General: The Couch Potato

This week the sports world looked more like the television show "Cops."

Florida State's ex-quarterback Adrian McPherson was arrested for gambling on his own team last season. St. Bonaventure cancelled the remainder of their basketball season because they played with an ineligible player, and the University of Georgia is facing allegations that they paid former player Tony Cole.

Are you tired of hearing about people breaking the rules?

Here are four games this weekend that should be so good, you won't feel cheated.

#2 Kentucky @ #3 Florida, 3/8/03, 2 p.m., CBS, men's college basketball

Do you remember when the Florida Gators were the top-ranked team in the country? The Gators held the top spot the week of February 4th, but didn't last long as they ran into the Kentucky Wildcats in Rupp Arena. Kentucky started that game on fire and shut down the high-powered Florida offense holding them to 22 first-half points. Now, these two teams meet again, but this time Kentucky has to venture into hostile Gainesville.

The Gators enter the game as the third-ranked team in the country and for good reason.

The Gators have one of the most balanced offenses in the country. They have four starters who average more than ten points a game, and as a team they shooting an astonishing 40% from three-point land.

Senior forward Matt Bonner leads the boys from the Sunshine State. The Concord, New Hampshire product stands at 6'10 and he can flat out shoot from anywhere on the floor. Bonner averages over fifteen points a game, shoots 49% from beyond the arc and 52% from the field, but he doesn't do all the scoring in Gainesville!

Freshman standout Matt Walsh has had an excellent season and may be the SEC Rookie of the Year. Walsh, who averages over thirteen points a game, has struggled down the stretch scoring in double digits in three of the past eight games. The Gators are a team with excellent senior leadership but the million-dollar question is; how will underclassmen Walsh and Anthony Roberson handle the pressure of playing Kentucky?

How good are the Kentucky Wildcats? The Wildcats are coming off of a 66 point victory against Vanderbilt and have not lost since December of 2002 against Louisville. Like Florida, the Wildcats have a very balanced attack on offense, but unlike the Gators, Kentucky has one of the best defenses in the country. The Wildcats defense is effective because of the amount of pressure they put on the ball-handler. You won't see another team in the country as quick as UK on the defensive side of the ball.

The Wildcats on offense are led by Gerald Fitch and Keith Bogans. The Bluegrass duo averages a combined twenty-eight points a game. Despite Kentucky's recent success, this team does have a weakness and that is in the low blocks on offense. Jules Camara is the only Wildcat with decent size and is not a threat on offense. If Bogans and Fitch struggle shooting the rock, UK doesn't have a low post player to turn to.

Can Florida score against the great Kentucky defense? Last time these teams met, the Gators' Bonner scored only six points in the contest. If Florida wants to end the Wildcats 19 game winning streak, Bonner will have to lead the way.

#4 Oklahoma @ #5 Texas, 3/8/03, 3:30 p.m., ABC

Is it me or does the Big 12 have a great match up every weekend? This week Norman, Oklahoma is the host for another Big 12 clash. This meeting has a lot at stake. Texas and Oklahoma are tied for 2nd place in the Big 12 with a 12-3 conference mark. An Oklahoma win, plus a Kansas loss at Missouri would give the Sooners a share of the Big 12 title and a No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament. A Texas win would give the Longhorns a No. 2 seed in the Big 12 tournament.

The Texas Longhorns come into the game winners of seven of their past eight, including a six-point victory over Oklahoma back on Feb 10. In their previous meeting, Texas pulled out the victory because they pounded the glass. The Longhorns pulled down 17 offensive rebounds and forty for the game.

Leading the way was center James Thomas. Thomas yanked down 16 rebounds, one shy of his season high, and scored 11 points. Texas controlled the game, but every time they tried to put the nail in the coffin, Oklahoma's Hollis Price kept the Sooners in the game. The senior guard scored a game high 23 points including five of 10 from long distance, but he didn't get a lot of help from his friends.

Oklahoma relies heavily on Ebi Ere on offense, but the senior from Tulsa, Oklahoma scored only six points to go along with three turnovers.

In this Big 12 battle, the match up to watch is Thomas of Texas against the small frontcourt of Oklahoma. The Sooners will try to stop Thomas with the likes of Keith Bookout and Jonnie Gilbert. The pair of Sooners are young and as low post players they are small by college basketball standards. Oklahoma is overmatched in the low blocks. Keep your eye on Thomas because he should have a field day!

Texas is one of the best teams in college basketball, but this may be the toughest test they have faced all season. Texas has their doubters and they can silence their critics by getting a big road win. The Longhorns had an opportunity for a big road win last week, but stumbled against Missouri. Now they have an opportunity for a big road win and a season sweep against the archrivals. A win on Saturday, plus a good performance in the Big 12 tournament should give Texas a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Colorado @ Philadelphia, 3/8/03, 8 p.m., ESPN2, NHL Hockey

Two of the NHL's hottest team's meet in the city of brotherly love. The Colorado Avalanche have lost have only one loss in their past 21 games, and the Philadelphia Flyers continue to climb in the standings with the hope of catching the Atlantic Division leading New Jersey Devils.

The Colorado Avalanche is clearly a team possessed. At the midway point of the season, the 2001 Stanley Cup Champions were mired in last playoffs and in danger of missing the playoffs. It was at this point that Colorado started playing some hockey.

The Avalanche success can be attributed to two things. Colorado has put together the best offensive line in hockey the past quarter of the season, and Patrick Roy has regained his Vezina trophy form. Earlier this year, Roy looked like a 37-year-old netminder ready to hang up the skates, but now he is standing on his head, and many people are picking Colorado to represent the Western Conference in the quest for Lord Stanley's Cup.

The Philadelphia Flyers may be the NHL's best defensive team. Ken Hitchcock is in his first season behind the bench and the Flyers have played his neutral zone trap perfectly. Philadelphia rarely gets caught on odd man breaks and they have received great goaltending from Roman Cechmanek. Also, like any Philadelphia team, the Flyers play as physical as any team in the league.

So you're asking, what's the Flyer's weakness? Philadelphia has a group of talented forwards, but their offense has not been able to make up for the loss of left winger John LeClair. LeClair broke his collarbone in a mid-November game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Since his injury, the Flyers have averaged a half goal less per game.

Philadelphia will be exiting the 2003 playoffs early if they cannot find a way to consistently score goals. Remember, this team scored two goals in five games last season in the first round of the playoffs against Ottawa.

This could be a preview of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals if Philadelphia gets their act together on offense. On Saturday night, watch out for Colorado' has the top scoring line, and the best line in hockey featuring Alex Tanguay, Milan Hejduck and Peter Forsberg. The trio must be on their game as they battle the best defense in the league in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia @ LA Lakers, 3/9/03, 3:30 p.m., ABC, NBA

Welcome to the rematch of the 2001 NBA Finals! The Philadelphia 76ers visit Los Angeles to take on the resurgent Los Angeles Lakers. If the playoff started today, the Lakers would not have home court advantage of the 1st round, but that shouldn't worry Lakers fans. Remember, Shaq and Co. had to win game seven of the Western Conference Finals on the road in Sacramento.

The Lakers are on fire. Is there someone out there who doesn't know why Los Angeles is so good?

L.A. has the best duo in professional sports in Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

Kobe has dominated the headlines as of late because he is putting up numbers that can only be matched by Michael Jordan in the past twenty seasons. Bryant has been great, but he became a dominant player when Shaq returned to the lineup.

O'Neal missed the first twelve game of the campaign, but has come back from toe surgery and is averaging 26 points to go along with 11 boards. Early in the season, L.A. was a season low eight games under .500, but now the Lakers look poised to make a run at their fourth consecutive NBA crown.

This season has been a tale of three seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers started the season as the top team in the East, played miserably in the middle of the season, and in the past ten games have been on fire. Philadelphia has won nine of their past ten and is now within three games of home court advantage in the Eastern Conference.

The Sixers have the best guard in the game in Allen Iverson. If you remember the NBA Finals in 2001, Iverson single-handedly won Game 2 against the Lakers. Iverson can do it all but that won't be enough for Philadelphia to win the Eastern Conference. At the trading deadline the 76ers did nothing to improve themselves in the low post, and this will be the reason they will be golfing by mid May. The only presence in the front court for Philly is Derrick Coleman and he is on the downside of his career.

Do you think the Lakers are strong enough to win crown No. 4? Sit on your couch this Sunday and you'll see why no one wants to face the Lakers come playoff time.

Jason Linkes is a sports talk show host and play-by-play announcer in Hartford, Connecticut.

You can catch Linkes live every Sunday night on "Sports Rap" with Jason Linkes. "Sports Rap" can he heard on Sportsjuice.com at 8 p.m. eastern time. You can call the show at 860-721-8814 or e-mail him at Sportsrap2002@aol.com.