LongLiveRalph

I just don't see why it matters. #1 seed, #2 seed, who cares??? They made it to the Sweet 16 and played #5 seeded Butler as a #1 seed. If they were #2 in that region, they would've played #6 seed Xavier. Regardless, if you are 27-4 in the regular season, your goal is to win a national championship. No matter where you're seeded, you're going to have to beat 4 or 5 very good teams. That's why this tournament is great...Unlike football, it's actually settled on the court, not in a voting booth. In general, the seeds matter less than they ever have. Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, and Syracuse were all in the top-5 for the majority of the year. They earned their place as the best regular season teams. Beyond that top group, there is very little difference between the #2's and the #9's. Overall, the committee does pretty well with a very difficult task. Syracuse lost because they took bad shots and had 65 turnovers, not because their big man wasn't in there. This article is just a media blowhard who needed to turn something in to his editor.

NCAA supplies the court to all arenas, so that there's a "standard" look to the games. Personally, I don't like it...I think it's nice to look at the court and recognize the arena. The Nazi NCAA also makes arenas cover all advertising, and take down all championship banners from the pro teams who call the arena home. What a joke. Say some fan from Texas travels to Boston to see UT play...It would probably be pretty cool to look up and see all of those Celtics and Bruins banners...Not so, says the NCAA...

Butler was the better team. Cuse was lucky they weren't down by 20 at the half. Cuse overachieved all year (credit to Boeheim) but the Big Least has been exposed in the tournament. It's hard to explain because the conference's out-of-conference record was great. But other than WVU, the teams just haven't had it down the stretch. That didn't stop the ESPN hype machine from lecturing us that 8 of the Big East teams would make the Sweet 16. Not a shocking loss tonight. Butler's 23rd win in a row, they can play...And Cuse is not deep...Losing anybody hurts them, especially the big man. Boeheim is a whiney prickly bastard but he's a hell of a coach. And I can't stand Syracuse.

Dude...Not that it matters, the Sabres got the 2 points...But I'm not entirely sure what game you were watching. Price made one nice save that I can recall, on a rebound attempt from Mair. Other than that, it was the Sabres typical 50-foot wrist shots, with little traffic, that hardly made Price sweat. The Sabres were parading to the penalty box the first two periods, and if it wasn't for Miller with about 4 or 5 great saves (including two breakaways) that game would've been out of hand. The Sabres stole 2 points, and played to the end which is nice to see, but they were far from "puttin the beat down to the Habs."

Huge. Took them 57 mins to wake up but they got it done. Looked like their backs might have been a bit sore from all the pats they were giving themselves after their "big" wins against the Bolts, Panthers, and Canes. Hopefully this gives them a boost and they play with a little more urgency. On the flip side, this is a crusher for Montreal. Can't be giving away points in the 72nd game of the season.

Couldn't agree more. I didn't spend one cent on any of that garbage, and thankfully my friends and family have had the common sense not to get me anything with that stupid ass logo. The Sabres were so lucky they had two of the best teams in franchise history when they implemented those uni's...Sales were through the roof because people were excited that hockey was back from a lockout, and the team was winning games. But they essentially admitted they were wrong when they put the old logo at center ice of HSBC last year. This is some of the best news I've heard in a while. The slug is godawful, there's nothing good I can say about it.

He's a whiney, pretentious a-hole, I can't stand him. But he sure knows his hoops and has a gift for recruiting. Good for him, he earned it this year. I love when windbags like Bob Knight criticize him for playing zone, like he's cheating or something. When that Syracuse zone is clicking and fluid, it looks like a spider web and is fun to watch. Most coaches that criticize zone don't know how to design a good one. Boeheim's ability to succeed with different players in that defense year after year is a testament to his ability as a coach.

That's not entirely accurate. First and foremost, any commissioner in any sport works for the owners of each franchise. There was over $2.2 BILLION in contractual value carried by players playing in the Olympics. Those owners are locked in to paying that guaranteed money, and yet have to release their players for two weeks to go play for someone else. Those players are the owners' meal ticket...They are the best players on their teams, they sell tickets for the owners, and they give the owners' franchise the best chance to win. Do you think the owners like this setup? In the post-Olympic NHL world, if the TV ratings are the same, and the attendance is the same, then what was learned??? That the league is essentially risking their best players and most valuable commodities for little to zero return? Additionally, the Olympics are soooooo controlled from a sponsorship standpoint, the NHL can't even use their logo at the rink or help casual fans make the connection to their league. And we are so quick to forget...That great USA-Canada preliminary game was not shown in HD and wasn't even shown on NBC, it was on MSNBC. If Bettman is sending his league's best players to the Olympics, and a marquee game full of NHL players doesn't warrant network treatment, what's the point? And...If there were two upsets in the semifinals, and it was Finland vs. Slovakia for the gold medal, would people have this huge hard-on for Olympic hockey??? You are right, there was additional attention on hockey during the Olympics. Americans now know Ryan Miller, and Crosby was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. That exposure helps. But you know what??? Curling got HUGE attention during the Olympics from outside of it's niche core fanbase. Do you think anyone will care about it until 2014? Casual fans are casual fans. In the end, NBC values ice dancing and the female audience MUCH more than it values the hockey audience. Say what you want about Bettman's management, he has taken a sport that was bleeding money and had out-of-control salaries, and he took a year-long lockout to build a model that allows owners to actually compete for a Cup and make some money. And that's without a lucrative TV deal. Everyone loves the Olympics because it's the world's best players, the tension of elimination games is huge, and there is national pride on the line. Then it's over, and people say something like, "Wow, Olympic hockey is great, and there's no fighting, the NHL should remove fighting" like that has anything to do with anything. So once again, what did you learn from the Olympics that could be applied to the NHL?

Autistic people are amazing at blackjack.

Hahaha yes! And make it a one-and-done playoff system that only takes place every four years! Bettman is so dumb for not seeing this.

But just like you said, how much will it really be brought up? I realize for the first time in his life, he may not be completely fawned over by every single person. But anyone in broadcasting, media, and the golf business in general will kiss his ass like they always have. His absence only reinforces that he is their meal ticket. His public persona as a father and husband is trashed, but his ability to hit a golf ball is not. And frankly, there are many, many people who are not so much offended by this story as they are amazed. Tiger drinks and gets ass!! This was a shocking development for a thought-to-be obsessive golf nerd. Most just want to see him hit a golf ball again. He will no doubt have to deal with the occasional heckle as he walks down the fairway, which is likely something he hasn't encountered too much, if ever. But the guy is such a machine, and he knows he's the best player out there, so if he's -15 he's not likely to care what some guy in the flip shades yells from outside the ropes. He will probably become even more introverted and protective than he was before, and focus on golf. If he plays well (which he will because he's not really "coming back" from anything, and hasn't had an out-of-the-ordinary layoff) the media will waste no time rebuilding his hero image. Tiger's trashed public persona was brought on by his (and his handlers') lack of understanding of the situation. Tiger's arrogance at the beginning probably led him to believe that the media would coddle him like always, that he is outside the TMZ rumor mill. If that statement he made last month was instead made a week after Thanksgiving, and he admitted "there were women" and basically submitted, the story wouldn't have been so outrageous with news breaking of a new chick every day. His disappearing act was an amazing gift to the NY Post. I read somewhere that Tiger was on the NY Post cover for 31 consecutive days in some way, shape, or form (headline, corner picture, pic of a new lady, Elin updates, a Tiger-related article tease, etc. etc.) This is a NY Post record, eclipsing the previous record of 30 straight days with a cover that referenced the September 11 attacks.

What was learned? Maybe automatic icing (rather than touch up) is a good idea. Besides that, OF COURSE Olympic hockey was better and more exciting. Consider the stage and stakes, national pride, and the abundance of talent on the ice...Your Tuesday night NHL game can't compete with that. What should his answer have been? What did YOU learn?

Comeback from what??? Mishandling a personal situation? He was banging sluts...He didn't get injured, have a family illness, abuse drugs, or go to war. And he's basically missed two tournaments...That's all he typically plays in before Augusta in any other year. I hope he gets mopped up, but I've always hoped that. I'm just not a fan. I don't deny his excellence, he's an incredible golfer. But he's the Yankees. I root for the other guy 100% of the time, be it Yang, Rocco, Phil, etc.

I agree with you. But it's also probably part of the reason he chose to come back at the Masters. It's such a controlled environment as far as crowd and media. They won't hesitate to toss unruly fans or remove media credentials. It's not particularly fair to the other players, who I'm sure would like to get most of the "Tiger's return" questions out of the way before the season's first major. But Tiger has never necessarily cared about anybody but himself.

Jim Nantz has zero room to talk about Tiger's extramarital affairs. And with Charlie Sheen and David Letterman as the prime talent on the network, Tiger should feel right at home. The major story might turn out to be that Tiger can't keep his eyes off of Phil's man boobs.

Maybe it was "convenient" that it was a non-elimination round, but it was so obvious that it was going to be. If they make you pair up with another team to complete a challenge, they almost have to make it a non-elim leg. Also, "convenient" that nobody could solve Morse code? Isn't that a reason ZERO teams selected that option? I just thought it was great that it was a "blind" U-Turn but there was no doubt which team U-Turned them. But overall, that was probably the most boring episode of Amazing Race I have ever seen. Nothing much happened besides each team eating bread and crawling under some barbed wire...twice.

For what is currently being tested, I think Pacquiao is clean. Who knows what new "Balcos" are out there. It's hard to believe this rumor gained traction when it all stemmed from a statement made by Floyd Mayweather Sr, one of the biggest nutjobs in a sport full of clowns. Pacquiao's hand speed is ridiculous and he consistently beats opponents with his superior skill. He has stepped into the ring with fighters who are naturally 10-15 lbs bigger than he is, and they look it. Pacquiao is just a supremely skilled fighter, and he wins with tenacity, not a lucky haymaker. He agreed to fight Mayweather, with blood testing up to a month before the fight, and then a blood test immediately after the fight, along with any and all random urine testing multiple times per day, every day. Mayweather orginally agreed to this, and then required that the Olympic protocol be used, which would require a blood test 48 hours before the fight. Pacquiao is squeamish of needles and drawn blood, and did not agree to this stipulation. In my opinion, two points: 1. Pac should've just agreed to the Olympic testing. If it's true than drawn blood can have repurcussions- fatigue, etc.- it would be the same for both fighters. His refusal allowed for Mayweather Sr's off-the-cuff comments to gain traction. 2. Mayweather and/or his camp do not think Money May can beat Pacquiao. FWIW, it's hard to imagine Pacquiao juicing without trainer Freddie Roach knowing about it. And for some reason, I can't see Roach- himself a posterboy of the dangers of boxing- giving his fighter PED's and overextending him, just to win a few belts. Roach seems well aware that life is more than a title bout. Also FWIW, I think the fight will happen. As always in boxing, follow the money. I think it would be a great fight, and I don't think Money May could pick his spots against Pacquiao like he's used to doing. Mayweather is so used to having a speed and footwork advantage, and plays supreme defense with his movement. But Pacquiao can match his speed and quickness, and is always looking to go on the attack. In a close fight, the aggressor almost always wins.

Stern is right. Not that Oprah should've lambasted her, but the fact that this chick is going to struggle to find roles. There's just extremely limited options for someone her size in Hollywood, that is a fact not an opinion. She will find work because she's a fine actress (at least in this role she was,) but it will likely be supporting roles in indie films and art house stuff. It's hard to imagine her in a main role, outside of the one in Precious. Calling her an "American cinderella" is ridiculous. I'm glad that she's comfortable with herself, but she is huge and it's not healthy, and frankly, the general public wants to pay to watch Cameron Diaz and Beyonce. Jennifer Hudson is also an excellent actress, and she has battled to keep her weight down to help secure roles, and she's barely half the size of Sidibe.

I like Brad Smith I think he's a player and an athlete. Perhaps the Jets don't see much opportunity for him, as he is good at many things but not particularly great at anything. I guess I think of him as a more athletic version of Jim Jensen of the 80's Dolphins. He had some success in the Wildcat but maybe they envision Leon Washington being the primary guy in the role. Sanchez has a decade in front of him, and they think they have their #1 receiver. They have a good young tight end. Greene will carry the heavy yards on the ground, so maybe there just isn't a great need for him. If they think they can get a similar special teams performance from a guy who is also a natural WR, they may view Smith as expendible. I'm somewhat surprised that he's a 4th, just because Schottenheimer looked plenty willing to design some packages for him and his run-pass option. I wouldn't mind the Bills paying the 4th at all, but not shedding a tear if they don't. With the Bills offenses the past seven years, any player who has shown a hint of production looks good to me.

I have another question: I saw this weekend that the guy Edwards intentionally caused a crash at 200mph which sent an opponent's car flipping down the track. NASCAR has issued some sort of three-week penalty, essentially saying that the wreck was intentionally caused by Edwards. Edwards apparently had a history with the guy, and in a tongue-in-cheek manner, he himself insinuated that he intentionally F'd the guy up. It got me to thinking about other sports, and in particular, hockey. Marty McSorley slashed Donald Brashear in the head and knocked him unconscious, and was criminally charged by the local jurisdiction with assault. Same for Todd Bertuzzi, who smashed Steve Moore's head into the ice, ending his career. In both cases, the NHL suspended the players, and the local law enforcement acted on their own to press criminal charges for those intentional acts of violence. Is something similar possible in NASCAR? Specifically, in this case, could local law enforcement charge Edwards with some sort of criminal negligence or assault, or in the most extreme case, assault with a deadly weapon or attempted murder (as death was a realistic possibility while flipping in a car at 200mph)??

MacArthur was a waste of space. The problem with the Sabres is that they have an abundance forwards who all "work hard" and have a "good attitude" and are "dependable." They are also all unproductive. MacArthur has had plenty of time to prove what he is...I realize he was still a young man, but eventually you have a large enough sample size of games to stop looking at a player for what you hope he will become, and just accept him for what he is. In 10 years, he will be Matt Ellis...He will not be missed. Especially considering that Buffalo has two 5'-5" forwards in the minors who can come up and "work hard" and "skate well" and also likely be unproductive.

The expansion Houston Texans went with future Hall of Famer David Carr.

Getzlaf would be ideal, I've thought that many, many times. Talented, hard-nosed, leader. He was drafted at #19 in the 2003 draft when Vanek went #5 overall to Buffalo. Other notables that year: Jeff Carter at #11 and Zach Parise at #17. Ryan Kesler really impressed me during the Olympics, I didn't know much about him before that. I love his game, he seems like a real menace. He went #23 in that draft.

I heard Crosby was misplacing his stick all week in Vancouver's West End.

We'd have about $22 million tied up in those three, then. I realize those are all good players, but from a "bang-for-your-buck" standpoint, those are three of the worst contracts in NHL right now. I would love to have Drury at about $4 mil per and Campbell at around the same. Those numbers would've been achievable with some proactive negotiation from the Sabres. I think they need a Marian Hossa-type scorer and playmaker, not another Steve Bernier.