GRUDEN’S QB CAMP IS THE BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION

This is one of the best weeks of the sports fan year. The week when the ESPN programming department gives us viewing public a short respite from their goulash of 15 hours of sports center and 4 hours of disheveled aging sports writers yell at each other in Brady Bunch style boxes and props like a Carrot Top Show.

  For this week we get actually insight into the game from 2 Championship winning coaches rather than ones who are known more for catchphrases than playoff wins. On one side the lack of care that the higher ups in Bristol give to the world of hockey equates into about 2 months of 6 minute nightly trips on the Magical Mystery Melrose Tour when they try to pretend the network wants to to see the NHL succeed. As a hockey fan I know the rules. For good coverage of your sport you have to do some research and that’s fine However, if you are going to shove John Kruck talking about things like how Ervin Santana is lacking a little zip on his fastball and amazingly awkward Tim Kurkjian impressions  for half an hour a night for the next 6 months of baseball season you can at least dedicate 10 minutes a night to hockey and Melrose who’s Wisconsin Waterfall has evolved into the best slickback since Pat Riley

Also this week is the time when ESPN rolls out its “Gruden’s QB Camp” episodes. This year the Super Bowl winning MNF analyst brought in 10 Quarterbacks. As big as the proday and combine are for the prospective quarterbacks of the NFL Draft have become, their date with Coach Chucky may be even bigger. This is the chance for these prospects to show their media presence, get feedback from one of the top football coaches in the country, and show teams what you are made of all under the glare of ESPN Cameras.

So far this year some players have shown great poise and you can tell truly impressed Gruden. Arizona’s Nick Fowls and Oklahoma State’s Branden Weeden seemed to really impress Gruden. Where Giant Gonzaga basketball scholarship having broski, Brock Osweiler looked like a ironic walking Motivational poster.

From his tattoos that are such bad cliche’s he should have got a refund to his ability to not really have an answer to the question “What do you have on your IPod” you could see Gruden do his best acting job when complimenting the kid.

Gruden doesn’t hold punches he challenges each Quarterback not only on film and the playbook, but also on their biggest question marks from teams and fans. He takes viewers into what a private team workout. The show is so good it can change the entire opinion of some dumb blogger based on just 25 mins of late night ESPNU.

CAM I WANT TO PARTY WITH YOU!

A FEW PREDICTIONS FOR SEMIFINAL SATURDAY

Well we’ve made it through the Final Four folks. So far I would give this tournament a 6 out of 10. Every tournament without Gus Johnson loses 2 points automatically, and besides the surprising run of OHIO and the day of the 15-2 upsets (Lehigh & Norfolk State) the tournament has seen the national powers rise as every team in the Final Four has multiple national titles. Despite the absence of a true underdog like Butler and VCU of the last few seasons this is setting up to potentially be a great final four. Here are a few of my predictions for Saturday’s semifinals.

Jeff Withey will rise to the challenge and take the torch of the “WGS”

Over the past decade or so the world of basketball has seen a fundamental shift and its been difficult to watch. One of the best positions of the past is being phased out. The WGS (or White Guy Stiff) is on life support. Gone are the days of the greats; Eric Montross, Travis Knight, and the pinnacle Sean Bradley.

From the infusion of Eurostiffs (Darko) and the maturation of athletic American white guys into solid wing players (Chase Buddinger and Chandler Parsons) the role of the stiff is gone. It has been replaced by a hybrid position which I like to call the “Whascot” or the White Mascot. Brian Scalabrine is the new white sensation, but his playingtime is so limited we as fans are deprived of seeing him get dunked on like the rest of the greats.

Jeff Withey has all the tools to bring back the dream. He is the type of player with the hight and shot blocking bravado to get banged on like some of the greats. With a decent performance in this final four Withey will forgo his senior year and enter the draft. As fans we can expect to see him getting dunkfaced by Blake Griffin and the rest of the league next fall.

Now before we move on lets remember THE WGS LEGEND

IF YOU AREN’T ROOTING FOR THOMAS ROBINSON YOU DON’T HAVE A SOUL

I am not a fan of the Kansas Jayhawks. Let’s get that out of the way right now. I think Bill Self has turned a storied program into a bunch of chest thumping wannabe’s who can’t get it done when it matters. However, if you are not pulling for Thomas Robinson for any reason especially if it has to do with your bracket you need to reassess your life. Robinson faced more tragedy in 28 days last year than most of us have faced in our life. He lost his grandmother, grandfather, and mother in less than one month. He has used those tragedies as fire to become one of the nation’s toughest and best players. Here’s hoping Robinson plays well and has a great career in the NBA.

This article sums up Robinson’s heartbreaking yet uplifting story

TAKE THE OVER ON NUMBER OF 3 GOGGLES TOSSED UP IN THE LOUISVILLE GAME

Thanks to Kentucky’s Deron Lamb the cultural phenomenon known as the “3 Goggles” are back. Look for the goggles to be out big time in the Big Easy. I see Lamb, Micheal Kidd-Gilchrist, and 2 other Kentucky players draining a 3 and popping out the monocle. I am hoping that someone gets really excessive and pulls out the binoculars

NO MATTER THE OUTCOME I WILL STILL HATE RICK PITINO

One of the stories of New Orleans this week was will Rick Pitino be elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday. Well here’s your answer “NO.” The basketball hall of fame is located in Massachusetts and after what Slick Ricky did to the Celtics organization and the arrogance in which he did so he should not only not be in the Hall of Fame he should not be allowed into any of the New England states.

THE KENTUCKY BAND WON’T PULL THE TRIGGER ON THE GREATEST TRASH TALK MOMENT IN HISTORY, BUT THEY SHOULD

Kentucky and Louisville fans detest one another. About 10,000 articles have been written on this this week. Why not raise the bar a little bit and take a swing below the belt if your the UK Band. Everyone knows the story of Rick Pitino’s Minute Man romance so why not blow the roof off the Super Dome with a halftime performance of Billy Joel’s Scenes From An Italian Resturant Extra points if you all wear Billy Joel style suits and sneakers.

Game Predictions

KENTUCKY is too good. Hands down. Rivalry game or not. I think Louisville keeps in close in the first half, but get worn down in the 2nd half.

76-63 Kentucky

                 Brutus Rejoices

OHIO STATE in an absolute grinder beats Kansas 62-58 

TOURNAMENT TIPS: EAST REGION (4) WISCONSIN VS. (13) MONTANA

THE LINE- WISCONSIN -8 1/2

Wisconsin is by far the least entertaining team in the country to watch. They go on runs where they don’t score for over 5 minutes. They can’t really shoot. Their star Jordan Taylor has taken a step back from scoring this year to be more of a facilitator, but the guys he is facilitating just can’t play productive offense.

What Wisconsin does do well if make team’s play their type of game which is ugly. Can they drag the Montana Grizzles into their web of boring. I don’t think so. The Grizz have been riding a 20 game winning streak on the back of Freshman Will Cherry who has been awesome.

This battle of state universities from states you would never want to live in will be closer than most think. If Montana gets there shooting going early they could outright win this game.

THE PICK: TAKE MONTANA PLUS THE 8 1/2

TOURNAMENT TIPS: WEST REGION (4) LOUISVILLE VS (13) DAVIDSON

LINE- LOUISVILLE - 5 1/2

This is my official “Vote of Confidence Pick of the Day.” Louisville comes in as the Big East Tournament Champions and seem to have found their rhythm. Rick Pitino will not let his team overlook a team that gave Duke everything it could handle at home early in the season. This is not the Davidson team of the past. Coach Pitino will stress that Steph Curry is not walking through that door

The pick: LOUISVILLE cruises. take them and lay the 5 1/2 and use the money to honor Rick Pitino and go to an Italian restaurant.

TOURNAMENT TIPS: EAST REGION KANSAS ST. (8) VS. SOUTHERN MISS (9)

THE LINE- KANSAS STATE -5 1/2

This is one of my favorite matchups of the entire first round for one reason. The coaches. Kansas State’s Frank Martin has stolen the title of “Coach who looks like he will keel over from a heart attack on the sideline” a title that Rick Majerus had held for over a decade. Watching Martin roam the sideline is great. He’s part drill Sargent and part complete maniac. Also he looks like he cut his hair with a Flowbe

His counter part on the other bench is a true coaching legend. Larry Eustachy. No, Larry didn’t revolutionize the game on the court in any way. And it is true his teams at Iowa State did alway under perform in the tournament. Larry Eustachy is a coaching legend for one reason and one reason only:

No other coach in NCAA Basketball history partied as hard as Eustachy. When you are in your late 30’s getting 2 chicks at 1 time while drinking a BUSCH Light and wearing a black mock turtleneck you know you’ve made it. Who cares if Eustachy got fired after these pictures came out and he had to go coach at a school that known as the place where Brett Farve used to work out. Larry is back in the tournament and for all basketball fans that’s a good thing.

The Pick: Go with KANSAS STATE Frank Martin’s team is one of the best rebounding teams in the tournament and that will be the difference. Lay the 5 1/2

Also after they get by the first round we will delve into how truely frightening the Kansas State mascot is.