I hope you all do not mind, but I would like to take a break from my usual ramblings of sports, pop culture, and history to talk about something a little more serious and a lot more important.
If you have had the opportunity to peruse this blog, you know that the link on the right entitled "What Makes Her Great" takes you to the web page for a great non-profit organization, Artists for a New South Africa ("ANSA"). My incredibly amazing Better Half works for this organization, who's purpose is to help children in South Africa who have been orphaned by and/or are infected with HIV/AIDS.
I am also sure that many of you out there have seen the American Express Members Project commercial. It features Shaun White, Alicia Keys, Martin Scorsese, Sheryl Crow, Andre Agassi and Ellen DeGeneres, who talks about her bathing suit bursting into flames every time she goes swimming (if you haven't seen it, go here). The long and short of it is that American Express is looking to help fund a worthy program created and run by one of its cardholders.
Over 7,000 projects were originally submitted by cardholders, including ANSA. Cardholders had an opportunity to vote on which project they felt was the most deserving of the money, and American Express recently narrowed it down to the Top 50 projects. ANSA's project made it into the Top 50 (and was actually ranked as high as #2 at one point, currently #8). American Express cardholders now have the opportunity to vote again for the project they think is most deserving. On July 15, 2007, the projects will again be narrowed down to the Top 25 and voting will start anew.
ANSA's project is entitled "Help Children Orphaned by Aids;" it is project number 6841.
There are 1.2 million AIDS orphans in South Africa, more than any other nation. This vast crisis cannot be solved by traditional solutions. This groundbreaking, collaborative project empowers communities to care for orphans in their midst and prevents more AIDS deaths through education and treatment access. It meets urgent needs of orphans including food, clothing, medicine, and counseling, while developing sustainable solutions for each orphan family, through legal and social services, scholarships, growing food gardens, water projects, respite care, and much more.
This program was originally developed by Americans working with leading African AIDS and child welfare experts and is implemented by local organizations and community members. The pilot program has operated successfully for 3 years in 3 communities, served over 5,000 orphans, and built permanent capacity within each community to care for their orphaned children. You now, American Express cardholders and non-cardholders, have the opportunity to help bring this proven program to other children and communities in desperate need.
If you are an American Express cardholder, I urge you to visit the Members Project website, register, and vote for this deserving project. If you are not a cardholder, you may not be able to vote, but you can still help. I urge you to spread the word about this amazing project to your friends and family so that they can vote if they are a cardholder and so that they too can spread the word.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, I truly appreciate.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Friday, July 06, 2007
A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama
Here it is, my twenty-fifth post on GameTime, TBD©! (trumpets, trumpets, trumpets....fanfare, fanfare, fanfare...applause, applause, applause...fireworks...you're all too kind.) It is truly a milestone. I would like to thank all of my dedicated readers who have been here from the beginning and who have continued to support this site. I would also like to thank those readers who jumped on the GameTime bandwagon mid-stream, liked what they read, and have continued to support my efforts (including a harassing email or two when they think I'm slacking off).
Most, if not all, members of the GameTime, TBD© "fan club" (just trying out a new name for my four or five most dedicated readers) have commented on the diminished number of posts over the past few months, and the random topics those few posts have covered. They are right. I definitely have not brought my "A" game to this site over the last couple of months, and for that I apologize. The truth of the matter is, I was unprepared. The end of the Los Angeles Kings season hit me like a ton of bricks, and I did not know where to go. If Rome was not built in a day, how could I possibly think I could create a blog without more planning? I should have looked to some of the great men of the past and present, followed their successes and failures, and worked out a thorough plan for GameTime, TBD©.
Take, for example, George Washington Goethals, the United States's Chief Engineer for construction of the Panama Canal. Under his guidance, the United States was able to build, perhaps, the most important man-made water route in the world (and also the only place you can see the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean and set over the Atlantic). It took Goethals and his men seven years to build the canal, and that is after France had been trying to build an all-sea level canal for the previous twenty-seven years (not to beat a dead horse here, but is it really any surprise the French hate us so much? I mean seriously, they screw something up, we come in, fix it, and take all the credit. It's starting to get a little old, don't you think? Nah...). Here is the kicker, France's idea was not even original; Charles V, of Holy Roman Emperor fame, had recommended the building of a canal across the isthmus of Panama as early as 1534. It took Goethals, however, to realize that the key to the Canal was a system of locks and man-made lakes to complete the 48-mile route that makes up the Panama Canal. Plus, we ended up with the one of the most famous palindromes in the world: A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama. Pure genius (seriously, if the French had built the canal, there's no way we end up with that).
But, some plans are not always successful. Just look at my main-man Zach Morris. Try as he might, he could not get his friend Jessie into Stansbury University (everyone dreams of going to Stansbury...the west coast's most prestigious university...the, that's right, THE Harvard of the West). He even went so far as to set up an interview with someone pretending to be a Stansbury counselor. How that recommendation alone was not enough to get Jessie in I will never know. It turns out, however, that Stansbury was not interested in someone who could only manage a 1205 on their SATs. Poor Jessie was "forced" to attend Columbia University instead while Zach, with his blistering 1502, found himself headed for Ya-cough-hale and those hot ivy league ladies (call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure the SATs are scored in intervals of ten...1205? 1502? They must have just misread their scores). If only Zach had made a few more calls on his ridiculously large cell phone; that would have done the trick for sure.
And while some plans do not always work out as we hoped, some people are prepared for such a result and have contingency plans standing by. You may have noticed that I remained surprisingly quiet after the NHL draft and the first twenty-four hours of the free agency period. While anarchy had descended on most of the Los Angeles Kings message boards, I kept my mouth shut and waited. I wanted to let Dean Lombardi make his moves before I declared this offseason a failure, and DL did not disappoint.
One of my favorite things about DL is that he does not hide the ball. Back in the day, Dave Taylor and Tim Leiweke used to make vague statements about their plans for the Kings as they walked the AEG party line. DL, on the other hand, has run this team like an open book. When he took over as general manager prior to the 2006-2007, he stated that he had a plan that would take three years to develop the Kings into a Stanley Cup contender. He stated he was going to build the team around a core group of young talent, a few quality veterans, and several character guys. It worked in San Jose, and now DL is trying to make in Los Angeles.
Entering NHL draft weekend, DL had stated that the Kings were hoping to trade down, but would take the best available talent at whatever number they picked. So, when the Kings drafted defenseman Thomas Hickey with the forth pick, many Kings fans began calling for DL's head (hell, if it was still being practiced here in America, I bet many of them would have called for DL to be hanged, drawn, and quartered...what a pleasant way to go). When asked why the Kings would pick a player at number four that had been ranked between 14th and 40th on several draft boards, DL did not dodge the question as Taylor or Leiweke would have done in the past. He admitted that the Kings had attempted, but failed, to trade down out of the four spot. That being said, Hickey had been at the top of the Kings's draft list for the past several months; he was, in the opinion of DL and the Kings's scout staff, the best available talent on the board. DL had done exactly what he said he would, even though it was not necessarily the popular pick. [Speaking of drafts, I'll be the first to admit that I hate the NBA and, therefore, wanted nothing to do with the NBA draft. However, I was just as interested as everyone else in seeing who went number one overall. And so I watched, fully intending to only watch the first few picks. But then I caught a glimpse of my favorite retard's draft day look and I had to see where he ended up. I would like to congratulate the Chicago Bulls on the drafting of Joakim Noah...if I were in charge of marketing for the Bulls, I would do everything in my power to keep a microphone or camera away from that man. It's good to know that even though he has left college basketball, he'll still be providing me with plenty of entertainment...but I digress]
DL did not, however, have time to worry about what fans and the Los Angeles press were saying about the draft, he had to prepare for the free agency period. July 1st came, and July 1st went; all the marque free agents were signed, none by the Kings; Kings fans were now out for blood, DL had seamlessly shifted to Plan B. DL had made it perfectly clear that he was going after several of the big name free agents in hopes of landing one of them. Early on July 1st, however, DL realized he would not be able to match the offers being made by many of the Eastern Conference teams (and for good reason, the Eastern Conference teams were offering the GDPs of small countries to the players for a term of years that would last well past the player's prime...not worth it in my book). So, while most Kings fans were calling DL and this offseason a bust, DL had shifted plans and was working on making the biggest splash in the free agent market that the Kings have made in recent memory. The Kings announced the signing of four solid free agents (Michael Handzus, Tom Preissing, Ladislav Nagy, and Kyle Calder) on July 2nd and topped it off with the signing of Brad Stuart on July 3rd.
It is safe to say that DL's 3-year plan is progressing nicely. When you mix the new additions with the returning talent, and assuming the Kings can get some decent goaltending (a BIG assumption), the Kings may find themselves returning to the playoffs for the first time in five seasons. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; there are still two more seasons left in DL's rebuilding plan. With the top rated prospect pool, twelve picks in the 2008 NHL draft, and at least $17 million in salary cap space available next offseason, the future looks bright for the Los Angeles Kings.
As for GameTime, TBD©, its future looks bright as well. With its one year anniversary right around the corner (has it really been almost a year already?), I am working on a new plan...a better plan...a plan that does not, unfortunately, include a palindrome. Sorry.
Most, if not all, members of the GameTime, TBD© "fan club" (just trying out a new name for my four or five most dedicated readers) have commented on the diminished number of posts over the past few months, and the random topics those few posts have covered. They are right. I definitely have not brought my "A" game to this site over the last couple of months, and for that I apologize. The truth of the matter is, I was unprepared. The end of the Los Angeles Kings season hit me like a ton of bricks, and I did not know where to go. If Rome was not built in a day, how could I possibly think I could create a blog without more planning? I should have looked to some of the great men of the past and present, followed their successes and failures, and worked out a thorough plan for GameTime, TBD©.
Take, for example, George Washington Goethals, the United States's Chief Engineer for construction of the Panama Canal. Under his guidance, the United States was able to build, perhaps, the most important man-made water route in the world (and also the only place you can see the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean and set over the Atlantic). It took Goethals and his men seven years to build the canal, and that is after France had been trying to build an all-sea level canal for the previous twenty-seven years (not to beat a dead horse here, but is it really any surprise the French hate us so much? I mean seriously, they screw something up, we come in, fix it, and take all the credit. It's starting to get a little old, don't you think? Nah...). Here is the kicker, France's idea was not even original; Charles V, of Holy Roman Emperor fame, had recommended the building of a canal across the isthmus of Panama as early as 1534. It took Goethals, however, to realize that the key to the Canal was a system of locks and man-made lakes to complete the 48-mile route that makes up the Panama Canal. Plus, we ended up with the one of the most famous palindromes in the world: A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama. Pure genius (seriously, if the French had built the canal, there's no way we end up with that).
But, some plans are not always successful. Just look at my main-man Zach Morris. Try as he might, he could not get his friend Jessie into Stansbury University (everyone dreams of going to Stansbury...the west coast's most prestigious university...the, that's right, THE Harvard of the West). He even went so far as to set up an interview with someone pretending to be a Stansbury counselor. How that recommendation alone was not enough to get Jessie in I will never know. It turns out, however, that Stansbury was not interested in someone who could only manage a 1205 on their SATs. Poor Jessie was "forced" to attend Columbia University instead while Zach, with his blistering 1502, found himself headed for Ya-cough-hale and those hot ivy league ladies (call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure the SATs are scored in intervals of ten...1205? 1502? They must have just misread their scores). If only Zach had made a few more calls on his ridiculously large cell phone; that would have done the trick for sure.
And while some plans do not always work out as we hoped, some people are prepared for such a result and have contingency plans standing by. You may have noticed that I remained surprisingly quiet after the NHL draft and the first twenty-four hours of the free agency period. While anarchy had descended on most of the Los Angeles Kings message boards, I kept my mouth shut and waited. I wanted to let Dean Lombardi make his moves before I declared this offseason a failure, and DL did not disappoint.
One of my favorite things about DL is that he does not hide the ball. Back in the day, Dave Taylor and Tim Leiweke used to make vague statements about their plans for the Kings as they walked the AEG party line. DL, on the other hand, has run this team like an open book. When he took over as general manager prior to the 2006-2007, he stated that he had a plan that would take three years to develop the Kings into a Stanley Cup contender. He stated he was going to build the team around a core group of young talent, a few quality veterans, and several character guys. It worked in San Jose, and now DL is trying to make in Los Angeles.
Entering NHL draft weekend, DL had stated that the Kings were hoping to trade down, but would take the best available talent at whatever number they picked. So, when the Kings drafted defenseman Thomas Hickey with the forth pick, many Kings fans began calling for DL's head (hell, if it was still being practiced here in America, I bet many of them would have called for DL to be hanged, drawn, and quartered...what a pleasant way to go). When asked why the Kings would pick a player at number four that had been ranked between 14th and 40th on several draft boards, DL did not dodge the question as Taylor or Leiweke would have done in the past. He admitted that the Kings had attempted, but failed, to trade down out of the four spot. That being said, Hickey had been at the top of the Kings's draft list for the past several months; he was, in the opinion of DL and the Kings's scout staff, the best available talent on the board. DL had done exactly what he said he would, even though it was not necessarily the popular pick. [Speaking of drafts, I'll be the first to admit that I hate the NBA and, therefore, wanted nothing to do with the NBA draft. However, I was just as interested as everyone else in seeing who went number one overall. And so I watched, fully intending to only watch the first few picks. But then I caught a glimpse of my favorite retard's draft day look and I had to see where he ended up. I would like to congratulate the Chicago Bulls on the drafting of Joakim Noah...if I were in charge of marketing for the Bulls, I would do everything in my power to keep a microphone or camera away from that man. It's good to know that even though he has left college basketball, he'll still be providing me with plenty of entertainment...but I digress]
DL did not, however, have time to worry about what fans and the Los Angeles press were saying about the draft, he had to prepare for the free agency period. July 1st came, and July 1st went; all the marque free agents were signed, none by the Kings; Kings fans were now out for blood, DL had seamlessly shifted to Plan B. DL had made it perfectly clear that he was going after several of the big name free agents in hopes of landing one of them. Early on July 1st, however, DL realized he would not be able to match the offers being made by many of the Eastern Conference teams (and for good reason, the Eastern Conference teams were offering the GDPs of small countries to the players for a term of years that would last well past the player's prime...not worth it in my book). So, while most Kings fans were calling DL and this offseason a bust, DL had shifted plans and was working on making the biggest splash in the free agent market that the Kings have made in recent memory. The Kings announced the signing of four solid free agents (Michael Handzus, Tom Preissing, Ladislav Nagy, and Kyle Calder) on July 2nd and topped it off with the signing of Brad Stuart on July 3rd.
It is safe to say that DL's 3-year plan is progressing nicely. When you mix the new additions with the returning talent, and assuming the Kings can get some decent goaltending (a BIG assumption), the Kings may find themselves returning to the playoffs for the first time in five seasons. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; there are still two more seasons left in DL's rebuilding plan. With the top rated prospect pool, twelve picks in the 2008 NHL draft, and at least $17 million in salary cap space available next offseason, the future looks bright for the Los Angeles Kings.
As for GameTime, TBD©, its future looks bright as well. With its one year anniversary right around the corner (has it really been almost a year already?), I am working on a new plan...a better plan...a plan that does not, unfortunately, include a palindrome. Sorry.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Well, At Least We Won the Revolutionary War...
Things here at GameTime, TBD© have hit a bit of a lull. It should come as no surprise to you that it corresponds to the sports world hitting a lull. Here we are, the middle of June, and all I have is baseball. Sure, I love the Dodgers; I hope they win the World Series. The thing is, I do not love 162 games worth of the Dodgers. That is the problem with baseball, it just drags on for far too long, gets overshadowed by the return of college football, the NFL, and the NHL, and has World Series games get snowed out.
Some of you might try to point out the NBA Finals are still going on. Really? As the ratings show, everyone already believes San Antonio has won the title. Like the great majority of Americans, I do not care about the NBA anymore. I was actually fairly upset with Kobe Bryant when he demanded a trade, not because he wanted out of Los Angeles, but because it is all the local Los Angeles sports talk radio stations would cover. Ugh.
Then, of course, I had to deal with Anaheim Ducks winning the Stanley Cup last week. Seriously, what did I do to deserve this? The Ducks spotted the Los Angeles Kings 30 years and a name change, yet they have already been to the Stanley Cup Finals (2) more times then the Kings (1), have won more Stanley Cup Final games (7) then the Kings (1), and have won more Stanley Cups (1) then the Kings (0) (my own family had the nerve to talk to me about how happy they were for the Ducks...seriously Dad, it's not funny...bad form...I'm sending my therapy bills home to you). Thankfully, the NHL draft is right around the corner (June 22-23) and the free agency period starts on July 1st. I can not wait to see who the Kings are able to pick up this offseason (coincidentally, I'll be in Vegas the weekend of the NHL draft...if you need to find me, I'll be in a sports book placing prop bets on who is taken number 1 overall and who the Kings take first...yes, I have a problem).
All hope, however, is not lost because, according to NBC, America's Got Talent! Now, I know in the past I have ripped on reality television and other similar shows, but I have a special bond with this one. It premiered last summer and I found that it was a good way to take my mind of the California Bar Exam. So, once a week I would take the night off, pop some popcorn, and watch America's Got Talent. And here is the thing with this show, it turns out that America is actually pretty darn talented (don't get me wrong, calling some of the "talents" weird is putting it nicely...but I was generally impressed with the things people could do). Plus, David Hasselhoff is one of the judges. So mix some weird talents with (Don't Hassle) The Hoff and you have got yourself and pretty entertaining show.
Which is why I was more than willing to tune into the show's premiere last Tuesday night. The show is run very similar to American Idol in that the first few shows are preliminary rounds in various cities around the United States. Last Tuesday, they were in Dallas. The show has changed a little this year; Sharon Osbourne replaced Brandy as one of the judges, and Jerry Springer has replaced the always-lovable Regis Philbin as host. I am not sold on Springer as a host, but Osbourne makes a great judge (is odd that I feel like if Ozzy Osbourne was to appear as a contestant on this show he wouldn't advance to the next round?). I was generally impressed (I figured "surprised" might alienate all of my Dallas readers) with the talent people in Dallas displayed and am looking forward to tonight's instalment.
But here is the thing, it turns out that Britain's Got Talent as well. Simon Cowell (everybody's favorite American Idol judge) created the show and runs it in both countries. He also serves as judge in the British version, which airs nightly on ITV1. The American version, on the other hand, only airs weekly. Is it possible that Great Britain (BAP's birthplace...don't worry, I'm an American citizen by birth...I was a pleasant surprise to my parents while Dad was working there for a few years) has so much more talent then America that they have to run more episodes?
So here we are, another epic showdown between America and Great Britain. I took a few moments to peruse the Internet this morning (read: searched You Tube), and, as it turns out, Great Britain is pretty darn talented. I watched several clips this morning that thoroughly impressed me, and here are two of my favorites:
1) First up, we have 6-year-old Conny (that's right, SIX). She may be missing all of her front teeth, but she's got some pretty impressive pipes:
B) Second, there is Paul (missing your front teeth is the new black in Britain this year). By day, Paul is a computer technician; by night, a unknowing opera star (sorry guys, I was a singer in high school and college, so I'm biased):
Pretty impressive if you ask me. I mean, sure Amanda Holden (middle judge) cries on cue...errr....I mean...is moved to tears frequently, but at least she is easy on the eyes. I am also impressed that Piers Morgan (the judge who is not Simon Cowell or an attractive female) can be in both America and Britain at the same time to judge both shows. Better yet, the winner of Britain's Got Talent gets to perform for Her Majesty, the Queen of England. That is quite a prize (especially when you throw in 100,000 British pounds just for the hell of it). In the end, I must admit, I was impressed with many more of the acts I saw on Britain's Got Talent then on last week's America's Got Talent.
But according to Mr. Ballard—my 11th grade AP U.S. History teacher and a pretty trustworthy guy—America won the Revolutionary War…so take that Great Britain!
Some of you might try to point out the NBA Finals are still going on. Really? As the ratings show, everyone already believes San Antonio has won the title. Like the great majority of Americans, I do not care about the NBA anymore. I was actually fairly upset with Kobe Bryant when he demanded a trade, not because he wanted out of Los Angeles, but because it is all the local Los Angeles sports talk radio stations would cover. Ugh.
Then, of course, I had to deal with Anaheim Ducks winning the Stanley Cup last week. Seriously, what did I do to deserve this? The Ducks spotted the Los Angeles Kings 30 years and a name change, yet they have already been to the Stanley Cup Finals (2) more times then the Kings (1), have won more Stanley Cup Final games (7) then the Kings (1), and have won more Stanley Cups (1) then the Kings (0) (my own family had the nerve to talk to me about how happy they were for the Ducks...seriously Dad, it's not funny...bad form...I'm sending my therapy bills home to you). Thankfully, the NHL draft is right around the corner (June 22-23) and the free agency period starts on July 1st. I can not wait to see who the Kings are able to pick up this offseason (coincidentally, I'll be in Vegas the weekend of the NHL draft...if you need to find me, I'll be in a sports book placing prop bets on who is taken number 1 overall and who the Kings take first...yes, I have a problem).
All hope, however, is not lost because, according to NBC, America's Got Talent! Now, I know in the past I have ripped on reality television and other similar shows, but I have a special bond with this one. It premiered last summer and I found that it was a good way to take my mind of the California Bar Exam. So, once a week I would take the night off, pop some popcorn, and watch America's Got Talent. And here is the thing with this show, it turns out that America is actually pretty darn talented (don't get me wrong, calling some of the "talents" weird is putting it nicely...but I was generally impressed with the things people could do). Plus, David Hasselhoff is one of the judges. So mix some weird talents with (Don't Hassle) The Hoff and you have got yourself and pretty entertaining show.
Which is why I was more than willing to tune into the show's premiere last Tuesday night. The show is run very similar to American Idol in that the first few shows are preliminary rounds in various cities around the United States. Last Tuesday, they were in Dallas. The show has changed a little this year; Sharon Osbourne replaced Brandy as one of the judges, and Jerry Springer has replaced the always-lovable Regis Philbin as host. I am not sold on Springer as a host, but Osbourne makes a great judge (is odd that I feel like if Ozzy Osbourne was to appear as a contestant on this show he wouldn't advance to the next round?). I was generally impressed (I figured "surprised" might alienate all of my Dallas readers) with the talent people in Dallas displayed and am looking forward to tonight's instalment.
But here is the thing, it turns out that Britain's Got Talent as well. Simon Cowell (everybody's favorite American Idol judge) created the show and runs it in both countries. He also serves as judge in the British version, which airs nightly on ITV1. The American version, on the other hand, only airs weekly. Is it possible that Great Britain (BAP's birthplace...don't worry, I'm an American citizen by birth...I was a pleasant surprise to my parents while Dad was working there for a few years) has so much more talent then America that they have to run more episodes?
So here we are, another epic showdown between America and Great Britain. I took a few moments to peruse the Internet this morning (read: searched You Tube), and, as it turns out, Great Britain is pretty darn talented. I watched several clips this morning that thoroughly impressed me, and here are two of my favorites:
1) First up, we have 6-year-old Conny (that's right, SIX). She may be missing all of her front teeth, but she's got some pretty impressive pipes:
B) Second, there is Paul (missing your front teeth is the new black in Britain this year). By day, Paul is a computer technician; by night, a unknowing opera star (sorry guys, I was a singer in high school and college, so I'm biased):
Pretty impressive if you ask me. I mean, sure Amanda Holden (middle judge) cries on cue...errr....I mean...is moved to tears frequently, but at least she is easy on the eyes. I am also impressed that Piers Morgan (the judge who is not Simon Cowell or an attractive female) can be in both America and Britain at the same time to judge both shows. Better yet, the winner of Britain's Got Talent gets to perform for Her Majesty, the Queen of England. That is quite a prize (especially when you throw in 100,000 British pounds just for the hell of it). In the end, I must admit, I was impressed with many more of the acts I saw on Britain's Got Talent then on last week's America's Got Talent.
But according to Mr. Ballard—my 11th grade AP U.S. History teacher and a pretty trustworthy guy—America won the Revolutionary War…so take that Great Britain!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
If It's Almost a Sport, We've Got It Here!
My more astute readers will recognize the title of this post from a movie; other readers will simply assume that this post will, as many of my posts do, cover a topic somewhat related to sports. In this case, all of you are correct (everyone's a winner).
"If it's almost a sport, we've got it here" was, of course, the slogan for ESPN8, "The Ocho," in Dodgeball. Now, you are probably as surprised as I am that ESPN has not yet expanded all the way out to ESPN8. I mean, ESPN2 has been around since October of 1993 (ah, do you remember the good ol' days of "The Deuce?" All the shows had to have a "2" in them: Baseball2Nite, NHL2Nite...memories). They added ESPNews in 1996 and purchased Classic Sports Network in 1997, rebranding it to ESPN Classic. Throw in ESPN Deportes, which launched in 2004, and ESPNU, which launched in 2005, and ESPN is closer than they think. That is six channels right there. Come on George Bodenheimer, is it that hard to come up with gimmicks for two more stations? Once you get to eight, there is a slogan ripe for the picking.
Now, you may be wondering why I am so anxious for ESPN to expand out to its eighth channel, especially since it already has a dominating grip over the entire sports industry. Well my friends, that is because I know the perfect show to be the center piece of "The Ocho"'s programing. It is not actually a sport, but it is close (you might say it's "almost a sport"...funny how that works). It is a show that already aired on television, from 1989-1996, with surprising success. It is a show that I used to watch on Saturday mornings whenever I could sneak away long enough from my Mom. No, I am not talking about the WWE (better known as the WWF during the 1990s, you know, before they were sued by the World Wildlife Fund in 2000). I am talking about this:
That is right ladies and gentlemen, I am calling for the return of American Gladiators! What you have just witnessed (assuming you actually watched the video) was, perhaps, one of the greatest television moments of the early 1990s. Just listen to how excited announcers Mike Adamle and Dan Clark and the crowd get. And that, my friends, is only a small part of the greatness that is American Gladiators. How can forget such competitions as Atlasphere, Powerball, Breakthrough and Conquer, Assault, Human Cannonball, Hang Tough, Gauntlet, The Maze, and, of course The Eliminator? And what about the classic Gladiators like Nitro, Blaze, Laser, Gemini, Lace, Diamond, Ice, and Turbo? (If you ask me, the producers should have kept Malibu around for more than one season...look at that hair.)
Now, I am not just talking about re-airing the originals (hell, ESPN already does that seven nights a week on ESPN Classic...why haven't I set the Tivo for this yet?). What I am saying is that ESPN should bring it back, brand new. They should film new episodes and let their marketing machine make it the next big reality show. Bring back as many of the original Gladiators as possible (assuming the steroids haven't killed them off already); bring in any new Gladiators as needed; keep all of the games, but updated as necessary for the twenty-first century; and let the good times roll (I believe it is also important that Mike Adamle return as the main host, but that he be reunited with his first season co-host...Joe Theismann...I mean, last time I checked Theismann had a little extra time on his hands). It cannot be that hard. As it turns out, "Gladiator Arena" is still standing and in working order on the CBS Studios lot, open for tours daily (wait a sec, "Gladiator Arena" is open for tours daily? How did I miss this? It's unbelievable).
If I knew the first thing about starting a petition, I would start one immediately. Instead, I will wait for someone else to start one while I enjoy my re-runs on ESPN Classic. But rest assured, when someone out there finally starts a petition to bring back American Gladiators, I will be the first person to sign it (with my friend Money Bags a close second).
In the meantime, I recommend Mr. Bodenheimer gets cracking on ESPN7 because "The Ocho" express is ready to pull into the station.
[Update: Since I mentioned the golden locks of Malibu above, I thought I'd add one more video...this one focused on Malibu and his surfer persona. Enjoy!]
"If it's almost a sport, we've got it here" was, of course, the slogan for ESPN8, "The Ocho," in Dodgeball. Now, you are probably as surprised as I am that ESPN has not yet expanded all the way out to ESPN8. I mean, ESPN2 has been around since October of 1993 (ah, do you remember the good ol' days of "The Deuce?" All the shows had to have a "2" in them: Baseball2Nite, NHL2Nite...memories). They added ESPNews in 1996 and purchased Classic Sports Network in 1997, rebranding it to ESPN Classic. Throw in ESPN Deportes, which launched in 2004, and ESPNU, which launched in 2005, and ESPN is closer than they think. That is six channels right there. Come on George Bodenheimer, is it that hard to come up with gimmicks for two more stations? Once you get to eight, there is a slogan ripe for the picking.
Now, you may be wondering why I am so anxious for ESPN to expand out to its eighth channel, especially since it already has a dominating grip over the entire sports industry. Well my friends, that is because I know the perfect show to be the center piece of "The Ocho"'s programing. It is not actually a sport, but it is close (you might say it's "almost a sport"...funny how that works). It is a show that already aired on television, from 1989-1996, with surprising success. It is a show that I used to watch on Saturday mornings whenever I could sneak away long enough from my Mom. No, I am not talking about the WWE (better known as the WWF during the 1990s, you know, before they were sued by the World Wildlife Fund in 2000). I am talking about this:
That is right ladies and gentlemen, I am calling for the return of American Gladiators! What you have just witnessed (assuming you actually watched the video) was, perhaps, one of the greatest television moments of the early 1990s. Just listen to how excited announcers Mike Adamle and Dan Clark and the crowd get. And that, my friends, is only a small part of the greatness that is American Gladiators. How can forget such competitions as Atlasphere, Powerball, Breakthrough and Conquer, Assault, Human Cannonball, Hang Tough, Gauntlet, The Maze, and, of course The Eliminator? And what about the classic Gladiators like Nitro, Blaze, Laser, Gemini, Lace, Diamond, Ice, and Turbo? (If you ask me, the producers should have kept Malibu around for more than one season...look at that hair.)
Now, I am not just talking about re-airing the originals (hell, ESPN already does that seven nights a week on ESPN Classic...why haven't I set the Tivo for this yet?). What I am saying is that ESPN should bring it back, brand new. They should film new episodes and let their marketing machine make it the next big reality show. Bring back as many of the original Gladiators as possible (assuming the steroids haven't killed them off already); bring in any new Gladiators as needed; keep all of the games, but updated as necessary for the twenty-first century; and let the good times roll (I believe it is also important that Mike Adamle return as the main host, but that he be reunited with his first season co-host...Joe Theismann...I mean, last time I checked Theismann had a little extra time on his hands). It cannot be that hard. As it turns out, "Gladiator Arena" is still standing and in working order on the CBS Studios lot, open for tours daily (wait a sec, "Gladiator Arena" is open for tours daily? How did I miss this? It's unbelievable).
If I knew the first thing about starting a petition, I would start one immediately. Instead, I will wait for someone else to start one while I enjoy my re-runs on ESPN Classic. But rest assured, when someone out there finally starts a petition to bring back American Gladiators, I will be the first person to sign it (with my friend Money Bags a close second).
In the meantime, I recommend Mr. Bodenheimer gets cracking on ESPN7 because "The Ocho" express is ready to pull into the station.
[Update: Since I mentioned the golden locks of Malibu above, I thought I'd add one more video...this one focused on Malibu and his surfer persona. Enjoy!]
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Stop Me If You've Heard This Before...
I am not a big fan of change; not many people are. I do not fear change, like so many people out there do, I just do not like it. The biggest change I am dealing with right now is remembering to introduce my Better Half as my fiance and not my girlfriend. I am also coming to terms with the fact that I will never have a summer vacation again. As I flipped my calender over to May, I recalled how at this time last year (actually, this time every year for past 7 years...You know, a lot of people go to college for 7 years. I know, they're called doctors), I was getting ready to take finals and headed towards summer vacation. Sure, my summer "vacation" entailed studying for the California Bar Exam, but it was still summer and you can study outside in the sun. Now, as I stare out my office window, I see that June, July, and August are right around the corner and there is no summer vacation coming with it (ugh!).
The arrival of May also means that I have only a few more months until my lease is up and, come August, I will have to pack up all my "stuff" and move. I moved a lot when I was younger, so moving is always kind of hard for me. I usually get very attached to the place I live and hate to move. Thankfully, I do not particularly like where I am living right now (with the exception of the fact that I'm living with my Better Half), so I am actually looking forward to moving. It still, however, means yet another change in my life, and all these changes start to add up. As the changes begin to add up, I start to get more stressed. It is nice to know, then, that some things never change.
Opening the Los Angeles Times sports page this morning, it appears the Los Angeles Dodgers have once again finished April in first place in the National League West. Since I can remember being a Dodger fan, it seems as though every season, with few exceptions, the Dodgers are at or near the top of the NL West after April. You would think their fast starts would translate to success late in the season, but that is not the case. Since the Dodgers won the World Series in 1988 (I can remember it like yesterday, Gibby rounding the bases pumping his fist...the guy could barely walk), they have only made it the playoffs four times and have won exactly one (1) playoff game since then. They have been swept three of the four times they have made it to the post season since 1988. Pathetic. While I appreciate the Dodgers' early season success, I have learned to not get my hopes up. Let us wait and see where things stand in August, then I might get excited. After all, it is like my brother-in-law said after my Dodgers swept his Giants: "It's only April." (Speaking of the San Francisco Giants, I'd like to comment on Barry Bonds' chase to break Hank Aaron's career home run record. I hate Barry Bonds, more than I hate the Giants...and I hate them a lot. I have no doubt he's knowingly juiced it up in the past, and likely still does today. But here's the thing, I'm actually rooting for him to break the record. Baseball turned a blind-eye to steroids for many years...nearly a decade, if not longer. It was steroids that helped bring the fans back after the 1994 player strike. And now that baseball's most sacred record is dangerously close to being broken, by a personality (Bonds) that no one particularly likes, he's become the scapegoat for baseball's problems. I still don't like Bonds, but I want him to break the record so that major league baseball gets what it deserves....but I digress)
It is also nice to know that my Detroit Lions never change. I spent this past weekend in upstate New York visiting my grandparents, aunt and uncle. As an added bonus, my two cousins were also in town. One of my cousins is a huge Cleveland Browns fan, so we decided to take some time out of the weekend to watch some of the NFL draft. I was very excited to see what my Detroit Lions were going to do with the second overall pick (I guess it pays to have the worst record in the NFL since 2001), especially with the Raiders going after their franchise quarterback with the first overall pick. With so many options, I was holding my breath when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stepped to the podium and announced: "With the second pick in the 2007 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions select Calvin Johnson, wider receiver, Georgia Tech." [I'd like to take a moment to complement Roger Goodell on the excellent job he's done in his first year as NFL Commissioner. First, he's worked hard attempting to clean up the NFL's image, what with all the problems players have been having with the law lately (see, e.g., Adam "Pacman" Jones, Chris Henry, and Tank Johnson). He also made the classy move of inviting of Brady Quinn to stay in his private room during the draft when Quinn's stock began to stumble and the press began to pounce (I've never seen someone go from hate to love quicker than my cousin on Saturday...he was going to kill the Browns if they took Quinn with the third pick, he hated the idea of Quinn in a Browns uniform...but when they traded up for an additional first round pick to take him, it was instant man crush...with good reason I guess). We all remember watching Aaron Rodgers, a potential number one overall pick in the 2005 draft, sitting in the Green Room all by himself until he was picked 24th by the Green Bay Packers. Goodell wasn't going to let that happen.]
As you may recall, a couple of months I discussed how the only option was for the Lions to take Joe Thomas, an offensive tackle from Wisconsin. They had just traded for a right tackle and could strengthen the line with a left tackle. But at the time I was still focused on hockey and preparing for March Madness; I was not thinking straight. About a week ago, I started to focus on the draft and I began to realize taking Calvin Johnson was exactly what the Lions needed to do. First, I forgot that the Lions have Jeff Backus at left tackle. Their first round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, Backus has started all ninety-six games for the Lions over the past six seasons. When they obtained Foster from Denver, the Lions had securely anchored their offensive line for years to come. A quarterback was not necessary that early in the draft, as quarterbacks picked early in the first round tend to be busts. Plus, Jon Kitna is more that a serviceable quarterback. He has a great presence in both the pocket and the locker room and threw for over 4,000 yards last year with Roy Williams and Mike Furrey (who?) as his primary receivers (plus, they took Drew Stanton in the second round). Yes, yes, I know it is the forth time in five years that the Lions have selected a wide-receiver in the Top 10. But as I told my cousin the day before the draft: one of the receivers (Charles Rogers) is no longer on the team; another (Mike Williams) played maybe eight snaps in the 2006 season (and was actually traded in the forth round of the draft); Calvin Johnson is, far and away, the best athlete in the draft (he's a freak); and, as the Indianapolis Colts proved last season, a great offense can win you a championship. Matt Millan, I salute you for a job well done.
Now all I have to do is start planning a wedding...breathe BAP, just breathe.
The arrival of May also means that I have only a few more months until my lease is up and, come August, I will have to pack up all my "stuff" and move. I moved a lot when I was younger, so moving is always kind of hard for me. I usually get very attached to the place I live and hate to move. Thankfully, I do not particularly like where I am living right now (with the exception of the fact that I'm living with my Better Half), so I am actually looking forward to moving. It still, however, means yet another change in my life, and all these changes start to add up. As the changes begin to add up, I start to get more stressed. It is nice to know, then, that some things never change.
Opening the Los Angeles Times sports page this morning, it appears the Los Angeles Dodgers have once again finished April in first place in the National League West. Since I can remember being a Dodger fan, it seems as though every season, with few exceptions, the Dodgers are at or near the top of the NL West after April. You would think their fast starts would translate to success late in the season, but that is not the case. Since the Dodgers won the World Series in 1988 (I can remember it like yesterday, Gibby rounding the bases pumping his fist...the guy could barely walk), they have only made it the playoffs four times and have won exactly one (1) playoff game since then. They have been swept three of the four times they have made it to the post season since 1988. Pathetic. While I appreciate the Dodgers' early season success, I have learned to not get my hopes up. Let us wait and see where things stand in August, then I might get excited. After all, it is like my brother-in-law said after my Dodgers swept his Giants: "It's only April." (Speaking of the San Francisco Giants, I'd like to comment on Barry Bonds' chase to break Hank Aaron's career home run record. I hate Barry Bonds, more than I hate the Giants...and I hate them a lot. I have no doubt he's knowingly juiced it up in the past, and likely still does today. But here's the thing, I'm actually rooting for him to break the record. Baseball turned a blind-eye to steroids for many years...nearly a decade, if not longer. It was steroids that helped bring the fans back after the 1994 player strike. And now that baseball's most sacred record is dangerously close to being broken, by a personality (Bonds) that no one particularly likes, he's become the scapegoat for baseball's problems. I still don't like Bonds, but I want him to break the record so that major league baseball gets what it deserves....but I digress)
It is also nice to know that my Detroit Lions never change. I spent this past weekend in upstate New York visiting my grandparents, aunt and uncle. As an added bonus, my two cousins were also in town. One of my cousins is a huge Cleveland Browns fan, so we decided to take some time out of the weekend to watch some of the NFL draft. I was very excited to see what my Detroit Lions were going to do with the second overall pick (I guess it pays to have the worst record in the NFL since 2001), especially with the Raiders going after their franchise quarterback with the first overall pick. With so many options, I was holding my breath when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stepped to the podium and announced: "With the second pick in the 2007 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions select Calvin Johnson, wider receiver, Georgia Tech." [I'd like to take a moment to complement Roger Goodell on the excellent job he's done in his first year as NFL Commissioner. First, he's worked hard attempting to clean up the NFL's image, what with all the problems players have been having with the law lately (see, e.g., Adam "Pacman" Jones, Chris Henry, and Tank Johnson). He also made the classy move of inviting of Brady Quinn to stay in his private room during the draft when Quinn's stock began to stumble and the press began to pounce (I've never seen someone go from hate to love quicker than my cousin on Saturday...he was going to kill the Browns if they took Quinn with the third pick, he hated the idea of Quinn in a Browns uniform...but when they traded up for an additional first round pick to take him, it was instant man crush...with good reason I guess). We all remember watching Aaron Rodgers, a potential number one overall pick in the 2005 draft, sitting in the Green Room all by himself until he was picked 24th by the Green Bay Packers. Goodell wasn't going to let that happen.]
As you may recall, a couple of months I discussed how the only option was for the Lions to take Joe Thomas, an offensive tackle from Wisconsin. They had just traded for a right tackle and could strengthen the line with a left tackle. But at the time I was still focused on hockey and preparing for March Madness; I was not thinking straight. About a week ago, I started to focus on the draft and I began to realize taking Calvin Johnson was exactly what the Lions needed to do. First, I forgot that the Lions have Jeff Backus at left tackle. Their first round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, Backus has started all ninety-six games for the Lions over the past six seasons. When they obtained Foster from Denver, the Lions had securely anchored their offensive line for years to come. A quarterback was not necessary that early in the draft, as quarterbacks picked early in the first round tend to be busts. Plus, Jon Kitna is more that a serviceable quarterback. He has a great presence in both the pocket and the locker room and threw for over 4,000 yards last year with Roy Williams and Mike Furrey (who?) as his primary receivers (plus, they took Drew Stanton in the second round). Yes, yes, I know it is the forth time in five years that the Lions have selected a wide-receiver in the Top 10. But as I told my cousin the day before the draft: one of the receivers (Charles Rogers) is no longer on the team; another (Mike Williams) played maybe eight snaps in the 2006 season (and was actually traded in the forth round of the draft); Calvin Johnson is, far and away, the best athlete in the draft (he's a freak); and, as the Indianapolis Colts proved last season, a great offense can win you a championship. Matt Millan, I salute you for a job well done.
Now all I have to do is start planning a wedding...breathe BAP, just breathe.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
You're My Boy, Blue!
I am currently in the process of writing two new posts, one regarding the Imus event and the other a recap of the Los Angeles Kings season. Unfortunately (while, at least for you, my readers), my free time over the last few weeks had been consumed by me planning a weekend trip to Monterey so I could propose to my Better Half (she said yes, of course...never any doubt...had to make an honest woman out of her eventually). While the writing of those posts may be slow moving, I do not want to leave you, my loyal readers, high-and-dry with nothing to enjoy. Thankfully, Will Ferrell was born.
I am a huge Ferrell fan. I know many of my family members will be shocked to hear that I have yet to see Blades of Glory (see, supra, planning engagement weekend excuse), but I plan to remedy that this weekend. I did, however, get to see Ferrell drop Meredith Vieira, host of NBC's Today, on her head while promoting the movie (you too can see it here). When I just think of all his great performances on the big screen (Zoolander, Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Stranger Than Fiction), I can not help but laugh. His cameo in Wedding Crashers remains one of the most underrated performances in cinema history. I probably quote Will Ferrell, either from a movie or his run on Saturday Night Live, at least ten times a day.
So, since laughter makes everyday a little a brighter (wow, cheesiest line ever written on GameTime, TBD©), I thought I would pass along the following film short that Ferrell produced. I now present to you, "The Landlord." Enjoy!
[UPDATE: The embedded video was causing problems with the blog. I apologize for having to remove it. So, here's a link for you to follow if you would still like to watch it: The Landlord.]
I am a huge Ferrell fan. I know many of my family members will be shocked to hear that I have yet to see Blades of Glory (see, supra, planning engagement weekend excuse), but I plan to remedy that this weekend. I did, however, get to see Ferrell drop Meredith Vieira, host of NBC's Today, on her head while promoting the movie (you too can see it here). When I just think of all his great performances on the big screen (Zoolander, Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Stranger Than Fiction), I can not help but laugh. His cameo in Wedding Crashers remains one of the most underrated performances in cinema history. I probably quote Will Ferrell, either from a movie or his run on Saturday Night Live, at least ten times a day.
So, since laughter makes everyday a little a brighter (wow, cheesiest line ever written on GameTime, TBD©), I thought I would pass along the following film short that Ferrell produced. I now present to you, "The Landlord." Enjoy!
[UPDATE: The embedded video was causing problems with the blog. I apologize for having to remove it. So, here's a link for you to follow if you would still like to watch it: The Landlord.]
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
And Poof...Just Like That, It's Gone
While Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, the first week of April is one of the worst times of the year. March Madness has once again come to an end and that means, besides Florida having won the national championship again (ugh), I am forced to work full weeks again (seriously, I think I've forgotten how to work a five day week....someone please help, I'm scared). It also marks, what I believe to be, the low point for sports every year. College sports are essentially done for the year, football is still five months away, basketball and hockey are in playoff mode, and baseball is left as the only sport to watch on television (and it's hard to watch baseball on television...and there's 162 games in a season, who wants to watch that many games?).
Making matters worse, as I look back on this year's tournament, there is a feeling of emptiness left behind. In fact, the happenings in college basketball post-tournament have been more enjoyable than the tournament was. Admittedly, I am biased by the bitter after taste I have in my mouth from the egg that UCLA laid in its second straight drubbing at the hands of Florida. But when you look back, was not the entire Final Four and Championship one big egg? What was touted by most experts as the best Final Four in years turned into three uninspired victories by teams I do not particularly care about (although Florida's victory did give Joakim Noah the chance to, once again, show the entire world just how retarded he is...thank you Joakim, your ability to confuse everyone will be missed next year). The tournament also lacked the usual "Cinderella" team that no one in the nation has heard about but wants to rout for. If you picked a bracket based on the favorites, you would have done fairly well in your pool, unlike previous years (if you're going through bracket withdraw, like I am, the boys over at Seattle's AM 950, KJR Sports Radio, have what you need...it's called "The Bigger Dance," and the winner gets two tickets to any sporting event in the world....Marisa Miller over Kate Beckinsale in the final...remember, you heard it first at GameTime, TBD©). Sure, I had a really great time traveling around with my friends and family to watch some of the games live, but I was never drawn to the television to watch other games. I only watched about twenty minutes of the national championship game, and that was because it was on at the gym while I ran on a treadmill.
On the other hand, look at what has happened since the tournament ended. Tubby Smith left all the racists in Kentucky for a more comfortable position at Minnesota. Everyone assumed that Billy Donovan would be leaving Florida after the tournament for the Kentucky job. But that did not happen. Donovan decided to stay, choosing a life of mediocrity for the next ten years (come on Billy, I thought you were smarter than that). Texas' Rick Barnes withdrew his name from consideration before Kentucky could even come knocking, which forced Kentucky to go with its obvious third choice, Mark Few from Gonzaga. This is a brilliant choice by Kentucky. What Few has done at Gonzaga with the minimal talent available to him is impressive. I, for one, can not wait to see what he does with the talent he can get at Ken...wait, what is that you say? Kentucky did not go with Mark Few? Then who?
Well, much to the chagrin of this Aggies fan, Kentucky went with Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie. I was pretty surprised myself to see Gillispie go, considering he turned down a substantial raise from Arkansas to stay at A&M. And I am sure the disgruntled Aggies fan was extra excited to hear that Texas A&M had chosen Wichita State's Mark Turgeon to replace Gillispie. Then there is John Beilein, who left West Virginia for the vacant Michigan position after Tommy Amaker was fired. Beilein has been replaced at West Virginia by Bob Huggins, who accepted the position before the phone even finished ringing (there is no bigger Bob Huggins than my Mom....we're talking HUGE fan...ginormous...so big a fan, she's buying the Big East package from her cable provider...so big a fan, she built a Bob Huggins voodoo doll and instantly decapitated it). Both Beilein and Huggins have to pay their previous schools money for breaking their contracts. While Huggins gets saddled with a $100,000 expense for taking the job, Beilein has to pay $2.5 million back to West Virginia. All this, and the NCAA Tournament has only been done for eight days.
Wait, there is more? While some schools are losing coaches left and right, others are losing players as underclassmen declare for the NBA draft. Although the deadline to declare is not until April 29th, a slew of underclassmen have already declared. Most notably, the four Florida juniors I love to hate (Noah, Horford, Brewer, and Green) have declared, Kevin Durant declared, as did Glen "Big Baby" Davis from LSU, Spencer Hawes from Washington, Julian Wright from Kansas, and Josh McRoberts from Duke to name a few.
And then there is Aaron Afflalo. It had been a rollercoaster ride for AA since the end of the Pac 10 season, when he failed to show up for the last few UCLA games. Not what you want from your supposed team leader heading into the NCAA Tournament. Many believed he had played himself out of the first round of the NBA draft and back to UCLA for his senior season. Then AA led UCLA to an impressive victory over Kansas (not all to surprising that UCLA was overlooked by most experts once again), and many felt he had done enough to get back to the first round. But that was before UCLA played Florida in the Final Four (I just threw up a little in my mouth). As has become the norm with AA, he failed to show up for the big game. Sure he finished with seventeen points, but his first basket did not come until there was 6:13 left in the game (you read that right). He spent most of the first half on the bench in foul trouble. After watching that performance, many UCLA fans (myself included) were excited...Aaron Afflalo had played his way back out of the first round, would return for his senior year, UCLA would be returning its entire line-up, and adding the top-rated recruit in the nation. Third straight final four? Here we....oh wait, Aaron Afflalo declared for the NBA draft and will be going pro. Oh well, at least Kevin Love is still coming to town.
So, that of course, leaves UCLA with the following (likely) starting line-up for next season: Collison at point; Westbrook as the shooting guard (maybe Roll); Shipp at the three spot; big Kevin Love at four (I know what you're thinking, he should play the five spot...mark my words, he will dominate out of the power forward position...his outlets are Walton-esque); and your choice of Mata, Mbah a Moute, Aboya, and Keefe at five. Hey, this might now be so bad after all. I would think UCLA could be the team to beat next year. CBS seems to agree with me while ESPN continues to undervalue the ability of Ben Howland and the new UCLA dynasty. They should learn from Calipari, Sampson, and Self.
But that is neither here nor there because right now, I have got to figure out how to survive until next August. Any suggestions?
Making matters worse, as I look back on this year's tournament, there is a feeling of emptiness left behind. In fact, the happenings in college basketball post-tournament have been more enjoyable than the tournament was. Admittedly, I am biased by the bitter after taste I have in my mouth from the egg that UCLA laid in its second straight drubbing at the hands of Florida. But when you look back, was not the entire Final Four and Championship one big egg? What was touted by most experts as the best Final Four in years turned into three uninspired victories by teams I do not particularly care about (although Florida's victory did give Joakim Noah the chance to, once again, show the entire world just how retarded he is...thank you Joakim, your ability to confuse everyone will be missed next year). The tournament also lacked the usual "Cinderella" team that no one in the nation has heard about but wants to rout for. If you picked a bracket based on the favorites, you would have done fairly well in your pool, unlike previous years (if you're going through bracket withdraw, like I am, the boys over at Seattle's AM 950, KJR Sports Radio, have what you need...it's called "The Bigger Dance," and the winner gets two tickets to any sporting event in the world....Marisa Miller over Kate Beckinsale in the final...remember, you heard it first at GameTime, TBD©). Sure, I had a really great time traveling around with my friends and family to watch some of the games live, but I was never drawn to the television to watch other games. I only watched about twenty minutes of the national championship game, and that was because it was on at the gym while I ran on a treadmill.
On the other hand, look at what has happened since the tournament ended. Tubby Smith left all the racists in Kentucky for a more comfortable position at Minnesota. Everyone assumed that Billy Donovan would be leaving Florida after the tournament for the Kentucky job. But that did not happen. Donovan decided to stay, choosing a life of mediocrity for the next ten years (come on Billy, I thought you were smarter than that). Texas' Rick Barnes withdrew his name from consideration before Kentucky could even come knocking, which forced Kentucky to go with its obvious third choice, Mark Few from Gonzaga. This is a brilliant choice by Kentucky. What Few has done at Gonzaga with the minimal talent available to him is impressive. I, for one, can not wait to see what he does with the talent he can get at Ken...wait, what is that you say? Kentucky did not go with Mark Few? Then who?
Well, much to the chagrin of this Aggies fan, Kentucky went with Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie. I was pretty surprised myself to see Gillispie go, considering he turned down a substantial raise from Arkansas to stay at A&M. And I am sure the disgruntled Aggies fan was extra excited to hear that Texas A&M had chosen Wichita State's Mark Turgeon to replace Gillispie. Then there is John Beilein, who left West Virginia for the vacant Michigan position after Tommy Amaker was fired. Beilein has been replaced at West Virginia by Bob Huggins, who accepted the position before the phone even finished ringing (there is no bigger Bob Huggins than my Mom....we're talking HUGE fan...ginormous...so big a fan, she's buying the Big East package from her cable provider...so big a fan, she built a Bob Huggins voodoo doll and instantly decapitated it). Both Beilein and Huggins have to pay their previous schools money for breaking their contracts. While Huggins gets saddled with a $100,000 expense for taking the job, Beilein has to pay $2.5 million back to West Virginia. All this, and the NCAA Tournament has only been done for eight days.
Wait, there is more? While some schools are losing coaches left and right, others are losing players as underclassmen declare for the NBA draft. Although the deadline to declare is not until April 29th, a slew of underclassmen have already declared. Most notably, the four Florida juniors I love to hate (Noah, Horford, Brewer, and Green) have declared, Kevin Durant declared, as did Glen "Big Baby" Davis from LSU, Spencer Hawes from Washington, Julian Wright from Kansas, and Josh McRoberts from Duke to name a few.
And then there is Aaron Afflalo. It had been a rollercoaster ride for AA since the end of the Pac 10 season, when he failed to show up for the last few UCLA games. Not what you want from your supposed team leader heading into the NCAA Tournament. Many believed he had played himself out of the first round of the NBA draft and back to UCLA for his senior season. Then AA led UCLA to an impressive victory over Kansas (not all to surprising that UCLA was overlooked by most experts once again), and many felt he had done enough to get back to the first round. But that was before UCLA played Florida in the Final Four (I just threw up a little in my mouth). As has become the norm with AA, he failed to show up for the big game. Sure he finished with seventeen points, but his first basket did not come until there was 6:13 left in the game (you read that right). He spent most of the first half on the bench in foul trouble. After watching that performance, many UCLA fans (myself included) were excited...Aaron Afflalo had played his way back out of the first round, would return for his senior year, UCLA would be returning its entire line-up, and adding the top-rated recruit in the nation. Third straight final four? Here we....oh wait, Aaron Afflalo declared for the NBA draft and will be going pro. Oh well, at least Kevin Love is still coming to town.
So, that of course, leaves UCLA with the following (likely) starting line-up for next season: Collison at point; Westbrook as the shooting guard (maybe Roll); Shipp at the three spot; big Kevin Love at four (I know what you're thinking, he should play the five spot...mark my words, he will dominate out of the power forward position...his outlets are Walton-esque); and your choice of Mata, Mbah a Moute, Aboya, and Keefe at five. Hey, this might now be so bad after all. I would think UCLA could be the team to beat next year. CBS seems to agree with me while ESPN continues to undervalue the ability of Ben Howland and the new UCLA dynasty. They should learn from Calipari, Sampson, and Self.
But that is neither here nor there because right now, I have got to figure out how to survive until next August. Any suggestions?
Thursday, March 29, 2007
An Open Apology to My Beloved Readers
My parents taught me many valuable lessons growing up, one of which was to not make promises I could not keep. (Okay, I'll admit, I'm not positive my parents actually taught me that; I may have learned it from one of ABC's sitcoms during their T.G.I.F block on Friday nights. But since I love my parents and they have continued to support me, I figured I'd give them the credit as opposed to Steve Urkel or Uncle Jesse. Fair? I think so.) And so, my dear readers, I must apologize to you. I promised you a running diary from the first day of the NCAA Tournament and I failed to deliver. I am sorry.
I have several--what I believe to be legitimate--reasons for not following through on my promise. I have been exhausted from all my extra traveling; I have been working extra hours at work to make up my lost billable hours; I have been catching up on what has been happening with my Kings; and UCLA made it to the Final Four which means I have had plenty of articles to read about the Florida-UCLA rematch (and apparently I'm not the only person out there who hates Joakim Noah...I mean, aside from the standard fellatio ESPN gives to its "chosen" few, I haven't found a single Noah supporter outside the state of Florida). But I am not here to make excuses. I let you, my readers, down and for that I apologize.
I have learned a few things and, like all people should, I will grow from mistakes. First, I have learned that the key to a solid running diary is to get it posted as soon as possible, regardless of the circumstances. The jokes do not seem as funny and memories fade as the time passes. Second, a running diary of an event attended in person is more difficult than that of one you watch on television (I assume) because you can only take notes at the live event. A running diary of a televised event allows you to have your computer with you while you watch so you can type out entire conversations as they happen as opposed to making notes. This assures you of both accuracy and maximum humor. Last, but certainly not least, do not get drunk in the middle of the endeavor. Allow me to explain.
A good friend of my mine from college, who shall be known hence forth as Money Bags (he's an investment banker in San Francisco with more money than he knows what to do with), made the trip out to Sacramento for Thursday's games. We decided to take an early lunch because Vanderbilt was destroying George Washington 30-10 with nine minutes left in the first half and there was only a one hour break between the two groups of games. So a group of us (six out of the eight attending) headed over to a Mexican restaurant walking distance from Arco. After a burrito and thirty-two ounce Corona, Money Bags and I hit up the liquor store next door to the restaurant and picked up a fifth of Jack Daniels each. When you consume that amount of liquor in the amount of time Money Bags and I did, you are going to get drunk (I can picture my Dad shaking his head in disgust while reading this, even though he was there). The problem with getting drunk while trying to keep a running diary is twofold: first, it is more difficult, if not impossible, to tip-toe the fine line that separates appropriate and inappropriate; and second, my handwriting went from perfect to illegible in seven seconds flat, making it difficult to decipher my notes (which, by the end of the Indiana-Gonzaga game looked more like hieroglyphics). My friends and I are funny enough without the help of alcohol; this was a rookie mistake. Take my advice, unless you are keeping a running diary of your fraternity's next "Century Club" challenge, leave the alcohol out of it.
So I am sorry that there will be no running diary from my first day at the NCAA Tournament. However, I am not going to leave you empty handed. There are a few moments that I would still like to relive with you:
(1) Money Bags and I offered to share some of our Diet Cokes (which tasted eerily similar to JD) with my Brother-in-Law during the UCLA-Weber State game. He graciously accepted, as we knew he would, and enjoyed the "refreshing" beverage. Rumor has it, upon returning to his seat my Brother-in-Law was chastised by my Sister (I'm not normally in the business of spreading rumors...this isn't a gossip site...but I am relying on some good, reliable sources on this one). I am speechless. What is the world coming to when a man can not enjoy a Jack & Diet in peace?
(b) There was a "dude" (censored for my younger readers) sitting two rows in front of us who was more drunk, in terms of both duration and quantity, than Money Bags and I. He spent the entire second set of games hitting on my Better Half as if I was not even there. He went so far as to invite her out to a place called the Cabana Club, which according to him was "THE happening spot," not once but twice. Fortunately for him, I do not get violent when drunk; I easily had a two-to-one size advantage and Money Bags in my corner. If it had come to blows, it would have been quick and ugly. Unfortunately for him, however, is that I do not lose my edge when drunk. I simply told him that he had been misinformed about the Cabana Club and that he should check out Faces if he really wanted to be where the action was (in the interest of full and fair disclosure, I've never been to Faces and the website should tell you why...I know about it because I lived in Sacramento for a year).
(iii) There was a nice man sitting directly in front of me who happened to be an Indiana fan. He and I had a very enjoyable discussion about Indiana basketball, where he felt the program was going under first-year coach Kelvin Sampson, and whether he was a Bob Knight fan (no conversation about Indiana basketball is complete without "The General"). Well, during our conversation about Mr. Knight, we talked about how Bobby had spent some time in Puerto Rico as head coach of the U.S. Basketball team in 1979 and how he had been arrested while there for assaulting a police officer. The arrest, however, was apparently not the most controversial part of Knight's time in Puerto Rico. This nice Indiana fan informed me that good ol' Bobby had knocked up his translator while there and had been paying child support ever since. Apparently they have a different way of saluting Generals down in Puerto Rico.
(4) As I mentioned in a previous post, Weber State has shockingly hot cheerleaders; by far the hottest in Sacramento and I am willing to wager some of the hottest in all of the NCAA Tournament. Now, I am sure you are saying "Come on BAP, there is no way you could tell for sure from your seats five rows from the top." Well, my dear reader, that is the magic of alcohol. You see, Money Bags and I, having each consumed a thirty-two ounce beer and half of one of the fifths of JD, naturally had to use the restroom prior to the game. On the way back to our seats we happened to cross paths with two of the Weber State cheerleaders. Like all good friends do, we called dibs on the respective cheerleader we preferred--Money Bags taking the brunette and me taking the blonde--on the off-chance that I broke up with my Better Half and we ran into these two girls again within the next four hours (fellas, you have got to trust me...you don't gain anything by hitting on the same girl as your friend, it can only lead to trouble). This lead Money Bags and I to discuss a new theory he's been working on to explain why I always go for the blondes (my Better Half included) and he always goes for the brunettes. He believes that a man's preference in hair color is a subconscious decision based on the color of his sister's hair. If a guy has a sister, Money Bags believes that his preference will be towards women with the opposite color. As we discussed the merits of his theory, eventually adding my Better Half and Nosh (the fourth member of our group and our gracious hostess for the weekend) to the conversation, it seemed to hold true; not in every situation, but most. For example: Money Bags' sister is blonde and he has only dated brunettes, my sister is brunette and I have only dated blondes, and I have only ever seen my Better Half's brother hanging around with brunettes. Eureka, Money Bags is on to something! We should definitely convince the government to put together some sort of Blue Ribbon Committee to dive deeper into this theory; I smell Nobel Prize.
Before I go, I would like to mentoin something that is completely unrelated to my running diary. As further proof that national broadcast stations have no clue what their viewers want and/or prefer, CBS relieved Gus Johnson of his play-by-play responsibilities for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. It has something to do with the contract they offered James Brown to lure him away from Fox. I am a HUGE GJ fan, and I am extremely disappointed with CBS' decision. If you watched the UCLA-Gonzaga clip I included in my last post, that is Gus making the call of the dramatic comeback. Gus gives you what every other play-by-play announcer does not: emotion. It is easy to connect with him because he sounds exactly like how you feel while watching the game. We need more Gus Johnsons, not less, calling NCAA Tournament games. So here is a link to an audio tribute to GJ made by another fan. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the smooth calls of Gus Johnson.
I have several--what I believe to be legitimate--reasons for not following through on my promise. I have been exhausted from all my extra traveling; I have been working extra hours at work to make up my lost billable hours; I have been catching up on what has been happening with my Kings; and UCLA made it to the Final Four which means I have had plenty of articles to read about the Florida-UCLA rematch (and apparently I'm not the only person out there who hates Joakim Noah...I mean, aside from the standard fellatio ESPN gives to its "chosen" few, I haven't found a single Noah supporter outside the state of Florida). But I am not here to make excuses. I let you, my readers, down and for that I apologize.
I have learned a few things and, like all people should, I will grow from mistakes. First, I have learned that the key to a solid running diary is to get it posted as soon as possible, regardless of the circumstances. The jokes do not seem as funny and memories fade as the time passes. Second, a running diary of an event attended in person is more difficult than that of one you watch on television (I assume) because you can only take notes at the live event. A running diary of a televised event allows you to have your computer with you while you watch so you can type out entire conversations as they happen as opposed to making notes. This assures you of both accuracy and maximum humor. Last, but certainly not least, do not get drunk in the middle of the endeavor. Allow me to explain.
A good friend of my mine from college, who shall be known hence forth as Money Bags (he's an investment banker in San Francisco with more money than he knows what to do with), made the trip out to Sacramento for Thursday's games. We decided to take an early lunch because Vanderbilt was destroying George Washington 30-10 with nine minutes left in the first half and there was only a one hour break between the two groups of games. So a group of us (six out of the eight attending) headed over to a Mexican restaurant walking distance from Arco. After a burrito and thirty-two ounce Corona, Money Bags and I hit up the liquor store next door to the restaurant and picked up a fifth of Jack Daniels each. When you consume that amount of liquor in the amount of time Money Bags and I did, you are going to get drunk (I can picture my Dad shaking his head in disgust while reading this, even though he was there). The problem with getting drunk while trying to keep a running diary is twofold: first, it is more difficult, if not impossible, to tip-toe the fine line that separates appropriate and inappropriate; and second, my handwriting went from perfect to illegible in seven seconds flat, making it difficult to decipher my notes (which, by the end of the Indiana-Gonzaga game looked more like hieroglyphics). My friends and I are funny enough without the help of alcohol; this was a rookie mistake. Take my advice, unless you are keeping a running diary of your fraternity's next "Century Club" challenge, leave the alcohol out of it.
So I am sorry that there will be no running diary from my first day at the NCAA Tournament. However, I am not going to leave you empty handed. There are a few moments that I would still like to relive with you:
(1) Money Bags and I offered to share some of our Diet Cokes (which tasted eerily similar to JD) with my Brother-in-Law during the UCLA-Weber State game. He graciously accepted, as we knew he would, and enjoyed the "refreshing" beverage. Rumor has it, upon returning to his seat my Brother-in-Law was chastised by my Sister (I'm not normally in the business of spreading rumors...this isn't a gossip site...but I am relying on some good, reliable sources on this one). I am speechless. What is the world coming to when a man can not enjoy a Jack & Diet in peace?
(b) There was a "dude" (censored for my younger readers) sitting two rows in front of us who was more drunk, in terms of both duration and quantity, than Money Bags and I. He spent the entire second set of games hitting on my Better Half as if I was not even there. He went so far as to invite her out to a place called the Cabana Club, which according to him was "THE happening spot," not once but twice. Fortunately for him, I do not get violent when drunk; I easily had a two-to-one size advantage and Money Bags in my corner. If it had come to blows, it would have been quick and ugly. Unfortunately for him, however, is that I do not lose my edge when drunk. I simply told him that he had been misinformed about the Cabana Club and that he should check out Faces if he really wanted to be where the action was (in the interest of full and fair disclosure, I've never been to Faces and the website should tell you why...I know about it because I lived in Sacramento for a year).
(iii) There was a nice man sitting directly in front of me who happened to be an Indiana fan. He and I had a very enjoyable discussion about Indiana basketball, where he felt the program was going under first-year coach Kelvin Sampson, and whether he was a Bob Knight fan (no conversation about Indiana basketball is complete without "The General"). Well, during our conversation about Mr. Knight, we talked about how Bobby had spent some time in Puerto Rico as head coach of the U.S. Basketball team in 1979 and how he had been arrested while there for assaulting a police officer. The arrest, however, was apparently not the most controversial part of Knight's time in Puerto Rico. This nice Indiana fan informed me that good ol' Bobby had knocked up his translator while there and had been paying child support ever since. Apparently they have a different way of saluting Generals down in Puerto Rico.
(4) As I mentioned in a previous post, Weber State has shockingly hot cheerleaders; by far the hottest in Sacramento and I am willing to wager some of the hottest in all of the NCAA Tournament. Now, I am sure you are saying "Come on BAP, there is no way you could tell for sure from your seats five rows from the top." Well, my dear reader, that is the magic of alcohol. You see, Money Bags and I, having each consumed a thirty-two ounce beer and half of one of the fifths of JD, naturally had to use the restroom prior to the game. On the way back to our seats we happened to cross paths with two of the Weber State cheerleaders. Like all good friends do, we called dibs on the respective cheerleader we preferred--Money Bags taking the brunette and me taking the blonde--on the off-chance that I broke up with my Better Half and we ran into these two girls again within the next four hours (fellas, you have got to trust me...you don't gain anything by hitting on the same girl as your friend, it can only lead to trouble). This lead Money Bags and I to discuss a new theory he's been working on to explain why I always go for the blondes (my Better Half included) and he always goes for the brunettes. He believes that a man's preference in hair color is a subconscious decision based on the color of his sister's hair. If a guy has a sister, Money Bags believes that his preference will be towards women with the opposite color. As we discussed the merits of his theory, eventually adding my Better Half and Nosh (the fourth member of our group and our gracious hostess for the weekend) to the conversation, it seemed to hold true; not in every situation, but most. For example: Money Bags' sister is blonde and he has only dated brunettes, my sister is brunette and I have only dated blondes, and I have only ever seen my Better Half's brother hanging around with brunettes. Eureka, Money Bags is on to something! We should definitely convince the government to put together some sort of Blue Ribbon Committee to dive deeper into this theory; I smell Nobel Prize.
Before I go, I would like to mentoin something that is completely unrelated to my running diary. As further proof that national broadcast stations have no clue what their viewers want and/or prefer, CBS relieved Gus Johnson of his play-by-play responsibilities for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. It has something to do with the contract they offered James Brown to lure him away from Fox. I am a HUGE GJ fan, and I am extremely disappointed with CBS' decision. If you watched the UCLA-Gonzaga clip I included in my last post, that is Gus making the call of the dramatic comeback. Gus gives you what every other play-by-play announcer does not: emotion. It is easy to connect with him because he sounds exactly like how you feel while watching the game. We need more Gus Johnsons, not less, calling NCAA Tournament games. So here is a link to an audio tribute to GJ made by another fan. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the smooth calls of Gus Johnson.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Do You Know the Way to San Jose?
I apologize to everyone who has been anxiously awaiting my running diary from last Thursday's NCAA Tournament action in Sacramento. This week has been rather hectic with all of my last minute travel plans. If I am not able to post it by tomorrow night, you can feel free to bombard me with comments and emails about what a terrible person I am.
I am about one hour away from leaving the office to head up to San Jose for tonight's Sweet 16 games. I am so pumped. Because I love my avid readers and wish to thank them for their unwavering support, I thought I would give you all the opportunity to share in my excitement and watch a grown man cry. ENJOY!
GO BRUINS!
I am about one hour away from leaving the office to head up to San Jose for tonight's Sweet 16 games. I am so pumped. Because I love my avid readers and wish to thank them for their unwavering support, I thought I would give you all the opportunity to share in my excitement and watch a grown man cry. ENJOY!
GO BRUINS!
Monday, March 19, 2007
The Madness of My March
Because most of you, my avid readers, are highly educated individuals, I am sure it was not difficult for you to surmise from my previous post that I love the NCAA Tournament (more commonly known as "March Madness"). The three weeks of the NCAA Tournament are usually my favorite three consecutive weeks of the year. I get a trip with my family and friends, I get to watch 65 basketball games without a single complaint from My Better Half (even she gets caught up in the Madness, which says a lot about it), and it is a three week period where gambling is not only accepted, it is encouraged. What more could you ask for?
As you may recall, I spent the first weekend of the Tournament in Sacramento watching the first and second rounds at Arco Arena (which, I might add, is a rather dull and depressing arena...I expected more from the Maloof brothers, who I learned are apparently holding out on renovating Arco because they want the residents of Sacto to foot the bill for a new arena in downtown...fat chance). I kept a running diary on Thursday to give everyone some insight on what it is like to sit through four games in one day. I was hoping it would be my first post this week, but three unforeseen events have brought about the need for this quick update (I promise to get to the running diary tomorrow night after work and I promise that you won't be disappointed). These three unforeseen events will, when combined with my already completed trip to Sacramento, result in the greatest March Madness of my life (up 'til now).
Unforeseen Event #1: While we were in Sacramento, my brother-in-law mentioned that if UCLA advanced to the second weekend, it was likely that he could get me tickets for their Sweet 16 game against Pitt, and, if they win (knock on wood), tickets to the Elite 8. Well, UCLA beat both Weber State and Indiana, advancing the Sweet 16 with their games to be played in San Jose (in what was the startling upset of the weekend, Weber State's cheerleaders were shockingly hotter than UCLA's...had I done my research properly, I definitely would have had to pick Weber State over UCLA in the pool in which I applied the "how cute are the school's cheerleaders" approach...seriously though, Weber State could have made a "Cinderella" run to the Final Four...more on this in the running diary). Not surprisingly, my brother-in-law got me the tickets and now I have two round trip flights booked for later this week on Southwest to San Jose: Thursday afternoon to Friday morning (don't want to take any vacation days I don't have to), and Saturday morning to Sunday morning. This is going to be great!
Unforeseen Event #2: My brother-in-law also invited me to the premiere of "The UCLA Dynasty," HBO Sports newest documentary that covers UCLA's decade of dominance under the guidance of John "The Wizard of Westwood" Wooden. A movie about the great UCLA teams of the past? Premiering in the middle of March Madness? How can you pass that up? Well, the premiere is tonight, so that takes away the night I had originally planned on using to post the running diary. [Update: The documentary was awesome. It premieres on HBO on Monday, March 26. You should definitely watch it (and/or record it if you have a DVR/Tivo). The producers did a great job of mixing the team's dominance on the court with the various social struggles the players had to deal with off it (i.e., Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, etc.). Plus, John Wooden is funny; it's a side of him I don't think many outsiders get to see. So do yourself a favor, watch it.]
Unforeseen Event #3: After two trips to Southwest.com to book my San Jose flights, I received a cryptic message from my good friend Agman. It read as follows: "Final 4 Weekend, Las Vegas, Free Rooms, Be There." Using my masterful skills of logical reasoning and deduction to decode this secret message, it was back to Southwest.com for me and the booking of my third trip in as many hours. Now I will be spending Final 4 weekend with a group of my good friends who I have not seen in several months (not to mention, my first trip to Vegas in several months). The Vegas itch is already back, and this time I get to mix it with the NCAA Tournament. How can you go wrong?
Mix it all together, let it simmer for about ten minutes, serve with a side of currently being in contention in all of my Tournament pools, and I have the recipe for a March full of Madness the likes of which have never been seen. This is great!
As you may recall, I spent the first weekend of the Tournament in Sacramento watching the first and second rounds at Arco Arena (which, I might add, is a rather dull and depressing arena...I expected more from the Maloof brothers, who I learned are apparently holding out on renovating Arco because they want the residents of Sacto to foot the bill for a new arena in downtown...fat chance). I kept a running diary on Thursday to give everyone some insight on what it is like to sit through four games in one day. I was hoping it would be my first post this week, but three unforeseen events have brought about the need for this quick update (I promise to get to the running diary tomorrow night after work and I promise that you won't be disappointed). These three unforeseen events will, when combined with my already completed trip to Sacramento, result in the greatest March Madness of my life (up 'til now).
Unforeseen Event #1: While we were in Sacramento, my brother-in-law mentioned that if UCLA advanced to the second weekend, it was likely that he could get me tickets for their Sweet 16 game against Pitt, and, if they win (knock on wood), tickets to the Elite 8. Well, UCLA beat both Weber State and Indiana, advancing the Sweet 16 with their games to be played in San Jose (in what was the startling upset of the weekend, Weber State's cheerleaders were shockingly hotter than UCLA's...had I done my research properly, I definitely would have had to pick Weber State over UCLA in the pool in which I applied the "how cute are the school's cheerleaders" approach...seriously though, Weber State could have made a "Cinderella" run to the Final Four...more on this in the running diary). Not surprisingly, my brother-in-law got me the tickets and now I have two round trip flights booked for later this week on Southwest to San Jose: Thursday afternoon to Friday morning (don't want to take any vacation days I don't have to), and Saturday morning to Sunday morning. This is going to be great!
Unforeseen Event #2: My brother-in-law also invited me to the premiere of "The UCLA Dynasty," HBO Sports newest documentary that covers UCLA's decade of dominance under the guidance of John "The Wizard of Westwood" Wooden. A movie about the great UCLA teams of the past? Premiering in the middle of March Madness? How can you pass that up? Well, the premiere is tonight, so that takes away the night I had originally planned on using to post the running diary. [Update: The documentary was awesome. It premieres on HBO on Monday, March 26. You should definitely watch it (and/or record it if you have a DVR/Tivo). The producers did a great job of mixing the team's dominance on the court with the various social struggles the players had to deal with off it (i.e., Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, etc.). Plus, John Wooden is funny; it's a side of him I don't think many outsiders get to see. So do yourself a favor, watch it.]
Unforeseen Event #3: After two trips to Southwest.com to book my San Jose flights, I received a cryptic message from my good friend Agman. It read as follows: "Final 4 Weekend, Las Vegas, Free Rooms, Be There." Using my masterful skills of logical reasoning and deduction to decode this secret message, it was back to Southwest.com for me and the booking of my third trip in as many hours. Now I will be spending Final 4 weekend with a group of my good friends who I have not seen in several months (not to mention, my first trip to Vegas in several months). The Vegas itch is already back, and this time I get to mix it with the NCAA Tournament. How can you go wrong?
Mix it all together, let it simmer for about ten minutes, serve with a side of currently being in contention in all of my Tournament pools, and I have the recipe for a March full of Madness the likes of which have never been seen. This is great!
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