Better Late Than Never

Well, we finally got settled into our new digs and they look . . . well . . . exactly like the old ones, only, there is a lot more noise because more people are around. Hmm; I miss the island of solitude our old office provided. Can someone please remind me why we did this? Oh, right, because it was "strongly recommended" by the boss. Nevermind.

If the NHL wanted to gain some fans, they should have done whatever it took to broadcast last night's Los Angeles Kings versus Pittsburgh Penguins match up. It was one of the best hockey games I have ever seen. I was there with 18,116 of my closest friends (what can I say, I'm huge on Facebook) and Dad (I can neither confirm nor deny the truth a wager was made in which I bet one of my kidneys against whether Dad would be paying for playoff hockey tickets this season . . . don't let me down boys, I'm kinda attached to Larry and Ralph). The game featured goals on both of the teams first shots of the game, solid two-way action for the first two periods, and a third period in which the Kings absolutely took it to the defending Stanley Cup champions in a 5-2 rout. The Penguins, like several other teams (including Detroit, Philadelphia, New York, and Montreal), have a large contingency of fans no matter where they play. Not since the 2000-2001 season have I heard Kings fans drown out visiting fans like they did last night. It was the way Staples Center should be for every home game (is there an echo in here?)

Last night was not the first time I was reminded of the 2000-2001 time frame this week. I am sure you all have heard by now that the twenty-fifth ranked Orangemen of Syracuse lost to the mighty Division II Dolphins of Le Moyne on Tuesday in a college basketball exhibition game. You might not have heard, however, that UCLA tried desperately to match Syracuse's feat against NAIA "powerhouse" Concordia on Wednesday but eeked out a win in the final seconds. Well, I generally do not put too much stock into exhibition games . . . except when they occur during the 2000-2001 season and, through the transitive property of victories, result in my Occidental Tigers being crowned the National Champions of Division I basketball. In early November 2000, the gritty Tigers traveled up the I-5 to face off against Division I opponent Cal State University at Northridge (the Matadors) on their home court (the Matadome . . . yup, you read that correctly). Well, Oxy squeaked out a close victory that triggered a chain of events the likes of which have never been seen. On November 21, 2000, the Matadors traveled to UCLA and defeated the then-fifteenth ranked Bruins, 78-74. On February 3, 2001, UCLA swung by Maples Pavilion and knocked off the top-ranked Cardinal of Stanford, 79-73 (ah, Steve Lavin, your coaching never ceased to amaze me), who, on December 21, 2000, had defeated the number one ranked Duke Blue Devils, 84-83. This story, of course, would not have a point unless those Blue Devils (Duke SUCKS) had not gone and beat Arizona 82-72 on April 2, 2001 to win the Division I National Championship. So, you see, Oxy beat CSUN, who beat UCLA, who beat Stanford, who beat Duke, who won the National Championship. And that, my friends, is how the Occidental Tigers became the 2000-2001 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Champions. I think we should hang a banner.

Did I lose you there? I would not be surprised. If someone had told me that story I probably would have followed it up with my traditional response: "Cool story Hansel." If you know me, you know that is not usually a good thing. Anyways, I am sure you all loved it and have totally bought into my "transitive property of victories" theory. If you have not, kindly show yourself the door. If you have, here are some other things you might find interesting:

• Up for a challenge (and some chicks)? Try your hand at this cheerleader uniform quiz.
• Speaking of uniforms, this list is supposedly the "12 Hottest Female Sports Uniforms". However, boobs and/or nudity did not make the list, thus throwing all credibility out the window.
• Speedskating just got a whole lot more popular, satirical.
• What do you get when you place a large group of professional athletes in a city for one whole week? Answer.
• Can you imagine a world in which Gus Johnson is replaced by Dick Vitale? Welcome to your new reality.
• Dear UCF, Please find enclosed a check for $3 million. Xoxo, Michael Jordan. P.S. Sorry about my son.
  
• Aw, nobody wants to play with them.
• Sing it with me: I was gonna win the Cy Young, but then I got high.

One thing I appreciate on The Dan Patrick Show is when DP takes the time give shout outs to all the new stations that have started carrying his show. I think that is a classy move. So I decided we are going to start giving shout outs to our new dedicated fans. This week's shout outs go to BF, Q, and Cow who, after being featured in last week's Link Dump, have all become loyal GameTime, TBD© readers. Welcome aboard ladies. For you, and the rest of my dedicated readers out there, here are some clips for your viewing pleasure:

• Now that is how you earn your indefinite suspension.
• Reebok attempts to sell women's shoes by marketing to men. I am listening . . .
• Bruce Lee even plays ping pong like a bad @$$.
• Oh Magic 8 Ball, do not fail me now.
• This has to be a joke, right?
• Matti Hoyla (who?) exits the ice in style.
• I can not say I am surprised he is playing in a semi-pro league after that play.
• With the Winter Olympics less than one hundred days away, this video has started making the rounds. Certainly gets me fired up.

Have a great weekend everyone!