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O-MA-HA I have been very fortunate in my life to have the ability to travel the world and see great sporting events. There are a number of events that are still on my "bucket list", and this week I get the chance to mark one off my list. I'm headed to Nebraska for the first time in my life....and I'm going to the College World Series. Starting on Friday, I'll be hosting a SiriusXM show from Omaha and the site of the NCAA College World Series. I have yet to meet anybody that has attended this event and didn't come home raving about the people, the food, the baseball and the overall experience. I finally get the chance to see it for myself, and I'm pumped about it. In addition to hosting the shows on Friday thru Monday from Omaha, I'm excited to soak in the whole deal...there's nothing like passionate college sports fans following their team on the way to a championship.....and there are some fascinating story lines heading to the CWS. How many people had Stony Brook and Kent State at the CWS before the tourney began? Not me, but that's the essence of sports. Stony Brook is the first team from NY to make it to Omaha since St. John's visited in 1980. Kent State gives the MAC some baseball street cred, too. Plus, you've got Ray Tanner's South Carolina Gamecocks looking for a three-peat and trying to become the first team to reach that feat since the other USC (Southern California) won four straight, back in the 70's. Amazingly, the Gamecocks have won a record 21-straight NCAA Tournament games. Mike Martin and Florida State are back in Omaha, too. The Noles have made it back 21 times and never left with the championship. They are overdue, and they're red-hot after posting 35 runs on Stanford in the 2-game sweep in the Super Regionals. Florida is the nation's #1 seed, and since the change in formats, the only #1 seed to win it all was Miami (FL) back in 1999. The tournament has been awesome, and it's about to go to a whole new level......I can't wait to get to Omaha. In case you want to listen to our Omaha shows on SiriusXM 91, the days & times are as follows:
I'll give you a full report when I get back to town. The NBA Finals are now underway, and the match-up looks divine. Heat against Thunder. LeBron vs. Durant....experience vs. youth....big market vs. small market. I really have no feel for picking a winner in this series, but I do think it will be very entertaining. LeBron's promise of winning multiple NBA titles has put the bull's-eye directly on his chest, and this is his third appearance on the NBA's biggest stage. Is he ready to capture title #1, or is the upstart Thunder too explosive? Who knows, but I do know that I'll be watching. Local columnist Tom Sorensen desperately tried to portray this series as a throwback to the 80's when we had the Celtics and Lakers. It's not even close....I'm not going to confuse D-Wade, Bosh and LeBron with Magic, Worthy and Kareem. Don't believe me; ask the Lakers to show you their rings. I don't think Bird, Parrish and McHale are taking a backseat to Durant, Westbrook and Harden. The NBA is a far cry from the glory days of the 80's and early 90's, but this series should be a good one. The US Open is taking place at scenic Olympic Club in San Francisco. Pick a favorite....I dare you. In the last 14 major golf championships, we've had 14 different winners. Tiger, Rory, Phil, Donald, etc.....take your pick. What I love about the US Open this year is the west coast venue....that means back on the east coast, the play ends up in prime time. Of course, I'll be in Omaha, so that doesn't do me a whole lot of good.....but I love it anyhow. If I had to pick a player maybe off the beaten path to win, I'd go with Zach Johnson. Don't ask me why? It's hard to believe that it's been 4 years since Tiger's last major championship victory....maybe that changes this weekend? I don't follow horse racing, but last week's news about "I'll Have Another" having to retire due to injury was a heartbreaker. I know Tiger has gone four years without a major and Dale, Jr. has gone 4 years without a victory, too.....but it's now been 34 years and counting since we've had a Triple Crown winner. Maybe next year? |
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