Friday, March 30, 2012

Final Four, by Casey Mitchell

This is Casey Mitchell guest blogging for ST today. Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio State, and Kansas have all joined together to completely ruin my bracket and are playing tomorrow to see who plays for the National Championship. This marks the second year in a row in which I have had none of the Final Four teams left in my bracket, but I guess that is what I get for picking Indiana to win it all. Anyways, it kicks off tomorrow with Louisville and Kentucky at 6 followed by Ohio St. and Kansas. Kentucky has the best player in the country in Anthony Davis and they are simply dominant in the paint averaging over 43 rebounds per game in tournament. There has been a lot of hype surrounding the rivalry between Louisville and Kentucky and all the animosity between John Calipari and Rick Pitino. Both coaches have been very successful throughout their careers, but Pitino has the Championship to go along with it. Coach Cal is still looking for his first Championship in four Final Four appearances and two with the Wildcats. I think that this year will be the year he gets it but he will have to get through Louisville to get a cahnce to do it. In the midst of all the hype surrounding the "Bluegrass State Game," there is still another game to be played tomorrow night. The Ohio St - Kansas game is a very interesting game to be. Ohio State has a great player in Jared Sullinger, but aside from that, there are no real superstars. The same goes for the Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas, unlike any other team in the Final Four, has no All Americans coming out of high school. Both these teams have truly fought for their chance to be in New Orleans, and it should be one heck of a game tomorrow.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

ONLY ONE ANSWER by ST

I'm officially calling out all my anti-baseball people. Those who send those arrogant emails and texts about tuning out the minute major league baseball surfaces on our shows. Got some bad news for you. Did another survey over the course of weeks that incorporated more than 100 people which is substantial in this market. You are in a big MINORITY. 110 responses. 61 indicated not only a preference for our national pasttime, but call me out when I seemingly cave to the crybabies who can't think past football. 17 really did not like baseball talk. The others were a mix of if it's interesting, they like the way I present it, take or leave, not a real adamant stance. So from this point forward, I'm responding in one way and one way only. When you whine and moan about MLB on an American sports program on an ESPN station it's simple. The terrorists have won.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

THE BRACKET BRACKET

I'm running a test bracket tournament to see how it goes.
Here are the instructions.
1- visit www.bracketmaker.com
2-Click-Find a tournament
3-Click-Oregon
4-Click-College Basketball
5-Click-The Bracket Bracket
Let me know your winners this round either via text 541 653 3098, email stevetannen@live.com or just post your winners at the bottom of the blog!

Monday, March 26, 2012

REALLY GOT TO HIM by ST

It was January 24th, 2008. Perhaps the most embarrassing behavior I've personally witnessed at a college game. Oregon fans, led by the Pit Crew, hurling hate at Kevin Love. Homophobia on display. Made the wonderful city of Eugene seem like Podunk. Ignorance. At this point I'm thinking KLove won. He's one of the best players in the NBA. So many hoped he'd fail because he made that ridiculous decision to attend UCLA and play basketball. No one ever succeeded doing that right? I enjoy watching him knowing the morons from that despicable evening are getting it crammed down their throats! Awesome.
This is the most historic Final 4 in history. At least since the field expanded to being bracket-friendly in 1985. Check these numbers. Kentucky-15, Kansas-14, Ohio State-11, Louisville-9. Amount of F4's each has participated in. Still can't imagine Wildcats losing this thing.
A final thought on this tournament. Do not let your feelings one way or another for John Calipari or the one and done rule impact how you evaluate this Kentucky team. They are terrific. Play hard. Live to defend. They hoist the trophy & make it way up my list of all timers.
Someone asked if Tiger should be the favorite at Augusta. Really? 7 straight years in top 6. Just won. Still the most talented player on the planet. Rory has 1. This is not a debate.

Friday, March 23, 2012

On the Move, by Casey Mitchell

This is Casey Mitchell guest blogging for ST today. After Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos, that left Tim Tebow as the odd man out in Denver. Not long after the signing, it was announced that Tebow is now a Jet. I think the best destination for Tebow would have been the Dolphins. He won a State Championship in Sun Life Stadium in high school, and not to mention the two National Championships he won as a Gator. People in Miami love Tebow, and he would have given new life to the franchise.Although it isn't the most popular trade among Jet fans, I don't think it was the worst possible move. I know that Mark Sanchez needs reps, but a little competition never hurt anyone. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm just not a fan of the wildcat. Any team that relies on it as part of their offense, usually doesn't have much success. I don't think he should be used as part of a wildcat, but the Jets are always raving about how Sanchez is their guy, so I don't see how Tebow would be a main contributor. There is always the possibility of using him as a full-back or tail-back, but that's just a crazy thought that will probably never happen. There have been a couple of delays in the trade so far, but nothing that will stop the deal from going through.
We have all heard about the Bounty Program, and now the punishments are beginning to come down. It has been announced that Sean Payton will not be coaching anywhere next season. He has been suspended for the entire 2012-2013 season without pay. That isn't the only punishment that is coming their way. The Saints will be stripped of their second round draft picks for the next two years. Also, former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, has been indefinitely banned from the game. I have a feeling that there will be more sanctions to come in this case.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

QUESTIONS AND ISSUES by ST

I'm not as hysterical over Tebow to the NYJ as most. I like the concept of pushing Mark Sanchez who after 3 years as a starter has not progressed as you'd hope with top flight guys. Also not sure if this whole Timmy running the wildcat makes sense. Didn't that fad pass yet? I've always felt Tebow did have a place in the league with his athleticism, work ethic and various X-factors. Just not sure exactly what it is. I remain adamant he's not a legit starter. Just have to wait and see how this soap opera plays out and how the draft goes.
A national college hoop guy, Seth Davis, called Illinois a Top 10 job in discussing VCU's Shaka Smart turning it down. I gotta call B.S on that! Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana. That's 3 more substantial gigs in that conference alone. North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, Kansas, Syracuse, UConn, Louisville, Kentucky. That's 11. Case closed.
Still surprised so many are calling out NFL commish Roger Goodell for dropping the hammer on the Saints. Not surprised bounties exist, but once discovered and a franchise is told, STOP, any penalty they suffer once the program continues is on them. The level of slime is pretty big here. In the past 2-3 years we've learned from the medical community the long term horrifying impact of neck, head, joint ect injuries. Then you have the basic violent, dangerous nature of football. I say Goodell did well.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

CUE NELSON by ST

You know the obnoxious kid on "The Simpsons"? Anytime Bart or Homer screw up he makes an appearance with the "Ha Ha"! Nelson needs a ticket to Saint's headquarters. Roam the halls. Ha Ha any and everyone within earshot. Do we really need a counterpoint to every issue that surfaces? For once can't logic just overwhelm us to the point where we all acknowledge a fact then move on. Of course that would run Fox News off the air, but in the world of IQ's above 27, it's worth dreaming. There is no other side to Roger Goodell hammering New Orleans. They were flat out told to stop and they thumbed their nose and continued. Documented evidence. Facts. No gray area. Deal with it! I think everyone involved in this bounty program should be banned from the NFL for life. What a bunch of scumbags. In this day and age we have learned so much about the long term impact of head, neck and related injuries it's despicable. The game is violent and insane enough without adding the element of deliberate. End of story!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

NOT TOLERATING FAILURE by ST

Did you see the car wreck of a ceremony last night in the East Bay? The Golden State Warriors, one of the worst professional franchises in our nation, were retiring the #17 worn by Chris Mullin. The catch? When team co-owner Joe Lacob took the floor to address the crowd, he was booed. Remember, this team has been to the playoffs once since 1994. They've had 2 winning seasons. This is the NBA. Seems like everyone gets their shot. Lacob and Peter Guber have only owned the team since 2010, but just traded lone star Monta Ellis to the Bucks. They can't take all the blame but it sure doesn't look like this ridiculous franchise is heading north any time soon.
Well it appears the Dolphins have certainly settled their quarterback issues. They signed David Garrard. Not quite Peyton Manning or Alex Smith and maybe not even Matt Flynn. Garrard is now 34 and likely battles former Beav Matt Moore for the starting gig. I don't sense a serious boot shaking in New England, New York or even Buffalo. I'm also unable to confirm a serious longing for the Jay Fiedler days in South Florida.
Ducks at Dawgs tonight for a trip to Madison Square Garden and the NIT Final 4. Let's not even mention this in the same breath as making the Big Dance, but the heart & fire displayed by these guys, coaches included, since the disappointment of losing in round one of the conference tourney has been admirable. Getting this national acclaim with a victory and the ESPN coverage would be a pretty sweet consolation prize. I checked my betting site and Washington is a 5 point favorite with a pretty high over/under at 155. We'll have the pre-game at 5:30 with a 6 o'clock tip right here on 95.3 The Score.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Madness, by Casey Mitchell

This is Casey Mitchell guest blogging for ST today. A lot of peoples brackets across the nation suffered a big blow with yesterdays upsets. First it was Norfolk St knocking of Mizzou in a thrilling game that came down to the last shot. Missouri was just inches away from avoiding a huge upset, with the final shot bouncing off the back iron. And just when we thought that it couldn't get any crazier... It did. The Duke Blue Devils were a favorite to get to the Final four, but I guess Lehigh didn't get the memo. The Mountain Hawks did a great job defending the perimeter, keeping Duke to just 6 - 26 from beyond the arc. Oh, and were not even finished. 4 seed Michigan had too many missed opportunities and couldn't get past the second round with a loss to Ohio. Yesterday marked the first time in history that 3 teams seeded 13 or lower won on the same day. There are now 8 double digit seeded teams left in the tournament. With the first and second rounds now in the books, it is sure to be a great rest of the tournament with a lot more surprises.
In the race for Peyton Manning, a new team is now in the running. San Francisco is now the dark horse team to get Manning. It now looks like it is a three team race to get him between the 49ers, Titans and the Broncos. If you think about it, Manning wants to get to another Super Bowl and the Niners are just the team to get him there. Last season they were just a couple of fumbles way from beating the Giants. The only question would be if they want to get rid of Alex Smith. Last season, Smith showed the whole world what he is made of. I'm not sure if Alex Smith is a guy you can build your franchise around, but Peyton Manning probably only has 4 or 5 good years left.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

R.I.P COACH by ST

Never had the chance to meet Dick Harter. Obviously I was not living here during his tenure as Oregon head basketball coach. Despite that, I've always been stricken with the passion people have expressed to me over the years regarding an era that "ended" in March of 1978. When you hear fans speak of the Harter years it's as if they took place within the past 5-6 years. The tone of the voice, the twinkle in the eye. Amazing. I'm sure there will be some kind of celebration of what he meant to the program prior to the LSU game this evening.
I still think Peyton Manning should sign with the Broncos. I'd go Arizona second but Denver has the best young offensive line with 4 draft picks the past 4 years. On the outside Eddie Royal is a heck of a weapon who was injured last year. Opposite him you have Demaryius Thomas who came on a ton with more than 700 receiving yards his last 7 games of the season. Willis McGahee is a legit front line back and of course the division is mediocre with the always underachieving Bolts and the very ordinary Raiders & Chiefs.
Tiger Woods tweeted this morning his achillies is okay, just a strain. He should be able to tune it up once before the Masters at Bay Hill, Arnold Palmer's tournament. Something just isn't sitting right. He had the wild finish a couple of Sunday's ago at the Honda. Aside from that run, he hasn't been in the mix at all. When he walked off Torrey Pines after winning his 14th major, the 2008 US Open, it appeared Jack's record of 18 majors was toast. Now I think not so much. Woods is now 36 and needs 5 more which is a pretty strong, hall of fame accomplishment itself. Can he stay healthy? Only time will tell!

Friday, March 9, 2012

Pac-12 Tournament, by Casey Mitchell

This is Casey Mitchell guest blogging for ST today. Just two days away from selection Sunday, it will be a long shot for the Ducks to make it to the NCAA Tournament after the heartbreaking loss to Colorado yesterday. It was a tight game throughout but the Buffs were able to pull away with a go ahead layup with 10 seconds remaining to win 63 - 62. It was also not the best game shooting for the Ducks. They shot 39% from the field and was 4-22 from beyond the arc. Sitting at at 22-9 this season, they will now await their fate to see if they sneak into the dance. Joe Lundardi has the Ducks as on of the last four out. Colorado's win wasn't the only upset last night in the Pac-12. The Beavers beat 1st seed Washington last night due to some poor free throw shooting by the Huskies late in the game.It will be a very entertaining rest of the tournament, and now we wait to see who is in and who is out come Sunday.
After 14 seasons, Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts are parting ways. It wasn't a very surprising move but it won't be the same to see him in a different uniform next year. He is set to meet with the Denver Broncos today. There are a few other teams that are eyeing Manning including the Dolphins, Texans and the Jets. If Manning does indeed sign with the Broncos, I think the best case scenario for Denver would to have Tim Tebow back up Manning for 3 to 5 years so he can work on his mechanics and learn from one of the best in the game. I think the two best teams for Manning would either be the Broncos or the Texans. Both teams has already had success and both teams have the talent to win now.
The Ducks baseball team has moved to 17th in the nation after their sweep of Long Beach St. They start the 2012 Nike College Showcase today against Illinois at home. After losing their first game, they have won 10 straight. Tomorrow will be a true test of their abilities when they take on 22nd ranked Oklahoma.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

LIKE NO OTHER by ST

Seriously, for the college hoop fan, this day, the Thursday leading up to Selection Sunday is beyond fantastic. There are 49 March Madness related games today. 49 teams will win games and keep dreaming of either making the Big Dance field or take it a step further and fantasize about a Final 4. No scoreboard watching. No hoping the team above you in the standings slips up. Just win baby. While we love our college football, that mentality is extremely limited as the post season arrives. It's a beautiful thing. Ducks take on Colorado at 8:30 for the right to advance to the Pac 12 semi finals and pad that at large resume. They turned in kind of an uneven effort to send that awful Utah team packing in the opener. 2 point game at halftime, solid defense over the final 20 minutes. The Buffs shot poorly hitting just 15 total field goals, connecting for just 35% from the field and a measley 1 of 11 from downtown. At this point Oregon is playing better ball than Colorado, but on a neutral site, in a cut throat one and done situation, it's about the performance in the moment. In a case like this I head for the heartless world of gambling. No loyalties, no allegiance, just cold hard analysis. Oddsmakers say Ducks - 3 1/2 with some offense expected as the over/under sits at 140.
I'm officially counting down the amount of games Nate McMillian has as Trailblazer coach. They're last in the division. Did not look good last night at Minny. Nate has yet to prove he's a guy who can elevate a team. Nice guy. Bridged the gap between the period of disgrace & horror and now, but it's not happening and I don't think it will. 27 games left in the regular season then he's out and it's the dawn of another new era for the Portland Trailblazers.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

BYE BYE 18 by ST

Still trying to wrap my head around the Colts dumping Peyton Manning. Not that often a lock hall of famer who appears in "those" discussions is dismissed from the one team he's identified with. I'm pretty sure if I'm in the shoes of Indy owner Irsay I'm making the same move, but I'm also far from cocky it's the right move. I love the potential of Andrew Luck to enter the pros and be a prime time player, but it's not etched in stone. Also impossible to argue that if Manning is healthy, you just lost a hell of a quarterback. All around it's just a very unique and rare situation that the face of a franchise if not an organization as massive as the NFL is dismissed with so many questions surrounding the issue. Imagine the outcry if Luck can't play and Peyton guides the Jets, Dolphins or Cardinals to a Super Bowl or two?? Remember those infamous moving vans relocating the Colts from Baltimore to Indy in the middle of the night in the winter of 1984? Fast forward to the dead of night, January 2014, the Irsay mansion. Jim and the family sneaking out of town for the Bahamas ahead of the pitchforks and torches.
Someone asked me if I'd like Manning to go to the Jets. Though it didn't work well with Farve because he got hurt and could barely throw the ball late in the season, I think it's a no brainer. If the consensus among doctors is Peyton is 100% healed, how do you NOT want him as your QB? I do not think Sanchez is the answer and with their mediocrity they don't have an answer at their spot in the draft.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

LIFT THOSE KNUCKLES by ST

I remember seething after seeing an interview with former NFL Player & FOX commentator Tony Siragusa. He said Joey Harrington was not his kind of guy and if the situation surfaced he'd hang on the "other" side of the club. Apparently Joey's classy demeanor during interviews and fact he played the piano rubbed the Goose the wrong way. Another macho, neanderthal idiot. For openers, Siragusa was like 40 years old at the time of the comment. Guys that age who hang out in clubs are creepy. Maybe not Sandusky creepy, but the weird old guy. Now we're getting dunderheads like Mike Golic taking this NFL Bounty mess in stride saying it's not a big deal. I don't get it. The nature of football is violent with penchant for causing injury. We're not only talking play to play, game to game or season to season, but those with life altering results. Unlike Siragusa or Golic, many of us take pride in learning, making progess, evaluating data and actually evolving. Another thing that gets me is fans calling the NFL hypocrites because they cash in on big hits with DVD's & other material. The league can certainly be called out for it's faults but they've dialed way, way back on this kind of stuff for years as the long term nightmares of concussions, neck injuries and related conditions become known. Again, learning or information gathering and a willingness to move forward. You really think the league wants to put it's marquee guys at risk? The rules have been beyond tweaked, but twisted to protect the skill players, not the defenders. Figure it out!

Friday, March 2, 2012

Life on the Bubble, by Casey Mitchell

This is Casey Mitchell guest blogging for ST today. With the Oregon basketball team sitting squarely on the bubble, they stepped up in a huge win over Colorado. It was an offensive explosion at Matthew Knight Arena, in a 90-81 win. Senior guard, Devoe Joseph, led all scoring with 24 points along with another great performance by Garrett Sim with 19. The Ducks lost an earlier meeting against the Buffaloes in a 72-71 thriller in Colorado. With the victory, the Ducks are now 21-8 and tied for third place in the conference with Arizona. Seeding will be huge in the upcoming Pac-12 Tournament that starts March 7. The top four teams in the conference will earn a first round bye that could improve any one's chances of making the NCAA Tourney. Oregon takes on Utah tomorrow at 3:00 in Eugene in the regular season finale.
Ducks baseball is nothing to be sneezed at either. They are now 7-1 after sweeping 17th ranked Vanderbilt in Nashville Tennessee. Sitting at 18, the Ducks have cracked the top 25 for the first time since the beginning of last season. The Oregon bats' are on fire, averaging over 7.6 runs per game in their first eight. When you hit like that, you don't need the best pitching staff in the country, and I think ours is pretty good as well. They are set to play Long Beach St. today at 6 pm at PK Park. I know that it's early in the season and we haven't even entered conference play yet, but so far I'm liking what I'm seeing.
Over in Baker City, the 1A State Championships are going on. Being a McKenzie student, it is very exciting to see our team in the trophy hunt once again. After the win over Rogue Valley last night the Eagles, now 28-0, are in the semi-finals for the second year in a row. Last year they were 27-0 in the semis, but lost to Siletz Valley Charter, who ended up winning it all. Today we look to take revenge on the Sherman Huskies (the team that knocked us out of the 1A Football Playoffs this year) and make it to the finals to take home what is rightfully ours.