Mailbag Addendum

First off: I need to apologize for the lies that I've been spreading about this blog. The first post every published on Lightning in a Bottle (which you can view on the Archive to the right), discussing the type of content this blog would included, stated the following:

What not to look for here.

sports stars involved in celebritalia
steroids
pending jail sentences
the babylonian empire
a message board where you can cuss out other posters
negative opinions on facial hair
vegetables
brett favre retiring
things that are stupid
etc.

we talk about sports, actual sports, dudes and dudettes performing actual athletic activity.

For those who read the mailbag from last week, you will note that there was blatant reference to the babylonian empire. It seems I thought that the Babylonian Empire was random enough that I could put it on that list and never have to worry about mentioning it. Turns out, I will reference absolutely anything. I should have known. On that note, I also made reference to vegetables, by using a picture of "The Pirates That Don't Do Anything", recently, so I've failed twice. I hereby amend the blog's mission statement to the following:

What not to look for here.

steroids
negative opinions on facial hair
brett favre retiring
things that are stupid
etc.

we talk about sports, actual sports, dudes and dudettes performing actual athletic activity.

Thank you.

APT


While we're at it, Mo in NY writes: (sho nuff my email isn't cooperating the only time I ever need it, but Mo asked something like.

With everyone's favorite Kansas out of busting the brackets, how do you see the NCAA tournament finishing out?

Definitely a legit question at this point. It's tough to say Mo.

I think a lot of it might have to do with when Onuaku comes back to Syracuse, and how effective he can be coming off the injury. I think Syracuse is able to take care of Butler tonight, but they won't have the same luck against Kansas State without their starting Center. Assuming that if he can't play today, the likelihood he can be effective on Saturday, you have to like Kansas State coming out of that bracket.

I have to personally remove myself from the West Virginia bandwagon that I'd been riding. It is simply to difficult to lose your point guard at this point in the tournament and not be phased. The match-ups are too difficult, and West Virgina has in front of it two the quickest up and down teams in the country, in U-Washington and Kentucky. I think Kentucky will out-run Washington and come out of that bracket.

In the blown-up midwest, you have to like Ohio State. Evan Turner is the best college basketball player in the country, and that goes a long way (ask Carmelo Anthony) and he's not surrounded by chop liver. The Big Ten proves yet again that they are better than we all thing by putting 3 teams (2 that were epically struggling) in the Sweet 16. Look for the Big 10 to take a hit as a limping Michigan State trips up against Northern Iowa, but OSU will come out of the bracket.

The last bracket is probably the only one I'll get right, as I still see Duke coming out. Purdue pulled off quite the feat getting to the Sweet 16 without Robbie Hummel, but their run ends here. Baylor is a good team, but they're in for a fight against the inside-outside attack of St. Mary's, and then they run in to a very hot team in Duke. Duke doesn't beat themselves and can shoot the ball. I think they'll find the final four.

Let's see how I do with that before we get too far into prediction mode. I'll continue to preview individual match-ups for the remainder of the tourney (as I did below for tonight's games). If you asked for my gut right now, I think I'd probably say Ohio State. There is something that bothers me about when I watch Kentucky.

-APT