Duke needs to stop recruiting so many white pussies. They all completely turtled up when the game was on the line. I'm including DeMarcus Nelson as an honorary white pussy for his putrid performance in these two games.
Gerald Henderson is the only guy on Duke with a little toughness.
It's not a coincidence that Duke started hitting 3s once the game was no longer in doubt.
Duke came out in the first half with the right strategy, they were running and pressing and not settling for 3-pointers. But in the second half when West Virginia started to make a run, Duke just kept chucking up 3s. They missed 15 in a row at one point.
This was another game were every little bit of contact was called. A lot of it did go Duke's way, but not enough to say the refs were doing it on purpose.
I really like Joe Alexander but he was the least effective player on the floor for West Virginia. Their whole team was running and jumping and passing and driving and Alexander was a black hole. Every time he got the ball he wanted to shoot it. He loosened up at the end but he was definitely trying too hard and hurting his team through the first 25 or 30 minutes of the game.
Xavier plays some tough defense. They got down early in both their games but it seemed like they just flipped a switch and started playing the stifling defense.
That was the Kansas State team I had seen all year and thought we would see against USC. Sure Wisconsin was on fire but I think Walker and Beasley do a little too much individual play. They probably will both be gone next season.
The refs really had short tempers in the Stanford-Marquette game. Yes, Trent Johnson was all the way on the court but I didn't think he deserved an ejection.
Doug Oliver who replaced Johnson made a huge mistake by resting both Lopez brothers before the under 8 minute timeout. He wanted them both fresh for the stretch run but Stanford had just taken the lead and he let Marquette get it right back.
I told you Robin Lopez was improving offensively. Brook will probably come out and Robin could score 20 points per game next season.
Brook was absolutely awesome down the stretch, every time they needed a basket he gave them one.
And what about Jerel McNeal for Marquette? He refused to miss also.
Pittsburgh - Michigan State set offensive basketball back about 20 years. A lot of driving and running into people. Levance Fields was good as he usually is but he didn't get much help. Michigan State pulled away at the end thanks to a couple clutch baskets from Drew Neitzell.
Bob Knight loses his champion.
And UCLA, barely survived. But they showed what I like about them. They play ferocious defense and they can score when they need to. About 4 possessions in a row when they absolutely had to have a basket they got 2 fallaways from Love and 2 driving layups from Collison.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Tournament Thoughts: First Friday
Stephen Curry can fill it up. His name is pronounced Stef-in, not Stef-on or Steev-in. As soon as I explained this to Mrs. Poop, Jim Nantz said "his name is Stef-in." Billy Packer still called him Stef-on.
Speaking of names, don't you think Mr. and Mrs. Pomare should have named their son Gino or Geno. How does a lady about to have a baby not realize the possible mispronuncation of Gyno?
Has anyone noticed problems with CBS's score updates on the bottom. A couple times yesterday they credited a basket to the wrong team.
North Carolina so completely overmatched Mount St. Mary's that I'm surprised they only won by 39.
Billy Packer had a great line "they put their pants on one leg at a time. The only problem is, their pants are a little bigger."
At least I got Villanova right as my upset special. They were getting killed in the first half but finally did settle down and handle that Clemson pressure.
Of all the crews that could be at a region where 2 12s and 2 13s win, Tim Brando and Mike Gminski would be the last one I'd pick.
They kept talking about how this never happened before but it's because sites used to have all 8 teams from the same region, meaning you'd have either a 1, or a 2 and a 3, playing in the same place.
Nonetheless, that's a first round site we'll remember for a long time.
Two 13 seeds have never made the second round before, and perhaps they could both get to the Sweet 16.
UCLA has it made even more than they did before. And usually teams that win titles have some roadblocks cleared for them.
Speaking of names, don't you think Mr. and Mrs. Pomare should have named their son Gino or Geno. How does a lady about to have a baby not realize the possible mispronuncation of Gyno?
Has anyone noticed problems with CBS's score updates on the bottom. A couple times yesterday they credited a basket to the wrong team.
North Carolina so completely overmatched Mount St. Mary's that I'm surprised they only won by 39.
Billy Packer had a great line "they put their pants on one leg at a time. The only problem is, their pants are a little bigger."
At least I got Villanova right as my upset special. They were getting killed in the first half but finally did settle down and handle that Clemson pressure.
Of all the crews that could be at a region where 2 12s and 2 13s win, Tim Brando and Mike Gminski would be the last one I'd pick.
They kept talking about how this never happened before but it's because sites used to have all 8 teams from the same region, meaning you'd have either a 1, or a 2 and a 3, playing in the same place.
Nonetheless, that's a first round site we'll remember for a long time.
Two 13 seeds have never made the second round before, and perhaps they could both get to the Sweet 16.
UCLA has it made even more than they did before. And usually teams that win titles have some roadblocks cleared for them.
I'm a Douche
I forgot to delete last night's games from my DVR so it was too full to record this afternoon's early games, causing me to miss the Western Kentucky - Drake thriller.
Thankfully I woke up in time to rectify the problem and see San Diego shock UConn.
Thankfully I woke up in time to rectify the problem and see San Diego shock UConn.
Tournament Thoughts: Opening Day
The first day is always exciting even though by normal standards we didn't see that many great games.
We started out with Michigan State - Temple but the game wasn't competitive so they switched to Georgia - Xavier.
Georgia got out to a big early lead but blew it in the second half. I don't attribute this to fatigue. If they weren't fatigued playing two games in one day, or playing a game the day after they played two games in one day, then why were they fatigued after three days of rest? Xavier just turned up their defensive intensity and Georgia got stagnant on offense.
I also saw something you seldom see in a basketball game. After fouls on both ends between Billy Humphrey and I think Stanley Burrell, the ref pulled them aside, put his arms around them and basically told them to cut that shit out.
Kent State had 10 points in the first half, and 17 turnovers. 10 points tied a record for fewest in a half (shot-clock era) in the NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky - Marquette was a good game but Kentucky couldn't get over the hump. If a team is going to earn a come from behind victory they need to come all the way back and take the lead. UK had some chances but Marquette fought them off every time, on a few occassions nailing shots at the end of the shot clock to do it.
Joe Crawford was the best player I saw all day. He was unconscious, hitting everything from every angle and outscoring his teammates 35 to 31.
Washington State - Winthrop first half: 29-29
Washington State - Winthrop second half: 42-11
I was furious that CBS went with Duke - Belmont in my area instead of USC - Kansas State but as it turned out they made the right decision.
Belmont played an offense only the 1990s Houston Oilers could love, it would have to be described as run and shoot. Belmont shot 23 3s and made 8 of them.
Gerald Henderson most certainly did not commit public douchebaggery in this game. His coast-to-coast drive and layup saved Duke from perhaps the most embarrassing loss in NCAA history, at least since Richmond beat Syracuse in 1991.
What the fuck went wrong on Belmont's inbounds under their own basket down 1 with 4 seconds to go? It's a crime that they didn't get a shot to win the game.
Does this poor performance make Duke more or less likely to get knocked off in the next round? I say less likely because they'll probably shoot better from the outside.
As for the game I was looking forward to, USC absolutely sucked. It might have been the worst game they played all year.
I think O.J. Mayo did well, distributing, driving and making some key shots, but a few of his shots didn't fall, and that was the difference between coming all the way back, and not quite getting over the hump.
This game was marred by fouls, 45 in all. The officials called it way too closely and put both teams' best frontcourt players in jeopardy early. The fouls on Taj Gibson were actually a bigger factor than the ones called on Beasley. Kansas State got 6 3-point plays, which means USC either wasn't fouling hard enough, or wasn't fouling at all.
Michael Beasley played really well and showed that he has outside shooting and penetration in his game.
I still love Mayo, I think his team let him down.
Bill Walker had 17 points in the first half. Don't you think the announcers should have mentioned that he urinated into a towel on the court during a game earlier this season. The casual fan who is just tuning in for the Tournament hasn't heard that story, and don't you think they would find it interesting?
I was really disappointed in Arizona, like Kentucky and USC, they kept charging but couldn't take the lead. Their problem though was defense. Every time they scored they allowed West Virginia open shots.
Chase Budinger had a good game but he's like the anti-Hansbrough, it never looks like he is trying. If Budinger and Jerryd Bayless come back next season this team could be awesome. And even though I don't expect either of them to be a top 10 pick, I think they at least one of them will come out.
I was impressed with UCLA, they completely dominated, though anything else would have been a major disappointment. Mississippi Valley State scored the fewest points of any team in the Tournament (shot-clock era). And that's why I love UCLA, defense.
Let's hope for a few more exciting games on Friday.
We started out with Michigan State - Temple but the game wasn't competitive so they switched to Georgia - Xavier.
Georgia got out to a big early lead but blew it in the second half. I don't attribute this to fatigue. If they weren't fatigued playing two games in one day, or playing a game the day after they played two games in one day, then why were they fatigued after three days of rest? Xavier just turned up their defensive intensity and Georgia got stagnant on offense.
I also saw something you seldom see in a basketball game. After fouls on both ends between Billy Humphrey and I think Stanley Burrell, the ref pulled them aside, put his arms around them and basically told them to cut that shit out.
Kent State had 10 points in the first half, and 17 turnovers. 10 points tied a record for fewest in a half (shot-clock era) in the NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky - Marquette was a good game but Kentucky couldn't get over the hump. If a team is going to earn a come from behind victory they need to come all the way back and take the lead. UK had some chances but Marquette fought them off every time, on a few occassions nailing shots at the end of the shot clock to do it.
Joe Crawford was the best player I saw all day. He was unconscious, hitting everything from every angle and outscoring his teammates 35 to 31.
Washington State - Winthrop first half: 29-29
Washington State - Winthrop second half: 42-11
I was furious that CBS went with Duke - Belmont in my area instead of USC - Kansas State but as it turned out they made the right decision.
Belmont played an offense only the 1990s Houston Oilers could love, it would have to be described as run and shoot. Belmont shot 23 3s and made 8 of them.
Gerald Henderson most certainly did not commit public douchebaggery in this game. His coast-to-coast drive and layup saved Duke from perhaps the most embarrassing loss in NCAA history, at least since Richmond beat Syracuse in 1991.
What the fuck went wrong on Belmont's inbounds under their own basket down 1 with 4 seconds to go? It's a crime that they didn't get a shot to win the game.
Does this poor performance make Duke more or less likely to get knocked off in the next round? I say less likely because they'll probably shoot better from the outside.
As for the game I was looking forward to, USC absolutely sucked. It might have been the worst game they played all year.
I think O.J. Mayo did well, distributing, driving and making some key shots, but a few of his shots didn't fall, and that was the difference between coming all the way back, and not quite getting over the hump.
This game was marred by fouls, 45 in all. The officials called it way too closely and put both teams' best frontcourt players in jeopardy early. The fouls on Taj Gibson were actually a bigger factor than the ones called on Beasley. Kansas State got 6 3-point plays, which means USC either wasn't fouling hard enough, or wasn't fouling at all.
Michael Beasley played really well and showed that he has outside shooting and penetration in his game.
I still love Mayo, I think his team let him down.
Bill Walker had 17 points in the first half. Don't you think the announcers should have mentioned that he urinated into a towel on the court during a game earlier this season. The casual fan who is just tuning in for the Tournament hasn't heard that story, and don't you think they would find it interesting?
I was really disappointed in Arizona, like Kentucky and USC, they kept charging but couldn't take the lead. Their problem though was defense. Every time they scored they allowed West Virginia open shots.
Chase Budinger had a good game but he's like the anti-Hansbrough, it never looks like he is trying. If Budinger and Jerryd Bayless come back next season this team could be awesome. And even though I don't expect either of them to be a top 10 pick, I think they at least one of them will come out.
I was impressed with UCLA, they completely dominated, though anything else would have been a major disappointment. Mississippi Valley State scored the fewest points of any team in the Tournament (shot-clock era). And that's why I love UCLA, defense.
Let's hope for a few more exciting games on Friday.
What We Hope To Hear From Raftery
According to Spencer Hall of the Sporting News (a reliable enough source to believe him) during the tornado delay at the SEC tournament (a game he wasn't calling, but was watching to prep for calling the final for CBS), Raftery doodled on a scrap piece of paper. When they finally gave everyone the ok to leave, Raf left his doodle behind.
This is what he was drawing:
This is what he was drawing:
Thursday, March 20, 2008
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
The first day of the NCAA Tournament is always my favorite day of the year.
Although I won't be able to enjoy it the same way I normally do my excitement is just as high and I can't wait for tonight's USC-Kansas State game. Expect nothing but Madness on the Poop for the next few days. Sorry, ladies.
Enjoy the games!
Although I won't be able to enjoy it the same way I normally do my excitement is just as high and I can't wait for tonight's USC-Kansas State game. Expect nothing but Madness on the Poop for the next few days. Sorry, ladies.
Enjoy the games!
And the Winner Is...
My pick to win the NCAA Tournament this year is...UCLA!
I have seen them play several times this season and I think they have the most good players, even more than talent rich North Carolina and Memphis.
UCLA has been to the Final Four two years in a row but this season with the addition of Kevin Love their offense has improved to championship caliber.
I also give them the nod over North Carolina because they still play airtight aggressive defense. Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook are dogged defenders who frustrate even the best opponents.
And while Kevin Love is a little too slow to be a great defender, UCLA can sick Lorenzo Mata-Real on Tyler Hansbrough in the championship game to show him which player in the nation really gets the most out of their talent through effort and determination.
And I know people will say that they got lucky to beat Stanford and Cal, but I view luck as a key ingredient to surviving a crapshoot like the NCAA Tournament.
There are only two people who can derail UCLA's title run:
1) Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. They can get by without him through the first weekend, and maybe even the second weekend if the upsets I'm expecting do happen, but they'll need him at his best in San Antonio.
2) Darren Collison. He's great on defense, and if the inevitable UNC matchup does happen, I think he can keep up with Ty Lawson. He is also great leading UCLA's break but in the halfcourt he tends to be a ballstopper. He dribbles as if he's trying to remove the varnish from the floor.
If those two guys are at the top of their games UCLA will reclaim its place atop the college basketball world.
I have seen them play several times this season and I think they have the most good players, even more than talent rich North Carolina and Memphis.
UCLA has been to the Final Four two years in a row but this season with the addition of Kevin Love their offense has improved to championship caliber.
I also give them the nod over North Carolina because they still play airtight aggressive defense. Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook are dogged defenders who frustrate even the best opponents.
And while Kevin Love is a little too slow to be a great defender, UCLA can sick Lorenzo Mata-Real on Tyler Hansbrough in the championship game to show him which player in the nation really gets the most out of their talent through effort and determination.
And I know people will say that they got lucky to beat Stanford and Cal, but I view luck as a key ingredient to surviving a crapshoot like the NCAA Tournament.
There are only two people who can derail UCLA's title run:
1) Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. They can get by without him through the first weekend, and maybe even the second weekend if the upsets I'm expecting do happen, but they'll need him at his best in San Antonio.
2) Darren Collison. He's great on defense, and if the inevitable UNC matchup does happen, I think he can keep up with Ty Lawson. He is also great leading UCLA's break but in the halfcourt he tends to be a ballstopper. He dribbles as if he's trying to remove the varnish from the floor.
If those two guys are at the top of their games UCLA will reclaim its place atop the college basketball world.
Timing is Everything
Our piece of shit laptop from HP died again. Luckily, this happened 10 days before our warranty ended so we can send it back and have them fix it for free.
It seems unreasonable to me that a laptop would die twice in one year after buying it, but that's what has happened.
And this time we had little warning so pretty much every picture of Chase was not backed up. We do have them on our chip (we decided to just keep buying chips for that reason) but every picture will now have to be renamed, an undertaking that may not be worth doing again.
Mrs. Poop lost every e-mail she has ever received plus her entire address book.
And also this weekend while Mrs. Poop is away with Chase I could have been playing poker and watching college basketball, now I can't. And my plans to watch two games at once, one on line, one on TV, have also been thwarted.
Fuck HP!
It seems unreasonable to me that a laptop would die twice in one year after buying it, but that's what has happened.
And this time we had little warning so pretty much every picture of Chase was not backed up. We do have them on our chip (we decided to just keep buying chips for that reason) but every picture will now have to be renamed, an undertaking that may not be worth doing again.
Mrs. Poop lost every e-mail she has ever received plus her entire address book.
And also this weekend while Mrs. Poop is away with Chase I could have been playing poker and watching college basketball, now I can't. And my plans to watch two games at once, one on line, one on TV, have also been thwarted.
Fuck HP!
Pre-Tournament Thoughts
Last year there were only 3 upsets in the NCAA Tournament, only 3 games when a team beat an opponnent with a seed more than one spot better. Those 3 games were #11 VCU over #6 Duke, #6 Vanderbilt over #3 Washington State and #7 UNLV over #2 Wisconsin.
CORRECTION: I forgot #11 Winthrop over #6 Notre Dame.
This year I think you can expect more of the same as the very best teams are strong, while the others aren't so great. I do think you will see a few more upsets in the early rounds, but the later rounds should go according to form.
For that reason I am picking North Carolina, Memphis and UCLA to make the Final Four. 3 #1 seeds for only the second time ever, and although I swore them off, I'm picking Georgetown as my fourth team because Wisconsin sucks and I don't believe in Kansas.
I like Memphis because they have incredible talent and although they could struggle with Texas, I don't place any import on the fact that the game is being played in Houston. And write this down, if Pitt survives Oral Roberts and Michigan State (or Temple), they have no chance against Memphis. Memphis is so superior athletically that they could miss every free throw they attempt and still run Pitt out of the gym by 20 points. Memphis's poor free throw shooting is drastically overrated. While it is important late in games, usually the better free throw shooters are shooting in those situations, Joey Dorsey won't be on the line shooting two, down by 1 with 30 seconds to go. Those shots will go to Derrick Rose and CDR (watch the announcers try to call him Chris Douglas-Roberts every time, then give up and just go with CDR by the second half) in the crucial situations. Also, Memphis just happened to have a particularly poor game from the line when they played Tennessee, the only time most people have seen them play all year. But the difference over the course of one game between Memphis and the average team from the line will be about 2 points, 13 of 20 compared to 15 of 20. Not likely enough to be the difference between winning and losing, living and dying.
I've got Indiana winning their first round game against Arkansas. They have one of the best duos in the nation in Gordon and White, let's see if they've just phoned it in.
The 5-12 upset will return this year. My choice is Villanova over Clemson because I think Villanova has the ball-handling and the outside shooting to make Clemson pay for pressing them. I think Notre Dame and Drake are too strong to get knocked off, so I had a 50/50 shot between Clemson and Michigan State but Coach Izzo always does well in the tournament.
I'm also going with 2 11s over 6s. I've got St. Joseph's over Oklahoma and Kentucky over Marquette. I've never been impressed with Marquette and I think Kentucky is a completely different team than they were earlier this season. I picked against Oklahoma because they were the most glaring "overseed" in the field. Those teams usually lose in the first round.
So that puts me down to two 6 seeds remaining, one of which will go to the Sweet 16. Obviously I'm picking USC and my boy O.J. Mayo. A second round matchup against Wisconsin, the weakest 3 seed (in terms of talent, not tournament resume which I discussed in my bracket breakdown, there is a difference) and the one with the style of play easiest to exploit, easy-pickings for a USC team with superior talent.
Every year you also get one 2 seed that doesn't make the Sweet 16. If that happens this year it would have to be Duke that gets knocked off. Tennessee and Texas are much better teams, and Georgetown plays a steady enough game that they should avoid an upset, plus they have Hibbert and two undersized opponents looming in the second round. I also don't like Duke's style of play because on a cold shooting night they have nothing to fall back on. I have had incredible success over the years correctly predicting the 2 seed that would fall victim to the 2nd round upset, but I always seem to have them losing to the wrong team, most famously predicting that Penny Hardaway at Memphis State - as it was called at the time - would knock of Seton Hall, but Western Kentucky actually did it.. But I am going with Arizona and their athleticism over West Virginia and Duke. I think Arizona's tough schedule has gotten them ready for the rigors of March. No, I don't really believe that but I wanted to say it because if it happens every pundit in America will say those exact words. Even the political pundits who don't cover college basketball will echo that meaningless platitude.
Kudos to those of you who recognized meaningless platitude as a redundancy, like the kind favored by the windbag pundits I'm making fun of here.
Even with those upset picks I have a rather conservative bracket, the top 16 seeds all winning in the first round. If I had to pick one of those teams to get shocked, I'd say Winthrop over Washington State. I like the Pac-10 but was never impressed with WSU this season and I actually did seem them play more than any other team out there except for UCLA. WSU is steady but not spectacular. I'm not jumping on the Siena bandwagon (sorry Jems) because I like Vanderbilt's consistency.
Stanford will win two games, but that's it. The Lopez brothers are good and present huge matchup problems for most teams but they lack other good players to provide scoring. Texas should handle them. One reason I don't see Stanford getting knocked off early, a lot of times a key to an upset of a team with a good big man, is he gets in foul trouble and the team can't score or defend without him. But if one Lopez gets in foul trouble, they have another one just like him, though admittedly Robin doesn't have the offensive game of Brook, but he's coming around.
Drake will beat UConn. I've said a couple times already that outside shooting teams are vulnerable to a cold shooting night but Drake has so many good shooters that I can't imagine them all going cold at the same time. And with Adam Emmenecker running the point (he won MVC Player of the Year scoring 8.5 points per game) he'll find the hot shooter, probably Klayton Korver. Drake's style of play also negates one of UConn's greatest strengths, their shot blocking. I don't think you'll see Hasheem Thabeet ("turn Thabeet around, got to hear percussion" - Tony Kornheiser) on the perimeter trying to block 3-pointers.
Gus Johnson is going to be in Denver calling Michigan State-Temple, Pittsburgh-Oral Roberts, Notre Dame-George Mason and Washinton State-Winthrop. He's got no #1 or even #2 seeds likely to cause blowouts. We should get a couple exciting moments from him this weekend.
CORRECTION: I forgot #11 Winthrop over #6 Notre Dame.
This year I think you can expect more of the same as the very best teams are strong, while the others aren't so great. I do think you will see a few more upsets in the early rounds, but the later rounds should go according to form.
For that reason I am picking North Carolina, Memphis and UCLA to make the Final Four. 3 #1 seeds for only the second time ever, and although I swore them off, I'm picking Georgetown as my fourth team because Wisconsin sucks and I don't believe in Kansas.
I like Memphis because they have incredible talent and although they could struggle with Texas, I don't place any import on the fact that the game is being played in Houston. And write this down, if Pitt survives Oral Roberts and Michigan State (or Temple), they have no chance against Memphis. Memphis is so superior athletically that they could miss every free throw they attempt and still run Pitt out of the gym by 20 points. Memphis's poor free throw shooting is drastically overrated. While it is important late in games, usually the better free throw shooters are shooting in those situations, Joey Dorsey won't be on the line shooting two, down by 1 with 30 seconds to go. Those shots will go to Derrick Rose and CDR (watch the announcers try to call him Chris Douglas-Roberts every time, then give up and just go with CDR by the second half) in the crucial situations. Also, Memphis just happened to have a particularly poor game from the line when they played Tennessee, the only time most people have seen them play all year. But the difference over the course of one game between Memphis and the average team from the line will be about 2 points, 13 of 20 compared to 15 of 20. Not likely enough to be the difference between winning and losing, living and dying.
I've got Indiana winning their first round game against Arkansas. They have one of the best duos in the nation in Gordon and White, let's see if they've just phoned it in.
The 5-12 upset will return this year. My choice is Villanova over Clemson because I think Villanova has the ball-handling and the outside shooting to make Clemson pay for pressing them. I think Notre Dame and Drake are too strong to get knocked off, so I had a 50/50 shot between Clemson and Michigan State but Coach Izzo always does well in the tournament.
I'm also going with 2 11s over 6s. I've got St. Joseph's over Oklahoma and Kentucky over Marquette. I've never been impressed with Marquette and I think Kentucky is a completely different team than they were earlier this season. I picked against Oklahoma because they were the most glaring "overseed" in the field. Those teams usually lose in the first round.
So that puts me down to two 6 seeds remaining, one of which will go to the Sweet 16. Obviously I'm picking USC and my boy O.J. Mayo. A second round matchup against Wisconsin, the weakest 3 seed (in terms of talent, not tournament resume which I discussed in my bracket breakdown, there is a difference) and the one with the style of play easiest to exploit, easy-pickings for a USC team with superior talent.
Every year you also get one 2 seed that doesn't make the Sweet 16. If that happens this year it would have to be Duke that gets knocked off. Tennessee and Texas are much better teams, and Georgetown plays a steady enough game that they should avoid an upset, plus they have Hibbert and two undersized opponents looming in the second round. I also don't like Duke's style of play because on a cold shooting night they have nothing to fall back on. I have had incredible success over the years correctly predicting the 2 seed that would fall victim to the 2nd round upset, but I always seem to have them losing to the wrong team, most famously predicting that Penny Hardaway at Memphis State - as it was called at the time - would knock of Seton Hall, but Western Kentucky actually did it.. But I am going with Arizona and their athleticism over West Virginia and Duke. I think Arizona's tough schedule has gotten them ready for the rigors of March. No, I don't really believe that but I wanted to say it because if it happens every pundit in America will say those exact words. Even the political pundits who don't cover college basketball will echo that meaningless platitude.
Kudos to those of you who recognized meaningless platitude as a redundancy, like the kind favored by the windbag pundits I'm making fun of here.
Even with those upset picks I have a rather conservative bracket, the top 16 seeds all winning in the first round. If I had to pick one of those teams to get shocked, I'd say Winthrop over Washington State. I like the Pac-10 but was never impressed with WSU this season and I actually did seem them play more than any other team out there except for UCLA. WSU is steady but not spectacular. I'm not jumping on the Siena bandwagon (sorry Jems) because I like Vanderbilt's consistency.
Stanford will win two games, but that's it. The Lopez brothers are good and present huge matchup problems for most teams but they lack other good players to provide scoring. Texas should handle them. One reason I don't see Stanford getting knocked off early, a lot of times a key to an upset of a team with a good big man, is he gets in foul trouble and the team can't score or defend without him. But if one Lopez gets in foul trouble, they have another one just like him, though admittedly Robin doesn't have the offensive game of Brook, but he's coming around.
Drake will beat UConn. I've said a couple times already that outside shooting teams are vulnerable to a cold shooting night but Drake has so many good shooters that I can't imagine them all going cold at the same time. And with Adam Emmenecker running the point (he won MVC Player of the Year scoring 8.5 points per game) he'll find the hot shooter, probably Klayton Korver. Drake's style of play also negates one of UConn's greatest strengths, their shot blocking. I don't think you'll see Hasheem Thabeet ("turn Thabeet around, got to hear percussion" - Tony Kornheiser) on the perimeter trying to block 3-pointers.
Gus Johnson is going to be in Denver calling Michigan State-Temple, Pittsburgh-Oral Roberts, Notre Dame-George Mason and Washinton State-Winthrop. He's got no #1 or even #2 seeds likely to cause blowouts. We should get a couple exciting moments from him this weekend.
We Waited 3 Months For This?
I was very disappointed with the comeback episode of "How I Met Your Mother."
The Ted-Barney storyline was not really that amusing and Barney didn't even have that many funny lines.
Vanessa Minillo can't act and didn't even look that hot.
The Marshall-Lily story was absurd (is this the same apartment that's in Dowisetrepla?) but there were a couple funny lines about the ghost of the Confederate general and his courtly Southern manners.
But perhaps my senese were heightened because I read an article saying that the show is trying to avoid episodes with A and B storylines in favor of episodes which feature the entire Fab 5 in scenes together.
I am encouraged by the fact that we are advancing to finding out who my mother is. We know she has a yellow umbrella and we know she was at the party and now we know Ted has her yellow umbrella. My only fear is that they will drag this out. I'm hoping they'll introduce her in the season finale this year. I think they can do that and continue on with the show because it's not as if people are watching just to find out who my mother is. As long as the show continues to be well-written, smart and funny, people will continue watching once Ted and my mother get together.
Did we already meet my mother? We saw Ted bump into a random woman at the club and nothing else happened with her. Personally, I don't think she's my mother, I think it was just a trick to get people talking. If she is my mother, her name is Nicole Muirbrook Wagner and she's pretty unaccomplished to get what I think will be a key role.
Have You Met Ted? says that in next week's episode, the doctor who removes Ted's tramp stamp will be played by Sarah Chalke from Scrubs. Alicia Silverstone originally was cast for the role but dropped out when Britney Spears signed on because she didn't want to be overshadowed. And because Chalke couldn't find more time in her busy schedule, the Stella character will only be in one episode, at least this season.
The Ted-Barney storyline was not really that amusing and Barney didn't even have that many funny lines.
Vanessa Minillo can't act and didn't even look that hot.
The Marshall-Lily story was absurd (is this the same apartment that's in Dowisetrepla?) but there were a couple funny lines about the ghost of the Confederate general and his courtly Southern manners.
But perhaps my senese were heightened because I read an article saying that the show is trying to avoid episodes with A and B storylines in favor of episodes which feature the entire Fab 5 in scenes together.
I am encouraged by the fact that we are advancing to finding out who my mother is. We know she has a yellow umbrella and we know she was at the party and now we know Ted has her yellow umbrella. My only fear is that they will drag this out. I'm hoping they'll introduce her in the season finale this year. I think they can do that and continue on with the show because it's not as if people are watching just to find out who my mother is. As long as the show continues to be well-written, smart and funny, people will continue watching once Ted and my mother get together.
Did we already meet my mother? We saw Ted bump into a random woman at the club and nothing else happened with her. Personally, I don't think she's my mother, I think it was just a trick to get people talking. If she is my mother, her name is Nicole Muirbrook Wagner and she's pretty unaccomplished to get what I think will be a key role.
Have You Met Ted? says that in next week's episode, the doctor who removes Ted's tramp stamp will be played by Sarah Chalke from Scrubs. Alicia Silverstone originally was cast for the role but dropped out when Britney Spears signed on because she didn't want to be overshadowed. And because Chalke couldn't find more time in her busy schedule, the Stella character will only be in one episode, at least this season.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Happy Purim!
To celebrate the holiday of Purim, Jews dress up in crazy costumes, read the story of the Jews escaping another attempt on their lives, this time from the evil Haman. To insult Haman even more we eat pastries filled with fruit called Hamentashen (Haman's pocket or Haman's Hat).
And we even sell small plush toys designed to look like Hamentashen.
But I think this one kind of looks like something else instead.
And we even sell small plush toys designed to look like Hamentashen.
But I think this one kind of looks like something else instead.
Why Soaring Gas Prices Hurt Us All
An Arizona woman who bartered sex for gas money ended up stabbing her victim and partially severing her finger.
With gas prices soaring, Kelli Still bartered oral sex for gas money with a male acquaintance over the weekend.
The encounter did not result in a contractual sex act but an aggravated assault when the woman pulled out a pair of scissors and began attacking the man.
Still also suffered wounds from the scissor attack, deputies said.
When authorities arrived at the house in Mesa, both people were covered in blood.
Still told deputies the fight was a result of a sex-for-gas contract gone bad.
Ladies and gentlemen...This is Kelli Still:
I haven't been this scared since I saw Denny Neagle's hooker.
With gas prices soaring, Kelli Still bartered oral sex for gas money with a male acquaintance over the weekend.
The encounter did not result in a contractual sex act but an aggravated assault when the woman pulled out a pair of scissors and began attacking the man.
Still also suffered wounds from the scissor attack, deputies said.
When authorities arrived at the house in Mesa, both people were covered in blood.
Still told deputies the fight was a result of a sex-for-gas contract gone bad.
Ladies and gentlemen...This is Kelli Still:
I haven't been this scared since I saw Denny Neagle's hooker.
Why I'm Glad Joe Francis is Out of Jail
Ashley Alexander Dupré, the alleged call girl that caused former New York Governor Elliot Spitzer’s downfall, also appeared in a 2003 Girls Gone Wild Spring Break production. In response to this discovery, Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis withdrew his earlier offer to pay Ms. Dupré one million dollars to appear on the 2008 Girls Gone Wild Spring Break Tour and shoot a pictorial in the brand new GGW magazine.
Girls Gone Wild will shortly release a full video of Ms. Dupre which includes same-sex encounters.
The appearance stems from Ms. Dupré’s 2003 trip to Miami to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. After fighting with a friend and getting thrown out of her hotel, Ms. Dupré sought out a nearby Girls Gone Wild bus, signed her paperwork and immediately began filming. Ms. Dupré spent a full week on the GGW bus and shot seven full length tapes that included nudity and same sex contact.
“We were surprised to find Ms. Dupré in our archives,” commented Joe Francis, CEO and founder of Girls Gone Wild. “She’s like a cloud that keeps circling back over the landscape.” Girls Gone Wild Archivists were tipped off to Ms. Dupré’s 2003 appearance and immediately began searching their archives for legal papers and images. They were surprised to find so much content on Dupré.
“Girls Gone Wild will be releasing the Ashley Alexander Dupré video shortly online,” added Francis.
The New York Post has a preview of the video, edited of course, and some more great quotes from Francis:
"She spent a week on the bus, where she engaged in girl-girl action and got nude."
"I actually think she had a sexual relationship with a cameraman."
"I personally remember Ashley. She was really at her peak back then. I'm glad I got to her before Spitzer - she looked a lot better at 18."
Girls Gone Wild will shortly release a full video of Ms. Dupre which includes same-sex encounters.
The appearance stems from Ms. Dupré’s 2003 trip to Miami to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. After fighting with a friend and getting thrown out of her hotel, Ms. Dupré sought out a nearby Girls Gone Wild bus, signed her paperwork and immediately began filming. Ms. Dupré spent a full week on the GGW bus and shot seven full length tapes that included nudity and same sex contact.
“We were surprised to find Ms. Dupré in our archives,” commented Joe Francis, CEO and founder of Girls Gone Wild. “She’s like a cloud that keeps circling back over the landscape.” Girls Gone Wild Archivists were tipped off to Ms. Dupré’s 2003 appearance and immediately began searching their archives for legal papers and images. They were surprised to find so much content on Dupré.
“Girls Gone Wild will be releasing the Ashley Alexander Dupré video shortly online,” added Francis.
The New York Post has a preview of the video, edited of course, and some more great quotes from Francis:
"She spent a week on the bus, where she engaged in girl-girl action and got nude."
"I actually think she had a sexual relationship with a cameraman."
"I personally remember Ashley. She was really at her peak back then. I'm glad I got to her before Spitzer - she looked a lot better at 18."
Timing is Everything
When Moises Alou got hurt, Angel Pagan took advantage and got off to a blistering start in spring training.
Knowing I had his rookie cards in my basement, I checked out their activity on eBay.
I saw only two listings, each for one card, going for $5.
So I ran to the basement, pulled out my 7 Pagan 2002 Bowmans and listed 5 of them on eBay.
The price was immediately bid up to $17.50, but there have been no bids since.
That's due to an explosion in the number of listings.
Looks like I'll be able to replace my Pagans (if I want to) and turn a tidy profit.
In eBay, especially with baseball cards, timing is everything.
Last summer, with in 4 hours of him pitching a no-hitter Clay Buchholz's rookie was selling for over $70. By the time I could list mine, supply so outstripped demand that I gave up and pulled my auction.
Knowing I had his rookie cards in my basement, I checked out their activity on eBay.
I saw only two listings, each for one card, going for $5.
So I ran to the basement, pulled out my 7 Pagan 2002 Bowmans and listed 5 of them on eBay.
The price was immediately bid up to $17.50, but there have been no bids since.
That's due to an explosion in the number of listings.
Looks like I'll be able to replace my Pagans (if I want to) and turn a tidy profit.
In eBay, especially with baseball cards, timing is everything.
Last summer, with in 4 hours of him pitching a no-hitter Clay Buchholz's rookie was selling for over $70. By the time I could list mine, supply so outstripped demand that I gave up and pulled my auction.
The Breaks of the Game
A businessman claims in a lawsuit that he was injured when a stripper giving him a lap dance swiveled and smacked him in the face with the heel of her shoe.
Stephen Chang, a securities trader, said in court papers filed Friday that he was at the Hot Lap Dance Club near Madison Square Garden and was getting a paid lap dance when the accident occurred early Nov. 2, 2007.
According to the lawsuit, as the dancer swung around, the heel of her shoe hit him in the eye, causing him ''serious injuries.''
On its Web site, the club describes itself as the ''Playboy Mansion of Manhattan party lofts.'' The site says admission is $50 plus a one-time club membership fee of $10 for newcomers. Lap dances cost around $40, plus admission, according to the Web site.
If you allow a woman who's coked up to stand on one 4-inch heel, while she swings the other leg to put the other 4-inch heel on your shoulder so you can see her cooch, things like this are going to happen.
It's actually amazing drunk hookers don't puncture more scrotums, or put out more eyes with their giant stripper shoes.
Stephen Chang, a securities trader, said in court papers filed Friday that he was at the Hot Lap Dance Club near Madison Square Garden and was getting a paid lap dance when the accident occurred early Nov. 2, 2007.
According to the lawsuit, as the dancer swung around, the heel of her shoe hit him in the eye, causing him ''serious injuries.''
On its Web site, the club describes itself as the ''Playboy Mansion of Manhattan party lofts.'' The site says admission is $50 plus a one-time club membership fee of $10 for newcomers. Lap dances cost around $40, plus admission, according to the Web site.
If you allow a woman who's coked up to stand on one 4-inch heel, while she swings the other leg to put the other 4-inch heel on your shoulder so you can see her cooch, things like this are going to happen.
It's actually amazing drunk hookers don't puncture more scrotums, or put out more eyes with their giant stripper shoes.
How Do You Like Your Poop?
I know most of you Poopheads read on a daily basis and have noticed that some days very few things get posted, while other days, I hit you with a barrage of stuff.
This is because the amount of posts I write is a function of the amount of time I have to work on them.
A lot of days I will create ideas and leave them until I have time to craft them into something worth reading. On those days I can finish up as many as 15 posts. That seems like too many posts for a Poophead to digest so I'll often save completed stories and not post them until a day when I have less time, so you at least have something to read.
Would you rather I just post everything as soon as I finish it, 15 some days, 1 or 2 other days?
This is because the amount of posts I write is a function of the amount of time I have to work on them.
A lot of days I will create ideas and leave them until I have time to craft them into something worth reading. On those days I can finish up as many as 15 posts. That seems like too many posts for a Poophead to digest so I'll often save completed stories and not post them until a day when I have less time, so you at least have something to read.
Would you rather I just post everything as soon as I finish it, 15 some days, 1 or 2 other days?
Song of The Week
"Somebody To Love" - Queen
Most of Queen's other great songs are a little gimmicky but in this one Freddie Mercury really gets to show off how a good singer he was. Plus the harmonies here are great.
Most of Queen's other great songs are a little gimmicky but in this one Freddie Mercury really gets to show off how a good singer he was. Plus the harmonies here are great.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Did Anyone Like This Piece of Shit?
I watched "Rushmore" this weekend, and other than the first time they showed Bill Murray's moustache, there wasn't one funny or redeeming thing in this movie. I know people probably liked it, but I can't imagine who those people might be. With all the movies I hate (Borat, Napoleon, Matrix, Crouching Tiger), I can understand why a certain group of people might like it, marijuana consumption or brain injury are the usual suspects. But with Rushmore I can't imagine that anyone who saw it would not view it as the most worthless piece of shit ever recorded on film.
Glad He Didn't Have a Heart Attack Right Then
John Persigner of Iowa, celebrated his 100th birthday at Hooters.
Mr. Persinger was married for 72 years, but now his wife died and he's left to enjoy his remaining days without her.
In fact, his wife used to go to Hooters too. She liked the wings, he liked the breasts.
But my favorite part is this picture, which shows Persinger making exactly the same face AK made during his 18th (I think) birthday at Hooters.
I hope Focks or Damino still has that picture.
Mr. Persinger was married for 72 years, but now his wife died and he's left to enjoy his remaining days without her.
In fact, his wife used to go to Hooters too. She liked the wings, he liked the breasts.
But my favorite part is this picture, which shows Persinger making exactly the same face AK made during his 18th (I think) birthday at Hooters.
I hope Focks or Damino still has that picture.
Laaaaaaaaaaaaaadies!
The best coach in Syracuse will be taking his team to the NCAA Tournament.
Quentin Hillsman and the Orange (the name change was done so that all teams, male and female, would just be called Orange) earned a #7 seed.
They will play Hartford in the first round on Saturday at 2pm.
With a victory SU would face #2 seed Texas A&M, by far the most vulnerable #2 in the draw.
After a disappointing first round exit in the Big East I expect the SU women to do much better on the big stage.
Because I consistently do better in the women's tournament than the men's (last year I had Rutgers in the final game), I'd like the Poopheads to join me in the women's tournament challenge too. The group is The Poop.
Quentin Hillsman and the Orange (the name change was done so that all teams, male and female, would just be called Orange) earned a #7 seed.
They will play Hartford in the first round on Saturday at 2pm.
With a victory SU would face #2 seed Texas A&M, by far the most vulnerable #2 in the draw.
After a disappointing first round exit in the Big East I expect the SU women to do much better on the big stage.
Because I consistently do better in the women's tournament than the men's (last year I had Rutgers in the final game), I'd like the Poopheads to join me in the women's tournament challenge too. The group is The Poop.
Perpetrate a Scam on the Mets
I received an e-mail from the Mets saying that with the purchase of any full-priced item I could buy anything in the clearance category of the website for 50% off.
Usually the clearance section is full of worthless schlock, but this time much to my delight, those awesome authentic 1986 throwback jerseys were available for Reyes, Beltran, Pedro and Delgado. I really wanted Reyes but he's $40 more and not available in my size.
So I settled on Beltran, picked out a full-priced $20 T-shirt, used my discount code and voila!, I could get this jersey and a nice T-shirt for $110 including shipping and handling.
I haven't pulled the trigger yet because I do have so many jerseys and so few chances to wear them. This would be my 5th Mets jersey in regular rotation and I doubt I'll get to 5 games this year. But, I do love this 1986 jersey design, I love Beltran and I love a good bargain.
If any Poopheads are interested in this deal, you need the discount code (NEWARR), all caps.
Usually the clearance section is full of worthless schlock, but this time much to my delight, those awesome authentic 1986 throwback jerseys were available for Reyes, Beltran, Pedro and Delgado. I really wanted Reyes but he's $40 more and not available in my size.
So I settled on Beltran, picked out a full-priced $20 T-shirt, used my discount code and voila!, I could get this jersey and a nice T-shirt for $110 including shipping and handling.
I haven't pulled the trigger yet because I do have so many jerseys and so few chances to wear them. This would be my 5th Mets jersey in regular rotation and I doubt I'll get to 5 games this year. But, I do love this 1986 jersey design, I love Beltran and I love a good bargain.
If any Poopheads are interested in this deal, you need the discount code (NEWARR), all caps.
Domes and Storms, Together Again
Check out this incredible 5 minute clip of Friday night's Alabama-Mississppi State SEC Tournament game. The game was interrupted by the tornado that hit the Georgia Dome. The TV broadcast got some great shots of the damage.
Remember too, Alabama hit a tough shot to force OT. If that hadn't happened people who were only there to see the first game might have been outside when the tornado hit.
Remember too, Alabama hit a tough shot to force OT. If that hadn't happened people who were only there to see the first game might have been outside when the tornado hit.
Why I'm Waiting Until He's Older To Take Chase to CitiField
With Shea Stadium closing down this year it has dawned on me (and some of you) that I should take Chase to a game this season so he can get to experience Shea, even if he'll never remember it. But I decided I really want his first game to be one he can recall, which is why I'm hoping that the Mets will be home on August 21, 2012.
This article explains the reasoning.
Hopefully, Chase will have the same impact on the Mets that Daniel Fritz had on Clay Buchholz and the Red Sox.
Story suggested by Master Bates
This article explains the reasoning.
Hopefully, Chase will have the same impact on the Mets that Daniel Fritz had on Clay Buchholz and the Red Sox.
Story suggested by Master Bates
Your Tax Questions Answered
Did you receive a home as a gift from a relative and don't know how to treat it on your income taxes? Then you'll want to read this tax tip from the USA Today. Even if you didn't click on the link.
Story suggested by Master Bates
Story suggested by Master Bates
I'm The Leprechaun
There's a leprechaun in Mobile, Alabama. This clip has been around for at least 2 years and been viewed more than 5 million times on youtube. There are so many hysterical things about it, starting with the infectious smile of the guy riling up the crowd, ending with the desperate search for the pot of gold, and with a sketch of the leprechaun in between.
This video essentially has nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day, it's more about making fun of idiotic black people.
This video essentially has nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day, it's more about making fun of idiotic black people.
Monday, March 17, 2008
A Couple of Hours of Heaven
When I die I think heaven will be a little something like what happened on Sunday evening from about 4:30 pm to 6:30. I wish I had known how freakin awesome it was going to be and I would have live blogged it. I also wouldn't have played a few games of Wii bowling (I have awful Wii elbow this morning). But since I didn't know it at the time, all times are approximate.
4:30 - Kansas and Texas engage in one of the best games of the season. Two high-quality teams playing a back and forth game. Very enjoyable.
5:00 - Georgia starts to blow a big lead, raising the possibility that their Cinderella run through the SEC Tournament would fall short. With Georgia's lead down to 5, Billy Humphrey nails a 3, and Bill Raftery yells "onions!"
5:30 - Tiger Woods is battling Bart Bryant in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Bryant has a couple long putts but just misses them, leaving the door ajar for Tiger. Tiger nails a 24 foot putt for birdie on 18 to win his 5th conseuctive PGA event. Was there ever any doubt? What makes this even better is that Mike and the Mad Dog completely wrote him off on Friday because he was down 7 strokes.
5:45 - The Rockets, locked in a tight game with the Lakers, go on a crazy run (fast-breaking with a 10 point lead and 2 minutes to go, Jim Boeheim must have been turning over in his grave) to win their 22nd straight game.
6:00 - Selection Show. March Madness officially begins.
4:30 - Kansas and Texas engage in one of the best games of the season. Two high-quality teams playing a back and forth game. Very enjoyable.
5:00 - Georgia starts to blow a big lead, raising the possibility that their Cinderella run through the SEC Tournament would fall short. With Georgia's lead down to 5, Billy Humphrey nails a 3, and Bill Raftery yells "onions!"
5:30 - Tiger Woods is battling Bart Bryant in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Bryant has a couple long putts but just misses them, leaving the door ajar for Tiger. Tiger nails a 24 foot putt for birdie on 18 to win his 5th conseuctive PGA event. Was there ever any doubt? What makes this even better is that Mike and the Mad Dog completely wrote him off on Friday because he was down 7 strokes.
5:45 - The Rockets, locked in a tight game with the Lakers, go on a crazy run (fast-breaking with a 10 point lead and 2 minutes to go, Jim Boeheim must have been turning over in his grave) to win their 22nd straight game.
6:00 - Selection Show. March Madness officially begins.
Tournament Thoughts
Here are some quick thoughts from my first look at the brackets (without revealing too much about my picks):
Kudos
The Committee did a great job, I'll discuss a couple minor problems, but this may be the least controversial bracket in years.
Was Dukey V on the Committee?
The biggest bone of contention this year is placing Duke as a #2 ahead of Wisconsin. Obviously the Committee thought that if Wisconsin had played in the ACC (#1 rated conference by RPI), instead of the horrible Big 10, they wouldn't have gone 29-4.
Challenging Conference
And one of the other big complaints is that the ACC only got 4 teams. But if you use that argument then how can you complain that Duke got the #2? Anyway, Virginia Tech was probably the last team out and Villanova was the last team in (only at large 12 seed), and the differences between them are almost non-existent. Tough call, I just don't see how you can complain either way.
Home Away From Home
Another major complaint is how some teams get to play in their home state against a team that is a higher seed. We go through this argument every year and it's never proven to be an advantage (if the "home" team wins about 50% of the time, it's not an advantage), but people still like to bitch about it. So Texas will get to play in Houston if they reach the Sweet 16, and if they reach the Elite 8, they'll play Memphis there.
USA! USA!
My biggest complaint however is that they paired mid-majors against each other. I think the mid-majors vs. majors is a major storyline of the first weekend and by pairing Butler against South Alabama and Gonzaga against Davidson, they robbed us of that. Plus, they let South Alabama play their first round game in Birmingham, which doesn't make sense because of the perception of an advantage. There is no reason why South Alabama and Arizona shouldn't have switched places.
Pretty Fly For a White Guy
Two of the best white players in the nation (not named Kevin Love), Chase Budinger and Joe Alexander, will go at it in a first round matchup.
And After the Game They'll Play Chess
Stanford will play Cornell in an academically gifted matchup. Although we all acknowledge that Cornell is the bastard stepchild of the Ivy League, I'm sure the Committee took these school's academic reputations into account when setting this matchup.
A Chance To Prove Me Right
Last week I said "the team that passes on [O.J. Mayo] in the NBA Draft to take [Michael] Beasley is making a big mistake," and now the whole world will see it. Trust me, O.J. Mayo is awesome. And the best thing about him, is that on the floor he is the exact opposite of every thing that was said about him off the floor. He is unselfish, to a fault, he tries hard, and makes all the right decisions. He can shoot from the outside, he can drive to the basket and he has an excellent midrange game. He loves setting up his teammates, he gets a lot of rebounds, and scores when he has to. O.J. Mayo is quite frankly, Jamesian.
Bubble Trouble
The bubble team that has the least to complain about this morning is Arizona State. With an RPI in the 80s, they'd have been by far the lowest rated team to ever get in. But that didn't stop perpetual grump Billy Packer from bringing their case up the head of the Committee. He rightly pointed out that Arizona State beat Arizona twice.
I wish Tom O'Connor had asked if Packer thought it wise to judge teams on 2 games, and ignore the other 31 played by Arizona and 29 by Arizona State.
ASU did beat Xavier and Stanford, while Arizona beat Texas A&M and UNLV, but Arizona's losses were more impressive, 7 of them to Kansas, Memphis, UCLA and Stanford.
The fact is ASU feasted on cupcakes early and went 5-10 down the stretch. The Committee likes teams to play strong non-conference schedules and to finish strong. ASU did neither, not enough to justify making them the worst rated at-large team ever.
This Could Be The Year
Every year the idiot girl in your office picks all four number one seeds to go to the Final Four, this could be the year she's finally right. While I don't think this will ever happen, of all the years I've been studying the tournament this is the first year I've even considered it as a serious possibility.
Kudos
The Committee did a great job, I'll discuss a couple minor problems, but this may be the least controversial bracket in years.
Was Dukey V on the Committee?
The biggest bone of contention this year is placing Duke as a #2 ahead of Wisconsin. Obviously the Committee thought that if Wisconsin had played in the ACC (#1 rated conference by RPI), instead of the horrible Big 10, they wouldn't have gone 29-4.
Challenging Conference
And one of the other big complaints is that the ACC only got 4 teams. But if you use that argument then how can you complain that Duke got the #2? Anyway, Virginia Tech was probably the last team out and Villanova was the last team in (only at large 12 seed), and the differences between them are almost non-existent. Tough call, I just don't see how you can complain either way.
Home Away From Home
Another major complaint is how some teams get to play in their home state against a team that is a higher seed. We go through this argument every year and it's never proven to be an advantage (if the "home" team wins about 50% of the time, it's not an advantage), but people still like to bitch about it. So Texas will get to play in Houston if they reach the Sweet 16, and if they reach the Elite 8, they'll play Memphis there.
USA! USA!
My biggest complaint however is that they paired mid-majors against each other. I think the mid-majors vs. majors is a major storyline of the first weekend and by pairing Butler against South Alabama and Gonzaga against Davidson, they robbed us of that. Plus, they let South Alabama play their first round game in Birmingham, which doesn't make sense because of the perception of an advantage. There is no reason why South Alabama and Arizona shouldn't have switched places.
Pretty Fly For a White Guy
Two of the best white players in the nation (not named Kevin Love), Chase Budinger and Joe Alexander, will go at it in a first round matchup.
And After the Game They'll Play Chess
Stanford will play Cornell in an academically gifted matchup. Although we all acknowledge that Cornell is the bastard stepchild of the Ivy League, I'm sure the Committee took these school's academic reputations into account when setting this matchup.
A Chance To Prove Me Right
Last week I said "the team that passes on [O.J. Mayo] in the NBA Draft to take [Michael] Beasley is making a big mistake," and now the whole world will see it. Trust me, O.J. Mayo is awesome. And the best thing about him, is that on the floor he is the exact opposite of every thing that was said about him off the floor. He is unselfish, to a fault, he tries hard, and makes all the right decisions. He can shoot from the outside, he can drive to the basket and he has an excellent midrange game. He loves setting up his teammates, he gets a lot of rebounds, and scores when he has to. O.J. Mayo is quite frankly, Jamesian.
Bubble Trouble
The bubble team that has the least to complain about this morning is Arizona State. With an RPI in the 80s, they'd have been by far the lowest rated team to ever get in. But that didn't stop perpetual grump Billy Packer from bringing their case up the head of the Committee. He rightly pointed out that Arizona State beat Arizona twice.
I wish Tom O'Connor had asked if Packer thought it wise to judge teams on 2 games, and ignore the other 31 played by Arizona and 29 by Arizona State.
ASU did beat Xavier and Stanford, while Arizona beat Texas A&M and UNLV, but Arizona's losses were more impressive, 7 of them to Kansas, Memphis, UCLA and Stanford.
The fact is ASU feasted on cupcakes early and went 5-10 down the stretch. The Committee likes teams to play strong non-conference schedules and to finish strong. ASU did neither, not enough to justify making them the worst rated at-large team ever.
This Could Be The Year
Every year the idiot girl in your office picks all four number one seeds to go to the Final Four, this could be the year she's finally right. While I don't think this will ever happen, of all the years I've been studying the tournament this is the first year I've even considered it as a serious possibility.
It's That Time Again
Poopheads, please join The Poop in this year's ESPN Tournament Challenge.
I created a group called The Poop so go to the main page, sign up and join the group called "The Poop."
Remember to get your picks in by noon on Thursday.
I hope all our regular readers will play.
I created a group called The Poop so go to the main page, sign up and join the group called "The Poop."
Remember to get your picks in by noon on Thursday.
I hope all our regular readers will play.
I'd Like To Get His $10 in the Office Pool
Bob Knight has only been in the media for a few days but he's already acting like a buffoon.
Don't get me wrong, with all the so-called experts picking all four #1s it was nice to see someone with some stones make a prediction, but the odds of Pitt going down to Oral [Roberts] are better than them winning the whole thing.
If he liked Pitt he should have sent them to the Final 4 and had them losing to UCLA.
But this fits with Knight's M.O. of putting mental toughness above actual talent.
Don't get me wrong, with all the so-called experts picking all four #1s it was nice to see someone with some stones make a prediction, but the odds of Pitt going down to Oral [Roberts] are better than them winning the whole thing.
If he liked Pitt he should have sent them to the Final 4 and had them losing to UCLA.
But this fits with Knight's M.O. of putting mental toughness above actual talent.
Trivia Time
With Ohio State and Florida both being left out of the tournament this year it brings up this question:
When was the last time two teams played in the NCAA tournament final game, then missed the tournament the next year?
If you think about it, it makes sense.
When was the last time two teams played in the NCAA tournament final game, then missed the tournament the next year?
If you think about it, it makes sense.
Where's the Beef?
BEEF is the mnemonic device used to teach kids how to shoot free throws.
It stands for balance, eyes, elbow and follow-through.
Chuck Hayes of the Houston Rockets embodies none of those principles when he shoots free throws.
Hayes is shooting 43% (6-14) from the line this year, but he has made his last 5 free throws.
Charles Barkley uses that same form on the golf course.
It stands for balance, eyes, elbow and follow-through.
Chuck Hayes of the Houston Rockets embodies none of those principles when he shoots free throws.
Hayes is shooting 43% (6-14) from the line this year, but he has made his last 5 free throws.
Charles Barkley uses that same form on the golf course.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Selection Sunday Predictions
Updated with results in italics
Your number one seeds are: North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas and Memphis
Easy
Number two seeds are: Tennessee, Texas, Georgetown and Wisconsin
Curveball here as the Committee went with Duke over Wisconsin
Drake and Butler won't get the respect they deserve in the seedings. I think they both deserve to be 4s.
I was right here, but it wasn't just me, both teams were below where Joe Lunardi had them too.
The Big East will lead all conferences with 7 bids but Villanova does not get it.
Villanova got in, presumably as the last at large, giving the Big East 8 teams, 50% of the conference.
This is a random one but I think the Big East will get a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and an 8 seed.
Close, they got a 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7.
The Pac-10 will get 6, Oregon and Arizona will be among the last few teams in, Arizona State will be among the last teams out.
This was another easy one.
The Atlantic 10, which could have gotten 1 team if Xavier won the tournament, will now get 3, with Temple and St. Joseph's.
Right again, as St. Joe's was one of the last teams in. The Hawk will never die!
The Committee will remember this time that BYU needs to be in a region where they can play all their games on Thursdays and Saturdays.
They won't make that mistake again.
Your number one seeds are: North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas and Memphis
Easy
Number two seeds are: Tennessee, Texas, Georgetown and Wisconsin
Curveball here as the Committee went with Duke over Wisconsin
Drake and Butler won't get the respect they deserve in the seedings. I think they both deserve to be 4s.
I was right here, but it wasn't just me, both teams were below where Joe Lunardi had them too.
The Big East will lead all conferences with 7 bids but Villanova does not get it.
Villanova got in, presumably as the last at large, giving the Big East 8 teams, 50% of the conference.
This is a random one but I think the Big East will get a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and an 8 seed.
Close, they got a 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7.
The Pac-10 will get 6, Oregon and Arizona will be among the last few teams in, Arizona State will be among the last teams out.
This was another easy one.
The Atlantic 10, which could have gotten 1 team if Xavier won the tournament, will now get 3, with Temple and St. Joseph's.
Right again, as St. Joe's was one of the last teams in. The Hawk will never die!
The Committee will remember this time that BYU needs to be in a region where they can play all their games on Thursdays and Saturdays.
They won't make that mistake again.
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