F.W. Pudding Pie

Super Bowl Predictions

2011-02-03T07:23:00.000-08:00

OK, so I didn't do too well on my playoff predictions. I challenge you to find someone who did!

Here are some Super Bowl predictions. Just throwing these out there...

Coinflip winner:
Pittsburgh

Halftime Score:
Pittsburgh 14, Green Bay 13

Stats:
Ben Roethlisberger
14-29, 147 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs

Aaron Rodgers
21-31, 257 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

MVP:
Aaron Rodgers

Final Score:
Green Bay 27, Pittsburgh 21

NFL Playoff Predictions

2011-01-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

Here are some predictions for the 2011 NFL Playoffs. Probably not a good idea to take these to the bank, but you never know...

NFC

Wild Card
Green Bay 31, Philadelphia 16
New Orleans 27, Seattle 17

Divisional
Atlanta 28, Green Bay 24
Chicago 17, New Orleans 16

Conference
Atlanta 23, Chicago 13

AFC

Wild Card
New York Jets 24, Indianapolis 20
Baltimore 20, Kansas City 16

Divisional
New England 27, New York Jets 14
Baltimore 19, Pittsburgh 13

Conference
New England 33, Baltimore 10

Super Bowl
New England 31, Atlanta 23

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

F.W. Pudding Pie would like to wish you all the best this holiday season. And a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year as well.

Here's to a great 2011!

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 9

2010-11-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

Last week's record: 5-8-0 (Bill Simmons' record: 8-5-0)

Season: 54-58-5 (Bill Simmons' record: 62-50-5)

Buccaneers (+8.5) over FALCONS
BILLS (+3) over Bears
Patriots (-4.5) over BROWNS
Jets (-4) over LIONS
VIKINGS (-8) over Cardinals
Saints (-6.5) over PANTHERS
Dolphins (+5) over RAVENS
Chargers (-3) over TEXANS
SEAHAWKS (+7) over Giants
Chiefs (+2.5) over RAIDERS
Colts (+3) over EAGLES
Cowboys (+7.5) over PACKERS
BENGALS (+4.5) over Steelers

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 8

2010-10-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

Last week's record: 5-9-0 (Bill Simmons' record: 8-6-0)

Season: 49-50-5 (Bill Simmons' record: 54-45-5)

Broncos (+2) over Niners
BENGALS (-1.5) over Dolphins
CHIEFS (-7.5) over Bills
RAMS (-3) over Panthers
JETS (-6) over Packers
Redskins (+2.5) over LIONS
COWBOYS (-6.5) over Jaguars
CHARGERS (-3.5) over Titans
PATRIOTS (-4) over Vikings
Seahawks (+2.5) over RAIDERS
CARDINALS (-3) over Bucs
SAINTS (PK) over Steelers
COLTS (-5.5) over Texans

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 7

2010-10-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

Last week's record: 5-7-2 (Bill Simmons' record: 6-6-2)

Season: 44-41-5 (Bill Simmons' record: 46-39-5)

FALCONS -3.5 over Bengals
BEARS (-3) over Redskins
TITANS (-3) over Eagles
Steelers (-3) over DOLPHINS
SAINTS (-13) over Browns
BUCS (-2.5) over Rams
RAVENS (-13) over Bills
Jaguars (+9) over CHIEFS
PANTHERS (+3) over Niners
Cardinals (+6.5) over SEAHAWKS
CHARGERS (-3) over Patriots
Raiders (+8.5) over BRONCOS
PACKERS (-2.5) over Vikings
COWBOYS (-2.5) over Giants

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 6

2010-10-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

Last week's record: 9-5-0 (Bill Simmons' record: 9-5-0)

Season: 39-34-3 (Bill Simmons' record: 40-33-3)

STEELERS (-13.5) over Browns
BUCS (+4.5) over Saints
Chargers (-8.5) over RAMS
Dolphins (+3) over PACKERS
Falcons (+3) over EAGLES
Ravens (+3) over PATRIOTS
Chiefs (+4.5) over TEXANS
GIANTS (-10) over Lions
Seahawks (+6.5) over BEARS
Raiders (+7) over NINERS
BRONCOS (+3) over Jets
Cowboys (+1.5) over VIKINGS
Colts (-3) over REDSKINS
Titans (-3) over JAGS

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 5

2010-10-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

Last week's record: 8-6-0 (Bill Simmons' record: 6-8-0)

Season: 30-29-3 (Bill Simmons' record: 31-28-3)

BENGALS (-6.5) over Bucs
Falcons (-3) over BROWNS
Jags (-1) over BILLS
COLTS (-7) over Chiefs
LIONS (-3) over Rams
Packers (-2.5) over REDSKINS
PANTHERS (-1) over Bears
RAVENS (-7) over Broncos
TEXANS (-3) over Giants
CARDS (+7) over Saints
Titans (+7) over COWBOYS
RAIDERS (+6) over Chargers
49ERS (-3.5) over Eagles
JETS (-4) over Vikings

2010 MLB Playoff Predictions

2010-10-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

The MLB Playoffs are upon us! There's something about the sights and sounds of baseball in the Fall that get me geeked up. And as a Phillies fan, I couldn't be more excited right now.

Objectively speaking (as much as I can be objective), the Phillies are the favorites to come out of the National League. Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels are three powerful forces to be reckoned with. Not to mention the rest of the lineup. What team can handle the likes of Utley, Howard, Werth and Ibanez?

And in the American League? Well, it's a tough call, but I'd say the Rays are the favorites, but you always have to beware of the big, bad Yankees.

Here's my stab at how it'll all shake out. Enjoy the playoffs, everyone!

National League

Phillies over Reds in 4

Giants over Braves in 3

- - -

Phillies over Giants in 6

American League

Rays over Rangers in 3

Yankees over Twins in 4

- - -

Rays over Yankees in 6

World Series

Phillies over Rays in 5

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 4

2010-10-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

Last week's record: 8-8-0 (Bill Simmons' record: 10-6-0)

Season: 22-23-3 (Bill Simmons' record: 25-20-3)

Ravens (+1.5) over STEELERS
TITANS (-6.5) over Broncos
Bengals (-3) over BROWNS
Lions (+14.5) over PACKERS
Panthers (+13.5) over SAINTS
49ers (+7) over FALCONS
Seahawks (-1) over RAMS
Jets (-5.5) over BILLS
Colts (-7) over JAGUARS
Texans (-3) over RAIDERS
Cardinals (+8) over CHARGERS
Redskins (+5.5) over EAGLES
GIANTS (-4) over Bears
DOLPHINS (+1) over Patriots

Will We Boo McNabb?

2010-09-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Donovan McNabb makes his return to Philadelphia. He'll be wearing the gawd awful burgundy and gold with his new team, the already-hated Washington Redskins.

The question many have been pondering is "Will the fans boo McNabb?" Here's my take.

Before heading down I-95 to play for the enemy, #5 led the Eagles to multiple 10 win seasons, NFC Championship games, and one Super Bowl appearance. Whether he accomplished a lot is no argument - the Eagles had never seen that sustained level of success they saw with McNabb.

However, there are a few important points to mention. First, he never got over the hump. Given 5 opportunities to advance to a Super Bowl, McNabb only led us to one. And given the opportunity to win that one, he came up short. It's always tough to appreciate what you have when you have it, but it's even tougher to appreciate what you have when you think you should have had even more.

Second, it appeared that McNabb didn't quite feel our pain when he failed to clear these hurdles. Philly fans appreciate hard work, but also appreciate accountability, and it seemed McNabb was content with these shortcomings. Often, he'd shrug off serious questions or apply lip service to them, saying what he thought the fans wanted to hear and often missing the boat.

There's another factor that plays into what I think will happen on Sunday: how well the Eagles are playing right now. Currently, we have a quarterback at the helm who is playing better than McNabb and who many think is playing the way McNabb should have been playing throughout his career, by displaying mobility when the pocket breaks down. Michael Vick is doing everything right thus far, and Eagles fans are feeling quite good about themselves. Does that translate into boos or cheers?

One could take this to mean two different things. Either fans will cheer for McNabb and show respect for what he brought to this team over the last decade because they are generally in a good mood about the team; or, fans will already be in a booing mood for the Skins and keep that momentum going as #5 trots onto the field - sort of a "who needs him anyway?" mentality because things are looking good for our guys right now.

Honestly, I don't think the reaction will lean one way or another. I think we'll have a combination of boos and cheers. Some fans will be riled up already and want to boo the enemy through and through. Some fans won't be in that mode quite yet, as the kickoff wouldn't be happening a few minutes down the line anyways from when he first steps onto the field.

If I could quantify it, I'd say the ratio would be 60-40, boo-to-cheer. I think fans will do what it takes to fire up this team and the rest of the crowd this Sunday afternoon just to get a victory against our hated rival.

Some fans will be wearing their old McNabb Eagles' jerseys on Sunday. Some fans will be attending burning parties for those same jerseys. All fans will have McNabb on their mind one way or another.

One thing is clear - nearly 100% of this stadium will want to see the Iggles come out victorious and stay atop the NFC East. There will be some love. There will be some hate. Booing and cheering will both be part of the equation.

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 3

2010-09-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

Last week's record: 6-9-1 (Bill Simmons' record: 8-7-1)

Season: 14-15-3 (Bill Simmons' record: 15-14-3)

GIANTS (-3) over Titans
Steelers (-2.5) over BUCS
Browns (+10.5) over RAVENS
PATRIOTS (-14.5) over Bills
Falcons (+4) over SAINTS
CHIEFS (+2.5) over Niners
Bengals (-3) over PANTHERS
SEAHAWKS (+5.5) over Chargers
Redskins (-3.5) over RAMS
Lions (+11) over VIKINGS
TEXANS (-3) over Cowboys
Colts (-5.5) over BRONCOS
Eagles (-3) over JAGS
CARDINALS (-4.5) over Raiders
DOLPHINS (-2) over Jets
Packers (-3) over BEARS

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 2

2010-09-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

Last week's record: 8-6-2 (Bill Simmons' record: 7-7-2)

PACKERS (-13) over Bills
VIKINGS (-5.5) over Dolphins
FALCONS (-6.5) over Cards
BENGALS (+2.5) over Ravens
BROWNS (-2) over Chiefs
COWBOYS (-7.5) over Bears
TITANS (-5) over Steelers
PANTHERS (-3.5) over Bucs
Eagles (-6.5) over LIONS
Seahawks (+3.5) over BRONCOS
RAIDERS (-3.5) over Rams
CHARGERS (-7) over Jaguars
REDSKINS (+3) over Texans
COLTS (-5) over Giants
Pats (-3) over JETS
NINERS (+5) over Saints

A New Season. A New Identity.

2010-09-16T14:13:00.001-07:00

A new season begins tonight in the AJBL. And, with it, comes a new identity for me. Currently, I am one of two players on my team wearing the number “6”. I am being switched to number “7” as a result. (Interestingly enough, the other number “6” on my team was my first ever coach in organized basketball some 23+ years ago. He led us to a championship that season and is a great man, so I would defer to him every time.)

What’s the big deal, you might ask? In sports, a player’s number becomes part of his identity. Name and number go hand in hand. Historically, numbers are synonymous with the greats – most of us can name the most famous number “3” in baseball, number “23” in basketball and number “99” in hockey, for instance. When a player starts his career, he chooses a number for whatever reason. It may be his favorite number. His favorite player may have worn it. He thinks it’s a cool looking digit or two. Or it’s a lucky number or superstitious type of thing. He hopes one day this number will be retired and forever be a reminder of how great a player he was.

As for me, I’ve worn a few numbers over the years. I recall choosing to wear number “8” way before Kobe chose it. I simply liked the number. I later went on to wear number “11”, as I was a huge Isaiah Thomas fan when I was a kid. I’ve also worn numbers “1” and “10”, most likely as smaller numbers were given to the smaller kids, and I was certainly always among the smallest on my team. And I was OK with these and grew to like them as well. Penny Hardaway and Maurice Cheeks anyone?

I’ve played 4 seasons in the AJBL all as the number “6”. As you may know, the great Julius Erving wore this number on the Sixers. So when I was given that number, I was just fine with that. Would I become a legend in this league like Dr. J was in the pros? When a foul was called, sometimes I’d aid the referee in identifying myself so he didn’t have to turn me around to see what number I was. Well, now I have to reprogram. Re-identify. Is it really a big deal?

To me, it might take a game to get used to it. Certainly the feel of the ironed on character on my back won’t be that different, will it? I should hope not. My new jersey might have that new car smell. Shouldn’t take long to sweat it up!

For starters, it should be enough that the number ”7” is considered lucky to many people. I’ll gladly accept that. But there’s more than luck to this game. If I’m not playing like Julius Erving – dare I imply that I ever did! – who will I be emulating this season? Off-hand, I couldn’t even think of any famous “7”s in basketball. I Googled it right away, and the first few players that I found were quite impressive. Kenny Anderson anyone? A stud at Georgia Tech, who I quickly took a liking to in the early 90s. Tiny Archibald? A hall-of-famer! Perhaps the greatest player on this list might be another hall-of-famer, “Pistol” Pete Maravich. Truly a magician on the basketball court. Transitioning to this number shouldn’t be so difficult after all.

So here’s to a fantastic season. I hope I can achieve even the slightest morsel of what the greats before me have achieved. A no-look pass here, a reverse lay-up there. Who knows what will be in store? I do know one thing – I’ll already have luck on my side….or rather, on my back.

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 1

2010-09-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

This year I'm going on record with my NFL picks against the spread (ATS). No analysis here - just a run down of who I like to cover in each game. I'll use the point spreads that Bill Simmons (ESPN's "Sports Guy") uses. Let's see how well I do!

SAINTS (-5) over Vikings
GIANTS (-7) over Panthers
Packers (-3) over EAGLES
Dolphins (-3) over BILLS
STEELERS (+2) over Falcons
BEARS (-6) over Lions
Bengals (+4.5) over PATRIOTS
Colts (-2) over TEXANS
TITANS (-6) over Raiders
Broncos (+2.5) over JAGS
BUCS (-2.5) over Browns
Niners (-3) over SEAHAWKS
Cardinals (-4) over RAMS
Ravens (+2.5) over JETS
Chargers (-5) over CHIEFS
REDSKINS (+3.5) over Cowboys

My NFL Predictions

2010-09-08T09:38:00.001-07:00

This year should be a good one, with New Orleans looking to repeat and most of the attention and pressure on the NY Jets. Will teams like Oakland, Cleveland, and Detroit jump out of their perennial cellar-dweller spots? Will the NFC South flip its standings once again? Will Pittsburgh bounce back from a sub-par season? Many questions to be answered this season. I can't wait to see how it all plays out.

This summer I created a fun little Excel spreadsheet to ease the process of picking games and alleviate the headache of ensuring total wins and losses are the same. Fun times, I tell ya.

Without further ado....

NFC East
NYG 12-4
DAL 10-6
WAS 8-8
PHI 6-10

NFC North
GB 13-3
MIN 9-7
CHI 7-9
DET 2-14

NFC South
NO 11-5
ATL 9-7
CAR 7-9
TB 4-12

NFC West
SF 10-6
SEA 7-9
ARI 6-10
STL 3-13

AFC East
NE 12-4
NYJ 11-5
MIA 9-7
BUF 3-13

AFC North
BAL 13-3
CIN 10-6
PIT 9-7
CLE 3-13

AFC South
IND 12-4
HOU 9-7
TEN 9-7
JAX 4-12

AFC West
SD 12-4
DEN 7-9
OAK 5-11
KC 4-12

Playoffs

Wildcard
NFC
NO over ATL
DAL over SF

AFC
NE over CIN
NYJ over SD

Divisional Round
NFC
NYG over NO
GB over DAL

AFC
NE over IND
BAL over NYJ

Conference Champs
NFC
GB over NYG

AFC
BAL over NE

Super Bowl
GB over BAL

Phillies Phun Phacts

2010-08-29T15:29:00.001-07:00

The Phillies recorded their 16th shutout of the year this afternoon against the Padres, winning 5-0. So, of the 73 wins they have, better than 1-in-5 are via the goose egg.

Overall, the Phils have surrendered 526 runs in their 130 games this year - good for 4.05 runs allowed per game. However, they've really allowed this same amount of runs over 114 games, which is good for 4.61 runs per game. And in those games, they're a .500 ball club, at 57-57.

Kind of shaky statistics when they do allow runs in a ballgame, especially since their bats have gone cold lately. But 16 shutouts is very impressive, especially since 5 have come in August, so I'll take this as a great sign that the pitching is rounding into terrific form as we head down the stretch.

Let's just hope those bats wake up come September. Go Phillies!!!

Uni Thoughts

2010-08-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

In no particular order:

- I was watching the Phillies-Giants game last night and thought to myself, "Why don't the Phillies wear their secondary patch on their uniforms like the Giants (and Orioles, as another example) do?" I think it would look pretty fly. As of now, they just wear their numbers on one sleeve, and I believe a patch for Robin Roberts on the other. Normally, that other sleeve would just be blank. Why not add this?

And on top of that, I wouldn't be opposed to seeing a new road uniform for the Phils. If "SAN FRANCISCO" can fit on a uniform, well, so can "PHILADELPHIA". Why not? Lack of Photoshop or Illustrator skills are keeping me from showing what I mean. Just think the Giants road unis in the Phillies colors with a Phillies patch and "Philadelphia" where all the Giants stuff is.

- I'm very happy that a few teams have changed their unis in the NBA. Happiest with the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers. Other teams should take note - just because you have more jersey and short to work with, doesn't mean you need to fill it with crap. Talkin' to you, Clippers and Hawks, to name only a couple.

- With the NFL season fast approaching, I'm excited for a few things. The Eagles are busting out some beautiful throwbacks in week 1 against the Packers (and hopefully some other weeks as well). I was excited to see the Colts where those nice dark blue helmets against the 49ers in the preseason, but more baffled that we didn't see a home blue jersey to go along with it. I hope that changes. And those Packers are also wearing navy jerseys for a game or two this season. Should be fun to look at!

And I'd be remiss *again* not to mention my disgust and disdain for the current Cardinals, Vikings, Jaguars, Bills and Bengals unis. Seriously, guys. Seriously. It doesn't have to be this way! (Not even wasting my time putting up links for these monstrosities.)

Best NBA Home Uniform - My Turn!

2010-07-26T17:13:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, BleacherReport.com put out their rankings of (what they thought were) the top home unis in the NBA. Well, I read the list, and, well, I disagreed with pretty much all of it. I'm not saying the person who wrote the list (Mr. Felkey, I'm lookin' at you, kid) has little clue of what he's talking about. I'm just sayin'.

So, I tried my hand at my own list. What I did was pretty frickin' awesome, if I may toot my own vuvuzela for a moment. I paired up each team against each other team, so as to have a complete 29-game round-robin schedule. No RPI and SOS discussions will ruin this masterpiece. What I came up with was quite different from Mr. Felkey's list. And, to be 100% honest and biased, it's a much more scientifically accurate ranking. It just is. I'm a uni guy - I know these things.

Before I begin, I will point out that I moved the Lakers and the Knicks from the 2nd and 15th spots, respectively, to where they are now after the round-robin (scroll down to find out, bucko). I just couldn't keep the Lakers up that high, as the longer I stared at their home unis (the yellow ones, not the actually more impressive white ones) the more I longed for the old-school versions. Also, the Knicks would have fared better with a better collar and the black-less uniforms from years past. But they still have uniforms worthy of the upper echelon in the NBA.

Also, I do have a weak stomach for piping and side panel messes. And I have an affinity for blue. Let's take those Rockets, for instance....enjoy....

30. Houston

When these came out, I was immediately turned off by the frailness of the design. It is a cool logo, but the sides of the jersey make it look like a blouse and there simply is no boldness to it. Had these been blue, they may have gotten a win or two in my round robin.

29. Washington

Take some Bullets and shoot these things, Gilbert. See what I did there?

28. Minnesota

Too much piping and cuteness here. I long for the original Wolves uniforms. The font kills it. Absolutely kills it.

27. Atlanta

Don't get me started on the Hawks' color scheme. Why are they red and blue??? The 3D lettering and piping is disgusting. Bring me back some Human Highlight Film uniforms!

26. Sacramento

They got too cute with this new uniform. It's generic and not so much fun to look at. Not a fan of the off-centered numerals on the front.

25. Utah

Can't wait for the new unis to come out. These are much better than the final years of Stockton and Malone, but they're not too much fun. Piping!!!

24. Milwaukee

What the Buck?!! I used to live in Milwaukee, so I can say that. The green and red are solid, but too shiny. The lettering needs to even out. I hate the big first and last letters. They're corny as hell, which is more appropriate for an Iowa or Nebraska team. Go back to the Moncrief days, please!

23. Dallas

Slightly better than their close relatives from Sac-town, probably cuz of the blue in there.

22. Oklahoma City

Big fan of the plain, old school style, but there's gotta be more to a uniform than this. The entire branding of this team baffles me. Still waiting for the overhaul. Will there be one soon?

21. Phoenix

Sides are too thick. And that floating circle irritates me more and more. Why not just get rid of it? That would be an instant hike 5 spots in these rankings.

20. Detroit

Might be the first big surprise of these rankings. The Pistons had sweeter unis in the 80s, and for some reason they think they've improved on those. The font is bland and weak. It's really a blah uniform.

19. Toronto

It's a sleek design, but it's missing something. Perhaps history, I don't know. I do know the color scheme isn't helping.

18. New Jersey Nets

They could stand to get new jerseys. Get it? I'm on fire, really. "NETS" is too big, but the color scheme gets them to this level of mediocrity from that of the Kings and Mavs.

17. Denver

Felkey loves these. I say the shine is their demise. Powder blue is a great color, but the design is weak. Less would be more in this case. Let the powder blue carry you, is what I always say. Heck, if they went with that shade at home and navy on the road, I'd be in sky blue heaven.

16. Cleveland

Love the template. The wine and gold is played out again. Those "CAVS" alts really should make a comeback. My Decision is final here.

15. Orlando

I like what the Magic have done here, with the bold "Magic" on their chest. The piping and striping still take away from what could be a much better design.

14. Philadelphia 76ers

Oh. So. Close. All the Sixers had to do was completely go back to their 80s design and not continue to tease us. The different colored letters and numbers flat out piss me off. Not to mention whatever weirdness they decided to cloud the sides with. Ugh.

13. Miami

Quite frankly, this is a great design. Bron-Bron will look good in this uniform. It's just missing something to vault it into the top 10. Perhaps it's the color scheme I don't love.

12. Memphis

I immediately think Stanford when I see these. I think this is one of the best color schemes in sports. Also see: L.A. Galaxy. But just as I didn't think Stanford fully grabbed me with their font, so don't these.

11. New Orleans

Number 1? Hardly. If anything, the pinstripes take away from it. "New Orleans" is a pretty busy name to have on your chest as it is. Great colors for a great city that I've never been to. Just a little too busy for my liking.

10. Portland

I'll complain about the upper-case "BLAZERS" all night long. All night. All night long. All night. The font is weak. This could be a top-5.

9. Indiana

Reminiscent of the Magic uniforms, but done a little better, in my opinion. You could argue these are underrated. But I won't, cuz it might inspire some schmuck to make his own list.

8. New York Knicks

The black trim kills these unis. Why, why, why? And the collar. What's up with that? Another great uniform gone wrong, but still a top-10 one.

7. Los Angeles Lakers

Great uniforms. Crisp. Bright. Nice cut. I like how they updated them, but the numbers get to me. And as mentioned above, I prefer the white ones. Those are really neat-o.

6. San Antonio Spurs

This is a classic uniform that hasn't been tarnished for the most part. And you can't even say the addition of black has ruined them. Ha! The color scheme works with this blue-collar team, although not one of my all-time faves. Still, the design is awesome and it's a template I wish more teams would use. Talkin' to you, Houston and Minnesota.

5. Golden State Warriors

Now, I'm going out on a slight limb here (a twig?) to say these unis will mostly resemble "The City" uniform from the past. Judging from the jersey, it looks like they will. And those things are beautiful.

4. Los Angeles Clippers

I'm proud of this team for grinding through years of suckitude to make it to the top 5 of these here rankings. Way to hang in there, fellas. Quite frankly, these are great uniforms. I'd tweak the thick side stripes a little thinner. Do that and these contend for the title. The cursive "Clippers". Need I say more?

3. Charlotte Bobcats

In what could be the most surprising in these rankings, the Bobcats have landed in the top 5. Why? The color scheme is wonderful. The crispness of the uniform on the whole. The pinstripes work for these guys. It's not over the top, while pushing the envelope a little bit. It passes the eye test for me with flying colors.

2. Boston Celtics

A true classic. The Lakers and Sixers could have followed suit 100% and been up here with them. These have stood the test of time. Nuff said.

1. Chicago Bulls

What we have here is a work of art. The trim, font, shorts design. It's all here. You simply can't mess these up. Too bad Lebron isn't going to be wearing these. Although an even better player once did. How did that look to you? (Image courtesy of Bleacher Report, ironically enough.)

What are the biggest discrepancies between the two lists, you ask? The Warriors, Pacers, and Sixers jumped up 17, 12, and 10 spots, respectively, in my list. The biggest losers were Dallas (13 spots), Denver (13), Houston (14), and Milwaukee (15). Sorry, guys. Your work is cut out for you.

Comments welcome. Vote in the poll to the right on who has the better list, if you dare! As always, thanks for reading.

Phillies Thoughts

2010-07-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

Unless something is done – and fast - it appears this season won’t end up like the last two for the Phillies, with a trip to the playoffs and the World Series. There seems to be a lot of panic with the fans, but can we really blame this team for their performance thus far? Injuries top the list as the major factor for the lack of production. To me, this is as good excuse as any. The bench players have not stepped up. But are they supposed to replace production completely? They’re bench players for a reason. Wilson Valdez is no Jimmy Rollins. Juan Castro is no Chase Utley.

I saw a stat in last night’s broadcast that the Phillies were 39-32 with Chase Utley and 9-12 without him. There’s no better stat than that. Chase is a major contributor on this team. When he’s out, things change drastically.

Take Jimmy Rollins’ absence as well. He has been out for a huge part of this season. I guarantee this team hasn’t performed as well without him either. Not to mention, you take a leader out of the clubhouse and a lot more changes than you and I realize.

With key players out of the lineup, Charlie Manuel has been forced to switch it up - a lot. He’s probably never had the same lineup for an entire week. It’s hard to get into a rhythm that way. These guys are ball players, but they're also human.

So, now, it appears that Jayson Werth is on the trading block. This is another issue. His production has been down in a contract year for him, but there have been bright spots that should force this team and its fans to see beyond this year and into the longer term. He still leads the National League in doubles. Granted, his batting average has dropped by over 100 points since batting something like .349 on May 3, he’s still someone with plenty of skill that can help this team in the future, if not the next few months. Do we really need to get rid of him in the short term? Sure, it appears they can bring up Domonic Brown and potentially replenish the farm system, but I’m not so sure Brown is ready. Is there a way to keep both in this system? Why not bring him up next year and bolster the bench that way?

I’ll also throw in the potential for a trade for Roy Oswalt. Two Roys on the same team would be nice, especially of their caliber, but isn’t Oswalt on the downswing of his career? Someone prove me wrong here. It looks like suddenly this team can’t hold more than one stud pitcher at a time. Let’s not make such a swift move here if we can’t back him up in the coming months with good offensive production. And what's to say we can keep both Roys for next season?

The Phillies might not make the playoffs this year, but I don’t want this rush of success in the past few years and sudden panic to affect what could still be a dominant team for years to come. The injury bug can’t hit us the same way next year, can it? I’d trade in a sub-par year for a promising 2011 and 2012 any day. I’d say most fans would.

ESPN Fail

2010-07-07T20:16:00.001-07:00

Hey now, I'm in all stars...

2010-06-25T22:55:00.000-07:00

I was checking up on the USA v. Algeria soccer match the other day and found myself staring at the Algerian flag. It's nothing spectacular, but I noticed the five-point star and its tilt. Right away, I realized I could do something with my initials. Could this be the logo that was meant to be? (And would I need to take a trip to Algeria to realize my destiny or something? We'll hold off on that part for now.)

After some doodling, I took to the trusty Paint program on my ancient computer and dirtied up a couple renditions of what I think looks pretty neat-o. Check it out below. Feel free to comment or even help a brother out with your (most likely) superior CAD skills. And make sure to check out my previous doodles in case you don't exactly know what I'm talking about!

More Personal Logos

2010-06-09T11:47:00.001-07:00

I came across an article on confiscated counterfeit sports gear on Philly.com, and in one of the photos was a Flyers jersey. I took what I saw - I also fooled around with this idea in my last logo post - and made a quick and dirty personal "DF" logo.

Anyway, I have drawn a lot more logos since my last post. I worked a lot with interwoven figures and was inspired by the Phillies and Sixers logos and baseball logos in general. Check them out below!

Personal Logo Design

2010-06-08T22:33:00.001-07:00

Over the years, I've developed an interest in designing my own personal logo. This has manifested itself through mostly sketches and doodles on notepads and Post-It notes during working and non-working hours. Inspiration has come in spurts, the largest of which took place today. Ultimately, I'd like to be able to slap a "DF" or "DJF" (can you guess my middle name?) logo on everything I do, whether it be a resume or this here website or whatever endeavor(s) I decide to take on down the road.

Below are over 200 logos I sketched out over a span of a few hours. Check 'em out and feel free to pick out your favorites!

I started out pretty basic, trying to keep a steady font. My favorites here are #2 and #4.

Creativity seemed to be lacking here. I like #15 a lot, though.

On this page, I experimented with mirror/inverse images. I like #28. It looks like a face with glasses on and one lens broken.

Here I was experimenting with ten-keys (number pads) and grids. I'm an accountant, so this makes sense! Hard to see the numbers here, but #40 at the top is my favorite. It seems to incorporate a plus sign in addition to a grid and a number sign. Not too shabby.

Continuing along with the number sign and grid inspiration. A little more bubbly. Nothing really sticks here, but I think one or two could use some sprucing up and look a lot better.

On this page I went back to messing with lowercase and uppercase, testing out all 3 of my initials. I sort of stumbled onto #74. Like it a lot. Also a fan of #72 and #76.

Here, I'm messing around with shadowing (primarily with the "F" in my name, as that's the only letter I can seem to figure out how to do) and combining two initials. Big fan of #83, #86, and #87.

Incorporating a dollar sign was a bit too difficult, so instead I turned to shading and negative space, a la the USA Network logo. Neat how some of this turned out. I like #99, #111, and #112.

Went back to some simpler designs here, as I started using sharper edges and a triangular "D". I like #130, #132, #133, #135, and #136.

Started thinking a little more outside of the box here. Some interesting designs, in my opinion. I like #143, #150, #152, and #154.

No doubt inspired by the Philadelphia Flyers here. We're in the heart of the Stanley Cup Finals, so what did you expect? Works out well with my initials in an inverted kind of way. I like #172, #173, and #175.

Clocks, targets, and bullseyes were the inspiration here. Got a little bubbly. Nothing too extraordinary, but I like #180 and #186.

#191 might be my overall favorite here. I used shadowing and the plus sign as my inspiration to come up with it. #188 was the precursor. I also used math symbols to come up with #195, #196 and #199.

Seems here I got my inspiration from the symbol of The Artist Formerly But More Recently Known As Prince and The Dan Patrick Show. I like #203 and #207. I used the T-account symbol for #211.

Let me know what you think! My next task is to get these designs onto Photoshop or Illustrator, clean them up a bit and add some color. Thanks for reading!

AJBL - Semifinals

2010-06-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

Another hot one out there today. I wouldn't be shocked if it was 100 degrees in the gym. But the game must be played, and played it was.

One thing we did do was not give up an early lead. Check. No team really gained any separation, as solid plays were made on offense on both sides. I made an early reverse lay-up and that got me pumped up. At half, it was 22-20, bad guys.

The other team had a second big threat that we hadn't seen in either game we played against them during the regular season. It lead to some matchup problems, and I'd say the other guys had an edge on the boards because of it. But also, we couldn't defend as well down low.

Our two top scorers struggled on the offensive end as well, missing easy baskets. Knock a few more down and it may have been a different story.

We lost a close one, 46-40. Season over. The other team had too much size and it really hurt us. We did shut them down from the outside, but it didn't matter.

As for me, I had a sweet knifing dribble-drive from the top of the key for an easy lay-up to follow up my other points. I only shot one other time, going baseline, but coming up short on the lay-up. Defensively, I played well, with many deflections. I forced a turnover late in the game that gave us some hope. I didn't get the ball too much on offense or on the break, but again, if those easy shots fall for our big men, it would have been a different story. I can't complain.

Stat line: 4 pts, ~1 assist, ~1 reb.

Uni-tracker: White jersey, Blue Nike Dri-fit shorts, "Milwaukee" undershirt, completely soaked through in sweat. Eeewwwwwww.

Regular season: 10-4
Playoffs: 1-1
Total: 11-5

Great season. These guys (and gal) were fun to play with. Very competitive all season. Now it's my chance to work on my free throws, lay-ups, and general conditioning to come back strong for the Fall.

AJBL - Quarterfinals

2010-06-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

We earned the #3 seed and were up against a #6-seeded team we had beaten twice soundly. I was expecting their big bully to show up, but apparently he blew out an ankle. So be it. It worked to their favor, as they were much quicker on the court despite only having 6 players show.

We got off to another slow start in this one and were down 11-1 before we knew it. I had a chance to cut into the lead as I picked the point guard cleanly and had a breakaway opportunity. The only problem - my goggles were knocked around and I couldn't see! In hindsight, I should have pulled up and waited for my teammates. Instead, I clanked the ball off the backboard. Oops.

It didn't matter, as we roared back with a 10-0 run of our own to tie it up. It was a tight one throughout the first half, and we were tied at 21 at the break.

We clamped down on defense in the second half, shutting down their big man. We also demonstrated a bit more patience on offense, finding our big man in the process. As for me, I was not at full strength. Slight cough and cold going on. Perhaps the week lay-off didn't help. The immense heat in the gym didn't help either. I got out on the break, but we weren't scoring in transition. I shot the ball twice all game, missing both times. I did have a nice assist late in the game, which helped us pull away from them, winning 47-40. Survive and advance is the name of the game in the playoffs!

Stat line: 0 pts, 0 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals.

Uni-tracker: White jersey, Blue Nike Dri-Fit shorts, "Collaborative" undershirt.

Next up: As a result of the #8 seed upsetting the #1 seed, we will play the #5 seed, while the #2 seed gets #8.

2010 College World Series Predictions

2010-06-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

In this week off before my first AJBL playoff game, I've decided to take a stab at predicting what's going to happen in the CWS this year. My Virginia Cavaliers are a 5-seed overall, which is friggin' awesome, even though we should be a 3 or 4 (at worst). Despite that hosing, I'm pretty pumped up about our chances.

I've followed the season a lot more closely than I did a few years back, when I first took a stab at the tourney. I think I'll have a better feel for it this year.

Without further ado...

Tempe Regional
I see Arizona State having little trouble here. They've been pinned as a top 3 team all year long. Darkhorse: San Diego.

Fayetteville Regional
Arkansas is a tough team, but I have a feeling Washington State comes through here. Arkansas would be my second favorite here.

Auburn Regional
Clemson could pose a threat, but they've been inconsistent all year. I like the home Tigers to pull it off. Darkhorse: Brett Favre's Southern Miss team, who has a little extra motivation this year with Favre's retirement on their shoulders.

Atlanta Regional
Georgia Tech grabbed that last national seed, and I think it'll go to their heads. Look for Alabama to come out of here.

Charlottesville Regional
I see Ole Miss giving UVA all we can handle, and I'm not fully confident here, given they also have the revenge factor from last year in their pockets. I'll go with Ole Miss so I don't look like a homer. Hoping the reverse jinx works.

Norman Regional
I don't see why Oklahoma doesn't win here. Cal got a gift and UNC didn't even make the ACC tourney, although I feel like they could show up and pull it off.

Columbia Regional
I think Virginia Tech has what it takes to come out of here, but South Carolina has a chip on their shoulder after not receiving that last national seed. USC will advance.

Myrtle Beach Regional
Coastal Carolina is just way too scary not to win this one. Otherwise it's NC State, as they've shown some mettle as of late.

Austin Regional
Everyone is going with Texas, and I will too. Possible upset would be Rice, but they're not the Rice we've known from years past.

Fort Worth Regional
TCU has a lot to prove here. Darkhorse is Arizona.

Norwich Regional
In this strange regional, UConn is the 2-seed but is hosting. I say they ride this to the Supers, as FSU will be like a fish out of water up there.

Louisville Regional
Just gave the nod to one Big East team, but I feel like Vandy is going to prove the strength of the SEC here. Louisville will make it close, though.

Los Angeles Regional
LSU is still the defending champs, and I think experience takes over here. UCLA will be a tough out, but LSU still has a lot of pride.

Fullerton Regional
Cal State has been the hottest team in baseball over the last 30 games or so. I say they move on.

Coral Gables Regional
Miami has had a great season, but I see the hot Texas A&M Aggies giving them a run and advancing.

Gainesville Regional
Florida has played the toughest schedule in baseball this year, and they will have an easy time moving on.

Now on to the Super Regional matchups. I'm suddenly an SEC lover. And no ACC teams!!! Stranger things have happened, I suppose. Predicted winner in bold:

Arizona State vs. Washington State
Auburn vs. Alabama
Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma
South Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina
Texas vs. TCU
UConn vs. Vandy
LSU vs. CS Fullerton
Texas A&M vs. Florida

My 8 entrants are: Arizona St., Alabama, Ole Miss, Coastal Carolina, Texas, Vandy, CS Fullerton, and Florida.

Assuming the groups are clear cut from the left and right sides of this bracket, I see Arizona State and CS Fullerton in the finals with Arizona State taking home the hardware.

Out of 7 SEC teams in my sweet 16, I have 4 making the CWS. Interesting! Let's see how it plays out for real this coming weekend. Enjoy the CWS, everyone!

I'm an Adult. I'm Jewish. I play in the Adult Jewish Basketball League - Game 14

2010-05-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

This was our last regular season game, and it was a doozy! We had our entire team for this one, and we needed everyone's contributions.

The bad guys got out to a quick 10-2 lead, hitting a couple 3-pointers in the process. We didn't know what hit us, but we settled in and scored a few baskets to get right back in the game. Actually, we went on a 33-11 run (but who's counting?) to get out to a 14 point lead and held on to a 42-38 halftime lead. This could have been the final score in many games in this league. I wouldn't say the defenses were even that bad. It's just that both teams were running and gunning and converting.

As for me, I converted a 3-point play the old fashioned way right off the bat. I was able to get out on the break and score two more easy buckets to have 7 points at halftime. My defense was solid, too.

The second half was a lot closer, with neither team taking that big of a lead. It was see-saw for a while, which lead to some great basketball. There was a lot of physical play and chatter out there, and I'd say this was a thoroughly enjoyable game throughout. I was complimented by the other team 2 or 3 times on my speed and general "blow-by-ability". One guy even yelled out "let me pick up my shorts" after I blew past him for an easy lay-up.

As the game neared its conclusion, I grabbed a crucial rebound and hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it a 3-point margin. We held on to win, 69-66. A very high scoring affair indeed!

We finished the regular season with 10 wins, which should put us as a 2 or 3 seed in this league. Playoffs begin in a week.

Update on the wrist: All good!

Another update: Another double-digit game!

Free throw update: 2-3. 35.5% on the season. Felt good out there!

Stat line: 12 pts, ~2 assists, ~2 rebounds, 1 block.

Uni-tracker: White jersey, Blue Nike Dri-Fit shorts, "Collaborative" undershirt.

Team record: 10-4.

PPG: 49.9
Opp PPG: 44.9

I'm an Adult. I'm Jewish. I play in the Adult Jewish Basketball League - Game 13

2010-05-23T17:19:00.001-07:00

Today we were missing our big man, but the other team was missing their speedy point guard. Fair's fair, right? You'd think with their really tall big man, they'd have an advantage on the boards. They didn't. You'd also think we would be able to run on them at will. We did.

This one was pretty ugly early on, as we got out to a 12-4 lead and ran them ragged to a 35-21 halftime lead. I got out on the break plenty of times, scoring 3 lay-ups and making a free throw as well. I picked up 3 or 4 steals in the first half alone, pestering them on every possession.

We won this one easily, 67-42. Our defense was great. We rebounded. We ran on them. A lot. Not much more to say. I guess I'd trade speed for inside presence any day.

One more regular season game and then it's onto the playoffs. We got our two best players back today, which made it all the easier to carry out this ass-whoopin'.

Note: I drew a charge. That was fun. My left wrist is a little sore. We'll see how this plays out.

Another note: I scored double-digits in points. Finally!

Free throw update: 1-4. 32.1% on the season. I'll chalk this up to being out of practice.

Stat line: 11 pts, ~4 assists, ~3 rebounds, ~5 steals.

Uni-tracker: White jersey, Blue Nike Dri-Fit shorts, "Juniper" undershirt.

Team record: 9-4.

PPG: 48.4
Opp PPG: 43.3

I'm an Adult. I'm Jewish. I play in the Adult Jewish Basketball League - Game 12

2010-05-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

This was our last game with only 5 players, although we had to pick up a player from another team to make 5. Again, I played the whole game, but this time I felt good the entire time, so that's a good sign.

We held a lead for the entire first half, playing a man defense and doubling up on their top scorer the entire time. The only problem was, the guy we left alone hurt us with several baskets. We were able to run on them and it seemed we would tire them out for the rest of the game. We led 28-27 at halftime.

I personally shut down my guy for the second half (gave up two 3-pters in the first half), as he scored a mere point from a silly shooting foul called on me where I blocked his shot without even jumping. According to the ref, I didn't let him finish his follow through. Whatever.

Offensively, I was able to get to the rim a lot in this game, but I was forcing some passes and turned the ball over a few times. I also couldn't make some open lay-ups. You're shocked, I know. We didn't stay aggressive to the end, just as last game, and we blew a 6 point lead in the last few minutes of this one. We lost on a last second lay-up, 50-49. This one hurt a little more as it was against two guys I'm not a big fan of. But, again, we played well for what we had. And, again, it wasn't representative of our entire team. I'll take our competitiveness as a major plus as we're coming down the stretch.

Free throw update: 5-8. 33.3% on the season. I even made 2 in a row today!

Stat line: 9 pts, ~5 assists, ~4 rebounds, ~2 steals.

Uni-tracker: Blue jersey, Blue Nike Dri-Fit shorts, "Milwaukee" undershirt.

Team record: 8-4.

PPG: 46.8
Opp PPG: 43.4

AJBL Uni-Tracker Analysis Magic!

2010-05-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

I've now played in 10 games this season in the AJBL. If you're an avid reader, like I know you are, you've noticed I keep track of what I'm wearing in these games. Here's a breakdown of my team's record and my PPG in each jersey, shorts selection, and undershirt selection. You can't find a more hardcore breakdown than this right here, baby!!!!

Jersey
Blue:
Record: 3-2
PPG: 6.2

White:
Record: 4-1
PPG: 2.8

Shorts
Nike Dri-Fit:
Record: 5-3
PPG: 3.6

AND1:
Record: 2-0
PPG: 8.0

Undershirt
Plain White:
Record: 1-0
PPG: 7.0

"Milwaukee":
Record: 1-1
PPG: 4.5

"Collaborative":
Record: 3-1
PPG: 5.5

"Juniper":
Record: 2-1
PPG: 2.3

Clearly, my team plays well in the White jerseys, however, I score more in the Blue jerseys. Tough call there. It's out of my hands, though, as I don't determine Home and Away.

I've performed at my best in my baggier AND1 shorts and we're undefeated. I've also played well - as has the team - when I'm wearing the slightly tighter fitting plain white t-shirt or Collaborative undershirt.

Going forward, I'll give my AND1 shorts more run. I'll bust out the more stylish Collaborative undershirt as long as it's not too ratty. And, well, I'll pray we're the Home team!

Down the stretch we come - and now I'm going to be dressed for success. Thanks for reading. And thanks for humoring me!

I'm an Adult. I'm Jewish. I play in the Adult Jewish Basketball League - Game 11

2010-05-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

We knew we'd only have 5 tonight, and unfortunately that didn't include two of our best players. A good showing was important and a win, in my opinion, would only be icing.

The other team only had 5 as well, so we had hope going in. Played a man defense all game, which I think really helped us with rebounding. We got out to a slow start as we always seem to. I ran the point and penetrated a little bit. Wasn't able to find our big man inside, as they were doubling him up a lot. We were trailing 23-15 at the half.

In the second half, we stepped it up. Found our big guy earlier and more often. Tried to get out on the break as often as we could, although I was the catalyst for that and wasn't always keeping up. I did step it up and we made a run to then take the lead halfway through the second half.

I was able to penetrate, but unable to finish. Story of my life. Got a few steals and some offensive boards where I could to extend possessions. Around the 3 minute mark, I was a bit woozy from playing the entire game and hustling a lot more. We tried to stall with the lead and I was unable to convert a lay-up late in the game. They got the ball back in the final seconds and my guy scored off a missed steal attempt by me - I had it!!! Oh well. We lost 39-37.

Tough loss. I asserted myself on both ends. Had some really nice assists and was able to see the court well on the offensive end. Got my feet - that's right, my feet - on 3 balls during the game. I was very active on the defensive end, even picking up a couple blocks, too. My team was down after the game - I was disconcerted with this, as I know I hustled and put myself out there. I was the only sub-40 player out there for us tonight, and I'm the one with the perspective? Something to be said about people that can't handle losing this late in their lives. I promise not to let this keep me down. We should all be proud of how we were able to come back in this one and pull together as a team without our two best players. That, to me, is what it's all about and will prove valuable in the playoffs.

The "100 Lay-up" project needs to happen. I am consistently among the quicker guys out there but I can't finish when I get to the rim. Gotta work on that.

Free throw update: 0-0. 18.8% on the season.

Stat line: 4 pts, ~6 assists, ~4 rebounds, ~3 steals, 2 blocks.

Uni-tracker: Blue jersey, Blue Nike Dri-Fit shorts, "Collaborative" undershirt.

Team record: 8-3.

PPG: 46.5
Opp PPG: 42.8

I'm an Adult. I'm Jewish. I play in the Adult Jewish Basketball League - Game 10

2010-05-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

For the second straight game, we allowed only 12 points in the first half. The problem this time was that we couldn't score much more. We were up 14-12 at the half after a lackluster offensive performance. We weren't able to get out on the break and convert in our half court offense. Thankfully, the other team didn't pose a threat from outside, so our zone was once again very effective.

Enter the second half. Our starting guard sat herself (yup, I said "herself" - the only woman in the entire league - and she'll kick your ass, too) so I had an opportunity to run the point. I went on to play the best 4 minutes of the season, and quite possibly my life. We went on a 14-3 run to blow it open in those 4 minutes, led by my 6 points and about 4 assists. Pretty sure I accounted for every basket. We were able to run on them at will. The skies opened up. It was a great feeling.

We got a little tight for some reason as the chatter picked up and the other team actually said out loud "it's time to make our run." The thing is, I seemed to be the only one relaxed and realizing that we still had control. They didn't come within 6 or 8 points the entire second half, and we "held on" to win 49-41. Safe to say we're a second half team - offensively at least.

I played my best game of the year. Was aggressive defensely all game. Picked up a couple steals. Was able to see the court all game, including a sweet no look pass underneath late in the first half. As our two best players will be out the next game or two, I'll have a chance to step it up again. I'm excited for that.

Free throw update: 1-2. 18.8% on the season.

Stat line: 9 pts, ~6 assists, ~3 rebounds, ~2 steals.

Uni-tracker: White jersey, Blue Nike Dri-Fit shorts, "Collaborative" undershirt.

Team record: 8-2.

PPG: 47.5
Opp PPG: 43.2

I'm an Adult. I'm Jewish. I play in the Adult Jewish Basketball League - Game 9

2010-05-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

We faced the first place team in this one. Their only loss came to us earlier in the year - the game I helped win with what had been my only made free throw on the year.

This one got off to a great start. We extended our zone defense really well and they weren't able to knock down their outside shots. We were also able to run on them effectively. At halftime, we were up 21-12.

I was aggressive from the start, as they threw a man-to-man defense at us. With my new way of shooting, I didn't hit any outside shots, but found the confidence to shoot the ball from mid-range and in. Had a sweet tip-in off a missed shot that got me fired up.

We held a solid 9-to-11 point lead throughout the second half, as the game became more physical, but the other guys couldn't put together a run. Instead, they argued every call and tried to push us around. I stayed out of that, and remained aggressive the whole game on both sides of the ball. I still have Knoblauch-like yips when I go to the rim, though, and I missed an easy lay-up in the second half. My next project should be "100 Lay-Ups".

We won, 49-42 and moved into a tie for first.

Free throw update: 1-4. New technique is working - just have to build confidence with it. 14.3% on the season.

Stat line: 7 pts, ~1 assists, ~4 rebounds, ~1 steal.

Uni-tracker: Blue jersey, White AND1 shorts, plain white undershirt.

Team record: 7-2.

PPG: 47.3
Opp PPG: 43.4

I'm an Adult. I'm Jewish. I play in the Adult Jewish Basketball League - Game 8

2010-05-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

This one was a nailbiter at the end, and it didn't have to be.

The other team only put 5 out there, and we had our full squad of 7. They slowed us down in the first half, and we also couldn't hit shots, so we found ourselves down 26-16 at the half.

I preached to my team that it would turn around and that we were getting good looks. With a little more pressure, we'd be in this thing. I knew the 5 or so 3-pointers the other team knocked down in the first half wouldn't keep up either. I was right.

We extended our zone and pressured at half court, causing a lot of standing around by the other team. We went on a 7-0 run to start the second half and got ourselves right back in there. I think the other guys hit one 3-pointer, too. We won a close one, 39-37.

I played solid defense throughout, although I gave up that one long bomb in the second half that tied it up late. They zoned us up, which I hate. When I did penetrate, I couldn't finish. I did still land a few offensive rebounds, though. Possessions are important in this game. I did have a few nice assists.

Free throw update: 0-0. 10.0% on the season.

Stat line: 0 pts, ~4 assists, ~4 rebounds.

Uni-tracker: White jersey, Blue Nike Dri-Fit shorts, "Juniper" undershirt.

Team record: 6-2.

PPG: 47.1
Opp PPG: 43.6

100 Free Throws - Calvin Murphy Edition

2010-04-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

So, you mean to say I'm left-handed? What?!? Well, well, well...it's about damn time!

Yep - I've finally made the change. The change to shooting like a REAL basketball player. I mean, I've been left-handed all my life, and it's about time I utilized that hand to make some shots. Let me explain...

As a kid, I was puny. Not too much different now, but I did grow a little bit. But when I was younger, I wanted more range, so I developed a two-hand shot from my chest. As I got older, that shot evolved into a two-hand shot from my head/shoulder area, as I simply just raised my release point. I've been doing that since middle school or so, and I never changed. My shot resembles something between Reggie Miller's slight two-hand release and a pile of dung. And I have become incredibly more streaky in the last few years. Not to mention, I can't hit a free throw in games. Currently 1 for 10 on the year.

I know I have the strength, and now I'm finally realizing I can trust that strength. The technique is actually already there, as I've shot that way in Nerf ball all my life, believe it or not. And I have been taught the correct way in places like Rollie Massimino's Day Camp and high school ball. I just never applied it. Until now.

Here are my makes per 10 below:

4,4,4,5,7,4,5,4,6,8 = 51

I'm on the other side of 50! And look how strong I finished, too. If that doesn't scream upside, I don't know what does. Feels damn good. And my misses were easy to diagnose, too. This feels like such a breakthrough. I knew I had it in me, but I was just too stubborn to make the change. Now, it'll take a lot of practice to get this going during games when I'm not on the free throw line. I can accept that, as I didn't attempt a 3 in my last game and I'm not confident at all right now. But now I can go to the basket even stronger knowing I have a good shot at making my free throws if I get fouled. My range will come in time. But now I can take that step or two in from the 3-pt line and nail a 15-footer. It's like a new lease on my career. I'll take it!

I'm an Adult. I'm Jewish. I play in the Adult Jewish Basketball League - Game 7

2010-04-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

This game was as much of a must win in the regular season as you can have for our confidence, if nothing else. And we stepped it up when we needed to. The first half tonight was definitely a feeling out process, as the other team didn't have their star player in many opinions. I hadn't played against a few of these guys, so I know I was seeing who could do what. We played pretty even and were down 25-23 at the half.

I made a couple moves to the basket, but the ball got deflected once and the other team got away with a no-call as well. I was not looking to shoot at all and was focussed more on defense and being aggressive when I could. I was guarding one of their better players and he scored 3 or 4 times on me, so that wasn't working. I did have a couple blocked shots though! One looked really sexy, too, as I deflected it cleanly out of bounds. I mumbled to myself "Get that shot out of here!" Pumped me up a little bit.

In the second half we switched to a zone and actually got more aggressive. We went on a pretty solid run all half and took control for good around the 8 minute mark. I had a few steals and asserted myself completely on the defensive end. Made a strong move right to the basket but couldn't finish. Argh! But I'll take those shots any day. We won 53-40. Glad to be back in the win column!

Free throw update: 0-0. 10.0% on the season.

Stat line: 0 pts, ~5 assists, ~3 rebounds, ~3 steals, 2 blocks.

Uni-tracker: White jersey, Blue Nike Dri-Fit shorts, "Collaborative" undershirt.

Team record: 5-2.

PPG: 48.3
Opp PPG: 44.6

I'm an Adult. I'm Jewish. I play in the Adult Jewish Basketball League - Game 6

2010-04-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

Be aggressive. Gotta be aggressive. Remember that high school cheer? Yeah, that was the theme in this game - or rather, the moral. I came in off the bench and immediately scored a bucket off an inbound pass. Later in the first half, I stole the ball and ended up going coast to coast for a layup. As time went on, though, I became more tentative.

Due to a scheduling glitch, we played the same team we played in the previous game, so redemption was on our minds. We started off strong, but fell behind, 26-22, at the half. The other team slowed it down on us and showed great patience on offense, making sure they got the best shot possible. We weren't able to run on them and we couldn't hit our shots when we had the ball. As for me, they backed off of me and it was hard for me to attack. When I did, I missed a layup, got fouled, and missed my free throws. Are you surprised anymore? We lost, 45-35, in a pretty similar outcome to the previous game. The only positive from this game is we won't see them again til the playoffs. Let's hope it's in the finals. I'd love another shot.

Free throw update: 0-2. 10.0% on the season. Time for another "100 Free Throws" session, eh?

Stat line: 4 pts, ~1 assists, ~3 rebounds, ~2 steals.

Uni-tracker: Blue jersey, Blue Nike Dri-Fit shorts, "Juniper" undershirt.

Team record: 4-2.

PPG: 47.5
Opp PPG: 45.3

I'm an Adult. I'm Jewish. I play in the Adult Jewish Basketball League - Game 5

2010-04-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

Wait, what happened to Game 4? A little thing I like to call "I had too much fun the night before." Well, we won 55-42 to get to 4-0, so my teammates can't complain too much. I got a little grief when I showed up tonight, but it wasn't too bad at all. If I didn't mention it before, I really enjoy playing with these guys (and gal).

So tonight couldn't have been a worse game for me personally. For starters, in the first couple minutes of the game, I went for a wide open rebound and somehow managed to push the ball up and in for an "own goal." How impressive. I shot 1-1 for them. I shot about 1-8 for us.

Overall, the team was off rhythm on offense and when we got good shots, they didn't fall. The other team only had 5 guys, so we thought we could run with them but we weren't finishing. I tried to get to the basket but was awful at finishing. Wasn't comfortable out there. Maybe this was my punishment for missing the last game. Or maybe it was the fact I didn't allow myself time to warm up and get some shots up. The value of practice, kids. It really makes a difference!

We were down 27-20 at half and allowed the other team to go on a 15-1 run in the first half. Ouch. We didn't fair any better in the second half, even after a player from the other team left the game due to injury and they used a guy from the game before. He was of equal talent if not more.

My defense was solid, although I started going for fakes late in the game. Probably wouldn't have mattered. We were out of it tonight. Lost 49-36.

Other teams have figured me out. I'm not shooting from the outside. And when I go inside, they can D me up good and not be afraid to foul me. See FT stat line below. FML, once again.

Free throw update: 0-2. 12.5% on the season. ARRRGGGGHHHH.

Stat line: 2 pts, ~5 assists, ~6 rebounds, ~1 steals.

Uni-tracker: White jersey, Blue Nike Dri-Fit shorts, "Milwaukee" undershirt.

Team record: 4-1.

PPG: 50.0
Opp PPG: 45.4

I'm an Adult. I'm Jewish. I play in the Adult Jewish Basketball League - Game 3

2010-04-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

Makes sense that I'd pick it up a little in Game 3 of the season and things would start to come together for me. Starting to get my wind a little bit, although I'm still happy when I'm spelled on the court.

The other team only had 5 players, so it made it easier to control this game. Our speed was just too much. I got out to a solid start, making a lay-up early on and grabbing a couple steals and a few assists. It was easy to get into the flow.

I picked up 4 fouls in this game, so I'm starting to get a little more aggressive. I made a stupid decision to try and block a long jumpshot at the end of the first half, and it led to 2 made FTs by the other team. I had him, too, but let my hand come down on the ball when I followed through on trying to block it. Such is life.

We had a strong 34-25 lead at the break and sustained at least that margin throughout the second half. We wore them down and it showed. I ran the point for about 4 minutes and made a couple good plays, including a strong dribble drive left to the basket. This is looking like my signature move now. I hope the rest of the league isn't reading this.

Team played well and it was a lot of fun out there - the best possible outcome from tonight or any game, really. Final score, 65-46.

Free throw update: 0-2. 16.7% on the season. Yikes. I airballed another one, too. FML.

Stat line: 9 pts, ~5 assists, ~3 rebounds, ~3 steals.

Uni-tracker: Blue jersey, White AND1 shorts, gray "Collaborative" undershirt.

Team record: 3-0.

PPG: 53.0
Opp PPG: 45.3

100 Free Throws

2010-04-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Today I got out in this wonderful 60+ degree weather and shot around some more. 100 free throws were shot. Here are my makes per 10 below:

3,2,4,4,3,5,1,6,3,4 = 35

Improvement! Hey, I'll take a +4 any day of the week, especially if this is only 6 days after my first 100. Of note: I shot my best round out of 50 so far, making 19 of my last 50. BOO YA.

Without that lame 1-for in the 7th group, I'd have hit closer to 40. No excuses there. Just didn't concentrate, I suppose. I was all giddy after making 5 out of 10.

Anyways, here's to making 40 the next time out. Aim high, Forbesy!

Why does Philly hate Kobe?

2010-04-12T11:01:00.001-07:00

Last night I saw a snippet of an E:60 story on why Philly hates Kobe. They were saying it's because he didn't play for the Sixers or because he left the city for Los Angeles. With all due respect, Sonny Hill, I don't believe the glitz and glamor of L.A. has anything to do with it. Here's my take:

First off, Kobe isn't even from Philadelphia. He's from the Main Line, an affluent suburban area due west of the city. Specifically, he went to Lower Merion High School, which lays in a predominantly white neighborhood. Sure it's no prep or Catholic school that may tend to recruit, but it's one of the wealthier public schools you'll see.

On top of that, he lived in Italy for a few years before moving back to the Philadelphia area. The son of Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, a pro basketball player (and former Sixer), one could say Kobe didn't exactly come from the hood. And one would be right. Kobe was a cultured kid, fluent in Italian. Definitely not your typical city kid, let alone suburban one.

So there's that. One might demand, name me a high school star that Philly DOES love. Here are three that Philly definitely has welcomed home with a standing "O" and a warm embrace.

1. Rasheed Wallace
'Sheed went to Simon Gratz, a city school, for one. Sure, he left the area for North Carolina when he graduated and then went on to the NBA and played for a few teams that weren't the Sixers. And, sure, he's currently on the Celtics. Well, Philly doesn't have a problem with 'Sheed. He's a Philly kid. Not much argument here. Do we absolutely drool over this guy when he returns? No. But we do show respect, because he grew up here.

2. Bo Kimble
Bo went out to California with Hank Gathers (R.I.P.) for college. But Bo was from Dobbins Tech, a city school. The team came back to the area to play the likes of St. Joe's and LaSalle. People came out in droves to see Kimble (and Gathers and Paul Westhead, a Cheltenham guy) when he came back to play. He went on to the NBA and played for the Clippers. But, again, he was a Philly kid. Philly embraced him upon his return.

3. Jameer Nelson
Classic example of a kid staying in the area for college. Jameer was a Chester kid, a blue collar city just south of Philly, but may as well be included when you talk about Philadelphia. Even more, he went to St. Joe's, so people loved him even more. Hard to argue with Jameer being loved by Philly.

These might be unfair comparisons, but they're ones that need to be made. But there's more. Kobe didn't even go to college, so considering staying in Philly for school never crossed his mind in the eyes of Philly fans. On top of that, Kobe had a swagger about him. He was good, but didn't fully let his game do the talking. He dominated the suburban leagues, and I'm sure he did some damage against some city schools that were scheduled out-of-conference. But at the end of the day, Kobe went home to his mansion in the 'burbs, not the streets of Philadelphia.

Leaving for the NBA was a case of the rich getting richer. No rags in this story. How can Philly fans relate to that? Very few can.

When Kobe is interviewed about Philadelphia, his "hometown", it seems Kobe still doesn't get it. He says - per the E:60 story - and I'm paraphrasing here - that he gets his personality from this city. Sure, he probably hung out in the city and even played in some city summer leagues and on the playgrounds there. To his credit, he gained the respect from other Philly basketball players. But we're not talking about the few talented kids that come out of this area. We're talking about the fans of the entire area. His personality comes from a loving, functional family that never had to struggle like many families do in the city or surrounding, less affluent areas. Again, at the end of the day, Kobe wasn't hustling or worrying about much.

Not all of the Philly area hates Kobe. Just walk into the Pub of Penn Valley in Lower Merion Township and you'll find a sweet Nike Lower Merion Kobe jersey framed on the wall. They're proud to call him their own in Lower Merion. I doubt you'll see many framed jerseys in North or South Philly bars. I challenge you to find them for me.

This is why Philly hates Kobe. And barring a return to Philly to play for the Sixers - and leading them to a championship, too! - I'm not sure there was ever a chance all of Philly would have truly been on his side.

I'm an Adult. I'm Jewish. I play in the Adult Jewish Basketball League - Game 2

2010-04-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

Game 2 of our season took place in the Perelman Gym, a gym I used to play all of my Junior Jewish Basketball League (JJBL - see a pattern here?) games when I was a wee lad. We were up against a solid team, and I knew this would be a nailbiter.

My shooting in this game was horrendous - par for me. I took a 3 from the corner trying to mimic what I did to start the season. Clank. I also tried another three from just off the top of the key and a runner in the lane. Those aren't my shots unless I'm in rhythm. My rhythm was off today. I am realizing that I'm very much a lefty on the floor, even though my shot ends up rolling more off my right hand. (Video would be good here, but it also might blind you. I have an awful shot.)

To my credit, I did follow my shot and turned that into a couple rebounds and second chance opportunities. Had a point blank follow up that I somehow missed. Ugh.

We were down 24-21 at halftime, but had gone on a 12-2 run earlier in the first half that gave us some confidence. I took myself out for 5 minute spans in both halves, which really served me well at the end of the game. Foreshadowing?

With a couple minutes left, I hustled down the court to steal the ball from behind their leading scorer. Crucial swing for our team, although I'm not sure we scored on that possession I gained for us. My best defensive play of the year so far. I still haven't had a foul called on me yet. Gotta get more aggressive.

Game was tied at 41 and we had the ball. The other team fouled us twice, as they had two to give. I found myself with the ball and 7 seconds left, so I drove left on one of their slower defenders and got hacked on the left wrist with 2.9 seconds to go to send me to the line. UH OH!!!!

I didn't give myself too much time to think. Concentrated on bending my knees and getting a little hop in my legs. Swished the first one!!! We're up 42-41. Other team calls time to "ice" me, as if I didn't have enough "mental ice" of my own, thank you very much. We discussed if I should make or miss, a la Duke-Butler just 6 days ago. I'm no Brian Zoubek. We decided I should "try" to make it. Well, what's worse than a make and a miss off the rim? An airball. Yep, I found a new way to miss a free throw.

The other team got the ball on the baseline and inbounded it, but they came up short from about 30 feet. We won, 42-41.

"Forbesy wins it on a FT" didn't deserve the headline here. Nothing like backing my way into a winning shot. But I will say it was good that I had my legs at the end of this one. Might be my M.O. until I can get in shape. I'm OK with that.

Free throw update: 1-2. 25% on the season.

Stat line: 3 pts, ~1 assists, ~2 rebounds, ~1 steal.

Uni-tracker: White jersey, Blue Nike Dri-Fit shorts, "Juniper" undershirt.

Team record: 2-0.

PPG: 47.0
Opp PPG: 45.0

I'm an Adult. I'm Jewish. I play in the Adult Jewish Basketball League.

2010-04-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight I played in my first game of the 2010 Spring Adult Jewish Basketball League (AJBL) season. We won, 52-49. It was tied at halftime, 30-30.

My primary concern was how out of shape I am. Well, I made it through the game alive, although I was feeling it about 5 minutes in. I managed to survive, calling for subs when I was winded. I could feel my brain turning to mush in the second half and I took a few dumb shots. All in all, though, I played pretty well. Defense was average. I got beat on a backdoor cut. No steals. No fouls. Gotta work on my aggressiveness.

I started the scoring off for both teams with a 3-pointer from the left corner. What's with me and starting off my season with a made 3??? I seriously have done this 3 times now. Twice in the AJBL and once in the Alumni League about 6 years ago. And usually, my shooting is all downhill from there. Sort of true tonight, but I actually shot better than usual, going about 3 of 8 from the field. Missed a lay-up off a beautiful drive left from the top of the key. Wish I could have that one back.

This team has some size and good speed. I look forward to a fun season. Our team name is "My Generation". No clue why. All the team names are pretty random and terrible. But what do you expect from old men over 30?

Free throw update: 0-2. Didn't I shoot 100 free throws today? WTF?

Stat line: 7 pts, ~3 assists, ~1 rebound.

Uni-tracker: Blue jersey, Blue Nike Dri-Fit shorts, "Milwaukee" undershirt.

Team record: 1-0.

100 Free Throws

2010-04-08T12:24:00.001-07:00

I hit the basketball court for about an hour today to work on my shot. Specifically, my free throw shooting, which has been atrocious. I play in an over-30 league (many blog postings to follow) and my free throw percentage has been around the 30% mark over the span of three seasons. So, after a season off, I'm back at it tonight for Game 1 of the 2010 Spring season.

I shot 100 free throws today. My goal is to do this throughout the season and chart my progress. Check out my makes per 10 below. I can only get better, right? Right?

3,2,2,7,3,3,2,3,4,2 = 31

31??? THIRTY-ONE??? That's worse than Shaq! That's worse than Shaq blind-folded! At least I'm consistent with my performance over the last 3 seasons, eh? Yeah, shooting by myself with no pressure is a lot like real game situations. FML.

That 7 looks promising. We need that to be a rule more than a blatant exception.

Nap time. Gotta rest up to fail miserably tonight!

My NFL Proposal

2010-04-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

So a lot has been discussed about this silly OT proposal, where a team that kicks a field goal in their first possession would then allow the other team to get the ball and an attempt to score.

Fine. I'm not too concerned about this, seeing as this would only show up in the playoffs and the odds of seeing OT games are slim as it is.

What I'm more interested in are the discussions about moving to a 17-game season. Where is all that chatter? Well, I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd provide a proposal that I think would work very well and add even more intensity to this league. Who doesn't want more intensity? Check it out...

There are 32 teams in the league, so I say split them up into 4 total divisions based on regions. Each team would then play the other 7 teams in their division twice - totaling 14 divisional games - and then one team from each other division - totaling the remaining 3 games.

This would create additional rivalries. For instance, what could be called the Northeast division would essentially combine the current NFC and AFC East, with a few exceptions. You'd have Philly, Washington, NY Giants, NY Jets, New England, Buffalo, Baltimore, and Carolina.

Other divisions would be:
South: NO,TB,MIA,ATL,JAX,HOU,TEN,DAL
West: SF,SEA,ARI,DEN,SD,OAK,STL,KC
Midwest: MIN,GB,DET,CHI,IND,CIN,CLE,PIT

Some classic rivalries would be broken, but I don't think this would kill the league. Dallas moving to the "Southern" Division might have an effect, but I would think playing teams closer to home over the years would help develop better, fiercer rivalries.

Anyways, this plays into the NFL wanting a 17-game season. All teams essentially play the same strength of schedule with this equal round robin format. Also, travel costs are cut substantially. Fans are able to go to more games, instead of having to fly out west for multiple games, for instance, in the current format. And ultimately, true regional champions are determined before the Super Bowl is played for league bragging rights.

I mean, who really cares about the Cleveland vs. San Francisco game if it doesn't involve two great teams? Not to mention, attendance doesn't reflect this. And most people aren't watching these types of games (San Diego vs. Buffalo? Detroit vs. Oakland? Washington vs. Seattle? Huh???) unless they have fantasy implications.

Sure, it's nice to see your team play someone out of their division and region, but let's limit that to 3 times per year. When you're playing 14 games of true divisional meaning, fans and players are more likely to show up and get up for these. Why wouldn't a Washington vs. Carolina rivalry work? Dallas playing Houston twice a year makes much more sense to fans in the Lone Star state. Who wouldn't want to discuss that rivalry going forward?

There's plenty of room to play with the inter-divisional schedules, too. If Dallas still came out East to play Washington every year, there's room for that in the 3-game out of conference schedule. And the playoff schedule could see the North play the South one year and then the North play the Midwest the next. Maybe the top 3 teams in each league make the playoffs, with the bottom two fighting it out for a guaranteed third matchup that year to play the top team who has earned a bye week.

Personally, as an Eagles fan, this allows me for more chances to see my team play. A schedule with both New York teams twice lowers my travel costs over the season if I'm a die hard and raises the likelihood I could show up to more games. East Coast bias? Perhaps, although a Denver vs Arizona match-up twice a year isn't exactly a worse situation for Broncos fans than they currently experience. Denver vs. Oakland? Who goes to those games anyways?

I think the most fitting argument is that this would put more fans in stadiums. If you're only relying on Jacksonville's fans, for instance, to fill the stadium when San Francisco comes to town, well, you see how that goes. But when JAX plays Tampa, Miami, and even Atlanta every year, you're more likely to see those fans show up from the short distances from JAX to fill the seats. I know certain teams travel well, but I also know this isn't saving the NFL in that regard, as Pittsburgh fans aren't selling out the Oakland stadium when they travel out west to play the Raiders.

So, there you have it. Sure, this may kill a few historical rivalries like the Cowboys vs. the NFC East, Indy's current rivalries with the AFC South (not really that strong anyways, except over the last 10 years maybe?), and the Dolphins vs. the AFC East, but I think the new regional rivalries would have a chance to grow very quickly. Heck, if Miami came out of the South to play the Jets in the playoffs, I'm sure that would create an even more dynamic match-up. Or Dallas vs. Philly in the Super Bowl? I'm sure the football gods would work their magic.

Robbed Armery!

2010-02-23T20:52:00.001-08:00

Wait for it....

Pennant Race

2010-02-21T17:29:00.001-08:00

When I was a kid, I collected pennants and hung them on my bedroom wall. Every time I went to a sporting event - usually Sixers and Eagles games - I would buy a new team's pennant.

When I got older, I grew out of this phase, and at one point decided I didn't even need to have these pennants around if I wasn't going to do anything with them. The logical solution? Hand them over to my buddy, Gary, who I knew had plenty of room for them on his bedroom wall.

Now I'm an (almost full grown) adult, and I've started this blog of mine, and I've grown nostalgic of days gone by. So I contacted Gary's little sister, who has taken over his old room (a rite of passage in that family - it's a rather awesomely huge, sort of guest house-like living space) and she was gracious enough to send along some pictures of what's turned into 2 full pies of pennants.

Check it out! I'll tell you which ones are mine after the pics below...

Lakers, Reds (?) and Tigers are Gary's on the first pie. All others are mine: Giants, Bucks, Cardinals, Eagles, NJ Generals, 49ers, Redskins, Vikings, Patriots, Raiders, Flyers, Nets, Expos.

I believe the only one of mine on the second pie is the Celtics. As you can see, this one is overrun with Big Ten teams, for the most part. Shout out to the Midwest!

This might lead to 2 obvious questions - where are the Sixers and Phillies ones? I do recall having a Phillies one, but honestly don't know where it went. And seeing as the Sixers were my favorite team, I had to have had one of those, right? Can't seem to figure this one out.

Beardom Boredom

2010-01-31T23:51:00.001-08:00

Shaved off my beard in a few progressions. If you can't laugh at me, who can you laugh at?

Forbesy's Quick Takes - 1/28/10

2010-01-28T15:06:00.000-08:00

- I was watching Sportscenter and they brought in Tim Kurkjian for some baseball talk. For some reason, I really enjoy when Tim (and a few others - Peter Gammons immediately comes to mind) talks about a pitcher's "stuff." This is the accepted term for the pitches a pitcher throws - including velocity, movement, and accuracy - and I'm ok with that. Perhaps it's just the contrast of such a generic word and the specificity of what it's referring to. I love it.

- Over the years, I've realized there are certain topics in sports I couldn't care less about. Some of those topics include this silly Pro Bowl discussion, Tiger's personal life, contract negotiations, and steroids. Call me a dreamer or idealist, but I like my sports on the field.

- Will someone please get rid of the following NFL uniforms? Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings.

- Oregon State lost to Seattle U. in college basketball AT HOME by 51. In their next two games, they defeated Oregon and Arizona. One of those was on the road (I believe Oregon). Seattle is an Independent. This is the team that just lost to the Univ. of Washington by 47 and played the last couple minutes of the game with 4 players. Wacky season out West in college basketball. And I didn't even mention how sub-par the Pac 10 has been. Oops, just did.

- Eastern Washington is installing red turf! I'm surprised other schools haven't thought to mimic Boise State. I mean, who says a field has to be green? And since we've known it DOESN'T have to be green, why aren't other schools - or pro teams! - doing this? I expect this trend to pick up in Division 1. How does Oregon not have a bright yellow field yet? How come Oregon doesn't bust out a new color of field every week?!?! Come on Nike, you're slacking. Get into the business of playing surfaces.

Call it a comeback!

2010-01-27T18:40:00.000-08:00

I went a whole year and then some without posting anything to this blog before I put up my recent Bowl Season Uni Tourney. I've had some more time on my hands recently, so I decided to put some more work into it. I've changed the overall appearance of things, added a Twitter widget on the side, and rearranged some things to present a more interesting experience for my readers. I hope you like what I've done. Please feel free to comment on what you like or don't like. I welcome your suggestions. Thanks for stopping by!

-Dave (a.k.a "Pie Guy")

Uni Tourney Final - SMU vs. UCLA

2010-01-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

It's the granddaddy of 'em all. Well, sort of. Not really.

SMU vs. UCLA. The Mustangs vs. the Bruins. Interestingly enough, both teams in their away uniforms. I think that's an ode to the strength of their sets.

First up, SMU.

Truly a beautiful uniform from head to toe. You can't help but think of the Bills when you look at these. It's practically the same uniform. I'm not even sure who donned it first. I know SMU returned to these after some monstrosities earlier in the decade. This is what a uniform should look like.

Personally, I could do without the "SMU" on the chest, but that's just me. I love the striping all the way through. Big fan of red and blue.

Now, UCLA.

The jersey might get the nod over SMU. I'm a sucker for blue. And two shades of it is just awesome (see Tennessee Titans). The helmet is simple. Could use a stripe or two, but again, that might be picky. The pants, too.

Back to the jersey, though. I'd wear this. I really would.

Tough call, but when going head to toe, SMU's uniform is close to perfection. I really don't know why schools go Mickey Mouse on us. Teams like Michigan (away piping), Georgia Tech (ridiculous stripe across the chest for no reason), and the Under Armour schools (Texas Tech, South Carolina, etc) with their completely overblown and silly looking unis. It's out of hand. With all the improvements in uniform technology, you can still go with a classic uniform. It's a sad state of affairs, really.

SMU takes the crown. It was almost a foregone conclusion! The lesson to be learned here is that simple is better. Dance with the girl that brung ya, or whatever the saying is. You wanna sell jerseys? Run the "Would I wear this?" test. These finalists get it.

WINNER: SMU

Uni Tourney Final Four!

2010-01-12T14:51:00.000-08:00

Quick summary of how this has played out:

Round of 32:
Fresno St. vs. Alabama
UCF vs. Iowa
MTSU vs. TCU
BYU vs. Michigan State
Cal vs. Ole Miss
SMU vs. South Carolina
Ohio vs. South Florida
Pitt vs. Florida
USC vs. Ohio St.
Clemson vs. LSU
Texas A&M vs. Florida State
UCLA vs. Auburn
Wisconsin vs. Tennessee
Idaho vs. Iowa St.
Nebraska vs. Navy
Air Force vs. Oklahoma

Sweet Sixteen:
Alabama vs. Iowa
MTSU vs. BYU
Ole Miss vs. SMU
South Florida vs. Florida
USC vs. LSU
Texas A&M vs. UCLA
Wisconsin vs. Iowa St.
Navy vs. Oklahoma

Elite Eight:
Alabama vs. BYU
SMU vs. South Florida
LSU vs. UCLA
Wisconsin vs. Navy

Here goes:

Semifinal #1
BYU vs. SMU

Just take a second to admire that beauty. Ok, ok. BYU sports a two color look. Kudos for escaping that old two-color look from a few years back that had everyone confused and returning to a uni from the days of Ty Detmer and Steve Young. These are things to behold.

Meanwhile, SMU's look just continues to excite. Honestly, BYU looks extremely solid, but SMU's set is like candy. Candy! And who doesn't like candy?!?!

Finalist: SMU

Semifinal #2
Navy vs. UCLA

Golden domers here. And I ain't talking Notre Dame. Too bad, because they could have made a run in this. Anyways, let's start with UCLA's beauty of a jersey. Two shades of blue work here. Great stripe treatment. Helmets are a notch above Navy's, because, well, there's a word on there.

Navy has come this far on shock value. They busted these out against Army and wore them again against Mizzou. I like 'em, but I have to employ the "Would I wear the jersey?" test and I know I wouldn't - not just because Dad would disown me.

Finalist: UCLA

Bowl Season Uni Tourney - Elite Eight

2010-01-12T14:23:00.000-08:00

Who's pumped? Personally, I'm geeked.

Alabama vs. BYU

It's funny - I had BYU go far in my college basketball uni tourney a year or so ago. Someone knows what's up out in Utah!

This is where Alabama's run ends. The tide has a great uni, but you can't deny BYU's great look.

Final Four bound: BYU

SMU vs. South Florida

South Florida has surprised with the change to the white helmet, representing other schools that saw a ghost like Arizona and Cincy. Unfortunately, I can't deny the beauty of SMU's set here. The 'Stangs are just better looking. Wanna improve, South Florida? Bust out some pants stripes next year and keep the white helmet.

Final Four bound: SMU

LSU vs. UCLA

UCLA has some great jerseys, and they win that department. LSU takes the pants department. Helmets? Close one. I initially thought LSU should take this, but I can't deny my affinity for those Bruins jerseys.

Final Four bound: UCLA

Wisconsin vs. Navy

You can tell I like stripe patterns. Well, I don't think I'm making it 4 for 4. Wisconsin impresses, but to get really picky, I didn't like the "W" they stuck on the back of the jersey. Maybe I'm looking for an excuse to go against my Badger friends. Or, I'm just not done with Navy.

Final Four bound: Navy

BYU-SMU. UCLA-Navy.

Once again, I ask - who's pumped????

Bowl Season Uni Tourney - Sweet 16 (cont.)

2010-01-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

Let's finish up the Sweet Sixteen....

USC vs. LSU

Another great matchup on the field. Another tough one in the uniform category...

Battle of the yellow pants. For me, this boils down to which uni is just more fun to look at. And, honestly, the same way the USC era is over with Pete Carroll gone, it's over for USC in this matchup. LSU moves on.

Winner: LSU

Texas A&M vs. UCLA

I might be a sucker for blue, but I just enjoy those UCLA jerseys a little bit more than the Aggies ones. UCLA should add a pants stripe, but their jerseys carry them through. A&M would win most other matchups for sure.

Winner: UCLA

Wisconsin vs. Iowa St.

Ya know, ISU hasn't totally ripped off USC. They took the two stripe motif (yeah, I said motif) and carried it out in every element. Well, Wisconsin does a similar thing, but has more of a pop to theirs.

And Wisconsin's helmets are far and beyond better.

Winner: Wisconsin

Navy vs. Oklahoma

Navy did themselves a favor by going with the alternates, including the nod to the Marines. And, even though they sport the bib - which I normally despise - these unis are pretty badass. Oklahoma has a nice set, but I think the Academy moves on.

Winner: Navy

And we're now down to the Elite Eight of College Unis. Here are the pairings:

Alabama vs. BYU
SMU vs. South Florida
LSU vs. UCLA
Wisconsin vs. Navy

Bowl Season Uni Tourney - Sweet 16

2010-01-12T11:02:00.000-08:00

First 4 matchups of the Sweet 16....

Alabama vs. Iowa

The Tide rolls in with some basic, yet classic, unis. They keep it simple. Meanwhile, Iowa rolls in with a more detailed style, but classic nonetheless.

Breaking this down, I'd say they tie in the helmet department. Bama gets the slight edge in the jersey department, especially if I do the ol' "Which jersey would I want to wear?" test. And quite frankly, the thick black stripe on the pants gets to me. Bama wins a close one, unlike the national championship game.

Winner: Alabama

MTSU vs. BYU

This isn't much of a contest. MTSU got by some easy matchups with Southern Miss and TCU. Here BYU's classic style just blows them out of the water. See ya, Cinderella.

Winner: BYU

Ole Miss vs. SMU

Here's where I get to rip on Ole Miss. They have a case of the NY Giants - perhaps this has to do with Eli. Let me explain. There's no link between jersey and pants. And helmet and jersey. On their own, they all represent pretty sweet uniform elements. Together, not so much. (The same thing is happening with the NY Giants - especially their road unis.)

Meanwhile, SMU just continues to impress.

Winner: SMU

South Florida vs. Florida

Finally, these teams square off! South Florida went white helmet and it got me all giddy. It continues to. Florida, on the other hand, comes in with a classic set. But I'm left to yearn for that white helmet they wore against FSU and again in the SEC Championship game. It showed me what levels they could reach in uniform stardom. Damn, it's tough to go against the Gators here. Looks like I just did.

Winner: South Florida

Next 4 Sweet 16 matchups in a little bit...

2009-2010 Bowl Season Uni Tourney (cont.)

2010-01-11T12:08:00.000-08:00

Last 4 matchups...

Wisconsin vs. Tennessee

Tough one, with both teams having the same style. But hand it to Wisconsin for a bolder and better look, in my opinion. Or, maybe it's just cuz I lived there. Ha!

Winner: Wisconsin

Idaho vs. Iowa St.

Kudos to Idaho for changing up to a better look this season (and for getting this far in ANY tourney), but Iowa St. advances with those USC ripoffs. We'll see how long they can ride those coattails.

Winner: Iowa St.

Nebraska vs. Navy

Call me a patriot, but I just have to give Navy the nod here. Especially since this is an alternate uni that gives the Marines a nod with the inclusion of the red stripes. Nebraska has that classic look, but Navy's just look better.

Winner: Navy

Air Force vs. Oklahoma

And this is where the patriotism ends!!! So long Air Force - you're piping ruins it for you. Shoulda kept it simple. Oklahoma advances.

Winner: Oklahoma

Now onto the Sweet Sixteen - here are the matchups:

Alabama vs. Iowa
MTSU vs. BYU
Ole Miss vs. SMU
South Florida vs. Florida
USC vs. LSU
Texas A&M vs. UCLA
Wisconsin vs. Iowa St.
Navy vs. Oklahoma

Stay tuned!!!

2009-2010 Bowl Season Uni Tourney (cont.)

2010-01-11T11:56:00.000-08:00

USC vs. Ohio St.

Classic matchup on the field, with USC owning the Buckeyes over the years. Also a classic uni matchup. What separates the two is the change the Buckeyes made a few years back to alter their unis. I didn't like the change. USC moves on.

Winner: USC

Clemson vs. LSU

Battle of the Tigers. Here, the Bayou Bengals advance because Clemson's piping comes into play.

Winner: LSU

Texas A&M vs. Florida State

The uni experts might not agree, but I am not a fan of FSU's collar action. Too fancy. I like what the Aggies have done with their look. Bobby Bowden and the Noles bow out here.

Winner: Texas A&M

UCLA vs. Auburn

Auburn would have had a shot without that big ass UA symbol. Still, UCLA just has that majestic look that can't be denied.

Winner: UCLA

Last 4 matchups of the first round coming right up...

2009-2010 Bowl Season Uni Tourney (cont.)

2010-01-11T08:48:00.000-08:00

Cal vs. Ole Miss

This is where Cal's run ends. Ole Miss just has that classic uni, although we'll see how long they last with their inconsistent set.

Winner: Ole Miss

SMU vs. South Carolina

This could be the best helmet battle of the whole tourney, but the rest of the uniform must come into play here. And I've mentioned my hatred for Under Armour. This is where SC's run ends. SMU has one of the sweetest unis in all of college. They could make a run to the end.

Winner: SMU

Ohio vs. South Florida

This is a tough one. It's hard to really determine by the pics. Ohio has a standard classic uni. South Florida has a more modern one, and the switch to the white helmet tells me they're really trying. One thing I can't get over is Ohio's boring helmet word mark. USF wins the helmet battle. Something just says "stiff" to me when watching Ohio. In a photo finish, I'm pushing South Florida through.

Winner: South Florida

Pitt vs. Florida

Another close matchup. Pitt made a change this year and it looks great. Florida threw in some Pro Combat this year, but in this game, they went with their standard uni. I'm not too crazy about Pitt's helmet, and would like to see them return to the old cursive of the Marino days. Florida just looks a little more diesel. Maybe it's the Tebow influence? Another one for the Florida schools.

Winner: Florida

Halfway through this round. Stay tuned for the next 4 matchups...

2009-2010 Bowl Season Uni Tourney (cont.)

2010-01-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

UCF vs. Iowa

UCF brings a solid look with the all-white, but I'm not completely digging the shoulder stripes here. Iowa wears the classic Steelers rip-offs, and they definitely work for them. I give this to Iowa in a close one.

Winner: Iowa

MTSU vs. TCU

This one is an easy one. Middle Tennessee dwarfs TCU in this matchup. Not much more to say.

Winner: MTSU

BYU vs. Michigan State

Another easy one. BYU's unis are no match for the plain and drab Spartans' unis.

Winner: BYU

Next 4 matchups coming soon...

2009-2010 Bowl Season Uni Tourney (cont.)

2010-01-10T13:55:00.000-08:00

I've decided to ditch ECU and Troy.

Again, the winners are determined by only using what these teams wore in their bowl game.

So now we're all set with 32 teams. Here's how they pair up:

Fresno St. vs. Alabama
UCF vs. Iowa
MTSU vs. TCU
BYU vs. Michigan State
Cal vs. Ole Miss
SMU vs. South Carolina
Ohio vs. South Florida
Pitt vs. Florida
USC vs. Ohio St.
Clemson vs. LSU
Texas A&M vs. Florida State
UCLA vs. Auburn
Wisconsin vs. Tennessee
Idaho vs. Iowa St.
Nebraska vs. Navy
Air Force vs. Oklahoma

Fresno St. vs. Alabama

Hard to see, but we all know Alabama wore their home unis in the BCS Championship game. Fresno State wore all white, but the lack of pants stripe and the loud logo take away from their look when paired up with Bama.

Winner: Alabama

Stay tuned for more....

2009-2010 Bowl Season Uni Tourney

2010-01-10T13:13:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted something. Welcome back, me. Anyways, I got the idea to have a tourney to determine the best look of the 2009-2010 bowl season, using what these teams actually wore in their bowl games. Who says there's no playoff system in Division 1 football?!?! The number of bowl games almost perfectly lends itself to such a tourney, with 34 games played in all. I've decided to match up teams in their natural bowl games to get it down to 34 winners. I'll then discard the two remaining worst unis and do a 32-team tourney from there. To keep it random and balanced, I'll match up the remaining teams based on when they played their game. For example, the Texas-Alabama winner would play the Wyoming-Fresno St winner.

I'll supply pics once the first round of 32 is played.

Without further ado, let's zip through the first 34 games played and get to the good stuff...

Fresno St. vs Wyoming

Wyoming with some piping issues. Fresno St. keeps it simple.

Winner: Fresno St.

UCF vs. Rutgers

I'm liking UCF's all white look. Rutgers a little too plain to compete.

Winner: UCF

Southern Miss vs. Middle Tenn St.

I'm not a big fan of piping, as you'll learn real quick. MTSU with some classier unis.

Winner: MTSU

Oregon St. vs. BYU

Nike's done well to improve OSU, but BYU keeps it real with some truly classic unis.

Winner: BYU

Utah vs. Cal

Cal looks crisp, although I'm not sure how long that'll last with me. Utah isn't cutting it.

Winner: Cal

Nevada vs. SMU

Really?

Winner: SMU

Ohio vs. Marshall

Ohio's old school is great. Marshall should go back to a white helmet.

Winner: Ohio

Pitt vs. UNC

UNC has missed a golden opportunity here with those weird pants. Why not keep it simple? Love what Pitt has done this year.

Winner: Pitt

BC vs. USC

USC has one of the best unis in college. BC looks like the Redskins, and that doesn't work for me.

Winner: USC

Kentucky vs. Clemson

Lots of piping here. Clemson's helmet and pants do it for me.

Winner: Clemson

Texas A&M vs. Georgia

Tough one here - TAMU has a crisper look. Maybe it's Georgia's naked white stripe on the helmet.

Winner: Texas A&M

UCLA vs. Temple

Temple has gone old school, but UCLA just plain looks better.

Winner: UCLA

Miami vs. Wisconsin

Miami goes Pro Combat, but they're a little too cute. Wisco looks solid.

Winner: Wisconsin

BGSU vs. Idaho

Idaho gets the nod here.

Winner: Idaho

Arizona vs. Nebraska

Zona breaks out white helmets, which look better, but the Huskers have the overall better look.

Winner: Nebraska

Houston vs. Air Force

Both teams wore their colors. Both have similar templates. But Air Force gets the nod here. Especially with the camo tribute.

Winner: Air Force

Oklahoma vs. Stanford

Spitting images of each other, but Oklahoma with a little more detail.

Winner: Oklahoma

Navy vs. Mizzou

Navy looks better. Mizzou's template sucks.

Winner: Navy

Minnesota vs. Iowa St.

Iowa St. with the USC knockoffs over the Golden Pipers

Winner: Iowa St.

Va Tech vs. Tenn

Tenn keeps it simple. VT keeps it Nike.

Winner: Tennessee

Northwestern vs. Auburn

Not a fan of Under Armour, but Auburn has the classier uni.

Winner: Auburn

WVU vs. Fla. St.

WVU used to have great unis, but that font is nauseating.

Winner: Fla. St.

Penn St. vs. LSU

LSU wins here because I hate that thick white collar for Penn St.

Winner: LSU

Ohio St. vs. Oregon

Had they gone with the Civil War game unis, Oregon would have won.

Winner: Ohio St.

Florida vs. Cincy

Love the white helmets (see Arizona), but the rest isn't good (see Arizona, again).

Winner: Florida

South Florida vs. Northern Illinois

Finally, a white helmet that works.

Winner: South Florida

South Carolina vs. UConn

Like I said, I hate Under Armour, but again, SC looks better. And their helmets are nicer, too.

Winner: South Carolina

Oklahoma St. vs. Ole Miss

Ole Miss takes it over bad piping. T Boone should be ashamed.

Winner: Ole Miss

Arkansas vs. ECU

ECU might look like scary Barneys running around, but that wins over bad piping.

Winner: ECU

Mich St. vs. TT

Spartans keep it real. TT keeps it real ugly.

Winner: Mich. St.

Boise St. vs. TCU

Tough one - Boise gets cute with the Nike collar bone wing thingies. TCU with the Pro Combat, which I like, but what's with the random red? I think the solid TCU jerseys do it for me. And the crisper logo on the helmet.

Winner: TCU

Iowa vs. GT

GT busts out better unis than before, but Iowa's are much better. GT needs to go back to the 90's - or at least the Calvin Johnson days.

Winner: Iowa

Central Mich vs. Troy

Troy takes it because of the bad piping.

Winner: Troy

Texas vs. Alabama

Bama's red beats out Texas's burnt orange. I hope my cousins aren't reading this.

Winner: Bama

Best College Unis of the Week - Week 4

2008-09-24T18:37:00.001-07:00

Colorful pants edition!

First up, Ohio U...

Next up, Arizona and their bright red pants...

Best look of the week goes to K-State and their purple pants, which pleasantly caught me by surprise...

Best College Unis of the Week - Week 3

2008-09-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Some good stuff this week, although a third look took me a little while to find.

First up, the Thursday night ESPN game. UNC bust out some navy blue pants. Working on a better picture here...

Next up, Mississippi State, from their 3-2 loss to Auburn. You read that right...

Lastly, BYU. Just like their basketball counterparts, they have a great classic uniform. The 59-0 pounding of UCLA makes them look even better.

Best College Unis of the Week - Week 2

2008-09-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

This week must have been throwback week, with two of my entries wearing the old school uniforms. But perhaps more fitting is the orange and blue theme throughout my picks...

First up, Illinois....throwbacks look real solid!

Next, we have the Tebow-led Florida Gators. I love when they sport the blue-on-blue...

Best look of the week - my beloved Virginia Cavaliers with a tribute to the days of Shawn and Herman Moore...

Because Pranking Is a Sport, Too!

2008-09-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

It’s Labor Day 2008, and 4 of the 5 guys that had once lived in the infamous Apartment 320 in Arlington, VA, got together in Cape May, NJ for a weekend of drinking, eating, football watching, going to the beach, and relaxation……and pranking. The object of our prankitude? The 5th roommate, Mike, who all of us came to despise. Mike (or as we now call him because of his terrible Toledo-tough accent, “Moyke”) was quite the character, and did and said many things that were unbecoming. One such incident sealed the deal (which was one more time than he sealed the deal while we were friends with him) – he attacked me before a party simply because he didn’t want to wait another minute for me to change my shirt. That’s a whole ‘nother story, though.

We had done it very spur-of-the-moment the previous Labor Day. Since I came up with the idea, I was the one who made the call. I decided to pretend I was a former coworker of ours named Dan. Dan had an overbite, and so in order to get into character, I gave myself an overbite, too, and made the call. It went OK, and Moyke was baffled by who it really was. He might have thought it was me, because he then called an old neighbor of ours to warn her that “Dave might get to you, too." As if I’m some sort of pranking terrorist or something.

This year, it was more planned out. This was my puppy, and I was eager to do a better, more thorough job. Who could I be? We narrowed it down to one of two things – a member of the Washington University Alumni Association or, better yet, a member of a volleyball association. We decided to go the volleyball route. I thought I’d be able to put on a gay accent. I was to become Stephen Sussman, from the Washington Area (later “Adult”) Volleyball Association. See below:

So the stage was set. We’d try to get Moyke to become the commissioner or supervisor of this association, WAVA for short. You see, Moyke loves volleyball. He tries to play whenever, wherever he can. Alone, that’s pretty admirable. But one of his infamous stances on fitness was uttered in connection to this volleyball playing. “I have to go work out AFTER I play volleyball so I don’t loose the muscle I’ve gained.” Um, what?

Here’s the first call set-up, the actual call, and some reaction:

Super, so we had to call on Sunday. We got home from dinner pretty late, and it turns out, Moyke probably went to bed before midnight, because, you know, it was the night before Labor Day and all. Here’s the message we left:

Ok, so one more try before we go home from Cape May. This time, it worked like a charm:

This got cut off, but I’d say the majority of damage was done in what you just watched. Plenty of gay ssss's to go around. Moyke also loves the Clarendon Ballroom, and for us to get him to talk about it was necessary and priceless. He ate it up.

Well, that isn’t the end of it. I called Moyke a few days later to confirm the Ballston...I mean, Clarendon Ballroom meeting. Here’s the gist of the message I left:

"Hi Michael? It’s Stephen Sussman. How are you? Anyways, I wanted to confirm tonite’s happy hour at 7pm at the Ballston...I mean, Clarendon Ballroom...oops, I always do that...I’ll be there with Stuart and some other boys and I think we’ll meet you on the roofdeck. Looking forward to seeing you there! Tata!"

Thursday came and went. And then on Friday, I came across this on his Facebook wall.

Looks like all the hard work paid off. Next year, who knows what we’ll do.

Hope you enjoyed this. Hell, we sure did. Tata!

My 2 Minutes of Fame...

2008-09-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

Best College Unis of the Week - Week 1

2008-09-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

This college season, I'll post what I believe to be the top 3 uniforms of the week. Without further ado...

Tennessee - love the new orange pants with the white stripes. The overall uniform may need some tweaking with the black outlining, but it's a fresh look that I liked (at least this week)

Chattanooga - the goldish jerseys looked solid and provided us with a different look. Normally, you don't see two colored jerseys in a game. Love the pants as well. Very crisp look.

Best look of the week - SMU. I believe they went back to this classic look. Looks like what the Buffalo Bills current throwbacks would look like on the road. Just a fantastic football uniform all around.

And, We're Back....With an Eagles Preview

2008-09-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

We’ve heard a lot of chatter this off-season about the Eagles, whether it was concerning Lito’s role on the team, Shawn’s depression, our lack of receiver depth, or McNabb’s superhuman abilities. Well, all that goes out the window once again as we start another season filled with high expectations. Many questions linger about all of these things, but the questions I’m concerned about are the ones that have gone unanswered for the entire decade.

Can the Birds stop the run? You’d think with all this talk of the improved secondary, that somehow stopping the run would be a problem that has long since been resolved. But I’m not convinced. We have guys that are undersized and unproven. And didn’t a few teams in the preseason march down the field on their first possession and score at will?

Will Donovan carry us? I mean, he sort of has to, no? With receivers that resemble the accountants sitting next to me, it’s going to take a lot from number 5. People say he’s improved and healthier than a mule. Well, does this translate into less happy feet and more touch on the ball? Does it? Because above all else, it has to. When opposing defenses are putting 8 in the box, and those 8 are storming towards D-Mac’s grill, will he have the wherewithal to step up, relax, and place a nice ball into the hands of these accountants that might only be 5 yards downfield? Or, will he get happy again and zing a ball like a scud missile to a guy with no one within 7 yards of him only to either swipe his feet out from under him or miss him high by 3 yards? That remains to be seen. All I know is, judging from one such throw that sailed over Kevin Curtis pre-hernia, Donovan can use a lesson or two in breathing and relaxation. Dude had plenty of time and he still missed a throw. And this was preseason, where there’s no pressure and D-Mac presumably felt like a million dollars.

Will Andy Reid get plays in on time and manage the clock well? History has proven that these skills have eluded him. What has he done to improve on this? I can all but guarantee we see one or both of these issues surface right away against a team that we should beat by 3 touchdowns (which raises another question – Can the Eagles avoid playing down to teams they should easily defeat?). Nothing says “kill momentum” like a delay of game penalty. Nothing says “we’re unprepared” like a wasted final minute and a half in the second quarter. Nothing says “wild card chances slim” like a bunch of these mishandlings during a season.

We can all agree that these questions have been huge concerns for Eagles’ fans throughout the decade. The question is, can the Birds prove that they’ve progressed beyond these annoying peeves on their way to a successful season.

NBA Referee Scandal

2008-06-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

Here’s my take on this NBA referee scandal:

I’m a fan of the game of basketball. I like all levels – from high school to professional. I enjoy the beauty and grace of the game, the highly competitive atmosphere, and the natural drama and suspense that comes with the sport. When it comes to referees, I lean toward what the football referees say – that a well-reffed game is one where you don’t even know they’re there. Well, in basketball, that’s a harder objective to achieve. Many plays end with a referee making a call. The ref takes center stage as all eyes waiting for the decision to be made fall on the guy in the black and white stripes. It’s a thankless job and a foregone conclusion – the ref will be scrutinized no matter what. And when the games themselves take a greater stage and come to mean that much more, the role of referee is one that I, for one, would never want to play. These refs are doomed from the start.

And so it comes down to the big games, where a call either way will bring much criticism. And to think a ref could be safe in the land of no-calldom. They’re not. In basketball, the two teams are not the only players in this game. The referees serve as the tippers of the scales of judgment. They’re a necessary evil. They have to be there.

Now, the Tim Donaghey scandal is one thing. There is evidence that he was involved in schemes to affect games beyond his occupational duties. It’s a no-brainer that this is wrong. I’m not arguing this. What I am arguing is that we leave the refs alone. Queue the Brittany guy of YouTube fame. Leave the refs alone! But, seriously – it’s extremely difficult to ref a high school game, let alone an NBA one. There are two, maybe three, refs in charge of following 10 guys at all times. It’s impossible to see everything at all times. The job of a ref is to make sure no one team is getting a distinct advantage. But a game is made of numerous plays. Numerous instances. And numerous scenarios. Refs aren’t there to see the big picture. They’re there to see what’s happening in front of them when it happens. A ref has to make a decision in a split-second’s time. And when this decision may seem wrong, it’s the only thing a ref has to go on at that time.

All refs make bad calls. And all games take on infinite paths to infinite outcomes. There are stories to be written about all of them. The NBA is one big choose-your-own-adventure. And the refs' calls, unfortunately and perhaps unfairly, help to carve out these paths.

I try to stay a fan through all of the B.S. I try not to get involved with the business of the game so I can maintain my standpoint of pure enjoyment. It’s a game, people. When outside forces like gambling take control, of course that’s wrong. But human error is a natural, inside force that must be dealt with and not made a major player. I find it hard to believe that the monopolous NBA would try to manipulate outcomes in favor of better matchups and hence more money. They may have that to lose, but no one else is gaining as a result. Certainly no other leagues out there are gaining on the NBA. Owners are making a ton of money. Merchandising will always be there. There is indeed work to be done, but there will always be challenges to this league. But it’s not a league that’s even remotely close to failing.

Yes, people are arguing that the NBA is not trying to leave this money on the table. And I think this is a ridiculous argument. So leave these refs out of it. They’re merely doing their jobs amidst an ever increasingly critical environment. It’s time to find blame elsewhere, if blame is to be found at all.

Phenomenal Phillies

2008-06-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight the Phillies scored 20 runs in a game for the second time this season. In fact, they did it for the second time in a 17-game span, with the first time being on May 26. Throw in the 15-run game they had on May 25, and the Phillies have scored a whopping 128 runs in 18 games. That's an incredible average of 7.11 runs per game (and they've only given up 3.33 runs per game), and they've gone 14-4 in that span.

Prior to May 25, the Phils averaged 4.80 runs per game. They now average 5.41 runs per game. That's an amazing increase of .61 runs per game.

If you only take the 4 double-digit run games over this 18 game span (15, 20, 12, 20), the Phils would average 3.72 runs per game. That's still more than the 3.33 runs per game they've given up!

I'm curious to know the last time a team scored 20 or more runs twice in one season. During the telecast, they informed us the last time the Phillies performed this feat was in 1900, when they actually did it 3 times.

Truly a Friday the 13th to remember!

College World Series Predictions

2008-05-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

My love for college sports has grown over the years, and has extended into college baseball since my alma mater's program has emerged into one of the tops in the ACC.

So, I figured I'd give this a shot and predict the College World Series bracket this year. Here goes nothing...

First Round Winners

Miami
Michigan
South Carolina
Georgia (even though they lost to Lipscomb tonight!)
Cal St. Fullerton
Pepperdine
Oklahoma St.
Florida St.

UNC
Coastal Carolina
UC Irvine
LSU
Texas
Dallas Baptist (who?)
San Diego
Arizona St.

Best-of-Three Second Round Winners

Miami
Georgia
Fullerton
Florida St.

North Carolina
UC Irvine
Texas
Arizona St.

CWS Champs

Miami

Whoa...that was difficult. Remember, I'm pretty wet behind the ears with the college baseball stuff. In the future, I'm hoping to provide some more analysis. Until then, I'm like that employee in the office pool that has no idea why they pick the teams they do and always seems to win despite that. Until we meet again...

Final Four Semis - Uni Tourni Style

2008-03-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

So, I've gotten a chance to sleep on my uni tourni final four. And having watched the real Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games this weekend, I'm now ready to proceed with crowning my inaugural Uni Tourni Champion. First, the semi-final matchups...

First Semi-Final

(1) UNC vs. (12) Villanova

I'm now somewhat sick of the SOD. It looked good when it came out, but now it looks a little silly to me. Why? For one, there's no trim on the uniforms. And there's really no continuity. Sure, it's fresh and clean and simple, but it takes away a little bit from what a uniform should be....and while UNC still maintains that continuity with the paisley going along the sides (contradicting everything I stood for above), Villanova's unis are just a better presentation. The SOD design has a squarish (is that a word?) look. If I could compare UNC's unis from only a few years back, before the terrible shoulder horns, they'd beat this year's version. Meanwhile, Nova shows off two shades of blue, and has this neat alternate type of mesh material. It adds to the look. I think UNC took a step back in going to the SOD (like they had a choice, right?). Nova took a step forward with these. Upset city, baby!

Winner: Villanova

Second Semi-Final

(2) Texas vs. (8) BYU

Everything I said above applies to the 'Horns SOD unis. It's a solid look, but now that we're in the finals, I have to mention the burnt orange. It's unique, but I'm simply not feeling it. And I am still in love with BYU's classic design. I wish more schools would switch (back) to this. So maybe the message here for both matchups is to Nike - bring back the normal shoulder straps to these uniforms. Let the players breathe again. And the ones that still prefer to wear undershirts will now feel less ridiculous doing so.

Winner: BYU

Here's Looking at You, NBA

2008-03-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

Who's in need of a uniform change in the NBA? Forbesy does a quick rundown...

Can't Touch This
Boston - Too classic. I like the St. Patty's Day version and the alternates, but there is no need to change anything.
Toronto - The look is fine for now. I think the purple shouldn't have been scrapped, but I might be in the minority on that one.
Cleveland - I'm OK with the wine and gold. It was definitely a few notches up from what they were working with in the late 90s.
Chicago - No need to change this great design. It's all about the shorts.
Indiana - Great update a year or two ago. No need to change.
Orlando - Recent tweaks have made this a solid look.
Miami - Terrible team, but nice unis.
San Antonio - Although they play a boring style, this former ABA team sports a great look. I couldn't imagine any way to improve.
Memphis - Solid update with the Stanford-ish font. Great color scheme. No need to change at all.
Utah - I actually would love to see an updated 80s uni, but the latest change of a few years ago was a huge improvement from earlier this decade. And I love the light blue alts.
Seattle - I'm glad they came back to the current unis. The Payton-Kemp era ones were a little too cartoonish.
L.A. Lakers - I like how they've updated their great look over the years. Most teams should take a few notes on this.
Golden State - These have grown on me, and I'm cool with the look. If they sprung "The City" on us or even brought back the unis from the Run TMC era, I'd be down with it. Who wouldn't?

Needs Improvement
New York - Similar to what the Lakers have done, but I think they need to get rid of the side panels. Go back to the days of Ewing and simplify.
Detroit - Again, they're trying to bring back the old look, but the new font just kills it. It makes me nauseous. Block letter it, people.
Milwaukee - I was excited when the new red and green unis came back, but they're a little too shiny for one, and they needed to update the "Bucks" on the front. Make it all one font size. Or mix in a "Milwaukee" like in the days of Big Lew.
New Orleans - I think we need to darken up the look a little. And maybe tweak the font, as it seems a little too weak. Something's slightly off with these unis, and maybe I didn't nail it.
Denver - I prefer the alternates, but the powder blues are nice. Maybe take away the shinyness as powder blue is a striking look as it is.
Portland - I think they need to go back to the lowercase "blazers". I never liked the latest update.
Sacramento - Solid unis, but I prefer the ones from the Webber days. Or bring back the Reggie Theus, K.C. Kings ones!!!

Extreme Makeover
N.J. Nets - Well, they're moving to Brooklyn soon, so I'm expecting big things from Jay-Z and company. Just don't let Diddy design the alts. I'd take the Otis Birdsong/Micheal Ray Richardson/Buck Williams unis over these current ones any time.
Philly - Where do I begin? I worked at Modell's the year they came out with the logo that they use now (1997). Whereas the update in piping and the cut looks better than last year, these guys seriously need to "throw it back". Mo Cheeks and Moses Malone are on the bench. World B. Free is in the organization. The fans are starting to care about this current group. With Iverson gone, it's time for a new look. My wish? Bring back the 1977 look. It would be PERFECT today.
Washington - Too cartoonish. And the gold and black alts don't help one bit. I don't care that they're not called the Bullets anymore. Do you disagree that "Wizards" wouldn't work with the old Jeff Ruland/Wes Unseld unis? There were stars all over those things. It screams "Wizards" to me.
Atlanta - WTF? There's no rhyme or reason to these new unis. Everyone is insulted by them. I know your team stinks, but the one thing you do have in your corner is the Human Highlight Reel and all the nostalgia that he'll provide for the next century. Bring back the red and yellow.
Charlotte - Try a simple, classic look. I think your team is blinded by these atrocities and you can see it in the win column.
Houston - The Yao era is here to stay, but these unis are very flimsy. I like the attempt, but there's no boldness.
Dallas - Throw these back to the Derek Harper days. You can easily update this look. The piping on the current unis is terrible. Too much going on and it's not a balanced look. I actually prefer the Diddy alternates. I need to stop mentioning Diddy.
Minnesota - Terrible font. The "Wolves" look of the Laettner days works a lot better. The unis are too cartoonish and need a change. It's been way too long. And that Garnett guy is gone, so time for an update.
Phoenix - I'm very partial to the classic Suns look from the days of Majerle, KJ, Chambers and Connie Hawkins. No reason why we can't see those come out every year. I like the attempt with the current ones, but they seem too futuristic to me.
L.A. Clippers - This team needs a major shake-up. Maybe changing the unis would be a start. I'm not opposed to the cursive "Clippers" but the side panels are boring. Maybe too thick. It's like they just pasted blue and red together and thought that would be good enough. Do something, Clippers. Anything!!!

Helping out the State Schools

2008-03-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

I touched on this during my uni tourni. Both Washington State and Mississippi State have such annoying clusterfucks on the front of their jerseys.

Couldn't Mississippi State have tweaked this?

And why couldn't Washington State have made this simple adjustment? (Please excuse my horrible editing skills. As a popular YouTube videographer has said, I suck at photoshop)

It's really not that hard to make a solid uniform.

Uni Tourni! - Final Four

2008-03-22T00:28:00.000-07:00

In a tourney filled with seed upsets, but merely a few true major upsets, we've reached the Final Four. I believe you have a great representation of today's college basketball uniform. You have the fresh, new look of the Nike S.O.D. (System-of-Dress, in case you had no idea what this meant all along!), the unique trademarks that make a school stand out, some experimentation, and a classic template that, to be honest, all schools with more than one word names should take a look at (I'm talking to you, Mississippi State and Washington State!)

Here are the matchups:

East Region Winner
(1) UNC

versus

Midwest Region Winner
(12) Villanova

South Region Winner
(2) Texas

versus

West Region Winner
(8) BYU

I'm gonna sleep on this for a day or two. Feel free to comment in the meantime.

Uni Tourni! - West Region

2008-03-21T23:35:00.000-07:00

How the west is won...

First Round
(1) UCLA over (16) Miss. Valley St.

Pretty simple one. Hard to beat UCLA.

(8) BYU over (9) Texas A&M

BYU has a classic look. Texas A&M has way too much going on with their side panels.

(5) Drake over (12) West. Ky.

WKU a little disproportionate. Drake keeps it simple.

(4) UConn over (13) San Diego

USD may have taken this if they had stuck to one shade for most of their trim and numbers.

(6) Purdue over (11) Baylor

Baylor trying too hard to be Oregon. Purdue is classic with a modern touch.

(3) Xavier over (14) Georgia

Bulldogs look a little lost with these. And the shoulder panels!!! Ugh!!

(7) West. Va. over (10) Arizona

Shame on the Wildcats for switching to the SOD. Their old unis were fantastic.

(2) Duke over (15) Belmont

Belmont puts up a solid fight, but Duke's unis are pretty classic.

Second Round
(8) BYU over (1) UCLA

I have some explaining to do. Or maybe UCLA does. It's one thing to celebrate your school's 100 national championships. It's one thing to do it amongst your school. It's another thing to do it so passive aggressively, showing off in front of the country, and have it affect a perfectly classic uniform. The "C" doesn't necessarily ruin it, but it screams pretension. It makes me slightly irritated when I see them take the floor. Meanwhile, BYU's uniforms are fantastic. BYU in an upset!

(4) UConn over (5) Drake

Drake's name plate is a little too NBA-ish for me. UConn has a fresh look, although the lines create a maze or something.

(3) Xavier over (6) Purdue

Apparently, Xavier changed up their secondary color this year. They also changed up their uniform, but it still beats Purdue.

(2) Duke over (7) West. Va.

Duke's unis are great. They've made some tweaks over the years, and I think the font has changed for the worse, but not enough to sway me here. WVU has some solid unis. The football team can take a lesson in fonts from these.

Sweet 16
(8) BYU over (4) UConn

Here's where UConn's maze doesn't work. It's forward-thinking, but I'm not there yet, and I'm not sure many are.

(2) Duke over (3) Xavier

Last year's Xavier uni would have possibly won this, but not this year's.

Elite 8
(8) BYU over (2) Duke

Here's where the Duke unis of the 1990s would have easily won. A little luster has been taken off their unis. Meanwhile, BYU's unis have a class and balance that I love. Michael Jackson's favorite school goes to the Final Four!

West Region Winner
BYU

Close Runner-Ups
Duke, UCLA

Uni Tourni! - South Region

2008-03-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

The dirty, dirty...

First Round
(16) UT-Arlington over (1) Memphis

Memphis has some serious imbalance going on, and their collar is awful. I know I hate shoulder panels, but UTA's overall look is better.

(9) Oregon over (8) Miss. St.

This isn't football, so the Ducks' unis are slightly more bearable. But more importantly here, MSU needs to put that number in between the "Mississippi" and "State".

(12) Temple over (5) Mich. St.

In a close call, Temple moves on. I favor Michigan State's first iteration of the "State" unis after they won it all in 2000.

(4) Pitt over (13) Oral Roberts

ORU!!! It's just too big on there. Pitt has a solid look. I think they have the same template as Temple, so we'll see how that shakes out next round.

(6) Marquette over (11) Kentucky

Marquette is on to something with those pretty side panels, although the shoulders are a little unnecessary. Kentucky had better ones in the 90s.

(14) Cornell over (3) Stanford

Bring one home for the Ivy League. Stanford gave up on a solid look a few years back.

(7) Miami over (10) St. Mary's

The goth font isn't working for me.

(2) Texas over (15) Austin Peay

Go Peay! Or just go home.

Second Round
(9) Oregon over (16) UT-Arlington

I'm in favor of a bold look with shoulder panels over just plain shoulder panels.

(4) Pitt over (12) Temple

Pitt comes with a little less clutter and a better color scheme. Sorry, Temple. Sorry, Mom.

(6) Marquette over (14) Cornell

Just prettier to look at, although the white name on white jersey might start getting to me.

(2) Texas over (7) Miami

Orange and green are tough colors to work with. Texas keeps it simple and crisp.

Sweet 16
(4) Pitt over (9) Oregon

The unevenness now works against Oregon. Pitt has more balance and is just a nicer uniform. You can't even see Oregon's names on the back of their jerseys, even though they're there!!

(2) Texas over (6) Marquette

Classic and simple beats colorful, yet odd. Take away the shoulders for Marquette and color in the team name, and it may have swung the other way. Dare I say - follow Syracuse, and Marquette would have advanced.

Elite 8
(2) Texas over (4) Pitt

I don't want to sound redundant here, but the 'Horns have a cleaner look and maintain their identity. Pitt is solid, but not solid enough to advance.

South Region Winner
Texas

Close Runner-Ups
Pitt, Marquette

Uni Tourni! - Midwest Region

2008-03-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

We continue with the Midwest region...

First Round
(16) Portland State over (1) Kansas

16 seeds can win in this tournament. Kansas messed up a good thing, especially changing their font this year. Throw it back, Chalkers!

(9) Kent State over (8) UNLV

Golden Flashes move on. The Rebels may as well have flasing lights and a scrolling marquee on their backs.

(12) Nova over (5) Clemson

In a touchy battle, with Nova's unequal shoulder stripes and Clemson's uniform being marred by their terrible shoulder panels.

(4) Vandy over (13) Siena

Not sure what Siena is doing with lots of yellow and white, and thank goodness Vandy didn't go with the home gold's, cuz they have the shoulder panels!

(11) K-State over (6) USC

In a matchup that Nike was moist over, K-State takes the cake (say that 10 times fast) with a slightly sharper edge.

(14) Cal-State Fullerton over (3) Wisconsin

CSF with the more classic look here.

(7) Gonzaga over (10) Davidson

Zags on thin ice, though, with the thick trim.

(2) G'Town over (15) UMBC

Hoyas switching to the SOD just in time, as UMBC would have made this a tougher decision.

Second Round

(9) Kent State over (16) Portland State

In a weak matchup, Kent State's bolder look prevails. Not much more to say here!

(12) Nova over (4) Vandy

Nova's color scheme is just bolder and more pleasant to look at. Vandy's font is boring and a little small. Let's see an SOD with "Vandy" on the chest!

(11) K-State over (14) Cal-State Fullerton

Too loud with the "Fullerton". K-State a much crisper look.

(2) G'Town over (7) Gonzaga

Gonzaga's trim is too thick. They had a better shot a few years back when we were still amazed at their success. Perhaps it's gone to their heads in the uni department. G'Town's home grays and paisley are tight, and look good with the SOD unis.

Sweet 16
(12) Nova over (9) Kent State

Weak matchup - Kent State is too busy with the side panels. Nova has a crisp look and I continue to love their color scheme. I hope no one is sensing a Philly bias here.

(11) K-State over (2) G'Town

It's Nike vs. Nike. SOD vs. SOD. I think the deciding factor was how the Hoyas' unis are a little off with the side panels. Sure, the paisley is there, but it's almost too bland. K-State is simple and dynamic.

Elite 8
(12) Nova over (11) K-State

Kudos to the risky double-colored shoulder stripes for Nova. Still manages to be simple and crisp. K-State bows out here being a little too boring - there's no real distinction in their unis, and the K-State novelty has worn off.

Midwest Region Winner
Villanova

Close Runner-Ups
K-State, G'Town

Uni Tourni! - East Region

2008-03-21T16:34:00.001-07:00

In the spirit of not making these posts humongous, I'm going to provide links in the team names. So either you can see for yourself what I'm talking about or just take my word for it. I'm going with the uniforms that the teams are actually wearing for the first round game. In later rounds, I'll get into the full repertoire. Let's get it on...

First Round
(1) UNC over (16) Mt. St. Mary's

Hard to pick against UNC's classic ditties right now.

(8) Indiana over (9) Arkansas

In a battle of the same friggin' uniform, I have to side with the more storied program.

(5) Notre Dame over (12) George Mason

You'll soon discover that I have an aversion to the silly shoulder panels. Plus, Notre Dame might bust out the sweeter "Irish" uniforms later on.

(13) Winthrop over (4) Wash. St.

Too busy up front and numbers too big on the back for Wazzou.

(6) Oklahoma over (11) St. Joe's

I might have to make a personal visit to Hawk Hill to burn these uniforms.

(3) Louisville over (14) Boise St.

Shoulder panels!!! Gotta pick one, and the Cards have a sharper look going on. Barely.

(7) Butler over (10) South Alabama

Bulldogs with a solid look. USA's font size is too tiny. Otherwise, this would have been closer.

(15) American over (2) Tennessee

Maybe it's the color scheme, but the Vol's need to go back to the basics, IMO. Or, maybe it's my allegiance to Jeff Jones! Wahoowa!

Second Round
(1) UNC over (8) Indiana

In a squeaker, the Heels move on. I love the classic look that the Hoosiers bring, and it's a shame this is only a second round matchup, but the Carolina blue and argyle combo is hard to beat.

(13) Winthrop over (5) Notre Dame

Winthrop wins with a fluid design, as the Irish just couldn't hang on with their lack of trim on those shorts. Need something there, Golden Domers.

(6) Oklahoma over (3) Louisville

Sooners benefit from the SOD with a clean, classic look. Louisville is just a little too busy.

(7) Butler over (15) American

I have a thing with multi-stripe trim, but American put up a good fight here.

Sweet 16
(1) UNC over (13) Winthrop

Not much of a fight here.

(7) Butler over (6) Oklahoma

The more classic uniform prevails, hailing from the more classic Hinkel Fieldhouse. It just all fits so nicely. Here's a template that's hard to go against.

Elite 8
(1) UNC over (7) Butler

Intense battle. UNC's color scheme and argyle are a classic combo that have withstood the tests of time and Nike's attempts to screw it up. If you played this game at Hinkel, I'd stare more at the Carolina blue roads than I would the Butler homes. I feel like I should have a loser's bracket, because Butler could easily crawl back into the mix.

East Region Winner
UNC

Close Runner-Ups
Indiana, Butler

Uni Tourni!

2008-03-17T01:05:00.000-07:00

The 65 teams are now set in the NCAA tournament. You've seen my efforts to predict the bracket, and I plan on breaking it down for y'all at some point this week - or at least offering my picks.

In the meantime, it's time to have a little creative fun with this tourney. It's time for my inaugural "Uni Tourni."

Nevermind the seedings or the talent levels of these teams. The only thing that will determine whether they survive and advance are the clothes on their backs. So, without further ado, let's start with the play-in game.

(16) Coppin State vs. (16) Mount St. Mary's

There's a reason why Coppin State is in the play-in game. WTF is up with that collar? I barely had to look at The Mount's uniforms to make this decision - and obviously, I didn't even consider The Mount's shorts. I don't have to. Mount St. Mary's advances. Bring on North Carolina.

Next up: (1) North Carolina vs. (16) Mount St. Mary's

Bracket Stab Stats

2008-03-17T00:14:00.000-07:00

The tourney is ON! I'm pumped, as I hope you are, too.

Below are my stats on how well I predicted this year's field. Important to note - my last "stab" was made at approx 3am on the morning of Selection Sunday. I was out having a few cold ones and watching the championship games at a bar, so missing Georgia was something out of my control. I'm not sure who I would have dropped out with them taking another at-large away. Looking at my last four in, it would probably have been VCU or Dayton, but who really knows?! Anyways, next year I'll try to spend all of Selection Sunday at home, so I can get as close as possible.

Out of 65 teams, I correctly predicted 62. I missed Oregon, Villanova, and Georgia. Instead, I put in Dayton, VCU, and Illinois St.

Here are my seeding stats:

Exact seed: 30 out of 65 (46.2%)
1 Seed Off: 21 out of 65 (32.3%)
2 Seeds Off: 9 out of 65 (13.8%)
3 Seeds Off: 1 out of 65 (1.5%)
4 Seeds Off: 1 out of 65 (1.5%)
Missed Altogether: 3 out of 65 (4.6%)

So, I nailed 51 out of 65 within 1 seed. I can live with that. Of note, I also nailed 2 exact pairings, with the Vandy-Siena and Memphis-UTA pairings. When the brackets were announced, it was like deja vu up in this mother!

Now, let the real March Madness begin...

Bracket Stab - Selection Sunday!

2008-03-15T23:43:00.000-07:00

It's really late in the evening or really early in the morning - depending on how you look at it - but one thing is for certain...it's Selection Sunday! It's finally here! Seriously, this day is 10 times better than Christmas.

Below are my final predictions for the tourney. After posting this, I'll get some much needed rest and then just wait and see how close I really got to nailing these. Perhaps I'll put those stats up on Monday.

Lay your eyes on these....

East Region (Charlotte)

Raleigh
(1) UNC vs. (16) Coppin St. /Miss. Vall. St. (play-in game)
(8) Texas A&M vs. (9) St. Mary's

Tampa
(4) Vandy vs. (13) Siena
(5) UConn vs. (12) Oral Roberts

Washington, D.C.
(2) Georgetown vs. (15) Cornell
(7) USC vs. (10) Temple

Omaha
(3) Wisconsin vs. (14) Winthrop
(6) UNLV vs. (11) Miami, FL

West Region (Phoenix)

Anaheim
(1) UCLA vs. (16) Portland State
(8) Oklahoma vs. (9) Kent State

Washington, D.C.
(4) Pittsburgh vs. (13) Kentucky
(5) Indiana vs. (12) VCU

Birmingham
(2) Tennessee vs. (15) Mt. St. Mary's
(7) BYU vs. (10) Arizona

Tampa
(3) Xavier vs. (14) Austin Peay
(6) Marquette vs. (11) South Alabama

South Region (Houston)

Birmingham
(1) Memphis vs. (16) UT-Arlington or Northwestern St. (Southland Champ)
(8) Davidson vs. (9) Arkansas

Denver
(4) Michigan State vs. (13) George Mason
(5) Butler vs. (12) Baylor

Little Rock
(2) Texas vs. (15) UMBC
(7) Notre Dame vs. (10) West. Ky.

Anaheim
(3) Stanford vs. (14) Boise St.
(6) Clemson vs. (11) Illinois St.

Midwest Region (Detroit)

Denver
(1) Kansas vs. (16) Cal St. - Fullerton
(8) West Va. vs. (9) Miss. St.

Omaha
(4) Drake vs. (13) San Diego
(5) Washington St. vs. (12) Dayton

Raleigh
(2) Duke vs. (15) American
(7) Gonzaga vs. (10) Kansas St.

Little Rock
(3) Louisville vs. (14) Belmont
(6) Purdue vs. (11) St. Joe's

Last 4 Teams in:
Dayton
Baylor
Kentucky
VCU

First 4 Teams Out:
Oregon
Arizona St.
UMass
Villanova

Who's the Best in the Big East?

2008-03-03T16:14:00.000-08:00

Simple question, right? As Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast my friend!"

Much has been said about West Virginia's "weak" Big East conference schedule, so I decided to see for myself just how weak that is compared to the other teams in the Big East. While crunching the numbers for this answer, I also went a little further and calculated the RPI for the Big East only, as if they were the only teams in Division 1. Here's what I found below...

Team	W	L	Pct	SOS
Notre Dame	12	4	0.750	0.546
Marquette	11	6	0.647	0.535
Villanova	7	9	0.438	0.520
Connecticut	12	4	0.750	0.515
Pittsburgh	9	7	0.563	0.507
St. John's	5	11	0.313	0.503
Rutgers	2	15	0.118	0.498
DePaul	5	11	0.313	0.494
Providence	5	11	0.313	0.494
Seton Hall	7	9	0.438	0.491
Syracuse	7	9	0.438	0.489
West Virginia	9	7	0.563	0.486
Louisville	14	3	0.824	0.484
Georgetown	14	3	0.824	0.484
Cincinnati	8	8	0.500	0.477
South Florida	3	13	0.188	0.452

Out of 16 teams, West Virginia has the 12th toughest schedule. So, yeah, they've played a pretty weak schedule in conference and they only have 9 wins to show for it.

So who's the best in the league? It ain't Georgetown, as most may think. Notre Dame has separated themselves as the team to beat with the highest RPI achieved against the toughest schedule. I say, look out for the Fighting Irish in the coming weeks.

Team	W	L	Pct	RPI
Notre Dame	12	4	0.750	0.586
Louisville	14	3	0.824	0.573
Georgetown	14	3	0.824	0.573
Connecticut	12	4	0.750	0.570
Marquette	11	6	0.647	0.554
Pittsburgh	9	7	0.563	0.519
West Virginia	9	7	0.563	0.510
Villanova	7	9	0.438	0.494
Cincinnati	8	8	0.500	0.481
Seton Hall	7	9	0.438	0.480
Syracuse	7	9	0.438	0.478
St. John's	5	11	0.313	0.453
DePaul	5	11	0.313	0.451
Providence	5	11	0.313	0.449
Rutgers	2	15	0.118	0.402
South Florida	3	13	0.188	0.397

Create-a-Conference

2008-02-28T20:02:00.000-08:00

With so much flux happening in the past 15 years or so with college conferences, I think we need some even better solutions. Some conferences have gotten way out of hand - St. Louis in the Atlantic-10? Marquette in the Big East? Just crazy to me. I think it's time to restore order in the world. I think it's time to create-a-conference.

Here are some I came up with...

All Saints Conference (St. Louis, St. Mary's, St. Francis(Pa), St. Francis (Ny), Mount St. Mary's, St. Joe's, St. Bonaventure, St. Peter's)

Wildcats Conference (Villanova, Kansas State, Arizona, Northwestern, Kentucky, Weber State, Davidson, New Hampshire)

The Bulldog 10 (Butler, Citadel, Mississippi St., Georgia, Fresno St., Drake, Gonzaga, Yale, Samford, UNC-Asheville)

The People's Conference (Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, Oral Roberts, Lamar, George Mason, William & Mary)

Give it a try yourself. Could be a funny conference (e.g., the "Four Letter School Conference"...Duke, Iowa, Rice, Iona....) or a more common sensical regional conference (e.g., the "Really Big North"...Montana, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada....). Whatever floats your boat...

Yankees New 3rd Baseman

2008-02-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

Introducing Alex Rodrez. Thanks ESPN.

I mean, it's one thing to misspell his name as "Rodrigeuz" or "Rodregez" or something along those lines, but this??? How does that even happen? Here, let me try typing this out a few times...

Rodriguez
Rodrigues (oops! oh no, better edit this!)
Rodriguez
Rodriguez

Wasn't too hard. Did someone take a phone call mid-type?

"Doo, doo, doo...'Alex....Rodr'....oop, phone call...Hey mom, how are you?...I'm good...just typing out this graphic for Outside the Lines real quick....aaaaand....'ez'....there. Done...so, what's for dinner tonight, ma? I should be able to make it home in time. Hold on, let me type out something else real quick...'Derek.... Je'....what, mom? Yeah, I didn't have time to clean up my room and the rest of the basement. Thanks for doing that....'r'....ok, done that one....see you when I get home mom. I should probably get back to work or something. I'm running double duty today with graphic data entry AND editing...and I really don't know where to start with editing. Ok, bye!"

Can't wait to see the story coming up on Roger Clens.

Best State in College Basketball

2008-02-20T08:46:00.000-08:00

The question was posed on Around the Horn yesterday which state was the best in college basketball right now. I was curious myself, so I went back to ol' Ken Pomeroy's site (www.kenpom.com) to check the current RPI and did a little math action myself. I decided to take the top 4 teams from each state that made sense to me and average their RPIs. Here's my top 6 based on this calculation (State, RPI Avg, Teams):

1. Indiana, 22.25 (Indiana, Butler, Notre Dame, Purdue)
2. California, 22.50 (UCLA, Stanford, St. Mary's, USC)
3. Tennessee, 28.50 (Tennessee, Memphis, Vandy, Belmont)
4. Ohio, 29.50 (Xavier, Dayton, Kent St., Ohio St.)
5. North Carolina, 31.00 (Duke, UNC, Davidson, Wake)
6. Texas, 33.50 (Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Houston)

On ATH, they were big on Tennessee and Texas, but there is a drop off after those top teams. And one would think North Carolina would be in the mix, and one would be right, but once again there is a drop off after Duke and UNC.

I'm still working on the calculation for Alaska and Hawaii. Check back for updates.

Bracket Stab - February 18

2008-02-18T18:34:00.001-08:00

I wanted to post my first stab at the brackets today. I didn't go so far as to place teams in their proper pods, but I did seed by region.

I decided to project out the rest of the season, and this bracket reflects that. I used Ken Pomeroy's site (www.kenpom.com) and his projections for the remainder of each team's schedule. Sometimes I disagreed, but for the most part, I followed his individual game projections. So, instead of saying "this is how the brackets would look if the season ended today", it's more of a "this is how I think the brackets will look on Selection Sunday". For the one-bid conferences, I simply put in the current leader of the conference, and went with my gut for any current ties.

Last teams in:
Arizona St.
Florida
Miami (Fla)
Baylor

First teams out:
UMass
UNLV
Oregon
Mississippi

South Region
(1) Memphis vs. (16) CSU-Northridge
(8) BYU vs. (9) Dayton
(4) Notre Dame vs. (13) Oral Roberts
(5) Indiana vs. (12) Miami (Fla)
(2) Texas vs. (15) American
(7) Clemson vs. (10) Syracuse
(3) Stanford vs. (14) UMBC
(6) Pitt vs. (11) St. Joe's

West Region
(1) Tennessee vs. (16) Morgan St./Alabama St.
(8) Wake Forest vs. (9) Ohio St.
(4) UConn vs. (13) Boise St.
(5) Kansas St. vs. (12) Davidson
(2) UCLA vs. (15) Belmont
(7) Maryland vs. (10) West. Va.
(3) Xavier vs. (14) Cornell
(6) Gonzaga vs. (11) Florida

East Region
(1) UNC vs. (16) Robert Morris
(8) Marquette vs. (9) Arkansas
(4) Michigan St. vs. (13) Western Ky.
(5) Butler vs. (12) Baylor
(2) Georgetown vs. (15) Rider
(7) St. Mary's vs. (10) Oklahoma
(3) Wisconsin vs. (14) Austin Peay
(6) Washington St. vs. (11) Mississippi St.

Midwest Region
(1) Kansas vs. (16) Portland St.
(8) Rhode Island vs. (9) Arizona
(4) Vanderbilt vs. (13) Kent St.
(5) Purdue vs. (12) VCU
(2) Duke vs. (15) Winthrop
(7) Texas A&M vs. (10) USC
(3) Louisville vs. (14) Stephen F. Austin
(6) Drake vs. (11) Arizona St.

Weirdness...

2008-02-02T08:02:00.001-08:00

I just noticed that Penn and Princeton both played their FIRST conference games last night. Last night was February 1!!!! Has that ever happened before when a team (let alone two teams) plays its first conference game in February? Just plain weird to me. I know, I know...there are only 8 teams in that conference and, well, it IS the Ivy League. But still!!!!

My Super Bowl Predictions

2008-02-01T13:32:00.000-08:00

I'll post my predictions for a bunch of things now and then see how I faired on Monday.

Outcome
NE 38, NYG 16

First to Score
Randy Moss

Halftime Score
NE 24, NYG 6

MVP
Randy Moss

Brady's Stats
23-32, 274 yds, 3 TDs, 0 INTs

Manning's Stats
26-43, 297 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs

The Big East is too Big

2008-01-31T08:24:00.002-08:00

So, why not break it up into two equal pieces, like this?...

Church		State
Georgetown	7-1	Connecticut	5-3
Notre Dame	4-2	Louisville	5-3
Marquette	5-3	Pittsburgh	5-3
Seton Hall	5-3	Cincinnati	5-4
DePaul	4-4	Syracuse	5-4
Providence	3-4	West Virginia	4-4
Villanova	3-5	Rutgers	2-7
St. John's	1-7	South Florida	1-7
Total	32-29	Total	32-35

Looks even, but the Church Division might be a little stronger. Discuss...

"Stat"urday - NHL Standings Grid - Western Conference

2008-01-28T22:09:00.000-08:00

Following up on the weekend's first stat post, here is the Western Conference standings grid at the All-Star Break.

Here are TTA's for each Western team - looks like Detroit has troubles with Chicago, while San Jose and Dallas just need to avoid the Detroit juggernaut and they'll be okay.

	RECORD	TTA	ADJ. RECORD
DET	37-10-4	CHI	36-7-3
CLB	25-20-6	NAS	24-17-5
NAS	25-20-5	ANA	24-17-5
STL	22-19-7	CHI	20-16-7
CHI	23-23-4	CLB	22-20-4
MIN	28-19-3	CAL	27-16-2
CAL	25-17-8	DET	25-14-8
VAN	26-19-5	SJ	26-15-5
COL	26-20-4	MIN	24-17-4
EDM	23-24-5	COL	23-21-4
SJ	27-15-7	DET	27-12-7
DAL	28-20-5	DET	28-18-5
ANA	27-20-6	DAL	26-16-6
PHX	26-21-2	MIN	26-17-2
LA	20-29-2	PHX	20-25-2

"Stat"urday - NHL Standings Grid - Eastern Conference

2008-01-27T10:07:00.000-08:00

One of the features on my blog will be called "Stat"urday, where I'll post a statistic (usually on a Saturday, or at least on the weekend) that I may find interesting or that I simply haven't seen anywhere else. Case in point with the latter - an NHL standings grid. Below is the one for the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Break. It's interesting to see just what teams have each other's number. One that sticks out is Montreal's ownership of Boston. Another is Ottawa's inability to handle the Capitals.

Also, I've taken each team's record and subtracted out their TTA's record ("team to avoid") to come up with an adjusted record that perhaps gives a better representation of the team's true record. Just avoid that one team, and you're golden, right? Philly, Ottawa, and Montreal look to be in good shape if they avoid their TTA's...

	RECORD	TTA	ADJ. RECORD
PHI	27-16-5	NJ	26-11-5
NJ	28-18-3	NYI	28-14-3
PIT	27-18-4	PHI	27-14-4
NYI	24-20-6	PHI	24-17-6
NYR	24-21-6	NYI	23-18-6
OTT	31-15-4	WAS	31-11-4
MON	26-15-8	OTT	26-12-8
BUF	25-19-5	OTT	24-16-4
BOS	21-21-6	MON	21-15-6
TOR	20-23-8	BOS	19-20-8
CAR	24-24-4	TB	22-21-4
WAS	23-22-5	BUF	23-19-5
ATL	23-25-4	OTT	22-22-4
TB	22-24-5	WAS	20-21-5
FLA	20-25-5	CAR	18-22-5

Sweet NFL Artwork

2008-01-24T21:18:00.001-08:00

The above photo is a screen shot from Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. I noticed it during a piece on drinking at NFL games. Gumbel was interviewing the NFL's VP for Security and I'm assuming walking through the NFL offices with him. I noticed the wall in the background - looks like a mozaic-type tapestry of each NFL team's jersey or pants stripe design. Very cool!

Flyers at the All-Star Break

2008-01-24T20:02:00.000-08:00

Check this out - at the All-Star Break, the Flyers are 27-16-5 and the Devils are 28-18-3...take away their records against each other, which the Devils have beaten the Flyers 5 out of 6 this year...












Flyers - 26-11-5
















Devils - 23-17-3

The Devils have the Flyers' number (obviously). If the Flyers avoid the Devils in the playoffs, it looks like they're in good shape against the rest of the NHL. I'm just sayin'...

Majestic Athletic in pictures...

2008-01-24T16:16:00.001-08:00

Silly me forgot to bring a real camera, so my cell phone had to suffice.

The corporate HQ are located in a very small town, and the campus is very modest. The parking lots weren't even all paved, although the visitors' lot was. The main building was very nice, as seen below from the outside and then in the lobby. The lobby was something I hope my basement looks like someday, but it was extremely modest as well. I got a warm feeling from being there. Enjoy the pics...

Welcome...

2008-01-24T15:28:00.000-08:00

My sister just started a blog, so I figured I should do the same. There was other inspiration, of course, mainly consisting of my desire to share with the world my views on sports and the different ways I come to enjoy sports as it relates to aesthetics, numbers, and competition.

Oh, yes...the title...my buddy Mitch (hi Mitch!) called me one day and left a message on my answering machine (that machine that used to hook up to our landlines once upon a time!) and started it with "Forbesy Worbesy Pudding Pie...". For lack of a better blog name, I chose this. F.W. Pudding Pie for short, of course. (Update - 1/27/10: I also chose it for its originality and sillyness, and I'm quite happy I did!)

Enjoy - and don't hesitate to tell me what you like, dislike, flat out hate, what makes you nauseous, etc, etc...many thanks!

I've been to the mountain, and it is good...

2008-01-24T15:22:00.001-08:00

I took a mini road trip up to Bangor, PA - home of Majestic Athletic. Beautiful scenery up there, with it's rolling hills and farmland with a mountainous backdrop.

My first stop was at the Majestic Athletic HQ, where I stopped in the corporate lobby and spoke to the receptionist. Very sweet lady. She allowed me to take some pictures of the lobby and informed me that the "company store" I had imagined existed was actually a "factory outlet store" located a few miles away from HQ. She gave me quick directions, and although I zoned out halfway through, I managed to follow them perfectly (thanks to the landmarks she mentioned that actually did stick in my head) and arrive at the factory outlet store where I spent about an hour looking around.

Pictures to follow soon!