Wednesday, March 20, 2013

March Madness

Hi there.  It's been a while since the last post, but really their hasn't been a lot out there that has caught my attention to the point where you scratch your head and say either, "huh?" or "really?"
We start with March Madness.  Between the start of the Division 1 mens basketball tournament tomorrow, my alma mater making the Division 2 Elite 8 and Argyle and Lake George winning state championships at the Civic Center last weekend, my mind and body is completely basketballed out.  I used be able to handle of all it, but not any more.  One of the effects getting older.  It's like eating junk food.  When I was young a bag of Doritos could be inhaled with the force of one of those cyclonic action vacuums.  Now if I think of eating one more than the proper amount in the suggested portion, I fear the bad cholesterol and sodium alarm will go off in my body.
Another one of the depressing things about getting older was the end of an era with the last Big East basketball championship at Madison Square Garden.   Coaches like Jim Boeheim,  John Thompson, Lou Carnesecca, Rolly Massimino, a young Rick Pitino,  PJ Carlesimo, and Jim Calhoun.  Players like Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin, and Ray Allen just mention a few on an endless list of greatness.  Dave Gavitt was such a visionary.  It's a shame that football eventually would be the cause of the demise of basketball's "Great Conference."  Sorry ACC, the Big East in its prime was better hands down!  Sean McDonough was so eloquent with his words in describing the Big East last weekend.  North Carolina and Duke could never match the 1985 Final Four in Lexington when St.John's, Georgetown, and Villanova made it and the Wildcats did the impossible to Georgetown in the final.
One more hoops note and that was the 6,166 folks who showed up Saturday evening to see a Section 2 sweep by Argyle, Lake George and Watervliet in the Class D, C, and B finals.  Wow!  To all those other cities who would like to host the NYSPHSAA basketball championships.  Fuhget about it.  Not gonna happen.  Go after ice hockey and take it away from Utica, please!\
On to other things.  First Dennis Rodman goes to North Korea and then the Vatican to see the election of Pope Francis.  I'm sorry but Ambassador Worm doesn't have a nice ring to it.
The new Justin Timberlake song, "Suit and Tie."  It's gets into your head and becomes addictive. However, for the life of me why is Jay-Z in it and what is the point of the lyrics he rapping?
The History Channel is doing some documentary series on the bible and there is an uproar over the Moroccan actor who is playing the devil.  Some people are claiming he resembles  President Obama.    We need to lighten up.  Why can't we have some big scandal involving the PC police?
Congress, you fumbled the ball on not passing that semi-automatic weapons bill.
When my dad was home last month, I asked him to pick up watch batteries for some of my personal electronic devices from the jewelry store company he works for when he feels like it.  I told him what I needed and the store had none of them in stock.  I go to a reputable online place and had them in about a week.  What's up with that?
I might have to make a trip this summer to the southern fortress of solitude in Fripp Island, SC now that I know that the Charleston SC Riverdogs baseball team will be selling beer milkshakes.  Guinness caramel is one of the flavors.  Make mine a double and I'll have a brat with some garlic fries too.
Mets fans must have been close to jumping off the Shea Bridge when they found out that David Wright got injured during the World Baseball Classic and Tom Seaver had been suffering from a case of Lyme Disease.  If something had happened to Mike Piazza, well never mind.  
Would someone keep Rangers coach John Tortorella away from caffeine at all costs, please!  Going off on Sam Rosen after he asks you a question during a post game interview is just not right.
Sunday I went to my friends open house at his maple sugar house in the Whitehall area and it was the first Sunday since the middle of last August that I didn't have to think about high school football, basketball or ice hockey.  Yes Virginia, the season ended up being that long.  If you want great syrup just Google Right at Home Maple.  I wouldn't steer you wrong when it comes to the good stuff.
If you want to know, I'm finally gonna get to starting eggplant and pepper seeds this weekend.
Bowl for Kids Sake is this Saturday at 3:30pm. Hope you can come out and support me, Mike, and Jason at Spare Time in S.Glens Falls.
Finally after seeing Glens Falls play for a state title in football and Argyle and Lake George win state basketball championships, another high school sports season has come to an end.  Time for golf and other things to pass the time til August 19th...Leccese out.


Tuesday, March 5, 2013

$489,716.23!

Hi there.  That number which headlines this entry says it all and speaks major volumes.  It's the money raised by the kids at South Glens Falls High School during this years' marathon dance.  With so many headlines that have to do bullying, budget cuts, shootings and other bad things happening in our schools recently, isn't it nice to know that the majority of the kids are good ones and we need more good stories like that and about them to balance out the bad.  Think about this.  40 people or groups will be helped by those kids.
On to other things. It was one long day Saturday.  Up at 4:30am to be on air and doing the Hits thing I do once a week from 6am to 9am. Then following a short break, high school hockey in Lake George at 3:30pm followed by a basketball game at the Civic Center shortly after the hockey game ended on WWSC.  Talk about being tired.  I was on fumes driving home around 9pm.  Not having to go to Utica this weekend is the only positive in Queensbury's tough loss last weekend.  Any high school sports broadcasts we do these last two weeks will be only a 5 to 10 minute drive.  Amen!
Speaking of Amen.  It seems the only people who manage to find my home with no problem are the ones who want to know if I've embraced the good lord as my savior.  They must have a special GPS or Google maps thing, or my friends have no desire to drive the minimum of 20 minutes to find me, lol.
Dennis Rodman playing diplomat? If any one could possibly becomes friends with that, "one Brazil nut or cashew short of a mixed nut can" leader of North Korea, why not the Worm.  
Kanye West three years after dissing Taylor Swift at the MTV video music awards still won't shut up about it.  Kim Kardashian left Kris Humphries for this genius and is carrying his child? To quote Dan Miner, Kanye "Let it go already!"
Love this story from Milwuakee where one of the sausage costumes that the Brewers use during their famous in between innings race, while appearing at a curling event, ended up being stolen.  Who ever did it, put on the costume, went to bars and other places and took photos with patrons.  It was eventually returned.  See another reason why curling is addictive to watch during the Winter Olympics.
First it was Gangum Style and now the Harlem Shake.  What the heck are they in the first place?  People are posting 4 thousand Harlem Shake videos on YouTube a day!  
Being a listener to various sports talk radio stations, if any coach other than Duke's Mikey K had spoken up about kids storming the court and the fear for his players' safety, would the hosts have made such a big deal about it and made it a hot button issue ?  I don't think so. 
It was nice to see and hear conservative hot air bag Sean Hannity humbled by that Minnesota congressman on his tv show last week.
I may not be watching hockey, but its hard not to notice the Chicago Blackhawks' 22 game point streak without a regulation loss to start this abbreviated schedule.
Giving some props to the Edinburgh Scotland zoo and their attempts to get the Panda's to mate.  Pumping Marvin Gaye's classic "Let's Get it On" in the cage.  Now that's what I'm talking about!  
Finally, its way too soon to start thinking about the 2013 high school football season, but the first draft schedule was released last week.  Yes, I looked at it.  Guilty as charged...Leccese out.