Is that right?

The breathless hyperbole that preceded the Nuggets' victory the other night included this gem ...
The lead announcer reminded his audience that only eight teams have rallied from 3-1 deficits to win a best-of-seven series in NBA history – and that all eight had won the fifth game of the series.
Really?

68 is better than 96

In the case of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, less is better.
The NCAA added three more teams to the tourney field yesterday. That brings the size to 68, which makes it a more elite invitation than inviting 96.
Postseason should be a reward, not a right. The NHL invites most everyone to the playoffs – same with the NBA. The NCAA kept it under control, which is good. And I'm sure they will get a lot of exposure – and more money – from the new TV package they signed with CBS (good choice) and Turner Broadcasting.

Tebow in Denver

What are your thoughts about Tim Tebow becoming a member of the Denver Broncos?
I heard one comment from someone who's not connected with the team or with the local media. He thought coach Josh McDaniels had some sort of plan in mind when he made the choice to bring Tebow to town.
Not particularly meaty, I know. But it is the month of April. And besides, that's a perfect segué for you to jump in ...

Make it Jazz in six

Denver should win the playoff game tonight. But the way that team is going, there is a snowball's chance in Ecuador that the Nuggets can win three straight.
Before the head coach, George Karl, took ill, I would have put the Nuggets and the Lakers in the second round. Now, Denver will be lucky to look respectable and wrap up the season sometime this weekend.
Thoughts?

The refs didn't play

It's one thing for the fans to blame officials when the home team loses.
It's another when the local media take up the cry. It's worse than annoying. It's old and tiring – and hasn't had any traction for 30-something years.
In case the local press forgot, the game officials don't play in any of Denver's professional sports efforts. Thus, they don't miss a shot, a free throw, turn the ball over incessantly and basically louse up the floor because of their inept/selfish play.
In last night's playoff game, the Nuggets stunk. Period. In three of the four games in their series with Utah, Denver has stunk. Period.
There are plenty of other scapegoats – bad chemistry, tuning out the substitute coach, playing street ball instead of team basketball. But none of those will ever get as much blame as the folks with the whistles.
Note to Denver media – if you're so knowledgeable about the rules of the sports you purport to cover, take the tests and become an official.
That would be too easy.

Worth a laugh

At least one umpire – Joe West – doesn't appreciate the length of time necessary for Boston and the New York Yankees to play their games.
To his crew's credit, the four umps did what they could to speed up last week's resumption of marathon baseball (each game lasted well beyond three hours. Two came close to the four-hour mark).
However, it would seem that West and other umpires' hands are tied on at least three counts:
• Games telecast nationally (as was the case with one) have more commercial time between innings. That slows things down;
• They can't cut the number of visits between pitcher and catcher, though ardent fans would have to agree that eight in a half-inning is a little excessive; and
• The umpires could enforce the 20-second rule between the time the pitcher receives the ball and the time he's supposed to throw it.
There are some other ideas, none of which are very plausible.
• Someone could limit the number of throws to first base. Or third base – or both.
• We could find some halfway decent pitchers.
• We could get away from specialized pitchers and go back to the day when starting pitchers actually pitched into the eighth and ninth innings on a regular basis.
Baseball doesn't have a clock of any sort, which makes it unique in the world of sport and which makes limiting visits (and thus strategy sessions) almost pointless.
Yes, four-hour games are rather tiring on various parts of your torso. But if it's a four-hour game that goes down to the last out, it's worth it.
If it's four hours of Joe Morgan repeating himself, then it's beyond painful.
West makes a valid point. But the solutions don't stack up in his favor.

CU-CSU disappear in 2010

The annual – and alleged – rivalry between CU and CSU gets a new TV home next year.
The Mountain West Network.
The league says because it's a CSU home game, it has the right to televise it.
To absolutely no one in the Denver area unless you're willing to pay for the privilege.
Enjoy.

Coach K to N.J.?

Boy, I hope not.
I can't imagine any odd sequence of events that would allow Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski to leave something safe for the wonderful world of New Jersey Nets basketball.
Why? The Nets are one of the worst collection of basketball players ever drafted. Why would anyone with an ounce of intelligence subject themselves to that?
The main reason is Coach K can pick and choose young men who want to come to his university, who want to play under his system and who will listen to what he has to say. Name me a professional sports team where the inmates don't run the asylum.
Coach K is better off to put the Nets' front office on his permanent "do not answer button."

Fading onto the golf course

Now that Tiger Woods has done the predictable – namely say nothing that hasn't already been said – maybe we can move on to something far more important.
I don't particularly care what the "something far more important" is, unless it's another appearance anyplace by Dr. Phil. But this breathless coverage of what amounts to a non-story is absolutely ridiculous.
What he does in the privacy of his home – and to his family – is his own business.

Excessive noise

I'm glad I know how to use the remote control on the television set so I don't have to listen to otherwise intelligent sportscasters yell "Jumanji" during sports highlight programs.

Four seasons in three hours

Nope. It has nothing to do with the musical group of the '50s, '60s and late '70s. It has nothing to do with "jersey Boys," a wonderful musical about the Four Seasons.
It has everything to do with an afternoon at a prep baseball game in Fort Collins.
Frederick coach Ted Clapp laughed at the ever-changing seasons playing out before his eyes. He was all smiles when the game ended – shortly before it got too dark to even think about playing.
Read the story at cvfarmerandminer.com toward the middle of next week.