Blog Archives
Happy Monday
The 2017 Men’s Final Four left college basketball fans wanting more.
Especially fans cheering for Gonzaga and North Carolina.
The 2016/2017 National Championship will be a great battle between the one-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs and the one-seed North Carolina Tar Heels. Admittedly, readers of this blog post should know I am a big UNC fan. My oldest sister attended and graduated from Chapel Hill back in the days of Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty. So, it’s been nearly 20 years of cheering for the Tar Heels.
With that being said (or written), tonight’s game will be a fantastic sporting event. Yes, an event. Gonzaga wants to win its school’s first ever national championship, whereas North Carolina feels like it has to win this year’s national championship. And that may be what separates these two top-shelf teams in the end:
The difference between want to and have to with the title on the line.
It’s my belief that Joel Berry II was (purposely) on cruise control against Oregon, nursing his injured ankles/recovering from his ankle injuries. The shots that went in or didn’t weren’t of issue to Roy Williams. Clearly. The point is that Berry’s mere presence on the court for UNC is game-changing for the men sporting sky blue.
However, against a very talented Gonzaga squad, Mr. Berry’s mere presence won’t likely be enough to cut the nets down in jubilation.
He’ll need help from his very talented teammates (and coaching staff).
This season’s national championship will be one heel hell of a game.
I just hope two of those heels on the court tonight in Phoenix will have enough spring for that one shining moment.
Have a Better Week Than Last Week.
Happy Monday
Everybody (except Duke, Villanova, etc.) wants a tournament just like this.
The 2017 version of March Madness is in full-swing and this tournament’s reputation for unbridled craziness lives on for yet another season. Upsets of top programs aren’t necessarily that upsetting (as long as it’s not your team) and that feeling has become a trademark of college basketball’s post-season finale played on courts across the country.
On an unrelated, yet related note, The Chainsmokers and Chris Martin of Coldplay recently collaborated to create a great pop song titled, “Something Just Like This.” Thankfully, someone at the NCAA recognized the perfect compatibility of the aforementioned song and the pursuit of something grand in life…
like an NCAA national championship.
There’s some awesomeness for your Monday.
Have a Better Week Than Last Week.
The Cats Are Going Wild From North to West
Nominees often say that being considered for an award is a tremendous honor. And it is. But it’s a lot of fun to win…
The Northwestern University Wildcats secured a bid in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (March Madness) for the first-time in school history just last weekend. The team and its fans erupted in celebration on “Selection Sunday” when it was announced the Wildcats would be dancing in March.
Little did the fans know that their cheering that day was just the beginning of their jubilation.
Northwestern vs. Vanderbilt: The highlights.
Now, the next game for the 8-seeded Wildcats is a date with the 1-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs in the West bracket.
Going by common sense and analysis, the Gonzaga Bulldogs should advance to the Sweet Sixteen with ease. Going by the surprisingly successful mascot rule (which mascot would win in a fight), that’s where this match-up becomes more interesting with a Bulldog vs. a Wildcat.
The former is the logical approach, but the latter approach is much more fun.
Going by geography and names, this basketball game will be North Northwestern by vs. Northwest.
Arsene(al) is Done
Those on the inside, as well as fans on the outside, may finally be united in declaring the following:
Arsène Wenger’s reign over Arsenal is (unofficially) over. And as of right now in 2017, Arsenal is (at least temporarily) done as a world footballing powerhouse.
Why “unofficially”?
Despite the chronic problems Mr. Wenger, the 67 year-old Frenchman, has managed (and reinforced) during the past several years as the club’s head coach, he did deliver many great seasons and players in the years prior. Moreover, if Arsène Wenger was going to be fired mid-season, then he would have received his walking papers during the second half of the Champions League match against Bayern Munich earlier this week. Mr. Wenger will, it appears, be given the respect to finish out the 2016/2017 season. The 5-1 loss to Bayern Munich this past Tuesday in London (the second 5-1 loss in the two-game Champions League series against the German giants), again, “unofficially” ended the Wenger Era at Arsenal.
(Press Play, then click “Watch this video on YouTube” and then RETURN to read the remainder of this blog post!)
After this season ends, however, Mr. Wenger and Arsenal have to part ways. This moment is unambiguous, even to the painfully reluctant owners of Arsenal with the power to hire and fire the manager.
But there is a significant risk to giving Mr. Wenger the managerial elasticity to finish the current English Premier League campaign. Arsenal is currently in fifth place, having a dreadful past few weeks. If Mr. Wenger can inspire his players unlike games prior (seriously doubtful), then the new Arsenal manager (TBD) will have the potential for immediate redemption in the 2017/2018 Champions League. But if Mr. Wenger can’t inspire his players to find that missing greatness on the pitch (seriously plausible), then the new Arsenal manager will have to sit-out of the Champions League for the 2017/2018 season.
The Gunners are engaging in the tricky dynamic of Risk v. Respect. Both options are understandable.
Moving forward though, what good is a canon if it only shoots blanks and completely fails to intimidate its targets?
Jimmy's Daily Planet 