Sunday, March 27, 2016

AROUND AND ABOUT

The most serious rant I have today is a lack of understanding of my wife's ability to successfully pick an NCAA bracket. I won't say she has no understanding of the spot, she does watch and enjoy of lot of the games. But her picks...well, there's no explaining them. "Why did you pick Hawaii?" I'll ask. "Because," She'll say. "What made you go for Yale?" "They should be smart. They're from Yale." 
Funny, huh? She's ahead of me by 10. Her success rate is 70%. Lucky for me, she never wants to bet. 

 Speaking of the tournament, our home-town team, Syracuse, is doing very well, which is a surprise to everybody. Especially, it seems, to Manish Mehta, who writes for the NY Daily News. On "The Sports Reporters" today, he want off on Syracuse, insisting that "...they shouldn't even be in the tournament." He feels that they haven't beaten any body good (at least in HIS judgement) and have an RPI of 71. If all we go by is statistics Manish, then why are you on TV? What awards have you won? What would a reporter's rating for you be? So when it comes to your opinion, I'll consider the source. Mehta's reputation isn't the best with other reporters either. 

The NFL has finally admitted that the concussions players have suffered may have something to do with their sport. What good will come out of this is highly unlikely at best. Pro football is a $13 billion dollar industry.  Nobody is giving up on that without a fight, even to protect their major asset - the players. 

...and about not protecting their players, check this out. Three cities are outlawing smokeless tobacco in stadiums with more to follow. This would eliminate fans and players from using chewing tobacco on the field, in the stands, in the dugouts and in the clubhouses. But wait - the Major League Players Association has previously shutdown prior attempts by the league to ban chewing tobacco in the past. Maybe THEY should be checked for concussions. 

Lebron James is at it again. After going back to Cleveland and organizing a collection of players he thinks will help him win championships, now he seems to be setting the stage for another attempt at putting together a "dream team."  He's has named - supposedly tongue-in-cheek - 3 or 4 other major stars that he'd like to form a dream team with. If he leaves Cleveland again, the mob that will go after him...let's just say I'd like to have the torch and pitchfork concession in Cleveland.  

Gregg Popovich line of the day:
Reporter (wearing a loud jacket): "The team missed a lot of shots that quarter.  Even their free throws. How come?" 
GP: "I think they were looking at your suit."

***THEY SAID IT***
" According to Sports Illustrated, the Tampa Bay Rays’ flight out of Cuba was delayed six hours. I’m guessing they had to remove all the Cuban national players from the wheel wells."  --  Brad Dickson
"Yale exits tournament to focus on upcoming organic chemistry midterm.”  -- TheKicker.com
"Rockets center Dwight Howard got caught putting Stickum spray on a game ball. Startled witnesses say they’d never seen an errant free throw stick to a backboard before."  -- Dwight Perry
"Basketball for dummies NCAA division: For newbies following March Madness – Steven F. Austin is not named after “Stone Cold Steve Austin”. Weber State did not invent the gas BBQ and nor is Texas A&M named for “Americans and Mexicans”. Notre Dame is not named after a hunchback and Gonzaga is not the brother of Godzilla. And finally Austin Peay’s (pronounced Pea) team name is not the “Urinals” – but their cheerleaders scream “Let’s GO PEAY”!!!!!"  -- TC Chong 
"On Friday the IUPUI softball team plays at UNO. Discount optometrists are sending their patients to the game to read the scoreboard/eye chart."  -- Brad Dickson
"A recent study claims that exercise can ease psychotic symptoms. Researchers obviously are not familiar with Dennis Rodman, John McEnroe or Mike Tyson."  -- Jim Barach
"An Anheuser-Busch rig collided with a Frito-Lay truck near Melbourne, Fla., early Wednesday, littering Interstate 95 with cans of beer and bags of chips. Pablo Sandoval, inconsolable, is expected to be out of the Red Sox lineup for days."  -- Dwight Perry

"Aaron Rodgers says he saw a UFO in New Jersey in 2005. Is he sure it wasn’t one of Eli Manning’s rookie year passes?"  -- Janice Hough
"Kansas City manager Ned Yost broke a stack of concrete bricks with his bare hands. I know it’s a long way to the World Series, but the Royals look good out of the blocks."  -- RJ Currie

CP-






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