MLB's New Postseason Format

Major League Baseball has agreed to a new playoff structure, beginning this coming season. I will explain the new format to you. Then, I will tell you what I think of the change.

There will be ten teams (five from each league) that make it to the postseason. This will include the three division winners and two wild card winners for each league. The two wild card winners from each league will play each in a one game winner-take-all scenario. The #2 team will play at the #3 team for the first two games of the season. The #2 team will then host the last three games of the series (if necessary). The #1 team will play at the wild card survivor. The #2 team will then host the last three games of the series (if necessary). The ALCS, NLCS, and World Series will conclude the postseason as normal.

Confused yet? You should be because in my opinion the whole idea is pretty much ridiculous. Sure it has its positives. More teams will make the playoffs, which means more teams will be involved with the exciting push for the postseason. There is an added emphasis on winning the division. No one wants to play in the sudden death wild card game. It also makes it more difficult for wild card teams to make the playoffs. They will likely have to use their ace in the wild card game, which means that he will only be able to pitch once in the divisional series.

That is all the positives I've got. Now, I have to show you the major flaws with this format. First of all, anything can happen in one game winner-take-all scenario. A freak bounce, a missed call, a crazy fan could determine who goes on. Furthermore, there can be huge disparity between the records of the two wild card winners. That being the case, a one game series really isn't fair to what the teams have done all season.

Next up is the absurd idea that the teams with "home-field advantage" have to play their first two games on the road. When the 2-3 format was used (1995-1997), pretty much everybody hated it. The reason Major League Baseball claimed they had to revert back to it because there wasn't enough days to give travel days in between. Also, a side note: there is no travel day for the teams in between the wild card game and the divisional series. The divisional winner has no ability to know where the game will be played, so they have to travel through the night to get there. The same is true for the ALCS. If an ALDS goes to a fifth game, one team will have no idea where or whom they will be playing, while the other will have to play five days in a row.

So obviously there are some positives and many flaws with the new format. MLB has agreed to consider moving up the start of the regular season to allow for travel days and possibly to return to the 2-2-1 format for the divisional series (let's hope so). That being the case I will reserve judgment in regards to the future. How could it be improved? If MLB is so committed to adding two more playoff teams, I think that they need to shorten the regular season. That way the wild card game could at least be expanded to a three game series. One game really isn't fair to the effort both teams put in all year. I've long considered the five game series to even be too short. I would be all for making the regular season a little bit short in order to make the postseason a bit longer. For now though, we will have to settle for this format and hope for the best. One thing is for sure. MLB better start praying for good weather in October.

Who's Tournament Tickets Will Be Punched Saturday?

VMI vs. UNC-Asheville - 12:00 PM EST, ESPN2/ESPN3

This game is the Big South Conference Championship. Everyone expected UNC-Asheville to be here. The Bulldogs rolled through conference play to a mark of 16-2 during the regular season. The surprise here is that their opponent is VMI. VMI came into the conference tournament as the #7 seed. They held on to beat Radford and then pulled the shocking upset of the #2 seed, Coastal Carolina. UNC-Ashville won both of the regular season matchups, but don't be surprised if the Keydets hang tough in this one.

Tennessee State vs. #9 Murray State - 2:00 PM EST, ESPN2/ESPN3

The Ohio Valley Conference Tournament has gone exactly to form so far. Murray State has been in the headlines all season because of their quest for perfection. That quest was spoiled by none other than Tennessee State. Both these teams will be pumped for this matchup. Murray State would like to showcase their dominance once again, especially against the only team to beat them all season. Tennessee State would love to ruin the Racers' goals once again. The Tigers have been the only team able to do that, but the question remains whether or not they can do it again.

Florida Gulf Coast vs. Belmont - 7:00 PM EST, ESPN2/ESPN3

The Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament ended up looking quite similar to that of the Big South Conference. Belmont, a talented team who nearly won at Duke, marched through conference play to the tune of a 16-2 record. On the bottom half of the bracket, the #6 seeded Florida Gulf Coast upset the #3 seed USC Upstate and then the #2 seed Mercer, the tournament host. Belmont destroyed Florida Gulf Coast in both of the regular season matchups. The Bears won those games by 42 points at home and 23 points on the road. The Eagles would love to avenge those losses, but would have to play their absolute best basketball to even have a chance.

Predators on the Prowl

Few men in the NHL have had as many hard decisions lately as the Nashville Predators' GM David Poile. The biggest decision of all is what to do with two of the best defensemen in the league, Ryan Suter and Shea Weber. Weber will become a restricted free agent this summer. Additionally, Suter can become an unrestricted free agent as well. It is Poile's job to convince them both to stay in Nashville. His hope of course is to resign both. In regards to this, Poile said, "I have a Plan A. I really like Plan A. It's one that I know if it happens will keep us competitive and allow us to compete for the Stanley Cup."

The Nashville Predators franchise is trending right now, and it is the right direction. As far as attendance is concerned, they are on record pace for average attendance and sold-out home games. As a result, the Predators' revenue increased 25-30% last season and their television ratings have gone up over 50% this season. The front office has done a brilliant marketing job, which has resulted in the increase in ticket sales, expansion of advertising, and the team's continued partnership with Bridgestone. The Predators remain very involved in the community. They have helped build and support up-and-coming youth and high school hockey programs. Nashville, a city were hockey had never existed before, has been transformed by the sport.

In an effort to improve this year's team and to convince Suter and Weber to stay, Poile and the front office were busy prior to the NHL's trade deadline. They began by bringing in veteran defenseman Hall Gill, who is a former cup winner. Then, they acquired forward Andrei Kostitsyn and center Paul Gaustad right before the deadline. The moves will help keep the Predators among the top of the crowded Western Conference standings. They certainly hope to make a run at the Stanley Cup this year.

The Predators still have plenty of work to do. Their numbers and play might be improving, but they are still middle of the pack in many areas. However, when you consider where this team was and the fact that they play in a Southern market, the work Poile and the rest of the front office have done has been impressive. The Predators are on the prowl and looking for prey to devour. Their eyes are fully on Lord Stanley's Cup.

Leap Day Hasn't Necessarily Made Sports Fans Leap for Joy Over the Years

Some of the biggest sporting events in the world, such as the Olympics and World Cup, come on a quadrennial basis. Leap Day, February 29, does this as well. However, in the history of sports, it has had relatively little significance. The NBA and NHL seasons are chugging along. Spring Training has just gotten under way. The day makes you wait one day longer for March Madness. Simply put, Leap Day's impact on sports isn't that much. Nonetheless, I will give you a brief history of what noteworthy things have taken place on this day.

1952: Dick Button won his fifth consecutive world men's figure skating championship in Paris.

1972: Mark Spitz won the Sullivan Award, being named the top amateur athlete in the United States. He went on to win seven gold medals at the Summer Olympics in Munich.

1972: Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron became the first baseball player to sign a $200,000 contract.

1980: Hartford Whaler Gordie Howe became the first NHL player to score his 800th career goal.

1996: Wayne Gretzky scored a goal in his debut playing for the St. Louis Blues.

2004: College football's Bowl Championship Series added a fifth bowl to improve the chances of mid-major teams playing in the games.

2004: Tiger Woods defeated Davis Love III in the 36-hole final of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

There are also of course athletes who have been born on Leap Day. There has been 40 players in the four major U.S. sports leagues born on the day, including former American League Most Valuable Player Al Rosen in 1924 and current Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward in 1984.

Leap Day Bubble Watch

Tomorrow is Leap Day. It only comes once every four years, so it is kind of a big deal. The NCAA Tournament only comes once a year in March and is kind of a big deal too. With March quickly coming, teams need to do all they can to show the tournament committee why they should be invited to the Big Dance. Five teams have a big shot to make a case one way or another on Wednesday.

Miami - 17-10 (8-6), RPI: 47, SOS: 38

Few people thought Miami would be able to make it to where they have a chance to make the tournament, but here they are. A big reason why is because they picked up their second win over a ranked opponent in a span of three weeks. The Hurricane's resume has some definite holes (3-9 record agaisnt the RPI Top 100 and a 5-7 road/neutral record), so they can't sit back and relax now. Tomorrow they play at NC State. This will be a tough win to earn, but one they could really use. A loss won't burst their bubble, but a win would certainly help their case.

Cincinnati - 20-9 (10-6), RPI: 76, SOS: 132

Cincinnati seems to be a team that can't decide whether or not they deserve to go to the Big Dance. Last week, they got a big win over Louisville, but then lost at South Florida. That isn't a knock on the Bulls, but the Bearcats' lack of consistency has hurt the resume significantly. They have five wins over the RPI Top 50, but their non-conference play was mostly pathetic (i.e. SOS of 323 and a loss to Presbyterian at home). No team in the last 15 years has ever gotten an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament with a RPI outside the Top 75. Cincinnati's last regular season chance to impress the committee comes tomorrow when they host Marquette. An upset win would be huge for the Bearcats.

Purdue - 19-10 (9-7), RPI: 39, SOS: 24

Personally, I have never thought Purdue's resume was as strong as people make it out to be. However, they finally got a big win at Michigan last Saturday. Prior to that game, the Boilermakers were 0-7 against ranked opponents, but the win over the Wolverines may have been the signature one they needed. Tomorrow night, they host Penn State. You may think no big deal, but the Nittany Lions won by 20 in their matchup earlier this year. While that was a long time ago, Purdue can't afford a let down after their big win. It could be quite detrimental.

Texas - 18-11 (8-8), RPI: 55, SOS: 29

Interestingly enough, Texas has a similar resume to Purdue. They have a middling conference record and have struggled against ranked opponents as well (0-6). A 4-9 record against the RPI Top 100 and a 4-9 road/neutral mark puts the Longhorn squarely on the bubble. They know they can't afford another bad loss. They survived last Saturday's overtime bout with Texas Tech, but tomorrow they need to take care of business against Oklahoma. A win won't seal their fate, but a loss might certainly.

Mississippi State - 19-10 (6-8), RPI: 63, SOS: 68

A mere 2 1/2 weeks ago, Mississippi State seemed like a lock for the NCAA tournament. However, they have now lost five in a row and seem to be in disarray. When asked about his team's odds of making the tourament, team star Arnett Moultrie said, "Maybe not. Probably not." That is not what you want to hear if you are a Bulldogs fan. This team is now only 6-8 in SEC play and have just a 5-7 road/neutral record. Mississippi State travels to conference doormat South Carolina tomorrow. The Gamecocks did upset Alabama early this year, so anything is possible. A Bulldogs loss would almost certainly burst their once promising bubble.

Winners and Losers from the NHL Trade Deadline

Winners

Nashville Predators - Nashville has traditionally been sellers at the deadline, but this year they decided to be buyers in a big way. Their blue line first got a boost with the acquisition of veteran defenseman Hal Gill. The Predators then added forward Andrei Kostitsyn to join younger brother Sergei. Finally, they acquired big center Paul Gaustad for some added team depth. The Predators are on the prowl and looking to make a run at the Stanley Cup.

Vancouver Canucks - Vancouver's concern from last year's playoffs was their overall toughness. They were bullied at times by the Bruins in the finals. As a result, they made two somewhat surprising moves to address this. First, they aquired winger Zack Kassian and defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani from the Buffalo Sabres. Kassian is a big boy and should help add some toughness to this team. Second, the Canucks added veteran checking center Sami Pahlsson. Pahlsson is no longer in his prime, but worth the additional depth for the limited cost given up.

Losers

Columbus Blue Jackets - The Columbus Blue Jackets are awful. There is no way around that fact. Captain and star player Rick Nash reportedly asked to be traded, but he ended up going nowhere. The Blue Jackets are clearly rebuilding. Nash doesn't fit that mold and should be given the opportunity to thrive somewhere else. Instead, they ended up with nothing to help turn around this abysmal team.

New York Rangers - The New York Rangers were the favorites in the Rick Nash sweepstakes. Since Nash ended up going nowhere, the Rangers had to scramble to get anything done. All they could manage was to bring in barely used winger John Scott. That move isn't the type of one the Rangers needed. The Rangers are still the best team in the Eastern Conference, but that gap just got a little bit smaller. They are on the losers list because they didn't improve much and their competition in the Eastern Conference just got better.

Hunter Mahan Gets the Chip Off His Shoulder

When the #1 player in world, Luke Donald, got upset in the first round of WGC-Accenture Match Play, all eyes went to the two players who could take over the top spot. Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood were those two players. They immediately became the tournament favorites. As expected, the two met in the semifinals. McIlroy beat his rival to earn the spot in the final. The experts had McIlroy as a lock to win, but Hunter Mahan wanted to have a say about that.

Mahan has been infamously known by his botched chip shot on the 17th hole at the 2010 Ryder Cup. He had won other tournaments, but none of it seemed to matter to him. He could be seen publicly breaking down and crying. Mahan finally came to realize that golf meant too much to him. In regards to this, he said, "I didn't want to have my identity stuck with my golf score. They needed to be separated, and I needed to play golf because I enjoyed it and accept the result and move on and not get attached to it."

Mahan had already become one of the best drivers in the sport, but he had long ignored his weakness, chipping. He and his coach Sean Foley set out to change that. It was not an easy project, and it is still a work in progress, but he has improved greatly and is building confidence. He brought that confidence with him to the WGC-Accenture Match Play. He quickly reminded folks that Rory McIlroy isn't the only young budding star when he beat McIlroy in the final. McIlroy is still considered to be the next Tiger Woods of golf. He moved closer to taking over the #1 world ranking, despite finishing second. However, remember the name Hunter Mahan. He is improving his game daily and gaining confidence with every chip shot he takes.