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Shooting from the lip

Weekend review.

By TOM JONES
Published March 12, 2007

Who were the biggest whiners of the weekend? What two hockey players became fast friends after getting in a fist fight? What are Dick Vitale's thoughts on the NCAA bracket? And what did Phil Simms have to say about son Chris? Answers to these questions and more in a look back at a weekend of televised sports.

Strongest comment

On ESPN's Sports Reporters, Roy S. Johnson said, "Has anything become more uninspiring and irrelevant as college basketball's conference tournaments? Just look at all the empty seats."

The big three

With so many teams fighting for so few spots, it's virtually impossible that this will happen. But I would love to see the Rangers, Maple Leafs and Canadiens make the NHL playoffs. The league is always much more interesting when New York, Toronto and Montreal are in the postseason.

Papa Simms

Super Bowl-winning quarterback Phil Simms took the appropriate high road during an interview on ESPNews on Saturday. Asked about his son Chris, considering the Bucs signed Jeff Garcia and tried to bring in Jake Plummer, Phil said: "(Chris) is in the league. He's healthy. He gets to compete. That's all you can ask for. ... It's all good."

Blast from the past

Old-time Lightning fans, I think, seem to dismiss the impact that first-ever pick Roman Hamrlik had with the Bolts. But this came up during the Lightning's game Saturday against the Flames, the team Hamrlik is with now. Think of how much of an offensive force Dan Boyle has been the past couple of seasons. Boyle had 53 points last season. He has 55 in 70 games this season. But Hamrlik still holds the team record for defensemen with 65 in 1995-96.

Weekend whiners

The Greensboro News and Record led the charge of ACC traditionalists who spent last week obsessing and complaining about how the ACC tournament ventured outside of traditional ACC country by coming to Tampa Bay. That's understandable considering Greensboro, N.C., can't hang its hat on much else besides hosting the ACC basketball tournament. Yes, the tournament means more to the good folks of Greensboro, which is why the ACC consistently plays its tournament there. Tampa Bay isn't a threat to steal the event permanently. Who knows if it will ever come back again? So why not enjoy a little sunshine, some grouper sandwiches and your basketball, too, for one weekend?

Best idea

Rick Bozich, columnist for the Louisville Courier-Journal, believes no conference should have more than half its teams make the NCAA basketball tournament. "If you can't finish in the first division of your league," Bozich said on Sports Reporters, "well, sorry, your season is over."

By the way, speaking of Sports Reporters, Mike Lupica, normally a guest, took a strong turn as host. More reserved than normal, Lupica did what a host should do: set the agenda and let the guests be the strongest voices.

Toughest story of the weekend

During its coverage of the PODS Championship, NBC tried to address the news that PGA Tour player Arjun Atwal was involved in a car crash near Orlando on Saturday afternoon. Atwal was uninjured, but the driver in the other car was killed in what police are investigating as a possible street race. Reporter Jimmy Roberts quoted Atwal's longtime friend Daniel Chopra, who was quoting his wife, who was quoting Atwal's wife. About the same time, several news outlets were revealing details of the accident and investigation. NBC was in a tough spot, but it might have been better to say little or nothing than give out third-hand quotes.

We never knew

Remember when Lightning star Vinny Lecavalier fought Flames star Jarome Iginla in the 2004 Stanley Cup final? Well, Sun Sports - covering Saturday's meeting, the first since that final - did a nice job retelling the story and added a nugget we never knew. Lecavalier and Iginla were roommates and became fast friends just a couple of months later when they played for Team Canada in the World Cup of Hockey.

Best feature

ESPN's Outside the Lines covered the growing problem of fans who storm basketball courts after victories. It focused on Joe Kay, who was all set to go to Stanford on a volleyball scholarship until he suffered a stroke and partial paralysis after he was tackled on the court after a high school basketball game. In the best moment, Kay told ESPN that ESPN contributes to the problem by showing fans storming the courts.

Stat of the weekend

Gary Walters, who oversaw the committee that picked the NCAA Tournament teams, did reveal one stat on the CBS selection show that showed how tough the process is. This season, a record 104 teams won 20 or more games. The previous high was 70 teams.

Three things I loved over the weekend

1. The bright red sports coat of N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe.

2. CBS basketball analyst Bill Rafferty, who knows how to sound excited without sounding stupid (and that's harder than you think).

3. Sun Sports' coverage of the Lightning-Flames game did a nice job reliving the 2004 Stanley Cup final in the first meeting since then between the teams. Clips and interviews with Ruslan Fedotenko in Game 7, Marty St. Louis in Game 6 and John Tortorella were a pleasant stroll down memory lane.

Three things I hated over the weekend

1. That North Carolina's Ty Lawson dunked with one second left in the ACC final then screamed at the crowd instead of doing the classy thing, which would've been simply running out the clock and handing the ball to an official.

2. That, locally, we couldn't get the ESPN feed of the ACC tournament.

3. That the NHL suspended Chris Simon for only the rest of this season. A quarter of next season should've been tacked on, too, for his inexcusable, vicious, sickening stick to the face of an opponent.

Dick Vitale's three strongest comments

1. "I'm shocked Arkansas is in (the NCAA Tournament). They went 7-9 in a conference that was mediocre."

2. "There is no way the kids from Tallahassee should not be in this tournament."

3. "Drexel got a raw, raw deal."

Best hustle

To ESPN for getting Bruiser Flint, coach of the snubbed Drexel, on the phone almost as soon as it was learned the Dragons had not made the tournament. And thumbs up to Flint, who made his case by using facts, not emotion.

Best performer

Seth Davis was the star of CBS' NCAA basketball selection show. Strong opinions (such as sixth-seeded Duke was seeded too high and Drexel was left out) and predictions all around are what add a little gravy to the mashed potatoes. About mid-major conferences getting fewer and fewer spots, Davis said, "That's wrong. That's bad for college basketball. Because it's those schools who make the NCAA Tournament what it is."

Kudos, too, to Billy Packer and Jim Nantz for asking pertinent questions to selection committee leader Gary Walters, such as why Syracuse, Kansas State and Drexel did not make it and why some teams (Old Dominion, Texas Tech) did. I can, however, go without listening to them talking about how tough the selection committee's job is and how they should be congratulated for a job well done.

[Last modified March 12, 2007, 00:16:06]