The Friday Huddle Webcast Episode. 2

The 2nd episode of the Friday Huddle! For the youtube page go here.

Tuesday Spread Option

1. Tiger Woods is ranked #1 again. Do you think that this means he's going to win a major this year? Is he back to the Tiger he used to be?‬

Spencer-

I foresee him winning a major or multiple majors this year after the way he has been playing. I don't know if him being number one is enough to say he is back to the exact Tiger he used to be, especially with all the changes he has gone through in his life, but if you ask him he'll say he's on track to be better than that Tiger. In my opinion he isn't the exact same Tiger as before and I don't know if his game is back to how great it was then, but one area I think he is now better in is putting. After he spoke with Steve Stricker, one of the best putters in the world, it looks like something has clicked now with him and he is putting better than he ever did. But that being said I think his overall game is still seeking work to get back to that point or better than it. Nonetheless he is good enough to be back to number one so props to him.

Ty- 

I know that most people want to proclaim that he is back but I don't think that he will ever be the dominant Tiger that led to his 27 percent win percentage that is unheard of in a sport like golf. That being said I do think that Tiger is back on the right path after totally reinventing his swing and battling putting issues as well as injuries. I think that his putting game is finally coming back on and he is finally healthy. This is scary for the rest of the golf world if Tiger starts playing like his old self and can go in to majors extremely confident. The PGA would also benefit from a more dominant Tiger because when Tiger is doing well people watch.

2. What is the best storyline coming out of the first weekend of the NCAA tournament?

Spencer-

No one would argue against FGCU.  A team no one really heard of before the tournament, a 15 seed, now making the sweet 16 and placing themselves in the history books for the rest of time.  They are on cloud nine right now as the country joins in on their ride.  They certainly have gained a lot of fans in just two games, they are all over ESPN and I know I will be pulling for them this coming weekend when the sweet 16 round starts.  They have already spoiled almost everyone's bracket, mine included so why not jump on the bandwagon.

Ty-

It is hard to argue with FGCU with their fast pace and electric playing style that provide LA Clipper like dunks and amazing passing from Comer. Not to mention their best player is a walk on, culminating in the ultimate underdog on an underdog story. But I have to be a devils advocate and give some love to La Salle and "The Southwest Philly Floater", who finished 4th in the A-10 but not much was expected from this team. They played in the first round to play into the tournament and beat a very good Kansas State team and a hot Mississippi that beat Wisconsin and won the SEC tournament. They aren't as flashy as the FCGU and not as much of an upset but this team making it this far and outlasting all the other A-10 schools should be bigger news.

3. Which team looked the most dominant in the first round of the NCAA tournament? 

Spencer-

This one is easy. Louisville has lived up to the hype of being the number one overall seed and potential favorite to win it all in the first two rounds. Their first game they defeated NC A&T by 31 (79-48) and then advanced to the round of 32 defeating Colorado St. by nearly 30 (82-56). They have played their game in both of those rounds and proved they certainly have a reason to considered a champion if they keep it up. That being said it will be interesting to see if they continue their dominant play as they play even stronger and more competitive teams in the coming rounds. 

Ty-

To me I know that many people will say Louisville because they had the largest margin of victory in their games but that should be expected in the first 2 rounds for the number 1 overall seed. I think that the team that has been the most impressive to my surprise has been Michigan. They blew out South Dakota State with Trey Burke missing some of the game. Then they went up against VCU and their hectic press defense and absolutely dominated them. They played better competition and Trey Burke, Hardaway Jr and Mitch McGary dominated. I thought that going into the tournament Michigan would be one of those teams that would get upset early but they have proven me wrong.

4. Do you think that it would be bad for the Heat to carry a winning streak into the playoffs like the Spurs did last year?

Spencer-

To be honest I don't think it matters too much if the Heat continue their streak into the playoffs or not. That team is too good to falter whether that be now or in the postseason. I don't see them struggling much in the playoffs either even if they pick up a loss here or there. Lebron is too focused to let one loss mess with his game or focus and that team has learned how to play together as people imagined they would back when the big three joined up together almost 3 years ago. This team is just different than past teams, like the Spurs, who couldn't maybe handle a loss after the win streak they finished the season on. With all that in mind though I think the Heat are going to get a lot of looks and strategies in the playoffs that they have never seen. Sometimes by throwing in a scheme a team has never had to go up against it an throw a team off. Look for teams to really try to keep the Heat guessing through the final stretch of the season and in the postseason cause lets face it, no normal or common strategy that teams have tried to beat them and had used to beat them before, is working right now. Someone has to cool them down or they have a clean and easy run at t repeat, at least in my mind. 

Ty-

I think that the Heat don't plan on taking the streak into the playoffs. If they break the streak against Milwaukee April 9th I think that they will take their foot of the gas and rest some players the last 5 games and probably lose one of their last five games. They don't want to take this streak in the playoffs because they more and more they would wing the more the focus would become about the streak and not about winning the championship which would add extra pressure. As dumb as this might sound sometimes losing is good for learning how to battle against adversity. If the Heat go into the conference finals not feeling a loss in 3 months it could lead to a downhill spiral that the Spurs had with the Thunder last year. That being said, if they still took the streak into the playoffs I would still like their chances more than anyone else to win the championship this year by far.

Tuesday Spread Option

1. March Madness is upon us! Pick a #1 seed that has the most chances of an early exit and Why?‬

     

Spencer-

This one is easy for me...Gonzaga. I understand they are a solid team for their conference and they have won 14 games in a row, but that is exactly why they are going to be the first #1 seed to lose. Their conference consists of teams like Portland, Pepperdine, Butler, and BYU. Butler is a pretty solid team but they split the season with them and I don't expect Butler to beat the Indianas, Louisvilles, Miamis and Georgetowns of the tournament this year either. Gonzaga has one other loss on the season to Illinois...a middle of the road Big Ten team that proved they were strong because of the company they are surrounded with in the Big Ten like Michigan State, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Ohio State to name a few.  Gonzaga will falter when they face these teams two of which are in their section of the bracket with Wisconsin and OSU. That being said I think they lose in them in most of my brackets losing in the Sweet Sixteen against Wisconsin but don't be surprised if they even go upset by Pittsburgh in the round of 24. 

Ty-

It is definitely Gonzaga. Although they ended the season as ranked #1 I think that that was just a formality because they had continued to win. In my opinion they aren't as good as the other #1 seeds in the tourney who have been tested by very good teams. The Zags were consistent but against not very good teams in their conference. They were 1 and 2 against teams that where ranked at the time losing to Illinois and Butler. Although those teams were good and it is understandable to lose to them their other opponents in the non conference where ok but not overwhelming. I definitely believe in their frontline of Olynyk and Harris but they are  weaker in their guard play and I think they will more than like be making an early exit. That being said their RPI and BPI is really high and they could surprise all of us but they have been playing cupcake games in their conference the last 2 months.

Zach-

I'm gonna pick Gonzaga to leave early.  Looking at my bracket, I feel that they will have a lot to overcome in their region, especially early. Their second game will have to be either Pitt or Wichita State and neither of those teams are exactly pushovers.  If they do manage to escape that game, they likely have to face Kansas State or Wisconsin who notoriously took down Indiana  in the conference tournament. Some of the other teams they have potential to face are Notre Dame, New Mexico and of course, Ohio State. I also think there are other teams who deserved the #1 spot that Gonzaga got, and they don't have as strong as a team as their seeding shows. They won't leave to early, but I think you can count on them being the first to go.

2. Are you man enough to pick a dark horse in this tournament? And who would your dark horse be? 

Spencer-

I think if there is a year to pick a dark horse this is it...I wish I wasn't restricted to a 6 seed or lower cause I think St. Louis could be a dark horse at a 4 seed, but given the circumstances I wouldn't be surprised to see a Big East team with a lower seed like VIllanova or a Big Ten team with a lower seed like Illinois, or Minnesota make a run through the tournament mostly because those are teams that have beat ranked teams this year, and played in probably the two toughest conferences there are this year. That being said they are battle tested and have some solid talent.  And not to toot my own horn but no team has had more success as a lower seed than Villanova who won it all as an 8 seed back in 1985, and in 29 games as a lower seed they have earned a win 15 of those times.  Food for thought...

Ty-

For no real rhyme or reason I picked California as a 12 seed to win a couple of games in my bracket. But once I started researching it proved my gut feeling. The Golden Bears has beaten Oregon twice, UCLA, and Arizona when they all were ranked or near ranked. The team they play in the first round of the tourney is UNLV and they barely lost to them in the regular season 76-75. I think they can surprise a few people and make it fairly far in the tournament. Allen Crabbe and Justin Cobbs are averaging 18pts and 15pts a game respectively and can be trouble for any team playing against them. A team that is higher up but might be looked over is 5 seed Saint Louis who has the crippling defense to make it to the final four if they start playing better on offense.

Zach-

I don't really like any dark horse as of right now. But since I am being forced to pick one, I am going to go on record and say that I don't think you should sleep on Memphis, at least for awhile. They didn't have the strongest team this year but they still have potential to pull off some upsets. They should have no problem winning their first game and I think they could beat Michigan State, who lost 8 games this year. They would play Duke after that (likely anyway) who have blown some games this year when they were expected to win.  They would run into trouble in the Elite Eight, but I could see them making a stretch for at least that long.  Not that I picked them. But for blog sake.

3. What would be the most impressive feat for the Miami Heat? Breaking the 33 game record streak or repeating as champion?

Spencer-

I was thinking about this yesterday, and honestly it doesn't matter too much about the streak the streak is the streak. They put a lot of weight on it on ESPN but I think the Heat are just going out trying to play basketball. The bigger thing for me is that you look back to when this team first formed and how it the kind of struggled their way to the finals and lost and people said it wasn't going to work, and laughed at the fact that a super team wasn't winning more, and well I said all along they needed time to mesh and find their roll. The streak to me solidifies the fact that they are the ultimate team and that concepts like that where their are multiple super stars existing together can be successful they just need time. The bigger feat is by far winning the championship, I think Lebron would lose the rest of his doubters with a repeat and I that's the point of playing the sport. Simply winning championships, no one will argue against that. 

Ty-

It is obviously the back to back title because not many teams in the NBA have 1 championship let alone 2! Most of the championships in NBA history belong to the Celtics and Lakers. I'm sure if you asked the Heat they would pick another championship over breaking the win streak record any day. That being said there is only one team that has one that many games in a row and I'm sure the Heat don't mind making history on the way to accomplishing their real goal of winning a championship again. Being a team that can win 33 plus games in a row in route to winning another championship would put them up there for being one of the greatest teams (statistically) in history. The win streak is obviously very hard to do but being able to play at a championship level and have everything break your way 2 years in a row is harder. By the way, that LeBron dunk over Jason Terry was more disrespectful than Deandre's because LeBron stared him down afterwards. James! (Trinidad James voice)

Zach-

I said this last night, the only thing that matters is if you have a ring at the end of the season. You could win 82 games in a row and then lose in the playoffs and suddenly, your just that team who couldn't finish. Not that 33 wins wouldn't be impressive. But remember when the Patriots went undefeated in the regular season and lost the Super Bowl? You think Tom Brady likes to remember that? No, I will be more impressed by a back to back championship. No matter how good your team is, repeating is hard to do. And at the end of the day, I don't think the Heat care if they break the record for most wins in a row. They just want their eight rings.

4. The MLB season starts in a few weeks and every year a team streaks out the gates. Which team do you think has the best chance to start hot this year?

Spencer-

In terms of teams that could get off to a hot start I'd like to say Toronto. I have no faith in them in the AL East winning it just because they took a bunch of guys who failed in one place and moved them north. That being said I could see them coming out strong to begin the year but as the AL, particularly teams in their division start learning their game more and more I think they will fall off. I don't believe Toronto wins that division with the roster they have. If I'm looking at both leagues I'd go with Pittsburgh in the NL. That has been their claim to fame the last few years...start hot...give the fans some hope and then fall off late in the summer. 

Ty-

I think that the sexy pick for most people will be Toronto for most people because of all the moves that they made in the offseason. But they literally got most of their players from the Miami Marlins team that underachieved last year. Yes their pitching is overall better than the Marlins but I can't assume that they are going to start off hot. The team that I think will storm out the gates is the LA Dodgers. There lineup has a lot of potential to be a high powered offense if Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford bounce back from injury plagued years. Couple those guys with Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez then their lineup should be stacked. Adding Zach Greinke in the off-season and a resurgent Josh Beckett can help propel their pitching staff as well. I look for them to start off strong this year.

Zach-

I kind of touched on this in the blog a few weeks ago with my AL East preview. I think the Blue Jays will have a good start out of the gate. They have a lot of confidence in a beefed up roster and reports in Spring Training says they are very excited to start the season. The Yankees are hurt right now and the Red Sox aren't great again so they should be able to take advantage of that. As for the Rays and the Orioles, they will have to compete with them, but I like the Jays in a lot of those pitching match ups, as well as on offense. The fact is, this is one of the best rosters in the AL and I think a lot of teams are going to struggle whenever they have to go north of the border. Toronto is a tough field to play on if you aren't used to turf and if the Jays can string together wins at home, they should be able to carry momentum on the road.

Tuesday Spread Option

 1. Magic Johnson offered LeBron James a million dollars to do the dunk contest. Do you think that LeBron will do it? Do you think this is the best strategy to get him to do it?‬

Spencer-

LeBron James will never participate in the dunk contest. It is that simple. He has no desire too whether he is bribed or not and I think that is perfectly fair. Sure I would love to see him and Blake and others go at it in the dunk conest every year and add some flare to it...but that being said he is a grown man, if he doesn't want to participate that is his choice. His job is to play basketball for the Miami Heat in the quest to win a championship. It is not his job to help the NBA get better views during the All-Star break or any of that.  Keeping that in mind I can't blame him for opting to not participate. People like Magic think he needs to do it as part of his legacy he leaves on the NBA but thats nonsense. LeBron continues to have an imaculate impact on the NBA and will leave his mark on it whether he enters the dunk contest or not. Offering him a million dollars when he makes substantially more than that in his contract and his endorsements, I don't think will make him more interested. I will say though, that dunk he did in warmups when he spun, jumped, put the ball beween his legs, threw it off the backboard in one continuous motion, and YAMMED it! Was dope and probably would of won the conest this year.

Zach-

I don't think LeBron James will do it. And I don't think she should do it.  LBJ Is perfectly content focusing his efforts in normal games, where it will actually matter if he wins or not.  The fact of the matter is, he doesn't need to prove himself in a dunk contest.  I'm not going to look back 10 years after he retires and think any less of him because he didn't do the dunk contest.  It's not like I stay up at night wondering if the man can touch the rim or not.  This is just another gimmick story and fuel for the people on First Take to yell at each other some more.  But I guess it seems to be working even a little bit considering James is apparently thinking it over. 

Ty-

This attempt just seems like they are trying to guilt LeBron into doing the dunk contest. Although I think that this might be the best way to try to get him to do the dunk contest it just seems like a plea of desperation. LeBron has been ducking the dunk contest because he just doesn't have anything to gain by doing it. If he wins it's expected and people won't really care and if he loses then he would have to deal with the consequences of that. Honestly I don't think just getting LeBron to dunk is enough because you need to get more known people in the contest in general. If it's Lebron vs Blake Griffin vs Russell Westbrook vs Dwight Howard, then that is a contest worth putting the money up for. LeBron and a bunch of no name people would be a waste of time. The only reason I can see this working is because LeBron is finally recovering from being a "villain" in the NBA and turning down millions for charity isn't the best public relations move.

2. March Madness has officially begun! Which College conference tournament are most looking forward to watching?

Spencer-

   

I say it every year and this is the last year it can be true I think, but the Big East is the toughest and most competetive conference in college basketball. I think any of those teams can beat each other on any day and that those same teams can play with the best  teams in other conferences. With no solid number one really existing all year though it will make every conference tournament fun. The big ten has several very strong teams this year, same with the ACC as always, I think it will certainly be fun, but I will mostly be excited about the Big East Tourney. I think back to that 6 overtime Syracuse versus Georgetown game and it still gives me chills.

Zach-

Well, being that both Ty and I go to an Atlantic 10 school, all of my thought will be put into that if St. Bonaventure makes it into to tournament. (Repeat?) However, I will be keeping close tabs on the ACC tournament as always.  It is one of my favorite post-season tourneys to watch. The teams are always pretty good and this year, I'm predicting a Duke v Miami showdown for the final. The only problem is that Duke is usually pretty good at claiming the title.  There is never a ton of parity. In fact, since 1999, the Blue Devils have won all but four tournaments, including last year.  But as a fan, it's the ride the matters. I'll also keep an eye on the Big east tournament because I there the top five in that conference are a lot of fun to watch. 

Ty-

As Zach said, of course I will be paying real close attention to the Atlantic 10 conference tournament. Not only because I'm a Bonnie but the A-10 now has some pretty big programs in VCU and Butler. But that is more like a mandatory thing for and the other conference tournaments really interest me. The Pac-12 have a bunch of good teams at the top with Arizona, UCLA and Cal. The Big East is always pretty good but besides Louisville, Georgetown and Syracuse (Who has been slumping hard) the other teams don't really scream a great tournament. The Big 12 isn't bad with Kansas and Oklahoma State. But the Best Tournament has to be the Big 10 with Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Minnesota! There are so many good teams in the conference that could potentially win that you have to look long and hard at the conference tournament as the most exciting.

3. The Blackhawks are 19-0-3 in the first 22 games and has registered a point in all of their games. On a scale of 1 to 10 how impressed are you with their blazing start?

Spencer-

10. I am very impressed!  How could someone not be?  This is an unthinkable start for any sport really and to be honest I haven't been watching many Blackhawks games not being from the Chicago area obviously but I get the twitter updates of scores and stuff sent to my phone and there were a few times they played some really close, down to the wire games and pulled out a win and everytime I get the updates that they notched another win I'm just like "Wow" at how they continue to win.  Its unreal really, I think it adds some hype and attention to Hockey as a whole, which benefits the NHL after almost not having a season at all this year.  At this point if they continue playing so well I think they got to be a favorite to win the cup. 

Zach-

10. The run the Hawks are making is absolutely incredible. I was watching on ESPN and they were asking if the Heats 14 wins were more impressive than Chicago's start. To me, I find it very hard to even compare the two.  This is the best start in 134 years of NHL history.  To walk skate away from every single game so far with a point is insane. It's so hard to do, especially in a compact season like this one. Not that the Heat's 14 games isn't impressive, but it doesn't even break the top 20 for longest streaks in the NBA.  Let's not forget last year when the Spurs had a 20 game win streak going into the playoffs. Oh, and I have to give a shutout to Stephen A. Smith (because he reads this blog) who said that the Heat were more impressive becasue the Hawks have three ties in their record. Stephen... There are no ties in hockey. I have a hard time taking that man seriously sometimes.

Ty-

Absolute 10! The ESPN conversation about whether the Heat or the Blackhawks are having a hotter stretch is absurd. The Heat are playing extremely well and they deserve to be noticed but the Blackhawks streak is unheard of, not to mention that they are doing this to begin a lockout year where they didn't know if they would play and didn't have time to really gel before the season. The only knock on them is that they have lost a game so it's not a win streak but it is a point streak that is unheard of and is extremely hard in a sport like hockey where you can theoretically dominate a team in all aspects of the game and still lose off of a lucky goal.

4. Los Angeles Angels' sensational rookie Mike Trout came into training camp 10 to 15 pounds bigger than he did last year. Do you think that it will effect his play this year?

Spencer-  

I read a story in Sports Illustrated last week about "sophomore slumps" and how Brice Harper felt about the idea and if it would happen. The story also talked about other rookies like Trout and how the come into spring training preparing for next season and it talked about the added weight for Trout. I remember Harper mentioning he had added weight each year as well because he knew each year leading up to now that he had to add muscle and weight to compete with the best at his level especially in the minor leagues. Trout is doing the same. I don't think added weight will mess with his game, the guy is still real quick, and if anything it will just make him a stronger batter at the plate. I think people often blow the weight thing out of proportion.  He didn't become 300 pounds like Jamarcus Russell...its simply how athletes work.  Sometimes you need more weight sometimes you trim some.  Everyone assumes weight means fat but it could be muscle as well we don't know. I don't buy into that. Expect another good year from Trout.

Zach-

If I'm the Angles, I'm not too worried about it. Everything he put on is mostly muscle. The guy is 21 years old, so he is going to be able to lose it pretty quickly if he wants. If he were in his middle 30's, then I might be a bit concerned because that's potentially a little harder to lose.  Last year he weighed in at around 230 and he was putting up MVP candidate numbers. This year in camp, he comes in at 241 and has already said he expects to lose about 10 pounds in camp which would put him at about where he was last year. No one, including him, seems to be panicking so I won't either. He isn't the first guy to come in over-weight and won't be the last. He is still one of the fastest guys out there and I expect him to contribute mightily to this already stellar Angles lineup.

Ty-

The only reason I would be somewhat worried is because Trout bats as the lead off man. Usually the lead off man is faster then the average batter because their primary job is to get on base. Sometimes lead off men are called upon to steal bases as well and if this weight gain, either fat or muscle slows him down even a little it makes sense to be a little concerned. The reason I wouldn't be is because Trout is a beast and will probably get on bases regardless. Trout had 182 hits and an above average .399 on base percentage last year so he should be fine. To be honest If i'm the Angels I don't have to many worries about offense at all with their lineup that include Trout, Pujols and Hamilton so I think they'll be fine. The real issue is that they should give Trout some more money. I mean $510,000 for an MVP candidate? C'mon son!

Tuesday Spread Option

all pictures from google

1. Derrick Rose said before the All-star break that if he isn't 100 percent healthy that he wont play this year. But today he participated in 5-on-5 drills for the first time. Do you think he should shut it down or push it to comeback this season?‬

Spencer-

I think Derrick Rose is smart to keep himself out of games for the rest of the season and work to comeback next year.  In retrospect it wouldn't be beneficial to the longevity of Rose's career or the success of the Bulls to come back and rush his recovery.  I relate this to Stephen Strasberg last year where no matter what the circumstances the Nationals were going to shut him down once he reached an innings limit.  Just like that scenario it is the idea that one season doesn't trump a much longer future that lays ahead.  When D-Rose plays at 100% Chicago is arguably the third or fourth best team in the league.  I think if he waits it out and comes back next year ready to go, the Bulls will be back at that level of competitiveness. 

Zach-

I think it all depends on how he is feeling. I can understand the desire not to rush into the season if he isn't 100 percent. The fans aren't going to like it but I think even if he is feeling 99 percent, he should probably hold off on a return. Rose has had injury issues before, and at some pretty inopportune moments.  He can help his team more if he limits the chances of him re-injuring his leg.  It isn't like they need him to rush back either. The Bulls are sitting in 5th place in the East and the play-offs is far from inconceivable. They can afford to play the waiting game with the former MVP and even if that means he doesn't play this season, I think a completely healthy Derrick Rose is better for the team in the long run.

Ty-

Derrick Rose does not need to push it to come back in my opinion because although the Bulls are a great team with him, they cannot beat the Heat this year regardless unless they trade for another player who can take some of the offensive load off of him. If he can come back I think he should but if he isn't comfortable I don't really see the point. That being said Iman Shumpart has been back for almost a month now and he suffered his injury the same time Rose did so hopefully Derrick's comments were more about not rushing it then him not actually being close to ready. Although I don't think he should risk the future but taking very long to recover could be a bad sign by itself.

2. A lot was made about Danica Patrick winning the pole positioning for the Daytona 500. Seeing that Danica Patrick hasn't won on the the Nascar circuit do you think that she gets unfair media attention?

Spencer-

I don't see how she gets unfair media attention I guess.  This is a milestone in my opinion in a lot of ways cause It shows how the times are certainly changing and that anyone can make a splash in a professional sport like Nascar.  The media certainly promotes her in that sense.  The only place it could be considered "unfair" is in the fact that the media does harp too much on her lack of winning on the biggest racing stages more so than they may on other drivers.  Being as the only woman in the sport she certainly has a target on her back in terms of media attention so her bar seems to be set that much higher.  Nonetheless its all about how you measure success.  In some people's minds she has already been successful regardless of wins because she has changed the game and shown anyone can race in Nascar regardless of race, gender, background, you name it! 

Zach-

Danica Patrick has been getting unfair media attention since the day she joined NASCAR.  I've never truly understood the fascination with her. For starters, she wasn't the first  women in the sport (that was Sara Christian in 1949). We can't even say she has had a huge impact on the sport because we haven't seen a spike in female drivers yet. She hasn't won a race on the circuit yet. In fact, the highest she has ever finished is 4th. She is better known as a sex icon in Go-Daddy commercials, not for her driving accolades.   It is impressive that she got the pole at the 500, but not because she is a women, just because it is hard to do. And don't look to hard into it.  The last time a driver got the pole position at the Indianapolis 500 and actually win the race was 13 years ago. Based on previous performances, I can't see Patrick breaking that trend.  I think she needs to win a race before I can say she is worth the media attention she gets.

Ty-

I am going to take the cop out answer on this one by saying that she is at most times overhyped but sometimes she deserves some of the spotlight she gets. This happens with black athletes all the time. Sometimes the first records that are thought about are how far black players have gotten in a sport opposed to just all players. This happens mainly in the NFL with black quarterbacks. Danica is a female in a sport with basically all males and it is probably the only sport where a women could have the chance to do what she could do. If a women was a Kicker in the NFL or the 12th man on the bench in the NBA that would be big news. That being said in those sports there are a certain physical dominance associated to why women and men usually don't play with each other. In Nascar that is not the case women are capable of driving better than men contrary to stereotypes and Danica has not really produced much. That also being said Nascar driving has to be extremely hard but the little success she's had doesn't really equal how much media attention she gets but I completely understand why.

Property of Bleacher Report

3. What was your impressions of the NBA All-star weekend? Did you like the East vs. West theme? Do you think we need to fix the Dunk Contest and which team do you think will have the best second half of the season?

Spencer-

Of all the all-star breaks the NBA is the most exciting, entertaining, and watchable, hands down.  You have a chance with the NBA all-star game to take some aspects of a game that get everyone excited (sick passes, three pointers, and dunks) and make them individual events for points. I think the theme of West vs. East is fitting and people actually enjoy watching the events from Friday-Sunday every year.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  That being said I think the Dunk contest can be fixed by more well known players.  Obviously we are never going to get the Lebrons, Durants and Kobes of the league to participate cause they are too valuable to their team but for example when I guy like Blake Griffin did it it was probably the most watched dunk contest in a while.  I know Griffin is now kind of big time now too but guys like that can participate and really help bring up its viewership and enjoyment for fans.  I think the strongest teams such as the Thunder, Heat, and Spurs will have the strongest second halves as far as records go.  But if you're looking at best second halves after the first half of the season a team may have had and competitiveness, I'm honestly going with the Cavs.  Since January 22nd the Cavs are 6-5  and have beaten the Thunder and lost by just one point to the Spurs.  They are proving to be competitive and giving some of the better teams in the league a run for their money.  I think they will streak late in the season and although they are obviously out of the playoff picture at this point they will prove to the league they are a team with a bright and competitive future.  Their record stands at 16-37 now but I believe they can finish with 31 wins this year which would be 10 more wins than last season so everyone can see they are getting better.  

Zach-

All-Star weekend was fun to watch.  It is always impressive to see athletes of All-Star calibur compete with and agaisnt one another.  You get a chance to see some amazing plays multiple times in one night.  We get to see match ups and pairings that we would rarely get to see in the regular season. Some of the pre-game stuff was a little over the top. I found myself saying "just start the game already" on more than one occasion. The East v West was fine. If I'm being honest, it don't really care how the teams are picked so long as I get to see good competition. I think the dunk contest has gotten a little to absurd with the props.  I get that it's all about showmanship but it is starting to get distracting.  Players are focusing more on props and less on dunks.  They say we've seen it all and that is why players need extra objects to make it look cool. I get that, but you still need to make the dunk spectacular.

Ty-

I always watch the all-star break and usually enjoy it. I think that this years all-star game was pretty enjoyable to watch. The rising stars game was good although it was a blowout but it cool to watch young players as well as the celebrity game. In terms of the East vs. West thing on saturday, I think that it was pointless because no one cared about who won but I also think that it is good that the NBA is constantly thinking of ways to improve the weekend events. I think the dunk contest was good in the last round because the dunks were great. The problem that I think most people have is that our generations have seen so many dunks that seeing dunks that are obviously hard seem normal to us even though none of us watching could actually perform the dunk. Some how some way we need more creativity but that's a hard thing to ask for. I don't think bigger names like Lebron could help because I feel like Lebron is not an overly creative dunker and the hype for him is so high he could only disappoint. The best idea I heard about the all-star break was to have a 1-on-1 tournament or a 2-on-2 tournament for charity. I think that is a great idea, who wouldn't want to see Kobe vs. Lebron or Melo vs. Durant? The team that will have the best second half will probably be the Bulls if they get Derrick Rose back or Pacers who get Danny Granger back. The Pacers have become a legitimate threat to the heat with the blossoming of Paul George becoming an all-star. If George and Granger play well together they have a punchers chance to make the finals.

4. This years college basketball pool has been labeled as poor but which college player do you think will be the #1 pick?

Spencer-

I think before the injury to Nerlens Noel he was a definite to be the first pick in the draft, but now his injury will hinder him from getting looks from a lot of teams at this time because NBA teams want a guy that will be able to make an instant impact and ACL injuries take a very long time for a player to recover from.  That being said you can make a case for Trey Burke a scoring guard who can also share the ball with his team averaging 18.6 ppg and 6.9 assists.  He could have potential to give a team a lot to work with.  You have to also argue Cody Zeller obviously who is having a great year for Indiana with 16.6 ppg and 8.2 rebounds.  His brother went Tyler Zeller, 17th overall last year but there was certainly a lot more talent coming out of the NCAA last year I would argue that Cody is a better player than his brother was putting up big numbers only as a sophomore.  A dark horse might be Michael Carter-Williams if he decides to enter the draft.  He is averaging 12.6 ppg 4.9 rebounds, and 8.0 assists for Syracuse and is the kind of player who could really do it all on the floor for an NBA team.  The biggest thing holding him back is that he commits a lot of turnovers and often lacks ball control from time to time. 


Zach-

I think it will come down to who has the first pick. Teams will focus on their needs when the draft order is released and since I can't really think of a definitive #1 pick, I think it is kind of a toss up.  If I am throwing out a few names, I think Nerlens Noel, a C from Kentucky, has a good chance of being #1. Cody Zeller, a C from Indiana will definitely be up there as well. I also like Shabazz Muhammad from UCLA and Ben McLemore from Kansas. It's worth noting that all of these guys are freshman except Zeller who is a sophmore.  This is a young class and I don't think another year in college would be detrimental to any one of their careers.

Ty-

This years draft is fairly baron and has gotten worse with the injury to Nerlens Noel. Although Noel might have been the favorite to be the number 1 pick before it's hard for me to see why. Although he was great defensively, he was very limited offensively. Ben Mclemore from Kansas has to be the favorite for the #1 pick now because he's an athletic guard or small forward who can shoot the 3 and get to the basket. Anthony Bennett from UNLV and Cody Zellar from Indiana have to be up there but there aren't any sure things in this draft. There are some people with potential to surprise in the NBA like Shabazz Muhammed from UCLA who is a versatile scorer and Marcus Smart from Oklahoma State.