Tropicana Field

Stop #10 in our baseball park tour was Tropicana Field.  The stadium experience can be summed up in one word: dichotomy.

Food

Stacey's nachos were great - they had a ton of topping options (nacho cheese, shredded cheese, jalapenos, tomatoes, taco sauce, onions, beef, chicken, beans, guacamole, sour cream, etc.).  They looked great, which was impressive because the stand was run by non-profit volunteers.  The featured item in Tampa Bay is the Cuban sandwich - it was so popular, they made it available at every major concession stand.  It was a reasonable $5 for one half and $9 for the full.  The bread may look burnt, but trust me, it was very crispy and was a good blend of flavors.  Though the quality has probably diminished when they began mass producing them.  We also bought a special souvenier "all you can drink" soda for $9, a value considering the regular soda was $7.  They also featured name-brand locations like Papa Johns and Outback.  The food was good, but the prices were a little high, but the concession lines were extremely quick, but...

Stadium

The drive to St. Petersburg from Tampa requires you to cross a land bridge for several miles.  The view is unparalleled.  It sure beats passing burnt down buildings and empty lots on the way to Comerica Park. 

The walk up to the stadium was lined with palm trees and the opening rotunda was pretty cool.  Once you start walking through the stadium, however, the negatives of the Trop become evident.  

One of the main arteries was a small hallway that seemed to be circus themed.  They also had a few carnival games that NOBODY was playing.  You have to give them credit for trying to make the stadium engaging, but it didn't work.  Does this look like a major league park to you?

The most famous feature of Tropicana Field is the Ray tank in the right field just beyond the fence.  We waited in line to pet the rays for a few minutes, but gave up quickly since we had just pet rays at the Tampa zoo two hours earlier.  I am glad we didn't wait any longer because we were able to get to the tank another way and, unbeknownst to the people in line, they weren't letting people touch the rays at the time so they could rest.  It is a fun idea, but they were being far too protective of the tank and not enough people get to experience it.  The Tampa Zoo and the Georgia Aquarium were both letting groups of 10-20 people at a time touch their rays.  Putting the tank in the main entrance would have been much more effective, even if they didn't allow fans to touch the rays.

This was my first experience in a dome for a baseball game and I can't imagine a better environment for a game.  The air conditioning blew right down on us.  The upper deck sits pretty low, so you feel a little closer to the game.  The astroturf field looks fine, but the warning track really looks like carpet.  

Fan Experience
I've got to give it to the Tampa fans - the ones that showed up were among the best in baseball.  Again - the ones that showed up.  The attendance was 16,800 for a Friday night game, which is 47% full.  The Tigers game against the Red Sox that same night had 34,000 fans and was 83% full.  My favorite pre-game feature was the "Oblivious Cam" - they would put someone on the scoreboard and wait until they noticed.  The longest was over 40 seconds (and they still didn't notice).  Once the game began, though, the fans were great.  A lot of people brought cow bells and a "public service announcement" was played to instruct fans when to ring them.  Surprisingly, the answer wasn't "always".  They were pretty loud every time David Price had two strikes against someone and didn't need prodding during key moments.  Everyone at the game got "Big Game #33" t-shirts, although few people wore them.  I had to look up that this was James Shields.  They had the typical "costumed person race", "hat shuffle", etc., but they also had a unique game by Chick-fil-a.  They let a fan control one of the stadium cameras and gave them 15 seconds to spot a Chick-fil-a cow mascot in the stands.  Although it didn't always work, it was obvious that the front office staff were devoted to trying anything they could to entertain the fans.

Overall
It's a shame that more people don't go to Rays games because it is an enjoyable environment and they have some players you can get behind (Price, Longoria, Damon, Upton, etc.)  The stadium had some very odd quirks, but I think it is one of the more memorable stadiums in the league (now the only non-retractable domed stadium in the league now that the Metrodome is out).

Hockey Update

I have been hockey obsessed since our league started.  My team was 1-12 last season.  They lost 4-5 players who had never played hockey in their life and replaced them with some decent skaters.  We have scrimmaged against last season's league champions (who are friends with our team surprisingly) and they kept telling us how much we've improved. 

In our first game, I could tell within the first few shifts that we were significantly better than they were.  My best moment of the game came midway through: I kept the puck in the offensive zone with my back to the goal at the top of the circle.  I turned around quickly and fired a blind wrist shot... near the top of the right post.  I didn't see what happened to it from there, but my teammate said it dropped straight down and they almost netted it.  I would have liked to have scored that one, but we ended up winning 3-0.  It was great to help our goalie get his shutout.

In the second game, we played last season's runner-up.  My teammates warned me that they were pretty chippy and after the first shift, they clearly looked like the better team.  However, we found our opportunities and their goalie wasn't very good, so we ended the first with a 4-0 lead.  At one point, I anticipated a pass at our blue line well and stole it for a breakaway.  The problem was I got overly excited for the opportunity and couldn't get my legs under me, so I had to settle for a dumping it into the zone by the time I made it to the other blue line.  I didn't play a pretty game because I was too tired.  The rest of the team was pretty tired by the 2nd and 3rd periods and we gave up 3 goals.  They were putting a lot of sustained pressure on us and we couldn't get it out of the zone.  It looked like we were going to be able to hold on, but they scored the tying goal with a minute left - a weak one that trickled in right in front of my face.  I was so frustrated that we had blown it, but we luckily scored with 30 seconds left and our bench BLEW up!  I wasn't happy with how I played - other than the breakaway chance, the only memorable thing I did was flip the puck into the air vents in an attempt to get it out of the zone.  

 

We're one of only three teams that are 2-0 at this point and I really think we have an opportunity to keep it up.  I am really sad that I will have to miss next week's game for vacation because we're playing an easy team.  There's only one other forward on our team without a point and I really want to get on the score sheet.  With vacation and Memorial Day, I am going to be hockeyless for 3 weeks.  When I come back, we have to play the two toughest teams in the league, so that has a strong chance of being depressing. 

Funny way to spend an hour

http://shitmystudentswrite.tumblr.com/page/3

Just go there.  A few of my favorites:

Party foul
And it was all cool until the Turks came along with their Ottoman Empire.

I don’t remember the civil war, like, at all.

I’ve lived my whole life on the west coast and to me, the civil war seems like a really really long time ago.

Pre-Megan’s Law
Before the days of colonization, America was like a young, untouched child.

I had no idea when we left the bar.

I felt so guilty because I realized I was aiding in the bedding of a criminal.

Happiness Power Rankings

Power Rankings - Things that are making me happy this week:
1. Playing hockey.  I had my first practice with my new team and it was great to be at the same level as most of the guys (and better than others).

2. Edge's theme song.  It's one of the best entrances in wrestling.  Sad that he's gotta retire.  The song, by the way, is "Metalingus" by Alter Bridge


3. Jersey Giant Original Italian - It's the same as Jersey Mikes, which is delicious.

4. Reruns of Boy Meets World - 7-8am on ABC Family.  Recorded every day.

5. A 2-0 lead against the Coyotes 2 mins. into the game - After that kind of start, I knew we would win the game, but I stayed up until 1am to watch it anyways.


6. Discovering how funny "Modern Family" is - thanks Netflix.

7. Less than a month until our Orlando vacation.

8. Peanut butter mochas.  The best thing about Iowa City.

My (Other) Hockey Team

It is no secret that I was a U-M fan until my Junior/Senior year of high school.  Touring the campus with an arrogant sorority girl who didn't really want us to get in to U-M and a rejection letter will take the passion for the school out of you.  I think this recent commercial sums up the attitude of Michigan State - pretty good, but not boastful.  Be proud and get back to work.



Now that I bleed Green and White, I would like to see Michigan's basketball program stay down forever.  Hopefully this year was an abberration.  I hope that Brady Hoke can bring their football program back to a respectable level; only so it can make our victories over them more meaningful.  And so they can stop the production of Ohio State's "Golden Pants".  I am taking this chance, however, to admit that their hockey team is my "1B" favorite.  Don't get me wrong, my hockey loyalties still lie with Michigan State.  The embarrassing loss to U-M in the 2nd Cold War still stings.  I hope that the new coach can return the program to respectability, which includes making the NCAA tournament regularly.  But I recorded Saturday's National Championship game so I wouldn't miss the chance to root for U-M.  Here's my best excuses as to why my fandom is excusable.

1. One of my most memorable, vivid childhood dreams involved me playing in a hockey game for U-M.  Which is odd, because I hadn't played hockey at the time.  I could hear the crunch of my ice under the blades as I skated quickly down the ice for a breakaway. 
2. Yost Ice Arena is the best sporting venue that I've ever been to.  It has an older, traditional field house feel to it.  The acoustics play well and make it a loud environment (you can hear the band playing before you go in the arena.  I even used to have a framed panoramic photo of the arena hanging in my parent's basement. 
3. They have won 9 NCAA Championships, the most of any team, and never experience the type of "down years" that their football and basketball teams have faced.  They have the most NCAA Tournament appearances and Frozen Four appearances of any team.
4. Red Berenson is still coaching.  He's in his 70s, and I don't think he looks any different than the day that I went to my first U-M hockey game.

5. The fans are ten thousand times better than the fans at Munn.  I recall debates when we were in college whether or not MSU's student section and pep band should sit down or be placed in a different spot so the other fans could see.  The typical MSU hockey fans are grandparents taking their little children.  The student section was miniscule (I recognize that I am being somewhat hypocritical since I never bought student tickets when I was in college).  U-M, however, has a very large student following who were very much in tune with college hockey.  I still recall that they were particularly spiteful to a referee named Shegos.  And their traditional taunts can be easily recognized at any game.  (Side note: I obviously do not enjoy the "If you can't get in to college, go to State" chant, but recognize the truthiness behind that chant since I did not get in to U-M and did indeed go to State).
6. They've got great hockey jerseys.  The name "Michigan" stretching diagnonally down the front is my favorite - that style is not used often enough in hockey.  Heck, I even like the retro jerseys that they introduced this year.  
 
7. My final, and best excuse, is that my dad took me to a few hockey games every season.  I went to a handful of U-M football games, and one less than memorable basketball game, but I really enjoyed going with him to hockey.  The most memorable one was one when we got center ice, front row tickets online (it turned out that the person who sold them to the website had stolen them from someone else, but the real owner let us watch the game from her seats because I was 14 at the time).  A few years later, when I was looking at the panoramic photo that I mentioned before, I paid closer attention to it and realized that it was taken of that game where we had front row seats.  I looked closer and saw our coats right there in front.

As I said before, I hope that MSU's new coach can return the team to greatness and keep it there.  But until that happens, I will live vicariously through U-M hockey.

Cutting Down College BB Arguments

I've heard each of the following arguments in the past week.

1. VCU and Butler don't deserve to win the championship based on their regular season records
...Then why do we have a playoff system?  Every major sports tournamens has teams with poor records; most include teams with even worse records.  If the NBA tournament began today, two teams would have losing records.  The one exception to this is baseball, however Bud Selig and others have said that playoff expansion has been considered to make it more exciting and inclusive.
The NCAA tournament is difficult enough to prevent a bad team from going on a hot streak and winning it all.  Some people point to a loss to 9-21 Youngstown State in the middle of the season to argue that Butler doesn't belong.  One game doesn't exemplify an entire season, however. The 2000 Michigan State National Championship team lost to a Wright State team earlier that season that finished 11-17.    

2. VCU's success from the "First Four" onwards proves that the tournament should expand
VCU isn't in the range of the 60th-68th best team by virtue of being in the "First Four".  They were ranked in the 40th-46th best range by virtue of being an 11 seed.  What VCU's success does prove, however, is that we don't have the right 68 teams in the NCAA tournament.  There are 346 teams in Division I basketball right now, so roughly 20% make the tournament.  The talent difference between teams like Kansas and VCU is significant.  Not too much, however, that VCU can't have a special run and beat Kansas.  The talent difference between a team like Kansas and Boston University is astronomical.  So much so that no team that is seeded 16th has ever won, teams ranked 15th have only won four times, and the highest a 14th seed has advanced is the Sweet 16 (which happened only twice).  The tournament committee almost made a mistake by leaving a quality team like VCU out of the tournament.  However, VCU hasn't won the championship yet, so the severity of that potential mistake isn't yet known.  Rather than expand, the NCAA should either demote some teams to Division II or eliminate the automatic berth for conference tournament champions so we can strengthen the talent among the 64-68 teams.  

3. You can't root for VCU or Butler to win it all if you didn't support TCU having a shot at the BCS title
Yes I can and yes I am.  The argument that "if you support mid-majors in one sport, you have to support them all" is valid, but the two sports aren't comparable right now.  I would be in favor of a college football tournament that would include undefeated "non-BCS conference" teams.  March Madness includes a wide variety of teams that all have an equal shot.  The tournament committee takes conference strength into account when selecting the field.  That's why 23-9 Butler from the Horizon League was given the same seeding as 20-13 Michigan from the Big 10.  The BCS has to take conference strength into account as well and that is why a team with 1 loss from a BCS conference will, and should, be chosen time after time over an undefeated Boise State or TCU.  The challenge and rigor that comes with playing a schedule with teams like Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Penn State; Florida, Auburn, and Alabama; or Oklahoma, Texas, and Oklahoma State doesn't compare with Utah, San Diego St, and Air Force.

4. It is a slap in the face to Purdue for Matt Painter to interview with Missouri 
"When you talk professionally with other people, it stays private," Painter said. "You have to assess where you are, where you're going, but through discussions of that nature, you're listening. Talk is cheap and it comes down to action. I'm happy to be a Boilermaker."

For him to interview with Missouri specifically, sure.  They don't compare with Purdue as a basketball program.  However, I don't think that he would have ever chosen to go to Missouri.  This was a "power move" to guarantee himself more money.  Some people would argue that the new contract he received last year for $1.3 million per year through 2016-2017 should be sufficient.  His new contract takes him through 2018-2019 and pays $2.3 million.  I find it hard to criticize any coach for making business decisions since they have less job security than any of us ever will.  If an 18 year old kid does something against the rules that they don't know about or if they have two bad seasons in a row, they could be gone in an instant.  Layoffs are a possibility for any industry, but a skilled worker can usually find a comparable job.  Head coaches gain stigmas that live with them forever.
Contract negotiation is one aspect of sports that I wish was covered much less than it is because it always damages one's image.  Most people, however, would leave one job for a comparable one that offers more money.  We shouldn't criticize players and coaches just because their figures are in the millions rather than the tens of thousands.  If being an operations manager involved working all day, traveling a few times a week, and was broadcast on TV, I would think it's reasonable to fight for an extra million dollars too.

Elite

A word of warning to my Ohio State friends: don't take me out to watch a Buckeye's tournament game.  They're 0-3 now when that happens!

Two years ago, Stacey and I got to enjoy watching them fall to Siena in the first round while we were at the bar watching MSU win at the same time.  Last year, we went to play pool while watching MSU beat Northern Iowa and something called Ali Farokhmanesh.  Before our game started, OSU lost to Tennessee.  Last night, with Stacey out of town, I decided to go out to dinner with some work friends.  Since the only teams I hate more than OSU are Duke and Kentucky, I was rooting for them.  Towards the end of the game, I remembered my history of bars and OSU games and told my friends about it.  I'm sorry.

It's been a very weird tournament.  I got three of the Elite 8 teams right.  But I had just as many losing in the first round (VCU, Butler, and Arizona).  At this point, it would appear that three of the four games could be complete blow outs leading to an "anyone's guess" Final Four.

Rank order of who I'm rooting for:
Butler
VCU
UConn
Arizona
Florida
Kansas
North Carolina
Kentucky
(The last three are really close in earning my hatred)

Rank order of likelihood to win it all:
Three who could win it
Kansas - have been the only team to blow out every opponent.  They seem to have the best talent and lead the nation in a lot of categories.  But they've made a lot of deep tournament runs in the past decade and have only won it once.
UConn - best player left, but they can't depend on scoring from two players to win every game, can they?
Florida - I really like their defense and they're getting production out of a lot of players
Everyone else
Arizona - have faced strong tournament teams every round and are probably playing some of the best basketball right now of any team.  But I just don't see it happening, which means they will win it all.
Kentucky - great talent, but that didn't get it done last year.  I wasn't blown away by their performance last night.

Butler - every game has been close until they and and they have pulled it out in crunch time.  That composure is due to their experience.  But they haven't faced a team that's strong in the tournament yet.
North Carolina - they're young and benefitted from playing the weakest Sweet 16 opponent of the bunch.  I think they've advanced further than they should have and I don't think there's any chance they can make the National Championship game.
VCU - To be honest, I didn't even have them beating USC.  I can't believe a play-in game team made it to the Sweet 16.  They're the only team left that I haven't really watched.  Kansas is on a whole different level than any of the teams they faced, so expect a blowout.

Nationwide Baseball Tour

It's official: stops 10 and 11 on our tour of major league ballparks will be....

Tampa Bay Rays - Tropicana Field
Atlanta Braves - Turner Field

Ironically, their games are against the Indians and Reds respectively. 

Complete Breakdown of the NFL Labor Battle

I have several thoughts on the various issues at play in the NFL Labor situation.  First, let me break down the 20 point contract bargaining agreement that the owners proposed at the last minute.  The revenue sharing included in said proposal can only be described as NOBODYCARESABOUTYOURSTUPIDDISAGREEMENTJUSTDONTCANCELANYGAMESANDYOUBETTERNOTFUCKWITHMYFANTASYFOOTBALLNEXTSEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As we've already seen, the labor battle will not to any favors for the league's perception.  Having star players like Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady, that are among the most popular athletes today, lead a lawsuit against their bosses will be damaging to their popularity, and therefore the league's as well.  Adding to the controversy is the immature plan to scare incoming players from attending the NFL draft and publicly celebrating their accomplishments.  One viewer of "Mike and Mike" this morning aptly compared this to a teacher's union pressuring students to skip their high school graduation to thumb their nose at the administration.  Finally, the official start of the lockout coincided with one of the worst natural disasters we've seen in recent years.  Released statements, press conferences, Twitter come-backs, and reports from various sources regarding a legal battle between millionaires and billionaires is not good PR, especially when it is competing for news airtime with scenes of towns being washed away and nuclear plants on fire.

I don't mean to be pretentious or smug, but nobody is going to win the public relations tug-of-war that has started.  We're five months away from losing games and fans are already tired of the rhetoric and party-lining.  We all know negotiations don't heat up until deadlines, so we are far from a resolution.  The best thing both sides, especially the players, could do at this point is shut up and deal with this behind closed doors.

And since there are more important things going on in the world right now, I want to focus on those issues.  I came across this article about how the Japanese aren't looting and found it very interesting.  Isn't looting part the government's motivation for stresses disaster preparedness?  Certainly they want people to have the proper supplies when something unfortunate happens, but indirectly that is meant to curb people from resorting to disorder and lawlessness to fulfill their needs.  Proof of our culture's self-centeredness could be found in the media's reporting of the earthquake and tsunami.  I found in numerous places that the typical reports on the immediate devastation in Japan, the resulting affect on neighboring countries, etc. were accompanied by articles on the affect that had on oil prices.  One reporter theorized that oil and gas prices should go down since this would surely stall the world's third largest economy.  Well good - that should counteract the price increases from the civil unrest in Libya! (Warning: if you couldn't tell that was seething with sarcasm, you need help.)

Again, to avoid being smug, I am not sure how I would react in a crisis situation.  If I need food or supplies and I am facing an empty store window with a brick in hand, I don't think I would concern myself with trying to find the owner or cash to pay them.  This report, if true, is certainly admirable and unfortunately uncommon.

Selection Sunday 3

I think all of our collective hearts were close to bursting, but it was well worth it.  We get to play the #1 seed that lost in the first round of their conference tournament, the weakest # 2 seed that was heavily questioned during the Selection show, a #3 seed who kicked their leading rebounder off the team, and a #4 seed that we've beaten already.  Having to play Florida in their home state will be tough

If our M.O. is outperforming in March...
Virginia Tech's is having their bubbles burst.  Is there a program in the country that is screwed over more?  This year, they will surely be a #1 seed in the NIT (meaning they just barely missed the NCAA) with a 21-11 record.  Last year, they were also a #1 seed with a record of 23-8.  In 2008, they were also a #1 seed with a record of 19-13.

You get to play in Cleveland, but....
George Mason?  Kentucky?  North Carolina?  Good luck Ohio State.  You'd think having your AD chair the selection committee would give you an advantage.  If there was any team that could run that gauntlet, however, it's OSU.  Columbus has a decent number of Kentucky fans because it's only 3 hours from Lexington.  That will be the most exciting matchup of the Sweet 16, in my opinion. 

Southeast = Upset Central?...
For our sake, hopefully it is.  Is everyone going to pick Old Dominion, Belmont, and Utah State in upsets?  I felt smart about those picks until I heard Seth Davis (?) announce those as his upsets.  I said it before - this will be Pitt's best chance to make the Final Four that they've ever had.  In previous tournaments, Pitt has lost when they've faced a star guard.   
2010 - Jordan Crawford - 27 points - Drafted 27th overall
2009 - Scottie Reynolds - 15 points - 1st Team All American
2008 - Drew Neitzel - 21 points - Second Team All American
2007 - Aaron Afflalo - 17 points - Drafted 27th overall
           Darren Collison - 12 points - Drafted 21st overall
2006 - Patrick O'Bryant - 28 points - Drafted 9th overall (ok, he's a center, but still...)
2005 - David Doubley - 17 points - Big West Player of the Year (now that's a stretch...)
2004 - Tony Allen - 23 points - Drafted 25th overall
2003 - Dwayne Wade - 22 points - Drafted 5th overall
2002 - Antonio Gates - 22 points - Really good football player

From my standpoint, the only potential All Americans in our bracket are Jimmer and Jacob Pullen from Kansas State, so that bodes well for them.

I was very anxious to learn more about our potential opponents, so I did some research.  Below are the rankings in the most important stat categories for the top teams in our region.

FT %
Wisconsin 1st (.824)
BYU 15th (.759)
St. John's 108th (.711)
Michigan State 147th (.699)
UCLA  199th (.683)
Pitt 234th (.672)
Florida  238th (.670)
Kansas State 300th (.647)

FG %
Pitt 20th (.474)
Florida 45th (.464)
UCLA 74th (.456)
St. John's 77th (.455)
BYU 92nd (.452)
Kansas State 159th (.438)
Wisconsin 124th (.445)
Michigan State 191st (.432)


3PT FG %
Pitt 18th (.390)
Kansas State 44th (.375)
Wisconsin 50th (.371)
BYU 83rd (.362)
Florida 110th (.356)
Michigan State 128th (.353)
St. John's 234th (.330)
UCLA 243rd (.329)

Rebounds Per Game
Pitt 8th (39.8)
BYU 16th (38.7)
Kansas State 35th (38)
Florida 48th (37.6)
UCLA 61st (37.3)
Michigan State 73rd (37)
St. John's 281st (32.8)
Wisconsin 299th (32.1)

Turnovers Per Game
Wisconsin 1st (7.4)
BYU 19th (11)
Pitt 35th (11.7)
Florida 81st (12.4)
St John's 81st (12.4)
Michigan State 144th (13.3)
UCLA 270th (14.9)
Kansas State 277th (15)

Takeaways
While free throws aren't our region's forte (outside of Wisconsin), rebounding is.  I am nervous to see that  we have by far the worst field goal percentage.  It is very encouraging to see that UCLA turns the ball over even more than we do and they can't shoot 3's.  That bodes well for our chances of winning the first round.  This year, Wisconsin is very typical Bo Ryan team in the sense that they don't give away any games.  They protect the basketball (they average two fewer turnovers per game than the 2nd best in the country!!!) and make their free throws.  Their achilles heal, obviously, is that they don't make a high percentage of their shots and they're horrible at rebounding.  That second stat is very surprising to me, because Wisconsin is usually very tall and talented at rebounding.

Selection Sunday 2

For the second "why does Penn State have such a high SOS" stat of the day:
Penn State is 4-9 against the RPI top 50 (#6 SOS).
Michigan is 6-9 (#17) and Illinois is 5-10 (#20).
Michigan State is 5-13 (#12). 
We only lost one game to a team outside of the top 50! (Thanks Iowa)
Too bad the NCAA tournament has so many teams in the Top 50 RPI or we'd do extremely well!

Because this will be over in a week...

The longer I think about it, the more I want BYU in the second round!!!

Let's face it... this will probably be over in a week too.  If you didn't understand from this video, the way the Bucky differs from the Dougie is that you need to spit on someone while you're dancing.

Selection Sunday

I am glad that Ken Pomeroy's data has MSU listed with the most difficult SOS. 

-Michigan State played four tournament conference champions (Oakland, UConn, Washington, and whomever wins the Big 10 Tourney.)  If Duke wins the ACC, that will make 5.
- If you throw in teams that lost in their conference's championship, you get Texas, Syracuse, Tennessee Tech, and the loser of the Big 10 Championship.
-I still don't get how Penn State is given such a high SOS.

Going by today's Bracketology rankings, here's what I think is the easiest path to the championship (assuming the highest seeds win each time).
#6 - WVU - St. Johns and K State have been two of the hottest teams late in the season (ignoring the conference tournaments).  UNLV has some quality wins (Wisconsin, Va Tech).  WVU is a middle of the road Big East team and is undersized.

#3 - BYU - The 3 seeds all appeared in their conference tournament championship.  BYU has proved that losing Davies has made them extremely vulnerable.  In their 15 appearances since 1984, they have lost in the first round 10 times and in the second 5 times.  Jimmer was Jimmer last year and they still lost by 12 in the second round.

#2 - Duke - Call me cocky, but we almost beat them at home with Kyrie Irving.  This is a typical Duke team - they rely on outside shooting are vulnerable when they have an off night.  They lost every big road game they faced (which is hypocritical to say, of course, because MSU did too).  There's no way I want to see Kemba again, San Diego St is a big unknown, and the "team who shall not be named" is MSU's kryptonite.

#1 - Pitt - Pitt is limping into the tournament with a 3-3 record in their past few games (to be fair, two were due to buzzer beaters and the third went OT).  They haven't performed well in the tournament and I haven't seen anything lately that makes me think this year will be any different. 
then
#1 - ND - They rank 76th in the country in rebounding despite having fairly tall guards.  The possibility of facing another Hansbrough scares me a little.  They have some quality road wins and are one of the hottest teams in the country right now (12-2 to end the season).
then
#1 Kansas - I don't want to have to face OSU again.  We played them close on the road, but we were beneficiaries of a Sullinger off night, which he probably would remember (do you recall their rematch against Wisconsin?  Ouch.)  On paper, they appear to be the team destined to win.  Kansas has also lost only two games this year and would have a huge height advantage.  They have had some disappointing tournament appearances in recent years, so I think we may be more likely to pull off a huge upset against them.

Colors

It may seem kind of weird, but there are a few colors that I see that make me happy every time I see them.
The bold red shine of my kayak reminds me of adventure.
The chipped yellow paint on my hockey stick is a secret hint of my secret childhood wish to play on U-M's hockey team.
The dirty white tape on it allows me to pretend I am a real hockey player .
The bright green frog photo at the top of my staircase is one of the last things I see before I go to bed every night.
The black sheen of Boo's coat makes her the cutest cat.
The chesnut brown of our deck is my favorite place to spend time in the summer.


.....I can't think of anything orange or blue right now that I like....

Diaper Dandies

Losing Chris Allen, Korie Lucious, Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers and Raymar Morgan in the past year means that next year's team will rely more on our underclassmen than any year since the 2006-2007 season.  That year, six of our seven leading scorers were Freshmen or Sophomores.  The other was Junior Drew Neitzel, who lead the team in scoring.  With the possibility of Appling and Payne moving into starting roles next year, I was interested to see how their freshmen campaigns stack up against some of the other notable Spartans of the past 10 years. 

Below are the freshman stats, ordered by Mins Per Game, for some of our most important players from the past decade.  I noted some of the impressive stats (and the worst FT offenders) in red.



My Takeaways:

• Perhaps the low number of minutes plays a large factor, but five of the top six in FG % are on this year's team.
• It would seem to be a good sign that Appling is Top Five in 3 pointers, but when you consider the other people in that category, it's SCARY!  Summers and Hill had the two most disappointing Senior years of anyone!
• It's sad that three of the four worst FT shooters are on this year's team.
• It's concerning that Adreian Payne is the second worst in Assists to Turnover Ratio.  However, seeing that Paul Davis was the worst provides some relief.
• Drew Neitzel ranked #2 in Assists despite playing the 13th highest number of minutes.  It makes me have a greater appreciation for him as a floor general.
• The 01-02 Freshman class WAS the team - they accounted for over 62% of the team's scoring.
• Chris Allen and Durrell Summers really made an impact with their minutes!  They were second best in Points Per Minute.
• How good do Paul Davis' and Goran Suton's free throw percentages look now?
• The player who I feel had a Freshman season closest to Appling was Kelvin Torbert or Maurice Ager.  If he is going to take over the point next season, he has a lot of work to do in ball control compared to some of our other PGs.
• Adreian Payne's year wasn't that dissimilar to Derrick Nix's 2009/2010.  If he gets a ton more minutes next year, he's going to have to take a big leap forward in improving his free throws and limiting his turnovers.

We Aint Dead Yet

I can't wait for March!  As we approach conference tournament time, I wanted to share a few of my thoughts on what to expect coming up.

Team with the most pressure: Pittsburgh
In a year lacking a dominant, NBA-ready team, the best team in the best conference should be a common pick to win it all.  However, Pitt has been the "anti-Michigan State" for the past nine years; one of the best regular season teams but falter in the tournament.  Since 2002, Pitt has lost in the Sweet Sixteen four times and only seen the Elite Eight once.  To say that coach Jamie Dixon is on the "hot seat" for these failures would be completely ignorant.  He has the best winning percentage in Big East history and tied the record for fastest coach to win 200 games.  The fact that he has completed this run without a single first round NBA Draft pick is certainly impressive.  With three starting seniors on this year's team, 2011 is the best opportunity for a deep run that they're going to get.

Team that will be toughest to project: St. John's
I have seen St. John's play twice now (vs. Pitt, @ Villanova) and they're one of the most exciting teams to watch.  Each time they came out incredibly hot and built a big lead before letting the other team back in the game.  Since they lost three straight at the end of January, St. John's has gone 8-1 with impressive victories against # 3 Duke, #9 UConn, #4 Pitt, and #14 Villanova.  Over that stretch, Dwight Hardy has been averaging 25 points per game.  A logical conclusion from this hot streak is that the team has become comfortable with first year coach Steve Lavin's game plan and coaching style.  Working in their favor: Experience.  Of their 9 players who have got quality minutes, 7 are seniors.  Working against them: Experience.  None of these players have been to the NCAA Tournament before and the only quality non-conference opponent they faced this season was St. Mary's in their first game of the season.  It will be interesting to see what they can do on a neutral court against some of the other quality teams in the country.  I could see them going as far as the Elite Eight, but they are also an easy target as a First Round upset if Dwight Hardy has a bad game.

Major Conference Tournament Most Likely to Have a Surprise Champion: SEC
Since 1992, Kentucky has dominated their tournament with 11 victories.  Mississippi State and Florida have won the next most with three championships a piece.  It has certainly lacked upsets.  I think this year will be different because the conference is "Florida" and "Everyone else".  I think they will have a lot of upsets in their tournament with someone other than division champions Florida and Alabama prevailing.  Regardless of what happens, look for Florida to be the only SEC standing by the end of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. 

Open Discussion

Topic: Mumford & Sons is a good band.  Particularly if you like Guster.  Discuss.

Michigan State HAS COME BACK to Columbus

Before I discuss the game last night, I would like to review a psychological concept.

"Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for admiration. Those with narcissistic personality disorder believe that they're superior to others and have little regard for other people's feelings. But behind this mask of ultra-confidence lies a fragile self-esteem, vulnerable to the slightest criticism." - Mayo Clinic


The website goes on to list the following symptons:
■Believing that you're better than others

■Fantasizing about power, success and attractiveness
■Exaggerating your achievements or talents
■Expecting constant praise and admiration
■Setting unrealistic goals

■Appearing as tough-minded or unemotional
■Expecting others to go along with your ideas and plans


I mention this because I have learned that all Buckeye fans suffer from at least a mild case of NPD.  Living in Columbus has exposed me to a number of them.  They may be arrogant about their team and University, but every comment bragging about their success is followed up by saying something to the effect of "although they will say we didn't deserve it."  They usually means ESPN (most notably Mark May, Colin Cowherd, and formerly Trev Alberts), Michigan, the SEC, or just sports fans in general. 

I think more recently this is due to the University of Florida.  They can't erase the embarrassment that the Gators handed them in basketball and football and they think people discredit their recent successes as a result.  I think that Buckeye fans secretly also have an inferiority complex in relation to the SEC and can't get over those losses either. (This creates some cognitive dissonance.  Yes, I spent too much time researching psychology tonight.)

For example, after the Rose Bowl game last year, many people complained that "they" wouldn't give them credit for that win since they didn't beat an SEC team.  This year, leading up to the Sugar Bowl game against Arkansas, people complained that beating them wouldn't matter because it wasn't the top SEC team. 

This relates to the game last night because as we left the arena, we walked behind a group of typical OSU students and one of them drunkenly said "We are OHIO...STATE.  We're fucking awesome.  But of course ESPN hates us.  We lost one game to a team that never loses... AT HOME.  And we're number 3?  We're going to win it all in March and we'll show them". 

I enjoy the attitude that most Michigan State fans share.  We're proud of our accomplishments, we want even more, but I don't think we overreact when our teams lose or obsess about them.  Anyway, let's talk about the game last night.

I think the main strategy MSU had was to be aggressive with Sullinger and rotate around so we're throwing a lot of different guys at him.  Diebler is a very streaky shooter, so they did a good job defending him and limiting how open he was.  He has attempted 7+ three's nine times this season;  Iowa and Florida State were the only two teams to hold him to a lower percentage.  We outrebounded them by 10.  Kalin looked extremely confident leading the ball upcourt and driving to the basket.  Nix, Payne, and Sherman showed us moves in the paint that nobody knew they had in them.  The problem, of course, were fouls and William Buford.  I have been telling my Buckeye friends for months that he is the most underrated player in the country.

I am satisfied with the close loss if it continues to be a sign of things to come.  Izzo said it best:
"I wouldn't count us dead yet.  This is a pretty good team if we can regroup down the stretch and get three guys to play together instead of just two."

Kalin leads the ball up court

I admit - the crowd showed up for the game and the arena blew up at key moments.

Math is Hard

I don't get something. 

Michigan's roster currently lists 15 players, none of which are seniors.  Their 2011 recruiting class currently is 2 players.

Michigan State's roster has 13 players, 3 of which are seniors.  Our 2011 recruiting class is 4 strong.

Why does U-M have 3 more roster spots than we do next season?

Chrysler Eminem Super Bowl Commercial - Imported From Detroit

?

I'm just going to put it out there:

Does the growing frustration Tom Izzo has with his players indicate that he is closer to retiring?  Last year, he complained about them "not gelling".  This year, he has had to resort to benching and suspending but still experienced the worst performance he has ever seen from his team.  So, is he going to retire soon?  Ignoring how bad the Cleveland job appears now, do you think he regrets saying he would never go to the NBA?

(When Izzo announced he's staying at MSU, I said, "I think he will step down in as little as 3 years, but very likely within the next 5".  I think I look even smarter now).