SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
And now it's time for sports.
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SIMON: Beware of the end of March. Madness lurks there. How many Big Ten teams can you fit into a men's Final Four? And we do already know the Final Four for women. Michele Steele joins us. She's now with the Big Ten network. Michele, thanks so much for being with us.
MICHELE STEELE: Good morning, Scott.
SIMON: Down to the Elite Eight - Duke, No. 1 overall seed, barely got by St. John's last night. Meanwhile, Tennessee upset Iowa State to make its third Elite Eight in a row. Can the Vols make their first Final Four?
STEELE: I think so, but I want to give a quick shoutout. You mentioned St. John's. Rick Pitino, 73 years old...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...Has now taken four different programs to the Sweet 16. The Johnnies were right there. But as for Tennessee, third straight Elite Eight. They've never been to a Final Four. Either that drought ends tonight against Michigan, who's really, really good, or it's going to feel like a curse.
SIMON: The Big Ten'll have at least one team in the Final Four, but an outside chance three Big Ten teams'll make it - with Indiana winning the national championship in football just a couple of months ago, and you going to the Big Ten Network. Has it ever been better for the Big Ten?
STEELE: I have to warn you, I'm going to sound like a Homer, but I'd like to think that this is an objective statement. But it is a golden age of sorts for the Big Ten. Indiana with the college football title in January. Now the conference could put three teams in the Final Four - Michigan, Purdue or either Illinois or Iowa. In the last 40 years, Scott, this is only the fourth time any conference has taken up half of the Elite Eight, and it's some old-school names - Michigan, Purdue, Illinois, Iowa. This is as good as it's been in a generation. Plenty of Big Ten fans want to see the conference win their first title since Michigan State in 2000. We'll see.
SIMON: Women's brackets. They're the four top seeds - UConn, Texas, South Carolina, UCLA. All seem to be cruising. Last year, those teams were in the Final Four. Should we expect anything different?
STEELE: I don't know. If you're betting on a different Final Four than last year, you're going to be betting against four teams that you mentioned, that have been really dominant all season. Now, Virginia is a 10 seed that started in the first four, so they're the Cinderella on the women's side of the bracket. They're still alive, and they play TCU today. So if Virginia does get through, good for them, and they're surviving and advancing so far.
SIMON: And look, Tiger Woods, one of the biggest names in sports of all time, his fourth car crash yesterday - rolled his car over. He wasn't hurt, but arrested on suspicion of DUI. I am not a doctor, but these things keep happening to him. This seems like a big star who needs help.
STEELE: You're right when you say this keeps happening. It's worth noting, Scott, this is the fourth car accident for Tiger since 2009. There was the infamous fire hydrant crash, the careless driving citation, this serious 2021 rollover in LA that nearly cost him his leg.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: And now this. You know, he did show signs of impairment and blew triple zeros on a breathalyzer - so no alcohol, but he did refuse a urine test. So whatever was in his system, we may never know for certain. He was held for 8 hours before being released. A genuinely sad story, I think, Scott. You know, the Masters is two weeks away. His participation there was already a question mark. It's really hard to see a path to Augusta. But either way, you know, the conversation, I think, has to shift from, can Tiger come back to let's make sure Tiger is OK. And that's where I think the golf world is this morning.
SIMON: Yeah. Baseball's opening day this week. I've got to note - Paul Skenes, the Pirates' great pitcher, had to be lifted after just two-thirds of an inning. Aaron Judge of the Yankees - last year's MVP - struck out four times. What caught your eye?
STEELE: I think the Skenes thing. It was a great humbling of opening week. He's the reigning Cy Young winner, career ERA under two, one of the best young pitchers we've seen in decades. I remember talking with you last summer about being able to see him in person. You know, got chased after two-thirds of an inning - five runs, 37 pitches - didn't make it out of the first. Now, if Skenes - the reason he's the one to watch is, if he's good, the Pirates are a playoff contender, and if they're not, they're in trouble.
SIMON: Michele Steele. Thanks so much for being with us. See you soon.
STEELE: See you next time. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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