Pitt needs a change of pace, and Enfield could be the guy to change it

By: Joe Smeltzer

It's up to AD Scott Barnes to hit a home run when hiring a new basketball coach for Pitt (Photo creds to wptsradio.org)

Let's get one thing straight. I am not a University of Pittsburgh supporter. I do not care for the school in any way, shape or form. However, when something big happens in the sports world in my city, I have to say something about it.

As most of us should know by now, Jamie Dixon's 13 year run as head basketball coach at Pitt came to an end, as Dixon decided to return to his alma mater and become the new head basketball coach at TCU. Opinions of Dixon have been mixed over the years, as his Pitt teams were known to be very successful throughout the regular season only to crash out early in the NCAA tournament. For all that can be said, Dixon carried over what Ben Howland started in turning the Panthers from laughing stocks into winners, and he deserves to be commended for his efforts over the past decade in a half.

But as successful as Dixon was during his time at Pitt, I am a firm believer in that when a coach leaves, his successor should introduce a change of pace. Jamie Dixon, as well as his predecessor Ben Howland, are smart basketball minds, but Pitt basketball has played the same style for the better part of the past two decades: play defense, rebound the basketball and may the first team to score 50 wins. While that is capable of winning games (see, Virginia Cavaliers), it is not very exciting to watch and doesn't help with recruiting, either.

Kids with ambitions of playing a year in college before declaring for the NBA do not want to play in the style that Pitt has instituted over the past several years, and some statistics back that up. In Dixon's time as head coach, only 5 Pitt players were drafted into the NBA, and of those 5, only 1 (Steven Adams) went in the first round. Now this is not to say that whoever Pitt hires has to become John Calipari and recruit a semi-professional basketball team, but filling your roster with players like Jamel Artis and Michael Young might get you to the tournament, but won't get you to a Final Four.

Now teams don't necessarily need to rely on one-and-done's to get far. Schools like Butler and Wisconsin have gotten to Final Fours without playing a flashy, bling-bling style. At the same time, however, those teams had star power, as Wisconsin had one of the best college players of this decade in Frank Kaminsky. Butler had Shelvin Mack and Gordon Hayward, who are both currently playing in the NBA (Hayward has become a low-key star with the Utah Jazz). Also, Wisconsin was coached by future Hall of Famer Bo Ryan, while Butler was coached by Brad Stevens, who has become one of the best young minds in the NBA with the Boston Celtics. The odds of Pitt getting a coach like Ryan or Stevens are not something you should take to the bank.

Jamie Dixon did not go for the 5-star, blue chip recruits. He instead coached up lesser touted players and did a good job with it. But I have to think to myself: with a 1 or 2 more blue chip prospects, could Pitt have won a championship? It's hard to speculate, but it's a question worth asking. If Pitt wants to change their image from the days of Dixon, it would be wise to look for somebody who is a good salesman, and that will be a challenge. Pitt's presence in the ACC is both a blessing and a curse for them when it comes to recruiting.

Being in the ACC is a blessing in this regard because it is a big time conference that would give kids national exposure. It is a curse, however, because Duke, North Carolina, Louisville, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Miami and Virginia are all currently more attractive options than Pitt is while Clemson and Virginia Tech are not too far behind. Pitt is a middle-of-the-road power five school, and you can bet that athletic director Scott Barnes will not settle for that. To get the star athletes needed to make a big splash in the ACC, the best option for Pitt is a coach who is charismatic, can make a good sales pitch to recruits, and will institute a fast paced, flashy style that will get the Peterson Events Center rocking and rolling. Pitt assistant Brandon Knight is too similar to Dixon, and the Miller brothers are both staying put at their schools. Valpo's Bryce Drew is a solid choice, but I think Pitt could use somebody with a little more charisma. Fear not Pitt fans. USC's Andy Enfield could be that guy.

Photo creds to www.nytimes.com

Enfield is best known for his time at Florida Gulf Coast, where in 2013, he lead a program in just its 11th season of existence to the Sweet 16 as a #15 seed. He did it with a with a flashy and exciting team, so much so that they earned the moniker "Dunk City". After that magical ride was over, Enfield was tabbed to take over a struggling program in central Los Angeles known as USC. After a rough first two years, Enfield turned the corner this season, leading the Trojans to 21 wins and their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2011. Enfield is energetic, charismatic, and a smart basketball mind who fits like a glove into the style that Scott Barnes wants Pitt basketball to possess.

Unlike the previous two programs that Enfiled took over, Pitt is already in a relatively decent place. The Panthers made the NCAA tournament this year, which is far greater than what Enfield walked into at FGCU and USC, and Pitt has national exposure playing in what is arguably America's flagship college basketball conference. Over the past decade, Pitt has been a much better program than USC, and they play in a better conference and a better arena. But two things might keep Enfield from Oakland if given the chance.

The first is that USC is a quality program in a power five conference that earned higher tournament seeding this year than Pitt did (USC was a #8, Pitt a #10). Archie Miller's Dayton squad is in a similar spot, only as a mid-major power, and he was uninterested in the Pitt job. The second thing that could factor in Enfield decision is that LA is a little more of an exotic place to make a living than Oakland is. There are plenty of things that Enfield would have to think about if Barnes were to offer him the job, and it is not my place to predict what he would do if the offer were on the table. But I believe Pitt should put the full court press on Enfield to try and get him to come to Oakland.

Scott Barnes is a basketball guy. He was once the head of the NCAA selection committee. He has done good things in his short time at Pitt so far, none bigger than the hiring of Pat Narduzzi to head Pitt's football program. Barnes is a smart man, and if I were a Pitt fan, I would trust him to make the right decision. Andy Enfield would be the right choice, and Pitt should do whatever they can to make that happen.

NCAA Tournament thoughts and what not

Photo creds to www.nanigans.com

My full bracket, one of several. Some picks may seem contradictory http://games.espn.go.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/2016/en/entry?entryID=1621173There are few times in sports more unique than the time between Selection Sunday and the first game of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. It is a time that causes great debate (they picked team A over team B?), bold speculation (I think -------- can give --------- a run for their money), and the feeling of hope for all 68 teams involved. The time between Selection Sunday and the official start of the NCAA Tournament (The First Four is just the appetizer) can also be comparable to a William Shakespeare play. Fans and players alike are filled with high hopes, but it is only a matter of time before teams (and brackets) tragically fall to pieces. I have plenty to say about the field of 68, and I will say it right here.

Biggest Omission/Worst Submission: Tulsa over St. Bonaventure

Photo creds to www.bleacherreport.com

Team A has a record of 22-8. Team B has a record of 20-11. Team A has an RPI of #29. Team B has an RPI of #61. Team A has a record of 3-2 against teams in the top 50 for RPI, with all three wins coming against teams ranked #1-25. Team B has a record of 4-4 against top 50 competition. Neither team won the regular season conference title or their conference tournament title, so all they could do was hope for an at-large bid. Guess which team got selected. If you guessed team B, you are sadly correct.

The only things that the committee could have possibly seen in Tulsa (that's team B in case you were not following), is that they have a greater strength of schedule as Tulsa's SOS is 61 compared to St. Bonaventure's 85, as well as the fact that Tulsa has 4 top 50 wins as opposed to St. Bonaventure's 3. However, the committee should have taken into account that Tulsa also has more losses than St. Bonaventure against those teams, with four.

Other more deserving teams that Tulsa stole a bid from were Monmouth, St. Mary's and South Carolina. All four of the snubs mentioned deserve to be in ahead of Syracuse, Pitt, and Vanderbilt, but at least those teams play in high profile conferences. Tulsa plays in Conference USA. 

Now that we got the snubs out of the way, let's break things down region by region.

Most intriguing first round match-up
East Region: #3 West Virginia vs. #14 Stephen F. Austin

Photo creds to sportsposterswag.wordpress.com

This is intriguing for two reasons:
1. It has the potential to be a #14 vs. #3 upset
2. It will be sloppy as sin.
It should be obvious to any college basketball fan that West Virginia likes to press, press, press, and cause a lot of turnovers. Not surprisingly, they are among the nation's leaders in forced turnovers a #2. #1 in that category is none other than their first round opponents.

Stephen F. Austin will not be an easy out. In addition to being able to force mistakes, the Lumberjacks also know how to turn those turnovers into points. SFA's man is Thomas Walkup. The Senior forward leads the team in scoring (17.5 PPG) rebounding (6.8 RPG) and steals (2.1 SPG), and on February 29th against Incarnate Word.  This game could go either way, and an upset is very much in the question. However, if I had to pick just one bracket, I'd take the Mountaineers. Bob Huggins team plays as hard as any in the country, and they are superior to SFA in rebounding, particularly on the offensive glass, as they lead the nation in offensive rebounding. This game will have an abundance of turnovers, so it may be wise to keep a bag to vomit in while watching.
West Region: #5 Baylor vs. #12 Yale
A #5 must go down to a #12 this weekend. What used to be such a frequent occurrence has not taken place in the past two tournaments, and that is due to change. I think Yale could be the team to create that change, but the big reason to me why this match-up is one to watch is simply the fact that Yale is in a tournament game. The last time Yale made it to the big dance was 1962, and back then, March Madness was a shell of what it is today, so this will be the first time Yale takes part in the big dance as we know it. Aside from the sentimental aspect, the Bulldogs have a tough team, and they are all about defense and rebounding. The Bulldogs are 14th in the country in Defensive Efficiency Rating, 21st in offensive rebounding, and 20th in team rebounds per game. The Bulldogs are led by their floor general, Makai Mason. Mason's 15.8 PPG ties him for the team lead with a big boy named Justin Sears. At 6 ft 8, Sears is the team's leading rebounder, averaging 7.5 per game, and joining him in the frontcourt is another big boy named Brandon Sherrod, who averages 12.5 PPG and 7.1 RPG. Sears and Sherrod are both double-double threats on any given night, and they are both seniors. Any team looking to make a deep run as a low seed usually needs to have leadership, and Yale has that.



Much like the SFA-WVU game, this will be a contest between two teams who are very similar.  Like Yale, Baylor is a team that is all about defense and rebounding. The Bears rank 8th in the country in offensive rebounding, lead by a complete stud in 6 ft 8 Rico Gathers, but for some reason, Baylor's success on the offensive glass does not translate to the other side of the court, as the Bears are.... wait for it #283 in the country in defensive rebounding.



If Yale can keep Baylor off the offensive glass well enough, they will win the game, and given the fact that they are 3rd in the nation in opponents offensive rebounding, they have a chance to do just that.   I  believe that if Yale can get past Baylor, they will beat Duke in the next round to advance to the Sweet 16. I don't care that they play in the crap Ivy League. This is a good basketball team that plays defense, and defense wins championships. Like Harvard has done in the past, Yale will prove that some Ivy League teams can make a splash.

Midwest Region: #6 Seton Hall vs. #11 Gonzaga

Isiah Whitehead is one of the players to watch over the weekend. Photo creds to www.thescribemag.com

This is the best first round match-up in the whole tournament. On the one end, we've got a team that is as consistent as any in the country in the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Although the Zags are not as talented as they have been in the past, Mark Few's team knows how to respond to adversity. When Patrick Karnowski went out for the season in late December, it looked like Gonzaga might miss out on the tournament for the first time in Mark Few's coaching tenure.

But Zaga was resilient, and caught fire in the West Coast Conference tournament, defeating St. Mary's (tournament snub) in the finals for an automatic bid. Kyle Wijlter and Domantis Sabonis are two players who will be playing in the NBA next season, and they can explode for 25 and 10 any night of the week. The Zags are jelling at the right time, and it will be interesting to see what they can do.

Not very many people expected the Seton Hall Pirates to make it here. But, led by their excellent point guard, Isiah Whitehead, the Pirates posted a record of 25-8 and won the Big East tournament to earn an automatic bid.

The Pirates are fun to watch. They play hard, and if you've watched Whitehead play, you know that this kid is special. Ever since coming to South Orange as a Five-Star recruit two years ago, Whitehead has lived up to the hype and is unquestionably the heart and soul of the Pirates squad. In the Big East title game against mighty Villanova, Whitehead put the Pirates on his back, scoring 26 points, including a game-winner in the final seconds.

Whitehead, and Sabonis will all be ballin it up in the NBA shortly, so we should all relish watching them on the court at the same time

South Region: #4 Cal vs. #13 Hawaii 

Stefan Jankovic is a force inside. Photo creds to www.warriorinsider.com

Cal has been somewhat disappointing this season. Picked by some to win the Pac 12 before the year started, the Golden Bears failed to do so, and I do not feel that they have gotten the most out of their talent. Jaylen Brown is Cal's main man, and he is one of the better players in college basketball. A projected lottery pick in June's NBA Draft, Brown is not Cal's only star, as he is one of 5 Golden Bears that averages over 10 PPG. Joining Brown in the first round of the draft will be Cal's 6-11 freak, Ivan Rabb. Rabb, who averages 12.5 PPG and 8.5 RPG has all of the tools to be a good pro player.

Despite all of Cal's talent, the Bears have been somewhat underwhelming, finishing with a record of 23-10 and neither a Pac 12 regular season or postseason championship. Luckily, the season wasn't a complete mess (see Vanderbilt Commodores), and Cal ended up receiving a decent #4 seed. Unfortunately for Cal, their first round opponents are more than respectable for their seeding.

Hawaii is a damn good basketball team. The Warriors style of play is very up tempo, and they live to crash the glass. Hawaii is 6th in the country in defensive efficiency, 46th in defensive rebounding, and hold their opponents to 66.5 points per game. Playing Hawaii will be challenging enough, but unfortunately for Cal, they are facing an off the court distraction as well, as they recently let go of one of their assistant coaches, Yann Hufnagel, due to Hufnagel admittingly soliciting sex from a reporter. What do I think Hawaii's chances are for an upset? Well.....

Most likely to be upset before next Monday
East Region: Cal 

Fans may be deprived of watching Cal's Jaylen Brown play beyond the first weekend. 

As soon as I saw this draw, I thought that Hawaii had a decent chance for an upset. It is unfortunate that a troubling situation such as the Hufnagel debacle could increase Cal's chances to be upset, but that's the way sports work sometimes. I still think this matchup can go either way, but I just wonder about the mindset of Cal right now. When a valuable part of the program is gone in the blink of an eye, it is enough to rattle any team, and I would not be surprised if Cal is distracted and  loses a step because of it. Oh, and Cal recently lost their leading scorer, Tyrone Wallace, to a broken hand. That might be important.
West Region: Duke

Grayson Allen and Duke won't make it past the first weekend.Photo creds to www.bleacherreport.com

Let's be real. Duke is not Duke this year. Ten loss seasons do not happen on Tobacco Road and Coach K's team just doesn't have the juice that we are used to seeing them have over the past 30 years. I see the Devils getting past UNC-Wilmington in the first round, but they will be in trouble when they play Baylor or Yale. The last time a Duke team lost 10 times was in 2007, and that season ended in a first-round loss to VCU. I only see the Duke's going a wee bit further this year.


East Region: West Virginia

Devin Williams leads a Mountaineer squad that is boom or bust. Photo creds to kentuckysportsradio.com

West Virginia is awesome. They are a talented team that will go balls to the wall whether they are playing Stephen F. Austin or Kansas. However, as I mentioned above, Stephen F. Austin is strong and can spoil a lot of brackets. If West Virginia wins this game, they can make a deep run. But don't be shocked if the battle of the presses ends up with the little guy pulling it out.
Midwest: Utah

Jakob Poeltl is a man child, but is the team around him talented enough to make a run? Photo creds to fox13now.com

To meet the criteria for this category, a team must be one of the top four seeds in their region. The top four seeds in the Midwest region are Virginia, Michigan State, Utah, and Iowa State. Out of these four teams, Utah is the one least likely to make a run in my opinion. Jakob Poeltl is a giant and a special player, and the Utes have some very quality wins. However, Utah had their underpants pulled down by Oregon in the PAC 12 title game, and I think that exposed their weaknesses somewhat. The Utes are in a rugged region, and I just don't believe they are as good as their fellow top 4 seeds are. It doesn't help that Utah will have to play the winner of the Seton Hall-Gonzaga game, which I believe they will lose.

Team that could shockingly make the Final Four: 
East Region: Kentucky 

Talented Freshman Skal Labissiere is coming on at the right time. Photo creds to www.cbssports.com

Best backcourt in the country. Future NBA players in the front court. One of the most famous programs in history with one of the best coaches in history, oh, and playing it's best basketball right now. John Calipari knows how to get far in the month of March. Losing in the first weekend does not interest him. This man once took a #8 seed to the national championship game, so I'm sure he knows how to take a #4 to the Final Four. The Cats have talent. Tyler Ulis has leadership, as well as an excellent backcourt partner in Jamal Murray. Kentucky has lost a few steps after last year's team set an impossibly high standard, but these are still the Kentucky Wildcats. They are hot, and they are dangerous.
West: Texas A&M

Tyler Davis is a shot blocking machine. Photo creds to www.theadvitiser.com

Technically, a #3 seed making a Final Four run shouldn't be looked at as a surprise, but nobody seems to believe he Aggies can go far. Despite winning the SEC regular season title, the Aggies appear to have a load of skeptics outside of College Station. The skeptics have some ammunition, as A&M doesn't do anything that would make anybody fall out of their chair. However, the Aggies have what every team needs, and that is trust and comradery. Alex Caruso is a supreme leader, and he is a threat on both sides of the ball. Danuel House and Jalen Jones are very athletic in the backcourt, and Tyler Davis is a shot-blocking machine. I don't expect the Aggies to be in the Final Four but don't did see them as a non-threat. Billy Kennedy and A&M know what it takes to win and will get the most out of whatever ability they have.
South: Arizona

Photo creds to www.usatoday.com

You can never dismiss a Sean Miller team as a non-threat. Sure, the Cats have fallen off a bit in a season that once saw them ranked in the top 10, but, like Calipari, Miller knows how to win in March, and his team is talented enough to make a deep run. Gabe York has developed into an excellent guard, Kaleb Tarczewski is a hoss down low, and Ryan Anderson is one of the better all-around power forwards in the country. The Cats proved their grit in the Pac 12 title game against Oregon when they came back from a six-point deficit in the final 20 seconds to force overtime, where they would eventually fall. Arizona has talent in the front court and the back, and they play the game hard. Miller wouldn't have it any other way, and he will be very hard to outcoach.

Midwest: Iowa State

Georges Niang is a stud. Photo creds to amestrib.com

Any team that has wins over both Kansas and Oklahoma has to be looked at as a threat. The Cyclones have looked like a final four team at times, and they've looked piss poor at times. Iowa State runs an NBA style offense that features a very good pick and roll point guard in Monte Morris. Georges Niang is one of the most complete players in the country, while Jameel McKay is the Cyclones defensive stopper in the front court. I do not have Iowa State getting past Virgina in the Sweet 16, but that doesn't mean they can't make some noise. 

Potential Bracket Busters
East Region: Stephen F. Austin

If you have WVU going far, these guys could crash the party.
West Region: St. Joe's

I am a tad biased because I love A-10 teams, but the Hawks have potentional to be lethal for anybody who has picked the Oregon Ducks to go far. The Hawks are a tough team in an underatted conference, and Phill Martelli is an experienced winner. If you don't know DeAndre Bembry's name already, you better learn it fast. The kid can score (17.3 PPG). He can rebound (7.7 RPG) and he can even pass a little for a Small Foward (4.5). As impressive as anything is Bembry's ability to move without the ball, which would make him a great fit for Greg Popovich and the Spurs should he get drafted this summer (and he will). Other players to watch for St. Joes are Isiah Miles (18.4 PPG) and Aaron Brown (10.3 PPG). Whoever is not sold on St. Joes can just ask Dayton or VCU their opinions. Those are two tournament teams that the Hawks defeated back to back in the A-10 toruny. The Hawks are talented, they have momentum, and they have DeAndre Bembry. They might be about to go Duck hunting, so Dana Altman should be very wary.
Midwest: Iona

Of the four teams mentioned that could ruin a bracket, this is probably the least likley to do so due to their strength of scoring also being a strength of their opponents, Iowa State. However, the Cyclones have been very shaky with defense at times this year, and Iona's A.J English may be able to exploit that. English has put up Steph Curry-esque numbers this season, averaging 22.4 PPG and 6.2 assists per game. He will need to get close to those types of numbers for Iona to pull an upset, but he is more than capable. Don't be schokcsd to see the Gales send Iowa State home just like UAB did last year. 

South: Hawaii
As said before, Hawii plays an uptempo style and loves to crash the glass. Hawii is led by Stefan Jankovic, who averages 15.7 PPG and 6.6 RPG as a 6-11 power foward. It will be interesting to see how Jankovic matches up against Ivan Rabb, and it will be interesting to see if the Rainbow Warriors can create gloomy skies for the Golden Bears
Region Champions/MVP's
East: Perry Ellis, Kansas

It's rare for me to say I would be shocked if a team does not make it to the Final Four, but that's exactly how I feel about Rock Chalk. In a year full of crazy upsets and top teams going down, the Jayhawks appear to be the most stable in the midst of all the insanity, and nobody exemplifies their cool style of play  quite like Perry Ellis. Ellis physically looks like he's been playing college basketball for 20 years, and he plays like it, too. Perry is the heart and soul of the KU attack, and a lot of their offense is centered around him. As a senior, Ellis will be well motivated to go out with a bang, and I reckon he will. 

West: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma

Coming from the west region, OU is the only two seed advancing to the Final Four. Although Oregon is on a roll and has a slew of excellent athletes led by Chirs Boucher, but I just think Oklahoma is the more polished team that will be able to match the tempo of the Ducks. Oh, and Buddy Hield is pretty good. Hield is arguably the best player in college basketball, so therefore, he should be an odvious choice for West Regional MVP should the Sooners advance to the Final Four.

Midwest: Malcolm Brodgon, UVA

This region was the toughest for me to pick, as both UVA and Michigan State are great candidates to make it to the Final Four. However, I think Virginia's pack line defense will slow down the vaunted MSU offense just enough pull out the W in the likely event that these two teams meet in the Elite 8. Tony Bennent's Cavs have had great regular seasons the past two years, only to crash out before the Elite 8 come tourney time. I think that this team will be motivated to finally get that Final Four monkey off their back, and Malcolm Brogdon will be the main reason why. Brogdon is as valuable to UVA as any player is to their team in college basketball. He is a senior leader, and he is a good two way player. But what's most impressive about Brodgon is what he does that does not appear anywhere on a stat sheet. Brogdon is able to create mistakes on defense that won't appear on a box score and that can only be appreciated if you follow him closely. Brogdon, along with fellow seniors Anthony Gill and Mike Toby, are on a mission to get UVA to the Final Four for the first time since 1984, and I think the pack line will help them do just that.
East: Tyler Ulis, Kentucky 
The 2016 Kentucky Wildcats are similar to the 2011 Kentucky Wildcats. Both teams struggled to get the most out of their talent level during the regular season before catching fire in the SEC Tournament. Both teams were #4 seeds coming into the tourny. Both teams were led by a stud point guard, with the 2011 Cats led by Brandon Knight and this years team led by Tyler Ulis. The 2011 Cats made it to the Final Four, and Knight was the main reason why. The 2016 team could very well make the Final Four, and if they do, you better believe Tyler Ulis will be the main reason why.

When you beat out a player like Ben Simmons for SEC POY, you are special. Ulis did just that, and he deserved it. #3 is a great defender just like Brodgon, and he is a true point guard on offense, averaging 7,2 assists per game. The Cats are jelling at the right time, and they will ride Tyler Ulis for as far as he will take them


Final Four
#1 Kansas vs. #2 Oklahoma
Round three. The Jayhawks have gotten the best of the Sooners the previous two times these teams have met in the regular season, and I don't expect that to change here. The matchup to watch in this game will be between Wayne Selden and Buddy Hield. Selden is a great defender for Kansas, and he will limit Hield so Buddy can't take over the game. I don't think anybody can stop Kansas from getting Bill Self his second national title. The Jayhakws offense will spread the floor and get Ellis the ball, and it will work to perfection. Ellis will have plenty of open lanes to drive in, and this will lead to a lot of points and a Jayhawk win.

Kansas 80, OU 70

#4 Kentucky vs. #1 Virginia
Ulis vs. Brogdon. This will be a dandy, but I think Ulis comes out on top. Kentucky will be able to shoot the 3 ball over the pack line, and that will be the difference in a close game. Ulis will score 18 points and dish off 8 assists, and Murray will drain 4 3's, thus being the difference in a close Kentucky victory.


UK 71, UVA 68


Title Game
#1 Kansas vs. #4 Kentucky
Midnight will strike for the Kentucky Wildcats. Kansas is a team of destiny, and I don't see any team getting in their way. Perry Ellis will be able to score down low, and Wayne Selden will be able to neutralize either Ulis or Murry well enough Kansas to win the game and earn themselves a place in sports immortality.


Kansas 75, Kentucky 67


Winners and champions: Kansas Jayhawks

Thanks for reading, and happy March!

Shame on athletes for getting hyped

By: Joe Smeltzer

Rich ''Goose'' Gossage inducted into the prestigious ''Monmount Park''. Photo creds to newyork.cbslocal.com

I am 18 years old. Baseball is my favorite sport. I have loved the sport ever since I was an infant, and nothing has taken place to take away my passion for the game. Sadly for the game that was once ''America's Pastime'', people like me are becoming less and less frequent. There are a few reasons for this. Baseball is a slow game, and my generation tends to have a short attention span. Batters and Pitchers are taking their sweet time to move things along, and that can be a major turnoff to somebody who is not a die-hard. Another reason the game does not appeal to people is Rich ''Goose'' Gossage and those who can't stand the thought of change.

For those who are unfamiliar with Gossage, he is an old timer. A fireballing closer who made 9 All-Star appearances while enjoying a career that spanned 22 seasons with ten different teams (including a stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1977), Gossage has certainly played a large role in the history of the game. The Goose is one of the greatest relievers of all time, finishing his career with 1,502 strikeouts and 310 saves, and in 2008, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, a rarity for a reliever.

Gossage is currently in Tampa, Florida at the New York Yankees spring camp, as The Goose wore the pinstripes from 1978-1983. On Thursday, he let use all know how he feels about the state of Major League Baseball.

In case you're not up for searching the web, here are some highlights of the interview:

''Jose Bautista is an f-----g disgrace to the game. ''He's embarrassing to all the Latin players, whoever played before him. Throwing his bat and acting like a fool, like all those guys in Toronto.''

''The game is becoming a freaking joke because of the nerds who are running it. I'll tell you what has happened, these guys played Rotisserie (fantasy) baseball at Harvard or wherever the f--- the went and they thought they figured the f---ing game out. They don't know s---.''

''A bunch of f---ing nerds running the game. You can't slide into second base. You can't take out the f---ing catcher because (Buster) Posey was in the wrong position and they are going to change all the rules. You can't pitch inside anymore. I'd like to knock some of these f---ers on their ass and see how they would do against pitchers in the old days.''

In addition to these quotes, Gossage ripped Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun for his use of PED's, as well as Brewers fans who continue to cheer Braun, along with pitchers who ask about their pitch count. A lot of people are offend by what Gossage had to say, and although he had some good points in his rant, everything he said sounded like words from a cranky old man. To put into perspective here is where Gossage was right, and wrong.

Wrong

• Calling Bautista a ''disgrace to the game'' was extremely inaccurate and uncalled for, but the worst part in my mind was how he said he was an embarrassment to the Latin players before them. Did Roberto Clemente frown from the heavens when Bautista aggressively flipped his bat in the ALDS last year? Did Orlando Cepeda and Fernando Valenzuela go on any rants about it? Is Sammy Sosa ashamed to be a Latin American as a result of Bautista being amped up about a series clinching home run? I have my doubts about all of that.
• Back to the disgrace to the game thing, Gossage was way out of bounds. Jose Bautista is a fantastic baseball player and a good role model for Latin Americas, not to mention the fact that he played a significant role in turning an entire country on to the national pastime this fall. But I guess all of that can be overlooked because of his enthusiasm for the game. 
• Gossage has good reason to possess a disdainful attitude towards Braun, but how should he expect Brewers fans to react? When the best player on the hometown team comes to bat, of course the home fans should be expected to cheer. Goose should also remember that Braun has been booed very loudly in every other stadium he's played.
• Yes, the analytical ''nerds'' who are having more and more of an impact on the game can possess a know-it-all attitude and sometimes wrongly believe that stats tell the whole story, but one can't deny the effects that saber metrics have had on the game of baseball. Ask any Oakland A's fan. 

Right 

• Ryan Braun is a jerk
• Aside from his unnecessarily colorful language, Gossage hit the nail right on the head when expressing his displeasure with the ''Posey Rule''. There is no reason that plays at the plate should not be legal, and sliding hard into second base, when done right, should be part of the game. 
• The pitch count is a bigger deal than it should be. A pitcher is out of gas when he is out of gas and should worry about doing his job first.

It is clear from his rant that Gossage is a proponent of old school baseball, which is understandable, since he's, well, old. But people who think like Gossage does in that they are adamantly against the game evolving with the times are a big reason young fans are pushed away. Unlike Football and Basketball, the men who run Baseball are very skeptical of the idea of any change to the game. ''It's always been this way, and will always be this way'' has often seemed to be the attitude of the powers that be as well as old time baseball players. Meanwhile, young fans are pushing the game to the side while watching other sports that can better suit their pleasures.

Furthermore, there are plenty of current players that seem to be advocates of the idea of no emotion in the game.  One of them is David Price of the Boston Red Sox. In 2013 while Price was with the Tampa Bay Rays, he hammered by his future Boston teammate, David Ortiz, for two home runs in Game 2 of the ALDS. After Ortiz had committed the deadly sin of stopping to look at the baseball after crushing his second home run, Price let us all know how he felt after the game, saying that Papi should run when he knows the ball is fair. Another example from the 2013 playoffs took place during the NLCS between the St. Louis Cardinals and LA Dodgers, in which several Cardinals players, including Adam Wainwright, criticized the Dodgers for their on-field celebrations, with Wainwright referring it as ''Micky Mouse stuff''. One of the most absurd examples of players overacting to other players' energy happened on Easter Sunday of the 2014 season, and it involved my Pittsburgh Pirates. The video is pretty self-explanatory, but it does not fully explain how the fight started.

As can be seen in the video, Carlos Gomez of the Brewers watched the ball he had just crushed a little longer than Gerrit Cole would have liked, and Cole harshly told him his objections. While it is evident that Gomez overreacted to the situation, the whole thing would have been avoided if Cole had just kept his mouth shut. This is the mindset that people like Gossage want today's players to have, and it does nothing to help the game. Bryce Harper, on the other hand, has a clue.

The Washington Nationals superstar was not safe from the Goose's wrath, as Gossage said, among other things, that Harper ''has no respect for the game.'' In an interview with ESPN the Magazine, Harper announced that he wants to hel[ change the game of baseball. He stated:

Bryce Harper watching on from the dugout. Photo creds to www,chatsports.com

"Baseball is a tired sport because you can't express yourself. You can't do what people in other sports can do.

He went on to talk about how baseball's biggest stars don't get endorsements the way the athletes in other sports are. "Endorsements, fashion, it's something baseball doesn't see. In Soccer, it's Beckham or Ronaldo. In Football, it's Cam (Newton). Football and Basketball have such good fashion."

Harper is currently the best baseball player on the planet, and should be very marketable to young fans. He hits the ball far, plays the game hard and, at the age of 23, still has yet to peak. He has the look of a superstar, as his eye-black has become his trademark. But for some reason, Harper does not receive 1/2 of the amount of hype and respect from the media as does NBA superstar, LeBron James.

Harper is James on a baseball diamond. Like James, Harper was receiving considerable media attention before his 18th birthday. Like James, Harper was drafted with the #1 overall pick with the hopes of bringing a franchise to respectability. Like James, Harper won the Rookie of the Year award in his first season, and like James, Harper dominates the game he plays.

But the difference between Harper and Lebron's popularity and notoriety is as simple as the difference between the two sports that they play. Professional basketball is everywhere. Players are in commercials, on billboards, and talked about constantly on Sports Center. While reading this, I would like my readers to ask themselves how many ads they have seen lately starring professional baseball players?

A lot of this has to do with the media. ESPN, "The Worldwide Leader In Sports", is all over the NFL and NBA, regardless of whether or not those sports are in season. Baseball, on the other hand, can only get coverage from April-October. The more time the media spends beating things like  "Deflategate" into the ground or covering Kobe Bryant's last appearance in *insert city here*, the fewer stars like Harper, Andrew McCutchen, and Mike Trout will be exposed. As alarming as anything are the fact that the two best soccer players in the world, Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo, are perhaps more recognizable in America than Harper is, in spite of the fact that those two play all the way in Spain.

Not everybody aggred with what the 2015 NL MVP had to say. San Fransico Giants reliever, Sergio Romo, did not hold back his opinion on Harper's view, stating:

"Don't put your foot in your mouth when you are the face of the game l. I'm sorry, but just shut up."

Romo is another example of a current player with a old school mentality. Not fun allowed. Just imagine how Romo would have reacted if Harper emulated Gossage's use of language in his interview? 

But a bigger reason that baseball is struggling to draw in young fans is that the game refuses to change, and there are too many people like Gossage, who don't want the game to adapt, who influence the lack of change taking place. Not only is Jose Bautista's bat-flipping not a disgrace to the game, but we need more of it.

Fans love when players get hyped. They love it. When Antonio Brown jumps into a goalpost after scoring for the Pittsburgh Steelers, they love it. Whenever former Baltimore Raven Ray Lewis did his iconic pregame entrance dance, they loved it. When the Monmouth Basketball team's bench does all kinds of zany celebrations when the team success, they love it. And when Jose Bautista blasted a 3-run homer off of Texas Rangers reliever Sam Dyson and reacted by viciously flipping his bat, they loved it. But don't take my word for it. Here is what Twitter, the ultimate site for the common man, had to say.

''Bryce Harper is spot on about Baseball. The Jose Bautista Bat Flip was best thing to happen to the sport in years. Needs more fun.''
- Mike

 ''Jose Bautista's bat flip made EVERYONE talk about baseball for a day or two''
- Hindi

''Jose Bautista's bat flip was one of the most exciting baseball moments in the past few years''
- Alec

''To this day, Jose Bautista's bat flip gives me the chills
- Jamall

The fans have spoken. They loved Bautista's bat flip. The want emotion. They want baseball players to have the same swagger that Football and Basketball players do. I am an MLB loyalist, and will love the game regardless of who it appeals to, but the numbers are showing that I am becoming more of a rarity. In 2014, the average age of people who viewed the World Series was 55 years young, and ratings for the Fall Classic were trumped by AMC's The Walking Dead. There is nothing wrong with older folks loving baseball. They grew up with the sport, and many of them know more about the game than any of us teens have forgotten (aside from me). But I'm sure plenty of those folks can understand that they game needs a fresher fan-base. Football and Basketball players have swag. They have charisma. They express themselves. But baseball players must not do the same. Young people must continue to be driven away to other, fresher sports. The game must not adapt with the times the way the NFL did in 1978 with their offensive friendly rule changes or the way the NBA did in the 90s when officials started calling any man who breathed on Michael Jordan for a foul. Baseball must stay the same forever, and the players must casually jog around the bases no matter what they accomplish or what they feel when they accomplish it because passion is ''a disgrace to the game''. Right, Goose?

If things don't become a little more lively at the old ball yard, my kids might not love baseball. They might be busy basking in the greatness of the Football and Basketball stars of the future. It's up to commissioner Rob Manferd and co. to decide weather or not they would be OK with that. I wonder if Rich Gossage is ok with it. 

Game Breakers

Game Breakers

By Alex Gordon

            On June 25, 2009, the Golden State Warriors selected Stephen Curry, out of Davidson, with the 7th overall pick.  Even then he was an enigma of sorts, but not the offensive mold breaker that has sent the internet into a tizzy recently.  He was more a question mark than an exclamation point.  He was an undersized combo-guard with a tremendous shooting stroke, fresh off stealing the nation’s hearts with one of the great individual march madness performances of all time. Scouts also harped on the duel threat of shaky ball handling and weak ankles that raised questions of if he could ever actually “play point guard in this league.” Those demons seemed to manifest themselves more than anything else in Curry’s first five seasons.  Ankle injuries were more of an eventuality than a nescience, and his pairing with backcourt mate Monte Ellis made for exciting but rarely winning, basketball. Even as recently as the 2014-15 season Curry’s positional questions remained. As the preseason GM survey ranked him as the “3rd best shooting guard in the league.” A shift had already occurred by then, however, in the 2013 offseason, Curry signed a four-year 44 million dollar deal with the Warriors.  At the time, considered “risky,” but referred to now as “larceny.”  The same year Ellis was traded to Milwaukie for Andrew Bogut, Klay Thompson began to come into his own, and the Warriors had just brought in what could be looked back on as one of the great single team draft hauls ever in Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, and Festus Ezeli.  The ball was now, literally and figuratively, in Curry’s hands.  It was just the exorcism he needed in to start pushing the boundaries of what basketball can be. 
               It’s a theme in basketball, however, when someone begins to perform and do things on a level we never thought possible to start asking if it is “good for the game?”  Basically, every transcendent player has been regarded in this way.  From Allen Iverson’s crossover, Jordan’s aerial supremacy, and Kareem’s sky hook (or just his existence, when he came into college they outlawed dunking as a way to limit his dominance) the basketball purists look at it and fears next generation of players out there. Watching these guys play are going to be too become absorbed in learning how to copy the flash of their game instead of the substance.  For Curry the cry has been that “kids just run to the three point line now,” and there is some truth to this complaint.  It is important to realize watching him that, Curry is the ultimate shooting outlier. The shots he takes and makes look so easy are absolutely horrible shots for anyone else.  So maybe if you watch his game on a superficial level it’s bad for the quality of the sport, but in terms of young people who are taking the time to learn about the nuances of the game, I would argue Steph is actually much better than a lot of players who reached this echelon.
            Just as examples, take Jordan and Iverson.  Iverson is (correctly or incorrectly) already a poster boy for me-first basketball.  Hunting his own shot at the expense of his teammates, and as a result, team success.  His defenders would argue that he never had enough help, which I would agree with, but the point is those who grew up watching Iverson generally weren’t experiencing team-first basketball. Even Jordan was probably more “detrimental” in this regard than Curry.  MJ was as perfect an individual basketball player as one can create, but the fact is that he was so dominant that there were many times where he was his team’s offense.  His sheer control over the game was so much that he didn’t need his teammates at times.  Of course, he needed Pippen, and his cycling cast of quirky, clutch role players, but in terms of truly making his teammates better, Jordan was  not at the highest level.   
            Steph’s game more closely resembles that of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.  All-time greats that could carry you offensively, but as anyone who understands the game will tell you, their greatest skill was their play-making.  Beyond just getting the assist, guys who could see the play develop in their head before it happened, making the pass, to the pass, which leads to an assist.  Curry uses his incredible offensive leverage to open up the floor for the Warriors offense. Not to get too technical, but there is an advanced stat called “gravity” basically how much “pull” a player has towards defenders.  Steph is hands down the leader in this stat, and you don’t need to run any complex algorithm to observe its effect.  You see it every time he runs a pick and roll.  Against most any other player, you have a lot of options covering this play, most of the time the default is to go under the screen until they start hitting from outside.  With Curry it’s taken for granted that he’s hitting from outside, you have to send help to him every time in this situation, or you’re going to lose.  

This is what separates Steph though, even though he can (and sometimes does) make these tremendously difficult shots, he normally opts to move the ball.  Unselfishly delivering it to his screener, normally Draymond Green or Andrew Bogut (great playmakers in their own right) who can now work what’s called 3 on 4 (three defensive players against four offensive) which, with a team as talented and smart as the Warriors, will almost always result in a good look.  Yes there are times when he can get rolling, and it doesn’t matter who else is on the floor, the ball is going in.  The thing that makes Curry, and this team, so special, though, is that their dominance comes from a place of tremendously intelligent team basketball.  So even if most people just see the highlight 30 footers with two people guarding him, if you look a little closer, he’s running a clinic on how to play the right way.  

Peyton Manning Retires: Career Top 10

"50 Omaha Set Hut"
"They're not saying "boo," they're saying "mooovers"

Photo Creds to www.nydailynews.com

*quick disclaimer*. When I say the year of a playoff game, I am referring to the season in which the game took place. For example, the 2016 AFC Title Game between the Broncos and Pats took place in the year 2016, but it was during the 2015 season. 

The sun has officially set on one of the most colorful careers in NFL history. As has been speculated for a while, Peyton Manning has finally hung up the cleats. The writing had been on the wall for months, as the Toby Keith song, "As good as I once was", applied all too well to #18. This past season, Peyton was a shell of the record-breaking QB that we've loved for the past 20 years. Nine touchdowns and 17 interceptions speak for themselves, and at 38, Manning would have likely been embarrassed further had he stuck it out another year, and even his most ardent supports and family, will attest to that.

But Manning being all used up wasn't the only reason it was time to retire. Despite having an awful statistical year, Manning got to go out on top with a Super Bowl victory. It's a rarity for a QB to retire with a ring, and he did not miss his chance to do exactly just that.

To put it bluntly, Manning playing a down of football in the 2016 season would have been insanity, and I'm glad we won't have to struggle with watching an icon crumble before our very eyes.

This article will be a celebration of one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.I have selected ten moments from Manning's career that I think are his most important. Before we get into the top 10 list, let's get some honorable mentions out of the way.

Honorable Mention #1: The Stats 

Add caption

Since Manning's career honors do not meet my qualifications for this list, they are rightfully in the honorable mention section. Just take a minute to soak all of this in:
5x NFL MVP
14X Pro Bowler 
10X All-Pro (7 first team)
2X Offensive POY
2012 Comeback POY
4x leader in passing TD's 
3x Passing Champion 
All-Time Leader in all major Indianapolis Colts passing categories 
NFL All-Time leader in Passing TD's, yards and wins 
NFL 2000's All-Decade team 
2013 Sportsman of the Year
2X Super Bowl champion 

Ok, maybe that took more than a minute.

Honorable Mention #2: Tennessee 

Photo creds to blogs.denverpost.com

This top 10 will be solely regarding Manning's pro career, but his college days deserve a shout out. As a young lad, Peyton caused a high level of disappointment when he shunned Ole Miss, the school in which his father Archie was immortal, for the University of Tennessee. The decision was a difficult one for Archie to handle, but it turned out to be the right one. After relieving future Colorado Rockies star Todd Helton in his first college game, Manning was the Vols starter for the four years, leading Rocky Top to 10 win seasons in 1995, 96 and 97.

The thing that UT fans might remember most of all about Manning is March 5th, 1997. That was the date that Peyton, who would have been a high draft pick had he declared after his Junior year, decided to stay in Knoxville for his senior season.

The only knock on Manning's Rocky Top days is that he never was able to overcome Florida, as the Vols went 0-4 against Steve Spurrier's Gators, and thus were never able to win an SEC Championship or a National Championship. Nonetheless, it will be a long, long time, if ever, that Knoxville will ever see a player like Peyton. Oh, and here are some of his accomplishments

1997 SEC POY
3X All-SEC
1994 SEC Freshman of the Year
1997 Davy O'Brien Award Winner
1997 Maxwell Award Winner
1997 Johnny Unites Award Winner
1997 Citrus Bowl MVP
1997 Consensus 1st-team All-American ( it was a good year for him)
Finished 2nd to Charles Woodson in the 1997 Heisman Trophy Voting 

Now, on to Manning's Pro Career

#10 
1999: The Turnaround of Turnarounds 
When Peyton Manning was selected #1 overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1998 NFL Draft, he was immediately named the starting QB. His first season in the pros was beyond rough, as Indy went a woeful 3-13.

Oh, how a year can make a difference. It all started in the 1999 NFL Draft, when, with the #4 overall pick, Indy selected a Running Back from Miami named Edgerrin James. James would make an immediate impact on the Colts offense, and he, along with a vastly improved Manning and a stud receiver in Marvin Harrison, played the leading parts in the Colts going from 3-13 to 13-3.

Manning's individual season was excellent as well, as #18 passed for  4,135 yards, threw 26 TD's, and was selected to the first of his 14 Pro Bowls as well as the first of 10 All-Pro teams. Although Indy would fall to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Divisional Playoffs, 1999 was the real beginning of a Hall of Fame career, as well as the start of a love affair between a city and it's football team, as the Colts were primed for a decade of success.

#9
September 5th, 2013: 7 TD's!

It was opening night of the 2013 season. Manning's Broncos were playing at a packed Sports Authority Field on a Thursday Night, and their opponents were none other than the Baltimore Ravens, who had knocked them out of the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion just seven months prior, and had gone on to win a Super Bowl that could have been Denver's. Manning got a small measure of revenge by throwing for 462 yards and.... wait for it.... seven touchdown passes, tying the single-game NFL record. Of all of the outstanding single game performances in Manning's career, in my opinion, this one was the greatest, and it led to what is, in my mind, his greatest individual season.

#8
2013: The Old Gray Mare is what he used to be (and maybe a little better)

As it turned out, that 7 TD explosion was the beginning of Manning's greatest statistical season. After Opening Night, Manning threw another 48 TD passes to finish the season with 55. The fun dosen't end there. Manning also  broke Dan Marino's single-season record for passing yards with 5,477, tied the single-season record for completions with 450, and led a Bronco offense that put up an NFL record 606 points. Oh, and he did this all at the young age of 37, less than two years after coming back from a career-threatening neck injury. Manning managed to lead Denver to a Super Bowl bout with the Seattle Seahawks... but we won't talk about that.

#7
2012: The Comeback Kid (or veteran)

Photo creds to kdvr.com

After missing the entire 2011 season with a neck injury and being released by the Colts in the off-season, many wondered what 36-year-old Peyton Manning had left. They wouldn't have to wait long to find out. #18 was picked up by John Elway and the Denver Broncos, and went on to pass for 4,659 yards, throw 37 TD's to just 11 INT's, and was honored by being named First Team All-Pro and NFL Comeback POY. The Broncos finished the regular season with a 13-3 record, and if not for Trey Carter's blown coverage on Jacoby Jones in the final seconds in the AFC Divisional Playoff against Baltimore, then Manning could very well have three rings instead of two.

#6
Breaking Favre's records

Sorry, Brett. Peyton broke your records for most passing yards and TD's, and he only retired once. You can enjoy those special milestones up above. 

#5
2003 AFC Wildcard Game: First playoff win

Manning's first five seasons had plenty of ups and downs, but one constant was not winning a playoff game. That changed in 2003. Jim Mora was fired, Tony Dungy was hired, and the Colts were ready to roll. After a successful 12-4 season that ended with an AFC South Title, Indy had a playoff date with Manning's future employer, the Denver Broncos. It was a laugher. Manning played well, throwing for 327 yards in the first half, and led the Colts to a 41-10 triumph. Indy would then upset the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional round, before falling to Tom Brady's Patriots in the AFC Title Game. Speaking of Brady....

#4
2015 AFC Title Game: He who laughs last

Photo creds to www.bleacherreport.com

Two old gunners. One still at the top of his game. The other in the twilight. Coming into the final clash of Brady vs. Manning, I did not think #18 would hold up. I thought that New England was the better team, and I knew Brady was a much better quarterback. I'm not often wrong, but I was on this day.

The Denver defense knocked the living hell out of Brady while Manning threw two important touchdowns to help his team to a 20-12 lead late. But Tom Terrific was not done, as on fourth down with the game in its dying seconds, he found Rob Gronkowski in the back of the End Zone. Now, the Pats needed to go for a two-point conversion to force OT. They tried. They failed, and Denver was going to the Superbowl. The game was a classic, and certainly a worthy ending to the pro football version of Ali-Frazier. What put this over the top in my mind, however, was what Manning told Brady during the post game handshakes. ''This might be my last rodeo'', Peyton said to Tom. It was, and it was fantastic.

#3
Going out on top

Photo creds to ftw.usatoday.com

Yes, Manning was no longer the leading man when the Broncos won the Lombardi last month. Yes, Manning is statisticly the worst quarterback ever to play in a Super Bowl. Yes, the Broncos defense did the bulk of the work. But none of it matters.

What does matter is that Manning followed in the footsteps of another Bronco legend, John Elway, and ended his career by being THE quarterback of the champions of the world. You could make a strong case for this being Peyton's finest hour, but I have two more beautiful hours that Mr. Manning experienced.

#2
Superbowl XLI: Finally

Photo creds to www.nydailynews.com

Much like Manning's second Super Bowl win, his first triumph was the main story in an otherwise forgettable game. Yes, Indy's 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears was far from a classic, and Peyton turned in far from a Peyton-esque performance, but it doesn't matter to #18. What is important is that after eight seasons of falling short, Manning no longer had to worry about joining the likes of Warren Moon, Jim Kelly, Fran Tarkenton or his father, Archie, in the ''great player who never won the big one'' club. Manning had the stats, and now he had the ring. This also has a case for number one, but in my mind, it is slightly edged by.....

#1
2006 AFC Championship Game: Slaying King Kong

I know that the AFC Championship Game is not as big of a deal as the Super Bowl. However, finally getting past Tom Brady in the playoffs was, in my opinion, a greater triumph for Manning than beating Rex Grossman in the Super Bowl. And he beat Brady in a much more exciting fashion that Grossman.

From 2001-2004, the Colts faced the New England Patriots 6 times and lost all six . 2 of those losses came in the postseason. In 2005, the Colts finally got one on Bill Belichick with a 40-21 victory and followed that up with a 27-20 win in Week 9 of the 2006 season. Now came the real test: Could #18 beat #12 with the season on the line?

For the first 30 minutes of play at the RCA Dome, it looked like the answer would be a resounding no. New England built up a 21-6 halftime lead, and it looked like they had punched their ticket to Miami. But Indy would not fold.

A Manning run and a 1-yard TD pass to Dan Klecko followed by a 2-pt conversion tied things at 21, but Brady would fight back, finding Jabar Gaffney in the end zone to give NE a 28-21 advantage. The fourth quarter was an eventful one, as the two heavyweights would trade blows until finally, with 1:02 left to play, Joseph Addi gave the Colts a 38-34 lead, and the wicked witch was dead at last.

I hope you enjoyed my tribute to Peyton Manning and always remember: Better ingredients, better Pizza, Papa Johns.