Los Picks

Week 9! Seriously, is it just me or is this season flying by? It feels like we just started, meanwhile the baseball season is still lingering. Don't get La Chica wrong, I do love baseball (I'm Cuban) but geez, the games last about 6 hours. Sorry, off my soapbox and on with this week's picks. By the by, I was going to try something new this week and include spreads just to see if it made a difference in my win/loss percentage but I do not have time. Maybe next week.

Thursday

#2 Boston College vs #8 Virginia Tech - This should be a fun game to watch. Playing in Lane Stadium at night is one tough agenda and honestly, I don't know that BC can handle it. Let's face it, college football is not the most popular sport in New England so they're not accustom to loudness. I think BC is the better team but I have a feeling they are going to lose it as soon as Sandman starts to play tonight. Game time: 7:30 on ESPN. Pick: VT

Saturday

#12 USC vs #5 Oregon - This will be another fun one, especially if you're a fan of lots of offense like me! My USC friends are going to give me crap and go on and on about how my team sucks this year, blah, blah, blah, but I feel the home team will win this one as well. Oregon is another really loud stadium and while I know the Trojans have played in a lot of hostile environments, the Ducks are pretty good this year. Game time: 3:00 (no channel was given). Pick: Quack Quack

#10 USF vs #23 UConn - As most of you know, I love the UConn basketball program. I have NO IDEA why, but I emphatically cheer for the Huskies......in basketball. In football, I couldn't care less about them. Especially when they cheat! Let's see if the Huskies will have to cheat this week to beat USF. And speaking of USF, I knew they were going to lose at some point but I really didn't think it would be against Rutgers! Game time: 3:30 on ABC. Pick: USF

#11 Florida vs #18 Georgia - Geez, can the Bulldogs win against Florida, ever? It's become an absolute mental thing now. Florida knows it will beat Georgia, done deal. I'm going out on a big fat limb here and.......wait for it........... Game time: 3:30 on CBS. Pick: Dawgs (just put all 11 guys on Tebow and you're golden)

#1 Ohio State vs #25 Penn State - Two years ago, Penn St would have handled the Buckeyes. This year, I don't see that happening even with the "white out". The Buckeyes will lose this season but I have a feeling it will not be against the Nittany Lions. Game time: 8:00 on ABC. Pick: OSU

#21 California vs #4 Arizona State - What happened to Cal??? 2 losses in a row! I say Dennis Erickson's drunk ass takes them again this week and makes it 3 in a row. Game time: 10:00 (no channel given). Pick: ASU

That's it for me this week. Have a great weekend and let's hope no one starts smack with La Chica this weekend. Honestly, I don't go looking for drama, the bitch just finds me!

Late Weekend Thoughts

Hola again. Sorry this blog is a day late but La Chica was a bit under the weather yesterday. I'm not going to dwell too much on the games since more time has lapsed and you've all read the columns or seen the highlights. I'm just going to do a minor rant on my own weekend, if you'll allow me.

My weekend started out the same way it's been this season, I met up with some Miami alumni to watch our beloved Hurricanes possibly lose to the Seminoles. We met up at Jocks and Jills in Midtown and by the way: Don't go there! The parking situation is out of hand there, it's $10 to park there. This is not a Jocks policy but the company who runs the parking lot is robbing everyone blind! Another reason Midtown is annoying me...no reasonably priced parking lots.

I stayed there until halftime and then went on my way to meet some other friends of mine at one of our local digs: Gordon Beirsch. Now, they have parking! I'm going to make this quick, I was minding my own business and cheering for my team against a huge rival. Needless to say, both programs are struggling but regardless, it's still a big game. All of a sudden this homely 50-something year old woman with a Georgia Tech polo stands behind me and starts to deliberately cheer against my team. And for the record, I have no problem with people cheering against my team (most everyone I know cheers against Miami so it's no big deal), but when a random BITCH just comes out of nowhere and stands directly behind me wearing a GT POLO and is making a point of cheering against my team, then I take issue.

This went on for the duration of the game and once Miami pretty much sealed the game, I found myself lowering to her level as I cheered obnoxiously in her face. She then ran away with her nasty tail between her legs and disappeared, but not before shooting me the bird! WTF?

This is what I do not understand: Your Chica was minding her own business cheering for her team when this troll showed up to taunt me. Why? I don't get people like that. She wasn't even an FSU fan. This is one of my pet peeves as I do not get why idiots have to start shit with others.

It's just football; can't we all just watch it?

Reluctant Picks

Hola freakiticos. La Chica is not in the mood today to send out this weekend's picks for obvious reasons. My spirit has been broken; I've got nothing left! My team stinks while everyone else's rocks on! Is this a punishment? I guess that's a topic for another blog. Let's get this over with:

Thursday

#2 South Florida vs Rutgers - This is what I'm talking about, I just wrote #2 next to USF! There is a lot wrong with that! Anyway, I think USF is bound to lose at any point left in the season. It would be easy to pick Rutgers since they're at home but I'm not. Game time: 7:30 on ESPN. Pick: USF

Saturday

#21 Tennessee vs Alabama - I hope UT kills Nick Satan, uh, I mean the Crimson Tide. The Vols looked good against Georgia a couple of weeks ago but I don't feel they're very consistent. I'm going with the home team on this one. Game time: 12:30 (no channel given). Pick: Tide

Michigan State vs #1 Ohio State - I said this 2 weeks ago, the Buckeyes are going to slink their way into the national title game because of all the other top 10 teams losing, EVEN though they HAVE NOT played ANYONE!!! I'll say this, if they win out after having played Illinois, Wisconsin and the rebounded Wolverines, I'll give them more respect. Game time: 3:30 on ABC. Pick: OSU

#15 Florida vs #7 Kentucky - La Chica thinks Kentucky will still be hungover from their grand victory over LSU. I think UF goes in and beats 'em! Game time: 3:30 on CBS. Pick: Gators

#14 USC vs Notre Dame - The Trojans have not played well the majority of the season, this is their chance to go into South Bend and just annihilate (try spelling that!) the Irish. I hope they do. Game time: 3:30 on NBC. Pick: USC

#24 Texas Tech vs #16 Missouri - I know no none who reads my blog has any interest in this game but both teams are ranked and I need to pick more games to up my winning percentage. Game time: 3:30 on ABC. Pick: Mizzou

Miami vs FSU - Game time: 3:30 on ABC. Pick: 'Noles. I've nothing left to say anymore.

#25 Michigan vs Illinios - Okay, La Chica does not like anything about Michigan. I don't even like their coach but I must give them credit for coming back this season. They started out 0-2 but have turned their season around and I respect that. Regardless, I hope Illinois beats them and I think they will. Game time: 8:00 on ABC. Pick: Illini

#17 Auburn vs #4 LSU - Hmmm, how many times are the Tigers (AU) going to beat a ranked opponent on the road this year? I gotta say, this is a tough one to pick because I think the Tigers (AU) will hit a brick wall on this one BUT the Tigers (AU) have proven they can win in hostile environments. Credit their coach for having them prepared; I wish other teams would adopt that mentality (insert Miami). And then there are the Tigers (LSU), that loss last weekend hurt the Tigers (AU), because now the Tigers (LSU) are going to be pissy. Good grief, there are too many teams in college football with a tiger mascot! I doubt the Tigers (LSU) lose 2 in a row....but I said that about Florida too. And at the end of the day, what the hell do I really know? Game time: 9:00 on ESPN. Pick: The Tigers

Ciaosito and enjoy your football this weekend!

EL Weekend En Miami...

Well sports freaks, here it is Monday....again! Let me start off by saying that my weekend in Miami was fabulous and fantastic. I had to throw both in. I was able to spend some quality time with my family down there and also do a lot of "hanging out" in South Beach and of course, at the Orange Bowl.

One of the best things about watching a game in Miami: When my team loses, there are a lot of Miami folks to commiserate with and trust me, that's important. All I can say is I cannot wait for the Coker Cancer to be completely gone. I still have my doubts about Randy Shannon's gameday coaching ability but if he had more talent, it would be easier. For now, I'm going to blame it on Coker's recruits and the new Defensive Coordinator who I think should be fired, but that's just me. A special shout out to all my new Hurricane friends I met this weekend, you know who you are!

Okay, on with the other games, let me just quote something from last week's "Picks" blog:
"Watch those nasty LSU Tigers lose at Kentucky! Okay, I know it's farfetched but the first half of this season has been nuts. Nothing is impossible. I'm not going to pick the Wildcats but let the record show that I thought about it." Now, granted, I did not officially pick Kentucky but I mentioned it! I think I should get some kind of props for that.

The bottom line: There is no dominating team in college football this season. It reminds me of March Madness where anyone can win. It's like the world is upside down, South Florida at number 2 in the BCS rankings??? GASP! I wouldn't be surprised if a 2 loss team made it to the national title game....just sayin'.

As for me and my prognostications this season, let's just throw them out the window. It's impossible this year to pick game winners. On that note, I was 3 for 7 last week.

Off Topic: Guess who La Chica met at her South Beach hotel? Wait for it...........Derek Jeter. He is every bit as handsome in person as on television.

Okay, I must run. Ciao for now.

Gameday Pictures

Pickitos

Halfway through the season already, is it just me or does college football season just fly by? Meanwhile, didn't the hockey season just end and now it's already started again? Not fair. This week's picks are coming a day early again so let's get started.

Thursday

#21 FSU vs Wake Forest - I actually want FSU to win so that when Miami plays them next week, the Canes' loss won't come as such a shock to me (oh snap). Seriously, this seems like a toss up to me, Wake could win, it's at home in their practically minuscule stadium. Game time: 7:30 on ESPN. Pick: Criminoles (that's the Seminoles, btw)

Saturday

UCF vs #5 USF - I'm going to pick UCF to upset the Bulls. I just feel USF is going to snap at any point. The game is at USF so UCF should feel right at home since they're both in Central Florida. Is anyone else bothered by the fact that South Florida is not in South Florida? I'm just saying. Game time: noon on ESPN. Pick: UCF

Georgia Tech vs Miami - Check it out, kids, your Chica will be at the Orange Bowl for this game. I'm excited. I would have been a lot more excited had the 'Canes beaten UNC last week but I need to move on. I just need to keep reminding myself: REBUILDING. Regardless, I'm not picking my boys anymore this year. Game time: noon on ESPN. Pick: GT

#1 LSU vs #17 Kentucky - Watch those nasty LSU Tigers lose at Kentucky! Okay, I know it's farfetched but the first half of this season has been nuts. Nothing is impossible. I'm not going to pick the Wildcats but let the record show that I thought about it. Game time: 3:30 on CBS. Pick: LSU

#11 Missouri vs #6 Oklahoma - I'm bored again with the Big 12 conference. They held my interest for a week but now I've lost it again. Maybe this will be a fun game, one can hope. I wouldn't mind seeing Mizzou beat the Sooners but it's in Norman.... Game time: 6:30. Pick: OU

Louisville vs #15 Cincinnati - I've mentioned Cincinnati about 3 times on the blog this season and I think that's the first time I've spelled it correctly. Good for La Chica! This game interests me because I'm enjoying the Louisville debacle; I'm just going to say it: I hate them! If the Cardinals had any type of defense I would pick them but their defense SUCKS. Game time: 7:00 on ESPNU. Pick: Cincy

#22 Auburn vs Arkansas - It's going to be interesting to see if the Tigers can keep their momentum from the Florida victory going. They should beat the Hogs but who knows with all the chaos of this season. Game time: 7:45 on ESPN. Pick: War Eagle (that's Auburn, btw)

There you go, freakiticos. Have a fantastic weekend and look for your Chica at the 'Canes game in the Orange Bowl. Cuban sandwiches, here I come!

Ciaosito.

Another Crazy Weekend

Before I go on to give my opinions on the past weekend, let me once again say this: This is not a gambling website, we don't give spreads or pick games based on spreads. If that was the case, then it wouldn't be a sports blog designed for the purpose of stating my opinion about games, players and current sports-related events. If you want spreads go to a betting website! Is that clear? Good.

Now then, what a great weekend of football. I must say, the Florida/LSU game did not disappoint your Chica. I thought Florida had them (I picked them). And for most of that game, the Gators did control LSU. However, the mark of a true champion is overcoming adversity and winning. LSU did that in the 4th quarter of that game. I'm not a Les Miles fan, but I admire a coach who goes for it 5 times on 4th down.

And then there was USC! Unfortunately, we didn't get this game on the East coast or at least not in the establishment where I watched the Saturday night games. I've become "friends" with some West coast boys who are USC fans and/or alumni for the most part and let me just say, you have never heard so much trash talk until you talk to a Trojan fan. Anyway, I and everyone else have been saying all season, USC has not looked sharp. The only ranked team they have played is Nebraska and they're not ranked anymore. Given that, it was only a matter of time before someone beat them. I must admit, I didn't think it would be an unranked sucky Stanford team!!! I think it's safe to say that Cal is the team to beat in the Pac 10 this year. Only time will tell.

Kudos to all of college football recognizing that October is breast cancer awareness month. A lot of game officials were wearing pink bracelets and even had pink whistles in recognition of this all too important month. Also, my boy, Kirk Herbstreit was sporting a pink bracelet on Gameday!

What happened to Georgia?? Or should I ask, what happened to Tennessee? Where was this Volunteer team during their game against Florida?

On a personal note, since it is my blog, you know I have to bring up the suckass performance by my "beloved" Hurricanes. As usual, Butch Davis had his team ready to play. And even though his team sucks and has less talent than Miami, they made the Canes look ridiculous in the first half of that game. Randy Shannon did not have Miami ready to play and this concerns me. At one point, Shannon looked like a chicken with his head cut off. I'm just sayin'. I knew this was going to be a "re-building" year but give me a freaking break! They needed to win this game because guess what, it's only going to get tougher. I honestly do not see the Canes winning anymore games this year! I hope I'm wrong.

Your Chica may be shopping for a new team because she doesn't know how much longer she can take this.

My prognostication skills are improving, I was 6 for 9 this weekend!

Ciao for now, freakitos.

Weekly Picks

Well sports fans, here it is Wednesday evening and your Chica is writing the picks for the upcoming weekend. Why so early you ask? Well, it's been a busy week at work for La Chica.

Off topic real quick: Have you guys noticed those Fathead commercials? They are hysterical to La Chica. The one where the dude has the huge camera around his neck? Hilarious! Okay, off we go to this grand weekend of football:

#8 Kentucky vs #11 South Carolina: This should be a doozy. I'm not going to lie, I have not seen Kentucky's qb play yet aside from watching highlights so I'm excited to see if he's for real. This is going to be a tough game for the Wildcats; I don't think they will do it on the road against the Camecocks (this was a typo but I think I'll keep it!). I must say, Spurrier has a pretty good little defense down in Columbia this year, I think they'll give Kentucky a hard time. With that.....Pick: SC

#5 Wisconsin at Illinois: Ron Zook is actually having a good year. I'm going to go out on a limb here but the Badgers have not impressed your Chica, therefore.....Pick: Illinois

#10 Oklahoma vs #19 Texas: Ah, the Red River Shootout.....YAWN! This would have been a little better, albeit still a snorefest, had both teams not been beaten last week. I still think OU is a good team so......Pick: OU

#12 Georgia vs Tennessee: This is always a fun little game; UGA has looked good the last 2 weeks so given that, I'm going to go with the Dawgs even though the game is in Rocky Top. Pick: UGA

#15 Virginia Tech vs #22 Clemson: Just as I predicted last week, Clemson started its annual demise by losing games they should win. Their offense is better than the Hokies' but not their defense. This could go either way but I'm going to pick it the safe way. Pick: VT

#4 Ohio State vs #23 Purdue: This is one of 3 evening games that should be great. Purdue may be undefeated but they have played NO ONE. I think the Buckeye's defense will be too much for them to handle and they choke against OSU. Pick: Buckeyes

#20 Cincinnati vs #21 Rutgers: If one of you freaks had told La Chica last year that this would be a game to watch, I would have called you C-R-A-Z-Y, but Cincy has made it interesting. I hate to get all personal on you but I must say, I'm going to be biased on this one: I'm sick of Rutgers. Yes, they had a Cinderella year last year but can we let it go? La Chica is over it! Go Bearcats even though I have a feeling the home team will win. Pick: Cincy

#9 Florida vs #1 LSU: Will the Gators rebound from their loss to Auburn? Will LSU keep its number 1 ranking? Will Florida have enough players out of jail and available to play? We shall see my friends, we shall see. This game should also be a fun one to watch. In all seriousness, I don't think the Gators will lose 2 in a row. As tough as it will be to win in the Bayou with all those drunk obnoxious Cajuns showing their asses, Florida will prevail, barely but they will. Pick: Gators

#25 Nebraska vs #17 Missouri: I give the Big 12 a lot of mierda just because it's fun. And I'm not going to lie, the conference bores me because it's always Oklahoma winning it all. This year, however, the rest of the conference is making it interesting. Texas and OU were upset in the same day and that made me very happy. Also, low and behold, teams like Missouri are actually not bad. I'm still not going with them here.....Pick: Nebraska

This is the part of the program we like to call: La Chica Speaks Out.
For those of you who have been giving me shit about picking games without giving an actual score, how about you losers try writing a blog in your spare time! Hell, even the yahoos on ESPN do not give a score prediction, and they get paid! So, get off my back!

Crazy-Ass Weekend

We all know how this last weekend's outcomes shocked the college football landscape so we're not going to dwell on it so much. What I find interesting is the AP and Coach's Polls. They are dramatically different in some areas this week. How can that be? Check them out:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/rankingsindex

First off, USC should not be number 1. They have not impressed anyone since the season started especially since they HAVE NOT played anyone! Give me a break. I can't wait for them to lose and I foresee Cal doing it or even Oregon. I'm just sayin'!

Were the Gators looking ahead to LSU? If so, then they're idiots given the fact that Auburn was the only team to beat them last year. Kudos to the Tigers for going into a hostile swamp and upsetting Florida.

And then there's Colorado! That's all I can say about that game.

Texas has not looked like a top ten team all season so Kansas State's beatdown over them didn't surprise your Chica in the slightest.

This is why we love college football though, the underdogs have a shot each and every Saturday and unless your team is Goliath, it's fun. This upcoming weekend is going to be a hell of a time with tons of good games on the docket. Each conference has at least one good one.

I'm so excited that I've made myself queasy, freakitos. With that, let me say ciaosito for now and we'll chat soon!

Real quick: La Chica was 4 for 8 on her picks. Getting better!

PPPPPicks

It's the 5th week of the season, freakitos! Can you believe it? Off we go:

#5 West Virginia vs #18 South Florida: This should be a dandy. Even if you're not interested in the game, you should watch because it's in Tampa (CENTRAL Florida not SOUTH, btw) and some of those USF fans are FREAKS. Sorry to throw the all caps at you but have you guys seen some of these people? La Chica got scared during their game with Auburn. I'm going to be safe on my pick even though I think USF can upset the Mountaineers but no more edge for me. Pick: WVU

Duke vs Miami: The only reason I've got this game listed is because after Miami's grand performance last week against Texas A&M, it will be interesting to see if that was just a fluke. The Canes should destroy Duke and hopefully they will. Anything less and I will be extremely disappointed. After all, "ooops, this ain't hoops"! Pick: Miami

Mississippi St vs #16 South Carolina: I hope Sly Croom goes into Columbia and beats the mierda (look it up) out of the Gamecocks. I want this for many reasons but mainly because I'm pulling for Sly and his Bulldogs to do well this season. Oh and I hate Spurrier.....SNAP! I don't think they can do it though. Pick: SC

#6 California vs #11 Oregon: I can't believe I'm actually excited about a Pac 10 game! This should be the kind of game your Chica loves: offense, offense, offense. Pick: Oregon

Michigan St vs #9 Wisconsin: With all due respect to my lone Iowa Hawkeye friend (LB), why is Wisconsin still in the top 10 after barely beating an unranked Iowa team last week by 4 points??? Aye. The only reason I'm posting this game is because I want an answer to that question from my "commentators". Pick: Badgers (barely)

#13 Clemson vs Georgia Tech: This is about the time in the season that Clemson usually mucks it up and loses. GT has been struggling lately but the Tigers will mucky (I love this word today) it up! I'm a little apprehensive about this one but....Pick: GT

#22 Alabama vs Florida State: Good Lord, can the Noles please win this one? Anyone who knows me knows that I loathe the Seminoles but geez, I don't want Nick Satan to win! Unfortunately, FSU can't score on a hooker. Pick: Alabama

Auburn vs #4 Florida: I'll make this quick: I want the Tigers to win but they've been struggling thus far as well. Even though they were the only team to beat Florida last year, I doubt it happens this year. Pick: Florida

Ciao for now and enjoy your weekend.

PS: For those of you in the Atlanta area, check out the benefit for animals at the King and Queen buildings in Sandy Springs this Saturday: http://www.celebrateanimals.org/

The Vick Stupidity Continues

This is kind of late since it happened last night but your Chica has to earn a living with her day job. As most of you know, last night ESPN held a "town hall meeting" in Atlanta to discuss the Michael Vick dog fighting case. Honestly, I didn't watch the whole thing because I could only stomach about 5 minutes of it.

It consisted of moronic Vick supporters trying their best to make it into a race issue. They actually booed one of the Humane Society's representatives. Someone who devotes his life to the welfare of animals was booed while the Atlanta idiots support a guy who pleaded guilty to killing innocent animals. Unbelievable. Let me write that again: Vick pleaded guilty to killing animals and funding a dog fighting ring. I know his supporters are mentally incompetent but any imbecile can understand that he admitted his guilt, right? One would think.

I grew up in Atlanta and I know that the majority of its citizens do not feel the way our city was represented last night on ESPN. However, it scares me to think that the rest of the country who may have watched the program might think that those people are a true representation of how the whole city thinks and speaks.

This Guy Is a Complete Asshole

The only good thing about writing a blog for fun and not for compensation, I can say whatever the hell I want to say!

Given that, I think Mike Gundy, the Oklahoma State head coach, is a complete jackass. Here's the thing, journalists are paid to write the facts AND their opinions. Bottom line. You may not agree with a writer but there it is.

This guy totally mishandled a press conference and is pissed off because his team is not doing as well as was predicted pre-season. Someone called him on it; suck it up Coach Gundy!

Good for this journalist for standing up for herself: http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ap-oklahomast-gundy&prov=ap&type=lgns

Addendum - Weekend Thoughts

I meant to write this earlier today but forgot. Apparently, a bunch of Alabama fans were throwing cups and empty whiskey bottles at the Georgia players Saturday night. Now, that's some class.

I shouldn't be surprised at the redneck nation showing their true colors but this kind of stuff still ticks me off for a lot of reasons. Why isn't this getting more press on ESPN than a side bar on an espn.com column?

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/notebook?page=gamedayFinal074

Weekend Thoughts

I'm not going to lie; this is going to be a brief blog today. I don't have a lot of thoughts about the weekend because your Chica was kind of sickly all weekend. I've got some kind of throat thing going on and it sidelined me a bit. I even turned down free football tickets! I may need medical attention! This weekend update will be more of a stream of consiousness:

Louisville sucks. I love that they have lost 2 games in a row. My little dog by her cute self is a better defense than the Cardinals.

What is up with Georgia Tech? I hope they are this bad when my Canes play them.

I'm so glad Alabama and Nick Satan got beat! And even though I am not a Georgia fan, by God that is the best mascot in all of sports. I loved when UGA was barking at the cameraman. Is cameraman one word or two?

I knew LSU was going to smack down South Carolina. I don't think anyone is going to beat the Tigers which makes me sad because I think they play dirty. Just saying.

Notre Dame is still winless....YAY.

Go Canes!

I don't usually post on Fridays unless I'm really pissed off about something or really happy. In the immortal words of Long Duck Dong from Sixteen Candles: "I'm so hoppy".

I'm thrilled to say that I was wrong about my Canes. I don't know who that team was last night wearing orange and green but it was fantastic. Where has that offense been for the last 3 years? Kyle Wright? Maybe it took him losing the starting job to finally start playing like he did in high school? Whatever it is, I don't care. Let's just keep it going and not lose against powder puff Duke and UNC! I'm so proud of my team. Well done, boys!

Off Topic: my apologies to my Gator peeps, as one of my posters pointed out, your Chica made a mistake in writing that the Gators played their first 4 games at home this season. As it turns out, they only play their first 3 at home. By the by, it doesn't really change my opinion as that is still ridiculous but thanks for pointing it out. La Chica does not want to post wrong information.

I'm off; enjoy the weekend and Go Canes!

Early Picks

This week's picks are coming a day earlier because I fear my Thursday will be a hectic one. Last week, I got a little CRAZY with my edgy picks. It worked one week but not the next. Having said that, I'm going to be a bit more moderate, ala Rudy Guilliani, with my picks. Off we go:

#20 Texas A&M vs Miami - The Canes are playing on Thursday night in front of a national audience. How will this impact my boys? The way I see it, the only difference is instead of Miami losing on Saturday, they will lose 2 days earlier instead. I hate to be so harsh but let's face facts: The Canes suck! Pick: Aggies

#12 South Carolina vs #2 LSU - The quick and dirty...Pick: LSU

#21 Kentucky vs Arkansas - This game should be fun now that Kentucky has a decent team (no bandwagons up in here). I think it's a toss up but I'll go with the home team. Pick: Arkansas

#22 Georgia vs #16 Alabama - Ugh, I loathe Nick Saban. Yep, I'm a Dolphins fan: 'Nuff said about that. Anyway, I hope UGA wins but I doubt it simply because it's in Alabama. Well, that and GA kind of stunk it up against South Carolina a couple of weeks ago. Pick: Alabama

Georgia Tech vs Virginia - Even though Tashard Choice may not play...Pick: GT

#3 Florida vs Ole Miss - A friend of mine told me to add more "easy" picks so that my winning percentage goes up. Here you go. Pick: UF

#10 Penn St vs Michigan - I'm just posting this one for fun. The Nittany Lions should take care of Michigan at home....AGAIN. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Wolverines have played all of their games thus far this season at home! I'm still dumbfounded by the scheduling of some of these teams (Auburn, Florida, etc). Given this, I'm so glad they're sucking! Go ahead, send me hate comments! Pick: Penn St

Michigan State vs Notre Dame - Again, this one is for fun because I'm so delighted that Notre Dame is winless! Pick: MSU

Marshall vs Cinncinnati - This might actually be a fun game to watch. Pick: Cincy

Ciao, sports freakitos.

La Weekend

The weekend can be summed up like this: The edge is gone. My "edgy" picks stunk. Geez, the only one I got right was Kentucky beating Louisville. I guess I can't treat college football like college basketball. Lesson learned.

Thursday night I was at a local venue watching the West Virginia/Maryland game. This place also had the WNBA playoffs on (I know, right) and the question was asked: how much do these girls, and I use the term loosely, make? If anyone knows, please let me know; I'm just curious.

Speaking of Maryland, their coach, Ralph Friedgen, is going to have a heart attack during a game! I'm not trying to be funny because I like him and am truly concerned about his weight. I'm just saying.

The teams that looked good: Florida, USC, Ohio State, and Boston College

The teams that looked like ass: Auburn, Nebraska, UCLA, and Georgia Tech.

Kudos to Sylvester Croom for beating Auburn at Jordan-Hare. I must say, I wish it was another big team that he beat but I'm happy for him. Winning at Miss State is difficult so it makes La Chica chipper to see him do well.

As I stated in last week's blog, I went to the Ga Tech game Saturday night. Our tickets were awesome, your Chica was practically on the field! Having said that, I was extremely disappointed with the Ga Tech fans. Yes, there were some bad calls made against the Jackets but is that reason to throw crap onto the field? Hail NO! In addition to throwing sh*t on the field, fans were also throwing items from the upper level onto the lower levels seats. Oh and onto the streets below. Someone could have seriously been hurt by this flying debris.

I mean I expect this kind of behavior at an FSU or Alabama game but not from Tech peeps. I was disgusted. And that's all I'm going to say.

2 Things

It's Friday evening and yes, La Chica is home writing on the blog, but I just had to. I'm watching some College Football Live and am befuddled by 2 items:

1) Why in the world is Lou Holtz on television? Does ESPN not get that NO ONE can understand him? It's like listening to Daffy Duck. Is that the one that spits all the freaking time? Correct me if I'm wrong, please. I have to flip the channel each time he gives his biased opinions.

2) My apologies to Auburn and my Auburn peeps for only throwing them under the bus last week about their weak September home schedule. I had no idea that Florida also played 8 home games this season and that they too, play their first 4 games at home. My bad.

La Picks

Hiya sports freakitos. It's Thursday and we all know what that means: college football picks! There are a few pretty good games this weekend so let's get started.

#22 Tennessee vs #5 Florida - I'm in a bit of a pickle on this one. I have yet to see the Gators play so I really have no idea what they look like. Not that it would matter because they haven't played anyone in this young season so..... However, UT did not impress me against California 2 weeks ago either. Last weekend, my picks were edgy and I liked it (I liked it a lot) so I think I will continue with that mantra. Not to mention, I had an awesome pick percentage. Even though it's a home game for Florida, I'm going with Tennessee for the upset. Pick: Vols

#10 Ohio St vs Washington - This game interests me because my lone Buckeye friend thinks that his team is going to roll into Seattle and beat the pants off the Huskies. Um, I don't think so! By the by, kudos to a Big 10 team for traveling west of the Mississippi for a game. I think this is going to be a tougher game than Ohio Staters think, therefore, Pick: Washington.

Notre Dame vs Michigan - I've only included this game in the blog this week because I'm just so happy about the way these 2 teams have started off. Especially Notre Dame. I loathe them and I'm awful tired of Charlie Weiss as well. Get over yourself Pinky! I don't know where that came from sports fans, but it felt good calling Charlie Tuna "pinky". This is tough, who's going to win? Who CAN win? I'll go with the home team. Pick: Michigan

#9 Louisville vs Kentucky - Here's another game where the alumni and fan base of one school think it's going to be a cake walk. I'm talking about Louisville in this instance. I don't think it's going to be so easy for them at Kentucky. The Wildcats actually have a decent team this year; I said decent, by the way. No bandwagons on La Chica's blog! Regardless....Pick: Kentucky

#1 USC vs #14 Nebraska - Your Chica has some email friends who are either USC alums/fans or Nebraska alums and fans. And for the record, I thought SEC folks talked a lot of sh*t, well my friends, no one talks more mierda (look it up in a Spanish dictionary) than an USC fan. I cannot even begin to explain so I won't. I think this is going to be a good little game. USC has not played anyone yet and did not look that impressive against the nobodies (is this a word?) they did play. On the other hand, Nebraska almost lost to a Wake Forest team last week that was using a backup quarterback! Since I'm on the cutting edge this season, I'm going for the upset. Pick: Nebraska

#21 Boston College vs #15 Georgia Tech - First off, look for your Chica at the game this weekend. We've got excellent seats in the lower level (thanks Doug!) and I'll be the one with my top off: Just kidding! Seriously though, look for me. Okay, these are the only good teams left in the ACC this year. I'm not counting Clemson yet. Anyway, I look for this to be a good little game and....Pick: GT

Alrighty, I'm on my way to get an espresso. Enjoy the weekend. Ciaosito.

Weekend Stuff

This is going to be quick because the day job is busy today.

First things first: How about La Chica calling the South Carolina/UGA and South Florida/Auburn games right on?! They were both great games, especially the S. Fla/Auburn one. I feel bad for my Auburn peeps but for S. Florida to go into a hostile Jordan-Hare at night and beat them in overtime.....God, I love college football!

Now, as for the Miami/Oklahoma game. Let me just put it this way, the only thing that looked good about the Hurricanes on Saturday were their new uniforms. I'm just saying! Good Lord, was that a suckfest. People are putting blame on the offensive coordinator, Patrick Nix, but your Chica is not going there yet. The bottom line is the Cane quarterbacks SUCK. As for Oklahoma, they appear to have the whole package this season but isn't this always said about them and then they lose in the BCS game? I guess we will have to wait and see.

Also, for those of you who have already started bashing La Chica and the horrible loss by Miami on Saturday, you ain't hurtin' me! I knew my fellas were going to lose so BRING IT!

Michigan and Notre Dame are both 0-2....hee hee hee. I do have a question for Michigan fans: How old is Chad Henne? Is it just me or has he been at Michigan for about 8 years?

One last thing and I know it's really not sports related but why is Doug Flutie's hair still jacked up? Didn't we discuss this last season? You would think that his wife or some of his friends and family would say "Doug, your hair is f*cked up on national television, dude." Good grief.

Gotta run now, sports fans. We'll chat later.

You Guys Are Trippin'

Okay, I have received a lot of crap from some of you regarding my comments on yesterday's blog. Emails have come in accusing me of not being a friend, being mean to someone's team, etc. Don't get mad ya'll, it's a blog! If I was nice about every team, it would be REALLY boring.

Now, instead of writing this response in the comments section, I'm going to "reply to all" on this new post. Just as I suspected, the SEC folks have their panties and boxer briefs in a wad due to my post about Auburn's 8 home games. With all due respect my friends, a fact is a fact. The Tigers are playing 8 home games and the first 4 games of the season are all at home. That's unheard of; at least in my world.

I'm not debating that the SEC is not a tough conference, I'll give you that, but give a sister a break and admit that 8 home games is a bit much. And let's check out the first 4 home game opponents, shall we:

Game 1: Kansas State
Game 2: South Florida
Game 3: Miss. State
Game 4: New Mexico St

Now, I'm not trying to pick on Auburn, I actually like the Tigers. One of my best friends went there (Kristi) and I'm happy when they win; unless it affects my team, of course. Unfortunately, I must pick on them this week to prove my point.

Here's my thing, I know the ACC is weak this year and has been for a couple of years now, if not longer. Two of the big teams are down (i.e. Miami and FSU) but at least the ACC teams are scheduling some big time programs out of their conference and especially in the first month of the season. For example:

Virginia Tech at LSU
Miami at Oklahoma
Ga Tech at Notre Dame
FSU vs Alabama (this game is at a neutral site)

Now, whether or not these ACC teams beat those out of conference schools is a whole other thing. We all know GT already beat the snot out of Notre Dame and we also know Notre Dame sucks this year and is consistently overrated but let's not forget that the powers that be did select Notre Dame to go to a BCS game the last 2 years. AND, GT went up to South Bend and played in that nasty, hostile environment (because you know the majority of those ND fans are not catholic or any religion for that matter).

So, while I do agree the SEC is the tougher conference, I also feel they (not just Auburn) make up for it with 20 home games against the likes of New Mexico St, Western Kentucky, Miss. State, Vanderbilt, etc.

This is all I'm saying!

Picks, Picks, Picks

So, last week I mentioned that there were a lot of great games this weekend, I was wrong. I think I was thinking about a couple of them and got carried away. Sorry about that but we have a lot of games to pick this week so let's start. Oh and by the by, my strategy for picks this year has been tweaked a bit; God knows my prognostication skills were put to the test last year so I've decided to predict a lot more games in the hopes of raising my average.

Oregon St vs Cincinnati - I'm only posting this game for my buddy, Doug, who went to Cincinnati and because he's a nice guy. See, La Chica is also nice! However, sorry Dougie Fresh but I think the Beavers take this one (plus, I think it's fun to say GO BEAVERS). Pick: OSU

Miami vs #5 Oklahoma - Back in the day when Miami was grand, OU couldn't beat them with a hammer (I don't know what that means, but anyway); times have changed though. In my heart of hearts, I want to pick the Canes but my head knows that OU will take this. It's in Norman and the QB situation with Miami is still up in the air. Pick: OU

#16 Nebraska vs Wake Forest - If Wake's QB wasn't injured, I would pick the Demon Deacons but he is so... Pick: Nebraska

NC State vs Boston College - This game is interesting because NC State's coach was the coach at BC last year but that's about as far as my interest goes. Pick: BC

Oregon vs Michigan - I'm only posting this because I'm still happy that Michigan lost to App ST last weekend and I want to see if they rebound. Pick: Oregon (just for shit and giggles)

South Carolina vs #11 Georgia - I'm going to be a little crazy here and go with Spurrier even though GA looked good against an overrated Okie St team. Sometimes La Chica needs to live on the edge, right? Pick: Gamecocks

#19 TCU vs #7 Texas - Ugh, I loathe the Big 12 conference. It bores me to tears but here it is. Gotta raise the average. Plus, I would love to see Texas get upset. Pick: TCU

South Florida vs #17 Auburn - Given the way Auburn played against a mediocre Kansas ST team last week, USF has a shot! Here's my thing though, why does Auburn have 8 home games? Not to mention, their first 4 games are at home! Yeah, the SEC is soooooo tough: WHATEVER. Pick: South Florida (Oh, it's fun living on the edge!)

#9 Virginia Tech vs #2 LSU - If Va Tech plays the way it did against ECU last weekend, it will be a long night for "America's Team". By the way, ESPN, can we let that go now. Last weekend, we heard enough about this, now let's just play football. I want the ACC to win but the game is in Baton Rouge and I just don't see the Hokies winning there after last Saturday's display. Pick: LSU

Ciao babies and enjoy the games!

Weekend thoughts

Hola freakitos. I would have written this yesterday but some YAHOO punk stole my cell phone from an establishment over the weekend causing me to spend almost the entire day yesterday getting a new phone. At which point, I didn't! Why do people steal? I just don't get it. To the mental defective who stole my phone: F*CK OFF!

Okay, back to sports. I'm going to go in chronological order as best I can. Hence, let's start with Thursday night's game: LSU vs Miss. St. Good God, I'm so glad I'm not a Bulldog fan. Watching their offense attempt to score was insufferable. That's really all I can say about that game. Oh, except for this, I'm going to ask again this season, where is Jill Arrington? I miss her. Erin Andrews just doesn't do it for me. I know all the fellas think she's hot but her voice is incredibly annoying. It's like chalk on a chalkboard. 'Nuff said!

Friday: Your Chica went to the Falcons game on this day. I find it amazing that people are still wearing Mike Vick jersies. Yes, he gave a "heartfelt" (insert sarcasm) apology but the guy still killed dogs. And until he does more for society, it's idiotic, imbecilic, simple-minded, etc. to wear his jersey. I'd laugh at these people but then I take pity on their underdeveloped minds.

Saturday: Ah, the day started with an early Hurricanes game and life was grand. I know this has been beaten to death but how wonderful was it to see App ST beat Michigan? We love to cheer for the underdog and this was no exception.

I said it last year and I will say it again: The media's desire to consistently rank Michigan in the pre-season top 10 or as in this year's case, top 5 still befuddles me. La Chica was so happy to see the Wolverines and Lloyd Carr go down to a Div 1-AA or subdivision team in their own house! I think it was fitting, however, I guarantee they will be ranked in the top 10 again next before the season even starts. I hope App ST's victory is a sign of things to come this season.

Speaking of overrated, how about Notre Dame? Watching them get schlackled by Georgia Tech was almost orgasmic. That is until an obnoxious GT fan started mouthing off at the establishment where I watched the game. Here's the thing Yellow Jackets, yes you beat ND but they suck so.... Why is there always at least one fan who mouths off and just embarrasses himself? I must say, I got a bad taste in my mouth from this guy's comments and then almost wanted ND to come back and beat GT. I know every team has bad fans but give me a freaking break!

FSU and Clemson battled last night and is it just me or did FSU look like the same team as last year for most of that game? I mean, I know they came out in the second half and had some offense but I was not that impressed with all the new coaching changes.

Alright sports fans, I must say goodbye for now. Stay tuned for this week's picks. There are some great games coming this weekend! Ciao for now.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy.......

Well, freakitos, it's that wonderful time of the year again. I don't know about where the rest of you are but here in Atlanta, it's been hotter than hell this August. Magically, this week, the weather has cooled off significantly. It's as if the college football gods planned it.

This offseason has been boring as far as college ball goes. For those of you who haven't visited the blog, we've still been chatting away with lots of other sports related stories. After all, professional athletes have given us a lot of material. What with all the dogs out there to kill and all (insert sarcasm here).

Given all that, let's move directly into this week's picks. Standard Disclaimer still applies: La Chica STILL cannot prognosticate to save her life! Off we go:

The good Lord has blessed us with college football on Thursday this year. Can I hear an amen!

Thursday:
#2 LSU vs Mississippi State - No brainer. LSU should put a beatdown on these fellas. And honestly, if it were the middle of the season, this game would not be posted on the blog but it's the first week so... Pick: LSU

Saturday:
Marshall vs Miami - Another game that would not normally be posted but.....it's my blog and I do love my Canes so here they are. God-willing and the creek don't rise the Canes put a hurtin' on Marshall, please! Pick: 'Canes

Georgia Tech vs Notre Dame - I hate the Irish and honestly, I'm not a big fan of GT either but keeping with last year's mantra, I'm going with the ACC as much as I can. Tech should have won that game last year. I think they finish the job this time around. Pick: GT

Oklahoma State vs Georgia - This game is going to be a tough one for the Dawgs. I don't think they think it will be but I do. Of course, what do I know? Pick: UGA

Nevada vs #20 Nebraska - This game interests me because a lot of people think Nevada can upset the Cornhuskers. Much to my chagrin, my beloved Miami played Nevada in a bowl game last year and barely beat them but the Canes also had Larry Choker at the helm so it's not saying much. Regardless, Pick: Nevada

#15 Tennessee vs #12 California - Last year the Vols humiliated the Golden Bears and the Pac 10. I don't think it's going to be that bad this year but I still think the SEC will prevail. Pick: UT

East Carolina vs #9 Virginia Tech - ESPN has unofficially labeled the Hokies as America's team. Um, why does ESPN always have to bring everyone down? Here we go with the sad music and the long interviews about death. Don't get me wrong, what happened on the campus at Va Tech this past April was horrible and sad but can't we just talk about football on College Gameday? Pick: VT

Western Kentucky vs #6 Florida - Fans of the national champion Gators should be ticked! Their pre-season ranking is 6; I would be pissy about that if that were my team. I think the national champs should be ranked in the pre-season as #1 but that's just me and seriously, what do I really know? Uh, since Florida is playing a Division 1-AA team, they should really kick the schlackel (Chica word) out of them. Pick: UF

Monday:
#19 Florida State vs Clemson - My first question: why is FSU ranked? They finished 7-6 last year! Just because I hate them, I'm picking Clemson. I know I will probably be eating my words but I don't care. It won't the first time! Pick: Clemson

Okay, that's it for this week. I know it's kind of weak but the majority of the games are boring the first WEAKend (ha!). Stay tuned for the September 8th games. That weekend is a dandy so come on back!

Real Quick

I'm making a prediction on the Mike Vick plea agreement now because I know I will not have time on Monday morning to do this. I feel almost certain that he's going to get a "Lindsay Lohan" type plea agreement. Not so much a "Nicole Richie" type agreement because that bitch was only in jail for 82 minutes. Isn't Lindsay doing like 3 days? Someone may need to correct me on that one.

According to an article on espn.com, Vick is not pleading guilty to actually killing any dogs or gambling. He admits he was around for all of that but didn't participate. In the words of Dr. Evil: Rrrrrright.

The bottome line? He's going to get a light sentence in my humble opinion. UGH!

What Is The Deal.........

......with fat athletes????

This is a subject that has been bothering your Chica for some time now. I mean, it's one thing for a golfer to be fat as hell but a baseball player? And I'm not giving golfers a break on this one. Any "sport" that allows you to smoke a ciggy while you're participating is not a sport (read: John Daly). Tiger Woods is the only golfer that I consider an athlete.

However, let's be real, baseball players should not have beer guts and fat asses. I was watching my beloved Braves last night (suck) against the Reds and I couldn't help but notice the fatness on both sides of the ball; and another point, the majority of these guys are young.

I love watching sports for many reasons; pure enjoyment is the main one and the other, I'm not going to lie: it's eye candy a lot of the time (especially soccer, just sayin'). Lately, however, baseball has been grossing me out. I'm not going to name names but I will give you the positions that are the most to blame for this unpleasantness: relief pitchers and catchers!!! See picture.

A Couple Things

Hola sports freakitos! La Chica is back from her trip to Pittsburgh. By the way, I didn't see a DAMN thing! Never made it to PNC Park, never made it anywhere near the city. Don't even get me started on the lack of quality hostsmanship (another Chica made up word) from the office I went to visit. Therefore, La Chica still cannot judge the city of Pittsburgh fairly. I will say this: the people were very friendly.

Okay, I don't have a lot of time today so I'm just going to throw out a couple of items today. The first is the Michael Vick plea agreement. This jackass is going to get off with a light sentence, mark my words. I bet he gets less than a year in prison. Let's not forget that he killed a dog with his bare hands, people. And for those of you who say: it's just a dog. Please get off my blog and never come back. I don't want unintelligent, brainless, feebleminded, and moronic people reading me. Also, I thought the deadline to make a plea was Friday? Why did he get special treatment? He made his plea on Monday. WHATEVER.

Just as I wrote a few days ago, the fate of the Orange Bowl in Miami will be decided today and it looks like it's going to be torn down. This means the University of Miami will likely play at Dolphin Stadium with every other team in south Florida. Get ready for the nasty infield dirt during football season. Gross. Here's an article from the Miami Herald's Greg Cote. He does a great job of describing my exact feelings about the subject:

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/story/209424.html

Ciao for now.

More College Football Stuff

It's August 13th and La Chica is simply beside herself! Just a little over 2 weeks until the start of the college football season, can you believe it? Like so many of you, this is my favorite time of the year.

Okay, Sports Illustrated came out with the top 20 games you must see this season. I agree with most of them but give me a break, does anyone here really care about number 15 on their list: Boise State at Hawaii? Speaking for myself, I can safely say HAIL NO! Just saying.

Here's the link:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0708/top.cfb.games.watch/content.1.html#

On a programing note: I will be traveling for my day job to the fair city of Pittsburgh this week and, hopefully, will be treated to a ballgame at PNC Park. I've never been to the Steel City and have heard mixed reviews but I would certainly love to catch a game at the new stadium. Everyone says it's a gem.

Ciao for now.

This "Bitch" Is Coming Down

Sad but true, the fate of the Orange Bowl in Miami is still in question:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070809/ap_on_sp_co_ne/fbc_orange_bowl_s_future

My thoughts you ask? I've got ideas:

Option 1: Refurbish the OB. Knock down a lot of the upper level and build suites that the University can sell for profit. Unfortunately, the Canes do not sell out each home game so they don't really need a 70,000 plus seat stadium. This isn't their fault, Miami is not a college football town, plain and simple. There's a lot more to do there on a Saturday afternoon than go watch a football game. La Chica doesn't understand it either, sports fans, but it's true.

Option 2: Build a smaller stadium on UM's campus in Coral Gables. All the Canes need is a 45,000 seat stadium. The likelihood of this is very slim. Peace may be accomplished in the Middle East before the city of Coral Gables agrees to this. Not to mention, UM is always bitching about not having enough funds to do anything like this. Wanh, Wanh, Wanh.

My favorite is Option 1 for many reasons. La Chica's Grandmother lived close to the OB a long time ago so it holds that special memory as well. Bottom line is, just take care of the Orange Bowl. The Old Lady needs it and she certainly deserves it.

Rants

Sorry for my absence recently sports lovers but once again, your Chica was out of town.

My apologies for this particular blog but as the title suggests, it's just going to be a big ole rant about things I've been thinking about lately. Plus, it's hotter than hell in Atlanta and that makes me a little cantankerous. Let's carry on, shall we:

I'm so excited about college football starting just a little under three weeks from now. So excited indeed that I'm actually watching ESPN again. Yes, I despise them but they're giving me a fix for my football cravings. In case you didn't know, there's a show called College Football Live on at 6:30 pm eastern time. The good news is it's all about college football! The bad news? Well, Mark May is one of the ANALysts. Is it just me or does anyone else just loathe him?

Last season, May bashed my beloved Hurricanes all over the place. However, this year he's taken a different attitude about them. Why? They're still going to suck (sorry Cane nation)! Could it be because the new head coach for Miami is black? I'm all about sticking with your peeps; hell, if Mark May were Cuban I might feel differently about him but I'm not on national television. I'm just saying!

Last night, Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron's homerun record: YAWN! I just don't give a damn about this because Bonds is a buttlick, arrognant, cheating player. Therefore, Hank will always be the Homerun King in my eyes. That is until another classy athlete breaks the record fairly.

Yesterday, Virginia Tech's head coach, Frank Beamer said that he believes his stupid Hokies lost the Peach Bowl to Georgia eight months ago because his team was spyed on during practices at Georgia Tech. Um, rrrrright. OR, just maybe your team blew a huge lead and then got schlackled (la Chica's own word) by the Bulldogs. Just a thought, Frank. Hey, here's an idea for Va Tech this season, how about graduating some quality football players? Oh right, Marcus and Michael Vick never actually got degrees from your university. Shocker!

Okay, I'm going to stop for today because I know I've already offended enough people. Ciao for now sports freakies.

Busy Again

Hola sports freaks. It's been crazy at La Chica's day job so hence, no new blogs. Sorry about that.

Tonight, history could be made as Tom Glavine goes for his 300th win, A-Rod goes for his 500th homerun and of course, Barry Bonds goes for number 755****.

**** = He cheated so it really doesn't count. I'm just saying!

Another Cycling Scandal

I'm sure I'm one of the few people in this country watching Le Tour de France but whatever. I find it amazing and quite stupid that after all this sport has been through, some of its athletes continue to cheat and dope.

I catch up with Le Tour on the Versus channel each evening and last night I watched this cyclist win another stage in this year's tour. It was something to watch him climb those Pyrenees mountains and win the stage all by himself ahead of the peloton by 5 minutes or more. I'm intrigued by their abilities and respect them....until I hear this: http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=ap-tourdefrance-vinokourov&prov=ap&type=lgns

Alexandre Vinokourov of the Astana team got caught doping by getting a blood transfusion before he won the time trial held on Saturday. This prompted his team to quit this year's tour all together.

Have these guys not learned anything from the past? Do they not remember Floyd Landis? At least no animals were hurt by this act.

It's Not A Racial Thing

Hola sports freakies. La Chica just returned from a fabulous trip to south Florida. I'm all tan and ready to go!

Needless to say, I've been out of the loop on any web readings about sports or any other news. So, forgive me if this is old news to you guys. I just read an article from ajc.com (yes, I dislike them too but it was out there....) about Michael Vick lacking leadership skills. What got to me was not the article itself but the comments that readers wrote in. It seems that some people are making this whole Michael Vick dogfighting disgrace into a racial thing. IT'S NOT!

Coming from a huge animal lover (especially doggies), it wouldn't matter to me if Vick were white, black, latin, asian, or a scientologist (alien) etc. The fact of the matter is he is under indictment for animal cruelty among other things. He's under indictment because the federal government found evidence to do so. Not because he's black or a sports star. So, can we please not play the race card on this?

Speaking for myself, I don't care what color he is but if he's guilty, which I think he is, then let his stupid ass burn in prison for awhile because he deserves it. 'Nuff said.

Check out the article and comments I'm talking about at: http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/sportscolumns/entries/2007/07/22/has_vick_lost_h.html?cxntnid=sprt072307e

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated".
Mahatma Gandhi

I'm just saying!

Suspend Vick Petition

I'm not one to post or send chain emails but I like this idea. Here's a link to a website for a petition to suspend Vick, sign it!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/suspendvicknow/index.html

More On Vick

One of my readers posted a link to the copy of the indictment on Vick and company. Thanks to "Big Red" for the link:

http://alt.cimedia.com/ajc/pdf/vick0717.pdf?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

Finally, An Indictment

Now, I have no idea what that means or if anything will come of it but at least these jackasses will have to answer for what they have "allegedly" done.

Read the article below about Mike Vick and his thug cronies and how they treated these dogs. According to the article, sometimes they did not feed the dogs so they "would be hungrier" for a fight. Disgusting.

I hope these f*ckers go to jail.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070717/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_falcons_vick_indictment

Barry Bonds

I know it's baseball and most of you freaks are not fans of America's past time (should this be one word?) but deal with it. Plus, I think this is interesting. Barry Bonds is stuck at number 751 in his quest to break Hank Aaron's homerun record. I think it's fitting that the obnoxious slugger has been in a hitting slump since July 3rd.

He's going to eventually break it, I know that, but for the moment I'm going to take pleasure in his humility and frustration. He's a jackass so it makes me laugh:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=270715126&prov=ap

MLB All-Star Game and Stuff

Sorry for the gap between my last post and today's. Last week, I was in the midst of an all out birthday extravaganza and quite frankly did not have time. This week, the birthday extravaganza caught up with me because I've contracted this horrible head cold. Ugh!

Also, thanks to my peeps who wrote me birthday wishes, you know who you are!

Back to sports: Did anyone watch the baseball All-Star game last night? Your Chica watched a portion of the game but switched the channel to reality television shortly thereafter. Is it just me or was that game boring? And another thing, is it just me or does the American League win every year?

What was up with Fox's coverage? At one point, I turned back to the game to check out the score, they didn't have up any pertinent information, i.e. the score of the game, the inning, the number of outs, etc. Not to mention, the announcers (thanks Joe Buck) never let the audience know what that information was!! Have I become such a spoiled sports fan to demand constant updates on the screen during games? NO. Needless to say, I switched back to my reality television.

My prayer for the day: Lord, please let the rest of the summer fly by!

Happy 4th and Happy Birthday To Me!

There's not much going on in the world of sports these days, freaks. I mean, unless you like Wimbledon and the Tour de France (which I do, by the way). Wimbledon continues this week for the duration of its fortnight. And of course, the Tour de France starts this Saturday!!! I'm excited about that.

Also, tomorrow is La Chica's birthday and that's reason for excitement too. At least it is to me.

Have a fantastic and safe 4th of July and take time to remember what it's all about: your Chica's birthday! Just kidding.

Ciao

What A Shock!

Here is an article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution regarding the Mike Vick dogfighting incident. Simply stated: The investigation has stalled. SHOCKER!

Given enough time, the right people can usually be paid off. It's unbelievable what this guy has been able to get away with thus far.

Here's the story:

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/06/27/0628vick.html?cxntnid=sprt062807e

Blah, Blah, Blah.....

Is it just me or is there one of these every week these days???
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070626/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_bears_johnson

Good grief, these thugs cannot stay out of trouble. Amazing.

Gary Sheffield may have been right. I'm just saying!

Pre-season Top 10

After much demand by my readers (well, really just a couple), here is La Chica's pre-season top 10 for college football. Before we begin, let me give you my standard disclaimer: As you know, your Chica sucks at prognostications so keep that in mind when none of my top 10 teams actually finish in the top 10!

I did my own kind of research by checking out college football sites. I reviewed their choices and then tweaked them a bit for mine. Much to my chagrin, there are no ACC teams in the top 10; I hope I'm wrong on this one. Let's begin:

10) Ohio State - Other sites had OSU at number 6 but weren't they overly rated last year as well? And this season there is no Troy Smith so the fact that they were pre-ranked at 6 shocks me. Oh right, ESPN loves Michigan and Ohio State for whatever reason.

9) Tennessee - Most other sites had Michigan in this spot but I refused to do that. Again, the Big Ten was so over hyped last year and we all saw what happened to the Wolverines in the Rose Bowl. I refuse to pre-rank them in the top 10 this year. I'm over them. Now, on to the Vols, Erik Ainge is coming back and I think that's reason enough to put them in the top 10. Again, I will probably be eating my words on this one come October but....this prediction stuff is hard to do!

8) UCLA - I know, I know but apparently this is the year they have been recruiting and waiting for. The Bruins went 7-6 last year so this is my craziest pick in the top 10. They're returning a whole bunch of peeps however so it should get interesting. I just hope they beat USC again!

7) Arkansas* - As you can see, I put an asterisk next to this one. There is so much turmoil with this program and with Mustain transferring. Drama, drama, drama. That said, they're supposed to come back loaded so we'll see.

6) Oklahoma - OU will do well because the Big 12 sucks again. 'Nuff said.

5) Wisconsin - Yup, I said Wisconsin. Their schedule will prove to be an easy one and they too are bringing back a bunch of players from last year. The only question is how well can they handle the pressure of being considered "good". I would love to see the Badgers win the Big Ten.

4) Texas - Two words: Colt McCoy. This kid was pretty good last year so he should be even better this upcoming season. And again, the Big 12 sucks!

3) LSU - Even though they lost Jamarcus Russell, this team had loads of talent awaiting. I would take one of their backup quarterbacks and start him for Miami in a heartbeat! That's a pretty sad statement on my part.

2) USC - As long as Pete Carroll is around this team will keep producing. Booty comes back as quarterback and even though he's been a bit inconsistent, the rest of the team makes up for it. They've got the cushy Pac 10 schedule to help matters as well.

1) Florida - I'm a firm believer in ranking the returning national champion as number 1 until they jack it up. While I think that there are other teams in the top 5 that will have a better season than Florida, they deserve the number 1 ranking because they won the national championship and they're bringing back some folks. Here's Tebow's chance to prove he can last all game long. Let's just see if they have enough guys to put on a roster to play a game. Given all their jail time and all (ooops, was that out loud?).

This Kid Cannot Stay Out of Trouble

"Pacman" Jones is up to his old tricks again. According to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2007/06/18/0618dkshooting.html?cxntnid=sprt061807e, Jones may be involved in another stip club shooting incident.

Good grief, how hard is it to stay out of trouble? I know he's a kid but after 2 incidents, you would think this kid would learn his lesson.

Just speaking for La Chica, if I made $1.2 million a year I'm certain I would be able to find a lot of other things to do that did not involve shooting at cars on I285 or shooting up strip clubs across the country. I'm just sayin'!

It's another example of the "bad element" in professional sports. I can do without ALL OF THEM!

Wake Me Up When September Comes

As much as the antics of many professional players have amused and offended me these past few months, I'm still holding my breath for September and the start of football. Mainly college football!

I mean it's kind of fun picking on the majority of these losers (except when it involves animal cruelty) but enough already. Let's bring on the on-field action!

Anyway, here's another story about 2 more Florida Gators getting into trouble with the law. So far this year the Gators are averaging at least one arrest per month: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2902082

YAWN

Last night, the Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup. For those of you who do not know what that is, it's the championship of hockey. The poor ole Thrashers made it to the first round of the playoffs but got a beatdown by the New York Rangers. That was like 6 months ago because that's how long the hockey playoffs take.

Speaking of long-ass seasons, the NBA Finals start tonight for those of you interested. It's between Cleveland and San Antonio. All I can say is: YAWN.

Sorry freaks but your Chica is not an NBA fan. I thought I would mention it though so that the losers, uh, I mean fans of the sport do not bitch and moan.

Alrighty, I'm headed to the Georgia coast tomorrow afternoon. Have a great weekend.

Dolphins

I didn't know what to call this blog entry; I tried to think of something clever but I couldn't. I'm seriously befuddled by my Miami Dolphins.

They just signed Trent Green from the Kansas City Chiefs, http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2894921, but I don't know if this is a good idea. On the one hand, I'm glad they're trading Daunte Culpepper. By the way, thanks Nick Saban for drafting Daunte (insert sarcasm here). Culpepper and Saban did absolutely NOTHING positive for the Dolphins. Sorry about throwing the "all caps" at you but a point had to be made. Anyway, so they're trading Culpepper but it's not like Trent Green is young. He's a whopping 36 years old and in football....that's old.

In addition, they passed on drafting a young kid in Brady Quinn earlier this year. Some people think that was a good move but was it?? We need young players to build this franchise not almost 40 year olds.

Question of the day: Will La Chica ever see her Dolphins return to glory in her lifetime? I wonder what Dan Marino is doing this fall (insert pensive pose).

And Then There's Gary Sheffield.......

I continue to be amazed at the stupidity of certain professional athletes. It's as if their careers are not getting enough attention so they must do or say something completely ridiculous and outrageous.

The latest one that I've read about is Gary Sheffield. For awhile now, there has been discussion about the lack of black major league baseball players. Of course everyone's first instinctive response is: What about the lack of white NBA players; why does no one raise a concern about that? That's a whole other blog entry entirely so let's move on.

Back to Sheffield's interview in GQ magazine, http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2891875, where he gives his theory on why hispanics make up the largest minority in baseball. I'll give you the gist: Black men demand respect and latino men don't! I guess Sheffield thinks us latinos are just happy to be here. Thanks for the brainless insight, Gary.

By the way, La Chica refuses to say "African-American" because I guarantee you Gary has not been to Africa nor have his parents or even grandparents. I'm just saying.

More On Vick

Isn't this enough for the NFL to step in and do something?

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/05/27/0528vick.html?cxntnid=sprt052907e

Vick first said he knew nothing about the alleged dog fighting and even claimed to know nothing about the presence of 60 plus dogs on his property: Uh, I don't think so! More and more evidence keeps popping up that he was well aware of what was going on and participated.

Enough already, Goodell. God knows the Falcons are not going to do shit and will let this slide under the table and pay people off to make it go away. Suspend his stupid ass!

Hmph.....

I like the NFL's new commish, Roger Goodell; he isn't taking shit from these idiotic football players and I like that.

I know I wrote about this yesterday but the participants deserve as much ridicule as possible. Here is an article where Goodell expresses his embarrassment about and for Clinton Portis. Remember, Portis is the latest dumb ass to make comments defending Michael Vick and his alleged dog fighting affiliation. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2879881

And of course, Portis later "apologized" for his moronic comments. I love the way these guys can say whatever the hell they want and then just apologize. I guess that makes it all go away. Oh and by the by, Portis is not the only one condoning Vick's actions: Joey Harrington, the Falcons new backup quarterback, also has Vick's "back". I thought Joey was smarter than that, I mean he plays the piano and all (insert sarcasm here please).

My Additional Two Cents

I don't want to beat a dead horse (pardon the pun) about this whole MichaelVickDogFightingIt'sMyHouseICanDoWhatIWantAnimalsAreWorthless story but when other athletes are weighing in and giving their imbecilic opinions and thoughts, then I must say something.

Embarrassingly enough, this time around it's one of my former 'Canes, Clinton Portis. Here is what Portis had to say: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2878099

The gist of what he said is this: It's no one's business what Vick does with his animals. They're on his property so everyone should butt out. Take my word for it, La Chica's grammar was certainly better than Clinton's.

Anyway, what I take from these comments is that one can do ANYTHING one wants to any living creature as long as it's on one's private property?? I wonder if Portis applies this theory to when wives are beaten and children are abused as well? Geez, I hope not.

I don't mean to get all serious on your asses but can't we agree on one thing: Children and animals are helpless. They need a little help and protection every now and then!

I wonder if Clinton and Michael would appreciate not having access to food or water for a few days....as long as it was on their own property, I guess it's okay. Just sayin'.

Preakness And Other Stuff

I know that the majority of you do not care about horse racing, the Triple Crown, cycling, the America's Cup, and other non football sports, but I don't care. Don't get a Chica wrong, I would much rather be watching college football than most any other sport but it's not September! So, we must live in the moment and celebrate what we have this time of year.

That said, this Saturday is the second leg of the Triple Crown with the Preakness Stakes. The Kentucky Derby winner, Street Sense, is the favorite to win so let's keep our fingers crossed and pray he does! The last Triple Crown winner was in 1978 with Affirmed so we are due. Not to mention, who can remember that?? As we all remember, it was in the Preakness last year that Barbaro suffered his broken leg; let's hope and pray there are no injuries this time around.

Also, if you're home on Sunday, check out the America's Cup and Giro d'Italia on the Versus network. America's Cup is yachting and the Giro is cycling for those of you who are challenged in international sports. I'm just saying!

I know, I know, it's not football or even baseball but we have a long way to go in the baseball season and the start of summer is not technically upon us yet so I have plenty of time to discuss the "bigs". Don't you worry, I'll be talking about my Braves soon enough because they are kicking ass thus far this season. (For those of you interested, check out the latest on the Braves getting sold: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2872771)

Alright, freakies, check back with La Chica later. Ciaosito!

Hold On...

Work has been interfering with the blog lately. Don't you hate it when that happens?!

Fret not friends, your Chica will be back on in a couple of days to discuss miscellaneous subjects. For now, toss these around in your little heads:

The Preakness Stakes
The Giro d'Italia
The America's Cup

Discuss!

Big Hats and Roses

This Saturday is the first race of the Triple Crown with the Kentucky Derby and I can't wait. La Chica's plans to be at the Derby this year failed but fret not because next year, I will be there (God willing). Forced to wait another year to wear a big hat, I am left to watch it on television yet again.

I must say I am fascinated by the Triple Crown and the Derby intrigues me the most. The pageantry and history alone are worth watching but the best part for me are the horses. These animals are stunningly beautiful and watching them run takes my breath away......just sayin'!

The field this year is 20 and surprisingly there is not a horse that has caught my eye or attention, yet. Personally, I think it's going to be a while before another Barbaro steals everyone's heart again. Having said that, check out this link about one of the horses racing this year. His name is Storm in May: http://sports.yahoo.com/rah/news?slug=ap-kentuckyderby-blind-horse&prov=ap&type=lgns Storm in May is completely blind in his right eye, amazing.

So, this Saturday at about 6:20 pm EST, take time from drinking your pathetic hearts out for a faux Mexican holiday and watch the "most exciting 2 minutes in sports". I know I will be watching and praying that no one breaks a leg!

Another Thug Contributes To Animal Cruelty

Here we go again, this time around it's another NFL "star". Like the other thugs, he's no stranger to strange and stupid behavior. Michael Vick, your ineptitude continues to amaze me.

It appears that stupid ass Vick has a cousin or something in Virginia living in a house he owns and is holding about 60 dogs for dog fighting. As if dog fighting were not enough, they are also malnourished and injured from God knows what else. Michael Vick's mama must be so proud!

Here is a link to the article which explains what I'm talking about: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6743208?MSNHPHMA

How many more dogs are these thugs going to hurt and kill? (Don't get me started on the NBA punks.) This makes two Atlanta Falcons players in the last three months who have had something to do with either the death of a dog or random abuse. Great group of guys, Arthur Blank!

What The......

....hell is going on with the Atlanta Thrashers? I mean we (Atlantans) have waited for 8 years to make a playoff and then we can't even win a game?? Geez. I know it's false hope to think that we'll win the series, but can we at least not get swept?

Wake up Thrashers, you're in the playoffs FREAKS!

Again, look for La Chica at the Tour de Georgia circuit race on Sunday afternoon in Centennial Park.

Ciao for now.

Tour De Georgia

Be sure to check out the Tour de Georgia this week as Stage 1 starts today in Peachtree City and ends in Macon. This year's tour will end in Atlanta so be sure to check it out on Sunday. Sportschica will be there this year! I love me some cycling. Check it out:

http://www.tourdegeorgia.com/

Enough Already

I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say: Enough already about this Don Imus stuff. Yes, the man was an idiot for his comments but aren't Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton idiots in their own right for several of their comments over the years????

Here is a link to a wonderfully written article that I think says it well: http://www.kansascity.com/182/story/66339.html

Thanks to Peter for the link.

Just For Fun

The cutest dog in the world hanging out:

The Masters and Nappy Headed Hos

Well freaks, your Chica is back from her Mexican Riviera cruise and feeling extremely refreshed. For those of you who have never been on a cruise (this was my first), what are you waiting on?! I had a fantastic time and have discoverd that I am a "cruiser". Maybe I'm getting old: Nah, it's just a wonderful time. Here's a little tip though, skip Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan (complete dumps) and head straight to Cabo San Lucas. Cabo is now one of your Chica's favorite vacation destinations. In a word: FABULOUS.

Back to sports: Yesterday was the final round of the Masters and can I just say how happy I am that a newbie won the tournament. I have never heard of Zach Johnson but was extremely pleased that none of the other usual suspects won this time around. Now, don't get me wrong, I do love me some Tiger Woods but enough already! On a "chick" note, how lovely are the grounds at Augusta National; it truly personifies Georgia in the Spring.

On to Don Imus: Unless you've been trapped under something heavy, I'm sure everyone has heard of Don Imus' recent racial comments regarding the Rutgers women's basketball team. First off, good thing Imus is on radio and not television because that is one ugly Mother Scratcher! Sorry, but I had to get that out. Now, for those of you who have not heard any of his comments, let me just give you a quick quote: "That's some nappy headed hos there, I'm going to tell you that."

I'm not going to lie to you peeps, I laughed my Cuban ass off when I heard the tape for 2 reasons: 1) I couldn't believe he actually said that on the air about these poor girls and 2) One has to admit that it's funny to hear "nappy headed hos" on television when it's not being uttered by Chris Rock. I'm just sayin'! My advice to Imus, you're an idiot and even if this is how you really feel, don't say it on national television unless you want the attention.....ah, of course.

Final Four In My City

Spring has sprung and the city is a buzz. The dogwoods have bloomed, the grass has turned green and the pollen has smothered the city. Oh and the Final Four is this weekend in Atlanta, my hometown. Off topic really quick: To see the most beautiful Dogwood tree ever, go to Myrtle Street in Midtown. Seriously.

Alright back to this weekend and the Final Four, I was going to do my usual picks but honestly, does it really matter? Will your Chica make the correct picks? Most likely not and I know that. My prognostication (there's that fun word again) skills have not improved since football season so I'm letting it go. I've decided to just briefly write about my cheerful thoughts on this Final Four in my city even though it's making me feel a bit melancholy because I will not be here.

As I've stated before, I'm headed on a fabulous cruise for a week to the Mexican Riviera and will miss the Final Four. Again, I'm a bit sad about this because the hoopla that surrounds the tournament is pure enjoyment. However let's be honest shall we: Should a chica, who cheers emphatically for the Miami Hurricanes, be surrounded by a bunch of Gators and Buckeyes? I'm going to say "no".

So, to all my freaks who have tickets to the Dance, be safe and please do not get into any fights. You know who you are! Some of ya'll (how's that for Southern speak) are downright nasty and wouldn't mind physically harming some of these kids playing the game so watch yourselves.

Think of La Sportschica as I sail on the Pacific and drink champagne from my cabin balcony and try hard as I might not to fall off. I will certainly be thinking about my little city in the forest and will miss all the merriment. Enjoy and GO GEORGETOWN HOYAS!

What A Great Night......

....of basketball last night! The games were close and exciting to watch. However, I still cannot believe that Tennessee let an 18 point lead get away against one of the nation's top teams. S-H-A-M-E-F-U-L. That's all I can say about that. And before you all point it out for me, yes La Chica knows that all of her picks lost last night. Whatever.

On to tonight's games, shall we:

(1) Florida vs (5) Butler - I'm so over the Florida Gators and their ugly face star, Joakim Noah. I really hope Butler pulls off the upset, I doubt it but I hope it happens.

(3) Oregon vs (7) UNLV - I'm sticking with the underdogs tonight for the most part and picking the Runnin' Rebels of Vegas. Besides, back when the Shark was coaching there, I liked them.

(1) UNC vs (5) USC - Ah, the lone ACC team left in the tournament. You all know that your Chica is not going to pick a PAC 10 team over an ACC one so...GO 'Heels!

(6) Vanderbilt vs (2) Georgetown - I'm really indifferent on this one. On the one hand, I wouldn't mind seeing Vandy pull it off but on the other, I don't want an SEC team to win either because of all the smack that SEC peeps talk on my comments board. Hmmm, what's a Chica to do? I think I'll go with the Hoyas.

Ciaosito freaks and have a great weekend of college basketball!

Well, Well, Well...

I've been away the last few days but I'm back just in time to discuss some of this weekend's NCAA tournament games. By the way, please stop asking me if I've seen any of the NIT games! With all due respect to the participating teams, I don't give a damn about the NIT!

I'm not going to lie, I was out of town this past weekend and missed some of the tourney so I can't recap as I would normally. Having said that, I did watch that Duke vs VCU matchup last Thursday and it was a dandy. The fact that Duke lost in the 1st round made my Spring. God bless the underdogs. (Unless my team is involved, of course.)

Let's start off with tonight's games, I'm just going to pick who I want to win and go from there:

(4) Southern Illinois vs (1) Kansas - The theme for today's picks is UNDERDOG. Therefore, I hope the Salukis win. Doubt it, but that's who I'm picking. Plus, I like saying "salukis".

(3) Texas A&M vs (2) Memphis - I know Memphis is the higher seed but I just feel that they're still the underdog so my vote goes with them.

(3) Pittsburgh vs (2) UCLA - I'm not cheering for a PAC 10 team, sorry. Go Pitt!

(5) Tennessee vs (1) Ohio State - Let's see, how should I put this, part of me wants OSU to win because I feel they have a better shot at beating the big guys next weekend, but I just can't cheer for them tonight. Go Vols.

Come back tomorrow as I'm sure I will have picked almost all losers. Plus, we need to discuss tomorrow night's games.

Ciao freaks.

The Way to Atlanta...

This time of year is always special. The weather turns warmer, Spring flowers start to bloom and the time changes. Not to mention, it's March Madness season. I love college basketball because the champion is decided truly. There are no BCS bullshit polls to deal with and no personal biases to contend with either. It's settled on the court by the 65 teams who have earned a right to play for the national championship. And by the way, if your team doesn't make it to the Dance, then they really do not deserve it; if you can't make it in the top 65 in the nation, just call it a year.

Having said all this, your Chica is just not very hyped and excited about this year's tourney. I have no explanation for this, I mean the Final Four is in my city this year, that's reason enough to be giddy. However, La Chica will be cruising on a huge ship in the Mexican Riviera when championship weekend is upon us. Maybe that's the reason for my lack of enthusiasm?

The other factor that could be held accountable is that I have "no dogs in the fight" this season. Hell, UConn didn't even make the tournament! Honestly, the teams I'm cheering for are the ones who are playing against Florida and Ohio State. And quite frankly, that's not enough reason to fill out a bracket, send in my $20 bucks and watch all the games.

Don't get me wrong freaks, your Chica will be watching the games but it's just not the same for me this year.....sniff sniff.

Artest Is Such the Loser

I must say, I hate the NBA but it has provided me with some material for the blog during the slow season of sports.

Last month Ron Artest got into trouble for not feeding his dog; this month he's in trouble for shoving a woman. What a great guy and another fine example for the NBA!

http://www.miamiherald.com/856/story/32361.html