— Idea of the Day– NBA should run a 1-on-1 tournament in the summer, with players playing for the charity of their choice. 64 players, voted on by fans. It would be very popular, and it would make a boatload of $$$ for deserving charities.
50 years ago, the NBA did this for a couple years; they showed clips of the games at halftime of regular season games on Sunday afternoons. Bob Lanier won in 1972, Geoff Petrie won the next year. It died out when some agents discouraged their clients from playing. Too bad.
— When the Dodgers-Padres start baseball’s regular season in Korea next month, the games will start at 5:30am here in the East. March 21 is going to be a busy day; the second of the two games in Korea at 5:30am, then the NCAA Tournament starts at noon.
Imagine working in a sportsbook in Las Vegas? Baseball games start at 2:30am in Las Vegas; pity the people who have to take the bets before those games, then the NCAA’s start at 9am local time in the desert.
— Three years ago, Georgetown won four games in the Big East tournament, after a 9-12 regular season. In three years since then, the Hoyas are 3-51 in conference games, 21-68 in all games. Ed Cooley will eventually get Georgetown back on track. But they’ve got a big hill to climb.
— In the NHL, Toronto Maple Leafs have gone 200 games in a row without being shut out, only the 11th team to do that, the first team since the 1989 Rangers.
— Michigan Wolverines will have 18 players at the NFL Combine next week, five more than any other school; Washington is next, with 13 players.
— Kansas City Chiefs signed punter Matt Araiza to a contract, after Araiza’s legal issues in San Diego were dismissed. He was accused of a crime, then counter-sued the person for defamation, but now the slate has been wiped clean both ways.
Araiza was a great punter/kicker for San Diego State, so much so that Buffalo drafted him in the 6th round of the 2022 draft. He hasn’t played in the NFL yet.
— Baseball Stuff:
Pirates re-signed P Mitch Keller for five years, $77M.
SS Tim Anderson signs with the Marlins for one year, $5M.
3B Gio Urshela signed with the Tigers for one year, $1.5M.
Mets P Kodai Senga (shoulder) will start the season on the IL.
— Word of the Day: Mentor- an experienced and trusted adviser.
— Famous people with birthdays on February 23:
Fred Biletnikoff, 80- great WR for the Raiders.
Ed (Too Tall) Jones, 72- defensive lineman for the Cowboys
actress Emily Blunt, 41
singer Howard Jones, 69
Jamal Murray, 26- star for the Denver Nuggets
Andrew Wiggins, 28- Golden State Warriors
Tom Osborne, 86- longtime football coach at Nebraska
— Washington State 77, Arizona 74
Arizona was only 17-27 on foul line.
Coogs won 8th straight game; they’re 12-4 in Pac-12.
— Tarleton State 77, Grand Canyon 74
Tarleton was 29-40 on foul line, Grand Canyon 12-17
Antelopes led by 15 with 11:45 left in the game.
Tarleton moves within a game of Grand Canyon atop the WAC.
Loss snaps the Antelopes’ 7-game winning streak.
— Northern Arizona 78, Eastern Washington 71
Big upset in the Big Sky.
Lumberjacks outscored EWU 14-0 over final 3:05 of the game.
Eagles’ PG Magnuson played 27:00; he had 8 assists, didn’t take a shot.
— Washington 84, Arizona State 82 OT
Huskies led by 25 early in second half.
ASU led by 3 with 3:14 left in overtime.
Sun Devils lost nine of their last 12 games.
— Florida Atlantic 80, SMU 70
Owls won 10 of their last 12 games.
Loss snaps SMU’s 6-game winning streak.
— Upsets of the Night:
Washington State (+12.5) 77, Arizona 74
Northern Arizona (+9.5) 78, Eastern Washington 71
Hampton (+9.5) 72, Campbell 68
FIU (+6.5) 76, Liberty 71
UL-Monroe (+6.5) 66, Louisiana 59
— Cal-Davis 66, Cal-Northridge 65
Davis outscored Northridge 7-1 over final 1:59 of the game.
Northridge was only 16-29 on the foul line.
