New York Jets Both Lucky and Good

The Jets went into Cincinnati last Saturday having spent as much time defending their Wild Card position as they had preparing for the game, itself.  Blasted for having punched their ticket through the generosity of the Bengals and Indianapolis Colts; two teams with nothing to play for that had virtually rolled over and played dead for Gang Green in the season’s final two games, the Jets took the field with a little something more at stake than just a playoff game.  They wanted to prove they belonged.

And prove it they did, behind Mark Sanchez’s best contest of the season.  They sent the Bengals home for the winter in a performance that, while not as dominating as the previous week’s, saw them control every facet of the game from start to finish.  Head Coach Rex Ryan had raised more than a few eyebrows with some of his pre game statements; like calling his Jets the Super Bowl favorites, but his charges made him look like a prophet, for the first round at least, and have some thinking that maybe Ryan is crazy like a fox.

While the Jets are still the longest of long shots, there is a budding sense among players and fans alike that something special could actually happen.  Cursed for most of their existence by some of the most excruciating losses and disappointments the NFL has seen, these Jets have actually had the breaks go their way over the last month.  Their late season matchups with Indy and Cincy could not have been better timed, the myriad of teams that needed to lose in order for the Jets to advance did just that, there could not have been a better first round matchup than the one they drew with the Bengals and, finally, Baltimore’s rout of New England brought a second round tilt with San Diego; a daunting foe, indeed, but a far more favorable opponent than Peyton Manning and the Colts.  Are these guys really the Jets?

The one thing Big Rexy and his boys need to guard against, however, is the idea that they’re now playing with house money; as if last week’s win validated a successful season and whatever happens next doesn’t matter.  While each of those points is true, to a degree, the NFL offers a very small window for teams chasing a title.  No matter how young, no matter how talented, franchises can never be sure how many opportunities they’ll get for championship glory.  The Jets should know this better than any as their Super Bowl drought is longer than every team but the Detroit Lions and is marred by missed field goals, snapped Achilles tendons and muddy fields.  Ryan has given every indication that he’ll keep his foot on the gas pedal and his team’s confidence seems to be growing because of it.  Now, let’s see how much of the newfound good fortune they can transport to San Diego.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

In the aftermath of the Jets’ first round victory came the post game comments of SNY commentator Adam Schein and WFAN host Mike Francesa.  Schein, on the SNY post game show Saturday night, came down very hard on punter Steve Weatherford, who was held out of the game due to illness, according to the team.  Schein, who gives no impression of ever having worn a football helmet, questioned Weatherford’s character; stating that the illness had better be serious.  The Jets would later reveal that Weatherford had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, something he’ll need to have surgically corrected in the off season.

That revelation did nothing to dissuade Francesa, who went down the same path Sunday morning, only to be corrected by a colleague.  That he was unaware that the punter’s condition had been made public the night before is not surprising as his indifference is exceeded only by his arrogance.  Each of these gas bags missed what was obvious to most: that since Weatherford was, in fact, on the sideline and in uniform, his condition must have been very serious for the Jets to hold him out of the game.  But, hey, why let the facts get in the way of sounding like a big, tough ballplayer?

NCAA Basketball Shill Vitale Loses Credibility

After thirty years, it’s time for ESPN’s lead hypocrite, Dick Vitale, to pack up his self-proclaimed “one eyed ziggy” act and go away forever.  While it’s always been difficult to stomach the superfluous nonsense he spews during his network’s broadcasts, he now regularly ignores and, in fact, rewrites the history of the coaches and programs whose fannies he chooses to smooch.

During Tuesday’s matchup of Florida and Kentucky, Vitale went into a rant about Mark McGwire, repeating what he’d said that morning on “Mike and Mike”.  He used the term “cheater” numerous times, referring to how sick he was of the steroid mess in baseball and how he sought refuge by talking up the game between the Wildcats and Gators.  A game that, incidentally, featured one of the college game’s more infamous cheaters, John Calipari, who’d been identified as such just weeks before by Vitale’s ESPN colleague, Bob Knight.  Not surprisingly, Vitale chose to ignore the issue. Not only was much of the telecast filled with Vitale’s praise for Calipari’s coaching ability, a graphic soon popped up naming the Kentucky coach as Vitale’s selection as Coach of the Year through this point in the season.  Finally, he mentioned that Calipari is attempting to become only the second coach to take three teams to the Final Four.  A complete rewriting of the facts, actually, as both of Calipari’s previous trips to the Championship round with UMass and Memphis have been vacated due to NCAA infractions.  According to the NCAA’s own records, Calipari’s never been to a Final Four.  I guess Vitale didn’t get the news.  Regardless, until he’s told by ESPN to take his ball and go home; something that, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to be imminent, any game that he works will be an extremely difficult and annoying listen.

New Jersey Devils Star Toils in Virtual Anonymity

If Devils’ goalie  Martin Brodeur  had been as dominant over the course of his career in any other sport or for any other New York area team, there’d already be a statue of him standing in front of a stadium.

New York Knicks Haunted in Oklahoma

During their two day stay in Oklahoma City, New York Knicks forwards Eddy Curry and Jared Jefferies complained that they were unable to sleep due to the fact that their hotel, The Skirvin, is haunted by ghosts.   I’ll leave you to your own punchlines.

Mark McGwire’s Weak Apology Does Settle One Score

Why would we have expected anything different from Mark McGwire?  Why would we think that, unlike all of the other steroid cheats who have come forward, sort of, that he’d be the one to completely open up about his own use?  Sorry, wasn’t going to happen.  Despite the earnest attempts of MLB Network’s Bob Costas to guide him to the full disclosure necessary for forgiveness, McGwire resisted throughout.  As a result, he looked like someone who came forward only because it was a requirement for his employment with the St. Louis Cardinals.  However, despite the fact that we learned very little that we didn’t already suspect, McGwire inadvertently settled one major debate about himself.

Forget his ridiculous assertions that the steroids were low dosage, that they did nothing to improve his performance or that he always wanted to come forward about his use of PED’s. It’s all nonsense.  Focus, instead, on his admission that, due to his frustration with chronic injury, he decided against retirement and started using steroids in 1996 to help him overcome his physical woes and get back on the field. By that very statement, he is also confirming that in no way does he deserve to be considered for the Hall of Fame.

Prior to the ’96 season, McGwire had posted 220 HR and 657 RBI over his first ten seasons; a far cry from consideration for the Hall.  He had appeared in just 74 games over the previous two seasons, prompting his thoughts of retirement.  In 1996, however, McGwire embarked on a four year slugfest that saw him launch an inhuman 245 home runs. So, if we connect the dots, what McGwire actually told Costas was that, had it not been for steroids, he’d have retired with the 220 dingers that would have left him off of every voter’s ballot.

Baseball is a game in which cheating has long been revered.  Hitters cork their bats while teams grow the grass high to aid slow infielders and water down the dirt to foil basestealers.  The 1951 Giants won a pennant aided by an employee in the scoreboard stealing the other team’s signs, journeyman pitcher Mike Scott won a Cy Young by scuffing the ball and spitballer Gaylord Perry has a plaque in Cooperstown.  Oddly, fans and players alike look at these indiscretions with a kind of twisted admiration.  To that end, baseball got exactly what it asked for with these steroid cheats.  I just wish they’d have a little more respect for our intelligence when they come forward and not hand us the ridiculous crap that we saw from McGwire on Monday.

New York Jets In Familiar Position

It’s Groundhog Day for the Jets as the promise of a 3-0 start has been crushed under the weight of a skid that has seen them lose five of their last six and landed them in their annual, mid-season playoff position; outside looking in. This year’s version of  “Same Old Jets” could be a little more interesting than its predecessors, though, as the characters are far more compelling.  Trash talking defenders forced to eat their words because of fourth quarter ineptitude, a color blind quarterback preparing post-game cheat notes for the media and the world’s largest crybaby as the leading man. While the swoon is something all too familiar to their fans, it’s a nice gesture by the Jets to, at least, put a new spin on an old, old story.

Does Punishment Fit The Crime?

Cheap Seats regular and Jets’ season ticket holder, Lou Ricciardi, took his son, Bobby, to Sunday’s Jacksonville debacle and I’m wondering how bad young Bob’s transgression had to be that it required such severe punishment.

CBS Sports Puts Stamp of Approval on Bonehead Play

Was amazed that the play that saw Jaguars’ running back Maurice Jones-Drew take a knee on the one yard line instead of scoring the go-ahead touchdown nthat the Jets were conceding with a minute left in the contest was so well received.  Jags’ coach Jack Del Rio had instructed his star to, essentially, take a dive in order to run down the clock.  As if a field goal was a sure thing and the possibility of a fumble didn’t exist.  This would have been a smart play had Jacksonville been up by a point instead of down.  But, to pass up a certain score that would put you ahead is as ludicrous as the endorsement the play received from CBS analyst Dan Fouts. Had Jacksonville somehow failed to score, Del Rio would’ve had a long week.

New England Patriots’ Bellichick Still A Little Green

While on the subject of coaching blunders, you’d have to look long and hard to find one with results as disastrous as Bill Bellichick’s Sunday night.  Not only did his fourth down gamble hand Peyton Manning the ball just twenty eight yards from a winning score, Belichick also informed his defenders that he has no faith in them. The loss could have serious repercussions come playoff time, especially if it costs New England a home game. When you see a brain cramp like that, you have to wonder if Bellichick stiill suffers some minor effects from his one afternoon as HC of the NYJ.

New York Knicks Mull Signing of Allen Iverson

So now the Knicks are mulling the signing of Allen Iverson which, after ten losses in the first eleven games, seems like a logical, next step  as the season becomes the most disastrous in franchise history.  Selfish, divisive and not nearly as talented as he once was, Iverson is on the verge of becoming the latest act in Donnie Walsh’s expiring-contract sideshow.  Can’t wait for the first time each of Mike D’Antoni’s starters walks on to the court carrying his own ball.

Kelly Tripucka Still An All-Star

Although the Knicks may be completely unwatchable, they’re at least a good listen when Kelly Tripucka is behind the microphone.  His expert analysis and delivery are as smooth as the feathery jumper he displayed during his long NBA career; a career still unjustly snubbed by The Basketball Hall of Fame.

New York Mets Hire Wally Backman to Manage Brooklyn Cyclones

I don’t know much about what caused Wally Backman to step down after just three days as Diamondbacks’ manager in 2004 and even less about what he’s done to address those issues since.  But I’m positive I don’t get to decide that he doesn’t deserve the second chance given him by the Mets as manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones.  I’m also sure that, if Backman does have his life in order, he’s exactly the kind of fiery personality so sorely lacking within the organization.

(First Place votes in parentheses)

1. Villanova (10)

2. West Virginia (5)

3. Connecticut (1)

4. Louisville

5. Georgetown

6. Syracuse

7. Cincinnati

8. Notre Dame

9. Pittsburgh

10. Seton Hall

11. St. John’s

12. Marquette

13. Providence

14. USF

15. Rutgers

16. DePaul

*************************************************************

Big East Basketball Conference Schedule 2009-2010

 Mon, Nov 09   Syracuse      Albany      Syracuse, N.Y.    9:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Wed, Nov 11   Syracuse      Robert Morris      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Thu, Nov 19   California      Syracuse      New York, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Fri, Nov 20   TBA      Syracuse      New York, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
 
 
  Fri, Nov 13   Seton Hall      Saint Peter’s      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 13   Pittsburgh      Wofford      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 13   Villanova      Fairleigh Dickinson      Villanova, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  
 World Vision Invitational 
 
  Fri, Nov 13   Providence      Bryant      Providence, R.I.    7:30 p.m.  
  Sat, Nov 14   Providence      Bucknell      Providence, R.I.    6:30 p.m.  
  Sun, Nov 15   Providence      Mercer      Providence, R.I.    2:30 p.m.  
 
 
  Fri, Nov 13   St. John’s      Long Island      Queens, N.Y.    7:30 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 13   Connecticut      William & Mary      Storrs, Conn.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Fri, Nov 13   Southern Methodist      USF      Dallas, Texas    8:30 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 13   Marquette      Centenary      Milwaukee, Wis.    8:30 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 13   Tulane      Georgetown      New Orleans, La.    9:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Nov 14   Rutgers      Marist      Piscataway, N.J.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Nov 14   Notre Dame      North Florida      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:00 p.m.  
  Sun, Nov 15   Monmouth      Seton Hall      West Long Branch, N.J.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sun, Nov 15   West Virginia      Loyola      Morgantown, W.Va.    4:00 p.m.  
  Mon, Nov 16   Villanova      Penn      Villanova, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  
  Mon, Nov 16   Notre Dame      St. Francis (Pa.)      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:30 p.m.  
  Mon, Nov 16   USF      Virginia      Tampa, Fla.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Mon, Nov 16   Cincinnati      Prairie View      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:30 p.m.  
 NIT Season Tip-Off 
 
  Mon, Nov 16   Connecticut      Colgate      Storrs, Conn.    9:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Tue, Nov 17   Connecticut      TBA      Storrs, Conn.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Nov 25   USF      Kent State      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 27   TBA      Connecticut      New York, N.Y.    5:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
 
 
  Tue, Nov 17   Georgetown      Temple      Washington, D.C.    4:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
 O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic 
 
  Tue, Nov 17   Pittsburgh      Binghamton      Pittsburgh, Pa.    5:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Thu, Nov 19   Pittsburgh      Eastern Kentucky      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  
  Mon, Nov 23   Wichita St.      Pittsburgh      Kansas City, Mo.    7:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Tue, Nov 24   TBA      Pittsburgh      Kansas City, Mo.    10:00 p.m.  ESPN2/ESPNU
 
 
 
  Tue, Nov 17   St. Bonaventure      St. John’s      Olean, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  
 Hall of Fame Showcase 
 
  Tue, Nov 17   Arkansas      Louisville      St. Louis, Mo.    7:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sat, Nov 21   Louisville      East Tenn. St.      Louisville, Ky.    TBA  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sun, Nov 22   Louisville      Morgan St.      Louisville, Ky.    1:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Mon, Nov 23   Louisville      Appalachian St.      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
 
 
  Tue, Nov 17   Marquette      Maryland-Eastern Shore      Milwaukee, Wis.    8:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Nov 17   DePaul      Columbia      Rosemont, Ill.    8:30 p.m.  
  Wed, Nov 18   Cincinnati      Toledo      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
 O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off 
 
  Thu, Nov 19   George Mason      Villanova      San Juan, P.R.    2:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Fri, Nov 20   TBA      Villanova      San Juan, P.R.    TBA  ESPNU
 
  Sun, Nov 22   TBA      Villanova      San Juan, P.R.    TBA  ESPN2/ESPNU
 
 
 
 Charleston Classic 
 
  Thu, Nov 19   Davidson      USF      Charleston Civic Center    7:00 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 20   TBA      USF      Charleston Civic Center    TBA  
  Sun, Nov 22   TBA      USF      Charleston Civic Center    TBA  
 
 
  Thu, Nov 19   Notre Dame      Long Beach State      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:30 p.m.  
 Paradise Jam 
 
  Fri, Nov 20   Northern Iowa      DePaul      St. Thomas, USVI    1:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Nov 21   TBA      DePaul      St. Thomas, USVI    6:00 p.m.  
  Mon, Nov 23   TBA      DePaul      St. Thomas, USVI    TBA  
 
 
  Fri, Nov 20   Cornell      Seton Hall      Ithaca, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  
 Legends Classic 
 
  Fri, Nov 20   Rutgers      Drexel      Piscataway, N.J.    7:30 p.m.  
  Sun, Nov 22   Rutgers      Vermont      Piscataway, N.J.    4:00 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 27   Massachusetts      Rutgers      Boardwalk Hall    5:30 p.m.  HDNet
 
  Sat, Nov 28   TBA      Rutgers      Atlantic City, N.J.    TBA  HDNet
 
 
 
 Philly Classic 
 
  Fri, Nov 20   St. John’s      Brown      Queens, N.Y.    7:30 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 27   Siena      St. John’s      Philadelphia, Pa.    TBA  
  Sat, Nov 28   Temple      St. John’s      Philadelphia, Pa.    TBA  
 
 
  Fri, Nov 20   Alabama      Providence      Tuscaloosa, Ala.    8:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Nov 21   Savannah St.      Georgetown      Savannah, Ga.    1:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Nov 21   Marquette      Grambling      Milwaukee, Wis.    8:30 p.m.  
 Chicago Invitational 
 
  Sun, Nov 22   Notre Dame      Liberty      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Nov 24   Notre Dame      Kennesaw State      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:30 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 27   Northwestern      Notre Dame      Chicago, Ill.    TBA  
  Sat, Nov 28   TBA      Notre Dame      Chicago, Ill.    TBA  
 
 
 Maui Invitational 
 
  Mon, Nov 23   Vanderbilt      Cincinnati      Lahaina, Hawaii    5:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Tue, Nov 24   TBA      Cincinnati      Lahaina, Hawaii    7:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  Wed, Nov 25   TBA      Connecticut      New York, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
 
 
  Tue, Nov 24   Syracuse      Cornell      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN360.com
 
  Tue, Nov 24   Providence      Vermont      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Nov 24   West Virginia      Citadel      Charleston, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Nov 24   Marquette      South Dakota      Milwaukee, Wis.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Nov 25   TBA      Cincinnati      Lahaina, Hawaii    TBA  ESPN/ESPN2EU
 
 76 Classic 
 
  Thu, Nov 26   Long Beach State      West Virginia      Anaheim, Calif.    2:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Fri, Nov 27   TBA      West Virginia      Anaheim, Calif.    2:30 p.m.  ESPN/ESPNU
 
  Sun, Nov 29   TBA      West Virginia      Anaheim, Calif.    TBA  ESPN2/ESPNU
 
 
 
 Old Spice Classic 
 
  Thu, Nov 26   Xavier      Marquette      Orlando, Fla.    2:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Fri, Nov 27   TBA      Marquette      Orlando, Fla.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPNU
 
  Sun, Nov 29   TBA      Marquette      Orlando, Fla.    TBA  ESPN2/ESPNU
 
 
 
  Fri, Nov 27   USF      Florida Atlantic      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  
  Fri, Nov 27   Syracuse      Columbia      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sat, Nov 28   Georgetown      Lafayette      Washington, D.C.    TBA  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  Sat, Nov 28   Pittsburgh      Youngstown St.      Pittsburgh, Pa.    12:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sat, Nov 28   DePaul      Detroit-Mercy      Rosemont, Ill.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Nov 28   Villanova      La Salle      Villanova, Pa.    3:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sat, Nov 28   UNLV      Louisville      Las Vegas, Nev.    4:00 p.m.  Versus
 
  Sat, Nov 28   Providence      Boston College      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  Sat, Nov 28   Seton Hall      Long Island      Newark, N.J.    8:00 p.m.  
  Mon, Nov 30   Syracuse      Colgate      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN360.com
 
  Mon, Nov 30   Seton Hall      New Jersey Inst Tech      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  
  Mon, Nov 30   Georgetown      Mount St. Mary’s – MD      Washington, D.C.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  Tue, Dec 01   Northeastern      Providence      Boston, Mass.    7:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Dec 01   Cincinnati      Texas Southern      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Tue, Dec 01   Notre Dame      Idaho St.      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:30 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 02   Connecticut      Boston University      Hartford, Conn.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 02   Villanova      Drexel      Villanova, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 02   USF      Hampton      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 02   Duquesne      Pittsburgh      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  CBS College Sports
 
  Wed, Dec 02   Louisville      Stetson      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 02   St. John’s      Stony Brook      Queens, N.Y.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 02   DePaul      Alabama St.      Rosemont, Ill.    8:30 p.m.  
  Thu, Dec 03   Seton Hall      Hartford      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  
  Thu, Dec 03   Rutgers      Princeton      Piscataway, N.J.    7:30 p.m.  
  Fri, Dec 04   Pittsburgh      New Hampshire      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 05   Rhode Island      Providence      Kingston, R.I.    1:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 05   Marquette      North Carolina State      Milwaukee, Wis.    3:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sat, Dec 05   Duke      St. John’s      Durham, N.C.    3:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sat, Dec 05   Vanderbilt      DePaul      Nashville, Tenn.    4:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 05   Georgetown      American University      Washington, D.C.    4:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 05   Louisville      Charlotte      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Sat, Dec 05   Syracuse      Maine      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sun, Dec 06   Notre Dame      Central Fla.      Notre Dame, Ind.    12:00 p.m.  
  Sun, Dec 06   Connecticut      Harvard      Storrs, Conn.    1:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sun, Dec 06   Rutgers      Colgate      Piscataway, N.J.    2:00 p.m.  
 BB&T Classic 
 
  Sun, Dec 06   Maryland      Villanova      Washington, D.C.    7:30 p.m.  FSN
 
 
 
  Mon, Dec 07   Providence      Brown      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  
  Mon, Dec 07   Seton Hall      Massachusetts      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  
 Jimmy V Classic 
 
  Tue, Dec 08   Butler      Georgetown      New York, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  Tue, Dec 08   Indiana      Pittsburgh      New York, N.Y.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
 
 
  Tue, Dec 08   Marquette      Wisconsin-Milwaukee      Milwaukee, Wis.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
 SEC/BIG EAST Invitational 
 
  Wed, Dec 09   St. John’s      Georgia      New York, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Wed, Dec 09   Kentucky      Connecticut      New York, N.Y.    9:30 p.m.  ESPN
 
  Thu, Dec 10   Mississippi State      DePaul      Tampa, Fla.    6:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Thu, Dec 10   Florida      Syracuse      Tampa, Fla.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
 
 
  Wed, Dec 09   West Virginia      Duquesne      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 09   George Washington      Providence      Washington, D.C.    7:00 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 09   Notre Dame      IU-Southeast      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:30 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 09   Rutgers      Monmouth      Piscataway, N.J.    7:30 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 09   Saint Joseph’s      Villanova      Philadelphia, Pa.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Thu, Dec 10   Cincinnati      Miami OH      Cincinnati, Ohio    8:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Pittsburgh      Kent State      Pittsburgh, Pa.    12:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Seton Hall      VMI      Newark, N.J.    12:00 p.m.  
 Wooden Classic 
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Washington      Georgetown      Anaheim, Calif.    2:00 p.m.  FSN
 
 
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Rutgers      TBA      Piscataway, N.J.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 12   Louisville      Western Carolina      Louisville, Ky.    4:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Wisconsin      Marquette      Kohl Center    5:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Notre Dame      Loyola Marymount      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 12   Providence      Iona      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 12   West Virginia      Coppin State      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sun, Dec 13   Syracuse      St. Francis College (NY)      Syracuse, N.Y.    1:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sun, Dec 13   USF      Central Michigan      Tampa, Fla.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sun, Dec 13   Temple      Villanova      Philadelphia, Pa.    3:00 p.m.  CBS College Sports
 
  Sun, Dec 13   St. John’s      Fordham      Queens, N.Y.    4:00 p.m.  
  Sun, Dec 13   DePaul      Illinois Chicago      Rosemont, Ill.    6:00 p.m.  
  Sun, Dec 13   Xavier      Cincinnati      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Tue, Dec 15   Rutgers      Rider      Piscataway, N.J.    7:30 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 16   UAB      Cincinnati      Birmingham, Ala.    TBA  
  Wed, Dec 16   USF      Central Fla.      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 16   Louisville      Oral Roberts      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 16   DePaul      American University      Rosemont, Ill.    8:30 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 19   Cleveland State      West Virginia      Wolstein Center    TBA  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  Sat, Dec 19   Pittsburgh      Mount St. Mary’s – MD      Pittsburgh, Pa.    TBA  
  Sat, Dec 19   Georgetown      Old Dominion      Washington, D.C.    TBA  ESPNU
 
 Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic 
 
  Sat, Dec 19   San Francisco      USF      Las Vegas, Nev.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sun, Dec 20   San Diego      USF      Las Vegas, Nev.    2:00 p.m.  
 
 
  Sat, Dec 19   Fordham      Villanova      East Rutherford, N.J.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 19   Notre Dame      UCLA      Notre Dame, Ind.    2:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  Sat, Dec 19   DePaul      Texas State      Rosemont, Ill.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 19   Marquette      North Florida      Milwaukee, Wis.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 19   Rutgers      New Jersey Inst Tech      Piscataway, N.J.    2:00 p.m.  
  Sat, Dec 19   Cincinnati      Lipscomb      Cincinnati, Ohio    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sat, Dec 19   Louisville      Western Kentucky      Louisville, Ky.    4:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sat, Dec 19   Syracuse      St. Bonaventure      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sat, Dec 19   Seton Hall      Temple      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  
 MSG Holiday Festival 
 
  Sun, Dec 20   St. John’s      Hofstra      New York, N.Y.    TBA  
  Mon, Dec 21   St. John’s      TBA      New York, N.Y.    TBA  
 
 
  Sun, Dec 20   Connecticut      Central Fla.      Hartford, Conn.    1:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Mon, Dec 21   Providence      Yale      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Dec 22   Pittsburgh      Ohio      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Tue, Dec 22   Syracuse      Oakland      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Tue, Dec 22   Seton Hall      Navy      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Dec 22   Connecticut      Maine      Hartford, Conn.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Tue, Dec 22   Notre Dame      Bucknell      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:00 p.m.  
  Tue, Dec 22   Florida Gulf Coast      DePaul      Fort Myers, Fla.    7:05 p.m.  
  Tue, Dec 22   Rutgers      Saint Peter’s      Piscataway, N.J.    7:30 p.m.  
  Tue, Dec 22   Cincinnati      Winthrop      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 23   Georgetown      Harvard      Washington, D.C.    12:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  Wed, Dec 23   Louisville      Louisiana-Lafayette      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Dec 23   Villanova      Delaware      Villanova, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 23   St. John’s      Bryant      Queens, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  
  Wed, Dec 23   West Virginia      Ole Miss      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Dec 26   Seton Hall      West Virginia      Newark, N.J.    3:30 p.m.  CBS
 
  Sun, Dec 27   Connecticut      Iona      Hartford, Conn.    TBA  ESPNU
 
  Sun, Dec 27   Louisville      Radford      Louisville, Ky.    1:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sun, Dec 27   Marquette      Presbyterian      Milwaukee, Wis.    2:00 p.m.  
  * Mon, Dec 28   Pittsburgh      DePaul      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Mon, Dec 28   North Carolina      Rutgers      Smith Center    8:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Tue, Dec 29   West Virginia      Marquette      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Tue, Dec 29   Seton Hall      Syracuse      Newark, N.J.    9:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Dec 30   Louisville      USF      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Dec 30   Cincinnati      Connecticut      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Dec 30   Notre Dame      Providence      Notre Dame, Ind.    9:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Thu, Dec 31   Georgetown      St. John’s      Washington, D.C.    8:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Fri, Jan 01   Purdue      West Virginia      West Lafayette, Ind.    2:30 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Jan 02   Connecticut      Notre Dame      Hartford, Conn.    12:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Jan 02   Syracuse      Pittsburgh      Syracuse, N.Y.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Jan 02   Marquette      Villanova      Milwaukee, Wis.    3:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sat, Jan 02   Kentucky      Louisville      Lexington, Ky.    3:30 p.m.  CBS
 
  Sat, Jan 02   Virginia Tech      Seton Hall      Cancun, Mexico    7:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Jan 02   Rutgers      Cincinnati      Piscataway, N.J.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sun, Jan 03   DePaul      Georgetown      Rosemont, Ill.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Sun, Jan 03   St. John’s      Providence      Queens, N.Y.    5:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Mon, Jan 04   Cincinnati      Pittsburgh      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Jan 05   USF      Notre Dame      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Jan 06   West Virginia      Rutgers      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Wed, Jan 06   Syracuse      Memphis      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Jan 06   Providence      Louisville      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Wed, Jan 06   Cincinnati      Cal State Bakersfield      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Jan 06   Marquette      Georgetown      Milwaukee, Wis.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Jan 06   Villanova      DePaul      Villanova, Pa.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Jan 06   Connecticut      Seton Hall      Storrs, Conn.    9:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Georgetown      Connecticut      Washington, D.C.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Louisville      St. John’s      Louisville, Ky.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Villanova      Marquette      Villanova, Pa.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Seton Hall      Cincinnati      Newark, N.J.    6:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Providence      Rutgers      Providence, R.I.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Notre Dame      West Virginia      Notre Dame, Ind.    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sun, Jan 10   Syracuse      USF      Syracuse, N.Y.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Mon, Jan 11   Louisville      Villanova      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Wed, Jan 13   St. John’s      Cincinnati      New York, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Jan 13   Connecticut      Pittsburgh      Hartford, Conn.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Jan 13   USF      West Virginia      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Wed, Jan 13   Rutgers      Syracuse      Piscataway, N.J.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Thu, Jan 14   Georgetown      Seton Hall      Washington, D.C.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Thu, Jan 14   DePaul      Providence      Rosemont, Ill.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Jan 16   Pittsburgh      Louisville      Pittsburgh, Pa.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Jan 16   West Virginia      Syracuse      Morgantown, W.Va.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Jan 16   Cincinnati      Notre Dame      Cincinnati, Ohio    4:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Jan 16   USF      Rutgers      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN360.com
 
  * Sun, Jan 17   Villanova      Georgetown      Philadelphia, Pa.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sun, Jan 17   St. John’s      DePaul      Queens, N.Y.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Sun, Jan 17   Marquette      Providence      Milwaukee, Wis.    4:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  Sun, Jan 17   Michigan      Connecticut      Ann Arbor, Mich.    4:30 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Mon, Jan 18   Notre Dame      Syracuse      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Wed, Jan 20   Pittsburgh      Georgetown      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Jan 20   Connecticut      St. John’s      Hartford, Conn.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Jan 20   Cincinnati      USF      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Jan 20   Rutgers      Villanova      Piscataway, N.J.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  Wed, Jan 20   Marshall      West Virginia      Charleston, W.Va.    9:00 p.m.  OTH
 
  * Wed, Jan 20   DePaul      Marquette      Rosemont, Ill.    9:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Thu, Jan 21   Seton Hall      Louisville      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   Georgetown      Rutgers      Washington, D.C.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   St. John’s      Villanova      New York, N.Y.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  Sat, Jan 23   West Virginia      Ohio State      Morgantown, W.Va.    2:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   Notre Dame      DePaul      Notre Dame, Ind.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   Syracuse      Marquette      Syracuse, N.Y.    2:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Sat, Jan 23   Connecticut      Texas      Storrs, Conn.    4:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   Providence      USF      Providence, R.I.    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sun, Jan 24   Louisville      Cincinnati      Louisville, Ky.    12:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sun, Jan 24   Seton Hall      Pittsburgh      Newark, N.J.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Mon, Jan 25   Syracuse      Georgetown      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Jan 26   DePaul      West Virginia      Rosemont, Ill.    8:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Tue, Jan 26   Marquette      Rutgers      Milwaukee, Wis.    9:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Jan 27   Providence      Connecticut      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Jan 27   Villanova      Notre Dame      Philadelphia, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Thu, Jan 28   USF      Seton Hall      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Thu, Jan 28   Pittsburgh      St. John’s      Pittsburgh, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   West Virginia      Louisville      Morgantown, W.Va.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   Connecticut      Marquette      Hartford, Conn.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  Sat, Jan 30   Georgetown      Duke      Washington, D.C.    1:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   DePaul      Syracuse      Rosemont, Ill.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   Rutgers      Notre Dame      Piscataway, N.J.    6:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   Cincinnati      Providence      Cincinnati, Ohio    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sun, Jan 31   USF      Pittsburgh      Tampa, Fla.    1:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Mon, Feb 01   Louisville      Connecticut      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Feb 02   Syracuse      Providence      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Tue, Feb 02   Villanova      Seton Hall      Villanova, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Tue, Feb 02   Rutgers      St. John’s      Piscataway, N.J.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Wed, Feb 03   Marquette      DePaul      Milwaukee, Wis.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Feb 03   West Virginia      Pittsburgh      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Feb 03   Georgetown      USF      Washington, D.C.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Thu, Feb 04   Notre Dame      Cincinnati      Notre Dame, Ind.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Providence      Marquette      Providence, R.I.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Georgetown      Villanova      Washington, D.C.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   St. John’s      West Virginia      New York, N.Y.    12:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Louisville      Rutgers      Louisville, Ky.    4:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Pittsburgh      Seton Hall      Pittsburgh, Pa.    6:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Connecticut      DePaul      Storrs, Conn.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sun, Feb 07   Notre Dame      USF      Notre Dame, Ind.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sun, Feb 07   Cincinnati      Syracuse      Cincinnati, Ohio    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Mon, Feb 08   West Virginia      Villanova      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  Mon, Feb 08   Pittsburgh      Robert Morris      Pittsburgh, Pa.    8:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Tue, Feb 09   Providence      Georgetown      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Feb 10   Syracuse      Connecticut      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Thu, Feb 11   Seton Hall      Notre Dame      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Thu, Feb 11   St. John’s      Louisville      New York, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Fri, Feb 12   Pittsburgh      West Virginia      Pittsburgh, Pa.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Feb 13   Connecticut      Cincinnati      Hartford, Conn.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Feb 13   Villanova      Providence      Philadelphia, Pa.    2:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Feb 13   Marquette      USF      Milwaukee, Wis.    8:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Sun, Feb 14   Seton Hall      DePaul      Newark, N.J.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sun, Feb 14   Syracuse      Louisville      Syracuse, N.Y.    1:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sun, Feb 14   Rutgers      Georgetown      Piscataway, N.J.    4:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sun, Feb 14   Notre Dame      St. John’s      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Mon, Feb 15   Villanova      Connecticut      Philadelphia, Pa.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Feb 16   USF      Cincinnati      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Tue, Feb 16   DePaul      Rutgers      Rosemont, Ill.    9:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Feb 17   Louisville      Notre Dame      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Feb 17   Providence      West Virginia      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Feb 17   St. John’s      Seton Hall      Queens, N.Y.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Thu, Feb 18   Georgetown      Syracuse      Washington, D.C.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Thu, Feb 18   Marquette      Pittsburgh      Milwaukee, Wis.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Feb 20   West Virginia      Seton Hall      Morgantown, W.Va.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Feb 20   USF      St. John’s      Tampa, Fla.    12:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Feb 20   DePaul      Louisville      Rosemont, Ill.    2:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Feb 20   Rutgers      Connecticut      Piscataway, N.J.    4:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sun, Feb 21   Pittsburgh      Villanova      Pittsburgh, Pa.    12:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Sun, Feb 21   Cincinnati      Marquette      Cincinnati, Ohio    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Mon, Feb 22   Connecticut      West Virginia      Hartford, Conn.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Feb 23   Louisville      Georgetown      Louisville, Ky.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Tue, Feb 23   Seton Hall      Rutgers      Newark, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Tue, Feb 23   Providence      Syracuse      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Feb 24   Notre Dame      Pittsburgh      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Feb 24   Cincinnati      DePaul      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Wed, Feb 24   St. John’s      Marquette      Queens, N.Y.    7:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Wed, Feb 24   Villanova      USF      Villanova, Pa.    9:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   St. John’s      Pittsburgh      New York, N.Y.    12:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   Georgetown      Notre Dame      Washington, D.C.    12:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   West Virginia      Cincinnati      Morgantown, W.Va.    2:00 p.m.  BEN-GW
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   Rutgers      DePaul      Piscataway, N.J.    4:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   USF      Providence      Tampa, Fla.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN360.com
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   Syracuse      Villanova      Syracuse, N.Y.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sun, Feb 28   Seton Hall      Marquette      Newark, N.J.    12:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sun, Feb 28   Connecticut      Louisville      Storrs, Conn.    2:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Mon, Mar 01   West Virginia      Georgetown      Morgantown, W.Va.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Mar 02   Syracuse      St. John’s      Syracuse, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Tue, Mar 02   Cincinnati      Villanova      Cincinnati, Ohio    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Tue, Mar 02   DePaul      USF      Rosemont, Ill.    7:30 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Tue, Mar 02   Marquette      Louisville      Milwaukee, Wis.    9:30 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Mar 03   Notre Dame      Connecticut      Notre Dame, Ind.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Thu, Mar 04   Rutgers      Seton Hall      Piscataway, N.J.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Thu, Mar 04   Pittsburgh      Providence      Pittsburgh, Pa.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  * Fri, Mar 05   DePaul      St. John’s      Rosemont, Ill.    8:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Villanova      West Virginia      Philadelphia, Pa.    12:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Georgetown      Cincinnati      Washington, D.C.    12:00 p.m.  ESPN360.com
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   USF      Connecticut      Tampa, Fla.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Marquette      Notre Dame      Milwaukee, Wis.    2:00 p.m.  BIG EAST Network
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Louisville      Syracuse      Louisville, Ky.    2:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Pittsburgh      Rutgers      Pittsburgh, Pa.    4:30 p.m.  BIG EAST Network (Local)
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Providence      Seton Hall      Providence, R.I.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN360.com
 
 
* Conference Games 

——————————————————————————–

Fri, Nov 13   Texas Tech      South Dakota     Basketball Travelers Duel in the Desert; Lubbock, Texas    6:00 p.m.   
  Fri, Nov 13   Iowa State      Idaho St.     Ames, Iowa    7:00 p.m.  MC
 
  Fri, Nov 13   Kansas      Hofstra     Lawrence, Kan.    7:00 p.m.  JTV
 
  Fri, Nov 13   Baylor      New Mexico     Waco, Texas    7:00 p.m.   
  Fri, Nov 13   Kansas State      Loyola-Chicago     Manhattan, Kan.    7:00 p.m.  FSNKC
 
  Fri, Nov 13   Texas A&M      Alcorn St.     College Station, Texas    7:00 p.m.   
  Fri, Nov 13   Colorado      Arkansas Pine-Bluff     Boulder, Colo.    7:00 p.m.   
  Sat, Nov 14   Oklahoma      Mount St. Mary’s – MD     Norman, Okla.    TBA   
  Sat, Nov 14   Nebraska      USC Upstate     Lincoln, Neb.    TBA   
  Sat, Nov 14   Oklahoma State      Seattle University     Stillwater, Okla.    TBA   
  Sat, Nov 14   Texas Tech      Texas A&M Corpus Christi     Basketball Travelers Duel in the Desert; Lubbock, Texas    6:00 p.m.   
  Sun, Nov 15   Texas      UC Irvine     O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic; Austin, Texas    1:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Sun, Nov 15   Baylor      Hartford     Waco, Texas    1:30 p.m.   
  Sun, Nov 15   Texas Tech      Oregon State     Basketball Travelers Duel in the Desert; Lubbock, Texas    3:00 p.m.   
  Sun, Nov 15   Kansas State      Western Illinois     Manhattan, Kan.    3:00 p.m.  FSNKC
 
  Sun, Nov 15   Iowa State      Chicago State     Ames, Iowa    6:00 p.m.   
  Mon, Nov 16   Baylor      Southern U.     Waco, Texas    7:00 p.m.   
  Mon, Nov 16   Colorado      Coppin State     Boulder, Colo.    7:00 p.m.  FSNRM
 
  Mon, Nov 16   Southern Methodist      Texas A&M     Dallas, Texas    7:00 p.m.   
  Tue, Nov 17   Missouri      UT Martin     Columbia, Mo.    7:00 p.m.  MSN
 
  Tue, Nov 17   Drake      Iowa State     Des Moines, Iowa    7:00 p.m.  DTV
 
  Tue, Nov 17   Oklahoma      Monroe     Norman, Okla.    7:00 p.m.  SSN
 
  Tue, Nov 17   Kansas      Memphis     Hall of Fame Classic; St. Louis, Mo.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  Wed, Nov 18   Colorado      Texas Southern     Boulder, Colo.    7:00 p.m.  FSNRM
 
  Wed, Nov 18   Saint Louis      Nebraska     St. Louis, Mo.    7:00 p.m.  FSNMW
 
  Wed, Nov 18   Oklahoma State      Southern U.     Stillwater, Okla.    7:00 p.m.   
  Wed, Nov 18   Texas      Western Carolina     O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic; Austin, Texas    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Thu, Nov 19   Kansas State      Boston University     O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tipoff; San Juan, Puerto Rico    6:30 p.m.   
  Thu, Nov 19   Kansas      Central Arkansas     Hall of Fame Classic; Lawrence, Kan.    7:00 p.m.  JTV
 
  Thu, Nov 19   Texas Tech      Northwestern State     Lubbock, Texas    7:00 p.m.  TTSN
 
  Fri, Nov 20   Kansas State      TBA     O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tipoff; San Juan, Puerto Rico    TBA  ESPNU
 
  Fri, Nov 20   Texas A&M      Samford     College Station, Texas    7:00 p.m.   
  Sat, Nov 21   Nebraska      TCU     Lincoln, Neb.    TBA   
  Sat, Nov 21   Texas Tech      Lamar     Lubbock, Texas    1:00 p.m.   
  Sat, Nov 21   Oklahoma State      North Texas     Stillwater, Okla.    1:00 p.m.  CSN
 
  Sat, Nov 21   VCU      Oklahoma     Richmond, Va.    6:30 p.m.   
  Sun, Nov 22   Kansas State      TBA     O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tipoff; San Juan, Puerto Rico    TBA   
  Sun, Nov 22   Iowa State      Mississippi Valley State     Chicago Invitational; Ames, Iowa    1:00 p.m.   
  Sun, Nov 22   Missouri      Texas Pan American     South Padre Island Invitational; Columbia, Mo.    1:00 p.m.  MSN
 
  Sun, Nov 22   Baylor      Hardin-Simmons     Waco, Texas    4:30 p.m.   
  Mon, Nov 23   Colorado      Gonzaga     EA Sports Maui Invitational; Maui, Hawaii    1:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Mon, Nov 23   Texas      Iowa     O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic; Kansas City, Mo.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Tue, Nov 24   Texas      TBA     O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic; Kansas City, Mo.    TBA  ESPNU/2
 
  Tue, Nov 24   Colorado      TBA     EA Sports Maui Invitational; Maui, Hawaii    TBA  ESPN/ESPN2
 
  Tue, Nov 24   Nebraska      UMKC     Lincoln, Neb.    7:00 p.m.  FSNMW
 
  Tue, Nov 24   Stephen F. Austin      Texas Tech     Nacogdoches, Texas    7:00 p.m.  TTSN
 
  Tue, Nov 24   Oklahoma State      Prairie View A&M     Stillwater, Okla.    7:00 p.m.   
  Tue, Nov 24   Iowa State      Tennessee State     Chicago Invitational; Ames, Iowa    7:00 p.m.   
  Tue, Nov 24   Missouri      Chattanooga     South Padre Island Invitational; Columbia, Mo.    7:00 p.m.  MSN
 
  Wed, Nov 25   Colorado      TBA     EA Sports Maui Invitational; Maui, Hawaii    TBA   
  Wed, Nov 25   Oklahoma      San Diego     Great Alaska Shootout; Anchorage, Alaska    TBA   
  Wed, Nov 25   Kansas      Oakland     Hall of Fame Classic; Lawrence, Kan.    7:00 p.m.  JTV
 
  Thu, Nov 26   Oklahoma      Houston     Great Alaska Shootout; Anchorage, Alaska    TBA   
  Thu, Nov 26   Texas A&M      Clemson     76 Classic; Anaheim, Calif.    3:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Thu, Nov 26   Baylor      Alabama     Old Spice Classic; Lake Buena Vista, Fla.    5:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Fri, Nov 27   Texas A&M      TBA     76 Classic; Anaheim, Calif.    TBA  ESPN/U
 
  Fri, Nov 27   Baylor      TBA     Old Spice Classic; Lake Buena Vista, Fla.    TBA  ESPN2/U
 
  Fri, Nov 27   Iowa State      Saint Louis     Chicago Invitational; Chicago, Ill.    5:00 p.m.   
  Fri, Nov 27   Kansas      Tennessee Tech     Hall of Fame Classic; Lawrence, Kan.    7:00 p.m.  JTV
 
  Fri, Nov 27   Oklahoma State      Bradley     Las Vegas Invitational; Las Vegas, Nev.    7:00 p.m.   
  Fri, Nov 27   Missouri      Old Dominion     South Padre Island Invitational; South Padre Island, Texas    7:30 p.m.  FCS
 
  Sat, Nov 28   Missouri      TBA     South Padre Island Invitational; South Padre Island, Texas    TBA  FCS
 
  Sat, Nov 28   Iowa State      TBA     Chicago Invitational; Chicago, Ill.    TBA   
  Sat, Nov 28   Oklahoma      TBA     Great Alaska Shootout; Anchorage, Alaska    TBA   
  Sat, Nov 28   Oklahoma State      TBA     Las Vegas Invitational; Las Vegas, Nev.    TBA   
  Sat, Nov 28   Texas Tech      Samford     Lubbock, Texas    3:00 p.m.   
  Sat, Nov 28   Kansas State      IUPUI     Kansas City, Mo.    3:30 p.m.  FSNKC
 
  Sun, Nov 29   Texas A&M      TBA     76 Classic; Anaheim, Calif.    TBA  ESPN2/U
 
  Sun, Nov 29   Baylor      TBA     Old Spice Classic; Lake Buena Vista, Fla.    TBA   
  Sun, Nov 29   Rice      Texas     Houston, Texas    3:00 p.m.  CBS-CSN
 
  Sun, Nov 29   Southern California      Nebraska     Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series; Los Angeles, Calif.    4:00 p.m.  FSN
 
  Tue, Dec 01   Colorado      San Francisco     Boulder, Colo.    7:00 p.m.  FSNRM
 
  Tue, Dec 01   Kansas State      Fort Hays State     Manhattan, Kan.    7:00 p.m.  FSNKC
 
  Wed, Dec 02   Iowa State      Northern Iowa     Ames, Iowa    7:00 p.m.  MC
 
  Wed, Dec 02   Tulsa      Oklahoma State     Tulsa, Okla.    7:00 p.m.   
  Wed, Dec 02   Nebraska      Texas Pan American     Lincoln, Neb.    7:00 p.m.   
  Wed, Dec 02   Kansas      Alcorn St.     Lawrence, Kan.    7:00 p.m.  JTV
 
  Wed, Dec 02   Oklahoma      Arkansas     Norman, Okla.    8:00 p.m.  SSN
 
  Wed, Dec 02   Texas A&M      Prairie View A&M     College Station, Texas    8:00 p.m.   
  Wed, Dec 02   Vanderbilt      Missouri     Nashville, Tenn.    8:30 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Thu, Dec 03   Texas Tech      Washington     Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series; Lubbock, Texas    6:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Thu, Dec 03   Texas      Southern California     Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series; Austin, Texas    8:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Thu, Dec 03   Arizona St.      Baylor     Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series; Tempe, Ariz.    9:30 p.m.  FSN
 
  Fri, Dec 04   Texas A&M      Akron     Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series; College Station, Texas    7:00 p.m.  FSNSW
 
  Fri, Dec 04   Oregon State      Colorado     Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series; Corvallis, Ore.    10:00 p.m.  FSN
 
  Sat, Dec 05   Kansas State      Washington State     Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series; Manhattan, Kan.    11:00 a.m.  ESPNU
 
  Sat, Dec 05   Oklahoma State      UTSA     Stillwater, Okla.    3:00 p.m.  CSN
 
  Sat, Dec 05   Missouri      Oregon     Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series; Columbia, Mo.    4:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Sat, Dec 05   California      Iowa State     Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series; Berkeley, Calif.    10:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Sun, Dec 06   Creighton      Nebraska     Omaha, Neb.    4:00 p.m.   
  Sun, Dec 06   UCLA      Kansas     Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series; Los Angeles, Calif.    4:30 p.m.  FSN
 
  Sun, Dec 06   Oklahoma      Arizona     Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series; Norman, Okla.    6:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Mon, Dec 07   Texas A&M      North Texas     College Station, Texas    7:00 p.m.  FSNSW
 
  Mon, Dec 07   Colorado      Colorado Christian     Boulder, Colo.    7:00 p.m.   
  Mon, Dec 07   Texas      Long Beach State     Austin, Texas    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Tue, Dec 08   TCU      Texas Tech     Fort Worth, Texas    6:30 p.m.   
  Tue, Dec 08   Kansas State      Xavier     Manhattan, Kan.    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Wed, Dec 09   Kansas      Radford     Lawrence, Kan.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Wed, Dec 09   Oral Roberts      Missouri     Tulsa, Okla.    7:00 p.m.  MSN
 
  Wed, Dec 09   Oklahoma      Centenary     Norman, Okla.    8:00 p.m.  SSN
 
  Thu, Dec 10   Nebraska      Chicago State     Lincoln, Neb.    7:00 p.m.  FSNMW
 
  Thu, Dec 10   Colorado St.      Colorado     Fort Collins, Colo.    7:30 p.m.  The Mtn.
 
  Fri, Dec 11   Iowa State      Iowa     Ames, Iowa    7:00 p.m.  CTN
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Kansas      La Salle     Kansas City, Mo.    1:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Texas      Texas State     Austin, Texas    3:00 p.m.  LSN
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Utah      Oklahoma     Salt Lake City, Utah    3:00 p.m.  Versus
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Texas A&M      New Mexico     Houston, Texas    5:00 p.m.  FSNSW
 
  Sat, Dec 12   UNLV      Kansas State     Las Vegas, Nev.    6:00 p.m.  FSNKC
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Nebraska      Oregon State     Lincoln, Neb.    7:00 p.m.  FSNMW
 
  Sat, Dec 12   Missouri      Fairleigh Dickinson     Columbia, Mo.    7:00 p.m.  MSN
 
  Sun, Dec 13   Oklahoma State      Arkansas Pine-Bluff     Stillwater, Okla.    3:00 p.m.   
  Tue, Dec 15   Texas      Texas Pan American     Austin, Texas    7:00 p.m.  LSN
 
  Tue, Dec 15   Baylor      Jackson St.     Waco, Texas    7:00 p.m.   
  Wed, Dec 16   Stanford      Oklahoma State     Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series; Stanford, Calif.    9:00 p.m.  FSN
 
  Sat, Dec 19   Kansas State      Alabama     Coors Classic; Mobile, Ala.    TBA   
  Sat, Dec 19   Kansas      Michigan     Lawrence, Kan.    11:00 a.m.  ESPN
 
  Sat, Dec 19   Texas      North Carolina     Arlington, Texas    1:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  Sat, Dec 19   Missouri      Arkansas Pine-Bluff     Columbia, Mo.    7:00 p.m.  MSN
 
  Sat, Dec 19   Wichita St.      Texas Tech     Wichita, Kan.    7:00 p.m.   
  Sat, Dec 19   Nebraska      Jackson St.     Lincoln, Neb.    7:00 p.m.   
  Sat, Dec 19   Texas A&M      Citadel     College Station, Texas    8:00 p.m.   
  Sun, Dec 20   Iowa State      Bradley     Ames, Iowa    1:00 p.m.  MC
 
  Sun, Dec 20   Baylor      UT Arlington     Waco, Texas    2:00 p.m.  FSNSW
 
  Mon, Dec 21   Oklahoma      UTEP     All-College Classic; Oklahoma City, Okla.    5:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Mon, Dec 21   Kansas State      Arkansas Pine-Bluff     Manhattan, Kan.    7:00 p.m.  FSNKC
 
  Mon, Dec 21   Oklahoma State      La Salle     All-College Classic; Oklahoma City, Okla.    7:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Tue, Dec 22   Colorado      Cal St. Northridge     Boulder, Colo.    5:30 p.m.  FSNRM
 
  Tue, Dec 22   Texas      Michigan State     Austin, Texas    6:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Tue, Dec 22   Texas Tech      Stanford     Lubbock, Texas    7:00 p.m.   
  Tue, Dec 22   Iowa State      North Dakota     Ames, Iowa    7:00 p.m.  MC
 
  Tue, Dec 22   Nebraska      Tulsa     Las Vegas Classic; Las Vegas, Nev.    7:00 p.m.   
  Tue, Dec 22   Kansas      California     Lawrence, Kan.    8:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Tue, Dec 22   Washington      Texas A&M     Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series; Seattle, Wash.    10:00 p.m.  FSN
 
  Wed, Dec 23   Nebraska      TBA     Las Vegas Classic; Las Vegas, Nev.    TBA   
  Wed, Dec 23   Missouri      Illinois     St. Louis, Mo.    8:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sun, Dec 27   Missouri      Austin Peay     Columbia, Mo.    2:00 p.m.  MSN
 
  Tue, Dec 29   Texas      Gardner-Webb     Austin, Texas    5:00 p.m.  LSN
 
  Tue, Dec 29   Colorado      Yale     Boulder, Colo.    7:00 p.m.  FSNRM
 
  Tue, Dec 29   Oklahoma State      Pacific University     Stillwater, Okla.    7:00 p.m.  CSN
 
  Tue, Dec 29   Kansas State      Cleveland State     Manhattan, Kan.    7:00 p.m.  FSNKC
 
  Tue, Dec 29   Nebraska      Southern Utah     Lincoln, Neb.    7:00 p.m.   
  Tue, Dec 29   Kansas      Belmont     Lawrence, Kan.    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Tue, Dec 29   New Mexico      Texas Tech     Albuquerque, N.M.    8:00 p.m.  CBS-CSN
 
  Wed, Dec 30   Missouri      UMKC     Columbia, Mo.    7:00 p.m.  MSN
 
  Wed, Dec 30   Arkansas      Baylor     Fayetteville, Ark.    8:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Thu, Dec 31   Gonzaga      Oklahoma     Spokane, Wash.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Fri, Jan 01   Texas Tech      McNeese State     Lubbock, Texas    2:00 p.m.   
  Sat, Jan 02   South Carolina      Baylor     Columbia, S.C.    12:00 p.m.  FSN
 
  Sat, Jan 02   Oklahoma State      Rhode Island     Uncasville, Conn.    1:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  Sat, Jan 02   Tulsa      Colorado     Tulsa, Okla.    1:00 p.m.   
  Sat, Jan 02   Missouri      Georgia     Columbia, Mo.    3:00 p.m.  MSN
 
  Sat, Jan 02   Nebraska      Maryland-Eastern Shore     Lincoln, Neb.    3:00 p.m.   
  Sat, Jan 02   Texas      Texas A&M Corpus Christi     Austin, Texas    3:30 p.m.  LSN
 
  Sat, Jan 02   Temple      Kansas     Philadelphia, Penn.    4:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  Sun, Jan 03   Iowa State      Houston     Ames, Iowa    1:00 p.m.  MC
 
  Sun, Jan 03   Texas Tech      UTEP     Lubbock, Texas    2:00 p.m.  TTSN
 
  Mon, Jan 04   Oklahoma      Maryland-Eastern Shore     Norman, Okla.    7:00 p.m.  SSN
 
  Tue, Jan 05   Arkansas      Texas     Fayetteville, Ark.    6:00 p.m.  ESPN/2
 
  Tue, Jan 05   Texas A&M      North Dakota     College Station, Texas    7:00 p.m.  FSNSW
 
  Tue, Jan 05   Colorado      Miami OH     Boulder, Colo.    7:00 p.m.  FSNRM
 
  Tue, Jan 05   Nebraska      Southeastern Louisiana     Lincoln, Neb.    7:00 p.m.   
  Tue, Jan 05   Oklahoma State      Coppin State     Stillwater, Okla.    7:00 p.m.   
  Wed, Jan 06   Missouri      Savannah St.     Columbia, Mo.    7:00 p.m.  MSN
 
  Wed, Jan 06   Baylor      Morgan St.     Waco, Texas    7:00 p.m.   
  Wed, Jan 06   Kansas      Cornell     Lawrence, Kan.    7:00 p.m.  JTV
 
  Wed, Jan 06   Iowa State      Duke     Chicago, Ill.    9:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Texas      Colorado     Austin, Texas    12:30 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Missouri      Kansas State     Columbia, Mo.    1:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Texas A&M      Nebraska     College Station, Texas    3:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  Sat, Jan 09   Iowa State      North Dakota State     Ames, Iowa    3:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Baylor      Oklahoma     Waco, Texas    5:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 09   Oklahoma State      Texas Tech     Stillwater, Okla.    7:00 p.m.  TTSN/CSN
 
  Sun, Jan 10   Tennessee      Kansas     Knoxville, Tenn.    12:30 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Mon, Jan 11   Oklahoma      Oklahoma State     Norman, Okla.    8:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Jan 12   Kansas State      Texas A&M     Manhattan, Kan.    6:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Tue, Jan 12   Colorado      Baylor     Boulder, Colo.    7:00 p.m.  FSNRM
 
  * Wed, Jan 13   Iowa State      Texas     Ames, Iowa    7:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Wed, Jan 13   Nebraska      Kansas     Lincoln, Neb.    8:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Jan 13   Texas Tech      Missouri     Lubbock, Texas    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Jan 16   Kansas      Texas Tech     Lawrence, Kan.    12:30 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 16   Colorado      Kansas State     Boulder, Colo.    2:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 16   Baylor      Oklahoma State     Waco, Texas    3:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 16   Texas      Texas A&M     Austin, Texas    5:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Jan 16   Nebraska      Iowa State     Lincoln, Neb.    7:00 p.m.  CTN/FSNMW
 
  * Mon, Jan 18   Kansas State      Texas     Manhattan, Kan.    8:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Jan 19   Texas A&M      Oklahoma     College Station, Texas    7:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Wed, Jan 20   Texas Tech      Iowa State     Lubbock, Texas    6:30 p.m.  TTSN
 
  * Wed, Jan 20   Kansas      Baylor     Lawrence, Kan.    8:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Jan 20   Oklahoma State      Colorado     Stillwater, Okla.    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   Texas A&M      Colorado     College Station, Texas    12:30 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   Iowa State      Kansas     Ames, Iowa    1:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  Sat, Jan 23   Connecticut      Texas     Storrs, Conn.    3:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  Sat, Jan 23   Baylor      Massachusetts     Waco, Texas    3:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   Kansas State      Oklahoma State     Manhattan, Kan.    3:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   Missouri      Nebraska     Columbia, Mo.    5:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 23   Texas Tech      Oklahoma     Lubbock, Texas    7:00 p.m.  SSN/TTSN
 
  * Mon, Jan 25   Kansas      Missouri     Lawrence, Kan.    8:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Jan 26   Baylor      Kansas State     Waco, Texas    7:00 p.m.  FSNKC/FSNSW
 
  * Wed, Jan 27   Oklahoma State      Texas A&M     Stillwater, Okla.    6:30 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Jan 27   Oklahoma      Iowa State     Norman, Okla.    8:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Wed, Jan 27   Texas      Texas Tech     Austin, Texas    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Jan 27   Colorado      Nebraska     Boulder, Colo.    8:00 p.m.  FSNRM
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   Nebraska      Oklahoma     Lincoln, Neb.    12:30 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   Missouri      Oklahoma State     Columbia, Mo.    1:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   Texas      Baylor     Austin, Texas    3:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   Kansas State      Kansas     Manhattan, Kan.    6:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   Texas A&M      Texas Tech     College Station, Texas    8:00 p.m.  FSNSW
 
  * Sat, Jan 30   Iowa State      Colorado     Ames, Iowa    8:00 p.m.  CTN
 
  * Mon, Feb 01   Oklahoma State      Texas     Stillwater, Okla.    8:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Feb 02   Nebraska      Kansas State     Lincoln, Neb.    7:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Wed, Feb 03   Baylor      Iowa State     Waco, Texas    6:30 p.m.  FSNSW
 
  * Wed, Feb 03   Colorado      Kansas     Boulder, Colo.    7:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Wed, Feb 03   Missouri      Texas A&M     Columbia, Mo.    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Texas Tech      Oklahoma State     Lubbock, Texas    12:30 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Iowa State      Kansas State     Ames, Iowa    1:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Colorado      Missouri     Boulder, Colo.    2:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Texas A&M      Baylor     College Station, Texas    3:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Oklahoma      Texas     Norman, Okla.    3:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Feb 06   Kansas      Nebraska     Lawrence, Kan.    5:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Mon, Feb 08   Texas      Kansas     Austin, Texas    8:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Feb 09   Oklahoma      Texas Tech     Norman, Okla.    7:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Wed, Feb 10   Missouri      Iowa State     Columbia, Mo.    6:30 p.m.  CTN/MSN
 
  * Wed, Feb 10   Nebraska      Baylor     Lincoln, Neb.    8:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Feb 13   Baylor      Missouri     Waco, Texas    12:30 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 13   Oklahoma State      Oklahoma     Stillwater, Okla.    1:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Feb 13   Texas      Nebraska     Austin, Texas    3:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 13   Texas Tech      Texas A&M     Lubbock, Texas    4:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Feb 13   Kansas State      Colorado     Manhattan, Kan.    5:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 13   Kansas      Iowa State     Lawrence, Kan.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Mon, Feb 15   Texas A&M      Kansas     College Station, Texas    8:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Feb 16   Baylor      Texas Tech     Waco, Texas    7:00 p.m.  FSNSW
 
  * Wed, Feb 17   Kansas State      Nebraska     Manhattan, Kan.    6:00 p.m.  FSNMW/FSNKC
 
  * Wed, Feb 17   Iowa State      Oklahoma State     Ames, Iowa    7:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Wed, Feb 17   Colorado      Oklahoma     Boulder, Colo.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Feb 17   Missouri      Texas     Columbia, Mo.    8:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Feb 20   Oklahoma State      Baylor     Stillwater, Okla.    12:30 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 20   Texas Tech      Texas     Lubbock, Texas    1:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Feb 20   Iowa State      Texas A&M     Ames, Iowa    3:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 20   Kansas      Colorado     Lawrence, Kan.    3:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 20   Oklahoma      Kansas State     Norman, Okla.    5:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Sat, Feb 20   Nebraska      Missouri     Lincoln, Neb.    5:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Mon, Feb 22   Kansas      Oklahoma     Lawrence, Kan.    8:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Feb 23   Texas Tech      Kansas State     Lubbock, Texas    7:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Wed, Feb 24   Missouri      Colorado     Columbia, Mo.    6:30 p.m.  MSN
 
  * Wed, Feb 24   Iowa State      Nebraska     Ames, Iowa    6:30 p.m.  FSNMW/CTN
 
  * Wed, Feb 24   Baylor      Texas A&M     Waco, Texas    8:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Wed, Feb 24   Texas      Oklahoma State     Austin, Texas    8:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   Colorado      Iowa State     Boulder, Colo.    11:30 a.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   Oklahoma      Baylor     Norman, Okla.    12:30 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   Texas A&M      Texas     College Station, Texas    1:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   Oklahoma State      Kansas     Stillwater, Okla.    3:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   Nebraska      Texas Tech     Lincoln, Neb.    3:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Feb 27   Kansas State      Missouri     Manhattan, Kan.    7:00 p.m.  ESPNU
 
  * Mon, Mar 01   Texas      Oklahoma     Austin, Texas    8:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Tue, Mar 02   Texas Tech      Baylor     Lubbock, Texas    7:00 p.m.  TTSN
 
  * Tue, Mar 02   Nebraska      Colorado     Lincoln, Neb.    7:00 p.m.  FSNMW
 
  * Tue, Mar 02   Iowa State      Missouri     Ames, Iowa    7:00 p.m.  MSN/CTN
 
  * Wed, Mar 03   Kansas      Kansas State     Lawrence, Kan.    7:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Wed, Mar 03   Texas A&M      Oklahoma State     College Station, Texas    8:00 p.m.  ESPN2
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Oklahoma      Texas A&M     Norman, Okla.    11:00 a.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Oklahoma State      Nebraska     Stillwater, Okla.    12:30 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Missouri      Kansas     Columbia, Mo.    1:00 p.m.  CBS
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Colorado      Texas Tech     Boulder, Colo.    2:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Baylor      Texas     Waco, Texas    3:00 p.m.  ESPN
 
  * Sat, Mar 06   Kansas State      Iowa State     Manhattan, Kan.    5:00 p.m.  Big 12 Network
 
 
* Conference Games

The NY Jets? …. “Listen to your father, kid.”

November 27, 1994;  Jets vs. Dolphins at the Meadowlands.  New York came into the matchup looking to gain a tie with Miami atop the standings in the AFC East as well as the inside track to the division title.  With a possible playoff appearance on the table, Jet fans were keyed up from the tailgates in the parking lot through the pre-game introductions.  When the home team scored to stretch its lead to 24-6 with less than four minutes left in the third quarter, Giants Stadium sounded just like Shea used to during the days of the Sack Exchange.  All that stood between Gang Green and a return to glory was eighteen more minutes of dominating football and four extremely winnable games against inferior opponents over the last month of the season.  Sure, that’s all.

I had been fortunate enough to score four tickets to the game through the courtesy of a friend.  I’d given up my own season subscription seven years earlier because, quite frankly, I hated everything about the Meadowlands.  I hated the Turnpike, the tolls, the traffic, the parking lot, the turf, the wind and, most of all, the losing.  God, they always lost!  I’d go home with a headache every week and for what?  They always lost!   But now, with a fiery young coach and a battle for first place with the hated Dolphins as incentives, I decided to accept the tickets and take my three young boys, ages seven, five and four.  They’d all just started playing various levels of flyweight football and had been watching games with me all season.  Their excitement built throughout the week until they were beside themselves when the game finally kicked off.  By the time Boomer Esiason hit Johnny Mitchell in the end zone to put the Jets up by eighteen, all three were convinced that they were watching the greatest football team in the world.  If only they’d known.

Our seats were in the lower section; about the five yard line on the home side of the field.  We were, naturally, sitting amongst Jet fans but, as we were using someone else’s tickets, didn’t know any of them.  When Miami QB Dan Marino closed out the third quarter with a TD pass to Mark Ingram and a two point conversion to Irving Fryar,  I threw my head back and said to no one in particular, “We’re going to lose this game”.  My oldest, Terrence, couldn’t believe my pessimism. “Dad, you gotta be kidding.  We’re still up ten, Boomer’s having a great game and there’s only one quarter left.  There’s no way we lose.”  Before I could respond, the guy sitting behind us, obviously a seasoned Jet fan and, until that moment, a total stranger, leaned up in his seat, looked at my son and said, “Listen to your father, kid.”  And, as if it was the period on the end of his sentence, the game immediately turned ugly.

Esiason would fumble three times in that fourth quarter and throw two interceptions. Marino would find Ingram for two more scores, the second in the final minute courtesy of the now infamous “Fake Spike” that gave the Dolphins the victory.  The Jets would go on to lose all of their remaining games, fire Pete Carroll and usher in the disastrous Rich Kotite era that produced a 3-29 record over two seasons.  “Listen to your father, kid.”

As a recovering Jetaholic, myself, I try to steer other Jet addicts away from the evil teases thrown at them by our favorite team because, as surely as Lucy will always pull that football away from Charlie Brown and watch him land on his ample head, the Jets will break your heart every time.  Vinny Testaverde’s set to lead Bill Parcells’ heavily favored Jets to the Super Bowl?  Not with a snapped Achilles, he won’t.  Jets on the verge of ousting Pittsburgh from the 2004 playoffs and advancing to the AFC title game?  Doug Brien misses, not one, but two game winning field goals.  Man-genius?  Beginner’s luck.  Brett Favre leads Jets to 8-3 record?  Favre goes color blind in 1-4 finish while Chad Pennington wins the division for the Dolphins.  Jet fans are so starved for even a small measure of success, they’ll jump at anything resembling hope.  And, just like Lucy, Gang Green pulls the football away every time and laughs as they land on their heads.  “Listen to your father, kid.”

So, here we are again.  Despite the low expectations accompanying a first-time Head Coach and a rookie quarterback, the Jetsies started the season with three straight wins; including one where they completely dominated the invincible Patriots and Tom Brady.  Certainly, this season would be different.  Rex Ryan’s brought a new attitude to the organization, the defense is the best in the league, there’s a relatively easy three game stretch coming up and the Hall of Fame in Canton is clearing space for the bust of Mark Sanchez.  There’s no way Lucy pulls the ball away this time.  Is there?  Well, right on cue,  Rex Ryan developed a severe case of “Herm Edwards Clockophobia” in Miami, the defense couldn’t stop a backup QB from Harvard last week and Mark Sanchez suddenly has more interceptions than endorsements.  Leave it to the Jets to make a 3-3 record seem miles worse than the 1-5 start many had predicted.  And the fans?  They’re laying on their heads in the Meadowlands parking lot because, stunningly, Lucy pulled the football away yet again. “Listen to your father, kid.”

I got an email after the Miami loss from Cheap Seater Lou Ricciardi, a Jetaholic attempting recovery but prone to lapses such as this one: “Now that they’ve sucked me in again this year”, he wrote, “I am not jumping off the bandwagon and saying, ‘same old Jets’, just yet.”  “If, however, they lose one of the next two games, then I will.”  If ?!  If ?!   Poor, Lou.  Landed on his head again.  But, if it’s any comfort to him, or fellow Cheap Seaters Brendan Grady, Jack O’Sullivan, Mike Walsh and any other Jetaholics that need assistance, there is hope.  No matter how many times the Jets convince you that this is finally the year,  no matter how many past warnings have gone unheeded and no matter how strong your instinct to jump back up on that bandwagon, there is a cure.  It will save you.  All you need to do, the next time thousands of Jetaholics start racing at Lucy to kick that football, is to take a step back, close your eyes and wait for the wisdom of that anonymous Jet fan who’d seen enough.  I promise, if it’s what you truly want, that you’ll hear his voice above the din of your television or the roar of the crowd and you’ll be safe.  Such simple advice; but it’ll save you a broken heart.  ”Listen to your father, kid.”

The Jets: Déjà vu all over again

Well, here we are again, Jet fans.  After an exciting Opening Day win on the road behind a new quarterback, Gang Green returns to the Meadowlands for its home opener on Sunday to face a Patriots team that looks suddenly vulnerable.  Last season, a week after Tom Brady was lost for the year, Jets’ faithful were abuzz with talk of an AFC East title.  Not only was Brady done, but his replacement, Matt Cassel, hadn’t started a game since high school and future Hall of Famer Brett Favre was now under center for the home team.   Yet, despite all of their high hopes and expectations, the Jets couldn’t get anything started against Bill Bellichick’s defensive scheme and fell 19-10 in a game that wasn’t even that close.

This week, the Jets again prepare for a home opener against New England following an exciting, if not dominant, road win.  Mark Sanchez is now the quarterback that has the fans excited and the Pats, having lost four defensive starters from last year, may be without a fifth, LB Jerod Mayo, the AFC’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in ’08.  Adding more fuel to the fire is the fact that the Brady Bunch was extremely unimpressive in beating the Bills Monday night; a game in which they needed a last minute miracle to win.

While there seems to be every reason for optimism, it’s hard to imagine that Bellichik won’t come up with a game plan to make life miserable for Sanchez.   The one thing the Jets can hang their hats on, though, is that it’s likely Rex Ryan will return the favor.  The aggression and intensity with which Ryan’s defenders played in Houston was something that hasn’t been seen in green jerseys since the days of Joe Klecko and Lance Mehl.  If the Jets can somehow steal a win this week or next, (vs. Tennessee), they’ll have weathered a brutal early schedule and may be able to start thinking playoffs.  Longtime fans know from experience, however, just how big an IF that actually is.

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U.S. Open Tennis: “I’m telling Mommy!”

Let’s be clear.  Serena Williams’ outburst during the women’s semifinals of the U.S. Tennis Open was deplorable.  That it came after an earlier tirade that saw Williams destroy her racket renders any defense of her behavior as “heat of the moment” ridiculous.  However, the sight of the line judge that made the call scurrying over to the referee like a small child tattling to her parents was pretty funny.

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Giants’ Hands

We’ll certainly know more about the Giants after this week’s visit to Dallas but, based on first impressions; it looks like the receiving corps of Hakeem Nicks (out for two weeks with an ankle), Mario Manningham and Steve Smith certainly has the potential to develop into a unit more than capable of winning a Super Bowl.  Until then, Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs and the game’s best offensive line are enough to put the Jints in the postseason.

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Mike Francesa:Only on Sundays

While his condescending arrogance is the reason I no longer listen to WFAN’s Mike Francesa on weekday afternoons, his Sunday football preview show, The NFL Now, is a must listen.  Clearly driven by his passion for the sport, Francesa delivers concise, informative analysis and even seems to enjoy the fans’ call-in segment.  It’s a shame we haven’t heard this entertaining persona during the week for years.

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Yankees: Where’s A.J.?

With the final two weeks reduced to nothing more than a tuneup for the playoffs, it’s got to be a real area of concern for the Yankees that A.J. Burnett has struggled so mightily in the second half.   Without Burnett, whose history is such that he only seems to perform at his best during the last year of his contract, the Bombers’ rotation is without a reliable third starter heading into the postseason.   They seem invincible everywhere else, however, something for which GM Brian Cashman doesn’t seem to get enough credit.  While it’s true that the Yankees have an almost unlimited amount of money to spend on free agents, it’s still incumbent upon Cashman to sign the right guys; something that’s proven difficult over the last decade.  But, in Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia, Cashman not only plucked the top talent from the list but also got two guys who fit seamlessly into a clubhouse that’s reminiscent of Joe Torre’s dynasty.  The delicate mix of both stars and role players may very well bring the Yanks that 27^th trophy.

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Hey Ref! Isn’t that a little loud?

As an old AFL fan, I really enjoyed the throwback uniforms worn by the original, pre-merger franchises on Monday night.  The only problem was that I couldn’t hear the broadcast over the referees’ outfits.

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Mets Fans?

Here’s a sad but interesting question that may be difficult for Mets’ fans to answer.  Which was more difficult to endure; the last two seasons that ended in unbelievable disappointment but featured pennant race baseball through September or this year, which offered little better than an unwatchable,  AAA team for most of the second half?

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Greatest baseball song ever: Peter, Paul and Mary

Farewell to Mary Travers of the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary.  Best known for their hit, Puff the Magic Dragon, they also recorded the greatest Baseball song ever written; Right Field.  Godspeed.

Major League MVP?

That Derek Jeter is enjoying perhaps the finest season of his Hall of Fame career comes as no surprise to those who believed he should have always been the Yankees’ leadoff man.  Why it took so long to insert him into the top spot remains a mystery, especially since he was always the choice to bat first in most of the post season games played during the dynasty of the late 90’s.  Regardless, he’s there now and is one of the main reasons the Bombers seem poised for another World Series run.  What Jeter is not, however, is a serious candidate for the American League MVP award, as Minnesota’s Joe Mauer should be the unanimous choice.

Over the last two seasons, we’ve seen deserving, small-market candidates like Justin Morneau and Matt Holliday robbed of the award as voters focused on the more highly publicized exploits of Dustin Pedroia and Jimmy Rollins.  To shun Mauer, though, would be a monumental oversight, as his incredible performance at the plate may be second only to the job he’s done behind it.  Never has a catcher so prodigiously combined such excellent defense with as lofty a batting average.  That he’s also on pace for 30 HR and 100 RBI despite missing a month to injury only adds to the resume.

So, celebrate Jeter’s season as one of his best and settle in for a long playoff run.  Just don’t go overboard when Awards Season rolls around.

A New Yankees Closer?

Is Joe Torre a Cheap Seats reader?  Maybe not, but he was my hero for a day last week when he used his closer (and best available pitcher) Jonathan Broxton to face the middle of the Cubs’ batting order in the 8th inning.  George Sherrill finished the game by facing the bottom of Chicago’s lineup in the ninth.  Finally, a manager chose not to drink the Tony LaRussa kool-aid.

After the game, Torre faced questions about whether Broxton would be upset that he wasn’t credited with a save.  A sticky point, actually, as saves are the basis for a closer’s salary level.  “We’re not as concerned about who gets the stat, as the only stat that’s important is that ‘W’ on the left-hand side”, said Torre.  “If somebody gets offended by pitching to the 3-4-5 hitters in the eighth inning, they’re not the person I think they are.”

Regular readers are well aware of where I stand on how closers are used.  I do acknowledge, however, that, as long as the current statistical situation exists, bullpen stoppers will insist on being in position to get the save.  So, how about a rule change that puts the onus on the official scorer to assign the save?  After all, in facing the meat of the order, hadn’t Broxton done more to preserve the lead than Sherrill?  A similar rule already exists to cover situations where a starter does not go the mandatory five innings for a win.  In such cases, the win is assigned by the scorer to the reliever determined to be the most deserving; not necesarily the first man out of the pen.  Well, maybe that’s too much to ask in one column.  I’ll have to be satisfied with a little progress and hope for more.

NY Jets’ Worst Kept Secret

Jets’ Head Coach Rex Ryan revealed the worst kept secret in New York when he named Mark Sanchez his starting quarterback this week.  Considering all the Jets gave up to acquire Sanchez; two picks, three players and $50 million, there was no way Ryan could hand the car keys to Kellen Clemens.

Sanchez has a world of talent and all of the tools to become a star in the NFL.  It just won’t happen overnight.  So, with the Jets likely facing, at best, a 1-3 start to their season, here’s hoping Jets’ brass and fans have the patience to allow the rookie all the mistakes necessary to learn the league and achieve that lofty status.

Mets and the ER

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the emergency room, Oliver Perez and Johan Santana become the latest members of the Mets’ casualty list.  If you’re scoring at home, that’s four starting pitchers, one reliever and the number one, four and five hitters down for the season.  In addition, every opening day starter has had at least one stint on the disabled list.  So, how, exactly, can manager Jerry Manuel be held responsible for a lost season?   Love him or hate him, you can’t decide on him till next year.

Michael Vick

….appeared in a Newport News, Va. courtroom yesterday morning to address the details of his Chapter 11 filing and then returned to Philadelphia in time for the Eagles’ exhibition game last night.  In doing so, he might be the first person transported to and from his own bankruptcy hearing on a private jet.

Little League World Series Coverage

As I do every August, I’ve enjoyed the Little League World Series from Williamsport, Pa.; this year’s version, especially, as it featured the Mid-Atlantic champs from Staten Island.  And, as I also do each year, I’ve resisted the urge to throw a shoe at my television every time ESPN/ABC commentator Orel Hershiser tries to minimize the commitment, skill and aptitude of these accomplished Little Leaguers.

Hershiser would have us believe that the actual playing of the tournament games is almost an inconvenience to these kids; that the swimming pool, food and video games offered to the players in their living quarters, (“the Grove” as Orel endlessly reminds us), are the main reasons they’ve come to Williamsport.  Pitcher gives up a home run?  “He’ll forget about it in a minute once he starts playing video games back at the Grove”.  Second baseman makes a crucial error?  “He’ll be fine once he has some pizza and gets in the pool.”

Now, I have five children of my own and have coached a few hundred others so no one need educate me on the qualities of resilience possessed by a child.  However, to promote the idea that these players don’t really care all that much about their own performance is to disrespect the hours of practice and sacrifice they’ve endured to get to this level.  As a matter of fact, Hershiser’s very presence contradicts his own theory.  His employer pays big bucks for the exclusive rights to broadcast the event.  Would that be the case if, as Hershiser asserts, the outcome didn’t really matter to its participants?

When I was sixteen, I relieved our ace pitcher in the eighth inning of a championship game that would eventually go eleven.  In the top of the eleventh, the opposing catcher, big kid named Perez, took me deep on the longest ball I’d ever seen hit, costing us the title.  Today, thirty one years later, I just wrote that sentence with clenched teeth.  I rebounded, enjoyed the rest of my summer and came back the next season but never got to a point where I wasn’t upset when I thought about it.  I just thought about it less as time went on.   However, it still bothers me now because it mattered so much then.  Just as it matters so much to these Little Leaguers and, I suspect, just as it mattered to Hershiser when he was young.

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On Saturday, during steroid cheat Manny Ramirez’s second game back after serving a fifty game suspension, FOX cut away from their Mets-Phillies broadcast to show each of Manny’s at bats against the Padres.  Just as they would if a player was chasing 3,000 hits, 500 HR or some in-season record or streak.  In other words, FOX afforded Ramirez, the first big star to violate MLB’s current policy, the same treatment given the likes of Henry Aaron, Rod Carew or George Brett. That no one at the network thought this was a bad message to send is shameful.

And what of the Dodger fans that drove to San Diego to cheer their hero from underneath their Manny wigs?  This is the same guy that had no concern for his organization, teammates or fans while he was so carelessly using the PED’s that forced his suspension.  Do you think any of them experienced such strong feelings of forgiveness when Alex Rodriguez was caught?  Or Roger Clemens?  To single out the fan base of any one team is unfair, though, as steroid cheats are welcomed back by fans throughout the game as long as they are productive.  Something to keep in mind the next time someone gets his shorts in a bunch about whether any of these guys belong in the Hall of Fame.  No matter how many times fans say, “No”, their actions tell a completely different story

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Speaking of Manny, is anyone smiling more than Red Sox GM Theo Epstein?  Last year, faced with the impossible task of getting equal value for one of the game’s superstars, Epstein not only removed a problem from his clubhouse but replaced him with Jason Bay, currently the AL’s RBI leader.

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All right, I’ll admit it.  I did watch much of the fifth set of the Wimbledon Men’s (I’m sorry, Gentlemen’s) Final on Sunday.  In what turned into a marathon contest, Roger Federer beat Andy Roddick for his record setting 15^th Grand Slam title.  One thing that made no sense to me, however, was that the fifth set went thirty games as Federer finally prevailed 16-14 while, in contrast, Federer posted 7-6 victories in sets two and three via tiebreakers.  My question is, how can a championship event be governed by two sets of rules?  Some will say that a title shouldn’t be decided by a tiebreaker.  I get that.  Others point out that, without the tie breaker, sets two and three could have gone as long as the fifth.  Another valid point.  But neither explains away the silliness of two different rules being used in the same match.  Isn’t it possible that Roddick may have won one of those sets absent the tiebreaker?  Whatever your opinion, I’ve already spent entirely too much time discussing tennis.

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Many are impressed by the intensity that Jimmy Rollins brings to each of the Phillies’ matchups with the Mets.  That he is able to raise his game to such a high level during every meeting with his hated rival is amazing.  I’m wondering, however, if Philly brass is a little annoyed that he’s batting about .200 against the rest of the NL.  They’re paying him to play against every team, aren’t they?

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So, let me see if I’ve got this straight.  Despite Joba Chamberlain’s tremendous success as a reliever, the Yankees are adamant about keeping him in the starting rotation no matter how much he struggles.  But, when it comes to Philip Hughes, they refuse to return him to his natural position as a starter because of his success in the bullpen.  Huh?

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Complain all you want about MLB’s All Star selection process, and much of the griping is warranted, but every once in a while, they get one right.  Such is the case this year with Tim Wakefield, a true professional and one of baseball’s good guys.  Since bursting on the scene with the Pirates in 1991, Wakefield has fashioned a very impressive career, mostly in Boston, that has included just about everything except an All Star appearance.  That it comes to him for the first time at 42 years of age is a thrill for his many fans, one of whom, I must confess, is me.

About twelve years ago, the Hausier’s Krowedum Fantasy Baseball League’s annual junket took its members to Fenway Park.  Well, Boston actually, as more than a few of the boys never made it out of the Cask and Flagon.  Those of us that did make it to the game found that our seats were in the first row behind the Bosox bullpen in right field.  Wakefield wasn’t pitching that day and was hanging with the relief crew.   Sometime around the fourth inning he came out to get a little work in and struck up a conversation with us.  He proceeded to pull a chair up to the fence and spend the rest of the game as one of our contingent.  He went into detail about the knuckleball; how he holds it and files his cuticles for a better grip.  We laughed at his response to the question of his catchers’ opinion of the knuckler: “They hate my guts.”  There were arguments over the worth of certain players in the game as he marveled at how our team loyalties dictated how we felt about different guys.  When one of them, Bobby Bonilla, came up to bat, we bet him a hot dog that the ex-Met would strike out.  Wakefield demanded we pay up after Bonilla’s double and happily downed the dog.  I have no recollection of who won that game, but I still have the baseball he tossed me when it was over and won’t ever forget how much fun it was to watch a game while getting a big leaguer’s perspective.  Here’s hoping AL manager Joe Maddon recognizes the opportunity to do something special and gives Wakefield the ball next Tuesday.

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Even though the draft coverage is tediously long, it is informative enough to give those fans that don’t follow the college game an idea of the types of players coming to their teams.  A far cry from the way the draft used to be run with fans lined up on the street outside a midtown hotel hoping to get one of the available seats.  Many, like my buddies and me who cut class to be there, were turned away.  And give Mel Kiper some of the credit he deserves.  He took a hobby and turned it into a million dollar job.  The only thing missing from the marathon coverage is a Kiper scorecard.  He gets to stand on a soapbox all day and criticize GM’s and entire scouting departments without fear of his own miscues being revealed to the viewers.  Every once in awhile give us a glimpse at how Mel’s past picks worked out.

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With the sixth selection, the Jets are said to be considering RB Darren McFadden from Arkansas.  An electric playmaker to be sure but didn’t they just throw a boatload of money at RB Thomas Jones last year?  Then, in the off-season, they managed to address weaknesses on both the offensive and defensive lines. How about giving Jones a chance to run behind these high priced linemen and using the pick to establish the best young secondary in the league?  Last time I Iooked, the Jets were still in the same division as Tom Brady and Randy Moss.  They unearthed a hidden gem three years ago when they drafted ball hawking safety Kerry Rhodes and made a great pick last year, moving up to grab cornerback Darrelle Revis who enjoyed a sensational rookie year.  Wouldn’t another shutdown cornerback on the other side make the defensive line more effective and allow Holmes the freedom to play centerfield in the deep secondary?  Mike Tannenbaum and Eric Mangini; you know where to reach me.

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Like father, like son?  Now we find out that, according to Yankees’ co- owner, Hank Streinbrenner, he never signed off on Joba Chamberlain’s move to the bullpen.  “I want him as a starter and so does everyone else, including him and that is what we are working toward and we need him there now,” Steinbrenner told the New York Times. “There is no question about it, you don’t have a guy with a 100-mile-per-hour fastball and keep him as a setup guy. You just don’t do that. You have to be an idiot to do that.”  Funny how quickly Brian Cashman, who has been the General Manager through four World Series titles and thirteen straight post-season appearances, became an idiot.  You’d think that after watching Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy get knocked around early in the season Steinbrenner would understand the practicality of protecting young arms.  I guess not.  Do you think that Hank has already reminded Cashman that the GM was the one who staunchly opposed a trade for Johan Santana?
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Last Saturday, Mets vs. Phillies.  Bottom of the 8th inning, Mets up 4-2 and facing a bases loaded jam with one out.  FOX broadcaster, Tim McCarver, made what has become the unquestioned MLB logic, observing that the Mets’ Aaron Heilman would have to wriggle out of the sticky situation himself, as it was too early to go to closer Billy Wagner.  Huh?  How did it ever become logical to have anyone other than the best pitcher available handling a game’s most critical situation?  A quick glance at the record books shows that from 1978 through 1984, Hall of Fame reliever, Goose Gossage, averaged over 100 IP per season and had at least 10 wins four times.  Gossage was no stranger to multiple inning appearances and was often brought into tie games, something managers never do with their closers today.  Mariano Rivera, regarded in many circles as the best reliever ever, has never had more than 80 IP or 7 wins since becoming the Yankee stopper.  It seems that since Tony LaRussa had success with this system in Oakland twenty years ago, managers are more concerned with having their instincts challenged than the consequences of simply following the herd.
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Is there any single position in all of sports that is more important than a hot goalie in the NHL playoffs?  Every year, no matter how the teams are seeded, upsets are the norm, generally because the weaker team’s goaltender goes on an insane streak where he stops everything sent his way.  The Rangers, Avalanche and Stars have already knocked off higher seeds while three other series were going to a Game 7 as we went to press.  Which begs the question; if one player can make such a difference in the way teams match up with each other, why does the regular season have to be so long?  At any rate, while it hasn’t been quite as long between cups as the last two, Ranger fans are well aware that 1994 was a long time ago.  Here’s hoping the Broadway Blues keep the Garden hopping well into May.