The Return of Terp's Take!!!

It's the moment you've been waiting for. It's when Darth Vader tells Luke he is his father. When Rudy finally gets into the game and gets a sack. When Jackie Moon wrestles the bear. IT'S THE RETURN OF TERP'S TAKE!!!

Ok, maybe I'm a little more excited than all of you, but finally I am able to get back to what I do best, and that's doing Terp's Take, the segment that formed a cult following at my old station in Grand Rapids. I've come a long way and covered a lot of ground since I started doing the Take; from killing it in football picks, to suggesting that ESPN devote Full Circle coverage to Erin Andrews...there's always something going down on Terp's Take.

I thought that since it's a special moment for everyone, I'd post the first Take to run on Sports Radio 1370. Hope you enjoy!

Justin Boren discussion plus insights into Spring Practice

I had the pleasure of having Tom Beaver (Grand Haven class of '69) from GoBlueWolverine.com join me on the show today to talk about Justin Boren leaving the University of Michigan football team, and look at what's happening in Spring Practice. Interview is split into two chucks. Take a listen:

"I' don't know where Dontrelle Willis is at in his career"

Richard Justice, writer for the Houston Chronicle, and common face on ESPN when it comes to talking about Major League Baseball, joined me this past week on the show to talk MLB, Tigers, and more. Check out some of the highlights from that interview below to see Richard's take on Detroit's chances to win the American League:

Like father, like son

Where is Mike Vernon's kid when you need him? Check out this French news report on Patrick Roy's son, Jonathan, attacking an opposing goalie during a junior hockey brawl in Canada. Real classy stuff, especially after the news segment shows Daddy Roy encouraging his son to go attack the other kid. And then lying about it to reporters afterwards:




Want to watch the full fight? Of course you do:

It's Tourney Time!!!

It's that time of year. The time where your cousin's alma mater becomes your new favorite team. The time when five dollar bills fly out of your pocket faster than Derrick Rose dribbling down the court. The time when the sight of your boss's 8 year-old daughter handing in her bracket strikes fear into your heart.

It's March Madness baby.

By now you've heard enough of the "expert's" picks and analysis. I guess I could consider myself an expert; because I have won an NCAA pool or two in my day, but no other sporting event is truly the guessing game that the Tournament is. And that's why this time of year is so much fun.

So here's my take on this year's NCAA Tournament:

UNC has the toughest road to the Final Four: For being the overall #1 team in this tournament, the Tar Heels sure got screwed over. They possibly have a very talented (and if inspired, an extremely dangerous) #8 seed Indiana in Round 2; a match up with Luke Harangody and #5 Notre Dame in the Sweet 16, and either Louisville (the best #3) or Tennessee (the best #2) in the Elite Eight. Who wants to face any of those teams? In my opinion, if Indiana is inspired to play, they're better than most of the #4 seeds in the tournament. I can't see UNC making it all the way to the Final Four, even though they play exclusively in the state of North Carolina for the entire region. I've got Tennessee coming out of the East, but if UNC should make it past all those road blocks, they'll win it all.

UCLA has the easiest road to the Final Four: Both Memphis and Kansas will face some stiff competition on their roads, but UCLA's region has a weak #2 seed in Duke, a #3 seed in Xavier that I have being upset by #6 Purdue, and a #4 (UConn) and #5 (Drake) that can't match up with the Bruins. UCLA should cruise to San Antonio.

The team that could destroy your bracket: Last year I had a couple upset specials...I proudly chose UNLV to make the Sweet 16, and also called the VCU over Duke upset. This year I think the top seeds are a little more dominant, but there still are a couple of teams out there that can screw things up. Gonzaga is one. Everyone and their mother (not my mom, but maybe yours) is picking Davidson over the Zags. It makes sense, with Gonzaga traveling to Raleigh to play a strong Davidson team that is basically a home game for them. Then the Zags would meet Georgetown in Round 2. Looks like an fairly early exit for the Tournament darlings from Spokane. But it's this line of thinking that can destroy a bracket. A Gonzaga over Georgetown would ruin the majority of the brackets out there, including mine.

The player you've heard a lot about and then get a chance to see and realize that yes, he is really good: Long title, I know, but how else do you explain it? I remember hearing all about Wally Szczerbiak back in the day when he played for Miami of OH. Then he single-handily took the Red Hawks to the Sweet 16. This year you've heard a ton about Michael Beasley. He probably could be the #1 overall pick in the NBA draft. But more than likely, you've just seen the highlights on Sportscenter, and not truly realized the effect Beasley has on the game. You'll get a chance to watch him lead an otherwise mediocre K-State team past Wisconsin into the Sweet 16.

Sweet 16 Surprises: Kansas St, Marquette, and Drake

My Final Four: Memphis, Tennessee, UCLA, and Georgetown. Not exciting, but not stupid either.

My Champ: UCLA. Only G-town can match the Bruins inside, but I think the Vols will take them down. Kevin Love provides the inside presence, Mbah a Moute is a tough cover, Russell Westbrook could be this year's Ron Lewis (of OSU last year), and the Bruins have the easiest road to San Antonio. I just like them. Though I'll never hear the end of it from my friends on the West Coast. Especially since I only see one Big 10 team in the Sweet 16. And that could be a stretch.

So get your brackets ready kids, cause all of this becomes obsolete around Noon today.

"The Battle Ground" 1st Installment

There's always been wars between Michigan and MSU...about who has the better football program (MI), basketball team (MSU), college co-eds (MSU again)...but nothing gets quite as personal in this rivalry than when the two school go head-to-head for in-state recruits.

Yesterday on the show I had a chance in interview Paul Konyndyk from SpartanMag.com, and Chris Balas from TheWolverine.com, and I thought it would be a perfect time to debut "The Battle Ground" which pits a Michigan and State Insiders against each other.

Today's Subject: MSU has apparently gotten the jump on Michigan in terms of in-state early commitments in football.

Sparty On: Paul Konyndyk from Spartan Mag tells us that this is probably the best early-recruiting start in MSU history. He also says MSU probably has one of the best running back classes in the country already. And give his take on why Michigan has gotten beaten so far in the race for the class of '09.

Listen to Paul:



Go Blue: Chris Balas from The Wolverine talks about Rich Rodriguez's adjustment to recruiting the state of MI, and how this staff is approaching the recruiting process. He talks about Michigan's Junior Day coming up this Thursday; and why he thinks MSU has had this early success on the recruiting trail.

Listen to Chris:

As always, comments are appreciated

The Dawn of a New Era...

Ok, so maybe the news that I'm starting a blog for the show is not as earth-shattering as I hoped, but I'm still excited for this new chapter in the show's (extremely) brief history.

A little about me before we get started, just so things are kosher:

-I'm 24, grew up in Grand Haven, went to school in Grand Rapids, and now somehow found my way back home to do radio; which is funny because I majored in TV, and my college didn't even have a radio program.

-I still do TV locally for FOX 17 WXMI Grand Rapids, and you can occasionally catch me on FOX Sports Detroit doing High School stuff.

-I'm a huge Michigan fan, and not just football either, which is sadly not the case with many MI "fans". People who like MI football and MSU basketball are front-running losers. I'm just putting that out there. You know it's true anyways.

-I'm also in love with every Detroit professional sports team, and yes, that includes the Lions. Don't hold it against me, everyone is allowed one thing in their life that doesn't make sense. Fortunately I share this one thing with about 80% of our state.

-This blog is a chance for me to connect with listeners, share my thoughts in a little more informal way, and give you a chance to catch up with the show! Feel free to leave comments, send emails, and make suggestions. Your interaction is always appreciated.

Now that I've cleared the air a bit...NEXT QUESTION!