Grizzlies @ Dallas 7:30 pm Central

Game Time!!!

1...

1 Memphis win...

1 Minnesota loss...

Playoffs, part II...

A surging Memphis team will try to tame the Dallas Mavericks on the road tonight, where the team has not won since November 2000 (while still in Vancouver). A Memphis win will clinch the playoff spot for the Grizzlies. At this moment, they hold a 4 1/2 game lead over the Timberwolves, with 6 games to play. The T-wolves are idle until Wednesday.

The Grizzlies have been playing well the last three games, with big wins over the Heat, Raptors, and Bobcats to be winners of 5 of the last 6, and three straight. Dallas will be at full strength, as the Grizzlies hope to get James Posey back tonight, or Wednesday @ Houston.

Dallas won the first two meetings between the teams, who will also play on 4/20 to end the regular season.

Battier led the Grizz yesterday against Charlotte, with 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Mike Miller chipped in 21. Dirk led Dallas to a win Saturday against Utah with 24 points and 9 boards. Dallas is 10-2 under new head coach Avery Johnson, who took over for Don Nelson last month.

Should be a good one, and the Grizzlies would love to clinch here, or in Houston.

Let's Go Grizzlies!



Stay Tuned...

Say Goodnight Tommy

Q: What do these three have in common with Tom DeLay...

A: Nothing Yet...but give it a month!

Looks like yet another Republican congressional leader is headed for banishment. We've seen power-houses like Newt, and our good friend Lott from Mississippi go the way of the Dodo, and now it seems as though Tom "Ethics" DeLay is on his way out.

You know things are bad for you when your #3 (Rick Santorum) goes on National TV and says you've got some serious questions to address to the public. Top that off with R - Rep. Chris Shays saying it's time for new leadership in the interest "of Republicans seeking election" and you've got yourself quite a mess Mr. DeLay.

That being said, if anyone in that senate knows how to wiggle out of a tight spot, avoid tough questions, and generally avoid being held accountable, its Tom DeLay (which consequently, has made him a PERFECT leader for a party that specializes in those same activities).

Everyone is shying away from DeLay...President Bush wouldn't support his comments on the Judicial System, Bill Frist has kept his distance (as to not hurt his GOP Presidential bid...), and



**By the way** This Week with George Stephanopoulos has apparently become the forefront of interview shows...It seems as though almost every significant public statement made in the last 6 weeks has been made to Mr. Stephanopoulos on ABC's Sunday Morning Show...What happened to Meet the Press?

Stay Tuned...

NCAA Tournament 5 Final 4's

I have completed 5 brackets on ESPN. com, and for your viewing pleasure, here are my Final 4s:

1. Duke Wins

Illini beats Wake Forest
Duke beats UNC

Duke beats Illini 70-78

2. The Illini Win

Illini beats Louisville
UNC beats Duke

Illini beats UNC 72-66

3. UNC Wins

Illini beats Louisvile
UNC beats Duke

UNC beats Illini 76-75

4. Utah Wins (Bogut is a stud)

Illini beats Louisville

Utah beats UNC

Utah beats Illini 72-70

5. Alabama Wins (I had to do it)

Alabama beats Wake Forest
Duke beats Florida

Alabama beats Duke 75-70



Stay Tuned...

Coming soon:

Preview the SEC Tournament, Conf USA Tournament, and Grizzlies @ Utah (Thursday)


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Getting Caught Up: The Crimson Tide

After the heart-breaking loss at LSU last week, Alabama looked to come back strong with a win over #4 Kentucky. When they sprinted out to a 13 point first half lead, I looked at my fraternity brother, Zach Milner, and told him, "We're going to lose this game, you don't put UK in a hole like that this early, unless you blow them out..." Sure enough, by halftime, it was down to a 7 point lead. Then UK got their spark, or Sparks, I should say. This kid was unbelievable. He hit 7 3-pointers in the 2nd half. I started to say, wow, that kid just shot us out of the game, but then, I saw some highlights. What I realize now is that every open look he had, Earnest Shelton was struggling through a screen, or around a corner and was late getting a hand in Sparks' face.

So, a 2-game losing streak, and I know just the thing to cure that...AUBURN!

The Tigers are AWFUL this year, they don't have a big man on their roster, and they don't have any real shooters either. Long story short, Alabama BLOWS THEM OUT of Coleman, 94-53. With LSU winning in Oxford at the same time, Alabama will have a chance for the outright SEC West title, and the No. 2 spot in the SEC tournament with a win Saturday @ Mississippi State.
Shelton and Winston had 24 last night, and if they can shoot in Starkvegas, the Tide can roll to a WEST title, and get primed for a deep run into the tournament. ESPN "Braketology" currently places the Tide @ 5th, with a 32 matchup with Syracuse, and a 16 matchup with Illinois. A big win to bump us to a 4 would be great, and the signature road win we've been missing this year could be taken Saturday.

Stay Tuned...

Alabama @ Mississippi State priview tomorrow (after my 1:30 Fantasy Baseball Live Draft)

Grizzlies v. Wizards 6 p.m. (FSN)

Versus

The Grizzlies (30-23) hope to welcome back James Posey to the line-up after a few weeks on the IL with a strained Achilles, however the comeback will be bittersweet, as his activation just makes room for Stromile Swift to find a seat behind the bench nursing a "severely Sprained Ankle" according to the Commercial Appeal.

Washington (30-22) last three straight going into the break, and hold the 5th-seed in the East (.5 game behind Cleveland for the 4), as the Grizzlies will try to shake off two straight losses on the road against Eastern Conference Playoff teams. Both losses came down to a last second shot that Mike Miller missed both times.

Washington looks to make the playoffs after a ten year (YES, 10, even with MJ) absence, and make a push for home-court advantage. The Grizzlies are really just trying to hold on to the 7th seed in the west long enough to get Gasol back on the court, hopefully in time to make a push into the 5 or 6 spot (to avoid the Spurs).

The Grizzlies will look to build on the .5 game the Rockets gave them by losing to Seattle last night, and get back within a 1/2 game of the 6th spot. Hopefully the kings will continue their slide, and allow us to sneak up even further.

Very good article on ESPN.com today by Chad Ford, primarily dealing with the new NBA Collective bargaining Agreement (CBA), which is set to expire in June (which could lead to a work-stoppage). Worth a read if you have time.

Washington is favored 3 points at home. I am going to quit making guesses, since I seem to be bad luck...

I hope to get back to some political writing soon, just been swamped with paperwork at BDBCB.

Stay Tuned...

Alabama v. LSU Postgame...

Heartbreak...

What else can you say? I was all over the map last night. The game starts, and I'm optimistic, then, 5 minutes in, I'm looking to see what movies are on. By the time halftime came around, I was cautiously confident. When the ESPN crew said we came out of the locker room chanting about not letting an opportunity slip by, I was fired up.

When LSU started to pull away with 6 minutes to play, I told Robyn we were going to lose. Then Jean Felix made magic, and when Kennedy hit the 3 to Tie the game with 12 seconds left, I knew we were done. I couldn't believe they didn't take the last time out when the 3-pointer fell. As Brandon Bass drove and threw up a prayer, I gasped...HE MISSED IT, HE MISS...oh fuck. Who the hell is Ross Neltner!

Kennedy said it best "They really didn't know what they wanted to do, so Bass threw up the shot and missed it, All of the sudden this dude came out of nowhere."

Just that fast, the Alabama season went from "the sky's the limit" to "we need to win out to win the SEC WEST".

You knew early that things weren't good for our guys. It seemed like they were thinking about the Wildcats, and not the Tigers. We got out rebounded, by almost 20! We missed free throws down the stretch, we shot horribly from 3-point range (yes, you Earnest), and Toward the end of the second half, our guys looked afraid to go into the paint. The last thing we needed was Chuck Davis taking a 16 footer in the last two minutes while we are behind 4 points.

Now we look at this Kentucky game as real test of what we can do in the Tournament. If we can come out and play with intensity, get the three-headed monster of Chuck D, Shelton, and Winston firing on all cylinders, and REBOUND (*cough cough* Jermareo *cough cough*) we can put ourselves into a 3-seed for the dance, and maybe buy a bye in the SEC tournament.

ROLL TIDE!

Stay Tuned...