My cousin's wedding kept me away, but it's Game ON now for hockey and basketball

OK - so it's been a while since I posted, but it's only because I've been completely consumed with family stuff.  My cousin, Nick, got maried in NJ over the weekend, and between the rehearsal dinner, wedding, and travel time ~ I've basically managed to miss EVERYTHING in the world of sports.

Welcome to the family, Ging

Friday, I was invited to San Antonio to go see the Cleveland Cavaliers v San Antonio Spurs game with friends as part of one of my best friend's birthday festivities.  I couldn't make the trip because I wanted to attend a rehearsal dinner in NJ.  I've seen the Spurs play at home back in Jan 2009 (i.e. work had brought me out there for meetings).  I hope my friends had a blast on Friday. Unfortunately, the Cavs lost to the Spurs 102-97.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHUBS!

Silvia and Doug (aka Chubs), San Antonio ~ Jan 2009

 Spurs game w/a fellow sportsfan, while in San Antonio ~ Jan 2009

One of the decorated "outhouses" on display in front of the Spurs' arena ~ Jan 2009

Saturday there were college basketball games, and I think I saw about 2 minutes of the last one ~ but I cannot tell you what I saw because I was so disinterested. 

No sports this Saturday, I'm watching a wedding

On Sunday afternoon when I was driving home from Jersey, I learned that Duke had beaten Baylor (i.e. thanks to a text message from my brother).  Other than that, I have no idea what happened in the world of sports.  I do know, that the  Duke v WVU game is the 2nd game of Saturday's final four match-up, and I want to go to Indianapolis to see it.  I looked at flights and right now, that's my only "hiccup".  I've been to the Final Four and seen Lucas Oil Stadium, so I can't figure out if I'm really interested or just being restless.  It would be fun to see some of my family friends though, and I do like Indy, so...

I ended up meeting some friends Sunday night and a few of the Capitals were out (i.e. Green, Knuble, Perrault, and Backstrom).  Unfortunately, they'd lost to Calgary earlier in the day.  The Caps posed for pictures and may have been out to support a fundraiser to support The Arlington Food Assistance Center.

In a perfect world, this will be my sports schedule for the week:
Tuesday - Ottawa Senators v Washington Caps, in DC or Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia Sixers, in Philly
Wednesday - Milwaukee Bucks v Cleveland Cavs, in Cleveland
Saturday - NCAA Final Four games, in Indianapolis

How much of this schedule will actually be realized is still up in the air.  Then again, anything is possible. Everything will most likely be a last minute decision.  I'm exhausted from last week's adventures and I'm trying to pick and choose my adventures carefully since I'm not sure yet, how much I owe the tax man this year.  ****Mental note, I must call my accountant tomorrow. 

I'm racking my brain for sports topics that are relevant and interesting and I'm drawing a complete blank, so until next time...

I don't want to put up wedding pics, since that's not really the function of this blog, so here's a pic of me with Penny Hardaway (i.e. Anfernee Hardaway, a Memphis alumnus) at the Final Four in 2008.  Part of the fun of being at events like the Final Four is running into NBA players who are out there supporting their alma maters.  With Duke, Michigan State, Butler, and WVU in the running this year ~ there should be a good number of former players in the crowd, so if you're a basketball fan, keep your eyes open.

Penny Hardaway was in San Antonio rooting for his Tigers ~ Feb 2008

****  Updated November 23, 2010:  Someone keeps doing a Google search on "Penny Hardaway girlfriend" and this post and image come up in the search.  For the record ~ No, I am not and was never his girlfriend.  I just ran into the guy in San Antonio.

THE WIRK

Georgetown will win the Big East tourney, and a trip to The Garden triggers so many memories...

So I'm back from The Garden, and I'm exhausted.  Here you go:

Game 1:  (22) Georgetown v Marquette

• The Hoyas are tough.  They will beat WVU in the Big East final.  I saw them play against Duke earlier this year at the Verizon Center and they dominated.  Tonight, they crushed Marquette.  The Georgetown Hoyas are for real (i.e. if they continue to play with intensity and maintain their focus).

I missed the opening tip-off, because I was negotiating...

At The Garden and in NYC space is limited, so student sections are smaller

.

Marquette kept it close in the 1st half. 

Check out the Hoyas' shooting percentages.  Wow!

• This year is the 25th anniversary of Villanova beating Georgetown in 1985.  That game changed my life.  I watched it while at Snowshoe, West Virginia.  We were at our condo for a ski trip, and my father had sent my brother and I to bed.  However, I couldn't help but peek through the curtain and watch the TV from my bunk bed.  My dad must've heard me screaming in vain for Ewing and the Hoyas to pull off a victory, because he let me watch the end of the game with him.  We all know how it ended.  It was not pretty.
• Rollie Massimino was at The Garden tonight.  I'm sure he's a good man.  However, I cannot allow myself to root for Villanova.  Actually, I would never go to Cleveland State to watch a basketball game when he coached there. 

It's been 25 years and it still hurts...

• Coach Massimino's strategy to slow down the offense worked in 1985, and he broke my Hoya-loving heart.  Seeing him tonight, brough it all back.  I'm not alone.  The minute he was shown on the screen, all the Georgetown fans around me started groaning and all you could hear was, "85"...  It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times ~ depending on who you were rooting for.  Regardless, people remember it. 
• Georgetown v Villanova is one of the basketball equivalents for questions like, "Where were you when you learned that Kennedy was shot?"  OR "Where were you when OJ was in the police car chase?"  You get my point.  Ugh... 

Game 2:  Notre Dame v (6) West Virginia University

• WVU is good, but there's something missing.  It seemed like such a slow game against Notre Dame, but WVU hit a few 3s to resurrect the memory of Kevin Pittsnogle in my brain. 
• Yes, I said - Pittsnogle...  Don't question my basketball knowledge/memory.  I'm fierce.  Plus, can anyone forget when WVU upset Wake Forest in 2005?  I can't.  It was INCREDIBLE.  I was in NYC, at my brother's apartment.  Do you know where that game was played?  It was played at Cleveland State.  I remember the day like it was yesterday.  Like I said, don't question my basketball knowledge/memory.
• I don't know if WVU is young ~ but they play young and seem to make mistakes.  This was my first time watching them, and I saw guys that thought they had their bunny shots/lay-ups made, so they finished sloppily and/or missed.
• Yuck...  Missed bunny shots make me think of only one person.  The New York Knicks' Charles Smith.  He missed 4 lay-up/bunny shots at The Garden, when the Knicks had a chance to take a 3-2 lead in the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals ...  Ugh ~ I don't want to type about it.  The memories give me heartburn...  I actually met Charles briefly earlier this year at NBA All-Star Weekend in Dallas.  I congratulated him on a great career.  It was the humane thing to do.
• There were moments during the game when I thought Coach Huggins' head was going to explode.  When one of the WVU players should've dunked, but instead went for a lay-up and missed, I instinctively "ducked and covered" (i.e. as if I were at a Gallagher show and he was about to crush a watermelon with that carnival hammer).  Honestly, I would've bet cash money that Huggins' head would burst and the game would have to be called.  I bet people, who were watching at home, started trying to adjust the color settings on their TVs.  It's not right for someone's face to turn that red.  That player is lucky that WVU won.
• Huggins' casual attire reminds me of Coach Belichick's hoody.  Random, but not really...
• I never really paid atttention to the Mountaineers until tonight, but there was no way to miss the fact that that they play(ed) a 1:3:1 defense.  I wonder...  When I was in junior high, we learned how to play man to man, and zone..  We learned and played against both 1:3:1 and 2:3. 

1:3:1 defense

• If my junior high coach had 3 months with Tracy McGrady, T-Mac would've never been clueless against a zone (i.e. preventing all the embarrassment about his playing slump and Doc River's coaching skills,when they were both in Orlando).  Just saying...
• 2:3 zone defense will always be one of the things I associate with Syracuse.  Who beat Syracuse earlier this week?  Yes, Georgetown did.
• FYI ~ Syracuse is also the real deal.  If I had to guess right now who'd go farther in tourney when March Madness really begins, tonight I'd pick Syracuse.  However, ask me again after Selection Sunday, and I take a look at the brackets.

Miscellaneous observations:

• I love to people watch and watching old drunk men yell at each other after/during games makes me laugh.  They look foolish, but they can't seem to help themselves.  After the doubleheader two, 50ish silver foxes were yelling and getting into each other's faces on the courses.  Who knows what got their Wranglers in a bunch?  But, leave it to some college kid to yell, "Kick his a**, Sea Bass!"  I literally laughed out loud.
• I only heard "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, ONCE!!!  Yeah!!! 
• If you don't understand the reason for this bullet, then you're not reading this blog regularly.  Keep in mind, that you're only hurting yourself :-P
• Over by the media tables, there are TVs.  People can change the channel on these TVs.  I kid you not.  Someone preferred to watch Talladega Nights as opposed to part of the 2nd game.  Does that tell you anything?

That's not a NASCAR driver, that's Will Ferrell

On to the next episode in the morning, so that's all for now...



And if you're not geared up for March Madness, here you go!



THE WIRK

So, you want a ticket for the Big East semifinals...

I'm in NYC and settling in.  For kicks, I'm trolling craigslist.com for a ticket for tonight.  I saw a listing for a lower level ticket.  I sent the guy an email with an offer of $100.  I kid you not ~ the man called me in less than 2 minutes.  Turns out that I had read his post too quickly, and he was selling his ticket for tomorrow's game.  Oh well.  He did tell me that he had a ticket for tonight, but ended up selling it for $80.  Good to know, that at $100, I would've overpaid....

Tonight's going to be a good night!!! 

(22) Georgetown and Marquette tip at 7 EST, and
ND and (6) WVU tip at 9 EST...

Oh, here's another listing that made me laugh...  No idea who posted it, but he's a man after my own heart!

Big East - $1

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Date: 2010-03-12, 8:43AM EST
Reply to: sale-vgfdu-1640400640@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
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hahahahahahahaha - all you ridiculous scalpers and brokers must be crying in your pocket change today. Pitt, UConn, Cuse, Nova - the 4 biggest crowd draws all gone.

Can someone send me an email for lower level loge seat for $250+ tonight so I can laugh like crazy this morning?

For those of you trying to get tickets for tonight that are unaware of the market.......go to the Garden and get them outside. They are plentiful and cheap. Sub face is achievable and that will get you good seats. I paid $40 last night for a seat in section 120. Face of $55.

But honestly guys, keep trying to buy all the tickets and create a fake market with outrageous prices attached to them.....u will succeed in one thing.....making sure the Garden has about 12K in attendance tonight.


Hahahahahahaha. Clowns

it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 1640400640
 
I have no idea where these ticket brokers are living (i.e.  my guess is Fantasy Land) or what drugs they're on, but there's no way they're going to get $350 for a lower level ticket.  Rainy day in NYC, so I'm hoping the scalpers want to get out of the rain. I'm rocking a pony-tail so rain isn't going to hurt me... I have nothing but time to negotiate... Wish me luck ~ I have to head to The Garden "soon" :-P
 
I predict Georgetown wins the Big East Tourney tomorrow.
 
 
THE WIRK