Coach Cal To Kentucky

Seth Davis and Luke Winn of Sports Illustrated are reporting that John Calipari will leave Memphis to take over at Kentucky. Cal will reportedly make $4 million per year with the Wildcats. This is the perfect marriage. Calipari is a tremendous college coach who led two schools -- UMass and Memphis -- that do not reside on the college hoops Mt. Rushmore to the Final Four. Kentucky is the George Washington of that Mt. Rushmore, the most tradition filled program in college basketball's rich history, but they have struggled lately and missed the NCAA Tournament in 2009. Calipari will now get to lead a program with unlimited resources and Kentucky will get a coach who can return them to prominence. Calipari has some serious work to do to get Kentucky back to the Tournament in 2010. He needs to keep current stars Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks and find a way to convince DeMarcus Cousins and Xavier Henry, two of the highest rated high school seniors who had committed to play at Memphis, to join him in Lexington. Calipari also needs to find a way to keep Daniel Orton, who committed to Kentucky to play for ex-coach Billy Gillespie, and get on the trail of John Wall and Lance Stephenson, the top two unsigned seniors. If Calipari is successful in restocking the Wildcats roster, he may compete for the national championship as soon as 2010, 14 years after Kentucky defeated his 1996 UMass team in the Final Four and just two years after Memphis lost in the title game to Kansas.

Ohhhhhh Fuuuuuuuck

Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" said it best. If KG is done, so are the Celtics.

(It's going to take a gun to stop LeBron and the Cavs if KG is out. Hope Ralphie can handle this motherfucker.)

Random Thoughts (March 30, 2009)

The Associated Press released their All-American team today and as a coach, it would be a dream to coach Blake Griffin, Tyler Hansbrough, DaJuan Blair, James Harden, and Stephen Curry. Cases could be made that second-team All-Americans Hasheem Thabeet and Ty Lawson were first-team caliber but it would be hard to replace any of the top five. I think both Thabeet and Lawson would take a national championship this weekend over the All-American accolades anyways... I collect my ticket stubs. Among the ones I want to preserve to show off to my future grandchildren are from Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS (Fuck the Babe), Game 1 of the 2004 World Series (which was a counterfeit seat but it did the job anyways), Game 2 of the 2008 NBA Finals (Leon Poooooo-we), Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS (Daisuke survives!), the 2004 ("Cut that MEAT!!!") and 2008 (18-0) AFC Championship games, Duke-Georgetown from this January (my one -- and only -- trip to Cameron), and Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS (Papi does it again). Included in that collection is my stub from Saturday's East Regional Championship game played at the Garden. Behind a last second layup from Scottie Reynolds, Villanova outlasted Pittsburgh in an epic, back-and-forth game. Reynolds' bucket gave 'Nova its first berth in the Final Four since Ed Pinckney and Rollie Massamino upset Georgetown to win the 1985 national championship. It was a game for the ages and I'm lucky to say -- and have proof -- that I was there... John Calipari to Kentucky just makes too much sense for it not to happen... Sean Miller of Xavier would be a great replacement for Coach Cal if he were to leave the Tigers... Anthony Grant will make Alabama a basketball power in the weak SEC... I would be shocked if Rick Pitino left Louisville for Arizona. Of course, if the technology was available in 1997, I would have typed the same thought about his future with Kentucky... I'm not feeling too hot about the Celtics chances of repeating as long as KG continues to limp around. I need answers... Enjoy the new condo B...

NFL Mock Draft 1.0

Between my duties as a teacher, basketball coach, and husband-to-be, I have struggled to find the time that I usually devote to two of my late winter/early spring passions -- the NCAA tournament and the NFL Draft. My NCAA bracket is all but busted. I still have my entire Final Four -- Pittsburgh, Connecticut, North Carolina, and Michigan State -- but I suffered too many early round losses. For the record, I picked VCU, Northern Iowa, and Utah State to do some early damage and all three lost by a combined 7 points. Not good. Hopefully, with the extra month I have to prepare for the Draft, my performance will improve. This is the first of (hopefully) three mock drafts. 1. Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia The Lions need help everywhere. 2. St. Louis Rams: Jason Smith, OT, Baylor It must be nice to have the opportunity to replace Orlando Pace, a future Hall of Fame left tackle, with such an impressive prospect like Smith. 3. Kansas City Chiefs: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College Scott Pioli always had success drafting interior defensive lineman while he was with the Patriots. If Raji develops like Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, or Vince Wilfork, the Chiefs will have drafted themselves a Pro Bowl nose tackle. 4. Seattle Seahawks: Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest Curry is the top rated linebacker in the draft and he would be a nice fit alongside Lofa Tatupu. 5. Cleveland Browns: Brian Orakpo, LB, Texas Mangini hopes that he will find more success in drafting a pass rushing specialist in the Top 10 in 2009 than it did in 2008. 6. Cincinnati Bengals: Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia Michael Crabtree would be a nice addition for the Bengals but does it matter who they have to catch the ball if Carson Palmer doesn't have time to throw? 7. Oakland Raiders: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech By adding Crabtree to an offensive nucleus that includes Darren McFadden, the Raiders are sending a message to QB JaMarcus Russell ... start making plays or start looking for a new employer. 8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss The Jaguars lack of an offenisve line destroyed all of their Super Bowl dreams in 2008. Oher, the subject of Michael Lewis' fantastic book "The Blind Side," has enormous potential. 9. Green Bay Packers: Rey Maualuga, LB, USC A.J. Hawk is not capable of carrying the Packers defense by himself. 10. San Francisco 49ers: Everette Brown, DE, Florida State Guys who can rush the passer are always in demand. 11. Buffalo Bills: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri Adding Maclin to a receiving corps that features T.O. puts serious pressure on the defensive backfields in Foxboro, Miami, and the Meadowlands. 12. Denver Broncos: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State The McDaniels-Cutler saga aside, the Broncos really need to improve their defense to get back to playing football in January. 13. Washington Redskins: Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State With Albert Haynesworth eating up blockers inside, Maybin could get some easy looks at the quarterback this fall. 14. New Orleans Saints: Darius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland The Saints are a team filled with offensive weapons and are sorely lacking on defense. Giving Drew Brees another target makes more sense than trying to put a band-aid on the defense. 15. Houston Texans: Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State The Texans have built a very good young defense. Giving the offense a running back with the potential to move the chains and give that defense a rest makes sense. 16. San Diego Chargers: Andre Smith, OT, Alabama Smith's workouts have killed his chances of being a Top 10 pick but the Chargers can afford to gamble on the All-American left tackle. 17. New York Jets: Brian Cushing, LB, USC Finding a quarterback might be a priority for new coach Rex Ryan but the versatile Cushing would be a nice fit for the "Gang Green" defense. 18. Chicago Bears: Mark Sanchez, QB, USC The Bears lack of a quality quarterback cost this team a chance to win Super Bowl XLI and stay competitive in the NFC. Sanchez will need time to develop but he has the makings of a solid pro. 19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Eben Britton, OT, Arizona The Bucs have need at quarterback but it's always nice to invest in a left tackle. 20. Detroit Lions: Clay Matthews, LB, USC The Lions get a promising linebacker to help rebuild their defense. I also just realized that I have projected four Trojans to go in the first 20 picks. 21. Philadelphia Eagles: Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia Brian Westbrook is a perennial Pro Bowler but he always finds a way to get hurt and miss a few games. Moreno would be a nice fill-in for Westbrook both short-term and in the long-run. 22. Minnesota Vikings: Percy Harvin, WR, Florida Harvin is a dynamic threat on offense and he could help take some of the pressure off of Adrian Peterson. 23. New England Patriots: Connor Barwin, LB, Cincinnati Barwin fits into the Patriots need at linebacker and he seems to be a "Belichick guy." He is athletic (4.60 in the 40-yard dash), has good size (6-4, 260), and he is versatile (he played tight end, defensive end, and linebacker for the Bearcats). On paper, he is a young Mike Vrabel. 24. Atlanta Falcons: Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State Matt Ryan's development will be made easier with a pass catching tight end. 25. Miami Dolphins: Larry English, LB, Northern Illinois English would be a nice fit as an outside linebacker in the Dolphins 3-4 defense. He could possibly be another Jason Taylor (pass rusher from a small school). 26. Baltimore Ravens: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois After losing Chris McAllister, Samari Rolle, and Jim Leonhard, the Ravens need help in the secondary. 27. Indianapolis Colts: Perria Jones, DT, Ole Miss The Colts have succeeded with an undersized defenisve line for a long time but they have a serious need for a large, run stuffing tackle. 28. Philadelphia Eagles: Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma The Eagles window to win a Super Bowl with Donovan McNabb and Westbrook is closing quickly. Gresham is playmaker at tight end. 29. New York Giants: Hakeem Nicks, WR, NC State With the future of Plaxico Burress up in the air, Eli Manning needs as many guys who can catch the ball as possible. 30. Tennessee Titans: Alex Mack, C, California Adding a quality offensive lineman at this point is a bonus for the Titans. 31. Arizona Cardinals: Ron Brace, DT, Boston College The Cardinals need to be able to stop the run to get back to the Super Bowl. 32. Pittsburgh Steelers: William Beatty, OT, UConn Replenishing an already solid offensive line is one of the peks of being the defending champions. Additionally, here are some players that I feel could be potential targets of the Patriots: Sean Smith, CB, Utah Jarron Gilbert, DL, San Jose State Darius Butler, CB, UConn William Moore, S, Missouri Louis Delmas, S, Western Michigan Duke Robinson, OL, Oklahoma James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State

Random Thoughts (March 26, 2009)

Even with Kevin Garnett limited to 15 minutes in his comeback from a strained knee muscle, the Celtics found a way to make life miserable last night for the Magic in Orlando. With KG basically not playing, Dwight Howard was expected to lead the Magic to an impressive win with second place in the Eastern Conference on the line. The Magic did get the W but it was hardly an inspiring victory. The Magic won 84-82 but it was the Celtics who looked like the team that was ready to do damage in the playoffs. The Celtics defense did a great job of containing Howard in the fourth quarter and they found a way to get a bunch of stops down the stretch. If it weren't for Boston's carelessness with the basketball (18 turnovers), they probably would have left Florida with the win. The C's have struggled lately but it is clear that Doc Rivers and the C's value the health of their aging stars more than home court in the postseason. Let's hope that works... The Mikki Moore era doesn't seem to have the same feel that the PJ Brown era had. That could be the difference in May or June... As much as I hate Duke, keep a close eye on Gerald Henderson this weekend as he will try and lead the Blue Devils to their first Final Four since 2004. The 6-4 shooting guard is an athletic freak, has an NBA caliber jump shot, and can create his own offense off the dribble. He will be an NBA All-Star sooner that later. If it weren't for his alliance with Coach K and the Dookies, I would be quicker to compare him with Ray Allen... So, Billy Gillespie, how does it feel to be the head coach at Kentucky? After coaching the first Kentucky team to miss the NCAA tournament since 1991, Gillespie watched his season end last night with 77-67 loss to Notre Dame last night in the NIT quarterfinals. The rumors about his job security are never ending. If (when?) Gillespie gets his walking papers from Lexington, there would be very few candidates with the ability to make the Wildcats into an instant success. Rick Pitino's name will be tossed into the discussion but I don't see him leaving Louisville for a return to UK. John Calipari would be a great fit with Kentucky if he agrees to leave Memphis. UK alumnus and current Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford will certainly be mentioned. If I were Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart, I would go after Tom Izzo of Michigan State, Billy Donovan of Florida, Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh, and Calipari. The Wildcats need a coach with a track record of success, who can handle the spotlight and media pressure, and who can recruit the best players in the country (and convince current stars Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks to stay another season). All four are winners, all four are great with the media, and all four can recruit. If none of them will take the Kentucky job than the decision makers need to hang on to Gillespie for another winter... After John Smoltz had a good throwing session yesterday and Clay Buchholz had another impressive start, Red Sox fans have to smile at their amazing pitching depth... Enjoy Scottie Reynolds tonight...

Random Thoughts (March 25, 2009)

Even though he admitted that he is not yet 100%, the Celtics are such a better team on both ends of the floor with Kevin Garnett in the lineup. His ability to make the C's function on both ends continues to amaze me, even after he has played almst two full seasons in Boston. I know that I am just stating the obvious here but watching the C's play without KG for a month has really made me realize that they have no shot at repeating without him. Losing Paul Pierce, Ray Allen or Rajon Rondo would be a tough blow to overcome but KG is truly the only Celtic who can not be replaced... Curt Schilling, Hall of Fame, 2013... I caught my first Bruins game this season at the Garden on Sunday in their 4-1 win over New Jersey. It was a great game for the B's, who had been struggling, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that Devils goalie Martin Brodeur played so poorly. It's not everyday you get to watch an all-time great player do his thing and on Sunday, Brodeur was not on his game... My NCAA brackets are struggling but my entire Final Four -- Pittsburgh, Connecticut, North Carolina, and Michigan State -- is still alive. I will be sitting in the lower bowl of the Garden tomorrow night for Pittsburgh-Xavier and Duke-Villanova, my first ever live experience with the men's tournament... The glow of winning the state championship continues to burn brightly... Enjoy KG tonight...

Salt In The Wounds Of Belichick Haters ... Pats Close To Landing Peppers

Remember when Bill Belichick was so heavily criticized by the members of the Boston (and national) media when he traded Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs for a second round pick (#34 overall) in April's draft? Those were the days. Vic Carucci of NFL.com reported today that the Patriots are going to trade that draft choice to the Panthers in exchange for Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers. With the Patriots, the 6-7 quarterback killer would be converted to outside linebacker. Imagine a Patriots front seven of Richard Seymour and Ty Warren at defensive end, Vince Wilfork at nose tackle, Jerod Mayo at inside linebacker, and Peppers and Adalius Thomas at outside linebacker. With an improved secondary (Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden added at cornerback) and four other picks in the top 90 picks (#23, #47, #58, #89) to add depth, the Pats defense will be Super Bowl caliber. Add that to an offense that has Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and a stable of top running backs, and you are talking about the prohibitive favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV. Ron Borges and the rest of the Belichick hating scribes can start the line to start kissing the ass of the greatest coach in the NFL. It's time to admit that they are idiots and Belichick is a three-time Super Bowl winning genius who is gracious enough to continue providing the fans of New England with a phenomenal football team.

Random Thoughts (March 11, 2009)

If you are a reader of this space, you know that I am no Damon Runyan in the making. That said, no sportswriter could capture the magic inside the TD Banknorth (Boston) Garden last night as Milton High School defeated Woburn High School 70-69 to win the Division II Eastern Massachusetts boy's basketball championship. As a longtime fan, former player, and now assistant coach at Milton, last night was one of the most memorable and special evenings I will ever experience. There are no words to describe the feeling of seeing a group of young men that you spend countless hours with throughout the year rise to the occassion on the big stage of the parquet floor at the Garden. Thank you for taking me along for the ride... The Patriots still have not addressed their lack of a pass rush -- Jason Taylor remains a free agent -- but Bill Belichick has shored up the secondary, signing Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden. Springs and Bodden should be valuable members of the defense in 2009... The Red Sox stopped pursuing Mark Teixeira when the dollars reached stimulus package levels but they have distributed their cash to their rising young stars instead. Since failing to land Teixeira, the Sox have given Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jon Lester (who is expected to sign a 5-year extension this week) long term contracts that give the franchise a base for the future while looking to compete for the World Series in 2009. This is the way to build a long term winner. Make good draft picks, develop your own talent, and keep those players in the system... Enjoy Paul Pierce tonight...

Random Thoughts (March 5, 2009)

I hear all the talk of how the Patriots should acquire Julius Peppers from the Panthers. I don't agree. It would cost too much in compensation and in salary to get Peppers. The best bet is for the Pats to sign free agent Jason Taylor. Taylor gets after the quarterback and he would come cheaper than Peppers. Add in the fact that Belchick has always been quick to praise Taylor and I see the perfect fit... When I read that Alex Rodriguez is having hip surgery and will be out at least 10 weeks, I think that the Yankees told him to find an excuse to lay low for a few months... As a Red Sox fan, you have to be excited to think about a Josh Beckett/Jon Lester/Daisuke Matsuzaka/Brad Penny/Tim Wakefield starting rotation and a Jonathan Papelbon/Justin Masterson/Ramon Ramirez/Hideki Okajima/Manny Delcarmen/Takashi Saito/Javier Lopez bullpen. I didn't even include John Smoltz, Clay Buchholz, or Michael Bowden. It's nice to have pitching depth... As much as I love Manny Ramirez for his accomplishments with the Red Sox, it's a tough pill to swallow when he signs a 2-year/$45-million deal with the Dodgers after forcing his way out of Boston because he didn't want to play for $20-million a year in 2009 and 2010... Enjoy Phil Kessel tonight...

Random Thoughts (March 1, 2009)

When the news broke this weekend that the Patriots had traded Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs for a second round pick (#34) in April's NFL Draft, a few things ran through my mind. First, I was shocked that Vrabel had been dealt. His stats in 2008 did drop off from 2007 (12.5 sacks to 4) but at age 33, I thought Vrabel still had a good 2-3 years of good football in front of him. Obvioulsy Belichick did not. Just like when Belichick thought Drew Bledsoe had to go and when he thought Lawyer Milloy's best days had passed him by and when he thought Ty Law wasn't earning his full salary. Belichick's ability to cut ties with players before they fall apart has been a major reason why the team has been so competitive for such a long time. I will side with Belichick, who must think that Vrabel's age and declining production are not worth the $4.3 million he would have counted for against the salary cap in 2009. Second, I was worried that the Patriots didn't get enough for Cassel. I thought that they would get more than just one second round pick and I would be lying if I originally believed that Belichick didn't grant his former associate Scott Pioli a favor in giving up both Cassel and Vrabel for the 34th pick. But after learning that the Patriots had shopped Cassel around the NFL -- including to Denver, where Josh McDaniels now has to kiss and makeup with Jay Cutler -- it looks like that Belichick got the best deal possible at a time when he needed to create salary cap space (the Pats save almost $20 million in cap space in moving Cassel and Vrabel). The bottom line is that Belichick will do what he believes is right for both the short-term and long-term future of his football team. What fans like myself or the so-called "experts" believe means nothing to him and that is why the Patriots are Super Bowl contenders on a yearly basis. Now that Belichick has moved Cassel, he can focus on free agncy and the draft. He has signed running back Fred Taylor and tight end Chris Baker already and has hosted cornerbacks Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs as well as wide receiver Mike Furrey. As always, business carries on in Foxboro. Some of that extra salary cap space can also be used on re-signing their own players. James Sanders signed a three-year contract on Sunday and Vince Wilfork has been talking about an extension lately. As for the draft, the Pats now have four choices in the first two rounds. They have their own first and second round picks (#23 and #58) and the second round picks of the Chiefs (#34) and Chargers (#47). With the team looking to rebuild its defense, holding four of the top sixty picks is a good place to start... I would hate for the Bruins to move such a promising young star like Phil Kessel but with the Stanley Cup a reality in Boston for the first time since W's poppy was running the show on Pennsylvania Avenue, Peter Chiarelli better pull the trigger on a Chris Pronger-for-Kessel deal... The Red Sox turned down Pedro Martinez when the free agent and former BoSox ace asked if there were any spots in the Boston rotation but would it really kill the Sox to give Martinez a low-risk minor league deal just in case they need an arm at some point this summer. Martinez could hang out in the Dominican for $500,000 and if he isn't activated by July 1, he would become a free agent again... A year after BC quarterback Matt Ryan was drafted third overall by the Falcons, it looks like another former Eagle will be a top pick. Defensive tackle B.J. Raji looks like a possible top 10 pick. I guess former coach Tom O'Brien, now at N.C. State, really could recruit big time players... Enjoy Spring Training highlights in between shoveling tomorrow...