And Then There Were Four

As we all know, or most of us know, it is now April, and no longer March. That does not mean that the madness is far from over though. Of course I am talking about March madness, the college basketball tournament. Well just a little less than a week ago the Final Four were decided. Oddly enough though, only one of the four teams remaining in the tournament are a number 1. That would be Duke. Even having that said, there is still maybe a little bit of a surprise there. Duke was kind of said to be before the tournament one of the number one seeds to go down, and maybe even in the first couple of rounds. But now on the one side we have Duke and West Virginia. A number one seeded Duke vs. a number two seeded West Virginia. All in all though according to the seeds, there should not be that much of a surprise in that match up. If you look to the other side of the bracket there are some pretty big shockers. We have two, five seeded teams playing each other, guaranteeing a five seeded team into the National Title game. This match up is Butler vs. Michigan State. This entire tournament seemed to have that little bit of extra madness this year, and it could go all the way. Whoever is the winner of the Butler vs. Michigan State game will be playing in the National Title game as a five seed. Then this winner will be playing either a number two seed or the last remaining one seed. The fact that a five seed will make it into the final game just adds to the suspense and attitude of the tournament. It also just kind of builds up the high possibility of a big upset in the National Title game. Personally I don't really like Duke that much and would like to see them lose against West Virginia. That is not to say that I particularly want West Virginia to win it all. I would like to se the upset in the National Title game. It would the the cherry on top and the perfect summary of this years March Madness tournament. The overall number seed getting upset by Northern Iowa and not even making it into the Sweet Sixteen, and all the other unexpected upsets that happened earlier. Personally I would like to see Butler win it all. Michigan State is okay, but they did beat out Northern Iowa, who I was originally rooting for, so they aren't really on my top list. Also I think Michigan State after losing their key player won't be as good competition in the title game. If Butler makes it into the title game it will make for a good local story too, because the Final Four is being held in Indianapolis, and Butler is real close to there. So my hopeful finalist would be Butler vs. West Virginia. I would like to see Butler win, but if West Virginia happened to win that would be okay too since they haven't been this far in the tournament in I believe about 50 years. In the end I hope to be seeing Butler, the local high spirited team from around Indianapolis, cut down the nets. All we can do now is just wait for tomorrow while the Butler vs. Michigan State games runs in the afternoon and the Duke vs. West Virginia game runs in the evening. Then the two winners will battle it out to decide the National College Basketball Champion.

Think like a Bird

So I am gazing out my window again, and peering across the street again, searching for a topic again, and I see something to write on my blog again. You see I live in a fairly new neighborhood, and most every house has a newer tree. The oldest tree on the block is probably only about fifteen years old, so none of these trees are very big. Well anyways I am looking across the street at my neighbors front lawn tree when I noticed somethings on their tree. At first it didn't really click as to what they were, and I feel kind of stupid admitting this, but it just looked like little blobs. I saw at and looked away, but I just looked back again because I was confused at what those little blobs were. Finally I came to the well thought through conclusion that they were just little birds. The only thing I have to say in my defense of not realizing they were birds from the start, would be that it is the beginning of spring and winter just ended, therefore I am not quite use to seeing little birds on trees yet again. Once I did realize that the mysterious blobs were birds I decided to count them. 10 in all. Then me just being me noticed that no other birds there anywhere to be seen. Not even on any other tree around. I have a tree in my front yard and there were no birds on it, yet my neighbors tree was hogging all the birds. So why were all the birds just on that one tree? What was so much better about that tree than any other tree around it? Why had all ten birds selected to sit on that one tree? Well there isn't any real answer, but this is why the title of the blog is: think like a bird, just so it is possible to come up with the best and most justifiable answer. One answer could be that birds like to travel in packs. For example geese. If one bird chose to land on that tree, then maybe all his buddies decided too, that they would come hang out on that tree with him. Or it is just possible that that tree was just the preferred tree. Maybe the way the branches are, the structure of the bark, or the particular height of that tree. All the birds were lined up across two branches in a row of ten. Maybe it was all a coincidence that all the birds in the area that I could see decided on sitting on the same tree. If I was a begging person though I would have to say that this is the least likely of the possibilities. The mostly likely is something more to do with the birds and probably less to do with the tree itself. People like to be around other people that they know, and hang around them too. So, I guess birds really aren't much different. A bird or two probably chose to sit on a tree and some other birds followed their lead. Now one just left the tree and flew away and slowly all ten decided to leave to. Now all the trees are empty of birds and just stay there planted in the ground waiting for the next thing to happen.

Made for Hula-Hooping?

One of my teachers is kind of known for giving out semi odd extra credit. For example, when there was snow on the ground if you went out and made a snow angel you got a little extra credit. The kids obviously do not mind, and it is extra credit so no one is forced into doing any of it if they do not want to. Well to get to my story just this last week we could gain a little extra credit by hula- hooping. Seems kind of odd right? Well the only rules were you could get some if you tried and if you beat the time of the teacher you got double, and you had three tries. Well first off the teacher had to set the time limit. He put in on his waist and spun the hula-hoop around. It wavered there for and second or two and then fell to the ground. The official time to you had to beat was three seconds, so in other words if you do it you are almost guaranteed to get some extra credit. My whole point in this blog is not to just tell you about the extra credit opportunities in one of my classes, but more to discuss the art of actual hula-hooping. My teacher made a comment that went something like this: Men are more shaped like apples and the women are more shaped like pears. This comment was not made to be offensive by any means, but strictly made by the observation through this hula-hooping activity. A little history about the hula-hoop that I found to be slightly interesting at first though was that hula-hoop was "invented" by a guy. The only thing that I could think of why it was not a woman who invented such a thing was that still in the fifties women were still seen as a kind of minority and were not really "fit" for such a profession. But anyways the whole thing about the comment is that women seem to be shaped better to hula-hoop. Also it cold be that now in todays society if a guy is seen hula-hooping for fun it is seen as being weird or abnormal. It is just odd that the guys have to do the earthquake, row the boat, or corkscrew method to try to get the hula-hoop to stay up while most of the women kind of bend one of their legs back in forth and it stays up no problem. It is just one of those things in life that women seem to be built better for than men, but it does work both ways though. By the way, I was able to hula-hoop for longer than three seconds, so I recieved my extra credit, so I am happy.

All the Madness

This year of March Madness seems to have just a little extra madness so far. There have been so many upsets in just the first round and who is to expect what might come the the second, third, and so on. I enjoy sports quite a bit, but college basketball kind of gets left out all up until March. Then it is actually worth all the attention. This last year was one of the first years this I had made a bracket, and I didn't do all that bad. I didnt make one this year and I am kind of glad that i did because i think I would just be embarrassing myself just trying to predict who is going to win each game. Also trying to make a descent bracket without really paying attention to what was happening in the regular season makes it a bit more challenging too. This year though you could be really lucky and just try your best. Even the sports analysts who are suppose to be the experts on this are going down with many surprises. They always try to predict the upsets, but so far those are the ones that have not been upsets, but some of the other games have been. one upset that would be huge would be if UNI would go ahead and beat Kansas, or if another ranked 1 or 2 team would go down in the second round. This really screws with peoples brackets and really opens up opportunities in the tournament. I guess this is all for now, and we will just have to wait and see how this years mysterious March Madness works out til the end.

Riding your Bike

I was searching for a topic right and I was not really sure what to write about. I peered out my window and there was this little boy trying to ride his bike with his training wheels. This got me thinking then. I bet most people have a pretty interesting story about how they learned how to ride their bike. It is usually a pretty eventful moment once you learn how to do it. Well for me it mostly was mostly a force by my older sister and friends to learn. I don't quite remember what grade I was in, maybe kindergarten or first. Anyways at my old house we had this little hill on the side of our front yard. When my dad took off my training wheels and I walked my bike up the little hill. I got on the seat while someone held the bike stable. Then I remember get s a little push. I was quite ready, but I was able to get down the hill, but then kind of forgot in the moment that I needed to pedal and fell off to a side with the bike on top of me. Everyone wanted me to try again but I was pretty reluctant because I didn't really want to get hurt again. Well I didn't have much of a choice at the time and got pressured into it. so here went round two. This time i remembered to pedal, in trying to pedal i leaned to much to one side and fall over again. Lets just say that I did learn to ride a bike that day though, just through many painful attempts. Today I do enjoy riding a bike, and I no longer fall down.

Just Around the Corner

Well it seems like it is finally here again and here to stay (or at least for the time being). That would be spring. It kind or all starts when the snow begins to melt. Slowly inch by inch it wear away. Then the lawns and streets are left with this nice sandy caking. But, that is so forgotten when you step outside and hear the chirping of a bird. Then you hear another. Oh the quietness of winter has gone away. Then comes the blue sky. It is usually blue for a few days right in the beginning of spring, but then is covered up with gray clouds again. Don't worry though because these aren't snow clouds, but rather rain clouds. Then if you are lucky maybe another spring sound will make its rather loud presence. Thunder and lightning. With a flash across the sky and the roll of thunder. During this process the temperature finds it way back up to a much comfortable 50- 60 degrees. Watch out because now the sweaters, sweat pants, and boots are shed and the shorts, tank tops, and flip flops make their long waited existence. Outside begins to look more like the place to be. as I look out my window I see the big wheel is able to make it outside today. Couples taking walks and children playing on the play ground. The sun shines down brighter and the days get longer. Peoples mood begins to reflect this too. Things are born and life is rejuvenated. Flowers open and leaves reappear on the trees. Everything gets brighter, more colorful, and livelier. The transition from winter to spring begins its cycle once more.

Suh or McCoy

Now I know that the NFL season just ended about a month ago with the Super Bowl, but now already things are heating back up in the NFL. About a week ago the NFL combine going on in full strength. This is where you really get an idea and a visual of each player in their position, and how well they play, and how well they can take the pressure. Now is time for most players is a time to really show what they can do in hopes of making it into the NFL. For other it doesn't really matter as much because they have proven themselves in the spot during the regular college football season as some of the dominate players. These players often don't even come out to the combine because they pretty much know that they are going to get drafted. But there are a few that know that they are going to get drafted, but come out any way. Two of those just happen to play the same position and happen to be the two top ranked players to go one and two in the NFL this season. Those two would be Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska and Gerald McCoy of Oklahoma.

These two players are extremely athletic and both where very dominate in the game. To throw in some irony the both wore the jersey number 93. The question is who do you draft first? Suh or McCoy? McCoy or Suh? They are just about the same weight and height too. Mmmmmhhhhh? Well I will tell you that I would rather have Suh on my team, but no offense to McCoy because he will find a nice home in the second draft spot. Suh is so strong and quick to the line. Just take his game against Texas. I have previously blogged about this game and how Suh pretty much single handedly stopped the Texas offense. Here is a short video of Suh just rocking McCoy, the QB of Texas. Now McCoy is no small person either but he just went for the smackdown.

I would also pick Suh because of his personality. It is not like I have personally met him or anything, but if you have ever seen him on an interview he is always so humble. He isn't a jerk about being really good. Also many people could learn from his work ethic. He said that he blames himself for losing the Texas game because he didn't block the field goal. He said he had blocked three already, so this one was no different. This just goes to show that whatever team has the honor of picking him up will have a humble, hard working, and a leader on the field. All this things could easily be found in his career with Nebraska.

Now I watched some of the combine and saw Suh run the 40 yard dash. For a 300 pound guy I believe under 5 seconds is pretty darn good. I do not know how that compared to McCoy, but I do know that Suh had around ten more bench presses than McCoy, which is quite a bit. This again just goes to show Suh's strength. For those people out there that say that Suh only has one move I think would have to look again. Yes he can over power, but he can get inside and shed blocks to stop the run. He has really good eyes and is able to deflect passes over top. He is fast enough to get outside and stop the run around the corner too. In my opinion he is able to pressure the passer and stop the run.

So what will it be? Suh or McCoy. Vastly it comes down to the team who has first draft pick and how they see it fit. They will see which one they think will fit best in their program, or what they are going for.So right now all you can do it wait, and when the time comes have your televisions on to hear the first draft pick of the 2010- 11 NFL season. I am already pumped!

Car in the Kitchen

So while the football season it winding down, I have decided to try and pick my story line of Ditto, use to be a little kitten, now a cat with a kitten spirit. So one thing that I think really shows his playfulness is this new "toy" he has. He tends to find things that he likes and make them him either by always going after them, or hiding them. i am still missing a magnet that goes on my white board. Anyways his newest toy that he found was one of me brothers Hot Wheels car. He found it and took it into the kitchen one day. Our kitchen has a tilely floor, so things roll easily on it. Well Ditto is extremely smart and figured this out. He found out that if he pushed the car, just on the kitchen floor, that it would roll across the room and then he could ran to it and pounce on it. So now every now and then you will hear this rolling of a car across the floor, and we no longer want it is. There is now a car in our kitchen, and it stays just in the kitchen because Ditto knows that that it is the only place where it will actually work.

SUPER Bowl

While I would have rather seen the Vikings in the Super Bowl this year, the story lines are still pretty good. You have the city represented team, the New Orleans Saints and the city hero arm slinging, Indianapolis Colts.

The Saints have turned into being the representative of the city of new Orleans. Everyone knows what happened to the city a few years a ago with hurricane Katrina, and the destruction it cause to the city. All hope was lost and and the Saints were in question of having to move and no longer be home to New Orleans. They were one of the worst teams in the league for a long time. Finally with some fan support, some key stars, and a good head coach this team has made it to their first Super Bowl in franchise history. One less team to the list that has yet make t to the Super Bowl. Now they head to Miami to face the Colts who know what it is all about to be in this kind of stage, because a few years ago they won their own Super Bowl.

When you hear you hear the team name Colts, it is almost automatic that you think the quarterback, Peyton Manning. Maybe the best to ever play the position, and compared to a robot slinging machine, with scary accuracy. Manning makes his receivers stars. Like Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark; even though they are good themselves. He makes the team step up to entire new level of playing, and picks apart the defense bit by bit until they win. Manning works hard and plays hard and he wins. If you mention a running game in Indianapolis, people will probably stare at you then start walking away laughing.

So in a few hours the two teams will meet. The Colts are the favored team in this game by five points. This game is mostly a game of each side of the game. For the offensive side, it the fight to the first team to not score a touchdown. For the defenses it will be if they can make a stop against the high flying offenses. Both teams have for the most part relied on their offenses to put up points. This game though I believe it will come down to what the defense and front guys can do. If they can get after the quarterbacks their team have the best chance at winning the Super Bowl. It may just come down to has the ball last in the game to see if they are going to be able to win.

While I think the Colts may have a slight advantage with being at a stage this big before a few years ago, and I think that they might win, I personally have to cheer for the Saints. They beat the Vikings, and that doesn't make me feel good, but if at least they win the Super Bowl I can at least say that they lost the the Super Bowl champs. Also I feel like the Saints winning would be huge for the city of New Orleans, which at the moment needs all the help, support, and hope they take. Also it being their first time and the Colts winning the Super Bowl just a few years ago, I would like to see another team win, and why not have it be their first.

So here it is, while I have missed a few, my final game score prediction of the 2009- 2010 season. I have to at least have to think that the team I want to win is going to win, so here it is.

Saints: 41 Colts: 38

Post Pro Bowl

Almost a week ago was the Pro Bowl. As I had previously stated it was not really worth watching because of the lack of effort by most of the players. The AFC won 41 to 34, beating the NFC. Personally I wanted the NFC to win because I like the NFC conference better, but they lost. As it turned out the record of the Pro Bowl, as of now, the AFC and NFC have both won the same number of times. Each with 20 wins. As most MVP or high honors awards go, an offensive player won it. Surprise, surprise and it was a quarterback. Matt Schuab of the Texans had two touchdowns in the game and won the MVP award. If the high score doesn't tell you enough it was pretty much an offensive game. Part due to the fact like I have previously stated that players do not want to get injured, and therefore they do not hit as hard. There was not much defense on either side of the ball unless there was an interception. This Pro Bowl also set the record for the amount of passing yards. Both teams combined only ran the ball approximately 10 times the entire game. My last general thing to say about the game is that the attendance was the highest it has ever been, at least. This is mostly due to the fact that the Pro Bowl was not in Hawaii, but rather in Miami. While the players would rather have it in Hawaii too, more people did watch. The next two years though it will be played at Hawaii. Also better or worse the Pro Bowl was probably better to have before the Super Bowl, and that could also be part of the reason why a record attendance watched.

I just have a few more key things to talk about in this Pro Bowl. First would be why the heck would you put Tony Romo in as the last quarterback for the NFC. In my opinion he is not even that great of a quarterback. Sure he has some god moments, but he also has some really ones too. He basically lost it for the NFC. He got sacked more times than any other quarterback int he entire game. He also threw an interception on the final drive. The only player he ever really tried passing the football to was Miles Austin. The only reason for being the final QB in the game was probably the coaching of Wade Phillips, the Cowboys head coach. Why would you make your team worse by putting in the lowest voted quarterback in last to try and win the game for you. It just doesn't make much sense. Oh well the game doesn't matter that much, and it is over with, I just think that the decisions made by some o the coaching staff on the NFC wasn't very good. It just looked like the AFC wanted the to win the game more than the NFC, so congratulations.

Here is just a short video of some of the highlights of the Pro Bowl.