The Sweet Smell of College Basketball Season

While the NFL is still dominant and baseball has now finished, my favorite sport is just getting started - College Basketball.

If you go back and check the archives, you will find out quickly the two teams that I root for - Xavier University and University of Kentucky. Now, I know what most people think when they think of UK fans - we're obnoxious, loud, etc. While, yes many fans are that way - I consider myself to be normal. Do I expect UK to win a National Championship every year, NO. Do I at least expect for them to make a run at the title, YES. Have I been happy with the past two seasons (even though they were bounced from the tourney early), ABSOLUTELY!

I'm especially excited about UK basketball this year. Could this be like the Syracuse-Carmelo year, maybe. The talent is there. Hopefully, the frosh can understand Tubby's system early enough in the season, but if not, Tubby like always will have the team at top form in the late stages of the season.

The media believe that UK is the team to beat again in the SEC, regardless of who they lost and what they gained. I hope they are right.

Now, my beloved Musketeers are having some bad times right now. The number one return player from last year suffered a sprained knee this week and XU lost another player for the season. Under first-year coach Sean Miller, I still expect XU to be one of the top teams in the A-10. Will they continue on the magical Elite Eight run from last year, that is still to be seen. I truly believe that this team as much talent as they have ever had. I look for Justin Doellman to be THE MAN this year for XU. He has moments that compare him to Larry Bird, but I'm not comparing him to LB, with his ability to shoot the ball, dribble, pass, and his knack for making big plays.

The USA Today/ESPN Poll was released today. Kansas #1? Wake Forest #2? I think Wake Forest should be the Preseason #1. Skip Prosser (and I'm not floating his boat because he is a former XU coach) has all the pieces this year to run for the National Title. Chris Paul is by far the best player in CB this year. Kansas is my #2. Wayne Simien returning for his senior year, I'm sure he wants to fill that void from the Syracuse game in 2003, will be a force this year.

I anticipate a much longer version of this at another time. Preseason polls aren't really worth paying attention too, but, the excitement is there and I can't wait.

Could This Be The Real Thing?

Found this on one of my favorite sports sites.


For once, this doesn't appear to be a fake.

Check out Steve Czaban for more snicky's.

WHO DEY!!!

I can't say enough about the game last night. That was an incredible environment to be a part of. I can't believe the Bengals actually pulled it off, but that was one hell of an effort they put on last night.

I was furious at my boss this past week after I had asked for a half day for Monday, had it granted only to be taken away. But, I couldn't get quite that pissed because it wasn't like she didn't have a good reason to take off Monday. Her husband decided they needed to go to the World Series.

Turned out that it wasn't a bad thing that I wasn't able to tailgate so early. Most the great places were full from business people still parked in the area. As soon as work was out, I busted my ass down there and opened the cooler and got out the dogs/brats/metts for the grill. It was a great time to be had with thousands of Bengals fans.

Inside the stadium, it was electric. Never seen anything like that before. The closest that I ever came to that was running out on the field for my high school football rivalry. 35,000 fans show up for that game every year. That was cool, but this was 10x better than that.



Let's just hope that this is the turning point for the Bengals. This city truly needs a team to be proud of. The other "pro" team in the area isn't too much to help their cause. Iggy prolly agrees with me on that note.

WHO DEY!!

I Was Wrong

The Rocket had the inning. Congrats to St. Louis! Looking forward to the BoSox - Cards matchup. I have thought these were the best two teams this year, so only fitting that they meet for all the marbles.

Prediction - BoSox in 6.

Predictions for NLCS Game 7

After watching the way St. Louis pulled off Game 6 tonight, I cannot fathom them taking the game with The Rocket on the mound.

I would love nothing more than a St. Louis-BoSox World Series, but I don't know if the Cardinals will pull another rabbit out of the hat.

Sidebar...since Yanks-BoSox game isn't quite "over" yet. Yankee fans throwing shit out on the field. Show some freaking class. Don't aim whatever you're throwing at The Passion of the Center Fielder....throw it at your own team which has just made history as having the biggest effing collapse in sports history.

I'm predicting that Boston fans will burn down the city tonight. I hope that they don't since there are still four more games to be played. Also, how tough is Curt Schilling? I don't think I have seen anything like that ever. MJ playing with the flu was tough, but dude had staples in his foot to hold a tendon in place. Eff that man. Shill is the shit as far as I'm concerned. The only thing missing from last night's game was the music from The Natural everytime the camera zoomed in on the bloody ankle.


Cue the music

Well, back on topic now...if anyone would care to make any predictions about tomorrow night's game...feel free. I think the final will be Stros 7 Cards 4.

UPDATE: Game over...What, no handshake between teams? Ah, who cares. Screw the Yankees...yet another year that you can't buy a championship.

Why

In the name of all that is holy...would you put Pedro on the mound when Lowe has been nothing less than magnificent tonight?

Effing BoSox must want to continue the curse. I understand the theory of bringing Pedro (your ace) into the game, but for fucks sake - the crowd was dead before bringing him into the lineup. Yeah, give them a reason to get into the game! Stoopid effing BoSox.

Already gave up two runs in this inning...nice work Pedro! Must have forgotten to rub his midget.


Hey, I spent $10 and all I got was this picture?

UPDATE: Pedro got his act together, but still gave up some big shots. Come on man...get your head out of your ass!

Sweet, another homer for the BoSox! I'm not so much pulling for the BoSox as I am rooting against the Yankees! Thanks to Scott for that one.

Another Reason Why The Cincinnati Reds Suck

Reds decline to offer Larkin a contract

Look, I'm not a huge Barry Larkin fan, but for fuck's sake...how to you not offer a guy who has been with you for 19 years, and had as productive year as anyone who will replace him (because you are too fucking stupid to have thought that Barry was getting old and haven't groomed anyone to replace him), how do you not offer him a one-year contract deal and then a coacking position?

Fuck the Reds. This is another reason why I'm just about through with Major League Baseball. That and the fact that my other team cannot fucking win in the postseason. Bobby Cox is one of the best manager's ever in MLB, but WTF? Can't you win more than once in 13 straight division titles?

I wish everyone could hear this bumbling fucking idiot of a general manager, Dan O'Brien, the Reds have talk right now. "Barry didn't have much to say." NO SHIT! BECAUSE YOU TREATED HIM LIKE SHIT. I HOPE HE GAVE YOU A GREAT BIG FUCK YOU!

Fuck the Reds! Fuck you Carl Linder for spending more money on a fucking festival that happens once every few years (Tall Stacks) than wanting to increase payroll and put some pitching and talent out on the ball field.

I'm Sorry It Has Been A While

No better way to start this off. It has been quite a while and I do apologize for that. Truth of the matter is, I really haven't had much to talk about lately. At least not in the way of poker. I haven't played online for the past three or four weeks and haven't played in any home games for about the same amount of time.

I have been more or less caught up in the football season, some of the end of the MLB season and now the playoffs, and quite a bit of fantasy football. I am quite the geek when it comes to that stuff. I have three leagues that require constant attention. So far, I'm good, middle, and bad in the respective leagues.

I spoke a week or so back about an interesting conversation I had with Iggy. We were talking about a local radio host and the status of Major League Baseball. Speaking of how things are different these days (these days since the last MLB strike). Since that last strike, MLB has lost quite a few fans of the game and haven't truly been able to resurrect our attention spans.

I personally cannot stand George S. and the Yankee nation. That he continually buys players year after year, I guess I'm growing tired of it. Frankly, my aggression is towards the lowly Cincinnati Reds and Carl effing Linder. That asshole is worth more than George S. by about 100 times, yet that old shithead refuses to spend one fucking dime on pitching. He goes out and gets the Reds absolutely no talent. That is the part that Iggy had to "explain" to me. I think that many of the players are grossly overpaid, and that is the inherent problem. If the market will pay it, why shouldn't the players take full advantage? The salary cap is all kinds of fucked in baseball. This much we agreed on. I will stop boring everyone about this. It was nice to have a sports conversation with someone for a change. Most of the people that I work with would prefer to talk politics instead. I love talking politics, but I eat, sleep, and shit sports.

Highlight of the night:
iggy: you dont EVER here people bitching about jim carrey making $20 fucking million for one movie but if it is arod he's evil. Which one is harder?
me: baseball, although, some of those faces jim makes can't be easy

I will try to do a much better job with this thing. I am planning on playing some Party this weekend and I think I will start posting some of my strategies/theories and get more feedback on this stuff. I am trying to learn the interworkings of Poker Tracker, but I don't believe I have enough hands involved yet.

Thanks for stopping by. Sorry for the absence.