Words of Wisdom

Gather 'round youngsters, it's time for some Words of Wisdom from Dom. Now I know there are probably a few of you out there who are reading this and are saying to yourselves, "I know Dom, there are no Words of Wisdom this guy can offer" or "What kind of Wisdom can a 23 year old young man who has lived in the Suburbs most of his life give me?" If that's your attitude, stop reading. But if you have ever heard people talk about Wisdom Nuggets, they tell you to take it from someone who has been there before, and for this particular piece of Wisdom I am preparing for you, I have been there before. This past weekend. In Mid-March. In October. I have been there more than a few times. So here it is.

Proper Planning is necessary when having a kid. What kind of planning you ask? It's simple, timing. When deciding to have a kid (if it is planned in your case) you've got to realize timing is going to work one of two ways. For you or against you.

Do you remember watching October Playoff Baseball last year? Fall College football season? How about the first weekend of March Madness, were those games fun to watch? The Final Four games? Did you see the upsets that Memphis and Kansas dropped on UCLA and NC respectively, and completely ruined my chances at winning any of brackets. Lastly, did you have fun watching the draft this weekend, was it a good time? Well if I were to answer those questions it would go as such:

No, I was researching new places to live and trying to find a "ladies" Doctor for my wife to get her check-ups for our future bundlle of joy. Took 2 trips to visit my wive's parents and tell them about the kid so I missed 2 weekends worth of fun college football. March Madness was great, Thursday and Friday I watched on my computer at work, it was awesome and CBS did a great job, Thursday night I watched the UA game at the bar. What about Friday night and those Saturday and Sunday games? Nope didn't see that Arkansas vs. Indiana game on Friday night, I was driving to Yuma, AZ. Didn't see Duke lose to West Virginia, I was with my in-laws. Sunday? I was driving back to Tucson. I missed a good portion of the UCLA game at a baby shower at my folks house up in Phoenix. As for Rounds 1 and 2 of the Draft Saturday I was in Childbirth classes from 9-6.

I didn't have a choice in planning most of these ocurrances. When having a kid you need to realize that Baby Showers are going to happen (we had 3) and they are going to happen on weekends. Childbirth classes, weekend errands and baby shopping, these things happen, a lot, especially in the last 3 months. They happen when sports are on and you're going to miss them. What's the goal? Plan ahead. If you aren't a big baseball fan. Well aim for the last tri-mester to fall somewhere over the summer months so you won't miss football games. If you could care less about football, then maybe plan for the November/December/January time of year for the end of the pregnancy. Trust me, it's worth making the effort of planning to ensure that you don't miss the things you don't want to miss.

Take my advice, take it from someone who has been there before. If you are able to plan, this is the way to go. If necessary wait a couple more months to make sure that you don't miss the important sporting events of the year.

More after the jump...

Putt-Putt is a Gateway Drug

Seriously, Mini-Golf leads to dangerous, dangerous things. You know what I'm talking about. Putt-Putt seems like innocent fun, but if you're not careful you know where you'll wind up. That's right, the driving range. Sure it seems simple at first, just take the clubs over and swing away a little bit. It relaxes you, you feel loose after and got some stress out. It feels good. Then you're going more often, skipping class or leaving work early to hit a bucket.

"I can stop any time, I don't need hit balls, I just like to" Yeah. We've all heard it before. Then we know what's next, it's the "Twilight Special" back 9 at 3:30, then weekends playing 18, I've seen it a million times.

Golf is a drug. A very, very bad, drug. Think about it for a second.

After playing a few holes you feel both miserable and great. You feel bad because you did so poorly and now you're kinda sore, but forsome reason you want to go again, you feel great because you got after it for an afternoon. Golf is a high and a low, and you don't care, you just want to do it more. First you're watching it on TV and movies. It's glorifed. It looks harmless and fun. You know lots of other people who are doing it and they seem to like it so you start off slow. You hit the Putt-Putt course on the weekend, but soon Putt-Putt's not enough, it's not satisfying anymore and the guys at the Mini-Golf course get angry when you start chipping it over the clown or using the sand wedge from the bushes off of 12 behind the Windmill. So you hit the range and it seems innocent but the next thing you know you're lugging your Wilson Irons around the Par 65 Executive Course. But after awhile that's not good enough, you barely even feel it anymore so you start spending your paycheck on "The good stuff" and you've got some Taylor Mades or Callaways in your bag now. The Range balls aren't working out for you anymore so you start shelling out more scratch for the Titleists because their supposed to go longer and straighter. And that Par 65 doesn't do it for you anymore, so you're spending 185 bucks to play the PGA course. Then you hear about the really good stuff, you've got to get into a Club where it's easier to get it whenever you want and the golf is better. But you need help from someone to get into the Club, maybe a Doctor, who will help you out.

Need Proof? I went golfing with 4Real and a couple other guys last weekend. Then last week, less than 72 hours later, 4Real was looking for new clubs and we were talking about doing it again, soon. The clubs were still in my car and I was already talking about getting back out there. I shot in the 3 digits on a Par 70, and I couldn't wait to drop 30, 40, whatever bucks on a couple more sleeves of balls and some green fees. We're already planning on hitting them again soon, and we've talked about making it a bi-weekly thing. Sure I could tell you right now that I could stop anytime I want, but would you believe me? If Randle called me and said he had a tee-time next weekend and needed a 4th, I would probably try to get out of my wife's Lamaze classes to play a round. I know, I'm pathetic. But guess what, there is no golf rehab, so what do you want me to do. I remember being an inncocent kid, hitting the driving range with a couple friends and some hand me down clubs not too long ago. 5 bucks for a bucket of 100, and just swinging away. If I knew it would have led to this, I still don't know if I would have stopped. Golf is addictive, expensive, and a great way to spend an afternoon.

More after the jump...

All-Arizona Football Team

Hello again everyone, I would like to announce my Triumphant return to The BearDown. The last few weeks have been waaaaay too hectic. For all of you in Colorado, Texas, Tennesse, California, and Arizona I apologize for the ridiculous amount of calls and voicemails. It's my job and I hate it.

Back to sports. I attended the UA Spring Game this past weekend, and let's be honest. For what possible reason would people show up to watch a bunch of guys practice. Well, it's easy, we don't care much for the NBA, and we can smell football right around the corner. Like Cowherd says, there are 2 seasons: Football season and waiting for football season. So for all of you U of A fans out there I put together the 53 man roster of the All-Time Arizona football team. So here it is.

Quarterbacks.

Usually teams (including the Tampa Bay Bucs) limit their QBs to 3 or Maybe 4. But Arizona hasn't had the best of luck when it comes to QBs, what with injuries and all. So the All-UA QBs are:

Fred W. Enke, Jr. (1946-1948)

Eddie Wilson (1958-1961)

John "Button" Salmon (1924-1926)

Tom Tunnicliffe (1982-1985)

Jason Johnson (1999-2002)

Backs.

Full, Half, Running, Back, and of course in the early days of the game, players played by different titles. So the All-UA Backs are:

Bill "The Eel" Hargis (1928-1931)

Art Luppino (1953-1956)

Walt Nielson (1937-1939)

Bobby "The General" Thompson (1960-61)

Joe Hernandez (1960-1961)

Hubie Oliver (1977-1980)

Chuck Levy (1990-1993)

Trung Candidate (1996-1999)

Mike Bell (2002-2005) would have been considered if not for the Sunday Night Football game where he claimed Tolleson High School instead of The U.

Receivers/Tight Ends.

A Handful of quality receivers have graced the field at Arizona Stadium. So here are the All-UA WR/TEs:

Hank "Birdlegs" Stanton (1943-1945)

Thopolis "T" Bell (1972-1975)

Vance Johnson (1981-1984)

Richard Dice (1993-1996)
Dennis Northcut (1996-1999)

Brandon Manumaleuna (1997-2000)

Bobby Wade (1999-2002)

O-Line.

The big guys. The Tough Guys. The guys you always saw at The Bear Down Gym. The O-line. Here it is, the All-UA O-Linemen:

Tom Greenfield (1936-1938)

Bill Leuck (1964-1967)

Joe Toffelmire (1985-1988)

Glenn Parker (1988-1989)

John Fina (1989-1991)

Frank Middleton (1993-1996)

Edwin Mulitalo (1995-1998)

Kevin Barry (1998-2001)

And now on to the Defense, Arizona is Point Guard U, but no one pays attention to the fact that the Football team in Tucson has developed a few great Defensive players as well.

D-Line:

Through the years the UA has shown a few different Defensive sets and part of that has to do with the amount of Quality Defensive Linemen that have studied at Arizona. So here are the All-UA D-Linemen.

Mike Dawson (1972-1975)

George Hinkle (1984-1987)

Anthony Smith (1987-1990)

Ty Parten (1989-1992)

Rob Waldrop (1990-1993)

Tedy Bruschi (1992-1995)

Joe Salave'a (1994-1997)

Joe Tafoya (1997-2000)

Linebackers:

The Brains of the Defense. Recognize, adjust, audible. UA isn't lacking for Great Linebackers. So much so that All-Pro Linebacker Tedy Bruschi played on the DLine in his time in Tucson. So here are the All-UA Linebackers.

Mark Arneson (1969-1971)

Ricky Hunley (1980-1983)

Byron Evans (1983-1986)

Chris Singleton (1986-1989)
Antonio Pierce (1999-2000)

Lance Briggs (1999-2002)

Spencer Larsen (2002-2007)

Defensive Backs.

The last line of defense. And once again, the UA isn't lacking for talent in the secondary either. So here are the All-UA DBs.

Warren Livingston (1957-1960)

Jackie Wallace (1970-1973)

Chuck Cecil (1984-1987)

Daryll Lewis (1987-1990)

Tony Bouie (1991-1994)

Chris McCalister (1995-1998)

Michael Johnson (2003-2006)

Antoine Cason (2004-2007)

Special Teams.

The game comes in 3 parts. Offense. Defense. And Special Teams. So here are the All-UA Special Teamers.

K Steve McLaughlin (1991-1994)

P Josh Miller (1992-1995)

KR/PR Michael Bates (1989-1992)

More after the jump...

SI's 25 Toughest Athletes - Looks like the Swimsuit Issue is the Only Thing Worth Reading

After a long hiatus from days off, I finally have stumbled across one. So I thought I'd just gripe about some shoddy article. I've been pretty removed from sports life due to my career choice, and I've been doing light reading every night when I get home, but this Sports Illustrated article really has me worked up - or as much as I can get worked up on a Saturday Morning at 8:30. The article is named: Extra Mustard - 25 Toughest Athletes and is the most half-assed list ever constructed. Now I remember a few months back when Matt from WithLeather.com was at the ESPN SuperBowl bash at the Convention Center, and a certain ESPN writer commented on how bloggers and their shoddy compositions we're mediocre at best since there are no editors to help refine their works - AND that ANYBODY can write about something. Apparently SI's online sect has tried to mock the Cracked.com style of "Top -insert number and thing here-" lists and horribly failed. Let's look at who SI thinks is "tough"

1. Tiger Woods
2. Lance Mackey
3. Anderson Silva
4. Bob Sanders
5. Zdeno Chara
6. Steve Smith
7. Allen Iverson
8. Fedor Emelianenko
9. Floyd Mayweather
10. Chrissie Wellington
11. Chris Chelios
12. Olin Kreutz
13. Kobe Bryant
14. Marion Barber
15. Kelly Pavlik
16. Trevor Brazile
17. Aaron Rowand
18. Ron Artest
19. Kelly Gregg
20. Hayley Wickenheiser
21. Steve Hutchinson
22. Tony Stewart
23. Josh Beckett
24. Rafael Nadal
25. Joey Chestnut

Ok I'll give SI credit for about half of this list- Not gonna agree with the rankings but that's a whole different story. The first ten are admirable, they deserve to be on this list. However Trevor Brazile is on there for being "tough" and "tough enough" to be ranked 16th. This cowboy isn't a bull rider- oh no he's a roping champ AND has earned this distinction because he competes in more than one rodeo event AND won his fifth all-around title(?) with his main roping horse injured. Scratch him out and put down, say...BRETT FARVE who started for more consecutive games than any other player in the NFL. Oh yah and the season where he played pretty much with a bum thumb. Oh and when he played that game the night after his dad died. Yea, Farve trumps.

Two spots down we have the friendly, chivalrous Ron Artest. Let's just skip to the defining moment- The Pacer-Pistons Brawl. Yes Artest made this list because he punched a fan. Fucking Next.

Hayley Wickenheiser- Canadian women's hockey player. I have no problem with women's sports, women playing sports, women playing originally men's sports, but when you compile a "tough" list, non-body check hockey should not enter your mind.

Tony Stewart #22. I don't get NASCAR. Unless you're on fire for the final lap of the race and finish in the Top 10 don't talk to me, you drive in circles for your job.

Finally the grand finale of SI's list of ridiculous picks, Joey Chestnut. Yea the guy that won the hot dog eating contest this year. Read this sad spectacle of over dramatic journalism:

What makes him tough: Intestinal fortitude of the highest order. Aptly nicknamed "Jaws", this dynamo of competitive eating last year ingested -- among other things -- 8.6 pounds of asparagus in 10 minutes, 182 chicken wings in half an hour, 47 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes, and 103 Krystal hamburgers in eight minutes, living to tell each time.

Defining moment: Ending Kobayashi's six-year hold on the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island last year. Only one month after setting a world record of 59 ½ tubes of beef, sodium, fat and nitrates in 12 minutes, Chestnut inhaled 66 in the same span without reviewing any of them.

Old school match: Babe Ruth, who was renowned for gargantuan appetites that moved a teammate to say, "If you cut that fat slob open, half the concessions at Yankee Stadium would come pouring out."

First off, you're a competitive eater. You were that asshole in high school who picked on the fat kids, then they won the state fair pie eating contest, so to make their life more miserable you took up this hobby just so you could rub their face in it. This is ridiculous, And comparing Chestnut to Babe Ruth? Are you really a sports magazine SI? Oh let's not forget, this proud product of the Red, White, and Blue beat Kobayashi...when Kobayashi was competing with a torn esophagus. So if we're gonna give the "toughness" award to anybody, it should be Kobayashi, not this Irvine, California douche.

*quotes from SI.com

More after the jump...

Exhibit A: Tammy Thomas's 5 O'Clock Shadow

Tammy Thomas, a former member of the women’s U.S Olympic team, had gone to trial for perjury as a result of her testimony during the BALCO hearings in 2003. The trial concluded yesterday with federal attorney Jeff Nedrow explaining to the jury that Thomas’ medical records showed she went through a dramatic voice change, suffered from male pattern baldness, and even grew a beard. She has been banned from cycling for life since 2002, and probably rightfully so. This all seems to be a seemingly normal course of events for a steroid hearing, and nothing stuck out to me until a testimony from an Olympic Drug Tester. He testified that during a surprise drug testing visit to her home, she appeared to have come answer the door mid shave. He went on to explain that she still had remnants of shaving cream around her cheeks and ears. Does this sound insane to anyone else? If all the signs that a woman is beginning to have an explosion of masculine features isn’t enough, she is not even careful enough to get the rest of that Barbasol off her face? I’m not condoning steroid use in any way shape or form, but if you’re going to use it especially as a woman you’ve got to be a little more careful when trying to keep in on the down low. It is one thing to get caught, but to get caught cleaning up your 5 o’clock shadow puts you on the Pro side of reasons to thin out the gene pool.

4Real Out....
More after the jump...

MLB Stadium Rankings

It is an Opening Day Extravaganza and I couldn’t be more excited. Every year this weekend makes me remember everything that I love about baseball, but lately there has been a lot of things going on that have changed the way in which the tradition of the game is upheld. One of the biggest things any of my friends who aren’t big baseball fans have against the game is its pace, that it is too slow to watch on TV. This only got me defensive and the wheels turning on Ball Park Atmosphere and everything that goes with it. I have visited a lot of Ball Parks and I’ll try to quickly rundown the categories I put them in when visiting or in the case that I haven’t the image that they portray. Also since it is so difficult to keep up with name changes I added those in as well.

(In No Particular Order Within Tiers)

Tier 1: Historical, Iconic, Deep Rooted in Tradition a.k.a Renovation and Preservation over New Construction

Chicago Cubs: Weeghman Park (1914-1920) Wrigley Field (1920-Soon To Be Renamed)

Boston Red Sox: Fenway Park (1912- Present)

New York Yankees: Yankee Stadium (1923- 2008)

Tier 2: Modern Stadiums with Vintage Feel a.k.a They gave Young Fans the Atmosphere for building Tradition

Baltimore Orioles: Oriole Park at “Camden Yards” (92- Present)

Cleveland Indians: Jacobs Field (94-2008) Now Progressive Field

San Francisco Giants: Pac Bell Park (2000-03) SBC Park (04-05) :AT & T Park: 05- Present

San Diego Padres: PetCo Park (2004-Present)

Philadelphia Phillies: Citizens Bank Ballpark (04- Present)

Tier 3: Modern Era Stadiums a.k.a Nice Cause It is New

Milwaukee Brewers: Miller Park (01- Present)

Detroit Tigers: Comerica Park (2000-Present) Note: Did not Make Tier 2 because of Tiger Stadiums History.

Arizona Diamond Backs: Bank One Ball Park (98-05): Chase Field (05-Present)

Chicago White Sox: Comiskey Park II (91-03): U.S Cellular Field ( 03-Present)

Cincinnati Reds: Great American Ball Park (03-Present)

Houston Astros: Enron Field (2000-2002): Astros Field (February 2002- July 2002): Minute Maid Field (02-Present)


Washington Nationals: Nationals Park (08- Present)

Seattle Mariners: SafeCo Field (99-Present)

Tier 4: A Good Place to Watch A Game a.k.a Used to Be State of the Art a.k.a Mid 90’s Cookie Cutter Stadium

Colorado Rockies: Coors Field (95- Present)

Toronto Blue Jays: The Sky Dome (89-05) : Rogers Centre (05-Present)

Atlanta Braves: Centennial Olympic Park (96): Turner Field (97-Present)

Kansas City Royals: Royals Stadium (73-93): Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium (93-Present)

Texas Rangers: Rangers Ball Park in Arlington (94-Present)

Tier 5: I’ve Been There So I Can Mark it Off The List a.ka. I was In The Neighborhood

Tampa Bay Devil Ray (Now Tampa Bay Rays) : Florida Suncoast Dome (90-93): Thunderdome: (93-96) : Tropicana Field When Rays Entered the League (1998-Present)Oakland Athletics:

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (68-98): Network Associates Coliseum (98-04): McAfee Coliseum (04-Present)

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Anaheim Stadium (1966-1997):
Edison International Field of Anaheim (1998-2003): Angel Stadium of Anaheim (03-Present)

Los Angels Dodgers: Dodgers Stadium (62- Present)

Tier 6: Knock This Down It’s Embarrassing Everyone a.k.a I think the City Forgot About You a.k.a Baseball? I thought this was a Football Stadium

Minnesota Twins: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (82- Present)

Florida Marlins: Dolphin Stadium (1987): Joe Robbie Stadium (1987-1996): Pro Player Park (1996) : Pro Player Stadium (1996-2005) :Dolphins Stadium (2005-Present)


Candlestick Park (3Com Park at Candlestick Point/ San Francisco Stadium at Candle Stick Point/ Monster Park): Ok so maybe they haven’t knocked it down, but their baseball team got knocked up to Tier Two.

Qualcomm Stadium ( San Diego Stadium/ Jack Murphy Stadium) : Same Situation As Giants

Tier 7: You’re Closing Your Stadium : 2009 Will See You in Tier 2 or 3

New York Mets: Shea Stadium (64-68)

I know that the Yankees are building a new stadum as well and they will also drop to Tier 2 or 3, but Yankee Stadium held a much higher prestige than Shea Stadium ever did.

You have input? Don’t Think Your Team Deserved their Tier? Let Me Know….

4Real Out….
More after the jump...

Opening Day

Opening Day thoughts. Yesterday was opening day, not the games in Japan (when you go back to Spring Training after, it doesn't count as Opening Day). Sunday night in DC was not opening day, it was a regular season game at a new park. Yesterday was Opening Day.

Things aren't looking too good Cub fan.
100 years of losing, and we start out with a 10th inning loss. Kosuke is the new heartbreaker. Going yard (on his 3-3 day) in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 3, just gives hope to the Cub fan. Followed by a handful of hits, sacrifies, and runs to have the Cubs lose 4-3. Welcome to the 2nd century of losing Cubs fans. It is still possible that the Cubbies will be 161-1 at the end of the season, but I think it's a higher possibility of another first round loss, if they make the playoffs.

Coincidence?
100th anniversary of Take Me Out to the Ballgame and 100th anniversary of the Cubs not winning. I don't think so. But still I'm not buying my World Series Tickets.

Piece of Crap Eric Gagne is back.
For all the Brewers fans who said I was off saying that Gagne is going to Hurt the Brewers not Help, I guess I told ya so.

It just hurts sometimes.
Listening to Dan Patrick right now, discussing the Cubs game, "Kosuke Fukudome went yard late to tie, and it's a shame they didn't win on that, but what can you say, Typical Cubs. Ouch

Spending issues. Small markets complain to the Evil Empire in New York that things aren't fair. Well welcome to the Anti-New York. Florida Marlins, they spend nothing, get their revenue sharing from the major market teams, and if I were a Marlins fan I wouldn't follow baseball. They win and get torn apart, do nothing for years, win and tear the team apart. It's a Fortune 500 company that declares bankruptcy every 7 years.

Booing the President. President Bush was booed when he threw out the first pitch. I understand being upset with the way things have gone under his administration, I'm not an avid Bush supporter, TRUST ME, but respect the office of the President, don't boo him, the fact that you CAN boo him is just the reason why you shouldn't. Go to Iran go to Cuba go to North Korea see what it's like in those areas, just shut up. Guess what, the recession that we have been in for the last 8 years actually started 9 years ago, under Slick Willy Clinton. Bush got screwed with a great economy that was on it's way down and a terror attack that had to be dealt with. This is not a political statement, I am not a political person, but I do not appreciate disrespect of the office of the President. Also, for those of you who are so Pro-Hillary, look into her heathcare plans, the country is already in debt and recession, and she wants to bring back the same healthcare system that failed in Slick Willies first two terms. It's a bad idea, and it will send the country even lower into debt spending Billions to insure people who don't have insurance. Guess what. I hate my job, I miss my old job where I made approximately the same I do now, maybe more. The reason I got a job, Health Insurance. It's pretty common practice to get Health Insurance with a good job. I'm sick of Free-loaders and welfare cases. Enough of that I suppose.

The Hills.
I was forced, against my will to watch the Hills last night (payback for all of the football and basketball games Sarah has had to Endure. I HATE REALITY TV. Especially The Hills, I want to talk to the people out there who think this show is real and not scripted in any way. IIIII Want to TAAAALK to a HILLLLSSSS VIIIEEEEWWWEER. Plead your case, because this is one of the biggest atrocities to grace a TV screen. I remember when 4Real and Garnes tries to make me watch the Prequel, Laguna Beach, I chose instead to sit in the courtyard of the Frat house, drinking, smoking cigarettes, and waiting for the show to be over. Also, there was a commercial about a new series about the Editor of a School Newspaper. What will MTV do next, and this furthers that if you are over 18 years old you should not be watching MTV. When they are doing a show about the most popular of the unpopular kids in High School, it's the "hey change the channel now" moment, at least to me.
More after the jump...

NCAA Thoughts

Hello Again Everybody,

I've been in the Basement for a couple weeks. As opposed to Rome when he goes in the basement (a.k.a unreachable because he is on vacation) I've been swamped with Cold Calls, Baby Showers, getting Married, and all the other things life throws in our way. So here's a few Basketball thoughts.

I hate brackets.
I made a handful of intelligent choices in my bracket this year. I picked some solid upsets, some worked and some didn't, I thought I was on course to have a solid bracket this year. What happened? A trained monkey would be doing better than me. Who honestly, and respectably puts four #1's in the Final Four, it has never happened and it practically promotes a BCS formula for the NCAA Tournament. And 4 #1's are in the Final Four. Dan Patrick had a poll asking if this was good for basketball, the majority said yes, I say no. It buries the cinderella idea despite the showing of Western Kentucky and Davidson (2 of the 5 upsets I picked in the first round I'll have you know).

Arizona Basketball
Ok so Arizona Basketball got bounced in the first round (1 of the 3 first round upsets I didn't get right). 2 weeks removed from the loss and here are my thoughts. I constantly had problems with some of the things that KO did as the coach. Those things are Lack of Bench inclusion and lack of Assistant Coach inclusion. Yes I am a Kirk Walters Honk. I love Big Nasty. He was coming out strong a couple years ago, go brought down by injuries and mono. We needed depth, especially big depth, especially with J-Hill enjoying fouling so much and winding up on the bench for large chunks of the game and Big Brett Brielmeyer going down with a shoulder injury. Unfotunately for whatever reason KO decided he didn't think much of the Nasty One through a good portion of the season and by the time the Cats needed him he was worth less (not worthless) because he had no confidence, no stamina, no nothing, because he had ridden the pine all season. I'm not saying he was a viable starter, but he was one step away a couple years ago, and if I were him I would be pissed. I've been shafted by a coach before, and it is bad. The only hope is that Bayless and Budinger are going to stick around another year because they wanted to play for Coach O, and weren't able to, which leads me to my next point.

Arizona Basketball...Again
Coach O is returning. KO actually did a half decent job with a team that was bound to struggle. would Coach O have taken them further in the tournament? Probably. I'm not saying that they would have beaten West Virginia because you can't stop shooting like they had. But they wouldn't have been playing West Virginia, they would have been a 7 or 6 seed somewhere because they would have had a few more wins during the regular season. They for sure would have beaten Stanford and UCLA in those games that were close. They would have beaten ASU at least once, most likely both times. My only hope is that this disappointing season (as I mentioned) leads to the return of Bayless, Budinger, and Hill. A starting line-up of Wise, Bayless, Jennings, Budinger, and Hill, with some serious talent coming off the bench, coupled with the possible loss of Pac-10 players like Mayo, Collison, Love, and the Lopez's, Arizona has a serious shot at a 1,2, or 3 seed and the Pac-10 crown. Call me a homer, I don't care.

Texas
I had Texas in my Final Four. They were playing at home the entire tournament. Augustine is good, really good. It was one of my intelligent choices. It looked solid until about 4 minutes into the game against Memphis, apparently despite their (prior) smart, efficient play, they couldn't take down the Tigers. I'm looking at best 2nd place in both my brackets, at worst, let's not talk about it. Also, to school administrators in Texas, how bout a call back? I've been leaving messages for all of you for over a week. It's a 2 hour Webinar on April 16th, I promise, it's worth it.

Coach O's Presser
I just got back from a bar (lunch break) watching Coach O's Press Conference. The loser in the Blue Button-up shirt, what the hell were you thinking. I swear to God, every 5 guestions it was his turn and he asked the dumbest questions, and was immediately dismissed by the Hall of Famer. You are a disappointment to many. Also looking back at this season, if Coach O can get back all of his guys, they WILL win 23 games next year AT LEAST and Coach O will further prove that he is one of the best coaches of All Time.

Ok that's just a sampling of recent thoughts. And as I said, Duke was WAY over rated, and I can't wait for them to flail about and lose in the first round in each of the next 6 tournaments.
More after the jump...