Month: March 2005 (Page 5 of 7)

As an Ohio University alum (’99), I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the Bobcats’ first NCAA tourney appearance since 1994. Back then, OU was led by the Shaq of the MAC, Gary Trent, but the 2004-05 version boasts two of the best freshmen in the country, guard Jeremy Fears (11.1 ppg, 3.8 apg) and forward Leon Williams (12.0 ppg, 8.6 rpg).

Drawing the third-seeded Florida Gators in the Syracuse Regional, a team noted for its early round exits, the Bobcats found themselves down by 20 in the second half before going on a 25-5 run and knotting the score at 60-60 with two minutes left. Ultimately, though, the Gators proved to be too much for OU, pulling out the 67-62 win. It was a familiar story for the Bobcats, having fought back from 19 down to beat Buffalo in the MAC championship at the Gund last Saturday. Unfortunately, their latest comeback bid fell just short.

The MAC has been gaining respect over the years from the rest of the college football world, and it may soon be time to start paying attention to the conference during hoops season. Sure, teams like Miami and Eastern Michigan have made some tournament noise in the past, but this OU squad is young, with every starter except senior forward Terren Harbut returning next year, and they aren’t the only talented team in the MAC.

Keep your eye on Athens, Ohio, college basketball fans. The OU bars have always been top-notch, but now it looks like the action at The Convo may be just as appealing.

Cavs coach Paul Silas was fined $10,000 Thursday by team owner Dan Gilbert for his comments on turncoat Carlos Boozer. I guess the Cavaliers had to make a statement, but 10 grand is an awful lot of money, especially considering all Silas did was tell the truth.

“I’ve spoken to Paul about this and I’m confident he understands that it was completely inappropriate for him to speak in the terms that he did,” GM Jim Paxson said in a written statement. After what Boozer did to the Cavaliers, though, I’m sure Paxson found Silas’ comments perfectly appropriate and pretty damn funny too.

Savage and Crennel are not fooling around. The signing of Chester Taylor to an offer sheet looks like another smart move, adding depth and competition to the running back position. Hopefully the Ravens will not match the offer. The Browns have made it clear that William Green is gone, so this move isn’t a surprise. Savage probably looked at the running backs available in the draft and figured he could get a proven young back with upside potential for a 6th round pick (the pick would go to Baltimore).

Here we go…the mamby pamby “journalists” in this town once again hopping on their high horses and demanding an apology. If you haven’t heard, Paul Silas called Boozer a “C.U. Next Tuesday” the other day and Bud Shaw, for one, is offended. He is demanding not only an apology, but he wants Silas to CALL CC’s husband. He writes, “Sorry enough to call Boozer? It’s the least Silas could do.”

It’s the least he could do?

Screw that. Did Carlos Boozer call any Cavalier fans after his wench of a wife talked him into signing with Utah? Did Bud Shaw demand that the hairy mongrel apologize to US???

Of course not. I wouldn’t be surprised if Roger Brown devotes an entire column to this “travesty”…once again, the media in this town proves its worthlessness.

The Browns signed linebacker Matt Stewart, a starter from Atlanta. Stewart has experience in the 3-4 defense. Along with the nose tackle he signed last week, Phil Savage is giving Crennel some of the tools he’ll need to implement the new defense.

“He (Matt Stewart) can play either the outside or the inside linebacker position, which will provide us with some versatility as we transition into the 3-4.” ~ Phil Savage

I’m already getting ecxited about the new defense. We’ll actually see a Browns defense that blitzes and attacks the offense for a change.