Surprise Haiku [draft 2]

Spring sun traces sky
groups of brothers find others
repeating patterns.

Understand brothers
fishing in flooded rivers
form dangerous bonds.

Running down hot roads
Locust songs reverberate
screaming "ah la la."

Placing worms on hooks
fish circle inside white buckets
discovering life.

Rap session fire lit

Yellow light fights back black night

Please don’t let it end.

 

Interrupted dreams:

Alcohol, women, war, drugs.

Mom and Dad aren’t here. 

 

Sometimes brothers drift

yellow autumn leaf swirling

amidst river currents.

 

Ending winter cold

memories warming swirling

life finding brothers.

 A second draft still a work in progress.  I plan to submit Here.  Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Surprise Haiku [draft]

Surprise Will Farrell

Brothers with John C. Reilly

Mom: That’s offensive.

Understand brothers

Just like to find ways to bond

Quote meaningless lines.

Remember the time

We ran down the summer road

Screaming “Ah la la la la.”

Picture this my friends:

Five boys figuring out life

Nintendo rascals.

Rap session fire lit

Yellow light fights back black night

Please don’t let it end.

Interrupted dreams:

Alcohol, women, war, drugs.

Mom and Dad aren’t here.

Sometimes brothers drift

A brown autumn leaf swallowed

Gray river swells and spins.

End of a cold night

Always warmed with memories

Brothers finding life. 

 A quick rough draft I plan to submit Here.  Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Sunday Mash Up

Brady Heslip's story courtesy of Andy Katz.  Here is a kid that will forever be remembered in the NCAA statistical records, and he didn't have the straight-forward journey to get there.  


Roger Rubin's article in the New York Daily News includes a great line from Kyle O'Quinn:  “People ask about what it was like in the game but at the end it was just us playing basketball. Those other teams are names, but they’re just players like us, so why not us?"  


This quote reminds us that kids are playing a game, kids are competing, kids are ecstatic upon victory, and kids are crushed upon defeat.  And hopefully, kids are having fun playing a game with  former high school teammates and rivals.  


Kyle O'Quinn enjoying the moment with his coach.



Spring is here and Washington D.C. celebrates its 100th Cherry Blossom Festival.  Here is a timeline of the last 100 years and the D.C. cherry trees.

Here is a link for information about the St. Patrick's Day you may or may not know.

The show is timeless.  If high school classes in 2012 of predominately Hispanic immigrants can relate to this, Bill Cosby did something right.

Versatile Blogger Award

Thank you Sharon Greenthal for the Versatile Blogger Award and kind words.  I'm flattered and humbled that another blogger took the time to read my blog and to think of my content for this award.  And, be sure to check out her blog http://www.emptyhousefullmind.com/ for a wide range of content.





7 Random Things About Me:


1.  The smell of carpet, and especially the smell of a carpet store, makes me dizzy
2.  I get extremely nervous when a salesperson engages me...I guess the teacher in me has a hard time with getting the best price for me while bolstering the salesperson's confidence
3.  The condition of my front lawn makes me self conscious
4.  Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale is my favorite beer, but I always tell people Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is my favorite
5.  I am a reality TV addict
6.  I hate shaving and often wonder when I do shave, if I do it the right way
7.  I'm shocked when people don't follow MY rules for etiquette and social normalcy

My 15 Nominations for The Versatile Blogger Award:


http://blog.coachbobwalsh.com/

http://childrenofthenineties.blogspot.com/

http://www.markbrumley.com/

http://justinstortz.blogspot.com/

http://www.selloutyoursoul.com/

http://ateachernamederin.blogspot.com/

http://bosabosareview.blogspot.com/

http://things90skidsrealize.com/

http://roomspimp.blogspot.com/

http://2beerguys.com/

http://briancrawford.com/

http://wearymoon.tumblr.com/

http://thoughtsfromparis.com/

http://thefarmerslife.wordpress.com/

http://littlemissmocha.com/

Here are the rules for accepting this award:

In a post on your blog, nominate 15 fellow bloggers for The Versatile Blogger Award.

In the same post, add the Versatile Blogger Award.

In the same post, thank the blogger who nominated you in a post with a link back to their blog.

In the same post, share 7 completely random pieces of information about yourself.

In the same post, include this set of rules.

Inform each nominated blogger of their nomination by posting a comment on each of their blogs.

The Big East Tournament Part V: Finality

This is the first Big East Tournament final without an original member.  But at this point, what does that mean?  Teams like Syracuse and Pittsburgh replaced with teams like Central Florida and Houston still reads like a typo.  That can't be right, can it?  This is like trading a 2011 Dodge Charger for a beat up Pinto that's been sitting in the field behind grandpa's shed.

Goodbye to the sleek and powerful 'Cuse and Pittsburgh.

Hey there Golden Knight, wanna play?

Maybe this Cincinnati Louisville Big East Tournament Final is fitting.  Both clubs (no Cincinnati brawl pun intended) should scare any higher seed in the NCAA bracket.  And because the league is shifting and stretching in such uncanny ways, these two teams seem to represent the new regime.  Rick Pitino is already a Godfather figure, right?

The Big East Tournament Final:

The good cop.  Articulate.  A mentor.  He embodies patriarchal toughness.  He brings reason, purity, responsibility, and accountability to an NCAA athletic world that is warped.  Mick Cronin is the new Big East and he is easy to love.

Rick Pitino has a past.  But don't we all?  He faced the media, the accusations, and the repercussions of his choices head-on.  With his Italian swagger, Pitino commands a Godfather-esque reputation.  He wants the keys to the new Big East Tournament.

This Big East Tournament Final is FINALLY what we've been waiting for all week.  

A flashy, gritty, competitive point guard is in the finals and Peyton Siva has elevated his game.  

A legit, polished, and competitive post player is patrolling the paint and Yancy Gates has repented and paid for his mistakes--and ironically earning a Criminal Justice degree.  This Yancy Gates story--a story of mistakes, accountability, education, and second chances--is exactly what amateur athletics are supposed to tell.

The Big East Tournament is here.

Big East Tournament Part IV: The Marathon

Sports mark chapters of our lives.  This week melted away as this Big East Tournament evolved.  What happened Tuesday?  I can't remember.  Well, it is Friday and there will be no need to watch ESPN's gamecast during work.  Saturday allows us to sleep, so the night cap can be enjoyed from the couch, rather from bed.

Semifinal #1:

  

The "Otto" the Orange is so politically correct for such a scandalous 2011-2012 team.  Somehow, taking the street-fighting Bearcats feels better to me.  At least you know what you are going to get with them, right?  A punch in the face is direct.  Drugs and molestation is dark, back alley, and sociopathic.

Yeah...somehow those bearcat eyes let you know what you are going to get.  Beanie's smile?  Not so much.  Ewww.  I just got cold shivers.




Semifinal #2:

  


He's too sexy and his team has been relatively quiet all year.  Peyton Siva plays them into the championship, rather than into a tough loss.

I know Mike Brey doesn't believe this...but the Fighting Irish have won some good games, but they just seem to lack a little moxie this year.  I'll give him overtime...but Pitino's team gets it done.

The Big East Tournament Day III

Day two saw closer games and UConn's overtime win is getting everyone talking about today's match-up with Syracuse.  Talk of another run?  Forget it.  Syracuse's depth and Fab Melo do the same thing they did to the Huskies two times already.  Melo is simply majestic.  Look at that smile.  He definitely brushes and flosses every day.





The second Big East Quarterfinal game should be a good one.  But, Cincinnati is too tough for Georgetown.  The Hoyas aren't ready for Yanci Gates.  He'll cold cock 'em.

 

Game three of the Big East Quarterfinals should be interesting.  Look for Marquette's Jae Crowder to go off.  This should be a battle, but I just don't see Louisville's defense being able to contain the Golden Eagles for forty minutes.

The nightcap of the Big East Quarterfinals is somewhat shocking.  Did anyone else see South Florida getting out of the second round?  And now they take on a rejuvenated Notre Dame team that has been playing with focus, energy, and purpose since injured freshman Eric Katenda got to campus in January.  Is there even a question here?  Notre Dame moves on leaving USF on the NCAA tournament bubble.

Finally!  Three days later and we have our Big East Tournament quarterfinal match-ups.

Why 2012 Big East Tournament Won't Disappoint II

The Big East Tournament "3 tournaments in 1" is  an awesome structure.  In the first round, 8 teams fight to the death.  Coaches exert a lot of time on advanced scouts to get through the first day.  Team captains say their things.  Fans pay for multiple nights in hotels and pray for a win.  And, they all do this to just get to the next day, which has four FRESH teams waiting to battle.  Awesome.

And still, ANOTHER four FRESH teams wait two days out.  I love it.  The Big East Tournament is the best conference tournament in division I basketball...period. At this point, Villanova looks like the team that can survive the first three days.

Big East Tournament Second Round Predictions:

UConn and West Virginia start the Big East Tournament day at noon.  Sigh.  It would make sense to flip the USF game time with this game time, but so it goes.  Two senior NYC guards, Darryl Bryant and Kevin Jones, should run the show and stop UConn.  The mountaineers cruise to a comfortable 4 possession win.

Pittsburgh has no chance against Georgetown.  World--meet Jason Clark.  A close game becomes a Hoya 16+ win.  Done. 

Louisville and Rick Pitino's white suit get it done and erase Seton Hall's outburst.  Kyle Kuric goes off and this game is over within 8 minutes of the second half.  Pitino is Too Sexy.


USF faces off with Villanova.  We all have to root against the soft schedule of USF and yell "over-rated" at the top of our lungs.  Do it. Villanova played one hell of a second half in the first round and look like they can make a nice little run.

A Tuesday first round series sets up a survive and advance to JUST get to a second round day.  The Big East Tournament is so intriguing because of the pedigree of the league.  The plethora of bubble teams that need a win or two to  scrap their way into the NCAA tournament all get a chance to make or break their bubble BEFORE the Big East Tournament quarterfinals.  Awesome.

I went 2-2 with my first round picks.  Villanova and Pittsburgh definitely surprised me.  Could they be this year's Big East Tournament story?  Regardless, round two should be a better day with closer games. 

Why 2012 Big East Tournament Won't Disappoint

The Big East tournament will be special this year.  We won't see a five-in-a-row UConn-esque run, but we will see some awesome games.  The Big East has young, dynamic guards that love the NYC spotlight.  Expect tight games and flashy highlight reel finishes. 

Big East Tournament First Round Predictions:

UConn over a boring DePaul team...in a close game.  Drummond gets in foul trouble; Napier does just enough to keep the game closer than it should be, Lamb struggles.   No one feels like interrupting their day job to check this game out at all, but that doesn't matter because the rest of the day will make up for this.

St. John's edges Pittsburgh in some sort of close game.  Moe Harkless is the man of the day making some sort of stud play to seal this game.  This game will be a first half grind that accelerates into a chippy, Big East Tournament classic.  Get home early from work to catch the second half.

Seton Hall gets hot and Herb Pope scorches the Friars and shoots 5-8 from behind the arc.  I don't see much defense going on in this one.  This should be the highest scoring game of the day that will get a lot of people talking about how Seton Hall can make a run...and they will on this day.

Rutgers stuns Villanova.  Myles Mack thrives in NYC and matches his career high.  I smell overtime and a superfluous Mike Rice.  Rutgers will struggle early, and then dust themselves off to smash Villanova in the face in an epic come-back win.  The Big East Tournament at its best.  This also has the feel of a statistical anomaly like Rutgers never leading the game until the last second, off-balance, 17-footer Myles Mack shocker.


Check back for round-by-round predictions.