H/T to Guyism’s Isaac for finding this highly mathematical quiz that asks you to name the 66 most successful teams in NCAA tournament history in 12:00 mins.
I was going to post my best gets, worst misses, and a photo of my board. Then I realized that would be giving everyone who sees that information a decisive advantage. Just know that I got 43/66.
Go take the quiz at Sporcle.com. Here’s one free hint:
Most fellow sports bloggers are going to respond why’d you even bother? to this nonsense. Still, I’m tired of the shenanigans, so I’m going to rant.
This morning, I was anxious to read a re-cap of my alma mater Fordham’s thrilling win over St. John’s on Saturday, which I enjoyed on Regional sports TV (thanks, Yes Network, could have done with a few less Michael Kay shots however). Since I already read the in-depth report on FordhamSports.com, I decided to give the Bleacher Report post by Sam Blum a shot. Let’s just say, if you want to truly hear about the 21-point second half comeback by the Rams, read the article on FordhamSports.com.
It’s not even the ridiculous re-hashing of the unsubstantiated rumors that Bob Knight was going to take over the Fordham coaching job this past season that irked me about BR’s post, it’s this -
What I thought I was being offered here was a chance to like Fordham Men’s Basketball on Facebook, which seems appropriate considering this is the hottest the team has been since the early 90′s. Negative on that action though. What I was actually doing was liking Fordham Men’s Basketball on Bleacher Report.
Bleacher Report, you’re welcome to respond to me and let me know what the community benefits of liking Fordham Men’s Basketball on Bleacher Report are exactly. Because of the misleading nature of this, I’m not going to bother checking it out myself. Just going to unlike.
Separately, congratulations to Tom Pecora and the Fordham Rams on the already impressive season that you’re putting together. I may have to right this ship and start a Facebook group on your behalf.
Michigan State football players, does a $420 shopping spree at your local Best Buy make up for not going to the Rose Bowl?
This week, SportsBusiness Journal released the slate of swag that each player on participating teams will receive at each bowl game. Remember to TwitPic a photo of yourself doing the duggie in a Fossil watch and Ogio Cooper backpack in Glendale, Cam Newton.
Mostly, the rewarded will receive cool electronics (iPod touch, XBox 360, noise canceling headphones), watches, sunglasses, and then random stuff – like a Christmas ornament if you’re playing in the New Mexico bowl.
The most intriguing to me are the vaguely listed ‘gift suites,’ which Sporting News’ Chris Littmann informed me on Twitter means a bunch of vendors set-up shop and it’s a shopping spree. However, the NCAA sets a monetary limit for each player, which Littmann believes to be $500, so it’s not an all-you-can-grab buffet, apparently.
Right now – assuming that slow-motion replay indeed legitimized that Dicky V shot – I kind of like this.
Note: This is not Singler’s first time showing off his love of “getting buckets”.
We know, Singler. We know you and your brother used your phenomenal trick shot skills to go on to beat that poor local news reporter with an unfortunate developmental situation in one arm in HORSE.
The students seen here mimicking the tenacious D that propelled Butler into tonight’s Final identify themselves as Kyle Holsinger and Joshua Burt on Facebook – it’s probable that these two are engaging in heavy amounts of nerd hassling directed at the Duke fanbase in the parking lot of Lucas Oil Stadium as we speak.
Regardless of how demented the NCAA tournament gets played out, one prediction holds true, year in and year out – bad predictions. Thankfully, most of them were spoken in hushed tones – I can’t even seem to track down who Dick Vitale picked.
However, with the Final Four set to tip in two days, the time to come clean is now.
Cornell is not all they’re cracked up to be, and everyone should be considering Temple for the Sweet-16 rather than picking Cornell to upset, because Evan Rodriguez is the real deal and Ryan Wittman is just a garden-variety nerd.
Cornell of course were exactly what they were cracked up to be – many a non-genius picked them to go to the Sweet-16. And that nerd Wittman’s NCAA tourney showing included a 20 point showing in their win over Temple, and 24 in their win over Wisconsin. As for Evan Rodriguez, if you do a search, your more likely to find Chi Chi Rodriguez highlights during tournament week. I’d be lying if I said that prediction was based on more on basketball knowledge, and less on just trying to to be a contrarian.
For all others willing to swallow your pride, and cop to poor NCAA tourney conjectures, leave it in the comments below.
I’m in the Uproxx Pool of Awesome. The Intentional Foul pool. A pool at work. Another pool that a buddy just invited me too. Plus, I refrained from entering two others. Here’s the hitch: one bracket though – only smart way to do it, right?
At 12:20 today – with the tip of BYU vs. Florida – you’re officially out of time. I want to hear how invested everyone got this year. Let me know how many pools you’re in (leave a comment or shoot me an @ reply).
Anyone who entered more than ten pools gets a signed B/W 8 X 10 photo of me eating the bacon explosion – after I win it in the IF pool.
Pictured above, that’s my 2010 NCAA Champ pick.
UPDATE: This might be the worst bracket I have ever filled out. And not going to lie there have been some real dogs in the past. (Friday, Mar. 19 2:41 pm ET)
It’s a different game – a 16-1 match-up – this time around, but here’s what happened the last time UVM faced ‘Cuse in the first round of the tournament.
Earlier this week, I exchanged a few emails with my old boss Steve, at one point him asking: Is this the worst team in the history of Fordham basketball….or was last year’s the worst?
This year’s F.U. Rams men’s basketball team is abysmal – 2-20 (0-10) thus far, last in the Atlantic-10. And last year’s team was likewise atrocious (3-25 (1-15). In fact, it translates to a .111 winning percentage over the last two season. However, in all the years I’ve followed Fordham basketball, I’ll always associate the 2002-03 team (my freshman year at Fordham) as the worst team I rooted for – 4-24 overall; two wins courtesy of a St. Bonaventure recruiting scandal.
An anecdote from the first game I attended…
Bob Hill (former NBA coach of the Knicks, Pacers, Spurs) was still the coach that year, and during a late January loss against Xavier some kid started a FIRE BOB HILL! chant that resulted in an altercation between the incisive fan and the moms of the Fordham players. A few months later, Fordham and Hill “agreed to amicably part ways.”
Truth be told, I was mainly there to see David West dominate for Xavier, but I’ve stuck by Fordham’s team ever since!
…
Anyone think they can top this level of lackluster? Chime in and let me know what worst team you ever rooted for was?
Leading up to this past weekend’s inception of the 2009-10 NFL season, I polled the sports blogosphere on What’s the Greatest Sports Day of the Year. Thought we’d get a top-10 out of it, but it turns out everybody sort of likes the same days with a few wild cards thrown in. (Actually, just The Indy 500 sort of puzzles me.)
Therefore, here’s my highly arbitrary Top-5 based on the sports blog intelligentsia’s feedback.
Don’t forget to vote at the bottom…
NFL Opening Sunday
Hanging out in a bar or ensconced on a couch with onion dip for 8-12 hours on a Sunday watching pro football is a truly iconic American experience. We wait all Summer for that experience, the whole time left to believe that sort of behavior is inappropriate and lethargic. Then, on a faithful Sunday in September – no matter what level of balmy Indian Summer weather we’re having – all your dreams come true, sloth. And, it’s not just one day, but the start of 5+ months of Sundays like this.
Here is Adam Best’s (Fansided.com) take on NFL opening day…
Not only is the NFL the professional sports league with the best product, it’s the sports league with the best presentation. After waiting for over half a year for the real thing, you get a taste of actual NFL regular season action on opening Thursday. That just wets your appetite for the 13 games on the Sunday slate. From tailgating to fantasy football, there isn’t a sports day that offers this much from start to finish. Christmas in September. Watching the Red Zone Channel for almost 7 hours before you switch over to NBC for the encore, and ESPN and the NFLN for the nightcap recap. From 8 AM until Midnight it’s all NFL. You can’t get non-stop action and highlights like that anywhere else.
The Kentucky Derby
I’ll take the sights at the local OTB on the day of the Kentucky Derby over any exploding fireworks spectacular. If they put an OTB there, even Mayberry would look like public squalor on Derby day. Utterly, fantastic.
But, to quote something The Cincinnati Kid Steve McQueen might have said – it’s not just the gambling, it’s also the drinking. You can muddle fruit everyday of the year, and it’ll never taste as well muddled as in a julep on Derby Day.
Also, you can wear a seersucker suit or a hat shaped like an extra large Triple Meat Italiano from Pizza Hut every day of the year, and people will always look at you with vague condescension, but at least on Derby Day they’ll have formulated an explanation as to why you’re dressed like a doofus.
The NBA Draft
I got more responses that read I know it sounds crazy, but I really enjoy the NBA Draft. Why so ashamed?
Two rounds, five minutes a pick (two minutes in the second round even), and all the wardrobe audacity that you could ask for in under three hours. I don’t think ESPN could get a more efficient display of unintentional comedy if they got Keyshawn, Kruk and Lou Holtz to tri-anchor SportsCenter live from Pamplona at the Running of the Bulls.
Opening Day
Answer: The first day when teams play each other in this sport is commonly referred to as Opening Day.
What is baseball, Alex. This would be a $200 dollar question in Jeopardy round. Under the category: Sports, amateur hour.
There’s a reason it’s Opening Day, and not Opening Sunday in the norms of society. And, the explanation might be that this is actually the greatest sports day of the year.
Hope springs eternal. Dads with their sons playing hookie from school and work, your first smells of the fresh cut infield and outfield grass, grilled ballpark franks, batting practice and ice cold beer…and then you go home that night to watch march madness…perfection.
The first or second day of the NCAA Tournament:
I used to work with a guy who took Thursday and Friday of the NCAA tournament off every year, and went to Vegas with his buddies for the first round of the tournament. In a world where most of us lose vacation time do to sinister company policies, he’s an inspiration.
Interchangeably known as the least productive day of the corporate year, sports fans might actually be at their best and brightest these two days. There are 13 games on NFL Opening Sunday, and due to mitigating circumstances (spreads, fantasy players, food comas) you’re bound to let the outcome of one or two slip until Sport Center, Monday morning. Also, due to occurrences like Opening Day: Kansas City at Baltimore, you’re likely to not care about the full MLB slate on April 1. 32 teams play on each of the first two days of the tournament, and you will know the fate of every single one (and you won’t need to reference a fistful of sports book tickets to conjure up this knowledge).
Hit the poll to vote for the greatest sports day out of these five, and check out some other bloggers’ takes below…
1. Super Bowl Sunday
2. Opening Day Baseball
3. Game 7 ( MLB or NBA )
4. NFL Championship Sunday NFC AFC
5. The Big Dance Day 1
6. The Big Dance Final 4
7. The Big Dance Sweet 16
8. First Saturday of NCAA Football
The best sports day of the year for me is New Year’s day. I love college football and having it to watch from 11:00 in the morning until after midnight engrooses me every single year. The first two days of the NCAA Basketball Tourney run a close second, and baseball opening day is third.
This is going to sound ridiculous, but one of my favorite days has always been the NBA All-Star game day/weekend. My birthday always happens to fall on that same weekend so I get to celebrate my bday along with my favorite sport’s all-star festivities.
