Pat Forde thinks Joakim Noah is the coolest girl in school... http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2815441&sportCat=ncb
Pat Forde seems to keep his distance from American pop culture. This is how things work here. People will be beloved, worshiped and adored one year only to be verbally assaulted, attacked by a cheerleader 2 feet shorter than you, and having your c-section scar photographed getting out of a car the next. People root for others to fail. Watching someone climb to the top is great and all, but watching that fiery wreck to the bottom is so much better...
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Final Four
Here we area again and since last time, the field has been narrowed down from 16 to 4. Your final four teams are Boston College, Maine, Michigan State and North Dakota.
Wait a minute, those are the teams in the tournament I give a damn about. In the one I have been following on my blog here, the basketball tournament, The final four is made up of Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, and Ohio State. Can you feel the excitement? I picked Kansas to win it all, and once again they laid an egg in an important game. I am NEVER picking Kansas again, ever.
Florida and Ohio State could face each other in the championship game, but I don't think Ohio State will be able to pull another one out of their asses. I really hope UCLA beats Florida. As of right now, I am hoping John Thompson III beat Florida in the championship game and that's all I have to say about that.
Back to the Frozen Four, there were some great games this past weekend. Thanks to Altitude, I was able to watch all the college hockey I wanted to this weekend. The team I was most impressed with was BC. They looked good this past weekend and will take on a tough North Dakota team. These two teams have probably been the hottest teams the last couple months, and that semifinal game should be a great one. The only thing I am worried about on BCs end is that they take a lot of penalties, especially when teams flurry in their zone. This could be a problem as North Dakota has a very good set of forwards and could cause some problems. In the other semifinal game, Maine will take on Michigan State. Michigan State is the team I know the least about of the final four, and they will have their hands full with Maine, especially goalie Ben Bishop. Bishop is huge, 6-7 201 lbs, and has been playing well. This game will probably be a lot like the Michigan State Notre Dame game and low scoring, probably 1-0 or 2-1. Unfortunately, these games don't happen until April 5th so the anticipation will be building.
Wait a minute, those are the teams in the tournament I give a damn about. In the one I have been following on my blog here, the basketball tournament, The final four is made up of Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, and Ohio State. Can you feel the excitement? I picked Kansas to win it all, and once again they laid an egg in an important game. I am NEVER picking Kansas again, ever.
Florida and Ohio State could face each other in the championship game, but I don't think Ohio State will be able to pull another one out of their asses. I really hope UCLA beats Florida. As of right now, I am hoping John Thompson III beat Florida in the championship game and that's all I have to say about that.
Back to the Frozen Four, there were some great games this past weekend. Thanks to Altitude, I was able to watch all the college hockey I wanted to this weekend. The team I was most impressed with was BC. They looked good this past weekend and will take on a tough North Dakota team. These two teams have probably been the hottest teams the last couple months, and that semifinal game should be a great one. The only thing I am worried about on BCs end is that they take a lot of penalties, especially when teams flurry in their zone. This could be a problem as North Dakota has a very good set of forwards and could cause some problems. In the other semifinal game, Maine will take on Michigan State. Michigan State is the team I know the least about of the final four, and they will have their hands full with Maine, especially goalie Ben Bishop. Bishop is huge, 6-7 201 lbs, and has been playing well. This game will probably be a lot like the Michigan State Notre Dame game and low scoring, probably 1-0 or 2-1. Unfortunately, these games don't happen until April 5th so the anticipation will be building.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Sweet 16 & Today's Celebrity DUI
I think this is the worst bracket I have filled out in the last ten years. As we stand here on the first day of the sweet 16, I have only 7 teams remaining in my bracket. At most, I will have 5 of the Elite Eight, and half my final four is sitting at home. Some may say they are back at class, but according to the most recent graduation statistics, I have the feeling they are sitting at home.
For the first time in 12 years there are no double digit teams left in the sweet 16. The highest seed left is UNLV, and they haven't looked like a 7 seed.
In the East, Texas certainly shit the bed against USC, even though they got 30 from Durant. If they would have gotten him the ball a little more often, he could have easily dropped 40. USC looked good, but I don't know if they can handle UNC. Then again, I didn't think they could beat Texas, so that should be a pretty close game. In the other game, Vanderbilt has been playing well, but so has Georgetown, who I think is the best 2 seed in the tournament. From what I have seen, they are a very solid team, and I don't see them falling to Vandy.
I seriously screwed the pooch in the South region. Ohio State is the only team I picked to make the sweet 16 that actually made it, and in reality, they shouldn't even be here right now. Now they get a Tennessee team that has been playing extremely well. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Ohio State were to get beat by Tennessee. I have not been impressed in the least with Ohio State, and I don't believe Greg Oden is 18. He looks like the 55 year old black guy that lives in my neighborhood that yells at everyone who steps on his lawn. At the bottom of the South bracket, Texas A&M and Memphis face off. I really underestimated Texas A&M. It turns out they are a really good team. As far as Memphis, I don't like Memphis and their inflated 32-3 record, and they will be destroyed by the Aggies.
In the Midwest, we have Florida - Butler and Oregon-UNLV. I like Butler, but I don't think they have enough to beat Florida. I really don't like Florida or Billy Donovan. He reminds me of Matt Damon's character in The Departed, just a glorified con man spouting out garbage hoping everyone buys it. Oregon and UNLV should be an interesting game. UNLV has looked good, and Oregon played well against a solid Winthrop team. If I could pick a game I wanted to watch, it would probably be this one. That's my West Coast bias.
Out in San Jose in the West bracket, Kansas takes on the best team out of The Valley, Southern Illinois, and Pittsburgh battles UCLA. I could care less about UCLA and Pitt. UCLA will win. The Jayhawks will have their hands full against Southern Illinois. The Salukis are very solid on defense, and with fundamentals. For people who don't watch a lot of Missouri Valley basketball, the games are very similar to Women's games. A lot of chest passes, white people, three point shooting, and 2 or 3 dunks a game. Even though Kansas was my pick to win at the beginning of the tournament, I will be rooting for Southern Illinois. Plus, Bill Self is the exact opposite of everything you think a major college coach would be. He is nervous, awkward, stressed out, just a total mess. They will not win it all.
So that's what i have for the next couple days' games, I will check back in on it tomorrow morning to see how the night went
In other news, Tony LaRussa was arrested in Florida on suspicion of Drunk Driving. Evidently, he fell asleep at the wheel at a stop light and the car in drive. Very Nice! Maybe someone can help me out, has he ever been busted for this before? If not I am very surprised, because he looks like a gentlemen who likes his booze. Come to think of it, he looks like the kind of guy who would fall asleep at a stop light, so this isn't really that shocking is it? I think his BAC was just above .09, so it's not like he was retarded hammered, he had just enough to get a solid buzz, it was midnight, and he was tired. Tired people fall asleep.
For the first time in 12 years there are no double digit teams left in the sweet 16. The highest seed left is UNLV, and they haven't looked like a 7 seed.
In the East, Texas certainly shit the bed against USC, even though they got 30 from Durant. If they would have gotten him the ball a little more often, he could have easily dropped 40. USC looked good, but I don't know if they can handle UNC. Then again, I didn't think they could beat Texas, so that should be a pretty close game. In the other game, Vanderbilt has been playing well, but so has Georgetown, who I think is the best 2 seed in the tournament. From what I have seen, they are a very solid team, and I don't see them falling to Vandy.
I seriously screwed the pooch in the South region. Ohio State is the only team I picked to make the sweet 16 that actually made it, and in reality, they shouldn't even be here right now. Now they get a Tennessee team that has been playing extremely well. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Ohio State were to get beat by Tennessee. I have not been impressed in the least with Ohio State, and I don't believe Greg Oden is 18. He looks like the 55 year old black guy that lives in my neighborhood that yells at everyone who steps on his lawn. At the bottom of the South bracket, Texas A&M and Memphis face off. I really underestimated Texas A&M. It turns out they are a really good team. As far as Memphis, I don't like Memphis and their inflated 32-3 record, and they will be destroyed by the Aggies.
In the Midwest, we have Florida - Butler and Oregon-UNLV. I like Butler, but I don't think they have enough to beat Florida. I really don't like Florida or Billy Donovan. He reminds me of Matt Damon's character in The Departed, just a glorified con man spouting out garbage hoping everyone buys it. Oregon and UNLV should be an interesting game. UNLV has looked good, and Oregon played well against a solid Winthrop team. If I could pick a game I wanted to watch, it would probably be this one. That's my West Coast bias.
Out in San Jose in the West bracket, Kansas takes on the best team out of The Valley, Southern Illinois, and Pittsburgh battles UCLA. I could care less about UCLA and Pitt. UCLA will win. The Jayhawks will have their hands full against Southern Illinois. The Salukis are very solid on defense, and with fundamentals. For people who don't watch a lot of Missouri Valley basketball, the games are very similar to Women's games. A lot of chest passes, white people, three point shooting, and 2 or 3 dunks a game. Even though Kansas was my pick to win at the beginning of the tournament, I will be rooting for Southern Illinois. Plus, Bill Self is the exact opposite of everything you think a major college coach would be. He is nervous, awkward, stressed out, just a total mess. They will not win it all.
So that's what i have for the next couple days' games, I will check back in on it tomorrow morning to see how the night went
In other news, Tony LaRussa was arrested in Florida on suspicion of Drunk Driving. Evidently, he fell asleep at the wheel at a stop light and the car in drive. Very Nice! Maybe someone can help me out, has he ever been busted for this before? If not I am very surprised, because he looks like a gentlemen who likes his booze. Come to think of it, he looks like the kind of guy who would fall asleep at a stop light, so this isn't really that shocking is it? I think his BAC was just above .09, so it's not like he was retarded hammered, he had just enough to get a solid buzz, it was midnight, and he was tired. Tired people fall asleep.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Friday Update #2
At the end of the second set of games for the day, I lost my other sweet 16 cinderella, Long Beach State. That could be the highest scoring college game I have ever seen. Tennessee dropped 121 to LBS's 86. Wisconsin struggled mightily, and for a while I thought I was going to lose my 1st final four team. After only 19 points in the first half, they came back to score 57 in the second half and move on over Texas A&M - Corpus Christi 76-63. 11 seed Winthrop withstood a rally by Notre Dame and held on for a 74-64 win. This was another popular pick for an upset, and I don't think it surprised a whole lot of people. Finally, in the first OT game of the tournament, Nevada outlasted Creighton and won 77-71..
Right now Oregon has their hands full with Miami of Ohio, up 4 with 15 minutes left in the 2nd half.
To date my stats area as follows:
Bracket: 16-7
Against the Spread: 11-10-2
Right now Oregon has their hands full with Miami of Ohio, up 4 with 15 minutes left in the 2nd half.
To date my stats area as follows:
Bracket: 16-7
Against the Spread: 11-10-2
Friday Update #1
Well, the first set of games have ended for today. Virginia cruised past Albany as expected 84-57, this one was never close, and Virginia easily covered. The 7 seed in the Midwest UNLV was able to hold off a second half charge by Georgia Tech and scored a 67-63 win. It seems that every year, the best games in the first round of the tournament are consistently the 6-11, 7-10, and 8-9 match ups. I really thought Memphis would blow North Texas out of the water, they won the game 73-58, but I think they could be in some trouble in the second round with either Nevada or Creighton. From what I could gather at my desk, this game appeared closer than the score would indicate.
So far I am 2-1 with my bracket today thanks to UNLV and a paltry 1-2 against the spread. Winthrop - Notre Dame and Tennessee - Long Beach State are in progress.
More Later....
So far I am 2-1 with my bracket today thanks to UNLV and a paltry 1-2 against the spread. Winthrop - Notre Dame and Tennessee - Long Beach State are in progress.
More Later....
Friday's Predictions
I think I covered everything from Thursday, so let's just get my picks against the spread today out there. Favorites yesterday were 13-2-1, but who likes betting the favorites every game? Again, that could be a reason why I had to stop wagering real money, it pretty much became me donating my money to a website in the Caribbean.
Friday's Picks:
Virginia (-8 1/2)
Georgia Tech (-2 1/2)
Memphis (-19)
Winthrop (+4)
Long Beach State (+7 1/2)
Wisconsin (-13)
Nevada (-2 1/2)
Oregon (-9)
Virginia Tech (-3)
Kansas (-19 1/2)
Arizona (-3)
Texas (-8 1/2)
Southern Illinois (-8)
Villanova (-2)
Florida (-27 1/2)
USC (-2 1/2)
Today's a new day, and studies have shown that Cinnamon can lower blood sugar.
Friday's Picks:
Virginia (-8 1/2)
Georgia Tech (-2 1/2)
Memphis (-19)
Winthrop (+4)
Long Beach State (+7 1/2)
Wisconsin (-13)
Nevada (-2 1/2)
Oregon (-9)
Virginia Tech (-3)
Kansas (-19 1/2)
Arizona (-3)
Texas (-8 1/2)
Southern Illinois (-8)
Villanova (-2)
Florida (-27 1/2)
USC (-2 1/2)
Today's a new day, and studies have shown that Cinnamon can lower blood sugar.
Thursday Recap
Well, the evening games weren't any better to me than the afternoon games. It started with VCU's 79-77 victory over Duke. Even though this was Duke's worst team in a decade, I really thought they could pull something out of their ass and get a couple wins in the tournament. Oops. Two other lower seeds won in the evening session, but they were both 9 seeds over 8s, so that doesn't count as an upset. I think everyone knew Michigan State would win, they did, and easily covered the 2 point spread. Xavier had a dog fight with BYU, I actually watched parts of this game, and was able to pull it out at the end 79-77. UCLA hammered Weber State, Pittsburgh was able keep Wright State at bay, and Indiana handled Gonzaga pretty well. Gonzaga couldn't get a stop when they needed one, couldn't get any momentum, and IU won by 13, 70-57. UNC got a scare, and showed why, Texas will beat them in the sweet 16. For 10-15 minutes, UNC was dominated by Eastern Kentucky, who trimmed a 27 point first half deficit to 4 early in the second half. I really did just write that. Then they realized they were a better team and ended up winning by 21, 86-65.
All in all, day one was pretty bland. There was one major upset as far as rankings go, but a lot of people had VCU upsetting Duke, so was anyone that surprised? As far as Vegas goes, three favorites failed to cover, including Xavier who was favored by two and won by two. We can't have another day like that today can we? I have a few more upsets lined up, so we shall see
At the end of day one, My record is as follows:
Bracket: 11-5, yuck
I have 2 sweet 16 teams on the way home
Against the Spread: 8-7-1
Let's hope Friday treats us a little better.
All in all, day one was pretty bland. There was one major upset as far as rankings go, but a lot of people had VCU upsetting Duke, so was anyone that surprised? As far as Vegas goes, three favorites failed to cover, including Xavier who was favored by two and won by two. We can't have another day like that today can we? I have a few more upsets lined up, so we shall see
At the end of day one, My record is as follows:
Bracket: 11-5, yuck
I have 2 sweet 16 teams on the way home
Against the Spread: 8-7-1
Let's hope Friday treats us a little better.
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