Tonight’s The Night

I know this is probably going to get out to you cats past the tip off but I am having some issues with the formatting on my web browser AKA I can’t even see what I am typing right now.  As most of you know by now, Erica’s Picks has won the 1st Annual GoatDiesel March Madness Pool and 2 tickets to the game tomorrow against the Hawks.  Congratulations Erica!  I can’t believe you picked MSU, you must be on drugs (p.s can I have some of those when you get the chance).

Now on to the toast of the town, THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!!!  Its a classic underdog vs favourite movie set up, right down to the game being in the underdogs backyard, unfortunately for the Spartans, I don’t think this is going to end like Glory Road.  My prediction is the Tar Heels take a commanding lead to start the game and then the Izzo and the boys fight back near half and into the beginning of the second half only to be trounced thoroughly in the end.  UNC is too strong and too determined to let this baby slide through their fingers plus Psycho T wants the chip bad and just look at that crazy bastards eyes, do you want to take something from him?

Final Score 92-74 UNC.

Peace!

Let’s Get Ready To…BBall???

Today is the day the final four becomes 2, the first match up is (2) Michigan St. vs. (1) UConn in Motown.  This game is going to be the best of the day, in my estimation, simply because MSU is playing close to home and Tom Izzo has, as my STJ would say, “playing their BALLS off!”.  Don’t get me wrong, Uconn isn’t going to be a push over by any means, they have honestly played solid through the whole tournament and then there is always big # 34 Hasheem Thabeet with his 12 foot wing span (slight exaggeration) guarding the paint and that is a big task to get by for anyone balls on or off. 

I beleiev this game will be won or lost at the 3 point line for MSU and if they can shoot 50% like they did against #1 Louisville last week, they look pretty good in this game.  As for UConn, defense is the key, with Thabeet always a block waiting to happen its not the paint they have to be concerned about but the perimeter and they also need a consistent scorer to keep up with Izzo and the boys.

The second match up is this years cinderella (4) Villanova vs. (1) North Carolina.  I truly believe this is where the luck stops for Villanova because UNC is such a complete team and they are just too seasoned.  One thing I know for sure “Psycho T” doesn’t want to go into the NBA without taking his team to a championship plus it wouldn’t hurt his draft status.

The key to win for Villanova to win today would have to be getting Hansbrough in foul trouble early and hold Danny Green to minimal scoring and contain Ty Lawson on the perimeter, GOOD LUCK.  Villanova had 4 guys in double digit scoring last game and I venturing to say they’ll need that AND more tonight.

Something for the people in the pool to consider, if MSU wins tonight, Erica’s Picks will win the pool and if they don’t, Butch McCrae will win the tickets. 

Peace!

March Sadness

I hope my tears don’t ruin my already beat up laptop.  Yes, it’s true, those tickets are bound to given away and I am very sad and embarrassed.  How could I let this happen?  To tell you the truth, I got too cocky and didn’t even really do any research besides what I had picked up from seeing a few games here and there.  With only 3 games remaining (2 semis and the finals) I have to concede defeat to either Erica’s Picks or Butch McCrae AKA Coletrain.  If Michigan St can indeed defeat UConn to make it to the finals and UNC loses or UNC makes but loses in the finals, Erica will win. If UNC can make it to the finals and win Coletrain will win.  So congrats to which ever of you can win this because you have indeed beat the all mighty GoatDiesel and get to watch the Raps play and ACTUAL Playoff team, The Hawks.

Since I have been M.I.A the last few weeks, let me give you some quick thoughts on what I have seen throughout the tournament.  First things first, Blake Griffin is a BEAST that should be a good pro and will most likely be effective, even next year.  He has an NBA body, unreal athleticism and from what I learned from watching the tourney and that hip toss is this guy is composed. Secondly and in contrast, I am not sure Tyler Hansbrough will be as effective as a singular player but in the right team setting he can provide tough D.  In the first half against OU last game when ”Psycho T” was guarding Griffin he was held scoreless.  The 9 minutes Hansbrough was off the court Griffin put back a quick 11 points.  I just think Tyler is too small to be a PF in the league and not quick enough to be a SF but as strange as this sounds, sometimes I am wrong.  Thirdly and lastly, March Madness is the BEST and college basketball is so much different then NBA ball its refreshing.  No players getting iffy calls because their jerseys sell well, no players taking 6 steps before a shot and my favourite, WAY BETTER TEAM DEFENCE.  People think college ball games are weak because they only score about 60-80 points in a normal game but it’s not that they can’t score, its because the team D is so respected by the players and they just seem to really all defend a lot better than the NBA players.  I guess if I was getting paid millions of dollars to play basketball, I wouldn’t really be too concerned about D as much as kid playing for millions while in college. But then again, I am not particularly well known for my defence in my Men’s League either and trust me, I’m not getting paid to play in that so…Maybe I am just way off.

Well if you are interested in checking out your standing in the Madness Pool click here and as for a playoff pool for Hockey or Basketball, I am into that.  I will be letting you guys know in what format you will be losing to me soon enough…Watch the site for updates.

Peace!

Blake Griffin vs Ameer Ali

The Madness Day 1 + Pool Standings

Phew…I survived a MAJOR scare yesterday when Memphis decided to make their game interesting.  I know there were A LOT of people out there holding their breaths as the minutes ticked down and the Tigers weren’t getting any closer to closing the lead CSU Northridge had accumulated.  Cue my new favourite Tiger, Roburt Sallie, a guy whose career high was previously 13, comes in an just ANNIHILATES CSU by going 10/15 from 3 point range for 35 points and seriously single handedly takes the game back for Memphis in probably the most exciting game of the day. 

You could argue that VCU and UCLA was also a great game that came to the wire but if you watched the majority of the game it wasn’t really that close.  UCLA was up pretty big most of the game and whenever Maynor would get the game within 2 possessions, the Bruins would pull away again.  I do have to give it up for Darren Collison who played UNREAL D on the last VCU possession to make Maynor take the toughest shot possible at the end of the game.  The shot ended up about 6 inches short but was right on line and no doubt if Collison wasn’t playing that good of D, there would have been 5 upsets yesterday. 

Yesterday also marked the beginning of what is likely the last NCAA tournament Blake Griffin will play in and it was quite an interesting one.  First off, if you haven’t seen the MONSTER of a human play, you HAVE to watch Oklahoma’s next game on Saturday when they take on the winner of Temple and Syracuse.  Even if it’s just to see how HUGE this “kid” is, I mean its pretty scary, as one of my buddies said yesterday while watching “He looks like a freakin’ body builder”.  If he would have said WWE wrestler he would have been a but closer after yesterdays game.  If you didn’t see it, the Sooners were just demolishing were just demolishing Morgan St. (WHO?) and I guess Ameer Ali had enough and off of a rebound, he got tangled with Blake and subsequently grabbed Griffins arm and proceeded to HIP TOSS Griffin to the ground. I am trying to get a clip of the video for the site, its hilarious and only because Blake is a BEAST and just bounced up and walked away.

Now on to the most important part of the MADNESS, the GoatDiesel Mad At March Pool standings…which will be your brackets name followed by the number of correct picks out of the total number possible.  Obviously, the first rounds will be a litter congested but you get the idea…

1. Scotts 14/16,

1. Rank Last 14/16, 

1. JVK 14/16

4. Darksides Picks 13/16

4. The Arabian Ballers 3/16

6.GoatDiesel 12/16 (I SWEAR I took Michigan)  

6. Reefer Madness 12/16

6. Erica’s Picks 12/16

6. Ballin’ 12/16

10.Moomoos 11/16  

10.British Brackets 11/16

12. Butch Mcrae 10/16 (should stick with Blue chips brudda)

12. Roosters Boosters 10/16

I going to take you all SAILING!!! Ha ha…Seriously, I’m gonna win!!!

Peace!

March Madness

March Madness

HERE…WE…GO!!!  Tomorrow is the big day, March Madness begins.  As always GoatDiesel will be bringing you the lastest and greatest stuff from all tournament games.  Check the site often for updates from Twitter and posts at night after all the days events are over.  Well may all your Cinderellas wear their glass slippers and your big dogs eat their steaks.  Also, you have about 12hrs to sign up for the 1st Annual GoatDiesel March Madness Pool, where you have the chance to win a pair of tickets to a Raptors game and some swag!!!

Peace!

March Madness

Tomorrow night it all begins with the “play-in” game between Alabama St and Morehead St. to see who will lose horribly to #1 seed Louisville but nonetheless ITS HERE!  Sunday brought us the selection show which also brought us some pretty big surprises, well to me at least.  As avid GoatDiesel’er (new word #114) Reefer Madness said in his previous comment, I truly believe Niagara was left out and they have been a few times.  They did get to showcase their stuff in the “play-in” game a few years back when super Canadian Juan Mendez was rocking the purples but besides that I believe Reefer was right when the her said they don’t give love to non BCS teams. 

Snubs  - Niagara wasn’t the only snub, probably the most popular snub in most peoples eyes was St. Mary’s.  They were ranked throughout parts of the season and people really needed to see Patty Mills play ball on the big stage but with his injury keeping him out for part of the season.  I think with last years hero, Stephen Curry, not being in the show this year fan would have been ready to cheer for another exciting guard on a no name team.  Other schools with selection beefs, San Diego St, Creighton and probably Penn State but I don’t like them so they can stay out, ha ha.

Cinderellas - Here is where I am faced with a dilemma!  Do I show you my NCAA chops and let you beat your homies and cronies at work or do I not and beat you all down in my March Madness pool???  You know the Diesel and I am here for my peeps, so I will give you some glass slippers but choose with care.  Let me get the easy one out of the way, VCU and their one man show Eric Maynor.  Maynor is a beast who is fully capable of winning games by himself as he showed against Duke a few year ago. He will have to get some help from the big man with the soft hands, Larry Sanders, if they want to oust last years favourites, the UCLA Bruins.  Now here is one I really hate to give up but is also a my favourite, the North Dakota St. BISON…YES NORTH DAKOTA ST!!!  I don’t know if its the fact they are from North Dakota Yah or that they are facing one of my biggest pet peeves, the Kansas Jayhawks.  They are truly on fire in their first season of Division 1 ball and have some sexy shooters (percent wise only) in Woodsides and Winkleman and no I didn’t just pick him because he so clearly have the best North Dakota name in the bunch.  If they can make it past the Jayhawks I believe they will beat West Virgina in their second game but that’s where it gets sketchy for me.

Make sure you all sign up for my pool on Yahoo and let me know who you think was snubbed or will wear the glass slipper this year?

Peace!