I thoroughly enjoyed March Madness, both the mens and womens versions. [url=http://www.customastrosjersey.com/custom-george-springer-jersey-lar ge-1516y.html]George Springer Jersey[/url] . For three weeks in the early days of the spring season, I renew my subscription with college basketball and am e

I thoroughly enjoyed March Madness, both the mens and womens versions. George Springer Jersey . For three weeks in the early days of the spring season, I renew my subscription with college basketball and am edutained on all things March Madness. It is a time that engendered work morale spikes, rooted in imperfect bracket predictions and the chance that overworked, underpaid employees will cash out on an office pool lottery built from their very own desk change cups and afternoon Tim Hortons coffee run allotments. Mini hoops get hung on office doors for impromptu paper ball dunk contests and great plays are re-enacted by local news crews unable to air highlights of the very sport they cover because of the hierarchy of money structured agreements between the NCAA and its multiple March Madness broadcast partners. A bevy of hungry, wide-eyed teams. More Networks. Too many credit card commercials. Too Much Dick Vitale. Not Enough Bill Raftery. No Gus Johnson. Countless floor burns. Multiple tears. Clutch shots. One epic dance. One dream realized. Who knew a school from the former and now defunct Yankee Conference would be one of the most dominant basketball programs in college history? Combined, the University of Connecticut mens and womens teams have been in the NCAA Tournament final game 13 times. Theyve never lost. Ever. I watched as Geno Auriemma and his Lady Huskies won their ninth title in 19 years, defeating Notre Dame easily and once again lording over the womens game with whispers and questions rattling The ladies college hoops kings cage about whether or not his talents could be applied similarly in the mens game. I saw Guelph, Ontarios and Notre Dame senior forward Natalie Achonwa, thrice a bridesmaid, never the bride in the NCAA final, have to endure the insult of her team once again losing a chance at glory and an undefeated season to the schoolyard bully in UConn, in part due to suffering a devastating knee injury during the Elite Eight game that ended her season and college career. I was not in shock or awe that Derrick Gordon, starting guard from the University of Massachusetts, a school where I created and once taught the worlds first university accredited course on hip-hop culture, now also has the distinction of having the first Division I male basketball player to come out as openly gay. I viewed a March Madness tournament where Canadian lights shone brightly in fellow freshmen Kansas Andrew Wiggins and Syracuses Tyler Ennis, senior Melvin Ejim of Iowa State, Michigan sophomore Nik Stauskas and more. Their play shined a collective light on the immense talents north of the 49th parallel who contributed in meaningful ways during the Tournament and offered hope and confidence for young Canadian hoop stars to follow. I reveled in UConn mens coach Kevin Ollies victory over John Caliparis Kentucky Wildcats, despite picking the new Fab Five freshmen from Lexington to win it all on my TSN Radio basketball program, #1On1 with Will and Duane. And the revelry was not rooted in a dislike for Coach Cals crew. The joy was in the knowledge that, 30 years after Georgetowns John Thompson became the first black man to win an NCAA title with a team full of inner city black kids, possibly influenced by the lure of profit from a new player in the illicit drug trade called crack and the music of an emerging and grossly misunderstood subculture called hip-hop, Kevin Ollie joined Thompson, newly minted Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Nolan Richardson and Tubby Smith as the only black coaches to ever win the national title. My merriment was quelled, however, by the admission of the tournaments Most Outstanding Player, UConn senior PG Shabazz Napier. As initially reported by CNNs Sara Ganim, Napiers statement was stunning. “I dont feel student-athletes should get hundreds of thousands of dollars, but like I said, there are hungry nights that I go to bed and Im starving," he said. "I just feel like a student-athlete, and sometimes, like I said, theres hungry nights and Im not able to eat and I still got to play up to my capabilities.” I observed a game with multi-billion dollar stakes in which the players have no financial stake due to the draconian statutes of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which still has them reaching for “One Shining Moment” as the UConn mens program fails to graduate more than eight per cent of its starving, underfed players. I then pondered former March Madness champ and UCLA forward Ed OBannons lawsuit against the NCAA, the Northwestern University athletes who won their fight to unionize against the NCAA and Jalen Roses youthful revelation years ago on how he and his Fab Five teammates were being flagrantly exploited by the NCAA and its corporate stakeholders while a star at Michigan. It occurred to me that the 2013-2014 mens final was possibly a referendum on the future of college basketball profiteering: Caliparis "one and done" regime versus the NCAAs preferred method of currency exchange with the NBA - keeping the student-athletes on campus playing this game for as long as possible. NBA Commissioner Adam Silvers wish to subsidize collegiate student-athletes in order to keep the collusive financial arrangement with the NCAA as close to status quo, without hemorrhaging too much blood, seems relatively progressive at cursory glance. And the new commishs potential good fortune to place a positive stamp on his early tenure may be rooted in Napiers hunger. ESPNs Darren Rovell recently reported that Adam Silver is willing to trade markers with the NCAA, its student-athletes and the NBAPA with concessions on all sides to make the vehicle move. "Rather than focusing on a salary and thinking of them as employees, I would go to their basic necessities," said Silver. "I think if Shabazz Napier is saying he is going hungry, my God, it seems hard to believe, but there should be ample food for the players." Commissioner Silver wants to raise the NBA entry age limit from 19 to 20 and may be able to do so in exchange for his college player subsidy initiative. Silvers very public overtures about changes that can be made to an archaic, rotted NCAA system run by that cabals boss, Dr. Mark Emmert, who, naturally, is vehemently opposed to any sort of compensation for student-athletes, a term created to protect the schools and NCAA itself against the liability of paying workers compensation for injured “student-athletes,” are encouraging, even in theory. But what about offering a “bare necessities” cost of living stipend, daily meal per diems and limited injury insurance to these young men, who may or may not be ready for the fine hardwood courts of the National Basketball Association, but wish to ply their trade professionally? Is it possible for these young men to also get an education with the same subsidies Commissioner Silver is suggesting for the NCAA by giving these monies to the NBAs already-established minor league, the National Basketball Development League? No matter the motivations of Adam Silver, it would seem that the winds of change are on the horizon for intercollegiate athletics and its long partnership with professional sport to finally call it what it really is now. So yeah… Thats what I learned during March Madness this year. I can only hope you learned some things, too. Cesar Cedeno Jersey . Armstrong was given the rank of "Chevalier" -- or Knight -- in the "Legion dHonneur" in 2005, the last year of his seven consecutive Tour de France victories. Joe Biagini Jersey .com) - The Winnipeg Jets placed defenceman Paul Postma on injured reserve Tuesday. http://www.customastrosjersey.com/custom-francis-martes-jersey-large-1626y.html .Best moustache: How can we not give this to Lanny McDonald? Check out the duster for yourself.OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators were looking for a little redemption and Saturday night they were able to find it. Coming off an embarrassing 5-0 loss to the Boston Bruins on Friday night the Senators made the most of the rematch as they defeated the Bruins 4-3 at the Canadian Tire Centre. "Any time you drop a game like that and you get a chance for redemption and you dont take advantage of that things can spiral from there," said Bobby Ryan. "Hopefully this is a building block." Ryan was the games hero as he broke a 3-3 tie late in the third to give Ottawa the 4-3 lead. "We had it in our mind-set all night long that we were going to come out with two points (Saturday)," said Ryan. Patrick Wiercioch, Cory Conacher and Zack Smith also scored for the Senators (16-18-7). Craig Anderson stopped 29 shots to earn the victory. Daniel Paille, Jarome Iginla and David Warsofsky scored for the Bruins (26-11-2). Tuukka Rask allowed three goals on 12 shots before being replaced by Chad Johnson, who allowed one goal on 18 shots. Saturdays game marked the halfway mark of the season for the Senators, who continue to chase a playoff spot. Both teams were missing a number of key players, including their captains as Ottawa was without Jason Spezza and the Bruins were without Zdeno Chara. Both sat out with lower body injuries. The Senators got off to a strong start and managed to play well enough through 60 minutes to hold off the Bruins to the delight of the 20,500 on hand in Ottawa, but it didnt come easily. Smith was called for a faceoff violation with 1:51 remaining in regulation, leaving Ottawa shorthanded but with a 4-3 lead. Still, the Senators managed to hold off the hard-pressing Bruins and earn the win. "You never want to put your team in that position, but I had faith in the guys killing and obviously Anderson was playing very well," said Smith. "That was a tough one to take. Its not a call thats called consistently so I think someone has to get on the same page about that one. If theyre going to call it they have to call it all the time I think." Anderson was solid as the Senators held off the Bruins and when asked what it was like to face the onslaught he replied, "exhausting." "They had a 6-on-4 there and they were moving the puck pretty good and we got a couple of key blocks and that was the difference," said Anderson. "When youre out-manned like that anything can happen." Anderson admitted the team wasnt feeling very good after Fridays loss and says the fact they weree able to rebound with a win shows a lot of character. Kyle Tucker Jersey. "Its all about how you respond," said Anderson. "Its not about what happens to you its how you respond and I think we came out here and we responded in the right way. Now the key is we have to respond again going forward." Ryan scored the winner at 15:25 of the third after forcing a turnover at the Ottawa blue-line and breaking in alone, beating Johnson with a high backhand. Earlier, the Senators caught a break when what would have been Iginlas second of the night was reviewed and ruled to be kicked in, keeping the game tied 3-3. Iginla admitted he wasnt all that surprised that the goal was called back. "I didnt really expect it to be a goal," said Iginla. "I knew (the puck) was coming to my foot, but I was hoping it wasnt a kicking motion. At the same time I understand the call, but youre always hoping for the best for sure." Bruins coach Claude Julien said his team played well and probably deserved a better fate. "Our guys battled hard," said Julien. "It would have been nice to come out of here with at least a point. I thought we deserved that much with how hard we competed to get ourselves back in the game, but unfortunately that wasnt the case. " Ottawa opened the scoring at the seven-minute mark of the first as Wiercioch jumped into the play to grab a rebound and beat Rask through the legs. The Bruins tied the game on Pailles fourth of the season as he sidestepped Erik Karlsson along the sideboards and beat Anderson cleanly. Conacher made it 2-1 for the Senators when he tipped a Kyle Turris backhand. The Senators made it 3-1 just 29 seconds into the second on Smiths short-handed goal. It also marked the end of Rasks night. Anderson made a number of good saves through the second, but had no chance on Iginlas 12th of the season as he was left all alone at the side of the net I thoroughly enjoyed March Madness, both the mens and womens versions. George Springer Jersey . For three weeks in the early days of the spring season, I renew my subscription with college basketball and am edutained on all things March Madness. It is a time that engendered work morale spikes, rooted in imperfect bracket predictions and the chance that overworked, underpaid employees will cash out on an office pool lottery built from their very own desk change cups and afternoon Tim Hortons coffee run allotments. Mini hoops get hung on office doors for impromptu paper ball dunk contests and great plays are re-enacted by local news crews unable to air highlights of the very sport they cover because of the hierarchy of money structured agreements between the NCAA and its multiple March Madness broadcast partners. A bevy of hungry, wide-eyed teams. More Networks. Too many credit card commercials. Too Much Dick Vitale. Not Enough Bill Raftery. No Gus Johnson. Countless floor burns. Multiple tears. Clutch shots. One epic dance. One dream realized. Who knew a school from the former and now defunct Yankee Conference would be one of the most dominant basketball programs in college history? Combined, the University of Connecticut mens and womens teams have been in the NCAA Tournament final game 13 times. Theyve never lost. Ever. I watched as Geno Auriemma and his Lady Huskies won their ninth title in 19 years, defeating Notre Dame easily and once again lording over the womens game with whispers and questions rattling The ladies college hoops kings cage about whether or not his talents could be applied similarly in the mens game. I saw Guelph, Ontarios and Notre Dame senior forward Natalie Achonwa, thrice a bridesmaid, never the bride in the NCAA final, have to endure the insult of her team once again losing a chance at glory and an undefeated season to the schoolyard bully in UConn, in part due to suffering a devastating knee injury during the Elite Eight game that ended her season and college career. I was not in shock or awe that Derrick Gordon, starting guard from the University of Massachusetts, a school where I created and once taught the worlds first university accredited course on hip-hop culture, now also has the distinction of having the first Division I male basketball player to come out as openly gay. I viewed a March Madness tournament where Canadian lights shone brightly in fellow freshmen Kansas Andrew Wiggins and Syracuses Tyler Ennis, senior Melvin Ejim of Iowa State, Michigan sophomore Nik Stauskas and more. Their play shined a collective light on the immense talents north of the 49th parallel who contributed in meaningful ways during the Tournament and offered hope and confidence for young Canadian hoop stars to follow. I reveled in UConn mens coach Kevin Ollies victory over John Caliparis Kentucky Wildcats, despite picking the new Fab Five freshmen from Lexington to win it all on my TSN Radio basketball program, #1On1 with Will and Duane. And the revelry was not rooted in a dislike for Coach Cals crew. The joy was in the knowledge that, 30 years after Georgetowns John Thompson became the first black man to win an NCAA title with a team full of inner city black kids, possibly influenced by the lure of profit from a new player in the illicit drug trade called crack and the music of an emerging and grossly misunderstood subculture called hip-hop, Kevin Ollie joined Thompson, newly minted Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Nolan Richardson and Tubby Smith as the only black coaches to ever win the national title. My merriment was quelled, however, by the admission of the tournaments Most Outstanding Player, UConn senior PG Shabazz Napier. As initially reported by CNNs Sara Ganim, Napiers statement was stunning. “I dont feel student-athletes should get hundreds of thousands of dollars, but like I said, there are hungry nights that I go to bed and Im starving," he said. "I just feel like a student-athlete, and sometimes, like I said, theres hungry nights and Im not able to eat and I still got to play up to my capabilities.” I observed a game with multi-billion dollar stakes in which the players have no financial stake due to the draconian statutes of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which still has them reaching for “One Shining Moment” as the UConn mens program fails to graduate more than eight per cent of its starving, underfed players. I then pondered former March Madness champ and UCLA forward Ed OBannons lawsuit against the NCAA, the Northwestern University athletes who won their fight to unionize against the NCAA and Jalen Roses youthful revelation years ago on how he and his Fab Five teammates were being flagrantly exploited by the NCAA and its corporate stakeholders while a star at Michigan. It occurred to me that the 2013-2014 mens final was possibly a referendum on the future of college basketball profiteering: Caliparis "one and done" regime versus the NCAAs preferred method of currency exchange with the NBA - keeping the student-athletes on campus playing this game for as long as possible. NBA Commissioner Adam Silvers wish to subsidize collegiate student-athletes in order to keep the collusive financial arrangement with the NCAA as close to status quo, without hemorrhaging too much blood, seems relatively progressive at cursory glance. And the new commishs potential good fortune to place a positive stamp on his early tenure may be rooted in Napiers hunger. ESPNs Darren Rovell recently reported that Adam Silver is willing to trade markers with the NCAA, its student-athletes and the NBAPA with concessions on all sides to make the vehicle move. "Rather than focusing on a salary and thinking of them as employees, I would go to their basic necessities," said Silver. "I think if Shabazz Napier is saying he is going hungry, my God, it seems hard to believe, but there should be ample food for the players." Commissioner Silver wants to raise the NBA entry age limit from 19 to 20 and may be able to do so in exchange for his college player subsidy initiative. Silvers very public overtures about changes that can be made to an archaic, rotted NCAA system run by that cabals boss, Dr. Mark Emmert, who, naturally, is vehemently opposed to any sort of compensation for student-athletes, a term created to protect the schools and NCAA itself against the liability of paying workers compensation for injured “student-athletes,” are encouraging, even in theory. But what about offering a “bare necessities” cost of living stipend, daily meal per diems and limited injury insurance to these young men, who may or may not be ready for the fine hardwood courts of the National Basketball Association, but wish to ply their trade professionally? Is it possible for these young men to also get an education with the same subsidies Commissioner Silver is suggesting for the NCAA by giving these monies to the NBAs already-established minor league, the National Basketball Development League? No matter the motivations of Adam Silver, it would seem that the winds of change are on the horizon for intercollegiate athletics and its long partnership with professional sport to finally call it what it really is now. So yeah… Thats what I learned during March Madness this year. I can only hope you learned some things, too. Cesar Cedeno Jersey . Armstrong was given the rank of "Chevalier" -- or Knight -- in the "Legion dHonneur" in 2005, the last year of his seven consecutive Tour de France victories. Joe Biagini Jersey .com) - The Winnipeg Jets placed defenceman Paul Postma on injured reserve Tuesday. http://www.customastrosjersey.com/custom-francis-martes-jersey-large-1626y.html .Best moustache: How can we not give this to Lanny McDonald? Check out the duster for yourself.OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators were looking for a little redemption and Saturday night they were able to find it. Coming off an embarrassing 5-0 loss to the Boston Bruins on Friday night the Senators made the most of the rematch as they defeated the Bruins 4-3 at the Canadian Tire Centre. "Any time you drop a game like that and you get a chance for redemption and you dont take advantage of that things can spiral from there," said Bobby Ryan. "Hopefully this is a building block." Ryan was the games hero as he broke a 3-3 tie late in the third to give Ottawa the 4-3 lead. "We had it in our mind-set all night long that we were going to come out with two points (Saturday)," said Ryan. Patrick Wiercioch, Cory Conacher and Zack Smith also scored for the Senators (16-18-7). Craig Anderson stopped 29 shots to earn the victory. Daniel Paille, Jarome Iginla and David Warsofsky scored for the Bruins (26-11-2). Tuukka Rask allowed three goals on 12 shots before being replaced by Chad Johnson, who allowed one goal on 18 shots. Saturdays game marked the halfway mark of the season for the Senators, who continue to chase a playoff spot. Both teams were missing a number of key players, including their captains as Ottawa was without Jason Spezza and the Bruins were without Zdeno Chara. Both sat out with lower body injuries. The Senators got off to a strong start and managed to play well enough through 60 minutes to hold off the Bruins to the delight of the 20,500 on hand in Ottawa, but it didnt come easily. Smith was called for a faceoff violation with 1:51 remaining in regulation, leaving Ottawa shorthanded but with a 4-3 lead. Still, the Senators managed to hold off the hard-pressing Bruins and earn the win. "You never want to put your team in that position, but I had faith in the guys killing and obviously Anderson was playing very well," said Smith. "That was a tough one to take. Its not a call thats called consistently so I think someone has to get on the same page about that one. If theyre going to call it they have to call it all the time I think." Anderson was solid as the Senators held off the Bruins and when asked what it was like to face the onslaught he replied, "exhausting." "They had a 6-on-4 there and they were moving the puck pretty good and we got a couple of key blocks and that was the difference," said Anderson. "When youre out-manned like that anything can happen." Anderson admitted the team wasnt feeling very good after Fridays loss and says the fact they weree able to rebound with a win shows a lot of character. Kyle Tucker Jersey. "Its all about how you respond," said Anderson. "Its not about what happens to you its how you respond and I think we came out here and we responded in the right way. Now the key is we have to respond again going forward." Ryan scored the winner at 15:25 of the third after forcing a turnover at the Ottawa blue-line and breaking in alone, beating Johnson with a high backhand. Earlier, the Senators caught a break when what would have been Iginlas second of the night was reviewed and ruled to be kicked in, keeping the game tied 3-3. Iginla admitted he wasnt all that surprised that the goal was called back. "I didnt really expect it to be a goal," said Iginla. "I knew (the puck) was coming to my foot, but I was hoping it wasnt a kicking motion. At the same time I understand the call, but youre always hoping for the best for sure." Bruins coach Claude Julien said his team played well and probably deserved a better fate. "Our guys battled hard," said Julien. "It would have been nice to come out of here with at least a point. I thought we deserved that much with how hard we competed to get ourselves back in the game, but unfortunately that wasnt the case. " Ottawa opened the scoring at the seven-minute mark of the first as Wiercioch jumped into the play to grab a rebound and beat Rask through the legs. The Bruins tied the game on Pailles fourth of the season as he sidestepped Erik Karlsson along the sideboards and beat Anderson cleanly. Conacher made it 2-1 for the Senators when he tipped a Kyle Turris backhand. The Senators made it 3-1 just 29 seconds into the second on Smiths short-handed goal. It also marked the end of Rasks night. Anderson made a number of good saves through the second, but had no chance on Iginlas 12th of the season as he was left all alone at the side of the net for an easy tap in. Warsofsky, with his first in the NHL, tied it 3-3 at the six-minute mark of the third with a shot from the side boards. Notes: C Jason Spezza and D Chris Phillips missed the game with a lower body injury. In Spezza and Phillips absence Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson wore an A. D Eric Gryba was a healthy scratch for the Senators. a The Bruins announced D Dennis Seidenberg will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. D Zdeno Chara was a late scratch and is listed as day-to-day. The Bruins were also without C Carl Soderberg. D Zach Trotman was recalled on an emergency basis and made his NHL debut. ' ' ' for an easy tap in. Warsofsky, with his first in the NHL, tied it 3-3 at the six-minute mark of the third with a shot from the side boards. Notes: C Jason Spezza and D Chris Phillips missed the game with a lower body injury. In Spezza and Phillips absence Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson wore an A. D Eric Gryba was a healthy scratch for the Senators. a The Bruins announced D Dennis Seidenberg will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. D Zdeno Chara was a late scratch and is listed as day-to-day. The Bruins were also without C Carl Soderberg. D Zach Trotman was recalled on an emergency basis and made his NHL debut. ' ' '