Insane Frisbee Trick Shots at Butler

I just saw this on YouTube and had to post it. The guy throwing them is Brodie Smith (@BrodieSmith21).

Sweet 16 Preview (Day 1)

10 Stanford vs 11 Dayton -- Thursday - 7:15 PM ET
Both teams are coming off big upsets, with Stanford taking down Kansas and Dayton defeating Syracuse. It should be a pretty close game throughout. Dayton likes to spread the scoring around and is led by former-Ohio State Buckeye, Jordan Sibert. Stanford has great length among their bigs and is led by junior guard, Chasson Randle, who brings an 18.7 PPG average into tonight's contest.

PICK: Stanford wins 66-61

2 Wisconsin vs 6 Baylor -- Thursday - 7:47 PM ET
Baylor comes off a highly impressive recent run of play. Having made it to the finals of the Big 12 Tournament and a complete dismantling of 3-seed Creighton, Baylor looks to be clicking on all cylinders. On the other side, Wisconsin made an amazing comeback to beat Oregon in the round of 32 after falling behind a double digit deficit in the first half. Both teams like to shoot it from deep and it should be an entertaining game.

PICK: Wisconsin wins 74-66

1 Florida vs 4 UCLA -- Thursday - 9:45 PM ET
Florida has been as-advertised so far in this tournament. The number 1 overall seed has showed no signs of a let down, taking down Albany and Pittsburgh with ease. They are led by a group of seniors, which includes Scottie Wilbekin. UCLA also seems to be meshing at the right time. Behind Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams, the Bruins have looked strong taking down Tulsa and Stephen F. Austin.

PICK: Florida wins 68-63

1 Arizona vs 4 San Diego State -- 10:17 PM ET
Arizona looks to be one of the top candidates to cut down the nets in Arlington. In a well-balanced attack, Arizona destroyed a solid Gonzaga team by 23 points in the round of 32. Despite facing an easier foe in the round of 32 (North Dakota State), San Diego State was still focused on the problem at hand. Xavier Thames led the charge and San Diego State came out on top 63-44.

PICK: Arizona wins 77-64

1 World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) B.A.S.E. Jump

This has received big headlines today. The actual jump occurred on September 30, 2013 and they were just recently arrested for the jump when they turned themselves in yesterday. The tower is the Western Hemisphere's tallest tower.


(Start at 2:45 to see the actual jump)

The question I would like answered is where is the security? Between this and the 16-year old New Jersey kid last week getting on the top of the World Trade Center, this is already too frequent of an occurrence.

What do you guys think?

Interview with Katie Spotz

This past weekend, I had the chance to chat with the individual who became the youngest person to ever complete a solo row across the Atlantic Ocean. This individual is Katie Spotz. As stated on her website (katiespotz.com), “she is an adventurer and safe water activist.” Through many different projects, she has generated thousands of dollars in support of these campaigns. Katie’s many different adventures have been well documented, as they have been featured in Sports Illustrated, CBS Evening News, Anderson Cooper 360, ABC News World News with Diane Sawyer, and many others. Along with being a world-class adventurer and safe water activist, Katie is an inspiring speaker. She has spoken for many different audiences and is very well respected in that setting. I strongly recommend reading about her story and if you have the chance to listen to her speak, I would take advantage of the opportunity. During this interview, I have provided you with her responses on how these different adventures helped her grow as a person and an activist.

What inspired you to pursue all of these different adventures, from running your first marathon to an Ironman triathlon?

Most of my life I was not a star athlete. The position that I played the most was the bench! Then, at 18 I signed up for a walking and running class in college. I started running a few times each week and week by week I would run a few miles more. After doing a ten mile run, that's when I considered doing my first endurance challenge – a 26.2 mile marathon. I saw people of all walks of life completing the run and it made me realize that we are all much more capable than we think.

Did you ever see yourself doing these various adventures when you were growing up?

Not at all. When I was growing up the thought of rowing an ocean or cycling across America didn't even cross my mind. I didn't know it was possible and never heard of anyone doing something like it. However, I would have mini-adventures of my own. I remember how amazing (and exhausting!) it felt to cycle twenty miles with my dad to the beach. My dream job as a kid was to be a bicycle messenger.

Which project that you have worked on would you say was the most memorable?

Each adventure has been very special for different reasons. While the row was the most challenging and rewarding, I feel like my first marathon was just as important. If I didn't take that first step it wouldn't have led to the rest of the adventures. The marathon was mentally challenging in that I spent some much time and energy worrying about it and doubting myself, instead of just having focus on the run itself. Once I realized that we truly can do anything we set our minds to everything became much easier and I trusted the process.

Why has the safe drinking water campaign always been so important to you?

 I was in class and my professor mentioned that the wars of the future would be on water. It was like someone told me the wars of the future would be on air! I didn't understand the world water crisis living one of the greatest sources of fresh water on our planet. After learning all the facts I knew I wanted to help. The water crisis is huge but it's a problem with solutions. There are ways to help like digging and drilling wells, capturing the rainfall, and protecting mountain springs. After traveling to Kenya it's given me that extra boost of motivation to find more ways to help and I am continuing to work with an amazing charity called H2O for Life to inspire schools in America to help schools all around the world get clean, safe drinking water.

Can you talk about your trip to Kenya as a part of the safe water project?

 The different athletic events and campaigns have raised more than $250,000 for safe drinking water projects around the world. A huge portion went to support schools in Kenya and about a year after the row I was able to visit some of those projects. After traveling to Kenya it's gave me that extra boost of motivation to find more ways to help and as a result launched a campaign called Schools for Water. It was a way to challenge ten schools in the states to help ten schools in Kenya. The schools raised more than $100,000 or enough to help 10,000 students gain access to safe drinking water. To celebrate, the students gathered and broke the world record for the most people carrying water jugs on their heads!

What was the most challenging aspect of your 3,038 mile solo row across the Atlantic Ocean that spanned 70 days, 5 hours, and 22 minutes?

 The sleep deprivation was brutal. I would not be able to sleep more than a couple hours because the crashing waves against my boat. I reached a point that I was so tired that I couldn't sleep because my body was so used to the lack of sleep.

Is there any advice you could give to people looking to do something adventurous and how should they go about doing so?Sometimes the biggest hurdle is ourselves. When I was a bit younger and looking at other people's adventurous lifestyles, I remember feeling a bit jealous. But that mindset did not get me to the adventures so I started to look at what was within my reach. Adventures are available to all, whether it means sneaking in a two hour row across a lake or 70-day row across an ocean.

Katie in the boat she used in her solo row (Source: NESN)

Katie has been a true inspiration to myself and many individuals around the world. I would like to thank her for participating in this interview and wish her the best of luck in all of her future endeavors.

Virginia Tech Nabs Buzz Williams as Next Head Coach

With the NCAA Tournament going on right now, many people are forgetting about the coaching carousal that will become much busier in the coming weeks. Yesterday, one of my favorite college teams, Virginia Tech, got a huge signing when they announced Buzz Williams would be the next head basketball coach. He is replacing James Johnson, who struggled in his two years at the helm on Hokies’ basketball. The deal is said to be a 7 year deal worth around 18 million. I consider Buzz to be one of the most underrated coaches in all of college basketball. During his time at Marquette, he went 139-65, which included an Elite Eight appearance in 2013. He spent six years there, with his only prior coaching experience being for the New Orleans Privateers of the Sun Belt Conference during the 2006-2007 season. In the end, signing a coach of Buzz Williams’ caliber can elevate a program in a hurry, just like what happened with the Golden Eagles of Marquette.

FC Kansas City Season Preview

In recent years, my interest in soccer has grown. This has been coincided with the rapid increase in overall talent of players in the United States. While the MLS has been active for a while, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) began play last year. This league was essentially replacing the previous league, the WPS. What got me really excited about this new league was that there would be a team placed in Kansas City, known as the FC Kansas City Blues. We had already had professional men’s teams for a while, but this was a nice addition to the growing soccer buzz around the Midwest.

In this article, I will write a short preview to the upcoming NWSL season for FC Kansas City. After reaching the semi-finals and placing second in the regular season during the inaugural season, KC looks primed to make another run at the title this year. The club won every individual award handed out last year and returns all of those players. This list is composed of Lauren Holiday (MVP), Becky Sauerbrunn (Defender of the Year), Nicole Barnhart (Goalkeeper of the Year), and Erika Tymrak (Rookie of the Year). FC Kansas City also picked up Amy Rodriguez when they traded Kristie Mewis for the former-USC forward in November. Between this pickup and the pieces the Blues already have in place, I expect them to continue their winning ways this season.

Preseason Action

The team played their first preseason game against the University of Missouri on March 18. It was a dominant effort by the Blues that saw them defeat Missouri by a score of 5-0. They were led by a hat-trick from Jen Buczkowski, along with goals from Morgan Marlborough and Merritt Mathias. Marlborough was the 12^th overall pick in this year’s draft, so it’s nice to see her already making an impact in game situations.

Preseason Squad

Goalkeepers: Nicole Barnhart, Sara Keane, Emma Stevens

Defenders: Kasey Kallman, Becky Sauerbrunn, Nia Williams, Nikki Phillips, Leigh Ann Robinson, Shelina Zadorsky

Midfielders: Jen Buczkowski, Amy Rodriguez, Erika Tymrak, Many Laddish, Liz Bogues, Merritt Mathias, Molly Dreska, Frances Silva, Lauren Holiday, Jenna Richmond

Forwards: Melissa Henderson, Morgan Marlborough, Meagan Kelly, Stephanie Rose.

Key Departures from 2013 Team

- Sinead Farrelly was traded to Portland for the 16^th pick. Farrelly placed in 16 game last year, starting 10, while holding down the midfield for the Blues.

- Courtney Jones was dealt to Boston along with the 7^th pick in exchange for the 4^th pick. Jones played in 22 games and scored 4 goals, which was good for fourth on the team.

- Kristie Mewis was exchanged with Amy Rodriguez. Mewis, the club’s inaugural first round draft pick. The star midfielder would then be traded for U.S. National team star, Sydney Leroux.

- Desiree Scott transferred to Notts County. The Canadian national teamer played and started in 20 games with the Blues in 2013.

- Lauren Sesselmann was drafted by the new expansion franchise, the Houston Dash. Sesselmann was a staple in the starting defense, by starting 19 games.

Upcoming Season

I expect FC Kansas City to be one of the elite squads in the league again this season. The tandem of Lauren Holiday and Erika Tymrak should provide plenty of scoring punch. It will be fun to watch how Tymrak grows this year after an amazing rookie season. Along with the addition of Amy Rodriguez, there will be plenty of excitement in the upcoming year.

Bold Prediction

Erika Tymrak (pictured below) continues the momentum she had from her rookie season and national team experience to lead the NWSL in goals scored for the 2013 season, making her the second straight FC Kansas City player to bring home the MVP. She is followed close behind by the reigning MVP, Lauren Holiday.

Did SMU Really Get Snubbed?

As they went through the bracket release on Selection Sunday, the main team that everyone immediately thought got snubbed was Southern Methodist University. Coach by the great Larry Brown, I also thought SMU should have been safely in the 68 going in. One of my articles on Yahoo! Voices even pointed out SMU as a potential sleeper for the NCAA Tournament. SMU seemed to be a lock as they were ranked 25th in last Monday's edition of the AP polls, so why would they not make the big dance? They also play in a respectable league, the American Conference, which features teams such as Louisville, Connecticut, and Cincinnati. All of these figures seem to make SMU, 23-9 and 12-6 in conference play, being a lock for the tournament. However, ultimately what it came down to was their pathetic non-conference schedule. In short terms, it was ranked in the 300's. Although, their overall strength of schedule was 129, the poor non-conference schedule was what the committee thought hurt them the most. If if you don't think they played that poor of schedule and still think they should get in, here are their non-conference games and keep in mind that most of these were played on their home court.
11/8 TCU
11/11 Rhode Island
11/18 Arkansas*
11/20 Texas State
11/24 Arkansas Pine-Bluff
11/26 Sam Houston State
11/29 Virginia*
11/30 Texas A&M
12/2 McNeese State
12/4 Illinois-Chicago
12/18 Texas-Pan American
12/20 Wyoming

The games indicated with an asterisk were really their only games against respectable squads and both of those resulted in losses for the Mustangs.

Overall, it is easy to argue that the committee messed up by not including SMU in the field, but their non-conference strength of schedule killed them. This was the main area where teams like NC State were able to get in at the expense of the Mustangs from SMU. The future does look bright for them, as they have a solid recruiting class, and I no doubt have faith that Larry Brown will keep this program going up.

Another Disappointment for Manchester United

Watching English Premier League has always been something I enjoy doing. My favorite team is easily Tottenham, but their struggles this season seem rather slim when compared to Manchester United. Playing in Old Trafford, Man U has always been one of the most well-known clubs in all of Europe. Even if you don't follow international soccer very much, mostly everyone has heard of the historic Manchester United. Up until this year, they have shown nothing but pure class each year under the helm of Sir Alex Ferguson. However, many wondered if this dominance would change when Ferguson retired in May of 2013. His replacement was none other than a fellow Premier League coach, David Moyes. Moyes came over from Everton, which was where he did a remarkable job with the club. Now, on to the current season.

Manchester United currently sits in 7th place in the league tables. I knew the coaching change would cause some disruption, but I figured with Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney, Man U would still be around the top. It has been nothing close to dominant play. This leads me to today's performance. It was yet another poor effort at home in Old Trafford. Old Trafford used to be a place where no one could top Man U. They fell 3 to 0 to Liverpool. They only had one shot on goal the whole game and looked over-matched against the strong attackers of Liverpool, consisting of Sturridge, Sterling, and Suarez.

I like to believe that Moyes will get Man U going in the coming years, but he must do good enough to keep his job. It is not an easy place to manage, as you are constantly under a microscope to produce a club that produces nothing but class. As for now, it will be interesting to see if Man U are able to pick up any new players throughout the off-season to help on both ends of the ball. Moyes needs to adopt the philosophy of his predecessor, Sir Alex. "I tell the players that the bus is moving. This club has to progress. And the bus wouldn't wait for them. I tell them to get on board."

ACC Tournament Finals Preview

We have finally reached Selection Sunday and the closings of conference tournaments. One of the big games today is between the (6) Virginia Cavaliers and the (7) Duke Blue Devils. Here are the projected lineups:

Duke (26-7, 13-5 in ACC)
G. Tyler Thornton
G. Rasheed Sulaimon
F. Rodney Hood
F. Jabari Parker
F. Amile Jefferson

Virginia (27-6, 16-2 in ACC)
G. London Perrantes
G. Malcolm Brogdon
G. Joe Harris
F. Mike Tobey
F. Akil Mitchell

When the tournament started, this was considered to be one of the most likely scenarios to play out as the championship. I feel like the winner of this game is almost certainly going to get in as 1 seed, while the loser will likely take a 2 seed entering the big dance. The only matchup between these two squads this season saw Duke come out on top at home by a score of 69 to 65. In this particular game, Jabari Parker was uncharacteristically off his game. The freshman went 3 for 11 while scoring only eight points, in what would be his second-lowest scoring game of the season. This game pits two teams that have very different styles of play. One such example of this is the points per game averages. Duke is 27th overall at 79.1 points per game, while Virginia is at 294th overall at 65.8 points per game.

The Pick
Virginia will try to grind it out and Duke will look to run. With this said, I expect Jabari Parker to be more effective than he was in the previous head-to-head matchup and lead the Blue Devils to a 73-64 victory.