Monday, March 31, 2008

Contest...........Update


Here are the updated standings in the 1st annual 5 on Five March Madness Bracket contest:

1. 6eVoice.........................................43-17

2. Larry.............................................41-19

3. (tie) Keveekev...........................37-23

Dorris.................................37-23

4. GaPeach913................................33-27




Saturday, March 29, 2008

The Eight.......that are Elite....


64 teams started............

Now, it's down to the "Elite Eight"

Here is a preview of tonights games........

NCAA Elite Eight capsules


EAST REGIONAL:

No. 1 NORTH CAROLINA (35-2) vs. No. 3 LOUISVILLE (27-8), 9:05 p.m., CBS.

COACHES: Roy Williams (141-32 in fifth year at North Carolina) and Rick Pitino (169-66 in 7th year at Louisville).

HOW THEY GOT HERE: North Carolina beat No. 16 Mount St. Mary's, 113-74, in the first round, No. 9 Arkansas, 108-77, in the second round and No. 4 Washington State, 68-47, in the regional semifinals. Louisville beat No. 14 Boise State, 79-61, in the first round, No. 6 Oklahoma, 78-48, in the second round and No. 2 Tennessee, 79-60, in the regional semifinals.

SERIES HISTORY: North Carolina leads, 7-3.

LAST MEETING: Louisville won, 97-80, in 1999.

STAT THAT MATTERS: Tar Heels have outscored three NCAA foes by combined 79 points while Cardinals have battered their three victims by 67 points.

NORTH CAROLINA STARTERS: F Tyler Hansbrough (22.6 ppg, 10.2 rpg), G Wayne Ellington (16.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 41.8 pct. on 3-pointers), G Ty Lawson (12.9 ppg, 5.1 apg), F Deon Thompson (8.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg), G-F Marcus Ginyard (7.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg).

LOUISVILLE STARTERS: C-F David Padgett (11.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg), F Terrence Williams (11.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 4.6 apg), F Juan Palacios (6.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg), G Jerry Smith (10.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg), G Andre McGee (6.6 ppg).

OUTLOOK: With combined 13 Final Four trips and five national titles since 1980, we get rare match-up of college basketball royalty. How Lawson handles Cards' trapping pressure and how UL frontline handles high-energy talent Hansbrough will be key. So far, neither has been challenged late so if game is close it will be interesting to see exactly who steps up.

WEST REGIONAL:

No. 1 UCLA (34-3) vs. No. 3 XAVIER (30-6), 6:40 p.m., CBS.

COACHES: Ben Howland (124-44 in fifth year at UCLA) and Sean Miller (93-28 in fourth year at Xavier).

HOW THEY GOT HERE: UCLA beat Mississippi Valley State, 70-29, in the first round, Texas A&M, 53-49, in second round and Western Kentucky, 88-78, in the regional semifinals. Xavier beat No. 14 Georgia, 73-61, in first round, No. 6 Purdue, 85-78, in second round and No. 7 West Virginia, 79-75 in overtime, in the regional semifinals.

SERIES HISTORY: UCLA leads, 1-0.

LAST MEETING: UCLA won 96-83 in the second round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament.

STAT THAT MATTERS: Bruins are 15-4 all-time in regional finals while Musketeers are 0-1.

UCLA STARTERS: C Kevin Love (Pac-10 player of the year, 17.6 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 56.3 pct. from field), G Darren Collison (14.7 ppg, 3.7 apg), G-F Josh Shipp (12.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg), G Russell Westbrook (12.4 ppg, 4.4 apg), F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (8.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg).

XAVIER STARTERS: F Josh Duncan (12.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg), F Derrick Brown (10.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg), G Drew Lavender (10.9 ppg, 4.5 apg), G-F C.J. Anderson (10.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg), G Stanley Burrell (9.8 ppg, 3.8 apg).

OUTLOOK: Bruins still seem out of sync, inexplicably falling into second half funk vs. Western Ky. and nearly blowing 21-point lead. Musketeers had similar experience in harrowing win over WVU after losing early 18-point lead. Duncan hasn't likely seen tenacious, athletic defenders like Bruins while Love should have his way inside vs. smaller XU front line.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)

Special thanks to .....scrippsnews.com.


Friday, March 28, 2008

What the Probem...........Is?????????


So...........Lebron James posed for Vogue magazine............

In what was supposed to be an innocent interview ................an innocent photo opt..........an innocent cover...........has turned into a firestorm of criticism. Blacks don't like it...........Whites ....definitely don't like it..........for obviously different reasons.......

Black folks say..........."Why is he in sweats......not in a suit?"..............."They....(the White men) ...are degrading him."

White folks say........"Another nigger with one of our white women......when will it end? ".......

Our position?............LeBron James has earned the right to do whatever he chooses. The NBA's leading scorer has had an incredible career. And he is still so very young..........

Mr. James answers to no one....but himself. He is his own man.

So........What the problem is?

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Humpday thoughts........a day late!


Alright......so we missed Humpday

Sorry...........but better late ......than never.....


Old man Winter......won't let go.....

Last night, it was 28 degrees in this southern town. Spring officially made its' debut last week ....on the 21st of March. Let it go ...old man!!!

The Atlanta Hawks .......

Yes........those Atlanta Hawks are still holding on to the eighth play-off spot in the NBA Eastern Conference. Just doesn't seem fair.

Happy trails Javy Lopez..... After a rather decent career, Lopez officially retired last week after an unsuccessful attempt to make the team as a back up catcher. Javy, you will be missed.

Happy trails UGA mens & womens' basketball team........you lost (respectively) in the 1st and 2nd round of the NCAA tournament. Can't wait for football.....

Meet the Browns......Tyler Perry's new film?...........We welcome any objective reviews.....

The Iraq war......was a bad idea.......4000 US soldiers dead.......billions of dollars lost......and we're still paying 3.25+ for a gallon of gasoline. Yet......there is Bush.......saying, "stay the course". Go figure.

Finally.......Is American Idol still on?



Why our Jails......are filled to Capacity....


The New York Times ......says......

1 in 100 U.S. Adults Behind Bars, New Study Says

Article Tools Sponsored By
Published: February 28, 2008

For the first time in the nation’s history, more than one in 100 American adults is behind bars, according to a new report.


Text of the Report (pewcenteronthestates.org)

Nationwide, the prison population grew by 25,000 last year, bringing it to almost 1.6 million. Another 723,000 people are in local jails. The number of American adults is about 230 million, meaning that one in every 99.1 adults is behind bars.

Incarceration rates are even higher for some groups. One in 36 Hispanic adults is behind bars, based on Justice Department figures for 2006. One in 15 black adults is, too, as is one in nine black men between the ages of 20 and 34.

The report, from the Pew Center on the States, also found that only one in 355 white women between the ages of 35 and 39 are behind bars but that one in 100 black women are.

The report’s methodology differed from that used by the Justice Department, which calculates the incarceration rate by using the total population rather than the adult population as the denominator. Using the department’s methodology, about one in 130 Americans is behind bars.

Either way, said Susan Urahn, the center’s managing director, “we aren’t really getting the return in public safety from this level of incarceration.”

But Paul Cassell, a law professor at the University of Utah and a former federal judge, said the Pew report considered only half of the cost-benefit equation and overlooked the “very tangible benefits — lower crime rates.”

In the past 20 years, according the Federal Bureau of Investigation, violent crime rates fell by 25 percent, to 464 for every 100,000 people in 2007 from 612.5 in 1987.

“While we certainly want to be smart about who we put into prisons,” Professor Cassell said, “it would be a mistake to think that we can release any significant number of prisoners without increasing crime rates. One out of every 100 adults is behind bars because one out of every 100 adults has committed a serious criminal offense.”

Ms. Urahn said the nation cannot afford the incarceration rate documented in the report. “We tend to be a country in which incarceration is an easy response to crime,” she said. “Being tough on crime is an easy position to take, particularly if you have the money. And we did have the money in the ‘80s and ‘90s.”

Now, with fewer resources available, the report said, “prison costs are blowing a hole in state budgets.” On average, states spend almost 7 percent on their budgets on corrections, trailing only healthcare, education and transportation.

In 2007, according to the National Association of State Budgeting Officers, states spent $44 billion in tax dollars on corrections. That is up from $10.6 billion in 1987, a 127 increase once adjusted for inflation. With money from bonds and the federal government included, total state spending on corrections last year was $49 billion. By 2011, the report said, states are on track to spend an additional $25 billion.

It cost an average of $23,876 dollars to imprison someone in 2005, the most recent year for which data were available. But state spending varies widely, from $45,000 a year in Rhode Island to $13,000 in Louisiana.

The cost of medical care is growing by 10 percent annually, the report said, and will accelerate as the prison population ages.

About one in nine state government employees works in corrections, and some states are finding it hard to fill those jobs. California spent more than $500 million on overtime alone in 2006.

The number of prisoners in California dropped by 4,000 last year, making Texas’s prison system the nation’s largest, at about 172,000. But the Texas legislature last year approved broad changes to the corrections system there, including expansions of drug treatment programs and drug courts and revisions to parole practices.

“Our violent offenders, we lock them up for a very long time — rapists, murderers, child molestors,” said John Whitmire, a Democratic state senator from Houston and the chairman of the state senate’s criminal justice committee. “The problem was that we weren’t smart about nonviolent offenders. The legislature finally caught up with the public.”

He gave an example.

“We have 5,500 D.W.I offenders in prison,” he said, including people caught driving under the influence who had not been in an accident. “They’re in the general population. As serious as drinking and driving is, we should segregate them and give them treatment.”

The Pew report recommended diverting nonviolent offenders away from prison and using punishments short of reincarceration for minor or technical violations of probation or parole. It also urged states to consider earlier release of some prisoners.

Before the recent changes in Texas, Mr. Whitmire said, “we were recycling nonviolent offenders.


That brings us to an interesting article in the Athens Banner Herald yesterday:

Police arrest three in marijuana raid


Officers arrested three people and seized more than two ounces of marijuana Monday when they searched an apartment at 1775 E. Broad St., Athens-Clarke police said.

A tenant, 40-year-old Cynthia Taylor, was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute marijuana within 1,000 feet of public housing, police said.

A drug-sniffing dog alerted officers to a car parked outside the apartment that was occupied by Kendrick Reddish, and they found a partially smoked blunt, police said.

Officers also found in the car a purse containing a small amount of marijuana, and they arrested the purse's owner, Latosha Lasha Steward, who was inside the apartment.

Steward, 22, of 288 Bailey St., and Reddish, 20, of 1737 Cedar Shoals Drive, each were charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana, police said.


First of all.......what is 2 ounces? It still takes 16 ounces to make a pound ...right?

Second....Ms Taylor was charged with intent to distribute.....now lets' analyze this.....She only had 2 ounces.....yet she had intent to distribute?

Third.....this "public housing" stuff......in layman's terms......it's .....the "projects"...... Well.....duh......


And then .......another person was found with a partially smoked "blunt"......She gets arrested also.

So..... three more people.......(and yes, they were African-American) were sent to jail.

Why?

Folks......there is a bigger picture here.....We wonder why our jails are filled to capacity.......

Multiply what happened in little old Athens, Georgia by say 500.....per day....and ......I think you will start to realize the problem within this country's law enforcement segment.

Remember the days of "prohibition"? Same thing today.....Legalize that marijuana......make it taxable like liquor......

Eliminate drug cartels and drug wars......

Let our jails be there for murderers, rapist, robbers....etc.

Makes sense to me.......but ......I'm just a simple man.


Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Apologies.........for You Tube Malfunctions.......


We Apologize for Mondays' You Tube malfunctions.......

Seems we attempted .......on Saturday to make several You Tube postings....only to receive .......nothing.

Thinking the problem existed with us.......we kept retrying different videos to post.

Well......Monday, You Tube decided to finally respond to our attempts. 48 hours after initially attempting to post various videos........poof.......they all......appeared!!!!!!

Some were repetitive.... (we deleted those)......some were just tests.....(deleted as well).

I am not a technician.....don't know what went wrong.......but sorry if our blog (on Monday) looked like a cartoon strip of about 10 You Tube videos in a row.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Drake-Western Kentucky Buzzer Beater

Wow!

NBA TV Top 10: March 20

NBA TV Top 10: March 19

NBA Week in Review

Top Ten Highlights.....enjoy

Contest.....Standings......


Through two rounds.......65 teams.......now down to 16........Here's the up-dated standings.......








1. Larry.......(It ain't over yet)......................................... 36-12

2. 6eVoice..( You think you know basketball?) ..............35-13

3. Keveekev ..( I....do know basketball.....but...).............. 30-18

4. Dorris.........(picking the uniforms?)..............................28-20

5. GaPeach913.....(has more important things to do)......26-22


Larry's ahead by a hair.......6eVoice is hanging close.

Keveekev is making a case............And the ladies?..........Well........that's why we love 'em.

The Sweet..........Sixteen....


What started off as a 64 (65 if you count the play-in game) team tournament.....

The NCAA weeded out half the field in round one. Round two saw 32 teams play. Half were losers..... If my math is correct, that leaves 16. Yes......sixteen teams remaining.

Ahhhhh........yes.......the Sweet Sixteen.

March Madness.........College Basketball!!!!!

So ........who's left?

Not........the beast of the east.....mighty Georgetown....... Not those crazies from Durham, North Carolina.......Duke. Kentucky is history.......As is Indiana........



Who's left? The darlings of the tournament thus far are the Davidson Wildcats.......a small school in Charlotte, NC featuring the son of an NBA All-star. Dell Curry was good......a pure shooter.....great scorer. But his son? Stephen Curry has taken this Davidson team to new heights. Curry scored 40 points in the first round game against Gonzaga . But the second round game put the 'cats up against the bigger stronger athletes of Georgetown. Georgetown flexed it's muscles in the first half ........holding Curry to just 5 points.

In the second half........the Georgetown squad.......extended the lead to as much as 17.......

Then .......a funny thing happened....... Stephen Curry got hot.........the team responded........Curry scored 25 of his 30points in that second half....... And Georgetown was history!

Such is this madness known as March.

The Sweet Sixteen?



Special thanks to Sportingnews.com........


1. Kansas. KU has every tool necessary for a national championship and appears intent on using them all.

2. UCLA. Kevin Love's turnaround jumpers to beat A&M showed scouts there's more to the game than jumping.

3. North Carolina. Volunteers, Cougars, Cardinals ... and yet they tells us the Tar Heels are the No. 1 overall seed.

4. Memphis. And now for the good news: Michigan State's Tom Izzo rarely employs zone defense

5. Texas. The nation's best back court gets to play in its backyard. That can't hurt.

6. Louisville. No one should be surprised Rick Pitino used that Big East Tournament implosion to re-energize his team.

7. Wisconsin. Had the Badgers gotten Georgetown's No. 2 seed, they'd have met Davidson earlier. This works out best.

8. Xavier. If the Musketeers begin to truly believe they're this good, they can be even better.

9. Tennessee. Some have won the NCAA championship without beating two consecutive teams as good as Louisville and North Carolina.

10. Michigan State. When the Spartans found themselves in Denver, they found themselves.

11. Stanford. If the only play necessary is entering to Brook Lopez on the right block, couldn't anyone have coached the Cardinal this far?

12. Washington State. Defense took Tony Bennett's father to a Final Four. Perhaps it could happen again.

13. Davidson. Stephen Curry, meet Wisconsin's Michael Flowers. You'll be seeing a great deal of him.

14. West Virginia. Give this team two more reserves, and there'd be few reservations about ranking them higher.

15. Villanova. If this team is near the bottom of the list, it's a really good Sweet 16.

16. Western Kentucky. Will the full court pressure bother UCLA's Bruins -- or shake them awake?

Sixteen......going on eight .......going on four......to two......to one....

Should be a heck of two weeks!




Saturday, March 22, 2008

1st Round Bracket Results......



The 5 0n Five NCAA Basketball Bracket Contest is off and running....

Most of us got burned by the upsets of Clemson, Vanderbilt and USC. UCONN also choked and cost us.

Top five through the 1st 32 games:


1. (tie) Larry ( 24-8)
6eVoice ( 24-8)

2. Keveekev (23-9)

3. (tie) GaPeach913 ( 19-13)
Dorris ( 19-13)



8 more games......today. Now it gets tougher.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Fly is Open!!!! Let's Go Peay!


The year was 1973............

James "Fly" Williams (Born February 18, 1953) is a retired American professional basketball player.

Born in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York City, he attended Madison High School, where initially was interested in playing baseball. He was a pitcher, but was advised that he had become too tall to remain competitive that sport. His initial introduction to basketball did not go well, but he eventually made the adjustment to the new game. His ability to play basketball came from his frequent participation in street basketball games. He played with some of New York’s finest street players such as World B. Free and Earl "the Goat" Manigault. When the games eventually ended, he would go out in search of more opportunities to play basketball. Williams dominated the sport of basketball at Madison High School in the early 1970s. By his freshman year, he was 6’ 5”, with outstanding moves, a fantastic shot, a terrific knowledge of the back board action, and could play the crowds.


After Williams completed high school, he was recruited by an assistant basketball coach, Leonard Hamilton, to attend Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Williams arrived on campus in 1972. He was greeted by a reception which included a sky-writing demonstration which spelled out his name. His freshman year, playing as a guard, his scoring record was especially noteworthy. Williams averaged 29.4 points per game in 1973, fifth best in the nation. The Austin Peay State University basketball team, the Governors, won a bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament. Williams was true to form; scoring 26 points in a first-round win over Jacksonville University. In the second round of the tournament, Williams managed another 26 points, but the Austin Peay Governors lost to University of Kentucky, coached by Joe B. Hall, in overtime.


But the real story ........was the historic chant......the chant that would make opposing teams shudder.


Whenever the Governors needed a boost.......the entire crowd would stand in unison and pound the floors with an ear shattering roar......

"Fly is open..........Let's go Peay!"

Over
30 years later.........it is still the most popular chant .........ever!!!



NBA Week in Review

For your viewing pleasure............

YouTube - NBA TV Top 10: March 19

The ......Madness .....Begins....


As we digest......day one of the NCAA tournament.......Three words come to mind:


Coulda' .....shoulda' .....woulda'

Our
spell checks don't recognize these words as part of the English Dictionary.....but they are part of our societies' dialect .....

"Coulda' "........as in Georgia could have beaten Xavier if the refs had not called an astonishing 22 fouls on the Dogs compared to just 12 on Xavier. The third seeded Musketeers outscored the Bulldogs 41-18 in the last 16 minutes to win 73-61 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Xavier shot 29 free throws in the second half.......Georgia shot five. The Dogs out rebounded the Xavier 31-29 and shot a better percentage (46% - 43%), but could not overcome the whistles of those referees.

While we're not totally blaming the officials for the loss........it is disheartening to come this far .....only to not be allowed to play your game. And for that .........the entire Bulldog Nation.....is pissed off!


"Shoulda' "......as in ........Duke .....should have gotten beat!!! The number two seed in the west......the Blue Devils had no business winning its game against a small mid-major school Belmont. Duke (who recruits only MacDonald's All Americans) was totally out-played, out hustled, and out coached. Somehow the Dukies pulled out a 71-70 victory to move on. Dang it!


"Woulda' ".......as in Georgia would have won..........if the Dogs were not robbed by the refs.......Oh ...I'm sorry......we mentioned that already. As you can see........Dog fans don't forget...or forgive easily.

Coulda....shoulda........woulda........

With this Madness of March upon us........get use to it ........and this was just the first day.

We have received a lot of your completed brackets.........and we wish you luck......

Mondays' post will include the leader board through the first and second rounds.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Hump Day Thoughts........and More.......


Pretty good radio.......

If..........at 3 pm on the week days ....... you're ever around an AM radio....and can pick up an ESPN Radio station........(you can also hear it on ESPNradio.com)......I urge you to lend an ear to the Stephen A. Smith Show.

The show is only an hour long........but is filled with interesting talk and interviews. Stephen A. Smith has never been bashful. After a mere five minutes of listening .....I promise you .......you will know where he stands on any issue.

The show is primarily a sports show.......but dabbles in current events as well as politics from time to time. Because he is black........and hails from Philadelphia, most people assume he is a liberal democratic.

Stephen A. will quickly remind you.......he is neither Republican nor Democratic.......conservative nor liberal........just.........an American.

So........if you're in your car.....sitting in traffic.......or just resting in the mid afternoon......give him a listen.......he won't disappoint.


22...........and now they're through.....

The Houston Rockets lost a basketball game last night. The Boston Celtics came into NASA town and blew out the Rockets, 94-74. In one of the few late starting NBA games this season....I actually watched this one from the opening tip to the final horn.

I came away with just a few choice thoughts:

How......in the name of Hakeem (the Dream) Olajuwon........did this team ever win 22 in a row?

Where is Tracy McGrady? When needed most?

Why is Dekembe Mutombo......(he is approaching 60.....right?)....still trying to run up and down the court? Much less still trying to play....And.......he is ....still.....(albeit quite weakly).....wagging his fingers after attempted blocked shots.

Houston.......We feel your pain. You're without Yao Ming...........You have T Mac........You have no chance in the Western Conference.

Happy Trails.........DeAngelo Hall......


The Atlanta Falcons...........have done it again.........Let's see.........who is the most talented player we have.........Whoa..........he has a bad attitude.......so lets trade him. Such is the thinking of Atlanta. Arthur Blank wants role models..............Arthur Blank want community stall worths......Mr. Blank wants ...........robots!

Exit..........DeAngelo Hall.........2 time pro bowler........shut down corner........Mr Hall will now don the uniform of the Oakland Raiders for the 2008 season. Will this city ever learn? Chased out were.......Deion Sanders, David Justice, and .......recently.........Andruw Jones......All just a little too black.......and a little too out spoken for the city of Atlanta.



Finally...........

Supposedly .........Spring.........arrives tomorrow ..........I honestly can't remember how March arrived......as a lion .......or a lamb.

Easter is this Sunday? And it's still March? The Apocalypse is upon us!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Keveekev's Bracket........


Keveekev's bracket......

Read it........learn it.......live it!

I have filled out
......

My bracket.......

Don't follow me....do your own.....

First games start around noon...

Here's how I see the tournament:

file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/My%20Documents/keveekev's%20bracket2008.htm

NATIONAL CHAMPION
Georgetown (27-5)


Sunday, March 16, 2008

Brackotology............101


It's here..........

March Madness........

It's time to fill out your brackets.

Welcome to the 5 on Fives'.......First annual ........NCAA Basketball Tournament !

Print and fill out your brackets.......

Easy..........

Just insert your winners........all the way to the final four.....

Scoring? We make it easy and simple.

One point each.......for predicting winners.

All entries must be received prior to Thursdays' games.

Here's the bracket:


Here's an even better format in Excel ............you can actually fill out the brackets by copying and pasting .....

Download the Excel version:
2008 NCAA Tournament Bracket

Don't cheat........have fun.


Email your filled out brackets to ....




This "Tiger".........is a Tough Cat......


On Thursday...............

Tiger Woods
began the the tournament shooting a ho -hum....... par 70.

At this point he was 6 shots behind.

Friday, Woods shot a 68. Still..........far from tops on the leader board.

But Saturday saw Mr. Woods shoot a 66........to pull to a 5 way tie for the lead.

On Sunday? Well.....that is when Mr. Woods dons his red & black. And he can not be denied....

Tiger won........

Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard

Round 4 Scoring

Leaderboard
Pos. Player Today Thru Tot.
1T. Woods-4F-10
2B. Bryant-3F-9
T3C. Kresge-3F-7
T3V. Singh-1F-7
T3S. O'Hair-1F-7
T6K. Duke-2F-6
T6H. Mahan-1F-6
T8N. Fasth-4F-4
T8A. Cejka-2F-4
T8C. Pettersson-1F-4


Guys.........gals.......pay attention.......we are watching history here!

Where were These.....Dawgs....all Season?


Going into the SEC Tournament.....

13 wins.......16 losses.

In conference play.....

4 wins .... 12 losses.

A team which......
kicked off it's top 2 scorers...... a team which had not one...but two 5 game losing streaks since late January.

So .........Georgia comes into the SEC tournament as an eighth seed. Ho hum.....play out the string......Regroup .........wait till next year.

Their first match up was on Thursday against Ole Miss. This up and down......no defense game.....saw Georgia blow a 19 point lead late......only to pull it out .....97-95.

Friday was suppose to match the Dawgs against the 'Cats from Kentucky. But the rains and wind and an unlikely tornado postponed this game. Georgia was then forced to play Kentucky on Saturday in the gym of their arch enemy........Georgia Tech's Alexander Memorial Colosseum.

In overtime........Georgia somehow overcomes.....adapts.......and achieves a victory.....60-56.

Only .......there is a slight problem...........SEC officials have made a decision.... Georgia would have to play again.......in about six hours..........against a well rested and talented Mississippi State team. Well.......is was a good ride.......good effort. You .....Georgia.......did the Bulldog Nation well.

But........a funny thing happened Saturday night .....at that Georgia Tech gym........Georgia.......beat Mississippi State........yes ......it's true. I have proof! Final score....64-60!

Now.......today........Georgia versus Arkansas..........the hogs had defeated number 1 seeded Tennessee in Saturday nights' first semi-final game.

Would fatigue finally set in on these Dawgs? On January 19th, Georgia defeated Arkansas 82-69 in Athens. But that was then.

This is the tournament......Georgia was playing their 4th game in 3 days. To these Dawgs......it did not matter. Georgia jumped on Arkansas with an 18-5 early lead. They lead by 10 at the half. Arkansas cut the lead to 3 late in the second half.

But these.......battered and bruised ........out manned Dawgs........found a way. With ... Sundiata Gaines .......leading the way.........Georgia........again found a way to win.......66-57.


Georgia vs.
Arkansas
66
57
F






And ........with that...........Georgia.........yes ............that Georgia (17-16)..........is in the big dance.

Who'd of thunk it?

My ............my.........Oh Georgia..........you Dawgs.................where have you been ........all season?

Note to Georgia coach Dennis Felton........"We know you can coach.......now, go out and get some players........"




Saturday, March 15, 2008

The Lights Went Out In .......Georgia!


The lights went out in Georgia..........last night.

Lights went out.......as well as windows, signs, luggage, furniture, and anything that was not securely tied down.

Georgia Dome ........swaying and rocking....

CNN Center ........windows gone........

Georgia World Congress Center.......Flooded........pipes bursting with the changes in air pressure...

Phillips Arena.........pieces of insulation falling from the sky.....

Omni Hotel..............part of the roof is on Peachtree Street.......

Cabbage Town Condominiums ..........pancake collapse of at least 4 floors.......

Oh ......what a night!

The SEC officials postponed the Georgia-Kentucky game............(they played today at Georgia Tech's Alexander Colosseum)

Today..............


It has been a steady stream of storms.............We have had sirens going off since about 2 pm. We have also been under tornado .....warnings........

We did get a hail storm.........golf ball size...........I collected some.........and put them in a plastic bag and into the freezer for non-believers......

There is still a few more bands of storms that...........they say........will include us........in their path......

Stay tuned!

Friday, March 14, 2008

We know why......He had to spend.....$4000!!!


Unless you've been ......

Under a rock for the last week.......you have heard or seen the news of the Governor of New York.........Mr. Elliot Spitzer........having to resign because of Mr. Spitzer being named in a federal investigation of a prostitution ring.

Except........this was not your ordinary hooker/pimp styled prostitution ring.

This was not the high-heeled, hot pant wearing, boots up to the hips, fishnet legged hooker working the streets of Auburn Avenue in the ATL.

No......this was big time.......elite

Mr. Spitzer (allegedly) paid over $4000 for an hour an a half to get laid by an aspiring singer from New Jersey.

We now know her real name.........Ashely Alexander Dupre......code name Kristen.......

Why? Why would he do this?

Well .........take a good look at him............then her.........He would have to pay for something like that.

He sure couldn't get it on looks and personality........ just another below average looking white man........but with a lot of money..........tax payer's money.

Which brings us to this........

Michael Vick is in jail.......for being unkind to a bunch of dogs.......no humans were harmed.

Marion Jones is in jail.........for taking illegal substances......and lying about it.....still.....no other humans harmed.


Barry Bonds is on the Federal hit list........they want to put him in jail too........because he may have lied also.........but still........who did he hurt?

But Mr. Spitzer swore an oath to uphold the constitution and well being of all citizens in his state.

Yet ....couldn't control his own sexual desires........

If the feds would put as much effort as they did in getting Vick, Jones, and Bonds behind bars.......they would see fit this Mr. Spitzer never ........ever.......sees the outer portion of a maximum security federal prison.

But we all know............this will never happen.

While Vick, Jones, and Bonds may have had millions............they lacked that certain flesh tone .....the flesh tone American Indians called "pale face".

But.....no.......it's never about race...........is it?





Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Thoughts......On A .....Hump Day


Hump Day.......the origin....

We have used Wednesday.....or "Hump Day" as an inspirational tool to get us through the week and into the week-end.......

Week after week .....we've come up with unique images and thought provoking posts.

But just where did the term "Hump Day" originate?

Hard to to say........exactly........but .....with the help of
Urbandictionary.com.....we have a few suggestions:


(1) The middle of a work week (Wednesday); used in the context of climbing a proverbial hill to get through a tough week.

After hump day, the weekend gets closer.

(2) Wednesday, the middle of the week, implying that you have to get "over the hump" before you can anticipate the weekend. The term was not originally intended to carry a second, more risque meaning.

Damn, I wish every day could be hump day!


(3) Wednesday, or the hump of the week
The absolute BEST day of the week, the day of maximum hope that maybe, you might make it out of this week alive. A particularly good hump day can last you the rest of the week, and by Doomday morning (Monday) you survive by anticipating hump day. Nothing goes wrong on hump day

Most other days can be defined by hump day. Tuesday is the day before hump day. Thursday is one day after hump day. Except Friday is WOOOH!!! FREEDOM!!! Day, Saturday is Mostly Hungover day, and Sunday is PreDoom day.

Hump day has nothing to do with sex. Unless one wants it to. I like to declare the existence of hump day just to see people's faces. Usually being conservative and all

"Do you know what the best thing about Tuesdays are? Its the day before Hump Day!"
"What's hump day?"
"It's the hump of the week!!"
(they all shake their heads in pity)


(4) Hump actually refers to rounded protuberance on a camel's back, or as an abnormality on a person's back.........which is located in the centre
so there is a common sense behind it that even wednesday is in the middle of the week see example

This is old tradition or belief or thinking.....which is just related with one of the week day as well as hump

hump in the centre or middle approx
And wednesday in the middile of the
both in the centre

....Hump Day


(5) Wednesday is often referred to as "hump day" because of its position as the middle day of the work week. If the work week were a hill. Then Wednesday would be the crest. It is all down hill from there. (Whether the down hill ride is a coast or a descent into a swamp is left to the individual.)




I have a feeling ......we're no closer to understanding the true origin......but "Happy Hump Day!"......just the same.


Friday, March 7, 2008

Springing............Forward


Daylight Savings Time.....

To be quite blunt.......Daylight savings time sucks! Tomorrow at 2 am we will set our collective clocks forward 1 hour. Why? Our time pieces in our body will have to adjust needlessly for this ridiculous attempt to cheat mother nature.

How......exactly....... are we .......saving......daylight? And.....what are we saving daylight from? Is .....daylight ..... in danger? Does......daylight.....need to be rescued? Oh, my bad. We're not saving the daylight from an unknown enemy........We are saving daylight........for future use. So....should we freeze it ........or can it? Or put the daylight in a bank ....and earn interest.

Now, personally, I happen to like daylight. And for years now, I have done what most Americans have done for the last 30 years.......In March........I save an hour..........of daylight.

Only to give it back in October! And when I give it back........I have no return on my investment. I just........don't get it. Spring forward...........fall backward......why? And for.......whom?

Daylight.........could care less.......In a 24 hour day..........daylight shines for how ever many hours.......regardless if we humans manipulate a doggone clock.

Meanwhile.........the moon is watching all of this........and thinking........."Hey....what about "moonlight" savings time....... We want equal representation". We too..... want to be saved.

Imagine that..............then again.......just set that darn clock ahead ......save that hour of daylight........and be a zombie for a few days before your body adjusts......

Daylight Savings Time............

Yuck!!!!




Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Hump Day Thoughts..........& Stuff.....




Sixteen in a row?

This is
........unbelievable! The NBA's Houston Rockets have won 15 straight. Tonight they put their winning streak on the line against the Indiana Pacers at home. Remember........Yao Ming is lost for the season and this team......with Tracy McGrady front and center......continues to win. Go Rockets!

Eleven in a row........and holding........

Barack Obama had won 11 straight primaries........until last night. Hillary Clinton wins Ohio and Texas to end the streak. Obama wins Vermont........Hillary wins Rhode Island.



Note to Obama........."You had better focus .......and quit all the "The country wants change" chants and deal with the issues. You're up against the Clinton political machine...........They are seasoned veterans. They play big boy politics. Your speeches are great..........but your following includes the black and the young.......Still minorities in this country. Hillary has the Hispanics, women, and white America casting votes. Forget about McCain........You've got to deal with Hillary.......now"!

Now to my never ending see-saw position...........I .............initially was leaning toward Clinton......Obama moved me........so I jumped on that band wagon........now having listened to the issues and substance.........I'm leaning toward Clinton again. Experience does matter.......and at this point, the republicans would eat Obama alive. But that's my thinking...........today......Tomorrow's another day.

I saw ........honey bees!!!!!!!

Our plum trees are blooming! Scientist are saying we have a shortage of honey bees in North America. These bees pollinate each and every flower of the plum tree blooms. Without this pollination , there would be no new fruit. Well........I am happy to announce........I saw these bees busily going from bloom to bloom .........doing their thing. What a beautiful sight!




MVP? LaBron James...........or Kobe Bryant?



This ..........is .........a rather intriguing question. Whether you follow the NBA.....or like the NBA....One thing is for sure. You have definitely heard of both. LaBron.......the man child.......Kobe........the chosen one. Neither of the two ever graced the court of a college gym. Both went .....from high school to the pros. Kobe spent a couple of years coming off the bench for the Lakers........while James was an immediate starter for Cleveland.

Okay..........LeBron is averaging 30.3 points a game........Kobe, 28.3.............Both have their teams in the thick of the play-off run..........Both superstars.........go figure.........This year they both probably deserve the ........co-award.


Atlanta Traffic.........

I often wonder.......How does anything.......around 7 am........or 8 am in metro Atlanta........start on time! Too many people.........too many cars. Once you get off of I285 ........or I20......or I85......or I75........... There is still the matter of the local streets..........Too many red lights........Marta........It's .......awful! No body uses signals........ The speed limit on I285 ....is 55.....However........drive 55..........and you will induce a death sentence. Average speed? Try 80........as in 80 mph!

Beware of ladders, sofas , and assorted garbage while traveling........not to mention......."soccer moms".....School buses........etc.


Finally.............

I have just put in a new order for some pills to relieve my aching back..........from carrying this blog............."A little help..........please?"


Finally.......Finally.........


Yes..........My daughter is getting married in August............Have I made a post on that ....yet?...I don't think so. But .......I think this is a wonderful thing.........If she's happy..........I'm happy. Sometime ........soon........we groomsmen will go and get our fittings. I think I look decent in a tux............We'll see.

Finally......Finally........Finally......


We're still
looking for that datgum ground hog.............May he rest in peace.......


Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Is he "Quitting".......or ...."Retiring"?


After 17 years.............Brett Favre.......is retiring........or is he quitting?

Favre announced today he is leaving the NFL and the Green Bay Packers. Why? Yes, he has been in the league 17 years and as a quarterback has taken his share of punishment. But last year he led the Packers to a game shy of the Super Bowl.........losing to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship game.

I have mixed feelings about our man Favre. While I admire his toughness and love for the game.......I have become increasingly tired of the love-fest manifested by the sports world talking heads. ESPN, FOX, NBC, and CBS has developed a love affair with this guy from the swamps of Mississippi. Brett can do no wrong. Packer fans adore him. White America uses him as the poster boy for all that is right with pro football.

Favre's records include........most career touchdowns (442). Most career passing yards (61,655).

He also has the record for throwing more interceptions (288) than any quarterback ever.

At 38, it's safe to say Favre's best years are behind him. But after a great 2007.......why leave now?

A true old fashioned gunslinger, Favre lost a lot of games.......but won more than he lost. He always thought he could make .....the play.....

Favre has given the game of football and the NFL 17 years of life and fun. It's time to move on. Whether you term it a retirement or quitting............He's gone. The NFL will survive.........a new star will emerge.......Favre will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Trivia notes.........

The Atlanta Falcons (yes .....those Atlanta Falcons) drafted Favre.......only to trade him to Green Bay a year later.

Favre's very first completed pass.........was to .......himself......a deflected pass, batted it the air, which Favre caught. His last pass? An interception into the hands of a New York Giant. So....you want to go out like this?

Is it "quits" or "retirement" ?


A "Dunn" Deal



The Atlanta Falcons severed ties yesterday with running back Warrick Dunn. Dunn had requested the release after the Falcons signed free agent, Michael Turner.

At 5' 9" and 187 pounds, Mr. Dunn was always told he was too small to play football. He has proven the detractors wrong at every level.

At Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dunn played quarterback, cornerback, and running back. During his junior year he helped lead Catholic High to the state AAAA championship game for it's first time in history. He was an All-American honorable mention by USA Today in his senior year.

On January 7, 1993, Dunn's mother Betty Smothers, an off-duty police officer escorting a businesswoman to a bank, was ambushed and killed by armed robbers. Three men were sent to prison for the murder, and two remain on death row. Dunn, two days after his 18th birthday, became the head of his family and raised his siblings. In 2007, Dunn met with one of the convicted men at the Louisiana State Penitentiary.

Dunn chose to attend Florida State University on a full athletic scholarship. He graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor's Degree in Information Studies.

He holds several Florida State rushing records including the marks for most career rushing yards (3,959) and most rushing yards in a season (1,242) set in 1995. Dunn is the only Seminole to rush for over 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. He was a three time All-ACC selection.

Dunn was selected in the first round of the 1997 NFL Draft with the 12th overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his rookie season Dunn made an immediate impact for the Buccaneers squad. As the year finished he was selected to the NFC Pro Bowl team and was named the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year. Dunn spent the first five years of his career in Tampa Bay where he was named to the Pro Bowl twice (1997,2000) before signing with the Atlanta Falcons in the 2002 off-season. Once again, he made a positive impact on his team with 9 total TDs and in that year, he led the league with a 5.4 yards per carry average. Dunn scored the most rushing touchdowns in his career, 9, in the 2004 season despite splitting carries with T.J. Duckett and also led the team in rushing with 1,106 yards. Having led his team in rushing yards again in 2005, Dunn was named the NFC's Pro Bowl team, marking his third selection to the team. For his career, Dunn has only missed 10 games and has a total of 2,256 carries for 9,461 yards 43 touchdowns and a 4.2 average.

And they said he was too small.............

Dunn has also had a positive influence in the community with the Warrick Dunn Foundation and The Homes for the Holidays Program which helps struggling single moms purchase homes. The program has assisted hundreds of single mothers and children in Baton Rouge, Tampa, and Atlanta.

Mr. Dunn............you will be missed in the ATL.

Dunn's stats...............courtesy of CBS sports:

Warrick Dunn | NFL Football at CBSSports.com





Monday, March 3, 2008

Weekend .......Highs & Lows.........



High......

C
onference call.......family style........Every family should have one......once a week.......the one day of the week .......the family comes together........corporations have them......Why can't families? Every member expresses his or her self.......What the problem .....is?


Low.....

H
aving to work......Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That's a weekend?............Couple that with having to get up at 4:30 am Monday....and you have.......virtually no weekend at all.


High.....

T
he smell of spring.........that plum tree that was blooming? Well I saw honey bees doing their thing.......pollinating! What a beautiful sight!


Low.....

T
he UGA men's and women's basketball team both losing this weekend......And of course, the Atlanta Hawks losing to the Boston Celtics.


High.......

Got my tax refund........only half.......Owed on some back taxes........but I'm now free and clear.


Low........

M
issed having Sunday brunch with my daughter...........She had to work........I ....also........Please take the time......with the ones you love.

High..........

B
eing.......alive.........breathing...........living........seeing.........hearing........smelling.......tasting.......

It doesn't get any better than this........

Highs and Lows..........seem to come at will.........people say they balance themselves out. But .......I must be an anomaly ............I've had more highs..........than lows.........and that's a good thing.

Family.........comes with more highs than lows.......and I am eternally grateful for this time on earth.