Well, it’s nice to be back in the Natural State once again. My trip to the Gulf Coast was a time of relaxation that was much needed. Some souvenirs I brought home with me included cinnamon rolls from Lambert’s, the satisfaction of pulling a few fish from the sea, a sunburn, Pepa’s Lincoln, and a few extra pounds no thanks to Mema’s handiwork in the kitchen. The one thing I didn’t bring back with me is points. I seemed to have lost them somewhere between Romar Beach and Yazoo City. A few of you, however, found them and not a moment too soon for you.
Since today, I’m off again on another Spring Break adventure, I do not have much time to dedicate to this post. Not much time or not much motivation. You’ll understand when you see the standings. Sadly, let’s go ahead and look at them.
Rank/Previous Rank/Name
1 / 1 / Kris
2 / 12 / Pepa
3 / 6 / Carol
4 / 3 / Monkey
5 / 7/ Kevin
6/ 4 / Mike
7 / 5 / Chuck
7 / 2 / Rob
9 / 15/ Michelle
10 / 12 / Tracee
11 /14 / Kelly G
12/ 7 / Cherie
12 / 7 / Kelly S
14 / 10 / Chris
15 / 11 / Drew
16 /16 / Mema
17 / 17/ Abe
As you may have noticed, there are no points listed. Unbelievably, there are eight (I think) players who can still win this thing. Also, some of the eight players with a chance are not currently in the top eight of the rankings. So, you must continue to root hard and persevere the duration, until the last buzzer sounds, unless you are Chris, Drew, Mema, or Abe. I like to refer to this group as the Final Four; the final four to be listed on the rankings no matter the outcome of these last games.
I would like to congratulate everyone on their Final Four selections. Every participant correctly identified at least one team in the Final Four, except Abe of course (Penn was so close). Also you may have notice some major movement in the standings. The most drastic leap came from Pepa. See what happens when you take the Bom fishing. And it doesn’t hurt to run the table in the Final Four round. That’s right. Pepa nailed all four teams, leading to a 32 point round for him. 32 points and bunch of gum-bumping smack talk I would assume. Also there seems to be some controversy dealing with Pepa’s selections. There may have to be an internal investigation into some insider information that may have been received by Pepa prior to the tourney start. If you are interested in this case, please hassle Pepa.
Well, I’m off to Toon Town with high hopes of fairing better than I have in this competition. One royal flush ought to bring my spirits up. Well, at least the buffet never lets me down.
Bom and Babe
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Elite 8
In the past 24 hours, I’ve experienced some things that are hard to describe. I’ve seen one the top five sights you can see, the blue horizon of the ocean. I’ve smelled one of the top five aromas you can smell, the salty air of the Gulf Coast. I’ve heard one of the top five sounds you can hear, the peaceful rhythm of waves crashing on the beach. I’ve felt with my hands one of the top five feelings you can feel, the pull of a fish on the other end of your fishing line. And I’ve indulged in one of the top five tastes you can taste, Pepa’s waffles in the early morning. This is an experience of a lifetime, but I know that it pales in comparison to the Sullivan Family Bracket Challenge results and rankings.
Since I have a long day of fishing, walking on the beach, eating, and napping, I’ll keep this short. The round of the Sweet 16 proved a moving day for many of you. Some took significant steps toward the top, while others fell in a disturbing way. Let’s see it:
Rank/Previous Rank/Name/Official Score/Games Won/Upset Score
1 / 1 / Kris / 80 / 47/ 159
2 / 2 / Rob / 79 / 47 / 163
3 / 3 / Monkey/ 77 / 45 / 131
4 / 6 / Mike / 75 / 43 / 149
5 / 6 / Chuck / 71 /41 / 119
6 / 12 / Carol / 70 / 40 / 117
7 / 9 / Kelly S / 68 / 40/ 137
7 / 5 / Kevin / 68 / 41 / 130
7 / 9 / Cherie / 68 / 41 / 129
10 / 8 / Chris / 65 / 40 / 127
11 / 14/ Drew / 64/ 36 / 107
12 / 11 / Pepa / 63 / 38 / 110
12 / 15 / Tracee/ 63 / 35/ 101
14 / 12 / Kelly G / 62 / 38 / 124
15 / 3 / Michelle / 61 / 40 / 137
16 / 16 / Mema / 45 / 30 / 97
17 /17/ Abe / 30/ 22 / 89
Everybody except Abe, and (sigh) me, have their tournament winner still in the mix, which means, pretty much anybody can still win and anybody can still be shamed ruthlessly. So, keep your eyes on the prize, and by prize I mean the TV.
It was brought to my attention that people tend to have brackets that resemble something about themselves. Sometimes their character, sometimes their tendencies, but most of all, their car. Here are some examples:
Mema’s bracket is like her car because it’s all banged up.
Tracee’s bracket is like her car because she needs a new one, at least a different one.
Mike’s bracket is like his car because it’s not much to look at, but it is moving well.
Mema’s bracket is like her car because it was going pretty fast, but now it got pulled over.
Kelly S’s bracket is like his car, it’s apparently very fast because he tracking down the leaders.
Carol must have dropped some nitro in her car, because she moved from 12th to 6th.
Kevin’s bracket is like his truck, it’s all jacked up.
Pepa’s bracket is like his car, he thought he had this thing all locked up, but it got stolen away from him.
Mema’s bracket is like her car, because the Arkansas blinker is left on way too long.
The following people deserve kudos for picking 7 out of 8 teams in the Elite 8: Carol, Kris, Mike, Monkey, Rob, and Tracee.
Good luck to everyone, and don’t worry, be happy.
Bom and Babe
Since I have a long day of fishing, walking on the beach, eating, and napping, I’ll keep this short. The round of the Sweet 16 proved a moving day for many of you. Some took significant steps toward the top, while others fell in a disturbing way. Let’s see it:
Rank/Previous Rank/Name/Official Score/Games Won/Upset Score
1 / 1 / Kris / 80 / 47/ 159
2 / 2 / Rob / 79 / 47 / 163
3 / 3 / Monkey/ 77 / 45 / 131
4 / 6 / Mike / 75 / 43 / 149
5 / 6 / Chuck / 71 /41 / 119
6 / 12 / Carol / 70 / 40 / 117
7 / 9 / Kelly S / 68 / 40/ 137
7 / 5 / Kevin / 68 / 41 / 130
7 / 9 / Cherie / 68 / 41 / 129
10 / 8 / Chris / 65 / 40 / 127
11 / 14/ Drew / 64/ 36 / 107
12 / 11 / Pepa / 63 / 38 / 110
12 / 15 / Tracee/ 63 / 35/ 101
14 / 12 / Kelly G / 62 / 38 / 124
15 / 3 / Michelle / 61 / 40 / 137
16 / 16 / Mema / 45 / 30 / 97
17 /17/ Abe / 30/ 22 / 89
Everybody except Abe, and (sigh) me, have their tournament winner still in the mix, which means, pretty much anybody can still win and anybody can still be shamed ruthlessly. So, keep your eyes on the prize, and by prize I mean the TV.
It was brought to my attention that people tend to have brackets that resemble something about themselves. Sometimes their character, sometimes their tendencies, but most of all, their car. Here are some examples:
Mema’s bracket is like her car because it’s all banged up.
Tracee’s bracket is like her car because she needs a new one, at least a different one.
Mike’s bracket is like his car because it’s not much to look at, but it is moving well.
Mema’s bracket is like her car because it was going pretty fast, but now it got pulled over.
Kelly S’s bracket is like his car, it’s apparently very fast because he tracking down the leaders.
Carol must have dropped some nitro in her car, because she moved from 12th to 6th.
Kevin’s bracket is like his truck, it’s all jacked up.
Pepa’s bracket is like his car, he thought he had this thing all locked up, but it got stolen away from him.
Mema’s bracket is like her car, because the Arkansas blinker is left on way too long.
The following people deserve kudos for picking 7 out of 8 teams in the Elite 8: Carol, Kris, Mike, Monkey, Rob, and Tracee.
Good luck to everyone, and don’t worry, be happy.
Bom and Babe
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Enter the Sweet 16
Congratulations. You’ve made it through the first two rounds of the Tourney. We are now prepped for the battles of the Sweet 16. I think everybody is doing quite well this year, and I expect the all time high score 136, set by Kelly S, to be topped by the end of the contest. I expect Kris’ winning score from last year, 89, to be topped by the end of this weekend. All brackets, except for Abe’s, still have their tournament winner alive, although that will change after today. It’s time for the big dogs to clash and some will fall, along with your dreams of being etched in Sullivan Bracket Challenge history and of being engraved on the winner’s plaque.
I have to say, Kansas is doing much better this year, actually winning one. The previous two years they’ve fallen to an underdog: Bucknell and Bradley. Now, if Butler makes it to the final four, look for the Jayhawks to go down to the third ‘B’ team in consecutive years.
UNC is fairing much better now that their star inside man, Hansboro is playing without his mask. Did anyone see him in that mask? That’s got to be the worst fitting, oversized thing I’ve ever seen. He looked cross-eyed in that mask. The numbers showed it too. He scored much less and played much worse when he had that suit of armor strapped to his face. All of you who picked UNC to do well better hope he doesn’t get his beak bumped, or he may have to lace up the goalie mask for the remainder of the tourney. If that does happen, look for UNC to struggle.
I think my favorite team now is Oregon. I mean, their the Ducks. Who doesn’t like ducks? I like all kinds of ducks. Daffy, Donald, Huey,…Howard. I also like big fat slow flying green heads who can’t see or hear very well. I know Kevin does, he can hit those.
Well, hears how the rankings shake out:
Rank/Official Points/Games Won Points/Upset Score Points
1 /Kris / 52/ 40 / 149
2 / Rob / 51 / 40 / 153
3 / Michelle / 49 / 37 / 132
3 / Monkey / 49 / 38 / 131
5 / Kevin / 48 / 36 / 124
6 / Chuck / 47 / 35 / 111
6 / Mike / 47 / 36 / 138
8 / Chris / 45 / 35 / 119
9 / Cherie / 44 / 35 / 121
9 / Kelly S / 44 / 34 / 127
11 / Pepa / 43 / 33 / 103
12 / Carol / 42 / 33 / 106
12 / Kelly G / 42 / 33 / 117
14 / Drew / 40 / 30 / 97
15 / Tracee / 35 / 28 / 91
16 / Mema / 33 / 27 / 93
17 / Abe / 26 / 21/ 88
Don’t be discouraged if you are not in the upper tier, and don’t get complacent if you are. This begins the crucial group of games where wins are worth more, and people start to leap-frog each other, either up or down. We shall see after this weekend, who pulls ahead, and who fades away, like my hopes of having an afro.
Kudos to the following for picking all four teams to come out of a regional:
Chris – South
Chuck – West
Drew – South
Kevin – West and South (Kevin’s South bracket is perfect through two rounds)
Kris – South
Michelle – South
Monkey – West
Rob – South (Rob’s South bracket is also perfect through two rounds, hmm, I think he’s copying off of Kevin’s!)
Good luck to you all during the next two rounds and I hope you enjoy the games. I will watch some of the games, when I don’t have the sun warming my shoulders, or my toes in the cool sand, or a fish on the line. LATE!
Bom and Babe
I have to say, Kansas is doing much better this year, actually winning one. The previous two years they’ve fallen to an underdog: Bucknell and Bradley. Now, if Butler makes it to the final four, look for the Jayhawks to go down to the third ‘B’ team in consecutive years.
UNC is fairing much better now that their star inside man, Hansboro is playing without his mask. Did anyone see him in that mask? That’s got to be the worst fitting, oversized thing I’ve ever seen. He looked cross-eyed in that mask. The numbers showed it too. He scored much less and played much worse when he had that suit of armor strapped to his face. All of you who picked UNC to do well better hope he doesn’t get his beak bumped, or he may have to lace up the goalie mask for the remainder of the tourney. If that does happen, look for UNC to struggle.
I think my favorite team now is Oregon. I mean, their the Ducks. Who doesn’t like ducks? I like all kinds of ducks. Daffy, Donald, Huey,…Howard. I also like big fat slow flying green heads who can’t see or hear very well. I know Kevin does, he can hit those.
Well, hears how the rankings shake out:
Rank/Official Points/Games Won Points/Upset Score Points
1 /Kris / 52/ 40 / 149
2 / Rob / 51 / 40 / 153
3 / Michelle / 49 / 37 / 132
3 / Monkey / 49 / 38 / 131
5 / Kevin / 48 / 36 / 124
6 / Chuck / 47 / 35 / 111
6 / Mike / 47 / 36 / 138
8 / Chris / 45 / 35 / 119
9 / Cherie / 44 / 35 / 121
9 / Kelly S / 44 / 34 / 127
11 / Pepa / 43 / 33 / 103
12 / Carol / 42 / 33 / 106
12 / Kelly G / 42 / 33 / 117
14 / Drew / 40 / 30 / 97
15 / Tracee / 35 / 28 / 91
16 / Mema / 33 / 27 / 93
17 / Abe / 26 / 21/ 88
Don’t be discouraged if you are not in the upper tier, and don’t get complacent if you are. This begins the crucial group of games where wins are worth more, and people start to leap-frog each other, either up or down. We shall see after this weekend, who pulls ahead, and who fades away, like my hopes of having an afro.
Kudos to the following for picking all four teams to come out of a regional:
Chris – South
Chuck – West
Drew – South
Kevin – West and South (Kevin’s South bracket is perfect through two rounds)
Kris – South
Michelle – South
Monkey – West
Rob – South (Rob’s South bracket is also perfect through two rounds, hmm, I think he’s copying off of Kevin’s!)
Good luck to you all during the next two rounds and I hope you enjoy the games. I will watch some of the games, when I don’t have the sun warming my shoulders, or my toes in the cool sand, or a fish on the line. LATE!
Bom and Babe
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Half of Round Two
Finally some action. Unfortunately, this kind of action means good teams lose. What I mean is, teams you picked as Final Four teams lose. It was just reported that today’s games included more overtime periods than any other day in NCAA tournament history. It’s been unnerving. I think I’ve chewed off all my fingernails and pulled out all my hair. Well, figuratively speaking.
A clarification from the previous post, I am not disqualifying UCLA and Memphis. I only said that they had lost as an intro to my paragraph attempting to illustrate a dream sequence. I apologize for your misunderstanding.
Scary moment for Ohio State fans and pickers. Xavier (of which I have heard numerous pronunciations including the Hispanic name, Javier) had the number one team in the South on the ropes. Then, with Sweet 16 in hand, Xavier snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. It was as painful to watch as Mema preparing for a tee shot.
Here are the updated ranks after the first eight games in round two:
1. Kris / 42
2. Rob / 41
3. Michelle / 39
3. Monkey / 39
5. Cherie / 36
5. Kevin / 36
7. Chris / 35
7. Chuck / 35
7. Mike / 35
7. Pepa / 35
11. Carol / 34
11. Kelly S / 34
13. Kelly G / 32
14. Drew / 30
15. Tracee / 29
16. Mema / 25
17. Abe / 17
Here are your Final Four choices (as you can see, some have chosen…poorly), the bold team is the chosen tournament winner:
Abe – Notre Dame, S. Illinois, George Washington, Penn.
Carol – Florida, Kansas, Georgetown, Ohio St.
Cherie – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Memphis
Chris – Florida, Kansas, Washington State (oops), Texas A&M
Chuck – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Ohio St.
Drew – Florida, Kansas, Texas, Memphis
Kelly G – Florida, Kansas, Texas, Ohio St.
Kelly S – Oregon, UCLA, UNC, Louisville
Kevin – Florida, Pitt, Georgetown, Ohio St.
Kris – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Ohio St.
Mema – Florida, Gonzaga, Arkansas, Memphis
Michelle – Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, Tennessee
Mike – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Ohio St.
Monkey – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Ohio St.
Pepa – Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, Ohio St
Rob – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Memphis
Tracee – Florida, Kansas, Georgetown, Memphis
Florida was picked by everybody except Kelly S and Abe to come out of the Midwest bracket, and they were chosen to win the tournament five times, which leads all teams.
Sorry Mema for losing Arkansas, sorry Kelly S for losing Louisville, and sorry me for losing Washington State. And sorry Abe, you just stink. But, tomorrow is another day.
Bom & Babe
PS – If you would like to make a comment that is visible for everyone to see and respond to, you can post one by clicking the "comment" link below.
A clarification from the previous post, I am not disqualifying UCLA and Memphis. I only said that they had lost as an intro to my paragraph attempting to illustrate a dream sequence. I apologize for your misunderstanding.
Scary moment for Ohio State fans and pickers. Xavier (of which I have heard numerous pronunciations including the Hispanic name, Javier) had the number one team in the South on the ropes. Then, with Sweet 16 in hand, Xavier snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. It was as painful to watch as Mema preparing for a tee shot.
Here are the updated ranks after the first eight games in round two:
1. Kris / 42
2. Rob / 41
3. Michelle / 39
3. Monkey / 39
5. Cherie / 36
5. Kevin / 36
7. Chris / 35
7. Chuck / 35
7. Mike / 35
7. Pepa / 35
11. Carol / 34
11. Kelly S / 34
13. Kelly G / 32
14. Drew / 30
15. Tracee / 29
16. Mema / 25
17. Abe / 17
Here are your Final Four choices (as you can see, some have chosen…poorly), the bold team is the chosen tournament winner:
Abe – Notre Dame, S. Illinois, George Washington, Penn.
Carol – Florida, Kansas, Georgetown, Ohio St.
Cherie – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Memphis
Chris – Florida, Kansas, Washington State (oops), Texas A&M
Chuck – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Ohio St.
Drew – Florida, Kansas, Texas, Memphis
Kelly G – Florida, Kansas, Texas, Ohio St.
Kelly S – Oregon, UCLA, UNC, Louisville
Kevin – Florida, Pitt, Georgetown, Ohio St.
Kris – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Ohio St.
Mema – Florida, Gonzaga, Arkansas, Memphis
Michelle – Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, Tennessee
Mike – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Ohio St.
Monkey – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Ohio St.
Pepa – Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, Ohio St
Rob – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Memphis
Tracee – Florida, Kansas, Georgetown, Memphis
Florida was picked by everybody except Kelly S and Abe to come out of the Midwest bracket, and they were chosen to win the tournament five times, which leads all teams.
Sorry Mema for losing Arkansas, sorry Kelly S for losing Louisville, and sorry me for losing Washington State. And sorry Abe, you just stink. But, tomorrow is another day.
Bom & Babe
PS – If you would like to make a comment that is visible for everyone to see and respond to, you can post one by clicking the "comment" link below.
NCAA Tourney
Sorry all my dedicated readers (both of you) but for the next month this will be the home of the Sullivan Family Bracket Challenge. Hope you can bear with us until March Madness is over. But here is the first installment.
Welcome all you hardwood hacks, to the Third Annual Sullivan Family Bracket Challenge. Queen Kris is back in the mix after a year long reign and is putting her title on the line. But until someone knocks her off, we must continue to bow. Let’s do it!
The first round was one of thrill and major upsets. All the number one seeds moved on, but the two’s and three’s were not so lucky. UCLA and Memphis go down in the first round, both by missing free throws in crunch time. And how about Arkansas? USC jumped out to an early lead with their star players, Cherie and Rob. But in the end, off a missed jumper by Trojan forward Kris, Razorback center Mema collects the rebound with ten seconds left. She pushed it ahead to sophomore guard Carol, who penetrated and dished to fifth year senior Kevin on the wing. Kevin, with Abe’s hand in his face, releases and buries the three and the hopes of the Trojan picking traitors. ……Wouldn’t that have been nice?
Well, what can I say about the Hogs in reality? We’re consistent. One and done. I think I could just cut and paste last year’s first paragraph, but that would be too generous. Let’s see, what went well for us last night? The tip-off was nice. Then there’s the fact that we didn’t lose by 18. And that’s about it. The Stan Heath bullet has been loaded and the hammer is cocked, we’ll soon see if lame duck Frankie pulls the trigger. Let’s move on before I start crying like that little girl I bit on the playground in first grade.
As I mentioned before, this is the third year of our little bracket challenge, and it has seen healthy progressive growth. Here’s this year’s line-up, in reverse alphabetical order:
1. Tracee – thinks she has the right ingredients this year
2. Robert – he has the time, the experience, and the ‘stache, he ought to win
3. Pepa – hope he picks winners better than he shoots ducks
4. Monkey – he’s an imaginary figment, and he’ll probably beat you
5. Mike – looking for his first win, aren’t we all (be quiet Kelly S. and Kris)
6. Michelle – she ain’t no cupcake, this rookie’s looking to make statement
7. Mema – Mema’s statement: “I believe in Arkansas, and I shouldn’t”
8. Queen Kris – trying to be the first back to back champ
9. Kevin – previous winners were Kelly S. and Kris, Kevin hopes he’s the next ‘K’
10. Kelly S. – looking to avenge his unsuccessful title defense
11. Kelly G. – Please Kansas, just win one!
12. Drew – Drew? Who? You may know soon.
13. Chuck – Prater head of house who red-shirted last year, but is back in form
14. Chris G. – teases people and then runs and hides
15. Cherie – tee’n em up, and drivin’ em long
16. Carol – gonna set the skeptics straight
17. Abe – not gonna set the skeptics straight
Abe, for the newcomers, is a bracket populated by Abraham Lincoln. No, we didn't dig him up, but we did flip a penny for each game. As you can see, it's not the desirable way to win a bracket pool. The Monkey, is the bracket that we let Mike fill out. Just kidding, it's a bracket that is filled out based entirely on favorites. The favorite is always the winner. With all #1's in the final four, the teams are ranked 1Florida, 2North Carolina, 3Ohio State, 4Kansas. This is to see how you stack up against the selection committee. I call it the Monkey, because even a monkey can pick favorites. I know, that in reality, the monkey probably would have eaten the bracket and then thrown some feces at me, but just humor me.
The point awarding system is the same as always, 1 for a first round win, 2 for a second, 4 third, 8 fourth, 16 fifth, and 32 for a champion. This is the official way of scoring, the other two systems are just for fun. The Upset scoring gives you points for selecting upsets. You get points equaling the seed number of your winner. If you pick a 12 seed, and they win, you get 12 points. If Florida wins, you get 1. The Games Won method is, well, come on, if you can't figure it out, ask Mema.
Here’s what you’ve been waiting for:
First Round Results
Rank / Name / Points / Games won / Upset score
1 Rob / 29 / 29 / 129
2 Kris / 28 / 28 / 119
3 Monkey / 27 / 27 / 108
4 Cherie / 26 / 26 / 105
5 Chris / 25 / 25 / 98
5 Michelle / 25 / 25 / 103
5 Mike / 25 / 25 / 110
8 Carol / 24 / 24 / 90
8 Kelly G / 24 / 24 / 99
8 Kelly S / 24 / 24 / 101
8 Kevin / 24 / 24 / 96
12 Chuck / 23 / 23 / 84
12 Pepa / 23 / 23 / 83
14 Mema / 21 / 21 / 75
14 Tracee / 21 / 21 / 81
16 Drew / 20 / 20 / 74
17 Abe / 16 / 16 / 69
As you can see, it pays to be a hater, as the top four all picked USC over Arkansas. Well, so did Abe, but he’s a coin, he has no emotion or sense of treason. One thing’s for certain Abe would never put his own self interests over those of his state.
Anyway, I’ll post on the web a list of all the teams that were chosen by you to make it to the final four, the teams chosen to win the tourney, and the people who have lost a final four team already. And there is more than one person with a final four team lost. The website is http://rulerman.blogspot.com. Or on MySpace it’s http://www.myspace.com/cmglaze, and hit the blog link. Anyway, good luck today, and look for another email Sunday night or Monday afternoon.
Chris
Bracket Operations Manager (I’m the Bom)
Kelly G
Bom’s Assistant for Bracket Examination (she’s the Babe)
Welcome all you hardwood hacks, to the Third Annual Sullivan Family Bracket Challenge. Queen Kris is back in the mix after a year long reign and is putting her title on the line. But until someone knocks her off, we must continue to bow. Let’s do it!
The first round was one of thrill and major upsets. All the number one seeds moved on, but the two’s and three’s were not so lucky. UCLA and Memphis go down in the first round, both by missing free throws in crunch time. And how about Arkansas? USC jumped out to an early lead with their star players, Cherie and Rob. But in the end, off a missed jumper by Trojan forward Kris, Razorback center Mema collects the rebound with ten seconds left. She pushed it ahead to sophomore guard Carol, who penetrated and dished to fifth year senior Kevin on the wing. Kevin, with Abe’s hand in his face, releases and buries the three and the hopes of the Trojan picking traitors. ……Wouldn’t that have been nice?
Well, what can I say about the Hogs in reality? We’re consistent. One and done. I think I could just cut and paste last year’s first paragraph, but that would be too generous. Let’s see, what went well for us last night? The tip-off was nice. Then there’s the fact that we didn’t lose by 18. And that’s about it. The Stan Heath bullet has been loaded and the hammer is cocked, we’ll soon see if lame duck Frankie pulls the trigger. Let’s move on before I start crying like that little girl I bit on the playground in first grade.
As I mentioned before, this is the third year of our little bracket challenge, and it has seen healthy progressive growth. Here’s this year’s line-up, in reverse alphabetical order:
1. Tracee – thinks she has the right ingredients this year
2. Robert – he has the time, the experience, and the ‘stache, he ought to win
3. Pepa – hope he picks winners better than he shoots ducks
4. Monkey – he’s an imaginary figment, and he’ll probably beat you
5. Mike – looking for his first win, aren’t we all (be quiet Kelly S. and Kris)
6. Michelle – she ain’t no cupcake, this rookie’s looking to make statement
7. Mema – Mema’s statement: “I believe in Arkansas, and I shouldn’t”
8. Queen Kris – trying to be the first back to back champ
9. Kevin – previous winners were Kelly S. and Kris, Kevin hopes he’s the next ‘K’
10. Kelly S. – looking to avenge his unsuccessful title defense
11. Kelly G. – Please Kansas, just win one!
12. Drew – Drew? Who? You may know soon.
13. Chuck – Prater head of house who red-shirted last year, but is back in form
14. Chris G. – teases people and then runs and hides
15. Cherie – tee’n em up, and drivin’ em long
16. Carol – gonna set the skeptics straight
17. Abe – not gonna set the skeptics straight
Abe, for the newcomers, is a bracket populated by Abraham Lincoln. No, we didn't dig him up, but we did flip a penny for each game. As you can see, it's not the desirable way to win a bracket pool. The Monkey, is the bracket that we let Mike fill out. Just kidding, it's a bracket that is filled out based entirely on favorites. The favorite is always the winner. With all #1's in the final four, the teams are ranked 1Florida, 2North Carolina, 3Ohio State, 4Kansas. This is to see how you stack up against the selection committee. I call it the Monkey, because even a monkey can pick favorites. I know, that in reality, the monkey probably would have eaten the bracket and then thrown some feces at me, but just humor me.
The point awarding system is the same as always, 1 for a first round win, 2 for a second, 4 third, 8 fourth, 16 fifth, and 32 for a champion. This is the official way of scoring, the other two systems are just for fun. The Upset scoring gives you points for selecting upsets. You get points equaling the seed number of your winner. If you pick a 12 seed, and they win, you get 12 points. If Florida wins, you get 1. The Games Won method is, well, come on, if you can't figure it out, ask Mema.
Here’s what you’ve been waiting for:
First Round Results
Rank / Name / Points / Games won / Upset score
1 Rob / 29 / 29 / 129
2 Kris / 28 / 28 / 119
3 Monkey / 27 / 27 / 108
4 Cherie / 26 / 26 / 105
5 Chris / 25 / 25 / 98
5 Michelle / 25 / 25 / 103
5 Mike / 25 / 25 / 110
8 Carol / 24 / 24 / 90
8 Kelly G / 24 / 24 / 99
8 Kelly S / 24 / 24 / 101
8 Kevin / 24 / 24 / 96
12 Chuck / 23 / 23 / 84
12 Pepa / 23 / 23 / 83
14 Mema / 21 / 21 / 75
14 Tracee / 21 / 21 / 81
16 Drew / 20 / 20 / 74
17 Abe / 16 / 16 / 69
As you can see, it pays to be a hater, as the top four all picked USC over Arkansas. Well, so did Abe, but he’s a coin, he has no emotion or sense of treason. One thing’s for certain Abe would never put his own self interests over those of his state.
Anyway, I’ll post on the web a list of all the teams that were chosen by you to make it to the final four, the teams chosen to win the tourney, and the people who have lost a final four team already. And there is more than one person with a final four team lost. The website is http://rulerman.blogspot.com. Or on MySpace it’s http://www.myspace.com/cmglaze, and hit the blog link. Anyway, good luck today, and look for another email Sunday night or Monday afternoon.
Chris
Bracket Operations Manager (I’m the Bom)
Kelly G
Bom’s Assistant for Bracket Examination (she’s the Babe)
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Sweetness
Once again it is that time of year to commemorate my birthing. I never did understand why I always receive such special attention for something that I had nothing to do with. It’s almost as if everyone is apologizing for my coming into the world by paying me a yearly dowry of presents, cake, and a song. When I think about it, I should be giving my parents gifts on my birthday to thank them for a job well done. But I’m certainly not complaining.
Anyway, I wanted to share with you the best part of my birthday this year. Well, actually the best part was the original Nintendo Entertainment System that my wife gave me. But a close second was the cake I ate. Make that…cakes, that I ate. They were, perhaps, the two best cakes I have ever permitted into my mouth, and trust me, I’ve eaten some cake in my day. Chocolate Peanut-butter Brownie and Italian Crème. Need I say more? What made them even more meaningful, was that they were created by my sister, Tracee. Let me tell you just a little about her. She has forgotten more about sports medicine than I’ll ever know, she endured a year in Iraq serving our country as a medic and ambulance driver, and she sings mean version of “A Friend Like Me,” (you’ll have to ask her).
Tracee’s newest passion may be one she excels at the most, and the one that makes me the happiest (besides the singing), and that’s cake making. “Cake making” doesn’t really do it justice, she’s more of a cake artist, incorporating creative vision, detailed sculpting, and a set of unbelievably steady hands. She has something else though, something hard to come by these days. That’s care. She devotes herself to each individual cake, funneling her complete attention so that every detail, from the quality of taste to the personalization of the theme, is achieved with integrity.
You may think that I’m just shamelessly plugging for a family member, but I’ve brought proof. Check out the photos. Tracee is relatively new in this arena and is quickly constructing a respected reputation with a knock-out portfolio. Her schedule is busying rapidly as demand for her services grow.
I must say that I am very proud of my sister. Not just because she’s so good at this, but..well..I guess because she is so good at this. The cakes she designs are truly breath-taking and they just seem to keep getting better. I wish it was my birthday everyday.
Leave me a comment if you are interested in contacting Tracee for one of her cakes.
Anyway, I wanted to share with you the best part of my birthday this year. Well, actually the best part was the original Nintendo Entertainment System that my wife gave me. But a close second was the cake I ate. Make that…cakes, that I ate. They were, perhaps, the two best cakes I have ever permitted into my mouth, and trust me, I’ve eaten some cake in my day. Chocolate Peanut-butter Brownie and Italian Crème. Need I say more? What made them even more meaningful, was that they were created by my sister, Tracee. Let me tell you just a little about her. She has forgotten more about sports medicine than I’ll ever know, she endured a year in Iraq serving our country as a medic and ambulance driver, and she sings mean version of “A Friend Like Me,” (you’ll have to ask her).
Tracee’s newest passion may be one she excels at the most, and the one that makes me the happiest (besides the singing), and that’s cake making. “Cake making” doesn’t really do it justice, she’s more of a cake artist, incorporating creative vision, detailed sculpting, and a set of unbelievably steady hands. She has something else though, something hard to come by these days. That’s care. She devotes herself to each individual cake, funneling her complete attention so that every detail, from the quality of taste to the personalization of the theme, is achieved with integrity.
You may think that I’m just shamelessly plugging for a family member, but I’ve brought proof. Check out the photos. Tracee is relatively new in this arena and is quickly constructing a respected reputation with a knock-out portfolio. Her schedule is busying rapidly as demand for her services grow.I must say that I am very proud of my sister. Not just because she’s so good at this, but..well..I guess because she is so good at this. The cakes she designs are truly breath-taking and they just seem to keep getting better. I wish it was my birthday everyday.
Leave me a comment if you are interested in contacting Tracee for one of her cakes.Thursday, March 01, 2007
Centro'mere'
Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis, is considered by many Christians to be one of two books that all people, Christian or not, should read (the other being More Than a Carpenter). This book was originally a radio broadcast series given by Lewis in Europe as a “radio talk.” This means that it was delivered in a very conversational manner, as if C.S. Lewis was sitting across from you in your living room, in his sweater, holding his cup of coffee while he explains in the in’s and out’s of Christian belief. You can almost hear his voice defending the roots of his faith.
Mr. Lewis writes in his preface, “The reader should be warned that I offer no help to anyone who is hesitating between two Christian ‘denominations’. You will not learn from me whether you ought to become an Anglican, a Methodist, a Presbyterian, or a Roman Catholic…in this book I am not trying to convert anyone to my own position. Ever since I became a Christian I have thought that the best, perhaps the only, service I could do for my unbelieving neighbours was to explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times.”
The gist of C.S. Lewis’s book is a cause that I support. He ascends past the petty conflicts that believers of different denominations argue about, and devotes himself to the heart of Christian theology and meaning. I definitely recommend this book to anyone, whether you are an unbeliever looking for straight and honest information about the religion of Christianity, a believer looking to reinforce your faith, or a believer simply looking for deeper meaning. A must read.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
