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Indy's
Star?
Thanks to the front page of the Indy Star, Coach K and the Blue Devils might have found that extra incentive to unleash their best performance of the year. Everybody and their brother assumed that the West Virginia-Duke match-up would be a tough, tight affair...but with the way Duke shot the ball from the perimeter, they made it a complete runaway. The champs of the ACC embarrassed the champs of the Big East, and in the process set up the national title game between Duke and Butler. I'm sure we'll be completely inundated with the David vs. Goliath and Hoosiers buildup, but make no mistake that Butler can really play. You don't win 25 straight games without having some outstanding skill, great coaching and a ton of confidence. I suspect Butler will play Duke tough on Monday night, but if K's guys light it up from the outside like they did against WVU, then you can forget about any kind of sappy, storybook ending in Indianapolis. Both teams are playing terrific basketball, but Duke just has bigger and better players. Plus, Butler has a loss this season to Clemson....Duke pounded the Tigers in both meetings......I know it was a long time ago, but it tells me something. A win by coach K gives him 77 NCAA tournament wins and his fourth national title. I don't need to remind UNC fans that under this new age math, Roy + Dean = K. But before we crown Duke the champs, just a reminder that this NCAA Tournament has been one of the best I've seen in a long, long time. What has made it great is the unpredictability.....and as I mentioned earlier, Butler didn't win 25 straight games on hype and reputation....these Bulldogs can really play. The NCAA Champ has been seeded 4th or higher for the past 21 years. It's another stat that doesn't bear well for the upstart Butler boys, and I gather that Duke will make it officially 22 straight years on Monday night. The Masters begins this week, and to officially begin the festivities, here's Tiger Woods with another waste of time press conference. It needs to be noted that I'm writing this blog roughly 24 hours before Tiger is to make his appearance at a 2pm PC in Augusta. Apparently, the golf writers and other media types have nothing better to do than gather in a tent and listen to Woods tell us absolutely nothing. I watched the 13 minute, scripted dress rehearsal in Ponte Vedra back in February.....and that's all I needed to hear. I didn't even bother watching the 5-minute fire away individual interviews (if that's what you want to call 'em) with ESPN or the Golf Channel. Evidently, some of these golf writers and media whores need to pretend he's going to give them and the rest of the world a play-by-play of his private life coming to an immediate end. Hey guys, go read Vanity Fair and leave the guy alone. I don't care if Tiger's wife leaves him high and dry, or if she welcomes him back with open arms. What I do care about is watching him get back to work on one of the great golfing venues on the planet. I found it funny that the stuffed shirts at Augusta National decided to allow ESPN to show Tiger's opening drive on Thursday.......wow, captivating stuff. There's no denying Tiger's place in the world of golf, but something tells me that this week might be a struggle. If he can go through hell and back like he's done since Thanksgiving, show up for his first golf tournament of the year - which happens to be a major at Augusta - and still wax these guys....then it might be more of an indictment on the rest of the field. Usually, we ask if you want Tiger or the field? This week, I'm taking the field. The Major League Baseball season is finally underway, and after President Obama throws out the first pitch in DC, we can finally get ready for the Boys of Summer. As a San Francisco Giants fan, I'm encouraged with my team this year.....I think they are going to be playoff-worthy, assuming they can stay away from the injury bug. For the past three years, I have announced the "Packman 9". This is a list of 9 MLB clubs that have absolutely, positively no chance to make the post-season. I make the announcement on the blog and on my radio and TV outlets the first week of the season. To make it more fun and entertaining, I pick at least one team in each division. For the past three years, I'm 25 of 27. Last year, I was a perfect 9-for-9.....the only two teams that have bitten me in the past three years were the Colorado Rockies in 2007 (they won 21 of their last 22 to make the playoffs and eventually lost in the World Series), and the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays (completely played out of their minds all season and also lost in the World Series). So, if you find your team on the list, don't get upset....there's still an outside shot that they can have the year of their lives - only to get punked in the Fall Classic: So, here is the 2010 "Packman 9":
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Packman
on Sports Commentary
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