The Madness is Coming

With College Basketball heating up it appears my window has closed as far as a non-sports related post. Be thankful because my options were an in-depth analysis of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, or a review of the John Mayer concert I attended at MSG. I'll save the banter on KUWTK for another time, but I will say that John Mayer was fun: girls from 12 yrs old to women in their 40's all sweat this guy. I dare say he's a cross between BB King and Justin Timberlake. Most significantly, he was 100 times more entertaining than the St. John's game I saw, in the same exact venue, 12 hours later!

Here are a few clips to get you ready for March Madness:

First, the now famous motivational montage to a guts and glory of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, One Shining Moment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjZ0uaNMkwk

Second, if you've never seen this final :30 seconds of mayhem, Dickie V, Tiger Woods, and a buzzer beater...you've been missing out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP-NlPIVBsw

I happen to love Vitale. When the man one day passes on he will be in the same category as Howard Cosell, but cable TV and ESPN have made him an even bigger personality.

PTP-er: Prime Time Player

Three "s" man: super, scintillating and sensational

All-Windex Team: Because he cleans the glass

Diaper Dandy: an impact freshmen

This stuff is played-out and Vitale annoys everyone, but it is genius.

A Boy, A Ball, and a Dream!

The Buddies Trip

The epic buddies trip is one of many rights of passage for guys making their way from the glory years toward their twilight. And, let's be honest, that's all of us. I'm yet to go to Vegas with a bunch of guys, I don't really gamble, and I'm not really into fantasy sports either. What does that leave? Golf, Surfing, and Skiing. Sure, you could to Port St. Lucie, Florida for Spring Training baseball and do some fishing and play some casual golf, but that's not my ideal trip either.

I'm about to embark on a 6th annual Mountain West guys only ski trip and I am busting with excitement. Is Chris gonna lose another bet and drop his pants in the bar? Is Terry going to lose another ski? Is Dave bringing the pink speedo? Is Todd going to show up? Is Brandon going to duck another rope and get his lift ticket revoked? Did Brian remember the flask? PJ forget socks again? Did Jimmy really fall off the lift last year? Are they really going to make me tell the 10th Grade Schoolbus story again? Can we possibly drink the same large quantities of beer year after year? I'm sorry, but rec league basketball just does not offer these same good times.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love basketball, football, baseball, and backyard bbq as much as the next guy, but if that's your "bro-down" threshold, then you have got to branch out!

Golf trips offer more trash-talk than an NBA compilation of all-time-great trash-talkers. In fact, golf trips offer trash talk that never ends. I still e-mail my pal, Tim, and ask him if he remembers when it took him 4 shots to get out of the bunker on #14 at Bethpage Black. And, he takes great pleasure in reminding me that he still broke 90 to my 100+.

Video also enhances these trips. I'm so jealous of the footage of my buddy's girlfriend's stand-up barrel in Costa Rica, I'm tempted to break the bank and fly to CR straight from Denver to complete the double Ski-Surf extravaganza.

So, when the Super Bowl comes and goes, instead of bemoaning the pro sports dry-spell month of February, get up and go!