Buzzkill: Tarp Duty

Playing at home is much better than traveling and playing on the road.  However, home games also bring duties which you like to forget about.  You have foul ball duties, running balls to the umpire, taking the screens on and off the field, and by far the worst phrase in baseball-- "Tarp Duty".  In my career I don't know if I've ever gone through a full weekend series without tarp duty.  Something about the northeast brings rain at least once a weekend.  Few programs have the luxury of a field crew to do the tedious job and we're not one of those programs.  Putting the tarp on is no problem. It's taking it off that is a nuisance.  You have to dump the water, bring it back where it was, pull it to the outfield to put it in line with the wall, fold it up, and roll it back in a line to the wall.  With 35 guys a job that should take 15 minutes or so always takes longer because there's never any organization.  Tarps are normally pulled in the early morning as the sun is rising and there's never enough time to go back to the dorms.  With this weekend being our first home series the duty has already been set for 6 tonight.

Opening Day for MLB

Today is opening day for Major League Baseball.  Mark Buehrle made one of the best plays in history last opening day.  Blockbuster trades, guys like Chipper Jones and Derek Jeter at the backend of their careers, and Pujols' contract were headlines this offseason.  The Phillies' starting rotation could be one of the best ever assembled.  Most predictions have the Red Sox and Phillies in the fall classic but as we saw last year predictions mean absolutely nothing and it does not equate to wins.  It's all about who is playing the best baseball once October rolls around and that's why the World Series was decided between Texas and San Francisco.  Who do you have winning it all?

Tiger Woods-- The Masters

The new Tiger Woods was released earlier this week.  It features 14 new courses and the new "caddie" experience which basically tells you how to hit it.  I tried it out today and I only played Augusta National but it was awesome.  I'm not a big fan of the caddie feature because it basically takes the skill out of the game.  I was disappointed to see Rory McElroy was not in the game because he was my go to character.  (Games between the roommates get heated) But my disappointment quickly changed to excitement when I realized Bubba Watson and Ricky Fowler were the new characters.  The Masters is a lot different from Tiger Woods '11 but I think EA did a great job changing the game.

NCAA President: Discussing Players Receiving Piece of Revenue

USA Today---
 The NCAA's new president is adamant that, on his watch, there'll be no straying from college athletics' most time-honored tenet: "It's grossly unacceptable and inappropriate to pay players … converting them from students to employees," Mark Emmert says.

But as the NCAA basketball tournament's Final Fourgathers here this week — capping a three-week showcase that generates more than $771 million a year in television rights alone — Emmert acknowledges it's time for a serious discussion about whether and how to spread a little more of the largesse to those doing the playing and sweating.

"The sooner, the better," Emmert says.

He's not thinking big. Maybe bump up the value of players' scholarships by a few thousand dollars to take care of travel, laundry and other typical college expenses that aren't covered now. And Emmert isn't promising anything, only that he'll bring it up at the NCAA's board meetings in April.

"I will make clear," he says, "that I want this to be a subject we explore."

He has plenty of company.

Players Admit to Receiving Money at Auburn

From USA TODAY----

Four former Auburn players will admit to receiving money during their college careers during Wednesday night's airing ofHBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

CAPTION

By Todd J. Van Emst, AP

SPORTSbyBROOKSobtained an advance portion of the program. Among the allegations, offensive lineman Troy Reddick said he was paid nearly $5,000 over two seasons by an Auburn assistant coach, and defensive lineman Stanley McClover said he was given $4,000 for a single-game performance against Alabama. Chaz Ramsey and Raven Gray also reportedly admitted being paid.Tommy Tuberville was the Auburn coach during the careers of the four players before stepping down after the 2008 season. Tuberville just finished his first season at Texas Tech. When contacted by USA TODAY, Texas Tech assistant athletic director for communications Blayne Beal said Tuberville would not comment on the HBO report.  
During the program, McClover also spoke about receiving money while at LSU, Michigan State and Ohio State, and sexual favors during his visit to Columbus.


First of all, these guys coming out and saying this brings nothing to the table.  They're only hurting their former university.  It was over two years ago and there is absolutely no reason for these guys to come out and say this.  Auburn did you a favor by giving you money and you go behind their back and tell everyone about it.  Just keep your mouth shut.

Buzzkill: Emergency Broadcast System Test

I know you've seen this before while watching TV.  It's always a test.  It always comes up during the most important part of the show where it leaves you wondering what happened during those 30 seconds of hell.  What bugs me the most is if there's a serious emergency are people watching television?  I've never seen anything other than a test for that matter.  We also have that channel which tells us the weather for the next 10 days.  We don't need an alert on television to tell us we need to take cover.   Life is going to be tough if you can't look out the window and decide whether to take cover or not.

Coach K Speaks

The 'Fab 5' documentary includes commentary from the former Michigan players and Jalen Rose is at the center of attention for his comments.  He referred to Duke players as 'Uncle Toms' and is has a lot of people upset including Coach K.  It was great television but I think Coach K may have the last laugh.  Michigan had to remove both of the banners for reaching the Final Four and Michigan hasn't been the same type of program since the 'Fab 5'.

"They had a heck of a run but, they didn't leave anything, they didn't establish anything there," Krzyzewski said. "The guys that I had established something that Jay Williams continued to do 10 years later -- the standards of what it meant to be a Duke basketball player."


Coach K also went on to say he only recruited Chris Webber out of that Michigan class basically because the other four weren't up to the caliber of players they already had or were recruiting.  Granted Juwan Howard and Jalen Rose went on to have successful careers in the NBA but Coach K created a dynasty at Duke without them.  Coach K 1, Jalen Rose 0.   

Virginia's Will Roberts Throws Perfect Game

Will Roberts pitched the 8th perfect game in NCAA Division I history on Tuesday night against George Washington.  It was the first perfect game since Auburn's Eric Brandon did it in 2002.  Roberts came close to losing the perfect game in the eighth inning when George Washington's Tyler McCarthy hit a line drive off the glove of Roberts but he recovered in time to make the throw to first. George Washington only hit one ball to the outfield.  It was UVA's 8th shutout of the year and we're not even halfway through the season.

Big Black is Back

Fantasy Factory made the best decision by bringing Big Black to the fourth season.  Don't get me wrong the show is already great but the two of them make a great tandem.  I can remember a couple years ago when you couldn't perform any task without hearing "Do Work Son".

Cinderella Stories?

With Butler and VCU making the Final Four it makes me wonder if a mid-major team going deep in the tourney is still considered a cinderella.  When George Mason made it to the Final Four in 2006 it was unheard of.  No one knew who George Mason was but everyone was rooting for them.  There were upsets in the first and second rounds before but a team people knew nothing about could never make it past the Sweet 16.  UNLV made a run in the early 90's but that team had future NBA players in Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, and Greg Anthony.  With Butler making back-to-back Final Four appearances I think it's easy to say they can no longer be considered a cinderella.  Is the talent level watering down or are players just more talented?  Just how the Fab 5 changed college basketball in the 90's, we may be witnessing another change in the culture of basketball.

Blown Calls

Is there anything worse than an umpire blowing a call?  Whether it's a missed strike or blown call on the bases it happens at least once during a game.  Baseball has seen it's fair share of missed calls and some of them happen to change a game or even history.  It's calls like Jim Joyce's during Armando Galarraga's perfect game that makes me cringe.  At the same time Joyce didn't miss the call on purpose.  People sent hate mail and death threats to the guy which is absolutely crazy.  They had to fly his family out of Detroit because MLB was afraid something might happen.  The aftermath also included a cry for instant replay.  It's the nature of the game and I'm glad instant replay is only used for home runs because no baseball fan wants to see instant replay.  Aside from ruining the game, baseball is slow enough already and it would ruin the tempo of the game.  Replays for home runs already take up to five minutes and you're talking about 15 minutes a game for reviews.

"Facebook Depression"

From Barstoolsports.com---

Add “Facebook depression” to potential harms linked with social media, an influential doctors’ group warns, referring to a condition it says may affect troubled teens who obsess over the online site. Researchers disagree on whether it’s simply an extension of depression some kids feel in other circumstances, or a distinct condition linked with using the online site. But there are unique aspects of Facebook that can make it a particularly tough social landscape to navigate for kids already dealing with poor self-esteem, said Dr. Gwenn O’Keeffe, a Boston-area pediatrician and lead author of new American Academy of Pediatrics social media guidelines. With in-your-face friends’ tallies, status updates and photos of happy-looking people having great times, Facebook pages can make some kids feel even worse if they think they don’t measure up. It can be more painful than sitting alone in a crowded school cafeteria or other real-life encounters that can make kids feel down, O’Keeffe said, because Facebook provides a skewed view of what’s really going on.

Utah State Fans

I wish Utah State would have made it to the Final Four just to hear their chants...

A Glimpse at the Real World: Business Trips

Now don't get me wrong, I love working from home. Minimal commute time from my bed to my desk has resulted in an extra hour of sleep between this job and my old job, and trust me when you do get to the real world and have to work all day, that extra hour is golden. That extra hour means you can stay up an extra hour playing Call of Duty or go to a sporting event and not continuously check the time. In college that doesn't matter, hey stay out late one night, skip that 9am class; but you miss the first couple hours of work enough and you won't have to worry about waking up early for it anymore. But I digress. Although I do enjoy the freedom of working at home, I sometimes long for a little bit of engagement with people other than the conference calls and the once a week hour long in office meetings: in comes Business trips.

Can't Wait

Wow...Has there ever been something bad associated with Call of Duty?

Tonight's Games

2 UNC vs. 11 Marquette
Harrison Barnes might be the best overall player left in the tourney and possibly the country.  I'd take him over Jimmer any day of the week.  Marquette is a good team but they're 4-7 on the road this year and I think Roy Williams and the Tar Heels take it.

Pick-- UNC by 6

12 Richmond vs. 1 Kansas
Rich what? Richmond is coming off two big wins and they're going to need another to knock off Kansas.  I think the Morris brothers are going to be too much to handle inside and Kansas wins.

Pick-- Kansas by 8

1 Ohio State vs. 4 Kentucky
I like Thad Matta but I'm not a big fan of overall #1 Ohio State in this game.  I hate to say it but I think Kentucky is going to win.  Don't get me wrong Ohio State is the #1 team for a reason.  Lighty, Buford, and Sullinger are great players but I don't think it's going to be enough.  Something is telling me Calipari is going to pull it off.

Pick-- UK by 4

10 Florida State vs. 11 VCU
I think VCU's cinderella story is over tonight.  Florida State is big and athletic and if they play anything like they did against Notre Dame or the team that knocked off Duke earlier this year they will dominate again tonight.

Pick-- Florida State by 8

Bullpen Roles

There are many different roles to be filled on a pitching staff in college baseball.  You have your weekend and midweek starters, long relief, 7th/8th inning, lefty-specialist, possibly righty submarine, closer, and "innings of experience".  Some guys confuse these innings of experience and confidence boosters as "mop up" innings.  I like to call them this because I've learned there is no such thing as a mop up situation, especially with aluminum bats--anything can happen.  Every inning that you pitch is an inning that you can use to get better.  You also have to think about that inning as an inning you're taking away from someone else.  Starters have it easier in the sense they know every 7th day they are getting the nod but the pen is a different story.

Fantasy Baseball

I'll be the first to admit I've been in a few fantasy baseball leagues.  A lot of people are in a league with their bro's or in some cases multiple teams in multiple leagues.  I'm not going to knock fantasy baseball because I wanted to start a league with some guys but most guys replied that they have done it before but never checked it frequently enough or forgot about it.  I started to think about my previous fantasy leagues and I realized I did the same.  After about the first week or two I always forget about it or just don't care enough about it.  To be successful you have to check it every day and it's a lot of work.  You're talking about a 162 game season where you have to pay attention to who has a game and if the player is actually playing or has the night off.  There's a bunch of leagues that are free but some guys actually pay for different fantasy packages or even to play.  The scoring always confuses me because the better players aren't always the best fantasy players.  You're team might be stacked in the real world but in fantasy baseball you could be the worst team.  It takes a special type of person to keep up with a fantasy league and I'm just not one of those guys.

Barry Bonds

As soon as people begin to forget about Barry Bonds and the whole BALCO scandal we are quickly reminded by the media he is on trial for perjury and obstruction of justice.  I think there needs to be a separation between the government and sports when it comes to discipline within the league.  I realize the charges have nothing to do with performance-enhancing drugs but he should have never been called to testify.

ESPN: 30 for 30-- Fab Five

On the plane ride home I watched ESPN's documentary of the Fab Five.  I've seen a few of the other 30 for 30 films (Jordan Rides the Bus, The U, Run Ricky Run, Pony Excess, Winning Time, No Crossover, The Two Escobars, Four Days in October, Once Brothers) but this is the best that I've seen.  The Fab Five (Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, Ray Jackson) changed college basketball into what it is today.  They were the best recruiting class ever and changed the culture of college basketball.  The Fab Five popularized the idea of wearing black socks, black shoes, and baggy uniforms.  Hate mail was sent to Michigan because of what they represented and all they did was respond on the court.  Five freshman in the starting lineup was unheard of and nothing has come close to it.  The interviews, in-game footage (mostly trash-talking), and home footage are great and the honesty of the players make this video that much better.  Jalen Rose talks about what he thought of Duke and Christian Laettner before and after playing Duke.  Chris Webber wouldn't agree to be interviewed and you can't blame him but I think it would have completed this film.

Mascot of the Week: Georgia Bulldog

Is there anything better than having a real mascot on the sideline that goes after the opposing team (who happens to be a rival)?  No one is sweating and dressed in a suit here.  Just a dog trying to take a bite out of this Auburn player.  He just chills on the sideline and waits for a daring player to cross that line.

Facebook Profile Pics

Facebook practically runs our life.  I think every website has the "like" function now.  The first thing you do when you open your computer is check your Facebook.When you need a study break you check your Facebook.  When you're bored you check your Facebook and "surf" around.  You quickly see you have no new posts, messages, pokes (who pokes anyway), or events but you already knew that because you either have the Facebook app or emails to your phone.  It's time to check out the news feed and creep (you know you do).  I recently started noticing profile pictures and decided to make a list of the most used.

In no particular order

1.  Group
You can't exactly remember what the person looked like so you look them up and of course their profile is set to private and all you can see is their profile picture.  The lights were dim and you don't remember what they looked like.  Plus, they all look the same.

2.  Bro'in Out
Can't say too much about this one because it's my profile pic for now.  You and your boys are most likely chunkin' up the deuces.

Synchronized Walking

Fast forward to 1:45...

What Not to Do In Class

TV Show: Pawn Stars

Sometimes you have to get past Rick's laugh and his son but this is one of the best shows on television.  The old man and Chumlee make the show what it is.  There's nothing better than seeing the look on people's faces when they come in thinking they have something worth thousands of dollars because they "researched it online" only to find out that it's fake.

Winning Game One

You have to take a series game by game but winning game one is huge.  Usually game one is your best arm vs. their best arm and if you get to their bullpen early it's even bigger.   Everyone on your team gets a little more confidence and the other team loses a little going in to game two.  Going into a series the main goal is to win the series.  After winning game one you can split the Saturday and Sunday game and still win the series.  Obviously dropping the first game would mean you need to sweep the next two for a series win.  Game one sets the tone for the rest of the series.

A Glimpse at the Real World: Post St Patrick's Day

Being that I am the only member of the team that is in the real world, I feel like I'm the best one to give you a little taste from time to time of what to expect. Let me start by saying this: going out during the week starts to dwindle from the levels in College. I remember when going out Tuesday - Thursday was just as important as Friday and Saturday. I mean College night was on Tuesday, trivia on Wednesday, and I mean everyone who's anyone went out Thursday. I think I looked more forward to Thursday than any other day. Then G-Day came, and the dream was over (at least for me). Sure we tried to hang on to the occasional Thursday Night Throwdown, but let me tell you this, nothing is a bigger wet blanket than having to be up at 6am for work. Not class, not lift, not even brunch with your Grandma could keep you from going out in college. But the thought of having to wake up, put on nice clothes, and stumble into work the next morning only to sit at your desk all day, and I mean all day, and just stare at your computer hoping you don't throw up, pass out, or both could make even Paris Hilton take the night off.



Now don't get me wrong, there are some people who try to hold on to the dream as long as possible. But just know that burning the candle at both ends is very apparent after a few days of 2am bedtimes + 6am wake ups. I could look around my old office and spot the people who had been out the night before by a few things: 1. Generally don't talk much for at least 2 hours (most likely to avoid conversation leading to someone realizing they are still drunk/hungover) 2. Clothes are wrinkled (Hit the snooze button a few extra times that morning and in turn not even caring to iron their clothes) 3. Smell (Trust me, hot day/hot office + 4 Hours of sleep x Still drunk = Booze Skin)



BUT

Every few months there comes that one heroic night, the night that it is acceptable to channel the glory days. We just saw such a full moon: St Patrick's day. Now in college there was Dartying and grilling. In the real world, you take the day off/get out early and get to a bar as soon as possible. I myself have the fortune of working from home, so I was able to get to a watering hole relatively early, but even I wasn't expecting the level of involvement that these people already had underway. I'm talking guys in suits with pitchers of green beer and girls in dress pants and blouses doing Irish Car Bombs. Bosses and Employees taking shots together, while Human Resources and the office Sex Harasser sing karaoke versions of "Shipping up to Boston" hand in hand. Everyone will feel awful the next day,the office will be silent until lunch, coffee will be flowing, but for that one night every few months, it is well worth showing up to work in the same clothes as the day before....just keep a spare tie at your desk.

Did Dre Roid Up Or Is He Really This Big?

I don't remember Dr. Dre being this big.  I mean it's outrageous.  I think he could start at linebacker for any NFL team right now.  Eminem and Dre are doing big things and I'm not really into music videos but this video is sick and might be better than "Not Afraid".

Let the Madness Begin

How can you not love this time of year?  Butler survived Old Dominion on a last second put back and Penn State came up a little short to Temple.  Moorhead St. knocked off Louisville.  I thought Louisville would make a run at it because of how well they played down the stretch and in the Big East Tournament but that's why they play the game.  Kentucky and Pitt are both in close games right now.  There's no team this year that has proven themselves and there has been a lot of parody.  This could be the year of the cinderella squad.

Buzzkill: IPhone Restore

So I plugged my phone in to my computer and there was a new Iphone software update.  I gladly accepted it and downloaded the new software.  In the middle of updating I received a message that it couldn't be updated.  Of course my phone froze so I have to restore my phone and luckily I still have my music that I can just upload.  But I lost all my apps that I bought and numbers that I didn't backup.  Steve Jobs needs to figure it out.

Another Travel Day

Today is another travel day for us.  We have yet to play a game within a plane ride away from campus.  We were supposed to play a midweek game yesterday but of course it was rained out.  We leave campus at 12:30 today for a 2:55 flight and travel has already passed the point of being monotonous.  We have to leave early to check 35 guys in because airlines haven't figured out the best way to check us all in and it takes years.  It is a big weekend for us in conference and it will give us some insight how we will finish at the end of the year.  Our Friday starter was injured last week and is missing his start this week and we haven't really figured out our midweek starters yet so we're going to throw our bullpen instead and try to give them a different look.  If everyone goes out and does their job we'll come away with a win.

RIP Nate Dogg

I know I'm a little late but for those of you who don't know Nate Dogg passed away a couple days ago.  He wasn't the greatest artist but he was always great for a verse and the chorus (regulators, shake that, 'till I collapse).

A Perfect Game?

Have you ever thought about how perfect baseball really is?  I know baseball has evolved over time and newer stadiums are built for more home runs but it's kind of crazy how great the game really is.  The pitcher stands 60 feet 6 inches away from home plate (18 inches across).  The pitcher throws a ball that weighs 5 ounces in which the batter swings a round bat to hit a round ball.  The bases are 90 feet away from each other which makes plays close at first and still allows a hitter to leg out an infield single or lay down a bunt and reach safely.  The wall dimensions and distance from home plate allow each field to be unique without changing the game (except for a few fields).  It is the only sport that the player actually scores and not the ball.  It's things like this that make baseball special and something that everyone can appreciate.

In the Swing of the Season

We're a month into the season but it feels like it's been longer.  At 6-8 our record doesn't show how we've played but 6 of our games have been played against teams in the top 5 in the country and all 14 games have been on the road.  Despite our record we are still in the top 40 in RPI and top 10 in strength of schedule.  In our losses we have either hit well and haven't pitched it well enough to win or vice versa.  We have also had a couple injuries that have set us back.  After fourteen games you finally start to see who are the go to guys are out of the bullpen and the lineup begins to take shape.  We've battled through our first month of the season and although we are 6-8 we are behind the toughest stretch and are still in the hunt for postseason play.

Charlie Sheen: Give it up

Is anyone else sick of this whole Charlie Sheen thing?  To me, he's figuring out he's losing everything and all of the "winning" is a publicity stunt.  What happened to the Bud Fox from Wall Street or Ricky Vaughn from Major League?  I'm glad the past few days I haven't heard anything about him.  I don't know if it's because he's out of the news or I just haven't heard it but either way the past few days have been better not hearing of him.

Busy

I apologize that my posts haven't been coming as frequently as they were.  My professors decided after spring break was a great time to schedule midterms, ideal dates for papers and projects.  This past week was busy with baseball and schoolwork but I'll post as frequent as I can.

Pitcher's Shot Clock

The SEC started the "shot" clock last year for pitchers in order to speed up the game and the NCAA adopted it this season.  It gives the pitcher a minute and a half between innings and 20 seconds between each pitch but only when the bases are empty.  Pitchers tend to slow down the game when runners are on not when the bases are empty so I don't think the pitch clock makes a difference in the first place.  For guys that work fast it doesn't really matter.  I'll be the first to admit it is annoying when pitchers walk around the mound after every pitch.  I understand that college baseball fans think games are too long and speeding up the game is a good idea but it's trying to reinvent the game.  The new bats have lowered final scores which speeds up the game.  What about hitters that take 30 practice swings, check their batting gloves, touch their toes, take another 10 practice swings and slowly walk to the batter's box?  What's next? No National Anthem? No warm-up pitches?  Play the game the way it's supposed to be played.

Heating Bats

College baseball has changed a little this season with the new bats.  Granted we are only a few weeks into the season but we aren't seeing as many high scoring games this season.  Balls that used to get out are barely making it to the warning track.  Pitchers can pitch more to contact and can breathe a little easier every time the ball goes in the air.  But some things will never change.  From hitters rolling their bats to pitchers doctoring the ball, baseball has always been a game of players looking for an edge and sometimes they get caught.  There has been a lot of talk this past week about South Carolina and Jackie Bradley heating their bats.  Any team can heat their bats and if it makes a difference than they should.  As for now, it's up to the umpire's discretion but I don't see how they could throw out a bat because it's warm.  I don't think it's any different than a pitcher blowing into his hand or licking his fingers.  I think the NCAA needs to decide whether it's covered in the rulebook so people stop complaining and it isn't up to the umps.

Buzzkill: Internet on the Road

I apologize to those who check in every day.  My posts haven't been as frequent but it's been a long and exhausting road trip.  We've only had one day off and a four hour bus ride awaits us.  I'm blogging from the bus today which is pretty cool but it would almost be better to not have it.  But I'm not going to complain about having internet on the bus.  My buzzkill of the week is internet on the road and after logging in you find out you have to pay.  I guess I understand for airports because everything is expensive and they try to make an extra buck on anything possible.  After arriving at the hotel last night it quickly came to my attention that it would only take me $9.95 to get online.  Really? You have to be kidding me.  It should be illegal to charge extra for the internet.  Paying for the room should cover the cost.

Vegas

If the opportunity to go to Vegas ever comes your way don't even think about it... book your plane ticket immediately.  After seeing the Hangover with some teammates we planned a trip and I think we could have made a pretty good sequel.  The ride from the airport to the hotel seems like the longest ride.  You feel like a kid going to Disney World for the first time-- It's a whole new world.  So I've decided to put together a list of tips which might help if you ever make it out there.

1. Leave Your Credit Card And Debit Card at the Hotel 
Rookie mistake.  Only take enough cash with you for the night.  Bad things happen when you bring the plastic and you don't realize it until the next morning.  At the end of the night you'll have to walk through the casino and the lights look back at you saying "play me".  Chances are you're out of cash and if you have to go up to your room to get your debit card you're not coming back down.

2.  Don't Walk Home
All the hotels are high rises and Vegas is flat.  You might see your hotel in the distance and think, "Hell I can see it from here.  It can't be further than a 10 minute walk", but after an hour and a half of walking you'll realize it's not just a little walk.

3. The Drinks in the Fridge are NOT Complimentary
You get back to your room and your mouth could be confused with the Sahara Desert.  You open up the fridge and think, "How did they know I wanted a water?" and before you know it you've finished five overpriced waters.

4. Three Nights 
Three nights is long enough in Vegas.  Just trust me on this one.

5. Learn to Count Cards
It's the only chance you have

Locker Room

Our locker room would be small for a basketball team much less a baseball team that carries 35 guys.  A couple guys actually have to share a locker which makes it that more interesting and there's not enough stools for each guy.  I could complain about it for days but the truth is we make it work.  The locker room is a place where just about anything goes.  It isn't great but it's a great place to get away from school and hang out with the boys.  Last year we upgraded because the football team was literally throwing their TV out so we snagged it and brought it back to ours.  We also picked up a mini couch which apparently administration wasn't too fond of because it lasted about two days before they found out and it "disappeared".  The new addition is the Wii which brings battles in 3-point contests and ping pong.  We only have one controller right now and makes for a mini competition to get the sticks first.  We also have a Playstation 2 which you're probably thinking "that's so middle school" but it's actually a great addition.  Guys battle it out for the highest score in the mini game for MVP Baseball 2005 (best baseball game ever created) and SSX Tricky.  Unfortunately, I'm not for sure if it's on purpose and I wouldn't be surprised but cell phone service is impossible.  I wish I could tell you more about what goes on in the locker room but the rules are parallel to Vegas's motto: What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room.

Heat Crying In the Locker Room?

I don't know about you but I'm sick of the media making a big deal of the comments Head Coach of the Heat, Erik Spoelstra, made about the team crying in the locker room.  These guys weren't literally crying in the locker room.  They were pissed coming off losing 5 of their last 6.  I hate that Lebron sold out and went to Miami but I also respect him because it just shows that he wants to win.  He could have stayed in Cleveland and been the closest thing to God in that city but decided to go to Miami and win.  I mean Lebron and Bosh came to Miami to win because they were used to losing and hated the feeling.  That's exactly what it was... these guys are competitors and hate losing.  As an athlete you have so much invested in every game.  From preseason workouts to practice to even that game.  You work your bag off for a loss and you're not happy.  Emotion is a part of the game whether it's a win or loss.  Oddly enough the media is blowing this story way out of proportion and need to put it to rest.  This brings me to my last point... Is this a look-a-like?

March Madness

I can't believe March Madness is right around the corner.  Is there a better postseason in college athletics?  There's no BCS system that decides who plays for the National Championship.  It's win or go home.  For some teams making the tournament is their season but there's always a Cinderella.  It's teams like Butler last year and George Mason a couple years ago that make the tournament exciting and picking these teams always gives you the upper hand in bragging rights. (Your friends don't know you filled out 39 brackets and it just so happened you picked the Cinderella in one of them).  Filling out a bracket is tougher than that mid-term that you studied a little for to get a respectable grade but knew you didn't study for enough.

Stadium of the Week: Dick Howser Stadium (Florida State)

Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium was one of my favorite places to play at.  The stadium holds up to 6,700 people.  The fans sing the Canadian National Anthem and "Take Me Out of the Ball Game" instead of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".  Also, if Florida State strikes out 7 in the game everyone gets a free hot dog.  As soon as the potential hitter gets to two strikes the crowd chants "hot dog".  The scoreboard is one of the best in college baseball and the clip before Florida State takes the field could give anyone chills.

Tough Looks

When it comes to the uniform and overall look some guys have good style and some couldn't buy a clue.   Some guys try way too hard and some don't care enough.  I have more respect for the guy who doesn't try rather than the guy who wants to get noticed.  There are some really good looks in baseball but there are also terrible looks.  There's no exact equation for a good look but I've decided to put together a list of "tough looks" which will most likely bring a "c'mon bro or alright bro" from our dugout and will land you on the "Suckbag Squad".  Sometimes it's just the uniforms fault and you can't do anything about it.  But most bad looks are decided by accessories.

1. Batting Gloves For Your Batting Gloves
Why would you do this to yourself? Why would you ever have two pairs of batting gloves? I didn't know people did this outside of Little League but we saw it last weekend.  You really have batting gloves in your back pockets while also wearing batting gloves?  I can't even come close to an explanation.

Chuckie Sheen

I don't know how we haven't touched on it, but Chuck Sheen, wow. I know he's on everyone's mind right now but I just had to give you my take on him. One word comes to mind when thinking of the Wild Thing: Hero. The guy literally wakes up and pisses excellence (sorry Ricky Bobby). Besides the fact that he "bangs 7 gram rocks" and lives, he decided that he wasn't happy with just one smokeshow, no not my man Chuck, he needs two blonde bombshells to live with. One room, two beds, two smokes and he just chooses which he'd rather fornicate with. And here's the kicker, according to the dames, they are living the life they always wanted to. I mean wow, could the guy be any more of a savage? It must be that Adonis DNA or the tiger blood running through his veins. What I wouldn't give to have Charlie Sheen plan my next birthday party, I was thinking ponies and a moon bounce, he'd be thinking playmates, absinthe, and winning....and that's before the piñata. It's going to be a sad day when his heart finally throws in the towel, but after all it's hard to take it easy when you have one speed...GO. So this one's for you oh King of the Kooch, giving men everywhere a reason to dream




PS Is there a better friendship than Sheen and Brian Wilson? I think not

y {p

New/Free Gear

Have you ever been to a sporting event where they shoot shirts out of the cannons and everyone goes absolutely nuts?  There is something about new gear that even makes grown men grow crazy.  It's almost like there's Four Lokos flying out of there or something.  The best part about it is when you finally catch one of those shirts it's always a size or two too small and it has advertisements all over it with the smallest team logo possible.

Buzzkill: Cell Phones

Cell phones basically run our lives.  How did people used to live without them?  When traveling did you have to carry around a personal phonebook because who remembers telephone numbers off the top of their head?  Did people really have to stop to use a pay phone? But the buzzkill I'm talking about here is when your cell phone breaks.  First, you check to see if you are eligible for an upgrade.  Why pay for a new screen when you could just get a new phone?  But you're never eligible because no one goes over 2 years without breaking a cell phone.  It's simply impossible.  You feel cut off from the world and until your phone is fixed your day can't get any worse.  But then after it's fixed you realize you just had to spend a minimum of $100 to fix it.  The Iphone has to be the best cell phone on the market minus one major setback-- the screen.  I'm almost positive it's programmed to shatter when it's dropped.  I've had the 3G and the 3GS for the past three years and I broke the screen for the 3rd time today and unfortunately gave me the inspiration to write this post.  My three broken screens is the least of my friends that have the Iphone.  Every time my phone drops I cringe before picking it up.  Steve Jobs might be the greatest inventor of our lifetime yet he can't perfect a simple screen flaw.  Using another material other than glass might be a great place to start. Anyway, I'll still pay the $100 to fix the screen because it's still the best phone.