Sleep With the Fishes, Dine on the Whales

Hello friends, Anybody else feel their skin crawl in an, "Oh no it's wall to wall Jim Nantz time of the year" kind of way.  Nancy, as I call him, has the syrupy slow Masters storytelling voice that to me is like getting a Cinnabon when you were craving a cracker.  Overwrought?  Yes.  Overdone?  Yes.  Over him?  Absolutely. I think Jim Nantz is great at what he does, okay, let me rephrase I actually I don't think that at all.  I recognize some people think that, and accept I'm in a minority that doesn't.  So fine.  Let me say this, I once thought he was very good, maybe great, but like a one-time significant other's annoying friend, I have a maximum carry capacity before I start doing eye-rolls in my mind, and then in front of her, and then she points it out and then I say I have allergies, and then my girlfriend says no you don't (in an annoying Jennifer Aniston dismissive way), and then I don't answer, and then I roll my eyes ...

-Wow, just sifted through a deluge of Spam comments.  Thanks 'bots I'm glad to see I'm so popular with web trawlers.  If I missed any real comments in the culling of things, my apologies.  I really enjoy it when I get feedback and response.  Sometimes you just feel like you are shouting into any empty canyon, and the Spam is like the echo.  Is there anybody there.  Lol.  If you enjoy reading somebody's blog don't be afraid to send them even an empty comment or two just to let them know there are eyeballs on their writing. Speaking of comments, I also do a march madness pool.  If you are interested shoot me a comment letting me know who you, an email address for me to respond to, and I'll give you the information.  I won't click publish on any emails or pool comments unless you specify you want me too. POKER IP -Alright, let's get the poker out of the way.  Haven't blogged much at all about poker but I have been playing.   Wen...

March has roared in like a lion for me in New Orleans. Mardi Gras, Irish-Italian parades, St. Patricks Day, and of course the Madness. Hasn't left much room for poker... so today I'll put on my sportswriter's cap. This year tiny little University of Richmond with a student body of only 2800 or so is one of the last remaining 16. Reward for that? A date with Kansas one of the top two teams in the country. Does Richmond have a shot? They've played only once before and that was in the Phog (Kansas' home Phog Allen Fieldhouse). Yeah at KU, when KU was good, and in head coach Bill Self's first year--how'd that go? The itsy-bitsy Spiders came into enemy territory, a place where KU had beaten 52 straight unranked opponents, and stole a win with a buzzer beating jumper from the top of the key (Read about it here ). Consider the Spiders had to overcome a late deficit and the shot was just one of many baskets they had to make to win it was an epic performance. Right u...

On my last post it read like I was on Beer 30. I meant the time was beer 30. For anybody that thought I had expired from alcohol abuse your worries were premature. Unto matters of more importance... Congratulations to Goondingy! Went to his wedding on Saturday and enjoyed seeing the big man getting hitched. Jessica enjoyed meeting him and other poker names that have so far lacked faces. Fun day and we were happy to share it with him. If not for the terror on four legs that is my new puppy, Bella, we would have stayed longer. Speaking of the puppy, I feel like I'm the one on the tether now. Can't leave the house for more than a couple of hours at a time. Trying to figure out how to get to the coast to play and it's just eating me up to not be able to take advantage of this opportunity. The Live NCAA blog took a break as we left to go to the Fox and the Hound to see all the games at once. 20 minutes after tipoffs that hadn't set the channels yet. One waiter was ...

1 for 2 Again. Uconn at the line to tie down two. Makes the first. UCONN ties it. So much pain at the Ginty household. I can just hear Grandpa Ginty answering "Haberdasher" to the question "Name a Reigndeer."

Last time I saw a ginty under this much pressure was a repeat of a Richard Dawson family feud episode. San Diego's Ginty makes the first but bricks the second. I can just hear Grandma Ginty answering "Bits of Painted Glass" to the question "Things kept on a window sill." Uconn down 1 20 seconds to play. Brando calling it a tie, stellar job Tim. The Line unkind.

Tim Brando is in the lead for worst line of the day (if you don't count mine). Atrocius. Earlier he did his obligatory "The iron IS kind," because the shot fell even though he wanted badly to say the more well known "The iron unkind," catchphrase. UCONN two fouls from the penalty and down two. The coach of San Diego is protege of Mark Few, who earlier turned down offers to stay in scenic Spokane. I wonder if Mark Few in about, 1 year, starts to regret not leaving Gonzaga. Got to think the Gonzaga era is over, having crescendoe'd with Morrison and still having nothing to show for it.

Meeting up with the mo bros tonight. Actually Beer 30 is around the corner as Jmo is on his way over. Sorry for the typos in this, my cordless keyboard's battery must be waning because I keep losing letters. This is a hell of game. Puss said his team was a year away. I guess he was right. I don't know if Thabeet sticks around another year but if he does they'll be good. Right now he's altered two big shots, but a Toredore just made a sweet reverse outside of his wingspan. Great game. Dogs up 2. 1 minute left.

I have heard from different sources--so it must be true,--Dikembe Mutombo used to walk into parties at Georgetown and say in his deeper than Darth Vader african voice, "Who wants to mount Mutombo tonight?" and "Who is going to suck Dikembe's dick tonight?" I wonder if Thabeet does the same at UCONN?

St. Marys and Gonzaga lay an egg and San Diego is doing this? I'm confused.

Actually, I'm not but that's what the guide is telling me. Don't know if the local CBS station realized they couldn't leave a game like SD-UConn with SD leading (AJ Price out). I got creamed today. Except for Texas just missing the daily double I'd be shut out. Right now it is 7-1. I have San Diego, but as said I'm kinda pulling for UConn to win. Love these Coke Zero commercials. How these lawyers don't realize it's a bit is kind of surprising. I'm positive Kansas or UCLA will win this tournament. Anybody want to take the field against me. All I want is 8 to 1. By the way, this is the best episode of Oprah I've ever watched.

Playing with the new puppy and letting my girlfriend have the remote. She was watching "I should have died" on the discovery channel. This ahole from Australia or South Africa or somewhere else that has an accent that isn't quite British but still has the haughtiness in it. Anyway, this dude is 6 feet away from a croc so decides the best course of action is to rush it. Yes, he bumrushes the animal which not suprisingly bit the f out of him. He was in death roll. As I got back, I realized I'm in a bit of a death roll. Gtown looks like they'll cover, Texas is well on their way to covering the daily double for Puss and Butler is treating South Alabama like the directional school they are. I hope TN comes out vs. Butler with as little passion as they had today. Butler will eat them alive. If there has been one game these last two days with a less deserving victor it's TN. Even Puke or Dook, who I hate wanted it more when they played Belmont, at least they...

Yesterday, I phoned him and asked if wife was complimenting his sheen because I waxing his ass. Today, I'm taking it like a newbie in the big house. Right now, the onslaught is continuing. Butler was a juicy line and undervalued and is waxing Deon Merritt, Richmond transfer, and USA. Texas is covering the line in the first half, Georgetown has enough of a lead and another buzzer beater (at the half) to salt away a victory against a game UMBC. The other game is UCONN, which is his team, so he gets them anyway. To be fair, I'm pulling for the Huskies a little bit, because if they lose the Puss will probably get disinterested in the tournament and not allow me to make up my losses by dodging my calls. He doesn't play phone tag he plays hide and seek, or duck hunter, I'm hunting and he's ducking. Potentially an 8-0 start for Perry Puss today. I'm stunned. Meanwhile, as the law of averages corrected itself, in the morning session all three dogs covered. Miam...

Was watching the games and got two pics from Tex in my inbox. This one titled: Krushin Lunchboxes. Well done. Hopefully Tick Rogers in AC will be sending me another pic soon just like this one. Also, Congrats to Poker Lusky who has quit his day job, because of enough online scores just like this one. Any day now, he and Virge will be moving to Vegas?

4-0 in the early games against me. Accused me of dodging his phone call. "Dodge Bill, dodge it Billy..." In this set of games, I have USA (+4.5) vs. Butler, second chance to be proud to be an American today, Austin Peay (+16 and +21.5) in Puss's Daily Double (I think he'll cover both, Let's Go Peay looks terrible), I also have a 15 seed that I think can give GTown a game with UMBC a 17 point dog.

Western Kentucky goes Deee-eep for the win. But it's against Drake. So instead of Bryce Drew as a double digit seed smacking Ole Miss (?) upside the head it's vs. Drake a team nobody has heard of except for on Seinfeld and in filling out their bracket the first time. Had the commitee bracketed appropriately, that shot could have been against Clemson, or Notre Dame, or Michigan State--and just felt bigger. Also, it's the first true buzzer beater in a while. I like the 10ths of seconds on a clock but ever since they added it, the whole nail a big shot and run off the court effect has subsided. Now, as in the Western Kentucky game, the only time you get that effect is if the clock expires while the ball is in the air. Otherwise, there will be 7 tenths of a second left for the other team to fumble an inbound pass and take the air out of the play a little bit.

After Tennessee plays as flat and passionless as can be, yet, playing a terrible opponent and still almost getting a backdoor cover, Western Kentucky laying the smack down on Drake, Stephan Curry drilling Gonzaga for 40 (after a shot of Adam Morrison in the stands I wondered if he thought oh that's what it means to be a stud and show up for an NCAA game), and Miami pounding St. Marys, the Puss is killing me

Remember when the NBA used to have a ton of guys that could just drain the three pointer. They were specialist and almost every team had them. Now there is Michael Redd and Michael Redd. Those guys, white or black, used to be interchangeable. Dell Curry, Dale Ellis, Tim Legler, Craig Hodges, Rex Chapman, etc. etc. Dell Curry's son is lighting it up for Davidson right now. He's getting his Harold "The Show" Arceneaux on. After Davidson loses, it might be Michael Red and Stephan Curry in the NBA.

Might be time to crack the first beer. As I'm watching the games with two dogs and a fiancee it's not exactly the right environment to pound bud lights so I'll probably wait until the night session. The lady is a litle confused about why I've flip-flopped on Tennessee so many times ("Pick one, you are either rooting for them or against them, I don't know who to cheer for when they score a goal") and one of my dogs keeps trying to high five me anytime I get out of my seat whether I'm happy or angry. Bad training on my part. Any exclamation apparently means high five. It was supposed to be just "Yes!" Now, it also includes "F Bruce Pearl!", "F Tennessee!", "What are you doing American?" "F Jeff Jones!" and "Have you ordered the pizza yet?"

New sweethearts of the media back in it with Davidson tieing Gonzaga. Miami must have gone on a 17-2 run because they are now up big vs. St. Marys. St. Marys was Tick Rogers pick to do damage. Hope the poker is doing better than his upset special..