We Love You Gus Johnson

Just in case anyone out there didn't catch last nights Xavier-Kansas St. double overtime thriller, here are the highlights:



I happened to be at a bar (Willow Glen's very own Rookies Sports Lodge, highly recommended by the Sports Dads) during last night's game. While the game was exciting to watch with a big group (included in that group was San Jose's own Joey Chestnut, sadly no one challenged him to an eating contest), I was a little sad I didn't get to hear the sweet sounds of GuJo. Thank you Youtube and thank you internets. Enjoy.

-Stevo

The Sports Dads Take On Harding Park

While I really only started playing golf 6 years ago, I have grown to love the sport. It has been a perfect channel for my competitive juices, that playing basketball or running used to fulfill. This upcoming weekend "The Sports Dads", (Steve and myself), will take on a Presidential Challenge, and play Harding Park golf course.

This whole endevour began in the spring of 2008. My day job is that of a publishing sales rep, and during our main selling season two years ago, I made a deal with my wife. If I hit my sales goal, she would get a pair of earrings, and I would get to play Harding Park. Well, I smashed my sales goal that year, and the only thing that has delayed my adventure was the Presidents Cup that was held their last Fall. In preparation for the event, the course significantly cut down on the number of tee times, rasised the rates, and lenghtned the rough.

Now that the Presidents Cup is in the rearview mirror, Saturday March 27th has been on our calendar since December. While I have improved each year I have played, my goal for this weekend is to break 100 from the white tee's. Wish me luck and we will keep you posted.

Soundtrack for the Madness

The Madness! What an unbelievably enthralling weekend of college baskerball. While I certainly enjoyed Bill Raftery calling the St. Mary's victories over Richmond and Villanova, and there are many voices of the NCAA tournament. The Soundtrack to "The Madness", is composed by a lyrical savant, Gus Johnson, or "GuJo" as he is known on Lincoln Avenue.

Here is the link to the Gus Johnson Soundboard!!! Relive your favorite GuJo moments, however nothing beats.....

Golf Finally Matters Again

Today, just after 8:30AM, the sport of golf got a shot of adrenaline to the heart just like a Mrs. Mia Wallace, in the film Pulp Fiction. Most of us serious golf fans had overdosed on Tiger Woods news that did not invovle him actually playing and today the clouds parted.

I do not own a Buick, nor did I want to when Woods was endorsing the product. I do not own any piece of Nike golf equipment or clothing. And really, unless you are riped like Tiger, the tight red shirt is not a good look for 90% of us dads. While many out there pointed to the fact that Tiger sold us a false image, I would argue that point. The image that was sold to us was that of excellence, determination, and mental toughness.

I have debated the Tiger Woods situation at many a dinner table over the last 5 months. My bottom line has always been, as soon as he is back out there on the course and winning tournaments, the TMZ'esque pursuit of skeletons in his closet with decease, and we will go back to charishing his immense skills. Aside from possibly taking a 9-iron to the temple, what illegal activity did Woods particiapate in? Sure his behavior was illict and immoral, but it was not illegal. Heck, 20 mistresses is like a road trip for NBA players.

When Tiger is teeing it up on the famed Par 3, 16th at Augusta National, we won't be thinkin of mistress #8 or #18. We will be wondering what he will do next, that every other golfer in the field is not physically capable of.


I am a HUGE golf fan, and Camillo Vigellas, Adam Scott, and Hunter Mahan just are not doing it for me. Phil Mickelson is 40 years old and will probably never consitantly win as much as we would like him to. Vijay, Ernie, Ratief, and Fred Couples are all on the downside of their career. The PGA tour needs Tiger more than Tiger needs golf. It's this point that has me most excited about his return. Not only seeing him play in the Masters, but his return to golf will legitimize every other tournament out there. We will understand that Tiger is choosing not to play in an event that the B squad has a chance to rack oversized checks and Fed-Ex Cup points (no offense Paul Gydos or Ryan Moore).


Will Tiger win #15? Probably not, but the Masters and golf are back in the spotlight for the right reasons.

Give him a bottle of GlenLivet and send him to Maui

It only took 3 games for the Golden State Warriors attach the words "adject failure" to the 2009-2010 season. Despite the fact that Don Nelson is only 7 games away from becoming the all-time winningest NBA coach, he will not reach that milestone this year. Injuries have ravaged the roster to the point that the media guide now lists 5 players that began the year in the D-League. As the losses continue to mount and it becomes more and more apparent Nelly will not get the record, the question has been asked, "Should they bring him back for next year, just to notch the mark?" ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Nelson is now 70 years old, and is rivaling Jamarcus Russell for least amount of effort while collecting a paycheck in the East Bay. Up until today, I have looked at him as a "crazy grandfather" figure, who let his players run-n-gun. However, after today, he has totally lost me. The funny thing is, the final straw has nothing to do with the Golden State Warriors.

Like I do most commute's, I was listening to "The Razor and Mr.T" show when they had their weekly chat with Don Nelson. Since the W's have the 3rd worst record in the NBA, they don't have much to talk about these days. They pointed the conversation to the NBA draft, when Don Nelson uttered, the absolute stupidest thing I have ever heard from a front office individual.

Nelson was asked about his worst draft pick, and he brought up his time as Coach/General Manager of the Milwaukee Bucks. Nelson had this to say, " Kenny Fields was my worst, I never saw him play, never talked to him, and never watched film on him, but he was suppose to go in the top 10 and there we were at #24 and our scouts said take the guy, so I did."

The General Manager selected a player he had never seen play, or watched film on. They couldn't find a clip of him in the 20 minutes before the Bucks were on the clock. While this may have nothing to do with the current state of the Warriors, it has everything to do with the state of the Warriors. This is the man running the franchise, and he couldn't watch video tape of a 1st round draft pick. Oh, and he was 23 years younger at the time, and undoubtably had much more energy and enthusiasm than he has now. It's time to take the keys from grandpa.

Go Gaels

Gotta give props tonight to the Omar Samhan and the rest of his Moraga Madmen. St. Mary's needed to play well against Gonzaga tonight to sew up a berth into the NCAA tournament. They did better than that as they dominate the 2nd half and blew out the 14th ranked Zags, 81-62. Gonzaga has long ruled the West Coast Conference, winning 9 of the last 12 WCC tournaments and nine in a row to the Zags.

It is great to see that all of the hard work Randy Bennett has put in, is paying off. Especially after last years near NCAA miss due to Patty Mills injured wrist.

Enjoy it St. Mary's fans, you definitely deserve it. And while you will get to bask in this victory through the selection show on Sunday, one word of warning. This win will shine an even larger spotlight, not only on the program, but the man running the show.

Bigger schools will come calling, possibly a Pac-10 university about 8 hours north on I-5. Bennett has turned down other offers in the past, but will he if Phil Knight, "makes him an offer he couldn't refuse?"