Brock, how come you want Kuo to work from wind up? Because of stolen bases?

I can think of a couple really bad ones. And one was left handed! And a Dodger! And Asian!

This should make us all feel much better, apparently.

I was disappointed at the walks but glad to see Brad Penny's GB/FB ratio was high.

Stretch + LSD= Perfect Game?

The Ohio State commercial makes the UCLA one look cool.

The Mets' announcers Keith "can you help me move my furniture" Hernandez and Gary Cohen seemed to think that "Hu" was about the funniest name that they'd ever heard. They really wanted to know why he wasn't "on first".

Larry Bigbee for team MVP!

When I pointed out that they should not be charging Premium price for regular, they offered to refund. They wouldn't give me a $5 rebate, but instead will refund the whole amount (I didn't ask for that). I presume I'll stop getting access and will have to register again for regular - I would have just left things as they were.

I'm only getting it for ST anyway, since Dodgers will be blacked out in regular season.

Brent is starting the rumor that everybody's been talking about for three months.

Fasten your seat belts folks!

But I want you guys to play Southern Cal :-(

And Michigan just missed a dunk.

Did he just say that?

[crickets chirping]

Oregon vs. Arizona in the first game on Thursday.
If Oregon beats OSU, the Ducks get to wear the white unis.

I will be accepting bids from Ducks fans and Wildcats fans for my allegiance at that game.

Most of their out of conference games were on neutral courts. They won them all.

Et tu, Ninja?

All the other top teams decided against scheduling those games.

Of course they did. That's what happens when you play on the road. But to sit at home and play is without honor.

Mid-Majors schedule tough teams on the road, because they need the exposure for their cute wittle pwogwams. Mid-Majors like, say...BYU.

Blame the selection committee for how big conferences schedule.

Or are we just ripping on the Bruins? If so, it's cool. I mean, for honor's sake and all.

UCLA 11 wins
BYU 11 wins

NCAA tournament matchups

UCLA 2 wins
BYU 2 wins

La Verne is spelled like La Roche.

How am I supposed to know? Trainwreck tells me that of course Ohio St. went out on the road and got spanked, and then UCLA sits at home and spanks people, and I'm suppposed to conclude, conversely, that they're the best team in the country?

Look, if they win the six games in the Tournament, then it's a non-issue. They will still lack honor, but they'll be a champion without honor, and nobody cares about the latter.

You'll care, Steve...Which means I'll care.

I'll care {solidarity}

I am a fan of the Fresno State football Bulldogs. They are relentless in their non-conference road scheduling.

Should I go on eBay?

I know who I'd root for...

But it may happen.

The students in Berkeley are ready to rush the court.

Lunardi has crafted a bracket in the West that is:

1) UCLA
2) Memphis
3) Southern Illinois
4) Nevada
5) Boston College
6) Notre Dame (Ye Gods)
7) Air Force
8) Villanova
9) Texas Tech
10) Indiana
11) Illinois

The last three teams in that bracket don't even belong there; I wasn't even aware the last two had basketball teams this year. BC is in freefall, Notre Dame is Godawful overrated Notre Dame just like it always is, Memphis is from a 14 team conference that can't even gin up one other bubble-worthy team. I shot a basketball team in Reno just to watch it die. This isn't a bracket. This is the UCLA charity invitational, just like last year, and just like it will be every year unless the NCAA 1) makes teams play real road games and 2) ends its absurd "send all flotsam West" seeding strategy.

Actually, that makes sense.

Now I feel Bob's pain.

The painful game will be the last one of the day, which will be the 3-6 game of USC/WSU vs. Stanford.

By the end of the fourth game, you start lose track of who's playing. Especially in that situation since all the teams are reddish.

http://www.pagetoscreen.net/photographs/animals/P1000360.jpg

It's all over in Berkeley!

Sun Devils 42
Bears 41

Your little outburst has made me a huge Davidson Golden Phoenix fan...

Davidson Wildcats.

Or else there is a really subtle joke I'm missing.

Like I said, Go Wildcats.

To throw another nugget out there on a boring Saturday afternoon, Forbes says that two of the three greatest General Managers on the planet are Kevin McHale and Billy King. Have fun with that.

Also, I want to bring to Greg Brock's attention that he can root for BYU still since I root for them and, you know, we're best buddies and all.

There are two cities in which the Bruins have played 11 games.

Since it's Obvious Day, I think you know what those two cities are.

Good point. I root for BYU to win, but for Steve to have a really terrible meal that day.

I guess the news about Kevin McHale and Billy King fit into today's theme too.

Let it be known, this day, that things have changed. Not a big deal...But things have changed.

And he won't rest until both TCU and New Mexico get NCAA tournament bids.

Boise
Corvallis
Ogden
Pocatello
Pullman
Syracuse
Eugene
Portland

"U.C.L.A. NOT"

This is what we do, Brock. We ask the hard questions.

Are there any good ineligible players on the bench that Floyd can sneak into the game?

I don't know how he hasn't been T'd up yet.

That was definitely an offensive foul.

I know which team Paul Westphal is cheering for.

Noonan! Noooooonan! Noonan!

USC gets the #3 spot because of a 4-0 record against Oregon and Arizona.

Oregon and Arizona split their games, but Oregon is seeded higher because they have a win over first place UCLA.

The Cal-Oregon State game Wednesday night promises to be brutal. Its brutality will be surpassed only by Thursday's game where the winner of Cal-OSU plays UCLA.

But they lost. Credit for that, too.

If so, will there be valuable prizes?

I can give someone a souvenir program from the tournament.

Especially since they give you the programs for free when you go!

If so, will there be valuable prizes?

Menengitis
Beatings
Getting your car stolen
Wire hangers
Lint
Pennysaver Magazine
ABC

Which of those things make your "best things in life" list?

I think I would need to figure out a scoring system and tiebreaker since I think most people will pick UCLA to win.

Or childhood proximity to campus.

Or number of times having attended the Pepsi track meet at Drake Stadium.

Things that are free

Menengitis
Beatings
Getting your car stolen
Wire hangers
Lint
Pennysaver Magazine
ABC
Dodger Thoughts

Nicely played, Brock. Now we all have a good reason to root against UCLA.
As if we needed any more.

Right?

I noticed last year that for a guy who was advertised as a very hard-throwing power lefty, he'd sometimes only be in the high 80s, and I don't recall seeing him in the mid-90s much, even after he was moved to starting.

Anyhow, like a lot of other people, I'm hoping Kuo can stick in the rotation, and Miller can return to his early dominance in AAA as a starter, now that he's also returned to his original pre-injury motion. I'd love to be able to flip Penny for a king's ransom at the trade deadline (a young slugging OF bat, perhaps?), which would be a lot easier to do if it looked like Miller could step into a starter's role later this year. That's probably being too optimistic, of course. Miller's numbers in AAA last year weren't all that great, and I think he'd need a season to re-establish himself. But one of the things that marked Miller's early career was how good a feel he had for pitching, so if he's fully healthy now, who knows what'll happen.

WWSH

Student (Jaime): Mr, Brock, if it was called "The great Leap Forward," why did millions of people die?"
Me: It's what Chairman Mao called it
Jaime: It really doesn't seem like a good leap
Me: No, Jaime...No it doesn't.

I feel for Dan Shulman.

The question is: Do we throw a smaller bash when we get back? In other words, do we want to use this as an excuse to eat cake? Or have we done enough?

Or should we be like one guy who said, "I wouldn't do anything unless she really finishes."

You owe it to the Stanleys of the world.

Granted, you should realize that I'm also the office grinch who refuses to participate in things like "Secret Santa" as a matter of principle, but I think you guys have done "due diligence" when it comes to Marathon encouragement.

WWSH

I watch very little college basketball, but I have seen Vitale do his thing. I assume there are lots of people out there who like his shouted delivery of game commentary--otherwise, why would he still doing so many games? OTOH, surely there are many people who find it... well... a bit much?

WWSH

Normally, this person would have been working Sunday. I told her that she should just train so she could finish the marathon in time for her to start work.

She refused.

If Vitale were so unpopular, he wouldn't be hired to do TV commercials, but he is.

Please note the use of the subjunctive in the second paragraph.

On the other hand, I still don't understand how Brent Musburger continues to find employment. It's probably based on the amount of experience he has. You find me a Brent Musburger fan who isn't a blood relative (or a colleague) and I'll purchase a Juan Pierre jersey.

He knows a guy

Menengitis
Beatings
Getting your car stolen
Wire hangers
Lint
Pennysaver Magazine
ABC
Juan Pierre jersey

They can also call me "Your Royal Awesomeness"

None of them call me that {sigh}

My first name is Francis.

I believe Gold Star for Robot Boy does as well.

A little bit of new blood would probably do a lot of good.

Right?

It's more productive to come here and have a 350 post debate about Juan Pierre for the 100th time.

Most of the posters at BTF really bother me, but some of them are really funny. I enjoy the back and forth with them. It just seems like there aren't enough Dodger fans over there to build a sufficient army to combat the silliness.

I mean, Bob T is over there, but he usually just tells people about the Patty Duke Show...

They were two of a kind!

However, I am getting to the end of the DVD of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

I was displeased.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6515506

Strangely enough, he left off Jonathan Papelbon and Hanley Ramirez.

So one could say I bleed yellow and, umm, black Leopard dots (in addition to Dodger Blue, of course).

I remember there was a time when I wondered whether I should even bother having game chats here, because so many people did Dodger game chats there.

I mean, I'd always post here first, but doing both isn't exactly rocket surgery...

They are an affront to decency.

Indeed, but I'm glad to hear they won't be worn during the season

To quote the Police, "One world is enough for all of us."

I'm kidding. Please don't kill me, oh benevolent and wonderful Philosopher King. My loyalty is yours, and yours alone.

Are there any San Fernando Valley State graduates out there?

Or blogs.

Hola! Or did you mean graduates from when it was actually called SFV State?

http://imdb.com/title/tt0844344/

This Odom injury makes me feel like I did when J.D. Drew broke his wrist.