Garnett Gone?

I'm out of town for work and between meetings but just heard that it is basically a done deal that Garnett is heading to the Celtics. I'm hoping it's the deal I heard which is Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Gerald Green, Sebastien Telfair, Ryan Gomes, and 2 1st round picks(one of which used to be the Wolves).

That would be pretty sweet.

UPDATE: This is about as official as you can get without actually being official. I have lots to say but it's late, and I'm drunk in New Jersey and have to get up for a stupid meeting tomorrow.

The Sports Guy likes it for the Celts.

I honestly like it a lot for the Wolves. It was pretty clear KG needed to be traded, and they got a potential franchise type player in Jefferson, two first rounders (I think the second one from the Celts will be pretty worthless), and some other stuff that will be helpful. Maybe Gerald Green will be good, I don't know, I don't watch the NBA.

But I am very, very sad to see KG go. Basically the face of Minnesota sports for the last however many years. One of the ten best players in the NBA, maybe five best, and an absolutely outstanding citizen. We were lucky to have him, and it's a shame it couldn't work out. Nothing would make me happier than to see the Celts and the Big Ticket win a title next year. Probably not, but that would be sweet.

And for the Wolves, Foye, Brewer, Jefferson, and what ever other crap we have is not a bad starting place for a rebuilding situation.

Especially since Brewer will be the best player out of this draft other than Durant and Oden.

Gophers tied for 52nd Best Football Team

According to ESPN.com, the Gophers are tied for the 52nd best football team with Pitt and Washington over the past 10 years (1997-2006).

I don't know. They seemed crappier than that. I guess getting to mid-low tier bowl games every year is something. Barely.

They're ranked higher than Air Force, which always seemed to win a lot of games. Or maybe that was a long time ago. I don't remember.

And Pitt had Larry Fitzgerald, that alone should make them rank higher than the Gophers. Although the Gophers did have Billy Cockerham, which is pretty awesome too.

Tubby Makes Another Offer

I missed this as well, but Paging Jim Shikenjanski found that Tubby has made an offer to JUCO Forward, Paul Carter.

There's not a whole lot of info out about this dude, but there's some free info here.

He's ranked as a one-star player, and has academic issues. He is also currently being recruited by Oregon, Wyoming, Charlotte, Arkansas-Little Rock, and Arkansas State.

What? We're competing with Charlotte, Wyoming, and those two Arkansas schools for a guy with academic issues and a low ranking? Well, I'm considerably nervous. This sounds like a Monson move, but I'll give Tubby the benefit of the doubt for now, he seems smarter than Monson - difficult to do, I know.

I can't find any freshman stats for this guy, but he's 6-8, 195 lbs., and his Juco coach says he's a talented player, so he must be. Coaches never lie.

Sergio

So anyway, I kept meaning to write something about the British Open, but I kept not doing it, and then my stupid friend Theory from Holy Crap Does that Piss me Off went ahead and beat me to it.

So go here to read him type up the exact thing I said to him at the bar the other night.

Stealer.

Make Some Money

Today I'll take a look at the odds to win the 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, as given at sportsbook.com, and talk about who I think is the best value. Again, best value, not the favorite.

Tennessee Volunteers, 30-1: This shouldnt' be a surprise, as I've talked about how good I think Tennessee will be on here before. With three quality, experienced guards, two very good post players, and some quality people off the bench, they are going to be a very, very good team.

Syracuse Orange, 40-1: I expect them to struggle a bit early with such a young team, although Boeheim usually has a pretty cake schedule early, but after getting used to each other they could be very dangerous. With Devendorf and Paul Harris returning, and being joined by a top recruiting class including two McD's All-Americans, the Cuse should make a nice run this season.

Louisville Cardinals, 12-1: Odds are not very much with them at 12-1, but I think they are the favorite this year, and the odds don't reflect that, so I see value. Basically the same team as last season, which I think was a Final Four caliber team, but just ran into a better Texas A & M team too early. I also have a man-crush on Rick Pitino.

Indiana Hoosiers, 25-1: DJ White is awesome,and he's back for his senior year and looking to dominate. Eric Gordon might be the best freshman in all of college basketball. Indiana also picked up a four-star center and four-star power forward to put down low with White. Gordon, AJ Ratliff, JC Signee Jamarcus Ellis, and freshman Jordan Crawford will be able to pick up the slack from graduated Earl Calloway and Roderick Wilmont. Kelvin Sampson is a very good coach. I like this Hoosier team this year.

Good Times

Since I have nothing to write about, instead trying playing Pinch Hitter 2.

Very fun.

UPDATE: I suck. I can't get past level 2.

UPDATED UPDATE: I'm awesome.

Two Quick Updates

Both from St. Paul Pioneer Press's Charley Walters:

The first, is that Marquette recruit and Minnesota boy Trevor Mbakwe is now all set academically to enroll and play at Marquette next season. It had been reported, and I mentioned it here that he may have been in a bit of academic trouble. It appears everything is good to go now, however.

The second update is that according to Walters, Bryce Webster is very likely to leave the team to concentrate on academics, although nothing is official. Wait and see.

Brewster Did the Right Thing

According to Theory's comments two posts down from this one as well as what I heard on the radio, Tim Brewster has done the right thing and kicked the Gopher football players who essentially raped that girl off the team. Thank you. That needed to happen.

I'm too hungover to write more or find a link.

Simpson Likes Gophers

Over at GopherHole, poster BleedGopher posts some Stan Simpson news from Hoosier Nation.

According to the article, Simpson, the 6-9, 200 lb. three-star center from Chicago states that his favorites right now are Indiana, Minnesota, Arkansas, and Kansas State, although he says he is a long way from making a college decision.

It'll be tough going against Kelvin Sampson of Indiana to get Simpson's services, but hopefully Tubby can pull him away.

This is Very Ugly

The details are out about the Gopher rape scandal, and it's not at all good.

I won't get into all the details, but according to the complaint, former Gopher Robert McFields, who is already in trouble for two armed robberies he committed in St. Louis, challenged the woman to a drinking contest, where she did eight shots of vodka, while Gopher players Keith Massey, EJ Jones, and Alex Daniels did not drink at all.

Sometime later in the evening, the three players took turns with the woman, who eventually passed out on a couch. After she passed out with a BAC level of .30, which is ridiculous, Daniels then called Dominic Jones, who came over and did some stuff to her while she was unconscious, which Daniels recorded on his cell phone.

These guys need to be kicked off the team, and they need to be kicked off now. I know the whole Duke Lacrosse thing might have people a little gun shy about jumping to conclusions, but there is videotape evidence in this case.

At the very least, D. Jones and Daniels need to not only kicked off the team, but in jail (Jones has already been picked up and will be charged today.) Even Massey and EJ Jones, although there is no proof she was unconscious or unwilling when they were involved, need to be booted and possibly charged. There is no way you can tell me that when they aren't drinking, and they are feeding this woman 8 shots, that there wasn't an ulterior motive from the beginning. This wasn't two drunk college kids doing something against their better judgement (which happens), but a girl who, at best, was inebriated beyond reason, and a group of sober guys, who at the very least knew exactly what they were doing.

This is horrible. Brewster needs to do the right thing. Nobody holds this against him right now, because these aren't guys he recruited, they are Mason's guys. If he gets them off the team, he'll keep all the good will he's built up since being hired. If he keeps even one of them on the team, it will make a black mark against the program even worse.