Recently by The Sports Freak

Maryland's ACC Player of the Year, Greivis Vasquez drove the lane with a nifty one handed runner to put the Terps up by 1 point with six seconds remaining in the game. Yet Michigan State Spartan's Korie Lucious was not to be undone. He picked up the slack for injured star guard Kalin Lucas and hit a game winning three point buzzer beating shot to win the game for the Spartans as time expired for an 85-83 Mich. State victory.

The Terps found themselves down early and by as much as 16 points during the game. By halftime Maryland was down by 9. Lucas left the game late in the first half for the Spartans and is rumored to have a torn achilles tendon. Everytime Maryland would cut the lead to five, Michigan State had an answer. Summers torched the Terps from 3 Pt land shooting 6-8 and finished the night for 26 points to pick up the production for their injured star guard, Lucas.

It wasn't until late that Maryland awoke from their deep sleep and was led by Vasquez who scored 9 of the Terps final 11 points with the signature pressure defense that Gary Williams and Maryland is known for by forcing some big turnovers in the final two minutes of the game.

The final six minutes and last second shot will add to the lore of the NCAA Tournament. Does anyone remember various elite eight or sweet sixteen appearances? Yet, most everyone remembers an amazing game ending sequence. These two teams are now forever linked to another fantastic finish in history to which years from now Terps fans can look back and be prould of the performance of this team of players and how hard they battled back with such heart and determination to force MS to beat them with a buzzer beating shot.

With 1.5 seconds left in the game, the Terrapin's Junior reserve guard Cliff Tucker dropped a thunderous game winning three point shot to seal a 76-74 victory for MD. The Yellow Jackets appeared deflated and dejected after witnessing two game winning shots by the Terps in last three seconds of the game. Cliff Tucker's game wining shot, the second game winning basket by MD in the waning seconds of the game, was his coming out party for the rest of the college basketball nation.

After the Yellow Jackets Frazor put back a missed shot for Georgia Tech, Greivis Vasquez ran down the court and banked in a 3 Pt shot over half court for the win with 3 seconds to go in the game or so everyone thought. The officials had acknowledged a time out by MD before the shot by Vasquez was taken. .9 seconds were left on the game clock until the officials reviewed the play and placed 1.5 seconds on the clock for MD and placed the inbounds behind the half court line.

Credit Gary Williams with a great cocaching decision. During the time out a play was chosen to run for one of the team's most unlikely player's to anyone that doesn't follow the Terps. Tucker excels in a transition game, on the free throw line, and even knocking down jump shots consistantly even when coming off the bench cold.

What some around the nation may not know is that earlier in Tucker's time at MD when his playing time diminished and his spot in the rotation coming off the bench was not so secure he contimplated leaving MD. Coach Williams had the confidence and trusted Tucker to take the final shot while all eyes would be focusing on Vasquez for the final shot or to Hayes. An elated Tucker could be seen running across Comcast Center while Yellow Jackets were stunned and motionless in disbelief.

The game itself had no tempo or flow due to the uneven and inconsistent officiating for both teams. MD would push a lead up to five only to have a series of calls go against them drawing the game closer. This game provided a good test for MD as the NCAA Tournament approaches. MD was able to prove itself against both a physically dominating team as well as the officiating. It was no luck that MD hit two critical shots to end the game. MD earned the right to call themselves the better team. Ga Tech gave MD what it needed most. They gave the Terps a mental and physical challenge in a tight game. The excat type of games the Terps will encounter in March.

The Terps now 9-3 in the ACC look in far better shape than just one year ago. What's changed from a year ago is the presence of forward/center Jordan Williams (9 points 12 rebounds vs. Ga Tech) with his low post skills and workman like presence.

Gary Williams coaching hasn't changed as he always coaches to put his team in the best possible postion no matter the talent. Gary Williams noticed the battle on the boards was tilting to the Yellow Jackets and inserted a bigger and more successful line up that included both Gregory and Williams playing together in place of starter Milbourne. Terps fans may see more of this line up to secure more rebounds and limit the possessions of other teams while also inserting another shot blocker that could aid the transition game too.

Maryland must maintain their success with their final remaining games on the schedule. With games versus Clemson, Duke, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, the Terps still have some work left to better their seeding in March. The selection committe doesn't like to see teams limp into the tournament, so seeding is on the line. With games against teams in the top half the the ACC remaining, Maryland will be well prepared for March and could be peaking at the right time.

Super Bowl XLIV may be over, but evaluating this year's commercials isn't. Over the past few years, the advertisments seemed somewhat wayning leaving behind the glory days when such memorable ads as the Budweiser frogs appeared.

There seemed to be a resurgance in cute, clever, and humorous ads this year. The DC Sports Page ranked its most and least favorite commercials:

Top 5 Super Bowl XLIV Commercials:

1. Snickers: How could anyone not like a commercial with Betty White and Fish...Tessio aka Abe Vigoda. Yes, Abe is still alive and kicking. Conan released him from a cage in the final Late Night show months ago. The only question here is whether Abe should have turned to the camera after being tackled and said, can I have a snickers too for old times sake?

2. Letterman, Oprah, and Leno at a Super Bowl party. Three people most wouldn't expect to be in a commercial together let alone an ad for Late Show With David Letterman.

3. A Sports Freak Pick - The cute and fun Simpsons commercial for Coke! Things always go better with Coke so why not add the already good Simpsons.

4. Hyundai's use of Brett Favre showed that Brett can even poke fun at himself as he waffles in the commercial set ten years in the future debating about his potential retirement.

5. A Big Money Tony Pick - Doritos - Hands off my mama...hands off my Doritos (quick and to the point!)

Honorable Mentions - Dodge Charger & Coke's sleepwalker,

Worst 5 Super Bowl XLIV Commercials:

1. E-Trade commercials with talking babies. It wasn't funny the first time.

2 & 3. The next two spots will not even be mentioned as they employed the tactic of bucking the trend and human nature in an attempt at failed humor by going with pantless men. Not only was the first advertisement not funny, but a similar ad ran right after it. If Sex sells these brands didn't get the memo.

4. All the movie ads. Did you almost get the feeling when you saw the Patriot that you've seen this before...like Braveheart? Will fans of Russel Crowe say the same when they see Robin Hood?

5. Dr. Pepper - another tired stale ad involving the music group KISS. So many other opportunities present themselves for using such a group and this is what was settled on to air at the Super Bowl.

Please vote in the Poll or tell us what your favorite or least favorite commerial was during the Super Bowl.

Mike Shanahan signs a 5 Year deal as Head Coach and EVP of Football Operations of the Washington Redskins. He becomes the seventh head coach for Washington in the last ten years. Adam Schefter, of ESPN, reports that Shanahan will have ultimate authority on football operations.

The recent signings of GM Bruce Allen and Head Coach/EVP Football Operations Mike Shanahan signal a change in the front office roles and responsibilities and thereby limiting some of the influence Snyder may have in personnel decisions. How much Dan Snyder relinquishes influence in personnel decisions remains to be seen and will not fully be known until April's NFL Draft and the ensuing free agency period.

The Redskins had complied with the Rooney rule by interviewing Secondary Coach Gray while Zorn was still head coach of the team. It appears that Allen and Snyder had a plan in place as the team pursued Shanahan quickly rather than waiting game and what other coaches would be available.

Now Shanahan must help rebuild a front office and team with only a handful of young talent. Shanahan's best years in Denver coincided with Hall of Famer John Elway. Handing over final say of personnel decisions to a head coach with a track record of choosing Brian Griese and then clamoring for Jake "the snake" Plummer at QB leave much to be desired. The years following Elway's retirement weren't as fruitful even with Shanahan's choice at QB. It's difficult to replace a HOF and Shanahan found duplicating the early success quite the challenge while HOF Coach Gibbs was able to lead four Redskins teams to the Super Bowl with three distinctly different quarterbacks.

Most head coaches rebuilding a team seem poised to stamp the team their own with a young face of the organization most notably a quarterback. With Shanahan's propensity to filling the role a top priority will he, Allen, and Snyder be able to assess the draft properly with the #4 overall pick in the draft and defer taking a QB until the 2nd Round and another QB next year while rebuilding this year? Will the Skins look to improve in other areas during the draft in what's considered a weak year for OL and potentially a better group of franchise QB's declaring for the draft next year? Both QB and OL are positions of need for the team. Do the Redskins choose to rebuild from stockpiling the best talent available or force a pick out of need from a position that could be stronger in next year's draft?

There's plenty evaluating between now and the end of the NFL Draft for the Skins and by fans. What the change in the front office structure and coaching staff boils down to is how the group works together to make sound rational decisions that pan out. Shanahan has proven he can coach, but much like other head coaches that have assumed some of the role as a part GM it doesn't always work out successfully. Fans will have to wait until April to see how much this administration in Washington differs from past ones and how this five year plan differs from any of the previous plans.

The Washington Capitals announced a trade that should provide more help along the forward lines, as well as additional salary cap relief. Captain Chris Clark (forward - LW/RW) and Milan Jurcina (D) were sent to Columbus in exchange for forward Jason Chimera. The trade yields $2.2M in net salary cap relief.

Washington had been carrying eight to nine defensemen throughout the season. In all likelihood a move was likely at some point before or during the season. Once Nylander became on loan to Grand Rapids, his salary although paid by Washington didn't count against the salary cap paving the way for Karl Alzner and his salary cap figure to play in Washington and not the minor league affiliate in Hershey.

Chimera's size, quickness, and toughness should fill the partial void left by Brashear as well as add another dimension as a rugged worker in the corners enabling others to score. This move made so early before the March 4th trade deadline also provides the team a fair amount of time to evaulate the impact of the trade and what other future moves may be necessary. It's a good trade that improves the team in an area of need while dealing from a position of depth on the roster.

Clark's injuries the past few season's coupled with his decrease in scoring, a -4 at even strength, and the return of Fehr & Fleischmann from injuries allowed the Caps to move the team captain for a younger quicker player that has 3 years left on his contract providing the team more flexibility to reshaping the roster.

Clark wore the captain role well, but even Michael Strahan has said on Fox NFL Pre-game show that when a player is injured (in the NFL) for a prolonged period of time he's really removed from the team and has very little locker room presence. The team now must search for a new leader to don the "C" on their jersey. Although some may look to Knubble, Ovie, and Laich as the front runners don't count out the physical presence and respect of Erskine.

On most teams the captain is a player that touches the ball/puck the most and can determine the outcome of the game and in hockey this role usually falls on a center or defensemen, but few teams have a player like Ovechkin. The question now becomes whether Ovie is ready for the challenge and his teammates are ready for him to assume such a role.

The scoring drought on the stat sheet during this past stretch to end the year may benefit Laich in the long term. Brooks Laich may not have the hardest slap shot or wrist shot on the team or even be listed in the top five on the team, but his hard work and determination may yet improve his role as a secondary scorer.

As Laich and team personnel look at the causes leading to a lack of point production, the most common answer they'll find is the most simple of all. Laich scores when he's in front of the net. He may not be as proficient as Dino Ciccirelli, but most of Laich's best work is the result of hard work and chip ins and rebounds in front of the net. Even when he isn't credited with a point, his efforts in the crease as a screen yield opportunities for his teammates. Aside from empty net goals, most of the best highlights and goals for Laich aren't from the point or on break aways, but right in front of the net which happens to be an area of need for a team that already has such gifted talent skating in and shooting from the point such as Ovechkin, Semin, and Green.

It often takes young players time to develop and heed the advice from the coaching staff to go to the net. It's a painful process to go to the net when more likely than not a stick will be crashing into your legs from an opposing goaltender or a shot to the kidneys from a defenseman attempting to provide his goaltender a clear view from potential shots on net. Tomas Fleischmann added more weight giving him the new found confidence to endure the physical assault by going to the net more often and the results have been obvious and reflected in the scoring column.

Years ago the Capitals were faced with a decision between two players on the team and which would be the player to stay on the team. Both players were told to go to the net. Dmitri Khristich didn't heed the advice and was traded while Peter Bondra did go to the net more earning more playing time and helped make him the current leader in most offensive categories for the Capitals.

As Laich looks to regain his scoring touch, he need only look further then the opposition's net minder and make camping out there a full time job. The reward from his efforts won't only benefit himself but the entire team with his quiet selfless and unnoticed work down low.

It's late and well overdue, but one of the initial questions that came to mind when hearing of Tiger Wood's car accident was of a movie (It's A Wonderful Life). As the police slowly moved through protocols to close a celebrity case the facts at the time were simple. Tiger left his home in the middle of the night. He didn't get far and hit his neighbor's tree and mailbox. No one was really injured in the accident outside of Tiger and there were no reports of his neighbor's irritation over hitting his property. The only real question left unanswered as the police closed the case was whether Tiger hit the oldest tree in Pottersville and did his neighbor's great great great grandfather plant the tree? Little did anyone know that Tiger's accident would begin to unravel the inner workings of Tiger's secret and private life, as well as spawn talk around the office about what the affair count was up to now.