Flashback Friday: Happy Birthday Jim Calhoun

On Thursday Jim Calhoun celebrated his 70th birthday.

On the same day, Ray Allen and the Boston Celtics celebrated taking the first round of the playoffs by knocking out the Atlanta Hawks in six games. 

On this Flashback Friday we are going to revisit a game that happened well before NCAA and NBA Championships were a reality for these men. Watch as the UConn Huskies battle in the final seconds of the 1996 Big East Championship after  trailing 13 points with less than three minutes on the clock.

(PS. My favorite part of this video is not Iverson, or Allen's head of hair, or even Jim Calhoun's condolence face... rather, it is Dick Vitale yelling unbeeelievaaableee in his trademark voice!) 

On The Defense

I am an adamant supporter of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's decision to punish Sean Payton, Greg Williams, and all those involved in the Saints' Bounty scandal. The day the story broke- the minute it came out Sean Payton was aware of the pay-for-injury program- I believed the respected coach must sit out of the game for an entire year. Then, I applauded Goodell for making the tough decision, because it was the right decision. I am confident that this was the only way the league would become what it wants to be: focused on players' safety.
This is all the more reason I am surprised that I get what Chris Carter was bringing to the table when he revealed his own "bounty" history. And I am even more surprised that I am not morally opposed to the description he relayed on ESPNRadio of calling attention to specific players on opposing teams.
To me, it seems Carter described an insurance plan in the form of rewarding for protection. The label 'bounty' is so assuming now, that it is not fair to say a steak dinner for an extra tackle is a bounty. In a day where we know players aimed to tear ACLs and torture the concussed, we can not use the term bounty lightly. The type of insurance Carter describes could exist in 'old school' football the way it no longer can. It could be the culture in a league of football where players weren't constantly warned about bounties by a man named Goodell.
It is a good thing players such a Carter and Romanowski don't play the game anymore. Because the truth of the matter is... the game, and perception of the game, has changed.

It's Raining Bombs (Josh Hamilton's Bombs That Is)

What do the first, third, seventh, and eighth innings all have in common tonight?

These are the four innings in which Josh Hamilton slugged a home run in the game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Yes, that is right. Four innings, four home runs. One game.
If this doesn't sound impressive enough, take a look at these numbers.
Hamilton is only the 16th MLB player to add this achievement to his resume, and the first since Carlos Delgado in 2003 (We all know how prestigious a perfect game is... 21 pitchers have perfect games).
Tonight Hamilton went 5-for-5.
Hamilton swung 9 times and took 18 total bases during the game.
18 sets the AL record for total bases.
With this, he raised his slugging percentage from .703 to .840 (Matt Kemp is holding strong at .832).

So, what does it all mean?
It means that Josh Hamilton is in the final year of his contact. Naturally, it seems that players who are in the final year of their contract generally play 'better'. As a guy who is plagued with injuries and personal struggles in past seasons, Hamilton has to show why he is worth the gamble heading into the free agent market.