There's so much going on, I wanted to write five full columns to cover it all. But that won't work, given the limitations on space and my own sanity. So here are five mini-columns, rolled into the usual reserved space:
RYAN BRAUN
What was it that Socrates said? "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." Well, welcome to the Braun debacle. Did Milwaukee's MVP slugger get away with juicing? I have absolutely no idea, and neither do you.
Braun proclaimed his innocence after winning his official appeal, which doesn't sway me, one way or the other. I've been through this too many times and been fooled too often. I'm not qualified to serve as steroids sheriff, judge or jury. No baseball writer is.
Braun won the appeal because an arbitrator found problems with the handling of his sample before it was shipped to the testing lab. That doesn't mean Braun is innocent; it means one arbiter found a flaw in the system. That raises an obvious question: How many previous drug tests were compromised?
Before MLB throws violators in steroids jail, there has to be 100 percent faith in the reliability and integrity of the system. And after this mess, how can anyone absolutely be sure? I can't trust the process.
Unless a player confesses, I don't know who is using, or not using, performance-enhancing drugs. The Braun case reinforced my view.
Just as I refuse to mindlessly accept a player's claim of innocence, I'll never refuse to vote for an otherwise qualified player for the baseball Hall of Fame because of something he "might" have done.
MIZZOU WAS JOBBED AT KU
I'll state this up front: There is no excuse for a good team blowing a 19-point lead in the second half in any venue, including Allen Fieldhouse. Missouri should have won Saturday's game at Kansas. How can MU fail to get a shot off at the end of overtime? The Tigers let Kansas escape, period.
That said, the officiating was awful. Sure, KU's Thomas Robinson got the ball with an aggressive swat in his emphatic rejection of Mizzou point guard Phil Pressey near the end of regulation. But Robinson also slammed into Pressey's body, smacking him to the floor. There was also the phantom-Phog call on Pressey late in OT that set up KU's game-winning free throws by Tyshawn Taylor.
I'm in favor of consistency. If the refs are going to swallow their whistles in the final seconds in an attempt to let the players decide the outcome, fine. But that standard wasn't smoothly applied Saturday. Robinson got away with an obvious hard foul. And Pressey apparently was called for breathing on Taylor, or something.
Kansas attempted 33 free throws, Mizzou only 18. The flurry of fouls exposed the Tigers' thin depth, and they couldn't overcome it. Phil Pressey, Ricardo Ratfliffe and Matt Pressey were all limited by foul trouble in the second half, and it was a crucial factor. With MU coach Frank Haith desperately trying to work around the fouls, Kansas coach Bill Self could keep his best players on the floor.
From the time Mizzou led 67-53 with 10 minutes, 40 seconds remaining in the second half, and until the end of overtime, Self made only four substitutions. Haith made 29. Phil Pressey and Ratliffe spent too much time on the bench down the stretch, and Kansas was able to chip away at the deficit. The Tigers should have won it, anyway.
SLU ON THE BUBBLE
An unacceptable loss by St. Louis U. at Rhode Island on Saturday. It was disappointing to see the Billikens play such an uninspired game, allowing themselves to get embarrassed by a bad team ranked No. 267 in the RPI.
SLU was outworked on the glass and lapsed into a lazy approach on offense, mindlessly heaving 3-point shots instead of finding other ways to attack Rhode Island's standard zone. It was just a strange performance, and out of character for a Rick Majerus-coached team.
Did the SLU players really believe they were a lock for the NCAA Tournament? The Billikens sure played like it Saturday. With the loss, the Billikens slid into a vulnerable position, one they could have avoided. SLU can't take anything for granted. The Billikens must win the final two regular-season games against Xavier and Duquesne and avoid an early exit from the Atlantic 10 tournament.
NEW DEVON ALEXANDER
A bigger, sharper Alexander was an impressive fighting machine Saturday night, pleasing his hometown crowd at the Scottrade Center. In his first bout at 147 pounds, Alexander dominated Marcos Maidana in winning 29 of a possible 30 rounds on the three judges' scorecards.
Maidana, a proud and respected warrior, had never been thrashed like this in his career. Maidana couldn't deal with Alexander's quickness; no surprise there. But in a development that few expected, Alexander landed 149 power shots to Maidana's 85. The move from 140 to 147 pounds clearly made a positive difference for Alexander, who was noticeably stronger. Alexander stayed fresh and in peak form for all 10 rounds.
Give trainer Kevin Cunningham credit for a cultivating a calmer and more focused fighter. Rather than repeat a flawed and decreasingly ineffective strategy by frantically flicking inaccurate jabs that drained his energy, Alexander saved his strength for stinging straight leads and snapping counterpunches. A more efficient and composed Alexander expertly honed in on his target this time. His career is back on track. Alexander, 25, gave notice that he won't be ignored in the highly competitive 147-pound division.
RG III HELPS THE RAMS
Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III had an outstanding weekend at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. He was measured taller than some scouts had expected. He ran an incredibly fast 40-yard time for a QB. Griffin charmed the media and NFL team executives with his customary intelligence and winner's personality.
This was a very good development for your St. Louis Rams, who hold the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. For the Rams to maximize the value of that pick, quarterback-needy teams have to work up a huge man crush on RG III. If Cleveland, Washington and Miami (to mention a few) fall in love with Griffin, then Rams GM Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher can sit back, field offers, play interested teams against each other and increase their payoff for parting with the No. 2 choice.
This is shaping up as a fun draft for the Rams and their fans.
