Golfer chokes on final hole

Coming into last weekend, Kyle Stanley's golf career was probably most notable for his 53rd-place finish in the 2009 U.S. Open.

Suffice it to say that the 24-year old, who has tallied a quiet career earnings of $1.75 million (and no professional wins), wasn't a household name. Until Sunday.

Heading into the final round of the 2012 Farmers Insurance Open, Stanley held a six-stroke lead over the field. And going into the 18th hole, his three-stroke lead actually led the PGA to write a gigantic check with his name. Hell, write it in ink.

Oops.

The par-5 18th hole was one Stanley will never forget. He hit the fairway on his first shot, laid up with his second shot, dunked one in the water for his third and fourth shot... and then three-put for the triple-bogey.

The result was a sudden-death playoff, one that clearly favored Brandt Snedeker, whose 67 final round had him sitting in the clubhouse, watching the action unfold on TV. Two playoff holes later, the unraveling was complete: Stanley lost.

"It's not a hard golf hole. I could probably play it a thousand times and never make an 8. "I'm kind of in shock right now," Stanley admitted.

Unbelievably, the Associated Press reports that "in all three of his PGA Tour wins, [Snedeker] trailed by at least five shots going into the final round."

"It's just crazy. To get my mind around what happened the last 30 minutes is pretty hard to do right now. My heart is out to Kyle. I feel bad for him to have to go through this," Snedeker said.

As a result of golf's version of a buzzer-beater, the PGA Tour was unable to give Snedeker a big giant check. What a letdown for Snedeker. And some photographer even found the tossed out check under the bleachers.

A look at what could have been

At 13-7 (3-3 ACC), college basketball enthusiasts would be certifiably insane to give Terps first-year head coach Mark Turgeon anything worse than an "A" grade.

Navigating through the out-of-conference schedule without avoiding any black eyes -- and doing so with an incredibly short-handed roster -- and then eking out a .500 record through six conference games has been impressive.

Not only has Turgeon exceed expectations in Year One and impressed even casual fans, what's been more unpredictable has been the performance of everyone else associated with the gig during the search process.

Specifically, everyone else is really crapping the proverbial bed. Let's have a looksie...

Coming off a 30-win season and an Elite Eight appearance, Arizona coach Sean Miller has followed up a stellar season with a 14-8 (5-4) record, good for sixth in the Pac-12.

Jay Wright, who has led Villanova to seven straight 20-win seasons and four Sweet Sixteens in the last seven years, sits toward the bottom of the Big East with a 10-12 (3-7) record. The Wildcats have an embarrassing resume that includes losses to Saint Louis, Santa Clara, St. Joseph's and South Florida.

Even further down the Big East standings are the Pittsburgh Panthers (13-9, 2-7). Jamie Dixon's squad sits 15th in the conference standings, and that's after winning two straight games. The Panthers lost their first seven Big East games, an incredible feat considering Dixon has led them to eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances and seven 25-plus win seasons in the last eight years.

Brad Stevens, considered one of the best up-and-coming coaches in college basketball, has fallen off the map almost completely. He somehow took Butler to back-to-back NCAA Tournament finals appearances, and racked up a gaudy 117-25 (62-10 Horizon) record in his first four seasons. But today, the Bulldogs are 12-11 (6-5) and will likely need to win the Horizon League Tournament to go dancing in March.

Other coaches who were loosely connected to the Maryland opening have suffered similar 2012 campaigns so far. Alabama's Anthony Grant, coming off a 25-win season, is just 14-7 (3-4 SEC) this year. Rick Barnes, who has led Texas to 13 straight NCAA Tournaments and five Sweet Sixteens, is 13-8 (3-5 Big 12), and has lost four of his last five games. And Notre Dame's Mike Brey, who has strung together five straight 21-plus win seasons, is 14-8 (6-3 Big East) this year, including a loss to Turgeon's Terps.

All in all, it's nothing more than a weird coincidence. All the coaches associated with the Terps opening have long histories of success. But it's interesting to see all these teams struggling in the same year. Let's call it the Curse of the Terps.

(Photo courtesy of Bill Bride.)

Video of Gary Williams tribute

It's slim pickins out there for sports stories right now, so what better start to your Friday than the court-naming tribute video at Maryland for former head coach Gary Williams?

Not much to do but point you to the video below. Williams got a bit choked up, as he's known to do from time to time, as the sellout crowd fondly remembered the Hall of Famer's career. Enjoy.

Driesell opposed "Gary Williams Court"

As I wrote last September, the University of Maryland planned to name the floor at Comcast Center after legendary head coach Gary Williams.

Last night, in first-year head coach Mark Turgeon's inaugural home game versus Duke, the Terps unveiled "Gary Williams Court" in front of a sold-out crowd.

It was a moment that touched the 17,950 in attendance and thousands more through their television screens. The end of an era, now fondly remembered by the jerseys in the rafters and the signature on the court.

It's hard to think of anyone associated with the Terps men's basketball program who would have any opposition to the court-naming. That's why it came as such a shock when former head coach Lefty Driesell, who led the Terps from 1969 to 1986 and national prominence, called the court-naming "unfair."

Two days before the naming was made official, Driesell told the Baltimore Sun's Jeff Barker that, "It's not fair to my players that they would put Gary Williams' name on the court. It's a disservice to players such as Tom McMillen, John Lucas, Len Elmore, Brad Davis, Greg Manning, Adrian Branch and Steve Sheppard."

Sour grapes, for sure. But considering this was announced months ago, the timing looks particularly classless from Driesell's end.

But fans -- particularly the under-30 crowd -- associate Williams with Comcast Center, not Cole Field House, where Driesell coached all of his 507 games. And while it'd be good to see Lefty honored at some point, that may have to wait a bit longer than it would have if he had simply kept quiet.

And though Maryland fell to mighty Duke for the 10th time in 11 games, the night was still special for Terps fans.

Flip Saunders out as Wiz coach

After two and a half mediocre years, the Washington Wizards have canned head coach Flip Saunders.

Crap. I hope my blog post from three weeks ago wasn't the nail in the coffin.

The Wizards, who have advanced past the first round of the NBA playoffs just once since 1981, must now find and convince someone that it's a gig worth taking. Good luck.

Saunders never really had much of a shot in Washington. The veteran coach -- who had led Minnesota and Detroit to postseasons in 11 of his 13 seasons prior to coming to the nation's capital -- went just 51-130 in his stint with Washington.

That's what happens when you surround the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft (John Wall) with an entire team that has cumulatively had two All-Star Game appearances (Rashard Lewis both times). Saunders was the scapegoat, and he knows it. And that sucks, because the Wizards aren't going to get a better coach.

They fired Eddie Jordan, who led the Wizards to four postseasons in six years. And they fired Doug Collins, who went 37-45 twice, missing the playoffs both years. Collins took over head coaching duties with the Sixers and led them to the playoffs last year (and likely this year, too).

After a while, it's hard to think it's not you.

Washington needs to figure things out quickly. It only has Wall under contract for two more seasons before he's a restricted free agent. And outside of him, the team's talent from top to bottom is arguably the worst in the league. Players like Nick Young and JaVale McGee are complementary pieces on playoff rosters, not guys who should be starting -- and leading the team in points or rebounds in any given night.

It's not a great time to be a Wizards fan, that's for sure. The team needs a talent infusion quickly, and getting a high pick in the lottery and drafting a big man like Kentucky's Anthony Davis or Kansas' Thomas Robinson would be a step in the right direction. Until then, look for the Wizards to have the most ping pong balls in the lottery come June.

Skip Bayless officially a douchebag

Merriam-Webster's two definitions of the word "douche bag" include "an unattractive or offensive person," and "ESPN's Skip Bayless."

After the Ravens' 23-20 loss to New England, Bayless tweeted "Honestly, I felt sorry for Suggs/Ray/EReed. Fought guts out, lost b/c a nonplayer missed easy kick. WHY I HATE FG KICKING. Ban it!"

Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowler Terrell Suggs took exception to it and called into ESPN's First Take on Monday morning.

Bayless claimed the Ravens were making excuses for the loss, to which Suggs told him he was off-base. Bayless said he was just repeating the linebacker's words. Then Suggs unleashed the gem we've been waiting for for years:

"Stop that. I know what you're doing. Once again, stop it. Be an analyst. Don't be a douchebag. You know what I meant," Suggs said.

Suggs putting Bayless in his place... and saying, word for word, what anyone who has ever seen Bayless on TV has said before. Check out the video below.

Cundiff kick costs Ravens

Following Baltimore's heartbreaking 23-20 loss to the New England Patriots in yesterday's AFC Championship game, it's easy for Ravens fans to beat themselves up with "what ifs."

Kicker Billy Cundiff's last-second field goal attempt from 32 yards out sailed wide left and the Ravens' season came to an abrupt end.

What if wide receiver Lee Evans had held onto that last-second touchdown pass? What if Joe Flacco had tucked it and run on third down? What if the Ravens' coaching staff had called a timeout, giving Cundiff enough time to set up for his field goal attempt to send the game into overtime?

What makes it especially tough is that, with NFC juggernauts Green Bay and New Orleans -- arguably the two best teams in the league -- out of the playoffs, the game against New England was Baltimore's biggest hurdle to winning its second Super Bowl. A game against San Francisco (who the Ravens already beat) or the New York Giants (who barely even made the playoffs) awaited the AFC champions.

But there's nothing you can do now, and as much as it sucks, we're now watching the Patriots compete for their fifth Super Bowl since 2001.

If it's any comfort, Ravens fans, at least you aren't a Redskins fan. At least you have a young, winning head coach for the foreseeable future. You have a franchise running back, a top-rated defense, a young quarterback who has won five playoff games in his first four seasons. The Redskins have... well, not much.

Come April, the Ravens will be drafting to replace Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis. Lewis has already stated his intent to return next year, and he'll be able to mentor whoever Baltimore drafts at middle linebacker. Arizona State's Vontaze Burfict or Alabama's Dont'a Hightower look like stars in the making, and if either are around late in the first round, either one would be a steal for the Ravens.

After that, the Ravens need to draft a center and shore up some depth in the secondary. That's it. That's the list. Baltimore has to decide whether or not to re-sign some key players in free agency, including linebackers Jarret Johnson and Jameel McClain, running back Ray Rice, offensive linemen Ben Grubbs and Matt Birk, safeties Haruki Nakamura and Tom Zbikowski, and defensive linemen Brandon McKinney and Cory Redding.

But Baltimore has proven to be a player-friendly franchise, and being a playoff contender certainly doesn't hurt its chances of retaining the players it wants.

Bottom line, this is a team that returns almost everyone next year besides a few key reserves and one or two starters. It doesn't need to address much in the draft, and it's a team that should be contending for a Super Bowl in the next five or so seasons. The Ravens ought to be competing for an AFC Championship again next season. So keep your heads up, Ravens fans. The future is bright.

Ravens face Pats: Suggs vs. Uggs

I really wish I had thought of that catchline, but the credit goes to Baltimore-area actor Josh Charles, who tweeted "Next Sunday for the AFC crown. It's on: SUGGS vs. UGGS @Ravens #BSHU"

For the Twitter illiterate, Charles, a Ravens fan, noted that this matchup would be [star defensive player Terrell] Suggs versus New England quarterback and Uggs spokesperson Tom Brady. (#BSHU references "Ball So Hard University," Suggs' catchphrase on a Monday Night Football game earlier this year.)

Brilliant.

The Ravens will have their hands full with the Patriots' explosive offense this Sunday when the two teams take the field in New England.

The Patriots own the 20th-ranked rush offense (versus the Ravens' second-ranked rush defense). That should just about take running out of the equation for New England. But that's not necessarily a good thing, as Brady arms the league's second-ranked pass offense. The Ravens have a stout fourth-best pass defense. That's the blueprint to success: stop Brady.

That's easier said than done. New England's air raid has been damn near impossible to stop -- or even slow down -- Brady over the last two months. He threw for more than 5,200 yards this season, and has thrown 25 touchdowns to just three interceptions, to go along with 300-plus-yard games in seven of his last nine games.

The Ravens, with their 10th-ranked rush offense (versus New England's 17th-ranked rush defense) and 19th-ranked pass offense (versus New England's dead-last pass defense) are the more balanced team. New England has trouble stopping anyone, and secured the No. 1 seed by simply outscoring teams.

But if there's one bit of comfort for Ravens fans who have seen quarterback Joe Flacco struggle in the postseason before, it's that -- according to ESPN -- the fourth-year passer is 7-0 against teams that made the playoffs this year, throwing 10 touchdowns to just two interceptions in those games. He's faced off against the first-, second- and seventh-ranked defenses twice each this season, as well as the fourth-ranked defense once. So the guy has performed well against good teams this year.

As for the beef between Suggs and Brady that emerged in 2010 when Brady was seen petitioning a referee for a penalty flag, it looks like both sides have agreed to let bygones be bygones.

Earlier in the week, Brady was asked about the feud -- and about his Uggs endorsement: "Maybe I'll send him a pair. Soften him up," Brady joked.

Later, when reporters asked Suggs about Brady's Uggs, the AFC Defensive Player of the Year responded: "I heard they are really comfortable. I'll take some. I'll send him some Ball So Hard gear," Suggs said.

Marshall coach flops, wins game

The Marshall Thundering Herd's men's basketball team is having a pretty solid start to their season. They're 13-4 and sit atop Conference USA with a 4-0 record.

Six of their wins have come by five points or less. They beat UNC-Wilmington by five, Cincinnati by four and Belmont by one. And in their last three games, they've beaten Rice, UAB and Central Florida by a combined five points.

So in last week's 65-64 win over Central Florida, you can't help but think that a free throw might have made all the difference. Especially when they came off a flopping job that would make Duke's Mike Krzyzewski beam with pride.

Late in the first half, UCF guard Isaiah Sykes sorta kinda maybe barely grazed Marshall coach Tom Herrion with an elbow while running down the court.

By the looks of the video below, you'd think Sykes took a baseball bat to Herrion's rib cage.

"It was an inadvertent elbow. If it had been intentional, we would have tossed him out of the game," said referee Rick Hartzell.

No matter. Thanks to Herrion's Oscar-winning performance, Marshall earned a pair of foul shots. Guard Damier Pitts hit one of two. The Thundering Herd went on to win by a point.

After the game, Herrion told reporters that the foul was a "non-story." Yeah, no biggie, I guess. Check out the video below and be the judge. (In case the video gets pulled, search YouTube for "Tom Herrion flop.")

Drunken Packers fan cries

It sucks when your team loses. I know this, because I root for the Redskins, Orioles and Wizards. Let's just say I know a thing or two about being a loser when it comes to sports.

So when you're donning Packers green and yellow and your team went 15-1 during the regular season -- and won the Super Bowl last year -- sorry if I'm not overly sympathetic that you're sobbing because your team lost in the NFC Divisional round.

That's why the following video is so delicious. You've got a combination of a poor loser and an overly intoxicated fan. Enjoy.

Dikembe Mutumbo accused of scam

Longtime NBA veteran Dikembe Mutumbo was a fan favorite for years. But he's also a guy nobody has probably thought about for the better part of the decade.

That is, until he made headlines this week after being accused of operating a gold scam.

Wow, a guy who made a living playing professional basketball for 18 years doesn't know how to successfully run a gold mining operation? Who would have guessed?

The details are all sort of hazy at this point, but it appears that Mutumbo claimed to have at least 1,000 pounds of gold for sale in his native Congo, valued at more than $10 million.

The Houston Chronicle, which busted the story wide open, reports: "Because of an internal ban on mining and exports, imposed to try to stop the main revenue source for the mafia-like militias that controlled them, the gold could not be taken to market in usual ways. What Mutombo needed was somebody with money, connections and the ability to put a deal together."

So he tried to sell it all to a Texas oil man named Kase Lawal, but the attempt at smuggling was intercepted at an airport in Congo.

This sets African Craigslist scammers back at least a decade. Damn shame, really. And is there any doubt that when he ends up on the jury stand, he'll flash his patented finger wag, which he made famous after every block?

Terps basketball gives fans heartburn

Two months ago, I warned readers that it was going to be a long year for Terps' men's basketball.

At the halfway mark, head coach Mark Turgeon and guard Terrell Stoglin -- who leads the ACC with 20.8 points per game -- have somehow navigated the out-of-conference schedule to avoid any bad losses to creampuffs and has led Maryland to a 2-1 record in ACC play.

But despite the Terps' overachieving 12-4 record during a clear rebuilding year, the wins haven't come easy. And they haven't come without practically causing Turgeon to go on a diet of Tums and Pepto-Bismol.

In Maryland's season opener against UNC-Wilmington, the Terps led by 12 points with just under five minutes in the game. Over the next 3 minutes, 40 seconds, the Seahawks went on a 6-0 run to give Maryland a scare. The Terps went 6-for-6 from the line down the stretch to secure the win.

In the BB&T Classic, Maryland led Notre Dame by 10 points with 1 minute, 43 seconds left. But the Fighting Irish went on an 8-2 run over the next 35 seconds. Stoglin bailed out the Terps with a clutch jumper and Maryland hung on for the win.

Against a Mount St. Mary's team that had losses of 56 points to Marquette and 29 points to Minnesota, the Terps led by 16 just before halftime. The lead dwindled to 12 points with 13 minutes left in the second half before the Mountaineers went on a 13-1 run over the next five minutes. After Mychal Parker nailed a pair of free throws, Maryland gutted out a three-point win.

Next up was Albany, a team with a 1-6 road record. After leading by 13 late in the first half, Maryland let the Great Danes get back into the game. By half, the lead was just five points. In the second half, both teams traded the lead back and forth. Eventually, the Terps pulled away and won their first game by double digits, thanks in large part due to European center Alex Len's 14-point, eight-rebound, three-block debut.

Against Cornell, the Terps scored the game's first 16 points and led by as many as 23 in the first half. But the Big Red chipped away at the lead to make it just 15 points at the half. An ice-cold Maryland team scored just two points in the first nine minutes of the second half, and Cornell cut the lead to just one point. The Terps led by four points with 30 seconds left, but sank all six free throws down the stretch to win another close one.

Lastly, Maryland led Wake Forest by 18 points with 17 minutes left in the second half before the Demon Deacons went on a 21-6 run over the next eight minutes. The Terps led by four points with 16 points left, but a 9-for-12 performance from the free throw line down the stretch allowed the Terps to escape with a six-point win.

So yesterday's 61-50 win over Georgia Tech was one of Maryland's largest margins of victory this season. That's important for the Terps' psyche as they head into a brutal eight-game stretch that includes road games at Florida State, Temple, Miami, Clemson and Duke and home games against Duke, Virginia Tech and North Carolina.

Realists maintain that an NCAA Tournament berth is still a long way off for this Maryland team. But winning home games against the ACC's bottom-feeders is a must, particularly in a year where the Terps face Duke and North Carolina twice each -- the only ACC team with that tall task.

Ravens host Texans in playoffs

It took quarterback Joe Flacco four years, but the Ravens starter finally gets to play his first playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium.

It has to be an odd feeling for Flacco, who has led the Ravens (12-4) to three straight playoff-opener road wins in the last three years. But the home field advantage was hard-earned after Baltimore edged out archrival Pittsburgh for the No. 2 seed and the subsequent first-round bye.

The Ravens host the Houston Texans (10-6) after the Texans cruised to a 31-10 win in the AFC Wildcard round against Cincinnati. It was Houston's first-ever playoff win (and appearance) as a franchise.

Baltimore has already faced off against the Texans on its home turf this year, and Ravens fans wouldn't mind a replay of the 29-14 Week 6 win.

Houston looks a bit different from that October game, though. Starting quarterback Matt Schaub injured his foot and landed on the injured reserve, ending his season. And backup quarterback Matt Leinart lasted one-and-a-half quarters as a starter before breaking his collarbone and ending his season.

Since then, rookie TJ Yates has started, and been adequate, though the Texans haven't asked a ton of the prolific former UNC passer.

Houston's biggest offensive threats are running back Arian Foster, who finished fifth in the league in rushing yards (Ravens running back Ray Rice was second-best), and wide receiver Andre Johnson, who missed nine games this year with an on-again-off-again injury.

Without Schaub, the Texans' offense is less potent, a piece of good news for Baltimore's fourth-ranked pass defense. The real test will come when the Ravens' second-ranked run defense squares off against Houston's second-best rush offense.

Like Baltimore, the Texans also boast a stout defense that ranks third-best in pass defense and fourth-best against the run.

One interesting matchup should be Houston's secondary against Ravens rookie Torrey Smith, whose blazing straight-line speed has led to a team-best 16.8 yards per catch and seven touchdowns. He and Flacco have developed a solid rapport that resulted in a three-catch, 84-yard performance in Baltimore's early season win over Houston.

In short, it's sort of like looking into the mirror. You've got an offense that relies far more on its run game than its pass game, and a stellar defense against an air and ground attack.

Baltimore's 8-0 home record should put Ravens fans at ease, as well as Houston's 5-3 road record, particularly with the Texans losing their last three regular season games.

Terps' Locksley making big splash locally

Less than three weeks after hiring former New Mexico head coach Mike Locksley as the new offensive coordinator, the Maryland Terrapins' recruiting class has already seen some
dividends.

Locksley, who coached on Maryland's staff from 1998 to 2002 before stops at Florida and Illinois, is well-known for his recruiting prowess.

Unfortunately, he's also known for leading New Mexico to a 2-26 record over two and a half seasons, and made headlines for sexual harassment and hitting an assistant coach.

The man has baggage, but that's neither here nor there. He was hired to breathe some life into Maryland's program, which nosedived from 9-4 to 2-10 under first-year head coach Randy Edsall.

And already, Locksley has hit the ground running, landing two commitments from high school players and a transfer from New Mexico.

One, Levern Jacobs, is a wide receiver whose younger brother Taivon is sure to be one of the top in-state prospects next year. The other, Wes Brown, is a running back from Good Counsel ranked the No. 249 player in the class of 2012 and the sixth-best player in the state of Maryland.

Brown's commitment came shortly after the transfer of former New Mexico safety Zach Dancel, who played alongside Brown at Good Counsel and whose parents serve as Brown's guardian. Dancel's father, Bernie, is a well-known booster in the area, whose generous donations resulted in Good Counsel naming the school's football field after him.

Those incoming recruits have boosted Maryland's recruiting rankings up to the No. 45 class in the country, and sixth-best in the ACC.

But Locksley isn't done yet. He's also put Maryland in the discussion to land several other top unsigned in-state talents, including Stefon Diggs, Ronald Darby, Albert Reid and Eddie Goldman. Diggs, Darby and Goldman all rank among the top 100 players in the country, and some have whispered that Reid, the No. 72 athlete in the class of 2012, will almost certainly be a Terp. Whether any of the others join him will be the difference between a good class and an excellent class.

Locksley is so well-known for his recruiting abilities that, in addition to his $500,000 in guaranteed annual pay, Washington Times beat writer Patrick Stevens reports he'll "receive $25,000 if Maryland is in the top 40 of the Rivals.com or Scout.com rankings on signing day. He also will receive $20,000 if the Terps rank among the top four teams in the ACC on signing day."

That's a recruitnik's dream come true. Of course, he'll also land bonuses for Maryland's offensive production among other ACC teams. And regardless how the Terps finish this recruiting class, the move will certainly put Maryland back on the map for local recruits and make the program more appealing to the locals.

Nat'l championship was a yawner

A rematch between the top two teams in the country sounds a lot better in theory than it looked in execution on Monday night, when Alabama beat LSU 21-0.

By the end, the only thing I was rooting for was that neither team would score a touchdown. Maybe, then, Alabama kicker Jeremy Shelley could have earned MVP honors.

There's nothing wrong with seeing whose defense is better between the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked defenses in the country. But when they're squaring off against the No. 30 and No. 73 offenses in the country... well, it's not surprising that these guys combined for five field goals and no touchdowns the first time they played in November.

When LSU won that matchup 9-6, that should have been it. Both teams combined for eight punts and four turnovers. It was a defensive battle. And it wasn't a game many people should have been dying to watch a second time, even if Alabama came away with a convincing win in the sequel.

Alabama's defense came out on top in Monday's 21-0 win. The Crimson Tide held LSU's offense to 92 total yards. Both teams combined for 12 punts and two turnovers. And between the first game and the rematch, it took nearly 115 minutes to score a touchdown.

Please, someone out there, convince me that's a more intriguing matchup than watching No. 3 Oklahoma State take the field with its No. 3 ranked offense in the country. What's better than watching a juggernaut offense clash against a juggernaut defense?

How is that not better than watching two defenses stifle average-to-below-average offenses?

Meanwhile, Oklahoma State dropped 41 on No. 4 Stanford in a battle of two high-powered offenses. Sure, the defenses didn't stop much of anything, as both offenses combined for more than 1,000 yards. But that's exactly what fans want to see.

They want to see a team that racked up 76 touchdowns this year go up against the nation's stingiest defense. They want to see who wins that battle, not a rematch between two teams that already played almost to a stalemate.

So if anyone is out there, please listen to the rationale. We need a college football playoff. We really, really need a college playoff.

Mental error costs coach job

Following one of the most bizarre scenes in college basketball this year (video at the end of this post), Western Kentucky fired head coach Ken McDonald last week after a blunder of epic proportions.

With the score knotted 70-70, Louisiana-Lafayette spread its players out on the court, held for the last possession and converted a layup with just three seconds left in the game. Western Kentucky made a futile attempt to hit a halfcourt shot for the win, and went home losers.

The only problem? The Ragin' Cajuns clearly had six guys on the court. Actually the only problem was that nobody on the Western Kentucky bench spoke up until after the game was over, rendering the observation useless.

In all my years of watching basketball at any level, I've never seen that before.

So the Hilltoppers fell to 5-11 on the season, and in an effort to save face, the school's athletic director Ross Bjork did what he felt was necessary and fired McDonald.

It seems like a brash decision, but Bjork noted that Western Kentucky's attendance had also been dwindling, from nearly 4,000 in attendance for the home opener to just over 2,000 in attendance for the Louisiana-Lafayette game, "despite a $1 ticket promotion," according to Sports Illustrated.

Bjork named assistant coach Ray Harper the interim coach, ending a three-and-a-half-year stint for McDonald in which his team's win totals decreased each year.

McDonald had a fairly bright future with the Hilltoppers, though, and the next head coach will inherit a stocked cabinet for a low- to mid-major fringe team. ESPN ranked Western Kentucky's incoming six-man freshman class just outside of the top 25 nationally, so the Hilltoppers are a youthful team struggling to win in their first games in college.

Harper's first game with the team didn't go much smoother. Despite leading Troy by six at the half, the Hilltoppers gave up a 28-8 run to start the second half before eventually losing by two.

Parity abounds in college hoops

It was a bloodbath weekend for ranked teams in college basketball.

No. 9 Georgetown, No. 13 Florida and No. 15 Mississippi State all lost to unranked opponents by double-digit margins.

No. 7 Missouri lost by 16, No. 11 Louisville lost in double-overtime at home to an unranked Notre Dame team and No. 8 UConn lost by seven on the road at Rutgers.

Sounds like a good time to take a step back and look at college basketball's elite.

Outside of Syracuse, Kentucky and Baylor, every top college basketball team has looked downright lousy at times this season. And while those teams have combined for a 47-1 record this year, that's going to start looking less impressive if the elite-ish teams don't start getting their acts together.

In the ACC, Duke lost at Ohio State by 22 earlier this season in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. But in the last week, the Blue Devils have lost at unranked Temple and should have lost at unranked Georgia Tech. Fellow conference blueblood North Carolina boasts a gaudy 14-2 record, with just one win against a ranked team.

On the other end of the country, the Pac-12 has no ranked teams, and its traditional powers have struggled greatly this year. UCLA is 9-7, Arizona is 10-5, Washington is 9-6 and USC is at the bottom of the conference with a 5-11 record, just a year after reaching the NCAA Tournament.

And everywhere in-between isn't doing much better.

Perennial Big East powers Pittsburgh (11-5) and Villanova (7-8) sit toward the bottom of their conference, riding losing streaks of four and three games, respectively. Marquette is 2-4 in its last six, Louisville is 1-3 in its last four and UConn is on a two-game losing streak.

Down south, the SEC has had its share of struggles, with Alabama suffering a black eye earlier this season when it dropped three of four games. Tennessee is 8-7, Mississippi State, despite being ranked, has lost two of its last three, and Florida is 2-2 in its last four.

And in the Midwest, familiar names like Kansas -- which lost at home to Davidson -- have struggled. Kansas State lost by 18 at Kansas last week. Illinois is 4-3 in its last seven. Indiana's three wins over ranked teams are by a combined seven points and could just as easily have been losses. And Wisconsin has dropped each of its last three games.

Meanwhile, it's a handful of smaller teams around the country making noise. No. 19 Murray State remains one of three unbeaten teams in the country, with a win at No. 21 Memphis on its resume.

No. 17 UNLV -- which is hardly a mid-major but doesn't play in a "BCS" conference -- has double-digit wins over No. 1 UNC, No. 19 Illinois and Cal.

No. 22 Harvard is 2-0 against the ACC this year, knocking off No. 22 Florida State by five and Boston College by 21.

And a battle-tested Long Beach State already claims wins over No. 9 Pittsburgh, No. 14 Xavier and Auburn, all on the road, all by double digits.

In a year where parity reigned supreme in the NFL, it's been interesting -- albeit unpredictable -- to watch the low-majors regularly knocking off the mid-majors, and the mid-majors regularly knocking off the high-majors.

You can bet we won't be seeing another 11-bid year for the Big East. And after last year's Final Four, which included Virginia Commonwealth for the first time ever and Butler for the second year in a row, maybe it's time to start thinking hard about the possibility of a non-power conference team taking home the brass this year.

Tim Howard scores 100-yard goal

English Premier League star goalie Tim Howard (pictured) doesn't look like a guy who just scored a goal.

In fact, he looks more like a guy who had a goal scored on him.

But the Everton goalkeeper netted a goal in the 63rd minute of a 2-1 win over Bolton. And it was a freak occurrence on a clear that took a high bounce and sailed over Bolton goalie Adam Bogdan's hands.

Even though Howard committed a goalie-on-goalie hate crime, you'd think the 32-year old would have cracked a smile. His teammates practically carried him off the field, but Howard wasn't grinning, despite scoring the fourth goal by a goalie ever in the English Premier League's history.

In fact, after the game, Howard went over and consoled Bogdan.

"I let him know that I was feeling for him. It's not a nice place to be. I've been there before, a long, long time ago, and that was why I didn't celebrate," Howard said.

Talk about not enjoying the moment.

The Wizards suck

When the NBA lockout ended, folks thought that this might be a year where the Washington Wizards took a step forwards, not backwards.

Six games in, the Wizards are the last remaining winless team, and rank dead last in points per game, second-to-last in assists per game, 26th in rebounds per game and 22nd in points allowed per game. They're losing by an average of 12.8 points per game.

Super.

Just about the only positives you can take away from the abysmal start to the Wizards season are that 1) we only have to watch 66 games of this crap, instead of the typical 82, and 2) there are a lot of good big men in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Highly touted European big man Jan Vesely hasn't appeared in a game yet, nursing a hip injury while top pick Kyrie Irving is putting up 15 points and six assists per game for Cleveland. Hell, Caucasian sensation Jimmer Fredette is averaging 10 points per game for Sacramento.

So while Washington-area fans try to find something interesting to watch on television, consider tuning in to watch the ultra-competitive Redskins... er... the Nationals... er... the Caps? Well, if you're a basketball nut, maybe just tune in to watch the local Terps putting together an impressive season despite being incredibly shorthanded.

If you need to convince yourself it's not a complete waste of time, consider that sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin could probably start for Washington at this point. He might even be the team's leading scorer.

All I want(ed) for Christmas was a mildly competitive (professional) team. A mildly competitive team, oh a mildly competitive team.

Terps top Cornell in close finish

With out-of-conference losses to American and Ohio ('07), Morgan State ('08) and William & Mary ('09) over the last handful of years, Terps fans have become wary to playing the so-called "cupcakes" of college basketball.

You can't blame them. And with just seven scholarship players for the first nine games of the season, that Maryland is now 10-3 following last night's 70-62 win over Cornell speaks volumes to first-year head coach Mark Turgeon's abilities.

The less-shorthanded-than-they-were-before Terps have strung together a seven-game win streak, with Notre Dame being the only household name during that streak. But even for an ACC team, winning consistently with seven (now nine) scholarship players is no small feat.

The Terps wrapped up their nonconference schedule with an eight-point win over the visiting Cornell Big Red (4-9), a team with eight of its nine losses coming by single-digit margins.

It was a Jekyll-and-Hyde-like performance for the Terps, though. In the first half, Maryland scored the game's first 16 points and got out to a 28-5 lead less than 10 minutes in. The Terps shot 63% from the field in the first half, while Cornell needed nearly six minutes just to score a point. At one point, 14 of Cornell's first 17 shots were from the three-point line.

But Cornell cut the lead toward the end of the first half, narrowing the margin from 19 points late in the first half to just one point with 12 minutes remaining. Maryland needed nearly nine minutes to score its first field goal in the second half, as the Big Red out-shot Maryland 50% to 28% in the second half, outscoring the Terps 36-29.

Despite a 1-for-9 performance from the three-point line in the second half, and a 1-for-11 shooting performance from freshman guard Nick Faust, the Terps held on for the win. Freshman big Alex Len ended with 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocks on 5-for-5 shooting. And it was senior guard Sean Mosley, not Terrell Stoglin, leading the team in scoring with 19 points.

Though the Terps never trailed all game, they didn't make it easy on Turgeon's blood pressure. But a win by 30 points is the same as a win by one point in the win column at the end of the day.

Maryland travels to face NC State on Sunday to kick off the ACC schedule.

Redskins land sixth pick in 2012 Draft

As 20 NFL teams' seasons ended on Sunday without a postseason bid, Redskins fans finally had something to look forward to again: the 2012 NFL Draft.

Washington, dubbed the "Offseason Champs," finished the regular season at 5-11 and earned the sixth overall draft pick.

Picking ahead of the Redskins are:

1. Indianapolis Colts (2-14)
2. St. Louis Rams (2-14)
3. Minnesota Vikings (3-13)
4. Cleveland Browns (4-12)
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)

As I've written about here and here, barring a bizarre twist of events, the Indianapolis Colts will be taking Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the first overall pick.

The Redskins, obviously, are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback. And with USC's Matt Barkley going back to school, Washington fans rejoiced when the news came out that Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III -- this year's Heisman Trophy winner -- will be entering the 2012 Draft.

Standing between the Redskins and Griffin are three teams that don't need a quarterback: St. Louis, Minnesota and Tampa Bay all appear to have their quarterback situation solved for the next several years.

But two picks ahead of Washington at No. 4 overall are the Cleveland Browns, which are reportedly interested in Griffin. ESPN's Jamison Hensley even openly speculated that current starting quarterback Colt McCoy may never start another game in Cleveland.

Great.

Washington has a few options. It could leapfrog the Browns and swap picks with Minnesota, but moving up three spots in the draft would likely cost more than it's worth, even for the rights to the playmaking Griffin.

But all things considered, the Redskins don't need to land Griffin. If he comes off the board, the Redskins could trade down to the middle of the first round and possibly acquire a second- and third-round pick for their troubles. That would go a long way in filling gaps in the team's roster -- which could use a quarterback, running back, depth on the offensive line, middle linebacker, cornerback and safety.

Moving back could give the Redskins a chance to draft a stud receiver (like South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery) or a stud cornerback (like Alabama's Dre Kirkpatrick or Nebraska's Alfonso Dennard). Then Washington could take a flier on a second- or third-round quarterback like Wisconsin's Russell Wilson or Boise State's Kellen Moore, both fantastic talents whose draft values are low due to their short statures. Both Wilson and Moore are low-risk possibilities.

The Redskins currently have eight picks in the upcoming draft, including Oakland's fourth-rounder (for quarterback Jason Campbell) and Minnesota's fifth-rounder (for quarterback Donovan McNabb). They gave up their sixth-rounder to New Orleans in exchange for starting tackle Jammal Brown.

Ravens secure first-round bye

It wasn't a walk in the park, but the Baltimore Ravens did what they needed to: beat Cincinnati 24-16 on the road to secure the No. 2 seed in the upcoming NFL playoffs.

The Ravens looked sharp from the start, scoring on a four-play, 80-yard drive on the first drive of the game. Running back Ray Rice capped the drive off with a 70-yard touchdown run, and the Ravens never trailed all game.

It was a positive development for a team known for dominating teams at home. Baltimore (12-4) won six of its last seven games to end the season, edging out archrival Pittsburgh (12-4) due to a better head-to-head record.

The Ravens outscored opponents an average of 27.4 to 14.9 in home games, but struggled on the road, outscoring teams just 19.9 points to 18.4 allowed. But they won where it mattered, in Week 17, to secure a first-round bye and home field advantage in the AFC.

Baltimore has next week off and will face the highest seed out of the three through six seeds: (3) Houston, (4) Denver, (5) Pittsburgh or (6) Cincinnati. But with a flawless 8-0 record at home, Ravens fans can enjoy a somewhat relaxing upcoming weekend of watching the other AFC teams battle it out.