Madness Recap and Final Four Predictions

Well I'm a couple days late, but it is time to see how I did on the Sweet 16 round. My picks were:

Cornell vs. Kentucky || Butler vs. Syracuse

Washington vs. West Virginia || Xavier vs. Kansas State

Purdue vs. Duke || Tennessee vs. Ohio State

Northern Iowa vs. Michigan State || Saint Mary’s vs. Baylor

All in all, it was not a bad round for me. I picked 6/8 games correctly, with Michigan State and Butler messing things up. Great play by both #5 seeds to make it to the Final Four. Butler has been a solid team all year and they showed it on the big stage with impressive victories over Syracuse and Kansas State. Some people have been comparing them to George Mason, but I do not think that is fair. Butler is a 5 seed and has been in the top 25 during the year. They were ranked #11 in the AP rankings at the end of the season. Butler has been a good team all year. George Mason was an 11 seed that literally came out of nowhere to reach the Final Four. Butler is not the Cinderella team that Mason was.

Also, congratulations to:
- Tom Izzo and Michigan State for getting to the Final Four again. (Us Maryland fans wonder what would have happened if they didn't hit that heartbreaking shot in the second round)

- West Virginia for taking out #1 seed Kentucky, who was looking really good before this game

And finally...ugh...
- Duke for making another Final Four. Seriously, why couldn't Baylor just get some rebounds in the second half??

So for the last weekend of NCAA basketball, here are my March Madness picks:

West Virginia over Duke
I am hoping that West Virginia can rebound better than Baylor did. AND I am hoping that Duke's outside shooting will not tear apart West Virginia's zone. And did I mention I hate Duke? So yes...West Virginia is my pick.

Butler over Michigan State
I liked Butler from the beginning, but I certainly did not think they could get past Syracuse or Kansas State. Well Butler, you have made me a believer. Do not let me down now.

For the final game:

West Virginia beats Butler
Maybe I'm riding on West Virginia because they looked good this weekend. Maybe I'm taking them because I think they are the strongest team left and I think they can take Duke. Or maybe I am simply choosing them because they helped me beat my girlfriend in our 1 on 1 pool (Thanks again for that, West Virginia). No matter what reason, I now have West Virginia winning it all.

First Weekend of Madness Does Not Disappoint

The first weekend of March Madness concluded on Sunday as the pool of teams was condensed into the Sweet 16. Congratulations to all of the schools that have made it to the second weekend of this great sporting event. The biggest story of the weekend is obviously Kansas, the #1 overall seed, losing to Northern Iowa. Do I need to repeat that? I think America is still shocked from this upset. Kansas WAS the big beast of a team from the Big 12. They were #1 in nation with a 33-3 record. This is the team that 42% of ESPN Tournament Challenge players picked to win it all. Northern Iowa IS the team that beat Kansas from the small Missouri Valley conference that only gets 1 or 2 teams in the brackets each year. Seriously, did anyone even know about this team before Saturday? Well we definitely do now because they either destroyed your bracket hopes or significantly helped you move one step closer to winning it.

The other big bracket buster was of course the #2 seed Villanova getting beat by St Mary’s. St. Mary’s is looking really good right now. Omar Samhan is playing great. And you cannot forget all the Aussie players, especially freshman Matthew Dellavedova with his distracting black and white mouth guard. Baylor has also been playing well, but they better not overlook St. Mary’s. How could anybody at this point? I expect this to be a good matchup on Friday.

I also have to congratulate Cornell and Washington, the other two surprise teams in the tournament. Cornell upset Wisconsin and Washington upset New Mexico. Although, are there really any surprises anymore? It is called March MADNESS. I would include Kansas losing as part of what defines that madness. Speaking of madness, I have to mention to my favorite team in the tournament, Maryland. Maryland was one of the latest victims of the madness when they lost on a last second shot by Michigan State. It was brutal and heartbreaking, but what an exciting ending. This was one of many exciting endings over the weekend. I give Maryland a lot of credit for their quality season. I will definitely miss Eric Hayes and (sometimes) Greivis Vasquez next season.

Now that Maryland is out, go Syracuse and Kentucky! These are my two teams I picked to win it all in my money pools. Does anyone have all 4 of their final 4 teams left? Between Kansas and Villanova losing, all 3 of my important pools have been crushed. Luckily, I still have 3 out of 4 teams in each one. I am holding on to the small chance!

So below I have the Sweet 16 games listed. I decided to pick ahead of time so you can all ridicule or give me praise later. (Hopefully it’s praise.) I am sure one of the higher seeds I am picking will go down. My current picks are in bold:

Cornell vs. Kentucky Butler vs. Syracuse Washington vs. West Virginia Xavier vs. Kansas State Purdue vs. Duke Tennessee vs. Ohio State (even though Ohio State will help me win my money pool) Northern Iowa vs. Michigan State Saint Mary’s vs. Baylor

A glimpse of one of my brackets. Click to enlarge.

Good luck to everyone in their pools and enjoy the rest of March Madness! You will hear from me again soon.

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10 Hottest Cougars of 2010

Cougar. The classic term for an older single woman on the prowl. Generally I think of cougars as 35 and up. No matter what the age, the hot cougars turn the younger men into the weaker gender, transforming a strong willed male into simply prey. Some men love them, some avoid them. But what man does not love a hot woman? So without further adieu, here are the Top 10 Hottest Cougars for 2010.

http://www.popcrunch.com/10-hottest-cougars-of-2010/

Ovechkin's Suspension Shows Inconsistency in NHL Punishments

By now we have all heard that Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals has been suspended 2 games for his hit on Brian Campbell. Was the hit really that bad? Ovechkin did push him late, but it was not a bone crushing hit by any means. I do not think that Ovechkin’s hit warrants a 2 game suspension. Campbell hurt himself mainly due to the awkward fall and the speed and momentum with which he was skating.

I admit I am biased as a Capitals fan and would be angry if it had happened to one of our own players. Having said that, I do remember the vicious hit Chris Pronger put on Mike Green last year, which threw Green into the boards and left him with a shoulder injury through the entire playoffs. I do not think Colin Campbell, head NHL disciplinarian really knows what he is doing anymore. There is no consistency in the punishments and therefore referees and players do not know what is and is not allowed. We cannot say Ovechkin was suspended because he has prior troubles with the NHL. Tampa Bay player Steve Downie has a history. He was suspended 20 games in 2007, his rookie season, for a check to the head. He also had conduct problems in the AHL afterward. In 2009, he slashed an official and received a game misconduct and a 20 game suspension. Well this past Sunday, the same day as Ovechkin’s hit, Downie took a dirty hit at Penguins star Sidney Crosby. Downie had no contact with Crosby until after Crosby passed the puck, and then proceeded to knock Crosby into the boards and take out Crosby’s legs from behind him. Crosby passed the puck before center ice and Downie hit him near the blue line and fell with him well into Tampa territory. Luckily Crosby was okay. But what did Downie get? A trivial 2 minute penalty and a fine. No suspension. Everyone who knows me or has read this blog knows I hate Crosby. So I would be one of the last to speak up for him. But I do not want him to get hurt and I can see this was a dirty hit. (see http://stuffmenenjoy.blogspot.com/2010/03/olympic-hockey-ends-in-worst-way-for.html for my Crosby thoughts)

Another prime example of the inconsistency with the league’s discipline is the hit that Matt Cooke had on Marc Savard. On March 7th, Cooke hit Savard high at his head and Savard went down with a “serious concussion.” Savard had to be carted off on a stretcher and it looks like he may miss the rest of the season. Cooke also has a recent history of dirty hits. He was suspended twice in the last 2 seasons (2 games each) for head hits on Artem Anisimov and Scott Walker. What did Cooke get for this hit? NOTHING. No penalty. No fine. No suspension. No justice.

There was also the hit that Flyers Mike Richards put on David Booth of the Florida Panthers in October. This was a similar hit to Savard’s in which Booth was out for 45 games with a Grade 3 concussion. Richards also received no suspension. The reason that “disciplinarian” Campbell provided for not suspending Cooke is that he needed to remain consistent with this decision to not suspend Richards. Apparently, this consistency was thrown out 7 days later with Ovechkin.


These are not the only examples of NHL conduct problems. There have been dirty hits in the NHL for years. The NHL should have its rules defined by now. Clearly I disagree with Ovechkin's suspension. I do disapprove of the hit, but I think a 5 minute major would have sufficed. However, it is not simply because of my own opinion of the hit. I do not agree with the suspension more due to the inconsistency of the NHL’s punishments. How come goons with prior troubles who make dirty hits can get off with a slap on the wrist at best? Does Campbell only suspend Ovechkin to make a statement because he is a great, high-profile player? Or is it because Campbell may be out for the season? Punishments and rules should be consistent across the board no matter who the player is or how injured the victim becomes.

For more on the story, check out Dan Steinberg’s blog, which has links to other articles about the suspension:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2010/03/boudreau_mariotti_and_ovechkin.html

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Let the Madness Begin

This past Sunday was Selection Sunday, the great day that kicks off one of the greatest events in sports, March Madness. 65 teams are picked for a chance to take part in the tournament and compete for the coveted NCAA Basketball National Title. From the top seeds to the mid-major teams, everyone has a hope to reach the Final Four and ultimately win the title. Kansas takes the #1 overall seed this year with Syracuse, Kentucky, and Duke.

(Before I continue, let me say that I am no expert on college basketball. I love watching March Madness, but as far as the individual teams go I know little about many teams in this tournament. I do, however, know Maryland, my favorite team, and Duke, my least favorite team. Therefore, in the following words, I will speak only what I know. And of course, feel free to disagree with me anyway.)

Personally I think West Virginia or Ohio State may have deserved that spot over Duke, but I do have my bias as a Maryland fan. To be fair, all three teams have played great down the stretch. All three teams won their conference tournaments, but I feel that the ACC is weaker this year than usual. I am also not sure how Duke got to play the winner of the play-in game when Kansas is the #1 overall seed. Am I alone here when I say that I do not think Duke is THAT good this year? Hopefully Duke does not prove me wrong in the tournament! Although I do think that they got an easy draw with Villanova (who has struggled lately), Baylor, and Purdue (who lost Robbie Hummel for the tournament). I am not sure who can top them but I hope someone does.

Now that I have hated on Duke a bit, I will say in fairness that I am not sure that Maryland deserved a #4 seed since they are ranked 20th after the season and blew it miserably in the ACC tournament. Greivis Vasquez played easily one of his worst games of the year. I cannot get his last second failed attempt at a shot off my mind. It was horrible. Maryland continues to worry me in big games. They have a decent shot for the Sweet 16, but then they play Kansas and I cannot see how they could get past Kansas, who is my pick to win it all. This is assuming they can get by Michigan State, who is always tough in the tournament.

In the ACC tournament, Jon Scheyer was the one who played like the ACC Player of the Year, not Greivis Vasquez. He did not play great in the game, but he came through in the clutch versus Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament finals. This is exactly what a team leader and Player of the Year SHOULD do. It breaks my heart to say this, but I have to give credit when credit is due. Da’Sean Butler did the same for West Virginia in the Big East tournament. He came through in the clutch by making a last second shot to beat Georgetown in the finals, his second game-winner of the tournament.

And so Thursday the games begin. I am super excited as always for March Madness. I believe it is arguably the best event in sports. I have already filled out a few brackets and plan to do a few more. For those who do not know and would like to try a bracket for free, ESPN.com allows you a whopping 10 free brackets this year. I am sure this is not the last you will hear from me during the tournament. Enjoy the “madness” everyone!

50 Surprising Things That Women Love About Us

My last post talked about the Top 10 Things Girls Like About Guys. Well last night I was sent an article that lists 50 surprising things that women love about us. Some are expected, but many of these are definitely surprising to me, such #2, #19 and #20. What do you all think? Check them out here: 50 Surprising Things That Women Love About Us

Top 10 Things Girls Like About Guys

I have not really had a chance to discuss women yet in this blog, although of course that is one thing a man likes the most. Between a girl's body, smell, sexuality, and sometimes even personality, what is there not to like? But what do women like most about us men? The article below seems to sum it up pretty well. Any girls who are reading this, what do you think? Does this article cover what you like about us? Feel free to comment in the section below the article.

Top 10 Things Girls Like About Guys
By Mark J Taylor

As much as girls always whine how they hate guys so much and why they can't understand your obsession with Sports, they also have about a million things they like about you. The list is endless, probably to make up on that hate list, but here are the top ten most girls would swoon over a guy for. Improve on this ten and I assure you, you're going to be one hot babe magnet in a jiffy:

o Sense of humor. They say when you finally make a girl laugh, there's a big chance you can make her fall in love. So get those wits sharpened and impress her with your clever and sharp punch lines.

o Hygiene. Cleanliness is divine. Enough said.

o Confidence. Confidence is a turn-on and girls find it sexy when a guy is comfortable with himself.

o Good lifestyle. No beer bingeing, smoking and pot.

o Ambition. You look forward to the future with your head held high because you know you'd be reaping your rewards.

o Romance. Being romantic is always a plus point when you're trying to get lucky with the ladies.

o Family guy. If you have a strong family bond, chances are, you're going to be great dad!

o Can take control. Girls want to be led and guided and when you take matters in your hands, we find it very manly.

o Fidelity. Loyalty is our utmost concern when we're together. Cheating is just not an option.

o Passionate. You have to be at least passionate with something. Alright, if it's Sports, then so be it!

If you would like to discover more things girls like about guys, do visit my website to get your hands on my FREE information which has helped thousands of men get women they thought they never had a chance with! If you are justly serious about mastering the art of attraction and being able to date and seduce ANY girl you want, visit my free website.

If you are truly serious about mastering the art of attraction and being able to date and seduce ANY girl you want, visit this free website now and get a free report: MasterOnlineDater.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_J_Taylor

Maryland Beats Duke on Senior Night; Ties for ACC Lead

Fear the Turtle. We hear that statement a lot from the University of Maryland nation. But for the first time in a few years, it is true. Led by ACC Player of the Year candidate Greivis Vasquez, the Maryland Terrapins beat Duke for their final home game of the season. Seniors Vasquez, Eric Hayes, and Landon Milbourne went out in style on Senior Night at Maryland by beating the much hated Duke team 79-72. Sean Mosley, Jordan Williams, and Adrian Bowie played their roles and supported the seniors in the huge win. Yes, Maryland fans. Other teams can now Fear the Turtle.

Vasquez has greatly improved his game this season. He is now a finalist for the ACC Player of the Year and has had clutch performances on multiple occasions. Terps fans will not forget his 2 clutch shots near the end of the game Wednesday night vs. Duke. I am still not sure how he managed to get both of them to go, but I am glad he did. He outplayed Jon Scheyer, another ACC Player candidate, who barely showed up until the second half. Scheyer was 7 for 21 on the night and 3 for 10 from 3 point range. He managed to finish with 19 points, but was quiet during a big portion of the game. I would have to say after this game and looking the statistics from the year that Vasquez has an advantage over Jon Scheyer to compete with Malcolm Delaney of Virginia Tech for ACC Player of the Year.

Beating Duke helps to finish off a great regular season for the Terrapins. Their last game of the season is February 10 at Virginia. After a few disappointing years, Maryland has the potential to go far in the ACC and NCAA tournaments. My Dad predicted that Maryland would be have a good year and be a dangerous force, but I do not think many of us believed him. Well he was right. Maryland has had a quality year. I am excited to see what type of damage the Terps can do in the NCAA and how well Vasquez can perform on the big stage. It is time for other teams to once again Fear the Turtle.

Olympic Hockey Ends In the Worst Way for Caps Fans

Did it really HAVE to happen that way? It could have been anyone else and we could have taken the defeat. Sure, we wanted the U.S. to win, but we accepted the fact that Canada is a great team and could beat us. But WHY did it have to be HIM? I know many of my friends and people on Facebook are saying the same thing. Why did Sidney Crosby (a.k.a Crybaby, Crysby, Cindy, and worse names) have to be the player to score the goal? And of course it could not be in regulation. No Caps fans....Crosby HAD to score the game-winning goal in overtime of the GOLD medal game. Seriously, could there be a worse ending?

Crosby is hated in other parts of the U.S., but none more than the DC area where I live. This is because we have Alex Ovechkin, who is the greatest player in the NHL right now. Yes, I am biased as a Caps fan. But Ovechkin IS the BEST player. The numbers and play speak for themselves. I swear, I have never seen a player like him. He missed several games this year and still currently is tied with Crosby in goals (42) (remember Crosby has never hit 40 before), points (89), points per game (1.65) and plus/minus (43), and is 6th in assits (47). He is an aggressive player who is not afraid to hit you. He has also made some good defensive plays over the years, is a great leader as our captain, and the more electrifying player in the NHL. Crosby is a great player, but I do not see how people can put him on Ovechkin's level. If you still say Crosby is better, go check out some of Ovechkin's best goals vs Crosby's. After looking at his stats, watching him play, and seeing the crazy plays and goals he pulls off, it is no comparison.

So alas, it was not enough that Crybaby and the Penguins won the Stanley Cup, but now he scored the game-wining goal to win Canada a gold medal. Now we are going to have to hear about how great Crosby is even more than before. We have suffered through watching Crysby win a Stanley Cup and a Gold Medal already. He is going to be on ESPN all day. His unbearable face has been on ESPN.com homepage since the win. He is even on the NHL home page, which is supposed to have NOTHING to do with the Olympics, and until now, did not. Why does the media love this guy so much? Some of us are tired of hearing about and seeing him. Could they show him any more after the game than they did? What about all the other Canada players that gave great contributions to the quest for the gold like Perry, Getzlaf, Morrow, etc? They do not even mention the goalie Roberto Luongo.

The final goal is Crosby's only POINT in the last 3 games of the Olympics, but he is all we are going to hear about for years. He did not even register a point when Canada scored 7 goals versus Russia, and only had 1 point in the 8-2 crushing of Germany. And the goal to seal the deal was not a spectacular goal by any means. Ryan Miller COULD have stopped it. (By the way, all respect goes to Ryan Miller for his play in the Olympics and the MVP win). But of course, fate did not go that way. Crosby's annoying legend continues and the hatred of Caps fans towards him grows even more.

The good news, ladies and gentleman, is that the U.S. still took home the most Olympic medals with 37! Athletes, way to represent our country.