A hockey guy clobbered us. Three weeks ago, the idea that a hockey guy would capture the most coveted title in basketball seemed as preposterous as the idea that a team called the Omaha Mavericks would make college hockey's Frozen Four. Turns out, it's not so preposterous.
Congrats to Gino Riffle, winner of The Shamrock15!
In case you haven't heard, Duke won the national championship. I assume this pleased Yankee fans, Canadien fans, and people who rooted for England in the Revolutionary War.
Thank you all for playing. I received $470 in entry fees. Those in the money:
1st: Gino Riffle
2nd: Eric Johnson
3rd: Julie Trono
4th: Evan Chadwick
5th: Derek Trono
6th: Jamie Rubin
7th: Tim Perrin
8th: Tom Lewis
Leader after first weekend: Gino Riffle
Lucky 17th place: Pat Camp
St. Paddy's Prize: (best score by seeds 3,1,7) Matt Villemaire. Matt had Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Michigan State. So did Gino. The first St. Paddy's tiebreaker is "not otherwise in the money."
If you're in the money, send me your address or let me know where I can meet you to pay you.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Saturday, March 28, 2015
WOW!
Now that's what I'm talking about!
Wisconsin trailed at the half and gave up 45 in the second. And they won by 10.
Why? Dekker's Dagger! Oh, and Frank Kaminsky was okay too.
Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame should be an unreal Final Four game.
Wait, what? Notre Dame lost? But, Auguste & Vasturia made every big play. A 6'5 kid had 9 rebounds. Stringer Bell's son answered yet another Andrew Harrison tournament bomb with one of his own. They didn't win?
No, they didn't. Because Kentucky had Karl-Anthony Towns.
Wow, what a fantastic day of games.
And it leaves us with a national semi-final featuring Ashley Judd v. Olivia Munn.
By the way, how did the tourney champs from the SEC, ACC, Big 10, and Pac 12 end up on the same side of the bracket?
Wisconsin trailed at the half and gave up 45 in the second. And they won by 10.
Why? Dekker's Dagger! Oh, and Frank Kaminsky was okay too.
Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame should be an unreal Final Four game.
Wait, what? Notre Dame lost? But, Auguste & Vasturia made every big play. A 6'5 kid had 9 rebounds. Stringer Bell's son answered yet another Andrew Harrison tournament bomb with one of his own. They didn't win?
No, they didn't. Because Kentucky had Karl-Anthony Towns.
Wow, what a fantastic day of games.
And it leaves us with a national semi-final featuring Ashley Judd v. Olivia Munn.
By the way, how did the tourney champs from the SEC, ACC, Big 10, and Pac 12 end up on the same side of the bracket?
Sleepy 8
Let's see, today we have 1 vs. 3 and 1 vs. 2. Tomorrow, another 1 vs. 2 and Pitino vs. Izzo in what, really, is a 1 v. 2 in that bracket. I can barely see my computer screen through the chalk dust.
What happened to the NCAA tournament?
You know, the one with buzzer beaters & Cinderella stories?
The closest thing we had to a buzzer beater was, what? Theair-ball goal-tending at the end of the UCLA-SMU game? As for Cinderella, was it also UCLA? Because they took down perennial powerhouses SMU and UAB? The most exciting end of game play so far might have been last night's multi-million dollar foul shot. If anyone besides Navin was still watching, I'd be surprised.
Shamrock15 ain't much better. Did Riffle pick 22 teams? Not only are Stan's scoring records under assault, but the rest of us are Craig Hodges to Larry Bird. Move Riffle up a division!!!
Here's to hoping that the relative snooze fest we've seen so far gives way to an electric weekend. I'm not asking for a game to be the greatest of all-time. But damn! After what we've seen so far, I sure wouldn't complain.
Oh wait, yes I would. Give me boring over a Duke win any day of the week.
ps: Speaking of the '92 Duke-Kentucky Elite 8 game, I had no idea Richie Farmer ended up a felon!
What happened to the NCAA tournament?
You know, the one with buzzer beaters & Cinderella stories?
The closest thing we had to a buzzer beater was, what? The
Shamrock15 ain't much better. Did Riffle pick 22 teams? Not only are Stan's scoring records under assault, but the rest of us are Craig Hodges to Larry Bird. Move Riffle up a division!!!
Here's to hoping that the relative snooze fest we've seen so far gives way to an electric weekend. I'm not asking for a game to be the greatest of all-time. But damn! After what we've seen so far, I sure wouldn't complain.
Oh wait, yes I would. Give me boring over a Duke win any day of the week.
ps: Speaking of the '92 Duke-Kentucky Elite 8 game, I had no idea Richie Farmer ended up a felon!
Thursday, March 26, 2015
317
The Sweet 16 brings us two huge nights in Shamrock15!
Plenty of you are still alive in the quest for the St Paddy - the prize that goes to the person whose 1,3, & 7 seeds combine for the most points.
The Shamrock's most popular 3 seed: Notre Dame.
The Shamrock's 2nd most popular 7 seed: Wichita State.
One of tonight's match-ups: Notre Dame v. Wichita State
Meanwhile, there are still a few of us left who chose Oklahoma as a #3. And who does Oklahoma face this weekend? Michigan State, the most popular #7 in this year's Shamrock.
So, that's right, the Sweet 16 features not one, but two, 3 v 7 showdowns that will go a long way towards deciding the winner of this year's St. Paddy.
Monday, March 23, 2015
RIFFLE!
The first weekend is in the books and we have our first prize winner: Gino Riffle! The Rice AD racked up 279 points to lead the field after the first weekend. Something tells me that Gino is a bigger fan of the Shamrock scoring system than he is of the formula used to align the football divisions. By the way, with its quotes from Danny Ryan, that article proves one thing: Shamrockers are everywhere!
Gino moves to the Sweet 16 with 9 teams, including each of his top 8. Eric Johnson, who currently sits in 2nd place, joins Gino as the only Shamrockers with 9 teams still standing. Here's how the battle shapes up:
Gino: Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Notre Dame, Lousiville, Utah, Xavier, Michigan State, NC State, UCLA
EJ: Kentucky, Arizona, Notre Dame, Lousiville, Utah, Xavier, Michigan State, NC State, UCLA
Looks like one of Wisconsin Law's most illustrious grads won't be rooting for his old school this week.
And don't rule out Aunt Lisa: her surviving teams include Wichita State and UNC. A Wichita win over Notre Dame, combined with a Carolina win and Louisville loss would invert the top 3.
Have a great week!
Gino moves to the Sweet 16 with 9 teams, including each of his top 8. Eric Johnson, who currently sits in 2nd place, joins Gino as the only Shamrockers with 9 teams still standing. Here's how the battle shapes up:
Gino: Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Notre Dame, Lousiville, Utah, Xavier, Michigan State, NC State, UCLA
EJ: Kentucky, Arizona, Notre Dame, Lousiville, Utah, Xavier, Michigan State, NC State, UCLA
Looks like one of Wisconsin Law's most illustrious grads won't be rooting for his old school this week.
And don't rule out Aunt Lisa: her surviving teams include Wichita State and UNC. A Wichita win over Notre Dame, combined with a Carolina win and Louisville loss would invert the top 3.
Have a great week!
Sunday, March 22, 2015
5's & 6's
Shamrock15 is starting to come into focus. Fortunately, it's still too fuzzy for me to write a whole lot this morning. Not to mention, I'm lazy.
Still, a few thoughts:
Lisa Perez sits in first. I'm relieved. Lisa actually led after Day 1, but my spreadsheet failed to credit her with opening day wins by NC State & UAB. Most of you don't pay attention, so I had lots of little "glitches" like that built in. It's not like I'm smart enough to win this thing by picking teams. So that was my plan. Busted. Anyhow, I'm glad to see that Lisa gets her due and spends at least a day basking in the glory that comes with leading a tournament of such prestige. Today's a big day for Lisa, as she hopes her Wahoos win & help her keep pace with everyone who is already thru to the next round with Arizona as their 2.
I'm pleased to welcome Roland Maheux to the top 10. He's a great guy, but his Shamrock success makes me happy because now my brother & I aren't the only people in this pool losing to their dad.
I'm less thrilled to announced that Eric Johnson and Even Chadwick have moved towards the top. Who likes lawyers? Nobody. That's who.
For Shamrock purposes, yesterday's biggest game might have been Notre Dame's win. An Irish loss would have affected a ton of Shamrockers, while Butler's loss leaves those of you who picked Xavier as the only folks with a 6 still standing. Utah's win was big too.....with the Utes having moved on as a 5, there's lots of pressure on Northern Iowa to hold serve later today.
Thanks to everyone who has sent their money! If you haven't, please do.
Still, a few thoughts:
Lisa Perez sits in first. I'm relieved. Lisa actually led after Day 1, but my spreadsheet failed to credit her with opening day wins by NC State & UAB. Most of you don't pay attention, so I had lots of little "glitches" like that built in. It's not like I'm smart enough to win this thing by picking teams. So that was my plan. Busted. Anyhow, I'm glad to see that Lisa gets her due and spends at least a day basking in the glory that comes with leading a tournament of such prestige. Today's a big day for Lisa, as she hopes her Wahoos win & help her keep pace with everyone who is already thru to the next round with Arizona as their 2.
I'm pleased to welcome Roland Maheux to the top 10. He's a great guy, but his Shamrock success makes me happy because now my brother & I aren't the only people in this pool losing to their dad.
I'm less thrilled to announced that Eric Johnson and Even Chadwick have moved towards the top. Who likes lawyers? Nobody. That's who.
For Shamrock purposes, yesterday's biggest game might have been Notre Dame's win. An Irish loss would have affected a ton of Shamrockers, while Butler's loss leaves those of you who picked Xavier as the only folks with a 6 still standing. Utah's win was big too.....with the Utes having moved on as a 5, there's lots of pressure on Northern Iowa to hold serve later today.
Thanks to everyone who has sent their money! If you haven't, please do.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Cornrows!
They don't give out the green jacket after Thursday's round at The Masters, but it sure doesn't hurt to be the leader in the clubhouse after day 1.
Your clubhouse leader after round 1: Tom Lewis!
As I've mentioned, Tom founded the world-famous Indy Cornrows site after surviving three perilous years in Washington DC with yours truly. Tom, beware. You think we were in dire straits that time we were sprinting across the outfield at Durham Stadium ? Well, this pool is chock full o' Celtic fans. Imagine if if I have to hand over the Shamrock's pot-o'-gold to a Pacer fan as the C's battle Indy for a playoff spot. As Newman would say, oh the humanity!
Celtic fans, go easy on Tom. Not only was he a C's fan long before he started covering the Pacers, his wife graduated from Zionsville High School......the same high school attended by Celtic coach Brad Stevens. A few years ago, Tom used his connections to get me into a practice at Butler, where I was fortunate enough to meet Coach Stevens. If there's one thing on which Pacer & Celtic fans agree, Coach Stevens should be NBA Coach of the Year.
Tom's path to the coveted Shamrock won't be easy. Plenty of contenders lurking in the Top 10, including Tim Perrin who is only only 3 points out of first. Anyone out & about this weekend will probably spot Tim. He's smack dab in the middle of his annual "Vegas in Burlington" weekend. There's no better way to celebrate the Shamrock! Maybe he'll run into fellow Shamrocker Jay O'Brien at the brand new Gastropub on St. Paul -- the official Burlington bar of Shamrock15.
(Easy folks, the Pour House is in SOUTH Burlington. Nothing wrong with an official bar in each)
The rest of the top 10 includes Aunt Lisa and Aunt Julie....or did Derek enter 8 times with a different Trono name on each entry? Hmm. Good question.
And Gino Riffle stands poised to make a run. Hopefully, Gino can confirm that all Shamrockers survived yesterday's annual shindig at Andrew Kelly's.
Also, don't rule out Dealer.com's Levi Clarke. You old heads might remember Levi from the days he carried the Rochester Rockets to multiple final four appearances at the Aud, Vermont's version of an Indiana gym.
Finally, wouldn't it be great if Joel Kynoch, the Voice of South Burlington Athletics, took home the Shamrock title? If only so he could "remind" opposing coaches Jeff Davis, Joe Maheux, Mike Osborne, Paul Pecor, and Derek Trono, of his triumph during every timeout next year???? "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's opposing coach is one of a veritable plethora that I conquered in last year's Shamrock." Now THAT might get me back to a game.
Your clubhouse leader after round 1: Tom Lewis!
As I've mentioned, Tom founded the world-famous Indy Cornrows site after surviving three perilous years in Washington DC with yours truly. Tom, beware. You think we were in dire straits that time we were sprinting across the outfield at Durham Stadium ? Well, this pool is chock full o' Celtic fans. Imagine if if I have to hand over the Shamrock's pot-o'-gold to a Pacer fan as the C's battle Indy for a playoff spot. As Newman would say, oh the humanity!
Celtic fans, go easy on Tom. Not only was he a C's fan long before he started covering the Pacers, his wife graduated from Zionsville High School......the same high school attended by Celtic coach Brad Stevens. A few years ago, Tom used his connections to get me into a practice at Butler, where I was fortunate enough to meet Coach Stevens. If there's one thing on which Pacer & Celtic fans agree, Coach Stevens should be NBA Coach of the Year.
Tom's path to the coveted Shamrock won't be easy. Plenty of contenders lurking in the Top 10, including Tim Perrin who is only only 3 points out of first. Anyone out & about this weekend will probably spot Tim. He's smack dab in the middle of his annual "Vegas in Burlington" weekend. There's no better way to celebrate the Shamrock! Maybe he'll run into fellow Shamrocker Jay O'Brien at the brand new Gastropub on St. Paul -- the official Burlington bar of Shamrock15.
(Easy folks, the Pour House is in SOUTH Burlington. Nothing wrong with an official bar in each)
The rest of the top 10 includes Aunt Lisa and Aunt Julie....or did Derek enter 8 times with a different Trono name on each entry? Hmm. Good question.
And Gino Riffle stands poised to make a run. Hopefully, Gino can confirm that all Shamrockers survived yesterday's annual shindig at Andrew Kelly's.
Also, don't rule out Dealer.com's Levi Clarke. You old heads might remember Levi from the days he carried the Rochester Rockets to multiple final four appearances at the Aud, Vermont's version of an Indiana gym.
Finally, wouldn't it be great if Joel Kynoch, the Voice of South Burlington Athletics, took home the Shamrock title? If only so he could "remind" opposing coaches Jeff Davis, Joe Maheux, Mike Osborne, Paul Pecor, and Derek Trono, of his triumph during every timeout next year???? "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's opposing coach is one of a veritable plethora that I conquered in last year's Shamrock." Now THAT might get me back to a game.
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