Wachovia Center
Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" easily coincides with how the Charlotte Bobcats have been playing this season. The road less traveled would be the one headed towards Charlotte, and that's made all the difference for the club's playoff hopes.
TD Garden
The Memphis Grizzlies will attempt to keep the longest road winning streak in franchise history intact when they visit a place they've historically struggled over the years, Boston's TD Garden, for tonight's matchup with the Atlantic Division-leading Celtics.
The Palace of Auburn Hills
Keeping up with Denver in both the Northwest Division and Western Conference standings could get a bit easier tonight for the Utah Jazz, who will shoot for their 10th straight win over the Detroit Pistons.
AmericanAirlines Arena
The Miami Heat are fighting for their playoff lives and hope to gain some ground during a six-game homestand that starts with tonight's matchup versus the Los Angeles Clippers at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Target Center
Without their head coach patrolling the sidelines, the Denver Nuggets will start up a four-game road trip tonight against a Minnesota Timberwolves team hoping to end a string of six straight losses when it takes the Target Center court.
Ford Center
While the Oklahoma City Thunder seem to be well on their way towards ending a playoff drought, the New Orleans Hornets enter tonight's showdown between these teams in danger of missing out of the postseason fray.
American Airlines Center
The NBA's worst team takes on its hottest when the New Jersey Nets meet the Dallas Mavericks in Big D tonight.
AT&T Center
The San Antonio Spurs will have to continue their playoff push tonight against the New York Knicks without star guard Tony Parker.
ARCO Arena
The reeling Toronto Raptors aim to right the ship tonight as they resume a four-game western road trip against the Sacramento Kings.
Verizon Center
Both Joe Corvo and Scott Walker were given a chance to compete on a championship-caliber team when they were traded by the Hurricanes to the Capitals before the trade deadline. One week later, they get to show off in front of their old club.
HSBC Arena
After losing its first three games after the Winter Olympics, Dallas is coming off a victory that could very well turn its luck around. Now all it has to do is pick up its first victory at Buffalo in over 12 years.
Prudential Center
Three straight road games out west following the Olympic break seemed to have caught up with the Devils in their most recent contest.
United Center
Two of the Western Conference's best teams will meet tonight in the Windy City as the Chicago Blackhawks host the Los Angeles Kings at United Center.
Jobing.com Arena
The longest road trip in NHL history will come to an end tonight when the Vancouver Canucks visit the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena.
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Scoreboard data copyright © 2010 by STATS LLC. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC is strictly prohibited.
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from SBNation.com
12
From Our Editors
SubscribeUpdated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
'One Shining Moment' Is A Horrible Audio Slice Of Squid Vomit
My goodness, there’s much to like about the NCAA men’s basketball tournament: gambling, watching four games at once, suffering a heart attack while watching four games at once and losing the mortgage, Gus Johnson suffering a heart attack calling a buzzer-beater, and taking naps while Wisconsin plays games. Chocked full of fun, it is.
(Did we mention gambling, sweet gambling? We did? Gambling. It needs another mention.)
I know tradition is important here, too, but if anyone takes offense at Jennifer Hudson redoing the song CBS continues to ladle like so much thin, cheap gravy onto the tasty pile of mashed potatoes NCAA tourney goodness, you need to swallow your tongue. John Tesh describes its treacly piano chords as “cloying.” Your aunt really likes it, and wishes they would play it more. Neither of these are good, and are in fact very bad.
Can we do what all intelligent people do in times of crisis: blame Armen Keteyian for “One Shining Moment?”
It’s in Wikipedia, so it must be true. Damn you, Keteyian! (Shakes angry fist.) That’s one more media quasi-celebrity’s iPod we can’t steal during assignments. What would I put in its place, you ask? Oh, I think you know the answer there.
by Spencer Hall • Mar 10, 2010 1:53 PM EST
Tim Tebow Scored a 22 On The Wonderlic
If you love to hate on, and indeed consider yourself a "hater," the best day for you in the run-up to the NFL draft is today: Wonderlicsmas, the day when "NFL sources" begin leaking the often embarrassing results of the timed intelligence test known as the Wonderlic. It's fun, because you get to make fun of their brain!
The best a player can possibly do on the test is 50. (Only confirmed perfect score: Pat McInally of Harvard.) The average score for a quarterback is 24, a score Tim Tebow missed by two points with a reported score of 22. For context, this puts him just below Peyton Manning (28) and Tom Brady (33), but above Dan Marino (15) and Jeff George (who to no one's surprise allegedly scored a 10 on the test by drawing a huge picture of himself playing football in crayon on the answer sheet.)
Tebow's score also matches Brett Favre's own childlike score of 22, though without the childlike joy Favre took in the test. Other scores included Jimmy Clausen's 23 (Notre Dame is SO hard to get into,) Colt McCoy's 25, and Sam Bradford's lofty 36, which NFL scouts will misread as a troubling commitment to "being smart" and "reading" over football.
by Spencer Hall • Mar 10, 2010 1:20 PM EST
NCAA Tournament Announcer Pairings Set; We Rank Them Arbitrarily
CBS has set the announcing duos for the NCAA Tournament, which tips off NEXT WEEK (!!!!). Here they are, ranked from best (aka "please, god, let these two call my game") to worst (aka "eh, this is bad, but at least it's not Mike Patrick-Dick Vitale"):
Again: These rankings are science and you simply cannot argue the validity of any of them. I dare you to try!
by Chris Mottram • Mar 10, 2010 12:12 PM EST
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CBSSports.com is an SB Nation partner and paying sponsor of the SB Nation baseball communities. This post is one of a series of sponsor endorsed posts related to the CBSSports.com Fantasy Baseball Commissioner League.
by Chris Mottram • Mar 10, 2010 11:57 AM EST
Andrew Bogut? Andrew Bogut!
The thing about draft busts is... They're supposed to fade into obscurity and become punchlines, not randomly have an All-Star season and rejuvenate their careers out-of-nowhere. That's not how it works.
Big Baby's inner monologue there—as he peels himself off the floor and grabs his dignity from the cameraman nearby—probably echoes all of our thoughts: "Since when can Andrew Bogut do THAT?"
Truth is, he's been doing it all year. While Brandon Jennings has gotten most of the credit on a national level, it's been Bogut who's most valuable to Milwaukee. Since February 1st, the Bucks are 14-4, with Bogut averaging of 16.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 55% shooting. But even better, he's been huge on defense: since February, he's averaged three blocks-per-game, as the Bucks have been among the league leaders in defensive efficiency.
Does this mean we can no longer make jokes about drafting a gawky Australian first in the NBA draft? Absolutely not. Anytime you take a goofy seven foot white guy over Chris Paul and Deron Williams... Well, you're probably the Milwaukee Bucks.
But Bogut and the Bucks beat the Celtics last night. And look at that dunk! The old jokes are still funny, but out of nowhere, Bogut and the Bucks are no longer a running punchline.
by Andrew Sharp • Mar 10, 2010 11:18 AM EST
Knicks Prove Hope Sells A Lot Tickets
Apparently, the possibility of LeBron James signing for your team is recession-proof. How do I know? According to Darren Rovell of CNBC, the Knicks have already sold 1,800 season tickets for next year in record time.
In the words of MSG sports president Scott O'Neil, the Knicks' sales team is "on fire," which immediately puts an image of Marv Albert announcing sales calls in my head. O'Neil, for two ticket renewals at once ... YES! He's on fire!
In all seriousness, this proves that hope is a powerful tool in keeping floundering sports franchises alive. Something tells me those 1,800 fans aren't paying to see Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler.
by Mike Prada • Mar 10, 2010 10:47 AM EST
Dawg Pound Not This Man's Best Friend
Derek Anderson's tenure with the Cleveland Browns ended Tuesday when the former Pro Bowl quarterback was released. His anger with the way he was treated by the fans will last much longer, if his comments to the The News-Herald are any indication.
Anderson blasted the Cleveland fans, calling them "ruthless" and said they "don't deserve a winner." He didn't stop there:
The move did not come as much of a surprise, considering Anderson's play the last season, and the fact he was owed a $2 million roster bonus on Mar. 19 and a salary of $7.45 million for 2010.
Anderson did not pull any punches with his comments. Well, except when he said "at times I wasn't great." Browns fans want to know, "When was he great?"
Not against Buffalo last October when he went 2-for-17 for 23 yards. Or for most of the season, as he finished with a passer rating of 42.1.
by Rich Ramus • Mar 10, 2010 12:03 AM EST
Best Of The SB Nation Network: March 9, 2010
Here is the best of the SB Nation network for Tuesday, March 9, 2010:
College Basketball
- Blogging The Bracket has your conference tournament round up for March 9th.
- The Slipper Still Fits says Gonzaga can forget about playing in Spokane after losing the WCC title game to St. Mary's.
- Big 12 Hoops has an excellent look at why each team in the Big 12 can and can't win the conference tournament.
- Gonzo Ball weighs in on the rush of negative articles about Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez.
- Rakes Of Mallow takes a stab at handing out Big East end-of-season awards.
- Vanquish The Foe lays out the NCAA Tournament seeding possibilities for BYU.
Football
- The Dolphins got Dansby, but The Phinsider says they desperately need a safety and a nose tackle.
- Battle Red Blog wonders if Peyton Manning just a mediocre playoff QB.
- Behind the Steel Curtain is shocked team re-signs Antwaan Randle El and Ryan Clark
- 2010 NFL Free Agency recap through the first week from Niners Nation.
Baseball
- Audio from Bless You Boys ESPN970 radio interview.
- Chapman Hits 100 MPH: Red Reporter wonders what it all means.
- Amazing Avenue's Make-The-Mets-O-Meter: Pitchers, Vol. 2
Basketball
- Celtics Blog figures that the C's are like an old married couple. Old and grouchy.
- Ben from Blazers Edge attended the MIT Sloan Conference and geeks in sports and has the full pocket protector report.
- Could Devin Harris and John Wall share the back court? NNets Daily wonders but we say, 'Who Cares! It's John Wall!!'
College Football
- BCS Evolution continues its 120 teams 'til kickoff with previews of New Mexico State and Eastern Michigan.
- Corn Nation breaks down the 2010 Big 12 football schedules.
by Seth Pollack • Mar 9, 2010 9:57 PM EST
Greg Paulus Could Take Jimmy Clausen, Unless Jimmy Clausen Poisoned His Bangs
So Dan Patrick asks Greg Paulus ... well, you'll see:
EDSBS imagines the rest: "The match lasts three hours until Tom Zbikowski storms in, knocks both out, and then flexes while someone throws seventy yard TD passes over his unsuspecting head. " Me, I think Paulus can more than hold his own as long as the rumble goes down in South Bend. Even close to 300 passing yards couldn't save Clausen from the might of the Orange the last time they met there.
by Holly Anderson • Mar 9, 2010 8:48 PM EST
Everything Is Bigger (And More Expensive) In Texas
This may not be news to you, but if you want to see a professional football game, be prepared to spend a whole lot of cash.
CNBC ranks North America's priciest sports tickets for professional teams and it's no surprise that 12 of the 15 listed are members of the National Football League:
There's just one team each from the MLB (No. 15, Yankees), NHL (No. 3, Maple Leafs) and NBA (No. 2, Lakers). The Yankees make sense because they're the defending champions. The Lakers make sense because they have Hollywood movie stars and rappers attending their games. The Maple Leafs make sense because ... well, they don't make sense actually. Blame Canada? I hear the dollar is stronger there, anyway.
*I'm a sucker that spent nearly this much for nosebleed seats for the Patriots' first round playoff loss to the Ravens. Yeah, I know...
by Randy Booth • Mar 9, 2010 8:21 PM EST
Could Kentucky Have Snagged Pat Summitt From Tennessee More Than 30 Years Ago?
This little women's basketball tidbit from the Knoxville News-Sentinel is gossipy and decades old, but far too delicious to not pass along:
That ESPN broadcast mentioned, by the way, would be Sunday's game, in which Summitt's Lady Vols beat Kentucky's Lady Wildcats, 70-62 to claim the SEC championship. Summitt, the winningest coach in men's or women's hoops in NCAA history, has 15 of those championships to her credit now, along with eight national titles, but hey, who wants to pay some lady's moving expenses just because she thinks she can coach a little basketball?
by Holly Anderson • Mar 9, 2010 7:55 PM EST
Mister Cobble, I Presume?
The 2010 Name of the Year race has a strong early candidate on the University of Kentucky football team. He's a redshirt freshman DT, and they call him 'Mister Cobble', because that is his name. It's unclear whether his parents named him after the title or the spray nozzle, but with the demise of UCF's Jose Jose, I see a bright future for young Mr. Mister Cobble in elite college football moniker circles.
by Holly Anderson • Mar 9, 2010 7:25 PM EST
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