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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast
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“MARCH MADNESS-A MAD BASKETBALL SEASON”
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How do you describe wild, insane, exciting, unpredictable.

All piled into one bin, it’s college basketball in 2024 and fans will see it all beginning this week with the NCAA tourney play in games.

A season led by a monster big man, a huge number of 3-point shooters, and a ton of transfers who have come in and played immediately and won a bunch of games.

How many different number 1-teams were there in the country’s rating this year?  Can you say 7…something we have not seen in a long time.

It’s the farewell year of Purdue C-Zach Erdey, all 24-points a game of him.

It’s the stunning return of UConn as a top seed, with Dan Hurley screaming, yelling, coaching his team back to the top of the polls despite losing 3-top players from last year’s trophy winning team.

It’s the revival tour of Kelvin Washington, and the blisering finish by the Houston Cougars.

it’s the steadiness of Hubie Davis and a cross section of talent at North Carolina.

The explosiveness of everything Richard Pitino runs out on the floor at New Mexico.

It’s a year where 6-Mountain West teams survived the head to head wars they had all year, to get into the tourney.  These six are probably so exhausted from playing each other, beating up each other, they’ll be glad to have to play someone else.

It’s a year with no names like McNeese State, Yale, James Madison are part of the show.

So many fun storylines to follow, so many explosive teams, this will be neat to watch when the play-in games roll out first.

And how about those first round matchups like Gonzaga-vs-McNeese…Utah State-TCU..New Mexico-Clemson…Nevada-vs-Dayton and Boise-Colorado.

Of course we can all look ahead, for a 2nd round battle that might pit the Aztecs-vs-Auburn.

Been a wild season and what happens this week will probably top what we saw all winter long..upsets galore.

And it will be strange too to not see some household names there any longer, UCLA, Syracuse, St. Johns.

March Madness has arrived and it will be maddening.

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Hacksaw’s Great Sports Weekend Podcast
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“AZTECS HOOPS–LIVING ON BORROWED TIME”
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SDSU basketball does not have to be pretty, as long as it is a win.

And it was in that first game of the Mountain West Conference, this war of attrition with an undermanned UNLV team.

Jaedon LeDee was dazzling in every facet but one, missed free throws, but the All American Aztec carried State on his broad shoulders with a (34P-16R) outing.

State played in spurts, trailing for most of the first half.  The shooting from the floor was horrid, they started (0-8) on 3’s and shot 25% in the opening half.

But you knew things were changing and they did right at the half.  Derrion Trammel hit a long distance 3-at the first half buzzer to set the stage for the turmoil starting the second half.

Trammel rattled home 3-straight threes, Jai Pal hit 4-baskets, and the Aztecs bigs outboarded Vegas (49-30) in roaring back

But like all things Aztecs hoops, you get streaks.  An (12-0) run for State, followed up by a (12-1) Rebels run.  A 10-point lead disappeared when UNLV zoned the Aztecs into the parking lot.

And the historically best defense in the world, kept losing Vegas freshman guard Dedan Thomas, who went off for 29 and nearly hit the game winning basket.

State survived going (15-for-25) at the free throw line.  UNLV could not survive the loss of its starting center with an ankle injury and could stop LeDee who was  banging, grinding all night long.

It only counted as one win, because come Friday night they have to play Utah State in the next round, and that won’t be easy.

It’s been so frustrating  to watch Brian Dutcher’s team.  All those tough losses to Quad 1-teams.  The cold spellsof  shooting that resemble the North Pole in winter.  And wondering who will step up and get consistent to match what LeDee has become, a complete star.

Living on borrowed time-we find out when they play Utah State on Friday.

Of course there is March Madness just ahead and they will be in that tourney too.  Not living on borrowed time because what they have earned going (23-9), but not the same type of teams we saw a year ago.

It was ugly vs UNLV, but it was a win, and that’s all that counts.

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=========Hacksaw’s Thursday Podcast
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“PADRES–WIN-WIN TRADE?”
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Your General Manager continues to wheel and deal.
It’s part of his addiction, part of his DNA.
AJ Preller, growing up on Long Island, must have collected baseball cards
And made alot of baseball card trades with his classmates.

I’ll give you this Yankee team card for a Mets team card and the bubble gum in the next 3-packs of Topps cards you buy.

Now the Padres have a Big 3-in their starting rotation, with the deal to bring strong armed White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease here, to get the ball after Yu Darvish-Joe Musgrove make their starts.

The cost, top prospect P-Drew Thorpe, P-Jairo iriarte, P-Steven Wilson and prospect OF-Samuel Zavela

Cease comes to San Diego with two years left on his contract and with big time credentials despite the fact the Chisox were not very good.  His stats (43-35)-3.83-ERA with 792K-658 innings.  He is a workhorse.

But there’s more to this transaction than just a 4-for-1 deal.

This deal has to include the acquisitions and then the deal that brought Juan Soto here from Washington and dispatched him to the Yankees this winter.

Preller traded 6-top prospects to get Soto and Josh Bell.  What followed was a disappointing season and then a solid season.  And a sneak preview of what could be an MVP type player.

So the Dylan Cease trade means the Friars dealt a total of 9-players to get the White Sox pitcher, plus those still here from the Yankees, Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez and backup catcher Kyle Higashioka.

9-players out the door, and that included MacKenzie Gore..CJ Abrams..Robert Woods..James Hassell..and Jarlin Susana…plus the 4-headed to the Chisox and Soto..

The Padres don’t have much to show for the two Soto transactions. But in this case, it could be win-win. The Sox got 4-good young players.  Just like the Nationals got 5-quality prospects, most of whom are now foundational players for their future rebuild

The Pades?  Maybe Cease will have a better impact than Soto did in terms of this team getting to post season and staying in post  season.

AJ Preller, trading baseball cards, just like trading his players.  You keep dealing hoping you get the right combo, in your collection or on your roster.

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“NFL WILD WEEKEND CONTINUES”
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Day 2-of NFL free agency was just as wild as opening day, and teams continued to write big checks to lure players.

And other teams went the trade route to help themselves.

Who made the headlines on Tuesday?

RAVENS…They replace one stud running back with another.  Maybe an upgrade when you swap off Derrick Henry to make up for the loss of Gus Edwards.  Turner probably has 2-good years left in him, and he has a (9,020Y) on his resume of success running the ball in Tennessee.

STEELERS…Pretty good upgrade getting Ravens LB-Patrick Queen.  Steady, physical, smart, a Mike Tomlin type of player.

HOUSTON…Now this has been an off season for the Texans.  They trade for power run back Joe Mixon of the Bengals, and then land Vikings top pass rusher Danielle Hunter in free agency with a (2Y-49M) package.

CAROLINA…They have the QB-Bryce Young and now they have big play people to put around him, trading for spicey Steelers WR-Diontae Johnson, who averaged 18YPC.  They also got Rams big DT-A’Shawn Robinson.

QB MOVES…Virtually all the recognizable passers are now gone.  Marcus Mariota goes to Washington;  Tyrod Taylor, a really serviceable backup, goes to the Jets from the Giants; Remember Drew Lock, ex Broncos-Seattle, he is now Aaron Rodgers’ backup with the Jets;  Jamwis Winston winds up with the Browns; and Sam Darnold will become the starter in Minnesota, which has lost alot of people.

Keeping score at home, thru two days of dealing, 86-players have now changed teams in NFL free agency.  On we go to Wednesday, with more deals to come.

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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast
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“NFL-DAY ONE-FREE AGENCY”
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Prizes-Surprises..what a first day in NFL Free Agency.

ATLANTA..They have spent alot of high picks on offensive talent, now they have a QB to get those guys the ball, stealing Kirk Cousins, big time thrower, big time entrepreneur to a (4Y-180M) contract to exit Minnesota.

VIKINGS..Lose Kirk Cousins and replace him with the 49ers Sam Darnold.  Really?

STEELERS..Russell Wilson signs a minimum wage (1.1M) deal with Pittsburgh, and gives the Steelers something they have not had since Ben Roethlisberger retired, a veteran big play guy.  And Pittsburgh gives Wilson a strong run game, something he has not had in years.  All that for a 1-year trial run contract.

BORDER WAR…It was rumored, it happened, Giants star running back Saquon Barkley goes across the state line, signing with the NFC-East hated Eagles.

HELLO-GOODBYE…The Chargers want a power running back, hello-Gus Edwards from the Ravens, goodbye Austin Eckler to Washington. They also got a pass catching tight end in Will Dissley-ex Seattle.  Still waiting to see if there is a Joey Bosa trade coming.

WIN SOME-LOSE SOME..Great signing by the Raiders, DT-Christian Wilkens..bad loss by the Raiders with Josh Jacobs leaving for Green Bay.

QB QUESTIONS..The Raiders said they wanted to develop a star, but then commit big bucks to get Gardner Minshew to join Aiden O’Connell in the QB room.  Maybe they draft Bo Nix or Mike Penix and develop them

NEXT MAN UP-NEW ENGLAND..The search for the replacement for Tom Brady moves on..newest in the door, journeyman Jacoby Brissett

BAD GETS WORSE…Carolina went (2-15) with little roster talent, now they trade top pass rusher Brian Burns to the Giants for two picks, neither of which is a #1.  Weird way to do business.

SCOREBOARD…First day of free agency, 50-players changed teams, plus  two trades, some shocking releases in SF-Green Bay-Cincinnati, and a couple of more deals likely coming.  Enjoy the second day of free agency.

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