Friday, June 27, 2014

NBA Draft Results

Listed below are the results for the selections in the first round of the NBA Draft. Note: the trades that went on last night was not shown in this list.
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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

WWE and CM Punk: The Benefits of Coating Wrestling With Realism

While doing a research project on why WWE is hated by many and loved by more, I stumbled upon this article from a few years ago. I found this so intriguing and it has a strong underlying message about the state of people as a whole. (Please note. This is written by Ross Rutherford of BleacherReport)

The wrestling world, as of today, is completely and utterly enamored with one man.
After the events of WWE's Money In The Bank pay-per-view, every fan of WWE is sitting on pins and needles, waiting impatiently to see what happens next in the saga involving WWE and CM Punk.
July 17th 2011, CM Punk defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship.
Punk won his fourth World Championship in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. If that was the most notable thing that happened on that night, then I seriously doubt we as wrestling fans would be this interested in this story line.
You see, it has been long-rumored over the past several months that CM Punk was leaving WWE for good. The fact that he could possibly defeat WWE Champion John Cena and leave with Vince McMahon's Holy Grail has had fans completely captivated.
On top of that, McMahon vowed to fire Cena if he couldn't defeat Punk.

Realism
The fact that the events leading up to this Championship win have felt so "real" is a huge reason so many people have gotten behind CM Punk and this story arc.


The added dose of realism into the WWE product via CM Punk and John Cena's feud really generated interest in WWE among the smug Internet wrestling critics.
The promo that CM Punk cut at the end of Raw on June 27th, 2011 left people shocked and wondering just what this signified.
The promo felt "real," and everything Punk has said and done since then has felt so much more relatable than all of the cartoon-like characters that make up the "WWE Universe."
Fans have been hanging on Punk's every word.
In many ways, this is why Stone Cold Steve Austin found success back in the late 1990s.
He was surrounded by cartoons and caricatures, so instead he made himself the pissed-off rebel. Punk has taken this concept and flipped it on it's head.
Realism has been a part of wrestling for a long time. In fact, that was what the "Attitude Era" of WWE was based on.
Paul Heyman's ECW was built on the fact that all the story lines were kept close to reality.
WWE has spent the past 25 years alternating with the times.

Food for thought:
How do you think realistic story-telling could benefit wrestling?

SBCHive

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In the 1980s and the early 1990s, a majority of WWE's characters were based on fantasy. Eveyone's gimmick was sensationalized and over-the-top.
However, in the late 1990s, the characters got darker and edgier. The stars of the "Attitude Era" were more vicious and realistic. That's what the fans wanted.
In the late 1990s, characters like Triple H, Steve Austin, Undertaker and countless others were the reason WWE managed to get out of their mid-90s slump and eventually overtake WCW for good.
I believe they succeeded in this because the fans were enthralled with the content that WWE was putting out due to the more realistic and interesting characters (obviously Undertaker has never been a realistic character). 
Fans felt connected to the characters who were on their television screens.
Maybe the reason that WWE's numbers are down across the board in 2011 is because people are bored with the over-produced product that WWE has been putting out the past couple of years.
Maybe people feel disengaged by the childish environment that WWE now presents.
WWE is making their business a family-friendly one, keeping their nose clean with the government. There is a reason the word "wrestling" is a dirty word in WWE.
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Monday, June 2, 2014

The 26ers: Why the 76ers Will Be NBA Champs

"Together We Build" is the motto of Sixers this season. There is a lot of building to do. Tying the single season most consecutive losses mark with 26 straight losses is a pretty big accomplishment and the team should be congratulated for inching closer and closer to the coveted number 1 draft pick. Basketball is a little different from other sports, the number 1 draft pick is something you can't give up. In football, you could trade the pick and still get talent as good or better than #1 overall. Sitting 2 games behind the Bucks at the end of the season for the worst team in the league gave the Sixers fans a chance to look at the future brightly. The season was called a success by GM Sam Hinkie, and personally, it was. The NBA draft lottery show which gave the Sixers the third overall pick and the 10th pick in the upcoming draft, puts the 76ers in a good spot. Along with some of my mock draft selections I think the Sixers can land star power forward Jabari Parker with the third pick and somebody like a Gary Harrison out of Michigan State with the tenth pick. Another situation that could go down and one that I would be in favor it would be trading the 10th pick for the seventh pick.
The Lakers who hold the seventh pick are likely to select Kentucky power forward Julius Randle. Randle, the 6'9" 250-pounder seems like you'd be a great fit for Kobe Bryant in his final years to help get a post scorer along. The move from 10 to 7 would benefit the Lakers because they can pick up someone like Aaron Gordon with that pick. Aaron Gordon also plays power forward and has some similar attributes to Julius Randle. The Sixers can complete a low post presence that could be one of the best in the East.
A question I could be asked what would be why give up the chance to select Gary Harrison with the 10th pick he play shooting guard and that's a position that the Sixers need? My answer to that would be is Tony Wroten was a sixth man of the team last year and played shooting guard. He has been effective in that role but the transition to a starting player could benefit him in making his mark in the league, not just the division.
The title of my article is the 26ers: How the 76ers Will Become NBA Champions. I know I talked about the draft, but here is where the rings come in to play. The road to an NBA championship does start here in the 2014 draft I know for a fact the Sixers will not win the NBA title this year but what I can say is that they will be in the hunt in 3 to 4 years. With a lineup of Michael Carter-Williams, the rookie of the year at point guard, Tony Wroten at shooting guard, Wooden Award nominee Jabari Parker at small forward, Julius Randle at power forward and 7 foot center Nerlens Noel. I'm not forgetting Thaddeus Young, I can't forget him either, because he has the most trade stock of any player on this team besides MCW. There is more then a likely chance that Thaddeus Young can be shipped by the time to seasons over. I'm not saying that come draft night Thaddeus Young won't be made available, but I do not think he will be used in a package of some sort. I feel that he would make best as a deadline kind of trade much like the Sixers did with Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes this year sending Spencer to Cleveland and Evan to Indiana, who made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Some teams looking for a 3-guard or a small forward could use Thaddeus in that role and can benefit a playoff contender come April.
"Together We Build" I started off the article by saying that the motto of the 76ers it's the well and I will reiterate my belief in that saying because the success of the Philadelphia 76ers in the future not just for the season but for the next couple of years really does need some help. In a couple of seasons, I really think the Sixers can turn "Together We Build" to "Together We Built".
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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Cleveland Browns Post Draft Analysis


     This year in the 2014 NFL draft, it was a captivating event watched by many people at the event and in the comfort of their own home. Seen in this year's draft, there were three quarterbacks taken in the first round. Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel, and Teddy Bridgewater. Blake Bortles was taken the highest of these three quarterbacks but the one that is questioned the most is Johnny Manziel despite being the first freshman to ever win the prestigious heisman award. Johnny Manziel was the 22nd pick and went to the Cleveland Browns, a team with a lot of young talent and room to grow. Manziel was a great college player and highly anticipated coming out of Texas A&M but it is often questioned with how good he will be as a pro. Manziel is a duel threat quarterback but yet a little undersized for the NFL as he only stands at six feet tall, possible by all means to make him be a great player but not something you value coming to the NFL. Also taken with the 8th pick in this year's draft, Justin Gilbert the speedy cornerback out of Oklahoma State will help the Browns this year as they look to improve their defense.
    Johnny Manziel represents a more diverse age of quarterbacks that can make plays both with their arms and on the ground running the ball. Included with this new age of quarterbacks is Colin Kaepernick, Andrew Luck and 2014 Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson. All of these quarterbacks have made great strides throughout their careers so far and are only going to get better. Point being, Johnny Manziel will fit with what the Browns need and what the NFL is shifting towards in terms of quarterbacks.
     The Cleveland Browns have a lot of new talent that can benefit Manziel on both sides of the ball. Josh Gordon, the 23 year old wide receiver had a phenomenal 2013 season with 87 receptions, 1,646 yards, and 9 touch downs. He will be a forced to be reckoned with as him and Manziel team up to be some of the leagues very best now and for years to come. Josh Gordon is very young talent and only has an upside to his game and will be a target for Johnny Manziel. On the defensive side of the ball, defensive back Justin Gilbert was taken as the 8th pick out of Oklahoma State University.    The scouting report on Justin Gilbert puts Coaches and General Managers in a gaze. Extreme athleticism, light on his feet, can cover the long ball as good as anybody, his patience and vision will make him a vital resource to the Browns. Justin Gilbert and the new highest paid cornerback in the league Joe Haden, are a deadly combo in Cleveland and not something that offensive coordinators should take lightly.
     Taken with the 96th pick in the third round was small school Running Back
 Terrance West out of Towson University. Although Terrance West was taken very late in the draft he is still highly regarded based upon his stats that were put up at Towson. It is said that West has an extremely strong work ethic and his college stats prove that. He led his team in rushing his last three seasons, and he will also be leaving Towson as the schools all time leading rusher with 4,854 yards and will also be leaving with two single season records as well; West rushed for 2,509 yards and had 41 touchdowns as a senior. This was an extremely well calculated and a great move by the Cleveland Browns. The Browns ground game was ranked 27th in all of the NFL nearing dead last as they tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bringing in Terrance West is definitely a step in the right direction.
     I 100% think the Browns attacked and adressed what they needed to in this year's draft and did so in a swift and orderly fashion and did what was necessary to get things done. The Browns displayed what most teams should do and which is adress all positions that your team needs help with, make smart trades and first round picks aren't always necessarily the best players and they are not a judgment of who will have the best career by any means. To conclude, the browns are on the outside looking in and will surely only getter better as this team matures and players develop their skill sets further.

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Friday, May 9, 2014

Radio City Music Hall Was Filled With Ha Ha's and Heismans

The first round of the NFL Draft last night was one I found better than past Drafts for a few reasons. Despite the amount of time it takes to get through 32 picks, I enjoyed hearing the commentators this year (Gruden, Ray Lewis, Chris Berman, and Mel Kiper) have some fun while the selections were being made. I think the Johnny Football "spiral" was getting to Kiper's head a little bit and Gruden wouldn't shut up about when Manziel was going to get picked. I digress. for all who missed last night's TV spectacle, here are the 1st round selections of the 2014 NFL Draft.
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Sunday, May 4, 2014

Nets take game 7, series over Raptors

After the Nets lost game 7 in the 1st round to the Bulls last season, many changes were made. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were brought in for their experience and Jason Kidd was hired as the head coach. These moves were made because another 1st round exit was not acceptable for a team that had so much talent. Owner Mikhail Prokhorov wanted a championship, and these moves were made to get closer to that goal. The Nets were not going to accept another 1st round exit, and that was apparent in their resiliency against the Raptors, fighting back from down 3 games to 2 to win the series in 7.

First off what a series this was! In the 11 games these 2 teams played against each other this season, both teams scored 1074 points. It doesn't get any closer than that. The series went the distance with 7 games played, and all of them were close. The Nets took game 7, with a final score of 104-103, which ended with a dramatic stuff by Paul Pierce on Kyle Lowry's potential game winner. After a heartbreaking game 5 loss, which consisted of a 26 point comeback only to lose on Andray Blatche throwing the ball away, the Nets took games 6 and 7 and will now face the Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

With the highest payroll in NBA history, a first round exit would have been considered a failure. They mortgaged the future to bring in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to go along with a rookie head coach in Jason Kidd. After a miserable start at 10-21, 2014 brought the Nets good fortunes, going 34-17 in 2014. They did all of this without their best player, All-Star Center Brook Lopez, who the Nets lost to a broken foot during an OT loss to the 76ers on December 20th.

As a Nets fan, I was really fired up about this series, which started with the Raptors owner disrespecting not only a team, but a historic and prideful community, when he uttered "F*** Brooklyn" to his team's fans. A Toronto newspaper said that the series was Raptors vs. Dinosaurs, poking fun at the Nets roster consisting of older players like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. After the Nets took game 1, the New York Daily News' back page the next day said "Don't F*** With B'KLYN!" Then there was the fact that some Raptors fans vandalized the Brooklyn Bridge, writing the Raptors playoff motto "We The North" on it.

Rookie Mason Plumlee, who has been fantastic most of the season, played 21 minutes in the almost miraculous comeback in game 5. The Nets outscored the Raptors by 20 in the 4th quarter of that game with Andray Blatche playing the entire quarter. Plumlee played 39 seconds after the Nets had secured a win in game 6. The Nets also had a new 2-guard for game 6, inserting Alan Anderson and taking out Shaun Livingston. The Nets responded by winning games 6 and 7, with Anderson in the starting lineup and Blatche as the 1st Net off the bench, a spot usually reserved for Plumlee. I would expect to see Blatche off the bench first against the Heat in round 2. Marcus Thornton also started to get more minutes in game 5, and he had arguable the biggest impact on game 7, with 17 points and 6 rebounds off the bench.

Joe Johnson, Thornton, and KG all had phenomenal game 7s. Joe carried the Nets in the 4th quarter, scoring 13 in the quarter and 26 on the game. Thornton had a great game off the bench, hitting 4 3s and scoring 17 points and chipping in 6 boards. KG  had his best game of the series, with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Of course, Paul Pierce sealed the win, after Shaun Livingston, attempting to inbound the ball, threw it into the hands of Terrence Ross, who, as he was falling out of bounds, threw the ball of Paul Pierce's leg, giving the Raptors the ball down 1 with about 6 seconds left. The inbound went to Kyle Lowry, who had his potential game winner blocked by The Truth. The clock hit 0 with the Nets still clinging to that 1 point lead, thanks to Pierce's block.

Going into the 2nd round, the Nets are going to have their hands full with the Miami Heat, the 2-time defending champion Miami Heat. The Nets swept the season series from the Heat, winning all 4 games, but every team is different when it comes to the playoffs. I would expect to see the Nets starting 5 for game 1 to be Deron Williams, Alan Anderson, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. Game 1 is on Tuesday night.
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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

NBA Playoffs 2014: Round 1- Predictions and Analysis

For some, NBA playoff month is one of the best months in all of sports. The NBA's elite 16 teams all fight together for the right to be called "Champion". All the teams have their fare share of strengths and weaknesses and their opponents will be looking to explore them. So, lets get to the SBCHive Playoff Predictions. I will continue my predictions once Round 2 starts.

Eastern Conference Round 1:

#1 Indiana Pacers vs. #8 Atlanta Hawks









The first game we will discuss is the first seed, Indiana Pacers, taking on the 8th seeded Atlanta Hawks.
The Pacers started off their season on an incredible hot streak. In the first month of the season the Pacers put the whole NBA on notice with their NBA best record of 15-1 at the end of November. The Pacers excel on the defensive side of the ball where they are the best defensive team in the NBA. They hold teams to an NBA low 42% shooting percentage per game. On the other side, we have the Atlanta Hawks who pretty much made the playoffs due to a weak Eastern Conference. Their leading scorers are Jeff Teague and Al Horford and will try to push the ball inside and also try to shoot the 3. With Millsap and Horford, Atlanta relies on getting to the paint, but that will be what dooms them in the end due to lockdown D by the Pacers.

Prediction: IND 4-1
#2 Miami Heat vs. #7 Charlotte Bobcats









The next game we will look into is the Miami Heat versus the Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats, changed the losing culture that they had had for most of their short existence, by making the playoffs this year. Say what you want about the weak Eastern Conference, but Charlotte is a surprisingly tough matchup for the Miami Heat. The two positions that Miami is weakest at are Point Guard and Center, and those happen to be the Bobcats best positions. With Kemba Walker playing point and Al Jefferson roaming the paint, the Bobcats could give the Heat fits, especially if LeBron isn't on his game. The only thing unfortunate for the Cats is that don't have anyone to guard LeBron and do not have the bench to keep up with the Heat. We know the Heat will spread the court and expect LeBron to have a big series here. Charlotte just does not have enough to pull off the upset.

Prediction: MIA 4-2
#3 Toronto Raptors vs. #6 Washington Wizards









This series could be one of the most evenly matched and most exciting playoff series in this years playoffs. We have the 3rd seed Raptors taking on the 6th seed Wizards in a series that will be all about Offense. The Raptors, behind Kyle Lowry and Demar Derozan will attack the glass and shoot from outside and the Washington Wizards will try to attack with Wall and feed big men, Gorat and Nene in the paint. The series will very likely go to 7 games, but the Raptors will have the edge with DeRozan. Demar is a star in the making and will prove why he is during this series.

Prediction: TOR 4-3
#4 Chicago Bulls vs. #5 Brooklyn Nets









The picture above says it all. This series could go either way and home court advantage will play a huge part in the outcome of this series. Both teams are about average on the road, but excel at home. Chicago will be without star Derrick Rose, but have gotten an MVP caliber season from Joakim Noah. Noah is a triple-double machine and could give the Lopez-less Nets fits. But, the Nets have the back court advantage and are coming into the playoffs with a head of steam and may be one of the most confident teams heading into the playoffs. With recent wins on Eastern Conference power houses, Miami and Indian, Brooklyn will continue their hot streak and roll by the Bulls.

Prediction: BRK 4-2

Western Conference! Round 1
#1 San Antonio Spurs vs. #8 Dallas Mavericks 







The San Antonio Spurs are playing some of the best basketball they have all year and seem to play even better every single year in the playoffs. Maybe its the veteran culture and leadership on the team or maybe its Coach Popovich, or maybe it is a little of both. No matter what it is it seems to work very well for the Spurs. Last year, the Spurs were a Ray Allen 3 away from securing the 2013 Championship and there is no reason that they can't achieve the Championship this season. In my opinion, the Mavericks are catching the Spurs at the worst time and they don't have enough talent on their team to even win a game in this series.

Prediction: SAS 4-0
#2 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #7 Memphis Grizzlies 










The Thunder will be led by MVP Kevin Durant and the Grizzlies will be led by Marc Gasol. That should honestly be the deciding factor. Durant has been on a tear the whole season and it looks like there will be nothing to do to stop him on his quest to get his first NBA Championship of his very bright career. Memphis is a strong team, but like many other teams in the playoffs they just do not have the talent and athleticism to hang with the Thunder and this series will be very short, but exciting to say the least.

Prediction: OKC 4-0

 #3 Los Angeles Clippers vs #6 Golden State Warriors














The Golden State Warriors may be one of the most underrated teams heading into this years playoffs. In 4 meetings this year, the series was split 2-2 with both teams winning their respective games at home and the series could very well turn out like that. In my opinion, the x-factor of this series is Warriors Point Guard and Superstar Stephen Curry. Curry has destroyed the Clips in the 4 games they have played this season and the Dubs matchup with the Clippers well. Yes, the Warriors will be without their best rim protecter and rebounder Andrew Bogut, but the warriors played 2 games without Andre Iguodala and lost both of the games. With "Iggy" in the lineup the Warriors will run the court and this will be a very competitive and hard fought series.

Predictions: GSW 4-3

 #4 Houston Rockets vs. Portland Trail Blazers








This is a very hard series to predict. On both sides we have teams with great backcourts and they can shoot the lights out of the ball. These teams along with many teams in the Western Conference are contenders to take home the Championship. I think this series comes down to an important game 7 in Houston and Dwight Howard dominates the series and the final game of the series and the Rockets advance.

 Prediction: HOU 4-3

Hope you guys enjoyed. Feel free to comment and be ready to read my round 2 predictions in a couple weeks.
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Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Yankees Can’t Buy Win Against Astros


Despite their multimillion-dollar off-season acquisitions, the New York Yankees suffered an upsetting 6-2 loss at Minute Maid Park to the Houston Astros this past Tuesday on Opening Day.

 
The Yankees’ Payroll amounts to an astronomical $203,445,586 this year, placing them behind the Los Angeles Dodgers as the second highest-paying team in Major League Baseball. Center Fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, Right Fielder Carlos Beltran, and Catcher Brian McCaan are three marquee purchases for the New York Yankees, collectively earning nearly $54 million this season.

 
Although the entire game was dismal at best for New York, it was especially depressing to witness these significant acquisitions flounder on their first night in a Yankee uniform. Jacoby Ellsbury could not muster a single base hit in five at-bats, Carlos Beltran went 1 for 4 as did Brian McCaan.

 
The Astros took a 6-0 lead after two innings of play, due in large part to a shaky New York defense. Houston base runners took full advantage of uncharacteristic wild pitches, overthrown balls and a Carlos Beltran fielding error in right field. This Yankee defense felt unnatural and out of sync.

 
The lackluster performance cannot be placed solely on the shoulders of the New York newcomers. The Astros generated their entire offense in the first two innings while facing Yankee Ace, C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia continued to leave pitches high in the strike zone and the Astros jumped on each mistake. Houston Center Fielder Dexter Fowler came out of the gate with a long double and was quickly driven in by an RBI single off the bat of Second Baseman Jose Altuve. Altuve proved to be a legitimate threat to the New York Yankees, having finished 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs.

 
The Houston Astros continued the damage as First Baseman Jesus Guzman hit a two-run homerun and was later followed up by a solo blast from Right Fielder L.J. Hoes.

 
Scott Feldman, who pitched 6.2 shutout innings with 3 strikeouts, got his first win on the campaign. He only allowed two hits off the bats of Carlos Beltran and First Baseman Mark Teixeira, who went 2 for 3 with a base on balls.

 
The Yankees manufactured two runs in the top of the eighth, which did little to combat the Houston lead. Brian McCaan was able to drive in Jacoby Ellsbury who reached base on a walk; and Mark Teixeira brought in Shortstop Derek Jeter.

 
Tuesday, April 1, marked the final Opening Day for Captain Derek Jeter. Jeter, who is  regarded as one of the most beloved Yankees of all time, announced his retirement following the 2014 season. He received a warm reception from the Houston fans and finished the night 1 for 3 after being hit by a pitch in his first at-bat.
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Pacers or Heat?

     This year in the NBA, there is a notable difference between what teams are better in the NBA eastern and western conferences. It is very clear that the West is much better. The fourth seed in the western conference, the conferences are so unbalanced this year that the third seed in the west The Los Angeles Clippers have the same record as the first seed in the east, the Indiana Pacers. The Indiana Pacers, sitting atop the eastern conference have already clinched a playoff appearance with their 52-22 record, the first team in the eastern conference to do so. The Pacers started the year scorching hot as they jumped out to a 9-0 start and looked as if they were going to win it all. As of late, the Indiana Pacers have struggled since their last win coming against the Miami Heat as they outlasted them and won 84-83. Since this game, the Pacers have gone on a two game losing streak to teams coming to ok teams that you would expect the Pacers to beat. These losses came from the Wizards and the Cavaliers, both teams that you would expect the Pacers to beat.
The Miami Heat, currently the second seed in the East. This comes as a surprise to the Heat as you would expect the two time defending champs to sit on top of the rest of the conference looking down but its quite the opposite as the Pacers are two games ahead of the Heat. Although the Pacers beat the Heat by one point in their last encounter I think that the Heat will be crowned the eastern conference champions once again.  

     I believe that the Heat will beat the Pacers if it ends up being these two teams in the eastern conference finals if these two teams make it. One of those reasons being that Lebron James and Paul George are both top five players in this league but Lebron James is better. Another reason that I believe the Heat will beat the Pacers is because in the NBA to win a championship you have to have a coach with Championship experience which the Heat have with Erik Spoelstra but the Pacers don't have this with Frank Vogel. Not only do you have to have a coach with championship experience but you have to have players with championship experience as well which the Pacers don't have. Ultimately, if these two teams are to meet in the eastern conference finals again which tye are most expected to I believe that the Heat will win.
   


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Friday, March 21, 2014

True Madness

2:49 pm ET
This is the time of year I usually am getting my baseball glove broken in and starting to throw to keep my arm lose for the season, but this year, it's a little different. March of 2014 is my year to be the Joe Lunardi. I am going to make the perfect bracket and win one billion dollars. Well, I hope so at least. When the bracket came out earlier this week, I was ecstatic. I knew I wasn't going to get  a perfect bracket, but at least get some upsets right. I love the brackets. All of em. From NCAA to NIT to CBI to CIT. They just get me really excited, especially when my schools Villanova and Duke are high seeds.

March is the best time of the year in the sports calendar without a doubt. I am sitting in my math class right now watching Duke. How great is that: we are watching basketball in the middle of class. That's what the tournament brings to everyone in the country. Everyone has a school to root for and will do anything to watch 'em play. There is just that magic that is known as college basketball.

The games that start at lunch time, the games that go till midnight, the games where a no-names like Florida Gulf Coast takes down a historical national powerhouse in Georgetown. Watching the coaches sweat it out through 3 overitmes, it's just special. I connect with the players of teams I have never watched before. I root harder and harder against the wretched North Carolina Tar Heels...

Ok so now all of the lovey-dovey stuff is over I can stop crying tears of joy and talk about my bracket. In Dallas, I think the four teams that will fight it out will be Florida, Arizona, Michigan State, and Duke. In the National Championship game, Duke will score 77 points to Michigan State's 73. Now that's just my opinion, but the national consensus is the Florida Gators. Don't think I forgot about Wichita State, but I just don't think they are that good. The Ohio Valley Conference is nothing compared to the ACC.

7:10 pm ET
While I was writing this article, I was in school during Academic Recovery (study hall) and was really high on my Blue Devils' chances of becoming national champions. That feeling has since turned to sadness due to the loss. If you know me at all, you would know my passion that surrounds Duke basketball. Both my uncle and mom are alumnus of the school so it's in my blood. My bracket is officially busted (if it wasn't already with Dayton, Harvard, and North Dakota State's wins) but that's not was frustrates me the most. My heart has sunk 20,000 leagues under the sea.

Why write about you almost crying after a loss to a 14 seed?
Because it shows the magic of the tournament.
Magic? But magic is good and your upset...?
The tournament games are different, obviously they mean more than Duke's 30+ point victory over Central Michigan, you are always on the edge of your seat for every play. While I am still a kid, last year when Duke was playing in Philadelphia for the 2nd and 3rd rounds, I was at every game. I sat two rows from courtside seeing the college I want to go to win against Albany and Creighton (a team that would kill my Villanova Wildcats in two games the following year). Wide-eyed and amazed at Seth Curry speeding down the court, Mason Plumlee throw two hand jams into the meek Albany players. Even see Doug McDermott put up amazing numbers beyond the ark was just... magical.

Duke is out. I don't like it at all, and my billion dollars are staying in Warren Buffett's pocket, but there is a lot of tournament left. A lot of magic left. (plus my Wildcats play tomorrow against UConn)
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