I just wanted to send out a big congratulations and heartfelt word to Trey Johnson… on the eve of undoubtedly the biggest day of his life! And here's hoping Number 24 can get some sleep tonight... the Good Lord knows I wouldn't be able too! The former Jackson State star and SWAC player of the year is projected as a late first round to early second round pick in tomorrows NBA Draft, and a life of professional basketball, fame and fortune are sure to follow.

Sure Trey has some doubters… that’s what people do when you play in the SWAC and aren’t challenged by big time Division I basketball night in and night out. But I saw Trey play, and score on anyone at will, and he’ll land on a roster and contribute right away! He is rated the 51st best player overall by ESPN.com, and the Trail Blazers, Heat, Jazz and Hornets all have eyes for Trey. As well they should, he’ll score at the next level and make any team struggling to but points on the board better. Count on it.

Congrats Trey – and thanks for making it so enjoyable to watch JSU this past season!

It’s guys like you and Monta who make all of us in Jackson proud!

Christian

Let me just say with all humility in mind, when you grow up as the son of an NFL coach, you see things from an insiders perspective… and at times it isn’t so pretty. Whether it’s on the field (trying to get away with a hold) or it’s in the locker room (messing with a piece of equipment for your advantage) or even in the weight room or dining hall (where we all know a few pro athletes these days aren’t exactly following the rules!) In the world of sports there are those that cheat, and then there are those that get caught. Plain and Simple. That is how it works. We need Enigma and a Return to Innocence but don’t count on it.

So here is my point… if you cheat, or take steroids or performance enhancements that are illegal, or violate your suspension, or break the law of the land that every other citizen must follow – then you should pay the consequence. Just because you can throw a quarterback to the ground as his life hangs in the balance, or run like the wind, or crush over people on your way to 150 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground doesn’t mean that you can get away with whatever you think your celebrity or cash (which will run out) or skills buy you. No one should get a free pass.

Thank goodness for people like Jerry Angelo, and the Chicago Bears. By releasing Tank Johnson they sent a message to all football fans, players, and future professionals alike… to them talk isn’t cheap and if you blow your second chance, there is no third! Now more teams, from the NFL to NASCAR (are you listening Jimmie Johnson and Rick Hendrick?) and of course MLB must follow suit. If you cheat, you’re done.

A second chance in life is something we all deserve, a third… not so much.

What do you think? Did the Bears do the right thing? Post it.

Christian

What is up? Hope you’re having a great Wednesday. Well, it’s a good thing that about 5 years ago when I was working in L.A. for Fox Sports and one of our producers said to me “You better get to know NASCAR, because in a few years it’s going to dominate the world of sports!” that I took note. At the time I laughed it off, thinking he needed to get a little sleep after pulling his normal 18-hour workday! But man has that statement turned out to be true. NASCAR has changed the face of not only motor-sports in America, but fan-friendly professional events that get beamed to millions around the world. I am officially now a gear-head.

And then comes this... some might call it false-advertising but... SPRINT is no longer “together with Nextel.” Oh no ladies and gentlemen, it now stands well apart. As of this writing ESPN.com is reporting that NASCAR will replace NEXTEL as the title sponsor of the premiere racing cup series... Turning the reigns over to SPRINT. Go figure.

Beginning next season, the series will be known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. And it will mark the third time in four years that NASCAR's Cup Series will undergo a major name change thanks to sponsorship. You might remember, Sprint and Nextel agreed to a $36 billion merger in December 2004.

It sounds good for all involved. Except me. My sprint service drops more calls then T.O. did on the football field last season, so needless to say it’s been a struggle. And when it comes to customer service, let me ASSURE you, they make T.O. look good. So now that SPRINT is going to wrack in all this cash, and put their name out their as the title-sponsor of a sport I love… does that mean more cell towers and better coverage here in Jackson for us? You know, the fans, who are subject to endless advertisement and the bombardment of this jargon every single race-day? You know, us... the ones who can't talk to their mom on their cell phone without calling her back 5 times in a 15 minute span?

Probably not. Anyone know the number for Cellular South?

Christian

Hope you had a great weekend!

Well… I hate to say I told you so again… (But I told you so!) Sometimes your picks turn out to make you look like a genius, at other times they make you look like a fool. So because I picked MSU to fly threw the Tallahassee Regional, sweep the Super Regional round and then bow out in two in Omaha doesn’t mean much… except I was right! Congrats to Ron Polk and his club, and for that matter the entire Bulldog Nation! Never have I seen a team overcome more doubt, and scrutiny in a matter of weeks and make a run to the national championship tournament like Mississippi State did this year! The atmosphere in Starkville was as good as it gets for a college sporting event, and this team came together to believe that they deserved to take the field and compete for a title. Coach Polk, his staff and players, and most assuredly the fans, students and alumni of STATE deserve a ton of credit! What year it was!

Finally… how does Tiger lose to Angel Cabrera in the U.S. Open? Think about this, Tiger is 12 and 0 in majors when he leads or shares the lead entering the final round, but is 0 and 29 when he doesn’t sit atop the leader-board on Saturday night in golf’s premiere events. And this is what I can’t figure out – and I played the game at a very high level… how can Tiger lose to a guy that is chain-smoking around the course, hasn’t seen a treadmill in a long, long time, and is so nervous on the greens even Johnny Miller (who has the worst putting yips of anybody these days) is calling him out for being nervous? Especially when Tiger has never been in the physical shape he is (dude hit the weight room hard before Oakmont – he was ripped) and makes everything he looks at inside of 7 feet all day long? He couldn’t miss from short range on Sunday!

Hard to answer… except to say… it’s golf. Nothing more, nothing less.

The Tiger will attack and win the British, and the PGA… just like last year. Are you doubting me Mississippi State fan? I didn’t think so.

Christian

Well it is almost here! Less than 48 hours to the first pitch between STATE and North Carolina in Omaha and the College World Series!

Just a quick history check for you… this is Mississippi State’s 8th trip to the College World Series, and first since 1998. Ron Polk is also making his 8th trip to the CWS (6 have been with STATE, 1 with Georgia Southern in 1973 – his first, and one with Georgia in 2001.) The schools best showing came in 1985 when the DAWGS went 2 and 2, winning their first two games before falling in the later stags to tie for 3rd. And this will be the first time they ever face the Tar Heels in the CWS, however if you remember North Carolina knocked off MSU twice in the 2003 Super Regional in Starkville to advance on and send the Bulldogs home that season.

SO here is my fearless (and humble… although I did predict a clean sweep in Tallahassee and Starkville in the earlier rounds) prediction… and some might call me a dreamer! I hope the fellas go all the way – and why not? Their bats are on fire, the pitching rotation has been solid, and this team has fought back from early deficits in games proving they are mentally tough!

But all good things must come to an end… and I think it will quickly for STATE. I see them losing a close ball game to North Carolina in Game 1, and then bowing out on Sunday.

I hope the boys from Starkville prove me wrong, but then again, all I’ve been is right the entire post-season… and you can’t say I haven’t been giving the DAWGS a bone, can you?

What do you think? Post it up and let me know!

Christian

What a weekend! Out of nowhere STATE is headed to play in the College World Series (hate to say I told you so but…) and OLE MISS was sent home for good. Congratulations to both schools on great years! I’ve learned one thing in my time here in Jackson, and that is everybody can play-hard ball. USM, J-State… Belhaven. Millsaps. Everybody.

It was a hard loss in the Super Regionals for the third year in a row for the Rebels. Mike Bianco's club finished with 40 wins for the third-straight season and was one of only two teams in the nation to host an NCAA Regional each of the past four seasons. I’d say they have plenty to hold their heads high about.

For STATE… the time has arrived to win a national title! Why not? The entire field in wide-open now, and in a double-elimination format where you must be hot with the bats and have two really strong starters, tell me where the Bulldogs don’t have a chance? I’m taking them to win it. And what a story it would be. After all Ron Polk has endured this year with the criticism he’s faced, imagine the headlines if he could take this team to a title!

SO what do you think? Can STATE win it all? Let us know and we’ll post your comments right here on the website…

Hope you’re packing your bags… I am. Where else do you want to go in mid-June anyway? The beach?

Christian

Here’s all that I’m thinking about on this Wednesday. How great would it be if two teams from the state of Mississippi represent the South in the College World Series this year! Can you imagine? Two teams from the same conference, archrivals, and bitter enemies on the field… competing for a national championship on the diamond on national TV for the entire world to see! It would be a BIG statement to the nation.

SO here is the deal… we want to hear from you!

Who do you think is going to Omaha? State, Ole Miss, maybe both??

Let us know… post your comments for all to see!

And show the world you are truly the expert when it comes to college baseball!

Good luck to the Rebels and the Dawgs!

Christian

If you’re a college baseball fan like me, then you love this time of year! It’s when the 64 best teams in the nation are thrown into a slug-fest, last man standing, double-elimination battle called a “Regional” where one team moves on to the Round of 16, and the other three go home for good. And the BIG 3 from Mississippi were all a part of the show!

Congratulations to Ole Miss… who proved me wrong with their strong play and big time performances on the hill. Will Kline sure weathered the ship on Friday night against Sam Houston State! After being handed 4 runs to work with, he quickly let things slide, and the Bearkats were smelling upset thru the first half of the game. But Kline is solid, and he got it done when he had too. And how about Lance Lynn? He shut down USM on Saturday, plain and simple. He often times flies under-the-radar being the 2 man in the Rebs rotation – but he showed he can be counted on in the clutch – and that’s what you need in the Super Regional round. With the Kline-Lynn one-two punch, this team might need to make travel plans for Nebraska. And yes rebel Fan… I was wrong; Ole Miss was the best team in Oxford this past weekend. Congrats to Head Coach Mike Bianco and his team on cracking the bats at home.

USM had a great season. Corky Palmer and his team should be proud of their efforts and the way they responded in the second half of the C-USA season. Most people thought that the Golden Eagles should be left for dead, but they played with heart and passion, and sometimes in sports the ball just doesn’t bounce your way despite your strong efforts. They will be back, and better, remember that kid from Brandon named Todd McInnis who was out the better part of the year? They will be a contender in ’08.

And finally… at the expense of saying “I told you so…” and not playing the humble card, I’ll simply say this… I told you so!! The Bulldogs were the best team in Tallahassee the last 3 days and the ACC is so over-rated as a conference in every sport these days it’s really just sad. They are pathetic in football, basketball no longer dominates and in baseball the play never lives up to the hype. Florida State got shelled by the boys from Starkville, all you have to do is look at the box score. It was never even in doubt on Sunday for Ron Polk’s ball-club, and as yours truly predicted, STATE is on to the Super Regional round and might end up hosting at Dudy Noble! Imagine that, Ole Miss on the road and MSU at home in the round of 16! What a psychological turn of events.

Which leads me to this… you gotta love the grind that is college baseball because if you advance far enough to fly your schools flag at the College World Series – you have most assuredly earned it!

Congrats to all 3 teams from our state… on a job well done representing us! And lets hope this time next week we’re all on Southwest.com or Orbitz.com or why-is-it-so-expensive-to-fly-out-of-jackson.com planning our escape to the Midwest! I hear Omaha is nice in June... if you like to shuck corn, milk cows or watch college hard-ball.

Christian

Hope everybody is ready for a great weekend! Well, it’s post-season time in the college baseball world! And I expect a few of you are on your way to Oxford as I write this, with both Southern Miss and Ole Miss in the Oxford Regional this weekend! And of course lets not forget about STATE out in Tallahassee, and they just may be the best team there!

Ole Miss by far has the toughest opening match-up. The post-season disappointments for the Rebels are well documented by now, and the Rebels face Sam Houston State in their opening round game, which will be no easy match-up. The Bearkats lineup has the tournament's best batting average of .319 – that’s the ENTIRE tournament people – from coast to coast. Not to shabby I’d say. The Rebs better store their bats in the furnace and come out on fire or else they may get shocked tonight.

Southern is by far the hottest team in their regional. And they should have no problem with Troy, a team that has struggled to put runs on the board at different times this year. Losing Trey Sutton is a major blow, but this team is on a roll and has the momentum on their side. Watch out for Corky and the boys… they may shock some people.

STATE is the wild card. Chad Crosswhite can throw the rock, so I look for them to take care of Stetson. But can they get enough out of their other starters on the bump to knock off a Florida State team that proved they are without a doubt a contender out of the ACC.

So here goes… drum-role please… I like USM to come out of the Oxford Regional, and I like STATE to win in Tallahassee. Call me crazy, but the Golden Eagles are simply rolling down hill these days. They went from 4 and 8 in the conference, to a final mark of 14 and 10. And who cares about the C-USA tournament, they knew they were in a regional, so it didn’t mean as much. I think USM may not even lose a game in Oxford.
As for STATE, there is no denying that Joseph McCaskill and Brian LaNinfa, as well as Ed Easley, could be the difference. McCaskill is simply solid, and LaNinfa has been driving the ball so well of late. I think Mr. Polk’s ball-club moves on and who knows…

In the tournament... Anything can happen

Christian