College Basketball Quiz: 1) In the modern era, post-1970, who is the only other Division I player to average 40 points per game aside from Pete Maravich? 2) Avery Johnson holds the D-I mark for assists per game in a single season, 13.3. Where did he go to school? 3) Who holds the mark for rebounds per game in a single season, initials K.W.? [modern era] 4) Name the top 3 coaches in victories, minimum ten seasons at Division I. 5) Who are the only two coaches to have at least 20 consecutive 20-win seasons?
Russia’s Olympic Effort
The purge is underway. Sports minister Vitaly Mutkov said he was ready to step down, becoming the first top official to heed President Dmitry Medvedev’s call for resignations following the country’s awful showing in Vancouver.
“I will resign peacefully if this was directed at me,” Mutkov said as he arrived in Moscow from Vancouver.
“Resign peacefully”? Good lord. Does Mutkov have a private army that he will get to lay down their arms?
Medvedev said “fat cat” sports bureaucrats should quit or be fired. “Those in charge of preparation for the Olympics must take responsibility right now…take the courageous decision and tender their resignations. If they cannot, we will help them.”
Uh oh…there’s a reason why Moscow’s boulevards are so wide. Think tanks, sports fans.
And think about this. Russia won only three gold medals, 11th on that score (which is all they care about…while we get excited over Apolo Anton Ohno’s plethora of bronze ones), its worst Olympics performance ever.
Mutkov defended his job, saying the sports ministry was too young. But the ski-jumping federation immediately fired its German coach of six years after they took home no medals.
Meanwhile, silver medalist Yevgeny Plushenko said he may step down from his St. Petersburg Assembly seat to focus on sports. He’s also determined to compete in Sochi.
And then there is the hysteria over Russia’s 7-3 quarterfinal loss to Canada in hockey, the first Olympic loss to its rival in 50 years.
As for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who put his personal authority and $12 billion behind the funding of the Sochi Games in 2014, he demanded team chiefs make “serious analysis and organizational conclusions” from Russia’s failure, warning: “We need to change the situation and create the conditions for a [successful] performance at the 2014 Olympics.”
Clearly, any coaches and athletes that fail in Sochi better have an escape plan, a la the von Trapp family at the end of “Sound of Music.” Who will play Max?
But wait…there’s more! A Russian-American reality show dubbed “Brighton Beach” is on the drawing boards, though no network has been found for this “Jersey Shore” rip-off.
However, as opposed to the latter, I might catch Brighton Beach. Co-creator Elina Miller told the New York Post, “There will be plenty of vodka, techno music and guys wearing Adidas pants, leather jackets and gold chains, and driving souped-up cars. There will also be a lot of hot, decked-out Russian girls.”
I was going to comment further but my attorney suggested I take a pass.
Final Olympic Bits
You’ve heard about the spectacular TV ratings for the gold medal hockey game, but the first Canada-U.S. game, our 5-3 victory, was viewed by a full one-third of Canada’s population. Imagine what it was for the final. [The opening ceremony was the most watched television event in Canadian history. Hey Pete M. Can you imagine watching the hockey games in one of those Charlottetown pubs we, err, ahh, err, had a good time in?]
It wasn’t just Russia that had a bad Olympics, the entire European continent had picked up 37 of 46 figure skating golds since 1964, but they were shut out of the four competitions this time. Heck, the woman who won the European championship just five weeks earlier, Italy’s Carolina Kostner, fell four times during the long program and finished 16th.
I told you Ryan Miller would be the most popular athlete to emerge from Vancouver. On Tuesday, Miller, the Sabres’ goaltender, received a standing ovation in Pittsburgh! That’s the way it’s going to be for him all over the country. Great stuff. In fact the cheers for Miller were far greater than those for the Penguins’ own Sidney Crosby. When they showed Crosby’s game-winning goal on the Mellon Arena scoreboard, there were a lot of boos…more boos than cheers.
[Miller got a well-deserved day off. I can’t imagine some of these Olympians having to get right back into the NHL grind. On the other hand, those who didn’t partake got one helluva break.]
And let’s go back to the 2000 Sydney Games, shall we? An investigation into the age of a Chinese gymnast, Dong Fangxiao, has led to the loss of a team bronze medal after the nearly 10-year inquiry finally definitively proved she was only 14 when she competed. The Federation International of Gymnastics (FIG) ordered that China must pay the cost of the investigation. The same accusation was levied at the ’08 Beijing Games but China offered the FIG what it said was proof of the athletes’ ages.
Under the rules of the FIG, you must be 16 to participate at major championships and the Olympics to protect the health of the young girls.
—The Nets are 6-53 prior to facing the Cavaliers, Wednesday night. New Jersey has three wins at home and three on the road. Talk about consistency!
[As for LeBron and his future status, no one knows for sure what he’s going to do, but more than a few have been saying lately he’s staying in Cleveland.]
Men’s AP Top Ten
1. Syracuse…first time in 20 years
2. Kansas
3. Kentucky
4. Duke
5. Kansas State
6. Ohio State
7. Purdue
8. New Mexico…will lose second round NCAA game
9. Villanova
10. West Virginia…not changing my opinion now…they go all the way
12. Butler
Murray State, 28-4, has five players averaging between 10.3 and 10.8 ppg, plus another at 9.5. And that’s your Murray State Racers’ update.
Who is Jarvis Varnado and why should you care? [At least if you’re a hoops fan.] Heck, I didn’t realize this 6’9” senior out of Mississippi State is now the all time leader in blocked shots. His last three seasons he has averaged 4.6, 4.7 and 4.9 per game. Not bad…not bad at all. [He’s also averaging 13.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game this season.]
Women’s AP Top Ten
1. UConn…win streak 69…their own record is 70
2. Stanford
3. Nebraska
4. Tennessee
5. Xavier
6. Notre Dame
7. West Virginia
8. Florida State
9. Duke
10. Ohio State
23. Hartford
–Talkin’ ste-roids…apple pie and Chevy…talkin’ ste-roids…you get ‘em cash and car-ry….
So now we learn the Mets’ Carlos Beltran told the feds recently that he had dealings with the Canadian-based doctor Anthony Galea, the fellow at the heart of a major drug investigation. Beltran recommended shortstop Jose Reyes to Galea, though both have supposedly been cleared by the FBI. Alex Rodriguez, though, is involved with Galea in a big way, so it’s the same old story for Mr. Disingenuous. Beltran denied Galea injected his injured knee with HGH, but A-Rod hasn’t said anything as yet. All of the athletes involved with Galea thus far talk only of receiving plasma replacement therapy, which isn’t illegal, but it’s now so common, many ask why these same folks feel like Galea is the only one who can administer it, and, as in the case of Tiger Woods, why did he feel compelled to have the guy illegally cross state lines and practice in Florida, where Galea isn’t licensed?!
Heck, when I was at Wake Forest, some of us used to give our plasma for beer money. Why my plasma could now be in Jose Reyes!
[I was just informed it doesn’t exactly work that way…back to our story…]
The Yankees said they never authorized Dr. Galea to treat A-Rod, “nor do we have any knowledge of any such treatment." Management must be furious after all they went through with the guy last year at this time, though a World Series title has a way of salving wounds.
–The New York Post’s Larry Getlen reviewed a book titled, “The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing, and Bench-Clearing Brawls: The Unwritten Rules of America’s Pastime,” by Jason Turbow with Michael Duca.
“In 1996, when then-Dodger Roger Cedeno stole second base with the first baseman playing deep and his team ahead 11-2, he was verbally abused by Giant players. But it was one of his own teammates who then approached the Giants bench to alert them that Cedeno had run ‘without a shred of institutional authority,’ and that ‘justice’ would be meted out internally. (While it’s not reported what form that justice took, Cedeno was later seen crying in the clubhouse).”
“(One method) of sign stealing that is unacceptable is for a batter to peak at the catcher while he gives the signs. When Royals outfielder Al Cowens was caught doing that in 1979, the Texas battery responded with a fake outside pitch call that actually came up and in, breaking Cowens’ jaw.”
“The Code rule declaring that every ballplayer MUST join their teammates on the field if a brawl broke out has led to some ridiculous sights. Relievers from opposing teams would run out from the bullpen – chatting friendly right next to each other – then hit the field and start brawling. And during a brawl with the Milwaukee Brewers, Yankee pitcher Luis Tiant joined his teammates straight from the shower with nothing but a towel around his waist and a cigar in his teeth.”
–Former NFL GM Charley Casserly says the first round of the coming NFL draft could be the best since 1983, which produced an unprecedented six Hall of Famers. [John Elway, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Eric Dickerson, Darrell Green and Bruce Matthews.] This time, though, instead of six QBs going in the first round like ’83, 18 offensive and defensive linemen are projected to go up front. And now Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy is threatening Ndamukong Suh for first overall.
–I understand the business of football, but the Jets are making a mistake in their imminent release of running back Thomas Jones. Jones refused to renegotiate a contract calling for a $3 million roster bonus next week, plus $2.8 million in salary. I’ve gotta believe Jones will get similar money elsewhere, even though he’s 31. After all, he’s never been hurt, had 1,400 yards last year and is a positive force in the locker room.
–Meanwhile, in baseball, excitement is building over three young pitchers in particular. We all now know about Washington’s Stephen Strasburg, and the Reds are looking absolutely brilliant in snagging Cuban Aroldis Chapman, but I have to admit I didn’t know about 20-year-old Madison Bumgarner of San Francisco until reading USA TODAY Sports Weekly. The kid went 27-5 with a 1.65 ERA his first two professional seasons. Others to watch are Neftali Feliz (Texas), Wade Davis (Tampa Bay), Brian Matusz (Baltimore) and Hector Rondon (Cleveland). Boy, Cleveland needs something. They could really, really suck this year.
–Interesting stuff from SI.com’s Tom Verducci concerning the Phillies’ Ryan Howard (via Stats Inc.). Howard is a career .298 hitter in the first six innings of a game but only a .237 hitter after, with Verducci deducing that the late failures are due to managers matching up lefty breaking ball pitchers against Howard.
But the Stats Inc. folks have come up with the following. In 2009, Howard received 1,127 breaking balls compared to next up on the list, Dan Uggla, with 931. But further, Howard received 49 percent more breaking balls than the next left-handed batter on the list, Adam Dunn, with 756. [Of course to be anal about it, Howard is very durable (as is Dunn) so Ryan is going to see a lot of pitches, period.]
—Tiger is now in Orlando, beginning to get back into golf shape, so it’s looking like the Masters is a cinch. He’s been seen hitting balls at Isleworth by fellow player Charles Howell III. Tiger hasn’t been on a course since the Australian Masters in mid-November. Arnie’s tourney at Bay Hill, March 25-28, is still a distinct possibility as a warm-up to Augusta.
–The USGA has not ruled out granting a special exemption for Tom Watson and this year’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. There shouldn’t be any question about it. Watson deserves it off his play at the British Open last summer; not just for sentimental reasons and his historic triumph at Pebble before.
1. LSU
2. Virginia
3. Florida State
4. Arizona State
5. Texas
[The ACC has 6 in the top 12, but still hasn’t won it all since Wake Forest in 1955.]
College Hockey Top Five
1. Denver
2. Miami (Ohio)
3. Wisconsin
4. St. Cloud State
5. Boston College
–Our old friend George Burgess of the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida reports that the number of attacks in the U.S. dropped from 41 in 2008 to 28 in 2009, the third straight year of decline. Of course as Bar Chat Director of Shark Attacks Bob S. and I agree, the good people at the ISAF are off slightly. Our own internal analysis shows about 4,350 attacks for ’09, with untold deaths, though I do admit that Dr. Burgess has a point when he says emergency medical care has improved.
But, if we were to take the ISAF at its word, the U.S. led the world, followed by 20 attacks in Australia and six in South Africa. Six in South Africa? When asked to comment on this last bit, ESPN’s Dick Vitale said, “Are you kidding me?!” They have six an hour! In fact, I kid you not, but the ISAF says South Africa had “zero in 2008”!
–For the record, trainers at SeaWorld have issued their statements following the killing of Dawn Brancheau, and as one, Jodei Ann Tintle, put it, “The whale would not let us have her.”
“Brancheau’s co-workers describe the swiftness of the attack and the furious response that came after alarms sounded around the pool. Employees who were at other pools, behind computers or emptying coolers of fish rushed to the scene….
“Jan Topoleski, whose job is to monitor trainers’ safety during shows, told investigators he saw Brancheau lying on the deck face-to-face with the 22-foot-long, 12,000-pound whale and communicating with him right before the attack. He said the whale, Tilikum, bit Brancheau’s hair and pulled her into the pool in a span of about two seconds. He sounded an alarm and grabbed safety equipment.”
Even after workers finally managed to use a hydraulic lift to get Tilikum out of the water, Brancheau still could not be freed.
“Numerous employees said the whale’s jaw had to be pried open…but her hand remained in the clench of Tilikum and they had to pry his mouth open again.”
I can’t imagine those closest to the tragedy will ever have a good night’s sleep.
“Federal officials charged the owners and key employees of Wiseguy Tickets with defeating the security measures of online ticket systems – including Ticketmaster, Tickets.com, Telecharge and LiveNation. The men bought more than 1.5 million of the prime seats to hot tours featuring Bruce Springsteen, Miley Cyrus and Coldplay, and sporting events like the Rose Bowl, baseball and football playoff games. According to authorities, they earned more than $25 million by re-selling the seats to brokers.”
[What these guys did is find a way around the software that creates the oddly shaped letters intended to require human verification and instead had thousands of fake accounts that could access the tickets first.]
—Erin Andrews is on the list of new cast members for “Dancing With the Stars.” Well, this says everything about her, seeing as she wanted us to believe she was a serious sports journalist. Yes, she does her job well, but why put herself in a sexy show like this so soon after the “peephole video.”
However, to be fair to Ms. Andrews, before her video incident she told the Sporting News that DWTS was the one show she wanted to be on. Andrews was a dance team member at the University of Florida and her sister, Kendra, is a professional dancer.
–A study out of the University of Zurich says that when it comes to the Titanic and the Lusitania, selfish survival instincts took over the latter as opposed to the former. To wit:
Women and children came first on the Titanic but not on the Lusitania. The Titanic went down with a loss of 1,517 lives, while the torpedoed Lusitania resulted in 1,198 deaths, but on the Lusitania, “selfish behavior dominated,” even as both captains said women and children first. Then again, it took Titanic 2 hours and 40 minutes to sink, while the Lusitania went down in just 18 minutes, barely enough time for a final beer.
–The “Greatest Ferrari of All Time,” as voted by Motor Trend Classic magazine, the 250 GTO, is to be sold for $20 million. As reported by Scott Reyburn of Bloomberg, “The 170 mph 1963 Ferrari is billed as the world’s ultimate sports car (and) was one of 36 produced by the Italian company in 1962 and ’63.” Another was privately sold for $28 million recently. Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason is known to be an owner.
This is a car that races, so buyers don’t just park it in a garage. The current owner of the car up for auction is selling because he has become too old to race, according to the auctioner.
–Go online and check out the new Porsche 918 Spyder, as cool as anything you will ever see, and going for $1 million. It can go from 0 to 100km/h [62mph] in 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of nearly 200mph, which means if you were caught doing that in a 35mph zone, it would cost you 342 points.
–Some things you just can’t make up. From the Jackson Citizen Patriot and Albion, Mich.
“Authorities said an overnight hotel guest who claimed a divine calling has been jailed after shooting up his room and placing an alarm clock in the microwave….
“The man shot the bed, window, walls and ceiling of his room, where he left a note that read: ‘God delivered me from evil and placed me in Albion, Michigan.”
–So did you watch “The Marriage Ref” after the Olympics’ closing ceremonies? I gave it a shot. There is no way this lasts more than five or six weeks (or however many installments they’ve already got in the can). A reviewer for the Baltimore Sun, David Zurawik nailed it, calling the show “kind of pathetic.” But, hey, if it gets the ratings, starting in its permanent slot, Thursdays, no one will care what the critics think.
Top 3 songs for the week 3/4/67: #1 “Ruby Tuesday” (The Rolling Stones) #2 “Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone” (The Supremes) #3 “Kind Of A Drag” (The Buckinghams…has aged well)…and…#4 “Baby I Need Your Lovin’” (Johnny Rivers) #5 “Georgy Girl” (The Seekers) #6 “The Beat Goes On” (Sonny & Cher) #7 “Gimme Some Lovin’” (The Spencer Davis Group) #8 “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” (The Casinos…great tune) #9 “Sock It To Me-Baby!” (Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels) #10 “I’m A Believer” (The Monkees)
College Basketball Quiz Answers: 1) Johnny Neumann, Mississippi, 1970-71, averaged 40.1. 2) Avery Johnson attended Southern University. 3) Kermit Washington, American, 1972-73, averaged 20.4 rebounds per game. 4) Bob Knight, 902; Dean Smith, 879; and Adoph Rupp, 876, have the most coaching victories, minimum ten seasons in Division I. Coach K. started this season with 833, Jim Calhoun, 805, and Jim Boeheim, 799. 5) Dean Smith, 27, and Lute Olson, 20, are the only two with 20 consecutive 20-win seasons. Tubby Smith is next at 16.
