What exactly has happened with the Canada-based NHL teams being so bad?

There are seven NHL teams based in Canada (23 based in America), including some of the proudest franchises in the sport (Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, etc.) The 2014 playoffs begin on April 16 — so in about… Continue Reading

Florida’s Billy Donovan deserves a little bit more credit as a top-3 to top-5 college coach, no?

Cool subplot to Florida vs. UCLA’s Sweet Sixteen game tonight: in the 1987 Final Four, Providence lost by 14 to Syracuse — Derrick Coleman with 12 boards, eh? — and Indiana beat UNLV by four. Had Providence pulled out that… Continue Reading

Can Mark Few ever win an NCAA title at Gonzaga? (And what does that say about the idea of “mid-majors?”)

If you’re an average individual, chances are you know Gonzaga University because of the above clip — John Stockton went there — or because of the below clip: Secondary note of importance: that UCLA-Gonzaga game may be one of the… Continue Reading

Here’s the broader lesson in Mercer beating Duke in the first major upset of the 2014 NCAA Tournament

The Mercer team had seven seniors. The four guys with the most points for Mercer — Gollon, Coursey, Hall, and White Jr. — are all seniors. They’ve quite possibly played about 100 games together, and had countless more practices. Duke’s five starters contained one senior… Continue Reading

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In the NCAA Tournament, will we ever see a 16-seed beat a 1-seed?

So far, a 16-seed has never defeated a 1-seed; the above video, featuring Princeton losing by 1 to Georgetown, is essentially the closest it’s ever been for that line (the expansion to 64 teams was in 1985, FYI). Interestingly, also in the… Continue Reading

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Why is the NCAA Tournament called ‘March Madness?’

This Thursday used to represent my favorite day of the year. It still probably does in some respect, although I didn’t follow college hoops super closely this year, so I’m a little out of the game. But it’s essentially wall-to-wall… Continue Reading

Could the Seattle Mariners (and Robinson Cano) be this year’s MLB sleeper team?

My dad got on a plane this morning to hit up Florida for spring training; by now every team has reported and you’ve got games beginning in earnest. They mean nothing on surface, but they’re important for an emotional/functional reason. I live… Continue Reading

Munchie Legaux has another year of eligibility at Cincinnati. What now for the endless carnival that is Gunner Kiel’s college life?

Following this bouncing ball: Gunner Kiel was, at one point, the top high school prospect in the country (or the top QB of his year, depending on how you read scouting services). Initially, he was headed to Indiana — he’s… Continue Reading