Tag Archives: yet another dreaded bullet update

Mar 31 2013
3 Comments
Social Media, Sports, Elsewhere, Ohio, Pittsburgh

awful.

EAUCNFFC killer.

EAUCNFFC killer.

I knew it was going to be bad.

I didn’t think it would be this bad.

Thirty five people entered the Eighth Annual Uncle Crappy NCAA Final Four Challenge (Brought To You By Bocktown). And at the conclusion of the Elite Eight weekend, there are 16 — SIXTEEN — Blutarskys (and if you don’t know what that is, I’ll explain in a moment).

Given the general carnage of the tournament, I knew there would be some downright ugly entries — including mine, after Saturday night’s loss by Ohio State at the hands of Wichita State. But this, this is unprecendented in the history of AUCNFFC.

Before we get to the futility, let’s take a look at how everyone else is doing. There are a bunch of you who picked Louisville to not only make the Final Four, but to win the whole tournament. But in each of those cases, you guys had just one correct Final Four pick — the Cardinals — with the possibility of adding more points only if Looavull advances.

And yeah, it’s looking like the tiebreaker is going to be even more important this year than it was a year ago.

Those who have Louisville winning the tournament; in all cases, you two points for the correct Final Four pick and a possibility of 10 more:

  • My Mom
  • Aunt Annoyed Angel
  • Casey
  • Clara
  • Calipanthergrl
  • Barb
  • Scooter
  • Patrick

I think there’s one other person who would win the whole freakin’ thing, but she’d do it if Syracuse comes out on top. Jenn has the Orangemen beating Ohio State in the final (sigh); she has two points in hand and as many as 10 more to earn if ‘Cuse is the champion.

As we work our way down the standings, it’s worth pointing out that Pghrugbyref is actually our leader at the moment. He correctly picked both Louisville and Syracuse making the Final Four; unfortunately, he also picked Kansas and Ohio State to play in the title game, so he has no more points to earn.

And then we have the handful of people who made one correct Final Four pick — Louisville  – but don’t have that team going much further. These folks have two points in hand, with the possibility of earning four more. It ain’t going to be enough to win, but making any correct picks this year should be something to be proud of:

  • Tim
  • Fred
  • Kewyson

We have one more person in the Two Plus Four Club, but she got there via a different path. RPM has Syracuse going as far as the title game, but not winning the title.

Another group, this one including entries who gained two points for a correct Final Four pick but cannot earn any additional points:

  • Jaci
  • Ethel
  • Susan
  • Joe
  • Sheepthemoon

And that brings us to the special group, those of us who — this year, anyway — ride the college basketball short bus.

If you are new to AUCNFFC, you may not be familiar with the term Blutarsky. You are likely familiar with the scene from Animal House,  when members of Delta visit Dean Wormer in his office, to discuss the mid-term grades of the fraternity’s members. We all recall what happened when Wormer addresses John Belushi’s character. The words, at this point, are immortal.

“MISTER Blutarsky…”

Without further ado, the EAUCNFFC Blutarsky award winners:

  • Uncle Crappy
  • Mrs. Crappy
  • CrappyDad
  • DJ Lunchbox
  • HP
  • Bluzdude
  • Otimemore
  • Infinitebuffalo
  • Grandpa Caldwell
  • Styx4me
  • Carla
  • Kelly (and Evan)
  • Dish
  • Michael
  • Zombie Dudders
  • Juan

I would point out that this year’s tournament made it unusually difficult to make correct picks of any kind. I would point that out, but I would just be making excuses for my — our — pathetic performances. Thanks for playing, fellow Blutarskys — I hope we all do better next year.

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Mar 20 2013
6 Comments
Elsewhere, Food and Drink, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Social Media, Sports

ticking.

stopwtch

In about 24 hours from right now, the 2013 NCAA men’s basketball tournament begins.

And that means you have about 24 hours from right now to get together your entry for the Eighth Annual Uncle Crappy NCAA Final Four Challenge (Brought To You By Bocktown).

By now, you know the deal:

  • It’s free.
  • Deadline is noon Thursday.
  • There’s a Bocktown gift card for the winner.
  • Rules and guidelines are here.

So. You’re waiting for what again?

 

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May 12 2012
9 Comments
Ohio, Pittsburgh, Sports

on your mark.

Not yet.

I know a ton of people who ran in the Pittsburgh Marathon last weekend — full, half, veterans and first-timers. And I’m proud of each and every single one of you. No matter what the time, you all killed it last week.

And let’s be honest: I’m also jealous as hell.

I was supposed to be among you last week, and it’s still irritating that I wasn’t. I think I made the right decision, vis-a-vis my ailing groin; but feeling smart didn’t help me much as I watched all of you running by my spot on the Seventh Street Bridge Sunday morning.

No worries, though. I’m coming back.

I’m approaching a week without pain in my pesky groin; I promised myself that as soon as I got through two weeks without so much as a twinge, I’d start running again. I’m not quite there yet, but I may bow to impatience and take a brisk walk in the next day or two, just to see how things are feeling. And if that goes well, I’ll start a walking/running mix.

And if we’re good with that, I have something else in mind.

As we’ve discussed before, I need a goal in order for the running thing to work. I had good schedule — with decent results, at least until I hurt myself — as I worked toward the Pittsburgh half; before I decided to run that one, I was kind of drifting — my runs were sporadic, and it was way too easy to talk myself out of getting out of bed in the morning and putting on my running shoes.

So how do I keep my motivation going? Easy — I run once race every month for the rest of the year.

I’ll take it easy to start, and give myself some time to get back into shape; I’m thinking a July start will be perfect. I even have a schedule in mind, although just a couple months are carved in stone at this point:

  • July: TBD, yes. But having a t-shirt from the Whiskey Rebellion 5K in Canonsburg on the Fourth of July would be really cool. I think that would be a fun run, too. The July Fourth parade in Canonsburg is a big freaking deal, and as this race is a precursor to the parade, I think there would be a built-in audience.
  • August: Again, to be determined. But I’m intrigued by the Brookline Breeze 5K on Aug. 11. This race is part of an annual community party, and I would hope to get some support — and perhaps some post-race beverages — from the Burghseyeview crew.
  • September: This one is carved in stone, as in I’m already registered: The Great Race in Pittsburgh (Sept. 30). Watching all of yinz guys have fun in this one last year was the reason I started running last fall, and this race was my original goal. With that in mind, when Mrs. Crappy and I saw that discount registrations were available at the marathon expo, we signed up immediately. A nice bonus: the race takes place on a road-game weekend, so we don’t have to miss any football in Columbus.
  • October: Next payday, I’ll register for the Columbus half marathon on Oct. 21. I’d still love to have Pittsburgh as my first half, but I’m not going to wait until next year to run one. Columbus in October is a perfect second choice. All I have to do it is pray that the Purdue game is a noon start. This will also be nice because I’ll have a built-in support team at the ready.
  • November: I love the idea of running to make room for Thanksgiving dinner, and the proximity of the YMCA’s Turkey Trot 5K downtown makes this race a natural.
  • December: As I found last year, there is a surprisingly large pool of December races to choose from; in the interest of symmetry, though, I’ll probably run the Jingle Bell 5K, just like I did for my first race ever in 2011.

Ambitious? Maybe. Stupid? Definitely. But once I get started again — and keep in mind this schedule is subject to change; I’m now very aware that injuries can make a mockery of plans like this in an instant — I know I’ll need goals and dates to keep going through the summer heat. And a schedule like this would be the perfect way to do that.

C’mon, groin. Get better quick.

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Apr 15 2012
2 Comments
Pittsburgh, Sports

catching up, grumpy edition.

And doing it as best I know how:

* Florida was fabulous. The kids are amazing little people — getting more grown up by the minute — and my sister and BIL are doing a great job with them. Mrs. Crappy and I got to the beach four of the six days we were there. I ran a 10K and didn’t die. And we properly celebrated Crappydad’s upcoming 75th birthday.

* And then we had to come home to snow flurries. Really?

* While we were in Florida, I neglected to wrap up the Seventh Annual Uncle Crappy NCAA Final Four Challenge (Brought To You By Bocktown). Because of unusual circumstances that require consultation with our sponsor, I will do so on Monday.

* The 10K was difficult, but fun. I was too slow — finished at 1:20 — but I completed the race knowing what I needed to focus on as I get ready for the Pittsburgh Half. And then my groin decided that there would be no running of any consequence this week, and I’m left with three weeks to prepare to run 13 miles. I am not happy about this. I’ve joked a bunch about not letting my various attempts at running kill me — see above, for example — but the half — especially if it’s a warm morning — actually could be a dangerous thing, given my lack of training in the last couple weeks.

* If I’m able to run it at all.

* For as excited as I was about the start of the hockey playoffs, the actual games have been nothing short of a horror. I’m less concerned with the fights and cheap shots on both sides — they happen, although usually not this much in the playoffs — than I am with Penguins’ horrible defensive effort. Or lack thereof. The team is staying positive — Bylsma said after Sunday’s game that Fleury would start the remaining four games of the series — and I will as well.

* I’ll do that for a couple of reasons. First: Mrs. Crappy and I want to watch Friday’s game at the big screen outside CEC. Can’t do that if the series ends Wednesday night.

* Second: I need to give my playoff beard a little more time.

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Mar 14 2012
Elsewhere, Ohio, Sports

actual hoopage.

ImageI’ve managed to write about college basketball for a couple days straight without actually mentioning basketball, and given the success of the two teams I really care about (not to mention the success of Mrs. Crappy’s favorite hoopsters), it’s probably about time I change that.

I also have a prediction. Pay attention, boys and girls.

* Ohio State. My Buckeyes were up and down this year, something I attribute to youth and not a ton of depth on the bench. When they’re paying attention — see Duke and second Michigan State games — they are frighteningly good; if they’re not — see first Indiana and Michigan State games — they can look pretty pedestrian. Their NCAA outlook is much the same. If they’re playing well, they’re capable of winning the whole thing, but if they have one of the lapses they’ve had all year, a team like Florida State could make them look awfully bad.

* North Carolina. I’m always happy this time of year that I’ve chosen to be a Tar Heel, in gratitude and support of Mrs. Crappy, who’s adopted the football Buckeyes as her own. UNC fandom seems to work pretty well in March, and that could work out again in 2012. I haven’t filled out any brackets yet, but don’t be surprised if Carolina is my final four team coming out of the Midwest. And (POTENTIAL FORESHADOWING  ALERT), how cool would it be to have a Carolina-Kentucky game in the final?

* OU. For the second time in three years, my Bobcats won the MAC tournament and will play in the big show. And for the second time in three years, they’ll face a hefty test in the first round, this time against … Michigan. If we go back to 2010, you’ll recall that OU had to play Georgetown in the first round, a game they had no business winning. You’ll also recall that I bet my friend Robyn, a two-time Georgetown grad, beers and T-shirts on the game (I was thinking of going double or nothing on an Ohio State-Georgetown matchup a couple rounds later, to be honest). And you’ll also recall — I’m sure Robyn would, anyway — that my Bobcats dusted Georgetown in one of that year’s biggest upsets. As I said before, I haven’t started filling out brackets yet, BUT YOU SHOULD WRITE THIS ONE DOWN: OU will beat Michigan on Friday night. Take it to the bank.

___

Psst. Have you signed up for the Seventh Annual Uncle Crappy NCAA Final Four Challenge (Brought To You By Bocktown) yet? Details are here.

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Mar 12 2012
28 Comments
Social Media, Sports

SVAUCNFFC (BTYBB) TIME.

The selection committee has spoken, which means its time for the Seventh Annual Uncle Crappy NCAA Final Four Challenge (Brought to you by Bocktown).

Given that this our seventh year, there is a mess of you who already know the AUCNFFC drill; for those of you who don’t here’s how it works in handy bullet list form:

  • Find yourself a copy of the bracket. If you can’t manage that, you probably shouldn’t be operating a computer, driving a car, breathing, etc., but if you’re having trouble, there’s a nice PDF version provided by our friends at Yahoo! Sports here. Fill it out.
  • After consulting your bracket, pick the four teams — one from each region — that you think will win the regional championships and travel to the Final Four in New Orleans.
  • After consulting your bracket again, pick the two teams you think will win the national semi-final games on March 31.
  • Consult your bracket once more, and pick the team from your semi-finalists who will win the title game April 2.
  • How do I figure out who wins? You get two points for picking a correct Final Four team, four points for a correct semi-finalist and six points for a  correct national  championship pick. Assuming I can add correctly (and that can be quite an assumption, boys and girls), the entry with the highest point total is our winner.
  • Yes, there is a tie-breaker. When you submit your pick, please also include your project score for the championship game. If it’s necessary, the entry whose score is closest will be our winner.

Still confused? Given that I’m writing this in a hurry, that’s entirely possible. Here’s a purely hypothetical example of what an entry from this year’s bracket could look like (Note 1: this is NOT my entry. Note 2: These are the lowest seeds in the tournament; if you want to make this your entry, feel free, but do so knowing the risk of being Blutarskied):

Semi-finals:

Western Kentucky/LIU-Brooklyn

Vermont/UNC-Asheville

Championship game:

Western Kentucky/Vermont

Champion:

Vermont

Simple, right? As you begin to mull your picks, here are a couple of other things to keep in mind:

One thing to make sure you don’t do: Send me money to enter. As has always been the case, AUCNFFC is free.

In the first four years of the contest, we were competing for cheesy trinkets and I usually included a disclaimer that our FABULOUS PRIZES weren’t actually fabulous. And then Chris at Bocktown Beer and Grill blew that out of the water by putting up a gift card to the contest’s winner — as she’s doing again this year. All together, boys and girls: “Thank you, Chris!”

The tournament’s first-round games get underway around 12:15 Eastern Thursday; I’m not a huge stickler, but I’ll need to have your entries by noonish that day for you to be eligible.

How do you enter? Comment. Email. Twitter. DM. Text. Facebook. Smoke signal. Please feel free adding whatever commentary you wish regarding how you arrived at your picks; each entry will be listed in a comprehensive post that’ll show up at some point early Thursday afternoon.

The fine print (AKA The Juan Rule): As is tradition, Juan will once again be entered against his will, using either the Phil’s Mom Method or the Penny-Flipping Method.

To summarize:

Free.

Easy.

Deadline is noon Thursday.

Bocktown gift card for the winner.

Have any questions? Let me know. Otherwise, good luck to everyone — especially me.

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