My Thoughts On HBO's The Pacific So Far...

Sunday night is a fantastic night of television. Between The Pacific, Breaking Bad, Celebrity Apprentice, and The Amazing Race I'm on overload Sunday nights. Well I'm catching up slowly and I just finished the 3rd and latest installment of HBO's 10-Part miniseries, The Pacific.

First let's preface this with a couple things. I was a HUGE fan of Band of Brothers. I loved everything about it, start to finish, and have seen it more than a few times. Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg did an unbelievable job with it and I consider it the best miniseries ever made (although I'm also a huge fan of Into The West), and an epic on par with anything that has been done in the last 10 years of cinema, especially anything made for TV. So my expectations for this are very high as the Hanks and Spielberg again head this up, but with an even larger budget this time around (which doesn't really mean anything in regards to how good it will be). The second big thing I must mention is that I am a ridiculous history buff and World War II is one of my favorite topics. However, The fight in the Pacific with Japan just has never grabbed my interest as I have always been much more enthralled with the fight in Europe with Hitler and the Nazis. So coming in, I've had high expectations, but I don't expect it to be as good as Band of Brothers.

The Pacific has been very good so far, although I think it has taken a slightly different path than Band of Brothers in how they approached the start of the series, and that is one of my main issues that I will get to. The Pacific throws you right into the fight as the first and second episodes both revolve around the Battle of Guadalcanal. The fighting scenes are incredible even though the scenes at night can sometimes be hard to follow. They definitely took a different approach here in trying to get viewers in with fighting right off. This is where I think they made a mistake.

In Band of Brothers, there wasn't a lot of fighting in the first couple of episodes as most of it centered around boot-camp and deployment. The great thing about this though was that there was a ton of character development done and by the time the fighting ensued you were really involved with the characters and knew who they all were and their stories. I could honestly say that I didn't really know who anyone was for the first couple of episodes of the Pacific so it lessened my interest in the fighting a little bit. Instead of giving us solid character development early on, it seems they waited until episode 3 to give us the bulk of it. There was a lot of it done in the last one, and it definitely got me more involved with characters, especially Pvt. Leckie and Sgt. Basilone. I just wish they would have done this first so the fighting in Guadalcanal would have meant more.

That's pretty much my only issue with the series so far, and otherwise I'm loving it. I'm starting to get a better grip on some of the characters and I'm really looking forward to seeing where things go from here. You might need Wikipedia to help you follow some of what each character is actually doing for the first couple of episodes, but it's totally worth it. If you haven't checked The Pacific out yet you need to do so as it's only going to get better from here.

The Amazing Race POWER RANKINGS (episode 7, aired 3/28/10)

1) Louis & Michael: I'll be honest, I initially thought these two were just goofballs and weren't going to be very good. Boy was I wrong about that one. They started the race very slow, and have even said that they have adjusted and changed how they operate and wow has it made a difference. I believe they've won 2 legs, and they were in first here until the order got reshuffled when everyone got on the same flight to The Seychelles. They drew one of the bottom 3 numbers and that set them back. But they didn't make mistakes like everyone else in hauling the coconuts, and they pay great attention to detail (because they're detectives right? Haha.). This is the strongest team left in the race, and should be there at the end.

2) Steve & Allie: Steve & Allie finally broke through and won a leg this week. They have been consistently finishing in the top half of each leg all race though. This is another team that doesn't make many mistakes (minus leaving their bags behind this week) and they're pretty good at the challenges too. They have been one of the most consistent teams over the course of the race and have pretty much flown under the radar until now. TV time for them has been limited too, but if they keep up performances like this week, they'll be getting much more, and on the finale in particular. A factor that might affect these two is whether or not they are going to have their bags to begin the next leg or not, it might hurt them if they don't.

3) Dan & Jordan: Here's another team that I thought was weak early on in the race. I don't know whether they have moved themselves up in my eyes or if everyone else just moved themselves down. Either way, this appears to be one of the better teams when they're in an English speaking country, it's when another language is spoken that these two have real problems. They were smart enough this week to double check that they had all their coconuts in their cart before they moved on, and that gets them a ton of bonus points as more teams screwed that one up than did it successfully. My friend thinks they are going to one of the final 3, but I'm not ready to make that kind of prediction for them yet. They are fast and athletic, as well as good at the challenges, but will their youth and inexperience catch up to them in the end?

4) Brent & Caite: Now I may be mistaken here because I don't exactly remember, but weren't these two consistently in the front of the pack early on in the race, and even win a leg? Their problem is that keep making silly mistakes on the race and their bickering seems to get in the way sometimes too. This week their problems continued when they were leading the group and not only got a slow ox, but also forgot a coconut and had to go back for it. They've been hanging at the back of the pack for awhile now and their buddies Jeff & Jordan were eliminated last week. The real question for these two is if they can clean it up for a leg or two and just get to the finale, because if they do, I absolutely think they can win the whole thing.

5) Jet & Cord: I was pretty sure Jet & Cord were the lucky team on the race before, but they confirmed that for me this week. I know they won a couple legs, but that was a direct result of them catching that bus that gave them a lead that not even they could screw up for a couple legs. They cost themselves big time this time around though when they left the bottle on the boat. Absolute stupidity. They are now going to have to compete with a speed bump next week, and I'm not sure they can recover from that. Neither of them are very experienced with traveling and I don't think they've been out of rodeo land very much. They are going to have a lot of trouble next week just staying in the race.

6) Carol & Brandy: These two should have finished last this week, but they have Jet & Cord to thank for that not happening. I still can't believe they didn't even make an effort to try and get seats at the front of the plane, and they knew it might end up costing them when they made that decision too. They drew one of the last 3 numbers and that put them behind right off. I'm also quite tired of hearing them argue, which they seem to do a lot of. They aren't very good at the challenges, and they aren't very fast either. It's a battle between them and Jet & Cord for elimination next week.

The Amazing Race HITLIST (episode 7, aired 3/28/10)

Okay so I didn't think buy or sell was really going to work for this show (or Survivor really for that matter) and I wasn't really too keen on a hit or miss column because it seems too blah. But that's what I'm going to go with for now until my creative juices help me come up with something better. Okay, on to my thoughts about this show!

HITS

The Seychelles: Wow what an amazing place. I felt like I was watching Survivor from time to time because this was that kind of environment. The camera shots they took of the water were incredibly gorgeous. I didn't even know this place existed until I saw this episode. Very cool location and I'm glad TAR went there.

Allie: Up until this episode, we really haven't seen much from Allie and her dad Steve, but we got a lot of them here as they went on to win their first leg of the race. I'm very glad they did win though because it meant we'd be treated to more Allie and her personality really shone through in this episode. I'll be honest, I've got a major crush on this girl now, she was just cute before, but now it's full blown crush territory. I mean what's not to like about the sweet, cute, religious girl right? Her interaction with the turtle was adorable too. Okay I'll stop gushing now.

Detour - Turtle Toddle or Ox Trot: First things first, given these and what they said about them, I would have gone with the Turtle Toddle. I feel like they were trying to trick the teams because I mean, who would pick something that was contingent on the movement of a turtle right? That's the point. But onto the Detour, I thought it was a good one. Steve & Allie were done with this very quickly (and they did Turtle Toddle!). The tasks were relatively simple, minus guiding the ox along, teams problems were that they weren't careful enough with the coconuts. I give this detour a hit because it messed a lot of teams up and I loved the turtles (more on that in a minute).

The Turtles: The turtles were all kinds of awesome. They were adorable as they just scooted along and I couldn't help but laugh every time one of them had banana all over their face. The whole thing was just funny even though I felt bad about the poor things being lured around with a banana. I didn't even know turtles ate bananas! It seemed like you were either going to get one that wanted to cooperate or you weren't. Carol & Brandy just happened to pick the most defiant turtle around apparently. Or he was just full.

The Coconut Guy: This guy was a riot. He didn't say too much, but every time someone came to him and had forgotten one, he delivered his "It's not enough coconuts" line, which was just hilarious since they had so many in the cart already and to say it wasn't enough when they were missing one was funny to me for some reason. Plus, he was laughing his ass off whenever he told someone that, it was like he took pleasure in sending them all the way back. It was great.

Underwater Phil: What the hell was this? This was so random to just have Phil attempt to explain the roadblock while he was underwater. Blubb blubbbb blub blubbb. Thank you CBS for the subtitles there though, my underwater speak had been lacking. I put this as a hit because it was just too funny and totally random. Anytime they take Phil out of his element I like it. Anyone else really want to see Phil and Jeff Probst do the Amazing Race together or is that just me? Probably just me.

"From what I've heard, it's pretty anonymous, amongst the teams.": Good one Brent. And I thought your girl Caite was the one that was supposed to deliver all of the stupid lines this season. This gets a hit simply because it blows my mind that these two can be such complete airheads.

MISSES

Carol & Brandy Not Getting Seats At The Front Of The Plane: I assume when you apply to be on TAR, that you have seen the damn thing before right? I always thought it was just a given that teams would try to get seats as close to the front as they can. Every team every year does this, at least the good ones do. Carol & Brandy are not a good team, and this is just further proof. They would have come in last too if Jet & Cord weren't such morons.

Teams Forgetting Coconuts: The detour obviously said somewhere that it was important to make sure you had ALL the coconuts, because Dan & Jordan were smart enough to go back and double check. So my question is, what the hell are people doing not double checking!? Seems pretty simple to me that you just do a quick search around before you leave, or look back as you're leaving! For crying out loud, Carol & Brandy actually ran over their coconut as they left! It's little things like this that end up costing teams the most on the race.

Road Block - 7 Bottles Up: This was the road block? How hard was this really? It took like 2 minutes tops. Weak.

Jet & Cord Forget Their Bottle: Seriously guys? They even said they knew there was some pouch inside there. You knew, but didn't bother to look at all? Just wow. These guys were so lucky to win the couple of legs that they did.

7Up Reward: I'm sorry, is this Survivor? We're giving out rewards now? I think this is going to become a theme on TAR. Survivor has no problems pimping their sponsors, and there's no easier way to do that then through rewards. TAR has always been more low key when it comes to sponsors (minus Travelocity), but I think we're going to start seeing more rewards given to teams at the end of legs because it opens it up more for other sponsors. Rewards in TAR, it's going to become the norm soon, you heard it here first.

Celebrity Apprentice 3 Power Rankings! (episode 2, aired 3/21/10)

TEAM TENACITY

1) Maria Kanellis: Wow, I never thought I'd be putting her #1, but damn did she impress as Project Manager in the "Kodak Moment" challenge. She not only gained respect from the rest of her team, which I think she was lacking before because of her age, but she stood out huge to Trump as well. She showed that she is more than capable of organizing and executing, and her creativity is second to none. She's on top of Team Tenacity right now.

2) Summer Sanders: Summer kinda laid low in the first challenge when she was working in the kitchen, but was still an integral part. This week however, she got mentioned by name by the Kodak executives who were extremely impressed with her work and even said that they would hire her on the spot to be a rep for them. I've always liked Summer since her days as the host of Figure It Out (yeah I went there), but she showed here that she can be a formidable competitor to win this competition as well. Anytime you get singled out in a positive way by the execs for the company you're working with, that is nothing but good news. Trump took notice as well.

3) Holly Robinson Peete: I thought she did an excellent job the first week in organizing people as well as being the top fund raiser for the team. She's shown that she has the savvy to flourish in The Apprentice and she always seems to be the voice of reason in tough situations. She's been very impressive so far, even though she may not get as much TV time as Sharon or Cyndi.

4) Sharon Osbourne: I thought about dropping her a spot to #5 because of how she left sick, but I think she has a lot to offer to the team. She tells it like it is, and sometimes teams need someone like that to set them straight. She is also arguably the most recognizable celebrity that the women have. She could be very essential to their success and hopefully she doesn't bail out on them sick again.

5) Selita Ebanks: As gorgeous as she is, she's the one I tend to forget about on Team Tenacity. She played a central role in the first week, taking over the cooking duties for the most part which did win the team $10,000, but she didn't do too much this week. I would be very interested to see how she would do as Project Manager. She has ruffled no feathers though and that is a good thing.

6) Cyndi Lauper: What purpose does she serve really, besides purely entertainment value? I understand that along with Sharon they are the most recognizable celebs (although I couldn't point her out of a lineup before this), but she seems to be a bigger pain in the ass than anything else. Is she entertaining? Hell yeah. Funny? Yeah, whether intentionally or not. But I really thought she should have been fired Week 1 as she did a poor job as leader in a challenge where they got destroyed. The longer she stays around, the less credibility I give this show.

TEAM ROCKSOLID

1) Darryl Strawberry: To be honest I had a hard time finding a #1 for the men, so I'm going to have to go off of this week and say Darryl. He is loved in the city of New York and was their top celebrity attraction for sure. Trump seems to like him a lot as well and he's been good at everything he's done so far. He's kind of quiet too so we don't get to hear too much from him, but I think he's going to be hard to fire down the line.

2) Curtis Stone: He was excellent last week in the restaurant challenge as that's right in his wheelhouse. He's well spoken and the ladies seem to like him a lot too and that showed in the "Kodak Moment" challenge. Stone also seems like the type that isn't going to get on anyone's nerves. He's been strong so far.

3) Bret Michaels: Yes he had his little breakdown this week, but I think that was because of Sinbad more than anything else. The previous week as Project Manager he was excellent in his role, delegating when he needed to and making sure everyone had something to do. It's just too bad he seemed to wash all that goodwill away very fast with his little rant about the cameras this week.

4) Goldberg: I don't really know what to say about Goldberg. I can't say that he's really stood out in either of the last 2 challenges. He's not pissing anyone off either, but I'd like to see him in a more active role soon. He doesn't get all that much TV time either for that matter.

5) Michael Johnson: Michael just seems lost at times, like when he got confused this week. He's another guy that doesn't get a whole lot of TV time either so it'll be interesting to see what he's able to do. He seems like a pretty smart guy though, but he has to go down here on the list just because I haven't seen much from him.

6) Rod Blagojevich: I love Blago. He's entertaining as hell and funny as hell too, even though sometimes I don't think he's trying to be. That being said, he's definitely at the bottom of the rankings. He doesn't fit in with the rest of the group at all, and as evidenced by the balloon thing this week, I'm not sure they take very seriously. There's also the issue of the reaction that he gets from people on the streets, and I'd imagine that it's mostly negative. I'm not sure how that can be an asset to this team. I hope he does something great for them because I want to see him stick around. Trump was right though, he's got some guts for coming on to this show.

Happy Birthday to...

THJS would like to deliver a birthday shoutout (by request) to Kenny Chesney, country music artist and University of Tennessee alum, who is celebrating his 42nd birthday today! Hell of a birthday present today eh Ken? His Tennessee Volunteers will be making their first ever Elite 8 appearance this weekend after their win over #2 seed Ohio State earlier this evening. Happy birthday!

Celebrity Apprentice 3 BUY or SELL! (episode 2, aired 3/21/10)

Picking the Project Managers: I am BUYING the women’s process and SELLING the men’s. Who the hell put Blago in charge!? The women collaborated on the decision and I think that paid off in the end as they made a good choice in Maria (more on that later). Blago just appointing Sinbad made little sense, and the rest of the group  going along with it like that was cool made even less sense. I mean, c’mon, who makes decisions like this?

Maria as Project Manager: I am absolutely BUYING this. Wow did she make quite the impression. Having known her from her WWE days, I didn’t really expect a whole hell of a lot, but this show has proven that they never really let her personality show though. She was organized, poised, and extremely enthusiastic about what she was doing, and that showed in the final product the women produced. Maria really impressed me here and I’m sure the same can be said for Trump.

Sinbad as Project Manager: I am SELLING this, for whatever I can sell it for, which isn’t much. Wow was he terrible. He was ridiculously unorganized and it was a complete 180 degree shift from how things were running during the challenge the previous week. The men were looking to be told to do something and Sinbad was clueless about it all. And how could you not have anyone at the table shilling the Kodak products!? Isn’t that the who damn point? Fail.

Blago on the Streets: I will definitely BUY this. How freakin’ hilarious is he when talking to random people on the streets? Constantly proclaiming his innocence to anyone willing to listen is funny enough, but being confused for Donny Osmond and that guy who flat told him “You are a disgrace” not once, but twice is simply priceless. He’s so out of place with everyone else on the team too. Pure entertainment, can’t wait to see what he does next week.

Bret Michaels’ Breakdown: I am BUYING this. I believe what he said in the boardroom about it being a self-imposed timeout, and I think that was a good decision on his part not to let his temper get the best of him in regards to Sinbad. The rant about how he has seen all this before and thought he was being made out to be the bad guy was quite laughable though. In the end though, good decision on his part to just walk away instead of clocking Sinbad upside the head, which might not have been a bad thing to be honest.

Maria and the Make a Wish Foundation: BUY, BUY, BUY. Wow this was some emotional stuff. When she was hanging out and having fun with that little girl I’m not gonna lie, I almost shed a tear. You could tell how genuine her enthusiasm was in helping these kids. It was a great thing to see. I wasn’t really a fan of hers in WWE, but after seeing this episode I think she’s amazing. She went out of her way to do these things for the kids, and you could just tell how happy she was to be able to give $20,000 to her charity at the end. We need more people like her around.

Sharon’s Take on Blago’s Face: I’ll SELL this. I think her quote was that he looked like someone pinched his eyes together when he wasn’t done cooking, and that he’s “half-baked” and needs to “go back in the oven”. Was it hilarious? You bet it was. But puh-lease Sharon, you aren’t exactly a 10. Or a 6 for that matter. 

Donald Fires Sinbad: This is a BUY. I see no other option here. Blago shouldn’t have even been in the boardroom, and the incident that Sinbad kept referring to with Bret was such a non-issue in terms of the whole scheme of things that the blame fell squarely on him. The fact of the matter is he didn’t get it done as Project Manager. He was a poor leader and is style did not mesh well with everyone else.

Sweet 16 Preview! (East + South Regions)

EAST REGION

#1 Kentucky vs. #12 Cornell
-This is being billed as the classic David vs. Goliath match and that is precisely what this is. From the non-scholarship athletes of the Big Red, to the differences in pay between John Calipari and Steve Donahue, to the Ivy League vs. the SEC, the differences between the two programs are vast. Kentucky has rolled through its first two games, but surprisingly, so has Cornell. The Big Red has dismantled Temple and Wisconsin which were two of the better defenses in Division I all year. The real question is, can Cornell hang with a team as talented and athletic as Kentucky? They need to keep John Wall out of the lane and prevent him from making plays that way. Wall is the key and if they can slow him down and frustrate him, Cornell can make this a game. As they showed when they took Kansas to the limit at Allen Fieldhouse earlier in the year, this team can hang with anybody when they are playing their best, and they are certainly playing their best right now.

Who Wins? Kentucky. They are too talented and too athletic for Cornell to handle, but The Big Red are more than capable of making this a very interesting game.

#11 Washington vs. #2 West Virginia
-The Mountaineers suffered a critical setback this week with the loss of Darryl Bryant to a broken foot that he got during practice mid-week. He is really their only option at point guard as his backup, Joe Mazzulla hasn't played much this season, let alone run the offense for this team in big time games. Bryant was also one of the team's best shooters on a team really lacking in that department, and Mazzulla quite frankly, can't shoot, and hasn't made a single 3 pointer all year. The worst thing a team can lose is probably a key point guard and West Virginia is going to have to move on without him. Washington in the mean team has been quite a surprise and is finally playing to its potential which they hadn't done all year long until the Pac-10 Tournament came around. The Huskies are very talented and are hot as hell right now. West Virginia still has Da'Sean Butler who has stepped up for them every time they needed him to in a critical spots, and Devin Ebanks who is ridiculously talented and athletic. Missouri already gave them problems in the second round, and they are dealing with a lot more this time around.

Who Wins? I think Washington continues their hot run and pulls the upset here. I had West Virginia in my title game before the tournament, but they looked shaky against Missouri and I think ultimately the loss or Bryant where at a position where they were very thin already will be too much. The Huskies in a close one.

SOUTH REGION

#1 Duke vs. #4 Purdue
-Can a #4 seed be a Cinderella? I think the Boilermakers definitely should be considered as such since I'm sure not many people had them pegged for a Sweet 16 run after the loss of Robbie Hummel and that abysmal performance in the Big 10 Tournament against Minnesota. I know I didn't. However, that being said, I think they are living on borrowed time. They escaped against Texas A&M and had tons of trouble with Siena for awhile. Chris Kramer has stepped it up for them, but will he be enough here to overcome a Duke team that is hot right now? Speaking of Duke, who was arguably the weakest of the #1 seeds, could they have achieved an easier path to the Final Four now that #2 Villanova has been bounced? You could almost argue that the South housed the weakest #1, #2, #3, and #4 seeds. Here's a fun little fact for you, Duke hasn't beaten a team seeded higher than #5 since they won the National Championship in 2001.

Who Wins? Duke ends that streak and beats a Purdue team that goes down fighting. Props to the Boilermakers for overcoming the loss of Hummel, but that run ends here.

#3 Baylor vs. #10 St. Mary's
-Omar Samhan is a monster. A beast. And he's got quite a way with words too as he's become a media favorite and is always ready to deliver a quotable. But is he ready to deliver again, on the biggest stage? He is averaging 30.5 ppg and 9.5 rebs so far in the tournament which is just absolutely ridiculous. Baylor in the meantime struggled with Sam Houston State for awhile and didn't look great against Old Dominion either. In addition to Xavier/Kansas State, I think this is the most exciting game in the Sweet 16. St. Mary's is hot and ready to finally escape the shadow of Gonzaga in the WCC. Can they recreate some of that magic and make an Elite 8 run like the Zags did in 1999? Either way, this would be the first Elite 8 appearance for either team, so this is a stage that neither team is used to, and that makes this exciting.

Who wins? I had Baylor in my Final Four, but this is a breakout tournament for Samhan. He's going to put up some big numbers again, and St. Mary's will make their first Elite 8 appearance in school history.

Sweet 16 Preview! (Midwest + West Regions)

Wow. What a hell of a first weekend to the tournament eh? That was one of the most exciting first rounds that I think I have ever seen, and that Thursday might have been the greatest tournament day I can remember. Now though, we have been given 3 days to try and catch our breaths before the Sweet 16 kicks into gear. So without further ado, here's my game by game preview for the round of 16.

MIDWEST REGION

#9 Northern Iowa vs. #5 Michigan State
-Well I'm not sure who saw this matchup coming, especially after Kalin Lucas went down for the tournament early in the Maryland game. That is until Korie Lucious stepped in and hit the biggest shot of his life. And that's probably the second best shot we've seen from these two teams so far, right after Ali Faroukhmanesh's ice cold dagger of a 3 against Kansas. And I mean ICE COLD. This game is absolutely chock full of great storylines, from Lucious and Ali, to the Cinderella story of Northern Iowa, to perhaps the greatest tournament coach of our time in Tom Izzo. The questions here are can the Panthers continue their hot shooting and can Tom Izzo once again coach his Spartans to victory without Lucas? A lot of people seem to have Sparty here, and I'm never one who would bet against a Tom Izzo coached team, but I think Northern Iowa has all the momentum right now and is just going to be too good for a Michigan State squad that is without Kalin Lucas.

Who wins? Northern Iowa in a game that I don't think will be as close as people are expecting.

#6 Tennessee vs. #2 Ohio State
-Who thought Tennessee would be here after kicking Tyler Smith off the team in January and suspending 3 others on gun and drug charges? Not me. Granted they got a big assist from Ohio as well who shocked Georgetown in Round 1, but the Vols dispatched of them rather handily and now face an Ohio State team that has charged their way into the Sweet 16 behind Evan Turner. Tennessee is definitely someone you want to root for, given their problems earlier in the season but the Buckeyes are going to prove to be too much for them to handle. Evan Turner is a game changer and he is determined to prove that he is best player in this tournament (which he is). The Vols will need a huge game from Wayne Chism to have any chance in this one.

Who wins? Ohio State, but this could end up being a very close game. Evan Turner will not allow OSU to lose this game.

WEST REGION

#1 Syracuse vs. #5 Butler
-Butler is trying to make their first ever Final Four this year, and if they did that, it would be right in their backyard in Indianapolis? Wouldn't that be something? Yeah that would be something alright but it's not gonna happen. Syracuse has absolutely destroyed their first two opponents and made Gonzaga look like a complete joke in the process (good call on that one Joe). That look like an absolute force right now and Butler is just not equipped to handle them. Wesley Johnson was a beast against Gonzaga, putting up 31 points in a scene that oddly reminiscent of some guy named Carmelo not that long ago. Jim Boeheim is probably going to be the Coach of the Year, and his Orange should cruise into the Elite 8 behind Johnson.

Who wins? Syracuse, and I don't even think it's going to be close. Sorry Butler.

#6 Xavier vs. #2 Kansas State
-Two teams have made trips to the Sweet 16 each of the last 3 years. The Michigan State Spartans with some guy named Tom Izzo at the helm and guess who? Yup, the Xavier Musketeers out of the Atlantic-10. This is now a bonafide big time program. Xavier has made it known that they hate being referred to as a "mid-major", and I'm going to do just as they ask because they are not one anymore. Despite all of their success, they are still looking for that Final Four trip, and this might be their best chance at it. It's too bad they're in a stacked region and will have to go through Kansas State and more than likely Syracuse to get there. Kansas State is playing their best basketball right now, and you know that there had to be more than a few smiles around that locker room when their nemesis Kansas went down. There will not be a 4th meeting between the two teams in the Final Four, but who would have thought Kansas State might be the team that actually ends up in Indianapolis instead? Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente anchor an incredible backcourt for the Wildcats, but they will surely be tested by an equally incredible tandem in Jordan Crawford and Terrell Holloway. This will be the best game in the Sweet 16.

Who Wins? Kansas State in a very close game. If you're only going to watch one game out of these 8, make it this one.

My 2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket

Yes, here it is. And yes, I only fill out one.

South Region Preview (Rds. 1 +2)

Most Intriguing Matchup
  #4 Purdue vs. #13 Siena
-Can Purdue possibly be this awful without Robbie Hummel? After that dreadful 11 point first half against a very mediocre Minnesota team, that remains to be seen. This is a very good Siena team as well out of the MAAC. They took a beating during Bracketbusters week against Butler, but have recovered extremely well. This is a team that was capable of making some noise, even before they drew a Purdue squad that is currently in shambles. Purdue was on track as a lock for a #1 seed before Hummel went down, and the committee took this into account, giving them a #4 instead. Will Purdue find a way to right the ship or is it too late?

Upset Alerts
 #5 Texas A&M vs. #12 Utah State
-Another #5 vs. #12 here. Utah State was upset in their WAC title game by New Mexico State which probably cost them a couple spots for seeding. They played in a pretty week conference but went 14-2, and their best win is probably an early season victory over BYU at home. Texas A&M went 11-5 in the Big 12 with wins over Baylor and Missouri included in that. Utah State is a very good team and if Texas A&M plays like they did against Kansas in the Big 12 Tourney, they won't be advancing.

 #4 Purdue vs. #13 Siena
-Like I mentioned earlier, this is a Purdue team that has yet to find themselves since losing Robbie Hummel for the season. This Siena team is not as talented as they have been in the past when they produced upsets over #4 Vanderbilt in 2008 and #8 Ohio State in 2009, but they are very good. This is just such a question mark kind of game because to be honest, I have absolutely no idea what to expect from Purdue.
  
 #6 Notre Dame vs. #11 Old Dominion
-This Notre Dame team is ridiculously inconsistent, except for when they are actually missing Luke Harangody when they won 4 in a row right before the Big East Tourney. During the year they have suffered losses to the likes of Loyala Marymount, Rutgers, Northwestern, and St. Johns, but have beaten teams like West Virginia, Georgetown, and Pitt. So which Notre Dame team are we going to get? Meanwhile, Old Dominion played a decent non-conference schedule including games against Missouri, Mississippi State, and Richmond. They even racked up a win against Georgetown. Upset alert here for sure.

They Got A What Seed!?
 #1 Duke
-As long as Duke won a very weak ACC Tournament they were going to be a #1 seed and they did. But they are arguably the worst #1 seed as West Virginia is definitely more deserving of that spot. They are #1 though and they drew what is in my opinion the easiest path to Indianapolis in the South Region.

 #4 Purdue
-Did the committee judge on Purdue on their whole body of work or did they take the loss of Hummel into account? That obviously weighed heavily on their mind when they gave the Boilermakers a #4 seed, as they were pretty much a lock for a #2 or a #3 at worst based on their whole season. Is this right or not? Well that is a debate for another time, but the way they are playing of late this is a once #1 seed playing like a #8 seed that is a #4 seed. Are you following me here? Did that make sense?

Biggest Threat To The #1 Seed
 #3 Baylor
-Here is a team that has flown under the radar. What they have been able to accomplish since the Patrick Dennehy incident in 2003 incredible, and wow has head coach Scott Drew turned this program around. They went 11-5 in the Big 12 this year and 25-7 overall. They are on track for their first NCAA Tournament win since 1950 and I have a feeling it's not going to just stop at one. This is an extremely solid team that beat a #6 Texas team on the road back when Texas was still good. The Bears are well coached and have three solid scorers in their staring five, don't count this team out from a Final Four run in a relatively weak bracket.

Potential Cinderellas
 #11 Old Dominion
-(See above)

 #7 Richmond
-Again, I'm very high on all 3 of the A-10 teams in this conference as I think it was a very underrated conference. Richmond played a tough schedule and got quality wins over Florida, Mississippi State, Old Dominion, and Missouri. Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez anchor a quality backcourt for the Spiders. They should be able to dispatch an okay St. Mary's team with no problem and set up an interesting 2nd round matchup with Villanova. I expect the A-10 teams to make some noise this year.

Most Intriguing Potential 2nd Round Matchups
#1 Duke vs. #9 Louisville
-I'n not as high on Louisville as everyone seems to be. Yes they swept a Syracuse team that has only lost 4 games all year, but they also have some dreadful losses and it could be argued that they have no quality wins outside those Syracuse games. I think that's more about matchups than anything else. Nonetheless, this is still an intriguing matchup. Coach K vs. Rick Pitino. Two legends on the games biggest stage, I don't think they'll win, but don't count Louisville out.

Overall Thoughts:
This is by far the most interesting region and has the most potential for upsets. You have the weakest #1 seed in this region as well as arguably the weakest #2 in Villanova who isn't playing well right now. You have some very interesting mid-major teams in Siena, Old Dominion, and Richmond. If chaos is to take over a bracket, it's going to be this one.


Who's Going To Indianapolis?
#3 Baylor
-Underrated. Below the radar. However you want to put it, that's what this team is. They are battle ready, battle tested, and well coached under Scott Drew. The Bears also benefit from being placed in the weakest of the regions. I see them taking down a soft Duke team in the Sweet 16 and making it to Indianapolis.

East Regional Preview (Rds. 1+2)

Most Intriguing Matchup
 #8 Texas vs. #9 Wake Forest
-It was very tempting to put Temple/Cornell here but I think this is the far more intriguing matchup. Here you have two teams that are stumbling into this tournament, and have been almost dreadful for about the past month or more. Texas was ranked #1 earlier in this season, and now have fallen to a #8 seed, that is just incredible. Incredibly awful. Only one team has done worse than that and that was Alabama 7 years ago when they were ranked #1 at one point and fell to a #10 seed in the tournament where they ended their misery via first round exit. Is that where Texas is headed? After starting the season 17-0, they have finished 7-9. Wake Forest hasn't had that kind of drop, but they've lost 5 of 6 coming into this game. The question is, who wants to start winning again? I think Texas breaks out of their funk, they're just too talented to keep losing like this. Right?

Upset Alerts
 #5 Temple vs. #12 Cornell
-Here's that #5 vs. #12 again. This is a pretty popular pick when it comes to the upsets this year, and it's very understandable after the Big Red gave Kansas the scare of a lifetime at Allen Fieldhouse. First things first, both of these teams are underseeded, which should make this interesting in itself. Cornell is a great team that shoots the ball well and is disciplined with it. Temple is grossly underseeded as a #5 as I thought they had the potential for a #4 or even a #3. They tore through a very difficult Atlantic-10 Conference with a 14-2 record and then went on to win their tournament as well. They have a win over Villanova and a 1 point loss at Georgetown. Cornell definitely has the talent and experience to make some noise, but not against this Temple team in my opinion. Temple is on upset alert, but if they come to play, they will advance.

 #7 Clemson vs. #10 Missouri
-Clemson has not fared well recently in NCAA Tournament games as they've made it the last 2 years but have yet to escape the first round. As is usually the case with Oliver Purnell's Clemson teams, they are also poor free throw shooters, shooting just over 65%. Missouri surprisingly got bounced by Nebraska in the Big 12 Tournament, but this is a team that is battle tested in a very tough Big 12 conference and has wins over Texas and Kansas State. The Big 12 was significantly better than the ACC this year and that could prove an advantage to Missouri. But if it comes down to a close game, Clemson has trouble as they've lost most of their close games and I think a lot of that has to do with free throw shooting. In a close game, count on the Tigers from Missouri, not Clemson.

They Got A What Seed!?
 #8 Texas
-How do you go from being the #1 team in the country at one point this season, to pulling down a #8 seed in the NCAA Tournament? Enough said.

 #5 Temple
-This is a team with wins over Villanova and a very close loss at Georgetown. A team that went 14-2 in a super tough and super competitive A-10. A team that won their conference tournament. How did they get a #5? This team was disrespected by the committee, and they could be a force having drawn the 5/12/4/13 part of the bracket.

 #12 Cornell
-How on earth did Cornell come away with a #12 seed? They went 27-4 with their only losses being Seton Hall, at Syracuse, at Kansas, and at Penn in the Palestra which is a tough place for ANY team to play. Two of those teams are #1 seeds in this tournament. They were ranked earlier in the year as well. The Big Red are definitely underseeded as a #12 and are more like a #7 or #8 at worst. No respect for the Ivy League obviously. 

Biggest Threat To The #1 Seed
 #2 West Virginia
-Bob Huggins' Mountaineers could have very easily been a #1 seed (and I think they were more deserving than Duke) but find themselves in the East with Kentucky instead. West Virginia won their first ever Big East Tournament title in what is no doubt the deepest conference in all of college basketball. Da'Sean Butler has proven himself a big game player on the biggest stage in that tournament as well. They are well coached, and play great defense. If they are to run head on into the Wildcats from Kentucky which I think they will, it will be a hell of a battle, but I think WVU has the experience and has been through the fire known as the Big East, and should come out on top.

Potential Cinderellas
 #12 Cornell
-If they can beat Temple, they have a very legitimate shot at making the Sweet 16 as that would likely set up a date with Wisconsin. It sets up nicely for them, but I think Temple is the real challenge and as much as I'd love to see an Ivy League team make a run, I don't see them getting past the Owls.

Most Intriguing Potential 2nd Round Matchups
#1 Kentucky vs. #8 Texas
-Like I have already mentioned, Texas was #1 in the country at one point, and that doesn't just happen by accident. They have the talent of a #1 team, but are playing like a #8 seed or worse. But could they potentially find themselves again on this stage? What if they play to what they were capable of earlier in the season? These two teams are like mirrors of each other, both had some veterans that saw reduced playing time due to some fantastic incoming freshmen, one just handled it much better than the other. This is by far the most interesting matchup we could see in the 2nd round.

Overall Thoughts:
I think the East Region is on a collision course for a Kentucky/WVU battle in the Elite 8 and I don't see anyone that can stop that. New Mexico is the #3 seed, and is an extremely good team, but I think is overmatched against West Virginia. Wisconsin the #4 seed is also very good, and I would say underrated, but they too are going to definitely be overmatched in a game against Kentucky. The third best team in this region is Temple and if anyone is going to throw a wrench into Kentucky's plan, it will be them.

Who's Going To Indianapolis?
#2 West Virginia
-This team is super talented, well coached, and peaking at just the right time. I know Bob Huggins has some bad history with highly seeded teams in the past, but this isn't Cincinnati and this team is better than any of his previous ones. They have been tested in the toughest conference in basketball and are more than equipped to handle a young Kentucky team. I see WVU in the Final Four, it's time for Bob Huggins to shed his reputation as a poor NCAA tournament coach.

On Tap For Tomorrow!!

Okay, it's late and I have to catch the newest Amazing Race and the premiere of Celebrity Apprentice on the DVR! The previews for the East and South regionals will come tomorrow as well as recaps/analysis for TAR and CA! I'll also post my bracket up on here. Thanks for reading, now time to see if the Big Brother pair can lose again just so Phil can use another one of his allotted "this is a non-elimination round because we want ratings and you can't leave yet" cards.

West Region Preview (Rds. 1+2)

Most Intriguing Matchup
 #7 BYU vs. #10 Florida
-Should Florida even be in the tournament? That's debatable in itself. But they are, and they have a date with the BYU Cougars out of the Mountain West Conference. Florida is making their first trip back to the NCAA's in 3 years since winning back-to-back titles. BYU hasn't won a NCAA tournament game in their last 7 tries. They were a very strong team in the surprisingly tough MWC. This should be a good game, and I think BYU finally gets that win they've been looking for.

Upset Alerts
 #5 Butler vs. #12 UTEP
-Here's that #5 vs. #12 matchup that always produces upsets. Butler finished off a perfect season in the Horizon with a win over Wright State in the tournament championship. UTEP stumbled in the C-USA championship against Houston, bu still had a great season finishing 26-6. Butler played a fairly strong non-conference with games against Georgetown and Clemson among a couple others. The problem was, they didn't win any of them. They haven't faced any kind of test in the Horizon and UTEP might be a little underseeded at #12. I think Butler escapes here, but this should be a very good game that comes down to the very end.

 #4 Vanderbilt vs. #13 Murray State
-Uh oh. Vanderbilt is a #4 seed again. Two years ago they were a #4 and got their clocks cleaned by Siena in the first round. This is a good Vanderbilt team with a strong resume. They finished 12-4 in the SEC and played Kentucky hard twice. They also had some quality non-conference wins to go along with that. Murray State is definitely underseeded as a #13, and is a VERY scary team. They're extremely balanced and have 5 players who average in double figures. Vanderbilt has been good enough to beat teams they're supposed to, but have come up short in big games that they have had. This is going to be one of my sexy upset picks of the tournament as I see Murray State taking this game down, but not in the fashion that Siena did 2 years ago. This should be a close one, and Murray State is good enough to pull it out.

 #7 BYU vs. #10 Florida
-(See above)

They Got A What Seed!?
 #8 Gonzaga
-Gonzaga is underseeded here. There's no shame in losses to Duke, Michigan State, and even Wake Forest. They, as they have been known to do recently, played a very tough non-conference schedule that included in addition to Sparty and the Blue Devils, teams like Illinois, Cincinnati, and Wisconsin. They are battle tested, talented, and well coached, led by Mark Few. They should be able to handle Florida State and could pose HUGE problems for Syracuse in the second round.

 #6 Xavier
-Underseeded at a #6. I thought they had #4 seed potential, but that Atlantic-10 Conference Championship loss to Richmond probably didn't do them any favors. They'll be able to take care of a weak Minnesota team and set up a match with Pittsburgh that they have the talent to win. This is a strong team that was tested in some very close losses to Butler, Wake Forest, and Baylor. The Atlantic-10 was a tough conference too, and Xavier is a team that has made some tourney runs in recent years.

 #10 Florida
-Should they even be in the field of 65? That's a good question. They are the only team that ESPN's Joe Lunardi did not have in his bracket. As what I would consider one of the last two teams to get in, how did they manage a #10? How do they get in and Mississippi State does not? Maybe it's the reputation Florida has or maybe it's the star-power of Billy Donovan, but this is not a #10 seed.

Biggest Threat To The #1 Seed
 #2 Kansas State
-This is very, very good team that is extremely disciplined. Yes, I know they can't beat Kansas no matter how hard they try, but they've been challenged in a tough conference, and were probably a #1 seed until that hangover loss against Iowa State after that Kansas game. They pose the biggest threat to the Orange down the road, but Syracuse might not even get that far as Gonzaga has the talent and intangibles to not even let them into the Sweet 16.

Potential Cinderellas
 #8 Gonzaga
-(See above)

 #13 Murray State
-If Murray State can pull the upset against Vanderbilt which I think they can, they would have a very favorable second round matchup against either Butler or UTEP, both of whom are fellow mid-majors and will not significantly outsize or out-muscle the Racers. Get out of the first round, and the Sweet 16 is a real shot.

 #6 Xavier
-(See above)

Most Intriguing Potential 2nd Round Matchups
 #1 Syracuse vs. #8 Gonzaga
-All kinds of upset potential here. Gonzaga is a big time program and has been tested through a tough out of conference schedule. They have the size to match up with Syracuse and the talent to go along with it as well. Stopping Wesley Johnson will be key, and Syracuse is stumbling into the NCAA tourney after an early round exit in the Big East Tournament. This is another game that should come down right to the very end, and depending on what kind of form both of these teams are in, #1 might not be going to the Sweet 16.

 #6 Xavier vs. #3 Pittsburgh
-Very interesting matchup. Pitt has been known to come up short in tourneys, and Xavier has made many deep runs in the last decade. The A-10 was surprisingly tough this year and that should serve Xavier well. If this is what it comes down to, I see Xavier moving on.

Overall Thoughts:
From the outside this really looks like a 2 horse race, between Syracuse and Kansas State. I think that is the case here, with Gonzaga being the only one with the potential to throw a wrench into those plans. It is more than likely that we will see these two teams in a showdown for a trip to Indy.

Who's Going To Indianapolis?
 #2 Kansas State
-They are just too damn good, the losses to Kansas aside. They are tough, disciplined, and extremely talented. They have the team to take down a Syracuse team that looked very shaky last week in New York. This would set up an absolutely EPIC battle as Kansas and Kansas State would go to war for the 4th time this season. Could the 4th time be the charm for the Wildcats?

Midwest Region Preview (Rds. 1+2)

Most Intriguing Matchup
 #7 Oklahoma State vs. #10 Georgia Tech
-I don't see a lot of intriguing first round matchups in this region, there's a plethora of second round ones, but I think the is the most interesting first round matchup. Oklahoma State will go as far as James Anderson will take them. He is a game changer, and can win a game singlehandedly. They will be going up against a hot Georgia Tech team coming off of a trip to the ACC Tourney Championship. Tech has been very inconsistent throughout the year, but appear to be peaking at the right time. I like Oklahoma State here with Anderson carrying them on his back, but don't be surprised to see Tech spring yet another upset.

Upset Alerts
 #7 Oklahoma State vs. #10 Georgia Tech
-(See above)
  
 #6 Tennessee vs. #11 San Diego State
-Here's a other team like Georgia Tech that is peaking at the right time. SDSU had trouble beating some of the Mountain West powers like BYU, New Mexico, and UNLV during the season, especially on the road, but they came into the Mountain West Tournament and took out two of those teams on their way to the title. Tennessee, while being one of only 2 teams to take down Kansas this year, did not look good at all in their last game against Kentucky. I still like Tennessee in this game, but if they don't come ready to play, they won't be leaving the first round.

They Got A What Seed!?
 #1 Kansas
-Kansas is the #1 overall seed in this tournament. Wait. They are? Are you sure? How on earth can the #1 overall seed be stuck in a bracket with teams and the All-American talent that will be playing here!? Ohio State and Evan Turner. Georgetown and Greg Monroe. Maryland and Greivis Vasquez. Michigan State and Kalin Lucas. This bracket is absolutely loaded with top-tier programs and top-tier talent. If Kansas is going to make the Final Four, they're damn well gonna deserve it.

 #9 Northern Iowa
-This is a team that is 28-4 and won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament crowns. I think they are vastly underseeded as a #9, and before the brackets came out, I had them pegged as the mid-major that was capable of making a Davidson-like run to Elite 8. It's unfortunate for them to have drawn a #9 that with a win over UNLV, will set up a date with the #1 overall Kansas Jayhawks. But Kansas beware, this a team that plays a slow-down kind of offense that can give teams lots of trouble. They play lock down defense, and value every possession. This is a very dangerous team.

Biggest Threat To The #1 Seed
 #3 Georgetown
-There are a lot of threats in this bracket to the #1 seed Kansas, but I think Georgetown could pose the most problems for the Jayhawks. They key player here is Greg Monroe. This is a big that can not only score, but he can dish it out and rebound as well as any other big man in the country. Georgetown showed what they were capable of in the Big East Conference Tournament when it took a last second shot from West Virginia to put them away. Yes they've had their struggles in losses to Rutgers and Old Dominion (who is actually a scary team that we'll get to later on), but they've pulled it together at just the right time and John Thompson III will have them ready and poised to make a deep tournament run.

Potential Cinderella
 #10 Georgia Tech
-In a bracket chock full of Goliaths it was hard to try and find a potential Cinderella in this group. My automatic pick would have been Northern Iowa in almost any situation except this one as a potential second round matchup against Kansas doesn't look favorable for them. That said, Georgia Tech is hot. They made it all the way to the ACC Tournament Championship and have a great coach at the helm in Paul Hewitt. Oklahoma State will be a tough out, but this team is more than capable. This would set up a potential second round bout with Ohio State, where if Tech plays like they did in Greensboro, they can knock off as well. I don't expect many upsets in this region, but keep an eye on the Yellow Jackets.

Most Intriguing Potential 2nd Round Matchups
 #1 Kansas vs. #9 Northern Iowa
-This might be the potential second round matchup that I am looking forward to the most. As you have seen, I am very high on the Panthers and they play a kind of slow it down offense that is ripe for upset possibilities. If this game happens, make sure that you're around to see it because there is the chance for a huge NCAA Tournament moment in this game.

 #5 Michigan State vs. #4 Maryland
-Kalin Lucas vs. Greivis Vasquez. Tom Izzo vs. Gary Williams. This is a great potential battle between two basketball powers and big time coaches. Izzo always has his teams ready to make runs come NCAA Tournament time. Think about this, Michigan State has been to 5 Final Fours in the last 11 years. That is absolutely incredible. They are down this year from where they usually are, but there is no better coach around this time of the year than Tom Izzo. Is Maryland for real? Maybe. But Greivis Vasquez is, no doubt about it. Great second round matchup here. 

Overall Thoughts:
-This is the bracket of death, so to speak. It's absolutely loaded with quality teams and quality talent. How Kansas got this as a reward for being the #1 overall seed is mind boggling. Whoever comes out of this region will be well tested and very deserving of their spot in Indianpolis.

Who's going to Indianapolis? 
 #1 Kansas
-This team is a machine. They've turned back Kansas State on 3 separate occasions which is incredible in itself. They suffered only one loss in a very good conference all year long. Bill Self should now be mentioned among the coaching elite. This team is loaded and on a mission, and with talent like Sherron Collins and Xavier Henry, I'm not sure there is anyone out there that can stop them on their march to Indy.

NCAA Tournament Preview!!

Ahhhh. Can you feel it? That's March Madness in the air, you gotta love it! Office pools, bubble talk, David vs. Goliath, endless debate. It's finally here! Throughout the night I'll be providing a look at each of the regions, and offer my thoughts about who got snubbed, who got the seeding shaft, and who on earth can take down Kansas (Jack Bauer anyone?). Get your brackets ready, its tournament time!

Welcome!

Hello, Hurricane Joe here and welcome to The Show! The main focus of this blog will be on the happenings things in the world of sports, reality TV and wrestling.

I intend to touch on all sports, but I would say that the majority of focus will probably be on the NFL, NBA, EPL, and NCAA basketball and football. I am from New England so I may slant that way, but I have NO problem taking my teams to task when they're making Donald Sterling and the Clippers look good (yes, I'm looking at you Boston Bruins).

The world of reality TV can be a scary place, but I'll be damned if there aren't some entertaining characters out there, good or bad. I have no problem contributing to the madness. My main domain here is definitely Survivor and I'll invest more time into that than anything else but here are some of the other shows I intend on covering: The Amazing Race, Jersey Shore, The Real World, The Bachelor, and American Idol. Anything else out there worthy of consideration? Feel free to let me know!

Finally, yeah it's not a sport. And yeah it's scripted. And yeah I'm ashamed to be a fan sometimes. But I do follow wrestling (yikes!) and will offer up some opinions on what's going on as well as some predictions. I'll cover what's going on in WWE and TNA, including the coming Monday Night Wars between the two companies, should be an exciting time. And yes, I CAN see you John Cena, I'd just rather not sometimes.

This should be good, it's something I'm very excited about, and hopefully in the future I can add some audio to this as well if I can generate enough interest.

So get ready, The Hurricane Joe Show launches SUNDAY, MARCH 14th!!