espn.com Ali Contest
You can see the strain on their faces. It might be a legendary college coach melting down at a press conference. Or a former NBA star who liked to play with guns and is now on trial for his life. Or the legend of all legends trying to make his body do what it used to. Page 2's Ralph Wiley says ball giveth ... and ball taketh away.
WILEY: LEGENDS OF THE BALL




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Some folks think former BoSox skipper Joe Kerrigan got a raw deal from the team's new owners. Even those who thought Kerrigan was a disaster as a manager think it's sad that the former pitching coach is out of a job. Don't count Page 2's Bob Halloran among either soft-hearted group. Halloran thinks the turncoat Kerrigan, Brutus to Jimy Williams' Julius Caesar, got just what he deserved.

What Are They Thinking? The Ultimate Coach
The sports world leaves us scratching our heads on a daily basis. Page 2 tries to make sense of the strangeness by asking one question: What the Heck Are They Thinking? Of course, sometimes even we can't come up with an answer -- like why the heck did the lowly Knicks sign up coach Don Chaney for another season?
 If you wanted to build the ultimate coach, Hollywood would be a good place to start. You'd take the fire of Al Pacino, the motivation of Denzel Washington and the no-nonsense approach of Gene Hackman. Page 2's Eric Neel sifted through the vault of sports movies and found plenty of talent on the bench.

THE BERMAN FILES
It seems like he has been around forever, as a Super Bowl-winning coach and a Hall of Fame analyst. And yet, if there's one thing John Madden is lacking, it's a catchy nickname. Luckily, as always, we have you to turn to, dear reader, to help fill that void.


You've already looked at Page 2's list of the 10 worst franchises to be a fan of. Now we've compiled our readers' top 10, along with a poll crown the No. 1 worst franchise to follow.
10]  Montreal Expos
"They always have talent, but the talent always leaves. I guess they are taking the fans with them."
9]  Milwaukee Brewers
"Not only do we have a lousy baseball team, we have to put up with another Selig."
8]   Chicago Bulls
"For one stretch, they were the best team in basketball -- but were it not for the greatest player of all-time, that stretch would never have happened."
  • GET THE FULL LIST


VEGAS' ODDS TO WIN NCAA MEN'S HOOPS TOURNEY
TEAM ODDS TEAM ODDS
Duke 6-5 UCLA 15-1
Kansas 3-1 Arizona 15-1
Maryland 4-1 Oklahoma 15-1
Kentucky 5-1 Illinois 20-1
Cincinnati 8-1 USC 20-1
Florida 10-1 Gonzaga 20-1
All Times ET -- Bold indicates home team
Complete Line


 
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HEY, RUBE
The Good Doctor warns everyone to keep a watch on Big Brother -- especially at big-time sporting events.

THE WATER COOLER
Page 2's Brian Murphy raises his cup to Jason Giambi after Big G's two-jack debut in pinstripes.

THE SPORTS GUY
Page 2's Bill Simmons lays down the law with 20 rules that a true sports fan should never break.

STAR-CROSSED
Everyone used to either love or hate America's Team, but Page 2's David Lloyd says the Cowboys have now been rendered irrelevant.

GETTING BAKED
The Pillsbury Bake-Off might sound like a silly competition, but Page 2's Jim Caple spent two days there and found that it is one serious event.
If your favorite writer isn't on Page 2 today, click here to check out our full roster of columnists.


These two fellas owned the '70s, but the years are starting to take a little bit of a toll. It's Keith Richards, left, of the Rolling Stones and Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson. This quirky match was suggested by Ryan Anderson of Flagstaff, Ariz. Browse our archives of past pairs or click here to submit a future duo.

Men's hoops: Villanova vs. Syracuse
7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Slumping Orangemen need to turn things around in Big East tourney's first round.
 
Men's hoops: Quinnipiac at Central Connecticut State
7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Northeast Conference tournament championship game.
 
Lakers at Jazz
8 p.m. ET, TNT
Shaq goes shopping for John Stockton's shorts.
 
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If you missed Page 2 over the last week, check out our back issues:
• Tues., March 5: Head cases
• Mon., March 4: It's a G thang
• Fri., March 1: Envelopes, please
• Wed., Feb. 27: Rules for Fans

Other featured content:
• 10 Burning Questions with Rickey Henderson
• 10 Burning Questions with Ray Allen
• The Power Poll
• Vote for the Page 2 awards
• Mystery Photo responses
• Sportoon: NFL combine
• John Rocker's killer role
Wednesday, March 6, 2002
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