Front Row.com Blog

 For 2009 Masters Tickets the questions remain the same. Is Augusta too tough? Does it allow anyone to charge to the front of the pack? Even Tiger Woods has stated that he does not expect low scores at Augusta National. Golf fans will be looking to see if changes made to the course will have an impact on the 2009 Masters.

Augusta National has changed to a shorter course. But that’s not saying much. It’s a matter of minor adjustments not major revamps. Hole 7, long the source of discussion, now extends to 450 yards, a daunting challenge to the entire pack. The Masters has become simply a war of wills, a challenge to survive. Is that a bad thing? I don’t believe so. I think a supreme champion should be able to handle any type of adversity, maybe not prevailing, but certainly being among the top performers. The 2009 Masters is going to be just one of those challenges.   

Tags: sports by edrouant
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 Well. technically I just paid for them. I won’t be in attendance but I can tell you from personal experience that the Jonas Brothers may be the hottest thing going in my house sine the New Kids on the Block. Even my wife has developed a schoolgirl crush on one of them. They’ll be in New Orleans in August.

What has my wife’s heart throbbing even more is the appearance of Bon Jovi at the New Orleans Jazzfest. I’m sure they’ll be plenty of good times at this annual blowout, a party that only New Orleans can throw. Starting from April 23 and running through May 3rd, you’ll find the best musical talent of all genres across the land. And of course my wife’s heart beating wildly over the proximity of Jon Bon Jovi.

Tags: sports by edrouant
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 Duke got waxed. Gonzaga, a favorite of mine, also got the tar whipped out of them by UNC. Kansas also got eliminated. Then Memphis lost to Missouri, then…… well you get the picture. To make matter even worse I now have to listen to Dave brag about my missed pick on Oklahoma. So here I am, in Afghanistan, no fun, no alcohol, and the worse set of picks in Final Four bracket history. Some days I should just stay in bad.

Tags: sports by edrouant
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 Here’s the big chance for Dancin Dave to laugh at me. I’m taking Xavier over Pittsburgh. Yes the #1 seed will fall.

But I am sticking with Duke. There guys have something to prove.

Here’s where Gonzaga cements it’s place as the ultimate Cinderella with a win over #1 seed North Carolina. Call me crazy.

I have to pick against Oklahoma just because my fried Dancin Dave will be hysterical and require medication if they lose.

Tags: sports by edrouant
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 Let’s face it. NFL exhibition games are a joke. Players held out, stars yanked after one series and….FULL Prices Charged. So the recent discussion of extending the NFL regular season to 17 or even 18 games is intiguing but does it make real sense. Is this an endurance contest (it is to a certain extent) or a competition to assemble the most talent and get the most out of it. In the long run I believe, the quality of NFL tickets would suffer if the NFL regular season was pushed to 18 games. Can we just shorten the exhibition season? I’ll concede one extra game but meaningless pre-season games need to be cut. Football is brutal, and enough is enough. The NFL has a winner so don’t screw it up.

Tags: sports by edrouant
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In the Midwest Region # seeded Louisville will have to get past #12 Arizona which I don’t see as being a problem. From there I’m looking for a barn burner between Michigan State and Kansas with……Kansas coming out on top.

The best of the West will emerge from Connecticut and Purdue. My stunner? Purdue. Memphis takes a close one from Missouri to make the Final Four. Or I may be an idiot.

Tomorrow the East and South

Tags: sports by edrouant
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 Curt Schilling has reired after 20+ years of selling MLB tickets for two major franchises. The 42 year old pitching giant has given in to physical problems after all these years. Father Time gets them all in the end. He does leave behind an enviable record. Perhaps the most telling memory of Schilling is the gritty vision of his bleeding ankle as he helps pitch the Boston Red Sox to their first World Series in 80 years. Throw in the fact that he carries another World Series ring from the Arizona Diamondbacks, has over 3,000 strikeouts, and 216 wins and youpve got  aguy who should easily move into the MLB Hall of Fame.

Tags: sports by edrouant
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 Madness is when the same thing keeps happening and nobody understands it. There are always high hopes entering a NCAA Tournament and that’s a good thing. But the gap between football greatness and basketball greatness has never been wider. While gridiron winning brings in tons of money and national attention, basketball greatness somehow seems to just happen. Gonzaga is a good example. No football just hoops. But who is everyone’s favorite underdog team? Gonzaga.

Then you’ve got your Duke, (sucks at football), your Memphis (sucks at football), and a host of others who can’t crack the Top 25 on the football scene. On the flip side there’s LSU with a couple of BCS National Championships in the nlast few years and well, they suck at basketball now. They’re a lomg way from Shaqville. What does it all mean? The NCAA Tournament is a great equalizer. Much more so than the BCS system which eliminates great teams on a routine basis and annually creates controversy. The Final Four is real. The BCS is hype.

Tags: sports by edrouant
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 It wasn’t too many weeks ago that the Louisville Cardinals had low hopes of a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Loss after loss to weaker teams seemd to have the downward spiral well on it’s way. Then a funny thing happened on the way to the  big show. The Cardinals found a way to put it all behind them, regroup, and string together some wins. Vindication for Pitino came in the announcement of a #1 seed. Now comes the high expectations and the even tougher job of keeping the Louisville Cardinals on an even keel as they fight to earn a berth in the Final Four. Digging deep is what Pitino, and the Cardinals, are all about. In the meantime Pitino is preaching that old coaches mantra about one game at a time. The Final Four will still be waiting if they can do that.

Tags: sports by edrouant
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 Can you imagine a New England Patriots defense with Julius Peppers rushing the opposing quarterback? It could happen. Apparantley Julius would like the chance to play for New england if possible. The Patriots are on the short list of teams Peppers has chosen, along with the Dallas Cowboys andpossibly the Denver Broncos.

My only argument with this is the fact that Peppers seem to perform when he has to. Two years ago his production dropped off to practically  nil. Along comes the last year of his contract and his stats go way up. I’ can’t deny the talent level but I question the motivation. Overall, a spot in New england, laden with the motivational aspects of the Patriots organization and the golden ring of a Super Bowl may make Julius Peppers reach for the stars. let’s see how it plays out.  

Tags: sports by edrouant
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