WC 2010 Final

The stage has been set. 32 teams came to prove themselves on a pitch and only two survive; Espana and Netherlands. The only question that remains to be answered is who will be left standing.

This has been a historical world cup from the get go. It was the first world cup held in Africa, it was the first world cup where 5 Latin American countries advanced to the 16, it was the first world cup that an African nation had gotten to the Quarter finals and now the contenders for the WC are two teams that haven't ever won the world cup!

What can we expect in T minus two hours? These two teams are different in their approach, tactically as well as mentally. I am looking for Espana to be dominating the midfield and possession. If Pedro gets to start then he will most likely provide Inesta the ability to move from left to right at leisure. Espana has a lot of speed and can overun the midfield if allowed. Holland has to play smart and not allow through balls to Sergio Ramos who looks very strong from his position and is constantly moving up, as was seen in the Semi, when he gave Boateng a run for his money.

Holland have to be extremely disciplined in this game if they want to win. Defensively they have to keep their back line and Robben and Snejder, who have the knack of losing balls, need to be extra vigilant today and stick with patterned play. Any deviation might mean a loss. So far Lady Luck has been on their side with the goal posts helping in goal scoring but they can't depend on this. Holland has to test Puyol, Pique, Busquets by being confident that they can penetrate into Espana's box, after all in the last few years it was the Dutch who molded Barca style of play.

Finally Espana has only had seven goals throughout the tournament. It doesn't say much about how they can get results even with their tactics but in the finals the slates are wiped clean and all the World will remember, is who emerged victorious. As for me, I will be donning my Oranje shirt today and hope that this will indeed be a historical day for the Dutch (winning the WC) and South Africa (a start to heal wounds that have long been there).

Picture courtesy of nydailynews

Sports Heaven

For the past month or so I have been perpetually transfixed to the TV set in my basement. NBA playoffs followed by World Cup. I have spent hours in other sport fanatics homes as we discussed the in and outs of the games. I have to say this has by far been the most happiest memory of WC I have had. My sisters are grown up enough to join in the craziness and the rivalries have led to goaded phonecalls after each loss but ladies and gents I am here to say I am the only one standing. 

I predicted all the quarter finalist that are in WC 2010. I hope that Oranje makes me proud when they finally lift the golden cup come July 11th. Its going to be a furious run to the finish line and I will have to wear my team colors with each game. I know I probably don't make sense but I am running on a few hours of sleep and a lot of adrenaline. I have work tomorrow and a rash of articles of write and edit. 

Ps:- I needed a change with my template and I am not sure this fits the bill, so it might change till I find the right fit.

Lambeau Field welcomes Viking clad Favre

I wanted to write this post last night but I was too tired and emotionally drained to write it out. My God what a game. The most fantastic game I have watched for a while and that is saying a lot. When Favre hadn't called for the snap and Sullivan snapped the ball ,I saw the start of terrible things. GreenBay didn't fare well with the overturned ball and only got a field goal off that possession thanks to our DEFENSE. I mean Lambeau Field was filled with boos and hisses everytime Favre walked unto the field. They were getting to him psychologically, I thought. But, when he got the ball back due to Jolly's penalty and scored via AP I was assured Favre was back.

Second quarter found Favre dismantling GreenBay's defense. He went to TE Shiancoe for another touchdown. Third quarter Favre find WR Harvin who had good coverage on his route but for some odd reason GreenBay didn't go for the ball, matter fact the three guys toppled to the ground. 24 unanswered point later we finally get to see Aaron Rodgers get the protection he needs to find his game. Mind you he has already been sacked four times at this point. This is where the game starts. At the 12:58 mark of the third quarter GreenBay finally awoke from their slumber and made for a heart pounding second half. It all started with a weird kickoff from GreenBay. I think they got scared of Percy Harvin and the yards he gained on the returns. An overturned ball later GB gets a TD, another drive later TE Havner get another TD.

Fourth Quarter and we are neck and neck. A game that was considered a blowout in the first half had just turned into a nail biting, clock watching game. Favre finds Dugan for a TD and Rodgers gives us a perfect example of why he has the second most yards on GB rooster. Jennings gets the TD running an absolutely perfect route. I mean he had one on one coverage on the play and he scored. I was on pins and needles now. When AP went on that sideline I thought this is bananas, how can this game get any more exciting. We were not done yet. A couple plays later Favre finds Berrian and scores his 21st career 4th TD game and that ladies and gents was the best game I have seen in a long long time.

Let give credit where credit is due. Favre wasn't the X factor in this game and neither was AP. They both contributed a lot but my admiration goes to Mr Percy Harvin. WR Harvin had more yards than AP even though he had less carries than AP, not to mention his 77 yard return in the 1st quarter. That man can run! My admiration also goes to our defense. Mr Jared Allen, Williams x2, Edwards, Sapp and the rest of the crew. Vikings defense sacked Aaron Rodgers a total of 6 times and we are now leading with 7 wins under our belt. Lets not lose momentum! Come on Vikings!

Image source

Let the Hype Begin

The Playoffs haven't begun but here goes the media, and guess what? I will join them. This week is going to have the most interesting match-ups to watch:NE patriots vs Indianapolis Colts. I haven't had much chance to watch colts in action this season, mainly because I don't have any love for them. I have watched NE patriots though. This team has one of the best records in the NFL right now. They average about 44 points per game (my approximate) and haven't lost yet. Brady (QB) and his offensive line have stepped up their game and its showing. I am going to be sitting down to watch this game live cause it would be interesting to see what strategies the coaches use against each other. Rattle Brady, match up the weakest offensive with your best defense, remove the long plays from Peyton.............seriously there are great speculation as to what each team will use to dismantle its opponent. Personally I just want to enjoy good ol' football and don't fancy either team, but I wouldn't mind the Patriots coming out of this as victors. Did you see the Sunday game when they blew past their opponent with about 50+ point?

On the other hand whats with the Viks and not using Adrian Peterson? I wrote a post about him when he was in OU and was ecstatic when he got drafted by the Viks, but they are not utilizing this guy. He is absolutely greaaaaaaaaaaaaat. Why do the bench him on some plays? Everytime I see him on the sideline I get upset. Get it together Vikings!!! I want us to be in the playoffs this year. Please :)

NBA finals

Alright , alright! So Pistons didn't make it to the finals. I had a couple gloating phone calls from my friends to rub salt on the wounds last Saturday. I am inclined to blame someone for Pistons failure to live up to their potential and that someone is Flip Saunders. He used to coach Minnesota Timberwolves before his move to Detroit and I got to say I was never impressed with him before nor am I impressed now. During the series against Cavs, this coach seemed to be drawing up a game plan that did not correspond with the opponent he was facing. In game 3 & 4 he never double teamed Lebron even though he was explosive especially in the fourth quater. Let me not even start on how mad I got with the calls Flip made during the double OT.Hughes is not a polished pointguard nor do I understand why he even gets minutes on the court, so Mr Big shot should have been able to capitalize on that match-up but no he had to lose his game somewhere during the series. After watching game 3 & 4 I saw there was no way Pistons were going to the finals and I can see why Rasheed lost his cool when game 6 came around.

The final starts Thursday and the Spurs of course made it after playing dirty against Suns and beating them, then polishing off the Utah Jazz. Cav versus Spurs finals seems to be an either/or game. EITHER Spurs are going to systematically and methodically wear out the Cavs OR the Cavs are going to surprise the country by getting rid of the monopolized NBA championship of the SA spurs. I rather hope for the latter but that could entirely be due to my dislike for the Spurs.

Till next time when I post about the championship!

The Sun is blazing.

As you can tell I am not about to talk about the weather. After tonite the stage will be set for probably the most thrilling games in the playoffs this year. Chicago Bulls swept their series against D. Wade and O'Neal. Pistons and Cavs also swept their series against Orlando Magic and Wizards respectively. The next match-ups are going to be Suns against San Antonio Spurs. I am so excited about this particular series because the last time the Spurs met Suns in the playoffs, the Suns didn't have Mr Amare S. The dominating figure (on the right side of Shawn Marion in the picture) is a presence to contend with. He will rival Tim Duncan under the rims. Steve Nash/Barbosa combo have to face Ginobli/Parker on the offence. This year these two teams seem to be evenly match and that is why this is a non miss series for basketball lovers. Both teams have the ability to attack in the paint area and also perimeter shooting. So far I have taped all the games these playoffs and watched them after work and classes. I am going to be making it a point to be sitting on the couch when these games are on though.

The next matchup I am salivating for is the Bulls-Pistons series. Ben Wallace who won defensive player of the year when he played for the Pistons is now on the opposite team facing the Pistons. Billups has a younger team to contend with but Billups has experience in his favor. Ben Gordon/Nocioni/Deng are quick with the ball and move the ball around just like the Pistons do. After the Pistons won the championship in 2004, many teams in the NBA started preaching about teamwork and being unselfish with the ball. Bulls seem to have taken that mentality to heart. I love both teams but my loyality lies with Pistons, though I will secretly be cheering for Ben Gordon and crew.

Cavs get to play with the winners of the Nets-Raptors series (3-1) and tonite the world gets to know which two teams will square off against each other in Western Conference. Rockets is leading its series against Jazz by a game and so does Warriors against Mavs. I am looking for Warriors to close out the series tonite if they can get their emotion in check and they learn appropriate ball handling. Davis needs to be able to use the clock to his advantage. It was the most dumbest play I saw in the last game. Warriors was up and instead of using the clock to his advantage Davis got a stupid foul and fouled out, giving Nowitzki a chance to find his game during clutch time. Facing elimination, Nowitzki, who has been struggling in this series, discovered a way around the Warriors defense. He was able to shot before the double team shut him out and the last few minutes of the game he was able to make a couple of game changing three pointers. Warriors have a task ahead of them to try to knock out the #1 seed in Western Conference. Harrington, Davis, Jackson, Richardson and Ellis have to find a way to stop the Mavs from leaving Oakland with a W.

I will try to keep the blog updated with more analysis as the finals draw near. It was sad to see AI leave the series but the guy dribbles too darn much. He either needs to shot or pass the ball to Melo. I was happy to see the Laker eliminated and D-Wade too. I have no love for James Posey and Haslem. They both get on my last nerves. Keep watching the NBA playoffs and wear the colors of your teams as you yell on your couch.

Ps:- if Suns make it into the finals, I will try to convince my roomate to get me tickets and instead of her coming to Minnehopeless, I will fly to Arizona just to cheer on the Suns.

Season Begins

NBA season is finally here! First night and the bulls are dousing the heat. I can't wait for tommorrow night. Lakers and Suns are playing now and I can't even finish watching the game cause my sis has a craving for Wendy's. You know the slogan, eat great even late. Why can't a man enjoy a good game on the telly without being bothered. Opps I mean person. Gosh, this brain of mine belongs in a man body. I got to run and take this little girl to the fast food joint and maybe put some gas in my car. Or better yet coax her into paying for my gas. My stress levels are peaked to the point that I don't care no more. Work was busy per usual but what was worse was when I looked at tommorrow's schedule and noticed I was going to fly solo without a cashier for two hours. I almost quit. The good thing was my boss was there for me to point out the unfairness of the situation. He was pissed! but I hustled and convinced one of the cashiers to work. Hopefully tommorrow should be a better day and I can come back and watch some B-Ball with my feet up cause Thursday I am OFF!! What to do with myself? Lock myself up and study for my midterm thats what. Or at least thats the plan. Wish me luck! After this week ends, I will be concentrating on pinning down the issues for the candidates in the MN races. That alone requires my calm persona coupled with my critical brain. Ha, look out political analysts.

Ps:- Don't #23 Lebrown look mighty fine. **sighs** (I had to put that in to convince myself and you, I was still a woman)

Racing thoughts

"I want to talk to the pharmacist about my racing thoughts!" asked one guest as she called into the pharmacy. We (the pharmacy crew) were amused by the mere thought. I am no longer amused because I am plagued by racing thoughts and to slow the thoughts down I decided to blog them.

V for Vendetta

The other day, I was sitting in journalism class when this thought popped in my head. I compared the movie V for Vendetta to the current state of United States of America. First off that the fascism government in place in the movie is only there due to fear. Sutler bears semblence to Bush. Prothero resembles Bill O'Reilly and V is off course the terrorist. He places bombs to further his cause. The scene that most resounds in my mind is the one when V takes over the airwaves and says:

There are of course those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now,
orders are being shouted into telephones, and men with guns will soon be on
their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation,
words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for
those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is
something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice,
intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, think,
and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillence
coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen?
Who's to blame? Well, certainly there are those more responsible than others,
and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking
for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know
you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of
problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common
sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to the now High
Chancellor, Adam Sutler. He promised you order, he promised you peace, and all
he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent. Last night I sought to
end that silence.
Last night I destroyed the Old Bailey, to remind this country of what it has forgotten. More than four hundred years ago a great citizen wished to embed the fifth of November forever in our memory. His hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice, and freedom are more than words,they are perspectives. So if you've seen nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you, then I would suggest you allow the fifth of November to pass unmarked. But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek, then I ask you to stand beside me one year from tonight, outside the gates of Parliament, and together we shall give them a fifth of November that shall never, ever be forgot."

Adrian Peterson

Ok seriously the dude sustained a collar bone injury today. Whenever I get a chance I watch this dude because he doesn't seem to be stoppable when he is gaining yards. You can pull his legs, pull at his shirt and he will still keep going. I am sorry to see him sit the rest of the season out and hopes he is back to play @ the bowl. I don't see why this injury should factor into his worth as a heisman trophy winner. He certainly deserves it in my books and I wish him luck in the NFL. Brief bio about where he is from. His dad used to play basketball, got cocky, got shot accidentally, nearly lost his legs, got caught up in a drug traffiking ring, got jailed and look at his progeny.

Other corner of the sports world. Rookie of my month would have to be Laurence Maroney of NE Patriots. He is from the good ol' state of Minnesota. He plays in running back position and last week seem to cut through the Bengals defense. Can I mention this? For all y'all who hyped Reggie Bush, compare these two player's stats. Laurence has had 3 Touchdowns and Reggie nada. Aight, preseason games for NBA are beginning. I didn't catch Bulls game against Wizards but Bulls beat them by a point. Inshallah I hope to catch tommorrow's game against the Sonics. It'd be good to see Kirk, Wallace and crew. I definately want to see how they work as a team especially with Defensive playa of the year in the mixx!

Social blabber

So, the farmers in California are complaining that their fruits are rotting because of labor shortages. The mexicans that the government don't want to let in the country. What I don't understand is why there is no automated system in place for harvesting. I would think in a country like this (we like the easy life) there would be an automated alternative. The other way to tackle the labor shortage is an economic increase in wages for those poor immigrant workers.

How about that book? Which book you may ask. The one that talks of teenagers surveyed around the world. "Teenagers around the world believe Americans are extremely violent and criminally inclined, and they believe American women are sexually immoral" is one deduction from the survey of 1300 teenagers in 12 home countries. Sometime in the future, Inshallah, I hope to read this book. It is thus named, Learning to Hate Americans:How US media shape Negative Attitudes Among Teenagers in Twelve Countries.

How out of touch am I? I remember a while back reading about child soldiers in Uganda. Now apparently we got activists lobbying on capitol hill for intervention in Northern Uganda. A civil war has been going on for 20 years? Its between the government and the rebel forces. Go figure we were neighbours and I didn't even know about that. I really ought to check into african news outlets. I am too lax in that department.

Below is a clip showing some moves of Adrian Peterson (#28). His agility and stamina is beautiful to watch.

OU vs ISU offensive highlights

'Tis that time of year

As the night cloak spreads across the city, most new yorkers are glued to their TV sets. Its the night before 9/11. Most TV channels are running specials featuring touching stories of survivors and heroes. The channel most of them are watching though is NBC, which features the opening game of COLTS and GIANTS. Or, as they have being calling it for the past year MANNING vs MANNING. Considering I caught the last eight minutes of the third quater and all of fourth quater, I can say I was not impressed by the colts. Oh, no doubt they will make it to the playoffs if Tony D. has anything to do with it but they seem to be still lacking in the running game category.

I got to be honest, I don't like COLTS and was so rooting for GIANTS. I didn't think that last penalty call was warranted. Harper slipped!!! There was no push off. Come on now ref. The pass was perfect and it could have won the game for the Giants before they embark on going head to head with Philly and Seahawks. I am liking Jacobs he has the strength and Tiki has the speed and agility. This could definately work out.

So tommorrow night. Viks vs Redskins. I haven't followed any of the viks game preseason so I have no idea how they will fair. This game will help me deduce if I should smirk when I drive by the Viks fans or cheer with them as they cross under our skyway system to head to the dome.

PS: I was meaning to discuss one show I was listening to that had to do with 9/11 but I am too tired to gather up my thoughts. Inshallah I will post the commentary soon.

2nd Round

We are into the second round of the playoffs. I got to say this about the refs during the series. Some of them have made questionable calls. I admit I dislike Kobe but I disliked him more when I saw him smirking during the press conference. He said he doesn't get on the court to elbow anybody and the next minute he says that is how he grew up playing the game. I almost kissed the TV when Nash got on the podium and said its a shame that NBA will suspend Raja Bell for reacting to being elbowed when Bell was complaining the whole time to the ref about Kobe's behaviour. Nash pointed out the only reason NBA would be doing that would be because Kobe is such a big name. I agree with Raja Bell. Kobe is an arrogant prick and seriously I hope this will push the Suns to win this series. The other official that got me angry was the one who called LBJ for a delay in game technical when a few seconds earlier when LBJ was practically bulldozed down by Arenas he didn't blow his whistle. Shesh...........they better check the eye sights and bank accounts of the officials is all I am saying.

So here are the next round matchups:

Spurs Vs Mavs

Clippers Vs Lakers/Suns

Detroit Vs Cleveland (Detroit)

Miami Vs New J Nets (Nets)

I know I know I haven't picked anyone in the west but I seriously haven't decided who to pick. I will leave the decision to the first game of the rounds. If Lakers go through to the next round then it would definately be Clippers. It would weird though because these teams will be playing on homecourt each night. No away games if that happens. Figures!!

Playoff turned Playruff?

Each game so far in the playoff has being marvelous. My picks some might go through some might not go through to the second round. As of tonite two teams have gotten through first round of the playoffs; Mavs and Clippers. Its the LA Clippers first time in franchise history to get through and they deservedly do. Betcha Timberwolves is kicking themselves for letting Cassell go. Mavs are the only team to sweep their series, 4-0 baby!


Now I must have some reason for having such a ludicrous title for my post. Trust me I do. As per my prior post Haslem and Artest were suspended but they have being more incidents in the playoffs since then. Kenyon Martin of the Nuggets was suspended, Nash and Kobe exchanged words during Game #2 because Vujacic said something to Nash to get him heated, Jermaine O'neal was fined $15,000 for criticizing the refs, Peyton and Wade had a shouting contest Game #4 and finally Posey was suspended for a flagrant foul. Pretty exciting I would say. Not to mention there was a couple times I thought fist fights were about to break out during the Suns vs Lakers games.


Ok on to awards. Diaw gets most improved NBA player. Kevin Garnett gets citizenship award (even though everything he donated was tax deductible, figures!). MVP is rumored to be going to Steven Nash even though NBA won't announce that till the coming week. It is also rumored that Kobe didn't even finish second. He got beat by Cav's James, who incidentally scored a triple double during his playoff debut. Adam Silver is the new NBA commissioner booting out David Stern. I think that's about it from NBA news desk.


Looking into the remaining games of the series, I have to say the surprise for me was LA Lakers. Most people who know me, know my intense dislike for Kobe Bryant. He was not a team player and he had an ego that needed to be deflated. Well, whatever they feeding him during this playoff is working. This guy became a team player overnight. He shares the ball equally and is below his scoring average all through the series against the Suns. Kobe has finally stumbled upon the winning formula for a playoff series. Odom, George, Walton, Vujacic, Smush and Kwame Brown all get on the boards regularly these days. Suns might have had the formula to shut down ball hogging Kobe but I doubt they have the formula for a full on Lakers attack. So, unfortunately for my picks Suns they might lose come tomorrow. Bulls, on the other hand are looking good. They have come back and dismantled Heat's offence. Chandler went down with an ankle injury at the end of Game #4. Hopefully its not serious and Bulls can continue their run. Kings are putting up a fight against Spurs. Their series are tied 2-2. So is the Nets-Pacers & Cavs-Wizs series. Wizard's game plan for Game #4 was NO game plan. They decided to not run plays and just see how it works. It worked. They beat the Cavs in Game #4. It would be interesting to see what is in store in that series come Game #5. Finally Pistons and Bucks series. Pistons is up 3-1 in this series and I am looking for them to close it out in the next game.

PlayOffs

Playoffs started last weekend and can I just say they have being off the chain. Lets start off with the Western Conference:

Phoenix Suns Vs Lakers (My pick Suns)

LA Clippers Vs Nuggets (Clippers)

Dallas Mavs Vs Memphis Grizzlies (Mavs)

San A. Spurs Vs Sac. Kings (Spurs)

Ron Artest got suspended from a game for his unsportsmanship display against the Spurs. The other suspension to come, due to the opening game of the series, was from Miami Heat (Haslem). This dude threw his mouth piece at the ref. Of all the refs he had to test Crawford. He was tossed out of the game and got suspended for a game. Which leads me to the Eastern Conference:

Detroit Pistons Vs Mil. Bucks (My # 1 D-Town)

Chicago Bulls Vs Miami Heat (Bulls)

Indiana Pacers Vs NJ Nets (Pacers)

Cleveland Cavs Vs Washington Wiz. (Cavs)

It should be a highly charged playoff series and I for one can't wait. I will update time to time with commentaries as it progresses.

The Champs!!!

FSU wins the NCAA championship game. They won against UCLA bruins. It was a beautifully played game. Brewer made a huge difference with his constant pressure and steals. Joakim made a difference with his blocks. Hodge, Moss, Green, Humphrey and Horford all made a difference. This team walked on that court with their mind set on winning this game. Their coach instilled his competitive nature in them. He stoked the fire and it blazed bright and true on that court.

UCLA was used to holding an opposing team to under 50 points. FSU was having none of that tonite. They gave UCLA no chance of tying the game neither did they let up on the pressure. At times they were half court defence and at times they were full court defence. The thrill in the game was so much that with each basket that UCLA got you wanted to see what FSU's answer was. Absolutely deserving on the championship if you ask me.

Final Matchups

Yea so today I am tired and in a crappy mood. Less than 8 hours of sleep in the past 55 some hours and I am still awake. Wish I knew what kicks my insomnia in high gear some days. Anyway FSU made it against GMU, just like I prefered it. Noah wasn't his full self this game and kept getting benched. Talk about him getting called for travelling calls everytime he got his groove. But they won and with a sizable margin too.



UCLA vs LSU team was a blow out. LSU should have just given up when there was a 10 point diff. UCLA utilized their bench and Hollins got to rest a lot during the game. Their defense was perfect and even though it was a low scoring game, LSU had no hopes of making it.


That leaves FSU and UCLA as contenders for the championship. Come Monday we will see who is the best college BBall team out there.

Elite Eight

Uconn made it. The team that was most raved about had to go to OT to prove their worthiness. Rashad and Williams are the key figures here that need a thump on the shoulder. Positively nice game to watch.

Florida Gators make it and who else that lead that team to victory but the only and only Joakim Noah (the cute tall dude on the right as girls call him). Wonderful game too. Wish I was in the HHH arena to watch it.










On the right is George Mason who made sure Wichita lost all hope of being in the Elite Eight. Theirs wasn't such a thrilling game but nonetheless congrats!

Finally comes the team that I was so sure were gonna make it through but they also had to battle it out in OT and won by a point over Boston College.

To recap, this is the Elite Eight match ups. FSU takes on Villanova, Uconn takes on GeorgeMason, LSU takes on Texas and UCLA takes on Memphis. By Sunday we will be down to the Final Four!

Tears on my Jersey caused by Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

I am in awe, absolute awe at the game I just witnessed. NCAA's game: Gonzaga against UCLA. UCLA played a horrible first half till the closing mins of it. I mean they couldn't play any worse than they did. Gonzaga's All American champ Morrison was on top of his game. I mean he was making all his shots right. Then right up under their nose with foul trouble and bad calls against them UCLA takes the lead in the closing seconds. I mean absolutely stroke of luck on their part but God I couldn't study the whole second half of the game because I kept looking up at the game. Don't ask me how I study with B-ball on but I do.





So now LSU (an upset in it of itself they beat Duke) takes on the Texan Longhorns and UCLA takes on Memphis. Redick (Duke) and Morrison (Gonzaga) both shed tears at the court for losing. Dang I would to after training all year and watching what you fought so hard to achieve just slither itself right on down the drain.I so wish I was in MPLS tommorrow to watch the Gators and Georgetown play. I mean I could care less about Villanova cause they obviously gonna make it in but I am kicking myself at the moment for not being able to cough up $130 to watch NCAA in my city. I guess I will be monitoring it from my computer with my NCAA pass. Look for more commentary as the regionals progress and we head into the final four.




Ps:- The Longhorns also won by a three pointer right at the buzzer!

Pps:- I know I used a lot of 'I mean' but I am like that when I get as hyped as I am now. (Apologies for my writing skills in this post) .

***Walking away still in awe***

March Madness

You know what month it is. College hoops season is on and blazing hot. Villanova, Duke, OSU, UCLA and off course the fav this year UCONN. The icing on the cake for me has got to be to actually witness the regionals if I get a good samaritan to buy me a ticket **hint hint**. Should definately be a good month.

Uh huh............NBA. I am very very very dissapointed in Pistons. They got beat by Wizards and of all people the Lakers! Ugh don't get me started on that game.They are past their 50th game but guess what grizzlies and spurs are right on their a$$ with 49 wins on their belts. They better shape up pretty soon or I am going to be sticking my head in the sand and pretend I am dead to the world. When they got beat by Lakers I got a gloating phonecall celebrating the fact. Gawd I don't want to get any more of such phonecalls!!!

My neglected corner of sports

Seriously I am just glad its Friday but I guess owning to tradition I have to confess that its extra special Friday. Its the friday before the Superbowl and I got to say I ain't even tuned in to what the TV is saying because I am just not interested this time. Superbowl 40 is between Pitts. Steelers and Seattle Seahawks. These two teams were a suprise for many to be in contension for the championship and for me more than anything. Unlike many I didn't think the Colts were going to make it but I thought for sure the broncos and panthers. Watching the NFC and AFC I was utterly disgusted by display of Plummer and Delhomme. They were not in their usual form, misreading coverage and the interceptions were a constant aspect in their game that night. Enough of my griping they didn't make it to the Superbowl so what? So I am stuck watching two teams that I think are undeserving of the honor. For Steelers who have won four Superbowl titles and making their fifth appearance to the championship, this is a road travelled before but for the Seahawks its new terrain.

Steelers astounded me. They beat Carson Palmer,Rudi Johnson, Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, Jake Plummer, Marvin Harrison et al to make it to the SuperBowl. That is impressive in it of itself. Lets start at the QB Ben Roethlisberger, he boosts a 124.8 passer rating and 17 TDs. He will be one of the youngest QB to win the Superbowl if Steelers win. Next person of note in the steelers line up has got to be no one but Joey Porter. He seems to have an aptitude for left tackles and he not shy about it. His speed is another dimension to his game and gives it the edge he needs to create pressure on QB's. Last but not least we have T Polamalu. This exotic long haired safety is all over the field. Though he is on the injury list many believe he will still be playing come Sunday. The game wouldn't be the same without him. All in all the notables mentioned plus the Steelers 3-4 defense formation is what the Steelers game is about.

Seahawks on the other hand are the underdogs coming into this Superbowl. Most people contend that they didn't have much of a lineup to contend with during regular season. At the head of their game we have QB Matt Hasselbeck. What to note is that against a 3-4 defence formations Matt's passer rate dropped to 58.0. The other person to look for is Shaun Alexander, seahawk's running back. I don't know what to say about this team because I tended to be ignorant of them when they played. Advice though would be that they shouldn't give time for the Steelers defence to rotate and reform. Keep the game fast.


In other news, forecasts for Pistons to actually get to the famed 70 game win during regular season are being thrown around. I love the pistons and I will have great faith in them always and I really do think they will be able to do it. But only if they don't let up on their game once they get home court advantage. Hell I might just drive to Auburn Hills to watch them if they get close to their goal. NBA All Star teams has being announced for the East:Allen Iverson, Jermaine O'Neal, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and the Big Man (Shaq). The West boosts Kobe Bryant, Yao Ming, Tracy Mcgrady, Steve Nash and Tim Duncan. Definately a great group of talented individuals, no chance of Kobe getting that 81 points with this many talented people around him. (I keed I keed). Hope Jermaine actually gets well quick with the pacers losing fire with artest gone and now him. Will try to keep up with sports world though sometimes I get caught up with other things. Happy SuperBowl Weekend to all!!

Detrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroit Basketball

Nuff said. Season high 6-0 wins. I have high hopes for my boys this year. Last time we lost the cup by mere inches but if this is how the season is shaping up, I say bring it on. Suns, Spurs and my next favourite team this year, the Cavaliers, have nothing on this team. Defense/Rebounds/Three pointers/On the paint points/ or as we like to call it Detroiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit basketball.

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Running Game vs Throwing Game

Well Well this Sunday was interesting in the world of American Football. Vikings lost off course to Panthers, Giants won in memory of Wellington, Detroit lost but the most upsetting game for me was the the Eagles and the Broncos.

Philly was trying a new approach this season. Instead of the conventional running game that most football coaches utilize they decided to use a throwing game. They have won 4 out of the 7 games utilizing this theory but I would like to call into light that they have have a recorded 73 % on throwing the ball. I do believe that is a huge percentage to be leaning on to win a game. Hopefully they will change tactics for the next games and try running more. They can utilize westbrook and owens more.

College ball on the other hand I have no complaints about. Florida exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed the game throughly. The QB was comfortable, he wasn't blitzed and he threw perfectly. Kudos! Better luck next time Georgia. Till Next Time I feel like talking football HOoRah