TALKING DUCK BASEBALL by ST

We mentioned it briefly on yesterday's(Tue) show, but it's worth repeating. Oregon has started Pac 10 play in baseball and already received a heavy duty dose of reality. As strong as the conference is historically and typically in hoops and football, that fluctuates. There are times the Big 12, Big East or other leagues look stronger. That is never the case in baseball. The Pac 10 is as consistently strong as any, always. Oregon entered their opening series at Tucson last week with a team ERA of 2.4. After getting walloped for 23 earned runs over 25 innings against Arizona, it's now at 3.0! That's an amazing number. And the Wildcats weren't even among the Pac 10 teams in the national rankings. For the record, the opponent heading to PK Park for this Thursday thru Saturday 3 game set, Arizona State, is unbeaten and #1 in the country according to USA Today, 2nd according to Baseball America. UCLA is 5th/6th, Stanford is 26th/19th, Oregon State is 18th/21st, Arizona is NOW ranked, 20th/22nd. For the record the USA Today coaches poll has the Ducks in the also receiving votes category at 29. I have a pair of tickets for tomorrow's(Thur) and Saturday's game vs the Sun Devils. E-mail the correct answer to the following to get in the drawing to stevetannen@live.com
Oregon State captured back to back national titles in 2006 and 2006. Who was the last Pac 10 team to win the National Championship in baseball prior to the Beavers?

THE QUESTION by ST

Sorry, but more on the UO men's hoop coaching search. So today we find out the rumor about offering the Willamette to Tom Izzo of Michigan State was off base. Not that he would have even remotely considered Oregon anyway. Kick around all the names you want. Steve Alford of New Mexico, Mark Turgeon of Texas A & M, or the latest, Tubby Smith of Minnesota. At the end of the day I have one critical question regarding any candidate. Are you absolutely sure they're a better fit for the Ducks than Ernie Kent. It appears former UCLA coach Steve Lavin might be headed for St. Johns. He hasn't coached since 2003. Big name. Nationally known. But at a powerhouse like UCLA he never reached the level of Kent here at Oregon. Lavin's Bruins peaked with the Sweet 16. As for Smith, he has the ultimate in resume building with a 1998 National Title at Kentucky. As mentioned here yesterday, that was with a beast built by Rick Pitino(see below) & his work at Minnesota has been decent at best(also see below). Again I ask, is he a definite upgrade from Ernie Kent? Another significant query looms. Is there in fact this big name, big splash coach out there who would relocate to Eugene for this gig? I'm beginning to think it's a fantasy among administrators and fans who clearly have an inflated view of this program. This ain't Oregon football folks! This is a completely different animal. Why don't some of you put on your thinking caps and let me know a guy or two you think would be the right call to take this program up and onward into the future. Anyone offering up a suggestion gets in our drawing. I have two $25 gift certificates for some free food. It's for Two Friends Pub & Pizza located a mile past Autzen Stadium on Centennial, right next to Value Village. E-mail your suggestions to stevetannen@live.com

STYLE? SUBSTANCE? FANTASY? by ST

Is anyone as confused over the search for a new men's basketball coach at Oregon than me? Still not buying any of it. Tom Izzo? Like a caller said on a show last week, go for it, make the pitch to the biggest names out there. That's all well and good, but is it realistic the top coaches would even consider Eugene. Izzo is from Iron Mountain, Michigan and is the king of East Lansing in his home state. They make the Final 4 like every other year. Think that's possible at a program like Oregon? Tubby Smith is another name that's surfaced. Nice coach. Is he a home run, big national splash name? Sort of. His biggest success at the collegiate level came in 1998 when his Kentucky team won the National Championship. He took the reigns from Rick Pitino who'd let the Wildcats to the 96 title and in 97 back to the final game before falling in O.T to Arizona. Never made it back to the Final 4 and UK is one of the games elite programs. He just finished his 3rd season at Minnesota. Has made the Dance twice but got bounced in the 1st round each time and has yet to post better than a .500 record in the Big 10 conference. Excellent coach, but I question his WOW factor and if he's even an upgrade from Ernie Kent.
The fact remains, I still don't see their guy. Does anyone really think Jamie Dixon is leaving what he termed "the greatest conference in college basketball history" and his situation at Pitt for the Ducks? Mark Turgeon of Texas A & M has already said no. I'm game. Drop me a line with your suggestion and let's gauge the level of plausibility. The email is stevetannen@live.com
Quick baseball thought. Today's ESPN game was Cardinals/Twins. The talk was Joe Mauer or Albert Pujols. Right now who is your franchise guy? Gotta love em both, but Phat Albert just turned 30, Mauer is a month shy of 27. Plus he's a catcher. Throw in a lefty bat and it's a matter of numbers. I'd never dismiss Pujols cause he might hit 225 homers and drive in 600 runs the next 5 years, but by then Mauer is still in his prime, AP on the backside of his Hall of Fame career. The answer is Joe Mauer.

OPEN CONFESSION by ST

I must admit to being clueless about Oregon's next head basketball coach. The 'source' that mentioned Billy Donovan of Florida is hitting the crack pipe pretty hard. Billy D is a New York guy who played at Providence, was an assistant at Kentucky, turned down NBA dollars and just said no to St. Johns in the Big East. You really think he's coming to Oregon?
Lot of talk about Steve Alford of New Mexico. I like this guy, but his resume is spotty. Had one good season in the Missouri Valley Conference with S.W Mizzou State, made the Sweet 16 then got the gig at Iowa in the Big 10, obviously a major league. Made the Dance 3 times, won one game, never advancing past the 2nd round and eventually got canned for lack of success. Now in the Mountain West, which just had a career hoop season. They just upgraded their Pit. Is he a definite upgrade.
Way too many of you are taking this arrogant, matter of fact stance about dismissing Ernie Kent. It's not a done deal the next guy is better and has more success.
Please use Oregon State as a cautionary tale. They had the greatest coach in program history, Ralph Miller. From 1980 through 1990 they made 8 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Got run in the 1st round 20 years ago by Ball State. Haven't been back since. Miller retired, Jim Anderson took over and they've made zero progress. Craig Robinson might turn out the be the right guy, but after playing .500 ball last year, they finished under the break even mark this season. It's a cliche, but be careful what you wish for. Oregon is treading on dangerous ice. This is the Pac 10. Might be down in 2010, but don't forget, the conference sent 6 teams to the Big Dance a year ago. You know UCLA and Arizona are bouncing back huge, Arizona State has the right guy in Herb Sendek. Do not assume the Ducks automatically get better with a new coach and new arena. I may be wrong and so might you!

ELDRICK THE GOLFER by ST

Now that he's held his token press conference and given a pair of interviews, we can get back to the business of thinking about Tiger's pursuit of Jack's 18 majors. He's at 14. Last took one home at the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines. I don't give him much of a chance at the Masters which gets rolling 2 weeks from Thursday. History says forget it. You don't take nearly 5 months off from competitive golf, even if you're Woods, then jump back in at a high level. As mentioned on SportsTalk, TW tried that after his dad passed in 2006 at our Open at Winged Foot. Not only did he fail to contend, but he missed his first cut as a professional. Of course he bounced back to win the British Open at Royal Liverpool and the PGA Title at Medinah. I believe his return at Augusta is about a secure venue that protects it's players from media scrutiny with it's tight rules and guidelines. It's also critical to understand the US & British Open will be held at 2 of his favorite venues, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews. Tiger re-wrote the record book when the U.S Open was held at Pebble back in 2000 and 2 of his 3 British crowns took place at The Olde Course. Who am I to say he doesn't have the game to pull off the minor miracle by winning his 5th green jacket? Just don't see it happening. I would be really surprised if he got beat by anyone in either Open. Let's give away some from eats. E-mail the correct answer to the following question to stevetannen@live.com
Chance for a $100 gift certificate to Sunsational Tanning in Eugene. Nice spring time present. I mentioned Tiger winning the 2000 Open at Pebble and the two victories at St. Andrews. What was his margin of victory in each of these major victories? Good Luck!

EUGENE, NEW JERSEY by ST

Since when are the fine people of Eugene, OR more cynical than we Jersey folk? I was at the press conference where it was announced Mike Bellotti is leaving Oregon to become an analyst for ESPN. Most of the reaction has been he's "running" away or other ulterior motives. Am I nuts? The guy is a college football junkie, it's in his blood. Does anyone out there who follows this man closely ever even remotely get the feeling he had a passion for being an administrator? He himself said, he misses gameday Saturday's and some of the camaraderie but as for the Monday through Thursday grind of coaching, no thanks. He became very emotional when speaking about departing the University, but the level of enthusiasm and joy in his demeanor when discussing the new ESPN gig was like a little kid who just found out he's going to Disney World!
Trust me, he's gonna be a terrific analyst. Hopefully he'll replace that no nothing cheater, Lou Holtz down the road. If you are a Bellotti fan and appreciate all he's done for the Ducks, you should be really happy for him.

DONE DEAL by ST

So they finally got around to admitting the worst kept secret in Oregon athletics. Ernie Kent is out as basketball boss. We've often discussed what big biz Duck sports has become and if Mike Bellotti's gig as A.D is part C.F.O he probably couldn't totally ignore the dip in attendance. Down 800 per game from a year ago represents a more than 10% drop. The team was certainly improved from last year but the 2008-2009 edition was really, really bad. I'm sure M.B agonized over this decision. It was kind of interesting to see the late ground swell of support for E.K on some blogs, in the Guard letters to the Sports Editor and some polls. Between those and the talk on our show, I'd say it was about half and half, or really close. Now Oregon must "lure" a talented coach to Eugene. They dismissed the guy who considered this his dream job. Can't flat out say it's the wrong decision, but there is no guarantee the next coach will do better. I'm sorry Ernie will not get to coach at least a year in the new arena. I totally trust Mike Bellotti and know he's way more qualified than you or I to make this kind of decision. With coach Kent we got to be a big part of March Madness, the greatest annual event on the American sporting landscape. He made Oregon basketball relevant because it was a non-entity prior to his arrival. Expectations are high and that's great. I wish he and his family well down the road and hope he knows many will always be appreciative of the great work he did here.
I hope you'll join us at Sam's Place on Wilson Street off West 11th for today's show. My old partner in crime, Adam Ulrey will join me for some bracketology, as well as baseball, the NFL and more. We will be giving away lot's of loot including baseball tickets for this weekend's set versus Nevada courtesy of Guaranty RV. Also hand out a pair of seats for this weekend's Oregon Preview T & Field event at Hayward. Not to mention a bunch of Duck gear. Don't forget to come down & fill out your bracket for a chance to win a pair of season's tickets to the new Matt Knight Arena. Gotta have it in by midnight tonight. Happy St. Patrick's Day. Hope to see you there.

ADMIRING AN ENEMY by ST

For the better part of this decade, Curt Shilling was a thorn in the side of Yankees fans. Co-MVP of Arizona's World Series victory with Randy Johnson in 2001. His legendary, gritty, bloody sock performance in the 2004 American League Championship series. He's rubbed some the wrong way with his outspoken manner but after today's interview on Dan Patrick, consider me a fan. He completely called out all the cheaters. Flatly went through the list and answered no when asked if they deserved to be in the Hall of Fame. Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmiero, Barry Bonds. None of them. No juicers or cheaters. He also pointed out his complete lack of respect for Bonds as a person as the Bay Area Baloonhead treated people like garbage. Interestingly enough he didn't feel he qualified as a Hall of Famer. I disagree. I will make my case on today's show. In some ways the big righty is the epitome of what it takes to get enshrined in Cooperstown. We will also take a quick look around at certain teams and see how things are moving along thus far in Spring Training. Eye on the Braves, Mariners, the Pujols for Ryan Howard rumour and a few more surprises.
At 4:20, we will have an interview with Oregon Track & Field stud, Ashton Eaton. This past weekend in Arkansas, he set the world record in the Heptathalon. We continue to focus on all the great things happening with Oregon athletics, not simply the football clowns embarassing the university.
We're doing the show live today from Guaranty in Junction City, just off Highway 99. We're not at the RV lot per usual, but to celebrate their being named the official area Saturn service center. It's a little north of the RV lot. We'll be inside. Come on down, check out some of the great rigs and enter to win baseball tickets, Duck gear and a pair of tickets for track and field, this Saturday's Oregon preview. See you there.

WAH, WAH, WAH by ST

I'm always amused by the teams who hail from the major hoop conferences and whine about getting snubbed for an at large bid to the Big Dance. These programs have every opportunity to consistently post quality, resume building wins. Illinois lost 14 games, including the semi-final defeat against Ohio State in the Big 10 tournament when they blew a 20 point lead. They also lost to Bradley out of league. Virginia Tech landed pretty solid in the power ranking but got bounced by a so-so Miami team in the first round of the ACC Tourney. Their out of league schedule was kind of a joke with UNC Greensboro, Campbell, Charlston South and Baltimore Maryland County. They also had a 3 game losing streak from the mid to end of February when the value of those games was increased. They have no one to blame but themselves. Feel a bit for Mississippi State as they had the lead late and finally fell in overtime to Kentucky in the SEC Final. That said, they lost 11 times including horror show defeats to Rider and Western Kentucky. In the SEC they got dusted by mediocre Auburn and Arkansas teams. They also get no sympathy, just heartbreak. How much of a case does a team who finished 4th, 5th or 6th in their own conference really have? Hysterical.
Join us today at Sam's Place on Wilson Street just off West 11th for the 1st of 2 March Madness programs. We'll also do the show their on Wednesday. Fill out a bracket and a shot to win a pair of season tickets for Oregon Basketball in the new Knight Arena. We'll also give away some certificates for spots 2 through 5. Some free eats and services around town.
As for today, let's give away a pair of $50 certificates to Mekala's Thai Cuisine.
E-mail the correct reponse to the following question to stevetannen@live.com
Lot made of the role of Cinderella in the NCAA's, well it's not really accurate.
Since 2000, how many National Champs have been the #1 seed in their region? Good Luck!

SAD, ARROGANT AND MISERABLE by ST

Growing up in North Jersey, we had the New York Daily news delivered to our home when I was a kid. I looked forward every morning to grabbing it on our stoop and immediately flipping to the back page to see what the sports headline screamed about the Yankees, Giants or Knicks. It was a source of joy, kind of a daily present. In 2010, I still get the local paper delivered, but generally log onto a major sports website to get the latest. It's getting depressing. The lead stories on ESPN dot com are about an NFL QB denying sexual misconduct allegations(again), the death of Hall of Fame DE Merlin Olson, a jury finding a defendant guilty in the shooting of another NFL player, plus the local mess with Jeremiah Masoli. Ever get the feeling that the more we know, the more bad stuff we become familiar with. I'm not in favor of living in ignorance, but every few weeks it might be theraputic to just check the box scores and ignore the other stories.
I'm going to run the risk of being a jackass. If Jeremiah Masoli is guilty of the felony charges against him he's an idiot. I understand the arrogance of youth, but college seniors are not teenagers, they supposed to be young men. I'm also pretty big on risk versus reward. A laptop and a guitar? That's worth your college career, reputation, possible professional career and maybe even his freedom? There has been much made of coach Chip Kelly's handling of the players stepping outside the law. I think most of the media coverage has been self serving garbage. Cutting loose Masoli or LeMichael James before the legal issues ran their course when it's not even football season would have been pointless. Now after some fact finding he can render a rational, intelligent decision. If either guy is guilty, they have to go away. No ladders. No 2nd chances. This would be the time to send a message. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

TIS A GLORIOUS TIME OF YEAR by ST

If you have even basic cable TV you get March Madness games from 9am until around 10pm. On top of that we have the countdown to MLB season, and the NHL & NBA stretch runs to fill out the fields for those respective championship tournaments. Sprinkle in some serious NFL off season news and notes and you have a paradise for sports nuts.
Had an opportunity to see Washington Nats rookie flamethrower Stephen Strasburg. Hitting 100 mph on the guns is impressive and will woo the scouts and land a guy as the #1 draft pick. What will make him a great big leaguer is the devastating curve. He threw an inning ending hook that was measured at 81 miles an hour and left Tiger rookie Brent Dlugach standing. It was what he did to one of the best pure hitters in the game, Miguel Cabrera, that made me do a double take. After freezing him with one of those eye popping curves, he just blasted one past a guy who hit .324 last season with 34 homers and more than 100 ribby's.
Former Red Sox shortstop, Nomar Garciaparra has announced his retirement. Never tested positive or came clean, but I think we all know he juiced. He's the ultimate eye test, production drop-off once testing hit player, like Brett Boone. During the 2004 season, he was traded by Boston and it might have been the most significant in year move in franchise history. The arrival of Orlando Cabrera solidified the Sox infield, plus he was a clutch player. The curse ended and the rest is history. His best productivity came at the peak of the steroid era, and no, no a thousand times no, he's not a Hall of Famer.
Let's give away our last $50 gift certificate to Roaring Rapids Pizza.
E-mail the correct answer to stevetannen@live.com
In 1997 Garciaparra was the American League Rookie of the Year. Who was the runner-up that season in the A.L?

HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY by ST

So the anti-Ernie patrol has their way. The most successful coach in program history, by far is out. The arena which should be on Ernie Kent Way will feature a new guy in a suit roaming the sideline. I'm exhausted debating this issue. I will offer these words of caution. Do not for one single second think it's a guarantee the next coach will make things better. Do you think when Gary Payton left Oregon State after their 1st round NCAA tournament exit 20 years ago they'd become the worst Pac 10 program by a mile? Haven't had a whiff of the Dance since. The only conference team who has failed to make the field multiple times over that period. Save Arizona State, the only league program that hasn't at least advanced to the Sweet 16. Let's move on.
I love this time of year. I'm sitting here watching the early part of the Big East tourney with UConn taking on St. Johns. I'm also thinking about baseball. Season is less than 4 weeks away, but already the 1st bit of damaging news. The Twins, my pick to win the AL Central likely have lost their stud closer, Joe Nathan, for the year with a tear in his throwing elbow ligament. The top closer in the game wears pinstripes. Next you have the Red Sox Jonathan Papelbon. Nathan is in that league. This is a freaking killer. Okay, here's a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Roaring Rapids pizza. Great night out. Joe Nathan was originally drafted by the S.F Giants and made his M.L debut as a starter. He was traded to the Twins after the 2003 season and became a top flight closer. Who was he traded for?
E-mail the answer to stevetannen@live.com

FIRST OR RIGHT by ST

From history we all know the incorrect headline from the Chicago Tribune back on election night, 1948, "Dewey Defeats Truman". Turns out Harry Truman became president. More recently we had network TV declaring Al Gore had won Florida and with it the 2000 U.S. Presidency. During Saturday's Oregon win over Washington State at Mac Court, KVAL TV reported Ernie Kent was already fired. Is anyone as sick of the "annonymous" source angle as me? Would Mike Bellotti really leak information like this before making it publicly known? I simply detest sensationalistic journalism. Sportscasters and reporters who state opinion as fact and make blanket unconfirmed statements contribute to the National Enquirer, low end gossip mentality that drag us all through the mud. I'm not saying coach Kent will keep his job, but is it asking that much to wait until someone with the actual authority to make this decision is willing to go on record? Pathetic.
Check out today's headlines from the world of sports. Ben Roethlisberger has hired a high powered Atlanta lawyer to defend him from another sexual assault accuser. Can you say smoke = fire? The Eagles have decided to give that piece of useless dirt Michael Vick his 1.5 million dollar roster bonus so his career remains firmly back on track. I take such pride in being an NFL fan today. Maybe Tony Dungy can mentor Big Ben. He's already climbed into bed with a despicable scum of the earth who confessed to grisly, horrific crimes against the innocent, why stop there?
What's with the Lakers? Looked locked and loaded to ice the top seed in the West and position themselves exceptionally well to defend their title, but have hit the skids. This 3 game losing streak has sliced their advantage in half to 3 games over the sizzling hot Mavericks. See if they can regain their edge with Toronto in town tomorrow night as the trio of defeats have come on the road.
Okay, let's give away some freebies. I have a $50 gift certificate to Roaring Rapids Pizza and Poppi's Anatolia downtown so we'll have 2 winners. E-mail the correct answer to the following question to stevetannen@live.com
The season before last when the Boston Celtics won the NBA championship, they had the league's best record. Who was the last team prior to that to enter the post season as the overall one seed and roll to a title? Good luck.

ST THEORY OF MICROCOSM by ST

As a rule if you use the term, "in a nutshell", it's not good. 2 different sequences from last night's loss to Washington at Mac Court fall into that category and it's all you need to know about the Duck basketball season. Time winding down in the 1st half, UO ball, up 3 points. You figure they head to the break up at least by the three, perhaps 5 with a deuce or 6 if they drain one from downtown. Tajuan Porter gets his pocket picked by Isaiah Thomas who lays it in at the gun, slicing the advantage to a point. Fast forward to the 2nd half. Dawgs by 9, about 11 1/2 remaining, Oregon ball. Malcolm Armstead takes it to the rack, highlight reel attempt, just off. At the other end, Quincy Pondexter makes a move to the hole and slams home a perfect alley oop pass. Ducks race downcourt and Teondre Williams tries a one handed tomahawk jam, blows it but gets fouled. Misses both and in transition, the Huskies zip the ball around perfectly, culminating in another Pondexter slam. Game, set, match! No need to waste time looking at 20+ games of film, that's how this season has gone. Oregon ALMOST does something good, but get it emphatically rubbed in their faces by the opponent who does it better. For anyone who was in attendance, are you as astonished this UW team hasn't won more games? For pure talent, speed and athleticism there are maybe a dozen teams I've seen who are in their league. They just don't have a really high basketball I.Q. Ton of mistakes, not a whole lot of discipline and some really shaky decision making. At 20 & 9 with a winnable game in Corvallis tomorrow, they grab their 1st round game in the Pac-10 tournament and I think they'll be rewarded with an at large bid.
Quick thought on the NFL as the free agent period is underway and teams are making those harsh veteran cuts to make room financially and roster-wise. Carolina has flat out dumped QB Jake Delhomme. The guy who took them to their only Super Bowl following the 2003 season. He was so horrifying last year he got benched despite signing a ridiculously large contract. The Panthers, in essence, are paying him 12.5 million in guaranteed dollars to NOT play. Ouch! We will cover the whole gamut of insane bucks being tossed about when we rally the troops for SportsTalk at 3pm.

PROPER FORMULA? by ST

This has not been the lone conversation, but certainly part of it. Since the end of last season's disaster for the Oregon men's basketball team we questioned the proper steps for Ernie Kent to keep his job. I felt, and many agreed, that they'd have to be playing meaningful games this time of year. At .500, with 2 games left, a 2 game winning streak, plus the Pac 10 tournament it's possible this team could make the N.I.T. It's going to be tough to gauge how many of those at Mac Court will be there in support of the coach & his program, to grab a final shot at seeing Pac 10 hoops at the Pit or to pay homage to beloved former coach Dick Harter. As mentioned in a previous post, I sincerely believe it's that close. How this team finishes the stretch run will have a say in Mike Bellotti's final decision on who runs the show when the curtain rises on the new arena. Here's hoping the Ducks hit the wire in an all out sprint, winning games and securing another year for E.K.
Since my track record of predictions is spotty at best, I really need our NBA loyalists to give it up. After 3 games I did a segment on the Dallas Mavs and the impact of the trade that brought Brendan Haywood over from the Wiz to bolster their front line defense and rebounding. Last night the winning streak hit 9 since the trigger was pulled on the deal. Sure they beat the T-Wolves who are a league punching bag, but it was without floor general Jason Kidd. The Mavericks have taken down some weak teams during the streak, but also in there the Lakers & Suns at home and Orlando and Atlanta on the road. Impressive. Right now they, not Denver, might be the biggest threat to LA's dominance in the West. Over their next 6 games they play just 2 games against teams with a winning record and they're both with the Bulls who are slightly better than .500 at 31 & 29. They won't catch the Lakers for the #1 seed, but have now pushed in front of the Nuggets for the #2 in the race to avoid the Lakers until the Western Conference finals.
Okay, let's give away a couple pair of tickets for tonight's ball game at the Pit with the Huskies as the University honors Dick Harter. The last time the Ducks swept the season series against UW was their 1st Elite run in 2002. When was the time BEFORE that? E-mail the correct answer to stevetannen@live.com
We'll have the drawing just before 5 o'clock. The tickets will be available at
Will Call just past 6:30. Good luck.

WHY I LOVE JOHN DALY by ST

It's a heck of an effort for someone to make me feel really, really intelligent. When I overhear people talk about watching "Survivor", "American Idol" or their love of country radio I get that feeling. It also happens whenever XXXXL golf idiot John Daly speaks. Turns out he's sicking his trailer park fans on a reporter for the Florida Times-Union for having the audacity to "report" facts. Turns out J.D has one of those permanent record files middle school teachers used to threaten us with. The PGA put together more than 450 pages of his mis-steps from fines, to his acting in a completely unprofessional manner to suggesting(7 times) he needs rehab. The only reason this information went public is because Piggy Boy realized his lawsuit for defamation against the parent company of the newspaper was a joke and dropped making all that information available to the public. Daly is a classic case of entering a battle of wits unarmed. He's an abusive, low character imbecile who has figured out that the 13th, 14th and 15th steps are blaming others, excuse making and quitting. Guy has totally whizzed away some incredible talent and opportunity. But natually, it's not his fault. Daly posted his request for people to attack reporter Garry Smits on his twitter account. Anyone who follows John Daly on twitter needs to put down the empty can of Gator Brew, brush their tooth and fill out a resume at the Homestead convenience store. What a loser!

BASEBALL IS HERE AND COMING by ST

I find a few things about sports really hopefull. A brand new, untouched, March Madness bracket. I also love the home opener for baseball, regardless of the level. The whole thing about springing eternal. Ducks & Huskies today to christen the now completed PK Park. It ties in with the Grapefruit & Cactus leagues getting rolling as opening day for MLB approaches. Today on the show we will pick and choose a few teams and see what will make this year different, better, or worse based on what took place during the off season.
First, a bit of clarification. I have in fact changed my opinion on what MIGHT happen with Ernie Kent. I've never changed my opinion that I think he should be coaching when the new Knight Arena opens. I also think that from week to week his status alters in the minds of those who will make the final decision. Thought I made that clear. Obviously not. My bad. If the team rolled over on him and got punished in So-Cal then got torched at home this Thursday & Saturday it would have sent a horrible message. I honestly believe it's that delicate & touch and go.
Last week we had some fun with the news that John Daly was offering up advice to Tiger about getting his life back in order. Today we got a view of JD's track record with the PGA Tour and the story gets absolutely hysterical. He's been cited nearly a dozen times for "conduct unbecoming a professional". Six times on probation. On 7 seperate occasions he's been ordered into rehab or counseling for alcohol. Throw in 21 times being reprimanded for not giving his best effort. Yup, I'd definitely want this guy guiding me back from the disgraced. He's clearly the man for the job. I'd also like to see Nate Kaeding do a lecture tour on clutch field goal kicking.
If you want to see today's home opener versus Washington, drop me a line at
stevetannen@live.com
I'll have a drawing & hook a few of you up with tickets at will call. We'll announced & e-mail the winners late in the 3 o'clock hour. Good Luck