Jason Haskins's Blog, page 36

NCAA Tournament 2018: Darlings and powerhouses clash in Final Four

Two short weeks ago, the Four teams have slugged, hustled, and shot their way to San Antonio. On Monday night, one team will hoist the trophy and cut down the net, crowned champions of the 2017-18 men's college basketball season.
Unlike over on the women's side, which had four number one seeds in the Final Four and very little drama (until Friday night's victory by Notre Dame over UConn), the men's Final Four has an odd collection of teams.
The Kansas Jayhawks and Villanova Wildcats lived up to their end of the bargain, each holding court as number one seeds. The Michigan Wolverines are riding a hot streak -- one that started shortly before the Big Ten conference tournament -- and reached the semifinals as a number three seed.
That leaves Sister Jean and her Loyola Chicago Ramblers.
Seeded number 11, Loyola Chicago wasn't given much of a chance to win their first game, let alone advance this far. But they have survived by the skin of their teeth and  found an instant celebrity in the team chaplain, Sister Jean.
Who will prevail this weekend in San Antonio? Let's find out.Loyola Chicago Ramblers vs Michigan WolverinesThe Ramblers are back in the Final Four for the first time since 1963, a year in which the program hoisted the championship. That year helped mark a turning point of integration in college basketball, as of their four starters, only one was white.
Fifty-five years later, Loyola Chicago looks to get back to the podium.
They are a well-balanced team, led by a trio of guards, starting with senior Donte Ingram. Ingram is averaging 8.3 points and 5 rebounds per game during the tournament. Ingram was also the hero in the tournament's opening round, hitting the three-pointer to seal the victory over Miami (Fl).
Not to be outdone, guards Clayton Custer and Marques Townes have Ben Richardson had 23 points against Kansas State and Aundre Jackson is scoring 12.7 ppg off the bench.

Loyola Chicago won their first three games by a combined four points before taking down Kansas State by 16. They average 68.5 points per game in the tourney.
 The Ramblers are shooting 52.5% from the field in the tournament and have connected on 41.7% (30-72) of their three-point attempts. They commit 14 turnovers per game and hold a plus 13 rebounding advantage through four games.
Defense is a big reason all four teams have made it this far and Loyola is no different. Opponents are scoring 63.5 points per game and shooting 42.5% from the field. The Ramblers are even stingier on the perimeter as their four opponents combined to shoot 29.9% (26-87) from behind the arc.
The Michigan Wolverines have been just as stingy. Their defense has allowed only 59 points per game over the last four games. Opponents are only shooting 37.7% from the field and 26.1% (17-65) from three-point range. Michigan is also forcing 12.7 turnovers per game.
On the offensive side, Michigan scored 70 per game in the tournament, a number slightly inflated thanks to a 99-point night against Texas A&M. That game saw the Wolverines knock down 14 threes, nearly half of the 31 they've made in the tournament. As a team, they are shooting 45.9% and have a four-game rebounding margin of minus 7.
Charles Matthews is averaging 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Close behind is Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, who is averaging 14 ppg in the tourney. Moritz Wagner adds 12.5 ppg while Duncan Robinson contributes 8.7 off the bench.
Prediction: Likely a lower-scoring affair (unless Michigan gets hot), I don't think the magic is ready to end yet: Loyola Chicago 64 Michigan 62Kansas Jayhawks vs Villanova WildcatsThis matchup holds all the promises of being an entertaining, fast-paced game led by two teams who have depth, offensive efficiency, and experienced leaders.
Kansas may have had the tougher road of the two teams, if not simply because they allowed other teams to hang around in the earlier rounds while emerging the victor in an epic overtime battle versus Duke.
The return to form of a healthy Udoka Azubuike. Azubuike -- after only playing three minutes in the team's opening round win over Penn -- has averaged 11 points and 8.6 rebounds in the three games since. He provides a big body on both ends of the floor, something that will be needed against Villanova.
But it has been the scoring of Malik Newman that has propelled the Jayhawks. Newman scored 10 points in the first game, then followed that up with games of 28, 17, and 32. Newman has picked up the scoring slack for Graham. Graham has been his consistent self (16 ppg/5 rpg/6.2 apg) and, after scoring 29 against Penn, has had trouble getting buckets to consistently fall.
The Jayhawks have won each of their last three games by four points. They are scoring 81 points per game in the tournament while allowing 74. Kansas is shooting 45.9%, including 40.6% (39-96) from three-point range. Turnovers have been a wash (averaging 12.5 while forcing 12.2) as has rebounding, an even advantage until the Jayhawks went plus 15 against Duke
Like the teams on the other side of the bracket, Kansas has also been stingy with perimeter defense. Opponents are shooting 42.7% but have only shot 33% (34-102) on three-point attempts.
Perimeter defense will be tested as the Villanova Wildcats are shooting 41.3% (48-116) from beyond the arc. This number plummeted for the Wildcats against Texas Tech, shooting only 4-24. 
Scoring wise, the Wildcats are outpacing opponents 82.3 to 64. The margins are a little deceiving, as West Virginia slipped late as they had the best performance offensively against the Wildcats. Villanova is holding opponents to 36.7% shooting and 27.3% (24-88) on threes. 
The Wildcats hold a plus 20 rebounding advantage, thanks to a plus 18 showing against Texas Tech.
Prediction: Villanova will likely face their stiffest test of the tourney. It will take a complete game from all of the Kansas stars to pick up the win. Likely, it will be Villanova's free throw shooting (83.7% in the tourney) that decides this game. Villanova 84 Kansas 79
photo credit: flickr.comTwitter: @jasonrh_78

NCAA Tournament 2018: Excellent Elite Eight is set for liftoff

Friday night may have lacked the heart palpitating finishes that have highlighted the The two remaining number one seeds both advanced, as did the lone remaining number two seed. And the fourth team -- completing the field for the Elite Eight -- isn't too shabby themselves with a number three seed.
In today's game and the reliance on the three-point shot, overcoming a cold-shooting night is a mark of a talented team. The Duke Blue Devils were forced to do exactly that against the Syracuse Orange
Duke was 5-26 (19.2%) from 3-point range, including 3-14 from their sharpshooter Grayson Allen, but used a strong interior presence to hold off Syracuse 69-65.
In the battle of the zone defenses, Duke held out on one end by forcing 16 turnovers and exploited open areas on the other end by finding Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter, Jr. for multiple lobs thrown down for dunks.

Lobs on lobs on lobs ⬆️

NCAA Tournament 2018: Four teams punch tickets to Elite Eight

Sprinting into a teammate's open arms after hitting a game-winning shot is one of the everlasting images that will always be associated with So, too, will be the heartache. The lone player under the basket, laying on their stomach and inconsolable. A player on the bench, tears flowing with only a sweat-filled towel the only barrier between solitude and the watching world.
Slumped shoulders, disappointment, and lingering thoughts of what might have been.
All can be summed up perfectly in this game between Houston and Michigan in the round of 32:

All the feels of March.#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/E9eTISNucF— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 18, 2018

Four teams saw their magical runs in the tournament come to end Thursday night while four others kept their title dreams alive for at least one more game.
Big leads were lost and given away, while one team seemed to hardly break a sweat. Free throws were missed, proving again how important they are. And one double-digit seed is still alive and kicking.
The Ramblers of Loyola-Chicago kept Cinderella alive long before midnight struck on Thursday. It took holding off a pesky, higher seeded Nevada Wolf Pack, but a late three secured a 69-68 victory for the Ramblers. The South region -- already in disarray -- will see the Ramblers in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1963.
Nevada raced out of the gates, focused on not having to come claw their way back from a huge deficit, like they did against Texas and Cincinnati in the earlier rounds.
Up by 12 early, the Wolf Pack were in control. And then they went cold while Loyola chipped away. The Ramblers took advantage, eventually taking the lead and pushing it as far as to 12 three minutes into the second half.
While Nevada had an uncharacteristically cold night from beyond the arc and protecting the ball (10 turnovers, after only committing 9 in the first two tourney games combined), the Ramblers hit their first 13 shots of the second half.
Nevada would still not go away, tying the score at 59 with 4:06 left.
A Marques Townes three with six seconds left gave the Ramblers a four-point lead, with a Caleb Martin three with two seconds providing the final margin. Nevada attempted to foul, but were still multiple fouls away from the bonus, securing the victory for Loyola.
Townes had 18 points for the Ramblers, while Martin had 21 for Nevada. Kendall Stephens -- who set a single-season Mountain West three-record -- was 0-8 from beyond the arc for the Wolf Pack.
Loyola will face the Kansas State Wildcats in Atlanta on Saturday for a berth in the Final Four.Ninth seed Kansas State WildcatsIt was a foul-filled affair in Atlanta for the second game of the night, with Kansas State and the Kentucky Wildcats combing for 51 fouls.
Barry Brown, Jr gave Kansas State a 60-58 lead with under 20 seconds left and they were able to hold off Kentucky for a 61-58 victory.
Kansas State led from the get go, posting up a 13-1 lead. Kentucky did not lead until early in the second half, when they went up 36-35.
The game was a back and forth affair, with Kansas State star Xavier Sneed hitting big shot after big shot every time it seemed Kentucky was going to go on a run. Sneed finished with 22 points. 
Kentucky forward PJ Washington did his best to match Sneed, putting up 18 points and 15 rebounds. Washington did miss 11 free throws and Kentucky was 3-12 from three-point range, ending what many deemed an easy path for Kentucky to reach the Final Four.
Kansas State versus Loyola will mark the first time a ninth seed meets an eleventh seed in the NCAA tourney.Florida State SeminolesFor the first time since 1993, the ninth-seeded Florida State Seminoles will be going to the Elite Eight, thanks to a 75-60 victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
The Seminoles used their length and size to frustrate Gonzaga all night. Protecting the rim (nine blocks) with ferocity and running players in and out like a line change, the Seminoles made things look easy down the stretch.
Free throws hurt Gonzaga again and this time -- even with the larger margin of defeat -- hurt enough to keep things from being closer. Also, not helping was the hip injury to Gonzaga star Killian Tillie that kept him out of the lineup. 
The Seminoles were clicking from the tip, taking an early 23-11 lead before giving way to a 15-0 Gonzaga run. Florida State used an extended run at the end of the first and start of the second to take a 45-32 lead. Gonzaga kept drawing close but could never get over the hump the rest of the game.
All eleven players who saw time on the court for the Seminoles scored, led by Terance Mann's 18. Gonzaga, which only shot 33.9% from the field, was led by Rui Hachimura's 16 points and 9 rebounds.
They will take on the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday.Michigan WolverinesThird-seeded Michigan decided early on to keep any drama out of their evening.
The Wolverines led from start to finish and picked up a 99-72 victory over the Texas A&M Aggies.
Michigan led by as many as 29, with the Aggies only able to get as close as 17 with 4:53 left in the game. Normally not the greatest of three-point shooting teams, Michigan knocked down 14 and shot 61.9% from the field.
Muhammed-Ali Abdur Rahkman hit four 3's and scored 24 points while junior Moritz Wagner had 21 and nailed all three of his 3-point attempts.
Junior center Tyler Davis had 24 points and 8 rebounds for the Aggies.
Four more teams will find their way into the Elite Eight on Saturday. Stay up-to-date by checking in here (likely) or on Twitter (more likely) @jasonrh_78

New fantasy novel release: The Blue Gem

It took nearly four years, but the completion of The Blue Gem, follow-up to 2014's The Dragon Princess , has finally arrived. 
Granted, this is not the over twenty years it took me to complete the first novel. That one took form before I even hit my teens so it can be somewhat excusable the novel took so long to complete.
The Blue Gem, on the other hand, was started a month or so after I self-published The Dragon Princess. The second novel ended up being roughly 40 pages longer, involved more research and I even took some time to draw (possibly unneeded) floor plans. 

Between a busy weekend of NCAA basketball, St. Patrick's Day, and working on other projects, I was able to finally edit (for the 5th time) the final 20 pages of the manuscript. Thus began the process of readying author profiles, updating the manuscript format to fit requirements, and submitting the file to Kindle Direct Publishing. 
We went live late Friday night.
The Blue Gem is now available for download via Kindle Direct Publishing. The purchase of this book is available, of course, on Amazon via the Kindle store. Don't own a Kindle? No worries. You can also download the Kindle app to your phone, tablet, other devices and even your personal desktop. The price is currently listed at $3.99 and can be purchased here.
The Blue Gem is an epic fantasy adventure, good for readers ages 11 and older.
A brief synopsis: 
The Blue Gem, book one in the Magic of Crieo series, takes places thirty years after the War of the Lands. Buoyed by the heroics of the Dragon Princess, Riyana, the lands have settled into a time of peace. A Council of Races -- led by Druid Stelart and King Rion of Thurston -- has helped return a sense of normalcy to the nations. Safe trade routes have been restored and Stelart, along with Belark and Nikkon, has begun the initial stages of training new Druids.
An unexpected attack on a Druid leads Stelart back to one piece of unfinished business surround the War of the Lands: the destroying of the Blue Gem, the magical gem imprisoning the Demons.
Along with a young Elvin Druid, Rion's son, and a collection of others, Stelart leads an expedition to the City in the Clouds to retrieve the hidden Blue Gem before it falls into the wrong hands.
Racing against time and chased by Black Knights and other outlaws, Stelart's group aims to retrieve the Blue Gem before a gathering, unknown power gets there first. If Stelart fails, the unknown force will unleash the Demons to wreak havoc on the lands, possibly ending the peace and smooth sailing once and for all.

NCAA Tournament 2018: Yes Virginia, there is an UMBC

Madness.
Pure madness.
The That's right. History was made when a 16-seed took down a 1-seed.
125 of these matchups had been played without this happening before March 16, 2018. UMBC had never beaten a ranked team. Never, never, never.
Forget a Cinderella story. The Retrievers are now officially your favorite child, your best friend, your celebrity and for many of us, wreckers of brackets.

That March feeling

NCAA tournament 2018: A Bull market on day one

Twelve hours of basketball -- plus change -- the close of day one of the 2018 NCAA tournament is upon us.

Jumping from venue to venue on television, walking in on a Kentucky Wildcats pep rally, and meeting fans rooting for Arizona, Gonzaga, and beyond, the day has certainly been filled with joy.
The madness has been fairly limited, but Cinderella finally struck near the end of the day when the Buffalo Bulls defeated the Arizona Wildcats.
And it wasn't even close.
The Bulls held a slim two-point lead at halftime but what fans saw in the second half was an absolute throttling. Buffalo fired on all cylinders, knocking down threes and playing swarming defense and often limited Arizona to only one shot per possession, resulting in a
Wes Clark had 25 points and Jeremy Harris had 23 had the Bulls shot 15-30 from behind the arc.
It's not too often you see a 13-seed take down a 4-seed in such a fashion. In the process, many brackets were busted and the Wildcats were scrambling to the tunnels of Taco Bell Arena with a quick tournament exit and an uncertain future for the program in store.
Buffalo will take on Kentucky on Saturday in Boise. Kentucky was 78-73 winners over the Davidson Wildcats (no relation) earlier in the evening.Loyola-Chicago also looking for glass slipperEarlier in the day, the Ramblers from Loyola-Chicago also took to the upset column. Though based on a quick straw poll of the party I was with and the pool(s) I'm in, it wasn't much of a surprise. 
The picking of Loyola over the Miami Hurricanes was a trendy one heading into the tournament and it paid off. While the Bulls dismantled the Wildcats, Loyola-Chicago used a buzzer beater to knock off Miami 64-62.
Capping off a 9-2 run to end the game, senior Donte Ingram hit a three-pointer with 0.1 seconds remaining to give the Ramblers the victory.

RAMBLERS WITH THE LAST SECOND THREE!

4 teams to keep an eye on during the NCAA tournament

The weather is warming up (in most places). Birds are singing again. (Loudly, in some cases). And looming in the distance is the annual talk of rock, chalk, upsets, Cinderella stories, and brackets galore.
It's time for March Madness.
As I write this, we are a mere 30 minutes away from the brackets being announced. Already in the past few weeks there has been heartbreaks, colossal fails, and number one teams winning with ease.
For 68 teams, it's time to get back to business. 
Will this be the year a 16-seed finally beats a number one seed? Will we see a George Mason like run to the Final 4? We're about to find out.
The traditional powerhouses like Duke, Kansas, North Carolina, and Villanova are all present. So are teams like Virginia, Xavier, Kentucky, and Michigan.
We're not here to look at those teams.
We're here to look at four teams -- a couple of who might win it all, a couple who might snag that upset win -- that I think will make an impact on the tournament one way or the other.Power 5 sleeper: West Virginia MountaineersOne might think a power 5 sleeper is pointless to look at. The West Virginia Mountaineers are not your normal "run-of-the-mill" power 5 team (i.e. Kansas) that gets picked to win it all.
The Mountaineers (24-10) are coming off a runner-up finish in the Big-12 conference tourney. There, they lost to the Kansas Jayhawks for the third time this season. The three losses were by an average of eight points.
West Virginia made the Sweet 16 in 2016-17, losing 61-58 to the Gonzaga Bulldogs. One of the key factors in picking the Mountaineers to go far is their backcourt. Both starters are seniors and were a key part of last season's team.
Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles, Jr are also the team's leading scorers. Carter is putting up 17 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. His running mate Miles contributes 13 points and 3.2 assists, while the two have combined for 4.2 steals per game.
A strong backcourt is often indicative of how far a team will go in the tourney. West Virginia has that, plus a good big man to boot. Sagaba Konate puts up 10.8 points and pulls down 7.6 boards.
The Mountaineers can go nine, even ten deep and average 80 points per game. They make a little less than 9 three-pointers per game. Overall, the team shoots 43.4% from the field and commits 11 turnovers per game.
Big wins: Virginia (by 7); Oklahoma twice  Losses: 3 time losers to KansasMid-major sleeper: Gonzaga BulldogsIs it even fair to consider Gonzaga (30-4) a sleeper anymore? They have exuded nothing but success over the past 20 years, including a run to Square one involved replacing arguably their best four players. Many thought they wouldn't even win their conference, finally giving way to St. Mary's. And the Bulldogs did indeed drop a game to the Gaels this season.
How did Gonzaga respond? By winning 14-straight games and another WCC title.
The Bulldogs average 84.5 points per game, good for 9th in the nation. And they're doing it inside and out. Five guys average in double figures while shooting 50.3% from the field as a team. 8 or 9 players normally see action for Gonzaga, with the team knocking down 9 threes per game.
Johnathan Williams is the top scorer with 13.5 points per game. Williams also leads the team in rebounding with 8.5.
Killiam Tillie is close behind at 13.4 ppg. Tillie is shooting 59.3% from the field. Three of the top five scorers shoot 56% or better.
Josh Perkins sits at 12.4 points and 5.4 assists per game.
Big wins: 27 points over Ohio State; 5 points over Texas Key losses: 6 points to Florida; 16 points to VillanovaHot sleeper: San Diego State AztecsThis could have also fallen into the mid-major category, but six weeks ago the Aztecs (22-10) weren't even close to a tournament team.
Then they got healthy and they got rolling, straight into the Mountain West Conference tourney championship. (Which included a 17-point semifinal victory over Nevada, who will also be dancing).
The Aztecs battled to get to a fourth seed in the tournament and have won nine straight. They average 78 points per game and are largely known for their defense. They have experience players, who are also long and athletic. 
And they have strong guard play in Trey Kell.
Kell battled injuries through the early part of conference play but has on a tear as of late. He dropped 28 points in the title game victory over New Mexico. Kell averages 10.4 points and 4.1 assists on the season.
San Diego State's leading scorer is Malik Pope, who found his name among those in the investigation of players and coaches taking money. Pope sat out one game before the school closed their own investigation. He averages 12.9 points and 6.6 rebounds while blocking just over 1 shot per game.
Devin Watson (12.3 ppg) also shines as part of five players averaging double figures. The Aztecs commit 12 turnovers per game and shoot 46.1% (though not huge 3-pointers shooters at 33.9% and making 7.3 gm, they can catch fire.)
Big wins: 2 points over Gonzaga; 7 points over Georgia; Nevada twice Key losses: 22-point loss to Arizona StateThe deep sleeper: LipscombThe Lipscomb Bisons (23-9) could very well end up with a 16th-seed by time I'm done writing this. But I will stick by my feeling that they will win a game in this tourney.
Lipscomb averaged 82.6 points per game and this will be their first appearance in the big dance. And though they nearly blew a 32-point lead in the conference final against FGCU, the Bison have two juniors who can get hot at a moment's notice.
Garrison Mathews led the way with 22.1 points per game. Mathews made 89 three-pointers (38.9%) on the season. 
His fellow junior Rob Marbery averages 16 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 61.9% from the field. Eli Pepper leads with 7.9 rebounds.
Lipscomb can go 9 or 10 deep and shoots 45.6% from the field. They do commit 15 turnovers per game.
Key wins: Two wins at FGCU Key losses: 10 point loss at Tennessee; 23-point loss to Texas
Other notable teams considered: Houston, New Mexico State, Nevada, Arizona, Wichita State, Loyola-Chicago

photo courtesy of flickr.com
I will be back with more throughout the tournament. Be sure to check here or follow me on Twitter for updates on sports, movies, pop culture and more: @jasonrh_78

The Academy Awards: No predictions here (okay, maybe a few)

Sitting here, waiting for the Academy Awards to start, I wonder to myself, "Did I ever enjoy watching the red carpet arrivals? And if so, why?"
The event itself I have enjoyed, at least for the past 20 years. It was around that time I really zeroed in on wanting to be a writer -- specifically a screenwriter or playwright -- so extra attention was paid to that year's ceremony. 
Going forward, and to this day, I don't believe I've missed any showing of the Academy Awards. 
The event itself is a self-congratulatory affair but also one recognizing some of the best work of the previous year. The industry will always be a subjective one -- as it is with writing, music, and art in general -- and so often debates can rage for years about winners (and non-winners) alike. 
Some best picture winners are easily forgotten or looked at differently over time. Others stand the test of time and can be enjoyed by present and future audiences alike.
Do we watch to celebrate these films? Do celebrate our favorite actors or actresses? Or do we, as the red carpet arrival shows attest, simply tune in to see what celebrities are wearing.
For some people, it's all of the above. For me, the ceremony still offers a visual goal of where I want to be.
Not as an artist, mind you. Awards are nice, are great recognition by peers but it's not what I set out to do when writing. Getting to that show or the Tony's or any industry related ceremony, is getting to the grandest stage of all and considered be considered a nice little career topper.
While living in Los Angeles, I had a chance to walk through the hallways outside the Dolby Theatre. Going back one day would be a nice notch on the bucket list.
So watching the Academy Awards for me is about dreams. It's about goals. It's about achieving something after years of hard work. Yes, a statue comes along with this particular area of recognition but to me it's about much more than that.
On a grander scheme of things, items of inspiration like this -- whether it be on a large scale like the Academy Awards or the smaller scale of personal success stories in other fields -- always ignite in a me a flame that wanes from time to time. 
And a reminder to keep working at it. The red carpet may never be mine but at least I won't live a life knowing I didn't at least try.
For that, the yearly tradition of watching the show will continue. And so will my pursuit of this career as a writer.
As promised, couple of predictions:
Upset pick of the night: Get Out wins for Best PictureOver/under on how many jokes about last year's Best Picture snafu: 7Kobe Bryant wins an Oscar.Roger Deakins finally wins an Oscar
photo credit: flickr.com

2018 Winter Olympics: Bobsledding our way through the week

The 2018 Winter Olympics are nearly over and with it, the story of Jamaica and Nigeria having women's bobsled teams.
When's the movie coming out?
The qualifying of these teams reminds many of the inexperienced team with gigantic hearts from Jamaica immortalized in the Disney film Cool Runnings. They, too, came out of nowhere in the 1988 games to capture hearts.
Their story -- as we've learned over time -- isn't quite what we remember it to be from the film. 

Interesting tidbits aside, it is still inspiring to see new teams from countries you'd think might not have a team.
The Nigerian team became the first bobsled team from an African nation to compete in the women's event. And though they finished in 20th-place, nearly four seconds behind 19th-place Jamaica, the smiles on their faces said it all.
This is what competing in the Olympics is all about.
Whether it's a bobsled team or Elizabeth Swaney competing for Hungary in the halfpipe, competing at the highest level of a person's respective sport is what it's all about. A desire to win gold, or to end up on the podium, might be the ultimate goal. But to participate in this world-wide event and give it your all has to be one of the biggest thrills of all.
Gold medal or last place, the Olympics might just be the one example of someone saying "I'm just glad to be here" and actually meaning it.
I, for one, believe them.USA bouncing backSpeaking of the bobsled event, the USA team of Elana Meyers Taylor and Lauren Gibbs took home the silver medal, narrowly losing to a team from Germany led by Mariama Jamanka. The difference between the two teams: 0.07 seconds, the closest margin ever in the Olympics for women's bobsled.
Women continued to add to the Americans haul, with Jamie Anderson picking up silver in the big air snowboarding event. Anderson previously picked up a gold medal in these games.
Gold was attained for the first time in USA history in cross-country skiing, as Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins won the team sprint contest. Randall and Diggins edged Sweden by 0.19 seconds.
Lindsey Vonn also brought home a medal, earning bronze in the women's alpine downhill. The medal came eight years after Vonn won gold in the same event. Both Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin are currently competing in the Women's Super Combined (airing Wednesday night).
*Update: Vonn currently sits in 1st while Shiffrin just completed her run for 6th.
The men's USA hockey team -- for the hockey afficianados out there -- won their qualifying match against Slovakia two nights ago. Alas, they dropped their quarterfinal match after failing to score in an overtime shootout with the Czech Republic.Medal trackerAnderson's medal was number 16 for Team USA with at least one more guaranteed tonight in the women's hockey final.
Norway 33 (13G, 11S, 9B)Germany 24 (12G, 7S, 5B)Canada 21 (9G, 5S, 7B)Netherlands 16 (6G, 6S, 4B)USA 16 (6G, 4S, 6B)What to watchWednesday night (2/21) is the gold medal match for the much anticipated game between Team USA and Team Canada. The puck drops at 11:10 (EST) on NBC Sports Network.
The men's freeski halfpipe should produce a medal or two for the Americans, as four of the 12 finalists are from Team USA.

The slalom portion of the Super Combined will take place, completing the event.
On 2/22, be sure to catch the finals of the women's figure skating with the long program (Currently the American women are on the outside the podium).
2/23 be on the lookout for the men's 1000 meters race.
And on 2/24, bobsled will give us the four man events' final runs, plus a men's gold medal hockey game, the women's gold medal match for curling.
Curling. Bringing us full circle and back to where we began. Sweeping the ice.
Thanks for joining me for the Winter Olympics. This will likely be my last post updating the events so be sure to follow on Twitter for Olympic updates, sports, pop culture and more: @jasonrh_78
Picture courtesy of pixabay.com

NBA: No need for a new playoff format

In effort to keep the attention of fans in an ever-changing viewing landscape, sports leagues are in constant search of ways to keep eyes on their respective sport.
The NBA might be throwing their hat in the ring for a change in playoff seeding to do exactly that, if what Adam Silver says is correct.
Talk of seeding the teams 1-16 appears to be heating up. What's up in the air is whether the top-eight teams from each conference will go -- honoring division champions -- and seeded from there or if the playoffs will simply be the top-16 teams.
How about neither and we just stick with the status quo?
The NBA is one of the major sports leagues not losing fans or viewership. In fact, in an age when baseball is losing fans and the NFL is losing viewership, the NBA is holding strong and even gaining momentum in certain areas. Why mess with what's working?
I'm pretty traditional when it comes to sports. I still enjoy them and tend to watch less and less if rules changes and over indulgence of stats are introduced. I am likely in the minority especially when it comes to advanced stats. But I still enjoy the old standards, especially as it pertains to the old rivalries in the NBA, the playoff matches and all. The formula has worked for so many years and will continue to work if given the chance.
What exactly is the reasoning? Giving a chance for more parity? Tired of seeing the same two teams/players in the finals? Or is it, in the words of Shane McMahon's entrance song, "Here comes the money!"
Looking at the current standings of the top-16 teams this year, nine with the best records are from the Western Conference and seven from the East. This would seem pretty fair; nothing outrageous like a few years back when teams with winning records from the West were on the outside like in. Because the West is clearly the dominant conference. Right?A perceived Western Conference dominanceOver the past six years, champions have been crowned from both conferences. In fact, during this span, the East and West are tied at three titles apiece.
Now, we've seen a lot of LeBron James in this time. In fact, he's participated in all six of the Finals. He is a major reason why the East winning -- twice with the Heat, once with the Cavs -- but you might also think teams from the West have a tougher road. Therefore, they're beat down and tired upon reaching the Finals.
This, too, would be a false assumption. In fact, outside the Warriors in 2015-16 and the San Antonio Spurs in 2013-14, teams in recent years were pretty evenly matched in games played prior to the Finals. The championships by the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013 actually saw them play more games than their Western Conference counterparts.
The last two years would have also seen more Eastern Conference teams make the playoffs if the NBA had allowed the teams with the best records to be in the playoffs. (9 to 7) in each year.
From the year 2000 to the present, the Eastern Conference has only won six titles. The Heat have won three with one each from the Cavs, Boston Celtics, and Detroit Pistons.
Pretty dominant, yes. But looking back at the years 1980-1999, the Western Conference won only eight titles. Five of those were by the Los Angeles Lakers, two by the Houston Rockets, and one by the San Antonio Spurs. Even in the years the East won, the losing team often involved Houston or Los Angeles.
Tides sway over time and power shifts. The problem lies more in the creation of super teams (and teams tanking) than it does in playoff seeding and starting a new format. It might be fun for a year or two, but in the end you'll end with the same problem.
If Silver, on the other hand, decides to make a super league, much like the Premier League in soccer, that would be something to watch. 20 teams in an A-League, 10 in a B-League (or more with expansion, maybe) with the bottom four in 'A' relegated while top four in 'B' promoted after each season? Two different NBA drafts while even keeping the Gatorade league? 
Now that's something I can get behind.
For more thoughts on sports, pop culture and more, be sure to follow on Twitter: @jasonrh_78Picture courtesy of flickr.com