Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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Starting about 9:20 am PT, the NCAA men's basketball tournament starts its first round with a game between #14 Georgia and #3 Xavier in Washington DC. That will be a West regional game.
The rest of your schedule (all times PT):
9:25 am - #16 Portland State vs #1 Kansas in Omaha (Midwest)
9:30 am - #12 Temple vs #5 Michigan State in Denver (South)
11:30 am - #11 Kentucky vs #6 Marquette in Anaheim (South)
about 11:50 am - #11 Baylor vs #6 Purdue in Washington (West)
about 11:55 am - #9 Kent State vs #8 UNLV in Omaha (Midwest)
about noon - #13 Oral Roberts vs #4 Pittsburgh in Denver (South)
about 2:00 pm - #14 Cornell vs #3 Stanford in Anaheim (South) [You can watch this game on TV in the Bay Area and greater metropolitan Ithaca area. Or online.]
4:10 pm - #11 Kansas State vs #6 Southern California in Omaha (South)
4:10 pm - #15 Belmont vs #2 Duke in Washington (West)
4:20 pm - #13 Winthrop vs #4 Washington State in Denver (East)
4:25 pm - #9 Texas A&M vs #8 Brigham Young in Anaheim (West)
about 6:40 pm - #14 Cal State Fullerton vs #3 Wisconsin in Omaha (South)
about 6:40 pm - #10 School located in Tucson vs #7 West Virginia in Washington (West)
about 6:50 pm - #12 George Mason vs #5 Notre Dame in Denver (East)
about 6:55 pm - #16 Mississippi Valley State vs #1 UCLA in Anaheim (West)
If you're hear before tipoff of the Georgia-Xavier game, you can still join the Griddle's contest here. It's group 38980 and password "griddle"
Because of an odd workweek, I have today off and get to experience the long day of basketball. I have loaded up on yogurt and bananas to give me something to snack on during the day.
I haven't attended an NCAA men's basketball tournament game in person since 1986 when I saw two first round games of the West Regional at the Long Beach Arena. In the first game, #1 seed St. John's, led by Walter Berry beat #16 seed Montana State, which had upset Montana and Larry Krystkowiak in the Big Sky Conference tournament (that season the Big Sky Conference used a three point line that is shorter than the present line). In the second game, #8 seed Auburn, led by Chuck Person, beat the #9 seed school from Tucson, 73-63. Auburn would beat St. John's in the next round and UNLV in the Sweet Sixteen, before losing to eventual champion Louisville in the West Final.
The Tucson school's fans were quite annoying and I've probably been irritated for 22 years by that night.
I was still a student at UCLA and when I got back to my dorm, I had missed dinner and I didn't really have the energy or wherewithal to go find food. So I ate the only food I had in my room, Oreos. If you are familiar with Oreo packaging, let's just say that "I did a line" of Oreos. I spent much of the next day in the bathroom.
I have not eaten an Oreo since then.
And I should have posted this earlier to set the tone:
(sigh)
Yeah, I'll be watching cartoons and video games for most of the day.
Welp, I've got to be at the office for most of the day. Is CBS showing the games for free online again this year? Maybe it'd be better for me if they're not.
http://tinyurl.com/24pj4p
Cool, I started at 105,000 and every 30 seconds it lets 9,000 general admission folks in. I love the VIP teaser. By the time I get in my companies web filter should have it blocked.
That too was in college
When I was a lad, all NBC would show in L.A. was West region games until the regional finals.
Of course, when I was a wee lad, UCLA won all the time, so it wasn't as if people were very interested in the Midwest or the Mideast regionals.
I miss the Mideast region.
Fortunately, those days are past now.
Coors Light is so much better in a bottle anyway.
That chemical is delicious! :)
You can check all 97 brackets now.
Raises hand.
I could, but my productivity is already at a low point today!
26
I wanted so badly to pick the Bulldogs but just didn't have the stomach. How silly of me, it is not like anything is at stake other then pride and I would be having so much fun right now.
"Song Girls", Bob. Song Girls.
May, turn off the bay city rollers
I will admit I have a "Pac-10" bracket, where the final four is WSU, USC, UCLA, and Stanford. But I figured with so many brackets I had one I could throw away.
I know those young ladies are not the cheerleaders.
One of my friends at those games (a Stanford alum) complained that the gloves and ballet costumes that the Stanford cheerleaders were wearing made them appear high schoolish.
http://www.spirit.ucla.edu/current_squad/home.aspx
The mascot (Joe Bruin) did do the chicken dance.
And USC has "the World Famous USC Song Girls"
http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/IMREC/spirit/song/thesquad/thesquad.html
46 Awesome strategy.
http://www.ie66ers.com/66ers/dance/
I heard a rumor that Bob's planning some kind of minor league game for a group of local stat-head baseball-haters. So, that's something to keep in mind.
You became a stat-hating nerd? Welcome to the brotherhood. The secret initiation process will be in a few months. One of the parts is called "Crossing the Desert" and another is "The Leap of Faith."
I have a bad feeling about picking BYU to beat A&M.
Anybody else have Texas beating Stanford in the Sweet 16?
You're too young to remember the 1980 squad. My brother was a mascot that year and we got season football tickets that year to sit with the rest of the cheerleaders families.
Then again, I was 14. It didn't take much.
I think most people think Texas will beat Stanford.
Favorite Memory on the squad so far: Traveling with the basketball team to Spokane, Washington for the NCAA tournament.
What happens in Spokane, stays in Spokane I guess.
Yes, I do.
I am craving KFC. I haven't eaten there for a few years now.
Maintenance costs are what will kill you.
This has not been my experience.
But I will say that no way does my hypothetical kid get called Little Andrew. He'd be Mingus.
Or just buying things we don't need, especially for children
I recall (or maybe this is an urban legend) that there were complaints about their racy attire around that same time period.
56 That was the consensus at the Pac-10 tournament. Also, dance team members take much more difficult majors than football/basketball players. You learn those things by attending those football breakfasts. But then you also have to deal with Geoff Strand.
UCLA's Sabrina gets extra credit for squeezing in Mitch Albom (!) and James Frey (!!!) with Harry Potter.
If UCLA plays BYU in the second round, it would be their fifth meeting, but UCLA's most frequent opponent has been USF at 6.
Julie Hayek's mom sat with my mom at the Coliseum in 1980.
Are you referring to the shooters or to the rebounders?
The refs usually don't call it unless you are in way early.
Ugly basketball at its finest
Is talking about your bracket on par with talking about your fantasy team? It's more socially acceptable to comment about your bracket, right?
Nice.
I'd hate to be a witness to the coach's halftime speech.
But that was 1939. The record for futility over all in the first two rounds is 32 by Wisconsin against Missouri State in 1999.
BYU is making its 23rd appearance. Missouri is at 21.
3 people missed two games.
1 person missed all three.
However, that last entry is blank, so I may just delete it.
Those things are not cheap.
I hope they do but I didn't pick them because as someone said this is a pac10 crowd. Good to see Eric sticking with Texas.
Eric E went with Texas. Although I have them making the Final 4 too.
Of course it was Eric E, we all know the San Diego Eric Stephen is blind to the shortcomings of USC.
Does anyone object to me getting rid of the blank entry? I want the person who is in last place to have earned it.
But Suffering Bruin, the defending champ, is threatening to become the Joakim Noah of the Griddle NCAA Tournament pool.
He's 7 for 7.
True, but they crushed the Volunteers last year.
Juice Blog (Scott I assume) picked Georgetown.
Ocelotsideshow picked Wisconsin (but they have 1 2-seed and 3-3 seeds in the Final 4).
Only two of us picked Pitt.
149
It would be to much to bear if SB was smart, tall, good looking, put the giggles in the ladies at the library, and was good at winning March Madness.
Your worried about accusing a blank entry of cheating?
Be wary of the Rainmaker
I'm beginning to think it was a bad idea to start this analysis/train of thought.
There's a book too!
I get it. It is one terrible channel, unless you like to watch colleges you did not know existed or see Trev Alberts wear sweaters.
A dinosaur!
I know what you're up to. Don't pretend that you're interested in whether I'm enjoying the game. Just admit that you're trying to boot me off, and give my connection to somebody else. Do you know who I am? I'm a VIP, bub. Go kill Bob's feed, if you need the spot.
Disgruntledly,
Andrew Shimmin
Because it's big.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/Obama%20Bracket.JPG
Bite your tongue! Actually, I'll be going "dark" in about an hour, as I am recording the game at home and will not be home until a little after 5pm.
And, for the record, thanks to some chili cheese fries I had at lunch, the squirming has started early.
/ducks for cover.
;-)
But then, I don't know if Stanford made 7 three-pointers during those games either.
The generator is a sweet tool. It really comes in handy the further we delve into the tournament.
Hey, Eric of the past, what are your thoughts on the scenario generator?
According to the scenarios, if all my picks are perfect, except Kansas beats Duke in the final, I win by one point. If Duke wins it all, I win. All other scenarios, it looks like others have a better chance.
I'm going dark. Jack Bauer out.
Do they really clean the bathrooms between games? I have yet to be at a stadium or arena where it looks like they clean the bathrooms at all.
Japanese Baseball Card Book - $25.
One year of Griddle Sidebar recognition - priceless.
The t-shirt and book prices are reversed although you can get the book on Amazon now for $5.
Yeah, he was considering K-State. Originally, Walker and him wanted to be on the same team. The story goes that Mayo set his sights on LA after awhile. He sent out a feeler to UCLA and was rebuffed, while Tim Floyd was more than happy to take him.
I swore never to bet with USC again.
Hopefully that means that Duke has a lot of trouble with teams called the Bruins.
Over/Under: 1
Despite what people in Berkeley will tell you, the president of the University of California has his office in Oakland.
Because Berkeley THINKS it can.
But the University in Berkeley is not THE University of California.
http://www.berkeley.edu/about/
Better than the North Berkeley/Richmond border.
My 12-year-old son probably has the only final four with UCLA, Stanford, USC, and Boise State.
I don't think either has ever watched a college basketball game.
At least, you have taught them well.
I will leave someone else to joke about which teams your other 16 children picked.
I thought it was a Richmond.
Hampton beat Iowa State in 01.
I'm an old school guy when it comes to 2-15 upsets.
Wazzu 29
Winthrop 5
You pretty much nailed the Wazzu is a second half team analysis.
Yes, but that's taking it to extremes.
Stupid USC, I had them winning their region.
Whoops.
Even bigger schools that don't have football teams don't have them.
They need to give half of that to USC.
I have a competition in me: I want no one else to win that t-shirt.
People count faster in Indiana.
Is Pomeroy a person, or a computer?
http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/1708685
http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/1738879
Too bad he won't be wearing it next year.
I bet he goes back to Europe.
Greatest Memphis (or Memphis State) basketball player ever?
Does Keith Lee win out for longevity or does Penny Hardaway win out for actually being really good?
Of course, the "1" was scheduled to lose to Tennessee in San Antonio.
There's still time for the Lakers and Lost to make up for the bad start to the evening.
Penny, but I have no idea who Keith Lee is.
Sigh....
I was at a divey bar earlier -- The Tune Inn -- where a friend works (they have satellite with all games). Many Duke alums in attendance.
So close to that wonderful moment where me and my band of friends could cheer their misery!
At least I have the option of switching over to the CSUF-Wisconsin game which is on KDOC.
After doing a little research, I don't feel so bad since his senior year started in the year I was born.
So, he starts to order a veggie burger, but then pauses. "Is it good?" The toothless, 70 year old waiter says "I don't eat crap like that." Metrosexual guy gets the veggie burger.
Then the gal orders steak and eggs and the waiter practically hugs her.
And in more news from the bar, a family walks in, not often seen in the Tune Inn. They had come directly from the airport to the bar, because the mom used to hang out there 20 years ago. Now she was bringing her five kids and husband to see the place and it was their first stop in the city.
Amusing evening. Except for Belmont.
It is always heartwarming when you are at a bar and you see people bring their infant babies in.
That's a great story.
Which was the worse Gerald Henderson moment?
1) Game 2, 1984 Finals: Sr. steals pass from Worthy, Lakers give away game in a series they'd lose in 7 games
2) The final coast to coast basket by Jr. tonight, crushing the hearts of America.
The first one was worse.
Nobody expected Belmont to beat Duke. And more people hate the Celtics than hate Duke.
I'm not sure if more people hate the Celtics than Duke.
The Celts might have the advantage in that there are more NBA fans than the NCAA, but in terms of percentage of fan hatred, Duke has got to be near the top of the heap. Also, Duke has been so good more recently while the Celtics have been dormant for 20 years.
That said, I hate the Celtics more than Duke.
Yeah, most young people haven't experienced a good Celtic team to hate.
Plus, they don't smack their hands on the floor.
Thanks.
The Jazz have won 19 straight in their whiny arena.
Even more evidence to tip the hatred scales toward Senior!
No.
They are Big West tested.
Didn't he wear the high socks?
Injury Gods, you wanna back off a little here please.
Yes, this Notre Dame game is starting to bore me.
I suppose he did.
http://tinyurl.com/2kk9uu
But Finch went on to a distinguished career as a corrupt Memphis basketball coach.
Picking against Pac-10 teams helps in this west-coast biased pool...
Guilty as charged. I had the Pac-10 going 6-0 in the first round, with 4 in the Sweet 16, 3 in the Elite 8, and UCLA (champ) and USC in the Final 4.
Arizona is only down 1 at half. Could still be a very good 4-1 day for the Pac-10.
I picked Notre Dame, but I did really liked a sign I saw last week that said, "This year's George Mason is George Mason!"
Kind of unnecessary to say corrupt before Memphis basketball coach.
He suffered a stroke recently.
You need to put Miami in the Final Four to make Billy Packer happy.
Jerry Sloan was hired in 1988, and they ran a montage of 1988 highlights.
How did you like the close up(+ audio) of Jerry Sloan swearing like a sailor?
Yeah, Sloan and coaches' mics are a wonderful combination!
It's not illegal to hit a basket, once in a while.
Just so you know.
Your pal,
Ham Fighter Nation
Also, apparently Dick Stockton has never seen photos of a cliche baseball wedding where everyone lines to make a bat tunnel.
I'm OK with switching from the 62-29 UCLA game to watch a closer game.
Thanks,
Eric
Tell me again why Bayless is a top 4 pick?
And I'm not going to look for them all over again.
I do not think there is a chance he would go that high. He is probably a lottery pick though. He is a pure scorer in a point guards body. He will never be a good enough passer or run an offense well.
I hate Notre Dame.
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