FInal Four Preview and Picks

After a flurry of trifectas and tear drops from Stephen Curry, I think it's safe to say we arrived at one of the greatest final fours of all time. For the first time ever, we're left with all one seeds. The action is so great , Dickey V's head is about to explode. Really.


Memphis vs UCLA
This is a situation for UCLA where if they're not careful, they're gonna get burned faster than a dooby at a Grateful Dead show. Everyone saw the lead the the Tigers got off too against Mich State and Texas and if you're a Bruins fan, you better hope they tighten up their "stingy" defense. The one positive UCLA does possess is that they've been in close games this tourney and they happen to have a freshman named Kevin Love who makes babies cry for a living.

But unfortunately for Love (something he or the Bruins are not getting from me) Memphis just has too much talent. And if they hit their free throws down the stretch, they're going to the finals.

The pick: Memphis, 73-69

Match ups to watch and cherish: Rose vs Collison, Love vs Dorsey.


UNC vs Kansas
Put your kids to bed early for this one (wait a minute, this is college, I hope none of you have any) because it's gonna be a barn burner. Both teams love to run and score in transition. Ten future NBAers, two future hall of fame coaches, and two benches deeper than galleries that watch Tiger on Sundays. This has instant classic written all over it and will come down to who plays the better D.

I give the edge to the Jayhawks and their ability to attack the ball. And although Hansbrough always wills his team to win, I'm goin with KU. ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!

The pick: Kansas 80-75.

Match ups to watch and cherish: Chalmers, Rush and Collins vs Ellington, Green and Lawson. Hansbrough vs Jackson.

Taming The Beast, That is Bethpage Black

So you think your life is tough huh, well try this on for size: drive to Bethpage State Park, camp out in your car, get an hour of sleep (if you’re lucky), wake up and pay to play a golf course so brutal and difficult, your mother won’t be able to recognize you when your done. A course that will leave you more mentally drained than that post-SAT feeling you had back in high school. Because there will be no reservations today, if you want to play the Bethpage Black course, you’ll have to get on it the Bethpage Black way.

If you’re a golfer on Long Island, Bethpage Black is the Madison Square Garden of golf courses; the mecca if you would. Tiger Woods called it the hardest and best par 70 course he’s ever played. He was the only player who managed to semi-tame the Black at the 2002 U.S. Open. It is so complicated that it sports a warning sign next to the first tee box. It’s like paying someone 50 bucks (the in-state greens fee) to kick your ass.

Its condition is uncanny. You can eat lunch off the fairways and the greens are as hard and smooth as the ceramic tiles you would find at the Armani mansion. The sand in the bunkers is so white you’d think they imported it from the finest beaches of the Caribbean. Even if you’re not a golf fan, its beauty is so overwhelming to the point where you’ll lose your breath just looking down the 18th fairway.

There’s only one problem with the black however; and that’s actually getting to play it. You can forget about reservations as you’ll have a much better chance landing a dinner date with the Queen of England. There will be no sneaking on the Black as that would be about as unsuccessful as sneaking a sunset past a rooster. The only real way to get on the Black is to sleep over.

All kidding aside, you literally have to go to the course a day early and stay there until the next morning when the tickets and bracelets are handed out, roughly around 4:30am. No where else in America does one have to sleep over a golf course in order to play it. (If you’re not familiar with golf, on a normal course you can sign up and tee off within the hour, but not Bethpage and certainly not the Black). The car line forms in a parking lot adjacent to an old graveyard (which tends to scare the bajesus out of most at night, or only me) about 200 yards from the clubhouse. Each car that enters backs into a spot and doesn’t move until they receive their bracelets. If you’re thinking about leaving and getting food, well then, you just lost your spot. Sorry, but Bethpage isn’t one for the weak.

Some come in Winnebagos and some come in hatchbacks. Some come from Florida, while others come from the other side of the Atlantic, seriously. It’s no surprise it’s one of the top rated public golf courses in the world. Just make sure the weathers going to be good, otherwise it’s going to be another sick day for you at work.

What you do during the course of the evening usually differs from the crowds that are present. While some nights are reminiscent of Aerosmith concerts (OK, maybe not as wild), others are like a peaceful orchestra recitals. But have no worries as there’s plenty of music playing, story telling and beer guzzling to fill up the average golfers’ soul. I’m usually the guy telling the rookies where to hit shots and which way the greens roll, you know typical golf advice a 22-year old would give a 50- year old. But no matter how you go about your night, you must make sure don’t break the cardinal rule of Bethpage; never play the black hung-over (I actually made that rule up myself). It can be the single biggest mistake a golfer can make in their life, trust me.

So when morning comes and you make it past the warning sign and onto the first tee, be sure to take it all in because that’s about where your golfing paradise ends and where you’re nightmare begins. Now how’s that for a tough life?

Early NCAA Tourney Sleepers

Like this really exhausted Polar Bear, some teams will be sleeping come tournament time. No not literally, but they'll be the underrated five or six or maybe even 12 seed that will be overlooked but have just as good a shot as the ones and twos. Thanks a lot George Mason.

To put it frank; You DO NOT want to play these teams in March. If you do happen to come across them, you're up sh_s creek with absolutely no paddles. And like Tiger Woods before a major golf tournament (forget that, any golf tournament), they'll be highly motivated.

1. (No. 17) Notre Dame- Their are few certainties in life. You're gonna eventually die, you're gonna eat a steak from Peter Lugers (or at least you better) and Kyle McAlarney is going to rain threes every time he steps on the court. If it's not McAlarney, it'll be much improved PG Torey Jackson. Oh wait I almost forget front running Big East player of the year Luke Harangody, who also suits up with the leprechaun shorts. I smell Final Four. Really.

2. (No. 18) Vanderbilt- Just like the Irish, the 'Dores have an inside presence in A.J. Ogilvy and an outside scorer in Shan Foster. They recenlty took out No. 1 Tennessee and have their minds set on a back-door SEC championship. Any team that has two guys averaging over 16 ppg is deadly.

3. (No. 21) Drake- Defense, defense, defense. Sure they play in the MVC (Missouri Valley Conference for those of you who do not habla espanol) but if you hold opponents to 60 ppg you're extremely dangerous in early rounds. Sophomore Josh Young can score from anywhere and winning at Butler was not only impressive (which is a complete understatement) but a warning for every team around the country.

4. Davidson- What a pleasure it is to watch under-recruited frosh Stephen Curry play basketball. I think I saw him pull up and take a jump shop five feet from half court, and hit. His play elevates everyone on his team to play at such a high and intense level that it's going to be tough for teams to beat.

5. The entire Big East- I was going to say Uconn in this slot, but then I wanted to say Marquette and then Louisville. So I'm putting the whole Big East here because any one team from the Big East can win it. Georgetown can dominate inside, Louisville can hit the trifecta, and Pitt can play (and beat) any team in the nation (just ask Duke). In fact I'm almost willing to guarentee at least three Big East teams in the final four. Just watch.

God Bless You NHL '94

Aside from my family, my snowboard and Rice Krispie Treats Cereal (which can only be purchased on Amazon.com), NHL '94 for Sega Genesis was one of the few pleasures in life I could always rely on for happiness. And like Chevrolet, this game is truly an American classic.

Here's the catch; my roommate recently purchased it off eBay and it brought back terrific childhood memories of me dominating my older brother. Anytime I needed a goal, I would go right to the bread and butter. You know, the play where you skate against the glass then move across the ice and wrist it in (basically the opposite of a wrap around). Damn I can't wait to play it again.



I mean, how much do you miss taking your favorite team and trading every all-star to your roster? Oh wait, you were that guy who created yourself and all your friends but had yourself leading the league in goals, assists, and points (aka the ultimate scum move).

No but really, how good was that game? Every single time you played against Detroit, Dino Ciccarelli would automatically drop his gloves and get into a fight. It was guaranteed. (So help you god if you don't remember Dino Ciccarelli getting into a fight every game.)


For now, I can only dream until that magical day where the UPS man knocks on my door and unveils the game that has been making babies cry (like a JJ Reddick jumpshot used to) since 1994.


PS- I posted everyone's blogs on the right side of this page. So like your high school prom date, it's easy access.

The Wait Is Over

Round two of Pavlik/Taylor is only 26 hours away and I'm as excited as Jessie Spano is on sleeping pills (wow, I impress myself sometimes). I'm not sure if you remember the first time they fought, but it was epic. Jermaine Taylor knocked Pavlik down in the second round but couldn't seem to finish him off. Then, Pavlik continued to dominate Taylor until the seventh round where he absolutely unloaded an array of punches that had Taylor against the turnbuckle basically begging for mercy.

Probably the best fight I've ever seen (and by probably, I meant definitely)

So put down your mayonnaise sandwich and call in sick to work because Pavlik/Taylor II is worth any price the scum at Pay Per View decide to charge for it. Oh yeah, and if you're not a boxing fan, you'll become one after this fight (I promise).

In Case You Missed It

In describing the Super Bowl, words such as great, unbelievable, exciting, and underwear-changing can probably be used. What you probably didn't know, is that there was something just as good on TV that glorious day (alright, maybe not as good). Unfortunately, what everyone missed (not including myself) was the fourth annual PUPPY BOWL.

Every super bowl Sunday, Animal Planet rounds up the cutest puppies around and throws em in a miniature field, where they get to play, tease, bully, and bite one another. They even have a referee to control the action (or basically just to call unnecessary roughness penalties on the bigger, stronger mutts). So if you weren't as lucky as me, here are some highlights. And I think if you go on Amazon.com, you can buy the DVD. God Bless America!!

National Signing Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In most southern states (and every major university around the country) Feb. sixth is Christmas morning. It's the most important day on the calendar; national signing day, where coaches' futures ride in the hands of 17 year old kids. The south was very rich in recruiting soil once again, owning 120 ESPN top 150 prospects. Let's take a look at the winners of the 2008 class:



Highly touted, WR Julio Jones makes his commit on ESPN U.

1. Miami: 12 ESPN top 150 prospects, including No. 1-rated defensive tackle Marcus Fortson and No. 1-rated OLB Arthur Browne. Good to see Randy Shannon not letting the south Florida kids escape anymore.

2. Clemosn: 10 ESPN top 150 prospects, including No1. rated- defensive end DaQuan Bower, No. 3-rated tight end Dwayne Allen, and No. 3-rated running back Jamie Harper. I mean, enough can't be said about their class, but it sucks they still won't be able to beat Virginia Tech.

3. Alabama: Six ESPN top 150 prospects, including (much heralded) No.1-rated player wide reciever Julio Jones. Nick Saban finally gets his first full year to recruit all his own players. But I don't feel like Florida is intimidated one bit.

4. Florida: 11 ESPN top 150 prospects (no surprise), including No. 1 and 2- rated safeties Will Hill andDee Finely. Florida doesn't rebuild, they reload.

5. Georgia: Seven ESPN top 150 prospects, including No. 2-rated wide receiver A.J. Green. Last years thwarting of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl was only the beginning for this young, talented Bulldogs squads.

Honorable Mentions:

USC (eight ESPN top 150 prospects)
Notre Dame (10 ESPN top 150 prospects)
Oklahoma (eight 10 ESPN top 150 prospects)

Super Bowl Preview XLII (But Not Really)

Being that this is easily the most anticipated Super Bowl since I've been alive (because (a) I'm a huge giants fan (b) the Pats haven't lost yet and (c) there are tickets selling for $40,000), one can't help but to pray it lives up to the hype. But this I can guarantee; if it's one-tenth as entertaining as the ending montage in Karate Kid, it will be the best championship game, ever.

(Please note the opening leg sweep. Absolutely gorgeous.)