Check Out My New Blog

I've taken a leap into WordPress to embark on a new blog - Stay-At-Home Field Advantage - covering an array of topics from parenting to sports to music to utter nonsense.

Thanks and see you there!

-Ryan

I Loathe Candy Crush

Level 65 had me cornered for weeks. Now it's Level 79--I mean come on!

53 moves but I don't think I could beat it if I had double that. And people buy things that help them? That's a line I'll never cross. 

Instead, I'll use my blog as a platform to voice my displeasure with this life-controlling game. To be fair to myself, I do only play once or twice a week because I've given up hope. But fear not, there's now like 400+ levels. I'll never get to 80 so it doesn't affect me. 

One more time. 

Miami Heat Locker Room? Drake Gets Denied

I know I'm a few days late but every time I see this video it makes me chuckle. The best part is the commentary of the guy videoing it all, "Drake getting turned down, Drizzy Drake!" And man does he look sad.

I Started Running Again and Felt Like Homer Simpson...D'Oh!

The day was Thursday, June 6 and for the first time in a long while, I voluntarily went for a run. And felt like this:

The distance (.86 miles) was irrelevant but for the first time in a while (working out in the gym excluded), I did some cardio--and I felt great about myself. Not that I was sitting around feeling like a pile of manure but it was good to get out there and run. My pace was paltry (13 minutes) but again, I ran. Without music, which turns out is my downfall.

Fast forward to Tuesday, June 11. After a four day hiatus, I hit the ground running once again, vowing to increase distance and pace. Mission accomplished. Ten minutes, twenty-four seconds to complete 1.37 miles, for a 7:36 minute/mile pace. Thanks to The Bronx in my earphones.

Thursday, June 13. Another run sponsored by The Bronx. 1.89 miles in 15:08, good for an 8:00 minute/mile pace. Things are starting to come together. I just wish this rain would cease since it has caused the ground to turn to marshland.

Friday, June 14, today. Two miles was the goal and once again, I was relegated to the track. And The Bronx. The outcome was 2.29 miles in 21:45 (9:29 minute/mile pace). I sacrificed my blistering pace for further distance but eventually, it'll all come together.

Lindsay and I are running a Run or Dye in Hartford July 20, it's 5K, so the way I'm looking at it is as long as I keep running and feeling less and less like Homer Simpson, I should have no problems at all.

Just wanted to let you know I'm trying to get in shape again. It's not easy to just turn on the running--after all, it is boring as hell. Especially on a track. Oh yeah one more thing. I need an arm-band for my iPhone because having in your pocket while running sucks.

Random Baseball Card of the Day - 6/12/13

1983 Fleer #360 Tony Gwynn (Rookie Card), San Diego Padres

(photo cred: comc.com)

Every baseball fan knows the story of Tony Gwynn, former Padre great and current head coach at San Diego State University. He's was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in the Class of 2007.

Batting Title Tony: He was quite possibly the best hitter of his era, winning an unbelievable eight National League batting titles--his first in 1984 and his last in 1997.

No K in Gwynn: In 9288 career at-bats, Gwynn struck out only 434 times, for an average of 29 a season. Some guys strike out 29 times in the first month of the season.

Passing It On: Tony Sr. coached his son, Tony Jr. at SDSU. Junior has a ton of talent but to help put it in perspective, he's struck out 274 times in seven seasons in the majors. He's already on his third team (MIL, SD, LAD) but has yet to crack the Dodgers' big league roster this season though he is hitting .301 with 18 RBI and 4 stolen bases for AAA-affiliate Albuquerque. 

Random Fact: Gywnn's longest hitting streak of his career was a 25-gamer back in the 1983 season, his second year in the big leagues.

Random Baseball Card of the Day - 6/11/13

1981 Fleer #213 - RHP Doug Bair, Cincinnati Reds

Doug Bair looks like a cool cat based on this photo, all relaxed in his dugout photo shoot.

Not Bair-d: In 1978, the righty pitched to a 1.98 ERA while racking up 28 saves for the Reds, the fourth-highest total in the NL. He also logged  100 innings and recorded 91 strikeouts.

Career: Bair pitched for seven teams (CIN, STL, PIT, DET, OAK, PHI, TOR) in his 15 seasons in the big leagues, compiling a career 55-43 record with 81 saves. He was also a two-time World Series Champion--in 1982 with St. Louis and 1984 with Detroit.

Random Fact: In 1990, his final season, he was the third-oldest player in baseball.

NCAA Division I Baseball - Best Names in the Super Regionals

You know I love me some cool names. Here's a list of the top two names from each Super Regional team.

Skye Bolt, UNC (photo cred: Score Magazine)

Oklahoma Sooners -- C Mac James. Mac is just cool.
Louisiana State Tigers -- RHP Aaron Nola. 11-0 with a sub-1.50 ERA.

South Carolina Gamecocks -- INF Joey Pancake. Duh!
North Carolina Tar Heels -- OF Skye Bolt. Sure, why not?!

Mississippi State Bulldogs -- INF Nick Flair. It rhymes with the Nature Boy, Ric Flair, WOOOOO!
Virginia Cavaliers -- OF/1B Mike Papi. Aye, Papi!

Kansas State Wildcats -- INF Tanner Witt. Just a solid baseball name.
Oregon State Beavers -- LHP Jace Fry. Bueller. Bueller. Fry(e). Fry(e).

UCLA Bruins -- RHP Nick Vander Tuig. Sweet name with sweet stats (11-4, 2.51 ERA).
Cal State Fullerton Titans -- RHP Koby Gauna. Didn't serve up any goners.

Louisville Cardinals -- OF Coco Johnson. Vandy best B. Ware of Coco
Vanderbilt Commodores -- IF Zander Wiel. Forget VW, they got ZW.

Rive Owls -- OF Keenan Cook. Always a fan of alliteration.
NC State Wolfpack --RHP Dillon Frye. Bueller. Bueller. Frey. Frye.

Indiana Hoosiers -- C/OF Kyle Schwarber. Schwarble went deep 17 times.
Florida State Seminoles -- RHP Gage Smith. Dean's List and he deals.
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Happy Friday! Tropical Storm Andrea is dumping buckets of rain on us here in Connecticut so I'll have to play it by ear (or eyes) if I take off for Long Island tonight.

NCAA Baseball Regionals - Regional by Regional, Mascot by Mascot

As you know if you read or have read WRT, I love mascots and numbers. For the sake of this post, numbers will be excluded in order to focus on the mascots in the 64-team field. I'mm go team-by-team, sorted alphabetically by regional location.

A turquoise rooster? Go CCU! (photo credit: goccusports)

Baton Rouge, La.
The LSU Tigers--the Bayou Bengals, as they're affectionately known around these parts--look to avoid elimination at the hands of the Jackson State Tigers, who won the SWAC tournament to earn their bid. We'll also have the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns and the Sam Houston State Bearkats squaring off. Not quite sure why they spell it with a 'k' instead of the standard 'c,' but who am I to judge. A little monotonous with two Tigers and a Bearkat, but the Ragin' Cajuns spice it up. Literally.

Blacksburg, Va.
The Virginia Tech Hokies take on the UConn Huskies--I know, very similar while the Oklahoma Sooners will face the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. A hokie isn't a turkey, as their logo might suggest, in fact, it's a spirit yell coined way back in 1896. The Huskies just got a new, meaner looking logo while the Sooners are a staple in college athletics. A chanticleer is in fact a rooster. Weird.

Bloomington, Ind.
The Indiana Hoosiers had a hell of a season (43-14) as did the two-seed Austin Peay Governors (45-13). The same can't be said for the other two schools. The Florida Gators (29-28) got in solely based on their name while the Valparaiso Crusaders (31-26) took the crown in the Horizon League to earn the in-state trip to Bloomington.

Chapel Hill, N.C.
We all know the North Carolina Tar Heels but the other three, not so much. The Florida Atlantic Owls, Towson Tigers and Canisius Golden Griffins, who I highlighted yesterday, are far from household names. It's rare finding an owl as a mascot but it's cool.

Ah to hell with this, I'm gonna go through the remaining 48 teams and pick out the best mascots.

The Corvallis, Ore. site has two of the best in the field--the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos and the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners.

And come to think of it, the Rice Owls also have the nocturnal bird as a representation of who they are.

The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are kinda cool as well though I think they're likely two-and-BBQ.

Time to work. Later all.

NCAA Baseball Regionals - New to the Dance

Last Sunday at noon, the Division I NCAA Baseball brackets were revealed. For baseball programs across the nation, it's one of the biggest days of the year. The selection show is on ESPN, which has given a hell of a lot more exposure to baseball in the recent years.

For many (North Carolina, Miami (FL), Arizona State) the postseason is almost a right of passage but for many (Canisius, Binghamton, Bryant) it's the ultimate high. These smaller schools--who many have never heard of--have the chance to shock the collegiate baseball world after winning their respective conference tournament, capped off with an awesome dog pile to celebrate entry into the Field of 64.

The McRae Scowl (photo credit: gogriffs.com)

The Canisius Golden Griffins (1st appearance) come from way up in Buffalo, where they weather sucks, the field is multi-purpose and the outfield fence is made of PVC. Head coach Mike McRae, who I coached against for six years while at Manhattan, has injected life and attitude into a once lifeless program. They won 42 games this year, the high-water mark for any MAAC school--EVER. Sure they drew #1 overall seed North Carolina but you know what, I wouldn't be shocked if they won. Florida Atlantic and Towson, a program that was on life-support and only still remains a program because of donations, round out the Chapel Hill regional.

The Griffs have been a power in the MAAC for the past several seasons and finally cracked through. A school of just over 5000 students, a school that 96% of America has never heard of and an outfield fence made of PVC - you better believe they're playing with a chip on their shoulder thanks to their fiery head coach. Off the field, he's a good guy but on it, he's one of the most fiery competitors you'll come across. There will never be a smile and if my memory serves me right, might not even be a handshake after the game.

Binghamton (2nd appearance) is right on the border of New York and Pennsylvania. It's a lacrosse hotbed but baseball is at the forefront today. They travel to NC State along with Ole Miss and William & Mary.

Bryant (1st appearance) is newly minted into the Division I ranks and had a tremendous season, 44-16-1, earning themselves a 3-seed and a date with Arkansas. Kansas State and Wichita State round out the Manhattan, KS regional.

It's a good time to be a college baseball fan and rest-assured, the conference foes of these three are pulling for them right about now. A few wins in June help ease the pain of not being there--just a little.

With My 32nd Birthday Approaching...

...I thought I'd have at it creating a list of who I consider to be the best player to wear the number 32 in sports--MLB, NASCAR, NHL, NFL and NBA--I'm going to pick one from each sports in honor of my 32nd birthday.

"Lefty" was straight nasty with the 32 on his back

MLB

STEVE CARLTON. The lefty won four Cy Young Awards with the Phillies, amassed 4,136 strikeouts, was a member of two World Series champions and racked up 329 career wins. Needless to say, he's enshrined in Cooperstown. The number 32 has been widely used in baseball as a pitchers' number until recently (Josh Hamilton, Jay Bruce). The likes of Roy Halladay, "El Presidente" Dennis Martinez, Sandy Koufax have also donned thirty-two on their back.

NASCAR

RICKY CRAVEN. How can I not go with the man who has the only two wins from the #32 car in NASCAR history? The #32 has raced 715 times and won only twice--both Craven.  Ricky Craven, currently an ESPN analyst, piled up over $9.5 million in career earnings. Way back when, in the late-70's, Dick Brooks was the man behind the wheel of the #32 car. Though Brooks never won in the #32, he placed Top 5 eighteen times. Ricky Craven, not Ricky Bobby

NHL

CLAUDE LEMIEUX. This was a tough one for so many reasons but Lemieux found the back of the net 379 times during his 21-year NHL career. He also registered 407 assists and 1,777 penalty minutes. "The Grim Reaper" Stu Grimson was my next pick followed by Dale Hunter but Lemieux won out. He won four Stanley Cup championships and a Conn Smythe Trophy. His 80 career playoff goals are ninth all-time in NHL history.

NFL

JIM BROWN. Gotta go with him, right? Sure, Orenthal James (OJ) Simpson was a hell of a player but in nine seasons, Brown ran for 12,312 yards and 106 touchdowns. OJ wasn't far off, rushing for 11,236 yards but only 61 touchdowns (in 11 seasons). Then he went out and killed some people, got acquitted, then proceeded to rip some people off and then I lost interest. Brown made the Pro Bowl in all nine of his seasons and led the league in rushing eight times. Marcus Allen was considered for the mere fact that he couldn't be tackled in Tecmo Bowl for Nintendo. Guys wearing #32 now include RB Maurice Jones-Drew and FS Devin McCourty.

NBA

ERVIN "MAGIC" JOHNSON. It could have gone to Julius Erving had he not switched to the #6 late in his career, but Magic was just that. Dude won five NBA Championships with the Lakers  A three-time NBA MVP and three-time NBA Finals MVP, Johnson is the best ever to wear #32. He was as well-rounded a player as the game has ever seen. He scored, he rebounded and he dished out dimes (19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 11.2 APG). His assist number place him atop the NBA's all-time assists-per-game list ahead of John Stockton (10.51) and Chris Paul (9.82).

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Just thought I'd throw this one together to celebrate my 32nd birthday. Have a great night--here in Connecticut, it's been raining all day and it doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon. 

Happy Mother's Day

Just wanted to get a quick something out to wish my wife, my mother and my mother-in-law a Happy Mother's Day!

Also, Happy Mother's Day to all the great mother's out there, because there are tons.

There are also tons like this Missouri mom and this St. Louis woman. They aren't fit to take care of themselves let alone a child.

Happy Mother's Day!

MLB: Early Season Surprises

With the MLB season just over 30 games in, some things remain the same.

Miguel Cabrera is hitting a robust .381 to go along with an MLB-high 37 RBI. The Houston Astros are as abysmal as expected in their first year in the American League with a 10-24 record and an MLB-worst -72 run differential.

"Big Game" James Shields has the Royals in the hunt early on

There are, however, some nice surprises in the early going.

• New York Mets catcher John Buck already has 10 HR's, good for second in the NL. He's halfway to his career-high total of 20, set in 2010 during his only season in Toronto. Fellow Met, RHP Matt Harvey is also off to a blistering start. He's 4-0 with a miniscule 1.28 ERA, .69 WHIP and .133 BAA. He's also fanned 58 batters in 49.1 IP.
• Somehow, the Mets are 9.5 games back of the Braves
• The big-budget, high-profile Los Angeles Angels are just 11-22 and 9.5 games back of the AL West-leading Texas Rangers. Josh Hamilton (.203, 2 HR) and Albert Pujols (.240, 5 HR) have gone bust while Mike Trout remains a legit star in the game.
• The Angels have the third-worst ERA in baseball (4.65)
• Seton Hall's own RHP Jason Grilli has 13 saves for the Pittsburgh Pirates, bringing his career saves total to 18.
• Pittsburgh has allowed the second fewest hits in baseball (240)
• The new-look Kansas City Royals are just a game behind the AL Central-leading Tigers thanks to 3.33 ERA. James Shields (2-2, 2.52 ERA), Ervin Santana (3-1, 2.36 ERA) and Jeremy Guthrie (4-0, 2.40 ERA) have anchored the staff.
• KC is 17-13 with a +14 run differential
• Atlanta Braves OF Justin Upton has found his power stroke once again, leading the league in HR's with 12. It's too bad B.J. Upton is batting only .153 with 3 HR and 5 RBI.
• The Braves are in first-place in the NL East

All these numbers have my head spinning. Time for some R&R. And maybe a ballgame.

Boston Strong

Boston Strong

I am a New Yorker through and through. More importantly, I’m an American. My  heart goes out to all those affected by whatever sick person committed such a cowardly act.

In the wake of the tragedy that occurred at the Boston Marathon on Monday afternoon, I want to take some time to reflect on my limited experience as a runner as well as my time spent in Boston.

I hate to run but that hasn’t stopped me from participating in several running events over the course of the last several years. I ran a 5K road race through Central Park a few years back in December and actually did pretty well. I ran a 5K in Manchester, CT this past September to support cerebral palsy and finished 102nd out of 214 racers–I did so with Nolan in tow as I pushed him in the stroller the entire way. Modest results but results nonetheless. My wife on the other hand, she not only competed in those races as well but she completed a half-marathon in Rhinebeck, NY last September in 1 hour, 55 minutes. I would have keeled over after 55 minutes. She also did a Shape Diva Dash and most recently a Fit-Athalon at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. I think I can speak for her as well when I say there was never any fear of something devastating happening upon completion of said races. Finishing a race of any kind gives people a sense of pride, a sense of accomplishment, a sense of joy. For me, it’s more like a sense of relief.

Then there was the 2013 Boston Marathon. Words cannot describe the scene that unfolded at the finish line and I will spare you my opinion. It’s mind-numbing, to say the least. On Patriot’s Day, a day that many Bostonians and Massachusites have off in remembrance of the battles of Concord and Lexington way back in 1775–two battles that were the first ones fought in the American Revolutionary War.

As for my time spent in Boston, let’s just say it’s a hell of a city. I’ve been there with my wife for a weekend away as well as for Red Sox games, even though I’m a Yankees fan. The sense of pride the people of Boston feel towards their city and their hometown Red Sox is unparalleled in America. Everywhere you look, everywhere you turn, there’s Red Sox hats, Red Sox t-shirts, Red Sox jerseys. And while all this was going on, the actual Boston Red Sox were boarding a bus en route to Cleveland, not knowing what had just transpired.

Sport generally offers a getaway from the craziness that is the world we live in–it offers people a place to go to take their mind off things for three hours and enjoy talking to complete strangers about their views on sports and otherwise. Red Sox designated hitterJonny Gomes said it well, “There are some people having surgery today to save lives. At the same time (baseball) is something we can do to get people’s minds off things and, you know, hopefully, grab a breath of fresh air.” The Red Sox may not have known exactly what was happening, but they got a sense that something was awry when their police escort to the airport left the caravan.

Had the Red Sox been in town for a series following their Patriot's Day game at Fenway Park, there’s no doubt they would have helped out the best they could.

The Red Sox took the field in Cleveland with heavy hearts last night and got a win–for themselves and for the city of Boston.

President Obama said it best, perhaps, “Boston is a tough and resilient town. So are its people. I’m supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together, take care of each other, and move forward as one proud city. And as they do, the American people will be with them every single step of the way.”

My wife and I stay on Boylston Street when we go to Boston and have passed the finish line several times–albeit not on race day. It’s a lively street around the block from the world-famous Newbury Street with lots to do and tons of people walking around, sightseeing, eating, drinking and just enjoying themselves.

Will what happened on April 15 change the way Boston and it’s visitors live their lives? Absolutely. But my hope is that regardless of what type of world we live in, people will refuse to live in fear. Life is precious and should never be taken for granted, and for that reason alone, we should all live it to the fullest.

America is with you Boston. Believe it. And based on the note left in the Red Sox dugout during last night’s game, I’d say it’s pretty evident.

2013 NCAA Tournament: Sweet Sixteen - Midwest and West Regions

LaSalle's Tyrone Garland and teammates celebrate a big win

The rounds of 64 and 32 have come and gone and we're left with the "top" 16 teams in men's college basketball to duke it out for the 2013 National Championship.

Brackets across the country blew up thanks to Cinderella, who is played by Florida Gulf Coast University this year. That being said, I still have 10 of the 16 teams remaining in my bracket. FGCU was not one of them but I'll get into them Wednesday.

Midwest Region
#1 Louisville vs. #12 Oregon - The 'Ville is the overall number one seed and had little trouble getting to the Sweet 16, knocking off #16 North Carolina A&T and #8 Colorado State by 31 and 26, respectively. Oregon, the Pac-12 Tournament champion defeated #5 Oklahoma State by 13 before crushing #4 Saint Louis by 17. It'll be a tall order for the Ducks to reach the Elite Eight, but they've got a fighter's chance. I had Saint Louis, so I've got one of two in this match-up.

#2 Duke vs. #3 Michigan State - This played out exactly how the selection committee had planned--two Hall of Fame coaches pitted against one another. Duke beat #15 Albany by 12 in a game that wasn't that close before disposing of #8 Creighton 66-50. The Spartans took care of pesky #14 Valparaiso by 11 and not so pesky #6 Memphis by 22. I had both these winners through to the round of 16.

Overall, the Midwest Region was rather kind to me. Saint Louis, #9 Missouri and #11 Saint Mary's were my only casualties.

West Region
#9 Wichita State vs. #13 LaSalle - Not many saw this match-up in the Sweet Sixteen. The Shockers took down #8 Pittsburgh in the second round before knocking out #1 Gonzaga. People were saying all along Gonzaga wasn't worthy of a 1-seed and they proved everyone right, but you can't argue with what they did this year. LaSalle is 3-0 in the tournament thanks to a nine-point play-in game win over #13 Boise State and a pair of two point wins over #4 Kansas State and #12 Mississippi. I was especially glad to see them take care of Marshall Henderson and Ole Miss. Experts have been praising this kid--he was 14-42 shooting in their two tourney games. They're the only remaining Atlantic 10 team and I like them to move on to the Elite Eight. I had neither of these teams, in fact I had Gonzaga and #5 Wisconsin, who killed me by shooting just over 25% in their opening round loss to Ole Miss. Oh for two but well worth it. Thanks Tyrone Garland for the game-winner.

#2 Ohio State vs. #6 Arizona - The Buckeyes have a pretty sweet path to Atlanta if they can get past Arizona. They crushed #15 Iona 95-70 and snuck by #10 Iowa State thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer by point guard Aaron Craft. The Wildcats are flying under the radar but have beaten two solid teams en route to the Sweet Sixteen--#11 Belmont and #14 Harvard, who shocked the world by taking down #3 New Mexico, a team many thought would take this region by storm. I did have Ohio State playing but had them facing off with Wisconsin. As a matter of fact, I only had three winners overall in the West Region--Gonzaga's first win and the Buckeyes two wins. I'm an East Coast guy, what can I say?

It has been madness just as expected.

2013 NCAA Tournament: Picking Friday's Winners Based on Mascots

Bucky Badger is meaner than your average badger

Day Two of the 2013 NCAA Tournament is here--well, Day Four if you count both days of the First Four games.

I'll pick winners once again based solely on the mascots of the teams involved.

Midwest Region
#15 Albany vs. #2 Duke - The Great Danes and the Blue Devils. While a great dane is one of the biggest dogs you're likely ever to see, we all know I'm a Duke fan, and who can mess with devils, even if they are blue. THE DEVILS!! Winner: Duke Blue Devils

#10 Cincinnati vs. #7 Creighton - The Bearcats and the Blue Jays. You can never trust an animal who's name is a mish-mash of two animals--the bear and the cat. Bears are fierce, while cats can be tame (Burmilla, Siamese). The Blue Jays fly high, no lie, they ballin', especially with Doug McDermott tearing it up. Winner: Creighton Blue Jays

West Region
#12 Mississippi vs. #5 Wisconsin - The Rebels and the Badgers. Because the badger is omnivorous and personally, I'd hate to encounter an angry badger, I think they'd tear the flesh off a rebel, regardless of how rebellious they are. Winner: Wisconsin Badgers

#13 LaSalle vs. #4 Kansas State - The Explorers and Wildcats. I'd hate to come across and angry, purple wildcat in my day-to-day explorations, it probably wouldn't end well--for me. LaSalle is dangerous and has nothing to lose while all the pressure is on K-State. LaSalle has the better stats but I think the purple cats advance. Winner: Kansas State Wildcats

#15 Iona vs. #2 Ohio State - The Gaels and the Buckeyes. In possibly the least scary match up of the entire tournament, an Irish-themed team faces a tree species. Seriously? Ohio State is more talented top to bottom, but you can't count out the Irish. Oh wait, this isn't Notre Dame. Winner: Ohio State Buckeyes

#10 Iowa State vs. #7 Notre Dame - The Cyclones and the Fighting Irish. I knew Notre Dame was on their way to the mascot parade. A cyclone can be deadly but I can't see the Fighting Irish backing down and given the fact that the atmospheric pressure isn't likely to be all that low in Dayton, I think ND advance. Winner: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

South Region
#16 Western Kentucky vs. #1 Kansas - The Hilltoppers and the Jayhawks. A hilltopper, for all intents and purposes, is exactly just that, the topper of a hill. The giant red blob of a mascot is scaring no one. Any bird with 'hawk' in the name scares me, and Kansas is no different. Winner: Kansas Jayhawks

#9 Villanova vs. #8 North Carolina - More Wildcats and some Tar Heels. Wildcats are a lot scarier than tarred heels, but these are some athletic Tar Heels. They're fast, athletic and one hell of a basketball team. And they've got head heel Roy Williams guiding them to possibly a deep run into this tournament. Winner: North Carolina Tar Heels

#11 Minnesota vs. #6 UCLA - Gophers and Bruins. Gophers hang out in a hole, something Minnesota better not find themselves in this afternoon against the Bruins, who are short one--second-leading scorer Jordan Adams is out for the tournament, giving the edge to those pesky Gophers. Winner: Minnesota Gophers

#14 Northwestern State vs. #3 Florida - Demons and Gators. Demonic as they may be, nothing chomps like the jaws of a gator. NW State is going to need some demon-like sorcery to take down the mighty Gators. Winner: Florida Gators

#10 Oklahoma vs. #7 San Diego State - The Sooners and Aztecs. While known in the past for unprecedented levels of human sacrifice, the same can no longer be said of the Aztecs. And for the Sooners, they settled on free land years and years ago and even have a nice covered wagon to ride in. They'll ride off with a W tonight in Philadelphia. Winner: Oklahoma Sooners

#15 Florida Gulf Coast vs. #2 Georgetown - The Eagles and the Hoyas. The eagle may be symbolic here in the USA, but I don't think they're going to fare very well against the Big East champ Hoyas from Georgetown--especially in a quasi-home game for the 2-seed. Winner: Georgtown Hoyas

East Region
#16 James Madison vs. #1 Indiana - The Dukes and the Hoosiers. The mystery surrounding the term 'Hoosier" is mind-bending and the fact that JMU is names after a president but it's athletic teams are named after the first basketball coach the school ever had (in return for towels and uniforms) makes this a head-scratcher. When in doubt, go with the state in which no one knows what the heck a Hoosier is. Winner: Indiana Hoosiers

#9 Temple vs. #8 NC State - Hoot! The Owls and the Wolfpack. The owl is a bird of the night and is a deadly hunter, but there's no way it can hunt a pack of wolves. I like the A-10 and I like the Owls, but the Wolfpack have more athletes on the roster, making them the favorite, right? Yes. An even though I picked Temple to advance, a Wolfpack should never lose to Owls. Winner: NC State Wolfpack

#10 Colorado vs. #7 Illinois - The Buffaloes and the Illini. A whole gang of buffaloes will invade Austin this afternoon to take on a school who's mascot is that of an Indian chief's headdress. Stampeding buffalo, feathered head garb. I'll take the gang. Winner: Colorado Buffaloes

#15 Pacific vs. #2 Miami (FL) - The Tigers and the Hurricanes. While a streak of tigers is certainly nothing you'd even want to encounter, a roster full of Hurricanes trumps all. They'll wipe out any number of Tigers if the big cats get caught in their path, as Pacific will soon realize. Earthquakes are a West Coast thing, but these Hurricanes have made noise throughout the country. Winner: Miami (FL) Hurricanes

My record yesterday was a mediocre 9-7. Here's to better results today. Happy March Madness.

MLB: My Random ESPN Fantasy Draft

LoMo

Randomly I decided to join a live fantasy baseball draft this morning and am going in to it completely unaware of who should be picked where. When all is said and done, I will post my team. I'm not expecting anyone to care about who's on my team or that I even have a team, but if you are, your thoughts are welcome--criticism also welcome.

Wooo! I had the first pick overall, the veritable kiss of death. There are ten people in the league, none of whom I know, which means it's likely I'll stick with this squad the entire year. Scoring is head-to-head.

(Overall pick in parenthesis)

1. Miguel Cabrera, 3B, Detroit (1)
2. Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Miami (20)
3. Jose Bautista, OF, Toronto (21)
4. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Los Angeles-NL (40)
5. B.J. Upton, OF, Atlanta (41)
6. Kris Medlen, P, Atlanta (60)
7. Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore (61)
8. Jordan Zimmermann, SP, Washington (80)
9. Rafael Soriano, RP, Washington (81)
10. Erick Aybar, SS, Los Angeles-AL (100)
11. Adam LaRoche, 1B, Washington (101)
12. Lance Lynn, SP, St. Louis (120)
13. Phil Hughes, SP, New York-AL (121)
14. Marco Scutaro, 2B/SS, San Francisco (140)
15. Kevin Youkilis, 3B/1B, New York-AL (141)
16. Addison Reed, RP, Chicago-AL (160)
17. Alejandro De Aza, OF, Chicago-AL (161)
18. Grant Balfour, RP, Oakland (180) - Auto Pick got me
19. Dexter Fowler, OF, Colorado (181) - Auto Pick got me again
20. Everth Cabrera, SS, San Diego (200)
21. Edwin Jackson, SP, Chicago-NL (201)
22. Salvadore Perez, C, Kansas City (220)
23. Dustin Ackley, 2B, Seattle (221)
24. Logan Morrison, OF, Miami (240)
25. Bruce Rondon, RP, Detroit (241)

Overall, it wasn't a bad draft. I got a little back-to-back teammate crazy at times (picks 5-6, 8-9, 16-17) but I'm content with the squad. I think I got a sleeper with Rondon and Perez and hopefully Morrison can bounce back from this knee injury and produce for the Marlins.

And how could I not pick the Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera with the first overall pick? And Stanton is a 40+ homerun guy that people slept on--it's irrelevant that he's in Miami with a weak-ish surrounding cast, dude is a beast. And Bautista in the 3rd round? Come on.

Looks good on paper, but it's a long way to the finish line.

2013 NCAA Tournament: Pac-12-Seeds and an Overrated Mountain West

Allen Crabbe and #12 Cal are moving on after taking down #5 UNLV

After many witnessed #12 Oregon's high-octane offense take down #5 Oklahoma State yesterday, another Pac-12 12-seed quietly took care of business as the Cal Bears took down #5 UNLV, 64-61. Overall, it was a good day for the conference and for the two 12-seeds NOT named Akron (the Zips were dismantled by VCU, 88-42).

Oregon used a late 5-0 surge to close out the first half and take an 11-point lead into the half and was never really threatened the rest of the way. They cruised to a 69-54 win over the Cowboys, who were a two-point favorite. I had that one pegged as the 12-5 upset special of the day. Oregon's leading scorer, E.J. Singler, managed only eight points but got plenty of help from his teammates, as four Ducks scored in double figures, let by Damyean Dotson's 17.

California had similar thoughts as their Pac-12 brethren. I picked UNLV and they, as well as the rest of the Mountain West Conference, let millions of bracketologists down. Cal looked in control the whole game while the Runnin' Rebels hoisted up three after three and wound up just 6-20 from deep. The Pac-12's leading scorer, Allen Crabbe, is someone many people know very little about, but UNLV found out quickly how good the Pac-12 Player of the Year actually is. Crabbe poured in 19 points to go along with 9 rebounds and four assists to help the Bears to a three-point win.

Were Pac-12 teams snubbed in the Big Dance? Not all of them, but Oregon and Cal were seeded a little lower than they should have been. #6 Arizona buried #11 Belmont, 81-64 and will meet #14 Harvard, who pulled the biggest upset of the day in knocking out the MW champion and 3-seed New Mexico Lobos. If #6 UCLA and #10 Colorado win today, the Pac-12 can improve to 5-0 in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

The Mountain West, meanwhile, isn't faring quite as well. Many thought New Mexico would make a run in the tournament, but as we all found out, that didn't happen, as the Lobos were stunned by the Ivy League champ Harvard Crimson, 68-82. Another MW team, #13 Boise State, lost in the First Four against LaSalle, eliminating them from the tourney. I already mentioned UNLV's loss to Cal. #8 Colorado State supplied the conference with their only win, an emphatic 84-72 win over #9 Missouri. Overall, a 1-3 record was not what any experts and pundits picked.

If today is anything like yesterday, I can't wait to glue myself to the computer and then television to take it all in.

MLB: Best Nicknames of Hall of Famers

Yankees great Joe DiMaggio

Opening Day of the 2013 MLB season is almost here so I thought it's about damn time to take a look back in the history books at some of the best nicknames of players in the hallowed halls of Cooperstown.

• Hammerin' Hank Aaron
• Sparky Anderson
• Mr. Cub Ernie Banks
• Yogi Berra
• The Georgia Peach Ty Cobb
• Andre "The Hawk" Dawson
• Joltin' Joe DiMaggio
• Rollie Fingers
• "The Iron Horse" Lou Gehrig
• "Stonewall" Jackson
• "Big Train" Walter Johnson
• "Ignitor" Paul Molitor
• Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto
• Ryne "Ryno" Sandberg
• Dazzy Vance
• Rube Waddell
• Hack Wilson

Play Ball!

2013 NCAA Tournament: South Regional - By The Numbers

YAROU!!

If you know me, you know I love names and numbers. I'll take a look at the 2013 NCAA Tournament's South Regional and give a stat brief for the player with the best name on his team, regardless of playing time or productivity. It's about time to give everybody some random publicity.
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#1 Naadir Tharpe, Kansas: Double-A in the first name and a last name that many automatically assume is Thorpe, averages just 18 minutes a game but dishes out three assists and chips in 5.5 points per game for the Jayhawks.

#13 Percy Blade, Western Kentucky: A bit player for the Hilltoppers, maybe one day he'll slice through opposing D's to score more than 1.9 points per game.

#43 James Michael McAdoo, UNC: Typically, only serial killers go by three names and JMM fits the bill--murdering defenses trying to stop him to the tune of 14.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game for the Tar Heels.

#13 Mouphtaou Yarou, Villanova: Yarou is a man, man. The senior averages 9.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, slightly below his averages from a year ago. His name is just fun to say--Yarou! Yarou! Yarou!

#12 Mo Alie-Cox, VCU - The redshirt freshman didn't accumulate any stats this season. Coming out of high school, he was the #9 rated prospect in Virginia, according to Rivals.com. I hope we hear his name a lot next season.

#44 Zeke Marshall, Akron: "Zeke" used to be a term you called people who were acting a fool, but I dare anyone to call Marshall a fool. Averaging 13 points and 7.1 rebounds a game for the Zips, this Zeke is a force to be reckoned with.

#20 Josh Bartelstein, Michigan: His name sounds like it's right out of The Mighty Ducks or something, but it's not. Instead, Josh is a walk-on who has scored just 6 points in four years in Ann Arbor.

#42 Jordan Dykstra, South Dakota State: The 'Jacks have a scoring option besides Nate Wolters and his name is Dykstra. No relation to Lenny. He averages 12.5 points and 7.9 rebounds a game but they'll need more out of him to knock off the Wolverines.

#21 Khalid McCaskill, UCLA: He doesn't play much but any time you have four "ck" sounds in one name, I'm impressed. One point and half a rebound per game is all McCaskill brings to the Bruins.

#13 Maverick Ahanmisi, Minnesota: I ain't talking Top Gun and neither is Maverick. He scores only 3.5 points per game for the Gophers, who have a decent shot at knocking off UCLA in the second round.

#1 Kenny Boynton, Florida: The senior has a fun last name and a pretty good hoop game as well. He's a key cog for the 3-seed Gators, averaging over 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists per game. Yeah Boyn!!

#35 O.J. Evans, Northwestern State: Anyone with the name O.J. might initially be thought of as a killer or a former Bills running back, but this O.J. averages around 3.5 points and rebounds per game for the Demons.

#0 Skylar Spencer, San Diego State: It just kind of rolls off your tongue--Skylar Spencer. Three points and three boards a game is all the Aztecs get from him though.

#3 Buddy Hield, Oklahoma: A freshman from the Bahamas, Hield played a pretty big role for the Sooners--8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. I'm sure they wouldn't mind him matching his season-high in points (16) and rebounds (11) against SDSU.

#22 Otto Porter, Jr., Georgetown: The Big East Player of the Year also has one of the best names in the country, reminiscent of Otto, the bus driver on The Simpsons. Porter averages 16.3 points and 7.4 rebounds but can drain it from three-point range, shooting a robust 42.7%.

#23 Eddie Murray, Florida Gulf Coast: Not that Eddie Murray, this one is an Osprey, not an Oriole. He provides not only senior leadership to a team making their first NCAA Tourney appearance, but he also averages a modest 3.8 points and 3 rebounds per game.
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I hope your name quota has been fulfilled. Games start in 75 minutes.

2013 NCAA Tournament: Picking Thursday's Winners Based on Mascots

Billikens are sure cute, but they're damn good at basketball!

Today kicks off what many believe is the best weekend in sports - the first weekend of March Madness. I'll attempt to delve into today's slate and pick winners based solely on mascots.

#14 Valparaiso vs. #3 Michigan State - While Valpo's mascot, the Crusader, was a U.S. Navy fighter jet (F-8 Crusader), the Spartans were well-documented in the film 300 featuring Gerard Butler. That being said, Sparta was also a pre-eminent military city-state in Greece and there's no way a Crusader will take down Butler and Sparta. Winner: Michigan State Spartans

#11 Bucknell vs. #6 Butler - The Bison and the Bulldogs. Hmm, let me think about this one--Bison win. They're bigger, more rugged and although the Bulldogs are cool to look at and have as a pet, I'd fear for my life with a Bison running amok in my yard. Winner: Bucknell Bison

#9 Wichita State vs. #8 Pittsburgh - The Shockers and Panthers.The Shockers are a stinging bee while the Panthers come in from the Steel City. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee Shocker but Panthers have a certain ferocity about them that makes them hard to ignore and the Shockers will be swatted away. Winner: Pittsburgh Panthers

#13 New Mexico State vs. #4 Saint Louis - The Aggies and Billikens. An Aggie is nothing more than a student of a land-grant university. Basically, they're going to school on free land, not very scary. A Billiken isn't much more dangerous--it's merely a charm doll with a "no-worry" mentality. I have no worried Saint Louis will take down New Mexico State. Winner: Saint Louis Billikens

#11 Saint Mary's vs. #6 Memphis - The Gaels and the Tigers. While it's easy to go with Memphis and the fact that they are the largest cat species, the Gaels derive from Ireland, and with St. Patrick's Day in the rear view, I like the Gaels to shake the hangover and get a win. Winner: Saint Mary's Gaels

#14 Davidson vs. #3 Marquette - The Wildcats and the Golden Eagles. All that glitters is not gold, but the Eagles soar high above the hungry Wildcats in this one. Davidson might be a senior-laden team and Marquette may be a bit inconsistent but I think the physicality of MU will prevail in this one. Winner: Marquette Golden Eagles

#16 Southern vs. #1 Gonzaga - The Jaguars and Bulldogs. Again with the Bulldogs, but this time I like the cuddly, snorting pet instead of the lethal Jaguar though in a fight, the jag would certainly triumph. This is basketball, however, and the Bulldogs will pull away early. Winner: Gonzaga Bulldogs

#12 Oregon vs. #5 Oklahoma State - Fly, Ducks, Fly and the Cowboys. Cowboys are a wild group but based on recent sports history, haven't really been a threat lately. These Ducks have been flying under the radar despite an early-season top-10 ranking. Winner: Oregon Ducks

#16 North Carolina A&T vs. #1 Louisville - More Aggies and the Cardinals. We already know about the Aggies but the Cardinals are a pretty-looking bird with a lot of talent. They're led by a proven winner and can't see them landing soon enough to be captured by a land-grant student. Winner: Louisville Cardinals

#13 South Dakota State vs. #4 Michigan - The Jackrabbits and the Wolverines. First off, only one of these is an X-Men character and the other is a furry little rabbit used to make stew in the wilderness that is South Dakota. Michigan should make rabbit stew tonight in Auburn Hills. Winner: Michigan Wolverines

#11 Belmont vs. #6 Arizona - The Bruins and the Wildcats. These cats may be wild, but the Bruins have one fierce competitor in Ian Clark. This one has upset written all over it but would it really be an upset if a bear devoured a cat? Not really. Winner: Belmont Bruins

#12 California vs. #5 UNLV - The Golden Bears and Runnin' Rebels. These Rebels can run and the Bears come limping in with two straight losses. The Rebs can not only run but they can also rebounds, pretty damn well, too. The advantage on the boards sends UNLV moving on. Winner: UNLV Runnin' Rebels

#9 Missouri vs. #8 Colorado State - The Tigers and the Rams. Tigers are fierce, as I've stated prior. Rams do have some mean-looking horns but the lead Tiger, Phil Pressey, is pretty damn good and should lead his ambush of Tigers to victory. Winner: Missouri Tigers

#12 Akron vs. #5 VCU - Wooooo Zips and more Rams. Zips sometimes refers to a derogatory term used by mobsters referencing newer immigrant mafioso and these Zips are equally scary. The Rams are an experienced team used to winning. There will be no guns involved to hunt Rams in this game which is why I'm giving the edge to VCU. Besides, Zippy the kangaroo, Akron's mascot, isn't really all that intimidating. Winner: VCU Rams

#14 Harvard vs. #3 New Mexico - The Crimson and the Lobos. While crimson is a shade of red, the color of blood, I don't think Harvard can match up with the Lobos on the hardwood. A lobo is a timber wolf in English and these wolves should have mo problem chopping down the Ivy Leaguers. Winner: New Mexico Lobos

#13 Montana vs. #4 Syracuse - The Grizzlies and the Orange. Unless the Orange can get some points on the board, the Grizzlies will hang around with upset in mind. The bear typically eats an orange--or does it?--but Otto is one bad-ass orange and should help the 'Cuse squeeze out a close win. Winner: Syracuse Orange

Have a great day and let the games begin. March Madness is here, baby!

2013 NCAA Tournament: By the Colors

Orange reigns at the Carrier Dome and the East Region

With the NCAA Tournament come schools: a) you cheer for, b) you root against, c) you've never heard of, d) whose mascot you think is cool and/or e) whose colors you like.

For the purpose of this post, I'm going to breakdown each region by primary color based on the athletic page of said schools on Wikipedia. (Note: Indiana's primary color is cream.)

Midwest Region
This region is dominated by reds (Louisville, Cincinnati and Saint Mary's) and blues (Saint Louis, Memphis, Creighton and Duke) but the thing that makes this region stand out is the greens. Colorado State, Oregon and Michigan State are the only teams in the field with green as their primary colors. There's also a brown (Valparaiso), gold (Missouri), orange (Oklahoma State) and purple (Albany) in here, all but rounding out the color wheel.

Reds - 4; Blues - 5; Greens - 3; Others - 4

West Region
Here's a region dominated by the color red. Eight teams feature a shade of red as their primary colors: Ole Miss, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Mexico, Harvard, Iowa State, Ohio State and Iona. Whew! Running second in the color scheme of things is blue (Southern, Pitt, Boise State and LaSalle (one of whom will be out tonight) and Belmont). A black (Wichita State), white (Gonzaga), purple (Kansas State) and a gold (Notre Dame). A very diverse yet top-heavy region out west.

Reds - 8; Blues - 5; Greens - 0; Others - 4

South Region
Another region dominated by a single color, this time of the blue variety. Kansas, North Carolina, Villanova, Akron, South Dakota State, UCLA, Georgetown and Florida Gulf Coast are the schools who sport true blue, even though UCLA is truly the only one with "true blue" as their primary hue. Red has a moderate showing with four schools (Western Kentucky, Minnesota, San Diego State and Oklahoma). There's also a black (VCU), a maize (Michigan), an orange (Florida) and a purple (Northwestern State), but blues rule the south.

Reds - 4; Blues - 8; Greens - 0; Others - 4

East Region
This is where the colors get a little brighter, specifically in the shade of orange. Five schools comprise this section of the color spectrum: Syracuse, Bucknell, Illinois, Miami (FL) and Pacific. Besides the predominantly orange aspect of this region, it's also the most diverse in terms of non-red and blue teams. As stated, Indiana is cream. James Madison is purple while LIU-Brooklyn is black, though one will be eliminated tonight. Colorado is gold. There are five schools whose primary color is red (NC State, Temple, UNLV, Montana and Davidson) while three feature blue (Cal, Butler and Marquette).

Reds - 5; Blues - 3; Greens - 0; Others - 9

All of the above may not clarify which color has the best offs of winning the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship, so here's one final look at all the remaining teams - all 66 of them.

Reds - 21 teams - 32% of the field
Blues - 21 teams - 32% of the field
Orange - 7 teams - 11% of the field
White/Black/Cream - 5 teams - 7.5% of the field
Purple - 4 teams - 6% of the field
Yellow/Gold - 4 teams - 6% of the field
Greens - 3 teams - 5% of the field
Brown - 1 team - 1.5% of the field

Sorry for failing to mention Middle Tennessee State and Liberty, two teams eliminated last night, who feature blue as their primary color.

The Colors of March are complete.

2013 NCAA Tournament: Four Upset Possibilities in the Round of 64

East Region 10-seed Colorado Buffaloes

March Madness started with a bang as Robert Morris took down the defending NCAA Tournament champion Kentucky Wildcats last night in the NIT.

Over on the senior circuit, North Carolina A&T edged Liberty to earn the right to play Louisville in the round of 64 while Matthew Dellavedova and Saint Mary's knocked off Middle Tennessee State and will face Memphis tomorrow.

Upsets generally rule the first second round of the tournament and this year should be no different. If the regular season was any indication of how March will play out, it's going to be one hell of a ride. Here's four matchups--one from each region--that have "upset possibility" written all over them. Keep in mind I'm just your average run-of-the-mill college basketball fan.

#10 Colorado over #7 Illinois (East)
Colorado is dangerous thanks to junior double-double machine Andre Roberson. Illinois might play in arguably the toughest league in the country but they are also one of the most inconsistent. They're heavily reliant on the three-pointer, something the Buffs defend extremely well. Roberson is a beast on the boards and seeing Illinois' struggles rebounding, this advantage should help propel the Buffaloes to the next round and a possible date with Miami (FL).

#15 Iona over #2 Ohio State (West)
Iona features one of the top scorers in the country in Lamont Jones and a secret weapon in David Laury (13.1 ppg, 10.4 rpg). Ohio State did win the Big Ten Tournament title but just ask Duke and Missouri how dangerous the #15 seed can be. Iona is a team that has been here before (second straight appearance) and knows how to win despite blowing a huge lead against BYU in a First Four game a season ago. The Buckeyes can play a clamp-down defense at times but they rarely face an offense as dynamic as the Gaels'.

#12 Oregon over #5 Oklahoma State (Midwest)
The Ducks won the Pac-12 and still got a 12-seed so to say they're playing with a chip on their shoulder is probably an understatement. A top-10 team for part of the regular season, they boast some athletic wings and senior Arsalan Kazemi (9.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg). Oklahoma State has standouts Marcus Smart and Markel Brown but their rebounding deficiency might cost them against a hungry Oregon squad.

#12 Akron over #5 VCU (South)
The Zips had a 19-game winning streak earlier in the season but are just 2-3 over the last five, but take nothing away from Akron, they're a quality basketball team. Shaka Smart has VCU primed up for another run into March but it's not the draw you'd expect for a team that's proven itself year after year. Both teams can score in bunches with the edge going to VCU but once again, rebounding questions surround this game. VCU is average on the boards but Akron really gets after it, thanks in large part to Demetrius Treadwell (7.9 rpg) and Zeke Marshall (7.1 rpg). The Rams are 10-3 over their last 13 games including a thrashing of #20 Butler on March 2. Akron is a confident team despite their recent ups and downs and should not be taken lightly.

2013 NCAA Tournament: WRT's Picks

Louisville Cardinals: Overall #1 Seed (photo credit: NY Daily News)

It's officially March Madness, the time where productivity in the workplace reaches an annual low point. The brackets are out and the First Four games begin tomorrow in Dayton, Ohio. Louisville, Indiana, Kansas and Gonzaga for the #1 seeds while some #2's--Duke, Georgetown and Miami (FL)--had cases for a top seed as well.

Some familiar faces will be left out of the tournament--namely defending champ Kentucky--while teams like Maryland and Tennessee got bubbles burst yesterday on Selection Sunday.

Without further ado, here's WRT's picks for each region.

Midwest Region:
Louisville is the overall number 1 seed and for good reason--the Cards have dominated as of late and won the Big East Tournament thanks to a 56-26 second half outburst against Syracuse. Duke is the 2 seed and will play in Philadelphia hoping to avoid a monumental upset like last year--this year the Blue Devils will face the #15 seed Albany Great Danes. The 'Ville and Duke are the two best teams in this region but you can never count out a Tom Izzo-led team--Michigan State is the 3 seed and could have a date with Duke in the Sweet 16. Ryan Kelly is back and Duke needs him to stay on the court to make a serious run at a trip to Atlanta.

Front Runner: Louisville
Dark Horse: St. Louis
Upset Alert: #11 Middle Tennessee or #11 Saint Mary's over #6 Memphis
Elite Eight Pairing: Louisville vs. Duke
Atlanta Bound: Louisville

West Region:
The slipper no longer fits Gonzaga--the Bulldogs are the number 1 seed out west thanks to a 31-2 regular season. The bracket, however, is shaping up to be a rather tough one for the Zags. Ohio State (#2), New Mexico (#3) and Kansas State (#4) round out the top four but it wouldn't surprise me if a sleeper emerges from the Los Angeles. Gonzaga hasn't played a tough schedule but does have one of the best players you've never heard of in Kelly Olynyk. Ole Miss, a 12-seed, is riding a ton of momentum after an SEC Tournament title but draws a Wisconsin team that backs down from no one. Ohio State also is hot after taking home the hardware in the Big Ten but can't sleep on Iona, the MAAC champ.

Front Runner: Gonzaga
Dark Horse: Wisconsin
Upset Alert: #11 Belmont over #6 Arizona
Elite Eight Pairing: Wisconsin vs. Ohio State
Atlanta Bound: Wisconsin

South Region:
Kansas is at it again. The Jayhawks secured the number 1 seed thanks to a Big 12 Tournament championship. Georgetown looms in the bottom half of the bracket but there are plenty of other quality teams down south for top-seeded Kansas to worry about. Whoever wins the #8 North Carolina-#9 Villanova game will give the Jayhawks all they can handle. UCLA is the 6-seed but is shorthanded thanks to an injury to guard Jordan Adams.The Bruins will face a talented yet underachieving Minnesota Gophers squad with upset on their minds. Shaka Smart's #5 VCU Rams have been here before and will be a tough out for anyone they face.

Front Runner: Kansas
Dark Horse: VCU
Upset Alert: #13 South Dakota State over #4 Michigan
Elite Eight Pairing: Georgetown vs. VCU
Atlanta Bound: Georgetown

East Region:
Indiana got their 1-seed but won't have the pressure/benefit (??) of playing in front of their home fan base in Indianapolis. Make of it what you will, this bracket is a doozy. Miami (FL) (#2), Marquette (#3) and Syracuse (#4) are the best of the rest but you can't sleep on Rotnei Clarke and the Butler Bulldogs (#6), who'll have their hands full with Mike Muscala and #11 Bucknell. The Orange should get to the Sweet 16 thanks to their defense but their offense is going to need to show up for them to have any prolonged success.

Front Runner: Indiana
Dark Horse: Marquette
Upset Alert: #16 LIU over #1 Indiana
Elite Eight Pairing: Syracuse vs. Miami (FL)
Atlanta Bound: Miami (FL)

Final Four:
Louisville over Wisconsin
Miami (FL) over Syracuse

Championship:
Louisville over Miami (FL)

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

Theodor Geisel would be 109 tomorrow. Who? Dr. Seuss, that's who.

To honor the man who made kids books awesome and who time and time again tounge-tied parents who read his works to their children (self-included), here's a list of my favorite Dr. Seuss books, in no particular order.

• The Cat in the Hat
• Hop on Pop
• The Lorax
• One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• My Book About ME
• Horton Hears a Who!
• Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose

Thanks Dr. Seuss, you're works will live on forever.

#2

Gonzaga is the newest #2 team in the men's basketball AP poll. The once happy-go-lucky feel, feel-good-story mid-major is among the country's elite. Bulldog On.

Deer Antler: It'll Make You Sprout Horns

Me so horny!

With all this deer antler talk, I really hope Colin Kaepernick kisses his biceps all over the field on Sunday.

Do I have anything invested in either team playing? Hell no. If my Raiders were in on the action, it'd be a different story, but they're in a constant state of misery lately, as well as their fans.