Final Four: Despite my obvious disappointment at Carolina’s absence, this Final Four should be a lot of fun. One truly great team in Kentucky, reps from the three best conferences in Kansas of the Big 12, Ohio State of the Big 10, and Louisville of the Big East, one genuinely nasty rivalry in Louisville-Kentucky, three great coaches (sorry Thad Motta), and perhaps the best championship host city of any sport in New Orleans.
Sharks: At home against Dallas, one of the teams they’re chasing for a playoff spot. Four games left, all against fellow playoff contenders. Close to as must win as you can get short of an actual elimination game
Stratego: My nine year old son in now 5-0 against me. At first thought I’d let him win, but the last three he’s just flat out beaten me.
The Mavericks Festival didn’t really draw the crowds that they would have if, you know, there was an actual big wave riding contest happening (conditions have conspired to cancel the surfing the last two years).
Still, Eric Byrnes as emcee was an inspired choice.
That setup where they put the court out at the 50-yard line instead of shoving into one end of the football field tells you what you need to know about NCAA greed. I guess they try to make up for the disservice to the in-house fans by installing the ridiculous elevated floor, which just may end up getting the NCAA sued into oblivion.
I don’t mind the elevated floor; supposedly it improves the sight angles for the in-house fans quite a bit. At Vandy’s arena, at least, that’s their set up every game. So the sued into oblivion risk seems minimal to me.
That the NCAA prioritizes its revenue is of course nothing new. If they thought they could have been selling 50,000 tickets 20 years ago I’m sure they’d have set up the court accordingly.
Like most big events that don’t involve ones own team, you’re almost always better off watching from whom.
University of Minnesota has the raised floor too. It looks insanely stupid to me. I guess nobody has been seriously hurt that way, so far.
They give ’em a good margin before the drop off, must be at least 8-10 feet. I remember a number of scorer’s table and first row injuries over the years; could be the raised floor is safer for players than the conventional set up.
That was a fun first half, and I’m glad Louisville managed to get it back close-ish. But barring an abject collapse, Kentucky looks almost unbeatable to me.
Saturday lack-of-games thread: A’s back from Japan, plan to vaguely mill around for the next week. A’s have four of the next 10 days off. And
Framed that way, the A’s choice to not take the extra optional week of spring training seems wise.
Kellogg’s “spurtability” is likely the most cringeworthy expression in sports broadcasting.
It’s snowing pretty hard up here. I’m not real close to Sacramento but somehow I doubt it will be a very pleasant night for A’s vs. River Cats. That makes a pile of money for the minor league team though so you can bet they will try to play 5 innings.
Here in Berkeley it poured buckets from like 7-10 am, but has been dry since, and is sunny now. I’d guess they’ll be OK in Sacto.
Impressed that Louisville has hung around so well, down 4 at the under-8:00 timeout. I’d still guess that Kentucky wins handily in the end though.
…there are games being played?
Raindeer games!
You’re from the state of Indiana, you say?
things have been bad since the General was fired.
I left Bloomington the week before the firing. Probably the smartest thing I’ve ever done.
good move. things got ugly after that.
Yep. Bloomington ways felt like a weird dream to me anyway – as if every time I drove away, it would disappear into mist behind me.
It was a strange place, to be sure. Schools that effing big are just…odd, especially when they’re essentially in the middle of nowhere.
Even odder in grad school, when your entire life consists of, at most, maybe 150 people. It was way too easy to get caught up in the day-to-day soap opera. By my last semester, I had an attitude of detached bemusement, which, of course meant that once I left, those who stayed insisted on calling me to let me know the latest episode of As Bloomington Turns.
grad school is a horrific place, filled with terrible people who are willing to cut the throat of their own mother to further their “career.”
It wasn’t quite that bad where I was, since about half of the grad school was populated either by returned Peace Corps volunteers or women from the Former Soviet Union.
WFSU…
Mine were mainly cut-throat career-minded recent Ivy League school grads who looked down their nose at my CA public University undergrad degree and my extensive history of alcohol and drug use and…legal involvement.
::waves::
fucker.
…and I was just telling someone yesterday what a nice, pleasant person you are.
Lies. Spurious lies!
Did you confuse him with me again?
no, that was you with me.
oh hell, let’s admit it. we’re ALL the same person.
We’re all Bed, aren’t we?
it’s a little-known fact.
I’m not sure FK can handle evil LB criticizing other LB…
If you meant me, though, I’m surprised it took you that long to realize that was a lie.
I have had a pretty good grad school experience, aside from it taking me longer than I thought it would — that said, though, I’m rather excited to be graduating in May! Goodbye, school.
Ooh that is exciting! You got thoughts on what comes next?
A few thoughts… no plans yet, though.
How many people did you step on?
None! I’m a nice person.
suresure
Well you can’t have plans without thoughts. Or at least you shouldn’t anyway.
I like to think of my career as a can that needs to be kicked down the sidewalk with a scrunched-face intensity that only comes with the pursuit of amusement. Am I…am I doing it right?
Replace kicked with flattened and replace career with life and I think you have my life.
Hmmm.
Given that I hate people and like to crush their dreams, perhaps grad school would be a good place for me. Eeeeeeexcellent.
you’re too sweet.
I guess I’m the only one watching Sabres/Leafs.
I hear Ryan’s back in jail!
Must-read for business of stadiums fans: why Denver’s ballpark revitalized its downtown and Phoenix’s did not.
Long form journal article. Short form Atlantic article. FSU extract: Denver already had a real downtown ethic and culture. Phoenix is much more diffuse, not developed around an urban core everybody already goes to. If this is the decisive factor, that could auger poorly for San Jose’s hopes.
Yeah, a ballpark near Santana Row would make more sense from that standpoint (from the FSU extract only).
they have been tryin for years to revitalize that area.
I think it would be between the two, really. the transit hubiness would make a big difference.
Also: once again, just think about how disastrous Fremont would have been had Lew actually gotten the go-ahead from all stakeholders …
plays into your contraction scenario, though
Ohio State will lose because their fans all look like they’re playing Where’s Waldo.
again, you have earned Bloomlove!
They’re students. Ohio State has a degree program in Where’s Waldo.
in the 90s i worked a year at a middle school and during lunch, recess, and after school, i was supposed to roam the quad and yards helping with supervision. thanks to glasses, brown hair, and ubiquity, i became known as waldo, because the catch phrase for anyone about to be doing something naughty was, of course, “where’s waldo?”
Anyone have a link for The A’s/ Sac game? Lameday isn’t even giving a boxscore….
A boxscore often doesn’t make sense in those games. Especially in the late innings, they want someone to get an AB they send him up regardless of batting order, or maybe they keep the defensive team out for a 4 or 5 out inning if they want a pitcher to throw more pitches. They truly are “exhibitions”.
I wish they would do something fun, like after the ining ends, send the baserunners back out
someone should call bryan for updates
A’s 6, Cats 0. It’s cool, but blue skies. Suzuki got HBP on his scapula and left in the first inning. 3 runs were Grant Green dropping a fly ball.
Also, cats can drive to Sacramento.
tell margie thanks for the heads up on the i heart radio
Margie didn’t come due to weather.
There are a surprising number of Giants fans here. Bryan got in an argument with one of them.
…. why? (are they there. i can guess why he’d get in an argument.)
WAS HE BEING TOO LOUD AGAIN?
Did he swing at the pitch?
Margie says the game’s on the radio at I Heart Radio on KSTE…
she is correct
So which one of you FKers turned me on to the Screaming Blue Messiahs?
I know I didn’t come to these guys on my own and it’s almost always one of you…
4th inning. A’s 8, cats 0.
Milone is great.
Cant wait to see him!
Scary news about Suzuki, thanks for the updates.
Yes, thanks much!
Josh Donaldson hit a home run over the top of the scoreboard – I thought it was going into the cat’s mouth. A’s 9, Rivercats 0. Brandon Allen got hit with a ball somewhere near his eye so he’s out.
Yikes we’re taking out our own guys, was it a pitch or a batted ball? I like the swinging A’s.
The Rivercats have motive to try to take out the major league squad..
It was just over the fence. I don’t think anyone will ever hit one over the scoreboard. ;-)
I’m watching an old A’s game from 1997…
McGwire just hit one 538ft in the Kingdome…
Methinks he could’ve taken it over the board at Raley…
Johnson?
We had the dancing groundskeepers just now…they kept the field dry and they can boogie!
Odd ending to the Kansas-Ohio State game. Glad KU won, and I’ll root for ’em Monday versus Kentucky, though it seems like a longshot.
So KU has the honor of getting killed Monday night by UK.
In rapid succession:
7th inning stretch
Milone removed after 6 perfect innings
Carignan enters, gives up walk
Downpour
Game called
And now…fireworks!
Rock Chalk, title game….oh, and Kentucky even if you win on Monday you know you’ll have to vacate the title within 3 years so the Jayhawks might as well win.
Good point. Officially, I don’t thing John Calipari has ever been to the Final Four.
Kansas has impressed me enough that I don’t see them being blown out, but probably being pulled away from, somewhat like what happened to Louisville tonight.
Well, the last time Bill Self and John Calipari met in the Finals Calipari was supposed to win that one as well. My Jayhawks are the underdogs and UK has better talent but I think we have a punchers chance and if karma plays a role then Calipari should never win a title.
I met Danbot.
Pics or it didn’t happen.
No photos of Danbot exist.
He’s in town? Right on!
He was at the A’s/Cats game.
And let me say, it was fun getting to shoot a game involving the A’s, even if it was an exhibition at Raley Field.
At one point Seth Smith asked us if we had the Final Four scores, so I pulled them up on my smartphone for him.
Just a couple quick, non-action shots of our new Cuban masher (since I’m working on my action shots today):
I bet the boys will teach him not to sign those big posters soon.
Yeah, I’m surprised I haven’t seen it on eBay yet (I just checked).
And there was another one on the other side.
is it a thing?
I hope he’s been told not to sign blank pieces of paper.
He actually signed someone’s blank notepad paper a few minutes prior to this.
He looks…thick.
A quantum theory of Mitt Romney
Very cool:
But:
The caption for Fig 2 is great.
Can I have $20?
Though $10,000 would have been funnier.
that was a great read
Nice win for the Sharkies last night. If Joe Pavelski has anything to say about it, they’re making the damn playoffs. Testimony to the tight race that, from that one loss, Dallas fell from the 3rd seed to 9th place, out of the playoffs if the season ended now.
If the Sharks can figure out a way to beat Dallas in their place Tuesday, things would look pretty good (not so simple; they’ve been shutout in Dallas three times so far this year).
i’m watching a soccer game where the fans have been locked out due to recent incidents. there’s maybe 200 people there, all connected to the clubs. what’s strange is the sound quality is totally different. without thousands cheering, you can hear everything the coaches say. and wow do they have foul mouths.
I would gladly pay 19.99 a month for a dedicated audio feed of Jose Mourinho during games.
lol
It wouldn’t just be Portuguese vitriol, either. He can get pretty emo when necessary.
my mom would have been less overwrought. and she cries during toothpaste commercials.
or maybe he was doing a do-wop recreation of the zidane moment? put your headbutt on my shoulder / hold me in your arms, baby.
Warning!
We have a robot at work with this warning label (comes from the manufacturer). It’s hilarious considering how small the robot is. I’ve been tempted to edit the text to read: “Warning: robot may rise against humanity.”
This pic was shot with a scanning electron microscope.
Related: you ain’t lived until you’ve watched water condense under an electron microscope.
Did somebody say electron microscope?
This photo appeared in the SF Chron article when the Banner Island ballpark opened in Stockton in 2005. I cut it out of the paper at the time because I loved it so much. Cannot find it online (score one for the print media and/or my lousy Google-Fu):
JediLeroy signal: need Byrnes shopped onto the ball
UConn and Notre Dame going to overtime in the first women’s semifinal. Exciting chaotic last 45 seconds; second half close the entire way. This is the 4th time they’ve played this year.
Fantastic first half for Stanford, though they trail Baylor by two. Controlled pace and basically denied Brittany Greiner the ball with double teams all half long. I hope they can keep it up; would be a pretty shocking upset if they can.
Might be slipping away now (Baylor +10, 8:00 left).
Yeah – it takes much more than bottling up Griner to beat that team.
Seriously. She’s all the ESPN announcers can talk about (and for good reason, I know), so they don’t know how to react when she’s not scoring all of Baylor’s points. I spent most of the game wanting to punch them through the TV for all the ridiculous things they were saying.
Too bad. Stanford had a brilliant approach to this matchup and executed great, until Baylor’s talent finally proved too much.
I has a sad. Tara Vanderveer is awesome. I wish we’d shot a bit better.
Sic ’em Bears!
It was a tight game, and definitely not our prettiest win, but I’ll take it. Held Stanford to under 50 points. Stifling defense.
Nice win–good luck.
Thanks! Can’t wait for the game tonight. Only 3 more hours..
Also, Nneka and Chiney seem like a lot of fun. They kind of make me wish I had watched more Stanford games this year.
Yes, I love those girls. I was mainly bummed about the loss since they may never get to play together again, so it was a particularly bitter end. Would have loved to see them go out on top together. I think there is one or maybe two more sisters coming down the pike. So hopefully they like the hoops and their sisters are recruiting already!
Bailey —> DL (?)
Starting to look like
Billyour training staff did good this winter.I don’t think he’s ever had a thumb thing before, has he?
Not that i recall but there sure is a history of ailments.
I’m more alluding how dreadful all the figures in the last years worth of trades are performing.
EUPHEMISM:
Was this discussed elsewhere and I missed it?
I just read about it last night, the ‘no time-table’ thing is pretty unsettling…
Brett Wallace –> AAA/3B
Oh man, that’s not going to go well.
Or ITS GOING TO GO GREAT!!!
heh.
Mariners flip their rotation so Vargas starts Friday night and Felix Saturday night. This means Felix starts their home opener against the A’s, who will face him three times in the first eight games of the season (early favorite for Cy Young?); in the original plan the A’s would have missed Felix in the Safeco series.
Man, the A’s must really scare Seattle.
So they did this purely so that he’ll be able to start home opener? That’s kind of sweet.
They claim that has nothing to do with it. BS. If they stuck to their original plan their #5 starter (Millwood) would start the home opener. So that’s a good thing to do for your fans.
So Felix makes his first three starts of the season against the A’s now. The Mariners must be dickying with his schedule to get him a Cy Young.
He could easily have 5 starts vs. Oakland before the All-Star Break. Those stats would figure to enhance his deadline trade value, if that’s entering into their thinking.
From everything I read, it looks like they’re planning to keep him a Mariner for life. Of course, you never do know.
You know how some players work certain perks into their contracts? Season tickets, translators, plane rides for family? Felix has five starts against the A’s guaranteed
“Baseball’s stressful. Everyone needs a break now and then.”
Even more annoying than facing Felix an unreasonable amount of times is that this wonky scheduling has us in a stretch where we play the M’s in 10 of 13 games, going back to the last series of last season.
With only the Royals to break it up!
And lenscrafters is complaining about that?!?!
Heh. It’s nice that now is probably the best opportunity this season for the A’s to win a reasonable amount of games but man, it’ll be hard to slog through what’s likely going to be very bad baseball.
Shouldn’t the Royals be sort of good by now?
They’re gonna lose a lot of 10-8 games this year, while the A’s lose their 3-2 games.
The pitching isn’t there yet but they have an outside chance at .500.
I’m kinda on Hochevar bandwagon for this year
Better than the Hoxha bandwagon.
Enver or Fadil?
Oh, Enver all the way.
I was more of a Fadil guy, myself
It doesn’t help that they’ve already been struck by extended injuries.