It's a Good Friday Indeed

  As this business week in sports comes to a close and we head into an Easter weekend that will be packed with reactions, what's news today that turns this Good Friday for some players and fans into an even better one?

Cinderella Steps into the Pumpkin

  Tonight is surely the Sweet 16 matchup that NCAA Tournament fans have been anticipating all week. The first 15 seed in history to advance to the Sweet 16 round, Florida Gulf Coast University, will take on the historic powerhouse basketball program in number 3 Florida. The media coverage of the FGCU Eagles this week has been impossible to avoid. The Eagles are led by Bernard Thompson, who has scored 23 points in each of the 2 games the Eagles have played in the tournament thus far, and backcourt running mate Sherwood Brown who finished with 24 points and 9 rebounds in the Eagles win over Georgetown. Florida Gulf Coast is definitely this year's tournament Cinderella story and are coming into this game seemingly very confident. The question for some though, is are they too confident? A few Eagles players have made some interesting and slightly bold comments to the media during the course of this week in regards to their feeling of being a better team than Florida and them being the ones the world is talking about not the Gators. The Florida Gators are the winners of 2 NCAA tournaments since 2000 and head coach Billy Donovan has been coaching at Florida longer than Florida Gulf Coast has even been an institution. The best team does not always win but I would have to think that when things get this deep in, experience trumps hype and momentum. I'm smart enough to not completely count Florida Gulf Coast out this time though as they are most successful when America goes that route. Will the clock strike 12 on the Eagles with the Gators capturing the glass slipper or will the night be young and allow Florida Gulf Coast to dance to another song? Tune into TBS to see the latest Battle of Florida tonight at 9:57 pm.

Just got paid, It's Friday Night

  A few big time contracts were signed today in the MLB and NFL. Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander agreed to a new $180 million deal over 7 years. Verlander was the 2011 AL MVP and is who many call the best pitcher in the Major league. If Verlander can finish in the top five in the Cy Young voting in 2019, he can vest a $22 million option for 2020 bringing the worth of the contract to a grand total of $202 million. Even without the additional $22 million Verlander's contract still makes him the richest pitcher in Major League history.
  Buster Posey, catcher for the San Francisco Giants, agreed to a $167 million deal over 9 years making him the highest paid catcher in Giants history. The contract also includes several bonuses including $100,000 for World Series MVP, $100,000 for NL MVP, $75,000 for NL championship series MVP, $25,000 for All-Star Selection, $50,000 for All-Star Game election, $50,000 for a Gold Glove, and $50,000 for a Silver Slugger. Posey was the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year, 2012 NL MVP, and winner of the 2012 Batting Title. With that being said, many of those bonuses seem to be extremely attainable.
  Finally, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo agreed to a 6-year extension with Dallas worth $108 million including $55 million dollars guaranteed. Earning an additional $25 million signing bonus,  Romo is now the highest paid player in the league passing Joe Flacco's $52 million guaranteed. Romo's new deal has been one of many different opinions in the past few hours as Romo has only won 1 playoff game in the last 7 years. Long time Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNab tweeted after the news of the deal broke:

"Tony Romo 6 yr 55 million dollar extension. Wow really, with one playoff win. You got to be kidding me"

  Romo seems to have marvel performances balanced by major slip ups in big games that produce questions of if he is worthy of a deal of this stature. With any hope, this new money will give him a boost in pursuit to improve his playoff winning percentage and consistency of his performances.

Sources: Bleacher Report, NCAA, MLB, ESPN, USA Today