David Letterman, the spawn of a golden nugget and a tale of youth inexperience and free throws

First of all, I will most likely not give an update for the week after today, so Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. You should get plenty of sleep with all the terrible football on Thursday.
Texas - A&M, Det - Tennessee, Seattle - Dallas, and Philly - Cardinals (which only a handful of people get to watch due to the fact that not many people want to go to a bar on Thanksgiving night and even fewer people have the surprisingly legal NFL network).

Congratulations are in order for David Letterman's Alma Mater, the Ball State Cardinals. They finished the regular season undefeated. Albeit in the MAC, it is still quite an achievement. It's too bad the likes of Utah and the Bright Blues at Boise state are undefeated too. It would have been fun to watch the Cardinals in a big Bowl game. 12-0, way to go.

Speaking of zeros on a stat sheet, did you hear about Stephen Curry? The offspring of former Denver Nugget sharpshooter, Dell, was held scoreless last night after coming into the game averaging 35 points per game. I was initially amazed when I saw the stat, then I saw highlights of the game. The other team, who ended up losing by 30, double teamed Mr. Curry without the ball! That means they were consistently playing 3 on 4. What a ballsy move and what a silly decision. We will continue to follow this story throughout the year.

The KU game last night. Syracuse 89- KU 81, OT.
The Hawks played great in the first half with Sherron, Tyshawn Taylor (a great surprise) and Cole-nan the Barbarian dominated the first half for the Jayhawks.
Even Brady Morningstar made the highlight reel with a huge swat and three clutch free throws just before half after inexplicably getting fouled on a 3 from the corner.

The second half started out about the same, then KU turned the ball over about 4 times in a row to have a lead of 10 cut to 2 in a split second. The teams traded baskets, KU missed free throws (not just a couple, they missed 9 of 13 over a stretch in the second half, all too familiar against this foe) and eventually The Orange found a way back and won it in overtime.

I'm not that upset the Jayhawks lost, just more upset that Syracuse won. They didn't deserve it.

Today to break down the game, lets focus on the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
The Good:

• The Play of the freshmen, (Especially Tyshawn and the Twins)
• We saw some good decision making and scoring by TT (he was single handedly beating 'Cuse after about 10 minutes 11-10)
  
• A variety of pluses from the two-headed Morris Monster (3 pointers, rebounds, passing - Marcus lead the team in assists with 6).
  
• The team will continue to rely on these players, and in order for the team to succeed, they will have to perform
• Cole's first half, Sherron's first 35 minutes
• Cole was an animal, all over the place in the first half. The team kind of went away from him in the second half, but he still managed to get a double double.
  
• Sherron played really good for most of the game carrying the team when they needed him the most. He hit a ton of clutch shots to give us the lead or stop a run. He will be a great pro soon.
  
• Bobby Knight
• After listening to Dickie V plug just about every east coast school as well as the 'Cuse guards all game long - that Harris kid is good, but I'm not that impressed with anyone else, KU was sloppy- I am more aware of the fact that I like the O'Reily Auto Parts-sweater-wearing former coach. He's just enjoyable

The Bad:

• Turnovers (not the tasty apple kind either)
• After only having 10 as a team against Washington, KU had 17. Not terrible, I will probably kill for 17 turnovers later in the year from this team, but all the turnovers came at inopportune times. Syracuse made quite a run after Sherron turned it over a couple times in a row.
  
• On that note, the guards turned the ball over 13 times compared to 3 in the last game.
• Syracuse only turned it over 14 times for the game.
  
• Sherron's last 5 minutes
• He tried to do too much. I understand that he doesn't trust the young guys yet, but he needs to. The team last year relied on each other to hit the open shot and won with it. Sherron tried to hit every shot himself and it didn't go as well as planned
• I have decided to call Sherron Mighty Mouse. Imagine sticking a cape and big ears on that guy. Does he not look exactly like Mighty Mouse?!?!? Plus we need another super hero with Cole-nan the Barbarian.

Uncanny!

You can't convince me I'm wrong. Impossible.


The Ugly:

• Syracuse Uni's
• The Nike uniforms that are form fitting look like they should be made for some guy trying to impress girls at the gym. Hold on a thought is formulating. Wait for it... Wait for it..... Wait for it..........
  So good marketing ploy; I want one of those uniforms. Just not an Orange one. Impressing girls is cool. Still ugly, they would just impress girls
  
• Devendorf is the ugliest. His tattoos, his haircut, and I could be a lot meaner. He was trying to talk trash to Tyshawn, who totally out played him all game. As a freshman. Now that's ugly.
  
• Free Throw Shooting
• Yeah, it started good and ended terribly. After starting 5 for 5, Kansas went 6 for 15 to finish regulation. Awful. You can't blame it on one player either, it was a team effort.

That's what I got for the game. Kind of disappointing, but not too far from expected. This is a young team that has to learn how to handle pressure and how to be clutch. They have to learn how to close the door on teams (a trademark of every Bill Self team, save the one that won it all).

See you all on the flip side,
DDSF

The first KU Game

Love, Love, Love Kansas Basketball. Can't get enough of it. This post will be about KU's most recent game, their first real test of the year, against Washington.



Washington is not a great team, but they do have a potential all-american in John Brockman. It was an interesting matchup, especially with the youth and inexperience of KU.



The final was 73-54. Jayhawks win without a lot of trouble, except for on the boards. It's always easier to talk about your team after a win.



It's like facing a girl that you just asked out who said yes. It makes things way less awkward. On top of that, it means this girl does not think you are too bad of a looker, which is so not true....



Back to the game.



List #3

First Impressions from the Jayhawks basketball team after their first real test. A six pack on Tuesday Morning.

1. Sherron Collins is a stud.

He is going to lead this team and has already decided that. He has a sweet stroke, knows where to be on offense and defense, and is having fun doing it. The smirk on his face after he made his third shot (out of three attempts) of the game says that loud and clear. Plus, Billy Self trusts him to lead the team. He will be first team all-conference no doubt.

2. Cole Aldrich is ready for the NBA.

The way he controlled the paint all game long was just amazing. Not just the blocks that he had, but the way he altered shots and got Morris Twin #1 and Twin #2 going was great.



KU allowed 17 first half offensive rebounds and was up by 10. I dont think that will ever happen again in my life time. The reason they were able to do this is because they had Cole altering every shot.



He is a true center, not a power forward playing center (i.e. Nick Collison, who should be making more money for doing so in the NBA. There is no way he should be playing center, he barely played it in college. I wonder what he could do on a team that played him as that energy guy off the bench who relieves the star power forward. Put him behind a Rasheed, Timmy Duncan or Carlos Boozer and he would be the X factor in the playoffs. Or, put him in Mike D'Antoni's offense and be amazed at the speed.) and has already learned how to do whatever he can to help the team.



He rebounds, blocks shots, scores from all over the floor (he won me money in Vegas last year with that 16 foot goofy looking jumper; SWISH!) and even makes incredible passes to whoever is open. Would be atleast a first rounder after this year and will be a lottery pick if he stays another year.



3. The guard play (other than Sherron) is better than expected.

I was really excited to see Tyrel Reed play and start this year, only to be disappointed to see Brady Morningstar. After watching the game last night, I am totally for Brady. He does the little things and makes it happen. He runs the floor, plays defense (I might be worried later in the year when he plays quicker, better guards) boxes out well (best block out of the game as called by Bobby Knight) and is experienced (He's a red-shirt sophmore who went to prep school first. He's been around for a while).



Tyshawn Taylor is a great athlete and if he learns to control himself on offense, he could be a great compliment to the machine that is Sherron.



Throw in Tyrel Reed's defense and intelligence off the bench as well as Mario Little when he gets healthy (in the mold of Brandon Rush and a JUCO player who was preaseason newcomer of the year in the Big XII) the guard play could be pretty good.



4. The post play is questionable other than Cole-nan the Barbarian.

The Morris twins are going to be pretty good, but I think may have some attitude problems. Both of them got into the faces of the Washington players and could have showed more hustle and made better decisions with the ball.



There is no doubt these guys have talent as evidenced by the rebounds (15 by Twin #1 in the opener) and the ability to score (fade away jumpers and post moves that I didnt think was possible), but I would bet money they will get frustrated by not getting calls in league play, respond by making a dumb foul and seriously hurt this team by taking themselves out of the game.



If we are able to later in the season, look for the team to throw in a smaller line up with a Mario Little playing the 4. That will be danger for other teams with the offensive fire power it posseses, but will not work against BIG teams.



Stay tuned.



5. If Bobby Knight continues to announce KU games instead of Fran Fraschilla-Vanilla-Manilla, ratings will skyrocket.

Did you listen to Bobby Knight? He was great. Insightful, smart (not just former coach knowledgable, but former great coach knowledgable) and personable. When he's not pissed about his team losing, BK whopper is a pretty personable guy.



I will say he did get a little lovey dovey with Cole Aldrich, but I think everyone this year will. Atleast he wasn't comparing him to Psycho T in UNC or some center who's not as good.



Bobby Knight is my favorite color analyst right now. Gus Johnson is still my favorite announcer period, but he's lead. I think I have a man crush on GJ's voice. MMMMMmmmm.... Gus Johnson.



6. KU will compete. Let the excitement begin (atleast until tomorrow - hope we beat the Orange)

They can play defense, even when they can't rebound. They have a two headed monster in Sherron and Cole-nan. They will only get better this year, adding players and gaining experience as the year goes on.



Bill Self is a great coach. It's early, but he got his point of defense across already and gave the team a leader -Sherron- that is more than capable.



There's my take on the game, but just as a treat here are some stats that I liked from last night.



Team Turnovers: 10
Turnovers by Guards: 3
Meaning: The guys who should take care of the ball are taking care of the ball

Connor Teahan's stat line: 1 minute, 1 steal, 1-1 FG, 3 points and no turnovers.
Meaning: High School Musical is a fan favorite and helps the team morale when he is on.

Morris Twin's Stats
Good: 40 minutes, 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 offensive, 3 blocks, and 1 assist
Bad: 8 personal fouls, 5 Turnovers
Meaning: Good and Bad all at the same time. They're freshman, but will be heavily relied upon this year, and need to grow up.

Peace out, see you tomorrow
DDSF

Weekend Review

I know that I just hit on College Basketball last week, and I will give you the much anticipated explanation about List #2 (see College Basketball: Nostradamus Style), but first I must comment on the sports over the weekend.

College Football.
Lets just say its interesting. No conference really belongs in the BCS championship game other than the BigXII and the SEC. But here's the kicker, which teams belong in the game. Texas Tech could have made it's case by beating Oklahoma, but didn't. We still have a big game left (Bedlam! OU vs. OSU) so that will be determined later. There is no use getting all excited right now because there is still football to play. Plus, what happens if Mizzou wins the Big XII title game? Then who gets in? Too many questions, with no answers right now.
One question with a solid answer is that whoever wins the SEC title game should play for the National Championship. This is kind of sad if Florida wins because they have only one loss, but so would Alabama. Alabama's loss is to a top 5 team and Florida lost to an Eli Manning-less Ole Miss team.

Graham Harrell lost his heisman chances. Sam Bradford may have won it. If he plays like that again against OSU and in the conference championship game, he wins. Period.

NFL:
Just my thoughts from each of the games over the weekend.
Chiefs 31 - Bills 54 : Bills are pretty good, but the chiefs should not give up 50+ to Trent Edwards. No team should. The Chiefs have been decimated on Defense, but still Trent Edwards. Seriously. Atleast Tony G is happy with 100+ recieving yards and a TD. First Ballot Hall of Famer. I don't have a say, but it will still happen. He's a stud.
Phi 7 - Bal 36 : If Baltimore's defense can keep playing this way in the playoffs, can Joe Flacco lead them to the playoffs? I don't think so, not without a sure fire #1 running back. Too much pressure on a rookie quarterback. Willis has been hurt off and on all year and Ray Rice and Leron McClain just can't do it. On another note, Philly has found a new starting quarterback and Donovan McNabb is headed to Minnesota this offseason. Let's just hope he's not another Daunte Culpepper.
Hou 16 - Cle 6: Brady Quinn = bad against average defense. If they were anywhere close to playoff contention fans would be screaming for Derek Anderson (he made the Pro Bowl last year for crying out loud). With Houston, while Kevin Walter may not get the pub of Andre Johnson, he may be Sage Rosenfelds (and the team's) best reciever right now. 7 TD's on the year compared to Johnson's 3. Over the last 3 games, he's averaging more yards per game and has 2 TD's compared to Johnson's zero.
TB 38 - Det 20: Detroit is bad, but how good is Tampa Bay. They have an aging team at the skill positions, (Jeff Garcia 38, Ike Hilliard 32, Warrick Dunn 33) but keep winning. Will that continue in the playoffs or will injuries play a role down the strech.
Chi 27 -StL 3: Matt Forte is an excellent pickup for the bears who needed a back to be consistent when mixed with the ever inconsistent quarterback play. Trent Green is still playing, but has not been the same since his concussion with KC. Too bad, because he is a great guy and someone that could be a great role model for kids.
NYJ 34 -Ten 13: Titans lose and LenDale White is not happy. The Jets look good and it starts with defense. Brett Favre was a great pickup, especially for the price, but so was Kris Jenkins in the middle of that defensive line. The J-E-T-S young corners are playing great as well. Let's see what happens the rest of the year. Favre still has time to screw it up or get hurt. Then it's up to Kellen Clemens. Yikes
NE 48 -Mia 28: Matt Cassel is good and Randy Moss is too, even if he is lazy. Miami has done a great job of turning the ship around, but doent have the horses to compete in the AFC East.
Min 30 - Jac 12: What happened to Jacksonville? They were supposed to compete in the South. Minnesota has a defense and if they get McNabb next year, look out, they could be great!
SF 22 - Dal 35: I still dont think that Dallas is that good, and will miss the playoffs (sorry Boy's Fans). However, they did get another win AND made TO happy. Roy Williams: 3 catches, 36 yards. Was he worth it? SF will find out more when they get a real QB and a permanent (atleast to start next year) head coach.
Oak 31 - Den 10: Oakland is starting to get better, but Denver played awful and Cutler was too busy arguing penalty calls to be in the game mentally. The Broncos still leads the division by 2 games over struggling San Diego, so I still give them the edge to win it. Can JaMarcus Russel be considered a good draft pick if it takes him 3 years to develop in to a starting QB on the professional level?
Atl 45 - Car 28: Matty Ice is a stud, so is Michael Turner who had 4 rushing TD's. Carolina's D needs to be better if they want to make the playoffs, or advance in them.
NYG 37 - Ari 29: Arizona played tough, but the G-Men are too good this year. They didn't even have Brandon Jacobs in and they still controlled the game in the Desert. Kurt Warner is no longer and MVP candidate in my book. 1 int and 1 fumble lost in what may have been the biggest game of the year. He's still better than anyone expected this year.
Was 20 - Sea 17: The Seahawks made it a game, but the 'Skins are destined to make the playoffs this year. Clinton Portis may not practice at all during the week, but will still produce come game time. If you're a Washington fan, a road win is a road win and you can't ask for anything more.
Ind 23 - SD 20: I think that if San Diego had Shawne Merriman, they would be a different team. They just don't have the intensity that they need to be a consistent winner. I also think that LT doesn't have the intensity either, but I'm sure its hard to when you have to carry a team. They can't get Gates the ball like they should and Vincent Jackson, Chris Chambers and Malcolm Floyd don't exactly strike fear into oppposing secondaries hearts.

So now onto the explanation of List #2. This is too much fun for me so I ramble and run out of time. I'm sure you're all pretty bored by now, but college basketball starts tonight (Thanksgiving week rocks for college hoops) and I need to get a jump on the year.
1. Kansas will not repeat as National Champion, but will make it interesting for the Big 12 title.
Kansas loses too much skill experience and heart to repeat. You can't replace the likes of a defense tandem of Chalmers and Robinson along with the heart and quality depth that you had down low with Kaun, Jackson and Arthur. On the flip side of things, Bill Self is still a great coach and will get this team to compete in the Big XII. The team has leaders in Collins and Aldrich (who dominated POY Hansborough last year in the Final Four) and a lot of talent. If they win all their games against the North - doable in a weak division - and win their home games against the South, they would finish 13-3 in conference. I can't imagine the South teams doing that.
2. Tyler Hansborough will not win POY again. And its not because he is hurt right now.
Hansborough is good, but he is good because he tries harder than anyone else. As deep as NC is this year, he won't play as much and his ceiling in college has practically been reached. Plus, he's a target now meaning that he won't get as many touches and will get fouled a lot harder. As far as my pick for player of the year, I'll take Blake Griffin right now. He's averaged a double double last year and has a better supporting cast this year, meaning he can do even more.
3. The Big East will get a record number of teams in the tourney and disappoint.
I just dont see UConn or Louisville getting it done. In the past, teams that won it all were a superior team (team in every way - Kansas or Florida), or had multiple super stars (Gordon and Okafor). No one in the Big East impresses me that way. I think Pitt could pontentially win it all because they frustrate the hell out of everyone they play; if you get teams on a bad night when they are frustrated, you have a good chance of winning. And they play defense
4. More bubbles will burst from major conference teams than from mid major teams, more so if you look at years past.
I just think the amount of parity in college basketball is at an all time high. With one and done recruits sometimes leaving a team in shambles, the experienced mid majors (Drake, Davidson, and Belmont for starters) find a way to get in the tourney. Plus, the Missouri Valley is getting close to being considered a major conference in basketball. That will just help other mid majors find their groove and get in the tourney. I also think the major conferences just aren't as deep as they once were.
5. The NCAA tournament and Final Four will be a huge hit. Excitement. Upsets. And my personal favorite, no Billy Packer. Ha!
As I just said, parity. That and defense are the words of the day. The tourney will be one of the greatest we've seen in a while. I think that we may have another George Mason, or just a lot of mid majors making the sweet 16. Is this the year Gonzaga and Mark Few make the Final Four? Maybe. Plus, no one will be subjected to Billy Packer this year. I can not wait for the tourney just for that reason alone. He was inflammatory, a poor analyst, wrong and played favorites. I know it is hard to not play favorites, but if you are the color analyst for the Final Four, you should be able to maintain some perspective on both teams. Here's hoping to Clark Kellog can pull it off
While we're on announcers let me rant for a second. Dickie V plays favorites all the time. I know it gets him good pub, but its just annoying. I love the small amount of time that he is a fan of my team, but it is few and far between the times he is absolutely in love with UNC, Duke, Syracuse and the rest of the East Coast. He has so much excitement, which no one has yet to duplicate (I'm rooting for Gus Johnson, the only announcer I actually look forward to) but it doesn't matter because of how biased he is toward the East Coast.

6. I will place a bet in Vegas on a "sure thing" with regards to the tourney and will lose. I just suck like that.
Mrs. DDSF and I have plans to go to Vegas for the opening weekend of the tourney. We went for spring break one year and by accident got so lucky we showed up for St. Patty's day and the tourney. Probably some of the most fun I have had in a long time. Now, we are not poor students too, so I dont feel so bad laying down a couple bets on games.
We went before and she wanted to put money down on George Mason to beat UNC. I told her she was crazy. I was wrong. This time i will bet on something like that and eat my words for real. With all the upsets, I think Vegas will make out like bandits stealing from everyone!

7. Free throws will impact a game in March.
It did last year. It will this year and every year hereafter. Free throws should be easy, but pressure and lack of ability to perfect an artform (sounds really good doen't it, "artform") will cause someone to choke and miss at an inopportune time.

8. This year's non-conference slate will be the best in recent memory. UNC - Mich St., Memphis - Tenn, Oklahoma - Davidson, Preseason Tourneys, ACC - Big 11 Showdown, Big 12 - Pac-10 whatever its called with no publicity.
We will have more early season games that go down to the buzzer, or upsets (already Michigan over UCLA - who will not make a fourth straight final four) because of _______.


Did you fill in the blank yet?

How about now?

What if I gave you a hint? (see words of the day)

Still nothing?

Seriously?

PARITY! There is so much parity in college basketball now that upsets will happen all over the place. More and more underclassmen are going pro and leaving their major conference teams with younger, inexperienced players.

Just a reminder, the words of the day are defense and parity. Don't forget

9. CBS will try to pump the Big 11 (not the Big 10, if there are 11 teams you can not call yourself the Big 10; Ridiculous, just ridiculous - dont get me started) and fail miserably.
Michigan with their new coach, Indiana with Tom Crean, Michigan State is not that good and Purdue (status post comb-over extrordinaire Gene Keady) may win the conference. They play boring basketball (even if you are a purist and love defense, its boring; argument over, I win) and even though they have made the championship game 4 times since 2000 (only Mich St. 2000 team won) I think they are falling behind the other major conferences. Just wait, you'll see.

10. One Shining Moment will play when our next national champion wins it all.
Just after we have a commercial for the Masters! And no Billy Packer! The right prescription for a perfect March.

Tomorrow may hold a breakdown of the KU - Washington game. Stay Tuned.

DDSF

College Basketball: Nostradamus-Style

So I promised some insightful, entertaining or otherwise inflammatory sports information and I am so excited about college basketball I had to start there. I have to start with college basketball because of everything that the sport brings to the table.

List #1
Reasons I Love College Basketball
1. The pure excitement, intricacies and intensity of the game.

Basketball mixes adrenaline, heart, non-stop action, offense, defense, protagonists (the mid-majors come tourney time), antagonists (Duke - enough said), coaches who wear fancy suits, coaches who wear body paint (Bruce Pearl... ewww), coaches who wear mock turtle necks (Huggy Bear), coaches who wear shirts with auto store logos on them (Bobby Knight), crowds with funny signs, crowds with creative chants, and teams who are eligible for post season play whose mascots are completely out of place (in this years tourney, a 15th seed in the East Regional: the Wofford Terriers!). Even though the NBA stole it, "I Love this game".

2. The fact that coaches can actually use the pregame speech "On any given day", and teams will listen and respond. Do you think the 1985 Villanova Wildcats should have won the NCAA tournament over an extremely talented team from Georgetown which featured one of the all time college greats in Patrick Ewing?
Still thinking?
Still?
NO!!!
There is no way that team should have won. They shot 70% and still almost lost. But, they shot 70% and won. If you dont think your team can win at college basketball you have to be kidding yourself. George Mason made it to the Final Four as an 11 seed with a center listed at 6'7" who went on to try out for the New York Football Giants. If you dont think your team can win at college basketball, you are crazy.

Unless you go to the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

3. The greatest postseason format that exists. Ok, so other than the "opening round" game that only pads the win column for schools who really stand no chance in the Tourney, the NCAA basketball championship is the greatest way to determine a champion. Its a combination of skill, luck, heart and free throw shooting that determine who wins.

A freshman can lead a team to success (Melo in '03, which hurts) or a team can be so laden with a large group of upper classmen that they know what each other are dreaming about just by identifying the hertz of their snoring patterns (I'll go with Maryland in '02, cause it sounds good ; If you dont like that perhaps one of those Duke teams in the 90's).

4. Allen Fieldhouse, the Dean Dome, Cameron Indoor, that place at Michigan State, the Carrier Dome, The Pit. The arenas are old-school keeping the tradition of great and not so great programs alive. They give teams an advantage that is unlike any pro sport (perhaps save Lambeau Field in snow) and add another dimension to the sport that is unlike anything else.

5. History. So, I will be the first to admit that I am a terrible historian, but college basketball started so long ago and has moments that cause more goose bumps than jumping into a 40-degree lake in just a speedo.
Jimmy V running on to the court after winning the national championship is one of those moments I will never forget even though I wasnt alive. And the speech that he gave at the 1993 ESPY awards is something that sends chills through me just thinking about it.
And that is just one coach! Not even a player of the sport.
Christian Lattener, Texas Western, UCLA times 11, Championship Overtimes, Oklahoma A&M 1945-1946 (yes its true), James Naismith (the inventor of the game) being the only coach at Kansas with a losing record, Indiana State vs. Michigan State (Bird vs. Magic), Phi Slamma Jamma, C-Webb's ill-advised time out.
Awesome. Totally Awesome.

6. Alma Maters. I dont care who you are you have to root for your alma mater. Especially if they are good and especially especially if they win it all. You can rub the fact that your alma mater is better than your coworkers', your uncles' and your friends' all the time. Everyone is a fan. You just have to know what buttons to push (insert devilish smile).

7. Walk-ons. I dont think that in any other sport are walk-ons more needed. Football has a ton of scholarships to offer and can field about 3 teams for each side of the ball. Plenty of bodies for practice. In basketball, if you lose 3 players to injury or grades, you are down to 10 players. 5 on 5 gets really hard then. Walk ons prepare the team each week for up coming opponents and can even make an impact in the long run. Christian Moody was a walk on for Kansas and ended up starting for a two time big 12 championship team. Plus, they get the biggest ovation of anyone at every game. They are just one of the students in the stands.

8. Rivalries. Kansas-Mizzou, UNC-Duke, and an innumerable amount more. Again, everyone is a fan and you just have to know the right buttons to push. Push the wrong ones on the wrong day and you might get punched in the face, but if you're waiting in line at the DMV, that's not such a bad thing cause at least the wait doesnt seem so long.

9. 35 second clock. Teams have to play defense and have time to run complex offenses or just run out the clock. Its boring sometimes, but it adds another dimension to the intellectual component of the game. Let's say that each team took the entire 35 seconds and nothing more each possession during an entire game. That equals about 35 possesions each half, or 70 a game. So if each team shoots 50% from the field and takes only 2 point shots, the score would be 35-35. Ridiculous. It could happen.

On the other hand, Texas Tech just scored 167 points in a game, so the shot clock can be completely disregarded.

10. Kansas Jayhawks. I had to. It's my team, and maybe if this blog takes off the 'Hawks will be the inspiration for a long, well-paid second career when I am done with pharmacy.

So now that I have totally over exerted myself and let my dogs Pongo and Perdita (yes, from 101 Dalmations even though they are beagles) sleep to their hearts content I should get to my predictions for the college basketball season. I will elaborate later. Just a teaser for now.

List #2
2008-2009 College Basketball Predictions

1. Kansas will not repeat as National Champion, but will make it interesting for the Big 12 title. Remember, they play 10 of 16 games against the North.

2. Tyler Hansborough will not win POY again. And its not because he is hurt right now.

3. The Big East will get a record number of teams in the tourney and disappoint. Unless its Pitt, in which case no one really cares anyway.

4. More bubbles will burst from major conference teams than from mid major teams, more so if you look at years past.

5. The NCAA tournament and Final Four will be a huge hit. Excitement. Upsets. And my personal favorite, no Billy Packer. Ha!

6. I will place a bet in Vegas on a "sure thing" with regards to the tourney and will lose. I just suck like that.

7. Free throws will impact a game in March.

8. This year's non-conference slate will be the best in recent memory. UNC - Mich St., Memphis - Tenn, Oklahoma - Davidson, Preseason Tourneys, ACC - Big 11 Showdown, Big 12 - Pac-10 whatever its called with no publicity.

9. CBS will try to pump the Big 11 (not the Big 10, if there are 11 teams you can not call yourself the Big 10; Ridiculous, just ridiculous - dont get me started) and fail miserably.

10. One Shining Moment will play when our next national champion wins it all. (I had to get atleast one right, ok)

Thanks for reading and keep up with the comments, emails, etc. We will have Laura, Mrs. DDSF, be a guest post soon for all the ladies out there.


PS. Football is coming soon. Fantasy, NFL, BCS. Get Extreme!

Inaugural Post

Ladies, Gentlemen and everyone else,
Welcome to the Drug Dealing Sports Fan's opinionated, satirical and hopefully a little bit informative sports blog. This being the initial post, I should tell you a little bit about myself to let you know where I am coming from.

I grew up in the Kansas City area, rooting for the Chiefs, the Royals and the recently crowned National Champion Kansas Jayhawks. I just recently graduated from the University of Kansas (2007) and came away with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (aaahhhh... now you get the drug dealer part). I lived, breathed and died Kansas basketball and football (yes football for all you doubters out there) for all my 6 years of college.

I have seen the Chiefs go from good to bad to worse (see: Carl Peterson).

And I have seen the Royals have one good year(2003: 83-79), waste an innumerable amount of first round draft picks on projects with no hope, and dream of a time when I was only 2 when Los Royals behind the infamous George Brett won the I-70 Series. Kansas City is great sports town with a plethora of good major and minor college sports teams and a couple of pro teams with continued hopes for the future.

Back to who I am... I just completed a residency in Pharmacy Practice at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City (where I met Ricky, who put up with my random sports ramblings despite a lack of productive or coherent sentences due to too much work, coffee and an inability to find enough sleep). When I completed my residency and got married -oh yeah, I mentioned that right - to my beautiful, understanding, and Jayhawk-loving wife Laura, we moved to the Denver, Colorado for new careers and excitement.

With the move came cool new jobs, but also sports fans who root for the Broncos - Chiefs fans don't like Broncos except for the ones on their fantasy football teams and never John Elway - and Buff fans who are too busy getting high (by going into the mountains of course) and consider their football program one of the elite in college football *shrug*.

Needless to say, I am not getting the same sports fix with the teams I love, so I decided to blog about them. While I'm at it, I thought I'd blog about other sports that come up and excite me (mostly college basketball and the NFL). This is the intro, so no wonderful, prophetic or candy-flavored predictions with this post, but those are up soon! Hope everyone enjoys and please feel free to add comments, suggestions, tips, point out my errors, ask for pharmaceutical advice, suggest good recipies, give financial advice or just ramble on your own whenever you find it fit!

Thanks, DDSF (Drug Dealing Sports Fan)