Bayless 11th pick overall:might be traded

Arizona one year basketball star Jerryd Bayless was the 11th over all pick, going to the Indiana Pacers, in last nights NBA draft.

He was then traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, pending league approval.

Bayless appeared disappointed, frustrated and maybe even a little sad as his stock slipped and somewhere between four to six spots from what some experts had predicted. He was even asked about his somber mood by ESPN's Andy Katz. Not surprisingly he denied any disappointment.

Bayless's stock dropping is bound to spark debate about what would have happened had he come back to Arizona for his sophomore season. Those who wanted to see him come back are likely to say he would have been the number one pick in the 2009 draft.

I'm not entirely sure that would be the case.

Sure, he never got to play under Lute Olson. But the bottom line to me is the events of last years scared him off. Good, bad or indifferent. Sure he might have moved up the draft board next year and even moving as high as three would have meant a lot more money.

But I'm not sold he would have been the number one drafted pick. Need I remind you of Mile Simmon-who's draft stock fell so hard it knocked him right out of the NBA- after coming back following the 97 season in which Arizona won the National Championship and Simmon was the post season MVP.

Sure I would have been happy to see him come back, but happy or unhappy about it, I say good luck to you Bayless.

YouTube Clip of the Week

Welcome to Thursday!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, the thousands of people reading this blog and the millions of people watching at home....lettts get ready to You Tubbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbe!

It's not even July yet and the NBA draft is tonight. But I've got football on the mind. And it's with that I bring you this weeks YouTube clip of the week! It's a 2004 highlight video of Arizona Football. Enjoy and get fired up for some football! This is our year, I promise!

Should Brandon Jennings even come to Tucson?

Another week pass without a concrete answer as to if Arizona recruit Brandon Jennings will even put on a Wildcats jersey.

Jennings, who graduated from Oak Hill Academy, would be picked in tomorrow night's NBA draft if it were not for the NBA's one year out of high school rule. Now he must find something to do for the next year, be it college, over seas ball or just working with a person trainer.

He had planned to go to Arizona, but he has had a difficult time qualifying academically. He has been accepted to attend the University of Arizona, but has yet to pass NCAA clearinghouse rules.

Jennings has made no secret over the fact that he does not want to go to college and would likely not stay at Arizona for more then one season. Academically speaking he would only need to take two classes in the fall semester, get D's in said classes, and that would be the end of that. Spring semester grades would no matter if he left school at the end of the basketball season.

So why should either party bother?

Truth is they shouldn't.

Why should the U of A sell there sole to Jennings? So that they might win a title? So they might make a Final Four? Why not give his spot at the university to a more deserving student, or what I'm really saying is someone who wants to go to school. Not to mention his spot on the team roster. His spot should go to someone who really wants to be part of the Wildcat family, for more then a season. Or at least keeps his plans for one and done hush, hush.

Then there is Jennings. Same goes for him. Why should he go to school? Just because that's what people think you should do? College isn't for everyone. No one would tell someone who wants to be int he Army they HAVE to go to school first? If you want to fine, if not that's fine too. If Jenning's want to go to school, he should go to school. If he doesn't, then so be it. Go do something else.

The argument has been made that maybe if he tries college maybe he'll like it. Yeah right! That almost never happens, but it's far more common in football then basketball. Some say that they liked college, but they never stay.

So if it's not good for Arizona and not good for Jennings then maybe he shouldn't even come to Tucson. No hard feelings!

YouTube clip of the week

So the Celtics won the championship, wow. I didn't think they would, I thought the Lakers were a better team. But that's another story for another day.

Now it's time for the best part of your week. It's better then a fine wine. It's better then a good meal. Hell it's better then sex! It's the YouTube clip of the week.

Now I'll admit it. I stole this from Rick Reilly of ESPN (who by the way is a great guy I got a chance to meet him a few years back). It comes to us from a high school game in Georgia.

Now what your about to see is up for some debate, but did the catcher allow the ump to get hit by a pitch because he was angry with the calls? Was the pitcher in on it? Or was it just an accident. You be the judge of it.

SHOCKER! Chase is back!

Chase Budinger withdrawal has name from the NBA draft Monday, in what I would argue was one of the all time shockers in Arizona basketball.

While Chase and his people really were not talking much over the past few weeks, it seemed clear that he was leaning towards staying in the draft. As this weekend dragged on, Saturday turned into Sunday. Sunday into Monday. Hours went by on Monday 10am, 11am, noon and still no word-it looked like he was gone for sure.

Surprise!

This was the best news in years for Arizona basketball. It takes the team from what was looking dangerously like a doormat team, to a team that looks like it can do some real damage in what should be a weak Pac-10 in '09.

Was this a good move for Chase? Only time will tell. If he gets better (and that's a big if) he can move from a late first rounder, early second rounder to a top ten pick. That's millions of dollars.

But the bottom line is another year with Olson couldn't hurt. At least I don't think so.

Olson talks to Tucson Citizen

Well, if you thought that the Lute Olson talk was done, I've got bad news for you. It's not. I'm starting to think it's never going to be gone. Last week Olson talked with Tucson Citizen writer Anthony Gimmino.

Reading the story and keeping in mind writer can pick and choose which quotes they use and which not to it sound like the same old Olson we have seen for the past year now. You know your in trouble when a writer write in the second paragraph that a softer tone would have been better. As a reader, tone is hard to tell, so readers are counting on Gimmino to help them see that.

Of course Olson is not even talking to the Citizen's competitor's at The Arizona Daily Star.

Perhaps one of the most striking parts of the conversation was when Olson talked about the event leading to Miles Simmon not having his contract renewed.

Olson first complained about taking all the heat, saying instead it wasn't his idea to fire Simmon. I question this response, coach what's wrong with taking the heat from those who wish to pass it on to you? Now, there is a very valid debate as to if Simmion deserved to be brought back. I for one agree that he SHOULD have been fired. But coach, just take the heat.

Then he blames the idea on Kevin O'Neil, saying O'Neil was the one who pushed for the firing of Simmon. Then, oddly, Olson makes sure to point out that Simmon was not fired for legal issues-a reference to heavy Internet rumors regarding possible legal problems Simmon might find himself in soon.

Another interesting part of the interview was when Olson talked about Emmanuel Negedu, who it now appears is going to Memphis, after getting out of his commitment to Arizona. He claims that something come out about his "coachability" and "it was a very easy release."

Basically Olson claims that he was going to let Negedu go all along, he just want to teach him about the importance of making a commitment. This is all well and good again, but again it makes Olson look like and angry old man. I'm not saying Olson was wrong based on what he decided to do. I truly think he should have let Negedu go and he should have made him sweat it out. I am saying he shouldn't have said it to the media (or anyone else for that matter).

The remainder of the interview he touched on the Medical Leave Act, when he became concerned about the team (he's says during the first UCLA game). He talked about his closeness to Josh Pastner, who left to go to Memphis. He also talked briefly about Nic Wise, saying he was never really worried about him leaving Arizona.

Well that should be the end of what hear from Olson for a while. By the time October rolls around everyone in Wildcat Nation should be ready to hear from Lute again and forget all about the past year.

4 Boy Scout die in Iowa

I felt the need today today to take the day off completely from sports and talk a little about something that is near and dear to my heart. Four Boy Scouts were killed when a tornado hit their camp earlier this week in Iowa.

The four, all 13 or 14 years old were attending a leadership camp near the town of Little Sioux. But to me, a large part of the story was the ability of the other 93 boys at the camp to help one anoter while the waited for help.

As you might or might not know about me, I am an Eagle Scout. I made Eagle in 1998, while I was a memeber of Troop 141 here in Tucson.

As time pass, I appreciate my days as a Boy Scout more and more. When you are in junior high or high school and even sometimes in college you might not be "proud" of what your passionate about because it's not "cool." No matter if it's chess, music, track, church or something else. In a lot of ways I was like that too.

But that was a while ago, I'm a different person now.

Today I more proud of being an Eagle Scout then I am of being a high school graduate, college graduate or the best damn board opt in Tucson (yeah-I'm better then you Rob!).

Everything that matter in how I try to live my life I learned from Boy Scouts (well besides from my parents-but that's for another day). It was from my days as a Boy Scout that I learned how to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous , kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. For you scouts that should sound familiar, for that's the Scout Law.

Boy Scouts is how I learned I can do anything if I set my mind to it. It was Boy Scouts that tough me to be prepared!

But if reading these stories and seeing these kids on TV I am more proud then ever to be an Eagle Scout and hope all the kids who in these troops who have not yet made Eagle well soon.

God Bless who those who need it today.

YouTube Clip of the week

Ok-it's been a bad week and a half for our fair city. With the shooting death of Tucson Police Officer Erik Hite two Sundays ago and the funeral this past Tuesday it's been heart breaking for our city and even more so for all us Eastsiders (like myself) where all this happened.









Then we have the NBA referring scandal. Tim Donaghy, who is looking at jail time for gambling related crimes says that some games in the NBA may have been more or less fixed by the refs. Long story short in honor of all the bad officials out there I'm putting up a U of A basketball game that ended with really bad officiating.

Enjoy-if you can-because as a Wildcat fan, it really sucks. But in spirit of the week that it's been, hey it's just sports.

(p.s. it's kind of long)

Tom Hansen to retire, why not hire me?

Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen will retire next summer after 26 years on the job. He's not liked by many Pac-10 sports fan, including this one. He is so hated, at least one fan started a fire Tom Hansen website. There is no question who should be hired to replace him, me.

So what would I do?

The Pac-10 needs better bowl alliances. They have one, only one New Years Day bowl. That needs to change. I would get the Pac-10 aliened with at least one other. There really are only two New Years Bowl on the west coast, The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California and The Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. Nothing can be done with those two bowls. The obvious next best choice for the conference would be the Cotton Bowl, in Dallas.

The Pac-10 needs better TV deals. They need to get as many games on ESPN as they can get. Even if this means playing games at odd times, like Thursday night football and games and 10pm Monday night basketball games. Stay away from Fox Sports Net and Versus as the main home. That can be the second home, just not the home base.

I would move the Pac-10 men's tournament from each of the NBA arenas in and near Pac-10 cities. Los Angeles (U.C.L.A. and U.S.C.), Oakland (Stanford and Cal), Portland (Oregon and Oregon State), Seattle (Washington and Washington State), and Phoenix (Arizona and Arizona State).

The game officials all need to be fired. Then you have a re hiring process where some of the better ones could be rehired if the still wanted to work for the conference. This would go for every sport.

I would look into expanding the conference, namely adding Utah and BYU. If and when this happens I would divide the conference into different divisions, the Pac-10 North and the Pac-10 South. The Pac-10 North would be Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford and Cal. The Pac-10 South would be UCLA, USC, Arizona, Arizona State, BYU and Utah. For football you would play 9 conference games, the five other schools in your division plus four of the others. You would skip two of them. The two winners would meet in a Pac-10 championship game. For basketball you would play 16 conference games, that would include the five other schools in your division twice. Plus the other six you would play once.

So why not hire me? If you have any more good ideas, maybe I'll do it too.

The YouTube clip of the Week

Good news! The You Tube clip of the week is back! I know, you just spit coffee all over the computer and for that I'm sorry! Nah, I'm not sorry, if you can not keep your coffee in your own mouth that's your own problem.

Anyway this weeks clip is not from You Tube. But it is from SNL! Peyton Manning was the host. This aired during the 2007 NCAA tournament. Watch as Peyton Manning is called the Arizona Basketball of football.

Good Stuff!

Peyton Manning NCAA bracket SNL
Uploaded by rsxbwa

But that's not all. Since I missed last week because I was banging a hot chick, I've posted a bonce clip! Ok, Ok, I wasn't banging a hot chick-but I did go to "Thursty Thursdays" and you all know how I feel about beer and hot chicks. So this is from a softball game from a few years ago. Arizona player Caitin Lowe goes after a ball and what happens next proves that girls are just as tuff as dudes.

For baseball, season rolls on

As the summer heat starts to bake Tucson, the University of Arizona students have gone home. And with that, the sports season has ended for most everyone on campus.

The softball team was eliminated this weekend without winning game in the college World Series. Worse yet the final series is going on right now with Arizona State has a chance at championship. But we'll leave that one alone.

One team still playing is Arizona Baseball. The Batcats face the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida this weekend starting on Friday afternoon at 4. All the games of the best of three series can be seen on ESPN and heard on 1290am.

The winner of the weekend series will advance to College Word Series in Omaha, Nebraska.