random things

One: The weather has changed a lot in the last week. Sunday and Monday it was 75 or warmer yesterday it was about 40. I expect this trend to continue for at least another week or so.

Two: Somebody explain to me why anyone from a blue state should be taken seriously as a presidential candidate. It's one thing to impose a nanny state in states like Massachusetts, Illinois, New York and California. It's another to run a whole country like that.

Three: Can Baseball experts pick teams other than the following to win this year: NY, BOS, PHI, STL, LA and the White Sox or Tigers. It's quite annoying to see the same darn predictions year after year. How about someone pick Toronto in the AL East or the Brewers in the NL Central? That would show some guts and out of the box thinking.

On a personal note, I have done a lot of cleaning recently so it feels good to have some of that accomplished before Monday morning.

Shabat Shalom and Happy Pesach.

Passover

I won't be doing a lot of blogging or using of the computer from next Monday, April 2nd through April 10th, because of the Holiday of Passover, or Pesach. Pesach is the Jewish holiday where the Jews commemorate the Exodus from Egypt and becoming a self-governing people with their rules and customs.

There are a lot of rules and things to do and buy and it takes a lot of time and energy to do. Unlike Hannukah, you can't just buy candles, a few latkes and properly observe the holiday.

I hope to learn some new things about the Exodus from Egypt and the Haggadah, or the book that tells the Passover story in the next week or so. Although I have been religious for a long time, there are things that I don't know that I would like to know and share over this holiday.

This is a family holiday, which makes me happy as a single. I can join a family, rather than dwell on my single status.

By the way, I won't use the FFB term because I don't care for it and I am modern, not Yeshivish. I find that FFB is more appropriate for those on the "Right" end of the spectrum, though one can make the case that it's a dumb term to begin with.


Chag sameach to all.

good sweet 16

Although only one "upset" happened, in Memphis beating Texas A&M, the games last night were all good and exciting.

SIU played well, unfortunately, they don't score enough points to win. Kansas will lose tomorrow as will Ohio State.

ideas

Well, I think that I should change the team in obnoxious fans from Indiana to UCLA or Arizona, as I dislike those teams more than Indiana. Maybe Texas as well.

Another sports poll:

Which home run call is more Annoying?

1) Hawk Harrelson of the Chicago White Sox, with Stretch,.... you can put it on the boaaard yesss! or

2) John Sterling of the Yankees, It is high, it is far... it is gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

go to http://www.southsidesox.com to learn about Hawk Harrelson

weekend wrap

1) The first two rounds weren't as good as last year. Very few surprises. Too much chalk winning. How is this different than the NBA? Anyone excited to see a Dallas-Clippers first round series?

2) Bill Carmody makes over $1 million to coach at Northwestern. That fact is all the more reason to fire him NOW!!! NU athletic director Mark Murphy. I must thank Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times for that fact.

3) I will not root for these six basketball teams: UCLA, Arizona, Duke, Syracuse, Connecticut and Notre Dame.

regime change in Evanston

Who should replace Bill Carmody at Northwestern?

1) Harry Teinewitz of ESPN 1000
2) Bobby Knight
3) Mike Montgomery
4) Bob Bender
5) Other

poll

Poll

Which team's fans are the most annoying in the NCAA Tournament?

1) Illinois
2) Notre Dame
3) Ohio State
4) Indiana
5) Duke

Please vote early and often

mail service

I agree with Ms. Frumhouse on the Prairie about the Mail Service in Rogers Park. If I can avoid mailing stuff in RP, I do. If I have to, I go to Devon & Cal or the Post Office. Even that, I avoid because I usually go downtown to do that type of stuff.

Dunkin Donuts I am not aware of as much because I don't hang out there as much as I did a few years back.

more NCAA stuff

From a post on the Gonzaga fans part of yahoo.

After Duke and Notre Dame, the two teams I want to lose the Most are UCLA and Arizona. Lute Olson is one of the more arrogant and patrician coaches in the game. BTW, there's a reason why the Pac-10 doesn't get respect, kudos that it should. Blame your commissioner Tom Hansen, for accepting a deal with Fox Sports Net to air games on Thursday and Saturday nights. If your league isn't on ESPN, AKA the worldwide leader, you are invisible. That's why Gonzaga got such a visibility rating, because they played on ESPN. Preseason NIT, Memphis, Duke, etc. helped get them exposure.

Now to PC Picks

Midwest
Florida Jackson State. Jackson State. To liberals, after the service academies, the two states they root against are Texas and Florida.

Arizona-Purdue. Arizona.1) McCain is from Arizona. 2) Boilermakers ruin the environment.

Butler-Old Dominion. Butler. Old Dominion are the Monarchs and are imperialists trying to impose their Eurocentric values on the oppressed.

Maryland-Davidson. Maryland. Davidson is Tony Snow's alma mater. Snow is Bush's press secretary so that is an easy choice.

Notre Dame-Winthrop. Winthrop. a) Winthrop is the underdog. b) Fighting Irish. Irish should be peaceful and fun-loving people like the Daleys and Kennedys.

Oregon-Miami, O. Oregon. Ducks are nicer animals than RedHawks who had to change their nickname from the Redskins.

UNLV-Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech.a) ACC. B) Runnin' Rebels. These Rebels must be the same Rebels or related to the Ole Miss Rebels who support the Stars and Bars (Confederacy)

Wisconsin-Texas A&M CC. Wisconsin. They're the Badgers and the other team is from Texas

West

Kansas-Niagara. Niagara. Purple Eagles are nicer than Jayhawks. Kansas is a red state.

Kentucky-Villanova. Villanova. Kentucky is a red state.

Virginia Tech-Illinois. Virginia Tech. Illinois are the Fighting Illini and showing offense to Native Americans. Not even the Man-God aka Barack Obama can save the Illini.

Southern Illinois-Holy Cross. SIU. Holy Cross are the Crusaders. How mean-spirited of Holy Cross to impose their theocratic values on the citizens of Massachusetts.

Duke-VCU. You would think Duke, but because of the Duke Men's Lacrosse team, this pick goes to VCU who are the Rams and nice animals.

Pitt-Wright State. Pitt. Wright State are named for dead white males, Orville and Wilbur Wright.

Gonzaga-Indiana. Gonzaga. Indiana is a very red state.

UCLA-Weber State. UCLA. Weber State is probably named for a dead white male.

South

Ohio State vs. Central Connecticut. CCSU. Ohio is a red state and wins too much.

BYU v. Xavier. Tough one. BYU is a Mormon school but Xavier are Musketeers. BYU barely.

Virgina v. Albany. Albany. Virginia was founded by Thomas Jefferson, who was one of the Founding Fathers (or in PC speak, Framers)

Tennessee v. Long Beach State. 49ers v. Volunteers. Long Beach, because Tennessee is a Southern state.

Memphis v. N. Texas. Memphis. We root against all Texas teams.

Nevada v. Creighton. Wolf Pack v. Bluejays. Creighton, blue jays are nicer animals than Wolves.

Texas A&M v. Penn. Penn, see above.

Louisville v. Stanford. Louisville, because Condi Rice was president of Stanford.

Tomorrow I will do the Midwest and Western Regions.

PC picks

East
North Carolina. EKU are the Colonels which is a military term and the Left Loathes the military.

Marquette vs. Mich. State. Marquette. MSU are the Spartans who are dead white males.

Texas vs. NM State. NM State. Texas is evil because of Bush, Halliburton, etc.

USC vs. Arkansas. Arkansas. USC are Trojans. Arkansas is home to our hero Bill Clinton.

Georgetown v Belmont. Georgetown.

BC v. Texas Tech. BC. Blue state vs. Texas, no contest and Bobby Knight is mean.

WSU v. Oral Roberts. WSU. Oral Roberts is a preacher and shows the Christian intolerance.

Vanderbilt v. GWU. Vanderbilt's nickname (Commodores) is less offensive than GWU's nicknames (Colonials).

Other regions to follow.

weekend thoughts

I had a nice weekend. Saw some of my friends and helped two of them celebrate an anniversary.

My thoughts on the NCAA tournament as well as the NIT.

First of all, the Big 10 got one or two bids it didn't deserve or at least come with a question mark. Illinois, despite the win over Indiana on Friday night, is a marginal team. Michigan State isn't that good, save for a win at home over Wisconsin.

The NCAA selection committee was a little annoyed that the CAA and MVC teams (George Mason, Wichita State and Bradley) did as well as they did last year. They resolved to fix that by letting in fewer of those types of teams into the tournament.

Snubs include Drexel and Missouri State. Sorry I won't shed a tear for Syracuse, West Virginia or Kansas State or Clemson.

NIT wasn't kind to smaller schools and western schools. No Pac-10 team made the NIT, although they got a record 6 teams into the NCAA tournament. Also, Loyola of Chicago missed the NIT and I felt that they should have made the NIT. Their coach SHOULD be retained, not fired like I wanted a couple of weeks back when they lost at home to UIC.


Tomorrow or Wednesday I will do the Environmentalist wacko picks. Always a lot of fun, although it would be more fun if Florida State or Oklahoma State were in.

I really like Memphis to win the whole thing. I have no faith in Kansas to succeed as a 1. Ask Bucknell or Bradley if they fear Kansas.

update

Well, the weather in Chicago is improving. Today I didn't have to wear my heavy winter coat, son that is a good thing.

NCAA conference tournament action yesterday. UCLA lost to Cal in OT and Duke lost to NC State and Maryland lost to Miami, FL.

All three teams are going to make the tournament, but will drop a notch or two in the seedings.

WSU won late last night and they will face USC tonight in the Pac-10 semifinal. WSU and the Sonics both have 25 wins. Let's see who gets 26 first.


WA Teams in the NCAA: Gonzaga, 23-10, WCC Champ, WSU, 25-6 (as of 3/8/07), Pac-10 second place.

IL Teams: SIU, 27-6, MVC regular season champ
Bubble ,Illinois, 22-10, in Big Ten quarterfinals tonight.
Bradley, 21-12, MVC semifinalist

NIT: Loyola, IL, 21-10, Horizon League semifinalist, got bye in league tourney because finished third or higher
DePaul, 18-13, Big East.

I won't waste time on Northwestern.

stuff

I saw an article today in the Chicago Sun-Times lamenting the fact that Northwestern's basketball team stinks year after year and that they have never been to the NCAA tournament. Frankly, they will never compete in the Big 10 because they're a hoity-toity academic school competing with 8 or 9 state schools. Michigan and Ohio State want a pushover school that they can beat up on. Illinois they have to take seriously in basketball and once in a while in football.

I don't like Carmody, but I don't know which big name coach or assistant is going to come in and turn this program around. Brian Gregory of Dayton maybe.

Memo to all NU students and basketball fans, why does your basketball team stink every year?

You make bowl game appearances in football, why can't you succeed in men's basketball. I know the answer but it's politically incorrect.

Pics from WCC Title game

I do want to address the Santa Clara fans. I respect your team and the effort they gave all year. I wish your team could have made the NCAA tournament this year to honor your coach, Dick Davey, who's retiring after this year.

Teams to root against in the NCAA tournament:

1) Duke

2) Kansas

3) Ohio State

4) Florida

5) Georgetown

6) Notre Dame

Congrats to the Zags

First of all, Congratulations to the Gonzaga Bulldogs on winning the WCC Tournament last night in Portland, Oregon over the Santa Clara Broncos 77-68. Derek Raivio, WCC Co-player of the year had 28 points to lead the way. Gonzaga is in the NCAA tournament for the ninth straight year and tenth time overall. Go Zags!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/photo?slug=ordr10703060502.wcc_gonzaga_santa_clara_basketball_ordr107&prov=AP

nice picture of the Zags celebrating another WCC Title.

We're high on winning, not on other things.

So Washington State will have two teams in the NCAA's, Gonzaga and Washington State. That's good. Illinois will have Illinois, SIU and possibly Bradley.