Hey Santa, just making sure your list is up to date

Just the kind of guy I am, always thinking of others and forever giving......I thought I'd help jolly 'ole St. Nick with his Christmas list this year and he readies to pack up the sleigh---secretly hoping he overlooks the "naughty" part of the deal when he stops by my humble abode............

For Ndamukong Suh, a big, fat contract befitting the top pick in the 2010 NFL draft after ignorant Heisman voters placed him fourth in the balloting......To Randy Moss, some heart and desire to offset the declining skill set and horsesh*t attitude....To Fans of the New York Yankees, some humility and the realization the universe does not center around the obnoxiousness emitted by their fans thru the horrific sounds and finger-nail scratching broadcasts of John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

.

To Tiger Woods, a HUGE package filled with some privacy to deal with his family issues (it is none of my business so i won't comment), and a parachute to soften the free-fall of his public persona that can only compare to my friend Gasper's fantasy baseball team every June...For Tim Tebow, a fair and decent shot in the NFL. I don't think he has any shot at success at QB, but he is a class act....A chance at a championship for Roy Halladay and for him to lead Team Pugsley back to TSBF fantasy baseball glory.

.

To the City of New Orleans,a Super Bowl championship. The memory of Hurricane Katrina will live forever, a Super Bowl title would do wonders for the folks on the Bayou....Fans of the New York Giants, a 2009 season void of the playoffs....Boxer Manny Pacquiao, a win over Floyd Mayweather in March in the Fight of the Century.
.

For Raymond Guy, his rightful place in the NFL Hall of Fame...To the Dallas Cowboy organization....some class--i think i requested this last year, Mr. Claus forgot----obviously.....For the NBA, a reason for me to care again after 12 years of ambivalence....A quick maturation period for the 09-10 North Carolina Tar Heel basketball team....A rules manual for Kentucky coach John Calipari.

.

For our brave service men and women around the world, safety with hopes that all will be home soon. Sadly, there are too many d-bags on the planet to realistically hope for world peace, but I am grateful each and every day for the effort of our true heroes.

.

For my bride, a better me this year. The best is yet to come.

.

For me, the luckiest man in the world, I don't need a whole lot. Although, tickets to the Winter Classic would be nice with a much bigger prize in sight in June for my beloved Boston Bruins.

NFL Predictions 2009

****I put the beer away since the last posting. While it pains me, Oakland is a year away from challenging San Diego in the AFC West. The Chargers win the division, the Raiders finish second. Denver and Kansas City are going to be horrible, that part wasn't alcohol induced.****

AFC Division Winners
.

New England Patriots

Baltimore Ravens

Indianapolis Colts

San Diego Chargers

.

AFC Wild Card
.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Houston Texans

AFC First Round

Pittsburgh over San Diego

Baltimore over Houston

AFC Divisional Playoffs

New England over Pittsburgh

Indianapolis over Baltimore

AFC Championship Game

Indianapolis over New England - Peyton Manning bests Tom Brady in a thriller. The Pats will rue the day they traded Richard Seymour as the move jumps up and bites Bill Belechick in the backside.

NFC Division Winners

Philadelphia Eagles

Green Bay Packers

Atlanta Falcons

Seattle Seahawks

NFC Wild Card

Minnesota Vikings

Washington Redskins

NFC First Round

Minnesota over Seattle

Atlanta over Washington

NFC Divisional Playoffs

Philadelphia over Minnesota

Green Bay over Atlanta

'

NFC Championship Game

Green Bay over Philadelphia - The Dog Killer of Philadelphia misses the Super Bowl, allowing Roger Goodell to breath easy. Imagine the media frenzy at the Super Bowl around Michael Vick. Then again, don't bother. Dogs everywhere rejoice as Aaron Rodgers exorcises the ghost of Favre and leads the Pack back to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl 44

Indianapolis 27, Green Bay 17 - I picked the Colts here last year, and they screwed me. Without Tony Dungy and Marvin Harrison, Peyton Manning captures his 2nd Super Bowl title.

AFC Preview

AFC Preview
.
Disclaimer – I promise to be unbiased when making these selections, especially in the AFC West….yeah, right.
.
AFC East
.
1-New England Patriots – Yeah, this pains me but the Pats are the class of the division, even if Tom Brady is, and always will be, a fumbler.
.
2-New York Jets – Mark Sanchez will certainly struggle, but the Jets are the best of the rest in the division after the Pats. Besides, my collegiate humor level allows me to laugh every time I write the Jets will be quarterbacked by The Dirty Sanchez.
.
3-Miami Dolphins – Heard this tidbit…when Chad Pennington makes 10 or more starts in a season, his team goes to the playoffs. . That tells me that Chadwick has a tough time staying healthy on a consistent basis. Also, the Fish way, way over-achieved last year.
.
4- Buffalo Bills – T.O.’s first year in western NY. By the end of it, he’ll be wishing he was back in Philly with his buddy Donovan and the dog killer.
.
AFC North
1-Baltimore Ravens – Great defense and a decent young QB good enough not to screw things up.
.
2-Pittsburgh Steelers – The defending champs are the most talented team in the division but my 6th sense tells me Big Ben and the Steelers are going to struggle this year. Call it a hunch.
.
3-Cincinnati Bengals – Carson Palmer is healthy and Chad Johnson seems to be playing with a purpose. His new moniker is stupid so it won’t be acknowledged in this spot. The best news for the Bengals is that Cleveland is still in the division.
.
4-Cleveland Browns – Ugly, ugly, ugly. At least we get to find out if Brady Quinn can play, if Eric Mangini gives him the reigns to the team.

AFC South
.
1-Indianapolis Colts – The chic pick in the division is Houston. Not here. Even without Tony Dungy and Marvin Harrison, the Colts are the team to beat until someone beats them.
.
2-Houston Texans – While I won’t chug the kool-aid as it pertains to Houston, I’ll take a sip. If QB Matt Schaub stays healthy, DE Mario Williams and the defense will lead the Texans to the playoffs.
.
3-Tennessee Titans- How this team won 13 games last year with Kerry Collins at QB is beyond me. Albert Haynesworth has moved on to Washington so the defense is significantly weakened. Collins can’t possibly have another year like 2008 and Vince Young still sucks.
.
4-Jacksonville Jaguars- The Jags have fallen like a rock since an impressive playoff run in 2007 and the rip cord on the parachute isn’t working. This is a team headed toward a top-five pick in the 2010 draft.
.
AFC West
1-San Di..... – Oakland Raiders – Ha! Didn’t think I was really going to do that, did you? JaMarcus Russell will come of age and Darren McFadden will have a monster year. If Richard Seymour reports, the Raider defense will be significantly improved. Nnamdi Asomugha is a stud in the secondary and Tom Cable will kick any naysayer’s ass. The Raiders head back to the playoffs.
.
2-San Diego Chargers – Kudos to Shawne Merriman for keeping his focus on the field and keeping his name out of the news off the field. Ooooops. Sounds like a bit too much Tequila over the weekend, if you know what I mean...allegedly, of course. I know, the Bolts went to the AFC title game, big deal. They didn’t win and that is as far as a Norv Turner coached club can go. LT’s gas tank is running low and the Charger window of opportunity will close this year.
.
4a-Denver Broncos – No third place team in this division, both the Broncos and Chiefs are a total disaster and neither is worth the third spot in the division. The Broncos are on the path to their worst season in a long time and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.
.
4b- Kansas City Chiefs – See Denver.
.
Coming later this week: Playoff and Super Bowl Predictions

NFC Preview - 2009

After hours upon hours of breaking down film and numerous all-night study sessions that harkens back to my Plattsburgh State days, the 2009 NFC landscape has come into focus for me.
.

Here are the in-depth picks, AFC preview to follow soon........
.

NFC East .

1-Philadelphia Eagles - Despite having a suspension to serve, Michael Vick's presence should give the Fightin Iggles the "killer" instinct to push the franchise with four NFC title game losses this decade over the top and into the Super Bowl.
.

2- Washington Redskins - The surprise team of the conference but mostly anonymous given the off-season news of its division rivals. Just let Jason Campbell manage the game and turn Clinton Portis loose and da 'Skins can prep for the playoffs. .

3-Dallas Cowboys - T.O. isn't around to blame any more, neither is Jessica Simpson. Time for Tony Romo to step up and become the face of the franchise, something he won't be able to do. Jerry Jones will always be the Dallas Cowboys and will never let a player be bigger than him in Big D....Should have spent more cabbage on the practice facility to ensure better safety and cut back a bit on the new digs.

4- New York Football Giants - The best playmaker (Plaxico Burress) is on his way to prison and the G-men awarded Eli Manning with waaaaaaaaaay too much cash in what will go down as the worst contract in sports for the next few years. Eli certainly isn't his brother Peyton, and may very well be the worst QB in the division. Tom Coughlin should've gotten out after the Super Bowl win over New England.

NFC Central

.
1-Green Bay Packers - Yep, the legend Favre is in Minnesota, but Aaron Rodgers is the best QB in the division. After a down year, the Pack will be back in the playoffs. In fact, we'll call for Rodgers to be the NFC Most Valuable Player this year.

2- Minnesota Vikings - Good move by Minny in bringing in Brett Favre. Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels would've weighed this team down in a big way. Adrian Peterson is the best RB in the NFL and the Vikes can stop the run better than anyone. Those are the reasons, more than Favre's presence, that will allow Minnesota will grab a wild card. .

.

3- Chicago Bears - The Rex Grossman era is over, the Jay Cutler era is about to commence. Sorry, Bears fans, the agony is going to get worse. This team could easily win the division but won't. Cutler attended Vanderbilt, so he isn't stupid...at least off the field. On the field, he has followed in Jeff George's footsteps as the NFL version of Nuke Laloosh......a million $$$$ arm and a 10-cent head. The next big came Cutler wins for his team will be his first.
.

4-Detroit Lions - Hard to do worse than 0-16 so "up" is the only way to go. Matt Millen is mercifully out of Motown and the Matthew Stafford era should begin at some point in October, if not sooner.

.

NFC South .

1- Atlanta Falcons - Wanted to pick New Orleans in this spot, but can't do it. Second year QB Matt Ryan is the real deal and, combined with RB Michael Turner, will lead Atlanta back to the playoffs.
.

2 - New Orleans Saints - Remember those who ripped the Houston Texans to shreds for bypassing Reggie Bush and drafted DE Mario Williams with the top pick in the draft a few years ago? Those critics are quiet now as Williams has emerged as a dominate player and Bush has had trouble shaking nagging injuries. QB Drew Brees is solid, but the Saints will barely miss the playoffs.

.

3 - Carolina Panthers - You never know what to expect from the Panthers. Lots of D'Angelo Williams will keep Carolina in the playoff hunt but QB Jake Delhomme is inconsistent and that isn't good enough with Ryan and Brees in the division.

.

4 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Yeah, the Bucs got it right by firing the Punk (mr. gruden) but blew it in the draft. After winning the Super Bowl with the team assembled by Tony Dungy, Gruden accomplished nothing in South Florida except load up the roster with old, old QB's. The new regime selected the biggest bust of the first round of the draft - QB Josh Freeman - in a move that will ensure Tampa Bay picking in the top three spots of the 2010 draft.

.

NFC West

.

1- Seattle Seahawks - The default pick 'cuz I had to pick someone from the worst division in football. If Matt Hasselbeck is healthy, Seattle claims the division crown at 8-8.

.

2- San Francisco 49ers - If they had a quarterback, they'd win the division going away. But, they don't....so they won't. Mike Singletary's hiring last year improved the Niners from day one and that improvement will continue this year. Singletary is the most fiery coach in the conference (sorry, Tom Cable allegedly beat up one of his coaches, he gets the top honor until proven otherwise). San Francisco will be much better, but Shaun Hill has no business being a starting QB in the NFL. If Brett Favre can come back, why not Joe Montana or Steve Young?

.

3- Arizona Cardinals - When the planets aligne and it everything comes together, you'd

better win when given the shot because Super Bowl chances don't come often. Arizona was a few precious seconds from turning the world on its axis with its upset bid over Pittsburgh but the Cards were denied by a great effort by Steeler Santonio Holmes. QB Kurt Warner is a year older and is on borrowed time. Back to reality for Arizona, which means back out of the playoff picture.

.

4 - St. Louis Rams - New head coach Steve Spagnuolo is a star in the making but this team is horrible. The Rams will battle Denver for the NFL's worst team honor, and the top pick in the 2010 draft.

Cable Bumaye!

Don't mess with the Oakland Raiders, or their filing cabinets.
.
Like the Zaire fight fans in 1974, chanting "Ali Bumaye" (Ali kill him) when Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman to win boxing's heavyweight title, the Raiders took to the chant "Cable Bumaye" when the Cable Guy took the field for last Monday's practice.

.

I'm gonna need to get me one of the soon-to-be-on-the-market T's for this one.

'

Did Tom Cable punch assistant Randy Hanson in the mug, or did he merely assist him from his chair and into a filing cabinet?

.

Don't know, wasn't there.

.

Don't care, either.

.

The Raider Nation has been void of grit and passion since the Gruden-era, or the Punk-era if you are a follower of this page. Hoping, no, praying, that this becomes a rallying point for a team in need of a purpose, or at least, something to pull them together for any type of cohesion.

.

There is nothing wrong with a dust-up in training camp from time to time, although it is usually on the playing field between sweaty men wearing helmets and pads. Boys will be boys sometimes and Raiders will be Raiders.

.

The NFL league office is going to investigate but the feeling here is they should stick to reinstated dog-killers and making sure guy's socks are at the correct height levels during games.

.

Leave the Raider situation where it belongs, an internal matter overseen by Mr. Davis and the Cable Guy.

.

For now, "Cable Bumaye"......................."Raiders Bumaye" to the AFC West.

Big Papi.....Big Phony ?

The company that brings you "all the news that's fit to print" has come out with a report that David Ortiz is on the list of 104 players that failed a drug test in 2003.
.
Surprised? Nothing surprises me any more, at least not on this topic.


If Thursday's New York Times report is true, Big Papi, who earlier this year suggested anyone caught failing a drug test should be suspended for one year, will now be linked forever with A-Roid, Barry Bonds, Sosa, Clemens, Manny-wood......and on and on the list goes and goes as it grows and grows.
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His initial reaction to the news was that he wanted to get some answers before commenting on the topic.
.
Okay, I'll give you a pass for a day or so, give you time to circle the wagons and get the PR machine working. Don't wait too long though, the society - the judge and jury in this case -that is still waiting for O.J. to find the "real" killers won't wait forever.
.
Here's some advice............if this is true, admit it, say you're sorry, apologize to your legion of fans and show some true remorse.
.
This is a forgiving society to its athletes that can still entertain its fans. That is the reason Bonds and Clemens are forever doomed, they are at the end of their careers and this tag will dog them until the end of time.
.
For Ortiz, the bomb has gone off. True or not, his name is stained forever. Come clean and come clean now, denial will only make things worse.
.
How this news stains the 2004 and 2007 World Series titles for the Roid Sox is a discussion for another time.
.
The sad thing about this is, for Major League Baseball, just when the steroid furor seems to die down, another big name comes from "the list" of those who failed a confidential drug test.
.
Get the list out in the open, let the discussion go for a short time and move on with it. The longer the question is out there, the longer this ugly topic will remain in the forefront.
.
If you've read my words before, you know that I subscribe to the notion that life isn't fair sometimes, but you have to deal with the reality of things.
.
Big Papi has to deal with this reality, how he handles it will be his defining moment.

A Day of Redemption

Soooooooo...........Michael Vick has been conditionally reinstated by NFL commish Roger Goodell.
.
The former poster boy and marketing stud for the league turned convicted felon now has the chance to return to the NFL, if someone will give him a job (and that is going to happen so don't hold your breath that 32 owners will collectively find a sense of morality).
.
As much as it pains me to say it, Goodell's decision is the right thing to do.
.
What Michael Vick did was heinous, disgusting, inhumane, and much, much more.
.
However, Vick has done his time. He was issued a jail sentence for his behavior and has completed it.
.
That is how our judicial system works, folks.
.
St. Louis Ram DE Leonard Little was involved in an alcohol related accident in 1998 that killed a woman. Little did 90 days in jail, served his probation, was suspended for eight games and returned to the NFL.
.
Michael Vick committed a crime and, right or wrong, has paid his debt to society. If Roger Goodell deems Vick suited for his league, the decision should be supported.
.
Someone, somewhere, will offer Vick a contract. I'm sure the suitors have already been on the phone. Cleveland, home of the Dawg Pound, is too easy. Oakland is possible if only to make my life miserable. New England has been rumored as the Pats have the organizational leadership necessary to keep Vick in line.
.
There will be serious public relations matters and you can reserve a spot in the PETA picket lines now as there will be plenty, but the furor will die down over time.
.
Remember, what is fair isn't always right, and what is right isn't always fair.
.
Good or bad, that is how this country works.
.
Rose to Cooperstown, officially?


Word on the street is that MLB commissioner Bud Selig is reviewing Pete Rose's banishment from baseball.
.
Pete Rose knowingly broke the game's most sacred rule....gambling on the sport. He lied for years and has turned a profit for his misdeeds for 20 years.
.
That said, I've yet to see evidence that MLB's all-time hit leader ever gambled on the sport as an active player.
.
I don't know why that matters to me, but I think Rose deserves enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.

Shoot me, Please!

I came into Draft Day 2009 hoping Michael Crabtree would become an Oakland Raider.

Looking back, I've been targeting him since the beginning of last season's college football season.

Breaking news : the Raiders just selected Darrius Heyward-Bey of Maryland with the 7th pick of the draft.

The Raiders have become a fixture in the top seven picks of the NFL draft. It is a status earned by sucking year in and year out.

.Drafting a guy with bad hands but with a quick 40-time over Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin is just plain STUPID and SENILE.

.

My day is ruined.

I'm turning off the draft. No further draft analysis is coming, the Raiders don't deserve my time.

Being a Raider Fan is hell.

With the 7th Pick of the NFL Draft..........

.......the Oakland Raiders select Michael Crabtree, Wide Receiver, Texas Tech University.
.

That would get my Saturday off to a rousing start.

.

Big play WR for JaMarcus Russell is a perfect fit.

.

Others who'd make me a happy camper:

.

B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College

Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi

Trade down, acquire more picks and get WR at that point like Hakeem Nicks or Brian Robiske.

.

Who would ruin my day:

.

Andre Smith, OT, Alabama

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland (If not Crabtree, I'd want a WR in Round 2)

.

Bust of the Draft:

/

Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State

The Worst Fans in Sports

New York City? Nope.

Philadelphia? They did boo Santa Claus after all, but they don’t top the list.
.

Chicago? Not even close.

.

English Soccer Hooligans? ummmm, no.

Full disclosure time – Yeah, I’m a lifelong Bruin’s fan and my hostility toward the Montreal Canadien organization and fans is no secret. That, however, is not why I’m unloading today.

..
You see, I’m an American. And I’ve been insulted. More to the point, my favorite song was insulted last night in Montreal’s Belle Center.

Monday evening’s game three of the Boston/Montreal series isn’t the first time my good friends from the north have booed the American National Anthem.

Today, I address those people.

.
How to do it? That, is the question of the day. .

Hmmm….take the high road? Or, Option 2…..reduce myself to the level of sheer idiocy.
.

Sorry Amy, sorry Mom……..but I think you can guess where this one is going. .

Sometimes you have to do what you have to do and some people are too ignorant to rise UP to another’s level of thinking. Those same people are only capable of understanding narrow points of view, and I am blessed with the ability to do both. .

Call it a gift.

.
After reading a few reports from folks who were at the game, not all of the fans in attendance were howling the boo-birds during the Star Spangled Banner.

.
My words are intended on the morons who were booing.

.
I am ultra-patriotic, hence the striking of a nerve. I’ve been to Montreal, and Toronto, and have sung along with “O, Canada” has been played. It is a beautiful song with a 98% (my number) favorable rating for the quality of its people.

.
However, and I’m talking to you jackasses who cannot differentiate sports from reality. A national anthem and subsequent flag of a country are sacred symbols.

.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for free speech, which is what I’m doing right now.

You want to boo something? Boo that horrific hockey team that wears that uniform that you fawn over with that undeserved arrogant, entitled attitude of yours ----for stereotyping purposes, I call it French Canadien-itis.

I know, you’re not France, but you are linked by your language and your arrogance as a society so deal with it. You'll get the connection in a few paragraphs if you smart enough to read these words.

Men and women have fought and are fighting abroad for what that song symbolizes. You boo my national anthem and you tarnish their efforts.

That may not be the intent, but that is the result.

Do I need to bring up the World War I & II? Huh? Wanna go there? Thank you, I think I will.
.

If it wasn’t for our boys, French-speaking language would be spoken in one fewer country (i.e.-France) as German would be the preferred tongue and Schnapps would be the beverage of choice.

That happens when you drop your weapons and raise your arms at the mere sight of an opposing army. If it wasn’t for the Allied Forces, you’d be German-Canadiens. How’s that sound, idiots?

And………….if it wasn’t the Germans, the cold-war juggernaut formerly known as the Soviet Union might have been knocking on the western boarder of your fine country during its run as a world power.

Boo us? How ‘bout thanking us, you ungrateful bastards?

..
Found this on the internet, kudos to the folks at the “Stanley Cup of Chowder” blog.

.
Truer words were never spoken.

On the ice, the Bruins are whipping Montreal’s ass. It has been a long time coming and I’m enjoying every moment.

Seeing how the Montreal fans emptied that out-house of an arena last night brings me great joy.

.
As does the anticipation of Wednesday evening’s game four, otherwise known as the Montreal funeral.

I’ll be wearing black tomorrow, with a little gold trim to support the Bruins as the 100th season in Montreal Canadien history is soon to end.

Les Canadiens sont morts (The Canadiens are dead for my English speaking audience).
.

Happy 100th Montreal fans, glad we could ruin it for you. I couldn't have planned it better. I hope the next 100 end up just like this one.

Hopefully, you’ll get a shred of class during that time. .

As I search for my broom to celebrate the series sweep, I’ll be humming along to the 1960’s tune from the band, Steam. It goes something like this…….

.
Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, hey hey hey, au revoir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Special Weekend - A Tribute to my Grandfather

The best thing about memories is that they can never be taken from you.

.

My grandfather taught me to love the game of golf. He taught me to appreciate it.

.

I learned the hard way as I used to haul his golf clubs up and down a hilly country club course when I was a kid. Yes, the life as a golf caddy.

..

Fun? No.

.

Unless you consider carrying the bag under the blazing hot sun for a sum of 56 cents - $10 for the loop- per hole, fun. I had plenty of time to do the math while sweating a ton each Saturday and Sunday morning during my formative summers.
.

Would I do it again? In a second.
.
He wasn't a big guy, probably 5-foot-6, maybe 160 pounds and was a three-handicap. As his playing partners would be searching for their shots in the woods and the rough, we'd be casually strolling down the fairway toward another well-placed shot.

.

I'll never forget the Walter Matthau-like voice giving me golf tips, a few of them I even practice, - others I'm not so good at - as we bonded.

.
I think of him every time I golf. I still, and always will, use his old golf bag when I play.

.

His favorite tournament? The Masters.

.
His favorite golfer? Who else, Jack Nicklaus.

.
As I got older, I made it a point each year to call during the Masters tournament. Each Saturday morning as it was "moving day" at Augusta and it was time for the phone call.

.
Who was going to win? Who was going to falter ?

.
We spoke on the Saturday morning of the 1996 tourney, one year before a young golfer named Tiger burst on the scene. My grandmother was ill and not doing well at the time, I was hoping our Masters-chat would help him take a few minutes away that reality.

.
Greg Norman was never one of his favorites but was having a good tournament. Similar in appearance to the great Nicklaus and, at the time, a threat to join Jack's legacy among golfing elite, he viewed Norman with disdain.

.

I don't know why he didn't favor Norman, he just didn't. I can understand that, I suppose, it happens in sports.

.
At the conclusion of the third round, Norman held a commanding six-shot lead and the tournament was his for the taking. No golfer had ever gagged such a lead at Augusta.

.
I was going to make the extra call that afternoon, give him hope that his nemesis would blow it on Sunday.

.
I didn't make the call although I wish I had.

.
My grandfather passed away that night.

..

Perhaps it was fitting that Norman posted a 78 the next day and lost the Masters to Nick Faldo.

.
I remember my buddy Mike - the future best man in my wedding - saying to me that night that he could've sworn he saw my grandfather kicking Norman's ball into the woods on his way to the Pearly Gates.

.
He was trying to make me feel better, and he did. I knew that somewhere, my grandfather was in a better place. My grandmother joined him six weeks later, to the day.

.

This will be the 13th time I view The Masters without having the privilege to make "the call". I believe his spirit is with me, and that has to be good enough.

.

Now, I watch the tournament each spring, with a heavy heart and over-active tear ducts, but with the ability to reflect on my memories of what The Masters means to me -a prized possession that will always be inside me.

.

Rest in peace, ole buddy.

Bracketology 2009

Fired up and ready here in the Pugsleysports war room.

The internal debate between the multiple voices in my head has subsided. Here are the picks:

.

Midwest Region
.

Upset Alert - Siena returns all five starters from last year's team that knocked off Vanderbilt. Ohio State comes out of the massively overrated Big 10. I know the game is in Dayton and I don't care. Siena gets the win.

.

First round winners - Louisville, Siena, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Kansas, Boston College, Michigan State. .
.
Second round - Louisville over Siena, Wake Forest over Utah, West Virginia bounces defending champ Kansas and Michigan State.
..

Sweet 16 - Louisville over Wake Forest (barely), West Virginia over Michigan State..

.

Final Four bound - The seedings hold serve, Louisville wins the battle of the Big East and beats West Virginia to head to Detroit.

West Region
..

Upset Alert - Based on the seedings, Maryland beating Cal in the first round will be the biggest upset.

.
First round winners - Connecticut, Texas A&M, Purdue, Washington, Marquette, Missouri, Maryland, and Memphis.
.
Second round - Connecticut, Purdue, Marquette upsets Missouri and Memphis.

..
Sweet 16 - Connecticut over Purdue, Memphis in a squeaker over Marquette.

.

Final Four bound - Connecticut over Memphis

.
South Region

Upset Alert - Western Kentucky over Illinois. The Illini return to the dance and are quickly bounced by a Hilltopper team that beat Louisville this year.

.

First round winners - North Carolina, LSU, Western Kentucky, Gonzaga, Arizona State, Syracuse, Clemson, Oklahoma.

.
Second round - North Carolina, Gonzaga, Syracuse, Oklahoma.

.

Sweet 16 - North Carolina over Gonzaga, Oklahoma over Syracuse....in six overtimes, of course.

..

Final Four bound - Tyler Hansbrough over Blake Griffin.....North Carolina over Oklahoma. This will be the best game of the tournament.

.
East Region

.

Upset Alert - I'm aching to take Wisconsin over Florida State, but VCU over UCLA is the upset special here. The Rams did it to the Pukies two years ago, now the Bruins feel the wrath.

.

First round winners - Pittsburgh, Oklahoma State, Florida State, Xavier, VCU, Villanova, Texas, Puke (that is not a typo).

..

Second round - Pittsburgh, Florida State, Villanova, Puke.

.

Sweet 16 - Pittsburgh over Florida State, Villanova over Puke.

.

Final Four bound - Villanova, not Pitt, represents the Big East in this side of the bracket.

.

.

.

Final Four - Three Big East teams and the ACC regular season champion Tar Heels.

.

.Look for Rick Pitino and his Cardinals to get past UConn and Roy Williams and the Tar Heels to beat Villanov and advance to their second title game since 2005..

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National Championship Game

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North Carolina 77, Louisville 75. Tyler Hansbrough takes home Most Outstanding Player honors and the writer of this blog is very happy.