It’s Tuesday at Augusta National Golf Club in lovely northeastern Georgia.  Tiger Woods advised the fawning media representatives that he is, indeed, planning to tee it up on Thursday for the opening round of The Masters golf tournament.

“As of right now, I feel like I am going to play, as of right now,” Woods said during a news conference.  “I’m going to play nine more holes [Wednesday]. My recovery has been good. I’ve been very excited about how I’ve recovered each and every day, and that’s been the challenge.”

Just fourteen months after being severely injured in a one-car accident in southern California, Tiger Woods’ bionic right leg will be severely tested by walking 18 holes (about 6 miles) daily beginning Thursday over the very hilly golf course.

As CBS Television and the press covering this event rejoices that the 5-time winner will return to competitive golf on Thursday at Augusta, I am saddened that his biggest rival is not in the field and won’t be around to compete with golfers from twenty countries and thrill thousands of the golf patrons.

Phil Mickelson is missing this year.

Unlike Woods’ physical injuries, Phil is missing the annual event due to some recent self-inflicted verbal wounds that have been quite slow to heal.

The 51-year old Mickelson shocked the golf world last spring by winning the PGA Championship by, quite literally, coming out of nowhere to win his sixth career major.  In doing so, Phil-the-Thrill became the oldest golfer (by two years) to win one of professional golf’s major championships.

Lefty’s best golf game has been known to disappear from sight at times during his long and splendid career, but now the man himself is AWOL from the illustrious golf field this week.   Mickelson has been a part of The Masters’ field since 1994.

What’s up with Phil?

In a nutshell, Phil Mickelson recently placed himself into a self-imposed golf exile after getting into some hot water for comments related to a number of controversial golf-related subjects.

Phil openly flirted with joining a new (and quite lucrative) world golf tour being pushed by retired golf legend, Greg Norman.

The Asian Tour proposed playing a limited golf schedule (10 tournaments per year) with very lucrative prize purses.  The events were scheduled to allow for periodic breaks to allow the game’s top stars to return to the US and Great Britain to compete in golf’s four major tournaments (The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open, and The Open Championship).

The PGA Tour immediately laid down the gauntlet to its players and effectively said, “If you want to play on this new tour, don’t bother coming back here!”  Ouch!  For the younger stars in professional golf, the PGA Tour represents the top of the golf profession.  The young bucks were never likely to bolt.

However, for those golfers who have entered the second half of their professional careers, the guaranteed money being offered by the upstart Asian Tour was worthy of further investigation.

Statistically speaking, most PGA Tour winners are under the age of 35.  For 51-year old Phil Mickelson (who has recorded 45 PGA victories – tied with Walter Hagen for 8th place – during his long career), the new Asian Tour might represent an easy way to pocket some significant late-career guaranteed money and cut down on his playing schedule.

Once Phil Mickelson turned 50 last year, he dabbled with the senior golfers by playing in a few of the Champions Tour events in 2021.  Phil won the first two tournaments which he entered last year and even snagged the senior finale at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship event.

Basketball is a team sport which utilizes five players on the court at any one time.   In addition to the starting five players, most teams (high school, college, and professional) rarely utilize more than ten players during any particular game.

When I saw the headline yesterday about LSU losing its eleventh player to the NCAA’s new escape hatch called the transfer portal or (good luck) the NBA, I immediately went to the team’s website (www.lsusports.net) to take a closer look at last year’s team.

In the recently concluded 2021-2022 season, the LSU men’s basketball team finished with a respectable 22-12 record.  The season ended with a first round loss to Iowa State in the NCAA March Madness tournament two weeks ago.

Over the course of the entire basketball season (which included 30+ point blow-out wins over UL-Monroe, McNeese, and Northwestern State), LSU utilized a total of 16 basketball players in those 34 games.

Closer inspection of the stats showed that just nine LSU men’s basketball players hit the hardwood in more than half of the team’s games.   Even former LSU and NBA Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal’s son, Shareef, played in just 14 games last season.

Nothing looks fishy about the stats.  Most minutes go to the starting five and a few key bench players.

As a former high school basketball player, you become supremely motivated when riding the bench as a younger player to earn a chance for more playing time in future years.  You try to soak in and learn as much as possible on the bench while committing to work harder to achieve a chance for more playing time in the following seasons.

That’s apparently not the case at LSU as eleven of the team’s players are heading for the exits.

OK, it’s time to remind you that LSU’s head basketball coach, Will Wade, was fired (with cause) in early March prior to the Tigers’ recent one-and-done appearance in the NCAA men’s tournament.   In addition, his primary assistant (Associate Head Coach) Bill Armstrong was terminated as well.

LSU President Willam Tate and Director of Athletics Scott Woodward penned an open letter to LSU sports fans on March 12.  Here is what Dr. Tate said in a key portion of this letter:

“For more than four years, the University has patiently allowed the NCAA investigative process to unfold, jointly working with the NCAA Enforcement Staff and, subsequently, with the Complex Case Unit (CCU), to ensure the evidence collected was as thorough and fair as possible. Throughout that time, the University and its men’s basketball program have operated under an exhausting shroud of negativity.  Per NCAA rules and procedures, we are unable to provide further comment on the IARP process, the contents of the Notice of Allegations, or today’s decision.”

I highlighted the final sentence, because most sports fans will presume that’s why the eleven LSU men’s basketball players have recently decided to bolt from the program.  It appears that LSU men’s basketball is headed for some serious sanctions soon.

Why would so many of the basketball players leave now?

If you were an LSU men’s basketball player who sat on the bench for most of last season after earning a scholarship for being the best basketball player on your high school team and within your home region, why would you leave LSU now?   If your intent was to showcase your basketball skills at the major college level, the deck has just been cleared for you to step-up th...

This weekend in the Bayou State of Louisiana’s famous Superdome, four men’s college basketball teams – all wearing blue as their primary color – will take to the hardwood in pursuit of the national championship.

If you picked your NCAA March Madness Final Four solely based on the team’s primary uniform color (I worked with someone who used to do that), then the chances are pretty good that your tournament picks are in fine shape right now.  For the rest of us, this tournament has represented the ultimate in March Madness with brackets busted everywhere.

It’s been u-g-l-y (and I don’t have an alibi)!

This Saturday in New Orleans, four of college basketball’s “blue bloods” will square off in a  battle royale for hoops supremacy in 2022.

The four blue-clad combatants are:

Midwest Region #1 seed – Kansas Jayhawks

Vs. South Region #2 seed – Villanova Wildcats

West Region #2 seed – Duke Blue Devils

Vs. East Region #8 seed – North Carolina Tar Heels

Of those blue teams, North Carolina’s baby blue (called “Carolina Blue”, of course) is the lightest hue.  Villanova’s blue combines both navy blue and light blue in their logo’s traditional “V” symbol.   The Duke and Kansas blues are your basic everyday blue color.

After this NCAA men’s basketball championship has dealt out so many improbable outcomes, the “Elite Eight” games played Saturday and Sunday brought a screeching halt to the previous three rounds of upsets.  The weekend favorites went 4-0 to sweep into the Final Four in New Orleans this coming Saturday evening.

Each of this year’s Final Four teams has survived a series of close calls on their way to winning their first four games of the tournament.

Kansas Jayhawks:

The Midwest Region’s #1 seed has barreled through the Big 12 basketball tournament and was awarded a top seed in this year’s NCAA March Madness field.  The Jayhawks are now a gaudy 32-6 this season rolling into New Orleans.

KU’s four wins in the NCAA tournament have shown both their strengths and weaknesses.  After an easy 83-56 win over #16 seed Texas Southern, the Jayhawks led by just three points with a minute to go in their 79-72 win over the Creighton Blue Jays.   Transfer player Remy Martin emerged off the bench to score 20 points and spark Kansas to the win.

In the Sweet Sixteen, the Rock Chalk Jayhawks again rode a spirited performance by guard Remy Martin to win a 66-61 squeaker over Providence.  Martin scored a career-high 23 points in the win.  With the victory, Kansas pulled ahead of Kentucky for the most wins in men’s Division 1 basketball history (2,354).

Kansas (whose last NCAA men’s title came back in 2008) then raced past #10 seed Miami 76-50 in the second half Sunday to make it into this year’s Final Four.  Long-time coach Bill Self is hoping to earn his second championship ring next weekend in New Orleans.

Villanova Wildcats:

The South Region #2 seed from the Big East Conference and Philadelphia (now 30-6 on the season) won all nine games which they played in the month of March.  The Wildcats survived a series of close calls in the Big East tournament and have now won four in a row in this year’s NCAA tournament.   The team has yet to allow more than 61 points in any of those games, so Villanova’s defense has kept them close all season.

Coach Jay Wright’s teams have won two of the previous five NCAA titles, so this team is not a stranger to March Madness.   The Wildcats dusted-off #15 seed Delaware 80-60 in Round 1.  Villanova then eliminated the Big Ten in consecutive games by dropping #7 seed Ohio State 71-61 and sending #11 Michigan home 63-55 in the Sweet 16.  On Saturday,

Just over a week ago, I posted a story about the number of NFL quarterbacks who were changing teams in the upcoming season and teams which are hoping to hit the jackpot in the upcoming NFL draft.

Since that story, we have seen several new and dramatic moves involving NFL quarterbacks.  Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, New Orleans Saints’ Jameis Winston, and Tampa Bay’s Tom “I’m back from retirement already!” Brady will remain in last year’s cities.  However, there are a number of NFL quarterbacks are needing a moving van to head elsewhere for 2022.

Let’s start by updating our quarterback tote board!

Deshaun Watson – The most controversial and expensive quarterback move took place last week after the Cleveland Browns signed former Houston Texans’ starting quarterback Deshaun Watson to a whopping $230 million (all guaranteed) contract over the next five seasons.  That averages to $46 million/year for a quarterback whose attorneys still must settle 22 pending civil lawsuits involving a variety of message therapists whose accusations claim that Watson wanted more than a traditional message prior to the end of a session.

Analysis:  There is no question that Deshaun Watson’s NFL resume is an upgrade from the Browns’ former #1 overall pick, Baker Mayfield.  Mayfield’s inefficient performances over the past few years and lack of support in the locker room from his teammates have earned him a trip out of town.  Cleveland decided to leverage their short-term future (sending three first round draft picks plus a couple of others for good measure over to Houston) in the deal for quarterback Deshaun Watson.  Will he really make that much of a difference at quarterback?  In the difficult AFC North (Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, and Pittsburgh Steelers), this is one heck of an expensive gamble for a team which still hasn’t played in a Super Bowl game.  Grade:  C

Matt Ryan – The long-time Atlanta Falcons signal caller is heading to a playoff contender with the Indianapolis Colts.  Indy plays in the woeful AFC South (home to both the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars), so Matt Ryan’s experience should pay immediate dividends on the field for the Colts.  At 37 years of age, though, Ryan must remain healthy enough so that the Colts will have a chance to subdue the current AFC South kingpin, Tennessee Titans.

Analysis:   The Colts are hoping that “Matty Ice” still has a couple of good years left in his throwing arm.  Indianapolis has a terrific ground game with Jonathon Taylor, but the team ranked #28 out of 32 teams in passing last year.  The Colts need to retain receiver T.Y. Hilton and/or improve via the draft to best utilize Matt Ryan’s skills.  I like this deal!  Grade:  B+

Marcus Mariota – To replace Matt Ryan in Atlanta, the Falcons have just signed former Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota.  He reunites with his former Titans offensive coach Arthur Smith who is the head coach in Atlanta.

Analysis:  When compared to the consistent Matt Ryan, it appears that Atlanta has taken a step down as the former Oregon Ducks’ star quarterback Mariota has been a borderline draft bust since arriving in the NFL as the #2 overall draft selection in 2015.  I just don’t see him leading this team to the playoffs anytime soon.  Perhaps Atlanta may be planning to select another quarterback in the upcoming draft to develop in the event that Mariota should fail what will likely be his final opportunity as an NFL starter.    Grade:  D+

 

Russell Wilson – The former Super Bowl winning quarterback in Seattle comes into Denver carrying the hopes of Broncos Nation to deliver another championship to this football-mad city.

I finally outdid myself this year.

After admitting to you last week that I am still “0-for-NCAA March Madness” in trying to select the winning team in the men’s brackets after more than 40 years of trying, my 2022 brackets have just crashed and burned sooner than normal.

After the first weekend of play (the first two of six total games it takes to crown a national champion), both my Men’s and Women’s NCAA tournament picks to win it all have been eliminated.

Both teams won their first round game.  However, both lost in the second round.

I’m done.  Busted like never before.  Pit-i-ful.

CBS Sports currently ranks my Men’s bracket as #1,115,212 as of today.

That’s right!  There are more than 1.1 million people who are better at this than I am.

On the women’s side, the same site ranks my picks at #290,179 today.

Since CBS Sports doesn’t reveal how many people have entered, I might as well be in last place right now.  It feels that way to me!

In the NCAA Men’s tournament, I selected a Final Four consisting of Tennessee, Gonzaga, Auburn, and Virginia Tech.

Sure, taking the #11 seed Virginia Tech to the Final Four was probably a bit of a reach, but the Hokies looked every part of a national contender in capturing their first-ever ACC Tournament title the previous week.  Virginia Tech beat Clemson, Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Duke in four days to win the ACC Tournament.  They were on a heck of a roll.  Until I jinxed them!

In last week’s first round game of the NCAA Men’s tournament, Virginia Tech lost to Texas 81-73 and headed home to Blacksburg, Virginia without a single win.

In the second round, #2 seed Auburn was thoroughly embarrassed by #10 seed Miami (Florida) and packed their bags for the plains of eastern Alabama.

Also in the second round, my overall pick to win this year’s NCAA Men’s tournament, the SEC Tournament champion Tennessee, was eliminated by a team which (my opinion) didn’t deserve to be in the field.  #11 Michigan (now 19-14) blew past the Volunteers in the second half to post a 76-68 win over #3 seed Tennessee.

Thankfully, #1 overall seed Gonzaga won both of its first two games, but they were pushed to the limit in Round Two by a very tough #9 seed Memphis, 82-78.   Whew!

I cannot remember a time when I lost three of my top four teams after just two games in the NCAA men’s tournament.

This year’s men’s tournament has seen some thrilling games, though.

#15 seeded St. Peter’s (Go Peacocks!) are still playing ball.  The team is playing in their first-ever NCAA men’s tournament.   They took down #2 seed Kentucky (yes, that Kentucky) in the first round and then went 2-0 against the Bluegrass State by beating #7 seed Murray State (from Bowling Green) in Round 2.

Sadly for St. Peter’s, there are no more teams from Kentucky to beat in the Sweet Sixteen as they will face #3 seed Purdue next.

The Big 12 and ACC still have three teams apiece remaining in the final sixteen.  Kansas, Texas Tech, and the surprising #11 seed Iowa State Cyclones (which won just two games – total – in the previous season) will play at least one more tournament game this week.  The ACC trio of Duke, North Carolina, and Miami are still alive, too.

The biggest surprise to me thus far has been the dominance of the big men for the advancing teams.  Gonzaga has All-American 6’10” forward Drew Timme and a very coordinated but very thin 7’ freshman beanpole named Chet Holmgren who blocks shots without leaving his feet.  Gonzaga still looks to have the most talented team, but I don’t want to jinx them right now, either.

My mistake was assuming that the superior guard play of Tennessee and Virginia Tech would keep them rolling as the tournament began.  Wrong! 

The Houston Cougars have continued to show that they play as a team as well as anybody again this year.

You’ve gotta hand it to the Cleveland Browns.   They want to play in their first Super Bowl so badly that they were literally ready to make a deal with the devil in order to do it.

The Browns are one of only four NFL teams which have never played in a single Super Bowl game since the AFL merged with the NFL back in the middle 1960’s.   The other three teams are the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Houston Texans.

The Browns shocked the sports world last Friday by enticing the heavily lawyered-up quarterback Deshaun Watson to accept a trade away from the Houston Texans to Cleveland.

The 26-year old former Houston Texans quarterback didn’t play a single down for the Texans last season as he awaited a local Grand Jury to convene and decide whether he would be held criminally liable for charges filed by 22 different women.  The women work as independent message therapists and claimed that Deshaun Watson requested or demanded that they render additional “personal services” beyond the scope of what they were hired to do.

These alleged incidents all occurred during the NFL’s COVID season of 2020.   Apparently, Houston’s traditional men’s clubs must have been open fewer hours that year as well.

Earlier this month, a Harris County (Houston) grand jury chose not to charge Deshaun Watson (who, by the way, is not married) criminally in these cases.  That means that the lawsuits will probably be settled in a civil court setting.  For the women involved, it is just a matter of time and money to resolve those lawsuits.  Watson will not face any jail time.

Based on Watson’s brand new $46 million/year guaranteed money contract in Cleveland (up from $35 million/year in Houston), I expect that his accusers will hold out for a little more money, too.

Fair is fair.

After Deshaun Watson was not charged criminally, several NFL teams with quarterback needs lined-up en masse trying to entice the Texans and their quarterback (who publicly stated that he wanted a trade out of Houston) to come and join their team instead.

Every team in the NFC South (sans Tampa Bay) has been shopping for a quarterback upgrade since the season ended in January.  The Carolina Panthers were the most desperate team of the bunch and seemed to be the early favorite to land Deshaun Watson.  The Panthers reportedly were willing to toss-in perennial All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey in addition to an assortment of high draft picks.   Watson said, “No, thanks!”

The New Orleans Saints found that life after Drew Brees wasn’t a picnic last year, either.  The Saints reportedly restructured the contracts of several key veteran players in order to create enough salary cap room to absorb the gigantic paycheck required to sign Deshaun Watson.  Though many people felt like Watson was quite interested in playing for the Saints, he passed on the Saints’ offer, too.

Today, the Saints re-signed last year’s starter, Jameis Winston, to a new two-year contract.

That brings us to the Atlanta Falcons.  Long-time starting quarterback Matt Ryan just concluded his 14th year in the NFL.  The Falcons have been searching for a replacement for the soon-to-be 37-year old Ryan and hoped that Deshaun Watson would be a terrific fit since the quarterback is a Georgia native and played college football at nearby Clemson.

So much for home state overtures, because Watson turned down the Falcons’ offer, too.

Today, Atlanta’s quarterback needs just became even more pressing.  Matt Ryan was just traded by the Falcons to Indianapolis for a lowly third round pick in the upcoming NFL draft.   Nice job, Indy!

I almost forgot to post the NCAA Women’s basketball tournament brackets.  I’m equally bad at predicting the outcomes of the women’s games, but maybe my luck will change this year (don’t count on it!).

The women’s basketball tournament has four different site locations (unlike the men’s East, West, South, and Midwest regions).  This year’s four regions are being played in Greensboro, North Carolina, Spokane, Washington, Wichita, Kansas, and Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Below are my picks (which are also posted on CBSsports.com under the name of “SwampSwamiSports.com” as a way of getting a little bit of shameless self-promotion, eh?).

Let’s start with Greensboro, NC:

On to Spokane, Washington’s region:

Next, let’s go to the Wichita, KS region:

Last, but not least, we head to the Bridgeport, CT region:

This year’s Women’s Final Four will be played in Minneapolis, MN.  Here are the semi-finals and championship predictions:

That’s right!  In the final game, I’ll pit Coach Kim Mulkey’s former team (Baylor) going against her current team at LSU.  That would make for an interesting game.  I’ll take LSU to win it all!

Enjoy the games!

 

It takes a lot of guts to put your own March Madness picks out there for public consumption for every single game of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

As stated in yesterday’s post, it’s a bit embarrassing to admit that I played basketball and have closely followed the sport ever since youth sports, but I have yet to select the winning team in over forty years of March Madness bracketology.

However, there’s always hope that this will, indeed, be the year!  You must continue to believe – even if the odds say that you are most likely to come up short once again.

Let’s break down each region as we ultimately head to New Orleans for this year’s Final Four.

First up – the West Region!

West Region upset specials – As you can see, I have picked #13 seed Vermont (28-5) to win its first two games in Buffalo, New York.  I also like #10 Davidson (27-6) to win its first game against Michigan State.

After that, the rest of the West Region bracket pretty much follows the seeding.  In the West Region Finals, my bracket features the #1 seed Gonzaga against the #2 seeded Duke Blue Devils as Coach K’s team simply won’t let him exit early.  However, I think Gonzaga’s All-American 6’10” junior Drew Timme will be the difference as the Zags’ experience gets them into this year’s Final Four.

West winner – Gonzaga (#1 seed)

Next – it’s the East Region!

 

East Region upset specials – I really didn’t see very many upsets in the first round with the exception of #11 Virginia Tech beating #6 Texas (which has been floundering recently).  However, the Hokies will then keep rolling and beat #3 seeded Purdue, and surprise #2 seed Kentucky to get into the East Region finals!  Also, I am (don’t ask why) taking #8 seed North Carolina to upset the #1 seed Baylor in Round 2 this weekend.  Call it a gut feeling!

In the East finals, I’ll match-up #4 seed UCLA (which will end North Carolina’s season) and the surprising #11 seed Virginia Tech.  The Hokies’ 23-year old fifth-year senior big man Keve Aluma transferred to Virginia Tech as he followed his basketball coach at tiny Wofford College (Spartanburg, South Carolina) up to the ACC school.  Coach Mike Young just led Virginia Tech the school’s first-ever ACC Tournament championship last weekend.  This is a very hot team playing with a lot of confidence.  I’m taking V-Tech to the Final Four, baybee!

East winner – Virginia Tech (#11 seed)

On to the South Region!

South Region upset specials – Of course I’ll take Sister Jean’s Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (a 10 seed) to take down the overrated #7 Ohio State Buckeyes in the opening game.  Likewise, I like #13 Chattanooga to beat another overrated Big Ten school in #4 seed Illinois.  Down the road, I’m picking the underappreciated Coach Kelvin Sampson’s Houston Cougars to knock-off #1 South seed Arizona in the Sweet Sixteen.  I also expect #3 seed Tennessee to defeat #2 Villanova in the same round.

In the South finals, I’m matching #5 Houston against the SEC Tournament champions in third-seed Tennessee.  Houston plays awesome defense, but their shooting can go cold at times.  I think Tennessee’s exceptionally strong guard play will be the difference as the Vols advance to the Final Four.

South winner – Tennessee (#3 seed)

Now for the Midwest Region!

Midwest Region upset specials – In the opening round in Milwaukee, I think the fans of #11 seed Iowa State will make #6 seed LSU (who are playing without fired coach Will Wade) feel like they’re playing an SEC road game as the Cyclones eliminate the Tigers.  I’ll also take #10 Miami (Florida) over #7 USC as the game will be played in ACC-friendly Greenville, South Carolina.  My biggest upsets will feature #13 South Dakota State.

All around the US and abroad, people are examining the 64 men’s college basketball teams which will compete beginning Thursday in this year’s annual tournament.  The search to become the world’s very first perfect bracket (no mistakes all the way through the final game) will continue as no one has achieved that statistical milestone yet.

Though I played basketball beginning in the fifth grade through high school and then in adult leagues into my mid-30’s, you might believe that that someone with a long-time knowledge of the game would have won at least one NCAA March Madness bracket tournament at work or elsewhere.

You would be wrong.  I’m still “Zero-for-Life” entering these 2022 college basketball championship games!

That does, indeed, make me sad.

However, I am always more than willing to give my thoughts to co-workers when asked such things as, “What is a Zag?” or “Do they still make Boilers at Purdue?”  When you are a former hoops player and sports junkie, you may be asked to provide helpful tips to friends asking such important questions such as “What color is Colgate’s uniform (red)” or “Which team does Sister Jean root for (Loyola Chicago)?”

Though I may be quite knowledgeable about college basketball, my losing streak at failing to pick the winning team in any employer’s office contest remains a sore subject.  To say that I might overanalyze the teams in the field is probably an understatement.

Not this time, though!

This year will be different (cough, cough)!  Well, perhaps.  Maybe.  OK, you’re right – probably not!

I will publish my complete picks sometime this week prior to Thursday morning’s tip-offs.  There are four so-called “play-in” basketball games to be played Tuesday and Wednesday nights, but I will not have any of those teams will be advancing out of their first round games this season.  This year’s play-in teams aren’t very impressive.

Let’s cover a few of the most likely questions you have about this year’s March Madness tournament.

Q:  With this being the final season for Duke’s coach Mike Krzyzewski, shouldn’t I pick them to win it all?

A:  A month ago, I might have agreed with you.  However, this year’s Blue Devils team looked dazed and confused at Coach K’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium in a lopsided loss to North Carolina less than two few weeks ago.  Duke also got blasted in the final game of the ACC Tournament last weekend against a rising Virginia Tech squad, too.

Duke is the #2 seed in the West region.  This year’s Duke squad lacks a take-charge floor-leader point guard to insure that their big men get their shots down low.  The traditionally highly-disciplined Blue Devils team has looked dazed and confused during second half meltdowns against both North Carolina and Virginia Tech.  This Duke team (while talented on paper) seems to lack “heart” (a recurring issue when recruiting so-called one-and-done players) and may be overrated as a #2 seed.  It would make for a great story line if Duke should advance into the Final Four one last time for Coach K, but I just don’t see it happening.

Q:  LSU’s head coach Will Wade and his top assistant was fired the next day after the NCAA advised the university about likely sanctions for the men’s basketball program.  Will the LSU basketball team rise-up and play well or slink home early?

A:  I still don’t know how the NCAA Tournament committee awarded #6 Midwest seed LSU (22-11) with a spot in this field at all.  Texas A&M (23-12) had the same conference record (9-9) as LSU and then won three straight games to make it into the finals of last weekend’s SEC Conference tournament (losing to Tennessee).

LSU plays solid defense, but the team’s offense has been quite inconsistent.  They play an equally hard-to-figure #11 seed Iowa State (20-12) on Fri...

Well, that didn’t take very long!

On Tuesday morning, the Green Bay Packers announced that their talented but perpetually non-committed quarterback Aaron Rodgers had agreed to a contract extension to remain in Green Bay.

Literally a few hours later, the Denver Broncos announced that they had acquired talented quarterback Russell Wilson in a big trade with the Seattle Seahawks.  Denver now believes that they have the right quarterback to take their team back into the AFC playoffs next season.

Today (Wednesday), we are learning that the Indianapolis Colts have made a deal to send their one-and-done quarterback Carson Wentz to the Washington Commandos (I prefer that name much better than their recent choice of “Commanders”).   Though Colts fans may be glad to see Wentz hit the road after just one year of very inconsistent quarterback play, I also don’t sense a gleeful surge in season ticket sales from the NFL fans in the Washington DC area after this peculiar trade.

In less than 36 hours, three NFL starting quarterbacks have been involved in big news transactions.  Though the NBA and the NCAA March Madness had hoped to capture a larger share of the sports headlines after the NFL season recently concluded, these three football transactions will dominate the sports pages for a few more days as football fans need time to evaluate what these changes mean.

Yes, the NFL quarterback dominoes are starting to fall very quickly.

There are a number of football teams which still need to fill their quarterback slots as soon as possible.   The Pittsburgh Steelers saw the retirement of long-time QB Ben Roethlisberger at the end of last season.

The Steelers’ back-up trio (Mason Rudolph, Dwayne Haskins, and Josh Dobbs) are young but apparently not good enough to unseat Pittsburgh’s aging starter last season, either.

The Steelers’ defense remains one of the NFL’s best.  The team’s addition of former Alabama running back Najee Harris last season worked out well, too.  Pittsburgh’s offensive line remains an ongoing area of need – regardless of the quarterback situation.

With the Steelers’ current roster well under the NFL salary cap, the AFC’s black and gold team had been hoping that, perhaps, either Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers or Seattle’s Russell Wilson might be tempted to come to Steel City.  Neither did, so the Steelers must now look at other options (including the first round of this spring’s NFL draft) to find their next starting quarterback.

Then there is the plight of the league’s NFC black-and-gold team, the New Orleans Saints.  After Drew Brees retired a year ago, the 2021 Saints would start four different quarterbacks (Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, Trevor Simien, and Ian Book) at times during the season.  Though Jameis Winston (who was sent packing in Tampa after the Bucs acquired Tom Brady two years ago) looked to be the starter early in the year, a knee injury ended his season in week #5.

Jameis Winston’s budget friendly ($5.5 million) contract with New Orleans was for just last season, and he has quickly emerged as one of the next NFL veteran quarterback dominoes to be changing uniforms and NFL cities soon.

Winston’s football career has been the definition of ups and downs.  Winston’s throws can be thrilling touchdowns or head-scratching interceptions.  Though there has never been a question about his physical skills, Winston’s questionable decision-making going back to his college days at Florida State remain a lingering concern.

Another factor which might indicate that New Orleans and Jameis Winston won’t be together much longer was the recent announcement that New Orleans’ long-time head coach Sean Payton was stepping down to take a break from the game.  Sean Payton (who was a very good college quarterback at Eastern Illinois) was seen as a perfect coach to help teach Jame...