From madness to letdown

 I just figured now was the time for the Northern Iowa logo. When else would I use it?

Come March, I have this tradition.

It consists solely of embarrassing myself with my NCAA Tournament bracket.

With the first weekend of the NCAA Touranment down, I’m still in the 95th percentile, which sounds like I’ve got this all figured out. And you know, I probably should. For a few years, I was paid to be a sportswriter. That should help.

But it always ends up like it did two years ago, when I filled out a bracket on facebook, which was stupid, because then anyone could see my bracket futility. Mine was so bad that year, I received the following message on facebook from another sportswriter friend of mine:

“I just wanted to let you know that you are the only friend I have on facebook whose bracket is worse than mine.”

Neat.

This year, my first weekend went great, but, since I had Kansas and Georgetown meeting up in the Final Four, I’m very aware that it’s not going to turn out well.

Actually, that’s how I feel about this tournament from this point on.

The first weekend was incredible, with upsets and buzzer beaters all over the place. It even involved Northern Iowa beating Kansas, which is a sentence I never thought I’d ever need to put together in my lifetime. I haven’t enjoyed a tournament this much in years.

What makes for a phenomenal first weekend however, can lead to a lackluster second weekend.

At least, that’s my fear this year.

Upsets are what make the first weekend so much fun. No one expects to see Ohio dismantle Georgetown (at least, I didn’t, which is why I put the Hoyas in my Final Four). No one even considers St. Mary’s having a chance over Villanova.

So we cheer the underdog and get excited when they improbably win.

But the next weekend, we have matchups where it’s even less likely underdog teams will win. Or at least, this round of top-seed teams won’t underestimate the underdogs because now the top teams know if they don’t take these teams seriously, they’ll get burned.

Here are the seed matchups this time for the Sweet 16:

No. 1 vs. No. 12
No. 2 vs. No. 11
No. 3 vs. No. 10
No. 2 vs. No. 6
No. 5 vs. No. 9
No. 1 vs. No. 5
No. 1 vs. No. 4
No. 2 vs. No. 6

I’m not saying these lower seed teams can’t win. Obviously, these teams can, or we would not be talking about them. But now, it’s the Sweet 16. There aren’t any teams that are sleep walking through these games. At this point, the Final Four looms just one week away. The elite teams aren’t messing around anymore.

In the first weekend, Cinderella teams get through on a little talent, a lot of heart and determination, and capitalizing on the fact that the top seeds thought they could take it easy and still win.

Now, it’s more about talent and coaching. And that’s when the big boys start to win out.

I just hope I’m wrong.

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Friday Favorites:

Friday Favorites

New beginnings: In February, I got engaged to my favorite person in the entire world. This week, I started a new job, which came when I needed it most. After a week, I really think I’m going to enjoy this job. This year has started well for me, and I feel incredibly blessed for that. 

NCAA Tournament Round 1: The first day was phenomenal. My fiancé and were watching one of those March Madness highlight shows, where they showed classic moments from the tournament. What did we notice? That all but one of the “classic” games occurred before the 2000s.  The tournament hasn’t been good in quite a few years. This one is shaping up to be interesting, after a very un-interesting year in college basketball. With many of the classic tourney teams gone (UNC, Connecticut, Arizona, UCLA) this year is wide open.

Williams and Sonoma: It won’t be good for my bank account but there’s one right near my work, and that makes me pretty happy.
 
Friday Fails

Not using your brain properly. Well, not you, me. You don’t use your brain, and you end up in East L.A. in a Disneyland-ish line to get your birth certificate and to top it all off, get a parking ticket too. I’m always thankful when a bunch of bad things happen in one day; that way I feel like I’m getting all out of the way for awhile.

Ron Washington- He’s handled the situation as well as he could in the aftermath, but cocaine? At 57? That is disconcerting, to say the least.

Wedding diet. I’m not really on one (surprising information, I’m sure) but I am trying to eat better and work out consistently. That said, working in a big office makes it nearly IMPOSSIBLE to eat healthy. Today there were TWO kinds of cake due to someone leaving, and tomorrow we’re all bringing breakfast stuff for someone’s birthday. I mean, what am I supposed to do with mint-n-chip ice cream cake? Watch other people eat it?

No.

One of my most importantly life rules: if there's mint-n-chip ice cream in the vicinity, don't let it melt.

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Q & A: Dave Roberts

I’m super excited for this week’s Q & A, because it’s with one of the nicest guys to ever put on a Major League Baseball uniform. Ask any baseball writer, player, manager, whoever, that’s been around Dave Roberts (I know several and can include myself in that group after covering the Padres in 2006), and they'll probably tell you the same thing.

You’ll get to hear from him about his new role with the Padres as a Special Assistant to Baseball Operations and his take on Spring Training. He also gives us some restaurant suggestions.

But before we get to Dave, allow me a minute to talk about the awesomeness that is Spring Training.

Do the Spring Training games matter? No. Is Spring Training more exciting than the NCAA Tournament? Definitely no. Is a Spring Training game possibly the best way to spend an afternoon in the history of the world? Yes.

In March, the weather in Arizona has not reached its heatstroke-inducing heights yet. So basically, we’re talking about 80-85 degree days. You buy cheap tickets, lay out in the grass just over the outfield fence and watch baseball.

Do you really need to know anything more than that?

It’s also the best place, hands down, to interact with players and or baseball legends. You know, if you’re into that sort of thing.

True story: last year, my sister and I went to Arizona for a few days for Spring Training, and in the process of taking in a few games, got sunburned. As we were walking into Camelback Ranch for the first time, new Spring Training home of the Dodgers, someone behind us was making fun of our sunburned shoulders. It was Fernando Valenzuela.

So, with baseball season almost here (thankfully) I spoke with Dave Roberts via e-mail.

Yes, the Dave Roberts who stole one of the most famous bases in baseball history while with the Red Sox. That 2004 stolen base turned the fortunes of the Red Sox around and led to their first World Series title in eleventy billion years (That’s not the exact number. I’m just rounding down).

Here are his answers:

CC: What have you enjoyed so far about your new role as a special assistant?
DR: Getting to know and work with players has been a thrill. Also, having the access to the front office has given me a completely different perspective on baseball. Everyday is different and has made my transition from player to staff more intriguing.

CC: Why did you want to stay in the game of baseball after your playing days ended?
DR: It is something I have always wanted to do. Baseball has given me so much and I've always felt compelled to give back to this game in some capacity. 

CC: What does it mean to you to be able to have this position with your hometown team?
DR: Being back in a Padre uniform is really special to me. I don't think I would have taken this position in any other organization. The opportunity that I have been given by my hometown team was something I could not pass up. Geographically it makes sense for me and I believe in the organizational philosophies on and off the field.

CC: What do you enjoy most about Spring Training?
DR: I enjoy playing a bunch of day games and having the chance to go out to dinner. Having the fan interaction in a more laid back environment is always fun. It doesn't matter where you are in Spring Training; a sense of optimism always surrounds the teams.

CC: What is your schedule like during Spring Training in your new role?
DR: My Spring Training is pretty much double duty. I get to the park around 7:30 (a.m.) and leave around 5:00 (p.m.). The first part of my day is spent with the on-field staff and players and the second part is spent with the baseball operations staff. It has been quite an experience.

CC: What are some tips you have for fans to keep in mind who are visiting Arizona for Spring Training?
DR: Get to the park early and watch them do fundamentals and take batting practice. Also, it's much easier to get access to the players for autographs!
 
CC: Any restaurant suggestions?
DR: There are so many great restaurants in the Scottsdale area. My two favorites are Mastros Ocean Club (warm butter cake for dessert) and Sakana ( for sushi).

Again, a big thanks to Dave Roberts for taking the time to do the Q & A. If anyone goes out to Spring Training, I hope you enjoy it!

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The death of a streak

It truly was a remarkable streak.

As a 26-year-old, I have never lived in a world where the University of Arizona Wildcats stayed home during the NCAA Tournament.

Until this week.

I don’t want to wax poetic too much about my alma mater (obviously I sort of am, but I'll try not to get to poetic or waxy) but staying consistently good enough  to be in the premier post season tournament for your sport 25 years in a row is pretty impressive.

In college, I had the opportunity to cover the Arizona basketball team for the 2004-05 season for the Daily Wildcat (best newspaper job I ever had and it’s not even close). It was the last year the Wildcats made any sort of deep run in the tourney. It was the last season, before things started to fall apart for the program and Lute Olson.

It was the opportunity of a lifetime for me. I was fortunate enough to travel with the team all the way through to the Elite 8 in Chicago, and save for a ridiculous performance by Deron Williams and Illinois in the final minutes of regulation and overtime I would have gone to the Final Four (oh yeah, and save for an EPIC implosion by Arizona. Click here for my take on it. Please be nice. I was still in college). The team had Channing Frye and Hassan Adams, both eventually drafted by the NBA. 

In covering the team for a season, I couldn’t help but think it was a good time for Lute to walk away (everyone in Tucson simply calls him Lute, so I will too). The rigors of coaching are tough on someone in their 40s, let alone their 70s.

If he had retired that season, it probably would have turned out differently. But you know what they say about hindsight. The next season he was dealing with marital problems, and then later, health problems that forced him to retire. There was even some NCAA violations reported this year that occurred under Lute.

What’s sad is, the program he single-handedly put on the map, he also was responsible for bringing about its demise.

In past seasons, I thought watching the team was frustrating, because it had a wealth of talent but was inconsistent with its effort. I never felt that way about this season or even embarrassed that the Wildcats were left out of not only the NCAA Tournament but the NIT too. I felt like they were the doing the best with the situation they were given, which makes for a much more enjoyable, likeable team.

The program will be fine, and I think Sean Miller is building something good in Tucson (thank goodness the program avoided that Tim Floyd mess).

So, here is my bracket. My Arizona-less bracket:

Tournament Challenge

But don’t worry. The Wildcats will be back. Very soon.

Happy March Madness everyone!

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