And then there were Four

Jay Bilas was right.

From Midnight Madness in November to Selection Sunday a few weeks ago, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas repeatedly stated that there are "no great teams" this season. A plethora of fans vehemently disagreed with Bilas, arguing that Bilas's statement was an insult to their respective schools.

I agreed with Bilas from the get-go; if you digest each elite team this year, you'll find multiple flaws in their systems, gaping holes that could be potentially disastrous come tourney time.

Compare present-day Kansas to last year's National Champions, North Carolina. Sheron Collins is a talented, smart point guard, leading the Jayhawks' dominance of the Big 12 this year, but Collins never had the explosive speed nor the steely confidence Ty Lawson possessed; Lawson's ability to seize control of a game is the reason the Tar Heels were the clear favorites last season. Cole Aldrich might have the look of one of the scariest Centers in the game, but has the tendency to play soft, sometimes not even demanding the ball in the post. In stark contrast, Tyler Hansbrough, with his intensity level bordering insanity, was aptly nicknamed Psycho-T by his coach, Roy Williams. Coach Williams said numerous times last year that Hansbrough is the hardest worker he has ever coached. This picture does justice to Hansbrough's intense style of play.



The 2009 Tar Heels were superior to the 2010 Jayhawks in every aspect: the Heels played harder, worked harder, had more talent, had better chemistry, had experience beyond their years, had better playmakers, and had better leaders. That is why Jay Bilas categorizes the '09 Tar Heels as a "great team."

That is also why there is no great team this year. I compared Kansas to North Carolina simply because Kansas was the consensus choice to cut down the nets this weekend. If the Jayhawks couldn't match up with the Tar Heels, then no team in this year's bracket could.

The beauty of having no great teams in a season is - more often than not - the potential of having a great tournament. Once again, Bilas nailed this right on the noggin. The first weekend saw 2-seed Villanova make a desperate rally just to force OT against 15-seed Robert Morris (a 15-seed has not defeated a 2-seed since Hampton shocked Iowa State in 2001), eventually squeaking by the Colonials, 73-70. Naturally, Nova went down in the second round to a sound Saint Mary's squad, led by big man Omar Samhan, one of the many tournament darlings this year.

Before the upset over Villanova, the 10-seed Gaels knocked out 7-seed Richmond, 80-71, making Saint Mary's one of the eight double-digit seeds to advance to the second round. Joining the Gaels in busting the nation's brackets were 10-seed Georgia Tech smothering 7-seed Oklahoma State, 64-59; 13-seed Murray State stunning 4-seed Vanderbilt at the buzzer, 66-65; 12-seed Cornell toying with 5-seed Temple, 78-65; 11-seed Washington continuing their hot streak, beating 6-seed Marquette late, 80-78; 10-seed Missouri adding to 7-seed Clemson's first round woes, 86-78; 11-seed Old Dominion staving off a fierce 6-seed Notre Dame rally, 51-50; and the upset of the first round, 14-seed Ohio (seeded 9th in their conference tournament) dominating Big East Runner-up, 3-seed Georgetown, 97-83. How does a team ranked 9th in the MAC utterly destroy a team playing for the Big East Championship? They don't call it March Madness because it's predictable; they call it March Madness because the little teams like Ohio, Cornell, Murray State, and Old Dominion defy logic and advance.

By Thursday night, I was already content with this year's tourney; I had seen more upsets in one day than I had in 2007's entire tournament. Little did I know that Thursday was merely the beginning of a beautiful three weeks. Round two brought more bracket busters, including 11-seed Washington dancing through 3-seed New Mexico to the Sweet 16, 82-64; 6-seed Xavier holding off 3-seed Pittsburgh, 71-68; the aforementioned Saint Mary's upset over 2-seed Villanova; and, what is being called the biggest upset since George Mason over UCONN in 2006, 9-seed Northern Iowa overwhelming 1-seed Kansas with their smothering defense, dethroning the overall number one seed in the tournament, 69-67. It was the first time a 1-seed failed to make it out of the first weekend since Kentucky stumbling to UAB, also a 9-seed, in 2004.

Remember, this is a Jayhawk squad that was a very good team, but not a great team. And they were the TOP SEED in the tournament. And 42.7% of the 4.8 Million brackets entered in ESPN's Tournament Challenge declared Kansas the victor. I even picked Kansas to dance all the way to the National Championship, eventually falling to West Virginia. So, naturally, the very-good-but-not-great top seed couldn't survive the Missouri Valley Champs.

In four short days, March became Mad again. Not one region included all four of its top seeds, and only one - the South Region - involved three of the top four (1-Duke, 3-Baylor and 4-Purdue). In most years, the fun stops after the first weekend and the chalk begins to take over the tourney. Luckily for us, this isn't most years. No Great Team was the smartest thing Bilas has ever said, and he says a lot of smart things.

While 12-seed Cornell couldn't keep up with 1-seed Kentucky (losing 62-45) and 9-seed Northern Iowa came up short against 5-seed Michigan State (falling 59-52), there were two upsets that shocked the Nation almost as much as Northern Iowa: 2-seed Ohio State, with Kansas out of the picture, was the new favorite to cruise through the Midwest Region. So what does Ohio State do? They step up for the fans and allow 6-seed Tennessee sneak away with the win, 76-73.

The big winner was 5-seed Butler's defensive dominance over 1-seed Syracuse, eventually icing the game with clutch free throws, 63-59. The talk all year had been about the Orange's wicked 2-3 zone and how nobody could beat it. Like so many teams in the tourney, Butler proved the experts wrong, hitting virtually every perimeter shot, which subsiquently crippled Jim Boeheim's work of art. The Bulldogs also proved their in-your-face man-to-man defense is a force to be reckoned with.

With two 1-seeds being sent home early, the Elite Eight was set up to be surprisingly intriguing. The Midwest Region was guaranteed to have, at best, a 5-seed as a Final Four participant. Butler was just one win away from being the first team since UCLA in 1962 to play the Final Four in their hometown. The East Region played host to the top two seeds in the region in Kentucky and West Virginia, but neither school had been to the Final Four in the last decade, with the Mountaineers absent since 1959. 3-seed Baylor was playing a virtual home game against 1-seed Duke in the South Region in Houston, with the Bears having returned to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1951 and the Blue Devils back in the Regional Final for the first time since 2004, which, for Duke, is almost as serious a drought as Baylor's extended absence.

As most of you know, when it comes to sports, I'm about as unlucky as a person can get. That's why Saturday turned out to be one of the most special sports days of my short life. Not only did Butler complete their dream of playing at home in the biggest stage, but West Virginia also found a way to take down mighty Kentucky with an impenetrable defense. For those of you who don't know, the Mountaineers are considered my third favorite college basketball team, with Butler sitting pretty as my sixth favorite team. To see both win - to pull off upsets, really - in the same day was one of the most satisfying experiences I can recall. It was a perfect sports day in the World of Cheyne Heiny.

With the Final Four set, I can easily say this is the best tournament, from start to finish, that I have ever witnessed. I also find that painfully ironic if Duke were to cut down the nets next Monday. As an avid Tar Heel fan, how can I possibly say the best March Madness in the history of March Madnesses ended with my archrival hoisting the boring, yet beautiful, NCAA Plaque? That just goes to show you how Mad this March has been. It also seems fitting to me that a Duke boy (Bilas) called this five months ago.

Here's Jay Bilas's take on the Final Four:

Here's Andy Katz's Final Four Primer:

You can't have March Madness without Dickie V, right? Here's his Players to Watch:



I'll have more on the Final Four teams, but for now, congratulations to Michigan State, Butler, Duke and West Virginia for their outstanding seasons and for winning their respective regions.

Possible Expansion

A lot of issues have recently surfaced this month, including a possible expansion of the NCAA Tournament (from 65 teams to 96 teams). Here's an excellent debate by the experts at ESPN:



I'll have much more on this later, including my own opinion.

March Madness Eve

In what has turned out to be the greatest regular season in BYU basketball history, the Cougars' time for a first round victory in the NCAA Tournament is "now or never," according to Salt Lake Tribune's Gordon Monson. And, considering what BYU has done in the past, and what they've accomplished this season, he might be right.

The Cougs finished the season at 29-5, setting a school record in wins (BYU won 28 in 1950-51). This team has the most depth its had in ages, it has a star in Jimmer Fredette that fans in Provo haven't seen since the glorious days of Danny Ainge in the late '70s/early '80s, it has a masterful thief in Jackson Emery, shattering the single-season steals record with 89; Marty Haws held the previous record with 66 thefts in 1989-90. Funny enough, BYU has Marty's son, Tyler, playing the dominant freshman, averaging just over 10 points a game as a greenie.

This is clearly the most well-rounded team the Cougars have had since the mid-'90s; in fact, this team plays better together than the 1992-93 team that last won a game in the NCAA Tournament, beating SMU 80-71. The chemistry between Jimmer, Jackson, Tyler Haws, Jonathan Tavernari, Chris Miles, Noah Hartsock, Brandon Davies, Charles Abouo, Michael Lloyd Jr, Lamont Morgan Jr, James Anderson, Brock Zylstra and Logan Magnusson is as good as I have ever seen in any team; for me, it rivals the '07 Rockies, when they stormed their way to the World Series. If the Rox could win 21 out of 22 to make the Fall Classic, then why can't BYU win four straight to find themselves Dancing in Indy? With the way the bracket is set up this year, it's a decent possibility.

Here's Bracketologist Joe Lunardi's preview on BYU:



Here are some other articles/columns regarding BYU and their chances at making a deep run:

Pat Forde's Best/Worst Case Scenarios for all 64 teams.

Pat Forde's Forde Minutes: March Madness Edition. Both of Forde's articles are definitely WORTH READING! He is a hilarious columnist, and these are usually my favorite annual articles to read before the Madness.

Video Preview of West Region:



Bracketologist Joe Lunardi reveals his tourney bracket:

Eamonn Brennan's Five Bold Predictions.

Andy Katz's Breakdown of the West Region.

As you can see, I'm crazy excited about MARCH MADNESS starting tomorrow! In a lot of ways, it's a good thing BYU's the first game of the weekend, mainly because I don't have to stress about them while watching all the other games. Win or lose, I'm ready for a great game against Florida tomorrow!

With the BYU talk all out of the way, here's a look at my bracket:

MIDWEST REGION:

First Round:

1) Kansas over 16) Vermont
9) Northern Iowa over 8) UNLV
5) Michigan State over 12) New Mexico State
4) Maryland over 13) Houston
11) San Diego State over 6) Tennessee
3) Georgetown over 14) Ohio
7) Oklahoma State over 10) Georgia Tech
2) Ohio State over 15) UC-Santa Barbara

Second Round:

1) Kansas over 9) Northern Iowa
5) Michigan State over 4) Maryland
3) Georgetown over 11) San Diego State
2) Ohio State over 7) Oklahoma State

Sweet 16:

1) Kansas over 5) Michigan State
2) Ohio State over 3) Georgetown

Elite Eight:

1) Kansas over 2) Ohio State

WEST REGION:

First Round:

1) Syracuse over 16) Vermont
8) Gonzaga over 9) Florida State
5) Butler over 12) UTEP
13) Murray State over 4) Vanderbilt
6) Xavier over 11) Minnesota
3) Pittsburgh over 14) Oakland
7) BYU over 10) Florida
2) Kansas State over 15) North Texas

Second Round:

1) Syracuse over 8) Gonzaga
5) Butler over 13) Murray State
6) Xavier over 3) Pittsburgh
7) BYU over 2) Kansas State

Sweet 16:

1) Syracuse over 5) Butler
7) BYU over 6) Xavier

Elite Eight:

1) Syracuse over 7) BYU

EAST REGION:

First Round:

1) Kentucky over 16) East Tennessee State
8) Texas over 9) Wake Forest
12) Cornell over 5) Temple
4) Wisconsin over 13) Wofford
6) Marquette over 11) Washington
3) New Mexico over 14) Montana
10) Missouri over 7) Clemson
2) West Virginia over 15) Morgan State

Second Round:

1) Kentucky over 8) Texas
4) Wisconsin over 12) Cornell
3) New Mexico over 6) Marquette
2) West Virginia over 10) Missouri

Sweet 16:

4) Wisconsin over 1) Kentucky
2) West Virginia over 3) New Mexico

Elite Eight:

2) West Virginia over 4) Wisconsin

SOUTH REGION:

First Round:

1) Duke over 16) Arkansas-Pine Bluff
8) California over 9) Louisville
5) Texas A&M over 12) Utah State
4) Purdue over 13) Siena
6) Notre Dame over 11) Old Dominion
3) Baylor over 14) Sam Houston State
7) Richmond over 10) Saint Mary's
2) Villanova over 15) Robert Morris

Second Round:

1) Duke over 8) California
5) Texas A&M over 4) Purdue
3) Baylor over 6) Notre Dame
2) Villanova over 7) Richmond

Sweet 16:

5) Texas A&M over 1) Duke
3) Baylor over 2) Villanova

Elite Eight:

3) Baylor over 5) Texas A&M

FINAL FOUR:

1) Kansas over 1) Syracuse
2) West Virginia over 3) Baylor

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP:

2) WEST VIRGINIA OVER 1) KANSAS

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS are your 2010 NCAA CHAMPIONS!

Well, there you have it; I was forced not to pick my beloved Tar Heels to win it all, as they suffered their worst season under Roy Williams. So what do I do? I pick my 3rd favorite team, West Virginia, to hoist the NCAA Plaque (see picture).



64 teams. 3 BEAUTIFUL WEEKS of Madness. 4 Region Champs in Indy. 1 Champion. ONE SHINING MOMENT.

As for me, the search for the Perfect Bracket continues...

YES!!!!!!

MARCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Finally, the BEST month of the year is here! The next 31 days are like Christmas for me, starting off nicely with a new Bracketology, Bubble Watch, Top 25 Rankings, and finding out New Mexico head coach Steve Alford received a reprimand for cursing at BYU's Jonathan Tavernari. I would say that Alford needs to show more class, but, with his record, it's like telling me to stop watching sports.

Anywho, that's my tiny rant about the disaster that was Sautrday. I might talk about more of it when the pain desists; that is, if it ever does.

So, back to why March is so perfect...I've thought about the Ide(al)s of March ever since I was a senior at Wheat Ridge, and I've successfully been able to brew up a list of 10 Masterful March Moments:

10) Increasingly Warm Weather
-Bitterness becomes brightness as February turns to March. Aside from the occasional 10-foot watered-down blizzard, March is a clear sign of spring!
9) World Baseball Classic
-Although it is now featured every 4 years, it brings a new addition to the game: International Camaraderie.
8) Outdoor Track
-Back in high school, this was always a great thing to look forward to; I felt like I was being let out of a cage in the form of Indoor Track/winter running.
7) St Patrick's Day
-I don't care how silly of a holiday it is, it has always been one of the best, and I honestly have no idea why.
6) Spring Break
-It's nice to have a week off of school, sure, but Spring Break usually meant Tucson or Disney World, which always made it one excellent week off.
5) Shamrock Shakes
-This might be the main reason why St Patty's Day is so amazing. Shamrock Shakes are quite possibly the greatest thing to happen to liquids since the discovery of drinking water.
4) Conference Tournaments
-This is why March Madness starts two weeks early for me: 347 teams in 32 conferences deperately fighting for a ticket to dance.
3) State High School Basketball Tournament
-Probably the longest on-going tradition in my family. I've gone every year since - I think - 1988. I'm pretty bummed I'm missing it this year.
2) Spring Training
-Hope springs eternal. Spring Training is a fresh start. It's fantasizing about a World Series ring in October, regardless of how talented the team is; that's how unpredictable baseball really is.
1) MARCH MADNESS
-Does it really need an explanation? No, but I'm gonna give one anyway. It is the greatest postseason of any kind in any sport in the World. Pat Forde of ESPN once stated that the Dance was "exactly one micro-element away from human perfection." To me, it is human perfection.

CLOSE!!!

ALMOST.....

SOOO

ITS......

New Life, Second Chance, Redemption

Call it what you want to call it, but that's what the Provo Experiment is quickly turning out to be. In high school, I was lazy and took way too much for granted. At home, I felt like I was stuck in the middle of nowhere; couldn't look back to my "glory days" and couldn't motivate myself to move to the future. Until one brilliant day working back at Dick's.

I remember thinking, almost panicking, about having virtually no chance at a career that I was, and still am, dying to pursue. Every option running through my head ended with receiving some sort of higher education. I realized, as I was greeting customers through the south doors, that it was high time to actually DO something about it!

I had considered moving to my friends' house in Ft Collins, but quickly retracted my thought process, knowing that the Fort would most likely have the same sad ending as my Lakewood life.

That's when the idea of moving to Utah crossed my mind. It wasn't the first time I've thought about living in Utah; in fact, I foolishly convinced myself I would be running for BYU in '06. It was a great dream, sure, but you actually have to put in a great deal of effort to even be considered at an elite, private school like the Y.

Through the rest of that agonizingly slow Sunday in February, I mapped out a plan of going to a two year college with every intention of transferring to BYU with my Associates.

After an informative talk with my parents, however, I ultimately decided on attending Utah Valley University and, depending on my experience, decide to become a Cougar.

It took an entire year before I could actually act on this new plan of mine, but, alas, that year has come and gone and I now no longer call 3OH3 home. I feel somewhat accomplished at finally reaching one of the many goals I have given myself, which leads me to believe that I have truly turned a corner in my time-to-grow-up stage.

I'm sure almost all of you know, but I wanted to move to Provo, above all the other reasons, to be around people who cherish the same morals and values as I do. It's not that I'll like you less if you party hard, I'm fine with people who drink, smoke, do heroin, etc. Just kidding about the heroin, don't do heroin, kids! But honestly, if that's what you want to do, then that's what you want to do, I understand that, maybe better than you know.

With that being said, I didn't want to constantly put myself into the "Designated Driver" position, so Provo was the easy choice for my new life, so to speak. Every time I mentioned moving to Provo to my friends and family, they would tease me about moving to "The Bubble," obviously meaning the presence of so many LDS kids tends to cut you off from the Real World.

If there's a proverbial bubble over Provo, then there must be a pretty darn big proverbial hole somewhere, because with what I've seen so far (which, admittiedly, is not much), it seems like a fairly normal college town to me. Well, not counting the drinking, smoking, etc., but you get my point. I was expecting this aura of haughtiness, this general understanding of "We're BYU students, we're the best, most righteous, most holy of all other kids." I have quickly realized, though, that if you have the right attitude towards people here, then you don't notice any kind of self-righteous atmosphere. If you're nice to them, they'll be nice to you. I truly believe it's that simple.

While I'm feeling more at home now that I have finally moved in to a nice condo, there have still been some downsides to the Experiment. First, I put a lot of trust into somebody I shouldn't have trusted from the start and, had I not bolted from my last apartment, could have turned into a wicked bad deal for me, most likely resutling in a hefty bill that would have been quite difficult for me to pay.

I've also been working hard, almost too hard, at trying to make friends with a particular group, mainly because I had these grand expectations of something working out in my favor with someone in the group. But, as I learned on Thursday, with high expectations comes a higher risk of falling short, and, more often that not, there's not one thing you could have done to have prevented yourself from falling.

Even with a couple minor hiccups, things have been great so far in Provo. A big reason why it has, up to this point, been an easy transition is the unflinching help of my family members, most notably the Leamings, for letting me stay at their house until the whole contract situation was under control, and Kimbot, for letting me crash at her place whenever I needed a place to sleep. I can't thank you guys enough!

I just got an overwhelming feeling that I know this is where I want to be; not just where I want to be, but where I need to be. I have full confidence in my decision to move to Provo and I am more than grateful for the opportunity to be out here.

I Love Mondays

No, this is not a joke.

I think I might be the only kid in the Universe who actually loves Mondays. But I do, I eagerly look forward to the start of the week more than any other day, even more so during the months of January and February, which sounds disgusting, I know. I mean, how could anyone actually enjoy the idea of waking up at the crack of dawn after a tantalizingly short two days to yourself? For me, it's simple, really. It all comes down to three phrases: Top 25, Bubble Watch, and one of my two all-time favorite words...BRACKETOLOGY.

Every Monday, ESPN issues a new Top 25 in College Basketball and, usually beginning its weekly showing at the start of the new year, Joe Lunardi unveils his 65-team bracket. Those two gorgeous gems are enough to send shivers down my spine, but, in pure, vintage ESPN, they don't stop there; oh no, they know how to serve the luscious dessert to complete the engorging three course meal for college basketball crazies both young and old: Bubble Watch.

Bubble Watch does exactly what it states (for those of you who might not understand this phrase, college basketball calls its fringe teams "teams on the bubble"); it simply keeps a close eye on the bubble teams around the nation. This season is indeed a very bubbly season (It's 2 in the morning, and I'm having too much fun coming up with corny phrases, so...I'll try and be less corny, but I make no guarantees!).

It seems like no bubble teams want to step up this year. Actually, check that, it seems like NO TEAM wants to elevate its game to make a run at the beautifully boring NCAA Championship Plaque. Unlike previous years, no team is dominating its respective conference, with the possible exception of low-to-mid major teams win in weak conferences (i.e. Butler @ 11-0 in Horizon, Siena @ 10-0 in MAAC...two conferences who will not receive multiple bids).

And to make matters even crazier, two of last season's Final Four teams (North Carolina and UCONN) and the Number 1 Overall Seed (Louisville) are in serious danger of missing the tourney. I can honestly say I have NEVER seen three dominant programs stumble so fast in 10 short months. And this doesn't even include UCLA, or the entire Pac-10 Conference, for that matter.

Traditionally, the Pac-10 is the most respected conference in College Basketball. No other conference owns more National Championships than the West Coast Powers. As great as the Pac-10 has been, that's how bad they are this season. Every team has suffered what I like to call a Beautiful Tragedy (phrase stolen from an excellent song by In This Moment); for example, USC, who owned the best chance of receiving an at-large bid to the dance heading into conference play, was put on probabtion for violating NCAA rules involving recruiting. Part of their probation is to forgo any postseason play this year. UCLA, like virtually every other western team, lost immense talent to the circus (formally known as the NBA). Cal and Washington were ranked in the preseason, but simply forgot how to win in the regular season. Ironically, the current co-leader of the Pac-10, Arizona, lost at San Diego State, at home to UNLV and at home, BY 30, to BYU. All three victors over the Wildcats are sitting in the upper echelon of the Mountain West Conference and two of the three will most likely be dancing come March.

It has been the wildest regular season that my tiny brain can remember, but it's been a magical season - so far - for BYU, who survived a scare over the summer involving their head coach, Dave Rose. Rose was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June, but miraculously defeated its deadly opponent within a few months. The Cougars have clearly rallied around Rose, which has them sitting pretty at 21-1 and looking at a possible 3 Seed come Selection Sunday.

Above all the craziness, BYU's excellent play has me most excited for the next Monday to arrive. So, like I said before, I LOVE MONDAYS.

Which brings me to another memory...

So during Christmas Break, my Uncle, Aunt and their kids came out to Denver to spend the holidays with us. On Christmas Eve, as we were wrapping up the evening, my Uncle Ray and I saw that Southern Methodist was playing Nevada in a Bowl Game (Football, for those who needed the reminder), which brought us to our discussion on how SMU had not made a Bowl Game in (I think) 25 years, mainly due to major NCAA infractions on recruiting, which also brought us to the memorable 1980 Holiday Bowl, where BYU stormed back from a 26-point 4th quarter deficit to win on a Hail Mary from Cougar legend Jim McMahon, 46-45. In the college football world, it is deemed as the greatest comeback in Bowl history.

Once our reminiscing was over (and yes, I realize that I actually wasn't alive when this classic was played, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate its greatness, right?), my mom turned to Ray and asked, somewhat incredulously, "How do you remember all that?". That's when my 11-year old cousin, Jamen, turns to me and demands, "How do YOU know all of that?!" I laughed for a good five minutes after that. This is what being a sports freak will do to you, Jamen. You remember the craziest things, even if you weren't alive when it happened.

Here are the highlights of that INCREDIBLE game!

My mind is crazy!

So while watching the BYU-UTEP game tonight (Cougars won, 83-77, and are off to their best start - 16-1 - since they started 17-0 during the 1987-88 season), I recognized Charles Abouo for a wicked defensive rebound, but I didn't call him Abouo; instead, I yelled (yes, I yell at the TV while watching my favorite teams...are you surprised?) "NICE work Luongo!" I immediately knew I totally screwed up Abouo's name, and it kinda bummed me out, because, when it comes to sports, I NEVER mess up a name, ESPECIALLY when that athlete is on my favorite team. So after kicking myself for that little screwup, I googled Luongo - Roberto Luongo, actually, because I somehow knew this guy's name was Roberto - and discovered that Roberto Luongo is the goalie for the Vancouver Canucks! Yes, I follow hockey, but only the standings and line scores for Avs games. So that brings me to the conclusion: How the HELL did I know Roberto Luongo??

Shoulda been a Hawk

It seems as if I have possibly made the wrong decision in picking a college. I thought UVU would be a great pick, but it appears I have been mistaken; indeed, I should have chosen Saint Joseph's University. Why? They provide an online course named THE FUNDAMENTALS OF BRACKETOLOGY, which is, naturally, taught by Joe Lunardi, the founder of Bracketology and one of the key staples in my aspirations to become a Bracketologist. Check it out!

O'Neil: Pittman provides Texas-sized inspiration

O'Neil: Pittman provides Texas-sized inspiration

Posted using ShareThis

Great story! Dexter Pittman has my full respect for his utter kindness towards a kid much like him. Kudos to the Texas Strength Conditioning Coach, Todd Wright, for reaching out to the Connollys to help them. Read this story, it puts a good light on the integrity of sports.

This is War

In 2006, I came across a band (credit 93.3 for finding this music before any other CO radio station) named 30 Seconds to Mars. I remember sitting in Newspaper working on an article when I first heard "The Kill." It was unlike anything I had listened to before. It was dark, mysterious, cunning, and strangely uplifting. It was, by association, screamo music. At the time, I was definitely NOT into anything that involved screaming. But this was also during the time when my musical interests completely changed; in fact, "The Kill" probably had a lot to do with that change.

Later that year, another 30 Seconds to Mars single became an instant hit: "From Yesterday." This single became one of my most inspirational songs; it helped me prepare for races, basketball games, long runs, intervals, etc. It made such an impact on me that it rose all the way to No. 3 on my Rock 100, where it currently stands ("The Kill" sits at 29).

I've waited 3 very long years, but their new album, This is War, is finally here! And having listened to it constantly for a week, it trumps their last album, A Beautiful Lie, by a landslide. From start to finish, each and every song has the power to move mountains; it has the strength to defeat Goliath; it has the motivation needed for a courageous fight; most importantly, it has the voice to inspire dreams. In other words, it's pretty good:).

Not only is this my most anticipated album since Blink-182's self title six years ago this month, but it is also the best album, from beginning to end, since the All-American Rejects's self-titled album hit the shelves in the summer of 2003. It also got me thinking about the best albums I've purchased since my first modern rock album (Sugarcult: Start Static) was given to me on Halloween 2002. So, without further adieu, here are my Top 20 Albums of the Decade:

1) NINE DAYS: The Madding Crowd
2) ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS: The All-American Rejects
3) 30 SECONDS TO MARS: This is War
4) RISE AGAINST: Appeal to Reason
5) JIMMY EAT WORLD: Chase This Light
6) BLINK-182: Blink-182
7) THE FRAY: The Fray
8) RISE AGAINST: The Sufferer & the Witness
9) ANGELS & AIRWAVES: I-Empire
10) JIMMY EAT WORLD: Futures
11) LUCKY BOYS CONFUSION: Commitment
12) YELLOWCARD: Ocean Avenue
13) THE FRAY: How to Save a Life
14) ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS: Move Along
15) GOOD CHARLOTTE: The Young and the Hopeless
16) NEW FOUND GLORY: Sticks and Stones
17) SIMPLE PLAN: No Pads, No Helmets, Just Balls
18) 30 SECONDS TO MARS: A Beautiful Lie
19) NEW FOUND GLORY: Catalyst
20) PARAMORE: Riot!

This is War officially puts 30 Seconds to Mars up with Rise Against, All-American Rejects, The Fray, and Jimmy Eat World as my favorite bands of all time.

So go listen to This is War. You'll be inspired!

Congratulations

At the end of each year, Sports Illustrated awards an athlete for its excellence in its sport. The Sportsman of the Year award, created in 1954 after Roger Banister's revolutionary sub-4 minute mile, has become the most prestigious individual sports award of our time. This'll come to no surprise to any of you, I'm sure, but I am a big fan of the Sportsman of the Year award, because I believe SI does its absolute best to pick the best athlete, both on and off the field.

This year is no different. Actually, it's one of the smartest picks SI has ever made. This year's Sportsman of the Year is Mr. November, the face of the New York Yankees, Derek Jeter.



Since his rookie season in 1996, Jeter has been the captain of the Yankees, leading them to four titles in his first five seasons. It took another nine years for his fifth, but this season's World Series ring could be his greatest yet. Not only did Jeter lead his team with great hitting and solid defense at shortstop, but he also rallied the Yanks together at the start of the season amid the potentially devastating reports of Alex Rodriguez using steroids, which is practically a death sentence in today's baseball world.
SIDE NOTE: A-Rod used to be one of my favorite players when he played alongside Ken Griffey, Jr in Seattle. I had an incredibly hard time watching A-Rod admit he knowingly used steroids while playing for Texas. I did, however, gain respect for him with how he handled the situation and it was refreshing to see him overcome what is usually a ticket to early retirement and help the Yanks win the World Series.

After A-Rod's infamous interview with ESPN, Jeter was there for his teammate with open arms. They were able to get past this scandal and find a way to win it all.

Jeter's leadership has been the biggest intangible for the Yankees since Joe DiMaggio in the 50's. And to top off one of his best seasons, Jeter passed the immortal Lou Gehrig for the most hits in Yankee history (his hit total currently stands at 2,747). I don't think any athlete deserved this award more than Mr. November. Congratulations, Derek Jeter!

Holidays=Stress? Not so fast

So I've finally figured out why I've been less than ecstatic about the Holiday Season the past few years; since Thanksgiving '06, I have had a job that requires all employees to work on important days, such as Turkey Day, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and (my version of Black Friday) the day after Christmas.

I worked Thanksgiving day in '06 and '07 at the Briarwood and The Keg, having to work 11 hours with no break at the Briarwood. Another Briarwood horror was having to work the same shift for Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day, not to mention being forced to listen to what Pat Williams wryly dubbed as the "Zelda Christmas" CD. I swear they played the same four songs from Thanksgiving Day through New Year's Eve. The music alone at the Briarwood could (and did) drive people insane!

Last year, I experienced what it's like to work in retail during the Holidays. Having to wake up at 3AM on Black Friday to start my shift at 4AM was definitely not one of my better memories. Although the mere thought of having to work 10 hours with 2 20-min breaks isn't exactly appealing, I would pick working Black Friday anyday over working Thanksgiving at a fancy restaurant. The worst part about working at Dick's during the Holidays was the nightmarish 6 hour shift on Christmas Eve. I seriously did not stop checking out people until 15 minutes before close. Then, two days later, I had the wonderful opportunity of dealing with ruthless, rabid return shoppers. I have never seen so many people pissed off about their gifts. A loving person GAVE you something at no cost to you and you're MAD? People are crazy. Above all, the fact that I had to listen to the Jackson 5 Christmas CD from Black Friday to Christmas Eve was enough to keep me away from shopping malls every December. Online shopping, I love you.

This year, I work at Wheat Ridge High School. That means I had the entire Thanksgiving Week off! I also get Winter Break off, but - even better - I'm helping out my former boss, Sonya, at Runner's Roost! So not only did I successfully avoid the terrors of Zelda and Jackson 5 Christmas Music for a month, I also get to work in a running store again, which should prepare me nicely for my (hopeful) future job at the running store in Orem: Runner's Corner.

Ok, my last Holiday jobs really weren't bad at all; in fact, I really enjoyed my time at Dick's last year. I just feel very fortunate to currently have a great job that doesn't involve angry customers, scary bad music, or wild shifts that keeps me away from properly celebrating the Holidays. That is the main reason why I am so excited for the arrival of December.

Preseason Bracketology

It's November. Usually most people get excited about November because it's apparently so close to Christmas (Charlotte, it's still too early to decorate!). I celebrate November because COLLEGE BASKETBALL begins in November:). This year is already looking to be one of my best years; North Carolina is out to defend their National Championship with a Preseason No. 4 Ranking; West Virginia (ranked 9th) is loaded with talent and has one of the best coaches in the game in Bob Huggins; Michigan mirrors West Virginia in virtually everything, as well as they should (John Beilein left Morgantown to take the reigns in Ann Arbor) and are ranked 15th, the highest since the Fab Five Freshmen won it all in 1989; BYU is once again the favorite to win the Mountain West and has the best team to get past the first round for the first time since 1993.

My four favorite teams are primed to have excellent seasons, and if it all pans out the way it should, it will indeed be the most wonderful time of the year, at least for me.

To kick off the 09-10 season, I made my own Preseason Bracketology (for those of you who don't understand this word, it means predicting the 65-team bracket that is unveiled in March). Call me an optimist, but I think this is a legit prediction. Apparently, you can't attach or post an Excel file on Blogger, so you won't be able to see my beautiful bracket (I know how all of you will be so disappointed that you can't see it;)). Anyway, long story short, I have Duke, Butler, Michigan, and North Carolina in the Final Four with my beloved Tar Heels beating our dreaded Tobacco Road rivals to repeat as National Champions!

It's looking like a wonderful season, not only for me, but for College Basketball Crazies around the Nation. Only 119 days till Selection Sunday and 123 days til MARCH MADNESS!!!! GO HEELS/COUGS/EERS/BLUE!

Halloween: Mullen XC Style

So for Halloween - and my birthday - Mullen was supposed to be racing at State, but, because of some 18 inches of snow, it was postponed till the following week (which, in turn, helped out our guys team; they took 5th in 4A when they were ranked 18th!). So, naturally, we had practice that morning. But since it was Halloween, we all decided to dress up. Here are the pictures of our kids cool enough to run in costume!




























Oh and during our team breakfast at iHop, they decided to tell our waitress it was my birthday. So iHop, along with my team, sang to me. Crazy

Katz: On the road to recovery with Dave Rose

Katz: On the road to recovery with Dave Rose

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8 years

Technically, it is now September the 12th, but it was a busy day today and I didn't get a chance to make this post till now. Anyway, here goes.

8 years ago today, our Nation was suddenly and deliberately attacked by Al-Quaida. For this generation, it was the most devastating, and most significant, day that any of us have ever seen.

8 years later, we are still at war with Al-Quaida, much to the dismay of the majority of our citizens. It has obviously been a tough 8 years, from rebuilding from ground zero to fighting one of the worst stock-market crashes since that fateful October day in 1929. It was hard for me to see so many people bash on Bush and his administration because of the calls he made; he was one of my favorite Presidents because of the way he handled 9/11 and the events that took place after.

Now with Obama in office, I was worried he would pull our troops out as soon as he could, but to my great surprise, I read an article on MSNBC.com last night stating that Obama is still very much in the business of finishing this war, and wants to not only keep fighting in Afghanistan and end Bin Laden's reign over Al-Quaida, but to also find better ways to keep our Nation protected so this type of tragedy never happens again. Yes, never is a really, really long time, but I am actually impressed with how Obama is handling this situation - so far.

(Here is the link to that article on MSNBC)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32783395/ns/us_news-911_eight_years_later/

The thing that caught me off-guard was the fact that he has had disagreements with his administration on the direction this war needs to go. It seems to me that his administration thinks it's unwise to stay in the Middle East because of what the general public has to say. Kudos to Obama for sticking to his guns on what I believe is the right decision.

Time heals all wounds, and evidently also makes people forget. Although, sometimes it's hard to forget the terror of such a day as 9/11. It's hard to forget the panic. It's hard to forget the pain. It's hard to forget the selflessness. It's hard to forget the goodness. It's hard to forget the patriotism. It's hard to forget the tears shed by grown men and women. It's hard to forget the heroes that gave up their lives to save another. It's hard to forget how the United States of America pulled together to defend their Nation. Our Nation. It's hard to forget the soldiers fighting to ensure our freedom. Above all, it's hard to forget the people waving the flag across the US, waving a flag that I love, a flag that I trust.





These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our Nation into chaos and retreat, but they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people have been moved to defend a great Nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. None of us will ever forget this day, yet we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our World.
-President George W. Bush

Mullen, Mullen!

In my last post, I mentioned that I am coaching cross-country at Mullen HS, but I haven't really talked about it - well, blogged about it, yet:). So, naturally, this post is dedicated to how I got the job, why I took it and what I think of it (so far).

Let's go way back. To February, to be a bit more specific. I decided then that I really wanted to go back to school, actually receive an education, be around people that have the same morals as me, and have a much-needed change of scenery. So I decided to move to Utah in August and attend Utah Valley University.

As July was fast approaching, I received a phone call from Dave Reese, the Head Coach at Mullen and a good running friend whom I would always talk to at every XC and track meet since my junior year. He had just recently became the head XC coach and was given full control of his coaching staff, so he cleaned out the old coaches and wanted to hire an entirely new, fresh staff. He thought I fit perfectly into that category.

It took me a good week or two to make a decision. I wanted - needed - to make sure that whichever choice I make, I need to be 100% committed to that choice. I decided that this was too big of an opportunity to pass, so I picked Mullen...for one semester, at least.

A month has now passed since I became a Mustang, and I am convinced I made the right decision. It took some time to get used to all of the kids/Mullen parents, but I feel comfortable running with everyone, working with the other new coaches, learning what I can from Reese, and teaching the kids everything I learned while running at Wheat Ridge. More importantly, the kids have gotten used to my presence and they seem to actually listen to me when I dish out advice. To gain the respect of the kids is a huge bonus!

My title is Assistant Head Coach, which is awesome, and Reese prefers me working with the Varsity guys and girls, which is also awesome. As much respect as I have for JV runners, I feel way more comfortable working with Varsity runners because, quite frankly, that's all I know from my experience.

The guys are a great bunch of kids. They're all laid back, easy to run with, and have a general passion for sports. They're not a State Championship team (might not even be a State Qualifying team), but they're all a blast to work with. Being able to play football and ultimate frisbee are also added bonuses!

The girls team is different. They are the most talented group of runners I have ever seen on one team. The problem is keeping all of them motivated every race for the whole season. Last year, they were considered the favorites to win 4A State heading into the race. Because of faulty training and lack of focus during the race, they dropped to 5th. I'm really hoping I find a way to keep them going through State, because I would love to see these girls win State, which is a very strong possibility this season.

Best of all, I'm feeling like a XC runner again! I'm still not exactly in shape, considering I stopped running for a full year before I took the job, but I am definitely getting there, and since I'm running the workouts with the Varsity guys, I'll be in racing shape soon! These workouts have once again lit the fire that was there for so long in high school. It makes me want to race again. My first test will be in a couple weeks: the Farmer 5000!

I am very grateful that I took this job because of everything I mentioned above. Before I made the decision, I prayed for direction, hoping I would receive my answer soon. I remember thinking that the best scenario would be to accept the job, see how it goes and then make a decision after the season. I'm realizing this is my answer to my prayer because if I had gone to Utah two weeks ago, I would have kept thinking what could have been, being a coach at Mullen. Now I know. Although it's been great, I don't see myself working with Reese after this season, and the desire to go to school is even stronger, mainly because I feel I'll be ready to run in college next August. So, come January, I'll be in Utah, traning to run for Coach Houle in 2010.