What Works For One Doesn't Always Work For Another

Brandon Jennings is a 20 year old point guard of the Milwaukee Bucks. He is a rookie in this league and he got there in an unusual way. After the NBA decided that players could not immediately go straight to the NBA from high school. Instead players now need to be at least 19 years of age and one year removed from high school. Jennings found himself a loophole which many considered a huge gamble and could possibly lead to decreasing his draft stock instead of increasing it.

Originally Jennings was going to attend the University of Arizona but then later decided to skip college all together and play professional basketball overseas where he could not only gain experience in the game but make some money as well. This decision led him to Italy where he played for Lottomatica Roma. He was guaranteed 1.65 million dollars and also received a two million dollar endorsement deal from Under Armor. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for a young guy right? Well not exactly. He pretty much played like crap while in Italy. He only made about thirty six percent of his shots, averaged around six, seven points a game. In high school Jennings averaged nearly thirty three points a game. So you can count that as kind of a fail.

After he entered the draft many felt like he wasn't even a first round selection anymore. But he was invited to New York anyways and the Bucks took a chance and drafted him tenth overall. It's kinda worked out for both parties this season. Jennings is a top canedate for the Rookie of the Year Award averaging sixteen points a game and six assists while his team is currently holding the fifth potential playoff spot in the eastern conference.



Enter stage left Jeremy Tyler. He too is a high school basketball star who doesn't feel the need for college so he too bolts for Europe. Now with Tyler the biggest question for me is why. His kid was living and playing in San Diego, California. San-Dee-Aa-go. SAN DIEGO! Now for those who don't understand why I am making a big deal about San Diego its because if I could choose one city to live in, San Diego is at the top of the list. But this knucklehead thought he would be better off to drop out of high school as a junior to go play pro ball in Europe. But theres more to it than picking a school then deciding otherwise. He really had no choice because he bombed the crap out of the SATs so no college would accept him regardless of his basketball talent. So he signed a contract with Maccabi Haifa, which played in the Israel league. Things didn't work out too well for Tyler who stands at six foot eleven inches and is incredibly athletic. He appeared in ten games averaging two points and two rebounds while averaging about eight minutes a game. Still...hes sixteen, seventeen years old making over one hundred K for this time there. However Tyler didn't like how things were going and quit the team with five weeks left in the season. He said he found it hard adapting to the professional style of the game and couldn't seem to find a way into the starting lineup. Well no kidding!

It's more than that though. This kid clearly had attitude and maturity problems. During one game he walked out on his team in protest for not getting enough playing time. Because that makes sense right. A kid in high school thinking everything is going to be handed to him walks out when its not. Instead of getting the playing time he wanted the coach sat his butt down for three games in street clothes and off the official roster. But what hurts Tyler the most in this case is that this stint in Israel does not count towards his eligibility so he is still a year away from being allowed to enter the NBA draft but he also can't sign another pro contract somewhere else until September.



This whole topic has been big one me for quite some time. I guess you can say I have a different belief than most when it comes to athletes and college. I never really liked or approved the special treatment that a star athlete or any athlete for that matter gets in high school and even in college. For me I believe that if they kids really want a job in professional sports they like us normal person should have to a full college career. If they people are bound to make more money than any other job field why should they get a shortcut to it? Of course we all know that going to college is a lot more than getting that piece of paper that formally says yay you did it welcome to the real world but its the people you befriend and the memories you make along with it. And really nobody should be denied that regardless of their financial status or social status. Plus as an athlete it seems silly to just put all your chips in one basket because face it, not everyone becomes a star in any professional sports league and a lot of those who didn't were able to use the degrees they earned and find a new job else where. Now I'm sure a number of you will find all this quite silly and thats okay but it's just where I stand on the issue.

As always thank you for logging in today. Feel free to check out the the fan page of Facebook and the Twitter page by searching Ice Cold Sports. Next time on the program we'll dab into an exciting scuffle that involved a fan and the CEO of a team. You won't want to miss that one. This has been Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network.

A Real Underdog Victory

Welcome all to Ice Cold Sports here on the Radio Blog Network! It has been awhile since we've been on and I sure missed you all, hope you feel the same. Today we have the amazing story of American soccer player Charlie Davies. Charlie has managed to silence all his doubters to make an incredible return to the game of soccer after many feared that he would never play again.



Back in October Davies was involved in a serious car accident just outside Washington D.C. One person was killed in the single car accident that left Davies struggling for his life. His long list of injuries included a broken Tibia and Femur, a broken and dislocated elbow, facial breaks that included and eye socket, forehead, and nose. But most severely, a lacerated bladder and bleeding of the brain.

He underwent hours and hours of surgery and was told it would be over a year before could even do anything related to soccer. He would face a very long, intense, and painful rehabilitation. Not only did Davies go through it all, but he managed to cut his recovery time in half.

The day after the accident with Davies laying in a hospital bed fighting for his life his USA teammates took battle on the field against Costa Rica. USA needed a win or tie to clinch the CONCACAF title over Mexico while Costa Rica needed a win just to qualify. With heavy hearts the fans held up signs and watched the 9th minute of the game in dead silence to honor the fallen player.



Late in the match Costa Rica held a sizable 2-0 lead but USA showed the determination and poise it showed in the Confederations Cup to come back scoring goals in the 75th minute and late in stoppage time to earn the clinching tie. Even though the game ended in a tie, there was a celebration to be had. Players jogging around the field, high fiving fans, and carrying a giant flag with Charlie's name and number on it.

I am really curious to know what drove Charlie Davies to get him to where he is now. What his motivation was and how he managed not to quit when the rehab got extremely tough. Although he is still two to four weeks away from fully rejoining his teammates of Sochaux. For those interested that is a French team. But for Charlie its larger than that. He should be ready for this Junes World Cup event in South Africa where now Team USA's odds at success will rise with the return of a teams top scorer and an opponents fall of another. Keep the inspiration going Charlie, we are all rooting for you and are eager to see you back in Stars and Stripes.



This concludes this edition of Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network. Feel free to check out the fan page on Facebook and on Twitter. Just search Ice Cold Sports. Next time on the program, the story of a high school basketball who tried to follow Brandon Jennings route to the NBA and how it ended fasted than it began. So long folks.

Twitter Is Not For Everyone

By now we all should know what Twitter is. I would actually hope by now you would know what Twitter is. Some call it a text message, condensed version of a Facebook status. Twitter is a massive global phenomenon where you call follow and keep up with just about anybody. But lets face it. Even Twitter is not for everyone.

A prime example is I guess what you can call a "noob" to Twitter but he's someone we all know and love. He provides us with dozens of colorful rants, temper tantrums on the field, curse filled sound bites. The whole nine yards. That man is Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. You can't understand a damn word hes saying when your see him on tv or hear him on the radio and this is no exception. His tweets are a mixture of crappy english skills, spanish, and misspellings all over the place. I will read you one just so we can all be on the same level.

My son oney doing sport elec to have abs if tha help y will doe to

Okay so this one is about his son. And something to do with abs. Other than that...I can't for the life of me what the hell is going on. How bout another one?

Otro zapato a los fenomenos de venezuela tortuga y la logica

Woo a Spanish one. Now my Spanish is a little rusty. Thankfully Google is full of free translators to help us out. Or not. After using several different translators the best translation found was...

Another shoe to the fenomenos of Venezuela tortoise and the logica

Okay so something about a shoe, Venezuela, and a turtle. Yeah...my head is spinning to.

But all in all I really hope Ozzie goes against his word. He claimed that his Twitter won't be used for rants about umpires or how bad his team may be playing. But used for personal reasons and things he does away from the field. I have a little trouble believing all that though because we all know he is a very emotional guy and he doesn't know when to quit while hes ahead.



Ozzie you should be one of my favorites to follow this season. I thank you for what entertainment you will surely provide in the coming months. Just throwing this out there. Ice Cold Sports has a twitter and is on Facebook. Feel free to check them out and if you so please, follow them and get involved. I promise you won't need a special translator to understand what I'm saying. Thats all for now. This is Ice Cold Sports, part of the Radio Blog Network.

An Olympics To Remember

And so ends another Olympics where the athletes that spent years of training and preparing, and giving their all for leaving Americans everywhere feeling proud and like champions. Greetings all and welcome back to Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network, I am the one and only Iceman here to close out what was a fantastic and memorable winter Olympics.

Team USA like the mens hockey team entered these Olympics as underdogs. Projected to finish anywhere between forth and sixth in the final medal count. The Americans however had other ideas. Not only did they win the medal count. They set a new world record with 37 total medals. We played well in events we were expected to like Alpine Skiing, whom cashed in with eight medals led by superstars Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller, and Julia Mancuso. USA again dominated in the sport I guess you can say "invented" as Shawn White led the American snowboard team to numerous medals. And then you have speed skating led by the now most decorated winter Olympian Apolo Ohno who is now set to retire from olympic competition and also led by Chad Hedrick and Shani Davis.

And then we have the group that became firsts, ended droughts, and stole the show. For the first time ever, we had American athletes medal in the Nordic Combined event. Not only did American's medal in this for the first time, but they brought home four. On the eve of the last day we saw an American bobsled team win gold for the first time since 1948 in the four man sled competition. Days before this figure skater Evan Lysacek won gold in the mens singles, the first time thats happened since Brian Bointano in 1988.



But of course most of the attention fell on the men's hockey team who as well all know, were expected to do very little. You may remember me last week talking about all this the first time they beat Canada. The end result may have been different that that game but the message stands. USA hockey should be recognized as legitamate program after earning their second silver medal in the last three Olympics.

When the Neilson Ratings came out I was shocked when I saw just how high the ratings actually were. Keep in mind us Americans don't care about hockey. The rating NBC got was a 17.6 which translates to one out of every three homes. In fact... this one game got a higher rating than every world series game since 2004, every NBA finals game since 1998 and every NCAA Final Four game since at least 1998. When you exclude the NFL, the only event to beat this one hockey game was the BCS title game featuring Alabama and Texas. Lets just go to say that this impacted the country and game bigger than we ever expected. The NHL can only hope to benefit from that and it'll be interesting to see if the league allows its players to return in four years to Russia. They let Sidney Crosby win gold in his home country, will they let Alex Ovechkin do the same?

I wouldn't normally close with something like this but what is suppose to provide entertainment actually provided some hard depth truth. I give you a text message submitted to the popular website text from last night dot com.



It comes from area code 940. For those who do not know or didn't google it, this hails from the great state of Texas. It reads..Canada: barely better than America at a sport they invented.

That there folks speaks the truth. Amazing how I was told that USA choked in that game. You would think that the team who blew the two goal lead to have to win in overtime to get the choke rap. But thats how it goes and I can't say enough how proud I am of that team. With that said I hope they'll get a little more respect in 2014 and should be a medal favorite. Not just the hockey team, but the country as whole. You would have to assume that coming off a world record performance. Thanks for joining me today. See ya next time on the next addition of Ice Cold Sports part of the radio blog network.

Team USA's Triumph: More Than Just An Olympic Upset.

There has been a lot of debating and talk lately about whether or not Team USA defeating Canada Sunday night is a "miracle". I myself have pondered the same thing and if you compare both story lines, they are pretty close to the same deal. Both this team and the 1980 team were young talented players who weren't really given a chance and weren't expected to amount to much during the competition. Then you have the competition. Both the 1980 Soviet team and this years Canadian team were favorites and expected to win gold with their all star, high profile roster. And in both games, it was said that the Americans would need stellar performances by their goaltenders to even have a chance. Well thats exactly what we got out of Ryan Miller.



Ryan Miller was spectactular in goal Sunday stopping almost everything that came away and withstood wave after wave of Canadian offensive chances. When you look at it, the Americans won because Miller was awesome and the Americans wanted it more. Its that simple.



Just watching the emotion and excitement they displayed when a goal was scored made them look like kids out on the pond playing just for the fun of playing. That may be so because for the most part, this year's edition of Team USA was a bunch of "kids". USA fielded the youngest team in the tournament, brought only three players with past Olympic experience. Only five members of team USA were even alive when the Miracle On Ice even happened and the oldest was five years old at that time.

You really gotta credit the selection committee of Team USA for taking this approach when they did. They could have easily chosen the same usual guys that have gotten the job done but what the hay, they got the experience and know what it takes to win in this kind of event. But they chose a different route this time. They wanted to bring back what brought them their success in the first place. Young skillful talent that are the products of the college hockey system. So here stands the group of 20 something who all played for the top hockey colleges in the country. Minnesota, Michigan, Boston U, Boston College, and many more.

To add the bringing back of the youth they brought back similar style uniforms that they wore in 1980 and a special throwback uniform to resemble the look of the 1960 Olympic team, which so happened to be the last team to beat the Canadians.

But back to the comparison of the 1980 Miracle on Ice. That win brought the nation closer together and gave them something to hold on to during a rough time in the country. Here we are in 2010 facing rough ecomonic times as well, tho may not be as bad, still Americans are struggling. Enter the USA hockey team. This game was the most watched hockey game in America since the Miracle on Ice and was nearly MSNBC's highest rated program of all time. And all over Americans were huddled in front of the tv's pulling their emotions every way possible with how things went down on the ice.



Even though it occurred in a lesser fashion, Sundays win did indeed give Americans everywhere hope, a reason to come together, and something to believe in. Like that 1980 win, this win is bigger than just the event itself. Even though what was at stake was a far lesser value, how Americans looked at a team changed. At first everyone felt that the team maybe had a shot at a medal but they weren't quite there yet but after Sunday a majority of fans believe that this team can win the gold medal. And with the draw they got in the playoffs, you can't help but think so. The win over Canada didn't ensure USA the gold medal game but it did give them the best possible path to it. With Sweden, Canada, and Russia, the three teams favored to medal in this Olympics, all USA has to do is take care of their business and thusly will only have to worry about one of those teams. Really the only team standing in USA's way from playing for a gold medal is Finland, whom I personally show confidence in that they can be the Fins.

This will be the second time in less than a year that a national team has given the country something to hold onto and become a part of. Who woulda ever guessed that the two sports to provide these great moments for us are the two least popular major sports in America, soccer and hockey. Thanks to Team USA's strong outing in last years Confederations Cup which included a win against them #1 Spain and a very close to winning but fell short at the end but still great effort against the royalty of soccer in Brazil. Then once the World Cup draw came Americans everywhere couldn't hold back their excitement after learning they'd get to take on England in the first round. All those events combined led to Unite States soccer fans lead the world in most tickets purchased to this summers tournament in South Africa.



Now you got all eyes on USA hockey. Which is really what the sport has been needing. This kind of showing at the world stage should and will bring in new fans and new athletes to game just as it did in 1980. USA hockey may not have yet hit it out of the park like it did in 1980 but it's come pretty darn close and has given us all in something to believe in.

If you haven't gotten your total Ice Cold Sports fix then you can check out the facebook page and twitter page where you are welcome to discuss and post what you think of this topic and much more. That'll do it for this edition of Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network. I'm the Iceman we'll see you next time.

The Day The Dunk Contest Died

Welcome back to Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network. Its good to see you again after my little hiatis from running my fingers off but here we are with a brand new installment of the program. Take a look at the photo above. That is Julius Erving in the very first slam dunk contest back in 1976. But the NBA doesn't claim their first until 1984. But since then we have had such winners like Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Dee Brown, Spud Webb, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, and Dwight Howard winning the crown. Heres a list of winners you may not have expected or even known... Harold Miner, Brent Berry, Fred Jones, and Gerald Green.



This past weekend Nate Robinson became the first ever three time winner of the dunk contest while standing at five foot nine inches. He was able to beat out the likes of Gerald Wallace, Shannon Brown, and DeMar DeRozan. I know what your thinking. "I know of or heard of Nate Robinson but who in the hell are the other three? I'll admit this, as big as a sports fan as I am, I didn't even know who all the participants in this years dunk contest were. Who are you DeMar DeRozen? And why do I have to capitalize four letters in your name?

The initial thought after the dunk contest was that there was an awful taste in the mouths of millions of fans everywhere. If I had spent the money to attend I would have felt incredibly ripped off for the awful product the NBA seemed to have thrown out and pieced together at the last second.

The NBA has brought what is now a joke of an event on themselves. The first dunk contest in 1984 featured nine players including Clyde Drexler, Ralph Sampson, Dominique Wilkins, and Julius Erving, all losing to winner Larry Nance. Over the years we saw rivalries emerge in the dunk contest with MJ vs. Dominique Wilkins.



Then you can argue that the last great dunk off was in 2000 when Vince Carter performed some of the best dunks ever. And you know what...that may have killed it right there. Look up the dunks he did in 2000. They can't be topped. Ever since that dunk off, the competition has gotten scarcer and more people have lost interest in the event. Since then the biggest name we've seen compete in this is Dwight Howard who did provide one of the great moments of all time, but still lost in the end to a man that needs to jump in the air just to high five him. Then of course last year LeBron James teased the entire nation by saying he would compete in this years event but obviously at some point he changed his mind.



So the question is...has this years dunk contest put the final nail in the coffin to end the event for good? And is the event even fixable to start with or even worth trying to? To answer them, maybe, yes, no. The dunk contest can only be saved if they get players the fans know and see on a regular basis. The dunk contest lacks star power. But you can't have just one or two notable guys. And you definitely need more than four guys. Lets face it...this use to be THE event of all star weekend for the NBA. Their version of baseball's home run derby which as we know never fails to attract the big stars.

Next year the NBA will need a LeBron James and slue of other players that the public gives a damn about if they want a good event. And if they can't provide the a good product then they are better off not doing it. Maybe "horse" competition will catch on in popularity and become the new must see event on all star Saturday. Only time will tell what the future of the dunk contest beholds. But I can already forecast that things don't look good for dunkers everywhere. Thanks for logging in today. Your inside Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network.

Celebrating: How Far Is Too Far?

Good afternoon from a snow and ice filled, blizzard recovering Boone, North Carolina you are inside the only thing colder than the temperature outside. This is Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network.

Once again I find myself having to sit here and talk about sportsmanship. We can thank our good friends at the NCAA for this one as they are looking to pass a new rule that was crack down more on "excessive" celebrating on the football field. The rule will stat that any celebrating, taunting, or showboating before the ball carrier crosses the goal line will be flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct at the spot of the foul. This would penalize the team the standard fifteen yards and also negate the score.

So does this mean that if a player high steps into the endzone, he will then be flagged for taunting? I'm starting to think that the NCAA won't stop until they have done away with any form of celebration, excitement, cheer, joy, and passion for the game. Imagine watching the national championship and not being allowed to celebrate the game winning field goal or touchdown in the final minute at the risk of being flagged fifteen yards. Why we're at it NCAA, lets not allow any contact what so ever, no running, and no talking. We'll play nice, quiet, and a tackle can be a simple yet gentle two hand touch. However, if you tag the player too hard, that sir is a penalty.

But seriously, where do we draw the line? Especially the taunting calls are all judgment based by fat men in their 50's with depleted vision and lack of ability to keep up with the action.



The NCAA has forgotten something in all this. The athletes they are policing are also kids. Yes I said kids for a bunch of 18 to 21 year old athletes. They should be allowed to celebrate and show joy for the good that they do. Of course there is a line drawn in the sand when it comes to it but most events I have witnessed for the yellow flag, were not justified at all.

During this past season a Purdue Boilermakers player was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for hugging the Purdue mascot after scoring a touchdown. Where is there taunting in that? That's a student athlete showing passion for the good that he did. If you score you should be allowed to do a dance with a teammate, hand out some man hugs, jump in the air, and spike the ball. The only time I personally would give that a flag is if they went too long with it. Let the kid do a five second dance, it doesn't hurt. However if it runs over ten seconds, then yeah throw the hankie.

I've seen events that were obvious forms of taunting but were not called. Like when a defensive player lays out the ball carrier then proceeds to stand over them and yell god knows what to them while they lay dazed on the turf. THAT should be a flag. Giving a teammate a salute should not. Any form of celebration or taunt directed towards the opposing team should be warranted with a flag. But if you make a snow angel in the endzone, does that seriously hurt anybody's feelings?



So I bet you are wondering where does the great team rushing the field event by Georgia a few years ago stands. Personally...I liked that call, I think it sent a message to Florida that they came to play and was a good way to motivate each other. If I were an official I would lean towards flagging that kind of ordeal mainly due to the timing of the event. It was the first quarter after all. If that were to put them up late in the forth quarter though, I would let it slide as long as if it didn't last too long.



Whether you agree with how I see what is fair game and foul, I'm sure all you can admit that the NCAA is going to far with these rules. That wraps it up for this edition of Ice Cold Sports. See you next time. I'm the Iceman and your inside the Radio Blog Network.

The Hardest Thing For A Superstar To Do Is To Shake The Hand of The Better Man

Remember a few days ago? I was going on and on about the life lessons we learn while playing youth sports before they became corrupted with winning and professional careers. Sportsmanship and respect are two values I am very big on. No matter what happens, what bad blood there is, regardless of the final score the game is I and I'm sure most people are going to walk up to the competition and do the handshake.

Now I guarentee you that Peyton Manning shook Drew Brees hand at every other possible time. Media day, press conferences, pregame activities, and the coin toss. So whats changed? Is it a sense of smugness? Does Peyton think he's better than Drew? No not quite. I will give Peyton the benefit that he later called Brees that night. But if he simply just walked up after losing the game and shook his hand. I would not be sitting here right now talking to you about this subject and there wouldn't have been hundreds of other bloggers ripping him either.



Peyton Manning however is not the only "face of the game" to cold shoulder the better opponent and shake hands. Yes "King" LeBron I'm talking about you. When the Cavs were ousted by the Magic in the east finals last season he wasted no time getting off that court. The rest of his teammates shook hands and congratulated. Why can't he? Is he above the rest of us? Has this "king" persona gotten the best of him? The same can be said about Peyton Manning. You saw plenty of other Colts players and staff congratulating and shaking hands in the public eye. But all the superstar, the face of the sport did was walk off.

Now its no secret that I am not a fan of Peyton Manning. There are other reasons why I don't. Some you may find acceptable, some you may not. But look back to the regular season matchup with the Jets. You know..the game they tanked and gave up on which took away the perfect season. Did you ever see Manning talking or teaching or even looking at rookie backup Curtis Painter after he made a mistake? I sure didn't. I seen plenty of other veteran quarterbacks do what Manning should've done with Painter but in the end he didn't.



The handshake is the ultimate sign of respect a man can give another man. In a world where all men are created equal, it seems that some men don't feel like they need to show that respect when it should be given out the most. Next time you see me I would be glad to shake hands as a sign of that mutual respect. Maybe I'll drive to New Orleans and shake Drew Brees hand for Manning myself. Your inside Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network. See you next time.

The Feel Good Story America Was Waiting For: Better Late Than Never

Greetings from Miami, Florida folks you are tuned into Ice Cold Sports on the Radio Blog Network. And yes I am still mentally taking a vacation believing that I am indeed in beautiful Miami, Florida.

So here we are crowning the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl champions and I have to start by saying other than witnessing my own team winning a Super Bowl that I was never more happy to see a particular organization win a championship. Although the Hurricane Katrina disaster is nearing the five year anniversary, the tragedy is still fresh in our minds.

I want to take you back to that time for just a few moments here. With what happened in 2005, the Saints played all their home games in San Antonio and finished the season with a 3-13 record. They returned back to The Superdome for the 2006 season where they improved with a 10-6 season, a division championship, and a rejuvenated fanbase. They make it to the NFC title game where they lost to the Bears on the road in a very tight game. If they had one that game they would have found themselves playing in the Super Bowl, against Peyton Manning and the Colts, and in Miami.

It was really easy to see that a good portion of the country wanted the Saints to win this. Not to root against the Colts but because we wanted to see them close the book on the story we as sports fans have long waited to see end with a happy ending.



I feel the momentum of the game changed at the start of the second half when Sean Payton called for the onside kick, which was one hell of a gamble and luckly for him payed off nicely. The Saints gambled several times and it worked for them just about everytime. Then of course the finally nail in the coffin last night as the worlds greatest quarterback of all time, and yes thats sarcasm, throws the interception that seals the deal for New Orleans. Which is funny because I read a tweet on my twitter page last night after the game saying how Peyton, who grew up a Saints fan, had always dreamed of throwing a touchdown pass for the Saints in the Super Bowl. And now he has.



As the game came to an end Bourbon Street turned into a widespread celebration. And the team and the city can finally close the book on the great american sports story that happened just a few years later than when we truly wanted it to. But as the saying goes, better late than never. Congratulations Saints, the city of New Orleans, and the fans, its very rare when you get to say that you not earned the title, but deserved it as well. I'm sure Drew Brees will have a blast at Disney World and I'm sure Reggie Bush will keep that marriage proposal promise. All we have to look forward now is the draft in April.



This closes the book on this edition of Ice Cold Sports. I'm the Iceman and we'll see you next time here on the Radio Blog Network.

Too Much of A Good Thing Is Never A Good Thing

Welcome back everyone to another exciting edition of Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network. First I would like to thank everyone who has followed me in my young career as a blogger. For reposting or retweeting the links, for spreading the word, and for all the great feedback I have received so far. I'd like to send out a special thanks to my dear friend Megan who gets a lot of credit for the birth of this child of mine. She pushed and encouraged me for a long time to get this thing off the ground and is a very large supporter. So Megan I thank you for everything.

I wonder what if I were to thank 96 people. 96 is such a large number. Hell I don't even think I could think of 64 people. I can maybe cover a top 25 but it'd be rough. The point I'm making is simple. The NCAA is discussing and debating whether or not to expand the mens basketball tournament, better known as "March Madness" from 64 teams to 96.



Can you guess how many Division 1A basketball teams there are? Its a rather large number. 347 to be exact. So with the current format of 64 schools getting in, that is roughly 18% of the schools. Which is a low number but having a 64 team tournament seems like a lot already. Say you change it to 96. That ups the anti to 27-28%. So over a quarter of the teams get in. Then you factor in the NIT which face it...would turn into a laughing stock of suck if you invited the 96 best teams then giving the 32 teams that were next in line to play in theirs. So really they are taking those 32 who get in the NIT and letting them play in the big dance. Then you replace them with 32 of the teams ranked in the 100s.

I feel like if they do expand that it will just water down an already large tournament. The tournament famously known as March Madness already spills into April. I'm really curious to see how itd work because if you keep the same regions, you'll have 24 teams in each region. Which doesn't align right here. So you gotta push everything back.

The only true ranking I can use for this cluster of 96 teams is the RPI rankings. For those of you who do not know, the RPI is the Rankings Percentage Index. Which happens to be a more confusing formula to rank how good teams are than the BCS. The simple way of putting it is you take your winning percentage and you add it to your opponents winning percentage and your opponents opponents winning percentage.

WP+OWP+OOWP

It actually gets tougher than that and to a point where it gives me a headache so we are going to keep it simple here. Just remember your three key ingredients. Winning %,opponents winning %, and opponents opponents winning %.

Currently Kansas is #1 in the RPI and of course as of right now they are ranked #1 in the coaches and AP polls. The 64th ranked team in the RPI is South Carolina. And sitting pretty at 96 is Murray State. And yes my reaction is the same as yours. Who the hell is Murray State.



Which this expansion you run into the trouble of teams earning bids who truly don't deserve them. Usually in the current field you have maybe five or six teams who probably should have gotten in but didn't. So now you run into the problem of too many games not being the slightest bit of competitive which will probably piss off fans and advertisers. These games already don't usually sell out till around the sweet sixteen anyways.

So to conclude. I feel like the NCAA tournament is at a good place right now. Simply saying why change the recipe if theres nothing wrong with it. I for one will hope they don't water down what really is one of the greatest events on the sports calender. Plus adding to it makes regular season games mean less, rivalries don't mean as much, and the overall event will be more watered down than a can of PBR fresh off the shelf.



That'll do it for now. And thanks again for all the support and positive feedback I've received. Stay tuned for more later. Your logged onto Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network.

Who Took The Fun Out of Youth Sports?

For those of you who played Pee Wee football or little league, soccer or whatever you use to play...did you have fun? I remember my times playing youth sports as some of the best times of my life. The memories and friends I made seemed like timeless memories back then. It wasn't about winning or championships. It was about growing as an individual and learning key life lessons like teamwork, sportsmanship, and respect for others. But now its simply about winning, winning, and making it a career.

This weekend a thirteen year old football player in Delaware verbally committed to play quarterback for Lane Kiffin and the University of Southern California. That is if Kiffin is still there in 2015. But a thirteen year old kid? He has yet to enroll in high school and this is already happening. There are so many things that can happen between now and 2015.

USC's new 13 year old recruit David Sills

When the concern about his age came up, Sills personal coach said that because hes already six feet tall and has watched NFL game footage that he will be one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. And this is coming from the guy who has coached college greats like Matt Barkley. Yeah...thats the best name they can mention for credentials. When I look at that photo I see a shaggy haired string bean that is having his best years to make memories with friends and loved ones taken away. But he isn't the only young "star" that this is happening to.



If you haven't met him yet, meet Bryce Harper. Bryce is an outstanding baseball player out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He once hit a home run in a league game that was measured at 502 feet and hit the longest recorded home run at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, Florida. And is projected to be the first overall pick in this years baseball draft. Bryce Harper is 17 years old.

His parents thought it would be best for him if they pulled him out of high school so he could get his GED and enroll in junior college so that he could enter major league baseball faster. His parents essentially took away his junior and senior years of high school just so he could get his millions that he'll get whether he goes now or after high school sooner. He was dubbed last year by Sports Illustrated as "the LeBron James of baseball."

These two aren't the only occasions of this. When Ty Willingham coached at Washington he was offering full rides to twelve year olds and before Jim Caldwell's Super Bowl days in Indianapolis, he was coaching Wake Forest and offering a fourteen year old Chris Leak a full ride.



It really pains me to see what kind of road youth sports and recruiting is going down. For me what makes it worse is the fact that the NCAA allows schools to scout and recruit athletes as young as twelve years old. Yes the NCAA not only allows it but considers them as "prospects" to colleges everywhere. So now parents are priming their children to become stars instead of letting them live their lives as they should. Growing up as kids, playing the sports they love while growing as members of society. It's okay to dream of being a pro athlete at fourteen, but can't we save the professional side till they are at least in college? Ask anyone, high school are the best days you will have growing up and for the gifted "superstars" of the 7th and 8th grade, they'll never get to live them.

More in store later. Thanks for tuning and logging in to Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network.

Rights And Wrongs In The Student Section

Welcome to todays edition of Ice Cold Sports here on the Radio Blog Network. One particular story caught my eye last night that truly inspired to me to discuss today. It was about the University of West Virginia's student section and how they have crossed the line so often lately, that it has prompted the school having to warn the students to tone down their actions. I want to explore what qualifies as crossing the line inside the student section. What are the students allowed to do now? I think I may have to come up with some guidelines to help student sections everywhere so they can be their very best and loudest.



An action like that is taking the fun of being rowdy and getting into your opponents head too far. I feel its perfectly fine to taunt opposing players and coaches if you do it the right way. The right way being not scream names of women that prompted a big scandal within the media, school, and ones own family. If you want to rattle Pitino's brain wouldn't a simple "ricky" chant work? Students should have the maturity it know right from wrong in these kinds of situations. Especially when you yourself are in the stands showcasing the colors and name of your university.



The firestorm over the West Virginia student became public mainly because the student section was heard screaming obscenities during a game that was loud enough to be heard by viewers on tv. So now you are probably thinking "thats it? thats all?" For the most part yes. That is the largest red flag here. But what student section hasn't been heard doing it after a bad call or at a opposing player? Its been said and done where I attended college and yes I will admit that I am guilty of taking part in the activity. In my mind there is nothing wrong with it. It is a way of expression for most student sections that are very loud and rowdy.

But there are some occasions where yes the student section will cross the line. Hence West Virginia's second red flag. An incident occurred when West Virgina played host to Louisville. There were frequent occasions when the students in the arena chant the name of a woman that Louisville head coach Rick Pitino admitted to having an affair with behind his wifes back.



But there are also times when the coaches cry wolf on things that really aren't bad at all. I'm looking at you Roy Williams. Back in December Roy's UNC Tarheels were hosting the Blue Hose, thats right Blue Hose of Presbyterian. At one point in the game Williams was ordering security in the building to escort and kick a Presbyterian fan out of the game because he was shouting sarcastically at Tarheels player to not miss free throw attempts. When I read that part I kind scratched my head. I don't see the problem with a fan of the other team in your building trying to make your guy miss. I thought with old Roy having coached his teams at Duke whom provides one of the countries most hostile environments in the sport that he could let this one fan yell his little heart out knowing his school will lose by 40 points. But I guess that one Blue Hose and thats pronounced Blue Hoe's just irked Mr. Williams too far.

I had some time to think things over and rattle my brain which allowed me to create a list of guidelines that all student sections everywhere should follow.



1. Bring the rowdiness and all the loud you got. But be respectful and tasteful with what you cheer and chant. Like the kids on the court and field, you represent your school.

2. Put the "true fans" and "diehards" in the front. Let your loudest be closest to the playing field and let them lead you in the fun and madness.

3. Keep fans of the opposing team out of your student section. I don't care if you are friends with the person or you know them. Fans of the other team belongs with the rest of their section. Keep YOUR section clean and clear of the enemy.

4.Coordinate your colors. Several things you can do with it. You can all wear one color together. You can have this section wear this color and that section wear this color. It don't matter. The more in sync you look, the more in sync you'll be as a student section.



5. Never let up on the noise. It don't matter if your up by 50 or losing by 20. Never let up on the noise. You are there to support your classmates and represent your school. Show pride no matter what the outcome is.

6. Despite the SEC frowning upon it. If you upset a better team on your floor, you are within your right to storm the field or court. You are apart of this after all. Its only fair that you get to celebrate with the team.



If I think of more the I can assure you there will be a part two on this topic. But until now I hope you all are now wiser and energized to help make your student section the best it can be. I wonder if the WVU students kept their word tonight. They said they wouldn't let up until AFTER playing their rival Pitt tonight. Hmm..

7. The bigger the rival, the louder, rowdier, and meaner you need to be.

In the words of Porky Pig....a stutter free "thats all folks." See you next time on Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network.

You Can't Blitz On Every Play

Greetings everyone from rainy but warm Miami, Florida. I am The Iceman and welcome back to another installment of Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network. Okay so maybe I'm not really in Miami. But I am in my mind. And you would be too if you lived in a place full of snow, wind, and rain.

So here we are, Super Bowl week. You probably saw the nonstop continuous coverage of each team arriving at the airport, checking into the hotels, cocktail parties, new conferences, Peyton Manning sneezing. You get the picture. Today we had nonstop continuous coverage of media day, which is usually a good time, but the rain had a say and everyone was forced to do it in the concourses of the stadium. Then tonight ESPN will talk two or three hours about things the average fan doesn't really care about. And I'm sure the news networks will try to find something to report as well.

This will continue all week long everywhere. Breaking news! Peyton Manning tied his shoes all by himself!!! Then you'll get to sit down with your buddies and loved ones with food and drink in hand for the six hour pregame show!!! Thats right. They need six hours to talk about ONE game. Yet they can talk about sixteen games during the season in thirty minutes and STILL tell you everything you need to know.



This is a major problem the media has with sports and sports events a like and not just in football. Whenever Tiger Woods wins a major tournament like The Masters or The Open the "worship" level rises. We saw the same thing with Roger Federer just last week in winning the Australian Open.

This is the problem I have with it and I'm going to use the Super Bowl as an example since its this week. By the time the kickoff actually happens on Sunday, I will be officially sick of the actual event that I have so been longing to see. There will be so much coverage that my interest level will be in the negative. More than likely a more negative number than the average temperature in Antarctica.

Dear media, there are more things going on than just the Super Bowl. Yes it is a big event but you don't need to spend so much time on it that it makes me sick to my stomach.

So far this week whenever I tune into ESPN its NFL related and it makes me change the channel. I want variety, I want to know what else is going on because there are plenty of things going on.



You can expect the same things to happen during the entire NBA playoffs or the next time Kobe Bryant or LeBron James hit a game winning shot. Please sports media...give me some variety. Thats all for now. More from Miami (in my mind) later inside Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network.