Double Whoop!

Congratulations to the Lady Aggies and their brethren who both won last night in NCAA basketball's first game of the season. Whoop! Way to go, Aggies! Gig 'em!

Tonight's lone NCAA football game features:

     Wake Forest Demon Deacons at NC State Wolfpack

Dog bites man.

Lady Grid out.

The Madness Ends or Begins, Depending on How You Look at It

Roundball
Too much sports? Nah!  We have NCAA tournament action for the women's and men's teams vying for the championship on Sunday and Monday, respectively. Am I crying that UCONN got the boot? Nope. Am I happy that UCONN got the boot from Notre Dame? Push. I've not been a fan of any manner of Notre Dame team since birth. Why change?

• Who wins on Sunday night in Columbus, Ohio? I say the University of South Carolina's feisty Lady Gamecocks edge Notre Dame. At least that is my hope!
• Who wins with Villanova and Kansas? In a battle of number one seeds, I'm going to say that the Wildcats pluck the Jayhawks and return to the championship game in San Antonio.
• Who wins with Loyola-Chicago and Michigan? I'm a little terrified to go against Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, so I'm going to say the Ramblers top the Wolverines in grand style.

MLB
Thursday meant Opening Day. The Lady is happy to see the boys of summer in action. My husband knows to turn the telly on to MLB Network after dinner. Let's turn our attention to today's lineup after I cheer for my Rangers beating the 'Stros last night. Woot!

1. Pittsburgh at Detroit
2. St. Louis at NY Mets
3. Washington at Cincinnati
4. Houston at Texas
5. LA Angels at Oakland
6. NY Yankees at Toronto - I am so unhappy that my Big G is now on the team with the Judge.
7. Cleveland at Seattle
8. Boston at Tampa bay
9. Minnesota at Baltimore
10. Philadelphia at Atlanta
11. ChiCubs at Miami - being realistic.
12. ChiSox at Kansas City - never the Royals unless they play a team I dislike more than them.
13. Colorado at Arizona
14. Milwaukee at San Diego
15. San Francisco at LA Dodgers - Let's go, Dodgers!

Lady Grid out.

Selection Sunday Time

My UNC Tarheels avenged their last week's loss to Duke last night. Beat the Cavaliers of Virginia! I will be watching for the bracket to be revealed. Usually we have school during this second full week of March and have just ended our spring break. I round up sporty kids who watch basketball with me during lunch. It's a tradition. This year I will be in my den with the telly on enjoying some hoops. And you know it'll be on in my bedroom as I walk around the house taking care of dusting, laundry folding, or baking.

Lady Grid out.

Last Sunday of November 2017

The hubby and I attended our church's second worship service this morning. We weren't moving about too quickly, and that is okay. Here is the wrap up for yesterday's games.

1. Georgia vs. Georgia Tech
2. Oklahoma vs. West Virginia 
3. Clemson vs. South Carolina
4. Texas A&M vs. LSU 
5. Ohio State vs. Michigan
6. Boise State vs. Fresno State - tut tut!
7. Appalachian State vs. Georgia State
8. Washington State vs. Washington
9. Alabama vs. Auburn - so thrilled to be wrong! 👍
10. Notre Dame vs. Stanford - I dislike the Fighting Irish, so this one was good news, too! 👍

Now, on to Aggie round ball business!

The ladies play the Texas Tech Lady Red Raiders this afternoon. My son and I are on opposite sides of the fence. Gig 'em, Aggies! Whoop! Aggies win, I predict. 

The men play the USC Trojans tonight. My Daddy and I are on opposing sides for this game. I love both teams so much that I will be pleased with the outcome, I guess. Push.

Lady Grid out.

A Magical Monday

Tourney Talk

Congratulations to the South Carolina Lady Gamecocks on their win over the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs in the NCAA Tournament last night. Now they can celebrate and rest before preparations begin to defend their title.

I am still pulling for UNC tonight.

MLB

It's Opening Day for real. Yesterday was nice to see the boys of summer get a head start and especially to see the Yankees lose. Now on to today's matchups with the bulk being day games.

1. Atlanta at NY Mets
2. Miami at Washington - Giancarlo goes yard!
3. Pittsburgh at Boston
4. Colorado at Milwaukee
5. Toronto at Baltimore
6. San Diego at LA Dodgers
7. Detroit at ChiSox
8. Kansas City at Minnesota
9. Philadelphia at Cincinnati
10. Cleveland at Texas
11. Seattle at Houston
12. LA Angels at Oakland

Lady Grid out.

Championship Time!

How about that? An all-SEC Women's National Championship tomorrow night. I have no dog in the race since I just knew the Huskies would roll on without a defeat. Now they know how it feels to lose a game and to play a tight game. It's a good lesson. Mississippi State and South Carolina face off, and I hope it's a good game. Congratulations in advance to the winner of the game.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs face off against my UNC Tarheels on Monday night. I've been a Tarheels fan for at least twenty-five years since my tenure as a young teacher in Abilene. I just liked them for some reason and took a strong dislike to Duke down Tobacco Road. Now I have one of my favorite underdogs facing my all-time favorite NCAA Men's team (aside from my beloved Texas A&M Aggies!). I want my Tarheels to redeem themselves from last year's heartbreaking buzzer beater against Villanova. Go Tarheels! Frank Isola of Around the Horn fame is the only panelist who picked UNC in the finals to win it.

Lady Grid out.

Elite Eight Time

I must confess that I am glad UCLA lost last night to Kentucky. Lonzo Ball's dad kept his name and his son's name in the press with all of that noise and ring. Now the young man will enter the draft and forfeit his college education for the NBA draft. Sigh. One and done sickens me, but I cannot control someone else's life.

Here is my best bracket so far for the men's tournament.

Here is my best bracket for the women's tournament.

Lady Grid out.

March Maddens Me

I made eight brackets for ESPN's Tournament Challenge. In NONE of them did I choose Wisconsin to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. I am eating my heart out, holding my head in my hands, and generally raging like a madwoman. Argh!  Okay, rant over. Let's hope that the Florida State Seminoles manage to win against Xavier Musketeers only for the sake of my bracket. I am going to be a part of the Second Chance Tournament game on ESPN once it gets started. More anon.

Lady Grid out.

Madness Descends Soon!

Next week begins March Madness, the time of year when college basketball teams battle for supremacy. Will Villanova repeat? They broke my heart last year with the buzzer beater shot that crushed my UNC Tar Heels. Brackets get firmed up this weekend, and we'll see how things play out. Meanwhile, I think I'll enjoy championship week.

One NFL note (or two!) to report. Tony Romo will be released by the Dallas Cowboys with the caveat that he not go to an NFC East rival. I would prefer that Tony retire with his health intact. Wherever he lands must have a solid O-line to protect his increasingly fragile bones. I know he has the heart to compete; however, his body cannot guarantee the check his competitiveness is writing. Brandon Marshall signed with the NY Giants. Where will Adrian Peterson land?

Lady Grid out.

Snow on Opening Day?

Down here we have been wearing shorts for the past two months, especially the young people who are invincible. Or so they think. Would you believe snow? In April? Snow. On to sports.

MLB Recap - April 4, 2016

1. Houston at NY Yankees (Postponed)
2. San Francisco at Milwaukee
3. Minnesota at Baltimore
4. Seattle at Texas
5. Boston at Cleveland (Postponed)
6. Washington at Atlanta
7. Philadelphia at Cincinnati
8. LA Dodgers at San Diego
9. Toronto at Tampa Bay
10. Colorado at Arizona - at press time the game had not ended.
11. ChiCubs at LA Angels - at press time the game had not ended.
12. ChiSox at Oakland - at press time the game had not ended.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

1. Astros at Yankees
2. Red Sox at Indians
3. Mets at Royals
4. Cardinals at Pirates
5. Tigers at Marlins
6. Blue Jays at Rays
7. Mariners at Rangers
8. Giants at Brewers
9. Rockies at D-backs
10. Cubs at Angels
11. White Sox at Athletics
12. Dodgers at Padres

Congratulations to Villanova Wildcats on your NCAA Men's Basketball championship. I actually picked them to win in one of my three regular brackets on ESPN, so that's nice to know. I have been a UNC fan for over twenty years, so I am still hating the buzzer beater that goes against my team.

Lady Grid out.

Tourney Weekend!

NCAA Tournaments

April 2 - Men's Final Four

Villanova vs. Oklahoma
Syracuse vs. UNC

April 3 - Women's Final Four

Oregon State vs. UCONN
Washington vs. Syracuse

I know the Orange want to do the 2013-2014 UCONN Men's and Women's championship celebration dance and cut the nets. It will not happen, in my humble opinion. I have been wrong before. I mention my picks for the brand new MLB season tomorrow. No fooling.

Lady Grid out.

Aggies are in the Sweet Sixteen!

With all of those brackets busting wide open after Michigan State's loss in the first round, things seemed hopeless on so many fronts. Texas was booted by a buzzer beater from UNI (University of Northern Illinois) off the hands of Paul Jesperson. SFA smacked down West Virginia like nobody's business. Hawai'i upset Cal. No perfect brackets remained.

Now on to the second round when things should be normal, right? Wrong! Xavier falls to Wisconsin.The best news and game possible happened last night as the #3 seeded Texas A&M University Aggies came from behind in the fourth quarter to tie things up twice with UNI and force two OTs. Whoop! I screamed so loudly that my normally unflappable eighteen year old son jumped four feet. Mama was excited. Now we face Oklahoma in the Sweet Sixteen. Gig 'em, Aggies! Whoop!!!!

Lady Grid out.

NCAA Tourneys are Here!

Yes, sports fans, March Madness is upon us. I appreciate the effort my Aggies made, but we ran out of time against Kentucky. Next time, Aggies, next time.  Here is a bracket from the NCAA for the Mens Tournament that starts with the first four on Tuesday, March 15. Best of luck!

Lady Grid out.

The House is Protected

My Texas A&M Aggies' mens basketball team won over Kentucky 79-77. Whoop! I am savoring today's victory and not worrying about tomorrow or the NCAA tourney in a few weeks.

Lady Grid out.

Aggies and the Pros

Collegiate Hoops

Not the Razorbacks! Ugh. My Texas A&M Aggies mens' basketball team ran out of time against the Arkansas Razorbacks 74-71. Ugh.

My Lady Aggies take on the Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday evening. Gig 'em, Aggies!

Professional Hoops

Cleveland won against Phoenix! Good job, LBJ and company.
Boston prevailed over Denver.
Golden State notched a win over Dallas. At least the Mavericks were only 20 points behind at the end.
The Los Angeles Clippers edged Atlanta with a score of 85-83.

I know this is not the sport for it, but a Yellow Flag of Shame to Blake Griffin for injuring his hand in a fight with the team equipment manager. Maybe I can charge him with a technical for a nonsensical decision. Oy vey!

A Passing NFL Note

Could we be "seeing double" with the Gronkowski family? The youngest brother Glenn, a standout at KSU, planned to meet the Patriots this evening. Hmm. . .

Lady Grid out.

Good News and Bad News

1. The good news is that my Aggies won last night against LSU at Reed Arena. Whoop!
2. The bad news for Kansas is that they lost to Oklahoma State. They were number three until last night happened.
3. The worst news for Duke is their third straight loss in a row. Coach K will not stand for four. Watch out, NC State Wolf Pack. Blue Devils will be on a roll.

Lady Grid out.

Looking Forward to the NFL Weekend

NFL Divisional Playoff Weekend

Saturday, January 16, 2016
Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots - I don't want the Patriots to win, but they have that je ne sais quoi. Ugh.
Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals - Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald, Patrick Peterson, and host of other Cardinals players need to bring their "A" game against the resurgent Packers.

Sunday, January 17, 2016
Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers - Cam and the boys need to keep pounding. MVP time.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos - This will be it for my General as he starts against the Steelers defense with the ever hungry James Harrison eyeing QBs like breakfast meat.

Side Notes:

1. A new era for head coaches dawns in Cleveland and New York.
2. The LA Rams will be back in Los Angeles for the first time since 1994. Hallelujah. Saying St. Louis was bothering me all of these years. I was born when the Rams were out west, so old habits die hard. 
3. After that crazy anomaly of all of the home teams losing in the wild card matchups, I hope I'm not wrong with my picks for this weekend. Fire up the grill, and make me a burger. It's football time!

College Basketball

At press time, number 9 ranked Duke was trailing Clemson with just over a minute remaining. We shall see if the Blue Devils keep up their winning ways. No, Clemson upset them with a score of 68-63. The timer just ran out on me with my computer time this evening.

Lady Grid out.

What a Finish!

Apparently, Cinderella wears Spartan Green and is from Michigan State. Their overtime victory against Louisville is now one for the record books. I sort of wish I'd had my crystal ball out before making my predictions.  Och, well! Congratulations to Michigan State, Duke University, University of Kentucky, and Wisconsin for making it the Final Four.  Good luck in your games on Saturday.

For the men's tournament, I am seventy-five percent correct on my Final Four pronouncement for my best brackets created.  For the women's tournament, I have the first two correctly picked with South Carolina lined up against Notre Dame.  The results of tonight's games will let me know if my other two picks are spot on. Good luck to Tennessee, Maryland, UCONN, and Dayton. I wonder if it will mirror the men's results with one number seven seed surprising the odds makers but not themselves with their tenacity. It remains to be seen.

Six days remain until true baseball fever takes over the nation. My Rangers were downed by the Dodgers in a 10-5 trouncing yesterday. Just let the season begin so we can see how things will be with the new manager, Jeff Banister. Russell Wilson hit a HR in batting practice, and Derek Holland is feeling healthy. Can Russell please join the team? He's good at this sport, too.

In sobering news, the Seattle Mariners' prospect Victor Sanchez died due to injuries that occurred while boating in his native Venezuela. My condolences to the grieving family and friends of this twenty-year old young man.

Lady Grid out.

Second Chances

The powers that be at ESPN graciously created a second chance tournament bracket this year. How nice to redeem the broken bracket of last week after all of the upsets.  So far, one of my brackets is actually perfect which now spells certain doom for the team I've selected. We'll see. I made three just to see how close I'd be.  Here is the third one I created.

I promise I am shocked, too!

In NBA news, I am sorry that Kevin Durant is to be out for four to six months for his foot, but I want him to be better so that he can play for the OKC Thunder again. Get well soon, KD!

Lady Grid out.

Bracket Busters!

What do Baylor, Iowa State, SMU, Oklahoma State, and VCU have in common? They broke my brackets this weekend. At press time, I was awaiting the results of the Providence-Dayton game which is still playing past my bedtime. It wasn't looking good for the Friars.

In the NCAA Women’s Tournament, George Washington, Minnesota, Washington, and Northwestern are my deal breakers for the first day of action. I hope that tomorrow will give some better results. It’s all about bragging rights in my family anyway. Gig’em, Lady Aggies! Whoop!

Yes, other sports besides collegiate basketball are playing their seasons right now.

My Texas Rangers suffered a loss to the LA Dodgers in Cactus League play. Dodgers pitching ace Clayton Kershaw will have to pay a trip to the dentist after getting part of his tooth broken off. Ouch! The Rangers also managed a tie against the Seattle Mariners. Will wonders never cease? The Miami Marlins and the NY Yankees are tied for the lead in the Grapefruit League. Opening Day is a little over two weeks away. National pastime, here we come!

Dallas suffered a home loss against the visiting Grizzlies tonight. They are 24-12 at home.  Zach Randolph was the high scorer for the Grizzlies’ squad.  Dirk Nowitzki and Devis Harris each contributed 16 points for Dallas.   OKC won against the Hawks, and Kevin Durant’s expected return is not known due to his injuries this season. The defending champs beat the Celtics at the AT&T Center, extending their 26-8 home record. 

It's time to turn in for the night. Lady Grid out.