A couple years ago I was sitting in Ruby Tuesdays when my friend turned to me and did a play on the famous Friday’s commercial by saying: “In here, it’s always Tuesday.” Since I have moved to Cleveland, I have realized there is nothing wrong with Tuesdays. Personally I love going out on Tuesday nights because there are so many great deals in Cleveland. Last night I frequented two of my favorite Tuesday night spots.
We started the evening off at the Winking Lizard with the thirty cent wings which are always complemented well with the huge beer selection available to satiate your palate. You can’t beat getting 40 wings for twelve dollars especially when you can get so many different flavors including our personal favorites: cajun, caribbean spice, spicy garlic, spicy bar-b-q and teriyaki all ordered in increments of five and ten washed down with a cold Stella Artois. There was one small problem last night when they got the Heineken and Stella taps mixed up and apparently Liz and I were the first ones to notice. Personally I think we should have gotten a free meal out of it. Think of all those poor people who left Winkling Lizard last night only to believe that Stella Artois tastes like Heineken. Oh the horror!
After Winkling Lizard we headed into Tremont for Taco Tuesday. Taco Tuesday used to be our Tuesday staple but too much of a good thing is just too much. Nonetheless for the cheapest and best-tasting tacos on the west side along with really cheap Mexican beer including my personal favorite, the Dos Equis Special Lager, you must try out Taco Tuesday. Lincoln Park Pub has been described as Dive Chic and I think that is the perfect descriptor. It's a little bit of everything. There are so many different tables of people there, which is what makes it so fun. Usually you have the men who just got off work with their suits on, the Cleveland women’s rugby team, the hippies from the Tremont area, those who came in to play darts vs. those who prefer Golden Tee vs. those who play pool, the acting and theatre crowd and the punk crowd. Mix all of these people together with a great jukebox, throw in Mexican food and beer in an Irish pub and you have a great Tuesday night on the near west side.
Another fun option for us on Tuesday nights is the Flying Fig Happy Hour which I have already talked about on this site. If you aren’t in the mood for a sports bar or an Irish pub and you want out of this world food for cheap Happy Hour prices you must try the Flying Fig. This is all I will say on this subject because I could go on and on about how everyone should try this Happy Hour at least once in their life.
There you have it. Never a boring Tuesday and so many reasons to not be stuck in front of the television watching American Idol on Tuesday nights. If anyone reading this has further insight on interesting and cheap hot spots on the west side, I would be extremely interested to learn more about things going on in my city.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
It's Good to Have Options
Whenever I close my eyes, the only thing I can see is the way my brackets may or may not play out this weekend. I have worked out every possible scenario in my head. There are six possible options for me in two different pools to come out on top after this tournament. (At least I have kept myself in it until Monday night.)
Option 1: Illinois vs. Michigan State, Illinois Winner = $500.00
Option 2: Illinois vs. Michigan State, MSU Winner=$125.00
Option 3: Illinois vs. North Carolina, North Carolina Winner = $300.00
Option 4/5: Louisville vs. Michigan State, Winner Doesn’t Matter = $125.00
Option 6: Louisville vs. North Carolina, North Carolina Winner = $300.00
All of these options would be incredible and much-needed so keep your fingers crossed. Hopefully I will be enjoying "One Shining Moment" a little more this year.
Option 1: Illinois vs. Michigan State, Illinois Winner = $500.00
Option 2: Illinois vs. Michigan State, MSU Winner=$125.00
Option 3: Illinois vs. North Carolina, North Carolina Winner = $300.00
Option 4/5: Louisville vs. Michigan State, Winner Doesn’t Matter = $125.00
Option 6: Louisville vs. North Carolina, North Carolina Winner = $300.00
All of these options would be incredible and much-needed so keep your fingers crossed. Hopefully I will be enjoying "One Shining Moment" a little more this year.
Monday, March 28, 2005
Whack-A-What?
In case you aren’t in the University Circle social circle, you may not know Case Western Reserve University has opened a big sports bar right in the middle of its student center. The name of this bar? Wackadoos. Apparently it’s a chain, but there are only five other locations, three of which are in Florida and the other one is in St. Louis. Nothing has ever seemed more out of place than a sports bar on Case’s campus. If you are not familiar with the athletic makeup at Case, you have a Division III athletic department where you can find more jocks in the science clubs than on the football field.
To complement the sporty feel, there are old Case uniforms hanging up on these big pieces of netting. These jerseys must be from the many All-American athletes that have gone to school here at Case. (I would challenge one person eating there right now to name somebody who has even been inducted in the Case Athletic Hall of Fame.) Next to these jerseys you find the bar with flowing draft beer. Last time I checked, there were no bars near the university and now all the sudden there is one right in the student center where I am yet to see somebody get carded when they order a beer. I smell liability seeping through those hops and barley.
If you are lucky enough, you are distracted by the décor and the beer because the service is funny. There is no rhyme or reason to the organization of this place. You walk in, see 50 tables and sit down at one. At this point, in a matter of minutes, you will have three different servers come up and ask you if you would like something to drink because nobody seems to know whose table is whose in the whole restaurant. You can tell a lot of the workers don't have restaurant experience so they are just walking all over the place in these red shirts with these confused looks on their faces. It reminds me of one big bee hive with all of these workers (bees) just running around trying to accomplish a task but with very little direction. The food is average and it is very hard to get a server to come back to your table if you need anything. They give you your check after you order but before you get your food so they don’t really have to come back again until the end which is usually the next time you see them. I have a feeling your best bet here might just be to mosey up to the bar, get a draft beer and try to figure out whose jersey you are sitting under.
To complement the sporty feel, there are old Case uniforms hanging up on these big pieces of netting. These jerseys must be from the many All-American athletes that have gone to school here at Case. (I would challenge one person eating there right now to name somebody who has even been inducted in the Case Athletic Hall of Fame.) Next to these jerseys you find the bar with flowing draft beer. Last time I checked, there were no bars near the university and now all the sudden there is one right in the student center where I am yet to see somebody get carded when they order a beer. I smell liability seeping through those hops and barley.
If you are lucky enough, you are distracted by the décor and the beer because the service is funny. There is no rhyme or reason to the organization of this place. You walk in, see 50 tables and sit down at one. At this point, in a matter of minutes, you will have three different servers come up and ask you if you would like something to drink because nobody seems to know whose table is whose in the whole restaurant. You can tell a lot of the workers don't have restaurant experience so they are just walking all over the place in these red shirts with these confused looks on their faces. It reminds me of one big bee hive with all of these workers (bees) just running around trying to accomplish a task but with very little direction. The food is average and it is very hard to get a server to come back to your table if you need anything. They give you your check after you order but before you get your food so they don’t really have to come back again until the end which is usually the next time you see them. I have a feeling your best bet here might just be to mosey up to the bar, get a draft beer and try to figure out whose jersey you are sitting under.
Win, Place or Show
After the best weekend of college basketball I have ever seen, I sit in the top three of all the tournament pools I have entered. My big three (Louisville, Illinois and North Carolina) barely escaped this past weekend but are going to St. Louis nonetheless. If I am able to win with one of these brackets, it will be the first time since I picked UConn, while everyone else took Duke in 1999, that I have won some money in this madness.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Thank Yous All Around
Last night was incredible. It was one of those perfect nights when you are surrounded by good people, including some you haven’t seen since college, with good music and some unknown crazies on the side. The Indigo Girls show last night may be the best I have ever seen. From Least Complicated to the incredible encore-Chickenman/Bitterrrot and Galileo-they held my attention, minus Emily’s solo on the piano when everyone ran to the bathroom, including myself. I just wanted to thank Vicki, Kate, Mindy, Liz, Amy and Emily for an incredible night. Oh and ESPN. I also wanted to thank ESPN for being there when I needed them after the concert to catch my scores at the beginning of the 2 am Sportscenter. Louisville is really starting to make me look smart. Hopefully that makes up for my Syracuse Final Four pick.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Closer to Fine
I am excited to say that tonight I am going to the Indigo Girls concert. The Indigo Girls are a band I have followed since 1992 and yet I feel as if they have followed me through most of my life. Many major events in my life are integrated with an Indigo Girls song because they were there with me during what I consider to be my formative years (18-25). To me the Indigo Girls are: my first real concert, my first real everything, rainy nights in the Flats at Nautica, cold winter drives from Cleveland to Columbus, beautiful summer drives from Columbus to Athens, waiting in line for front row tickets my first year in college, men grasping their girlfriends hands for dear life, campfire-like sing-alongs, Amy and Emily laughing at one another on stage, my friend Brandi turning to me at my first concert and noticing my eyes so big from wonderment, fights with my friends over Amy vs. Emily’s musical talents, the camaraderie shared during each of their songs with a beer at the end of one arm and your other arm around your best friend.
Like the first concert I was able to go to in high school, this concert will also be free. My friend Vicki was nice enough to invite Liz and I along for a birthday surprise for our friend Kate. I haven’t been to a show since Mindy and I decided to go see them at the last minute (as usual with our comings and goings) at the Agora a few years back. If I had to guess I would say I have seen them ten times in various venues and setups but tonight will be different because I will be going with Liz. It will be her first Indigo Girls concert and I feel like she is about to enter a part of my life I have yet to share with her. In many ways I have grown up without them over the past couple years, which is unfortunate. Yet today I count down the hours until I see them on stage, just like I used to ten years ago. I am feeling like a little kid chomping at the bit to be a part of all that is the Indigo Girls and I can't wait to share this experience with the person I share my life with on a daily basis.
Like the first concert I was able to go to in high school, this concert will also be free. My friend Vicki was nice enough to invite Liz and I along for a birthday surprise for our friend Kate. I haven’t been to a show since Mindy and I decided to go see them at the last minute (as usual with our comings and goings) at the Agora a few years back. If I had to guess I would say I have seen them ten times in various venues and setups but tonight will be different because I will be going with Liz. It will be her first Indigo Girls concert and I feel like she is about to enter a part of my life I have yet to share with her. In many ways I have grown up without them over the past couple years, which is unfortunate. Yet today I count down the hours until I see them on stage, just like I used to ten years ago. I am feeling like a little kid chomping at the bit to be a part of all that is the Indigo Girls and I can't wait to share this experience with the person I share my life with on a daily basis.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Dear Mindy
(Mindy just replied to my blog and wanted to know my take on Paul Silas and Barry Bonds)
Dear Mindy,
First off, I wanted to say that I don’t really care about Barry Bonds, therefore writing about him is just no fun at all. The guy isn’t even a real human being. He practically admitted to taking steroids yet all of his records will stand forever. I agree they should level the playing field in baseball but at this point it would just be easier to get everyone to take steroids. Anyway, he is a whiner. The media has finally broken him down? He needs to get over himself. This new development has now turned him into San Francisco’s biggest martyr and that’s a tough job.
As for Paul Silas, when he was hired I was ecstatic. I thought he would be a great coach for the CAVS and a wonderful mentor for LeBron. However, after watching the way the team performed last night with a new coach, I can’t say I am upset he is gone. We have been looking for a solid rotation all year and we did not get that from him. In his last game as coach, our bench scored one point. That’s pathetic. I will agree though it wasn’t all Silas’ fault as he pointed out this morning. Jim Paxson has a lot to do with the problems. There isn’t a whole lot you can do when the General Manager of your team saturates your roster with seven mediocre wing players. I don’t expect Paxon to be around much longer either. It’s not like he is some genius for picking LeBron in the draft and trading away Tony Battie for Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejao. Way to go, I could have done both of those things in my sleep. I do like Dan Gilbert and I think he is going to be a proactive owner, hopefully one who can find us a solid coach, general manager, shooting guard and point guard in the next seven months. Is that too much to ask?
Your Friend,
Michele
Dear Mindy,
First off, I wanted to say that I don’t really care about Barry Bonds, therefore writing about him is just no fun at all. The guy isn’t even a real human being. He practically admitted to taking steroids yet all of his records will stand forever. I agree they should level the playing field in baseball but at this point it would just be easier to get everyone to take steroids. Anyway, he is a whiner. The media has finally broken him down? He needs to get over himself. This new development has now turned him into San Francisco’s biggest martyr and that’s a tough job.
As for Paul Silas, when he was hired I was ecstatic. I thought he would be a great coach for the CAVS and a wonderful mentor for LeBron. However, after watching the way the team performed last night with a new coach, I can’t say I am upset he is gone. We have been looking for a solid rotation all year and we did not get that from him. In his last game as coach, our bench scored one point. That’s pathetic. I will agree though it wasn’t all Silas’ fault as he pointed out this morning. Jim Paxson has a lot to do with the problems. There isn’t a whole lot you can do when the General Manager of your team saturates your roster with seven mediocre wing players. I don’t expect Paxon to be around much longer either. It’s not like he is some genius for picking LeBron in the draft and trading away Tony Battie for Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejao. Way to go, I could have done both of those things in my sleep. I do like Dan Gilbert and I think he is going to be a proactive owner, hopefully one who can find us a solid coach, general manager, shooting guard and point guard in the next seven months. Is that too much to ask?
Your Friend,
Michele
What Was I Thinking?
Rosie O'Donnell's blog is not the weirdest blog I have ever read. When I say read, I mean I have gone to it more than once. There are a lot of crazies out there that I have happened upon, but to me "read" means more than once. Anyway, I digress. The weirdest blog I have ever read has got to be that of Tucker Max. Tucker Max is a professional partygoer and ladies man. His stories are out of this world--most of them crude and sexist-yet I can't help but read them at times. Anyway for the weirdest blog, check out Mr. Max: www.tuckermax.com
The Weirdest Blog I Have Read
I found this blogsite by chance, and from the research I have done, it is real. They actually did a bit about it in People magazine last week. Does that really count? I say it does. Anyway, check out Rosie O’Donnell’s blog. When I say weird, I mean in the sense where you are sitting there asking yourself if this is really real. She seems jaded, yet incredibly real and at peace these days. I must say, it is fun to see the former diva of daytime talk reciting Eminem lines and relating to them: http://onceadored.blogspot.com
Monday, March 21, 2005
The Unwritten Rule
I called my brother yesterday before I decided to write this entry to get a clarification on something that I had no idea about. I asked him: "Is it an unwritten rule between men not to hit one another in the groin area?" He quickly replied: "Yes it is an unwritten rule!" With that in mind I decided to move on with this entry and to explain to men who don't already know, why men should not hit other men below the belt.
Two weeks ago Wake Forest, one of the top teams in the country, was playing North Carolina State, a team on the verge of not even making it into the NCAA tournament. Wake Forest is led by their All-American point guard, Chris Paul and NC State is led by the reigning conference player of the year, Julius Hodge. Midway through the first half of their last regular-season game against one another, Paul hit Hodge in the groin out of frustration. Hodge crumpled to the court in pain and began shouting obscenitites at Paul. This small event, led to other small events and showed us how very important karma can be.
After this game was over, Chris Paul was suspended for his first conference tournament game which happened to be against NC State. NC State won the tournament game in an upset as Hodge powered his team past a Wake Forest team missing their All-American point guard. Taking that upset into consideration, Wake Forest lost a chance at a number one seed heading into the NCAA tournament. On the other hand, NC State received an at-large bid to the tournament as a number ten seed. This in itself was huge. If Wake had won at least one game in the ACC tournament they could have been a number one seed and perhaps played their first games down the road at the Charlotte Coliseum. Instead Wake Forest was sent to tropical Cleveland Ohio for its first and second round games in the tournament. To make matters worse, Wake Forest was bounced in the second round of the tournament by West Virginia, a huge upset to many people fillling out brackets.
This was a team many picked to make it to the Final Four and they were sent packing before they even got a shot at the regional. On the other hand, NC State is fresh off two upsets in the tournament to make it into the Sweet 16. Julius Hodge and his teammates will be heading to Syracuse next week to play for a chance to advance to the Final Four. Chris Paul will be sitting at home watching Hodge play in those games next week. Funny how karma works, isn't it?
Two weeks ago Wake Forest, one of the top teams in the country, was playing North Carolina State, a team on the verge of not even making it into the NCAA tournament. Wake Forest is led by their All-American point guard, Chris Paul and NC State is led by the reigning conference player of the year, Julius Hodge. Midway through the first half of their last regular-season game against one another, Paul hit Hodge in the groin out of frustration. Hodge crumpled to the court in pain and began shouting obscenitites at Paul. This small event, led to other small events and showed us how very important karma can be.
After this game was over, Chris Paul was suspended for his first conference tournament game which happened to be against NC State. NC State won the tournament game in an upset as Hodge powered his team past a Wake Forest team missing their All-American point guard. Taking that upset into consideration, Wake Forest lost a chance at a number one seed heading into the NCAA tournament. On the other hand, NC State received an at-large bid to the tournament as a number ten seed. This in itself was huge. If Wake had won at least one game in the ACC tournament they could have been a number one seed and perhaps played their first games down the road at the Charlotte Coliseum. Instead Wake Forest was sent to tropical Cleveland Ohio for its first and second round games in the tournament. To make matters worse, Wake Forest was bounced in the second round of the tournament by West Virginia, a huge upset to many people fillling out brackets.
This was a team many picked to make it to the Final Four and they were sent packing before they even got a shot at the regional. On the other hand, NC State is fresh off two upsets in the tournament to make it into the Sweet 16. Julius Hodge and his teammates will be heading to Syracuse next week to play for a chance to advance to the Final Four. Chris Paul will be sitting at home watching Hodge play in those games next week. Funny how karma works, isn't it?
Friday, March 18, 2005
Top O' The Tournament To You
Whatever happens in Cleveland on the first day of March Madness which also falls on St. Patrick’s Day, stays in Cleveland. Yesterday was one of the best St. Patrick’s Days I have had in a long time, though there is nothing too crazy to entertain you with on this day after. Liz and I both had the day off, so we decided to walk from our place down to the parade. The parade turned out to look like every other parade I have ever seen in my life but with a lot more drunk and pushy people. (It was nice to be sober for that event and watch everyone else act like morons for once.) Afterwards we hung out downtown and took the RTA back to our neighborhood haunts. At each bar, we ended up running into a few unexpected guests, which is always such a pleasant surprise. We did end up at this gay bar last night which refused to turn off Will and Grace to put the tournament games on. How was I supposed to know anything else was on TV yesterday? Luckily, I had Mark calling me every 30 minutes to give me updates just like the ESPN ticker. Now that’s the true meaning of family.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Excuse Me Sir, But Could You Please Remove Your Time Clock?
Last night our seats at the CAVS game were directly behind the time clock of the basket closest to us. This meant we could not see anything in front of us going on at the other end of the court. We could tell something was going on at the other end, but we couldn’t see the basket and you had to watch the jumbotron to see if a shot went in or not. The supervisor of ushers was nice enough to move our seats which also happened to be an upgrade so everything worked out well. Well almost everything.
Cleveland is starting to scare me a little bit. Everyone in Gund Arena is now making this crazy, almost gang-like symbol that Usher introduced to Cleveland on Sunday night at the CAVS game. That night he spontaneously unveiled what he calls the Double C at his center courtside seats during the second half of the game. What he did, and what he now has everyone doing, is this: He crossed his arms over his head and made two letter C's with his hands. Everyone they showed on the jumbotron last night was doing it. The poorest city in the country finally has some pride with this symbol. Once again, I have to believe it has something to do with number 23. Speaking of which, I can’t believe how great he played last night. He broke open a poorly played first half by scoring all but two points during the Cavs' 16-3 second-quarter run. He was on fire and is also the best attraction for your entertainment dollar in Cleveland. This is of course all my opinion and that seems to be the only one that matters, at least on this website.
In other news, my boss just said I could take tomorrow off for the St. Patrick's Day Parade. Parade my ass, I got basketball to watch woman! Don’t you know the next two days are my Christmas, New Years, St. Patricks’s and Flag Day all rolled into one. So, yes, I will be taking tomorrow off, but the only green I will be cheering for will be that of the UAB Blazers against LSU in tomorrow’s game.
Cleveland is starting to scare me a little bit. Everyone in Gund Arena is now making this crazy, almost gang-like symbol that Usher introduced to Cleveland on Sunday night at the CAVS game. That night he spontaneously unveiled what he calls the Double C at his center courtside seats during the second half of the game. What he did, and what he now has everyone doing, is this: He crossed his arms over his head and made two letter C's with his hands. Everyone they showed on the jumbotron last night was doing it. The poorest city in the country finally has some pride with this symbol. Once again, I have to believe it has something to do with number 23. Speaking of which, I can’t believe how great he played last night. He broke open a poorly played first half by scoring all but two points during the Cavs' 16-3 second-quarter run. He was on fire and is also the best attraction for your entertainment dollar in Cleveland. This is of course all my opinion and that seems to be the only one that matters, at least on this website.
In other news, my boss just said I could take tomorrow off for the St. Patrick's Day Parade. Parade my ass, I got basketball to watch woman! Don’t you know the next two days are my Christmas, New Years, St. Patricks’s and Flag Day all rolled into one. So, yes, I will be taking tomorrow off, but the only green I will be cheering for will be that of the UAB Blazers against LSU in tomorrow’s game.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
An Actual Conversation Involving TWO Women
Woman 1: I had to go to Kaufmans today to get a camisole for my upcoming show. I saw they had camisoles and shoes on sale, so I decided to stop in and grab one.
Woman 2: Really? They had camisoles on sale?
Woman 1: Yes they even advertised it on the radio.
Woman 2: The radio? Thats funny I have never seen or heard an advertisement for camisoles? Camisoles are those umbrella things, right?
Woman 1: (Mildly Uncontrollable Laughter) No thats a parasol. A camisole is like a tank-top--They are all the rage these days. You are so butch. I can't believe you didn't know what a camisole is.
Woman 2: No wonder I couldn't believe Kaufman's was having a sale on those things.
(In case you were wondering, in this scene Woman 1 was played by Mindy and Woman 2 was played by yours truly. This is a true and rather embarrassing story which took place two days ago.)
Woman 2: Really? They had camisoles on sale?
Woman 1: Yes they even advertised it on the radio.
Woman 2: The radio? Thats funny I have never seen or heard an advertisement for camisoles? Camisoles are those umbrella things, right?
Woman 1: (Mildly Uncontrollable Laughter) No thats a parasol. A camisole is like a tank-top--They are all the rage these days. You are so butch. I can't believe you didn't know what a camisole is.
Woman 2: No wonder I couldn't believe Kaufman's was having a sale on those things.
(In case you were wondering, in this scene Woman 1 was played by Mindy and Woman 2 was played by yours truly. This is a true and rather embarrassing story which took place two days ago.)
Disappointed, Yet Excited All At The Same Time
I must admit I am highly disappointed Carlos Boozer won't be gracing us with his presence this evening at Gund Arena. After breaking my heart last summer and bolting for Salt Lake City, it is the least he can do. I can't believe he won't even be at the game.
As disappointed as I am in the Boozer no-show, I am still more excited the Browns have finally released Courtney Brown. After five long years and only 17 sacks, the Browns decided to make one of the best decisions in franchise history and not pay him the 2.5 million roster bonus he had coming. What a joke he turned out to be. Last month Brown said he would be willing to play linebacker for Romeo Crennel. I don't know about you but it was hard enough for me to try and watch this guy get off the line of scrimmage. I wonder if he thought a running start would make it easier for him to get to the quarterback. I doubt it.
I turned in my brackets today. That sure is a weird feeling. I must admit I tossed and turned a little bit last night with North Carolina but I am sticking with my original Final Four. One thing I can say for sure is this is going to be an incredible tournament and I only wish I could get Thursday off from work without it looking like I am doing it to party on St. Patrick's Day. Thank goodness for www.espn.com live web action. This will be the first Thursday of the tournament I have not had off from work since I started working a full-time job six years ago.
Also, Six Feet Under: Season Three comes out today on DVD. While it is my least favorite season of the series, I still can't wait to see it again. I am hoping my Beijing connection is reading this and can help me find this DVD (wink, wink).
As disappointed as I am in the Boozer no-show, I am still more excited the Browns have finally released Courtney Brown. After five long years and only 17 sacks, the Browns decided to make one of the best decisions in franchise history and not pay him the 2.5 million roster bonus he had coming. What a joke he turned out to be. Last month Brown said he would be willing to play linebacker for Romeo Crennel. I don't know about you but it was hard enough for me to try and watch this guy get off the line of scrimmage. I wonder if he thought a running start would make it easier for him to get to the quarterback. I doubt it.
I turned in my brackets today. That sure is a weird feeling. I must admit I tossed and turned a little bit last night with North Carolina but I am sticking with my original Final Four. One thing I can say for sure is this is going to be an incredible tournament and I only wish I could get Thursday off from work without it looking like I am doing it to party on St. Patrick's Day. Thank goodness for www.espn.com live web action. This will be the first Thursday of the tournament I have not had off from work since I started working a full-time job six years ago.
Also, Six Feet Under: Season Three comes out today on DVD. While it is my least favorite season of the series, I still can't wait to see it again. I am hoping my Beijing connection is reading this and can help me find this DVD (wink, wink).
Monday, March 14, 2005
My Final Four Picks
Here are my picks to get to St. Louis. I am throwing them out there for everyone to see and criticize. I figure it is my duty with this blog to actually give my own picks instead of just being critical of everyone else’s for once.
Illinois: Best Ball Rotation in College Basketball. The most athletic team in the tournament.
Louisville: An athletic and well-coached team in a weak bracket.
North Carolina: I will be surprised if Roy Williams can’t get this team to St. Louis
Syracuse: These players have been there. (Not to mention Duke has no depth)
I am sure next week at this time, I may be eating this entry after just the first round but I wanted to give it a shot.
Illinois: Best Ball Rotation in College Basketball. The most athletic team in the tournament.
Louisville: An athletic and well-coached team in a weak bracket.
North Carolina: I will be surprised if Roy Williams can’t get this team to St. Louis
Syracuse: These players have been there. (Not to mention Duke has no depth)
I am sure next week at this time, I may be eating this entry after just the first round but I wanted to give it a shot.
Does Ohio Have a Chance in Hell?
I am thrilled to death that after a ten-year absence, my alma mater is going back to the NCAA tournament. However they didn’t catch a very good break with their seeding. Ohio will be taking on Florida, a team which has been on a tear the past eight days. The Gators beat Kentucky last week to end the regular season and then blew everyone out in the SEC tournament, including another win over Kentucky yesterday. Florida pounded Kentucky to win the SEC Tournament and in return wound up seeded fourth yesterday opposite the Bobcats who picked up a 13 seed.
Looking at the two teams I don’t have one of those positive feelings for Ohio in the pit of my stomach so I may have to do a little research. There isn’t a whole lot of cross-referencing with these two teams. Ohio lost to Florida International by one point, who lost to Miami (FL) who Florida later lost to as well. Easy enough: Ohio 71, Florida 63. Probably not a very valid point. What else? In three of the last five tournaments a 13 seed has upset a four seed, including a MAC team when Kent State defeated Indiana in 2001. Speaking of the MAC, it’s hard to bet against their teams in the first round. Over the past ten years, a MAC team has won it’s first-round game seven times since the 1995 NCAA tournament. Ohio is still a little different than those teams though.
Ohio wasn’t nearly as consistent as the 1999 Miami team, the 2002 Kent team or the 2003 Central Michigan team. The Bobcats never even saw the likes of the Top 25 all season and they won their conference tournament on a buzzer-beating tip-in--hardly a dominant performance. Yet they are in and they have a coach who has been there who can prepare them. Tim O’Shea was the Associate Head Coach at Boston College in 2001 when the Eagles were seeded number three in the tournament. His experience in the tournament will be the most helpful variable the Bobcats own if they will have a chance in hell of winning this game against Florida.
Looking at the two teams I don’t have one of those positive feelings for Ohio in the pit of my stomach so I may have to do a little research. There isn’t a whole lot of cross-referencing with these two teams. Ohio lost to Florida International by one point, who lost to Miami (FL) who Florida later lost to as well. Easy enough: Ohio 71, Florida 63. Probably not a very valid point. What else? In three of the last five tournaments a 13 seed has upset a four seed, including a MAC team when Kent State defeated Indiana in 2001. Speaking of the MAC, it’s hard to bet against their teams in the first round. Over the past ten years, a MAC team has won it’s first-round game seven times since the 1995 NCAA tournament. Ohio is still a little different than those teams though.
Ohio wasn’t nearly as consistent as the 1999 Miami team, the 2002 Kent team or the 2003 Central Michigan team. The Bobcats never even saw the likes of the Top 25 all season and they won their conference tournament on a buzzer-beating tip-in--hardly a dominant performance. Yet they are in and they have a coach who has been there who can prepare them. Tim O’Shea was the Associate Head Coach at Boston College in 2001 when the Eagles were seeded number three in the tournament. His experience in the tournament will be the most helpful variable the Bobcats own if they will have a chance in hell of winning this game against Florida.
I Could Draw a Bracket Before I Could Tie My Shoes
Ahhh…the Monday after Selection Sunday. Last week I talked about how distracted I was at work--that doesn’t even hold a candle to my day today. You see yesterday I had my brackets drawn and numbered with three hours to spare before the seedings were announced. Today, I will stare at that bracket all day and spend an inordinate amount of time surfing web sites like http://main.uab.edu/ and http://unipanthers.collegesports.com/ to try and figure out the annual 6/11 upset.
Though I am sure it is no secret the person who usually wins the tournament poll I am in isn’t surfing the web right now. No it is the guy who gives his wife a bracket to fill out so that she can pick the teams based on their uniform colors or their mascot. There is no successful method to this March Madness. There isn’t one expert in America today agreeing with another one. It’s a crapshoot. And in the end, the person who wins my particular tournament will probably be the one who likes Carolina Blue or the same person last year who picked those adorable huskies (Washington or UConn) or even the person whose favorite color is orange who could foresee an Oklahoma State and Illinois match-up in the Chicago Regional. For all of you filling out a bracket this year, good luck and may the best basketball junkie or non-junkie win.
Though I am sure it is no secret the person who usually wins the tournament poll I am in isn’t surfing the web right now. No it is the guy who gives his wife a bracket to fill out so that she can pick the teams based on their uniform colors or their mascot. There is no successful method to this March Madness. There isn’t one expert in America today agreeing with another one. It’s a crapshoot. And in the end, the person who wins my particular tournament will probably be the one who likes Carolina Blue or the same person last year who picked those adorable huskies (Washington or UConn) or even the person whose favorite color is orange who could foresee an Oklahoma State and Illinois match-up in the Chicago Regional. For all of you filling out a bracket this year, good luck and may the best basketball junkie or non-junkie win.
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