Because my roommate is unable to comprehend any information from TV other than sports, I was forced to watch that butchering of a draft last night. David Stern might as well have just announcing the retirements of all the draftees because we will never hear any of those names again. One thing the draft did prompt me to do was to take a look at some of the all-time monumental draft busts in the recent history of the NBA. I say recent because I really only included players of my generation. I also included at number ten of my list the player I feel will be the biggest bust of this year’s draft. Overall you should recognize most of these names mainly because they have made themselves household names for their disappointing careers. I could have made this easy and just picked every European ever drafted in the top five, but I decided against that because there is no spell check on my blog.

10. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers (2011, #1) – Really just about anyone selected first overall this year was going to get my vote as draft bust. I could have gone first round in this year’s draft so the idea of this guy sucking isn’t hard to imagine. Anyways, Irving will follow a long list of Dukies who couldn’t cut it in the professionals. It won’t help that he will have a bunch of other draft busts playing alongside him in Cleveland. Regardless of Irving panning out or not, he will never be considered a major draft bust simply because this year’s draft should have taken place in the D-League – considering the talent commisioner Stern marched onto the stage.

Drafted ahead of: No one significant

9. Greg Oden, Portland Trailblazers (2007, #1) – Kind of unfair to put Oden on the list, but life is unfair and I could and should have put him higher. The guy hasn’t played yet. Seriously. I can’t make too much of a judgment call here because there is no body of work to judge. This might be a different story had he not gone number one overall and one pick before someone as good as Kevin Durant, but at the end of the day he is a big fat BUST. You know you’re a draft bust when a picture of your nude garbage is a bigger deal than your third injury.

Drafted ahead of: Kevin Durant

8. Adam Morrison, Charlotte Bobcats (2006, #3) – A very fun pick to make mostly because I have seen this perennial end-of-the-bencher firsthand in his days with the Lakers. Morrison was pretty much doomed from the start when he broke onto the scene with a headband and the hair similar to the homeless guy down the street. Things went even further south for Morrison when he decided to shave his head and grow a porn stache cheaper than his most recent contract with the Wizards. While in LA, along with becoming a YouTube sensation, Morrison also became the Lakers’ version of Brain Scalbrine. The only difference is people cheered when Scalabrine saw the floor; they would leave when Morrison did.

Drafted ahead of: Rudy Gay, Brandon Roy, Rajon Rondo

7. Shawn Bradley, Philadelphia 76ers (1993, #2) – Defintion of a stiff. The guy had a few good seasons in the NBA and put up some decent numbers on the occasion, but you expect more from a 7’6 beanpole that gets drafted second overall. To solidify his status as bad, Bradley remains the only player in sports history to have his own “Not Top Ten” on ESPN. In his version, Bradley is dunked on constantly by Chris Weber and Kevin Garnett among others. Weber, who ranks number six on Bradley’s “Not Top Ten” literally punches Bradley in the face with his junk during one of his dunks.

Drafted ahead of: Penny Hardaway, Allan Houston

6. Jonathan Bender, Indiana Pacers (1999, #5) – This pick was strongly influenced by the fact that I have a lot of friends who are fans of the Pacers. Injuries got to Bender early in his career and they unfortunately stayed with him. While healthy he was still nothing to boast about. He widely dissapointed and fans of the Pacers can often refer to the number of good games he played with their fingers. After a three-year haitus Bender played for the New York Knicks for a season before finally calling it quits for good. Bender’s best career accomplishment most notably is his ability to make every single draft bust list on the internet.

5. Marcus Fizer, Chicago Bulls (2000, #4) – I hold a lot of bad blood with Fizer. In his senior season at Iowa St. I picked his team to go to the Final Four as a two seed. They were upset in the first round by Hampton and my bracket was torched from there. As an 11 year- old kid you remember athletes who tormented your childhood and after that game Fizer was one of them. Eight teams in ten years was Fizer’s final tally in the pros. He’s hit countries such as Russia and Puerto Rico and has played in more second-tier American cities than a rodeo. Aside from being a walking geography lesson, Fizer’s best accomplishment came when he won the D-League MVP in 2005-2006. Take that Derrick Rose!

Drafted ahead of: The 2000 draft was just as bad as this years…

4. Michael Olowokandi, Los Angeles Clippers (1998, #1) – The friggin Kandi Man is back! But only to wear a denouncing for a few sentances. “Khandi” is actually one of the league’s all-time great guys despite his disappointing career. He has been noted for numerous charitable acts that we solute. As far as his playing career goes Khandi could not have picked a better team to dissapoint for. The Clippers couldn’t care less that Khandi didn’t pan out, they were just happy they didn’t have to offer a max deal had Khnadi been the goldmine they were hoping for… or not hoping for. Similar to Duke, I could have made a top ten biggest draft busts in Clippers history as well.

Drafted ahead of: Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce

3. Darko Milicic, Detroit Pistons (2003, #2) – Out of respect for European sports I will call him by his first name. There is not enough space on this blog to talk about Darko, but I’ll try to cram it all into a few sentances anyway. He has all the main components of a great bust. High pick – check. European – check. Multiple teams – check. Darko has seen everything both conferences have to offer after playing for five teams in only seven seasons. Aside from horrendous career numbers, Darko has also admitted to being a bad pick for the Pistons in 2003. The icing on the cake came when Darko, along with cash, was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Brian Cardinal. Was it the chump change or Darko that propelled that blockbuster to finally go down? I’m leaning towards the $43.87 that made that deal too attractive to pass up.

Drafted ahead of: Dwayne Wade, Carmello Anthony, Chris Bosh, David West

2.Sam Bowie, Portland Trail Blazers (1984, #2) – There were two players picked ahead of Michael Jordan in the 1984 draft. We will give Hakeem Olajuwon the benefit of the doubt because he is a Hall of Famer, the other is Bowie. Bowie is possibly the most famous bust of all-time simply because of the rest of the players he was drafted ahead. Even though he still had a decent career in the NBA Bowie defines bust. Multiple injuries were the main cause, but also an overall lack of consistency on the floor. Even his name “Sam Bowie” sounds like someone who would be a complete bust.

Drafted ahead of: Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, John Stockton

1. Kwame Brown, Washington Wizards (2001, #1) – The King of all busts has now been crowned. This guy was and still is awful. In true bust fasion Brown has become somewhat of a journeyman, playing for five different teams in nine seasons. The highlight of his career may have come in his first game back in Washington when he played for the Lakers.The well-deserved booing of Brown came early and often and was capped when Brown got domed up with an unexpected pass. The crowd went nuts, but Brown didn’t. After the game Brown noted that the crowd should cheer that he is no longer a Wizard, not boo. Nice mentality Kwame!

Drafted ahead of: Joe Johnson, Zach Randolph, Pau Gasol

I apologize if you feel I am making this post more about me rather than any specific topic in sports. Although you are one-hundred percent correct, I’m hoping to entice you enough to read. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate time to make this post. We are in the midst of the NBA playoffs, the MLB season is finally in full swing, and the U.S Open for both golf and tennis are right around the corner. When making my list, I could have listed the entire Boston Celtics team, but decided I’d get a little more creative. Pending on what season we are in, this list may fluctuate. For now here is my list of least favorite athletes.

10. Rafael Nadal, Spain – Nadal is a bit of a stretch in my top-10, but I had to shake it up with some different sports. I think when it comes to Nadal, I really do admire his game. Don’t get me wrong, he is an absolute stud on the clay, but how big of a stud can you be when you’re wearing capris? He plays the “pretty boy” role better than Fabio and his antics after a win remind me of someone winning a life-time supply of toilet paper on the “Price is Right”. I’m sorry, but you can’t drop to your knees in disbelief after a second-round win at the Dubai Open and expect people to believe you pulled an upset. I see him working with the whole emotional European act, but when you are suppose to win the French Open every year and you do, rolling around the court like your on fire should not be your go-to celebration.

9. Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers – The only reason Hines Ward isn’t higher on the list is becuase he isn’t that good. Everything about Ward, from his name, Hines, to the fact that he defines the shameless Pittsburgh Steelers, is uneasy to me. Unlike other Steelers, like Ben Rothlisberger or Troy Polamalu, Ward doesn’t bring much production to the field anymore. He still brings a gutless cheap shot and an unpleasent grin that never seems to leave his face.This alone lands him on my list. Being a Bengals fan, nothing was worse than seeing him re-arrange Ketih River’s chin and smile about it. Hopefully he retires soon and doesn’t pursue a career as a broadcaster. Putting him on CBS every Sunday morning with Deion and Dan the Man would be an injustice. The sight of him wearing that silly vest on all those Dancing with the Stars commercials was just reinforcement to adding him on the list.

8. Sergio Garcia, Spain – Once a spot reserved for Phil Mickelson, has now been passed down to fellow golfer, Sergio Garcia. The good thing about Phil no longer being on this list is that I found I still have a heart. Watching Phil rejoice with his wife after the 2010 Masters was a special moment for everyone watching and I couldn’t help but feel for the guy. Fortunately, this opened the door for Sergio. Serg has been on the honorable mention for this list for a solid decade now, so it’s been a long time coming for him to finally get over the hill and onto the list. Unlike Phil, Sergio gives fans no reason to care or feel bad for him. After about a five-year absence from the leaderboard, I watched this year in Augusta and noticed he’s still the same grumpy Spaniard that keeps finding new ways to lose. I personally love a golfer with a short fuse, but Sergio’s temper is flat out embarassing. Aside from locking himself up at the eight spot on the list, he has also locked himself up as the modern-day Colin Montgomerie. I’m not sure what will come first, an American who likes this guy or a major victory for Sergio. My guess is neither.

7. Kobayashi, Japan – I consider myself very loyal to America, a patriot if you will. With that being said there is nothing less American than a 5’7, 130 pound Japanese child slamming 50 hot dogs on July 4th. The fact that he is out-eating a dozen fat, sweaty Americans is also very troubling. His six-year championship run at Coney Island from 2001-07 was about as cool as overalls. Maybe I’m bitter that someone can become that famous for eating, but hearing Joey Chestnut chomp his way to victory on ESPN was music to my ears. Kobayashi made headlines this past year when he got arrested at the 2010 Nathan’s Hotdog Eating Contest. Kobayashi, who was not a participant in the event due to a contract dispute, decided to leave his mark anyway by storming the eating stage. I was unaware that the sport of eating came with so much glamour and attention to where its biggest star is able to enter a holdout. Either way, Kobayashi’s holdout makes him the only “athlete” to make my Top Ten Least Favorite list and Top Ten Favorite list.

6. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins – The lone hockey representative for this list, Sid the kid comes in with a decently hateful resume. His nickname is literal. He is literally a 13-year old kid. He whines, he complains, and overall just bugs everyone. It helps that he rivals Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin is a fan favorite and lives a lifestyle that most of us can adore. Fast cars, partying and women is what Ovechkin is about, while Crosby looks like he still has a weekend paper route to take care of. Above all else, Crosby shattered America’s dreams in the Olympics with his overtime goal to give our top-hat…errr…Canada a gold medal. I’m not a huge hockey fan, but that was easily the most invested I have been in a hockey game that the LA Kings were not in.

5. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees – Can’t stand the fake Cuban/Domincan accent. I couldn’t tell you which accent it techinically is, but Rodriguez is from Florida so it shouldn’t be an issue. Really the only thing I truly like about Rodriquez is his nickname, A-Rod. Does it get much easier to make fun of? I love looking at signs when the Yankees are on the road. Literally you could insert just about anything and connect a “- Rod” to the end of it and I’ll probably laugh at it. To his credit, Rodriguez was doomed for criticism the second he signed that fat contract with the Rangers. That wasn’t his fault, everything after that was. From steroid use to wanting to play on the Domincan team rather than with the Americans in the World Games, Rodriguez looked as if he was being advised by Lebron James’ consultant. It doesn’t help that he is constantly battling with Derek Jeter for the Yankees spotlight either.

4. Vince Young, Tennessee Titans – Another case where if this guy was a better player he might be higher on the list. Yes, he shredded USC in the Rose Bowl and that was a tough pill to swallow, but that is not the only reason to dislike a guy who treats the strip club like a boxing ring. I hate to beat a dead horse here, actually I don’t, the guy got a whomping six on the Wonderlic test. SIX. I don’t know if I am more frusterated that this delinquent is a millionaire or that a guy who couldn’t connect the dots beat my favorite team in the Rose Bowl. If he had answered “A” for all 50 questions he probably would have at least beat Dan Marino and we wouldn’t be having this discussion. Got to give Vince credit though, he somehow convinced the NFL he was worthy of a top-ten pick and convinced the Tennessee Titans to draft him ahead of fellow draft-bust Matt Leinart. I’m still going to give Leinart the nod on this one though, simply because he can read at a high school level and can take beerbongs faster than Kobayashi can eat hot dogs.

3. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics – Really no surpise here. We will start with the fact that he’s the lead man on the Boston Celtics. I can’t stand the Celtics and thus can’t stand Pierce. We continue with the horrendous sherade he pulled in Game 1 of the NBA Finals with the wheel-chair incident. The sight of Pierce after the injury suggested that his career might be in jeopardy. The reality of the injury was that Pierce was only plotting to go “legend” in the second-half by gutting it out with a broken something (no word on the injured body part). The only problem was that no one believed he was injured in the first place. The act proved to be grosser than his facial hair – barely. I will also take this opportunity to call out Pierce’s work ethic in the gym. How does somebody have that sloppy of a body and play shooting guard in the NBA? Lebron James is pointing and laughing at you. The only good thing that comes from Pierce’s marshmellow muscle definition is that it gives overweight youngsters hope that they too can play in the NBA someday. It’s called celery, Paul, not Snickers. .

2. Lebron James, Miami Heat – If it weren’t for a retired juice head, Lebron James would have been an excellant choice for the top spot. Arrogant, out-spoken, and easily rattled, Lechoke almost forces you to root against him. In the history of sports, I don’t think there has been a guy go from favorite to villian faster than Lebron. “The Decision”, which proved to be a very poor one, was undoubtedly questionable by the Lebron “camp”. I remember watching ESPN, Lebron sitting in his directors chair, sharing with the world he was to take his talents to South Beach…almost as fast as the city of Cleveland blowing up was Chris Bosh sighing in relief that he now has two superstars to cover for him. As if he hadn’t pissed off enough people already, Lebrick went on to state his plans to win seven rings. Was the guy who told Lebron to do “the Decision” the same guy who told him to say that? Better yet is there a warrant out for that airhead’s arrest? Or was it Lebron hismelf who decided to write the book on baffoonery? Give Lebron credit for being able to stay in the media, just don’t give him the ball in the 4th quarter.

1. Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants – I told myself I would try to keep this list to current players, but any opportunity to write about my hatred for Bonds is an opportunity I need to take. I hate the Giants, but it was bittersweet to see the NoCals win a World Series without him. He was in the seats pretending to be proud, pretending to be excited, rather than on the field playing for it. Sitting there in the front row with his inflated head, blocking the view of those behind him, he cared for that World Series about as much as he cared about the fans’ views he was obstructing with his dome-piece. His piece may obstruct views, but it’s also a dead giveaway that Bonds indeed used steroids and then lied about it. No one’s head naturally gets that big over time except Magic Johnson’s. At the end of the day, Bonds is the ultimate villian. A guy who battled with the press, ownership and even fans. He lied to just about everybody including himself. Above all else, anyone who has an issue with Jeff Kent has an issue with me.

Honorable Mention: Chris Bosh, Buster Posey, The Phillies, Rory McElroy, John Cena, Kevin Garnett.

That’s my list. Hopefully there were a couple athletes on the list who some of you can relate to. I plan to follow up with my Top Ten least favorite teams list next. I urge readers to give me some feedback as well. Feel free to post some of your least favorite athletes…

Las Vegas needs a basketball team. Plain and simple. Being one of the top sports cities in America (think gambling), none of the major sports leagues have even experimented with the idea. There has been some chirp in the past of bringing a team to Vegas, but with the recent news of the Sacramento Kings moving to Anaheim, it appears another NBA franchise will bypass Sin City for a town better known for bike rallies and Monster-Truck shows than basketball. Yeah, I’m sure you are just as mad as I am that a city like Anaheim will one up Vegas, but who says Vegas needs to give up? They don’t and that’s where the Clippers come in. In a situation where both need each other, we might have a potential perfect fit. Since moving to LA, it’s been 27 seasons of pretty much nothing for the Clips. Up until this year the Clippers have remained virtually non-existent in a city that usually embraces their sports franchises. Being from LA, I grew up really not caring about the Clippers. Like everyone else who owns a television or has the internet, I’m a Lakers fan. Being a Lakers fan, you would think I would hate the Clippers. Like most big-city rivalries, I should hate the Clippers similar to how the Cubs hate the White Sox or the Mets hate the Yankees. But how can I hate a team that gives the Lakers four easy wins each year? I can’t. And that’s just part of the reason why the Clippers need to bolt. Besides their ability to be swept constantly, they are insignificant in LA. The Lakers have defined the flashy culture of LA since the days of the 1980s LakeShow. The Clippers have defined horrible TV ratings. In LA they don’t matter, but in a different city, like Vegas, they might. Here’s what the Clippers are looking at on a day to day basis in their current situation…

We start with their home floor, which, as we know, they share with the Lakers. The Staples Center, which sports a roof-top color of Laker purple, might be the most alarming reason to why the Clippers need to start packing their bags. From a stadium standpoint, the LAPD would have a tough time finding evidence of a Clippers home game. Before you walk in, fans are greeted by bronze statues of athletes who have left their mark on the city. None of which replicate a Clipper. Aside from the three statues representing the Lakers franchise, the Staples Center garners a Wayne Gretzky statue and an Oscar De La Hoya statue. The Golden Boy statue is particularly ammusing to me because De La Hoya’s only fight in Staples was a title-defense loss to Shane Mosley. All his piece of metal tells me is that for the 27 years spent in LA, the Clippers have been unable to produce a player more worthwhile of a statue than a boxer whose best career win was a lopsided loss to Manny Pacquiao. For good measure that punking sent De La Hoya into the promoter’s role for good. Then again, the jury is still out on Blake Griffin, but like the Clippers, he too should bolt sooner than later.

It’s more of the same once you’re inside. From the north entrance, there’s a gift store on your left that looks one-part swap meet and one-part Lakers victory parade. People who call LA fans soft or fair-weathered clearly have not been in that gift store because it’s an absolute riot. If LA fans brought the same passion they brought to the gift store with them to their seats, I’m convinced we could rewrite the books on our reputation. From the tip to the final buzzer, the store is jammed with eight-year-olds trying to buy the newest Kobe 24 jersey. I don’t know what’s more startling, the fact that Kobe is still THAT popular or that parents still allow Kobe jerseys in their homes. Wasn’t he on trial for something a few years back? “Yeah, but that was number 8 Kobe, number 24 would never do that”. I’m sure parents who respond with that justification, also feel the Tiger Woods video game would be a great stocking-stuffer or that Mike Tyson finally turned the corner with the addition of his facial tat. Like the gift store, the club level also does an exceptional job of hiding any trace of blue and red. As you circle the level, pictures of the Showtime Lakers are hung across all the walls. Famous musicians and acts also contribute as decorations on the walls, with Staples being a haven for entertainment. Judging by those featured in the pictures, the action shots on the club level give me reason to believe the Lakers share a home floor with the Bon Jovi or the Rolling Stones rather than the Clippers. I’m not sure if Staples Center administrators are hiding pictures of the Clippers or they just feel Mick Jagr has a better fade-away than Elton Brand.

The part where the game starts is where we really see the contrast between the Clippers and Lakers. With a modest two-thirds of the stadium full, tip-off takes place with about 6,000 wide open seats. The seats, which are usually purple, require black seat covers during Clippers games to remind everyone that the Lakers are on a roadtrip and we are stuck with the Clippers. From the one Clippers game I was able to experience, it kind of feels like you’re at a concert watching the opening act, waiting for your favorite band. The only difference is at a Clippers game the main event is usually on the other side of the country. In the rafters, fans and players are able to see over a dozen yellow championship banners showing off the Lakers dominance in the NBA. There is even a few purple ones for the WNBA’s Sparks…I feel like I don’t need to elaborate on this. Along with the players, celebrities litter the floor at Staples. Stars like Denzel Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, and of course Jack (with hoagie in hand) are no strangers to Lakers games. Clippers fans include D-listers such as Weird Al, Flava Flav and – wait for it – Frankie Muniz. Talk about needing a fresh start. For the sake of the Clips, at least when these guys show up the Clippers aren’t the only wash-ups looking for new work. Muniz, who apparently considers himself a life-long Clippers fan, has been absent from TV longer than the Clippers have been from the playoffs. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

It’s clear the Clippers could use a fresh start and a fresh identity. It’s unfortunate, though, that neither are going to happen anytime soon. The best solution would be to move the team to Las Vegas. A new city with new fans has proven to bring life back into struggling franchises. Make everybody happy for once, Mr. Sterling. For an owner who has done less than the team he puts on the floor, the least Donald Sterling could do is move the team to a city that everyone loves, especially players in the NBA (i.e. 2007 All-Star weekend). Turn the team into the Vegas Blackjacks and slap the #21 jersey on Griffin. Now we got the ball rolling. Build an arena in the MGM and all of a sudden you got, not only sellouts, but sellouts full of rowdy alcholics and gambling addicts (maybe we should move an NFL team there) that will pose the strongest home-court advantage in the NBA. I’m pretty sure Frankie Muniz is still 17 so he won’t be able to follow you to Sin City, but you needed new fans anyway, right?

March Madness is finally among us and with it comes the most electrifying voice in sports. If you just said Joe Buck, I suggest you close the page. The correct and obvious answer is Gus Johnson. Gus, who should be chomping at the bit after putting up with the regular season all winter, is the reason why I would even consider watching the regular season at all. With my alma mater Indiana, still acting as the Big Ten’s punching bag, it’s hard to stomach an afternoon of CBS regular season basketball without hearing “Ha-Ha” after each three pointer. On top of the “Gus Factor” being the main reason I still watch meaningless eight vs. nine seeds every year, it’s the only reason I continue to follow the tournament once my bracket gets torched by opening round upsets. His uncanny ability to keep people interested and keep people listening is why Gus Johnson needs to be on a short list of what March Madness is all about.

Since 1996 Gus has been in our living rooms every March, bringing us some of the most thrilling and memorable finishes in college basketball. Being too young to remember the 90′s version of Gus, I personally have been a huge Gus Johnson fan ever since the 2006 tournament when he called UCLA’s monumental comeback over Gonzaga. An ecstatic Gus Johnson begins parading the Bruins efforts, while a camera is fixed on Adam Morrison crying at mid-court like it was the Miami Heat locker room. The sequence reminded me a lot of a dog getting scolded by its owner for peeing on the carpet. Sorry Adam, tough loss, but get off my court, is basically the message it sounded like Gus was trying to send to Morrison. After watching the following moments of that game it’s safe to say he sent that message perfectly. Without Gus, I’d bet my life I wouldn’t be able to tell you who won that game.

In his latest masterpiece between Arizona and Washington, Gus goes H.A.M on the Staples Center with his explosive call of the final two possesions. Not to be outdone by the stiff who called the Uconn finish two days earlier, Gus was poised for yet another electric call when Washington’s Isiah Thomas decided to go for the juggular. To put this call into perspective, had the clip been just an audio I would have assumed a shark attack was taking place and Gus was acting as the lifeguard. At about the 36-second mark of this clip, I couldn’t help but imagine a huge shark soaring through the air with a helpless seal in its mouth as Gus is screaming at the top of his lungs, overmatching another lackluster PAC-10 crowd. For the icing on the cake, Gus belts out “Cold Blooded” as the attack, I mean game, comes to an end. Nonetheless, this shot, although for the PAC-10 tournament title, didn’t carry much significance with it besides the fact that one team will now get to call itself tournament champions. Both teams were locks for the tournament and the win probably took Washington from an eight to a seven seed. More significant was how this clip gave Gus more pub on Youtube.

With the type of delivery Gus uses in calling his games, games like the Washington-Arizona game will be remembered far longer than they should be. There are dozens of buzzer beaters each year and some are more significant than others. From a personal standpoint, though, the only endings I remember are, for the most part, Gus Johnson-called games. So what if Gus called other sports? Think about it. Picture Tiger Woods, Sunday, on the 18th at Augusta, drilling a 20-foot bomb to win the Masters. Tiger is in mid-fist pump, while Gus is screaming in the background “Pure!!!”. Think Andy Roddick at Centre Court in Wimbledon, hitting a backhand winner for his championship point over Rafael Nadal. Wouldn’t listening to Gus yell “the slipper still fits!” as Roddick drops to his knees, make the moment a little more memorable.

We can wish all we want for Gus to appear trackside at the Kentucky Derby or ringside at a Heavyweight fight, but the bottom line is we are still blessed with his presence during March Madness. Calling close finishes on the hardwood is what he does best and for the next 3 weeks all we can do is hope the tournament gives him ample opportunities to do just that. Just remember when your bracket gets turned upside down, there is still a reason to keep watching.