Drafting ... Lightning and Departing...

The Redskins prepare for another fun-filled weekend of offseason excitement. Sadly the Skins are one of the teams affected the most by the lockout: with no free agency, how can one win the offseason? The tenth pick of the draft is no guarantee-- but looking at this past season's All-Pro team one sees 17 first rounders (including 4 of 5 offensive linemen and 7 of 8 front seven defenders), 1 second rounder and 2 thirds. The problem for the Skins hasn't necessarily been their drafting, but the lack of picks year in and year out. That's the case again this year (thank you Donovan McNabb). One hopes that the team continues to build the offensive line as well as its defensive front seven (just one draftee last year despite the switch to the 3-4).

Capsule-- Tampa Bay's seventh game victory over Pittsburgh means the Lightning come to Verizon Friday for game one of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Caps won the regular season series 4-2 with a 19-7 goal advantage... but dominated the first two games by a 12-3 count in November-- a hockey lifetime ago. Michal Neuvirth started the November 11 game-- and had to leave the March 7th game with an injury after one period. Braden Holtby came off the bench to post 29 saves in a 2-1 shootout victory.

Coaching Carousel-- in the past week the area lost a pair of long-term hoops mentors. Jim Larranaga left George Mason after 14 years of turning a CAA afterthought into a poster child for Mid-Major schools (descendant of Gonzaga... predecessor of Butler). While the Miami job is far from being a first-tier ACC position, it's still in the Atlantic Coast Conference and a former UVa assistant who always wondered if he could build a program on the biggest stage couldn't resist the opportunity. Best Case?-- he takes the Hurricanes to that next level they weren't able to find under Frank Haith and the U turns into a contender. Worst Case?-- he retires in five years after middling results, padding his retirement fund and enjoying a lot more sun and golf after 14 years in Fairfax.

George Washington is also looking for a new head coach-- as Karl Hobbs is fired after ten seasons. After guiding the Colonials to a little mid-decade run that included a top ten ranking in 2006 and an improbable Atlantic Ten tournament title in 2007, GW averaged 13 wins over the last four campaigns. And although there was improvement this winter (10-6 in the A-10), a first round flameout at the Smith Center in the Conference Tournament was an unfortunate end to a tenure that had quite a bit of promise. So much promise that Hobbs was on the short list for more than a few higher level jobs in 2006 and 07. He stayed and instead of continued success finds himself on the way out. The precarious shelf life of any coach is one of the reasons why the Larranagas move for greener pastures when they get the chance.

Caps come through-- and other late April thoughts...

Now that was 60 minutes of playoff hockey. For the first time, Bruce Boudreau and Alex Ovechkin guide the caps to a series victory before the seventh game-- thanks to one incredible effort against the New York Rangers in game five. Can Mike Green recover from a puck to the head? Last fall he took one to the shin and Boudreau remarked "it frickin' hurts"-- and with Green's concussion issues one hopes he'll be rested and ready for the next Game One. But against whom? If Buffalo beats Philadelphia in game seven of their series, it's the Sabres and red-hot goaltender Ryan Miller. If Montreal gets the better of Boston (series tied 2-2 now) the Canadiens and Carey Price (remember him) get the Caps next. Otherwise it's the winner of Pittsburgh-Tampa Bay (Penguins lead 3-2...minus Sidney Crosby). Hmm...


Pay no attention to the lockout-- everything's fine, thanks... situation normal. The NFL released its schedule last week of games we don't even know will be played... and is drafting players this week for what will be the sole purpose of not bringing them to a training camp that as of now doesn't exist. I feel the tremor of two Harrison Ford films... Presumed Innocent when they can't find the glass with his fingerprints that places his character at the victim's house the night of the murder, and Star Wars when there's mass devastation at the prison block and he has to talk down the Imperial on the other end of the intercom asking what the hell just happened. "We're all fine, thanks. How are you?" I was hoping that someone would break down the NFL schedule but with the labor lockout impasse-- and I think I just got my next blog topic-- never mind.


No love for the glove-- Eighteen errors so far this season. Six miscues for Ian Desmond. Four for Jerry Hairston. Three big ones against Pittsburgh Saturday to help the Pirates plate five in the first off Livan Hernandez. The Nats' bats give this team enough cause for concern (and while the pitching is improved, it's not that much better)-- the last thing they can do is make life easier for the opposition.


Office Transition-- Three years ago I watched 24, How I Met Your Mother, The Office and Prison Break. PB was replaced by LOST after another breakout from an impossible to break out from prison and after one of the most self-congratulatory and lamest final seasons LOST left the air. Jack Bauer finally retired his shouting, shooting and ridiculous plotholes. Now The Office could be rendered unwatchable as well with Steve Carrell's departure. Simply put, the man says things you shouldn't even think and makes it funny. Will Ferrell as his "replacement" (for a few episodes) is a stopgap-- if anybody other than Ferrell was saying those lines they wouldn't be funny at all. Can Dunder-Mifflin survive?

Lazy Days of April...

Where did the last three weeks go? Oh, yeah... sleeping in, taxes and leaving the country for a few days. Hopefully the batteries are recharged and I'm back to unleashing ridiculous rants on a regular basis again. Here's what I've been thinking but not yet writing--:

Huskies and Bulldogs play a dog of a championship game. Two very decent semifinal games and one dog of a championship contest in Houston. Butler hit a serious wall in the title game to the point where I was feeling really uncomfortable watching them miss (reminiscent of Jon Favreau's famous phone call sequence in "Swingers"and takes its place next to Houston 83-84 and Michigan 92-93 as back to back runners up. A great run by a team that almost lost its first round game to Old Dominion. A greater run by a team that finished .500 in its own conference and somehow put together 5 straight nights of winning hoops followed by 6 more victories at three different locales. Eleven triumphs in 28 days? Congratulations Huskies.

Talkin' Baseball-- the Nats and O's have enjoyed intriguing Aprils thus far filled with rainouts and doubleheaders (let's also add that a March 31st Opening Day anywhere but Florida, California, Texas or Arizona is NOT AWESOME). So far the pitching has been a pleasant surprise for the Nationals while the offense is enjoying an early season nap (I never thought I'd be saying thank goodness for Danny Espinoza!).

The Orioles looked great early on but have found their own water level recently (a week long losing streak will do that). But this is the first time in a while one can get genuinely excited about this team without getting carried away.

Regardless of where they finish-- I like MASN's ad campaign with Showalter and Riggleman going through situations... much better than the annoying fans of years past. Now if only Teddy Roosevelt can win the damn race.


Capitalizing or Capitulating?-- Once again the hearts are in everyone's throats in an about the beltway... as the Capitals have a crucial longterm stretch ahead. Lose another first round series as a top seed-- and Bruce Boudreau could be bounced. Hockey coaches have been heaved for far less. Can they thug it up with the Rangers? Will Ovie take this team on his shoulders? And will they wear the classic jerseys just once during the playoffs?


NFL-- business as usual?-- Thank goodness I now know the NFL schedule as the 1000 pound gorilla takes our attention away from the NBA and NHL Playoffs. Amidst the lockout at least the league can hold the drafting of players they'll be locking out.

Final Fourcast-- a Contrast to comprehend...

Hello Houston! This year's final four has a Texas twist... in another football stadium for the sports most important games (could you imagine baseball moving inside a dome for the world series? Or hockey players having to climb ladders?). Now I know that domes have housed NCAA Final Fours for years-- but the recent shifting of the court and raising it takes what was a minor adjustment and makes it a major minor adjustment (not major yet-- that would be when the NCAA adds a lazy river around the court).

How did we get here? My bracket imploded not once but twice. First, my Bold, Fold and Gold picks turned into mold... although Florida and North Carolina were in position to make me proud. In my sheet I also had Kansas (whom I was never sold on after last year's collapse to Northern Iowa) and Duke... so an optimistic Saturday afternoon turned into a "wha happened?" Sunday night.

Credit VCU with putting a major chip on their shoulder and playing its way through a scheduling (5 games in 12 days) and seeding gauntlet... Shaka Smart the clear-cut emerging star of this tournament. One can wonder how long he'll stay in the CAA as the former Florida assistant will be a hot commodity in the coaching carousel... especially with his big-time experience on the recruiting trail (something Brad Stevens doesn't have).

The Rams represent one half of the underdog undercard... as Butler is back thanks to two last-second wins, an overtime victory and a Wisconsin wilt (thanks offensively challenged Big Ten for participating). While Stevens led the Bulldogs to their first ever final four last year, the school is familiar with March-- as former coaches Barry Collier, Thad Matta and Todd Lickliter each piloted the program successfully. Does this make Butler the "established upstarts"? One thing is certain-- the Butler job is better than more than a few BCS conference gigs when one looks big picture. Just ask Barry Collier (a blast at Butler and a bust at Nebraska), Dan Monson (success at Gonzaga and a much less at Minnesota) or Keno Davis (up and coming at Drake and down and out at Providence). Which is why bigger isn't necessary better on the college coaching carousel. And if Stevens or Smart eventually jump-- make sure it's a somewhat safe landing.

While the two mid-major little engines that could are on a collision course in the early game, a Blue Blood Battle Royale is expected to yield the favorite in Monday's championship game. Both Kentucky and Connecticut have enjoyed plenty of success-- the Wildcats boast 7 national titles while the Huskies have won two championships since 1998 (Kentucky's last banner). While there's been success on the court with both schools, both have run into more than a little trouble with the NCAA. Jim Calhoun and John Calipari are phenomenal program builders, but neither is as pure as the driven snow-- or even the snow you get on the side of the road in New Jersey. Each have vacated tournament runs... although with Calhoun it's just a top seed, while Calipari has two vacated Final Fours to his credit. And surprise!--even this year there are shenanigans surrounding both programs.

This is the aftertaste we get as we prepare to watch two markedly different mindsets and matchups-- one between schoools that in theory represent all is good about college hoops and another that is Exhibit A for the excesses. The game has long been a murky marriage between competition and commerce... as coaches who leave programs placed on probations under a cloud to the tune of "who was that masked man" (Tim Floyd) only to get hired immediately elsewhere-- while others who don't push the envelope on the recruiting rules are accused of mailing it in (Gary Williams).

Thank goodness the college game is a stage that supersedes the seedyness. A world comprised of 94 feet-- no matter how configured inside a football stadium. Five players coming together to form a unit-- no matter how many illegal text messages they received before their junior year. Coaches with a gameplan to get it done-- even if a longterm plan means packing for a more productive paycheck. Forty minutes to get it done-- even if there's twice as many minutes of commercials. And hopefully a magical moment or two-- because even if a banner gets vacated... the moment still means something.

UConn over Kentucky... VCU over Butler... and the Huskies ending the Rams run Monday night. For one shining moment, at least.