THE SWEET 16!!!!

                 

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT:  SPORTZ NCAA TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS

BIGGEST UPSET:  It has to be Wisconsin-Milwaukee beating Boston College.  Think about it...BC was 20-0 at one point...yet couldn't get to the Sweet 16.  The Panthers aren't a bad team at all and looked much better than Bama or Boston.  Nice to see a 12th seed in the round of 16.  Hey..all you got left to do is beat Illinois in Chicago!  No big whoop!

CONFERENCE THAT SUCKS:  I still say it is the SEC.  Kentucky won an emotional game against Cincinnati....but nothing else remains.  Alabama and LSU lost in the first round.  Mississippi State lost a tough game to Duke.  Florida was routed by Villanova.

CONFERENCE THAT SURPRISED:  The Big Ten.  Like the ACC, the Big 11 has three teams left alive.  Of course, they've had to beat FDU, Nevada, Northern Iowa, Bucknell, Old Dominion and Vermont to do so.  That is ZERO teams from the "BCS conferences" if you are counting.

THE BEST CONFERENCE:  I'll still say the ACC.  Sure, Georgia Tech was pummelled by Louisville and Wake Forest was upset by West Virginia.  Duke, North Carolina and NC State remain and all could be in the Elite 8 this weekend.  As I said about the Big Ten, the ACC has had some pushovers...but they've also beaten UConn, Charlotte, Iowa State and Mississippi State.  A little better strength of schedule.

BEST GAME:  Oh...the best game of the tournament was Wake Forest-West Virginia.  Forget who won...what a freaking game!!  Big shot after big shot.  To me, the clutch moment of the game was Eric Williams blocking a sure game-winning layup for WV as time expired in overtime.  WOW!!!  Gansey hitting shots for the Mountaineers on one end....Downey knocking down big shots for theDeacs on the other.  We had players foul out and hearts gushing all over the floor.  Excellent college basketball game!

WORST GAME:  North Carolina-Iowa State.  Sure, there were some other games that were won handily...but UNC jumped out on ISU and basically toyed with them the rest of the way.  Only the Arizona-UAB game was even remotely as handled.

BEST PLAYER:   Ivan McFarlin.  Who???   Exactly.  We always name those big names at times like this.  But McFarlin, for Oklahoma State, dropped 31 pts in for the Cowboys as they beat a game Southern Illinois team. 

WORST PLAYER: Jihad Muhammad.  Who?  He's the guy that cost Cincinnati their game against Kentucky.  In a close game Muhammad felt it was "Jihad Time" and began to gun from everywhere on the court.  He did finish with 14 pts....but had to go 5-17 to do so.  And single-handedly cost the Bearcats a win.

BRACKET OPENED UP FOR:   North Carolina.  Coming into the tournament, Kansas, UConn and Florida posed huge threats for the Heels getting to St. Louis.  They are all gone.  The Heels have a tough opponent in Villanova left...but then face beatable Wisconsin or NC State in the Elite 8.

BORING BRACKET:  I guess Austin would be it.  Duke, Kentucky, Utah and Michigan State are all around...so this makes it the most conventional bracket out there. 

LOOKING LIKE A CHAMPION:    North Carolina.  After watching all of these games, the Heels are right now playing on a different level.

NCAA TOURNAMENT ROUND ONE

           

VISIT:  SPORTZ NCAA TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS

BIGGEST UPSET:  Earlier it was Vermont over Syracuse.  But it turned out to be Bucknell-Kansas.  Wow.  Really think about it.  For the first 2/3 of the season, Kansas was in the top 5 in the rankings...and spent a lot of time at the #2 or #3 spot.  And they lose to Bucknell.  Not just lost by some luck, but Bucknell really outplayed them.  People talk junk about Roy Williams choking...but at least he won every first round game he's coached in. 

CONFERENCE THAT SUCKS:  This one is hard.  I was ready to run all over the SEC, but then Mississippi State manhandled Stanford.  Then, I wanted to go with my original pick, the Big Ten.  I've had no respect for that conference this season, and they've really done nothing to earn it now.  Iowa, who I picked to advance, lost.  Minnesota lost.  Illinois struggled at times with FDU.  Wisconsin skinned by.  Michigan State redeemed the conference somewhat by beating a tough Old Dominion squad.  That makes both conferences 3-2 in the tourny.  However, the SEC's losses are worse.  Both LSU and Alabama were higher seeds [Iowa wasn't and Minny was in an 8-9 game].  Florida almost blew a 20-pt lead.  Kentucky looked pedestrian against EKU.  Don't get me wrong, the SEC can make it better...they have some legit Final Four squads out there....but the takeoff was rather rocky.

CONFERENCE THAT SURPRISED:  To me, it has to be Conference USA.  As I was filling out the brackets, I showed no love for the C-USA.  But, Cincinnati shut down Iowa and UAB ran all over LSU [two games I lost in my brackets].  Yes, Louisville had a close call and Charlotte lost, but the Niners completely went cold in the middle part of the game [and they lost to an ACC team].  The sad thing is that only UAB will still be around next season.  Hey, UTEP and Central Florida looked okay!

THE BEST CONFERENCE:  I'll still say the ACC.  UNC rolled, Duke won, Wake won, NC State pulled an "upset" and Georgia Tech won.  That is 5-0.  Not bad.  Kansas is knocked out for North Carolina.  And with Syracuse knocked out, it looks as if Duke has a much better shot at the Final Four and a possible dream matchup with Carolina.

BEST GAME:  That Vermont-Syracuse game.  I watched the whole thing.   I mean, I like Coppenwrath a lot and I thought that Vermont was a legit tourny team, but I didn't expect them to touch Syracuse.  Creighton-WVU was a nice one, but the Catamounts' overtime upset takes the cake.

WORST GAME:  Hmm, I'll say Wisconsin-Northern Iowa.  I didn't watch that game since I was watching Syracuse get knocked out, but it was on TV #3 [I have a nice setup going on].  Any game that Wisconsin is in is usually boring to me, and NIU didn't excite anything for me.  I'm sure it might have been a lovely game....but I was somewhere else.

BEST PLAYER:  Of all the games that I really, really payed attention to, Andrew Bogut seemed to be the best player.  That center for Iowa State, Homan, had one heck of a game too.  He had 14 pts, 13 rbs and 7 blocks. 

WORST PLAYER:  Oh, it was Syracuse's Gary McNamara.  Not only could he not hit anything [including two possible game winners], he dribbed the ball of a teammates foot and into the backcourt, causing a violation late in overtime.  He finished 4-for-18 from the field...including 1 of 7 from behind the arc....and just 11 points. 

BRACKET OPENED UP FOR:  Duke.  I really don't see a challenge for Duke until the Elite 8.  Also, UConn has an easier trip to the Elite 8 after Kansas was knocked off. 

BORING BRACKET:  Easily it is Albuquerque.  All of the higher seeds won...which is good for them, but not very "magical".  The seeds did actually hold.

LOOKING LIKE A CHAMPION:  Right now I'd have to say North Carolina.  Sure, they only played Oakland...but the other #1 seeds "only" played pushovers and struggled.  When the game started, the Heels were focused and lit up the Charlotte sky. 

SENATE HEARINGS ON STEROIDS IN BASEBALL

             

What a wild Thursday for me.

First off, the NCAA Tournament began. I have DirecTV and bought the MEGA MARCH MADNESS package...so I "got all the games"!! God, I love basketball. I sat and watched all of the games. I have THREE TVs in my ‘Sportz Room’ so I did get to view 3 of the 4 games played without picking up a remote.

At 8:00, the Miami Heat hosted the LA Lakers on TNT. Well, that is Shaq v Kobe...but I’ve really gotten tired of the Lakers efforts this season. No, not their record....their efforts. If I wanted to see a team gun 3-point shots....I’d be a Wisconsin-Milwaukee booster or a JJ Redick fan. I’m neither. So, aside from catching glimpses here and there....I didn’t really focus on it.

But, something I had absolutely no interest in....yet found myself viewing...was the Senate hearings on steroids in baseball. It wasn’t enthralling, nor was it educational. Usually, in Senate hearings that involve issues in the mainstream...the politicians ask obvious softball questions that just furthers the thinking how out of touch they really are.

Some were....which was good.....and some were big baseball fans....which was good. For the most part, aside from the monotony of some of the questions....the committee members actually asked some uncomfortable questions.

I caught some of Senator Bunning’s remarks [he’s my elected official]. I caught some of the Witness Panel before the March Madness began. But, the players and baseball management panels were both quite interesting and quite disturbing. So, I caught myself tuning in from time to time.

First, the players. Curt Schilling [who along with Frank Thomas will be on a task force] looked and sounded very comfortable in his surroundings [it was even mentioned that he could have a career in politics]. He openly attacked Jose Canseco for writing his book [other players did it in veiled comments].

SammySosa, who had his lawyer and interpreter on the panel with him, sounded very composed. In his prepared statement, he states that he has never used steroids. Raphael Palmeiro came out the best. Not only did he flatly come out, pointing even, that he has never used steroids.....he sounded like a man with absolutely nothing to hide. When asked if it would take Olympic-type punishment to eradicate steroids from the MLB, Palmeiro, unlike others, said he wouldn?t care since he had nothing to hide anyways. Good answer. I?ve gained much respect for you!

How did Jose Canseco do??? Well, better than I thought. While jabs were sent his way for writing this book, which is pretty much why everyone is there, he did compose himself pretty well and came off pretty much as the guy who wrote the book. He was denied immunity, but still answered all questions, though in a manner that excused himself from anything, and made a good effort to get his message out. While other players downplayed the magnitude of steroids in baseball....Canseco stood by his claim that it is and was a rampant problem that needs government intervention. He opposed baseball policing itself [the others were willing to play out the new testing program]. His best quote was, "from what I am hearing, I was the only individual in Major League Baseball to use steroids. That?s hard to believe." Classic!

The big loser on the players side is easily Mark McGwire. While Big Mac is retired....his footprints are all over this "Steroid Era" of baseball. He was the one that set the home run record [that Bonds soon bested]. He is sixth all time in home runs. He has been linked to andro. McGwire, unlike Canseco, really contributed nothing to the hearings. When asked any uncomfortable questions, McGwire simply answered with "I?m not here to talk about the past." When asked how he could be a spokesperson for steroids being bad news if he never actually knew anyone [or himself] that was affected by the drug.....he pulled the "my attorneys advise me to not comment." Thus placing his name alongside the phrase "steroid user". He looked very, very bad. The committee members even seemed to grow tired of McGwire?s dodging of their questions.
AOL News - McGwire Steroids Statement to Congress

Then, the baseball officials came in....most notably commissioner Bud Selig and union leader Donald Fehr. The committee members essentially attacked Selig for poor leadership in striving for stricter penalties...and attacked Fehr for basically not letting MLB put in place the harsher penalties. The new drug policy was completely ridiculed for the variety of loopholes and "drafting errors" in it.

All in all, this was a horrible day for baseball in many aspects. Public relations-wise...this was a nightmare. You had players up there like ostriches, with their heads in the sand. You had baseball executives openly accused of being inept. You had, arguably, the most important baseball player in the last 20 years run and hide from any question about steroids. You even had some comments from committee members that baseball?s anti-trust exemption may be used as blackmail to get this straightened out.

People said that these hearings won?t amount to much. Maybe that is tangibly true. However, this is one of those forks in the road that baseball needs to assess itself. Continue down the path of "don?t ask, don?t tell" or really try to get this thing squared away before this is the WWE.

What do I think?? Well, I am in favor of ONE uniform drug policy over all of athletics. MLB, NFL, NBA, NCAA, high schools, whatever. Have that one uniform code that all sports must abide by. Maybe not as harsh as the Olympic code [which, by the way, doesn?t stop people from cheating there]. If they want to add even stiffer penalties...fine. But put it all under one umbrella so that athletes and the average guy will get the same treatment under the laws. Whether it is Barry Bonds or Joe Schmo.

 

SOME NCAA TOURNAMENT NUMBERS AND STORYLINES

CHECK OUT EACH REGIONAL BREAKDOWN AT:
"SPORTZ' NCAA TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS"

*Illinois enters the tournament as a #1 seed and with just one loss. Last year, Stanford and St. Joseph’s entered the NCAA tournament as #1 seeds and each had just one loss. Neither team made the Final Four.  Stanford didn't even make the Sweet 16.

*Duke and North Carolina make it two ACC schools with #1 seeds. This marks the sixth time in eight years that a conference has had two #1 seeds in the same tournament.

*Arizona is making its 21st straight NCAA tournament appearance....the longest current streak.

*Niagara is making it’s first appearance since 1970...the longest drought for a team in this tournament.

*Oakland beat Alabama A&M tonight in the first NCAA tournament appearance for either team. Delaware State and Southeastern Louisiana are also making their first tournament appearances.

*Since 1998, #16 and #15 seeds have gone a combined 1-55 in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Only Hampton won.

*Since 1998....the #14 seed has only won 2 of 28 games.

*The #5-#12 game is regarded as the biggest upset game of the first round. Well, the #12 seed is 11-17 since 1998. However, the #10 seed is 13-15 against the #7 seed [the #8-#9 game is a fairly even contest]. So, when filling out those brackets...keep an eye on those #10 seeds.

*Are you looking for a Cinderella?? How about this. When a #2 seed plays a #10 seed in the second round....that #2 seed is only 5-9!!!!! Amazing!!! So, again, when looking for Cinderellas....keep an eye on those #10 seeds.

*If you are looking for those Cinderellas getting to the Elite 8....look at the #8 seeds. In the last five years, the #8 seed is 4-0 in Sweet 16 play...including Alabama last season. In Sweet 16 play...the #4 seed has lost 10 of their last 12 games. The way the bracket is set up....a #8 would play a #4 in the Sweet 16.

*In the Elite 8 round...the #1 seed has only won 11 of their last 19 games. Pretty average record for those "elite" teams. However, the #5 and #8 seeds are 4-2 in the same time frame. If you are looking for an Elite 8 key....look to the ACC. ACC teams in the Elite 8 have won 8 of their last 9 games.

*Not a number here...just an opinion.  I've been hearing the jokes and the complaints about the "play-in game"...which, really, isn't a play-in game.  It is part of the tournament.  True, no one really cares other than the fans of these two schools.  So, what the NCAA should do is expand the field to 68 teams.  Have a "play-in game" for each region.  But, instead of these small schools that EARNED automatic bids into the tournament....how about putting those bubble teams that gained at-large births to have to play-in to the tournament??  I mean, Alabama A&M and Oakland both earned automatic bids.  They should both be able to enjoy that first round NCAA tournament action.  Have Northern Iowa, UAB, NC State or UCLA battle it out in Dayton to get placed as the #11 or #12 seed somewhere in the bracket. 

*It is the 20th anniversary of the #8 seeded Villanova Wildcats winning the National Championship/

*We could have a Duke-Kentucky Elite 8 matchup.  Last time these two met in the Elite 8, Kentucky rallied from down 17 points to upend the Devils in 1998.  Kentucky went on to win the National Championship.  In 1992, well, Christy Laettner hit a shot at the buzzer.

*Since 1985, the Big XII is just 2-8 vs the ACC

SPORTZ NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET

                                      

In the grand tradition of sports...filling out the NCAA tournament bracket is among the most endearing.  We all sit there with our brackets and a pen....and try to rationalize why Lousiana-Lafayette will beat Louisville.  We pick our brackets....giving some extra love for our favorite team [ahem...UNC] or teams in the conference we are most familiar with watching [ahem...ACC].  We always pick that big upset and tell everyone around us that "Watch....I'm telling you this is my upset special!"  when, in reality, you've never seen that team play. 

We all watch ESPN or go online to see who picked what in their brackets.  "Well, this famous guy says this....so maybe I should feel that way too!"  Nope.  If he was an expert....he wouldn't need to write a column for a magazine.  He'd be swimming in the money he made in Vegas. 

That's the beauty of the NCAA Brackets.  No one really knows.  Sure, some have better and more educated guesses than others...but no one really knows.  I'd be willing to bet that no one will correctly pick the winner of all 64 games in this tournament before the thing kicks off tomorrow night. 

So...in the honor of that...here is my bracket.  Not to say it is right or wrong or even highly educated.  But, if I do well...I can always come back to this and say "see, I told ya!"  Let me start it by saying Oakland will beat Alabama A&M in the play-in game on Tuesday.

SYRACUSE REGION
SECOND ROUND:  North Carolina, Iowa State, Villanova, Florida, Wisconsin, Kansas, NC State and UConn. 
SWEET 16:  North Carolina, Florida, Kansas, UConn
ELITE 8:  North Carolina, UConn
FINAL FOUR:  North Carolina

                           

AUSTIN REGION
SECOND ROUND:  Duke, Stanford, Michigan State, Syracuse, Utah, Oklahoma, Iowa, Kentucky
SWEET 16:  Duke, Syracuse, Oklahoma, Kentucky
ELITE 8:  Syracuse, Kentucky
FINAL FOUR:  Syracuse

                              

CHICAGO REGION
SECOND ROUND:  Illinois, Nevada, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Boston College, LSU, Arizona, Southern Illinois, Oklahoma State
SWEET 16:  Illinois, Boston College, Arizona, Oklahoma State
ELITE 8:  Illinois, Oklahoma State
FINAL FOUR:  Oklahoma State

                        

ALBUQUERQUE REGION
SECOND ROUND:  Washington, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Texas Tech, Gonzaga, Creighton, Wake Forest
SWEET 16:  Pittsburgh, Louisville, Gonzaga, Wake Forest
ELITE 8:  Pittsburgh, Wake Forest
FINAL FOUR:  Wake Forest
                           

ST. LOUIS REGION
TITLE GAME:  North Carolina, Oklahoma State
CHAMPIONS:  North Carolina

                  

 

NCAA Bracket Overview

The 2005 Brackets have been announced.  My breakdown of each region can be found at my SPORTZ NCAA TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS.  Here is my overall take on the tourny bracket.

THE NUMBER ONE SEEDS
No surprise with Illinois or North Carolina.  Duke earned their top seed by winning the ACC tournament [however, dodging Wake Forest and North Carolina in the process] along with other teams losing.  However, I was fairly surprised that Washington gained the last #1 seed.  Nothing against the Huskies....but I figured that either Wake Forest or Oklahoma State would get it.  Coming into the week, Washington was ranked 14th in the AP poll...yet jumped to the 4th best team in a week by, basically, winning one game [the Pac-10 finale against Arizona]?  I mean, Louisville, Gonzaga and Oklahoma State, who were ranked higher, won their conference tournaments as well.  Sure, RPI ratings did hold weight and UW is rated #3.  But Kansas, despite it's losses, has been at or near the top RPI rating all season long!  And Wake Forest was rated 2nd!!   It isn't THAT big of an issue since both Wake and Washington were placed in the same regional. 

WHO GOT SCREWED?
Louisville.  I think they were completely screwed.  How can they be a #4 seed??  How??  How??  How???  Heck, they came into Tournament Week ranked #6 in the AP poll.  They won the Conference USA tournament [in which they faced only tourny bound UAB]. 

WHO GOT A NICE LIFT?
Washington, obviously. 

WHO GOT LEFT OUT?
I know Dickie and Digger are crying about Notre Dame [I mean, Digger only coached there and Dickie V's kids go there]....but the only team that I had in there that didn't go was Buffalo.  I do agree with Dick Vitale that the MAC was overlooked.  But, instead of Miami-OH...I would have put Buffalo in there.   

WHO SHOULDN'T BE THERE?
Honestly, everyone in the tournament should be there.  The only team that I didn't have in there was Northern Iowa...but I had them right behind UAB and Buffalo in my Bracketology. 

THE COMMITTEE'S WORST FOLLY
I thought the entire point of these pods was to place teams closer to home?  They didn't do a good job really.  Yes, Illinois, UNC, Duke and Washington got what they wanted.  But how does #2 Wake Forest go to Cleveland and not Nashville????  How are Pittsburgh and Nevada both #9 seeds....yet Pitt goes to Boise and Nevada goes to Indianapolis?? 

BEST POD RACE #1
Charlotte.  Half of the people there will be wearing Duke blue....the other half, Carolina blue.  Both Duke and North Carolina will invade Charlotte Coliseum this weekend....yet they won't get to play each other.  I will tell you this.  Delaware State and Oakland/Alabama A&M won't believe how many fans they'll have at their games!

BEST POD RACE #2
How about the Indianapolis pod in the Austin Region?  You have Kentucky playing Eastern Kentucky.  EKU is coached by former Kentucky Wildcat Travis Ford and will be looking to knock off his alma mater.  In the other game it is Cincinnati vs Iowa.  Iowa has played very well of late.  But, if Cincinnati advances to play Kentucky....it will be a battle that many people in the Cincinnati metro area have been waiting a looooong time for.

MY FINAL FOUR PICKS AT A GLANCE
I'm typing this before I get too in depth with the tournament....so I may change my tune later tonight.  But, at a glance....I have Oklahoma State coming out of the Chicago Region.  I think they have the defense and toughness to match Illinois'.  I have Syracuse coming out of the Austin Region.  Coming into the season, Syracuse was the much better team that Duke or Kentucky...and they've played like it lately.  I think that Kentucky is overrated [they are really inexperienced] and Duke is foul trouble to Williams or a Redick off night away from getting upset somewhere.  Syracuse is the most steady team.  I have Wake Forest coming out of the Albuquerque Region.  They are the best team in that region and should be the #1.  It is a shame that the fact that Chris Paul's suspension, in essence, cost the Deacs a top seed...and that kind of motivation could carry them along.  For the Syracuse Region....I wrote this Sunday Night..."I have Kansas coming out of the Syracuse Region.  My heart and mind say North Carolina.  But Kansas has two things going for them in a matchup with UNC.  First, they have the size and quickness to match up with the Heels.  They should because Roy Williams recruited them.  And that brings me to the second point.  A UNC-KU game would really be emotional to both Roy Williams and the Kansas kids.  And I think that fact will lift them over the Heels."  I've changed my mind.  North Carolina will come out of the Syracuse bracket.  I don't think Kansas will get past UConn...and I think UNC can get past the Huskies. 

GREAT SPORTS MOVIE QUOTES

                

ESPN.com has a funny piece on the greatest sports quotes in movies of all time.  Now, not all of these were sports movies....instead they were sports-related quotes during the movie.  Check out the whole list:  ESPN.com: Page 3 - Top 100 sports movie quotes

I've taken a few of my favorites off the list just to chat a little about them. 

"I must break you." -Rocky IV
I was, I think, in my pre-teens when this movie came out.  Still the best line in the movie.  Of course, Adrian screaming out "You can't win!!!!" is all the more meaningful to me now because that would suck if your wife didn't believe in you like that.  Nothing beats Dolph Lungren spitting this line out then hammering the gloves. 

"I love Brian Piccolo. And tonight, when you hit your knees, please ask God to love him."  -Brian's Song
First time I ever saw this movie was actually in health class. See, "Health Class" is usually taught by the gym teachers.  And those gym teachers were usually coaches of our sporting team.  This particular year, my health class was taught to me by my football coach [who only knew me by my last name].  Imagine a fit Denny Green in those Bike coaches shorts.  So, he threw this movie in because it was football and a disease all in one movie.  Awesome movie....and one of the saddest speaches.

"It's in the hole!"  -Caddyshack
I am a Caddyshack nerd.  And thank God I married a Caddyshack nerd.  This is the one line ESPN used [along with "Noonan!] that I loved from the movie...but any real male from the ages of 25-50 can quote that movie line for line. 

"I didn't ask him, 'Can he beat you?' I already know he can beat you. I asked him, 'Will he?' With Eddie, that's two different things."  -The Hustler
I'm more of a Color Of Money man myself....but I basically lived my teenage years in a pool hall.  And this movie was pretty much to pool what "Days Of Thunder" is to the Nascar fans. 

"I'll tell you what. Why don't we take all these bricks and build a shelter for the homeless, so maybe your mother will have a place to stay?"  -White Men Can't Jump
I've slept on this movie in my later years.  This is one of those movies that I need to watch every year or so just to get it back in my mind.  I mean, it will play in the background and I can still spit the lines.  "We goin' to Sizzler!"  "Man, now you robbing me!" 

"All I want to do is race, Daddy." -3
God.....ESPN must have put that commerical for that movie on every single station break.  And in every single commerical...that line was screeching in my ears.  "That's all I want" is the only other line I know in that movie...and that is because it comes right after it.

"Lamar is a master of aerodynamics. He has engineered the javelin to complement his limp-wristed throwing style."  -Revenge of the Nerds
My wife and I can watch this movie non-stop.  The Japanese student on the tricycle was funnier...and the Lambda-Omega Mu party was classic.  But the best is this exchange:  Gilbert "I met a nice girl"...Booger "Did you get in her pants?"...Gilbert "She's not that kind of girl, Booger."....Booger "Why?  Does she have a penis?"

"I'll make it."  -Hoosiers
The classic moment in every kid's dream.  With everything on the line....the shot is coming to you. 

"Uh, Lord, hallowed be thy name. May our feet be swift; may our bats be mighty; may our balls be plentiful. Lord, I'd just like to thank you for that waitress in South Bend. You know who she is ? she kept calling your name. And God, these are good girls, and they work hard. Just help them see it all the way through. OK, that's it."  -A League of Their Own
The best part of this movie is when he went out to tip his cap on opening day.  But this is classic!

"People always say to me, 'When you get to the NBA, don't forget about me.' Well, I should've said back, 'If I don't make it to the NBA, don't you forget about me.' "  -Hoop Dreams
Every now and then....watch this movie.  Heck, this should be shown to EVERY high school and college student around this time of year. 

"U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi! You ugly! You ugly! Yo momma said you ugly!"  -Wildcats
I need to find this on DVD.  "Football....it's the sport of kings...better than diamond rings...football."  There is a guy at my work that looks like the coach [not Goldie!!]

"Hey, Yankees, you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!"  -The Bad News Bears
Gotta love the beer showers the Bears had.

"Put it in the face!"  -Coming to America
Oh my God.  One of my favorite movies of all time.  But, nothing beats the conversation in barbershop over boxing.  Well, the one over Martin Luther King. 

"If he had held the ball laces out like he's supposed to, Ray would never have missed that kick. Dan Marino should die of gonorrhea and rot in hell!"   -Ace Ventura
"They look like little footballs!".  While Ace Ventura isn't a sports movie...it was centered around the Miami Dolphins.  

"... Whose bright strips and broad stars, in the perilous night. O'er the ramparts we watched, as the da da da da da da. And the rocket's red glare, lots of bombs in the air ..."  -The Naked Gun
Is there anything better than that Mariners-Angels game???  And that was when they were the California Angels!

"Pick me out a winner, Bobby."  -The Natural
Love this flick.  I think everyone is in it too.

"I'm out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes."  -Airplane!
Best athlete cameo better.  Worst acting...but best cameo. 

 

SURVIVING MARCH 16TH

           

Check out Mrs. Sportz Assassin's Survivor Journal for the haps on this week's Survivor!!

                               
            Find out who were the two Un-Survivors of the Week..........

Give ya a hint....a tatted up chick and the white Ed Bradley

Ode To The Blog

I was reading Die Cast Dude's Blog last night and came across his entry called Preaching The Blogging Evangel.  First off, I appreciate the kind things he said about me in that blog as well as things he's said to me before.  I've told him what a great job he does breaking down Nascar and racing in general. 

But, what his entire post really gets to is the great fun it is to own a blog.  I really enjoy it.  We all do for our own reasons.

For me, I just like talking sports.  For those who knew me before the AOL blog explosion of last spring [like Monponsett], I basically stayed on the L.A. Lakers Message Board.  There was a bunch of us regulars who enjoyed discussing the Lakers....but if you've ever been on that board you'd know that pretty much everything else gets discussed there.  Sports, politics, music, movies, etc.  Oh, and the Lakers, too.

I believe I had been posting there since 2001 or so.  But, over the past year, that board had become a circus.  Intelligence was thrown out the window for retread arguments of "Kobe is a rapist" or "Shaq is fat" posts.  It gets old and your mind tends not to grow.  I wanted an out....but really, where to go?

So, a few of the Hosts on that board tried to recruit me for these journal things.  I wasn't sure, but the idea of being able to just throw my takes out there on any subject did intrigue me [since you really aren't supposed to get off topic on the boards].  I could say what I want about things....just to have it out there.  So, one of those boring nights, I just decided to start one.  I wrote an NBA playoff preview of the second round and a take on Barry Bonds.  Then a funny thing happened.

People actually read it!

Next thing I know, I see my name up on the AOL Sports Talk page as if someone thought what I had to say was somewhat enlightening.  Wow.  Then it was on AOL's  "The Show" as the Blog Of The Week....so I guess it had to be pretty good.  So, when you know people are looking at it...you tend to step up your game a little.  Tighten it up, write a little better, make it more interesting. 

So, in the course of almost a year, the AOL blogosphere [I guess that's the term we all agreed on...lol] has blossomed.  The Pigskins Bloggers ring of blogs plus the internet radio show which began during the playoffs really forced me to really step up the game.  Now Sports Bloggers Live is something I really look forward to listening to plus participating on when asked to.  I got that Pigskin Bloggers hat on show and was named the AOL Pigskin Blogger of the Year for my SPORTZ ASSASSIN ON REDSKINS blog which I could barely speak on the Skins this past year. 

I really don't know most of the bloggers backgrounds....but I'm just an average guy.  I'm no writer.  Never cared that much to write.  I work second shift 6-7 days a week and just have lived sports my entire life.  Basically, my blog tends to be just my takes on whatever is the issue at hand.  Some of it was given birth from discussions and arguments me and my buddies have at work.  I take it home with me, and throw it up here.

Somebody once ripped me on this blog by saying "this just sounds like something I could have heard in a bar".  Exactly!!  That's what this is.  Just me [and sometimes others] just saying what I'd say if I was chillin' somewhere spitting out sports takes with my friends.  That's the point of a blog.

It is the editorial page of the newspaper.  A middle class guy living in suburbia with my beautiful wife and two dogs just talkin' sports.  I'm not a journalist.  I'll never claim to be.  I love sports.  I love the NBA, NCAA, NFL and baseball...and always love talking about it and other sports.

So, basically, I just wanna say thanks to the people that read my ramblings.  Thanks to everyone who promote it so well [I'm amazed at where I see my blog linked on web sites].  Heck, I was just on a radio program right after Mike DeCoursy discussing college hoops for God's sakes!!!  He's one of the best known sports writers and I'm just some idiot who can't sleep in the wee hours of the night. 

So, again, thanks for having this "blogosphere" in which we all get to discuss and read each others takes on our passion for sports.

-PEACE

                                

RICK ANKIEL TO GIVE UP PITCHING

The Rick Ankiel Experiment rages on.

          

Most people will remember Ankiel as the St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect who raced up the organizational ladder to pitch in the majors for a while back in 2000. As a 19 year old, he held a 11-7 record with a 3.50 ERA with 195 Ks in just 175 innings. He was the next Roger Clemens or Doc Gooden. A child prodigy who had no ceiling.

That was, until the postseason came.

He pitched the series opener against Atlanta....and became the first pitcher since 1890 to throw five wild pitches in one inning. He later went on to throw 4 more wild pitches in three more innings of work. The prodigy just snapped.

The next season, Ankiel, in mainly relief roles, went 1-2 with an ERA over 7.00. He walked 25 guys in 24 innings....and was sent down to the minors. From 2002-2004, he sat most of the time due to elbow surgery and various other issues.

Since his disastrous 2000 playoff run, he’s bobbed up and down between St. Louis and their farm systems...including their rookie-level team in Johnson City. He’s currently run out of minor league options.

                                   

So this was to be his big shot back into the majors. Having to make the club or get released...he was given a great shot to actually make the club. But, a small ache was starting to creep into his arm. That’s when his change of heart hit. He wants to give up pitching. The Cards’ young prodigy, who finished second to Rafael Furcal in the 2000 National League Rookie Of The Year voting, is quitting pitching. He wants to give the outfield a try.

It isn’t a crazy as it sounds. For a pitcher, Ankiel could hit. He has two HR in his time in St. Louis...and batted .207 with 9 RBI. He also hit 10 HR in his stint with Johnson City. He’s played some DH in the minors and had some success. So, he now figures if he concentrates on that, he may be of some use to the Cardinals. Both Cards? manager Tony LaRussa and GM Walt Jocketty are okay with Ankiel?s decision. In fact, go to the Cards website and it already has Ankiel listed as a left fielder.

Rick will stay on the Cardinals? spring training roster...but after that, who knows? Since he is out of options, he either has to make the club or be placed on waivers. Either way, Ankiel?s life may be making a turn for the better.

                                               

Ankiel is still only 25 years old...an age where many of those "prodigies" are starting to creep up into the majors. But, he?s starting fresh again.

Sports Bloggers Live Radio Show

Catch Sports Bloggers Live !!!!

Check out me, The Sportz Assassin, discuss the NCAA tournament bubble teams by clicking on the above link.

Also featured is Mike DeCoursy, Baseball Musing's Dave Pinto, as well as other elite AOL bloggers George Cozstanza and Monponsett. 

You can also click here for the show...
http://demand1.stream.aol.com/ramgen/aol/us/community/features/2005/sportsbloggerslive/sbl030705.rm

SPORTZ NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET HEADQUARTERS

                           
        Check out my Conference Tournaments Roundups/Previews here.

WE HAVE MOVED!!!!  Check out my NCAA tournament happenings at SPORTZ NCAA TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS

MIKE TYSON, THE SINGER

           

Mike Tyson began his singing career in Italy this week.

He was attending an Italian music festival....and sung a few lines of "Volare" while mopping up sweat from his head with a towel. 

Later in the interview....Tyson rapped "New York, New York"....then abruptly left saying "I gotta get out of here."

Below are pics and quotable highlights from his appearance at the music festival [which he raked in over $92K in US currency for showing up]..

                             

"What I am, I am an alchemist,"

                                   

"There are very talented individuals and they can take kaka and make money out of it ... And I'm just the opposite. I take money and turn it into kaka."

                                

"Maybe there are different ways I would define myself. But I can tell you that my biggest weakness is my sensitivity. I am too sensitive a person."

                                  

"I have no idea why they invited me. Maybe it's because I'm a music lover."

 

Survivor Week 3

                      

Check out the hi-lights and low-lights from this weeks Survivor by checking out Mrs. Sportz Assassin's  Survivor : Palau - Bravenet Web Journal

                        
                                     Loser Jeff Wilson!

DEION SANDERS HOT DOG EXPRESS

    
                          Deion Slinging Hot Dogs!!!

This isn’t a joke. I wish it was....but this is too true to be a joke. Click on the link above to see the website and watch the infomercial.

Deion Sanders has a hot dog cooking machine.

No jive! In the mold of George Foreman and his burger grill....Neon Deion has a his Hot Dog Express to sling to everyone. And it can be yours for $49.95!!!

What a deal!!!  Only $50 and I can have the hot dog of my dreams!!!  Heck, if I get a really long extension cord....I can sit out on the curb and sell hot dogs to passers-by for $1.  It will pay for itself in no time!!!!   Screw those Girl Scouts and their cookies. 

Have you ever been to a convenience store?? That’s seems to be what you are getting. That rolling thing where hot dogs, bratts, metts, polish sausages and other garbage that is heated by a light bulb.....that looks like the prototype for the Hot Dog Express!! Just call it the Hot Dog Incubator Rolling Thing.  That's all this weiner machine is.  A hot pan that has those rollers on it to move the hot dogs around.  I'm glad someone took the time to bring this cutting edge technology into my home. 

The difference is, at the local gas station...other people may have touched those dogs.  Probably a few flies have landed on them and laid some eggs.  Look at the well kept guy jockying the register.  He's the guy that put them there.  He might have even dropped them on the floor before getting them up there.  With the Hot Dog Express....you know what diseases you are carrying when you throw those dogs on. 

Look at the sleek design!  I can see my wife right now showing people around the kitchen.  "Microwave, fridge, coffee maker, stove, hot dog machine".  And I likethe way it can cook hot dogs, or even sausages!!  Heck, you can cut your finger off and throw it on there.  It will fully cook it!!

The seller is this..."you?ll experience a burst of flavor that will keep you from cooking your hot dogs any other way." Sign me up!!! I mean, putting them in the microwave for, what, a minute was just too stressful. I mean, it is better than boiling some water and tossing a few in there. But the Hot Dog Express website says it will take only 30 MINUTES for me to enjoy the flavor of a good ol? hot dog!!! Heck, with the Hot Dog Express, I can stop using my George Foreman Grill to cook those wieners. Hamburgers on George.....hot dogs on Deion.

In all seriousness....this is the dumbest thing I?ve ever heard of. I mean, we?ve all seen the hot dog machine at Circle K, 7-11 or where else everyone goes to get gasoline for their automobiles. I mean, you get $10 in gas....pick up a pack of gum....maybe an Icee....a pack of cigs....and a couple of those heart attack hotdogs rolling around in that metal thing. Well, you can have the pleasure of eating those gas station dogs in the privacy of your own home.

Why is Deion doing this?  Is he in a money bind??  After all, he did come out of retirement to "play" for the Baltimore Ravens this past year.  He's also featured in those cell phone ads where he's small and pimping a blinged "D".  Now, he's selling hot dog machines.  Say it ain't so Deion!!  Say it ain't so!!  Also, what the hell is he wearing?  During his time in the NFL [and on CBS] he was decked in nice suits, pimped hats and laced with jewelery.  Now it looks as if he robbed Mack 10's wardrobe. Westsiiiiiiide!!!

I?m just waiting for the home fountain drink machine.