The Light at the End of the Regular Season

So I'm lounging around in my sweats acting like a real loaf at my parent's place today on Long Island. This is probably the first weekend I've had off since basically basketball season started. Mind you, a lot of what I do is semi-volunteer. I choose to go to the games and follow the team, but then someone usually needs me to do something, so it's just better that I show up and participate.

Now, don't get me wrong I would rather be at work right now helping the team prepare for the big dance, but unfortunately that's not happening this year. However, there's been rumors that we might be playing in one of those "other" postseason tourney's, either the CIT or the CBI. What's your take on them?

Here are my questions...

As a coach are you praised for making one? Are you frowned upon by turning it down? Will next year's resume include a bid to the CBI or CIT? Will there be a banner next year in the rafters with CBI on it like schools do for the NIT?

Did the NIT go through all of this skepticism when they first started or the NCAA tourney? Should there be a few more of these tourney's kind of like the bowl system for football? Does this give Mid-Majors a better chance to feel like a champion and not like a little brother who has to sit out and lose right away when he gets in the game?

I have to say, I like the idea, I would like it more if there were more of them with categories. More Mid-Major tourney's would give these schools and programs more recognizable fame, but will the corporate sponsors support? It just feels a little unjustified when several Big East teams or Big Ten, SEC, ACC and BIG 12 teams get the nod. Granted their R.P.I's are significantly lower, but it would be nice that a 20+ Mid Major gets to play in the post season...

What are your thoughts?

Nomaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Sure, he likely did roids, yes, he never quite lived up to his billing as one of the game's best shortstops, indeed, he was often injured, and there's certainly an argument to be made that the Sawx wouldn't have ended The Curse had Mia Hamm's hubby still been on the team in 2004.

Nonetheless, the man who I can fondly remember learning about from my late grandfather while taking in a afternoon Pawtucket Paw Sox game in the early 90's remains one of my favorite Red Sox players of all-time. In fact, he was an extended family favorite...cousins, uncles, aunts and grandparents loved the man who's name is synonymous with the famous Beantown accent.

Now he's off to a well-deserved commentator gig at ESPN, I expect the former Georgia Tech superstar (teammate of Jason Varitek on that team by the way) to be excellent in the role.

Unlike walking trainwrecks such as Allen Iverson, Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens, Nomar gets it in much the same way that Howie Long, Mark Jackson, Dan Marino and Magic Johnson continue to get it. We crush these athletes for their inflated salaries, but folks at the end of the day after paying agents, immense taxes, their "entourage," ridiculous house/car payments, etc. they have many of the same financial problems that we encounter.

Only a select few athletes understand that their earning potential is limited to 5, 6, maybe 7 years if they're lucky!

Guys like Nomar understand that they must have a life after they finally hang up the cleats.

So Nomaaaaaaaaaaaa I wish you best, just wish you could have been with the rest of the The Idiots when they won that ring in 2004...I'd argue there's no one more deserving!

Tell Us What You Don't Like About Yourself

Well 501 fans, last night at 11:00PM brought about the end of an era, and no one is more sad to see it end than I. I began watching Nip/Tuck in 2003 with my buddy Chris. We were instantly hooked! Lust, greed, violence, pride, envy, gluttony, lies, drugs and enough sex to make even Tiger say "Ohhh boy!" It's basically the Seven Deadly Sins personified!

Now if you're one of the 4 people that read this blog, you know 99% of the time you'll find a sporting event of some kind on my T.V. But not so on Wednesday nights at 10:00PM for the past 7 years.

Television's most provocative show has chronicled the lives of plastic surgeons Christian Troy and Sean McNamara...Christian, the more aggressive and "assholish" of the two is the guy you love to hate...obnoxious and selfish, while Sean is very much a representation of the guy you love to love, sure he can be wild like his buddy, but in reality he's a shy guy with a great heart.

Now there are some who have been turned off by the soft core porn nature of the show (flip on PBS and have a blast with that big purple f*ck Barney!), and there are others who've lost interest over the years (ya watching a bunch of fat asses lose weight only to get fatter when they return home really caught my interest too!), and still there are others who've found the story lines to be so outrageous that the show is unwatchable (ya I really fancy watching a bunch of blue half human/half freaks fly around and protect some ancient tree in my cool 3D glasses!), but when you take a closer look at the show you'll find a greater meaning...a message to the world if you will, a message likely everyone of us has been told at one time or another in our lives.

It's not about what's on the outside, but what lies beneath.

For years, Christian and Sean have made a fortune operating on every ounce of genitalia, making it larger, smaller, sexier. But it wasn't until last night that they realized life is much more than that.

The show ended with the destruction of McNamara/Troy as Sean went off to Bucharest to help less fortunate children and Christian stayed back in L.A. at the newly created Troy/Cruz (Lizzy, the beloved anastegeologist who's but up with the boys shortcomings for years was finally named partner).

So friends, I asked you not to look in the mirror each morning and observe your flaws, but rather to ask yourself the opposite of what Christian and Sean asked all their consults for seven years...What Do You Like About Yourself?

Albany Here We Come!

If you're an avid reader of 501 then you obviously know by now that the authors of this blog are avid College Hoops fans. As all hoops fan go, we obviously root our hearts and throats out for one team a little more than the others. That one team would be our Alma mater the Iona Gaels! When the Gaels travel, well so do we. If a college team had roadies, well it would be us. We're not at that stage in our lives where we can be considered faithful benefactors, we're more like obsessed fanatics.

You see before the Gaels, Mikey5 rooted for the TarHeels, Jay, the Huskies of UCONN, Brendan, the FabFive and Miiiiiiiiiichigan, and as for me, the Johnnies. But we all can remember that day where we first stepped foot in the Mulcahy Center, were upon crossing the threshold we were given that arrogant gold t-shirt that gave the definition of what it meant to be a Mulcahy Maniac. And boys, I think we held true to that meaning.

Jay and I will be traveling up to the Times Union Center up in Albany where the MAAC tournament is held tonight. Brendan and Mikey5 are coming up on Saturday.

If you live outside of the MetroArea then you probably haven't heard of us, unless we came to your local hometown and smacked your team up, that's a good possibility. We might not be on national television, and we might not be part of the big6, but if you want hard nose defense, no easy baskets, fast pace play and 3's coming down like rain, then sport the maroon and gold and root for the Gaels.

We hope to see you Albany.