Here’s what’s happening in the world of Sports…
- College Basketball
- NCAA Tournament-Yes, March Madness is here and the remaining relevant 68 teams of the 2016-17 College Basketball season get to duke it out over the next three weeks. To no surprise, defending National Champion Villanova is the #1 overall seed, followed by last year’s runner-up North Carolina, Kansas and Gonzaga, who spent most of the season at #1.
- National Invitational Tournament-There isn’t much to say about the tournament that
Takes what the NCAA Tournament doesn’t want, but one of their #1 seeds made the news as Syracuse’s game against UNC Greensboro at the Carrier Dome has been postponed until Wednesday at 7 pm because of Winter Storm Stella.
- Pitt Basketball-Yes, we know that this is the first time since 2000 that the Panthers will not play In any College basketball postseason, but they also made news as Freshman Corey Manigault announced that he’s leaving the school as well as, Crisshawn Clark. Their departures will force HC Kevin Stallings to fill two more roster spots before the start of the 2017-18 season.
- National Football League
- Pittsburgh Steelers-In lieu of them losing WR Markus Wheaton and LB Lawrence Timmons, the Steelers have now watched LB Jarvis Jones walk out the door as he signed with the Arizona Cardinals Tuesday. The former 2012 first round draft pick out of Georgia wasn’t a smashing success as a Steeler as he only had six sacks in 4 years. In contrast, 38-year old LB James Harrison had five sacks in 2016 alone. Plus he beat out Jones for the starting job in 2016. It doesn’t seem like the Steelers will miss him.
- .LB Dont’a Hightower visits Steelers-He was scouted by the Steelers back in 2013 until they snatched up G David DeCastro, and now they have expressed interest in the LB who was drafted by the New England Patriots and won 2 rings of the past three seasons. Hightower braved the cold weather to visit the Steelers offices but ended up leaving without a contract. The Steelers also hosted CB Javon House with hopes of signing him, but he ended up accepting a 1-year deal from the Green Bay Packers.
- .NFL Free Agency News-Here’s what else happened in the world of NFL Free Agency: Former Packers RB Eddie Lacy signed with Seattle who also saw former DE Dantone Jones sign with Minnesota. The Patriots sign former Cincinnati RB Rex Burkhead to a 1-year deal.
- National Basketball League
- San Antonio Spurs have NBA’s Best Record-For the past three seasons, it had been the Golden State Warriors who won the most, but right behind them, it was usually the Spurs, who’re probably the most underrated 60-win team ever. But now the Spurs have now tied the Warriors for the best mark. We know there’s still lots of regular season games left, but it’s also a reminder of just how good the Western Conference is.
- Cavs sign C Larry Sanders-After C Andrew Bogut suffered a season-ending injury 58 seconds into his debut; the Cleveland Cavaliers turned their attention to Sanders, who was a defensive specialist during his years in Milwaukee. He hasn’t played in almost two years so time will tell if he can be the player that the struggling Cavs need right now.
- Former NBA Great Robinson has brain hemorrhage- Portland Trail Blazers forward Cliff Robinson announced Tuesday that he is still hospitalized after suffering a minor brain hemorrhage, saying he “will be in rehabilitation for a while.” Best wishes to the former All-Star.
- National Hockey League
- Penguins fall to Flames-It took a shootout, but the Calgary Flames ended up beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in Calgary Monday night despite goals by Sidney Crosby and Evangi Malkin. The loss kept the defending Stanley Cup Champions (43-16-9) from taking first place in the Metropolitan Division. Their next game is Friday night at PPG Paints Arena.
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