Reflections on the fire alarm. Then: Kevin McCullar vs. Bill Self, what’s up with Greg McDermott, and we try to diminish the accomplishments of youths.
Joe’s Notes: NCAA Tournament Selection Is Too Far in the Weeds
We can have nuance without fixating on Q1 wins. Also: Bunting for a hit, Texas/Texas Tech regression, and the Western Conference Play-In Tournament might be loaded.
Stu’s Notes: The Desecration of the MAC
Some things should be sacred. Also: It’s ok if Jon Scheyer lied, Joe Kelly hasn’t allowed a baserunner all spring, and the Sens allowed so many goals.
Joe’s Notes: Why Is the MLS So Bad?
Theories. Also: How’s Jerome Tang liking Kansas State? With Bellinger back, who’s the Cubs’ biggest threat? And what’s going to happen with NIL now that it’s even more legal?
Stu’s Notes: Spring Training Begins (Round 5)
Joe Kelly did not pitch in today’s game. Also: A pant problem, Rick Pitino might have a twin, and Andy Enfield should be sticking around Los Angeles.
Joe’s Notes: Basketball Is a Vibes-Based Game
Rob Dillingham will be even better in the pros. Also: The part we’re missing about a 14-team playoff, obligatory 6-bid MWC talk, and WSU vs. Arizona.
Stu’s Notes: Why We’re Sentenced to Quadrant Talk
You know who did this to us. Also: Creighton joins the Big East, Penny vs. Pitino, and the Bulls are not the Bears.
Stu’s Notes: Rob Manfred Begins His Five-Year Retirement Tour
Rob Manfred is retiring. In 2029. Also: Learning which hockey players are good, Austin has two Dillos, and the best fireballs so far in the young stock car season.
Joe’s Notes: Why Caitlin Clark Became a Phenomenon When Kelsey Plum Didn’t
What’s different about Clark, and what’s changed in women’s basketball. Also: That signing deadline might be a good idea, UConn vs. Marquette, and NASCAR brings chaos as it returns.
Stu’s Notes: The NIT TV Schedule Is Official
And our favorite tournament is moving up. Also: What’s holding up an NIT video game, Scott Boras is holding up Jordan Montgomery’s signing, and the Super Bowl should stay on Sunday.
Joe’s Notes: The Case Against Conference Tournaments
Conference tournaments are a moneygrab which makes competition worse. Also: The Big 12 is in bad shape, Jimmie Johnson’s Daytona 500 hopes are on the line, and there’s a reasonable rhyme to the Cubs’ deliberate rebuilding pace.
Stu’s Notes: Chris Holtmann’s Firing Makes Ohio State an NIT Championship Contender
How the move puts the Buckeyes back in the thick of the NIT race. Also: Ranking the losses by Indiana State, Texas A&M, and Virginia.
Joe’s Notes: What’s Going on With the Pac-2?
Summing up a noisy week in WSU/OSU news. Then: Pitchers and catchers, home-court advantage, and why now for Ohio State and Chris Holtmann.
Stu’s Notes: The Latest MLB Fiasco – Fanatics Made Bad Uniforms
Major League Baseball reloaded its foot-shootin’ gun. Also: Technology destroyed morale, golf got too drunk, and can the NIT and NCAA T*urnament coexist?
Joe’s Notes: What Don’t Power Conferences Like About Charlie Baker’s Proposal?
The Baker Proposal evidently needs refining. Also: That NCAA Tournament expansion talk, the CFP’s game of chicken, and Bill Self’s five years without a bench.
Stu’s Notes: John Calipari Isn’t Bringing Championships to Kentucky
Once a national champion at Memphis, Calipari’s performance in Lexington has never matched the promise of 2013. Also: Patrick Mahomes’s kids names, the world vs. Caitlin Clark, and Morgan Rielly didn’t want to fight.
Joe’s Notes: The Chiefs Are Good at Winning
Exploring the obvious. Also: Kyle Shanahan is still a strength, Arizona’s back in the national title picture, and Ryan Grubb adds a degree of difficulty for rebuilding Alabama.
Stu’s Notes: What Does ‘Comeback Player of the Year’ Mean?
Is it about the comeback? Or do you have to be a player? Also: Chekhovian doinks, Joe Barry chaos, and MLB vs. Flopping.