Everybody's Talkin' Bout the New Kid in Town

Stephen Strasburg has officially arrived. Through 7 strong innings he showed exactly why he worth the money and the wait, striking out 14 Pirate hitters, including the last 7 he faced. After one start, he has already broken the Nationals single game strikeout leader and tied the record for consecutive strikeouts. After serving up the home run in the 4th, Strasburg settled down retiring the final 10 batters he faced, striking out 8. Obviously the man knows how to deal with adversity, that is, if he feels it at all. It is only one start, but I think it is safe to say that Stephen Strasburg is going to be a legit star for years to come.

The Future is Now

Even with Strasburg coming out for the 7th, fellow rookie Drew Storen, is now warming up in the Nationals bullpen....With a 4-2 lead and closing in on his pitch count, the 7th inning looks to be his last.

Back in Front

Adam Dunn put the Nationals back on top 3-2 with a 2-run home run to right field in the bottom of the 6th inning. Not to be out done, Josh Willingham slammed at solo shot to left field to make the score 4-2. With no one warming up in the bullpen it looks like Strasburg with be coming out with the lead in line for his first career win.

Nevermind, He is NOT human

I retract my earlier post title...The man is not really human...Striking out the side in the 6th inning Stephen Strasburg already has his first career major league double digit strikeout performance. Even more amazing was the fact that MASN had him clocked at 101 mph and his struck out the side on only 11 pitches!

6 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 ER, 11 K, 81 pitches

Back on Track

After a shaky 4th inning, Stephen Strasburg bounced back, striking out 2 more batters, in a 1-2-3 5th. Strasburg appeared unrattled by the home run and is still only at 70 pitches. He is on a pitch count of 95 for tonight's game.

5 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 ER, 8 K, 70 pitches

He IS human...

After cruising through his first 3 innings, Stephen Strasburg ran into some trouble in 4th, giving up back to back singles to start the inning before inducing a double play ball. Unfortuantely Strasburg then had another first as he surrendered his first career home run to Delwyn Young, a 2-run shot to right field. The Nationals now trail 2-1.

4 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 ER, 6 K

6 Ks Through 3 Innings

Through his first 3 innings, Stephen Strasburg has struck out 6 Pirates and has only faced one over the minimun amount of batters. Strasburg has struck out 6 of the last 7 batters he has faced. tha man has hovered around 98-100 mph all evening and so far has showed that he is definitely ready for the Big Show.

3 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 6K, 40 pitches

Strasburg hits 100 MPH

It only took 21 pitches at the highest level for Stephen Strasburg to reach 100 mph with his fastball. He did so against Delwyn Young for his second strike, going on to strike out Young for his 3rd strikeout in a row. He did however surrender his first ever major league hit, a single to right field, to Andy LaRoche. Strasburg went on to strike out Ronnie Cedeno to strikeout the side, giving him 4 strikeouts through his first two major league innings.

So Far, So Good

After throwing his first two Major League pitches for balls, Nationals rookie Stephen Strasburg heard the first boos of said career. Those boos turned to cheers as he retired the side, striking out former Nationals outfielder Lastings Milledge for the 3rd out. Nats 3rd basemen Ryan Zimmerman gave Strasburg the first lead of his career in the bottom of the 1st, slamming a home run to deep right-centerfield for the 1-0 lead.

68 not 96

The world of college basketball is safe. It looks like the NCAA tournament will expand but only to 68 teams. I'm not going to toot my own horn (well, yes I am) but I've been saying all along this what they should do. If they expanded to 96 teams, a .500 North Carolina team would have made it into this year's field. With 68, it just adds 3 more teams (like Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, and Rhode Island this year) and that will not make the tournament watered down.

I really feel like this has saved basketball. I like the fact that their is a NIT, CBI, and CIT. Those teams should be rewarded with postseason but should not have a shot at the title. It's like college football. I love the bowl season and I think teams should be rewarded with postseason play but not a shot at the big prize. (Don't get me started on why college football doesn't have a tournament...ubsurd)

Games will stay put on CBS but all games will now be shown via TNT, TBS, TruTV and CBS. The contract with CBS and the NCAA is supposedly worth $10.8 billion. That's a whole lot of coin.

All in all, I'm happy that the greatest sporting event has not been tainted and to be honest, I'm happy to see that CBS retained the rights. I guess I'm just a sucker for a little Gus Johnson and a fantastic opening jingle.

5 Bold Draft Day predictions

1. Albert Haynesworth will be a Lion: We have all heard the whispers that this could happen but Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan said 'no way.' I'm calling their bluff. Albie for a 2nd rounder.

2. Jason Campbell will not be a Redskin by Saturday: I don't know where but when Mr. Irrelevant is selected on Saturday, good ole JC will be packing his bags

3. The Skins will trade down: When Haynesworth becomes a Lion (see #1) the Lions will select Russell Okung. The Bucs love Gerald McCoy and that will leave Ndamukong Suh at 4. Skins don't want him, they want Trent Williams. Plenty of teams want Suh and will try to trade up to get him. That will leave Washington in a pretty spot to trade down and still get their man, Trent Williams.

4. Colt McCoy will be a Redskin: Following the trade of Haynesworth, the Skins will have the second pick in the 2nd round and hence them drafting McCoy. It's no secret that Mike Shanahan likes to groom young qb's and with McNabb their for two years that will leave plenty of time for him to learn under a future hall of famer.

5. Jimmy Clausen will be a top ten pick: You didn't think I could make bold predictions without talking about Jimmy did you? I believe a team is going to move up to get him (like the Jets did for Mark Sanchez last year) and I think that team will be....drum roll please......the Seattle Seahawks. They have the 6th and 14th pick. They will not pick him at 6 (they will get Eric Berry) but they might need to trade up to get him before 14. Matt Hassellback is on his last stand in Seattle and he would be great to learn under. (Let's be serious Charlie Whitehurst is not a starting NFL quarterback)

Once again these are BOLD predictions. They are not suppose to be right but who knows. Every draft throws plenty of curve balls and I expect no different from this year's installment.

Merry Draft Day eve, everybody

Gem from Strasburg; Future looks bright for Nats

Stephen Strasburg is dealing so far for AA Harrisburg. Today he threw 5 innings and allowed just one hit while striking out 7 and walking one. He continues to impress and the future is starting to light bright for the Nats. Strasburg has pitched 12 1/3 innings allowing one earned run (5 runs altogether). His ERA is at a microscopic 0.73 and he has struck out 17. In his first start at Altoona he did get hit around a bit but his defense didn't help out when he needed it.

People who were expecting him to just strike out everyone he faces are getting a little crazy. But its the minor leagues! The minor leagues aren't for rejects people. A lot of these players he's going against are going to be in the major leagues just like Strasburg. He will continue to get better and better and he will be the ace of the Nats very soon.

How about that closer of the future? He's doing just fine. In five appearances, he has allowed just one run in 6 1/3 innings of work. He doesn't have the 100 mph fastball like Strasburg but he has some filthy stuff. When I saw him pitch in Altoona he looked more impressive than Strasburg. The batters he faced didn't know what to expect. He struck out two on nasty sliders. He is legit. That's all I have to say.

So looking into the crystal ball...here's the potential rotation for 2011:

1. Stephen Strasburg
2. Jordan Zimmermann
3. Jason Marquis
4. Chien-Ming Wang
5. John Lannan

That's not too shabby, huh? Let's all just cross our fingers that Zimmermann and Wang fully recover.

Durantula Needs Zen Master 101

As the the first round of the 2010 NBA Playoffs begins this weekend, Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson is already in vintage Zen Master form. After comments earlier in the week about Oklahoma Thunder Forward Kevin Durant's receiving "superstar" treatment from officials, Durant responded by saying that he felt "disrespected." Come on, Kevin. Where have you been your entire life? This is how the Zen Master operates, by getting in opponents' heads. If anything, KD should take the comments the exact opposite way, as a sign of RESPECT. It's either respect or Jackson is right and knows he can get inside his head as easily as he is.

Phil's response when he heard Kevin Durant felt disrespected was classic Phil.

"I really don't know what he was upset about. It really wasn't that upsetting. He shot the most free throws in the league; he made the most free throws in the league. He shot the most shots in the league; he made the most shots in the league. I voted for him on the All-Star team; he made the All-Star team. We know he's a great player, congratulations."

Another possibility is that Jackson realizes that he is heading into the playoffs trying to defend a title riding a horse, in Kobe Bryant, that has been playing almost 3 straight years of basketball and realizes that Kevin Durant and his Oklahoma City Thunder have a legitimate chance of upsetting them in the first round. They did win 50 games on their way to an 8 seed in the Western Conference, a number that would have had them tied with Boston for the 4th seed in the weakling Eastern Conference. That being said, Phil Jackson is about as smart and savvy a basketball coach as there is out there and you can't luck your way to 10 rings, I don't care who you have on your teams, so if everyone else in the league knows that Kevin Durant is a force to be reckoned with, don't you suppose that maybe Ol' Philly Boy might have an inkling too, and is trying to do what does best and get inside the mind of the talented YOUNG and playoff GREEN Durant? I stress the words "young" and "green"because at 21 years old and heading into his first career playoff series, that is exactly what the Durantula is.

Will the Durantula infest the Staples Center or will he be yet another victim left in the wake of the Zen Master? Find out tomorrow as action tips off at 3 pm EST.

Breaking News: Theodore pulled for Varlamov

After allowing 2 goals in just over the first 9 minutes of the game, Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau pulled goaltender Jose Theodore in favor of last year's playoff sensation, Semyon Varlamov. The Caps are in an early 2-0 hole here in Game 2.

Canadiens v Caps

AND HERE...WE...GO. It's playoff time here in Washington, D.C. and you know what that means...ROCK THE RED!!!!

Looking at the landscape of Washington sports, it's pretty grim. The Wizards are coming off their second straight dismal season with few bright spots to speak of. The 'Skins are coming off another dissapointing season to say the least but their is the hint of change out in Ashburn as we await the Shanahan era. The Nationals, well, we know the end result of that.

The Washington Capitals have the pressure of the Stanley Cup playoffs on their shoulders, but more than that, they have the expectations of winning which has not been the case since early 90's when the 'Skins were dominant. For the most part, I think this city EXPECTS this team to win it all and that is always a dangerous thought. Look at the last 3 months with who was expected to win and the end result; Colts lose in Super Bowl & Kansas loses in 2nd round upset to Northern Iowa. Winning is hard enough and this Caps team now has the pressure to win it all, whereas last year they were a great team but not expected by many to win it all.

The Presidents Trophy winners have the weight of the city on their shoulders. Will it be too much to bear? We will find out in a few short weeks, but the much anticipated Game 1 matchup starts in 20 minutes and in the great words of Brent Musberger "I'm looking live atop Verizon Center" and I cannot wait.

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!!!!

Strasburg's debut

Tomorrow night, I will breakdown what I picked up from Strasburg's first professional start in Altoona.

What to do with Mike Gonzalez?

The Baltimore Orioles signed closing pitcher Mike Gonzalez this past offseason to a 2 year, $12 million contract. So far with the O's in 2010, he has looked, well, awful. He has blown two of three saves attempts and his one save this season did not come easy. He loaded the bases in Tampa but was able to get Ben Zobrist to fly out to right field. So what should the O's do? Keep him as the closer. And that's what they will do. Listen everyone, before you start burning down his house let's look at the facts. In 2006, as the Pirates closer he was 24-for-24 in save opportunities and had an ERA of 2.17. Last year with Atlanta, he was 10-for-17 but wasn't the everyday closer. His ERA was 2.42. Let's calm down people. His career numbers are very impressive. Entering the 2010 season, he's 14-16 with an ERA of 2.57 in 302 games. In the saves department, he is 54-for-66 in his career. Also, he has never pitched in the American League before, let him get acclimated to his new league.

Yes, he has blown two saves in three chances this year and yes that is dreadful. Did he deserve to get booed when he was relieved yesterday? Maybe. But did he deserve to get booed entering the game yesterday? Absolutely not. How do you think he felt running in from the bullpen in his first game in Baltimore with O's and getting booed? To quote Charles Barkley, "that's just turrible."

Orioles fans, you need to remain patient for now. This man will produce and he has proved that in his career. But come July and he is blowing every other save, then boo it up Baltimore.

Opening Day at Camden Yards

That unique smell of crabcakes, the Chesapeake Bay, and Miller Lite is in the air which means it must be Opening Day here at Oriole Park at Camden Yards(by the way it is also freezing up here and I don't have nearly enough layering to sit through a 3+ hour game). A new season brings new expectations and hopefully for this team, new results.

With an incredibly talented, but inexperienced core of young players highlighted by Adam Jones and Matt Wieters the Orioles are clearly a team on the rise but now it's time to turn potential into results. Unlike the team to the south in our nation's capital, this Orioles team has prospects up and down the lineup along with the pitching rotation and it seems pretty clear that Anndy McPhail has a plan in place for this team to compete in the AL East in the near future.

Let us not forget that only two seasons ago the Tampa Bay Rays knocked off the two titans in the East and later were crowned AL Champions. The O's may not be on that same level yet but the similarities are there; 1) A do it all CF in Adam Jones & B.J Upton 2) The top prospect in the game for their respective years Evan Longoria & Matt Wieters 3) A pitching staff headlined by a bunch of young kids in their starting rotation that have the ability to learn on the fly while experiencing the success on every fifth day.

Look, I'm not saying the Orioles are going to make the playoffs, or even be in contention during the dog days of July & August, but this team will be a force in the near future and could be the next feel good story in baseball restoring this franchise and this city to where it should be.

Nyjer Morgan; A true leadoff hitter

The Washington Nationals are taking on the Philadelphia Phillies today in the final game of a 3 game series to open the season at Nationals Park. Having not been competitive in the first 2, the Nats have gotten off to a good start today thanks to Nyjer Morgan's leadoff triple of SP Kyle Kendrick. Morgan has been one of the brightspots through the first two games of the Nationals' season with a couple of hits along with two stolen bases. In this game already he has tripled and scored a run and with that he has now gotten on base and scored in the 1st inning in two of the three games in this series.

We always talk about building around guys like Ryan Zimmerman and Stephen Strasbugh and with good reason, but teams need leadoff hitters like Morgan to make the offense go. His combination of speed, hustle, and defense make him one of the key pieces for the Nats this season and in the future. The guy is an excellent bunter and base stealer on offense and one of the best defense CF's "sabermetrically" speaking.

Nyjer Morgan is the guy I'm keeping my eye on this summer as the Nationals continue to progress toward the team this city and the baseball fans that support them deserve

Millions lost in one trade

Last night was a great day for Redskins Nation as they got a 6 time pro bowl quarterback in Donovan McNabb but Easter was not so great for one man. His name? Jimmy Clausen. It seemed for a while that the Redskins were on the fence whether to draft Clausen or not. Now, there is no chance for Clausen to land in D.C. That means a drop in the draft and a loss of millions of dollars.

Should you feel bad for him? Not really because regardless of where he is drafted he will become an instant millionaire but how many millions will he get? Looking at last year's draft, Matt Stafford, the #1 overall pick to the Lions, received a 6 year $72 million contract ($41.7 million guaranteed). Compare that to Mark Sanchez, the #5 pick to the Jets, received a 5 year $60 million contract ($28 million guaranteed). But guess what? Clausen isn't going #5 this year (unless there is a trade). He may go #6 to Seattle or #9 to Buffalo. In all likelihood, Clausen will fall to Buffalo at the #9 spot in this draft. In retrospect, last year's #9 overall pick, B.J. Raji, received a 5 year deal worth $28.5 million ($18 million guaranteed).

Because of the arrival of Mr. McNabb in D.C., Clausen will miss out on about $10 million guaranteed. Am I crying for him? No. But I now know at least one person who was very upset when they heard the news of Donovan coming to Washington.

One Game Does Not A Season Make

After games like today's 11-1 Opening Day loss to the Philadelphia Phillies all I can think about is what my dad used to say when I would want to dwell on a loss..."One game does not a season make" I'm really not sure why he says it that way and I doubt he coined the phrase but the point still resonates and it is up to the Nationals to not let this be sign of the 2010 season. The season is way too young to think here come the same old Nats. Things looked great out of the gate with DC's John Lannan matching the legendary Roy Halladay pitch for pitch....until the 4th inning and the second time through the daunting Phillies lineup and a leadoff walk, hanging slider homerun, and 3 consecutive base hits later the Nationals slim 1-0 lead became and 4-1 deficit and eventually an 11-1 final.

Despite the lopsided score the Phillies scored nine of their eleven runs in two innings (5-run 4th and 4-run 7th.) That being said, it means that this Nationals team had one of the same problems in Game 1 of 2010 that they had through all 162 in 2009: AVOID GIVING UP BIG INNINGS. To their credit, after the game, the Nationals were not hanging their heads and remained confident in the fact that today's game is going to be the exception and not the rule in 2010. They believe it, it's now up to the National over the next 162 games to make the rest of the world believe it too.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Nat's Manager Jim Riggleman on what it was like meeting President Obama before the 11-1 loss: "That's like asking Mrs. Lincoln how she liked the play"

Opening Day, Where Hope Springs Eternal

Opening Day....A clean slate...Every year, for some teams this is the closest to the top that they will come, for some it is merely the first day of their quest toward a Ring. The latter has been the case for the visiting Philadelphia Phillies in recent years, but for their hosts, the hometown Washington Nationals the former has been so. That can all change with a fresh start and the four letter word that Opening Day brings all fans: HOPE.

That is definitely something that Washingtonians can have as the Nationals have had a busy offseason signing seasoned veterens like starting pitcher Jason Marquis (who has never missed the playoffs in his first 10 years in the Majors), Closer Matt Capps, Pitcher Chien-Ming Wang (even though he starts the season on the 60-day DL, this a low risk, high reward, as the man he wins ballgames, no flair, just wins) and Catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. The biggest move I think is Pudge because the man can flat out catch...Period. Few catchers can handle a pitching staff, especially one so young, like he can. He signed in Florida and helped lead them to the World Series title in 2003 and then signed with the Detroit Tigers and took them to the World Series too. Both of those teams were toiling in irrelevance before he got there and neither has been the same since his time there.

This Nationals team really started to come together under Manager Jim Riggleman last year and this year in spring training and I believe they will have an impact on what is already always a tight race in the National League East as they will not the be division whipping post they have been in seasons past. My advice to the Washington Nationals...Aim for .500, play every game to win, and never think you don't deserve success.

As I sit here waiting for President Brack Obama to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day I am reminded of the words of Andy Dufresne in The Shawkshank Redemption, "HOPE is a good thing, maybe the best of the things and no good thing ever dies."

McNabb to be Welcomed to Redskins Nation Tomorrow

The Washington Redskins will hold a press conference at noon Tuesday to announce the acquirement of Quarterback Donovan McNabb from the Philadelphia Eagles for a 20.10 2nd-round pick and either a 3rd or 4th round pick in the 2011 draft. This draft seemingly came from nowhere and instantly gives the Redskins the credibility they have been looking for at the quarterback position since the Mr. Snyder purchased the team and really, when you think about it, since Joe Theismann. With that quarterback issue seemingly resolved the Redskins will most likely now look to build their decimated offensive line with the #4 pick. They would be smart to take Russell Okung, the 6-5, 300 lb tackle from Oklahoma State, who it's worth mentioning was one of the few offensive linemen that could actually handle Brian Orakpo in college, relatively speaking of course.

More to come on this exciting new chapter in Washington Redskins history, but right now I am at Opening Day for the Washington Nationals as the take on the defending National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies at 1:05p. President Barack Obama will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch and I hope to bring you video footage later on.

Should the Redskins go after Jimmy Clausen?

Here we go, my first blog about a Notre Dame player. First lets start with Todd McShay. He hates Clausen. I don't know if it is because he just wants to bust Mel Kiper's balls or just because he doesn't like him but I would love for someone to shut him up (I'm looking at you Terry Tate). He has no creditability and no NFL scouts respect him (that I learned from an article on profootballtalk.com). Clausen is very talented and he grew up a lot at Notre Dame. Arriving in a hummer to verbally commit to play for the Irish was a little much. He was an ignorant ass his freshman year but this past season he seemed to grow up. He played through torn toe ligaments and was sucker punched in the face at a bar prior to the Stanford game and might have had his best game in his career that weekend (23-30 340 yards 5 TD 0 INT). His stats on the season were simply incredible (161.43 passer rating,3722 yards, 28 TD, 4 INT). And that was without his top receiver, Michael Floyd, for six games. He is an amazing talent and I truly think he will be a solid NFL quarterback.

Onto the Redskins. Should they draft him at 4? My personal belief is no. As a Notre Dame fan and a Skins fan, I would love nothing more than to see Clausen in Burgundy and Gold but it shouldn't happen. After watching Jason Campbell this year I truly believe he should be given a shot with a proven line. He makes some mistakes but he also had an absolute moron calling the shots for him (Yes you Jim Zorn). The Redskins need to draft Russell Okung and sure up that line. Okung could truly improve their line next year and if Campbell doesn't succeed then you look QB next year. (Donovan McNabb will possibly be a free agent...I'm just saying)

More on Jimmy. I know everyone is drooling over Sam Bradford right now but I think Clausen will have a better NFL career. I'm not being bias, I think that Bradford is damaged goods. After going down against BYU I was nervous for him but then when he got slammed by Texas, that was it, he's donzo. Give him one hit in the NFL and his career could be over. Clausen played all last year in a pro-style offense and was dominant. If he had any defense (God it was awful to watch ND's defense) he would have been a finalist in New York. Charlie Weis was an awful head coach but he was a brilliant offensive coordinator and Clausen proved to have a big pair downstairs leading the Irish back in 4 of their 6 victories last year. He also has the arm strength and accuracy to make that tight pass.

To sum up:

Clausen will be better than Bradford.
Redskins should draft Russell Okung.
Todd McShay and Jim Zorn are very similar.

Strasburg to make debut on April 11 in Altoona

It has been announced that Stephen Strasburg will make his professional debut for the Harrisburg Senators on April 11 in Altoona, PA vs. the Curve. The Curve are the AA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. This is unfortunate for people in the DC area for two reasons. One, he will not be starting in our backyard, in Single-A Potomac and two, since he is starting the final game of the Senators/Curve series, he will be unavailable to pitch in Bowie, MD the following week when Harrisburg takes on the Baysox. The next time the Senators visit the Baysox will be on June 18 and by then I would expect Strasburg to already be up in the majors by then.

What a treat for Harrisburg, not only are they getting the most anticapated minor leaguer ever, they will be opening a brand new stadium this season. What a way to open in style.

Obama to throw out first pitch on Nats opening day

President Barack Obama will throw out the opening pitch for the Nationals opening day on April 5th against the Philadelphia Phillies. Obama’s appearance will mark the 100 year anniversary of the first time a U.S. President threw an Opening Day first pitch. On April 14, 1910, William Howard Taft began the tradition when he threw out the opening pitch before the Senators played the Philadelphia A's. This will also be the 48th time a president has thrown out an opening pitch in Washington D.C.

Opening day is slated for a 1:05 first pitch and for all of you who plan to attend, I advise you to get there very early. I have been to 2 sporting events where the president was in attendance (Georgetown/Duke 2010 and Nats/Diamondbacks 2005) and the security was incredibly high.

So opening day at Nationals Park will be pretty nuts this year as Roy Halladay will make his first start as a Phillie, Obama will throw out the first pitch, Ian Desmond will be starting at shortstop for the Nattys, and, of course, John Lannan will be on the hill for DC.

Opening day is just 7 days away...

Maxwell out; Desmond in

The Nationals have trimmed their roster today and have optioned outfielder Justin Maxwell to AAA Syracuse. This means the race for the starting right field spot is down to 3 players, Willie Harris, Willy Taveras, and Mike Morse.

The other news of the day is that Ian Desmond has been named the starting shortstop. He beats out Christian Guzman for the spot. I think this is a great thing. Desmond is young and will bring a lot of life to this infield and will make some spectacular plays. As for Guzman, how will he react to coming off the bench? I do not have a good feeling about this. I see Guzman becoming a bit of cancer in the clubhouse but hopefully, he will prove me wrong.

8 days until opening day against the defending NL champions, the Phillies.

Lets talk some Nats

Spring training is coming to an end and the Nationals roster is shaping up but there are multiple questions still out there. The two big ones are who is going to be the everyday shortstop? And who will be the every day right fielder? Lets start with right field. A week ago, when Elijah Dukes was released, I said it would be local product Justin Maxwell. Well, that doesn't look too promising. Maxwell is hitting .089in the spring (4-45). He's struck out 18 times and has just two extra base hits (1 HR and 1 double). I'm pulling for Justin for a couple reasons. He is a local guy and he is a player you want to see succeed. Never getting in trouble and gives back to his community. The time isn't up for Maxwell but it is getting close. Then who will be the starter? I know you may not want to hear this but it will be Willie Harris. He is doing everything right to get that starting spot. He's hitting .353 in the spring (12-35) with 1 HR, 2 doubles, and 2 triples. I personally think it will be a platoon job with Willie get at least half the starts. The other two competing for this starting spot are Willy Taveras and Mike Morse. I love Taveras coming off the bench with his incredible speed. I think he will be a great spark to have as a spot starter and pinch hitter. Mike Morse looks like he will make the squad and possibly being playing a decent amount of right field. He was acquired by the Nats for Ryan Langerhans last August. He's hitting .250 this spring with 2 HRs and 7 RBIs.

To the shortstop situation. Jim Riggleman and Mike Rizzo need to make the decision on whether Ian Desmond is ready to be the everyday shortstop. Christian Guzman has struggled a lot this spring in making the throw over to first. That's a problem. Desmond on the other hand, will make some mistakes but he will make up for them with some incredible plays that Guzman couldn't dream of making. Desmond is hitting .300 this spring with 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homerun, and 12 RBI. You want my personal opinion? Start Desmond and cut ties with Guzman. We want to be a young team and I will gladly take the Desmond mistakes over Guzman not even getting close to a ball in the hole that the majority of major league shortstops could get.

Nats 2010 Opening Day lineup in my opinion:

1. Nyjer Morgan (CF)
2. Ian Desmond (SS)
3. Ryan Zimmerman (3B)
4. Adam Dunn (1B)
5. Josh Willingham (LF)
6. Ivan Rodriguez (C)
7. Willie Harris (RF)
8. Adam Kennedy (2B)

Pitching Rotation:

1. John Lannan (L)
2. Jason Marquis (R)
3. Garrett Mock (R)
4. Craig Stammen (R)
5. Livan Hernandez (R)

Later this week, I will take a look at the Nats reserves and their bullpen. Also, it seems that Drew Storen and Stephen Strasburg will start in AA with the Harrisburg Senators. If all goes to plan, Strasburg will make his debut on April 8 in Altoona, PA vs. the Curve. I might just have to make it up there for that...

Big moves happening in DC

Two big acqusitions happened today in Washington that will most likely lead to championship runs (not really). The Redskins have agreed to terms with QB Rex Grossman. My prayers have finally been answered, the Redskins really needed an awful quarterback to come to town to pressure Jason Campbell. If I were Campbell, I would feel safer today with Grossman as my backup than yesterday when Colt Brennan was the backup. Grossman has 33 career TDs with 36 INTs and is known best for leading Chicago to the NFC title in 2006. The Skins aren't making big splashes this year which may be a good thing but some may question their moves of signing Larry Johnson and Grossman. Only time will tell how these moves shape out.

The other big news today in DC was that the Nationals released outfielder Elijah Dukes. This comes as a big surprise to me as it looked like Dukes was going to be the everyday right fielder. This now opens the door for Justin Maxwell, Willie Harris, Roger Bernadina, or someone who steps up in spring training. I think this is now Maxwell's job to lose. Maxwell was drafted by the Nationals in the 4th round of the 2005 draft out of Maryland. Maxwell went to Sherwood high school in Olney, Maryland and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. He hit .247 last year with 4 home runs in 40 games with Washington last year. As for Dukes, he was a pretty big disappointment in the nation's capital. He played a total of 188 games for the the Nats in 2 years and was hampered by injuries throughout his stay. Dukes has hit .242 with 31 HRs in his 3 seasons in the show (that's including a year with the Rays). He was never a problem in the clubhouse (so we hear) and never had any off field altercations during his stay. However, I'm glad to see this move happen because I think it opens the door for Maxwell, a Montgomery County native, to do some big things for the Nattys.

Three upsets you may not be thinking about

13 Murray State over 4 Vanderbilt

The Racers absolutely dominated the Ohio Valley Conference this season as they went 17-1 in conference play (even though the OVC was quite weak this year). MSU finished the season 30-4 with losses to at Cal on November 9, at Louisiana Tech on December 15, at Western Kentucky on December 22, and at Morehead State on February 70-65. They finished the season winning 21 of their last 22. Murray State's best win came at Morgan State on February 20 during bracketbuster weekend (The Bears are the MEAC champions and the #15 seed in the East Region). Looking at the Racers personnel, they like to spread the love. They have 6 players averaging 9.5 ppg but no player scores more than 10.6 a game. They do have some solid size with their starting line being 6'9'', 6'7'', 6'4'', 6'2'', and 6'0''. Their top bench player is 6'0''. The Racers have so many options and love to run (scoring 77.5 ppg). When you look at Vandy, they do matchup well with the Racers and have a little more size (A.J. Ogilvy is 6'11''). Ogilvy will be real tough to stop for Murray St. but look for them to try to get in a running game and if that happens...the Commodores could be in trouble.

Murray State 79 Vanderbilt 74

12 Utah State over 5 Texas A&M

Every year there is a 12 over 5 upset but the two most talked about in this years tourney are Cornell over Temple and UTEP over Butler. I'm going with the Aggies to beat the Aggies (Yeah, that was a joke). Utah State was one of the hottest teams in the country at the end of the season (even though they lost in their conference title) and the NCAA committee rewarded them for that. They fell to 0-2 in the WAC after losing big to Louisiana Tech 82-60 on January 4. After that, the Aggies reeled off 17 straight before falling in the WAC final to New Mexico State. Utah State loves to shoot the 3 and that always bodes well for upset minded teams. Jared Quayle shot 43.9% from 3 point range (68-155) and Pooh Williams shot 36% (36-100). But they do go inside to their top scorer 6'7'' Tai Wesley (13.7 ppg) and big bruiser 6'9'' Nate Bendall (10.5 ppg). When you look at the other Aggies, they are talented and have a great defense (yielding 64.4 ppg). They also have one of the top guards in the country in Donald Sloan (17.9 ppg). Sloan is a solid shooter from beyond the arc but not great (36.6%). Their big man, Bryan Davis, drops in 10 a game but he is the only other Aggie who scores in double figures. I think in the end, it will come down to Quayle's 3 point ability and the fact that Utah State rarely turns the ball over (just 10.2 turnovers a game).

Utah State 68 Texas A&M 65

14 Montana over 3 New Mexico

Okay, now I'm getting a little crazy but that's what the big dance is all about. When I saw Anthony Johnson carry (and I mean carry) the Grizzlies to the Big Sky title at Weber State, I said that is my team. Montana trailed by 20 at half to #1 seeded Weber State but Johnson scored 34 of his career 42 points in the second half, including the last 21 for the Griz. He was 13-22 from the field and 14-14 from the line. On the season, Johnson didn't shoot that many 3's but when he did shot 46% from downtown (45-97). Basically if the Montana wants any chance to pull the David over Goliath upset they will need another incredible performance from Johnson aka a Wally Szczerbiak performance. (For those of you who aren't nerds like me, Sczerbiak scored 43 of Miami of Ohio's 59 points in 1999 when they beat the #7 seeded Washington Huskies, 59-58) New Mexico is good and are very well coached (this isn't Steve Alford's first rodeo). Alford won a national title under Bobby Knight in 1987 and coached Iowa for 8 years. Taking a look at the Lobos as a team, they are well rounded with 4 players averaging in double figures (compared to one from Montana) and are well sized. (6'8'', 6'6'', 6'5'', 6'7'', and 6'1'') 6'7'' Darington Hobson (16.2 ppg) and 6'6'' Roman Martinez (13.8 ppg) could very possibly take this game over but call be crazy, I'm going with "David"...

Anthony Johnson hits a 3 at the buzzer for his career high 44th point...

Montana 62 New Mexico 61

Hoyas Look for Continued Providence in Rhode Island

Providence can be defined as "the prudence and care exercised by someone in the management of resources."

If Coach John Thompson III can exercise the same "providence" with Greg Monroe, Chris Wright and Austin Freeman as he has all year leading Georgetown to a 23-10 record through a season of ups and downs, then the Hoyas should be successful in their opening round game against Ohio University in PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island this weekend. The Hoyas square off against the Bobcats on Thursday with tipoff set for 7:25 p.m. EST.

As the Midwest Region's #3 seed, the Hoyas head into the tournament playing arguably some of the best basketball of the season. After stumbling a little when guard Austin Freeman was slowed and eventually sidelined by what was thought to be a stomach virus and turned out to be diabetes, the Hoyas have flourished since his return to the lineup, winning four of their last fives games. Their lone loss, a last second 60-58 defeat at the hands of Bob Huggins' West Virginia Mountaineers, coming in the Big East Tournament Championship.

This team is one year older and wiser, having taken the bumps and bruises of last year's collapse and disappointment. Greg Monroe is no longer a freshman phenom but instead a sophomore leader and Chris Wright and Austin Freeman are now veterans as juniors on this seniorless squad. They have matured enough to keep an even keel throughout a regular season of high as lows. From the 19 point comeback against the UConn Huskies at home at the Verizon Center to the blown 14-0 lead against Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, then dominating the Duke Blue Devils only to discover Austin Freeman's diabetes. Through it all, Coach John Thompson III and his players have shown great poise and managed to keep on a steady course. The Hoyas are now reaping the benefits of that poise and maturity through tribulation as they sit with #3 seed, where one year ago, they were accepting a bid to the NIT. Oh, what a difference a year makes.

New LT in NY

I know March Madness is upon us but lost in the shuffle of the NCAA's Selection Sunday was a Sunday of selection for one Mr. LaDainian Tomlinson. His selection: The New York Jets and a 2 year/$5.1 million deal. On the surface this signing, coupled with the loss of RB Thomas Jones to the Kansas City Chiefs may seem like a case of one step forward, two steps back by the Jets but hear me out.

The Jets are not asking Tomlinson to replace Jones as the primary back. They are ready for 2nd year RB Shonn Greene to take the load of the carries as well as the return of RB Leon Washington from a compound leg fracture so they will not need to lean on LT as much as San Diego has in the past. They are going to you use him mainly as a 3rd down receiving back and that is where he is a million times better than Jones. Shonn Greene and Thomas Jones combined for 10 catches for 58 yards in 2009 and all of that was from Jones. LT caught 20 balls for 154 yards, not great but still better than Jones. In the worst statistical year of his career he still managed to catch twice as many balls for nearly three times as many yards. Not to mention New York has one of the top offensive lines in the NFL for Tomlinson to play behind.

The biggest reason to trust the decision is that this Jets front office under Mike Tannenbaum clearly knows what they're doing when it comes to evaluating talent and are not prone to making "sexy" decisions that hurt the team long run. Even the Brett Favre experiment benefited the team because it paved the way for Mark Sanchez to come in and be the Jets starting QB when he "retired" and him not leading them to the playoffs led to Eric Mangini being fired so that Rex Ryan could come change the attitude of the organization. These might not be the "same old Jets" but a change of scenery could being back to "same old LT."

Don't forget about the other postseason tournaments...

It's crazy to think but there are now 4 postseason tournaments in college basketball

Let's start with the "most" important of the worthless tournaments

National Invitational Tournament (NIT)
The Illinois Bracket (Home team in CAPS)
1 Illinois v. 8 STONY BROOK
4 KENT STATE v. 5 Tulsa
3 DAYTON v. 6 Illinois State
2 CINCINNATI v. 7 Weber State

The Arizona State Bracket (Home team in CAPS)
1 ARIZONA STATE v. 8 Jacksonville
4 SETON HALL v. 5 Texas Tech
3 MEMPHIS v. 6 St. John's (NY)
2 MISSISSIPPI v. 7 Troy

The Virginia Tech Bracket (Home team in CAPS)
1 VIRGINIA TECH v. 8 Quinnipiac
4 UCONN v. 5 Northeastern
3 WICHITA STATE v. 6 Nevada
2 RHODE ISLAND v. 7 Northwestern

The Mississippi State Bracket (Home team in CAPS)
1 MISSISSIPPI STATE v. 8 Jackson State
4 NORTH CAROLINA v. 5 William & Mary
3 SOUTH FLORIDA v. 6 North Carolina State
2 UAB v. 7 Coastal Carolina

The semi-final of the NIT will take at Madison Square Garden

March 30
Illinois Bracket winner v. Arizona State Bracket winner
Virginia Tech Bracket winner v. Mississippi State Bracket winner

April 1
Championship Game

On to the Next tournament...

College Basketball Invitational (CBI)
(Home team in CAPS)

Indiana State v. SAINT LOUIS
Green Bay v. AKRON

Virginia Commonwealth v. GEORGE WASHINGTON
College of Charleston v. EASTERN KENTUCKY

Boston University v. OREGON STATE
Colorado State v. MOREHEAD STATE

IUPUI v. HOFSTRA (Hofstra is the home team)
Duquesne v. PRINCETON

The Championship of the CBI is a 'best of three' game series

And finally...

CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT)
(Home team in CAPS)

Fairfield v. GEORGE MASON
Western Carolina v. MARSHALL
South Dakota v. CREIGHTON
Harvard v. APPALACHIAN STATE
Middle Tennessee State v. MISSOURI STATE
Portland v. NORTHERN COLORADO
Pacific v. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
Southern Mississippi v. LOUISIANA TECH

The CIT does not have a bracket. The future rounds will be determined following the conclusion of the previous round.

And there you have it, March Madness has a total of 129 teams participating and it all gets underway Tuesday night.

Things you may have missed in the midst of the bracket revealing excitement

Brady Quinn looking for a new house, again
Do you remember when Brady Quinn put his house up for sale in Cleveland because he wanted to down size? Well now the former 1st round pick is moving again and this time to Denver. Quinn was traded for RB Peyton Hills, a 2011 6th round pick, and a 2012 conditional draft pick. The Notre Dame legend will be competing with former Purdue star, Kyle Orton, for the Broncos starting QB job.

The world's most famous football player tears achilles
David Beckham tore his achilles tendon yesterday while playing a game with AC Milan. He will unable to play for England in South Africa this summer when the World Cup takes place this June. His return to the LA Galaxy in the MLS is also in jeopardy.

Strong starts by young pitching phenoms
Stephen Strasburg got the start yesterday for Nats when they took on the Cardinals. The 2009 #1 overall pick pitched 3 innings, striking out 2, allowing 3 hits, and no runs to score. The Nationals would eventually lose 7-3 to the Cards and now fall to 0-10 in the spring. Orioles top prospect Brian Matusz pitched 5 innings yesterday against the Phillies. He allowed just one run and scattered 3 hits while striking out 2. The Phils 4-6 hitters (Ryan Howard, Jason Werth, and Raul Ibanez) went a combine 0-10 against Matusz.

Without Ovechkin, Caps come back from 3 down in the 3rd
On national television, the Washington Capitals overcame a 3-0 deficit on the road, in the 3rd period, without the NHL's top player, against the 3rd best team in the NHL, the Chicago Blackhawks. The Caps, now with a NHL best 101 points, scored 3 goals in the 3rd period to send the game to overtime and then Nicklas Backstrom scored the GW goal in OT (his 2nd goal of the game). Ovechkin received a game misconduct (his 3rd of the season) for his hit on Brian Campbell in the 2nd period.

DeMatha wins DC City Title
WCAC champion and #1 team in the DC area, DeMatha, beat DCIAA champion and #2 team in the DC area, Ballou, 80-70. This was DeMatha's 5th city title in 6 years.

NCAA 'snub'ers receive #1 seeds
Illinois, Virginia Tech, and Mississippi State all received #1 seeds in the NIT. Arizona State received the other #1 seed. The NIT gets underway this Tuesday. Other big name schools include: North Carolina, UConn, Memphis, and Rhode Island.

The 2010 Bracket

Midwest Regional
1 Kansas v. 16 Lehigh (Oklahoma City, OK)
8 UNLV v. 9 Northern Iowa (Oklahoma City, OK)
5 Michigan State v. 12 New Mexico State (Spokane, WA)
4 Maryland v. 13 Houston (Spokane, WA)
6 Tennessee v. 11 San Diego State (Providence, RI)
3 Georgetown v. 14 Ohio (Providence, RI)
7 Oklahoma State v. 10 Georgia Tech (Milwaukee, WI)
2 Ohio State v. 15 UC Santa Barbara (Milwaukee, WI)

Sweet 16 and Elite 8 will take place in St. Louis, MO

West Regional
1 Syracuse v. 16 Vermont (Buffalo, NY)
8 Gonzaga v. 9 Florida State (Buffalo, NY)
5 Butler v. 12 UTEP (San Jose, CA)
4 Vanderbilt v. 13 Murray State (San Jose, CA)
6 Xavier v. 11 Minnesota (Milwaukee, WI)
3 Pittsburgh v. 14 Oakland (Milwaukee, WI)
7 BYU v. 10 Florida (Oklahoma City, OK)
2 Kansas State v. 15 North Texas (Oklahoma City, OK)

Sweet 16 and Elite 8 will take place in Salt Lake City, UT

East Regional
1 Kentucky v. 16 East Tennessee St. (New Orleans, LA)
8 Texas v. 9 Wake Forest (New Orleans, LA)
5 Temple v. 12 Cornell (Jacksonville, FL)
4 Wisconsin v. 13 Wofford (Jacksonville, FL)
6 Marquette v. 11 Washington (San Jose, CA)
3 New Mexico v. 14 Montana (San Jose, CA)
7 Clemson v. 10 Missouri (Buffalo, NY)
2 West Virginia v. 15 Morgan State (Buffalo, NY)

Sweet 16 and Elite 8 will take place in Syracuse, NY

South Regional
1 Duke v. 16 Ark Pine Bluff/Winthrop (Jacksonville, FL)
8 California v. 9 Louisville (Jacksonville, FL)
5 Texas A&M v. 12 Utah State (Spokane, WA)
4 Purdue v. 13 Siena (Spokane, WA)
6 Notre Dame v. 11 Old Dominion (New Orleans, LA)
3 Baylor v. 14 Sam Houston State (New Orleans, LA)
7 Richmond v. 10 St. Mary's (Providence, RI)
2 Villanova v. 15 Robert Morris (Providence RI)

Final Four
April 3 & 5 in Indianapolis, IN

East Region v. South Region
Midwest Region v. West Region

2 hours and counting...

We are less than two hours away from finding out the brackets for this year's NCAA tourney. There is only one game left going on in the nation as Minnesota and Ohio State are playing for the Big 10 title. Tubby Smith's Minnesota squad could use this victory to sure up their post-season fate but they have most likely played themselves in after this weekend in Indianapolis.

As for the bubble busters, look at 2 teams. Houston (19-15) took down UTEP yesterday to bring C-USA title. Houston entered the Conference USA tourney at 15-15 but made a great run to pick up the automatic bid. (Did you hear that? that was Florida's bubble popping) New Mexico State beat Utah State last night 69-63 in the WAC title. Utah State is a bubble team itself but is most likely in. The Aggies (New Mexico St that is) got the automatic bid just 7 days removed from losing to the Aggies (Utah State that is) 81-63. (Did you hear that? That was Illinois' bubble popping)

Mississippi State almost was the third bubble burster in the past two days as they were just a DeMarcus Cousins tip-in at the buzzer away from getting their second straight SEC title and more importantly an automatic berth to the big dance. (DeMarcus Cousins and Kentucky escaped in OT, 75-74 over the Bulldogs)

As of right now, I think it is Mississippi State as the last team out and the Virginia Tech Hokies as the last team in.

We will see in less than 2 hours when the brackets are finalized.

The Madness continues...

It was upset city all over conference tournaments last night. Lets start in the Big East:

#8 seed Georgetown (#22 in the nation) beat the #1 seed Syracuse (#3 in the nation) 91-84. Following that game,the #5 seeded Marquette Golden Eagles took out the #4 seeded Villanova Wildcats, 80-76. Georgetown will meet Marquette tonight at 7pm in the Big East semi's.

In the night cap, Notre Dame continued to roll as they defeated the #2 seeded Pittsburgh Panthers (#16 in the nation), 50-45 (ND has now won 6 straight). And in the only non upset of the day in the Big East, West Virginia (#6 in the nation)needed a buzzer beater from Da'Sean Butler to escape the #11 seeded Cincinnati Bearcats, 54-51. West Virginia will take on the Irish tonight following the Georgetown/Marquette game in the Garden.

Let's move south to Greensboro and to the start of the ACC tournament. Four teams did not play yesterday (#1 Duke, #2 Maryland, #3 Florida St., #4 Virginia Tech). Yesterday afternoon, started off with a minor upset as the #9 seeded Virginia Cavaliers beat the #8 seeded Boston College, 68-62. What made this a bigger upset was the fact that UVA was playing without their top scorer Sylven Landesburg (suspended for the rest of the season). In the next game, #5 seed Wake Forest, did not show up as the last place Miami Hurricanes dismantled the Demon Deacons, 83-61.

The night games in Greensboro were just as exciting. 10th seeded North Carolina led Georgia Tech by as much as 13 in the first half but the Yellow Jackets came back to win 62-58. The NC State Wolfpack took down 6th seeded Clemson in the last game of the night 59-57.

The matchups today in Greensboro look like this:
#1 Duke v. #9 Virginia at noon
#4 Virginia Tech v. #12 Miami (FL) follows Duke/UVA
#2 Maryland v. #7 Georgia Tech at 7
#3 Florida St. v. #11 NC State follows MD/GT

Another big upset happened last night and this one came in Conference USA as Memphis (the #2 seed in the C-USA) fell to Houston (#7 seed and 17-15 on the year), 66-65.

What an absolute crazy night and I'll tell you one thing, the MADNESS is just getting started...

Let the Madness Begin

I know the brackets aren't finalized until Sunday night but there was a game last night that epitomized 'March Madness.' It took place at the Big Sky Conference Championship in Ogden, Utah. The two teams playing for the right to go to the big dance were the Montana Grizzlies and the Weber State Wildcats. Weber St. (13-3 conference record) entered the Big Sky Tournament seeded #1, so they were rewarded with home-court for the tournament. Montana was the #3 seed (10-6 conference record)and would essentially be playing a road game for the conference title. During the season, the Wildcats and Griz split their season series, with the home team winning each game.

Weber State jumped all over Montana in the first half and led 40-20 at the break. Now you are probably thinking this one all but over. The Wildcats are at home, they have a 20 point lead, and they have the conference player of the year on their side, Damian Lillard. Not so fast my friend. Anthony Johnson went off. Johnson (who averaged a little under 20 ppg for the season) scored 34 second half points (His season-high prior to this game was 30 pts against Idaho St. on February 6). He finished the game with a Big Sky tournament record 42 points (the Big Sky has the 2nd longest running conference tournament, the ACC is 1st). Johnson took this Montana team and carried them up and down the court. With 15 seconds left and the Griz down 1, Johnson made a quick cross-over then drained a 18 foot fadeaway to give Montana the lead, 66-65. Then after some quality defense by Montana, the Griz celebrated their first NCAA berth since 2006.

Anthony Johnson scored Montana's last 21 points and finished the game 13-22 from the field and 14-14 from the charity stripe. This is what March is about. Seeing players and teams you have never heard of make a household name for themselves. Montana (22-9 overall) will probably get a 14 or 15 seed and be bounced in the first round. But if they get matched up with a team like Purdue (who lost their best player, Robbie Hummel, to a torn ACL), the Johnson led Griz could make some noise.

My team in the tournament last year was Ben Woodside's North Dakota State club (lost to Kansas 84-74 in the 1st round). This year, I'm pulling for Anthony Johnson's Montana Grizzlies.

Sunday we find out the brackets, Tuesday the play-in game takes place, and next Thursday, the MADNESS begins.

Texas Tech Win for First Time in a Month, to Face Kansas in Quarterfinals

The Texas Tech Red Raiders beat Colorado handily today, 82-67, winning for the fist time since beating Oklahoma 72-71 on February 9 and ended a 7 game losing streak. Their reward? Getting to play the nation's #1 ranked Kansas Jayhawks in the Big XII Conference quarterfinals tomorrow at 12:30 pm/EST. The Jayhawks defeated the Red Raiders 89-63 at Allen Fieldhouse in January and Tech will be playing their second game in as many days to look for the Jayhawks to easily advance to the semi-finals to play the winner of the Texas A&M/Nebraska game.

The 12th seeded Nebraska Corn Huskers surprised the Big XII Tournament viewers as they upset the 5th seeded Missouri Tigers today winning 75-60. This was a major upset in the tournament as Nebraska was finished the regular season in last place in the Big XII with a 2-14 record and a 14-17 (now 15-17) record.

Check back here tomorrow night for a recap of all the Big XII Tournament action and my thoughts on the Big East Tournament game between the Georgetown Hoyas and Syracuse Orange.

New Faces, Same Low Places

Even though the Wizards have been playing well since the team's trade deadline overhaul, the new look has not translated in new results. The team is 3-6 in the February 18 deadline and 0-4 now in the month of March. One ray of hope has been the play of the Wizards' newly anointed go-to-guy, Andray Blatche. Blatche has averaged around 24 points and 10 rebounds a game since his then career high 33 point performance on February 17 against the Timberwolves.

Either way the Wizards have continued to at least play their opponent's close, but still in the end find a way to whisk defeat from the jaws of victory. They keep games close and have played some exciting games of late, but in the end a loss is a loss and there is column for moral victories.

Al Thornton has also played well since his arrival but sadly the Wizards are a far cry from the team that played the Cavaliers 3 years in a row in the playoffs. The "Big Three" of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler was a failed experiment, but not for lack of effort, at least on the parts of Butler and Jamison. All that remains now of that "3" is Agent Zero which is ironic because that is what he has really been worth to the organization since staying in Washington for a "hometown discount" in the Summer of 2008. Wow, some favor that turned out to be. With friends like that, who needs enemies, right? The saddest part about the whole thing is that a patchwork, sub-par team like this Wizards team fits right in with the rest of the NBA's Eastern Conference bottom feeders. Parity has become a myth in the NBA with the best team's getting better and the bad getting worse, as good team's traded for veteran talent to make runs at the NBA Title, as bad teams jettisoned some of their best players for expiring contracts to clear all this cap room for arguably the most anticipated free agent class ever this summer. Bottom line is that the Wizards are great indication of the state of the NBA right now.

Final Score: Houston Rockets 96 , Washington Wizards 88

StrasburgMania begins today

The man, the myth, the legend starts his career today. This might be the most anticipated spring training start ever (well atleast in my lifetime). Stephen Strasburg (the 2009 overall #1 pick if you haven't heard) makes his spring training debut today. The Nats will play the Tigers today at 1:05 but the only thing people care about is those first 2 innings when Strasburg is on the hill at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida. The game will air live on MASN and also replay at 7 (so people with jobs can also enjoy the madness).

Just to update people about the Nats spring training so far, it's been bad. The record is bad (0-6) and the 'improved' pitching has something to do with that record. New acquisition Matt Capps has had 2 appearances and has allowed 3 runs over 2 innings of work (13.50 ERA). 'Everyday' Eddie Guardado has given up 7 runs (4 earned) over 2 innings of work (18.00 ERA). Free Agent pick up Tyler Walker allowed 5 runs in his one outing so far (45.00 ERA). Brian Bruney, who the Nats got in a trade from the Yankees, has allowed 2 runs in his 2 innings of work (9.00 ERA).In Scott Olsen's first start, he gave up 7 hits and 3 earned in 2 innings (13.50 ERA). Jason Marquis in his start, allowed 5 runs on 3 hits and walked 3 in 2 innings (22.50 ERA). John Lannan looked decent allowing 2 runs over 2 innings (9.00 ERA). The bright spot for the pitching staff, so far, has been the Nationals other first round pick in the 2009 draft, Drew Storen. The Stanford product has pitched in 2 games (2 innings of work) and has not allowed a hit or a run.

Yes, I know, it's the spring training but I want to atleast see a little glimmer of hope start in Florida. Maybe, it will start this afternoon when King Strasburg takes the hill.

Notre Dame and Maryland to play at FedEx Field in 2011

For the past couple weeks, I have been hearing rumors about the Terps and Irish getting down in 2011 and now it is official. Notre Dame and Maryland will meet on November 12, 2011 at FedEx Field (the Home of the Redskins). Notre Dame will serve as the home team in this matchup. (ND's AD Jack Swarbrick installed a 7-4-1 schedule which means 7 home games, 4 away, and 1 neutral game that ND will serve as the home team. The Irish played Washington St. in San Antonio this past season and will play Army at Yankee Stadium this fall)

This is the second all-time meeting between the 2 teams. The first time they met was in 2002 at the Meadowlands for the last enstallment of the Kickoff Classic. The Irish beat the Terps 22-0 and not one offensive touchdown was scored (Vontez Duff had a 76 yard punt return for the lone TD). Notre Dame's defense held Maryland to 135 total yards on the game. This game also marked the start of the Ty Willingham era (what a great era that was).

Notre Dame and Maryland are both coming off seasons they would like to soon forget. The Irish were 6-6 (after starting 6-2) and Charlie Weis was fired following the season. The Terps were even worse (and I had to cover EVERY home game). MD finished the season 2-10 with 1 ACC victory. Don't forget, their lone non-conference win was an overtime thriller against D1 FCS James Madison, 38-35.

After a decent recruiting year for Maryland and the start of the Brian Kelly era in South Bend this season, this 2011 matchup could be quite intriguing. (Or will the Fridge be unplugged before this game even comes around) Nonetheless, this game should generate some excitement about college football in D.C. for a second consecutive year (Boise State and Virginia Tech will play at FedEx on Oct. 2 this upcoming fall).

Only 178 more days until College Football season. Get Fired up.

The #1 Team is "Self" Evident Heading into Major Conference Tournament Play

The major conference tournaments begin this week and one thing is certain. The only team that has been able to win more than 1 game with the #1 ranking is the team that will most likely once again be the #1 team in the land when the new polls come out tomorrow...Bill Self's Kansas Jayhawks. The Hawks were the preseason #1 team and held the ranking through the first two months of the season and Monday will begin their 13th week as #1 here in 17th and final week before the NCAA Tournament. Texas (two weeks), Kentucky and Syracuse are the other 3 teams that have held the #1 ranking this season and all have lost within a few games after reaching the top.

The Jayhawks (29-2, 15-1) enter Big XII Tournament play this Friday, thanks to the #1 overall seed and a first round bye earned by their 15-1 conference record and 6th straight Big XII Regular Season Championship. Kansas next plays 12:30 pm/EST Friday, when they will face the winner of Thursday's Colorado/Texas Tech matchup. Kansas beat both teams during the season, including Colorado twice. Colorado kept it very close at home against Kansas but was just another notch on Kansas' belt at Allen Fieldhouse in Kansas' current 59 game home winning streak. The Buffs have a shot at making this a game but having to play the second of back to back morning games should make this a Kansas rout. Texas Tech? One could ask what TT Coach Pat Knight has done to keep his job this long after his dad, Bob, retired. One would get the answer...NOTHING...Enough said

Check back here Wednesday night for a preview once Kansas' opponent is known.

--Luke Monaldo

Jose Theodore proving to be the #1

Caps just finished up a 2-0 victory over the Rangers tonight and Jose Theodore picks up a big shutout with 30 saves. Since the Olympic break, Theodore has made 2 starts and allowed just one goal on 54 shots. One of those wins came against the Buffalo Sabres and the US Olympic hero, Ryan Miller. Semyon Varlamov, on the other hand, has had one start since the Olympic break and he struggled against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are far less talented than the Rangers and Sabres. In Varlamov's start he allowed 4 goals on 29 shots. It truly is a log jam right now with the goalie situation but you have to give the leg up to the hot man and that is Theodore right now.

How about the newest Caps? First, Scott Walker (who the Caps got for a 7th round pick from Carolina) scores two goals (had only 3 goals in the season with the Hurricanes) against to the Lightning to lead the Caps to victory on Thursday. Then, Eric Balenger (who the Caps got from Minnesota) scores the 2nd goal tonight against the Rangers. Bravo George McPhee, so far so good on your trade deadline work.

Caps are now 44-13-8 and have 96 points. They are 14 points up on Pittsburgh in the East and 5 points up on Chicago and San Jose for the most points in the NHL. If the Caps clinch home ice for the playoffs, the Caps will be tough to beat. Currently, they are 25-3-3 at home. Good luck to whomever will try to take down the Caps at Verizon come April and May.

The Irish getting it done on their way to the field of 65

Notre Dame is one of the biggest mysteries this season in college basketball. They played one of the weakest non-conference schedules I have ever seen and lost to Loyola Marymount (who is 17-14 and tied for 4th in the WCC) and also lost to the only half decent non-conference oppenent they played in Northwestern (who is now 19-12 and have lost twice to hurting Penn St and split with Indiana). Now, let's fast forward to February 11 when the Irish lose the Big East's best player in Luke Harangody. He was averaging 24.5 points and 10 rebounds a game at the time of the injury and ND seemed all but down and out. The Irish would lose their next two games without Luke and fall to 17-10 and 6-8 in the Big East. Even with Harangody, the Irish still lost to Rutgers (who at the time was winless in the Big East). It looked like it would be another NIT year for the Irish. Not so fast. The Irish turned to their guards (Tory Jackson, Tim Abromaitis, and Ben Hansbrough) to make it happen. ND beat #16 Pitt 68-53, #13 Georgetown 78-64, UConn 58-50, and took down Marquette 63-60 in overtime today (thanks to an incredible Carleton Scott 3 pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime).

The Irish will head into this weeks Big East tournament with a bye and the #7 seed. If ND beats the winner of the 10/15 matchup they will be assured a spot in the field of 65. Who would have thought (not me) that the Irish could turn it around after losing their All-American for 6 games. Oh by the way, Harangody is back (played 11 minutes v. Marquette today).

Notre Dame could be a force to be reckoned when they enter the big dance.

Welcome

Welcome everybody to the start of our blog. Your three 'wizemen' are Tim Murray, Luke Monaldo, and Steve Spector. We are all doing everything we can to get our break in the sports media industry and we felt starting a blog was a great start.

If you have any questions or comments please email us at the3wizemen@gmail.com

I hope everyone enjoys!