Random Thoughts (March 15, 2010)

My early picks for the Final Four are Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke, and Georgetown. I really like Kansas but I usually do not have any luck when I pick such an obvious favorite. I have Kentucky taking Syracuse down in the final. I went with Kentucky because they have the most raw talent since Michigan with the Fab Five and after worshipping at the Altar of Calipari during the UMass glory days, I want to see him get a championship. I went with Syracuse because the point guard on the high school team I coach is a huge fan of the Orange and is going to Indianapolis for the Final Four. Taking Duke is a huge leap of faith for me - my hatred of the Blue Devils is no secret - but they seem to have the easiest draw of the four top seeds. It would not crush me to see them lose early but one has to figure that Coach K is due to return to the final weekend one of these years. I will have a more in-depth breakdown of the brackets later in the week... In the long and storied history of this blog, I feel like I have done my job in directing you towards websites that are hilarious and informative. Yes, look to the right at my links - now re-named the Hall of Fame Links. Barstool Sports. Touching All The Bases. The Fat White Guy. All are great ways to read about sports and be entertained at the same time. Well, here is a new link. If you are not currently reading Tauntr, you are missing out. This site provides the sports news of the day and makes you laugh at the same time. The t-shirts they sell are good too, even the one that shits on the Patriots. You are wasting your time by reading the rest of my blog. Go to Tauntr right now... My commitment to watching the Bruins and NHL hockey is about the same as Rex Ryan's "determination" to lose weight. I do get into it on occassion but I am not a hockey diehard. It's not that I do not enjoy the sport. Hockey is a great game to watch and truth be told, it is my favorite event to attend in person. There is always action and there are very few breaks. The problem for me is Jeremy Jacobs. The Bruins owner is a douche. He never spends any money on the team and is content to pull in millions from the concessions at the TD Garden ($8 beers anyone?). My childhood was wasted watching Cam Neely, Ray Bourque, and Adam Oates wait for Jacobs to approve the acquisition of a left wing who could pound the puck into the net. That player never came - Kevin Stevens and his Pipe do not count - and the B's never could get past the Oilers or Penguins to win Lord Stanley's Cup. Well, I am giving the Bruins one last shot to win my heart. The B's host the Penguins on Thursday. Last Sunday, the Penguins' Matt Cooke threw a cheap shot at Marc Savard, giving the Bruins center a season-ending concussion. Cooke, who is notorious for his dirty play, was not suspended. I want revenge for the Cooke hit. I am fucking demanding it. I want Cooke to look nervously over his shoulder all night. I want Cooke to worry about a stick being slashed across his face. And I want Cooke to go untouched. Instead of targeting that piece of shit, I want the Bruins to take out Sidney Crosby. It's nothing against Sid the Kid but if the Penguins want to take out our top center, the Code of Hammurabi states that the same be done to them. If the B's knock Crosby out for the rest of 2010, I will start buying tickets again... Danny Ainge is going to have to pull a magic rabbit out of his ass to keep the Celtics competitive over the next five years. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rasheed Wallace, and Ray Allen are just too old to keep up with the best teams the NBA has to offer anymore, as evidenced by yesterday's loss to LeBron James and the Cavaliers. Their place in the Eastern Conference standings behind Cleveland, Orlando, and Atlanta is fitting. For the season, the C's are 16-16 against teams with records of .500 or better and are just 3-10 against the Cavs, Magic, Hawks, and Lakers. There is a good corps of young stars on the roster. Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Glen Davis, and recently acquired Nate Robinson. The problem is that the aging veterans make too much money and are too inconsistent on the floor. Allen's expiring contract gives Ainge some room to maneuver but I will not be surprised if he looks to move Pierce or Wallace (Garnett's knee problems and price tag most liley preclude him from being dealt) this summer. Ainge was playing the last time the Celtics faced a future led by aging stars and I do not think he will hold on to his guys like Red Auerbach did with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. There is still a chance the C's could make a run in the playoffs but the long-term hopes are not going to be high if Ainge doesn't act aggressively this summer... Mike Lowell is going to make his spring training debut today at first base, a position he has never played in the big leagues. There has been rampant speculation that Lowell will be traded but count me in the camp that wants to see if he can contribute to the Red Sox before he gets shipped elsewhere. If Lowell's hip and thumb are healthy and he can hit and play defense, he might become a major contributor to the 2010 Red Sox. A healthy Lowell could play once a week at third base for Adrian Beltre, once a week at first base for Kevin Youkilis, and once or twice a week as the designated hitter in place of David Ortiz. The depth that Lowell could provide the Red Sox would give them one of the best benches in baseball and a great insurance policy should Beltre, Youkilis, or Ortiz get hurt. I doubt that is what Lowell wants but wouldn't it be better to contribute to a winner instead of playing everyday for a bad team? I hope Lowell wants to be with a winner... Here's hoping the Red Sox and Josh Beckett agree to a three-year/$45-million deal before the team heads back to Boston. A rotation led by Beckett, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Clay Buchholz for the next few years will result in multiple championships for the Red Sox... With no tight end currently on the roster, expect the Patriots to make some moves before and during the April draft. Chicago's Greg Olsen would be a nice addition via trade and Arizona's Rob Gronkowski would be a good third round selection... Enjoy Dickie V this month...