldn’t make it through two of them. He’s played well – going 39 for 69 for 562 yards and two touchdowns – but he hasn’t played enough, and isn’t that the point?
Bradford had a lot of questions to his name at the start of the season. If he could remain dominant, his draft status would be much higher. This was his “make it or break it” year. He had lost four offensive linemen, the ones who allowed
him a lot of time to throw and even a little room to scramble last year. This year, with the pressure on, Bradford has crumbled.
Somehow, the 25th ranked Sooners have survived without him. But they won’t for much longer. They take on Kansas this Saturday, and have tough matches against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State to finish out the year.
The good news is there is no new injury. Just the same injury, re-aggravated. That doesn’t make it much easier. Something says that OU fans will have to start using those “At least…” statements.
At least Landry Jones is a qualified backup. At least we’re still ranked, even if that means being last. At least San Bradford is only a junior… and there’s always next year.
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