The Kevin Show Part Deux

Ok, so I was wrong

2009-07-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

The references to "2 pound frozen ham sliced" are to the sizes of the packaging. Press reports suggesting that the Recovery Act spent $1.191 million to buy "2 pounds of ham" are wrong. In fact, the contract in question purchased 760,000 pounds of ham for $1.191 million, at a cost of approximately $1.50 per pound. In terms of the dairy purchase referenced, USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) purchased 837,936 pounds of mozzarella cheese and 4,039,200 pounds of processed cheese. The canned pork purchase was 8,424,000 pounds at a cost of $16,784,000, or approximately $1.99 per pound.

Whoops. My mistake.

Wow...just wow....

2009-07-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

Recovery.gov:

Funding Amount $1,191,200

Description of Work/Service performed
2 POUND FROZEN HAM SLICED

I'm at a loss for words. This is honest government? This is a new era of hope and change? Not only have we not met any of the job growth statistics that Obama said the country would meet by now, but spending is out of control and taxes are about to go through the roof to pay for a healthcare system that probably won't work.

I really hope that you Democrats are feeling buyer's remorse. You deserve it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to buy my "Don't blame me, I voted for McCain" shirt.

Awesome!

2009-07-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

I just got word from Amazon that not only is my copy of NCAA 10 going to be three dollars cheaper than they originally said it would be, thus being $11 cheaper than retail, it's going to arrive tomorrow, when the original estimate was that it wouldn't start shipping until the 20th. I'd say two days late is a fair price to pay for getting it $11 off.

Kevin's got a Twitter

2009-07-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

http://twitter.com/thekevinshow199

I'm not using it for the same reasons as everyone else. I'm a member of Blogshares and it helps to be able to see who's linked to who on Twitter, since those are counted as valid blogs on the market. Since you have to be a member of Twitter to see those links, I joined. I might as well have some fun while I'm at it, though.

Current Blogshares net worth is $54,383,396,902,107.62. #95 in the composite rankings out of who knows how many thousands of members.

What good music really sounds like

2009-07-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

It makes me sad to know what trash is being broadcast as "music" these days, and unfortunately, way too many people buy into the crap. I'm happy for people like the Jonas Brothers because they're making money and despite the South Park image, I'm pretty sure they're happy with their lives, but they're unintentionally helping to destroy what used to be an art form. Such a pity...

Life is excellent

2009-07-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

Two days ago, I was told by my dentist that he was extremely happy with my oral hygiene and that I should keep doing what I'm doing vis a vis brushing and flossing. Better yet, I no longer have to wear my retainers (awesome may they be, seeing as though they're red and blue) during the day and only have to wear them when I'm sleeping. Excellent.

The only downside is that over the past year, due to the fact that I've worn them constantly and the only time I ever took them out was to clean them when brushing my teeth, the roof of my mouth hasn't experienced the feeling of solid food in about a year. It's not exactly a pleasant feeling.

Oh well.

Oceanside player commits to Arizona

2009-07-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

You know, I didn't go to El Camino, but you don't have to go to El Camino High to hate Oceanside High. They're kinda like the Yankees of local football, especially since they've won a record five straight CIF titles.

However, the hatred doesn't change the fact that John Carroll (no relation to USC's Pete) is a damn good coach and he creates good athletes, so I'm really happy to hear that one of Oceanside's players committed to Arizona for the 2010 season.

Jerry Whittaker grew up rooting for the underdog.

When it came to Pac-10 football, that meant following somebody other than USC and UCLA, the two powerhouses located just a two-hour drive from his Oceanside, Calif., home.

"I always liked Arizona, probably because I was always rooting against USC and UCLA," he said. "Even when I was a kid, I thought, 'Arizona — that'd be a nice place to go.'"

Now, he's going.

Whittaker, a 5-foot-11-inch, 170-pound defensive back, verbally committed to the Arizona Wildcats late Monday. The seventh member of the UA's 2010 recruiting class chose the UA over offers from Texas A&M, Washington, Washington State, San Diego State and New Mexico.

Whittaker registered four interceptions as a junior at Oceanside High School, one of the San Diego area's football powerhouses. He was also a stellar wide receiver, catching 30 passes for 543 yards and seven touchdowns.

Whittaker said he's happy playing defense; he spurned interest from Cal and Wyoming, in part because both schools preferred him at receiver.

I really hope that this is a sign of things to come for Arizona. Recruiting out of Southern California is a gold mine year in and year out, so things will definitely turn out well for Arizona if this turns into a trend. As long as Sonny Dykes chooses to stay with us instead of taking teams up on head coach offers (which he'll definitely be getting in the future, count on it) things just continue to look up for Arizona.

Speaking of Arizona football, I've added a countdown timer to Arizona's home opener on the left sidebar.

Interesting Arizona Daily Star article

2009-07-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

I can't say I disagree with the majority in both of these polls.

• No championships needed: Apparently, consistency is sexier than "One Shining Moment."

Asked to choose between continuing the Wildcats' consecutive NCAA tournament appearances for another 10 years or winning a national title, more than two-thirds chose the former.

Sixty-eight percent of 399 fans preferred the Wildcats just stay in the title hunt rather than win their first since 1997. Another 10 seasons of the Big Dance would place the Wildcats in a new stratosphere among NCAA programs, with 35 straight trips.

In football, fans passed on the Wildcats reaching the pinnacle of their program's history. Fifty-nine percent of 356 fans said they would rather the UA defeat rival Arizona State 10 times in a row than the Wildcats reach the Rose Bowl for the first time.

The UA is the only school in either the Pac-10 or the Big Ten to have never played in Pasadena on New Year's Day.

Best Futurama scene ever?

2009-07-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, the first part of the scene isn't included in the video (you can find the audio of the beginning of the scene here (#7)), which kinda ruins it, but I am of the honest belief that this is one of Futurama's best scenes ever.

No word yet on when those 26 new episodes come out, unfortunately.

His organ donation card also lists his beard

2009-07-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

I would do the same thing with my ridiculously awesome goatee if I could.

233 years and still going strong

2009-07-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday America.

Arizona's recruiting class: #12 in the nation

2009-07-03T22:39:00.000-07:00

In three months, Sean Miller has taken us from no recruiting class whatsoever to #12 in the nation. Just imagine what he'll do with a full recruiting period.

I could not be any prouder of our basketball program at this moment. Actually, that's not true, but our next national championship is yet to come. I'll save the true pride for when Sean cuts down the net.

A true hero amongst men

2009-07-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

Greater than Chuck Norris.

Even if he is completely fictional, every man should aspire to be like The Most Interesting Man in the World.

Wow...

2009-06-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

First Ed McMahon, then Farrah Fawcett, then Michael Jackson and now Billy Mays. It has not been a good week to be a celebrity.

And I was just starting to get into Pitchmen too.

Updates

2009-06-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

So, Chase got his rights traded to Houston. That's especially funny in light of his past experience with a team from Houston:

In other news, John Kerry is a colossal jerkwad, but we already knew that, didn't we?

The Bay State Democrat was regaling a group of business and civic leaders invited to the Capitol on the bizarre disappearance of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who was said to be hiking the Appalachian Trail.

“Too bad,” Kerry said, “if a governor had to go missing it couldn’t have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin.”

Imagine if a Republican had said it. Think about it. The media outcry would have been much worse if this had happened:

“Too bad,” McCain said, “if a governor had to go missing it couldn’t have been the governor of Oregon. You know, Ted Kulongoski.”

Nothing against Governor Kulongoski, of course. I was just using him as an example. You can see the ridiculousness, though, right?

Remember how disappointed I was earlier?

2009-06-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Chase Budinger got drafted by the Pistons.

Please excuse me while I go cry myself to sleep.

I am so very very disappointed

2009-06-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

Jordan Hill didn't go in the top 5, which was garbage, because there's no way James Harden is better than Hill, and even worse, Hill got picked by the Knicks. To be perfectly honest, I hate every single sports team in New York. This sucks.

Now I just need to cross my fingers and hope that DA BULLSSSSSSSS pick Chase Budinger.

Things just keep getting better and better

2009-06-25T01:02:00.000-07:00

Released from USC, point guard commits to play for Miller, Cats

NEW YORK — Lamont "Momo" Jones on Wednesday became the second straight Oak Hill Academy starting point guard to commit to Arizona.

Only this time, ironically on the eve of Brandon Jennings' ascension into the NBA draft, Jones says he's coming for sure.

Whereas Jennings opted to go straight from Oak Hill to Italian pro ball last season, rather than enroll at UA, Jones said he decided to become a Wildcat guard after taking an impressive visit to Tucson last weekend and meeting with new coach Sean Miller. Jones originally planned a Monday news conference but said Wednesday he did not need to wait.

"Sean Miller is a great coach," Jones said. "I watched him at Xavier and, with what he did there, I have no doubt he will do the same at Arizona. Me and my mother sat down with him and listened to him talk, and we believe this is the best place for us."

Jones signed with USC in April but was released from his letter of intent after USC coach Tim Floyd resigned this month.

This is absolutely great news. Arizona seemed like it was MoMo's #1 school after he left USC, so this isn't surprising. I'm really happy to see him coming to Tucson and he'll definitely be a big asset to us. Interestingly enough, he has a family connection to Arizona's staff: Emanuel 'Book' Richardson, one of our assistants, is Jones' godfather.

What makes this so good is next year. If Miller can put this good of a recruiting class together in this short of a time as our coach, imagine what he'll be able to do for our 2010 class when he's got a full recruiting period to work with. I'm extremely happy about this and I can't wait to get back to McKale Center next year.

One other thing from the article that really stood out to me:

Miller "getting (the UA) job proves how much of a great coach he is," Jones said. "You don't just give anybody the University of Arizona coaching job. You have to be some type of special coach."

Although Miller has not yet coached a game at Arizona, he is drawing praise for his recruiting. Since being hired in April, Miller has lined up four Top100 freshmen, including Parrom, Solomon Hill and big man Kyryl Natyazhko. Arizona could get a fifth after Southern California wing Derrick Williams visits the UA this weekend.

Williams said via text message Tuesday, during a visit to Memphis, that he will visit Tucson this weekend and probably make a decision early next month.

Clark Francis of HoopScoop recruiting service said Jones' addition already gives the UA a 2009 recruiting class tied for 24th.

"This shows Sean Miller can recruit good players, and (Jones) is as good as it's going to get right now," Francis said. "If I were an Arizona fan, I'd be very excited."

Huzzah!

On Oregon's new uniforms

2009-06-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Oregon Unveils New Football Uniforms

To be perfectly honest, I like Oregon's uniforms and I liked the diamond-plate ones they just replaced. Yeah, the wings will always remind me of last year's loss by Arizona at Autzen Stadium, but I like the uniforms nonetheless. They break the monotony and they're something different. They work. I mean, at the same time, I would never want to see Arizona wearing something similar just because Arizona's uniforms are Arizona's uniforms and I like them the way they are, but these work for Oregon. They're always going to be Nike's guinea pigs, so their uniforms being out of the ordinary is par for the course.

It'll be nice to see them wearing those uniforms when we beat them in Tucson this year, though.

A few thoughts

2009-06-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

* Transformers 2 was absolutely amazing. I don't care that it was about 2 and a half hours long. It was great. Yeah, there were some cheesy parts, but come on. Anyone who's walking into a Michael Bay movie shouldn't be expecting an amazing Oscar-winning plot. There is no one better than Bay when it comes to action scenes and this was absolutely great.

* USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! 'Nuff said.

God bless MythBusters

2009-06-22T22:36:00.000-07:00

I have seen the Promised Land

2009-06-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

It is called chocolate-covered bacon.

You may think heart attack on a plate, but I only janked about two bites' worth from my brother, so I didn't have that much. It won't be the bacon that'll kill me.

It'll be the funnel cake, fried chicken and cream puff with about a can's worth of blue raspberry whipped cream on it that'll do the trick.

Also, I got to try deep-fried White Castle, though it was clearly the frozen grocery store WC. Good stuff anyway, as was the hot dog within zucchini within fried corn batter.

I am going to take such a long walk tomorrow. Thank you San Diego County Fair.

USC basketball is up a creek with neither a paddle nor a canoe

2009-06-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

USC is seriously screwed.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4252866

USC continues to suffer the fallout of the investigation into possible NCAA violations and coach Tim Floyd's subsequent resignation.

The Trojans' recruiting class, once viewed as one of the best in the country, is down to one.

Lamont Jones of Oak Hill (Va.) Academy has been released from his national letter of intent, USC announced Thursday night. Fellow recruit Derrick Williams of La Mirada (Calif.) High also asked for his release, The Los Angeles Times reported. USC wouldn't confirm Williams' departure.

The Trojans already gave Noel Johnson, of Georgia, his release.

Evan Smith, of Calabasas (Calif.) High, is the lone recruit remaining for 2009-10.

...

Point guard Gary Franklin Jr., of Mater Dei (Calif.) High, has committed for 2010. A source told ESPN.com he may also back out.

Because of the added cloud of the alleged violations, this could turn out to be even worse than what happened to Arizona last year, especially since we didn't lose the core of our offense last summer. This looks really bad, but I can't say I'm sad about it. The University of Spoiled Children deserves whatever's coming to it. The air of corruption that seems to come with any private school seems particularly worse for them because athletics is so much more visible, and if this combined investigation (remember that the Reggie Bush investigation is still ongoing and combined with the basketball investigation) really pans out, it could hurt the football program. I hope the football program gets wrapped up in this as well. I'm not the only one who's sick of the situation in Pac-10 football. Every year, it's guessing who's going to take 2nd place, because everyone knows who's going to take first. The Trojans are the Yankees of the Pac-10, and the Yankees are the Evil Empire. Therefore, is USC the Pernicious Principality?

I'm going to be watching this situation especially closely. The really good thing that could come out of this for Arizona is that we were recruiting both MoMo Jones and Gary Franklin, and if they jump, we're going to be in consideration yet again. We've already got a good recruiting class and adding one more player, in addition to getting a recruit for next year, would just make things even better.

Fishing and the pool

2009-06-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

So my brother's (Jason) girlfriend's (Nikki) dad has a boat docked down in Mission Bay. He invited his daughter and in turn, my brother, to come fishing with him. In turn, my brother asked me if I wanted to come. Knowing full well that, though I don't get seasick, I'm a poor swimmer and I don't eat seafood, I said hell yes. After all, why would I want to turn down spending the day out on the ocean as opposed to cooped up in the house for most of the day?

Well, things didn't go exactly as planned. We didn't catch any fish because nothing was biting. However, the few hours we spent out on the water were a lot of fun. We watched as Bill, an extremely good friend of my brother's who he's known since they were children (and is about as close to family as he can get without actually being family), who was sitting on the bow, got splashed like crazy by a rough patch of waves we encountered. It was particularly funny because as he was coming back around the boat to get back under cover, the waves got even rougher and he got soaked even more. Good times. We ate lunch on the boat and really enjoyed the sites. We saw a Navy submarine surfaced off the coast; for what we don't know why. Seeing a massive group of dolphins swimming around was cool too. Not so cool was the seagulls who were harassing us due to the bait tank on the back of the boat full of anchovies.

After we got back to the dock, we took full advantage of the hotel (people whose boats are docked there can use the hotel) and lazed around in the pool for an hour or so. The splash pool at the bottom of the slides (which we used quite a few times) was only three and a half feet at its deepest, so I just sat around and relaxed while I stretched my legs and let myself be submerged up to my chin.

All in all, it was an absolutely great day, and Nikki's dad has already invited to come with him again when the weather is better for fishing. My parents see no reason to say no and even though I can't stand the smell of fish, I see absolutely no reason to turn him down.

STOOOOOOOOOOOOOPS!

2009-06-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

While a lot of the Wildcat faithful never give up, myself included, it's nice to see that the pressure on Mike Stoops is finally letting up.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/ua/articles/2009/06/08/20090608stoops0609.html

TUCSON - Yes, it's the off-season, but something seems different around here. Mike Stoops is down about 15 pounds, looking healthier than he has in recent years. What's more, he just seems so . . . at ease.

Seriously.

The University of Arizona football coach admits he has changed. He's relaxed a little, matured some, acknowledged his mistakes. And as he explains all this, it suddenly becomes clear.

There's no drama.

No discussion of job security, no mention of a "Stoops hot seat" or reminder that the Wildcats haven't played in a bowl in 10 years.

All in all it's pretty quiet, which is odd.

To be perfectly honest, there should be absolutely no pressure on Stoops at this point. Yes, his tenure with Arizona hasn't been 100% stellar, but he's definitely moved past the bad years. Last year was just the beginning. Things are definitely looking up for Arizona at this point. Are we suddenly going to start stomping Oregon and USC and making runs at the national championship? No, especially not with teams like Northern Arizona and Central Michigan making up 2/3rds of our non-con schedule. However, I don't think we'll be finishing in the bottom half of the Pac-10 anytime soon, and we're definitely going bowling again this year.

I'll be there for every game and I'm seriously considering ponying up the money to go on the road trip to Tempe just to shove it in the Scum Devil fans' faces when we beat them six ways 'till Sunday yet again.

Please excuse me while I die laughing (NSFW)

2009-06-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

I don't usually do NSFW content on this blog, but this is just too funny to not post. I fell out of my chair laughing at this video.

As promised...

2009-06-07T15:47:00.001-07:00

...the final design for the UC Oceanside Friars' football uniforms! There are two helmets, four jerseys and two pants.

Home jersey

Away jersey

Home alternate jersey

Away alternate jersey

I went through quite a few preliminary designs that differed greatly from my original sketches, but finally decided on a simple design. Keep in mind that these uniforms might not be completely final. There's just over a month until the game is released, so I've got a lot of time to potentially change my mind.

As for the stadium and field, since you can't create your own stadium (entry #1 on my wishlist for next year's game) I went with the Louisiana Superdome. Unfortunately, since all four of the 100K+ stadiums (Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee) have obvious signage. I'm not picking a stadium with a lot of signs since I'm a stickler for detail and it'll bother me greatly if, for example, I see a big "Ohio State Buckeyes" on the side of the press box during a game that doesn't involve Ohio State in any way. Especially since I hate Ohio State. UC Oceanside's stadium will be called Pendleton Field.

As for the field, see for yourself.

Ignore the circles on the field. Those are just the buttons to press in the TeamBuilder application to change options on the field.

All in all, I'm happy with this one. I've also created the SCLSU Mud Dogs (from The Waterboy) and La Costa Canyon (my high school) and the Chicago Bears as universities.

I can't wait to pick up my copy of this game.

I just can't seem to get this right

2009-06-07T00:15:00.001-07:00

I post something on Thursday and I'm not posting a new post until three days later. I really need to get back on this.

Anyway, onto the news.

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/wildcats/296075

Wise 'looking forward' to senior year

Sean Miller received a motor for his first Arizona offense Saturday, and maybe even a chance to preserve the Wildcats' 25-year NCAA tournament streak, when point guard Nic Wise told him he would return for his senior season.

...

Although Wise had until June 15 to decide whether or not to return, an option he left open by not hiring an agent and staying academically eligible, Miller said in a UA statement that he learned of the decision from Wise on Saturday morning.

"We are all very excited with Nic's return," Miller said. "His talent, leadership and ability will make him one of the premier players in the Pac-10 this coming season."

Wise is definitely going to be the centerpiece of our offense, but we've got a few good returners, like Kyle Fogg, and our three incoming freshmen all look to be really good.

All in all, I think it's definitely possible that Arizona could make a run for the Pac-10 title. The Scum Devils and USC got hit hard by players leaving and we've got a great new coach who should take us to the top. 26 years straight is not out of reach by any means.

I am not dead yet

2009-06-04T01:25:00.000-07:00

I admit that I've been having some trouble recently with keeping this blog updated, but things have just been rough. I had to deal with the move back home from school, and I've been really absorbed in work around the house and job hunting, which is unfortunately not going so well. I'm not even getting to the point where they reject me. A lot of the places just aren't hiring. It's a sign of how crappy the economy is.

However, I will press on and I will keep applying. There's got to be some place out there that's hiring, but I'm not going to find it unless I apply.

Also, the TeamBuilder website is online. I should have some images of UC Oceanside's jerseys soon.

Time to get back into the groove of things

2009-05-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

So, I'm all done with finals and back home. I'm looking for a summer job and hoping that turns out well.

Bleacher Report (about a month and a half ago) ranked the Pac-10 stadiums in terms of how tough they were to play at.

Of course, there was no shock at all about Autzen Stadium coming in at #1. You have to be a complete idiot not to think it's the toughest in the conference. It's easily in the top 5 in the nation.

The rest of the list is where it gets interesting.

3. In Tucson, Arizona you will find Arizona Stadium, home of the Wildcats.

This stadium has been popularized by its famous field rushes, in which the field is turned into a sea of red almost instantaneously after a wildcat victory (see Oregon 2007). Arizona Stadium is also home to the "Zona Zoo," the largest student section in the Pac-10, and houses very rabid, very loyal fans. Arizona stadium is like the death valley of the Pac-10; it's where great teams go to lose.

They've got that right. Nobody rushes a field quite like we do.

Even more NCAA 10 stuff

2009-05-13T22:32:00.001-07:00

So, it's been revealed that created teams will be limited to two helmets, four jerseys and two pants. Therefore, I've had to revise the uniforms yet again.

To be really honest, I'm sick of creating all of these images. This game can't come out any quicker.

Sorry for the lack of recent posts

2009-05-13T17:44:00.001-07:00

Finals have been rough. I promise I'll get back in the swing of things real soon.

My last final's tomorrow and I go home on Saturday. I'm currently studying The World is Flat? by Aronica & Ramdoo. It's a very interesting critique of Friedman's work, even if it does seem a tad short.

Also, for some reason, I'm still sick. Bleh.

Lots of things

2009-05-03T00:43:00.000-07:00

First of all, it's looking more and more like laryngitis than bronchitis. Also, I'm getting better. Thank God.

Furthermore, Arizona beat Cal both Friday night and last night. I should have a roundup of the entire series later today or tomorrow.

Finally, as I seem to be musing about life's unfairness quite a bit lately, and since I talked, in my first post, how it's unfair that Phil Hartman and Chris Farley are dead, I'd like to talk about another person who should be alive but, unfortunately, isn't.

Greatest singer of all time. Bar none.

God bless you, Freddie. The world misses you.

Well now, this just sucks

2009-05-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

I'm not totally sure of it since I'm not a doctor, but the symptoms, to me, seem to match bronchitis. Yippee-freaking-ki-yay. Right before finals.

Have I done something lately to greatly offend God? It certainly seems that way.

Apologies

2009-04-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of recent updates. I've been sick.

Don't worry, it's not the swine flu.

More NCAA 10 CAS stuff

2009-04-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

So, after having heard the news that we are limited to four uniforms (home and away with home and away alternates) I went ahead and changed Oceanside's uniforms a bit. Nothing too major.

Home, Away, Home alternate, Away alternate

Also, user pbplayer178 created a custom Rob Gronkowski cover for me to use if/when I buy the game.

UC Oceanside's uniforms-to-be

2009-04-26T02:20:00.000-07:00

We are now 78 days from the release of NCAA Football 10 and I'm starting real preparations for making UC Oceanside. In addition to revising the logo because I remembered that all UC schools have both blue and gold in their logos, I've already drawn up what I want their uniforms to look like.

However, those uniforms are only if I'm limited to just four uniforms.

More NCAA 10 news

2009-04-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's the IGN article.

I've decided that my first created school will be a throwback to the created schools I used to make on the last-gen games: UC Oceanside. I've even got a logo for it. Thankfully, there's a real school with the initials "UCO" (the University of Central Oklahoma) so I'm going to use their logo with a different color scheme.

Here is Central Oklahoma's real logo followed by the two color schemes I've thought up so far.

NCAA 10 News: TeamBuilder = Create-a-School

2009-04-23T16:25:00.001-07:00

From EA:

NCAA Football 10 introduces TeamBuilder, an all-new, online create-a-school feature that will enhance the user’s ability to produce personalized content. With the capability to upload logos and numerous customization options for uniforms, fields, rosters, and much more, TeamBuilder gives users the opportunity to design completely original teams with infinite possibilities. Plus, preloaded logos for several Football Championship Subdivision schools will help users create authentic teams for NCAA Football 10. With its intuitively designed online database that is searchable across several fields, TeamBuilder allows users to share content with ease. A football fan’s dream, TeamBuilder will enable users to experience the excitement and pageantry of college football, defined by their own personalized creations.

Basically, this is huge for me. I would have gladly taken the last-gen Create-a-School over nothing at all, but this goes above and beyond what I expected. This is absolutely incredible. If there actually is the ability to upload your own logos, the options are basically endless. Of course, when I play, my primary dynasty will be Arizona, but I'll definitely be creating my own schools for sure.

IGN will have a big article about TeamBuilder tomorrow. I'll be sure to have that article here tomorrow ASAP.

The honeymoon is over

2009-04-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

Rassmussen reports that Obama's numbers are slipping:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 34% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-two percent (32%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of +2 (see trends).

Thirty-six percent (36%) of women Strongly Approve along with 31% of men. At the same time, 35% of men Strongly Disapprove. That view is shared by 29% of women (see other recent demographic highlights).

...

Overall, 54% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance so far. That’s his lowest total approval rating to date. Forty-five percent (45%) disapprove. For more Presidential barometers, see Obama By the Numbers.

This isn't shocking in the least bit. Anyone who sees this as ZOMG~!~! PEOPLE HATE OBAMA has no idea what they're talking about when it comes to politics. Every President experiences high approval ratings at the beginning of their term. Every President loses those high ratings as the months pass. The ratings eventually average out. It's called the end of the honeymoon period. If you want to see whether people really dislike Obama or not, wait and see if the ratings keep slipping. Right now, it's impossible to tell.

"Durban II" = screwed

2009-04-20T00:50:00.001-07:00

A little background, in case you’re unaware.

The UN wants to hold another Human Rights conference on racism, and a lot of people are getting concerned that the Arab League might just use it as another platform for their rampant anti-Semitism, like they did in 2001.

Turns out quite a lot of people would rather not attend the conference than see that happen.

US to boycott

Australia to boycott

Sweden to boycott

Netherlands to boycott

Germany to boycott

New Zealand to boycott

Furthermore, Canada, Italy and Israel will not attend.

You know there's a problem when Sweden and the Netherlands are refusing to attend.

Update on Wilbur's jersey in NCAA 10

2009-04-20T00:05:00.000-07:00

From one of the EA developers on the aforementioned message board:

His jersey has been corrected for this year. It now says "09" on the front. It was one of the requests from Arizona.

I am extremely happy, to say the least, that EA is paying attention to these little details.

As-yet-unrevealed features for NCAA Football 10 revealed?

2009-04-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

A poster over at the NCAA Strategies board found a promotional display version of NCAA Football 2010 at his local Gamestop. I'm definitely looking forward to this game for obvious reasons, but there are two things that caught my eye.

For one, Wilbur the Wildcat is on there. That is unbelievably awesome but I don't understand it, considering we're not on the same level as Florida or Texas. I'll take what I can get, though.

Most importantly, however, is the fact that Create-a-School is back! Yes! I've been waiting for this for so long! Those of you who don't know my video game preferences should know that I'm a big fan of customization ability in games, and I absolutely love creating my own teams in games like this. I remember back on the last-gen versions of NCAA, my brother and I would always create the UC Oceanside Eagles (him) and the Cal State Oceanside Broncos (me), and play a "rivalry" of sorts against each other (Oceanside's my hometown back in California). This is amazing news.

At the same time, though, there are plenty of typos there (in addition to Wilbur's jersey being inaccurate (it should be 09 instead of 05)) that could call the authenticity of this into question. However, considering it's just a promo box, those typos would be fixed before the actual game went out. EA usually puts out a development podcast every Thursday, and in light of the fact that they've got plenty of ears to the ground at the NCAA Strategies forum, I wouldn't be surprised if we get official confirmation on this come Thursday.

I'm definitely looking forward to this game.

Excuse me while I go puke

2009-04-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

It's one thing to seriously negotiate with a psychotic dictator who openly calls for the destruction of our country. The President is expected to be a negotiator.

Barack Obama's meeting with Hugo Chavez was anything but serious.

Handout picture released by the Venezuelan Presidency press office showing the President of the US, Barack Obama (L), and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez (R) shaking hands before the opening of the 5th Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, on April 17, 2009.

Is anyone else completely sickened by this? Hugo Chavez is not the kind of person Obama is supposed to be buddy-buddy with. It's just one mistake after another with this guy. Unbelievable.

Joe Lunardi's bias is stunning

2009-04-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

In his column here, Joe Lunardi shows his stunning anti-Arizona bias. I used to respect Lunardi, but now, his bias is absolutely disgusting. I mean, yeah, the guy's a pretty good guide to how the brackets will turn out since he's got a mid-90% success rate, but come on:

I have nothing against Arizona.

...

There's still a place for a 7-9 team, by the way. It's called the NIT.

For the record, Mr. Lunardi, there are 10 teams in the Pac-10. That means that a team's conference record has to add up to 18. 7+9=/=18.

Mr. Lunardi either needs to lay off the bias and/or hackery, or he needs to brush up on elementary school math.

Arizona 13 - New Mexico 5

2009-04-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

Another shellacking of the Lobos (28-10, 8-4 MWC) by the Cats (16-16, 3-6 Pac-10), but I wasn't at the game due to prior commitments. What I saw on the gamecast impressed me, though.

Never forget - 4/15/1989

2009-04-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

As much as I hate Liverpool, as a soccer fan, it's my duty to recognize the tragedy of the Hillsborough disaster, especially on its 20th anniversary. I may be a die-hard Manchester United fan, but I can't ignore what happened on that day.

We will never forget and Liverpool will never walk alone.

God bless.

Glory Glory Man United!

2009-04-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

My RA is a huge Chelski fan and thanks to Chelski advancing to the semifinals of the Champions League yesterday, he was trash-talking me like crazy.

Today, thanks to Manchester United winning 1-0 against FC Porto, becoming the first English team to beat Porto at home, I have yet to see his face.

Where are your taunts now, huh?

Arizona 9 - New Mexico 3

2009-04-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

Great effort by the Cats (15-16, 3-6 Pac-10), but somewhat expected since we have a near-80% win percentage against New Mexico (28-9, 8-4 MWC). A shellacking like this wasn't out of the question at the very beginning.

Joe Allison had a great showing in his first career start and went six innings. On the other hand, the Lobos went through a lot of pitchers, and if I remember correctly, their first two pitchers (the former of which went for 1 2/3 innings) combined for four beaned batters, three of which came in one inning.

As I said earlier, it was a shellacking. I'm probably not going to make it to this afternoon's second game of the series due to prior commitments.

For the record, I'm pulling an all-nighter because I can't sleep and I have no idea why.

Solomon Hill "bleeds ... red and blue"

2009-04-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

Yes!

Daily Star:

Solomon Hill is back in Arizona’s recruiting class, and this time he’s expected to stay.

Hill, a Top 75 wing forward from Los Angeles Fairfax High School, confirmed via text message this morning that he is committing to Arizona after he de-[committed] to the Wildcats in the wake of Lute Olson’s retirement last October and instead chose USC.

Hill was not immediately available for additional comment but his father, Solomon Crawford, said his son would sign a binding letter-of-intent after the spring signing period begins Wednesday now that he has spoken several times with new UA coach Sean Miller.

...

Hill “committed to Lute but Lute retired and I didn’t want him to go there not knowing who the coach was going to be,” Crawford said. “He always loved the school. He bleeds more red and blue than (USC’s) crimson and gold.”

This is absolutely great news. If Miller is working this fast, he'll definitely get a lot done by the time the recruiting period is over, even if he's got the clock working against him, and just think about how great he'll be when recruiting next year.

Solomon Hill update

2009-04-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

The Arizona Daily Star now reports that Hill sent them a text message last night stating that he had not committed yet. I'd definitely prefer him to have committed, but there's no use in rushing something like this. At least he's not a definite commit to USC.

More basketball news

2009-04-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

Logo changes at McKale Center:

The unique cactus-and-sunset logos, which for 22 years immediately identified UA basketball to television viewers, will be eliminated. The center circle, which read "Lute and Bobbi Olson Court" will also be redone. The school's block A will be inserted at center court.

I don't mind the cactus/sunset logo being removed, but I definitely disagree with moving the Lute and Bobbi Olson Court logo. That's just not right. I don't care if the logo isn't being completely removed like the cactus/sunset are. Lute and Bobbi gave so much to this program. They deserve to be front and center.

In recruiting news, Solomon Hill, who was originally going to come to Arizona but left for USC after Lute left the team, has come back to Arizona after never having officially signed with USC. Unfortunately, I can't find a good link for a story (Rivals.com requires a subscription) but it's all over the internet. However, they all link back to Rivals.com, thus I'm screwed.

I've heard good things about Hill, so I'm glad he's coming back. The fact that Miller is recruiting this quickly is a really good sign for us. Three weeks ago, we had no recruiting class whatsoever for next year. Things are looking up.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T00:15:00.000-07:00

May the continued blessings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ continue to shine down upon us all.

Happy Easter, everyone.

Arizona no longer recruiting class-less

2009-04-12T00:01:00.001-07:00

Via Bleacher Report:

Sean Miller has [wasted] no time in making an impact at Arizona.

Miller and Whitford had been going after 6'11" center Kyryl Natyazhko from IMG Academy while at Xavier.

In less than a week they convinced the talented big man to join them in Tucson, Ariz.

Natyazhko is the sixth-ranked center, and the number 39-ranked player overall.

Natyazhko is a versatile inside-outside player who will immediately become a starter for Miller.

Natyazhko is a good corner for Miller to build around. He has the big shoes of Jordan Hill to step into.

Miller and his staff are still in play for small forward Solomon Hill, who originally committed to Arizona. He withdrew his commitment when Lute Olson retired, and re-opened his commitment when Miller was named head coach.

Hill appears to prefer Miller's up-tempo system to Tim Floyd's deliberate system.

Victor Rudd, a 6'8" small forward from Las Vegas, is also considering the Wildcats.

Stealing Hill from USC would be great. I'm really happy to see that Miller's getting this program back to stability so quickly. A lot of people are talking about this program not being back on its feet until the 2010-2011 season, but I think that at the pace Miller's going, we could easy be ready to go this coming season. I don't see anything standing in the way of Miller and the program. Plus, what with the Scum Devils losing Pendergraph and Harden, I think that their "streak" of beating us is over.

Oregon State 8 - Arizona 3

2009-04-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

Once again, not much to report since I missed part of the game due to prior commitments.

Another disappointing effort by the Cats (14-16, 3-6 Pac-10). It was close, but Oregon State (20-7, 7-2 Pac-10) broke open the game with a pair of home runs combining for three runs.

Of course, getting rained on and soaked because I was wearing shorts and forgot my umbrella made it worse.

Next up is a two-game series against New Mexico on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Happy Good Friday to everyone

2009-04-10T19:36:00.001-07:00

While I admit I'm not a perfect Catholic, I'd just like to wish a Happy Good Friday to those observing it.

Just as it went well on Ash Wednesday, the fasting is going fine. I had a bagel with cream cheese for lunch and two cups of applesauce before that. I'm managing.

Arizona 6 - Oregon State 5

2009-04-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

Not much to report on this one, since I got there between the 6th and 7th innings due to the game starting at 2 PM and me having class until 4.

Great effort by the Cats (14-15, 3-8 Pac-10) to keep Oregon State (19-7, 6-2 Pac-10) behind, especially Jason Stoffel who showed no frustration over his lackluster showing last night and absolutely shut Oregon State down in the 9th.

I'll be similarly late to tomorrow's game since it starts at noon and my priority registration for next semester's classes is at 1.

Oregon State 9 - Arizona 5 (otherwise known as the game where Kevin got threatened again)

2009-04-09T23:35:00.001-07:00

Another disappointing loss by Arizona (13-15, 2-8 Pac-10), but a good game overall. It was a close one for most of the game. Oregon State's (19-6, 6-1 Pac-10) a good team, no doubt.

Once again, the action in the stands proved just entertaining as the action on the field. Here's what happened.

One of Oregon State's players is originally from Tucson. Jokingly, I yelled to him "Why did you abandon us?" and "Tucson is a much nicer town than Corvallis!" Stuff like that. His family, apparently, was sitting a few seats away. They didn't seem to be too happy about what we're saying. One of them threatened to shoot me. Security dragged him away.

Good times.

The best part was, after dragging him away, security also pulled away several of my fellow fans and the OSU fans started cheering like they were getting thrown out. Our fans came back. Theirs didn't. We cheered as loudly as we could when our fans came back just to annoy the OSU fans. Opposing fans don't seem to like the Hot Corner too much because we don't shut up. We keep it clean, but we don't shut up because there's nothing the opposing fans can do to stop us.

Win or lose, I love Arizona baseball.

Mike Stoops Q&A

2009-04-08T18:08:00.001-07:00

ESPN's Ted Miller spoke with Arizona head coach Mike STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPS on the state of Arizona football. The one part that stands out the most to me is this:

Has this program turned the corner and how close are you guys to competing for the Rose Bowl berth?

MS: I think we've definitely turned the corner. I think we are a much more confident team, just when we take the field. I think we take the field expecting to play well and expecting to win. I don't know if that has always been the case here. We competed well last year throughout the season. We had an opportunity to win all 12 games [the Wildcats' five losses came by a combined 28 points] in the fourth quarter. We're developing here as a program. Obviously, the win over Arizona State was huge because it was in-state and we hadn't won in three years. But beating BYU [in the Las Vegas Bowl], going into the offseason with that confidence, really helped our football team. All that stuff that festers inside your program leaves once you win. A lot of things will go on inside your program until you win. Now our guys have a great attitude about what they do and it has become a much easier team to coach.

Do you hang the Rose Bowl out as a goal?

MS: We've always set our sights on the Rose Bowl. It will be very challenging but we feel like we have that type of team. Anytime you have a solid defense, you have a

chance to win. We have to get better but I think we have a chance to have one of our best groups on defense when it's all said and done. This is the fastest defense we've had. So if we can stay healthy, we'll have a chance. Obviously, USC has set a very high standard, but we feel like we've matched up with them relatively well the last couple of years. We feel like we're closing the gaps on everyone we play.

I agree with Stoops wholeheartedly. We're not at USC's level yet, but we're definitely on the way up. Of all the teams that lost to USC last year, we lost by the smallest margin. Even Penn State got a bigger whuppin' than we did. We're on the way up and I can see us being a perennial top 5 of the conference for a while. Fighting for the Rose Bowl berth is obviously a few years off, but if this program continues in the direction it's going in, don't be surprised if the Scum Devils' insult about us being the only team never to have played in the Rose Bowl suddenly becomes irrelevant.

¡Ay dios mio!

2009-04-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

ESPN:

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona forward Jordan Hill will forgo his senior year and make himself eligible for the NBA draft.

So now it comes down to Nic Wise. If we can hold on to Wise, things might be salvageable. If we lose Wise, then next year will be a rebuilding year for sure. I hope that Coach Miller can do some good off-season recruiting and jump-starts the rebuilding process.

However, I don't care how badly the team does next year. I'll go to every home game I can. Win or lose, I'm doing my part. I'll be there.

The streak was good while it lasted

2009-04-07T15:51:00.001-07:00

AZ Daily Star:

Arizona junior forward Chase Budinger will forgo his senior season and enter the NBA draft, his father, Duncan, told the Arizona Daily Star this morning.

The move is irrevocable because Chase Budinger tested the draft process and returned to school last season, which is only allowed once.

Budinger and Jordan Hill will hold a joint news conference at McKale Center this week to discuss their departures for the NBA draft.

Hill is also expected to leave, since he is projected as a Top 5 pick in the June NBA draft.

UA guard Nic Wise said he will test the draft this year but not sign with an agent, so as to keep open an option to return to school.

No offense to our current underclassmen, but compared to the Big Three, they haven't gotten much playing time. We have no recruits coming in next year and we're going to be playing a squad full of relatively fresh players with not much playing time. Unfortunately, that means that next year will probably be a rebuilding year and the streak is over.

However, I will gladly suffer through next year being a poor year if it means that the years after will be a return to national prominence for this program. I think Miller can do it, but only time will tell.

Miller accepts Arizona job

2009-04-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

It's now official. Arizona now has a coach.

Hallelujah.

The Fry Mumia Chronicles

2009-04-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

Good news:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mumia Abu-Jamal has lost his bid for a new trial in the killing of a Philadelphia police officer in 1981.

The Supreme Court said Monday it will not take up Abu-Jamal's claims that prosecutors improperly excluded blacks from the jury that convicted him of murdering Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia upheld Abu-Jamal's conviction but held his death sentence invalid. The appeals court said it would not second-guess state court rulings rejecting Abu-Jamal's claims of bias in the composition of the jury.

So the title's a bit misleading and he's going to rot in jail for the rest of his life instead of getting the needle like he deserves. This whole cause célèbre thing is bullshit. The man killed a cop. The evidence is clear. He deserves to rot in jail.

I suggest reading this letter by Maureen Faulkner, widow of the police officer senselessly murdered by Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Furthermore, there's this quote by Mrs. Faulkner:

A jury of 12 convicted Mumia Abu-Jamal of murdering my husband, and for 25 years Abu-Jamal has been on death row acting as if he was a Hollywood superstar or political prisoner . . . He has a voice, and my late husband doesn’t.

All in all, this whole issue is trumped-up ridiculousness by a bunch of hack academia loonies who are trying to prove that the whole system is RACIST~!~!~!~! Now, I'm not going to deny that there are issues with racism in our legal system. The numbers cannot lie. However, in this single case, calling it racism is a straw man. He killed a cop and there's more than enough proof.

My head is spinning

2009-04-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

ESPN is reporting that after rejecting the Arizona job, Sean Miller turned around and changed his mind. We have a coach, apparently.

I'm still very disappointed that the search took this long.

I'm speechless

2009-04-05T22:35:00.000-07:00

ESPN:

John Calipari decided to leave. Sean Miller reportedly decided to stay.

Xavier's Miller met with Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood earlier Sunday about the Wildcats' open head coaching job but rejected the school's offer later that night, according to multiple media reports.

Xavier AD Mike Bobinski told ESPN.com's Andy Katz that he expected to speak with Miller late Sunday or early Monday. He wrote in a text message: "Nothing firm at this moment, but I remain very optimistic that Sean Miller will continue as our head basketball coach at Xavier."

I'm seriously running out of ways to describe my frustration.

Please God let it be true

2009-04-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

ESPN:

Xavier coach Sean Miller was expected to meet Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood in Albuquerque, N.M., on Sunday to discuss the Wildcats' opening, according to a source.

However, Xavier athletic director Mike Bobinski told the Cincinnati Enquirer on Sunday that the Musketeers were prepared to make a counteroffer -- if necessary.

A source said Miller was scheduled to board a private plane Sunday morning en route to Albuquerque, where he was expected to meet with Livengood about the Wildcats' opening.

Miller would definitely be a good fit for the program. I hope we can grab him because we're running out of options. Pitino, Calipari, Dixon and Few are all out of the question. If we can't get Miller, we could turn to Reggie Theus or Josh Pastner, but our options are severely limited. I hope this turns out well.

USC 15 - Arizona 14

2009-04-04T22:20:00.000-07:00

Arizona (13-13, 2-6 Pac-10) lost to USC (12-14, 3-5 Pac-10) 15-14. All in all, a good result after we gave up 10 runs in the first inning. We managed to come so close thanks to a pair of five-run innings, one of which came thanks to Hunter Pace's first career home run being a grand slam.

I'm disgusted by the actions of several USC fans, though. Near the end of the game, in response to some of the stuff us Arizona fans were saying, they came over and attempted to intimidate us. Several of them tried to surround me in the seats and one even threatened to fight one of my fellow fans. They probably would have tried to fight us if security hadn't intervened. Truly thuggish behavior, but then again, I'd expect that from a bunch of stuck-up private school kids.

Likes and dislikes

2009-04-04T00:04:00.000-07:00

I figure I should probably list my favorite and least favorite sports teams so you know where I stand on the teams. After all, this is a sports blog, so I might as well set the ground rules.

I may or may not add to this list and/or edit in reasoning behind each one later. Teams (save for the first place listing of Arizona, ASU and the New York Yankees in their respective lists) are not necessarily ranked in order.

College:
Favorites: Arizona Wildcats, Florida State Seminoles, LSU Tigers
Hates: Arizona State Sun Devils, everyone else in the Pac-10, Florida Gators, Miami Hurricanes, Ohio State Buckeyes, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas Longhorns

Soccer:
Favorites: Manchester United, Chicago Fire, Barcelona
Hates: Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid

NFL:
Favorites: Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers
Hates: Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants

MLB:
Favorites: Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres
Hates: New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins/Everyone in the AL Central besides the White Sox, L.A. Dodgers/Everyone in the NL West besides the Padres

Arizona 7 - USC 6

2009-04-03T22:32:00.000-07:00

Arizona Athletics has the full report. Here are my thoughts.

Arizona (13-12, 2-5 Pac-10) was down 6-2 going into the 8th. We scored 3 runs and then Jason Stoffel shut down USC's (11-14, 2-5 Pac-10) offense in the top of the ninth. Bottom of the 9th, with two outs and bases loaded, Brad Glenn hit a line drive to left field and Arizona won 7-6. A great game.

Half the fun at that game came from being in the Hot Corner, which is the student section at Sancet Stadium. It's truly a great experience. The trash-talking is epic, but clean and non-vulgar. Near the end, in the last two innings as Arizona was coming back, I kept yelling about how quiet the USC fans were. It was a nice contrast to the lone USC fan who tried, at the beginning of the game, to get us to shut up by yelling something along the lines of "Shut up, you idiot" at one of the more vocal fans, only to be booed in response.

There were several older USC fans (think 40s/50s) and we had a good back-and-forth with them at one point. There were jokes made about midlife crises and I even got a good one in.

"You're like the guy from Lethal Weapon: you're getting too old for this!"

Game two of the series is tomorrow at 6PM PST.

The search continues

2009-04-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

Tim Floyd has confirmed that he's staying at USC.

Crap.

Tim Floyd to take over as coach at Arizona - 4/2 UPDATE

2009-04-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

ESPN:

Tim Floyd will be named basketball coach at Arizona, Mark Asher of Sports 620 KTAR, ESPN's radio affiliate in Phoenix, is reporting according to multiple sources.

Floyd is meeting tonight with Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood to work out the final details of the deal and an announcement is expected Thursday, according to sources.

Floyd, 55, has spent the last four seasons at USC with an 85-50 record. He led the Trojans to three NCAA tournament appearances -- including the Sweet 16 in 2007.

Floyd is not exactly who I expected, but to be honest, he's a good coach. 85-50 is a great record for four years and 3 tournament appearances in that time frame is really good. I wish him the best and I'll be in the Zona Zoo cheering him and the Wildcats on next year for sure.

UPDATE: So as you can probably see, the ESPN report has been changed because the speculation hasn't actually been confirmed. I repeat: Tim Floyd has not been confirmed as Arizona's coach. It's highly likely, but I'm still crossing my fingers just in case.

Pitino not coming to Arizona

2009-04-01T17:34:00.000-07:00

SI:

Despite rumors swirling that he's a possibility to fill the Arizona opening, Rick Pitino said he is definitely not considering a move to Tucson.

"I'm not a candidate for the Arizona job and I never was," he told SI.com on Wednesday. "I am not interested in any job. I am definitely returning to the University of Louisville."

Pitino, who has rebuilt programs at Boston University, Providence, Kentucky and Louisville during his career, was thought to be at the top of Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood's list of full-time replacements for Lute Olson, who retired in October.

This really sucks badly. I mean, there are plenty of other good coaches out there, but Pitino's one of the best. We would have been amazing with him! The guy's a dynamite recruiter and a great coach. I'm getting extremely nervous about where we're going to go from here.

Yet another Obama nominee has tax problems

2009-03-31T16:21:00.000-07:00

Via CBS:

Kathleen Sebelius, President Obama's nominee to become Health and Human Services secretary, said in a letter obtained by the Associated Press that she made "unintentional errors" on her taxes and has corrected her returns from three different years.

I honestly have to wonder whether Obama is intentionally seeking out nominees who have tax troubles. I've lost count of how many people have withdrawn their names from consideration. He really needs to strengthen his vetting process. As a point of comparison, I'm relatively certain that not nearly as many of President Bush's nominees withdrew like this.

Barney Frank pushes through more ridiculousness

2009-03-31T15:45:00.000-07:00

Keep in mind that this is the same guy who was, in 2006, insisting that there was "nothing wrong" at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

He's now pushing for more salary regulations. However, he's not looking to regulate just top-earning executives' pays.

No. He wants more.

Via Byron York at the Washington Examiner:

But now, in a little-noticed move, the House Financial Services Committee, led by chairman Barney Frank, has approved a measure that would, in some key ways, go beyond the most draconian features of the original AIG bill. The new legislation, the "Pay for Performance Act of 2009," would impose government controls on the pay of all employees -- not just top executives -- of companies that have received a capital investment from the U.S. government. It would, like the tax measure, be retroactive, changing the terms of compensation agreements already in place. And it would give Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner extraordinary power to determine the pay of thousands of employees of American companies.

Does anyone besides me find this to be little more than a power grab?

We'll be back next year and we'll win again

2009-03-31T02:29:00.000-07:00

Arizona Football - Duel in the Desert Intro Video 2008 from Arizona Athletics on Vimeo.

That video, despite its age and despite the many times I've watched it, still sends chills down my spine.

Seeing Arizona win the Territorial Cup by beating the Scum Devils of Average Students University was an epic experience. In fact, it's probably the greatest sports experience I've ever had in my life, and I've seen the White Sox win a World Series and the Bulls win multiple NBA Championships.

But nothing compares to the absolute adrenaline rush that came from rushing the field after we stomped ASU.

I screamed so much that it hurt my head, for some reason, if I spoke too loudly after the game.

Things are definitely looking up for Arizona football this year. I think that we'll recover from losing Thomas and Tuitama (among others) and while I'm not going to predict something along the veins of my Arizona dynasty in NCAA Football 09, in which I've won 9 straight national championships with Arizona, I think that we're on the way up in the Pac-10. I predict we'll go bowling again next year and we'll march to Tempe to keep the Territorial Cup. ASU may legally own the trophy, but we'll be more than happy to hold onto it for another year.

Karma came back to bite you, didn't it, Louisville?

2009-03-29T16:40:00.001-07:00

So after their disgusting display of classlessness, which even Coach Pitino apologized for,

Pitino took off his jacket, handed it to a team manager, and was escorted to a large interview room where he said, "I do want to apologize for us dunking the balls at the end of the game."

Louisville was defeated by Michigan State, who will be the Midwest region's representative in the Final Four.

I'm a Catholic, so I don't really believe in karma, but just this once, I will believe in it. Louisville got what they deserved. I don't care if the player that dunked in the last five seconds is a pine rider who rarely plays. You don't dunk with a 40-point lead, no matter what the score is. That's just not right.

That was disappointing

2009-03-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

As some of you may be aware, (and for the rest of you, you're about to find out) I'm a big Arizona Wildcats fan mainly because I'm a student at THE University of Arizona.

I watched our game against Louisville today.

Am I disappointed? Yes.

Am I still happy that we made it this far and managed to keep the streak alive and managed to go farther in the tournament than the Scum Devils of Average Students University? Yes.

Am I very pissed that Louisville decided to go the classless route and ran up the score at the end of the game? Absolutely. There was absolutely no reason for them to do what they did and I'm deeply disturbed by the display of classlessness. It was completely inappropriate.

Oh well. There's always next year. Bear Down, Arizona as always.

First musings

2009-03-27T01:44:00.001-07:00

I've been thinking over the past few months about the average unfairness of life. My life's pretty fair, but I think life overall just isn't fair for some people. Some people just really get the shaft and some other people don't get the shaft but definitely deserve to get said shaft.

Case in point?

Chris Farley and Phil Hartman are both dead.

Andy Dick is still alive.

I rest my case.