Let the NCAA Basketball Tournament Begin

Do you have your brackets ready? Have you dusted off the remote? Are you ready to search and find specific games, times and channels?

The real NCAA tournament begins today. The play-in games are over and there are 64 teams vying for Atlanta and the title. That means in the next two days (Thursday-Friday) 32 games are on the schedule. You got to love the NCAA basketball tournament.

But as I suggested in the past, pace yourself. Remember, the last time you went to a restaurant and your eyes were larger than your stomach? Don’t put yourself on the disabled list before the tournament is really cranking.

I am giving some Gators some love for the tournament. My selection to win the entire thing is Florida. My upset special in the round of 64 is South Dakota State over Michigan. Wouldn’t that get some Jackrabbits (South Dakota State’s nickname) excited?

Who is your tournament winner? An upset special?

I'm Back

Sorry about the lack of posts lately. I had been dealing with a nasty since infection and pounding headache, but thankfully I seem on the mend now.

There was quite a bite of college football news this last week. I will mention just three.

Congratulations to Baylor’s Robert Griffin III (RG3) for winning the Heisman Trophy. What an outstanding young man representing Baylor and the college football world. When we get down about all the negative aspects and problems in college football, we need to remember the good stuff such as positive roles models like RG3.

Why did Charlie Weiss become the coach at Kansas? I can see the Jayhawk’s point. Kansas went for name recognition and putting people in the seats. But Weiss left a high profile offensive coordinator job at Florida for Lawrence, Kansas. Is it a promotion? Does Charlie really want to become a head coach again (see Notre Dame) that badly? I think Weiss fits better in the NFL than the NCAA.

Todd Graham left Pittsburgh after only one season for Arizona State. He has also left Rice after one season besides coaching at Tulsa. This guy has a history of short stints and if I was Arizona State I would keep my list of potential replacements stuck on the telephone. But Graham has been stimulating the economy with moving vans and real estate transactions.

Readers: Anything strike your fancy in the last week or so of the college changes?

No Surprise: Urban Meyer Returns to Coaching

Urban Meyer missed his view from a college football sideline. Ohio State had an opening and a need for a stable, proven hire. The Urban Meyer-Ohio State marriage became official Monday.

Walking away from Florida after the 2010 season, many questioned how long Meyer would remain an unemployment football coach. Despite some health issues, Meyer was only in his 40s.

Meyer says his health is good now and wanted to get back into the coaching profession. He was a color commentator for ESPN during the 2011 season.

Meyer took the job before the NCAA announced sanctions on Ohio State. Both parties must be comfortable in facing the potential penalties.

Meyer is obviously going to make lots of money. The pressure will be tremendous, however. Ohio State always has high expectations. The expectations will become even higher now. People want to forget all the problems of the coach Jim Tressel era. Remember this is Ohio State. The Buckeyes expect to win and win big regardless of sanctions.

But you have to wonder if Meyer made the right decision. Will his health go sour again under the pressure of being a type of savior? In the past, he encountered heart issues. This job will put that condition to an extreme test.

College Basketball Junkie

OIf you are a college basketball junkie, these 24 hours are for you. ESPN’s Tip-Off Marathon is in full swing.

I count 10 games today on the ESPN networks starting at 5 a.m. in the central time zone. Of course there were games before during the late-night and early morning hours. For example, Northern Iowa played in California and had a 1 a.m. Iowa starting time. Whew. Was the postgame meal dinner or breakfast?

I am looking forward to the Baylor-San Diego State game at 1 p.m. central. Baylor has restocked its roster and it will be interesting to see how the new messes with the old.

Most people will look to the night action. Duke and Michigan State is one game, while Florida-Ohio State is another. The last major draw is Kentucky-Kansas. I wonder while these teams aren’t playing a 2 o’clock in the morning. I know why and so do you. It’s all about television sets and ratings.

Usually it takes me a while to warm up to the college basketball season. I’m coming off the baseball season and football is still in high gear. But if it is ESPN’s desire to tempt me, the network is doing a good job.

Enjoy the basketball junkies.

Nick Sabin in Statue

We have entered a new era in America. People still living are getting statues. Dead people are no longer the only candidates for bronze in these times.

Apparently winning games in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) isn’t good enough anymore. Now the arms race has turned into statues. First, Florida honors its Heisman Trophy winners with hard surfaces. Then over the weekend, we learn football coach Nick Sabin has a nine-foot statue at Alabama.

I find this all interesting. Last time I checked, America was having an economic crisis. But we find out there is plenty of money to honor breathing people with hard surfaces.

I will give the University of Florida a pass (no pun intended). The Gator are honoring memories—former Heisman winners. But what’s up at Alabama?

Anyone who follows college football knows the huge tradition at Alabama. Coach Bear Bryant was a legend. Football is like a religion to Tide followers.

But Sabin is far from a legend. He is an outstanding football coach. Yes, I get that. He has won two national championships including one at Alabama. But he has only coach the Tide for four years. Does Alabama like the guy that much that it already wants to show him with hard surfaces?

What if Sabin and Alabama decide to part ways? It could happen. They seem very much in love now, but in the wacky world of college football you never know.

I just don’t want the Tide to have to donate the statue to some museum or worse yet, destroy the thing.

NCAA Basketball Tournament Talk

Here are some thoughts about the happenings in the NCAA tournament as we await the Elite 8 games today and Sunday.

The national media said Kentucky stunned Ohio State last night. True, the Buckeyes were the overall No. 1 seed, but I think stunned is a strong word. I knew that Kentucky would give Ohio State a good game and I thought the Cats had a chance for the victory.

Cinderella lives on in Virginia Commonwealth. This story grows in its excitement as the No. 11 seed seeks a Final Four berth Sunday. Unfortunately, the Rams play the only No. 1 seed remaining—Kansas. Dreams do come true but against Kansas, it will be difficult. It would be great if the slipper doesn’t fall off.

The Butler story doesn’t seem to grow old. It’s difficult not to cheer for those guys. Florida will throw lots of athletes at them today. It should be a great game. If it turns into a grinder game, that favors Butler. If it’s a track meet, the Gators will prevail.

Has Arizona come back to reality after its upset win over Duke? Can the Cats derail the last remaining Big East team in UConn? Let’s hope so.

Tomorrow’s Kentucky-North Carolina contest should be a battle between loads of young talent. I think this game will feature the best overall talent of the tournament.

The tournament has been entertaining this year. And with a couple more twists or turns, it will remain entertaining.

Is Urban Meyer Really Done Coaching?

Urban Meyer’s announcement yesterday that he was leaving the head coaching position at Florida was not surprising. He quit last year for a brief time.

Meyer obviously has been soul searching for a while and decided to give up football for his family. He leaves on his own terms and has the memories of two national championships at Florida.

He says he wants to attend his daughter’s sporting events because he has missed many of them. Plus, he has a son coming up the sports ranks.

But from all appearances, Meyer is a 24-7, motor guy. He’s only 46 years old. Will the coaching fire ever return?

Don’t bet against it.

I know a prominent former college head football coach. He told me the first two years of football retirement were difficult. He referred to head coaching as “intoxicating.”

Ponder this. As head coach, you are the football CEO. You are in total charge. People answer to you. Fans generally look up to you. The media records what you say. You get to meet important people. You go to the finest country clubs to play golf and socialize. Even if you have a small ego, it’s as my friend said “intoxicating.”

Then it stops.

Meyer deserves time away from the game if he wants it. But I’m guessing someday he will get that urge to find another coaching job. He will think about the intoxicating part.

He and his wife might have a great marriage. But don’t be surprised if in the future, Mrs. Meyer says to Mr. Meyer, “Honey, it’s time to return to coaching. You’re spending too much time around the house.”

Cam Newton Story is Sad

In a perfect world, Cam Newton would be leading the Auburn Tigers to the national championship game and become the Heisman Trophy winner.

But Newton’s world is far from perfect these days. The march to the national championship game and the Heisman is marred by a huge cloud over Newton’s college career.

Did he and his family seek money from Mississippi State during the recruiting process? Was there a cheating problem when he was enrolled at Florida? These are a couple of the serious allegations involving this gifted athlete.

This stuff has yet to play completely out and it’s already ugly. Somebody did something wrong, it’s just finding out who and what.

Taking Newton and his family out of the equation, imagine the public relations mess at Auburn, Mississippi State and Florida.

I can just imagine the tone of the athletic departments at these schools. It’s stressful. People are on edge. What will happen? The athletic media relations departments’ job now is to put out fires.

Auburn appears the school with the most to lose. Auburn says it has done no wrong. Coach Gene Chizik says Newton will play Saturday. But the situation appears fluid.

Bottom line: the real dark and ugly side of college athletics marches to the front of the news cycle again. Sad, sad and sad.

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A salute to all the veterans out there today. Good job and thank-you. My dad served in Germany in WWII and I think of him on days like today. He passed away in 2000.

This Iowa-Penn State Matchup Looks Lopsided

While most TV sets will air either Oregon-Stanford or Florida-Alabama, most sets in Iowa and some in Pennsylvania will turn to the game in the corn state.

Iowa and Penn State have staged some close games over the years with Kirk Ferentz usually besting Joe Pa. By the way, Ferentz being a Pennsylvania native probably takes great delight in beat the Lions.

Most expects don’t give Penn State much of a chance in this one. The Hawkeyes have too many weapons on both offense and defense. And with a non-experienced quarterback, Penn State figures to lack in scoring production against that tough, tough Iowa defense.

But maybe Joe Pa likes his underdog status. He can sneak through the backdoor rather than go through the front. Some people question whether Joe Pa has the athletes anymore, so a surprise in Iowa City would be more notable.

Iowa already has an unexpected losing falling to Arizona a couple weeks ago. The Hawkeyes want to get back into the national picture and setup the game with Ohio State in the near future.

Ferentz will have Iowa ready.

I Want Some Good College Sports News

Maybe I am too pessimistic, but doesn't it seem every day we hear in the news about a college player, coach or program in trouble?

Have you ever wondered why that is? Do people only want to hear the bad news about somebody or something else? Is it a case of comparing people and situations to ourselves and saying, "Hey, we're not so bad after all."

The Internet's 24-hour news cycle has made the bad news worse. If the news never sleeps like in the old days (with just newspapers, TV and radio), content needs constant attention. And obviously, bad news is easier to sell (or put out there) than the good news. And media people thought it was tough breaking a story first in the old days. Now, the competition is fierce.

Media does provide some good college sports stories. We enjoy those pieces about athletes or coaches who made wrong choices and turned their situations around. We cheer from a far when we hear of players or coaches who are successful in their sport and are genuine good people. Case-in-point, it was difficult to cheer against Tim Tebow unless you didn't agree with his religious views or you really hated the Florida Gators. The guy used his popularity for the good of others. He also loves his mother.

But I wish to hear more positive stories. Can't we balance this coverage out? How about if the media gives us one positive story to ever two negative stories?

Athletes in Action, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, sends dozens of college-type coaches, athletes and other people in various sports to different parts of the world each summer. They play games and they serve people and communities. We need to see more of those stories online, in the paper, radio and TV. Good, solid and positive stories.

We will always have the bad news with us. I'm just asking for a little more balance in the news world. It would help brighten my day. How about you?