Friday Farewells for April 9, 2010

This edition of Friday Farewells is brought to you by our friends in the Burg: Uncle Dave and our biggest fan Cindy we appreciate your readership and more importantly your subscription fees.
It is Friday once a again so we must say so long to another week in sports.

Farewell:

Spring Training. So long meaningless games. Hello Opening Week! Major League Baseball is back after another winter of hibernation. Every team after the first week is still in the hunt for the pennant. Yes, hope springs eternal. I can’t stop crying I am so happy.

Hoosiers Sequel. Thanks to Duke and Coach K the blockbuster hit of 2010, Hoosiers the College Years has been cancelled. The film was set to feature the Butler Bulldogs and their ball boy/coach Brad Stevens, who was to be played by Zack Ephron. The real Coach Stevens (not Zack) just signed a deal to coach Butler through 2022 at which point they are excited because he will be old enough to drive. Buckets of tears, Hoosiers is my favorite movie.

Break from Football Season. College Spring Football is in full swing Arkansas went outside the box and instead of scrimmaging itself it played St. Louis who it beat 32-8. The Billikens were able to score a touchdown late and add the two point conversion. Oh wait my bad… this was a college baseball game. The game included 30 hits by the Razorbacks and was mercifully, for the fans, called after 6 ½ innings. After playing the hogs the billikens cried boo hoo hoo all the way home.

Hiatus. Tiger resumed playing golf yesterday at the Masters and I resumed writing after a few days off, both monumental breaks with huge ramifications upon the sports industry. This may prove the golf course is the only place he is comfortable and others are comfortable with him. No tears yet, but judging by the way he played the tears are about to return for the other competitors.

Fighting Sioux. University of North Dakota will change its nickname from the Fighting Sioux after a board decision and four year legal battle. The NCAA decided that the name was “hostile and offensive”. Members of the Spirit Lake Sioux however were trying to prevent the change. Fighting is such a derogatory word that I can see why the NCAA called it “hostile and offensive”. I am a member of the OBAGFWC, Organization to Ban All Go Fight Win Cheers. I think these cheers are hostile and offensive to opposing teams and their fans. They incite things like trying to beat (mega hostile) and defeat (ubber offensive) others. I think North Dakota should go with the Olive Branches, the Peace Makers (catchy slogan, “blessed are us”) or the Tying Sioux because clearly Native American names are not offensive or the Native American Tribe members wouldn’t be trying to keep them. It is those darn adjectives like fighting it did in the Illini and now the Sioux. Tears that this used up money in this economy for a four-year legal battle, wait no come to think of it that is exactly where money should go to people with law degrees. How do I sign up?

Perfect Season. After a 2-0 start I had dreams of the perfect season for my Atlanta Braves. Perfection was still possible only 160 more to go. The Cubs dashed all those hopes yesterday with a 2-0 win over the Braves. Don’t worry about me I am sure I will be okay…maybe?!? The Cubs cheated I just know it I don’t have any proof yet, but I know it happened!

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Congratulations... I Guess?

I have been trying to think all day about how to congratulate the Duke Blue Devils and well it has been almost 24 hours since the almost greatest shot in championship history went just long so here it goes.

Congratulations DUKE on destroying the hopes and dreams of the Butler Bulldogs and the Butler mini-nation.

Congrats on ruining an what would have been an amazing night for everyone that roots for the underdogs.

Congratulations that you worked your way through the easiest bracket imaginable. 

Congrats that you made the ugliest national championship game even uglier by winning it.  Many are calling this the greatest championship game ever.  The greatest game does not involve teams going more than five minutes between field goals. 

Congratulations on telling kids everywhere that where you go to school no matter how hard you work matters. 

Congrats on playing the worst officiated game in college basketball history.  I am by no means advocating that Duke won becuase of the officials only stating that the game was officiated horribly fo both teams. 

And most importantly congratulaions on causing me to lose my bracket! I am man enough to admit I had Duke getting upset by Louisville in the 2nd round.  Rick Pitino I blame you entirely (Man enough to admit my mistakes, but apparently not man enough to take responsibility for them).   

Sorry I just had to post this again it gets me every time.

Coach K, You Devil!

The Four6Three's photo of the day is from the sports section from today's Indy Star.  The photo says it all!

Do you think it was inappropriate, dead on, or just a funny joke?
Let the Four6Three know what you think.  Leave us a comment or Tweet us.

Strange Foursome

Ever showed up to the golf course as a single and gotten put in a foursome where you don't know any of the other three.  About halfway through the round you realize that the other three don't know each other either.  That is the kind of Final Four we have for college basketball completely different stories for each of these teams and none of them or their coaches would feel comfortable hanging out with the others. 

Duke is a basketball blue-blood who has not made the trip to the Final Four since 2004.  Why Duke will win it all? Teamwork, Talent, Toughness, Tenacity, and inTangibles.  Duke is the best balance of all facits of the game.  Although they may not be the best at any one thing Duke is really good at all of them. Also being the bigget name left in the tournament Duke won't be afraid of anyone. 

Michigan State is the next closest in basketball tradition and although does not have the titles that Duke does in recent history the Spartans have been to 6 of the last 12 Final Fours.  They are used to this atmosphere after all they are here every-other year.  Michigan State just finds a way to win.  If it is close with a few minutes left the Spratans like their chances and I do to. 

West Virginia sticking to their name has not won a championship since Jerry West played for them, now his son a reserve will try to be the West on this championship team.  This team is tried and tested.  The Big East Tournament Champions made it through that on-slaught and have since weathered even the likes of the great Kentucky Wildcats.  West Virginia will not play a team more talented than Kentucky, but the question remains can they stop a team that plays team basketball the way Duke does. 

Butler has been a great bracket buster program for the last few years, but steadily has been moving in on top ranked status.  This is different though this is the Final Four and Butler is the first little guy since George Mason to be there except Butler has a chance to win it all.  Home sweet home.  Butler will be playing in front of a home crowd in Indy.  The arena is 6 miles from Butler's campus.  This will either be a huge advantage or the pressure may cause the Bulldogs to crack. 


Later on in the Week the Four6Three makes our picks. 

Best Opening Day Ever?

Yesterday proved to be a terrific opening day even by March Madness standards, but was it the greatest ever?  It is difficult to say for sure, but it was definitely the best in recent memory.  The thing that made yesterday so great was not the fact that a 14 and a 13 both won.  It isn't the fact that 7 lower seeds beat higher seeds.  It wasn't the fact that the Big East took a big whooping, going 1-3 yesterday thanks to Nova's overtime defeat of Robert Morris.

So what made yesterday so special? It was the fact that 9 games were still in doubt with under two minutes to go in regulation.  Many of the other 7 games were competitive much of the way.  Was it the best day ever? I don't remember a more competitive day that provided more drama.  Let's hope that the rest of the tourney isn't a let-down after all of the excitement.  At this point it might take the Golden Lions of Arkansas Pine Bluff sending the Blue Devils of Duke packing for day two to surpass day one.