Clock Changing Weekend.

 

Beirut Courtesy The Goodyear Blimp.

 

Don’t forget to change your clocks this weekend.  That means you can get one full hour weirder on Saturday night.  I expect everyone to check back in on Monday with their tales of debauchery (I’m hearing now it’s clocks forward. Seems less fun, but so be it).  Something about the Spring makes me miss playing Beirut.  I think I wrote an entire post last year lamenting that I don’t really play anymore, but the fires really start burning when the weather gets a bit nicer.  I don’t have visions of frat basements, more like casual all day affairs, forcing the shorts even though it’s only 55 degrees.  That was college.  Lazily splashing foam in people’s grills from all angles.  Rain!  Anyway, someone invite me out for some Beirut on Sunday.  I’m feeling it.  I can’t miss right now in my head.

***

As we talked about this morning, the brackets come out on Sunday evening.  I’ll be making a post then to set up the 2nd Annual 3PT stragglers tournament.  This year, I decided to offer a prize.  It’s not going to be dramatic, and entry will still be free, but I’m thinking a nice gift card.  Maybe Subway?  I’m joking.  I hate Subway.  I’d send you a roll of pennies before I sent you a Subway gift card.  It’d be less insulting.  Anyway, come back on Sunday night or Monday morning to sign up for that extravaganza.  And, with me in the field, you are guaranteed to beat one person.  No limit of entries per customer, either.  Total free for all.

***

Right now it looks like the hopes of American golf for the week rest on the shoulder of Hunter Mahan.  I have a great nickname for Mahan, but only those in my exclusive Masters pool are privy.  It is not family oriented.  Not even a little bit.  I can say, think of if Mahan had a kid with Steve Jobs and they hyphenated its last name, and then you kind of slurred them together?  I think you are with me.  Anyway, American golf is getting a little overwhelmed by the dang foreigners lately and Tiger and Phil seem content to do nothing about it.  It’s time for these American stars in the making to be actual stars.  Mahan has as much talent as anyone, but I’m not going to go crazy and call him easy to like. He has a tendency to hit some of the worst chip shots ever struck in key moments.  Also, he married a Cowboys cheerleader.

 

Mrs. Mahan.

***

Speaking of the fairer sex, everyone seemed happy to hear when Mila Kunis and the Home Alone kid broke up, so I guess I should report that Jessica Biel is now single.  There’s still time, people.  And, think it was over a decade ago that the Gear magazine spread changed the lives of so many young boys.  Time flies.  Of course, if JT starts dating Kunis now, it’s like a great man once said, six of one, six of another.

***

The best thing about Spring Training is stat volatility.  This is also the best thing about April baseball, but it’s nice when you can go from lamenting Raul Ibanez’s slow start to saying Ibanez is on fire in the span of 3 days.  The Phillies are starting to swing it a little bit (They are just pummeling Orioles pitching today).  I can’t decide if I am a Delwyn Young guy or a Josh Barfield guy, but I know for sure I am not a Jeff Larish guy.  No worries, Chase, take your old sweet time. We’re good.  Victorino/Howard/Ibanez is like Ruth/Gehrig/Meusel right now.  Kevin Gregg do not bring that weak stuff in here.

***

Quiz of the Day:  Liquor By Bottle Picture.  Category: You’re a Drunk.  My Score: 24/32.

Seems appropriate for the weekend.  Everyone have a good one.  And, see you all Sunday evening or Monday for tournament coverage that will border on being too extensive.  And, Picks!

 

Hoping for New Blood.

Save the Chalk for Some Sweet Hopscotch.

It hasn’t really sunk in for me that in a little over 48 hours I’ll be staring at this year’s NCAA bracket.  That moment every year when I become the fabled child that walks into a movie theater.  Yesterday I was trying to philosophize about exactly how I sabotage myself every year, but I couldn’t pinpoint the exact problem.  I just know every year I look at my Final Four and know in my heart that it won’t happen.  Then, I try to go back and fix it, but it’s like the window has closed.  My bracket cannot be fixed.  It’s a powerful feeling.  Anyway, that will all get started Sunday evening, which means we’re about to be inundated with predictions.  That means, Chalk City.  Pick the favorites.  In my copy of the Sporting News they have 8 guys pick the winner.  Six say Ohio State.  The other two say Duke.  Careful boys.

I’m sure I’ll be toeing the line with everyone else and littering my late rounds with the top seeds, but assuming I’m not going to win any pool, I’d like to see the thing get completely blown up this year.  Butler was a good time last year.  I’m a clean slate this time around.  I’m ready for some team to capture my imagination.  What I know for sure, though, is that it won’t be one of the top contenders.  The current top-10 and why I loathe thee…

1.  Ohio State.  Is it just me or does Ohio State’s basketball team just feel like an extension of their football program?  All the recent issues with the players and now Tressel I lump right onto the basketball squad.  Don’t some of these recruiting classes look a little too good?  I’m getting a Calipari feel.  Also, I don’t like when “football” schools crossover. Stay in your lane.

2.  Kansas.  Anywhere Roy Williams has ever been is tainted.  How did Wilt Chamberlain ever end up at Kansas from Philly?  And, how did they not win a National Title when he was there?  Standard Kansas.  I can honestly say if I was old enough to really remember it, Danny Manning’s Cinderella run would have been one I wasn’t feeling, I would have been rooting for the bad guy.  Who wears knee pads?  I also hate Kansas fans that feel the need to tell you the origin of Rock Chalk Jayhawk every two seconds.  It’s made up nonsense.  No one cares.

3.  Pittsburgh.  Pitt is not a real abrasive team.  Can I dock points for their association with Dave Wannstedt?  Aside from the fact that the only Pitt fan I’ve ever really come across was an insufferable annoyance, I think I am going to have to focus on Gary McGhee here.  Have you seen this project?  He looks like one the old school goons John Chaney would send out there for Temple.  Plus, I don’t like the whole “H” in McGhee thing.  Awkward.  Lastly, Pitt can’t score enough for you to really trust them.  Stuff like UConn’s buzzer beater will always happen to them, and they’ll crush your bracket.

4.  Notre Dame.  I should probably like this Notre Dame team, because they love to shoot the three and I love to shoot the three.  I am going to preemptively hate on Notre Dame because they are going to ruin your bracket.  They might ruin my bracket.  I could conceivably talk myself into them.  I’ll be sorry.  Also, Digger Phelps.  And, then one more step removed, Jamie Moyer.

5.  Duke.  The only thing worse than Duke making a run is Duke making a run to repeat.  At least it doesn’t feel inevitable. Those were the horrific years of my youth when you said, still with Laettner, really?  A Duke run this year will be intolerable, because they are cast in an angelic glow by the media who will use words like, “experience, unity, leadership, discipline.”  You get the idea that they love Duke so much because they don’t bring in the one and done “student athletes.”  Duke makes people feel safe.  Screw that.

6.  North Carolina.  See above for thoughts on Roy Williams.  But, I must add that Williams should have stayed in Kansas where he and the team never would have won.  Suddenly he leaves, gets a title and Kansas gets one too.  That’s throwing off the natural order of things.  The one area I would agree with a Duke Fan:  North Carolina’s blue is annoying and not a good color for everyday clothing.  Also, Rick Fox.

7.  San Diego State.  Are you kidding me?  Thank god this isn’t football, because San Diego State would be Boise State, and they’d be demanding a shot at the BCS Title game.  In basketball, they’ll just get stiffed on their seeding (I’m predicting a 4), and then they’ll probably lose in the first round, maybe the second.  How can a team who has played two legitimate games all year and lost them both be in the top-10?  Also, remember my comments about San Diego in regard to tortured sports city?  No one wants their sleeper to be San Diego State, San Diego is too nice.

8.  BYU.  Here’s a classic.  BYU ranked below San Diego State.  What kind of dislike can I possibly drum up for Jimmer? Well, I’m pro-Jimmer.  I can’t go back on that.  My annoyance here lies in the fact that BYU sabotaged their own season and Jimmer’s chance for glory.  They booted one of their best players for “making time” with a young lady.  I swear that is what it actually says in the code of conduct, making time.  But, seriously, wouldn’t April 8th or so been a better time to review this situation?  Think of the TV viewers.  Bottom line?  BYU is selfish.

9.  Purdue.  Purdue?  Purdue.  Wil Perdue?  Purdue reminds me a bit of the Buffalo Bills.  You just shake your head a little bit and say, think about those poor bastards at Purdue.  I guess they have Drew Brees going for them, but I can honestly say I haven’t watched a Purdue game since the Big Dog and Gene Keady.  Purdue could set their starting five on fire and I wouldn’t be interested.  It’s Purdue.

10.  Texas.  Um, Chris Mihm.

I know what you are thinking, this doesn’t leave me much room to find a team that has a chance to win that I don’t dislike, and you are right.  That’s the beauty of the tournament, though.  The shifting story lines.  Something will crop up in the next week or so that I’ll find endearing and I’ll latch on my jinx wagon.