Interview with Coco Crisp: Baseball player and so much more

by Joseph Landini
Sportsrageous.com
http://www.sportsrageous.com/interview-with-coco-crisp-baseball-player-and-so-much-more-11-14-2011

Coco Crisp is a Major League Baseball player who has made a name for himself as one of the most exciting guys in the game. Between his combination of speed and power, Crisp has become one of the most solid outfielders in baseball. Outside of baseball, Crisp is just a normal guy by helping out whenever he can and even doing other sports on occasion.

Growing up, Crisp was not just a baseball player. His father was a fighter, so Crisp was into the contact sports, such as football, boxing, and even karate. While playing all these sports, Crisp began to excel in baseball. “I started to become really good at it, so I took the appropriate steps toward being even more successful,” said Crisp. It was also a plus in the sense that his father also had a major love for the game.

When asked what his favorite moment of his career was, Crisp didn’t have a difficult time just pinpointing one. “My big league call up has to be on top. That phone call was so exciting, and catches you totally off guard,” explained Crisp. Coco at that time called all his family and friend to tell them the big news. “It was like winning the lottery,” he continued. Crisp also mentioned how winning the World Series was like nothing else. He talked about how you work so hard to get there, then you are there, and once you win it how unbelievable of a feeling it is.

Growing up loving baseball, Crisp had various idols in the game he watched. “Every aspect of the game had a player to go with it,” he explained. When Crisp was younger he wanted to become a switch hitter, so he watched Ken Griffey Jr. bat left handed, which is also where his power came. Locally in California he would always watch the late Brett Butler, while for his speed aspect, Ricky Henderson was his guy. When he was young Crisp attempted to collect all of Henderson’s baseball cards. He told a story about how every other weekend he and his father would go to swap meets, and other card stores looking for new cards so he had them all. Lastly, Ozzie Smith was another player Coco grew up liking. Being drafted as a middle infielder, Crisp would love to watch Smith play. “Every time I would go to a game Ozzie was playing in, I was hoping to see something spectacular, hoping to see a back flip,” Crisp said.

For the Oakland Athletics this past season Crisp sported a .264 batting average to go along with eight homeruns, 54 RBI, and an impressive 49 stolen bases and an almost perfect fielding percentage (.997). The Athletics, as a whole, finished third in the American League West with a 74-88 record. Crisp said, “We had a team that could compete, but we under performed.” He went on to say how the backbone of the team, the pitching staff, was injured which hurt them as well. Crisp was surrounded by a great group of guys, but was not satisfied with his overall performance. His power numbers and average were down from years past, but injury did hold him down. “It just seemed like every time I got hot, I’d get injured,” commented Crisp. He talked about because of this he could not get into a rhythm, thus not being able to help the offensive struggles. Outside of the offensive struggles he was happy and thought he did a good job stealing bases.

Also last season, Crisp was being shuffled in the lineup, due to him being a veteran and his versatility. “I’m very easy going, because no matter what I knew how to stay within myself,” he said. Crisp mainly batted in any of the first three spot in the lineup. Coco explained all the advantages in hitting in each of those spots. If he batted third, he was able to have more chances of knocking in runs. “Hitting third was not typical, but I have done so in my career whenever I am hot,” said Crisp. As for hitting in the two hole, Crisp is comfortable in this position, because he loves to bunt, move his runner over, thus giving his team a better chance of scoring. Lastly, was the lead off position, which is where Crisp mainly hits in the lineup. The lead-off spot is where Crisp is most used to because of his speed, and ability to steal bases.

Coco Crisp’s contract with the Athletics expired making him a free agent this off-season, looking for a new place to excite the crowd. “It’s a waiting game, and patience is key,” Crisp said, commenting on free agency. Crisp loves being home with his young children and his wife, making California a nice place to be. Talking and being close with his family was a way mentally to get through the entire baseball season. “It is a tough grind, you need to lean on people,” Crisp said. He talked about how being in Oakland was an easy commute to home on certain days. Despite this, Crisp wanted to make it clear that he was not opposed to anything. Aside from being home, when it comes to free agency, winning was another factor. “Winning always makes the baseball experience better,” exclaimed Crisp. He would go on to say how he would love another opportunity to win a championship. There are always rumors out there of where he will go, but Crisp said, “Nothing is close or concrete yet, so we will see how things go.”

Crisp is not just crafty with the baseball, but with another ball as well. Crisp talked about how back in the day he could bowl over 200 consistently. After his two shoulder injuries in 2009, Crisp said it was hard. He went on to tell a story on how the other day he went to the lanes by himself to bowl a few games. “I bowled 140-140-140, and just said to myself that today was not my day,” Crisp laughed. Crisp enjoys the game of bowling, and may even have a future in it. “With some training, after baseball, I could give the PBA a run,” stated Crisp.

Coco is currently involved with the Read Across America program locally. Crisp went to schools, read books to the children, and told them what reading did not him. “ For Me, talking in front of people was difficult for me when I was younger,” explained Crisp. He talked about how he gave the children tips on helping them with that problem. Some of the tips included not worrying so much, and concentrating on their breathing. “For me, doing this really touches home,” said Crisp.

Although his destination for next season is not mapped out yet, Crisp does have some personal goals in mind already. “The numbers will always be there, I just need to continue to play hard and stay on myself to set a good example,” he explained. Crisp finally talked about how his season would turn out the best way. “As long as I’m going out working hard and having fun, then things will work out.

AFC East Outlook Going Into Week 10

Check here for my latest podcast focusing on the AFC East going into this weekend:
http://vimeo.com/31979616

Penn State Scandal Podcast

Here is my latest podcast on my thoughts regarding the latest Penn State scandal.

The Weekly Tackle November 7,2011

Check out my latest two editions to The Weekly Tackle!

First, two of the top teams in college football clashed, find out who survived.
http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-november-72011-college-football-edition-11-07-2011

In the NFL, Tom Brady and Eli Manning face off for the first time since the Giants cut the perfect season of the Patriots. Find out if revenge was made.
http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-november-7-2011-nfl-edition-11-07-2011

The Weekly Tackle- October 24,2011

Sportsrageous.com
Joseph Landini
http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-october-24-2011-10-24-2011

Mountaineers fall down the Orange trail: For the second year in a row, West Virginia came into their game expecting to roll over Syracuse. For the second year in a row Syracuse upset the heavily favored West Virginia. Syracuse answered every score West Virginia had and more in the 49-23 upset, which gave the Mountaineers their first lost in the Big East this year. Ryan Nassib and Nick Provo connected three times to lead the Orange to their first Big East conference win.

Boomer Sooner goes Boom: Being a 28-point favorite did not matter on Saturday night, as the number 3 team in the nation, Oklahoma, fell to Texas Tech. Rallying behind Seth Doege’s four touchdown performance, Tech was able to score 17 points in the second quarter. Landry Jones of Oklahoma would throw for five of his own, but to no avail, as Texas Tech pulls off the upset of the year.

Tebow brings Broncos back in Miami: Despite a 15-point deficit with under three minutes to go, Tim Tebow brought the Broncos back Sunday afternoon to defeat the Dolphins in overtime. After the running game dominated early on, Denver finally unleashed Tebow. Tebow went on to hook up with Demaryius Thomas to cut the lead to eight with 2:44 left. After an onside kick recovery, Denver tied the Dolphins with a Daniel Fells reception, sending the game into overtime. After a Miami fumble, Denver made the game winning field goal to win their second on the season.

Lions drop second straight as Falcons fly: Atlanta came in with a plan, which was to let Calvin Johnson get his catches and limit everyone else. That is exactly what the Falcons did. Johnson had 115 yards receiving, but Matt Stafford would only throw for 183. Both QBs would be injured at one point in this game, as Matt Stafford will be having an MRI on his leg. The dirty bird wins this one, setting the Lions back.

Facebook Gaming News

Check out my newest column which just started up last week. It is a weekly Facebook Gaming column talking about which games are good, and which are bad.


Madden 12 falling short on the Hail Mary, while Texas Hold Em is hitting the jackpot. 10/20/11
http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/facebook-gaming-news-october-20-2011-10-20-2011

Angry Birds are flying high, while the Pawn Stars are losing shine. 10/12/11
http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/facebook-gaming-news-10-12-2011

The Weekly Tackle: October 10,2011

by Joseph Landini
Sportsrageous.com
http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-october-10-2011-10-10-2011

Patriots run past Jets- In a ground and pound affair, Benjarvis Green-Ellis was the difference with more than 100 yards and two touchdowns. After the Jets scored a late touchdown, the Patriots ran the clock down with a six-minute drive to sink the Jets on Sunday afternoon. The Patriots improve to 4-1, while the Jets have lost their third straight game, making them 2-3.

Eagles fall to mighty Buffalo- Michael Vick broke the all-time record for rushing yards by a Quarterback, but the Eagles continue to struggle. The Cinderella Bills continued to show that they are a real threat, as Fred Jackson propelled them to 4-1. Philadelphia fell to dead last in the NFC East with the loss, and now are 1-4. The “dream team” has been more like a nightmare this year.

Just Win, Baby!- After a rough loss in the Raider family, the Oakland Raiders did well by the late great Al Davis. Trailing the Texans almost the entire day, Jason Campbell was able to overcome in the fourth quarter. Campbell threw a TD to Chaz Schilens to start the final quarter and never looked back. After the game, all were emotional, and before every game every home team in the league did a moment of silence for the great Al Davis.

Patch.com

I have recently began to write freelance for Patch.com. Check out my first few articles here.

Danvers, MA
A season preview of Danvers High School Football, and outlook on coach Sean Rogers.
http://danvers.patch.com/articles/danvers-football-eyes-improvement-in-year-two-under-rogers

Danvers High School Football wins their home opener in comeback form.
http://danvers.patch.com/articles/falcons-electrify-in-forth-quarter-winning-opener

Danvers falls to Peabody in football despite good effort.
http://danvers.patch.com/articles/falcons-fall-short-to-peabody-tanners

Marblehead, MA
Marblehead, MA remembers September 11th with a service in it's honor.
http://marblehead.patch.com/articles/marblehead-mourns-those-lost-on-911

Peabody, MA
Peabody High School wins with an amazing rushing attack against Danvers.
http://peabody.patch.com/articles/tanners-shine-against-danvers-going-2-0

The Opening Weekend in the NFL

by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network
http://highheatnetwork.com/?p=500


It’s now back. The week every football fan has been waiting for. After a summer of doubt, and a short preseason of excitement, the 2011 NFL regular season is ONE day away! The season will feature an array of different storylines, such as whether stars Peyton Manning and Arian Foster can overcome injuries to lead their respective AFC teams. 2011 will also feature different questions. Will the Packers, behind Aaron Rodgers, repeat and bring the Lombardi trophy back to Green Bay? Can Rex Ryan and his determined Jets, finally back up their prediction of a Superbowl? Is it time for the up and coming Chiefs and Texans, to take the place of the steady and consistent Steelers and Ravens? And last but not least, is the self proclaimed, “Dream Team,” (Philadelphia Eagles), nothing but a dream? One thing is for certain; all questions and storylines will start to be addressed in Week 1. Here are some matchups that you need to keep an eye on.

It All Begins Again
2011 will start out tomorrow night with the former champs taking on the champs. The New Orleans Saints will head to Green Bay to take on Aaron Rodger’s Packers. The Packers finished off last season with the title belt, and will go for it once again. Drew Brees, after a “weird season for him”, type season, will try to bring his Saints back to where they belong. Even though the gloves will be on for a shootout in this one, the defensive side of the ball will be the deciding factor. Green Bay comes in with one of the top defenses in the league, while the Saints have been improving there year after year. Will Brees and his high powered offense steamroll the champs and bring them back to earth? Or will Aaron Rodgers continue his dominance over the dominant? This may be the best opening game ever in NFL history, get the chips and salsa ready.

1:00’s new school and old school
How about starting off your Sunday with the old school smash mouth matchup of Baltimore against Pittsburgh? The Steelers come into this season as the AFC Champions, and an interesting offseason debacle. Big Ben was not in the spotlight, but his main target and top defender were. Linebacker James Harrison called out his teammates after a terrible showing in the title game. He put the blame on everyone but himself it seemed. Hines Ward was charged with a DUI, and was in the papers for a long time. It is now time to see if all is forgotten, or if the legacy of team ball is finally crushed. Ray Lewis and his boys are ready and suited up for another season, as the Ravens were quiet in the offseason. The major news was that Ricky Williams joined the club, while Willis McGahee was sent packing. After years of solid play, and little to show for it recently, Baltimore is running out of time for a title due to age on the defensive end. With all of this going on, still expect these rival teams to play physically when the whistle is blown in Baltimore at one o’clock.

How could we forget about the new school? After years of disappointment the Detroit Lions may have found the puzzle pieces to compete in one of the most dangerous divisions in the NFL. The Lions finally seem set of defense after years of tarnish, while the offense will be reliant of the health of young Matt Stafford. If Stafford stays healthy, then you may see Calvin Johnson set records, not to mention the emergence of young Running back Javid Best. Their opponent isn’t too shabby themselves. Tampa Bay made an amazing effort last season, just to come up short in a division filled with talent. The team is led by vocal and young leader Josh Freeman, who was the first to bring his team together during the lockout. Starving for greatness, Freeman will try and lead a Bucs squad back to playoff country. With a strong Tight End in Kellen Winslow, and a cocky steamroller in LaGarrette Blount, the Bucs have a shot. This matchup will feature two of the best young talents under center, a must see on the flat screen TV.


The Night Trio
The Sunday night game followed by the double header on Monday will be nothing short of interesting. The first Sunday night football game of the year will feature two Eastern division hopefuls, looking for a way to the championship. The Dallas Cowboys will visit the New York Jets for the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The Cowboys enter the year as one of the many battling the Eagles for the top spot, while the Jets are starting their quest back to the AFC Championship game. Dallas will finally have Quarterback Tony Romo back under center, after getting injured early last season. New York will return with mostly familiar faces, but a new and improved receiving core for leader Mark Sanchez. The additions of Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason could be what bring the Jets all the way, but Dallas with Dez Bryant and Miles Austin is something to write home about. Get ready for fireworks Sunday night.

Fireworks on Sunday will be followed by a duet explosion Monday night. The first AFC East matchup of the year features the elite New England Patriots, taking on the concerned-filled Miami Dolphins. New England comes in with some new faces, but also without some key contributors. Chad Ochocinco will fill the void of that, “known number one receiver talent,” in the depth chart, and will welcome troubled Albert Haynesworth to an already stacked defensive line. These same Patriots though will be without the likes of return man Brandon Tate, pro bowl safety Branden Meriweather, and sack leader from last season Tully Banta-Cain. Even without these guys, New England fans know that in Tom Brady, they will have another strong season. On the other side of the ball, Miami has concerns in all aspects of their team. The major notables are the most important pieces of the offense, Quarterback and Running back. Chad Henne will likely be the guy and not happily by any means. Untrustworthy and erratic are the first words that come to mind. In the backfield, Miami said goodbye to long time Dolphin Ronnie Brown, and said hello to Reggie Bush. Bush, who is injury prone to say the least, will have to return to USC form for Miami to have any sort of success. Expect your first blow out of the year in this one folks.

Oakland and Denver will also be on display Monday night. The main storylines here are what Oakland will do after a success last year, and how long will it be till Denver realizes Kyle Orton is for real. All offseason and preseason the buzz around Denver is Tim Tebow. Tebow was never starting the regular season as the number one QB, but it was also unknown that he could be the number three. Kyle Orton has secured his spot as the top QB in Denver, but whether Brady Quinn or Tebow will be his backup. Pretty pathetic that the battle for backup is the top news coming out of Elwayville. Oakland’s top news was losing their feature defensive player, and gaining a troubled QB, Tyrelle Pryor, in the supplemental draft. This game will be of interest for some, but the real news will come in a few weeks.

The Weekly Tackle

Check out the latest three editions of my sports column, The Weekly Tackle, on sportsrageous.com:

College Football is in full swing, while NFL major players are being cut. 9/5/11
http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-september-5-2011-09-05-2011

Major injuries start to take toal, while a college stud gets picked in the supplimental. 8/22/11
http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-august-22-2011-08-22-2011

Football is officially back with Week 1 of the preseason in the books. 8/15/11
http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-august-152011-08-16-2011

Expedition Impossible

Expedition Impossible Column

Episode 8. Two teams make unthinkable comebacks to avoid elimination. 8/12/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-recap-episode-8-august-11-08-12-2011

Episode 7. After major injury, No Limits prevails strong. 8/5/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-recap-episode-7-august-4-08-05-2011

Episode 6. A kayak, a zip line, and a sprint to the finish. 7/29/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-recap-episode-6-july-28-07-29-2011

Episode 5. Teams propel down rocky terrain, and a top team emerges. 7/21/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-recap-episode-5-july-21-07-21-2011

Episode 4. Icey mountains send the girls home to Kansas. 7/16/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-recap-episode-4-july-14-07-16-2011

Episode 3. Riding Camels, and a river with two different routes to decide who goes home. 7/7/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-recap-episode-3-july-7-07-08-2011

Episode 2. Riding wild horses, and kayak down to town. 7/1/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-recap-episode-2-june-30-07-01-2011

The Expedition begins with Episode 1, as teams must run up sand dunes and dried rivers. 6/24/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-recap-episode-1-june-23-06-24-2011

What is Expedition Impossible? 6/16/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-06-16-2011

The Weekly Tackle: August 8, 2011

by Joseph Landini
Sportsreageous.com
http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-august-8-2011-08-08-2011

This past week in football saw two shocking free agent signings, and a Hall of Fame ceremony no one will soon forget.

Shaun Ellis signs deal with New England Patriots. After 11 seasons in a New York Jets uniform, Defensive End Shaun Ellis will come to an agreement with the rival New England Patriots. After being offered a one-year, less than 1 million dollar deal from the Jets, Ellis agreed to terms with the Patriots. Ellis was as reliable as they come for the Jets, as he only missed six games since becoming a starter in 2001.

Derrick Mason picks Jets over former teams. Derrick Mason, after being cut two weeks ago by the Baltimore Ravens, has agreed to terms with the New York Jets. Mason adds to an already talented core group, which includes fellow signees Plaxico Burress, Santonio Holmes, and tight end Dustin Keller. With 15 years in the league under his belt, Mason is still reilable, catching 61 balls for over 800 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Deion Sanders led an emotional night for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony this year. In his speech he complimented his mother for all of his success, and said that the game of football was the reason he is the man he is today. Sanders also had a small surprise for the fans, and his hall bust (hall of fame head). Sanders placed a black bandana on its head and told the crowd God bless. Shannon Sharpe had an even more emotional speech for the crowd. Sharpe is proud to be known as a self made man, as he was the only one who believed in himself. Sharper went on to say that he is the only player to be inducted to the Hall of Fame to be the second best player in his family. He was talking about Sterling Sharpe, who he paid major compliments to.

The Ideal Fantasy Football Team

by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network
http://highheatnetwork.com/?p=437


With the lockout now over, the NFL brings many fun things. One main aspect, which has taken the country by storm is Fantasy Football. This season leagues had to start later then usual, because many players were free agents. Now as a fantasy owner, have you ever asked yourself the question: What if I had the first eight picks of the draft? Here is this year’s ideal team.

QB- Tom Brady, New England: All Packers fans can jump off a bridge for all I care. Tom Brady is the best choice for QB this year. Already having two reliable tight ends, a speedy Wes Welker, a good catching RB in Danny Woodhead, they added Chad Ochocinco to the mix which only means for TDs for Brady. Brady does well with speed, and that is what Ochocinco brings. With a chip on his shoulder after a divisional exit last year, expect greatness from Brady.

RB- Arian Foster, Houston: We will touch on Adrian Peterson, but Arian Foster came out of the wood work last year with a bang. 1,616 rushing and 604 receiving yards to go along with 18 TD convinces me. What people tend to forget is that Foster did this in a year which Houston underachieved, which only means better things in a better year. If you want receiving and rushing yards the do the right thing… pick Arian Foster.

WR- Roddy White, Atlanta and Andre Johnson, Houston- Plain and simple, White and Matt Ryan have become one of the most dangerous combinations in the league. White and Ryan together led Atlanta to the best regular season the Falcons have had in a while. With Tony Gonzalez getting older, Ryan will rely on White even more. Even with Julio Jones now in the mix, the rookie needs to earn the catches, before taking away the touches from White. Andre Johnson seems to make career numbers every year, even when he gets injured. Sometimes he only plays 13 games or so, but Johnson makes up for it when he has HUGE days. The same goes with Johnson as it did Foster, better year better stats. Johnson and White are the picks at WR.

FLEX- Adrian Peterson, Minnesota- I am a hard believer in the fact that with McNabb now under center, that Peterson will become an even better player. Peterson will always be criticized for not being able to hold onto the ball, but at the same time he is too powerful to pass up. Peterson’s hard head and knack for the end zone will be a major pick in the drafts this year. Like I said, with McNabb under center he will become better because he loves to throw to running backs. Don’t worry about fumbles, he will make up for it with other points.

TE- Antonio Gates, San Diego- Despite late season injuries Antonio Gates had another dominant year. Being Philip Rivers main target pays off. Gates has not shown any down grade as the years have gone on, and don’t expect him to this year. What works in Gates favor is that Vincent Jackson is back, meaning no more double teams for the main target. Gates will have another top year, mark my words.

K- Stephen Gostkowski, New England- Hate picking kickers, but plain and simple he is accurate and plays for a team who is in opposition territory constantly. Him or Mason Crosby are the pick at kicker, don’t pick Nick Folk.

DEF- New York Jets- Rex Ryan predicts Super Bowl again, and he will live and die by the defense. Being defensive minded the Jets have ton of play makers on this side of the ball. With Antonio Chromartie now being the kick returner as well, expect plenty of special team touchdowns. Don’t forget about the best corner back in the game either, as Revis island will be open for rent starting Week 1.

Updated: The Weekly Tackle Column

Check out the latest news and notes from the NFL in my column. The Weekly Tackle.

Sportsrageous.com

NFL Free Agency is in full swing now that the lockout is over. Who signed with who? 8/1/11

http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-august-12011-08-01-2011

Cedric Benson in trouble again, along with the latest out of Randy Moss camp. 7/18/11

http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-july-18-2011-07-18-2011

DUI's and arrests. Plus Mike Vrabel has a retirement plan all set up. 7/11/11

http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-july-11-2011-07-12-2011

Kenny Britt still in trouble. Mike Vick resigns with Nike. 7/4/11

http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-july-4-2011-07-04-2011

Braylon Edwards trouble at night again. Big Ben hurting. 6/27/11

http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-june-27-2011-06-27-2011

Chad Pennington to TV? Tiki Barber depressed? 6/21/11

http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-june-20-2011-06-21-2011

Updated: Expedition Impossible Column

Check out the latest show recaps from ABC's Expedition Impossible!

The Celebrity Cafe



Episode 6. A kayak, a zip line, and a sprint to the finish. 7/29/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-recap-episode-6-july-28-07-29-2011

Episode 5. Teams propel down rocky terrain, and a top team emerges. 7/21/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-recap-episode-5-july-21-07-21-2011

Episode 4. Icey mountains send the girls home to Kansas. 7/16/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-recap-episode-4-july-14-07-16-2011

Episode 3. Riding Camels, and a river with two different routes to decide who goes home. 7/7/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-recap-episode-3-july-7-07-08-2011

Episode 2. Riding wild horses, and kayak down to town. 7/1/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-recap-episode-2-june-30-07-01-2011

The Expedition begins with Episode 1, as teams must run up sand dunes and dried rivers. 6/24/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-recap-episode-1-june-23-06-24-2011

What is Expedition Impossible? 6/16/11

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-06-16-2011

The way you look at Carlos Beltran.

by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network
http://highheatnetwork.com/?p=416

Soon to be in a different uniform, Carlos Beltran is the most talked about trade piece this year as the deadline comes closer. Although coveted by many, Beltran is seen in many different ways, both positively and negatively. Lets take a trip down memory lane shall we?

Beltran started his career with the Kansas City Royals, which started off in great fashion. In 1999, Beltran won the starting CF spot and won the American League Rookie of the Year, hitting 22 homeruns and 108 RBI. This went along with a 293 batting average and 27 stolen bases. His career started out promising, but hit controversy when he got injured in 2000. He was restricted to 98 games, and lost his spot to fan favorite Johnny Damon. After Damon was traded to Oakland the next season, Beltran regained his spot and returned to form. After a few up and down moments, Beltran was ready for bigger things.

In June of 2004 after realizing his time was almost up in Kansas City, the Royals traded him to a contending Houston Astros. That year Beltran became the first player to be named to one All-Star team (AL), but to play for another (NL). His time there was well worth it, as he hit a major league record 8 homeruns in the 2004 postseason. This record is what he is most known for in his career. With now being known as a big time player, and one who can hit in the biggest games possible, Carlos Beltran was set to hit gold and break the free agency bank with teams.

With the New York Yankees the favorite to land Beltran, the cross town rival New York Mets swiped him right up, by giving him the biggest contract in team history. 7 years $119 Million dollars. This was also the 10th contract in MLB history to pass the $100 Million mark. During his time with the Mets though he was nothing but inconsistent, mainly due to injury. From 2005-2008, Beltran played in over 140 games, and racked up 117 homeruns and over 400 RBIs. The investment by the Mets seemed to be working out, until the 2009 season hit. In 2009 Beltran’s production dropped heavily, as he only played in 81 games, putting up only 10 homeruns and 48 RBI. The next year was worse as he only appeared in 64 for the New York Mets.

Although Beltran was productive for years, he was not $119 Million dollars worth of production. He was brought to the Mets to put them over the top, and start a new era for the Mets. As a supposed to be leader, Beltran has been known to be sluggish and not to step up to the occasion since coming to New York. Also being known for his clutch gene, he was given the opportunity to send the New York Mets to the World Series for the first time since losing to the Yankees in 2000. After Aaron Heilman served up a two run homerun to St. Louis Cardinals Yadier Molina in the top of the 9th inning in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, it was the Mets turn at bat. After rookie closer Adam Wainwright gave up two lead off singles to Jose Valentin and Endy Chavez, he calmed himself to force a fly out and a strikeout. Wainwright made it interesting by walking Paul Lo Duca to load them, with Carlos Beltran to follow. Beltran, known for postseason wonders and a great history against the Cardinals, fell behind in the count 0-2. Wainwright threw a 0-2 curve ball right down the pipe, and Beltran looked at it for strike three. This pitch was the best pitch of Wainwright’s career, and in all honesty what Carlos Beltran is known for to most Mets fans.

After the years of disappointment, the Mets now have value again in Carlos Beltran as he is gaining old form. Batting 289 with 15/66, Beltran is the hottest bat on the market, and will be traded before the deadline. Is it a coincidence that he is having a great season in his contract year? Honestly, who cares? This is good for the Mets, as they will drop salary and gain prospects back. For his future team, they gain a five tool player who will boost whatever lineup he is apart of. The main players for Beltran are the Giants (who need another bat), the Braves (who just lost Brian McCann and could use another bat), and the Rangers (who would become maybe the most dominant lineup in baseball).

Whatever contender he goes to will gain a player looking to play well. Whether for a new contract, or just better ending career numbers. At age 34, and his best years behind him, he is looked at in many different ways. For Kansas City, he was seen as an up and coming great, who could not be held onto because of payroll. For Houston, he was seen as the player who single handily almost brought them a World Series. For the Mets, he will always be known as the guy who did not earn his contract, and single handily let millions down when he looked at strike three to end the 2006 NLCS. No matter what way you look at him though, Carlos Beltran will have another chance to prove something when he is traded within the next five days.

Who cares about the USA Women's Loss?

by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network
http://highheatnetwork.com/?p=390

We sit here three days after the USA Women’s soccer team lost in the finals, and say what? Nothing. It has only taken three days for the loss of the World Cup to blow over. Why do you ask? Well it is simple, the United States of America does not care enough like other countries do.

Both women and men’s soccer struggle with the same problem. Kids at a young age love to play soccer, because they are more then capable of kicking a ball around. The problem is as children grow older, they grow the strength to take a hit, reach a ten foot hoop, and have the hand eye coordination to hit a baseball. Soccer becomes bland to many. In other countries, soccer is the main sport, and the one kids grow and train for. The sport that everyone plays their entire life. Places such as Brazil and Argentina are perfect examples. Now answer this question. What team is known for being THE soccer team of the world? Brazil.

Now just to get this out of the way, if anyone was thinking that I thought no one cared about this loss because it is a women’s team, then you are ridiculous. Women’s sports, although sometimes lacking flash and pazaz, show the world how sports are suppose to be played… with team work. Look at basketball. The men’s game is all about the stars and the flash, while the girls game is about team work and making everyone on the team better. Gender is a non issue in this case. Enough said.

Coming into the World Cup, could you name five players on the team? How about three? Could you even give me two? No. Yes as the rounds went on, and the USA won games, the names of Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, and Abby Wambach became the heroes of the nation it seemed. If you do not know your team though, then it really is not that important. This is exactly why we sit here three days later and ESPN did not mention the loss at all, or yesterday for that matter. If it was mentioned, it was most likely just a minute spot for filler in the program.

Everything above has a snowball effect to this point. How many people jumped on the bandwagon on Sunday? Look in the mirror, because I guarentee 75% of Americans did, then another 10% went for Japan, and finally the category which I fall in.

The 5% of people who really could care less, because they knew it would not matter at the end of the day. In all sports, when it comes down to the final two teams for the championship, everyone picks a side. Maybe not a die hard fan, but everyone acts like a fan of a team in some sort of way. The Dallas Mavericks went from a good amount of fans to the majority of the world rooting for them, because of the hate torwards Lebron James. The NFL saw fans running torward Green Bay, because everyone wanted a cheese head and to act like they were wearing a championship belt. My problem with the World Cup is that everyone jumped on board the band wagon, WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE TEAM. At least in the professional sports you know certain players to root for or against, but you are telling me most Americans actually knew Hope Solo, let alone the game of soccer? NO. Now for the people who will argue that it is different because it’s more relevant then just a professional championship (NBA, MLB, etc…), you are just lieing to yourself. No one is still crying or verbally upset that USA lost the World Cup. South beach is still in an uproar that Lebron and company could not bring home the title, while in Pittsburgh there are still excuses being made why they lost to Green Bay and could not get the job done. If something major in sports is being talked about after time goes by, then it matters. We are three days removed from a penalty kick finale, and it is less then an after thought.

Finally, the last point is that when you look around blogs and social media and people comment on the World Cup, what do you see? Most comments are something like, “Well good for Japan, they needed it after all the disasters.” If all of the band wagon jumpers, and all of AMERICA actually cared so hard for this team, then they would be up in arms three days after. I am happy for Japan too for that same reason, but I was not on the wagon at any point. I am not saying that NO ONE cares that USA lost, or that NO ONE in America is a true fan, but the truth is the majority of Americans woke up Monday morning without a tear or shed of heart break.

-Joseph Landini
Highheatnetwork.com
Josephlandini.blogspot.com

The Weekly Tackle Column

Hey everyone. Check out my latest edition of 'The Weekly Tackle' Sportsrageous.com's weekly football column.

The Weekly Tackle Column

DUI's and arrests. Plus Mike Vrabel has a retirement plan all set up. 7/11/11
http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-july-11-2011-07-12-2011

Kenny Britt still in trouble. Mike Vick resigns with Nike. 7/4/11
http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-july-4-2011-07-04-2011

Braylon Edwards trouble at night again. Big Ben hurting. 6/27/11
http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-june-27-2011-06-27-2011

Chad Pennington to TV? Tiki Barber depressed? 6/21/11

http://www.sportsrageous.com/the-weekly-tackle-june-20-2011-06-21-2011

Manny Pacquiao: Only hurting the depleted.

by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network

To few, Manny Pacquiao is the greatest boxer pound for pound ever, but to most he is just a decent boxer in an era begging for a savior. Manny Pacquiao has been criticized his entire career for being overrated, because of the competition he faces. It is not Pacquiao’s fault that there is no Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard, or Tommy Hearns in his era, but at the same time he is currently refusing a fight against the biggest opponent of his career.

Floyd Mayweather Jr wants to fight Pacquiao, and has said it time and time again. The catch is that Mayweather will fight Pacquiao only if there is random blood and urine testing. Since the time that Mayweather made comments about the testing, Pacquiao has brought his counter part to court for defamation of character. Pacquiao’s claim is that Mayweather has accused him of performance enhancing drugs. His camp has also stated that they will accept a fight, only if testing is at certain times.

By the sounds of all the information, it seems like Pacquiao is hiding something. That something is most likely performance enhancing. Pacquiao not agreeing to the random testing is doing two things, hurting his own legacy more, and stopping a boxing super match, which could save the sport. Lets face facts, boxing has been dwindling in the eyes of many because of the emergence of ultimate fighting, and the lack of great boxing as a whole. Pacquiao and Mayweather are great fighters, and would most likely hold their own against the great Welterweights of the past, but the rest are not even close. Their division is the only worth watching, and that is a stretch. The Heavyweight divisions are owned by two guys with the last name Klitschko, but I would go as far as saying that Mike Tyson would known either out by the third round. Mike Tyson right now, that is. The last Heavyweight championship bout is so unentertaining, that the last Klitschko fight was on HBO… LIVE! Not even on Pay Per View! If your boxing Heavyweights cannot even draw enough to gain Pay Per View time, then what does that say about the sport?

Aside from the fact that Pacquiao is hurting, because of lack of competition, he is now faced with whether or not he is legitimate. If the allegeded comments of Floyd Mayweather Jr are true, then Pacquiao is just a fake paper champion hiding behind the steroid needle. Not only would would his believers turn on him, but the Pacquiao haters would have even more reason to criticize him on a daily basis. Nothing god has come out of performance enhancers. Ask all of the caught baseball players. Now ask them how their records and accolades are looked at. Pacquiao would lose all credit for every match won, record earned, and championship achieved. “Pac-Man,” if taking performance enhancers, would be the biggest disappointment to the sport since the demise of Tyson in his prime.

Plain and simple, this fight needs to happen. Pacquiao and Mayweather are the only two fighters left in the sport with any sort of skill to call themselves great. This fight has the ability to save a sport, which has been struggling hard since Lennox Lewis hung up the gloves and title. The answer of whether or not this match will happen is on Pacquiao. It is only a matter of time until he answers two questions. One, are all of his accolades and achievements legitimate? And two, what would happen to this already struggling sport if this super fight never occurs…

Full Coverage on the 2011 NBA Draft

Check out the links below to see my full coverage on this past year's NBA Draft.

My 2011 NBA Draft preview, which talks about major prospects and possible dark horse players to be chosen.

http://highheatnetwork.com/?p=162

Here was the pick by pick analysis, during the 2011 NBA Draft, where I commented on each pick as they went along.

http://highheatnetwork.com/?p=179

After the draft their was one winner, and one loser. Find out who they were here.

http://highheatnetwork.com/?p=269

Harold and Kumar make a third movie. My 2011 NBA Draft Preview.

Check out my 2011 NBA Draft preview for High Heat Network, featuring some player analysis and certain rumors going around the league.

http://highheatnetwork.com/?p=162

Also, Harold and Kumar are coming out with a third movie. Check out my preview for thecelebritycafe.com.

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/white-castle-christmas-time-movie-06-21-2011

A sequel to Happy Feat? Is Dillon Gee the key to the New York Mets success?

There will be a sequel to the family film Happy Feat. Find out some details here.

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/happy-feet-2-06-16-2011


Is Dillon Gee the key to the New York Mets success in 2011 and beyond?

http://www.sportsrageous.com/gee-the-key-06-17-2011

Expedition Impossible

Do you want to know more about ABC's new hit reality show? Check out the first article of my weekly column explaining details. My column on the show will be updated every Friday.

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/expedition-impossible-06-16-2011

Conan O'Brien speaks at graduation, Leonard Pope is a hometown hero.

Check out my latest two articles, as Conan O'Brien speaks at Dartmouth College graduation, and Kansas City Chief reciever Leonard Pope saves a child.

Conan O'Brien speaks at Dartmouth graduation.
http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/conan-obrien-speaks-dartmouth-university-graduation-06-13-2011

Leonard Pope saves a six year old.
http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/leonard-pope-hometown-hero-06-14-2011

Tia Mowry celebrates her baby shower Hollywood style

Tia Mowry celebrated her baby shower Hollywood style. Check the link for more details.

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/tia-mowry-celebrates-baby-shower-06-12-2011

Michael Crabtree controversy? Jimmer Fredette calling out Kemba and Knight?

Joseph Landini
Sportsrageous.com

Check out my latest two articles from Sportsrageous.com

Is Michael Crabtree sold on his Quarterback Alex Smith?

http://www.sportsrageous.com/crabtree-not-sold-on-quarterback-alex-smith-06-10-2011


Why does Jimmer Fredette want to battle against Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker before the draft in less then two weeks?

http://www.sportsrageous.com/fredette-wants-knight-and-walker-included-in-workouts-06-10-2011

Ann Curry makes her debut. Alec Baldwin for Mayor?

by Joseph Landini
TheCelebrityCafe.com

Check out my first two article published for the TheCelebrityCafe.com

Ann Curry has made her debut on the Today's Show. Find out the details below.

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/ann-curry-makes-co-anchor-debut-today-06-09-2011

Is Alec Baldwin planning on running for Mayor for New York in 2013?

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/alec-baldwin-run-mayor-new-york-city-06-10-2011

Brendan Haywood’s status uncertain for Game 5 of Finals

Joseph Landini
Sportsrageous.com

Want to know the latest on Dallas Maverick Center Brendan Haywood, and how likely he will play in Game 5 of the NBA Finals? Click the link below to find out.

http://www.sportsrageous.com/brendan-haywoods-status-uncertain-for-game-5-of-finals-06-09-2011

Former Duke PG Paulus hired by Matta, Ohio State

by Joseph Landini
Sportsrageous.com

Former Duke starting point guard Greg Paulus has been officially hired by Ohio State’s Thad Matta to be a video coordinator.

Paulus has been all over the NCAA circuit since his time with the Duke Blue Devils. After a four year rollercoacter basketball career at Duke he moved onto Syracuse to be their starting quarterback. In his one season under center, Paulus threw for 2,025 yards and 13 touchdowns leading the Orange to a 4-8 overall record.

Paulus the athlete then turned into Paulus the coach as he became a Navy assistant coach last season. Born in Medina, Ohio, Paulus now returns home to work with Thad Matta and Ohio State, who went 32-2 last season only to be upset in the Sweet 16 by Kentucky.

Joseph Landini Sports Podcast- Fred Wilpon's comments on his New York Mets

My thoughts on New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon, and his contrversial comments regarding his players.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dhGw93Nlu8

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar feels slighted by no statue

by Joseph Landini
Sportsrageous.com

Michael Jordan stands outside of the United Center in Chicago. Ted Williams stands outside of Fenway Park in Boston. Even the fictional Rocky Balboa stands outside the Philadelphia Museum of art.

NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar feels “slighted,” that a statue of himself is not standing outside of the Staples Center, the home of the Los Angeles Lakers. Abdul-Jabbar won five championships for the Lakers, and is the All-Time scoring leader in league history. Not only did he accomplish that, but he was also on the recieving end of six Most Valuable Player awards.

If a statue was made, it would be the sixth that stands outside the Staples Center. The other five are hockey great Wayne Gretzky, boxer Oscar De La Hoya, Chick Hearn, and NBA greats Jerry West and Magic Johnson. Abdul-Jabbar was quoted to say, “I don’t understand it. It is either an oversight, or they are taking me for granted.”

A Lakers spokesman, John Black, said that Abdul-Jabbar is next in line for a statue, but that there is no time set for the making of one. The Boston Celtics recently announced its plans for the building of a Bill Russell statue outside of the TD Bank Garden.

Joseph Landini Podcast- NBA Draft Lottery

Check out the link below for my thoughts on the NBA Draft Lottery 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9jzEAnj1vA

Athlete in the spotlight: Jillian Benn

by Joseph Landini
Pierce Arrow

"I love recreational stuff, running around, and working with kids," Jill Benn said about becoming a Sports and Recreation Management major. Aside from playing lacrosse for the Ravens, Benn focuses on her studies with a bright future in mind. "I want to have a good family and a nice job." After she graduates in May, Benn plans to get a job and attend graduate school to further her education.

Sticking with Sports and Recreation, Benn works for the intramural program on campus as well. When asked how the intramural program has helped her, she responded, "It helped me because I learned another angle of recreation, because I was not dealing with younger children but older students." Benn has been employed by Campus Recreation since the fall of 2010.

As of April 8, the Franklin Pierce women's lacrosse team is 5-4 overall, with a 2-3 record inside the Northeast 10 conference. Benn, a senior defensive player, is playing her last season in a Raven's uniform and maybe in any lacrosse uniform. "It is going to be sad not playing competitively anymore. This is something I have been doing my entire life," she said.

During this season, Benn is one of the team leaders in ground balls with 25, while she is tied for the lead in game winning goals. Reflecting on her lacrosse team as a whole, she said they, "dig down when tired." In her long career with the Ravens, Benn has started in over 50 games for Franklin Pierce.

The long-term goal for Benn is to manage the New England Patriots. While watching the Patriots, she enjoys snacking down on her favorite food of tortilla chips and dip. At the end of the day, she loves to watch her favorite movie whenever she can, "Sixteen Candles."

University of Connecticut: 2011 National Champions

by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network

You can say they had an easy road. You can say that they caught Butler on their worst night of the year. You can say that they did not play at a National Championship level that night. You can even say that they were apart of the worst National Championship game in the history of the NCAA. One thing is for sure, you HAVE to say the University of Connecticut deserved to win this years National Championship.

In a year where College Basketball had declined from the year before, and no number one seed advanced past the Elite 8, Connecticut (a 3 seed) found themselves as the highest seed left in the Final Four. First they played Kentucky, who they had defeated back on November 24th by 17 to win the Maui Invitational. This time around the game would be a lot closer. Despite holding a 10 point lead at halftime, Connecticut tripped up and let Kentucky back into the game. In a back and forth second half, defense was the key. Despite giving Kentucky chances at the end of the game, Connecticut held strong and defeated Kentucky for the second straight time.

Before that was the West regional, where UConn would fly to the west coast to face the number two seeded San Diego State. Defense and experience held true in this one. Coach Jim Calhoun drew up excellent defensive sets, and was able to overcome a poor shooting night by his Huskies to advance to the Elite 8. After defeating San Diego State, 74-67, UConn was surprised to see Arizona not Duke. The Huskies played another war type game with the Wildcats, but was able to catch two breaks, as Arizona missed two three pointers as time expired which would have won them the game. UConn at that moment completed another major task, which was defeating two west coast teams on the West coast. In both games UConn was seen as an away team, despite being the higher seed in the Arizona game. Neither of these games felt like a neutral site by any means.

In the first two round UConn started making their statements. First they dominated Bucknell in an all out team effort. It was not the Kemba Walker show, despite an almost triple double. Walker passed the ball early and often, as Jeremy Lamb and Alex Oriaki were the beneficiary. The second round would see UConn face off against a Big East foe in Cincinnati. It was the Kemba Walker show, as he scored 33 of the teams 69 points. What made this game so impressive was that for Cincinnati, this was a revenge game after losing to UConn earlier this season on their home court.

The Big East Tournament enough was history making for the Huskies. They became the first team ever to win this tournament in five games. UConn had to play in the opening day and won five games in five days. The run through the Big East saw them take down Depaul, followed by #22 Georgetown, #2 Pittsburgh, #11 Syracuse, and winning the title against #14 Louisville. Five games, five wins in five days.

With all that being said, The Connecticut Huskies deserved this championship more then any other team in the nation. Not the best team always wins, but the most deserving will always achieve greatness.

The 2011 National Championship

by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network

The two hottest teams in college basketball. The two most deserving teams in the land. The two teams not expected to make this run. Two teams with mastermind head coaches. The two teams with the same goal, but come from totally different backgrounds. On Monday April 4th 2011, the Butler Bulldogs will face off against the Connecticut Huskies for the biggest prize of them all. Each team will go into Monday night's contest flaming hot.

Starting with the underdog Butler, which what they have been the entire NCAA Tournament. The hotness though has come from before the tournament. Butler has not lost a game in over two MONTHS, February 3rd to be exact when they lost to Youngstown State 62-60. After winning the Horizon League in easy fashion, Butler was put into the Southeast region and granted an 8 seed.

The first test would be an Old Dominion team which has veteran experience and many of the experts picks behind them to pull off the upset. For the entire game this was a battle, like it was set out to be, but when push came to shove Matt Howard was at the right place in the right time. Howard propelled Butler into the next round with a layup with no time remaining sinking the Monarchs dreams. The next round would see Howard and company take on the number one seeded Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh coming into the tournament was said to have the easiest road, and was the highest seed to come out of college basketball's best conference. Pittsburgh played well enough to win this game, but apparently not smart enough. At the end of the game Pittsburgh decided to put players on the foul lines with minimal time remaining. After a missed free throw by Pittsburgh, they accidentally foul Matt Howard on the rebound and send him to the line. Howard made the free throw with 0.8 seconds remaining on the clock and Butler pulled off the Cinderella upset to defeat the top seed by one point. After another rough push and shove game, there was no way Butler could defeat a Wisconsin team who were coming in after beating a streaking Kansas State team right? Wrong. Butler turned up the defense and held the Badgers high powered offense to 30% shooting from the floor. In the regional semi final Butler would face another strong test in a complete team in Florida. 74-71 in overtime excite anyone? Well it was all the excitement for Butler as they earned themselves another trip to the Final Four. Despite 25 by Vernon Macklin, Florida could not stop the leadership of Shelvin Mack. Behind his 27, Butler was able to overcome the barrage of Florida. Based on seeding and from the outside looking in, the national semi final would be easy as they were facing a Virginia Commonwealth team with an 11 seeding. The two Cinderellas would battle, but Butler would show to be too experienced at the end of this game to pull away with the victory. Going into that game VCU had played in the play in game and defeated one member of all the major conferences. Butler now must win one more to complete a more then historic run, and do what they could not do last year.

Not only has Butler been making history, but Connecticut has been doing the unthinkable. Dating back to the Big East Tournament, Connecticut played on opening day of it, which would mean to gain the crown they would need to win five games in five days. They did just that. They would defeat Depaul, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Louisville to win the Big East trophy.

Granted with the 3 seed in the West region Connecticut would trampled Bucknell, with an all around team effort and a near triple double by Kemba Walker. They would then meet foe Cincinnati in the second round, where they would shoot poorly but still have enough will to hold off the fighting and fierce Bearcats. Then it would be time to head west, and face San Diego State who had only lost twice all year. Make that three. Kemba was being Kemba, and Connecticut defeated the number two seed behind Walker's 36. Going into this tournament the future match up to watch was going to be Kemba Walker/UConn against Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving/Duke. Fortunately for Connecticut Duke would trip up to Arizona. With a strong will of defense and possibly an angel looking after them Arizona missed two potential game winning threes as time expired. Connecticut behind Walker's 20 and Jeremy Lamb's 19 punched their ticket to the Final Four. If the Arizona game was not a big enough test to them, maybe a pissed off Kentucky team would suit their needs. Kentucky going into the Final Four had defeated the best team in the nation Ohio State, and was looking back to the Maui Invitational final where they got embarrassed by these same Huskies. Throughout this game UConn led. At halftime the Huskies would lead by 10, but then lose it. Fighting back, Jeremy Lamb's smoothness and Kemba Walker's tenacity would hold true. Kentucky could not find a way to score in the final minutes, and UConn defeated Kentucky again 56-55.

Neither team was expected to be in this spot. For Butler they were expected to take a step back after losing their star player in Gordon Hayward, and for Connecticut the middle of the pack would be fitting as they had a roster in rebuild mode. Apparently Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack were enough for Butler to get back to the same spot as last year. For UConn, the player of the year potential of Kemba Walker, and the rise of Jeremy Lamb, proved enough to get to where a well known tournament team should be.

Neither of these teams are the best college basketball team, and neither are the most dominant.It is only fitting though that the two hottest teams in America will be facing off for the National Championship. Both teams come in scorching hot and with gold in their eyes. For Butler this is the second year straight they will be playing for the title, after losing last year to Duke. For Connecticut this will be the closest they have been to the National Title game, since losing to Michigan State in the Final Four in 2009.

Women's Basketball: National Championship 2012?

by Joseph Landini
Pierce Arrow

We can sit back and sulk about how Franklin Pierce got upset in the first round of this year's NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament, or we can look ahead to the possibility of a national title in 2012.

Despite the early exit in the tournament, due to the 64-62 loss to Pace in the final seconds, the Ravens will be returning every player of the roster and adding two familiar faces. All of this year's freshmen will be returning and will be more seasoned with experience under their belts. Kate McDonald was the on-court general of the team running the point guard position. Throughout the year, she played the best basketball when she was aggressive and took open shots when the opportunity arose. Most likely next year she will be splitting time with Cynthia Gaudet and will learn even more from her senior teammate.

Brooke Coderre became one of the Ravens go-to defenders toward the end of the year. She would come in off the bench to guard the opponent's best wing player in hopes of locking them down. Add that to her three-point shooting, and Coderre can become big time in years to come. Brittany Martelle, as the year went on, was the Ravens outside threat when she got the open shot. The knock on her is confidence -- if she misses her first shot, her body language changes, and she will shy away from shooting. However, when confident, she is as dangerous as anyone. Jessica Hurd will only grow under the greatness of Jewel White. Hurd can rebound and shoot from the perimeter, so versatility will be here upside for the coming years.

Tiffany Johnson and Amanda Saab have only become better looking after their second season with the Ravens. Johnson stepped up this year and scored more, which the Ravens needed due to the loss of superstar Johannah Leedham. Her potential is through the roof and scoring ability is endless. We may not know how good she actually is until next year's senior class graduates and she becomes the focal point of the offense. Saab was one of those players you had to do a double take on this year. Her development from her first year to this past year was nothing short of great. In year one, her main tendency was to shoot the three. Period. This year she shot the three, but added a low post game and a dribble drive to the basket game. If you watched Northeast-10 basketball at all, she really became one of the most versatile players in the conference. Both of these players' roofs are the sky, as development and potential can only get better.

The Ravens will also return two players of the year. Marielle Girould was named the NE-10 Defensive Player of the Year, while Jewel White was the overall Player of the Year. Girould came back from where she left off a year before, playing phenomenal defense and taking the shots at any point she wanted. Averaging double-digits in points and high in rebounds, Girould is set to have a powerful senior campaign. White is exactly what the doctor ordered this year. Since becoming a starter late last season, White has been the go-to player in the Ravens' offense, and a rebounding machine. Averaging a strong double-double, White has a chance to repeat as Player of the Year next year. Jewel White became the Ravens' household player this year and made the pain go away when they lost WNBA Draftee Leedham.

With all that said you may think things couldn't get any better. Well they do, as the Ravens returning from injury will be center Tori Ahrens and point guard Cynthia Gaudet. Both sat out the entire 2010-2011 season, but will be ready to go. Ahrens is the definition of a low post brawler. She rips down almost every rebound and gets open down low for easy shots. She and White will have a twin towers-type deal going on this year. Going into this past year, one of the projected players of the year in the NE-10 was Cynthia Gaudet. Gaudet will now take the reins of this team, which has succeeded in big ways already. Her ability to make her own shot and play make for others is unmatchable to any other player on the Ravens' roster. Her leadership and experience is also unmatchable as she has been in postseason play every year since being a Raven. If Gaudet plays at any level close to what she has in years past, the Ravens have a great chance.

After all of that being said, is the 2012 National Championship coming to Rindge, N.H.?

The Final Four

by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network

We started with 68 teams, but now we are down to the 2011 Final Four. Two names well known to the biggest stage, one who is a repeat from last year, and one who can make history as the biggest underdog ever.

The University of Connecticut has been run all year by the coaching of Jim Calhoun, and the stellar superstar play of Kemba Walker. In 19 days the Connecticut Huskies have won 9 games. Five straight wins to capture the Big East Championship started this hot streak, followed by an opening round beating on the number 14 seed Bucknell. When the field was narrowed to 32, the Huskies faced off against Big East foe Cincinnati, and defeated them for a second time in a see saw brawl. After that UConn headed to the west coast for their regional Sweet 16 match up against San Diego State. Despite the tenacity of the Mountain West Conference winner, Jeremy Lamb and Kemba Walker combined for 60 points to defeat SDSU. Finally in the Elite 8, Connecticut led by their two stud guards, were able to overcome a late run by Arizona. The Wildcats had two chances to win it at the end, but could not take advantage. Connecticut will go on to the Final Four, being the hottest team in America, adding in the fact that they have a leader like Kemba Walker, who has made big shot after big shot. The Connecticut Huskies may be the team to beat of these four, but as we have seen in this tournament, anything can and will happen.

The Butler Bulldogs will make their second consecutive trip to the Final Four, after making yet ANOTHER epic run. Coming into the season Butler had to face the fact that their best player from a year before (Gordon Hayward) was now gone. Despite losing their best shooter the Bulldogs still had two of the key pieces that brought this team to the promised land a year before. Shelvin Mack has arguably played better then any guard this entire tournament. Matt Howard, the heart and soul of Butler, made game winning shots in both their victory over Old Dominion, and their first upset against the number one seed Pittsburgh. The upsets did not end their as stellar defense held the number four seed Wisconsin to 30% shooting, and sent them home early. The biggest test was yet to come, as they took on the number two seeded Florida Gators who had been streaking as of late as well. Another back and forth battle, saw Butler do the impossible and defeat the Gators who are known to be a tournament team in the recent past. Mack's brilliance shined as he scored 27 points, five in the overtime period. What people may not realize is that Butler has won 13 straight games. Butler will hope for revenge after losing in the National Championship last year against Duke.

On selection Sunday the entire world was shocked to see the name Virginia Commonwealth name be called. Media, critics, and fans all were disappointed as they believed teams like Colorado and Virginia Tech were snubbed. Two weeks later we now find VCU as one of the Final Four teams. VCU has won the most games in this years tournament, as they had to defeat USC to get into the round of 64. After that they took down Georgetown, Purdue, Florida State, and Kansas. For Virginia Commonwealth they have made two statements. The first statement made was that they DID belong in this tournament. This choice by the committee was questioned at first, but no one can argue whether they belong or not. The second statement made was that the little conference teams can compete and defeat the power conferences. In this NCAA run, the Rams have defeated teams in the Pac 10, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and the Big East, which sent 11 teams to the tournament. Led by the point guard play of Joey Rodriguez, and the all around game of Jamie Skeen VCU will be playing in the Final Four, and the third 11 seed ever to get to this point.

John Calipari had all the talent in the world last year, but could not vault his young Kentucky team into the final weekend. After seeing the likes of Demarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Daniel Orton and John Wall all leave early for the draft, what was Kentucky to do? Reload. Kentucky reloaded again with more talent then imaginable with Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight. After early season struggles in winning road games, Kentucky finds themselves winning four games in neutral sites and a trip to the National Semifinals. For John Calipari this is the first time he sees the Final Four since bringing a Memphis team there years ago. That team lost to Kansas in 2008 despite a near triple double by current NBA star Derrick Rose. Kentucky in their past two games went against the toughest number two seed in North Carolina, to go along with their Sweet 16 victory against arguably the best team in the nation in Ohio State. Brandon Knight has been one of the most exciting players thus far, but a familiar face has been the reason for the success. Despite the youth strength Kentucky portrays the accelerated play of big man Josh Harrellson has really paid dividends. For Kentucky everyone is playing well, but the scary aspect is that we have not seen the best of star freshmen Terrence Jones yet.

Final Four Match ups

#11 VCU against #Butler- Cinderella vs Cinderella. David vs David. Only one of these small program teams will move on, but in all reality this may be the most exciting and unthinkable Final Four match up of ALL TIME. VCU will be playing with the chip on their shoulder that they have been playing with all tournament, while Butler seeks gaining the trophy which they see as destiny.

#4 Kentucky vs #3 Connecticut- The rematch. In game one back in November, UConn defeated Kentucky by 17 points, to win the Maui Invitational. The difference between now and then, Kentucky has excelled to be one of the most dangerous teams in the nation due to stellar inside and outside game. Buckle up for the ride, as Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker will be battling at all costs for their chance at the National Title.

The unique Final Four features two big time programs facing off , and two Cinderella hopefuls trying to do the impossible. One thing is for sure, all four teams are here for the same reason... WIN.

Big LEAST, not Big East

by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network

It was the greatest thing that could have happened to the Big East Conference two Sundays ago. Eleven of the sixteen teams in the conference were selected to take part in the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. This was a record for representatives from one conference making it into the national tournament. We sit here a week later and see the best case scenario, turn into the worst.

After the first weekend of tournament play, the Big East Conference is only sending two (#3 Connecticut, #11 Marquette) of those original eleven to the Sweet 16. The top EIGHT teams in the conference are all eliminated from the tournament. Of those nine that are back at school, four were a five seed or higher, and three were a three, two or one seeds. Also, of those nine teams, FIVE lost to seeds ten or lower.

The win/loss result is not even the big deal here, it is the way most (not all) of the teams in the conference went out. #9 Villanova lost to #9George Mason in the first round, because they could not execute at the end of the game. It did not help there case that there best players, Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes showed up for only the first half. Villanova's season ended with their team losing six straight games. #4 Louisville had their season come to a crashing end, when they were shocked and upset by #13 Morehead State. Louisville may have been looking forward to the next rounds, but they sure overlooked Morehead St. Losing with seconds left on the clock makes this situation worse for the Cardinals. No excuse why a Big East elite, loses to an Ohio Valley team, NONE. Two of the Big East #6 seeds lost in the first round of the dance, as #11 seeds Gonzaga and Virginia Commonwealth defeat St. John's and Georgetown respectively. In a year where St. John's defeated the rest of the Big East, this game held true of how they are overrated. They can't win away from Madison Square Garden, and they struggle against lower teams. The DJ Kennedy injury affected this team, but even with him they get beat by Gonzaga. Georgetown once again could not get into their offense, and could not handle a team that should not be in the tournament. VCU is making noise and all, but the fact is if there were basketball people on the selection commitee, then VCU does not even get that opportunity. Georgetown basically lost to an NIT team when it mattered the most. The highest seeds the Big East had won one game, then got beat in the round of 32. #2 Notre Dame was smothered by #10 Florida State. Notre Dame was never in this game, being down double digits almost the entire game. Florida State defeated Duke, but in all honestly not that great of a team as they have lost to the likes of Auburn, Maryland, and Virginia Tech (twice). Notre Dame was exposed, and proven to be one of the most vulnerable teams in the tournament. Pittsburgh, supposidly the best team in the Big East, gets the pumpkin thrown on them, as Cinderella Butler wins this game. At the end of this game Pittsburgh has a chance to win this game by making a free throw. Pittsburgh misses the free throw with minimal time remaining. To make it worse, the team is set inside the blocks on the free throw line, which they should not have been because at that point there was no time to do anything. As Matt Howard grabs the rebound, Pittsburgh fouls him and Butler wins the game at the line. So for the so called "best," of the Big East, they lose because of coaching, and just lack of common sense in basketball. No blaming the refs for making the CORRECT call. The Big East Conference all year was the class of college basketball, and that one conference everyone feared. Looking at it now, the Big East seems to only fear themselves as #3 Syracuse, and #6 Cincinnati were bounced by the only two BE teams remaining.

The only two remaining teams are two teams that deserve to be there. #11 Marquette took out fellow Big East foe #3 Syracuse, in a ground and pound game. #3 Connecticut defeated #6 Cinncinnati, to continue their hot streak. I am not trying to take anything away from either of these teams, but these are games that they have won already. Before I make my next statement, I would like to say that UConn has been playing arguablly the best basketball in America as of late, and is the hottest team, by far so cudos to them. Both UConn and Marquette defeated their opponent earlier in the year. You csn say that it is harder to beat a team two times in a row, but if you already know how to beat a team, you should be able to beat them again. Period.

So, going into the Sweet 16 the Big East has two teams left representing them. After beating eachother up all year in that conference, they may have been a bit tired, but in all reality the conference as a whole may have been a tad overrated.

What We Learned Day 4 of NCAA Tournament

by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network

Here is some aspects we learned from Day 4 of the NCAA Tournament:

It is not over until the clock hits zero- Playing the best team in the ACC, and an argument can be made that they are the most complete team in the tournament, Michigan fought back from 15 points to push Duke to the limit. By hitting shots and playing good defense, Michigan shook Duke by cutting the lead down to two. Unfortunately, Michigan missed a runner with no time remaining. Michigan was a team who was tied for last in their conference for an amount of time this season, and led by heart and passion almost pulled off an unthinkable comeback.

The stars come out to play at the right time- Down two and under ten seconds against Texas, Arizona star Derrick Williams made a circus shot and hit the free throw to complete the and one, that put Arizona ahead. Arizona completed the win and move onto the next round. Williams had 17 points, and 14 of them came in the second half. Despite the shaky ending, Nolan Smith of Duke proved why he is a player of the year candidate, scoring 24 in Duke's winning way. Harrison Barnes the star and standout at North Carolina hit timely threes and led the Tarheels to a tough victory over the #7 Washington Huskies as well, moving them to the Sweet 16.

Even good coaching goes bad- Coach Rick Barnes can make mistakes. Barnes a good, veteran coach may have lost this game for the Longhorns today (losing to #5 Arizona). Having a freshmen inbounds the ball that late in a game is not the correct call. This showed as soon as the ref blew the whistle and Texas got called for a 5 second violation. Coach Barnes... tisk tisk it meant the season. Coach Boheim of Syracuse also was at fault as late in the game he didn't use timeouts when appropriate. Instead of calling a play late to shorten a lead, he let his team play which hurt the game. Scoop Jardine missed a forced three and #11 Marquette takes the upset in heroic form. Darius Johnson-Odom hit the go ahead three pointer before the Jardine force.

Final Scores of Day 4

(2) North Carolina 86, (7) Washington 83
(1) Duke 73, (8) Michigan 71
(1) Ohio State 98, (8) George Mason 66
(5) Arizona 70, (4) Texas 69
(11) Virginia Commonwealth 94, (3) Purdue 76
(11) Marquette 66, (3) Syracuse 62
(1) Kansas 73, (9) Illinois 59
(10)Florida St 71, (2) Notre Dame 57

We are now on to the Sweet 16. Check back for the thoughts on the Big East, and the reaction to the "great," conference only getting two of their eleven into the round of 16.

What We Learned from Day 3 of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network

Here are a few things that we learned after the first games of the third round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament:

Teams that go in on fire, continue streaking and vise versa: Richmond continues to roll as they kill Morehead St, and are streaking since taking over the Atlantic 10. The Big East will be another perfect example. UConn, despite struggling shooting for a majority of the night, defeated a Cincy team that was out for revenge, after losing to the Huskies on their own home court earlier in the year. UConn continues to roll since their major run in the Big East Tournament. After stumbling into the Big Dance with an early exit in the B.E.T, Pittsburgh falls on their face and under estimate Butler.

Cinderella is still spelled B-U-T-L-E-R: Butler takes down another elite opponent and advances to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row. This was also the second straight game that Matt Howard played hero. Butler may be the team to beat in the region, now that they took out the number one seed.

Jimmer may prove to be real with one more win- Still am not sold on Jimmer, but with another amazing performance he may be one step closer to gaining my respect. After defeating Gonzaga today they will play a formidable opponent in Florida, as they defeat UCLA today.

Wisconsin has officially shut up the critics- With another strong showing throughout the entire game, all the critics that said Wisconsin is not that good, and will lose in the first and second round need to sit down and shut up. Wisconsin seems to be playing peak basketball, and with the Pittsburgh loss may be able to take over the region, watch out for the glass slipper in the next round.

Final Scores of Day 3

(4) Kentucky 71, (5) West Virginia 63
(2) Florida 73, (7) UCLA 65
(12) Richmond 65, (13) Morehead State 48
(2) San Diego State 71, (7) Temple 64
(8) Butler 71, (1) Pittsburgh 70
(3) Brigham Young 89, (11) Gonzaga 67
(4) Wisconsin 70, (5) Kansas State 65
(3) Connecticut 69, (6) Cincinnati 58

Day Two Recap of the 2011 NCAA Tournament

by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network

The "second" round of the NCAA Tournament is now complete, here is a look back at the day 2 events.

West Region
(4) Texas 84, (13) Oakland 81- Despite all the hype of how Oakland is an older team, who can make this upset happen, they simply could not get the job done. Keith Benson was tamed by Texas' Tristan Thompson, as the freshmen outplayed him by scoring 17 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking 6 shots. Jordan Hamilton led the longhorns with 19, while Reggie Hamilton led all scorers with 25 for the Golden Grizz.

(8) Michigan 75, (9) Tennessee 45- This may have been coach Bruce Pearl's last game as coach of the Vols. The distractions off the court may have been too much for Tennessee this year as they're roller coaster years comes to a crashing close. Five Wolverines scored in double digits, while only Tobias Harris scored above 6 points with 19.

(5) Arizona 77, (12) Memphis 75- Derrick Williams 22 and Lamont Jones's 18 leads Arizona past the feisty and young Memphis Tigers club. Despite a strong effort and speed by Will and Antonio Barton, Williams was able to block a last second shot to earn the victory in the West region.

(1) Duke 87, (16) Hampton 45- Kyrie Irving scored 14 in his return to the Duke rotation as they blow out Hampton. Seth Curry and Nolan Smith each had quiet afternoon's with 9 each, but the Blue Devils now go on.

Southwest Region
(2) Notre Dame 69, (15) Akron 56- Despite a poor shooting day for one of the Big East's elite players, Ben Hansbrough played a role like Kemba Walker did for UConn last night. He dished the ball and made the right decisions by trusting his teammates. Notre Dame's defense stifled the Zips as only one scorer reached doubled digits. Tim Abromaitis chipped in for Notre Dame with 14.

(10) Florida St 57, (7) Texas A+M 50- Florida State picks up there first tournament win since 1998, as the Seminoles pull off the upset. Derwin Kitchen led them with 15 points to go along with his 7 rebounds. Chris Singleton returned to the Florida State rotation, but struggled in the victory.

(1) Kansas 72, (16) Boston University 53- Boston University could not bring the first 16 seed to beat a 1 as we officially will have to wait another year to see if this can happen. The Morris brothers for Kansas combined for 31 points, while Brady Morningstar chipped in 13. Kansas will play the winner of UNLV/ILL.

(3) Purdue 65, (14) St. Peters 43- Despite a great run in the MAAC to get into the tournament, St. Peters never showed up for it. The experience of E'Twuan Moore and JaJuan Johnson was way too much, as Purdue continues strong tournament play stemming back to last year.

(9) Illinois 73, (8) UNLV 62- No more gambling for Las Vegas Nevada this year. Behind the strong play in the front court by Mike Davis, the Illini succeeds over UNLV. Davis scored 22, while Demetri Mcamey chipped in 17. Next for the Illini, a date with the Morris brothers and KANSAS.

(11) VCU 74, (6) Georgetown 56- VCU deserved to be in the tournament after all. VCU defeats another Big East representative, as Georgetown could not find theyre offense even with guard Chris Wright in the lineup. VCU moves on.

East Region
(8) George Mason 61, (9) Villanova 57- George Mason ends the game on an 13-3 run, as they make the statement that they are back in the NCAA Tournament for a reason. Villanova's season ends in the free fall as they lose their last 6 games of the season. This game was a tale of two halves, as Nova seemed to be rolling in the first half with Corey x2 (Fisher and Stokes) were hitting every shot it seemed like. In the second half they were absent, meaning Villanova goes back to Philadelphia empty handed.

(1) Ohio State 75, (16) UT San Antonio 46- Ohio State dominated through and through. William Buford scored 18 in the winning effort, while Jared Sullinger missed a double double by one rebound (11 points 9 rebounds).

(2) North Carolina 102, (15) Long Island 87- Despite Carolina having the lead the majority of the game, Long Island gave a great fight in this 2/15 match up. Three North Carolina players scored over 20 points in the win (Tyler Zeller 32, John Henson 28, Harrison Barnes 24). For Long Island, Julian Boyd scored 18 points in the losing effort.

(11)Marquette 66, (6) Xavier 55- Marquette makes a statement in this game, as they hold a large lead most of the way. Holding Tu Holloway to 5 points, Marquette played a solid game, and showed the rest of the tournament how good their defense can be. Darius Johnson-Odom scores 19 in the winning effort.

(7) Washington 68, (10) Georgia 65- Despite a very late run by Georgia, Washington continues to fuel the engine as they defeat the Bulldogs. Washington finally wins a tournament game in the state of North Carolina. Bench scoring was a major factor as Georgia did not have a player score off the bench, while Washington dialed in 27. Isiah Thomas stole the show again with 19 points and 7 assists.

(4) Syracuse 77, (14) Indiana State 60- Rick Jackson played like a NBA type front court player tonight in the winning effort. Indiana St stood tall for a while, giving Cuse a run for their money, but the Orange were too much. Syracuse will go on to play fellow Big East rival Marquette in the next round.

Check back tomorrow for a recap on Saturday's action.

Day One Recap of the 2011 NCAA Tournament

by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network

Here is a recap of all of day one's action in the NCAA Tournament.

East Region
(5) West Virginia 84, (12) Clemson 76- Despite a strong game overall put together by Clemson, Mazzula and Co. were too much to handle. It seemed like the short time between the first round and second round was too much for Clemson, as they ran out of gas in the second half.

(4) Kentucky 59, (13) Princeton 57- Freshmen Brandon Knight was the hero as he hit a running layup with less then 3 seconds to go in the ball game. Princeton stuck with, and even were leading the Wildcats during points of this game. Kentucky will move on, while the IVY League will be sent home packing early again. Kentucky will face West Virginia in the next round.

West Region
(6) Cinncinnati 78, (11) Missouri 63- Despite a slow start from the field, the Bearcats open up this game behind Yancy Gates 18 points. Cincy also shot 52% from the floor which is impressive on any night, let alone a tournament game.

(3) UConn 81, (14) Bucknell 52-Kemba Walker and Connecticut continue to roll, as they started hot from the field and stayed hot. The Patriot League winner played there worst game of the year, and for that they will go home. The Big East will battle again in the next round as Cinncinnati will face UConn.

(7) Temple 66, (10) Penn St 64- In one of the wilder endings of the day Juan Fernandez hits the game winning jumpshot with minimal time remaining. The possession before that saw star Talor Battle hit a deep three to tie the game. Fernandez and Battle scored 23 points each, while Ramone Moore so Temple also bucketed 23.

(2) San Diego State 68, (15) Northern Colorado 50- It was never a game as SDSU continues there hot streak, and gains there first tournament win. Kawhi Leonard led with 21, and San Diego State will now go on to play Temple Saturday.

Southwest Region
(12) Richmond 69, (5) Vanderbilt 66- Kevin Anderson scored 16 of his 25 points in the second half as Richmond continued to roll after winning the Atlantic 10 tournament to get into the Big Dance. Jenkins and Ezeli both scored 21 points for Vanderbilt.

(13) Morehead St 62, (4) Louisville 61- Morehead State shocked the world by going for the win in the final seconds by taking a three point shot, and then shocked the universe when Demonte Harper hit it. Morehead State wins the shocker of the day as they down one of the Big East elite, and send Pitino and the Cardinals packing. Morehead St will now move on to face Richmond in the battle of the underdogs.

Southeast Region
(1) Pittsburgh 74, (16) UNC ASHEVILLE 51- Simple recap here. The only number one seed to play on Thursday dominated on Thursday.

(8) Butler 60, (9) Old Dominion 58- Who said Cinderella can't come by twice. Well the tournament started in Cinderella format as Matt Howard beats the buzzer with a layup. Butler showed why senior leadership, and teammate basketball succeeds over talent. Butler will go on to play Pittsburgh in the next round.

(5) Kansas State 73 (12) Utah State 68- Despite a second half comeback by Utah State, Kansas Sate wins this game and advances. Jacob Pullen scores 22 for KSU.

(4) Wisconsin 72, (13) Belmont 58- Coming into the tournament the consensus upset seemed to be that Belmont would prevail. Wisconsin had something to say about that though. Jon Leuer scored 22, while star Jordan Taylor goes for 21. Belmont will go home, while Wisconsin will face off against KSU next.

(11) Gonzaga 86, (6) St. John's 71- St. John's was exposed on the biggest stage. They could not run or shoot with Gonzaga's athletic lineup. They could not be the giant killer away from Madison Square Garden. The absence of DJ Kennedy made a difference. Gonzaga proves again to be a tournament team. As for St. John's look for a brand new team as most of the Red Storm is headed for graduation in the spring.

(3) BYU 74, (14) Wofford 66- Despite a strong effort by Woff, it was Jimmer time again. 32 points later all you can say is JIMMER JIMMER JIMMER.

(7) UCLA 78, (10) Michigan State 76- Despite a heroic type comeback by Tom Izzo's crew, UCLA finishes a well played game and defeats Mich St. UCLA hit on all cylinders and held Kalin Lucas to 4-14 shooting.

(2) Florida 79, (15) UCSB 51- From start to finish Florida played with a chip on their shoulder. After being granted with a number 2 seed last Sunday, all the critics (including myself) said they did not deserve it. I'm not saying yet that they do, but this is the correct step in the right direction.

A Second Chance

by Joseph Landini
The Exchange

Perception changes from right after a major loss is suffered to looking back at it five days later, especially when it comes to this year’s Franklin Pierce Women’s Basketball team.

On Friday March 11th, #3 Franklin Pierce fell to #6 Pace in the opening round of the 2011 Division II NCAA Tournament, 64-62. The final seconds of the opening round game saw Pace’s Brittany Shields hit a jumper from the free throw line to send the Ravens home for the season. The talk around the tournament before hand was that this opening game would be tougher for the Ravens, then the possible second round match up against the number two seed Holy Family. Reason being, the Ravens have defeated Holy Family all three times in the past three years. Unfortunately for Franklin Pierce it never got to that point. Despite the loss, the Ravens had two strong performance. One by the Northeast 10 Player of the Year Jewel White, who scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Freshmen Brooke Coderre also had an impressive game off the bench scoring 13 of her own.

The season ends in upset form, but the season and the future were and are bright as can be. Before the 2010-2011 season the expectations for this team were in question , and were not high. With former Division II Player of the Year Johannah Leedham no longer with the team, the Ravens were left without a leader and a main go to player. White became that player all season capturing various accolades, while her teammate Marielle Girould captured Northeast 10 Defensive player of the year honors. Aside from these two juniors, the team was surprised by outstanding play and development by sophomores Tiffany Johnson and Amanda Saab. For Johnson, her potential to be a main scoring threat showed this season as her shooting and offensive ability improved since being a freshmen a year ago. For Saab, as a freshmen she was a role player who shot only 3s it seemed like. This year, she became one of the most versatile players in the Northeast 10. Her improvement of driving to the basket, and low post play only added to her ability of shooting the long ball. The surprise of the season was the play of the three incoming freshmen guards. Brittany Martelle showed perimeter shooting ability, Coderre did that and was a feisty ball defender, and Kate McDonald was the floor general the entire season being the Ravens main point guard to run all the plays. The Ravens finished the season 24-8 overall, while posting a second place finish and an 18-4 record in the Northeast 10.

Looking forward the Ravens future may have never been as bright as it is right now. Of the 12 players on the Ravens roster, all 12 will return for the 2011-2012 campaign. With the two players of the year, the improving Johnson/Saab combination, and the developing class of 2014, things could not get any better right? Wrong. How about adding a three year starter in the front court in Tori Aherns, and a possible player of the year candidate in Cynthia Gaudet. Both Aherns and Gaudet sat out the 2010-2011 season with injuries. Aherns adds another dominant rebounder, and low post threat to a front court, which already has dominance with White and tenacity with Girould. Gaudet, before the injury, was projected as the possible Northeast 10 Player of the Year. As the Ravens point guard from 2007-2010, Gaudet shoots the ball with effectiveness, and becomes the Ravens best decision maker as soon as she steps on the Field House court again. With most of the top Northeast 10 schools losing major players to graduation at seasons end, the Ravens will most likely be the favorite to win the conference.

If all falls in place, and the team develops the chemistry like years past, a National Championship may be coming to Franklin Pierce very soon.

Venue Review: Dana Center

Written by: Joseph Landini
High Heat Network

The Dana Athletic Center is the current home for Bentley University's basketball teams. Both the men and women's programs have held this home court since 1973. It is also the home of the woman's volleyball team. This court has seen many recent big time games, such as a nationally televised contest between two Division II rivals, Franklin Pierce and Bentley, to go along with being the host of the 2011 Northeast 10Conference Championships in basketball. For a Division II program, this basketball venue is as good as it gets. The stands are filled with all plastic blue bleachers, which go all around the court. When you walk in there is so much blue that it seems like you are in a wave. The arena itself holds over 3,400 people in max capacity. It also holds the college/professional feel in the sense that all the records and accolades in the athletic programs are in the rafters above. During the game in a high tense situation you could really think it was the home of a Division I program. The court and venue itself is not the only aspect to write home about. Right outside the court, Bentley University has put the athletic training facility (gym) which has state of the art equipment and a small food court for students and faculty as well. Bentley University has a lot of great fields, but the Dana Center itself may be the cream of the crop.

Magic possible for the postseason in women's basketball

Written by: Joseph Landini
Pierce Arrow

It is winter postseason time again in Rindge, and that can only mean one thing. The women's basketball team is lacing up their sneakers and getting ready for the final stretch. With the number 13 nowhere to be found, the program will turn to the team-oriented game which they have relied on and succeeded with all year.

Coming from two big wins to rally themselves into the second seed in the Northeast-10 Tournament, the Ravens have their confidence back. After the setback against Saint Anselm on February 12, the Ravens put themselves into a tough position, being tied for second and behind Bentley by two games with two to go. The Ravens defeated nationally-ranked Bentley 90-87, to come within a game, but came up short as Bentley won their final game of the year. Franklin Pierce is slotted as the number two seed, and will await winners to see who they will host at the Field House on March 1 in the Quarterfinals.

The shining light and surprise of the year has been the fact that the freshman class has been nothing short of impressive. When recruits come in, no one really knows what they have got or how much they can take. This year's freshman group has lost big, won huge, and done the same in close situations. Brook Coderre originally started the year as a starting guard before becoming the lightening rod off the bench that the Ravens needed. One of the many perimeter threats the Ravens have, Coderre will be a major part of this possible postseason run. Brittany Martelle has gone from being the no-name player who played well against Uconn, to a major rotation player in the Ravens scheme. Martelle is as good as the rest at shooting the ball when she has confidence, which will be her key to success. Kate McDonald may be the most known coming into this year. She was the Ravens starting point guard for the entire year and has come into her own as of late. Her ability to be aggressive and then become the distributor in a matter of a play has really worked to her advantage. The freshman class will need to play well for the Ravens to stay in the postseason as long as possible.

Regardless of whom they play or what the underclassmen produce, the key factors and telling tale of the Ravens will be their two junior leaders, Marielle Giroud and Jewel White. Going into the final game against UMass-Lowell, Giroud came off her career game and was averaging 14.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Those statistics were second only to arguably the conference's best player Jewel White. White won the NE-10 Conference Player of the Week award more times than anyone else this year. She averaged 18.7 points and over 11 rebounds per contest. The two players have been the corner stone of this ball club all year, to the point where there were only three games where one of them did not lead the team in scoring. If they play well, the Ravens play well. Both also hold the experience card in their hands as they have been through the thick and thin of this team. White and Giroud were both part of the team during the two glorious recent elite eight runs, but also have been a part of the heartbreak of coming up just short of the trophy. The team's success lies in the hands of White and Giroud this postseason.

This is the first postseason run the Ravens will have to make without Johannah Leedham in a long time. The two-time player of the year and leading scorer in the history of the division has moved on, but her jersey is still in the Field House. This young team will need to rely on their team play, rather than letting Leedham go for over 30 a night. Leedham is gone, but the heart of the Ravens is still within the program. Magic is still possible for this program as the pieces are in place.

The Ravens basketball postseason will not be blessed with having the best player in the division in Johannah Leedham, but there is plenty of hope. With the accelerated progress of Martelle, Coderre, and McDonald, to go along with the experience and drive of Giroud and White, the Ravens have a chance to keep this successful program nothing short of magical.