MAKE PLAYS

Sure, most of the golf world is focused on Tiger and Phil playing together at Quail Hollow this week, but me? This week the center of my golfing universe is the Iberian Peninsula. Why? My favorite golfer of all-time, John Daly, is playing in his first professional tournament this season, the Spanish Open.

Daly shot a 70, (which seems pretty good until you find out he's in 45th place, the players tore the course apart today), but today the score isn't important for Big John, it's more about re-establishing himself in competitive golf (he's still serving a six month suspension from the PGA after spending the night in a North Carolina drunk tank). As the picture in the article linked to above shows, Daly has lost weight, and appears ready to get back to golf.

At 43, Daly will likely never contend in majors again, but that doesn't mean he isn't a ton of fun to watch play. His sand shot in a playoff at the 2004 Buick Invitational was awesome to watch (fast-forward to 1:35 in the video to see it), and win or lose, Daly provides a unique golf experience every time he picks up a club.

Let's hope he can get it together this time.

-Steve

Well, tomorrow is the big day, the NFL Draft. It is the day many football fans look forward too. Who will your team pick? Who will drop? Who will be drafted as a reach? So many questions. It's an exciting two-day event. In the spirit of things, and because everyone else does it, I've decided to compile a mock draft. Enjoy.

1. Lions- Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia
2. Rams- Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
3. Chiefs- Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
4. Seahawks- Mark Sanchez, QB, USC
5. Browns- Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
6. Bengals- Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
7. Raiders- Jerry Maclin, WR, Missouri
8. Jaguars- B.J. Raji, DT, BC
9. Packers- Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
10. Niners- Aaron Maybin, DE/LB, Penn State
11. Bills- Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
12. Broncos- Everette Brown, DE, Florida State
13. Redskins- Andre Smith, OL, Alabama
14. Saints- Malcolm Jenkins, CB, OSU
15. Texans- Ray Maualuga, LB, USC
16. Chargers- Beanie Wells, RB, OSU
17. Jets- Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
18. Broncos- Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi
19. Bucs- Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
20. Lions- Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi
21. Eagles- Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
22. Vikings- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
23. Patriots- Brian Cushing, LB, USC
24. Falcons- Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
25. Dolphins- Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
26. Ravens- Clay Matthews, LB, USC
27. Colts- Ziggy Hood, DT, Missouri
28. Bills- Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
29. Giants- Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
30. Titans- Hakeen Nicks, WR, North Carolina
31. Cardinals- Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
32. Steelers- Larry English, DE, N. Illinois

- Miniaci

So apparently the MLB asked each team to send three jerseys worn in its home opener to league offices. No problemo! The Washington Nationals sent the shirts worn by Adam Dunn, Ryan Zimmerman and Elijah Dukes.

A new batch of jerseys were sent back to the team. Just one problem here. Two of those three jerseys spelled out "Natinals" on the front rather than "Nationals."

Clubhouse manager Mike Wallace said he and his crew checked the back of the jerseys. Why would they think to check the front anyways?

Well it was into the fourth inning when the goof was noticed, and both Dunn and Zimmerman switched into their appropriate jerseys.

Of course this doesn't happen to the Phillies or Orioles. It can only happen to the newcomer of the family - the Washington Natinals

- Julie

I know that for a lot of you, the Masters are old news by now, and that's ok, but I wanted to have a few days to process what happened down at Augusta before I recorded them. And now that I have reflected upon the tournament that was I am ready to make a few observations.

1. What will this year's defining moment be? After Kenny Perry's tee shot at the 16th I thought that would be the defining moment, but obviously Perry didn't win, so that shot will be more a reminder of his collapse than anything else. The defining moment was really Angel Cabrera's par save on the first playoff hole, which was remarkable, despite not being very pretty to watch. As someone who plays from the woods a lot, and who doesn't save par from there very often, I really respect what Cabrera did there. The punchout, approach shot and putt were all perfect, and under pressure too.

2. What will we ultimately remember about this tournament, however, is yet to be determined. If Phil Mickelson never wins another major, we will remember how his putter betrayed him on the back nine. If Phil had swung the flat stick decently on the back, he could have easily been -13, and the outright winner. Likewise, if Tiger never completes a final-round comeback to win a major, we will remember this Masters as a time when he squandered a chance to do so. I honestly thought Tiger would nail his eagle putt on 15, and carry that momentum to the final three holes to cap a miraculous comeback. Tiger is still the best player in the world, and is still almost a mortal lock in my opinion to surpass Jack Nicklaus as the all-time major winner, but right now I think it's fair to question his ability to win a major when he's not dominating, and to score when he's behind. Tiger needed a low number on Sunday, and he was playing well enough to do so, he just didn't come through, and until he does, there will be a hole in his resume.

3. My final impression is that Augusta is still Augusta. It has been beaten to death that since being "Tiger-proofed", Augusta no longer rewards risk-taking and creativity, the traits that made it famous, and allowed players like Seve Ballesteros to showcase their games. I think Sunday should debunk that notion. If Mickelson hadn't putted like an amateur on the back nine, he could have easily broken the scoring record for a major. Woods was a few putts away from posting an extremely low round too. And although people will always maintain that Angel Cabrera didn't win the Masters, Kenny Perry lost it, the Argentine made three birdies on the back nine to keep the pressure on Perry. In all, it was the best Masters I've watched since Tiger's famous chip-in in 2005, which is hands down the best golf shot I have ever seen. What makes Augusta great is that it rewards players for making great shots, and the course did that this week.

-Steve

The city of Philadelphia lost its most recognizable voice today, when legendary announcer Harry Kalas passed away at the relatively young age of 73.

Kalas, known as "Harry the K," was famous for his gravelly voice and his trademark "Watch this baby...OUTTA HERE!" home run call, words that saluted thousands of Phillies homers as they sailed into warm summer nights across America.

Kalas began calling Phillies games in 1971, and his trademark voice raised generations of Phillies fans, including myself. I know that I probably heard more of Harry's voice during the summer than I did of my friends or family.

It's cliched to say he felt like part of the family, but for thousands of Phils fans across the Philadelphia region hearing Harry Kalas call a Phillies game was an instant slice of home. His presence was as much of a part of Philadelphia as a cheesesteak from your favorite local sub shop or a stroll down Broad Street.

And as brutal as Joe Buck's call of the final out of the 2008 World Series was, Kalas' was equally great. There was no voice I would rather have had call the greatest Philadelphia sports moment in a quarter of a century.

But don't take it from me, because I'm not the only one shocked and saddened by Harry's death. Leslie Gudel could barely hold back tears before the Phils' game today on Comcast SportsNet, John Kruk broke down on the phone on ESPN and Larry Andersen was apparently sobbing during the radio broadcast.

Amazingly, Kalas' TV broadcast partners (Scott Franzke, Gary Matthews and Chris Wheeler) were able to hold it together when I was watching the beginning portion of today's game.

This is what Mike Schmidt, arguably the greatest Phillie ever and one of Kalas' favorite players, had to say on Harry's passing:

He gave me my sports name. People all over the country refer to me by the name that Harry actually gave me ... 'Michael Jack.' Every time I hear it now for the rest of my life, his face and his smile will resonate.

Also, check out what NFL Films President Steve Sabol had to say on Kalas' passing. Harry was the voice of NFL Films for many years, and some of the greatest plays in NFL history are set to his voice in the NFL Films archives.

His substance was his style. There was no shtick, just a steady blend of crisp articulation and resonance. In many ways, Harry is the narrator of our memories. His voice lives on not only on film, but inside the heads of everyone who has watched and listened to NFL Films.

Phillies president David Montgomery was able to say this about Kalas earlier today as he choked back tears:

We lost our voice today. He knows the game and made a tremendous contribution to the sport and to our organization ... Anybody who has played for us, it's an immediate point of connection with the club. He is the Phillies.

It's going to be a long season for the Phillies without Harry the K, and I know it'll be awful hard to turn on the Phightins and not hear his voice. Even Adam Eaton was almost watchable with Harry calling the action.

Rest in peace, Harry Kalas. You'll be forever in our memories.

(All quotes are from this.)

-- Ben Skalina

The promising career of Nick Adenhart ended abruptly when the young pitcher was killed in a hit-and-run accident just after midnight Thursday.

Adenhart, 22, was in the Angels' rotation and had just pitched six shutout innings for the Angels only a few hours before the accident took his life. He has been considered one of the top pitching prospects in baseball the past few seasons. He was listed as the Angels' No. 1 prospect heading into the season by Baseball America and was BA's No. 24 prospect in all of baseball in 2008.

It's usually sad when anyone dies, but Adenhart was a young stud prospect who was killed while driving home and was killed by a reckless driver. The Angels have postponed their game Thursday to mourn the pitcher's death.

It's a real shame; he could have been an All-Star for years to come. Now we'll never know. Our condolences go out to the Adenhart family and the families of the other two people killed in the accident.

- Miniaci

Last week, Miniaci had a post about phenom Stephen Strasburg.

Strasburg is almost a lock to be taken with the first pick in the draft, held by the Washington Nationals, who as we know, have a history of failing to sign draft picks, allowing Aaron Crow to get away last year. Additionally, the Nationals are desperate for talent, and probably need quantity over quality, even quality like Strasburg.

What if the Nats could trade their pick?

Right now, baseball rules forbid draft picks from being traded, a topic that generates a fair amount of debate.

Hypothetically, if the Nats could trade the top pick, what sort of haul get they get in return? On one hand, Strasburg is considered the next Dwight Gooden or Roger Clemens, but on the other, he's never thrown a pitch in professional competition. So, the Nats would likely want major league ready talent in return, and they would likely want more than one player as well. Would other teams be interested in giving up multiple major-league pieces for an unproven, albeit ultra-talented player?

One scenario I envision would involve the Nats and Yankees making a deal. (Giving up loads of resources for a top pick is likely territory for only the big-market teams).

If the Yanks sent Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy a hitting prospect like Jesus Montero or Austin Cormine and their own first rounder (the 28th pick), I think it could work. The Nats would acquire some players with potential, while the Yankees would get their phenom.

MLB probably won't allow teams to trade picks anytime soon, but it's interesting to think about.

-Steve

Sunday, of course, was the Phillies' home opener. And since they won the '08 World Series, it was time for them to do something more exciting than winning the Series itself -- raising a stupid flag.

But the Phillies fans could not handle the intensity of the flag-raising. Want to see some Philadelphians beat the hell out of each other? Want to see a really bad emo haircut? Want to hear 40,000 people who sound like Sly Stallone? (OK, we can't help out on that part. This video doesn't have sound.)

From the Deadspin:

Beautiful. Anyway, it must suck for Phillies fans realizing that their team is 0-1 and the Battlin' Bucs are 1-0.

-- Shorts

So I'm sure you noticed all the baseball shirts and jerseys walking around campus. Well, at least I hope there was since I was at the Collegian's office for most of the day and let's face it, most of my staff was in baseball apparel. OK, OK...I'm guilty too. I couldn't help but pull out my old school Tino Martinez Yankee shirt.

What's the deal, you ask?? It's Opening Day!

For some reason, Opening Day means a lot more to people than any other day in baseball except the playoffs. For some reason, people hang their teams' season on the very first game of the season. Well that's just silly. And I'm not just sayin that since my beloved Yankees lost to the Orioles. No. It's just funny to see people so down in the dumps with one loss. Just a FYI, there are more than 100 games left in the season. Plenty of time to pull themselves up from the cellar of their respective divisions. There are, after all, 218 days until the scheduled Game 7 of World Series.

Although I must say it was entertaining to see all the Phillies fans to be reminded of what appeared to be a Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park.

So if your ball team didn't come out firing on Opening Day, don't fret. It may seem depressing when you're all decked out in your team's colors and they don't pull through. BUT just remember there's a long season ahead. And if that doesn't work out, there are those two words that keep sports fans constantly invested...."Next year"

Oh, and if you're not a baseball fan, my North Carolina Tar Heels are national champions. Now that's something to celebrate.

- Julie

I'm fully aware that here in the great state of Pennsylvania people get sick and tired of hearing about the New York Yankees.

After all, the Phillies are the World Champs, and the Pirates could have a historic season this year, and yet the Bronx Bombers still get more attention.

Well get used to it, because I think we could be seeing a lot of drama in the Bronx this summer, and it starts with Derek Jeter moving to the leadoff spot.

No big deal you say? Is is that big of a difference having Jeter bat first instead of his customary second spot? On its own, this move isn't earth-shattering, but it shows the lack of offensive talent currently occupying the Yanks' roster. With A-Rod on the shelf for a while nursing an injury that could hamper his effectiveness the rest of the year, the Yanks have a huge hole to fill.

Yes, Mark Teixeira will be a huge upgrade over the departed Jason Giambi, but what will happen when he struggles in April, like he always does? How will he handle the scrutiny of New York?

The Yankees will have to rely on the aging Jorge Posada to overcome his recent injuries, Robinson Cano to break out of last year's season-long slump and Xavier Nady to repeat last year's career year. Gulp.

Sure the rotation is seemingly loaded after adding C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. But do I even need to mention Burnett's injury history? And everyone remembers the workload Sabathia shouldered down the stretch last year, could C.C. break down? Chien Ming-Wang is an injury risk too, and Joba Chamberlain is still unproven as a starter.

Add to this the opening of the team's decadent new Bronx palace (with the ticket prices to go with it) and a struggling Yanks squad could lead to more acrimony than even we are used to from the Pinstripers.

So while we may have to hear a lot about the Yankees this summer, a lot of it may end up being music to Yankee-haters' ears.

-Steve

The struggling economy just got a little bit easier to stomach for PGA Tour officials.

Why? Tiger Woods is back in full force.

If you missed Tiger's final round charge at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, then that's too bad for you -- it was Tiger at his finest -- but judging by the television ratings not many golf fans weren't tuned in. The tournament earned the highest television ratings since last summer's U.S. Open, not coincidentally the last tournament Tiger won.

There's no denying that it's a whole different viewing experience when Tiger is in contention on Sunday, and yesterday was no exception, as Woods charged back from five strokes behind to beat Sean O'Hair.

What's so great about Tiger is that he turns it on when it counts, even if he hasn't been playing his best. Watching on Saturday, I made the conclusion that Tiger was not playing his best golf. He wasn't holing putts, or sticking enough approach shots close to make birdies. He struggled mightily on the finishing holes Saturday, and needed a lengthy putt to save bogey on 18 and preserve his spot in the final pairing Sunday.

He carried that momentum over to Sunday, conquering the 18th hole with a birdie to break a tie with O'Hair. It was evident how much Tiger relished being in contention yesterday, and it is no coincidence that the best stretch he has played since his return came with a title on the line.

That said, I think we all know that Tiger is ready for Augusta in two weeks.

Speaking of Augusta, last week marked the last chance for players to get into the World top 50 to earn invitations to the Masters, and a familiar face failed to do so. Unless Davis Love III wins this week's Shell Houston Open, he won't be playing at Augusta.

Last week, I mentioned that Stuart Appleby was also in danger of missing the Masters. While the Aussie is currently ranked 54th in the world, he will be playing at Augusta by virtue of his 14th place finish at last year's Masters. Sorry about the mistake.

Another player who earned his spot at the Masters by virtue of playing well in a major last year is world No. 234 and fabled Augusta goat Greg Norman, who finished tied for third in last year's British Open. In the 1996 Masters, Norman shot a final round 78 to squander a six stroke lead. It was a lot of fun watching Norman in contention at last year's Open, and a lot of attention will be focused on him at Augusta.

Here's a list of some players who have earned invitations to this year's Masters.

-Steve

Every year, it starts the same way. Selection Sunday rolls around, and you get your first look at the clean, empty bracket. You close your eyes and just do your best impression of the Oracle from The Matrix and predict which teams will prove to be victorious. We're all hopeful and are more than confident showing our bracket to everyone we know repeatedly telling yourself that this is your year.

And then, the games actually start. One by one, you see your Cinderella picks get blown out. You see your eventual champion struggle to get to the Sweet 16. All of a sudden, your investment in college basketball is the most important thing to you. You actually care about Pittsburgh basketball.

But that's the fun of it all, isn't it? You make your ballsy picks and you're a genius if you're right. I, on the other hand, am not a bracket wiz. For the second year in the past four years, I picked the Pitt Panthers to win it all. Why you ask? I have no idea. I'm not a Pitt fan, but gosh darn it the Panthers are going to win a championship one of these years! I had a decent bracket going into the Sweet 16, but as always, I failed. Thanks Kansas, Memphis and Pitt. Ironic since my only correct pick in the Final Four came from my beloved Tar Heels, who I refused to pick as a champion because of bias and the fact that I was bold enough to pick Pitt in December.

With all this heartache, however, I know I'm not alone. There are you guys out there with Louisville, Memphis and maybe even Syracuse in a spot they didn't even come close to filling. But hey, it's called March Madness for a reason. You can't predict the future, no matter how sure you are before the first tip. And for those of you that have a near-perfect bracket, brag and brag again. You deserve it. But be nice about it, it hurts for those of us whose careers as fortune tellers are kaput.

- Julie

Felix Hernandez may be Seattle's King. Geovany Soto may have the hearts of Chicago. And Matt Wieters may be knocking on the door of stardom. However, there is another who could be the next Great One.

Stephen Strasburg, a pitcher at San Diego State, is making headlines as the next great flamethrower and is being considered the top player available in the upcoming June MLB Draft.

He's been creating buzz with his tremendous stats, fastball, makeup, repatiore, and well, just about everything about him is causing a rave.

In 5 starts this season, he is 4-0 with a 1.57 ERA. That not good enough for ya? In 34.1 innings pitched this year, he has only 7 walks and 74 (yes, 74) strikeouts. Does it get better? Yep. His fastball regularly touches 100 mph. And a little more background information -- he struck out 23 batters in a game last season. For his career, he has 254 strikeouts and 38 walks in 168 2/3 innings. He was on the USA Olympic team in Beijing last year, tallying 62 strikeouts in 41 innings.

The stats are all insane, but scouts rave about his stuff. His fastball has been clocked at 102 mph multiple times this season. His breaking pitch is a combination between a curveball and a slider and is clocked in the upper-80s. One scout said he's as surefire front-of-the-rotation starter and another said the scary thing is he still has room to develop.

His coach at San Diego State is someone who's seen good pitching, Hall-of-Famer Tony Gwynn. He's impressed with his pitcher's stuff and has been taking care of his prized pitcher, limiting his pitch count.

Scouts have said he could start for any MLB team right now, and one scout even said right now Strasburg is better than a healthy A.J. Burnett. One thing that might scare teams away his who he is represented by -- avenging agent Scott Boras.

Boras has said he wants to get Strasburg a big contract out of the draft. However, some team will pay up, even if it isn't the Nationals, who have the first overall pick.

Strasburg is something special, and he will catch everyone's attention shortly.

Here is a video with every one of his 23 strikeouts from that game:

- Miniaci

If you're like me, you love to have as much information provided as possible while watching a broadcast of a sporting event.

I would love to know what the catcher and pitcher discuss during a visit to the mound, or what the quarterback says in the huddle to rally his team before an important play.

Well, the idea of providing this kind of inside information to viewers is being discussed on the PGA Tour, as some caddies will be miked up during the Shell Houston Open. This is just an experiment, mind you, the comments won't air.

A main concern from the caddies' standpoint is not that their conversations regarding key shots will be aired, but rather that everything they utter throughout the round will be recorded.

This idea definitely will need to be tweaked and perfected, but I personally love it. As a golfer myself, I watch golf in part to pick up new things I can add to my own game. Hearing the discussion between players and caddies would allow me to study how players handle certain situations even more acutely, and would provide another way for me to absorb something new about the game.

From a marketing standpoint, the PGA is nothing without dominant personalities, and if this is successful, it would create a closer connection between fans and players, and would make the PGA more appealing.

On another note, this week is the last chance players have to qualify for next month's Masters. The top 50 in the world rankings at the end of the week automatically earn invitations. Some big names sweating it this week will be world No. 47 Davis Love III and No. 52 Stuart Appleby.

Should be an interesting week as players scramble to earn the coveted Masters invitations. Playing at Augusta is one of the greatest honors in golf, and even veterans like Love and Appleby don't want to be excluded from it.

-Steve

One of the complaints being leveled at the NCAA tournament this year is the abundance of basketball bluebloods presiding over this year's Sweet 16.

Indeed, this year's tournament has favored the classic programs, as the only double-digit seed still alive is 12-seed Arizona, a program that has won a national title, and features McDonald's All-American Chase Budinger, and that could hardly be labeled a Cinderella.

Why the lack of Cinderellas? Well some are crying foul that 'Zona was included over mid-major darling St. Mary's, given their late-season slump, but other than that selection, exactly what beef do people have with the selection committee? Penn State certainly had a case to be included, but there was an equally compelling case against the Lions as well.The true reason behind the lack of Cinderellas: the mid-majors (Cleveland St. and Western Kentucky notwithstanding) didn't come to play.

The venerable John Feinstein offered many opinions on the lack of representation from the little guy in this year's tourney, one of which was to force the last two at-large teams to play in the play-in game as opposed to the lowest rated teams overall.That suggestion, in my opinion, would be counterproductive to Feinstein's desire to see small conference teams knock off the big boys.

If say, Arizona and Wisconsin had met in the play-in game as opposed to Morehead State and Alabama State, what would have been accomplished? Instead of getting a nationally televised game with the entire nation watching, both schools would have been sent immediately to be pummeled by one of the blue bloods in the first round. With the play-in game, those teams not only get the chance to win an NCAA tournament game, but they get twice as much exposure as before, exposure that Arizona and Wisconsin don't need quite as much.

ESPN's Pat Forde laments the growing divide between mid-majors and major conference teams, but Forde doesn't actually offer up any evidence for this theory, other than the fact that this year's Sweet 16 doesn't include any Cinderellas.

Back in 2006, when George Mason's Final Four run led a parade of mid-majors that made deep tournament runs, all the talk was about parity. Now, just three years later, everyone is whining about the opposite thing.

If Western Kentucky had escaped against Gonzaga on Saturday, would we have parity or would we still be consolidating power at the top?

If the lack of small schools still left dims the tournament's star for you, then it's your loss. Duke-Villanova, UNC-Gonzaga, Syracuse-Oklahoma are just some of the epic matchups awaiting us. Big-time players, big-time coaches and big-time teams.

Label me excited.

-Steve