Saturday morning thoughts...

It's the last day of the month, and for me work's been crazy great! Also it seems my good fortunes have also come with others great fortunes as well.

My big bro's new career has taken him to some pretty great places around the country. Thus, congrats to my brother, who was able to make it the "Big Apple" before any of my family.. While there he was able to take in numerous sights that one can only dream of.. Madison Square Garden, Central Park, Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, Memorial Walls, hell the whole god damn area is a sight in itself! (All I have here is an Arch, two big rivers, and a botanical garden.)

Moving on, while talking to him last night since he was again sitting in an airport being the traveling business man he is, he asked me about the Match Play Event going on.. I gave him the run down on the matches, and also peppered him with hope and confidence that there was no one left to be able to topple his boy Justin Leonard.. In lieu of this I aslo stumbled upon telling him my thoughts on ol McIlroy err young young McIlroy.. The kids still a teenager, and his name is Rory McIlroy, not to be confused with Roy McIlroy who stole the hearts of many on that glorious 18th hole at the US Open..

I mean this is what the PGA needs when Tiger Woods doesn't make the cut.. (Which never happens, but when it does you'll find more people watching the NBA, then you will a golf event without Tiger. Ya, that's how bad it gets)

But just think what if this young McIlroy shows up to a tourney embracing a Tin Cup shirt, think of the ratings! Think of the hype! I bet my mom might even set her DVR on it, just so she can maybe catch a glimpse of Rory's own version of Rene Russo, urging Rory to "GO FOR IT" while laughing, "let the big dog eat!"

McIlroy, and his lady friend can have great talks, and maybe do some swinging lessons and what not, maybe even invest in a driving range... I don't know but you get the idea..

Good for the Government to crack down on them Bankers, I mean first they go to the gov't begging and pleading to them that they need some money to bailout their companies or else all of us American's will lose all of our money?? (In theory that's what they were projecting, afterall don't you remember the WildCat Banking back in the 1800's? Thanks Danny Owens for your crazy Econ classes at UND) Could you imagine people running the banks and pulling all their money out!? LOL, first we need to have money in there to pull, and much of my generation doesn't, it's mainly them big ass baby boomers who have it all..

Sorry for the tangent, but I was happy to hear that Northern Trust, who decided to take $1,600,000,000.00, if you're keeping track at home that's roughly $7/per tax paying citizen in the US. Responding to lawmakers who chastised the company for its lavish sponsorship of parties and concerts at a professional golf tournament, Northern Trust Corp. said Friday it will pay back a $1.6 billion federal bailout loan as quickly as possible. They say it's unfortunate that people are overlooking that the tourney they sponsor has helped raise $50 Million since its inception... (I know that's a big number, but since it's inception? Really?? I'm sure they tried really hard to make that as big of a number as possible...) Also on this Northern Trust company, I will give them credit they did earn $794.8 million in 2008, but since they didn't break the billion dollar profit line, they are going to cut 4.5% of their employees which is about 450 people.. Stay Classy San Diego...

ONTO BIGGER AND BRIGHTER THINGS:

RIDERS>>>RIDERS>>>GO BIG RED>>>

That's right folks, this guy graduated from the BEST High School Institution in North Dakota! PERIOD, no need to debate that at all. As this '02 Alum ran the most profitable School Store North Dakota has on record.. (that's right kids, and yes, we still gave out some 5 finger discounts, but it wasn't a shit show like it used to be. lOl)

So the Red River Roughriders walk into Ralph Engelstad Arena tonight for the North Dakota State High School Championship. This will be for Red River's 14th State Title Banner making them the winningest school since its inception. Also tonight is the 17th straight year that a Grand Forks High School Team will be in the championship game.. (Type in Red River High School Grand Forks, what do you get... a hot chick, an alumni shirt, and some pics of Rider Hockey Players scoring goals.. 'nuff said)

I wish the Boys well tonight.. As they are facing off a Bismark team, which is the 1st team out of the west to make it to the Championship game since 1992.. (Do you believe in Miracles? I don't! ha)


HEYyyy SIOUXxx SIOUXxx.... SIOUXxx YEAaa YEAaa:

That's my best version of what I still yell out in and around the Scottrade Center when I'm at the Blues game.. Ironically, it's helped me link up with numerous amounts of UND supporters..

So today, and tomorrow afternoon if the Sioux sweep the Tigers, which by the way hopefully its ironic Tiger lost in the 2nd round this week, because hopefully the CC Tigers, get swept in Grand Forks. That'll gurantee the Sioux the McNaugton Cup, which goes to the best Regular Season team in the WCHA, the last time they won that was in 2004, with one of the best teams I'd ever seen put together... (we lost a lot of good men after that year.. No Wedding Crashers reference there at all.. wait yep.)

So Sioux let's win two for the sake of all them band wagon jumpers that scrutinized and wrote you off when you were in 9th place out of 10 teams... lol

LET'S GO BLUES! LET'S GO SIOUX?

Ahhh one of my other favorite things to do at a Blues game is to yell Sioux, instead of Blues, and the home of theeeeeeeee SIOOOOUUUUXXXX! It blends in so well with the Blues, it's just meant to be.. So I remember when the Blues were sitting in 2nd place in the Western Conference, then the injuries stock piled.. Plummeting to last place (15th) in the Conference...

Last night I reminded my brother that if the Young Blues win tonight in Phoenix, that'll put them 1 point out of the PLAYOFFS!!!! PLAYOFFS!?!? (that never gets old)

So yes, let' just realize what kind of GREAT DAY I"M HAVING TODAY!! If it all goes well, I might hit up the Strip Clubs and drop some Washington Bombs all over them lubed up Vanilla smelling plastic fun bags!

But if everyone starts losing, it just might be the end of this guy.... Actually not, because my bday's coming up, and with it brings way more fun then I'll have tonight..


HAPPY LAST DAY OF THE WEEK/MONTH!

Western Conference glance...

The NHL has a great schedule make-up currently with thier 82 game schedule..

You play 6 games against your division rivals, and you play 1 game against EVERY team in the NHL. That helps sells seats, and in my opinion is for the Fans.. I truly appreciate the ONLY MAJOR Sport that allows it's players to settle the shit talking amongst themselves.. (And no, they don't use guns, or weapons of any kind, sorry NFL fans)

I'm getting almost as excited for the Blues this year, as I get for the Fighting Sioux every year.. This year, if the team hadn't lost all it's key players that make up over 50% of its salary cap, they would definately be called the most under rated team at the beginning of the year!

BUT, since they somehow wished some bad voodoo onto themselves, they've had to field half an NHL team, and plugged in the other half with an AHL team.. Making for some great efforts, full of heart, as their rookies/young players were the only ones showing skill out there..

Moving on, the Blues have been able to get points in 11 of last 13 games!!! That's pretty huge consider they were in last place in the Western, here's a look as they sit this afternoon:
Team-Games Played-Pts=Avg Pts/game
1. dSan Jose-54-83=1.537
2. dDetroit-57-82=1.439
3. dCalgary-56-71=1.268
4. Chicago-54-70=1.296
5. Vancou-56-62=1.107
6. Dallas-56-63=1.125
7. Colum-57-62=1.088
8. Anahei-58-61=1.052
Edmont-55-60=1.091
Minnes-55-59=1.073
Nashvil-57-57=1.000
LA King-54-56=1.037
StLouis-56-55=0.982
Phoenix-57-55=0.965
Colorado-57-53=0.930

With 26 games remaining my guess is to make the playoffs they'll need to average over 1.12 pts/game.. So currently they're at .982, meaning they'll need to take 32 points over the next 26 games to secure a spot in the playoffs if the rest of the conference stays the course...

Meaning the Blues will need to win 16 of their next 26 games. Or the least they could lose is 1o games. Or tie 20 games and win 6???

Either way this team is a team that has grabbed more in the past 13 then any would have expected and Andy McDonald has returned, and rookie D-Man Roman Polak will be returning soon, giving the Blues their 2nd best D-Man that's somewhat healthy!

It's going to be an exciting February and March!

Playoffs!... Playoffs!??

Ahh yes, it's that time of the year folks...

Teams in all sports are starting to get riled up, and starting to think about the big P word....

March brings us March Madness (the only time college basketball is important in my household. As it's a time to prove to my brother and his friends that one doesn't even need to watch a single game, to beat half of them in picking out a bracket for the 64 teams or however many it is that make "the tournament")

March brings my Birthday, a huge event that it is.. (this year for my bday party I've invited 18,460 people to my party to watch the Blues play the Wild, and also the Scottrade Center is picking up the Food tab!...... and yes, if you're reading this you're invited just pick up a ticket to the game!)

Also March brings me NCAA Men's Hockey Playoffs!! And more importantly for the 5th year in a row, the University of North Dakota's men's hockey team is surging through second half the year like they're men amongst boys..

Or as Gopher player RJ Anderson put it back in January, "They came to a war with guns, and we came with butter knives."

Many may remember when people were doubting the Sioux, and jumping ship when the Sioux were in 9th place in the standings.. I simply disagreed, it doesn't pay to win the 1st half of the season, it pays to be on the giant title wave that is Fighting Sioux Hockey.. (Right Brandon ;) )


But anyway Sioux are in 1st place in the WCHA, and of course sorely overlooked in the National Polls being ranked as high as 7th.. (I think they should be higher, but that's why I'm not an "expert")


UND is 13-6-3 = 22 games played earning 29 points (Left to play: @ #9 Alaska Anchorage, Home vs #4-CC, @ #2 (in my book) Wisco) Avg. rating of teams left to play~5

Denver is 13-7-3 = 23 games played earning 29 points

Wisconsin is 13-7-2 = 22 games played earning 28 points

Works firewall is blocking me from getting Denver's and Wisconsin's schedules.. So my blog post ends here.. Untill I get them, and then I will analyze and predict who will fall where...

You heard it here first!!!!! ha ha ha

It's been tough to be able to put something on here, so stay patient all.. My last post I started on Feb. 6th, and it was going to be a grand story about how I was able to watch a Blues game, watch a girl be a bartender in 5" stilleto's and wearing what looked to be my boxers cut into a small v-piece around her lower torso, and 2 patches on her upper torso, then after we were able to drink ourselves sober we finished by getting so disgusted we fled the state...

In a nutshell it's been 8 days, and to be honest work has devoured my life..

Can't judge the players by their sport...

Last night was an excursion of sorts....

1st off it's very ironic that I blasted a certain type of Professional Athletes in my last post on this blog (that I've been neglecting lately, not my fault, I'm trying to get my tax stuff together, works been crazy yada yada yawn...)...

So last night, I'm meeting up with some friends to have some dinner, while watching the Blues game from one of my favorite spots in the Scottrade Center. (It's in the Bud Light Zone balcony, which is the same floor of the suite level, to kind of give you an idea on where my ideal game watching position is, it gives you the ability to watch the play develop.)

I get introduced by my friend to 2 of his friends.. So were eating and watching the game, I'm sitting next to this cat named Brandon, he's a little shorter then me, but the first thing I noticed was his watch that had me dub him as a rapper through and through in my head.. I mean this guy's watch when rotated to catch the light, damn near blinded me, I mean it's like he put one of Flavor Flav's clocks around his wrist, and frosted it with diamonds.... So it's at the beginning of the game, and he's texting, I'm texting, a sport's agent were sitting with is texting, a Blue's players dad is texting, and our mutual friend is pounding his Red Bull, when a sports writer that covers the Rams comes over and says hi to Brandon, saying "congrats on the signing!"

I'm thinking sweet, this dude signed something..... Then we set our phones on the table to partake in the Blues game.. Then his Blackberry starts blowing up a lil wayne song... Ironically it says: "lil wayne" then his #....... So I tell my neighbor his phone is blowing up, and it looks like it's lil wayne... My friend says who was it?? Then Brandon says Lil Wayne.. Then my friend says as in the rapper? He says Yes....

SOLD! This dudes a rapper!! I knew it!! So I play it cool, and thank god my sissy country music that plays when someone blows me up with a text is turned on vibrate..

So then midway through the period a players wife comes over to join us, and it turns out the sports agent I'm sitting with just started repping the Blues #1 goalie (at the time hint hint, his last name rhymes with Ecstasy)... So his wife is up there talking with us, were having a great time, it's a close game, and then period break comes, and finally, she asks who Brandon is? (I'm thinking yes, I'm finally going to figure this out... Turns out it's Brandon Williams and I guess he just signed on a new contract to play with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but according to his agent who we were sitting with, he tried getting him on the team the week before the Super Bowl! haha LOL (that was his joke not mine)


So the Blues end up losing in the Shootout, in what turned out to be a gut wrenching game...

Later that night though, I find out that a Sport's Cabaret has what they call:

THE BEST CHEST IN THE MIDWEST!

It takes place at 4am in that bar, and trust me, there were only 2 good chests of the 14 that were there.. I was actually disappointed because this sports cabaret is entrenched in between STL's hottest Strip Clubs! I knew we'd see a few of the girls come over to snatch up the $200 top prize, but shockingly only 2 showed at the last minute, pretty much nixing the extremely intoxicated women (except for that one bigger one, she was just sober and loving the attention) on the stage.. You should have seen their faces.. priceless...

Next thing I know it's 4:20am and were running back to the hotel so someone can make their red-eye to Vegas...