Kanka's Sports Page Details

Ten Ways To Improve The Game Of Basketball, In Increasing Order Of Entertainment Value
2008-05-05 02:36:00
by Klondike, 2007 KankaNation Laetare recipient#1: Actual Enforcement Of RulesYeah, buddy, I'm pretty sure that was a travel right there.#2: More Creative Enforcement Of RulesFree shots just don't seem very sporting; every point made should be a point earned. Instead, penalties should result in punitive action. The obvious choice would be to institute a hockey-style penalty box, but there are more creative methods. They could forbid the player from using his arms for thirty seconds, or tie one of his legs to that of a lucky fan.#3: Style PointsThe more flamboyant the shot, the more points that are awarded. First and foremost, after all, the players are here to entertain.#4: Time-Progressive Penalty RestrictionsThe game would start with the normal five-penalty limit per player. As the game progresses, however, less penalties would be acceptable. The last ten minutes of the game could not be played by any player with more than one penalty, and the last two minutes would be limited to tho ...

Notre Dame's Jansen, Brockington, and Travis Thomas Sign as Undrafted Free Agents
2008-04-29 00:24:00
Snapper JJ Jansen has signed with the Green Bay Packers. A multi-year "starter," JJ definitely got his share of playing time with the punting unit last year, and yet he only had one or two bad snaps. That's definitely worth a look Joe Brockington, thought by some to be a potential seventh rounder, signed with the Bills. Good for Brockington. This is a guy who was never a starter coming into the season, but year after year played his way into the starting lineup.Travis Thomas signed with the Browns. Thomas will get some looks in the NFL as a special teamer, but perhaps not with the Browns. Safety Nick Sorensen is their special teams ace, returner Joshua Cribbs led the Browns in special teams tackles last year, and Ryan Pontbriand is the long snapper. That's three roster spots for guys who (more or less) only play on special teams and aren't kickers. Cleveland does need some depth at running back, but I don't know if Travis is the answer.Geoff Price has yet to sign with anyone, b ...

Twittering the NFL Draft
2008-04-27 02:14:00
I've been meaning to give Twitter a try, and I figured the NFL Draft was as good a reason as any to start. So, go ahead and follow me on Twitter, if you're into that kind of thing. ...

Notre Dame Baseball vs St John's on ESPNU
2008-04-26 18:52:00
If you have ESPNU and find yourself bored with the NFL draft today (or if, say, your team has no Day 1 draft picks), be sure to check out the ND baseball team in their only nationally televised regular season game. The Irish will play St John's at 3:30 PM Eastern on ESPNU.Senior SS Brett LilleyCourtesy UND.com ...

Notre Dame Baseball Alumni: Where are They Now?
2008-04-20 16:46:00
First, a tip of the cap to current Domer Brett Lilley, who recently set the NCAA record for career HBP at 93.Second, if you get bored with the NFL draft this Saturday (April 26), be sure to check out the baseball team against St. John's at 3:30 on ESPN. (Assuming ESPN hasn't changed their programming by then.)Check out The Baseball Cube for the full list of Notre Dame alumni in professional baseball. I'm only including people who played in 2007 in this list; I'll let you do your own legwork if you're curious about anyone else.John Axford - High A Brevard County (Brewers)Craig Cooper - AA San Antonio (Padres)Craig Counsell - MLB Milwaukee (Brewers)Ryan Doherty - The tallest pitcher in minor league history spent 2007 between High A Visalia (Diamondbacks) and River City Frontier League. He was effective during his short career, but reportedly retired due to health concerns.Matt Edwards - After a brief stint in the Phillies organization, Edwards moved on to Evansville of the Frontier Le ...

The Shirt 2008
2008-04-19 13:25:00
What does everyone think? Be sure to leave your thoughts on the message board. Overall, I like it.Positives: Not kelly green or maize. "Wake up the Echoes" is a good theme for this year. Good knowledge of football with the championship banners and the player wearing number 12. Aesthetically pleasing - realistic graphics and the gold helmet is a nice touch.Neutrals: The Grantland Rice quote is nice, but seems out of place with the rest of the wording. I'm an optimist, but I don't think our 12th championship is coming this year.Negatives: Every time I see the back of the shirt, I'm going to think, "The South shall rise again." Also, the football player is way too scrawny. ...

Congrats to Dan Fox
2008-04-19 13:22:00
A while back, I applied for the baseball DBA position created by new PIrates GM Neal Huntington. Well, it went to a guy with a little more experience than me. Congratulations to Dan Fox, and best of luck. ...

Dear Larry Doby, Happy Jackie Robinson Day
2008-04-15 23:26:00
I'm working on another "ND Baseball: Where are they Now?" post. (Preview teaser: Who's closest to becoming the next ND grad in the majors? He's in Minnesota's organization, not Chicago's, and he's not on the Twins top 10 prospect list!)In the meantime, I had to share this piece on Larry Doby and Jackie Robinson.As for the picture above, it's regarded as an important leap forward in the Civil Rights movement. Why? Because it's not a white man embracing a black man to make a statement, it's a starting pitcher embracing his teammate for getting the game-winning hit in a World Series game. ...

Miss Relevant
2008-04-10 01:03:00
Sacramento was granted a supplemental pick at the end of this year's WNBA draft, and they used it to select Notre Dame's Charel Allen. Allen had an outstanding career for the Irish, and her accomplishments can be found on her team bio page and UND.com's official bio.As you may have noticed, the WNBA likes to capitalize on the interest of the women's NCAA tournament by holding the draft the day after the championship game. The complete draft board can be found here. ...

Ten Things I'd Rather Do Than Play Golf, In Increasing Order Of How Much The Reason Compels Me
2008-04-04 00:41:00
#10: SleepSeveral hours of unconsciousness, possibly accompanied by extended hallucinations, sharpens the mind and refreshes the body. Golf is the antithesis of sharpening the mind and refreshing the body.#9: Eat A BugBugs are high in protein. Golf has very little nutritional value.#8: Knit A SweaterBoth golfing and knitting are excruciatingly long and monotonous activities. When I'm done knitting, though, hey! I have a sweater! When I'm done golfing, all I've done is die a little bit inside.#7: Jumping JacksJumping jacks are about as useless and silly-looking as your average golfer, but at least I get my heart rate up.#6: YellOne of the last things I ever want to deal with is a dumpy guy waving a "quiet, please" sign in my face and doing that thing with his hands. Hey, pal, I'll yell if I want.#5: DrinkKnock back a gin & tonic and I've helped protect myself against malaria. Scurvy, too, if I eat the lime. Meanwhile, golfing is all about dehydration, loose teeth, and mosquito bites.#4: ...

Notre Dame Women's Basketball and Men's Hockey Teams Don't Fool Around
2008-03-31 23:59:00
This is normally when I'd write my April Fool's Post, when I remember. (Past posts can be found here, here, and here. Unfortunately, I didn't save a screenshot of my "Kanka's Politics Page" gag.) Part of my column was going to call for and end to women's sports, so the athletes can "get in the kitchen and make me some pie."But after last night, the women's basketball team doesn't deserve treatment like that, joking or not. A team without any dominant outside or inside threats outhustled, outplayed, and frustrated Candace Parker and the defending champion Lady Vols for a majority of their contest yesterday. They even exposed some holes in Parker's game, as several times they posted her up on the elbow and drove right past her. (Of course, Parker was quick to blame a teammate for her defensive failings.) In the end, though, it wasn't enough. Still, it was a great year for the Irish. Like I said, they didn't have any dominant inside or outside scoring threat. But they were queen ...

Looking Ahead: 2009 World Baseball Classic
2008-03-31 04:24:00
The pools and first round sites for the 2009 World Baseball Classic have been announced. The same 16 teams will play, but three of the pools have been rearranged, and two new stadiums will see first round games. There has also been a rule change, as pool play has been changed from round robin to a double elimination bracket. This will let the results be decided on the field, instead of through too many crazy tiebreakers.Pool A remains the same, with China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, and Korea once again playing in the Tokyo Dome.Pool B now consists of Australia, Cuba, Mexico, and South Africa. Mexico City's Foro Sol Stadium will host these games.Canada, Italy, and Venezuela join the US in Pool C. In 2006, the US played Canada, Mexico, and South Africa in pool play. Arguably, the road for the Americans will be just as tough in 2009. The Rogers Centre in Toronto will host these games.Pool D now consists of Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Panama, and Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico's Hi ...

Using Expected Values in an NCAA Bracket with Upset Points
2008-03-19 02:45:00
Part 1Our tournament bracket gives 1 point for every first round pick, 2 points for every second round pick, 3 points for third round, etc. But they also have "upset scoring." If you pick an underdog to win and they do, you get the normal point(s), plus bonus points worth the difference of the two seeds. For example, if you pick a 14 over a 3 in the first round and are right, you get (1 + (14 - 3)) = 12 points.I found a page on ESPN.com that lists the historical results for each tournament pairing for each round, ever since the tournament went to 64/65 teams. For example, of the 84 3-14 matchups, the 3 seed has won 70 (83.3%) and the 14 seed has won 14 (16.7%).I used this to calculate the Expected Value of each seed and matchup. For example, the first round EV for the 3 seed is (1 point * 83.3% probability) = 0.833. The first round EV for the 14 seed is (12 * 16.7%) ~ 2.Two questions:1. How should I calculate the probabilities for the later rounds? For example, 3 seeds made it to the s ...

MLB Preview #5: NL Central
2008-03-18 01:20:00
Chicago CubsBaseball Musings Team OffenseBaseball Musings Rotation EvaluationBaseball America Top 10 ProspectsLineupRyan Theriot SSAlfonso Soriano CFDerrek Lee 1BAramis Ramirez 3BKosuke Fukudome RFMark DeRosa 2BFelix Pie CFGeovany Soto CRotationCarlos ZambranoTed LillyRich HillJason MarquisRyan DempsterJon LieberSean MarshallAngel GuzmanThis lineup is still a work in progress, and that's probably a good thing. I do like the idea of hitting Soriano second (as perhaps the team's best batter) and Fukudome (WE PLAY IN AN OUTDOOR PARK) fifth - unless he shakes off his preseason rust and proves he can hit leadoff. This lineup actually looks pretty good, especially when you consider Pie and Soto's potential. The Cubs will again fight the Brewers for the division crown. The bench features brilliant defensive catcher Henry Blanco, pinch hitter extraordinaire Daryle Ward, and Ryan Theriot's fellow generic young middle infielders with vaguely foreign-sounding names - Ronnie Cedeno and Mike Fo ...

MLB Previews and Selection Shows
2008-03-16 20:34:00
I'm working on my NL Central preview, but of course I decided to work on the only six team division in baseball during finals week. Good good. So if I don't get it up Sunday night, look for it Monday night.Meanwhile, Coach Brey and the ND men will be appearing on CBS's selection show Sunday at 6:00 PM Eastern, with a cameo appearance by the band.The women's selection show is at 7:00 PM Eastern on ESPN.Despite early exits in the Big East tournament, it looks like both teams will still be #4 seeds, give or take a spot in either direction. ...

Bubble Watch
2008-03-14 03:18:00
Bubble Watch should be renamed "Seed Watch" this year, as the men and the women aren't worrying about whether they'll make the Big Dance, but instead how high they'll be placed. Let's see what the experts are saying.ND Men's Basketball: The men have held steady at #21, according to CollegeRPI.com. CollegeRPI also has the men as a #4 seed, playing out West (Denver, CO) versus Ohio State. ESPN's Bracketology also has the men as a #4 seed, playing against Virginia Commonwealth in the East (Washington, DC).ND Women's Basketball: CollegeRPI has the women at #12 in the RPI, and a #3 seed in the Oklahoma City Regional. They'd start by playing Quinnipiac on Purdue's campus, which is a great advantage for them. ESPN also has the women starting in East Lafayette, but as a #4 seed against Gonzaga in the Spokane Regional. ...

MLB Preview #4: AL East
2008-03-10 02:36:00
Boston Red SoxBaseball Musings Team OffenseBaseball America Top 10 ProspectsLineupDustin Pedroia 2BKevin Youkilis 1BDavid Ortiz DHManny Ramirez LFJD Drew RFMike Lowell 3BJason Varitek CCoco Crisp/Jacoby Ellsbury CFJulio Lugo SSRotationJosh BeckettDaisuke MatsuzakaClay BuchholzTim WakefieldJon LesterCurt SchillingJulian TavarezThere's virtually no change to the starting lineup, which isn't a bad thing if you're the defending champs. Everyone's a year older, which may not be a good thing for guys like Ortiz, Ramirez, Lowell, and Varitek. But it should be a positive for guys like Pedroia, Youkilis, and Ellsbury. The only problem this offense has could be their depth, especially if they trade away Coco Crisp as predicted. The only other outfielders on the 40-man are Brandon Moss and Jonathan Van Every. With Ramirez and Drew's injury record, and Ellsbury's inexperience, that could be an issue. On the infield, Alex Cora is back, and he's joined by Sean Casey. It will be interesting to ...

Thirteen Better Ways To Decide Who Kicks Off, In Increasing Order Of How Much Better They Are Than A Coin Toss
2008-03-05 00:24:00
by Klondike, 2007 KankaNation Laetare Recipient#13: SalaryWhichever team has the highest average salary per player gets the decision.#12: WeightWhichever team weighs the collective most wins.#11: Phone-in VotesFans would phone in their votes for either team. The scoreboard would keep a tally. A judge with an English accent would make disparaging comments. The team with the most votes wins.#10: BingoEvery member of each team gets a bingo board. The home team would provide the old lady to pick the bingo balls. First player to get bingo wins the decision for his team.#9: Tip OffThis would work pretty much exactly like basketball. The two quarterbacks would stand toe to toe, with the referee holding the ball in the middle. Ball goes up, one quarterback comes back down with it.#8: Rock Paper ScissorsOne member from each team would face off in this popular form of hand-to-hand combat. Best two out of three wins the decision.#7: PuppyEach team would line up on their own 45-yard-line. A puppy ...

MLB Preview #3: NL East
2008-03-03 04:01:00
Editor's Note: Regular KankaNation readers, please scroll down to see this year's Laetare Medal winner(s).Philadelphia PhilliesBaseball Musings Team OffenseBaseball America Top 10 ProspectsLineupJimmy Rollins SSShane Victorino CFChase Utley 2BRyan Howard 1BPat Burrell LFGeoff Jenkins RFPedro Feliz/Greg Dobbs/Wes Helms 3BCarlos Ruiz CRotationBrett MyersCole HamelsKyle KendrickJamie MoyerAdam EatonJD DurbinWell, this is basically the lineup that won the division last year. Rollins, Utley, and Howard are great, and Burrell is better than he's given credit for in Philadelphia. The rest, I suppose, are just good enough. It's an interesting battle at third base, where each candidate has his strengths and weaknesses. The bench features middle infielder Eric Bruntlett, who is a more than adequate backup for Rollins and Utley, and might even be able to find a starting job somewhere. The outfield is very deep, with Chris Snelling, So Taguchi, and Jayson Werth coming off the bench. I imagin ...

Notre Dame Basketball Bubble Watch
2008-02-29 00:32:00
Editor's Note: No Sports Minute this week, apparently. Good thing I already had this one up my sleeve.It's that time again already. Fortunately, both teams are in great shape right now.For those of you unfamiliar with my Bubble Watch formula, here's a synopsis. There are so many at large teams taken for each tournament - 34 in the men's tourney, and 33 in the women's. In theory, the selection committee will take the teams with the 34 or 33 highest RPI rankings that aren't also conference champions (and therefore automatic bids). So, a team should be in if(Team's RPI) - (Number of automatic bids with higher RPI) > (Number of at large bids).You wouldn't like him when he's angry.ND Men's Basketball: As mentioned above, the "magic number" for the men is 34. The 21-5 men's team currently has an RPI of 21. There are no doubt a few conference leaders ahead of them too. If needed in the next few weeks, I'll break down the exact number of conference leaders ahead of them to get a better estim ...

MLB Preview #2: AL West
2008-02-24 21:06:00
The AngelsBaseball Musings Team OffenseBaseball America Top 10 ProspectsLineupChone Figgins 3BHowie Kendrick 2BVlad Guerrero RFTorii Hunter CFGarret Anderson DHCasey Kotchman 1BMike Napoli CErick Aybar SSGary Matthews, Jr. LFRotationJohn LackeyKelvim EscobarJered WeaverJon GarlandJoe SaundersErvin SantanaDustin MoseleyThe trend of using multiple center field-type players in one outfield is becoming more and more popular. In the Angels case, this may not have been intentional, as they may have signed Matthews last year thinking they'd never get Hunter. Nonetheless, this lineup will contend in the West, even if Hunter falls of from his contract year numbers of 2007. On the infield, all eyes will be on the shortstop, as Orlando Cabrera was traded to make room for a pair of young studs, Aybar and Brandon Wood. Is wood a shortstop? Is he a third baseman? After playing some third last year, he's back to shortstop this spring. Veteran utilityman and former Rule V pick Macier Izturis wi ...

Trevor Laws' Official Website
2008-02-22 01:28:00
I just added a new site to the Notre Dame section of the links sidebar. A site, as Dave says, dedicated to one of the baddest men on the planet - Trevor Laws.It's a great site, full of all kinds of stuff, including a blog, media links, and even a store for game-worn memorabilia.Plus, you're reading this post just as the NFL combine is getting started. Laws, John Carlson, John Sullivan, and Tom Zbikowski were all on the invite list for the combine.Trevor-Laws.com ...

MLB Preview #1: NL West
2008-02-18 02:22:00
Arizona DiamondbacksBaseball Musings Team OffenseBaseball America Top 10 ProspectsLineupChris B. Young CFOrlando Hudson 2BEric Byrnes LFMark Reynolds/Chad Tracy 3BConor Jackson 1BStephen Drew SSJustin Upton RFChris Snyder CRotationBrandon WebbDan HarenRandy JohnsonDoug DavisMicah OwingsEdgar GonzalezYusmeiro PetitDustin NippertMany people called the 2007 Diamondbacks lucky for vastly outplaying their projected finish. Hudson and Byrnes had career years, and the younguns played just well enough to make the playoffs. It will be interesting to see if everyone regresses, or if the young sophomores continue to grow and progress. It will also be interesting to see who's playing third base at the end of the year. Reynolds came in last year after Tracy got hurt, and may have performed well enough to keep the job even after Tracy recovers. The bench features reclamation projects Augie Ojeda and Chris Burke; Burke joins the team this year from the Astros. Also in camp this spring is former ...
Mlb Preview

Chuck Heaton Passes Away at 90
2008-02-15 18:44:00
Legendary Cleveland sportswriter Chuck Heaton has passed away at the age of 90. The fine folks at Gray & Co. Publishers gave me a chance to review his new book on the Browns, but I unfortunately never took them up on the offer. First, I simply didn't have the time, and second I just wasn't familiar with Heaton's work. Like Hal Lebovitz, Heaton wrote for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. But Lebovitz eventually moved on to the Lorain Morning Journal, which is how I became exposed to him. Heaton never made such a move. Still, one I'm finally done with all this schooling business, I think I'm going to pick up a copy of Heaton's book.Heaton may be better known to a younger, nationwide audience as the father of Patricia Heaton of Everybody Loves Raymond fame. His bio can be found here. ...

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)
2008-02-15 00:37:00
Written by Steve Hofstetter, Keith Alberstadt, Adam Hofstetter, Cody Marley, Ryan Murphy, Elliot Steingart, and Chris StraitNolan Ryan has agreed to become the Texas Rangers' new president, making him the best pitcher in the organization.Brian McNamee promised he can prove that Roger Clemens took steroids because he has several old syringes and bloody gauze. If true, the items will prove both Clemens' guilt and McNamee's creepiness. Thankfully, McNamee had saved them as a Valentine's Day gift for Amy Winehouse.Pirates right-hander Tony Armas has agreed to a minor league contract with the New York Mets, because the minor leagues are a step up.Memphis coach Marc Iavaroni defended trading Pau Gasol to the Lakers, saying it was best for the team. He's right, assuming that team is the Lakers.Isiah Thomas is reportedly trying to trade for badly injured forward Jermaine O'Neal. Thomas' next acquisition will be Len Bias.Mike Tyson and Junior Seau were spotted at a trendy Las Vegas restaurant ...

Link Me
2008-02-15 00:35:00
I've been really lazy at returning link requests since, well, October. I sort of got around to it this past weekend, but I ended up just deleting all of them since I couldn't tell which ones were phony/spammy/for money and which weren't. So if you're a real person with a real blog that wants to trade links, email me by using the link at the top of the page. ...
Link

Happy Pitchers and Catchers Day!
2008-02-13 04:54:00
February 1 was the Uniform Start Date for college baseball teams, and on Wednesday select MLB teams have their pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training.When does your team report? ...
Catchers

The Latest on CC Sabathia
2008-02-10 23:12:00
As Cleveland-area sportswriters are piling up the "Say Goodbye to CC Sabathia" articles, here's a look at what's going on with next offseason's hottest free agent:With Curt Schilling's injury status uncertain, and a rumor surfacing that Boston will not re-sign Josh Beckett when his contract expires, the Sox will definitely need to add pitching. And they definitely have deep pockets.Indians GM Mark Shapiro says that he won't trade Sabathia, barring a major collapse. They're going to try to win with him this year, then take their chances from there.Cleveland Plain Dealer writer Paul Hoynes has the latest on Cleveland's extension offer to Sabathia. ...

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)
2008-02-08 00:24:00
Written by Steve Hofstetter, Keith Alberstadt, Adam Hofstetter, Cody Marley, Ryan Murphy, Elliot Steingart, and Chris StraitA judge ruled that jailed Michael Vick can keep nearly $20 million in bonus money he received from the Atlanta Falcons. Vick was relieved, as he's got a really big dogfight coming up.Chad Johnson is very upset at the Bengals, making him a true Cincinnati resident.NHL player Nik Antropov was suspended for 3 games for throwing his stick at officials. Fortunately the stick landed in the stands, where there was no one to injure.Alyssa Milano has begun to blog for the NHL. Because she ran out of baseball players.World ice-dancing champion Maxim Staviski has received a 2 1/2-year prison sentence for a drunken driving accident. A guy in a spandex unitard in prison. Nothing could go wrong there.Former Olympic canoeing champion Frantisek Capek has died of an unspecified heart problem at the age of 93. Doctors could have saved him if they hadn't tragically reached for the ...

Notre Dame Basketball... Where Amazing Happens
2008-02-06 01:04:00
From the man who brought you Tom Timmermans' 1000 Nicknames.... ...
Basketball Notre Dame

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