Big East, America’s 12, I am just confused!

Posted on March 8, 2013 by susan

Who can really keep up with all of this change in conferences in college basketball and football?  I know I am confused…what about you guys?  The America 12 Conference is now the favorite to become the new name for the current Big East Conference football schools.  That being said, they will not have twelve members until 2015 when Navy joins.

Meanwhile, the seven Catholic schools, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. Johns, Seton Hall and Villanova will keep the title of the Big East in basketball, football??  Set to join up will also be Xavier and Butler.  I don’t know, I just find all of this change a bit disconcerting.  I know the world is all about change and evolving, but this gets so confusing that even a sports fanatic like myself cannot quite keep up with who is in what conference and when are they leaving, staying, etc.  I know all the Big East guys that are headed to the ACC.  That has been the established history of movement, leave the Big East and go to the ACC.  Then are those like West Virginia who are leaving the Big East and going to the Big 12.  Will it stay the Big 12?  I am confused!  Are you?


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Big East, America’s 12, I am just confused!

Posted on March 8, 2013 by admin

Who can really keep up with all of this change in conferences in college basketball and football?  I know I am confused…what about you guys?  The America 12 Conference is now the favorite to become the new name for the current Big East Conference football schools.  That being said, they will not have twelve members until 2015 when Navy joins.

Meanwhile, the seven Catholic schools, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. Johns, Seton Hall and Villanova will keep the title of the Big East in basketball, football??  Set to join up will also be Xavier and Butler.  I don’t know, I just find all of this change a bit disconcerting.  I know the world is all about change and evolving, but this gets so confusing that even a sports fanatic like myself cannot quite keep up with who is in what conference and when are they leaving, staying, etc.  I know all the Big East guys that are headed to the ACC.  That has been the established history of movement, leave the Big East and go to the ACC.  Then are those like West Virginia who are leaving the Big East and going to the Big 12.  Will it stay the Big 12?  I am confused!  Are you?


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Some college basketball updates

Posted on March 8, 2013 by susan

Last night Kentucky visited Stedman Coliseum and fell to UGA, 72 – 62.  Nice win for the dawgs.  This just might knock Kentucky out of the tourney, keep in mind, however, there is still the SEC Tournament to follow with an opportunity for the Wildcats to improve their odds.  In Big Ten action, 22 Wisconsin fell to 10 Michigan State on the road, 58 – 43.  This was a fall with a big thump!  Big Ten is something else this year.

Tomorrow (Saturday) in primetime we have for our viewing pleasure, 3 Duke at North Carolina.  I know North Carolina is not ranked this year but they are still in the upper echelon of the ACC and certainly tourney bound.  Moreover, it is Duke vs. UNC, not only one of the greatest rivalries in college basketball, but one of the greatest rivalries in all of sport.  Let’s all watch and enjoy and hope for a thrilling game!


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Tennis from the desert

Posted on March 7, 2013 by susan

Indian Wells, CA, the setting for the Paribas Open is just outside Palm Springs, CA.  Beautiful place in southern California, a bit north of Los Angeles.  This coming weekend play gets underway in what will mark the first time since Wimbledon 2012 that all of the top four men in the world will be in attendance (1 Djokovic, 2 Federer, 3 Murray and 4 Nadal (welcome back Rafa!).  This is always a favorite tournament for the professionals and well as tennis fans.  I cannot wait to watch and am of course hoping Federer can show his best tennis, something he has only done sporadically so far this year.  Early round coverage begins on Friday on Tennis Channel.  Look for the big four to begin their matches in a few days!

P.S. Top ranked women will be in action as well.


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Tiger Woods putts his way to share of lead at Doral

Posted on March 7, 2013 by admin

Tiger Woods was on fire today, at least his putter was!  He gave a shout out to fellow golfer and friend, Steve Stricker who had given him some tips the day before.  Tiger says Stricker is the best putter in the world.  Whatever he told him sure seemed to work.  Tiger played in a dream threesome with Rory Mcilroy and Luke Donald.  Tiger sits atop the leaderboad at -6 after shooting a 66.  Luke came in at -2 and Rory struggled but came back a bit on the last few holes to finish at +1 (he had been +4 earlier in the day).  Rory also showed a great sense of humor when asked about last week’s controversial withdrawal.  A reporter mentioned they could not find him and Rory smiled and answered back, ” no, that was last week”.

The WGC-Cadillac Championships are taking place at the Doral Country Club/Resort in Miami, FL.  I believe the Donald (as in Trump) is owner/part owner, something along those lines.  The Trump helicopter was sited taking off from the club earlier in the day.  At the end of round one the top of the leaderboard stands as follows: Tiger Woods, Fredrik Jacobson, Bubba Watson, Graeme McDowell and Sergio Garcia at -6, Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Hunter Mahan, and Peter Hanson at -5.

The weather was ideal today with very little wind.  Not much of a chance that will happen for the entire weekend in south Florida.  Tomorrow’s second round coverage will begin at 2:00 pm EST on Golf Channel.  (Justin Rose is the defending champion of this event, and he is currently at -4).  Hopefully, this will be a great weekend of golf with Tiger in contention and Rory making a move as well.


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Save the date? LeBron James is getting married

Posted on March 7, 2013 by susan

The King, LeBron James is marrying his longtime sweetheart and the mother of his two children, Savannah Brinson!  Aww..so sweet.   In spite of “the decision”, gotta say LeBron is a really good guy.  Save the date cards should be going out…not expecting to receive one.  Nuptials are reportedly planned for the weekend of September 13 – 15, 2013 in San Diego, CA.  Lovely destination wedding spot!  Congrats to them both and hopefully a lifetime of happiness!


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College Basketball news…Georgia Tech pulls off huge upset!

Posted on March 7, 2013 by admin

Georgia Tech upset 6 Miami in Coral Gables, FL last night, 71 – 69!   What an exciting victory for this young team on the road in the ACC.  Marcus Georges-Hunt had the ball with five seconds left and the score tied at 69 all, he dribbled into the paint and put up a shot that came off the rim and he stuck it in as the buzzer sounded.  Talk about a buzzer beater!!  This prevented Miami from winning the ACC regular season championship outright, at least for last night.  Way to go Jackets!

Elsewhere, 11 Florida clinched the SEC regular season championship with a win over Vanderbilt and 5 Georgetown fell on the road at Villanova, 67 – 57.

If the tourney is anything like the regular season has been in college basketball, it should be unpredictable and special!


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Have Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard formed a successful partnership?

Posted on March 7, 2013 by susan

Last night in New Orleans, the LA Lakers trailed the Hornets by twenty five points, yes that would be 25 points!  We all know the talk about the Lakers making the big push to get into the playoffs.  Down twenty five to an average team on the road, well, not a good thing, coming off a tough loss the night before at OKC, ready to head back to sunny LA and await the Chicago Bulls visit to the Staples Center on Sunday (3:30 pm EST).  So, what would Kobe do?   Kobe took control and gave Dwight his marching orders.  We are in this together for now and let’s get it done was the message Kobe sent.  He scored 42 points, his job being to put the ball in the basket and Dwight’s job being to keep the other team from making shots at the other end of the floor.  Well, folks, it worked as the Lakers went on to win, 108 – 102.  So, perhaps the selfish (I don’t actually think Kobe is selfish but he has been called “that ” by others) and the childish (Dwight has of course the infamous nickname “man child”) can hold it together and await the return of Pau Gasol and glide this team into playoff position.  Stay tuned…the quest continues on Sunday!


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It is Wednesday, Surviving “Paradise” the book day!

Posted on March 6, 2013 by susan

I usually get to this late in the day on Wednesday, hump day, middle of the week, etc.  This is the day I shamelessly plug my book, Surviving “Paradise” by Susan Willoch Shaver.  Today, I am getting it done early!  Please check out this book.  It is entertaining, funny, full of humor and witty satire.  Think of it as a Lifetime Movie or an unfortunate tale of someone stuck in a bad situation in a hilarious sitcom.  It is the best book not everyone knows about, yet!!  For $3.03 kindle version at Amazon, $9.99 paperback version, and $4.99 Barnes and Noble nook version, what have you got to lose?  Don’t we all like to get a good laugh?  Thanks guys!book_cover_c_rev1


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Despite loss to OKC, Lakers are still not dead!

Posted on March 6, 2013 by admin

The LA Lakers lost at OKC last night, 122 – 105.  It sounds  like based on the score that it was tail kicking.  It was, but then again it was not.  Westbrook was unstoppable scoring 37 points.  The Lakers had no one to guard him, except Kobe Bryant of course, and Kobe at age 34 who had already had to leave the court with a stinger in his right arm (but of course returned immediately) could not stop him completely.  This is not a one man task.  Anyhow, Kobe finished with 30 points with his right shooting arm in pain and hanging at an odd position.  The Lakers trailed the entire game but yet found a way to cut the deficit to 7 points and 6 points at various times in the second half.  LA is in pursuit of the Jazz who are currently in the 8th spot for the playoffs.  Houston has moved up to the #7 position.  But the Lakers are also in pursuit of everyone in the Western Conference from the standpoint of showing and believing they can compete.  They did show that last night, even with the loss.  Dwight Howard only had 6 points (with 16 rebounds) and had no field goals in the second half.  The offense was not run through the post as it needs to be.  (Remember, Phil Jackson chimed in on this a short time ago).  Nash had a horrific first half but made up for it a bit in the second half.  With Pau Gasol set to return in a few weeks (still say Gasol should be in the post, Howard at power forward) and the contributions coming from Meeks, Blake, Jamison and Clark who is starting in place of the injured Gasol, the Lakers will make the playoffs.  Kobe will simply refuse to not let it happen.  OKC Thunder are a force, but they cannot count on Durant and Westbrook making the kind of shots they made last night in each and every game.  Just will not happen.  Someone will put a body on them, and oops…it will stop for enough time that another team can make a run.  Lakers will continue tonight on the road at the Hornets and then return to the Staples Center to take on the Bulls at 3:30 pm EST on Sunday.  They are two games back and counting…the zen mamba is not going to rest…until the task is complete.  Stay tuned…

P.S.  No Ibaka groin punches thrown last night!


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