SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
And now it's time for sports.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
SIMON: March Madness continues to churn, but is it really mad? Major League Baseball returns. Michele Steele of ESPN joins us now. Michele, thanks so much for being back with us.
MICHELE STEELE: Sure. Good morning, Scott.
SIMON: It is that college basketball time of the year. Let's begin with the women's tournament. Every single No. 1 seed is still there - Texas, South Carolina, USC and UCLA. You know, but at some point, they got to play each other. Who looks strongest.
STEELE: You know, I implore listeners right now not to yawn at my answer, Scott, but I think the strongest team does, indeed, look like the defending champs, the South Carolina Gamecocks. They outlasted Maryland last night. They're in another elite eight. They look like the team to beat. But to me, there's the strongest team. Then there's the most intriguing team, and that's UConn, and whether or not Paige Bueckers is really going to leave that program without having won a national title. They play 3-seed Oklahoma, and given how things have gone so far, they should take care of business. We'll see.
SIMON: Men's side, down to the Elite Eight, but also, every No. 1 seed remains - Auburn, Florida, Houston, Duke. Has March Madness - I mean, where's the madness?
STEELE: I know, right? Where's the Loyola, Chicago? Where's the San Diego State?
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: You get these wonderful Cinderella runs in March Madness that normally galvanize the whole tournament. But one big issue, at least according to some college coaches, is NIL and the transfer portal. And what happens there is you get these talented college players at smaller schools. They can basically hit free agency every year and a big payday...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...By being recruited to a bigger school. Now, it's one year and one tournament does not a trend make. We'll see what happens next year. But I think something's got to happen, especially with the transfer portal, because I'm not sure it's great for the sport.
SIMON: I think the nuns at Loyola - Sister Jean - can bring a couple of big recruits over.
STEELE: Pray for college baseball...
SIMON: Pray for college basketball.
STEELE: ...Sister Jean.
SIMON: Look, opening week in Major League Baseball. Everybody's talking about, you know, can the dark star - the LA Dodgers - repeat? I want to suggest the Chicago White Sox are undefeated...
STEELE: (Laughter).
SIMON: ...After, you know, setting the record for most losses in a single season with 121 last year. So what? They just turned it around, right?
STEELE: Yeah, right - tied for first in the AL Central, Scott. Look, it's only fair about - we talked about them a bunch last year after that - no good, miserable, 121-loss season. So it's only fair that we talk about them when they're up.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: And you're right. They're undefeated. They have yet to lose a game this year. They're 1-0. Do I think they're going to turn it around this year, maybe a little bit? You know, I don't think they'll hit rock bottom again and break another record for losses. But listen, they're in the middle of a rebuild. They traded away their best player, ace Garrett Crochet, in the...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...Offseason. They added young guys who just, quite frankly, have not done much in the bigs. I think it's going to be a long season on the South Side, Scott. But I hear the milkshakes at the ballpark are pretty good.
SIMON: Yeah. What are they called again? Like, earth - no, not earthquake. What are they called again? I was reading it - graham crackers?
STEELE: See, now you're putting me on the hot seat.
SIMON: OK. All right, but...
STEELE: People are going to have to look it up. But they're amazing milkshakes.
SIMON: They've got graham crackers and, I think, infield dirt's them.
STEELE: It's like s'mores - yeah, right (laughter).
SIMON: And they, like, cost $50. And anyway, NFL draft is coming up in a few weeks. A player from Florida made headlines this week.
STEELE: Yeah. University of Florida defensive tackle Desmond Watson, 6-foot-6, get this Scott, 464 pounds. And to put that in perspective, the '85 Bears' William "Refrigerator" Perry never topped 340 pounds. So this guy makes the fridge look like a toaster.
SIMON: (Laughter).
STEELE: Now, he didn't have great production in college, but his pro days sure opened eyes. He ran a sub-6-second 40-yard dash, has a 25-inch vertical jump. Could see him as an intriguing selection in the later rounds here. The question, of course, is whether he would count as two draft picks or one.
SIMON: Oh. Oh.
STEELE: He's a big boy. He's a big boy.
SIMON: I was wide open for that.
SIMON: All right, I can't wait to see him play. Michele Steele of ESPN. Thanks so much for being with us.
STEELE: You bet.
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