The Daytona 500 ushers in the start of a new NASCAR Sprint Cup season on Sunday (Noon ET, Fox). With the strong presence of Joe Gibbs Racing, named for and run by the former legendary head coach of the Washington Redskins, the Sprint Cup circuit can be fairly described as where Redskins fans go to experience winning on Sunday. There are four drivers for Joe Gibbs Racing, all prominent contenders. Here’s a look at each one:
Head coach Jay Gruden announced RG3 will enter training camp as the clear #1 starter. No open competition as previously promised, and it begs the question of whether the Washington Redskins have any idea what they’re doing as an organization.
The practical effects of the Green Bay Packers’ historic collapse in the NFC Championship Game have started to be felt. Brandon Bostick, the tight end who made the fatal mistake on the onside kick that opened the door for the Seattle Seahawks to win, has been released. Perhaps more interesting though is that head coach Mike McCarthy has given up playcalling duties to focus on the rest of the team.
The NBA playoff format has been under some scrutiny this year, and with Commissioner Adam Silver at least putting himself cautiously behind the idea of change, it’s now out on the front-burner during the All-Star break. This question is this—is it time to abolish the East-West conference distinctions in the interests of getting the best 16 teams in the playoffs?
I understand the concerns—there are a lot of ugly college basketball games that have nothing to do with great defense. But the problem isn’t the shot clock, it’s that too many teams can’t run a legitimate half-court offense. And reducing the clock will only make that worse.
Sean Miller has had Arizona basketball knocking on the door of big things during his five first years in Tucson. The Wildcats have won a pair of Pac-12 titles and lost tough games in three of the last four NCAA Tournaments in either the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight. Arizona is positioned for another big run this year and they’ll be national TV twice in three days—tonight at Washington (9 PM ET, ESPN) and Sunday at Washington State (6:30, FoxSports1).
Gonzaga basketball splashed onto the national scene in 1999 when they made a surprise run to a regional final before losing to ultimate NCAA champion UConn. Since that point, the Zags have been in the NCAA Tournament every year, sometimes with high expectations. But they’ve never even reached the regional finals again, much less the Final Four. Mark Few’s team has a chance this year, thanks to some good size on the frontcourt.
In the long history of LSU basketball, their biggest win over Kentucky came in the regional finals of the 1986 NCAA Tournament. The undermanned Tigers, coached by master motivator Dale Brown, stunned the favored Wildcats and reached the Final Four as an 11-seed, unprecedented at the time and matched in future years only by George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth. Tonight’s LSU-Kentucky game (7 PM ET, ESPN) from Baton Rouge won’t match that, but it could take over the #2 spot.
Now that the Super Bowl and its aftermath are over, it’s time to settle in for February and college basketball, as teams race to position themselves for the NCAA Tournament and win conference championships. If you’re just starting to follow hoops seriously now that football’s over, here’s a brief primer on the college basketball Sweet 16.
There are thirty games left in the NHL regular season and the Los Angeles Kings are in serious danger of missing the playoffs. After two Stanley Cups in three years with a trip to the Western Conference Finals sandwiched in between, the Kings have a long row to hoe if they are going to earn another opportunity this spring. What’s the problem and will they survive?lo
The aftermath of the Super Bowl has been marked by universal criticism of Seattle Seahawks’ coach Pete Carroll. You know what happened…I’ve listened to Carroll get crushed repeatedly. But I want to offer a reasonable defense of the Seattle head coach.
The place in history for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady elevated even higher last night in Phoenix, as he won his fourth Super Bowl ring. In the aftermath of the Patriots’ thrilling 28-24 win over the Seahawks, let’s ask this—is Brady now the greatest quarterback of all time?
