Winning is Losing...but Losing is ALSO Losing...

The following is a post about the Drake University men's basketball team and their upcoming slate against Bradley (Saturday) and the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament (March 6-9). This is a Drake student writing about Drake and all things Drake on this occasion. As both a student, fan and broadcaster, I don't want Drake to play Wichita State. The average point loss when the Bulldogs played Wichita State was 23 points. When Drake played Indiana State, who has clinched the #2 seed? Four points. So there's clearly at least a little bit of an advantage to playing the Sycamores instead of the Shockers Two things to be established: 

1) Wichita State has the #1 seed clinched
2) For the teams near the bottom that will be discussed (Drake, Evansville, Loyola), the #7 seed is unattainable. Bradley, at 7-10 in the conference, is two games ahead of both Drake and Evansville, so the three teams to be examined (again, Drake/Evansville/Loyola) are fighting for seeds #8-10. 

Nobody wants to play Wichita State. The following is a HYPOTHETICAL as to what could happen and who would end up having to play the Shockers first.

Bracket (Generic)

If you want to see the detailed MVC bracket, go here.. http://cdn.streamlinetechnologies.com/mvc/081CA563-F63D-444B-9EF7-D3C3B4958BB7/2014ArchMadnessBracket_v1.pdf


Current MVC Standings
Team (MVC Record, Overall Record)

8. Drake (5-12, 14-15)
9. Evansville (5-12, 12-18)
10. Loyola (IL) (4-13, 9-20)


Super Happy Fun Time
Saturday: Drake hosts Bradley, Evansville visits Loyola.
Obviously if you're a Drake fan (like me), you DON'T want to be the 8 or 9 seed, because then if you win you get Wichita State (there's a "shocker", rim shot). If you're an Evansville or Loyola fan, a) THANK YOU FOR READING! and b) HOW DID YOU FIND THIS BLOG? But seriously, thank you for reading.

Anyway, what to make of this final weekend of games?

You want a higher seed in the tourney, but you DON'T want to have to cross paths with Wichita State (at least, not until the MVC Championship Game).

To Drake NOT to play Wichita State in the conference quarterfinals, they need the 10 seed (because the 7 seed, mentioned previously, is out of reach). So let's say Drake loses to Bradley and Loyola beats Evansville. Ok, now all teams are 5-13 in the conference. What now?

MVC Tiebreaker Rules (Super Happy Fun Time PART TWO!)

So the above (hypothetically) happens, Drake/Loyola/Evansville all stand at 5-13 in the conference. TO THE TIEBREAKERS!

"Multiple Ties
 1. If three or more teams are tied, regular-season competition among the tied schools shall be pooled into a “mini round-robin.”  Teams shall be ranked according to their position in such a round- robin.

[Looks at schedules of teams in play, head to head schedule, slams head against desk]

If Loyola beats Evansville on Saturday, ALL THREE TEAMS (Drake, Evansville, Loyola WOULD BE 1-1 AGAINST EACH OTHER. Or in simpler terms, onto another tiebreaker scenario!



 2. If head-to-head competition does not break the tie, the deadlock will be broken by non-conference schedule strength as calculated by The RPI Report on the day before the final day of conference games.  The teams will be seeded in order of their non-conference schedule strength." (via mvc-sports.com)


[Depression hits.]


Following non-conference RPIs courtesy of cbssports.com:

Drake: 84 (for some reason it only has an 8-3 record recorded for non-conference, so maybe the Iowa Weslyan game doesn't count towards RPI since they're not Division 1?)
Evansville: 225
Loyola: 326

So for those keeping track at home, Drake, by virtue of their non-conference RPI (which isn't all that bad), is "awarded" the eighth seed at the MVC tourney. Evansville would get the #9 seed, and Loyola the #10 seed. This all happening, again, if the hypothetical Drake lose/Loyola win happens on Saturday. If Drake wins then we don't have to go through this again. And it means I did all this research for nothing. Dang.


Let me finish this post by saying that I hope the Bulldogs win Saturday for the seniors and get some traction heading to St. Louis. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about Saturday's game, because Drake's body of work doesn't warrant confidence going into ANY Missouri Valley tilt. I prefer to see the glass half full though. Go Bulldogs.

Happy Spring: Olympics, College Hoops and the NFL Combine

Ah yes, the week (and part of the weekend) that was. Let's get to it.

Winter Olympics
These Winter Olympics have been interesting to say the least (oh wait, that's a general word to describe basically any event ever). THESE OLYMPICS HAVE BEEN ODD. I can't try and sympathize with journalists who haven't had great accommodations, clean drinking water, etc. I'd gladly cover the Sochi Winter Games if all the columns I read are going to be about how poor Russia's planning for the Olympics were.

The biggest thing I struggle with this year is the fact that I not a fan of the tape delayed broadcasts when I get the notifications earlier in the day of who won. There's no real solution, Russia is hours ahead of us (nine to be exact, at least I think). It just makes it hard to watch for me. Plus, I'm a morning person, so I'd rather drink black coffee and watch live events at 6 a.m. then watch prime time performances that have already happened. Which leads me to...

I'M SORRY FOR CURSING THE UNITED STATES! I LOVE THIS COUNTRY AND WILL EAT COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF SUGARY AND FATTY CALORIES TO PROVE MY ADORATION!

The U.S. men's and women's hockey teams were rolling going into this weekend.

The women played Canada in the gold medal final. It's Canada. CANADA! Such a rivalry deserved my viewing. The Americans had gold all locked up. I had never been happier to be watching hockey. Then the final 3:26 happened, Canada scored two goals and went on to win in overtime. Heartbreak. Silver medal is nothing to shake a stick at though. Next!

The men scored 15 goals in group play, dropped in five more against the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. And then...Canada. The semifinal was dominated by Canada as the U.S. couldn't get anything going. Canada scores a second period goal courtesy of Jamie Benn and that's that. But a medal is still in play...right?

Wrong. I decided to watch the U.S. go for the bronze against Finland this morning.
It didn't go well: Finland 5, U.S.A. 0.

I'm sorry America, it's all my fault. Any hate directed towards me is justified. I will gladly NOT watch hockey in the Olympics next time if it makes you happy.

What I DID enjoy about watching hockey these Olympics: Doc Emrick http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXen0WzwADQ (I hope someone puts up an Olympic highlight reel of Emrick soon, he was fantastic)

Emrick has quickly moved up my Commentator Power Rankings (totally fictional at this point but an interesting idea for a blog post) to somewhere in the top five. I somewhat enjoy hockey. I THOROUGHLY enjoy hockey when Emrick is doing play-by-play.

College Hoops
Iowa State: Watched the first half of the TCU game today and...almost fell asleep. What I DON'T like about this team is that they can become to self-centered at times. I don't think Iowa State will ever get to where they want to be (presumably a Final Four) with a big man in the post that can assert his will. DeAndre Kane can (and WILL) force the issue and, like we saw today, get himself in trouble with fatigue and minor injuries. He reminds me of another point guard that plays for an in-state school...

Drake: ...RICHARD CARTER! Only people that watch both teams as much as I do will understand the comparison, but I think it's fairly accurate. If Drake is going to beat Wichita State (lone undefeated team left in the country, playing at home), Carter will have to play composed. Composed = not driving into the lane with three defenders waiting for him. Carter will have to be the senior floor general that sparks the offense only when he has to. Chris Caird and Aaron Hawley have to shoot like they've never shot before. Jordan Daniels has to be the Energizer Bunny off the bench. Seth VanDeest and Jacob Enevold Jensen need to be dominate in the paint. They'll have an advantage when it comes to height, so get the big guys the ball, pray that they can hit some shots and draw double teams. Kick it out to the guards and hit some threes. That game, as I post this, will have probably already be in progress. Let's go Bulldogs!

Iowa: Watched the entire game against Wisconsin, as I did last time when they played at Wisconsin's place.

Pros: Roy Devyn Marble. Josh Oglesby(!!!). Adam Woodbury.
Cons: Everyone hating on Zach McCabe (http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20140221/SPORTS020504/302210137/Iowa-s-McCaffery-criticizes-fan-defense-Zach-McCabe), Zach McCabe's final shot (AIRBALL!) and Aaron White running the point after grabbing a defensive board.


Right now (right now, right now, RIGHT NOW) I don't buy into Iowa OR Iowa State making deep runs into the NCAA tournament until A) Iowa State finds THAT GUY down the stretch. It's not McCabe. It's not White. IT'S MARBLE! Fran needs to start running plays for him to win games. Does you know good to have him get you to the end and ignore him on the final possession. He's not a point guard. Mike Gesell is, and B) Iowa State decides to show up for 40 minutes of a game. First twenty against TCU: awkward. Second twenty against Texas Tech a week ago: Regressive.


UNI: Now 13-14 on the year, the Panthers will be hoping to improve their Arch Madness seeding the rest of the way. Currently fifth in the conference, Ben Jacobson's squad could make some noise if they're able to move into the top four in the conference. I haven't been able to watch this team a whole lot this year, but they have good enough shooting and a decent inside presence to get something going.

NFL Combine
There are certain things I don't think I'll ever understand: Politics. Mandarin Chinese. People who spend hundreds of dollars on sunglasses.

Add the NFL Combine to the list.


The NFL Combine. Where scouts, front office personnel and seemingly every cable sports station shows up to analyze practice drills that guys fresh out of college (or not yet out of college) do inside a domed stadium in shorts and a a t-shirt. Oh and there's no defense, there's no play clock or roaring crowd. No 12th man, not even a Bruno Mars halftime show to look forward to.

I find it pretty absurd that, from what I can tell, we weight the Combine more heavily than collegiate games played in front of hundreds of thousands of fans WHILE BEING STUDENTS. If Khalil Mack was a beast of a linebacker at Buffalo while studying and balancing college, draft him! He probably would much rather spend his days fine tuning his game and working to be the best player he can be. What does his 40 yard dash time have to do with it? Teddy Bridgewater or Blake Bortles? How about watching how they did in college under pressure and not whether or not they can jump really high. I understand that the recordings could be helpful when comparing multiple players, or for general info. I mean if it comes down to a couple of prospects, it might be nice to see who's physically strong or taller or whatever. But the NFL Combine just seems overblown in so many different ways.

But then again, this is just another cog in the machine that results in a very popular product that pays off...especially for its commissioner.. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/roger-goodell-made-more-44-million-last-wait-211537621--nfl.html


That's all for now, thanks for reading and feel free to contact me with any questions or ideas for my next blog post!


Twitter: @iowasportsguy
Facebook: facebook.com/MRossi64
Email: theiowasportsguy@gmail.com

2014 NFL Playoffs: Talk About a Happy New Year!

Well...Sunday was fun, wasn't it? I actually got to watch a slate of NFL games without having to obsessively check my phone. At least for Fantasy Football reasons. The playoff field is set, with the first games (Wild Card Round) taking place this Saturday and Sunday. First, here's the rundown as far as games/seeds/times/TV stations go for this weekend (and THEN I'll get to predictions):

Saturday, January 4

Kansas City Chiefs(5) at Indianapolis Colts(4), 3:35 p.m. CT on NBC

New Orleans Saints(6) at Philadelphia Eagles(3), 7 p.m. on NBC

Sunday, January 5

San Diego Chargers(6) at Cincinnati Bengals(3), 12:05 p.m. on CBS

San Francisco 49ers(5) at Green Bay Packers(4), 3:40 p.m. on FOX

Below is a more visual bracket, courtesy of Fansided

Prediction Time!

Chiefs at Colts:

   This one can also be called "Battle of the Bipolars". The Chiefs started off 9-0 (hooray!) but lost five of their last seven to finish 11-5. Granted, the division was impossible to win with Peyton Manning and the Broncos dominating, but I can't figure out who will show up. Enter the Colts, who boast wins on the road against San Francisco (last year's Super Bowl runner-up) and at home against the Seahawks. They also beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead a couple weeks ago pretty handily. But then again, they also got tossed around by the Cardinals (lost 40-11) and the Rams (28-8). Andrew Luck is definitely my favorite of the "new crop" of quarterbacks, and he's ALSO done more with less. With Reggie Wayne being out for the year and Trent Richardson ho-hum, Luck and the Colts ARE a four seed at...11-5! I think the dome field advantage (see what I did there?) works for the Colts and they pull out this victory. Take away Jamaal Charles, or at least his big plays, and I think the Chiefs are in trouble. I like the Colts. Colts 31, Chiefs 13

Saints at Eagles

   Now this one, THIS one could be fun. The upstart Eagles, under the reign of first-year coach Chip Kelly, outlasted Jerry Jones' Fighting Kyle Ortons to clinch the NFC East at 10-6. The Saints are the six seed at 11-5. Here's who I think wins and why. Spoiler alert: It's not that complicated. The New Orleans Saints are 8-0...at home. In New Orleans. On the road: 3-5, with the three wins being Tampa Bay, Chicago and Atlanta. A very "meh" set of road wins. The Eagles are coming off a couple of very good wins, putting up 54 points at home to Chicago and beating the Cowboys 24-22 to seal the NFL Playoffs deal. The Eagles score just under 27 points at home (just over 30 if you take out their home losses on October 20 and 27 to the Cowboys and Giants). Drew Brees has plenty of weapons around him, but Philly, in the winter, and with a hostile crowd doesn't bode well. As someone who had Brees on his fantasy football playoff team this year, it was horrendous seeing his points drop when on the road. I like the Eagles. Eagles 27, Saints 21

Chargers at Bengals

   The Chargers are the Chargers, whom I don't particularly like. But thanks to a botched no-call on a missed Kansas City field goal last Sunday, THE CHARGERS ARE IN! (and the Steelers are out)

This game is another example of the home/road differential that might rear its head. The Bengals have a whopping ZERO losses at home. A perfect 8-0 for Marvin Lewis' team. With A.J. Green, Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, I don't see the Chargers being able to keep up. Oh, the Bengals have BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Giovani Bernard as well? Yeah ok, point made. Bengals 24, Chargers 20

49ers at Packers

   We've seen this game before! Well at least kind of. Last year San Francisco beat Green Bay 45-31 in the playoffs. This year in week one, The 49ers won once again to the tune of 34-28. Both games were played in San Francisco. Now I watched the Packers game against the Bears this past weekend and Aaron Rodgers...looked pretty alright... http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3782191/packwin.gif

   Rodgers gets to strut back into Lambeau Field on Sunday and I expect a shootout. Both defenses are probably going to get their fair share of hits on the opposing quarterback. But I still think we'll see a few 40 or 50 yard plays because of increased blitzes and athletic wideouts. Plus...Vernon Davis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jy7TZ7mTAQ!! This is as close to a toss up as I think there will be in the Wild Card round. I think Rodgers makes the most of having Randall Cobb back (as he did against the Bears with two touchdowns), who is now in the fold with Jordy Nelson and James Jones. Eddie Lacy is pretty hard to tackle too. Packers 34, 49ers 31

So there's the Wild Card round, but here's a VERY quick snapshot of how I think the rest of the playoffs will go...

AFC

Colts at Broncos: Ugggggh the expected "Do I have to pick a winner?" game. Luck ended the Broncos unbeaten start to the season. Peyton Manning shattered the records (after repairing his shattered neck). I honestly can't decide with a gut feeling, other than this will be probably the most watched game before the Super Bowl. Can I got with the upset? Andrew Luck matches Manning throw for throw because he's no chump. Bring on the next challenge. Indianapolis 28, Denver 24

Bengals at Patriots: Ohhhhh sneaky good game. The Bengals won this matchup the first time around, at home, 13-6. Tom Brady has done such a good job with essentially no tight ends and a bunch of draft pick no-names as receivers. And yet his team is 12-4 with home field advantage! On this stage however, I think we see the inexperience come back to bite New England. Bengals 24, Patriots 20

NFC 

Packers at Seahawks: If there's a team built to win in Seattle in the playoffs, I don't think it's the Packers. Rodgers has swag, but the Seattle secondary INVENTED swag. Seattle 27, Green Bay 17

Eagles at Panthers: Ron Rivera should be Coach of the Year. Chip Kelly should be Rookie Coach of the Year...wait, that doesn't exist!? This is another sneaky good game because of all the speedsters on the field. I think this Panthers defense is outstanding, however, and boasts my personal favorite name in the NFL: Captain Munnerlyn! Carolina 30, Eagles 20

AFC Championshp

Colts at Bengals: Battle of the young quarterbacks. Just like it was meant to be. Week 14 saw Luck and company lose to Andy Dalton...and company, 42-28 (in Cincinnati). Let's just say I'd vote for Andrew Luck if he ever decided to run for president. Indy 23, Bengals 20

NFC Championship

Panthers at Seahawks: Rematch of week one. Won by the Seahawks on the road, 12-7. Defenses that are both tough, speedy and have great chemistry with one another (The teammates do. Luke Kechly won't be dining with Richard Sherman anytime soon). I've never been to CenturyLink Field butttt I hear it gets pretty loud. Seattle 17, Carolina 6

Super Bowl

Regardless of what you think of my predictions, they're just that. If you don't agree with something or have questions as to why I picked who I did, let's talk! Anyway...

Colts vs. Bengals

  The ushering in of a new champion and a new tier of quarterbacks. As a kid who has spent all 19 of his years in the great state of Iowa, I hope there's a foot of snow for Super Bowl XLIII (48) being held on February 2 in New Jersey. I realize this is probably the matchup that NOBODY had, but it's the one I think will happen. Indianapolis has the leader both in Luck and Chuck Pagano, plus a team full of guys who play for each other. Selfless. Seattle has a more than intimidating defense, Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch and Pete Carroll (which DOES count for something). This game can't end in a tie, so here you go.. Colts 24, Seattle 23

Contact me by following me on Twitter (@super_mario64), friending me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/BallinItalian) or emailing me at thesupermario64@gmail.com! 

   

Cyclones, Yanks, Cowboys: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Blog Post!

Greetings! Hope the few of you reading this had a fantastic Christmas and are looking forward to a fantastic new year! Since I have yet to "find my groove" when it comes to posting consistently to this blog, we'll do another topical carousel of sporting events I feel need to be talked about. And away!


Iowa State Men's Basketball: The team is 11-0, after claiming a Hawaii tourney victory and still on a high after beating Iowa (11-2) a few weeks back in Ames. As someone who stood in line for a couple hours outside in the cold to see the Cy-Hawk matchup, I couldn't feel more happy after being rejected. There's probably some relationship advice there or something, but I digress. This Cyclones team is near the top IN THE NATION in points (fifth), rebounds (tenth) and assists (SECOND!). If there was a more well rounded team in recent memory, I can't think of it. Everyone on this team can shoot, everyone can pass and everyone can rebound. Which is amazing, since Dustin Hogue (10.3 RPG) and Melvin Ejim (8.8 RBG) both stand only six-and-a-half feet tall. I love undersized players with freaky motors and athleticism, and this ISU team has them stockpiled. In an NCAA field enamored with Marcus Smart, Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, I'd just as soon trust anybody on coach Fred Hoiberg's team.


Drake Men's Basketball: Because I can. 8-3 headed into a showdown with IUPUI (pronounced "Ew-ee-poo-ee"), first year coach Ray Giacoletti has played with the hand he's been dealt: And winning while doing so. Blake Danielak: mono. Gary Ricks Jr.: season-ending foot surgery. Those injuries, mixed with Boston College transfer Jordan Daniels and a slew of other underclassmen have the Bulldogs...in contention for an MVC title? Ok, so I'm getting ahead of myself, but as is the atmosphere on campus, the Bulldogs are finally playing ball that is exciting and is easy to get behind.


New York Yankees (See also "Confusing", "Puzzling"): So I'm a Yankees fan. If you didn't know that, you should frequent this blog more often. "But Mario, you rarely post"...touche.
Anyway, the Yankees decided to go full-on clearance sale and let Robinson Cano, Joba Chamberlain, Curtis Granderson, Boone Logan and Phil Hughes leave. Sure, "let" is a strong word, but if the Yankees front office can't make pinstripes more desirable than Seattle or THE METS(!!!), there's something wrong. Oh, and also, the one thing New York DID do well, which is throw money at people, DIDN'T WORK EITHER! Cano took a 10 year, $240 million deal with the Mariners. With Andy Pettite and Mariano Rivera both recently retired and Derek Jeter...broken, I'm going to make a rather bold prediction: This year's Yankees won't win more than 80 games. The last time the Yankees won less than 80 games was 1992. I was -2 years old. Remember, 1994-95 was the MLB strike, so every team's schedule was shortened. I don't understand the moves made by the front office to be ok with a bulk of the bullpen and the franchise player leave. Jeter isn't the franchise player, Cano is. For those of you wondering. Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann have been the big signings this offseason. I like the move for former Braves catcher Brian McCann, as that position has been mediocre since Posada retired and Jesus Montero was traded (against my will, AGAINST MY WILL!!!!). Ellsbury, while overpriced at seven years, $153, can be valuable to this team. Kinda wondering why he left Boston, but again, money sometimes players talks louder than rings. Then, enter Carlos Beltran. He was last seen breaking a rib or two trying to catch a fly ball in the playoffs. He's a great player no doubt, BUT WHERE DO YOU PLAY HIM!? The Yanks have Brett Gardner, Ellsbury, Beltran, Alfonso Soriano AND A GUY NAMED ICHIRO. Imagine the young arms that the millions of dollars wrapped up in Soriano and Ichiro could get. Yet here they all are, sitting in a crowder outfield with a short right-field porch.
Hiroku Kuroda is staying with the team though, hooray!....on a one year, $16 million deal, CRAP! As if we didn't have enough old dudes, Kuroda will turn 39 in February. Kuroda has been the Yankees best pitcher the past couple of years, compiling a 3.31 ERA in his two years in New York and anchoring the rotation this past year after C.C. Sabathia was destroyed every fifth day. All in all, a very disappointing offseason, as the bullpen walked out the door, a rotation got older (and thinner with Phil Hughes leaving for Minnesota) and Robinson Cano took his power and consistency to the Pacific Northwest. But hey, New York is in the running for Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka! In other news, the sky is blue.


Tony Romo: This subject is beyond hilarious. But not for the reason you think. After becoming a Vikings fan this year (It was a process, but yes I am. Here's hoping for our top 10 draft pick!), I realized all too quickly how important a good quarterback is. Ponder. Then Cassel. Then Ponder. THEN JOSH FREEMAN!?!? Then Ponder again. And finally Cassel.
And so I ask: Why are there Tony Romo haters!??! Seriously, why do they exist? Romo literally carried the Cowboys on his back last Sunday to a win against the Redskins. The result: Season-ending back surgery. If there's a reason the Cowboys haven't been consistent or championship material, it's not because of Romo. Peyton this year has weapons GALORE. Tom Brady has a genius coach and a system that works around him. Brees has the Superdome. Russell Wilson has swagger and a secondary you don't mess with. Joe Flacco had Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and a host of other defensive players that are scary good. What does Romo get? A drama queen in Dez Bryant and a defense that gives up 400+ yards a week. The only reason Tony Romo throws late game interceptions is because the defense has give up too many points. The Cowboys' defense gives up just over 27 points a game. Twenty. Seven. It seems like Romo can't get through a month without having to mount a two minute quarterback. HE DID IT AGAINST MY VIKINGS! I think the criticism is unfair, and as someone whose own NFL team needs a quarterback, I'll finish this post with a simple elementary school proposition when it comes to previously mentioned gun-slingers: "I'll trade ya!"



Questions? Comments? Contact me by following me on Twitter (@super_mario64), friending me on Facebook(http://www.facebook.com/BallinItalian), or shooting me an email at thesupermario64@gmail.com
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Breaking Bad: The End.

Just a few disclaimers before I start
-This post, obviously, will contain A LOT of spoilers.
-I may have a tendency to rave about the genius of the show. This post is about THIS SHOW'S END SPECIFICALLY, so any debate bringing in other shows is pointless. I have NOT seen shows like Homeland, The Newsroom, Game of Thrones or even Downton Abbey: But it's solely because I've been extremely invested in this one (I promise to broaden my horizons after Sunday...and after I come out of my finale-induced coma).


Take a deep breath, and let's go:

What We Know
Saul Goodman is in Nebraska (he lost the vacuum cleaner lottery), Jesse is still cooking for the White Supremacists (as Wikipedia calls them), Todd is still a creep, Skyler/Flynn/Baby Emmy (Emmy..not Holly) have left the house and Skyler White--er, Lambert, is driving a taxi part time.
Oh...Walter White? Yeah, he's in this episode...for about 51.5 minutes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMlNl0fKwxQ) Walter White, in the video, is in New Hampshire after creating a new identity as Mr. Lambert. After failing to talk his son into accepting a package full of money (all happening in a bar with an uninteresting hockey game going on. TURNOVERS!), Walt calls the Albuquerque DEA office: "I'd like to speak with the agent in charge of the Walter White investigation...[this is] Walter White."
Soon after White orders a drink similar to his good old pal Hank, Charlie Rose pops on the telly interviewinggggg GRETCHEN AND ELLIOTT SCHWARTZ. To those of you who don't know/can't remember, the Schwartzes were colleagues with Walter early on, before White sold his share for $5,000. "I sold my kids' birthright for a few months rent."
In the Charlie Rose interview, the Gretchen and Elliott are donating a crud-ton of money to drug recovery in the southwest, while distancing themselves from Walter White by saying he was only responsible for the name (As Elliott said: "As far as I'm concerned, his contribution begins and ends right there"). As to if Gretchen thinks Walter White is still out there..."No, he's not...I can't speak to the Heisenberg that people refer to him-whatever he became, the sweet, kind, brilliant man that we once knew long ago, he's gone."
DING DING DING! I'll take "Things you don't want to say to Bryan Cranston on a night he didn't win the Best Actor in a Arama Series Emmy" for 1,000! The beauty, as I posted earlier on Facebook, is the combination of writing, directing, acting and the DAGGER that is the Breaking Bad theme (full version can be heard here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMt1ILTzCac) to wrap up this episode. I watched the ending maybe five more times...and teared up immensely.

What Will Happen
This brings us to the predictions/speculation/words that Vince Gilligan will make us look stupid to say part of the post. I've got a couple big things I think will happen but will touch on several characters.
-I think Heisenberg lives to see the end. After learning a) His family wants NONE of his money and b) That blue meth is still out there (AND AT 96%!!!!!!), Mr. Berg is not about to let another empire of his get run by...not him.
-No, I do not think Walt goes after Elliott and Gretchen. The plot is too thick and what they SAID was key. Then again...I'm not Vince Gilligan.
-If there's a "committing suicide" card, I think Marie holds it. SHE has nothing. SHE lost the husband that was doing nothing BUT good (the means, debatable, but overall good). Her face in the car, which was the only time we saw her during Granite State, was eerily reminiscent of Skyler trying to drown herself. Just to get out.
-The ricin, you say? I'm glad you asked! I really don't have a "formula" as to who I think will get it and I don't buy into the "Walt takes it himself!" theory. Really? He essentially beat cancer TWICE, survived many guns pressed against the head and is now on a vengeance. Once again, I don't see the cliche "coming to justice" where Walt realizes he has screwed up and takes the ricin himself. Anyway...I HOPE it's for Lydia. She is a liability because of how stupid and pointless her existence is and getting rid of her would make sure a back-to-Heisenberg transition goes smoothly (Plus, he almost already used it on her once).

Overall, I think the show ends with Walt killing Jesse, seeing that Jesse is empty and, as he tried to escape in Granite State, BEGGED Uncle Jack and the gang to kill him. Instead they shot Andrea (AHHHH!!!!). Walt becomes "the cook" again. Back in Live Free or Die's (season 5 premiere) opener, Walt tells Lawson (the gun dude): "This is never leaving town." The other quote that stands out as I watch that opener NOW, after the penultimate episode has aired: "Business." The innocent Denny's server asks what brings the New Hampshire-ite to the ABQ. "Business"...because that's all Heisenberg has left. After successfully protected his family Hank took his trip to Belize, everything Heisenberg had worked so hard for IS NO MORE. I really lost the whole "doing it for family" feeling right around the time he started cooking meth. Wait...that was the pilot. So yeah, I guess I never thought it would end well. Darn.
\


Creator Vince Gilligan has already said the finale will be "polarizing not matter how you slice it", which is why I'm ok with my prediction. And, as I choke on my own tears come Sunday around 9:16 p.m., I hope I can take solace in the fact that I'm wrong.

SCREAM! The Spurs, Bulls and Everything Else!

Hey, so let me say this: If yesterday didn't get you watching NBA highlights and/or reserving time for Game 2's, you're dumb. Sorry, I don't mean dumb, I mean...ok I mean dumb. To do a quick recap: 

Bulls vs. Heat- Conventional wisdom says Heat. The Bulls were sans Derrick Rose (more to come later), Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng (who hasn't played since game 5 of the Nets series). LeBron was given his fourth MVP Award earlier in the day. Hooray! Time for a blowout! But then again, the Bulls have Tom Thibodeau, which is like having George Washington leading your army (Which, the more I think about it, the more I like that analogy. Both guys commanded depleted men, had lots of obstacles to overcome and surprised everyone). The (DAAAAAAAAA) Bulls held James and company to 15 (like, one less than sweet) points in the first quarter and 86 overall. Miami averages a little over 97 a game, so kudos to Thibs (Yes! An analogy AND a nickname!). The game was back and forth, this coming from a guy who depends on the GameCast night after night. Jimmy Butler and Nate Robinson ended up being the X factors. Yeah, Jimmy Butler. And this guy http://tinyurl.com/cprq68n. Crazy game, crazy start to the series. 

Warriors vs. Spurs- "Mario, that Chicago/Miami game was the bomb! Ain't nothing going to be that!" Wrong. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuxtcmJiMqQ. That screaming lady sure is annoying, huh? Two overtimes were jussssssssst enough to decide a winner in a thrilling game one. My mom's a Spurs fan, so I should've known better than to taunt her with an "Oh boy! Golden State is up 104-88!" proclamation. An 18-2 Spurs run shut me up. And quick. Other than another ho-hum night from Curry (44 points, 11 assists) and Ames High School product Harrison Barnes (19 points, 12 rebounds) was not enough to stop Manu Ginobili, who made it onto my "First Team All-Defying Father Time" (He replaces Kobe Bryant who, you know, has a boo-boo).

Pacers vs. Knicks- Pacers won. Spike Lee is upset. As much as I want the summary to end there, I must commend D.J. Augustin for his breakout performance (16 points on 4-5 shooting from three point range, but surprisingly -5 when he was on the court) and J.R. Smith for his acting skills http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKVStZY0pdw. Seriously, the only thing worse than that is that there were at least three other times J.R. flopped and WASN'T called (A three pointer where he pump faked and leaned into the defender, a drive down the lane where he was falling before even contact the defender). Watch him the next time he goes to the hoop. His signature move is falling over at the free throw line and expecting the defender to catch him as J.R. throws up his hands. Bravo Mr. Smith. 

Grizzlies vs. Thunder- The Grizzlies had the lead and lost it. Thanks Kevin Durant, for voiding the whole "Second round doesn't start until the home team wins" theory http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K5to5vzwQ0. It's interesting to see how Durant will dominate, then pass the baton, watch his teammates drop it, then pick it back up and lap everyone else en route to victory. Interesting question that has had a reversal of an answer as of late: More important to their team as a point guard, Russell Westbrook or Derrick Rose? It's a crapshoot right? Rose's team just beat the defending champs, and Westbrook's absence finally gives Durant the keys to the car (Because up until then, Westbrook had a copy of the keys).

Speaking of Derrick Rose...

I WANT HIM BACK! Seriously, other than Goran Dragic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRAp00SxP30), who is sitting there thinking "You know, that's a wise decision right there!"? I agree with most people that it's probably more mental at this point than physical (See Kevin Ware), but come on! After the Bulls' game one win, if Rose comes back now...watch out El Heat. 

I realize that there's a few topics I still haven't discussed. Namely: Jason Collins and that thing called Major League Baseball. I apologize for the lack of coverage of anything other than basketball lately, I'll try and get on it. Thanks for reading!

Questions? Comments? Contact me by following me on Twitter (@super_mario64), friending me on Facebook(http://www.facebook.com/BallinItalian), or shooting me an email at thesupermario64@gmail.com

The Weekend That Was: Golf, Kobe's Achilles and More

I watched golf this weekend. That's right, I spent quite a bit of time observing a middle aged Argentine smoker battle a dashing young Aussie while both holding umbrellas over their heads. Hooray golf! All sarcasm and previous experiences aside, the 18th hole and ensuing playoff between Angel Cabrera and eventual champion Adam Scott had me on the edge of my seat (well I was actually standing, but whatever). The two traded puts late on Sunday to force a soggy playoff, where Scott birdied the 10th hole and promptly slipped on the Green Jacket. In case you missed the finish (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIX4S6mvNoo) and in case you have no clue what's so special about this "Green Jacket" (http://tinyurl.com/bl95wyw). As amazing as it sounds, golf is one of the only sports I have NEVER played on a grand scale (because mini-golf, as sad as it is, doesn't count). I found the Masters very entertaining, which is pretty reverse of any other experience I've had watching golf. Onto other things...

First, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjeqlV9S4oI
Then, cry. That's about all you can do if you are a fan of a) basketball, b) great athletes or c) future Hall of Famers turning back the clock and putting up ridiculous stats at a senior citizen age. Kobe is averaging a career-high in assists, while having his best field goal percentage since '08-'09 and rebounds since '07-'08 (http://tinyurl.com/d7nxaus). Kobe is doing it all, and while doing so, did it all TOO MUCH en route to tearing his Achilles, an injury that in all likelihood will keep him out anywhere from six months to a year or more. The main problem here is not the fact that now Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard and company will have to step it up another notch to just MAKE the playoffs, but the financial predicament that follows The Black Mamba's injury. Kobe is on the books for, oh, a cool $30 million next year. Dwight Howard is a free agent at the end of this year and it now becomes a matter planning for the future or keep Kobe in purple and gold. It's a tough decision and I can't necessarily say that Kobe would take LESS money to stay in L.A. That's essentially what it comes down to, especially since the Lakers are in danger of suffering a huge luxury tax to the tune of over $80 million. Oy.

Time for the "more" section of the blog post!

Kentucky forward/center/string bean Nerlens Noel declared for the draft (http://tinyurl.com/br3knxr). I'll save my "get a degree" and "athletes are students" rants for later, but this is really sad. A couple years ago I thought Kyrie Irving was stupid for leaving for the draft, but he turned out ok (at least this year). Irving was coming off of a foot injury, BUT WE SAW HIM PLAY IN AN NCAA TOURNAMENT GAME! Noel, on the other hand, went down midway through the SEC season and all we have as far as highlights go is his highlight reel of blocks against Ole Miss (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDDV1l5tNds). While impressive, I doubt know that he doesn't stand a chance against the likes of Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler, Kevin Love, Marc Gasol/Zach Randolph, etc. The list goes on. Be cool, stay in school. Anthony Davis won something, you have not.

Baseball season is in full swing and I haven't made a World Series prediction yet! Um! Ah! Ohhhhh crap! The Braves are off to a hot start, the Nationals are popular and the Blue Jays and Dodgers both have increasing payrolls. I guess I'll have to go with...

Forget it. I'm ending my blog post by letting everybody know that you should pray for Boston right now. An explosion three hours into the event has left several dead, many injured and many more lost and confused. Pray for them. (here's the video for those brave enough to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=046MuD1pYJg#!)

Questions? Comments? Contact me by following me on Twitter (@super_mario64), friending me on Facebook(http://www.facebook.com/BallinItalian), or shooting me an email at thesupermario64@gmail.com