Notes on a tourney bracket …
Tournament lock No. 1: By Saturday night, my brackets will be uglier than Britney Spears’ ‘do. Or is that don’t? …
How much are the Broncos counting on free-agent signee Travis Henry? That $12 million in bonuses is the most up-front jack the Bronx have ever given a tailback. Terrell Davis got an $11 million bonus back in the day and promptly tore up his knee. …
Henry isn’t the only Broncos back guaranteed a financial windfall. Henry, when asked his game plan for getting his old number 20 from Mike Bell: “Whatever it takes, I’m going to try to get it. I’m going to offer him like 10 grand. Hopefully that will do enough.” …
For the record, Henry says his playing weight is 220 pounds – on a 5-foot-9 frame. Moral to the story? Don’t worry about this dude being able to withstand the pounding. He’s built much more like Mike Anderson than Tatum Bell. …
Not that new Bronx special-teams coach Scott O’Brien knows his stuff, but O’Brien from 1998-2003 had at least one of his special-teamers named to the Pro Bowl each season. Not only that, three of his former return men – Eric Metcalf, Jermaine Lewis and Steve Smith – returned two punts for TDs in the same game, a feat that has been accomplished 11 times in NFL history. …
Tournament lock No. 2: Florida A&M over the Connecticut School of Taxidermy in tonight’s NCAA play-in game. …
I don’t know, you tell me. Why wouldn’t Mike Bohn have New Mexico State’s Reggie Theus on his short list of candidates to succeed Ricardo Patton? …
Biggest turnaround team in this year’s tourney field? That would be Washington State, a No. 3 seed in the East after an 11-17 season in 2005-06. …
Add Washington State: First-year coach Tony Bennett, Dick‘s son, may be the hottest candidate on the coaching carousel, but don’t look for him to go anywhere – to the eternal chagrin of Minnesota, among others. …
Cheer up, George Karl, you’re not alone. Phil Jackson, to L.A. reporters: “We’ve ruined the mix by not playing together.” …
Tournament lock No. 3: This year, unlike last year, a No. 1 seed will play in the Final Four. …
The U of Albany, in case you (and I) didn’t know, is called the Great Danes. And the Great Danes, in case you didn’t know, play in the America East Conference. Which, in case you didn’t know, is, like, in the East. No wonder they’re my upset special in the first round. …
By the way, don’t discount that ailing hip, the one that required a recent scope, on the list of reasons for Rod Smith’s so-so 2006 season. Said one Dove Valley front-office type, “The doctor said it was amazing he could even run.” …
Broncos tight end Daniel Graham, when asked the down side of signing with his hometown team: “The thousand tickets I’m about to be asked for.” …
Tournament lock No. 4: The Hoyas, Salukis, Great Danes and Bulldogs all made the field of 65. UCLA, meanwhile, will no doubt play like Chihuahuas now that I’ve declared the Bruins the Team to Beat. …
If UCLA doesn’t git ‘er done, look for Greg Oden and Ohio State to win it all. Any team with a 50-year-old center is good in this baby boomer’s book. …
So which presidential candidate am I voting for? Simple. The one that declares the opening round of the tournament a national holiweek. …
Tournament lock No. 5: First-round knockout or Final Four berth, Kevin Durant will be laughing all the way to the bank. …
Classy gesture by a coupla ex-Nuggets: Jalen Rose pledging 100 grand to a hospital in the Congo built by Dikembe Mutombo in honor of his mother. …
Dan Le Batard of The Miami Herald, on Nate Clements’ eight-year, $80 million contract with the Niners: “Pacman Jones isn’t the only one in this sport making it rain dollar bills.” …
And finally, happy 34th birthday to Big Daddy, new Broncos lineman Dan Wilkinson.
Jim Armstrong can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jarmstrong@denverpost.com.
