Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Some house cleaning...

First, I have talk about great the Cavs are doing. This is by far the best I’ve ever seen them play, and they have the best record in the NBA by 2 full games. The also happen to be 35-1 at home, so if they keep that position and have home court advantage throughout the playoffs, they are going to be very tough to beat. LeBron is LeBron, and as great of a year as he is having (an almost certain MVP), he always steps up his game in the playoffs. Mo Williams has been a sensational pickup, and has been that 2nd scorer who can run the show with LeBron on the bench that we have needed for a long time. We have the outside shooting (Mo, Delonte West, Wally) and inside presence (Big Z, Anderson Vareajo, Joe Smith) to keep any team off balance. And we can survive smaller injuries, as our bench probably goes at least 9 or 10 deep. So do I think they can finally win Cleveland a championship this year? Yes. Do I think they will? Probably not…it’s Cleveland, something will happen to break our hearts. Sorry for the pessimism, we’ve been classically conditioned. J 

Second, on top of my brackets being busted, you may have noticed my Sweet Sixteen didn’t do too well either. My 13 and 14 ranked teams are both in the Final Four. On the “bright” side, my original champion from my main bracket and the team that I ranked #1 last week is still alive, and I am more and more convinced that UNC will win it all. Man, that still hurts to write. 

Third, I forgot a few reasons to watch How I Met Your Mother. The first is that the main character, Ted, is from Ohio (Shaker Heights, specifically) and is a Cleveland Indians fan. If you look closely, he wears a shirt once or twice, and they go to an Indians game at Yankees stadium to try and cheer up Marshall. He also went to Ohio Wesleyan Univ., where I got a scholarship and considered attending before deciding on Bowling Green. The second is the great influx of guest stars in the 3rd season. I thoroughly enjoyed the appearances of Wayne Brady, Sarah Chalke, Enrique Iglesias, Mandy Moore, and even Britney Spears. 

Finally, I am leaving for New Orleans tomorrow for the Society of Industrial/Organizational Psychology Conference. Fortunately, I don’t have too many conference activities to attend, so I will mostly just be enjoying the city and catching up with friends I haven’t seen in a year. I am also hoping to do a little networking in my continued effort to find a job. On that front, I did have a phone interview for a one-year position at Gannon Univ. in Erie, PA, and I will find out this week if I get a campus interview.  If nothing else, it’s more interview experience.  So as I will be out of town, a post is unlikely this week, but I promise to post a new one on Monday. Have a great week all!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Ranking the Sweet Sixteen

First off, if you like LeBron James and stats (and I am huge fan of the former and at least pretty comfortable with the latter), here is a link to an article about how awesome of a season he is having: LBJ. I am sure I will write a post about him soon enough, but for now onto my rankings of the remaining NCAA teams (with apologies to Bret Michaels, as I am forced to kick a few of these skanks off the bus).

16. Arizona: Made a good showing after barely making the tournament, and knocked out the Cleveland State Vikings when they couldn’t buy a bucket. Unfortunately, I think the tour ends here.

15. Xavier: Don’t know much about these guys, but they always have a solid team. If Pitt comes to play, they should take care of them.

14. Villanova: Squeaked through some early round games while basically playing at home. Now go to Boston to play Duke.

13. Michigan State: A Tom Izzo coached team is always going to have a shot, and this team is talented. However, I believe (and hope for my bracket) that they will have a hard time with reigning champs, Kansas.

12. Gonzaga: Very talented team, and the only mid-major left (if they can still be called that with their consistent success), but again, your tour ends here.

11. Missouri: Gutted out a great win against Marquette, but do they have another victory in them against the defending champs?

10. Pittsburgh: Even though I believe they will get past Xavier, they failed to pull away in the first 2 rounds against highly inferior teams. Unless they focus, I don’t see them going deep.

9. Purdue: I’ve been a fan of this team most of the season, and while I think this is where they belong on this list (and I have them beating UConn in my bracket), and I am not sure they will be able to handle them.

8. Kansas: They are the reigning champs, and while they don’t have the talent they did last year, they keep finding a way to win.

7. Duke: In what was meant to be a re-tooling year for the Blue Devils, they continue to overachieve. Will their luck run out soon, or can they give Coach K an 11th Final Four appearance?

6. Oklahoma: I am not particularly high on this team as a whole, but when you have the best player in college basketball, looking at you Mr. Blake Griffin, you always have a chance.

5. Connecticut: Create matchup problems for just about everyone, especially because of Hasheem Thabeet.

4. Memphis: My pick for tourney runner-up, John Calipari always has his team ready to play. Had a scare in the 1st round, which could be a sign of weakness, or exactly what this team need.

3. Syracuse: I really thought this team would be tired after essentially playing 4 games in the 3 days during the Big East tournament. They looked great in first 2 Rds though and should be even better rested this week. Johnny Flynn is a machine.

2. Louisville: Well-coached and talented team, have the ability to beat just about anyone when the step on the court except….

1. North Carolina: Man, this hurts to write. As a Duke fan, I hate to say anything nice about the Tar Heels. Therefore, I will write only in short statements. Hansborough. Coach Williams. Healthy Ty Lawson. 2009 Champs. 

Monday, March 23, 2009

Movie Review: I Love You, Man

So I don’t often make it out to the movie theater, especially unless it’s for a movie I have been psyched to see for a while (see: upcoming Harry Potter, Angels & Demons, & Transformers). I was partially reminder of why I don’t do this, since the STUDENT tickets were $7.50 a piece and medium popcorn and water came to another $9. On a complete side note, I don’t care what a movie theater, pizza chain, or fast food joint call their sizes (i.e. regular, extra large, and super value), if you have 3 sizes, then they are small, medium, and large. So despite not going to the movie theater in quite some time, my sister is in town this week for spring break, and we went to go see I Love You, Man last night.

Let me start off my saying that this movie is the poster child for bromance. What? You don’t know what a bromance is? As the not-so-famous son of the famous Bruce Jenner would say, “A bromance is you and your boys, hanging out, no B.S.” So as you probably got from the preview, Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) is a real estate agent in L.A. who is getting married to Zoey (that girl from The Office that dated Jim before he finally got together with Pam), and he quickly realizes that he has no male friends to be in his wedding. This leads him to go on a series of “man dates” to find a best friend, where, as you can imagine hilarity ensues. Finally, as he is about to give up, he randomly meets Sydney (Jason Segel, who never shows more nudity than his shins in this movie…it’s a miracle!), and it’s a match made in heaven. How bromantic!

I really enjoyed this movie, and would give it a B+ (My sister gives it a B+ as well). This is surprising considering it relied a lot on uncomfortable humor, which I am not usually a huge fan of, but it made up for it with some great one-liners and fun character interactions (even if some of the characters did seem pretty one dimensional). It also involved a fair amount of Rush songs and jokes, and simply is no drummer better than Neil Peart! I imagine that a lot of the jokes are more relevant to guys because of the general bromance theme, but I think girls can relate to it from the standpoint of the fiancée/girlfriend and how she deals with losing time to the brolationship (Ok, I stretched a little on that one). Besides, its not actively uncomfortable for females, as some guy movies tend to be (I’ve been told Knocked Up fits into this category.

While my sister was a more than adequate companion for this movie adventure, I recommend taking the your best bro out with you and making a “man date” out of it!

Song of the Post: Rush – Tom Sawyer

Next entry coming this Wednesday: Whether your bracket is busted or not, come back and enjoy my ranking of the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tourney. By the way, my main bracket is not busted, and I still have a chance at some big money in one of my pools.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Why You Should Watch...How I Met Your Mother

I intend for this topic to be a recurring column. I watch a fair amount of TV shows, whether for a few episodes or for their entirety. Thus, I thought I would perform a public service and explain to you why some of them are so amazingly awesome that you shouldn't be wasting any more time NOT watching them.

I am currently catching up on the first 3 seasons of How I Met Your Mother. First off, is there a better and worse way to watch a TV show then through the DVDs. You don’t have to wait a week to find out what happens next like the rest of the world had to do at the time it aired. You get to absorb what writers, directors, actors, key grips, and sandwich platter guys spent years of their lives creating in just a few short days. On the flip side, if you do happen to get sucked into the show, it can be very difficult to keep yourself to just a few episodes at a time. You get into the whole “what’s 22 more minutes” zone. It can be dangerous to one’s productivity and ability to get ample sunlight.

On to the show, which is overal excellent, but I believe resonates with me so much because of its similarities to my life. The main character is a man (as am I, except on the first Friday of every month of, of course) in his mid/late 20s (which I currently am, and where I intend on remaining for about 8 more years). He is trying to find the woman who completes him, while not being completely comfortable/happy with the bar scene. He prefers hanging out at bars with his friends (where meeting said woman is highly unlikely) than going to a club (where other good things could happen, if you can somehow get a woman’s attention without losing your hearing, sweating through your only good outfit, and running a tab of 647 American dollars). Finally, he surrounds himself with an engaged couple (the majority of my friends are married or in the process of), an overly misogynistic guy (I’ve known a few…), and a female friend trying to help his cause (I have much love for the girls who have served this role in my life).

The characters are great in this show. Ted (Josh Radner) is the main character, and I think we’ve covered him pretty well. Jason Segel is brilliant as the goofy, engaged best friend Marshall, and thanks to the show being on network television, we are treated to less of his signature male nudity, ala Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Knocked Up. Notice I said less, they still find a way to fit it in here and there. Alyson Hannigan, who I’ve always been a fan of and think is under-appreciatively hot, is more or less reprising her role from the American Pie franchise as Marshall's fiancee' Lily. And newcomer Cobie Smulders not only shows off her acting chops as Robin, but she ain’t bad eye candy either.

For this last character to be discussed, I am going to hand it over to the host of Inside the Actor’s Studio on Bravo. Ladies and Gentlemen, Dean Emeritus James Lipton.

(Applause)

Lipton: Thank you. Now I want to introduce you to, possibly, nay definitely...the greatest actor that has graced both the stage and screen...in the last ten thousand years. You may know as Neil, Doogie, or simply NPH. With no more ado...Neil Patrick Harris!

NPH: Thank you, James. It’s an honor to be here.

Lipton: When you were approached to play….the character Barney…for the new hit sitcom….How I Met Your Mother…what was your reaction? And what did you hope to accomplish with this character?

NPH: Well, James. I really just want to create a fun guy, terrified of commitment, who appears to be as misogynistic and selfish as one can be. However, deep down, he is just very vulnerable and cares deeply for his friends. Plus, I wanted to give some of the best body comedy and one-liners that people who can’t afford cable had every seen. All in all, I wanted to make sure it was LEG….END….wait for it…………DARY!

Lipton: Thank you, Neil. It has been an incredible experience for everyone in a 25 miles radius, and I can now die a happy man. Join me next week when my guest will be Drew Barrymore, who is an absolute delight! ha….ha…ha

Well, wasn’t that fun?...It wasn’t?!?...Well, screw you, stop reading then!

Anyway, I don’t want to give away too much of the show. But if the teaser of episodes about a Canadian Debbie Gibson, a cock-a-mouse, and penis shaped building doesn’t wet your appetite….well then this show probably isn’t for you. But if it does, then let’s SUIT UP!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Top 10 Reasons to Love March Madness

So by popular demand, I’ve decided to give this blog thing another try. This time around, I am not going to pigeon-hole myself into one topic (i.e. sports), but will try to comment on anything and everything that I find in my little universe. This will likely include sports, music, movies, upcoming events, and even a little politics. You will also be privy to some of the intimate details of my life (won’t that be exciting!), for example, my continued job search.

I will do my best to make it interesting, humorous, and informative. In order to get a steady readership going, I am vowing to post every 3 days for at least the first 2 months, even if its just a short one. That way you don’t keep checking back thinking, “No post in two weeks…I wonder if he died? Should I inform the police? Wonder if I can have his computer?” Well, you can’t, because I will still be alive and need it for writing the blog (hope I didn’t just jinx myself there). So let’s get this show on the road, and if you enjoy these rants, please pass the link on.

Top 10 Reasons to Watch the NCAA College Basketball Tourney

Wanted to start with this very relevant sports topic because the NCAA Men’s Tourney is one of the most fun events of the year, and, like the Super Bowl, it is often enjoyed by both men and women, sports fans and non-sports fans, senior citizens and babies...alright so the babies don’t know what’s going on per se, but research would suggest they are intrigued by the bright colors and quick movements. So here’s why I think you should be watching:

10. Dick Vitale – College basketball announcers tend to be some of the most enthusiastic of any sport, and Dickie V is the Czar of the Energetic Sportscaster. As an added bonus, he’s a Tampa resident and huge Rays fan. Even if you don’t like basketball, you probably recognize his shouts of “Awesome, Baby!” or “We got a Diaper Dandy here!” Which apparently is a complement, even though it compares an 18- or 19-year-old man to a toddler that can’t control his BMs.

9. Mascot Fights – OK, so it doesn’t happen too often, but there is always a possibility. Just look at some of the potential matchups just from teams in the tourney this year: Tigers vs. Bears, Saints vs. Blue Devils, Mountaineers vs. Hilltoppers (Appalachian schools are weird), Spartans vs. Trojans, and of course, the epic Zips vs. the Mocs (what?).

8. “Favorite” team – Maybe you went to school there and attended every home game. Maybe you grew somewhere nearby and caught the occasional game on TV. Maybe your cousin’s best friend went there, and you visited once, and had so much “fun” you woke up on the steps of their Education building. It doesn’t matter! Just latch on to one player’s name, scream at your television, and no one will question whether you’ve been a Lumberjack fan since birth!

7. Household names (sort of) – Every year a few players will make themselves household names for the few weeks that the tournament is running. I still remember following West Virginia’s run a few years ago because of the play of one Kevin Pittsnogle (solid player, more solid name!). Despite numerous tryouts, he has played a grand total of zero NBA minutes. Last year, it was Stephon Curry, and the jury is still out on what kind of player he will be. However, this is your only chance to follow their 15 minutes of fame before the draft gurus get their hands on them and start picking apart all the reasons their game isn’t suited for the NBA…

6. Draft preview - …on the flip side, thanks to the new-ish age limit in the NBA, this is your only chance to see how far the superstars can take their teams (I’m looking at you Blake Griffin). Kevin Durant (Texas) and O.J. Mayo (USC) couldn’t produce deep runs for their teams, but Melo got Syracuse a championship. Will Sooner fans be so lucky?

5. National Tourney Day – Granted, I don’t have a real work schedule, and can take days off whenever I want. However, someday I will have a “real” job, and that is why I have been pushing for the first Thursday of the tournament to be national holiday for years now. 16 games on TV, spread out almost perfectly throughout the whole day (I still don’t understand the break in games from 5-7ish), with everyone’s brackets still intact for most of it. Sure, there are just as many games on Friday, but a little bit of the shine has worn off since then. So come this Thursday, get yourself a 12-pack and a good seat in front of the TV!

4. Upsets – You don’t have to have any interest in either team in a game to turn it on and root for the underdogs. If you come across a #4-#13 matchup, are you really going to root for Wake Forest, a perennial powerhouse, who make the tournament every year, usually as a #1-#6 seed? Or are you going to root for Cleveland State (I know I will!), who hasn’t been to the tournament since 1986 and that one win would make their century as a basketball program? Obviously, I like this example, but this scenario works for any game with a seed #3-#7 playing in any game against a seed #10-#14.

3. Super-upsets!?! – For those of you that don’t know, a #16 seed has never beaten a #1 seed in the 96 games played between them since the tourney expanded in 1985. In fact, only 5 of those teams came within 5 points! But the law of averages would say that some little team is going to get hot, run into the perfect storm, and knock off one of the big boys. Don’t you want to say you were watching when that happened? Plus, imagine how much “fun” it would be for the fans of the #1 (for example, if it was UNC) to hear the stat that they were the only team to ever lose like that….EVERY…SINGLE…MARCH.  Don’t like those odds?  4 #15 seeds have beaten #2 seeds out of the 96 matchups (4%)…slightly more likely and would still make for an exciting game.

2. Deep runs – Upsets are great for all the reasons mentioned above. But let’s take it a step further. That plucky little #12 seed knocks of the #5 in the first round on pure adrenaline, and then they get hot from three and pull off another upset against the #4. Now, they suddenly have a sweet 16 game with a week off for the whole country to discuss why they were underrated and why they have a chance to pull off another one. The whole country is talking about them, how they ruined their office bracket, and whether they could really make the Final Four. No big pressure for a team that won the MEAC and hadn’t ever beaten a Top 25 team until last week. Anybody who remembers the George Mason run from a few years ago knows how cool this can be.

1. Brackets – It’s the one sports gambling pool that everyone can get into. Billions of dollars of productivity are lost every year while people research, fill out, and follow their brackets. Your average sports fan will read every article he or she can find, analyze the teams and matchups, carefully script how the tournament will play out, and fill out 2-6 brackets just to cover the extra bases. And you know what…every single one of those brackets will be destroyed by this Sunday! We all know the person who is going win:  your buddy’s girlfriend, who has never watched a basketball game for more than 2 minutes, has never heard of the Dayton Flyers, and figured American University would have to have a deep run since they had a whole country behind them. But at least when you head to the bars with them in April, you can take solace in knowing you helped pay for the new shoes she’s stepping out in. Or maybe not… but it’s all part of what makes March Madness so great!