The March to Madness

Duke's Traveling Party

Yes, Duke seems to get its share of calls when it plays at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Check this video that has been making the rounds from the Blue Devils' game against Wake Forest on Sunday. There's more after the jump.

Officially, Hightower Is a Whistleblower

You can't help but notice when Ed Hightower is officiating game. Not only does he get a lot of TV time because he works a lot of games, he stands out from the crowd with his theatrical calls.

Hightower has worked 64 games this season in 22 states. Last week, Hightower's itinerary took him to Connecticut, Purdue, Louisville, Michigan, Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis, according to the site Stat Sheet, which also tracks how many fouls and technical fouls officials have been called.

Snapshots of the Week

A look at the week that was from the fabulous TV Tan Line.

The Oscar for Best Player Goes to Blake Griffin

Joel Huerto is managing editor of One Man Fastbreak.net and a sports consultant with Opposing Views.com. He has been a member of the sports media for almost 20 years, which included nine years as a news editor at the Los Angeles Times. He will cover a variety of topics, from coach and player profiles to hot-button issues. Joel is also known as "maniLA ice" for his cool demeanor in the friendly confines of the YMCA hardwood. He loves to shoot the "tear drop" and prefers to play zone to hide his deficiencies on defense.

In honor of the Oscars, here are my picks for this season's top performers.

Best player in a lead role — Blake Griffin, forward, Oklahoma. The only way to stop this season's consensus player of the year is by hitting him across the face and dealing him a concussion, which is precisely what Texas did to the Sooners' power forward during Saturday's Red River Shootout won by the Longhorns. If there was any doubt that Griffin is the most valuable player in the nation, his absence allowed a lesser team hand the Sooners their second loss of the season.

Calhoun Is a Royal Jackass When Asked About Salary

Yes, rich people have problems, too. Jim Calhoun, the highest-paid state employee in Connecticut, gets testy when asked by free-lance reporter Ken Krayeske about his $1.6 million annual salary. Given that the state is facing a $944 million budget deficit, Krayeske asked Calhoun if he would consider giving money back to the state.

"Not a dime back," Calhoun said.

Way to go, coach. In your case, there is no "I" in team.

Of course, the gutless media is now playing defense and coming down on Krayeske for having the balls to dare challenge the multimillionaire coach, who claims his darling program brings in $12 million a year to the university — before expenses.

Hats off to Krayeske, who has bigger ones than any reporter in Connecticut. It's disheartening to hear the Calhoun lapdogs start to get on Krayeske's case near the end of the exchange.

Update: Regarding Calhoun's claim of his program bringing in $12 million a year. According to information Connecticut filed with the U.S. Department of Education as part of its Equity in Athletics Analysis, UConn men's basketball generated $7.3 million in revenue and spent $6.1 million in 2007-08. Maybe Calhoun's $12 million figure is from the men's and women's team combined, which totaled $12.6 million in revenue in '07-08. Nonetheless, it appears Calhoun is engaging in fuzzy math.

Roy Williams Drops the F Bomb

North Carolina's Roy Williams let one fly Wednesday night after the Tar Heels' 89-80 victory over North Carolina State. J.P. Giglio of the Raleigh News & Observer has the story and, of course, the video. Check it out by clicking here.

Williams is no stranger to salty language. Who can forget his interview with Bonnie Bernstein after Kansas lost to Syracuse in the 2003 NCAA title game.