Bowl Mania **UPDATE**

**********UPDATE***************
With my confidence picks, I am abysmal 3-5 heading into the BS National Championship Game. My other picks are a very weak 13-12, so I need Florida to win just to break even. So here are the new rules:

-Always go against the team that was "left out of the BCS" (Texas Tech and Boise St in this case). I think the BCS commissioner pays off the refs to make it look like they got the teams right.
-Don't pick the ACC over the SEC (Georgia Tech, BC)



Predictions in order of my confidence level (most confident first)
Georgia over MSU
I know our team the best and I hate to say it, but we haven't played competitively against a good team all year. We barely beat two ok teams (Wisconsin and Iowa). Georgia has underperformed against lofty preseason expectations and the game is a short drive for their fans. Plus, their QB likely will use this game as the final shining moment for his draft resume. Remember BC last year?
Texas Tech over Ole Miss
I really hope they take it out on Ole Miss.
USC over Penn St
Adding to the "Big 10 is a weak conference argument"...
Texas over OSU
And putting an exclamation point on it. We have some of the toughest match ups for the top of our conference. I think it is funny to hear Buckeyes rationalizing that their team hasn't been a big game embarrassment for the past few years.
Boise St over TCU
Why are they still letting Boise St play a weak ass schedule and still go undefeated every year?
Hawaii over Notre Dame
I think they're trying to express the termination process for Charlie Weis.
Alabama over Utah
I hate Nick Saban. Enough said.
Florida over Oklahoma
As much as the BCS sucks, I think they really did get it right - these are the two best teams in the country, even if Texas beat Oklahoma. It's going to be an exciting game.
Cincinnati over Virginia Tech
Really? We're still allowing the ACC and Big East BCS games?

And the rest nobody cares about...
Ball St over Tulsa
Connecticut over Buffalo
ECU over Kentucky
Clemson over Nebraska
Iowa over South Carolina
Georgia Tech over LSU
Minnesota over Kansas
BC over Vanderbilt
Oregon St over Pittsburgh
Houston over Air Force
Oklahoma St over Oregon
Rice over Western Michigan
Nevada over Maryland
Missouri over Northwestern
Rutgers over NC State
Louisiana Tech over Northern Illinois
Cal over Miami
Florida St over Wisconsin
West Virginia over North Carolina
Central Michigan over Florida Atlantic
Troy over Southern Miss
BYU over Arizona
South Florida over Memphis
Fresno St over Colorado St
Wake Forest over Navy

College Football Review - aka Annual BCS Complaint

Everyone is upset with the BCS, again. Instead of posting a rant (thanks Mike!), I wanted to break it down and provide my suggestions for fixing ALL of college football's problems, not just the BCS. First, let's look at why it is ridiculous that Oklahoma is going to the Big 12 Championship.

1. The obvious - Texas beat Oklahoma
2. Texas was ranked ahead of Oklahoma last week - They both won this week, so why is Oklahoma now better than Texas?
3. Oklahoma has choked in BCS Bowls - If the Big 10 is going to be penalized by OSU's back-to-back choke jobs (Penn State only has 1 loss but is not included in any national championship discussion), why isn't Oklahoma? They've lost 4 straight BCS games, including 2 National Championships, by an average score of 42-26.
4. The BCS is not intended to decide conference championship teams - The BCS standings was the final tiebreaker between Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech to represent the Big 12 South in the Big 12 Championship game. However, according to the official BCS website, the 3 purposes of the BCS standings are: 1. Selecting the teams that will participate in the national championship game, 2. Determining any other automatic qualifiers (to the BCS games), 3. Establishing the pool of eligible teams for at-large selection.

What will make things REALLY interesting would be if Oklahoma somehow loses to Missouri. Of course they would send Texas, but how can they justify sending yet another team to the National Championship game that didn't win their own conference??

The BCS is philosophically flawed - last week, MSU was ranked 19th. They didn't play a game and 4 teams ranked higher than us lost. Where are we this week? Two spots lower (19 to 21). How did we get worse? While I recognize the change in ranking is meaningless to us, it is more proof that the rankings don't make sense.

The Big 10 has a competitive disadvantage because we don't have a conference championship game (and therefore end the season earlier). On the flip side, it's not fair that in some stronger conferences, like the SEC and Big 12, have 12 teams fighting for one, possibly two, spots while the very weak Big East has 8 teams fighting for one guaranteed spot. This year, Cincinnati and Boston College/Virginia Tech will have BCS games while Texas Tech won't. Neither will Boise St and Ball St because they play in the wrong conference. So here's what we need to do to solve all of the issues.

1. Missouri is added to the Big 10, which can now have a conference championship game.
Missouri would fit in as a mid-upper tier football team and a mid-lower tier basketball team. I would arrange the two divisions as such:
Big 10 North
Michigan
Michigan State
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Illinois
Northwestern

Big 10 South
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Indiana
Missouri
Iowa

2. Boise St is added to the Big 12 to replace Missouri.
They have demonstrated year after year that they can compete. Instead of listening them whine about not having a chance at a national championship, lets put them in a real conference and see how they perform. Their crazy offenive plays bring a lot of excitement to the Big 12 - remember the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma?

3. Utah and Hawaii are added to the Pac 10 to make it a 12 team conference so a championship game is created.
4. Notre Dame is forced to join the Big East, like it is in basketball.
5. Temple is moved to the Big East, leaving the MAC East with the proper number of 6 teams.
6. Two other random teams are added to the Big East so they have 12 teams and a conference championship game as well.
7. FBS (Division I-A) teams are no longer allowed to play FCS (Division I-AA) teams.
8. Each team plays the other 5 teams in their division, 3 other teams in their conference, 3 non-conference games, and 1 bye week. If we followed this system this year, conference championships could have taken place the weekend of Nov 22nd.
9. BCS rankings are no longer released until the end of the regular season.
10. An 8 team playoff system, consisting of the top 8 ranked teams at the end of the season, is created. Since each conference would have a Championship game, the conference champions would receive a natural boost in the rankings since they won a game after the regular season ended. They would not be guaranteed a playoff spot, however. Under this plan, Big East Champion Cincinnati would not be in the playoffs and they don't deserve to be. If this was in place this year, the first round would have been Thanksgiving weekend. The second round could either be this weekend or on January 1st. The championship game would remain where it is.

Now here's why they would never agree to this. And I promise the real answer has NOTHING to do with their players' academic schedules.

a. While no fan would miss a game versus the directional schools, the universities would miss out on a lot of revenue.
b. Under any kind of playoff system, they will lose sponsorship revenue. How could FedEx/Citi/AllState/Tostitos sponsor individual playoff games with the same effectiveness as the BCS games? Lost sponsorship revenue equals lost revenue for the universities in those games.
c. Right now they have over a month to sell upwards of 70,000 expensive tickets to fans and alumni for one bowl game. A playoff system makes it more difficult to mobilize fans, unless the playoff games take place at one of the universities. If that's the case, good luck coordinating a game in Columbus or Ann Arbor in December/January. Plus, the cities that host the BCS games would lobby hard to keep the games and the tourism boost that comes with it.
d. There's still the issue of getting the television network that owns the rights to the BCS games to switch to a playoff system. For them, the system isn't broke because the ratings are great. So why would they want to risk changing that?
e. Finally, people who are anti-playoff will always argue that no matter how many teams you include, there will be controversy over who was left out of the playoff.

As you can tell, I believe it's all about the money. The people in charge of the system are making a great deal off of the BCS games, so until someone can convince them that they can make more money from a playoff system, it's not going to change. I just don't want to be around when we're the team that gets shorted.

(Side note: keep in mind, Division 1-A, or FBS, is the only NCAA sport without a playoff system and is the only one, therefore, where an "NCAA Championship" is not awarded. It's the "BCS National Championship" with the ugly, crystal, insert-some-company-name-trophy.)

What?!

Let me be the first to say it: that 24 "movie" was crap. It was boring and it didn't tell us anything. I thought it was supposed to tell us what happened to Jack between last season (which by my recollection was in 1996) and the next. So what did it tell us? Jack hid in a fake African country playing missionary worker. I guarantee you that 90% of what you saw tonight will be ignored and forgotten after the first 20 mins of the next season.

The thing that bothers me is that they are committing the same errors as before by introducing characters, trying to get you to care about them, and then killing them off.

I'm about ready to give up.

FF Analysis Part 1

DISCLAIMER: This post is a compilation of my research based on Mike's Fantasy Football post. Reading some of this information may upset you, especially if you're Mike. This post is not intended to boast about my team's performance this season, so don't call me a dick. This is part one of my two part analysis. The next part will attempt to analyze each person's skill.

Since I had the least amount of "Fantasy Points Against", I assumed that means that I had the easiest "strength of schedule". I wanted to see how every other team would have handled my schedule. Not surprising, Mike's record would have improved the most. I am proud to say, while 4 people would have improved their record, nobody would have had as many wins as I have.

(Side note: Even though I am comparing each person's weekly fantasy score against the score of my opponent for that week, I kept each person's result against me the same. So, for example, I played Canadian Beasters in week 1. He scored 70.98 points and I won. Therefore, week one counts as a loss for him. Wicked Weasels beat me in week 3, so that counts as a win for him. Sorry if that's too confusing.)

Week 1 was the only week where the results would have been the exact same. There were two weeks (2 and 6) that I won, but would have lost had I played anyone else. In week 3, I lost and would have lost to anyone since I was lowest in points that week. I lead the league in scoring in week 7. Below are the rankings in order of how many more wins each person would have gained.

+5 Cumming from Behind 6-4
+2 Wicked Weasels 6-4
+1 Kevinexorable 7-3
+1 WooHoo Still Last 4-6
e I Miss Aaron Rowand 6-4
e Zoo Tycoons 5-5
-1 Canadian Beasters 6-4

Looking at these results, I thought if Dave had fewer wins by playing my schedule, perhaps his schedule was easier than mine. Perhaps I could even be 9-1 with his schedule! So I ran the numbers again with his schedule.

+6 Cumming from Behind 7-3
+2 Zoo Tycoons 7-3
+1 Wicked Weasels 5-5
e I Miss Aaron Rowand 6-4
e WooHoo Still Lost 3-7
-1 Kevinexorable 5-5
-2 Boston Massacre 6-4

Ok, so I was wrong - I had the easiest schedule since it benefitted 4 people compared to 3 and lead to a net gain of 8 wins versus a net gain of 6 with Dave's schedule. Obviously the most interesting thing about this difference is that Mike would have EVEN MORE wins with Dave's schedule and would be in 3rd place right now in our league. I think it is also interesting that Kevin would benefit by my schedule, but would be worse off with Dave's. Finally, while there are 2 teams in each scenario that would not result in a net gain or loss of wins, only Amber's team would have won and lost the exact same games under Dave's schedule.

Return to the Randomness

I just saw an ad on the Big 10 Network that said "Where the Big Moments live". The clip they showed was a 50 yard game winning touchdown run that a Purdue player made with only a minute left in the game. The opponent was Central Michigan. Really Big 10 Network?

http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/rank?versionId=2&listId=92
How does Billy Donovan make this list and Izzo doesn't??? If we convinced the Flintstones to return for another year (plus snuck Mateen in somehow), they would have won the National Championship in 01 as well.

Speaking of Izzo, I may be committing blasphemy, but I think I might like Mark Dantonio more than him right now. That's not a knock on Izzo, but praise for Dantonio. He seems fully committed to the program (unlike Saban) and is very respectable (unlike John L) and brings great discipline to the team (unlike Bobby Williams). Wait, Izzo is all of those things and won us a championship. So it may be going overboard to like him more than Izzo, but I really respect his leadership and dedication. He has a Belichik solemnity to him minus the arrogance.
during the U-M game, my sister (who is a U-M convert due to her husband) texted me to gloat after U-M went up 21-14, my response text was "Pride comes before the fall". I'm sure she didn't know what that meant, but I love when he said that during last year's postgame press conference. I fully admit I thought it was a very questionable move to bring a guy that went slightly over .500 at Cincinnati to MSU, but he has proved me wrong. Seeing the contrast between him and the very slimey Rich Rodriguez makes me appreciate his devotion to tradition and respect. Ok, enough of my mancrush.

I think AOL has had the biggest demise of any person, thing, business, or country in the past 10 years. It's almost completely useless and yet it's still popular - it's the Paris Hilton of the internet. I don't know too many people who still Instant Message and there are many ISPs that are cheaper. I'm annoyed with it because I have tried many times to delete my aol e-mail account, but they make it impossible.

Me: "Whenever I would say something was "so weird" my old roommates would respond "how weird is it?" like you were setting up a joke. Then if you don't tell a joke, they always respond "I don't get it".
My Co-worker: "Wow... that's annoying. How long did you live with them again?"
Me: "Two years"
I miss many things about living with you guys, but that is not one of them.

Girl wearing a jersey at a game - cute
Girl wearing a jersey at the bar - acceptable
Girl wearing a football jersey around the mall - kinda trashy
Girl wearing a Bengals jersey around the mall - super trashy

Facebook is going to be very awkward once our generation starts to die. It's going to be like virtual memorials. How would someone else delete your account?

The Thanksgiving Day game has the potential to feature the undefeated Titans against the completely defeated Lions, although it will not come down to that. The Lions will defeat the Tampa Bay Bucs on the 23rd. It is more likely that the Titans will be undefeated, although I'm not confident they get past the Jags on the 16th. What concerns me more is that we may be 2-3 years away from losing the Thanksgiving game. The "why does Detroit own Thanksgiving" argument keeps creeping up earlier and earlier. It used to start that week, but now it is coming up on sports radio at the beginning of November. If we continue to lose, we will lose Thanksgiving. We're to the point now that home games are blacked out because we can't sell enough tickets. And the NFL isn't that devoted to tradition. After all, the Cleveland Browns are in Baltimore because the Colts are in Indianapolis. Notice that NOBODY questions why America's team is owed the other game. It's because when Dallas is bad, it is only for a season or two. By the way, I predict the Lions finish 2-14 with wins over the Bucs and Vikings.

OH - WELL

This is what I heard all day.


This is how I felt after the game.


Then I remembered this BS.


And I remembered why I love that Mark Dantonio is our coach.


We won't need this to beat U-M next week.

Big Business

I love books on business and business philosophy. After I read the autobiography of one of the top businessmen in the past few decades, Jack Welch (GE), I was excited to read a negative take on business. I picked up "Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole" by Benjamin Barber.

Before I give my thoughts, you can understand the book much more by watching his appearance on the Colbert Report.


His writing is very dense and he comes across as elitist and arrogant, but he does make a few good points. His arguments trail off on many tangents; I think he wanted to show off how many philosophers he could reference. It was hard for me to keep focused, so I rushed through skimming the rest of the book. Which is ironic since the first passage I came to argued that we want things to be "easy" with instant gratification rather than taking the time to appreciate things.

For example, when bashing fast food, he argues:

"But dining is about sociability, eating as ritual and food as symbol, with the dining table as a kind of secular altar to the family home and hearth. Today, the TV or the computer screen have taken over the ritual function of the household altar, and eating is solitary and passive."

Again, the irony is that I ate McDonalds for lunch and I am discussing this on a computer instead of over a phone call or in person. I agree with his romantic outlook on socializing; we should only use fast food in moderation not only for the health benefits, but because it makes us lazy and takes away from the important socializing that occurs at a family dinner table. But I blame the family that is not taking the time to communicate, cook regular dinners, or exercise - not the corporation.

The next part I stopped on was extremely relevant for the current economic crisis. He argues that the "infantilist ethos" conditions Americans to spend more and more and the banking system takes advantage of that.

"Even the savings banks from whom we might expect to receive encouraging messages about the public benefits of saving have grown schizophrenic, peddling credit and debit cards rather than savings accounts, joining in the chorus of infantilizing voices instructing people to spend - spend beyond what they have... And so...producers pursue their rational individual interests as sellers, consumers pursue their interests as buyers, and presto, consumer capitalism flourishes right up till the moment the national economy fails, and with it, capitalism itself."

He offers many statistics about how credit card companies and loan officers take advantage of people with poor credit by offering them high interest loans and credit cards despite their risk. People, like Sarah Palin during the VP debate, have placed blame on what they call "predatory lending". But I think people need to exercise more personal responsibility. I am very careful about my money and I don't spend more than I can afford. The blame should go to the individuals (and to some extent the banks for making bad investments) but not the marketers for trying to create desire for their products.

In the interview he bashes bottled water, a "manufactured need" for Americans, when people in 3rd world countries period. I agree that some people confuse needs with wants and don't appreciate what they have and companies play a part in that because their goal is to create need for their products. But what about the philanthropic programs that some bottled water companies fund, with part of their profits, to help provide those 3rd world countries with water? Evian, for example, has the "Evian Water Protection Institute" to "foster knowledge on the sustainable management of water resources and help the world's populations preserve their wetlands." (www.evian.com)

One chapter is devoted to brand identities.

"Branded lifestyles are not merely superficial veneers on deeper identities but have to some degree become subsitute identities - forms of acquired character that have the potential to go all the way down to the core. They displace traditional ethnic and cultural traits and overwhelm the voluntary aspects of identity we choose for ourselves."

Some people definitely let brand identity replace their own identity - they are called superficial teenagers and yuppies. He quotes someone who despises these consumers who "sip double-tall, nonfat lattes, chat on cell phones, and listen to NPR while driving their immaculate SUVs to Pottery Barn to shop for $48 titanium spatulas." I know people like this; they are superficial and materialistic. But those people would be that way regardless because that is their personality. More power to the marketers of those companies for doing their job and making those people buy overpriced spatulas!

For normal people, though, brand identities do play a small role. Starbucks is one of my favorite comfort foods - I get a mocha (fake coffee for people who don't like real coffee) whenever I'm having a really bad day at work or when I take a sick day, like today. There's something specific about the whole experience, not just the mocha itself, that is enjoyable. There's relaxing classical or jazz music playing, the cushioned chairs are deep and comfortable, the cup has a sophisticated appearance that makes it seem more like a special treat. That's all branding and it definitely affects the product - and I like it. That doesn't supercede my own identity, though. I am a caring, liberal, catholic, intelligent, forgetful, hard working person. Not a "Starbucks drinker".

My overall thought on the book is this: I agree with him that markets have created manufactured needs, developed poor spending habits in people, and implanted certain brand identities in our society. I place the blame, however, on the people with the poor spending habits or superficial attitudes because they allowed themselves to be "consumed". Now, not all businesses are honest and virtuous. But don't blame the marketers because they are just doing their job: differentiating their product, creating a brand, and establishing a need for their company in the market place.

Allow me to reintroduce myself

"I can't wait until September is over" - Me, on the middle of August

"Wake me up when September ends." - that Green Day song

I was the happier going into work today than any other morning for the past month. Work is starting to settle down a little, so I have the energy to finish every post I've started for the past 3 weeks. And here they are - as random as I can be!

My TV Show Power Rankings
1. The Office - I am glad that they are willing to have Jim and Pam get engaged instead of stretching it out... for now
2. I Love Money - Best guilty pleasure since the Hills started, my money is on Hoopz
3. Lost - It's not even on until February and it's STILL good enough to make this list
4. Heroes - it's starting off ok, but there are too many characters
5. How I Met Your Mother - An episode about searching for a burger? Come on and DO SOMETHING
6. Jon & Kate Plus 8 - Stacey's favorite, it's growing on me
7. Biggest Loser - There was a couple named Stacey and Adam! And they got kicked off the first week
8. The Hills - I haven't watched too much, but the argument with Spencer and Heidi's mom was great - the show is completely scripted, though
9. Amazing Race - eh, same old same old
379. Dancing with the Stars - There is NOTHING that would make me watch that show



Interesting Numbers
2004: 47, 72
2005: 69, 71
2006: 83, 95
2007: 95, 88
2008: 138, 74

Take a second and think about what those numbers mean. You may have guessed it already, but the first number is the salary, in millions, of the Detroit Tigers. The second is the number of wins that season. Do you think the Tigers are gonna cut some payroll next year?? Finding this from the Detroit Free press made me think. Game plan for the Tigers' off-season

I agree, let's talk about how the Tigers can turn things around. Obviously, the biggest need begins with a P and rhymes with bitching. Here are my suggestions:

- Top priority: Closer Second priority: Starting pitcher
- Don't pick up the club option on Edgar Renteria (they accomplished this yesterday -I swear I wrote that sentence two weeks ago)
- Don't resign Kyle Farnsworth (we get it, you don't want to play in Detroit. Did you have to go from a 3.65 ERA to a 4.48 to prove it?)
- Resign Fernando Rodney, but keep him as a late relief pitcher, not a closer.
- Resign Marcus Thames, Bobby Seay, Joel Zumaya, Zach Miner, Ryan Rayburn, Brent Clevlen, Armando Galarraga, Matt Joyce, and Clete Thomas (we don't need to completely overhaul the team)
- Sign Orlando Cabrera to Short (I know it won't happen, but I like his defense)
- Just sign anyone at Catcher - we don't need a good hitter

The opening day roster should look something like this:
C: Anyone
1B: Miguel Cabrera
2B: Polanco
SS: Orlando Cabrera
3B: Inge
LF: Matt Joyce
CF: Granderson
RF: Ordonez
DH: Sheffield
SP: Verlander, Free agent, Bonderman (in May), Galarraga, Robertson



Getting Political
Let me preface the following with this: I will be voting for Barack Obama... because I can't vote for Hillary Clinton. And because the thought of Sarah Palin being that close to the presidency scares me. But in my opinion, I've heard much better quotes in favor of the Republicans lately. Here are a few quotes that are very telling about the current situation.

George Stephanopolous: "You were asked 'Is he (Barack Obama) ready?', you said 'I think he can be ready, but right now I don't believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on the job training.'"
Joe Biden: "I think I stand by this statement"

"I would be honored to run with or against John McCain. I think the country would be better off." - Joe Biden

"I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience that he will bring to the White House and Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002." - Hillary Clinton

"Now, our opponents tell us not to worry about their tax increases. They tell you they're not going to tax your family. No, they're just going to tax 'businesses.' So, unless you buy something from a business, like groceries or clothes or gasoline - or unless you get a paycheck from a business, a big business or a small business, don't worry, it's not going to affect you!" - Fred Thompson


Back to Baseball
How did we do with our predictions?

AL East
Pre-season: Red Sox
Mid-season: Red Sox
Mike: Yankees
AL Central
Pre-season: Indians
Mid-season: Tigers (my quote: "yes, I gave up on them a month ago and now I'm drinking the kool-aid again")
Mike: Indians
AL West
Pre-season: LA Angels
Mid-season: LA Angels
Mike: Mariners
AL Wild Card
Pre-season: Tigers
Mid-season: Rays
Mike: Red Sox
NL East
Pre-season: NY Mets
Mid-season: Phillies
Mike: Mets
NL Central
Pre-season: Brewers
Mid-season: Brewers
Mike: Cardinals
NL West
Pre-season: Diamondbacks
Mid-season: Diamondbacks
Mike: Padres
NL Wild Card
Pre-season: Cubs
Mid-season: Cubs
Mike: Dodgers

If you give 1 point for getting it correct, and a half point for mixing up a division winner and wild card, the final tally is:

ME: 2.5
MIKE: 2
KEVIN: 0


I will leave you with our ominous comments...

Mike: Before the Royals even swept the Tigers these last three games, did anyone else have a gut feeling that this year won't be that special? There's something deep down that is keeping me from being that excited about this Tiger's team.
Kevin: I don't know why, but I was more excited about last year's team than I am about this year's team.
Mike: Yes! I have that same exact feeling...Something is amiss...

Restore the Roar

Yesterday's monumental loss to the Falcons (down 21-0 against a QB who barely beat MSU 9 months ago???) inspired me to write about the travails of being a Lions fan. Call me a fairweather fan, but I have already begun to think about the top available players in the 2009 NFL Draft (Michael Crabtree, here we come!). Then I read this from Mitch Albom today in the Free Press and realized I'm not alone...

Somebody knock me out. Wake me up when this is over, if this -- meaning the 2008 Lions season -- is going to be as bad as it was in Atlanta on Sunday afternoon.
Before a half-empty stadium, in a city that has no expectations, against a rookie quarterback, against a rookie coach, against a team whose former star passer sits in a jail cell, the Lions had their butts handed to them.
By the Falcons? Somebody slap me. Atlanta is arguably the worst team in the NFL, but that argument has a new contender today. The Lions have no claim to being any better than worst. Not until they prove it.
"Don't be trying to write us off," defensive captain Cory Redding warned, after the 34-21 loss. "We're good. We just didn't show up today."

We didn't show up today. We're really talented and could win 10+ games. We're going to surprise everyone. I'm sick of the excuses and unfulfilled promises. A few weeks ago, Lions fans were named the 2nd to worst in the league (thanks Cardinals!). The article is here if you missed it: NFL Fan Rankings How can you blame us? The "Fire Millen" campaign died 2 years ago - and he's still there!! They have been trying to restore the roar since 1957, which gives them the 2nd longest championship drought in the NFL (thanks again Cardinals!)

Despite being one of the historically worst teams in the league, we have not had the top overall pick since 1980 - and that has hurt us. Since then, 16 different teams had the first pick (including 4 by the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts). 7 of those teams went on to win a Super Bowl (the Browns did it as the Ravens in 2001). Another 6 of those teams have played in (and lost) the Super Bowl sometime in those 28 years. The 3 remaining teams, by the way, are the Saints, Jets, and Texans. The Saints got as far as the 2006/07 NFC Championship game. The Jets now have Brett Favre, and Brett Favre is Brett Favre. And the Jets have possibly taken over as the best team in the AFC East overnight (anyone disagree??) The Texans are really new, but have shown glimpses of improvement.

We haven't had any number 1 picks since 1980, but we have had 6 Top 5 picks in that period. In fact, below are all of our top 5 picks since 1967. Just to dig the knife in further, I included some other 1st round picks we left on the board.
2007 - 2nd - Calvin Johnson Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis
2003 - 2nd - Charles Rogers If we had finished 1 spot worse, we'd have Carson Palmer, not his backup
2002 - 3rd - Joey Harrington Dwight Freeney, Donte' Stallworth
1997 - 5th - Bryant Westbrook Tony Gonzalez, Warrick Dunn
1989 - 3rd - Barry "Our Savior" Sanders
1988 - 3rd - Bennie Blades Michael Irvin
1980 - 1st - Billy Sims

Ouch. Too many misses (everyone but Sanders and Sims). Jury is still out on Calvin, of course, but he can't help our O-Line stop anyone nor can he keep Kitna for throwing into coverage. It seems like we get top picks in the weaker drafts (1988, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2007).

The best selection was Sanders (obviously) - nobody blamed him when he left. In fact, most fans felt bad for him for being on a team that would never give him a championship shot. We all were ok with him leaving for greener pastures and would have proudly rooted him on if he did make it to the Super Bowl.

We may be Hockeytown. We may play DEEETROIT BAAASKETBAAALLLL. But the only team that looks like it can restore the roar anytime soon are the Detroit Tigers.

Help Me Argue Against Stacey

Stacey and I FINALLY splurged and bought a 52" TV, surround sound speakers, and a tv stand on Sunday. I resisted my temptation to be cheap. We went to a local place that negotiates deals and it was well worth it - we got a ridiculous deal on all of it. Watching football is SO different. I found myself watching a repeat of the PSU vs. Coastal Carolina just to watch a football game. By the way, Lou Holtz is SCARY in HD.

I bring this up not to gloat, but because we had an interesting conversation while we were buying said TV. Stacey just got her full time job at the zoo (yay Stacey!) and that's partially why we're getting the TV now. It's also our Christmas present to each other (Merry Labor Day!). I mentioned to her how this is each of our first big purchase, but then realized my car would have actually been that first big purchase. Stacey argued that since I am leasing my car, it couldn't count as a "big purchase". I need your help with defeating her in this argument.

I feel it is a purchase because I decided to get a new car, did research on different models, and signed an agreement for 2 years on a car. I feel like for those 2 years, I own that car. I am responsible for anything that happens to it and nobody else is allowed to drive it. Stacey argued that under that logic my rent should be considered my first big purchase. I said that if I wanted to live on my own, it is a necessity to pay rent and that I share the building with other people. She doesn't think any of that should count as my first big purchase. I need your help - now argue!

Complete College Football Predictions

My football attention span may have been focused solely on our Fantasy Football draft last week, but today is the rebirth of my favorite sport – college football. There may have been games on Thursday, but college football doesn’t start until I see College Gameday. College students with stupid signs and Lee Corso putting on a mascot head – gotta love it. I love the analysis they bring from across the country, even though it is often small-sighted. Case in point: “It’s 87 degrees today in Pittsburgh – that’s an advantage for Pitt”. Really? They’re playing Bowling Green, which is only about 2-3 hours west. Their climates can’t be that different.

Nevertheless, I bring to you my complete predictions for college football – the best sport in the land. Last year was extremely exciting with App St over U-M and#1 and #2 changing hands week after week. Adding to my excitement today: I have no less than 6 channels to watch games on today (including the Big 10 Network) and one of the first things Stacey said this morning was “honey, do you want to go shopping for tvs tomorrow?” I love this woman. Enough talk – here’s my thoughts.

MSU Results
at Cal L
E Mich W
Fl Atl W
ND W
at Ind W
Iowa W
at NW L
OSU L
at Mich W
Wisc L
Purd W
at PSU L

MSU’s schedule will be tough. I know this sounds ridiculous with EMU and Florida Atlantic on the schedule, but the key is the stretch from NW to PSU. In that stretch, their 3 easiest games are on the road. They also play 4 of the 5 teams that they lost to during the regular season last year in a row (NW, OSU, U-M, Wisco). The highlight of the year will be defeating U-M for the first time since 2001. They don’t improve at all from last year, but they don’t take a step back and that’s important.

Big 10 Final Standings:
1. OSU
2. Wisconsin
3. Penn St
4. Illinois
5. Michigan
6. MSU
7. Purdue
8. Northwestern
9. Indiana
10. Iowa
11. Minnesota

Heisman
1. Tim Tebow, QB Florida – becomes first repeat Heisman since Archie Griffin
2. Sam Bradford, QB Oklahoma – very accurate – he may not have too much buzz now, but he will by the end of the season
3. BeanieWells, RB Ohio St – best back in the country
4. Michael Crabtree, WR Texas Tech – ridiculous talent – will be a top 5 pick in next year’s draft
5. Knowshon Moreno, RB Georgia – I don’t know too much about him, but Georgia is getting all of the hype right now
(Side note: Literally, as I typed this, Beanie Wells went down with a foot injury on my tv in the background. I don’t care – I’m sticking with this list!)

BCS Conference Champions
ACC: Virginia Tech
Big 10: Ohio State
Big East: Pittsburgh
Pac 10: USC
Big 12: Oklahoma
SEC: Florida
I ranked each of the conferences from top to bottom in terms of how competitive each will be. I know Mike hates to hear it and will completely disagree, but the SEC has the most elite teams. Only 3 of the 12 teams had non-winning records last year (compared to 3 in the Big 10 and Big East; and 5 in the Big 12, ACC, and Pac-10). They had the highest percentage of winning teams last season of any BCS conference. Argue that! Sorry, I got a little excited.

Here it goes - my NCAA Championship Game prediction. Don't kill me.

National Championship Game: Ohio State over Oklahoma
I swear, I am NOT turning into a Buckeye fan and I am not being a homer by saying this. They return the most talent from last year while playing in a weaker conference. They have a solid defense and a new weapon on offense in Terrelle Pryor. This year was the year that they have been admittedly targeting for years and they will finally win the National Championship.

Breaking Down the Draft

With the draft now complete, I wanted to give my favorite picks in each round. I swear I was modest.

Round 16 - 4th and Goal - Fred Taylor - Usually underrated, a solid last round pick
Round 15 - Zoo Tycoons - Bernard Berrian - supposed to be a key in the "hot pick" offense
Round 14 - I Miss Aaron Rowand - Seattle - always have a favorable schedule
Round 13 - Cumming From Behind - Chester Taylor - if anything happens to Petersen...
Round 12 - Kevinexorable - Michael Turner - someone has to score on Atlanta's team, right?
Round 11 - Me - Laurence Maroney - if nothing else, good trade bait
Round 10 - Wicked Weasels - Santana Moss - fairly consistent from one season to another
Round 9 - I Miss Aaron Rowand - Darren McFadden - reports from training camp have been great, remember what AP did last year?
Round 8 - Zoo Tycoons - Jake Delhomme - last year was an off-year, with more weapons and the way the NFC South changes so much he could be due for a big year
Round 7 - Kevinexorable - Santonio Holmes - should continue to improve and take over as Pitt's #1 go-to guy
Round 6 - Canadian Beasters - Willie Parker - I don't think injuries will be an issue
Round 5 - Me - Matt Hasselbeck - overlooked nationally, not as flashy but consistent
Round 4 - Cumming From Behind - Brandon Marshall - despite being out for 2 weeks, he will be top 2 among the other 7 WRs drafted this round
Round 3 - Cumming From Behind - Ben Roethlisberger - not too many questions about him this year
Round 2 - Kevinexorable - Reggie Wayne - least amount of doubt compared to all other WRs drafted that round (Moss, TO, Edwards)
Round 1 - push - the round went pretty much as expected except for 1 slot

Here's how it all shakes out...
4th and Goal - 1
Wicked Weasels - 1
Canadian Beasters - 1
I Miss Aaron Rowand - 2
Zoo Tycoons - 2
Me - 2
Kevinexorable - 3
Cumming from Behind - 3

After looking at everyone's team, I have to give Kevin credit. We have turned mocking his past teams into a pasttime and I am sure it can't be fun to watch his roster turn into the injury report. I really like his wide receivers and his running backs are solid (if Gore works out for you, I'll be pissed). I have to rip you for drafting Vince Young though. He had almost TWICE as many INTs as TDs!!!

I like a lot of Mike's picks, but I think you chose a 2004 fantasy team in some cases (Warner, Holt, Driver, Williams, Shockey). You have to let me know how you got that championship belt to show up on your team helmet.

What Else

There's only 10 days until THE day - I think we're sufficiently dorky enough to know what I'm referring to. I sat down a few days ago with some buffalo wings, the Sportscenter mock draft and had 2 mock drafts of my own. It was great. I learned one things: I'm overrating Larry Johnson. I know this because I was the one to draft him in both leagues.

All of this built up to my single best draft ever. Let's take a minute and review my ridiculous team and how it came about.
QB: Tom Brady, Jeff Garcia
WR: Terrell Owens, Plaxico Burress, Jerricho Cotchery, Donald Driver, Ted Ginn Jr
RB: Jamal Lewis, Laurence Maroney, Selvin Young, Julius Jones
TE: Tony Gonzalez, Donald Lee
K: David Akers
DEF: Baltimore

...and I picked 8th.

1. By ignoring RBs, I was able to stay ahead of everyone else.
This year's RB crop is LT, 5 guys, and everyone else. If I'm picking 8th, do I really want top pick of "everyone else"? By passing on RB early, I was able to draft the first QB and 2nd WR. The next 3 RBs taken after I took TO were Larry Johnson (I resisted the urge), Brandon Jacobs, and Ryan Grant. The next 3 WRs taken after I finally took Jamal Lewis were Torry "shows up to the game" Holt, Chad Johnson, and Brandon Marshall (automatically out 3 games due to suspension).

2. Once everyone transitioned over to QB/WR, I was still able to get top tier RBs in round 3 and 5.
After I picked TO in round 2, there were only 4 RBs taken before I picked Jamal Lewis 15 picks later and only another 4 before I picked Maroney 20 picks later. Again, the talent of QBs and WRs was declining much quicker than RBs at that point.

3. I waited on TE, DEF, and K.
Gates and Witten went in round 4 while I was still trying to fill my WR and RB needs. After I took 2 RBs and WRs, I knew it was time to get a decent TE in Tony Gonzalez in round 6. Unfortunately, I couldn't take Dallas Clark because of bye week issues. The first defense was taken in round 6 (San Diego). I was the last person to draft a defense, but was able to get Baltimore in round 12. Same thing for kicker, when I drafted Akers in the last round. There just isn't enough difference between kickers.

4. I took a mix of everyone else
With my bench players, I took a mix of people who should have great years due to roster changes (Cotchery, Selvin Young, Ginn Jr.) and players with something to prove after the Favre saga (Driver, Garcia).

I can't wait until a week from Tuesday to do it all over again.

It's like Christmas Eve

In a few hours, football comes out of hibernation. I see great things this season: the Fantasy title belt returning home to me, the Lions winning 13 games, and a continuation of the Brett Favre drama.

And because it needs to be posted again...



NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles
NY Giants
Washington Redskins

I see the Giants having a stereotypical letdown season after winning the Super Bowl - only to 7-9, but out of the playoffs. I think the Cowboys are too talented to not win 12-13 games again this season.

NFC North
Minnesota Vikings
Green Bay Packers
Detroit Lions
Chicago Bears

Keep in mind these standings are under the assumption Favre goes to Minnesota. If he doesn't, it will be a toss-up between Minnesota and Green Bay for the division.

NFC South
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Carolina Panthers
Atlanta Falcons

I REALLY like the Saints this year - you'll see how much in just a bit. I think they have a huge bounce back year.

NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Seattle Seahawks
St Louis Rams
San Francisco 49ers

I think the surprise of the season will be the Cardinals. The Seahawks have been dominant in this division for a while, but they are starting to age - kind of like the Pistons. I have a lot of confidence that Matt Leinart will step up this year - he should with as many offensive weapons as they have.

AFC East
New England Patriots
NY Jets
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins

Patriots continue to dominate in a weak division. Next...

AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Baltimore Ravens

Everyone LOVES the Browns, but I last year was a special blip. I say they go 6-10 or 7-9 in what will once again be a competitive division with a tough schedule (they play the NFC East and the AFC South).

AFC South
Indianapolis Colts
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tennessee Titans

I also see the Jaguars to regress after last year. I don't think they have the offensive talent to win week after week.

AFC West
San Diego Chargers
Denver Broncos
Oakland Raiders
Kansas City Chiefs

I think this division will have improved from last year - word out of training camp is that Darren McFadden is progressing very quickly.

AFC Wild Card: Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals
NFC Wild Card: Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AFC Champions: New England Patriots
NFC Champions: New Orleans Saints

Super Bowl Champions: New England Patriots

I've heard some people say that they will play all season with a chip on their shoulder because they lost the Super Bowl last year. I like that reasoning, but I like their talent even more. I think they are too stacked to not win it all this year.

Fantasy Players I Like
Well, let's not give away all of my thoughts. That would just be silly.

Game Over

I woke up this morning and began perusing the news. Then I found an article that told me that the 2008 election is over and Barack Obama just won.

The article was titled "New McCain ad calls Obama 'The One'". I was curious about this, so I checked it out on youtube.



Surely that has to be a joke. I mean, yes, Barack Obama has been too preachy and McCain supporters will completely agree with the ad, but that will be a huge turnoff to undecided voters. The poor production quality and odd looking "paid for..." at the end made me think it was fake. Plus, don't they have to say "I'm John McCain and I approve this message" at the end? I was 90% sure it was a joke until I visited johnmccain.com and saw it front and center on his website.

I feel like we're going to hear about the infamous 'The One' ad for months and that people will point to this as one of the final nails in John McCain's campaign. This is coming from someone who proudly displays a photo of himself near McCain at a 2000 rally and was upset I wasn't 12 months older so I could have voted for McCain in the primaries that year. I think that McCain is listening to too many strategists and selling himself out in search of the presidency this time around. Am I overreacting or did this ad just seal the election for Obama?

Titletown

I know it is ESPN's excuse to fill time during the summer, and thus cannot be taken too seriously, but I want to debate Title Town. I guess they decided to start this debate because nobody understands "Who's Now?" to this day. If you had something better to do at 6pm today, here's the results:

6. Gainesville, FL
5. Boston
4. Massilon, OH
3. Green Bay
2. Parkersburg, WV
1. Valdosta, GA

This was decided by fan voting. Since I have too much time on my hands, here's my criteria on how I would pick the true Titletown.

1. It has to be known for winning championships, not for being the hometown of sports stars or for hosting a lot of championships. This means Columbus doesn't get credit for Jack Nicklaus, Detroit doesn't get credit for hosting the Super Bowl, Final Four, etc. and Williamsport, PA is eliminated from contention.
2. It has to be the home of a major D1 school or a pro team. We all know how much I love crazy HS football fans. This eliminates Massilon, OH, Parkersburg, WV, and Valdosta, GA
3. The city has to have won a major championship in the past 5 years. It can't be Title town without TITLES - and I don't care what they did in the 1970s. For colleges, it needs to be football, basketball, baseball, or hockey because people don't pay to see world class cross-country. This eliminates Green Bay, Louisville, Ann Arbor, Columbus, San Francisco, Palo Alto, and New York. Los Angeles gets a pass since they won 2 titles in 2002.
4. The city cannot have one team that is infamous for being horrible. We all know which city this eliminates. The Blackhawks and Cubs take Chicago out of the running as does UNC football.

With those 4 rules, I have already taken out over half of the field, including 4 of the top 6. The rest of the cities need to be evaluated case-by-case.

Pittsburgh - While the Steelers have been consistently good and the Pirates and Penguins have won championships, they just don't have anywhere near enough. Pitt's complete lack of success brings them down as well.

Knoxville, TN - They have a Top 2 (or 1) women's basketball team, but not enough else.

Lawrence, KS - Solid basketball team, but the football team is just starting to come around. Overall, they have 0 championships and an all-time record barely above .500

Gainesville Their recent dominance in football and basketball makes them a tempting choice, but they had 0 titles before 1996.

Ironically, that leaves us with Boston vs. LA. The two teams have combined for over half of the NBA championships. Boston's recent championship dominance make a strong case - except the Patriots don't count since they don't play in Boston and belong to "New England". The fact that their most beloved team had one of the most storied championship droughts until 2004 ends the debate.

LA has been host to 9 Lakers championships, 1 Angels' and 5 Dodgers' World Series, 1 LA Raiders Superbowl victory, 7 USC football championships and Heisman winners, 11 UCLA basketball championships, 1 UCLA football championships, etc., etc. The only blemish would be the lack of a Stanley Cup, although owning the game's best player ever for 8 seasons makes up a little ground.

LA is Titletown... or at least they should've been.

I am a man...

I am a man of today's workforce. I live in a world of Expense Reports, Financial Reports, Customer Satisfaction Reports, and Performance Reports. I exist to pay health insurance companies; the federal, state, and city governments; 70 year olds on Social-Security; as well as the beer and cigar manufacturers that help me forget the bad days.

I have been on e-mail chains discussing which pencil sharpener works best. I have been questioned for purchasing the nicer toilet paper rather than the one that is $5 cheaper per box of 50. I have chosen sides in the DHL vs. UPS battle (Brown's got my back).

I have marked down people in an interview for dressing casually while wearing a casual Friday ensemble of baseball cap, tee-shirt and cargo shorts. I can match my ties to my emotional state while wishing I could wear them every day.

I have role played how to handle every conversation and learned how the sweetest sound an upset customer can make is "I want to speak to your manager". I know that *67 is the saving grace that keeps your cell phone number private from your customers.

I take it and run with it, get the ball rolling, attempt to make slam dunk sales, have faceoffs with the competition, and hope to be on the fast track to a promotion. I overuse FYI and ASAP.

I live for raises and bonuses, the experiences, the relief of job stability and security, the people I have the privilege of hiring and managing, and a good old fashioned "job well done".

I am a manager. Now go do what I tell you to.

King of the Ring

Yesterday, I spent way too much time looking at old wrestling footage on youtube. It got me thinking, who is the best wrestler of all time? My favorite wrestler growing up was the Ultimate Warrior, although he turned into a joke (much like my other childhood idol, Jose Canseco). Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold transformed wrestling while they were in their prime, but Hogan lacked wrestling skills and Stone Cold was the same thing over and over againt. The Rock left too prematurely. By far, the best wrestler stands 6'10", weighs 295, and hails from Death Valley.

The Undertaker is responsible for inaugurating the Casket Match, the Boiler Room Brawl, the Buried Alive Match, Hell in a Cell, the Inferno Match, and the Punjabi Prison Match (think Hell in a Cell with bamboo). He has survived some of the worst storylines (the American Badass biker, having his wife stalked, Ministry of Darkness). He has fought two giants (Giant Gonzales and the Great Khali), his brother, and even his fake self. He has won 1 Royal Rumble (in which he was the first winner to enter the Rumble last), 6 world titles, and all 16 Wrestlemania matches.

He also has the best entrance ever.


He can levitate.


And he locked my childhood idol in a casket.


He has dominated since the day he debuted.

Go Green

“I can't wait to see Michigan State in about three years, once Mark has a chance to recruit his kind of players." – Kirk Herbstreit in November 2006

It's not quite two years since he made that statement, but I wanted to compare Mark Dantonio's successes so far in recruiting to John L using the rankings from rivals.com. John L took the stance that we can't compete for recruits with Michigan and OSU, so we have to go further out and find "diamonds in the rough". Sometimes this worked well (SirDarean Adams, Jonal Saint Dic) and other times it didn't. He didn't develop good relationships with key High School coaches in Detroit, Flint, etc. Mark Dantonio has took the opposite strategy - get what you can from Michigan and Ohio and develop them. He has rebuilt a lot of relationships with area coaches and almost every recruit comes from the two states. Let's look at their accomplishments by year.

Year .5
John L started at MSU in late 2002 while Mark Dantonio started in late 2006. Each had a few months to try and salvage whatever they could out of their respective recruiting classes.
John L's 2003 class - Only 1 four-star player - The class did boast Kaleb Thornhill and Jehuu Caulcrick
Dantonio's 2007 class - 3 four-star players - These players are really John L's boys, including Mark Dell and Antonio Jeremiah

Year 1
This is where things start to pick up a little. The coaches had one full year to recruit these players, but we all know the true recruiting begins way before they become seniors.
John L's 2004 class - 6 four-star players - This was by far John L's best class and comes after he was awarded the Big 10 Coach of the Year award. Key players: SirDarean Adams, Kellen Davis, Domata Peko, Brian Hoyer
Dantonio's 2008 class - Only 1 four-star player - The class fills a lot of needs defensively - he only took 4 skilled position players.

Year 2
This is where things start to turn. John L's 2005 class only included 2 four-star players - the biggest names now are Jonal Saint Dic and Javon Ringer. Mark Dantonio's 2009 class won't be official until Signing Day in February, but he has already received commitments from 6 four-star players. Now, this doesn't even compare to U-M (7 four-star, 1 five-star) or OSU (16 four-star, 1 five-star), but we won't ever win recruiting battles with them. The great news is that we have the same number of 4-star player commitments as Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern, Iowa and Minnesota - COMBINED! We also have twice as many as Penn State.

I know rankings only mean so much. After all, Izzo's recruiting classes are rarely top in the country, but he is so damn good at coaching the players to reach their potential. However, I believe these recrutiting classes show Dantonio is really taking the program in the right direction and I am excited to capitalize on U-M's blunders.

Ballpark Test

...or is it a puzzle? Start with, how many of the major league baseball teams can you name? It took me about 15 minutes to get all 30 - I was hung up on one. Ok, now how many of the major league ballparks can you name? I got 27. After you're done trying, check my comments for which ones gave me trouble.

The Great American Ballpark was pretty cool. (Oops.. there's a freebie stadium). It's set up like a poor man's Pittsburgh ballpark (you only get one freebie). Except instead of the bright yellow Roberto Clemente Bridge linking it to downtown Pittsburgh, you get a normal suspension bridge linking it to Kentucky. Like I said - it's a poor man's stadium. I have heard really good things about it since it was built in 2003, but much of the concourse seems very plain. The big feature of the park are two riverboat smokestacks in centerfield that shoot fireworks after a Reds home run (which we unfortunately didn't get to see). However, they built them much too short. The scoreboard is very expansive, but lacks the kind of LED screens that other stadiums have. The stadium is very round, however, unlike any other stadium I can think of visiting. When the crowd started doing the wave, you could tell there was great potential for having a crazy loud stadium as a result of the design. In the end, I would rank it above Cleveland and Philly, but below Baltimore. Here's a photo from our seats.

Mid Season Changes

I would like to start by taking a little credit for my preseason predictions. I called the 2008 Tampa Bay Devil Rays (go ahead and fine me) the "2011 All Star Lineup". I knew this team had a lot of potential talent. I'm done praising myself, let's look at my other picks with their current standings:

AL East: Boston Red Sox 3 GB
AL Central: Cleveland Indians 12 GB (ouch)
AL West: LA Angels Leading by 4.5 games
AL Wild Card: Detroit Tigers 7.5 GB
AL Pennant Winner: Boston Red Sox

NL East: NY Mets 5.5 GB
NL Central: Milwaukee Brewers 4.5 GB
NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks Leading by 1 game
NL Wild Card: Chicago Cubs Leading division by 3.5 games
NL Pennant Winner: Arizona Diamondbacks

I am fairly confident about most of my picks. I really believe the Brewers will go on a 2nd half. They are 12-6 in their last 18 and 47 of their remaining games are against the Reds (41-47), Padres(33-53), Rockies (35-51), Astros (40-47), Giants (38-49), Pirates (40-45), and Nationals (34-54). Here are my updated picks:

AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: Tigers!! (yes, I gave up on them a month ago and now I'm drinking the kool-aid again)
AL West: Angels
AL Wild Card: RAYS!! I'm getting on the bandwagon!
AL Pennant: Red Sox

NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Brewers
NL West: Diamondbacks
NL Wild Card: Cubs
NL Pennant: Diamondbacks

Take Me Out For The 9th Time

In honor of my purchase of Reds tickets this morning, I have come up with some good baseball statistics.

San Francisco has the 6th best road record, which is an even .500 at 20-20. They have the 5th worst record overall, however.

Despite being 8 games below .500, the Indians have scored 11 more runs than their opponents. On the contrary, the Angels are 17 games over .500 with only 18 more runs than their opponents.

The Tigers, thankfully, now rank 18th overall in record. They are 15-8 so far in the month of June. It took 35 games for them to achieve their 15th win this season.
Fernando Rodney’s ERA currently is 33.75, although he has only 1.1 IP.

The Atlanta Braves are an anomaly. They are a wretched 4-20 in one run games with an overall record of 39-41. Bill James, the father of baseball stats, uses the following formula to predict a team’s record:
Runs scored [squared] / (Runs scored [squared] + runs allowed [squared]).
According to this formula, their record should be 45-35.

Great American Ballpark will be my 9th ballpark - not bad for someone who only really began to be a baseball fan in 2000. Two of those stadiums, Fenway and Skydome, I visited without seeing a game. In the seven stadiums that I will have visited, I have seen 13 MLB teams, including the Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, White Sox, Twins, Indians, Tigers, Athletics, Rangers, Phillies, Nationals, Pirates, and Reds. I have not seen an NL West team play in person.

Opera Man 2

There's another guy who sang opera on America's Got Talent. I don't think he is as good as the British guy and he kinda over did it with the drama.

Hmm...

Did anyone else know Guster was at Woodstock 99?

The Following Takes Place Between 9pm and 10pm

T minus 24 hours and counting.

I Wasted 2 Minutes Watching the Belmont Stakes

Google Earth is my new friend. I know I am about 2-3 years behind on this one, but I spent about an hour today locating various places. I found my apartment, my parents house, Knob Hill, etc. The best part is finding baseball and football stadiums. I even toured Iraq and Afghanistan a little. I think it is remarkable, and a little scary, that you can focus so closely on different parts of the world.

At some point after Big Brown lost the Belmont Stakes today, one of the announcers claimed "...and that's why the Triple Crown is the most difficult achievement in sports". Fist of all, many would argue that horse racing is not a sport. I'm going to argue that it is not the most difficult achievement.

Achieving the title has got to be ruled out, because someone will win it every year. Looking at it statistically, each of the 30 teams in MLB have a 3.3% chance of winning the title in any given year, assuming the winner is randomly chosen.

Compare those odds to horse racing. There are usually around 20 horses in the Kentucky Derby, but that field thins out by the Belmont to only around 10 - let's say the average for the 3 is 15 horses in each race. If the winner was randomly selected, you've got a .0296% chance of picking the same horse to win the three races (assuming I've remembered enough of my statistics course). There have been 11 Triple Crown winners over the 100 plus years of the racing trifecta, which shows the winners aren't random.

Here's my list of in rank of difficulty. Keep in mind, you have to ignore anything superhuman, like kicking a 70+ yard field goal.
8. Unassisted Triple Play - this is more based on circumstance and luck than skill. Just because it is extremely rare, doesn't mean it is difficult. Between 1927 and 1992, there has only been one. Since then, there have been 5, including Asdrubal Cabrera's play this year for the Indians.
7. Bowling 300
6. Hitting a hole in one - I was tempted to move this higher, but it takes one lucky shot. The other feats must be repeated over time.
5. Triple Crown of horseracing - It may be difficult, but it's not the most difficult.
4. Grand Slam of golf - with such a huge pool of participants, almost any of them can have a good weekend and steal one. Nobody's done it, not even Tiger. (yet)
3. Pitching a perfect game - I love the romanticism that is associated with a no-hitter or a perfect game. It's unlike any other experience in sports because the team game suddenly becomes focused on just one player. Part of the beauty is that it comes unexpectedly - it could happen at any moment.
2. Batting .400+ in a season - Sorry Chipper, it's not going to happen.
1. Triple crown of baseball - It requires you to be the best power hitter and the best contact hitter - for 140 or so games.

I will leave you with this: the Tigers currently have the 26th worst record in baseball.

By The Way

...is it ok if I invite my friend Roger to go golfing with us? He's about the same level as us and I'd like to see him, but I don't want to just take off.

Game 5.5

Things uttered by me last night during the Redwings game:

"They really can't afford to go down by two goals. It's over if they do."
-A few mins after the Penguins scored their first.

"The Penguins have absolutely given up on this game. They're playing like they're down 3 goals with a minute left."
-8 mins left in the game

"Crap, the Penguins all of a sudden are playing hard again. They (Redwings) have gotta keep the puck out of their zone."
-1 min left in the game

Various combinations of profanity
-30 sec left in the game

"The Wings need to stop shooting the puck from the sideboards so much. They need to get in front of the net and cause some disruption. That's what the Penguins are doing and they should've scored one of these by now."
-2nd OT

"I know the refs want to 'let them play' but they have got to start calling penalties. That's the only thing that is going to end this thing."
-3rd OT, 12 min left.

That was an extremely disappointing game. The Penguins quit on the game, so the Redwings were lulled into a false sense of security. One they started playing tough again late in the 3rd, the Wings didn't match their urgency. The silver lining is that they still have 2 chances to win.

NBC needs to learn from the way the NBA does playoffs. I would love to see the player intros rather than two people I don't know preview the game. If the NHL wants to grow its fanbase, you need to introduce them to the players. I know a lot of teams do exciting things with their intros (Oiler's oil derrick, the giant Shark head, etc.) - lets see them! Two things they have added that have improved the broadcast are more camera angles from behind the net and the mid-ice broadcaster.

ESPN's reluctance to show anything more than highlights of the playoffs is ridiculous. On the morning of what could be the championship game and the following morning after an exciting 3 OT game, what are Mike and Mike discussing? The NBA Finals, which doesn't even start for 3 days! But of course, those games are on ABC. What does the "family of networks" expect us to watch - two hours of the Bachelorette and College Softball??

Conspiracy!!!

The 1985 "Patrick Ewing" Draft Lottery, Michael Jordan's secret suspension/MiLB year, the 2003 "LeBron James to Cleveland" Draft Lottery, the no call on Derek Fisher vs. the Spurs this year, the mysterious injuries to Rip and Chauncey, Sheed's fantom fouls.... THE LAKERS/CELTICS FINAL IS ANOTHER NBA CONSPIRACY!!







Just kidding... they sucked and I watched a total of 10 mins of the entire playoffs. GO WINGS!!!

Bad Things Happen When I'm Left Home Alone for 3 Days

Since Stacey's weekend is Wednesdays and Thursdays, I was home alone for most of Memorial Day weekend. It was pretty boring, but getting paid to sit around my apartment is much better than getting paid to go to work. Here's what I've come up with in my 3 days to myself.

On Lost, one of the characters is on parole. As part of her sentence, she is not allowed to leave the state of California. What are people on parole in the state of Delaware supposed to do? I've been there - there's not much. I know all about Upper and Slower Delaware (my aunt and uncle live in Slower). The state is only 30 mi (at it's largest length) by 96 mi. That's like a large jail cell.

While Stacey was painting her toenails, I let her paint two of mine (pink polish if you needed to know). I was in a weird mood and thought what the heck. This wasn't a problem until I went to Papa Johns and decided to be lazy and put on my sandals. As I sat there waiting for my pizza to be made (they had their printer turned off and so my online order didn't go through - that's another story) I noticed my mistake and quietly curled up my feet.

Among the absolute crap I watched this weekend, the worst was the 15 mins of Herbie Fully Loaded that was on the Disney channel. There is a long sad list of actors in it - Michael Keaton, Justin Long, Breckin Meyer (the main guy in Road Trip), Matt Dillon, and of course pre-rehab Lindsay Lohan. I'm sure they were all "just wanted to make a movie for their kids to see" - code word for "I needed the money". This is the part where I would rip apart how dumb the ending was, but I think that would make me look even worse.

"You should get a hobby" - Stacey. Yes, yes I should.

I Love Math

[{(12,000/20) – (12,000/30)} x 3.6] / 285 = 2.5

Why does this matter? It's the number of car payments that are negligible because of my increased gas mileage. I love math, but I love my new car even more.

Breaking Points

I feel like I am a pretty flexible person. Living in Knob Hill made me realize I am not the most flexible person – Kevin is. You’re indifferent on almost everything. However, I feel like I’ve reached the breaking point on a few issues lately. Here’s the numbers on exactly what are my breaking points.

5/14/08 – The End of the Democratic Primaries – After John Edwards (the senator, not the douche who pretends he speaks to dead people) endorsed Obama, I lost faith that Hillary Clinton, my candidate of choice, no longer has a chance to win. I am still furious that the elections in Michigan and Florida didn’t count. She was most likely going to win both states. I know that she still wouldn’t have won now even if she had won those states, but you can’t ignore what kind of effect that victory could’ve had if she had won them at the time they were scheduled. I remember the Democratic race in 2004 was fairly even until Kerry won the first few states. Those first victories gave him huge leads in the next few contests and it quickly turned into a landslide. It’s not fair that the votes in two states don’t count because of something the citizens had no control over. This is why I lost interest in politics after the 2000 election.

16-25 – Giving Up on the Tigers – After the Tigers lose to the Royals 13-6 over a three game series, I no longer believe the Tigers will turn it around this season. They’re 0-6 against the Royals. Jim Leyland’s locker room speeches aren’t having the same effect that they used to. Nobody on our team can pitch. Meanwhile, the Indians are starting to realize their potential and have seized the lead of the AL Central. While the Tigers were 16-25, the Indians had gone 8-2 in their last 10 and C.C. is starting to pitch again. I realize we’re still only 6 games out and a great June could turn that all around, but I’m not convinced it is going to happen.

$3.95 – Gas is Ridiculous – I feel I was much more patient about gas prices than others. I know that with years of turmoil in the Middle East, rapid industrial expansion in China, etc. we are going to see huge increases. I know that this was necessary for changes in the market – demand for more efficient vehicles would increase. But when gas hit $3.95, I got pissed. I knew gas would reach $4/gallon this summer, but I didn’t expect it would happen this quickly. I no longer think this is a natural increase – I think the oil market and oil companies are just screwing us over now.

Baseball

With six weeks completed in the season, the Tigers are in last place in the division, but are still only 3.5 GB. Many people are blaming the poor start on too many moves in the offseason. I wanted to see how the players they lost are performing, so here's a quick recap.

Cameron Maybin (Double A) .242 BA, 4 HR, 10 RBI
Mike Rabelo (Marlins) .239 BA, 1 HR, 6 RBI
Andrew Miller (Marlins) 3-2, 6.52 ERA
Omar Infante (Braves) .571 BA (7 AB)
Jair Jurrjens (Braves) 4-2, 2.84 ERA
Gorkys Hernandez (Single A) .309 BA, 2 HR, 11 RBI
Craig Monroe (Twins) .281 BA, 3 HR, 12 RBI

Out of those, Monroe and Jurrjens hurt the most. We could definitely use Miller in the bullpen. Oh well. MLB All Star Voting just started, so here's my first ballot:

AL
1B Kevin Youkilis
2B Dustin Pedroia
SS Derek Jeter
3B Miguel Cabrera
C Joe Mauer
OF Magglio Ordonez
OF Manny Ramirez
OF Josh Hamilton
DH Hideki Matsui

NL
1B Lance Berkman
2B Chase Utley
SS Hanley Ramirez
3B Chipper Jones
C Yadier Molina
OF Fukudome!
OF Matt Holliday
OF Xavier Nady

Around the Sports World

I no longer own a Pontiac Grand Prix (finally). Since my dad doesn't trust the estimate I got, we took it into a GM dealership to get an estimate (the 3rd one). Surprise! It was the same. He ended up selling it to one of the service guys at the dealership. I'm happy for him because he said he got a divorce and wasn't proud of the car he had. He said he's going to get it fixed up himself so he can get some ass. I'm glad I could help him out.

I just read the Tigers cut Jacque Jones, which I would be sad about if we had the 2002 Jacque Jones. The interesting thing is the quote from Leyland -
"Jacque Jones is not the reason we're four games under .500. Had he gotten off to a bad start? Yes, he had. It was totally unfair. He's been a class act the whole time."
I think that he is kinda out of line on that one. He needs to stand by the decision they make. This makes me worried that there is too much dissention in the Tigers.

I am extremely excited about the NHL playoffs - a Penguins/Flyers East Final is excellent and a Penguins/Redwings Final will be exactly what the NHL needs (I realize I said a Rangers/Wings final would be best, but Crosby needs to be in those Finals since he is the star of the league). But WHY are they taking a 3 day layoff between games and a 4 day layoff for the Eastern Conference?! That's one thing the NBA Playoffs definitely do right.

"As training camp gets close, something's bound to happen" - Brett Favre on Letterman. Just joking or serious? I side with serious. If NFL were WWE, he'd show up for Green Bay's first game, against the heated rival Vikings, in full Packer gear. "Oh my god, that's Brett Favre's music!!!" Then he tears off his jersey to reveal a Vikings jersey, runs over to hug Adrian Peterson, and hits Donald Driver with a chair. I'm drafting Favre with my 15th round fantasy pick.

In preparation for hockey, which I should be starting on Sunday, I have started to run every day. I hate running. I am very out of shape. At least I won't have to run during hockey.

MLB Update

My picks for divisional winners and their current standings:

AL East: Boston Red Sox 1st
AL Central: Cleveland Indians 3rd - 1.5 GB
AL West: LA Angels 1st
AL Wild Card: Detroit Tigers 7th in WC - 3.5 GB
AL Pennant Winner: Boston Red Sox
AL Cy Young: CC Sabathia 1-5, 7.51 ERA (103rd overall) - ouch
AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera .268 BA, 6 HR - ouch

NL East: NY Mets 2nd - .5 GB
NL Central: Milwaukee Brewers 3rd 2.5 GB
NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks 1st
NL Wild Card: Chicago Cubs 1st in WC
NL Pennant Winner: Arizona Diamondbacks
NL Cy Young: Brandon Webb 7-0, 2.49 ERA (11th overall) - yay!
NL MVP: Prince Fielder .250 BA, 4 HR - ouch

I'm pretty happy with my picks so far except for C-Bath, Cabrera, and Fielder. Four of my teams are currently in first in their respective division/wild card race. The Tigers are the furthest back, but that's only 3.5 games. I don't think that the AL Central will get the AL Wild Card, though, because they are all going to beat up on each other.

Draft Follow-Up

I am a little sick of hearing the links people are making between Barry Sanders and Kevin Smith over the college rushing records and the fact that they will both play for the Lions. Barry Sanders was 1st overall; Kevin Smith was 1st overall of the 3rd round.

I wanted to wrap up the draft talk by reviewing how the Lions could have won the Super Bowl by now with a few draft adjustments.

2002 was a horrible year for QBs. David Carr, Harrington, and Patrick Ramsey were the 3 QBs taken in the first round. If they took a WR that year, such as Stallworth or Javon Walker, and lost a few more games, they would have been all set to take Carson Palmer in 03 with the first overall pick. They could've gone defense that year and had their pick of Quentin Jammer, Roy Williams (the good one), Dwight Freeny, Albert Haynesworth, Ed Reed, etc.

Their 2004 draft was good on paper - I remember being excited about Roy Williams, Kevin Jones, and Teddy Lehman. I can't fault them that Jones didn't turn out and Williams is a primadonna. 2005, however, was a complete defensive draft - they missed out on Shawne Merriman, Derrick Johnson, and a number of other defensive stars.

I heard a lot of sportswriters slam the ridiculous system of handing out draft grades - their argument was that drafts need to be evaluated 3 years after the fact. I agree, but who out there was analyzing the 2005 draft results? Ok, so I was because I am lame and spent way too much time on the draft this weekend. Dallas (DeMarcus Ware, Marcus Spears, Marion Barber) and San Diego (Shawne Merriman, Luis Castillo, Vincent Jackson, Darren Sproles) had the best - and look at their performances now. Lions deserve an D- (Mike Williams, Shaun Cody, Stanley Wilson, Dan Orlovsky).

I'm done trying to think I am smart by evaluating things in hindsight.

Blue and Crap

I am very intrigued by the complete downfall of U-M's football program. Granted, they did win the Citrus Bowl and next season is months away, but the program is headed downhill. Case in point: a walk-on from Saline is competing for the starting QB job and has a very good chance to at least split time. He also didn't start until his senior season and didn't start much that year due to injury.

In Buckeye land, the spring game is an annual tradition; over 70,000 people bought tickets for the Scarlet and Gray game. The Blue and Gold game usually has less fanfare. This year, the game was a closed scrimmage played on the good ole' SHS field (due to construction at the Big House).

As much as I hate the Buckeyes, I have to respect what Jim Tressel has done for the program. Two National Championship games in two years? Check. 23-1 in non-National Championship games over the past two years? (thanks Illinois!) Check. Top recruiting class each year? Check. Heisman trophy winner? Check. The Big 10 is OSU and everyone else. I think I need to move out of Columbus soon before it's too late.

Now onto that Honolulu Blue...

How the Lions could have an excellent draft:
Round 1. Drafting an OT like Chris Williams or Ryan Clady - it's our biggest need
Round 2. Drafting Jonathan Stewart, RB Oregon - the knock on him is a toe injury - and Adrian Peterson had a bum leg

How the Lions will ruin their draft:
1. Drafting Rashard Mendenhall in the first round
2. Drafting Chad Henne in the second or trading up to take him in the first (the current rumor going around)
3. Drafting ANY WR before the 4th round

Reality TV Corollary

I have a corollary, that everyone knows someone who has been on television. It's more like a theory, but I like the word corollary better. With all of the obscure reality TV shows and gameshows, I think we've hit that point where enough people have been on TV that each person in America, on average, knows someone who has. I'm not talking about that time-you-had-Darren-McCarty-sign-your-jersey type of knowing someone, Stacey! I'm talking about a closer connection.

Mike and I, for example, played on the tennis team with a guy who was on Wheel of Fortune. I was in the saxophone section in high school marching band (which, of course means we were best friends) with a girl who was sort of on the last Road Rules. I say sort of because they did some stupid online voting thing to see who would be on the show each week and she was sadly never picked. My corollary was strengthened today when I watched the new season of the Real World (apparently MTV does a LOT of casting in Michigan). I realized one of the guys lived in my dorm with me and was a contestant or winner on the fake Singled Out competition I organized for hall government. That means, Kevin, even if you don't know someone who has been on TV, my 3 take care of you and Stacey.

Now, if you excuse me, I have to finish my audition tape for Made... I want to be Made into Homecoming King or a dancer, because those are apparently the only two options. Tomorrow I have my interview for A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila.

A Few of My Favorite Things

I was talking with one of my instructors and he said his dad taught him that great experiences are much better than great possessions. As a result, he is well traveled (he lived and taught English in Japan for 2 years) and goes to a lot of sporting events. I agreed with him, but I enjoy a few of my possessions specifically because I feel like they are a part of me and represent something about me. That probably makes me sound really vain, but it's not like that so stop judging me. So here's my power ranking of my favorite things:

My Detroit Tigers hat - it has quickly overtaken my Red Sox hat as my favorite.
My new car - I used to not care about cars, but I'm proud of my car. It makes me feel grown up and successful.
My stadium picture frames - This is more of a memorabilia of some of my favorite experiences
My ties - I don't wear them because I already dress up more than anyone else in the office
My hockey gear - I really feel this represents a big change. When I was younger, I gave up on sports so quickly because I wasn't any good and grew frustrated quickly. I feel like picking up hockey now makes up for quitting in the past. Speaking of which, I am proud to say I FINALLY signed up for a hockey league. It starts in early May, so I better get back in shape.

So I don't sound too vain, here are a few of my favorite experiences in no order:
1. Surprise Eminem concert after 8-Mile
2. Spending a week doing "Castaways" in the dorms and planning it the next year
3. The first time I got drunk at my sister's place and almost blacked out (I'd be embarrassed if I knew how little alcohol that took)
4. The first vacation with Stacey in Mackinac Island (sidenote: I think it says a lot about you whether you end Mackinac with a "c" or a "w")
5. Hockey all-nighter at the Ice Cube during boy scouts... my love was born that night
6. Being at the U-M game in 01 when we won on the last second TD.
7. Singing my senior song during my last Varsity Blues show... probably the saddest moment of my life that didn't involve something tragic.

4 Burning Questions

Is this year's Final Four the best ever?
Yes. And it's not just because there are 4 #1 seeds. It's because three of the teams are among the top 5 programs in the country and combine for 31 National Championships. It's also because there are so many future stars playing in these games. This is a product of the NBA Draft Eligibility rule that forces players to go to college for at least a year. The quality in the NBA and the NCAA has gone up as a result. By the way, I'm changing my pick to Memphis beating UCLA. I still like UNC winning it all.

Are the Tigers done after starting 0-4?
No. I am convinced this is actually going to help them in the long run. A lot of analysts selected them to win the AL Central and many picked them to win the World Series. They have many new pieces that they are trying to fit together (Cabrera, Renteria, Jones, Clete Thomas) some position changes (Guillen to 1st, Inge filling in at 3rd and CF) and some injuries (Granderson and now Sheffield). Trust me, it's going to get worse. After their current home series against the White Sox, they are at Boston, at CWS, Minnesota, at Cleveland, and at Toronto. On April 21, I predict they will be 8-12. They will take over in the month of May.

How good will the Redwings be in the playoffs?
Mediocre. Newsflash: the NHL regular season ends this weekend. The Redwings wrapped up the President's Trophy the other night for the 4th time in 6 seasons. They have been so up and down this season (good in Oct, Dec, Jan, and Mar; average in Nov; horrible in Feb). They were 13-9 vs. the 6 worst teams in the NHL and 5-3 vs. their most likely 1st round opponent, Nashville. I think they will lose in the 2nd round.

Should the NBA change its playoff format?
Yes. When you have a team that will miss the playoffs in the West, but would rank 4th in the East, it's time to do something. What is the goal of any kind of playoff seeding? To provide the teams that performed best during the regular season a reward early in the tournament and to have the best two teams play at the end. By record, the best two teams are the Pistons and Celtics. Of course, this current format benefits the Pistons, who have easy matchups the first few rounds while the teams in the West are fighting it out.

The answer isn't realigning the conferences; they have a logical geographic division between East and West. I think the answer is throwing conferences out the window come playoff time and seeding teams like the NCAA tournament. That would allow all teams who performed better during the regular season an easier opponent in the first round. To show how significant of a difference this would make consider that if the playoffs began right now, the 52-24 Lakers would play Cleveland (42-34) rather than Houston (51-25). Besides Golden State's surprising run last year, the NBA playoffs have been pretty boring over the past few years. Mixed seeding seems more necessary and would add an interesting twist to the format.

MLB Preview

AL East: Boston Red Sox
AL Central: Cleveland Indians
AL West: LA Angels
AL Wild Card: Detroit Tigers
AL Pennant Winner: Boston Red Sox
AL Cy Young: CC Sabathia
AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera

NL East: NY Mets
NL Central: Milwaukee Brewers
NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks
NL Wild Card: Chicago Cubs
NL Pennant Winner: Arizona Diamondbacks
NL Cy Young: Brandon Webb
NL MVP: Prince Fielder

Best name that sounds like Maxim's Top 25: Evan Longoria
Best name that would make a horrible ballpark name: Kosuke Fukudome
Best Star Wars character: Jobba Chamberlain
2011 All Star Lineup: 2008 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Worst team with the best ballpark: Pittsburgh Pirates
Who's my Tiger: Curtis Granderson
Who's my new Tiger: Edgar Renteria



World Series Champ: Red Sox

Blah

I’m in a very weird mood right now. Let me paint a better picture. I’m supposed to be working on a project that is due today. Instead, I am sitting here facebook-stalking with a wine glass of champagne. Stacey and I were celebrating my recent raise and we dirtied the two champagne glasses we had, so I’m making due. I felt completely on top of my job until this week. My numbers for the year were really good, but nose-dived at the beginning of the week. Luckily, this didn’t affect my raise. It did kick me in the balls and bring me down a notch on the ego scale. This apathy is really going to hurt because I have a LOT to do this weekend. Taxes, cleaning the Grand Prix so I can drive it off a cliff, paying my car bill, etc. I think part of the reason why I’m in a weird mood is because I fell asleep on the couch last night and was awoken by some drunk asshole trying to open our door at 3am. Did I yell at him that this wasn’t his apartment and he should go away? No, I just watched him through the peephole like a scared little bitch and then stayed awake for 2 hours to watch Pros vs. Joes, Hogan Knows Best, Leno re-runs, the X-Effect (completely scripted piece of trash), and Girls Gone Wild infomercials. That lineup would lead you to go in for work on a sick day if it were on during the day, but is a masterpiece of entertainment at 3am.

I am crazy excited for the game tonight because I think MSU is going to win. Even though that probably means they won’t, it still is exciting. The hockey team starts their NCAA title defense at 10 as well, but you only get to see it if you are one of the 16 people in the country with ESPNU. Did I mention my mom is in the 99th percentile on ESPN right now? She has all of her Elite 8 teams alive.

Oh well… better force myself to get that project done…

Madness Eve

For the past 3 nights I have toiled with many decisions. I have moved teams back and forth, but finally my bracket is done. Not so much because I am happy with my selections, but more so because I want to go to bed. Sadly, I haven't been worried about any of my work in the past 6 months as much as I have worried about my picks. Now that I am done, here's how I know already I messed up.
-I overrated the Big East
-I underrated the Big 10
-I didn't pick a team ranked lower than 4th to lose in the first round
-I overrated the 2 seeds
-I overrated the Pac 10

I am proud to say I stuck to one bracket this year. Who knows which teams I picked.

Good luck to MSU. Let's hope I am wrong about my South bracket past the first round.

March 1st

Even though it has already half over, does anyone else feel like March is just beginning? Besides the Shamrock Shakes, what else is there to March? This afternoon I was taking a look at teams trying to decide which bubble teams I would put into the tournament. After removing the 28 automatic bids and the 28 locks, I was left with 9 teams. I chose: Akron, Texas A&M, VCU, Kansas St, Villanova, Arkansas, Arizona St, Ohio State, and random lower conference team. I was only half right (plus Southern Alabama ended up taking that 9th spot). I do not understand how Arizona gets the bid over Arizona St; they had one more conference loss and two more overall losses. Arizona St won both head-to-head matchups, destroyed Xavier, and split their matchup with Stanford (which Arizona failed to do). They have slightly more to complain about than Ohio State, who played the toughest schedule this year. They should have made it over Kentucky.

Let's move past that and look at the brackets. The most appealing first round matchup without a doubt is Kansas St/USC, which could feature the top 2 draft picks of this year. The Miami Heat already have their flight booked for the game that is, of course, on Friday at 7pm.

Most likely...
1-16 upset: Kansas/Portland St... ha!
2-15 upset: Texas/Austin Peay
3-14 upset: Stanford/Cornell
4-13 upset: Washington St/Winthrop (sorry for picking on all of the Pac 10 schools)
5-12 upset: Clemson/Villanova
6-11 upset: Oklahoma/St Joe's
7-10 upset: Gonzaga/Davidson
8-9 upset??: Arkansas/Indiana - they've lost everything

Biggest tournament slight - Conference: Big 10 - Wisconsin, Indiana, and Purdue were all seeded one spot lower than they should have been and OSU was left out. We were slotted one spot too high.

Biggest tournament slight - Team: Butler - How do they go 29-3, finish as the #10 team in the country and wind up with a #7 seed?

Best...
1st Round Game: Gonzaga/Davidson or Notre Dame/George Mason - I think they'll both be close and pretty exciting at the end.
Possible 2nd Round Game: Butler/Tennessee or MSU/Pitt
Possible 3rd Round Game: Wisconsin/Georgetown
Possible 4th Round Game: UNC/Tennesee

Favorite Sleeper: Georgia - you've gotta love the SEC Tournament story plus Xavier/Purdue/Baylor aren't the strongest first 2 round opponents.