I was so excited to start my 38th season calling college basketball game for ESPN.

Kentucky looked very good in all facets of the game, beating Michigan State by 21.

Big Blue Nation is going to love this edition of Kentucky basketball.

The Wildcats are deep, quick, can score in transition, defends well and will get better and better. John Calipari lost so much talent from last season: Tyler Ulis, Jamal Murray, Skal Labissiere, Alex Poythress. Calipari is a recruiting machine and he has reloaded.

Remember, this squad has been together for about a month. It is young but oh so talented. They play well as a team and a size advantage against the Spartans was a small factor.

This Wildcat club can run baby run! They have tremendous athletic ability and goes from the defensive end to the offensive end so fast. This has the making of a very special team.

Going into the game Tuesday, there were questions about Malik Monk's shooting ability. My friends, what I saw on Tuesday was star ability as Monk hit trifecta after trifecta. He had rhythm, touch and range.

John Calipari looks like he has a Final Four contender once again.

It was upset Saturday in college football as the race for a playoff spot is filled with drama.

Clemson, Washington and Michigan fell from the unbeaten ranks. Alabama and Western Michigan are the only two FBS schools with a zero in the loss column.

Now back to the race for the four playoff slots. Alabama is a lock, then you have five teams battling for the last three spots. Ohio State has looked great the last two weeks and the lone Buckeye loss came on the road to a Penn State team that is now in the top 10. Louisville struggled for three quarters against Wake Forest and then broke the game open.

Clemson, Washington and Michigan are the other three in contention despite losing Saturday. Clemson lost at home to a Pittsburgh team that had been struggling. Washington lost at home against a hot USC squad that has won six in a row. Michigan lost at Iowa on the game's final play.

Stay tuned, there is a lot of excitement still ahead.

I am so proud to be associated with the Dick Vitale Intercollegaite Tennis Classic. There were representatives from 22 different schools competing last weekend, it is was so special.

The event brings so many young and talented players to face off. The women's singles champion was Anna Danilima, a junior at the University of Florida. The men's singles champion was a diaper dandy, freshman Robert Levine of Duke. Florida also won the women's doubles championship, while Central Florida won the men's doubles crown.

Congratulations are also in order to Larry Wade, who helped raise over $90,000 in sponsorship banner sales. I also want to thank Paul Lederman, the Director of the Lakewood Ranch Tennis Club which hosted the event. His ard work paid off. Also a salute to head pro Chris Marquez. who handled the organization of the event.

Besides the players and fans in attendance, the big winner was the V Foundation for Cancer Research, which will get a check for over $70,000 for research in the fight of pediatric cancer. That money will go into the research grant in the honor of my late buddy John Saunders from ESPN.

I cannot wait for next year, when we put on the eighth annual Dick Vitale Intercollegiate Tennis Classic!

We were thrilled Thursday night to be honored by the Tampa Bay Lightning as they presented us a check for the V Foundation in the amount of $60,000. This was all due to uniting with Coach Jon Cooper in a big event that he put on. Jon put together a fishing tournament and had me as the guest speaker at their banquet. Together we raise money for the V Foundation to help kids battling cancer.

I can’t thank the Tampa Bay Lightning enough.  As they are a first class organization starting with their owner Jeffrey Vinik and the head of the Lightning Foundation Elizabeth Frazier, and all the people involved administratively and in terms of the coaching staff and players.

They are awesome baby with a capitol “A”.

 

It was over a century of waiting, but the Cubs finally did it, winning another World Series.

Game 7 was so special, so the 108-year wait was worth it. The Cubs had a winning attitude and so did the Indians. Terry Francona and Joe Maddon did great jobs.

Ben Zobrist won MVP of the World Series and I was so happy for him. I used to watch him with the Rays and he is a winner.

Congrats to both teams on a classic. Congrats on the Cubs for getting that gold trophy. Coming back from 3-- down in the series was special.