March Madness, the 2010 version of NCAA's College Basketball Playoff season, is upon us. The Washington Huskies and the California Golden Bears, both Pac-10 champions, have landed bids in the NCAA Tournament. Now, the Bracketology experts comes out.
Washington and Cal join Duke, Vanderbilt, Kansas, Georgetown, Notre Dame, UTEP, BYU, Xavier, Oakland, Florida, Kansas St., North Texas, Villanova, Robert Norris, Morgan St., Texas, Wisconsin, Lehigh, N. Iowa, New Mexico St., Michigan St., Tennessee, San Diego St., Ohio, Oklahoma St., Georgia Tech, Temple, Cornell, Wofford, Clemson, Missouri, Texas A&M, Sam Houston, Baylor, St. Mary's, Richmond, Purdue, Sienna, and Louisville East Tenn. St., and Kentucky on the "Road to Indy" for the NCAA Final Four.
But what's confusing is two Pac-10 Champions? (Ok, this blogger's a Cal graduate, there's the bias disclaimer.) It's down right weird to have two Pac-10 Champions and makes a mockery of all of the battles waged through the season to be the Pac-10 Champion that Cal is. But on the other hand, with the dramatic Pac-10 Championship game that Cal came up on the wrong end of 79 to 75, the format did manage to produce two NCAA Tournament teams, whereas a standard season-only system would have gained just one. So the whining about that stops here - for now - as it's good for the Pac-10 Conference.
Cal's favored to beat Louisville in the Golden Bears' game at Jacksonville, and Washington's an 11-th seed against the 6th-seed Marquette Golden Eagles. Washington's not even considered as a possibility to beat Marquette by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, and the New York Times' thinks Cal's an easy upset for Louisville.
The Pac-10, as usual, gets no respect, but Cal being "an easy upset" is an outrage. The NY Times Peter Themel, who seems to think he's a Bracketology expert, doesn't even give a detailed reason for his statement using the term "easy."
Grrrr. GO BEARS and... Go Huskies!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Peter Graves, brother of James Arness and Mission Impossible star, dies
Peter Graves, the brother of legendary actor and Gunsmoke star James Arness and star of one of this bloggers favorite shows other than Star Trek, Mission Impossible, and the movie Airplane, died today, Sunday, at 83 years of age.
According to the Associated Press video below, Graves had returned to his home in Pacific Palisades, California after having brunch with his family.
While Peter Graves has roles in more than 70 productions spanning a 60-year career, he will always be known as secret agent Jim Phelps in Mission Impossible.
Video: Peter Graves passes:
Jim Phelps always opened Mission Impossible by receiving an order ("Good morning, Mr. Phelps..") in an uncommon way, and always with the tape recorder self destructing within seconds. Mission Impossible was the the thinking person's James Bond series with interesting plot twists, disguises, and people you wanted to root for. Jim Phelps, the can do boss of the IMF team, was one of them.
1971 Mission Impossible opening scene with Peter Graves:
Peter Graves won a 1971 Emmy for the role of Jim Phelps, and was always known for serious character roles. Then, there was Airplane. Here's a classic scene with Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Peter Graves:
Here, much later in life, Peter Graves reflects on his career:
And in this video, Star Trek Producer and Director J.J. Abrams talks about the idea of bring Peter Graves in for Mission Impossible 4:
Peter Graves is an American Icon who will be dearly missed.
According to the Associated Press video below, Graves had returned to his home in Pacific Palisades, California after having brunch with his family.
While Peter Graves has roles in more than 70 productions spanning a 60-year career, he will always be known as secret agent Jim Phelps in Mission Impossible.
Video: Peter Graves passes:
Jim Phelps always opened Mission Impossible by receiving an order ("Good morning, Mr. Phelps..") in an uncommon way, and always with the tape recorder self destructing within seconds. Mission Impossible was the the thinking person's James Bond series with interesting plot twists, disguises, and people you wanted to root for. Jim Phelps, the can do boss of the IMF team, was one of them.
1971 Mission Impossible opening scene with Peter Graves:
Peter Graves won a 1971 Emmy for the role of Jim Phelps, and was always known for serious character roles. Then, there was Airplane. Here's a classic scene with Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Peter Graves:
Here, much later in life, Peter Graves reflects on his career:
And in this video, Star Trek Producer and Director J.J. Abrams talks about the idea of bring Peter Graves in for Mission Impossible 4:
Peter Graves is an American Icon who will be dearly missed.
Browns Sign Delhomme, trade Brady Quinn to Broncos for Fullback Hills and two draft picks.
Browns Sign Delhomme, trade Brady Quinn to Broncos for Fullback Hills and two draft picks.
By Bill Chachkes for Football Reporters Online
The Brady Quinn experiment in Cleveland is dead.
QB Brady Quinn's career in Cleveland Ohio is no officially over. Quinn was traded Sunday to the Denver Broncos, who now have 4 QB's on their roster.
This is a great trade for both teams. The Browns get a veteran QB who needs a fresh start, plus a skill player who can add depth in Peyton Hillis, plus two draft picks, A 6th rounder in 2011(assuming there is a draft in 2011), and a conditional 2012 pick. The Broncos get another QB to add to the Mix in Brady Quinn, who never attained the status he and Browns fans, and team management expected. Even after Quinn won the starting job last year, it wasn't enough, he was benched just 10 quarters into his assignment for Derek Anderson. At least Brady will finally get a fair shot to be an NFL QB now. Cleveland also released Derek Anderson and brought Seneca Wallace over from Seattle, and signed veteran tight end Ben Watson early this week.
Can you see Quinn as the starter in Denver? I can, as soon as Kyle Orton starts Looking like the bad version of Brett Farve Jr. again. They also have Chris Simms and Tom Brandstater on the roster, so expect one of those two will be gone and the other to be the third stringer. Quinn will have to earn the starting job over Orton.
Tra
By Bill Chachkes for Football Reporters Online
The Brady Quinn experiment in Cleveland is dead.
QB Brady Quinn's career in Cleveland Ohio is no officially over. Quinn was traded Sunday to the Denver Broncos, who now have 4 QB's on their roster.
This is a great trade for both teams. The Browns get a veteran QB who needs a fresh start, plus a skill player who can add depth in Peyton Hillis, plus two draft picks, A 6th rounder in 2011(assuming there is a draft in 2011), and a conditional 2012 pick. The Broncos get another QB to add to the Mix in Brady Quinn, who never attained the status he and Browns fans, and team management expected. Even after Quinn won the starting job last year, it wasn't enough, he was benched just 10 quarters into his assignment for Derek Anderson. At least Brady will finally get a fair shot to be an NFL QB now. Cleveland also released Derek Anderson and brought Seneca Wallace over from Seattle, and signed veteran tight end Ben Watson early this week.
Can you see Quinn as the starter in Denver? I can, as soon as Kyle Orton starts Looking like the bad version of Brett Farve Jr. again. They also have Chris Simms and Tom Brandstater on the roster, so expect one of those two will be gone and the other to be the third stringer. Quinn will have to earn the starting job over Orton.
Tra
LaDainian Tomlinson to sign with New York Jets Monday
According to Bill Chackhes, who's covered the Jets beat for years, is a blogger at NFL Business Blog and has the new NFL Gridiron Draft Guide, NFL Free Agent Running Back LaDainian Tomlinson is going to sign with the New York Jets on Monday at a press conference.
LaDainian Tomlinson was formerly the star running back and community leader for The San Diego Chargers. But LaDainian Tomlinson's production decreased dramatically over the last two years, from 1,474 yards in 2007 to 745 yards in 2009.
While the San Diego Chargers' GM A.J. Smith was interested in keeping Tomlinson but only in a reduced role; "LT" as he's called, wanted to remain the featured back. LT was released on February 22nd, after nine years with the organization.
On Monday, LaDainian Tomlinson becomes a New York Jets player, and joins a team that was one game away from The 44th Super Bowl in Miami, and had the league's best defense in 2009. The Jets have given LaDainian Tomlinson room to be the featured back he wants to be as Thomas Jones released and picked up by The Kansas City Chiefs.
What deal LaDainian Tomlinson signs will be interesting to read. With the pass-happy NFL and the need to throw the ball well and often, plus the injuries to running backs that have caused the need for several good runners, not one featured one, I don't think the acquisition of LT to be "that guy" was necessary. The Jets could have saved money drafting a back in the lower rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Stay tuned.
LaDainian Tomlinson was formerly the star running back and community leader for The San Diego Chargers. But LaDainian Tomlinson's production decreased dramatically over the last two years, from 1,474 yards in 2007 to 745 yards in 2009.
While the San Diego Chargers' GM A.J. Smith was interested in keeping Tomlinson but only in a reduced role; "LT" as he's called, wanted to remain the featured back. LT was released on February 22nd, after nine years with the organization.
On Monday, LaDainian Tomlinson becomes a New York Jets player, and joins a team that was one game away from The 44th Super Bowl in Miami, and had the league's best defense in 2009. The Jets have given LaDainian Tomlinson room to be the featured back he wants to be as Thomas Jones released and picked up by The Kansas City Chiefs.
What deal LaDainian Tomlinson signs will be interesting to read. With the pass-happy NFL and the need to throw the ball well and often, plus the injuries to running backs that have caused the need for several good runners, not one featured one, I don't think the acquisition of LT to be "that guy" was necessary. The Jets could have saved money drafting a back in the lower rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Stay tuned.
Happy Pi Day - 3.14.2010 - Pi Day Jokes and Star Trek
Happy Pi Day! Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. But why is Pi Day celebrated today, Sunday, March 14th? Because it's 3.14, and Pi is 3.1415926535. This blogger remembers being introduced to the concept of Pi as a kid while watching Star Trek The Original Series.
In Wolf in the Fold, which was a second season episode originally aired in 1967, Scotty was suspected of killing several women while on shore leave on a planey called Argelius II, but an an evil entity was actually at fault for those murders. Eventually, it tried to take over The Enterprise itself. In order to get rid of it, Spock instructed the Enterprise computer to "compute to the last digit, the value of pi". Here's the scene...
Believe it or not, there are Pi Day Jokes! While many of them are just plain corny, you can't get through Pi Day without them, so here they are:
And here's my Pi Day Joke:
What do you get when you take the head of a Conservative Wing Nut and divide its its circumference by its diameter? Answer: Small Pi - they're pinheads!
Stay tuned.
In Wolf in the Fold, which was a second season episode originally aired in 1967, Scotty was suspected of killing several women while on shore leave on a planey called Argelius II, but an an evil entity was actually at fault for those murders. Eventually, it tried to take over The Enterprise itself. In order to get rid of it, Spock instructed the Enterprise computer to "compute to the last digit, the value of pi". Here's the scene...
Believe it or not, there are Pi Day Jokes! While many of them are just plain corny, you can't get through Pi Day without them, so here they are:
Mathematician: "Pi r squared”
Student: "No teacher! Pies are round, cakes are square!"
Question: What do you get when you take the sun and divide its circumference by its diameter?
Answer: Pi in the sky by and by.
Q: What do you get when you take green cheese and divide its circumference by its diameter?
A: Moon Pi.
And here's my Pi Day Joke:
What do you get when you take the head of a Conservative Wing Nut and divide its its circumference by its diameter? Answer: Small Pi - they're pinheads!
Stay tuned.
L.T.'s Hype Machine is coming at ya Jets Fans
L.T.'s Hype Machine is coming at ya Jets Fans-By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Managing Partner-Football Reporters Online
Here is a news flash: the Jets will have at least two running backs next season. Yup. One of them might even Be La Dainian Tomlinson. Even if his agent Tom Condon says he is "negotiating" with Both the Jets and The Vikings, the word on the street is "if you have to leave the warmth of San Diego to keep making money, whose money would you rather take? Ziggy Wilf's or Woody Johnson's?"
Odds are "L.T." will be in Green and White shortly, and not Purple and Gold. Lets put yourself in L.T.'s shoes for a moment. 2009 was the least productive season in your pro career, You gained only 730 yards rushing, and in fact, it was the first year you ever gained less then 1100 yards. Your now thirty years old, and you know you are not a "lead" back any more, but a complimentary back at best. Why go to a team with a lot of other aging veterans when you could stay in your conference and be in the media capital of the planet instead of the city of the ice age?
Lets break it down further: Go to a team with a hot "young" coaching staff and a second year QB on the rise? Or a team with a QB who is getting ready to collect social security? The team with young running backs to play with? Or the team whose only other star plays the same position as you and spends 1/3rd of his game check on new sneakers each week?
We know the NY Jets need to constantly grab the headlines because it makes them feel relevant in the sports section each week. this is the signing, like last week's addition of DB antonio Cromartie, that keeps them in the news, which is where they need to stay. They also need to capitalize on their fantastic season, and the fact that no one expected them to play the Colts in the conference title game, In fact, many people still feel the Jets should have been playing in the Super Bowl.
Condon is just saying "we're talking with both teams" to "manage the Media Hype" and keep the spin within his control. He's a smart agent and that what any smart agent would do. L.T. won't win games for the Jets by himself, but they can pay him a short term deal now instead of Drafting a big name back who won't be there when they pick in the late first round anyway.
The Jets also need to sell the rest of their "luxury" personal shylock licenses in the new stadium and Tomlinson helps them do that. Sell tickets, expensive ones, and quickly.
Update: as of 8:30 EST. several outlets are reporting Tomlinson has indeed signed with NY. the Deal as reported by the NY Daily News is fior 2 years at 5.2 million dollars with incentives that could reach 5.7 million.
Agent Tom Condon Told the AP: "He wanted to go a team that he thought had a chance to compete for the championship," . "He wanted to go somehwere where he had a chance to have a significant role, and so with the Jets he also was going to be very familiar with the offensive system."
Here is a news flash: the Jets will have at least two running backs next season. Yup. One of them might even Be La Dainian Tomlinson. Even if his agent Tom Condon says he is "negotiating" with Both the Jets and The Vikings, the word on the street is "if you have to leave the warmth of San Diego to keep making money, whose money would you rather take? Ziggy Wilf's or Woody Johnson's?"
Odds are "L.T." will be in Green and White shortly, and not Purple and Gold. Lets put yourself in L.T.'s shoes for a moment. 2009 was the least productive season in your pro career, You gained only 730 yards rushing, and in fact, it was the first year you ever gained less then 1100 yards. Your now thirty years old, and you know you are not a "lead" back any more, but a complimentary back at best. Why go to a team with a lot of other aging veterans when you could stay in your conference and be in the media capital of the planet instead of the city of the ice age?
Lets break it down further: Go to a team with a hot "young" coaching staff and a second year QB on the rise? Or a team with a QB who is getting ready to collect social security? The team with young running backs to play with? Or the team whose only other star plays the same position as you and spends 1/3rd of his game check on new sneakers each week?
We know the NY Jets need to constantly grab the headlines because it makes them feel relevant in the sports section each week. this is the signing, like last week's addition of DB antonio Cromartie, that keeps them in the news, which is where they need to stay. They also need to capitalize on their fantastic season, and the fact that no one expected them to play the Colts in the conference title game, In fact, many people still feel the Jets should have been playing in the Super Bowl.
Condon is just saying "we're talking with both teams" to "manage the Media Hype" and keep the spin within his control. He's a smart agent and that what any smart agent would do. L.T. won't win games for the Jets by himself, but they can pay him a short term deal now instead of Drafting a big name back who won't be there when they pick in the late first round anyway.
The Jets also need to sell the rest of their "luxury" personal shylock licenses in the new stadium and Tomlinson helps them do that. Sell tickets, expensive ones, and quickly.
Update: as of 8:30 EST. several outlets are reporting Tomlinson has indeed signed with NY. the Deal as reported by the NY Daily News is fior 2 years at 5.2 million dollars with incentives that could reach 5.7 million.
Agent Tom Condon Told the AP: "He wanted to go a team that he thought had a chance to compete for the championship," . "He wanted to go somehwere where he had a chance to have a significant role, and so with the Jets he also was going to be very familiar with the offensive system."
A Tale of Time, Place, Persona
A Tale of Time, Place, Persona
By J[The Gambler] Gamble for Football Reporters Online
Donte Stallworth drove drunk and killed a man. Plaxico Burress brought a loaded gun into a strip club and shot himself. They are both top notch receivers and even bigger idiots, so lets talk numbers.
Stallworth was suspended for 1 season, served 30-days of a potential 15-year sentence in a Miami jail, and upon return, was rewarded with a $900,000 contract by the Baltimore Ravens.
Burress rots in a New York prison, already once denied early release, enroute to completing a 2-year prison stint.
Is one crime dumber than the other ? No. Is one crime more egregious than the other. Yes. But in this tale of time, place and persona, the crimes don’t equate with the times. That’s what intrigues me about the two cases. There is nothing legally to suggest that the outcomes should have been that drastically different. Yes, NY gun laws are very strict, but the only celebrities who traditionally get jailed for possessing handguns in NYC, are rappers. You know how dangerous those suburban English majors can be.
On the surface, it appears that one guy got lucky and one guy got shafted. Sort of. But Plaxico never had a shot. [No pun intended] He got caught up in political chess with a billionaire Mayor, whose main platform is promoting an image of being a Pitbull on gun laws and crime.
Seizing the moment, Mayor Bloomberg went on TV and assured the viewing public that Plax would be convicted to the fullest extent of the law and wouldn’t get treated any different because he was a Super Bowl hero and celebrity. [Well if that aint a reason to show some leniency, then I don’t know what the hell happened to the New York I was raised in] With those irreversible words, Bloomberg violated every ethical standard in existence and single-handedly put a nail in Plax’s football coffin. His lawyer wife couldn’t help him. His money couldn’t help him. The Giants couldn’t help him. The mayor wouldn’t.
I can’t help but to think that despite Burress’ fame with the Giants, his reputation as an arrogant player who broke team rules, and felt he was only held accountable on Sundays, helped fuel the backlash of his foolish actions. Bloomberg knew he had Burress dead to rights. Plax became the perfect tool for The Mayor – who was still under fire for extending term limits for himself without a public vote –to use to divert attention and strengthen his vow to rid NYC of illegal concealed weapons carriers.
As soon as Bloomberg spoke out, he sullied any chance Plax had for a fair trial. No late game heroics in this massacre. It is rare that a mayor will offer totally subjective opinion on an open case. He doesn’t even practice this newfound zest with the most hardened mob figures. So it was very odd that he chose to single out an NFL player – who admitted he carried the gun out of fear. It takes a lot for a man to admit that.
But now these players – so similar – sit on opposite ends of the opportunity spectrum. Stallworth has already started rebuilding his career and image with the Ravens. Plaxico is still clad in prison greens, getting locked down to the sound of steel doors clanging and clicking, instead of catching clutch passes for an NFL contender. He is a faceless, nameless number at this point, with no influence and no chance to proactively rebuild his image, talk to kids, his family or mend broken business relationships.
It’s funny, one unnamed Giant, who I spoke with following the Plaxico incident said, “They are treating him like he killed somebody.” No, Stallworth killed somebody. But he is the one back in the league, just a short year later. And truth be told, it was probably much easier to give Stallworth, generally known as a good character “team” guy, a break. Plaxico, in all of his brashness and defiance of team rules, messed around in the wrong town. Partisan politics are hot right now. If you are a celebrity athlete in NYC, especially a minority, and you are caught in a high-profile situation that can be damaging to the city’s rep or used by high-ranking officials for personal political gain, then don’t expect to be treated with kit gloves because you caught a TD in the Super Bowl.
Plaxico’s crime wasn’t egregious. It lacked intelligence. It Borderlined on buffoonery. When he shot himself trying to grab the gun from slipping down the leg inside of his oversized pants, that was classic stupid. It was embarrassing as hell. But it sure as hell wasn’t DUI vehicular manslaughter. It was however an illegal action, committed in the wrong climate. History is strange like that. It’s results often dictated by time, place and persona. It can be forgiving, as it seems to have been to Stallworth. For Plax it will show the tragic fall of a legend.
Time, place and persona means a lot. Not just in the NFL, but in life. This is a classic example. Stallworth murdered a person. Plax murdered the destiny of a Giants dynasty. Never mess with a New Yorkers' football.
By J[The Gambler] Gamble for Football Reporters Online
Donte Stallworth drove drunk and killed a man. Plaxico Burress brought a loaded gun into a strip club and shot himself. They are both top notch receivers and even bigger idiots, so lets talk numbers.
Stallworth was suspended for 1 season, served 30-days of a potential 15-year sentence in a Miami jail, and upon return, was rewarded with a $900,000 contract by the Baltimore Ravens.
Burress rots in a New York prison, already once denied early release, enroute to completing a 2-year prison stint.
Is one crime dumber than the other ? No. Is one crime more egregious than the other. Yes. But in this tale of time, place and persona, the crimes don’t equate with the times. That’s what intrigues me about the two cases. There is nothing legally to suggest that the outcomes should have been that drastically different. Yes, NY gun laws are very strict, but the only celebrities who traditionally get jailed for possessing handguns in NYC, are rappers. You know how dangerous those suburban English majors can be.
On the surface, it appears that one guy got lucky and one guy got shafted. Sort of. But Plaxico never had a shot. [No pun intended] He got caught up in political chess with a billionaire Mayor, whose main platform is promoting an image of being a Pitbull on gun laws and crime.
Seizing the moment, Mayor Bloomberg went on TV and assured the viewing public that Plax would be convicted to the fullest extent of the law and wouldn’t get treated any different because he was a Super Bowl hero and celebrity. [Well if that aint a reason to show some leniency, then I don’t know what the hell happened to the New York I was raised in] With those irreversible words, Bloomberg violated every ethical standard in existence and single-handedly put a nail in Plax’s football coffin. His lawyer wife couldn’t help him. His money couldn’t help him. The Giants couldn’t help him. The mayor wouldn’t.
I can’t help but to think that despite Burress’ fame with the Giants, his reputation as an arrogant player who broke team rules, and felt he was only held accountable on Sundays, helped fuel the backlash of his foolish actions. Bloomberg knew he had Burress dead to rights. Plax became the perfect tool for The Mayor – who was still under fire for extending term limits for himself without a public vote –to use to divert attention and strengthen his vow to rid NYC of illegal concealed weapons carriers.
As soon as Bloomberg spoke out, he sullied any chance Plax had for a fair trial. No late game heroics in this massacre. It is rare that a mayor will offer totally subjective opinion on an open case. He doesn’t even practice this newfound zest with the most hardened mob figures. So it was very odd that he chose to single out an NFL player – who admitted he carried the gun out of fear. It takes a lot for a man to admit that.
But now these players – so similar – sit on opposite ends of the opportunity spectrum. Stallworth has already started rebuilding his career and image with the Ravens. Plaxico is still clad in prison greens, getting locked down to the sound of steel doors clanging and clicking, instead of catching clutch passes for an NFL contender. He is a faceless, nameless number at this point, with no influence and no chance to proactively rebuild his image, talk to kids, his family or mend broken business relationships.
It’s funny, one unnamed Giant, who I spoke with following the Plaxico incident said, “They are treating him like he killed somebody.” No, Stallworth killed somebody. But he is the one back in the league, just a short year later. And truth be told, it was probably much easier to give Stallworth, generally known as a good character “team” guy, a break. Plaxico, in all of his brashness and defiance of team rules, messed around in the wrong town. Partisan politics are hot right now. If you are a celebrity athlete in NYC, especially a minority, and you are caught in a high-profile situation that can be damaging to the city’s rep or used by high-ranking officials for personal political gain, then don’t expect to be treated with kit gloves because you caught a TD in the Super Bowl.
Plaxico’s crime wasn’t egregious. It lacked intelligence. It Borderlined on buffoonery. When he shot himself trying to grab the gun from slipping down the leg inside of his oversized pants, that was classic stupid. It was embarrassing as hell. But it sure as hell wasn’t DUI vehicular manslaughter. It was however an illegal action, committed in the wrong climate. History is strange like that. It’s results often dictated by time, place and persona. It can be forgiving, as it seems to have been to Stallworth. For Plax it will show the tragic fall of a legend.
Time, place and persona means a lot. Not just in the NFL, but in life. This is a classic example. Stallworth murdered a person. Plax murdered the destiny of a Giants dynasty. Never mess with a New Yorkers' football.
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