What to Make of Jared Sullinger

Before he was a two time All-American, Jared Sullinger was a five star recruit with a rating of 100 by ESPN and depending on which scouting group you subscribe to, fell anywhere from five to two among all high school seniors.  He won the Naismith Prep Player of the Year and took his talents to Columbus.    

And now, after averaging over 17 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game over the course of two years at Ohio State, Sullinger will be on the outside looking in at the NBA Draft.  This doesn’t mean he won’t be drafted; Sullinger will likely still fall somewhere in the first round, but only anticipated lottery picks get a draft day invitation. 

The 21 Best Songs of Kanye West's Career

Kanye West is the greatest hip-hop artist of today.  Period.  Nobody is as musically gifted and nobody is as personally invested in the lyrics as is Kanye.  His producing abilities alone would place him among the field’s best.  He rarely makes bad songs (although Theraflu makes my head hurt, but I blame DJ Khaled) and all of West’s studio albums (yes, even 808’s) have been miles ahead of what any else is putting out in terms of complexity, substance, and overall listenability. 

The New NFL Offseason (SECOND EDITION!!)

I know that the last several weeks have been hard on all my loyal readers.  Many nights were spent awake and on those few occasions where you did drift into a depressing, sports-deprived slumber, you awoke in a sweat-drenched panic.  But fret not, for I have returned. 

I am completely aware of the plentitude of rumors surrounding my unannounced disappearance.  There was that kidnapping story circulating the Internet, but those in the know reassured my concerned fan base that such claims were untrue.  Then there was the bank robbery rumor, but let me just put that one to rest once and for all: It was my twin brother Andy Weinberger who robbed the Bank of America at gunpoint.  I can’t even imagine the other stories you all conjured up.  In reality, I actually have been writing sports articles these past few weeks, just as a freelance writer for another company.

NCAA Title Game Reaction; In the Defense of John Calipari

Was there really any doubt?  Did anyone actually believe that Kentucky would fail to bring home the hardware this year?  Wasn’t selecting any other team to win the national championship basically just a shot at Calipari?

As Kansas stormed back in the waning moments of Monday night’s game, I wonder how many naysayers rose up from their seats, jacked up the television volume, and braced themselves for the vindicating I-told-you-he-can’t-get-it-done moment.  Kansas was about to become his New York Giants, the personification of the forces of good triumphing against the symbol of all that is wrong with college basketball. 

Except here’s the problem: Calipari hasn’t done anything wrong. 

NFL Rumblings; Part 2. What is Going on in New York?

I’ve been asked by a handful of people over the last few weeks as to why I am yet to write an article regarding the New York Jets’ strikingly unorthodox off season.  I don’t really have an answer to that aside from the fact that writing said article would inherently mean that I must seriously attempt to understand a collection of moves that have befuddled many New Yorkers and NFL fans across the country.  Do I include myself among the perplexed?  Well… uh…  I am confused – that I know for certain.  Any other feelings I hope to resolve by the time I sign off. 

In looking at the Jets’ offseason, the most relevant developments surround the quarterback position.  But, before I get into that, let’s look at some of the things the Jets have done well since their cross-hallway rivals took home the Lombardi Trophy.

NFL Rumblings; Part 1

I’ve been out of town the last two weeks, one of those being spent road tripping throughout the South.  Keeping tabs on the sports world was not an easy task, but the fact that everyone in the car had a smart phone made it at least a little more possible.  I did get to catch a majority of the first round of NCAA games, albeit only bits and pieces of each as we moved from one bar to another.  As we honed back in on the Mason-Dixon Line, I began to think about which college basketball team would be the focus of my first column in some time.  Then, in a matter of ESPN App iPhone reloads, our car was hit with a series of trumping NFL issues: Tim Tebow was to become a New York Jet and the New Orleans Saints (just three days after we left the city) officially committed the greatest mistake in NFL history.  When you throw in the now-stale Peyton Manning situation, it was clear that even in a month for college basketball, football still dominates the American sports universe.

Trivia Answers

My father informed me that I failed to post the answer to the trivia questions.  The answers:

1. Who set the record for most intentional walks (44) by a right-handed hitter in 2009?  Difficulty: 1/10

--Albert Pujols

2. Who is the only player in MLB history to win both the all-star game MVP award and World Series MVP award in the same season? Difficulty: 2.5/10

--Derek Jeter