On Selection Monday, the path was made clear for the Louisville Cardinals: two wins in the NCAA Tournament would send the Cardinals home to play the Regional rounds of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at the KFC Yum! Center. The first part of that path was completed Sunday evening, as the third-seeded Cardinals (31-4) blew past No. 14 Idaho  (25-9) 88-42 in an NCAA Tournament First Round game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It is the fifth tournament game in 2014 to be decided by more than 35 points. Five players reached double figures for Louisville, who received a three-seed from the NCAA … Continued

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One of the words that Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery chose to describe his team was fragile. Illinois head coach John Groce, on the other hand, used words such as resiliency, toughness, and heart to describe the Fighting Illini. It’s easy to see how a close, back-and-forth game would go the Illini’s way. After Iowa’s overtime loss to Michigan State back on January 28, McCaffery questioned his team’s toughness, placing the blame for the loss to the Spartans on the Hawkeyes’ lack of it. At the time, it seemed like a one-game lapse that had angered the Iowa head coach. … Continued

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By Mark Freie I remember watching Tim Tebow win the Heisman Trophy in 2007 as a sophomore for the Florida Gators. At that time, like many, I thought that Tebow would be one of the best stories to ever make it into the NFL. With his persistent work ethic, open faith, and personable attitude, it seemed that Tim Tebow had it all. When Tebow was selected in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos many, including myself, were waiting to see just what this gunslinger from Florida could do amongst the most elite football players in the world. Although … Continued

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By Mark Freie It was a Wednesday night in April; just a few days removed from a bomb that blew open the heart of Boston and changed countless lives forever. Thousands of Boston Bruin fans filled in TD Garden as their beloved Bruins returned to the ice to provide a source of escape, unity, and perseverance for a city facing the aftermath of such a heartless act. And then as one, athletes and fans in attendance stood up as one city to the evil that reared its ugly head earlier in the week. As the Star Spangled Banner began, as … Continued

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