The Tentative Twelve?

Are the St. L Riverboats in any way boatlike? Or are they rectangular cinderblock structures on piers?

the divided dozen?

man, i'd love to see 3 pac-10 teams in the final four, or both in the final. maybe then the pac can get some respect.

Outside of Bill Simmons and Ken Pomeroy, the Pac-10 has been called the best or second best conference in the country by everyone, what is this lack of respect you are referring to?
Mr. Timmermann, do you actually not know what Raftery is referring to when he says onions or was that a sarcastic question in the last thread?

I sincerely don't know what Raftery is referring to.

4 Testicles.

And wow, Pius VI...That was half a dozen Piuses (Pii?) ago!

5
White or red? Leeks or shallots?

The riverboats in St. Louis used to be actual boats that had to be able to be moved up and down a river, but now you can just dig a moat somewhere and slap up a boat-looking structure and call it a casino.

4. Onions is what Raftery refers to when a player makes a play requiring particular testicular fortitude, so it can go two ways. Onions is either just a metaphor for testicles, or Raftery is saying that player is so ballsy his testicles are the size of onions.

Actually Bob, Cornelius got his start in shipping...but made a HUGE fortune (pre income tax!!) acquiring railroad lines...

Not to be confused with Don Cornelius, of course.

Go Vandy!

9. Hey, as long as he didn't do it through tobacco like the most evil non-Catholic school in America.

the winner would be the entry "Fatwa on Florida."

This can only be one person.

Tepid?
Twirling?
Tweedy?
Tedious?
Tenacious?
Twelve Teams of Tension?

I should mention that there is a very likely scenario where ToyCannon would win and then he would have to ask himself which Dodger tickets that he has already purchased he wants to designate as "winners" when he sits in them.

If that is the case, we can prepare a crown of some type for him.

If Memphis makes a run for the title, someone who is tied for 89th right could win.

The Midwest regional games are keys for some of the people at the bottom to make a run because if Butler or UNLV win, everybody bunches up a bit more.

With my bracket in tatters, all that is left for me to do is root for the Ducks, and to hope against hope that Butler can beat Florida, so I don't have to watch the inevitable sausage factory of an Oregon-Florida regional final.

I would be rooting against Florida anyway, because:

1. I am extremely tired of hearing about how awesome the SEC is in every sport ever.

2. I know I would get very bored with "two champs in one academic year!" fluff pieces.

3. Repeat champions are boring.

4. It's south of the Mason-Dixon line.

5. Joachim Noah looks just like Lord Voldemort.

Remember, according to ESPN, winning a road football or basketball game in the SEC makes you a candidate for national champion.

The Teutonic Twelve

Even if I were a UCLA fan, I'd be rooting for USC to take down Carolina.

I will be rooting for USC.

Although the Griddle is nominally nonpartisan.

The Griddle has issues with Florida too.

Is there a distinction between "nominally nonpartisan" and "mildly partisan?"

I blog, you decide.

And USC got into the Sweet Sixteen. That made three teams from the Pacific Ten in the Sweet Sixteen. Thanks for making the conference look good, Tim.

Go home now.

Injure Noah clap clap clap clap clap

Go Bulldogs!!!!

If Butler pulls the upset (not happening), I hereby grant all headline writers permission to use "The Butler Did It!" and all variations therein.

It will be worth it (again, not happening).

I would really hate to have to make a trip to Oregon just because the Ducks beat Butler.

I want the Ducks to earn my vacation dollars!

It is not about you Bob, it is about what is best for UCLA.

Note the newly edited tagline at the top.

For us, it's about what's best for UCLA. For D4P, it's victory by any means necessary.

But it would be a shame if the Griddler had to go to Oregon because of a Ducks victory over Butler.

Being at work spares from the basketball play-by-play stylings of James Brown doesn't it?

28 Nice

30 How CBS thought JB would be better than Gus Johnson, I have no idea.

It was probably part of the deal in bringing James over to CBS from Fox. Buy my word, is he is pretty bad.

Yes, "is he is." I said it, you read it.

I get it.

lol, I just read I could somehow win this thing. I do not care, Florida must go down!!

I'm torn: I'm OK pool-wise if USC wins tonight, but on shaky ground if they reach the Final Four!

36
You always pick against your handle. I find it quite amusing.

OK, so it's only two occasions.

It's much nicer to be mathematically eliminated.

Stop falling apart Butler.

38
I think this game reminds me of "Flowers for Algernon".

What's going on with my alternate alma mater?

The Fighting Weismans are down 12 to the Fighting Olneys.

39 Pleas if you get a chanse butler beet the gaters tnite.

Don't go back to being mentally handicapped Butler!

The second half can be the revenge of the janitor.

alternate alma mater?

Jon studied for the priesthood. They turned him down because he didn't have a bar mitzvah.

Georgetown University: Home of the finest Jewsuit education in the country?

If the Hoyas lose to Vandy, my bracket is officially a Dominican Appendectomy.

Where else would a graduate from an Episcopalian high school go?

49
Oregon. Just like Bryce Taylor.

Nothing like getting in at 5:30pm on a Friday with the kid saying, "Dad, you spend more time with those kids than with me."

(sigh)

Seriously, the best news I've had this week after acrimonious parent/student meetings and a not unpleasant back-to-school night is that I am in the lead!

And then I read that Bob has come up with many scenarios, none of which include me winning. No offense to my Griddle bretheren, but... am I out of it? Remember, I teach English so if there's an obvious answer that involves math, I'm still stuck. :)

51
If you can ride the Florida train to the final along with hitting most of your other games, you should win.

51 - Kids say the darndest things. Darn them.

51
You can rent me out as a surrogate.

I'm free this weekend. Monday is a holiday for me.

How many former NCAA champs has Butler defeated this season?

52 Wow. And I really, really hate Florida. I'm usually an emotional guy with when I pick games. I don't know what got in to me.

53 Amen, brother.

54 Okay, but I warn you. In his lone little league season (t-ball), his coach said, "Hey, you throw like Russ Ortiz." I'm just saying...

56
Well that is what his coach gets for having him try to pitch in t-ball.

57 :) Yeah, I didn't even think of it at the time.

51 Parent/teacher conferences are the worst things ever created.

Parent: Why is my student failing?
Teacher: He doesn't do his homework
Parent: Why didn't I know about this?
Teacher: Well, it was in the fifteen progress reports and 37 notes I sent home to you.
Parent: I never got them
Teacher: That's because your child hid them and you never asked and you're an absentee parent and a horrible person.
Parent: Well, how do I get in touch with you?
Teacher: The email address and school phone number and my cellphone number and the school district phone number, all of which were given to you.
Parent: Oh
Teacher: Kill yourself

My mom had to arrive at parent-teacher conferences stealthily because some other parents didn't like her because her kids were "too smart and ruining things for the other kids."

59 We are long overdue to break bread. I got this one thrown at me: "Well, if I'm not getting the progress reports and the notes home, did you try my phone? Because it's working!"

Honestly, I damn near jumped over the table.

60 Thankfully, the kids who are terrible students also have the parents who don't show up to Back to School Night and Conferences.

AP classes are SRO on Back to School Night. CP classes are half full. Three parents show up to the General classes.

Some sort of relationship between parental involvement and student achievement? Hey, I report, you decide...

60 Well, that's always been my problem with you.

55
The answer was three:
Indiana, Loyola of Chicago, and Maryland.

See it's sort of like those movie trivia games.

Now for the scramble:

A SHE WE GOG TORN YO

61 Hey parent, I have 30 kids to a class. I have no prep period. I have 180 kids to deal with. You have one. I hate you.

The Weismans have gone ahead of the Olneys.

My dad actually called my teachers when I was in 6th grade, because I never used to show him any grades. Then I had to actually start trying.

Booo!

64 GO NOT A SOY.. nah.

65 Next conference, I'm bringing you along.

I'm coming back after dinner. This is the most fun I've had in weeks. :)

In second grade, my teacher created an extra special bad mark on my report card for having a messy desk.

That became legend in my family.

"Bob flunked 'Desk' in second grade"

I would later go on to earn an F on one report card in 9th grade in PE in one grading period. It was the PE teacher's fault as he was a sadist.

If I have kids I am going to send them to Brock's school.

I got into the advanced high school math class when I was 8th grade. I ended up getting an F in the second semester. I guess that parent teacher conference cannot make up for me not caring.

Just a news update: Joakim Noah and Tito Horford have famous fathers.

68 Trust me, I am no holds barred in parent/teacher conferences. Probably because I have no intention of staying at my school beyond this year, and my Letters of Rec are off the charts. Nothing to lose, SB. Nothing to lose. I'm moving back to LA County, come what may.

I had a parent ask me if we could set up weekly telephone calls, on Fridays around 6:00pm. I told her to buy a computer, and gave her my email address.

I mean Al Horford has a famous father, who is named Tito.

Why don't GoBears, Zappala, Brock and Bruin (am I missing anyone? Does D4P still need to apply for a tenure-track position?)just start their own school? Who wouldn't send their kid there? Especially with Bruin's acting tips.

All we need is Mr. Shorofsky, and we've got a school that would live forever.

As long as D4P is not teaching women's studies.

I have students tell me about their brand new Xbox 360 and all the DVD's they own, and they wear nicer clothing than I do, and their parents tell me they can afford a DSL or dial up connection, or can't save up for a $400 laptop. I can't assign research projects because the kids don't have internet access outside of school.

I took a seminar on the psychology of poverty at UCLA once. Taught me so much about the psyche of the lower income family. To sum up, it's completely FUBAR.

Please do not blow easy layups Butler.

Blown layups....Hmmm...Where have I seen this before? Oh yeah....

Texas A&M
Tennessee
Southern Illinois

My friend worked at a daycare for poor people and the parents were generally pretty young. They did not seem to have a problem spending money on nice cars.

Of course, maybe all of Brock's students are drug dealers.

78 - I had no internet access as a kid, either. But I was drowning in microfiche.

81 The gist of the seminar (in a very general sense) is that the lower income family needs to project wealth to mask insecurity and economic failure. If people only see you picking your kids up from school, or driving around the neighborhood, driving a really sweet care projects economic success far beyond what has really been achieved. If your kids wear nice clothes, that tells the other families in your area that you are a successful parent. The water bill may be overdue and the electric bill is 1000$ bucks, but the projection of success is far more important than reality.

So close Butler.

So close Southern Illinois.

Sigh. UCLA is going to have to do this thing the hard way.

Mid-majors doing just enough to lose in this tournament. Lose by 30 next time...Quit toying with our emotions.

How many times did that guy travel?

There is something about how the clock goes from 1:03 to 58.8 seconds. The game immediately feels so much more urgent. Once it's under a minute, the game just feels different.

Boooo the chalk!

Gobias Industries Lives!

Dan Patrick is right: Billy Packer doesn't sound like he's having fun.

How Gus Johnson would have called that last play: Here come the Commodores! One second! BLOCKED! BLOCKED! BLOCKED! HOYAS WIN! HOYAS WIN! D.C. IS IN THE HOUSE! HO HO HO HO HO HO-YAS!!!

(Of course I think my last post is even funnier now that I've seen the replay - shot not blocked.) :-)

Now if North Carolina and Oregon win, my bracket will have had a perfect day.

92
Me too.

Suffering Bruin holds on to his 3 point lead over jkm1927: 78-75

Suffering Bruin will hold on to his lead only if USC beats North Carolina. The Oregon-UNLV game wouldn't matter for this day.

If Oregon and North Carolina win, jkm1927 and Trojan Ron will be tied for the lead.

If UNLV and North Carolina win, jkm1927 will be the leader.

Does anyone know jkm1927 is?

My hands are still shaking. My three year old was just running around the house yelling "Georgetown wins! Georgetown wins!" like the Georgetown radio announcer we listened to over the internet and woke up the other two kids. What an emotionally draining game, stupid refs keeping Vanderbilt in it until the very end.

The tenanciously surviving ten represent:
Big Ten - 1
ACC - 1
Big East - 1
Conference USA - 1
MWC - 1
Big 12 - 1
SEC - 1
Pac 10 - 3

One of my nieces, since her mom is a prof at a Jesuit college, is guaranteed admission to every Jesuit college in the US EXCEPT for Georgetown.

So, should we expect Steve to show up when UNLV takes the lead, or will he just sit back and ignore this game, pretend it isn't happening, and expect him to reemerge when UCLA plays to fire cheap shots at the Bruins?

Billy, it's "USC" or "Southern California." They don't like "Southern Cal."

The SIDs from USC are going to come by and administer street justice.

See, I'm one of three people in the universe that likes Billy Packer, and he rewards my loyalty by calling Southern Cal "Southern Cal"

You're a great man, Billy Packer.

The N.Y. Times says U.S.C. should never be called "Southern Cal."

Well, my son and I yelling came back to bite us as my daughter is now making us watch Miss USA for the next hour. I didn't know 9-year olds knew what a prostitute was, much less that all of these contestants look like them.

UNLV is raining some serious death from above tonight. You know, if by "death," what's meant is airballs.

Oh, you know, I got my games mixed up. SC is playing North Carolina. CBS switched games on me. UNLV taunt withdrawn. For now. . .

I had a chance in a job interview today to describe myself as hardworking, alpha male, jackhammer, merciless, insatiable.

But opted not to.

Since Andrew is not watching the UNLV-Oregon game, we can deduce he does not live in the states of Nevada and Oregon.

At the very least, the Pac-10 has silenced every critic not named Steve.

If Southern Cal is going to run with North Carolina, they are going to get destroyed.

I'm in Khartoum. Now I'm going to doggedly insist that you visit, over a series of several hundred otherwise pointless comments.

Ducks by four at halftime.

Who is more deserving of a Coke? Roy Williams or Jon Crispin?

Southern Cal wins, and the ACC eats a giant Shtburger. Southern Cal loses, and Southern Cal loses.

This is what I like to call "Win Win"

I'm assuming that the crowd is getting behind USC because there are a fair number of Hoyas fans in attendance.

Right now it looks like Carolina can't keep up with my Trojans. SC will no doubt collapse in exhaustion half-way through the next half, but this is fun right now.

115
Hopefully, Steve will come along and tell how horrible your team is...Sure fire win.

let's root for a USC-UCLA showdown

MWC titan UNLV missed 2/3 of its shots in the first. Pac-10 titan Oregon just 57%!

A UCLA-USC showdown would be really weird.

And very scary from a UCLA fan's standpoint since it's hard to beat a team three times in one season.

I would take a UCLA/Southern Cal final in a heartbeat. Sure, beating a team three times in one season is tough, but when the foundation of any game is "Team 1 is better than Team 2" I'll take it. UCLA is better than Southern Cal.

I don't get into which team is better. The drama would be great.

121 If Southern Cal played UCLA in the title game, ESPN would explode.

Digger Phelps, Steve Lavin, and Rick Majerus would all spontaneously combust. Hmmm....

Go UCLA/Souther Cal final!

Exactly. It's matter/anti-matter to the networks

The closest pair of schools to play in a national championship game are Cincinnati and Ohio State, who did it two years in a row in 1961 and 1962. Columbus and Cincinnati are 101 miles apart.

Villanova and Georgetown are about 140 miles apart.

I believe that Duke and North Carolina are actually closer to each other than the UCLA and USC campuses.

Hey, the MWC got one team to the Sweet Sixteen. That's something.

I guess.

114. That is stupid of them. Georgetown would eat UNC's man-to-man defense alive. Tim Floyd would actually play zone against them.

I have been talking about a UCLA/USC final with a trojan fan on another board since the tournament began. Basically, as long as UCLA gets farther than USC, USC can win all they want.

Floyd doesn't like to play zone. USC had very poor success with it this year.

I think that if USC wins, the SIDs from there will put up with "Southern Cal."

127 Southern Cal will be a top 15 team next year, no matter who they lose to the draft.

Fortunately, UCLA will be preseason #1, whether Afflalo stays or not. Duke loses McRoberts, UNC loses Hansborough, and Kansas loses Rush.

UCLA attracts Rush brothers sort of like the Dodgers did with Gwynn brothers.

I'm 6 for 6 today, but these are my make or break games. I have UNC into the final and Oregon over Florida.

USC is up by 14 - that would bust my bracket.

130
And probably Wright and maybe Arthur and other players.

UNC may lose a Wright too.

For the record, Google Maps says its 11 miles between the UNC and Duke campuses and its 13 miles from USC to UCLA.

I'm betting that the latter usually takes longer to drive.

It's distracting, that nasty "Southern Cal" usage by Packer. Brent Musberger would have corrected him. I honestly can't think of a single USC game in any sport that Nantz has called ...

133 Next year sets up really nice for the Bruins. Florida loses everybody, Kansas loses Arthur and Rush, Duke loses McRoberts, and UNC loses Hansborough.

UCLA starts Collison, Afflalo (or Westbrook), Luc, Mata, and Kevin Love. Or Westbrook and Aboya. Or Chase Stanback starts. Or Dragovic.

Next year's team is going to be ridiculous.

98 But the key is: does she get scholarship preferences?

137
Sadly, Howland will probably play Roll or Shipp over Westbrook.

I can't think of the last time I've seen USC on a CBS football telecast. CBS doesn't get too many Pac-10 games in football. They do have a few basketball games. Dick Enberg did the Pac-10 tournament final on CBS. I assume he got the name right.

If this tournament has taught us anything, it has taught us that North Carolina will come back and win and ruin everybody's fun.

Upsets have been all over the place. Almost none of them have actually happened.

138
I don't know if the education would be comped. I imagine it would be if she went to the same school where her mom teaches, SLU.

Here we go...

I keep thinking about last year's UConn-Washington game.

That game broke my heart. George Mason straightened things out.

Wilkinson < Gibson

140 Probably a Sun Bowl; no Nantz.

Ducks and Rebels have combined to jack up 43 3-point attempts.

The record for two teams is 66 by UCLA and Cincinnati.

135 Yes, but it's shorter if you take San Vicente. (standard reply to any L.A. driving distance!)

143 ... and UNC closes to 8, while UNLV is still down double-digits.

142 They could send her to LMU and save money by having her live with you! (Horrible commute likely.)

150

South Pas to Westchester? Eeeww...

Of course, this girl is just having her First Communion in a few weeks, so college is a bit down the road.

Anybody who thought Southern Cal was winning this game hasn't watched a minute of this NCAA tournament.

This is what the lower seeds have done. The basketball equivalent of your first female encounter...Looks good...Going well...BOOM! Not happening.

I thought USC was winning.

What is this "Southern Cal" you speak of?

Taj Gibson foul calls are the equivalents of the refs jobbing Brandon Roy last year.

Nifty scenario generator shows that if USC wins tonight, I have to root for them to beat Georgetown to have a chance to win this bracket thing. Now THAT'S eeeww. Besides UCLA winning this thing, Oregon makes or breaks me.

152 Just the first?

What is with all the teams coughing up huge leads this year?

157

I believe it has something to do with the better teams winning the games.

156 Your experiences may vary. But the first was the same for everybody.

153 The CBS announcer refers to USC as Southern Cal.

160
See earlier comments on this topic.

158 Ok, but why have so many superior teams been down by so much in the first place, then?

159 in my case, that's the first female encounter with EACH female!

From the USC Media Guide:

"Note to the media: In editorial references to athletic teams of the University of Southern California, the following are preferred: USC, Southern California, So. California, Troy and Trojans for men's or women's teams, and Women of Troy for women's teams. PLEASE do not use Southern Cal (it's like calling San Francisco "Frisco" or North Carolina "North Car."). The usage of "Southern Cal" on licensed apparel and merchandise is limited in scope and necessary to protect federal trademark rights."

The Spanish Armada was up by fifteen at some point.

How'd that work out?

Of course USC hates being called Southern Cal. Why do you think I've called them Southern Cal my entire life?

Because I am a petty human being.

165
I told them not to go into the four corners! The speedy English ships picked them apart!

The Trojans are going to need some four point plays from Nick Young.

This is a no win situation since I can't stand either team. My strong dislike for USC is mostly attributed to Tim "The Hustler" Floyd's shady recruiting tactics. I also can't stand UNC (my dad went to Maryland).

I just want to see the winner of this game get manhandled by Georgetown.

The Baseball Toaster server is having some problems right now. We're working on fixing it ASAP. Sorry for the inconvenience.

The Baseball Toaster server is having some problems right now. We're working on fixing it ASAP. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Ken is doing some work on the Toaster so there may be some hiccups.

OH COME ON! NO WAY THAT DOUBLE POSTS!

The happy is starting to taste like sad.

Ducks up by six with 1:26 left in the Mound City.

175 4 with 0:50

Young only gets that foul call at the Galen Center.

While the final MWC team goes down, Steve is absent.

Figured as much.

I want to see the Oregon game!

177 Yeah, that was too bad.

Meanwhile in St. Louis ... I'm reminded just how terrific a studio host James Brown is.

Good job, Timmeh! Nice poise.

So Billy Packer, why is it not OK to call travelling on Green of Georgetown, but it is OK to call an illegal screen on Gibson of USC?

Tell me.

I want answers, Packer.

You miserable waste of genetic material.

You are so phony.

You are a piece of crap.

If I were Southern Cal's couch, I'd send in one of my disposable players to pop the ref in the mouth.

I saw three obvious fouls on Hansbrough not called, which I'm sure is part of the issue there: protecting star players. East Coast Biased refs.

182 I don't know that I've ever seen you so emphatic. Not even during a Notre Dame game.

I am impressed.

From now on, I will not mention B---- P-----'s name here.

He is beyond the pale.

He is Digger Phelps.

UNLV hoped for the late miracle. Given the shooting percentages - in all categories - in that game, the miracle was that UNLV was in it at all:

Team FG 3Pt FT
--------------------
UNLV .378 .273 .583
Ore .469 .565 .773

Of course, UNLV did take 25 more shots.

Anyway, in the calm world, jkm1927 and Trojan Ron are tied for first.

Three people are one point behind.

182 He got the matchup he wanted. How he was able to maintain his verbal erection for both Georgetown and North Carolina over the past five hours, I'll never know.

186 Wow, I have no idea how Billy Packer reaches Digger Phelps status after that game.

Not that I'm arguing...or disagreeing...or finding fault with your opinion

{walks away slowly, backwards, with hands up}

186 I smell an on-notice or dead to me list update.

188 SB and I are two of those three.

The third person is "Prince's March Madness."

The combined total of all the seeds in the elite eight is 13 (4*1+3*2+1*3). Last year's final four totaled 20 (2+3+4+11).

CBS wasn't very impressed with Tajuan Porter's 33 point effort tonight. I call East Coast bias.

190

He Who Shall Not Be Named does not realize how contradictory he is. His internal logic is idiotic.

He also subscribes to a theory that somehow USC players perspired more than UNC players.

Anagrams (courtesy of Internet Anagram Server):

A Belly Prick
Ball Prick Ye

193 There is great separation coming between Mr./Ms. Prince and me, for interestingly enough, he/she and I have the same Elite Eight and entirely different Final Fours.

196
Billy Packer has now reached Digger Phelps status and Tom Marvolo Riddle / Voldemort status. Good job, Billy/Lord Thingy. You have made a powerful enemy tonight.

Wow.

A Belly Prick

That's a bit like a Dominican Appendectomy, verdad?

I'm one Oregon win away from a week in the Beaver State.

B- P- Sycophant:

Prick Anally Botch ESPY

Portland's a nice city to spend a night in. I don't know what you'll do the other six days.

Brock wouldn't worry so much about the MWC if he wasn't so scared of it.

The only thing I hate more than He Who Shall Not Be Named is someone who likes He Who Shall Not Be Named.

201 The Oregon coast is rugged and scenic. Just kick back and relax there - it's not as if one visits Oregon for the cultural activities.

Crater Lake is worth seeing.

204 I'm a little scared of the area around UNLV.

204 Oh, look who showed up. Nice to see you could be with us tonight.

Sorry about UNLV. I guess George Mason sucked up all the "Lucky to be here" juice.

So Oregon is left to be the gutty little underdog. Kansas and Ohio State are slight favorites in their games.

I don't see a betting line yet for Sunday's games.

I guess the UNLV student body can get back to their hotel management studies.

205 The Timmermann/Brock Peace Accord was signed months ago. Unless you want to go all North Korea on our agreement, a state of peace exists between us, no matter how the Packer Crisis plays out.

I cant' believe Bob got that incensed about You Know Who's commentary at the end of the game. I Tivo'd it, so I'll have to replay it. I honestly missed what was so horrible.

211
Wasn't that peace accord signed in Dayton? They had some negotiating tables left over.

I wonder if Floyd is going to revoke Wilkinson's scholarship after listening to his post-game comments: "We couldn't get in front of them on the boards." (Though, seeing as how he didn't play any of the other big men really, I guess Wilk's safe for now.)

On a serious note: I do wonder now if Pruitt will leave, too, with O.J. coming.

Lord Voldemort has different ideas on what officials should call.

Basically, they should call what Lord Voldemort wants to happen.

Whoa ... Kobe scored 50 again tonight?!

214 I think Young and Gibson are leaving, no matter what. Pruitt and Juice Deuce are a great combo in the backcourt. There is also the small fact that Pruitt wouldn't get drafted and would play in the NBDL or Europe.

Yes, but you can't deny what Lord Voldemort does on the recruiting end of the game.

The guy knows how to recruit.

On a related topic: Why isn't the Miss USA Pageant in HD?

218 Those on the dark side always do; the temptations are strong when the dark side beckons.

219 You'd see the vaseline on their teeth. And Trump doesn't want his toupee to be in high-def.

216 Lakers won those four games with Kobe 50 or more by a total of 20 points, against very mediocre competition.

222 Scoring 50+ points in four games and going 4-0 is ungodly. I don't care who he played.

That is unbelievable.

Plus that shot against Portland!

223 My poorly-made point is that despite the ungodly - and I agree that it is - the Lakers aren't winning by much against likely non-playoff teams.

225 That's probably because they're not very good.

Having Smush Parker, Sasha, Kwame, Turiaf, and other such detritus will do that to you.

The NCAA needed to bring in Alec Baldwin this year:

"We're adding a little something to this month's tournament. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Anybody want to see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired."

227 That is so not fair. You dump on UCLA all tournament, and really begin to piss me off. Then you drop Glengarry GlenRoss bombs, and I remember why the Ninja is one of my favorites. That is such a cheap ploy.

Gestapo tactics.

Oh, I'm sorry. Those thrillers against Weber, Indiana, and Pittsburgh just had me bolted to my seat, that's all. Couldn't you tell? Who isn't riveted by 35% shooting and lethargic pacing? Thank goodness I live in Southern California and just got to watch every moment of those incredible games.