DukeSucks Center - in our hearts

Fark names Fleet Center today.
"Meet the Farkers
Delaware North Companies, owner and operator of Boston's FleetCenter, announced today that they have reached agreement with Drew Curtis on a naming rights deal to re-name the world-class sports and entertainment arena the 'Boston Garden'. After several less than appropriate name choices from Drew, the approved name selection was one we could all agree on. Drew, who lives in Kentucky, is the founder of a popular website which offers up offbeat news stories and posts to its community members -- TotalFarkers. The deal will both go into effect and expire on Monday, February 28, 2005."

SI steps up and backs Cats

Interesting read here from SI that favors the Cats in the NCAAs.
And to think I just buy Sports Illustrated for the pictures

Cats/Huskies duke it out in Seattle

In the PAC10's game of the year, with a national TV audience watching, the quest for national respect - heck, we'll settle for a little mention - for bball in the West could be settled. A win gives the Cats their 11th league title under Olson, Olson's record-breaking 305th league win, and a 7-game winning streak heading into tempe next week. Those red road jerseys have given the Cats some memorable wins this year, and I'm looking for that trend to continue today.

Read about the game here.....here......here......and here.....

Cats Hammer asu 11-5

Heading into a a road trip that includes games against #1 Texas, the Batcats warmed up by frying asu 11-5 yesterday at Kindall Field. It's still way too early to say if the earth has shifted and the UA program has passed their rival's (if only for a year....pleeeeze), and there is the 3-game series in Tempe later this spring, but this team picked up steam last season and haven't had to hit the brakes yet.

Notes
Arizona’s win over ASU on Wednesday was its third straight dating back to last season. The last time Arizona has beaten the Sun Devils three straight was in 1993 ... Wednesday marked the 10th time this season Arizona posted double digit hits and the seventh time in 11 games it scored 10 or more runs ... Junior Trevor Crowe led off the game with a double, the seventh time he has started Arizona with a hit to begin a game and the eighth time he has reached base to lead off (seven hits, one walk). He has four leadoff doubles and one triple this season ... Wednesday’s three homer game, marked the ninth contest this year Arizona has hit at least one home run and the sixth with two or more.

XTreme Tennis in Dubai

Check out how Federer warms up for this week's Dubai Championships, on an unbelievable court. Saw a camera ad on TV that must have been shot at the same time, same place, too. Or maybe a little golf with Tiger?

Wooden spurs Wildcats

There aren't many schools where the student-athletes can sit down for a session with a true coaching legend, but it happened for the Wildcat basketball team yesterday when John Wooden himself stopped by practice for a visit. Lute can pass his mentor in PAC10 victories (Wooden has 304) with a successful trip through the NW, beginning with wsu tomorrow. The Daily Wildcat has an excellent article about Wooden and Olson, also, and reflects on Olson's career here and his ability to maintain the program at such a level of excellence year in and year out.
Anyone else starting to feel a deep run in the NCAAs?

Stoudamire puts past behind him in spectacular finish to college career

Even The Beaufort Gazette in South Carolina is jumping on Arizona's bandwagon.

Five things to watch for in college basketball this week

Check out #2 -
"Wildcats: No, not that fictional football team coached by Goldie Hawn so many years ago -- the basketball teams that represent No. 23 Villanova, No. 9 Arizona and No. 5 Kentucky, which are among the hottest in the nation (a combined 26-4 in their past 10 games)."
From one of those Eastern papers

Olson takes on Eastern bias again, this time about Stoudamire

Lute fails again to appreciate remarks from a sportscaster - this time Digger Phelps - and takes him to task over Digger's nonchalant attitude towards Salim and his game recently. Think that'll pump Salim up?

PAC10 gets some good press

Marques Johnson warns everyone, "Don't overlook the Pac-10," and is stumping for 4 league teams to make it into March Madness.

More on Salim

Greg Hansen has a nice column today about Salim and his amazing 4 years at the UA. What a transformation.

Incidentally, Greg's son Ben, a sportswriter/Cat Backer just like dad, recently suffered a stoke at a the young age of 27. To help Ben, donate here and get a chance for dinner with Lute. Here's to a speedy recovery, Ben.

Wilbur, Wilma unmasked

UA's mascots unveiled their true identities at halftime yesterday, after 2 and 3 years of pumping up the crowds and lifting a leg on Sparky. The tradition continues.....

"Senior moments" a good thing for UA trio

Salim pours it on, Frye dominates in the middle, and Brase has a career night as the three AZ seniors played their final game in front of the home crowd, beating Jay John's OSU Beavers easily in the process. Salim set the UA school with 9 3-pointers in a game (on 9 of 14 shooting) and Frye had another double double (15 pts. 11 boards), while Matt Brase had career highs in points (4), boards (4), and didn't miss a dunk. The Cats put OSU away early and never looked back; they haven't looked better in a long time, catching fire at just the right time. With a possible 12 games remaining, don't count these guys out - this is not a team that will bicker its way out of the PAC10 and NCAA tourneys early.
Read more about the game here.......here........here........and here.
Box score here.

Salim vs. Redick on Sunday -
Salim - 9 of 14 3pt. shots, 10 of 16 overall, 31 points (left game with 10:14 remaining)
Redick - 6 of 10 3pt. shots, 9 of 15 overall, 38 points

More Bruschi

Corky Simpson has a great column about Tedy Bruschi, reminding us of why he's one of the best Wildcats ever.

Channing looking back

Frye reflects as run at UA comes to endHere's a good article from the Arizona Republic. It is also revealed that this Arizona Republic writer had to put in a little jab about going to the big dance. Actually, we always get to go........counter punch.

They just don't get it out east.................

NCAA Basketball For Olson, the sun rises in the West - CBS SportsLine.com

Bruschi undergoes tests

Tedy Bruschi reportedly suffered partial paralysis yesterday and was admitted to MassGen for some more tests to determine status. Sounds like a little TIA (ministroke), with vision and speech returning to normal shortly after the episode. Best of luck to one of our favorite Wildcats.

Reggie comes clean

Reggie Fowler admitted to bio errors after the story broke yesterday (Wilma saw it on Wizbang) that the new Minnesota Vikings owner had padded his resume. Not that he did anything the rest of us haven't done to get a job - embellish the truth to look a little better - but he did get caught doing it.
The revised version is in the mail.

Hot seat warming up for asu's Evans

Time to circle the wagons, Rob - a scalping party is headed your direction. Sounds like this could be the end of the line, but miracles have happened before. With such phrases as "listless performances" and "a coaching job that is a mirage" it can't be long before a search committee is formed. So who wants that job, anyway?

Get the Duck out

Looks like oregon is going to be a man down (goose down?) for their swing through the desert this week. I hope they don't plan on using this as an excuse when we whup 'em Thursday, but I still don't see this as a plus for asu....they still don't stand a chance.