No direction: QB spot more bleak as Jets season continues to tailspin

After another nightmarish showing, Jets head coach Rex Ryan stood at the podium and said, “one thing we know - it can’t get a whole hell of a lot worse.”

Should we really be so sure of that?

It didn’t seem like it could get much worse for this Jets team than the 31-0 stinker in San Diego. Then Sunday happened.

Buffalo came into MetLife Stadium and before even a quarter had passed, the Bills were up 3-0 in turnover margin. By the end of the day, that differential ballooned to six.

It didn’t matter who was under center for the now 1-7 Jets. Geno Smith was putrid as he opened the floodgates with three interceptions on eight passes. He completed only two of his attempts to players in green and white.

Backup Mike Vick was better, but that’s not saying much. He too turned the ball over three times, as he completed 18 of his 36 passes for 153 yards, and picked up 69 yards on the ground.

Ryan said after the game that he had no clue who the starter would be next Sunday in Kansas City. That’s because neither of the candidates have done anything to merit the call to action.

Vick admitted he was unprepared when called to duty the last time Smith was pulled due to his struggles against the Chargers. In his second opportunity, Vick didn’t exactly light the world on fire.

Smith, in his second year, is not improving. He continues to be a roller coaster, going from serviceable to not salvageable in a week’s time. In nearly defeating the New England Patriots on the road in a prime-time game last week, Smith didn’t once turn the ball over. The Jets still struggled mightily to hit pay dirt in the red zone but the mistakes were limited and a win was within reach.

Then came Sunday.

It took little more than a half hour in real time for Smith’s day to turn into a trainwreck.

“I think the young man’s got the ability. I think it’s just a matter of time,” Ryan said in his postgame comments about Smith.

But how much time will the Jets give Smith, a second-round pick who hasn’t found his footing? Volatile play is a theme that has followed Smith back to his college days. After a soaring start to his senior season at West Virginia (5-0 record, 24 TD, 0 INT), Smith regressed some (11 TD, 5 INT) and his team lost five straight.

Those ups and downs have been the standard for Smith in his season and a half in New York, too. In his rookie season, Smith would go from flashing signs of potential one week (i.e. Week 5, a Monday night comeback victory on the road against the Falcons) to a problematic performance the next (a two-interception, struggle of a day in a Week 6 home loss to Pittsburgh).

Smith was benched in the middle of games three times last season - once in October, once in November and once in December.

He’s already been pulled twice in the eight games of this one.

Having made 23 NFL starts in his career, Smith has been bad enough to be yanked five times. That’s over 20 percent.

Alarming doesn’t begin to describe that trend.

Yet, Ryan still believes in the young quarterback. Maybe Smith has the talent but unless he can put it together consistently, he isn’t going to make it with this team or in this league. It’s becoming more and more obvious with each benching that Smith is not the Jets quarterback of the future.

Ryan may think it’s just a matter of time but both his and Smith’s are running thin.

No Folk hero this time: Close games not going 2014 Jets' way

Last year in the Jets' first meeting of the season against New England, Nick Folk kicked a game-winning field goal in overtime.

That, of course, came with some luck (and controversy) after Chris Jones of the Patriots was called for unsportsmanlike conduct on Folk's first attempt (from 56 yards), which was a miss. Move the ball up 15 yards and the Jets celebrated a W.

Thursday night in the 2014 Jets' first duel with the Patriots, Folk again had an opportunity to lift the Jets to victory with a long kick. Jones was again involved. This time, though, there was no penalty. Folk's 58-yard attempt didn't travel more than a few yards, as Jones, ironically enough, was the one to knock the ball down.

What a difference a year makes.

So, what is that difference, at least through seven games?

The 2013 Jets pulled out close games. The 2014 incarnation hasn't.

At their Week 10 bye last season, the Jets were 5-4. All five of those victories came by a touchdown or less.

This year, it's the exact opposite.

Four of the Jets six losses have come by one possession or less. A 14-point loss to Denver last Sunday only became that lengthy because of a pick-six in a do-or-die drive for Geno Smith and the Jets offense.

There's no denying 1-6 is an ugly, ugly record. But these Jets aren't quite as bad as that record may look. Here's the rundown of the soul-crushers:

- Lost at Green Bay in a game in which a timeout snafu cost them a game-tying, fourth quarter touchdown
- After falling into a 14-point deficit on Monday night against Chicago, came back and got into the Bears' red zone in the final two minutes with a chance to tie the game on a touchdown, then two-point conversion but could not hit paydirt
- Somehow managed to stay in a game in which Detroit thoroughly outplayed them but went three-and-out on a potential game-tying drive that began with 4:36 left in the fourth, then never got the ball back
- Somehow managed to stay in a game in which Denver outplayed them most of the way but, down a touchdown, went three-and-out on a drive beginning with 6:07 to play and culminated it with a Smith pick-six on a last gasp chance that began at their own 5 in the final 2:30
- Thursday's New England affair, in which they more than doubled the Patriots' time of possession and didn't turn the ball over but could muster only a field goal four times in Patriots territory (twice in the red zone)

Outside of the 31- 0 demolition suffered in San Diego, this team has been competitive in every game - with opponents whom are no slouches. The combined record of the teams who have defeated the Jets is 25-11.

While 1-6 looks really bad, you have to ask yourself: how much different really are these Jets than last year's version?

It was relatively agreed upon that Rex Ryan overachieved by taking that bunch to an 8-8 record. With a talent pool that is better in some places (Eric Decker at receiver) and worse in others (the secondary), Ryan's team is on pace for a much worse finish this time around.

But take a look at how the Jets won last year and how they've lost last year - it's not all that different.

Close games went the Jets way in 2013 - and they overachieved. 

Winning close games has proved impossible thus far in 2014 - and the Jets are in the AFC East cellar.

Talent-wise, plenty still needs to be done. If a penchant for tight wins and a surprisingly good final record fooled anyone out of that belief, they were sorely mistaken. Seven weeks of the 2014 season have proved that.

Rex Ryan can’t afford many more 'ass whippings'

Jets head coach Rex Ryan rarely holds back his emotions, win or lose.

Ryan’s Jets didn’t just lose to the Chargers this week - they were demoralized in every aspect of the game, from an offense that couldn’t get out of its own way to a defense that couldn’t stop a thing on third down.

It was a mess, which Ryan frankly acknowledged: “It's a complete ass-whipping and it was me that got his ass kicked. It's on me."

Candor is a plus but frankly, Ryan can’t afford many more of the beatdowns of the nature the Jets suffered in the fifth game of their season.

No team is immune to a day they don’t want to remember but for the Jets, it’s becoming a recurring script and Ryan’s seat is only getting hotter and hotter.

There was last year’s 49-9 stomping in Cincinnati, which Ryan followed up by saying: “We got our butts kicked and there’s no two ways about it. All phases of the game.”

Go back two years to a 2012 game at home when the San Francisco 49ers obliterated the Jets and Ryan said: “We got our ass kicked” and that the team needed to do some “soul searching.”

Ryan called the infamous 45-3 Monday night loss in New England in 2010, the “biggest butt whipping I’ve taken as a coach, in my career.” Ryan used the word “butt” six times in that postgame news conference, repeatedly stressing that Bill Belichick and the Patriots kicked the derrieres of Ryan and the Jets.

Some of these Ryan-led teams have gone on to make the playoffs despite such whoopings. But this one is 1-4 and looking in no shape to get hot.

With a new general manager, Ryan’s ass is on the line and, if the ship isn’t righted quickly this time, the next place it will be kicked is to the curb.

A cool story in a crazy time in Cleveland sports

One week ago, northeast Ohio was on a LeBron James-induced high after the four-time NBA MVP announced his decision to return home.

Fans still are. And the week that was produced some weird, wild and fun stories.

Here is a cool one I was able to post on FoxSportsOhio.com thanks to social media. Saw a great photo shared by @imaraindancer retweeted in my Twitter feed, talked to the people involved and ended up with a story not just about LeBron hysteria (as it would have only seemed at the surface) but hometown pride.
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Epic wedding photo captures LeBron homecoming fever

Eight groomsmen in No. 23 jerseys and a groom mimicking LeBron James' powder toss stand in front of St. Vincent Catholic Church in the four-time NBA MVP's hometown of Akron, Ohio, one day after James' colossal homecoming announcement.

You couldn't write this script any better.

When Nick Jones and Christa Deckard set their wedding date for July 12, 2014, they had no idea it would follow in the direct aftermath of what will likely go down as one of Cleveland's biggest sports stories ever.

So, what better way to celebrate a glorious life moment than with a photo for the ages, paying tribute to one of Northeast Ohio's most compelling athletes?

Jarred Wagner of Inlux Photo in Canton was the man behind the lens for the awesome photo, which he said was the groom's idea and took two takes to nail.

"I quickly collected my jerseys and we got everything rolling," Jones said, reacting ecstatically when he found out the news of LeBron's decision Friday. "We pulled the photo off even better than I could expect."

When the rumor of James' return started proliferating the weekend before, Jones initially asked his wife if he and his groomsmen could wear the LeBron jerseys as the introduction to their reception.

She obliged - just another sign that she was a keeper.

The Joneses story actually has part of its beginnings in basketball, as Christa took Nick to a Cavaliers game for their third date, Dec. 14, 2012.

"Looking back, I knew I'd marry her but had no idea where I'd be and, at that point, I didn't think there was a chance LBJ would be home," Jones said.

That December was a rough one for the Cavs, finishing the month 3-12. James' Miami Heat won 66 games on their way to a title that season. But two years later, on Jones' wedding day, the horizon gleams of much brighter times ahead for his favorite basketball team.

"LeBron coming back is the greatest thing that could have happened to us in the sports world," best man Mike Stuart said. "It is a great thing for Northeast Ohio in many ways, as he will help the economy of his hometown, inspire young kids to have their priorities straight, and of course, help break the curse of Cleveland sports."

All parties will have to wait on that whole breaking the curse deal but hopes are understandably high, staked upon the success of James' first tenure in Cleveland and a Cavs roster stocked with young talent. James' return also means he will once again be a hero to kids growing up in Cleveland, Akron and the surrounding areas of Northeast Ohio.

Jones and Stuart were once those youngsters, hitting the court together and becoming friends on basketball teams in Cuyahoga Falls. The groom and best man didn't go to high school together though, as the huge LeBron fan Jones ironically attended Archbishop Hoban, the rival high school of James' St. Vincent St. Mary.

Another groomsman, Bret Grund, was a high school classmate to Jones. The two faced adversity in those years, losing a friend and football teammate, Anthony Grimaldi, in a car crash.

Now, Grund again faces a fight, diagnosed with stage four glioma, a rare form of brain cancer. Currently living in San Francisco, Grund said the support from friends, family and love ones has been unbelievable. That support system was sowed in his home state of Ohio.

"Hard work and loyalty to our sports teams (and in general) is what my father taught me," Grund said. "And that all stems from growing up in Northeast Ohio."

Coming home is what James did in making his decision to play again for the Cavaliers.

"Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It's where I walked. It's where I ran. It's where I cried. It's where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart," James said in his first-person essay in Sports Illustrated.

These nine guys outside a church, bearing a name fittingly similar to James' high school alma mater, represent James' words too, a microcosm of the pride inherent in so many who call this place home.

"[The] wedding day really was the best day ever," Jones said. "All this is just icing on the cake.
LeBron coming home is the best thing that could possibly happen to Cleveland."

Can't find many in these parts who would argue that.

The free kick that nearly put the US in rare World Cup air

What could've been. So agonizing in sports are those moments you watch slip away, prime opportunities at what seemed so improbable.

The United States Men's National Team was an underdog coming into Tuesday's Round of 16 matchup with Belgium. They were up against it through much of the match's first 90 minutes, outshot but propped up by the otherworldly goaltending of Tim Howard. They were halfway buried when the extra-time deficit became 2-to-nil.

Then came the rush, a goal by sparkplug Julian Green to breathe some life into the situation and turn desolation into distant hope, opening the door for the moment that you can't stop thinking about after the game.

What could've been.

Twas' the 114th minute of this uphill battle when a brilliant scheme drew the U.S. achingly close to squaring the score.

A free kick facing the net square on from 35 feet out presented itself for the Yanks after a foul committed on Green. Jermaine Jones first tiptoed away from the ball, then Michael Bradley set off what appeared for those few seconds like dominoes being set down, tapping the ball to Chris Wondolowski, who slapped it to a streaking Clint Dempsey, who was denied from close in by Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois.

#WorldCup reGIF: Another look at #USA's free kick - so close! http://t.co/GWIEr9tdCA
— MashableLIVE (@MashableLive) July 1, 2014

So devilishly developed was that kick that it was a pity it did not hit the back of the net.

"It was a move that deserved a goal," brilliant ESPN commentator Ian Darke said of the set piece.

And it would have put the U.S. alongside only the 1982 West Germans in coming back from a two-goal deficit in extra time.

That U.S. missed opportunity was glaring from a biased American perspective. As was Wondo's shank in regulation stoppage time that would have sent the U.S. forward. Truly, the Belgian faithful had to be even more agitated sitting through 16 spectacular Howard saves and wondering why they even had to withstand 30 minutes more of jitters.

In this World Cup full of drama, knockout round extra time has become ritual, spoiling us as viewers. Five of the eight Round of 16 matchups required extra time. Two of those needed penalty kicks to determine a winner. Close is commonplace this month in Brazil.

America's journey in this World Cup will be one to remember despite a disappointing finish. Their foray through the Group of Death was ripe with dramatics, from John Brooks' game-winning header against Ghana when all hope for a win looked lost to the complete 180 of Portugal's draw-clinching dagger in the final seconds of play.

Watching Tuesday's U.S./Belgium match over again just a few hours later was sports masochism, but those 30 minutes of extra time really were something else.

And painful as it may be, four years is a long wait to soak in some more.

Stop taking a dump on soccer

I've got a gripe I need to air out.

Disclaimer: This isn't coming from someone who is a total expert on soccer or would even call myself a "diehard." I enjoy watching Premier League games occasionally and watch the major world tournaments. I don't watch all the MLS games or follow everything soccer religiously.

I do watch as much of the World Cup as I can -- every second I possibly can that I'm not working or tied up with something else. Why? Because it's the top athletes in the game representing their country in a once every four years event.

Yet, some still don't understand the allure. And that's OK. It's fine if you don't get soccer or don't like it or just don't even care. But then there's another group of people -- oh, this group of people -- who refuse to believe that anyone can enjoy this "tedious, slow, mind-numbing" game.

Many of these same folks don't understand how the World Cup works. Here's an example of a conversation:

Guy: "What happened in the U.S. game?
Me: "U.S. lost"
Guy: "Figures."
Me: "But they'll still advance."
Guy: "Oh, I don't get that." 

Some are actually willing to listen to the reasoning behind the goal differential tiebreaker. Others are appalled. A sport where you can lose and advance? Blasphemy.

How could anyone care about this "Cup" played for by the world? Some refuse to believe it's anything more than a byproduct of the media's fascination. It's not like 24 million Americans watched the U.S. match against Portugal on Sunday or anything...

Dan Shaugnessy of The Boston Globe has expressed his lack of interest in the sport on a major platform. That is fine.

It's ignorance that becomes bothersome.

"Soccer takes away our hands. This makes the game incredibly skillful and exhausting, but also robs fans of much of the beauty of sport. Hands and opposable thumbs separate us from creatures of the wild," Shaughnessy writes. "Most of the memorable plays in sports are accomplished with hands. How would we have even known the athletic greatness of Pedro Martinez, Larry Bird, Bobby Orr or Tom Brady if they could not have used their hands? Soccer takes our hands out of the game."

How would we have ever known the athletic greatness of Pele or Maradona or Messi if they could not have used their feet?

Heck, Maradona even once very infamously used his hand. 

Shaughnessy's argument is silly. But people make silly arguments because they don't understand and are unwilling to learn more about the sport of soccer.

As I said earlier, I'm not an expert on the game. I don't fully dissect every tactic or formation or alignment. But I like to learn. I enjoy marveling at a skill I certainly don't have, the athleticism, endurance and drama produced by the tension of the plodding play on the pitch.

A low-scoring soccer match is no indication of its excitement level. In fact, those are often those most heart-wrenching, full of goals missed by inches, opportunistic defensive plays or great saves. 

Futbol is not football. They are completely different stylistically and in their scoring, so comparing them on that basis is futile. 

Again, apathy is no crime. Blind ignorance coupled with bold assertions are obnoxious, to say the least.

Despite being 3-0, Stanley Cup Final isn't as one-sided as some say

The New York Rangers are in trouble - big trouble, in fact, in this 2014 Stanley Cup Final.

Down 3-0 after a game they really needed to win at home, a first championship since 1994 is looking improbable. While the Rangers find themselves in a massive hole, the narrative of this series has taken a turn toward the inaccurate following the Kings' 3-0 Game 3 victory.


“I would be shocked if the Rangers could win Game 4,” NBC analyst Keith Jones said in an interview on The Jim Rome Show. “The LA Kings have shown great dominance for many parts of this series against the Rangers."

Many?

For the majority of this series, the Rangers have been ahead or tied with the Kings. In each of the first two games in L.A., the Kings only took the lead once and for all on game-winning goals.

In Game 3, the Rangers squandered opportunities in the first period then the Kings pounced with a final-second goal from Jeff Carter before the intermission.

The Blueshirts had double the shots of the Kings, but not one goal to their name, Monday night. More than the Kings displaying dominance, one player, goalie Jonathan Quick, did.

Quick was simply magnificent shutting the Rangers out in the Garden, sprawling and lunging to form an impenetrable wall in front of his net. The American goalie took his play to a world-class level, unlike the first two games in which he let in eight goals.

Look at it this way. The Rangers have had two-goal leads three times in this series - and blown them all three times. Sure, the Kings are "resilient," as just about every hockey writer and analyst has called them since the Final's first game.

But more than that, they're ruthlessly opportunistic. Kings goals have come at every which angle, deflected off sticks and skates, so elusive that Henrik Lundqvist's had little shot of keeping them out. Game 2's comeback was catapulted by a third-period goal in which Kings forward Dwight King stymied any form of movement for Lundqvist in the crease. Yet the play went on - no stoppage, no penalty, just the sound of the goal horn.


It's been that kind of series for the Rangers - one where the Kings have seized their opportunities to suck the life out of their opponent.

But on the whole, despite what it says on the ledger, the Cup Final has not been some kind of epic domination. Even time after time in Game 3 when the Rangers couldn't convert, they were still peppering Quick with quality chances. Each of the first two games had to be decided in overtime.

To completely rule the Rangers out in Game 4 would be ignoring the Rangers' own resilience (the 3-1 deficient they improbably emerged from against Pittsburgh) and misinterpreting how the Kings have gotten out to a commanding series lead.

Rangers' compelling comeback

The New York Rangers are finally a team.

It took tragedy in the middle of a series in which they looked beleaguered and lifeless for it to happen but once it clicked, it was sublime to watch.  

Martin St. Louis hasn't been with the Rangers long but he feels like a lifelong Blueshirt at this point, his emotion fueling his teammates forward first in Game 5, the day after his mother died, then in Game 6 with a goal on Mother's Day.

MSG turned from funereal in Games 3 and 4 to full of passion and life again on that special Sunday in which the Rangers sent the series back to Pittsburgh. 

"You guys have been nothing but unbelievable for me these past couple days and I'll never forget that," St. Louis said after that Game 6. "I couldn't be prouder to be a fucking New York Ranger with you guys. Thank you very much."

Heart - and pride. That's infectious.

Just a little more than two months ago, the Rangers traded away a lot to bring in St. Louis, parting with their captain and a 2015 first-round pick. 

What they gained in a leader and unifying presence now seems immeasurable. 

No one knew St. Louis would be faced with such adversity and that these Rangers would rally around him. 

Finally though, the guys in blue don't look like a cobbled together bunch of stars with little chemistry and an inability to mesh. Lifted by the spellbinding performance of Henrik Lundqvist and timely scoring, the Rangers did what was unthinkable less than a week ago - get to and win a Game 7, pulling off the comeback from 3-1 down in the series against some of the world's best players. Improbably they'll continue their quest, facing either Boston or Montreal, a series away from the Stanley Cup Final.

And, for the past three games at least, the Rangers have gone from eliciting certain four-letter words to embodying one that's far from obscenity.

All for Saul

Saul Phillips cares - a lot.

When his North Dakota State Bison got knocked out of the tournament after upsetting Oklahoma in the first round, Phillips cried on the podium. Not because his team wasn't good enough but because he wasn't going to get to coach his group of six seniors again.

"Got to watch a group of guys that deserved it and wanted it so bad and made it a priority in their life and did everything I asked them to do. This season - wow," Phillips said after the Bison's loss to San Diego State.



Sometimes you can just tell when a coach is special. Phillips has all the makings of being that.

When a coach connects with his players so profoundly that it brings him to tears, well, Phillips put it best - wow. His next group of players is noticing that too.

Watching videos of Coach Phillips.. Love his passion for the game and his players.. Seems like a great hire for us #BobcatNation 🏀
— Treg Setty (@Treginometry) April 6, 2014

That's already a good sign.

Jim Christian, who departed Athens for an ACC job with Boston College, did a fine job with the Bobcats. Many didn't like his hire or his tenure but he won 49 games in two seasons. That's far from mediocre and a resume strong enough to capture a power conference school's attention.

However, something tells me we may look back at this as a blessing in disguise, similar to when former Ohio coach Tim O'Shea bolted for another opportunity on the east coast.

As with Christian's departure, the news of O'Shea leaving came out of left field (more so because it was for Bryant University and not a prestigious, northeast gig O'Shea had been rumored to desire). Whatever the reason or feeling in the aftermath, O'Shea's exit opened the door for John Groce's entrance and two of the most magical runs in program history.

Groce was a young, hungry assistant replacing a guy whose resume reeked of a MAC lifer. Most of us knew that Groce, if he reached his potential, was not going to be Ohio's head coach for an extended period of time. Reaching the Sweet 16 meant Groce's profile rose even higher, even sooner and earned him a Big Ten job with Illinois.

Christian's hire was a contrast to Groce. No doubt the former Kent State coach had the MAC pedigree and track record but his return to the MAC only four years after his departure was an interesting development.

By no means do I think Christian is a bad coach, as some have made him out to be. I don't think he's a traitor or a liar for taking the BC job after only two years with the Bobcats. This happens in college sports. As Jason Arkley aptly wrote in his piece examining Christian, I don't think he was duplicitous.

However, my biggest concern with Christian was one that presented itself again in Athens. Despite all of his regular season success, Christian's teams never found that March magic that catapults a coach to prominence. Those six 20-win Kent State squads made only two tournaments and were bounced both times in the first round. The best one, the 28-7, 2007-8 Flashes, were a No. 9 seed in the tournament, very high for a MAC champion. Yet, they had a historically bad, embarrassing 10-point first half in a loss to UNLV after a historically impressive season complete with a major Bracketbuster win on the road vs. top 25 St. Mary's.

The ability to conjure that magic has just been missing for Christian. You really can't qualify why but, like Groce, Phillips has proven he too has it. He brought his Bison to the dance in their first year as a Division I program and then led them to a tourney win four years later.

Christian still has zero NCAA Tournament victories to his name. That's a stat that's hard to argue or shake.

Phillips may not have the recruiting ties in the region that Christian had but he has a proven capacity to build something from the ground up. If he does it right in Athens, we may very well have another coaching search in a few years. And that's OK.

Athletic Director Jim Schaus knows how to hire these guys. Phillips may or may not be another Gregg Marshall, who Schaus tabbed as Wichita State's head coach and has created a serious contender, but we should have faith in Schaus to continue to make the right call in advancing the program.

Dream-crushing 'Cats

Aaron Harrison just likes to win. Most of us like it but this freshman is getting good at it.

As he lined up a three to give his Wildcats the lead with only seconds left in Saturday's second national semifinal, we should've know it was going down.

"He's got that clutch gene," Wisconsin's Sam Dekker said.

So does that mean you can clone him? Harrison does have a twin brother but his unflappable ability to stick a dagger in his opponent this tournament has been unmatched.

If you've lost count, this is the bill on Harrison in the final minute of his last three games: go-ahead three with 39 seconds left vs. Louisville, go-ahead three with 2.6 seconds to go vs. Michigan and tonight, go-ahead three with 5.7 seconds on the clock to do in Wisconsin.

Somewhere Robert Horry is even a bit awestruck. 

March Madness is ripe for heartbreak and the 'Cats, propelled by Harrison, have doled out a heaping helping.

They've been the underdog in their last four games against some of college basketball's titans. Just take a moment and appreciate who they've beaten: No 1 seed and 35-0 Wichita State, the defending national champion Louisville, the defending runner up Michigan and a very balanced, formidable Wisconsin squad.

Harrison is a 19-year-old Texan playing the biggest games of his life in his home state. "JerryWorld" as AT&T stadium has become known, is a massive, behemoth of a place. Fans sitting in the upper reaches of the stadium had two views of Harrison's cold-blooded shot - the life-size one on the enormous HD video screen and the ant-like one of the proceedings taking place on the court.

No stage is too big for Harrison though who has found that special variable that fuels a team's run in March.

When you look back at past champions, there's always that one player you associate with a champion's run. For Kentucky, it was Anthony Davis in 2012, Jeff Sheppard in 1998 and Tony Delk in 1996. Connecticut, the Wildcats' opponent Monday night, has a title tradition too - led by Rip Hamilton in 1999, Emeka Okafor in 2004 and Kemba Walker in 2011.

Those championship teams make it difficult to pick just one "defining" player. The '99 Huskies also had Khalid El-Amin and the '04 version the scoring prowess of Ben Gordon. Kentucky's 2012 team was full of phenomenal underclassmen like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones, the '96 team boasted Ron Mercer and Antoine Walker too.

You don't win a title solely on one guy's greatness.

This year, Shabazz Napier is Connecticut's stud but DeAndre Daniels has been the X-factor in this tournament. Julius Randle is arguably Kentucky's best - and most pro-ready - player on the floor. However, Harrison, who's had his ups and downs this season and tournament, has been the most clutch.

Intangibles are by nature an unquantifiable quality. Harrison has it in spades right now, which makes betting against this Kentucky team's "One Shining Moment" a difficult prospect.

Wichita State's loss to Kentucky did plenty to show who they are

If there was ever a college basketball class war, this was it.

Wichita State a dominant mid-major who coasted through a perfect regular season.

Kentucky the highly-touted preseason No. 1 who faced its fair share of ups and downs.

Wichita State a veteran-laden squad coming off a Final Four appearance.

Kentucky starting five freshmen, a totally different group from last year's which was bounced from the first round of the NIT by Robert Morris.

Wichita State full of unheralded recruits developed by coach Gregg Marshall.

Kentucky with a boatload of top-rated prospects, one of whom is projected as a top five pick in the NBA draft.

Blue blood vs. little guy.

The Shockers don't play like the little guy and were the higher seed but when it comes to tradition, history and recruiting clout they're in a different realm than their opponent Sunday, the Kentucky Wildcats.

Their matchup was one that captivated the masses and not just because it turned into the best game of the year and one of the most hard-fought in recent tournament history.

Eighth-seed Kentucky's 78-76 win over top-seed in the Midwest Wichita State wasn't compelling just because it was an upset that sent one of the nation's top four teams home before the second weekend.

Last year, Wichita State played the role that Kentucky did, knocking off a No. 1 in the tournament's first weekend. That was different. The Shockers knocked off another mid-major Gonzaga, a No. 1 seed who received many of the same complaints as the Shockers this year. When you dominate a non-power conference, questions arise about toughness or strength of victory.

Wichita State's first loss of the season answered some of those - just not in the way naysayers may argue.

Not that they were overrated or any less deserving of their No. 1 seed or that their perfect regular season was a sole consequence of a weak schedule.

No, the Shockers' heartbreaking loss showed off the basket-making of Ron Baker, scintillating skills of Cleanthony Early, precision and mettle of a team that didn't lose all year - until Sunday.

On this day, Kentucky played its best game of the season - by far. They needed a few things to happen to win: the Harrison twins to have big days, Julius Randle to put up a double-double and to limit mistakes in crunch time. They got all of those - and still Wichita State was only two points less. That's all it takes - two points, like the two that slipped away when Early narrowly mistimed what would have been an authoritative dunk late in the second half.

This loss isn't an indictment of what Wichita State aren't.

It's an indictment of what they are - a great team that played a great game and lost to an extremely talented opponent that played at its best and finally lived up to lofty expectations.

Wichita was up to the task. They just fell short but that doesn't discount 35-0. The "1" that now sits beside that 35 should be a badge of honor, a testament to a team that proved its mettle in a colossal battle.

Nine years later, Pats get vengeance at the corner spot

Ty Law has long been a mentor of Darrelle Revis.

Revis wears the No. 24 like Law, blankets receivers like Law and has now pulled a free agent crossover reminiscent of Law.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Wednesday night that the New England Patriots will sign Revis to a one-year, $12 million deal, just one offseason after the star corner was traded from the New York Jets after the two sides couldn't come to a new contract.

Jets fans are fuming as Revis moves north to a division rival to play for a coach who he called a "jerk" only a couple years ago.

If you're looking for a similar example, look no further than these two teams and this same position.

Jump back nearly a decade ago to 2005 - Law was cut by the Patriots after 10 seasons in New England because they didn't want to pay him more than $12 million.

Like Revis, Law was not far removed from an injury. The Jets opened their checkbooks and scooped up the corner who was long an enemy twice every football season.

Back to 2014 - the Bucs released Revis Wednesday one year after acquiring and signing him to a six-year, $96 million, non-guaranteed deal.

Who else but New England to land the man who built his island in the green and white. These two teams have a pretty rich history of snatching each other's goods.

Bill Parcells bolted New England for New York in 1997 and eventually took Hall-of-Fame running back Curtis Martin with him too. Years later, the Jets were on the other side when Bill Belichick quit after one day as their head coach and then took the same position with the Patriots.

Law played only one season with the Jets, who couldn't afford to keep his contract. He was 31 but scored a career-high 10 picks en route to a Pro Bowl selection. Revis is 28. It's yet to see how much dividend he will pay.

What's for certain is New England will again have a shutdown No. 24 lining up at corner and surely a sweet shot of vengeance slugged in front of a division foe's face.

Trading for Revis is tricky proposition

On paper it looks excellent.

Darrelle Revis, still one of the best cornerbacks in the game last season despite coming off a knee injury. ProFootballFocus graded him the top Cover-1 corner ahead of Super Bowl champion Richard Sherman.

So it's no surprise that one of the most-buzzed about rumors at the start of the NFL's new year is that the Bucs will either trade Revis or flat out release him. At this point, it seems like a near certainty that Revis will not don the pewter next season.

But you have to ponder - why would a second team in two offseasons be looking to move a player who could be so valuable on the field, who experts still consider the best at his position?

When it came to the Jets last offseason, the two sides were never going to come to a money figure that appeased both. Revis didn't want to just be paid handsomely but at a historic rate.

The Jets moved him for a first-round pick and Tampa Bay was willing to dole out $96 million over six years. Yes, none of that money is guaranteed but his yearly figures are massive.

Revis is scheduled to make $16 million in 2014 under his current contract. The next highest-paid corner, Dallas' Brandon Carr, will make just more than $10 million.

That's a lofty number, even for a team with a lot of cap space. You tie up that much money in one position and it's rarely a boon, especially for a team in search of a franchise quarterback, as those are the guys who typically warrant that type of payday.

But many fans are salivating over the prospect of their team adding Revis, similar to Nnamdi Asomugha in the 2011 offseason.

Remember him? Asomugha is out of the league now but just a few years ago he was the hot ticket, considered an elite cornerback. Philadelphia won the sweepstakes, signing Asomugha to a five-year, $60 million deal. Jets front office members were "deflated," bummed they were unable to create their monster tandem (on paper) with who else but the guy we're talking about now, Revis.

Those 2011 Eagles were supposed to have a dream secondary combining Asomugha with Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. But that joyous offseason turned into a nightmarish regular season in which Philadelphia finished a disappointing 8-8. The darlings of free agency failed to make even the playoffs, let alone reach the Super Bowl.

Asomugha never turned out to be worth that chunk of change. In fact, he didn't even play out the entirety of that contract, cut by the Eagles after just two years and then the Niners three games into last season.

If Revis can reclaim his island, he could make a general manager's gamble look wise. But if he's even just a good corner, not an exceptional one that disrupts the offensive gameplan, then it could be an Asomugha redux.

Again, as with much of free agency, it's a case of buyer beware - and crucial to remember the Super Bowl champions build teams through quality drafting and continuity, not the biggest splashes.

Olympians with Ohio ties suffer heartbreaking finishes

Off the post of an empty net with a gold medal little more than a minute away. 

That close.

Pull out all those cliches about sports being a game of inches or decided by the narrowest of margins and they're all too fitting to describe the U.S. women's hockey team's anguishing 3-2 loss to Canada in Thursday's Olympic final.

Heartbreak probably puts this too mildly for the Americans, like Brooklyn Heights' Kelli Stack and Sheffield's Brianne McLaughlin, who spent four years training for that day, that rematch.

Canada is the women's hockey behemoth, now winners of the last four Olympic gold medals. That's a dynasty.

Yet, the U.S. knew how close they were to halting the Canadian reign.

"We go up two goals and we're just counting down the minutes," Stack told WKYC's Sara Shookman after the game.

It was the Ohioan Stack who flung that ill-fated puck down the ice, just shy of Canada's wide-open net.

Amazingly, that wasn't a first, she told SI's Richard Deitsch: "I did that once before in college, and it's the worst feeling in the world." Stack said she thought it had a chance at first but even though it narrowly missed, the U.S. was still on top.

Seconds later, Canada tied it, then won in overtime.

An inch the other way and Stack seals the deal for the Americans.

Another Olympian with ties to the Buckeye State experienced similar heartbreak in her 
event. Katie Uhlaender, whose father Ted played for the Indians and Reds, fell just .04 shy of a bronze medal in the skeleton.

"I just felt the support of America behind me," Uhlaender told the Denver Post, "and I'm just heartbroken that I lost it by four-hundredths for them."

Adversity pushed Uhlaender, who lost her dad in 2009. She disappointed in the Vancouver 
games but wrought strength from his spirit in competing the past few years.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke of just how close she was to the podium.

They flowed from the eyes of the American women who again settled for a color other than gold, watching their rival Canada revel in glory.

All that's left now is to wait.

That's what's crazy about the Olympics: in seconds - or Uhleander's case hundredths of a single one - a dream can slip away, but years it takes to get another shot at capturing it.

Glory and cruelty both equally immeasurable.

Former Xavier player becoming half-court shot legend

Half-court heaves are propelling former Xavier guard Brad Redford to an iconic status in the electrifying world of media timeout contests. 

"Shooting a half-court shot without any practice shots in a shirt and tie with penny loafers on puts me in a level with few others," Redford said (tongue-in-cheek). 

Few can master the art the way Redford has, hitting half-court shots during two straight Xavier home games. 

"I would say other than myself I could only see a couple other people achieving such a feat. Possibly Chris Mullens or Rik Smits. That's probably about it," he continued.

As a senior, Redford averaged 7.6 ppg, shooting 44.6 percent from three. This season, he serves as the MC of all Xavier home contests, running events during media timeouts. 

His now infamous one is the Penn Station Hot Shot Contest, in which Redford grabs a student from the stands to take a half-court shot. If the student misses, Redford said he usually gives it a shot. 

After missing on his first two tries of the season, Redford is finding his groove.

 

So, what is the key? Practice?

"I don't really practice shooting from half court," Redford said.

Nix that idea - just messing around is about as much as he has done.

But there has to be some strategy, a secret to this awe-inspiring success.

"Visualize yourself making the shot before. Lean with whatever shoulder you shoot with and try to work it in a straight line," Redford advised. "Toss that thing up there, put a little spin on it, and say a little prayer beforehand."

Boy, he makes it sound so easy.

Maybe it's because he has been in the pressure cooker before. Last year against a ranked Memphis team, Redford nailed a three with about a minute to go to give Xavier a one-point lead. Back in high school, he remembers catching fire from three to open his senior season, hitting 11 of 13 attempts in a game.

"The half-court shots are right there with those," Redford joked.

Legends come and go. Their fame and prominence can be fleeting.

Has Redford reached his zenith? Will he ride into the sunset or go for an unheard of three straight makes?

"That decision has yet to be made."

Authentic suspense, folks. Xavier's next home game is Wednesday against DePaul.

#1 vs. #1: Why Super Bowl XLVIII is so hard to predict

A battle of colossal league powers.

Peyton Manning and his prolific offense vs. the "Legion of Boom."

Top offense vs. top defense.

Super Bowl XLVIII offers plenty of intrigue solely based on that matchup. One of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time taking on one of the greatest pass defenses in league history.

But which will win out?

Taking a look back at past Super Bowls, you can make a case for both.

Only once before has the NFL's top offense and defense squared off, back in Super Bowl XLVII between Tampa Bay and Oakland.

The Bucs dominated and stifled the Raiders that night, Jon Gruden easily conquering his ex-team to hoist the Lombardi.

But that game presented an interesting set of circumtances.

1. Gruden had coached that Oakland team just a year prior and had to know the pieces extremely well.

2. Many credited Tony Dungy and Monte Kiffin for putting together that Tampa team, and particularly the defense which so excelled.

3. Rich Gannon was a good quarterback in his heyday but he's nowhere near the echelon on which Manning resides.

This week, the AP chronicled how top units fared in the big game.

Eleven times top defensive leaders went into the Super Bowl, nine of those times they won.
Offensive leaders went into the Super Bowl a dozen times and won seven of those times, barely more than half.

Interesting.

For as much as everyone talks about how the NFL is a passing league and all about offense now, the most recent example of a top offense falling wasn't too long ago, Super Bowl XLII, when the Giants thwarted New England's perfect season.

In that game, the Giants' pass rush flustered Tom Brady and held the Pats' dynamic offense to only 14 points.

Brady's a legend whose Super Bowl lore is well-documented and a strong defense took him down.

So, that's a nod in Seattle's favor.

But what about the case for offense and the Broncos' record-setting group?

The rationale I would use is not so much about Manning's past Super Bowl experience. I don't think that matters as much as some may think.

Instead, I think a lot of how this game goes will hinge on the arm of Russell Wilson. If he can play a good enough game to support the Seattle defense, the Seahawks have a very good shot of winning.

That doesn't mean being perfect or throwing for 400 yards. Eli Manning was 19 of 34 for 255 yards, 2 TDs and an INT in the infamous big game in Glendale. But he made one of the greatest throws in Super Bowl history, escaping pressure and connecting with David Tyree to set up the game-winning touchdown to Plaxico Burress. 

Two weeks ago in the NFC Championship Game, Wilson made his own big throw, hitting Jermaine Kearse for a touchdown on a 4th and 7 in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks took the lead and would not surrender it again.

Wilson threw the ball only 25 times but that was all Seattle needed. He fumbled in the first half but didn't turn it over again. His counterpart on the other side, Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick, fumbled and threw two interceptions.

Turnovers will be key to the outcome, as is typical. Peyton surely has to know that from his second Super Bowl with Indy, Super Bowl XLIV, as the pick six he threw to Terry Porter sealed the deal for New Orleans. Last year, in his first season in Denver, Baltimore's 2OT INT off Manning set up the game-winning field goal.

While legendary or top-notch quarterbacks don't always win the Super Bowl, they have more often then not in the past decade or so.

Sometimes winning the Super Bowl fuels the perception that inconsistent quarterbacks are elite (Eli, Joe Flacco).

A good portion of the rest of the championship quarterbacks are perennial Pro Bowlers, signal-callers in the top 5-10 of the NFL.

That list goes, starting with Super Bowl XXXVII to now: Brad Johnson, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco.

Johnson is an exception, as his defense was exceptional (defensive back Dexter Jackson was the MVP of his win). The better quarterback typically prevails, as when
Manning won his last Super Bowl over the Rex Grossman-led Bears.

Sunday, we find out if the young Wilson will go down as a Grossman-esque quarterback who couldn't play well enough to defeat a legend or if he can slay a quarterbacking Goliath, as Peyton's brother did twice.

Seattle has to have good defense to win, just as Denver has to have good offense. Those are basics for both. But without a poised performance from Wilson, maybe even one with a defining moment, it will be difficult for Seattle to earn the victory.

Richard Sherman haters -- get off your high horse

Richard Sherman has sparked moral outrage.

Yes, that's right, an NFL cornerback has people in a tizzy, upset about "lack of class."

Deadspin breaks down the atrocious comments people make about Sherman on social media. They're not appropriate to be said in the first place, let alone repeated.

Yet, even those who don't go for the lowest common denominator are missing the point.

Sherman's critics are saying he has no respect or he's a clown for his postgame interview with Erin Andrews, in which he called himself the best and ridiculed Michael Crabtree for thinking anything but that.



Here's where some have lost any semblance of perspective on this situation. Richard Sherman is a football player. He just won probably the biggest game of his life, his team is headed to the Super Bowl and he was incredibly pumped up.

To call him a "bad role model," based on one interview, which lasted less than thirty seconds, is like taking one miniscule bite of a food you had never tried before and calling it disgusting hogwash.

Sherman's story is full of depth. He was the first player from his Compton high school to earn a scholarship to Stanford. He rose out of the depths of a bad neighborhood to a place on the world's biggest stage two weeks from now.

No team wanted Sherman until the Seahawks took a chance on him in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

So, the guy has a chip on his shoulder and wants to prove people wrong -- in his case, it's warranted.

We want our athletes to be interesting. We want sports to be fun. This is ultimately entertainment, not a symposium.

So, why flip out when someone makes it compelling to watch? 

Sherman didn't drop an F-bomb or call someone a derogatory name, as many ignorant folks across the Internet have now called him.

He showed color and personality. When Crabtree was asked if Sherman was the best cornerback in the NFL leading up to this game, he said, "No, I don't think so."

When it came down to crunch time on the field, Sherman won the battle and called out the guy he beat after the game.

It's football, not foreign policy.  It's a game where people spend three hours hitting each other. When rivals don't like each other, there's little love lost. You would be naive to expect anything else.

Too many athletes provide the same boring, canned responses interview after interview.

But then when someone actually exhibits some character, the critics hop on their soapboxes.

They bring up class and respect, as if they are the keepers of the sworn authority on these subjects.

Lighten up, folks. Andrews put it perfectly on Twitter saying, "Richard Sherman gave a candid response seconds after an emotional game."

Sherman spoke with passion.

Those who deride him for it are just speaking with hate.

Gross ambition dooms A-Rod

He wanted it all -- and couldn't stop.

Being handsomely paid, a World Series champion and great ballplayer weren't enough.

Alex Rodriguez wanted to be the greatest and his desire on that quest is what will ultimately degrade his legacy.

At least that's the case if you believe Anthony Bosch, the man in the middle of the Biogenesis performance-enhance drug scandal. 

In an interview to air Sunday night on 60 Minutes, Bosch says Rodriguez, "would study the product. He would study the substances. He would study the dosages, because he wanted to achieve all his human performance or in this case, sports performance, objectives. And the most important one was the 800 home run club."

There's no telling exactly how long Rodriguez had been on the substances. Reports indicate it was awhile.

Rodriguez admitted using them between 2001-3 while with the Rangers. He made the acknowledgment for those years only in 2007. 

Baseball's steroid policy went into place in 2005.

But the latest bombshell to come out, implicating Rodriguez in the Biogenesis scandal, finally landed him the ultimate punishment he had been eluding: a major suspension.

MLB described its rationale for the initial issuance of the Rodriguez 211-game suspension as "his use and possession of numerous forms of prohibited performance-enhancing substances, including testosterone and human growth hormone, over the course of multiple years" and "for his attempts to cover up those violations and obstruct a league investigation."

Even after an appeal, Rodriguez will lose an entire season of baseball. 

He will still make $3 million but, if you trust Bosch's word, which is proving reliable, this blow will be the most painful.

The inability to play will prevent Rodriguez from reaching 800 home runs, maybe even 700 too, as he won't be eligible to return until the age of 39.

Who knows if he'll even play another inning of baseball.

Rodriguez was very willing to play dirty to reach the top, as Bonds, McGwire, Sosa and others allegedly did too.

But now, he won't even do that. At 654 home runs, he won't need an asterisk as a potential home run king. 

He won't be one. 

His legacy has already been marred. 

Baseball has ripped away his last grasp at greed-driven ambition in the twilight of his career.