Flag Bearer Bingo

After struggling to keep my eyes open through the entire Opening Ceremony last night, something, somehow, caught my eye - the flags.  There are so many different and great flags - from countries not named America - and I just wanted to make it clear that I am all for this international awesomeness.

There are also some pretty cool names in these Olympics, as is to be expected, so without further ado, here's my list of some of the more gnarly names that had the distinguished honor of carrying a flag for their country last night.

• Max Mirnyi - Berlarus - Max is just a great name
• Sherab Zam - Bhutan - ZAM!!
• Marko Blaževski - Macedonia - I just liked the little marking over the "z"
• Ruddy Zang Milama - Gabon - ZANG!!
• Winston George - Guyana - It just sounds so distinguished
• I Gede Siman Sudartawa - Indonesia - Referring to yourself as "I" rules
• Kilakone Siphonexay - Lao People's Democratic Republic - Do I need to say anything?
• Hortense Diédhiou - Senegal - Hortense is such an intense name
• Zamzam Mohamed Farah - Somalia - Zam-Zam!!
• Ismail Ahmed Ismail - Sudan - The old Ismail sandwich
• Chinyere Pigot - Suriname - It's one of my wife's athletes at UConn - Go Chin!
• Nuttapong Ketin - Thailand - Say it and you're bound to smile
• Mariel Zagunis - United States of America - USA!! USA!! USA!!
• Nguyễn Tiến Nhật - Vietnam - Certainly not a shortage of accent marks?
• Prince Mumba - Zambia - The royalest of names

I am headed to Bermuda tomorrow, where flag bearer Zander Kirkland hails - and sails.

The People's Republic of China leads the medal count with 6 total - 4 gold and 2 bronze followed by Italy with 5 (2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) and the good old U.S. of A, also with five (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze).

Kazakhstan has a medal - a GOLD medal - courtesy of "Vino" Alexandr Vinokurov in the cycling road race.  Borat was not in attendance - or maybe he was.

Big Time Wednesday

I am going to give a brief run down of the day that was.

Worked out early this morning so I slept in until 7:00 - what a relief.  We had off from practice because of the ice problem here in the area - it made the roads tough to travel on - and the head coach lives 45 minutes north.

Lindsay had a doctor's appointment to check on Baby D's status.  Before the visit, we headed for a Restaurant Week lunch at Colicchio & Sons - Tap Room down in the Meatpacking District.  Probably the best  lunch we've had in quite some time, and all for $24.07 a person.  I had roasted bone marrow with truffle oil and drunk onions, the TC Burger with drunk onions, and an apple tatin for dessert.  Lindsay opted for the cauliflower soup as an appetizer, the tomato, mozzarella, and basil pizza, and the zeppole dessert with butterscotch sauce.

Oh yeah, and we each got $20.11 gift certificate's towards our next trip to C&S.  Nice gesture.

Oh, and we saw @Tom_Colicchio.  I wanted to say hello, but after I gathered up the courage, he headed to the bathroom - or so I thought.  I headed in too, because I had to go, but he wasn't there.  I actually hung out in there a little longer than I needed to, hoping he was going to head in there.  No luck.

We then walked a few blocks to the subway to head across town (to the East Side) to get to the doctor.  Took the L train to Union Square and hopped on the 6 train uptown.

Doctor visit lasted all of 5 minutes - baby was moving around a lot but looked OK.  It's heart was beating and it was swallowing pretty well.  Go baby, go!
We then walked across a snow-covered Central Park to get to the West Side, where we hopped on the 1 train at 72nd Street.  Saw a neat photo op of a wooden bridge with some snow on it.  Click!

Man oh man, did we hear some weird shit on that train ride home - specifically from two twenty-year-olds.

Here's a sampling of their conversation:
Male: Yeah, my mom doesn't like you too much, she's afraid if we hang out I'll start doing drugs
Female: Well , I do research on the drugs I do.
Male: That's cool.  I want to do cocaine as my last drug as I'm dying, because I figure it would kill me anyway.
Female: Yeah, I only do drugs that aren't bad for you.  I have never done cocaine but mushrooms are good.
Male: I saw Henry's friend at GameStop on 86th, he got a job because his girlfriend broke up with him or some shit
Female: Yeah, Damian right?  He wanted me to get this piercing (on her right cheek), so I did it.

Oh their poor, pathetic souls.  I truly feel for their parents - I think.

We got home, I took Nathan out, and we just flipped on the Syracuse/UConn game.  18-12 UConn leads.  Seems like an ugly game so far, but I'm hardly watching - blog takes precedent.  And Lindsay is in and out of sleep on the couch.

Duke is on the road at Maryland at 9:00.  They need a bounce back win after the embarrassing loss to St. John's.

The Middle (8:00) and Modern Family (9:00) are also on.  Yikes!

Looks like big decisions need to be made here in the Darcy apartment.  It really feels like it's midnight, and I have to be up at 4:45 am for practice tomorrow.

Good night.  Go Duke!  And my feet hurt.

Syracuse Slump; UConn Crumbles; Duke is Doody

Two Big East powers suffered losses yesterday.  One mediocre Big East team is going to town on the behind of #3 Duke today.

Syracuse has hit some tough times of late, dropping their fourth straight game, at Marquette, 76-70.  Marquette broke the 2-3 zone and shot 6 of 13 from beyond the arc.  The difference was their inside game and ability to draw contact in the lane.  Syracuse shot 8-14 at the free throw line - Marquette was 24-33 from the stripe.  They really should have blown out the Orange but missed 9 free throws.  Still, a 6-point win over a Top 10 team (not for much longer).  My guess is that Syracuse will drop into the 20's in the rankings.  Most teams that suffer four game skids fall out of the Top 25, but their schedule will keep them there, namely their wins over Michigan St., Notre Dame, Cincinnati and St. John's.

UConn had a chance but I sounded off on that yesterday after a freshman thought he was the leader of that team.  Wrong.  Tough loss for the Huskies.  2 OT's.  I remember when me and Lindsay went to the Garden to see the Syracuse-UConn 7 overtime game a few years back - that was the best college basketball game I've ever seen.  UConn is still 17-3 and will probably fall to 10th or so.  Like Syracuse, their wins over Michigan St., Kentucky, Texas, Villanova, Tennessee and Marquette will help them maintain Top 10 status.

We'll see who's hungrier on Wednesday as UConn hosts Syracuse at 7:00pm at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.  It'll be a game worth watching, I can guarantee that.  I am guessing it'll be on ESPN.  I hope, for everyone else's sake, they put it on national TV.

And finally, before I pass out for a few hours, I get to the last story I want to touch on - St. John's kicking the snot out of #3 Duke.  I've come to grips with the reality that Duke is a pretender without Kyrie Irving.  They've been mediocre at best since he's gone down and have only held on to their Top 5 ranking because others have stumbled along the way.  They are not a Top 5 team.  No way.  Down 22 points at Madison Square Garden to a St. John's team that itself is a pretender.  11-8 overall.  4-5 and in 11th place in the Big East standings.  I guess this is why Duke is the only team from the mighty ACC in the Top 25.  One thing I'll say about the Johnnies is they're battle tested - this is the final game in an 8-game stretch against Top 25 teams.  They've lost five of them with their wins coming against Georgetown (overrated) and Cincinnati (pretender).  Their third will be against Duke (pretender).  It's a sad state of affairs and it's tough to watch.

All three teams we root for here in our Bronx apartment are struggling.  We're not the type to rest on the past either - sure Duke won the National Championship last season, but they've done nothing this year.  Sure Syracuse was a high pre-season Big East picks, but they've underachieved thus far - especially of late.  UConn is overachieving - they were not picked to make any noise in the Big East.  It'll all get sorted out once March Madness comes around.  One thing's almost for certain - all three teams will be in the Field of 68 (or whatever the number is).

Practice was good today - our defense looked a little better and the pitchers who were live today threw strikes.  Velocity was down once again, like the first day, but they located, which is a good sign.  It's still early and I know the velocity will come around.  I also know that it's easy to pitch well against the guys you are comfortable being around.  The true test comes on February 25th at 4:00 pm down in Cullowhee, NC against Western Carolina.  For now, I'll continue to keep you updated as to our progress leading up to the first game.

OK, I'm done (just like Duke).

Watch This Video; UConn Ballhog Problem; Syracuse Looks to Right the Ship

Here's a story from ESPN on Kevin Laue, a one-handed basketball player here at Manhattan.  Even though they're going through an awful season (3-17), it's still good to see a kid like Kevin get a chance at to play at the highest level of amateur basketball - Division I.  Seeing him almost every day and speaking to him from time to time, I can tell he's a great kid with his head on straight who knows that attitude is everything. 


UConn has a ballhog problem.  And his name is not Kemba Walker.  It's Shabazz Napier.  #23 Louisville escaped the northeast with a 79-78 win over #5 UConn.  Kemba Walker got the final shot - from 35' away.  Napier was hoisting up three-pointers like they were going out of style - 5 for 13 on the game.  Sure he had 23 points, Jeremy Lamb had 21 (1-9 on threes) and Kemba had 20 (on 7-28 shooting).

The game was lost because of their transition defense (or lack thereof) and the fact that the big shots was taken by Napier, a freshman, and not by Walker, the leader of this team.  Regardless of who's hot and who's not, the (arguably) best player in the country should have the shot to win the game from closer that 35'.  A tough loss in the Big East will only help the Huskies, but still, heartbreak is heartbreak.  They need to regroup when they host #9 Syracuse at home next Wednesday.

Syracuse has a tough road test today with Marquette at 3:00 pm - they're trying to avoid a four game losing streak.  They started the season 18-0 before losing to Pittsburgh, Villanova, and Seton Hall.  A loss today could drop them to ninth or tenth in the Big East standings.  Seeing how the Big East has seven teams in the Top-25, they still aren't out of it, but they could have made their road to March a little easier by simply beating a mediocre-at-best Seton Hall team at the Carrier Dome.

Exciting day of college hoops today.  My nap has been cancelled due to the fact that I can't keep my eyes closed with all these good games on.  Chocolate milk time.  Oh yeaaaaahhhhhhhhh.

Orange Crushed; Orange Crush-er; UConn hosts Orange Coat; Duke at Wake;

Syracuse's awful first half doomed them.  Down eleven at the half, at home, to #7 Villanova, the #3 Orange never were able to dig out of the early hole they dug themselves.  The presence of Kris Joseph in their lineup again (he suffered a head injury against Cincinnati and sat out at #5 Pitt) wasn't enough, even though he did pour in 23 points.  He managed only one rebound and shot 8-16 from the floor.  Rick Jackson, aka Double-Double Machine, added 16 points and 13 boards but the rest of the team (besides Brandon Triche, 14 points) struggled mightily.  The Orange shot 39% for the game while Nova shot 46% (including a +14 advantage from the stripe).  Villanova bounced back nicely after their last-second loss to #10 UKem...UConn in Storrs to improve to 16-2, 5-1 in the Big East.  The Orange dropped their second game in a row and fell to 19-2, 5-2 in the Big East.  Villanova travels to Providence Wednesday.  Syracuse host Seton Hall on Tuesday.

#1 Ohio State survived another tough test within the Big Ten, escaping the always hostile Alumni Hall with a 73-68 win over #23 Illinois.  After trailing at the half by a point, the Buckeyes did just enough in the 2nd half to hang on.  They're 7-0 in the Big Ten with their average  margin of victory a measly 7.8 points (they beat Iowa by 22 and Indiana by 18).  Their next one is a prime time match up versus thormoo's #14 Boilermakers on Wednesday at 9pm.  The Illini head to Hoosier Country on Thursday.

Ohio St. is good, but this 7-man rotation they have is going to come back to get them come tournament time.  A key factor in this one was the charity stripe - Ohio St. was 24-27 and the Illini were 8-10.  Tough to win when you get outscored by 16 at the stripe - ask Syracuse.  Jared Sullinger (27 points, 16 boards) is a beast though.  Had Kyrie Irving stayed healthy, it'd be a battle for best freshman in the country. 

#8 UConn hosts Bruce Pearl and his orange coat'ed Vols today.  Pearl is coaching this non-conference game because his suspension is only for SEC games.  Kemba Walker's knuckle-ball tear-drop gave them the win versus #7 Villanova the other night.  Tennessee has some group of athletes, but they don't always come to play.  So far, they're leading the Huskies 21-15 following the third media timeout.  UConn shooting 37% and Kemba has a goose egg.  U U U aaaah U, That's Who!  Let's go UConn, the Big East needs this one.

#4 Duke heads to Wake Forest as a 23 point favorite at 4:00pm.  I will be stuck here laying down floor decals for tomorrows men's game on MSG.  Wake has fallen on some tough times this season with some of their losses coming to Stetson, VCU, Winthrop, UNC-Wilmington, and Presbyterian.  I didn't even know Presbyterian was a Division I program.  I think Duke will struggle early, but pull away late, as they did the other night against Virginia.  They need to come out of the gate hard and put the game away by the first media timeout.  Wake, 0-4 in the ACC, only faces Duke this one time, so this may be their lone chance at a court storming.  Personally, it better not happen, but crazier things have happened. (see Presbyterian Blue Hose; yes, that is their nickname).  Let's Go Duke!

This women's game is almost at the half, therefore I have to sacrifice my office to the officials for 15 minutes.  38-21 Marist at the half.  Yikes!

Syracuse/Pitt Bloodbath; UConn tops Nova; Jersey Shore

Following up on my earlier post about the Syracuse/Pitt game...

...Pitt opened up the game with a ridiculous 19-0 run.  Syracuse answered with a 17-0 run to make it a bit of a game, but I think the Orange spent too much energy coming back from the early hole they dig themselves.  It was a black and blue (using my dude thormoo's terminology here) game - #3 at #4.  What else would you expect from the Big East?  A 74-66 loss without their top scorer Kris Joseph (14.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG) isn't all bad and neither is their 18-1 record.  Losing to Pitt at Pitt, not terrible - they have won 51 of the past 52 at home.

#8 UConn - with a little help from their guy Kemba Walker - left the Gampel with a 61-59 win over #7 Villanova.  He hit a runner in the lane with 2.5 seconds left to seal the deal for the Huskies.  After a sluggish offensive first half for both sides (22-21 Villanova at the half), the offenses got in gear over the last twenty minutes.  And the difference was the best player in the country hitting a big shot.  How's it go, "Big players make big plays"?  And he sure did.

(You didn't read it wrong, I just spoke on four Big East teams who are ranked #3, #4, #7, and #8 in the country)

As much as I hate the troll party members on the Jersey Shore, I do find comedy in most of what @VINNYGUADAGNINO says.  I am not even sure it's what he says as much as it is how he says it.  Oh, and Snooki is getting arrested right now, telling cops to "get the f*** off!" - claiming she's a "good person".  Calling her a person is the loosest interpretation of the word.

JWow has the worst skin on the show.  Blotches abound on that whore'ish face.

A day off turned into a full day at the gym watching a basketball game that was torturous for all in attendance.  51-49 Manhattan over Niagara.

After the game, I headed to grab a bite with Phil Martelli Jr., a friend of mine from when he coached here at Manhattan for a season.  He's since moved on to the Great White North that is Lewiston, NY and is on the Niagara staff. 

Headed to get some Zzz's.  Later y'all.  (cue the New Yorker's southern drawl)

UCONN Going Down

They're down 11 with 8:34 to go. Looking like the streak will end at 90 barring an absolute miracle.