John Rooke - Thinking Out Loud

John Rooke - Thinking Out Loud

Thinking out loud…and wondering why this three-week stretch in March is always my favorite time of year…even if I spend most of it in anguish…

• Whither the Pro Bowl in 2014? One option sure to be thoroughly examined is holding a draft as a way to divide up the teams. Details are not yet available on how the process would play out, but one possibility would be for player captains to choose teams as if on a schoolyard. Great. That’ll give the game more credibility, won’t it?

• This was a big week when it comes to media…the conference formerly known as The Big East (football version) officially announced their new deal with ESPN. Commissioner Mike Aresco also made it clear the league hopes to have an official conference title game for football by 2015, and the network will own rights to at least 66 football games and 170 men's basketball games annually for various platforms, licensing some to other channels. The new league name, with offices remaining in Providence for the time being, is expected to be in place this spring. Suggestions are coming from social media. Fire away…

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

• However…all is not exactly rosy for the soon-to-be-former Big East. It could be in danger of losing its media rights deal, if Connecticut, Cincinnati, Houston, or Temple decides to leave the conference. Those schools have been determined to be deal-breakers by the TV execs. It seems that this league will forever remain on a shaky foundation…

• As for the “new Big East,” as PC President Rev. Brian Shanley alluded this week, it’s a time of great anticipation, but with a little trepidation mixed in. It’s an exciting time for the Friars, but there is much work to do – starting with a commissioner for the new Big East. For my money, there have been two candidates who are both supremely qualified to tackle the duties as they exist – Dan Gavitt and Tom Odjakjian. I’ve known both men for many years, and should they even want the job, would be ideal to lead the league forward…

• Gavitt’s background includes coaching, administration (at Bryant as AD) and experience in his current position of running the NCAA Tournament. Plus, there is the pedigree thing. Odjakjian has been a tireless worker as an Associate Commissioner in the soon-to-be-former Big East, with plenty of experience in media rights and administration during his time as an ESPN executive as well as a Big East administrator. However, I will allow that moving the league office to New York could be a deal-breaker for anyone…

• The parallel with launching the original Big East in 1979 and “re-booting” the current edition is striking. Both believed in a “hoops first” mentality…both had (and have) media partners that believe in them, and schools as members with like-minded mentalities. One thing that the new Big East has that the old did not possess? Instant exposure. While ESPN is in approximately 99 million homes today, it wasn’t always the self-proclaimed “worldwide leader.” Fox Sports 1 is WAY ahead of the game, in 90 million homes as they start up this summer. The exposure will be instant – the coverage will be immediate. Perhaps the benefits to this exposure will also be realized sooner, rather than later…

• Thin skin – Comcast SportsNet Chicago analysts Kendall Gill and Tim Doyle actually got into an altercation over comments Gill made about an officials’ call in a recent Bulls’ game. Gill, a former Illinois star and a one-time boxer has been suspended for the remainder of the year. Or at least until Doyle can get another swing in…

• Almost every word of commentary on the local channels around here is incendiary in some way. It’s surprising, actually, that we don’t see some of our local writers and/or broadcasters “challenging” each others’ manhood. Either that or perhaps they realize it’s just a huge waste of time and effort…time and effort better spent on the job, or at a pub…

• Probably asking for trouble here…but who is the sports “analyst” you’d most like to punch out? Charles Barkley doesn't count, because he simply doesn't know any better.  Leave your comments below…and no hitting below the belt…

• Kentucky’s 1st round NIT loss at Robert Morris this week was fun to watch. Hope you got to see it, because it’s the very reason major powers DO NOT travel to places like Moon Township, PA to play in the first place. They simply can’t – and often don’t – win…

• And for what it’s worth, the Colonials’ win over the Wildcats had more fans watching it than the “First Four” games on truTV. Fans love the underdog, but only when playing a bully. Not when the underdogs square off against each other…

• By the way…a first round NIT loss apparently doesn’t mean much in Lexington, KY. The Kentucky team that Providence will face in Brooklyn next December? It just snagged a 6-9 kid from Texas by the name of Julius Randle, and the incoming freshman class for John Calipari next season has been called “the best ever.” Kentucky's class includes 2013's two best centers, two best shooting guards, best power forward, and best point guard…an unprecedented six McDonald's All-Americans and the national No. 1 recruit at four of five positions. Whoa…

• Congratulations to Rhode Island College’s Tahrike Carter, who was named Division III 2nd Team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Carter becomes the first All American at RIC in 15 years, and just the 4th ever…

• I’ll take “Soft Landings” for a thousand, Alex…former Channel 10 “PM Magazine host” – and longtime NBC Today Show host Matt Lauer is in line to replace the legendary Alex Trebek as the next host of “Jeopardy,” once his contract is up in two years. Trebek is expected to retire sometime in 2015 or 2016…

• Not for nuthin’…we may be moving a step closer to the infamous “ESPN, The Ocho,” lampooned in the movie “Dodgeball.” It seems that the self-proclaimed worldwide leader has a deal in place to broadcast Ultimate Frisbee…

• Somehow I think we won’t have another “Summer of Gronk” to deal with. When Bill Belichick was asked at the NFL meetings whether he had seen Rob Gronkowski’s shirtless antics in Las Vegas during Super Bowl week, the coach replied “Let’s stick to football questions.” ‘Nuff said?

• I’m OK with the “tuck rule” being done away with by the NFL competition committee this week. It served its useful purpose back in 2002, and is really a lousy rule to begin with. A fumble is a fumble, right? Besides, the tuck rule came into play during the Snow Bowl of ’02 against Oakland, and was justice served to the Raiders following Ben Dreith’s phantom roughing-the-passer call against New England that kept the Pats out of a potential Super Bowl appearance in 1976. And that call came against the Raiders, too. What goes around, comes around…

• However, Dreith did make the absolute best call ever announced by an official in an NFL game, back in 1986…

• And the new rule against running backs leading with the crown of their helmet to plow through someone? Anxious to see how far we get into the season before the screaming starts. Keep in mind, however, that while coaches, players and fans might complain…it’s the owners who are responsible for the ensuing legal bills. And they’re the guys who voted on this…

• Absolutely love the attitude of Hall-of-Fame running back Earl Campbell, who undoubtedly would have fallen victim to this new rule: “I know I wouldn’t have lasted,” Campbell told CSN Houston, “because that’s how I play football..I agree with the legendary Jack Lambert. He said the quarterback is gonna end up wearing a dress. And that’s taking away from football. I did not think I would live long enough to see that happen. But he’s right. They keep changing and keep changing. I think what they ought to do if they really want to change it all up, give guys like we started football in elementary [school], flag football, and everybody will know not to bump into nobody…”

• And Campbell, if you haven’t seen him lately or didn’t know, is basically crippled for life. Let football be football. Don’t play if you don’t want the risk involved. And don’t watch if you think it’s barbaric and unsafe. Yeah, right…

• Why all the mocking of Brandon Knight and Jason Terry? The Detroit Pistons guard was “posterized" by the LA Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan, and the Celtics’ guard was likewise flattened by LeBron James…as part of an on-going “feud” between the two dating to Terry’s days in Dallas. Knight and Terry did exactly what they should have on those respective plays – they manned up, tried to take a charge, and took their beating…stupid is as stupid does…

• As for Terry, specifically…I like the fact he seems to take no **** from anyone (including LeBron James), which is a trait that simply isn’t coachable. Hated him in ’97 when he helped beat the Friars for Arizona in the NCAA Elite 8, but respect his game immensely for his professional demeanor…

• Speaking of professional demeanor, LOVE this from the newest Patriot safety, Adrian Wilson, when he spoke about his attitude this week: “I was brought up in that toughness type of aspect and the aspect of setting the tone for the defense, being that guy that would go out and do whatever he had to do to let the offense know what type of day it was going to be.” Oh yeah. He’s a thumper…

• It’s not quite the fall of the Roman empire, but it might be close…Syracuse received a letter of inquiry from the NCAA, as they have been investigating multiple sports for multiple violations for several years. CBSSports.com says they are potentially “major” transgressions. Wonder if Jim Boeheim gets out ahead of the posse’s arrival…especially if it’s before his Orange take the floor as an ACC member next season?

• And if Syracuse has cheated its way to success, could it be said they didn’t cheat “good enough?” One national title with all of that talent over the years? Seems to me to be a poor return on investment, if you know what I mean…

• Has there been another college hoop team in recent years with more regular season bluster, and more post-season failure than Pittsburgh? Good luck ACC, they’re your problem now…

• Tweet of the Week – from @AP_Top 25: “Pacific coach Bob Thomason on 6th Street bars in Austin (TX). ``I didn't see any of my guys there, so we're off to a good start…”

• Tweet of the Week, Part II – from @theuconnblog: “Pitt should change their logo to a photo of a building being demolished. Or Mama Cass…” 

• The Southern Jaguars came oh-so-close to being the first 16-seed to knock off a #1 when they fell to Gonzaga Thursday. It’s largely the same Southern team that came oh-so-close to beating PC here at the Dunk a year ago, holding the Friars to 13 made field goals before losing 59-53. You want irony? The leading scorer for PC that night was Gerard Coleman. Who is now at Gonzaga…

• Gutsy move of the Week: A North Carolina woman apparently caught her husband red-handed…and delivered a nice counter punch to the, umm, bank account…

• Is it too much to ask, that as we channel surf trying to find the game(s) we’re hoping to watch during the NCAA Tournament, that some brilliant network programming genius could come up with the college hoop version of the NFL’s Red Zone? I mean, I actually know what truTV is, and I still can’t find it…

• Seriously. This is EXACTLY what’s wrong with our political system around here. And no one is outraged over this? This is the (extreme) minority party, too…

• I’m not sure what the real fuss is about, surrounding the latest Red Sox phenom, Jackie Bradley, Jr. Send him down? Bring him up? Isn’t this about getting the best 25 players on the roster? Isn’t this about improving from a 69-win team a year ago? Hasn’t management always preached the “future is now?” If he’s one of your best sticks, and one of your best outfielders, base-runners and athletes on the team…get his butt in the lineup. If there are 24 players ahead of him, then those making the decision(s) to keep him down, need to be sent down…

• Kudos to the Atlantic-10 Conference.  Often underrated and overlooked, the league is biting some behinds in the NCAA's this year.  Ask power-league teams from NC State and Kansas State about the brand of ball they saw this week.  And the "new Big East" isn't fairing poorly, either...

• My buddy Statbeast sez “March Madness” is definitely his favorite time of the year. It’s the time of year when he gets the pleasure of listening to more morons than usual pretend to be experts on something (like college basketball) that they know nothing about. But hey, enjoy the games anyway. Now, get out of the way of the TV so some of us can actually watch. You go run your mouth about the upset you predicted, even though you can’t even remember the school’s mascot. Ahhh…the all-inclusive beauty of the NCAA basketball tournament…

• Our mailbag question/comment this week comes from Ed in Rhode Island via email: “Sitting watching the baseball game USA vs. Canada, pro baseball is a major image of our federal government, both don't care about anything, but themselves. Baseball players are like our Senators and Reps, all they care about is their bank accounts. Can't and will not do what's right for the game. Players getting paid millions can't bunt, politicians stealing millions can't do the right thing for the American working public.” Ed: Bring it strong, or don’t bring it at all! Seriously, you’ve touched on some things that I believe many fans feel is a problem with all of our pro athletes, and not just baseball players. Also, problems with our political system as well, but perhaps that’s another rant for another day. Suffice to say, the only way we – as fans – can do anything about this is to stop watching, stop going to games…and vote the politicians OUT...

• Interested in having your questions on local RI sports (including the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Send ‘em to me! It’s your chance to “think out loud,” so send your questions and comments to [email protected]. We’ll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Follow me on Twitter, @JRbroadcaster…and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...

• Don’t forget to join us for GoLocal Sports on 103.7 FM, every Saturday from 7:00-9:00 am! Call in (401) 737-1287, or text 37937…and send email to the show - [email protected] .

• The recently released “Rhode Island Radio” from Arcadia Publishing is available for sale, and the book tells the story of the 90-year history of radio in our state through photographs, clippings and memories from many of the personalities who have graced our airwaves. If you’re in search of the gift that says “Rhode Island,” you’ve found it. Or, find it in local bookstores and online right here…