Most hated teams in baseball

Thought this was an interesting list about the most hated teams in baseball.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5146663

What I am looking forward too

The thing that I am most looking forward too is most certainly not graduation, even though Coach Auriemma will be a speaker. What I am looking forward to most in my life right now is MAY 8th.

May 8th

May 8th

I will be going to my first ever Yankees vs Red Sox game courtesy of my Uncle. He gave me the tickets for free so I can't thank him enough. I am looking forward to the whole trip, and not just the game.

Two man Bicycle Kick

Here is a cool soccer play. Two people for for a bicycle kick at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFzFw6SeJnk&feature=popular

Other moves

Undrafted Free Agents

Andre Dixon was picked up by the Giants
Lindsey Witten is with the Steelers
Dan Ryan to the Dolphins
Mike Hicks to the Lions
Desi Cullen to the Bears

Marcus Easley was drafted by the Bills and Robert McClain by the Panthers.

Vlad Ducasse from my high school was a second round pick to the Jets. Alex Joseph, also from my high school was an undrafted free agent to the Packers.

Wow

About 7 years ago I collided heads with a kid in gym class while going for an interception. Today he is a second round pick who will be an offensive lineman in the NFL with the New York Jets.

A kid I drove to Husky Sport was also a 4th round pick to the Buffalo Bills.

Getting away from the game

I never really wrote much about the Women's Basketball National Championship Game. I watched it. I watched it in Gampel. But I have absolutely no idea what the heck happened. I checked in on the score from time to time during the game. I know we scored 12 points in the half but I don't know how we scored them. I don't really remember a signature play from the game either. All I remember is listening to the person that I was watching with. I think listening to her was the best thing that I could have ever have done because it got me away from sports. I didn't focus on the score, or the plays, I just focused on enjoying life and other people.

I love watching sports. It's my passion, as I am sure you can tell. I love what I do. However, sometimes you can get too caught up in what you do. Some people like sports for the social aspect, others knowledge, others the game, the people, the artistry etc. There are a lot of reasons I like sports but social isn't always, or even usually that aspect. I usually like rooting for my team and knowing what happens at all points of the game. I like the artistry too. I often watch games on campus to support people I know. I usually pay really close attention to the games. In doing that you can forget about just relaxing and enjoying life and enjoying other people. I think I will try to just relax at sports more and to go for social reasons more often, rather than just to know what goes on in the game, to root for a team or to watch the sport itself. That's why the National Championship game was such a GREAT experience for me.

I'm glad that for once people can talk to me about a game I watched, the National Championship, and I can just nod my head at whatever they are talking about and agree with whatever conclusions they came up with about the game. So often people ask me for my opinion and for once my opinion doesn't matter. I can be one of those people who asks how it happened.

I'm a little sad

Today it dawned on me how little time is left in Storrs for a lot of people that I know. This next year will be strange because so many people that I know of, and have gotten to know will not be around. It's going to be so strange. I also don't know what it is like to be in their shoes. I don't want to be in their shoes yet. They have to find a place to live and find a job and support themselves. They are also experiencing everything about college for the last time. That just has to be so strange.

Funny Video on NFL draft

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5106881&categoryid=2378529

Here is a video by Rick Reilly about the NFL draft and NFL draft terms. I thought this was a funny video.

Strange

The Mets are 5-8, but are 2-0 when I am able to catch their games on television. I like Ike Davis and I like the John Olerud comparisons. John Olerud is one of my favorite all time baseball players. I like the way he played. I thought he was a reliable hitter and fielder who was more of a doubles hitter than homerun hitter.

Expansion

It's looking more and more like the Big 10 is going to expand and it looks like it might involve as many as five teams. What could happen is that four super conferences will be formed. If that happens those four conferences might band together and form their own rules and separate from the NCAA.

Not sure how feasible that last part is, but I think there is a good chance that the Big East is raided of a few of it's teams and may not survive as a major conference.

Two schools that the Big East would probably look to for replacements would be UCF and East Carolina.

That's all I'll say for now. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing.

Banquet fun

So I guess I should talk about the banquet when I came up in a senior's speech. I enjoyed being poked fun of (and was also thanked, I wasn't just made fun of) for knowing everything...including the hometown of the players (I do know hometowns but don't REALLY know addresses, but the exaggeration was funny). I deserve to be poked fun of though. I mean I've probably made fun of half the team in my blog before.

The story that Ebert told is correct. I remember that very well. I creeped myself out at that moment. I was embarrassed, but I was put on the spot so I answered all the questions correctly. I was embarrassed until Brie and Mandy added me on facebook. It was at that time that I knew that I couldn't have been that creepy to them. I felt comfortable enough because of them simply adding me on facebook (and also getting to know Shauna and Steph Labbe) to actually email the coaches not long after our run in at Gampel.

Best compliment

The best compliment I have ever received, I've received twice. Two people said that "if your doing it, it will be good." Associating me with quality is a great compliment that means a lot to me.

Another good column

To say I've never made a bet with someone would be a lie. I've made two. Both were for nominal prizes and both times I was correct. Once was for the Cowboys beating the Steelers in the Super Bowl and the other was that caution tape on our electrical wires above our property wouldn't still be there two years later.

Here are stories of people who have PROBLEMS.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=4230110

Do not agree with this rule

NCAA football is supposedly going to have a rule for 2011 that would disallow a touchdown should a player celebrate before scoring a touchdown. LET THE PLAYERS HAVE FUN. LET THE FANS HAVE FUN. Celebrating has become a part of the game. If I had a game against the Fighting Irish and did well I would be tempted to break out into some Irish dancing.

Personally I'm not much of a celebrator out on the field. I don't taunt people, but I have no problem with players doing that. It is a part of the game and I guarantee that a big game will have it's outcome changed because a player high stepped on his way to the endzone. That is a cheap way to award a victory and as far as I am concerned takes away from the game. If a team executes well and scores a touchdown it should not be disallowed. I passionately dislike this rule, even though I am not a person who would taunt and don't like it when I am taunted.

The strange sport of chess boxing

Here is an article that I thought was funny. It is by ESPN's Rick Reilly.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=5083962

I laughed at this remark

So I was warming up Jess today at practice and she asked me "would it be possible for you to kick the ball hard on the ground" as if to say "I know your horrible at soccer but there must be some way you can kick a ball straight on the ground right??"

I actually could!

I had fun, hopefully what I did was useful.

I actually was recruited to be a back for an intramural soccer playoff game tonight. YIKES...they DESPERATELY NEEDED US.

Nationally Ranked while here

In my four undergraduate years at UCONN these teams have been NATIONALLY ranked:
Women's Soccer
Women's Basketball
Men's Soccer
Men's Basketball
Field Hockey
Women's Track and Field
Women's Lacrosse
Women's Ice Hockey
Football
Baseball

Very excited that Baseball is ranked in the Baseball America Poll.

Kept my composure

Thought I should pass along that I actually helped St. John's out by telling them that their pizza arrived. They were ok yesterday.

Here is an article

This person was a fantastic interview when I spoke to her for our facebook page. That's probably because we had more of a conversation then interrogation. Conversation is how an interview should be. I had a lot of fun speaking with this particular athlete. I have fun when I interview all of them, but this one sticks out in my mind among others.

She was interviewed for another article that I thought I should post.

http://wleague.uslsoccer.com/home/415625.html

random thought

I've always known how horrible I am at soccer and I think the team finds it funny, as they should. I often try to kick the ball to a player and it usually goes far away from where I was aiming. I try, and I'm getting better but I really should go to a soccer clinic or two or 10 or 5,000,000.

However, I think it's a good thing that I don't know anything about soccer and that I have become interested in the sport without ever playing, like some of the other most popular sports in the country. Our big sports, like basketball, baseball and football are seen on TV and people want to imitate teams and athletes themselves after watching them. Often soccer is a sport that people play in the United States and then watch. I think it's much more likely that a soccer fan played soccer than a football fan played football.

So, I think it's a good thing that someone like me, a kid who grew up watching the NFL, NBA and MLB and idolizing Emmitt Smith, Michael Jordan and Kirby Puckett would enjoy watching soccer. Hopefully it means the sport is gaining in popularity in the United States.

I am on cloud nine

I am so thrilled and so happy...overjoyed that UCONN won their 7th National Championship in Women's Basketball and are undefeated for back to back seasons. How amazing. How wonderful, how special it is to say that I witnessed that. I can't describe how proud I am of the program. This is a special night.

The worst part of that game

I don't call games great if the team I am rooting for doesn't win.

I wish Butler won because it is a good story but actually mostly because I want to see how winning that would change their athletic department. I wanted to see how winning a National Championship in basketball could make their university better. I wanted to see how far Butler could come in 10 years.

Check it out

For those of you who follow my favorite team on facebook, you should check the notes section for interviews. I think there is a really good one by a Rochester Raven that talks about which five players that she would put up to face the UConn Women's Basketball team in basketball. I found it quite interesting and the interview was a lot of fun.

Thoughts

Well I am happy that UConn is back in the championship game. I am happy that I will be watching the game in Gampel on Tuesday night.

I am very afraid of Stanford. (Ok, this is a theme I'm afraid UCONN might struggle against a team, but then we win by 20 or 40 or 60) They are such a good team, with size, plenty of offensive weapons, a good coach and a team familiar and not afraid of UCONN.

For UCONN I think that it is necessary that we get off to a quick start. I think that is a key to our success. I can't expect that Maya Moore will score quite as many points as she did against Baylor (but if she did she would be closing in on 2nd place in UCONN scoring history...as a junior) but I wouldn't be surprised if Tina Charles had a similar game to the Baylor one.

I think Kalana Greene will be more of a factor against Stanford. She's too good not to score more tomorrow.

I think Tiffany Hayes will have to be more of a scoring threat against Stanford and her and Caroline Doty can't get into foul trouble. To be honest I'd like to see a little more scoring from Doty.

Anyway, Stanford will be tough. It is not a cake walk and I wish people realized just how hard UCONN will have to play if they are to win again.

Best Wishes

For those of you who celebrate Easter, Happy Easter.

To those of you from Butler, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Birthday and whatever other holidays I can think of.

For those of you who had Duke vs Butler in your bracket, you should write a blog because your a genius and you are much smarter than me.

Also

Congratulations to Tina Charles for being named AP Player of the Year.

Congratulations to UCONN Baseball. The team beat West Virginia again, and received votes in two different college baseball polls last week.

I am afraid of Brittney Griner. Anyone with someone who is 4 inches taller than everyone else has a chance to win. UCONN better bring it's A+ game in San Antonio.

I think

I think UNC Women's Soccer lost 5-0 to a WPS team.

Playing in the snow

I once played soccer in the snow this winter. I thought it would be fun. It sort of was, except that it felt like I was kicking a lead ball with all of the snow on it.

I had never seen a soccer game that had a lot of snow on the field. I had seen the Men's Soccer team play after it had snowed on a frozen and slippery field in the elite eight in 2007. However, watching the U.S. Women's National team play in Utah against Mexico with inches of snow on the field was quite interesting. I was actually shocked to tune into the game on ESPN2 and see the field covered in snow.

The game was a lot different because of the snow. It was harder to run and harder to do anything when the ball was on the ground.

My favorite part of the game were when #17 Meghan Schnur and #22 Brittany Taylor got in to the game. It was awesome to watch two UConn Women's Soccer players represent the National Team. I thought Taylor and Schnur both had some good crosses and thought that snow took away an assist for Taylor at the end of the game. I thought for sure that the U.S. was going to score off of one of her crosses.

It was also really cool to think that I tried (because I didn't stop any) to save penalty kicks against a National Team player. How many people can say they have done that? Well probably regular goalies, but not many Joe Schmo's like me.

I was thrilled to hear ESPN2 shout out UConn Women's Soccer twice during their broadcast!