The Napoli-est Place on Earth

Another successful MLB fantasy draft in the books as my 10 man Rotisserie league hilariously named You're Fucking Out! had our live online draft tonight.  There were some odd picks (Travis Snider) in the 6th round and some late steals (Carlos Guillen was the last overall pick) but for the most part people stuck to the board and never ventured too far off course to select a player.  No one really went slumming except for Wilkin who took Joe Inglett for god knows what reason.

A tip to all those out there who play fantasy baseball.  Don't use ESPN.com for your league if you plan on doing an online draft.  For some unknown the first 7 rounds were not in snake format (1-10 pick then 10-1) and after the 7th round it switched to snake.  Don't know why but I do know that since I picked 7th I got the royal screwjob for the first 7 rounds. 

Team still turned out great and here it is:

The Napoli-est Place on Earth

C Mike Napoli

1B Miguel Cabrera

2B Ian Kinsler

3B Evan Longoria

SS JJ hardy

OF Matt Kemp

OF Jay Bruce

OF Raul Ibanez

UTIL Shin-Soo Choo

UTIL Lastings Milledge

SP Dan Haren

SP James Shields

SP Jon Lester

SP Ricky Nolasco

SP Gavin Floyd

RP Joakim Soria

RP Bobby Jenks

RP Brad Ziegler

RP Justin Masteron

BENCH Rick Ankiel

BENCH Melvin Mora

BENCH David Price

What I Like: I feel like my team has a real good balance to it.  I am not weak in any particular area (except steals) and a lot of my players have a real strong upside.  Plus I was able to get a couple Red Sox players and that is always a good thing. 

What I Love: This is a keeper league so at the end of the season I will be able to keep 6 of my players.  When I look at my team I see some of the All-stars of tomorrow.  Guys like Jay Bruce and David Price are going to good for a long time and I love the fact that they are on my team.

What I Hate:  The lack of comedy my team bring to the table.  No one on my team is a real snapshow (see Milton Bradley) and no one is a real media whore (see A-rod aka Mr. May) they all just show up play well and then go home.  Not cool.  Plus other than "Fat" Gavin Floyd I've got no good nicknames to work with.  Oh well.

Sleeper: Shin-Soo Choo.  Post-All-Star break numbers: 11 home runs, 48 RBI, .343 AVG.  Just saying.

I will keep updating the progress the Napoli-est Place on Earth and hopefully I will put a beating on Stevie P NHL Insider, Draper the Raper, Baby J, and the rest of the bums in my league.

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The Weekend That Was

Late Sunday afternoon Tiger Woods stood over a 12-foot birdie putt Sunday at Bay Hill with only enough sunlight remaining for one last shot.  It was at this moment that Woods made golf remember the magic it had been missing.

With cameras flashing in the approaching darkness, Woods delivered another rock-star moment by making a birdie on the final hole to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational by one shot and match the largest comeback in his PGA Tour career.

``It feels good to be back in contention, to feel the rush,'' Woods said. ``It's been awhile, but God, it felt good.''

Starting the final round five shots behind, Woods closed with a 3-under 67 for a one-shot victory over hard-luck Sean O'Hair. It was the third time he won at Bay Hill with a birdie putt on the 18th hole, and this uphill putt was the easiest of all.

Woods had not been atop the leader board since he won the U.S. Open in a 19-hole playoff last June. He had reconstructive surgery on his left knee a week later, and missed the next eight months.

With two indifferent results, there were questions whether he would be ready for the Masters in two weeks.

Not anymore.

``Certainly, this win definitely validates all the things I've been trying to do,'' Woods said.

O'Hair made only one birdie and closed with a 73, but he steadied himself along the back nine until a crucial mistake on the 16th hole, when he went at the flag with Woods in the rough. His 7-iron came up short and into the water, leading to a bogey.

``I think what happened is when the sun was going down a little bit, I guess that kind of proved to me that the ball wasn't quite going as far,'' O'Hair said.

He might be right, for Woods ran into the same problem a hole later. He posed over a 4-iron that he thought was flush, tongue hanging out of his mouth like Michael Jordan when he knew a shot was going in. This one plugged under the lip of the front bunker, and Woods made bogey to fall into a tie.

That set up the dramatic finish with only minutes of daylight remaining, thanks to a two-hour rain delay in the morning.

It was the second straight year that O'Hair had to watch Woods celebrate. They were in the final group a year ago when Woods made his big birdie putt to beat Bart Bryant. This one stung even more.

"It's just a little bit disappointing that I couldn't close it,'' O'Hair said.

Woods finished at 5-under 275 and won $1.08 million for his 66th career victory. Only once in his career has Woods failed to win a PGA Tour even in the three months leading to the Masters, but more Bay Hill magic took care of that.

"It's like Stevie was saying out there,'' Woods said of caddie Steve Williams. "This feels like we hadn't left. You just remember how to do it. It hasn't been that long for me, but you just have that feel of what to do. And it's a matter of getting it done.''

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The Best Article Ever

This is an article written by Phil Taylor, a writer for SI.com, that I feel is the best sports article I have ever read.  It's funny but also very insightful and his thoughts on Kevin Garnett are 100% true and hilarious.  I hope you enjoy.

Cool, the onetime giant of sports culture that had long been in declining health, died in seclusion last month. In a measure of how forgotten Cool had become, the moment of its passing went largely unnoticed even though the event was witnessed by millions on television, shortly after the Boston Celtics won the NBA championship by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. In the ensuing celebration Celtics star Kevin Garnett was asked how he felt about winning the first title of his 13-year career. He threw his head back and bellowed, "Anything is possible!" as though he had just accomplished something previously thought to be beyond human capability, like walking on the sun or deciphering the plot of Lost. With Garnett's scream, Cool took its dying breath.

Authorities say that Garnett will not be held responsible for the demise of Cool, ruling that he was no more culpable than thousands of other modern-day athletes who have an overwhelming need for self-congratulation and a tendency to overdramatize. Those athletes avoided Cool like a subpoena during its final years, instead embracing midair chest bumps, primal yells and the kind of elaborate, multistep hand jive that grade-school girls do on playgrounds.

Cool was on a respirator as the end neared, its breathing more shallow with every poststrikeout fist pump by Joba Chamberlain, every dunk-and-sneer from Vince Carter and every one-act play performed by Chad Johnson after a touchdown catch. In its weakened state, it was hard to believe that Cool once walked with kings, that Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Julius Erving, Bjorn Borg and Walt Frazier were never caught without Cool, in competition or away from it. Cool not only added to their mystique but also served a practical purpose. "I always felt that [Cool] gave me an advantage," Frazier says. "It's like in poker, if the other players can't read you, it puts that uncertainty in their minds and that puts you in control."

Its age was hard to pin down, but Cool is believed to have been born in the late 1960s, around the time Joe Namath began wearing full-length fur coats and dating models (no one said Cool couldn't be fun) and John Carlos and Tommie Smith stood silent and stoic on the Olympic medal podium in Mexico City, their leather-gloved fists raised in a human rights salute (no one said Cool couldn't be serious).

Stardom quickly followed for Cool. Kids aspired to it. Men tried to embody it. Women were attracted to it. Cool reached out to established coaches, giving their gentlemanly, controlled personas a new cachet. As Tom Landry walked the Dallas Cowboys' sideline wearing a suit, a crisp fedora and an unchanging expression, Cool was on his shoulder. It was there, too, beside UCLA's John Wooden as he directed his nearly flawless Bruins -- perhaps the coolest crew ever -- without rising from his courtside seat. It seemed not so much that winners were cool, but that Cool created winners.

Only in retrospect is it clear when Cool began to hit hard times. In the opener of the 1979–80 NBA season, the Lakers beat the San Diego Clippers on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's buzzer-beating hook shot. Abdul-Jabbar was the kind of Cool customer who would hit a game-winner, stroll off the court and go put on a Miles Davis album. But this was the pro debut for Magic Johnson, the league's No. 1 pick. Magic jumped on Abdul-Jabbar and wrapped him in a bear hug, surprising the captain but charming the fans with his joy. No one knew it then, but Cool was doomed.

Though Magic's jubilation was genuine, over time fans and players alike became so hooked on open displays of emotion that they didn't care if those displays were real or not. Partly because of the huge salaries that athletes were making, the public wanted to see players in agony or ecstasy, as proof that they cared about more than the paycheck. The athlete who preened for the cameras and pounded his chest was assumed to have more passion than the one who kept a lid on his emotions. Cool became confused with Bland and Uninterested. Now it's not the player who bashes in the occasional watercooler who's criticized, it's the one who doesn't.

Like most stars of another era, Cool had several aborted comebacks, with the occasional athlete attempting to revive it. Tom Brady, Mariano Rivera and Ichiro Suzuki were among the last advocates of Cool, but few of their colleagues followed suit. Cool's condition was terminal.

There will be no funeral service, which is how Cool would have wanted it. In lieu of flowers, mourners are asked simply to appreciate players who don't feel the need to punctuate every accomplishment with an over-the-top celebration, who understand the beauty in letting a performance speak for itself. That would be totally Cool.

Random Youtube Video (Coolest Guy Out There)

Stupid Sports Sayings

Lately I have been hearing some sayings being over used by announcers and broadcasters alike that have really started to bother me.  I guess that since it's March Madness people feel the need to use the term Cinderella on every underdog that wins a game.  Let me say this right now, a team needs to win more than 1 game in the NCAA tournament to be a Cinderella.  Cinderella had until midnight ok she didn't have until 9 o'clock.  So let's just stop that nonsense right now.  As for some other sayings that need to go, well here they are:

Referring to Someone's Game as Sexy

This is the lamest, and yes I'm going to say it gayest, saying out there.  How can an athlete's game be sexy?  I heard a debate over DeJuan Blair of the Pittsburgh Panthers and the analyst said that his game wasn't "sexy" enough.  How the hell can his game be sexy?  It makes no sense to use that word over the limitless other, more appropriate words, such as impressive, entertaining, aesthetically unpleasing, or how about good/bar.  These are all better choices and don't make you sound like a douche bag. 

Pick Six

This is what analysts and broadcasters call an interception returned for a touchdown in the NFL. Lame ass name I know but for some reason they all use it and think it's the greatest thing since calling an athletes performance sexy.  How about using the more logical, and comical, choice of touchdown after interception or T.A.I.N.T.  This is much lamer to say if you simply say touchdown after interception and is also hilarious as TAINT is a funny word.  I know you're laughing right now just reading it.

Describing a Player as a Gamer

This is used as a term to describe players who show up to big games and really give it 100% aka do their jobs.  Why not simply say the guy tries hard?  Why is there this incessant need to make up lingo for every type of player in the league.  "Oh LeBron James is such a gamer."  No he's not. He is a clutch player who tries hard all the time.  Just say so.

Changing of the Guard

I understand.  Sometimes when an older player is head to head against a younger player is signifies a change or evolution in the sport that is monumental but must it be cheapened by using the same cliche line 20 times?  In the summer I watched Roger Federer play Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon and must have been informed that it was a changing of the guard no less than 15 times.  Just say this is an important match in tennis history maybe give some insight and then move on.  Do not simply repeat the same sentence over and over again. 

"On the Button"

A Joe Rogan special as whenever anyone gets knocked out in the UFC you can be sure that they were hit directly "on the button."  Now I know not much more can be expected of Joe Rogan because he is a talentless hack but I mean there has to be something else to say.  Watching a Best UFC Knockouts special the other day I was treated to 60 minutes of men getting clocked on the button and of the maybe 35 knockouts shown the phrase was used over 57 times (I counted).  Needs to go.

The Word Heroic

I love sports as much as the next guy (well obviously more cause I blog about it) but I have yet to see in my lifetime an athlete put on a performance I would call heroic.  I have seen players have legendary performances and have seen some of the biggest moments in sports history but you can not tell me that Levance Fields hitting a late 3 pointer against Xavier was "heroic."  It was impressive and it was clutch.  I don't want to take anything away from the guy but he isn't a hero.  Superman is a hero.  Last time I checked Levance Fields wasn't saving people from burning buildings or stopping Lex Luthor from destroying Metropolis.  

These are only a few that I could think of but I am sure there are many more that I am forgetting but are just as bad.  Feel free to share them and I will try to update this post to include your submissions.

Random Youtube Video (Kicked in the Penis Kid Makes a Return)

NCAA vs NBA

March Madness is one of the greatest tournaments and sporting events of the year as it is exciting and gives fans a better look at the future of the NBA.  With that being said though the NBA is much better to watch than NCAA basketball, even the tournament games.  I'm not saying NBA playoff games I am talking about any NBA game during the season is better than any NCAA game whether it be during March Madness or not.  There are a few exceptions, Duke vs UNC and the NCAA Championship game, but for the rest of the games it does not even come close to comparing.

Now one thing I do love about the NCAA is that the players truly care about whether they win or lose.  They don't play for money and it shows when young guys like Blake Griffin dive into the stands for a loose ball and when guys cry during games that they lose.  Imagine seeing Allen Iverson cry on the bench if his team got knocked out of the playoffs?  Doesn't happen.

This however does not take away from the overall much inferior play in the NCAA.  Watching March Madness has reminded just how bad some of these college players are.  Not only can 98% of guards and forwards not drive the line but with the exception of Thabeet, Blair, and Hansbrough none of the big men can finish around the basket.

Too many NCAA teams rely too heavily on the 3 ball and instead of creating open looks by driving the lane and kicking out or simply beating someone off the dribble teams simply work the ball around the perimeter and then toss up a prayer with the clock winding down.  A few times over the weekend I would see a team jack up a 3, miss, get the offensive rebound, then jack up another 3 ball within 2 seconds of getting the ball.  God forbid you run some sort of offense.

If a player did that in the NBA he would be benched for the rest of the game, unless of course he is Zac Randolph who is just unconscious and shoots from everywhere on the floor with little or no consequence.  Teams in the NBA run offensive plays that they work on all week in practice and then utilize in games to score points.  This leads me to wonder what teams in the NCAA do all week.  Practice jump shots from half court for 90 minutes a day?

Another reason I prefer the NBA is because at the NBA level a fan can really get attached to a team and a player.  For instance if you are a Lakers fan then lucky for you Kobe Bryant is on your team and has been there for years now.  He will more than likely end his career there and you can always look back at how he made the Lakers great.  In the NCAA players go for 1 or 2 years and then leave.  Players like Tyler Hansbrough and Lavance Fields who are 4 year players are the exception.  This makes getting attached to a team more difficult as when you look back at the history of your team it is a long list of people you only have fleeting memories of.

Lastly there are the crowds.  While crowds at the perennial Duke vs UNC game are always crazy they set the benchmark and no rivalries even come close.  Fans go because it is free but their passion and love of their team is more often than not alcohol induced.  Look at the first two rounds of March Madness.  There were empty seats as far as the eye could see and the crowds never seem to get into the games too much.  Compare that to the NBA where every night at the ACC the crowd goes crazy or at the Cavs games where people are constantly on their feet for LeBron James.  Some schools in the NCAA have amazing crowds that are legendary but they are few and far between.  The NBA overall has a much stronger fan base that doesn't go to the games cause their free and to get wasted.

While the NBA has been somewhat tarnished over these past few years as more and more players don't care about winning but only making money it is still a game that is far superior to the college game.  The players are better and fans can form a stronger attachment to their team through these players who are the face of a franchise.  The average crowd is there to watch great basketball and are much more into the game than the average college crowd. 

Really if you need to settle any sort of debate just ask this question.  Would you rather watch Blake Griffen (best NCAA player in the country) play the best game of his life or watch any regular game with Kobe, LeBron, or Dwyane Wade?  The answer I hope is obvious.

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New Poll

Wow.  Lot of opinion and controversy over the latest poll which quickly turned into a 2 man race as E from Entourage aka Ryan's pick was left back in the dust.  Sorry E you banged Sloan but it just wasn't enough.

As for the controversy it occurred when I learned someone had been doctoring votes Charlie Harper and had found a way to vote multiple times on the same computer.  Needless to say that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated and said person has been given the appropriate Ric Flair chop across the chest.

Despite the blatant cheating for the side of Charlie Harper it was not enough as true champion Barney Stinson won.  The universe makes sense again as had Charlie Harper won I feel like many a person would have thrown themselves into oncoming traffic.

Congratulations Barney Stinson you truly are the ideal television character.

New Poll

Since I am no longer an A-rod fan I feel that this new poll seems appropriate for this week.  The question is which A-rod nickname do you like best?  Here are your options:

A-roid

This name was dubbed on A-rod after his recent steroid scandal.  I feel like its too close to A-rod to be considered and that many announcers this year will actually call him A-roid by accident. That gives it some comedy value but compared to the rest it has a lot of work to do.

Stray-rod

This nickname was created after it was discovered that A-rod was having an affair with Madonna.  The name was also used when pictures of A-rod at a Toronto strip club surfaced. Hilarious name but I don't like the fact that it derives from him cheating on his wife.  That stuff doesn't fly in the Sports Informer world.

Mr. May

As you may or may not know the MLB playoffs take place in October while the regular season starts in April.  This name is a cheap shot at A-rod's lack of production in the post-season yet amazing number during the games that many feel "don't count."

Gay-rod

This one is pretty obvious.  He poses in magazine with his shirt off all the time.  He has done some pretty effeminate things in the past.  Also people don't like him and in our modern society calling something "gay" still has negative connotations.

These are your options.  Choose wisely.

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The Weekend That Was

While March Madness dominated the sports world for the weekend there was something that I feel was a much bigger story, for me at least, that needs to be discussed.

For as long as he has been in the MLB I have been a fan of Alex Rodriguez.  He is an amazing baseball player and even though he is hated on by everyone and made some questionable choices in the past I have always stuck by him but not any longer.   No longer can I say that A-rod is my boy. 

A series of events has occurred over time and has finally come to a head with the latest pictorial spread in Details magazine where there are pictures of A-rod kissing himself in a full length mirror while wearing a tank top.  

How am I supposed to defend this?  When A-rod yelled "mine" and made that rookie third baseman on the Blue Jays look stupid I argued that he was simply taking advantage of the lack of experience.  When it was discovered he took steroids I argued that everyone in the league took steroids so who cares?  When he cheated on his wife I shrugged it off as a common occurrence with celebrities.  But to this picture what do you say?

The picture is ridiculous and the only way to interpret it is that clearly A-rod is saying he loves himself.  I am ok with loving who you are as a person but when you start making out with a mirror image of yourself I draw the line.  Especially since he looks to be enjoying it waaay too much. 

While on the subject does this man have anyone in his entourage or on his personal staff with any common sense?  Maybe a manager who was at the photo shoot and could have done something to stop this?  How did no one step in and say, "hey A-rod this might not be looked upon favorably by the public."

He is still the best player in baseball and I will never say anything negative about his game, except in the post season where he is terrible, but this ends my fandom.  So people out there who has given me grief before for defending A-rod feel free to gloat as I am admitting that I have been wrong in defending him.

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First Round Thoughts

Cinderella is a Bitch

Seriously Dayton, Wisconsin, Western Kentucky and Cleveland St. can kiss the fattest part of my ass.  My brackets which were looking strong after Friday have now officially been dumped on by these "Cinderellas."  I love the Madness but I am starting to really get tired of that phrase.  How can a team be called Cinderella when they are only making it out of the first round?  You gotta make a run deep into the tourney to be considered a true Cinderella.

The worst part about all this is that collectively these four teams have cost me 5 grand as now I have been officially eliminated from the Facebook 5k Bracket Challenge.  I needed that money to support my Taco Bell addiction.  Now I have to eat at Arby's.  Thanks guys.  

Famous Kids

Turns out that there is some serious star power in this tournament as the sons of Michael Jordan and Master P both played this weekend.  Jeff Jordan the son of Michael Jordan aka the Greatest basketball player ever, a sophomore at Illinois played, 11 minutes against Western Kentucky. He scored 1 point and no doubt cost his team the game.   Way to ruin the family name.

Master P's son, Percy Miller aka Lil Romeo, on the other hand didn't see the court and instead cheered his USC Trojans to victory over the Boston College Eagles.  This proves the theory that if you want to be successful in college basketball never play the child of a celebrity. 

Falling In Love With the 3-Pointer

It has become abundantly clear to me why the pro game is so much better than the amateur game.  In the pros players can create open looks, they can drive to the basket, and there are players who can post-up down low.  In the college game all teams do it jack up 3 balls.

I took a random game that I didn't really watch: Pitt vs East Tennessee State.  In the game Pitt went 7-19 from beyond the arc and East Tennessee State went 4-22.  It's sad really when you watch a team knowing that they can't win because they can't hit 3's but then it makes you happy when you know you picked a team with an inside presence to win it all.  

Seriously once you are 4-18 from 3-point land just stop shooting 3 balls.

He Got Boned

Going into the Madness I had done some research and came across one of the best coaching names out there...Ken Bone.  Ken Bone coaches at Portland State.  In the first round his team was playing Xavier who I thought was over rated.  This almost got be to take Bone and his Vikings but logic won over comedy and in the end I passed on Ken Bone.

Good thing because Ken Bone failed to achieve victory and instead tasted bitter defeat.  Bone will be back however as Portland State is in the lowly Big Sky Conference and should be back next year.

Bone in 2012.  I can see the buttons and bumper stickers now.

Old Man Strength

Gary Wilkinson is a 6'9 240lb forward that plays for the Utah State Men's basketball team who was knocked out of the tournament today after a heart breaking loss to Marquette.  He is also a 26 year old MAN.  That's right this man is 26 and still in college.  How is this is allowed?  I don't know but he clearly uses his old man strength to his advantage.

To put this into perspective he is older than LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmello Anthony, and Chris Bosh.  I guess the NCAA felt bad and let this slide because they knew Utah State would suck but really this just isn't right.

Random Youtube Video (Remember Roller Jam?)

New Poll

So apparently nobody likes Mortal Kombat as not a single vote was cast in favor the the MK franchise.  Street Fighter took it in a cake walk and I am glad as it is not only was a better game but also made for a better movie.  Glad to see it pull through.

The new poll question is going to be "Which character on TV would you rather be?"  The question stems from a debate that occurred on my weekly radio show and got rather heated near the end. We were trying to figure out which character on TV has the best life and who we would want to be if we had to assume the life of a character on TV.

So here are the options:

E

E or Eric Murphy is a character from the HBO show Entourage.  He is roughly 27 years old and is his best friend Vince's manager.  Vince is a A-list Hollywood actor and E manages his career.

Pros: E gets to live a sweet life as he hangs out with his friends all day in California going to awesome parties and events.  He was banging Sloan who is ridiculously attractive and one of the hottest women on TV.  He doesn't have to worry about money because Vince takes care of him.

Cons: E only has a job because he knows Vince.  If not for Vince then E would still be managing the pizza shop back in New York.  E is not really taken seriously in the "business" because everyone knows he is only around due to his friendship with Vince.  He is also really short topping out at roughly 5'6.

Charlie Harper

Charlie Harper is a character on the show Two and a Half Men.  He is a jingle writer who lives on the beach in California and has his own beach house.  He is a womanizer and gets laid in every episode and only bangs younger women.  Unfortunately his brother is going through a messy divorce and now lives with him.  

Pros:  Charlies is exceedingly wealthy considering his job is real easy.  He writes jingles for companies and works maybe a few hours a week.  He has a sick beach house and drives a Jaguar. He bangs primo broads and has no problem being a womanizer.  He can also drink like a fish as pounds scotch in every episode with ease.

Cons:  His brother and his brother's kid lives with him.  He dresses like a complete tool as he always wears khaki shorts, loafers, and a button up flowy shirt.  His job is a joke because he writes jingles which doesn't count as real music.  He has a maid but she is an overweight bitch who doesn't clean the house but instead makes fun of him all day.  If you were to be Charlie Harper you would be 40 something.

Barney Stinson

Barney Stinson is a character from the show How I Met Your Mother.  He is roughly 30 or 31 and has an undisclosed job at Goliath National Bank.  Like Charlie Harper he cleans up with the women and is known for being a ladies man.  He is played by Neil Patrick Harris who is gay but that is irrelevant in this argument as you assume the life of the character not the actor.

Pros:  Barney scores with women consistently and does so in the most creative and clever ways. He is very funny and takes little bets and challenges very seriously often with humorous results.   He makes little catch phrases and has made saying the word "bro" not gay.  He is very wealthy as he can afford to do whatever he wants whenever he wants.  His apartment is amazing he dresses well always wearing a suit.

Cons:  It appears that Barney only has 4 friends (Robin, Marshall, Ted, and Lilly).  He thinks he is Ted's best friend but really its Marshall.  No one ever really wants to participate in his ideas like laser tag or foxy boxing.   He gets slapped alot by women who don't appreciate his sexual advances and he is secretly in love with Robin who does not return his affection

Conclusion

There are the choices.  I realise there are other great options out there (Frasier Krane, Vincent Chase, Dexter, Jack Bauer, and Avon Barksdale) but these are our 3 choices.  Please choose wisely and as always you will have 1 week to vote.  Democracy shall prevail. 

Random Youtube Video:

The Obama Bracket

So I was browsing the Internet today in class, checking out the usual websites when I clicked on ESPN.com and saw a video that, to me, was one of the coolest videos I have ever seen.  It was this video:

President of the United States of America Barack Obama filling out his NCAA March Madness bracket with ESPN writer Andy Katz.  At first I thought to myself this is pretty sweet that Obama is doing a bracket on ESPN but then I realised how truly significant it was.

Think about it.  The NCAA College Basketball Championship Tournament was founded in 1939 which means that it is 70 years old.  In that time 12 different men have been President of the United States.  Not one of those men before Obama would ever think of doing something like this.  Now obviously for men like Truman it wasn't really a possibility but still that should not tarnish the significance.

The most powerful man in the entire world took time out of his day to pick a bracket just like a normal person would do.  It is proof of the evolution of the office of President as before the men who held the position held themselves on a pedestal that no one could ever reach.  Yet Obama has brought a human touch to the Presidency as he comes off as someone you might hang out with on a regular basis.

I also love the fact that he knows what he is talking about.  He didn't pick his bracket based on politics he went with his knowledge.  He watches college basketball and is going to watch some of the tournament.  He was talking about certain players and key match-ups like he was an analyst for ESPN. 

Now I know that this isn't the usual kind of stuff that I write and that I may be giving too much emphasis to such a minuscule event but I found it really interesting to see how modern society has produced a man of its time.  Presidents of the past have always seemed out of date but with Obama he is right there on top of the stuff that everyday people find important.

Now if you want to see how he broke down his bracket just watch the video because he and I have some similar picks except he blew it in the championship game as Louisville will be taking it home.

Best line of the whole video is when Obama says, "now because of Reggie Love I gotta go with Duke" to which Katz replies "the whole way?" and Obama quickly shuts him down with a "no no not the whole way...come on now."  Burn on the DUKEEEES.

Random Youtbe Video

MVP Toss Up

As of today there are only 14 games left in the NBA regular season and in my opinion 5 players have separated themselves from the pack in terms of being in the running for the MVP award. Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul has established themselves as the 5 best players in the NBA and all have legitimate chances at being named the MVP.  Let's break down their resumes and see who should win it:

Dwight Howard

Team Record: 49-18 and 3rd in the Eastern Conference

Personal Stats: 21 PPG 14 RPG 2.9 BPG

Why He Should Win: Howard has 52 double-doubles, including seven of at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. He tops the NBA in rebounding and shot-blocking, and his defensive presence drives the Magic: Orlando ranks in the top 10 in seven defensive categories, is 35-7 when it holds teams under 100 points and 17-0 when foes shoot less than 40 percent.

He is the most dominant center in basketball and a fierce down low.  He can single handily win games and is still only 23 years old.

Why He Won't Win: Like it or not Dwight Howard's game isn't "sexy" enough.  He doesn't have amazing dunks and he doesn't hit game winning shots form half court.  We already saw him get robbed of one award this year Slam Dunk Contest (Nate Robinson had 1 good dunk) so clearly the deck is stacked against Howard.

Chris Paul

Team Record: 41-25

Personal Stats: 21 PPG 11 APG 5 RPG

Why He Should Win:  Paul leads the league in assists (11.0), steals (2.8) and triple-doubles (six), and has had four games of at least 25 points and 15 assists. Paul -- whose Hornets aren't likely to match last season's 56-26 record -- is also setting career bests in scoring (21.9) and shooting (50.2 percent). 

He is the best point guard in the league hands down.  Sorry Deron Williams fans but it is true.  At the young age of 23 he has earned the respect of everyone on his team and he is a floor general.  No one cuts through the lane easier than Chris Paul and he makes everyone around him better.

Why He Won't Win: Dwyane Wade is scoring more points.  Kobe and LeBron's teams have better records. While Chirs Paul is amazing he is often overlooked in the MVP sense as his numbers never seem to match the magic of Kobe and LeBron.  He also fails at being able to make the highlight reel as he does not throw down vicious one-handed dunks from the free throw line consistently like LBJ.

Kobe Bryant

Team Record: 53-14

Personal Stats: 28 PPG 5.4 RPG 4.9 APG

Why He Should Win: Eleven players have won multiple MVP awards, and many believe Bryant -- whose Lakers have turned the Western Conference race into a runaway (nine-game lead over San Antonio with 16 games to go) -- should be the 12th. He has led L.A. to the league's best road record (23-9), including the 6-0 trek from Jan. 30 through Feb. 8 that included victories at Boston and at Cleveland. Bryant averaged 32.8 points on the trip.

Kobe is the best player on the best team and has his team playing amazing around him as they try to play on his level.  He is a proficient scorer and owns the highlight reels.

Why He Won't Win:  All he does is score.  If you look at his number his only impressive stats are his PPG which is indicative of the way Kobe plays.  He makes others better around him due to their effort to be on his level but other than that his only value to the team is his scoring ability.

Also winning back to back MVPs is no tall order so I think Kobe is a going to come up short here.

Dwyane Wade

Team Record: 36-30

Personal Stats: 30 PPG 8 APG 5 RPG

Why He Should Win: It might be easier to list the things Wade hasn't done for the Heat: A Miami player other than him has led the team in scoring only eight times in 66 games, and someone not named Dwyane has led in assists just 15 times. Since the All-Star break, Wade -- who hasn't missed a game, playing more already than in three of his first five seasons -- has gotten stronger, averaging 35.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks, while shooting 54.2 percent.

Wade does it all and he he does everything right and he does it with style.  His play has energized Miami and they are now the 5th seed in the East.  If they can string together some wins late they may be able to host a 1st round playoff series.

Why He Won't Win:  He plays for the Miami Heat.  His team is not good enough to merit him winning the award in the eyes of the voters.  Yes he scores but in the end it is not enough to get past the fact that he heads a mediocre Eastern Conference team.

LeBron James

Team Record: 54-13

Personal Stats: 28 PPG 7 RBP 7 APG

Why He Should Win: It's one thing for a player to be "all-everything'' for an also-ran, but James takes it to new levels of individual and team success. He leads the Cavs in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, and has them on pace to win 66 games. The other three players since 1973 to lead in all those categories helped their clubs win considerably less often -- Boston's Dave Cowens in 1977-78 (32 victories), Chicago's Scottie Pippen in 1994-95 (47) and Minnesota's Kevin Garnett in 2002-03 (51).

LeBron is an all around player who can do everything.  He is exciting to watch and every game he seems to get better.  He puts his team on his shoulders and carries them with him.  Even after bringing in players like Mo Williams to help LeBron score he can still do it all.  Also it needs to be mentioned many of the Cavs games feature LBJ on the bench in the 4th quarter as his team is often ahead by enough that he can rest.

Why He Won't Win: No conceivable argument.  He does everything well on a 1st place team.  It seems destined that this will be his year.

Honorable Mentions

Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Deron Williams, Brandon Roy, and Chauncey Billups

My Pick

If I was given a vote in the MVP my vote would go to Dwight Howard.  Howard is a beast of a player and he owns teams in the paint.  This is where playoff games are won, on the glass.  His numbers or ridiculous and he has led the Magic to the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference.  I feel like he should win the award but I know he won't.  

Random Youtube Video:

What to do with Jay Cutler?

I was going to write about March Madness but I feel like the Internet is saturated with stories about underrated teams and overrated teams and if I here the term Bracket Buster one more time tonight I might lose it.

Instead I feel like there is a pressing matter in the NFL that is not getting the attention that it deserves.  Of course I speak of the Jay Cutler drama that is currently ongoing in Denver.

It all started a few weeks back when it was leaked to the media that the Denver Broncos and new head coach Josh McDaniels were actively trying to acquire Matt Cassel and trade Jay Cutler. Cutler took this personally and had this to say when he learned what happened: 

“I’m upset,” Cutler said. “I mean I’m really shocked at this point. I could see why they want [Matt] Cassel. I don’t know if they think I can’t run the system or I don’t have the skills for it. I just don’t get it. Or if they don’t think they can sign me with my next contract. I just don’t know what it is. I’ve heard I’m still on the trading block.”

In response McDaneils said, "We don’t want to trade Jay. We never did. He’s our quarterback. We’re excited about this season. And excited about what we’re doing here in free agency to improve our team.”

What else is the guy supposed to say though?  

Now after meeting with McDaneils Cutler has demanded that he be traded from the Broncos.  This news broke after it was confirmed that Cutler did not show up to the first team meeting of the off season.  Cutler told ESPN he would attend every mandatory mini camp and training camp but would skip the off season training program, which won't subject him to fines.

What needs to be decided now is where will Cutler end up.  There are several teams around the league who would love to have him including the Bears, Vikings, Jets, Buccaneers, and the Lions.  It will be up to Denver where Cutler ends up but here is my take on each of the previously mentioned options.

Bears

Desperately need a quarterback as they cannot afford to go another season with Kyle Orton as their starter.  The Bears are not an AFC team so that wouldn't be a problem.  Unfortunately they have the 18th pick in the 1st round which isn't solid enough trade bait.  By going after Cutler it would show fans that the team is committed to winning as right now it looks like the team is committed to mediocrity.

Vikings

Much like the Bears the Vikings need a starter badly.  They released Gus Ferotte and brought in Sage Rossenfels but that was only a stop gap messure.  Tavaris Jackson is still on the team but he sucks so that's not a viable option.  Adding a quarterback like Cutler would instantly make the Vikings one of the favorites to win the NFC as that is the only missing piece to the puzzle.

Jets

The Jets really need a quarterback as going into the season they have Kellen Clemens, Eric Ainge, and Brett Ratliff in the depth chart.  I've heard rumors that the Jets really like Ratliff but I hope to god he is not the opening day starter of my beloved NY Jets.

The Owner has shown that he are willing to spend money to bring guys in (Bart Scott, Alan Faneca, Kris Jenkins) so hopefully he is willing to trade assets as well.  Bring in Cutler and there is no way the Jets miss the playoffs.

Also Cutler's agent represented Brett Favre as well so there is a link there that could prove to be beneficial.

Buccaneers

Once Jon Gruden was out the door, so went the policy of signing or trading for any and every quarterback the front office laid their eyes on. That goes for Plummer, Simms, Jeff Garcia, and current possible starter Brian Griese.

While Luke McCown was re-signed and is an intriguing talent, it's not out of line to suggest the team isn't completely invested in their current options at the position.

They've clearly been parting ways with older players, and could look to make a gutsy move that could put them right back near the top. 

Lions

Most obvious location as the Lions need a quarterback like Brittany Spears needs panties.  The Lions have the number 1 overall pick in the draft as trade bait and money to spend.

This would also be a way of exacting revenge if you are the Broncos.  Your quarterback complains so you trade him to the worst team in the league and let him die slowly as the sinkhole that is Detroit swallows him slowly.

Random Youtube Video