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After more than a week of suffering through the details of the Penn State drama, there was a bright spot in college sports last night. Duke University’s men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski passed his mentor and college coach Bob Knight to become the winningest (is that a word?) coach in Division I men’s basketball history with 903 wins. In the athletic world we live in today, it’s rare that a coach would have the longevity – almost 40 years in coaching, and consistency he’s had at Duke University.

Full disclosure – I’m a long-time Duke Basketball fan. But FANdom aside, you can’t help but be amazed at this record-setting achievement. When I think of Coach K (as he’s affectionately called. Or maybe it’s because no one can pronounce his last name), the words leadership, loyalty and integrity come to mind.  And it’s these qualities that I believe are the cornerstone of his success – not only in life but in basketball. (By the way, Coach K’s book Beyond Basketball: Coach K’s Keyword’s for Success has been on my mental wish list for a number of years. Must get around to reading it soon)

I know there are a lot of anti-Duke folks out there (haters! J), but I hope today you’ll join me today in recognizing Coach K for this outstanding accomplishment.  Here’s to you coach. May your winning streak continue for long as you’d like to continue coaching.

How Do You Spell Your Name?

Is a question I get all the time. And don’t get me started on all the pronunciations I've heard though the years. I get it. I have a unique name that’s not Kimberly or Jennifer or Danielle. But I’m in good company. And that’s why Nnamdi Asomugha is on my list of favorite players to watch this season. Oh and it doesn’t hurt that he was one of the most sought after free agents this off season and he’s arguably the best cornerback in the league. (Revis Island say what?)

But where did the Philadelphia Eagles come from? Like its namesake, they just swooped right in and claimed their guy before anyone realized what was going on. Impressive Andy Reid.

The Eagles really stepped it up in this short and frantic free agency period. They shipped Kevin Kolb to the Arizona Cardinals (Michael Vick can stop looking over his shoulder now), and in return got a stellar cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Add to that, Pro-Bowler Asante Samuel, and this secondary is a force to be reckoned with. Oopposing receivers better watch out. Now if they get Vince Young (the rumor mill has reported there’s interest), that’ll be another successful coup.

As I continue through my self imposed NFL training camp, I’m putting myself out there and claiming the Eagles as my #2 team this season. Yeah, I’m jumping on the band wagon. So what? Spell it.

No, Hank Williams, Jr. I’m NOT ready for some football

Well look who’s back. I took an extended hiatus not only from this blog, but from sports in general. I needed a break. I’ve devoted over 20 years of my life to sports fandom and after the NFL lockout, I realized I was the giver in the relationship and I wasn’t getting a whole lot in return. I got tired of hearing all the speculation about the labor agreement. And as the days and weeks dragged on, I grew weary and had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I would have a fall without football. Add to that the craziness in my personal life – including a major move, and I needed a temporary breakup.

But now I’m back, refreshed and…completely overwhelmed and totally unprepared for football! In the few days since the lockout was lifted, there’s been a frenzy of activity. I can’t keep up with all the trades and signings. Just thinking about it makes my head spin. So I guess over the next few weeks, I’ll be in my own NFL training camp – studying rosters and schedules, so I can get back into “football shape”. Hopefully, my 49ers are in better condition than I am.

NBA Playoffs…Fantastic!

It’s playoff time folks! I love this time of year. I especially enjoy seeing how the last few games of the regular season play out and how it affects the playoff seeding. Should teams play/sit their starters (do you think Greg Popovich wants a do over)? Should they go for the win or tank a game in order to get the most favorable seed/matchup? Sounds like a good WWYD topic, doesn’t it?

But as much as I enjoy basketball and the NBA playoffs, I don’t like dynasties. Seriously, I don’t like seeing the same teams win over and over again. Well, that’s not true. I don’t like to see teams other than the Detroit Pistons win over and over again. So I’d be happy with seeing anyone but the Lakers (sorry DB) and Celtics play in the NBA finals this year. And it looks like we may have some formidable contenders.

The Chicago Bulls had the best regular season record in the NBA. Presumptive MVP Derrick Rose and his cast of supporting characters have more experience under their belt and are poised to make a run in the playoffs. Now, I already mentioned the Detroit Pistons. You see, I’m a fan from the Bad Boy era. So for me to be high on the Bulls is huge. I wouldn’t be rooting for them if I didn’t think they were talented.

In the West, I like Oklahoma City. I spent 2 weeks out of every summer for the first half of my life in OKC and I have a lot of love for the city. Add to that the fact that former VCU (my alma mater) star Eric Maynor plays for them and we have the makings of a hometown pick. Despite my sentimental feelings, I do see them as a real threat to knock off the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers.

So with that, I’m going on record with my official NBA finals prediction – Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls with Oklahoma City winning it all. Maybe this isn’t the most popular pick and it may not pull in the ratings like a Lakers/Celtics series, but I think it would be competitive. Besides, it’s about time we got to see some other teams in the spotlight.

Finally, I thought it would be fun to leave you with my top 5 observations from the playoffs (so far) in no particular order:

1.   Jalen Rose’s return to ESPN. I thought ESPN did the right thing by suspending Rose after he failed to report his DUI to the network. I don’t know all the ins and outs of the situation, but lifting the suspension just in time for the NBA playoffs seems disingenuous to me and perhaps wasn’t the best PR move.

2.   As someone who thinks college basketball games are a bit more interesting and competitive than NBA games, I’ve been impressed with the level of play, particularly by some of the lower seeded teams. The Memphis Grizzlies upset the San Antonio Spurs (what?!), the New Orleans Hornets upset the Los Angeles Lakers (clutch the pearls!), and the New York Knicks narrowly lost to the Boston Celtics (I can’t imagine the trash talking that would have ensued on Facebook had the Knicks won). These teams really flexed their muscles and showed they came not only to play but to win. The upsets and close games from this past weekend were just enough to keep me excited and interested in what can sometime be a boring first round full of sweeps.

3.   Is it just me or is the next generation of stars missing a little personality? Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose are no Kobe Bryant or LeBron James. Maybe you’re old school and enjoy the quiet confidence Durant and Rose exude. But I want to see a little flash, a little personality. Watching Durant and Rose in interviews this weekend nearly put me to sleep. I’m just not wowed. Even though Blake Griffin isn’t in the playoffs, I include him in this bunch too. And don’t get me started on Griffin’s AT&T commercial where he downloads the kiss. So corny! Do teams still employ media coaches? #imjustsayin

4.   This may be a late observation, but it really bothers me to see fans sitting court side right alongside the player’s bench. It just looks awkward. And I hate to see the players all scrunched up on the end, oftentimes having to sit on the floor. It’s just ridiculous. I know it’s all about the money, but really - keep the court side seats on the other side of the court. (Unless someone has a court side seat ticket they want to give me J)

5.   Dick Vitale may have to share his crow with Dan Gilbert. Although the Heat are not facing a very tough opponent in the first round, we’re seeing signs that they could go deep into the playoffs. And while it may not be this year, it’s likely Dan that they will win a championship before the Cleveland Cavaliers. Dwyane Wade remains the clutch player we’ve known him to be and Chris Bosh is proving that he’s just as valuable to the team as Wade and LeBron James.

So tell me, who do you want to see in the Finals this year? Who’s going to win the NBA Championship?

Whatever happened to…?

Stephen A. Smith. I heard his name today on Mike and Mike in the Morning and thought – I haven’t heard that name in a long time. He was announced as an upcoming guest on the popular morning show, but for whatever reason, never came on. Then he was a guest on Outside the Lines this afternoon giving his opinion on the Kobe Bryant controversy. Hearing his name twice in one day got me thinking - whatever happened to him and why has he now suddenly reappeared?

A couple of years ago, the former Philadelphia Inquirer columnist was all over ESPN. He was a regular NBA contributor and studio analyst and I recall several passionate debates between him and Skip Bayless on 1^st and 10. He even had his own show on ESPN2 called Quite Frankly.

Stephen A. was someone I loved to hate. He was everywhere and to be honest he got on my nerves. His loud, brash, overly-opinionated tone turned me off. But he also wasn’t afraid to tackle the tough, controversial topics and told the truth as he saw it – qualities I greatly respected. I often agreed with what he said, just not how he said it.

Then, all of a sudden, he disappeared. And over time I kind of forgot about him. So today, when I heard his name and saw he was back in typical Stephen A. form on Outside the Lines, I decided to do a little investigative reporting (i.e. Google him) to find out why he suddenly disappeared from ESPN and what he’s been up to the past couple of years.

I found out that his relationship with ESPN ended in May 2009, when apparently they couldn’t agree on contract terms. In his official statement posted on his blog, Stephen A. said his “desire to venture beyond sports into the world of news, politics and entertainment has grown.” So what happened next?

According to Wikipedia (as reliable a source as that is), after leaving ESPN, Stephen A. moved on to Fox Sports Radio and most recently was a morning show host there. He also had guest appearances on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, The Dylan Ratigan Show and The Ed Show.

But it seems the grass wasn’t greener on the other side. In February, Stephen A. Smith returned to ESPN as a columnist for ESPN.com and host of a weekday radio show airing on ESPN 1050 in New York and ESPN 710 in Los Angeles.

So that explains it. Now that it seems he’s back in the sports commentating limelight, we can resume our love/hate relationship.

Did you miss Stephen A. Smith? Are glad to see him back with ESPN?