I thoroughly enjoyed March Madness, both the mens and womens versions. For three weeks in the early days of the spring season, I renew my subscription with college basketball and am edutained on all things March Madness. It is a time that engendered work morale spikes, rooted in imperfect bracket predictions and the chance that overworked, underpaid employees will cash out on an office pool lottery built from their very own desk change cups and afternoon Tim Hortons coffee run allotments. Mini hoops get hung on office doors for impromptu paper ball dunk contests and great plays are re-enacted by local news crews unable to air highlights of the very sport they cover because of the hierarchy of money structured agreements between the NCAA and its multiple March Madness broadcast partners. A bevy of hungry, wide-eyed teams. More Networks. Too many credit card commercials. Too Much Dick Vitale. Not Enough Bill Raftery. No Gus Johnson. Countless floor burns. Multiple tears. Clutch shots. One epic dance. One dream realized. Who knew a school from the former and now defunct Yankee Conference would be one of the most dominant basketball programs in college history? Combined, the University of Connecticut mens and womens teams have been in the NCAA Tournament final game 13 times. Theyve never lost. Ever. I watched as Geno Auriemma and his Lady Huskies won their ninth title in 19 years, defeating Notre Dame easily and once again lording over the womens game with whispers and questions rattling The ladies college hoops kings cage about whether or not his talents could be applied similarly in the mens game. I saw Guelph, Ontarios and Notre Dame senior forward Natalie Achonwa, thrice a bridesmaid, never the bride in the NCAA final, have to endure the insult of her team once again losing a chance at glory and an undefeated season to the schoolyard bully in UConn, in part due to suffering a devastating knee injury during the Elite Eight game that ended her season and college career. I was not in shock or awe that Derrick Gordon, starting guard from the University of Massachusetts, a school where I created and once taught the worlds first university accredited course on hip-hop culture, now also has the distinction of having the first Division I male basketball player to come out as openly gay. I viewed a March Madness tournament where Canadian lights shone brightly in fellow freshmen Kansas Andrew Wiggins and Syracuses Tyler Ennis, senior Melvin Ejim of Iowa State, Michigan sophomore Nik Stauskas and more. Their play shined a collective light on the immense talents north of the 49th parallel who contributed in meaningful ways during the Tournament and offered hope and confidence for young Canadian hoop stars to follow. I reveled in UConn mens coach Kevin Ollies victory over John Caliparis Kentucky Wildcats, despite picking the new Fab Five freshmen from Lexington to win it all on my TSN Radio basketball program, #1On1 with Will and Duane. And the revelry was not rooted in a dislike for Coach Cals crew. The joy was in the knowledge that, 30 years after Georgetowns John Thompson became the first black man to win an NCAA title with a team full of inner city black kids, possibly influenced by the lure of profit from a new player in the illicit drug trade called crack and the music of an emerging and grossly misunderstood subculture called hip-hop, Kevin Ollie joined Thompson, newly minted Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Nolan Richardson and Tubby Smith as the only black coaches to ever win the national title. My merriment was quelled, however, by the admission of the tournaments Most Outstanding Player, UConn senior PG Shabazz Napier. As initially reported by CNNs Sara Ganim, Napiers statement was stunning. “I dont feel student-athletes should get hundreds of thousands of dollars, but like I said, there are hungry nights that I go to bed and Im starving," he said. "I just feel like a student-athlete, and sometimes, like I said, theres hungry nights and Im not able to eat and I still got to play up to my capabilities.” I observed a game with multi-billion dollar stakes in which the players have no financial stake due to the draconian statutes of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which still has them reaching for “One Shining Moment” as the UConn mens program fails to graduate more than eight per cent of its starving, underfed players. I then pondered former March Madness champ and UCLA forward Ed OBannons lawsuit against the NCAA, the Northwestern University athletes who won their fight to unionize against the NCAA and Jalen Roses youthful revelation years ago on how he and his Fab Five teammates were being flagrantly exploited by the NCAA and its corporate stakeholders while a star at Michigan. It occurred to me that the 2013-2014 mens final was possibly a referendum on the future of college basketball profiteering: Caliparis "one and done" regime versus the NCAAs preferred method of currency exchange with the NBA - keeping the student-athletes on campus playing this game for as long as possible. NBA Commissioner Adam Silvers wish to subsidize collegiate student-athletes in order to keep the collusive financial arrangement with the NCAA as close to status quo, without hemorrhaging too much blood, seems relatively progressive at cursory glance. And the new commishs potential good fortune to place a positive stamp on his early tenure may be rooted in Napiers hunger. ESPNs Darren Rovell recently reported that Adam Silver is willing to trade markers with the NCAA, its student-athletes and the NBAPA with concessions on all sides to make the vehicle move. "Rather than focusing on a salary and thinking of them as employees, I would go to their basic necessities," said Silver. "I think if Shabazz Napier is saying he is going hungry, my God, it seems hard to believe, but there should be ample food for the players." Commissioner Silver wants to raise the NBA entry age limit from 19 to 20 and may be able to do so in exchange for his college player subsidy initiative. Silvers very public overtures about changes that can be made to an archaic, rotted NCAA system run by that cabals boss, Dr. Mark Emmert, who, naturally, is vehemently opposed to any sort of compensation for student-athletes, a term created to protect the schools and NCAA itself against the liability of paying workers compensation for injured “student-athletes,” are encouraging, even in theory. But what about offering a “bare necessities” cost of living stipend, daily meal per diems and limited injury insurance to these young men, who may or may not be ready for the fine hardwood courts of the National Basketball Association, but wish to ply their trade professionally? Is it possible for these young men to also get an education with the same subsidies Commissioner Silver is suggesting for the NCAA by giving these monies to the NBAs already-established minor league, the National Basketball Development League? No matter the motivations of Adam Silver, it would seem that the winds of change are on the horizon for intercollegiate athletics and its long partnership with professional sport to finally call it what it really is now. So yeah… Thats what I learned during March Madness this year. I can only hope you learned some things, too. Jachai Polite Jersey . On Friday night, after a long rain delay, he was scratched from his scheduled start. Joe Klecko Jersey . -- Howie Kendrick had a two-run single in his first game batting leadoff this season, Chris Iannetta hit a pair of RBI singles and the Los Angeles Angels beat Cleveland 6-4 Tuesday night, sending the Indians to their fifth straight defeat. http://www.cheapnewyorkjetsjerseysauthentic.com/ . Groves signed with Cleveland as an unrestricted free agent last year after a season with Arizona. He was in the linebacker rotation and had a sack in the season opener against Miami. Dennis Byrd Jersey . The result was a game-winning, power-play goal. Chiasson snapped a third-period tie and lifted the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 victory on Monday night. Wholesale Jets Jerseys . Patton told The Baltimore Sun that he took an Adderall pill four days before the season finished, trying to improve his short-term focus. "I took one because I was stupid," Patton told The Sun.VICTORIAVILLE, Que. -- Francois Tremblay made 28 saves as the Victoriaville Tigres won their 13th game in a row by downing the Shawinigan Cataractes 6-1 on Sunday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play. Jan Mandat, Angelo Miceli, Jonathan Diaby, Mathieu Ayotte, Carl-Antoine Delisle and Jean-Francois Plante scored for the Tigres (29-19-6) and Cameron Yarwood chipped in with two assists. Alexis DAoust scored for the Cataractes (15-32-8) while Marvin Cupper stopped 26-of-32 shots. Victoriaville went 1 for 1 on the power play while Shawinigan failed to score on six chances with the man advantage. --- OCEANIC 5 ISLANDERS 3 CHARLOTTETOWN -- Michael Joly scored three times, including the winner, as Rimouski downed the Islanders for its fourth win in a row. Sebastien Sylvestre and Jan Kostalek also scored for the Oceanic (32-15-7) while Alexis Loiseau chipped in with three assists. Spenser Cobbold, Alexandre Goulet and Julien Avon replied for Charlottetown (17-33-5), which has dropped 12 straight. Rimouskis Olivier Tremblay gave up three goals on 13 shots before giving way to Philippe Desrosiers, who stopped all 14 shots his way in 26 minutes of relief. Mason MacDonald stopped 43 shots for the Islanders. --- WILDCATS 6 MOOSEHEADS 2 MONCTON, N.B. -- Ivan Barbashev and JC Campagna each had two goals and an assist as the Wildcats handed Halifax its third loss in a row. Will Smith and Mathieu Olivier also scored for Moncton (29-25-2), which won its third in a row. Timo Meier and Austyn Hardie scored for the Mooseheads (34-18-3) and Darcy Ashley picked up two assists. Alex Dubeau made 47 saves for the Wildcats while Zachary Fucale allowed five goals on 21 shots for Halifax. --- ARMADA 5 SEA DOGS 2 SAINT JOHN, N.B. -- Samuel Hodhod had two goals and two assists as Blainville-Boisbriand toppled the Sea Dogs. Nikita Jevpalovs also scored twice for the Armada (35-10-9), who are 7-1-2 in their last 10 outings, and Nathanael Halbert had the other. Saint John (17-33-4) got goals form Thomas Chabot and Oliver Cooper. Etienne Marcoux only had to make 16 saves for Blainville-Boisbriand while Sebastien Auger turned away 35-of-40 shots for the Sea Dogs. --- VOLTIGEURS 3 DRAKKAR 2 BAIE-COMEAU, Que. -- Jerome Verriers second goal of the game came 5:59 into the third perriod and stood up as the winner for Drummondville.dddddddddddd Frederick Gaudreau had a goal and an assist for the Voltigeurs (33-17-3). Jeremy Gregoire and Felix Girard supplied the scoring for the Drakkar (37-14-4) and Charles Hudon assisted on both of his clubs goals. Louis-Philip Guindon made 29 saves for Drummondville. Philippe Cadorette stopped 31-of-34 shots for Baie-Comeau. --- OLYMPIQUES 6 HUSKIES 3 GATINEAU, Que. -- Emile Poirier scored three times as the Olympiques doubled up Rouyn-Noranda to end its three-game win streak. Alexandre Chenier-Allard, Alex Dostie and Marc-Olivier Crevier-Morin also scored for Gatineau (33-17-4) while Martin Reway tacked on two assists. Jean-Sebastien Dea, Julien Nantel and Francis Beauvillier scored for the Huskies (29-19-5). Robert Steeves made 21 saves for the Olympiques as Alexandre Belanger gave up five goals on 23 shots for Rouyn-Noranda. --- REMPARTS 4 PHOENIX 2 SHERBROOKE, Que. -- Anthony Duclair scored twice and set up one more as Quebec downed the Phoenix. Fabrice Herzog and Adam Erne also scored for the Remparts (32-14-9) while Francois Brassard made 26 saves for the win. Alexandre Sills and Jeremy Roy scored for Sherbrooke (15-32-7), which is on a six-game slide. Maxime Lagace turned aside 34-of-37 shots in a losing cause for the Phoenix. --- FOREURS 12 SAGUENEENS 3 VAL-DOR, Que. -- Eight skaters for the Foreurs recorded a multi-point game including Louick Marcotte, who had two goals and four assists, en route to crushing Chicoutimi. Anthony Mantha had two goals and three assists, Samuel Henley scored twice and set up two more, Nicolas Aube-Kubel had a pair of goals, Randy Gazzola had a goal and three assists, Anthony Beauregard scored once and added two assists, Guillaume Gelinas tacked on four assists and Anthony Richard had three assists for Val-dOr (34-18-2). Jeremie Fraser and Shawn Ouellette-St-Amant also scored for the Foreurs. Nicolas Roy scored twice for the Sagueneens (25-29-1), who are on a four-game skid, and Laurent Dauphin had a goal and an assist. Keven Bouchard made 30 saves for the Foreurs. Chicoutimis Domenic Graham allowed 10 goals on 27 shots through two periods of play. Julio Billia took over for Graham to start the third and stopped 12-of-14 shots in relief. Wholesale MLB Orioles JerseysRed Sox Jerseys From ChinaDiscount Yankees Jerseys OnlineRays Jerseys For SaleBlue Jays Jerseys From ChinaWholesale MLB White Sox JerseysIndians Jerseys For SaleTigers Jerseys From ChinaWholesale MLB Astros JerseysCheap Baseball Angels JerseysAthletics Jerseys From ChinaMariners Jerseys For SaleCheap Baseball Rangers JerseysBraves Jerseys For SaleDiscount Marlins Jerseys OnlineDiscount Mets Jerseys OnlinePhillies Jerseys From ChinaWholesale MLB Nationals JerseysCubs Jerseys From ChinaDiscount Reds Jerseys OnlineBrewers Jerseys From ChinaWholesale MLB Pirates JerseysWholesale MLB Cardinals JerseysDiamondbacks Jerseys For SaleRockies Jerseys For SaleDiscount Dodgers Jerseys OnlineDiscount Padres Jerseys OnlineGiants Jerseys For Sale ' ' '