Granite State Sports Fans,
It’s been a wild week. Since our last blog, so much has happened in the world of sport, as it usually does when March turns to April. Let’s not even kid ourselves, I’m not going to pretend to be neutral when it comes to college basketball. Right now, in terms of achievements, it’s Louisville and then everybody else. Considering that a year ago this time, I was still a student there, I’m okay with it. Speaking of Louisville, New Hampshire Sports Night will be live from Atlanta on Friday at the InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead, so if you’re in the area, stop by at 6PM ET.
J-Bone’s Bonehead Moment of the Week(1):
Kim Mulkey, Baylor Women’s Basketball Coach
Nothing made me more proud than watching my women’s basketball team (which I was with for four years) knock off the best team in America. It was downright awesome. I might get kicked out of my apartment complex for yelling so loud. By the way, in case you missed it, below is a clip of Kim Mulkey, the Baylor Women’s Coach, going nuts. I find it funny because for about the last nine minuets of the game Baylor got every call (I said I was throwing out my media neutrality, which we all know no media member actually has). Mulkey later ripped the refs in the postgame conference. When you have a 6’8” post player in Brittany Griner, who is probably the most dominant player of her era, and lose to a team that was #5 seed (no matter how much I love them), don’t blame the refs. Mulkey, however, seems to love to blame everyone but herself. After losing to eventual champs Texas A&M two years ago in the Elite 8, she threw a tantrum about the selection committee. I think I speak for everyone who thanks Louisville’s Shoni Schimmel for finally getting in the face of Griner, we’ve all had enough of her.
I mean come on…doesn’t Mulkey look like she’s really auditioning for a role on Jerry Springer? And also, how does that not earn a technical? The rules on what constitutes a technical foul must say something about coaches half-stripping and being held back.
J-Bone’s Bonehead Moment of the Week(2):
Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys
Funny that both of our Bonehead moments originate from the state of Texas, but then again, a lot of bonehead things happen in or because of people from Texas. Jerry Jones’ signing of Tony Romo to a six year $108 million contract is absolutely absurd. You’re reading someone who has sipped, many a time, from the cup of the Romo Kool-Aid, and even I think this is insane. To me, the Cowboys were in the position they wanted to be with Romo. He was a free agent after the year, and they were going to have an opportunity to see if Romo finally could be the guy. The worst part about all this is he gets $55 million guaranteed. Only Tom Brady has more at $58 million (let’s count rings). In six years-plus with the Cowboys, Romo has won one playoff game. In six days last January, Joe Flacco won two. I actually like Romo. I think he throws a great ball, his offensive line was awful, every receiver he’s ever had seems to be a diva and he still plays the game. I just don’t like him to the tune of $55 million guaranteed.
Friends of Bone:
Hats off to Louisville senior Monique Reid, who is a very close “FOB” (Friend of Bone) and drilled two free throws at the end to win the game. Congratulations to Louisville coach Jeff Walz, his staff and his talented roster for pulling off what few thought they could. They try to knock off Tennessee tonight at 9 PM ET. Louisville play-by-play voice Matt Andrews will join New Hampshire Sports Night with Jared Stillman tonight at 6 PM ET.
Enfield goes Hollywood:
Andy Enfield is headed to LA. The former Florida Gulf Coast coach, and Sports Night Man Crush, has landed a new gig at the University of Southern California, with a lot more money. Enfield, who has only been a head coach for two years, will now make over $1 million for he, his three kids and super model wife. That’s a lot of Taco Bell. Can Enfield handle LA? Of course he can, he’s married to a super model and looks like Andy Enfield. The real question is, can LA handle Andy Enfield? Georgetown couldn’t.
The World’s Worst Reaction hits the Bronx:
With baseball beginning, I have noticed one thing. The New York Yankees are going to be down right abysmal. I mean this lineup, the one that has Vernon Wells hitting fifth, would be a solid (yet probably not by Yankee standards) for a 2006 team. Vernon Wells is the epitome of an overreaction. When baseball contracts were exploding in the mid-2000’s, the Blue Jays feared they were going to lose their star in Wells. After losing Carlos Delgado to the Florida Marlins (what a concept, the Blue Jays losing a player to the Marlins), they locked him up to the tune of seven years and $126 million. Good grief, what a major overreaction. Then in 2011, after every major free agent had turned down the Angels (wait, free agents turn down the Angels?), Wells was acquired (along with the $80 plus million owed to him) for Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera. The end result of that debacle? Then-Angels’ GM Tony Reagans was fired. Wells has found a new home, and that is with the New York Yankees. After the Yankees realized that they already had enough aging stars making tons of money and not providing any value (A-Rod, Granderson, Jeter, Teixiera all on DL to begin 2013), they decided to add Wells for two years and about $15 million. The real winner in all of this? Wells, who still gets his $126 million. You can steal more money at ballpoint than at gunpoint. He should thank his lucky stars he doesn’t play in the NFL.
He’s Just Not That Into You:
Jerome Iginla basically told the Bruins, their fans and GM Peter Chiarelli that he wanted to go to Pittsburgh so bad that he didn’t even care if he embarrassed them in the process. More power to Iginla. Sure, that’s not the popular thought process around here, but Iginla has earned the right to pick where he goes via a “No-Trade” or “No-Movement” clause. He earned that right. Contracts like that aren’t given to guys like David Krejci for a reason. Iginla is a special player and has meant a lot to Calgary. I can’t blame him for evoking a contractual right granted to him.
CBS: Classy Business Sense
A lot of people have had a lot of thoughts about the Kevin Ware injury. Of course, our thoughts and prayers are with him as he rehabs from one of the most gruesome injuries I’ve ever seen. The one person I want to give credit to is whomever at CBS decided not to have Tracey Wolfson chase down Rick Pitino before halftime. From a media standpoint, a Pitino interview would have been gold. You’re instructed that it is your job to ask those questions even at times when, as a person, you shouldn’t. Wolfson didn’t. Not chasing down Pitino or any other Louisville players, who were literally grieving during the game, was a classy move and CBS should deserve credit for that. Often we’re ripping members of the media for having no class, and this time, CBS did.
That’s all for this blog. Coming up on Friday, we’ll have another mailbag. Tweet in your questions to @JaredStillman or e-mail them jstillman@concordnewsradio.com. Sports Night is loaded this week with Black Crowes’ drummer Steve Gorman, Slapshot Radio’s Paul McCann, college basketball analyst Chris Brickley, and NESN’s Ricky Doyle. Friday we’re live from the InterContinental Buckhead in Atlanta.
Deuces,
Jared
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New Hampshire Sports Night with Jared Stillman airs weeknights from 6-7 PM ET on WKXL 103.9/1450 and online at ConcordNewsRadio.com. You can follow Jared @JaredStillman
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Want to join the New Hampshire Sports Night team? Advertising opportunities are available, e-mail Janice Cyr at jcyr@concordnewsradio.com today.
