sports

not a long post just some quick thoughts

-March Madness....i feel like I'm the only person I've talked to who isn't hating their bracket after the first two rounds. I'm sitting pretty in the only two pools i entered (1st in one and 3 way tie for 2nd in another) and need Memphis, Louisville, Oklahoma and Pitt to make it to the Final 4 with Oklahoma and Memphis making it to the title game with Memphis coming out on top...then its winner winner chicken dinner.

-Blue Jackets....according to this site the jackets have a 95% chance of making the playoffs. I still can't believe it. They have been around for 8 years or so and this will be their first dive into playoff waters. I have been to a couple games this year and have caught the rest on tv except for the occasional one that falls on monday or wednesday nights. I can't believe that this team is playing well enough to make the playoffs. A lot of credit has to go to Steve Mason, the 20 year old goaltender who couldn't pass for 17, as he has tied the team record for shutouts with 9 this year and has been amazing after taking over for LeClaire when he got hurt earlier in the year. The play of Mason let GM Scott Howson get rid of Pascal LeClaire at the trade deadline to pick up a center, Antione Vermette, that the Jackets have desperately needed. Vermette has been exactly what the Jackets needed and has helped right away on the PK. He also has chipped in with 6 points i think in his first 7 games...its either 6 points in 7 games or 7 points in 6 games....either way he's been an incredible pick up for Howson. I really hope i can somehow snag a playoff ticket if and when they get here. I was at the Bruins game (which i still have to pay my friend for....Jody if you're reading this i will pay you soon HA!) with a bunch of folks and the atmosphere in the Nat that night was exciting. There was a certain buzz in the arena maybe it was the fact that the number one team in the east was in the house. Maybe it was the sense of excitement that they might actually make the playoffs this year....whatever it was it felt right and i can't wait for playoff hockey.

-Crew....The Crew won the MLS title last year. I think this is the first pro sports title for a team from Columbus since the Quest won back to back titles in the 90's. In case you weren't growing up in the city at that point or in case you didn't click on that link the Quest were a professional womens basketball team led by future Gold Medalist and former Buckeye Katie Smith that won the championship in the only 2 years the league existed. Well that's a lie the league existed for the start of a 3rd year but it folded 14 games in with the Quest having a record of 11-3 and an all but certain 3rd straight title. that played in Battelle Hall in downtown Columbus. Battelle Hall has been used in such prestigious events such as the Quest winning a title and housing the 2001 Commencement ceremonies of Thomas Worthington High School. So yeah....the Crew winning the MLS Cup in 08 slightly upgrades the trophy case in Columbus...slightly. The 2009 team fields 10 of the 11 players from the 08 cup winning side. The only player missing is Brad Evans who got selected by expansion side Seattle in the draft. Seattle also hired former Crew coach Sigi Schmid who had been in Columbus the past 3 seasons. Filling the gap (theres a weight joke in there somewhere but i'm too classy to find it) left by Schmid is Robert Warzycha. Warzycha played for the Crew back in the mid-late 90's....unlike Sigi he is a Columbus guy. He played here, was an assistant coach when he retired and lives in Dublin (go Celts). He has a son who plays soccer for OSU right now and it will be interesting to see what happens when its time for Konrad to turn pro.

All in all its a pretty exciting couple months ahead for the sports scene for me and the city of Columbus in general. The Jackets are playing exciting playoff level hockey, the Crew are a strong bet to repeat in the MLS and the Clippers....didn't even mention them but they got a sweet new park in the Arena District in Columbus and a certain somebodies uncle works for the club so i may or may not try and get some tickets from him when the time comes. Just saying...if you think i know things about sports my uncle knows things that i don't think the Schwaub knows about baseball...

For the record i know baseball is starting and I'm a little excited but i can't follow baseball from games 10-160...the start and ends and playoffs are all that are exciting to me. Oh yeah the NBA is almost done they have like 15 games left and LeBron is good...that's all for now

song of the day?: Leaves Fall by Chris Thile