As a sports fan and all apologies to Andy Williams and those who have remade this classic song, but this "Is the most wonderful time of the year." Right now, you have Spring Training Baseball games taking place in both the Grapefruit League (Florida) and Cactus (Arizona) League; teams in the National Basketball League and National Hockey Leagues are fighting for playoff spots in next month's postseason run; and the biggest event of all: March Madness.
Favorite memories of March Madness
The first time that I paid attention to March Madness was in 1982. As a little kid back then, I started to get involved into not playing sports but also watch it on television. At the time, I didn't realize how important the college basketball tournament and looking back, it was a great tournament to watch because some of those college players would end up playing in the National Basketball Association. The school that I choose to follow was the Georgetown Hoyas, led by head coach John Thompson along with a freshman center from Boston: Patrick Ewing. The Hoyas faced the North Carolina Tar Heels, led by legendary coach Dean Smith, who at the time critics wondered if he would ever win a championship. The Tar Heels featured two future NBA Hall of Famers: James Worthy and a freshman from North Carolina #23 Michael Jordan. The game went to the wire when Jordan hit the game winning shot (we will see that similar ending so many times in the National Basketball Association.) The game ended when Hoyas guard Fred Brown threw an errant pass to Worthy and the Tar Heels took the championship away from Georgetown. Jordan took his talents to the NBA in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls and won 6 championships; ten scoring titles; made 14 All-Star appearances and became a global icon. Ewing when on win a championship with Georgetown in 1984 against the Houston Cougars and it's star center--future NBA Hall of Famer Akeem(later known as Hakeem) Olajuwon, but lost to Villanova in the 1985 title game. Three months later, Ewing became the No.1 pick overall for the New York Knicks, become a 11-time All-Star, led the Knicks to the NBA Finals in 1994 and 1999 and end up as one of the greatest 50 players in NBA History. Yes, Jordan and Ewing would continue their rivalry by facing each other in the playoffs five times (1989,1990, 1992, 1993, 1996) with Jordan winning every single time. The Knicks were able to finally beat the Bulls in the 1994 playoffs, but by then Michael Jordan was out of the league---to play for the Birmingham Barons, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.
Single game elimination
March Madness is unique when compared to other sports. Unlike Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League where it can take 4-7 games to eliminate your opponent, March Madness has the single game elimination format. It is possible to the best team in college basketball and get wiped out in the first round. The National Football League also has the single elimination playoff format, but there is one major difference. With the NFL, after a team win a game, they have one week to not prepare for their opponent, but also bring back players who were injured in the contest. With March Madness, once you win, you have 48 hours to get ready and face your opponent--a very quick turnaround.
Bracket Time
On Sunday Selection, where the committee announced which schools made the tournament and what region they will play in, the brackets are made available that night for everyone to fill out and they have to wait until Thursday when the games begin. I usually play the bracket challenge just for fun, however there are people who use this opportunity to play for higher stakes
(To quote Randy Moss: "Straight cash, homey.") They literally have to wait on pins and needles every single game to see if their picks turned out great or not. The law of average says that the tournament will have a few upsets during the competition. If you plan to participate in any bracket challenge, have with it. You don't want to be THAT person who finds out that their bracket is blown up to bits prior to the Sweet Sixteen and you have to owe an arm and a leg to somebody.
Final Thoughts
March Madness is like Christmas time when you were a child: You can't wait until the day comes and it's over before you know it. The tournament is here for a short period of time
(2 weeks and a few days) so watch as many games while you can before it is all over.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Spring Time is Here
Ah yes: It's that time of year where you will hear the birds start chirping, the sunset sets later due to Daylight Savings Time, the sound of someone using a lawnmower to cut their grass and someone driving in their car, truck, SUV, etc. while hearing that ever present thump of the bass in their sound system. All of this means that Spring is just around the corner (actually the season will take place on March 20.) Spring is a time for re-birth, forget new year's, this is the season to get busy and do stuff that you always wanted to do. In my personal opinion, Winter is like the guest that would not leave: that person was cool when they stopped by. But after a while, they overstayed their welcome and you want to kick them out.
If you want to get involved in Spring Cleaning, here are a set of instructions to help you along the way:
The Inside Job
1. Storm Windows
Your storm windows has been up for a good while by now. I am guessing that the last time you actually opened your windows was probably between last September and Early-October. This is the right time to take down the storm windows. After a rough Winter of freezing rain, snow, sleet, ice, temperatures in the single digits and with wind chills below zero at times during the season, the idea of opening the windows and let the fresh air come into your home is sounds good.
2. Mop and Dust every room in the home
After dealing with people tracking in snow, salt, and dirt while walking inside during the winter,
Spring is perfect time to use a mop to clean the floors. Get a mop, bucket, dust rag and some cleaning products (Pine Sol, Windex, Clorox, etc.) and get busy. If you have carpet in your living room and dining room floor, use the vacuum to sweep the each room to get rid of dirt and other debris---if you don't want to do that, hire a professional carpet cleaner to do the job.
3. Clean the Attic and Basement
Yeah, it's a pain to clean both the attic and basement because you have to move stuff around along with trying to decide what to keep and what to throw away. But this job is worth because of two reasons: 1) you can create plenty of space in both spots and 2) you could get make some money off of your discarded items by the way of a Yard Sale. It's like that old saying "Another man's trash is another man's treasure."
4. Clean the closet and dresser drawers
We all have clothes that either we don't wear anymore; are too small; too big; or never had the chance to wear it at all and now it's out of style. If you want to create some space in your closet for some new attire, why not donate those old clothes, shoes, hats, belts, jewelry, etc. to your local Salvation Army, Goodwill or thrift store. The same thing goes for your dresser drawers. You need to clean off the top and inside each drawer so that you not create some space but also become able to close them without having something sticking out.
1. Take down Christmas lights and decorations
If you have not taken down your outdoor Christmas lights or decorations by now, especially if the weather in your city or town was fairly decent during the Winter, please do it now. You don't want to be THAT person who still has their Christmas decorations when it's 75-80 degrees outside.
2. Rake up tree limbs
Your front and backyard (if you have one) is probably covered with tree limbs, leaves, trash and other debris leftover during the Winter. What you need to do is grab a couple of trash bags, broom, rake, shovel and a sturdy trash can and take care of business. Once you're done with that task, you might think about cutting the grass. Now, if your yard is in bad shape, use some grass seed to help the grass grow during the Spring and Summer (Experts say that the best time to apply grass seed is in November and December because the rain, snow, and sleet can actually make the grass grow faster, but that should not stop you from adding grass seed right now.)
3. Plant flowers, trees, shrubs, bushes, trees, and lawn maintenance
If you have a green thumb and love the idea of working outside with plants, this is up your alley.
Spring is a great to plant flowers and trees, add some seeds into the ground in order to grow vegetables and if you decide to do this, add some bushed and shrubs. Spring is the season where the grass grows very fast. So you need to cut your grass at least once a week until June, where the grass doesn't grow as fast. As a homeowner, it is very important to have a well-maintained lawn because it gives the impression that you really care about your community.
4. Set out the patio furniture
It is a hassle to get the patio furniture out of your garage or basement, but hey it is worth it setting the chairs and tables outside, especially after being cooped up in the house all Winter long and at the same time, you look forward to sitting outside during a nice and warm Spring day. Make sure you wipe down all the chairs and tables thoroughly with soap and water after you set them outside. Also, if you have seat cushions for the chairs, wash and wipe those down as well.
5. Clean out the barbecue grill
If you want to get involved in Spring Cleaning, here are a set of instructions to help you along the way:
The Inside Job
1. Storm Windows
Your storm windows has been up for a good while by now. I am guessing that the last time you actually opened your windows was probably between last September and Early-October. This is the right time to take down the storm windows. After a rough Winter of freezing rain, snow, sleet, ice, temperatures in the single digits and with wind chills below zero at times during the season, the idea of opening the windows and let the fresh air come into your home is sounds good.
2. Mop and Dust every room in the home
After dealing with people tracking in snow, salt, and dirt while walking inside during the winter,
Spring is perfect time to use a mop to clean the floors. Get a mop, bucket, dust rag and some cleaning products (Pine Sol, Windex, Clorox, etc.) and get busy. If you have carpet in your living room and dining room floor, use the vacuum to sweep the each room to get rid of dirt and other debris---if you don't want to do that, hire a professional carpet cleaner to do the job.
3. Clean the Attic and Basement
Yeah, it's a pain to clean both the attic and basement because you have to move stuff around along with trying to decide what to keep and what to throw away. But this job is worth because of two reasons: 1) you can create plenty of space in both spots and 2) you could get make some money off of your discarded items by the way of a Yard Sale. It's like that old saying "Another man's trash is another man's treasure."
4. Clean the closet and dresser drawers
We all have clothes that either we don't wear anymore; are too small; too big; or never had the chance to wear it at all and now it's out of style. If you want to create some space in your closet for some new attire, why not donate those old clothes, shoes, hats, belts, jewelry, etc. to your local Salvation Army, Goodwill or thrift store. The same thing goes for your dresser drawers. You need to clean off the top and inside each drawer so that you not create some space but also become able to close them without having something sticking out.
5. Take down Winter Curtains
The heavy curtains served its purpose in the Winter to protect us from the cold air/breeze from coming into our homes. Now is the time to take down the heavy curtains and put up the lighter curtains so that once the windows are open, we can feel the warmth of Spring.
6. Ceiling Fan
If you have a ceiling fan, clean it often. There is nothing more embarrassing than having company over to your place and when you turn on the fan, the dust just flies off the fan handle and your guest will see the debris fall to the floor. To save the embarrassment, get a dust rag and clean each fan blade at least once a week.
Let's take it outside
1. Take down Christmas lights and decorations
If you have not taken down your outdoor Christmas lights or decorations by now, especially if the weather in your city or town was fairly decent during the Winter, please do it now. You don't want to be THAT person who still has their Christmas decorations when it's 75-80 degrees outside.
2. Rake up tree limbs
Your front and backyard (if you have one) is probably covered with tree limbs, leaves, trash and other debris leftover during the Winter. What you need to do is grab a couple of trash bags, broom, rake, shovel and a sturdy trash can and take care of business. Once you're done with that task, you might think about cutting the grass. Now, if your yard is in bad shape, use some grass seed to help the grass grow during the Spring and Summer (Experts say that the best time to apply grass seed is in November and December because the rain, snow, and sleet can actually make the grass grow faster, but that should not stop you from adding grass seed right now.)
3. Plant flowers, trees, shrubs, bushes, trees, and lawn maintenance
If you have a green thumb and love the idea of working outside with plants, this is up your alley.
Spring is a great to plant flowers and trees, add some seeds into the ground in order to grow vegetables and if you decide to do this, add some bushed and shrubs. Spring is the season where the grass grows very fast. So you need to cut your grass at least once a week until June, where the grass doesn't grow as fast. As a homeowner, it is very important to have a well-maintained lawn because it gives the impression that you really care about your community.
4. Set out the patio furniture
It is a hassle to get the patio furniture out of your garage or basement, but hey it is worth it setting the chairs and tables outside, especially after being cooped up in the house all Winter long and at the same time, you look forward to sitting outside during a nice and warm Spring day. Make sure you wipe down all the chairs and tables thoroughly with soap and water after you set them outside. Also, if you have seat cushions for the chairs, wash and wipe those down as well.
5. Clean out the barbecue grill
Unless the grill was used during the Winter because you missed having barbecue, you probably have not used it since Labor Day. Prior to that first barbecue, clean out the grill very thoroughly with soap and water. Make sure there are no dust, cobwebs, etc. in your grill. After a while, you will have a clean and shiny grill and within no time having cookouts during the Spring and Summer will become a regular thing at your home. Now, if your grill is either old or on its last legs, my suggestion is that you invest in a new one. Check your local paper or online for some great deals on a grill.
6. Clean the Garage
Just like the attic and basement, cleaning the garage is a big time headache because all of us have placed so much stuff in there, we often say "I have to clean out the garage" and we never get around to it. Well, today is the day to clean it out. Yeah, it might be an all day job (or a 2-3 day job depend upon how much stuff you have in there) but it is worth it. Start by creating a pile of what items to keep and what to throw away. Then, get rid of any boxes and trash that you might have in the garage. Next, decide whether or not you want to have a garage sale for the items that you need to toss out--who knows, like the yard sale example explained earlier, you could make some money off of your discarded items. Finally, once you have finished the job, take a look to see if you're satisfied with the garage and if not, keep at it until you feel that it is totally spotless.
Spring Cleaning is a tough task to deal with. This article provided some steps to take in order to get the job done. One final thing, if you want make the job go a little faster, turn on some music-- it works every time.
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