Just wanted to share with you John Mayer's latest blog post. He doesn't pop a scripture reference, but I believe you'll detect some biblical truth in what he's saying. It's about our teenagers. Perhaps even other generations as well. It's something we all do. Let's just be ourselves. Ignore the occasional curse words he uses and really get to the heart of what he is saying. Well worth a read.
http://www.johnmayer.com/blog
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
The decision has been made
As many of you know, I've been sweating over a decision the past several days.
I have made my decision -- DirecTV.
First off, I'd like to note how extremely difficult the decision was. Both companies had great options and I'm sure that if I chose Dish Network I'd be happy.
What the decision came down to:
Well, Dish Network's prices were a little better. However, I would like to argue that they aren't as good as they might appear. With Dish Network, you have to pay for more extra stuff. With Dish Network you have to pay an extra $5 per month to get local channels. With Dish Network you also have to pay $5/month for your DVR lease. (well, that is you have to pay for those two extra tidbits unless you get one of the higher end, jumbo packages). But with DirecTV you don't have to pay for local channels, they're included. The prices are better with Dish Network, but they're not that much better if that stuff is important to you (which it was for me).
DirecTV gives you more "awesomeness" for only a little bit more money, which really sealed the deal for me...
-The DirecTV customer service people were a lot more willing to help me with the questions I had. The folks over at Dish Network really didn't know how to help me unless I was ordering a package or scheduling and installation. I've always been willing to pay a little more for nice, friendly customer service.
-I'm getting more channels (and HD channels). Also, my channels have content. I don't have to worry about a large chunk of my channels being devoted solely to playing music. Not that I hate music, but I do have an ipod.
-Oh, and I don't know if this stuff is important to you, but DirecTV offers great sports packages and movie packages that Dish Network doesn't. You no longer have to worry about not seeing the beloved cowboys because you are getting a "regional game". Again, I guess that's just another one of those "awesomeness" things. Dish Network doesn't offer any services like that as of yet. But if you're not a sports person, you don't have to go for that.
The equivelant package that I got would be $7.00 per month less at Dish Network AFTER the first year (for the first year DirecTV is about 10 bucks/month cheaper). The way I see it, I'll still be out ahead (12 months of saving $120 dollars and 12 months of "losing (I use this word, but remember the 'awesomeness factor'" $84). I realize this isn't the most intelligent way to view it, but it makes it a lot easier to justify signing the contract. What I plan on doing is at the end of my contract, I'll re-evaluate which of the 2 companies is ahead, and then make the switch accordingly, if needed.
Again, Dish Network, you were a worthy 2nd place finisher. I see no reason why Dish Network subscribers would be disappointed. They're both great. Perhaps at the end of my contract, Dish will have caught up with and/or passed DirecTV. But as of right now, I'm giving the edge to DirecTV.
They're installing Tuesday morning, just in time for The office to get going again, the first week of baseball and the end of March...er...April madness.
I have made my decision -- DirecTV.
First off, I'd like to note how extremely difficult the decision was. Both companies had great options and I'm sure that if I chose Dish Network I'd be happy.
What the decision came down to:
Well, Dish Network's prices were a little better. However, I would like to argue that they aren't as good as they might appear. With Dish Network, you have to pay for more extra stuff. With Dish Network you have to pay an extra $5 per month to get local channels. With Dish Network you also have to pay $5/month for your DVR lease. (well, that is you have to pay for those two extra tidbits unless you get one of the higher end, jumbo packages). But with DirecTV you don't have to pay for local channels, they're included. The prices are better with Dish Network, but they're not that much better if that stuff is important to you (which it was for me).
DirecTV gives you more "awesomeness" for only a little bit more money, which really sealed the deal for me...
-The DirecTV customer service people were a lot more willing to help me with the questions I had. The folks over at Dish Network really didn't know how to help me unless I was ordering a package or scheduling and installation. I've always been willing to pay a little more for nice, friendly customer service.
-I'm getting more channels (and HD channels). Also, my channels have content. I don't have to worry about a large chunk of my channels being devoted solely to playing music. Not that I hate music, but I do have an ipod.
-Oh, and I don't know if this stuff is important to you, but DirecTV offers great sports packages and movie packages that Dish Network doesn't. You no longer have to worry about not seeing the beloved cowboys because you are getting a "regional game". Again, I guess that's just another one of those "awesomeness" things. Dish Network doesn't offer any services like that as of yet. But if you're not a sports person, you don't have to go for that.
The equivelant package that I got would be $7.00 per month less at Dish Network AFTER the first year (for the first year DirecTV is about 10 bucks/month cheaper). The way I see it, I'll still be out ahead (12 months of saving $120 dollars and 12 months of "losing (I use this word, but remember the 'awesomeness factor'" $84). I realize this isn't the most intelligent way to view it, but it makes it a lot easier to justify signing the contract. What I plan on doing is at the end of my contract, I'll re-evaluate which of the 2 companies is ahead, and then make the switch accordingly, if needed.
Again, Dish Network, you were a worthy 2nd place finisher. I see no reason why Dish Network subscribers would be disappointed. They're both great. Perhaps at the end of my contract, Dish will have caught up with and/or passed DirecTV. But as of right now, I'm giving the edge to DirecTV.
They're installing Tuesday morning, just in time for The office to get going again, the first week of baseball and the end of March...er...April madness.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Which Translation?
I find this incredibly interesting. Here is a little tool that helps determine what Version/Translation is right for you.
I would also like to note (and I know the nerd inside of me is coming out) that some of the Ratings different Versions/Translation received are way off. For example, in the "Form" category (Being a Greek/Hebrew student this was the category which was most important to me, I selected critical for this one) was way off. They gave a 10 to King James Version and NKJV, which is actually quite inaccurate. The King James Version, believe it or not, is quite far off from the original greek (which is kind of ironic considering that to many this is the true, "authorized" version we should be using). The version which is [arguably]closest to the Greek is the NASB (or ASB), and it only received a 9 (ASB received a 10). The version which comes in a close second, NRSV (or RSV) to representing the Greek also received a 9 (RSV got a 10 as well). I guess the word "New" means it isn't accurately translated :-)
(Note: Some scholars reverse the two, putting (N)RSV first and (N)ASB second. While I respectfully disagree, the point still remains solid either way.)
Again, I know I'm a nerd, but I just thought I'd let you know that it is a little off. But it's not bad, I don't really see anything that is incredibly, horribly inaccurate that it throws everything off.
Besides, if form isn't really your thing, none of it really matters anyways. If form doesn't matter, that's perfectly fine. As long as you have a Bible that you are comfortable with and one that you frequently open, then that's all I can ask.
For what it's worth, mine was New English Bible.
Again, I just thought it was pretty neat and it was an incredibly awesome idea.
A Huge h/t goes out to Chris and those over at Think Christian for this one.
I would also like to note (and I know the nerd inside of me is coming out) that some of the Ratings different Versions/Translation received are way off. For example, in the "Form" category (Being a Greek/Hebrew student this was the category which was most important to me, I selected critical for this one) was way off. They gave a 10 to King James Version and NKJV, which is actually quite inaccurate. The King James Version, believe it or not, is quite far off from the original greek (which is kind of ironic considering that to many this is the true, "authorized" version we should be using). The version which is [arguably]closest to the Greek is the NASB (or ASB), and it only received a 9 (ASB received a 10). The version which comes in a close second, NRSV (or RSV) to representing the Greek also received a 9 (RSV got a 10 as well). I guess the word "New" means it isn't accurately translated :-)
(Note: Some scholars reverse the two, putting (N)RSV first and (N)ASB second. While I respectfully disagree, the point still remains solid either way.)
Again, I know I'm a nerd, but I just thought I'd let you know that it is a little off. But it's not bad, I don't really see anything that is incredibly, horribly inaccurate that it throws everything off.
Besides, if form isn't really your thing, none of it really matters anyways. If form doesn't matter, that's perfectly fine. As long as you have a Bible that you are comfortable with and one that you frequently open, then that's all I can ask.
For what it's worth, mine was New English Bible.
Again, I just thought it was pretty neat and it was an incredibly awesome idea.
A Huge h/t goes out to Chris and those over at Think Christian for this one.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Baseball Mania...
Happy opening day, everyone. It is opening day, right? I guess it just doesn't feel like it.
I do plan on posting my predictions this baseball season, but the bad news is that that will probably come after the REAL opening day, this Sunday. I'll get it up as soon as possible though.
I really want to talk about the Braves, more than opening day and more than predictions. There are a few items that I find rather interesting...
To most Braves fans, the biggest story this year will either be Tom Glavine returning or Mike Hampton returning (different kind of returning). However, I want to talk about the absence of Chuck James. It appears as if he won't be a part of the opening day roster. From the best I can tell, all indications are that the 5th spot in the rotation will be given to Jair Jurrjens. Last year Chucky was the #3 starter, this year he will be in Richmond? It's tough for me to swallow. There isn't a huge difference between Chuckies stats and Glavine's stats from a year ago. Did our rotation really improve that much? My answer is no. We got deeper, but not really better. Poor ole Chucky, he has earned his keep, imho. What's worse is that there isn't even talk of putting him in the Bullpen in the long relief/spot start role. Jeff Bennett appears to be the front runner in that position. Jeff Bennett? Before Chuck James? This is getting a little out of hand. I know Jeff Bennett pitched well in his couple of appearances at the end of last season and this spring, but there is a reason he is a minor league journeyman, right?. If it's me, Jurrjens is in AAA, James is #5. I could care less if it's 3 lefties in a row, I'm putting the best 5 pitchers in the rotation regardless of which hand releases the ball. Besides, we have a history of bringing pitchers up too early anyways, this seems like a good year to break that habit since we're so deep anyways. If you're in the "jurrjens is the next great thing and needs to be on the roster getting ML experience" group, then that's fine. I'll be happy if Jurrjens got the long relief role. Hey, I might even settle for Jurrjens having the 5 spot and James being in the long relief role (Note: I would absolutely love it if Jurrjens proved me wrong and had a great year!).
I guess it's just hard for me to see how Chuck james is the odd man out.
What do you guys think, have I been drinking Chuck James kool-aid or does he really need to be shown more love?
I do plan on posting my predictions this baseball season, but the bad news is that that will probably come after the REAL opening day, this Sunday. I'll get it up as soon as possible though.
I really want to talk about the Braves, more than opening day and more than predictions. There are a few items that I find rather interesting...
To most Braves fans, the biggest story this year will either be Tom Glavine returning or Mike Hampton returning (different kind of returning). However, I want to talk about the absence of Chuck James. It appears as if he won't be a part of the opening day roster. From the best I can tell, all indications are that the 5th spot in the rotation will be given to Jair Jurrjens. Last year Chucky was the #3 starter, this year he will be in Richmond? It's tough for me to swallow. There isn't a huge difference between Chuckies stats and Glavine's stats from a year ago. Did our rotation really improve that much? My answer is no. We got deeper, but not really better. Poor ole Chucky, he has earned his keep, imho. What's worse is that there isn't even talk of putting him in the Bullpen in the long relief/spot start role. Jeff Bennett appears to be the front runner in that position. Jeff Bennett? Before Chuck James? This is getting a little out of hand. I know Jeff Bennett pitched well in his couple of appearances at the end of last season and this spring, but there is a reason he is a minor league journeyman, right?. If it's me, Jurrjens is in AAA, James is #5. I could care less if it's 3 lefties in a row, I'm putting the best 5 pitchers in the rotation regardless of which hand releases the ball. Besides, we have a history of bringing pitchers up too early anyways, this seems like a good year to break that habit since we're so deep anyways. If you're in the "jurrjens is the next great thing and needs to be on the roster getting ML experience" group, then that's fine. I'll be happy if Jurrjens got the long relief role. Hey, I might even settle for Jurrjens having the 5 spot and James being in the long relief role (Note: I would absolutely love it if Jurrjens proved me wrong and had a great year!).
I guess it's just hard for me to see how Chuck james is the odd man out.
What do you guys think, have I been drinking Chuck James kool-aid or does he really need to be shown more love?
Monday, March 24, 2008
How I'm doing...
After the first weekend of the tourney, here's how I'm doing in my bracket so far...
East:
I've got three of the four teams correct that will participate in the Sweet Sixteen. I had Oklahoma upsetting Louisville, but it didn't happen. I am not really a fan of predicting the 1, 2, 3, and 4 seeds of a region in the sweet 16 on my bracket, but that is how they ended up in the east.
UNC has been dominant in both games, but the Wash St. game should be entertaining. I'm especially looking forward to some of those matchups, the guard duos (Lawson/Ellington vs. Low/Rochestie) and it'll be interesting to see how/who Roy Williams decides to defend Kyle Weaver. Wash St. is hidden in the middle of some very tough Pac-10 teams, they can play. If you underestimate them, they'll beat you, no matter who you are. I wouldn't recommend missing this game.
Midwest:
Wow, what can you say about the midwest? I have 2 of 4 teams correct in the midwest. I figured/hoped that USC could make it to the elite 8, but Beasly and Kansas St. decided to shatter my expectations. I did get Villanova correct, but I don't really view that as very prophetic.
Kansas has to really like what happened below them, with a bunch of mediocre teams doing their dirty work for them. They still have Wisconsin to be worried about but I think Kansas can handle them (or anyone). Wow, the midwest was fun the past coupla days!
South:
Again, I have 2 of 4 correct in the south. As I've already said, it's no fun to predict the 1, 2, 3, 4 seeds in the sweet 16 (or in this case, it'd be 1, 2, 3, 5, which is only a wii bit better). You can laugh at me for predicting Miami to beat Texas, but I don't care.
Anything can happen in the south, with those 4 squaring off against each other.
West:
As is commonly the case, I have 2 of 4. But the big story here is losing a final four team, UCONN. This is the first time I've lost a final four team in the first round, but I suppose I still won't do so badly if UCLA takes UCONN's place, provided Xavier cooperates. But Xavier better not go ahead and celebrate a victory of WV. Duke can tell you that West Virginia will stick a very tough man-to-man defense on you. At one point Duke missed 15 consecutive 3 pointers. As I said in my last post, if you rely on the 3-ball for your only means of scoring, you can win some games. But I really don't like the odds that a team can rely on the 3 ball for 6 straight games. Is it possible? yeah. But just look at the challenges it brings.
Scheyer didn't make any. Nelson didn't make one. King didn't make one either. Singler didn't even attempt one (which I'd argue is better for Duke, not that he is bad at it, but he needs to attack the glass, and he can't do that from behind the arc). Paulus (3 of 9) can't do it all himself. So what happens to an outside shooting focused team when they shoot 22.7% from behind the arc. Well, they're gonna need to pull down a lot of rebounds and play some gooooood defense.
A good friend of mine here in Valdosta who attended Duke told me that the reason Duke lost was not because they struggled from outside but because Demarcus Nelson went 2-11. He has a point, but I always hate saying that the reason a team lost was because of 1 person.
Well, I guess that's a really wordy way of saying that if you rely on 3 pointers...good luck.
This weekend will be another fun weekend. There are some good matchups, and there will be more upsets. I'll keep my bracket for the time being, let's see if I will get to keep it or throw it away in a week...
East:
I've got three of the four teams correct that will participate in the Sweet Sixteen. I had Oklahoma upsetting Louisville, but it didn't happen. I am not really a fan of predicting the 1, 2, 3, and 4 seeds of a region in the sweet 16 on my bracket, but that is how they ended up in the east.
UNC has been dominant in both games, but the Wash St. game should be entertaining. I'm especially looking forward to some of those matchups, the guard duos (Lawson/Ellington vs. Low/Rochestie) and it'll be interesting to see how/who Roy Williams decides to defend Kyle Weaver. Wash St. is hidden in the middle of some very tough Pac-10 teams, they can play. If you underestimate them, they'll beat you, no matter who you are. I wouldn't recommend missing this game.
Midwest:
Wow, what can you say about the midwest? I have 2 of 4 teams correct in the midwest. I figured/hoped that USC could make it to the elite 8, but Beasly and Kansas St. decided to shatter my expectations. I did get Villanova correct, but I don't really view that as very prophetic.
Kansas has to really like what happened below them, with a bunch of mediocre teams doing their dirty work for them. They still have Wisconsin to be worried about but I think Kansas can handle them (or anyone). Wow, the midwest was fun the past coupla days!
South:
Again, I have 2 of 4 correct in the south. As I've already said, it's no fun to predict the 1, 2, 3, 4 seeds in the sweet 16 (or in this case, it'd be 1, 2, 3, 5, which is only a wii bit better). You can laugh at me for predicting Miami to beat Texas, but I don't care.
Anything can happen in the south, with those 4 squaring off against each other.
West:
As is commonly the case, I have 2 of 4. But the big story here is losing a final four team, UCONN. This is the first time I've lost a final four team in the first round, but I suppose I still won't do so badly if UCLA takes UCONN's place, provided Xavier cooperates. But Xavier better not go ahead and celebrate a victory of WV. Duke can tell you that West Virginia will stick a very tough man-to-man defense on you. At one point Duke missed 15 consecutive 3 pointers. As I said in my last post, if you rely on the 3-ball for your only means of scoring, you can win some games. But I really don't like the odds that a team can rely on the 3 ball for 6 straight games. Is it possible? yeah. But just look at the challenges it brings.
Scheyer didn't make any. Nelson didn't make one. King didn't make one either. Singler didn't even attempt one (which I'd argue is better for Duke, not that he is bad at it, but he needs to attack the glass, and he can't do that from behind the arc). Paulus (3 of 9) can't do it all himself. So what happens to an outside shooting focused team when they shoot 22.7% from behind the arc. Well, they're gonna need to pull down a lot of rebounds and play some gooooood defense.
A good friend of mine here in Valdosta who attended Duke told me that the reason Duke lost was not because they struggled from outside but because Demarcus Nelson went 2-11. He has a point, but I always hate saying that the reason a team lost was because of 1 person.
Well, I guess that's a really wordy way of saying that if you rely on 3 pointers...good luck.
This weekend will be another fun weekend. There are some good matchups, and there will be more upsets. I'll keep my bracket for the time being, let's see if I will get to keep it or throw it away in a week...
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Bracket...
UPDATE: Sorry, apparently some of the feed readers format this horribly. Do the best you can, I don't know why it did this.
Some of you are about to laugh...
Sweet 16: Elite 8: Final 4:
UNC
Wash St. UNC
Oklahoma
TN TN UNC
Kansas
Villanova Kansas
USC
Gtown USC Kansas
Memphis
Pitt Memphis
Stanford
Miami Stanford Memphis
UCLA
Conn Conn
Xavier
Duke Xavier Conn
Champ Game: Kansas vs. Memphis
Champion: Memphis
A few thoughts
It's always boring to fill out a bracket with 3 one seeds reaching the final 4. I do have other bracket combinations. In fact I can't exactly remember, but I probably submitted so many different brackets to ESPN where I probably have all the 1 seeds covered and maybe a coupla 2 and 3 seeds.
Anyways, to those of you who think I'm cheap for picking three 1 seeds...uh...sorry, I guess.
Now to defend some of my selections:
-First, the champions. When preacher Bryan saw I picked Memphis, he said...FREE THROWS, CHRIS! FREE THROWS! THEY CAN'T MAKE FREE THROWS. "To this I replied, It only stopped em once so far." He really didn't say much, just shook his head. Yes, I know Memphis struggles from the charity stripe, but every team has it's achilles heal. Just like every team has its strengths. I have noticed that Memphis is the least popular of the 1 seeds to get to the final four. I can't really give an explanation other than that Pitt is a popular bandwagon 4 seed. They're good, don't get me wrong. Still, I like my parents' alma mater in the south region. If this makes you laugh, refer to the first sentence of this post.
-As far as my other final four member, Connecticut...again, some of you laugh at that. If that makes you laugh, please refer to the first sentence of this post. I've felt all season that Conn been underrated. The Big East is tough this year, over half of those teams have had a 20 win season this year. I'm looking for A.J. Price to lead the Huskies similar to how Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse a few years back. But Price's Huskies will give him a better supporting cast than Melo had. All of those guys can ball. I think the Huskies will have a better chance in a UCLA/Conn matchup than most people will. Is UCLA the better team? Yeah, but this is basketball, they gotta play the games for a reason. Anything can happen.
-No, that is not a misprint, I really did mean to put Villanova in the sweet sixteen and USC in the Elite eight. If you laugh at that, then please refer to the first sentence of this post. I think there's a chance.
-Probably the biggest disagreement you will have is something that you may not have noticed. It's not about what is above, but about what is missing from above. That is the absence of Texas from the sweet sixteen. Again, refer to the first sentence. Perhaps the stars can align and Miami can pull a fast one on Texas.
Well, although I filled out 8-9 different brackets, this is the one I'm going to claim. I'll hang it in my office. What do you guys think? How many weekends do you think this bracket will survive before needing a trip to the trash can? All the way? Just the first weekend?
agreements, disagreements, comments?
Some of you are about to laugh...
Sweet 16: Elite 8: Final 4:
UNC
Wash St. UNC
Oklahoma
TN TN UNC
Kansas
Villanova Kansas
USC
Gtown USC Kansas
Memphis
Pitt Memphis
Stanford
Miami Stanford Memphis
UCLA
Conn Conn
Xavier
Duke Xavier Conn
Champ Game: Kansas vs. Memphis
Champion: Memphis
A few thoughts
It's always boring to fill out a bracket with 3 one seeds reaching the final 4. I do have other bracket combinations. In fact I can't exactly remember, but I probably submitted so many different brackets to ESPN where I probably have all the 1 seeds covered and maybe a coupla 2 and 3 seeds.
Anyways, to those of you who think I'm cheap for picking three 1 seeds...uh...sorry, I guess.
Now to defend some of my selections:
-First, the champions. When preacher Bryan saw I picked Memphis, he said...FREE THROWS, CHRIS! FREE THROWS! THEY CAN'T MAKE FREE THROWS. "To this I replied, It only stopped em once so far." He really didn't say much, just shook his head. Yes, I know Memphis struggles from the charity stripe, but every team has it's achilles heal. Just like every team has its strengths. I have noticed that Memphis is the least popular of the 1 seeds to get to the final four. I can't really give an explanation other than that Pitt is a popular bandwagon 4 seed. They're good, don't get me wrong. Still, I like my parents' alma mater in the south region. If this makes you laugh, refer to the first sentence of this post.
-As far as my other final four member, Connecticut...again, some of you laugh at that. If that makes you laugh, please refer to the first sentence of this post. I've felt all season that Conn been underrated. The Big East is tough this year, over half of those teams have had a 20 win season this year. I'm looking for A.J. Price to lead the Huskies similar to how Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse a few years back. But Price's Huskies will give him a better supporting cast than Melo had. All of those guys can ball. I think the Huskies will have a better chance in a UCLA/Conn matchup than most people will. Is UCLA the better team? Yeah, but this is basketball, they gotta play the games for a reason. Anything can happen.
-No, that is not a misprint, I really did mean to put Villanova in the sweet sixteen and USC in the Elite eight. If you laugh at that, then please refer to the first sentence of this post. I think there's a chance.
-Probably the biggest disagreement you will have is something that you may not have noticed. It's not about what is above, but about what is missing from above. That is the absence of Texas from the sweet sixteen. Again, refer to the first sentence. Perhaps the stars can align and Miami can pull a fast one on Texas.
Well, although I filled out 8-9 different brackets, this is the one I'm going to claim. I'll hang it in my office. What do you guys think? How many weekends do you think this bracket will survive before needing a trip to the trash can? All the way? Just the first weekend?
agreements, disagreements, comments?
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT DECISION....INPUT IS NEEDED
OK guys...I have an important, life altering decision to make and I need to know your input. I've researched pretty heavily online but I now extend the decision I've been wrestling with to all of you...
Direct TV or Dish Network???
Direct TV or Dish Network???
got stuff done
So the past two days have been big for me (not to mention the past week).
I have my bracket submitted to facebook, espn, and a few other places now (I tweaked it up a wii bit yesterday). We'll see how it goes. I have some pretty unusual upsets predicted...but I think I can defend them (that is, I can defend them until they don't happen). I noticed a few trends, some expected, some unexpected.
For example, I have the PAC-10 doing well. Which is odd cuz I'm not really a homer, I'm way on the other side of the country in SEC/ACC territory. The PAC-10 could be legit, they have some great teams.
If I were to breakdown every single team this post would be too long and I'd probably get tired of typing. I do wish to look at some of the more "popular picks" and break those down a bit.
I'll start with the 1 Seeds:
UNC: These guys are real good (duh). On any given night they have the potential to unload 100+ points on anybody (duh). However, my concern is defense. Scoring 100 points doesn't matter if the opponent scores 110. At times during the season the Heels looked like defensive masterminds. At other times, it looked like high school teams could score on these guys. If the Heels go all the way it will be because of good defense, not offense.
Memphis: Has anybody looked very closely at Memphis' resume? They only have one loss all season, and it was to the then #2 team in the country. It's hard to have a better resume than that. I don't want to hear any of that "but it's the conference USA" mumbo jumbo. I'm sold on these guys.
Kansas: If this team was playing your favorite team, and you said you weren't scared, you'd be lying. They have an extremely balanced attack, not relying on one superstar (but they could rely on any of their starters, and survive, if needed). These guys can do it all. They can shoot the 3 ball, they can pound it inside, they can defend. They have depth on the bench. If they put it all together, then lookout.
UCLA: These guys (obviously) are good but I think the team's achilles heel (rebounding) might haunt them. Kevin Love is the only one that they can count on to consistently pull down the boards. If he were to get in foul trouble then they'd best hope that all of their shots fall and their opponents don't.
Duke: You can never count these guys out, if for any reason than that they're Duke. But I'm always hesitant to pick any team to go all the way that lives and dies by the 3-ball. They don't have an inside presence to dish it to if the threes fail to drop.
I've got more, but it will come later, perhaps when I unleash my bracket. I also wanna talk about my other "online selection game" -- my fantasy baseball draft, which was held last night.
I didn't do awesome, But I don't think I did horrible either. I'll take it, considering the fact that the only prep work I did started 20 minutes before the draft. I made some mistakes during the draft, but I also felt like I got some good steals in the mid rounds.
It's my first time doing a head-to-head league. I'm at a little disadvantage because I'm so used the standard 5x5 stuff. Head to head may call for a completely different strategy, I just don't know.
I took a lot of risks. I'm relying on Josh Beckett to get and stay healthy and Dontrelle Willis to bounce back to his old ways. I also gambled that Andruw Jones will get his avg up and that Aaron Rowand can keep his numbers despite moving to San Fran.
If a lot of those don't happen, I'm doomed.
I have my bracket submitted to facebook, espn, and a few other places now (I tweaked it up a wii bit yesterday). We'll see how it goes. I have some pretty unusual upsets predicted...but I think I can defend them (that is, I can defend them until they don't happen). I noticed a few trends, some expected, some unexpected.
For example, I have the PAC-10 doing well. Which is odd cuz I'm not really a homer, I'm way on the other side of the country in SEC/ACC territory. The PAC-10 could be legit, they have some great teams.
If I were to breakdown every single team this post would be too long and I'd probably get tired of typing. I do wish to look at some of the more "popular picks" and break those down a bit.
I'll start with the 1 Seeds:
UNC: These guys are real good (duh). On any given night they have the potential to unload 100+ points on anybody (duh). However, my concern is defense. Scoring 100 points doesn't matter if the opponent scores 110. At times during the season the Heels looked like defensive masterminds. At other times, it looked like high school teams could score on these guys. If the Heels go all the way it will be because of good defense, not offense.
Memphis: Has anybody looked very closely at Memphis' resume? They only have one loss all season, and it was to the then #2 team in the country. It's hard to have a better resume than that. I don't want to hear any of that "but it's the conference USA" mumbo jumbo. I'm sold on these guys.
Kansas: If this team was playing your favorite team, and you said you weren't scared, you'd be lying. They have an extremely balanced attack, not relying on one superstar (but they could rely on any of their starters, and survive, if needed). These guys can do it all. They can shoot the 3 ball, they can pound it inside, they can defend. They have depth on the bench. If they put it all together, then lookout.
UCLA: These guys (obviously) are good but I think the team's achilles heel (rebounding) might haunt them. Kevin Love is the only one that they can count on to consistently pull down the boards. If he were to get in foul trouble then they'd best hope that all of their shots fall and their opponents don't.
Duke: You can never count these guys out, if for any reason than that they're Duke. But I'm always hesitant to pick any team to go all the way that lives and dies by the 3-ball. They don't have an inside presence to dish it to if the threes fail to drop.
I've got more, but it will come later, perhaps when I unleash my bracket. I also wanna talk about my other "online selection game" -- my fantasy baseball draft, which was held last night.
I didn't do awesome, But I don't think I did horrible either. I'll take it, considering the fact that the only prep work I did started 20 minutes before the draft. I made some mistakes during the draft, but I also felt like I got some good steals in the mid rounds.
It's my first time doing a head-to-head league. I'm at a little disadvantage because I'm so used the standard 5x5 stuff. Head to head may call for a completely different strategy, I just don't know.
I took a lot of risks. I'm relying on Josh Beckett to get and stay healthy and Dontrelle Willis to bounce back to his old ways. I also gambled that Andruw Jones will get his avg up and that Aaron Rowand can keep his numbers despite moving to San Fran.
If a lot of those don't happen, I'm doomed.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
A Bill James commercial...
Just thought i'd interrupt your regularly blog reading programming for a brief announcement.
This is the best $3 per month you'll ever spend.
I am a new member and am absolutely loving it! Even if you're just a casual fan you'll find some of the information in there deep and informative. And if you don't like it, you can cancel it after a month and it would have only cost you a mere $3.
This is the best $3 per month you'll ever spend.
I am a new member and am absolutely loving it! Even if you're just a casual fan you'll find some of the information in there deep and informative. And if you don't like it, you can cancel it after a month and it would have only cost you a mere $3.
Wow...
OK, a lot has been going on.
I'm without internet until next week...getting it plugged in in our new home. It will be difficult and it couldn't happen at a worse time! I actually won't have the internet during the start of the NCAA tourney and for my MLB fantasy draft.
I'll come here, to the office to take care of what I can, but it will be a little frustrating having to drive to my office to do a draft, etc.
Because I moved this past week and have many boxes to unpack, and a fantasy draft, and softball practices (season starts second week of April), I really didn't get a chance to break down the brackets as much as I like to. I have my bracket completed, but may tweak it up a little bit today and tomorrow.
It'll be a crazy week for me...it's only fitting because it will be a crazy week for college basketball as well.
I'm without internet until next week...getting it plugged in in our new home. It will be difficult and it couldn't happen at a worse time! I actually won't have the internet during the start of the NCAA tourney and for my MLB fantasy draft.
I'll come here, to the office to take care of what I can, but it will be a little frustrating having to drive to my office to do a draft, etc.
Because I moved this past week and have many boxes to unpack, and a fantasy draft, and softball practices (season starts second week of April), I really didn't get a chance to break down the brackets as much as I like to. I have my bracket completed, but may tweak it up a little bit today and tomorrow.
It'll be a crazy week for me...it's only fitting because it will be a crazy week for college basketball as well.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Thunder Chickens
Realized that it's been awhile so I thought I'd update everybody on what's been going on lately...
**We'll be moving into our newly built home this weekend. We close later this week and Saturday will be spent moving boxes and furniture about 6 miles from where we currently live. If any one wants to help, come join us! We have a good crew already expected to show up, with several pickup trucks as well. With enough help, perhaps we won't spend all day doing this.
**The church softball season is about to get going. We gotta few practices coming up soon and the season starts the week after Spring break. Hopefully I can actually finish the season this time and not suffer a season ending knee injury. We're also a little blood lusted as we had an early exit in the postseason tourney last year. If you don't remember, we were forced to forfeit to a team we had whipped up on during the season because we didn't have enough players show up. It's kind of ironic, we were one player short and I was sitting in the bleachers with my crutches and busted knee. Needless to say, we're looking to bring the championship back to Central Ave.
**I joined a fantasy baseball league featuring a bunch of Harding Students. I received the invitation and figured, "why not? It's an 8 player league, and I only know 2 other people in the league, but I figured it'd be a step up from the league I was in last one to stop paying attention --in June--. All in all, I don't really care too much about fantasy baseball, just gives me something else to root for if the Braves are struggling. I named my team the THUNDER CHICKENS. It's an inside joke here in Valdosta, which of course nobody in my league will get...sigh.
**Speaking of Braves, I unfortunately had to sell my spring training tickets. I had tickets for this Saturday, but as you read above, we'll be kind of occupied. I had great seats, next door to the Braves dugout - Paid 25 bucks for them (including shipping). Spring training was great last year, Hopefully I'll be able to make it next year.
**We'll be moving into our newly built home this weekend. We close later this week and Saturday will be spent moving boxes and furniture about 6 miles from where we currently live. If any one wants to help, come join us! We have a good crew already expected to show up, with several pickup trucks as well. With enough help, perhaps we won't spend all day doing this.
**The church softball season is about to get going. We gotta few practices coming up soon and the season starts the week after Spring break. Hopefully I can actually finish the season this time and not suffer a season ending knee injury. We're also a little blood lusted as we had an early exit in the postseason tourney last year. If you don't remember, we were forced to forfeit to a team we had whipped up on during the season because we didn't have enough players show up. It's kind of ironic, we were one player short and I was sitting in the bleachers with my crutches and busted knee. Needless to say, we're looking to bring the championship back to Central Ave.
**I joined a fantasy baseball league featuring a bunch of Harding Students. I received the invitation and figured, "why not? It's an 8 player league, and I only know 2 other people in the league, but I figured it'd be a step up from the league I was in last one to stop paying attention --in June--. All in all, I don't really care too much about fantasy baseball, just gives me something else to root for if the Braves are struggling. I named my team the THUNDER CHICKENS. It's an inside joke here in Valdosta, which of course nobody in my league will get...sigh.
**Speaking of Braves, I unfortunately had to sell my spring training tickets. I had tickets for this Saturday, but as you read above, we'll be kind of occupied. I had great seats, next door to the Braves dugout - Paid 25 bucks for them (including shipping). Spring training was great last year, Hopefully I'll be able to make it next year.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Fifty-Nifty
 |
In 2m 36s |
Click here to Play |
Since I grew up singing the song, I probably had an edge. The difficult part for me (and probably what added about 20-30 seconds to my time) was having to spell them correctly enough to count.
Give it a try!
h/t Mark
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
