The Final Four and Some Other Notes

-- I figured I'd open up by talking about a commercial that's on all the time during the NCAA Tournament. I'm sure you've seen it; it's that stupid Esurance commercial where the woman or whatever is playing basketball against robots. First of all, I wasn't even aware that robots played basketball, other than Greg Oden of course. But second of all, what exactly is this commercial supposed to be selling? It can't be insurance. Are the people who come up with their ideas sniffing glue? I understand that they wanted to get into the moment of the tournament by making a commercial about basketball. Hey, awesome, but the commercial makes me dumber everytime I see it. This commercial alone is ruining NCAA basketball for me. Thanks a lot Esurance.

-- I read a great article earlier today by Keith Law of ESPN. He usually takes great stances on things, and I completely agree with his point of DUIs vs. steroid usage in baseball. How is one area not ok but the other, which is more dangerous, accepted and brushed under the rug? Definitely worth reading.

-- If you haven't seen the ending to the NCAA Division II National Championship basketball game between Barton College and Winona State, you might want to check that out. It has one of the best finishes I've ever seen. Also, pay attention to the amazing reaction by one of the excited announcers as he screams "GOOOOOOOOOOOD." Great clip.

-- I watched the Ohio State-Georgetown game earlier today. The 1st half wasn't exactly the best basketball I've ever seen, but the 2nd half was great. Once Oden and Hibbert were on the court going head to head, the game started to move along and had a much better feel to it. Even though Hibbert slightly outplayed Oden, at least on offense, Ohio State's guards just dominated Georgetown's. Conley was great and Ohio State kept attacking, especially while Oden was on the bench. I was really impressed with them, and it should be an interesting game no matter who they played in the championship.

-- On a similar note, I felt kind of bad for Georgetown after the game. For some reason, they continue to interview losing coaches right after the game. Why do they do this? What was JT3 going to say, how happy he was and that he was really glad to be in this situation? Maybe they should just leave the coaches alone to go talk to his players in the locker room. Interviewing losing coaches, for all sports, is really stupid and needs to stop. They feel bad enough, and it makes everybody else watching feel worse.

-- I watched the UCLA-Florida game while writing some of this, so I figured I'd leave some of my observations from the game here:

1st half ramblings:

-- Billy Packer is being really annoying, but I have no other options or choices for what to listen to. They should offer multiple combinations of announcers so you can choose who you want to listen to. And I bet no one would pick Packer.

-- Lorenzo Mata and Joakim Noah are facing off in this game, and they are two of the ugliest/weirdest looking people I’ve ever seen. This has to be the worst combination of basketball players on the court at the same time since Hedo Turkoglu and Tyrone Hill squared off in a battle of ghastliness.

-- UCLA plays probably the best defense in the country. There's been a real slow start to the game, which, I guess, was to be expected

-- You know, I watch CSI occasionally, and not one time did I ever wonder: Wow, wouldn’t the show be so much better if Method Man was in an episode?

-- Seven minutes into the game and Florida has two points. With a score of only 6-2, it's not exactly the most exciting game I’ve ever watched. Seven and a half minutes in and Florida finally has a field goal. Woo!

-- For some reason, Ben Howland leaves Afflalo in the game and he picks up his 3rd foul with 12 minutes left in the 1st half.

-- Noah makes a great anticipation play on a move by Collison and he hustles after the ball to almost get a steal and Packer sums it up by saying “he should have just picked up the ball.” Maybe he should say what he really thinks next time.

-- New rule: You can’t sell Miller High Life if you make customers pay $11.50 for a hamburger. That’s good to know for when I open my own restaurant chain. And also, does anyone watch Survivor? And if so, why?

-- Noah shows another dimension that he brings to the Gators when he grabs a rebound and leads the fastbreak down court. He can handle the ball really well, and he should be a good pickup for someone in the NBA. Very versatile. I also think that if Florida wins this game, that him and Horford will give Oden and Ohio State fits in the paint.

-- I’m convinced that the the guy in the Coke commercial with the ritual for VT sports has some sort of disorder, maybe Obsessive-compulsive. And why does he hate their field hockey program so much? Very mean. Somewhere, Mr. Nick Bennett, VT's field hockey team hates you.

-- I think marketing in sports has gone way too far. I just saw one of Florida’s coaches and he had a notebook/clipboard with Nike written on the cover. Unfortunately, no view of his possible Nike pen was available, though.

2nd half ramblings:

-- Three 3’s in a row by Humphrey, Roll, then Humphrey again. I haven’t been this proud since I last watched Hoosiers.

-- I hate every Chevrolet commercial. I think this is a good time to throw that out there.

-- UCLA is just completely struggling to manage any points in this game. They only have 28 with 13:55 left, and Howland just used his team’s LAST timeout of the 2nd half. This isn’t looking good at all. Looks like a rematch of the NCAA football championship will be coming.

-- Humphrey just broke the all-time NCAA mark for career 3-pointers in the NCAA Tournament. And I think he’d make a better pro than JJ Redick because he can actually play some defense. Just a great player on this team.

-- Remember that GM Super Bowl commercial from earlier this year with the robot that gets laid off? You probably don't, so here it is. Well, they just showed a version completely different than that one. In the newer one, the robot only works other various stupid jobs and never goes to a bridge and ponders committing “suicide.” Whoever thought of that first idea was a complete idiot and should have been fired. Just think about it. The robot is supposed to be like a laid off worker who is destroyed enough to almost commit suicide because he/she can’t find a good job. What could be less funny and more offensive than that? Great idea, let’s use it!

-- There’s about nine minutes left in this game and it’s pretty much over. This just seems like a JV team playing against Varsity. UCLA is a great team, but they just seem to be one scorer short. Maybe they’ll be back next year. That’s enough writing about this game. Ohio State-Florida should be pretty entertaining...

What Being a Writer Means to Me

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."
--- Bill Cosby

Everybody, no matter what they do, has to start from somewhere. Every good sportswriter has to start writing and developing his or her own voice at some point. This blog is the forum where I plan to develop my own thoughts about different things and my own ways to express them.

I read sports columns everyday. I like to see what people are talking about in sports and I like to know what happens. I can't remember a day in the past several years where I didn't at least play a sport, read something about sports, or have any kind of discussion about sports in general. Baseball, basketball, and football; they are my main interests. That's what is interesting and fun for me to do. Everything I read influences me, but I am a combination of everything that I see, read, and experience. I like to read columns by Bill Simmons, Tom Friend, Chuck Klosterman, DJ Gallo, Gene Wojciechowski, and others on ESPN. I enjoy reading just about every article that Rick Reilly does for Sports Illustrated. I could name countless other sportswriters that I enjoy, but I can never be them. I look at what they write and develop my own opinions of what they think and say. I am my own person, and therefore, my own writer. It's hard to compare myself to them seeing the little amount that I have accomplished so far, but they all had to start somewhere too.

I'm pretty sure that no one else besides Ian reads anything that I write in this blog. After thinking about that for a little while today, that doesn't bother me anymore. There's no doubt that the advice and input from Ian will make me a better writer, and I really appreciate that, but I shouldn't be writing this for other people, and I'm not. I'm writing this blog for myself, to improve my skills and practice for the future. Will I make it to that point for sure? I hope so, but I don't really know where the world of sportswriting will take me. I have to figure that out for myself, and one day I believe I will. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't appreciate more people reading what I've done so far, but of course, that comes with improving my skills and coming up with things for myself. No one can do that for me.

When I was in elementary and middle school, I really had no idea what I wanted to do as far as a future career went. I don't even remember caring what I wanted to be. In high school, I still had no idea what to do. I didn't even know where I wanted to go to college or what I wanted to do when I got there. Is that a bad thing? I didn't think so, and I still don't. To this day I still think it's unfair to try and make young kids choose the direction they want to go in for the rest of their lives. It's hard to make choices though, no matter what age a person is. I think I'm just rambling now though.

Anyway, when I was in high school, I never thought in a million years that I'd be majoring in English. I didn't necessarily hate English, but I didn't like all of the literature and poetry, though I could write a decent amount. I guess that's how I got to where I am today. When I got to college, I had a choice to make. I had to pick a major. I also remember how little my advisor could really help me. It was time for a decision. I liked sports and was good at writing, so naturally, I guess, I took this path. In hindsight, going to Frostburg probably wasn't the smartest choice for my direction in journalism and writing, but now I'm making the most of it.

After looking over the first ten or so entries in this blog, I realized that aside from the entry on intramurals, I never write about myself. I think that's good though because I like to stay focused on the topic at hand and look at it from different perspectives. It might be a better idea for future material to look at things through my eyes and try to combine that with things I've seen or done. It's important to have a good mix of things to write about, and I think I can do that. As long as I work at my craft, what I learn from education in college only goes so far. The rest is on my shoulders. I can read and think for myself, so I can improve.

I hope to one day achieve my goals and find some place where I can do what I enjoy. I don't know where that is yet, but I have to work hard no matter what I do or where I end up.

I do know one thing though. No matter what anyone does, there are others who do the same thing, and it's hard not to compare yourself to what others have done. That's not a bad thing either. But just like I can't be another writer, someone who does a certain job can't be that other person. They can strive to be great, but everyone has to find his or her own place. During my time finding my voice here, I hope that I can do just that and have some fun while doing it. If no one ever reads what I write, that's fine. It's my job to make them want to.

Some Issues on Thursday

Schaub with the Texans
In the midst of March Madness, it seems like the Texans have been going through their own kind of madness. I'm sure you've seen by now that the Texans traded for the former Falcons backup QB Matt Schaub and then signed him to a 6-year, $48 million dollar contract.

I know I wrote about this earlier, but let me spell this out: The Texans swapped 1st round picks this year with the Falcons, gave up their 2nd round picks for this year and next, and then gave Schaub this huge deal when he has yet to even win ONE GAME as an NFL starter. Unbelieveable.

I know David Carr didn't exactly set the world on fire, but it's kind of hard to complete passes when you're on your back. Does it really matter who the QB is if they have no offensive line? Who is running things down there? First they pass on Bush and now they're banking on a completely unproven quarterback? I'm confused. I'm really curious to see how the Texans handle the draft this year. You'd think they would want to address the offensive line now. They signed Ahman Green a few weeks ago and now they have Schaub. I question the direction they're going in when they sign an unproven QB and a quickly aging RB.

Maybe they know something I don't. Especially since they shocked everyone by drafting Mario Williams last year.

Papelbon Back in at Closer
I found it very surprising to see that after basically a whole offseason where Papelbon demanded the chance to start again, he finally admitted a few weeks before the season is to start that he wants to close for the "rest of his career."

This is great news for the Red Sox and their fans. Not only does his return to the closer's role fill a huge gap in the bullpen, but he seems as determined as ever to repeat his awesome 2006 season. To show just how great of a season he had, Papelbon finished with 35 saves, 75 Ks, a 0.92 ERA, and opposing batters only hit .167 combined against him. After putting up those numbers, why wouldn't he welcome the return to being closer.

With the improvement the Red Sox already added to the rotation with Dice-K to combine with Beckett, Schilling, Wakefield, and possibly Jon Lester, the Red Sox entire pitching staff should be pretty good top to bottom. Closer is the place where Papelbon should be at.

Tubby Smith Leaves Kentucky
I had to do a double-take at my computer screen when I saw this article on ESPN.com earlier today. I thought, at the very least, that if Smith was going to leave Kentucky, he'd be fired. But he wasn't fired, and he chose to leave and take the job at Minnesota. Wait, Minnesota?

Why did he go there to coach? I haven't read anything yet that says why exactly he went there. I can't even name any players on the Gophers. Maybe there will be less expectations on him and he won't have nearly as much pressure coming down on him from all angles.

I always thought he was a good coach, so I'm wondering to see what he can do with Minnesota. I'm sure in a year or two they'll be pretty competitive.

The other side to this story is the question of who Kentucky will pursue to coach the team now. I'm sure they'll be looking at a bunch of high profile guys since the job at Kentucky is one of the best in the nation. Should be interesting. They could go in a number of directions.

McRoberts Turns Pro
And finally, in one of the more uninteresting stories of the day, Josh McRoberts of Duke announced he's turning pro a year too late. Never really much of a scorer, he only averaged 13 points a game at Duke but did manage almost 8 rebounds.

Purely from a fan's perspective, I never really feared McRoberts when they played against Maryland. Duke's team this past year wasn't really that scary at all, even though they're a relatively young team. He didn't seem to have any great post moves other than a lefty hook that seemed to be just oddly thrown at the basket.

His best attribute is that he can handle the ball pretty well for his size. But other than that, I don't know how excited NBA scouts are going to be when looking at him. I'd be surprised if he was drafted in the top 20, and I don't know if he's anyone that fans would get excited about either. He seems more like Shavlik Randolph than Carlos Boozer.

Wizards vs. Sonics - First Installment of my Running Blog

It's about 10 pm right now, and the game should be starting in a few minutes. So before I get started, I'd just like to encourage everyone to go see the new movie "Pride" starring Bernie Mac and Wizards coach Eddie Jordan. I don't plan on seeing it, but it looks like it should be a phenomenal movie. Any movie with Tom Arnold playing the role of the coach of an evil/rival white swim team should be amazing.

Pre-Game

Apparently Ray Allen isn't playing because of an ankle injury, which means that the Wizards have no excuse to lose this game. And yes, by saying that, I realize that they just might lose. Great. At least I get to enjoy another quality performance from the dynamic announcing duo that is Buckhantz and Chenier. I'm hoping for at least three daggers today, so maybe I'm being optimistic. Even a backbreaker or two would be more than acceptable.

It's also a good thing that Arenas isn't doing a missed shots for schools donation program. Now that would be something.

First Quarter

10:13- Buckhantz mentions that Jarvis Hayes may have gotten hurt again. And yes, there's a shot of Hayes in his tan suit. Good to see that his ability to be injury prone isn't affecting his style.

9:06- The Wizards appear to actually be playing defense. I don't think I'm watching the same team I saw yesterday.

8:45- Nevermind. They just gave a wide open layup to Luke Ridnour. On a different note, how about Oregon? They're in the Sweet 16, Fred Jones got some minutes for the amazing Blazers yesterday and apparently now is known as "Freddy." But does anyone know where Luke Jackson is?

7:23- While Chris Wilcox is shooting two free throws, I'd probably say that he's been the most productive former Maryland basketball player this year. Where are all of the former Terps players at? Blake and Dixon have been ok this year, but Francis has really gone downhill. Weird. You can't tell me that a healthy and energetic Mike Mardesich wouldn't be able to help the Wizards. OK, maybe not.

5:33- On the same play, Damien Wilkins runs over Arenas and then Jamison. He finally gets the charge call on the 2nd. Just an amazing play by Wilkins. He's really using his head out there. He also manages to get T'd up for his actions. Quality NBA basketball. Get excited all you Sonics fans!

Does anyone watch the Best Damn Sports Show Period? What makes it so damn good anyway? I know it's not Rob Dibble or John Salley.

4:03- Great drive by Arenas. I wish he'd drive the lane more rather than settling for 3s.

2:51- Anyway, Arenas hits a 3. I must not know what I'm talking about. But he does seem more in rhythm tonight. A good sign.

:50- The Wizards are really playing well right now. They are running the offense now and getting open looks. Maybe the game last night was just a fluke. Also, I like when Songalia's on the floor. I think he can really help this team , and I'd rather have him in there than Hayes anyday. Maybe this will be the game where he gets more minutes and shows what he can do.

26-19 Wizards at the end of the 1st

Second Quarter

Somehow the Sonics get 9 offensive rebounds in the FIRST QUARTER and are still down by 7. That's strange.

10:58- Michael Ruffin enters the game. Or as I prefer to call him, The Skull. How can anyone score on him without being completely afraid? I guess Wilcox doesn't care, and he just made a hook shot over him.

10:15- Some guy named Mickael Gelabale just entered the game for the Sonics. I'm sure several hundred fans just looked at their programs in confusion.

8:57- The Wizards haven't scored this quarter, and I'm going to take a guess here, but maybe that's because neither Jamison nor Arenas are in the game. That's always a good strategy Mr. Jordan. A little less acting, a little more coaching please.

While watching another Geico commercial for the 80 millionth time, I figured it would be a good time to question how a caveman and a gecko could have such a stranglehold over the insurance commercial world.

8:22- Songalia ends the drought with a jumper from the top of the key. That's what I like to see. He's the best white Wizards player since Steve Blake. Go Darius.

6:49- The only thing funnier than watching this Gelabale guy play, as he runs over Michael Ruffin, is listening to Buchhantz and Chenier trying to pronounce his name. They're saying it like they both have a mouthful of peanut butter.

5:10- Songalia hits another jumper. Also, I know I'm not at the game, but just by listening on TV, the atmosphere at the game seems terrible. There's almost no noise and no one seems excited at all. Playing for the Sonics seems really boring.

3:18- Wilcox just threw down a slam off a rebound. That's at least 3 dunks for him so far. He's really outworking Haywood, and he's already got 10 rebounds. It would be nice to get that kind of effort on the glass from someone on the Wiz. And I think Blatche should be that guy who can do it.

I just saw a commercial for Wendy's. Now don't get me wrong, I like Wendy's every now and then, but when was the last time you actually ate there? Be honest. 1 month ago? 2 months, longer? I'm disappointed in you Wendy's. Get your act together.

2:13- Wilcox dunks again. It sure would be nice to have someone play defense. 41-40 Sonics.

1:17- The refs call a carry on Luke Ridnour. I have nothing else to add, that should be surprising enough.

:51- Buckhantz has been surprisingly normal so far in the telecast. Kind of disappointing. Arenas just hit a 3 and has 18 points. A good performance so far.

Halftime... Wizards lead 47-43 despite Wilcox going for 16 and 11 in the first half. I'll be back in 15 minutes for the second half.

Third Quarter

They keep showing replays of one of Wilcox's dunks from the first half. Just an amazing play. But would I say it's more amazing than Billy Hoyle's miraculous half-court hook shot in "White Men Can't Jump" to get Gloria onto Jeopardy? Definitely not.

10:45- Arenas hits his third 3 of the game. Pretty good. The Sonics are playing hard, but maybe it's their coach's fault. He never looks overly concerned. Maybe it's a bad sign when your coach looks like a rocket scientist or college math professor.

9:13- Arenas picks up his 3rd foul, and of course, he goes over to talk to the ref. There's no way anyone in the league annoys the referees more than Arenas does. No way.

8:52- After Haywood commits a foul, he stomps his foot like a 5 year old boy who just got told by his mother that she won't buy him a firetruck. The Wizards, always a classy team.

8:10- Arenas hits his 5th 3-pointer. Maybe he's onto something here. Anyway, I think I'm already tired of Buckhantz saying "Hibachi" and "Gilbertology." These phrases are reaching the same annoying level as "Manny being Manny." They've got to stop.

7:55- Wilcox dunks again. You'd think this was slamball or something.

7:10- I think I actually heard some fans booing after a bad call. It's good to see that they're alive.

There usually comes a time in every Wizards game where they let the other team back in the game and they either get within 3 or take the lead. I'll go ahead and make the prediction that the Wizards will still hold onto win this game. Mark it down.

5:45- Wow Lorenzo Romar was just shown to be in the stands. He's the coach of the team at the University of Washington. It looks like he stole Fonzie's leather jacket. Well done sir.

4:35- Arenas gets called for his 4th foul, but it's not like he's arguing with the refs or anything like that. He goes to the bench and seeks comfort from Darvin Ham. I mean, Michael Ruffin.

3:55- Both Collison and Wilcox have double-doubles already, and the game is tied 66-66.

3:08- In the same sequence, Wilcox grabs on offensive board and then scores on a shot where he didn't dunk. Apparently he can do it all, but only when playing against the Wizards. This is the same team that made Sergio Rodriguez look like John Stockton.

2:02- Andray Blatche comes back into the game and quickly grabs a rebound. He looks like a mix of Kevin Garnett and Bugs Bunny.

1:32- Bob Hill actually shows some emotion. Wow, he gets a T. See, the Sonics really do care.

:55- Buckhantz refers to Luke Ridnour as "amazing." It's a good thing he's not easily impressed.

:05- Blatche misses a wide open layup and the Sonics hurry to get the ball down and Wilcox hits a buzzer-beater near the free throw line. Normally I'd be surprised, but I'm a Wizards fan. Very interesting quarter...

Fourth Quarter

The Sonics are out-rebounding the Wiz 44-28 but the Wiz are still up 77-76. Should be a good quarter.

11:11- Daniels scores without falling on the ground. Good play.

9:54- Ever watch someone's home video of a rec or high school basketball game? You know how there's usually 1 or 2 people clapping in the background? That's the same feel I get from watching this game. Meanwhile, Arenas picks up his 5th foul. I'm worried.

9:23- Arenas hits his 6th 3-pointer and obviously is mad, but shockingly, Jordan leaves him in the game. I wonder what's going to happen now.

8:24- Is it just me or does Earl Watson look like one of the Mexican thugs who throw Ethan Hawke in the bathtub in "Training Day"?

This might be a good time to note that Wilcox has 23 points and 18 rebounds with 8 minutes to play. I'm shocked at how well he's playing.

7:35- Great play by Arenas- he gets fouled on the drive and still makes the layup. He makes the free throw for the 3 point play. He now has 38.

6:40- Watson drives the lane as if no one is there to stop him. I'm used to seeing this now.

6:16- Blatche gets a tip-in and is really playing hard. Wilcox also dunks again 10 seconds later. It's like someone using Shaq in NBA Live. Somehow this doesn't seem fair.

After seeing the Best Damn Sports Show commercial again for probably the fifth time, I still have no idea why John Salley is spinning around the camera. I need some answers.

5:35- Watson hits his 4th 3-pointer. The Wizards are up 98-93.

5:03- Lewis hits a 3-pointer. I have no idea why the Sonics don't play the lineup of Ridnour, Watson, Lewis, Wilcox, and Collison more often. It's obviously their best tonight. When Allen is healthy, why isn't this team better? This doesn't make sense to me. Maybe Bob Hill can come up with a math equation to make this easier to understand.

4:17- Daniels almost loses the ball but quickly calls a timeout in the corner. But he is close to the top of the league in assist to turnover ratio, and he's obviously a professional, so he can do what he wants. What a guy.

4:07- Great hustle by Blatche to grab a loose ball and then he gets tackled and loses the ball. Somehow in a scrum, the refs manage to give Seattle a timeout. How'd that happen?

3:49- In probably the best defensive sequence I've seen from the Wizards this year, Blatche blocks Lewis's shot, and then Arenas reads Watson's move and takes the ball from him.

3:39- In quality Buckhantz form, he praises the refs for calling a blocking foul instead of a charge on a play where Arenas drives to the hoop. But he's not a complete homer or anything. Not him.

3:14- I must be dreaming because it's been two great defensive series in a row for the Wiz. 100-96 Wiz.

2:48- That's more like it. Wilkins hits a wide open 3 for the Sonics.

2:20- Fans are actually cheering. It's almost like a real basketball atmosphere. This game will have a great finish.

1:30- Sonics up 1 after getting 2 offensive boards in a row. That's really the stat of the game.

1:13- Buckhantz gets amped for the first time after Jamison hits a 3. Then Lewis answers with another 3. Sonics up 1, 104-103.

:48- Arenas misses a layup. This is coming down to the wire. Need a stop, so it's not looking good.

:22- That's the Daniels I know. He's fouled pretty hard on a layup attempt and hits the ground hard. He hits the first. He makes the second- Wiz up 105-104. That's what I've been waiting for... Buckhantz tells fans to "hang onto their Chuck Taylor's." This guy is money.

Not feeling too confident about the Wizards chance to get a stop here. Should be interesting to say the least. But at least Michael Ruffin is in the game now. I feel so much better...

:14- I feel bad now. The Skull makes a great block on Rashard Lewis and the Wiz get the ball back. Sorry Mr. Ruffin. No more jokes about you today. I'm proud.

Songalia is fouled with about 14 seconds left. He hasn't been under this kind of pressure since dealing with Skip Prosser at Wake Forest.

He promptly bricks the first shot. He nails the second. Timeout Seattle. 106-104 Wiz.

:10- Ruffin called for a blocking foul. Two shots for Lewis. He hits both. Tie game.

WOW. As time expires, Arenas drives the lane and throws up a floater. I don't know how, but it managed to get in there. What a shot! Way to go Arenas.

Actually a really exciting game. Chenier was right, the team with the ball last would win the game. Good call by him.

Great win Wizards and good work Arenas. Take that Billy Hoyle...

A Few Points

- Disappointing loss by the Wizards last night. Not going to comment too much about that, but I was confused on why Arenas played so bad. Hopefully he can turn it around tonight against Seattle. It probably isn't looking too promising though, since the Wizards are 4-12 in the second game of back-to-backs over the season. Then again, it's the Sonics.

By the way, since I figured it would be a good idea and funny, I'm going to do a running blog throughout the game tonight. Not only will this give you a little insight into how I view the Wizards, but how I view anything in general that I watch on TV.

- I thought it was interesting today to see that backup QB Matt Schaub was traded to the Texans. The last few seasons, the Falcons had seemed so unwilling to part with Schaub with the injury risk that Michael Vick is, and now with the coaching change, they gave him up just that quickly. According to Len Pasquarelli's story here, the teams agreed to swap their first round picks for this year, and Atlanta gets Houston's 2007 and 2008 second round choices.

That seems like a pretty steep price, and I wouldn't imagine they'd give up such high picks just to sit Schaub on the bench. I bet, at the very least, he'll be getting a shot to start over Carr. I'd be worried about my starting position now if I were him. Also, since Atlanta will move up to the #8 pick, I wonder if they'll consider taking a QB depending on who is there. I don't know who their backup will be now, so it will be interesting to see how this situation develops.

- Well, it seems that if you snooze, you lose, and I missed my opportunity to write at least a brief summary or article on my dislike for Billy Packer. It seems one of my favorite writers, Bill Simmons, has done just that for the next issue of ESPN the Magazine. For anyone who knows what I think about college basketball or has ever talked to me about it, you should know that I despise Packer's announcing and usually can't stand even listening to him during a game for more than 5 minutes.

Simmons wrote, "So we're left with two choices: mute our TV or grit our teeth. I've tried it both ways and found it's more enjoyable to mute and listen to my iPod. That's my plan through the title game. I'm doing it for my own sanity. No offense, Billy, but 32 years is more than enough."

I couldn't agree more, and I usually mute the TV and do whatever else while watching a game he's announcing. Eventually he's got to go. I hate to say it, but I'd rather listen to Dick Vitale anyday rather than Billy Packer.

March Madness...Or March Sadness?

I don't consider myself a very emotional person. I don't really cry, and I don't really express my emotion in any particular way that others would be able to see. A lot of people are like this, I'm sure. A lot of athletes are like this too, but during the NCAA Tournament I can always see the emotion on the faces of the players and coaches. Everyone wants to win, and everyone wants to keep moving on.

I'm sure anyone who has ever played sports knows what that feeling is like. For me, I recalled the days of high school baseball. I've always enjoyed playing. When I first started out as a freshman, it seemed like 4 years would be such a long time away. I worked hard and savored the time on the field, but the time moved quickly. When I was a senior and lucky enough to start and play all the time, I was finally happy and wished the time would stop and I could play forever. Well, things don't work like that.

Soon the playoffs were upon us, and we started to prepare. After winning a few games, we were confident. In what turned out to be our last game, we had the lead by 1 run going into the last inning. I was positive we'd be able to get 3 outs and leave the field to play another day. As it turned out, our opponent quickly got runners on base. I still thought we'd make it out alright. I wanted the opportunity to keep playing.

All of a sudden, with 1 out, the hitter at bat smoked a line drive in between left and center field. Playing center field as usual, I thought I'd be able to reach the ball. I ran as fast as I could, but it didn't matter. The ball kept carrying and carrying, and once I couldn't get to it I realized the game was over. That quickly, we had lost. And more importantly, my days of high school baseball were over.

Everyone has little stories like this one though, and to a point, it's very cliched and sometimes even corny. But when you're in a situation like that, you never think it's going to end. I thought I'd be playing baseball for a long time and that 4 years would seem a lot longer than it did.

It didn't, and my time was over just like that.

During the NCAA Tournament, I can sense that similar feeling while watching so many of the games. Sure, some players go on to play in the NBA or play professionally overseas and are able to make a decent or great living from basketball. However, probably 90% of the guys involved in March Madness will never play organized basketball again.

When a team loses, I really feel for them. You can see the uncertainty in their faces and in their every movement after the game. So many of them bury their faces in towels or just fall on the floor motionless unable to grasp the fact that their NCAA career is over. Coaches can't seem to find the right words to explain to their players that the season is over.

They have to move on though. That's life. Everyone, at some point or another, has to do the same thing. Whether it's playing a sport, moving on to a new school, or starting a new job somewhere. When you finally reach that point, there's no turning back. You can't change how things went and you really don't know where they are going.

Is it sad? Sure. But a lot of that is what makes it worth watching. Teams are playing for the chance to advance to the next round, but more importantly, they just want one more.

One more game. One more day.

Random Orioles Chats

Few conversations I have are more rewarding than the random Orioles chats I have with AJ. They can start at any time and range from a few minutes long to a few hours. They include naming as many random Orioles as possible and remembering the stupid times for this very confusing yet hilarious team. I still can't believe some of the players they had on the team, and I even forget a lot of the names until we talk about them. And if you're an Orioles fan and you read this, there's no doubt you'll laugh.

chilicheesedog18 (me): u go on the DL more than marty cordova though
FrederickTrack3 (AJ): shit
FrederickTrack3: ur nuts
chilicheesedog18: LOL
FrederickTrack3: you hit as many hrs as podsednik
FrederickTrack3: sry
chilicheesedog18: but that's ok
chilicheesedog18: it's not about the hrs
FrederickTrack3: thats right
chilicheesedog18: it's about the wins
FrederickTrack3: yes
FrederickTrack3: you win as much as russ ortiz
chilicheesedog18: u win as much as hideo nomo does right now
FrederickTrack3: lol
chilicheesedog18: lol
chilicheesedog18: u play as much as carl pavano does right now
FrederickTrack3: you got adam dunn K's
chilicheesedog18: u K more than me son
FrederickTrack3: thats fine
FrederickTrack3: hack wilson right her
chilicheesedog18: haha
FrederickTrack3: i mean really
FrederickTrack3: dont be mad
FrederickTrack3: cuz your name is geronimo berroa
chilicheesedog18: hahaha
chilicheesedog18: hey i thought of something earlier and couldn't remember
chilicheesedog18: who was that guy who came over from the mariners to the orioles for like a year or 2 and sucked
chilicheesedog18: like utility guy
FrederickTrack3: LOLOLOLOL
FrederickTrack3: u kno i know
FrederickTrack3: dont you"/
FrederickTrack3: you know i know
chilicheesedog18: was it amaral?
FrederickTrack3: RICH AMARAL
chilicheesedog18: YES
chilicheesedog18: i was right
FrederickTrack3: yup
FrederickTrack3: TERRIBLE
chilicheesedog18: lol
chilicheesedog18: yeah i knew you'd know to
chilicheesedog18: we are masters
FrederickTrack3: yep
FrederickTrack3: we are
chilicheesedog18: lol
chilicheesedog18: man i was mad i couldn't think of that until just now
FrederickTrack3: remember mark smith
chilicheesedog18: o yeah
chilicheesedog18: my favorite guy to bring up is lenny webster
FrederickTrack3: lol
FrederickTrack3: remember manager phil regan
FrederickTrack3: ill give you a name
FrederickTrack3: BRET BARBERIE
FrederickTrack3: remember
chilicheesedog18: lol i got you started
chilicheesedog18: i got those wheels turning
FrederickTrack3: JEFF MANTO!
chilicheesedog18: o god
chilicheesedog18: this is hurting me
chilicheesedog18: JEFF MANTO
FrederickTrack3: LOL
chilicheesedog18: that really made me laugh
FrederickTrack3: Jesse orosco
chilicheesedog18: like where are these guys now
FrederickTrack3: remember that bum
FrederickTrack3: no
FrederickTrack3: omg
chilicheesedog18: "dude, are you jeff manto???" "you played for the orioles right???"
FrederickTrack3: you remember jimmy haynes
chilicheesedog18: LOL
FrederickTrack3: i read an article on him
chilicheesedog18: JIMMY HAYNES
FrederickTrack3: he was sellin ant farms
chilicheesedog18: ROCKY COPPINGER
chilicheesedog18: RICK KRIVDA
chilicheesedog18: LOL
FrederickTrack3: if i find it again
FrederickTrack3: ill show u
FrederickTrack3: omg
FrederickTrack3: krivda
FrederickTrack3: alan mills
FrederickTrack3: remmeber when he hit
FrederickTrack3: strawberry
chilicheesedog18: TRAVIS DRISKILL
chilicheesedog18: YES
FrederickTrack3: he fuck dude up
chilicheesedog18: i know he did
chilicheesedog18: u remembered that one pitcher i asked you about a while ago
chilicheesedog18: i forgot his name again
chilicheesedog18: lol u remember jose mercedes
FrederickTrack3: yes
FrederickTrack3: gregg olson!
chilicheesedog18: lol
FrederickTrack3: mark mclemore
chilicheesedog18: jeff reboulet, your boy
FrederickTrack3: I HATE HIM
FrederickTrack3: omg
chilicheesedog18: LOL
FrederickTrack3: todd zeile
chilicheesedog18: mike deveraux
chilicheesedog18: i hate zeile
chilicheesedog18: david wells
chilicheesedog18: fats on the team
chilicheesedog18: JIMMY KEY
FrederickTrack3: PETE INCAVIGILA
chilicheesedog18: HAHAHAH
FrederickTrack3: WAS FATS
chilicheesedog18: INVAVIGLIA HAHAHAHA
chilicheesedog18: where are they now... haha
chilicheesedog18: mike bordick
FrederickTrack3: EUGENE KINGSALE
FrederickTrack3: remmeber how fast
chilicheesedog18: oh no
FrederickTrack3: that mfer
FrederickTrack3: was
chilicheesedog18: they were like this dude is the fastest ever
chilicheesedog18: and he was sorry
chilicheesedog18: calvin pickering
FrederickTrack3: he could fly
FrederickTrack3: FATS
FrederickTrack3: he still plays
FrederickTrack3: billy ripken
chilicheesedog18: haha
chilicheesedog18: david dellucci when he was on the O's
FrederickTrack3: yes
chilicheesedog18: i got mad when he got picked by the diamondbacks
FrederickTrack3: aaron ledesma
chilicheesedog18: eww
chilicheesedog18: DAMIAN MOSS
chilicheesedog18: LOL
FrederickTrack3: OMG
FrederickTrack3: OMGGGG
FrederickTrack3: WORST TRADE EVER
chilicheesedog18: he was so awful
FrederickTrack3: WORST TRADE EVER
chilicheesedog18: all of the players in that trade sucked
chilicheesedog18: look at ponson now
FrederickTrack3: randy myers
chilicheesedog18: haha
chilicheesedog18: he was good
FrederickTrack3: ESTEBAN YAN
FrederickTrack3: OMG
chilicheesedog18: where is he now
chilicheesedog18: angels?
FrederickTrack3: joe carter
chilicheesedog18: that bum
FrederickTrack3: willie greene played too
chilicheesedog18: we get all these old guys
FrederickTrack3: for the orioles
FrederickTrack3: dont remember when
chilicheesedog18: like david segui
FrederickTrack3: but he did
chilicheesedog18: DELINO DESHIELDS
chilicheesedog18: hahahahaha
FrederickTrack3: i got one
FrederickTrack3: OMG
FrederickTrack3: i remember siavash told me bout this ddue
chilicheesedog18: delino had that one good year
FrederickTrack3: WILLIS OTANEZ
chilicheesedog18: lol
chilicheesedog18: siavash
chilicheesedog18: huge nose guy?
FrederickTrack3: wa slike
FrederickTrack3: dude is so good
FrederickTrack3: yes
FrederickTrack3: was like
chilicheesedog18: hahahaha
FrederickTrack3: willis otanez
FrederickTrack3: is so good
chilicheesedog18: that guy was retarded
FrederickTrack3: lol
FrederickTrack3: swore he was nasty at baseball
FrederickTrack3: doug johns
chilicheesedog18: oh man what was that lefty 1st baseman they got from texas
FrederickTrack3: WILL THE THRILL CLARK
chilicheesedog18: LOL
chilicheesedog18: BINGO
FrederickTrack3: OMG
chilicheesedog18: i saw him on pros vs joes
chilicheesedog18: he really needs money i guess
FrederickTrack3: means he needs money
FrederickTrack3: LOL
chilicheesedog18: wow
FrederickTrack3: we said that
FrederickTrack3: same time
FrederickTrack3: timestamp
chilicheesedog18: man i gotta post this stuff somewhere
chilicheesedog18: i'm laughing at all these old orioles
FrederickTrack3: time stamp that
FrederickTrack3: exact same time
FrederickTrack3: lol
chilicheesedog18: hahaha
FrederickTrack3: hahah
FrederickTrack3: norm charlton
chilicheesedog18: holy crap
chilicheesedog18: the lefty from the mariners
chilicheesedog18: haha
FrederickTrack3: i dont remmeber
FrederickTrack3: many more
chilicheesedog18: chris richard
FrederickTrack3: cept like
FrederickTrack3: easy ones
FrederickTrack3: oh no
FrederickTrack3: lol
FrederickTrack3: CHARLES JOHNSON
chilicheesedog18: larry bigbie
chilicheesedog18: haha charles johnson
FrederickTrack3: eww
FrederickTrack3: ryan minor
chilicheesedog18: the worst oriole of all time
chilicheesedog18: ryan minor
chilicheesedog18: "the next ripken"
chilicheesedog18: sure
FrederickTrack3: yes
FrederickTrack3: jesse garcia
FrederickTrack3: remember that cant miss prospect
chilicheesedog18: who was that guy they signed from the royals
chilicheesedog18: who was awful
FrederickTrack3: pitcher?
chilicheesedog18: hitter
chilicheesedog18: utility guy
chilicheesedog18: he sucked
chilicheesedog18: got him the year before last i believe
FrederickTrack3: umm
FrederickTrack3: dunno
chilicheesedog18: well first of all jason grimsley
FrederickTrack3: marrero?
FrederickTrack3: u talkin bout?
chilicheesedog18: YES
chilicheesedog18: ELI
chilicheesedog18: he was so bad
FrederickTrack3: or that scrub midre cummings
FrederickTrack3: they traded for that bum
chilicheesedog18: what about
chilicheesedog18: scott erickson
FrederickTrack3: hahahahah named one of the most sexiest athlets
chilicheesedog18: lol
chilicheesedog18: didn't he beat some woman
FrederickTrack3: and everyone clowned him
FrederickTrack3: yes
chilicheesedog18: what a jerk
FrederickTrack3: tony batista
chilicheesedog18: haha
FrederickTrack3: fernando lunar!
chilicheesedog18: LOL
chilicheesedog18: that's a great one
FrederickTrack3: remeber we got him
FrederickTrack3: from braves
chilicheesedog18: yes
FrederickTrack3: when traded surhoff
chilicheesedog18: ben mcdonalds
FrederickTrack3: chris singleton
chilicheesedog18: mcdonald
chilicheesedog18: bj surhoff
FrederickTrack3: from white sox
chilicheesedog18: JIM POOLE
FrederickTrack3: WHO
chilicheesedog18: LOL
chilicheesedog18: mike oquist
FrederickTrack3: HOWIE CLARK
chilicheesedog18: HOWIE
chilicheesedog18: JOSH TOWERS
FrederickTrack3: ok
FrederickTrack3: i dont kno much more
FrederickTrack3: lol
chilicheesedog18: CHRIS SABO
chilicheesedog18: LOL
FrederickTrack3: EWWWW
FrederickTrack3: JOSE LEON
chilicheesedog18: JOSE LEON
chilicheesedog18: THAT'S CLASSIC
chilicheesedog18: LEO GOMEZ
chilicheesedog18: MARK SMITH
chilicheesedog18: harold baines
chilicheesedog18: lol
FrederickTrack3: I REMEMBER
FrederickTrack3: PAGHULARIO
chilicheesedog18: dude jeffrey hammonds
FrederickTrack3: or somethin
FrederickTrack3: he used to be good
chilicheesedog18: damon buford whoa
chilicheesedog18: u remember when they had moyer
FrederickTrack3: yes
FrederickTrack3: they would have a pitchin staff
chilicheesedog18: that was the guy, kamieniecki
FrederickTrack3: schilling
FrederickTrack3: moyer
FrederickTrack3: mussina
chilicheesedog18: terry mathews
chilicheesedog18: that guy was awful
FrederickTrack3: yes
FrederickTrack3: willis roberts
chilicheesedog18: LOL
chilicheesedog18: I REMEMBER THAT GUY
chilicheesedog18: wtf shawn boskie?
FrederickTrack3: poor steve bechler
chilicheesedog18: yeah that sucked
chilicheesedog18: u remember nerio rodriguez?
FrederickTrack3: yes
FrederickTrack3: sorry fuck
chilicheesedog18: who the hell is tim laker lol
FrederickTrack3: dunno
FrederickTrack3: oooo
FrederickTrack3: OF for indians
FrederickTrack3: well used to be
chilicheesedog18: u remember tony tarasco in RF against the yankees
FrederickTrack3: fordyce
chilicheesedog18: that idiot was pissed
chilicheesedog18: holy crap
chilicheesedog18: brook fordyce
chilicheesedog18: i forgot
FrederickTrack3: yes
FrederickTrack3: that was recent
FrederickTrack3: 2003?
FrederickTrack3: or 2004?
chilicheesedog18: danny clyburn
chilicheesedog18: lol
FrederickTrack3: no my fav
FrederickTrack3: when they traded mora
FrederickTrack3: KINKADE
chilicheesedog18: mike kinkade
FrederickTrack3: and PAT GORMAN
chilicheesedog18: haha
FrederickTrack3: u kno the orioles had casey blake didnt u
chilicheesedog18: who is the young guy they got from the twins a while back
chilicheesedog18: no i didn't know that
FrederickTrack3: yeah they had casey blake
FrederickTrack3: got rid of him'
chilicheesedog18: wow
chilicheesedog18: garabito
FrederickTrack3: lol
FrederickTrack3: eddy!
FrederickTrack3: rockies organization
chilicheesedog18: who'd they get from the twins
chilicheesedog18: wasn't he on the keys or something
FrederickTrack3: twin?
chilicheesedog18: played ss
chilicheesedog18: they kept him on the roster all year
chilicheesedog18: morban?
FrederickTrack3: umm
FrederickTrack3: MORBAN
chilicheesedog18: wow
FrederickTrack3: hes somewhere
FrederickTrack3: rule 5 draftee
FrederickTrack3: CHUCK MCELROY
FrederickTrack3: from COLORADO
chilicheesedog18: lol
chilicheesedog18: o no
FrederickTrack3: orioles trade ryan minor to montreal for jorge julio
chilicheesedog18: lol
chilicheesedog18: yeah
FrederickTrack3: orioles trade
FrederickTrack3: will clark
FrederickTrack3: to cardinals
FrederickTrack3: for jose leon
FrederickTrack3: orioles trade sidney ponson
FrederickTrack3: for damian moss
FrederickTrack3: kurt ainsworth
chilicheesedog18: that guy sucked
FrederickTrack3: and ryan hannaman
FrederickTrack3: lol
FrederickTrack3: ED ROGERS
FrederickTrack3: remember him
FrederickTrack3: that mfer
FrederickTrack3: on red sox
chilicheesedog18: lol

Stevie Franchise is a Bum

The way the Wizards played the last two games reminded me of an unpleasant experience from my last two semesters in college. In my dorm, the two pothead quadmates next door never seem to be able to understand to flush the toilet after they use the bathroom. Number 1, number 2, it doesn't really matter. Yeah that's disgusting, right? Well, the Wizards played like crap against the Atlanta Hawks the other night. They looked awful, hands down. Well, it looks like Eddie Jordan and the rest of the team forgot to flush before tonight's game against the Knicks.

I missed the first half of the game because I wasn't even sure the game was actually on TV. I was surprised to discover that the amazing sport of hockey and the quality Washington Capitals weren't taking their place on Comcast. I tuned into the second half, and they were letting the Knicks hang around.

The Wizards like to play close games. They don't blow a lot of teams out, and they frequently let lesser opponents hang around until they pull out a victory in the last few minutes. All Wizards fans should know this and be nodding their heads in agreement.

To avoid dissecting the whole game, the Wizards, as usual, blew a late 6 point lead in the last few minutes and gave the Knicks a chance to win the game. Late in the 4th quarter with the Knicks down by 3 and only 35 seconds remaining, Steve Francis, after gathering a loose ball, drives the paint. Now, there are two choices to make. The Wizards either needed to 1) let Francis get the layup or 2) foul him hard so there's no possible way he makes a layup.

So what happens? Obviously, a Wizard, this time Caron Butler, tries to strip the ball from Francis and he makes the layup. And 1.

The fact that Francis actually misses the free throw turns out to not be important. It might if he hadn't come down the court the next possession and hit a game winning 3-pointer. That part I'm not as shocked about because it was actually a nice play and the Wiz don't play defense. But I am surprised that, after he hit the shot, he then acted like he had just won the NCAA Tournament or just whined his way out of being drafted by the Vancouver Grizzlies again.

When Francis played at Maryland for his obligatory single season, he was one of my favorite players. He played with heart and always wore his emotion on his sleeve. He played hard and seemed like a good guy. But today, I saw a different side of him. Maybe it's because he isn't playing for my team. That could be it. But after he hit the game-winning 3-pointer, Francis jumped up on the scorer's table in front of everyone and went nuts. Of course, Nate Robinson hurried over from the bench to jump on his back. And no, he didn't need 34 attempts to complete the task.

I can't remember the last time I saw someone act as crazy as that after a game. He showed up the entire arena. He showed up the entire Wizards team in their own building.

Maybe I'm overreacting, but I know if I was playing them again, I would remember what he did. I would want revenge the next time we played.

Hopefully the Wizards feel the same way.

My least favorite group of sports fans

Anyone who watches or discusses sports regularly knows the kind of fan I'm about to describe. All of a sudden, team X starts to win a few games in a row, or they win a close game on national TV. Then, out of left field, you see one of your friends or maybe even some random guy or girl you know jump on that team's bandwagon and claim he or she has always been a fan.

There's been a perfect example the last couple weeks. As Maryland tore through the rest of their ACC schedule down the stretch run, people started talking about them again. There were columns on ESPN about their chances and how the team has grown up and matured. Lots of fans around the area started getting excited about Terps basketball again, and some students even started making groups on Facebook to talk about not only their chances, but to name their pools after the Terps since they'll be back in the NCAA tourney. I have no problem with that. I think it's great for them to be back in the big picture this year.

The problem I have occurred after Maryland lost a disappointing and confusing game against Miami. I'm not going to talk about why they lost the game. They shouldn't have, and it was ugly to watch. But they lost. Suddenly, there was talk about how overrated Maryland was. People who had been cheering for them or wearing their clothes or whatever wanted to jump the Terp ship. Why... because they lost 1 game? Give me a break. They hadn't even lost a single game for over a month.

Look, it's already disappointing for people to watch their teams when they aren't playing their best or they just can't beat a team that isn't as good as them. Everyone reading this knows that Maryland is better than Miami. Everyone reading this, especially AJ, knows that Georgetown is better than ODU. But for some reason, Maryland lost to Miami twice this year and somehow ODU beat the Hoyas. Teams lose. Rarely, if ever, does any team go undefeated in any sport. But how can you start cheering for a team again and then randomly choose to dislike them again within a matter of days? I'm not talking about being mad that they lost. I'm talking about jumping off the bandwagon completely or at least temporarily until they win the next day.

There aren't any rules about this sort of thing though. Everybody can choose to love a team one day and then hate that same team the next. It's hard for people to be loyal sports fans. Everyone wants to be a Yankees fan, or a Mavericks/Heat/Suns fan, or a Patriots fan these days. People want to look cool when a team they "like" does well. Maybe some people feel they get cool points for it.

Well you know what, I don't want to hear about it. Pick a team and stay with them. It's still possible to enjoy teams that aren't your favorites. Sports and crazy games, especially during March Madness, are still fun to watch no matter what.

You just don't get to claim allegiance to those teams.

Ron Artest = Insane

First of all, everyone knows that Ron Artest is crazy. I mean, just look at that pattern he had in his hair. Man, his album was great though, wasn't it? Anyway, according to ESPN he's been arrested on domestic violence charges. First of all, I'm not surprised. Second of all, no one else in the world is either.

This is the same guy who charged into the stands after fans in Detroit while he was still playing for the Pacers. Apparently he shoved another woman at his home during a heated argument. That's not surprising. But what is surprising is the fact that she threw a pot at his Hummer, and it ended up shattering his windshield. If there's one person who you WOULD NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WANT TO ANGER, wouldn't it be Ron Artest? I don't care who you are; I don't even care if you're Artest's own mother. I advise no one to ever, ever, throw anything in the direction of Ron Artest. Unless it's a stress ball. Or money.

I guess the only thing for him to do now is somehow end up with the Cincinnati Bengals. Let's make it happen...

A few random thoughts

Had an intramural basketball game yesterday. Usually I don't really want to discuss things that went wrong with a game or complain about anything because I just want to win. I've always been very competitive, however...

After the 2nd half with the other team up by around 8 or 9, they threw the ball in and held it. I was confused, what were they doing? This team was actually trying to set up a 4 corners offense and just hold the ball. Let me spell this out... IT'S INTRAMURAL BASKETBALL!! The 2nd half had just started. I mean I really want to win, but I'd never, ever run 4 corners in intramurals just to win a game that means nothing at the end of the day. Even John Wooden would never approve of this. Dr. Naismith was turning in his grave. Apparently, the Frostburg intramural department needs to look into setting up a shot clock just when this team plays. I wonder if that team had scouted us and seen gametape that their coach had prepared for them...

I used to think I was pretty serious about hustling around the court and wanting to win. That ridiculous strategy blows anything else I've ever attempted out of the water. Maybe in order to even the score next time we play I'll just sneak over to the flip-scoreboard and when no one is looking, add some numbers to our score. I think that can work.

------

On a slightly less stupid note, according to an ESPN story, "the Lakers fined Vlad Radmanvich $500,000 Thursday -- nearly 10 percent of his $5.2 million season salary -- for violating his contract by snowboarding, which led to a separated shoulder injury. " Ok, so it's more stupid.

Could you imagine signing a contract or whatever with your job and having a clause in your contract to not do something? So you sign a contract that says you can't go sky diving or you can't eat donuts; I don't know, whatever. If you were going to have money taken out of your contract, you might not want to, I don't know, VIOLATE YOUR CONTRACT!!!

How would you be able to explain to anyone else what you did? "Well, I know I just lost about a fifth of my salary for this year, but it was really worth that last trip down the mountain. Man that was definitely worth 500k. I even got to pee my name in the snow afterwards!!"

I don't know what would be more hilarious... seeing Radmanovic having to explain he just lost 500K for doing something stupid or actually seeing Radmanovic snowboarding. Maybe next time he'll go tubing instead.

hey....

Just set this up... will start posting soon...

by the way...how bout those Terps....