I'D BE REALLY TICKED by ST

As we hit the Spring Game tomorrow and from my chair, shelve college football until late Summer I have a confession. As a fan I'm really pissed at Jeremiah Masoli. I've read all the pre season polls which have the Ducks ranked really high. Sweet. What does it mean? Just a year ago we saw the USC juggernaut slip with an inexperienced, albeit talented quarterback running the show. If Masoli wasn't a thief and a punk who had to be booted for 2010 this team is a national title contender and the clear favorite in the Pac 10. The whole O-line is back along with just about all their skill aside from Ed Dickson. First time starters can succeed. We saw it in 2008 with Masoli. But win a major conference? Win a national championship? I know at the collegiate level guys are kind of limited as to what they can say publicly or risk getting hammered by their head coach. If I were an Oregon player, I'd be seething at what this guy might have cost us. Oddly a first time starter won the title with Greg McElroy at Bama but he had the Heisman running back and the best defense in America.
Otherwise it was Colt McCoy a senior at Texas, a 2nd yr starter in Terrell Pryor, the Boise State stud Kellen Moore, Andy Dalton was a 3rd year starter at TCU, Tim Tebow, just do the math. National Championship opportunities at a place like Oregon were once an impossible dream. 9 years ago it was lost to Stanford and the idiot BCS system. In 2007 it was Dennis Dixon's knee. In 2010 it was easily avoidable and inexcusable! Remember, if you're attending the game, pack those canned goods for Food for Lane County. Kick off time is 2pm, Justin, Ryan and I will bring you the pre-game on KUGN beginning at 1pm. Enjoy the weekend.

WHOSE KIDDING WHO? by ST

Just read a piece online that says the Yankees are NOT the most hated team in baseball. Yeah, right! Using some ridiculous formula the Nielsen Company has determined it's the Cleveland Indians. Really? Are you kidding me? As a Yankees fan I'm almost insulted. Next you're gonna tell me the most hated team in the NFL is the Carolina Panthers. I was pleased to see the Red Sox were the 2nd most hated. I can't imagine they don't deserve the top spot. Their fans have become the most obnoxious, band wagon filling bunch of clowns I've seen since the glory days of the 49ers.
Heard Luke Ridnaur singing the praises of our new head basketball coach on Doug Gottlieb's national radio show on ESPN this afternoon. Rid claimed he's pumped about the hire, despite it's delay and has heard nothing but good about Dana Altman. We have our first chat with the new hoops boss at 4:25 on today's show. Looking forward to his Sportstalk debut.
I still have a couple of pair of tickets to this weekend's series at PK Park with Washington State. E-mail the correct answer to the following to me at stevetannen@live.com to get in the drawing.
We're well aware that Coach Altman arrived in Eugene via Creighton. Well name the Baseball Hall of Famer who was a 2 sport high school star in Nebraska and actually earned a basketball scholarship to Creighton. Be careful you don't dig in too far with your answer or he might plunk you.

BASEBALL FOR ALL by ST

We're having a guest on during the 5 o'clock hour. His name is Mark Armour. He's recently authored a book called "Joe Cronin-A Life in Baseball". Cronin is an incredibly interesting subject. Hall of Fame player and manager for the Red Sox during some truly glorious years with Ted Williams, our own local star Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx & Dom Dimaggio. Also served as president of the American League from 1959 through 1973. Armour is appearing this evening from 6-7pm at the Barnes & Noble across from Valley River in Eugene.
How about them Duck baseballers? Really took it to Oregon State last night at the big PK. This is not the high caliber OSU team we've grown accustomed to the past half decade. Their offense has become somewhat anemic. Managed pretty much nothing against the Oregon front liners Joey Housey and Madison Boer. Just 1 earned and 5 hits through 7 innings. By the time they broke through late it was academic. The Beavs are dead last in the Pac 10 in batting average, total bases and hits. The pitching and defense are pretty strong, but the lumber will likely cost them a shot at the post season.
Oregon is again home this weekend for Washington State. I have 2 pair of tickets for each game. You want in? E-mail me the correct answer to the following. I mentioned Joe Cronin of the Bosox. His number hangs on the wall at Fenway Park, retired. What is it? E-mail to stevetannen@live.com

NUMBERS GAME by ST

Lot of talk about the recent NFL draft in prime time drawing big ratings and more viewers than the NBA playoffs. For openers, relax. It's the 1st round of the playoffs! Plus the NFL rules sports in this country. The 1st round of the draft was terrific and in this day of the major impact of the salary cap, the draft is critical so fans of all teams understand what happened Thursday through Saturday means something for the 2010 season. Plus duh!!! Having the event in prime time as opposed to a Saturday or Sunday morning will naturally draw more viewers. I think too much is being made of this.
You'll hear a lot being made about the Phillies giving first baseman Ryan Howard a monster deal to the tune of 126 million dollars. Sure it's fantasy land money and history says a large, lumbering, limited dimensional player like Howard will experience a serious decline in his numbers as he's already passed his 30th birthday. The guy is a strikeout machine, tolerable on defense at best, and tipping the scales at 260, not the second coming of Ricky Henderson on the basepaths. AND??? He kills the ball and is a perfect fit for this lineup. Posted video game numbers in 2006 with 58 bombs driving in 149. The past 3 years he's been a model of consistent productivity with 47, 48 & 45 homers, 136, 146 and 141 rbi's. If another team, a weak team, threw that kind of dough at him I'd call it stupid, but for this lineup over the next 3 years, he's perfect. They have Jimmy Rollins, a recent MVP, Chase Utley, one of baseball's best, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth, Carlos Ruiz and a few others are all in their prime. Philly is the team to beat in the NL. If I'm a fan of this franchise I could care less about the bucks, I'm kicking back and enjoy the ride. They made the playoffs in 2007 after a 13 year absence, won the Series in 2008, made the World Series last year and will be in the mix barring a rash of injuries into the next few years. Don't forget, they also locked up Roy Halladay to front the rotation for the next 3 seasons as well. On a technicality it's not the most brilliant baseball sign, but shows a sweet commitment to their fans and that's all I care about. We're setting up shop at PK Park today for Ducks/Beavs. Should be sweet. Thoughts?

WELCOMING LOGIC AND REASON by ST

No question the process itself was a cluster(fill in the blank). At the end of the day I think Oregon landed a heck of a coach. Perhaps he's the ying to Ernie Kent's yang. No one was a better salesman or ambassador for Oregon basketball. No one even remotely approached his accomplishments at his Alma Mater. The knock was actual in game x's & o's. I think that was debateable but no question Dana Altman has a rep for coaching the heck out of his guys during the 40 minutes of game time. If we had access to a real life rewind button and the day after Coach Kent was dismissed we saw Coach Altman on a short list of candidates, the knowledgable college hoop fans would have been okay with that. Unfortunately we had the fantasy land merry go round with ridiculous names like Izzo or Donovan skewing peoples view of reality regarding this program. From my chair, Creighton plays in the best mid major conference, the Missouri Valley. Top to bottom it smokes the West Coast Conference(Gonzaga), and the Horizon(Butler). I think it's a solid hire and look forward to watching D.A do his thing.
I attended my first UO baseball game as a fan with my wife on Saturday, the O.T loss to USC. Each time I've been to a game at PK it's been on press row so I got a true taste of the experience. The seats are awesome, great view of the game from every reserved chair. The prices are off the charts nuts. Are you kidding me? At least when you get soaked at a pro venue like Safeco or Yankee Stadium you understand there are multi million dollar salaries to pay. My concern is for the guy in the street struggling to pay the bills unable to afford a day at the yard with his kids to watch their beloved Ducks. Finally, if I'm nuts enough to fork over $6 for a beer, I should be able to enjoy it at my seat. Truth be told, I was a bit put off by certain aspects of the whole thing. I'm spoiled, I can go to every game for free, drink coffee, stay warm and watch baseball. My concern is outpricing the fans, the heart and soul of Duck athletics.

MIND AT EASE by ST

Just read that the NCAA has added 2 MORE bowl games pushing the total to 35 for at least the next 4 years. Whew! Good thing. I was worried because we desperately need more ways to get 6 & 6 teams into the post season. Personally I just cant' get enough of the New Orleans, Poulan Weed Eater, Goodyear, St. Petersburg, Midas or Bell Helicopter bowls. I won't rest until we have the Cereal and Cheech & Chong Bowls in the mix. Seriously, we now have the Pinstripe Bowl to be played at Yankee Stadium pitting the #3 team from the Big East versus the Big 12 #6. Throw in the Dallas Football Classic at the Cotton Bowl. Who could possibly not be riveted by a matchup of the 6th place team from the Big 10 and 7th place team from the Big 12?
Had a ball doing yesterday's show from the new Doc's Pad downtown, talking NFL draft with Justin and all of you. Anyone think it was odd Denver picked Tim Tebow so high? Obviously if you're talking character, he's already a Hall of Famer, but I can't imagine he wasn't going to be available with their next selection, the 13th pick of the 2nd round, a mere 20 picks after they chose wide out Demaryius Thomas from Georgia Tech. I know we have our share of Seahawk fans and from my chair, they hit a couple of homers with both of their 1st round picks. The rebuilding of their faulty offensive line takes a huge step forward with Russel Okung of Oklahoma State at six, then an elite safety with Earl Thomas of Texas.
Today we'll talk more draft along with lot's of NFL & NBA playoffs(PLAYOFFS?) plus MLB and our usual digressions. Enjoy the weekend.

BEAT WRITER'S NIGHTMARE by ST

I was reading Rob Mosely's piece on Oregon football in today's Guard. The title alluded to the Duck QB situation remaining up in the air. On this show I get enough calls from folks who actually expect a decision as to who will be the quarterback...IN SEPTEMBER. It's April? I feel for Rob, because he must get these unanswerable questions 10-fold. Does anyone pay attention to anything that's ever happened, and I mean ever. Think about this. A year ago, Oregon was off the Holiday Bowl victory led by Jeremiah Masoli. There was really no question as to who would be QB when the season started, yet Chip Kelly remained adamant all positions fell under the "open competition" category. So with Masoli getting bounced for being a thief and 2 basically unproven guys vying during the spring, you really think a rock solid choice is coming now?
We're doing the show live today at Doc's Pad at it's brand new location at 7th & Willamette Street in downtown Eugene. I'll be joined by Justin Meyers. We will be talking lot's of NFL draft with the event debuting in prime time on the East Coast and 4:30 in our world. Should be fun. Hope to see you there.
I read yesterday that Mark Cuban, the Dallas Maverick owner, came out and said he "hates" the Spurs. Really? I've always like Cuban but now will be riding the San Antonio band wagon. How can anyone hate the Spurs? They're probably the most well run, solid character organization we have in North American sports. Cuban's Mavs aspire to be the Spurs. Dallas constantly underachieves and chokes in the playoffs while San Antonio has piled up 4 NBA titles the past 11 seasons. Can't believe Cuban would be that desperate for attention. Pathetic. Go Spurs!

IN BETWEEN THE LINES by ST

Read and heard today that Tiger Woods schedule is expanding. After his disappointing(his words) 4th place finish in the Masters, he'll next tee it up at Quail Hollow in Charlotte a week from Thursday. Next up will be the TPC the very next week. It's all part of his prep to play the US Open at one of his favorite venues, Pebble Beach, in June. I think this also means the reports that his marriage is toast is true. No way he's getting back to a regular schedule if he's working on things with Elin he's not focused on his game. For the record how the heck can any self respecting woman take this pig back. Just considering the diseases he might have caught with his laundry list of skanks. Okay, enough gossip.
Last night's blowout loss at Phoenix was not completely out of left field for the Blazers. In the Game one victory, the Suns shot poorly and they are an excellent shooting team. Between Grant Hill, Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley, they shot a mason like 7 of 28. In last night's series equaling win, they hit 23 of 31. We're talking a combined 22 points upgraded to the combined 53 they contributed in the win. This isn't rocket science. So the optimist sees a split on the road which is huge returning to a difficult venue like the Rose Garden. I still say in the end, they will miss Brandon Roy a bit too much to survive this series. I hope I'm wrong.
Short show today as we have Ducks @ Zags to wrap that series. Looking forward to the guys returning home for USC this weekend.

A DUCKY SATURDAY by ST

One of the things I've tried to emphasize during the trials and tribulations of Oregon football players post Rose Bowl was that in no way should we view this as a symptom of what jocks at this University are like. These knuckleheads are a handful of rogue brats who don't appreciate what a fantasy it is to be a scholarship athlete at a place like the U of O. In recent months I've had the chance to meet with some amazing student/athletes and their coaches through radio interviews both on SportsTalk here on 95.3 and the Friday Morning Ducktalk show on KUGN. Vin Lananna of Track & Field, softball coach Mike White, Lacrosse boss Jen Larson and more. We've chatted with Taylor Lilly and some of her hoop teammates, Ashton Eaton, some soccer players and it's been enlightening. On Saturday I actually got off my duff and caught a chunk of the Oregon dual meet romp against UCLA. After meeting some friends at Hayward, we ventured over to Howe Field and witnessed the final couple innings of the Duck win over the top ranked and defending national champion Huskies. I really enjoyed the atmosphere at both events. The oddest thing I saw was about a half hour before the track meet when I was picking up my credentials. There was a guy decked out in Washington gear outside the softball team with the barbeque fired up, tailgating for softball? Weird!
How about the UO Baseball team. A couple weeks back they took on top ranked Arizona State, won a game and nearly took the series but Ty Anderson lost a heartbreaker in the opener. Last week they won their 1st Pac 10 set since the return of the sport down on The Farm against Stanford. This past weekend they expanded on those successes by taking 2 of 3 at UCLA who had risen to the top of the rankings. The pitching staff will get tested with a midweek series at Gonzaga tomorrow and Wednesday before the guys return home for USC on Friday.
Okay, with Missouri's Mike Anderson the most recent to rebuff overtures to become the new men's basketball coach, it appears folks representing Mike Gottfried have told the powers that be he's interested in the gig. He is 46 years old and has done some nice work. First he was at Murray State out of the Ohio Valley League and took the Racers to consecutive Big Dance's in the late 1990's. He would eventually get his 1st major gig at Alabama and from his 4th through his 8th season with the Tide would roll to 5 NCAA Tournament's in a row including an Elite 8 birth in 2004. He seems to be a solid coach though the circumstances surrounding his departure in early 2009 are unclear. At this point I'd call him a viable candidate. He was also an assistant on Jim Harrick's 1995 national title team with UCLA so obviously a Pac 10 connection exists.
Okay, I have an Oregon baseball cap and 'Dri-Fit' baseball jersey, size XL. We'll pull 2 names so e-mail your correct answer to the following to stevetannen@live.com
I mentioned Gottfried as a Bruin assistant when they won it all in 1995. Name the other 2 assistants on that staff who are currently head coaches in a major conference?

NOW WE CAN TALK by ST

Ever meet that guy in a bar who maybe had a few and is trying to impress a woman or even you with some stories that just don't sit right? You're thinking if this clown was such a good athlete or so freaking smart, how come he's ordering dollar drafts, wearing crappy clothes and pulled up in a 1991 Nova. Similar situation to the Oregon search for a men's hoop coach. They were out there acting as if they'd been superstar ballplayers with a PHD, who'd dated Halle Berry and Charlize Theron. Truth was they'd had some moments on the hardwood, barely got their undergrad B.S and had one date with a really pretty girl who never called back. Now when I hear the name Mike Anderson from Missouri I'm thinking "now you're being reasonable". Mizzou is a school who has had some success, but never reached the Final 4. Anderson looks like a heck of a coach, but approachable unlike Tom Izzo, Jamie Dixon or Billy Donovan. I see him as realistic though it's far from a lock. The Tigers reached the Elite 8 of the NCAA's last March, then the 2nd round last month. They return their top 3 scorers in Marcus Denmon, Lawrence Bowers and Kim English along with 3 pretty high level recruits. But the Big 12 looks loaded with traditional powers like Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma State to go with rising programs like Baylor, Texas A & M and even though down a bit, Oklahoma is an excellent basketball school. For a boost in annual salary it appears he's a legit candidate. Plus personally I love his Nolan Richardson influenced "40 minutes of Hell" style. It would require a serious relocation as he was born & raised in Birmingham, went to school and played for Richardson at Tulsa then became an assistant at Arkansas before taking his 1st D-1 head gig at Alabama/Birmingham prior to landing in Columbia as the Missouri boss. And now, according to USA Today, the Ducks have been granted permission to speak with Anderson. This is a guy I consider a worth successor to Ernie Kent. Perhaps all this nonsense will pay off in the end. Your thoughts?

THE 2ND SEASON by ST

Love the heck out of this time of year. With the NBA & NHL Playoffs overlapping with the early going in Major League Baseball, starting on Saturday, each day is kind of like the 1st 4 days of March Madness. Games, games, games and more games.
With last night's results we've learned the Trailblazers will square off with the Suns in the 1st round. This is not what you'd call a rivalry series, but it could be one of the most entertaining. By the way, how much better would Portland fans be feeling if the name Kevin Durant was called back on June 28, 2007 instead of Greg Oden? Hopefully Brandon Roy will be able to go at least at 75% or I think they're dead in the water. FYI....this set will be the last to get rolling with the opener set for Sunday night at 7:30. With the questionable status of their best player, the national media and 71% of the fans in a recent ESPN poll are leaning towards the Suns. These teams met 3 times during the regular year with Portland winning twice, but one was in December. Most recently, on March 21st in the desert, the Suns won 93-87 flexing some rare defensive muscles. Prior to any predictions, folks might make a note of Phoenix center Robin Lopez. He will not play in this series with a back injury according to coach Alvin Gentry. That hinders their depth, but perhaps not their quality as they've won 8 of the 10 he's missed, including huge stretch run victories against Denver on Tuesday and at Utah last night. We'll obviously have a bunch more on the NBA playoffs today and tomorrow on SportsTalk.
Here's our daily trivia question for some free stuff. E-mail your answer to stevetannen@live.com
When was the last time Phoenix and Portland met in the post season and what was the result?

DELUDED FANS by ST

I always get a good laugh out of certain pockets of fans. We had a Knick fan of all people stir the pot on SportsTalk yesterday when he pretty much called certain Blazer fans nuts for wanting to face the Lakers in the playoffs. They likely won't as Oklahoma City draws LA in the 1st round and if Brandon Roy isn't playing, Portland is toast. Fans have a tendency to let their deepest feelings guide them. The Trailblazers hatred for LA is similar to what most Red Sox supporters felt towards the Yankees prior to breaking the curse back in 2004. It was labeled a rivalry, but really wasn't because one team always won when it mattered. Sure, Portland has had some regular season success against the Lakers but the world is a different place in the post season and no one on the entire Blazer roster has ever done anything that's mattered in the post season. I won't get into the accomplishments of Kobe and Phil Jackson when the spotlight shines brightest.
Here's your chance to win some Duck loot. I have a hat and a really cool baseball shirt. Send the correct response to stevetannen@live.com
Since the Blazers swept LA in the West Finals on their way to the lone championship in 1977, they've met 10 times in the playoffs. How many of those series have the Trailblazers won? I'll elaborate on Sportstalk.

THE FINE LINE by ST

Hearing some solid debate about the lack of balance regarding how the Steelers have dealt with Santonio Holmes and Ben Roethlisberger. Holmes, after another legal run in and a failed drug test was traded to the Jets. Ben again side stepped prosecution in Georgia after the DA decided against pursuing his sexual assault case. Some are crying race. Here's my angle if you're Pittsburgh. It's not a matter of black and white, but wide receiver and quarterback. Quality QB's are a billion times more valuable to a franchise than a wide out. Cold? Harsh? Certainly because most wide receivers are black, most quarterbacks are white. Also, keep an ear out for how Ben's meeting with the commish turns out or if there is a team punishment pending because the Steeler organization hates this low character crap.
I'm not one of them, but I really feel for Blazer fans. The news that Brandon Roy is toast for the season with a knee injury just plain stinks. Since they've accepted the loss of big guys Oden and Joel P, acquired Marcus Camby, they've become a dangerous threat in the NBA playoffs. We saw last night that it's not a matter of simply plugging in Rudy Fernandez at the 2 guard spot. Rudy has value but is completely unable to create his own shot or perform in the clutch like Brandon and he's simply not the heart and soul of this team. We've learned they've avoided LA in the first round, but regardless, can't imagine they'll take out Denver, Dallas, Utah or Phoenix without Roy.
I saw Clemson has already filled their coaching vacancy with Brad Brownell of Wright State. The Raiders have become a solid Horizon League program but obviously play 2nd fiddle to national runner-up Butler. Clemson lost their coach on April 5th when Oliver Purnell took the Depaul gig. Took them 8 days and that was after a resignation. Still waiting on Oregon.
Okay, for some free Duck gear, email the correct answer to this question to
stevetannen@live.com
When was the last time Wright State made the Big Dance and what was the result of their 1st round game?

CHANGE? I THINK NOT by ST

Count me in the group who doesn't but what Tiger is selling and the fact remains it doesn't matter. This whole call for change in his on course demeanor or how he deals with the media is just dumb. He is accountable to his wife first and foremost. His family second, then comes the sponsors and fans. It's obvious he could care less about the folks who pay to watch him play. His post tournament interview outside Butler cabin was very telling. Not a word about the gallery or his fellow golfers. Time to realize Woods is just an arrogant, selfish jerk. Certainly not a first in big time athletics. I don't care if he curses after a bad show, I know I do, but I hit a lot more bad shots than this guy. I would have liked to have seen more appreciation for the incredible welcome he received on Thursday and the roars of approval he got all tournament long. I grade out his play at an "A" because that 4 day total of 277 or 9 under is pretty terrific. It would have won the tournament 4 of the past 10 years and tied another. I'll give him a D for how he handled it.
If you didn't get goose bumps or well up a bit after Phil Mickelson embraced his wife Amy after the win, you have a cold water valve where your heart should be. She was in Augusta but pretty much bedridden dealing with cancer treatments but was able to make it out there for the Sunday coronation. For the record, congratulations to lot's of SportsTalk listeners and even the host. Leading up last week many of us felt Lefty was the guy to beat despite the fact the oddsmakers had Tiger as favorite. Keep an eye out for the runner up Lee Westwood. He IS the current best player not to win a major. Over the last 3 Slam Events, he's run 3rd at the British Open, 3rd at the PGA and obviously 2nd at the Masters.
Still haven't heard the name that gets me excited the Ducks fired Ernie Kent. For the record, today is a day shy of 4 weeks since the announcement was final. Lot of other schools have filled their vacancy or re-upped their current guy. No one is experiencing the difficulty Oregon is. It's getting ridiculous.
Let's give away a $50 gift certificate for The Learning Palace in Eugene that features great educational products, plus another $50 to Mio Sushi in Eugene at the Oakway Center. Send your correct answer to my e-mail address, stevetannen@live.com
Phil Mickelson's winning total of 16 under par, or 272 has only been bettered 3 times in the history of the tournament. Who were the 3 players who posted lower scores?

UMPIRE STRIKES OUT by ST

I finally took the time to read the story about MLB ump Joe West telling a Jersey periodical he thought the pace of play between the Yankees & Red Sox was so slow it's embarrassing. Really? This is how you make your living and you have this kind of complaint? Perhaps Mr. West should check out and find another way to put food on the table. Certainly baseball should and has taken some steps to quicken play, but I'd like to think the guys in blue were so radar locked into getting calls right and paying attention to the action they left their stopwatch in the dugout. As a rule, the better offenses will generate longer games because the hitters are more selective and unwilling to swing at bad pitches and foul more balls off. You'd think a professional umpire would understand that. What a knucklehead.
Word came down that the district attorney in the Georgia county where Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger is accused of sexual assault will announce a decision whether to prosecute on Monday. Make no mistake, this is really serious business. This Pittsburg franchise is one of the greatest on the landscape of American Sports. The Rooney family is highly respected for how they operate. This is not gonna cut it. I wouldn't doubt Big Ben's career as a Steeler ends with a conviction. On Wednesday we heard Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne take Tiger to task for his moral indescretions because Woods has become synonymous with the Masters and this is not the image they want to portray. Well magnify that times a billion because Tiger didn't break the law or step into the kind of despicable behavior Roethlisberger is accused of. Stay tuned because this will be a major impact decision. Very curious as to your thoughts on this. Enjoy the weekend.

YO! IT'S A COMMERCIAL. by ST

Lot's of hoopla surrounding the new Tiger Woods Nike ad where his dad's voice appears in a manner that comments on Tiger's massive infidelities. For openers, Earl Woods passed away on May 3rd, 2006 so he really isn't offering commentary on his son's mess. More importantly, it's a commercial. This just in. You don't get the hot babes by drinking that beer and the dog isn't really telling you the kind of food he prefers. Do people figure anything out anymore or is everything a pre-cursor to over the top melodrama? Truth be told, if anything, I find the Tiger ad kind of creepy.
Here's one you don't hear very often. A half dozen players on a hockey team from Slovenia were released despite the fact the team had just won the league championship. Ticked off because they discovered their American coach had allowed a 19 year old goalie to drive a car drunk, which he crashed, they beat the crap out of the coach. Apparently they used wooden traffic signs in the attack. Imagine their reaction if they'd lost?
Steeler fans are now in a holding mode as Georgia Authorites have concluded their investigation as to whether or not QB Ben Roethlisberger sexually assaulted a 20-year old girl/woman. The DA's office will decide whether or not charges are warranted. Big Ben is now 28 years old. What is he doing with a 20-year old. Ben is an idiot. He has too much to lose and is discounting his professional responsibility. When he was drafted into the NFL, the alleged victim was 14! Figure it out.
Lot to get to on today's show with round one of the Masters along with the ongoing start of MLB, the fast approaching NBA & NHL Playoffs, the coaching search at Oregon and more. Plus we're live at Sam's Place off West 11th in Eugene. Time to give out our prizes for those of you who took part in the March Madness contest.

MOST AVOIDABLE POLICY by ST

On yesterday's show I mentioned how I found the whole UO President/Mike Bellotti buyout/AD fired mess was boring. I've now upgraded this to aggravating. The Oregon brass is incredibly condescending and arrogant. I harken back to the press conference around 2001 when they fired women's basketball coach Jody Runge. As always, there were issues and the University was the exact opposite of forthcoming. Then V.P Dan Williams was so smug with his "need to know" cockiness like we were all ignorant peasants and he'd deem what we were worthy of knowing. Seriously, if he'd copped that attitude with me in a bar or social situation, I'd have cracked him one. The bigwigs at the U of O simply need to get over themselves. They're not posessing the secret codes to the missiles at NORAD or dealing in national security. Be stand up people, and tell the truth because obviously it's going to come out anyway. And try speaking english instead of lawyerspeak. UO President Richard Lariviere fired Mike Bellotti as athletic director. It happens. Tom Landry was fired by the Cowboys. Willie Mays was traded. The 49ers traded Joe Montana. They just didn't try to cover it up or lie about it. Here's a thought. The UO wants fans and media members to live and die with their every word and event. When we cover events and stories and sell out Autzen Stadium, they love us. But when things take an imperfect turn, then we're mindless idiots who have no right to the truth. Can't have it both ways folks! Your thoughts???

AND LOVING IT by ST

As much as I love all the information available on the web and truth be told, I'm a junkie as far as getting online and staying online all day, I still eat up baseball's box scores in the paper like the pre-net era. It's why today is one of my favorite days of the year. It follows the first full day of counting baseball. Even the basic boxes provided by the Register Guard can provide you a pretty solid angle of what went down in every game. Certainly I take the next step at the ESPN or MLB site to get pitch counts and analysis, but for a baseball junkie like me it remains a daily morning gift.
Quite the NCAA final with Duke surviving this terrific Butler group. Still don't see why Coach K ordered his big fella Zoubek to deliberately miss that last foul shot up 2 points. I see the no time out, desperation shot mentality. But even after a make, they still would have needed a similar heave that Brandon Hayward nearly drained at the gun. If the free throw is good, we go to overtime, under the scenario the Blue Devil coach painted, they lose by one. I don't get it.
So where do you rank this one for a Final?? Kansas over Memphis in OT 2 years ago. Illinois took UNC late into the 2nd half in the 05 game. Arizona's title under Lute Olson in 1997 was a dandy in overtime versus then defending champ Kentucky. For riveting, memorable stuff, I harken back to the infamous Chris Webber illegal timeout against North Carolina in 1993, Dean Smith's 2nd and last championship. That just covered 17 years so it's high on anyone's list.
Offer up your suggestion to stevetannen@live.com to get in our drawing. The winner gets a choice of a $100 gift certificate to Harry Ritchies or a $50 certificate to Mio Sushi for a dinner on us. Good luck.

HEAD SCRATCHING AND PURSUIING #4 by ST

I'm not stunned the Eagles traded Donovan McNabb. The NFL is the most cut throat league when it comes to personnel because of their salary structure. Roster bonuses and dollars due near the end of contracts lead to these situations. Donovan won 9 playoff games for Philly and posted a really strong 92-49 & 1 record as a starter. He guided them to the NFC title game 5 times but got to Super Sunday just once. Still not sure this was the right move. Dallas isn't great. They're making some moves and still lack a legit #1 money receiver, plus I'm not sold Tony Romo is a championship caliber QB. The Giants have a ton of issues on defense and are off a mediocre 8 & 8 season. The Eagles would have been my lock pick to win the East. Then you have the fact they traded him to a major rival, the Redskins. I've heard folks rant about the new starter, Kevin Kolb(as in corn on the). He played well in beating the Chiefs, a league doormat early last year. Threw for nearly 400 yards against the Saints, but it was in a 48-22 blowout loss where he put it up 51 times. He's an unproven commodity. This team has weapons for sure so this makes it even more interesting to follow the NFC East in 2010.
We find out who is the 2010 National Champ in men's college hoops tonight. I had Duke making the final game from the go, losing to Kansas so no reason to back off now. From a betting perspective we absolutely stole the Butler game Saturday against Michigan State. Bulldogs were a 1 1/2 point favorite. They were head by 3 with 2 seconds left when MSU's Korie Lucious went to the line for 2 shots. My buddie and I were sure he'd try to make the 1st and miss the 2nd so a simple defensive rebound would have iced it. Splash, clang, rebound Gordon Hayward, cover the spread. Then I had Duke -2 1/2 over West Virginia and they waxed them pretty good. Sometimes in these huge stadiums teams need time to adjust their shot. That wasn't the case Saturday night for the Blue Devils, they literally never lost their stroke dropping 53% of their shots. I think they keep it going and the move is lay the 7 1/2 this evening.
Was watching the season's 1st major on the LPGA. Yani Tseng rolled to a rock solid victory, her second major. What struck me was the reaction of fellow players after she tapped in for the win. Morgan Pressel, Christie Kerr, Christina Kim and a hand ful of others sprayed her with champagne, high fived and hugged the heck out of her. You never, ever see this on the PGA tour. It's the other guy in the final group with his caddie offering a handshake. I thought it was the essence of what's great in sports. Sportsmanship!

APRIL IDIOTS DAY by ST

I hate April Fool's day. It's cheap. It's pathetic. It's desperate. We really need to try to convince someone that the aliens are invading or the Colts have traded Peyton Manning for Ryan Leaf? I put it on the same list of people who show up to birthday parties or present giving situations with gag gifts. Tell ya what, if you get an invite to my birthday gig, leave the chattering teeth or whoopee cushion in the novelty shop. If money is tight, spend $2.99 on a bag of extra long tees or a sleeve of golf balls or just offer a handshake and good wishes.
The 5th story currently on ESPN is about the alleged 2.3 million dollar buyout that moved Mike Bellotti's departure along. At the risk of being viewed as a simpleton, the minute I verified no taxpayer dollars would be used, I stopped caring. It's 48 hours shy of the Final 4, baseball season starts on Sunday, the NBA & NHL are hitting the regular season stretch run and the NFL Draft is starting to appear on the horizon. It's time to talk sports.
It wasn't what you'd call a monumental victory, but by taking out the Knicks last night, the Trailblazers clinched a 2nd consecutive playoff birth after 6 straight years watching the post season. They're 15 & 5 since bringing in Marcus Camby to bolster the front line. He's averaging over 11 boards a game and has really kicked it in the past half dozen games hauling in about 14 per. It's been a terrific, season saving pickup.
Let's give away some tickets to Oregon baseball. E-mail the correct answer to the following question to my address, stevetannen@live.com
Aside from the Spurs and Lakers, who was the last Western Conference team to win the NBA title? Good luck!