Grateful and Lucky

Well, it was a more interesting weekend than I wanted. Saturday afternoon, my dad and I came back to Oxford for the MAC Baseball Championship. We left after the first game because it appeared rain was on its way. Just north of Hueston Woods on 177/732 (for those of you familiar with the area), we were run off the road by an oncoming driver who was well across the center line and who continued to come straight at us until the very last second. I was driving our Sebring convertible, ironically the car that replaced our LeBaron convertible after I was involved in an accident in high school. That time, I was hit by a car running a red light while I was in the median turning left after the light had turned and the traffic had cleared finally allowing me to turn.

This time, we came over a rise and I noticed the car immediately right on the center line (I was driving). Normally on two-lane roads, some cars do drive more in the middle of the road (because they're more comfortable), but veer back over when they see oncoming traffic. However, this car didn't veer back over, but continued to cross the center line and come toward us. Here, I should've honked the horn, but I'm not one to honk the horn. Instead, I kept maneuvering our car while slowing down to the right, thinking the oncoming car would get back over in their lane. This didn't happen, and I was forced onto the grass to avoid a head-on collision. The car did veer back over, but by going to the grass, I lost control of the back end of the car, which made us go left. For a second, I thought I regained control, getting it back to the right, preventing a 360, but I overcompensated, forcing the car into a ditch and into a wire fence.

The oncoming car didn't stop, and I didn't have time to look at a license plate, so we were out of luck there. But, my dad and I weren't hurt at all, the airbags didn't go off, and we were able to drive the car home. Yes, there is external damage to the front of the car, but considering we didn't get hurt and the car wasn't totaled, we were very lucky. It's very unsettling remembering losing control of the car, hearing the fear in my dad's voice as I tried to get us through. My dad has reminded me a number of other things could've happened. If I froze, we would've hit the car head-on at 55mph, or I would've gone to the right too much, which could've made us roll into the ditch. So, we survived, thankfully, and I am ever more grateful for what I have because it could've all been gone.

Alright, time to move on and talk about some other things:

• Congratulations to the Miami baseball team, winners of the MAC Tournament and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Miami beat #2 Ball St. Friday and #3 Central Michigan twice on Saturday to win the championship. The Redhawks open up in Austin vs. Arkansas on Friday afternoon with Texas or Quinnipac waiting next. It is double-elimination, and whoever wins the regional advances to the Sweet 16 or superregionals.
• Go figure, I correctly predicted Miss Canada as winner of last night's Miss Universe pageant. 9 of my top 10 and 4 of my top 5 advanced and yes, the girl made me go, "Ohhhh, Canada" (yes, cheesy, but I think you would say the same).
• The Americans are all gone from the French Open after Lindsay Davenport lost to Mary Pierce in the women's quarterfinals. Realistically, I think I'll watch one more match, the Roger Federer/Rafael Nadal semifinal. The remaining contestants are just not very intriguing, which sums up the French Open quite well I think. Agassi, Roddick, Sharapova, Safin, Safin's girlfriend, they're all gone. At least Wimbledon is only a couple of weeks away.
• I officially weighed in at 205 this weekend, bringing my weight loss totals to 20 pounds since Winter Break and 15 since Spring Break.
  
• Currently, the defense of my exit thesis is slated for July 21st. This will likely be the final academic exercise of my life, which is weird to think about. It's going to be a challenge to try and finish by then, but I think by increasing the time I spend on this each day and remain consistent, I think I'll be fine.
• Honestly, who is going to watch the new show, which begins on my birthday nevertheless, "Who Wants To Be a Hilton?" Yes, I understand there's a lot of money involved, but do you really want to be mentioned in the same breath as Paris Hilton. Shows like The Contender get cancelled, but there's room for Who Wants To Be a Hilton. Thank you for tarnishing my birthday NBC.
• I was one of the people drawn into the Indianapolis 500 because of Danica Patrick, and I was glad to see her live up to the hype, having a chance to win the race in the last 10 laps before fuel concerns forced her to slow and finish 4th. But, ABC and every other network that talked about the race started to overdo it. While I watched, all I heard was "Danica this, Danica that..." Can you tell me who actually won the race? Oh yeah, Dan Wheldon won, his 4th win of the year. Danica is a great story, but the winner should get a little attention. That just shows you how desperate open-wheel racing is for good stories and publicity. In addition, what's all this "Sportswoman of the Year" talk? Annika Sorenstam is hands-down sportswoman of the year right now.

Overall, May is probably the worst sports month there is, more so this year with no Stanley Cup playoffs. But, May is over and here are some reasons to get excited for June:

• NCAA College World Series. If you want to see actual hustle and players who play with a sense of urgency on every play, watch the College World Series. I'm not a big baseball fan, but I do watch this every year, and I'm never let down. In addition, this year provides a good opportunity for college baseball to become more popular nationally with the added exposure due to no playoff hockey.
• U.S. Open. This tournament is almost better than the Masters because you get to see the pros struggle a little bit and you get to watch almost ever shot, unlike the Masters which doesn't show 18-hole coverage until Sunday. The US Open returns to Pinehurst, which was the scene for one of the most exciting major golf tournaments ever, when Payne Stewart, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and Vijay Singh battled until the final stroke when Stewart made a putt on the 72nd hole to win. Pinehurst is a course you can't overpower with sheer power. You must place your ball carefully, especially on the Donald Ross greens because if you don't, you'll be off the green with a huge mound directly in front of you.
• Wimbledon. There are only 2 negatives to Wimbledon. First, you can survive if you have a 145-mph serve and occasional volley, and second, the constant rain delays. But there's something about the grass, the atmosphere, and the players wearing white and the other traditions that draw you in. Usually, the best player wins, unlike the French Open where you see clay-court specialists who aren't the best players win.
• Tour De France. Ok, the Tour doesn't start until July, but we are just a month away from Lance's try at #7.
  
• NBA Draft. This is like the equivalent of spring football for college basketball, seeing where the star players end up.
  

Ok, I think that's good for tonight, talk to y'all later.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

I will be heading home tomorrow for the long weekend, so before I forget, have a great and safe weekend everyone. Once again, if you're in the area, gimme a call and we'll hang out. The empirical portion of my final paper is almost over, and may be over tomorrow. Currently, I'm on pace to finish and defend in late July, so that's very exciting. There's still nothing substantial to report on the job situation, but that may be changing soon, let me just say that.

Alright, what else is going on:

• The Miami baseball team won their first game of the MAC Tourney, defeating Akron 2-0. It was my first time at the ballpark here on campus to watch the boys and I came away very impressed. Not only does Miami have good starting pitching, but good defense as well. I may have to drag my dad back down to Oxford Saturday if Miami can advance to the championship game. It was a great day sitting outside and enjoying the game and the weather.
  
• In the NBA, the Spurs lead the Suns 2-0. As much as I like the Suns, they can't stop anyone or rebound to save their lives. Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamire are phenomenal players, but Stoudamire needs to learn how to play defense and rebound around the basket. In the East, the Heat tied things up tonight behind 40 points from Dwayne Wade. It will be interesting to see who ends up being the better player, Wade or LeBron. LeBron is a better perimeter shooter, but I'd take Wade right now, especially after watching him bounce back from his dismal performance in Game 1 of the series. Wade wills his way to the basket and finishes at a high percentage while also finding the open man. Kobe Bryant should take some notes.
• Carrie Underwood won American Karaoke. I think the finale show is the dumbest thing in television. Didn't the new single sound very similar to "A Moment Like This". Listen to the chorus next time you hear it, I think you'll agree with me.
• The Contender ended up Sergio Mora, 1st; Peter Manfredo Jr., 2nd; Alfonso Gomez, 3rd; Jesse Brinkley, 4th. Manfredo tried to neutralize Mora's speed by tying him up, pushing him against the ropes to give him a stationary target. But Mora landed combination after combination, hurting Manfredo and tiring him out most of the fight. Of all the reality shows, this one appears to be extinct. How did this show not do better than some of the ones out there? Oh well, I really liked the show and I hope it finds a way to comeback.
• I forgot to mention this the other night, but the Daytime Emmy Awards were last week. To prove no one really cares about soap operas, one only had to look at the attendance in the theater that night. This is the only awards show that doesn't sell out, there were plenty of seats available. Even the Tony Awards sellout, c'mon.
  
• I agree with the pundits that the Indianapolis 500 is no longer the sporting event it once was. I'd still put it above horse racing, but when the Coca-Cola 600, a regular Nascar event has higher ratings than you, that's a problem. Open wheel racing is probably 3rd in racing supremacy behind Nascar and the Busch series, and is probably not much higher than the Craftsman Truck series. But there is still something about "Gentlemen, start your engines," on the last weekend in May that gets me going and pulls me in.
• The French Open is now into the 2nd round with the big story being Andre Agassi's back and hip problems. Despite having a 2 sets to 1 lead in his 1st round match, Agassi lost all mobility in his back and hip, which gave his opponent a chance to comeback and easily defeat Andre in the last 2 sets. Agassi revealed he's been forced to take cortisone shots to ease the pain, which even with the injections, is still there. You've gotta think this is the last year for Andre, if he can play through the pain. How much magic does he have left? Andy Roddick is through to the 2nd round, while Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the two favorites, are into the 3rd round. On the women's side, all of the big guns are still there, with Maria Sharapova in action tomorrow.
• Finally, Ken Jennings fell short in the Ultimate Jeopardy finals, placing 2nd to the guy ( can't remember his name) who had previously won the most money on Jeopardy prior to Ken. Ken played well, but the other guy was phenonmenal, knowing everything from Latin to rocks.

Have a good weekend, see you on Monday.

What a feeling

I rarely watch Oprah, but today I tuned in because Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were on the program. Cruise was promoting War of the Worlds, but most of the talk centered around him and his new lover. Cruise has been private about his personal affairs in the past, but he is the polar opposite when it comes to Ms. Katie. Throughout the show, at any mention of her name, he went crazy, jumping on couches, screaming, pumping his fist, things I'd never seen before. When he talked about why he did such things, it was because of the way she makes him feel. He appears to be a man in love.

I'm sitting there, thinking, this is how I picture true love to be. I want to be excited, not insanely excited, but I want to be able to feel that raw emotion through me 24/7. I can't wait to feel that, because I haven't had that kind of feeling yet. I've been able to describe all of the emotions I've felt at one time or another, and this particular emotion is undescribable, hence Cruise stumbling over his words when trying to describe his feelings. Anyway, today gave me some encouragement there are women out there with that kind of energy I'm looking for, the kind of energy that's infectious and makes you want to be a better person, not holding you back from reaching that level.

Anyway, here are some other things going on:

• Danny Graves was designated for assignment by the Reds after another poor performance yesterday. When removed from the game, Graves gave an offensive hand gesture to a fan, who was yelling at him. Being designated for assignment basically means the Reds don't want him anymore and some other team can pick him up. Finally, the Reds saw the light and let him go. He was terribly overrated as a closer.
• In French Open action, the only surprise was a major one. Defending champ Anastasia Myskina lost in 3 sets, getting bageled in the last one. Tomorrow, Roddick, Agassi, and Sharapova are in action.
• Paula Creamer became the youngest golfer to win an LPGA event, winning the Sybase classic at the age of 18. Creamer is doing what Michelle Wie should do, which is show you can beat the women before taking on the men. Creamer dominated junior golf, winning 19 times before moving onto the LPGA, where she is 4th on the money list as a rookie. Michelle Wie is very talented, but she needs to learn how to win if she's going to become successful in the future. She needs to show she can beat girls her own age, let alone beating older men and women.
• How could I forget the return of the Muppets on Friday night in the Muppets' Wizard of Oz??? This was the Muppets' first venture since being acquired by Disney, and I thought the movie was one of the better Muppet movies in recent years. There's still room for improvement, but it was certainly better than anything done since Muppets Take Manhattan. I was disappointed that the Swedish Chef didn't get a bigger part.

G'night.

La Terre Bateau

I had a good weekend at home, rested up and got some work done. The wedding was interesting, running into some people I hadn't seen in a loooong time, but it was fun. I don't think I've ever seen Chad (the groom) so nervous, but who can blame him, he was getting married. The one complaint I had (making future notes) is that the ceremony was subdued. Whenever that day comes, I want my wedding to be a joyous occasion, one big celebration. Everyone looked to be going through the motions it seemed. So when I decide to get married, you will feel the raw emotion, I can guarantee you that.

Anyway, here are some other random thoughts:

• La Terre Bateau is the nickname given to the red clay of Roland Garros and the French Open, tennis's 2nd major, which begins bright and early tomorrow. This is my least favorite major of the year for several reasons:
• Americans have not done well recently, especially on the men's side. Andre Agassi has won here, but that was 6 years ago. Andy Roddick has never made it to the 2nd week, and everyone else has trouble making it past the 1st round.
  
• The atmosphere surrounding the tournament severly lacks excitement. It's hard to get excited about the tournament when the show courts are half-full at best. The people that do come sit on their hands and make no noise whatsoever. If a Frenchman or Frenchwomen isn't playing, the stadium turns into a library (although King library here on a Saturday night before finals week is louder than some of these courts ever get).
  
• Clay court tennis itself isn't that exciting to watch. Yes, the rallies become longer, which usually translates into more exciting tennis, but the rallies are too long and too boring. The men are especially guilty of this, hitting topsin forehands and backhands repeatedly until one of them can't take it anymore and tries a drop shot, forcing his opponent to come to the net to make a volley. The pace of play becomes really slow on a cold day as the clay plays slow, making the ball stand up on the bounce more, meaning even more topspin. At least when the weather warms up, the clay plays faster, more like a hard court, and the excitement level increases. But for the most part, it comes down to Spainard vs. Spainard, and who has the meanest topspin.
• It's hard to remember recent great French Open matches. Last year's men's final was interesting when Guillermo Coria faked an injury, then tried to surprise Gaston Gaudio in the 5th set, only to lose. Other than that, nothing hits me.
• Afleet Alex won the Preakness, Giacomo took 3rd, there will be no Triple Crown winner, goodbye Horse Racing, see you next May.
• Major League Baseball gets a rare place in the blog, only because the Reds are so bad. The Redlegs dropped 2 of 3 to the Indians this past weekend, which included a 5-3 loss Sat. night. The gamewinning hit was a homerun by Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia in the 5th inning. Remember, American League pitchers don't usually hit, so for Sabathia to come up and jack a homer (to center field nonetheless, 400+ feet) indicates how bad the Reds are.
• Congratulations to the Miami men's baseball team, who swept their weekend series at Kent St. to clinch the MAC regular season championship, entitling them to host the MAC Championship here in Oxford this week, beginning Wednesday. Yours truly will be there.
• In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs outran the Suns 121-114 in a game much to my liking. This is how basketball should be played. Both teams run any chance they get, they make shots, and they play pretty smart basketball. The only one negative is the number of players that don't stay down on a shotfake. Offensive players, 25 feet away sometimes, fake a shot, get their defender in the air, run into them and go to the foul line. Whatever happened to looking at the guy's chest when you're on defense, so you didn't go for the shotfake??? And, why are you trying to block a shot 25 feet away from the basket??? How many times do you see that actually done??? Sometimes I wonder....
• In the Contender, Sergio Mora survived a late rally from Jesse Brinkley to advance to Tuesday's live Million-Dollar showdown vs. Peter Manfredo. When this show is done, what am I going to watch on TV??? French Open will be in the morning, NBA in the evening, but that isn't a whole lot. I'm sure something will come along.

That's all I've got tonight, see you tomorrow.

Let the Wedding March begin

This weekend is the first of 3 weddings I will attend this summer. One of my good friends from home who I grew up with is tying the knot back home, so I will be home this weekend. It's hard to believe I'm attending the wedding of a guy who I rode bikes and played sports with when I was in preschool and elementary school. It should be a good time, I'm looking forward to it. I haven't been to a wedding in awhile and I've always enjoyed them, so it should be a fun Saturday.

Since I'll be home this weekend (and next since it's Memorial Day weekend), if you're around Englewoooood, let me know and we can get together and catch up.

Ok, here's what's been going on the last couple of days:

• I went and saw the new Star Wars today and it is by far the best of the newer editions. I won't give too much away, but it was worth sitting through the prior, dialogue-dominated 2 episodes to get to the climax, which the 3rd provides. The last 90 minutes are really well-done; they measure up to the standard of the original trilogy. I can't remember the last time I felt so tense in a movie theater; the emotion of the film engulfs you that much. Plus, Natalie Portman is gorgeous in this movie, despite playing a pregnant Padme. There are only two negative things I have to say about the movie. First, Hayden Christensen looked sinister, but his dialogue sure didn't match it. Either he got bad lines, or he needs to go through puberty so his voice can lower and somewhat resemble a villain's voice. Second, I was ready for the Dark Side anthem to blare out at the end, after all, they won the fight. Instead, the hopeful anthem of the next episode played since Luke and Leia survived. Oh well, I guess I was asking for too much. I'll probably go see it again tomorrow, I liked it that much. I never thought I'd be so excited to see the unveiling of Darth Vader
  
• The Pistons eliminated the Pacers tonight in Reggie Miller's farewell, which is good and bad news. The good news is that series is finally over and that no one has to witness the worst brand of basketball no longer. The bad news is that the Pistons advanced and are still alive. I've never been a Pistons fan, going back to when I was a Celtics fan in the 80s and the Bad Boys knocked Larry and the boys off their throne as Eastern Conference champs. I believe their "team-oriented" style of ball is the most overrated style of ball there has ever been. It's not that they're so good, it's that they make their opponents play so much worse. And their opponents' bad play is more of a result of their incompetence and not the Pistons' skill. Even the Lakers team the Pistons defeated last year wasn't that good. That Lakers team had no one capable of scoring besides Kobe and Shaq. Gary Payton was ineffective, Karl Malone was hurt, and everyone else couldn't create their own offense to save their life. It's fair to say I'm rooting for a Heat-Suns Finals, because that's how basketball should be played.
• Speaking of the Suns, they now lead Dallas 3-2 in one of the more exciting playoff series in recent years. I love how Phoenix plays, fast on offense and aggressive on defense. Yes, they give up a lot of points, but they do play defense, they just take more chances than the average team. Amare Stoudamire embodies the new NBA-center prototype for the coming years. Last night, I couldn't help but be in awe of his raw athleticism and his ability to finish off the pick'n'roll. His back to the basket skills aren't there yet, but the way he can adjust his body in midair and finish around the basket like a small forward make him unstoppable around the basket.
• I don't feel sorry for Barry Bonds one bit. Bonds has reportedly been on an IV, being immobilized due to an infection in his knee. I firmly believe this is a result of his usage of steroids. His body is suffering the same fate as Lyle Alzado, Mike Webster, and Jason Giambi, although it appears Giambi is recovering. Steroids benefit the body in the short-run, but seem to have negative long-run effects. I hope Bonds never plays in another game, allowing Hank Aaron's home run record to stand.
  
• In tonight's Apprentice finale, despite Tana's last ditch attempt to come back, Kendra was hired by Donald Trump, due to her performance in the last two tasks. The finale was very disappointing, as there were commercial breaks every 5 minutes, there was no flow to the show whatsoever. This is the second straight time the finale has been disappointing. Last season, it was too long, lasting for 3 hours. Tonight, it was short and lacked substance. C'mon Donald, get it right next time. At least he hired the right person for the job. And yes, Omarosa got a camera shot (I can't stand her).
• Miami men's basketball has been invited to next year's Preseason NIT. 16 teams make up the Preseason NIT, headlined by Duke. Miami opens November 15th at Alabama.
• Kellen Winslow Jr., everyone's favorite soldia, is out for the season after tearing his ACL after crashing his motorcycle. The Browns are this decade's version of the Bengals in terms of Draft incompetence. Where are you Tim Couch, William Green, and Courtney Brown?
• Giacomo tries to keep its improbable run going this weekend at the Preakness. Oh, that's right, nobody cares because it's horse racing. My bad.
  

I think I've covered everything, have a good weekend.

Huggy Bear must go

Warning: If you're a diehard UC basketball fan, this probably isn't the post for you. I have not been a fan of the UC basketball program, which includes coach Bob Huggins. Recently, Coach Huggins had a provision removed from his contract that would've allowed it to be extended into the future. This was a result of his DUI arrest last offseason. In fact, UC President Nancy Zimpher offered Huggins a buyout of his contract, meaning she was trying to get him to resign, in which UC would still pay him his last 2 years worth of salary. This story broke on Thursday, and since all of Cincinnati has gone crazy, mostly in defending the Coach. In hearing fan after fan on talk radio and on TV, I need an outlet to release my frustrations about the subject because I disagree with them.

So, in respect for both sides, here's the argument as to why Coach Huggins should stay:

• When Huggins arrived in 1989, the UC program was in shambles. It had been 12 years since they had been to an NCAA Tournament and attendance was horrific, not even close to the huge crowds that go to Fifth Third Arena today.
• UC reached the Final 4 in 1992, their first in 29 years, which was followed by an Elite 8 apperance in 1993, where they lost to eventual champ North Carolina in overtime in a classic game played at the Meadowlands (Nick Van Exel was amazing, I remember it well).
• Overall, Huggins is 399-127 in 16 years at UC, taking the Cats to 14 straight NCAA Tournaments.

So, why am I so upset? Well, let me tell you why:

• The last couple of days, many people have said that UC didn't have a basketball program before Bob Huggins came. HOW CAN YOU FORGET OSCAR ROBERTSON?!?!?!?!?! 1959-60, he put UC on the map with back-to-back Final 4 appearances. Then, UC won the National Championship in 61 and 62 before losing in the finals the next year (in overtime) to Loyola (IL). So don't tell me there was no UC program before Bob Huggins. In addition, these same people feel if Huggins is forced out, UC will go right in the tank. This won't happen either, especially since UC is now part of the Big East, the second best basketball conference in the nation (ACC 1st). UC will have no trouble attracting top-notch recruits and coaching candidates.
• In his 16 years, Bob Huggins has graduated 24 players. 24?!?!?!?! I guess they couldn't spell CINCINNATI. This is just about as bad, if not worse than Tennessee football, who graduates less than 10% of their players. Huggins hasn't actually been turning out star power either. The last UC player to get drafted was Steve Logan in 2002, but he was only a 2nd round pick. UC's last 1st round picks were in 2000 when Kenyon Martin and DerMarr Johnson were taken. So, in the last 4 drafts, only 2 UC players were taken. Let's compare it to other schools:
• Teams that have had more drafted: 7, Duke; 6, Arizona; 5, Stanford, UCLA; 4, Michigan St., Kansas, Oregon; 3, Alabama, USC, UConn, Fresno St., Illinois, Texas, and my favorite XAVIER!!!! UC fans have this superiority complex, and yet over the last 5 years, Xavier has outperformed them.
• Teams that have also had 2 players drafted in the last 5 years: Seton Hall, Notre Dame, DePaul, Indiana, North Carolina (remember, they've been pretty bad until the last couple of years), Iowa St., California, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Memphis, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, The U, Gonzaga, Wake Forest, Georgia, Mississippi St., BYU, Florida, Minnesota, and St. Joe's. Basically, the 2nd and 3rd tiers of college hoops. UC thinks they're an elite program. Guess what, YOU'RE NOT!!!!!
  
• Off the court. In 1998, UC was put on probation for two years by the NCAA for "lack of institutional control" over the basketball program. Here is a link to the Infractions report put out by the NCAA The only thing that I've seen worse than is is Jim Harrick Jr.'s Basketball theory exam. Also, who can forget Donald Little hitting his roommate with a whiskey bottle, taping him to a chair while dropping weights on him. Of course, this was after he had already been dismissed from the team once for assualting a woman, possessing marijuana and other traffic violations. In addition to Huggins's DUI arrest, assistant coach Keith LeGree was also arrested for DUI, and most recently, freshman Roy Bright had to be dismissed from the team for carrying a firearm on campus. Huggins has relied on junior college players and players with talent, but troubled pasts to try and get back to the Final 4. Unfortunately, it's resulted in a theme that can be summed up in three words: SECOND-ROUND LOSS.

Let me ask you something. Can you think of another person who didn't lose his job after a DUI conviction? I didn't think so, yet UC fans are quick to forgive, or they're just ignorant ( I think it's the latter). With the controversy that surrounded the program to begin with, the question becomes, how badly do you want to win. UC basketball has a very negative perception currently, yet their fans don't seem to mind their team is one of the more hated ones out there. How much of your integrity are you willing to give up in order to win basketball games?

I will say, the timing of the UC president is pretty bad. This should've been dealt with immediately after the NCAA tournament, not after the spring recruting season ended. If a coach is released, players can forego their commitments and go to another school, without having to sit out a year. This could've been devastating for UC. It does seem Nancy Zimpher is trying to be the next Myles Brand. The only reason why Myles Brand is President of the NCAA is because he fired Bob Knight, so now he has the perception of a tough guy, when in fact he's just another money hungry university director.

I'd like to hear your thoughts, pro and con, about what I had to say. I hope I was able to be a little informative, as well as opinionated.

Flashback

Today, I was again reminded that I have grown up and am now a 20-something and no longer a "young adult". At church was the local First Communion celebration and I love being around these events, even if I don't have a family member directly involved in the event. I love it because it allows you to think back to when you were that age, when life was simpler and the biggest decision you had to make was whether or not you wanted ice cream with your chocolate cake. It's been 16 years since I made my First Communion, 16!!!! It also reminded me how grown up and how lucky I am to be where I am today, and thankful for the journey (the good and bad) I've taken to get to this point.

I had nothing to talk about yesterday because there was nothing, it that was dull. But today was a different story:

• Another reason why I'm not crazy about the NBA is the constant whining and complaining about the officiating. Yes, I think the NBA officials are terrible, but at some point, you just have to play the game, which fans, and specifically, the Pistons and Pacers have trouble doing. Today, I don't think there was one trip up and down the floor without one of the teams complaining about a call. And by complaining, I mean stopping to go after the referee and yell in his face, not just showing frustration. Every instance of contact, every contested shot, every rebound in traffic, someone was yelling for a foul. JUST PLAY THE GAME!!!!!! You both play physical basketball, there will be some contact!!!! Of course, the fans don't help either. Professional basketball fans may be the worst fans out there. They go crazy over nothing, they cheer a basket after the play was blown dead 10 seconds earlier; their basketball IQ is negative. But, because they wear their throwback jerseys and wave their terrible towels, the people feel they are true fans. Four words for these fans: SIT DOWN, SHUT UP!!!
• This brings me to a new pet peeve of mine. I've always been against this, but it is now an offical pet peeve. I can't stand people wearing wrist/sweatbands as part of their casual clothing. I've seen it here at school as well. I mean, is taking notes that physically taxing you need a sweatband?!?!?! I know it's a "style" thing, but it really isn't. When you wear sweatbands out, just to let you know, you look like a cross between Luke Wilson's character in "The Royal Tennenbaums" and Nick Lachey, and I don't know about you, but those are two people I definitely don't want to resemble.
  
• Survivor ended with Tom winning, easily defeating Katie. Tonight's wrap-up show was the official end of the contestants' 15 minutes of fame. One of the biggest crocks of reality TV are the jury's questions to the 2 finalists at the end of each Survivor. The majority of the jury, the last 7 voted off before the competition is narrowed to 2, still can't get over the fact they were outplayed, outwitted, outeverythinged by the remaining 2 people. It turns into their last chance to get air time as they overdramatize what happened to them in the game.
  
• Meanwhile, in the Contender (true reality), Manfredo-Gomez II lived up to the hype. After letting Alfonso get the better of him in the 1st fight, Peter Manfredo Jr. won this 7 round classic, advancing to the finals a week from Tuesday. Gomez led 3 rounds to 2, but Manfredo came up huge in the last 2 rounds, landing blow after blow to Gomez's head. Peter now will face the winner of the 2nd semifinal, Sergio Mora vs. Jesse Brinkley. If you haven't watched the show yet, I suggest you do. I think you'll see why I hold it in such high regards.
• Congratulations to the Miami University Softball team, who defeated the Thundering Terd of Marshall to win the MAC championship, clinching an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. They've been sent to Knoxville, where Tennessee, College of Charleston, and Georgia Tech await. The first round is double-elimination, with the winners of each pod advancing to the Super Regionals, which make up the Sweet 16.

Tomorrow, it's back to work on the paper for me. Also, the Rec Center here reopens for the summer so this is what I'm thinking. Run, ball, run, ball, etc. I get to be a gymrat one more summer, yesssss.

Tan

Since it's supposed to rain tomorrow and be cool on Sunday, I decided to take advantage of the sunny weather by getting some sun and reading out in Miami's picturesque Formal Gardens. So I'm no longer white, I'm white with some touches of brown, and it feels good.

Now, for your entertainment, I'm going to talk about sports on television that I just can't fathom people watching:

• Billiards. A sport that's fun to play but not nearly as fun to watch, especially on television. Curling is more exciting than this. You don't know exactly what the format of the match is, what the rules are, what's really going on, etc. I can see why the World Series of Poker gets so much TV time, but billiards??? We can do better.
• Trick Shot Bowling. I don't know if this is the correct name for this, but it may be the most absurd thing on TV sports-wise. A lot of people don't give a hoot about regular bowling, so why should trick shot bowling be any different??? I just don't get into throwing the ball across lanes to throw a strike, or roll 2 balls at once. What's the point???
• Ice Dancing. I've never understood this. During the Olympics, I'll watch men's, women's, even a little pairs figure skating. But I draw the line at ice dancing. You might as well have ballroom dancing because it would be the same, without the ice. Who wants to see dancing on ice when you can't do as many moves if you were on a ballroom, and there are no jumps (no athleticism for that matter). The old figure skating compulsories (how well you could trace a Figure 8, used to precede the short program) were more exciting than ice dancing.
• WNBA. Now, I don't mean for this to come off discriminatory. I actually liked the idea of the WNBA when it first started. Women's basketball was good basketball then, but not anymore. It's hard to imagine watching anything worse than the Pistons/Pacers game from tonight, but the WNBA finds a way to top it. There are some good players (Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Lisa Leslie, etc.), but talent depth is not there yet. I bet that if you added up the combined distance of all of Reggie Miller's field goals this year, it would be longer than all of the made field goals for the WHOLE WNBA during an entire season. It's painful watching WNBA games when players' shooting ranges are only up to 12 feet.

Now, instead of these sports filling up time slots, we should be watching more of these:

• AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL!!! Now, this is a man's game. This is tougher than football, hockey, even rugby. The only pads these guys wear are shinguards while they level into one another the whole game. The action never stops, and you can't beat the officials and their signal of a goal (think smokin guns). I remember when I was young, Sunday mornings, before 8:30 church, I'd watch Sportscenter at 7am, which was followed by Aussie rules at 7:30. Ahhh, those were the days.....
• Lacrosse, especially college. The Final 4 of College Lacrosse is apporaching, and I will watch. This is currently the fastest growing game in the U.S., and for good reason. It combines the power of football with the athleticism of soccer, and you don't have to be a certain size in order to be good at it. The intensity of lacrosse is hard to match. You either bring it for 60 minutes, or stay home.
• Arizona softball games. This is for my bro, who got me into watching Arizona softball last weekend. They're a softball powerhouse, with their softball skills, and their other skills. They're all All-American gorgeous women who make me want to get into softball more hehe.

Let's see, what else is going on:

• In the last 24 hours, it has become clear that Bob Huggins is no longer wanted by the UC administration to be the head basketball coach. They are reportedly trying to buy out the last 2 years of his contract, but Higgins will not step down. I wish I would've listened to Cincy talk radio today because it was nonstop Huggins talk. Listening to some on the news made me realize why UC basketball supporters are some of the most ignorant people out there. Huggins needs to go. I guess the letters DUI and the words, graduation rate, don't mean anything to these people. Huggins has only been to one Final 4 (92) and one Elite 8 (93). He is now the standard bearer of not reaching the Sweet 16 as often as he should've. Plus, he now recurits these junior college losers that are more thuggish than they are bball players who don't graduated and have either a troubled past, or get into trouble while they get into UC. These same people say Huggins has made the UC program what it is today. Well, if they mean the disrespected, thuggish, unexemplary part of it, they're right about that.
• On what is normally a benign Cottonwood Valley course outside of Dallas, the wind blew, the rough was high, and Tiger Woods had trouble finding the hard, narrow fairways, leading to a 72, which missed the cut by one stroke. This was Tiger's first missed cut in 142 tournaments, which is a phenomenal golfing stat. It will be weird not getting a glimpse of Tiger in his patented red shirt on Sunday.
  
• Finally, in the most shocking, at least for me, news of the day, Shavlik Randolph of Duke declared for the NBA Draft, and it appears he has signed an agent. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HE THINKING?!?!?!?!?! Once a McDonald's All-American, this guy has shown those skills in maybe 7 of the games he played for Duke in the last 3 years. Last year, he missed a good part of the year with mono, and when he came back, he was ok, but nothing stellar. Honestly, if this guy gets drafted at all, it might be more of a shock than Maurice Clarett getting drafted. What a moron. I guess he didn't learn that much at Duke.

That's all I've got tonight, hope you enjoy.

Don't be scerred!!!!!

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th, so beware!!!! Today was another good day. I believe I now have all of the data necessary for my exit paper so I can begin the time-series aspect of my exit paper brought to you by the letters V, A, and R (vector autoregressive model, get it, ha). Anyway, I also got in 9 holes at Hueston Woods, the back 9 specifically, and I shot a 43, which is my best score on that particular 9 holes. I'm really hitting the ball well off the tee, averaging 260-270 off the tee. If my iron game can become more consistent, I could shoot some lower numbers. After thunderstorming all night, it became a perfect day to go play golf. It was a little damp, but temperatures were in the mid-60s with sunshine and a slight breeze that made it feel really comfortable.

In tonight's doubleheader of reality TV, a roller-coaster Survivor ended with Caryn getting voted off. The ladies missed their chance to take control of the game as they outnumbered the fellas 3-2, but the original alliance stuck together, which now makes up the Final 4. In the Apprentice, I think Kendra wrapped it up tonight with her handling of the World Video Game Championships. She pleased all the sponsors, got her team to work hard for her and had everyone complementing her on the great job she did with the event. Meanwhile, Tana was disappointing for the 2nd straight task as she was very disorganized in her handling of the NYC 2012 Olympic kickoff. She and her team were on the wrong page all day, telling event organizers different ways to do things. In addition, in the parade of nations, there was no American flag. In my book, that's a big no-no. She seemed too proud of herself at the end, which bothered me. Yes, she had a difficult group to work with, but she gave up on them from the start, which you can't do as a leader.

In the championship game of the Ultimate NCAA Tournament, the final score was: 00-01 Duke 104 87-88 Oklahoma 97. The Sooners got the pace they wanted, but they found out, as every team did, that this Duke team can adjust to any style of play and excel at any style. Jason Williams was named Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament, leading Duke with 21 points, 6 boards, and 6 assists.

That's really about all that is going on here. See y'all later.

Summertime

It might as well be summertime, we reached a high temperature of 86 today in Oxford with near 50% humidity, so it felt like 90 today, and I can personally vouch for that. I decided to conduct my workout in the late afternoon, so I felt the brunt of it. Yesterday, the Econ peeps and I went down to Fairfield and hung out at Jason's house, grilling steak and salmon and playing some hold em. Let's just say my hold em skills are limited haha; lady luck wasn't on my side, but it was fun hangin with the boys. Life is very quiet now that classes are over and all that's left are the paper and finding a job, and it's only May 11th, so there is plenty of time for both of those things to run their respective courses. So, life is pretty good right now.

Now, here are the results of the Final 4 from the Ultimate NCAA Tournament:

• 00-01 Duke 97 75-76 Indiana 87. The pupil defeated the professor in one of the bigger upsets of all time. The last team to go through a season undefeated lost for the first time as even the Bob Knight motion offense couldn't overcome 25 points (4 3s) and 12 assists from Jason Williams. By himself, he outplayed the Indiana backcourt, controlling the tempo, finding Battier and the rest for open looks.
• 87-88 Oklahoma 105 92-93 UNC 98. It only would've been fitting if the biggest rivalry in college ball would make up the Championship, but the Sooners' balance and tempo were too much for the Heels. UNC just couldn't match OU's athleticism, especially inside where Stacey King led the way for OU with 24 points and 8 rebounds.
  

And, now some random thoughts:

• I just got done watching Game 2 of the Pacers/Pistons series and must say I am shocked Indiana won this game. Detroit led 33-18 at the end of the 1st quarter and made it look easy, getting any shot they wanted to. Then, they relaxed, became less intense, let Indiana get back in it, then Reggie Miller finished them off in the 4th quarter as he usually does in the playoffs. There has been debate whether or not Reggie should be included as one of the all-time greats. I think he's one of the best clutch players, but not an overall great player. He's one of the best catch and shoot players of all-time, but that's all he can do. He's a mediocre defender and ballhandler at best, and if his shot isn't falling, he's usually a nonfactor in the game. Even Jordan, Shaq, Bird, and the other greats found ways to impact games, even if they weren't scoring.
  
• In the finale of the Amazing Race, Uchenna and Joyce nudged Survivor's Rob and Amber to win in Miami, FL. Honestly, Uchenna and Joyce received some very good fortune to win. In San Juan, Puerto Rico, Rob and Amber had found their way on a 10am flight that was about to pull away from the terminal as Uchenna and Joyce arrived at the gate. This was a big moment because it appeared as if Rob and Amber would have a 75 minute lead on their competition since the next flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 11:15. When the door closes on an airliner, no one else gets on, that's just how it goes. But, with most likely the persuasion of the CBS crew wanting to provide some sort of dramatic finish ( I mean, who would watch Rob and Amber win after getting such a big lead, everyone would turn off their TVs), Uchenna and Joyce were let on the plane, then won the million dollars. It's not like Rob and Amber need the money, but I'd be a little disgruntled if this happened to me.

That's all I've got tonight, see you tomorrow.

Oops, I did it again

All semester, I had been saying, as long as certain things fall into place, this will be the end of my time at Miami and I will be entering the real world come August. Well, a lot of those things fell into place today. In order to receive your Master's in Economics here at Miami, you need a 3.0 GPA in all of your classes. This requirement is why 3 of the 12 people who originally started the program decided to withdraw during 1st semester. About 6 weeks ago, I would've fallen short of the mark and would've had to take those classes over or take additional classes to get the 3.0. I've had my back against the wall before, but not like this with my career potentially at stake, so there was definitely more pressure surrounding me than ever before. But, for the last 6 weeks, I did what I needed to do and finished with the necessary GPA (3.04) and will receive my Master's come August, as long as I finish my exit thesis, which shouldn't be a problem.

I don't know why I do this to myself constantly, making life hard and creating unnecessary drama, but more often than not, I've been up to the task and been able to overcome the obstacles in front of me. I'm very grateful for being able to come through in the clutch one last time. By getting the grades, I can now look forward to finishing my paper and getting a job over the next 3 months, not having to wonder if I would even receive my degree to begin with. I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to walk across the stage for a third time come August. This, by far, is the greatest accomplishment of my life, up to this point. Nothing compares to the feeling I have right now. I'm not done yet, but I'm awfully close. It's like I've reached the top of a brutal Tour De France mountain climb, and all that's left is the descent to the finish. If I just stay upright, I will be in good shape. Thank you to all of you who have supported me and been there for me, it means a lot, more than you'll ever know.

Ok, here now are the results from the Elite 8 of the Ultimate NCAA Tournament:

• 00-01 Duke 96 88-89 Seton Hall 91. This Duke team again showed its flexibility in style, pushing the pace, knocking down 3s, eventually wearing down the Hall. Jason Williams emerged, scoring 22 points and dishing out 7 assists.
• 75-76 Indiana 101 77-78 Duke 88. Scott May turned in one of the greatest performances of all-time, scoring 49 points on 22/23 shooting, which is better than Bill Walton's 43 point performance for UCLA in the 1973 Final 4. This Duke team ran out of magic, despite another 23 point, 10 rebound performance from Mike Gminski.
• 87-88 Oklahoma 91 82-83 Houston 90. This game was fun to watch as neither team let their foot off the gas, with the Sooners coming out on top in the end. Akeem Olajuwon was his usual super-self (13 pts, 22 boards, 7 blocks), but the Sooners had a balanced attack, led by Mookie Blaylock's 18 points and 8 assists. Blaylock was able to break the Houston pressure, leading to 6 Sooners scoring in double figures.
• 92-93 UNC 89 61-62 Cincinnati 77. UC's front-line of Hogue and Bonham were matched by Lynch and Montross of UNC, with the UNC guards, led by Derrick Phelps' playmaking ability, providing the difference.

My whatif teams finished their seasons, Daaaa Bears 2-2 and the Runnin Ramblers 4-6, winning their last 4 games after Coach Lavelle called off the full-court pressure.

If you notice, this post is earlier than most of my others because I just finished watching ESPN's 20 Most Overrated things in sports, and I disagree with some of their selections:

• The NBA Slam Dunk was included, but so should every professional All-Star game. Becoming an all-star is now about as hard as participating in a college football bowl game, it isn't hard at all. Do we really care what happens in all-star games??? Give me one famous moment from an all-star game besides Magic Johnson's return from AIDS, the infamous tie in baseball, and Carl Hubbell striking out 4 American League all-stars in a row. Didn't think so.
• Greg Norman and Bill Buckner should've been a lot higher. Especially Buckner, when it was really the Boston bullpen who was responsible for blowing the 86 World Series. 2 outs no one on, then Calvin Schiraldi gave up a run, Bob Stanley threw a wild pitch, tying the game, so that decisive game shouldn't have come down to Buckner trying to field that ground ball.
• I don't see how Joe Namath could've been included. He was an All-American at Alabama. He predicted the Jets would beat the 18 point favorite Colts in the Super Bowl and he delivered, throwing for over 200 yards, good for MVP. Yeah, he was hurt a lot after that, but he made the Super Bowl relevant. You can't be overrated for doing something like that.
• How about Mark McGwire? He's pretty much admitted to using steroids during his career, how can he be considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time?
• I can't believe there was some disagreement as to why Anna Kournikova was the most overrated athlete of all time. Listen up people. She was the #1 ranked junior tennis player when she was 16. She had won all of the major junior tennis tournaments multiple times. That's why there was so much hype surrounding her to begin with. She didn't become a hottie until she was around 18 I would say. Jennifer Capriati came back to win majors, why couldn't Anna?
• The Ryder Cup shouldn't have been on this list. Until this past year, the Ryder Cup was one of the few sporting events that lived up to the hype. You'll have a hard time convincing me that the Comeback at Brookline in 99 was overrated.

And, last but not least tonight, more news has come about Jennifer Wilbanks, the Runaway Bride. It seems that she has been caught shoplifting not once, not twice, BUT THREE TIMES!!!! What is this guy thinking?!?!?! Dump her, now!!!!

The Beginning of the End

So, this is it. This is the start of potentially the last 3 months of my academic career and my time here in Oxford. It was definitely weird coming back on the night of graduation weekend when usually I'm back in Englewood for the summer. If all goes well, 3 months from now I'll be moving into a new situation, starting my new job. When I got back, I was in the mood for a run, so I decided to run on campus, now deserted. I instantly felt like I had gone back in time to last summer when I was down for Junior Scholars. I was instantly reminded of the different emotions that were flowing through my body last year, which is deep in contrast from this year. There's only one thing on my mind and that's finishing, doing whatever necessary to reach those last couple of goals I have (for this stage in my life). On the way down, I was in a very reflective mood. There's nothing better that clears the mind than driving on empty country roads on warm spring/summer nights. This year, I regained the inner strength I believe that helps define me. Over the last couple of years, I felt I had lost that, but I have it back now. And, I really grew up and matured as a person. I still have lots to learn, but I learned a lot, about life and myself, and I'm grateful for that.

Alright, what else can we talk about:

• 2 more pounds were lost in the last 2 weeks, bringing me down to 208. This month, I can't afford to eat a whole lot, so if I can be under 205 by the end of May, I'll still be on track. Getting down to 200 will be tough, but everything is in my favor now. The weather is warm, I'm gradually losing my appetite, and I love working out in the summer.
• My brother has the pleasure of getting his wisdom teeth taken out tomorrow. I got to experience this last October, and it was interesting to say the least. It was fun being sedated. Right before I went under, I guess I yelled at my dad, "Love ya dad, wait, come back, I love you!!!" This was on a Friday and I had a huge midterm on Monday (talk about bad timing). But I got myself to study Friday night for a little bit and the rest of the weekend, and pulled out an A- on the test. Now, I have to say, that's coming up big in the clutch.
• The most exciting 2 minutes (at least that's what some say) were this past weekend with the 131st running of the Kentucky Derby. This is the one day where horse racing becomes relevant in the sports world. Horse Racing and heavyweight boxing are similar in the fact that they used to be grandioso events and now, no one cares. This was a thrilling race, with 50-1 underdog Giacomo winning, upsetting the favorite and George Steinbrenner-owned Bellamy Road. But, are you really going to remember a week from now who won the Kentucky Derby. Yes, there's still the Preakness and Belmont, but do you really remember who won those races the last 5 years? I bet more people can name who won Golf's majors than the horses who have won the Triple Crown races in the last 5 years. That's why horse racing is now irrelevant. Also, I was very upset to see the famous twin spires of Churchill Downs downsized so new luxury boxes could be added in.
  
• The next big day of the summer for me is probably May 19th when the new Star Wars movie comes out. Return of the Jedi was on today, which is basically the opposite of what will probably take place in Revenge of the Sith. I think I figured out why the most recent Star Wars movies have not been as good as the originals: The absence of Harrison Ford as Han Solo.
• I can't bear to watch anymore previews of the Sandlot 2 and/or the new Bad News Bears. These new movies are discrediting the originals. I will not go see either.
• In The Contender, the last 2nd round match turned into a shocker. Party animal and Mr. Good Time Jesse Brinkley took on the #1 Dad Anthony Bonsante. Jesse hadn't fought since the 2nd week and it appeared the good times he had would come back to haunt him, as he had to lose 8 pounds in 2 days to make weight. This left Jesse weak, despite his efforts to rehydrate the day of the fight, and Anthony took advantage of, leading the fight going into the last round, he was in control. But in the 5th, Jesse landed a big right hand out of nowhere, sending Anthony to the floor. Anthony got up, but he was stunned, and Jesse knocked him out. You had to feel bad for Anthony, who got KOed in front of his mom and 2 kids, whom he was trying to make a better life for.
  

The Ultimate NCAA Tournament and the results of my 2 teams will be in tomorrow night's post.

Happy Mothers' Day!!!!

05/05/05

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!! And, congrats to all of the graduating seniors and to my accounting buddies who have earned their Masters Degrees, keep in touch and best of luck to all of you. It's weired being one of the 10 people I think not moving out of Oxford for the summer. All of the rental trucks and minivans are back in town, and I'm still here. But, my time is coming. I'm looking forward to the summer down here, nice, peaceful, quiet. I've even got a pool to chill by, how sweet is that!!!! So for now, the exit paper and the job search continue. I should be making progress in the job search, since May is when a lot of companies evaluate their hiring needs, I'll start hearing back from places. Right now, 9 resumes are out there, so I'm doing my part. We'll see how it goes.

Now, here are the results from the Ultimate NCAA Tournament Sweet 16:
East

• 88-89 Seton Hall 83 04-05 Illinois 72. While Illinois matched up with the athletic ability of Worthy and Perkins, they couldn't match up with the strength and versatility of Ramos, Gaze, and Darrell Walker. Illinois had trouble all year defending big people with those attributes, and this was no exception. And when Illinois helped inside, John Morton made them pay, scoring 22 points.
• 00-01 Duke 99 94-95 UCLA 90. The greatest attribute of this Duke team is their versatility. They can play any tempo, any type of basketball and still win. They did this when they lost Carlos Boozer in February of '01, adapting their style of play from a half-court team to a let's push it and jack up as many 3s as we can type of team. Ironically, it was Boozer who was big in this one, scoring 24 points on 10/10 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds, playing like the difference maker he was when he came back from his injury in the 01 NCAA Tourney.

Midwest

• 75-76 Indiana 89 95-96 Kentucky 77. In another edition of the border war, the perfect team remained perfect, this time getting 21 points and 11 boards from Kent Benson to lead the charge. Every night, it's a different person leading this Indiana team.
• 77-78 Duke 87 78-79 Michigan St. 76. Another upset victory for this Duke team, as the Spartans ran out of Magic, literally. Mike Gminski may be the player of the tournament so far. Just another 19 point, 9 board performance for the big fella.

Southeast

• 82-83 Houston 92 01-02 Maryland 80. The Terps tried to run with Phi Slamma Jamma and it backfired. Michael Young had 21, and Akeem Olajuwon had a ho-hum 10 points, 10 boards, and 7 blocked shots.
  
• 87-88 Oklahoma 105 79-80 UCLA 81. Larry Brown's team ran out of magic as the Sooners ran them out of the building. Stacey King led the way with 26 points and 8 rebounds. How about this regional final??? Phi Slamma Jamma vs. the Run N Gun Sooners. Wowwwww.

West

• 92-93 UNC 95 98-99 Duke 87. Again, the team no one talks about simply goes out and beats another great team. The Tar Heels played the game on their terms, limiting Duke from the outside and controlling the paint. George Lynch, the human lunch pail, scored 25 and grabbed 15 boards for UNC.
• 61-62 Cincinnati 78 98-99 UConn 69. True old school is still alive as Paul Hogue and Ron Bonham were too much for UConn inside. Hogue led the way with 25 points and 9 boards.

In other whatif action, the Runnin Ramblers lost both of their games today, 109-104 and 125-96 (ouch). So, Coach Lavelle has decided to take the full-court press off and play half-court defense, while still running and gunning on offense. But, a certain football team from a city that begins with a C ends with an O and has a HICAG in the middle, a team known as DAAAA Bears won 25-6 to even their record at 1-1. The Punky QB known as McMahon threw for 260 yards and a TD.

Survivor is down to 5 after Gregg got voted out. The Apprentice is down to Kendra and Tana as Craig, as I predicted, couldn't cut it in the interviews. The moment of the night was Brian and Kristen, who are on Tana's staff for the last project, started fighting about the hats she wears. Classic.

I think I'm heading home for the weekend tomorrow, get away for a couple days, and after all, it is Mothers' Day weekend.

Straight up now tell me was it going to be you and him together????

Tonight was Corey Clark's night on ABC Primetime to tell all about his affair with Paula Abdul and the coaching he received. John Quinones, a well-respected journalist, did the show, which found some cold, hard evidence against Paula. But, as it always seems to be the case, the show coincides with the release of Clark's first album. The biggest smoking gun against Paula are the phone records that had her calling Clark and his parents multiple times. You can't fabricate phone records. I don't hide my dislike for American Karaoke. I watched the actual show tonight and it was terrible. Anyway, I have a feeling this story isn't done yet.

Now it's time for results from the 2nd round of the Ultimate NCAA Tournament:

East Region

• 04-05 Illinois 70 81-82 UNC 69. The theme of the 2nd round would be upsets, and this is just the beginning. The #1 overall seed fell to the Orange Crush, behind another solid all-around floor game from Deron Williams. A freshman named Jordan was high man for UNC with 17, but James Worthy was held in check and the Illinois guards were their usual great selves.
• 88-89 Seton Hall 83 97-98 Kentucky 80. The 12 seed in this region won another game as Tubby Smith's club went down. Andrew Gaze led the Hall with 17 points and 8 rebounds. This Seton Hall team was the first major team with an international flavor to it with Gaze and Ramon Ramos. Remember, they lost in overtime to an upstart Michigan team in the national championship, so this is a good team.
• 00-01 Duke 94 85-86 Louisville 80. Another strong performance from Shane Battier led the Dukies into the Sweet 16. Battier scored 25 and grabbed 10 boards as this Duke team was by far the most impressive in the first 2 rounds.
• 94-95 UCLA 96 88-89 Michigan 90. Glen Rice and Ed O'Bannon dueled to the end, with Rice scoring 30 and O'Bannon 28, but it was O' Bannon getting more help from his supporting cast that was the difference.

Midwest Region

• 75-76 Indiana 86 87-88 Kansas 78. Every game, it's a different player, as it should with Bob Knight's motion offense. This night, it was Scott May getting 29 points and 14 boards as Danny and the Miracles finally ran out of miracles.
• 95-96 Kentucky 94 73-74 NC State 89. Tony Delk was hot from the outside again, scoring 20, helping overcome Tom Burleson and David Thompson, who combined for 49 in the loss.
• 77-78 Duke 90 77-78 Kentucky 88. In a rematch of the 78 title game, Duke got their revenge behind antoher big effort from Mike Gminski (22 pts, 13 rebs, 4 blocks). UK star Jack Givens never got going in the tournament, not able to duplicate his 41 point peformance in that 78 title game.
• 78-79 Michigan St. 83 86-87 Syracuse 76. While Magic struggled in this one, his running mate Greg Kelser picked up the slack scoring 23 and grabbing 9 rebounds. Sherman Douglas had 14 assists in a losing cause.

Southeast Region

• 82-83 Houston 86 91-92 Duke 85. In an intriguing 2nd round matchup, Phi Slamma Jamma beat the pretty boys of college basketball. Akeem Olajuwon did his best Superman impersonation getting 17 points, 20 boards, and 5 blocks.
  
• 01-02 Maryland 92 95-96 Syracuse 87. No one talks about this Maryland team as one of the greats, but their lineup is solid from top to bottom. You have the quintessential, pass first point guard Steve Blake, a classic spot up shooter in Juan Dixon, and the beef inside with Chris Wilcox and Lonny Baxter. Even John Wallace's 28 wasn't enough to unseat the Turtle.
• 79-80 UCLA 90 96-97 Arizona 84. You can't stop Kiki Vandeweghe, you can only hope to contain him. Kiki went for 26 and grabbed 10 boards to lead the 14 seed in this region into the Sweet 16.
• 87-88 Oklahoma 92 03-04 UConn 85. The Sooners couldn't have gotten a better draw, outrunning and outgunning the Huskies led by Harvey Grant's 18 points and 10 boards. Emeka Okafor had 21 and 18 in a losing cause.

West Region

• 98-99 Duke 95 89-90 UNLV 87. The Runnin Rebels were outrun by the greatest college team to never win it all. William Avery scored 21, had 8 assists and 6 rebounds, controlling UNLV's guards Anderson Hunt and Greg Anthony, therefore controlling the flow of the game.
• 92-93 N. Carolina 92 93-94 Arkansas 87. Surprisingly, the last UNC team left is the one no thinks of when they think of great Carolina teams. But this team was a "team", and with Eric Montross playing big in the middle (21 pts, 7 rebs), they'll be tough to beat.
• 98-99 UConn 83 02-03 Syracuse 77. Too much experience and bulk inside for the young Orange to deal with, despite getting 21 and 12 from Carmelo Anthony.
  
• 61-62 Cincinnati 85 03-04 Oklahoma St. 79. True old school advanced to the Sweet 16 behind 23 points and 10 rebounds from Ron Bonham.

In addition, my whatifsports.com's football and basketball teams both lost. Daaaa Bears lost 24-10, despite 277 yards passing from the funky QB known as McMahon. Then, my bball team, the Runnin Ramblers lost 126-121. I picked my kind of team though. Larry Bird had 11 assists and 23 points, Kareem scored 25 I think, the team had 31 assists (sharing the ball, which I like). Just have to play a little better defense.

Finally, I want to address something Ice Cube said on SportsCenter tonight. First, he was asked if he felt racism was still present in the US, which he said, "yes", which I agree with. Then, when asked, "Where do you see racism in pro sports?", he replied, "Well, white people are the owners, black people are the players, there you go." I WHOLEHEARTEDLY DISAGREE. What an ignorant statement. Where do I begin? Let's see, the owners decided to go to COLLEGE and get an education, thereby giving them the qualifications to work their way up through the ranks and become an owner. Meanwhile, the players go to college for a year or two, even not at all, CHOOSING to pass up their education for the money of the NBA. They could get their degree for free, being on scholarship, but they go for the money, so don't tell me that's a form of racism. This coming from a guy who probably didn't go to college and took the money to become rich. And, how is a nonathlete allowed to speak about the racism in sports when he's a gangsta rapper???

Anyway, that's my two cents about that. And I could've talked about all the free shoes these players get playing summer ball in high school and other stuff like that, but I think I made my point.

Pledge Phi Slamma Jamma

Now that the semester is over, I need something to keep me busy before I really get serious on my exit paper. Enter www.whatifsports.com.

This website, for free, lets you play simulated games between teams from the past, for instance the 85 Bears vs. the 89 49ers. It also, for free, lets you come up with your own teams using players from all eras to compete in leagues. For a cost, you can play a full season. So, because I'm bored right now, I decided to create an Ultimate NCAA Basketball Tournament pitting the best against the best (or what the website could offer). I picked, to the best of my knowledge, the 64 best college teams ever. Now, because the website didn't have every team from the past, there are some notable teams missing. Larry Bird's Indiana St. team, none of the Walton/Alcindor teams from UCLA, the Texas Western Team, Bill Russell's San Francisco teams, and Jerry Lucas's Ohio St. teams. But most of the big boys were there, so here are 1st round results.

East Region

• 81-82 N. Carolina 82 01-02 Kent St. 65. I included a couple of mid-majors just to spice things up. The Kent St. Elite 8 team didn't have enough to compete with the #1 overall seed of the tournament. James Worthy scored 28 on 12/12 shooting.
• 04-05 Illinois 85 91-92 Michigan 80. The Fab 5 couldn't get it done vs. the Orange Crush. Deron Williams had 19 pts., 7 rebs., and 6 assists for UI.
• 97-98 Kentucky 82 85-86 Duke 76. Tubby Smith's first national championship team was too much for Coach K's 1st Final 4 team. Nazr Mohammed, who was dominant in that Final 4, had 13 points and 10 boards for UK.
• 88-89 Seton Hall 85 80-81 Indiana 73. P.J. Carlesimo's runner-up team from 89 beat Isiah Thomas and Bob Knight's 2nd national championship team. Ramon Ramos had 16 pts and 16 boards for the Hall.
• 85-86 Louisville 72 80-81 Virginia 65. Despite a double-double from Ralph Sampson, Denny Crum's 2nd national championship team advanced. And yes, Pervis Ellison is still "never nervous"
• 00-01 Duke 92 01-02 Indiana 77. This was a rematch from the Sweet 16 in '02 when Indiana pulled off the upset, except Duke had Shane Battier for this game, and he was the difference with 18 pts and 8 boards.
• 88-89 Michigan 88 96-97 Kansas 84. In what would become a theme, a Roy Williams coached team lost in the 1st round. Rumeal Robinson had 19 pts, 8 assists, and 5 boards, eliminating a Kansas team that dominated that season, but underachieved in the Tourney.
• 94-95 UCLA 79 02-03 Texas 74. Before Jim Harrick got in trouble, he had a pretty good team that won it all in '95. Tyus Edney outdueled T. J. Ford, scoring 18 with 10 dimes (assists).

Midwest Region

• 75-76 Indiana 83 98-99 Ohio St. 78. The top seeded Hoosiers remained perfect, but barely as Bob Knight's alma mater gave him all he could handle. Quinn Buckner had 16 pts, 10 boards, and 5 assists.
• 87-88 Kansas 77 95-96 UMass 75. Danny and the Miracles pulled out another one, beating a strong UMass team that was ranked #1 for much of '96. Manning had 26.
• 95-96 Kentucky 93 99-00 Florida 91. Rick Pitino's only national championship team survived an upset bid from former assistant Billy Donovan's Gators. Tony Delk hit 6 3s for UK, scoring 26.
• 73-74 NC State 91 00-01 Arizona 86. Old school beat new school as David Thompson led the Wolfpack with 27. My dad has said that David Thompson was the best basketball player he ever saw, and maybe the greatest athlete before drugs cut short his career. He had a 40+ inch vertical leap, in the 70s!!! In the few clips I've seen of Thompson, I agree with my dad, he would've been fun to watch.
• 77-78 Kentucky 89 99-00 Cincinnati 75. Joe B. Hall's club took care of a UC team that was a favorite to win it all in 2000 until Kenyon Martin broke his leg in the C-USA tournament.
• 77-78 Duke 89 04-05 N. Carolina 83. A huge upset as the most recent national champs went down to a Duke team that was the '78 runner-up. Even with Sean May and the Williamses, Mike Gminski was unstoppable, scoring 25 and grabbing 9 boards.
• 86-87 Syracuse 87 79-80 Louisville 72. 23 points and 9 boards from Dr. Dunkenstein himself, Darrell Griffith was not enough to slow down Jim Boeheim's '87 Orange who were runners-up. I loved this Syracuse team with Sherman Douglas, Rony Seikaly, and Derrick Coleman.
• 78-79 Michigan St. 82 03-04 St. Joe's 80. The Hawks were game, getting 48 points from Jameer Nelson and Delonte West, but these Spartans had some Magic, who scored 22, had 8 assists and 7 boards.

Southeast Region

• 91-92 Duke 90 98-99 Gonzaga 74. The top seed Dukies got 23 pts and 14 boards from Christian Laettner to knock off the first Gonzaga team to go deep in the NCAAs.
• 82-83 Houston 86 84-85 Villanova 70. Not even a perfect game would've knocked off the team they called Phi Slamma Jamma. Akeem, spelled with an A then, had 12 points, 9 boards, and 7 blocks.
• 01-02 Maryland 80 03-04 Ga. Tech 77. Lonny Baxter had a double double for the Terps in this ACC matchup.
• 95-96 Syracuse 78 86-87 Indiana 75. This Hoosiers team beat Syracuse for their national championship, but the 95-96 edition got the better of them this time. John Wallace, who dominated the '96 Tourney, was the same in this one, scoring 25.
• 96-97 Arizona 86 89-90 Duke 84. Lute Olson's sole national championship team beat another Coach K entry behind 18 from Miles Simon.
• 79-80 UCLA 80 99-00 Michigan St. 78. Larry Brown was up to his old tricks again, leading his 2nd team into the 2nd round, upsetting the Flintstones. Kiki Vandeweghe had 19 pts and 10 rebs for the Bruins.
• 87-88 Oklahoma 92 76-77 Marquette 79. An underrated team in the history of college ball because they didn't win a national title, this team defined the term "run and gun". Al McGuire's boys, a fine team themselves, couldn't slow down Boomer Sooner and Stacey King.
• 03-04 UConn 87 84-85 St. John's 84. Emeka Okafor had 22 points and 16 boards for UConn, holding off Chris Mullin and coach Lou Carneseca's upset bid.

West Region

• 89-90 UNLV 89 03-04 Wake Forest 77. The team everyone loves to hate are the top seed in this region. Larry Johnson and David Butler combined for 35 points and 26 boards.
• 98-99 Duke 89 82-83 NC State 80. Maybe the best team to never win it all was this Duke team with Elton Brand, Will Avery, Corey Maggette among others. Jim Valvano was probably looking for someone's shoulder to cry on instead of someone to hug after this one.
• 93-94 Arkansas 84 97-98 Utah 78. Corliss Williamson & Co. got it done as the big fella led the way with 17.
• 92-93 N. Carolina 94 74-75 Kentucky 93. Dean Smith's 2nd national championship team got 25 points and 9 boards from Eric Montross (remember him) to win.
• 02-03 Syracuse 84 93-94 Duke 79. Jim Boeheim-led teams went 3-0, as they knocked off this Grant Hill-led Duke team led by 21 points and 10 boards from Carmelo Anthony.
• 98-99 UConn 79 03-04 Stanford 76. The team that upset Duke in '99 held off the team that almost went undefeated last year. Kevin Freeman had 14 points and 12 boards for UConn.
• 61-62 Cincinnati 80 02-03 Kansas 79. The oldest team in the tourney knocked off Roy Williams, sending him to an 0-3 record in the tourney. UC was a real force in basketball starting with Oscar Robertson in the late 50s, and continued without him into the early 60s. If I remember correctly, they made 6 straight Final 4s, winning 2 national championships.
• 03-04 Oklahoma St. 83 83-84 Georgetown 66. Clearly, the upset of the day as the Cowboys weren't intimidated by Patrick Ewing's 8 blocked shots.

The 2nd round will be played tomorrow. I love college basketball. I hope you enjoy this little tournament I'm doing. It's much better than watching the horrendous officiating in the NBA playoffs or the Cincinnati Reds blow lead after lead. NBA officiating may be the biggest reason why I can't watch the NBA. These guys know ZERO basketball.

In the Amazing Race tonight, Gretchen and Meredith were eliminated, ending a miraculous run for the old folks. Survivor Rob and Amber seem to be the favorites to win in next season's finale. And I'll be watching American Idol tomorrow night, well, the ABC Primetime Investigation special that is hehe. It's time for "American Karaoke" to stop.

I don't think I've said anything on the Runaway Bride. This is turning out to be better than the movie. I can't believe this guy is still going to marry her. HELLO!!! She went all the way to Vegas, called 911 to make up a story, I think someone's trying to tell you something. I hope she has to pay back all of the money used in the search for her, she is crazy. Is anyone else freaked out also by her eyes in the pictures of her??? That would be enough to scare me.

And, who can forget our boy Kellen Winslow Jr., who injured himself by flying over the handlebars of his motorcycle. His knee is being treated at Cleveland Clinic and he could miss some time, maybe the whole season I heard. But, don't forget, HE'S A SOLDIA!!!!

Song of the Night: "Anytime You Need a Friend" Mariah Carey. Old-school Mariah, when she wasn't hip-hop and just sang.

"Ice is back with a brand new viction?"

Well, we've made it to May, although the weather isn't quite there yet. Upper 50s and swirling winds aren't exactly great, but I can feel the permanent change in the weather coming. May also means finals week here at Miami, and for me, it's pretty low-key. Since I've already had 3 finals, all that's going on this week is a 20 page paper due tomorrow (done) and a final Tuesday morning. Of course, then comes the nervous waiting to see how it all turns out.

Anyway, here are some random thoughts:

• I'm currently taking part in the 14 day free Napster trial, so if you have any song suggestions or requests, send them over the request line and I'll get back at ya. I downloaded 77 songs yesterday, so obviously, I'm running out of ideas.
• In tonight's Contender, Jesse Brinkley won another challenge, setting up Peter Manfredo and Joey Gilbert to go at it. Peter dominated the first 2 rounds, but Joey somehow came back and made it a fight until he got headbutted in the 5th and final round, forcing the fight to be stopped. Peter got the split decision, but Joey looked like the real-life version of Rocky, fighting with a broken rib, but staying toe-to-toe with Peter. I have to admit, my emotions got caught up in the fight, it was that good.
• Also tonight was the remaking of Vanilla Ice on VH1. The show wasn't as funny as his Behind The Music special ("theirs goes, ding-ding-ding-ding-da-ding-ding, but mine goes ding-ding-ding-ding-da-ding-ding/dingding..., mine's got that extra little ding in it, it's not the same!"), but it was still pretty good. Here were all these people at Ice's mercy to help him with his music, image, etc., but he refused them all and stuck with the same, now hardcore Ice (a poor man's version of Fred Durst basically). Ice, although signing up to be "remade", didn't go through with it because he couldn't trust people since they had used him in the past. But, he's still using his songs and things from the past to get him places. The song he used for his "remaking" was an old track from a 2001 CD. Anyway, here are some of Ice's one-liners:
• "simple as a pimple"
• "when it comes to weed, I use it more than I abuse it"
• "you have fun working, I'll have fun jerking"

Ahh, Vanilla Ice, one of the many things that makes me laugh when I need it.

• I finally got into an NBA playoff game; it was Bulls/Wizards Saturday. Both teams are young, play uptempo and know some basketball. I really like the way the Bulls play, which should be no surprise when you look at their roster: Kirk Hinrich (Kansas, 2 Final 4s), Ben Gordon (UConn, National Champ), Chris Duhon (Duke, 2 Final 4s, 1 Champ), and GM John Paxson (not a great player, but knows the game).
• If you still believe Barry Bonds had no idea that he took steroids, look at him in the movie "Rookie of the Year" and notice how small his head is and how skinny he is. On another baseball-related note, I don't think I've ever seen a worse bullpen than the Reds have. The few times they have leads late in the game, they seem to evaporate.

I better get to bed, I have to help proctor a test at 7:30am!!!!