Sweet 16 Previews: Thursday Night
The Sweet 16 starts tonight with the regional semi-final games in both the East and West Regional. Here’s a look at the four games coming from Boston and Phoenix, in the order they’ll sequence on TV…
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MLB March Report: Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins had been on a roll as baseball’s most overachieving franchise. The team that was slated for contraction in 2002 as part of the last really serious players-owners dispute in MLB, has seven winning seasons in the nine years Ron Gardenhire has managed the club, and six of those have ended with an AL Central division title. And that snapshot doesn’t even include Tom Kelly’s even more successful tenure, with World Series wins in 1987 and 1991. But it came crashing down hard last year, as the club was hit by injuries to key players, and those that were on the field seemed to completely lose the grasp of sound fundamental play, a hallmark of the Twins in the recent era. They finished 63-99. So was that an aberration, or a sign that the old era is ending? TheSportsNotebook takes a look at the 2012 Twins, on the basis of their ability to get on base, hit for power, starting pitching and relief pitching.
Sweet 16 Weekend: Where’s The Place To Be?
The regionals of the NCAA Tournament tip off again on Thursday and Friday, in four different cities. Prior to last weekend’s games, TheSportsNotebook took a look at all eight venues that hosted games and determined which would be the best one. The recommendation was Nashville on the grounds that all six games promised to be good, and serious upset possibilities existed. What happened? Ohio beat Michigan. South Florida knocked out Temple. St. Bonaventure led Florida State most of the way in a game that came down to final possession. Texas and Cincinnati played a great game down to the end. And that was just the first day. Then on Sunday, Ohio completed a dark horse run to the Sweet 16 in a good game over South Florida, and Cincy-Florida State was another nail-biter. You got everything TheSportsNotebook said you would, as long as you didn’t take my advice on who would actually win all these games (I went 1-3 on Friday, 0-2 on Saturday), you had a good time. The scenarios aren’t as varied this week, but TheSportsNotebook is back in its travel-agent capacity to look at the four travel options for this weekend….
MLB March Report: Cincinnati Reds
It’s win-or-else time for the Cincinnati Reds, after a disappointing fade in the late summer and fall of last season. Cincy’s main competition from last year, Milwaukee and St. Louis, is re-tooling after major free agency hits. The Chicago Cubs have the money, but still have a big rock to crawl out from under. Houston is completely rebuilding. So with all due respect to Clint Hurdle and the Pittsburgh Pirates, that leaves the Reds in a position to win their second NL Central title in three years. And the word from the Queen City is that the heat is on Dusty Baker early—if they’re not off to a sound start, we can look for a managerial change by Memorial Day and a possible firesale. If they are playing well, Dusty’s safe and sound and the front office will get what they need to make the playoffs. This dynamic makes the Reds one of baseball’s most interesting teams in 2012, and TheSportsNotebook evaluates them today, based on their ability to get on base, hit for power, starting pitching and relief pitching.
MLB March Report: Boston Red Sox
It’s been two years since the Boston Red Sox have made the playoffs, and when you drop $140 million in coin, talking about how well you played in between your horrifically bad start and your epic collapse won’t cut it. So it’s a new era in the Hub, as Theo Epstein and Terry Francona, a duo who runs second to only Belichick/Brady when it comes to great tandems in recent Boston sports history, are out and the Red Sox look to put together a contender in the ruthlessly tough AL East. TheSportsNotebook evaluates the Sox in terms of their ability get on base, hit for power, starting pitching and relief pitching.
MLB March Reports: Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers may have been turned into a dysfunctional mess by owner Frank McCourt, but the team on the field managed to overachieve last year, play well down the stretch and sneak a winning season, at 82-80, out from under the rubble. Can manager Don Mattingly perform similar magic this time around, or do the Dodgers have too many flaws? TheSportsNotebook evaluates the 2012 edition on the basis of the ability to get on base, hit for power, starting pitching and relief pitching.
Morning Line Archives: March 12-18
FOUR DAYS OF MADNESS: Thursday, March 15 thru Sunday March 18 College basketball’s four-day extravaganza gives us the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, with 47 games over the next 96 hours. Oh, by the way, I am not calling these rounds the “second and third rounds”, as the NCAA wants to officially […]
Morning Line Archives: March 5-11
Friday, March 9: THE WEEKEND EDITION A busy Friday is on tap at TheSportsNotebook as we get you set for not just a big weekend of college basketball, but action across the sports world. Here’s what’s available… *The preview of the weekend in college basketball conference tournaments is up. *My podcast at Prime Sports Network […]
Morning Line Archives: February 27-March 2
Friday March 2: WEEKEND EDITION It’s the final weekend of the college basketball regular season in the major conferences and tournament play is gaining steam in some of the midmajors and almost all of the minor conferences. That’s going to be the main topic on my twice-weekly podcast at PrimeSportsNetwork.com with Greg DePalma at 3 […]
NCAA Tournament Recaps: 2nd Round Sunday Games
The whirlwind is over, and the intense run of 47 games in four days reached its conclusion on Sunday night. The NCAA Tournament field is pared to 16. TheSportsNotebook looks back on the eight second-round games from Sunday…
NCAA Tournament 2nd Round: Sunday Game Previews
The second round closes out today, with the final eight spots in the Sweet 16 filled. TheSportsNotebook has a look at the games, in the order they’ll appear on television today… N.C. State-Georgetown (12:15 PM ET, CBS): I’ve been going back-and-forth on this game since the bracket was announced. At first, I had Georgetown advancing […]
NCAA Tournament Recaps: Saturday’s 2nd Round Games
The power conferences were letting their muscle be felt on Saturday, as half of the tickets for the Sweet 16 were punched. Of the eight spots filled, three went to the Big Ten, three more to the Big East, another to the Big 12 and one to the SEC. In the meantime, some live darkhorses went by the board. TheSportsNotebook runs through all eight games from yesterday…