Jim Calhoun sat down with Jim Nantz, in an interview that aired at halftime of the UNC-GT game today, and addressed his feelings following his run-in with a reporter questioning his salary. While the interview basically went the way you would think (Calhoun didn't apologize), it was the reaction of Seth Davis following the piece that caught my attention. Davis stated that he thought that Calhoun should have apologized for the way he handled it, which brought out a tremendous rebuttal from Greg Gumbel. Here's the clip....

"I don't mind the way he handled it, because if your mission is to go out there and be a jerk, and someone recognizes you as such, I don't see a problem with saying you're a jerk."- Greg Gumbel

Well said. Obviously he should have handled it better, but there's no reason for an apology.

A week ago, it was our new favorite announcer (the Panthers' Randy Moller), but today I give you the NBA mind that is sweeping through the Great White North. That mind comes from a Canadian named Kayvon, and he would like to introduce you to the San Antonio Spurs....

"He looks like Michael Finley to me", is going to be my new catch phrase from here on out. Kayvon is actually an cult Internet hero in Canada, and he doesn't just stop with NBA Players! He even tackles the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gene Simmons!!!

Canada is full of so much talent these days. I don't care what the rest of the world says.

(Thanks to reader DM for the clip)

NESN's Heidi Watney has taken the Internet by storm, so much so that a video of her chronicling her gator problem at her home in Ft. Myers, Florida, has been making the rounds as of late. Here is said clip....

Obviously, it's an entertaining yet somewhat ominous clip, but there's a bigger problem that Watney has overlooked. While that gator is certainly not something to be ignored, she might not want to be telling message boarders, internet surfers, and men in general, where she lives.

Heidi Watney Has Gator Troubles (With Dramatic Video) (Deadspin)

Now I understand the gimmicks of LL Cool J and Lil Wayne coming on the network to talk their favorite teams, and to promote albums. But bringing on 50 Cent to talk shop, for seemingly no reason at all, is beyond infuriating. Now if Curtis Jackson was at ESPN "The Weekend", joking around with Skip Bayless and Jemele on the set of First Take, I'd let it slide. But no....the "Leader" randomly brought on the rapper onto ESPN News to promote his new video game and talk steroids. Here is the clip....

Why in the hell would they put him on ESPN News?! That just makes me angry. Why even call it ESPN "News"? Every time you think that ESPN is taking some steps back to its roots, they take two gigantic leaps back with stunts like this. I fully expect MTV to be bought by Disney within the next ten years, and our regular ESPN programming to be relegated to ESPN2. It's just a matter of time.

At long last, 50 Cent addresses controversies of the sports world (The Sports Hernia)

I personally haven't logged much time on ESPN360, but there a bunch of people that do so each day. A multitude of Sports are covered by the online channel, and it's obviously the first glimpse into what the future of Sports will look like online. 360's VP, Damon Phillips, conducted an interview with Sports Business Daily, and discussed some what the future of online would look like in the years to come. Via SBD....

Q: What are some of the ideas that you have gained from what others are doing with online video?

Phillips: It’s really how they’re serving their user, and really creating ways to engage users to spend more time on their sites. Whether it’s the quality of the video, or quality of the audio, being able to have functions now like full screens, being able to introduce Web 2.0 features, … we’re always looking for ways to learn what some of the best practices are.

Q: How are you seeking to grow content in the areas of passion sports and wide world of sports in particular?

Phillips: We are really trying to serve those underserved fans. We just did the Pop Warner championship out in Disney World back in December, so we’re always looking for those type of events. From a soccer standpoint, we have a number of the top domestic leagues that are out there. Last year we did Italian soccer, Japanese soccer, Chinese soccer, Russian soccer, so we’re out there looking at content that is going to resonate with our users.

Q: Moving forward, what are some of the ways that you will seek to enhance the viewing experience to make it even more like watching on television?

Phillips: We are constantly improving our technology to deliver a crisper picture, video as well as audio. We also are introducing new modules that allow fans to interact with each other regardless of where they are. Stats integration is also another key component in terms of what we’re doing. So we’re constantly looking at ways to innovate, and a lot of those innovations come from fans themselves who give us ideas about how we can improve the experience, so we really take customer insights very seriously.

Again, I've never really gotten into online content outside of MLB TV, but from what I've seen of ESPN360, it's very comparable as far as picture quality and sound. I think streaming is perfect for out-of-market events, like the World Cup and NCAA Tournament, but I think it's a long ways away from catching on with the majority of the Sports viewing public. Good interview though.

Catching Up With ESPN360.com VP Damon Phillips (Sports Business Daily - $)

I've been hard on Reggie Miller in the past, but unlike some of former player brethren, he has actually continually improved each year. He's even surpassed that un-listenable tag that I gave him two years ago, and can actually be pretty entertaining at time. Take for example this clip from last night's Rockets-Cavs game.

One of the fun things that Reggie does, is get extremely excited while throwing it to commercial after a good play. Here, Ron Artest makes a three to put Houston up fourteen points, and Reggie gets so amped and winded, that Marv actually has to ask if he's okay....

Whooooo! If he gets that pumped for a random three pointer, imagine what happens on a dunk. I wonder if Marv has a paper bag on hand for when the Playoffs get underway. Good lord.

I Have One Word For Reggie Miller "Decaf" (BSO)
Reggie Miller Needs To Stop Drinking Powerthrist (Ball Don't Lie)

Noooooooo! Stupid Tiger. Why did you have to go and ruin a perfectly good weekend of Golf by losing yesterday? Not only are we as fans out a weekend of viewing Tiger taking out, random PGA Pro after random PGA pro, but the NBC "brass" has probably been cursing the name of Tim Clark for the last 18 hours or so.

There is good news for you Golf fans though. Just because Tiger isn't playing in the Tourney anymore, doesn't mean NBC won't be shoving clip after clip of him down your throat! Via the LA Times....

Tiger Woods is out in the second round of the Accenture Match Play Championship, beaten Thursday by South Africa's Tim Clark. That means Woods won't be playing Saturday and Sunday during live network television coverage of the event, but he'll still be prominent on NBC.

"We'll have to deal with showing what happened to Tiger because this has gone from being a golf tournament to a news event," NBC golf producer Tommy Roy said. "Our weekend telecast will have to deal with showing what happened to Tiger. It will be our duty."

Wednesday's first-round coverage of the match-play event resulted in the highest first-round ratings ever for the Golf Channel. Golf Channel President Page Thompson said the 1.8 rating was up 50% from the same round a year ago. "It was exceptional," Thompson said.

Well that's just great. What NBC doesn't understand, is that all of those people interested in that angle won't even be around to bombard them with all of Tiger news. Instead you'll have hardcore Golf fans, wanting to watch some of the other players they enjoy, and NBC will be pissing them off to no end by continually talking about Woods. It should be a fun weekend on the "Peacock"!

NBC won't forget about Tiger Woods (LA Times)

Not that many local announcers ever make it to national stardom, but there are some whose names you may not know, but their voices are unmistakeable. Johnny "Red" Kerr was one of those people, and after a long bout with Prostate Cancer, he passed away at the age of 76. Via the Associated Press....

Johnny "Red" Kerr, the former Chicago Bulls coach who spent more than three decades as a broadcaster for the team, died Thursday. He was 76.

Kerr died at his home after a battle with prostate cancer, Bulls spokesman Tim Hallam said.

"His name was synonymous with basketball, both here in Chicago, and throughout the entire NBA," Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said. "Those that were fortunate enough to have known Johnny were touched by both his tremendous compassion for people, and his lifelong passion for the game of basketball. We will miss him greatly."

Kerr's death is a double blow for the Bulls, following the death also Thursday of Norm Van Lier, one of the most popular players in Bulls history. Van Lier was 61.

"We're deeply saddened by the whole course of events today," Hallam said.

Man, just a tough day for Chicago. In honor of Kerr, here is part of the halftime presentation in honor of the broadcaster that took place on February 10th....

I guess when you have 40-some teams in your league, most people wouldn't want to broadcast the eighteen play-in games. Actually it's only technically four play-in games, as the Tourney will allow every team in the conference into the Tournament, but I still find it odd that not a single network wants to broadcast the first round of the Big East Tournament. Not even the conference's own network is interested in airing the early round action.

Well lucky for you Big East fans, especially those who attend DePaul or Rutgers, there is an option. Fire up that laptop, and prepare to watch your first round action online. Via MSNBC....

With the 2009 BIG EAST Women's and Men's Basketball Championships including more games and more teams than in any previous year, the conference is announcing unprecedented online coverage of the tournaments on www.BIGEAST.org, powered by JumpTV (TSX: JTV).

The BIG EAST, in conjunction with its Digital Media Partner, JumpTV, will offer exclusive free live video streams of the four first-round games of both the women's championship on Friday, March 6 and the men's championship on Tuesday, March 10 through the conference's official streaming video platform, BIGEAST.tv.

Well that's better than nothing, right? I mean, I myself don't want to watch a conference winless Depaul take on Cincinnati, but someone does. Interesting decision to not televise that open set of four games.

JumpTV Announces Exclusive Streaming Plans for First Rounds of 2009 BIG EAST Basketball Championships (MSNBC)

I've made no secret that the first crush of my life was Alyssa Milano, and today comes the wonderful news that she's writing a book about her "experiences" in and around Major League Baseball. There's no word if she will be addressing all of her past relationships with some of the players, but if she does, the book will apparently also be much more than that. From Harper Collins via The Sporting Blog....

As it turned out, the Dodgers were just the beginning. More than simply a book about the Dodgers, Safe at Home offers a view from the bleachers unlike any other, as Alyssa gives a fan's perspective on the heart-ache, headache, and joy that make every baseball season worth following. From arguing about the importance of baseball history to appreciating the quiet months of the off-season to criticizing Major League Baseball's response to the steroid scandal, Alyssa intertwines her thoughts about the game with stories from her life, bringing an intelligent, wry, and entertaining female voice to the world of baseball writing.

Throughout all the shifts in Alyssa's life—the madness of growing up a child star, having to navigate life's most awkward phases in front of the cameras—baseball has been her one constant, a distraction that was always welcome. Whether you're already a fan or you need some convincing, Safe at Home makes a compelling case for why baseball is and always will be America's game. The end result is a unique and unexpected book that is equal parts memoir, manifesto, and love letter to our national pastime.

Well that sounds exciting, doesn't it? I personally think she would sell more copies if she addressed her dating of MLB players, but whatever works for her.

Yes, Even Alyssa Milano Is Writing A Book (The Sporting Blog)
Safe at Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic (Harper Collins)

Okay, "secretly" might not be the right word, but they certainly didn't make it widely known. Jerry Jones (Chairman of NFL Network Committee) and Bob Kraft (Chairman of the NFL Broadcasting Committee) headed to Philly yesterday, to the home of Comcast, to seemingly talk about the on-going feud between the NFL Network and the cable company. Via the Philly Daily News....

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Patriots owner Bob Kraft were at the Comcast Center yesterday for a meeting.

Was their presence related to the dispute between the NFL Network and Comcast over Comcast charging cable customers a premium for the channel? Probably, because Kraft chairs the NFL Broadcasting Committee and Jones the NFL Network Committee.

Comcast declined to comment and an NFL spokesman said he was unaware of the meeting.

While Jones and Kraft walked through the building, a Comcast employee asked Jones if he planned to get rid of Terrell Owens. Jones smiled and dodged the question.

While the reason for the visit isn't exactly known, I'm inclined to believe that the above explanation is by far the most likely scenario. It's seriously in the best interest of the League to get this whole thing figured out, because as it sits right now, people across the country are still having trouble finding the network on their channel guide.

NFL owners meet with Comcast (Philly Daily News)

I don't know if this was a bet, but following a great win the other night by Texas A&M, Doug Gottlieb had a wonderful call to end the game. You may remember one of the better skits on "The Chappelle Show", being that of the Prince story as told by Charlie Murphy. Well here is Gottlieb using one of the more famous lines from that story to close out the A&M-Nebraska game....

"Game blouses!"- Doug Gottlieb

Hilarious. As Panthers' announcer, Randy Moller taught us a week or so ago, there's nothing better than throwing in a pop culture reference during an excitement moment. Good one, Douglas.

Doug Gottlieb Misses Chappelle Show (Bootlegger Sports)

(Usually) Everyday I'll throw out a photo, you provide the caption, and then hilarity ensues. I'm also adding a handful of links at the bottom of the page that you should check out each day.

Yesterday's Winners....


"So who do you caddy for again?"- Matt

"5 seconds later...Steve Williams tackles and pummels Ryo because he looked like he thought about taking a picture in Tiger's backswing."- Mal

"You no Big Papi..."- Charles

"We MUST save the cheerleader!!!"- MikVogel
_______________________________________

Are you funny enough to create a caption for this photo of Derek Jeter, Joe Giraridi and Alex Rodriguez, hanging out during Yankees' batting practice yesterday?


Your Daily Links:

Someone Might Want To Call Out Screens To Nolan Smith (The Sporting Blog)
And AJ Price Has No Respect For Your Ankles (The Sporting Blog)
ESPN's Crawl Is Very Informative (The Sports Hernia)
McShay And Kiper Aren't Exactly The Best Of Friends (PFT)
Carlos Delgado Is A Spammer Just Like Johnny Damon (Sports Rubbish)
Some Big NFL Names Got Cut Yesterday (Moondog Sports)
Some Sports Related Day Dreaming (Sparty and Friends)
Marbury Internship Program Abandoned (E True Sports)
Indiana Adds Team Manager To Roster (RCS)
Soccer Team Tells Home Fans To Be Quiet (SS Reporters)

Everyone has been looking far and wide for someone other than Erin Andrews that will draw page view to their website, and the only person that has come close in recent years is Hannah Storm. About three or four times a week, I get a "did you see what Storm was wearing this morning?!" email, and now someone has taken the time to compile an extensive collection of her wardrobe choices on Flickr. Here are a few of my personal favorites....


Snazzy huh? I like to call that last one "The Aniston from Friends" look. Sure there is a following for Fox's Charissa Thompson, but you know you've hit the big time when someone starts keeping a day by day screenshot account of your outfits. I'm sort of over the "hot female reporter" thing, but anything that will bump Erin Andrews news off Sports Blogs, is all right in my book. And yes, I know I'm a huge part of that EA problem, but dammit....I'm trying to change!

Notasportsblog's Photostream (Flickr)
Hannah Storm’s Extensive Wardrobe Collection is Burning Up the Internet (The Big Lead)

He's not really breaking any new ground there, but apparently one of Mike and Mike's regular guests actually think their show is the stupidest show he's ever been on. That guest was ESPN's own Tim Kurkjian, who was "On The DL" with Dan Levy today, but there's a bit of a twist within the quote. He actually meant it in a nice way, or so he says....

“I’ve acknowledged several times on that show that ‘this is the stupidest show I’ve ever been on.’ And I really mean that and I actually mean that in a really nice way. You suspend all journalism, obviously, when you go on that show, and I’ve made the point several times that I used to be a journalist, but now I’m a cartoon character when I go on their show.

But everyone understands that they're not journalists, they're entertainers, and they're just having a good time, and I'm here to help out the company and I love those guys.”

Well, I guess I can sort of understand that. I get that they are "entertainers" (however loosely you want to use that word), but I also think that they should be held to some sort of standard. Part of the reason that I personally can't stand the show, is that they never take a stance on anything, but if you like the show....I'm not going to tell you what to listen to, or watch each morning.

As far as Kurkjian goes, he's one of the best minds that ESPN has, and you should definitely check out the whole interview with Levy when you get a chance.

Spring Training Begins With Tim Kurkjian
Tim Kurkjian Audio (On The DL)

It's Spring Training for the MLB Network, and with little time to prepare, they've already jumped into the live broadcasting game. Their first effort was yesterday during the Indians-Giants game, and to say the least, there were a few hiccups. Via the San Francisco Chronicle....

The Major League Baseball Network butchered its first live telecast. As the Giants and Cleveland Indians launched the exhibition season Wednesday in the barren Arizona outpost of Goodyear, MLBN missed the first 15 minutes while airing a feature on "The Greatest Hitting Seasons of All Time."

This made the KNBR radio broadcast especially valuable, and as MLB stumbled along, trying to pick up the Indians' feed on SportsTime Ohio, I got to hear Jon Miller borrow a line from San Diego's Jerry Coleman, master of the malaprop, and call Randy Winn's first-inning drive "a sun-blown popup."

Sticking with KNBR for my audio (the Indians' crew was no match for Miller and Dave Flemming), I was expecting the usual live-action delay between radio and television, and MLB was hopelessly behind: a full 17 seconds. But who's complaining on a day of such enlightening developments?

The delay isn't really that big of a deal, because I don't know of many people that would not watch their local broadcast over the MLB-N feed, but the delay at the start of the game is pretty bad. Luckily for the network though, they have over 40 more tries this Spring. Here is their preseason schedule if you're interested....

February 26
Arizona Diamondbacks @ Cleveland Indians (4pm)

February 27
St. Louis Cardinals @ New York Mets (1pm)
San Diego Padres @ Cleveland Indians (5pm)

February 28
Tampa Bay Rays @ Philadelphia Phillies (1pm)
Minnesota Twins @ New York Yankees (5pm)

March 1
Boston Red Sox @ Minnesota Twins (1pm)
Chicago White Sox @ Los Angeles Dodgers (5pm)
Houston Astros @ New York Mets (9pm)

March 3
USA @ New York Yankees (WBC Exhibition, 1pm)
Canada @ Toronto Blue Jays (WBC Exhibition, 5pm)

March 4
Australia @ Seattle Mariners (WBC Exhibition, 9pm)

March 5
Chicago White Sox @ Chicago Cubs (4pm)

March 6
Washington Nationals @ Baltimore Orioles (1pm)

March 7
Oakland Athletics @ San Diego Padres (3pm)

March 9
Baltimore Orioles @ New York Mets (1pm)

March 14
Texas Rangers @ Chicago White Sox (4pm)

March 15
St. Louis Cardinals @ Philadelphia Phillies (1pm)
Kansas City Royals @ San Francisco Giants (8:30pm)

March 16
St. Louis Cardinals @ Detroit Tigers (1pm)
Tampa Bay Rays @ Pittsburgh Pirates (7pm)

March 17
Minnesota Twins @ Boston Red Sox (1pm)

March 18
Atlanta Braves @ New York Mets (1pm)

March 19
St. Louis Cardinals @ Tampa Bay Rays (1pm)
Boston Red Sox @ Cincinnati Reds (7pm)

March 20
Cincinnati Reds @ Houston Astros (1pm)
San Diego Padres @ Chicago Cubs (5pm)
Los Angeles Dodgers @ Kansas City Royals (9pm)

March 21
Boston Red Sox @ Florida Marlins (1pm)
Chicago Cubs @ Chicago White Sox (5pm)

March 22
New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays (1pm)
Cleveland Indians @ Colorado Rockies (5pm)

March 23
Florida Marlins @ Houston Astros (1pm)
Milwaukee Brewers @ Colorado Rockies (5pm)

March 24
New York Mets @ Houston Astros (1pm)
Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees (7pm)

March 25
Detroit Tigers @ New York Mets (1pm)
Atlanta Braves @ Washington Nationals (7pm)

March 26
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Cleveland Indians (4pm)
Chicago Cubs @ San Francisco Giants (10:30pm)

March 27
Detroit Tigers @ Atlanta Braves (1pm)
Milwaukee Brewers @ Texas Rangers (9pm)

March 28
Philadelphia Phillies @ Pittsburgh Pirates (1pm)
Chicago Cubs @ Colorado Rockies (5pm)
New York Yankees @ Atlanta Braves (9pm)

March 29
Atlanta Braves @ Detroit Tigers (1pm)
Kansas City Royals @ Seattle Mariners (5pm)

March 30
Tampa Bay Rays @ Minnesota Twins (1pm)
San Diego Padres @ Cleveland Indians (7pm)

March 31
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Chicago Cubs (4pm)
Milwaukee Brewers @ San Diego Padres (10pm)

April 1
Florida Marlins @ Baltimore Orioles (1pm)
Texas Rangers @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (5pm)
Arizona Diamondbacks @ Milwaukee Brewers (9pm)

April 2
Chicago White Sox @ Milwaukee Brewers (3pm)
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Los Angeles Dodgers (10pm)

April 3
Chicago Cubs @ New York Yankees (7pm)

April 4
Boston Red Sox @ New York Mets (1pm)
Baltimore Orioles @ Washington Nationals (6pm)
Milwaukee Brewers @ Los Angeles Dodgers (10pm)

Giants opener turns into must-hear TV (SF Chronicle)

Yes folks, yet another Bill Simmons podcast, and yet another shot at ESPN and Rick Reilly. Simmons had on The Soup's Joel McHale, and after commenting on the E! network allowing McHale to make fun of the channel, he started at ESPN and took a veiled shot at Reilly. Here's the audio....

Not the worst shot he's taken, but at some point ESPN has to realize he's just trying to get fired. Also at some point, Simmons has to realize this is getting kind of old. It was entertaining at first, but now it just seems a little forced.

The highlight of today's match between Tiger Woods and Brendan Jones wasn't Woods' convincing win over the youngster, or any of the shots or putts he hit. No, it was far and away this spot that the Golf Channel ran throughout his round....

Now the Sam Jackson one was entertaining, but that one gave me goosebumps. It's so refreshing to have him back.

You'd think that ESPN has had enough interviews with President Obama at this point, but apparently that's not the case. This time they're sending their resident Basketball "expert" Dick Vitale to chat with Barack about the Sport within the DC area, and Vitale will also be bestowing a nickname upon the leader of the Free World. That nickname?

The "Commander-in-Swish". Seriously....

College basketball ambassador Dick Vitale is aware President Barack Obama is a basketball fan, having said, “We’re getting rid of the bowling alley and replacing it with a basketball court in the White House." During tomorrow’s (Thursday, Feb. 25) 6 p.m. SportsCenter, Vitale tries to sell Obama, whom he calls, “Commander-in-Swish,” on the college game in the Washington, D.C., area. The piece will also run on Saturday’s 10 a.m. SportsCenter prior to College GameDay.

“So many conferences in and around the District, I don't know where too get started,” Vitale says. “ACC, Big East, CAA, A-10, Patriot League, America East, the MEAC, oh my, there are over a dozen college teams within a short ride from the White House.”

Ugh. I'll always respect Vitale for what he's done for the game, but this couldn't be more annoying. I know you probably want to skip it, but I'll probably be grabbing it for the site either tomorrow night or early Friday. Hopefully it will be interesting, or at least goofy enough to make fun of.

Update: ESPN just informed me that it's not actually an interview, and Obama won't be featured in the piece. It's just a spot on DC Basketball, which isn't nearly annoying as first thought.

One of my favorite open threads was the Tiger Woods-Rocco Mediate open thread during the 2008 U.S. Open last year. I spent a day chronicling the playoff between the two, and had a blast doing so. I'm going to try and do a little of that today during Tiger's round, and if you want to follow along, you're more than welcome to do so. Woods is teeing off in about twenty, and I'll give you a hole-by-hole recap, as well as some video when it's warranted.

It's Tiger, It's Brendan Jones, and it's on the Golf Channel....NEXT!
___________________________________

Mark Rolfing says that Tiger looked brilliant in his warmup, but that he didn't seem to be swinging too hard. Brendan Jones is in for a heck of a round today. Here are some of the notable winners from earlier....

Lee Westwood, Camillo Villegs, Anthony Kim, Oliver Wilson (over KJ Choi)

HOLE #1

Tiger is walking to the tee, and getting his potassium in with a quick banana before his round. He and Brendan Jones are waiting for another match, that went into OT, to move out of the first fairway. Tiger is up first and he hits his first shot, a 3-wood, in the fairway down the right hand side. Jones follows with a good strike as well that just scoots through the fairway into the left side rough. And we're underway!!!

Tiger is away and sticks his shot within 10 feet of the pin. Man, the guy is a machine. Jones has a downhill lie, and will be trying to hit it on the right of the green and run it towards the hole (same thing Tiger did). He's short and in the left, front bunker.

Nice out by Jones and his bunker shot skips past the hole, but within Tiger's distance. Tiger with about a six footer.....Drains It! Welcome back.

Woods 1 up thru 1

HOLE #2

We've got a Par 5 for hole two, and it's 574 yards. Tiger with another shot in the fairway, and Jones follows with another drive in the rough. It should be okay though. Quick flip over to Phil Mickelson, and he smashes a drives through a Par 3 and into the gallery. Good one, Phil.

Jones with 252 to go....down the middle but short of the green. Tiger with 238 to go, but a difficult angle. WOW!!!! It's another shot within 10 feet of the hole. Perfect play, and he'll have an eagle attempt to go up 2 holes on Jones.



Jones within 12 feet after a chip, and he misses. Tiger won't even have to putt on this hole.

Woods 2 up thru 2

HOLE #3

Third up is a 205 yard Par 3, and Tiger has the honor. And there's his first bad shot of the day. It hits the fringe and bounces into the right side bunker. Jones is long, but right on the edge of the green. The two halve the hole and we're off to number four.

Woods 2 up thru 3

HOLE #4

We've got a Par 4, and Tiger sends another shot in to the fairway down the right. Jones follows with a shot way way right, and it's not a good start for him today. Jones is in the desert, and is out down the fairway. Woods' second is on the green about 30 feet or so away from the pin. Oh, and Cabrera has squared his match with Mickelson going to the 18th.

Jones' third shot is a nice one, and pitches it within five feet or so, and has a chance to split another hole. Tiger leaves his first long putt a bit short, and the two will push the 4th.

Woods 2 up thru 4

HOLE #5

Aaron Baddeley goes down to Paul Casey, and it looks like Mickelson might hold on against Cabrera. Jones and Woods both go right off the tee into the rough. Jones follows it with a dribbler down the fairway, and Woods ends up in the green side bunker.

"He's (Mickelson) got humps and bumps everywhere."- Roger Maltby

Well that's not a nice thing to say, Roger! It was said about his long putt, but it could certainly be taken another way. Cabrera has a 10-footer to extend the match, and he misses. He makes it, and this match with Mickelson will head into extra innings, after Phil gave up four straight holes leading into the 18th.

Jones shoot well past the green, and with a good chip, Tiger can take another hole. He chips out of the sand to about 12 feet or so. He'll likely have that to go 3 up. Jones flops it onto the green, Tiger misses his putt, and Brendan will have to hit a long putt to halve it. He finally makes a good stroke and they split another.

Woods 2 up thru five

HOLE #6

Six is a Par 3, and Tiger is still away. He hits it dead center right in the middle of the green a little ways past the hole. Jones follows with a shot within 10 feet of the hole, and he'll have a chance to get one back. Woods narrowly misses his putt and will finish the hole with a par. Jones misses his opportunity and Tiger lets him pick it up for the push.

Woods 2 up thru six

HOLE #7

Par 4, 463, and Woods has another FIR on the day. Phil wins his match and will be moving to face Zach Johnson who won his match as well. Jones is back in the rough. Tiger has 159, up hill, and leaves it short. The ball rolls way back down the hill and he'll have a tough chip for his third. Jones' second has a left to right, lie in the rough, and sticks it within 20 feet. That'll give him another chance at a hole.

Tiger chips it past Jones' ball and leaves himself a tough putt. He leaves it short and Jones has two chances to go back to only 1 down. Jones puts it within a foot and finally takes a hole.

Woods 1up thru seven

HOLE #8

Jones is up first on the Par 4 8th, and his tee shot ends up either in the fairway bunker or right beside. Tiger destroys his shot right down the center. Great swing there. Jones hits a fairway wood from the low rough, and that shot rolls off the green. Tiger with a pretty straightforward second shot from 258 away....and he nails it into the rough on the right of the green.

Both chip it on, with Tiger about five feet closer, and Jones will have a much tougher line to split the hole. BJ misses his 13-footer, and Woods will have about an 8-footer to move back to 2 up.

Tiger drains it, and we're going to the ninth after he gets the hole back he lost.

Woods 2 up thru eight

HOLE #9

Woods and Jones both end up in the fairway, and Woods' second shot from 150 hangs onto the green on the right side. 23 feet away on the putt, and Tiger leaves it waaaay short. Not a good stroke at all. Jones putts out, and Tiger will have a tough one to stay at 2 up. He drops it, and we're at the turn.

Woods 2 up thru nine

HOLE #10

The first hole after the turn is a Par 4 at 450, and Tiger pulls it a bit left onto the fringe of the fairway. The Golf Channel is now skipping Jones' tee shots, but I think he's over there with Tiger. Tiger's second hits the green, but rolls off.

Jones was actually closer to the pin than Tiger, and chips it right up near the hole. He's trying to hang around. Woods leaves it short, and Jones has a six-footer to get back to 1 down. He promptly misses, and Tiger now has the line to stay at 2 up. He's got it, and we're onto the 11th.

Woods 2 up thru ten

HOLE #11

Here's the huge Par Five on the course, and Tiger hits his tee shot....well we can't really see where it goes. Great job by the Golf Network cameras there. Okay, it was apparently in a fairway bunker, and he'll lay up his second shot into the fairway. Jones is in the fairway and hits another straight shot down the middle. He could be up if he could have just sunk a few early putts.

Woods' third is about 260 into the wind, and he's hitting a 3-wood. Nope, scratch that. Steve Williams talks him into a five, and he skips it up onto the green, but a good distance from the hole. Jones' chip ends up past the green in the rough, and he lets Tiger off the hook once again.

Woods just misses his putt, and Jones follows with a nice chip to leave him a short distance for a halve. He gets it.

Woods 2 up thru eleven

HOLE #12

Another short, but tough, Par 3. The wind is picking up in Arizona as well. Woods is away, and his shot starts right and stays right. Holds up on the fringe though. Jones lines up his tee shot, and hits another shot long past the hole. In fact he's actually right up against a wall. Not good.

Jones' ball didn't quite make it to that wall, but he's got a tough down hill chip to get it close. Annnnnd....he hits it about four feet back into the rough. That should be another hole for Tiger.

He puts a nice chip to about two feet, and will go up three with six to go.

Woods Up 3 thru twelve

HOLE #13

Another Par 5, and another shot heading right by Tiger. It holds up in the short stuff though, and he'll be okay. Jones' drives his ball well past Tiger's and is smack dab in the middle of the fairway. Woods' second shot....Wow! Just drills an iron a million feet into the air, and it comes down on the green and just slides past the hole and onto the fringe. He struck that one just about perfect. Jones follows that with a similar look but his roll takes him into the bunker.

BJ almost holes it out of the bunker, but Tiger still has an Eagle putt from the edge of the green. NAILS IT! This one could be over soon.

Woods 4 up with 5 to go

HOLE #14

Tiger finally gets his drive back into the fairway, and Jones follows that excellent shot with a slice onto another hole. That could be it, folks. Tiger's second is 168 into the wind, and he hits yet another green in regulation as his ball stops above the hole about 40 feet away.

Jones is in the middle of nowhere and will have a tough shot at hitting the green.....and he somehow makes it on! The ball hit the edge of a bunker, and sprinted back onto the back of the green. Both have ridiculously long birdie putts.

Jones takes a run at it, but his ball goes well past the hole. Tiger can end it end it here.....great putt, but it's just right. Jones has a seven footer to keep the match alive. He drops it and we're onto the fifteenth.

Woods 4 up with 4 to play

HOLE #15

Woods is away on this short Par 4, and he has a shot to drive the green with a good strike. They're waiting for a previous pairing to finish up the hole first though. After a long wait, Tiger's finally ready to go with his 3-wood. And he's on the front of the green. Great shot.

Jones tee shot is even better though. He almost holes it! It draws back to the hole and is only about 10 feet away. He's trying to make it interesting. Tiger leaves it short, and Jones has a chance to extend it.

He drains it! Great putt, and he's down three with three to go.

Woods 3 up thru 15

HOLE #16

The sixteenth is another Par 3, and Brendan Jones has the honor. He'll need a birdie here to get to seventeen. Jones drops it within about 25-feet, and Tiger's up. He steps away a few times as the wind picks up, but is ready to go now.....AND HE'S IN THE BUNKER!

Actually it's a pretty good lie, so he might be okay. He's actually closer to the pin than Jones. Here's his shot, and......he puts it within two feet. Jones has to hit another birdie to move on. And he just misses....Tiger takes his first round match 3 and 2.

The Starting Five scored an interesting interview today with First Take's Skip Bayless, and among the many in depth topics, Bayless relives his time in Dallas. When writing a book on the team, Skip came out (no pun intended) and challenged Troy Aikman's sexuality, and to this day....he's standing by the allegation. Not only that, but he's now even saying that the ex-Cowboys QB was possibly racist.

I also knew I had to go back and live with them because I had no plans on leaving Dallas. I wish I could have written it even harder than I did because I felt like I tip toed through some of it.

I wish I had sledgehammered it because it was the truth and everyone who knew what was going on inside the locker room told me the book was a terrific job and that I nailed it.

Because I did. It’s exactly what happened. All I heard from people around the country who didn’t read the book was, “You outed Troy Aikman?”

I didn’t. The coach definitely thought he was gay and a lot of his teammates thought he was gay. More than that, they thought he was racist and they thought he was trying to get Barry Switzer.

Love him, or hate him, the guy sure knows what he's doing. I personally think that he's one of the many things wrong with Sports Media these days, but you can't argue his intelligence. Whether or not the claims are true or not, it helped him sell books, and eventually land at ESPN. Be sure to check out the rest of the interview that TSF put together, it's definitely worth a read.

The Skip Bayless Interview (The Starting Five)

Every network has a reality show or two these days, and now the MLB Network is getting into the game. The newly formed Baseball network will be following the Phillies Bullpen around in a new show called "The Pen". Via MLB....

MLB Productions has been in Phillies camp the past week shooting footage for the debut episode of "The Pen," an inside look at the Phillies' bullpen, which is scheduled to debut June 1 on MLB Network. It will be MLB Network's first original programming.

"I think it'll be pretty neat," righty reliever Clay Condrey said.

MLB Productions chose the Phils' bullpen for a couple of reasons: First, it had tremendous success in 2008. And second, it has diverse personalities.

Six weekly episodes are scheduled to run through the All-Star break. The series is expected to show how a bullpen works, as well as how individual pitchers work together and rely upon each other throughout the course of the season. The show also will visit with the pitchers off the field to give viewers a sense of their personalities and interests.

Camera crews are expected to be with the team a few times a month, so they won't be followed everywhere (this isn't "Big Brother" or "The Real World").

Not a bad idea, and as long as they keep it simple, it could be an interesting watch. I think the rule of thumb with reality TV these days, is to just the opposite of what the crazy MTV and VH1 shows are doing. Well at least when it comes to Sports.

The show debuts on June 1st, and I'll be sure to grab some clips for those of you in Philly who don't have the MLB Network.

Bullpen to have own reality show (MLB)

(Usually) Everyday I'll throw out a photo, you provide the caption, and then hilarity ensues. I'm also adding a handful of links at the bottom of the page that you should check out each day.

Yesterday's Winners....


"Devin, if you keep winning games for us, it's going to be hard for me to quit on the team."- G-Money

"I was open, Devin."- Rex Banner

"Your shot was nothing, I take at least three of those a game."- Steven

"Vince: Just like I told you! Now remember that you can't do anything like this in the playoffs. I need you to carry on my legacy."- Cason
_______________________________________

Are you funny enough to create a caption for this photo of Tiger Woods meeting fellow PGAer Ryo Ishikawa of Japan during a practice round yesterday?


Your Daily Links:

Barkley To Serve Time In A Tent (Fanster)
Maryland Fans Are Soooo Clever! (Mister Irrelevant)
Johnny Damon Is An Email Spammer Now (Big League Stew)
Gordo Gekko Talks To Bud Selig (Splog)
Omar Vizquel Is The Snake Hunter! (The Big Picture)
Dunks Are Getting Measured Now (Bootlegger Sports)
Indiana University Needs To Get Rid Of All Phones (Rumors and Rants)
Rush The Court, Rushes The Court (RCS)
A Look At The Women Of The New WPS (The Beautiful Game)
UConn's Gavin Edwards Looks Like A Fun Guy (Uncoached)
What Number Will Starbury Wear In Boston? (Simon on Sports)

It's over! The Mount Rushmore of Sports has been decided!!! After a month of random voting, and annoying appearances by Rick Reilly on Sports Center, your Mt. Rushmore is....drum roll. The fine state of Illinois!!! Via ESPN PR....

Fans have voted Illinois’ four sports greats – Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Ernie Banks and Mike Ditka – the most impressive quartet of sports icons representing each U.S. State, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, to be chiseled on SportsCenter’s “Mt. Rushmore of Sports.” Illinois received 28.6 percent of the votes, beating out the other four finalists – Pennsylvania, California, New York and Alabama.

The five-week series, which began January 18 with fan nominations on ESPN.com and concluded today with the live announcement of the winning state on the 6 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter, engaged fans with more than 300,000 entries nominating the personalities to represent the states/regions and voting online at different stages of the series. Final voting for the winner from among five finalists began Friday, Feb. 20, and ended Monday, Feb. 23.

Illinois- 28.6% (Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Ernie Banks, Mike Ditka)
Pennsylvania- 25.5% (Joe Paterno, Mario Lemieux, Roberto Clemente, Wilt Chamberlain)
California- 17.4% (Tiger Woods, John Wooden, Magic Johnson, Jackie Robinson)
New York- 15.4% (Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Jim Brown, Joe Namath)
Alabama- 13.1% (Hank Aaron, Bear Bryant, Bo Jackson, Willie Mays)

I still think the Ditka addition should have bumped Illinois out of the Top Five, but whatever. Arguing that is like arguing the merits of the pointless segment to begin with. So congratulations, Illinois. You've won absolutely nothing! I can't to see what ESPN does next, during a downtime in Sports!!!

Another great clip from the NFL Network. Every year, Rich Eisen talks his turn at the 40 yard dash, and this year was no different. This, however, didn't turn out nearly as good as his Wonderlic test did. 100% IR has the clip....

Haha. Actually, a 6.3 isn't that bad in a suit, but the shots with the players was just embarrassing. I would put him in the mid to late 14th round. Good times.

Rich Eisen's Draft Stock Just Plummeted (Fan IQ)

NBA TV has been putting out some amazing commercials as of late, and they've just shared with me their latest. It's simple, but anytime you match old clips with new, you've got yourself a winner. Here's your first look....

Man, the Dr. J switching over to Lebron part was intense. Another great job by that team in putting that together.

I put up a similar post just about a month ago when Wake beat #1 Duke, and I said then that being number one in the nation, was a bad place to be. Five teams have occupied the spot this season, with Pittsburgh doing o twice after moving to number one in the latest set of polls. Too bad they won't be staying there long. Providence took out the Panthers tonight, and here's your video proof....

Great win for Providence, who up until now, wasn't even on the bubble. Given the fact they play in the Big East, and wins over Syracuse, Cincinnati twice and Pittsburgh, they actually have a case now. Well them, and about 25 other bubble teams.

NESN's Jack Edwards has been making headlines this year with his over-the-top calls, and now thanks to a Bruins Forum, he has his own game.


Looks fun! I don't know how many of you get the NHL plan, but if you do and want to try the game out tonight, let me know how it goes.

Jack Edwards hockey bingo: For the cliché lover in you (Puck Daddy)

Deion Sanders has been mentoring current NFL players, and rookies coming into the league, for awhile now. The only difference is that now it will be televised. "Prime U" will be an hour long program that features Sanders teaching five prospects the ways of the league. Via the NFL-N....

Five prospects, one dream. “Under Armour Presents Prime U” debuts at 8 p.m. Five prospects, one dream. On Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET, Under Armour Presents Prime U debuts on NFL Network, chronicling the journey of NFL hopefuls training under the tutelage of NFL Network analyst and eight-time Pro Bowler Deion Sanders.

Produced by NFL Films, the 60-minute Under Armour Presents Prime U goes inside Sanders’ training camp in Irving, TX for a look at how the legendary cornerback imparts his knowledge of the game and life as a professional football player to the next generation.

"Prime U isn't the normal training process that you get from a standard training facility," said Sanders. "It's not just about training physically, but also developing a healthy spiritual and psychological makeup. From family to finances, Prime U works to ensure that these young men have all the tools in place for a successful life and career in the NFL and beyond."

That actually sounds pretty interesting. Sanders' "Camp" was actually founded last year, and even succeeded in helping Pacman Jones back into the league. As far as this year's collection of players on the show, here's who I've gathered will be featured: Darius Butler (Connecticut), Emmanuel Cook (South Carolina), Lendy Holmes (Oklahoma), Captain Munnerlyn (South Carolina), and Lydell Sargeant (Penn State)

Charles Barkley is a regular guest on the Dan Patrick Show, and today he came on to discuss the fact that he's going to have to spend five days in an Arizona jail. Here is the audio....

Pretty cut and dry. He doesn't seem nervous, understands why he's going, and doesn't know if he's going to be wearing pink. I'm officially making this the last post on the topic of his arrest.

Barkley On His Arrest (Dan Patrick)

(Usually) Everyday I'll throw out a photo, you provide the caption, and then hilarity ensues. I'm also adding a handful of links at the bottom of the page that you should check out each day.

Yesterday's Winners....


"Choose your fantasy: The Hooters girls or Dick Vitale unable to speak."- Tar Heel Fan

"Those are some Double D's, Baby! And I'm not talking about Diaper Dandys!"- StalkingErinAndrews

"Commemorating the 1,000,000th time the "I'll have the chicken breast sandwich, hold the chicken" line has been used at Hooters."- Paul
_______________________________________

Are you funny enough to create a caption for this photo of Vince Carter talking to Devin Harris, following his game winning buzzer beater?


Your Daily Links:

Dan Snyder Getting Into The Salon Business (Mister Irrelevant)
Jason Kidd Is Not A Good Rapper (Deuce of Davenport)
How Is G-Town This Bad? (Rumors and Rants)
Last Week In College Basketball (Sparty and Friends)
The Red Sox Are Accommodating To Slackers (Wicked Good Sports)
It's Almost Softball Season! (JSF)
Why Spring Training Is Better Than The Combine (RCS)
Ernie Banks To Wed Lovers At Wrigley (The Big Picture)
UConn's Gavin Edwards Looks Like A Fun Guy (Uncoached)
A Snooker Champion Was Served During A Match (Sports Rubbish)

I really hate the term "Bromance", but there's really no other word to describe what took place in NYC last night between the Knicks' Nate Robinson and actor Will Ferrell. Not only did Nate high five him during a three point and-one (as seen below), but he continued to do so after almost every made basket. From the NY Daily News via Total Pro Sports....

When Nate Robinson wasn't running into crushing screens set by Jeff Foster, he was making his man crush with Will Ferrell very public, gifts included.

"If that was football I would have returned it for six," Robinson said, referring to his gridiron days at the University of Washington. "But I would have been flagged for celebrating."

Robinson celebrated after just about every basket and twice slapped hands with Ferrell, who was seated courtside. Afterward, Robinson presented his favorite actor with the green Knicks jersey Robinson wore at last week's Slam Dunk contest. He even autographed it for him.

"You guys have no idea," Robinson said. "I wanted to play well for the team and for the fans, but definitely for him."

Awww....that's so sweet. Forget selling the jersey and perhaps giving the profits to charity, I want my favorite actor to place it at the bottom of his dresser!

Nate Robinson wills Knicks to victory, then chats with Will Ferrell (NY Daily News)
Nate Robinson Has A Man Crush On Will Ferrell (Total Pro Sports)

Bill Simmons went on the Max Kellerman Show yesterday. While the talk of steroids, Lost and David Lee, was very entertaining, it was the talk about ESPN's "ESPN Radio Only" policy and blogs that caught my attention. Here's the audio....

Obviously he's right, and entitled to his opinion, but it's kind of funny to see how things have changed. Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I don't see how a dedicated Sports fan could do without blogs these days (plus I don't believe him). But whatever floats your boat.

Bill Simmons (ESPN Radio)
Bill Simmons: Kind Of A Drama Queen? (Fack Youk)

I guess it's hard not to get excited when you see a shot from midcourt with 1.8 seconds left. I give you Devin Harris....

My favorite part of that whole clip? Violet Palmer vehemently waving off the shot, while the other refs immediately get ready to head to review the play. What a shot! Oh and according to Brook Lopez, Devin...."You Rock!"....

I never understood why courts come up with a sentencing that makes someone only serve a day or so in jail, but I guess the law is the law. According to TMZ, Barkley just plead guilty to two counts of driving under the influence, and was subsequently sentenced to ten days in jail, five if he completes an alcohol program....

Barkley just pleaded guilty to 2 counts of driving under the influence and pleaded "responsible" to running a stop sign for the December 31st incident in Scottsdale.

Barkley was sentenced to 10 days in jail -- but will only do five if he completes an alcohol education program. Barkley was also fined $2,000.

Forget the amount of time Barkley was sentenced with for a minute, is $2,000 a standard fine in Arizona for a DUI? That seems rather small if you ask me (not that it ultimately matters). As for the sentence, people have done worse and have received less to no time in jail, but driving drunk is a serious crime and I think Barkley understands that.

Charles Barkley Is Going to Jail (TMZ)

Earlier today, I showed you NBC's promo for the Accenture Match Play featuring Tiger Woods, and now we get a chance to look at the Golf Channel's latest effort. They too went with the welcome back message, but took it just a bit of a step further. How so you ask? Well by getting Samuel L. Jackson to recreate his "Path of the Righteous Man" speech from "Pulp Fiction"....

Now that's how you make an ad! Now I'm ready to watch some Golf!!!

As always, there are a ton of TBDs, but I like to at least get the schedule up on Monday, so you all can check out which games are coming up each week. I'll update as the week goes on, and feel free to email me with any updates. Here is your schedule and as always, thanks to the work that The 506 puts in on these.

Monday, February 23rd

Louisville @ Georgetown (ESPN, 7pm)- Mike Patrick, Len Elmore
Morgan State @ Hampton (ESPNU, 7pm)- Charlie Neal, Nate Ross
Charleston @ Chattanooga (CSS, 7pm)- Matt Stewart, John Kresse
Kansas @ Oklahoma (ESPN, 9pm)- Ron Franklin, Fran Fraschilla, Holly Rowe
Alabama State @ Alcorn State (ESPNU, 9pm)- Trey Bender, Dan Hughes

Tuesday, February 24th

Penn State @ Ohio State (ESPN, 7pm)- Brent Musburger, Steve Lavin, Erin Andrews
Pittsburgh @ Providence (Big East Network, 7pm)- TBD (Will Air on CST, MASN, SNY, FS Pittsburgh, ESPN Full Court)
Syracuse @ St. John's (Big East Network, 7pm)- TBD (Will Air on MSG, ESPN Full Court)
Tulane @ Southern Mississippi (CSS, 8pm)- TBD
Texas Christian @ New Mexico (MTN, 8:30pm)- TBD
Florida @ Louisiana State (ESPN, 9pm)- Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes, Jeannine Edwards
Florida State @ Boston College (ESPNU, 9pm)- John Rooke, TBA
Baylor @ Iowa State (Big 12 Network, 9pm)- TBD (Will Air on Altitude, MASN, YES, ESPN Full Court)
Texas A&M @ Nebraska (ESPN2, 9:30pm)- Bob Wischusen, Doug Gottlieb
Brigham Young @ San Diego State (MTN, 10:30pm)- TBD

Wednesday, February 25th

Northwestern @ Indiana (BTN, 6:30pm)- Wayne Larrivee, Jim Jackson, Mike Hall
Connecticut @ Marquette (ESPN, 7pm)- Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale
Rutgers @ Notre Dame (ESPNU, 7pm)- Dan McLaughlin, Mike Kelley
George Mason @ UNC-Wilmington (CAA, 7pm)- TBD (Will Air on MASN, ESPN Full Court)
Kentucky @ South Carolina (Raycom, 7pm)- TBD (Will Air on FS Florida, South, ESPN Full Court)
South Florida @ Seton Hall (Big East Network, 7pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)
Virginia Tech @ Clemson (ESPN2, 7:30pm)- Rece Davis, Hubert Davis
Navy @ American (CBS College Sports, 8pm)- TBD
Wyoming @ Colorado State (MTN, 8pm)- TBD
Villanova @ DePaul (Big East Network, 8pm)- TBD (Will Air on Altitude, SNY, ESPN Full Court)
Iowa @ Michigan State (BTN, 8:30pm)- Craig Coshun, Steve Smith
Southern Illinois @ Drake (Valley, 8:30pm)- TBD (Will Air on FS Midwest)
Duke @ Maryland (ESPN, 9pm)- Mike Patrick, Jay Bilas
Kansas State @ Missouri (ESPNU, 9pm)- Doug Bell, Jon Sundvold
Charlotte @ George Washington (MASN, 9pm)- TBD
Mississippi State @ Tennessee (Raycom, 9pm)- TBD (Will Air on FS Florida, South, ESPN Full Court)
Texas Tech @ Texas (ESPN2, 9:30pm)- Ron Franklin, Fran Fraschilla
Nevada-Las Vegas @ Utah (MTN, 10pm)- TBD
Oklahoma State @ Colorado (FS Rocky Mountain, 10pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)

Thursday, February 26th

Kent State @ Bowling Green (MAC TV, 6:30pm)- TBD (Will Air on FS Ohio)
West Virginia @ Cincinnati (ESPN, 7pm)- Brent Musburger, Bob Knight
Xavier @ St. Joseph's (ESPN2, 7pm)- Jon Sciambi, Doug Gottlieb, Tom Brennan
Minnesota @ Illinois (BTN, 7pm)- Gus Johnson, Tim McCormick
Wofford @ Charleston (CSS, 7pm)- TBD
Albany @ New Hampshire (CSN New England, 7pm)- TBD
Wisconsin-Milwaukee @ Wright State (TWC Sports 32, 7pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)
Miami @ Virginia (Raycom, 8pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)
North Carolina State @ Wake Forest (Raycom, 8pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)
South Dakota State @ Oral Roberts (KGEB, 8pm)- TBD (Will Air on FCS Central, ESPN Full Court)
Florida Atlantic @ Western Kentucky (WKYU, 8pm)- TBD (Will Air on FCS Atlantic)
Purdue @ Michigan (ESPN, 9pm)- Dave O'Brien, Bill Raftery
Memphis @ Alabama-Birmingham (ESPN2, 9pm)- Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes
Morehead State @ Murray State (ESPNU, 9pm)- Dave Weekley, Mark Adams
Arizona @ Washington State (FS Regional, 9pm)- TBD (Will Air on FS Arizona, Northwest, Rocky Mountain)
Nevada @ Fresno State (KAME, 10pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)
UCLA @ Stanford (Prime Ticket, 10:30pm)- TBD (Will Air on CSN Bay Area, FCS Pacific)
USC @ California (CSN California, 10:30pm)- TBD
St. Mary's @ Pepperdine (FS Regional, 10:30pm)- TBD (Will Air on FS West, CSN Bay Area+)
Gonzaga @ Santa Clara (ESPN2, 11pm)- Bob Wischusen, Adrian Branch
Arizona State @ Washington (FS Regional, 11pm)- TBD (Will Air on FS Arizona, Northwest, Rocky Mountain)

Friday, February 27th

Siena @ Niagara (ESPNU, 7pm)- Doug Sherman, Rob Kennedy
Stetson @ Campbell (CSS, 7:30pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)
Illinois-Chicago @ Loyola-IL (ESPNU, 9pm)- Dave Kaplan, Jim Chones

Saturday, February 28th

Georgia Tech @ North Carolina (CBS, Noon)- TBD
Georgetown @ Villanova (ESPN, Noon)- Dave Pasch, Len Elmore
Cleveland State @ Butler (ESPN2, Noon)- Bob Wischusen, Bucky Waters
Wagner @ Monmouth (NEC, Noon)- TBD (Will Air on MSG, FCS Atlantic)
St. John's @ DePaul (Big East Network, Noon)- TBD (Will Air on CST, MASN, SNY, ESPN Full Court)
Southern Mississippi @ Memphis (CSS, 1pm)- TBD
Iowa State @ Texas A&M (Big 12 Network, 1:30pm)- TBD (Will Air on Altitude, ESPN Full Court)
Notre Dame @ Connecticut (CBS, 2pm)- TBD
Illinois State @ Creighton (ESPN2, 2pm)- Lou Canellis, Mark Adams
Iowa @ Northwestern (BTN, 2pm)- TBD
Elon @ UNC-Greensboro (SportSouth, 2pm)- TBD
Clemson @ Florida State (Raycom, 2pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)
Wake Forest @ Virginia (Raycom, 2pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)
American @ Lafayette (LSN, 2pm)- TBD (Will Air on MASN)
Arizona @ Washington (FSN, 3pm)- TBD (Will Air on FS Arizona, Detroit, Florida (JIP), Midwest, North, Northwest, Ohio, Rocky Mountain, South, West, CSN Bay Area, Chicago, Mid-Atlantic (JIP), MSG+ (JIP), FCS Pacific)
Oklahoma @ Texas Tech (ABC, 3:30pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)
Duke @ Virginia Tech (ABC, 3:30pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)
Louisiana State @ Kentucky (CBS, 4pm)- TBD
Ohio State @ Purdue (ESPN, 4pm)- Dave O'Brien, Stephen Bardo
Georgia State @ Virginia Commonwealth (Comcast Network, 4pm)- TBD (Will Air on CSN New England, CSS)
Furman @ Charleston (SportSouth, 4pm)- TBD
UNC-Wilmington @ Hofstra (MSG, 4pm)- TBD (Will Air on FCS Atlantic)
Central Connecticut State @ Quinnipiac (NESN, 4pm)- TBD
Mount St. Mary's @ Robert Morris (NEC, 4pm)- TBD (Will Air on MASN, FS Pittsburgh, ESPN Full Court)
Colorado @ Baylor (Big 12 Network, 4pm)- TBD (Will Air on Altitude, ESPN Full Court)
Alabama @ Mississippi (Raycom, 4pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)
Wisconsin-Milwaukee @ Detroit (TWC Sports 32, 4pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)
Temple @ Dayton (A-10 Network, 4pm)- TBD (Will Air on CSN Philadelphia, WHIO)
Utah @ Brigham Young (CBS College Sports, 5pm)- TBD
Arizona State @ Washington State (FS Regional, 5pm)- TBD (Will Air on FS Arizona, Northwest)
Texas @ Oklahoma State (ESPN, 6pm)- Ron Franklin, Fran Fraschilla
Indiana @ Penn State (BTN, 6pm)- TBD
Auburn @ Mississippi State (SEC TV, 6pm)- TBD (Will Air on FS South, Florida, SUN, ESPN Full Court)
Old Dominion @ Northeastern (CSN Regional, 6pm)- TBD (Will Air on CSN Mid-Atlantic, New England, CSS)
Long Beach State @ Cal State-Northridge (Prime Ticket, 6pm)- TBD
Wyoming @ Air Force (MTN, 6pm)- TBD
Liberty @ Radford (MASN, 6pm)- TBD
Gonzaga @ San Diego (ESPN2, 7:30pm)- Jon Sciambi, Bob Valvano
St. Mary's @ Loyola Marymount (FS Regional, 7:30pm)- TBD (Will Air on Prime Ticket, CSN Bay Area+)
Towson @ George Mason (CAA, 8pm)- TBD (Will Air on MASN, ESPN Full Court)
Western Kentucky @ Middle Tennessee (Sun Belt TV, 8pm)- Joe Block, Wimp Sanderson (Will Air on CSS, CST, ESPN Full Court)
Nebraska @ Kansas State (Big 12 Network, 8pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)
North Dakota State @ Oral Roberts (KGEB, 8pm)- TBD (Will Air on FCS Central, ESPN Full Court)
San Diego State @ Texas Christian (MTN, 8:30pm)- TBD
Evansville @ Northern Iowa (Valley, 8:30pm)- TBD (Will Air on FS Midwest, CSN Chicago, ESPN Full Court)
Pittsburgh @ Seton Hall (Big East Network, 8:30pm)- TBD (Will Air on FS Pittsburgh, SNY, ESPN Full Court)
UCLA @ California (ESPN, 9pm)- Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas, Bob Knight
South Carolina @ Vanderbilt (ESPNU, 9pm)- Clay Matvick, Dickey Simpkins
Portland @ Santa Clara (CSN Northwest, 10pm)- TBD

Sunday, March 1st

Marquette @ Louisville (CBS, Noon)- TBD
Buffalo @ Ohio (ESPNU, Noon)- Michael Reghi, Sedric Toney
Bowling Green @ Akron (MAC TV, Noon)- TBD (Will Air on FS Ohio)
Missouri @ Kansas (CBS, 2pm)- TBD
Tennessee @ Florida (CBS, 2pm)- TBD
Providence @ Rutgers (ESPNU, 2pm)- Justin Kutcher, Jay Williams
Michigan @ Wisconsin (BTN, 2pm)- TBD
Fairfield @ Rider (MAAC TV, 2pm)- TBD (Will Air on MSG, FCS Atlantic, ESPN Full Court)
Cincinnati @ Syracuse (Big East Network, 2pm)- TBD (Will Air on Altitude, CST, MASN, SNY, FS Ohio, ESPN Full Court)
Michigan State @ Illinois (CBS, 4pm)- TBD
Montana State @ Northern Colorado (Altitude, 4pm)- TBD (Will Air on CSN Northwest, ESPN Full Court)
Georgia @ Arkansas (Raycom, 4pm)- TBD (Will Air on ESPN Full Court)
West Virginia @ South Florida (Big East Network, 4pm)- TBD (Will Air on MASN, MSG, ESPN Full Court)
Massachusetts @ LaSalle (CBS College Sports, 5pm)- TBD
Maryland @ North Carolina State (FSN, 7:30pm)- TBD (Will Air on FS Arizona, Detroit, Florida, Houston, Midwest, Northwest, Pittsburgh, Rocky Mountain, South, West, Wisconsin, CSN Bay Area+, Chicago, Mid-Atlantic, Philadelphia, MSG+, FCS Atlantic)
Oregon State @ Oregon (FSN, 10pm)- TBD (Will Air on FS Arizona, Detroit, Florida, Midwest, North, Northwest, Ohio (JIP), Pittsburgh, Rocky Mountain, South, West, CSN Bay Area+, Chicago, Mid-Atlantic, New England, Philadelphia, MSG+, FCS Pacific)