The NCAA will begin it's second week of March Madness on Thursday. This week also marks the alleged opening day of the Major League Baseball season. There is the little issue of the "racist" Vogue magazine cover, and the NFL plans on opening a new salon next season...
America's Pastime:
This week Major Leage Baseball celebrated opening day with the rare 6:00 am EST start. That's right, you could have baseball with your coffee and donuts. Traffic backed up on the beltway or 66? So what, America's Pasttime has finally returned and one can listen to live baseball on the morning commute. What a country!!! Japan being 13 hours ahead of us here in Washington D.C. is fantastic. What a country indeed! How can Major League Baseball try to convince us that baseball is America's Pasttime and hold opening day in another country? I understand expanding the global reach of baseball, but opening day should be sacred. It should be just for us here in North America. Exhibition games in Japan? Fine. I can see a regular season game there. But opening day, should not be touched. To send the World Series Champions to Japan to play games that count and only to have them play three exhibition games in L.A. just days later, seems a bit backwards. Just my thoughts.
Sweet Sixteen:
The DMV(D.C., Maryland and Virginia) had six reasons to celebrate the NCAA Mens Basketball tournament this year. With Georgetown, George Mason, UMBC, Mount St. Mary's, Coppin State and American all getting berths, the tri state area was well represented. The selection committee was cruel however, in pitting two of four of the teams against each other, including Mount St. Mary's vs. Coppin State in the Play-in Game. No one expected much from any of the teams except Georgetown. The Hoyas had four talented seniors, two talented freshman and a sophomore in DaJaun Summers who has NBA scouts making plans for the 2009 draft. Then, along comes Davidson. I knew Davidson was talented, but talented enough to beat Georgetown? The Big East Brawler, who has been there before and won't see anything new on the way to a second consecutive final four saw a baby faced Stephon Curry light up the RBC Center and end Roy Hibberts championship dreams. The Sweet 16 begins tonight without any of the teams from the DMV. The closest school to root for now, West Virginia, who defeated Duke last Saturday at the Verizon Center. One quick note about Duke. Many talk about the atmosphere at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Much is said about how difficult it is for opposing teams who try to win on Coach K Court. But, the Blue Devils play in just as hostile an environment on the road. This weekend, and nearly everytime they play outside of the friendly confines of Cameron, Duke faces fan oppositon unlike any I have ever seen. At the Verizon Center in Round 1 and 2 of the tournament, nearly all of the 20,000 fans on hand cheered every point both Belmont and West Virginia scored against Duke. They applauded every foul called against Duke and booed every call made in favor of Duke. Kudos has to go to Coach K for the way he prepares his team to deal with this every night. Those young men at Duke carry themselves with class on and off the court when on the road. The fans on the road are as hostile towards the Blue Devils as the Cameron Crazies are toward visiting teams on Coach K Court. Despite all of that, Duke players keep their composure and most of all, they win.
King James/King Kong:
Their is plenty of outcry over the cover of Vogue Magazine featuring Lebron James and model Giselle Bunchen. There are some who are suggesting that James was forced to pose and re-enact the famous picture of King Kong holding Faye Ray. People, get over yourselves, 'nuff said.
NFL Salon:
This week the NFL has proposed a limit on hair hanging out of the helmet. The rule, they say is for the protection of the players. Some players are not happy and the talking heads seem to agree with the players. On this on, I am with the NFL. Listen, you can't have it both ways. One cannot ask the NFL to do what it can to make a very brutal game as safe as possible, then call the league no fun when they have an idea that helps with safety. The penalty for a horsecollar tackle drives me crazy. If I cannot catch a man from behind withouth grabbing the back of the jersey, I am supposed to just pull up and stop chasing. Sorry, I stopped coach, but I just couldn't catch up to T.O. get in front of him and brind him down. So, I let him go for 6 instead of getting a 15 yard penalty. I don't like it, but it makes sense when the safety of a player is considered. The hair rule, is the same thing. Troy Palomalou intercepts a Jason Campbell pass and Clinton Portis is the closest to him and uses Troy's hair to pull him. Sure, something like that is rare, but I applaud the NFL for being proactive for a change.
Be sure to catch "Hurricane" Forest C. Godwin each week on The Sports Groove with Mark Gray on 1450 AM.
