I don’t get it. Over the last two days rumors have been running wild that the Philadelphia Eagles may be trading away their Franchise quarterback in Donovan McNabb. After hearing these reports, I’m left scratching my head as to why.

Let me start by saying I am a Philadelphia Eagles fan, so I do know the team better then most that are just casual observers…But I can be fair and objective on this topic. I know McNabb has brought plenty of good and bad times to Philadelphia, but comparing them side to side, nothing pops out to me as to why Philly would want to trade him.

Donovan has been the true definition of a pro in Philadelphia. He has endured the boos of fans on draft day, the racial slurs of Rush Limbaugh, the feud with Terrell Owens, and battled through countless injuries. However in that time, he has brought the team years of success and made Philadelphia a powerhouse in the NFL. He averages around 3500 yards a season and 20 plus touchdowns. He also has the lowest interception to touchdown ratio in the history of the NFL. He has led the Eagles to Five NFC East titles, Five NFC Championships, been voted to the Pro Bowl six different times and even took the team to the Super Bowl in his 10 year career.

So again I raise the question, why would Philly even consider trading him? Is his stock value high right now? Yes. Do they have a back up plan in place? Yes. Do they have three quarterbacks on their roster all in the last year of their contract? Yes. But is Kevin Kolb really ready to step into the spotlight of Philadelphia? I don’t think so.

I don’t think Kolb can handle what it will be like to be the starting quarterback for the Eagles. I believe he has talent and Philly has done the right thing by letting him learn behind McNabb, but I don’t think he can lead this team like Donovan has just yet, and should sit at least one more season.

The only thing Kolb has done is play in mop up time in blow outs and started two games for Philly last year when Donovan got hurt. Sure, he put up 300 plus yards in those games, something no quarterback has ever done in their first two starts, but can he do that on a consistent bases? Only time will tell on that.

What I don’t get, is if the Eagles truly believe Kolb is the successor to McNabb, why not offer him a contract extension before the season starts and tell him he will be the starter in 2011? Why not roll McNabb back out at Lincoln Financial Field one last time and see if he can bring the Eagles their first Super Bowl title? What will it hurt? You can’t tell me they would be a better team with Kolb this season. And I think it’s very clear that this team is stacked with talent.

As a matter of fact, this is the most talent this team has had in any of the years McNabb has been under center, including the Super Bowl team of 2004. So in my opinion give Donovan one more shot. Maybe he will surprise us. Maybe he reaches the Super Bowl. Maybe he makes it as far as the NFC title game again and falls flat. Maybe he gets injured and the McNabb haters can say; “I told you so”. But either way, don’t you owe it to him? He has given his heart and soul to the city of Brotherly Love and admits he wants to retire an Eagle, so why not let him play out the last year of his contract? By allowing him to play it out, Philly is not only improving their chances of winning a Super Bowl, but it gives Kevin Kolb a chance to prove himself if McNabb was to fail.

Let’s the play the “what-if” game. What if McNabb starts 1-5. Or What if McNabb gets hurt in Week 6. What if the Eagles start hot and falter down the stretch? All those scenarios give you the opportunity to plug Kolb in and see how he would do for more then just two games. Maybe you start McNabb and one of those situations happen, and Kolb goes in and proves he is not what you thought he was. Now you know you can’t get rid of the face of your Franchise just yet and maybe have to draft another replacement in next years draft, or Kolb proves he is everything you expected and can take the reigns from Donovan without missing a step.

I personally think with the combination of McNabb, McCoy, Maclin and Jackson on offense again, along with a stingy defense, Philly has the talent to contend with the best in the NFC and NFL. But if they trade Donovan away and hand the keys to Kolb, I truly believe it will be a mistake and some Eagle fans and management will not know what they had until #5 is suiting up for another team and continuing his winning ways.

As we are now well into March Madness, fans around the country have finalized their brackets and gearing up for what will no doubt be another exciting year of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.  On a local level, the state of Michigan is proud to have 2 schools in the big dance with Michigan State and Oakland University! Many know by now, Oakland coming into Friday night’s game as a 14 seed in the West bracket taking on #3 seeded Pittsburgh. As the polls and stats go head-to-head, most of the nation is picking PITT to cruise into the 2^nd round, but those of us who have followed Oakland this year have something else to say about that!

The Oakland Grizzlies are coming off of an historic season on many levels, from setting a new school record in wins, to boasting the best regular season conference record (17-1) in league history. Oakland ended the season with an overall record of 26-8.  Oakland started the year against top opponents in Syracuse, Kansas, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. Each of these games though many not close in the end, helped Oakland to experience various environments and game scenarios. Oakland front loaded their season with playing with some of the elite teams in the nations not only to help the teams RPI, but even more importantly for Oakland  to travel to these visiting arenas and playing against top players so when the time came for conference play and now Post season play….Oakland is READY FOR ANYTHING!!

I will admit that Pittsburgh has also come off an outstanding season playing in arguably the toughest conference in America in the Big East. PITT won some monumental games this year against top teams in the nation such as Villanova, West Virginia, and Syracuse. Pittsburgh’s head coach Jamie Dixon has done an outstanding job this year with the team and they have proven why they are where they are in the national rankings. PITT however is more of a half-court, lower scoring team who doesn’t like to run with the ball, and Oakland seems to match up well with these kinds of teams.

Also I will give you my own personal KEYS TO AN OAKLAND VICTORY…. Oakland has a Dominant center in Keith (KITO) Benson. Kito is the key of Oakland’s offensive game plan with his points in the paint, and his double-doubles.  From what I have learned about PITT, they don’t have a very strong counter player to defend Kito, therefore PITT will most likely need to double up on Kito or find some kind of a solution for him, thus opening up the court for some of Oakland’s other dominant starters. Seniors Jonathon Jones and Derick Nelson both are known to carry the team on their shoulders on any given night, and with great support in 3-point shooting from Blake Cushingberry and Larry Wright…Oakland will have the Fire Power to put some points on the scoreboard.

The other obvious key to the game is Oakland’s Defense. Oakland struggled in their conference championship game on defense and was forced to mix things up and change their game plan. Oakland proved how versatile and smart their players truly are on the defensive side of the ball as they came back and took the game over! Look for the defensive game of the year for Oakland as they look to shock the nation and record the biggest win in school history. If Oakland can make their baskets and play solid defense, they have a strong chance to compete for the win. If one or both of these sides struggle, Oakland will have a tough time defending off Pittsburgh. No matter what the outcome at the end of the game, one thing we can all agree on…Oakland vs. Pittsburgh is a must see game, FRIDAY at 2:55 EST only on CBS!!!

The crowd cheered with great passion in celebration, as Oakland University Golden Grizzlies were announced during the CBS NCAA Selection Show Sunday Night! Oakland celebrated selection Sunday with fans, alumni, and students on their home floor at the ORENA. Scanning the player’s faces as they watched with patience as each matchup was announced. You could tell they were both happy, but more so focused on their next game and this time of year! These players are no doubt proud to be Conference Champions, but you can tell these athletes are not done just yet. In 2005 you can tell Oakland was just happy to be mentioned in the field of 65 teams. This year Oakland, who earned a 14 seed in the West bracket, is looking for much more than just name mentions.

Oakland has already proven to the local fan base, to their conference, and to most anyone who follows Summit League competition, that they are a record breaking CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM. This being said, when they step out onto the court Friday (3/19 2:45pm EST) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, they are back in the eyes of many as the underdog playing a high seeded Pittsburgh Panthers team. Pittsburgh coming off of a solid season is a dominant team in the no doubt dominant Big East Conference. All this being said, Oakland doesn’t care about rankings, or seeding, or who won what at this point in the year. All that counts is who can win their game Friday Afternoon. Oakland has proven this year than anything is possible. Going on the road to face 2 of the top 4 #1 seeds at their home courts, Oakland is ready and so are its fans. I am working out my travel arrangements for the game Friday, and will get back to you with a game preview later this week and of course all the latest from the NCAA Tournament Friday! If you ever wondered why they call this time of year March Madness…..tune in Friday and watch OU vs. Pitt at 2:45 EST Only on CBS!!

The 2010 Oakland University Golden Grizzlies walked off the court Tuesday night as not only CHAMPIONS but as the best the team the conference has ever seen.  Oakland held on to beat IUPUI 76-64 and the best team in Summit League History walked off the court Tuesday night as CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS and NCAA Tournament bound! A sea of Gold & Black filled the court as the OU fans, band, cheer and dance poured to the center to celebrate in pure joy the feeling of winning it all. This 2010 Oakland team had this moment in their minds for 365 days after their heartbreaking loose in last year’s final. This year it was Oakland who came in the #1 team and ended the season where they started.

The championship game itself was one that most Grizzlies fans won’t forget. The game began with Oakland shooting ICE cold and going 0-8 and not scoring their first field goal till past the 1^st media time out. The team struggled to get the ball down low to Kito Benson their player of the year, while the 3-point threats were missing their long shots from the perimeter. IUPUI came out strong offensively, but it was the Jaguars defense that created problems for Oakland.  With the weight of the world on Oakland’s two seniors, they knew what they needed to get back into the game. Forward Derick Nelson became the hero of the game and started lighting up the scoreboard with baskets from all over the court.

Nelson drove the net when there was a lane, and shot lights out from 3-point range. He ended the game with a Career High 36 points in the win and that earned him the tournament MVP. I can take a little credit in that; I had the great opportunity to be on the voting panel on press row alongside my associate Ben Fielder.  Nelson proved what a true senior lead is all about as he helped the Grizzlies gain a strong lead at halftime and continue the dominate play well into the 2^nd half.

The other key to tonight’s historic win was the defensive switch that Head Coach Great Kampe implemented late in the 1^st half. Oakland all year has played man-to-man defense, but once the team had trouble defending IUPUI, Kampe switched it to a 3-2 zone defense. The team had never even practiced this type of defensive strategy coming into the championship but they adapted quite well as they shut down their opponent and never let them climb back into the game. When the final buzzer sounded Oakland ended a season that was one for the record books. Oakland Not only won the conference tournament, but also the regular season championship and they set many school and conference records with their record. Oakland also has been ranked as a top 25 mid-major team in the nation for most of the season, something that Oakland had never previously been considered in before.

The feelings now for me personally are a bit numbing. Throughout this short yet memorable tournament, I have shared a few of the many things that a traveling fan gets to experience following their university during postseason basketball. But I would like to end this championship blog with a bit of my own personal feelings on the amazing night..,

I have had a long standing role with Oakland University Athletics from my days traveling to these tournaments in the pep band, to the days of establishing the student section and being an intern for the Athletic Director. Now as a volunteer at all home games and still active in the organization I have had the pleasure of utilizing my time here on this trip to give our 97.1 The Ticket listeners the chance to get a feeling for how incredible a mid-major schools journey really is making it to the NCAA Tournament. Running out onto the court to cover the celebration on our podcast, I have to admit I had great tears of joy and strong pride to be an Oakland Golden Grizzly! For years we have had great success in Division 1 but still didn’t have the respect that is needed to get the press, the coverage, or the support that many other teams in Michigan receive. Tonight, I feel Oakland has proved it-self worthy of being an elite program in the state of Michigan. I can also say I look forward to returning back to Detroit and to CBS Radio Detroit where by the way I do work in sales as my day job, and brag to all the other college basketball fans who work with me, that yes OAKLAND will be in the NCAA Tournament, and beware because they are not done with their winning ways just yet!

Check out our final podcast below of the Championship Call I had on the court as well as the post game press conference and an exclusive interview with the tournament MVP Derick Nelson. I will keep this blog posted on the latest information and stories about Oakland’s next road which is through the NCAA Tournament. I would like to thank my associate Ben Fielder who was our eyes this tournament with his great photos. Ben as I mentioned before works with me during the games at OU and he and I have become best friends throughout the years being so involved in Oakland Athletics. Ben works at Oakland University in the Admissions Department and was awesome enough to work with me on this blog page to post to all of you. That’s all here from the early hours of the morning driving through fog in South Dakota, this is Anthony Gallina thanking you for following me along this road to March Madness. GO GRIZZLIES!!!!

The teams are set and ready to do battle tonight here in Sioux Falls, SD for the 2010 Summit League Championship Game. Oakland comes in the #1 seed while IUPUI is just behind as the #2 Seed. For a full preview about tonight’s keys to an Oakland victory, click on the podcasts below to hear our thoughts on the championship. We hope you all have enjoyed our journey thus far, but stay tuned tonight to our podcast as well as your local listings for the game which is on TV. For now, reporting in the hotel lobby, we will see you at the Sioux Falls Arena later Tonight!! This is CHAMPIONSHIP TUESDAY!!!

Stay Tuned tonight after the game for the most in-depth coverage of the post game. (Pictures/Blogs/Podcast).

championship-preview

In a game of runs Oakland showed why it was the Summit League regular season champion by keying a late run to pull away for good.  It was by no standards your typical Oakland basketball game.  Oakland struggled offensively throughout the game and was dominated by IPFW’s bench 22-2.  Oakland used a perfect night from the line shooting 19-19 and also a buckled down second half defense to hold off IPFW.  The player of the game for the Golden Grizzlies was #22 Blake Cushingberry who flew past his season average 4pts/game and finished with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals.   With an injured Drew Maynard sitting on the bench Blake Cushingberry has been perfect filling in and dominating with his usual strong defense and adding a much needed offensive spark. 

Now Oakland will prepare for their ultimate goal of earning the Summit League Tournament Championship.  Oakland will square off against the #2 seed IUPUI Jaguars with a shot at the NCAA tournament on the line.  Oakland has split the season between the two schools with both teams winning their home game against the other.  Oakland struggled during the regular season against the Jaguars with a 54-78 loss on January 28th in Indianapolis.  Oakland took care of business earlier in the season when they won a close battle against the Jaguars 85-82.  When Ron Hunter and Greg Kampe meet at half court tomorrow night a trip to the NCAA’s will be up for grabs and the long regular season will be all but forgotten. 

The most important game for the Grizzlies will be live tomorrow on ESPN2 at 9pm est.  The nation will be watching as the Jaguars and your Grizzlies fight for the ticket they have been looking for all season.  Check in later today for a podcast preview of the championship game.  Both of us will be giving you the inside preview of the championship game and we hope you will tune into our podcast and also join us this evening as we cheer on the Golden Grizzlies to the NCAA tournament and the 2010 Summit League Tournament Champions!!

Blake Cushingberry-interview

Derrick Nelson-interview 

The Final four teams are set for Monday’s (3/8) Semi-Final round of the 2010 Summit League Championship. Oakland University who advanced to the semi-finals yesterday will host 5^th Seeded IPFW who beat the home favorite South Dakota State 71-66. #2 IUPUI who advanced yesterday will play #3 Oral Roberts who beat defending Summit League Champions North Dakota State 65-64 in overtime in the late game Sunday night.

A few of us Oakland faithful decided we wanted to get our charter bus to take us over to the arena on this day off to catch the other 2 games of the 1^st round. It was nice not only for Oakland’s basketball players and coaches to have a day of rest and preparations, but us fans and support groups took advantage with sleeping in and going to lunch around town.

When we arrived at the arena this afternoon we found our block of OU tickets lost in the sea of  Blue and Yellow fans cheering for their local South Dakota State University. The  BEST part of hosting the Conference Tournament as you can imagine is having the HOME COURT advantage to whomever you play. South Dakota State was the #4 seed and faced a closely ranked team, #5 IPFW. Being the host city, SDSU fans filed into the Sioux Falls Arena and packed 90% of its seats.  With obnoxious fans screaming at the refs and the crowd chanting S-D-S-U, IPFW  had to climb a mere impossible wall. As an Oakland fan, it was obvious we wanted the home team to lose so that we wouldn’t have to be the target of such a hostile environment tomorrow in the Semi-Finals. The intense game went back and forth for most of the game, but in the last 90 seconds IPFW held on to win 71-66.

Although Oakland did quite well against IPFW during the season, the smart college basketball fan knows, don’t get to excited because…well it is March. Oakland opened conference play this regular season traveling to IPFW and pulled off their first league win of season on the road beating the Mastodons 84-76. Oakland also closed out the regular season against IPFW at the O’Rena in Rochester with an 86-83 win. Though the game was close at the end, Oakland led the game considerably for parts but IPFW hung around and challenged OU and their seniors last game. Expect a game with high energy, passion, and defensive emphasis from both squads.  

Stay tuned Monday for a new set of updates from the game..including blogs, pictures, and post game press conference interviews under the PODCAST section. Not to worry, our coverage of Oakland University Basketball is  kicking into overdrive over the next few days…much like Oakland this postseason!

The players stepped off the bus early afternoon at the Sioux Falls Arena with the weight of Grizzly Country on their shoulders. The team made an appearance this morning in a banquet that all of us participants were invited to. The Oakland Grizzlies Pep Band, cheer and dance team all performed and joined the other Oakland fans for a gourmet lunch.             

The Oakland Women’s team played their quarterfinal game just before the Oakland Men did, and lost a heartbreaking game to Western Illinois 68-57. The mood was grim with the Oakland faithful, but we found a way to shake it off and look towards the men’s big game.

Oakland and UMKC tipped off just after 6pm (CST)/7pm (EST) and Oakland jumped out to a quick lead shooting 83% and 3-3 from behind the arc. Oakland stayed dominant throughout the game and UMKC trailed Oakland 45-35 at halftime. During the 1^st half, Senior Derick Nelson suffered a blow to the head as his nose began to bleed out. His nosebleed seemed to never end, and all of us watched in dismay as he held ice on his nose for the remainder of the 1^st half. Head Coach Greg Kampe told reporters at halftime that they believed his nose was broken.

Confident with the halftime score, the Oakland fans here still seemed cautious with the loss of Derick Nelson. As the players ran onto the court after halftime, Derick was back in the warm-up. His return helped spark the Grizzlies to continue to pour it on as Oakland lead by as much as 21 points in the second half. Each of Oakland’s players contributed in a big way. Junior Larry Wright led the team with 16 points, as Keith Benson and Derick Nelson tied for second most with 14.  Keith Benson’s 13 rebounds also helped Oakland stay well in command of this quarterfinal game.

When the final buzzer sounded, Oakland finished with a shooting percentage of 55.5, and hit eight 3-pointers. Oakland has proved as they did all year that they are deep with talent and this first game showed us the importance.  The post game press conference was upbeat and often filled with laughing and smiles. To hear the full Post-Game comments by Oakland University’s Head Coach Greg Kampe, as well 3 of the games key players, click on the POD-CAST section on the right side of the blog page. Our great photographer Ben Fielder has many great snap shots of today’s eventful opening round. Hope you enjoy the update, and stay connected to our latest posts as they happen!

The great thing about these long March Madness bus rides is the constant change in scenery as the bus rolls through each state. From the skyscrapers of downtown Chicago, to the rolling hills of Minnesota along the frozen Mississippi River. As for the Oakland Basketball team, they have been enjoying the day of rest and preparation, with a 1pm practice to regain focus for their 1^st game tomorrow against UMKC. Although Oakland is the favorite of this tournament, history has proven that in postseason March College Basketball, no team, no lead, no ranking matters. Each team walks onto the court with everything to lose, and everything to gain. Some teams embrace the pressure while others buckle under the lights.

Oakland’s focus this year is far beyond what it usually would be, considering the heart breaking loss in the final second of last year’s championship game. This year, Coach Greg Kampe and its returning players are looking to re-write history and claim the title that they rightfully deserve.

Oakland comes into this game having beat UMKC both times during regular season play. In the 1^st game this year between the two Oakland cruised to an 87-73 home victory. Oakland also took the 2^nd game at UMKC with an 83-71 win. The large win margin can be most contributed to the size advantage that Oakland has over UMKC. Look for center Kito Benson to have a strong game.

Saturday’s games begin for at 3:30(EST) as the Oakland University Women’s Team plays their 1^st Quarterfinal game against Western Illinois. Oakland’s Women’s team is the 2^nd seeded team in their bracket. Immediately following that game at 7pm(EST) Oakland jumps with UMKC.

Following the game we will have post-game interviews, blog, and pictures from the day. Pictures during the tournament will be posted by my close friend Ben Fielder. Ben and I have worked together for many years with Oakland Athletics and are proud to say this is our 5^th Summit League Championship trip together. So be sure to stay tuned and enjoy our eyes and ears during these next few days. GO GRIZZLIES!

If you followed Oakland Basketball this year, you would have noticed the DOMINANT 6-foot 11 Center at both ends of the court. Whether rejecting opposing shots on defense, or slamming down points in the paint for OU, Junior Keith (Kito) Benson has proven to be the elite player of the Summit League this year. #34 in your programs…Benson was named The Summit League Player of the Year on Thursday. Benson exceeded expectations during the season and is one key reasons Oakland enters the Summit League Tournament tomorrow as the #1 seed for the first time in school history!

Benson ended the season leading the league in rebounds(311), blocks(102), and double-doubles(16). Beyond all of those great stats, he also lead the team in points per game averaging 17.4 per game. Joining Benson on the all-league first team was senior Johnathon Jones. Senior Derick Nelson earned all-league second team. Junior Larry Wright was named to the All-Newcomer Team.

Among all of these great player achievements this year, the League also announced that head coach Greg Kampe was the 2010 Summit League Coach of the Year. Oakland won the regular-season championship with a new league record in wins (17-1) and winning percentage (.944).

The announcement of these awards on Thursday, adds another chapter to Oakland University’s historic year.

On another note….

The players took off Thursday for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the host city for the tournament. The team will spend much of Friday preparing for their opening round game as they take on the 8th seeded UMKC Kangaroos. The rest of us however are using Friday as a travel day. It’s currently 1am, and in 4 short hours, our 2 bus motorcade will depart for our 900 mile trip that will last roughly 14 hours. Over the years traveling to these tournaments, I have found that staying up the night before helps your body to sleep off the long road ahead. Much like Grizzlies hibernating.

All of the planning, packing, and traveling becomes well worth it when tomorrow, the buses will pull up to the arena entrance and we step off the bus take a deep breath, and get that ultimate feeling that “It’s March Madness Time!”

The buses are fueled up and we are about to hit the road. See you in Sioux Falls tomorrow night!!

I invite you to join me tomorrow as we preview #1 Oakland/#8 UMKC Quarterfinal Game 1.