It's sort of like, you know, and this isn't -- I'm prefacing this by saying this is in no way an analogy to sports because I know we live in a hypersensitive society -- but I remember a while ago I was reading an article in the New York Times about Palestinian suicide bombers and I just remember being struck by the notion that from the point of birth, people in Palestine are taught to think that dying in the name of God is a good thing.

They grow up wanting to be suicide bombers. So bringing it back to sports -- and again, I'm not making the comparison or the analogy -- if a young talented basketball player is being told at an early age that they are destined, it is a good thing to focus on basketball and not worry about what's going on in the classroom, why are any kids going to be worried about what's going on in the classroom?

I think it was very inappropriate for Bonnie to use that racial stereotype of Palestinians as an example to back up her comments that NBA hopefuls "are programmed" to make it in the NBA the way Palestinian children are "programmed" to become suicide bombers ...

I don't need to explain that suicide bombers are not a race or ethnicity, or that there are 7 million Palestinians and have been only 50 suicide bombers over the past 15 years.

"Hi, this is Bonnie Bernstein, and I'd just like to take a minute to apologize for making a connection this morning on Mike and Mike between Palestinians and the adults who influence the thinking of many young NBA prospects. I was a student athlete who was lucky enough to have part of my college expenses paid for by a scholarship, and so I've always embraced the importance of higher education.

That said, it upsets me greatly -- as I think you can tell, if you heard the interview -- when I hear about adults telling impressionable kids, 'Don't worry about school, your future is in the NBA.' These stories just lend credence to the notion one is often a product of his environment, and while I emphasized that twice during our discussion, in hindsight I realize it was simply a mistake to bring Palestine into the discussion at all, and for that, I apologize again.

Lesson learned: Religion and politics have no place on public airwaves at a sports network. That's definitely a credo I will live by from this point forward. Thanks and have a great day."

ESPN's Bonnie Bernstein Says Palestinian Kids Want to Be Suicide Bombers, Apologizes originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The conference's TV contracts are in place through the end of the 2010-11 academic year. Any serious tinkering with the ACC's schedules will come when the TV deals expire, so that the conference can maximize the financial payoff of its changes.

The conference feels that they don't want to give away extra games for free.

After all, they know that the ACC is still damn good TV. Five of the top ten college hoops games on ESPN involved at least one ACC team. The second North Carolina-Duke game was ESPN's highest rated game -- ever. As for football, Clemson-Florida State was the World Wide Leader's top rated college game ... while Boston College-Virginia Tech was ESPN's highest rated Thursday game -- ever.

ACC Shuts Up All That Extra Games Talk originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 15 May 2008 20:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More Hall of Fame Tears From Dick Vitale originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Knight's Volkswagen Commercial Is Stupid originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hat tip to Awful Announcing on this one.

ESPN's Jay Bilas was a guest on Dan Le Batard's radio show and they got into it. The main topic of discussion was race in basketball (mainly at Tyler Hansbrough's pro prospects).

It didn't seem to be what Bilas wanted to discuss. I mean, it is only the national championship coming up and I'm sure that Jay was prepared to talk about that. Le Batard instead hit him up with weird questions about scenarios if Hansbrough was black or Michael Beasley was white.

After a heated exchange, Bilas got off this classic blast -- "Take offense ... it's stupid"

ESPN's Jay Bilas and Dan Le Batard Get Into It Over Race in Basketball originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bobby Knight Would Like You to Consider Buying a German Automobile originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dick Vitale Cries on ESPN as He Reveals He's in the Basketball Hall of Fame originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"I can't begin to describe how honored I am to be included with the greatest minds and athletes of this sport," said Vitale. "College basketball has given me a life I didn't dream was possible. After nearly 30 years at ESPN I still can't believe I'm getting paid to be a part of this game I love. I just wish my mom and dad were here to share in this accomplishment with me."

For Dick Vitale, One Basketball Hall of Fame Down, One Basketball Hall of Fame to Go originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESPN's Steve Lavin, Brad Nessler Drool Over Jimmy Dykes' Wife originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"I really think basketball, we're the only sport where a player is penalized, and put out of a game with a whistle. And you take your star player who you prepare all week with, you work, you develop your offensive, defensive schemes, all of a sudden, boom boom, two fouls, he's out of the game.

"Hibbert played 16 minutes in the game. Vital player for Georgetown. I'd like to see a rule where a player can stay on the floor, at the coach's discretion, and every foul after the fifth is two shots and the basketball if he fouls, you get two shots and the basketball. ... Think about it. Basketball is the only sport where a guy is disqualified because a guy blowing a whistle controls the whole scenario."

Dick Vitale Advocates Eliminating Fouling Out originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No One Has a Perfect ESPN.com Bracket, but 51 People Got 30 of 32 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you have watched the ACC tournament, you have been endured to this video above. It is some dude standing in a gym singing about the ACC in Charlotte.

"Wearing the colors proud-ly!"

This has been one of the worst intros in the history of intros. Not only is it grating but it sticks in your head long after the fact. My wife and I ran a few errands and I caught myself singing "representing the ACC in Charlotte". I think she wanted to slap me.

Thank god the tournament is over and that we don't have to be subjected to it again. As someone who lived most of my life in Charlotte, that song sucked beyond belief. If you live in Charlotte (which my family still does) then you weren't subjected to any of this. You got to see the WBTV broadcast of the game and ESPN was blacked out. So, watch above and get ready to cringe.

ESPN Needs to Stop With the Horrible 'ACC Tournament in Charlotte' Song originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maybe it is best that Dick Vitale wasn't in the studio during the ESPN's bracket shows.

In the clip above, Vitale throws out what many people have been whispering: Bobby Knight to Indiana.

The problem is that when Vitale mentioned it, Knight (who is working for ESPN) was obviously ... something. Pissed? Embarrassed? Ticked? Emotional? Nervous? Shaken? Maybe all of them.

As Vitale kept on rambling, Knight just sat there -- quiet ... with a red face and glazed eyes

I do give Dickie V some credit for kicking that elephant in the room right in the backside. You knew that Reece Davis, Hubert Davis, Digger Phelps and Jay Bilas weren't going to touch that one.

Dick Vitale Wants Bob Knight at Indiana; Knight Wants Vitale to Hush Up originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On ESPN's coverage of the release of the NCAA tournament's bracket, Bobby Knight made a proposal that the tournament should be extended to 128 teams so that we could weed out the pretenders and then have a sure-fire best 64 team tournament the next week.

Look, I'm one of those people that thinks the tournament should be expanded (to about 96 teams) but I have to disagree with Coach Knight's thinking. He said that as they were talking about teams that were close to getting into the dance but didn't. He was arguing that if there were no automatic bids then the best 64 teams could be selected and there would be limited debate.

I've said this from Day 1 and ESPN's Dick Vitale mentioned it: If there were 128 teams in the tournament, then #129 would complain about not getting in. If there were 300 teams in the tournament, that the 301st team would bitch about not making it. Throw any number out there and there will be someone left out and complaining. It's the way the world works.

I mean, this tournament has expanded before and we still get this argument.

To me, I don't see where that argument has any merit. Look, in most years there are only 8 to 10 teams that can really win the title. Some years there is that break-through at-large squad that makes a mark (Villanova, Arizona). But is the public really clammoring to include Arizona State, Virginia Tech or Ohio State to be in this field because they think they can win the championship? No. They just believe they are better than a few other teams that did get in.

As for dumping the automatic berths -- that ain't happenin'. The only reason anyone cares about these smaller conferences is because of those berths. If it wasn't for Temple, Georgia and San Diego winning these automatic berths, those bubble teams would've gotten in. Would VCU has been included in last year's tournament if they didn't win the CAA tournament? Probably not. Yet those VCU Rams would go on and beat Duke.

I just don't understand the crying and moaning over these bubble teams. If you want to get into the dance then win your games. Virginia Tech can't hang their hat on almost beating North Carolina. You gotta finish.

So Knight's plan isn't solid. We've never had a #16 seed beat a #1 seed ... so we don't need to see #32 seeds attempting to do it. We also don't need to see those bubble teams go at it in the NCAA tournament. We have that in the N.I.T. and nobody watches that.

Shooting Down Bobby Knight's 128-Team Tournament Proposition originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dennis Felton Leads Georgia to Two Wins in One Day, Drawing Praise From Bob Knight originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bo Ryan Gets a T for Yelling at Brian Butch originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Schaap, on vacation and not upset at missing Knight's opening night, said: "He has a long way to go before he's as good as Digger Phelps. And I mean that 100 percent."

Jeremy Schaap Offers His Thoughts on Bobby Knight's TV Work originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"It's a story that has been rehashed by ESPN to serve its own purposes. ... Shelley Smith came up to talk to me to do a story on [Tennessee women's basketball coach] Pat Summitt and my relationship with her, why the series was canceled, and I flat out said, 'Go ask her. I didn't cancel it.' I didn't want to be involved in [that] story.

"And [Smith's] response was, 'OK, we're going to [report the violation].' ... What purpose does that serve? It's already been discussed and dealt with [last summer]. It's typical: 'Let's drum up some interest before the NCAA Tournament starts and hope these two meet in the finals so we can get boffo ratings' at the expense of Maya Moore."

Geno Auriemma Is Mad at ESPN originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESPN Analysts Compare Joe Alexander to Other White Guys, Larry Bird and Jerry West originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some new guy on ESPN named Bobby Knight was on SportsCenter chatting about the conference tournaments.

Knight's point is that if he knew his team was a clear cut lock to enter the NCAA tournament, he would rest his starters and play his bench guys more. He wants his team fresh for the NCAAs ... especially the second round.

Of course, he did turn it around when talking about his time at Texas Tech. Then, he argued that his team never was a lock for the NCAAs and used the Big XII tournament to get his team that bid.

To me, conference tournaments mean different things to different schools. There is pride from winning it, no doubt, and you'd like that have a hot team enter the dance. However, it isn't worth getting the small prize in spite of the bigger one. To me (well, in the major conferences), winning the regular season title is more important that a four day event. Take more pride in that. We can name last year's champ and most of the Final Four. Not many can reel off all the conference tournament champions.

However, it is a tool for those bubble teams to make a final statement on their candidacy.

Bobby Knight Hates Conference Tournaments originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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