Roger Clemens To The Yankees??

Is Roger Clemens coming back to the New York Yankees? Well, Robinson Cano sure hopes so. He has given up his number 22, which is Roger’s number, and switched to number 24. He chose 24 because it is Jackie Robinson’s number 42 reversed. Jackie Robinson’s number was retired by MLB back in 1997. Mariano Rivera is the only player to be still wearing it.

Cano is hoping that having #22 available would help lure Clemens back to New York however Clemens agent, Randy Hendricks, had this to say:

“No decision will be made until well after spring training, perhaps until after the season starts.”

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Louisville Uses Strong Second Half to Defeat Huskies

The Louisville Cardinals shot lights out early in the second half as they overcame a 3 point halftime deficit to defeat the UCONN Huskies on Monday night by the score of 68-54. Louisville was led by David Padgett, who scored 19 pts and added 11 rebounds, and by forward Terrence Williams, who added 19 pts and 9 rebounds. Juan Palacios chipped in with 16 points. For UCONN, they were led by Sophomore AJ Price, who scored 17 points. Jeff Adrien was a monster on the glass, pulling down 15 rebounds and adding 11 points to the cause.

Both teams were awful in the first half as neither team could find the basket. Louisville started out the second half with a 9-1 run and UCONN was ice cold. UCONN was held scoreless for 11 straight minutes, 3 of those in the first half. Louisville was scoreless for nine minutes in the second half but converted 21 free throws to hold off the Huskies.

Notes and Observations:

  • We suck.
  • The starters were Wiggins, Dyson, Robinson, Thabeet, and Adrien.
  • Did I mention we suck?
  • Stanley Robinson scored 0 points tonight. This on the heels of his 21 point performance on Saturday.
  • Did I mention we suck? Oh yes, I have.
  • Thabeet had an ok game. He scored 9 points and added 4 blocked shots.
  • Did I mention we can’t shoot free throws?
  • UCONN shot 57.7% (15-26) from the free throw line.
  • UCONN shot 36% (18-50) from the floor. They were 3 of 20 (15%) from 3 point land.
  • This was the sixth loss for the Huskies in their last games. It was also the third consecutive loss.

It’s hard to stay positive about the UCONN Huskies men’s team right now. It is frustrating to watch them play. Some of the time, they look like a cohesive unit. But that’s when they are in transition. You put that team in a half court set and they can’t play worth a lick. I really think Calhoun has them practicing right now on the flight back to Bradley International Airport. Maybe he should have them practice their free throws while they are up there as well.

Next up for the Huskies is a date on Saturday against Providence at Noon. The game is at the Hartford Civic Center and will be broadcast locally on FOX 61.

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New NHL Uniforms

The NHL finally unveiled their new look uniforms to the public on Monday. They are modeled after uniforms that were worn in the Olympics. They have an European flair to them. The new Reebok uniforms are supposed to be lighter, more durable and allow the players to skate faster. The NHL All-Stars will be wearing the new uniforms in the All-Star game on Wednesday night.

I never played hockey but I have skated and I would like to know how a uniform makes you skate faster. Here are the facts about the new uniforms:

The uniforms are 14% lighter in pregame weight, the equivalent of more than a 6-ounce puck in weight. Current jerseys and socks absorb moisture from sweat, ice and water bottles, Jennings says. But water repellent “Bead Away” technology allows the new duds to retain 76% less moisture. “The players’ eyes bug out when they see it,” he says. The result? The lighter, drier uniforms generated 9% less wind drag in wind tunnel tests at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. That will translate into faster, “less fatigued” players.

The new uniforms are more ergonomically fitted to a player’s body, shoulder and elbow pads, pants and shin guards. But newer fabrics such as stretch mesh actually give players greater range of motion because the uniforms move with their bodies. Impact tests indicate the uniform’s new “core body protector,” or new hockey pants, generates 61% more hip protection.

Ventilated “Play Dry” fabric helps wick away sweat and heat buildup, keeping players 4 to 10 degrees cooler, according to thermal lab tests at Central Michigan University. The newer, more rugged construction materials will double the life span of uniforms.

If you want to see how some of the other uniforms look, head on over 2k Sports Online. They have pictures of the new team uniforms.

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Bruce Pearl, Fan and Coach

Earlier this week on a radio show, University of Tennessee Men’s basketball coach was pumped up for the UT women’s game on Monday night against Duke. He had stated he wasn’t happy with the way the players were treated last year when the Tennessee women played Duke.

Here’s the background on that. UT women’s player Alexis Hornbuckle was arrested when she was a senior in high school for misdemeanor shoplifting at Wal-Mart back in West Virginia. Well the Cameron Crazies taunted Hornbuckle with empty Wal-Mart bags and chanted various phrases that we hear on Wal-Mart commercials.

So Bruce Pearl decided that he was going to show up at the game and sit in the student section with no shirt and his chest painted orange. And here are the pictures to show that he did it:

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Bad Facts and Math on ESPN.COM

OK this was emailed to me just before. You have to look at the ESPN box score from today’s UCONN women’s game and the official box score from the game. Instead of making you find the errors on the page, I have put arrows next to them. But first let’s take a look at the official box score of the game. If you click on the pictures, they will open up in a new window so you can see them clearly.
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Now that you have looked at the official box score. Look at the ESPN.com boxscore. I will explain each error after the picture.

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So let’s look at the errors here:

  1. Kristin Phillips no longer is a member of the UCONN team. She has not been around the team since early December.
  2. Since Kristin Phillips is no longer a member of the team, how could she have scored 5 points.
  3. Ketia Swanier did not start the game today for the Huskies. In fact, she hasn’t a started a game all year. Charde Houston was the starter today as she was all day today.
  4. Look back at the official box score. Kalana Greene scored 14 points today. Now look at the ESPN one. She scored 12. I wonder which one is right. Just kidding.
  5. Now the final error, look at the final point totals for the players on the ESPN one. It says 84. But when you add it up, it adds up to 87. 19+15=34+15=49+12=61+6=67+20 points from the bench=87. Ok since Kristin Phillips doesn’t play for UCONN anymore take away her 5 points, 87-5=82. Now add the missing 2 points from Kalana Greene, 82+2=84.

Now I don’t normally look for things like this. Sometimes I do notice things like this or I have someone email me or instant message me with a tip like this. To me on a major website, this is inexcusable. It has since been corrected by the time this was posted due to me watching the Patriots game right now.

Update: Look at the play by play of the game over at ESPN.com. Kristin Phillips scored 2 of her points at the 19:00 mark. And if you read the whole thing, you will see those are the only “two points she scored,” yet “she scored 5 points according to the original box score.” Click here to see that.

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UCONN Women Thunder Past Red Storm

Behind 19 points from Mel Thomas, the UCONN Women defeated the St. John’s Red Storm 84-63 in their first ever meeting at the “Mecca” of college basketball, Madison Square Garden. Tina Charles added 15 points and 6 rebounds in her homecoming and Renee Montgomery added 15 points as well. Kalana Greene rounded out the Huskies in double figures with 14 points. St. John’s was led by former UCONN recruit, Kia Wright, who scored 19 points.

UCONN got out to a big lead early behind the strength of five 3 pointers by Mel Thomas and never looked back from there. Although UCONN was only up 13 at the break, they did hold St John’s to 27% shooting in the first half and 32% for the game.

Notes and Observations:

  • The starters were Montgomery, Thomas, Greene, Charles and Houston.
  • Mel Thomas’ five 3 pointers tied her career high. She had those 5 in the first 8 1/2 minutes of the first half. She didn’t make any more the rest of the way. She finished 5 of 14 from 3 point land.
  • Charde Houston wasn’t really involved in the offense too much but she was very active on the glass pulling down 10 rebounds.
  • Ketia Swanier was once again spectacular off the bench leading the Huskies with 8 assists.
  • For the game, UCONN shot 51% from the floor and they were 12 of 18 from the line (67%).
  • Brittany Hunter saw action in the game and scored 4 pts in 8 minutes. It was nice to see her playing without the sleeve on her knee. It was also the third straight game she has played in.

With the win the Huskies move to 16-2 (6-0 Big East) on the season. Next up is the DePaul Blue Demons on Wednesday night at 7:30 PM at Gampel Pavilion. The game will be broadcast locally here in CT on CPTV.

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