Florida college students play Quidditch

  How old is to old to play quidditch? For some college students in Florida the answer appears to be never. The annual swap cup was held at the University of Florida. Eight college teams from all over the sunshine state competed this year. Is a new sport taking over in the heart of SEC football country? Find out more from the Alligator.org

Donovan McNabb criticizes Tebow for being to fan friendly?

   Does Tim Tebow need advice on how to act off the field? Most fair minded sports fans would agree Tebow is a pretty solid guy, whether you agree with his on the field performance or not. Leave it to Donovan McNabb to criticize Tebow for being to fan friendly. In an interview with ESPN, McNabb said nobody cares what players do off the field. The key to Tim Tebow’s popularity is almost 100% how he acts off the field. After giving his unwarranted advice to the young quarterback, McNabb went on to claim he was the most criticized qb in NFL history. Really? You want to criticize a guy, unfairly, and then claim that you’re the most criticized quarterback ever?

Read more about Donovan McNabb’s interview at the Tucson Citizen

CBS misses final seconds of Final Four game

   Did you see the finals seconds of the Ohio State Kansas final four match-up? Neither did I. That’s because CBS was showing replays of previous plays as the finals seconds ran out. When they cut back the game was over. You can watch the sequence on Yahoo Sports.

]]> http://25sports.com/25times/quidditch-for-college-students-mcnabb-criticizes-tebow-and-cbs-misses-ending-of-final-four-game/feed/ 0 http://25sports.com/25times/kentucky-vs-the-wizards-espn-gets-political-odd-sports-awards-and-dude-perfect-meets-the-blimp/ http://25sports.com/25times/kentucky-vs-the-wizards-espn-gets-political-odd-sports-awards-and-dude-perfect-meets-the-blimp/#comments Sun, 01 Apr 2012 17:29:32 +0000 James http://25sports.com/25times/?p=549 Odds for Kentucky vs. a NBA team?    Is it possible for a very good college team to beat a very bad NBA team? Most experts say no, but someone …

Odds for Kentucky vs. a NBA team?

   Is it possible for a very good college team to beat a very bad NBA team? Most experts say no, but someone has decided to offer odds if the Wildcats ever play the Wizards. According to this Lost Letterman article Washington would be favored by 30. I may have to take the points on this one.

 Odd Sports Awards

   Not a fan of the yellow jerseys at the Tour de France? How about the plaid jacket at Hilton Head? The Toronto Sun has put together a list of the most tacky awards in sports. I have to say, I don’t agree with the Green Jacket being on the list.

 

ESPN Gets Political By Banning Politics

   ESPN has decided to ban Rise Up and Register, a sponsor of Blake Koch in NASCAR’s nationwide series, commercials during the lower series races. The network said it was because religious and political “overtones” in the commercial. Really? This from the network that puts on the Presidential bracket each year. I believe in keeping politics out of sports, but you can’t pick and choose. It shouldn’t be “maybe political overtones are fine, as long as we agree with them.” You can read more about ESPN and the Blake Koch situation at  Naples News

Dude Perfect from the Blimp

   It looks like it’s going to be a good year for Dude Perfect. They have now added making a basket from a blimp to their resume. Check out the awesome video on youtube.

 

 

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   Ever wonder what golfers have the most powerful presence online? 25 Sports came up with a way to quantify a golfers online clout. No surprise Tiger Woods rules, but some other names on our list may surprise you.

Name / Score

#1 Tiger Woods / 72,112

#2 Rory McIlroy / 15,939

#3 Ian Poulter / 13,389

#4 Rickie Fowler / 4,939

#5 Lee Westwood / 4,425

#6 John Daly / 4,306

#7 Graeme McDowell / 3,843

#8 Luke Donald / 3,403

#9 Bubba Watson / 3,223

#10 Adam Scott / 2,774

#11 Phil Mickelson / 2,739

#12/13 Sergio Garcia / 2,643

#12/13 Darren Clarke / 2,643

#14 Michelle Wie / 2,095

#15 Paula Creamer / 1,733

#16 Hunter Mahan / 1,621

#17 Dustin Johnson / 1,475

#18 Paul Casey / 1,456

#19 Justin Rose / 1,251

#20 Yani Tseng / 1,190

#21 Vijay Singh / 1,130

#22 Jason Day / 1,102

#23 Zach Johnson / 1,052

#24 Keegan Bradley / 984

#25 Mark Wilson / 878

  Complaining about the World Golf rankings? Yes, it’s easy and in vogue. Luke Donald has never won a major. He shouldn’t be number one. See how easy that is. What’s not easy is deciding who should be no. 1.

   Luke Donald wasn’t worthy to be no. 1. That was the logic of many golf experts because he hasn’t won a major. The fact is, he finished atop the PGA Tour money list and won the Race to Dubai on the European Tour. If winning two different tours on two different continents doesn’t qualify you to be the top ranked golfer what does?

   The top spot could be taken over by either Rory McIlroy or Lee Westwood. Rory McIlroy is the reigning U.S. Open champ and has a future so bright you can’t look at it without sunglasses. He could be the next big thing in golf. While fans are waiting for Tiger to pass his torch, McIlroy may just be the one who takes it.

   Lee Westwood is coming off a four win season in 2011. He had two top ten finishes in major championships (T8-PGA Champ. & T3-U.S. Open). Westwood defines the term consistency in golf. He may still lack the major championship to define his career, but I can’t imagine one is two far off.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.   Trying to find the best golfer in the world right now is not an easy job. From Greg Norman to Tiger Woods, the World Golf Ranking system has a track record of getting it right. The parity that exists in golf makes it hard to choose the best. Whether it’s Lee Westwood or Rory McIlroy, the next no. 1 will deserve the crown of top ranked golfer in the world.

   In the first two days of the WGC Accenture Match-Play the upset special was on the menu. While three of the four top seeds remain , only one 2nd seed and one 3rd seeded players remain. Welcome to match play.

   The highest seed (2) to lose today was Jason Day. He lost to Aussie John Senden (10) in blowout fashion 6&5. To many peoples surprise, Tiger Woods lost to Nick Watney on 18 after missing a short putt. His fans are promising a comeback. What we saw at the match-play was an exercise in futility. Missed putts, wedges missing their distance, and still wild tee shots. Tiger may be on a comeback, but it didn’t show in the last two days.

   If like me, your bracket was in the trash bin after day one, it’s time to start over in the sweet 16. Here’s the remaining field.

Bobby Jones Bracket:

(9) P. Hanson vs. (5) B. Snedeker

(10) M. Wilson vs. (3) D. Johnson

Ben Hogan Bracket:

(1) M. Kaymer vs. (4) M. Kuchar

(2) S. Stricker vs. (6) H. Mahan

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Gary Player Bracket:

(1) R. McIlroy vs. (12) M. Jiminez

(10) J. Senden vs. (11) S. Bae

Sam Snead Bracket:

(1) L. Westwood vs. (4) N. Watney

(10) M. Laird vs. (11) P. Lawrie

   Here comes golf’s version of March madness. Welcome to the WGC Match Play Championship. 64 players will battle it out over the next 5 days to crown this years champion. Will Luke Donald prove that he deserves to be ranked no. 1? Is it finally time for Tiger? Is the El Nino finally back in Sergio’s game?

   Many people will be tuning in to see if Tiger’s game is back. That question will not be answered this week, win or lose. It’s match play. One on One. All he has to do this week is beat 6 golfers. No matter what the result is, his game will still raise as many questions as the plot line in a M Night Shyamalan movie.

   Sergio is surging. He finished only 2 shots back after firing a 64 on the final round of the Northern Trust Open. If not for a poor showing on Friday (76), he may have won the tournament going away. Look for a very interesting second round match-up with Keegan Bradley if he can defeat Miguel Angel Jimenez

 Pick To Win

   Who’s the second highest ranked American in the World Golf ratings behind Steve Stricker? Phil Mickelson? Nope. Dustin Johnson? Nope. Bubba Watson? Nope. The answer is Webb Simspon.

    With two top tens out of three tournaments this year, Webb is ready to continue the strong play he showed at the end of last year.

   The key match-up for Webb SImpson is a potential third round duel with Bill Haas. These two finished at the top of the FedEx Cup standings last year. Still, both golfers are underrated in the golf world. Look for the winner of this  round to take home the title.

   Outside of a major, the WGC Match-Play could be the most exciting tournament in golf. March Madness is here for golf. Why wait for basketball to fill out a bracket? I’m just hoping my bracket doesn’t end up in the trash after the first day.

   Phil Mickelson will have competition as he looks for his second straight victory on the west coast. Keegan Bradley fired a -5 (66) to tie Lefty on the top of the leader board at the Norther Trust Open. Mickelson and Bradley (-7) will take a one shot lead into Sunday.

   Bryce Molder put himself into contention after a very solid 66 on Saturday. He is joined at -6 under for the tournament by Jonathan Byrd and Pat Perez.

   There is a strong group of contenders only two back. Dustin Johnson looked like he was ready to jump into the lead until a three put cost him at the par 5 17th. Last years champion, Aaron Baddeley, jumped up the leader board with a 66 to join Johnson at -5 for the tournament.  Also  at five under is last years Fed Ex Cup champion Bill Haas.

   Rounding out the top ten are Ryan Moore and Jarred Lyle at 4 under par. Look for an exciting final day at Riviera on this tough but far course.

photogolfer / Shutterstock.com

   When will Tiger officially make his comeback? That seems to be the glaring question in the golf world. It’s clear Tiger has shown signs of improvement, but there is still a lot to be desired in his game. Is he really that close to being back or is it wishful thinking by people who need a come back?

   With Tiger there are two camps. Those who cheer for him and those who cheer against him. At Pebble Beach both crowds came away thinking they won. The truth is, that tournament probably left more questions than answers. Was the first three days of solid play signs of things to come? Many say yes. Just as many people look at the Sunday meltdown as Tiger missing the “it” factor.

   Can the new swing hold up on Sunday? Tiger seems to be a one dimensional golfer now. He fades the ball. His rounds are predictable. Woods goes right like NASCAR turns left. This may not be all bad. Many golfers have built a career on hitting one shot well. The problem is Pebble Beach may have been the softest field he will face for awhile. Out of the top 10 golfers in the World Rankings only one played in the Pro-Am. That was Dustin Johnson ranked 10th.

   There’s no doubt Tiger’s swing is still a work in progress. This begs the question, why are so many experts picking him in every tournament? The answer: Tiger did for golf what Michael Jordan did for basketball. He created a multi-billion dollar industry. Woods’ made a lot of people a whole lot of money . Thinking with your wallet is not a bad way to go, but it’s also not an objective way to look at a golf tournament. There’s also the I told you so factor. People in the pro-Tiger camp want to be the first one to call his comeback victory.

   The name Tiger Woods garners an instant reaction. When it comes to the world’s former top ranked golfer there are very few objective opinions. Odds say Tiger will win again. Will it be a major? Can he win a major or any other tournament with a stacked field? Nobody really knows.

   With the inventions of Ipods and other MP3 players it’s possible to take your music anywhere. One of my favorite places to listen to music is the driving range or putting greens before a round of golf. Here is what I added to my golf playlist. Please share yours in the comment box.

Yellowcard- View From Heaven

Antonio Vivaldi- The Four Seasons “Spring”

Brooks & Dunn- Red Dirt Road

Eric Church- Carolina

Lifehouse- Whatever It Takes

Billy Currington- People Are Crazy

Hawk Nelson- Every Little Thing

Johann Pachelbel- Canon in D

Dierks Bentley- My Last Name

Train- Meet Virginia

Joe Nichols- Ain’t Nobody Gonna Take That From Me

Michael Buble- Come Fly With Me

Luke Bryan- Good Directions

Seventh Day Slumber- Oceans From The Rain

Train- Drops of Jupiter