Each week I'll talk about the world of sports:
The Big Dance is here and the field is set. The NCAA tournament selection committee did a good job and the 65 teams are ready for the greatest three weeks in sports. I know that there are some unhappy teams out there, schools that did not receive their invitation to the dance. I feel for Arizona State as the Sun Devils had a better regular-season conference and overall record than Arizona. Herb Sendek's team also swept the Wildcats, but ASU ended up in the NIT. Virginia Tech beat Miami and took the No. 1 Tar Heels to the wire in the ACC semifinals. Seth Greenberg's team missed out on the NCAA too. Others like VCU, Ohio State and Massachusetts are among teams that had a legitimate case to make the NCAA but did not. My friends, I wish there was consistent criteria involved in the selection process. You can't tell me Arizona State, Virginia Tech and even schools like Syracuse are among the best 34 at-large teams in America. I felt Baylor should have been left out after the loss to Colorado in the Big 12 tournament.
It should come as no surprise that the big boys got most of the NCAA tournament bids. The Big East sent eight teams, while the Big 12, SEC and Pac-10 each put six teams into the field of 65. The power conferences will always dominate the tournament field.
How about a salute to Georgia and coach Dennis Felton! The Bulldogs coach was unhappy with the situation of playing two games in one day in the SEC tournament. Georgia ended up winning four in a row to move into the NCAA tournament against Xavier. Musketeer fans, watch out as Georgia has uncle Mo, momentum on its side. The Bulldogs beat Mississippi, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Arkansas to make it. I felt the SEC had no choice but to play the two games in one day after the issues at the Georgia Dome. The good news is no fans were injured at that game.
Tyler Hansbrough and Wayne Ellington simply have Clemson's number. Oliver Purnell's team lost for the third time this season against North Carolina in the ACC championship game. I liked Clemson's defense and pressing ability and this team will be tough in the tourney. The Tigers frontline is physical and aggressive. Meanwhile North Carolina is scheduled to play in Raleigh and Charlotte, never leaving the state en route to a potential trip to San Antonio and the Final Four. North Carolina is 21-1 in games played in-state in the NCAA tournament; the lone loss came in 1979 on Black Sunday when Penn stunned the Tar Heels and St. John's knocked off Duke.
Tiger Woods continues to amaze. He tied Ben Hogan for third on the all-time PGA Tour win list when he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Tiger came from behind and once again hit the big shot on 18 to get to the winner's circle. He is simply awesome, baby with a capital A!
How about the job being done by Rick Adelman and the Houston Rockets! Even with Yao Ming out, this team continues to play with passion and a purpose. Sunday's win over the Lakers and Kobe Bryant sent a clear message that Houston is a legitimate contender in the Western Conference. Luis Scola has stepped up his game as well.
Is there anything better than going out and enjoying spring training? Now that the field of 65 is set, I am looking forward to watching the Reds in Sarasota. It is so much fun to just relax at a game during the spring!
It has been an amazing off-season in the NFL. There have been so many moves and it has not been easy to keep track. Notice that Seattle has made an effort to improve with the recent addition of Julius Jones.
The NCAA tournament is in the spotlight but this is also the time of year where coaches are in the transactions of the sports section. Four more bit the dust this weekend – Rice's Willis Wilson, Providence's Tim Welsh, Toldeo's Stan Joplin and TCU's Neil Dougherty. Job security is not something college basketball coaches enjoy these days. There are double-figure vacancies already.
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.
