The Sports Monitor

My favorite show on television the past few years has been "Battlestar Galactica." It's occupied the No. 1 priority list on my DVR over that span, bumping anything my wife would want to record. Now, however, I'm going through Battlestar withdrawl and she's enjoying the top spot on the DVR list. "BSG" wrapped up March 20 and I already miss it. The DVDs are great, bringing me back to when the show rocked. Especially that first season, which brought back memories of when I would come home from work and unwind with Battlestar and a beer. Now, there are no more Cylons to fight. No earth to discover. No more scenes of No. 6. The show wasn't entirely sci-fi. It was more drama set in space. And, man, did they have some good fight scenes. The series finale had an epic battle, along with a nice, tidy ending. Now, I'm looking for another series to get wrapped up in. Have a suggestion? Want to share "BSG" stories, post a comment.

Man, that loss hurt. Wait. Let me correct that. That loss still hurts. I wish I could wipe away the memory of that game like I did the snow on my car windshield this morning. Pitt's basketball team was minutes from a trip to the Final Four on Saturday night. The lead escaped them, but they managed to rally and were mere seconds from sending their regional final against Villanova to overtime. Then Scottie Reynolds hit the basket of tournament. It sent Pitt home in defeat, 78-76, and put Reynolds' name right up there in Pittsburgh sports lore with Francisco Cabrera. The Panthers were good enough to win it all. Instead, we're left to talk about what ifs. Like, what if Pitt had a timeout left at the end of the game. Or, what if Pitt had a different defense at the end of the game. Or even, what if Villanova hadn't made all those darned foul shots. It seemed that Pitt played this tournament not to lose. Maybe the expectations and the No. 1 seed had something to do with it. Th...

We've read it before. We've heard it from the players and coaches before, too. Now, there's validation to all the talk surrounding the Pitt basketball team. This is the best team in a long, long time in Pittsburgh. All of this, of course, wouldn't be possible without Levance Fields' huge 3-point shot to give the Panthers the lead late Thursday against Xavier. Then, Fields' steal and basket all but wrapped up the 60-55 win. It wasn't a pretty game. It was one that the Panthers (31-4) nearly let slip away. But it doesn't matter. Fields changed all that with his big bucket. And, boy, was it a classic. The moment the ball left his hand, I muttered, "What's he doing?" Then, the moment it dropped though the net, I exhaled with relief, "Clutch shot." It takes a special team to get this far in the tournament. With special players like Fields, DeJuan Blair and Sam Young, they don't have to stop in the regional final against Villanova....

This is the round where the Pitt Panthers basketball team usually gets kicked aside in the NCAA tournament. It's also the round where I think Pitt could very well lose, especially if you think history repeats itself. As you've probably heard already, Pitt's opponent, Xavier, is coached by former Pitt point guard Sean Miller. It's an intriguing storyline. It's also a recipe for disaster for the Panthers. Xavier can hit the 3s, plus they have some depth up front. And don't think for a minute Miller's players don't want to do anything in their power to get a win. Pitt stumbled in its first two games in the tournament but it stands just one win from the Elite Eight and two wins from a trip to Detroit for the Final Four (anyone see the similarities to the Steelers' Super Bowl XL run yet?). There's a lot of support out there for the Panthers and many believe this is their year. A win tonight and I'll start to believe, too.

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Bud Selig can try to prop up the World Baseball Classic all he wants . He isn't going to change my mind until he changes some of the tournament's rules. Selig told anyone within earshot that the WBC will continue. And while he was at it, he told everyone to stop complaining about it. That includes, players, general managers and members of the media. The whole shooting match. The idea behind the Classic was noble. It's a way to grow the game around the world and with baseball's removal from the Olympics, it offered a global tournament. And, it didn't hurt Selig to sell a few pieces of merchandise along the way. The trouble was and still is, there's no good time to play it. March is horrible, with players just getting into game shape. November is too late. The rules resemble Little League with pitch counts and 10-run rules. Players find excuses to not play. Interest in the United States just isn't there, either. Did you see any of the games that took place in ...

As if taking a cue from TNT's tagline, "We Know Drama," the Pitt Panthers have made the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament a stress-inducing event. Twice now, they've had opportunities to lose. Twice, they've come through in the clutch. That's a good sign heading into a Sweet 16 matchup against fourth-seeded Xavier on Thursday. The Panthers will be favored, but the aura of invincibility has been knocked off. With a sound defeat to West Virginia and two close calls in the NCAAs, there's nothing to fear about this squad. When opponents step onto the court for the opening tip, they're not afraid of this team. There's no David vs. Goliath -- it's turned into Equal vs. Equal. These aren't the big, bad Panthers everyone was glowing about heading into the Big East tournament. The loss to WVU was supposed to give them time to rest and prep for the big tournament. Instead, it's been a time of struggle. Off the top of my head, I can't re...

If you didn't watch the Pitt Panthers' first-round NCAA basketball tournament game Friday afternoon and just saw the final score of 72-62, you might have thought it wasn't a that bad game for the Panthers. You'd be wrong. The game was much, much closer than the final score indicated. In fact, East Tennessee State thought an upset was brewing. One quote, in particular, stood out after reading the game stories. "We had them. We just couldn't get over the hump," ETSU guard Kevin Tiggs told reporters after the loss. They were a pretty confident bunch and realized an opportunity slipped away. Pitt escaped, to put it mildly. And if it wasn't for DeJuan Blair's monster game (27 points, 16 rebounds), the No. 1-seeded Panthers might have made history for all the wrong reasons. Now, a matchup against Oklahoma State looms Sunday. Maybe the close call against East Tennessee was a wake-up call. Maybe the Panthers just needed to shake off the rust after a layoff...

At least two times after Sunday's NCAA tournament selection show I said, "If ever a No. 1 seed was going to lose in the first round, it will be Pitt." A couple days have passed and I still have an uneasy feeling about the Panthers. They easily could advance to the Final Four, they could play for the national title and even win it. Yet, I keep coming back to a basic premise when it comes to Pitt sports. If given the chance, the Panthers will disappoint you. Anyone enjoy that Sun Bowl game New Year's Eve? That's why every round in this year's basketball tournament will be a test of nerves watching the Panthers on TV. For a few years now, we've been told that Pitt has a team that can go a long way in the tournament. Here's what they've done lately: 2008: 1-1. They lost to Michigan State in the second round. 2007: 2-1. The lost to UCLA in the regional semifinal. 2006: 1-1. The lost to Bradley in the second round. 2005: 0-1. They lost to Pacific in ...

There was an interesting topic on the radio Wednesday night. The host asked callers if they would rather see the United States win the World Baseball Classic or have their favorite team win the World Series. He opted for the United States to win the WBC, as did the first caller. It's a tough question when you bring in your patriotism into it. Me? I'd like to think I'm pro-U.S. and patriotic. However, if you think the WBC is nothing more than a glorified Little League tournament, then it makes it a lot easier to keep rooting for your favorite team. Especially if your favorite team is the Pirates and they haven't had a winning season since 1992. Heck, I might even opt for the Bucs winning 82 games this year. What's your choice?

Three years ago, the World Baseball Classic did nothing to excite me. I'm talking Rosie O'Donnell at an all-you-can-eat buffet kind of turn-off. Pitchers limited by pitch counts, players declining to invitations to participate and uninspiring games were the norm. That's not baseball. It was a glorified exhibition, no better than spring games going on at the same time. Actually, it made me long for spring games. But I should have expected to be disappointed since the idea came from the brain of Bud Selig, which is not exactly a pool of ideas. This time around, I expected less from the WBC. Wouldn't you know it, I was thoroughly disappointed again. The Mercy Rule Game was the last straw. If you missed it -- and chances are you did -- the United States lost to Puerto Rico 11-1 on Saturday. I wasn't disappointed by the loss. Heck, those type of games happen. No, the maddening moment was the mercy rule. The game was stopped in the seventh inning because Puerto Rico was a...

I've got the Madness. Or maybe it's the Mania. Perhaps I should refer to it as Mayhem. Whatever you want to call it, I'm ready for the NCAA tournament to begin – as in right now, let's get it on. And, if you're filling out a bracket (who doesn't), I've got some help for you. I call it Bracket Racket. For the past five years, I've used this scientific formula to correctly pick three winners and just missed on Ohio State a couple years ago. I've tweaked it again this year, despite few error reports from last March, so chances are it'll be another banner year. Here's what you need to do: We'll, start off with an easy one: Eliminate all No. 16 seeds . Cross them off, do not advance any of them. Nada. Zilch. It's not gonna happen this year. I don't like alphabet soup . Go ahead and eliminate BYU, VCU, LSU, USC and UCLA, although I can't blame you for wanting to see Bruins or Trojans cheerleaders for a couple weeks. State-ment time ...

Welcome to The Sports Monitor. Here you'll get my voice on sports. My passion is anything Pittsburgh, but it extends beyond the city's three rivers. If it's happening in the sports world, chances are I have an opinion on it and so do you. You'll get my thoughts and I'd like to get yours -- whether you agree or disagree. Check back often and spread the word.