Been doing a lot of surfing the net recently, looking at various things, letting information pour into and mostly out of my brain. It seems the more I learn the less I know, oh well, can't know everything. With April soon being upon us, my how March truly flew by this year, it got me to thinking of what all there is to look forward to this month, especially in the sports world. It is the month that gives us showers that lead to flowers. A month where we can get fooled and a month that gives us Easter. It is the final full month of the scholastic year for me and many others around. Picking a great time to graduate, with the economy struggling and all the other things associated with that, but I believe that things will turn out well in the end for both the economy and myself. This is America, land of the free, home of the brave. Have to be positive, skeptical, and realistic all at the same time. I may not have a job upon leaving college, but in time something will break through and work itself out, only time will tell when that time will be. I just hope it does not involve more school in the near future. Onto other things.
What makes April so great in the sports world is many, many things. WE have the end of the NCAA Tournament this weekend. We have Opening Day and the beginning month for MLB. We have the Masters Golf Tournament in my home state of Augusta, Georgia. I can just hear the CBS music now, ah the wonderful sounds of spring. The Azaleas in bloom, the grass is green, the bees are buzzing, very nice indeed. April also gives us the beginning of the NBA and NHL playoffs. When your team is in it, like the last two years, it makes it just that much better. Also, we have the NFL Draft, one of my favorite events to watch because it is all about projections, projections on how this player will help this team and how the future shapes up for your favorite organization(Atlanta Falcons). Its a stat geek, NFL nerds dream come true.
I would also be remiss if I did not mention the U.S. Men's Soccer team who scored two goals late Saturday evening to tie El Salvador and remain on top of the CONCACAF for the World Cup in 2010. Looks like there is some promise on this team with young players such as Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Tim Howard(although not as young but still new to the squad this year) and returning veterans such as Demarcus Beasley, Clint Dempsey, and Frankie Hejduk. They have a game tomorrow taking on Trinidad and Tobago. Looking forward to that one to see if we can continue the momentum.
Now I leave you tonight, so I can get back to watching one of the greatest movies of all time, Godfather Pt. 2. Have a good one. Stay warm. Hugs and handpounds.
Mb
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday Musings
A little review from this weekend's NCAA Tournament action as well as some other thoughts going through this gradually warming up of a Spring Monday in Late March. Welcome to the Monday edition of "the stache," where busted brackets live, and Opening Day for the Bravos is a short 6 days away.
I only got 1 team correct on the Final Four (UNC). I am a little upset with myself over Michigan State, because I had them tabbed to make the Final Four in my initial bracket but got scared and decided to go chalk with Louisville instead. Whoops! The Spartans played solid defense and really shut down a powerful Louisville team who scored over a 100 points in their previous game. Good for the Spartans though, they are a solid team, and it will be interesting to see if they can stay with the Huskies of Connecticut. Who I should have known better to pick over Memphis in the West region, who completely flamed out against a very good Missouri Tigers team. Memphis just fell apart on the defensive end and could not a complimentary player to the great Tyreke Evans. A dazzling point guard who looked unstoppable at many points during the game. Connecticut has looked outstanding in the tournament so far. I should have known better with them. They have consistently been one of the top 2-3 teams in the nation. Shame on me for not picking them to make the Final Four. North Carolina cruised their region, as predicted by me and many out there. They look like the odds on favorite to cut down the nets in Detroit. Lawson has made all the difference for them. Their tempo and defensive pressure has been key to their success. Villanova beating Pittsburgh on a last second shot by Scottie Reynolds was a typical Big East slugfest with the two teams exchanging blows over the full 40 minutes. Nova just had the ball last and made a play while the Pitt defenders stood around like statues on the last play not wanting to move their feet at all and force an outside shot. I am thinking a UNC-UConn final is in store for us a week from today. An interesting matchup, with two very explosive, talented teams.
Ah, you smell that? It is the smell of Opening Day within sight, in what seems like an endless spring of speculations of how teams will do. Six days from now it all begins with the Braves taking on the Phillies Sunday night at 8pm on ESPN2. Derek Lowe will be making the opening day start and debut for the Braves that evening. Here's hoping he throws a good one and can get us started on a positive note for this season. Still not sure who the Phillies will be trotting out, but I am sure it will be fun, regardless. All indications are pointing towards Jordan Shafer being the starting CF opening day for the Bravos. I hope he does because he can bring a lot to the table that Josh Anderson just simply cannot bring. Both players are fast, but Shafer possesses a little bit more power and a stronger arm. It will be interesting to see what happens to Anderson if he does not win the job. Will he clear waivers or will he be sent down to AAA or does he get traded (edit: Josh Anderson just traded to Detroit)? Coming in a couple of days I will break down the upcoming season and give my predictions on how I think things will unfold this year.
Once again I hope you enjoyed this latest installment. Feel free to offer suggestions on things you would like to read about hear on "the stache." I would be glad to listen to what you have to say. A guest blog appearance may be on the horizon soon. So if you are interested, let me know and I should be able to accommodate you. Take care and drive safely.
Mb
I only got 1 team correct on the Final Four (UNC). I am a little upset with myself over Michigan State, because I had them tabbed to make the Final Four in my initial bracket but got scared and decided to go chalk with Louisville instead. Whoops! The Spartans played solid defense and really shut down a powerful Louisville team who scored over a 100 points in their previous game. Good for the Spartans though, they are a solid team, and it will be interesting to see if they can stay with the Huskies of Connecticut. Who I should have known better to pick over Memphis in the West region, who completely flamed out against a very good Missouri Tigers team. Memphis just fell apart on the defensive end and could not a complimentary player to the great Tyreke Evans. A dazzling point guard who looked unstoppable at many points during the game. Connecticut has looked outstanding in the tournament so far. I should have known better with them. They have consistently been one of the top 2-3 teams in the nation. Shame on me for not picking them to make the Final Four. North Carolina cruised their region, as predicted by me and many out there. They look like the odds on favorite to cut down the nets in Detroit. Lawson has made all the difference for them. Their tempo and defensive pressure has been key to their success. Villanova beating Pittsburgh on a last second shot by Scottie Reynolds was a typical Big East slugfest with the two teams exchanging blows over the full 40 minutes. Nova just had the ball last and made a play while the Pitt defenders stood around like statues on the last play not wanting to move their feet at all and force an outside shot. I am thinking a UNC-UConn final is in store for us a week from today. An interesting matchup, with two very explosive, talented teams.
Ah, you smell that? It is the smell of Opening Day within sight, in what seems like an endless spring of speculations of how teams will do. Six days from now it all begins with the Braves taking on the Phillies Sunday night at 8pm on ESPN2. Derek Lowe will be making the opening day start and debut for the Braves that evening. Here's hoping he throws a good one and can get us started on a positive note for this season. Still not sure who the Phillies will be trotting out, but I am sure it will be fun, regardless. All indications are pointing towards Jordan Shafer being the starting CF opening day for the Bravos. I hope he does because he can bring a lot to the table that Josh Anderson just simply cannot bring. Both players are fast, but Shafer possesses a little bit more power and a stronger arm. It will be interesting to see what happens to Anderson if he does not win the job. Will he clear waivers or will he be sent down to AAA or does he get traded (edit: Josh Anderson just traded to Detroit)? Coming in a couple of days I will break down the upcoming season and give my predictions on how I think things will unfold this year.
Once again I hope you enjoyed this latest installment. Feel free to offer suggestions on things you would like to read about hear on "the stache." I would be glad to listen to what you have to say. A guest blog appearance may be on the horizon soon. So if you are interested, let me know and I should be able to accommodate you. Take care and drive safely.
Mb
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Top 5 Distance Runners
On this wet, and dreary day I was doing some thinking on the topic for today's top 5. Since we are in the beginning stages of the outdoor track season, ideas began to formulate as to the list I would complete. So after much research, thought, and careful consideration. I am going to list my top 5 U.S. distance runners of all time. These rankings are subjective and based upon certain criteria that I feel are important. I value longevity, fast times, victories in major races, and how good they were in their era, usually in that order but not strictly limited to those criteria as it is my list, my choices. I define a distance runner as being anything from the mile all the way up to the marathon. So without further ado...
1. Frank Shorter- He along with Steve Prefontaine really started a running boom in America. Won the Olympic Marathon in 1972 and finished 2nd to a drug cheat in the 1976 games. He was a 4 time U.S. Cross Country champion. From 1971 to 1973, was ranked number 1 in the world at the marathon. From 1971 to 1976 he was number one in the United States. Six separate years in the 70's he was ranked number one at the 10,000m. Personal Records (PR's) of 13:26(5k), 27:45(10k), 2:10.30 (Marathon).
2. Jim Ryun- He was the first high schooler to run under 4 minutes in the mile. His high school record of 3:55.3 stood for 36 years until broken by Alan Webb in 2001. He holds 5 of the 6 times ever run by a high schooler. Received the silver medal in the 1500m at the 1968 Olympic Games to the great Kip Keino of Kenya. He held the world record at the mile and 800m. PR's of 3:51.1 in the mile and 3:33.1 in the 1500m. In 1966 and 1967 he was ranked number in the world at the 1500/mile distance.
3. Steve Scott- He held the U.S. record in the mile for 26 years at 3:47.6. Finished 2nd in the 1500m World Championships in 1983. Ran sub-4 in the mile 136 times. Holds the U.S. indoor record in the 2k at 4:58.6. Was the first American to run under 3:50 in the mile, the 5th ever in the world. Finished 5th at the 1500m at the 1988 Olympics. Has PR's of 3:31.7 (1500m), 3:47.6 (mile), 7:36 (3k), and 13:30 (5k).
4. Steve Prefontaine- The legendary "Pre" held every American record from the 2k to the 10k at one point in his brief career. Finished 4th in the 1972 Olympics at 5000m. A noted front runner he only lost 3 times in his collegiate career at the University of Oregon. Won 3 NCAA Cross Country titles in 4 years. Holds PR's of 7:42 (3k), 13:21 (5k), 27:43 (10k). Career was ended prematurely in 1975 after a car wreck ended his life at the age of 24. Which is why he does not rank higher on this list.
5. Bill Rodgers- Four time winner of both the Boston and New York City Marathons. Ranked number one in the world at the marathon in 1975, 1977, and 1979. He won 22 marathons in his career. Holds the American records at the 15k, 20k, 25k, and 30k distances. Held the American record at one time in the Marathon with a 2:09.27 in 1979. Made the Olympic teams in the Marathon in 1976 and 1980 (U.S. boycotted these games). Finished 3rd at the World Cross Country Championships. Ran a 28:04 on the track for 10k and a 28:16 on the roads.
I feel like this is a good representation of the top distance runners that have represented America in its history. Some honorable mentions include Craig Virgin(13:19 5k, 27:29 10k), Bob Kennedy (12:58 5k-U.S. best), Bernard Lagat (lacks longevity as an American), Marty Liquori (3:36 1500m), Ryan Hall (2:06.17 in the marathon, 59:43 in the half-marathon, huge potential to enter this list in a couple years if he can remain healthy and win some big races), and Alan Webb (U.S. record holder in mile, 13:10 5k, 27:34 10k, lacks big race wins, more of a time trialer I think). If others were left off, I apologize, as I am sure there are plenty of other good runners that I have not mentioned. For all of you runners and former runners out there, I would gladly like to see your thoughts and opinions on this list. If you do disagree, give me some stats and facts to back it up. I'd be glad to hear them. Have a good day.
Mb
1. Frank Shorter- He along with Steve Prefontaine really started a running boom in America. Won the Olympic Marathon in 1972 and finished 2nd to a drug cheat in the 1976 games. He was a 4 time U.S. Cross Country champion. From 1971 to 1973, was ranked number 1 in the world at the marathon. From 1971 to 1976 he was number one in the United States. Six separate years in the 70's he was ranked number one at the 10,000m. Personal Records (PR's) of 13:26(5k), 27:45(10k), 2:10.30 (Marathon).
2. Jim Ryun- He was the first high schooler to run under 4 minutes in the mile. His high school record of 3:55.3 stood for 36 years until broken by Alan Webb in 2001. He holds 5 of the 6 times ever run by a high schooler. Received the silver medal in the 1500m at the 1968 Olympic Games to the great Kip Keino of Kenya. He held the world record at the mile and 800m. PR's of 3:51.1 in the mile and 3:33.1 in the 1500m. In 1966 and 1967 he was ranked number in the world at the 1500/mile distance.
3. Steve Scott- He held the U.S. record in the mile for 26 years at 3:47.6. Finished 2nd in the 1500m World Championships in 1983. Ran sub-4 in the mile 136 times. Holds the U.S. indoor record in the 2k at 4:58.6. Was the first American to run under 3:50 in the mile, the 5th ever in the world. Finished 5th at the 1500m at the 1988 Olympics. Has PR's of 3:31.7 (1500m), 3:47.6 (mile), 7:36 (3k), and 13:30 (5k).
4. Steve Prefontaine- The legendary "Pre" held every American record from the 2k to the 10k at one point in his brief career. Finished 4th in the 1972 Olympics at 5000m. A noted front runner he only lost 3 times in his collegiate career at the University of Oregon. Won 3 NCAA Cross Country titles in 4 years. Holds PR's of 7:42 (3k), 13:21 (5k), 27:43 (10k). Career was ended prematurely in 1975 after a car wreck ended his life at the age of 24. Which is why he does not rank higher on this list.
5. Bill Rodgers- Four time winner of both the Boston and New York City Marathons. Ranked number one in the world at the marathon in 1975, 1977, and 1979. He won 22 marathons in his career. Holds the American records at the 15k, 20k, 25k, and 30k distances. Held the American record at one time in the Marathon with a 2:09.27 in 1979. Made the Olympic teams in the Marathon in 1976 and 1980 (U.S. boycotted these games). Finished 3rd at the World Cross Country Championships. Ran a 28:04 on the track for 10k and a 28:16 on the roads.
I feel like this is a good representation of the top distance runners that have represented America in its history. Some honorable mentions include Craig Virgin(13:19 5k, 27:29 10k), Bob Kennedy (12:58 5k-U.S. best), Bernard Lagat (lacks longevity as an American), Marty Liquori (3:36 1500m), Ryan Hall (2:06.17 in the marathon, 59:43 in the half-marathon, huge potential to enter this list in a couple years if he can remain healthy and win some big races), and Alan Webb (U.S. record holder in mile, 13:10 5k, 27:34 10k, lacks big race wins, more of a time trialer I think). If others were left off, I apologize, as I am sure there are plenty of other good runners that I have not mentioned. For all of you runners and former runners out there, I would gladly like to see your thoughts and opinions on this list. If you do disagree, give me some stats and facts to back it up. I'd be glad to hear them. Have a good day.
Mb
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Daily Snippet
Good evening from the halls of Bentley Dormitory on the campus of Lees-McRae College. Just chilling here this evening, watching some basketball, and relaxing from a busy academic and athletic day. Began around 7:30 this morning with a rather sluggish and begrudgingly rise out of bed after a restless night of sleep. Had another uneventful, bland breakfast this morning. Some french toast, eggs, OJ and something else that does not really stand out in my mind. Same types of breakfasts I have had over the last 4 years, while sometimes it is the best meal of the day at McDonald Dining Hall, it has never changed and always makes me long for something more.
Academics began with Business Ethics which consists of a student teaching and leading a discussion on the WorldCom/MCI accounting fraud that occurred a few years ago. Basically they were putting their expenses and assets in places that they should not be, creating a false sense of how well the company is actually doing. The CEO Bernard Ebbers tried to play off him self as a folksy, good ole boy from Mississippi who would wear cowboy boots and jeans to work. Interesting in how he kept trying to sell the company even after it was down to nearly $2 a share after peaking around $60. He said if it were up to him he would gamble on WorldCom. Really you would? This was a man who would spend millions and millions of dollars on yachts, multiple houses with large tracts of land. These were all backed by loans and stock options, which is OK if the stock is high, but very risky when stocks get low. He was basically a greedy SOB, who loved to micromanage, even charging his own employees to drink coffee from the coffee machines owned at their business, and is currently serving a 25 year sentence for securities fraud which will put him in jail until he is 88 years old.
After this class, I had about an hour and a half to chill while preparing for my 11 o'clock class. Spent this time listening to some tunes, surfing the net, catching up on the latest gossip, and doing some prep work for a role play in Professional Selling. This particular role play included a 3 person group where one person was the observer, one person was the buyer and one person was the seller. This was the second time we had done this in this class. Each person has to play each role. The seller was trying to solve a problem where the buyer's company had a leakage in their fertilizer and the seller had to make sure it was taken care of and also had to sell them a new product based on the needs of the buyer. As the seller you had to pay close attention and actively listen by asking the right questions to find out what the buyer was looking for. It was important to establish good dialogue and see if you can sell a new product or service to them. I came up with the service of actually laying down the fertilizer at their place of business based upon the dialogue we had established.
After this I ate some ham, mashed potatoes, peas, and peaches for another stellar, bathroom calling meal in the cafeteria. 1pm saw the departure to Johnson City for a small track meet hosted by Milligan College. I, along with the rest of my teammates competed in a 1500m duel, where times were unspectacular but competition was fierce. After that saw 5 guys off to do battle in the 3000m. Again competition was solid, and bragging rights were determined. 800m was not fast, but those competing, competed pretty well for the most part. The highlight to me was seeing Brad Tanis run a 1:58 800m after never having ran it before in his track career. All in all a good preview of things to come as we wind on down the road of track season. That's all I got for now. I hope you enjoyed this snippet into my daily life activities. Good night.
Mb
Academics began with Business Ethics which consists of a student teaching and leading a discussion on the WorldCom/MCI accounting fraud that occurred a few years ago. Basically they were putting their expenses and assets in places that they should not be, creating a false sense of how well the company is actually doing. The CEO Bernard Ebbers tried to play off him self as a folksy, good ole boy from Mississippi who would wear cowboy boots and jeans to work. Interesting in how he kept trying to sell the company even after it was down to nearly $2 a share after peaking around $60. He said if it were up to him he would gamble on WorldCom. Really you would? This was a man who would spend millions and millions of dollars on yachts, multiple houses with large tracts of land. These were all backed by loans and stock options, which is OK if the stock is high, but very risky when stocks get low. He was basically a greedy SOB, who loved to micromanage, even charging his own employees to drink coffee from the coffee machines owned at their business, and is currently serving a 25 year sentence for securities fraud which will put him in jail until he is 88 years old.
After this class, I had about an hour and a half to chill while preparing for my 11 o'clock class. Spent this time listening to some tunes, surfing the net, catching up on the latest gossip, and doing some prep work for a role play in Professional Selling. This particular role play included a 3 person group where one person was the observer, one person was the buyer and one person was the seller. This was the second time we had done this in this class. Each person has to play each role. The seller was trying to solve a problem where the buyer's company had a leakage in their fertilizer and the seller had to make sure it was taken care of and also had to sell them a new product based on the needs of the buyer. As the seller you had to pay close attention and actively listen by asking the right questions to find out what the buyer was looking for. It was important to establish good dialogue and see if you can sell a new product or service to them. I came up with the service of actually laying down the fertilizer at their place of business based upon the dialogue we had established.
After this I ate some ham, mashed potatoes, peas, and peaches for another stellar, bathroom calling meal in the cafeteria. 1pm saw the departure to Johnson City for a small track meet hosted by Milligan College. I, along with the rest of my teammates competed in a 1500m duel, where times were unspectacular but competition was fierce. After that saw 5 guys off to do battle in the 3000m. Again competition was solid, and bragging rights were determined. 800m was not fast, but those competing, competed pretty well for the most part. The highlight to me was seeing Brad Tanis run a 1:58 800m after never having ran it before in his track career. All in all a good preview of things to come as we wind on down the road of track season. That's all I got for now. I hope you enjoyed this snippet into my daily life activities. Good night.
Mb
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Top Pitchers
Yesterday I told you I was going to preview the National League, I lied. That comes next week. Today will be all about the pitchers. A list of the top 20 starting pitchers in the league this year is what I have on today's menu. So without further ado, here we go......
1. Johan Santana (30)- New York Mets
2. Roy Halladay (31)- Toronto Blue Jays
3. Jake Peavy (27)- San Diego Padres
4. C.C. Sabathia (28)- New York Yankees
5. Brandon Webb (29)- Arizona Diamondbacks
6. Tim Lincecum (24)- San Fransisco Giants
7. Cole Hamels (25)- Philadelphia Phillies
8. Cliff Lee (30)- Cleveland Indians
9. Jon Lester (25)- Boston Red Sox
10. Roy Oswalt (31)- Houston Astros
11. John Lackey (30)- Los Angeles Angels
12. Daisuke Matzuzaka (28)- Boston Red Sox
13. Dan Haren (28)- Arizona Diamondbacks
14. Derek Lowe (35)- Atlanta Braves
15. Scott Kazmir (25)- Tampa Bay Rays
16. James Shields (27)- Tampa Bay Rays
17. Felix Hernandez (22)- Seattle Mariners
18. Ervin Santana (26)- Los Angeles Angels
19. Chad Billingsley (24)- Los Angeles Dodgers
20. A.J. Burnett (32)- New York Yankees
First off, this was really hard to pick. Harder than I imagined it would be. The top 6-7 are the elite pitchers in the league who have established themselves as top notch pitchers over the last few years. The top 3 or 4 are interchangeable at the top. Guys like Lester and Lee are really good and I like the way they go about their business. They just need a few more consistent years under their belts. All the rest of these guys are a mixture of vets and young guys who are consistently in the mid 3's with their ERA's. They usually pitch close to 200 innings and if they don't they are usually big time strikeout guys. If Kazmir could stay healthy he could rise up the charts and if Felix Hernandez continues to grow as a pitcher his potential is limitless. The bottom few could easily be replaced by some others on the outside who I did not have a good feeling about yet. Guys like Edinson Volquez of the Reds, Zach Greinke, Matt Cain, Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza are some of the other guys I considered for the last few spots, as well as Josh Beckett, who could be on this list if he could stay healthy. He is an amazingly clutch pitcher come postseason time and he has the stuff to create some havoc.
That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed my latest Baseball Wednesday. Feel free to comment about this and other blogs and give me some feedback and suggestions. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
Mb
1. Johan Santana (30)- New York Mets
2. Roy Halladay (31)- Toronto Blue Jays
3. Jake Peavy (27)- San Diego Padres
4. C.C. Sabathia (28)- New York Yankees
5. Brandon Webb (29)- Arizona Diamondbacks
6. Tim Lincecum (24)- San Fransisco Giants
7. Cole Hamels (25)- Philadelphia Phillies
8. Cliff Lee (30)- Cleveland Indians
9. Jon Lester (25)- Boston Red Sox
10. Roy Oswalt (31)- Houston Astros
11. John Lackey (30)- Los Angeles Angels
12. Daisuke Matzuzaka (28)- Boston Red Sox
13. Dan Haren (28)- Arizona Diamondbacks
14. Derek Lowe (35)- Atlanta Braves
15. Scott Kazmir (25)- Tampa Bay Rays
16. James Shields (27)- Tampa Bay Rays
17. Felix Hernandez (22)- Seattle Mariners
18. Ervin Santana (26)- Los Angeles Angels
19. Chad Billingsley (24)- Los Angeles Dodgers
20. A.J. Burnett (32)- New York Yankees
First off, this was really hard to pick. Harder than I imagined it would be. The top 6-7 are the elite pitchers in the league who have established themselves as top notch pitchers over the last few years. The top 3 or 4 are interchangeable at the top. Guys like Lester and Lee are really good and I like the way they go about their business. They just need a few more consistent years under their belts. All the rest of these guys are a mixture of vets and young guys who are consistently in the mid 3's with their ERA's. They usually pitch close to 200 innings and if they don't they are usually big time strikeout guys. If Kazmir could stay healthy he could rise up the charts and if Felix Hernandez continues to grow as a pitcher his potential is limitless. The bottom few could easily be replaced by some others on the outside who I did not have a good feeling about yet. Guys like Edinson Volquez of the Reds, Zach Greinke, Matt Cain, Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza are some of the other guys I considered for the last few spots, as well as Josh Beckett, who could be on this list if he could stay healthy. He is an amazingly clutch pitcher come postseason time and he has the stuff to create some havoc.
That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed my latest Baseball Wednesday. Feel free to comment about this and other blogs and give me some feedback and suggestions. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
Mb
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Random Thoughts
Just some random notes for you today. Enjoy the weather for today, "the stache" forecasts some rain coming down from the skies, so be wary of that.
Over the spring break, got a chance to visit the King Tut museum at the Civic Center in downtown Atlanta. It was really neat, had a lot of cool artifacts that were thousands of years old. The actual King Tut section had some cool stuff like his actual bed that he slept on. It is amazing thing to see when you put it all into perspective.
We have two months til G-Day, graduation day May 23. Looking forward to it like nobodies business, if that makes any sense.
This weekend saw the debut of outdoor track for the Lees-McRae Bobcats. Some notable performances by the distance squad, Craig Simpkins (bowl cut twin)with a 15:44 5k, Chris "Critter" Holstein 15:50 5k (a few seconds off his personal best of 2 years ago), 15:58 5k for Nathaniel Trimble, aka baby Jesus, first time under 16 minutes for the 5k, and a 16:05 personal best for Jordan Gillespie (bowl cut twin) in the 5k as well (which if you are unfamiliar with the distance is 3.1 miles, 12.5 laps on your standard track.) Luke Anton, Transylvania's finest, with two real good races this weekend with a 2:02 800m and a huge PR of 4:10 in the 1500m, defeating the legend Critter Holstein in a 1500m duel for the ages. Also props go out to Micheal "MC Hammer" Davis for his solid performances this weekend, 2:02 and 4:10 as well. Also this cat named Matt Barrett ("the stache") had some decent performances with a 4:23 1500m (about a second off a personal best) and a 2:07 800m, a mere 3 seconds away from tying a personal best. I forecast good things to come for the Bobcats distance squad.
Props go out to the Atlanta Hawks for their 8th straight home win over the hapless Minnesota Timberwolves, who have not been much of a factor since Al Jefferson went down with a season ending injury about a month ago. They currently hold the 4th spot in the Eastern Conference, a 3.5 game lead on the Miami Heat with 11 games left to play. The key for the recent success has been a balanced offensive approach and a more close attention to the defensive side of the ball.
This week sees the end of the World Baseball Classic and the return of Chipper Jones, Brian McCann and Garrett Anderson to the Braves lineup. These guys are going to be in the heart of the order for the Bravos this year. So it is key they stay healthy. With 12 days until opening night in Philadelphia, there are still a couple spots up for grabs. I would personally like to see Jordan Schafer in CF over Josh Anderson, who is out of options, but possesses a lot of speed. They would have to trade him if he is not on the roster opening day, assuming he does not clear waivers. Some spots in the bullpen are up for grabs, depending upon the health of Peter Moylan, Rafael Soriano, et al. I am curious to see how we use Tommy Hanson, Jo-Jo Reyes, Charlie Morton, and James Parr this year. Most if not all will be in a Braves uniform sometime this year. A lot of quality depth on this squad.
Do we need to make trades to clear up some space in the outfield and pitching rotation? This next week or so should reveal how the roster will look on opening day, which will look a lot different come summer time.
What is the Braves ideal lineup? That is an intriguing dilemma for Bobby Cox and his staff. I would like to see Shafer, Garrett Anderson, Kelly Johnson, Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, Francouer, Escobar, Kotchman as the lineup but I doubt it will come out that way.
Tomorrow's edition I will breakdown the National League and give my predictions on how the season will turn out. Take care and drive home safely. Remember to keep it classy out there and be nice and respectful to others. Peace.
Mb
Over the spring break, got a chance to visit the King Tut museum at the Civic Center in downtown Atlanta. It was really neat, had a lot of cool artifacts that were thousands of years old. The actual King Tut section had some cool stuff like his actual bed that he slept on. It is amazing thing to see when you put it all into perspective.
We have two months til G-Day, graduation day May 23. Looking forward to it like nobodies business, if that makes any sense.
This weekend saw the debut of outdoor track for the Lees-McRae Bobcats. Some notable performances by the distance squad, Craig Simpkins (bowl cut twin)with a 15:44 5k, Chris "Critter" Holstein 15:50 5k (a few seconds off his personal best of 2 years ago), 15:58 5k for Nathaniel Trimble, aka baby Jesus, first time under 16 minutes for the 5k, and a 16:05 personal best for Jordan Gillespie (bowl cut twin) in the 5k as well (which if you are unfamiliar with the distance is 3.1 miles, 12.5 laps on your standard track.) Luke Anton, Transylvania's finest, with two real good races this weekend with a 2:02 800m and a huge PR of 4:10 in the 1500m, defeating the legend Critter Holstein in a 1500m duel for the ages. Also props go out to Micheal "MC Hammer" Davis for his solid performances this weekend, 2:02 and 4:10 as well. Also this cat named Matt Barrett ("the stache") had some decent performances with a 4:23 1500m (about a second off a personal best) and a 2:07 800m, a mere 3 seconds away from tying a personal best. I forecast good things to come for the Bobcats distance squad.
Props go out to the Atlanta Hawks for their 8th straight home win over the hapless Minnesota Timberwolves, who have not been much of a factor since Al Jefferson went down with a season ending injury about a month ago. They currently hold the 4th spot in the Eastern Conference, a 3.5 game lead on the Miami Heat with 11 games left to play. The key for the recent success has been a balanced offensive approach and a more close attention to the defensive side of the ball.
This week sees the end of the World Baseball Classic and the return of Chipper Jones, Brian McCann and Garrett Anderson to the Braves lineup. These guys are going to be in the heart of the order for the Bravos this year. So it is key they stay healthy. With 12 days until opening night in Philadelphia, there are still a couple spots up for grabs. I would personally like to see Jordan Schafer in CF over Josh Anderson, who is out of options, but possesses a lot of speed. They would have to trade him if he is not on the roster opening day, assuming he does not clear waivers. Some spots in the bullpen are up for grabs, depending upon the health of Peter Moylan, Rafael Soriano, et al. I am curious to see how we use Tommy Hanson, Jo-Jo Reyes, Charlie Morton, and James Parr this year. Most if not all will be in a Braves uniform sometime this year. A lot of quality depth on this squad.
Do we need to make trades to clear up some space in the outfield and pitching rotation? This next week or so should reveal how the roster will look on opening day, which will look a lot different come summer time.
What is the Braves ideal lineup? That is an intriguing dilemma for Bobby Cox and his staff. I would like to see Shafer, Garrett Anderson, Kelly Johnson, Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, Francouer, Escobar, Kotchman as the lineup but I doubt it will come out that way.
Tomorrow's edition I will breakdown the National League and give my predictions on how the season will turn out. Take care and drive home safely. Remember to keep it classy out there and be nice and respectful to others. Peace.
Mb
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Saturday Top 5 on Sunday
Busy day yesterday kept me away from the computer for most of the day. After having one of the best sleeps I have had in several days, I will give you the traditional "Saturday Top 5," on Sunday. As well as sharing some other random thoughts that have crossed through my mind recently. Without further ado, here is the top 5, from something that is close to my heart, well more like my stomach, my top 5 favorite foods to eat...
1. Steak and Potatoes
Need I say much here? Those that know me well know how fond I am of this delicious meal. While at home this is the meal we partake in nearly every Sunday evening after church. How do I like my steak cooked? Mooing and blood red of course. This allows for all of the flavors to soak in the steak and in your mouth. My dad cooks one of the best around, and we can thank our local meat "guy" for providing us with quality steaks. Potatoes with some butter and cheese is an excellent compliment for the meat. Providing a delicious and satisfying meal.
2. Lasagna
Absolutely delicious, makes my mouth water just talking and thinking about it. It is at its best when the cheese, noodles, and sauce all melt together in your mouth. It is served best steaming hot and not solidified but more like a mixture of liquid and solid, if that makes any sense. A perfect compliment to this is any type of bread or role. A lot of times at the house we will have homemade bread served with this, that just melts in your moth. Excellent meal.
3. Hot Wings
Any kind, any day of the week with these fellas. At restaurants, sports bars, best at the house, where my dad puts them on the grill with a special hot sauce. Mouth watering and mouth burning describes these suckers the best. Again carbohydrates find its way into the discussion, french fries are the best compliment to serve with wings. It helps to cool down the mouth a little to give yourself a break from the hotness of the hot wings.
4. Ribs
Notice a trend here? More meat. These are a great late spring/summer food to be served with some type of your favorite vegetables. A good, sitting out on the deck and chowing down to enjoy as you watch the sun set on another warm southern evening. When I think of ribs I think of a couple things. One, you can be sloppy with these suckers. If you like them with BBQ sauce hot off the grill like I do, there is not much better. I like to eat these without utensils, using only my fingers and my mouth. The other thing I think of is, 4th of July, seems like the ideal meal on this great day. Corn on the cob, buttered up is the ideal compliment but others are acceptable.
5. Pizza
Ah, the traditional favorite food by many of us out there. One of my lifelong favorites. Melting cheese, sauce, and bread in combination together. I like it many ways, thin crust, thick crust, somewhere in between. Pepperoni is probably my favorite. There is no ideal compliment to have with a slice of pizza. Usually served separate, you do not need much to compliment with this other than a cold beverage.
I hope I made you hungry. I know it did for me, too bad I have to be at home to enjoy most of these foods. The quality, or lack thereof, of food in the school cafeteria makes you really appreciate the good food that you do get the pleasure of having.
Random thoughts from the last few days. Glad to see the Hawks positioning themselves for a home court first round playoff series. This would be huge for us to get and great to see the development of this squad from the one a few years ago that only won 13 games. Some surprises in the tournament include Dayton knocking off West Virginia (so much for that being the 1st round lock of the tournament), Cleveland State over Wake Forest, and that is pretty much it in my book. Everything else I could see coming. Opening day for the Bravos is 2 short weeks away. It will be interesting to see if we make any moves with the roster we currently have. With the outdoor track season in full swing now, I look forward to the speeding by of these next few weeks until the end of the school year. In two short months from now I will be done and on to the next phase of my life. Where and what will that be? Only God knows the answer to that, and that will come in his time, not mine. Anticipation, anxious, and relief are the best ways to describe the emotions I am feeling about this.
Take care out there. I am going to leave you some song lyrics to one of my favorite bands and songs. Make you want to take a road trip out to where ever and whenever with the sun beating down on our head and the windows open, ready to take on whatever comes your way.
America: "Ventura Highway"
"Ventura Highway in the sunshine
Where the days are longer
The nights are stronger than moonshine
You're gonna go I know
'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons cryin' no despair
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air"
1. Steak and Potatoes
Need I say much here? Those that know me well know how fond I am of this delicious meal. While at home this is the meal we partake in nearly every Sunday evening after church. How do I like my steak cooked? Mooing and blood red of course. This allows for all of the flavors to soak in the steak and in your mouth. My dad cooks one of the best around, and we can thank our local meat "guy" for providing us with quality steaks. Potatoes with some butter and cheese is an excellent compliment for the meat. Providing a delicious and satisfying meal.
2. Lasagna
Absolutely delicious, makes my mouth water just talking and thinking about it. It is at its best when the cheese, noodles, and sauce all melt together in your mouth. It is served best steaming hot and not solidified but more like a mixture of liquid and solid, if that makes any sense. A perfect compliment to this is any type of bread or role. A lot of times at the house we will have homemade bread served with this, that just melts in your moth. Excellent meal.
3. Hot Wings
Any kind, any day of the week with these fellas. At restaurants, sports bars, best at the house, where my dad puts them on the grill with a special hot sauce. Mouth watering and mouth burning describes these suckers the best. Again carbohydrates find its way into the discussion, french fries are the best compliment to serve with wings. It helps to cool down the mouth a little to give yourself a break from the hotness of the hot wings.
4. Ribs
Notice a trend here? More meat. These are a great late spring/summer food to be served with some type of your favorite vegetables. A good, sitting out on the deck and chowing down to enjoy as you watch the sun set on another warm southern evening. When I think of ribs I think of a couple things. One, you can be sloppy with these suckers. If you like them with BBQ sauce hot off the grill like I do, there is not much better. I like to eat these without utensils, using only my fingers and my mouth. The other thing I think of is, 4th of July, seems like the ideal meal on this great day. Corn on the cob, buttered up is the ideal compliment but others are acceptable.
5. Pizza
Ah, the traditional favorite food by many of us out there. One of my lifelong favorites. Melting cheese, sauce, and bread in combination together. I like it many ways, thin crust, thick crust, somewhere in between. Pepperoni is probably my favorite. There is no ideal compliment to have with a slice of pizza. Usually served separate, you do not need much to compliment with this other than a cold beverage.
I hope I made you hungry. I know it did for me, too bad I have to be at home to enjoy most of these foods. The quality, or lack thereof, of food in the school cafeteria makes you really appreciate the good food that you do get the pleasure of having.
Random thoughts from the last few days. Glad to see the Hawks positioning themselves for a home court first round playoff series. This would be huge for us to get and great to see the development of this squad from the one a few years ago that only won 13 games. Some surprises in the tournament include Dayton knocking off West Virginia (so much for that being the 1st round lock of the tournament), Cleveland State over Wake Forest, and that is pretty much it in my book. Everything else I could see coming. Opening day for the Bravos is 2 short weeks away. It will be interesting to see if we make any moves with the roster we currently have. With the outdoor track season in full swing now, I look forward to the speeding by of these next few weeks until the end of the school year. In two short months from now I will be done and on to the next phase of my life. Where and what will that be? Only God knows the answer to that, and that will come in his time, not mine. Anticipation, anxious, and relief are the best ways to describe the emotions I am feeling about this.
Take care out there. I am going to leave you some song lyrics to one of my favorite bands and songs. Make you want to take a road trip out to where ever and whenever with the sun beating down on our head and the windows open, ready to take on whatever comes your way.
America: "Ventura Highway"
"Ventura Highway in the sunshine
Where the days are longer
The nights are stronger than moonshine
You're gonna go I know
'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons cryin' no despair
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air"
Friday, March 20, 2009
The Glory Years
This will be another quickie, as it is late I am tired from a long day at the track down at Wake Forest. Which is by the way a very nice track facility. Is there anything that makes you feel more helpless than when you are stuck in a van with no headphones and intolerable music blaring on the radio? Welcome to the Friday night edition of "the stache." Where my bracket currently is sitting at 24-4, with only one substantial loss, thanks West Virginia, the lock of the first round my butt.
On the way back from today's race, I was under the extreme misfortune to have to listen to about 30 minutes worth of country music. How miserable is that. My Ipod mysteriously quit working about 2 months ago so I had nothing to save me from this insanity. I mean there was no rhythm or anything good about the music we were listening to. It sounded like nails on the chalkboard, I mean it was that bad. There is some country I can stand, but that extends to about half a dozen songs, but what were listening to was just pure misery. It was awful. There that clears that up for ya. You do not realize how powerful headphones can be until you are without them on a 2 hour bus ride.
One thing good did come out of this trip back to school. Once Rip Van Winkle woke up, a.k.a Luke Anton, we had a nice chat about old school NBA from the 90's. It was fun recalling some of our favorite teams, the late 90's Indiana Pacers with Rick Smits, Chris Mullen, Mark Jackson, and Reggie Miller to name a few. I could name some other key contributors but that would probably bore you to death. A lot of lefties, a lot of white guys and a lot of clutch guys. They were coached by the great Larry Bird. Some other teams of note, the Seattle Supersonics, Gary Payton, Hersey Hawkins, Detlef Schrempf, and Shawn Kemp, led by the great George Karl. Kemp was a powerful player back in the day before he got fat and slow. Also reminiscing about some of the players on the late 90's Atlanta Hawks, back when they were good before they sucked for a decade until reemerging the last 2 seasons. Players such as Mookie Blaylock, Steve Smith, Dikembe Mutumbo, Christian Laettner, to name a few. We even had the great Rasheed Wallace for one game in the earlier part of this decade before shipping him off to Detroit in a three way deal with the Celtics, that gave the Hawks Bob Sura the incomparable Zeljko Rebraca and Chris Mills. Other teams of note, the Milwaukee Bucks, with Ray Allen (Jesus Shuttlesworth), Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson, and Sam Cassell. The Detroit Pistons with the teal uniforms and Grant Hill, Joe Dumars, Theo Ratliff and Co. Those were the days I began to watch the NBA and begin my fascination over the memorization of rosters. One of the first NBA Finals I remember was the 1995 Finals that pitted Shaquille O'Neal vs. one of my favorite players of all time Hakeem "the dream" Olajuwon. Those were just a few of the names and teams from this era of great NBA basketball. I would be remiss if I did not mention Stockton to Malone the New York Knicks of Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Charles Oakley, and Charlie Ward. Also the NBA on NBC with Bob Costas and Co., with the all time best theme music to go along with it. If you watched basketball in this era you know what I am talking about.
I hope you enjoyed the latest edition of "the stache." I know I did because it brought back memories of my childhood where innocence rained supreme in my mind and body. Take care and keep it real out there. Stay classy San Diego.
Mb
On the way back from today's race, I was under the extreme misfortune to have to listen to about 30 minutes worth of country music. How miserable is that. My Ipod mysteriously quit working about 2 months ago so I had nothing to save me from this insanity. I mean there was no rhythm or anything good about the music we were listening to. It sounded like nails on the chalkboard, I mean it was that bad. There is some country I can stand, but that extends to about half a dozen songs, but what were listening to was just pure misery. It was awful. There that clears that up for ya. You do not realize how powerful headphones can be until you are without them on a 2 hour bus ride.
One thing good did come out of this trip back to school. Once Rip Van Winkle woke up, a.k.a Luke Anton, we had a nice chat about old school NBA from the 90's. It was fun recalling some of our favorite teams, the late 90's Indiana Pacers with Rick Smits, Chris Mullen, Mark Jackson, and Reggie Miller to name a few. I could name some other key contributors but that would probably bore you to death. A lot of lefties, a lot of white guys and a lot of clutch guys. They were coached by the great Larry Bird. Some other teams of note, the Seattle Supersonics, Gary Payton, Hersey Hawkins, Detlef Schrempf, and Shawn Kemp, led by the great George Karl. Kemp was a powerful player back in the day before he got fat and slow. Also reminiscing about some of the players on the late 90's Atlanta Hawks, back when they were good before they sucked for a decade until reemerging the last 2 seasons. Players such as Mookie Blaylock, Steve Smith, Dikembe Mutumbo, Christian Laettner, to name a few. We even had the great Rasheed Wallace for one game in the earlier part of this decade before shipping him off to Detroit in a three way deal with the Celtics, that gave the Hawks Bob Sura the incomparable Zeljko Rebraca and Chris Mills. Other teams of note, the Milwaukee Bucks, with Ray Allen (Jesus Shuttlesworth), Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson, and Sam Cassell. The Detroit Pistons with the teal uniforms and Grant Hill, Joe Dumars, Theo Ratliff and Co. Those were the days I began to watch the NBA and begin my fascination over the memorization of rosters. One of the first NBA Finals I remember was the 1995 Finals that pitted Shaquille O'Neal vs. one of my favorite players of all time Hakeem "the dream" Olajuwon. Those were just a few of the names and teams from this era of great NBA basketball. I would be remiss if I did not mention Stockton to Malone the New York Knicks of Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Charles Oakley, and Charlie Ward. Also the NBA on NBC with Bob Costas and Co., with the all time best theme music to go along with it. If you watched basketball in this era you know what I am talking about.
I hope you enjoyed the latest edition of "the stache." I know I did because it brought back memories of my childhood where innocence rained supreme in my mind and body. Take care and keep it real out there. Stay classy San Diego.
Mb
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Spring Anew
What an exciting first day of the tournament we have had so far. I'll keep this post relatively short, as it is late and I am tired from the trip up to school today. Pretty impressed with myself for not having to stop at all today, covering the trip in just over 5 hours, really good time. My all time best over my four years of traveling back and forth was 4 hours 45 minutes. That time will never be topped, cops are all over the interstate now, they have caught on to my expedient travels.
Folks we are in prime time sports peakness (is that even a word). We have the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, NBA is about a month away from the playoffs, baseball starts in a little over 2 weeks, spring football has started at many colleges and universities, and outdoor track is heating up all over the south east. This time of year is all about opportunity. Opportunity to make up for poor performances and opportunity to do things that you have not had the chance to do in the past. Spring gives opportunities for so many new things to happen. Opportunities to do so many things are abundant among us. Spring Break is a time used by many students to rejuvenate themselves as they hit the stretch run of the scholastic year. For us seniors out there, it is a time to regroup and make one last final push. The finish line is soon approaching, what will meet those of us when we leave these places we have called home over the last 4-5 years. Spring is in bloom in many places around the country. My optimism is at an all time high, well at least in the last year plus or so. I feel good about so many things, not just in sports, but in life in general. Spending time driving in the car by yourself is good therapy for your mind as it allows for you to think about so many different things. I enjoy these trips for the most part, as long traffic is not too bad, and people do not drive too slow. It is a good time for reflection, and if needed, vent and yell scream some of your favorite songs as they blare on out on the radio. You can let a drive stress you out or you can embrace it and look for the opportunities that it offers to clear your head and spend some quality time with yourself. Look for the positive in any situation. Spring is a great time to clean yourself up and start anew. When one door closes another one opens. Stay positive. Take care and stay cool out there. The weather is warming, the bees are buzzing, Spring is here at last.
Mb
Folks we are in prime time sports peakness (is that even a word). We have the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, NBA is about a month away from the playoffs, baseball starts in a little over 2 weeks, spring football has started at many colleges and universities, and outdoor track is heating up all over the south east. This time of year is all about opportunity. Opportunity to make up for poor performances and opportunity to do things that you have not had the chance to do in the past. Spring gives opportunities for so many new things to happen. Opportunities to do so many things are abundant among us. Spring Break is a time used by many students to rejuvenate themselves as they hit the stretch run of the scholastic year. For us seniors out there, it is a time to regroup and make one last final push. The finish line is soon approaching, what will meet those of us when we leave these places we have called home over the last 4-5 years. Spring is in bloom in many places around the country. My optimism is at an all time high, well at least in the last year plus or so. I feel good about so many things, not just in sports, but in life in general. Spending time driving in the car by yourself is good therapy for your mind as it allows for you to think about so many different things. I enjoy these trips for the most part, as long traffic is not too bad, and people do not drive too slow. It is a good time for reflection, and if needed, vent and yell scream some of your favorite songs as they blare on out on the radio. You can let a drive stress you out or you can embrace it and look for the opportunities that it offers to clear your head and spend some quality time with yourself. Look for the positive in any situation. Spring is a great time to clean yourself up and start anew. When one door closes another one opens. Stay positive. Take care and stay cool out there. The weather is warming, the bees are buzzing, Spring is here at last.
Mb
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Outfielders
Good evening, from the kitchen table of our house in Douglasville, aka DVille, aka DVegas, aka DMoney. Before I get into my baseball rankings, I would like to touch on one last thing before the NCAA Tournament begins tomorrow afternoon. The tournament does not need to expand by any amount. There are already enough average teams in there that would not win the title anyways, so we do not need any more average teams in the tournament. If we do that it will turn into the NCAA Football bowl system where teams are rewarded for going 6-6. Not every team in the country needs to play in the postseason. I think we are too worried about pleasing as many people as possible, instead of doing the right thing, the tough thing. I like the system Jay Bilas has proposed about doing away with all the automatic bids and just selecting the best 64 teams, but I still like the smaller conference tournaments. The bigger ones have lost some of their luster I think. Just my two cents on that. Now onto baseball. Tonight I will go through the rankings of the outfielders, RF, CF, LF. Parentheses equals age on April 1, 2009.
Right Field
1. Vladimir Guerrero (34)- Los Angeles Angels
2. Magglio Ordonez (35)- Detroit Tigers
3. Ichiro Suzuki (35)- Seattle Mariners
4. Nick Markakis (25)- Baltimore Orioles
5. Brad Hawpe (30)- Colorado Rockies
6. Jermaine Dye (35)- Chicago White Sox
7. Milton Bradley (30)- Chicago Cubs
8. Alex Rios (28)- Toronto Blue Jays
9. Corey Hart (27)- Milwaukee Brewers
10. Hunter Pence (25)- Houston Astros
One thing that has jumped out at me is there are a lot of old geezers at this position. Some of that has to do with that these players are just that good, another thing it tells me is that there are a lot of younger players who have not established themselves as consistent threats. A few names to look out for our Jeff Francouer, Jay Bruce, and Justin Upton. Guerrero has consistently been at the top of his position for most of the decade, while his numbers have slipped recently, he is still a threat. All of the years he spent on the Olympic Stadium turf have really beat up his legs, which has hurt his speed and has led to a lot of times at DH and on the disabled list. Magglio Ordonez has really stepped it up the last couple of seasons for the Tigers. Ichiro is one of the most dynamic players in the game, their is nothing he cannot do on the baseball field. He has the best arm in the game, great range, great base runner, if the two other guys had not put up great numbers the last 2 years he would be number 1. Markakis is one of the few young guys on this list. A really solid player for the Orioles. Him, Hawpe and Dye are in that second tier of RF after the big 3, and ahead of the rest because of their consistency and ability to stay healthy. Bradley is a really good player but he cannot seem to stay on the field. The top 10 is rounded out with some youth. Hart and Pence are both young, fast, dynamic players, who are exciting to watch.
Center Field
1. Carlos Beltran (31)- New York Mets
2. Josh Hamilton (27)- Texas Rangers
3. Grady Sizemore (26)- Cleveland Indians
4. Torii Hunter (33)- Los Angeles Angels
5. Curtis Granderson (28)- Detroit Tigers
6. B.J. Upton (24)- Tampa Bay Rays
7. Shane Victorino (28)- Philadelphia Phillies
8. Vernon Wells (30)- Toronto Blue Jays
9. Nate McLouth (27)- Pittsburgh Pirates
10. Matt Kemp (24)- Los Angeles Dodgers
This position does have some youth and I like it a little bit more than RF. Multiple Gold Glovers on here, a lot of speed and dynamic players as well, headed by switch hitter Carlos Beltran. Consistent power threat and stolen base threat, he helps the Mets offense churn in the heart of their lineup. Josh Hamilton, he is "The Natural, Roy Hobbs" reincarnated. His display at the All-Star Game HR Derby was something to behold. I can only hope he stays healthy and away from the things that have haunted him in the past. He could become the best player in the game today. Sizemore is a helluva athlete and the catalyst for the Indians. A 30-30 guy last season (HR and SB), who also happened to win a Gold Glove, great young player. The next few guys are just a little below the top few, not quite the consistency and explosiveness as the top 3, but still really good players. Hunter, Granderson, Upton, Victorino can all go get it and can all play great defense in center. Upton has the potential to rise if he can regain some of the power he lost last season. McLouth is an outstanding defensive player with good power. Kemp has a lot of potential to great things. I love watching these guys play.
Left Field
1. Manny Ramirez (36)- Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Matt Holliday (29)- Oakland Athletics
3. Ryan Braun (25)- Milwaukee Brewers
4. Alfonso Soriano (33)- Chicago Cubs
5. Carlos Lee (32)- Houston Astros
6. Jason Bay (30)- Boston Red Sox
7. Bob Abreau (35)- Los Angeles Angels
8. Carlos Quentin (26)- Chicago White Sox
9. Raul Ibanez (36)- Philadelphia Phillies
10. Carl Crawford (27)- Tampa Bay Rays
This position is pretty solid, a variety of players on this list, from the pure sluggers to the speedsters to the guys who can do a little of both. Manny despite all of his shenanigans is one of the best hitters to walk the planet Earth. .314 career average, 527 HR, 1725 RBI (12 out of last 14 last seasons over 100 RBI). Holliday and Braun are tremendous offensive players, really exciting to watch. Soriano is one of my least favorite players, what a showboat and "me" guy, but he can hit and he can run. The rest of the guys on the list are really solid offensive players, some players are know for their offense, guys like Crawford known for their speed and defensive ability. Abreau and Lee are really consistent .300-100 RBI guys. Overall solid position.
Hope you enjoyed these latest rankings. Next time you hear from me I will be in the mountains of North Carolina. TTFN. Ta ta for now.
Mb
Right Field
1. Vladimir Guerrero (34)- Los Angeles Angels
2. Magglio Ordonez (35)- Detroit Tigers
3. Ichiro Suzuki (35)- Seattle Mariners
4. Nick Markakis (25)- Baltimore Orioles
5. Brad Hawpe (30)- Colorado Rockies
6. Jermaine Dye (35)- Chicago White Sox
7. Milton Bradley (30)- Chicago Cubs
8. Alex Rios (28)- Toronto Blue Jays
9. Corey Hart (27)- Milwaukee Brewers
10. Hunter Pence (25)- Houston Astros
One thing that has jumped out at me is there are a lot of old geezers at this position. Some of that has to do with that these players are just that good, another thing it tells me is that there are a lot of younger players who have not established themselves as consistent threats. A few names to look out for our Jeff Francouer, Jay Bruce, and Justin Upton. Guerrero has consistently been at the top of his position for most of the decade, while his numbers have slipped recently, he is still a threat. All of the years he spent on the Olympic Stadium turf have really beat up his legs, which has hurt his speed and has led to a lot of times at DH and on the disabled list. Magglio Ordonez has really stepped it up the last couple of seasons for the Tigers. Ichiro is one of the most dynamic players in the game, their is nothing he cannot do on the baseball field. He has the best arm in the game, great range, great base runner, if the two other guys had not put up great numbers the last 2 years he would be number 1. Markakis is one of the few young guys on this list. A really solid player for the Orioles. Him, Hawpe and Dye are in that second tier of RF after the big 3, and ahead of the rest because of their consistency and ability to stay healthy. Bradley is a really good player but he cannot seem to stay on the field. The top 10 is rounded out with some youth. Hart and Pence are both young, fast, dynamic players, who are exciting to watch.
Center Field
1. Carlos Beltran (31)- New York Mets
2. Josh Hamilton (27)- Texas Rangers
3. Grady Sizemore (26)- Cleveland Indians
4. Torii Hunter (33)- Los Angeles Angels
5. Curtis Granderson (28)- Detroit Tigers
6. B.J. Upton (24)- Tampa Bay Rays
7. Shane Victorino (28)- Philadelphia Phillies
8. Vernon Wells (30)- Toronto Blue Jays
9. Nate McLouth (27)- Pittsburgh Pirates
10. Matt Kemp (24)- Los Angeles Dodgers
This position does have some youth and I like it a little bit more than RF. Multiple Gold Glovers on here, a lot of speed and dynamic players as well, headed by switch hitter Carlos Beltran. Consistent power threat and stolen base threat, he helps the Mets offense churn in the heart of their lineup. Josh Hamilton, he is "The Natural, Roy Hobbs" reincarnated. His display at the All-Star Game HR Derby was something to behold. I can only hope he stays healthy and away from the things that have haunted him in the past. He could become the best player in the game today. Sizemore is a helluva athlete and the catalyst for the Indians. A 30-30 guy last season (HR and SB), who also happened to win a Gold Glove, great young player. The next few guys are just a little below the top few, not quite the consistency and explosiveness as the top 3, but still really good players. Hunter, Granderson, Upton, Victorino can all go get it and can all play great defense in center. Upton has the potential to rise if he can regain some of the power he lost last season. McLouth is an outstanding defensive player with good power. Kemp has a lot of potential to great things. I love watching these guys play.
Left Field
1. Manny Ramirez (36)- Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Matt Holliday (29)- Oakland Athletics
3. Ryan Braun (25)- Milwaukee Brewers
4. Alfonso Soriano (33)- Chicago Cubs
5. Carlos Lee (32)- Houston Astros
6. Jason Bay (30)- Boston Red Sox
7. Bob Abreau (35)- Los Angeles Angels
8. Carlos Quentin (26)- Chicago White Sox
9. Raul Ibanez (36)- Philadelphia Phillies
10. Carl Crawford (27)- Tampa Bay Rays
This position is pretty solid, a variety of players on this list, from the pure sluggers to the speedsters to the guys who can do a little of both. Manny despite all of his shenanigans is one of the best hitters to walk the planet Earth. .314 career average, 527 HR, 1725 RBI (12 out of last 14 last seasons over 100 RBI). Holliday and Braun are tremendous offensive players, really exciting to watch. Soriano is one of my least favorite players, what a showboat and "me" guy, but he can hit and he can run. The rest of the guys on the list are really solid offensive players, some players are know for their offense, guys like Crawford known for their speed and defensive ability. Abreau and Lee are really consistent .300-100 RBI guys. Overall solid position.
Hope you enjoyed these latest rankings. Next time you hear from me I will be in the mountains of North Carolina. TTFN. Ta ta for now.
Mb
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Bracket Breakdown
First I would like to give a shout out to a few local teams in the area. The Atlanta Hawks, who are on a five game winning streak, looking to extend it to 6 tonight against the hapless Sacramento Kings, the Atlanta Thrashers who are currently riding a 6 game winning streak, the longest in the history of the franchise, and the Georgia Bulldogs who begin spring practice today. Too early for serious football talk, but I will begin to filter that in as the NFL draft approaches next month. Now onto the heart of the matter, tourney talk. Today's blog entry will give all of my picks, I know you are dieing to see them,so after much deliberation and careful thought, here they are...
Midwest Region
1st round
Louisville over play-in game winner
Siena over Ohio State
Arizona over Utah
Wake Forest over Cleveland St.
West Virginia over Dayton
Kansas over North Dakota St.
USC over Boston College
Michigan State over Robert Morris
2nd round
Louisville over Siena
Wake Forest over Arizona
West Virginia over Kansas
Michigan State over USC
Sweet 16
Louisville over Wake Forest
West Virginia over Michigan State
Region Final
Louisville over West Virginia
Breakdown: This is the top region in the tournament in my opinion. It is also the one that has given me the most trouble in deciding who will come out of this part of the bracket. I strongly considered Wake Forest, but I think there inconsistency outweighs the talent that they have. I also strongly consider the Spartans of Michigan State, but I think they have too many injury concerns and some confidence issues to deal with. Those are the two teams that I can see giving the most pause for concern. I do think West Virginia will make a solid run because of the matchups they face with inexperienced Kansas and questionable Michigan State. They could lose to Kansas in the second round, but we shall see soon enough.
West
1st round
Connecticut over Chattanooga
Texas A&M over BYU
Purdue over Northern Iowa
Washington over Mississippi State
Marquette over Utah State
Missouri over Cornell
Maryland over California
Memphis over CS Northridge
2nd round
Connecticut over Texas A&M
Washington over Purdue
Missouri over Marquette
Memphis over Maryland
Sweet 16
Connecticut over Washington
Memphis over Missouri
Regional Final
Memphis over Connecticut
Breakdown: I cannot see too many pitfalls preventing UConn and Memphis from reaching the regional final. Memphis while untested through the regular season, is talented, well coached, and strong defensively. Something about UConn seems off recently, I think a lack of a big time scorer in clutch time is what hurts them and plus if some team has some interior presence to be physical with Hasheem Thabeet than the Huskies could be in trouble. The one matchup I had trouble with is the Washington-Purdue matchup in the second round. I went back and forth several times. I like Purdue because they just won the Big 11 Tournament and they seem to be healthy finally. I like Washington a little more because their first 2 games will be played in Portland, Oregon, giving them a home court advantage so to speak. I worry Mississippi State could give Washington trouble, but we'll see soon. Missouri plays up tempo and I think they can get past gritty Marquette who has struggled some since losing their PG. I do not think that Marquette has the fire power to go very far. Cal-Maryland is intriguing, Maryland has beat some good teams this year so they could be a sleeper to look out for. This region is solid in the middle but the cream will rise to the top in this one. I would be surprised to see anything other than UConn-Memphis in the region final.
East
1st round
Pittsburgh over ETSU
Tennessee over Oklahoma State
Florida State over Wisconsin
Xavier over Portland State
UCLA over VCU
Villanova over American
Texas over Minnesota
Duke over Binghamton
2nd round
Pittsburgh over Tennessee
Florida State over Xavier
Villanova over UCLA
Duke over Texas
Sweet 16
Pittsburgh over Florida State
Villanova over Duke
Regional Final
Pittsburgh over Villanova
Breakdown: I think this region is pretty weak. I think Tennessee has an outside shot at knocking off Pittsburgh, but their inconsistency and their lack of discipline worries me. I anticipate Florida State making a run with Toney Douglas and company, but I also worry that Wisconsin could give them trouble by slowing it down and playing physical. Villanova plays there first 2 games in Philadelphia, and this should give them a huge advantage in their first r rounds. Another game I struggled with was UCLA-VCU, VCU pulled the upset on Duke a couple years ago, but I like UCLA because of their experience and success. They are well prepared and have a great point guard in Darren Collison. Duke is an interesting case, they are not the same teams of the Dukes of yester year. They have lost some luster, but this team is tough defensively. They could make a run at the Final Four but if their shots are not dropping they could be put out by Texas in the second round. If Pittsburgh can figure a way to keep DeJuan Blair on the floor they will be a serious threat to win the whole shebang.
South
1st round
North Carolina over Radford
LSU over Butler
Western Kentucky over Illinois
Gonzaga over Akron
Temple over Arizona State
Syracuse over S.F. Austin
Clemson over Michigan
Oklahoma over Morgan State
2nd round
North Carolina over LSU
Gonzaga over Western Kentucky
Syracuse over Temple
Oklahoma over Clemson
Sweet 16
North Carolina over Gonzaga
Syracuse over Oklahoma
Regional Final
North Carolina over Syracuse
Breakdown: Some unpredictability and a lot of upsets I foresee in this region. LSU-Butler should be an interesting matchup. North Carolina should roll the first 2 rounds. Gonzaga will give them some problems, I think, they have a lot of skilled players that can make some plays but I do not think they have the defensive ability to knock off the Heels. Western Kentucky over Illinois because of some questions on the health of the Illini and I just do not think they are that good. Syracuse, my new favorite team, will make a strong run, and if they get through the first weekend unscathed, I can see them giving North Carolina a run for the money. Oklahoma could lose to either Clemson or Michigan, they have been struggling recently since the Blake Griffin return. If Lawson is healthy the Heels should be in Detroit in April.
Final Four
Louisville over Memphis
UNC over Pittsburgh
UNC over Louisville
The two best teams will meet and the versatility, speed, and experience of the Heels will get them their title. Louisville is playing well, but I think Lawson makes the difference in the end.
My Top 5 games for the first round
1. UCLA vs. VCU
2. Clemson vs. Michigan
3. Boston College vs. USC
4. Arizona State vs. Temple
5. Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee
Enjoy the games. I will be back tomorrow with some baseball talk, ranking the outfielders for you. Thank you for reading.
Mb
Midwest Region
1st round
Louisville over play-in game winner
Siena over Ohio State
Arizona over Utah
Wake Forest over Cleveland St.
West Virginia over Dayton
Kansas over North Dakota St.
USC over Boston College
Michigan State over Robert Morris
2nd round
Louisville over Siena
Wake Forest over Arizona
West Virginia over Kansas
Michigan State over USC
Sweet 16
Louisville over Wake Forest
West Virginia over Michigan State
Region Final
Louisville over West Virginia
Breakdown: This is the top region in the tournament in my opinion. It is also the one that has given me the most trouble in deciding who will come out of this part of the bracket. I strongly considered Wake Forest, but I think there inconsistency outweighs the talent that they have. I also strongly consider the Spartans of Michigan State, but I think they have too many injury concerns and some confidence issues to deal with. Those are the two teams that I can see giving the most pause for concern. I do think West Virginia will make a solid run because of the matchups they face with inexperienced Kansas and questionable Michigan State. They could lose to Kansas in the second round, but we shall see soon enough.
West
1st round
Connecticut over Chattanooga
Texas A&M over BYU
Purdue over Northern Iowa
Washington over Mississippi State
Marquette over Utah State
Missouri over Cornell
Maryland over California
Memphis over CS Northridge
2nd round
Connecticut over Texas A&M
Washington over Purdue
Missouri over Marquette
Memphis over Maryland
Sweet 16
Connecticut over Washington
Memphis over Missouri
Regional Final
Memphis over Connecticut
Breakdown: I cannot see too many pitfalls preventing UConn and Memphis from reaching the regional final. Memphis while untested through the regular season, is talented, well coached, and strong defensively. Something about UConn seems off recently, I think a lack of a big time scorer in clutch time is what hurts them and plus if some team has some interior presence to be physical with Hasheem Thabeet than the Huskies could be in trouble. The one matchup I had trouble with is the Washington-Purdue matchup in the second round. I went back and forth several times. I like Purdue because they just won the Big 11 Tournament and they seem to be healthy finally. I like Washington a little more because their first 2 games will be played in Portland, Oregon, giving them a home court advantage so to speak. I worry Mississippi State could give Washington trouble, but we'll see soon. Missouri plays up tempo and I think they can get past gritty Marquette who has struggled some since losing their PG. I do not think that Marquette has the fire power to go very far. Cal-Maryland is intriguing, Maryland has beat some good teams this year so they could be a sleeper to look out for. This region is solid in the middle but the cream will rise to the top in this one. I would be surprised to see anything other than UConn-Memphis in the region final.
East
1st round
Pittsburgh over ETSU
Tennessee over Oklahoma State
Florida State over Wisconsin
Xavier over Portland State
UCLA over VCU
Villanova over American
Texas over Minnesota
Duke over Binghamton
2nd round
Pittsburgh over Tennessee
Florida State over Xavier
Villanova over UCLA
Duke over Texas
Sweet 16
Pittsburgh over Florida State
Villanova over Duke
Regional Final
Pittsburgh over Villanova
Breakdown: I think this region is pretty weak. I think Tennessee has an outside shot at knocking off Pittsburgh, but their inconsistency and their lack of discipline worries me. I anticipate Florida State making a run with Toney Douglas and company, but I also worry that Wisconsin could give them trouble by slowing it down and playing physical. Villanova plays there first 2 games in Philadelphia, and this should give them a huge advantage in their first r rounds. Another game I struggled with was UCLA-VCU, VCU pulled the upset on Duke a couple years ago, but I like UCLA because of their experience and success. They are well prepared and have a great point guard in Darren Collison. Duke is an interesting case, they are not the same teams of the Dukes of yester year. They have lost some luster, but this team is tough defensively. They could make a run at the Final Four but if their shots are not dropping they could be put out by Texas in the second round. If Pittsburgh can figure a way to keep DeJuan Blair on the floor they will be a serious threat to win the whole shebang.
South
1st round
North Carolina over Radford
LSU over Butler
Western Kentucky over Illinois
Gonzaga over Akron
Temple over Arizona State
Syracuse over S.F. Austin
Clemson over Michigan
Oklahoma over Morgan State
2nd round
North Carolina over LSU
Gonzaga over Western Kentucky
Syracuse over Temple
Oklahoma over Clemson
Sweet 16
North Carolina over Gonzaga
Syracuse over Oklahoma
Regional Final
North Carolina over Syracuse
Breakdown: Some unpredictability and a lot of upsets I foresee in this region. LSU-Butler should be an interesting matchup. North Carolina should roll the first 2 rounds. Gonzaga will give them some problems, I think, they have a lot of skilled players that can make some plays but I do not think they have the defensive ability to knock off the Heels. Western Kentucky over Illinois because of some questions on the health of the Illini and I just do not think they are that good. Syracuse, my new favorite team, will make a strong run, and if they get through the first weekend unscathed, I can see them giving North Carolina a run for the money. Oklahoma could lose to either Clemson or Michigan, they have been struggling recently since the Blake Griffin return. If Lawson is healthy the Heels should be in Detroit in April.
Final Four
Louisville over Memphis
UNC over Pittsburgh
UNC over Louisville
The two best teams will meet and the versatility, speed, and experience of the Heels will get them their title. Louisville is playing well, but I think Lawson makes the difference in the end.
My Top 5 games for the first round
1. UCLA vs. VCU
2. Clemson vs. Michigan
3. Boston College vs. USC
4. Arizona State vs. Temple
5. Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee
Enjoy the games. I will be back tomorrow with some baseball talk, ranking the outfielders for you. Thank you for reading.
Mb
Monday, March 16, 2009
Bracket Monday
Wow there was a lot to digest over the weekend. The unveiling of the brackets, the end of championship week, NBA heating up into the home stretch, and baseball less than 3 weeks from starting off. Good time to be a sports fan. The main focus today will be, however, the brackets. The "stache" will breakdown the regions for you and give you some hints on who to pick and give you some idea into my final brackets for this weekends beginning of the NCAA Tournament.
I'll begin with the Midwest Region, headed up by the number one overall seed, Louisville. Obviously the selection committee liked how the Cardinals won both the regular season and Big East tournament final. At initial glance I thought this was a pretty tough region, but looking at it again, I saw many top teams with some flaws. Michigan State, while dominant in the regular season, struggled in their conference tournament. They have some veterans and some returners off of last year's Sweet 16 team. They have a veteran head coach in Tom Izzo, who has won a NCAA title recently, and always seems to have his teams ready to go. I expect them to make a good run out of this region. There are a lot of quality coaches in this part of the bracket, Kansas' Bill Self, the defending champion team, brings a young team into this tournament led by Sherron Collins. They are an interesting case because of their youth it is hard to project how they will do. Wake Forest may be as talented as any team out of this region and in the tournament in general, but they have been maddeningly inconsistent at the end of this season. They play a lot of close games, and rely a lot on their defense and Jeff Teague's ability to make plays on the offensive side of the ball. The number 5 seed for Utah seems high and I think Arizona will give them all they can handle and more in the first round. West Virginia is dangerous because they come from the rugged Big East and will not be intimated by anybody. They can knock down the 3, and are well coached by Bob Huggins. Boston College-USC may be one of the more intriguing match ups of the 1st round, USC has a ton of talent but has not been healthy this year. Boston College is tough, well coached and has a great player in Tyrese Rice. Look for the favorites to advance through this region, there may be an upset hear or there but I don't foresee anything earth shattering.
The West region is set up for a Connecticut-Memphis regional final, man this would be a great match up to see. Two very talented, defensive minded teams who can also score in bunches if necessary. Before I get ahead of myself, there are a couple of team I like in this region. Missouri plays an uptempo style, and could thwart the UConn-Memphis game. Washington and Purdue have some solid veterans on their squad and could pose a threat to UConn in the Sweet 16 round. Purdue has finished the year strong by winning their conference tournament. I admire Marquette's toughness, but losing Dominic James a few weeks ago, really hurts their cause. It would be a stretch for them to make it to the Sweet 16, unless they really turn up the defensive intensity and some of their key players knock down some shots. Once again I do not project many upsets out of this region. Although Mississippi State should scare you if you like Washington to advance a couple rounds, so keep an eye on them. I don't think this region is very strong top to bottom.
The East region brings us a lot of the tough, blue collar type teams. Teams that are not flashy and they come at you at the defensive end. I really like Pittsburgh's style of play, they seemed to have adapted the persona of their city. Tough minded, hard working, probably comes from their coach Jamie Dixon. This team struggled in last years tournament losing in the second round to Michigan State, after winning the Big East tournament last year. I think by going out early, this team will be fresh and ready to deep in the tourney. If they can keep DeJuan Blair out of foul trouble they should do fine and advance far. The bottom half of this bracket is intriguing with Duke, Villanova, UCLA, Texas, among others representing this region. Duke is an interesting case, they could go out early or they could make it all the way to Detroit for the Final Four. By adding Elliot Williams to the starting lineup, it has given them a more defensive presence and some more athleticism to the squad. Villanova gets to play there first two games in Philadelphia, their hometown. Lets hope they do not slack off because of this. This is a team that relies heavily on its guards and has a lack of NBA talent, so there margin for error is limited more than other teams. UCLA has been to three straight Final Fours, but they face a very tough Virginia Commonwealth squad led by Eric Maynor, who helped to upset Duke a couple of years ago in the tournament. This is another match up I cannot wait to see. UCLA is very tough defensively and has some quality players in Darren Collison and Josh Shipp. Florida State at the number 5 seed is led by all-ACC guard Toney Douglas. The fifth year senior has really developed and is poised to make a Stephen Curry like run in this tournament (Stephen Curry's Davidson squad advanced all the way to the Elite 8 last year.) They are very dangerous. Very interesting region, a number of teams could come out of this region, all depending upon how the ball bounces.
The South region is set up for North Carolina. I do not foresee anyone knocking off the Tar Heels, they may have some tough games but I do not think anyone has the experience, or the versatility to beat them. They start off in Greensboro, NC, very close to their home in Chapel Hill. Oklahoma has really struggled coming down the stretch even after Blake Griffin has returned. They are a pretty weak number 2 seed in my mind. Syracuse is an interesting squad, they may be a bit over seeded at 3, but they nearly ran the gauntlet through the Big East tournament, winning a few games in dramatic fashion. It will be interesting to see whether they have the strength and stamina to advance far. Playing a zone defense helps them a lot because of the amount of energy they can save. Gonzaga has got some really good players, but they have struggled recently in the tournament, they lost to Davidson in the first round of last years tournament. I expect them to do well this time around. Illinois, I would trust them very much at all. I would not trust many Big 11 teams to be honest with you, but I could be wrong. Arizona State has one of the best players in the country in SG James Harden, think Brandon Roy-like of the Portland Trailblazers, formerly of the Washington Huskies. Can do a lot of things to beat you. I am hesitant with this team because of how they finished out the Pac-10 tournament, blowing a lead against USC to lose in the championship game. Clemson should scare the sh** out of you if you are trying to figure out what they are going to do. They have the talent to go to the Elite 8 but they may end up losing to a hungry Michigan Wolverine squad in the first round. Very enigmatic squad to say the least. I expect a couple of upsets in the early rounds of this region, but I expect the cream to rise to the top in this one.
I will be back later this week to give you my picks for each region. I hope you enjoyed the latest edition of "the stache." Feedback is once again, always welcome. Take care.
Mb
I'll begin with the Midwest Region, headed up by the number one overall seed, Louisville. Obviously the selection committee liked how the Cardinals won both the regular season and Big East tournament final. At initial glance I thought this was a pretty tough region, but looking at it again, I saw many top teams with some flaws. Michigan State, while dominant in the regular season, struggled in their conference tournament. They have some veterans and some returners off of last year's Sweet 16 team. They have a veteran head coach in Tom Izzo, who has won a NCAA title recently, and always seems to have his teams ready to go. I expect them to make a good run out of this region. There are a lot of quality coaches in this part of the bracket, Kansas' Bill Self, the defending champion team, brings a young team into this tournament led by Sherron Collins. They are an interesting case because of their youth it is hard to project how they will do. Wake Forest may be as talented as any team out of this region and in the tournament in general, but they have been maddeningly inconsistent at the end of this season. They play a lot of close games, and rely a lot on their defense and Jeff Teague's ability to make plays on the offensive side of the ball. The number 5 seed for Utah seems high and I think Arizona will give them all they can handle and more in the first round. West Virginia is dangerous because they come from the rugged Big East and will not be intimated by anybody. They can knock down the 3, and are well coached by Bob Huggins. Boston College-USC may be one of the more intriguing match ups of the 1st round, USC has a ton of talent but has not been healthy this year. Boston College is tough, well coached and has a great player in Tyrese Rice. Look for the favorites to advance through this region, there may be an upset hear or there but I don't foresee anything earth shattering.
The West region is set up for a Connecticut-Memphis regional final, man this would be a great match up to see. Two very talented, defensive minded teams who can also score in bunches if necessary. Before I get ahead of myself, there are a couple of team I like in this region. Missouri plays an uptempo style, and could thwart the UConn-Memphis game. Washington and Purdue have some solid veterans on their squad and could pose a threat to UConn in the Sweet 16 round. Purdue has finished the year strong by winning their conference tournament. I admire Marquette's toughness, but losing Dominic James a few weeks ago, really hurts their cause. It would be a stretch for them to make it to the Sweet 16, unless they really turn up the defensive intensity and some of their key players knock down some shots. Once again I do not project many upsets out of this region. Although Mississippi State should scare you if you like Washington to advance a couple rounds, so keep an eye on them. I don't think this region is very strong top to bottom.
The East region brings us a lot of the tough, blue collar type teams. Teams that are not flashy and they come at you at the defensive end. I really like Pittsburgh's style of play, they seemed to have adapted the persona of their city. Tough minded, hard working, probably comes from their coach Jamie Dixon. This team struggled in last years tournament losing in the second round to Michigan State, after winning the Big East tournament last year. I think by going out early, this team will be fresh and ready to deep in the tourney. If they can keep DeJuan Blair out of foul trouble they should do fine and advance far. The bottom half of this bracket is intriguing with Duke, Villanova, UCLA, Texas, among others representing this region. Duke is an interesting case, they could go out early or they could make it all the way to Detroit for the Final Four. By adding Elliot Williams to the starting lineup, it has given them a more defensive presence and some more athleticism to the squad. Villanova gets to play there first two games in Philadelphia, their hometown. Lets hope they do not slack off because of this. This is a team that relies heavily on its guards and has a lack of NBA talent, so there margin for error is limited more than other teams. UCLA has been to three straight Final Fours, but they face a very tough Virginia Commonwealth squad led by Eric Maynor, who helped to upset Duke a couple of years ago in the tournament. This is another match up I cannot wait to see. UCLA is very tough defensively and has some quality players in Darren Collison and Josh Shipp. Florida State at the number 5 seed is led by all-ACC guard Toney Douglas. The fifth year senior has really developed and is poised to make a Stephen Curry like run in this tournament (Stephen Curry's Davidson squad advanced all the way to the Elite 8 last year.) They are very dangerous. Very interesting region, a number of teams could come out of this region, all depending upon how the ball bounces.
The South region is set up for North Carolina. I do not foresee anyone knocking off the Tar Heels, they may have some tough games but I do not think anyone has the experience, or the versatility to beat them. They start off in Greensboro, NC, very close to their home in Chapel Hill. Oklahoma has really struggled coming down the stretch even after Blake Griffin has returned. They are a pretty weak number 2 seed in my mind. Syracuse is an interesting squad, they may be a bit over seeded at 3, but they nearly ran the gauntlet through the Big East tournament, winning a few games in dramatic fashion. It will be interesting to see whether they have the strength and stamina to advance far. Playing a zone defense helps them a lot because of the amount of energy they can save. Gonzaga has got some really good players, but they have struggled recently in the tournament, they lost to Davidson in the first round of last years tournament. I expect them to do well this time around. Illinois, I would trust them very much at all. I would not trust many Big 11 teams to be honest with you, but I could be wrong. Arizona State has one of the best players in the country in SG James Harden, think Brandon Roy-like of the Portland Trailblazers, formerly of the Washington Huskies. Can do a lot of things to beat you. I am hesitant with this team because of how they finished out the Pac-10 tournament, blowing a lead against USC to lose in the championship game. Clemson should scare the sh** out of you if you are trying to figure out what they are going to do. They have the talent to go to the Elite 8 but they may end up losing to a hungry Michigan Wolverine squad in the first round. Very enigmatic squad to say the least. I expect a couple of upsets in the early rounds of this region, but I expect the cream to rise to the top in this one.
I will be back later this week to give you my picks for each region. I hope you enjoyed the latest edition of "the stache." Feedback is once again, always welcome. Take care.
Mb
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Saturday Top 5, Part 3
I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. I am giving you the pleasure of 2 blogs in one day, so be happy and rejoice full for it. It will not happen all that often. On this wet Saturday I got the privilege of trying out some new trails that were developed last summer in our county for the first time this afternoon. They were pretty cool, all dirt and grass, some in the woods some in the open fields, several miles worth, up and downhill, got nice and muddy. Also enjoyed some basketball this afternoon, although not as exciting as the previous couple of days, it was still was nice to see some hoops in full swing in Mid-March. Now on to the main portion of this evening's blog, "The Saturday Top 5," a weekly tradition on "the stache," where dreams are realized and fantasies come true. This top 5 will be the top 5 places that I want to visit in my life.
1. Ireland- If you have ever seen "The Quiet Man," with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara than you could understand why this would be a cool place to visit. All the green, the countryside, the pubs, I think it would be really cool to visit.
2. Greece- Something about the architecture, the ancient history, the Mediterranean Sea and to visit the place where the Olympics began, would be pretty neat. History has always been a passion of mine, and there is not many places in the world that have the history that Greece has to offer.
3. Australia- The Outback, the kangaroos, the koala bears, and everything else involved with this country/continent would all be really cool to visit. The idea of being so far away from everything else, from home, on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is appealing to me.
4. Egypt- One word, Pyramids. History, the Nile River, Moses and The Ten Commandments. The river that flows North, the longest in the world. Something about seeing something so ancient and still be standing, is just a marvel to behold.
5. Italy- Mediterranean Sea, the Alps, the food, the history, the Godfather, the traditions, the vineyards, Rome, these are all things that I would like to see and be a part of. You can see places all you want on TV but until you experience them yourself then it does not truly resonate with you.
These places are places that I would be at peace with, just taking tours across the countrysides of these countries. I love to travel, and I would love to travel to all these places and many more throughout the world. Places like Germany, Russia, China, South America, Japan, and others all have a place in my heart. Seeing the Alps, seeing the Pacific Ocean, something I have never seen in my life would be exciting, refreshing, and breathtaking all at once. There are not many opportunities to go travel abroad and I hope to get the opportunity to visit, travel and learn a little about the culture of these places. Going on trips of any sort puts things into some kind of perspective. You never know how or what thing or place will effect your life and your outlook on how you approach and look at things. That is all "the stache" has for now. I hope you enjoyed this latest installment. Selection Sunday is soon to be upon us. Enjoy it.
Mb
1. Ireland- If you have ever seen "The Quiet Man," with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara than you could understand why this would be a cool place to visit. All the green, the countryside, the pubs, I think it would be really cool to visit.
2. Greece- Something about the architecture, the ancient history, the Mediterranean Sea and to visit the place where the Olympics began, would be pretty neat. History has always been a passion of mine, and there is not many places in the world that have the history that Greece has to offer.
3. Australia- The Outback, the kangaroos, the koala bears, and everything else involved with this country/continent would all be really cool to visit. The idea of being so far away from everything else, from home, on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is appealing to me.
4. Egypt- One word, Pyramids. History, the Nile River, Moses and The Ten Commandments. The river that flows North, the longest in the world. Something about seeing something so ancient and still be standing, is just a marvel to behold.
5. Italy- Mediterranean Sea, the Alps, the food, the history, the Godfather, the traditions, the vineyards, Rome, these are all things that I would like to see and be a part of. You can see places all you want on TV but until you experience them yourself then it does not truly resonate with you.
These places are places that I would be at peace with, just taking tours across the countrysides of these countries. I love to travel, and I would love to travel to all these places and many more throughout the world. Places like Germany, Russia, China, South America, Japan, and others all have a place in my heart. Seeing the Alps, seeing the Pacific Ocean, something I have never seen in my life would be exciting, refreshing, and breathtaking all at once. There are not many opportunities to go travel abroad and I hope to get the opportunity to visit, travel and learn a little about the culture of these places. Going on trips of any sort puts things into some kind of perspective. You never know how or what thing or place will effect your life and your outlook on how you approach and look at things. That is all "the stache" has for now. I hope you enjoyed this latest installment. Selection Sunday is soon to be upon us. Enjoy it.
Mb
Basketball Talk
Welcome to the Saturday morning edition of "the stache." I took yesterday evening off to recover from the travel home as well as to enjoy some more basketball.
Last night at many points during the night, there were as many as 5 basketball games on TV. At one point there was the ACC Tournament game(s), SEC Tournament game(s), the Atlantic 10 semifinals, the Big East semifinals, and some NBA action with the Atlanta Hawks taking on the Indiana Pacers. I had the rotation flowing and the remote hand was in mid-season form. At one point during the night we had Syracuse-West Virginia in a point game with less than a minute to go, Duke-Boston College in a point game with about a minute to go, and Auburn-Florida in a one point game with about 2-3 minutes to go. Did not miss a single finish, as the right thumb guided the way to see all the exciting finishes. Let me start with the Big East. One of the reasons I was so tired yesterday was because I stayed up to watch all 6 overtimes of the Syracuse-Connecticut game, the second longest game in overtime periods in NCAA history, and I believe the longest game from start to finish. The game ended around 1:20 AM Friday Morning. Syracuse never led until the 6th and final overtime when they pulled away from the Huskies. Both teams never stopped attacking, and some players played more than 60 minutes during the game, simply incredible the amount of heart these guys show. It remains to be seen how much Syracuse will have left for the big tournament next week. They may end up knocking off Louisville in today's championship, but at what cost to the team. I know there is a lot of pride to win the Big East tournament in the worlds most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, but recent success in winning this tournament has not led to success in the Big Dance. Last year's winner Pittsburgh was so beat down, they lost in the second round of the tournament to Michigan State. This unsolicited free advice from yours truly about trusting the winner of the Big East, especially if it ends up being Syracuse. This will be their fourth game in as many days after already playing 7 overtimes over their last couple of games. The zone defense they play saves them a little bit and Johnny Flynn may have become one of my new favorite players (the PG for the Orangemen), we'll just have to see how it turns out. This may be a blessing in disguise for the Connecticut Huskies as they will have about a week to rest to recover from the other nights 6 OT game. Then again, no team has won the national title after losing their first conference tournament game. Once again some unsolicited free advice for those tourney pickers out there, be weary of teams such as Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
The ACC tourney has pretty much got straight to form, with 3 out of the top 4 teams in the semi-finals this afternoon. The disappointments being, once again, Wake Forest and Clemson. Georgia Tech nearly spoiled the party by upsetting Florida State yesterday but could not stop Toney Douglas and crew at the end. Trying to attempt what Georgia did last year in the SEC Tournament was just to tough for the Jackets to handle, man it feels good to say that.
The SEC Tournament has been pretty true to form as well, I expect the Auburn Tigers to win the next two games and get the automatic bid from the SEC. My ACC winner is the winner of the Maryland-Duke game, which I am leaning towards the Dukies at this moment. I don't like North Carolina as much because of the uncertainty of PG Ty Lawson, and plus it would be too easy to pick them to win it. The Big East I like Syracuse to continue their spectacular run and beat Louisville in a thriller. In the Big 12, I like upstart Baylor, who struggled in conference play, to knock off Missouri to get the auto and knock an at-large team out of the tournament. Pac-10, I like Arizona State, Big 11- Michigan State, possibly getting a #1 seed in the tournament.
I should be back later today with my Saturday Top 5. In the words of Tigger, TTFN, ta ta for now.
Mb
Last night at many points during the night, there were as many as 5 basketball games on TV. At one point there was the ACC Tournament game(s), SEC Tournament game(s), the Atlantic 10 semifinals, the Big East semifinals, and some NBA action with the Atlanta Hawks taking on the Indiana Pacers. I had the rotation flowing and the remote hand was in mid-season form. At one point during the night we had Syracuse-West Virginia in a point game with less than a minute to go, Duke-Boston College in a point game with about a minute to go, and Auburn-Florida in a one point game with about 2-3 minutes to go. Did not miss a single finish, as the right thumb guided the way to see all the exciting finishes. Let me start with the Big East. One of the reasons I was so tired yesterday was because I stayed up to watch all 6 overtimes of the Syracuse-Connecticut game, the second longest game in overtime periods in NCAA history, and I believe the longest game from start to finish. The game ended around 1:20 AM Friday Morning. Syracuse never led until the 6th and final overtime when they pulled away from the Huskies. Both teams never stopped attacking, and some players played more than 60 minutes during the game, simply incredible the amount of heart these guys show. It remains to be seen how much Syracuse will have left for the big tournament next week. They may end up knocking off Louisville in today's championship, but at what cost to the team. I know there is a lot of pride to win the Big East tournament in the worlds most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, but recent success in winning this tournament has not led to success in the Big Dance. Last year's winner Pittsburgh was so beat down, they lost in the second round of the tournament to Michigan State. This unsolicited free advice from yours truly about trusting the winner of the Big East, especially if it ends up being Syracuse. This will be their fourth game in as many days after already playing 7 overtimes over their last couple of games. The zone defense they play saves them a little bit and Johnny Flynn may have become one of my new favorite players (the PG for the Orangemen), we'll just have to see how it turns out. This may be a blessing in disguise for the Connecticut Huskies as they will have about a week to rest to recover from the other nights 6 OT game. Then again, no team has won the national title after losing their first conference tournament game. Once again some unsolicited free advice for those tourney pickers out there, be weary of teams such as Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
The ACC tourney has pretty much got straight to form, with 3 out of the top 4 teams in the semi-finals this afternoon. The disappointments being, once again, Wake Forest and Clemson. Georgia Tech nearly spoiled the party by upsetting Florida State yesterday but could not stop Toney Douglas and crew at the end. Trying to attempt what Georgia did last year in the SEC Tournament was just to tough for the Jackets to handle, man it feels good to say that.
The SEC Tournament has been pretty true to form as well, I expect the Auburn Tigers to win the next two games and get the automatic bid from the SEC. My ACC winner is the winner of the Maryland-Duke game, which I am leaning towards the Dukies at this moment. I don't like North Carolina as much because of the uncertainty of PG Ty Lawson, and plus it would be too easy to pick them to win it. The Big East I like Syracuse to continue their spectacular run and beat Louisville in a thriller. In the Big 12, I like upstart Baylor, who struggled in conference play, to knock off Missouri to get the auto and knock an at-large team out of the tournament. Pac-10, I like Arizona State, Big 11- Michigan State, possibly getting a #1 seed in the tournament.
I should be back later today with my Saturday Top 5. In the words of Tigger, TTFN, ta ta for now.
Mb
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Man Behind The Stache
Good evening, sorry about the delay tonight, got caught up studying for a test and watch some college basketball. I have had a request from the audience to reveal the man behind the "stache," so that wish will be granted tonight. As we speak I sit less than 24 hours away from starting Spring Break 09, a long awaited and anticipated event in these parts. I have had a busy academic and athletic week. I cannot wait to be lazy for a little awhile and take a deep breath away from responsibilities. So anyways on we go to explain the man, the myth, and the legend behind the "stache." All of the following is true.
I entered this world on December 20, 1986, at Parkway Medical Center in Cobb County, GA (the building is now a Home Depot after being demolished a few years ago.) I was a fat kid who was three weeks late and came in weighing about 9.5 lbs. As a child I had fat feet and had to get specialized shoes that were wide enough for me to wear them. When I was 4 I began playing t-ball and so my athletic career and introduction into sports was born. By the time I reached this age I had grown out of the baby fat and was a normal looking bowl-cut haired kid. This same year I also began pre-school and began playing soccer as well, which I would continue to play, along with baseball until I was 14. As a young lad I was a good, obedient kid, rarely getting punished and getting into too much mischief. As far as I can recall, I was still a pretty quiet kid, much like I am today. Very introspective and rational thinking. February 1991 brought me my little brother, Alexander, aka Alex.
In the fall of 1992 I began kindergarten and Sid slid to give the Braves their second straight National League crown. Also during my first few years in public school, my mother was a teacher at the same school I was at school at, Factory Shoals Elementary Dolphins. During these years I was entered in a few fun runs and road races and did pretty well for myself, finishing in the top part of each of these races. I also experienced my first "girlfriend", that lasted for a little while until she got cooties and I attended a different school, but I'll get to that shortly. The first week of my 2nd grade year I had the chicken pox and missed that whole first week, and got to switch teachers, pretty odd occurrence. After this year I switched schools because my mom quit teaching to have my little sister Katie, in July of 1995. Third grade began at Dorsett Shoals Elementary for me, tentative times having to make new friends and leave old acquaintances behind. But times were still good, the Braves won the World Series that fall, one of the greatest experiences of my life. My Dad and I had the privilege of attending a couple of playoff games that year, including the clinching game against the Cincinnati Reds to make it to the World Series. Good times, good times. I continued to press along, rarely missing days of school, enjoying the recess time and doing well in Geography and Spelling Bees. My fourth grade year my Little League team won the local championship, another highlight of my life. Also around this time we started going to this local pool where we became members of. I did not yet know the joys of "laying out" and "tanning" so I spent a lot of time swimming, doing weird stuff underwater that kids do, as well as seeing how many times I can jump off a diving board in an hour.
After I "graduated" from elementary school in 1998 I proceeded over to Chapel Hill Middle School. These were the lean years for me, going through a lot of physical and emotional changes. Had to make some more new friends and got to experience having a locker and having to change classes for the first time. My seventh grade year I tried and failed to make the football and basketball teams, not much need for a slow footed, average height white kid on these teams. But I did make the track team this year, running primarily the 2 mile in the purple and white of the Wildcats. This was also the first time I won some races, a couple of 2 mile victories and running an 11:38 during the season. I also ran some in the mile, running around 5:30, after starting the year around 6:00. This was also the year I got dropped on my shoulder by this kid, a few days before our county meet for track. Very painful, could not lift the arm above my shoulder. My eighth grade year began with my mom deciding to go back to teaching and my little sister beginning kindergarten at the same school. My brother was at his 3rd school in 5 years, we never moved, just circumstances led to his moving around, pretty tough on the kid I would think. My brother is 4 grades behind me and my sister is 4 grades behind him in school. Nice family planning. This year also saw the transition to the middle distance in track, switching over to the 800m, where I ran 2:20 as a season best. During these all of these years, we also went on many family vacations, some more notable than others, but all memorable experiences shared by all.
Summer of 2001 after I had completed the tumultuous middle school years, I began to run cross country and so began a different life and a whole different can of worms in which to deal with. My mind was open to the aspects of training and being able to hit certain times, and trying to figure out how to run fast. I made some new friends again during my time at Robert S. Alexander Comprehensive High School, home of the Cougars. I proudly sported the red and black, went to some football games, did well in my studies, rarely missed school, and just had some good ole fashioned fun. By the time I reached high school, the braces and the bowl cut had long since been removed. I was still skinny but starting to grow upwards before eventually stopping around 72 inches, (6 ft. in height). Fall 2001 also brought us the tragedy of 9/11, a day I will never forget. I remember exactly where I was on that day and the events that went on in school. Teacher's barely taught and we were all in shock of the events of that day, no one knew what was going on. Also around the time I was transitioning from middle school to high school, we got a new dog, Sunny, a lab mix, who is a ball full of energy to this very day. We had had dogs when we were younger, but this was truly a "family" dog. During these years I started to really develop a sense of appreciation for history and sports. I have always kind of been what you would call a sports junkie, I have been watching SportsCenter on ESPN, ever since the early to mid 90s. I could recall batting averages of certain players, and could give the starting lineups for various sports clubs, especially baseball. My sophomore year I took an AP US History class, one of the toughest and best classes I ever took. I learned so much and had a good time in this class learning how to write quickly and efficiently. I took so many notes everyday until my hand would nearly come off, but it was all in good fun. I really appreciated the passion that my teacher had for the subject and her willingness to push us to our limits everyday to be able to pass the AP US History test in the Spring. I passed with a 4 out of a possible 5 points. All four of my years in high school, I went to team running camps in the summer with the cross country team. These weeks were always real fun and it was a good bonding experience for those that went. We went to a camp for 3 years at Brevard, NC and 1 year at a North Georgia camp my coach helped to put on. Many memories were shared here, some that I will never forget. As I progressed onto my last 2 years in school I began to look towards the future, and college on the horizon. Never thought the day would come to be honest with you, I remember back in the 6th grade when I realized I was just halfway through school and could not wait until the day would come and I could be "my own." The days flew bye those last few years and before I knew it I was walking up the stairs and shaking the principle's hand with a diploma in the other. I remember that I sat on the front row because of some academic achievement and because of name in the alphabetical order sequence. It was a little soggy and muggy it had been raining in previous days and it was a scorcher of a May evening. Not to mention the guys were all in black while the girls were in red. We had 300 graduates.
So I left for college in 2005, not knowing really what to expect and what new people I would meet. Something drew me to this place and I felt it was the right place for me. I was still running year round competing in both cross country and track for the Lees-McRae Bobcats under the guidance of Coach McPhail. I developed into a fairly decent runner and decided to become a business major. All the while, finally being able to show off my skill of growing facial hair. In high school I worked at a grocery store and had to shave regularly. My first year of college saw the development of the goatee, all year long it grew, sometimes red, sometimes brown, sometimes blond, but always in style. The next year as my running progressed, so did the development of the facial hair, the side burns came into play this year. Thick, black, and bushy and it also ran down the sides of my chin and jawbone, think Abraham Lincoln. Also during these years I began to get really cheap so I would only get my hair cut before school started in the fall and during the winter and summer around the school semesters. Long, shaggy, brown, thank the Lord for the ability to grow hair. No credit here goes to my Dad, all credit to Mom for this. I thank my Dad's genes for my physical appearance, and the ability to have a fast metabolism. The junior year brought about the best of the Bobcat teams at Lees-McRae, falling just 22 points shy of an appearance at the National Championships. A heartbreaking experience for all involved, and something that has taken awhile to get over with. During this year saw the appearance of, hold your breath, "the stache," as part of a full goatee and side burn setup. High quality to go along with the shaggy brown hair. My current senior year, my where has the time gone, I pulled off my greatest facial features yet. On a suggestion from one of my teammates, the Fu Manchu, aka the handlebars made an appearance in cross country season. It looked awesome, I cannot lie on this. Towards the end of the season I was forced to shave for a job interview, and for a period of about 4 months I did not shave and occasionally trimmed, but what was left was a full on beard. No holds bar on this, on motivation from one of my teammates I let the hair grow over the winter and returned from the wild and stepped out of my big rig truck with a beard that goes beyond description. It was so thick at one point that I could stick a pen right below my chin and it would stick in there, holding on by the cap. Quite a feat. I am sad to say these are the couple of days/hours of the "stache" and the hair, which has gone uncut and untarnished since mid-August. In this season of change I will return from the break as a new man, ready to take on the final days of my collegiate career. I know, I know it will be tough for some to handle, but trust me all will turn out just fine for my hair and "the stache," which is blond for some reason, odd since my hair is a dark brown, but I digress. This will be my last blog post from the confines of Bentley dorm in the mountains of North Carolina for a week.
I hope you enjoyed the story of my life and the learning about the man behind "the stache." There will be more tales to come and I look forward to many more days of good blogging in my future. Take care, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite. Hugs and handpounds.
mb
I entered this world on December 20, 1986, at Parkway Medical Center in Cobb County, GA (the building is now a Home Depot after being demolished a few years ago.) I was a fat kid who was three weeks late and came in weighing about 9.5 lbs. As a child I had fat feet and had to get specialized shoes that were wide enough for me to wear them. When I was 4 I began playing t-ball and so my athletic career and introduction into sports was born. By the time I reached this age I had grown out of the baby fat and was a normal looking bowl-cut haired kid. This same year I also began pre-school and began playing soccer as well, which I would continue to play, along with baseball until I was 14. As a young lad I was a good, obedient kid, rarely getting punished and getting into too much mischief. As far as I can recall, I was still a pretty quiet kid, much like I am today. Very introspective and rational thinking. February 1991 brought me my little brother, Alexander, aka Alex.
In the fall of 1992 I began kindergarten and Sid slid to give the Braves their second straight National League crown. Also during my first few years in public school, my mother was a teacher at the same school I was at school at, Factory Shoals Elementary Dolphins. During these years I was entered in a few fun runs and road races and did pretty well for myself, finishing in the top part of each of these races. I also experienced my first "girlfriend", that lasted for a little while until she got cooties and I attended a different school, but I'll get to that shortly. The first week of my 2nd grade year I had the chicken pox and missed that whole first week, and got to switch teachers, pretty odd occurrence. After this year I switched schools because my mom quit teaching to have my little sister Katie, in July of 1995. Third grade began at Dorsett Shoals Elementary for me, tentative times having to make new friends and leave old acquaintances behind. But times were still good, the Braves won the World Series that fall, one of the greatest experiences of my life. My Dad and I had the privilege of attending a couple of playoff games that year, including the clinching game against the Cincinnati Reds to make it to the World Series. Good times, good times. I continued to press along, rarely missing days of school, enjoying the recess time and doing well in Geography and Spelling Bees. My fourth grade year my Little League team won the local championship, another highlight of my life. Also around this time we started going to this local pool where we became members of. I did not yet know the joys of "laying out" and "tanning" so I spent a lot of time swimming, doing weird stuff underwater that kids do, as well as seeing how many times I can jump off a diving board in an hour.
After I "graduated" from elementary school in 1998 I proceeded over to Chapel Hill Middle School. These were the lean years for me, going through a lot of physical and emotional changes. Had to make some more new friends and got to experience having a locker and having to change classes for the first time. My seventh grade year I tried and failed to make the football and basketball teams, not much need for a slow footed, average height white kid on these teams. But I did make the track team this year, running primarily the 2 mile in the purple and white of the Wildcats. This was also the first time I won some races, a couple of 2 mile victories and running an 11:38 during the season. I also ran some in the mile, running around 5:30, after starting the year around 6:00. This was also the year I got dropped on my shoulder by this kid, a few days before our county meet for track. Very painful, could not lift the arm above my shoulder. My eighth grade year began with my mom deciding to go back to teaching and my little sister beginning kindergarten at the same school. My brother was at his 3rd school in 5 years, we never moved, just circumstances led to his moving around, pretty tough on the kid I would think. My brother is 4 grades behind me and my sister is 4 grades behind him in school. Nice family planning. This year also saw the transition to the middle distance in track, switching over to the 800m, where I ran 2:20 as a season best. During these all of these years, we also went on many family vacations, some more notable than others, but all memorable experiences shared by all.
Summer of 2001 after I had completed the tumultuous middle school years, I began to run cross country and so began a different life and a whole different can of worms in which to deal with. My mind was open to the aspects of training and being able to hit certain times, and trying to figure out how to run fast. I made some new friends again during my time at Robert S. Alexander Comprehensive High School, home of the Cougars. I proudly sported the red and black, went to some football games, did well in my studies, rarely missed school, and just had some good ole fashioned fun. By the time I reached high school, the braces and the bowl cut had long since been removed. I was still skinny but starting to grow upwards before eventually stopping around 72 inches, (6 ft. in height). Fall 2001 also brought us the tragedy of 9/11, a day I will never forget. I remember exactly where I was on that day and the events that went on in school. Teacher's barely taught and we were all in shock of the events of that day, no one knew what was going on. Also around the time I was transitioning from middle school to high school, we got a new dog, Sunny, a lab mix, who is a ball full of energy to this very day. We had had dogs when we were younger, but this was truly a "family" dog. During these years I started to really develop a sense of appreciation for history and sports. I have always kind of been what you would call a sports junkie, I have been watching SportsCenter on ESPN, ever since the early to mid 90s. I could recall batting averages of certain players, and could give the starting lineups for various sports clubs, especially baseball. My sophomore year I took an AP US History class, one of the toughest and best classes I ever took. I learned so much and had a good time in this class learning how to write quickly and efficiently. I took so many notes everyday until my hand would nearly come off, but it was all in good fun. I really appreciated the passion that my teacher had for the subject and her willingness to push us to our limits everyday to be able to pass the AP US History test in the Spring. I passed with a 4 out of a possible 5 points. All four of my years in high school, I went to team running camps in the summer with the cross country team. These weeks were always real fun and it was a good bonding experience for those that went. We went to a camp for 3 years at Brevard, NC and 1 year at a North Georgia camp my coach helped to put on. Many memories were shared here, some that I will never forget. As I progressed onto my last 2 years in school I began to look towards the future, and college on the horizon. Never thought the day would come to be honest with you, I remember back in the 6th grade when I realized I was just halfway through school and could not wait until the day would come and I could be "my own." The days flew bye those last few years and before I knew it I was walking up the stairs and shaking the principle's hand with a diploma in the other. I remember that I sat on the front row because of some academic achievement and because of name in the alphabetical order sequence. It was a little soggy and muggy it had been raining in previous days and it was a scorcher of a May evening. Not to mention the guys were all in black while the girls were in red. We had 300 graduates.
So I left for college in 2005, not knowing really what to expect and what new people I would meet. Something drew me to this place and I felt it was the right place for me. I was still running year round competing in both cross country and track for the Lees-McRae Bobcats under the guidance of Coach McPhail. I developed into a fairly decent runner and decided to become a business major. All the while, finally being able to show off my skill of growing facial hair. In high school I worked at a grocery store and had to shave regularly. My first year of college saw the development of the goatee, all year long it grew, sometimes red, sometimes brown, sometimes blond, but always in style. The next year as my running progressed, so did the development of the facial hair, the side burns came into play this year. Thick, black, and bushy and it also ran down the sides of my chin and jawbone, think Abraham Lincoln. Also during these years I began to get really cheap so I would only get my hair cut before school started in the fall and during the winter and summer around the school semesters. Long, shaggy, brown, thank the Lord for the ability to grow hair. No credit here goes to my Dad, all credit to Mom for this. I thank my Dad's genes for my physical appearance, and the ability to have a fast metabolism. The junior year brought about the best of the Bobcat teams at Lees-McRae, falling just 22 points shy of an appearance at the National Championships. A heartbreaking experience for all involved, and something that has taken awhile to get over with. During this year saw the appearance of, hold your breath, "the stache," as part of a full goatee and side burn setup. High quality to go along with the shaggy brown hair. My current senior year, my where has the time gone, I pulled off my greatest facial features yet. On a suggestion from one of my teammates, the Fu Manchu, aka the handlebars made an appearance in cross country season. It looked awesome, I cannot lie on this. Towards the end of the season I was forced to shave for a job interview, and for a period of about 4 months I did not shave and occasionally trimmed, but what was left was a full on beard. No holds bar on this, on motivation from one of my teammates I let the hair grow over the winter and returned from the wild and stepped out of my big rig truck with a beard that goes beyond description. It was so thick at one point that I could stick a pen right below my chin and it would stick in there, holding on by the cap. Quite a feat. I am sad to say these are the couple of days/hours of the "stache" and the hair, which has gone uncut and untarnished since mid-August. In this season of change I will return from the break as a new man, ready to take on the final days of my collegiate career. I know, I know it will be tough for some to handle, but trust me all will turn out just fine for my hair and "the stache," which is blond for some reason, odd since my hair is a dark brown, but I digress. This will be my last blog post from the confines of Bentley dorm in the mountains of North Carolina for a week.
I hope you enjoyed the story of my life and the learning about the man behind "the stache." There will be more tales to come and I look forward to many more days of good blogging in my future. Take care, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite. Hugs and handpounds.
mb
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Baseball Wednesdays Part II
As promised I have returned from my sabbatical with some baseball talk on "Baseball Wednesdays." I have come back refreshed and ready to roll. Today's episode of "the stache" will be breaking down the Shortstop and 3rd Base positions. I hope everyone has been enjoying Championship Week, the big boys have all but started play this week. Pay close attention so you can fill out the brackets next week to the best of your ability, whether you have better results than me its up to you, but you are going to have to be crafty and most of all you got to be clever. So on we go to "Baseball Wednesdays"...... Once again as a reminder, parentheses equals the age on April 1, 2009, and these are based upon recent stats and gut feelings I have about how players are going to do this year.
Shortstop
1. Hanley Ramirez (25)- Florida Marlins
2. Jose Reyes (25)- New York Mets
3. Jimmy Rollins (30)- Philadelphia Phillies
4. Derek Jeter (34)- New York Yankees
5. J.J. Hardy (26)- Milwaukee Brewers
6. Johnny Peralta (26)- Cleveland Indians
7. Rafael Furcal (31)- Los Angeles Dodgers
8. Yunel Escobar (26)- Atlanta Braves
9. Miguel Tejada (34)- Houston Astros
10. Stephen Drew (26)- Arizona Diamondbacks
Hanley is clearly the best at this position this year and for the foreseeable future. There is not anything this guy cannot do on the ball field. He had 30 + home runs and 30 + steals last season while hitting over .300 for the season. The previous 2 seasons he had stolen over 50 bases. Impressive player who will only get better. The next two guys are switch hitters who serve as the catalysts for their teams, Reyes had 37 doubles, 19 triples (unreal), 16 HRs, and stole 56 bases, all while hitting .297 for the season. Rollins, the 2007 National League MVP struggled a little this year but still stole over 40 bases while hitting .277, hitting 38 doubles last season and winning his second consecutive Gold Glove for his defensive work. Next up is a future Hall of Famer who does not get enough credit for his offensive ability, while getting too much credit for his defensive skills which are below average. He has hit over .300 in all but 3 seasons since 1996 and the three seasons he did not reach .300 he did reach .290 or better. He has amassed over 2500 hits in his career while hitting over 200 HR so far. After Jeter it drops off a tad to Hardy who has established himself as a quality player the last couple seasons averaging 25 HR the last couple years while hitting around .280. The rest of the guys are all pretty close together, Furcal has been injured lately so it is hard to know where to put him. Tejada has been on a steady decline the last few years and I expect that to continue this year. With some more experience guys like Escobar and Drew could see some movement upwards. A trend to notice is that 8 out of the 10 guys on this list are from the National League, and they all are pretty young for the most part. Four SS are located in the N.L. East, the best division in baseball for 2009. Overall the quality of the position is average some really good players, some solid pros but not quite the level of the 1B position but a tad better than 2B.
3rd Base
1. Alex Rodriguez (33)- New York Yankees
2. David Wright (26)- New York Mets
3. Chipper Jones (36)- Atlanta Braves
4. Aramis Ramirez (30)- Chicago Cubs
5. Evan Longoria (23)- Tampa Bay Rays
6. Troy Glaus (32)- St. Louis Cardinals
7. Garrett Atkins (29)- Colorado Rockies
8. Micheal Young (32)- Texas Rangers
9. Mark Reynolds (25)- Arizona Diamondbacks
10. Mark DeRosa (34)- Cleveland Indians
First off we all know about the ARod steroid controversy that popped up over the last month or so, but it is hard to ignore 553 HR, 1606 RBI, and a .306 BA are hard to ignore. I feel that he should be playing at SS for the Yankees instead of Jeter but that is neither hear nor there. I think there is some strong potential for Mr. Wright to take over the top spot, especially with this hip surgery that Rodriguez has to have to start off the season. Wright led all 3B last year with 124 RBI and has won the last 2 Gold Gloves for the National League. He has hit over .300, has hit more than 25 HR, and driven in more than 100 runs his first four full seasons in the big leagues. If Chipper Jones cannot stay healthy, and he has not recently, than he may slip some this year, but his batting title last year has helped him to keep the 3rd spot for now. He has a .310 career BA and has hit over 400 HR for his career. Aramis Ramirez of the Cubs is Mr. Consistent at the hot corner. He has hit over 25 HR the last 6 seasons while driving in more than a 100 runs five out of the last six seasons. Longoria is an emerging player in this game, solid approach to the game who will continue to get better. In 122 games last year, he hit .272 with 27 HR and 85 RBI last season. I expect him to perform well this year for the Rays. Glaus is a pretty consistent offensive player, while the rest of the list are all either young players who have not established themselves or solid veterans who have not been great but solid, healthy players over their careers. Solid position, not a lot of young guys at the top and not many consistent options below the top tier of players in the league.
That concludes today's "Baseball Wednesdays," I will be back next Wednesday with some more baseball rankings, this time in the OF. Thanks for reading the blog, I'll be back tomorrow with some more enlightening information. Until then, hugs and handpounds.
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Shortstop
1. Hanley Ramirez (25)- Florida Marlins
2. Jose Reyes (25)- New York Mets
3. Jimmy Rollins (30)- Philadelphia Phillies
4. Derek Jeter (34)- New York Yankees
5. J.J. Hardy (26)- Milwaukee Brewers
6. Johnny Peralta (26)- Cleveland Indians
7. Rafael Furcal (31)- Los Angeles Dodgers
8. Yunel Escobar (26)- Atlanta Braves
9. Miguel Tejada (34)- Houston Astros
10. Stephen Drew (26)- Arizona Diamondbacks
Hanley is clearly the best at this position this year and for the foreseeable future. There is not anything this guy cannot do on the ball field. He had 30 + home runs and 30 + steals last season while hitting over .300 for the season. The previous 2 seasons he had stolen over 50 bases. Impressive player who will only get better. The next two guys are switch hitters who serve as the catalysts for their teams, Reyes had 37 doubles, 19 triples (unreal), 16 HRs, and stole 56 bases, all while hitting .297 for the season. Rollins, the 2007 National League MVP struggled a little this year but still stole over 40 bases while hitting .277, hitting 38 doubles last season and winning his second consecutive Gold Glove for his defensive work. Next up is a future Hall of Famer who does not get enough credit for his offensive ability, while getting too much credit for his defensive skills which are below average. He has hit over .300 in all but 3 seasons since 1996 and the three seasons he did not reach .300 he did reach .290 or better. He has amassed over 2500 hits in his career while hitting over 200 HR so far. After Jeter it drops off a tad to Hardy who has established himself as a quality player the last couple seasons averaging 25 HR the last couple years while hitting around .280. The rest of the guys are all pretty close together, Furcal has been injured lately so it is hard to know where to put him. Tejada has been on a steady decline the last few years and I expect that to continue this year. With some more experience guys like Escobar and Drew could see some movement upwards. A trend to notice is that 8 out of the 10 guys on this list are from the National League, and they all are pretty young for the most part. Four SS are located in the N.L. East, the best division in baseball for 2009. Overall the quality of the position is average some really good players, some solid pros but not quite the level of the 1B position but a tad better than 2B.
3rd Base
1. Alex Rodriguez (33)- New York Yankees
2. David Wright (26)- New York Mets
3. Chipper Jones (36)- Atlanta Braves
4. Aramis Ramirez (30)- Chicago Cubs
5. Evan Longoria (23)- Tampa Bay Rays
6. Troy Glaus (32)- St. Louis Cardinals
7. Garrett Atkins (29)- Colorado Rockies
8. Micheal Young (32)- Texas Rangers
9. Mark Reynolds (25)- Arizona Diamondbacks
10. Mark DeRosa (34)- Cleveland Indians
First off we all know about the ARod steroid controversy that popped up over the last month or so, but it is hard to ignore 553 HR, 1606 RBI, and a .306 BA are hard to ignore. I feel that he should be playing at SS for the Yankees instead of Jeter but that is neither hear nor there. I think there is some strong potential for Mr. Wright to take over the top spot, especially with this hip surgery that Rodriguez has to have to start off the season. Wright led all 3B last year with 124 RBI and has won the last 2 Gold Gloves for the National League. He has hit over .300, has hit more than 25 HR, and driven in more than 100 runs his first four full seasons in the big leagues. If Chipper Jones cannot stay healthy, and he has not recently, than he may slip some this year, but his batting title last year has helped him to keep the 3rd spot for now. He has a .310 career BA and has hit over 400 HR for his career. Aramis Ramirez of the Cubs is Mr. Consistent at the hot corner. He has hit over 25 HR the last 6 seasons while driving in more than a 100 runs five out of the last six seasons. Longoria is an emerging player in this game, solid approach to the game who will continue to get better. In 122 games last year, he hit .272 with 27 HR and 85 RBI last season. I expect him to perform well this year for the Rays. Glaus is a pretty consistent offensive player, while the rest of the list are all either young players who have not established themselves or solid veterans who have not been great but solid, healthy players over their careers. Solid position, not a lot of young guys at the top and not many consistent options below the top tier of players in the league.
That concludes today's "Baseball Wednesdays," I will be back next Wednesday with some more baseball rankings, this time in the OF. Thanks for reading the blog, I'll be back tomorrow with some more enlightening information. Until then, hugs and handpounds.
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Monday, March 9, 2009
Sports Ramblings
Please forgive me if I sound disjointed this evening, lost a few brain cells during a track workout this afternoon. Welcome to the Monday evening edition of "the stache," where we will cover a myriad of topics including the NBA, college basketball, and maybe a little baseball if I feel up to it.
The NBA basketball season has hit the 3/4 pole with all teams having completed 60 games this season. The top teams have become apparent, (L.A. Lakers, Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs), and the champion will emerge from one of these teams, mark it down. I think whoever ends up getting the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference will be the conferences' representative in the Finals. It is really too close to call between Cleveland and Boston, only separated by 1 game as we speak. My guess is Cleveland, they seem to be hungrier and healthier right now. Now will they be healthy 2 months from now, we'll see, but I like the energy they have played with this year and like their chances. As far as the West is concerned, I like the Spurs. One of the reasons is because it is an odd year and the Spurs have won titles in 1999,2003,2005, and 2007. So why not 2009, they still have the lethal trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, with their usual cast of role players that know how to play in clutch moments. It has been either the Spurs or the Lakers winning the Western Conference 9 out of the last 10 years. So mark it down, Spurs will be in the finals and win it again against the Cavaliers whom they defeated in 2007. Other story lines I am following is whether my hometown Atlanta Hawks can quit the bickering and hold onto the 4 seed in the East, thus allowing them to have home court advantage in the first round. They hold a slim lead now, and they have the talent and flexibility to match up with any team in the league. They took the champion Boston Celtics to 7 games in the First Round of last years playoffs. Also, how far can teams like Denver and Utah, who is playing extremely well right now, advance into the postseason. They could be potential sleepers out West.
College Basketball is in its final week before the tickets are all punched to the Big Dance. Look for a Big East/ACC domination come tourney time, barring upsets in the conference tourneys expect 6 teams out of the ACC and 7 teams in the Big East. These are where the best teams in the land reside, and depending upon matchups could fill up the entire Final Four. Some other teams I have my eye on are Michigan State out of the Big 11, who is expecting 8 bids this year(for those college football fans, think of the ACC this year, a lot of teams make it to the postseason but very little top end quality), Oklahoma and Kansas out of the Big 12, Memphis from Conference USA, and the Washington Huskies out of the Pac-10. We don't really know how good Memphis is, they could be either 2nd round losers or Final Four contenders. Kansas is young but have exceeded expectations by winning the Big 12 regular season title, they are mystery to me, hard to trust. I am finding out there are a lot of teams you cannot trust when trying to fill out a winning bracket this year. You got to look for teams with versatility, and teams that have NBA talent. Those are the teams that do well come tourney time. Expect the SEC to really struggle especially since they could get as few as 2 teams in. There are always sleepers to watch for and that is what is so intriguing about March Madness. Who will be the next George Mason or Davidson? We will find out soon enough.
A little baseball talk here to wrap things up. I am excited for this upcoming season. I like the depth that the Atlanta Braves have assembled on their club. There are just so many more options if injuries should occur. In the starting rotation, you have guys such as Tommy Hanson, Jo-Jo Reyes, Charlie Morton, James Parr, all young guys with limited experience who most likely will see time with the big club this year if they do not start the season with the club. It will be interesting to see who fills out the rest of the bullpen for the Bravos. A lot of injury concerns arise here with guys such as Rafael Soriano, Peter Moylan, among others, that will determine the makeup of the 'pen behind Mike Gonzalez, the closer. The depth on the offensive side of the ball is also better than a year ago. The bench is actually pretty set in stone right now with David Ross (catcher with some pop), Martin Prado (utility infielder and solid gap-to-gap hitter), Omar Infante (utility everywhere man with a solid bat), Greg Norton (pinch hitter, switch hitter, can play multiple positions), and Matt Diaz (Outfield, will play a lot in a semi-platoon with Garrett Anderson in LF). This leaves off guys such as Gregor Blanco, solid OBP(on base percentage), good speed, Brandon Jones (younger fellow who has yet to fulfill promise of years past), Jordan Shafer (young 22 year old CF of the future possibly), and Diory Hernandez (solid infielder who put up good numbers at AAA last year), who will all end up at AAA Gwinett with all of our other solid prospects on the pitching staff. Oh, one name to keep your eye on for the 'pen is Kris Medlan, young guy who I saw pitch for AA Mississippi last summer. Good command of his pitches, with some excellent off speed pitches to offer.
I hope you are enjoying the weather wherever you may be and keep reading "the stache," you won't regret it. Keep it real and if you are wearing black socks keep them high for all of us out there to see. To you and yours and have a wonderful night. Hugs and handpounds.
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The NBA basketball season has hit the 3/4 pole with all teams having completed 60 games this season. The top teams have become apparent, (L.A. Lakers, Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs), and the champion will emerge from one of these teams, mark it down. I think whoever ends up getting the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference will be the conferences' representative in the Finals. It is really too close to call between Cleveland and Boston, only separated by 1 game as we speak. My guess is Cleveland, they seem to be hungrier and healthier right now. Now will they be healthy 2 months from now, we'll see, but I like the energy they have played with this year and like their chances. As far as the West is concerned, I like the Spurs. One of the reasons is because it is an odd year and the Spurs have won titles in 1999,2003,2005, and 2007. So why not 2009, they still have the lethal trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, with their usual cast of role players that know how to play in clutch moments. It has been either the Spurs or the Lakers winning the Western Conference 9 out of the last 10 years. So mark it down, Spurs will be in the finals and win it again against the Cavaliers whom they defeated in 2007. Other story lines I am following is whether my hometown Atlanta Hawks can quit the bickering and hold onto the 4 seed in the East, thus allowing them to have home court advantage in the first round. They hold a slim lead now, and they have the talent and flexibility to match up with any team in the league. They took the champion Boston Celtics to 7 games in the First Round of last years playoffs. Also, how far can teams like Denver and Utah, who is playing extremely well right now, advance into the postseason. They could be potential sleepers out West.
College Basketball is in its final week before the tickets are all punched to the Big Dance. Look for a Big East/ACC domination come tourney time, barring upsets in the conference tourneys expect 6 teams out of the ACC and 7 teams in the Big East. These are where the best teams in the land reside, and depending upon matchups could fill up the entire Final Four. Some other teams I have my eye on are Michigan State out of the Big 11, who is expecting 8 bids this year(for those college football fans, think of the ACC this year, a lot of teams make it to the postseason but very little top end quality), Oklahoma and Kansas out of the Big 12, Memphis from Conference USA, and the Washington Huskies out of the Pac-10. We don't really know how good Memphis is, they could be either 2nd round losers or Final Four contenders. Kansas is young but have exceeded expectations by winning the Big 12 regular season title, they are mystery to me, hard to trust. I am finding out there are a lot of teams you cannot trust when trying to fill out a winning bracket this year. You got to look for teams with versatility, and teams that have NBA talent. Those are the teams that do well come tourney time. Expect the SEC to really struggle especially since they could get as few as 2 teams in. There are always sleepers to watch for and that is what is so intriguing about March Madness. Who will be the next George Mason or Davidson? We will find out soon enough.
A little baseball talk here to wrap things up. I am excited for this upcoming season. I like the depth that the Atlanta Braves have assembled on their club. There are just so many more options if injuries should occur. In the starting rotation, you have guys such as Tommy Hanson, Jo-Jo Reyes, Charlie Morton, James Parr, all young guys with limited experience who most likely will see time with the big club this year if they do not start the season with the club. It will be interesting to see who fills out the rest of the bullpen for the Bravos. A lot of injury concerns arise here with guys such as Rafael Soriano, Peter Moylan, among others, that will determine the makeup of the 'pen behind Mike Gonzalez, the closer. The depth on the offensive side of the ball is also better than a year ago. The bench is actually pretty set in stone right now with David Ross (catcher with some pop), Martin Prado (utility infielder and solid gap-to-gap hitter), Omar Infante (utility everywhere man with a solid bat), Greg Norton (pinch hitter, switch hitter, can play multiple positions), and Matt Diaz (Outfield, will play a lot in a semi-platoon with Garrett Anderson in LF). This leaves off guys such as Gregor Blanco, solid OBP(on base percentage), good speed, Brandon Jones (younger fellow who has yet to fulfill promise of years past), Jordan Shafer (young 22 year old CF of the future possibly), and Diory Hernandez (solid infielder who put up good numbers at AAA last year), who will all end up at AAA Gwinett with all of our other solid prospects on the pitching staff. Oh, one name to keep your eye on for the 'pen is Kris Medlan, young guy who I saw pitch for AA Mississippi last summer. Good command of his pitches, with some excellent off speed pitches to offer.
I hope you are enjoying the weather wherever you may be and keep reading "the stache," you won't regret it. Keep it real and if you are wearing black socks keep them high for all of us out there to see. To you and yours and have a wonderful night. Hugs and handpounds.
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Sunday, March 8, 2009
Thoughtful Thoughts
Good evening from the halls of Bentley dormitory. Where I sit here in my room enjoying the nice cool breeze blowing in through my window and the extra hour of sunlight. "The stache" contemplates on his long hair, the evolving and building excitement of Championship Week, and how fortunate he is to be at a school and a location such as this.
At present, my hair has gone uncut since mid-August 2008, about 7 months or so. I made an interesting observation today, my hair is ridiculously long and out of control. I can stretch out the front down past my nose with ease. I am thankful for the curls in my hair. It gives it some poof and it just looks better than having straight hair and with a hat on it makes me look quite interesting. Especially when I sport "the stache" as I currently am at this moment. I am also thankful that my hair grows, unlike a few people I know who are either balding or are currently bald. But when you have to wear a hat nearly everytime you go out just so you can see normally, it is time for a change. Not that I don't mind wearing hats, but when you go out for a run or play a game of hoops. You have to constantly push it aside, making for an interesting part in the front. It does get hot I admit, even in the winter time and it does get a little annoying sometimes. It is pretty impressive the amount of hair that can be grown on one's head, but as a mentioned previously, the time for change is near. When will it come? You'll have to check back later for details. Hopefully the suspense won't kill you.
Championship week as it began earlier this week has already brought some excitement with overtime thrillers in the Ohio Valley and Missouri Valley tournaments. I can't wait until the big boys get going this week. Will the SEC get more than 2 teams in? Will any ACC or Big East teams play themselves into the tournament? What does the Pac-10 have to offer? The Big 12, how good is Kansas? These questions will be answered soon, it should be fun. Selection Sunday for the Big Dance is a week away. It will interesting to see who gets matched up with who and who the top few seeds will be. The top 4 overall should be North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, and either Oklahoma, Michigan State, or quite possibly Louisville depending upon the results of the conference tournaments. I don't see 4 number 1's making it to the Final Four like last year but I am having trouble finding the right combinations of teams to make it to Detroit at the beginning of April to play for all the marbles. I definitely see North Carolina there but not sure of the others, it will all depend upon the matchups, of course.
My first visit up to Lees-McRae College involved a black rental car that overheated, some nighttime fog, ending up by Lake Lure, and eventually arriving in the tiny town of Banner Elk, NC about 7 hours later with my dad for a tour of the campus. From there I met Coach McPhail on the urging of my dad and from then on, one thing led to another and I was a student here at the school. I grew up in the suburbs and I wanted to experience something different, I wanted to get away and separate myself from my past. Not that there was anything bad about my past, I just wanted to get away and create a new life for myself. I did not want to feel obligated to go to school with any of my high school classmates. So many of them went to the bigger schools in state, which is fine, and in another life I would probably have gone to a bigger school like that to experience all the things that go along with that. As I have mentioned in previous entries, family is an important part of my life, and this school with its location and class sizes, and the personalization of it all, made me feel comfortable. When everyday you can look out your window and see mountains not to far off in the distance. Where the weather in the fall is absolutely ideal for running and being outdoors. Where classes are taught by your professors and not some grad assistants and the professors all care about your well being. It is all not perfect, however, I don't like the cold and seeing the same people over and over again can drag you down sometimes, but I feel that these things are important in their own special way. For instance when its cold, it makes me appreciate the warmer weather, and when I hear people complaining at other school of how they felt lost or just like a number. Everything happens for a reason I believe. I was supposed to come here and experience such places as Roan Mountain, the Blue Ridge Parkway and all the trails that branch off of it, Linville Gorge, all of the waterfalls in the area, they are all so cool and right on my doorstep. Not many people get to experience things like this and get an education and compete in collegiate athletics at the same time. In the fall when the leaves change, it is just spectacular, coinciding with the cross country season and the team like bonding we all share. I know in my heart this was the right place at the right time for me. No matter how many times I hear people bicker about how much they dislike the school or how they wish they were somewhere else. My four years hear were and are special. I think it takes awhile for you to appreciate something and realize how fortunate you are to be in the situation at the time you were in it.
I hope you enjoyed the latest edition of "the stache." I am thankful for all of my loyal readers out there and thankful for all the opportunities I have been blessed with over the years. Take care and enjoy the weather. Catch you on the flip side. Hugs and handpounds for all.
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At present, my hair has gone uncut since mid-August 2008, about 7 months or so. I made an interesting observation today, my hair is ridiculously long and out of control. I can stretch out the front down past my nose with ease. I am thankful for the curls in my hair. It gives it some poof and it just looks better than having straight hair and with a hat on it makes me look quite interesting. Especially when I sport "the stache" as I currently am at this moment. I am also thankful that my hair grows, unlike a few people I know who are either balding or are currently bald. But when you have to wear a hat nearly everytime you go out just so you can see normally, it is time for a change. Not that I don't mind wearing hats, but when you go out for a run or play a game of hoops. You have to constantly push it aside, making for an interesting part in the front. It does get hot I admit, even in the winter time and it does get a little annoying sometimes. It is pretty impressive the amount of hair that can be grown on one's head, but as a mentioned previously, the time for change is near. When will it come? You'll have to check back later for details. Hopefully the suspense won't kill you.
Championship week as it began earlier this week has already brought some excitement with overtime thrillers in the Ohio Valley and Missouri Valley tournaments. I can't wait until the big boys get going this week. Will the SEC get more than 2 teams in? Will any ACC or Big East teams play themselves into the tournament? What does the Pac-10 have to offer? The Big 12, how good is Kansas? These questions will be answered soon, it should be fun. Selection Sunday for the Big Dance is a week away. It will interesting to see who gets matched up with who and who the top few seeds will be. The top 4 overall should be North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, and either Oklahoma, Michigan State, or quite possibly Louisville depending upon the results of the conference tournaments. I don't see 4 number 1's making it to the Final Four like last year but I am having trouble finding the right combinations of teams to make it to Detroit at the beginning of April to play for all the marbles. I definitely see North Carolina there but not sure of the others, it will all depend upon the matchups, of course.
My first visit up to Lees-McRae College involved a black rental car that overheated, some nighttime fog, ending up by Lake Lure, and eventually arriving in the tiny town of Banner Elk, NC about 7 hours later with my dad for a tour of the campus. From there I met Coach McPhail on the urging of my dad and from then on, one thing led to another and I was a student here at the school. I grew up in the suburbs and I wanted to experience something different, I wanted to get away and separate myself from my past. Not that there was anything bad about my past, I just wanted to get away and create a new life for myself. I did not want to feel obligated to go to school with any of my high school classmates. So many of them went to the bigger schools in state, which is fine, and in another life I would probably have gone to a bigger school like that to experience all the things that go along with that. As I have mentioned in previous entries, family is an important part of my life, and this school with its location and class sizes, and the personalization of it all, made me feel comfortable. When everyday you can look out your window and see mountains not to far off in the distance. Where the weather in the fall is absolutely ideal for running and being outdoors. Where classes are taught by your professors and not some grad assistants and the professors all care about your well being. It is all not perfect, however, I don't like the cold and seeing the same people over and over again can drag you down sometimes, but I feel that these things are important in their own special way. For instance when its cold, it makes me appreciate the warmer weather, and when I hear people complaining at other school of how they felt lost or just like a number. Everything happens for a reason I believe. I was supposed to come here and experience such places as Roan Mountain, the Blue Ridge Parkway and all the trails that branch off of it, Linville Gorge, all of the waterfalls in the area, they are all so cool and right on my doorstep. Not many people get to experience things like this and get an education and compete in collegiate athletics at the same time. In the fall when the leaves change, it is just spectacular, coinciding with the cross country season and the team like bonding we all share. I know in my heart this was the right place at the right time for me. No matter how many times I hear people bicker about how much they dislike the school or how they wish they were somewhere else. My four years hear were and are special. I think it takes awhile for you to appreciate something and realize how fortunate you are to be in the situation at the time you were in it.
I hope you enjoyed the latest edition of "the stache." I am thankful for all of my loyal readers out there and thankful for all the opportunities I have been blessed with over the years. Take care and enjoy the weather. Catch you on the flip side. Hugs and handpounds for all.
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Saturday, March 7, 2009
Saturday Top 5, Part II
Sorry for the delay tonight folk, got caught up over by Roan Mountain, Tennessee this evening. Long story but it involves 2 guys deciding to hike 13+ miles, most of it in the dark. As we speak they are still out there, lost maybe, hopefully not, but hopefully a lot smarter and less adventurous in the future. If you have been keeping up with the blogs, you know that Saturday is top 5 day on the blog. Tonight's rendition of "the stache" will be my top 5 musicians/bands to see live in concert. It doesn't matter if they are dead or alive. This is hypothetically who would I pay the most to see if given the opportunity. So here we go...
1. Jimy Hendrix- Not my favorite musician of all time, but I think this would be heck of a show. This left-handed guitarist is considered to be one of the greatest ever. He had fire and all sorts of psychedelic things going on at his show. It would've been an awesome experience to see this live and in person. A true legend who left us to soon.
2. Led Zeppelin- My co-favorite band of all time. Jimmy Paige, Robert Plante, what more can you say. So many great hits, long periods of instrumentals where no words are spoken and the guys are just jamming out. It would be great. It would give me goosebumps.
3. The Allman Brothers- My other of the co-favorites. Southern rock at its finest. To be able to see Duane Allman and company jam it up would be incredible. They have such versatility and great guitar play. Some of the best all time. I have really fallen in love with this band over the last few years. What talent. My favorite American band.
4. The Beatles- Arguably the most talented and best band of all time. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, simply legends and leaders of the British invasion of the 1960s. Everyone knows the Beatles, there songs are universally recognized. This would be a good band to go see and just chill, put all your worries behind you, you'll be at a peace of mind.
5. Eric Clapton- Great guitarist, good musician, period. There are so many others I could put in this spot, CCR, Aerosmith, AC/DC, heck maybe even Frank Sinatra but I think I would enjoy a Clapton show in his prime.
This is my list for the night. I hope you have enjoyed the latest edition of "the stache." Let me know what you think of this list and maybe give me a top 5 of your own. Take care and don't start any 13.5 mile hikes with less than 2 hours of daylight in the middle of the mountains. Stay warm out there. Hugs and handpounds.
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1. Jimy Hendrix- Not my favorite musician of all time, but I think this would be heck of a show. This left-handed guitarist is considered to be one of the greatest ever. He had fire and all sorts of psychedelic things going on at his show. It would've been an awesome experience to see this live and in person. A true legend who left us to soon.
2. Led Zeppelin- My co-favorite band of all time. Jimmy Paige, Robert Plante, what more can you say. So many great hits, long periods of instrumentals where no words are spoken and the guys are just jamming out. It would be great. It would give me goosebumps.
3. The Allman Brothers- My other of the co-favorites. Southern rock at its finest. To be able to see Duane Allman and company jam it up would be incredible. They have such versatility and great guitar play. Some of the best all time. I have really fallen in love with this band over the last few years. What talent. My favorite American band.
4. The Beatles- Arguably the most talented and best band of all time. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, simply legends and leaders of the British invasion of the 1960s. Everyone knows the Beatles, there songs are universally recognized. This would be a good band to go see and just chill, put all your worries behind you, you'll be at a peace of mind.
5. Eric Clapton- Great guitarist, good musician, period. There are so many others I could put in this spot, CCR, Aerosmith, AC/DC, heck maybe even Frank Sinatra but I think I would enjoy a Clapton show in his prime.
This is my list for the night. I hope you have enjoyed the latest edition of "the stache." Let me know what you think of this list and maybe give me a top 5 of your own. Take care and don't start any 13.5 mile hikes with less than 2 hours of daylight in the middle of the mountains. Stay warm out there. Hugs and handpounds.
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Friday, March 6, 2009
Socks and Hair
Sorry for the delay tonight folks. Got distracted doing some things, but that is neither hear nor there. On this balmy first Friday of March, I'd like to wish a Happy Birthday to my mom, who is..., no I won't tell you how old she is that would not be right. Part of the delay tonight has to do with me trying to come up with a topic for tonight, but I think I have one now. So bear with me as I try to wield my way through tonight's blog.
Today "the stache" came across an interesting thought or thoughts while running on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway earlier this afternoon. Black socks and facial hair. What do they mean? What does it mean when you wear black socks that go above the ankle? If you have facial hair of any significance does they play a part in how fast you will run or the ability you have to execute an athletic performance? Are black socks in fashion or is it only cool if you are an old man on the beach? Another question is do high black socks and facial hair offset each other thus creating a neutral performance, do they enhance the performance twofold or does it diminish the effectiveness to which you perform at?
These are some of the questions I will attempt to tackle tonight as it has become apparent to me the relevance of the black socks movement. Now for me personally I started wearing low cut black socks sometime during my freshman year of college and now that is all I purchase. I do not hardly wear white socks anymore, especially when out for a run. I don't know what drew me to the black socks in the first place, maybe because they looked cool and thus made me look cool, but what I have come to discover is the power in which they hold. There is no middle ground with these things, you either excel or you fall short. It all depends on the power of the socks, they can control the outcome of your performance. I stumbled across the high black socks just recently, almost by accident. Mid-summer, around July I had to get stitches on the lower part of my leg right where the foot begins and the legs ends. Basically right where the sock line is on the short ones that you wear. I had to wear something that could go over the stitching and bandages so not to irritate the area. So black socks entered my life on a full time basis. I had been considering getting some and I figured that time was better than any other. So I began to wear them not only on runs but going out with friends and such. My younger siblings think its weird and they always like to tease me for wearing them. They have not yet discovered the power in which they hold. They do not know the "coolness factor" one gets when donning these dark slivers of pure heaven. It is something they will learn in time. Basketball players wear them why can't everyday white boys from the suburbs sport em. It takes a special person to make them fit into the style of clothes you wear. As far as clothing to wear to best show off the lower legs, shorts would obviously be the clothing of choice, preferably khaki's not jorts, also known as jean shorts. Sandals can be worn but you have to tread carefully with those, not everyone can pull that off. As far as facial hair and sporting the high socks, I think this is a must, especially those who are sporting "the stache" or a Fu Manchu of sorts. If you are a runner, you may also want to consider a head band depending on the length of your hair to complete the ensemble. Facial hair and high socks are a must, and not just with black socks. If you have some old school white socks with the stripes at the top then this will definitely enhance your powers. Now recently I have just shaved my beard and currently I sit with a "stache" and nothing else. I have noticed that my performance levels have increased and I have felt better about myself and have had a better disposition. Its that "black magic." Whats the saying once you turn black you can never go back. Ain't that the truth, its black socks from now on. Now they haven't helped me land a girlfriend yet but I am confident that the socks won't let me down and that all my wishes will soon come true. All good things come to those who wait and I am patient enough to see the power of these things come true. Now some may argue that sporting facial hair may hinder your chances of finding that special someone. Research has shown that it is about a 50/50 split. Some women favor the facial hair and truly appreciate the talent and skill it takes to sport a "stache" or beard of some sort. Some women are drawn away from you, they think oh look at that slob why can't he shave, is he too lazy to do it, he looks like a porn star from the 70s. It is debatable whether this last part is helpful or not, only time will tell. All I know is that I am going to do whatever my little heart desires. I am going to sport and support "the stache" for as long as I can or until the time is right to go in a different direction. Some may ask well how do you know when the right time is? Trust me every man knows when its time to sport a different look. Don't listen to the haters out there, they are just jealous. Listen to you heart and you will be fine.
I hope you enjoyed the latest installment of "the stache." We will be back tomorrow with our weekly top 5. Look for more insightful articles like tonight's in the weeks and months to come, in the words of Tom Hanks:
"Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?"
Take care and stay warm out there. The spring train has arrived. Hugs and handpounds.
Mb
Today "the stache" came across an interesting thought or thoughts while running on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway earlier this afternoon. Black socks and facial hair. What do they mean? What does it mean when you wear black socks that go above the ankle? If you have facial hair of any significance does they play a part in how fast you will run or the ability you have to execute an athletic performance? Are black socks in fashion or is it only cool if you are an old man on the beach? Another question is do high black socks and facial hair offset each other thus creating a neutral performance, do they enhance the performance twofold or does it diminish the effectiveness to which you perform at?
These are some of the questions I will attempt to tackle tonight as it has become apparent to me the relevance of the black socks movement. Now for me personally I started wearing low cut black socks sometime during my freshman year of college and now that is all I purchase. I do not hardly wear white socks anymore, especially when out for a run. I don't know what drew me to the black socks in the first place, maybe because they looked cool and thus made me look cool, but what I have come to discover is the power in which they hold. There is no middle ground with these things, you either excel or you fall short. It all depends on the power of the socks, they can control the outcome of your performance. I stumbled across the high black socks just recently, almost by accident. Mid-summer, around July I had to get stitches on the lower part of my leg right where the foot begins and the legs ends. Basically right where the sock line is on the short ones that you wear. I had to wear something that could go over the stitching and bandages so not to irritate the area. So black socks entered my life on a full time basis. I had been considering getting some and I figured that time was better than any other. So I began to wear them not only on runs but going out with friends and such. My younger siblings think its weird and they always like to tease me for wearing them. They have not yet discovered the power in which they hold. They do not know the "coolness factor" one gets when donning these dark slivers of pure heaven. It is something they will learn in time. Basketball players wear them why can't everyday white boys from the suburbs sport em. It takes a special person to make them fit into the style of clothes you wear. As far as clothing to wear to best show off the lower legs, shorts would obviously be the clothing of choice, preferably khaki's not jorts, also known as jean shorts. Sandals can be worn but you have to tread carefully with those, not everyone can pull that off. As far as facial hair and sporting the high socks, I think this is a must, especially those who are sporting "the stache" or a Fu Manchu of sorts. If you are a runner, you may also want to consider a head band depending on the length of your hair to complete the ensemble. Facial hair and high socks are a must, and not just with black socks. If you have some old school white socks with the stripes at the top then this will definitely enhance your powers. Now recently I have just shaved my beard and currently I sit with a "stache" and nothing else. I have noticed that my performance levels have increased and I have felt better about myself and have had a better disposition. Its that "black magic." Whats the saying once you turn black you can never go back. Ain't that the truth, its black socks from now on. Now they haven't helped me land a girlfriend yet but I am confident that the socks won't let me down and that all my wishes will soon come true. All good things come to those who wait and I am patient enough to see the power of these things come true. Now some may argue that sporting facial hair may hinder your chances of finding that special someone. Research has shown that it is about a 50/50 split. Some women favor the facial hair and truly appreciate the talent and skill it takes to sport a "stache" or beard of some sort. Some women are drawn away from you, they think oh look at that slob why can't he shave, is he too lazy to do it, he looks like a porn star from the 70s. It is debatable whether this last part is helpful or not, only time will tell. All I know is that I am going to do whatever my little heart desires. I am going to sport and support "the stache" for as long as I can or until the time is right to go in a different direction. Some may ask well how do you know when the right time is? Trust me every man knows when its time to sport a different look. Don't listen to the haters out there, they are just jealous. Listen to you heart and you will be fine.
I hope you enjoyed the latest installment of "the stache." We will be back tomorrow with our weekly top 5. Look for more insightful articles like tonight's in the weeks and months to come, in the words of Tom Hanks:
"Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?"
Take care and stay warm out there. The spring train has arrived. Hugs and handpounds.
Mb
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