MRISports.comtag:www.mrisports.com,2008://12008-07-21T15:41:23ZMovable Type 3.36Nomo owed a debt of thankstag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.6372008-07-21T15:46:33Z2008-07-21T15:41:23ZSay thank you, Ichiro. You too, Fukudome. Without Hideo Nomo, you might not be where you are today. The aging right-hander retired at 39 Thursday, but not before blazing the trail for Japanese players to come play Major League Baseball,...Ben
Say thank you, Ichiro. You too, Fukudome.
Without Hideo Nomo, you might not be where you are today.
The aging right-hander retired at 39 Thursday, but not before blazing the trail for Japanese players to come play Major League Baseball, most with some success.
A version of this article originally appeared at FanIQ.com.]]>
Pit Warstag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.6292008-07-14T18:34:00Z2008-07-18T16:46:28ZAll along the wall, gunfire sounds. The men standing on the wall in their helmets are ready to charge when given the signal. The tension mounts as they look down the road leading to their posts. They see their target...Ben
All along the wall, gunfire sounds. The men standing on the wall in their helmets are ready to charge when given the signal. The tension mounts as they look down the road leading to their posts.
They see their target exit the corner and enter the road. In a flash, they jump to action.
This isn’t a battle in some far away war; this is the life of a NASCAR pit crew.
As the cars peel out of their stalls, laying down a heavy coat of tire rubber, smoke clings in the air, the fog of their war. The heavy burnt smell wafts toward the crowd.
“I love that smell! WOOO!” shrieks one female fan standing behind Kyle Busch’s M&M’s pit as she jumps up and down.
To stand behind the pits at a Sprint Cup NASCAR race is to enter another world. Some fans spend the entire race just watching their teams’ crews work and service the car, the oval seen only in spots past the stands decorated with sponsor logos and the men at work.
But it isn’t easy to get access. You have to be sponsored to even get close, and then there are several checkpoints you have to pass to enter.
The men in these pits are athletes, and put your local garage to shame. In one pit stop, they can change four tires, fill an entire tank of gas, and clear the windshield in about 16 seconds.
Any slower, and they could cost their team valuable places on the track and prize money.
From the outside, it looks like a team of misfits. Crew members have all manner of helmets on, including some that look like they would be more at home in a roller derby. During the stop, when the number of men over the wall is restricted, other members quickly pass forward replacement items. A short member of the team hangs over the wall, passing forward near-side tires. He is held from behind by another crew member to make sure he doesn’t fall into the pit box. It is almost a mechanized circus act, one complete with a cast of real characters.
Take Doug Ingold, the gas man for Jamie McMurray’s #26 Crown Royal Ford Fusion. He looks like he would fit better behind a grill than toting gas cans. Full beard, a black bandanna splashed with purple accents, and a black Simpson apron, he is the quintessential barbecue man.
However, without Ingold, a 12-year veteran of the pits, the car doesn’t go. He dons a heavy protective helmet and carries the can weighing about 80 pounds to the car each pit stop.
After the flurry of activity, he continues to work, this time without the helmet and with his polarized Oakley sunglasses perched on top of the bandanna. He carefully pours the contents of the catch can, inserted to catch overflow from the fueling, back into the gas can. He measures how full the can is and weighs it. All of this is dutifully recorded and passed up to crew chief Larry Carter on top of the stand.
And he is not alone, the tire men have their own jobs, scraping the debris off the spent tires and measuring the wear based on holes they have drilled in the tires before the race. All of that is also recorded and passed upstairs. Meanwhile, the tires are carted out of the pits to the garage area.
After the statistics are taken, there is still more to do. The full crew stands in front of a flat screen and watches a tape of their stop, filmed from high above. They critique themselves and figure out how to improve on their already impossibly fast times. McMurray’s crew watched their first stop, a scorcher that seemed under 15 seconds, at least three times, and some members went back again just in case.
Every second is crucial, considering the lead cars circle the mile and a half oval at the Chicagoland Speedway in just over 30 seconds.
“15 laps to pit, anything you want us to work on?” asks Carter over the radio to McMurray. His race isn’t going well. A cut tire earlier in the race caused him to lose crucial spots.
McMurray is happy with the setup of the car, although doesn’t care for the radio, a recurring problem he has had over the past few weeks.
Carter promises to fix it and encourages his driver.
“You’re running well. You’d be in fourth if it weren’t for that [expletive] cut tire,” he says.
The next pit stop didn’t go so well. Extra time meant that McMurray was beaten out of pit row by a car he was ahead of, though only barely.
Carter was quick to apologize for the crew.
“We had kind of a bad stop,” he radios. “We got faith in you. You’ll make it up for us.”
After the work is done in the pits, spare tires become seats and back rests as the men wait to next be called to duty. Each has his own ritual. Some seem to be keeping at least a cursory eye on the race. Other stare off, lost in their own thoughts. Some take the time to catch a quick smoke, safely (maybe) away from the gas cans.
At Chicagoland, most crews were taking about 50 laps between stops. That gives their men plenty of time to contemplate their next attack on the vehicle.
However, the call to arms can come at any time, sometimes catching men back in the garage, resulting in a fast sprint back to the pits to take their place on the wall.
And just like that, a car slows along the apron and the call goes out. Men down pit row put back on their helmets, taken off only about 13 laps earlier. The sprinters race down the narrow walk behind the pits.
Places on the wall are taken.
The guns fire.
Editor's note: I had access to the pits at the Chicagoland Speedway for the Lifelock 400. Quite an experience, one that I would jump for the chance to do again. A shorter version of this article was printed in the Chicago Tribune, and this was previously posted at Blogcritics.org]]>
Curlin, now steroid-freetag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.6282008-07-10T14:42:21Z2008-07-10T14:55:52ZThere were rumblings that Curlin might have been making a trip to Arlington Park to run, but that excitement was quelled with the announcement that the super-horse will now run Saturday at Belmont in the Man O'War Stakes, a Grade...Ben
the announcement that the super-horse will now run Saturday at Belmont in the Man O'War Stakes, a Grade I race.
Curlin is apparently running the race drug-free after a tirade by his owner, Jess Jackson, put all trainers on notice that Curlin and other horses in the Jackson stable should not be given any enhancement.
The 4-year-old should be the favorite in any race in which Jackson enters him for the rest of the year, including the long-term goal of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, in October, in France.
Unfortunately, an entry in the Arc will lessen the chance that Curlin will enter the Breeder's Cup Classic, which runs only 20 days later. Big Brown would have been a likely opponent in that race.]]>
Silverfoot to run Arlington Million?tag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.6252008-07-07T21:41:48Z2008-07-07T22:42:27ZIt appears that the Arlington Million might be the next stop on Silverfoot's schedule. The 8-year old, who won Friday's Stars and Stripes Handicap at Arlington Park, may run in the Arlington Million on August 9, according to trainer Dallas...Ben
“The Arlington Million is one of several possibilities we are now taking under consideration,” trainer Dallas Stewart said Saturday afternoon while speaking over the phone from his Kentucky base of operations.
Should Silverfoot win the Million, he would become the third horse eight years or older to take home the prize in the 26 year history of the race.
The winner of the Arlington Million also qualifies for an automatic entry in the Breeders' Cup Turf race, held on October 25th.]]>
Silverfoot shines in Stars and Stripes victorytag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.6232008-07-04T22:00:00Z2008-07-07T21:24:32ZIt is tough being the old man in the race. But sometimes, experience pays off, especially when you have a jockey with the winning touch on your back. Such was the case Friday afternoon as the 8-year-old Silverfoot came from...Ben
It is tough being the old man in the race. But sometimes, experience pays off, especially when you have a jockey with the winning touch on your back.
Such was the case Friday afternoon as the 8-year-old Silverfoot came from last place to win the 77th running of the Stars and Stripes Handicap, a Grade III stakes race at Arlington Park. The gelding was ridden to the victory by Rene Douglas who won his sixth stakes race of the season.
The mile and a half turf race was dominated early by the long shot Rumor Has It. Jockey Eduardo Perez pulled his gelding out to a 12-length lead after a mile with the other horses bunched close together in a pack behind him.
Douglas was not worried about the long lead.
“I knew that horse in front was going to be dead,” Douglas said after collecting his fifth victory in the Stars and Stripes.
As the horses entered the final of three turns, the pack closed quickly on Rumor Has It, with Silverfoot holding the rail. It was all part of Douglas’s plan.
“I looked at his past performances, trying to see something in him that I liked,” Douglas said.
What he had seen was a single race that looked promising to him where jockey Mark Guidry had rode him on the inside lane.
As the pack swung wide on the final turn, Silverfoot had a clear path to the lead, with his white mane blowing behind him.
“I said to him, ‘If you want to go, go,’” Douglas said.
The off-white gelding took the race by two lengths, his first win since May 29, 2006, in the Louisville Handicap. Since that win, Silverfoot had finished out of the money for ten races in a row. It was his tenth career win, all but one of which came on the turf.
The winner, who went off at 5-1, finished in 2:30.40, and paid $12.00. Telling, at 14-1, took the place, while the 35-1 long shot Canela showed three lengths behind.
Making the board but finishing out of the money was Cloudy’s Knight, another 8-year-old trained by Frank Kirby. After the race, Kirby, clad in his beige 10-gallon hat, didn’t have any joy for the race his horse ran.
"My jockey ran him a mile and five-eights, the rest of ‘um run a mile and a half,” Kirby said in the tunnel beneath the grandstand as his horse was being cooled.
Julien Leparoux, who rode the favorite Lattice finishing last, was also at a loss for what happened.
“He was good during the race and then he had no response,” he said.
Leigh Bentley, who saddled Silverfoot for trainer Dallas Stewart, wasn’t as concerned about the race that Douglas ran.
“I was for a second when I saw how slow the fractions were, but this horse is always off the pace,” she said. When she saw him take off, she knew it was his.
The aging Silverfoot will return to home to Chrysalis Stables in Kentucky with his share of the $175,000 purse: $102,000.
Racing Notebook - July 4tag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.6242008-07-04T21:59:00Z2008-07-07T21:33:37Z The French filly Instrumentale was a late scratch from the sixth race when she bucked her rider and took off on her own around the back stretch of the track. The horse was ultimately corralled in a corner of...Ben
The French filly Instrumentale was a late scratch from the sixth race when she bucked her rider and took off on her own around the back stretch of the track. The horse was ultimately corralled in a corner of the front stretch where she attempted to jump the rail, but only made it half way over before pulling back onto the track. She was run down by a handler horse without further incident and was reported in good condition.
Jockey Rene Douglas, who took home the win in the Stars and Stripes Handicap, won three of the ten races on the afternoon.
Owner Frank Calabrese scored one win in two starts on Friday. The owner has won nearly 50 percent of his starts this season. Through June 28, he had 35 wins in 72 starts and had finished in the money nearly 80 percent of the time.
In Thursday’s action, Irish jockey James Graham rode winners in both halves of the Daily Double at Arlington. He was joined in a two-win afternoon by Rene Douglas and E. T. Baird.
]]>
It's Heretag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.5712008-06-11T16:07:55Z2008-06-11T16:09:28ZThe best college football preview magazine has arrived in book stores. I purchased mine yesterday and will be using it as an important part of my previes on the season, coming soon. Until then, go get your own....Ben
magazine has arrived in book stores. I purchased mine yesterday and will be using it as an important part of my previes on the season, coming soon.
Until then, go get your own.]]>
Big Brown Attempts to Deliver HIstorytag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.5612008-06-06T05:08:38Z2008-06-06T12:37:55ZSo it’s Belmont time, and there’s Triple Crown talk around Big Brown. But in the past decade there have been several trips to Belmont with a chance at such esteemed history on the line, only for it to result in...Chris Hahn
So it’s Belmont time, and there’s Triple Crown talk around Big Brown. But in the past decade there have been several trips to Belmont with a chance at such esteemed history on the line, only for it to result in a day that puts history on the shelf. So why will this Saturday be different?
Chris Hahn is an IT consultant who guest writes for MRISports.com on horse racing and other topics.]]>
Big Brown's 2nd Step: Preakness 2008tag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.5502008-05-16T18:04:36Z2008-05-16T22:55:34ZThis Saturday, the Preakness Stakes will run in attempt for horse racing to focus on positives and success, rather than the tragedy at the Derby. And those that get my normal Derby updates (posted below in hindsight for that didn’t...Chris Hahn
This Saturday, the Preakness Stakes will run in attempt for horse racing to focus on positives and success, rather than the tragedy at the Derby. And those that get my normal Derby updates (posted below in hindsight for that didn’t see it 2 weeks ago), you know I post this for entertainment purposes without any specific wagering recommendations. But with Friday’s scratch of Behindatthebar I’ve adjusted my thoughts and it looks very likely that New York and Belmont Park will soon see a run at Triple Crown history.
----For entertainment purposes, Chris’ Kentucky Derby write-up from 5/2/08---
It’s that time of year again. That’s right...Derby Time!
For those of you that have gotten this before, you’ll probably note it’s a little shorter due to time crunch as well as a couple horses I clearly like. For those new, here’s a window into my horse racing obsession so welcome to the club! But as I received at least 10 notes already this week asking where my picks were, here we go.
For ENTERTAINMENT only (I again hereby remove any responsibility if you use my picks…albeit last year it would have MADE YOU MONEY, ending a couple year drought), here is my best shot at what might happen Saturday at Churchill:
More than recent years, there is a much smaller group of horses of the 20 that I will be including in my tickets, and particularly fewer in the top and second spots, opening it up a little bit to finish out the tri. To that extent, it’s likely that when I hit the window to place my bets, a larger portion will be on exactas trying to hit heavy on the top 2 and then a little more pickup on my throw-outs not crashing the podium party.
With no further ado, even though it will make me sound like the rest of the chalk-picking handicappers, I am firmly on the Big Brown bandwagon. To be fair, I have been solidly there since 1 furlong left in him Florida Derby romp. As he steamed toward the finish line, the folks I was watching with can attest that all I could say was “Wow!”…ironically followed by the ESPN broadcast of silence finally followed by a simple “Wow!” That word summed it up, and despite all the other preps and horses, I really believe it’s his to lose. The outside post position nor only having 3 life-time starts doesn’t scare me, only the fear that he could have moved over the top after that effort and regress. But given what he’s done, he’s the only one that could run sub-par and still be a legit factor.
After Big Brown, I am going to surprise some folks and actually go with the West coast contingency. Even after moving out to this side of the country, I have never gotten on the bandwagons of the West Coast horses even in years that crew seemed strong. But Colonel John is my second favorite horse, with his impressive close in the Santa Anita Derby and my opinion that he’ll like the extra 1/8-mile at Churchill. Follow that with Gayego’s victory when shipped out to Arkansas and even the solid consistency of Bob Black Jack - 4 straight Beyers of 94+ in a field with many that don’t have any that high and a few with only one that match it – and it just seems like the California horses are due to make their mark back in Louisville.
Other horses of note that I will include in some way, but most likely sparingly in 2nd on the exacta and a little to close out a tri:
Tale of Ekati: intrigues me a little, but not overly impressed with his Wood win
Court Vision: despite his 3rd in the Wood, actually like him more than Tale of Ekati and he could be one of the horses kicking strong from the back down the stretch
Eight Belles: A filly running with the boys, her credentials are as impressive as just about any of the males, but running first time against them can be a big difference. Can see her getting a piece but would be a Hollywood story for her to actually win the roses
Pyro: A big early favorite that has struggled; I wouldn’t be completely shocked for him to bounce back and win it, but don’t think it’s worth the chance to play him too heavily up top. I’ll let him beat me but give him a chance to prove his Blue Glass was a fluke. Sometimes you have to take a stand against a favorite or two, and this is mine. Come after the race we’ll see if it was the stupid stand or not…
Recapturetheglory: It will be really interesting to see how quickly he goes out to the lead, and how Big Brown plays it beside him. If he can’t get clean out front, he might be a turn behind by the end. But while I don’t think he can hold on to win, could at least factor in on cashed tickets if he makes the lead by the first turn
So as most of you know, I end by splitting the ones I like into ‘Tiers’ that help me organize my – ahem – rooting interests, so:
Group 1a: Big Brown (his to lose)
Group 1b: Colonel John, Gayego
Group 2: Pyro, Bob Black Jack, Eight Belles, Court Vision
Group 3: Tale of Ekati, Recapturetheglory
And any of the others I’ll applaud their effort and win, lose my investment, and just try next time.
Well, there’s your entertainment value, for fun only of course. Enjoy!
Chris Hahn is an IT consultant who guest writes for MRISports.com on horse racing and other topics.]]>
Tragedy at the Derby - sorting the hype from the truthtag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.5492008-05-13T13:00:00Z2008-05-16T22:55:09ZAs if the happenings of another Presidential Election year couldn’t remind us enough, this past week the sporting world help demonstrate just how much many people in this country can use a loud voice to divide and blame rather than...Chris Hahn
As if the happenings of another Presidential Election year couldn’t remind us enough, this past week the sporting world help demonstrate just how much many people in this country can use a loud voice to divide and blame rather than work together to work on real change.
Last Saturday, the 2008 Kentucky Derby saw both an amazing and tragic performance – unfortunately from the same horse. While winner Big Brown saw an exceptional performance, his victory was overshadowed by the strong place (2nd) finish of Eight Belles and her subsequent death after breaking both her front ankles on the cooldown.
What followed in the national press the following couple days was a barrage of misinformation and hype that misused the opportunity to move the horse racing industry on a continued train of horse safety improvement. The ‘accuse now, find out the reality later’ mentality left innocent people in the crossfire for no legitimate reason.
(Writers Note: I am proud to say that Button Down Racing (run by Michael Hardesty) where I have participated in several horse partnerships, now includes a fund to monitor and – when necessary – repurchase horses that have been owned by its partnerships to ensure they receive a proper non-racing lifestyle)
But getting back to the original point, the research and work in these areas seeking to improve horse racing safety are internally funded. Outsiders, rather than sling mud and accusations at an industry that loves the animals that make it possible, missed a great opportunity to help be part of the ongoing solutions. Additional investment and donations could go a long way to more progress. Think about how much good could potentially come out of using money for research rather than organizing protests about a young jockey that didn’t actually do what the accusations claim.
So I encourage anyone reading this to take time to understand the true status and situation of the horse racing industry before making any premature assumptions or accepting some of the faulty information in the press about the safety and cruelty issues. The death of Eight Belles was extremely tragic, but in my opinion not an indication of an inhumane industry run wild. I encourage you to also read the most recent entry on the blog of the President and CEO of the NTRA, as well as the May 5 entries. I also encourage reading articles on sites such as DRF.com from Jay Hovdey and Steven Crist. These articles provide perspective that I believe help give additional perspective from individuals who have much deeper industry knowledge and involvement than I do. To be fair, I also encourage you to read articles with opposing perspectives, as everyone has the right to their voice. But I hope that many of you will arrive at a similar conclusion in terms of the actual situation rather than the skewed picture portrayed by a vocal uneducated minority in the days after the Derby.
I am in complete support of continued improvement in horse safety, but the bottom line is that the reckless use of this incident failed to take advantage of a mutual and cooperative opportunity so that a few extreme activists could make some headlines.
Chris Hahn is an IT consultant who guest writes for MRISports.com on horse racing and other topics.]]>
MRI 2007 - Week 12: Same names, different numberstag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.6132008-02-18T21:29:05Z2008-06-24T20:35:28ZIf you want changes, well, I am sorry to disappoint you. The top five teams are the same five teams as last week. Only this week, they decided they didn't like where they were the week before and shake things...Ben
If you want changes, well, I am sorry to disappoint you. The top five teams are the same five teams as last week.
Only this week, they decided they didn't like where they were the week before and shake things up a bit.
North Carolina returns to the top spot thanks to a Kansas loss and a big win over Virginia Tech. The Tarheels cross the 200 point MRI threshold, which should have them gunning for a #1 seed in March.
Kansas falls to #2 thanks to its loss.
Staying in the #3 spot is Memphis. The Tigers briefly moved into the top spot earlier in the week amidst the shuffling, but a couple of close wins have them back in their old familiar location.
Moving back into the #4 hole is UCLA, thanks to a Duke loss, only its second of the season. The Dukies are #5 after quietly being the last team other than Memphis to lose its second game.
Check out all the rankings in Week 12 of the MRI.
MRI Top 25 Rankings
Rank
Team
Record
MRI
LW
1
North Carolina
24-2
202.34
2
2
Kansas
23-2
198.74
1
3
Memphis
25-0
192.17
3
4
UCLA
21-3
165.12
5
5
Duke
22-2
164.56
4
6
Xavier
21-4
151.52
6
7
Tennessee
22-2
149.12
7
8
Wisconsin
21-4
139.80
8
9
Kansas State
17-6
139.00
11
10
Louisville
20-6
134.74
12
11
Indiana
21-4
132.23
15
12
Texas A&M
19-5
130.50
10
13
Marquette
17-6
130.07
24
14
Stanford
21-4
128.64
9
15
West Virginia
17-7
128.06
22
16
Texas
20-4
126.54
14
17
Notre Dame
19-5
124.21
13
18
Clemson
18-6
122.68
18
19
Drake
21-2
117.77
19
20
BYU
20-5
116.93
NR(34)
21
Georgetown
20-4
116.86
16
22
New Mexico
20-6
116.19
25
23
Pittsburgh
18-6
114.38
21
24
St. Mary's
21-3
113.09
23
25
Butler
24-2
113.05
NR(29)
Teams Dropped From The Top 25: Michigan State (LW #17, TW #27), Florida (LW #20, TW #29)
Other Teams People Might Care About
Rank
Team
Record
MRI
LW
27
Michigan State
20-5
112.47
17
29
Florida
19-7
109.48
20
40
Purdue
21-5
99.33
45
42
Vanderbilt
22-4
98.67
51
47
Dayton
17-7
94.37
46
51
Miami
16-7
85.91
52
52
Arizona
15-9
85.21
53
58
Maryland
17-9
81.43
59
65
Illinois
11-15
76.33
81
72
Washington
14-12
72.58
75
82
Ohio
16-9
68.21
72
93
Florida State
14-12
65.49
80
100
Texas Tech
12-11
58.13
106
104
Kentucky
13-10
55.48
100
107
Boston College
13-11
55.11
118
130
Georgia Tech
11-13
47.45
115
137
Illinois-Chicago
13-12
41.77
154
139
Northern Iowa
14-11
41.19
139
148
Auburn
13-10
38.72
163
175
Iowa
11-15
27.07
166
198
Michigan
8-17
17.16
208
199
LSU
8-15
16.89
205
218
Wofford
10-12
7.08
200
255
Drexel
11-16
-5.66
248
257
Ball State
5-19
-6.71
270
299
Pennsylvania
9-15
-32.00
315
Last Place this week: NJIT (0-27) at -154.79. 7th week in a row
Biggest Gain this week: Marquette gained 21.11 points. (Beat Seton Hall (89-64) and Pittsburgh (72-54))
Biggest Loss this week: Maine lost 16.06 points (Lost to Albany (60-74) and Binghamton (55-80))
Conference rankings this week: Big 12, ACC, PAC-10, Big East, SEC, Big Ten, Atlantic 10, Mountain West, MVC, C-USA. The WAC is 15th.
The MRI Rankings are copyright 2008 by MRISports.com. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com]]>
MRI 2007 - Week 11: #1 continues to shuffletag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.6062008-02-11T23:15:14Z2008-06-20T22:52:46ZFor anyone that thinks being undefeated should get you to the #1 spot in any poll, I contend you are mistaken. Kansas and North Carolina, with three losses between them, currently have a stranglehold on that top spot. This week,...Ben
For anyone that thinks being undefeated should get you to the #1 spot in any poll, I contend you are mistaken.
Kansas and North Carolina, with three losses between them, currently have a stranglehold on that top spot. This week, Kansas returns to the top after another loss by North Carolina, this one to rival Duke.
All this shuffling has allowed undefeated Memphis to close the gap between itself and the leaders, but not overtake them.
Behind them, still trails Duke and UCLA, but a fairly large gap remains between the top three and the rest of the pack.
Check out all the rankings in Week 11 of the MRI.
MRI Top 25 Rankings
Rank
Team
Record
MRI
LW
1
Kansas
22-1
196.41
2
2
North Carolina
22-2
193.53
1
3
Memphis
23-0
187.66
3
4
Duke
21-1
165.65
5
5
UCLA
20-3
160.87
4
6
Xavier
20-4
150.60
6
7
Tennessee
20-2
139.48
8
8
Wisconsin
19-4
137.14
7
9
Stanford
20-3
132.27
14
10
Texas A&M
132.17
132.17
9
11
Kansas State
16-5
129.89
15
12
Louisville
18-6
127.41
12
13
Notre Dame
18-4
124.38
20
14
Texas
18-4
122.99
10
15
Indiana
20-3
121.85
11
16
Georgetown
19-3
119.36
16
17
Michigan State
20-3
119.27
13
18
Clemson
16-6
117.44
23
19
Drake
20-1
115.73
18
20
Florida
19-5
114.49
17
21
Pittsburgh
17-5
114.04
21
22
West Virginia
15-7
113.15
19
23
St. Mary's
19-3
111.37
NR(27)
24
Marquette
15-6
108.96
22
25
New Mexico
18-6
107.85
NR(38)
Teams Dropped From The Top 25: Rhode Island (LW #24, TW #27), Mississippi (LW #25, TW #32)
Other Teams People Might Care About
Rank
Team
Record
MRI
LW
45
Purdue
19-5
92.17
46
46
Dayton
16-6
91.25
44
51
Vanderbilt
20-4
88.05
52
52
Miami
15-7
86.31
51
53
Arizona
14-8
84.03
49
59
Maryland
16-8
78.89
75
72
Ohio
16-7
73.55
64
75
Washington
13-11
70.84
81
80
Florida State
14-10
68.94
85
81
Illinois
10-14
68.64
78
100
Kentucky
12-9
57.99
111
106
Texas Tech
11-10
55.56
93
115
Georgia Tech
11-11
49.77
107
118
Boston College
12-10
48.80
109
139
Northern Iowa
13-10
42.96
97
154
Illinois-Chicago
12-10
37.68
153
163
Auburn
12-10
32.35
149
166
Iowa
11-14
31.32
156
200
Wofford
10-10
14.76
201
205
LSU
7-14
14.12
197
208
Michigan
6-17
12.20
206
248
Drexel
10-15
-4.21
258
270
Ball State
3-19
-12.29
268
315
Pennsylvania
7-14
-38.36
308
Last Place this week: NJIT (0-25) at -149.24. 6th week in a row
Biggest Gain this week: Creighton gained 14.82 points. (Beat Northern Iowa (74-50) and Southern Illinois (72-53))
Biggest Loss this week: Centenary lost 16.29 points (Lost to IUPUFW (44-65) and Oakland (61-97))
Conference rankings this week: Big 12, ACC, PAC-10, Big East, SEC, Big Ten, Atlantic 10, Mountain West, MVC, C-USA. The WAC is 16th.
The MRI Rankings are copyright 2008 by MRISports.com. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com]]>
MRI 2007 - Week 10: A Kansas loss, a new #1tag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.5992008-02-04T21:55:56Z2008-06-19T21:10:57ZPerhaps I was wrong. Kansas State pulls a historic shocking upset of the Kansas Jayhawks to knock the high-flying birds from the top spot in the MRI. In their place, it is North Carolina, who rolled with another two strong...Ben
Perhaps I was wrong. Kansas State pulls a historic shocking upset of the Kansas Jayhawks to knock the high-flying birds from the top spot in the MRI.
In their place, it is North Carolina, who rolled with another two strong wins.
However, the story of the week might be UCLA which pounced back into the #4 spot in the MRI, just behind the lone undefeated in Division 1, Memphis.
Rounding out the top five, is not Xavier. It is Duke, who is quietly hanging in there without a big man and with only a single loss on the year. The biggest test becomes a game with the #1 North Carolina Tarheels in the coming week.
Check out all the rankings in week 10 of the MRI.
MRI Top 25 Rankings
Rank
Team
Record
MRI
LW
1
North Carolina
21-1
194.15
2
2
Kansas
20-1
195.27
1
3
Memphis
21-0
175.85
3
4
UCLA
19-2
162.24
5
5
Duke
19-1
156.57
6
6
Xavier
18-4
149.60
4
7
Wisconsin
18-3
138.62
7
8
Tennessee
18-2
129.05
8
9
Texas A&M
17-4
125.62
14
10
Texas
16-4
118.94
12
11
Indiana
18-3
118.91
11
12
Louisville
16-6
118.77
18
13
Michigan State
19-3
117.72
13
14
Stanford
18-3
117.66
16
15
Kansas State
14-5
117.34
15
16
Georgetown
18-2
116.77
NR(26)
17
Florida
18-4
116.40
9
18
Drake
18-1
115.14
17
19
West Virginia
15-6
114.96
10
20
Notre Dame
16-4
114.75
20
21
Pittsburgh
16-5
113.89
19
22
Marquette
15-4
111.04
22
23
Clemson
15-5
110.76
NR(27)
24
Rhode Island
19-3
107.56
NR(30)
25
Mississippi
16-4
106.99
NR(29)
Teams Dropped From The Top 25: Butler (LW #21, TW #26), Washington State (LW #23, TW #29), St. Mary's (LW #24, TW #27), Mississippi State (LW #25, TW #39)
Other Teams People Might Care About
Rank
Team
Record
MRI
LW
43
Dayton
15-5
90.91
54
46
Purdue
17-5
88.15
48
49
Arizona
14-7
87.29
46
51
Miami
14-6
86.13
40
52
Vanderbilt
18-4
85.12
49
64
Ohio
15-6
75.63
74
75
Maryland
14-8
70.44
78
78
Illinois
10-13
69.33
62
81
Washington
12-10
67.27
66
85
Florida State
13-10
65.46
65
93
Texas Tech
11-8
58.94
100
97
Northern Iowa
13-8
55.30
107
107
Georgia Tech
10-10
52.46
101
109
Boston College
12-8
52.33
87
111
Kentucky
10-9
52.09
103
149
Auburn
12-8
38.80
132
153
Illinois-Chicago
11-10
37.80
157
156
Iowa
11-12
36.26
155
197
LSU
7-13
15.16
195
201
Wofford
9-9
13.37
229
206
Michigan
5-16
12.42
200
258
Drexel
9-14
-6.15
240
268
Ball State
3-17
-9.29
266
308
Pennsylvania
7-12
-29.15
313
Last Place this week: NJIT (0-23) at -135.48. 5th week in a row
Biggest Gain this week: UCLA gained 22.12 points. (Beat Arizona State (84-51) and Arizona (82.60))
Biggest Loss this week: Mercer lost 13.89 points (Lost to East Tennessee State (79-85) and South Carolina Upstate (49-75))
Conference rankings this week: Big 12, ACC, PAC-10, Big East, SEC, Big Ten, Atlantic 10, MVC, Mountain West, C-USA. The WAC is 16th.
The MRI Rankings are copyright 2008 by MRISports.com. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com]]>
MRI 2007 - Week 9: The lead grows, can anyone stop the Jayhawks?tag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.5972008-01-29T03:50:33Z2008-06-19T20:31:26ZIf you thought that Xavier was out of it, you might have been mistaken. The Musketeers have come through to pass UCLA for the #4 spot once again. But don't think the same thing happened for the #1 spot. Kansas...Ben
If you thought that Xavier was out of it, you might have been mistaken. The Musketeers have come through to pass UCLA for the #4 spot once again.
But don't think the same thing happened for the #1 spot. Kansas extended its lead on the top spot. With much of the season gone, it will become harder for anyone to catch them, especially when the disadvantage to Kansas for losing a game will not be as harsh as the season rolls on. And Kansas almost had the biggest gain for the second week in a row.
North Carolina stays in second place with Memphis still filling in the #3 hole. UCLA slips but stays in the #5 slot.
Check out all the rankings in week 9 of the MRI.
MRI Top 25 Rankings
Rank
Team
Record
MRI
LW
1
Kansas
19-0
187.87
1
2
North Carolina
19-1
179.91
2
3
Memphis
19-0
168.11
3
4
Xavier
17-4
149.86
5
5
UCLA
17-2
140.11
4
6
Duke
17-1
138.82
7
7
Wisconsin
16-3
127.91
6
8
Tennessee
16-2
121.45
9
9
Florida
18-3
119.63
19
10
West Virginia
14-5
118.90
8
11
Indiana
17-2
118.70
11
12
Texas
15-3
117.50
14
13
Michigan State
18-2
116.87
12
14
Texas A&M
15-4
113.97
10
15
Kansas State
13-4
112.87
NR(28)
16
Stanford
16-3
112.82
13
17
Drake
16-1
112.39
17
18
Louisville
15-5
110.88
22
19
Pittsburgh
15-4
110.77
15
20
Notre Dame
14-4
110.27
16
21
Butler
19-2
107.29
25
22
Marquette
13-4
106.68
18
23
Washington State
17-2
103.92
21
24
St. Mary's
16-2
103.74
NR(30)
25
Mississippi State
14-5
103.72
NR(33)
Teams Dropped From The Top 25: Clemson (LW #20, TW #27), Georgetown (LW #23, TW #26), Mississippi (LW #24, TW #29)
Other Teams People Might Care About
Rank
Team
Record
MRI
LW
40
Miami
14-4
90.48
39
46
Arizona
13-6
86.04
61
48
Purdue
15-5
85.23
60
49
Vanderbilt
17-3
84.91
35
57
Dayton
14-4
81.76
31
62
Illinois
10-11
74.27
72
65
Florida State
13-8
72.75
63
66
Washington
12-8
72.39
66
74
Ohio
13-6
69.32
78
78
Maryland
12-8
67.25
71
87
Boston College
12-6
61.84
75
100
Texas Tech
10-8
54.48
91
101
Georgia Tech
10-9
54.14
107
103
Kentucky
9-9
52.77
131
107
Northern Iowa
11-8
52.37
108
132
Auburn
12-6
42.00
125
155
Iowa
10-11
34.65
162
157
Illinois-Chicago
9-10
33.60
149
195
LSU
6-12
16.37
185
200
Michigan
5-15
14.55
212
229
Wofford
7-8
7.95
250
240
Drexel
9-12
2.94
233
266
Ball State
3-15
-6.56
266
313
Pennsylvania
5-12
-32.88
313
Last Place this week: NJIT (0-21) at -127.29. 4th week in a row
Biggest Gain this week: Winthrop gained 17.59 points. (Beat VMI (85-41) and Coastal Carolina (65-43))
Biggest Loss this week: Md.-Eastern Shore lost 18.24 points (Lost to Norfolk State (65-84), Dartmouth (62-86) and Florida A&M (62-72))
Conference rankings this week: Big 12, ACC, PAC-10, Big East, SEC, Big Ten, Atlantic 10, MVC, Mountain West, C-USA. The WAC is 16th.
The MRI Rankings are copyright 2008 by MRISports.com. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com]]>
MRI 2007 - Week 8: Kansas jumps to the fronttag:www.mrisports.com,2008://1.5952008-01-20T21:19:33Z2008-06-19T14:12:41ZCh-ch-ch-changes! Kansas takes the #1 spot in the MRI because of North Carolina's first loss of the season to Maryland. It shouldn't come as any surprise then that the Jayhawks also had the largest gain of the week to pull...Ben
Ch-ch-ch-changes!
Kansas takes the #1 spot in the MRI because of North Carolina's first loss of the season to Maryland. It shouldn't come as any surprise then that the Jayhawks also had the largest gain of the week to pull into that lead.
North Carolina only drops to #2, followed by consistent #3 Memphis.
However, look out for UCLA who has now moved into the #4 spot, although a clear fourth behind the leaders as they sit right now.
The loser in all this? Xavier.
That was to be expected after a shocking loss to Temple. And this wasn't a slim margin, but 19 points to the Owls, who are 118th in the latest MRI.
Check out all the rankings in Week 8 of the MRI.
MRI Top 25 Rankings
Rank
Team
Record
MRI
LW
1
Kansas
17-0
170.32
2
2
North Carolina
18-1
170.04
1
3
Memphis
17-0
158.41
3
4
UCLA
15-2
134.55
5
5
Xavier
15-4
134.41
4
6
Wisconsin
15-2
132.51
7
7
Duke
15-1
130.23
8
8
West Virginia
13-4
120.94
10
9
Tennessee
15-1
119.45
19
10
Texas A&M
14-3
114.33
6
11
Indiana
16-1
114.22
11
12
Michigan State
16-2
113.79
14
13
Stanford
15-3
113.72
15
14
Texas
13-3
110.10
12
15
Pittsburgh
14-3
108.91
16
16
Notre Dame
13-4
108.39
13
17
Drake
14-1
107.76
17
18
Marquette
12-4
105.70
17
19
Florida
16-3
104.29
20
20
Clemson
13-4
103.85
21
21
Washington State
16-1
102.22
NR(39)
22
Louisville
13-5
101.41
NR(27)
23
Georgetown
14-2
101.28
24
24
Mississippi
15-2
99.71
22
25
Butler
17-2
99.66
18
Teams Dropped From The Top 25: Rhode Island (LW #23, TW #32), Dayton (LW #25, TW #31)
Other Teams People Might Care About
Rank
Team
Record
MRI
LW
31
Dayton
14-2
95.19
25
35
Vanderbilt
17-2
91.41
33
39
Miami
13-3
88.54
32
60
Purdue
13-5
75.48
61
61
Arizona
11-6
75.09
54
63
Florida State
12-7
73.37
49
66
Washington
11-7
71.32
73
71
Maryland
12-7
68.36
72
72
Illinois
9-10
68.19
78
75
Boston College
12-5
66.63
71
78
Ohio
11-6
65.61
83
91
Texas Tech
9-7
58.67
97
107
Georgia Tech
8-9
51.28
121
108
Northern Iowa
10-7
50.97
113
125
Auburn
11-5
44.97
130
131
Kentucky
7-9
43.17
115
149
Illinois-Chicago
9-8
35.44
149
162
Iowa
9-10
31.20
166
185
LSU
6-11
21.10
178
212
Michigan
5-13
13.79
177
233
Drexel
9-10
6.52
227
250
Wofford
5-8
0.68
243
266
Ball State
3-13
-3.88
245
313
Pennsylvania
5-11
-29.18
308
Last Place this week: NJIT (0-20) at -125.03. 3rd week in a row
Biggest Gain this week: Kansas gained 19.36 points. (Beat Oklahoma (85-55) and Missouri (76-70))
Biggest Loss this week: Arkansas-Pine Bluff lost 19.83 points (Lost to Alabama State (40-69) and Southern (60-70))
Conference rankings this week: ACC, Big 12, PAC-10, Big East, SEC, Big Ten, MVC, Atlantic 10, Mountain West, C-USA. The WAC is 16th.
The MRI Rankings are copyright 2008 by MRISports.com. Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com]]>