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Bracketscapes: Dayton, Ohio

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Dayton, Ohio – University of Dayton Arena (1st round: March 15 & 16)

Why your dad would like Dayton, Ohio: I have a few friends who went to Dayton U and swear the middle of nowhere Ohio was a great place to be for 4 years. They say that the school has a tremendous Greek life and an active music scene.  I have never had a reason to visit Dayton and my dad hasn’t been there either, which is sort of surprising because normally he loves all things Wright Brothers.

Signature Food/Drink: Besides a few pizza joints and a steakhouse that prides itself on not taking any reservations, Dayton has very little that would rank on a Zagat guide. The most notable thing about the Dayton food/drink scene are the beer and wine drive-thru’s.  To those of us living in Connecticut, the “Blue Law” state, the beer and wine drive thru is such a foreign concept. We can’t buy beer after 8pm let alone do so without getting out of our cars.

College Basketball History: Dayton has been the host of the NCAA tournament “play in” game ever since its genesis in 2001. This year, with the field expanded to 68 teams, the site will now host a total of 4 games spread out over 2 nights.  I would never argue against more basketball however, what exactly is TruTV and how do I find out if I get the channel?

Bracket Predictions: March 15th: Texas-San Antonio over Alabama State, Clemson over UAB March 16th: VCU over USC, UNCA over UALR.

view from Dayton Arena courtesy of @tracywolfson

View from Spring Training: 2011 Oakland Athletics

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2011 Oakland Athletics

NFL Equivalent – Kansas City Chiefs: Back when I played college baseball, I loathed opposing teams and players that wore white spikes. To me, there was always something pompous about the look, like that player was trying to say that they thought they’re better than you. And you know what, players that wear white spikes are usually all flash and no substance. As far as I can tell, the Oakland A’s are the only MLB team whose players all wear white spikes.  The Kansas City Chiefs wear white cleats as well, but in the NFL it is not as much of an anomaly.

Google Search: The bay was brimming with activity this winter. The A’s signed/traded for solid MLB outfielders Hideki Matsui, Josh Willingham, and David DeJesus. They also added relievers Brian Fuentes and Grant Balfour to their bullpen. On a completely serious note, the club recently announced a fundraiser to take place during their season opening series against Seattle where all proceeds will go towards supporting relief efforts in Japan after the devastating earthquake rocked the country this past weekend.

Famous Movie Quote: Pollution. Crime. Drugs, poverty, disease, hunger, despair – we throw GOBS of money at them and problems only get worse. Why is that? Because money’s most powerful ability is to allow bad people to continue doing bad things at the expense of those who don’t have it. – Ben Kingsley from Sneakers

The Oakland A’s and GM Billy Beane pride themselves on finding innovative ways to stretch the almighty dollar. When you’re a small market team, like the A’s, you must learn to be creative in order to keep up with the big spenders. I never read Moneyball by Michael Lewis – sacrilegious I know – nor do I have any interest in seeing Brad Pitt strut around as Beane in the movie version this summer. My only hope is that the producers found someone like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to play the role of the Kevin “The Greek God of Walks” Youkilis. Only then would I pay to see this film. 2011 prediction: 84-78, 2nd place in AL West

view from Phoenix Municipal Stadium courtesy of @djmccormack3

View from Spring Training: 2011 Los Angeles Dodgers

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2011 Los Angeles Dodgers

NFL Equivalent – Chicago Bears: When it’s not your team, tradition can be such an annoying word.  Franchises either have it or don’t. Those that do, wave it in front of those that don’t like it is some sort of VIP all access pass to the Bada Bing. The Bears and Dodgers have it, Phoenix Coyotes…not so much. In general, Bears and Dodgers fans are a palatable sort. Each appreciate their rich history and follow their team with intense passion and knowledge. Also don’t look past the uniforms. LA and Chicago have remained on the cutting edge of fashion even though they haven’t changed their styles in over 50 years.

Google Search: Divorce is never a pretty proposition, especially when every trial and tribulation is splashed across the ESPN bottomline. This would be the case for Frank and Jamie McCourt, “co-owners” of the LA Dodgers. For the second year in a row, the ownership tumult threatens to overshadow any on the field accomplishments. The Dodgers have changed managers with Don Mattingly finally replacing Joe Torre. I say finally because Mattingly was rumored to succeed Torre going back to their days together with the New York Knights.

Famous Movie Quote: There’s a real big gap between getting your ass kicked and having a dancing, singing sprite fool you with trickery and then strike your throat before you even know you’re in a fight. But I wouldn’t expect someone like you to understand that, because all you do is make moves from up in your ivory tower. – Vince Vaughn from The Break-Up

Talk about a disappointing movie. The Break-Up had all the ingredients, Vince Vaughn in his comedic prime and Jennifer Aniston at the peak of her post-Friends cougar hotness. But somehow, the movie failed to live up to these lofty expectations, perhaps because it went the “dramedy” route instead of cashing in with a full fledged slapstick side splitter. My wife and I were only dating when we saw the film and it was so depressing that it caused us to reevaluate our entire relationship. With the ongoing McCourt soap opera, the Dodgers could be headed for a depressing break-up of their own. 2011 prediction: 83-79, 3rd place NL West

view from Phoenix Municipal Stadium courtesy of @sirdk1

View from Spring Training: 2011 Los Angeles Angels

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2011 Los Angeles Angels

NFL Equivalent – Indianapolis Colts: What position would Peyton Manning play if he were a MLB star? My first instinct says starting pitcher because of the arm strength and physical stature, not to mention the preparation that goes into taking the mound every five games. Manning would however drive his catcher and pitching coach absolutely bonkers with the way he obsesses over scouting reports and opposing player tendencies. One potential issue for fans, with the way Peyton likes to run the play clock down we could very well be looking at a 4 hour baseball game every time he takes the mound. With his lethargic, meticulous pace Manning should probably play for the Yankees and become best friends with Derek Jeter.

Google Search: This was supposed be the winter where the Angels opened up their wallets and landed a slew of high priced free agents. They offered Carl Crawford big time money to return home to SoCal, but not as much as the Red Sox. They were willing to pay Cliff Lee as well but he chose a much more comfortable living situation in Philadelphia. These two failed attempts to land a high powered, impact player forced Angels management to trade for a has-been high powered, impact player in Vernon Wells.  Canada hasn’t been this relieved since their men’s curling team won Olympic gold in 2010.

Famous Movie Quote: I’m sorry, did I break your concentration? I didn’t mean to do that. Please, continue, you were saying something about best intentions. What’s the matter? Oh, you were finished! Well, allow me to retort. What does Marsellus Wallace look like? – Jules from Pulp Fiction

Where do cinema snobs rank Pulp Fiction in the pantheon of Quentin Tarantino films?  Personally, I would put it right behind Inglorious Basterds but well ahead of Jackie Brown. It is amazing to think about the careers which were resurrected/preserved by this film, most notably John Travolta and Bruce Willis. Without Pulp Fiction, Travolta would be working on Look Who’s Talking 8: That Bird Can Sing! while Willis would have just completed Hudson Hawk Drowns in the Hudson River. The Angels are hoping Vernon Wells enjoys a similar resurgence this season.  Even still, the Angels will have to fight hard not to become yesterday’s news. 2011 record: 84-78, 2nd in AL West

view from Tempe Diablo Stadium courtesy of @heatherdettmann

View from Spring Training: 2011 Milwaukee Brewers

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2011 Milwaukee Brewers

NFL Equivalent – Houston Texans: Before recent NFL seasons, ESPN and SI always rank the Houston Texans as one of their breakout teams and every year the Texans fail to live up those expectations. A string of 8-8 records has had them on the outside of the playoffs looking in.  The Brewers have entered recent seasons with somewhat similar expectations. But much like Houston, lots of hype (potent offense) but not a lot of substance (starting pitching) leads to a mediocre record. Prince Fielder is the vegetarian version of Andre Johnson and Ryan Braun may in fact be Matt Schaub’s third cousin. Lack of starting pitching for the Brewers is similar to Houston’s matador defense and for all we know new Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke use to be a Texans special teams coach.

Google Search: Plenty of change occurred this off season for the Brewers.  The team has resigned 1B Prince Fielder and 2B Rickie Weeks. Their biggest acquisition was a trade for former Cy Young award winner Zack Greinke who will provide stability to the pitching staff, that was until he decided to give us his best Derrick Rose impression and ended up breaking a rib which now puts the beginning of his season in jeopardy.

Famous Movie Quote: Yes, Pete, it is. In fact, it’s pronounced “mil-e-wah-que” which is Algonquin for “the good land. – Alice Cooper from Wayne’s World.

Leave it to Alice Cooper to deliver one of the most memorable lines from this iconic early 90’s film featuring the likes of Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar.  Brewers fans are hoping the Algonquin’s were right when they first named the land and with a revitalized pitching staff (Greinke and Sean Marcum), and a wide open NL Central, Milwaukee could be poised for their first postseason bid in 3 years. Of course, Alice Cooper was also know for biting the heads off of live bats. Or was that Ozzy Osbourne? I get those two confused for one another all the time. 2011 prediction: 88-74, 1st place NL Central

view from Maryvale Baseball Park courtesy of @sandecharles