Ok, more college basketball

I know this is getting ridiculous, but if this forum is supposed to be used to display most of the thoughts or activities that I am having or enjoying, well, college basketball is what you're going to get when my team makes it to the Final Four.

There was a fantastic article pointed out to me written by a guy who runs an MSU blog for Rivals.com, breaking down the masterful job that Izzo did against Louisville's "unbreakable" press, and a refutation that the Big Ten is nothing but slow, boring, and low scoring. Check it right over here.

The final four begins this Saturday at 4 pm, and all who are in town are welcome to come see the madness - just make sure you know how to sing along with the Michigan State fight song. There will be a quiz at the door.

YES

Final Four, here we come!

Soundings from the FLA

Last weekend in Colorado, it was quite pleasant. An early season swell of sunshine and a mix of college basketball told my brain that i had chosen the perfect place to live out the incoming days, with a high of 74 and the good guys in green winning in the afternoon. We even convinced our friends Zach and Ashley to move in, and they have begun the process of finding their own space in our little town.

We took off on Tuesday for south Florida, though, and are quite enjoying that the weather report for the greater Denver area now involves snow and wind. Ha!

We're going to go bike to a beach, and later drink beer and watch (more) basketball outdoors. While there are some things that i would change about this place, the weather in March is certainly not one of them. Vaya Con Dios!

Travel Quiz

This is the newstand in the terminal we are waiting for our flight.
Using this picture as a metric, what state do you suppose we are in?

1. Texas
2. The Lonestar State
3. Hot, muggy and flat - ville
4. Tixas (!)

Tales of a March Madness Widow

What does wife do why Doug watches NCAA basketball? Bake, of course! Not to say that I don't enjoy watching too. College basketball is one of the few sports I enjoy watching on tv. College basketball is also more fun to watch with a warm chocolate chip cookie in hand. But that's another post.



I've made these banana oat muffins a few times and they are tasty enough to forget that they are actually not too bad for you. You can make them in the time it takes to make and drink a cup of tea. I've experimented with different flours and may try to substitute some flax seed next. The basic recipe comes from Deborah Madison.

2 large ripe bananas
3/4 c buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, use regular milk and add 3/4 tsp vinegar)
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 TBSP vegetable oil or melted and cooled butter
1 c rolled oats
1.5 c flour (I like 1/3 whole wheat and 2/3 all purpose)
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1.5 tsp baking soda (1.25 tsp for high altitude)

Preheat oven to 375 (380 high altitude). Spray muffin tins or use liners.

Mash the bananas, then mix with buttermilk, sugar, egg, and oil, then add the oats and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and nutmeg. Pour into the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Fill the muffin tins to make 9-10 muffins. Fill the empty cups with a little water. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and springy when you push the top.

Way to go, Me....

Ok, yes, there are a number of pictures from last weekend to share, a nice time with friends and views to describe, (if you're immediately curious, follow the flickr badge to the lower right) - but all i am thinking about right now is the NCAA Tournament.

Also, because i know for a fact that it won't stay this way, i'd just like to point out that i am in first place in a few of my pools due to the fact that i managed to pick 15 of the 16 games correctly today... which will now be my answer to any question that i don't know the answer to. Or a question that i simply don't like.

"Doug, Why is it that you cannot seem to get this project done?"

"Doug, where did the rest of the lunchmeat go?"

"Doug, why do you find it so difficult to wear pants?"

".... You know, one time, uh, i picked nearly ALL of the games correctly the first day of the big dance."

At which point the inquisitor will sigh deeply, stare at the floor and walk away.

Sweet, sweet victory. (Thanks WKU!!)

Blocksma Madness Bracket 2009

It's on like Donkey Kong.

The field has been chosen, the Big East has been completely overvalued, and the Big Ten has once again been scoffed at.  Ahhh, it must be march.  Click the link below, and join our bracket pool for 2009:

http://blocksma.mayhem.cbssports.com/e?referrer=MKTG_BM_INVITE Our Group password is: Spartans 

Here are the rules for this year:

• Points for correct picks are awarded by seeding for all rounds, not just the first three (like last year).  If you pick Cleveland State to go all the way, and they do, you will get 13 points per victory.  If you pick UConn to go all the way, and they do, you will only get 1 per round.
• You are allowed two brackets - this is a pure vanity project for me, as it allows me to pick as many of the Big Ten teams as sanity allows for one, and then be more reasonable for another.
• Winner gets a dollop of Fort Collins beer, coffee or tea of their choice mailed or hand delivered to their domicile as geography allows.  

Bracket Champion Hall of Fame:

• 2007:  Stephane Clark (nee Bell) 
• 2008:  Sean Duggan 
• 2009: most likely not me

Here's to some awesome basketball and the best sporting event of the year!  See you on the lines!

The Madness of March

BIG TEN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

Man, does it feel good to write that out loud.  The forces of good prevailed over the black and gold Boilermakers last night, and gave the four seniors a perfect send off for their last game in the green and white at the Breslin Center.  

With this win, and with a run through the conference tournament this weekend, we still have an outside shot at a #1 seed in the Dance, and a #2 seed already has to be a lock.  It feels good to be a Spartan.

We're doing another bracket contest over at the CBS Sports site - just like last year.  Hopefully my homerism of picking MSU to win it all will guide me to victory like Sean's homerism for Kansas last year.  Click the link below to go to the site and sign up, rules and details to follow:

http://blocksma.mayhem.cbssports.com/e?referrer=MKTG_BM_INVITE

Our Group password is: Spartans