SEC Basketball Tournament in Atlanta

The SEC Basketball Tournament takes over the Georgia Dome this week and if past history tells us anything about the tournament, it is that something remarkable will likely happen.

It might be tornadoes, it might be coaches getting ejected, it might come down to a team playing two games in one day to win the championship.

Kentucky is the defending champion. The Wildcats beat Mississippi State 75-74 in the 2010 finals.

The tournament schedule is:

Thursday, West No. 5 Auburn vs. East No. 4 Georgia, game one, SEC Network, noon

Thursday, East No. 6 South Carolina vs. West No. 3 Ole Miss, game two, SEC Network, 2:30 pm.

Thursday, East No. 5 Tennessee vs. West No 4 Arkansas, game three, SEC Network, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, West No. 6 LSU vs. East No. 3 Vanderbilt, game four, SEC Network, 9 p.m.

Friday, game one winner vs. West No. 1 Alabama, game five, SEC Network, noon

Friday, game two winner vs. East No. 2 Kentucky, game six, SEC Network, 2:30 p.m.

Friday, game three winner vs. East No. 1 Florida, game seven, SEC Network, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, game four winner vs. West No. 2 Mississippi State, game eight, SEC Network, 9 p.m.

Saturday, game five winner vs. game six winner, game nine, semifinals, ABC, noon

Saturday, game seven winner vs. game eight winner, game 10, semifinals, ABC, 2:30 p.m.

Sunday, championship game, Game 11, ABC, noon

This is an important tourney for teams like Vanderbilt,, Georgia and Alabama which need a good showing to keep reasonable NCAA Tournament hopes alive.  Should be some good games starting Thursday.

Big XII Basketball Play of the Day for 2/26/11: Iowa State

A pick em game today in Ames.  Nebraska is looking to improve on their 18-9 record and Iowa State is looking to earn their second conference win.

Neither team has much going for it in the trends department, I just think we may see some good ole Hilton Magic today as the season draws closer to tournament time. 

The Cornhuskers won earlier this season by one point in Lincoln.  Look for the Cyclones to get some much needed revenge today.

Prediction:  Iowa State and the Under today in Ames.

ESPN Radio Adds a Station in the Bahamas

ESPN is living up to it's nickname as "The Worldwide Leader".

In its first affiliate deal in the Caribbean, ESPN Radio signed Navetter Broadcasting Company’s “SportsRadio103” ZSR-FM in the Bahamian capital of Nassau on the Bahamas most populous island of New Providence. The Bahamas’ rabid American sports fan base will now have access to daily special features and overnight programs, as well as “SportsCenter” and other weekend shows.

ESPN Caribbean and Maritime Media VP Bernard Stewart says, “This is another step in ESPN’s goal to deliver to sports fans in the Caribbean top quality sports entertainment wherever they are.”

Navetter Broadcasting GM Vann Ferguson adds, “Bahamians are as fanatical about the NBA, NFL and NCAA as Americans and enthusiastically follow sports on TV. Our carrying ESPN programming on radio is an added treat for fans to stay informed and hear games when they are unable to catch them on TV.”

Daytona 500 to be Held a Week Later in 2012

As race fans settle in to watch the 2011 Daytona 500, fans will have to wait an extra week for the 2012 race.

NASCAR and track officials announced Sunday that the Great American Race will be a week later in 2012, allowing the sport to shorten its season and avoid any potential conflicts with the NFL's Super Bowl.

NASCAR's 2012 season opener will be Sunday, Feb. 26.

The new date allows NASCAR to eliminate a traditional off week following the first three races of the season. It also gets NASCAR ahead of any potential changes to the NFL schedule, including an 18-game schedule or NFL labor strife that might force the Super Bowl in Indianapolis to be delayed a week.

"We're not going to deny the fact that part of this also is in dealing with the NFL," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's vice president of racing operations. "Who knows where they'll go with an 18-game schedule. But we want to get ahead of that.

"Either way, we think it's the right thing to do for our season to kick off. The Super Bowl's certainly a big event, but so's the Daytona 500. To give fans an opportunity to go to both of those we think is the right move, it's a win-win for everybody."

Maybe NASCAR knows something we don't know about the NFL and possible schedule changes. 

NASCAR officials are anticipating changes to the NFL's schedule. Whether it's an 18-game schedule and/or an extra bye week thrown in, they certainly don't want Speedweeks trying to compete with America's biggest sporting event, the Super Bowl.

They even declined to say that the date for the next Daytona 500 — the fourth Sunday in February — would remain the same in future years.

Where in the World, and I Mean World, is the LPGA Tour?

I think the broadcaster Harry Doyle said it best in the movie Major League when he announced, "In case you haven't noticed, and judging by the attendance you haven't."  This could be said of this year's LPGA Tour. 

A tour of young and talented female golfers might largely be ignored this year and there is plenty of blame to go around.

With only 13 events on American soil this year and one of the not even offering prize money, LPGA players like Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie, Brittany Lincicome and Morgan Pressel better get their passports and visas ready because they are going to racking up some serious frequent flyer miles if they want to play as many tournaments as possible in 2011.

What once was a tour of 30+ events criss-crossing America now takes the players to such places as Singapore, Rio de Janeiro, Guangzhou China and Kuala Lumpur.  In fact, while the men's tour tees off in Hawaii each January, the LPGA tees off this week in Chonburi, Thailand with a 12-hour time difference for fans here in the States.

What has happened to the LPGA?  Tour organizers on the record say they dont want to look back, only ahead.  Ok, so let's try and look ahead and see what can be done to "fix" the LPGA Tour and allow golf fans and sports fans in general to see how ell these ladies can play.

The LPGA has become boring.  This is what I hear many fans say.  The players have become too robotic and there aren't enough personalities to promote what is goo about the sport.  We need more Christina Kim's.

Who are these players?  Last year, it took until the end of May before a player with a name Americans could pronounce won an event.  The Korean and Japanese players are great and very talented, but for the LPGA to come back we need a huge American star.

Sponsors.  The reason many of the American events evaporated is lack of sponsors.  The downturn in the economy hurt every sport, but it hit the LPGA extremely hard.  Once you lose these sponsors, it's almost impossible to get them back, so Commissioner Mike Whan is going to have to get out there and sell his tour to potential new sponsors.  That's easier said than done with a limited schedule and hoards of international players now dominating the Americans.

TV.  Most LPGA events are on television, but nobody knows which network, what time and how long the coverage is going to last.  Make sure golf fans know when the television coverage will be on, and don't put it up against a PGA event featuring Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.  Carve out your own time slot and stick to it.

Let her play.  Last in 2010, one of the bright young stars of women's golf, Alexis Thompson was told she couldn't play more than a handful of events in 2011 because she is too young.  I don't care of a 2-year old can hit a drive 275 yards, if they are good enough to compete, and Alexis is, let her play now and as much as she wants.

Market your attractive players.  I have to say, the LPGA has tried to do this.  When you turn into first and second round coverage, you will likely see Natalie Gulbis, Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie and Christie Kerr.  They are some of the more attractive players on the tour and we see a lot of them.  Almost too much, we see them all the time and we get a little sick of them after a while.  Mix it up and let us see some of the the other up and coming players once in a while.

Promote, promote, promote.  The LPGA needs to put it's players out there so the public can get to know them.  I don't know what it's going to take, Natalie Gulbis did a stint on The Apprentice, but more needs to be done.  A reality show, more meet and greets, maybe a fantasy camp where you can go and play with these girls. Maybe some tournaments need to be started with 50 LPGA players and 50 guys who aren't good enough for the PGA Tour.  A "Battle of the Sexes series of events in the off season.  I'm just throwing ideas out there.

There is a lot to chew on here, but looking at the downward spiral the LPGA is on, there is a lot to fix.  This tour has been around for almost 60 years, if they want to make another 60 they need to make adjustments.  I'd like to hear your comments.  E-mail:  rclimpert@yahoo.com