Well, here we are after the first and second rounds of the 2012 NCAA Men’s basketball championship tournament and things have gone just as we suspected… or maybe not. The biggest bombs dropped in round one was obviously the ousting of the two #2 seeds, Duke and Missouri.
Things worked themselves out however, as both of the big upset #15 seeds were defeated in the very next round. Below is an updated printable March Madness bracket for your use. Read the rest of this entry »
As we predicted at the beginning of the Peyton Manning soap opera Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was not able to get the Peyton Manning deal done. Just like the John Fox and Jim Harbaugh negotiations, Stephen Ross fell short. Ross’ disadvantage could be, Stephen Ross is an absentee owner living in New York managing a South Florida football team. Alternatively, it could simply come down to the cold hard truth that Stephen Ross is a horrible NFL owner. The Miami Dolphins handling of coach Sparano’s contract was and embarrassment. The organization’s negotiations with then rookie prospect Dez Bryant were just as jaw dropping. I get the feeling that most of Miami’s Quarterback problems exist in the head office not on the field. Read the rest of this entry »
The National Football League announced that 532 players are free agents who now can negotiate with all 32 clubs. Players are either “restricted” or “unrestricted” free agents. Within the categories are also “franchise” and “transition” players.
The time period for free agency signings in 2012: Restricted Free Agents – March 13 to April 20. Unrestricted Free Agents (who have received June 1 tender from prior club) – March 13 to July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later). Franchise Players – March 13 to November 13, the Tuesday following the 10th week of the regular Read the rest of this entry »
Vehicle owners who visit dealer facilities for service are considerably more satisfied with their experience at dealerships than with service from independent facilities, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study(SM) released today.
Among customers of dealer facilities, overall satisfaction with the service experience averages 38 points higher on a 1,000-point scale, compared with non-dealer facilities (787 vs. 749, respectively). In addition, 79 percent of all service visits among owners of one- to- three-year-old vehicles are performed at dealer facilities — up from 74 percent in 2011 and 72 percent in 2010. Read the rest of this entry »
Now that the final 64 teams are set, the 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball “March Madness” Championship Tournament is set. Below, for your use, is that updated printable bracket for use however you see fit… within the confines of the law.
The “First Four” games were played between March 13th and 14th and saw Western Kentucky, BYU, Vermont and South Florida earn the last four tournament berths available and get into the dance. The experts are saying the South Florida is looking so good that their opponent, #5 seed Temple, should watch their butts. Read the rest of this entry »
The National Football League announced that 532 players are free agents who now can negotiate with all 32 clubs. Players are either “restricted” or “unrestricted” free agents. Within the categories are also “franchise” and “transition” players.
The time period for free agency signings in 2012: Restricted Free Agents – March 13 to April 20. Unrestricted Free Agents (who have received June 1 tender from prior club) – March 13 to July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later). Franchise Players – March 13 to November 13, the Tuesday following the 10th week of the regular season. Transition Players – There are no transition player designations this year. Read the rest of this entry »
To celebrate the start of March Madness and the 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the TMR Zoo is giving away ONE Jurassic Park Trilogy Blu-ray Box set, to ONE winner who can correctly pick this year’s champion.
Unlike every other March Madness “pick ‘em” contest, we aren’t looking for you to submit your own bracketology or to break down each and every match-up leading up to the Final Four and eventually the tournament champion. All we want you to do is pick this year’s winner… period. The twist in this contest is that you have an opportunity each and every day to pick the winner right up until the tip-off of the championship game.
Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN unveiled the 64-team NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship field exclusively during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Special Presented by Capital One tonight on ESPN and ESPN3, with continued coverage on ESPNU immediately following the one-hour special. Trey Wingo led the bracket special discussion with analysts Kara Lawson, Carolyn Peck, Doris Burke and Rebecca Lobo, in addition to Jemele Hill during ESPNU’s coverage. Read the rest of this entry »
The teams have been picked and the “first four” games have already started. Yes, just like the NFL free agency period, March Madness 2012 has snuck up on us.
To help you out with your own “bracketology” we offer you the printable 2012 NCAA men’s basketball tournament bracket below. The first four games are still listed as both teams, but we’ll get you an update as soon as they are through. The first game tips off at 6:30pm EST on Tuesday the 13th as the first two 16 seeds, the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, go to battle. The second Tuesday game is at 9:00 and features the 14 seeds Iona and BYU… much shorter names. Read the rest of this entry »
This year’s crazy QB lottery is quickly coming to a conclusion. With Manning being released just 48 hours ago the landscape in the NFL is already drastically changing. It has been reported that the St. Louis Rams and the Washington Redskins have struck a deal that will send the 2nd round pick and presumably Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III or RG3 to Washington. Read the rest of this entry »
Let me start by saying I am not a millionaire. Not a captain of industry or a Wall Street raider. What I can say is I know a bit more about business than Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross does. If the Miami Dolphins were to get Peyton Manning the deal should have been done by now. However, it looks like Steven Ross is once again going to drop the ball.
This is starting to feel like the Jim Harbaugh/Jeff Fisher deal all over again. What Ross needs to do is put a deal on the table that Peyton Manning cannot refuse. This is not the time to negotiate, you need leverage to negotiate. Peyton Manning is holding all of the cards here. Read the rest of this entry »
A motorcycle road racing team just launched a cool kickstarter project about a documentary series they are trying to create. RawSpeed Racing is a team of 5 races who want to create a documentary series giving motorsports fans an exclusive look into their world of high speed club racing along the East Coast. They want to show you the real excitement along with the trials and tribulations of the sport, not just a motorcade of moving billboards. Read the rest of this entry »
Your homecourt for college hoops, ESPNU will televise more than 60 hours of comprehensive Tournament Countdown studio programming beginning Selection Sunday, March 11 at 8 p.m. and extending past the last dribble of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships on Tuesday, April 3.
On March 11, ESPN platforms will offer more than 13 hours of Selection Sunday programming (full details).
2012 ESPNU Tournament Countdown programming highlights: Read the rest of this entry »
Franchise player designations were announced today for the 2012 NFL free agency signing period, which begins at 4:00 p.m. ET on March 13. A club can designate one “franchise” player or one “transition” player among its veteran free agents.
The salary offer by a player’s club determines whether the franchise player designation is exclusive or non-exclusive.
An “exclusive” franchise player – not free to sign with another club – is offered the greater of (i) the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position for the current year as of the end of the Restricted Free Agent Signing Period on April 20; or (ii) the amount of the Required Tender for a non-exclusive franchise player, as explained below. Read the rest of this entry »
A special committee of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies is expected to vote Tuesday on the “General Law of the Cup” (“Lei Geral da Copa”), but relations between the government and the head of the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) have completely melted down after macho comments by Secretary General Jerome Valcke. Last month, Valcke stated “Alcoholic drinks are part of the FIFA World Cup, so we’re going to have them. Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but that’s something we won’t negotiate.” Read the rest of this entry »
A lengthy investigation by the NFL’s security department has disclosed that between 22 and 27 defensive players on the New Orleans Saints, as well as at least one assistant coach, maintained a “bounty” program funded primarily by players in violation of NFL rules during the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons, the NFL announced today.
The league’s investigation determined that this improper “Pay for Performance” program included “bounty” payments to players for inflicting injuries on opposing players that would result in them being removed from a game.
The findings – corroborated by multiple independent sources – have been presented to Commissioner Roger Goodell, who will determine the appropriate discipline for the violation. Read the rest of this entry »
