Morning Jolt: Hunter keeping mum
Friday, March 12
Today's must-see content delivered straight to you.
Hunter: I'm not talking anymore
Torii Hunter is vowing to be silent from now on. Well, at least to a degree. "If it's not about baseball, I'm not going to talk about it," said Hunter, heavily criticized Wednesday for remarks in a USA Today article examining the declining percentage of African American players in the game. "I know what I am. Don't always believe what you read." Hunter said his comments about dark-skinned players from the Dominican Republic being "imposters" because they are perceived by some as being African American were "distorted and taken out of context." He tried to set the record straight in a blog on the team's website. (Los Angeles Times)Comment
More games needed at NCAA tourney?
Don't add teams to an already crowded field. Add games to the slate, instead. With a product weakened by one-and-done defections and TV over-saturation, the NCAA is exploring ways to hoodwink a network into overpaying for March Madness the way CBS did in 1999 when it coughed up $6 billion for an 11-year deal to broadcast the NCAA Tournament. The quick-fix is to add more teams/games to the tournament. It's no different from McDonald's adding the McRib to its menu. No one actually knows what's in the McRib sandwich, but Mickey D's knows if smothered in enough sauce its brainwashed consumers will gobble up anything chewable. (FoxSports.com)Comment
Wizards want to re-sign Howard?
Josh Howard just got to town, but the injured Wizard may not be leaving anytime soon. But according to two sources with knowledge of the Wizards' thinking, the team is considering re-signing Howard, albeit a price less than his option when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The sources were encouraged with Howard, who averaged 14.5 points and 3.3 rebounds and brought a positive attitude and enthusiasm to a locker room in desperate need of a jolt. Howard said he would like to return to Washington next season, citing the Wizards' two first-round picks and significant cap room this summer. "I feel like I'm in a good place right here in Washington if they give me a shot," said Howard. (Washington Post)Comment
Must-See Photo
Because you can never go wrong with cheerleaders ... especially when they can do that. Oh my. (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
Must-See Video
Dwight Howard is pretty good at this.
Game To Watch
Big 12 Tournament semifinal: No. 24 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Kansas, 7 p.m. ET
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Kansas Jayhawks
SI Vault: More Larry Bird
This Day in Sports
- 1966 -- Chicago's Bobby Hull scores his 51st goal to become the first NHL player to score more than 50 goals in a season.
- 1985 -- Larry Bird scores 60 points to set a Celtics record and lead them to a 126-115 victory over Atlanta. He brok Kevin McHale's team record of 56 points set nine days before.
- 2009 -- In a Big East tournament quarterfinal, Andy Rautins hits a 3-pointer 10 seconds into the sixth overtime to lead Syracuse past Connecticut 127-117 in the second-longest Division I game ever played.
