Sports Agenda for Wednesday (4/3/13)
Big Stories:
The New York Knicks beat a short-handed Miami Heat team and it doesn't mean squat. There was nearly a perfect game pitched last night. The Panthers are on a winning streak?!!? What should the Dolphins do heading into the draft? And why Rutgers has dug themselves a VERY deep hole with no way out.
Quote of the Day:
"You can always count on Americans to do the right thing – after they've tried everything else." – Winston Churchill
Rutgers Basketball:
Starting off with a bit of a curveball today.
If you haven't seen it, go to ESPN and watch the video of the Rutgers men's basketball coach screaming profanities and racial slurs at his players, grabbing them, shoving them, berating them, denigrating them, and throwing balls at their heads and also kicking and punching them.
It's brutal stuff.
Here's the worst part of the whole situation:
Rutgers knew about this months ago and only suspended him three games and fined him $50,000 and ordered anger management for him.
That's right, the school that had a cow and rightfully so when Imus said what he did about their women's basketball team and who had a student kill himself after being outed by a roommate thought that a fine and three game suspension was enough for this.
In the words of the old Guinness beer commercials, "BRILLIANT."
Here's where it gets worse for Rutgers.
They can't fire the guy right now, at least legally that I can think of.
Obviously, if it wasn't a fireable offense in December, how can it be one today?
Of course, now the video is out and it shows just how bad not only the coach was but the entire administration was responsible for this one all the way up to the university president.
So, now what do you do?
Well, if you remember when Imus said the gutless things he said, the school called for him to be fired and taken off the air.
The difference here is, Imus' bosses didn't know he was going to say that and right after it happened distanced themselves from it.
Here, Rutgers circled the wagons and protected their coach.
Why, because he was the athletic directors' first big hire and if you fire him then it looks really bad for the athletic director.
And since the president hires the athletic director, it looks bad on him.
Not to mention they were all complicit in letting it continue.
Put simply, all three should go, the coach, athletic director, and school president.
You can't allow things like that to go on underneath your nose, especially knowingly.
Think about the Miami case with the NCAA….
Do you really honestly think that Shalala and Kirby Hocutt didn't know what was going on with Shapiro? Really?
Here, we have documented evidence that Rutgers covered this up and didn't take proper action.
All three should be gone, but whether anyone besides the head coach will lose his job…we'll have to wait and see.
Miami Heat: (off until Friday)
The Heat have clinched the top seed, have home court advantage, and are on cruise control until the playoffs.
So let me tell you how much last night's loss to the Knicks meant to the Heat….
About that much.
I love watching Knicks fans talk about how much better the Knicks are and blah, blah, blah.
So when did the Knicks last win a championship again?
Heck, when was the last Knicks playoff series win again?
I think the answer to the second one is at least 4,000 days.
OUCH.
Panthers: (off until Saturday)
Don't look now, but the Panthers, who we left for dead months ago, have won three straight heading into a weekend double header against the Capitals and Senators.
Last night, they rode goalie Jacob Markstrom to victory in a shootout with the Lightning.
And, with the victory, Florida moves within two points of fourth place and four points of third place in the Southeast Division.
Not that it matters much because no one is catching Pittsburgh, Montreal, Chicago, and possibly the Bruins.
Here's how you can tell the Southeast Division in the NHL is bad…really bad.
The leader in the SE, the Jets, would be no better than third in any other division.
Again, OUCH.
Miami Dolphins:
Finally today, how about a quick look at the Dolphins as the draft is just a few weeks away.
Yes, I'm a total draftnik and my nickname when I worked in Washington was Kiper, as in Mel Kiper, Jr.
Although I'd have to work on my hair to really get the look down.
Anyways…
The Fins have filled most of the holes on the roster but I see two positions that are in need of help….offensive line and cornerback.
Now, if the Fins want one of the top tackles in the draft….don't bother asking for Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M, it would cost too much.
But, if the Fins wanted say Eric Fisher of Central Michigan or Lane Johnson, then they have plenty of ammunition with 11 picks in the draft to go get them.
Would I do that, no honestly I wouldn't.
Now if Johnson slipped to a pick or two before me, I'd go get him using less ammo, but I wouldn't jump to get him.
Here's my choices and why:
G – Chance Warmack, yes guards aren't drafted this high, but the kid's a stud run and pass blocker. He has no holes according to the experts and plugging him in on the right side would solidify the interior line for years with Pouncey in there.
T – Lane Johnson, if he's available at say 10, I'd go get him because he's very athletic and is a former quarterback so he knows where his guy is going to be in the pocket. Also, he comes from an offense that passes a lot but also isn't afraid to run right at you if the game dictates that.
G – Jonathan Cooper, again, guards aren't drafted this high, but…as the 49ers proved, a solid line of top prospects can carry you to the Super Bowl if you have the right system in place.
DT – Sheldon Richardson. Yeah, I know he's a Mizzou kid, but hear me out. He was a five-star prospect and was rarely taken off the field. He was utilized as a blitzing linebacker on some downs at 300 pounds. Yeah, he has that kind of burst. You draft him, let him sit behind Randy Starks for his franchise season. Or, if some team loses a tackle, trade them Starks for draft picks and plug in Richardson into a young defensive line.
Notice something there, no cornerbacks.
That's because I don't think any of the corners are worth the number 12 pick. Sorry, but unless you're going to trade up to get Dee Millner of Alabama, it's a wasted pick on a cornerback, or a quarterback in the first round this year.
