Carey

I'm sorry. I misspoke (or rather, mistyped). What I meant to say is that there have been several players that may or may not have been coined the next face of golf. People were called "haters" whenever they would say "Not so fast!" or "let's wait 5 years and review that statement" which is fair enough IMO. You had Rory in early part of the previous decade, then there was Spieth in the middle of the decade (and it wasn't looking too bad until the second half of his final round in April 2016). At least Jordan won another major since then but then he went several years without winning anything. McIlroy's success had people saying "Tiger who?" which was common but several of those comments have been deleted over the past 24 months. After all, no majors from Rory in nearly 7 years (though he has had some success since his 2014 PGA win). More recently they've been saying that with Koepka but with everything that's happened, it's still way too soon to write him off. DJ has two major wins, but to be fair he's had a ton of success on the tour. Morikawa winning last August was great, but same thing as everyone else: they have to get close to half a dozen major victories coupled with at least twice as many wins on tour within the PGA before they can be considered the face of golf. Hideki's Masters win was awesome; it features a lot of history, and it was a man who has been rather good on tour but just couldn't collect a super big win given the competition and the tough nature of the sport. Right now, with or without Woods it's still entertaining (not as much but it's okay). If you spend time following a number of people and do the research on their history, you would be able to watch a lot of tournaments without the "Who's Who" factor within the PGA. Now, next week might be tough, but the PGA Championship, US Open, Open, and the FedEx are coming up in each of the following months. There are some other events that are worth watching; next year's Players Championship will be tough only due to a lot of other stuff happening

No need to put that in parenthesis, in my opinion. It's all good! I really do agree with you that it hasn't happened until today for the men. Maybe people here in the US think Japan is known for their skills in Baseball and Soccer, but they do love their golf I believe. While Hideki is well known, I think he gets overlooked in favor of several other players that might "lead the sport of golf" the Way Tiger Woods did. The so-called golfers that would succeed Tiger as the next face of the sport have failed to live up to those expectations. IIRC, only DJ has won a major more recently than Woods. Either way, the sport has grown to a point where someone different has won a major, be it the US Open, the Open, the PGA, and the Masters. I have to check to see how close Matsuyama has come toward his first title. I had watched a lot of golf outside of the major events. Hideki has been rather good over the years, so this was due. FWIW, this is 10 years removed from his amateur win at Augusta in 2011

Higuchi in the 70s. Shibuno would be the most recent; Hideki is the 3rd, but first and only to don the Green Jacket

It's not

I know it's Day One, but man, I think I might actually be very happy for Justin Rose if he were to pull this off. He probably needs to be a little above average from here on out, at the very, very worst, in order to claim what he "threw away" four years ago

I personally was not surprised that the Dodgers didn't get it this year. Coors Field makes the most sense, but it would have been nice for the Yankees to get it this year. Same with Los Angeles, but the last I checked, the decision to move it to 2022 was made in the summer of 2020. Otherwise, the argument could be made for why LA wasn't getting it in favor of the reigning world champions

So, it looks like Rodgers started his Jeopardy hosting appearances. Despite his "desire" to host full time, I think I'd laugh if the show somehow snuck in TB12 to guest host right after Aaron's set of episodes

I'm not surprised either. I actually mentioned a Seahawks to Broncos beatdown; even though losing by 16 was bad for the Zags, that wouldn't equate to a Superbowl 48 rout. Though it did start like that! The thing is that it's tricky to assume a close loss always leads to one's defeat. It did happen to Kentucky 6 years ago (albeit a round earlier). I remember Kansas nearly blowing it to Davidson, and then all of a sudden they booted North Carolina all around a 50 by 94 foot space on a court in San Antonio. One more football analogy: Carolina crushed Arizona just like Baylor crushed Houston. The Panthers ended up getting whacked by Denver. You just never know. The fact is that it's tough to win, let alone go undefeated in College Basketball (and in the NFL). I'm not taking anything away from Gonzaga. They had a great year & a great run. They have been surging for the past several years. I think they'll get the title eventually. We'll never know how great they really were though; their region and its seeding was an epic joke. And I think they definitely would not have gone undefeated in a real year. They'd still be the top overall seed or No 2 (with Baylor being the top team); but I think they drop a game or two

The crazy thing about that is that the Gonzaga Era started before Tom Brady was even drafted. The Bulldogs have a very, very, very long way to go to reach TB12 accomplishments. If all goes well, they can match the Seahawks championship accomplishments, though they would have bragging rights that TB12 missed out on 13 years ago. Speaking of Seattle, before this weekend, I sorta thought that Baylor could emulate them in that we could see the best two teams (2013's were Denver and Seattle). Gonzaga, a team that's destined to win, ends up losing by 50 points. Baylor could win (a close game). It would be something if Baylor ends up blowing them out to where the best stars are typically shut out for 40 minutes of game time. If that happens, it would be the best example of the best team looking like a team slated to draft the first overall pick (and yes, I know there's no collegiate draft). Not sure Monday will top UCLA/Gonzaga. If it's a good game with a final score separated by 4-5 points, then that's good for me. It doesn't need to top UCLA/Gonzaga to be a great game. No one got crowned in the penultimate game; Monday's game will crown a school for the first time ever

I got my final brackets predicted too! Go Gonzaga!

Can't comment on the other sports, but no way I'm ranking Houston's performance over Miley's performance!

It's surprising due to the fact that it's a reality, but the act of him retiring in general isn't a surprise

I haven't read that, but I could have missed it. Did they perhaps mean the 17th game, as in, the extra game to be played and not the 17th game played (the final game). You know, you have 16 games and this will be the 17th, but not in that order. I can't imagine they'd want to change the final game being interdivisional since that seems to be working out pretty well. Ten-to-one the NFL is doing nothing as it relates to the final week of the regular season. It is a double-standard (one of several the league has) in that they are flexing a couple games into the Saturday before Week 18. In doing that, it ruins the art of an advantage or disadvantage; traditionally all 32 teams play on the Sunday of the regular season. I believe one game would get moved to Monday, but unlike the Saturday games, MNF would lack playoff implications. As for the 17th game, I hardly think the new 17th game is a Week 18 game, and if it is, it'll be short-lived. The inter division stuff is working. Though it won't stop teams from throwing their final games if they have sports locked up. For what it's worth, pushing the season back a week is stupid as all hell. I sorta wanted them to implement that this year just so that I could see how they'd handle the Valentine's Day conflict. Of course, they'd move the Super Bowl up a week with no Pro Bowl, and given we're still in a pandemic, there wouldn't be a big issue restaurant-wise. Looks like we'll have to wait until 2027, but I imagine by then they'll have a plan or deal with it to where the league wouldn't down down in flames. February 2038 definitely won't be an issue since whatever happens in six years will be handled (and maybe before it becomes an issue). Instead of having an off-week the week before Labor Day, I would have had everyone start their season that Thursday before (09/02/2021). Everyone except Tampa Bay and their foe, who would start on 09/01/2021. That way, they could keep the Superbowl on the first Sunday in February while still getting in their 17 games. OR, they could have it be the second Sunday in February while implementing the second bye week. Sucks for the players, but TBH, I couldn't care less. They had the opportunity to do the best thing (with warning), but chose this deal

That's messed up, IMO. I used to rip on players crying over a game. I think I've lessened my stance on that (not so much for football when it's a meaningless Bowl game). I think in several cases, it means the end of doing something they love to do. In Garza's case last week, it was meaningful; everything with Iowa, and the fact that it was over, with him being the star. For some other players, unlike Garza, they're done forever. They were good enough for their program, but it ends at that point. No professional hoops. It's messed up because people don't need to see it. Let them be. It was totally not cool when they filmed Central Florida's locker room two years ago. I guess you gotta do it on the court, but that was a previously taped segment. I have all the favorites winning again. I think most of the underdogs will keep it close; USC will try to keep it close, but will be unable to do so

I know it seems like "Prediction Hedging", but I think Oregon State and Villanova will both keep it close. They'll cover but not win. For one, I think Baylor is the second best team in the dance, and while Oregon State has the defense, so does Loyola (without penalty)

I think I would have laughed if the Big Ten got wiped out prior to the regionals (while the Pac-12 remained perfect). It'll be tough to knock off Kansas and Florida State, but if that happens, that's great. Bill Walton would be right. Of course, someone has to go (USC and Oregon both can't get to the Elite Eight. Anyway, hats off to Michigan. Not sure what'll happen to Maryland, but I can't say I'd be happy if Maryland was the lone Big 10 represent

Oregon and Iowa was a pretty good game until the buzzer foul. The fact is half time momentum is a big deal

Coincidentally enough, someone elsewhere asked how these religious schools often if not always have God on their side. You may or may not hear it on television, the radio, or the media whenever someone says ones gods have prevailed in terms of success & victory. "Their god? Is God." As mentioned and in response to that, I borrowed from the late great Yul Brynner: "His god...is God."

So does Notre Dame

For real. Rutgers had them beat, but it's never over until there are complete zeros on the scoreboard. Houston is a better team, but it's still a heartbreaking loss. Probably not the case for Florida; I don't think many people had them beating Ohio State had the Buckeyes survived against Oral Roberts. Now we have our second-ever 15 seed in the Sweet 16. While Oral Roberts will have their hands full against another SEC team in Arkansas, they have a fair enough chance to make history. The Razorbacks will have a little more time to prepare, actually more than normal given an extra day due to the schedule, and the lack of travel

Illinois has fallen (to Loyola). I don't think that many brackets were torn up from that upset, but only because their brackets were already torn up prior to the game. It's official: 2008 Kansas, 2008 Memphis, 2008 UNC, and 2008 UCLA can now pop the champagne!

Things looked like 2011 Big East for the 2021 Big 10, but they actually didn't do too bad. It's about .500 thanks to Rutgers & Wisconsin. I also picked Rutgers (along with Big 12 WVU, giving us a classic Big East game on Sunday); I did not pick Wisconsin since I can't see either the Badgers or the Tar Heels knocking off Baylor

Boy did I get that North Carolina / Wisconsin pick wrong. So the Big Ten isn't crumbling like the Big East did a decade ago, but I did not see a 23 point beatdown. While I didn't have UNC beating Baylor, the Bears/Badgers game should be rather interesting! Man, Syracuse better not lose. That is all

Ohio State's best shot at winning another championship is if they were scheduled against Michigan for each and everyone of their games

All the best for Geno, but UConn will probably win by 150 instead of 200