We all have our issues and obstacles.
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. As promised, the guy who opened the bar for brackets rant. Let’s turn and burn.
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1) Greetings and salutations, people. Thanks for joining me. At Uptown Tavern in Denver, and being THAT guy. Without the eight brackets. Lots to get to.
2) If you are looking for non NCAA stuff, you MIGHT get like 4-6 hooks as such. My life is as a college basketball junkie.
3) Thanks to New Mexico, who screwed me in Vegas last year and out of Vegas THIS year.
4) Are they not the most odd looking bunch of kids you have ever seen? The good looking dudes have pony tails. The bad looking dudes are out of shape. I didn’t see the cheerleaders, but I thought they would do better because they didn’t GET laid.
5) JJ. Pops. Not sure if that dude even reads this thing anymore since “I don’t send out notification emails.” Tell him, Bob.
6) IF that flagrant foul call WOULDN’T have included two Stanford free throws, those first few hooks wouldn’t even have happened. Sorry, for you people not on PTO. I guess I am just assuming everyone sees everything. Like I try to do. I forget some people have families and stuff.
7) Would Tennessee versus Mercer be the WEAKEST 2nd round matchup EVER in NCAA history? Seriously, think about it. Ask your friends.
8) Every year it is a travesty that we don’t get to hear Dick Vitale during these games. Damn contractual stuff.
9) The only thing I have against Uptown is that some loser Nebraska fan had sound on the Nebraska game. This isn’t football, loser.
10) I had “the look” while typing and my bartender, Oliver (what an awesome name), was afraid to bother me. He is treating me like a king, but of course I was the first person here today and he knows I bartended for 14 years AND we are both NY-NJ people, so I guess that would follow.
11) So, I guess the only person still in for the Warren Buffet money is some dude who went to undergrad at Mercer, post grad at North Dakota State, and got his masters at Harvard. Maybe Harvard was first and he had a low GPA. Otherwise, that wouldn’t make sense.
12) Robert, what the HELL were you talking about yesterday? He said that Albany was “bringing the fight” to Florida down 6 at halftime (because they were down less than ten I guess). I said “that means they will win by 12.” I believe they won by 12.
13) That halfcourt pass by Mercer at the end of the game was both dumb, brilliant, and gutsy. That is what you have to do to knock off a 3 seed. No fear, no boundaries.
13a) STOP THE PRESS. This dude next to me just told his buddy he went 8 for 8 yesterday and that St. Joe’s was his best pick. Really? I had them also and have a big X on my bracket. Idiots.
14) David Ortiz is close to a one year extension with the Red Sox. He is only close, because he is too busy watching NCAA basketball. Moving on.
15) Obama picked UCONN to win the women’s tourney. Way to live on the edge, Mr. President. Let me guess. Over Notre Dame?
15a) I don’t even know if they are on opposite sides of the bracket and don’t plan on checking.
16) It is kind of liberating being on a laptop at a bar.
17) Before you use the word “scare” by the Louisville game, it ended up a seven point game and I can name 6 champions off the top of my head who had “scares” in the first game. Go take a nap and cross off your losing games in the brackets.
18) I don’t know if I have ever picked a “slash” to win the second round, but Tennessee is looking pretty good right now.
19) I would have picked North Dakota State. I WOULD have. Seriously. But I thought THREE 12 seeds was kind of pushing it.
20) Yes, I have SF Austin if you haven’t noticed.
21) Scott, going with YOUR pick in the knockout pool pretty much gave me a heart attack. Thanks. Can’t wait until next round with your freaking pick. You are a tough ride to get on the bandwagon on…and have your bracket out the next time we talk.
21a) He has a kid. I am still getting used to people I know having kids and other responsibilities.
22) I might have heard about a pool more fun than my knockout pool. Some dudes were telling me about a pool where you pick a team, the spread, and get the bonus points for however much you beat the spread, and of course negative points for losing against the spread. That sounds fun. Someone I know organize that. So, basically, someone who took Wisconsin and Pittsburgh RAKED yesterday.
23) I NEVER will organize ANY pool. Ever.
24) Headline of the week. “Angels swap Scoscia’s kid for Gretzky’s kid.” That is awesome.
25) Am I allowed to say that some genius figured out that we could watch a channel at work USING our software? Genius. It got me through my Thursday, person I can’t name. Thanks. Literally using the thing I sell to watch the games. Freaking brilliant.
26) Why are we not talking more about where Jared Allen will go?
27) Why are the Seahawks a frontrunner? How much freaking money do they have? I know Pete’s practices are FUN, but come on.
28) I would like to thank the people who said congratulations to me for picking Dayton. I changed it on my final draft.
29) Somehow the fact that I called Harvard doesn’t override the fact that I had New Mexico AND Duke in the Elite 8. Geez. Mercer was SUCH a bad matchup for a small Duke team.
30) Remember what I said about keeping your Elite 8 through the first two days? Ugghhh. I bit it personally in the last couple hours. Let’s talk about keeping your Final Four. Yeah.
31) That is fine. All I really care about is my knockout pool. 2 for 2, dodged the upsets, and just need UNC to complete the sweep.
32) Stop asking me for my NCAA feedback/ breakdown. That is why I write this damn thing.
33) I think Doug Gottlieb is me if I was successful, a college baller, and on TV with black hair. He is a dick. So am I.
34) Who is Bernard Tomic? Why do you care? Well, he lost the fastest ATP match in history. Somehow in 28 minutes, he snuck in a game.
35) Having all games on the four channels is revolutionary. I can leave the bar after this blog and still not miss much.
36) Jimmy Rollins says he is not tradable. He did not say he wasn’t old and cocky with only one ring when he should have about three.
37) The only time I don’t miss having friends is this week because I would rather not talk to anyone during my viewing time.
38) I have tried to watch other shows. I can’t. True Detective was the best series of all time.
39) SERIOUS series. Not Seinfeld, silly.
40) I love being so close to calling an upset, and when it goes in overtime. I am talking to YOU, St. Joe’s.
41) No one bothered me today during like my first day off in months. I haven’t even taken one sick day in 3.5 years. My “I have to attend to a personal affair (starting at 1015)” seemed to do the trick.
42) When I was watching here and there basketball yesterday, I still sang the CBS music. It is catchy. How do you get that job, by the way?
43) I smell an upset in Eastern Kentucky over KU.
44) Sorry, Emily.
45) I LOVE listening to people next to me who have NO idea what they are talking about.
46) I sealed myself in the server well. You get to know the bartender while he is pouring, and you eliminate one side of you sitting next to an idiot. I was unable to sit next to someone who had 8 brackets.
47) Sorry, Logan. Duke looked horrible and all of the balls bounced Mercer’s way.
48) I hope you stayed up last night. Those late games were off the hook. The entire day was off the hook.
49) I once again set off the fire alarm in our condo with the steam from the shower. Damn. I only remember to turn on the fan when…I do that OTHER thing.
50) I take the most ridiculously long showers of any human in this world. I admit it. AND I am not green. AND I still have stinky feet. I feel like it is a waterfall.
50a) Yes, I have set the alarm off on work trips.
50) I woke up today on my day off and felt like I was doing something wrong. I STILL did work for 2 hours, and realize that I am very much a workaholic.
51) Hey, Nike shoes. What happened? Did you all hear how three shoes have become unraveled in like three days?
52) Ahhh, Jameson tastes so good.
53) I remember when I was young and wanted to go somewhere for my team’s game. My couch sounds just fine to me. Downtown sounds SO far. Plus, it is freaking Coastal Carolina. And haven’t a lot of upset games blown their load? (sorry, mom)
54) She does read this thing, people. That is why I say “freaking” a lot.
55) Hey, home condo building. Get the hot water back. I LIVE on multiple showers a day.
56) I wish UVA played during the day today.
57) Oklahoma State-Gonzaga just started. It will be one of the highest quality games of the first round. Gotta go.
58) That is it. Hope you enjoyed or are at least more informed. Will I blog tomorrow? That is a clown question, bro. Peace.