NHL Power Rankings: Week 27

1. (1) Capitals-They are running away with the Eastern Conference and overall title. Nothing is going to slow them down right now. It is going to take some heroic playoff performances to knock them off come playoff time.
2. (5) Coyotes-The Sharks may lead the division but the Coyotes have been consistently better recently despite the Sharks recent run.
3. (4) Sharks-They appeared to be trending downwards until they simply exploded this week. Another week of great play and they can pass the Coyotes and seal up the Pacific division.
4. (2) Canucks-They are not playing as strong recently but when Luongo turns it on come playoff time they are a team to watch.
5. (10) Sabres-While the second seed in the Eastern Conference seemed unlikely as much as two weeks ago they are certainly in the mix for it now.
6. (3) Blackhawks-They are not as dominant as they were in mid-season but I still feel this team will be a huge threat down the stretch and into the playoffs.
7. (6) Penguins-The phenomenal play of Crosby and the Pens go hand in hand right now.
8. (8) Predators- The Predators are red hot and could probably be ranked even higher. They are certainly a team to watch this week.
9. (11). Devils-For some reason I just do not trust this team enough to rank them higher.
10. (12) Red Wings-It seems odd that a team pushing for the fifth spot in the West could be ranked so high. However, this team has all the veteran experience it needs and is playing some outstanding hockey right now.
11. (16) Senators-I wasn't sure this team knew the NHL season had picked up again. Maybe the message just got through.
12. (7) Kings-They are not playing very well recently. The only reason they are not lower is the mediocre play of several teams right now.
13. (19) Bruins-I thought this team was buried just a few weeks ago, especially after that half-hearted rematch with the Pens. They are probably one and done in the playoffs but they could suprise us.
14. (9) Avalanche-They have fallen so far. Once a top 5 team and now a team in danger of missing the playoffs if this play continues.
15. (14) Canadians-Playing simply horrifically right now. Their record is the only thing keepin them afloat.
16. (13) Flames-First they are red hot and then they are ice cold. Which one is it? They seem to be too inconsistent to pose any real threat if they make the playoffs.
17. (20) Blues-They look to be done but we have seen more remarkable runs.
18. (22) Ducks-Their hopes looked slim last week and look dire this week.
19. (15) Flyers-They are just terrible right now.
20. (24) Thrashers-They seem to scrounge up points when need be but this week will be a huge one for their playoff hopes.
21. (21) Stars-They are playing better a little too late.
22. (17) Rangers-They are still in the hunt for a playoff spot but they will had to soldier on without Avery.
23. (28) Islanders-They, like the stars, may be playing better a little too late.
24. (27) Blue Jackets-They get shalacked one night and then dominate the next. Their two wins over Chicago are promising though.
25. (18) Wild-Inconsistent play seems to be a widespread theme this year.
26. (25) Hurricanes-Running the table is probably not enough at this point.
27. (23) Lightning-A 7-1 loss to Buffalo is not very promising for the future.
28. (26) Panthers-They have won two of seven and are now reeling.
29. (29) Maple Leafs-I don't care that they have played better recently. The Kessel trade is looking worse and worse by the day.
30. (30) Oilers-It is not good when you are 14 points behind the second worst team in the NHL

NCAAB: Bizarre Big Dance

Bizarre. Every year millions of people make brackets. And, this year, not a single person could’ve predicted this. Bizarre.

Cornell knocked off Temple. Murray State knocked off Vanderbilt. Ohio knocked off Georgetown. Butler knocked off Syracuse. St. Mary’s knocked off Villanova. Northern Iowa knocked off Kansas. You can’t ask for much more drama than that.

I’m like every other American. I watch the selection show, gripe about how my teams should have gotten a better seed, and second-guess my risky Final Four. I made my bracket and plastered the actual and theoretical brackets on my door, confusing my roommate. (Let’s just say it took a lot of explaining for her to understand the bracket.) And after all my deliberation and consideration, I was dead wrong.

After all the hype over teams seeded in controversial positions ended, it got down to the basketball. The pep bands, the school spirit, the competitive games. The seemingly nonstop stream of games for two days provides constant entertainment as each one comes down to the wire. Anything can happen during March Madness.

No one proved that better than Northern Iowa. As a #9 seed, they were more than expected to fall the #1 overall seed, Kansas. Jokingly, my dad said Kansas would lose, but even he was shocked when they actually did. Kansas waltzed in there expecting to walk all over Northern Iowa, but the Panthers came to play ball. Everyone loves a Cinderella who comes to dance, but let’s face it, most people in country were muttering their displeasure that this year’s Cinderella had to knock off the number one seed.

No one could’ve predicted the injury bug to bite the tourney, either. From West Virginia’s Darryl Bryant to Syracuse’s Arinze Onuaku, each loss has had a profound effect on how the teams approach the contest. This year’s national champion may be decided based a great deal on the injuries that have plagued multiple schools.

The schools you picked may not have made it into tonight’s Sweet Sixteen contests, but this year’s tournament is turning out how a tournament is supposed to. They’re college kids. College kids don’t get paid to play this game; they play this game because they love it. In any given game, any team can walk away with the last-second buzzer-beating win. The beauty of the college game is the unpredictability, the passion, the insanity. That’s why we’re drawn in year after year.

While I like to think that I follow so much college basketball that I could make the perfect bracket, the truth is, my roommate, who’d never heard of the Big Dance before this year, probably would have made a more successful bracket on her whims and fancies than I could’ve predicted with all my insight and stats. And honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Sure, my teams didn’t even come close to winning this year, but at least I was treated to some close, entertaining games.

Eagles sign Darryl Tapp

Eagles, Tapp have agreed on contract extension

Posted by Mike Florio on March 16, 2010 8:18 PM ET

For those of you wondering whether the Eagles traded for Seahawks defensive endDarryl Tapp without signing him to a new deal, wonder no longer.

Per a league source, the Eagles have worked out a contract extension with Tapp.

On Monday, Tapp signed his one-year restricted free agency tender. Execution of the tender offer allowed the Seahawks to trade Tapp.

So instead of getting the second-round tender the Seahawks would have received if Tapp had signed an offer sheet that the Seahawks hadn't matched, they get defensive end Chris Clemons and a fourth-round pick.

But there's one caveat. The source says that the trade and the contract hinge on Tapp passing a physical on Thursday.

UPDATE: Our friends at KJR have advised us that Tapp has confirmed in an on-air interview that he has agreed to a contract extension.

NHL Power Rankings: Week 25

Well the power rankings are back after an extended absence on my part and the Olympics. Nonetheless there has been some movement along the board. As we approach the stretch run a clearer picture of the playoffs is coming into view.

1. (1) Capitals-Their comeback in Chicago was amazing enough erasing a three goal deficit. What made it even better was they did it without Alexander Ovechkin for over two periods.
2. (4) Canucks-I have been high on the Canucks all year. All they do is win and win consistently. They are showing no signs of fading down the stretch and if they could play a little better on the road the sky is the limit.
3. (3) Blackhawks-They still are one of the premiere teams in the league, there is no doubt about that. However, one has to wonder when they fail to protect a three goal lead in the third period at home against an Ovechkin-less Capitals.
4. (2) Sharks-Right now they are the lost team in that first tier. If they can tune their game up a bit and get back to their mid-season form they will head in as the favorites to represent the West in the Stanley Cup.
5. (7) Coyotes-They are just on the edge of the elite. If they put together another strong week they will certainly make a strong case for themselves. They will ride their 5 game win streak into Tampa, Florida, and Dallas while hosting Chicago. If they can come out with two or three wins in the brutal week, assuming one is Chicago, they will deserve the right to be among the elite.
6. (5) Penguins-It was a very scary moment in Tampa as Crosby and Malkin went down. Crosby was fine, but if Malkin is out for extended time the Pens could find themselves in a tough spot.
7. (6) Kings-Recent loses to Chicago and Nashville are not gonna help this team. That is the level of competition they will face in the playoffs. They get another crack at Chicago this week.
8. (15) Predators-They were buried as a playoff fringe team a month ago. Now they have revitalized hopes with strong wins in Anaheim and Los Angeles.
9. (12) Avalanche-The propoensity to streakiness comes with the territory of a young team. However, you would like to see a little more consistency from them to stay in the top 10.
10. (8) Sabres-They truly are lucky that Ottowa is still on Olympic break. They do need to make a move now to secure the division while Ottowa struggles to regain form.
11. (9) Devils-One day they play like a top 5 team against the Penguins, the next they lay an egg verse the Islanders. This team plays down the competition to often to stay in the top 10.
12. (13) Red Wings-The Wings have been there before and they look more and more like a team priming to make a run.
13. (14) Flames-The only team hotter the Flames right now is the Canucks. Unlucky for them that they ran into the Canucks Sunday night.
14. (22) Canadiens-The Habs have shot up from the cellar to make a nice run. Surely this play won't continue forever but if they can maintain a couple more weeks of high play the playoffs are theirs' to lose.
15. (11) Flyers-As a Bruins fan I can admit that no team considering itself a contender should ever be so soundly beaten 5-1 at home against a Savard-less Bruins. That was simply inexcusable.
16. (10) Senators-I think someone needs to call Ottawa and let them know the Olympics are over.
17. (28) Rangers-They really needed that win over Philly this weekend. There abysmal play in January hurt them but they are a run away from making this even more interesting.
18. (16) Wild-They are doing what mediocre teams do: win the ones against bad teams and lose to the big dogs.
19. (26) Bruins-Thursday is a big day for the Bruins. They absolutely have to send a message to Cooke. If they don't they mine as well tell the league that they are gonna continue to play like pushovers. Their star player in Savard looks to be out for the season and if they NHL is not going to do anything the Bruins should.
20. (19) Blues-Any hope of a St. Louis run looks to be far out of the question.
21. (17) Stars-There are too many questions on the blue line for this team to handle. Unless they get some firepower this off-season expect another year like this one.
22. (20) Ducks-They dominate January and February and then play like this in March. That is if you call this playing.
23. (21) Lightning-They are second in their division, that is pretty good. Except that Atlanta, Florida, and Carolina are in the division too.
24. (24) Thrashers-Maybe the Kovalchuk trade gave this team some hope. I think they figured out by now all they did was hurt their draft pick as they are going no where anytime soon.
25. (23) Hurricanes-Why would you start winning a few games now?
26. (18) Panthers-Beating San Jose is not gonna salvage their season any time soon.
27. (25) Blue Jackets-Hey at least they beat Anaheim. That is if you overlook the 6-0 and 5-1 stinkers to LA and St. Louis.
28. (27) Islanders-When are goalie tryouts?
29. (29) Maple Leafs-At least there is hope with a high draft pick. Scratch that, they dealt that pick for the rights to Kessel. Looks to be doing them quite good right now.
30. (30) Oilers-There is only one question surrounding the Oilers now. Who will they select with the number one overall pick.

Big East, Big Stage

A wise, old sage once told me I was spoiled. And at the time, I didn’t really understand why. But watching this year’s Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden, I realize I definitely am.

Sure, I grew up watching some pretty amazing basketball. A Villanova fan, I saw year after year of nail-biting competition, stiff league competitors, and numerous NCAA tournament appearances. I watched Temple basketball under John Chaney shut down the opposition year after year. I lived through Texas Tech’s unstoppable streaks under Bobby Knight. I grew up knowing nothing but fantastic basketball.

Yeah, I was definitely spoiled.

I had heard tales of the legendary Rollie Massimino era. The year we were underdog champs. 1985. But, hey, I grew up in the Jay Wright Era. The NIT from ’02-’04. The Big Dance, well, every year since. Nothing but top caliber basketball. All the big names, from Randy Foye to Allan Ray to Kyle Lowry and Scottie Reynolds. Every game was either a blow-out (because we were just that good), or a buzzer-beater finish. You never wanted to miss a game. Big East basketball.

This year, the Big East, undoubtedly, is one of, if not the best, conference in the country. No single team dominates, a fifth of the AP Top 25 is Big East teams. While the Atlantic-10 Championship is hosted in Atlantic City at Boardwalk Hall, the Big East gets the biggest basketball stage, Madison Square Garden. It’s the conference with the most passion, most emotion, most talent. Automatically, you know when you’re watching a Big East game. It’s always tied, always close, every possession’s a battle, and the coaches are screaming as much as the players on the court. Every person is involved in the action. And it’s all I’ve ever known.

Georgetown and West Virginia are tied at 13 with 9:52 left in the first half. I can’t tell you who’ll win or who’ll be the hero, but I’ll tell you I’m watching a good game. I can tell you every possession will matter, it’ll come down to a strong finish, and MSG won’t stop rocking until that final buzzer sounds. I’ll be honest, I don’t know who I’m cheering for (I really don’t like either…it’s a love for ‘Nova, thing…) but it doesn’t really matter. It’s a Big East game. There’s nothing like it in college basketball. So if I’m stuck watching the Big East for the rest of my life, it wouldn’t matter too much because every game is one worth seeing. Every game matters in this conference. Every basket’s worth watching.

I may be spoiled when it comes to watching college basketball, but it’s made me a better fan. The Big East comes with high standards—high passion, high talent. And that’s exactly what you get. So as the first half winds down here in Manhattan, it’s still a tight, physical game. And I’ve come to expect nothing less.

So call me spoiled. At least I’m watching the best college basketball conference out there.

Below Average Wonderlic Another Strike Against Tebow

The inevitable leak of the Wonderlic scores from the 2010 NFL Combine occurred on Wednesday. The Wonderlic Test, a twelve-minute, fifty-question test used to assess the aptitude of prospective NFL players for learning and problem solving, is one of the many tests that the players are put through while at the combine. Of course we all knew that Tim Tebow would light up the field at the Combine, as he proved that he was a freakishly athletic specimen physically. A 38.5 inch vertical leap and a 4.7 forty yard dash are extremely impressive numbers for a quarterback, or anyone with his size as a matter of fact. But those few questions still remain on everyones' mind. Can he be a quarterback in the NFL? Can he handle the pressure of an NFL playbook? Will he ever be able to change that "winding-up" throwing motion? I have seen video of Tebow's improvement at improving his throwing motion; however, if I were a general manager of a professional football team, I would certainly not be willing to risk my job, my reputation, and millions of dollars on a kid who is just learning the correct fundamentals of throwing a football. I don't care how many guys he ran over in college, how loud he can yell during a game to fire his teammates up, or how many times I hear that he's a "winner"; he's simply not a quarterback. This recent leak of his below average wonderlic score is only another strike against him and will inevitably lead to more questions. With a perfect score on the test being a 50, the average score for a quarterback in the NFL is a 24. Tebow had the lowest score of the four leaked test scores. These tests scores were of course of the top four highly touted Quarterback prospects (Sam Bradford - 36, Colt McCoy - 25, Jimmy Clausen - 23, Tim Tebow - 22). At a time when anything could be construed as a check against Tim Tebow, he didn't help himself with a detrimental score of 22. That score would tie Tim with Chad Henne at 25th place for starting quarterbacks in the NFL. I am not saying that the Wonderlic score is anyway an accurate measuring stick for NFL success, I am purely acknowledging the fact that his low score is another detriment to his draft stock. The NFL contains many mediocre quarterbacks who had high scores, and vice-versa. Ryan Fitzpatrick scored a 48 (nearly perfect), while Donovan McNabb scored a 14. Just like any other test at the NFL's scouting combine, success or failure in now way will guarantee how good the player is once the pads are on. Football is a game of will power combined with physical power; therefore, I believe Tim Tebow will be an excellent NFL football player for years to come. My advice to him would be to just stop trying to pretend to be a quarterback. He needs to look at himself in the mirror and realize that his strengths are power, strength, athleticism, and physical size. Do they sound like the qualities of an NFL quarterback? I don't think so. So what position does fill these characteristics? I see fullback, H-Back, or Tight End in Tim Tebow's future. Sure he won't have the same glory or success that he garner in college as a quarterback, but that doesn't mean that he can't use his other features to become a successful football player. Plenty of players, Antwaan Randle El, Hines Ward, Matt Jones, and Brad Smith just to name a few, have successfully made the jump from quarterback to another position - why can't Tim Tebow?

Talent or Depth?

As we approach the end of the college basketball season, and the beginning of life on the pine, I am got to thinking: If I were a coach, a fan, a gm, or even a player myself what would I rather have, a great, albeit small, concentration of talent; or a very deep team? As the debate can rage forever in the realm of college basketball (see George Mason 2006 vs. Wade 2003, or Georgia Tech 2004 vs. Anthony 2003) and you can see there is no clear winner to this debate....

But I think we can delve a little deeper in the realm of baseball:

Think of it this way, any team wants to have a loaded lineup, pitching staff, and bench.. Heck any team would take being loaded even at one of those positions. But when you ask people if they would rather have a few loaded players or a deep team, and the debate gets intense. Sure, to the quick of feet, it seems pretty obvious: you want All-Stars. But upon further review, maybe a deep team is better. Let's take a look at a few teams to see both sides.

There is a new phase attacking fantasy baseball, and it is called the "dynasty" league. I am in one of these leagues along with fellow blogger Ian. As the commissioner, Ian set up a league in which you could select any team you want and you can get 2 pitchers and 1 batter or 2 batters and 1 pitcher from that team. The worse the team's record the better draft position you get. Now when doing this, you want to choose a team that has the 3 best players you can find. So naturally, you will go to the Phillies or Yankees first. And as stacked as those teams are, arguably the team that most people wanted was the Brewers.... Brewers? You mean the team that didn't even make the playoffs? Correct, and that is exactly the point the "deep" side would bring up. The Brewers, the team boasting Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, and Yovanni Gallardo, a ridiculous three-some of talent, that didn't even make the playoffs! So there must be something to this deep thing.

But on the other hand, look at a team like the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals world Series championship team. I dare you... DARE YOU to find me more than a handful of superstars on that team... I'll give you Pujols, Carpenter, Mulder, and if you really want to be daring Jim Edmonds... But if I find anyone out there who wants to argue the case of David Eckstein, So Taguchi, Aaron Miles, Scott Rolen, Yadier Molina, Sidney Ponson, or Jeff Suppan as a superstar, have fun with that one. And to everyone who says, but wait... that is a very deep team, think again! Depth occurs when a team has enough TALENT to win without it's SuperStars... take away Pujols or Mulder and you are gonzo.

So when the Brewers head out on the field for the 2010 season with a slightly improved roster don't be expected a pennant.... unless you believe in the 2006 Cardinals....