Reliving the Madness, Part 2

I apologize for this taking three more days than I thought it would, but as a writer of many blogs and having a personal life things got out of control. Public speaking on Sunday, Writing a personal message on my personal blog on Monday, coordinating the computer wires to various gadgets on my Superdesk on Tuesday, and editing a friend's term paper on Wednesday. Note to Self: I can't do all things well; Duh!

1. Number One seeded teams: Should I chant "over-rated" now or later? Is it possible the talent pool in collegiate basketball is so that ranking teams based on regular season record and/or conference championships is as baseless and irrelevant as picking a winner at an apple pie contest at the county fair? In the end, we are all winners, except for the winner (munch munch, pass the whipped cream).
2. Congratulations to VCU on reaching the Final Four in this year's competition. They more than defeated Kansas on the court as well as on the runway. Take that, Times New Roman! You ain't got what WE got!
3. Come on, you know you want to. Just say it! Say it! SAY IT!
4. BUTLERRR! Yea, baby! BUTLERRR!
5. I laughed at my Mom's office pool tournament bracket. Tons of X's where Mom hoped there would be checkmarks. I never saw it this bad, but this year was funny, because at least every person in her office picked a number one seed to progress to the Final Four. What really makes Mom's picks so funny is who she picked in the Final: Ohio State vs Louisville! When I found out Morehead State ruined Mom's weekend, I did a Flair Flop, LOL and ROFL. She doesn't like when I "LOL and ROFL".
6. I'm forgetting someone: VCU, BUTLERRR, Conneticut and...Kentucky! One program that bought a way to win, another program that only recently found a way to win, the third program will study to find a way to win, and the fourth found out the way to Houston was a lot shorter than they thought ^_^ Guess who is who; I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
7. BUTLERRR!
8. I hope it is VCU vs Butler in the Final because I like both teams, but I also hope it isn't VCU vs Butler in the Final because I like both teams. The laws of physics denied Butler against Duke in last year's championship, so redemption is on their minds. VCU is our generation's Villanova, and victory can only mean prestige for the school and ratings for the networks.
9. ESPN is going to air "The Fab Five" documentary during the tournament. I remember that starting lineup for Michigan from the 90s: Ray Jackson, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, and Jimmy King. They were brash, hardnosed, arrogant gamebusters; it should be a good movie. Too bad they couldn't win when it counted...or should it be "count when it win-ned"...or "won"...couldn't count when it won...so they did win? I'm confused o_O
   
10. I don't have too many times to say this: BUTLERRR!
    

Reliving the Madness

I decided to wait until the start of March Madness to resume posting to The Peach Basket blog. For an opening weekend, the action lived up to expectations. Yahoo! has a great blog dedicated to college hoops called "The Dagger"; don't ask me why it is called "The Dagger", for that would be similar to asking me why I called this blog "The Peach Basket" o_O

After every weekend, I'll run down ten things I noticed from the previous weekend's action and try to add some colourful commentary. Speaking of commentary...

1. Charles Barkley: The outspoken former NBA all-star and basketball commentator moves from the comfortable, colourful of "Inside the NBA" to the family oriented, clean cut, sanitized world of college hoops. The input of Barkley, and fellow fish out of water commentator Kenny Smith, is alright but the lack of insight leaves me feeling like I did not learn anything new from watching. Greg Gumbel is at his annual best holding the show together; the experiment of four networks showing college basketball is a success, but the patient is in serious condition. Here is hoping it gets better.
2. Guess That School: Every year, there is a new school entering the national spotlight of the NCAA Basketball Championship that no casual basketball fan outside of the school's campus town knows about. I know where GONZAGA and BUTLER are, but what about DRAKE (I love the DRAKE!), XAVIER, and GEORGE MASON? I remember AMERICAN from last year; now that is a trick question ^_^
3. Did I Miss Something?: Apparently, the tournament started on Thursday with second round playoff action...If I got the memo, as it appears everyone else on Earth did, then I would know the four playoff games held prior to what I thought was the "first round proper" were part of the "first round proper". So, I was wrong...again o_O
4. I Just Like Saying The Name: Imagine you are Captain Kirk in the nexus in the 1996 film, Star Trek: Generations, and your pet dog from nine years previous walks in the door to your log cabin. In a guttural voice, you smile and call out his name: BUTLERRR! ^_^ Say it with me, BUTLERRR!
5. Pyramid Scheme: According to my younger sister, who helped my Mom pick teams for the office pool tournament, teams with more vowels than their opponents have a higher chance of winning. So, ARIZONA should beat TEXAS, and PITTSBURGH fans shouldn't get their hopes up...! Hey, what do you know? o_O
6. BUTLER: BUTLERRR! LOL :) !
7. Fashionistos, baby: Something the marketing geniuses in the NBA, and even the NHL, should take notice of: Nice Uniforms. No ridiculous piping coming and going from all angles, no multi-coloured garbs that detract from the action on the court, and a grand total of two (or three?) jerseys per team! Everything else is a FASHION CRIME!
8. Underdog stories: I love hearing about the underdog stories that come from obscurity, flirt with greatness, and then disappear into the night. It keeps you on your toes, and makes the game exciting ^_^ Any chance we could see another "Villanova def. Georgetown" again? I hope so... ^_^
9. Did He Jump or Was He Pushed?: I don't like commenting on coach firings in a sport I am not as comfortable with, in a level of play I only care about come March. I do know there was some improper conduct leading up to the tournament by former Tennessee Volunteers basketball coach Bruce Pearl, and he did apologize for it. However, the school chose to go in a new direction. From what I read of Ryan Greene's article in "The Dagger", Pearl did a good job with the school up until the incident; I wish him the best going forward.
10. Alright, One More Time: BUTLERRR!

I hope you enjoyed this look back ^_^ See you next week!

Well that was expected -_-

CB4 came to town with his new team, the Miami Heat, and B4 he left blowing kisses to the crowd they won the 'grudge' game against the Toronto Raptors by the score of 103-95.

I'm impressed with the effort the Raptors put forth in playing the game for four quarters, and while I wasn't expecting any miracles, I'm glad they kept it close...for the most part.

The Boo Birds were out in full force, yet I couldn't help thinking that the Bosh chapter of the Same Old Story sounded so similar to the Vince Carter and Damon Stoudamire chapters from the same book.

I mean, we lost!

With that out of the way, Torontonians like me can focus on what is important: The Maple Leafs, the weather, and the snub of Justin Bieber by the Grammys (I'm just kidding...no one really cares about the weather). Now, a song by Justin Bieber to calm your nerves ^_^



If you like to read more about this game, check out REUTERS for their synopsis of the game. That is where I got that photo of Bosh...and Bieber...!

Bosh is Back, alright?

No, I'm not talking about the Backstreet Boys; I'm talking about former Toronto Raptor Chris Bosh and his new team, the Miami Heat, coming to Toronto for a first time since CB4 said "C YA" via Tweets to T.O.

As I said before in my Lebron blog posting in December of last year, I'm not too upset by what Bosh did. Letting the wrong word slip on Twitter, and misleading your city until you announce on a national broadcast you are going to Florida are two different things (or are they?).

Click here to find out what I wrote about Lebron. This blog will be here when you get back...>

Toronto has a history of booing players that leave the beloved Big Smoke for the opportunity to play for the Big Prize, Big Money, or both: Damon Stoudamire, Tracy McGrady, and even Vince Carter felt heaps of criticism for "walking out" on "Canada's Team". As for me, my "laissez-faire" attitude concerning Chris Bosh is in sharp contrast to the feelings of most Torontonians, who will be at tonight's game at the Air Canada Centre, and all but a few Cleveland supporters that believed Lebron was the "Second Coming".

1. The Team

My expectations for the Toronto Raptors were low, at best. I knew they wouldn't choke, but I knew they wouldn't do miracles either. Although, the 25-point comeback against Detroit at the Palace was a nice surprise...! Anyway, I don't go out of my way to watch the Raptors play because the return would not equal the amount of time I invest in the team. This would be unfathomable years ago, when Vinsanity hit the Raptors: I believed we had a chance in EVERY game, and we usually won more than we lost. I don't get that vibe this year, nevertheless I admire the Toronto Raptors for playing, which is more than I can say for other teams that take up the cross for their city, and mail it in on the road (Insert team name here:___________)

2. The Conference

If you have a sub-500 record and you are seventh in your conference, thank your lucky stars you are in Eastern Conference team.

3. The League

I'm not going to bore you with a expository piece on why I think the NBA is a scripted event. Instead, I will just put up bullet points...

a. If the Spurs score more than 100 points, I am convinced Tim Duncan will have a heart attack! Watching the San Antonio Spurs play basketball is like watching paint dry. You know they will drain buckets, but they will milk the clock before they do (how come they won four championships doing it?!).
b. NBA Finals: Lakers versus Heat/Celtics. The dream championship for any or all media outlets. If the Lakers get home court advantage, you know the series is going six/seven games.
c. There are some games and teams you can just write off, not just season by season, but game by game. I would be open to the idea of contraction, as long as the talent pool is there and it is done right. Toronto may be on the expendable list, but don't quote me on that o_O

In conclusion, Toronto had a history of players bolting the Raptors for a better deal. Bosh is just another player for fans to boo in an effort to take the focus off the current state of the team.

What is he going to do in response: Rebound?

Remembering Len Bias

If you know about the sport of basketball, then there is a good chance you know about a college player named Len Bias: The product of the University of Maryland with great skill, potential, and awesome promise. Drafted by the Boston Celtics in the '86 Draft just two days earlier, his life and career took a tragic turn when he died of heart failure stemming from a drug overdose.

Whether your passion is basketball or something else, it is something every player or future player should watch because it is a story of how success can be mishandled. The title of the film is "Without Bias", directed by Kirk Fraser. As the hall-of-fame Georgetown basketball coach Chuck Thompson said, there are not many stories of success in today's culture, so it is important to make the right choices in life, how they affect those around you, and why.

I am taking on more responsibility in my new occupation, and leadership isn't too far from my mind. No one hears about the right choices made in the business world, just the poor or ill-advised ones (see Lehman Bros., Bear Stearnes, Martha Stewart, etc). The right choice may not be the smart one, in terms of economic value, but there are things in this life that are worth more than dollar bills in your wallet or points on a scoreboard.

I recommend you see Kirk Fraser's film; I hope you will take something tangible from it. There are a series of articles form the Washington Post website about the Len Bias story here...

We Will Be Witnesses

December 2nd, 2010. The goods and evils of free agency and anti-trust will come together for one event in Cleveland, Ohio: Lebron James' return to the basketball court he called home for seven seasons for the first time since his scripted, less than noble live announcement on ESPN he would play for a team other than the Cavaliers.

If you are a regular reader of CB4, then you know I wrote about Lebron and The Cavaliers before. Feel free to check out my earlier posts for some background...

If there is laughter in Toronto about Miami's newest bench warmer, then there will be unrestrained furor in Cleveland for Miami's newest star player. Even with Bosh and Lebron respectively, the Heat are anything but on fire, and the fact Miami is less than stellar adds to the palpable fear and spectacle surrounding this game. Nevertheless, it begs the question of how long is too long to hold a grudge?

The boos Browns fans give the Baltimore Ravens are just as loud for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, and any other NFL team that comes to town. When asked on a local telecast about where Lebron's exit ranks in Cleveland sports history, a fan paused and answered "right up there" with the departure of the old Browns franchise to Baltimore. As time passed, fans linked the new Browns with the old Browns in the name and the colours. Players are unknown until they show talent, and then they are no longer trusted (ie. Lebron James, Braylon Edwards, Josh Cribbs (?)). Should we assume that fans trust the franchise more than the players who play on the team? I hope not (ie. Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis, Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix, Los Angeles Rams to St. Louis).

I suppose there is a balance between favouring player and team, in particular in the current information age of WikiLeaks and thousands of blogs and credible "sources". Amidst all the fear and trembling, I would hope someone in Cleveland on Thursday, December 2nd, will find "decorum" or use discretion that night.

What Should I Do?

What should I do? The NBA season is already underway, but that is nothing compared to an eventful offseason involving Lebron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and his new employers the Miami Heat. There was significant backlash in the wake of Lebron's televised announcement, after months of denial and assurances Cleveland was his team.

You don't need links to find news media on the Cleveland backlash towards Lebron; they are all over websites like Google, YouTube, and Facebook, and on various blogs all over the world. Instead I posted a couple of videos: One by Lebron James in the wake of the departure, and the response (I found both on Youtube).

Now, what should I do? This is an open question to you, my readers. Everyone says I should be angry, indifferent, or happy, but what should I do? Write off the sport? Write off Lebron? Write off Cleveland?!

I know what it is like, Cleveland (See "I Miss Him. Every Game."). I know how you feel, but what should I do way out here in Toronto? Chris Bosh went to Miami, too, but I don't care enough to be as upset because he wasn't Lebron, and he wasn't Vince Carter. So, what should I do? Should I boo? Should I give a standing ovation? Should I go back to playing NHL 11?

Tell me; I want to know. What should I do?