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This and that
Dick VitaleSPECIAL TO ESPN.COM
Each week I'll talk about the world of sports …
Tom Brady and the Patriots are off to the Super Bowl. OK, OK, that is not a surprise since Bill Belichick's team has not lost, but this was not a cakewalk against the Chargers. Norv Turner's team deserves a lot of credit and played tough against New England. Lawrence Maroney had a big game and other guys like Kevin Faulk also stepped up. Sometimes it is the little play that makes a difference, like Kelley Washington on special teams downing a punt inside the five. Wes Welker came through too with a big touchdown to extend the lead to nine points. Now it is off to Arizona to see if the Pats can complete the perfect season.
In the NFC Championship game, the Giants won their tenth road game of the season. It was incredible to see few errors in such cold weather. Remember when the Giants started the season 0-2 and trailed the Redskins at halftime in the third game? Now the team is on the verge of winning it all. Tom Coughlin was maligned and now he is going to the Super Bowl. Eli Manning was criticized all season and now he is a member of the NFC champions! Plaxico Burress and Ahmad Bradshaw came through with super performances, and the Giants defense did a tremendous job clamping down Brett Favre and company in the second half. If Favre did not have the 90-yard touchdown to Donald Driver, his numbers would have been pretty mediocre. It was a great season for the Packers, but the Giants will meet the Patriots in Arizona. Remember the Giants scored 35 points in the regular-season finale against Belichick's team, and that could provide Manning and company with some confidence.
Staying with the NFL theme, it may have been shock city, but the Ravens named John Harbaugh as head coach. That came after Jason Garrett said no and then accepted a $3 million deal to remain on the staff of the Cowboys (not a bad deal if you can get it!!). Harbaugh comes from a great family; his brother Jim is the head football coach at Stanford while brother-in-law Tom Crean is the outstanding head basketball coach at Marquette. Then there is John's dad, who was an outstanding football coach at Western Kentucky. So you can see that coaching runs in the blood of the Harbaugh family.
It was another wacky weekend in college basketball. North Carolina and UCLA, both top five teams, lose at home. Maryland was unable to beat American or Ohio University at home, but Gary Williams' club found a way to win at Chapel Hill against the number one team in America! Williams has a masterful way of getting the most out of his people in special moments. The Bruins ran up against a buzz-saw in cross-town rival USC. It was a big, big win for Tim Floyd and company as Davon Jefferson scored a career-high 25 points. OJ Mayo had a sensational second half in the win.
What about the performance of George Mason six-foot guard Dre Smith? Incredible … he set an NCAA record for trifectas in a game without a miss, going 10-for-10 while posting a career-high 34 points as Patriots earned a 96-75 win over James Madison. In the last two games, Smith has been amazing, hitting 17-of-18 three-pointers. That was the magical school that shocked America when it went to the Final Four a couple of years ago. Jim Larranaga's George Mason team is still making some noise at 13-5 this season.
How about a salute to baseball's true comeback Player of the Year Carlos Pena of the Rays. Talk about making an incredible jump financially, think his bank account is looking a little better. Remember, he barely made the Rays roster last year, aided by an injury to Greg Norton. Pena took advantage of his opportunity and hit 46 home runs while driving in 123 runs. He went to the bank by signing a three-year deal worth $24 million.
Andy Roddick had an early exit from the Australian Open, losing a great five-set match to German Philipp Kohlschreiber. Roddick is a great talent but he has to close things out. He can be more productive in Grand Slams. He should be winning more matches, and that was a tough, tough loss.
Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.
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