In. This is the year my big underdog makes the Final Four! Oh wait, I never win this thing because I always try to be the smart guy who picks the upsets you say? Eff it, THIS is the year my big underdog makes the Final Four!

DZ83CK said:

He signed a 5-year contract, this is Year Two. I don't see anything wrong with giving him an extra year now but it's probably not a huge priority.

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gahh...I thought it was a 3 year contract...my bad

Herb Kirkstreit said:

What's the neck size on that shirt for Coach Locklyn?

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Umm Zero?

Mike80 said:

So.....

1 or 2 year extension for Diebler? I don't see any way they let him go into his last year of the contract he has without at least a 1 year extension to it.

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He signed a 5-year contract, this is Year Two. I don't see anything wrong with giving him an extra year now but it's probably not a huge priority.

So.....

1 or 2 year extension for Diebler? I don't see any way they let him go into his last year of the contract he has without at least a 1 year extension to it.

DZ83CK said:

Maybe I'm just biased, but I'm thinking Duke looks ripe for the upset

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11% chance of an Elite 8 according to CBS. I'll take it!

Not that anyone cares because only the latest issue matters in the 24/7 news cycle, but strike 1 was a far worse "miss"....

ScriptOhio said:

Former Ohio State Basketball Coach Thad Matta Retires After Four Seasons at Butler

Former Ohio State basketball coach Thad Matta announces his retirement after a four-year return to coaching at Butler.

www.elevenwarriors.com

Former Ohio State Basketball Coach Thad Matta Retires After Four Seasons at Butler​

Thad Matta is concluding his coaching career.

The former Ohio State basketball coach announced his retirement from coaching on Monday following a four-year return to coaching at Butler. Matta will remain with Butler, his alma mater, as a special assistant to the university president and athletic director.

"After taking some time to reflect following the end of the season, I have decided that the time has come for me to step away from the sidelines," Matta said in a news release by Butler. "The love my wife, my daughters and I have for Butler is what brought us back four years ago, and it feels especially meaningful that I conclude my coaching career here. Butler has always meant more to us than just basketball—and that connection is why I'm grateful to continue working with the University and offering my help in any way I can. My commitment to Butler and to the future of this program remains as strong as ever. I want this program to compete at the highest levels of the Big East and national landscape, and I am excited to be part of what we continue to build here.”

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Matta ends his coaching career with a 502-223 record over 21 seasons as a head coach, earning his 500th win in February. Thirteen of those seasons were at Ohio State. The winningest coach in Ohio State basketball history, Matta went 337-123 with the Buckeyes, leading Ohio State to a national championship game appearance, two Final Fours, three Elite Eights, five Sweet 16s and nine total NCAA Tournament appearances.

Let go by Ohio State after the 2016-17 season, Matta took five years off from coaching before returning to the sideline in 2022 at Butler, where he started his head coaching career in 2000 after multiple stints as an assistant. Matta was unable to recapture his previous success in his second stint at Butler, however, going just 63-69 across four seasons.
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He needs to be in the Ohio State Hall of Fame no later than next year. The ultimate unicorn in Ohio State basketball history and the era that every coach who will be at Ohio State will be measured by going forward.

Fungo Squiggly said:

I mean, it was 4 inches off the plate. It wasn’t borderline. Perdomo did what he needed to do and the umpire fucked up. He has a right to be upset about it. It was a bad call and a shitty way to end a great game.

That being said, fans, as always, are whiny bitches when calls don't go their way.

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No it wasn't. At most it was within an inch low as it crossed the front of the plate. That's the problem with the K Zone - it isn't in 3-D and doesn't account for the angle of the camera.

It still doesn't matter. Every level teaches kids that taking pitches like that and leaving it up to the umpire is a recipe for disaster. Perdomo needs to be a more intelligent batter.

I think he mostly is who he is by this point. He's a one-read QB who either makes a big play with his legs when it isn't there or takes a sack

Might finally have a chance to settle and get right without being thrown to the wolves.

ScriptOhio said:

March Madness: Four Teams With the Hardest Path to the Men’s Final Four

Usually earning the No. 1 overall seed gets you an easier path in the NCAA tournament, but Duke—along with these teams—finds its road tougher.

www.si.com

March Madness: Four Teams With the Hardest Path to the Men’s Final Four​

Usually earning the No. 1 overall seed gets you an easier path in the NCAA tournament, but Duke—along with these teams—finds its road tougher.

No. 1 Duke, East Region​

Somehow, being the No. 1 overall seed is supposed to come with the easiest path to Indianapolis, but that didn’t quite work out in practice for the Blue Devils. To start with, they’ve had a history in their sub-regional of subpar results and draw a tricky Siena team to open before facing off against what would be the strongest No. 8 vs. No. 9 pairing in either Ohio State or TCU. Then, unless there are some notable upsets, the road goes through at least one Hall of Fame coach in Bill Self or Rick Pitino to reach the Elite Eight. Oh, and there are fellow bluebloods like UConn, Michigan State, UCLA and even Louisville beyond that. Good luck to Jon Scheyer & Co. because a trip through the nation’s capital in this region is brutal.

Just sayin': I am surprised to read that someone actually considers a possible game against Ohio State as part of the "hardest path to the Final Four"...

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Yeah it's definitely the hardest bracket. Imagine that, OSU ends up in a shitty draw.

Mike80 said:

All the whining about the last strike of the game is ridiculous.

A good batter fouls that pitch off. It's WAYYYYY too close to take in that situation. Was it a ball? Borderline - the k zone shit has warped everyone's sense of what a strike really is - but ultimately, in a last pitch of the game type situation, batters should be more defensive in their stance and be looking to swing at anything remotely close to foul it off (Pete Rose was an EXPERT at this) and get a better pitch.

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I mean, it was 4 inches off the plate. It wasn’t borderline. Perdomo did what he needed to do and the umpire fucked up. He has a right to be upset about it. It was a bad call and a shitty way to end a great game.

That being said, fans, as always, are whiny bitches when calls don't go their way.

I believe that I also heard recently that at least for accounting purposes, gas stations charge at the pump based on the price to refill their tanks. A cash flow situation so they can afford the cost of refilling the tanks. And as noted above, the cost to refill is based on global oil prices.

2026 NIT #1 seeds Auburn, Wake Forest, New Mexico, Tulsa. #2s Nevada, Dayton, Cal, Oklahoma St.
Full list of NIT teams:

• Auburn
• Bradley
• Cal
• Colorado State
• Dayton
• Davidson
• George Mason
• George Washington
• Illinois State
• Liberty
• Kent State
• Murray State
• Navy
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Oklahoma State
• Saint Joseph’s
• Sam Houston
• Seattle U
• St. Thomas
• Stephen F. Austin
• South Alabama
• Tulsa
• Utah Valley
• UC Irvine
• UIC
• UNCW
• UNLV
• Wake Forest
• Wichita State
• Wyoming
• Yale

I'm in (SandMan88)

42 years ago today

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March Madness: Four Teams With the Hardest Path to the Men’s Final Four​

Usually earning the No. 1 overall seed gets you an easier path in the NCAA tournament, but Duke—along with these teams—finds its road tougher.

No. 1 Duke, East Region​

Somehow, being the No. 1 overall seed is supposed to come with the easiest path to Indianapolis, but that didn’t quite work out in practice for the Blue Devils. To start with, they’ve had a history in their sub-regional of subpar results and draw a tricky Siena team to open before facing off against what would be the strongest No. 8 vs. No. 9 pairing in either Ohio State or TCU. Then, unless there are some notable upsets, the road goes through at least one Hall of Fame coach in Bill Self or Rick Pitino to reach the Elite Eight. Oh, and there are fellow bluebloods like UConn, Michigan State, UCLA and even Louisville beyond that. Good luck to Jon Scheyer & Co. because a trip through the nation’s capital in this region is brutal.

Just sayin': I am surprised to read that someone actually considers a possible game against Ohio State as part of the "hardest path to the Final Four"...

Login to view embedded media Stopped wrestling as a "business decision" for football. Great interview... and OSU WILL be in until the end

Buckeneye said:

Traded to the Chiefs

New York Jets trade Justin Fields to Chiefs for 2027 draft pick

The Kansas City Chiefs traded a 2027 NFL draft pick to the New York Jets in exchange for quarterback Justin Fields, according to multiple reports.

www.usatoday.com

@BuckeyeNation27. I haven't forgotten about our talk. Eventually, I'll have more on that. Life just gets in the way, as you know.

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For Fields, it’s a great development. After the Jets traded for Geno Smith last week, he was slated to be in competition with Brady Cook for the backup spot. Now, while he’s certainly going to sit behind Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, he’s being allowed to learn from not only a future Hall of Fame quarterback but also a Hall of Fame coach in Andy Reid.

Over the years, Reid has taken plenty of quarterbacks and revitalized their careers, whether it’s been a young, unproven name such as Kevin Kolb or a veteran like Michael Vick or Jeff Garcia. Fields, 27, is entering the last year of his contract and is playing on his fourth team in as many years, jumping from the Bears to the Steelers, the Jets and now the Chiefs.

In 2025, Fields signed a two-year, $40 million contract with New York but only started nine games before being benched. He threw for 1,259 yards and seven touchdowns against one interception while posting a 38.7 QBR.

From Kansas City’s perspective, this is an on-brand move for general manager Brett Veach. Veach has long been willing to take on former first-round picks and has done so with mixed results. Over the years, the Chiefs have either signed or traded for linebacker linebackers Darron Lee and DeAndre Baker, receiver Kadarius Toney, corners DeAndre Baker cornerbacks Damon Arnette and Damon Arnette DeAndre Baker, offensive lineman Cam Erving, and others, hoping to find the talent which that made them early selections to begin with.

In Fields, Kansas City will be getting a replacement for Gardner Minshew II, who signed a one-year, $8.5 million contract with the Cardinals last week. Fields had success in Chicago, throwing 17 touchdown passes while rushing for 1,143 yards in 2022. However, he also took a league-high 55 sacks and fumbled 16 times that year, showcasing his intrigue and issues.

In Kansas City, Fields will have an opportunity to learn and reset, potentially setting him up for a rebirth in the way we’ve seen Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold have over recent years.

Former Ohio State Basketball Coach Thad Matta Retires After Four Seasons at Butler​

Thad Matta is concluding his coaching career.

The former Ohio State basketball coach announced his retirement from coaching on Monday following a four-year return to coaching at Butler. Matta will remain with Butler, his alma mater, as a special assistant to the university president and athletic director.

"After taking some time to reflect following the end of the season, I have decided that the time has come for me to step away from the sidelines," Matta said in a news release by Butler. "The love my wife, my daughters and I have for Butler is what brought us back four years ago, and it feels especially meaningful that I conclude my coaching career here. Butler has always meant more to us than just basketball—and that connection is why I'm grateful to continue working with the University and offering my help in any way I can. My commitment to Butler and to the future of this program remains as strong as ever. I want this program to compete at the highest levels of the Big East and national landscape, and I am excited to be part of what we continue to build here.”

Login to view embedded media
Matta ends his coaching career with a 502-223 record over 21 seasons as a head coach, earning his 500th win in February. Thirteen of those seasons were at Ohio State. The winningest coach in Ohio State basketball history, Matta went 337-123 with the Buckeyes, leading Ohio State to a national championship game appearance, two Final Fours, three Elite Eights, five Sweet 16s and nine total NCAA Tournament appearances.

Let go by Ohio State after the 2016-17 season, Matta took five years off from coaching before returning to the sideline in 2022 at Butler, where he started his head coaching career in 2000 after multiple stints as an assistant. Matta was unable to recapture his previous success in his second stint at Butler, however, going just 63-69 across four seasons.
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