Sorry I'm late, but I'm on media blackout thanks to the Australian Open coverage saved on my DVR. 

  • Boy, Texas really handled their first #1 ranking in the basketball program's history well!  They lost at Kansas State and then fell apart in the second half at UConn.  The Horns are a contender for the crown, but they lack a dynamic guard to close games and they are brutal from the free throw line.
  • Clemson is a poor man's Tennessee and you all know how "high" I am on the Vols.  The Tigers are loaded with athletes, but they're short on basketball players.  Have I mentioned that guard play wins in college basketball?
  • Is Kyle Singler getting worse?
  • Ernie Kent and Lorenzo Romar are an AD's worst nightmare.  Oregon and Washington basketball did not even exist before Kent and Romar, but they built entertaining and successful programs thanks to great recruiting.  Sadly, they are not very good coaches.  The blueprint is clear for all opponents.  Slow them down and make them execute in the half-court.  They lack the discipline in shot selection to succeed. 
  • I'll give 100 points to anyone who can name the Washington State basketball coach.  No, it's no longer Tony Bennett.  He's torturing the ACC now at Virginia with his shot-clock milking style. 
  • Sports karma got Brett Favre.  It will get you too John Calipari.
  • As a Taj Gibson fan, I watch the occasional Chicago Bulls game.  Head coach Vinny Del Negro is a well-documented disaster, but his team could be the 4th best squad in the East come playoff time.  They have a great rotation of active big men led by Joakim Noah, who turned out to be the best pro from that Florida team, Tyrus Thomas and Gibson.  If Luol Deng shows a pulse, the Bulls will have enough scoring in the backcourt to put a scare into the Celtics, Cavs or Magic. 
  • Ron Artest is a better player than Trevor Ariza, but Ariza is and was a better fit for the Lakers than Ron-Ron.  I think I've made this argument before, but I'm sure of it now.
  • Kevin Garnett will never be the KG of old, he'll just be old KG.  Knees don't miraculously bounce back. 
  • In hindsight, all the NBA title contenders had strange offseasons.  They all got older and slower.  The Lakers subbed Ariza for Artest.  The Celtics added Rasheed Wallace's corpse.  The Magic exchanged Hedo Turkoglu for Vince Carter's remains.  And, the Cavs added Shaquille O'Neal's tribute statue. 
  • However, no team is positioned well to take advantage of the big boys mistakes, but we could see a Golden State like first round upset this season.
  • 2010 is all about the World Cup.  The U.S. looked like a toothless strike force after Charlie Davies tragic car accident and Clint Dempsey's apparent knee injury.  All the sudden, the good news is coming in bunches.  Dempsey's knee is not that bad and he should be back in plenty of time for the Cup.  Meanwhile, Davies is primed to pull off a miraculous comeback.  In October, he broke his right femur and tibia, left elbow, facial bones and lacerated his blatter.  Weeks ago, he was still in a wheelchair.  Now, he's jogging and targeting an April return to competitive soccer.  Maybe this is our year!
  • If you don't watch Community, you should think about jumping on board.  Comedies struggle finding their legs until the second season, but Community gets better every week.  It's the best year I can remember for new network comedies with Community, Modern Family and Glee.
  • "You would not believe your eyes if ten million fireflies lit up the world as I fell asleep."  What is this idiot singing about?  I have not heard such ridiculousness on the radio since LFO treated us to this lyrical gem, "New Kids on the Block had a bunch of hits.  Chinese food makes me sick.  And I think it's fly when a girl stops by for the Summer."

"Ten mmmmillion fireflies..."