March Madness: "Bracketology"

For some reason, my newbie-ness thought that the term "bracketology" was universal so when I used it with my boyfriend with the utmost of confidence, he embarressed the hell out of me by busting out in laughter. What a jerk.

Playing NCAA Brackets was more along the lines of playing Roulette for me. I didn't have a damn clue about college basketball, and I barely even noticed the little numbers next to the school names until halfway through the bracket. Which probably explains why I'm last with only 35 out of 48 correct picks. I'm embarressed to admit that I didn't think Pittsburg would actually take it all the way. Maybe because the Sooners were in my head due to football, I don't know. Or maybe I got Oklahoma State confused with Oklahoma? I probably should have done a littttle bit of research before I went click-happy.

Oh well. I still believe in Memphis all the way!

My Addiction: Fantasy Basketball

It’s official: I’m not a blogger, I just like to talk when I feel like it.

With that being said, I would like to get back into the habit of writing in this again. In my defense, I’m graduating this year so ever since the fall semester started, school has been kicking my ass. But I won’t get into that boring stuff.

A lot has happened since my last post: the 49ers got a new head coach in Mike Singletary, the Arizona Cardinals actually almost beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl, A-Rod admitted to being on steroids, Tiger Woods finally came back, Don Nelson went crazy by sitting his starters…the list goes on. But let me talk about one thing that has taken over my life aside from school, work, sorority, and my boyfriend: Fantasy Basketball.

So it’s Week 19 and I’m currently getting my ass handed to me on a silver platter, 3-6. Don’t let that fool you though; I’m pretty proud of my team (even though I’ve made some horrific management decisions in the past couple of weeks) and I’m sitting comfortably at 4th place with less than three weeks until the playoffs. It’s not my fault that I’ve got 5 players not playing and my opponent’s ugly team decided to all of a sudden get better in a month’s time.

I started this season with a pretty random bunch, with everyone talking shit about all the guys I picked up. Mind you, I got the 12th spot in the draft.

• Deron Williams (injured or not, I know I wanted him)
• Dwight Howard
• Andris Biedrins (an accident, I didn’t mean to pick him as my third round)
• Devin Harris
• Andrei Kirilenko
• Rip Hamilton
• Zach Randolph
• Rajon Rando
• Travis Outlaw
• Drew Gooden
• Earl Watson
• Jason Kapono
• Marc Gasol

Looking at that list, I realize I only have half of the same people I started with. Here’s who I have going into the Playoffs (for now):

• Deron Williams
• Dwight Howard
• Aaron Brooks (a pick-up after dropping T-Mac, a guy I got in trade for Devin Harris and Biedrins—THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF THE SEASON)
• Monta Ellis (part of the Harris-Biedrins deal)
• Rip Hamilton (thank God for coming back into the starting lineup)
• Rashard Lewis (the only good thing that came from theHarris-Biedrins deal even if it still doesn’t fully make up for it)
• AK (after dropping him when he got injured and picking him back up a week later)
• Drew Gooden (because I have a gut feeling that he’s going to be amazing as a Spur)
• Marc Gasol (my SAVING GRACE this week)
• Eric Gordon (my favorite pickup, even if he’s injured his week)
• Larry Hughes (a pick-and-drop guy who I’ve finally decided to keep since being dealt to the Knicks)
• Zach Randolph (I need him back ASAP)
• Peja Stojakovic (got in a trade early in the season with DJ Augustin for Rondo—second biggest mistake of the season)

You don’t have to tell me twice that my team would be AMAZING if I had just kept Rondo, Devin Harris, and Biedrins but I couldn’t beat the excitement of trading. Monta being on my fantasy team definitely makes me dislike him more and more every game that he doesn’t play (as well as other reasons that I hope I can get into in time). Rashard’s numbers in the beginning of the season made him look so valuable but ever since I got him (when Jameer Nelson got injured), he’s only had one statistically beautiful game. And I won’t even get into my horrific decision to get T-Mac.

Inner struggles I’m going through right now:

1. To keep Monta or no? There’s talk that he’s unhappy at Golden State and that it’s actually some of the reason why he didn’t go with them to their recent road trip. His arrival keeps getting pushed back and with the playoffs in two weeks, I’m getting impatient. And who’s to say he’ll even put up numbers when he does come back? I’m so close to dropping him and picking up someone to help me get my blocks back up.
2. Drew Gooden—ugh. Sometimes, I have no idea why I’ve held on to him for so long. I’m counting on this gut feeling about the Spurs, but who knows? When healthy, his numbers are impressive though, but by next week, if he’s not playing, I’m going to have to take some action.
3. The trade deadline was yesterday therefore all I’ve got to choose from is whoever is on the waiver wire. Good enough pickups include Rashad McCants, Nenad Krstic, Thabo Sefolosha…and any of the Warriors bench considering Don Nelson’s going to be playing them more often.
   

Sigh. I hope this weekend fairs better than the rest of this week. $20 and my pride is on the line. I spent the majority of the season having my smack talk say “My new name should be ‘I can beat the boys’!” Figures it would come back to bite me in the ass!

Thanks Niners for making my dad and brother have a good rest of the week.

49ers 1 - 1

OK, so it's not exactly brag-worthy but I for one am ecstatic to see the San Francisco 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks. One, because my dad and brother feel for the Niners the way I feel for the Warriors therefore were jumping up and down with pure euphoria at the end of overtime, and two, because it was a division win. The likelihood of the 49ers making it to the playoffs are slim (from the limited knowledge that I have) but hell...it's not looking too shabby for SF. Next week they're playing the Detroit Lions who got murdered by Green Bay and there's a huge chance that the Niners can actually be 2 - 1. I've seen my brother's head almost explode one too many times in the past couple of years to know that this is significant. My dad actually bought tickets to next week's game (because he had to go to a game that we had a chance at winning) so I shall be there in my 49ers attire, drinking beer and screaming my happy ass off with my dad and my brother...while my mother sits and claps politely, simply happy to see her family together and enjoying each other's company.

Today's game was fun to watch though. Alex Smith, good riddance. JT O'Sulivan...you are what this franchise needs. Just quit getting sacked! 8 times ain't cool. But once the ball got rolling, it was our defense that saved the day. Two freakin' useful interceptions in a row?! Loved it.

Two more random, note-worthy tidbits of two games that I caught (and one that is pretty much on repeat on SportsCenter right now):

• Caught a good minute of the Raiders - Chiefs game. Don't know anything about the Chiefs but the Raiders played sick. I caught Darren McFadden's catch and touchdown and it had me on my feet.
• The San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos game gave me a flashback of the last Lakers-Warriors game where Monta Ellis and Derek Fisher fell and that bullshit call happened against the Warriors. However, I will admit that this bullshit whistle is a thousand times worse. Any loss is bad but to know that it could have been avoided by something that was beyond their control...le sigh.

My football posts are so lame. It's quite obvious that I don't know about football. But I sure as hell love to watch it.

Gotdammit Monta.

Monta Ellis Out 3 Months

I'm the biggest slacker that ever tried to be a blogger so sue me for being a couple of weeks late with this issue.

My devastation was indescribable after hearing about Monta Ellis' left ankle injury that will result to him being out of the game for 3-4 months. Three weeks after the news came out and it still knocks the wind out of me just a little bit. With Baron Davis leaving, Monta was the face of our franchise, the last hope the Warriors had to make it to the playoffs. While it sounds morbid and faithless, I can't help but believe it to be true. He's going to miss at least a third of the entire season and for someone who was appointed starting PG, training camp alone was going to be crucial to his success in that spot.

That's not even the worst of it though. On September 6, the Contra Costa Times was the first to announce that Monta Ellis actually lied about the reason behind his injury. Instead of hurting himself by working out or even playing a pick-up game of basketball, he finally admitted after weeks of rumors that it was definitely not a basketball-related injury. Exactly what it was is still unknown and being kept secret for as long as the Warriors front office and his agent can allow it. People at GSOM have their own opinions though, from a motorcycle accident to something ridiculous like chasing after a girl (whaaatevs, Monta would never have to try hard to get a girl, even if he can be goofy-looking at times).

Now the question is...what to do about it? Tim Kawakami, columist and blogger for the San Jose Mercury Times, has a couple of educated guesses and has enlightened me with a number of possibilities. Considering the fact that he just recieved an extension and one of the biggest pay raises in NBA history, the front office has to discipline him in some way to let him know that this is not okay. When Vladimir Radmanovic had a snowboarding injury last year, the Lakers fined him $500,000, which is chump change to Monta's $66million. Granted, I have no expertise in giving fining suggestions so I'll end it with the fact that I definitely support any disciplinary actions taken towards teaching Monta Ellis a lesson (except voiding his contract altogether). Just like there are rules and guidelines to follow in any profession, he needs to understand that there are just certain things he's restricted from since he's a multi-million dollar professional NBA player. If he wants to go risking his body then he needs to do that with someone else's money on the line. Think about it: he's making $11mil just this season, which is about $1.83mil each month of the regular season. If it takes him the full 4 months to recover, that's a little over two months of being out, while still getting paid $3.66mil. That's a lot of money to sit and watch your teammates get owned by the Hornets, Pistons, Blazers, Celtics, Cavs, Rockets, Spurs, Magic, and Lakers.

(Not that I don't have faith in the rest of the Warriors. For all I know, there might actually be the best case of chemistry with all the new people coming in and they can DOMINATE as the Underdogs. I still have faith. But this is me being realistic.)

Le sigh. I'm still excited about the season though and I've got tickets lined up to 3 games, and working on getting tickets for Opening Night against New Orleans. WARRIOR FAN TIL THE DEATH, BABY.

Bay Area Baseball Comparisons

Last week I went to the SF Giants VS Colorado Rockies game at AT&T Park. Not the most exciting game (I left at the 8th inning, with the Rockies up 7-2), but I had a good time drinking beer with 40+ year old engineers who had more fun yelling each other's names than actually watching the game.

Have you ever been to AT&T Park? I've only gone there to actually watch a game twice, but I've worked at the stands at least 4 times each season for the past 4 years. I don't know how other stadiums in big cities are, but this one is nice. They've got slides and games for kids and the club level is sweeeet. Even the bathroom in the highest level are clean 24/7.

I've also been to McAfee Colliseum for an Oakland As VS Seatle Mariners game. The stadium looks like shit, especially compared to where the Giants play just over the bay. The green looks like seaweed and nothing looks like it's been renovated in over a decade. However, the one time I went there had to be the best time I ever went to a baseball game. The game was actually exciting (a close call that had the fans booing, a double play to get the fans on their feet, and a home run by the Mariners to keep the score tied at the 7th) and the fans are something else. You definitely don't see girls in tight jeans, mid-drifts and heels at an A's game.

There's just something about the Giants that makes me shake my head. I'm sure this franchise hasn't always been this way but from simple observation, the only reason why half the people go to their games is to get trashed anyways. Whatever happened to the love of "America's favorite past-time?"

McAfee Colliseum



AT&T Park

Oct. 29 needs to come sooner.

Two reasons to be excited for October 29, 2008:
1. My baby brother turns 21
2. The Golden State Warriors start the 08-09 season with the New Orleans Hornets at Oracle Arena. My attendance is still tentative; depends on how my school schedule ends up. I'm hoping that it'll allow me the opportunity to be a screaming fan.

08 - 09 Season WishList

• Oct 29 VS Hornets (duh)
• Nov 13 VS Pistons (my personal Big 3 = Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton, and Chauncy Billups)
• Dec 12 VS Rockets (the new Big 3 = Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, and Ron Artest, OH SHIT)
• Dec 26 VS Celtics (this game is probably going to be insanely expensive but I don't care, I want to go! This would be the best Christmas present EVER)
• Jan 7 VS Lakers (gotta go to a Laker game!)
• Jan 25 VS Clippers (B Diddy's return to the Bay! This is a can't miss)
• Feb 4 VS Suns (because it was the one team I really wanted to see last year that I didn't get to watch)
• Feb 18 VS Lakers (because the second time around is just as good as the first)
• Mar 17 VS Clippers (same)

Upcoming posts about my prediction for the Warriors this season and my opinion on the 08-09 team.

Random fact: Andris Biedrins is now the longest tenured Warrior right now. Yes, my 22-year-old sexy Latvian Center is the Last "OG" Warrior Standing. Leave me alone, just let me think this way!

Non-Follower of the Olympics

I'm embarressed to say that I haven't been following the Olympics very well this year, which is a damn shame considering I proclaim to love sports oh-so-much. But I can't help it; games are at such odd hours! I've only seen four events: USA VS China Men's basketball, Women's Diving, USA VS China Gymnastics, and a bunch of swimming that all led to Michael Phelps showing the world how freakin amazing he is.


I got so excited watching Men's Basketball. I'm glad it was close even if it was just for the first quarter. I am in love with this year's Dream Team.


I have to say that watching the Gymanstics competition was hard and a tad disheartening. Seeing little girls fall and mess up in front of the whole world makes me hope that my own daughter never wants to be an Olympic gymnast. Well, I guess they're not actually LITTLE but they sure as hell look younger than I even I look (and that's pretty damn young!).

And...that really is all I have to say on the Olympics. Haha. I know, my credibility is going down the drain.

On another note...I need to change the title to this blog. Oh how I miss ESPN :(