My dreams of an upset in the Final Four are over. I had my hopes set on Davidson, who lost to Kansas last night by the score of 59-57. A great showing for a #10 seed. So here’s the list of teams to make THE CUT.
Kansas, Memphis, UCLA, North Carolina
All top seeds. For me, it’s all over.
My good friend Joseph Benjamin asked me to write something about boxing. Because of the overwhelming tragedy of his existence I have agreed to do so. The problem is, Joseph is confused:
“So Joseph,” I said, “Which boxing match would you like me to write about?”
“I dunno. Just Boxing.”
”Like boxing in Las Vegas or Atlantic City or did you have anything else in mind?”
“I dunno.”
So here you go Joseph. In Atlantic City on Saturday, June 7th, Kelly Pavlick (33-0, 29 KO) meets Gary Lockett (30-1, 21 KO).
On Saturday, July 19 in a WBA welterweight title fight, Miguel Angel Cotto (31-0, 25 KOs) meets Ricardo Mayorga (29-6-1, 23 KOs). The location is still up for grabs.
There you go Joseph, you may now retreat back to your hootch and bask in the knowledge that you have inspired one more literary effort on my part.
And so it goes on at LSA Anaconda.
And now, delivered to you from the burning sands of Iraq, the National Hockey League Playoff standings as of right now, 2pm Balad time, and a shot of the Kuwait Towers.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have clinched a berth but not yet won the Atlantic.
The Montreal Canadiens have clinched a berth just ahead of the Senators.
In the Western Conference the San Jose Sharks have won the Pacific. The Red Wings are in the playoffs along with the Anaheim Ducks.
I would be remiss in my duties as a cajun national from Louisiana if I did not mention that the LSU Lady Tigers are now making their way toward their fifth consecutive trip to the Final Four. Maybe they’ll win it this year and maybe not. It’s still an impressive record and puts the Lady Tigers basketball program among the tops in the country. The SEC rules. Now if only the men……………..
As of this writing, on the men’s side, we have North Carolina making the Final Four along with UCLA. The Memphis vs Texas game determines the rep from the South. Davidson remains my lone long shot at making my prediction of a Cinderella winner viable. Kansas stands in their way.
The IRL Racing league is looking to take a something away rom auto racing fans. The perfection of Danica Patrick. The prettiest babe on the auto racing circuit is potentially going to be penalized for being slender. IRL is now ruling that minimum weights for an entry must include the driver. Since the racy wheelgirl is only 100 pounds or thereabouts, her vehicle will have to carry added weight. What’s next?
Will NBA players height be legislated by shortening their legs?
Will strong armed NFL quarterbacks have their arms broken to restrict movement?
Will high priced soccer players like Beckham be hamstrung?
Physical attributes will always play a role in athletics. God favors some and leaves others lacking. he did alright by Danica and that’s alright by me.
When I first started writing about the NCAA Tournament I made one thing clear: This tournament would spawn an upset winner. I am now one step closer to validation as Davidson, a #10 seed, toppled #3 seed Wisconsin last night. Davidson’s Stepen Curry is etching his name into the national physche by dominating big name schools. Can Davidson make me a prophet by hitting the Final Four?
My major mistake? Picking Villanova to upset Kansas. I see through a glass darkly and some scenes aren’t clear. But I’m still in the game.
April may be the cruelest month according to the poet T.S. Eliot, but it’s certainly going to be a good month for NASCAR fans. Here’s the schedule:
April 6th – Samsung 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway
April 12 – Subway 500 at Phoenix International Raceway
April 27 – Aarons 499 at Taladega SuperSpeedway
The NCAA Tournament, and Mother Nature, are turning up the heat. Here at Anaconda, the temperature topped 100 degrees today. Back in the states the temperature is getting higher as the 64 teams to enter the rodeo have now been narrowed down to a Sweet 16. And sweet it is. while your #1 seeds like Memphis, Kansas, UCLA, and North Carolina are still around, there’s also some lower seeds like Villanova and Western Kentucky vying for the spoiler crown. On to the Elite Eight and the Final Four.
Much to the chagrin of the New York Giants tight end D.J. shockey, the New Orleans Saints don’t want him. Not at a high price anyway. Trade talks fell apart or apparently never really got started when the Giants tried to peddle Shockey. I’m happy to say Saints management turned down the deal for one of the more unpleasant individuals in the NFL.
While Shockey has talent, he’s not superlative, and he tends to be a problem child. that’s the last thing any NFL team needs. New Orleans can use a quality pass catching tight end, but not at the expense of team tranquility. For now at least, Jeremy has not spoken in class.
Meanwhile, back in Balad, the ever enterprising blogger is contemplating all the latest news on basketball. This includes college basketball and the NBA. A quick rundown:
Oklahoma City is one step closer to landing an NBA franchise. The city council approved a long term lease in the hopes of enticing the Seattle Supersonics to head east. After getting a taste of NBA action with the New Orleans Hornets, Oklahoma City is anxious to get their very own franchise. Unfortunately it seems to be the Sonics, who are a miserable 17-54 right now as opposed to those same Hornets who currently lead the Southwest.
The NCAA Tournament has offered it’s fair share of upsets already. Can we expect more? If my prediction for a Cinderella National Championship is to come true, we’ll have to. Best games?
North Carolina vs Washington St
Can #12 Villanova upset #1 Kansas? I’m calling for it.
Memphis vs Michigan State and Stanford vs Texas. Two can’t miss contests.