The book "Gaming the Game" by Sean Patrick Griffin is about the 2007 NBA betting scandal that landed Delco native and former Tim Donaghy in jail.

It's an important read almost exclusively from the angle of alleged gambler Jimmy Battista, a Clifton Heights native.

Some parts, though, seemed exaggerated. Battista claimed his CYO basketball team was better than O'Hara's. Not buying it. But would buy the book.

For a complete review, check out my column in the Daily Times Monday and on delcotimes.com

How dare Villanova be ranked only No. 15 in the nation and not have been to a Final Four in 23 months.

The Wildcats lost Saturday, 81-68, to St. John's at the Wells Fargo Center, and for that, thousands of their fans raced to the exits early, and plenty more were quick with the heckle.

Jay Wright understands:  "They also show up 20,000 at a time, too. That's part of it. You don't get everything. When they show up 20,000 at a time and you don't play well, then they are going to leave early on you sometimes."

Check out my column in the Daily Times Sunday and on delcotimes.com

John O'Connor deserved better at Holy Family. But once a film clip is truncated down to a handy-dandy talking point, all bets are off in the 21st century. Now, he is out of basketball, unllikely to return.

For that and other things I don't get, check out delcotimes.com and the Saturday Daily Times!

Of course Doug Collins was beaming at practice Thursday.

The night before, the Sixers thumped Washington. And Duke, where his son Chris is an assistant, defeated Temple. And Archbiship Carroll moved into the Catholic League final with a victory over LaSalle. Carroll is coached by Collins' son-in-law Paul Romanczuk.

"Three for three," Collins smiled.

The Sixers' head coach promised to be at the Palestra Monday when Carroll plays Neumann-Goretti for the Catholic League championship.

Here's a conclusion: With every shift, Claude Giroux shows the ability to be as good as any player in the NHL.

Check out my column Thursday in the Daily Times and on delcotimes.com

Paul Holmgren made it clear before the Flyers played the Coyotes: His team is essentially complete.

For that, he is warning not to expect much, if anything, at the Feb. 28 trade deadline.

“I like our team,” the Flyers' G.M. said. “If something would come up that would make our team significantly better, we could do something. I don't know. More than anything, if we have a chance to add some depth, we might do that.”

The Flyers will be quiet at the deadline because they have been busy building a contender for years. Holmgren insists this is his best team yet.

“I my tenure, yes,” Holmgren said. “I don't think there is any question about that.”

Check out my column on delcotimes.com and in the Daily Times Wednesday!

Light welterweight Ryan Belasco will fight in the main event March 18 at Harrah's-Chester. Belasco is 14-4 but has won his last three fights. His expected opponent is 5-4 Bryne Green of Orlando, Fla., now fighting out of Vineland, N.J.

Ten fights are scheduled for the second in a series of Harrah's cards.

--- JACK McCAFFERY

Villanova needed overtime to win at sputtering DePaul, then returned to the Well Monday and lost to Syracuse.

Cue the air raid sirens.

But relax.

Big East fans can't have it both ways. If it is worth celebrating as the best, deepest conference in the country, then it is worth accepting the cost for that. And that's what is happening to Villanova in recent weeks: The Big East is making it tough.

But Corey Stokes is back. And it wasn't as if the Wildcats didn't battle Monday.

It's why Jim Boeheim has an opinion on premature college basketball conclusions. To describe them, he used one word that had a B and an S in it.

Check out my column on delcotimes.com and in the Daily Times Tuesday.

It began as a tradition in the Daily Times. Now, it is an international fixation. It is NCAA Tournament bracketology, and it is so interesting to sports fans that master bracketologist Joe Lunardi now teaches an on-line course in it for Saint Joseph's University.

That makes the Delco resident a busy man right now.

Check out my column in the Sunday Daily Times and on delcotimes.com

A preview of Saturday's column, in handy take-home form:

As a franchise player, Michael Vick is no Joe DiMaggio.
Joe Banner knows how to ruin a spring training with the best of them.
Paul Holmgren is a magician.
No matter what the schedules will say, Temple football is not on the same playing field as Notre Dame.
No matter what the reason, Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore should not have been allowing each other to score uncontested buckets in a recent women's basketball game.
Joey Tiberi is climbing back into the ring.

Check out the Daily Times and delcotimes.com Saturday.

Roy, Roy, Cliff, Cole ... a foursome for the ages.

So welcome to the club ... a club that includes several other four-ply superstar assemblages in the modern era of Philadelphia sports.

Remember 1984, when Charles Barkley, Julius Erving, Bobby Jones and Moses Malone shared a locker room?

Check out my column on delcotimes.com and in the Thursday Daily Times for some more memories!

Another trip to Jersey, another game down to the final second for Villanova. Last time, the Cats lost at Rutgers. Tuesday, they won, 60-57, at Seton Hall.

Conclusion: Villanova is not the national championship contender it seemed to be after racing to a 16-1 record. Not enough scoring up front. Too many turnovers. Too inconsistent.

Jay Wright coached smartly Tuesday, and the Cats still had to hang on at the horn. They have lost five of their last nine.

A Top 25 team? Yes. Top 15: Maybe. Top 10: No. Not deep enough, not this year.

Check out my column in the Daily Times Wednesday and on delcotimes.com!

Evan Turner said Wednesday night that he would practice with the Sixers Thursday despite missing the final nine minutes of a loss to the Orlando Magic with back spasms.

He didn't.

Doug Collins is not worried and is confident that Turner will play Friday against the visiting San Antonio Spurs. Just the same, Turner did break his back early in his senior season at Ohio State, raising the question: Are the injuries connected?

"No," Collins said, adding, "We wanted him to take the day off. I think he has what Spencer (Hawes) had, and it almost happened the same way. Spencer was out warming up and the chiropractor said what happened was that a rib sort of popped out of place. And when it does, it throws your back into spasm. So it's nothing structural, where you would have pain in your legs and all that kind of stuff. This is all a muscle thing.
“Today, we expected Evan to be very sore because they popped that thing back in. It was in spasm. When I talked to him this morning, he said he would be ready to go (Friday.) Spencer was like that too. It took him about two or three days before he was back to being himself.”

Check out the Friday Daily Times and delcotimes.com for the full story.

Phil Martelli has his critics these days at Saint Joseph's.

One of them is not Jameer Nelson.

The greatest Saint Joseph's basketball player ever made it clear Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center, where he played for the Magic aginst the Sixers: He has Martelli's back.

Check out my column on delcotimes.com and in the Thursday Daily Times!

The Phils are hours away from spring training and Charlie Manuel doesn't know where he will be managing in 2012.

Ryne Sandberg does: He will be managing somewhere in the Phillies organization.

Hmmmm.

Chek out my column in the Daily Times and on delcotimes.com Wednesday!

The Eagles will win the Super Bowl in the 2011-2012 season.

That's my opinion, and for once, it probably won't be dismissed around the NewsControl Compound.

Check out my column Monday in the Daily Times and on delcotimes.com!