The questions have seemed endless in the days leading up to the creshendo that was the Spurs 4th title in 9 years last night.  Are they a dynasty? 

To understand if they are or not, we must first understand what a "dynasty" is.

Webster defines "dynasty" as a succession of rulers of the same line of descent, or a powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time.  The world of sports obviously uses the second definition when throwing around such a powerful word.  Are the Spurs a dynasty?  They are not even close according to Webster.

The key phrase in this definition is "maintains its position for a considerable time".  The Spurs have never even maintained their position as champions for two consecutive seasons.  San Antonio supporters may point out the overall depth and toughness of the West as support for their claim.  The mere fact that they've won the West so many times should count for something shouldn't it?  It does count toward their historical significance in NBA lore, but a dynasty they are not.

Sports fans and writers throw this word around as if it meant, "really good for more than a couple of seasons".  That only cheapens the few real dynasties the sports world has seen.  These are the only true dynasties in sports history:

1 - 1956-1969 Boston Celtics won 13 championships in a 15 year span including eight in a row from 1958-1966.  Loaded with Hall of Fame players, and the NBA head coach of all coaches, the Celtics defined dynasty for the NBA for all time.

2-  1936-1943 New York Yankees won 6 championships in eight years.  This stretch saw the end of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and the beginning of Joe DiMaggio.  Featuring Murder's Row and legendary pitching, the Yankees claimed the fans of New York from the Giants and Dodgers, never to give them back.

3-  1947-1962 New York Yankees won 10 titles in 16 years including five in a row from 1949-1953.  This era of Yankee dominance brought about Mickey Mantle, Maris' 61, Larson's no-hitter, and other moments that live forever in the annals of baseball history. 

4-  1964-1975 UCLA men's basetball cut the nets down 10 times in a 12 year span including seven consecutive titles from 1967-1973.  Jabbar, Walton, Johnson, Wooden, and others decorate the college basketball history books like no one has before or since.  They tought the people of Lexington, KY and the rest of the country what dominance really was.

5- 1956-1960 and 1976-1979 Montreal Canadians won five and four straight Stanley Cups respectively.  "Toe" Blake led the early version to success behind legends like Rocket Richard,  Jacques Plante, and Henri Richard.  Scotty Bowman raised the Cup behind the "new blood" of Guy LeFluer, Ken Dryden, and Rick Chartraw.  The Canadians and Yankees are the team with the best arguement of haveing two seperate dynasties, since some of the players carried over for the Yankees.

That's it.  That's the list.  Any attempt to include others only lessons the greatness of the aforementioned teams.  Many will try to include the Bulls of the 1990's, but the arguement would be better to support Jordan as an individual more than the team.  The two great Houston teams between their three-peats eliminates them from the conversation.  The Rockets were great in the middle, thus ending their run of a "considerable time". 

(Information was gathered from nhl.com, nba.com, mlb.com, and ucla.edu)

It is being reported that former and now current Creighton basketball coach Dana Altman has taken his old job back.  This, of course, makes Altman to Arkansas what Belichick is to the Jets,  a former coach that never actually "coached" his former team.  There is certainly a major problem right now in the Arkansas athletic department.  They seem to be unable to keep big name coaches and players intrigued enough to stay with the program.  Despite many rumors and speculation as to why this seems to be the case, the real problem is a lack of reality by the athletic department.

The University believes that it should be a top 10 football and basketball program each and every year.  These are great goals, but when they become and expectation, they become a hinderance to a program that is farther away from Corey Beck and Corliss Williamson than it realizes.  Arkansas reportedly offered the basketball position to coaches like:  Bill Self, John Calipari, Billy Gillespie, Tim Floyd, and Tom Crean before agreeing with Altman (source: ESPN.com).  These are all relatively established coaches at programs that are currently as strong, if not significantly stronger than Arkansas right now.  Why should they take the Arkansas job?  Obviously, these men couldn't find a reason either, so Arkansas is still and again coachless. 

Arkansas needs to "get real".  They need a young, energetic coach that can take a team that is ready to win to the second weekend of the tournament.  Arkansas needs to take a chance of a "small-name".  The Hogs should look no further than their hated rivals in Austin.  The new Arkansas head coach should be Russ Springman, assistant coach of the Texas Longhorns.

Springman has been working with Rick Barnes for nine years as an assitant coach.  He also worked with Billy Donovan at Florida for two seasons as a strength coach.  Springman has been exposed to two extremely successful systems of both recruiting and on-court production.  Kevin Durant keeps raving about Springman, and the role Russ has played in his personal success.  Springman has the exposure to big-time games and players to lead a program in the right direction.  On the down side, Springman has never been a Division I head basketball coach, but Arkansas is ready to win now.  This is the time to take a chance, and build a program behind someone the players can believe in.  Arkansas is hungry to recapture past glory.  Springman is hungry to prove himself worthy to be considered among his mentors as a great head coach.  This is the move the could lead both man and program to where they want to go.

(source: TexasSports.com)

The thing that makes the NCAA basketball tournament the best sporting event in the world is that the madness never ends.  Yesterday's selections for the tournament launched what is simply the greatest three weeks in all of sports.  You've heard all of the controversy, here are the facts about what will transpire shortly:

• Florida is the best team in the nation and deserves the #1 overall seed.  They breezed through the SEC tournament and return five starters from the team that cut the nets down 49 weeks ago. 
• Ohio State will be the first #1 seed to lose.  They are a team that has managed to have an all-world big man and never give him the ball.  It's truly amazing it you've never seen them play. 
• Kansas is actually the most talented team in the tournament, but they won't win it all.  Kansas has no clue who should take the last shot in a close game.  The pressure of the tournament has a tendency to expose people who don't have the killer instinct.  Kansas doesn't have a player with that, so they will lose.
• Arkansas SHOULD have made the tournament.  Arkansas is 6-1 this season in single elimination, neutral floor, tournament style games.  The win in the Old ####e classic (defeating West Virginia and Southern Illinois) and the runner-up run in the SEC tournament (defeating Mississippi State and Vandy) show that they are tournament tough.  When you add that with strength of schedule and RPI, it's a no-brainer.  Also don't forget that Arkansas beat Vandy in the last game of the season.  Beating a "lock" team twice in five days says it all.
• Texas with Kevin Durant looks a lot like Syracuse with Carmelo Anthony.  The difference is, Durant is better!
• Davidson will beat Maryland.  Maryland is one of those teams that some people have them winning the whole show while others have them one and done.  I live in that Maryland "market" so maybe the title hype is just local garbage.  Anyway, there may not be a team that looks better on certain nights and worse on others.  Teams like that usually fold like a tent in the tournament.  This Terps team is no exception.
• Don't believe the Winthrop hype.  They will not beat Notre Dame.  Notre Dame has the balance and three point shooting to beat teams a lot better than Winthrop.  Oregon, you have been warned!
• Kansas vs. UCLA will be the game of the tournament in the regional final.
• If you're desperate for a Final Four sleeper, look no further than Bruce Pearl and the Tennessee Vols.  Can you imagine how much that guy would sweat under the bright lights in Hotlanta?
• Mid-majors do not deserve seeds higher than six!  Southern Illinois will prove that and not make the Sweet 16.  (Side note:  DIckey Vitale had the audacity to say that Arkansas's best win this year was against S. Illinois.  He then went on to say that Arkansas should beat them because "they're Arkansas".  You can't have it both ways Dickey V.  Your mid-majors either are legit or not.  Hint:  They're not!)
• The Final Four will be:  Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, Tennessee
• Florida beats Georgetown to win the whole show
• Isiah Thomas leads the mighty Knicks to the playoffs  (bonus pick).

Here are just some casual observations of the present NBA season so far:

• The New York Knicks (19-26) are only one game worse than the defending champion Miami Heat (19-24) while being closer (3 games) to first place than the champs (6 1/2)
• The present #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, Washington Wizards, would be the #7 seed in the Western Conference
• Steve Nash has won two consecutive MVPs and is playing his best basketball this season.  Will voters be afraid to vote Nash into the pantheon of 3 time MVPs along side Chamberlain, Jordan, Jabbar, Bird, Magic, Moses Malone, and Bill Russell?
• Gilbert Arenas recently said he'd give up an NBA season to go back to school and score 85 against Duke in response to Coach K cutting him from team USA.  Wouldn't it be easier for Duke to join the NBA's Eastern Conference?  That way we could see Agent 0 go for 85 a few times in the Conference Finals against Cameron's Crazies.
• Jerry West, an all-time legend as a player, GM, and most notably the logo, cannot go out like this! 
• If David Stern ever has an inferiority complex when trying to compete with the NFL this time of year, he should consider the fact that it could be worse.  He could have to play his All-Star Game on a Wednesday night up against American Idol.
• Isiah Thomas isn't THAT bad of a coach.
• As sad as it is to say, Shaq may be done.  He looks. . . well . . .we don't know how he looks.  He never plays anymore!
• Just how bad is it for Miami?  They beat the Knicks on Monday without Shaq and Wade, then proceeded to lose to the Knicks on Friday WITH Shaq and Wade.
• If the Grizzlies (11-34) could use just their winning percentage against Eastern Conference teams, they would be playing .315 ball which would still put them in last place in both the Central and Southeastern divisions in the East.
• Phoenix has had 2 winning streaks that each total more wins than Memphis, Boston, and Philadelphia have all season.
• When is someone going to finally realize that fans have no business voting for the All-Star starters.  Steve Nash coming off the bench would be like having Elvis Pressley as an opening act for Kenny Loggins. 
• Kevin Garnett has fallen from "best player in the league" to "NBA star" faster than any player I can ever remember.
• Luol Deng is one of the most underrated players in the league.
• This A.I. /  'Melo thing may work.