Monday Random Thoughts
1. I’ll admit it. I was rooting for BC yesterday like I was an honest to god Superfan. The ACC championship game wasn’t just about BC vs. Duke. It was about the North vs. the South. It was about the Civil War. I guess I didn’t realize until yesterday just how much the traditional ACC teams hate the fact that BC is in their conference. They view BC as a symbol of the East. They seem to hate it just as much as I hate the fact that BC is no longer in the Big East. I don’t like the South and I don’t like the ACC. I’ve always been an East Coast guy and a firm supporter of Big East basketball. Therefore it was great to watch a middle of the pack Big East program waltz into Tobacco Road and dominate Maryland and North Carolina. If BC could have completed the trifecta it would have thrown the entire South into a major depression. And to BC’s credit they battled their ass off. It was basically a road game for them and they still almost won it. But JJ Redick showed why he is arguably the player of the year as he buried one big shot after another down the stretch. Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the opponent and this was one of those cases. As a side note, I know everybody hates JJ Redick, but Paulas is much more hateable. In fact before his career is over he may go down as one of the most despised players in the history of Duke basketball and that’s saying a lot. He is the prototypical Duke white guy who nobody would have ever heard of if he didn’t go to Duke and who dives for loose balls even when they’re 9 feet out of bounds just so people will cheer for him.
2. Man, it looks like I lit a fire under Gerry McNamara’s ass when I said he was over rated on Friday. McNamara responded by leading Syracuse on an improbable run through the Big East tournament to capture their second straight Big East tourney crown. And while I still don’t think McNamara is a great player I can’t debate the fact that he is a clutch player. In fact, he may be my first choice to take a big shot in the entire country. The guy has ice water in veins when the money is on the line. But the thing about Syracuse is that it still wouldn’t surprise me to see them get bounced in the first round by Texas A@M. As magical as their Big East run was I’m still not convinced that they are that good.
3. El Presidente initial reaction with the brackets is what is going on with the Oakland Region? That is by far the easiest path to the Final Four in the entire tournament. Kansas has to have a huge smile on their face as the #4 seed with Memphis, UCLA and Gonzaga as the 1,2,3 seeds ahead of them. I honestly can’t remember a more wide open region than this in the history of the tournament. Everybody from Memphis to Alabama can harbor legitimate dreams of cutting down the nets. As far as the Superfans go, they really couldn’t have drawn a worse first round opponent. Pacific is an absolute beast of a team. They are by far the best of the #14 seeds and have already won a couple tournament games. I watched them beat Long Beach State on Saturday Night and thought about how it would suck to have to play them in the first round. The good news is that if BC can get past Pacific they have a good matchup in the next round. But it certainly wouldn’t surprise me to see the Superfans suffer another quick exit. The thing about Pacific is that BC could play good and still lose to these guys.
4. Have people heard about the tennis dad who doped the opponents of his tennis playing children27 times in tournaments from 2000 to 2003, using Temesta, an anxiety drug which can cause drowsiness. His actions lead to the death of one of the victims and he was jailed yesterday for eight years.
Eight years? That’s all you get for killing kids these days? That ain’t that bad. And what was this guy’s grand plan? To just keep drugging people until his kid won Wimbleton?
5. I don’t think Dat Nyugen should have retired from football quite yet.
6. Inside Track -KEIRA KNIGHTLY was flummoxed when her svelte figure and glam Vera Wang gown didn’t get noticed by notorious womanizer Jack Nicholson at the Oscars the other night when she sat next to him. “Everyone’s been asking if Jack made a pass at me. He didn’t at all and now I’m getting a bit paranoid. Why didn’t he make a pass at me?”
Ah, but Keira don’t you get it? This is exactly what Nicholson wanted. He didn’t say anything to get you wondering why he didn’t say anything. It’s a brilliant move by the wily veteran. Now the next you see him you’re going to go out of your way to make sure he notices you and before you know it you’ll be in bed with him and you won’t even know what happened.
7. Now that the official NCAA Brackets have been released the Barstool Sports Chick Tournament is officially underway. In order to be eligible for the Barstool Sports March Madness Chick contest, Barstool Sports must receive your completed brackets before St. Patrick’s Day. As the real NCAA Tournament progresses, Barstool Sports will update the winners of our tournament. Therefore after day 1 of NCAA Basketball tournament, Barstool will post the winners of the first 32 games of our tournament and voting will begin on the next round games. The winners for every game of the Barstool Sports “Chick Tournament” will be based on votes. The results of the Barstool Sports tournament will be released as the real NCAA tournament progresses. The scoring for the Barstool Sports Brackets will be 1,2,4,8,16,32. Whoever ends up with the most points based on their brackets will win a pair of Red Sox tickets.
8. I watched “Through the Fire” last night on ESPN which was the documentary of Sebastian Telfair’s Senior Year in High School. I highly recommend it. I’m sure ESPN will play it about 50 more times in the next week so do yourself a favor and watch it. It’s sort of like Hoop Dreams except it’s not sad.
9. This next link gives you you’re sexual nickname. El Presidente is known as the "Purple-Helmeted Warrior of Love"
Reader Email
Email #1
Prezzy Prez,
At my high school, there was this science teacher named Mrs. Vanderveen. she was a real bitch and ugly as sin, but the most annoying thing was she made everyone in class call her Dr. Vanderveen, and if you called her otherwise she would correct you. I understand it takes some schooling to be a doctor, but gettin your rocks off by having 15 year old kids call you a doctor, when your some scrub teacher really "grinds my gears", plus everyone knows science teachers were the biggest losers. Vaughan from the A now
I love it. I’m not sure you really need to be a Doctor to teach people how to use a bunson burner.
Email #2
Prez,
Nice job, once again. This will probably get lost with the weekend but your 'MD plates' thought scratched me where I itch. Take it a step further. Why are doctors the only ones who get their own titles? Even the worst physicians are Dr. Sucks. The real pricks will correct you if you ever address them as Mr. Sucks.
Mr. Soog
I’d love to get a little “prez” thing on my license plate of the Astrovan.
Email #3
Two things. The first is that poor Jaime will not get to be typing next to Wilbon because Wilbon decided to cover a better basketball tournament in New York. The second is that Taylor Hix has got to be the most annoying human being I've seen on TV in years and it pains me to know that you are right that he will be on American Idol until the end. The thought of seeing his awful gyrations, horribly fake attempts at being interesting and mediocre singing fill me with dread. He is almost as bad as Constantine last year.
Chris
You couldn’t be more wrong about Taylor Hix. Nothing about him is fake. He was doing the same stuff in his first audition as he is doing now. He is just about the most real American Idol in the history of the show. I’m shocked that anybody could hate him.
Email #4
Prez:
Two things that stick out at me. First, you saying Willie McGinest is a "sure hall of famer". You are such a homer. Just like when you said Ted Bruschi was a hall of famer and Ken Norton Jr. was not. Just because Willie and Teddy play for the Patriots, and they are begrudgingly good, they are NOT hall of fame caliber. Everyone else in America knows it, the writers know it, the voters not it, and you should put down the cool aid and stop labeling every Patriot a hall of famer.
Gerry McNamara. He's getting a lot of flack about being over-rated. As a 'Cuse fan I can say you are right and wrong. In his defense, he has never claimed to be "star". He's a tough white Irish kid that takes and hits big time 3 pointers. He's a spot up shooter, can't create his own shots, can’t drive well, and doesn't dish great. So who is saying he's so great? Syracuse homers and national media that's who. He's good, and not even the best they have, but anyone who has ever watched him during his career will tell you, he leaves everything on the court and tries to help Cuse win the best way he can....by chucking, and keep chucking. Here is a link that lay's it out a lot better than I can...if you are inclined. Third article, McNamara Over-rated
So long for now, and see you at the place.
-Beacon Hill-
I’m not saying that every Patriot who was on the roster in the past decade should be in the hall of fame. I’m saying the key players who were most responsible for the dynasty should be elected into the hall of fame. And I’m not saying whether McGinest will get in or not but rather that he should. And only a fool would say otherwise. As far as your analysis of Gerry McNamara I totally agree. At least you’re not a total idiot. Maybe football just isn’t your sport.
Email #5
Read the SI article last night. Screw the steroids; I don't give a shit about that. If I was Bonds I would've done the same thing if I saw the way everyone was blowin' McGwire and Sosa in '98. The real reason to despise Bonds is that he is an absolute piece of shit as a human being. How the guy's never been arrested for domestic abuse is beyond me. Some of the shit they talk about is mind boggling. I mean, he told his "girlfriend" she needed to "disappear". What the fuck is that? He then practically strangles her because her flight was delayed getting to San Fran. It's classic domestic violence and he should be thrown in jail for that shit. It just sucks that no one has ever stood up to him, including anyone from the Giants. A simple ass kicking would really help clear his head up.
And your boy Chisholm is spending way too much time worried about where all the Superfans are. Do me a favor and whisper in his ear that it's spring break at the Heights and we would rather chase pussy in Cancun than Craig Smith's ball sweat in Greens"bore"oh. Take a look at the BC hockey game on nesn right now, place is empty and it's a home game.
P.S. Svetlana on RW Key West has a top 3 all-time Real World body
--
BNoles
I haven’t seen enough of Svetlana to declare her a top 3 Real World body, but that is a major statement. I’ll get back to you on that. I totally agree with you about Bonds. The major problem isn’t the steroids it’s just that he’s a jerk. And as far as the Superfans chasing tail in Cancun. I find that hard to believe.
Email #6
El Presidente -
I will start by saying yes it is time to start watching the Celtics. Ryan Gomes is a beast. Two weeks ago when he had his "coming out party"
according to Tommy (what a queer saying by the way, I can't believe I just typed that) I was making drunken comparisons to Charles Barkley. My friends ridiculed me and taunted me for such outlandish comparisons, but there is plenty of room on this bandwagon - hop on.
Give Gerry McNamara an f'ing break you douche bag. Seriously, why is everyone bashing this guy? I have the right mind to pull a Boeheim on you ala his press conference after the Cincy game, he went on an expletive laced tirade comparable to an old-school Bobby Knight or Bill Parcells press conference after a tough loss. The kid is 6'2 (on paper) and about a buck eighty soaking wet. He isn't Carmello Anthony, he isn't Hakim Warrick nor is he playing with talented guys like that anymore. Nichols, Roberts and Watkins were all top 50 recruits that haven't panned out and the ONLY reason this Orangemen team is even REMOTELY competitive is that little white kid who can flat out shoot the ball. It doesn't matter if he is 1 for his last 50, if I have the ball with 10 seconds left down by 3 I am setting him a high screen and letting him chuck it from 20-28 feet - the kid has ice water in his veins. No one ever claimed this kid is a superstar; he is nothing more than a GOOD college player and won't be an NBA player. He'll go play over in Europe somewhere and make more money a year than you will in the next 5.
Suck it El Presidente
Your Fan,
KT
Again, I have no problem with your assessment of McNamara. I always feel like people think he is superstar. I agree that he’s a good player. And he obviously had an unreal Big East tournament. As far as comparing Ryan Gomes to Charles Barkley, I don’t see that one. I like Gomes but he doesn’t remind me of Sir Charles at all.
Email #7
Hey Prez,
I don't think you can blame me for cluing you in on Edgar's demise 3 days after the show aired. Are you trying to tell me that no one told you what had happened from Monday night's 24 by the time Thursday rolled around? I spent some decent time putting together an email and asking for your opinion on Damon's return to Fenway, etc and all you did was rip me for telling you what happened on 24. Since you are always touting the show on Random Thoughts and have a 24 guy fill us in weekly(he is the balls by the way) is it really that out-of-the-ordinary that I mention what happened on the freakin' show that you love? Give me a break and I guess I won't ask for your opinion next time and I'll try not to give away the details to the show that was over for 3 days. You have a strange way of responding to people that enjoy your column and try to spread the word about your site and paper whenever I can. Thanks for nothin...
Buzzsaw
Relax Buzzsaw. What do you want me to do? Kiss everybody’s ass who writes in? I wouldn’t have felt bad if I was you either. You didn't do anything wrong.