Monday morning, and I just put the final touches on a very long exhale.
I guess this is the part where I grudgingly admit that I underestimated Davidson. I underestimated Davidson. But let's name names: Stephen Curry. Did you see his behind-the-back dribble drive move? The one that he used multiple times in traffic to drive the lane? (The one I'll be wasting my time practicing in the gym.) Did you see his shooting stroke, the release that allows him to get off shots with about six inches of space between him and the defense? Ridiculous.
The Jayhawks missed shot after shot, and Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur failed to leave their mark on the game at crucial points. I'm thanking Mario Chalmers and Sasha Kaun for this win, with a few other guys chipping in, and some crunch-time defense. For KU to have a shot at UNC, the Jayhawk star power has to be on display.
KU played so badly and with such a lack of poise that I'm wondering if the Final Four monkey was throttling the players as well as coach Bill Self. Let's hope so.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Jayhawks Make Final Four...w/ a Little Luck
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Elite Eight NCAA Bracket Picks (Last Minute)
Tip-off of the UCLA-Xavier game is a few minutes away, so I have just enough time to take another run at calling the NCAA tournament. Here are my final picks for the weekend:
#1 UCLA beats #3 Xavier. Wouldn't surprise me it was another nail-biter, though.
#3 Louisville beats #1 North Carolina. Who's hotter, the Tarheels or the Cardinals? While UNC has been coasting, Louisville has been beating tougher competition. I'm saying it pays off here.
#2 Texas beats #1 Memphis. Once again, the Longhorns' poise and talent will win out. Memphis' free-throwing weakness will hurt 'em.
#1 Kansas beats #10 Davidson. By double digits.
As the KC Star's Jason Whitlock says:
The whole country might have fallen in love with Stephen Curry, his smooth shot and 13-year-old frame, but Kansas fans want him buried on Sunday.
The cute, little story must end, and it’s time for the Jayhawks to take advantage of a bracket that has fed them a 16 seed (Portland State), a terrible 8 seed (UNLV), a lucky-to-get-in 12 seed (Villanova) and now a one-man-band 10 seed (Davidson).
Kansas Plays "Perfect Game", "Tree Toppers" Go Home
I forgot which announcer said it as the KU-Villanova smackdown was coming to a close, something like, "The Jayhawks just played a nearly perfect game...the Wildcats just couldn't recover from the sensory experience of seeing the bottoms of their shoes as they threw down alley oop dunks."
He got the "sensory experience" part right, but if anyone watching that contest thought it represented a perfect game from KU, they haven't seen the Jayhawks' more commanding performances of the season, like the win over Texas for the Big 12 championship. "Perfect" is when the Jayhawks beat Texas again for the National Championship next weekend...at least that's what I'm saying after yesterday's games.
In other breaking news (this gets kind of complicated) Lindsay was sorry to see the Western Kentucky Tree Toppers lose. This happened after we were watching the Stanford mascot dance around, and somehow got the idea that it was repping Western Kentucky. I'm thinking officials from the two universities should put their heads together and sort out this mascot mayhem. Teams should aim for the kind of clarity and panache embodied by the Jayhawk.
Lindsay: "What is that mascot, a tree topper? That's what it looks like. A big, dancing Christmas tree. Kind of weird. The Tree Toppers, that's the team name, right?"
I don't think anyone in their right mind could blame you for the confusion, babe. I'm just glad that I can help sort it out with this blog post.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Gaming the System
Sometimes men need just a little incentive to be men, which is why we told Aidan that when he uses the bathroom, he can have a dot. Our potty-for-dots program has really taken off, but I've started to wonder about its potential for manipulation. Like, if Aidan pees four times in 45 minutes, is he exploiting a loophole in the program? Is our system being scammed?
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Sweet Sixteen (Current) NCAA Bracket Picks
Second-chance NCAA contests can be found all over the web, so if your Sweet Sixteen bracket looks like Swiss cheese, there's still hope. With the games a day away, it's time to put my bad picks behind me and predict what happens next. Here's what I've got.
#1 North Carolina beats #4 Washington State. The Tarheels haven't really been tested yet in the tournament, and they'll have to wait until their Elite Eight match-up for that to happen.
#2 Tennessee beats #3 Louisville. This is one of the marquee Sweet Sixteen games, in my opinion, the other being Texas-Stanford. I'll go with Tennessee because they've had a tougher path so far, and this will be a game where the grittier team wins.
#1 Kansas beats #12 Villanova. Games aren't really about seeds at this point. 'Nova is justifiably praised for their guard play (Scottie Reynolds is the man), but the Jayhawks have more guards and better.
#3 Wisconsin beats #10 Davidson. The monstrous post presence of the Badgers overcomes Stephon Curry's hot hand.
#5 Michigan State beats #1 Memphis. I'm going to defy the supercomputer on this one and go with the better free-throw-shooting team. Free-throws are vital in the NCAAs despite what John Calipari says. Besides, I feel like I have to pick an upset.
#2 Texas beats #3 Stanford. Texas starts five NBA-caliber players and they play with composure, which will allow them to beat the Lopez twins.
#1 UCLA beats #12 Western Kentucky. After a near loss and a controversial no-call against A&M, the Bruins get to exhale. The Hilltoppers have no answer for Kevin Love.
#3 Xavier beats #7 West Virginia. Bob Huggins work with West Virginia this season is remarkable, but his luck finally runs out here--in a very close game.
Who are you picking?
Walking, Talking Supercomputer Picks the Jayhawks
FOX's WhatIfSports computer simulated the NCAA tournament 10,000 times and concludes, among other things, that:
Kansas is still the prohibitive favorite to defeat Memphis and claim this year’s NCAA Tournament Championship.
Memphis? If we actually do get a KU-Memphis showdown, my faith in the rise of the NCAA machines will increase exponentially. I'm still thinking Texas or UCLA. Remember that ugly, debated, come-from-behind win the Bruins pulled out against A&M? Texas is about twice as good as the Aggies.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Cornered by Monotonously Dangerous Essays
When I started seminary about four years ago, I did not have to swing carrots in front of my face in order to get essays written. If memory serves (It might not, it's become slightly unreliable lately. Example: Ask me, quick! for my earliest childhood memory: Umm, KU over Portland State by 24!) the essays just happened.
I read my books and eagerly scanned my syllabi, then seated myself at the computer humming in contentment while my papers typed themselves. The next morning I would swing by the desk on my way out the door, grab my warm, white essay--newly printed and collated by my cooperative printer--and turn it in for an A grade before running outside to gambol on the green grass in the fresh, transparent air under the yellow sun. There has been far too little gamboling lately. And far too many dry, lobotomizing essays.
They've stopped writing themselves. The process is no longer magical, unless you consider coffee beans to have magical properties, which I do. But I feel palpable resistance when I try and write. Like a force stronger than coffee has pitted itself against me. I feel as if Satan has surrounded my computer with minor demons who are whispering, You shall not write this essay. No. NO, STOP! NCAABASKETBALL NCAABASKETBALL NCAABASKETBALL... (At this point they hiss a sigh of relief, then go and take a prolonged lunch break).
This week is my de facto Spring Break, and I have three main goals--other than my usual ones of sleeping, drinking a lot of coffee, making a couple dollars, spending more than five minutes alone with Lindsay, and trying to break a rim at the community center. These goals are:
- Do our taxes.
- Write a couple essays for a class.
- Relaunch this blog (more on this).
Winner of the 2008 NCAA Championship
The Kansas Jayhawks have the best shot, says The Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy. I know, I know, this gloating is unbecoming...
Lindsay: "You don't know what these people do!"
Referring to Adian and Asher. Well, here's proof that I do know, babe. Believe me, I know. :-)
Scanning the Sweet Sixteen NCAA Bracket
The morning after the three-bombs stopped falling, a bunch of us are sifting through the charred remains of our young, untested brackets. The brackets are older now and have gained experience. They are also full of holes.
ESPN's Andy Katz has a great rundown of the Sweet Sixteen field. He evaluates each team's manner of arrival, what it means for their program, and the drama factor involved.
Unsurprisingly, all the #1 seeds advanced. Surprisingly, Davidson knocked off Georgetown. Very surprisingly, Western Kentucky is still alive--at least for another game.
Of the remaining 16 teams, I successfully picked 10...which puts me above 500%:
- North Carolina
- Louisville
- Tennessee
- Wisconsin
- Kansas
- Stanford
- Texas
- Memphis
- Xavier
- UCLA
- Washington State
- Davidson
- Villanova
- Michigan State
- West Virginia
- Western Kentucky
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Death is Reversed, the World is Changed
Christ has turned all our sunsets into dawns. - Clement of Alexandria
The great mystery is Jesus Christ—the gospel. What would the condition of any of us be if we had not the hope of immortality?…Thank God, the gospel of Jesus Christ brought life and immortality to light. - Daniel Webster
I am all at once what Christ is,
since he was what I am,
And this Jack, joke, poor potsherd,
patch, matchwood, immortal diamond,
Is immortal diamond. - Gerard Manley Hopkins
All actual life is encounter. - Martin Buber
May we encounter him today.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Aidan is Two
And we told him that the circumference of his cake will increase by one inch for every year of his life. Actually, in this shot he is reenacting his birthday moment, the moment where he wished "eat 'marshamallows' for breakfast" and then defaulted by asking me and Lindsay to blow out his candles for him (March 14).
It's taken him a few days to polish off his fire engine cake (six inches long--just kidding, it was full-sized), but every time he eats some, he requests the full treatment: candles, cheering, and "Happy Birthday," during which he
accompanies Lindsay.
Kid knows how to party.
In the back of the photo, you can see one of his favorite birthday presents, if you look closely. He can swish three pointers from up to four feet away.
In the second picture, you can see him conducting and singing "Happy Birthday." You can also see from his tired eyes that his cold, lack of sleep, and hours spent relentlessly perfecting his jump shot has begun to take a toll on him.
We can only hope that the NBA bucks will someday atone for this abridgment of his childhood. Poor guy.
The Madness Dwindles - Slightly
The Madness has been curtailed around here somewhat, since Arizona and Kentucky and Baylor failed to pull off their upsets as (we) planned. However, assuring that bracket fever is still somewhat rampant, K-State, Siena, Davidson, and Texas A&M did win. So we haven't exactly turned off the TV and resorted to sitting in corners crying into our cold drinks.
At the moment, I'm wondering if I should have picked K-State to upset Wisconsin.
Aidan is perfecting his bank shot on his Little Tikes hoop.
Lindsay is examining her bracket, which is taped to the utility closet door, next to mine. She's actually up on me two games, which is a little worrying.
Asher is playing with a furry, stuffed basketball which allegedly belongs to Aidan, a fact that we are frequently forced to discuss.
We're all battling with a cold bug that has the resiliency and shelf life of a rubberized Hostess Twinkie.
I am slowly preparing myself to write a post that doesn't center on NCAA hoops, but I'm not quite there yet...be patient with me here, I'm a sick man. Specifically, in the sense that I have a cold and it's March.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Coldplay's New Album: From X&Y to Viva la Vida
And now for something completely different. Pitchfork notes that Coldplay's new album, slated for June 17, will have...ready for this?...Latin America flair:
"The sights, sounds and flavours of Latin America and Spain have definitely been infused into this album...No maracas or castanets, but a vibrancy and colourfulness that owes much to the atmospheres of Buenos Aires and Barcelona. The effect is subtle but important."
The title is Viva la Vida, either that or Death and All His Friends. Here's hoping that Viva gets the nod. Trying to picture (with your ears) what Latin American Coldplay will sound like? Me too...
NCAA Bracket Upset Picks (2008)
With NCAA tip-offs mere hours away, I'm going out on a limb to highlight some of my favorite upset picks for the first round. "Favorite" upset predictions are kind of like "favorite" stocks in brand new IPOs--they're good for an adrenalin rush and some fun speculation, accompanied by the knowledge that they could also crush your portfolio like a cockroach. Same thing here, except your bracket is at stake. (Fortunately, in both cases there are ways to hedge your losses.)
But enough NCAA upset pick philosophy, here's what I've got.
Smart Upset Picks
#11 Kansas State beats #6 USC. The K-State Wildcats are better than their seed implies, and in the war of the League-bound prep stars, Michael Beasely will edge out O.J. Mayo and show why he deserves POY honors over Tyler Hansbrough. An upset is all the more likely if K-State's x-factor, Bill Walker shows up--he and Mayo played together in high school and might actually be the real rivalry here.
#10 Davidson beats # 7 Gonzaga. Davidson is the owner of the nation's longest current winning streak (22) and they're playing just 100 miles from home in Raleigh, NC, while the 'Zags will have to travel 2,000 miles. It's a good bet to say the streak goes to 23.
Solid Upset Picks
#12 Temple beats #5 Michigan State. This is that proverbial 12/5 upset special. Temple poses match-up problems for the Spartans, and Michigan State has been anything but consistent this season.
#9 Oregon beats #8 Mississippi State. The Ducks need redemption after an underachieving Pac 10 season.
#9 Texas A&M beats # 8 Brigham Young. A&M has several NBA-caliber players, and they've stopped underachieving just in time for NCAA play.
#10 Arizona beats #7 West Virginia. You might not know that the Wildcats are loaded, but they'll play to their talent level for at least one NCAA game.
Risky Upset Picks
#13 Siena beats #4 Vanderbilt. The Siena Saints have won six straight, while the Commodores have lost three of their last five. Confidence is the key ingredient that allows little teams to become giant slayers.
#11 Kentucky beats #6 Marquette. Billy Gillespie and the Wildcats have some things to prove. A good upset pick if you have the guts.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Ongiara by Great Lake Swimmers (Review)
I'm not a "music reviewer" because then I'd have to acquaint myself with scores of esoteric garage bands (I only know about a dozen) and make frequent references to them in my posts.
I don't have time for that, so I have to satisfy myself with being a dude who writes about music he listens to--and honestly, I don't mind. My most recent discover is Great Lake Swimmers, specifically the Ongiara (2007) album. I picked it up on the strength of a free live recording EP, and it's been getting a lot of play over the last 48 hours.
In case you're wondering: The title Ongiara was the name of the boat that ferried the band to Toronto Island, where they recorded the initial demo. "Ongiara" is also the original name for Niagara Falls; the name is said to have originated from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra and the local tribe of Iroquois inhabitants known as the Ongiaras. - Wikipedia
What do Great Lake Swimmers sound like? Think hushed vocals, slowly building melodies, and a clean, folk sound with plenty of banjo and other deft acoustic flourishes. Initially, I said that Great Lake Swimmers sounded "kind of like Arcade Fire meets Innocence Mission with peacenik lyrics."
In order to make that description less ridiculous, I'd now place the group, loosely, in the same genre as Iron and Wine, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, and--Lindsay says--Don Chaffer (slightly esoteric local reference, sorry). My appreciation for the Swimmers' quietly poetic lyrics has grown with the full length album.
By way of other endorsements, I should mention that Aidan has added Great Lake Swimmers' Ongiara to his list of approved nighttime music, along with Innocence Mission, Ben Folds, and Campfire Songs by Veggie Tales. His comment: "I hate sleep, but the soulful strumming of Great Lake Swimmers makes it bearable. Almost."
My NCAA Bracket Gains Self Esteem
FOX's Jeff Goodman has my back when it comes to my NCAA tournament winners:
Kansas coach Bill Self told me that guard Sherron Collins is “100 percent”. That the factor that ultimately swayed me to pick the Jayhawks to beat UCLA in the national title game.And it's not only Goodman. A highly respected sports writer from the L.A. Times, of all places, is also pushing KU:
Yes, the final will be a repeat of the terrific Big 12 Conference championship game. And yes, for a second consecutive time, the Jayhawks will win -- this time for the national title.
They're experienced -- their best players are a sophomore, two juniors and a senior. They're talented at both ends of the court -- they led the Big 12 in all major offensive and defensive categories.
They can run if necessary, or bang if necessary. Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers can beat you outside, Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson can beat you inside.
They lost three games this season, all on the road, by a total of 13 points.
They won't lose again. (HT: Will Hicks)
And he didn't even mention Sherron Collins. My bracket was feeling pretty good about itself already, but now it's really swaggering.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Unconventional NCAA Bracket Contest
If you're looking for something a little different in the way of pick 'em competition, check out the NCAA bracket contest at the Las Vegas Review Journal. You can enter at any time before or during the tournament, and can only pick a round at a time. In other words, you may be down, but you're never out. Some number-crunching lets you assess your accuracy precisely--which is fun, if you're planning on to win. ;-)
Still looking for help with your bracket predictions? Take a look at my NCAA Bracket Picks series, starting with round one.
2008 NCAA Bracket Predictions: Elite Eight, Final Four
So now we've reached the Elite Eight. We've made our bracket picks for the first round, second round, and third round (regionals), and now we find ourselves staring down the barrels of eight loaded, NCAA-proven, road-tested teams (allow me the bad metaphor). Time for more off-the-cuff analysis.
Our problem here is that any of the remaining teams could very well win it all--and that's especially true this year, when so many of the top-tier teams have advanced. As we pick our Final Four and National Champion, we have to trust our luck, go with our gut, and back our favorites. Sound good?
We'll tackle the remaining predictions with the same savvy improv that's taken us this far. NCAA bracket glory awaits...first, the Elite Eight games.
East
#2 Tennessee beats #1 North Carolina. The Tarheels' lack of defense and the Vols' chip on the shoulder meet in a perfect storm. Tennessee wins by 5.
Midwest
#1 Kansas beats #3 Wisconsin. Wisconsin tries to ugly the game up, but KU's inside beef rises to the challenge, and the Badgers can't stop the Jayhawks from running away in the last ten minutes of the second half.
South
#2 Texas beats #1 Memphis. Memphis gets caught on the horns of a Longhorn dilemma, and get gored. Conference USA hasn't prepared them for a team with as many weapons and as much composure as Texas--plus, they miss crucial free throws.
West
#1 UCLA beats #3 Xavier. Xavier can wheel and deal with the best of them, but they can't stop Kevin Love.
All right, we paid our dues to the top dogs by advancing #1 seeds Kansas and UCLA while simultaneously respecting the NCAA upset bug. On to the Final Four.
#1 Kansas beats #2 Tennessee. Bruce Pearl and the Vols are eager to revenge themselves on KU for the theft of the Midwest's #1 seed, but they didn't count on the Jayhawks' stifling defense.
#1 UCLA beats #2 Texas. Texas nabbed UCLA early in the season, and the Bruins have the advantage of the revenge factor. Alternatively, this would make a great last-ditch upset pick, because we know that Texas has the tools to beat UCLA. In my brackets I've been alternating UCLA and Texas in the final game.
And now, the National Championship:
#1 Kansas beats #1 UCLA. The Bruins have the best player in Kevin Love, but in this game, the Jayhawks have the next three best players in Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush. KU's tag team approach to the post (Arthur, Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaun, and Cole Aldrich) is enough to wear Love down, and the Jayhawks win the game in the last two minutes.
So there you have it. Two #1 seeds meet in the NCAA tournament championship, which is not an extremely daring prediction, but even as a #1, the Jayhawks would probably be considered a dark horse pick on most brackets (North Carolina and Memphis have had more headlines).
Best of luck making your own bracket predictions. This year, with 5-6 really dominant teams, a good approach will be to respect the elite teams while honoring the underdogs with a handful of strategic upset picks--which is what I've tried to do with my predictions. Whatever happens, back your picks to the last minute--because that's when a lot of these games are won. Hope it works for you!
If you're looking for one more bracket pool, this blog has one. Feel free to jump in. If you liked what you read here, go ahead and subscribe to this blog or bookmark it for more NCAA talk (mixed with other stuff). Now, go get to work on your brackets.
Monday, March 17, 2008
March: Good for Blog Traffic, Bad for Health
Yesterday we threw a wild party with a bunch of extended family to celebrate Aidan's 2nd birthday, watched the NCAA Selection Show online, and went to bed. That was a good day.
During the night there was a lot of coughing, crying, and frequently altered sleeping arrangements.
And today we spent our time sneezing, whimpering, taking 30-second cat naps, and enjoying March Madness as much as possible. I decided to go public with some NCAA bracket strategery, 
and the resulting influx of traffic surprised even me (see graph). I guess I just didn't realize how much the world was clamoring for my bracket picks input. Won't make that mistake again...
Aidan did his part to lift the atmosphere, which was muggy with sleepiness and humidity from all the snot, by infusing his sickbed comments with a sincerity that made them seem almost sacramental: "Bless you, Asher, bless you." Also, the kid's flat out funny:
"Is that a bus? Is that a fire truck? No, it's Aidan, making noises."
Forecast: More bracketology, less sickness.
Coffee Tastes Better in a Mug
I think most of us already knew this, but now we have the data on our side. Did I mention I have a large earthenware mug collection?
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