Cut Minor League Player Hits Million Dollar Jackpot

Minor league player Joel Torres was recently cut by the Indians minor league affiliate, the Akron Aeros.  Despite his bad luck on the baseball field, Torres made up for it yesterday when he hit the one million dollar jackpot for a scratcher that he bought in February.  Torres' take home sum for the ticket will total over $660,000.  He plans to first buy his mom a new home, and then use the remainder of the money to hopefully help fulfill his dreams of becoming a major league player.  In his words, he will "keep swinging for the fences."

Blooper of the Week...

This weeks blooper comes from Philadelphia, courtesy of the Phillie Phanatic, the Phillies world famous green mascot.  He decided to go all-Lady Gaga in a recent game against the Astros, as he hatched from a giant egg and pranced around the field, taunting Astros players between innings.

New Florida Coach Will Muschamp Has Interesting Practice Strategy

Traditionally, most college football teams keep their practices in the spring limited to fundamentals, the weight room, and basic formations and plays.  New Florida coach Will Muschamp apparently thinks the game of football is an overrated way of preparing his team to...well, play football.  Instead of the usual football pads, the Gators took to face masks and paintball guns, as Florida took a "team-building trip" to a local paintball site.  I don't know if the paintball method will work for the first year head coach and his Gators, but if Florida can rebound after last years mediocre season (in the eyes of Gator-nation), then maybe this new Spring festivity will travel to other schools around the country.

Got an Extra $4 Lying Around?

Hurry! Look under your couch cushions for some extra change, and maybe you can be part of this amazing one time deal.  The Hubert Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota is currently giving tours of the progress being made on the new roof, after last years major collapse of the dome.  Already too excited for words?....Well wait, there's more!  Once you partake in this fabulous tour, you'll receive an actual piece of the former roof of the dome...Yes, the exact one that collapsed due to the weight of the snow in 2010.  But you must act now, as only the first 2000 people to venture into the dome will receive the free piece of roof.  Here is a schedule of the tours from the Star Tribune in Minneapolis:

"The dome is open to walk-up visitors April through November, on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 11 a.m. The tours depart from Gate F and the cost is $4 per person. After the roof is replaced, the tours won’t be offered on days when the stadium hosts daytime events."

Nashville Predators Shoot a Higher Percentage than Butler...

By now, the entire world knows of the hideous shooting performance of the Butler Bulldogs in Monday's championship loss to the UConn Huskies.  Layups, mid-range jumpers, and three pointers bounced off the rim all night in Houston, which in part may have been due to UConn's stifling defense, as well as the cavernous building, or pressure of the big game.  Butler finished the night with a season-low 41 points, while shooting only 18% from the field.

As jockpost.com pointed out in a recent column, the Nashville Predators...YES, a hockey team!...outshot Butler on Tuesday night, by going 6-24 from "the ice," or in other words, a 25% shooting percentage.  I hate to bash Butler after what they've accomplished over the last 2 years, but really?...How can you let a hockey team shoot a better percentage than you?

Play of the Week

This week's play comes to us from Europe as Dejan Stankovic scored one of the most memorable goals in soccer history. After Schalke's goalie headed a pass out of the box in the early seconds of the game, Stankovic fired a bullet from mid-air right into the back of the net.  Inter Milan lost the game, but this goal was definitely the highlight of the night.  Here is a link to the video, courtesy of deadspin.com.

Links...

So...UConn won the tournament and was crowned National Champions, but they shouldn't be number 1 in the country? This coach thinks so...

Here is a cool site detailing many little-known side talents of famous athletes...

This is why you don't play soccer on dirt...

If you still aren't sure who to root for during the 2011 baseball season here is another guide...

And finally, don't forget to follow the new Snider Sports Network's Twitter page...

The Way Too Early NCAA Basketball 2011-12 Top 10

Rankings are always an objective, far from perfect science...but they are oh so fun to look at and debate.  After yesterday's National Title game, here are very early rankings for the 2011-2012 basketball season.  It should be noted however that these rankings are subject to change, and depend heavily on player's decisions either to stay in school, or to go to the NBA.

Jared Sullinger and the Buckeyes are the early favorite
for the 2011-12 season. -Yahoo Images

1. Ohio State - Jared Sullinger has already announced that he will remain a Buckeye, so this early pick should be a safe one.  Any team anchored by Sullinger is one that should contend for a title.  Despite the loss of David Lighty and Jon Diebler, Ohio State has a promising young class of recruits that should push the Buckeyes to elite status once again in 2011-12.

2. North Carolina - If the Tar Heels can keep the likes of Harrison Barnes and John Henson for another year, this young team will be one to watch.  The Tar Heels have both the inside game, and strong perimeter threats that will make them a dangerous team.

3. Kentucky - In the usual coach Calipari fashion, the 2010 edition of the Wildcats was laden with talented freshman.  If he can keep a good portion of this team intact, and away from the riches of the NBA, Kentucky should be a contender in 2011-12.  Add the star freshman that will be heading to Lexington in the fall, with the current talent and experience of an Final Four run, and Kentucky will be a favorite in the coming year.

4. Duke - Not to be a broken record, but if Duke can keep Kyrie Irving away from the NBA, Duke will once again be great next year.  Add to an already stacked roster, Celtics coach Doc River's son Austin River's, and Duke will be a formidable foe in 2011-12.

5. Syracuse - This year ended much earlier than the Orange had planned, but don't forget about Syracuse next year.  An experienced group in Sccop Jardine, Brandon Triche, and Kris Joseph should lead Syracuse to a high finish in the Big East, and potentially a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

6. Kansas

7. UConn

8. Florida

9. Arizona (If they keep Derrick Williams)

10. Louisville

UConn Dominates Second Half En Route to Championship Win

The UConn Huskies dominated the second half of Monday night's Championship game, after trailing for much of the first half, and won Jim Calhoun's third National Title 53-41.  The Husky defense turned in one of the best defensive performances of recent basketball history as they held Butler to only 18 percent shooting for the entire game.  You can read all about Monday's game on mainstream news sources, but in honor of the end of the 2010-11 season, here is the Snider Sports Network's All-Tournament Team:

Tournament MVP: Kemba Walker, UConn
This award goes without saying as Kemba led the Big East's 9th place team to a truly historic late-season run.  After capping off a 5 win in 5 day feat at the Big East Tournament, many believed the Huskies would be too worn out for a deep tournament.  UConn not only had a deep run in them, but they had what it took to win the National Championship, the 3rd for coach Jim Calhoun.  Another tremendous accomplishment that UConn receives little credit for is the fact that they played in 3 tournaments this year and came home with the title all 3 times; first in Maui, then at Madison Square Garden, and finally in Houston at the National Championship.

First Team
G: Joey Rodirguez, VCU
G: Shelvin Mack, Butler
F: Marcus Morris, Kansas
F: Derrick Williams, Arizona
C: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State


Second Team
G: Brandon Knight, Kentucky
G: Jimmer Fredette, BYU
F: Jeremy Lamb, UConn
F: Terrence Jones, Kentucky
C: Alex Oriakhi, UConn

Butler Mascot Flies First Class to the Final Four

Blue 2, the mascot for Butler University, was finally allowed to travel with his team when the Bulldogs flew to Houston for the Final Four.  He not only had his own seat on the team's chartered flight, but he also got to meet the pilots, and pose with the ground crew in Indianapolis.  Check out these great pictures courtesy of TMZ Sports.