NCAA Basketball Quiz: Last time it was about the 1973-74 title game; N.C. State over Marquette. Today, give me Marquette’s starting five when they won their title, the 1976-77 squad that defeated Dean Smith and UNC, 67-59. [Hint: One of the players for Marquette also played in the ’74 contest.] Answer below.
College Basketball…stretch drive to Selection Sunday
—No. 1 Kentucky wrapped up its regular season 31-0, 18-0 in SEC play with a 67-50 win over Florida (15-16, 8-10). Boy, Billy Donovan’s team has taken a step back.
So is anyone going to beat the Wildcats? I say yes, and it will be due to a horrible shooting night from the Harrison twins.
—No. 2 Virginia (28-2, 16-2) lost at No. 16 Louisville (24-7, 12-6) 59-57 in a thriller, so you’d think the Cardinals wrapped up being no worse than a 4-seed and maybe a 3, depending on what they do in the ACC tourney. Virginia had already wrapped up the ACC regular-season title but had hoped to get star Justin Anderson back after missing seven games with a broken finger on his shooting hand, but then he underwent an appendectomy on Thursday. It wasn’t ruptured so his recovery will be quicker, but just how quick is not known.
—No. 3 Duke (28-3, 15-3) probably locked up a 1-seed with an 84-77 win over No. 19 North Carolina (21-10, 11-7). Duke’s freshmen had 58 of the 84. Carolina, though, can still make a lot of noise and I’ll say they are Sweet 16 bound.
—St. John’s (21-10, 10-8) needed a quality win just to ensure it’s not sweating on Selection Sunday and they were trailing No. 4 Villanova (29-2, 16-2) by just 50-46 at the half. But then some of us looked up 60 minutes later and the final score was Nova 105 St. John’s 68! 55-22 after intermission. Good gawd! So Wake-like.
–Terrible loss for No. 8 Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament semifinals as Illinois State (21-11, 11-7) took down the Shockers (28-4, 17-1) 65-62. Just the other day I was praising Gregg Marshall’s boys and wondering how some had them as a 4- or 5-seed. Well, I look pretty foolish now. They’ll be lucky to be a 4.
[Sunday, No. 11 Northern Iowa (30-3, 16-2) beat Illinois State 69-60 for the automatic bid, but understand the Redbirds were leading 33-15 early.]
—No. 9 Kansas (24-7, 13-5) lost at No. 15 Oklahoma (21-9, 12-6) 75-73.
–So Friday and Saturday nights I caught the final 8 minutes or so of No. 25 Murray State’s thrilling Ohio Valley Conference tournament games, an 80-77 win over Morehead State and then an 88-87 loss to Belmont (22-10, 11-5) in the finals. I hadn’t seen Cameron Payne play much and the kid is exciting.
But the Racers are not going to get into the NCAA tournament despite their gaudy 27-5, 16-0, record. No way the OVC gets two bids. Such a shame, because they would have given their first-round opponent fits.
What hurts more is they turned it over with the lead and nine seconds to go, setting up Belmont’s winning jumper. Just cruel.
—Defending champion UConn (17-13, 10-8) will not be back in the Big Dance after their 75-63 loss to Temple (22-9, 13-5). Well, I guess if the Huskies win their conference tournament they’re in, but don’t see that happening.
—Coastal Carolina (24-9) qualified for the tournament by virtue of its 81-70 win over Winthrop in the Big South final.
—North Florida (23-11) won the Atlantic Sun tournament final over USC Upstate 63-57, so they are in the Dance.
–My “Pick to Click” San Diego State Aztecs finished the regular-season as co-titleholders with Boise State in the Mountain West, both having identical 24-7, 14-4 marks.
The Aztecs finished with wins over UNLV, 60-58, and then Nevada on Saturday, 67-43, as Dwayne Polee II returned to play 20 minutes, score 12 points and have five steals. I’m tellin’ ya, if we can just get 20 minutes a game from him the rest of the way, SDSU will be a tough out. He’s a real difference maker.
–As for my other team, my alma mater, THE Wake Forest Demon Deacons, what had been looking like a promising first year for coach Danny Manning went up in flames late, save for a nice win against Pitt, with the Deacs getting blitzed by Duke 94-51 on Wednesday (the game opened 31-5), and then losing up in Chestnut Hill to Boston College (12-18, 4-14) 79-61, which means I owe Steve D. a nice lunch. This is not good. [BC is finishing on a positive note, 3 in a row.]
So the Deacs end the regular-season 13-18, 5-13. We supposedly have some good recruits coming in, but you always wonder if the commitments will stick, let alone can we retain the three freshmen we have that have potential.
It’s so depressing for us alum. Football has been in a downward spiral, and the once-proud hoops program is beyond dreadful.
Perhaps most worrisome of all is the buzz among those in the know that Manning simply can’t coach.
–One guy who can coach, my friend Jose Rebimbas at Division III William Paterson, made it to the D-III tournament again but lost in the second-round to No. 9 Virginia Wesleyan. Still, another 20-win season for the Pioneers.
I just looked at the box score in the Wesleyan game, 77-74, and some kid on their side, Khory Moore, had 41. As Ronald Reagan would have said, ‘Not bad, not bad at all.’
Meanwhile, Dickinson College (Pa.), where my brother and our own Dr. Bortrum picked up their sheepskins (and where Bortrum hit .250 for the baseball team….1-for-4), is in the Sweet 16 of the D-III affair.
Did I ever tell you how as a ninth-grader I visited my brother when he was a junior in college and filled in for him in an English class? His fraternity brothers offered protection, especially when the professor looked quizzically at me and said, “We seem to have a visitor.” Jimmy B. chimed in, “It’s Little Harry.” [Of course I’m leaving out a lot…you’ll have to file a Freedom of Information Act request to get the rest of the tale.]
Jim Boeheim Gets Slapped Around
The NCAA’s committee on infractions came down hard on the Syracuse athletic department, particularly the men’s basketball program. In a statement, the NCAA said:
“Over the course of a decade, Syracuse University did not control and monitor its athletics programs, and its head men’s basketball coach failed to monitor his program.”
Coach Jim Boeheim was suspended for nine ACC games in the 2015-15 season.
The team must vacate 108 of Boeheim’s coaching victories, dropping him down to sixth on the all-time wins list in Division I.
A reduction of 12 scholarships over four years.
Fine of $500 per contest played by ineligible students.
Syracuse must return to the NCAA all funds it has received to date through the former Big East Conference revenue-sharing for its appearances in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. [Estimated cost more than $1 million.]
Reduction in the number of permissible off-campus recruiters from four to two during June 1, 2015 through May 31, 2017.
Men’s basketball and football programs placed on five-year probation from March 6, 2015 through March 5, 2020.
“The investigation focused on the violations committed by the team’s former director of basketball operations, Stan Kissel, as well as a team receptionist in their attempt to restore the eligibility of a men’s basketball player. From 2010 to 2012, a support services mentor and a support services tutor also made revisions, created or wrote assignments for three basketball players….
“Furthermore, the committee found that a booster provided impermissible benefits to Syracuse football and basketball players, including more than $8,000 in cash for appearances at a local YMCA….
“ ‘Syracuse University did not and does not agree with all the conclusions reached by the NCAA, including some of the findings and penalties included in today’s report,’ Syracuse’s chancellor, Kent Syverud, said in a letter to members of the university community. ‘However, we take the report and the issues it identifies very seriously, particularly those that involve academic integrity and the overall well-being of student-athletes.’”
Syracuse may appeal parts of the decision, while Boeheim may appeal those parts impacting him personally.
But the NCAA accepted the university’s earlier decision not to participate in any postseason games this season, including the ACC tournament, and the school will be eligible for the postseason next year.
“You look at the laundry list of embarrassing and illegal decisions made by Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse men’s basketball program for more than a decade, then hear that the NCAA suspended him for nine ACC games next year, and you have to wonder:
“He will, of course, because Syracuse loves basketball more than life itself, and Boeheim probably more than basketball, but that doesn’t make it right.
“What was happening on Boeheim’s watch should be appalling to anyone who still cares about the rules in college sports, if any of those people still exist. It also wasn’t just one thing, or two. It was more than 10 years of things, lots of things, all of which fall under the umbrella of cheating.
“From 2001 to 2009, Syracuse did not follow its written drug-testing policies as required by the NCAA. You’ll love the excuse. Athletics Director Daryl Gross admitted they didn’t follow the policy, and here’s why: ‘The department followed an ‘unwritten policy’ because the written policy was confusing.’
“The confusion led to a result that should stun no one: players who tested positive for drugs on more than one occasion were allowed to participate in practices and games, which obviously was in direct violation of the drug-testing policy.
“Let’s move to what we might loosely call academics. In January 2012, two basketball staff members…completed coursework for an academically ineligible basketball player in order to restore his eligibility.
“Ironically, the NCAA said, Boeheim handpicked the director of basketball operations to address academic matters in the program….
“There also were illegal benefits given to two basketball players and three football players….
“What’s more, three of the athletes received academic credit in the same course for internships at the YMCA that they did not complete. Eventually, Syracuse rescinded the credit.
“Rescinding the memory of this pathetic charade hopefully will take more time.
“All in all, it was a decade of utter embarrassment for the 70-year-old Boeheim, one of the most accomplished men’s basketball coaches of our time.
“ ‘During the 10-year period of violations, the head basketball coach did not promote an atmosphere of compliance within his program and did not monitor the activities of those who reported to him as they related to academics and booster involvement,’ the NCAA said Friday. ‘Although the head basketball coach cited NCAA rules meetings with compliance staff and other initiatives, he operated under assumptions and did not follow up with his staff and students to ensure compliance.’
“We all know many people are disgusted with the NCAA and probably won’t pay much attention to what it says, even when it’s doing the job it’s supposed to do, as in situations such as this.
“But when will some of those people feel the same way about this kind of longtime, systemic cheating by someone who way too many people still idolize?”
“Initially, I would like to express relief that the NCAA’s unparalleled 8-year investigation of the University and the Men’s Basketball Program is finally over. As I expressed at the Committee on Infractions Hearing, I acknowledge that violations occurred within the Men’s Basketball Program, and as the Head Coach of the Program, I take those violations very seriously.
“That being said, I am disappointed with many of the findings and conclusions as stated in the Infractions Report. The Committee chose to ignore the efforts which I have undertaken over the past 37 years to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the Men’s Basketball Program. Instead they chose to focus on the rogue and secretive actions of a former employee of the local YMCA and my former Director of Basketball Operations in order to impose an unprecedented series of penalties upon the University and the Men’s Basketball Program….
“Much is also made in the Infractions Report regarding alleged academic violations that occurred within the Men’s Basketball Program. As the Head Coach of the Program, I demand academic excellence from my student-athletes. However, under NCAA rules, I am not permitted to intervene in academic matters nor am I permitted to review academic work performed by student-athletes.
“In short, I am disappointed with the Infractions Report. At this time, however, I will have no further comment on this matter as I consider my options moving forward.”
“No matter what the NCAA does – suspends a coach for one game, five, or a season – they survive, like cockroaches with a whistle and a whiteboard.
“Bruce Pearl was smacked more than three years ago. He’s coaching again.
“Kelvin Sampson was the ultimate sinner, until he repented in the NBA for a few years and got another shot at Houston.
“Eddie Sutton lived to pace the sideline after his fall from grace at Kentucky. Even Jerry Tarkanian resurfaced post-UNLV.
“But to say that no damage is done is simply untrue. There is a stigma, a scarlet letter, once the NCAA has branded a coach as a violator.
“For approximately 10 years, the head basketball coach failed in his responsibilities to promote an atmosphere of compliance within his program and monitor the activities of those who reported directly and indirectly to him.
“Those are the 34 words the NCAA Committee on Infractions used in its 94-page report, released Friday, to describe Boeheim.
“Boeheim, the Hall of Famer. Boeheim, the most beloved man in Syracuse. Boeheim, a dean among college basketball coaches – ‘failed.’
“Let’s be clear. He will not be fired. He will not disappear, save the nine ACC games for which he has been suspended.
“But this is not something he can brush away with a smirk and a flip of his hand, as he is wont to do. It will sting personally and stain publicly.”
The initial reaction among most of us was that the penalties were severe, but upon further review, they aren’t. Syracuse is eligible for postseason play next year and as for the loss of scholarships, barring injuries or failed academics, they can more than make do with 9 or 10 scholarship athletes a year, rather than the 13 max. It’s the hit to Boeheim’s reputation that is the worst part of all this.
“The ACC put out a news release Friday announcing that the league has been awarded the 2015 Naismith Legacy Award. According to the release, the award is given each year to individuals and organizations in basketball to ‘honor their roles in furthering the values of honor, respect and integrity on and off the court.’
“The timing of the announcement was fascinating. On the same day, the NCAA came about as close to throwing the book at Syracuse – now an ACC member – as it ever comes when a big-time program is accused of breaking the rules.
“Orange coach Jim Boeheim woke up Friday morning second on the all-time Division I coaching list with 966 wins. By lunchtime, he was down to sixth after the NCAA stripped him of 108 wins, some of them dating from the 2004-05 season….
“Syracuse already had announced last month that it was voluntarily banning itself from all postseason play this year, meaning it won’t be around next weekend at the ACC tournament….
“When Syracuse announced (this), there were skeptics who saw the move as a preemptory move designed to bring the investigation to an end during a down year for the Orange. At best, Syracuse was an NCAA bubble team….
“The move worked: The penalties are more embarrassing than substantive. Syracuse won’t miss any TV time and will be eligible to play in next season’s NCAA tournament. And then again, it didn’t work: The NCAA pompously concluded the school had to be penalized because it had ‘failed to monitor its athletics program and its head basketball coach failed to monitor his program.’ In English, this means there were academic issues, drug-testing issues and an issue involving a booster who was passing out money he shouldn’t have been passing out.
“The real question is whether Boeheim, who turned 70 in November, wants to deal with all of this going forward…
“This certainly isn’t the way he wants to go out. But the large blemishes of the recent past certainly have to blur his vision of the future.
“But Syracuse isn’t the only ACC team making news that might not quite live up to the Naismith Legacy Award. North Carolina is being investigated by the NCAA after an independent investigator hired by the school concluded there had been academic fraud involving athletes – many of them basketball players – from 1993 to 2011.
“No one knows what the NCAA will do with Carolina because the case is unique. But there is a lot of collective breath-holding going on throughout the state.
“And earlier in the week, the student newspaper at Duke broke a story reporting that former basketball player Rasheed Sulaimon, who was booted from the team on Jan. 29, had twice been accused of sexual assault during the 2013-14 academic year. According to the story, Duke athletic officials, including Krzyzewski, knew about the accusations as early as last March.
“That story is not the grand cover-up the anti-Duke and anti-Krzyzewski factions would like to see exposed; no one has filed any charges against Sulaimon, and he was thrown off the team. Regardless, the incident probably won’t come up Saturday during (ACC Commissioner John) Swofford’s acceptance speech.
“If the ACC can figure out a way to get a couple more schools into NCAA hot water, it may be a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize by the end of the year.
“There’s also a not-so-minor basketball issue. With all the chest-beating the conference has done about how the additions of Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and Louisville have made it the best league this side of the NBA’s Western Conference, here’s a dirty little secret: An ACC team hasn’t reached the Final Four since 2010….
“From the 1962 season through 2010, the longest gap without at least one ACC team in the Final Four was two years.”
As to the Duke / Rasheed Sulaimon story…Will Hobson / Washington Post:
“As the week wore on in Durham, it became clear that even if the accusations in the story were completely accurate, that didn’t necessarily mean Krzyzewski or any administrators handled them improperly….
“Federal law mandates university employees such as Krzyzewski report allegations of sexual violence and requires schools to investigate. But because the women wouldn’t agree to talk to school officials about their allegations, it would have been difficult for Duke to investigate. In statements this week, Duke administrators pledged they responded properly. On Thursday, Sulaimon’s attorney, who has refuted the accusations, told media outlets the university investigated last year and closed the case because the claims could not be substantiated.
“Allegations of sex crimes against athletes have a special significance at Duke, a campus community scarred by a 2006 controversy in which law enforcement, news media, and members of the campus community rushed to judge lacrosse players accused of rape – charges that proved false. Some professors at Duke Law School were quick to preach caution this week and criticized the student newspaper….
“ ‘It was an irresponsible way to present that information,’ law professor Paul Haagen said. The Chronicle reporters ‘kept putting things together in sequences where there was a suggestion something was going on or you were invited to make the conclusion as a reader….A totally plausible narrative to me would be [Krzyzewski and administrators] learned about it, they referred it to the proper people, who did as thorough an investigation as they could, then reached a conclusion that nothing could be done.’….
“Unless the alleged victims decide to pursue legal charges, or file complaints with the school, the story likely will dissipate with no firm conclusion of guilt or exoneration for Sulaimon.
“ ‘It’s the ultimate no-win situation,’ said Orin Starn, professor of cultural anthropology at Duke. ‘I don’t think anybody feels good about the way that this is unfolding. If these allegations are true, that’s horrifying…but if the allegations are not true, one feels terrible for him.’”
–Through Sunday’s play…the Warriors are the top team in the NBA at 49-12, while the Hawks are 49-13.
–Last Wednesday, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook returned from his facial injury wearing a clear mask and promptly picked up where he left off, only this time in getting his fourth straight triple-double, he had a career-high 49 points against the 76ers, plus a career-high 16 rebounds and 10 assists in a 123-118 victory No one has had four straight since Michael Jordan in 1989 (Jordan had seven in a row in his streak).
Westbrook’s run ended on Thursday in a 108-105 loss to the Bulls. He had 43 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.
–Not for nothing but LeBron James has not been playing well recently. In the Cavs’ last two losses, he had nine turnovers in one and hit just 3-of-11 from the line in the other (the Houston game).
For the year, LeBron’s field goal percentage is just .488, worst since 2007-08, which compares with .565 in 2012-13 and .567 last year.
His free throw percentage of .715 is also the worst since ’07-’08, while he is averaging a staggering 4.3 turnovers per game, the worst of his career.
–You had to like San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich’s comment when asked how he felt about the NBA contemplating extending the season into July in order to avoid the 16 to 20 back-to-back games that each team plays over the course of the year.
“If there is a game in July, count me out. Count me out. Count me out. Life is too short….I think the season is long enough. I will not come to work in July.”
Of course it was Popovich who started the trend of resting veterans and for economic reasons there is no way the NBA is shortening the regular season.
I’m not sure the players understand the ramifications. Yeah, they’re all bitching about back-to-backs, but if you go into July (assuming you advance a few rounds in the playoffs), that is one short offseason break.
That said, the players seem to be for it, as do some owners, and Commissioner Adam Silver is keeping an open mind.
Moi? Are you kidding? July is for baseball and the British Open. Period.
–Speaking of the Spurs, they have now won five in a row to advance to 39-23 after a 116-105 win over the Bulls on Sunday, despite the fact Tim Duncan was 0-for-8 from the field, 3 points.
–So some of you know that my worst day of the week is Friday because of the other column I do. But the other day I had to put the Mets spring training game on while I was writing away because Matt Harvey was on the mound in a real game for the first time in more than 18 months after Tommy John surgery.
I said last week that I will be a nervous wreck watching him this season until I’m convinced I needn’t worry, but on Friday he was spectacularly good in his two-inning stint. He needed just 25 pitches, struck out three, two on 98-mile-per-hour fastballs and the other on a nasty curve.
98 mph?!!! I was thinking if we were lucky he might hit that in mid-summer. I know it’s been 18 months rather than the standard 12 for recovery, but still.
[Actually, I wasn’t the only one with this thought. At one point, bench coach Bob Geren turned to manager Terry Collins and said, “My God, that was 98.”]
Afterwards Harvey said what all fans wanted to hear: “Well, I’ve said that I feel like I never left.”
This doesn’t mean us fans are out of the woods. We love Harvey because of his confidence, his cockiness, that until he arrived was missing on the Mets. But it’s going to take a while before we really believe it’s back to “Harvey’s Day,” as we used to say when he was scheduled to pitch.
Heck, ESPN is following his every move for a future special. I mean we all know the deal. If he’s pitching for the Twins, it’s like, whatever. But Harvey has embraced his role like few others in recent memory. He’s also now the “Dark Knight.”
—Big blow for the Texas Rangers, who it would appear are losing ace Yu Darvish to Tommy John surgery after an MRI revealed partially torn ligaments in his right elbow. A three-time All-Star, he was shut down the final seven weeks of last season with the same issue.
The Rangers led the majors with nearly 2,300 days lost to the disabled list in 2014, including the loss of Prince Fielder from mid-May on due to neck issues that required spinal fusion surgery. Fielder is supposed to be healthy, but will he have any power?
–The San Francisco Giants lost outfielder Hunter Pence for six to eight weeks after being hit by a pitch in an exhibition game on Thursday. Pence has played in 383 straight games – the longest active streak in the majors.
“Roy Silver, one of Josh Hamilton’s closest friends and a mentor in his struggles with addiction, says the best thing for the Los Angeles Angels outfielder to do is retire from baseball.
“When Hamilton missed the 2002 to 2006 seasons while recovering, the top overall pick in the 1999 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays accepted a part-time job at Silver’s baseball academy – mowing grass, pulling weeds, cleaning toilets – in exchange for use of the facility.
“ ‘I’m not shocked or surprised,’ Silver says. ‘People don’t understand that this hasn’t been easy for him. I knew something was not right for the last couple of months. The fact that he’s turned himself in is a sign that he got tired of the same old spin cycle. He’s trying to get well.
“Hamilton, 33, is due $25.4 million this season and $32.4 million in both 2016 and 2017.
“Yet, Silver says, walking away from $90.2 million would be the medicine to get his life in order.
“ ‘Baseball has never driven Josh,’ Silver says. ‘People don’t understand that. He just loves to hit. And he loves to dive.
“ ‘And after winning the MVP and going to two World Series, his body won’t let him dive anymore, and he’s struggling to hit. If he’s still dealing with all of these mental and emotional challenges, it’s not going to work.’”
An arbitrator will decide Hamilton’s fate after a four-person panel – appointed by Major League Baseball’s commissioner’s office and the player’s union was deadlocked on whether Hamilton should enter a rehabilitation program for substance abuse. Enter the arbitrator to break the tie.
If Hamilton is suspended and not in treatment, he would not be paid.
“MLB officials are considering whether to classify him as a fourth-time offender of its drug policy, the person with knowledge of the discussions said.
“Violators face a range of penalties, starting at 15 to 25 games for a first offense, 25 to 50 games for a second offense, 50 to 75 games for a third offense and at least one full season for a fourth offense. Commissioner Rob Manfred would have the final say on the length of a suspension.”
–Us Jets fans have been doing little but waiting to see how the new regime’s first draft goes, plus we were hoping we might pick up a solid receiver in free agency. The new general manager is Mike Maccagnan (sic), new coach Todd Bowles, and we were approaching ‘show me’ time.
Well boy did Maccagnan show us fans something on Friday! Word hit that when official announcements on trades can be made, March 10, that the Jets will have acquired All-Pro receiver Brandon Marshall from the Bears for a probable fifth-rounder. Brandon Marshall for a fifth-rounder?! Are you kidding me?!
Yeah, he turns 31 in exactly two weeks, but this is a guy who had seven straight 1,000-yard seasons until last year when he missed a few games with relatively minor issues.
Yeah, this is a guy with his third team in five years, a player who has some personality quirks (disorders)…some say a detriment in the locker room.
But, this is also a guy who has raved about Todd Bowles, having played for him in Miami when Bowles was on the staff there two years, and his personal issues seem to be a thing of the past.
He’s a presence…plain and simple. It’s a brilliant move, given the cost. Plus with a very solid Eric Decker on the other side, an excellent duo.
[We’ll talk about who the heck is going to get these two the ball another day.]
The Jets also opted to re-sign linebacker David Harris to a three-year deal. Harris isn’t spectacular, but he’s solid, consistent, and never misses a game. He also acts as the nerve center in the huddle, the extension of the coaches.
So Maccagnan’s first two moves look tremendous. And will he now go after Darrelle Revis? The reports say he will.
[Brandon Marshall and Odell Beckham Jr. in the same town? Love it.]
–So much for his threatened retirement, which no one believed. Marshawn Lynch signed a two-year extension with the Seahawks, which includes a big raise for 2015, when he will make $12 million. He had been scheduled to earn $7 million. Lynch would then make an additional $24 million for 2016 and 2017 if he decided to stick around.
Since 2011, Lynch has more 100-yard games rushing than anyone else in the NFL, 24. Arian Foster has 23, LeSean McCoy 20.
Lynch (“Beast Mode”) also has at least 1,200 yards in each of his four seasons in Seattle (as well as 11+ TDs rushing per).
–The Packers re-signed receiver Randall Cobb to a four-year, $40 million contract. Cobb was one of the top free agents out there after posting career highs with 91 catches, 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The big thing is Cobb, Jordy Nelson and Aaron Rodgers will be together through the 2018 season.
—Peyton Manning formally signed a reduced contract that brings him back to Denver for his 18th season. Don’t cry for him…he took a cut from $19 million to $15 million for 2015, though he can earn back his full $19M if he wins the Super Bowl.
–The Patriots parted ways with longtime defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, 33, who was due a $4 million roster bonus on March 10. Had the Patriots picked that up, Wilfork also would have earned a $3 million base salary and counted $8.9 million against the salary cap. So instead he’s a free agent, though he could reach a new agreement with the Pats.
–The Raiders’ Maurice Jones-Drew retired at the age of 30. The running back rushed for 8,167 yards, the sixth-most rushing yards in the NFL over the past nine seasons, eight of which were with Jacksonville.
Well, when free agency starts Tuesday, the Raiders have a whopping $64 million in salary-cap room, with Jones walking away from the last two years of his contract and the team releasing defensive end LaMarr Woodley on Thursday.
–The NFL suspended LaRon Landry for 10 games for violating the league’s policy on PEDs. Reaction was unanimous. “I’m shocked! Just shocked!” said with dripping sarcasm.
–Running back Frank Gore said he will sign this week with the Eagles, ending a terrific 10-year run with the 49ers. In light of LeSean McCoy departing for Buffalo, and we just learned he signed a four-year, $40 million deal, this is a smart move. Yes, Gore is 32, but he’s one who has some game left.
–And we’ve learned on Sunday that Ndamukong Suh will sign with Miami for the biggest contract ever awarded a defensive lineman, $114 million, $60 million guaranteed, over six years. Goodness gracious.
The market formally opens 4:00 PM ET Tuesday so some of the details may change, but Suh’s deal would be bigger than that accorded J.J. Watt, who signed in 2014 for six years, $100 million, with $51.8M guaranteed.
–Late story…former Jets and Titans running back Chris Johnson was shot in the shoulder in a drive-by shooting in Orlando, 4:00 a.m. Sunday. The driver of Johnson’s vehicle was killed. Reggie Johnson, the third passenger, was hit in the shoulder, hand and leg. Chris Johnson was said to be in stable condition, ditto Reggie.
Chris and Reggie told police a vehicle pulled up beside them at a red light and opened fire.
Chris is set to become a free agent on Tuesday. I’m guessing everyone takes a pass because in January, he was arrested in Orlando – his hometown – and charged with open carrying of a firearm.
Johnson has 8,628 yards, the fifth-leading active rusher in the NFL.
—Franco Harris, 65, and Lynn Swann, 63, had birthdays on Saturday. That’s pretty cool.
Golf Balls
–One of the better non-majors each year is the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral and boy this year didn’t disappoint as Dustin Johnson, in only his fifth start back from the wilderness, and a rumored substance abuse suspension, won his ninth PGA Tour title in besting J.B. Holmes by one.
As I’ve said a lot this year already, the Tour really needs D.J. He clearly has his head on straight and it seems, finally, he is ready to embrace the challenge and fulfill his potential, which is enormous. Can’t wait to see how he does at Augusta.
[Johnson has also now won an event in eight straight years.]
As for Rory McIlroy, he certainly displayed his temper in the second round, throwing his 3-iron in the water on the eighth hole after putting his approach shot on the par-5 into the water. Afterward, Rory admitted it wasn’t “one of my proudest moments,” though all are in agreement it was a helluva toss. [He’ll also be disciplined by the Tour, though it doesn’t disclose such penalties publicly.]
–I didn’t realize Arnold Palmer, 85, took a tumble last December and has been laid up nursing a dislocated right shoulder ever since. But the other day, Arnie said he will make his annual appearance on the first tee at Augusta National as honorary starter.
“I’m not allowed to swing yet…(but) I’m looking forward to being out on that tee even if I fan it.”
Premier League Standings
1. Chelsea 27 games…63 points
2. Man City 28…58
3. Arsenal 28…54
4. Man U 28…53
5. Liverpool 28…51
6. Tottenham 28…50
7. Southampton 28…49
8. Stoke City 28…42
17. Aston Villa 28…25
18. QPR 28…22
19. Burnley 28…22
20. Leicester City 27…18
Reminder, bottom three get relegated to a lower league…which means greatly reduced revenues, less money for good players…you get the picture.
–Just like in any other sport, teams in the Premier League can get caught looking ahead and it was tempting for Tottenham to do so against QPR on Saturday. With your editor wearing his Spurs jersey, they were ripe for the picking but once again Harry Kane put on a show, scoring twice to lead Tottenham to a 2-1 win.
So now it’s on to next Sunday and Manchester United. If the Spurs win, they have a favorable schedule the rest of the way.
I must say for QPR, which is unlikely to survive relegation, Charlie Austin is a helluva striker.
–In Spain, Lionel Messi scored three goals inside 12 minutes for Barcelona in its 6-1 win against Rayo Vallecano. The significance of this is it was his 24th hat trick in La Liga history, thus surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s 23.
Messi also tallied goal number 41 for the season, becoming the first in Spanish football history to score 40 or more in six different campaigns.
—Lindsey Vonn stretched her career record World Cup win mark to 65 on Sunday, winning the Super G at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, after finishing 7th in the downhill on Saturday.
–Pretty incredible college hockey game Friday night / Saturday morning. In the first round of the Hockey East tournament, UMass beat Notre Dame in the longest game in NCAA Division I ice hockey history. It lasted 151 minutes, 42 seconds, surpassing the previous mark of 150:22 in five overtimes, set by Quinnipiac and Union in an ECAC quarterfinal game in 2010.
Notre Dame goalie Cal Petersen, a Buffalo Sabres prospect, set a Division I record with 87 saves! [The previous mark was 78.] UMass’ Steve Mastalerz finished with 75.
–Suspended NASCAR driver Kurt Busch will not face criminal charges over his alleged assault of his ex-girlfriend at Dover International Speedway, after a decision by the Delaware attorney general’s office.
NASCAR is unlikely to reinstate Busch anytime soon but is using a domestic violence expert to help with any decisions.
–In Sunday’s race at Vegas, defending Sprint Cup champ Kevin Harvick continued his phenomenal stretch, winning the race after starting the year with two seconds. In his last six, dating back to last year, he has three wins and three seconds.
—Daniel Von Bargen died. He was 64. The character actor was probably best known as George Costanza’s boss on “Seinfeld.” Von Bargen was Mr. Kruger from 1997 to 1998. He also appeared regularly in prime-time dramas such as “The West Wing” and “Law & Order.” And he appeared on the big screen, including as a warden in “Amistad.”
Von Bargen died of complications from diabetes. [His final years sound awful and I’m not retelling it here.]
–As reported by Abby Ohlheiser of the Washington Post, there is a movement afoot to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, specifically to be replaced by a woman as a nonprofit group called Women on 20’s suggested. Someone from American history, like Eleanor Roosevelt, Harriet Tubman or Rosa Parks.
One issue has come up in this discussion, that being the Treasury Department can’t find anywhere in its files just why Jackson was placed on the $20 in 1928 in the first place. Grover Cleveland had been on the bill, by the way. Even a University of Tennessee history professor who edited “The Papers of Andrew Jackson” didn’t know when asked by the Post.
–For those of you gearing up for “Game of Thrones,” David Peterson, co-founder of the Language Creation Society, has written a book on Dothraki. For example, “Let’s ride!” is Dothralates. “Hello” is M’athchomaroon.
—Albert Maysles died. He was 88. Maysles was the influential filmmaker behind the movie “Gimme Shelter,” among others.
—Brian Carman died at the age of 69. From Steve Chawkins of the Los Angeles Times:
“Maybe he should have been studying – or even surfing.
“But Brian Carman had a guitar – a $40 Montgomery Ward’s Airline that he bought with his mom’s credit card. And he had a little group called the Chantays – five guys from Santa Ana High School who thought they could maybe play for dances at the community center.
“One afternoon in 1961, he and his pal Bob Spickard got together and traded licks after school. By the end of the day, they had composed what would become one of Southern California’s most recognizable musical exports – an instrumental anthem to riding the waves and living the life, a hard-driving song that begins with a dive-bombing set of notes cherished by virtually every kid who has picked up a guitar in the last six decades.”
The result was “Pipeline.” The surfer anthem peaked at #4 in 1963, the same year that they appeared on “The Lawrence Welk Show” as the first rock ‘n’ roll group ever featured on the program. Boy, there’s some trivia. I’m not sure there was another such act ever on it. And get this.
“For years afterward, Welk thanked them at Christmas with cheese logs and gift baskets.”
Spickard said, “Our parents absolutely loved it although we might have thought it was somehow corny. But Welk was an absolute gentleman.”
Top 3 songs for the week of 3/9/74: #1 “Seasons In The Sun” (Terry Jacks) #2 “Boogie Down” (Eddie Kendricks) #3 “The Way We Were” (Barbra Streisand)… and…#4 “Jungle Boogie” (Kool & The Gang…great tune after four quick beers…) #5 “Rock On” (David Essex… interminable…) #6 “Dark Lady” (Cher) #7 “Spiders & Snakes” (Jim Stafford…underrated entertainer in the purest sense of the word…) #8 “Mockingbird” (Carly Simon & James Taylor…wasn’t a fan of this one…frankly, it blows…) #9 “Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)” (Aretha Franklin…I think my favorite of hers…) #10 “Sunshine On My Shoulders” (John Denver…always a reminder to gas up your plane…)
NCAA Basketball Quiz: 1976-77 Marquette starting five in Al McGuire’s final, victorious season at the helm.
Butch Lee, Bo Ellis, Jim Boylan, Jerome Whitehead, Bernard Toone.
Walter Davis, Mike O’Koren, Phil Ford, Rich Yonaker, John Kuester
This was a terrific Final Four that also included UNLV (led by Eddie Owens, Glen Gondrezick, Larry Moffett and Reggie Theus) and the Cinderella team of the year, UNCC.
I was a freshman at Wake that year and we had a great team of our own, making it to the Elite Eight before losing to Marquette 82-68. Wake had ACC Player of the Year Rod Griffin, Skip Brown (just a super, super college guard), Frank Johnson (who went on to play many a year in the NBA), Jerry Schellenberg (drafted), Leroy McDonald (drafted) and Larry Harrison.
But it was such an exciting time for the region…Wake, North Carolina and UNCC; back in the day when real newspapers were devoured for all the stats. Also, Winston-Salem State had an exciting program then under Clarence “Big House” Gaines.
Anyway, Charlotte had a great starting five of their own…Cedric Maxwell, Kevin King, Chad Kinch, Lew Massey and Melvin Watkins.
In the semis, UNCC was dreaming of a finals matchup with UNC, but they lost to Marquette, 51-49, when a long pass from Butch Lee evaded Maxwell and reached Jerome Whitehead for the game-winner.
