Monday night Bill Self and John Calipari battled again for the NCAA Basketball Championship. It was the second time they've shared a baseline with the trophy on the line, but only the first one that counts in NCAA history. Eventually we'll discover if Kentucky hangs their new banner with Velcro. But for now, the official championship game tally between the two coaches is Calipari 1 - Bill Self 0.<< MORE >>

It is completely possible that everyone's brackets look like crap this year. Except that statement would imply that someone, in all the world of office pools, hadn't predicted a 1, 2, 2, 4 combination. It's a highly likely scenario. Every year, with the notable exception of last season, there is at least one number 1 seed in the semifinals. Having the remainder of the Final Four filled with 2, 3, or 4 seeds is not a long shot. So it is a reasonable assumption that someone, more likely many people, predicted all the contestants traveling to New Orleans. We, were not those people.<< MORE >>

We're back at the NCAA Midwest Regional Finals in St. Louis, MO. Two nights ago we were able to interview a Kansas fan to get his take on the Sweet Sixteen round. But tonight we're not only joined by him, but we also have the privilege of talking to a young Kansas student. Shje has made the journey to St. Louis for the weekend.<< MORE >>

ST. LOUIS, Mo - Major League Baseball veteran Lance Berkman was forced to issue an apology for statements he made earlier in the week. During an interview discussing the Houston Astros move to the American League, Berkman alleged that commissioner Bud Selig extorted the team's divisional switch from Astros owner Jim Crane during purchase negotiations.<< MORE >>

We're here at the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regionals in St. Louis, Missouri to interview some fans and capture the atmosphere of the latter stages of this elimination tournament.  We are standing in the makeshift metal stands which halve the football designed dome into a more manageable basketball arrangement.  Next to us is a Kansas fan who is enjoying the games tonight.


Sporty: You've arrived at the games early tonight unlike many of your school's fans.  Who are you rooting for in the Ohio vs North Carolina match up?

KU Fan: COME ON OHIO!

Sporty: Interesting choice.  May I imply that you are afraid of meeting North Carolina in the next round?

KU Fan: BORING!

Sporty: Well, don't be offended.  It's just that the North Carolina State fans are rooting for North Carolina because they want the pride of beating their rivals in the tournament.

KU Fan: THAT'S A FOUL REF! COME ON!

Sporty: Nobody touched anyone... nevermind.  What do you think Ohio has to do to defeat the Tar Heels?

KU Fan: SHOOT THREE BALLS!

Sporty: That could work.  But you keep shouting that immediately after they cross the half court line...

KU Fan: SHOOT THE THREE!

Sporty: Shouldn't they look for an open shot?

KU Fan: DOME FACTOR!

Sporty:  Maybe I've watched too much Big 10 basketball, but isn't passing a generally accepted strategy?

KU Fan:  STUPID BIG EAST REFS!

Sporty:  I said Big 10.

KU Fan: EAST COAST BIAS!

Sporty: ...

KU Fan: BORING! THIS GAME IS BORING!

Sporty: Ohio just overcame a huge deficit.  We're going into overtime?

KU Fan: SHOOT THE THREE!

Sporty: The Bobcats don't have the ball yet.

KU Fan: TURN IT OVER!  SHOOT THREE BALLS!

Sporty:  Well good advice.  Hey the North Carolina State Band came out.  Look, there's Waldo!


KU Fan: BORING! SHOOT THE THREE!

Sporty: Well, honestly it was a good effort.  But North Carolina held on for the victory.

KU Fan: DOME FACTOR!

Sporty:  What are you looking forward to when Kansas and NC State meet?

KU Fan: EAST COAST BIAS!

Sporty:  Is North Carolina really in the East Coast media inner circle?  It's not New York, Philly or Boston.  Or even D.C.?

KU Fan:  STUPID ACC REFS!

Sporty:  Are they Big East or ACC refs? I don't have a program.

KU Fan:  EAST COAST BIAS!  SHOOT THE THREE!

Sporty:  Are you sure about this bias?  What about the home field advantage that Kansas has. Their dance team has been out on the floor around five times during commercial breaks while NC State's has been out once?


KU Fan:  DOME FACTOR!

Sporty:  That's certainly a way to sum that up.

KU Fan:  SHOOT THE THREE!

Sporty:  ...

KU Fan:  THAT'S A FOUL!

Sporty:  ...

KU Fan:  THAT'S ANOTHER FOUL!

Sporty: Is everything bad that happens to the Jayhawks a foul?

KU Fan:  FOUL!

Sporty: Where was the foul?  What game are you watching? Was it clipping, catcher's interference, offside?  Explain.  Because I'm not entirely sure you know how this game is played.

KU Fan: THAT'S A FOUL! EAST COAST BIAS! DOME FACTOR!

Sporty:  Well that's it for tonight.  We'll be back on Sunday for the Midwest Regional Final because thanks to the one man in Kansas who understands the game of basketball, Bill Self, the Jayhawks have advanced to meet the Tar Heels.  I can only imagine the wonderful wisdom our fan will bestow upon the likes of Roy Williams.

KU Fan: DOME FACTOR!

This is a lesson to all general managers looking to exert control over their club: give the starting jobs to whomever you want. This tidbit of education may seem counter-intuitive. Baseball, like most sports, has a tradition where open jobs are won in the pre-season. That is the logical and time-honored way. But if you, as the general manager, are in favor of granting starter status to an underachieving former first round pick, it is in your best interest to give him the job before he fails in open competition.<< MORE >>

After one weekend and 48 games it's time to reevaluate our NCAA Tournament brackets. For many it was a rough weekend. Anyone who had Missouri in the Final Four (Brian) had a rude awakening. Of course, there were plenty of mistakes to go around (Florida St. - W. H.). It's not that we've never been wrong (seriously, criticizing Ted Thompson for the Favre fiasco), but we like to believe that it's possible for us to be correct in the big picture, even if our methods require some red ink (World Cup).<< MORE >>

It has now become inevitable that two of our favorite SportyMcBloggin subjects, Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning, will be sharing the same team. Although this combination of a former Super Bowl and a former NCAA Champion will be potentially lasting less than a day. We felt that it's justifiably appropriate to empty the archives in tribute to our Sporty-ing muses<< MORE >>

The first ever SportyMcBloggin editor bracket challenge. I'm sure we'll see a wide variety between our pics. Just because Ty and Brian are huge Big 10 supporters doesn't mean they'll pick the same games. And W.H. is more concerned with Europa League eliminations than the first round of the NCAA's, so he probably picked a long shot like Little Sisters of the Poor, or their arch rival Big Brothers of the Rich (Harvard).<< MORE >>

Before we proceed it must be recognized that Herschel Walker is a bad-ass. He is a Heisman winning, 1,000 yard rushing, Pro-Bowl achieving, Winter Olympic competing, MMA fighting, ballet dancing, black belt wearing, vegetable eating bad-ass. Yet, despite all of his accomplishments, he is probably more remembered in the annals of sports history for an off-the-field transaction he had little to do with.<< MORE >>