My late picks, why Bob Knight is awesome and $9 dollar pickles.

I’d apologize for my lack of posts over the past month, but then again this blogging stuff is different than actual work.  I get paid to go to actual work, I only get hassled by 5-10 people when I don’t post.  Also, I moved far, far away so lay off.  Most bloggers have already given you their picks prior to the tournament. Screw that, I don’t follow trends so I’ll give you my sweet sixteen picks now.  Sure, my bracket is dead but at least I am honest. 

Indiana

Washington St

Louisville

Butler

Kansas

Clemson

Wisconsin

Georgetown

Memphis

Pitt

Stanford

Texas

UCLA

UConn

Xavier

Duke

Yes, yuck it up over my homer-ish IU pick.  I wasn’t aware that Eric Gordon would continue his complete transition to Earl Calloway in front of our very eyes.  Whoever drafts that kid had a lot of work ahead of them.  More work than Dan Dakich’s hair stylist.

My elite 8 looks like this

Indiana

Louisville

Kansas

Georgetown

Pitt

Texas

UCLA

Xavier

The final will be

UCLA - Georgetown

*Upsets correctly pegged

The only one worth mentioning is Siena over Vanderbilt.  I know, you had that one too.

I am about two weeks late on my next piece, but I’ll write it anyway.  Bob Knightis awesome, and if you don’t think so stop following sports.  ESPN has been rejuvenated, I can finally watch Sports Center again without cringing at all the witty quips from these nobodies the World Wide Leader has forced us to listen to. 

Bob Knight is a breath of fresh air, he is hilarious.  Like a grandfather who hates  technology, Knight continues to blast away on subjects without actually providing reasons which is awesome.  It’s high comedy at its best.  My favorite part about the hire is every journalist is up in arms about it, but ESPN continues to thumb their nose at the competition.   With apologies to my pal at the Hartford Courant, I need to mini-rant about this.

Here are some quotes from the high and mighty journalists who hate the decision-

From Robert Elisberg: “Remember: this is a man who for his entire coaching career has gone out of way to make clear he disdains reporters. He actively ridicules reporters when they merely question his decisions. His smearing of Jeremy Schapp (who is on ESPN, by the way…) by dragging in Schapp’s late, legendary father is shameless.”

From Richard Deitsch:  “I’ll never go back on this: I’m forever irked that ESPN (or any network) would give a man who showed such contempt for media professionals a plum on-air gig alongside broadcasters and behind-the-scenes people who respect the craft…”

Teddy Greenstein:   ”The former Notre Dame coach pointed out that Knight’s teams went 15-5 against his, and when Knight talked about not thinking ahead to future conference tournament opponents, Phelps jumped in with, “That’s why you won three national titles and I’m 0-for-life.”

“Maybe this is why Phelps was so complimentary: Knight’s performance was pedestrian to the point that it made Phelps look like a star. Knight, wearing a navy blue sweater with an ESPN logo, said nothing of note and looked out of place once with his arms folded.”

I have two major problems with the quotes above-

1.  Why were they written?  This is sports, since when do people review someone’s on air performance on a  sports highlight show (unless it is a blog of course)?

2.  These clowns are acting like a high school girl who was not invited to the prom.  What’s wrong fellas, is Knight going to ruin the integrity of the sports journalism industry?  Or will you guys take care of that yourselves by acting catty toward him in print (You guys make us bloggers look mature)? 

I met a squirrely looking sports journalist last night in Daytona Beach’s number 1 sports bar, voted number one seventeen years in a row.  In any event, if that’s what passes for a sports bar here in sort of rural Florida, I am in some deep trouble.  They had only two HD TVs in the joint, even worse, real- live journalists hang out there.  Note to readers.  If you even encounter one of these demons, do not say the following-

“Your a sport journalist?  They still make papers in America?”  They hate that. 

The guy then tried on two occasions to sell me a subscription to whatever rag they write down here, and informed me that they have the most coverage of my county.  He then rambled on about being a newspaper man, how much he has traveled, and blah blah blah. 

He even informed me he was forced to leave the bar earlier that day because he had to go cover the hiring of a head football coach, on his day off!   Even though this is Florida I am pretty sure the coverage could have waited a day.  I think the worst part was that I couldn’t take him seriously because he looks like Peter Jacobson’s character from *61.  Oddly enough, the character Jacobson played in the film was…….. a squirrely looking sports reporter.

$9 pickles

I eat out, you eat out, we all eat out, but how many of those meals are actually enjoyable?  One out of five?  Maybe one out of three at best?  My opinion is one out of every ten meals I have is actually enjoyable.  Most of those meals come in sandwich form mainly because sandwiches as an invention rank up there with electricity in my opinion.  Unfortunately most of the time my meal order is less than satisfactory, granted I eat it because my stomach tells me to regardless of the taste. 

So essentially, when I eat out I usually hate it.  But I have to order something, and if it comes with a pickle I am sold.  So in essence, I am paying $9 for a pickle.  This week’s winning meal was the chicken Caesar wrap I had at Daytona’s #1 sports bar.  Cold chicken and old lettuce with a bit of dressing wrapped in a tortilla that was way to large.  It was gross, had no flavor and came with a side of “pasta salad,” which was actually runny pasta with dill sprinkled over top!