Hypothetical Conversation of the Week

Back in January, on the Aurora I had commented on a post with a fictitious conversation between an Iranian leader and an employee discussing lunch plans. See Link in title, but I thought this would be an adequate idea to add to our weekly posts on The Jersey Devil since we all know that while the truth is often stranger than fiction, it doesn't sell newspapers...So without further interruption I present our very own Hypothetical Conversation of the Week:

Setting: Bodie Miller's hippie parent's trailer park
Situation: One week before the Olympics

Dude#1 says: Yo, Bodie-man, what's up with the Olympics bro? You bringing home the golden nuggets, dude?

Dude#2 says: 'Sup man, you gonna shout us out on GMA and get that Katie Couric chick's digits?

Dude#3 says: True dat, Bodie...represent over in Italy kid. Don't let the United States down. The way things are going, we want the world to see that while we rock...we are also totally serious about winning and being good winners, bro. Be prepared, rest up and kick some Olympian ass...Snarf!

Dude#4 says: You guys need to lay off the pipe, man. Bodie's been gone for a week already. He had photo shoots and stuff. Remember, he wanted to go early and hit the bars and check out the scene...Seriously, put the bong down.

Brad Pitt says: Yo Bodie, pick up a six pack and some cleaning products while your out.

Dude#4 says: Bodie's gone dude...put the bong down.

Brad Pitt says: Don't condescend me, man.

Update (because no-one cares)

Well folks sorry I haven't been around too much lately, IM sure you noticed, but I went and got myself a job, I know I am ashamed of myself for it already. The funny part about this job is that its all computers, even the phone is answered and rings through the computer and I don't even have a desk there yet, let alone a computer. So its kinds of an ideal job, I get paid for nothing until they set me up a desk. IM sure I just cursed myself and when I get in today it will all be there ready to go. Oh well, good things cant last forever, I blame Murphy and his stupid Law.

For those of you who don't know the Craic-Head has been sold into relationship slavery and has been uprooted and moved far away into the abyss of Bedminster NJ. This wouldn't be so bad except that the poor lad is miles from a liquor store or bar, towns and highways away from friends and family. And being the good friends and family we are none of us will go visit him because, well, frankly were lazy. He has fallen to the darkside not even the light of bagpipe practice and whiskey can show him the way to the light. According to my source who will remain nameless, The B, he has tendered his resignation to the pipeband and now will be living a life in solitude from his "no good bagpipe friends!" I was going to plan a jailbreak but that never works out to well for the Irish, someone always dies going over the wall.

Now I know that the Gadfly will jump in here and give all kinds of reasons on why this is a good thing and that I and others will understand better when were are in a relationship similar to Gadfly's and Craic-Head. (his typical excuse when he's not allowed out to play) But I say that's bunk and to keep your "Driving to Conn., bored out of my mind, wife's tool-bag friends" yap closed!

Gadfly was lucky to be out of town a little because The Mattress Cowboys were out again this weekend and looking for a new home to ravage and we all know the like to make the Gadflys life hard. (burn!, burn!, spill!, spill!, punch!, punch!)

Now my new job for today will be a late night, so I expect there to be a 30pack of the REDDOG at the B-Square Bar and large bowl of pretzels, followed by a viewing of the Family Guy and a round or two of Grand Theft Auto or heads will roll!

Oh and Thanks to all who attended the BLESSING OF THE TRI COLORS this weekend and hope to see you all at the St. Paddy's Day Party in March!

Craic-Head let me know when you need a map and a compass to find your way back to MO-TOWN for beers and a WEE Touch!

FAMILY GUY QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND

Peter Griffin calls Lois while he rides an elephant:

"Look Lois, the two symbols of the Republican Party: an elephant, and a big fat white guy who is threatened by change."

Which one are you?

Have a Great Weekend!

The Jersey Devil Lives

Bruce Springsteen !!!

Performers: Bruce Springsteen
Location: Veteran's Memorial Coliseum (New Haven, CT)
Photographer: Joseph Sia
Date: Aug 25, 1978



check out this site, some cool stuff for sale...all original photos and posters from the collection of a music producer who passed away...cash in because he cant

Freak Of The Week

First Ozzie Guillen was quoted by SI as saying,"He knew he wasn't going to play for the Dominicans. He's not a Dominican. I hate hypocrites. He's full of (bleep),"

Then he quickly changed his tune and tried to take it all back by saying, "I don't call him a hypocrite in that way. Alex is not a hypocrite. I was just trying to say he doesn't have to please people. He doesn't have to make people from the United States or from the Dominican Republic or from Venezuela happy. When you do that, you sound like you are a hypocrite. You say, 'Hey I want to play for the United States and that's the team I belong on,' move on and that's it."

Earlier this month, Guillen chose not to go to the White House when he was informed that only the team would be making the trip which is pretty standard. Did his family win the World Series or was it his team? This guy is a joke...he obviously thinks A-Rod is a hypocrite but he doesn't have the juevos or conviction to stand by the stupid things constantly coming out of his mouth. Guillen has always been a classless joke but now that he's got a little bit of clout in baseball with a World Series Title under his belt, you can bet we'll hear more ignorant blanketed statements from this loser...and I predict it will get him fired eventually.

This in response from Ken Williams, the White Sox GM after having to put out the fire that his idiot manager ignited, "Ozzie is still growing into his position and the responsibility of his position, as well as am I," Williams said. "We'll continue to evolve in a way that is first class. ... We want to win in a first-class manner and be known as a first-class organization. We got a little bit of work to do, but we'll keep at it."

Please See Link in Title for the Previous Freak (Kerwin) of the Week

Seton Hall Up-Down (Beware Digger Phelps)

I was not going to post on SHU until after the NCAA releases their RPI tomorrow, but I also thought the Hall would beat St. John's. I'm sure that is exactly what Digger Phelps thought Monday night when he proclaimed that "Seton Hall is IN" the NCAA tournament during the Syracuse-West Virginia half time show. I like Digger, especially the way he coordinates his useless highlighter with his tie. But when he made that statement, I thought to myself that this is not a good thing. When two national media figures (Len Elmore also jumped on the Seton Hall bandwagon Monday) cited SHU as a near certainty for the NCAA tournament, AFTER losing to Notre Dame, I feared the worst. On Tuesday night, those fears were confirmed. SJU 58-SHU 47.

This was a disappointing week for the Hall. Coming off the big win against West Virginia, the Pirates lost to Notre Dame and St. John's. Both Notre Dame and St. John's are decent teams in their own right, but both are teams the Hall should beat. A team that goes to Raleigh and beats N.C. State, a team that goes to Syracuse and beats the Orangemen in their dome should win these games. In both instances, the Hall played their opponents game. They tried to run and gun with Notre Dame, and lost. Running and gunning is not the Pirates game. For all my sour grapes and sniping about officials, that is the biggest reason for the blow out loss to UConn. The St. John's game is more bothersome, due to the fact that they became as sloppy as the Red Storm. If, in either game, they had controlled the tempo and worked for the open basket, they probably could have won. Instead, they lost to Notre Dame in one of their highest scoring efforts of the year, and lost to St. John's in one of their sloppiest efforts of the year.

If the Pirates can win at DePaul and beat Cincinatti at home, they are probably on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. If they add a win at Pitt in the season finale they are (as Digger would say) "IN." Regardless of the ultimate outcome, I think this Pirate team has had a fantastic year. It wasn't always pretty, but this team has done a great job against a very tough schedule. They have done this Seton Hall alumnus (twice over, mind you) proud.

HAZARD ZET FORWARD

Bin Laden Vows Never to Be Captured Alive

Well who wants him alive anyway...Save the world some pain and money and time and shoot a five dollar bullet in his forehead and be done with it...Oh, and have a nice day!

Family Guy Quote of the Weekend

Peter: Hey hey I got an idea. Lets play "I Never." You got to drink if you did the thing that the person says they never did.
Cleveland: Oh I got one, I never slept with a women with the lights on.(They all drink.)
Joe: I'll go next, uh I never had sex with Cleveland's wife.(Quagmire and Cleveland drink.)
Peter: alright lets see uh, I never did a chick in a Logan airport bathroom.(Only Quagmire drinks.)
****About 33 drinks later****
Peter: God lets see what else is there um...I never gave a reach-around to a spider monkey while reciting the Pledge of Alligence.
Quagmire: Oh God.(Quagmire takes a drink.)
Joe: I uh I never picked up an illegal alien at Home Depot to take home a choke me while I touch myself.
Quagmire: Oh come on!(Quagmire drinks again.)
Peter: I never did the same thing except with someone from Joann Fabrics.
Quagmire: Oh God this is ridiculous. You guys suck! (Drinks more and passes out.)

The New & Improved Weekly Top Ten List

Over at the Aurora, I had promised, that Rhidonculous Rhino, I would not post regarding baseball until the season started...however, I have made no such promises to the rowdy rollicking Jersey Devils aligned with this blog. Besides, pitchers & catchers are already showing up in camp so I figured "what the hey", want to hear it, here it goes. There are those of you out there who are on the fence, you wear half a Mets/half a Yankees jersey and say this kind of garbage,"I like 'em both" and it makes me sick. Pick a side sucker because the bell is about to ring so let's get ready to rumble...For those of you who are undecided, let me help you out...Reposted & updated from an earlier post:

The Top Ten Reasons The Mets are Better than The Yankees...to Real Fans
Can I have a drum roll please...And the Top Ten Reason the Mets are Better than the Yankees Are:

10.) Our very own Nacho Cheese Sauce, because while the Yanks are just cheezy, we are the straw that stirs the sauce...and that's not 'cho cheese!

9.) Mr. Met isn't just a mascot. Seriously, he is just a normal Met fan with a grossly swollen dome. Sure, the Yanks have Freddie Sez with his stupid Yankee propagandist signs but as far as me and Mr.Met are concerned, Freddie sez, "A-rod likes it in the keister and so does Freddie". Just a sidenote but the original Mets mascot was a donkey and that is still better than some obnoxious elderly man.

Click on Donkey to Know Know Know Him

8.) Colors. We are a combination of the Brooklyn Dodgers & the New York Giants. We carry on where the Duke, Jackie, The Say Hey Kid, Dem Bums, & the New York Baseball Giants left off...They hated the Yankees. They loved baseball and the greatest city in the world. They are us. White, Black, Gray, Orange & Blue. Our Colors. Our New York Baseball team. The Major League Baseball team. Period.

7.) "Ya Gotta believe" & "The Miracle Mets" are the lovable losers who win. The Yankees are the Evil Empire. Ya' know it's true so don't even argue with me, Freddie or should I say:

Lord Vader?

6.) Smoking. This probably won't last forever but for now you can smoke outside at Shea Stadium. You can smoke in the runways which are open air. For all the knocks on La Shea, it is not a claustrophobic place (eg - Spankme Stadium). On the ramps running inside the stadium, you can smoke your brains out...It is the final bastion of hope for smokers in a world full of second hand hating. At Yankee stadium, they have a picnic area that is completely outdoors. Can you smoke outside in this area? Of course not...Can you go outside, have a cigarette and come back in...? No pass out and return...Shea is a cigarette smokers paradise.

5.) The 1986 beer guzzling, fist fighting, cursing, hard nosed, and most importantly World Series winning New York Metropolitans or the Scum Bunch as they called themselves. They are the standard and perhaps ESPN put them on the list of greatest teams at #6 (or something like that) but Mets fans know they were #1. They weren't your run of the mill don't laugh, cry, hug, fight, or be human for that matter Yankee team. They were a team, a family and they were the best I ever saw playing together on the diamond and off of it. Read Bats by Davey Johnson...they were as crazy as they were good.

4.) Alex Rodriguez, A-Rod, or Mrs.Jeter...Whatever, you want to call him, I am just glad that he isn't on our team...Note: I felt this way about that evil inbred Clemens as well...Sorry Texans

As if an intelligent person such as yourself would need any more reasons after this, I will nonetheless provide the top three reasons the Metropolitans are a better team to root, root, root for:

3.) Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches. I'm not exactly sure what food is popular at Yankee Stadium (Me thinks it's probably peanuts or some other form of nuts. Yankees & their fans like nuts in their mouths) and I've been there a million times. But I do know that if you go to La Shea, one has to pick up a Sausage & Pepper sandwich. They are Met-xcellent.

2.) Casey Stengel, Gil Hodges, Davey Johnson, Bobby V., And now Willie Randolph...Our managers tend to be characters. They either sound funny, act funny or say funny stuff...They don't ever look asleep on the bench like some managers (namely Joe Torre). They rant and rave like Davey, they win like Gil Hodges with less talent, some wear disguises like Bobby & sometimes they make low budget commercials for national food chains like Willie Randolph...With that I have to say, "Yeah there's a lot of meat on my Sausage & Peppers Sandwich"...Yes, Willie there is a lot of meat on your sandwich. The manager represents the organization and the Mets are just more likeable in every way. Even Yankee fans can't stand George Steinbrenner.

And the #1 reason the Mets are better than the Yankees: The Mets themselves & The 2006 NY World Champion Winning Mets Line-up:

Jose Reyes - Short Stop

Carlos Beltran - Center Field

Cliff Floyd - Left Field

Carlos Delgado - First Base

David "Mr.Met"Wright - Third Base

Lastings Milledge - Right Field

Paul LoDuca - Catcher

Bret Boone, Jeff Keppinger, Kaz Matsui (okay we've got some work to do @ 2nd) - Second Base

Pedro Martinez - Pitching

There are many other reasons for hating the Yankees but I certainly don't have the time to point them out to you now (during the season maybe!). Just remember these simple facts:

Mets Good & Yankees Evil

Always Remember that the

& If you like the Yankees then you are supporting terrorism:

Open Your Window & Shout as Loud as You Can!!!

What's in a Name?

When you miss a putt in Golf and take a do-over, its called a Mulligan. A beer can left half full and warm has been referred to as a Kerwin. And as of now an anonymous poster on a blog page will be called a Kerwin too. Is this a matter of blame or is it just a easy way to name a scapegoat. I say its both and that's the way it is going to be.
This is because the anonymous poster responds to a blog with no sense of identity, no personality, but mostly no name. And this prevents the avid blogger the ability to rip, make fun of, joke with, poke fun at and ridicule. And isn't that the point of writing a blog in the first place? I'm sure some of you are reading this right now with many, many ideas on how to torture and taunt me, as well you should be.
The Anonymous poster is a scared, little, fly by night, wannabe. They risk nothing in the lack luster pursuit of knowledge, but they take and take, like a leech stuck in an artery. All these Kerwins visit bolgs and write uninformed comments and take away from the witty banter being exchanged between its lovable characters.
I'm my humble and superior opinion this is the only name that fits these people. Like the true to life Kerwin, the Anonymous Kerwin thinks his tiny knowledge of a subject grants him a vast amount of information to a topic. Just because you read the paper doesn't give you a mystical knowledge of the inner workings of the world, even though the people in your head tell you it does. Not everything that is brought up requires some obscure comment on how you once were given blueprints to its core.
I could rant and rave some more on this topic but, who cares, I know I don't!

Oh and if you are the real Kerwin, I hope you can take a joke!

Seton Hall Update

This picture says it all. Seton Hall, coming off the worst thumping of the season since Duke crushed them back in the early going, bounced back and knocked off #11 West Virginia last night in the Meadowlands. The Mountaineers' Joe Herber looks like he expected a cake walk following the Pirates manhandling by the Huskies. He was mistaken. I previously wrote that I had come to believe that this was a game that Seton Hall should win at home, and I believe that still. West Virginia is a very good team. Their #11 ranking is probably a little higher than what they deserve, though. At any rate, the Hall is still playing some of their best ball of the year (with the exception of the UConn game) and hopefully they can keep that momentum going. The most important aspect of this win, after the victory itself, of course, is that the Pirates were able to put the UConn game behind them and come out strong against another very good team. They are playing with a presence of mind and team ethic that bodes well for even more success as they wind down the Big East schedule.

The Pirates next meet up with Notre Dame on Saturday. This is another game that the Hall should win on their home court. No victory in the Big East is an automatic, however, and they will need to play with the same fire they have shown over the past month to win. After the Irish, Seton Hall has road games at St. John's and DePaul. These are also games the Pirates should win, but are also sure to be tough contests. The Hall wraps up their home schedule against Cincinatti, and concludes the Big East schedule at Pittsburgh. For most of this season, I maintained that Seton Hall would have a tough time getting past 15 wins. I am very happy to admit I WAS WRONG! Now, a 20 win season is not out of the question, and an NCAA berth is only a matter of this team continuing to play the way they have been for the past month. I have never been a very big fan of Louis Orr, but I give him a lot of credit. The biggest difference in the Hall's play has been the leadership of Copeland and Whitney, and I believe that is a direct result of Orr's coaching. I had thought that he would be fired at the end of the season; now I consider him a decent candidate for Coach of the Year. Like an NCAA berth, however, that depends on how the Pirates play out their final games.

Elsewhere in the Big East, it looks like the conference could have nine teams in the NCAA tournament. UConn, 'Nova, Pitt, and W.Va. are already a lock. Georgetown and Syracuse should have their tickets punched by the end of the week. Then there is the Hall, Cincinatti, and Marquette, all of which have alot yet to prove, but are well within sight of an invitation. For these teams, 18 wins should be enough, and an extra win in the Big East Tournament wouldn't hurt. The one team that will not be selected with 18 wins is Louisville. With an RPI of 65 they are far below the cut-off point of the selection committee. Their two road wins, Miami and Providence, impress nobody. Their only shot will be to score some road victories down the stretch, which would push them into 20 win territory anyway. Unfortunately, their remaining road games are against Syracuse, West Virginia, and Conneticut.

The Big East Tournament brackets should start clarifying by this weekend. Based on everyone's schedules, it looks like Villanova and Conneticut should get first round byes, while Pitt, West Virginia and Georgetown battle for the two remaining first round passes. Beyond that, the entire bracket is up for grabs, from top to bottom, with only South Florida seemingly out of contention (and even that is not certain). It should be fun. GO PIRATES!

Freak of the Week:

Anonymous Posters Will Now Be Referred to as

Kerwin the Frog an OG Devil

R.I.P. In New Nersey

&

Please End the Washing of Sneakers in Pools

See:Craic Kills

See Link in Title for the Previous Freak(s) of the Week

WFUV 90.7fm & Beers

I just thought that I would mention that I got to do one of my most favorite things today because of the snow storm. And that's to drink a bottle or two of Budweiser that has been chilled in newly formed snow after a morning of using the snowthrower as Irish music from Ceol na nGael. In my opinion there is no colder or more refreshing beer at any moment in time. Too bad that you need to wait until a massive amount of snow to have the right circumstances, plus my favorite on air personality is retired. I hope that everyone can enjoy a beer and spend a Sunday listening to WFUV 90.7 (Fordham University Radio) music of the Irish from noon to four.
Don't forget that the high holy days approach, support your local bagpiper! (WFUV.org)

Move over Jersey Devil, Jim Calhoun is Taking Over

The fix is in. Seton Hall was ill equipped to deal with Conneticutt's offensive attack. When things looked a little too close in the first half, our Big East refs took over. The Hall never had a chance. Now Brian Laing is lying on the court. Take over your rightful ownership of the grand title of Jersey Devil, Jim. Take your professional athletes. Take your sneaker deals. Take your bad brand of baskeball. Good riddance.

Seton Hall Update, Vol. III

The Pirates won a tough one against South Florida last night in Tampa. This was a big win for several reasons. First of all, it insures Seton Hall of a winning record this season, making them eligible for the NIT. Next, it moved them one giant step closer to qualifying for the Big East Tournament. Six conference wins may even be enough to qualify when the dust settles on the Big East regular season. Finally, the win in Tampa protects the Pirates outstanding RPI (#27). A loss to South Florida, languishing in the low 200's, would have been devestating to Seton Hall. Their impressive RPI and current six game winning streak has them poised to make a run at an NCAA Tournament bid.

With seven games left, The Hall still has lots of opportunity to accomplish more this season. They have an opportunity to show what they are made of when Conneticut and West Virginia come calling. There would be no shame in a loss to Conneticut, but now that they are getting serious national attention (RPI and AP poll), they need to prove they are worth the hype. A respectable loss is the very least they need against Conneticut. A real close game, or (dare I hope) a win would be a tremendous boost. The West Virginia game is now looking not only like a game the Pirates can win, but perhaps should win on their home court. Certainly, a win would vindicate their surprisingly high RPI.

Assuming that they come back to earth somewhat, and lose to Conneticut and West Virginia, the Pirates still have a very good shot at the NCAA Tournament. With St. John's, DePaul, and Notre Dame on the schedule, it is very foreseeable that the Hall could finish up the regular season no worse than 18-10, 9-7. That alone should be enough to get the selection committees attention. Any additional wins in the Big East Tournament would likely only serve to elevate thier seeding.

Freak(s) of the Week

Hezbollah to Bush, "Shut Up"Click link in Picture to see why Muslim Fundamentalists Don't Just Hate America & Europe, They Hate Each Other

Click Link in Title for Previous Freak of the Week

Lá le Pádraig (Saint Patrick's Day)

Now, before I get started, I want to be clear about one thing. I do not want to indulge in any tired old cliches. For instance, as far as I can tell, no one's wars have been merry, and I happen to know a few Irish songs that are not sad. At the same time, I really, really do enjoy potatoes (I enjoy pasta as much, and thank God at least once a week that the brilliant Poles combined the two into the most exquisite food imaginable: the pierogie). I don't put green dye in my beer on Saint Patrick's Day, but I would never look askance at someone who chooses to do so. I do wonder, from time to time, what my Guinness would look like with a liberal supplement of green dye, but only until my attentive server returns with my next pint. With that general disclosure out of the way, let me get on with it.

Ladies and gentlemen (and, uh, gadfly), the high holy days approach! As far as I know, the term "high holy days," when used in relation to the nearing of Saint Patrick's Day, is a reference coined by Irish innkeepers in America to denote the relationship of the impending holiday to the relative strength required to carry all those bags of money out of their taverns and into their banks. I could certainly be wrong about that, and no matter the exact origins of the phrase, the phrase itself seems apt enough for me to use in my Saint Patrick's Day discourse. I will not (for now) get into the spiritual realm. Saint Patrick's Day is indeed a holy day. Being not particularly well qualified to discuss such matters, I'll stick with the aspect of the day that is a celebration of our Irish heritage.

Last year, my brother and sister-in-law's third son was born, and as usual, several members of her family from Ireland visited and stayed on throughout the season that I refer to as the "high holy days." They were surprised, and yet delighted, that my own observation of Saint Patrick's Day would begin the last weekend in February. I was to play the bagpipes at a service in which an Irish-American group that carries a large Irish flag and a large American flag in two local parades would have those flags blessed. It is an annual tradition, a very beautiful tradition, that I was proud to take part in. The ceremony was followed by a fantastic reception, with appetizers, dinner, entertainment, and of course, Guinness. Each subsequent weekend would consist of parades throughout the great, free state of New Jersey. Then there was the high holy day itself, and a couple of parties on the weekend after March 17. Saint Patrick's Day, like the baseball season, is not a sprint. It is a marathon. At this point, if I may be so bold, I ask you, "WHY NOT?" In every corner of this planet, on and around the 17th of March, proud men and women celebrate their Irish birth or heritage. The struggles, sufferrings, triumphs and accomplishments of the Irish people worldwide are worthy of a celebration of such magnitude. By way of illustration, and to pluck just one more reluctant feather out of the cap of John Bull, I say "THE SUN NEVER SETS ON THE IRISH!"

My good friend, the Jersey Devil, used to work every holiday he could, banked all his overtime hours as "comp" time, and took off the entire month of March. I won't lie to you. He is quite familiar with intoxicating liquors. During his time off in March, much more important than that, however, was his pride in his Irish heritage. Those high holy days were spent planning the proud celebration of that heritage, such as the flag ceremony I participated in last year, and not just having a few pints with the lads (although there was surely a bit of that as well). So, as those high holy days approach once again, let's sing loud, sing proud! Here's an early "Happy Saint Patrick's Day" to you, JD, and an early "Happy Saint Patrick's Day" to all!

Nár lagaí Dia do lámh!

That Funny Fenian Bastard

Anyone who needs a good read and a laugh, stop by and check out the Craic_Head blogspot and read

UISCEBEATHA (Nancy Whiskey)

Family Guy Quote of the Weekend

TELEVISION ANNOUNCER: We now return to the Smurfs...(on television screen)

Smurf #1: Hey, did you have a good time last night?

Smurf #2: Smurf-tacular!

Smurf #1: Yeah, I saw you leave with Smurfette.

Smurf #2: Oh man, as soon as we got out of the bar, she started smurfing me.

Smurf #1: Shut the Smurf up!

Smurf #2: Yeah!

Smurf #1: Right in the Smurfing parking lot?

Smurf #2: Smurf-Yeah!

Smurf #1: Oh! That is freaking Smurf!

Seton Hall Update, Vol. II

Since jd clearly wants more basketball on his site, here goes. The first ever public release of the RPI on thursday saw the Big East place 9 teams in the top 40, including Seton Hall. The Hall moved up from 84 to 37 in the NCAA's power rankings, well within the scope of NCAA consideration. Of course, there are 9 more games to play, but it is a good sign to see that the NCAA people recognize the strength and depth of the Big East. The Hall will play Rutgers on Super Sunday in another crucial game, then heads to Tampa to face South Florida before the road gets really bumpy. The Pirates will face UConn and West Virginia next, followed by Notre Dame. Don't let that 1-6 conference record fool you. The Big East is the best conference in the land, and ND has lost those six games by a combined total 26 points, including 2 OT losses. Their past three losses, all to ranked teams, have been by a total of 6 points (one point loss at W.Va, 2 point loss to Villanova, and 3 point loss to Georgetown). This is a hard luck team that plays good basketball. On Saturday, they face Louisville, who has also been unable to buy a Big East win, so one of them will have to pick up a W. Down the stretch, the Hall is on the road at St. John's and DePaul, then back to the Meadowlands for their final home game against Cincinatti, then finishes up the season at Pitt. This is one of the toughest home stretches I can remember for the Pirates. If they can maintain the intensity they have shown over the past two weeks, that tough schedule should serve them well in March, wherever they play.

Best chance for an upset: SHU over West Virginia

Best chance to be upset: ND over Seton Hall

Must win games: Rutgers, S. Florida, ND, DePaul, St. Johns

Kee Kee in the Place to Be

Here they come...Iona, can you hear the boys from JC in the place to be? Chill Town's best baller Keydren "Kee Kee" Clark, who this season passed David Robinson for eigth on the all time scorers list in NCAA basketball is rapidly approaching seventh , sits at fifth on the list for three pointers made, and nailed a 10 ft. jumper last night with .3 seconds left to seal the deal against Marist's Red foxes who could do nothing to contain him (SPC 75 Marist 74). Kee Kee, SPC's All-American guard, has put St.Peter's on the map over the last three years and with little fan fare he has led all of NCAA men's basketball players in scoring over that time. This year however it has been bitter sweet for Keydren since George Jefferson, his teamate, best friend and roomate on the JC campus, died over the summer from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This is the same condition that squashed Reggie Lewis & Hank Gathers bright futures. Accordingly, Clark has dedicated this season to George and in his memory, he wants nothing more than to dance in March...but there is another goal that would be nothing short of remarkable. If he can lead the NCAA in scoring this year (he currently sits in fifth place 3.3 points behind the scoring leader who is a long haired freak from Gonzaga named, Adam Morrison) he would join Oscar Robertson and "Pistol" Pete Maravich as the only players to accomplish this feat. Just as impressive though is the fact that unlike Pete & Oscar, Keydren is a true scholar athlete. Receiving his undergraduate degree in three years, he currently is 3 credits shy of his masters degree. As I have learned more and more about him, I have really become a fan. St.Peter's is a mid major school...but Kee Kee would have been great wherever he played. This year, I think the MAAC is a lot better than some of the other small conferences that get more attention. For instance, besides Bucknell, who wants to see Army, Navy, Lehigh, who play in the Patriot League? Well, for some reason ESPN thinks I do because there have been a bunch of these games on TV in our area. These schools aren't anywhere near the Tri State and yet we are subject to watching games featuring teams like Indiana & Northwestern...Texas/Missouri...Memphis/Tulsa...This is a post for another day regrettably because I can't complain. I found last night's game on the internet radio site for Marist College & more importantly we won & kept hope alive (Keydren - 32 points and getting closer to Morrison)...You would think ESPN would run with a compelling story about an unheralded elite scholar athlete looking to make history and honor his best friend...but apparently not...This is their loss and our gain because this weekend, Saturday 2/4/06 @ 8:00 PM EST on MSG Network, St.Peter's will look to make up more ground in the MAAC by defeating the Sienna College Saints on the Yanitelli Center Floor inside the campus of the College of Saint Peter's Peacocks...Chill Town baby. So sit back, relax and watch some history as Kee Kee and crew smack the MAAC around in an attempt to get the respect they have earned and deserve.

Rock Out With Your 'Cock Out!

A Group That I love To Hate

For you people out there that have ever been stuck in traffic by two dickheads ridding bicycles in the middle of the road. Well it turns out that these two dickheads may be members of a group that I feel is a joke. That group is called Critical Mass (http://critical-mass.info/).
This group is a bunch of wannabe hippies that feel it is their divine mission to have "bike in's" and "happenings" to show large cities that they need more room for bikes on busy streets. They want larger lanes for bicycles, but don't want to share these lanes with the happy rickshaw driver or the fancy pants horse drawn carriages. Their lawyer tells them that they should saw that they want this because it will help decrease the fossil fuel consumption, (which I am in favor of, but I still want to drive a 1963 split window corvette really fast in a school zone), because more people will have the option for safe bicycling.
But the real reason they do this is because need the attention. Its the old look at me!, look at me!, I'm protesting like a hippie in the 60's. Their "rides" are on the busiest streets at the worst possible times, which I feel makes people hate them more then want to listen to them. The average ride, they says has hundreds in attendance, but really has more like 25 to 30 people, is more like the gay pride parade. People take time to put streamers on, decorate, wear Halloween costumes and act like the idiots they are as the average guy/gal at the end of a long day of work sit waiting in their car for it to end.
On numerous occasions according to the NYPD and other police departments, this group after actually applying and receiving the permit to parade have chose to leave their assigned route and menace traffic and cause a disturbance enough to get arrested and charged (a mere $500.00 fine and time served). This puts their lives and the lives of others at risk. It pulls valuable police resources away from "problem areas" and threatens cops and citizens. Police get hurt dealing with these people and their crap-tacular bicycles.
I am personally glad that the City of New York has decided not to ever issue these people a parade permit again and more cities should follow suit.
As always I leave it to you all to make up your own minds and please sound off here. Let me know I'm not the only one out there who misses people with an opinion who know how to express it and not wannabe commie hippies who enjoy being in the paper and telling there friends how the got busted for a cause.

Seton Hall Update

Seton Hall goes for its 4th straight win tonight against Providence at the Dunkin Donuts Center. The Pirates are more or less where I thought they would be at the beginning of the season. At 12-6, 3-3, the Pirates have lost two games they should have won (Northwestern and Marquette) and lost two important "swing" games that they needed to win to have any realistic shot at the NCAA Tournament this year (@Richmond and @Rutgers). In fairness, Marquette is a lot better than I thought at the beginning of the season, but the Hall should still have come away with a win at home against a very young Golden Eagles team. On the bright side, the Pirates won two road games I thought they would certainly lose; the thumping of N.C. State and the "miracle on hardwood" at the Carrier Dome, where, as the clock ticked down in the second half, Seton Hall actually had more turnovers than field goals. So, they didn't get here exactly the way I foresaw, but here they are, nonetheless. So what is in store for the boys from South Orange?

First of all, let's not get delusional, at least not right away. The NCAA Tournament is still pretty much out of reach. The Big East Tournament and the NIT are not. Three more wins would insure the Hall of no worse than a 15-13 overall record (not including a possible Big East Tournament game). That should be good enough for the NIT and the boys certainly have three more wins on the schedule, it they don't completely fall apart (see 44-42 home loss to Northwestern). They may even win three more games by Thursday of next week. Qualifying for the Big East Tournament will be tougher. The Hall has games against UConn, West Virginia, and Pitt, all teams that are now playing only to determine their seedings in the Big East and NCAA Tournaments. They gobble up small fries like Seton Hall and spit them out as RPI power rankings. They have games against Rutgers, St. John's, and Cincinatti, all of which are similarly situated with the Pirates in the standings and are fighting for their post-season lives. Then there are four games against Big East bottom feeders Notre Dame, Providence, DePaul, and South Florida. However, Providence and South Florida are on the road, and ND and DePaul have both scored big upsets this year. Realistically, I can see the Hall winning 5 of these games, finishing 8-8 in the Big East, and qualifying for the Big East Tournament.

Now, lets put aside reason and accountability. In other words, think like a Mets fan. Let's say the Hall wins their next three games (@Providence, Rutgers, @S. Florida). These are games they should win, so let's go with that. At 15-6, 6-3, they will be poised to make a legitimate run at an NCAA Tournament bid. They don't have to beat UConn or W.Va., but they will have to look good trying (see, by contrast, 93-40 loss to Duke). They next will need to win three of their remaining 5 games (ND, St. John, DePaul, Cincinatti, Pitt). At 18-10, 10-6, they would be firmly on the bubble. A win in the Big East Tournament would seal the deal. It is, in some respects, plausible. What is not plausible is that this team could win 9 of their final 13 games, which is what they will have done if they accomplish this. Toto, we're not in South Orange any more.

Reality Check: In the best case scenario, the Pirates will finish 17-11, 8-8; first round loss in the Big East Tournament, first round loss in the NIT. The worst case scenario would be, well, worse.

Introducing The Craic Head

Since the Devil & I have properly introduced ourselves the only way we know how...by making fun of each other, it is now only appropriate to introduce our brother (who would appear to be, but isn't from another mother). The man who calls himself the great one (although I don't remember voting on that one), better known to some a Maitiu Saad (not the boxer of course), a man who will drive to NYCT in a blizzard for a six pack (and that's why I love him), a man who needs no introduction from me...The Undisputed Disreputable King of the Craicers:

Craic Head

Click Pic. for a better View of Himself

See Link in title for more on Craic...It's definition, origin, & such.