UNC wins it all
Well, that was disappointing.
One of the most closely contested NCAA tournaments in recent memory – seriously, 22 of the 67 games over the last three weeks were decided by four points or fewer – ended with a disjointed and at times hard-to-watch championship game.
UNC prevailed 71-65 over Gonzaga as the teams combined for 44 fouls, 52 free-throw tries and 86 missed shots (the teams combined to go 46-for-132, 34.8 percent, from the floor).
The Tar Heels became the fourth team to lose in the title game the previous year and come back and win it all. They did it primarily because they committed only four turnovers, which allowed them to get 14 more shot attempts than the Bulldogs.
So the final answer is UNC is No. 1, and by most measure, it was the best team from start to finish this season. But that final answer does not leave us without a few questions.
The championship is Roy Williams’ third with the Tar Heels, and you could make an argument that if a couple of breaks go his way in previous title tripes, Williams could have five titles. Where does Williams rank all-time?
The hand-wringing and unrest about the officiating this season was a constant theme. It was just as disjointed Monday. Can it be improved? (Here’s an interesting list of possibilities and postseason awards from college hoops guru and TFP ace sports columnist Mark Wiedmer.)
Finally, was this the next big step for Gonzaga, which made its first Final Four, or will we look back at this as the ceiling for the ‘Zags?
FILE – In this Tuesday, April 3, 2007, file photo, Phil Mickelson, second from left, shakes hands with Bernhard Langer of Germany during the Masters Champions Dinner at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Also pictured are past winners Tom Watson, far right, and Fuzzy Zoeller. Mickelson can think of only one way that the Tuesday, April 4, 2017, night dinner for Masters champions can get any better: to be the host. One of the best traditions at the Masters will take place when Danny Willett hosts a room filled with green jackets. (Chris Thelen/The Augusta Chronicle via AP, File) Masters
We are stoked.
We love this week. Seriously. In fact, this may be our single favorite sporting event of the entire year. It truly is a tradition unlike any other. From the grounds, to the way they treat the patrons, to the respect the best in the world pay the event, it has a real feel of sports how it used to be.
We will breakdown the field later this week, but let’s get right to our Masterfully Mastering the Mastery that is the Masters contest.
Pick five golfers. Your four best scores count. Each golfer gets points that match his finish (Winner gets 1; tied for eighth gets 8; you get the idea) and lowest score wins. We’re in, we’re out. No muss, no fuss.
We’ll start with an early flyer of Dustin Johnson, Jordan Speith, Jason Day, Bubba Watson, Hideki Matsuyama. Go.
Also, as promised Monday, let’s do a quick top-five on the best shots we hit in two rounds at Augusta National.
5. A 12-footer for par on 18. We got up-and-down after missing the Sunday pin to the left. It stunned our caddie. And ourself.
4. A 4 iron from about 185 up the hill on No. 10 to about 12 feet.
3. A smooth 9 iron to the middle of the green on the devilish 12th.
2. A piped drive right down the middle on No. 1 of our first round there. A very nerve-wracking shot to say the least. (Our nerves were a little calmed by the dude in jorts – seriously – from England who teed off right before me, and hit a slicing scud into the pavilion. Thanks, mate, for taking the pressure off.)
1. A 60-degree wedge from about 60 yards that almost went in the hole on No. 7. A tap-in putt was the only birdie we had. Yes, it is our personal favorite, and here are some more details on the glorious No. 7 hole known as Pampas. http://www.augusta.com/masters/coursetour/hole7 (And remember, before you think we hit a tee shot 390, we played from the members tees not the tournament tees.)
FILE – In this Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 file photo, Stephen A. Smith arrives at Spike TV’s Video Game Awards in Los Angeles. ESPN says it has suspended sportscaster Stephen A. Smith, Tuesday, July 29, 2014 for a week because of comments about domestic abuse suggesting women should make sure they don’t provoke attacks. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File) ESPN’s new stance
ESPN has long been criticized for what many folks believe is a decided left-leaning view of issues and politics.
With that, ESPN announced a new set of guidelines. You can read about them here. Funny us, we thought for the straight news folks, those guidelines are pretty universal and understood.
Now the opinion folks – columnists and talk-show folks – are paid for making arguments and taking angles and sides. But on the news-gathering side, this is pretty common stuff.
There are a couple of curious things about this, though.
First, why is this announcement so muffled. The story linked above was released after 3 a.m. and we have not seen SportsCenter, but we wonder how much pub the WWL is giving its new stance.
Second, it will be very interesting to see how this enforced, especially if one of the real ESPN news stars violates this.
Will it make a difference in terms of public view and opinion?
We’re not sure, but like with any new policy, the difference will only be known when we see the level to which this is enforced.
This and that
* Not sure this has ever happened in the almost seven years of contests we have been running around these parts, but the “First-Out, Last-In Challenge” ended in a dead heat between Carl and Kyle. Each had Xavier as the last standing double-digit seed. Each got the same number of points in the Final Four tie-breaker. And each picked a player in the Final Four, and Justin Jackson and Nigel Williams-Goss each scored 38 points in the two Final Four games. That’s it. You both win. Email me and we’ll settle up.
* Georgetown, one of the basketball powers of the 1980s and ’90s, has been relatively quiet in recent years. In an effort to change that, Georgetown has tabbed former All-American center and basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing to be its next coach. That means Ewing is back with the Hoyas, and Chris Mullin is coaching St. John’s. Maybe Derrick Coleman can replace Jim Boeheim, Terry Dehere can be the next Seton Hall coach and Ed Pickney will take over at Villanova.
* We love the draft. You know this. Amid all the talks of which quarterback will go where, the news Monday from Oxford, Miss., was not great for Chad Kelly. Kelly aggravated a wrist injury on his throwing arm, limiting his workout to only 12 throws. This is after his season was cut short with an ACL injury (the second time he has tore the ligaments in his right knee) and his invite to the combine was pulled because of his previous run-ins with the law. At times Kelly looked more pro ready than any of the quarterbacks being mentioned in round one, but who knows where he may fall later this month in the draft.
* Les Miles re-iterated his intent to coach again somewhere. Here are some of the details via the Omaha World-Herald.
* A dreadful seventh inning for three Braves relievers left Atlanta 0-1 after a 6-0 loss to the Mets on Monday. Couple of things. First, great debut for Braves baseball on ESPN 105.1 the Zone. Secondly, Mets starter Noah Syndergaard is really, really good.
* Speaking of opening day, here’s an interesting story on Clayton Kershaw, who was brilliant Monday as the Dodgers toppled the Padres 14-3. The main point: Kershaw will make more this year ($33 million) than the entirety of the Padres’ 25-man roster ($28 million). Wow.
* Man, some folks are losing their minds about the ESPN commercial that has an actor that looks Steve Bartman. Chill folks.
* Tony Romo is walking away from millions playing football to get millions talking about football. That’s living the good life.
Today’s questions
Hey, it’s Tuesday. Let’s play some fill in the blank. No?
How about some multiple choice? Nope, that doesn’t sound right either. We got it. Let’s do some True or False on a Tuesday. Deal? Deal.
True or false, Chad Kelly will be an NFL starter someday.
True or false, Les Miles will be coaching a college football team this time next year.
True or false, Roy Williams is the best coach ever at North Carolina.
True or false, Gonzaga will never win it all.
True or false, Tony Romo is a Hall of Famer.
If you need a thought-provoker, well, how about this: The final USA Today women’s basketball poll is here.
As you may expect South Carolina got all 32 No. 1 votes after winning the title Sunday night. But since the poll is not official and certainly not part of the hardware of winning it all, what would you think if someone had given a No. 1 vote to UConn, which has been atop every poll for half a decade before losing to Mississippi State in the semifinals. If you honestly asked everyone who do you think is the best women’s basketball team how many would say UConn, regardless of how the weekend played out?
Thoughts?