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Showing posts from March, 2009

3/31/09- TWD's Agenda For The Day: He Inherited, Not Created, The Mess That We Are In

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Image from the Washington Post/ABC News You can find fault with the moves of the Obama Administration in their banking plan. And you can also be a little critical of yesterday's sledge hammer to failed former GM CEO Rick Wagoner in comparison to the President's tempered response to Wall Street CEO'S (though the stress tests of the banks in a few weeks will give a better indication. But for anyone to even bring up or question whether Barack Obama is culpable for the financial crisis is about as ridiculous as thinking the return of Fast and the Furious will merit it an Oscar next year. The Washington Post/ABC Poll released last night, to the chagrin of those in the media pushing this bull, properly places the blame on who placed us into this mess . But that won't stop those wonderful cable journalists from asking the question still. AHehehehe

Elite 8 To Final Four what Regional Finals have in store Riebeil Durley-Petty

Riebeil Durley-Petty Elite 8 To Final Four what Regional Finals have in store The cream of the crop has risen and the field has been narrowed to the Elite 8. UConn and Missouri are vying for Regional supremacy. Now it’s time to see who can cement their admission to Ford Field and prove they truly are that deal at the Final Four. West Regional Final #1UConn vs. #3 Missouri Saturday 4:40 PM UConn keys to the game- Embattled head coach Jim Calhoun’s Huskies have bulldozed through the tourney thus far by an average of 31 points and UConn will look to continue their dominance against the relentless Tigers. UConn expectedly disposed of Purdue, 72-60 on the strength of All-America center Hasheem Thabeet’s 15 point, 15 rebound, 4 block performance. Obviously UConn will have to rely on their huge post advantage. Thabeet, aka Mutombo Jr. is a mobile big man and fared well against similar up tempo Big East team Marquette playing 36 minutes and finishing with 14 points, 15 boards and 5 swats in a...

Sweet 16 To Final Four By Riebeil Durley-Petty

West Region #1 Louisville vs. #12 Arizona 7:07 How they got here- Beat #16 Morehead State 74-54, #9 Siena 79-72 Keys to the game- Louisville overcame a slow start and 7 point halftime deficit to beat a good, underrated Siena team to reach the Sweet 16. Rick Pitino’s squad is a supremely well conditioned crew that relies on smothering opponents like gravy on a biscuit with their intense full court pressure. They force over 16 turnovers a game and typically drain their opponents with their end to end harassment and stifling half-court trap. The Cardinals are also draining 43 percent of their triples in the tourney, up from their season average of 36. First team All-Big East selection and catalyst Terrance William is more filling than a stuff crust pizza because he jams every category imaginable. The senior is the team leader in assists (5) and steals (2.4), and is second in points (12.7 ppg) and rebounds (8.7) Williams is a spectacularly eclectic player who merges trampoline bounce with...

Sweet 16 to the Final Four By Riebeil Durley-Petty

The opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament is done, and although there weren’t many shocking upsets or enchanting small Cinderella teams rising to the national forefront there was still an abundance of lunacy. Wisconsin and Siena got crucial last second shots for wins in overtime, and double overtime games respectively. Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews spurred an undermanned Marquette crew in one of the most compelling displays of internal gulliness of recent tourney memory in an exhilarating 83-79 Missouri victory. And little used Demetri Goodson etched his place in tourney history with a length of the court buzzer-beating lay-up to push Gonzaga past a dangerous Western Kentucky team. With the hardwood hors d'oeuvre having been enjoyed last week it’s now time for the main course to be served. Yes, chalk has permeated the brackets thus far with all three top seeds in each region advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time in tourney history, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing....

Come Sleeping and You’ll Leave the Court Weeping By Riebeil Durley-Petty

The brackets are finally set, the 64 most worthy participants in the country have been chosen and the Big Dance is about to get poppin. Unlike last year with North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas, Memphis there are no prohibitive favorites. Every team, including heavyweight top seeds Louisville, Connecticut, Pittsburgh and North Carolina each team has a vulnerability that if exposed can be fatal. The madness already began this past week in huge way with Kansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Connecticut, Pitt, Wake Forest and Arizona State each suffering unexpected defeats in conference tourneys. Last week’s mayhem may a precursor to the insanity that awaits this year’s tourney edition. With parity and mediocrity at an all-time high this year’s dance is guaranteed to satisfy hopheads appetite for upsets. This year’s field includes a clatter of underdogs waiting to cause mayhem and derail title aspirations. Who’s going to be this year’s George Mason or Davidson? Here’s a list of unheralded squads lo...

3/19/09- TWD's Agenda For The Day: BRACKETOLOGY 505, 2009 MARCH SEMESTER

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President Obama shows his Carolina love in the tournament, picking the Tar Heels to cut the nets over Louisville in the Final Two title game (Photo from ESPN) From the man in the White House to facebook pool request after facebook pool request, the sports world in America is once again engulfed in the March Madness spirit. The tournament, although it has already started with Morehouse State dispatching Alabama State in the play-in, excuse me, opening round game , really starts today as always. As you can see at the site's apex at the moment, the site is highlighting the four number one seeds and their key perimeter players (and you can make an easy case for at least three of the four being the most valuable players for their teams, with Levance Fields of Pittsburgh playing a slight second fiddle to DeJuan Blair). But with this being arguably the most parody filled year in college basketball ever as top teams continues to lose every week, you could easily make the case for the lik...