Question of the Week

Liam, Topeka, KS
Subj: March Madness
In your opinion, what was the greatest NCAA basketball team of all time?

Great question, Liam. I’d personally have to select the 1971-1972 UCLA Bruins. The team was loaded from top to bottom with lightning fast guard Henry Bibby, sweet-shooting forward Jamaal Wilkes, dependable banger Swen Nater and Naismith award winner Bill Walton, the prototypical college pivot. In addition to posting a perfect 30-0 record during the regular season, the Bruins also breezed through the NCAA Tournament en route to capturing their eighth national title. As if that weren’t impressive enough, the team also led the country in point differential by regularly walloping their opponents by a margin of 30.3 points per game.

NCAA Powerhouses

This year’s NCAA tournament bracket has plenty of names that may be unfamiliar to casual basketball observers. St. Peters? Never heard of ‘em. Morehead State? Heck, we didn’t even know that Morehead was a state. Luckily for you, we’ve separated the wheat from the chaff with our comprehensive list of NCAA powerhouses. Each of the following programs has been selected to reflect its perennial dominance in tournament and conference play, its list of outstanding alumni, and, of course, it’s overall consistency. There are no Cinderellas here, just collegiate goliaths who are always in the thick of the hunt. Read all about it by clicking here.

You've Got To Be Joking

Sit back and relax as you enjoy this week’s Sports Shorts.

Las Vegas odds makers have chosen the Kansas Jayhawks as 5-2 favorites to win the NCAA Tournament… and 2-1 favorites to beat the New Jersey Nets.

Chad Ochocinco is getting his own reality show in which he'll try to find a girlfriend from a field of 85 women. The show is tentatively titled Who Wants to Marry a Douchebag?

Jake Delhomme has agreed to a two year deal with the Browns. In turn, the Browns have agreed to another two years of abject mediocrity.

The Washington Nationals are currently 0-10. Sounds like they’re already in mid-season form.

Three doctors have cleared Rodney Stuckey for exercise. Given that he plays for the Pistons it’s likely to be an exercise in futility.

Marion Jones has signed to play with the Tulsa Shock. It’s hard to say what’s more disgraceful: being stripped of five medals or playing in the WNBA.

Jose Reyes has been told to refrain from any kind of strenuous athletic activity for 8 weeks. It’s unclear whether that includes baseball.

An engineering professor has determined that headfirst slides are safer than feet first slides. Except in the case of Prince Fielder, where any kind of slide is likely to trigger an earthquake.

The Jets and Giants will flip a quarter for the right to host the first game in their new stadium. Ironically, that’s all the money they have left after building it.

Husky Jets coach Rex Ryan has undergone lap-band surgery to help him fight obesity. It was either that or staple his lips shut.

A new survey suggests the odds a man will attend a WNBA game this year are 1 in 168.2. However, the odds that he’ll do so willingly are 1 in 50 million.

Question of the Week

Kim, Washington, D.C.
Subj: Orange you glad I asked
Hey Ry Guy, why are basketballs orange?

Great question! Since basketballs are made from leather they tended to be dark brown until the late 1950’s. Unfortunately that hue made them difficult to track by fans and players alike. Cue Tony Hinkle. The Butler University basketball coach was convinced a lighter shade of orange would help make the game more enjoyable and he worked diligently with Spalding to create a prototype. The new ball was rolled out for the first time at the 1958 NCAA Finals in Louisville and proved to be such a hit that it was adopted by the league on a full time basis the following year.