Digital Wilderness

Here’s my bracket for the 2010 NCAA Tourney…for now at least. Still have several hours to drive myself nutty and change my mind…

Let’s go Big Blue!

Old news by now…Calipari takes Kentucky job, will be nation’s top-paid coach.

How do you feel about the hire? I’ve never been a fan of Calipari, he just rubs me the wrong way, but I hope it’s something I can get over and instead enjoy the style of play, the recruits and everything else he will bring to the program. I will admit I’m very excited about the potential regardless of the misgivings.

I do wonder about the quickness of the hire, though. Didn’t the AD Barnhart and UK Pres Todd say they were going to take their time and do it right this time? Granted, Calipari’s reputation proceeds him and he has tons of experience, but still…

Also, Calipari is expensive! That, coupled with what the school could potentially owe Gillispie…well, that will make a bunch of professors and other staff very unhappy. Re-affirms how much UK has made athletics a priority.

I’m just glad the madness is over…all the media reports – many false, many just stabs in the dark – were making my head spin!

Here’s to a new era in UK basketball!

Rumors have been flying all day (week…month…year…whatever) about the status of UK’s head basketball coach.

Kentucky.com is reporting at this hour (as is ESPN and a number of other sources) that Gillispie is out as Kentucky coach. There will be a press conference at 4:30pm today to announce the news. What will be most frustrating to fans, especially after all the rumors about Donovan being in town, is “They are not planning immediately to announce the hiring of a new coach.” I don’t want a repeat of two years ago with the transition…

Will Meeks stay? Will Patterson stay? Can they land Donovan while he has a window in his contract? Will they look to Travis Ford? Can they bring Pitino back? How will the $6 million dollar buyout of Gillispie’s contract be handled by the students and staff of a school short on funding? Oh, the questions…

I particularly like this article from Mark Story that discusses the situation: Gillispie situation not about winning at all costs.

Oh, the drama! KY Secretary of State Trey Grayson had this to say on Twitter early today: “We may need a stimulus package for KY if no Billy G announcement is made shortly. I can’t imagine much productive work is taking place.”

Here is a first draft of my picks for the tourney. As usual, I don’t like it, so it’ll probably change in the coming days. At least I don’t have to agonize over what to do with UK…not a very silver lining at all…

[Via LC]

The story of Christ’s birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love.

So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.

And when it’s all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?

Welcome to Advent Conspiracy.

Woohoo!!! Awesome!!! Phantom Regiment is the 2008 DCI World Champion!!! Yes!!!

When I saw this email tonight, I couldn’t believe me eyes. I quickly went to DCI’s website to double check, and sure enough, they were champs!

**** DCI World Championships – World Class Finals ****
**** 09 August 2008 – Bloomington, IN ****
01. 98.125 – Phantom Regiment
02. 98.100 – Blue Devils
03. 97.325 – The Cavaliers
04. 96.800 – Carolina Crown
05. 94.750 – The Cadets
06. 93.175 – Bluecoats
07. 93.025 – Santa Clara Vanguard
08. 90.425 – Blue Stars
09. 88.250 – Blue Knights
10. 87.275 – Boston Crusaders
11. 87.200 – Glassmen
12. 85.225 – Madison Scouts

I’ve been a phan of Phantom since I was first introduced to DCI in 1993 . (The Phantom Wedge, their signature move, is truly something magnificent to behold. Gives me chills…) I’m not hardcore, but I do keep up with the scores throughout the year and try to go to at least one show a year, though this summer has gone by so quickly, I missed all the local ones.

Through the early season, Phantom was usually in 3rd or 4th place, flip-flopping with Carolina Crown from show to show. Mid-season, they began to consistently overtake the Crown, but they still couldn’t break into the top two, which consisted of the powerhouse Cavaliers (the Green Machine) and The Regiment’s nemesis, Blue Devils.

Then the World Championships came. They were still in third after the quarter finals, but shifted into another gear, cracking the ceiling and placing second at the semis and pulling out an astonishing first in the finals.

The Regiment’s repertoire this year was Spartacus:

•     Ein Heldenleben
•     Selections from Spartacus
•     Toccata from Piano Concerto No.1
•     Dance of Ecstasy
•     Battlefield from “KA”

This is only Phantom’s second title, the other being a tie in 1996…with the Blue Devils. I wish I could have been there!

Great end to a not-so-great day!

Few days late…but congratulations Cyclones! The Cincinnati Cyclones won the ECHL Kelly Cup last Thursday, downing the Las Vegas Wranglers 3-1 in game 6 to cap an awesome season. Along the way, the Cyclones set a league attendance record with a standing-room-only crowd of 12,056 watching the final game and a league win record with 71 combined wins in the regular season and postseason. This was the first “pro” championship in Cincinnati in about 18 years. Hopefully more are on the way. Congrats Cyclones!

Congratulations to the Northern Kentucky University Lady Norse, who won the NCAA Division II women’s national championship game on Saturday night!!! They rallied from two big deficits to beat South Dakota 63-58. Way to go NKU!!! Woohoo!

Unfortunately, both Xavier and Louisville went down in defeat in the Division I NCAA men’s tourney semi-finals. Sad times… I was pulling for both and hoping both would make it to the final four. Instead, we have UCLA (*blah*) and UNC (*gag*). Hopefully at least one of the remaining #1 seeds will fall tomorrow. Go Davidson?!?

Here they are, my final brackets for the 2008 NCAA Tourney…for now at least.

I can’t really bring myself to pick any major upsets. I’m still wavoring on the final four, too, so chances are this could change.

Overall, I thought the brackets were pretty good this year. No real big surprises or disappointments in who got in, who got left out or the seedings.

Go UK! Go Xavier!

Just when it seemed that UK was turning the corner and pulling things together to make a run for the tournament – they go and get THRASHED at Vanderbilt. I didn’t think UK would win this game against a revenge-minded Commodore team, but I didn’t expect to get WALLOPED by 41 points. I certainly didn’t think they’d be down by 30 at the half – while only scoring 11 points! UK had more turnovers than points in the first half! Ugh… I know UK isn’t a great team this year, but are we really that bad?!? Apparently so… Remember the days when Vandy was the doormat for UK teams? Those memories are getting hazy…

Ummm…go Xavier! :-/