The clock is ticking, and time is winding down to finalize your March Madness bracket picks. On the brink of the deadline, I’ve once again managed to tie myself in a messy knot trying to wrap my brain around the predictability of the most erratic tournament on the planet. With a plethora of tournament Traps at my disposal, I’ve concluded my research. No more second-guessing, time to cross my fingers and click that submit button. Here we go!

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Once again, we’ve reached that chaotic time of the year when we scramble to fill out our March Madness Pick ‘Em brackets. On Selection Sunday the overload of information can get overwhelming with only a matter of days to decide how to pick each game. Don’t settle for fools gold by wingin’ it on your picks this year, use Trapit as a research tool to help turn your blind luck picks into educated guesses. With the right Trap keywords, you’ll be on your way to a Pick ‘Em title run! Climb ahead of the competition with me.

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With just months left in Title IX’s 40th Anniversary year, it was perfectly fitting for women’s sports to experience one of its most groundbreaking weekends. Roughly 12 hours apart, two perceived barriers in sport toppled down like adjacent dominos, forever altering the perception of traditionally male-dominated fields of athletics.

Reflecting a few years back, the outcome witnessed Saturday seemed unimaginable. Turn the clock back to January 2011, the Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White was spontaneously confronted with a daunting question outside his go-to Hollywood restaurant [video]:

”When are we going to see women in the UFC, man? Anytime Soon?”

With a dismissive smirk (granted TMZ journos are used to this look), White promptly fired back: “Never…[chuckles] Never.” At this stage in his illustrious career, White had never met Ronda Rousey.

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It’s no secret, college football’s postseason is one of the more underwhelming finishes in all of sports. The majority of bowl games are seen as anticlimactic yawners featuring far too many mediocre match-ups. There really is only one way to stay intrigued through all 35 bowl games this holiday season—join a College Bowl Pick ‘Em challenge. With a total of 70 teams competing in a span of 23 days, there’s much to learn about the lesser known NCAA teams. In order to make this year’s predictions, Trapit became the perfect research tool to help break down the competition as I strategized my list of winners.

One of the most important details I choose to narrow in on when filling out a Bowl Pick ‘Em is The Coaching Carousel and how bowl bound teams are affected by it. The term is a universal phrase used by sports journos to describe the hiring and firing whirlwind that sweeps through the college football ranks come winter. In a Bowl Pick ‘Em, it’s wise to  stay in the loop on any sudden coaching changes as they can play a pivotal role on a locker room’s morale during a grace period when preparation and avoidance of off-the-field distractions are paramount focuses. Plugging in the commonly used term “coaching carousel” to start a  Trap, I monitored the unpredictable coaching job market all December, keeping a close eye on the stories with bowl game implications on the line. Right off the bat, the trap was swaying my picks as headlines jumped off my ipad screen raising red flags on bowl bound teams with questionable leadership at the helm. I took note of a few squads I’d recommend staying away from and on the contrary, a very underrated team worth banking on.

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It’s nearing the end of 2012 (and the Mayan Calendar) and it’s been a great year at Trapit. How could it not have been? We launched an iPad app! And while that was certainly a highlight, Trapit’s given us more than that. For your reading pleasure, please enjoy Trapit staff’s top picks of 2012—the discoveries, Traps, and stories that distracted us from the toil of QA presented in no particular order.

NASA’s Perpetual Ocean animations visualize the flow of the ocean.

Laura’s Picks:

Feminism: This was the Trap I was most inclined to lose hours to (thank stars for our iPad app). The feminist blogosphere is full of witty, thoughtful, and feisty ladies and gents. And with politicians providing plenty of grist for the mill this year—there was rarely a dull moment. 

Garlic Scapes: They’re curly, they’re tasty, they popped up in the grocery aisle this spring (and many a garden). Allegiances aside, Trapit’s my go-to source for finding recipes for new/strange/routine ingredients. My Garlic Scapes Trap did not disappoint. 

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Regardless whether you call it soccer or football, fans across the globe can agree on the sport’s universal nickname, “The Beautiful Game.” Unfortunately, even the most beautiful things in life are known to have an ugly side. Soccer is no exception, as UEFA continues to fight the battle against racist behavior by both fans and players that is plaguing the culture and reputation of the game. 

The latest antics came in an Under-21 match in Serbia when England’s Danny Rose was targeted by opposing fans, pelted with stones while attempting throw-ins, and boisterous monkey chants and gestures as he gained possession of the ball. The FA of Serbia was wholeheartedly refuted connections with any racist behavior, despite video footage that shows an infuriated Rose caught in skirmishes with Serbian players in the game’s closing minutes. 

Although this was one isolated incident in Serbia, it certainly hasn’t been the lone racist conduct on the pitch in recent memory. Nearly a year after the infamous event, Chelsea’s captain John Terry chose not to appeal his four-game suspension dished out for verbally abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand. Although Terry was disappointed in the ruling, he took the high road apologizing for his inappropriate dialogue.   

A few other notable incidents have sounded the alarm that racism still is a clear issue on the pitch. Recently, the Asian Football Confederation issued an apology for publishing an article referring to UAE’s club as “Sand Monkeys.” In a handful of matches across the globe, bananas have been hurled from the stands to couple with the harmful chanting.   

Although governing bodies like UEFA are taking action to combat racism by handing out sanctions and steep financial penalties to clubs on behalf of both player and fan behavior, it’s not getting the job done. Campaigns set to promote the curbing of racism in sports have hit a bump in the road as well. Reading’s Jason Roberts is refusing to partake in the anti-racism “Kick It Out” campaign voicing out the movement isn’t doing enough and doesn’t represent the stance of he and his colleagues.  

The ugly reemergence of racism in soccer is truly a shame after tensions seemed to subside after the 1996 ‘Say No to Racism’ campaign was center stage at the FIFA World Cup. Prior to the first whistle, opposing teams stood in solidarity raising a giant banner with the anti-racism slogan in bold print. The powerful message that was sent to the greatest television audience on the planet seems to have been forgotten…for now at least.

-Geoff

The London Olympics kick off in just a few hours, and this year’s event promises to be the biggest one ever. For the first time, NBC is live streaming all sporting events online, including all medal ceremonies. That’s 3,500 hours! It is also offering an unprecedented amount of TV coverage – 270 hours on NBC alone. And then there’s all the other coverage - from large media companies to individual bloggers – plus a whole host of new topics to follow. These Olympics are going to be the most “social” yet, with Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook playing a big role.

It’s truly exciting but keeping up with it all is going to be a challenge. Fortunately, Trapit has you covered.

We’ve added an additional 60 new Olympics sources, including 30 feeds from NBC alone. So whether you’re a fan of popular events such as Swimming or Track, or more interested in Equestrian or Trampoline, you can either build your own trap or follow what our curation team has created, knowing that you’ll have access to an incredible range of material.

We’ve also brought in a ringer to assist our ace Sport curator Geoff Ziemer, who probably won’t be sleeping much over the next couple of weeks as he seeks out the best topics and stories. We’re pleased to announce that Beau Dure will be helping us cover the Olympics this year. A veteran of six Olympic Games—four on site, two covered remotely—for USA TODAY, he also has written on Olympic sports, soccer and mixed martial arts for ESPN, including coverage of the 2011 Women’s World Cup for espnW. He’s the author of “Long-Range Goals: The Success Story of Major League Soccer” and a forthcoming book on the UFC. This year, he has compiled complete medal projections for the London Games at SportsMyriad.com.

Follow both of them on Twitter @TrapitSports.

-Liz Lufkin, Chief Content Officer

Image via. 

Currently on Trapit’s sports page, we have all kinds of topics covering subjects such as Sports Racism, Sports Doping, Match-Fixing, and all kinds of various sports-related lawsuits plaguing the purity of athletics. Sometimes it’s tough to cope so much perpetual negativity as a diehard sports enthusiast! Fortunately, it only takes that one sparkling story to shift the perception of competitive sports back into a positive light. 

I’ve had a trap on sportsmanship for quite some time, but have been waiting for some sort of viral occurrence to spring this puppy to life. Thank you Meghan Vogel for bringing your selfless story to the playing field—it truly was the happy-go-lucky one I have been anticipating. As a sports editor, I’m grateful for this story, therefore Meghan Vogel, you earned yourself a trap!

The setting of Vogel’s story took place at an Ohio state track and field championship on the home stretch of a 3200-meter race. Vogel—having already won a state crown earlier in the day in the 1600 (her bread-and-butter event)—found herself trailing a fellow competitor Arden McMath by a hair. When McMath collapsed on the track in utter exhaustion with the finish line a stone’s throw away, Vogel’s first instinct was not to hurdle her opponent and keep her legs moving—her reaction was quite the opposite. Vogel stopped on a dime, and hoisted McMath’s arm around her, physically carrying her opponent the final home stretch. Vogel even allowed McMath to finish ahead of her. The crowd erupted! [Video here].

It was a spitting image of what personifies sportsmanship, serving as a gentle reminder that competition-crazed athletes are in fact human after all. After creating a trap on this awesome moment in amateur sports, I expected to hear nothing but praise for the young athletes involved. Unfortunately, there seems to always be one bitter pill out there to play devil’s advocate. Yes, someone really tried to toss a wet blanket on this one. One writer actually found Vogel’s act as a poor example of sportsmanship. Read for yourself.

Ok, I agree with a few of the points the writer chose to address. It’s true the media sensationalized this one a little bit to bring the “non-sports fans” into a sports-related conversation (that’s what it takes for a local video to go viral on a global scale). There was no real sacrifice made here. Vogel didn’t give up a potential victory to come to a stranger’s rescue. Vogel had been in last place with a few dozen meters to go when McMath took her plunge. Is there really any difference between finishing in 14th or 15th place? Besides the shame of finishing dead last, it’s basically an identical feeling finishing that far behind the leader. Vogel admitted to being exhausted entering the race, and knew she didn’t have a chance at winning the 3200, her self-proclaimed “back up event.” She even reflected on an ironic moment mid-race when she realized that she was doomed to finish in both last place in one race, and first in another. 

But, c’mon man! How dare a sports writer try and downsize the magnificent impact of this selfless sports moment. Just imagine this poor face being left behind, unable to cross the finish line. Try and tell me that a good sportsman would’ve stuck with the rules (by not touching another runner) and left her hanging.

Can you imagine the embarrassment, the agony a common teenager would feel laying out there alone and helpless? Vogel turned a very minor, yet potentially traumatic experience for a young sophomore, and transformed it into a shining moment for the hundreds in attendance to witness it live in all its glory. It proved that the softball feel-good sportsmanship story we saw back in 2008 wasn’t a fluke. As a result, Vogel’s Facebook and Twitter feeds have been getting blown up with praise, with comments suggesting that young athletes have a newfound role model in which to find inspiration. 

“Any girl on the track would have done the same for me,” Vogel said. 

It’s a heartwarming thought for Vogel to assume so, but it’s a naive reality, unfortunately. However, the more the world gets exposed to stories like these that represent true sportsmanship in its purest form, the more likely the next young athlete will choose do the right thing when one’s instincts must make a reactionary decision.Hey Dwyane Wade, maybe you should be taking notes—you could learn a thing or two about what it takes to be a good sport. Cussing out your coach and throwing shoes is far from a Vogel move. 

For Vogel, I present a slow clap and a trap. Cheers!

-Geoff 

Image via. 

After nearly a decade of silence, Wanetta Gibson wanted to “let bygones be bygones.” After a long, heartless hiatus, Gibson contacted a former high school classmate Brian Banks admitting to carrying heavy guilt on her conscience having held a lie locked in her safe keep all these years. For Banks, it was a lie that forced him to live the tail-end of his teenage life behind bars, wrongfully convicted as a rapist felon. While most kids his age were anticipating prom and diplomas, Banks sat alone in a cell with his dreams deferred. After a 62-month nightmare spent in an institutional cage—his dream of becoming a star college football player shattered—an electronic monitoring system tracked each step he took as the newest neighborhood sex offender on parole. 

Today, Brian Banks’ outlook on life is vastly different—a complete 180 in fact. After arranging a private meeting with his former accuser, Banks managed to record Gibson on video admitting that she lied about being kidnapped and raped in an elevator back in 2002, an alleged event that had Banks handcuffed when he was just 17. Banks had insisted all along that his relationship with Gibson had been consensual, but was forced to settle on a plea agreement—advised by his lawyer—knowing a lost battle in the courtroom could mean up to 41-years in prison, instead of six. As an innocent man, just imagine making this sacrifice knowing nearly every major college football program in the nation had once had their eye locked on him as a rising stud linebacker. 

Donned in a black hoodie with the bold word “innocent” stamped across his chest, Banks left the courtroom this past week in tears with his arms raised, exonerated from all charges. After nearly a decade wondering if he’d ever be given a fair chance to play the game of football again, Banks collected offers this week to try out for professional football teams, with invitations from the Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. Banks has been training extensively since last October to reinvent himself as the athlete he once was before ending up in prison. Seahawks’ head coach Pete Carroll had once recruited Banks when he was the head coach at the University of Southern California—the Trojans being one of the heavy favorites to ink Banks’ letter of intent signature before his 2002 arrest. It feels like nothing short of a miracle that Banks will get a second chance to show Carroll he can still play the game. Will he be rusty? Sure…but nobody on the field will doubt nor question his hunger.

Why on earth—you are probably wondering—it took this long for Gibson to come clean? Certainly guilt and maturation played a role, but it turns out, Gibson was more so worried about losing out on a $1.5-million lawsuit her family had settled with the Long Beach School District. Yet again, another punch in the gut to America’s legal system. Fortunately for Banks, justice delayed doesn’t always mean justice is forever denied.

Riding a tremendous upswing in life, Banks has let go of all bitterness, harnessing anything and everything positive knowing this is his first real opportunity to “reconstruct his life.”  This is one redemption story I will be following all summer long as Banks seeks to land a spot on a NFL roster. 

Feel free to follow along yourself with the Brian Banks trap. 

-Geoff

Image via.

To nobody’s surprise, the Orlando Magic kicked off its spring housecleaning chores this week by firing both head coach Stan Van Gundy, and General Manager Otis Smith. For months, the tension between superstar center Dwight Howard and Van Gundy had been building like a snowball effect and inevitably came to a crashing halt on Monday. Three words popped in my mind the second I caught wind of the announcement: about damn time. The sports world had seen/heard enough.

The player-coach feud began picking up steam back in early April during a late-season press conference when Van Gundy shockingly confessed that the soon-to-be free agent Howard was leading a campaign behind his back to have him ousted from the head coaching position. In one of the most incredibly awkward sports moments of this generation, Howard proceeds to interrupt the interview and with a beaming smile appears (my speculation) to lie right through his teeth insisting he would never backstab his coach. However, even if Howard intended on getting his coach axed, Van Gundy certainly didn’t take the high road by bringing a closed-door team issue to a public platform. The spectacle was ugly, juvenile, and frankly it was a tiff you’d expect to witness on a playground between kids at recess, not amongst “professionals” on national television. The media is always drooling for gossip like this, so why anyone in this business would ever throw them a bone this juicy is absurd.

NBA experts are already weighing in on where the coach might land his next job and, fortunately for Van Gundy, it appears he’ll have a great chance to ink a position in time for the 2012-13 season.  My Portland Trailblazers are looking for a coach as we speak, however ownership might want to be wary of Van Gundy as a leading candidate. Sports Illustrated conducted a survey amongst 134 NBA players, and 22% voted Van Gundy as the coach they’d LEAST like to play for. Isn’t that a large enough red flag to direct the search elsewhere? 

Maybe not. The opinions bonk heads in the Magic Fires Coach, GM Trap.

-Geoff