Critics of LeBron Critics

Disclaimer no. 1: I'm an NHL guy. I'd watch a regular season Blue Jackets-Panthers game over Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Disclaimer no. 2: I once ran a mile in just over 6 minutes in high school, the peak of my athletic accomplishments. I've never played a basketball game inside a 90 degree arena in Texas in June. 

Now having said those things, above all else, I'm a sports fan. And when something big happens, I'll be there with an opinion. Whether you love or hate LeBron James, he set himself up for last night. No, not the injury. For the lightning rod of criticism he received. Don't believe me? 

So as I was saying, when you stab an entire city in the back on national TV, promise a different city 7 or 8 championships, deny that you're a flopper and, well, actually be a flopper, you're gonna be panned just a little bit more than your average player. Throw in the self-promotion with that ridiculous stupid smart phone app, the metaphorical you-know-what washing by ESPN, and obviously he's gonna have his haters. 

LeBron created the media firestorm that surrounds him 24/7, and what the critics of LeBron critics fail to realize because they're up on their high horse, is that on the occasion he does fail, it's a beautiful thing. If someone is going to be in the same breath as Michael Jordan, by no means should he be off-limits from criticism. In fact, it rightfully so opens him up for more.

If the self-titled "king" can't play through some cramps, again, I'm sitting here behind my keyboard putting off going to the gym. But with great expectations comes a great responsibility to fulfill them. And when you see a hockey player with blood gushing out of his face getting stitched up on the bench, or finishing up a shift on a broken leg, it's 100% fair to expect the "best player in the world" to play through cramps.

If LeBron comes out on Sunday and drops 50? Power to him. It's what he's supposed to do. But hey, at least LeBron's failures are breeding creativity of other warriors being carried away from battle.

The Worst Reunions, Returns & Sequels of All-Time

First things first. Pardon the lack of blogging in recent weeks. You might say Senior Week turned into Senior Month. Speaking of which, Senior Year, Part II was even better than Senior Year, Part I.

But not all reunions, returns or sequels have that magic flare. So what's inspiring this blog? I worked a reunion shift at Pro Sports last night. Could become a thing during this interim of finding a "real job," it could not. Whatever. It definitely got me thinking about other ideas that while the original was a fine piece of work, efforts to recreate magic in these occasions? Not so much.

I'm gonna give you the 10 best [read: worst] examples of reunions, returns and sequels I can think of. To fit the criteria, a few simple rules: you must be returning to the same place, whether it's an athlete going back to a city, the cast of a movie getting back together, a TV character returning somewhere, etc. So while Brett Favre's idea to return to Minnesota for his final season in 2010, or George W. Bush's second term, were unequivocal disasters, they didn't go anywhere in between. This rule will be more loosely applied for movies and TV shows that make the list, because who knows what the characters did in between? They're not real.

Before we start, a few honorable mentions that don't have quite enough substance to warrant their own ranking: Doug Mirabelli's state trooper escort returning to Fenway Park, the Rugrats "All Grown Up" series, Russell Hantz on Survivor: Redemption Island, Darren Rovell's return to ESPN from CNBC and Dana Bahrawy's return to Hingham football.


Here we go:

10. Ken Griffey Jr. returns to Seattle Mariners

Growing up in the 1990's, every kid in Massachusetts idolized Nomar Garciaparra more than Barney, Tommy Pickles, or Bart Simpson combined. But Ken Griffey was right behind, even though he played his home games over 3,000 miles away. The backwards hat, that performance at Fenway at the 1999 Home Run Derby...kids loved them some Griffey during his original run with the Mariners from 1989-1999.

But Griffey's years with the Reds were forgettable on a number of levels, namely because of injuries. Meanwhile, Seattle (at least at first) prospered without Griffey, winning 116 games (tying a major league record) in 2001. But the nucleus of that team was pretty old, and within a few years every key contributor except Ichiro was gone. In 2009, the Mariners decided to blend together two different eras of baseball by pairing Griffey with Suzuki in the outfield. Big mistake. Griffey did hit 19 home runs in first year back, but had a batting average of just .214. 2010 was even worse. He was homerless in 33 games, hit just .184, and fell asleep in the clubhouse during a game. He voluntarily retired in June of 2010, and all we've heard from him since was that disastrous SportsCenter interview with Linda Cohn.

9. New Arrested Development episodes return on Netflix

Yikes. Don't get me wrong, absolutely love the original run of AD, which aired on FOX from 2003-2006. I didn't watch it until those episodes were available on Netflix, to be fair, but man does it sting knowing only 2 1/2 seasons of that comedic genius aired on network TV.

But the "Netflix-only" episodes that came out last summer....if you were showing those to a first-time viewer, they'd be under the false impression that the show deserved to be cancelled in the first place. George Michael with a 'stache straight up haunts you. And the fact that episodes centered around just one character, with little or no interaction from the rest of the ensemble, made it even more painful.

8. Antoine Walker returns to the Celtics

Ah, the Antoine Wiggle. Probably my second-favorite celebration of all-time, behind only Randy Moss splitting the defense. But 'Toine's second stint on the Celtics felt just plain weird. Danny Ainge's first big move as Celtics boss was trading Walker, along with Tony Delk, to the Mavericks for Jiri Welsch and Raef LaFrentz in the fall of 2003, just prior to training camp. Less than a year and a half later, 'Toine was back in a Celtics uniform after a dreadful stop in Atlanta.

He wore no. 88 immediately upon his return, to signify it was "number 8's second stint" with the Celtics. Maybe he was trying to steal Eric Lindros's thunder. Who knows, if 'Toine was concussed like Lindros, which you can kinda see, it made sense. It prompted Tommy Heinsohn to say that Antoine Walker was the third-best offensive rebounder in Celtics history, behind only Tommy himself and Paul Silas. Or maybe it was Dave Cowens, I forget. Still, after the Celtics were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the first round, Antoine was part of a sign-and-trade to the Miami Heat in a 5-team, 13-player trade that summer. The only thing larger than the trade wound up being Antoine's breasts, when he really let himself go and played in the D-League in Idaho.

7. Kramer returns to H & H Bagels after a 12-year strike

Disclaimer: this is the episode that spawned "Festivus" for the mainstream, and for that I'll be forever grateful. But if we're looking at it from just Kramer's perspective, it didn't work out all that well. Not even Gary Bettman has induced a work stoppage of 12 years, and when Cosmo finally did return to work, he went right back on strike, and was fired a few days later for getting gum stuck in the bagels.

6. Rafael Palmeiro returns to the Baltimore Orioles

Think the Red Sox and the Yankees were the only teams busy back in the winter of 2003-04? Sure, the Sox may have acquired Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke. Sure, the Bombers may have gotten A-Rod and Sheffield. The Orioles, however, brought it one of the most ballyhooed free agent classes in recent memory, period. Highlighted by Miguel Tejada, Javy Lopez, and of course Palmeiro (who had previously played for Baltimore 1994-98), this was supposed to push the O's into the same stratosphere as their AL East brethren.

Tejada wasn't awful, and Lopez was forgetfully awful, but Rafy became one of the faces of the steroid era when he testified before Congress in March 2005 that he "never used steroids, period!" all while pointing his finger emphatically at the judge. In August of that year, just days after his 3,000th hit, down came the hammer that he had, indeed, tested positive for using a banned substance and was suspended 10 games (back then, that was the offense for a first timer.) He batted .077 upon his return, was sent home by the O's for September, and never played in the big leagues again. Oh yeah and he's fallen off the Hall of Fame ballot.

5. Gale returns as Walter White's lab assistant

If there's anyone on this list I feel kinda sorry for, it's Gale, but I see no way around his death in which both Walt and Jesse could go on living.

Back in Season 3 of Breaking Bad, I suppose you could say Walt still hadn't passed the point of no return. Sure, he watched Jane die without doing anything to save her, but he wasn't so far immersed in criminal activities that he couldn't have let his contract with Gus run out and return to teaching high school chemistry.

That changed upon killing the two meth dealers who were about to kill Jesse, resulting in the return of his original lab partner, Gale Boetticher. It didn't really matter who Gus hired to replace Jesse, they were doomed, but if Gale had simply stayed away from the superlab, he'd still be listening to his bizarre Italian music in his apartment, maybe even brewing cups of tea for Lydia with some Stevia. Walt had to orchestrate the murder of Gale to ensure his own safety. And again, I kinda feel sorry for Gale, but being killed in a cold-blooded manner is somewhat of an occupational hazard when you're a meth cook.

4. Rudy Seanez returns to the Red Sox

(No picture available. He's Rudy Seanez.)

Theo Epstein's first year on the job for the Red Sox back in 2003 was rather incredible. Signing David Ortiz, Kevin Millar and Bill Mueller off the scrapheap paved the pay for even bigger moves the next off-season, en route to the World Series title. One major reason the Sox didn't win it all his first year as GM, however, is because of his asinine idea for "closer-by-committee," which, if you recall, was an unmitigated disaster. You remember the names: Chad Fox. Byung-Hyun Kim. Scott Williamson. And the legend himself, Rudy Seanez. Two guys, Mike Timlin and Alan Embree, did stick around for awhile, but my God what a terrible idea the "committee" approach was for Theo.

Seanez was probably the worst of the bunch, posting a 6.23 ERA in just 8 2/3 innings before being designated for assignment fairly early that season.

Fast forward to 2006, and the Red Sox have rid themselves of the 86-year gorilla in the room. A young'n by the name of Jonathan Papelbon has emerged as the closer, and to say he was Rivera-esque isn't an exaggeration. But who was one of his primary set-up men? You guessed it, Theo decided to sign Rudy Seanez again, because hey, why not, they won the World Series in 2004. Theo can do what he wants, right?

Seanez sucked almost as badly as before, posting a 4.82 ERA over 46 2/3 innings before being taken out to the pasture again. How he lasted that long is still beyond me, and if you're looking for a reason why the Red Sox missed the playoffs in 2006, his performance has to rank somewhere on that list.

3. Randy Moss returns to Vikings

Amazingly, this was the premise of some of the first blogs I ever cranked out back in 2010. The Red Sox "30 for 30" was on, but Moss was being actively shopped by the Patriots after catching just one pass in their win over the Dolphins the night before. It finally became official in the morning: Moss was heading back to Minny, back where it all began.

Brett Favre to Randy Moss? What a match made in heaven....if only it were 2001. Moss caught just 13 passes for 174 yards in four games with the Vikings that second time around before being waived. He lasted just four games! Moss's incident with a team chef is rumored to be the straw the broke the camels back, or perhaps it was his bizarrely entertaining post-game conference with the media after the Vikings played the Patriots in Foxboro in what wound up being his final game as a Viking. He said and did everything short of dropping to his knees and begging for Bill Belichick to take him back.

The Moss reunion, coupled with Brett Favre's soap opera and the firing of Brad Childress, sunk Minnesota's Super Bowl dreams just a year after being in the NFC Championship Game. Would it have gone south so quickly if Moss hadn't been there? Hard to say, but they finished 6-10, and have made the playoffs just once since, despite having Adrian Peterson all this time.

The Vikings gave up a third-round pick for the embattled receiver from Rand University, which the Patriots wound up using on Ryan Mallett. Hey, could he have been any worse than the trio of Christian Ponder, Matt Cassel and Josh Freeman? Moss went on to catch 6 passes for 80 yards for the final 8 games of the season with the Titans, taking a year off from football, and catching on for one last go-round with the 49ers in 2012.

2. The NHL returns to Atlanta

Gary Bettman has made some straight up terrible decisions as commissioner of the National Hockey League during his tenure. Three work-stoppages stand out, not to mention his "Sun Belt Expansion," placing teams in non-traditional hockey markets across the southern United States.

But none was a bigger disaster than the expansion Atlanta Thrashers, marking the NHL's return to a city it had already abandoned once in 1980, when the Flames fled for Calgary.

The Thrashers were doomed from the start, passing on the Sedin twins with the no. 1 overall pick in the 1999 draft for Patrick Stefan, who's most famous for this later on in his career with Dallas. The Thrashers did have some great players in their history, notably Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa, Danny Heatley and Marc Savard. But you'll notice one thing with all of them: one-dimensional, offensive-minded players. Which is fine, if you have a good defensive corps, but they never did.

ESPN.com attendance data only goes back through the 2000-01 season, but the Thrashers never finished higher than 22nd (out of 30 teams) during their 11-year run in the ATL. They made the playoffs just once, too, being swept by the New York Rangers in the first round in 2007-08. Bettman finally pulled the plug on the experiment in 2011, permitting a sale of the team to a group out of Winnipeg, spawning the rebirth of the Jets. If I ever blog about the best reunion tours ever, though, don't expect that one to make the list anytime soon, because they themselves haven't made the playoffs in three years in Manitoba. At least their rink sells out every night.

1. Anchorman II & Caddyshack II

You can't call it a cop-out for having a tie at number one when the top two comedies of all-time were so disgraced by their sequels, the damage to the originals is palpable.

First things first: the cast of Caddyshack II is almost completely different than the original, with only Chevy Chase reprising his role as Ty Webb. No Rodney Dangerfield, no Judge Smails, no Danny Noonan....but there was a talking gopher and a mini-golf course. My head hurts just thinking about it.

Anchorman II didn't have the same casting issues. Every significant character was back, it was well spaced out too (just like Caddyshack's I and II), but it just....wasn't funny. I won't bore you with specific reasons why, I just can't remember ever being so disappointed walking out of a movie theater. The brawl at the end was forced beyond belief, for starters. Brick wasn't the same, and not enough Brian Fantana or Champ Kind, and least not funny parts. This is sure to be the most controversial inclusion on this list, I can already tell.

And there you have it. The 10 (ok 11) worst reunions, returns and sequels of all-time. Like the list? Hate the list? Think I forgot a few? Let me know, I'm always available on twitter @levman90. Thanks for reading.

Appreciation of Martin Brodeur

Being well aware of the fact that today was Masters Sunday, if you appreciate the NHL at all, I'm hoping you flipped over to the Bruins-Devils game at some point. Not necessarily for the whole game, but for a few minutes here and there, and certainly the final minutes.

It very well may have been Martin Brodeur's final game in the NHL.

Nothing is official yet, but Brodeur's contract expires at the end of the league year, and the Devils' trade for Cory Schneider last summer made it clear that New Jersey was done operating under the assumption Brodeur would last forever. The Devils even floated the idea of trading him at this year's trade deadline, to give him another shot at a Stanley Cup, but after that came and went, it's become even more clear Brodeur's end game is in sight.

If today was indeed it, Brodeur went out with a bit of symmetry: a win over the Bruins. Back on March 26, 1992, Brodeur made the first start of his career for the Devils, who drafted him with the second-to-last pick in the 1st round of the 1990 NHL draft, and tallied a win over the Bruins. He gained the full-time starting gig for NJ in the 1994-95 season, and has appeared in more games (1,258) than any other goaltender in the history of the NHL since.

Along the way, Brodeur has amassed a resume that has put him in the discussion for the "greatest goalie of all-time." Three Stanley Cup wins, four Vezina trophies for the league's best netminder, and the all-time record for both wins by a goalie (687) and shutouts (124). In the 1995 episode of Seinfeld, "The Facepainter," David Puddy dons a Martin Brodeur jersey with his face painted in the Devils' theme of red and black. It's pretty remarkable that in 2014, that jersey is still of an active player.

Perhaps my favorite quality of Brodeur has been his lack of a concrete retirement announcement. Only he knows the answer for sure, but rather than make himself a spectacle, he's kept his intentions to himself. No prolonged farewell tours, "look at me!" media whore tendencies. Simply going about his business, doing what he could to keep the Devils in contention for a playoff spot until the season's final week in a new role as a backup. New Jersey president/GM Lou Lamoriello wasn't afraid to reduce the role of a franchise icon as he neared his potential end, which could be in stark contrast to the role of a certain shortstop for a baseball team based out of the Bronx. To be continued there. 

But this is about Brodeur. Watching his final moments this afternoon, there's no active player in hockey who's meant as much to one franchise as Brodeur has to the Devils. Sure, Jaromir Jagr and Teemu Selanne have been just as good at what they do for just as long, but they haven't spent their entire careers in one organization. It's almost a blessing ESPN neglects hockey in this case, because with all the coverage you're about to see that shortstop from the Bronx get, or the coverage that quarterback from Hattiesburg, Miss. got not too long ago, you may have suffered some Brodeur fatigue these last several months.

If you do want to compare Brodeur to a player from another sport, then yeah Derek Jeter would be a fantastic contemporary. So would Tom Brady, as well as Tim Duncan. Those other three have spent similarly long careers with their respective teams, and just those teams, winning multiple championships and cementing legacies of their own as all-time greats. It's some fantastic company.

Until Brodeur says for sure that he's hanging up the skates, hockey fans can hold out hope he returns for a 22nd season in the Garden State. But the guess here is we've seen the last of Marty after today. And anytime one of the greatest players of all-time moves on, you tend to wonder who the "next" one is, who could assume the part of "greatest active goalie" in the NHL. The short answer: no one's even close.

An NBA Game in person: Celtics vs. 76ers Report Card

Everyone has guilty pleasures that they feel compelled to share with people. Others tend to bury those pleasures deep within their conscience, never to be revealed to the public. For example, I'm a pretty big Survivor fan. You know, that show that's been on since 2000 and is in its 28th season on CBS. But not everyone is so open about these pleasures, various things they've done. But I feel the need to share this one with people, and I'm not even remotely proud of it, but it needs to be said:

I went to an NBA game last night. 

If you've been reading this blog or listening to the Sports Power Half Hour for awhile, you'd know the NBA ranks fourth in terms of my professional sports interests by a fairly large margin. But this season in particular, with the latest Tankapalooza, has been a bigger turnoff than girls who chew tobacco. 

And last night's Celtics-76ers game just might have been the lowest point. The Celtics entered the game 29 games below .500, at a not-so-robust 23-52. And to the Sixers' credit, they came in scorching hot, winners of two of their last three games following a 25-game losing streak. Anyways they were 16-59 heading into the contest, 43 games below .500. You do the math: the teams were a combined 72 games below .500. 

Self-inflicted wounds, mind you, with each team doing their best Miami Marlins firesale impression to improve their respective positions in the draft lottery, but that's another story for another time. For the here and now, a brief report card about my travels to the TD Garden last night:

Affordability: A-

Me and three of my buddies spent $22 a ticket for section 306, way up in the nosebleeds. To call it a "professional" sporting event might be simplifying things in terms of last night, but I guess since Michael Carter-Williams and Rajon Rondo played, we'll let it slide. It would be a solid "A" if not for the fact that, you know, I still spent $22 to see Kelly Olynyk and Kris Humphries play big minutes for the once-proud Celtics.

Atmosphere: C-

I'll say this much: not many other cities would have filled an arena like Celtics fans did last night. Definitely not a sellout, but I'd say at least 90% full. The Miami Heat could only dream of crowds like last nights. But I saw lots of families there last night, unusual for a Friday night game. I think parents were just taking their kids to the game because it was "cool," not because it was a good game. The low point had to be people in section 300 attempting about 15 times to start "the wave," which is a grave offense anyways, but under last night's circumstances? Shameful. Plus no one really seemed to care that the Celtics lost.

Gameplay: D

I couldn't put it any better than Ice Cube: Rondo f***ed around and got a triple double. To say he looked disengaged would be an understatement. For Philly, Michael Carter-Williams is the real deal, with a quality 24 points, 6 boards and 6 assists. How he fell to no. 11 in last June's abysmal draft could have its own "Brady 6" type special some day. Other than those two? Uh....I noticed Brandon Davies, the dude who got kicked out of BYU for yada yada yada, was on the Sixers. I attempted to convince people that Jerryd Bayless was Skip's son. Not much else to see here.

Intangibles: B+

I was at the Barclays in Brooklyn for the A-10 Tournament a few weeks ago, and beer was $10.25. But it was 24 ounces. Last night at the Garden, it was also $10.25, but for just 20 ounces. Pre-game, we went to Hurricane O'Reilly's, a place I started going when the Bruins were in the Celtics position, not vise versa. Great food, and I can't recommend the "Bruin Burger" enough. 32 oz. pitchers of Molson Canadian for just $6 too....sign me up. A guy in the bathroom, a Celtics fan, saw PT wearing his Sixers jersey. The guy said "we can't make fun of many teams this year, but we can make fun of yours!" Funny moment but honestly neither fan base has anything to "make fun" of. It was possibly the least hostile environment I've ever been to. The T was very punctual last night too. So we had that going for us, which was nice.

Overall: C

Look it's always fun going to a game with your buddies, no matter the sport. It's a little league adage I believe, "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game." And when neither team has any interest of actually winning, and most Celtics fans were actually happy with a loss because of the extra ping-pong balls they'll get in the lottery....I don't get the attraction. There's a flaw in the system when teams are encouraged to lose on purpose for the sake of a lottery pick. Thank God the Bruins are on right now.

Channel Flip Season

Lots of talk lately about March being "the best time of the year" if you're a sports fan. The NCAA Tournament at the forefront of the notion, obviously, but Spring Training and the idea that baseball is right around the corner helping, too.

I won't disagree that the NCAA Tournament might be the single-greatest sporting event on the planet, but pound for pound I'll take April over March, and it has nothing to do with college hoops (despite the Final Four generally occurring in the month): Channel Flip Season, or flipping between baseball and hockey.

REAL baseball games, that is, combined with hockey season winding down towards the playoffs. Not to mention it's a sure sign summer's right around the corner, but the fact that both the Bruins and Red Sox are on tonight, and they'll be overlapping quite frequently for at least the next month...what's better than that? This year especially it's gonna be unreal, with the Bruins vying for the President's Trophy and the Sox defending their World Series title. Working the NESN/NESN Plus/NBC Sports Network rotation is always one of my favorite times of year, and it starts tonight.

Is Mark Cuban Right About the NFL? He's Not Wrong

From CBS Sports: Mark Cuban has a new opinion -- that the NFL risks "implosion" because of greedy tactics.

Via ESPN Dallas:

"I think the NFL is 10 years away from an implosion," Cuban said Sunday evening when his pregame conversation with reporters, which covered a broad range of topics, swayed toward football. "I'm just telling you, pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. And they're getting hoggy. Just watch. Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. When you try to take it too far, people turn the other way.

"I'm just telling you, when you've got a good thing and you get greedy, it always, always, always, always, always turns on you. That's rule number one of business."

Initially, I took these comments as Cuban being Cuban, just stirring the pot, doing what he does best. He also said a few weeks ago that the NBA's D-League was a better option for players than the NCAA. It's hard to dispute Cuban's credentials on any monetary subjects. If that's the way you look at his latest comments, that is. But in order for Cuban's prediction to come true, though, wouldn't another professional sports league need to step up? 

Could it be the NBA, where up to a third of the teams are somewhat-openly "tanking" away their seasons? Where it's become a common practice to "tank" for a better draft pick as a means of rebuilding? This is hardly the first Tankapalooza we've had in the NBA. Remember the Greg Oden/Kevin Durant suckfest of 2007, or the LeBron Sweepstakes of 2003, most (in)famously? 

Have you ever heard about teams in the other professional leagues consider the strategy of losing games on purpose? Sure, the Cavaliers got better because of drafting LeBron, but only appeared in one NBA Finals over seven years. How did the Trail Blazers fare drafting Oden? And those are simply the teams that got the no. 1 overall pick in those years. What happens when you don't win the lottery? Tank again?

Currently, the Philadelphia 76ers have lost 25 games in a row, but they still don't have the worst record! Seriously, the Sixers are 15-56, but the Milwaukee Bucks are 13-58. 

You could make a case the Sixers, Celtics, Lakers and Knicks are the four signature franchises in the NBA. I'm basing this off of history and longevity in the league, plus market size. Those four franchises are among just eight in the Association with roots to 1950 or prior. The combined record right now? 90-190. Exactly 100 games below .500. Realistically, it could be three years or more before any of them are relevant again.

Teams in the NBA position themselves for specific free agent classes instead of the draft, also often years in the future (see above video). And to be fair, it's worked out quite well for Miami. But the fact that players are teaming up with one another, rather than trying to defeat their rivals, is somewhat of a turnoff for me. LeBron may lead the league in jersey sales, but I'm willing to bet for every person who doesn't know any better adores him, there's a person who despises him. Add in star players like Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony or Deron Williams in recent years demanding trades to "bigger markets," not necessarily with winning as their motivation, I think it's hard for common sports fans to truly identify with the NBA. Next.

Could it be the MLB, where you don't really know who's playing by the rules? It's been over six years since the Mitchell Report was released, and over 10 years since the "random testing" which the findings were based off of, and we still had the Biogenesis scandal just last season. Steroid use, as well as other performance enhancers, continue to haunt baseball. 

A true baseball fan will recognize that Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera, Andrew McCutchen or some other player is currently the best there is in the game. But in terms of mainstream recognition, wouldn't you have to say the biggest name is still Alex Rodriguez? Who's suspended for all of 2014? Ryan Braun is another player involved with Biogenesis who missed the final 65 games of his season a year ago, less than two years off his 2011 NL MVP award.

Baseball's Hall of Fame voting process is worthy of its own entire column, but who made the biggest headlines this year? Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas, all outstanding players, were ultimately inducted, but I'm willing to bet you remember who wasn't inducted even more: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro....you guessed it, the steroid gang. There's still no definitive answer how to handle this era of players in a historical context, forget the Hall of Fame. How do you view their statistical accomplishments? Did some of them, namely Bonds and Clemens, have good enough stats before they (allegedly) starting using PEDs that they should still be held in high regard? Does the McGwire-Sosa home run chase of 1998 bring back fond memories, or do you recoil and say, "They fooled me Jerry!"

The pace of baseball games, defined as "boring" by many, is definitely an issue, but how much can really be done to solve that problem? I'm all for a "pitch clock" of sorts, a la the play clock in the NFL or shot clock in the NBA, as well as limiting the number of mound visits/pitcher-catcher conferences....but how feasible are those steps in a game that really hasn't changed much since the 1800's?

World Series ratings have been a bummer for the better part of a decade now too. Since the Red Sox defeated the Cardinals in the 2004 World Series, only one single game has drawn more than 25 million viewers: Game 7 between the Cardinals and Rangers in 2011. It's been since 2002 (Game 7 Giants vs. Angels) that a game topped 30 million in viewership. 

I personally love baseball, but until there's a little more speed to the game and a lot more certainty about steroid use, can't see it catching back up to football. Next.

Could it be the NHL, a league where a lockout has cancelled games on three separate occasions (including one whole season) in the last 19 years? The above video features Chris Chelios, Cam Neely and Wayne Gretzky with some scathing words for NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. 

And that video is from 1994, during the first lockout. You'd have to think Bettman would have learned his lesson after that debacle, no? The entire 2004-2005 season was cancelled due to a lockout, and most recently, nearly half of the 2012-2013 season was wiped out due to yet another.

Is it fair to pin all of the lockout woes on Bettman? Maybe not all of it, but what about his vision of "Sun Belt Hockey?" Since taking office on February 1, 1993, the Anaheim Ducks, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, *Atlanta Thrashers, Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jacks have joined the NHL via expansion. Via relocation, the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Phoenix Coyotes and *Winnipeg Jets have joined the league. *-same franchise. You'll see what I mean in a minute.

Mixed results, at best. The Avalanche, Stars, Hurricanes and Ducks have all won Stanley Cups (although the only reason I'm including the Avs in this only because they moved from Quebec City under Bettman, as Colorado is a "traditional hockey market"). But that hasn't stopped ownership and/or attendance woes in Dallas or Carolina.

Meanwhile, the Thrashers left Atlanta after 11 seasons for Winnipeg, where the original rendition of the Jets left for Phoenix in 1996 (under Bettman). Atlanta had already failed as a hockey town in the 1970's, prior to the Flames' move to Calgary. Naturally, that did not deter Bettman. But if you wanna talk about an unmitigated disaster, it's been Phoenix, where the league bought the Coyotes out of bankruptcy in 2009 and couldn't find a buyer until last summer. This ordeal included numerous failed relocation attempts by groups from more traditional hockey markets such as Hamilton, Ontario and Quebec City. 

There's 30 teams in the NHL. The bottom five in attendance (by percentage) this season, you ask? All "Bettman projects," if you will: Florida, Carolina, Phoenix, Columbus and Dallas. 

One of Mark Cuban's key points about the danger the NFL faces is "saturation." Safe to say the NHL should have heeded that advice once upon a time. Next. 

Well, that's the competition for the NFL, at least in terms of the professional leagues. I'm not taking you seriously if you say "NASCAR." I love me the majors in golf, but come on. The NCAA is another argument for another time, with college hoops somewhat tied into the NBA, and college football tied in to some points I'm about to make. All three other professional leagues are dealing with their own issues. So doesn't that mean the NFL is immortal?

Not by a long shot.

And for as obnoxious as the mediocre set Thursday Night Football games is, for as asinine as the attempts place a team in London are, as lustful as the push for an 18-game regular season is...heck even the latest move to turn it into the "No Fun League," banning dunking the ball over goalposts after touchdowns, I don't think any of those issues would cause fans to turn their head the other way.

But I think the "C-word" will. And I'm not talking about the one you're thinking of either. Concussions, not to mention all serious injuries, are a tremendous threat to football as we know it. If you don't think this is affecting the game on a serious level yet, you're head's right in the sand. Sure, the effects won't be felt in the professional game for some time. I think Cuban is a little off on his 10 year projection. But the more stories you hear like Junior Seau's, like Tony Dorsett's, like Brett Favre's....you don't think youth football is on the decline? And from there, high school? You can see the trajectory from there. I'm not making a blanket statement here either. From 2010-2012, a 9.5% drop in Pop Warner participation occurred. 

Obviously, there are concussion issues in sports other than football. But the risks aren't nearly as large in the other sports as it is on the gridiron, which might come across as generic, but let's face the truth for what it is.

Roger Goodell has some decisions to make. He's the most powerful man in all of sports, as the commissioner of the NFL. It's time to stop worrying about expanding your schedule to include Thursday nights, just to put even more money in your already disgustingly thick wallet. It's sure as hell time to stop considering adding games when these concussion issues must just scream "gee, too many players are getting hurt, why don't we expand our season by 13 percent?" London? I don't care how juvenile the word "stupid" is, that's what we're dealing with there. 

Banning touchdown celebrations, changing the extra point rules, and other items that pertain to the competition of the game itself? Small potatoes compared to what's on his plate with concussions. To be honest, I have no idea how that can be solved. But I'm gonna go out on a limb and say with all that money Rodge is pocketing, he could probably take some steps for better awareness. A much more strict policy on playing after a concussion is a essential. It shouldn't matter if a player passes the "concussion protocol" test after suffering one just a few days earlier; if you suffer one, you sure as hell shouldn't be playing in a game the next week. And probably not the week after that either. How much time is enough to sit out? I'm not sure.

But time is of the essence for Goodell. Just because you're on top now doesn't mean you're entrenched there. Nothing lasts forever, and if you take the wrong steps to adapt, forever becomes a lot sooner. You're move, Rodge.

Final Four Picks

Did I spend too much time watching the Atlantic 10 Tournament last week? Possibly. Does that mean I won't be able to pick a Final Four without any biases? We shall see.

If any A-10 team is capable of getting to the end, I still think it's VCU. St. Joe's is playing their best basketball of the season, and who knows maybe UMass gets hot again. For what it's worth, I have all of those teams, plus Dayton and George Washington, winning their first round games. I think Saint Louis will fall victim to a poor finish to the season, as well as a bad match-up with the N.C. State Wolfpack and the ever-underrated T.J. Warren.

That's enough about the A-10 though. It was undoubtedly a great year for the conference, but I don't see any of its teams cutting down the nets.

Without further ado, my expert picks:

Florida, Creighton, Wichita State, Michigan State.

Championship Game: Wichita State over Michigan State.

Tuukka for the Razor: Most lopsided deal ever?

Remember earlier this season, near the end of December and the beginning of January, when the Bruins were struggling just a bit? Just a little hiccup every team experiences, but a 3-5 stretch included losses of the worst variety: to bad teams (Islanders, Senators); to potential Stanley Cup opponents (Kings, Ducks); to teams you just flat out can't stand (Maple Leafs). The pink-hat Bruins talking heads began clamoring for a re-do on the Tyler Seguin trade, or that Zdeno Chara was washed up, or that Tuukka Rask was overrated. It was coming from people who don't realize Peter Chiarelli is hockey's Belichick, but it was still frustrating.

After that little stretch came and went? Since January 16, the Bruins have points in all but two of their games (17-2-3). Winners of their last nine. Admittedly, I didn't even realize they had overtaken the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Eastern Conference's best record. Chalk it up to some college hoops over the last week, but it's time to fully reinvest in the B's.

Tuukka Rask has been absolutely outstanding all season long, but particularly during this stretch. Carrying the load for the Bronze Medal-winning Finns at the Olympics hasn't seemed to hurt him either. One question mark I had about Rask's 8-year, $56 million contract was "can he withstand a full 82 game schedule?" Hard as it is to believe, Tuukka has never been a full-time starter over a full season. 2009-10 he replaced Tim Thomas about halfway through, playing in 45 games (plus the post-season where he and the Bruins wilted a 3-0 series lead to the Flyers). He was penciled in as the starter for the 2010-11 season, where the Bruins ultimately won the Stanley Cup, but Thomas's hot start earned him the job back, and you know the rest. After Timmy T went off the deep end, Rask earned the starting job back in 2012-13, but as you remember, that was only a 48-game schedule. 

Last night's triumph over the Minnesota Wild prompted a friend of mine, let's call him @frankie4seven, to tweet, "Is Tuukka Rask for Andrew Raycroft the most lopsided trade in NHL history?"

A bold statement for sure. But is the notion necessarily wrong? I'm not sure if there was ever a trade back in the 1930's where the Hamilton Tigers traded a 19-year-old Finnish phenom to the Brooklyn Americans for a 24-year-old goalie who it turned out was already washed up, or just wasn't that good in the first place. But if we're talking about recent history? Most people simply thought "good riddance" when the Bruins traded Andrew Raycroft to Toronto on June 24, 2006 for an unknown goalie prospect with two U's and two K's in his first name. Years later, it truly has become one of the most laughable, lopsided deals in NHL history.

Of course, that trade was made less than a year after the Bruins shipped Joe Thornton to San Jose for Brad Stuart, Marco Sturm and Wayne Primeau.

In a vacuum, there's no denying the Thornton trade was worse. Jumbo Joe went on to win the Hart Trophy for the Sharks after the November 30, 2005 deal to San Jose. Thornton put up 20 goals and 72 assists for 92 points in just 58 games with the Sharks that year, and went on to lead the NHL in assists each of the next two seasons. Stuart and Sturm weren't necessarily terrible for the Bruins, but essentially they traded a top-5 center in the prime of his career for a no. 3 defenceman and a fringe top-6 forward. And Primeau just flat out sucked.

Fortunately for the Bruins, however, that trade doesn't exist in a vacuum. Sturm was actually a nice piece in the initial rise of this current Bruins run of success, tallying 20+ goals in a season four times in Boston before moving on after 2010. Stuart was dealt during the 2006-07 season, along with Primeau, for Chuck Kobasew and a guy by the name of Andrew Ferrence. Most importantly, however, by moving Thornton and his contract, the Bruins created enough cap space the following summer to sign Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard (the latter not entirely via Thornton savings, but still). Essentially, the trade marked a disappointing end to the 2001-2005 rendition of the Bruins, who had great regular seasons, followed by first round flame-outs in the playoffs. Usually to Montreal.

What can the Maple Leafs say about their decision to take a gamble on Raycroft after the 2005-06 season? On the one hand, "The Razor" had won the Calder Trophy in 2003-04, prior to the lockout. Was it just a sophomore slump? The Bruins had a pretty terrible defensive corps in '05-06, guys like David Tanabe, Jiri Slegr, and a 60-year-old Brian Leetch. Was it simply that Raycroft needed a change of scenery?

As it turns out, no, not at all, the Razor just straight up wasn't very good. He lasted just two seasons in Toronto, allowing more goals than any other goalie in the league his first season (205). He went on to flounder around the league as a backup in Colorado, Vancouver and Dallas, and hasn't played in the league since the end of the 2012 season. (He did, however, have a role in this Bruins vs. Stars game from 2011, posted below as well).

I need to point out again, that Rask hasn't yet played a full 82-game schedule in the NHL. But he's still just 27, and seeing how he has seven years left on his contract, I think that'll change soon. Meanwhile, the Leafs have shuffled through a depressing list of goalies including Vesa Toskala, Jonas Gustavsson, Joey MacDonald, J.S. Giguere, James Reimer, and countless others. They just appeared in the playoffs for the first time since 2004 last season, and, well, we know how that turned out.

The Maple Leafs haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1967, and won't win one because of the Tuukka-for-Razor swap. The Bruins hadn't won a Cup since 1972, and won in 2011, not because of the Joe Thornton trade, but because of corresponding moves. So can we call Tuukka-for-Razor the worst trade ever? I don't see why not.

That's a Wrap: Rhody Collapses vs. UMass, Season Over

Rhode Island completed a hat trick of agony against UMass last night, blowing an 11-point second half lead to bow out of the Atlantic 10 Tournament, 65-61.

URI went 0-3 against the Minutemen this season, losing the three games by 5, 3 and 4 points, respectively. But none was more frustrating than last night's contest that ended the Rams' season, as well as Xavier Munford's career.

The game was relatively close throughout the first half, but it was Munford who shined brightest in the first 20 minutes. X was perfect from every spot on the floor--5-5 from the field (3-3 from three-point land) and 3-3 from the free throw line until the 2:09 mark of the first half. Munford, who wasn't named to any of the three all-Atlantic 10 teams, was clearly sending a message to those who left him off. The conference's 5th-leading scorer (16.9 per game) finished the first half with 18, and the Rams lead 37-29.

The second half opened with a T.J. Buchanan turnover followed by a UMass miss. EC Matthews, who was quiet in the first half, nailed a three-pointer in transition to give the Rams their largest lead of the night, 40-29.

That was the high point of the for Rhode Island, however, as the Minutemen continued to chip away ever so slightly. Even though the Rams were up by 9 just inside the 10-minute mark, 55-46, it was clear UMass had gained some momentum back, as Munford went cold and Matthews's half-opening three proved to be an aberration.

The Rams went SEVEN MINUTES (the 9:50-2:45 marks, to be exact) without scoring, not a free throw, not anything, and UMass took the lead for good with 2:25 to go after two made free throws for Chaz Williams to make it 58-56.

Williams, like Munford, had some gears to grind as well in terms of a snub. Jordair Jett of Saint Louis had been named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year earlier in the week, an award many, myself included, thought Williams deserved. It wasn't a great night statistically speaking for Williams, who finished just 3-12 from the field for 11 points, and had just three assists, but he essentially won the game for UMass with a three after crossing up a Rams defender with 1:53 to go to make it 61-56. It's a bold comparison, but the cross-up kinda reminded me of this:

While technically speaking the game wasn't over, if you've been paying any attention to URI this year, you knew that a game coming down to free throws was all but over. Rhody is ranked 317th (out of 351) in the nation in free throw percentage, at 65.3%. Last night was no exception, and in fact just made it worse. 11-23 from the line (including 1-4 from Matthews and 2-6 from Biruta), compared to 28-36 for the Minutemen. And there in lied the difference. With Gilvydas Biruta in foul trouble throughout, as well as injuries to Hassan Martin and T.J. Buchanan, the Rams simply had no answer for the more experienced Minutemen in the second half. 

And so ends the 2013-2014 basketball season at the University of Rhode Island, with a record of 14-18. The Rams improved by 6 wins from a year ago, when they went 8-21 in Dan Hurley's first year at the helm. I've made the comparison before, but look at Derek Kellogg at UMass: his teams won 12 games each of his first two years there, and only made it to 15 by Year 3. And look where the Minutemen are today. Patience Patience Patience. There was lots of negative feedback in the Twittersphere last night, the usual "oh classic Rams," yada yada yada. 

I could keep preaching the "patience" doctrine, or I could tell you the sky is falling again, but we're still a ways a way from next year. In terms of that next season, that's something we'll be discussing that as the months go on. But I'll leave you with this: 40% of the Atlantic 10 all-rookie team was comprised of Rams (Matthews, Martin). Draw your own conclusions.

Star-Studded Atlantic 10 Tournament Preview

For the first time since the 2004-2005 season, every team in the Atlantic 10 Conference will be participating in its post-season tournament. There's a number of reasons that this year happens to include all 13 teams from the A-10, namely conference realignment, but that's another story for another time.

Nevertheless, a storm this big deserves some recognition. Coming in a year where the A10 has a very realistic shot of sending more teams to the NCAA tournament than "power conferences" such as the ACC, SEC and even the vaunted Big East (or what's left of it)....it's a banner year for the Atlantic 10. Is it merely an aberration, or is the A10 trending as a league that will be more competitive than the Big East, the American Athletic Conference, and other leagues of that nature? Time will tell.

Here at LeviNation, we're certainly taking advantage of the rise of the A10. Besides myself, former WRIU Sports Director Chris Burnham, future WRIU Sports Director Tom Porter, as well as Adam Stein and Phil MacClellan of the UMass Basketball Report will be joining for a mega-preview of the conference tourney. As all-star a lineup as you'll find.

In the preview, we'll be taking a look at various aspects of the field (full bracket here). Which team will win the tournament? Which team can least afford a loss? Which team is most capable of a run to the Final Four, regardless of winning this tournament? Things of that nature. So without further ado, here's your official guide to the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament.

Seventh Heaven: EC Matthews wins ANOTHER A10 Rookie of the Week

I think it's safe to say that when we look back on the winter of 2013-2014 in a few years, several things are going to stand out from the others. The "polar vortex," Leo getting robbed of another Oscar, True Detective, and above all, the debut of EC Matthews at the University of Rhode Island.

The freshman just racked up his seventh--count 'em, seven--Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors, including five of the last six weekly awards. (The one week he didn't win? This happened, so no big deal.) He has more 20 point games (9) since January 1 than any other freshman nationally. More than Jabari Parker. More than Andrew Wiggins. More than Joel Embiid, Aaron Gordon, Tyler Ennis, or any other freshman who's name you constantly hear about.

Matthews is in rarefied air when we're talking strictly Atlantic 10, too. He's only the sixth player in the history of the conference, which dates back to 1976, to win seven or more Rookie of the Week awards. You may have heard of this one, who won a league-record 10 for Rhode Island in 1998-99. And all of the previous six won the Rookie of the Year awards, so I'd say we can consider EC a lock for that distinction.

What do you think Matthews has in store for us in the Atlantic 10 Tournament? We love your feedback. Feel free to leave a comment, and don't forget to follow me on Twitter @levman90 for more Rhody basketball updates, and who knows what else.

Battle of New England, Part III

Well I definitely didn't see this one coming. For the last several weeks, it looked like Rhody was destined for that 12 vs. 13 play-in game in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, while UMass was almost a lock for not only a bye, but perhaps the top seed in the conference.

Not so fast. URI won three of their last four, while the Minutemen dropped two of their last three (the one win vs. Duquesne,) and now we're here: (11) Rhode Island vs. (6) Massachusetts in Round 1 of the Atlantic 10 Tournament, this Thursday at 9:00. It'll be the third meeting between the teams this year. UMass has won 'em both, 73-68 in Kingston on February 9, and 70-67 on February 26 in Amherst.

UMass is still safe in the grand scheme of things, as they should still make the NCAA Tournament no problem. But a loss to the Rams won't sure won't be good for their seeding in the Big Dance, nor their psyche.

If you're a Rams fan, you can look at the match-up in one of two ways: you wanted to see the Dayton Flyers or Richmond Spiders, two teams Rhody has topped this season already (particularly the latter after the demolishing URI put on them a week ago.) Or, you want revenge against the Minutemen, you're lone A10 New England brethren, and stop all of their momentum heading deeper into March. This also comes down to Rhode Island's bad home loss vs. Duquesne (minus Ifeanyi Onyekaba, but does that really matter?) on February 15. Not only did the Rams waste EC Matthews' 32 points that day, they cost themselves a shot at moving up to the 10 seed in the A10, as it turns out, which would have set up a matchup with the reeling Spiders.

We'll be previewing this matchup, and the rest of the conference tourney throughout the week, with help from our friends over at the UMass Basketball Report, as well as some of my WRIU co-hosts Chris Burnham and Tom Porter. Oh yeah and WRIU is broadcasting the game from the Barclays Center on Thursday. Good times here. Now go watch some more college hoops on this Sunday Funday.

Marlins none too pleased over Red Sox Spring Training lineup

From SI.com: The Miami Marlins, who won 62 games last season and routinely trotted out a regular season lineup featuring players like Jeff Mathis, Donovan Solano and 37-year-old Placido Polanco, are apparently in a tizzy over the spring training lineup the Red Sox put together for Thursday’s Grapefruit League game in Jupiter, Fla. That’s according to the Sun-Sentinel‘s Marlins beat reporter Juan C. Rodriguez, who wrote that team executives were “outraged” over the squad of minor leaguers that Boston sent to Miami’s Roger Dean Stadium to play a team that will feature 36-year-old Rafael Furcal at second base in games that actually count.

Few things here. First, the fact that the Marlins jacked up the prices for this game is laughable. It's a Spring Training game. There's no such thing as a "Premium Game" in the spring, I don't care if the Red Sox are defending World Series champions. Even if the rule calls for a minimum of "four major leaguers" in an exhibition game, that's still less than half of your typical starting lineup. (Also, who even knew about this rule until the Marlins complained here). Say what you will about the NFL pre-season, and it is god-awful, but at least teams aren't able to jack up prices just because the defending Super Bowl champion is in town.

The bigger point here is that we're talking about the Marlins. They went 62-100 last year. An organization with a franchise winning percentage of .470. An organization that holds firesales at least once per presidential term. Seriously, I strongly suggest trying the Marlins Opening Day Lineups quiz on Sporcle. They continuously trot out a roster deprived of "major leaguers." Aside from their star Giancarlo Stanton, they had exactly one player with an OPS over .700 (min. 300 at-bats) last year: Logan Morrison, at a whopping .709. By the way, they traded him this off-season for Carter Capps, a pitcher with a 5.04 ERA in 84 career innings. 

Their team president, David Samson, took time off last summer to compete on Survivor....and was the first voted off. The losing culture is contagious. 

We're talking about an organization that has finished no higher than 28th in attendance since 2001 save for 2004 (defending World Series champs, finished 24th) and 2012 (first year of new ballpark, 18th). Speaking of that ballpark, which opened in 2012 and was financed using 59% of the tax payers of Miami-Dade County's money....didn't these tax payers assume that the Marlins would finally stop selling off their best players? 

Nope. After signing Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell to the three of the largest free-agent contracts in team history in the winter of 2011-12, all three were gone after just one season. A "former Marlins all-star team" would include names like Miguel Cabrera, Hanley Ramirez, Josh Beckett, Dan Uggla....and that's just from recent cheapness. Players like Mike Lowell, Ivan Rodriguez, Carlos Delgado, Mike Piazza, Moises Alou, Derrek Lee, Edgar Renteria are just a few retired players who at one point played for the Fish.

Perhaps the funniest part of this whole non-story is the result of the game. It was a scoreless tie due to a rainout, which is funny in itself, but the Red Sox "scrubs" out-hit the Marlins 7-2 through eight innings. You can't make this stuff up.

Bottom line: this team has no leg to stand on when griping about the roster practices of others. And bring back this old logo, while we're at it. They literally can't do anything right.

Rhody takes down Fordham on Senior Night, heads into A-10 Tourney on high note

A well-deserved serenation of Xavier Munford highlighted Senior Night at the Ryan Center, a 77-65 victory by URI over Fordham. 

The first star of the Dan Hurley era went out with one of his finest performances of the season, tallying 21 points on 7-14 shooting (including 4-7 from three-point land, his most makes since January 25 vs. Dayton). Munford, the only scholarship senior on the Rams roster, became the fastest player in Rhode Island history to reach 1,000 career points last Saturday. 

A bit of symmetry existed inside the box score last night, a sign of the changing of the guard from Munford's team this season to EC Matthews's in the future: both players finished with identical stat lines of 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Rhode Island struggled in the first half against Fordham, who's mascot is also the Rams, trailing 33-31 at the break. Munford and Matthews each had 6 points in the first half. It's no coincidence the Rhode Island rendition of the Rams was able to outplay Fordham when the dynamic duo matched each other with 15 apiece in the second frame.

Hassan Martin, fresh off his Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors, posted another double-double, with 13 points and 12 boards. He also added  It was the third straight outing Martin has cracked double figures in points, and the fourth time in the last seven games he's topped 10 rebounds. Martin and Matthews won't be battling each other for rookie of the week honors for much longer; we'll be talking about A-10 Player of the Week nods soon enough.

T.J. Buchanan had perhaps the finest game of his URI career, posting a career high 14 points, to go along with 11 rebounds and 7 assists. It was his first career double-double. The last tie to the Jim Baron era picked the perfect time to have a career night, as Gilvydas Biruta was held scoreless for the first time since December 11, 2010, when he was still a freshman at Rutgers. Biruta, who fouled out, went 0-4 from the field in just 13 minutes of action, matching his lowest total of the season (vs. Metro State back in November). 

Rhode Island's team defense continues to impress, as for the third time in the last five games, they were able to neutralize their opponent's leading scorer. Langston Galloway (16.6 ppg) of St. Joseph's had just 6 points (2-12 shooting) in a 61-57 win for the Hawks; Kendall Anthony (15.7 ppg) of Richmond had 8 points while shooting an astounding 2-20 from the field in a 66-43 win for Rhode Island; and the unit shone brightest last night, taking out Jon Severe (17.8 ppg) to the tune of 3 points on 1-12 shooting. 

And so the Rams conclude the regular season with a 14-17 record, 5-11 in the Atlantic 10. They won three of their final four games, including a nice road win @ St. Bonaventure's, and (almost certainly) popping Richmond's bubble last Saturday at home. Considering the team won 7 and 8 games each of the last two seasons, you'll take the 14. And let's not forget what's up next:

The Atlantic 10 Tournament, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. All 13 teams from the conference qualify this season, with the 12th and 13th ranked teams facing off in a play-in game of sorts. Rhode Island avoided potentially playing in that game with last night's win, and can finish either 10th or 11th, depending on the outcome of Duquesne's final game at George Mason on Saturday. No matter where URI finishes, it is almost a certainty they will face a team they've previously beaten this season: Richmond or Dayton. So stay tuned, and look for a collaboration between Adam Stein of the UMass Basketball Report and myself on a preview of the conference tourney. Until then, Go Rhody.

Hassan Martin wins Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Week honors

If you read my recap from the Richmond game the other day, you may recall I sang the praises of Hassan Martin near the end.

"EC Matthews has been getting all of the hype, and deservedly so. Six Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Week awards now, including four straight. But do not forget about the other freshman who's making major contributions to this team: Hassan Martin. Besides his obvious shot-blocking prowess, he's starting to develop some solid game in the low post offensively, including his monster facial dunk today. He clearly needs to improve his shooting from the outside, as well as his free throw shooting (a not-so-hot 53%), but he's starting to remind me a little bit of Delroy James. But that comparison can only become official with the shooting. It'll come."

Martin averaged 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, as well as 2.5 blocks over two games, extending URI's grasp on the A10 rookie honors for the fifth consecutive week (Matthews had won the previous four). And of course, you may have seen this highlight involving the two froshies:

So whoop di do, the Rams are cleaning up on conference rookie of the week awards. Who cares, right? Wrong. This is the Atlantic 10, not one of the BCS leagues where freshmen have one foot out the door into the NBA as soon as they set foot on campus. Nine times outta ten, these guys are in it for the duration.

For those who have already bailed on Danny Hurley, I understand the frustrations about his clock management, and the offensive structure in those late-game situations. But those problems are infinitely more fixable than not being able to land star recruits. When's the last time URI was able to land two high-impact freshman in the same season?

Hurley, and his staff as a whole, have done an outstanding job in just two years completely remaking the culture in Kingston. Guys like EC and Hassan would not be here without them, and you wouldn't hear stories like Jarvis Garrett verbally committing to the program. A 13-17 record is nothing to write home about, particularly a 4-11 conference record, but with the potential for a win in the finale vs. Fordham, as well as a bid in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, the Rams could realistically reach 15 wins, giving them the total of the last two years combined.

So again, congratulations to Hassan Martin on winning the honors. I'll be doing more of a "Rhody wrap-up" of sorts after the Fordham game, and certainly after they conclude the A10 tourney. Til then, just remember that for the first time in a long time, there's a good reason for optimism in the greater Narragansett area.

Game Recap: Rhode Island 66, Richmond 43

Watching "College Game Day" on ESPN this morning, the panel was taking a look at some of the bubble teams. Dayton, our Atlantic 10 brethren, had Gonzaga, California, and George Washington listed as "good wins." Among their "bad losses," per the Game Day panel, was none other than the University of Rhode Island.

The Richmond Spiders can now empathize.

The Rams improved to 13-17 (4-11 A-10) with a total team effort in demolishing the Spiders (18-11, 8-6 A-10), who likely need to win the A-10 Tournament to have any shot at reaching the NCAA's. The way they looked this afternoon, I'm not sure the NIT selection committee would give them much of a look.

EC Matthews (who else?) led the Rams in scoring with 19, while Xavier Munford scored 15, becoming the fastest player (and 51st overall) in Rhode Island history to reach the 1,000 point mark. Hassan Martin and Gilvydas Biruta each notched double-doubles, with 10 points and 13 rebounds for the former, 13 and 10 for the latter.

The Spiders were awful pretty much from the start, scoring just 15 points in the first half. They led the Rams 9-6 at one point, before a 14-0 Rhode Island run gave way to a full on "Rhody Rout." Richmond shot an appalling 21% (12-57) from the field, including just 2-19 from three-point land. Kendall Anthony, who is the Spiders' healthiest leading scorer at 16 points per game, was 2-20 from the floor (cut to Knicks fans saying "you spelled J.R. Smith wrong"). Cedrick Lindsay, who averaged 18.3 ppg, is out for the season.

Rhode Island normally never makes a seemingly-routine win easy, but today was an exception. Leading 31-15 at the half, they were sure to open the second on a mini 8-1 run, ensuring the Spiders were finished before they could even fathom what was going on.

Some other takeaways from today's game:

• I've been critical of Gilvydas Biruta at times this year, but he just put together back-to-back very good games against UMass and Richmond. He lead URI in scoring (17), rebounding (8) and assists (5) against the Minutemen on Wednesday, and chipped in with a double-double today. It's easy to forget he's only a junior, and will indeed return next season. There's no reason to think he can't keep improving, and capitalize on the promise he showed as an all-Big East freshman in 2010-2011 at Rutgers.

• EC Matthews has been getting all of the hype, and deservedly so. Six Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Week awards now, including four straight. But do not forget about the other freshman who's making major contributions to this team: Hassan Martin. Besides his obvious shot-blocking prowess, he's starting to develop some solid game in the low post offensively, including his monster facial dunk today. He clearly needs to improve his shooting from the outside, as well as his free throw shooting (a not-so-hot 53%), but he's starting to remind me a little bit of Delroy James. But that comparison can only become official with the shooting. It'll come.

• What's been up with Ifeanyi Onyekaba's minutes? Since his one game suspension for a violation of team rules, he's played 13, 23, 3 and now 9 minutes. First he got removed from the starting lineup, and now he's become almost an afterthought on an already thin bench. I can almost understand the UMass game, given how close it was, but 9 minutes (mainly after the outcome had been decided) today? There was no harm in giving him a longer look today to gain some confidence back. This team is thinnest up front, so stay tuned on that front.

• Not really a surprise, but reserve forward Mike Aaman is officially done playing basketball for URI. The team will continue to honor his scholarship, but a seventh concussion he suffered at an off-campus incident back in December proved to be one too many. Aaman was seen on the bench today for the first time in awhile, and was visible during warm-ups with his now former teammates. It's too bad, I liked Aaman for what he did off the bench. Nothing flashy, but a good shooter for a big man and solid defensively. Reminded me of a poor man's Kevin Love.

• Bit of a disappointing turnout by the student section today. I get the team's record isn't great, but you gotta remember just how much better this is than the last two years, winning a combined 15 games. But Richmond is was on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament coming into this afternoon's game, so I would have hoped a little buzz was created, but I guess not. 

• Shout-out to Mike McDermott, who called his last game for WRIU today alongside PT Ranere. McDermott reminds me of Dennis Eckersley behind the mic, in a good way. I'll be back on the call myself Wednesday night, which also happens to be Senior Night, with PT. I'll be calling the Rams game(s?) in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, but Wednesday is PT's swan song, so be sure to tune on in to that one on the mothership, 90.3.

• Speaking of that A-10 tourney, all 13 teams from the conference make it this year, in case you haven't heard. URI is currently in 11th place in the conference, and would currently be matched up against Dayton, whom they split the season series with, 1-1. The Rams could still finish as low as 13th, forcing themselves into a 12 vs. 13 play-in game, or finish as high as 9th. And crazy as it sounds, if Rhody shocked the world and won the tournament, they'd get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Just sayin'.

• That's all we've got for this one. Had to chime in somehow, even though I wasn't on the call. Go Rhody.