It's half time in all three early games in today's tournament action and surprisingly the closest and most entertaining game so far is the Cal State Northridge Matadors versus the Memphis Tigers. The fifteenth seeded Matadors have handled the press of Memphis very well in the first half and only trail by three. If they can continue to hang around the way they are playing an upset would not be out of the question here.
BYU started atrociously against Texas A&M. They've trailed big most of the first half and have had to use the three point shot to keep this thing even remotely interesting. The Cougars trail the Aggies by twelve at the half. The key to this game has been the A&M defense as they have drawn at least three offensive fouls that I've seen while skipping back and forth between the games.
The other eight versus nine matchup finds Butler trailing LSU by six at their break. Butler, like BYU, started quite slowly but have done better to battle themselves back into the game and keep it close by halftime. Butler should be able to play a better second half as they shouldn't be expected to keep shooting an abominal 34% from the floor. It's not all Butler's woes that are the key here though as LSU is shooting 50% from the floor including three three pointers and have only missed once from the charity stripe.
All great stuff so far, let's go Matadors!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Another game started
BYU tipped off against Texas A&M not too long ago. I took the Cougars in this one but I am confident that is only because my alma mater resides in the MWC and I am hoping for a decent showing from our two representatives (Utah being the other). The Aggies have jumped out to an 11-3 lead after nearly three minutes of play...not a great start for my pick here. Though it doesn't entirely bother me as it's hard to root for BYU for me, and their losing doesn't destroy my bracket.
I love March.
I love March.
Off and running
Cal State Northridge playing Memphis in the first round. This fifteen versus two seeded game is obviously not supposed to be close. Many have Memphis going to the championship game as they entered the tournament as the second overall ranked team. The Tigers look pretty sluggish to start as the Matadors of CSUN have started the game on an 11-4 run.
I didn't pick it in my bracket but having a friend that is an alumnus of CSUN I am pulling for them...Go Matadors!
I didn't pick it in my bracket but having a friend that is an alumnus of CSUN I am pulling for them...Go Matadors!
Here we go!
NCAA tournament starts right now. First game on the slate is Butler versus LSU. Should be a close game between two pretty solid teams. This is the eight/nine match-up from the South region where North Carolina is the top seed.
Enjoy the games today, more updates as the games continue to roll out throughout the day.
Enjoy the games today, more updates as the games continue to roll out throughout the day.
Friday, March 13, 2009
SyraConn, wowzers!
I just wanted to post something about the Syracuse vs. UConn game that went six overtimes last night. It is easily the greatest game I've watched in my lifetime, and I'm not even a fan of the Big East. You have got to respect the efforts put forth by both teams in last night's effort. Jonny Flynn from Syracuse played sixty-seven of a possible seventy minutes...just remarkable. Especially since he was still able to break down the Huskies off the dribble until the very end. The turning point for this game was when Connecticut's Thabeet fouled out. This let the Orangemen into the lane unchecked from that point on.
After not leading a single time in the first five overtimes Syracuse gained it's lead in the sixth extra frame on a Routins three pointer that was well defended but splashed the net regardless. 'Cuse never looked back in the final overtime and went on to win the longest Big East, and the second longest NCAA, game ever played.
I also want to give a quick shout out to my alma matter, San Diego State Aztecs. They beat UNLV for the third straight time this season in the first round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Hopefully yesterday's win puts them into the big dance but nothing is for sure as the many top teams continue to fall in their conference tourneys (I'm looking at you UConn, Pitt and the Big XII). A win today against a BYU team that the Aztecs have yet to beat this year would surely put them in as the Cougars are headed to the NCAA Tournament already.
It should be another great day in college basketball, enjoy the games!
After not leading a single time in the first five overtimes Syracuse gained it's lead in the sixth extra frame on a Routins three pointer that was well defended but splashed the net regardless. 'Cuse never looked back in the final overtime and went on to win the longest Big East, and the second longest NCAA, game ever played.
I also want to give a quick shout out to my alma matter, San Diego State Aztecs. They beat UNLV for the third straight time this season in the first round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Hopefully yesterday's win puts them into the big dance but nothing is for sure as the many top teams continue to fall in their conference tourneys (I'm looking at you UConn, Pitt and the Big XII). A win today against a BYU team that the Aztecs have yet to beat this year would surely put them in as the Cougars are headed to the NCAA Tournament already.
It should be another great day in college basketball, enjoy the games!
Monday, March 9, 2009
North America's Team? Really, T.O.?
The release of Terrell Owens from the Dallas Cowboys, I must admit, surprised me some. I was sure that Jerry Jones would champion the case for TO to stay with the club for at least one more season. That was not the case and Owens found himself looking for his fourth NFL team at the age of thirty-five.
Apparently there was more of a market for the wideout than many anticipated. Within a week Terrell was standing in his favorite spot: in front of the media. This time to comment on his signing with what he calls "North America's Team", the Buffalo Bills. Despite Dallas being apart of North America as well I feel compelled to say that I hate the term America's Team pertaining to a team in a state that most people dislike unless you are from that state. I realize they seemingly have fans everywhere but if that were the criteria for the nickname I would contend that the Steelers should be America's Team. Steeler fans are everywhere for some reason, and jebus they are noisy. If there were a franchise that embodied America's Team aside from fan fare I have always thought it was a the Bills though. First of all, they wear Red, White, and Blue uniforms. If that isn't a start I don't know what is, I have never once seen the Steelers or Cowboys in such patriotic uniforms. Secondly, they are a small market team...the perennial underdog so to speak. America is the youngest of the top tier nations in the world. The younger brother of all the other world influencers out there, always fighting for our leg of the chicken at the table. Finally, the Bills are owned by Ralph Wilson who is one of the best owners in the league. They are essentially the coolest mom and pop shop in the country, the American dream for America's Team.
But I digress. The real story is Owens fitting into this team that has been mediocre for quite some time now. Their defense is solid but they have lacked any sort of offensive consistency despite Lee Evans being one of the most dynamic receivers in the league. TO's addition to the team should open things up for Evans and vice versa should teams focus on Evans more than Owens. Trent Edwards is a good young quarterback who has performed well when healthy. His main issue is staying on the field which he has yet to do in the NFL. If everyone on this offense stays healthy and they draft a talented tight end like many, including myself, believe they will do I could see the Bills winning something in the range of ten to twelve games and fighting for a playoff spot in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL (AFC East).
AFC East Prediction:
1. New England Patriots
2. Buffalo Bills
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Miami Dolphins
5. New York Jets
Quick Notes: The Patriots have shown faith in Tom Brady's health by dealing Matt Cassel to the Chiefs so I tend to believe they are the team to beat again in this division. Without the learning curve games for MC last year they would have been right at the top of the division again...The Bills have a much better offense than the Ravens and with some of the players moving on from the Baltimore defense I am inclined to believe they will drop off at least a little bit. Don't get me wrong, I like Joe Flacco but Derrick Mason is no spring chicken and I would take Trent Edwards with TO and Evans over Flacco/Mason anyday...The Dolphins were on the rise in 2008-09 and should mix things up this season as well. It's doubtful that they have all the pieces to win the division though and the Chad Pennington love affair can't last two season's, can it?...The Jets lost their most consistent wide receiver (Coles) and their starting quarterback (Favre). That doesn't sound like a great offensive combination to me, even with their defense improving.
Apparently there was more of a market for the wideout than many anticipated. Within a week Terrell was standing in his favorite spot: in front of the media. This time to comment on his signing with what he calls "North America's Team", the Buffalo Bills. Despite Dallas being apart of North America as well I feel compelled to say that I hate the term America's Team pertaining to a team in a state that most people dislike unless you are from that state. I realize they seemingly have fans everywhere but if that were the criteria for the nickname I would contend that the Steelers should be America's Team. Steeler fans are everywhere for some reason, and jebus they are noisy. If there were a franchise that embodied America's Team aside from fan fare I have always thought it was a the Bills though. First of all, they wear Red, White, and Blue uniforms. If that isn't a start I don't know what is, I have never once seen the Steelers or Cowboys in such patriotic uniforms. Secondly, they are a small market team...the perennial underdog so to speak. America is the youngest of the top tier nations in the world. The younger brother of all the other world influencers out there, always fighting for our leg of the chicken at the table. Finally, the Bills are owned by Ralph Wilson who is one of the best owners in the league. They are essentially the coolest mom and pop shop in the country, the American dream for America's Team.
But I digress. The real story is Owens fitting into this team that has been mediocre for quite some time now. Their defense is solid but they have lacked any sort of offensive consistency despite Lee Evans being one of the most dynamic receivers in the league. TO's addition to the team should open things up for Evans and vice versa should teams focus on Evans more than Owens. Trent Edwards is a good young quarterback who has performed well when healthy. His main issue is staying on the field which he has yet to do in the NFL. If everyone on this offense stays healthy and they draft a talented tight end like many, including myself, believe they will do I could see the Bills winning something in the range of ten to twelve games and fighting for a playoff spot in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL (AFC East).
AFC East Prediction:
1. New England Patriots
2. Buffalo Bills
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Miami Dolphins
5. New York Jets
Quick Notes: The Patriots have shown faith in Tom Brady's health by dealing Matt Cassel to the Chiefs so I tend to believe they are the team to beat again in this division. Without the learning curve games for MC last year they would have been right at the top of the division again...The Bills have a much better offense than the Ravens and with some of the players moving on from the Baltimore defense I am inclined to believe they will drop off at least a little bit. Don't get me wrong, I like Joe Flacco but Derrick Mason is no spring chicken and I would take Trent Edwards with TO and Evans over Flacco/Mason anyday...The Dolphins were on the rise in 2008-09 and should mix things up this season as well. It's doubtful that they have all the pieces to win the division though and the Chad Pennington love affair can't last two season's, can it?...The Jets lost their most consistent wide receiver (Coles) and their starting quarterback (Favre). That doesn't sound like a great offensive combination to me, even with their defense improving.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Manny Returns to SoCal; NL West
Well, it finally happened. Reports have Manny Ramirez signing a two-year $45 million contract today. This is bad news for the rest of the NL West teams including my beloved Giants. However this is great news for Dodger fans. The boys in blue were a clearly different team after adding Manny last year propelling them to the top spot in the west and the playoffs. They now have to be considered the favorite to repeat as western division champions. Their lineup with Remirez in the middle, also includes talented hitters such as Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and Rafeal Furcal who can not only hurt a team with their bats but cause some trouble on the paths once they get on.
The Giants did little to add bats to their offense which was near the bottom of the MLB last season in scoring. They instead are relying on Bengi Molina's consistency, a rebound year for last season's free agent signing Aaron Rowand, and hoping for a break out season for the hard hitting Pablo Sandoval. The club did add a consistent hitter and defensive player at shortstop in Edgar Rentaria to replace veteran Omar Vizquel. The pitching rotation is rock solid and free agent signings should improve the bullpen from last season also. Offense looks to be the team's Achilles heel again in 2009.
Hopes are still high in the desert for the Diamondbacks and why shouldn't they be with an ace like Brandon Webb. If it weren't for the team stumbling down the stretch and a couple late season losses of his own Webb likely would have stolen last season's NL Cy Young award from the Giants Tim Lincecum. The D-backs were the division leader for most of last season and continued to be the lone challenger to the Dodgers towards the end of the year. The same looks to be true for this upcoming season as it seems that the Giants, Rockies, and Padres haven't improved enough to contend for that second rung on the ladder...let alone the top step.
The bottom of the division should be a fun battle. I was hopeful that the NL West would have a resurgent year in 2009, bouncing back from being widely considered the worst division in baseball last season, but I am entirely convinced that neither the Rockies nor the Padres have any intentions of bettering themselves from their efforts from a year ago. San Diego, however, is the clear cut favorite to finish in the cellar though. They have added little and subtracted much. The draw of a great new stadium (PetCo Park) has worn and it's time to start winning games...which is unfortunately not in the cards for this team.
My Prediction for the NL West:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
3. San Francisco Giants
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Diego Padres
The Giants did little to add bats to their offense which was near the bottom of the MLB last season in scoring. They instead are relying on Bengi Molina's consistency, a rebound year for last season's free agent signing Aaron Rowand, and hoping for a break out season for the hard hitting Pablo Sandoval. The club did add a consistent hitter and defensive player at shortstop in Edgar Rentaria to replace veteran Omar Vizquel. The pitching rotation is rock solid and free agent signings should improve the bullpen from last season also. Offense looks to be the team's Achilles heel again in 2009.
Hopes are still high in the desert for the Diamondbacks and why shouldn't they be with an ace like Brandon Webb. If it weren't for the team stumbling down the stretch and a couple late season losses of his own Webb likely would have stolen last season's NL Cy Young award from the Giants Tim Lincecum. The D-backs were the division leader for most of last season and continued to be the lone challenger to the Dodgers towards the end of the year. The same looks to be true for this upcoming season as it seems that the Giants, Rockies, and Padres haven't improved enough to contend for that second rung on the ladder...let alone the top step.
The bottom of the division should be a fun battle. I was hopeful that the NL West would have a resurgent year in 2009, bouncing back from being widely considered the worst division in baseball last season, but I am entirely convinced that neither the Rockies nor the Padres have any intentions of bettering themselves from their efforts from a year ago. San Diego, however, is the clear cut favorite to finish in the cellar though. They have added little and subtracted much. The draw of a great new stadium (PetCo Park) has worn and it's time to start winning games...which is unfortunately not in the cards for this team.
My Prediction for the NL West:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
3. San Francisco Giants
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Diego Padres
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