My Favorite Steeler Moments of the 2008-2009 Season

I know, I know football season is way over. I am writing this on the bring of the Penguins great comeback in Game 6 against Philly to win the series. Today is also the NFL Draft. (Welcome Ziggy Hood.) So I got to thinking... what are my top 6 (One for each ring) Steeler moments from this season.


6. Santonio Holmes squeaks over the goal line to win the division.



5. Ryan Clark absolutely destroying Wes Welker and the Steelers beating the Patriots.




4. My man Shea Shea picking off Tony Romo and going Pick-6 to beat the Cowboys on a freezing day in the 'Burgh.




3. James Harrison and his 100 yard INT return in Super Bowl XLIII.



2. The Catch.



1. Troy Polamalu seals the AFC Championship Game. (This is number one because I was at the game and it was the loudest and happiest moment of my sports-viewing life. An unreal experience.)

The 100-0 Debate

If you haven't heard, this girls varsity basketball team in Texas beat an opponent 100-0, resulting in media criticism and the eventual firing of the teams head coach. This team, although it has not been mentioned by media, has beaten other teams by large margins. They have held opposition to 5 and 7 points in other games.

This situation, in my opinion, is ridiculous. I played varsity high school basketball for four years. My team was pretty good for two years and very bad for two of those years. We lost games by 70 points... that bad. So I have been on both sides of the spectrum. I've won games by 50 and lost games by 70.

The key word in all this is: VARSITY.

Yes, I know, high school is a very impressionable time in a kids life. But in sports, especially at the highest level... to say that this is "unsportsmanlike" and "embarrassing" is totally uncalled for.

The only people at fault here A) the team that lost by 100 points, for participating in a league where such scores are possible... and b) the league itself, for letting a team like this (one that apparently has a roster full of girls with learning disabilities) participate in the first place.

The coach has said that he took off a full court press after the first three minutes because he knew the other team was not good. He had his team play a zone the rest of the game.

The problem is that these media people, of which I will hopefully be a peer to one day, DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BASKETBALL!

They see this 100-0 score and think it's ridiculous. But it was 88-0 at the end of the third quarter, meaning that the winning team only put up 12 points in the final quarter. You can't tell girls in high school to slow up or not play hard, because (since they are impressionable as high school athletes) they might go out and slow up the next time they have a lead.

The firing of this coach and the media criticism is completely undeserved.

Now, if this coach was full court pressing the whole game and practicing other methods to run up the score, I could see how it would be unsportsmanlike. But this coach did nothing wrong.

The visiting school should be embarrassed, as well as the league and the state of Texas' high school athletics association.

To the coach of the winning team, I extend to you my congratulations on a good, team win. I also give to you my sympathy in regards to you getting caught up in this blown out media fluff-story.

Final 4 2009

Well, Pitt lost. It sucked. I don't wanna talk about it.

Here's what I think about the rest of the unimportant tournament.

50% chance the Big East wins it all basically. Unreal.

My predictions:

Michigan State over Connecticut
- I like what UConn has done in the tourney. But with a stadium full of MSU fans, it'll be tough to win. MSU will have the momentum and edge out the huskies.


North Carolina over Villanova
- Nova has a good shot at winning it all. Seriously. The Heels will be too much though. Lawson will have a big game and take Scottie Reynolds out of the game.
___

National Championship

North Carolina over Michigan State
- In a rematch of a game played earlier this year, in the stadium stadium, UNC will win another championship. Despite a great effort by MSU, the Heels will pull away at the end and win by a few.


Blah. Whatev.

Looking at the Sweet 16 and Elite 8

After a weekend of basketball, we are down to sixteen teams.

Except Arizona, the Sweet 16 is looking like chalk city.

This is kinda a bummer. It's always good to see some Cinderella still dancing after the weekend.

But, I feel as if there is VERY good basketball still to be played.

Let's take a look at the matchups.


MIDWEST

1. Louisville over 12. Arizona
-The Cardinals are just too much for a weaker Pac-10 team and the Cats have their dream come to an end.

3. Kansas over 2. Michigan State
-This has the feel of a thriller already. I think Kansas gets the edge though due to some great inside play recently.


EAST

1. Pittsburgh over 4. Xavier
- Sam Young is making a point. He'll be tough to stop and this team that lost to Duquesne earlier this year shouldn't be able to stop the Panthers.

3. Villanova over 2. Duke
- This one will be a classic. In the end though I think the Nova guards will make some big shots and squeak a win out in overtime over the very game Blue Devils.


SOUTH

1. North Carolina over 4. Gonzaga
- The Zags just can't handle the speed of Lawson. UNC in a blowout.

3. Syracuse over 2. Oklahoma
-While the Sooners have been playing great, I just like the Orange in this one. It will be close, but expect Devenbarf to make some shots late and send the Cuse on.

WEST

1. Connecticut over 5. Purdue
-UConn is just the better team. Purdue won't have answers for Adrian or Thabeet. Huskies cruise into the Elite 8.

2. Memphis over 3. Missouri
- Memphis is getting hot at the right time. This one will be close, but I see the Tigers (of Memphis) pulling it out.

___ ___ ___


MIDWEST

3. Kansas over 1. Louisville
- Don't know why I like Kansas so much. But I think they are going to pull this thriller out. The Ville hasn't looked great so far, and I think they'll struggle against KU.


EAST

1. Pittsburgh over 3. Villanova
- Nova is one of only four teams to beat Pitt this season. I think the Panthers get their revenge and knock off Villanova in a close one to go to the FInal 4.


SOUTH

1. North Carolina over 3. Syracuse
- The Tar Heels are one of the best free throw shooting teams in the nation. Syracuse is one of the worst due to Onuaku shooting around 30% for the year. That will be the difference.

WEST

2. Memphis over 1. Connecticut
- An epic battle. This one will be great. I don't know much about the Tigers this year and I might know too much about the Huskies. But I'm going to take Memphis in a tight one.

___ ___ ___

So, there you have it. My Final 4 looks like this:

Kansas vs. Memphis

Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina

Oh the Madness

My bracket is crushed.
I watched 10 straight hours of basketball today.

Nothing happens during the day games. Something about those night games just brings the insanity.

Pitt tomorrow. Let's Go Pitt!

Let The Madness Begin

The brackets have been released and it is truly time for the best playoffs in sports to begin. March Madness brings excitement, surprise and entertainment to an otherwise dull month of March.

Louisville, Pittsburgh, North Carolina and Connecticut all received the #1 seeds.

Here's a look at the bracket (Click to enlarge):



I'm gonna make some opening round picks here...

Here is my main bracket (Click it):




Now as the tourney progresses and my bracket is surely destroyed, I'll discuss the matchups. I will say that my Final Four seems a bit chalk, and I am tempted to change it to go all chalk. I don't know if Memphis is as good as the hype and I know UConn can play for real.

Another thing I don't like about my bracket is that my highest seed in the Sweet Sixteen is a 7 seed.
THERE WILL BE A DOUBLE-DIGIT SEED IN THE SWEET SIXTEEN.
My money is on Maryland, despite having to beat California and Memphis to do so.

In the end, I find it tough to pick against Pitt, so I pick them to win it all. Will this happen? Probably not. Pitt having to potentially play the top three teams in the ACC in a row is going to be a challenge, as well as having to play Tennessee or Oklahoma State. Even Xavier could give the Panthers problems.

If Pitt makes the Final Four, I think they will take on the Tar Heels of North Carolina. UNC seems to have the easiest path to the Final Four. I would have liked to have seen Pitt-UNC in the Championship though.

I think Pitt beats UNC straight up in that matchup because the only guy who can play as nearly physical as Tyler Hans is DeJuan Blair. Levance Fields is just as good as Ty Lawson in my opinion. When it comes to making the smart decision and hitting the big shot, give me the guy who got tasered. Sam Young is just a man and I feel is set to have a big time performance in the tournament.

The only thing that could really hinder the Panthers is the officiating. If it's called close, Blair and the Panthers could be in trouble. If we get to a PItt-UNC game, expect there to be blood. Someone might die down low.

More to come on the tourney... Right now though it's off to French class. Parlez-vous Go Pitt.

P-I-T-T Let's Go Pitt!

The Pittsburgh Panthers mens basketball team has accomplished a lot this season. They went 28-3. They were undefeated at home. They beat the #1 team in the country... twice. They ascended to #1 in the polls, a first in school history.

Yet, none of that matters. Sure, it all looks nice, and a probable #1 seed in the NCAA tournament will be a a big deal for the team and school. But if this team is unable to at least get to the Final Four, it's all for nothing.

Luckily for the Panthers, this seems to be the best and most disciplined the University has ever seen.

Many people talk about DeJuan Blair and his physicality and how it is a game changer, and rightfully so. Blair is a tremendous talent. He is undersized for his position at only 6'7, but plays much bigger. Just ask UConn's Hasheem Thabeet, who has eight inches on Blair, yet was handled in both meetings between the Big East rivals this season.

Asides from Blair, this team boasts, in my mind, the best small forward in the nation, Sam Young. Young's ability to take over games with his athleticism and versatility makes him the biggest threat right now going into the post-season. He can knock down the 3, or take it to the hoop for the jam. His 31 points and 10 rebounds against UConn on Saturday showed just why every team in the nation should fear Young.

Even though I think highly of Blair and Young, I think the highest of Levance Fields. FIelds is also undersized, at only 5'10. He doesn't have the physicality or athleticism of Blair and Young, but he has something better: intelligence. Fields may be one of the smartest players I have ever seen at the college level. His assist-to-turnover ratio is the best in the nation and he rarely hurts the team.

The 'Big 3' of the Pitt Panthers is something special. But the role players are definitely noteworthy as well. Jermaine Dixon and Tyrell Biggs are great players, especially Dixon, who is the younger brother of Juan Dixon. Off the bench, the Panthers are one of the strongest teams in the country, with talent like Gillbert Brown, Ashton Gibbs, Brad Wannamaker.

The problem for the Panthers is if Blair gets into foul trouble, as they really have no one significant to come off the bench for him. In the Panthers three losses this season, Blair has fouled out of two of them and had 4 fouls at the end of the other. Pitt needs Blair to stay free of fouls, while still playing physical if they want to win a national championship.

With that said, I see that Panthers making a deep run in the tournament, as well as winning a Big East Championship. Anything less than a Big East Championship and a trip to the Final Four should be deemed a failure for this team, because they are THAT good.