What if Pokey Chatman were a guy?

This LSU women's basketball coach scandal is very interesting. Interesting to me because I think about the idea of "what if it happened in the men's hoop game"? It would be story that is 100 times bigger. For those that aren't aware the former LSU's women's basketball coach, Pokey Chatman resigned under suspicious circumstances, and published reports are that those circumstances dealt with the fact that she was having sexual relations with a former player (while the player was on the team). Now LSU is in the women's Final Four. Think about if this was Florida's Billy Donovan that was accused of the same impropriety. We would be talking about nothing else! As it is, we hear about the LSU story but it's not really front page material. My guess is that has to do with the fact that people accept and even expect a certain amount of "gayness" in women's sports. Because of that we are glossing over the huge fact that Pokey Chatman was getting it on with one of her OWN players! Regardless of your feelings about homosexuality, coach/player intimate relations is a huge taboo and is an absolute outrage. She shouldn't have been able to resign with money still coming her way. She should have the book thrown at her. I don't care if she ever ends up partners or married to this player (who is an adult), it's still something that shouldn't occur in a team setting. If Billy Donovan did this he could never show his face again. Ever! Reports are out there that Pokey Chatman is basically in hiding over this. Sure she's facing some embarrassment and other negative press over this. In my mind she should be facing much worse.

Hoyas and Joe Theismann

-I was ecstatic about the Georgetown/North Carolina game. I've been a Hoya fan as far back as the Pat Ewing days and I absolutely loathe the North Carolina Tar Heels. People ask me how I can possibly like the Duke Blue Devils. I always respond the same way. "Because I hate NC". It's kinda of an either or with those teams. Anyway, I loved the game. I thought Hibbert and Jeff Green were the difference makers. I'm looking forward to the Ohio St. game.

- On a football note, I'm reading the rumors today that Joe Theismann is out at Monday Night Football. What? You mean the t.v. execs actually listened to fans and realized what almost all of us already knew (that Joe T sucked donkeys as a broadcaster). This piece of news makes my day.

Cinderella doesn't have to be a 15 seed

I keep hearing about how there are no Cinderella teams left this year in the NCAA tournament. I mean UNLV is the highest seed left and they are a #7. Still even though some mid-majors got respect in the tournament seeding (about time), that doesn't mean if they make it to the final four it won't be a "Cinderella"type story. Butler and Southern Illinois are great teams but a lot of us are still figuring out who they are. UNLV has name recognition but let's face it they haven't been in the national picture since the early 90's. And Vanderbilt, USC, Oregon, & Texas A&M may be from power conferences but they haven't been historically powerful basketball teams in those conferences by any stretch of the imagination. So in reality we have a whole lot of teams that have the opportunity to wear the glass slipper this coming weekend. I like that.

NCAA Tourney Thoughts: First Weekend

March Madness Thoughts:

1. I really whiffed on a few picks but I did get it right on 12 teams for the sweet 16. I had George Washington and Albany as sleeper Sweet 16 picks and both got crushed in the first round (Albany? I know...I know. I was on cold medication that day.... I was impaired) . I also should have seen a Duke exit in the first round. All the signs were there.

2. While the committee seems to have done a decent job on seeding they screwed up on seeding Duke at 6 and letting Stanford in at all, much less an 11 seed.

3. Xavier absolutely should have beaten Ohio St. but I'm still amazed that Gred Oden doesn't get called for a flagrant foul at the end of that game. It was right in front of the official. If it wasn't the final seconds of a game (officials get conservative at that time) it would probably have been a different story. Still, if Xavier makes a free throw we're not even talking about this.

March Madness: Armchair Bracketing

So my Alma mater, Utah State had a decent season this year (23-12) but again not good enough to make the Dance without a conference tourney championship. Oh well. I'll be rooting for two other home-state teams to do well (BYU, & Weber St) but honestly I'm not even picking them to make it out of the first round. My bracket looks like this:

Into the final 32:
Florida, Arizona, Butler, Maryland, Winthrop, Oregon, UNLV, Wisconsin, Kansas, Kentucky, Illinois, S. Illinois, Duke, Pitt, Indiana, UCLA, N. Carolina, Marquette, USC, Texas, George Washington, Washington St., B.C., Georgetown, Ohio St., Xavier, Tenn, Albany, Louisville, Texas A&M, Creighton, Memphis

Into the Sweet 16:
Florida, Butler, Oregon, Wisconsin, Kansas, S.Illinois, Pitt, Indiana, UCLA, N. Carolina, Texas, George Washington, Georgetown, Ohio St. , Albany, Texas A&M, Memphis

Elite Eight:
Florida, Oregon, Kansas, UCLA, N. Carolina, George Washington, Ohio St., Texas A&M,

Final Four:
Oregon, Kansas, N. Carolina, Texas A&M

Championship:
Kansas, N. Carolina

Champion: Kansas

NFL Free-Agent Thoughts.

The NFL offseason never fails to surprise me. There are always a few eyebrow raising guys that become cap casualties Joey Porter, Joe Horn, etc. Basically what teams are telling these guys is "you're good and we'd love to keep you but you cost too damn much". Essentially they are also telling them they can be replaced otherwise they'd cut somebody else or pay up. You can see why these guys will feel dissed. Nobody is cutting Payton Manning, Ladainian Tomlinson, Merriman, or Champ Bailey. At least not yet. So the only way you can make huge contracts in the NFL and stick around with the team who gave you that contract is to become irreplaceable. Any wonder why guys tend to be loyal to the dollar signs instead of teams these days? They learn from the best. NFL teams. It is what it is.

• My worst free agent nightmare came true with stud linebacker Adalius Thomas signing with the Patriots this week. What are the Patriots doing? I thought we had an understanding. They would continue to ignore needed areas on their team and sputter in the playoffs and I would continue to heave sighs of relief at the end of their seasons. It's worked two years running and now all of the sudden they wise up? Damn it.
  





• I've got mixed emotions on my Rams this offseason. Some of you may have read the several biased comments I've previously made towards free-agent wideout Kevin Curtis. I watched him when he was at my Alma maters, Snow College (J.C) & Utah State. He was the local guy who made good. My brother works with his brother so I would get updates and inside stories. I wanted him to do well in the worst way. When he landed with the Rams and had some breakout games in the past couple of years I had high hopes. But the Rams had two great receivers already in Torry Holt and Isacc Bruce. Curtis was always going to be the third guy. Here's what I don't understand: Bruce clearly hasn't lost it yet but he is aging and Curtis is younger. He's extremely fast and has good hands. He's short 5"11 but athletic and can go up and get balls. His brother indicated at the end of the season he had already packed up his house and moved away from St. Louis knowing that the Rams really had no interest in hanging onto him. What! I cannot figure this out. Now the Rams have signed Drew Bennett to play the slot receiver position Curtis had and I just don't get it. Curtis already had a good relationship with Marc Bulger and knew the offense. I know that Bennett is much taller and is a good receiver as well but still I can't help feeling that the Rams are letting a budding star slip through their fingers. Admittedly I am extremely prejudiced in favor of Curtis so I'm probably not thinking rationally about this. Bennett will probably work out just fine. But is he going to be ok with being a 3rd option?400 or 500 yards for the season if he's lucky? I wouldn't be. Curtis wasn't. Thing is now he may end up in Detroit with Mike Martz which isn't much of an improvement in his situation. They have Roy Williams and Mike Furrey (who had a breakout season and just signed a new contract with them) so Curtis could end up being the third wheel again. Depressing.