DAYUM DIRK!!

Those were the exact words that came out of my mouth when I saw Dirk Nowitzki hit the ground. Last week he fell awkwardly and twisted his ankle AND knee in one fell - umm - fall. This was the most comprehensive injury I've seen in quite some time. A fall for the ages!! The Mavs ended up losing the game to the San Antonio Spurs 88-81. And your boy Dirkie Dirk? Out indefinitely.

I don't want to say he's not coming back at all this season, but the playoffs are just around the corner. Initial reports are saying he'll be out at least 2 weeks, but he has both a "mildly" sprained left knee and a "moderate" high left ankle sprain. And we all know that (dreaded) high ankle sprain ain't no joke! That thing is a killer! It affects the ligaments above the ankle that join the bones in the lower leg, the tibia and fibula. Every step is painful, and that pain is extreme when a player is running, cutting or doing anything athletic. The high ankle sprain typically takes twice as long to heal as a regular sprain, which could be up to 6 weeks.

We've seen players go down with a high ankle sprain and be out for several weeks, but symptomatic for several months (see Plaxico Burress). What Dirk needs to do is place a call to another Dallas player, Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens. He had a high ankle sprain last season, missed one game and came back looking better than ever. TO was sleepin in a hyperbaric chamber and swears by its healing powers. And let's not forget how he came back and played in the Super Bowl XXXIX in '05 after he severely sprained his ankle and a broken leg. Doctors said he couldn't do it but he proved them wrong with a 9 catch 122 yard performance. Of course the Eagles lost that game to the New England Patriots, but the big story that year was TO: The Miracle Healer. I also think there was some voodoo and hoodoo goin on with that hyperbaric oxygen therapy but hey, who can prove it?

So, your star player goes down - what do you do? Well, this would be the main reason why the Dallas Mavericks acquired Jason Kidd in that monster 8-player trade a while back. If Dirk goes down, Kidd can step up and take over the team. Or so was the plan. Since coming to Dallas Kidd is averaging 10 points and 9 assists. The Mavs have played 2 games since Nowitzki was knocked out, winning the 1st one over the Clippers and taking an L vs. Denver. Dallas travels to face the Golde State Warriors later on tonight, and all eyes will be looking for which player(s) will step up. With the West being so close and Nowitzki being out the 45-27 Mavs can't afford a losing streak. They're #7 now but that could change in an instant.

Since acquring Jason Kidd the Mavs are 10-0 vs. teams with records above .500. By all accounts, those are wonderful numbers that show the how hard they play against teams the view as competition. The problem comes when you realize that Dallas is 0-9 when facing teams below .500. They fall off. And that's what happened during last year's playoffs when the #1 Mavs fell to eigth seeded Golden State in the 1st round.

And we all know the race in the Western Conference is tight as all get out. Only 5 games separate #1 New Orleans from the number 8 seed Denver Nuggets. Let's not forget that Denver has been on the outside looking in with Golden State holding on to that final spot. The Nuggets beat the Warriors last night 119-112 sending them into the playoff picture. For how long is yet to be seen. GSW is just half a game behind Denver so winning is a must in the final games of the season.

-->In the East, it's the complete opposite. The top team, My Boston Celtics, have a league best 55-13 record and have clinched the division title. The #8 seed is the Atlanta Hawks who at 32-44 aren't even a .500 team. If this is the playoff matchup can we say sweep?!

Pryor Headed to OSU - FINALLY!!

A month ago the top high school seniors in the nation announced, in their own special ways, which colleges they would attend. National signing day came with a lot of surprises and dramatics. Young guys sitting at tables with mics, lights and television cameras in front of them. Some kids announced their signings in relaxed fashion - pretty much just stating the facts. 'I'm going to (insert university name here), thank you to all my coaches and family, etc." A few guys took the "guess which hand" approach and laid out like 5 different hats of their potential schools on a table. One by one, they knocked off the table until they put the last one on their head and struck the ill pose.

The #1 ranked recruit, 6-6, 230 lb QB prospect Terrelle Pryor out of Jeannette, PA, held his own press conference on National Signing Day only to tell us he had nothing to announce! By Feb. 6, 2008 most other high school seniors knew exactly where they were going but Pryor still had no idea which university he wanted to attend.

Apparently (and understandably) the 2-sport athlete was swamped and preoccupied with his high school athletics, football AND basketball, and really missed out on the recruiting process. Since signing day is a just a suggested date and not a final one, so Pryor seemingly had all the time in the world.

Just a few days ago Pryor called for another press conference, and this time he had the news we've all been waiting for. Again he sat in front of a microphone with tons of cameras and reporters but this time his mind was made up. Terrelle Pryor is a Buckeye. That's right people, Pryor has decided to attend THE Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Too bad for Michigan, Penn State and Oregon!! I bet they're wishing they would have thrown some more his way. The choice was really between Michigan and Ohio, but Wolverines head coach last season, Lloyd Carr, retired, and there's no saying how the team willr eact under new head coach, Rich Rodriguez. Don't forget Rodriguez is steal dealing with the fallout after leaving his West Virginia Mountaineers just weeks before they were supposed to face the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl. The Mountaineers socked it to the Sooners in a lopsided 48-28 victory.

OSU has a rich NCAA football history, especially in recent years. Under the trusty arms (and legs) of QB Troy Smith, the Buckeye's went undefeated during the regular season, but lost the BCS championship game to Florida, 41-14 in 2007. This year they only had one regular season loss, a shocker, to Illinois, going 11-1. That was until they met LSU, a two loss team, in the BCS Championship game. OSU fell short of winning it all for the second straight year with a disappointing 38-24 loss to the Tigers. 5th year starting QB, Todd Boeckman threw 2 TDs and 2 INTs in that game. I'm not calling Boeckman a dud, but he ain't no Troy Smith...

The kid is mobile, elusive and quick. Pryoy, the Class AA Player of the Year, is a QB that can get it done with his hands or his feet, or even the juke. During his senior season at Jeannette passed for 1,900 yards and threw 23 touchdowns. He ALSO rushed for 1,889 yards and scored 35 touchdowns. The kicker? - only 3 interceptions. He's so skilled he can play a several positions, including wide receiver and tight end. Did I mention he runs a 4.4 40? Jeannette won the PIAA Class AA Championship 49-21 over Dunmore. Pryor also played in the US Army All American Game and won MVP honors after passing for 76 yards and TD, and rushing for 79 yards and another score. He wore a Buckeye sticker on his helmet during that game. Joke or foreshadowing? Hmmm...

With Boeckman going into his senior year, Pryor is poised to be the next starting QB at Ohio State. There's a big possibility he'll redshirt, but it's not far fetched to believe that he could see some playing time this season. He won't jump in there as a starter and take over for Boeckman, there are some options out there for him. Pryor has already been compared to some standouts we've seen over the past few years. He could come in as a change of pace back like Tim Tebow, 2007's Heisman Trophy winner, did during his freshman year at Florida behind starting QB Chris Leak. Pryor has also been compared to future NCAAF Hall of Famer (yeah that's right, I said it!!) VINCE YOUNG!! Young was a dual threat at Texas, with fast feet and a great arm, and is now the starting QB for the Tennessee Titans.

The question now is whether Pryor will play basketball at OSU as well. As far as he's concerned, that's not really an option because his dream is to be in the NFL. He just happens to be a gifted athlete and is 6-6, 220 with a wingspan over 7 feet!

Pryor's been on the scene for a minute now, check this timeline. And I've seen some video on the kid and he's no joke. YouTube has a whole arsenal so if you've never seen him, check him.

It's All About the BENjamins Baby (Steelers)

Before I get started, let's be clear that I LOVE being a woman. I love the make up, the clothes and of course, the men. We're strong, independent, sexy, all that jazz. Sure there's that monthly, leaky disaster but I'll appreciate it the most when I want (and don't want) to have kids.

While I love my womanly splendor, I have wondered what it would be like to be a man. The testosterone, the dingly dangly, - it fascinates me. Not to the point where I want a sex change or anything, but it's enough to make me wanna be a man for a day, or 8. Probably TMI, but hey, we're all friends here right?

I'm only bringing this up because I know there are certain things I can't do - dunk on a regulation NBA basket, hit a homerun outta Yankee Stadium or throw the Super Bowl winning TD pass. While I envision myself one day living in the lap of luxury with champagne wishes and caviar dreams, I wonder if I'll be ever be able to do it big. Like Ben. Ben Roethlisberger signed a monster contract with the Steelers just over a week ago. The specs? 8-years, $102 million contract, $36 million guaranteed.

Roethlisberger is still a young guy at 26, and it's clear that the Steelers don't want him going anywhere during his best years. While it seems like forever ago, Pittsburgh did win Super Bowl XL in '06. Roethlisberger said he wanted to be "like the Dan Marinos, like the John Elways, guys who played with one team their whole career." The Steelers share the same sentiment.

Well, at least until he's 33. Then we'll see if the he's still physically able to play, and if the Steelers would want to sign another contract with the guy. I don't mean to throw salt his game but guy has been messed up quite a bit over the past few seasons, some his own fault others inevitable. There was the appendectomy, several concussions and that horrific motorcycle accident where he broke his jaw and nose, split open his head and lost several teeth due to him being reckless and not wearing a helmet. He recovered really well from that accident after being in critical condition and scaring the bejeesus out of every Steeler's fan and upper management.

I think it's pretty safe to say everyone wants to be rich. For some rich means $60K a year, for others it's $8,50o,000. But when you see monster deals like this one, including ARod's 10 year, $250 million contract, you can't help but wish you could throw a football or swing a bat at the level that these guys can. I mean sure I could start a business or cure cancer, but that shit is mad hard! Athletics aren't the cakewalk that some may think, but people play sports. I wanna PLAY!!

I mean, here I am struggling to pay tuition so I can get this coveted degree when a lot of these guys didn't even finish college! And hey, that's not a knock because I'm not a hater and to each his own. It's like Petey Pablo says in that song, "Shout out to Seagram's Gin, cuz I'm drinkin it and they payin me for it." If the career path you choose is willing to reward you handsomely for your efforts, then by all means, get that guap. For others, income isn't a driving factor. The emotional and intellectual payofff is worth more than any dollar amount.

Kudos to you guys, but I would be a fool to say that. I know myself, and even with the best job in the world I NEED THAT CAKE!! Sure it's not only about the money, but damn if I could make $100 mil!?! Please, you couldn't keep me off the field...

And oh yeah, shout out to Ben Roethlisberger for doing it big willy style. That's monster money. I love it.

Marion Jones Is LOCKED UP!!

Marion Jones turned herself into Federal authorities yesterday to start her 6 month prison sentence. She was found guilty for her role in a multi-million dollar fraudulent check cashing scheme and was convicted of perjury (lying under oath) to investigators about using steroids. She maintained her innocence for years saying she never knowingly used until she was finally forced to break down and tell the truth.

Jones turned herself into the Federal Medical Center Carswell which is on the Naval Air Station, a Joint Reserve Base. This Fort Worth, Texas prison specializes in caring for inmates with medical and mental health issues. While they also house inmates who don't need this special care, there's no word on whether or not Jones will require either. Who knows, maybe she's gone mental. But I must say, if I had my choice of prisons to attend I wouldn't want one full of sickos and crazies. Gimme sane, healthy criminals any day.

I'm never one to advocate people going to prison, especially when they haven't committed some of the more serious offenses like rape, murder, larceny. But dog, you gotta pick your spots. I know no one likes a snitch (including me) but lying to the FEDS! I'm know her insides were jumping double dutch when she lied up on that stand. And I'm sure she did it to protect herself, her family, her cohorts, her accomplishments, and her track and field legacy. Little did she know that "the man" would catch her in a massive lie, strip her of all of her Olympic medals, then throw her ass in jail for 6 months! Under the ruling Jones also received 2 years probation and 400 hours of community service.

And Marion Jones is just the tip of the iceberg! There are several high profile athletes that are caught up in this new wave of federal indictments, most courtesy of BALCO. Barry Bonds is still caught up in that struggle. His attorneys recently asked the federal government to stop investigating him, which was a ballsy maneuver but it didn't work. Most recently Roger Clemens sat before the US Senate along with former trainer Brian McNamee. McNamee claims he injected Clemens (and his wife!) with steroids over the period of a few years, and Clemens denied it. McNamee also claimed to have given steroids to Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, and rather than lying about what happened, Pettitte admitted to what he had done. Roger still maintains he never took steroids, and it seems even congress doesn't believe him because they've asked the FBI to launch an investigation into whether or not Clemens lied under oath. If Clemens is found guilty, he'll be facing the same fate as Marion Jones - THE PENITENTIARY!


Shout out to Jones though. Jail is no joke and I wish her well. She can probably out-run any fights or guards but I don't see her hoppin over any jail bars so Marion, we'll check you in 6.

Warren Sapp - Retires

Now this is a retirement we all saw coming. In January, just before the Raiders final game of the season, Warren Sapp announced on his website 2 simple words, "I'M DONE!" And today he filed the paperwork with the Oakland Raiders making his departure official.

The 13 year veteran cited declining physical skills as the main reason behind his decision to end his NFL career. Sapp rebounded after a few declining seasons and racked up 10 sacks in 2006. Though he started every game this season, he had only 2 sacks, his lowest total in his NFL career. Sapp finished with 573 tackles, 448 of them solo, 30 deflected passed and 19 forced fumbles. His 96.5 career sacks, second overall for a defensive tackle, and 28th overall for defensive linemen.

The defensive tackle was drafted out of Miami in 1995 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sapp spent mostof his best years in TB and developed the nickname "QB Killa." He had a knack for dirtying up the jersies of opposing quarterbacks. In 2000, Sapp racked up a staggering 16.5 sacks and 52 total tackles, both career highs. Sapp was voted into seven straight Pro Bowls (1997-2003) and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1999. Sapp registered 2 tackles and 1.0 sacks when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Raiders in Super Bowl XXVII.

I'll remember Sapp for being funny, outgoing, and full of life and personality. Back in the day, he always had something sharp or stupid to say. Sapp has been pretty quiet on the defensive end lately as you can tell by his stats, but the funloving teddy bear seems to have disappeared too. The news we've heard about the QB Killa recently was mostly negative. He was fined $75,000 for "physical and verbal actions toward game officials that drew an unprecedented three unsportsmanlike conduct penalities" and was ejected from the Raiders second to last game of the 2007 season, and ultimately, his career.

Either way, shout out to Sapp fro giving us some great years. We can only hope that we'll find other defensive lineman that can bring the same intensity and power to the game.

Mad Crazy March...Madness

This weekend was full of great games, and if you missed them, kick yourself in the face! March is definitely off to a crazy start with some exciting comebacks and shocking upsets. Man I love college basketball. If this weekend's games are any indication of how sick nasty this year's tourney will be, then bring it on!

(6) Duke comeback victory over NC State, 87-86

Coach K almost had to wait another day for his 800th win, but never count out Duke. Doesn't matter th deficit or how sloppy they seem to be playing. A team like that seems to be able to turn it on at the drop of a dime, and that's exactly what they did when they came back to beat the Wolfpack. Down by 13 midway through the 2nd half, Jon Sheyer, DeMarcus Nelson and Kyle Singler came alive and eeked out the win. Congrats to

(2) UNC comeback win over Boston College, 90-80
BC Junior guard Tyrese Rice finished the game with a career high 46 points (34 in the 1st half), the 3rd most points an individual has scored against UNC - ever! But that wasn't enough - never underestimate the power of the Tar Heels! Tyler Hansbrough, in the running for player of the year, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green came up big. Both teams were amazing from the free throw line, a lost art form, and several teams could take some notes on how it's done. UNC shot 88%, hitting 23-26 and BC hit 17-23.

(1) Tennessee barely beat Kentucky, 63-60
Technically they're still the top team, but come Monday they will be #1 no more! But thanks to this won over Kentucky, they won't fall too far. Tennessee has a great starting lineup with Chris Lofton, Wayne Chism and the Smiths, JaJuan, Tyler and Ramar. Kentucky looked good after losing their 6'8" star freshman, Patrick Patterson, to a stress fracture in his ankle. Patterson averaged 16.4 points and 7.7 assists. You wouldn't have known it the way Kentucky played. They were down in the first half and even took a lead in the 2nd, but they couldn't hold off one of the top teams in the country.

(15) Michigan State stomped (12) Indiana, 103-74

And I mean STOMPED! The score was 59-31 at the half with Michigan State shooting 78%. It was one of those games where everything seemed to favor the Spartans who drained 9 threes in the 1st half. The Hoosiers could barely find the basket, and they had way too many turnovers. They won their first 2 games since losing head coach Kelvin Sampson but got whipped (pronounce the h) by the boys in green. This was MSU's last home game and they finished the season undefeated in East Lansing. Drew Neitzel, one of 2 seniors on the team, had 17 in his final home game. Even the fans scored a victory, with them all getting free tacos since MSU scored at least 70 points.

(5) Texas lost @ Texas Tech, 83-80

Ooh, talk about an upset! 16-12 Texas Tech beat 24-5 Texas in one of the biggest shockers of the weekend. I must say though, I'm happy for TTech's head coach, Pat Knight. He has some humungous shoes to fill since replacing his father Bob, who retired in February. People were skeptical of the younger Knight's decision to sign Alan Voskuil, a 6-3, 175 guard, but boy have they been surprised this season. Voskuil had 18 points in this . And the best player for Texas, DJ Augustin put up some major numbers, with 30 pts and 13 rebs, but that just wasn't enough. The Longhorns were on a roll, winning 8 straight before this loss to the Red Raiders. At one point, Texas was down by 13 points. The game was down to the wire in the final minutes, with the Longhorns down by 1 with mere seconds on the clock. But Tech held on for the win, and their fans rushed onto the court after the win. It was awesome to see.

Kansas State lost in (7) Kansas, 88-74

K-State handed the Jawhawks, then 20-0, their first loss of the season. Everyone was talking about Michael Beasley's comments about beating about beating Kansas again, and anywhere in the world. I know he's one of the top players in the NCAA, but he's still 19 years old! I thought he was joking around when he said the Wildcats would beat Kansas "in Africa" but as usual, most people in the media took the lines and ran far, far away with them. Instead, Beasley got in very early foul trouble, 2 in the first 2 minutes, and spent the rest of the game going in during K-State's offensive possessions, and back to the bench during the defensive possessions. I understand Coach Frank Martin not wanting Beasley to get into too much trouble and be limited come crunch time, but come on! Beasley is one of the top candidates for player of the year, and he proved why in a salty loss like this one. He finished strong with 39 points and 11 rebs, his 25th double-double of his freshman season. The kid is amazing, but the Wildcats have lost 4 in a row; they went from a top 25 ranking to a barely there bubble team. They need to get it together - fast. Relying solely on Beasley and sophomore standout Bill Walker has proved it can only take the Wildcats but so far.

**Note: These were the teams rankings going into these games. This weeks rankings were released today and several teams have shifted.

The 800 Club

Congrats to C. Vivian Stringer, head coach of the Rutger's women's basketball team, and Mike Krzyzewski, the head coach of the Duke men's basketball team. Within the past week, these coaches reached a milestone when they both achieved 800 wins in their coaching careers.

Coach K got his 800-on in a most unusual fashion. The Duke Blue Devils were down to North Carolina State, trailing by 13 points in the second half. They staged an unbelievable comeback, and went on to beat the Wolfpack in a tight one, 87-86. Duke is solid this season, as usual, but they've had some key losses that have them at the #6 spot.

Krzyzewski coached 6 seasons at Army before joining Duke in 1980, and he's won 800 of the 1,064 games he's coached. Is this guy good or what!?! So good in fact he has his own instructional DVDs and hosts summer basketball camps. Just think of all the Duke standouts he's coached that are now, or were once, in the NBA. For some reason I just assumed that Coach K was already a member of that elite group of coached that have won nearly a thousand games. Duke is one of the most storied franchises in NCAA history but in my mind I have them winning like 10 championships, when in reality, they've only won 3 ('91, '92, '01). The Blue Devils have made it to the Final Four 14 times, but last year they got knocked outta the Tourney in a 1st round shocker by the ultimate underdog, VCU.

There was even talk before this season began from fans and Duke brass alike calling for the resigning or firing of the famed coach. People are looking for a change in Duke, especially with the trend of just making it to the Final Four, instead of winning the Big Dance. Now I'm not tryna throw some shade on an otherwise very happy occasion, but the 61-year old Coach K is gonna need more than just 800 wins and some Fin4 appearances to keep that comfy coaching connect. I would be hard pressed to find anyone who has Duke taking the whole thing this season, especially considering other strong teams in the NCAA. But then again, March is very Mad, so we'll see how it all works out.

On the flip side, C. Vivian Stringer led her team of "nappy headed hoes" to the big 8-0-0 in a 60-46 victory over Depaul University last Wednesday. The crowd let her have it, giving her a standing-O and chanting her name at the end of the game. The Scarlet Knights are 23-2 and ranked 4th, behind other powerhouses like UConn, UNC and Tennessee. Stringer is the 3rd winningest coach in Women's NCAAB and the only African-American to accomplish such a feat. She is also the only coach to lead 3 different teams to the Final Four. Stringer has won National Coach of the Year honors three times, as well as numerous other accolades, and was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. And don't think Rutgers doesn't know how good they have it! Last year Stringer and RU signed a 7-year contract extension deal, netting her $450,000 a year, and that figure could be bumped up to $550K a year with bonuses. That salary makes her the 5th highest paid women's NCAAB coach in the country.

Stringer began her coaching career in 1973 at Cheyney University in Pennsylvania, then continued on to Iowa. She spent 12 years at each college, and led both teams to 1 Final Four appearance. She won 251 games at Cheyney and picked up 261 more with the Hawkeyes, before she landed the job at Rugters in 1993. The rest is, as they say, history. Under Stringer, Rutgers has won 251 matches and has been in the Final 4 twice. She has expressed her desire to finish out her career at Rutgers and one can only hope that the 59 year old can Stringer get that BIG W, the championship, before she retires.

And you can't help but be happy for her too because the woman has been through a lot. Her husband died suddenly from a heart attack in 1992, leaving her to raise their 3 kids, including a daughter disabled by meningitis, alone. Stringer also overcame her battle with breast cancer. Sounds like a movie huh? Well, that's in the works along with her autobiography. Even though Stringer is the one getting all the attention, we gotta give it up to all the young ladies she's coached over the years. Like they say, you can draw up the plays but you can't put it in the hoop for them. Every single one of those 800 victories are a testament to the will and effort put forth by those girls on each of those teams.


Now I'll be truthful. I don't watch women's college basketball. Or the WNBA. I've been to a few NY Liberty games in my day, and all of them have been great, but 99% of the time I'm quickly changing the channel if it's on tv. I know, I'm a woman, I should support. But I'm just not that interested, and yes, there's an element of sexism there on my part. I think it's more like the chicken and egg thing; if I watched more games I would probably be interested and I would probably be interested if I watched more games. I usually only watch during the WNBA Championships and March Madness, and I know more of the big name players. I pledge from now on to show more of an interest in women's basketball.

I have friends, male and female, who LOVE women's basketball. They say it's more pure, and focuses on the fundamentals. There aren't as many egos and it's more team oriented. Ain't nothing wrong with that! Some guys in the NBA could stand to take a page out of that book.

And there's also that whole DUNK controversy. I know dunking doesn't make basketball, but I love to see it!! A 2 is a 2 anyway you slice it, but damn if isn't more exciting to see an alley oop or a 360 or a reverse! The slam is awesome! It's fun, it's powerful and it's entertaining. Many argue that the women's game is more about teamwork than individual showiness which I don't have a problem with, but 1 dunk a season!?! I mean come on! Which would you rather see - someone (male or female) finish with a layup, or take it to the hole with some force? I'm 5'2, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I've only dunked on kids baskets. If I were over 6 feet with the ability to stuff it in someone's face, best believe I would be hanging on the rim with my snatch all up IN somebody's grill! Eat THAT!! But hey, maybe that's just the nastiness and arrogance in me ;-)