The Chat House with Michael Wilbon: Terps, Ovechkin and More

Sports News

Welcome to another edition of The Chat House, where Post columnist Michael Wilbon was online Monday, Feb. 23 at 1:15 p.m. ET to take your questions about Maryland's upset, Ovechkin's swagger and the latest sports news and his recent columns.

The transcript follows.

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washingtonpost.com: Michael will begin answering questions around 1:45.

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San Marcos, Tex.: If you see anybody in Wizards management, please thank them for letting Roger Mason Jr. walk to the Spurs. I had no idea who the guy was, much less how good he is, prior to this season.

washingtonpost.com: Mason's Big Shots Are on Everyone's Radar

Michael Wilbon: Hi everybody...Sorry I'm late...just had fascinating meetings at The Post this morning that might wind up with more of me and new forms of me, so there's a hint...but we'll deal with that in a few weeks in greater detail...I will start with this acknowledgement that Roger Mason Jr., formerly of the Wizards and currently of the Spurs, is one of my favorite people in sports, probably because I've known of him and known him since he was a teenager...And it's so cool to see hard work and intelligence rewarded, and he's got both in abundance...The Wizards should have kept him and let Stevenson go. Intelligence is a trait that is very underrated and underappreciated and Mason was underestimated and undervalued here in what he could do, how much he could do, and how big an asset he could be to a professional basketball team...

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Washington DC: Roger Mason is certainly a perfect fit for the Spurs now that Robert Horry is no longer there. Like Horry he's a great shooter and can hit the last second shot to win the game. Are there other player under-the -radar like Mason that could have helped out other playoff teams if they had been traded?

Michael Wilbon: That's a great question...off the top of my head I can't think of anybody, but I do think Orlando may have pulled that off with the acquisition of Rafer Alston from Houston, to replace the injured Jameer Nelson...If I think of any during the course of the chat I'll just throw it in...

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Fairfax, Va.: Hello Michael.

Any thoughts on Phil Mickelson's victory yesterday, in the context of a comeback and/or Tiger's return to the Tour?

Michael Wilbon: Boy, I thought Phil had really choked badly yesterday, and he was in the process of doing that but he wound up recovering to win the tournament...sets up nicely that Phil would do that just as Tiger is re-entering the fray...

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Worcester, Mass.: Good Afternoon,

What did you think of the Jim Calhoun's argument that the UCONN men's basketball program brings in so much money that his salary is justified?

I have always loved college basketball and college football but do feel guilty about those Division 1 players who fail to get an education while entertaining us during their four years of eligibility.

Thank you.

Michael Wilbon: Jim Calhoun doesn't in my opinion, need to justify his salary. He wins. A coach's job, and therefore the reason he/she is compensated to a certain level, is to win. And Calhoun has won two NCAA Championships and come close to winning two others. What, some bozo comes into a press conference and gets to challenge everybody's salary? Do we know what his salary is? He's the arbiter of what people should make. If I was Calhoun I'd have served up this clown on a platter. Jim Calhoun is one of the five best coaches in college basketball and he's earned everything he's gotten and will get in the future.

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Anonymous: MW,

Any thoughts on Jim Calhoun and the verbal smackdown he put on the "reporter" who decided to challenge him?

Michael Wilbon: One more point: I've covered Jim Calhoun. I know him. I respect him as much as anybody out there coaching any sport at any level. So, yeah, I'm a little heated about this. And the guy who snuck in isn't a reporter. He had a photo pass and isn't a photographer either...

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Arlington, Va.: Hi Mike,

I was listening to PTI last week, and I couldn't help but feel that the responses from you and Tony to Charles Barkley's apology were different (more warm, more conciliatory) compared to those of Phelps, A-Rod, etc. Isn't this a bit hypocritical, because Charles is just as much of a role model to the youth as the others?

Thanks for the chats

Michael Wilbon: I make no pretense at being friends with Charles Barkley and neither does Tony. But...listen to Charles' apology and listen to Michael Phelps. If you don't see and hear the difference then I wonder if you have an agenda...And A-Rod? Please. I'm friends with Alex Rodriguez, mind you. And I thought his apology was, well, lacking. Barkley's wasn't. Now, all three rightfully will be judgeed ultimately on what they do, not what they say. But if we're judging apologies, Barkley's was superior in every way and it doesn't take his friends to see that.

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McLean, Va.: Mike,

What do you think about Alabama offensive lineman Andre Smith? First getting suspended for the bowl game, now he walks away from the NFL combine.

Michael Wilbon: If you're an NFL team and you walk away from him, then fine. Somebody will take a chance, but it almost certainly wouldn't be me.

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San Jose, Calif.: Who is more likely to sign Michael Vick, San Francisco or Oakland? I know there are some who feel that his past will be a huge barrier to signing him, but does talent trump local outrage? The NFL seems to do an interesting balancing act of forgiving some faults and errors in judgment and simultaneously never forgiving others. Do you think it is intriguing that some guys are considered divas or selfish while other players displaying some of the same traits are labeled as fiery or competitors?

Michael Wilbon: The conversation about Michael Vick doesn't boil down to locker room behavior or general selfishness...He's a QB and he seems completely out of touch with how to behave, how to behave in society at large and how to handle himself professionally within the confines of a football club. Terrell Owens' diva behavior isn't the same...I don't know where Vick will wind up, but if I was a betting man (and I'm not other than office pools) I'd see him wearing the silver and black.

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DC: How big a part does environment play in Roger Mason's emergence? All props to Mason for making the most of his chance, but being in a championship environment can bring things out of you you didn't know were there. You know Mason, both organizations, and both locker rooms. Do you think Mason would be this good if he stayed here?

Michael Wilbon: Mason played this way in Washington during his second season, when he averaged about 9 points a game and got more PT because Gilbert Arenas was hurt all season, and even his backup, Antonio Daniels, got hurt...You could see it. But yes, Mason says that playing with those players in that system in that atmosphere brings out things in him he didn't know he had...Gregg Popovich says he didn't even know that Mason could play the point as well has he had in an emergency...

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Charlottesville, Va.: Mike,

What is your take on "package deals" in college hoops? Something seems very wrong with the practice of hiring a kids AAU or HS coach just to get that kids services for 1 season.

Michael Wilbon: I saw that piece on ESPN's Outside the Lines Sunday morning...I agree with the panelists at the end of the show who said, yes, this happens, and no, the NCAA cannot regulate it. I agree with that. I find it cheesy, but I'm not offended by it...

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Blacksburg, Va.: Hi Mike,

So with Stoudemire out, do the Suns have a chance to make the playoffs? After yesterday, it's not looking good, but I do love watching them again. And what do you think about what they're doing with Shaq now? Seems he's staying out of the paint for the first 5 seconds, and then cutting to the basket to get fouled/an easy 2. Any hope for Suns fans?

Michael Wilbon: A week ago, I thought the Suns would make the playoffs and finish 4th or 5th in the West. But without Amare Stoudemire, they probably will struggle to make the playoffs. Who will they pass? The Mavericks? The Rockets? I can't see it. Now without Stoudemire, It's hard to see. He's their inside scoring. He at times command a double-team. He's the best finisher on the team and one of the three or four best in the NBA. He gets to the foul line. We're talking 25 points a night whenever its needed. The Suns replaced him once, when Boris Diaw was there and played the position for a season; they got to the Western Conference finals without Stoudemire...BUT, Diaw is gone and I just can't see it, even though I'm an unabashed fan of the Suns, the way they're playing again...

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Bradley Beach, NJ: Safe to say that the "Fire Gary" talk has been put away with the Terps win over Carolina?

Michael Wilbon: What will happen if Maryland beats Duke here Wednesday? The same people who have ripped Gary will want to give him an extension that night...We'll see...I'm looking forward to seeing Louisville at Georgetown tonight (Boy, do the Hoyas need to start a roll right now, tonight) and Duke at Maryland Wednesday...Big week.

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WDC: Can someone explain this obsession with 40 times? Whether a guy runs 4.43 or 4.47 or 4.50 is just nonsense. I feel all this draft coverage is just ESPNFL's way of ginning up interest. Go away, football! Watch baseball and basketball!

Michael Wilbon: I've been saying this for years...Happy you're on board.

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DC: What do you make of the Wizards standing pat at the trade deadline? Given where we are right now - a mix of young guys who aren't ready (and may never be), injured guys who may not be good post-injury, and two players with actual, current value - wouldn't it have made some sense to move out some bad contracts (Mike James, Etan Thomas) attached to one of our actual assets (Jamison) and begin planning to rebuild? Does Grunfeld really think this team can win a championship if healthy when it can't even get healthy in the first place?

Michael Wilbon: Ernie must think that, right? He must feel that he has to see the team with Arenas and Haywood? Me? Yes, I would like to have seen a trade...

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Sterling, Va.: Who ya got? Alex the Great vs. Sid the Kid?

washingtonpost.com: When Stars Collide

Michael Wilbon: I've long been vocal about Alexander Ovechkin being the better player, even though Sidney Crosby is a great player. Crosby has been to the Stanley Cup Finals and Ovechkin has not. But if you ask me who I'd take first, I'd take Ovechkin. In a Game 7, in a fight, to attact fans, to do anything. Ovechkin. Period.

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Greensboro, N.C.: Given the ups and downs of the NCAA basketball top 5 this year, who do you have in your Final Four today? And who do you see winning it all?

Michael Wilbon: I have no idea. I'm not Joe Lunardi. I don't contemplate brackets. But I do salivate over March Madness and Selection Sunday...Right now, I just want to enjoy the last two weeks of the regular season, Championship Week, the big conference tournaments...I can't think about Final Four until I see the 65-team field...No need of daydreaming...I don't have a vested interest, other than praying Northwestern can get to the Big Ten final (unlikely) and make it into the Big Dance for the first time ever...I hope as many local teams can make it as is possible. But as far as a Final Four? No idea. I still like UCONN and Oklahoma and UNC, but who doesn't? Does that mean I think those three will make the Final Four? No idea yet. Let's enjoy the end of the regular season, which college football apologists would try to tell you doesn't really matter because there's a playoff at the end. Right.

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Woodbridge, VA: Hello Mr. Wilbon Why is it that all this attention has gone to Gary Williams and his job as a coach this season, when he has team still with a shot at the NCAA tourney, and not as much attention being paid to the recent struggles of JTIII on the hilltop?

Michael Wilbon: Because JT3 has been to the Final Four in recent years...two years ago to be exact, and Maryland hasn't done enough for Terrapins fans lately. That's the reason. Also, way too many Maryland fans think Maryland is Kentucky or UNC or Duke when it isn't. They're delusional about what Maryland is, was or should be. Georgetown is under no such delusional thinking. That's the other big part. I root for both Maryland and Georgetown to do well, mostly because it increases local interest here, and also because I've known both coaches a long, long time and I hope they win...Same goes for Jim Larranaga at GMU, and Carl Hobbs at GW...I root for all the local college teams all the time...

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Adams Morgan: Who's idea was it to include the 10 second clips of you and Tony K. in commercials between segments on PTI? Whomever was responsible should be given a pat on the back. Some of the funnier lines I've heard on PTI seem to come from those little snipits.

Michael Wilbon: I think everything that happens here has to be traced to Erik Rydholm, Matt Kelliher, and sometimes Tony Reali and some of the young staffers here who are a helluva lot smarter and hipper than Tony and me...Those "nuggets" were devised to keep TiVo watchers from just breezing through the commercials...People who are semi paying attention write us all the time and say, "They caught you guys when you didn't know you were on..." Sorry, it's planned. These are smart people...Thanks for asking.

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Washington, D.C.: While Blake Griffin of Oklahoma seems to be almost everyone's consensus player of the year, what's your opinion of DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh? Do you think Blair has as much pro potential as Griffin?

Michael Wilbon: No. Blair is 6-foot-7, Griffin is 6-10. I know Blair has impossibly long arms, but that doesn't help him see over the defense...Blair is a marvel and he could very well be one of those "undersized" players who makes it. But he has to get a jump shot...a game facing the basket. Griffin already has that and he can go over you...Time will tell. But I love watching both and I want to see Blair in the Pitt-UCONN rematch to see if Thabeet has anything to come back with...This kind of stuff is what makes college basketball great to me, not fast-forwarding to the Final Four.

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Washington, D.C.: Mike, I know baseball is no longer your beat, but I also know you're a big fan. If Jim Bowden and his cronies have in fact been skimming Dominican signing bonuses, this is another very sad day for the sport.

Michael Wilbon: You're right...and baseball seems to have so many days where cheating is the theme...Then again, cheating is central to baseball's history. I think we'd all shake our heads...then go to the ballpark to watch a game. Sad, yes...and seemingly inevitable, too.

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Portland, Ore: Hi Michael

Say you're the GM of the Rockets and Pritchard offered you Oden for Yao, straight up, would you take it?

Which of the nine will be left behind come playoff time?

Michael Wilbon: Yes, I would. But it's not going to happen. One is 21 years old, the other 28 or 29. Nope. Not gonna happen.

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McLean, VA: Tiger's back... Tiger's back... Tiger's back. Okay, how much has the competition changed since he left? On Sunday, one of the Sports Reporters said, and I'm paraphrasing, "I won't believe Tiger has a shot at Jack's record until Tiger breaks Jack's record." What do you think of that statement?

Michael Wilbon: Tony, who was on that show yesterday, tells me Mike Lupica said that...But he says the context wasn't that Lupica was doubting it, just stating it...I can't wait to see Tiger Wednesday and I'm going to watch every shot. The tour needs him. Sports needs him.

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Patriot League: "I root for all the local college teams all the time..."

Then let's put in a shout-out to the AU Eagles, getting a vote for the AP Top 25 this week and going 11-1 in the Patriot League so far this season!

Michael Wilbon: Yes Sir...American University is the team most deserving, so far, of getting into the Big Tournament. Very good for the Eagles, who struggled so many years to get there once. I'm all for a second trip to the Dance.

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DC: I'm an alcoholic with over 30 years sobriety and I felt Barkley's apology was very sincere. I don't know Mr. Barkley but I respect him a lot more now. Thank you.

Michael Wilbon: Thank you for that.

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Evanston, Ill.: Being that you're a Cubs fan, I hope I don't hit a nerve with this question, but at what point can you start saying the Suns are cursed? From Joe Johnson breaking his face in the playoffs in 2005 until now, every season has had some improbable, incredibly painful twist. I don't know how much more if this I can take.

Michael Wilbon: I delivered just that comment yesterday on ABC's pre-game show. The Suns, suddenly, do seem cursed...I can't believe their bad karma. The most crushing losses and misfortune the last five years...the Suns have a monopoly on it...And the locker room has been full of good guys, including Mike D'Antoni and Terry Porter and Alvin Gentry, for years...I don't get it...I just don't. The Suns should have won at least one title, 2007 when Stoudemire and Diaw were suspended, and perhaps more...

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Roanoke, Va.: So do you think Saturday night was the best sleep Gary Williams has had in a while? Also, can you put Greivis Vasquez's performance in context? Just how good was it?

Michael Wilbon: It was the first triple-double by a Maryland player in more than 20 years, since 1987...Wow. You never see triple-doubles in college. Never. And this kid threw in a big one...Wow. I'm trying to think of who it could have been. Walt Williams? He was there in 1987, right? Johnny Rhodes? Ahhhh, I'm told by Reali that Derrick Lewis did it twice in 1987...must have been with blocked shots...That's impressive. Now, beating UNC and Duke in five days, that would be impressive...

Okay, I gotta run...Time to prepare for PTI today where our guest, I'm told, will be Coach K! I can hear the Maryland fans groaning now. Sorry, we're damn happy to have him...See you guys next week.

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You'd trade Yao for Oden?: Really? Really? Yao has had injury problems, but nowhere on the level of Oden's. Also, we know Yao can play. It's a complete guess as to whether Oden can even be a 30 mpg, 12 ppg, 10 rpg guy. Give me a definite high-level player for 5 more years over a highly questionable player for 12 years (if his body holds up that long).

Sadly, I think Oden may end up being like Ralph Sampson, except without the great college and early pro career (a guy whose body just gave out on him).

Michael Wilbon: I'm sorry...maybe I got it wrong. My point was, if I was Portland I'd do it in a heartbeat...Forget whatever I might have said five mins ago. I meant, if I'm the TrailBlazers and I have a chance to get Yao Ming straight up for Oden, I'd do the deal...Now, if I'm Houston I do NOT do the deal because Oden hasn't shown he can stay healthy. Thought I needed to clear that up.

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College Park, Md.: I dont think Terp fans think we are Kentucky, UNC or Duke, but don't you think with a HOF coach, great facilities and plenty of area talent to recruit, the Terps should make the tourney every year?

Michael Wilbon: Who do you want coaching? Who do you want to bring in? Who?

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