Pitt Basketball is No. 1
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been rooting for University of Pittsburgh sports teams. My dad, grandmother, grandfather and scattered other relatives all attended Pitt and so it’s been natural for me to root for them, sometimes even ahead of my own alma-maters. So it’s particularly exciting for me that today, Pitt Basketball has attained the #1 ranking in college basketball for the first time in the school’s history. The team has attained the #2 ranking on at least three occasions, one of which came in 1986 before a mid-season game against Georgetown, a game in which I got to be ball-boy for the Pitt team, which included Charles Smith, Jerome Lane and Sean Miller. Sadly, as Pitt teams have done on a number of occasions, they lost that game in embarrassing fashion to a much better Georgetown squad. Recent Pitt teams during the Jamie Dixon era have been different though and last year, they rebounded from several devastating injuries and a sluggish regular season finish to win the Big East Tournament. They haven’t made a serious run in the NCAA Tournament yet, but this could be the year. Most of their starters are back and the team seems to be gelling.
At the beginning of last season, I had the opportunity to attend the Duke vs Pitt game at MSG, a dream of sorts. My alma-mater versus my family school. Interestingly enough, I found myself pulling for Pitt down the stretch, and when Levance Fields hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, I was thrilled. This year, I’ll get to see a few more Pitt games and the Big East Tournament looks like it may be one of the best ever, given the dominance of this year’s league. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Pitt may finally have all the ingredients to make a real run at a Final Four and National Championship.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Pittsburgh Is No. 1 for First Time
- Pitt earns No. 1 slot in AP hoops poll for 1st time
- Overpowering Blair sends No. 5 Pitt to breezy win
- Sixth-ranked Panthers make easy work of RedHawks
First wipeout of the year, first comparison to Derek Jeter
Walking to the subway this morning, I executed a nice wipeout crossing the street. It was one of those slides where a save is not even worth considering. By the time the thought would have crossed my mind, I was already making snow angels in the middle of the street. The woman behind me extended a hand asking if I was okay. I thought that was the extent of my embarassment. Then, on the other side of the street, some guy rolled down his window and yelled out, “You look like Derek Jeter…Safe!!” Thanks dude. I’ll take a comparison to Jeter any day.
“Liquid Evil Made Nice” wins chili cook-off! Going for three-peat in 2008…
The 2nd annual super bowl chili cook-off is in the books and this year brought out some unique creations. There was a Smokey Hobo Bean mix submitted by Kevin. Also, an overnight-simmered Nobody’s Fool Wheatberry Delight from Jessi. But for the second year in a row, I think my Liquid Evil Made Nice (adapted from Liquid Evil) took home the crown, in what may represent the first sport over which I can confidently proclaim some dominance. Granted, there were no official judges or voting and two entrants dropped out at the last minute, but the whispers around the room all echoed in unison…Liquid Evil reigned supreme. The recipe called for an absurd variety and quantity of peppers – pablano, jalapeno, habanero and others, half of which are still in a sealed plastic bag, and a quarter of which were chopped then tossed in the trash after realizing what might be in store. Apparently Nebraskans can hold their spice:) The 25% that I chopped and peeled (sadly gloveless) caused such burning and irritation on my fingers, I was uncomfortable most of the night. A few of my fingers are tingly today….cooking lesson learned.
At Yankees game for Dad’s 60th birthday
Took Dad to the Yankees-Mariners game yesterday for his 60th birthday. It was the first time he had been to Yankee Stadium. I think the last time we went to a ballgame together was April 6, 1992 for the opening of Camden Yards. Before that, it was Pirates-Mets at Three Rivers in the mid-80s when I was the batboy for the Pirates and there was a bench-clearing brawl.
Baseball games in America are the quintessential father-son activity. Few activites create the type of nostalgia, harkening you back to days of yore like an afternoon at the ballpark. Everyone is a kid again at a baseball game, confirmed by the guy in his mid-60s sitting next to us diligently recording the game in his scorebook. After arriving late in the middle of the 2nd inning, my father, the consummate multi-tasker, shut off his cell phone and began to focus some time in the 4th. "Is Jeter third in the lineup?" When confirmed, he added "We’re watching a perfect game so far." Later, when Nick Green was walked in the 6th, he remarked, "they just walked a .157 batter." Needless to say, I was impressed with his baseball astuteness.
In the first few innings, he repeatedly expressed his surprise at the 54,000 out for an afternoon game in the middle of the week – "don’t these people work." Leaving the game, however, his mind considerably calmed, he commented, "I forgot how much fun baseball games are….we should do this more often."
Puma v Adidas in world cup finals
In a sideplot that some may have missed, Adidas (France) was going up against arch-rival Puma (Italy) in the world cup final match. The two companies have a storied history, having been birthed in the same German factory by two brothers who later parted ways, leaving a lasting mark on the town. BBC’s coverage of the story was interesting.
World cup – Who should I cheer for?
World Development Movement put together this ranking of countries competing in the world cup on ten separate economic and political issues. The data comes from recognised sources such as the UN and World Bank. From the WDM: "The issues themselves were chosen by WDM based on the criteria that we as globally concerned football fans might consider when choosing who to support when our home team isn’t playing (or if they didn’t qualify)." The data tables are particularly striking when you look at a country the size of Ghana and any superpower side by side.
World Cup – Ghana
I was lucky enough to catch most of the Ghana-Czech world cup match yesterday. In the biggest upset of the world cup thus far, Ghana controlled the match and beat Czech Republic 2-0. Getting behind Ghana wasn’t difficult for me. They are one of the smallest and poorest countries repsented in the tournament. After the match, defender John Paintsil raised an Israeli flag in celebration. After some research, I discovered that Paintsil has played in the Israeli soccer league for several years, currently with Hapoel Tel Aviv and previously with Maccabbi Tel Aviv. The Israelis responded well to the recognition and issued a public statement of thanks. Unfortunately, Ghana’s next match is against the U.S. so supporting them will be more complicated.