I do non sports photo themes every weekend of the year except THIS one.
Read it, don’t read it, I don’t care…just needed to get some things off my chest.
In no particular order of chronology or importance…
Not on the clock. I am watching the Masters and still a little sick. I have nowhere to go. Day rant. Let’s turn and burn.
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1) Greetings and salutations, people. Thanks for joining me. Now that I am back home from the work trip, I would say that being slightly still sick on a weekend when The Masters is on is not such a bad deal at all.
2) Of course, since I have never taken a sick day at my present job (which I did finally Thursday), I guess I should figure out how to log that in too.
3) My favorite college basketball player will be a college player no more. Reportedly. Michigan’s Nik Stauskas was reported to have hired an agent, but then denied the report on Twitter. He will most likely go, has done all he can to improve his stock, will be a lottery pick most likely, but my college basketball love would have liked to see him and Mitch McGary give one more run together at it.
4) Lindsey doesn’t understand the chills I get watching The Masters, but oh well. I had to tell her to stop laughing when they were reading the famous Bobby Hogan Augusta statement.
5) Julius Randle will evidently go to the NBA also. We all would like to see him and the youngsters make another run, but we know that doesn’t happen like that at Kentucky.
6) He might not be exactly blowing away the hype, but he is not exactly NOT living up to it up to this point. Tanaka, in his first two starts, is 1-0, 3.21 ERA, and 18k’s. That is not too shabby I would say.
7) I was a fan of Manziel. I then became a hater. Now, I am coming back around again. Good week again for the kid. 32 on the Wonderlic (I beat you by 2, Johnny-ha), and one of the legendary QB’s of all time goes on the media record and says HE would take Johnny Manziel at #1. When Roger Staubach has your back, that is a GOOD thing, people.
8) I don’t like Calipari. I read his proposed NCAA changes. I like them all. Some have obstacles not exactly addressed, but the concepts are good.
• Players should receive stipends of $3,000 to $5,000;
• The NCAA should cover eligible players’ insurance premiums;
• Athletes should be able to accept loans up to $50,000 against future earnings;
• If a coach leaves an institution, players should be able to transfer from that program without having to sit out a season;
• Athletes should be allowed one round-trip flight home every year.
“I believe the tide is turning. The NCAA will soon have to reform itself or it will not remain the dominant force in college athletics,” the WSJ quoted Calipari from the book.
The WSJ reported that Calipari writes that he wants the NCAA to relinquish some of its power — to conferences, to schools and/or to a new entity that has the power to subpoena. He writes that there is just too much on the NCAA’s plate to oversee, and he uses players’ meal allotments as an example.
9) Masters thoughts thus far:
-Dufner’s 9 was surreal. When he is shooting a great score, his look is viewed as “cool and laid back.” When he shoots a NINE and is 11 over par, his look is viewed as “apathetic and uncaring.”
-This Jordan Speith kid is going NOWHERE.
-I am surprised that Jim Furyk only has one Major. Dude is a stud.
-My Masters pool picks looked bleak, until the few remaining guys I have left LIT IT UP today. I am back in the mix with FOUR guys our of ten. Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, and Lee Westwood. Boom.
-And I lost by picking the guy I dislike. Phil. Listen to some of these names that got left out for the weekend: Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els, Charles Schwatrzel, Webb Simpson, Mr. McDowell, Zach Johnson, Dustin Johnson, Angel Cabrera, Jason Dufner. Amazing.
-How can we NOT like someone named Bubba?
-I don’t know why I root against Adam Scott, but I do. Maybe it is because he stole Tiger’s caddie.
-Watching Fred Couples play Augusta is just plain fun. I hope that I am that badass at age 54.
-Does Mike Weir JUST focus when he play HERE? Has he done ONE thing on any other course…ever?
-Look at the old timers who made the cut. This list is scarier than my last list: Larry Mize. Sandy Lyle. Bernhard Langer, Jose Marie Olazabal.
-Think that put to make the cut didn’t bother Matthew Fitzpatrick? He will be back.
-Bubba’s Saturday putting is sub par at best. Ball striking? Good. His putts are coming up short on a regular basis. And I should know. I have been sitting here for four hours.
-If my boy Jason Day makes an early run tomorrow before coverage begins, I might be in line to win yet another pool. This is important to me since I am Tiger-less.
– I have a million things more to say, but I think I will do a mini live journal for the front nine. Maybe.
10) As the Angels hover in early season mediocrity once again with their mammoth payroll, fans are not too keen on Mr. Hamilton heading off the field for 6-8 weeks with an injury. If they don’t do something this year, it is seriously one of the worst runs ever for a team in relation to its investment.
11) And by the way, people. Stop sliding into first. Geez.
12) We all would like to congratulate David Ortiz for the record we assume him, Prince Fielder, or Ryan Howard HAD to have at some point. Longest time to round the bases. Put another notch on your belt, buddy.
13) You would think that blogging during golf would be easy, but my focus is very much off as all I can think about is Augusta.
14) Word is that Nebraska football players are looking at unionization also. Hmmm. Nebraska vs. Northwestern… Hmmm. I am thinking the Cornhuskers let Northwestern do ALL of their legwork and research.
15) I am proud of all of these players for being on the course without getting in any off the course problems. Those local Augusta sex trafficking schemes can be tough to dodge while running down to the store for a Gatorade.
16) Well, it took Giants brass just as long to realize that Eli Manning needed ankle surgery as it took all of us to realize they were a really bad team last year.
17) I have noticed my tweets quality and quantity both suffer when I am sick.
18) You can slice and dice the playoff formats in each sport all you want, but the 23 straight years the Red Wings have made the playoffs consecutively is pretty remarkable.
19) It sounds like Colin Kaepernick probably didn’t do anything really wrong himself when this whole hotel TMZ thing comes to terms. That being said, if he hasn’t learned up to this point not to even BE NEAR to that type of situation, then he needs some more personal coaching. Stay away from that stuff, man. You have the world in front of you.
20) If you have not seen that Ben Revere catch yet, you need to go watch it. Good stuff when a catch THIS early you pretty much know will be on the ESPY’s later on already.
21) I am not saying they will still lose in the playoffs. That is why they play the series. But, I am perplexed on how easily the Pacers have given up the home court advantage to the Heat. The Heat win last night to split the series, and give them a half game cushion with three sub .500 teams left on the slate.
22) I don’t know who it was, but whoever was doing the Pacers-Heat game on NBA TV had a SERIOUS N.Y. accent.
23) This both speaks to a payroll glitch AND the lack of true soccer stars in the U.S. Clint Dempsey, a Seattle Sounder, makes more money per year than 15 other entire MLS payrolls.
24) You cheer on your guys when they get hired at good gigs, but it sucks when they take players with you also. UGA just lost their starting safety because the DC got the Louisville job, and the kid wanted to stay under that guy. That is some serious loyalty for an assistant coach.
25) Udonis Haslem now has the most amount of offensive rebounds ever for the Heat. Tell your friends. Maybe the sucker answer is Mourning and you will win a drink.
26) You know. Some bets someone should just seek out the other person. I am still waiting on my $100, Steve Sertich. He was my bar boss way back when who bet me that this high school player, LeBron James, I was feeding Ohio games in on satellite wouldn’t last ten years in the league at all.
27) Where is Drunk History, the greatest show outside of True Detective in the last ten years? I need that show back. Soon.
28) I haven’t decided why exactly I don’t care about the Pacquiao-Bradley fight, but I don’t. Odd.
29) Jabari Parker can tell the media all he wants that he is undecided on his future. He is going pro, folks.
30) If he stays, that might be one scary team next year though.
31) Mad props to Missouri. A couple years ago, they landed a recruiting coup in Dorial Green-Bentham, not only the best WR in the land, but also the best recruit in the land overall. Well, the WR was a little harsh with a roommate on trying to see his girlfriend angry, and hurt the girl. The team announced that they have cut him. Sad to see these events in general, but nice to know that talent doesn’t override some university’s pride and honor.
32) Well, I hope those ingredients were grossly overpriced INITIALLY. Otherwise, you guys lost your shirts. A burrito place in Storrs, who normally sells $8 burritos, had to go down to ONE dollar by the end of the tournament because of their wins.
33) I didn’t even read the freaking story. All I know is that Lance Armstrong “named names,” which of course walks RIGHT into a perfect Seinfeld joke, which makes my day happy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaTbErVDQ40
34) So, there is this new show commercial, Beat Bobby Flay, right? Ok. So, I thought that might be the Hell’s Kitchen guy, but it isn’t. So, now I am confused who they are trying to beat. More importantly, I am more concerned about why I am still typing a hook that not only I was mistaken on, but really had no point in general.
35) I may or may not blog tomorrow due to the fact that it is the greatest golf day in the world, and one of the top 4 sports days of the year.
36) Maybe top 3.
37) Wait a minute. Maybe #2. Not sure.
38) Ummm. If you aren’t a basketball fan and are curious where the saying about breaking someone’s ankles came from, watch this crossover by Andre Iguodala, which is one of the sickest ones I have seen this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0VfvI2-frI
39) I love Denver. It is 70 degrees and sunny right now at 4pm, and I am seeing winter storm warnings go across my Masters screen. Evidently, something nasty is coming in from the mountains.
40) It wasn’t a big story, but it is still significant. The Oregon Ducks lost one of their primary WR’s for the year with a torn ACL. Shame for the kid to be gone this early.
41) With Denver not being in the championship, I bid good luck to Minnesota hockey in the Frozen Four this weekend. My colleague, Cerk, has made me pay attention and slightly care about things that happen in Minnesota.
42) Lindsey likes, no LOVES, elephants. Whether you care about them or not, here is a pretty adorable link about baby elephants learning how to use their trunks. http://www.buzzfeed.com/lindseyrobertson/baby-elephants-learning-how-to-use-their-trunks?s=mobile
43) Ex-Louisville guard Kevin Ware will transfer to Georgia State. We are not in the locker room, but shame to see him have to transfer after such a powerful story last year.
44) In case you care what Ochocinco is doing, and I am pretty sure you are NOT presently doing that, I am here for you regardless. He plans on working out for the Montreal Alouettes. That is Canadian in case you are not exactly splitting the atom while reading this. I have no idea what an “alouette” is or whether I even wrote it down correctly.
45) Notre Dame will have artificial turf next year to upgrade their playing conditions. I had a “fake” domer joke all ready to go on this, but then I realized I don’t really hate domers as much as other people.
46) Fans. Don’t touch baseball players. The grey area/ slippery slope is monstrous. Not every player is going to be as chill as Curtis Granderson when it happens, ok?
47) I have written in this blog a million times how, overall, hockey players stay out of trouble more than any other sport. So, when a hockey player gets busted, I have to report it I suppose. Well, Lightning LW Ryan Malone got busted for a DUI and possession of cocaine. This is sad. On the record, please make a note to use your huge salary to hire a driver so you are NOT cruising around at 5:40am nearby Tampa. Off the record, why wouldn’t you DO some of the coke to straighten out the alcohol? You were guilty of both anyway. Might as well give yourself a chance.
48) Something we will see in the headlines again this season. “Darvish flirts with no-no.”
49) Something we will NOT see in the headlines again this season. “Corey Brewer scores 51 in win against Rockets.”
50) That’s it. I might type in a few thoughts tomorrow depending on mood and how the early players do in Augusta. I hope you enjoyed or are at least more informed. Will I blog tomorrow? That is a CLOWN question, bro.