And with all precincts reporting in…

MAC RESULTS

#1 Dan Shanoff vs #17 Mini-Me – WBRS Sports Blog

#1 Dan Shanoff  54% (806 votes)

#17 Mini-Me WBRS Sports Blog  46% (700 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 1506

#5 Burnsy – Blumpkins for All vs #13 J-Fizzle – It’s Still Football

#5 Burnsy – Blumpkins for All   50% (1027 votes)

#13 J-Fizzle – It’s Still Football  50% (1017 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 2044

#8 One More Dying Quail vs #14 Jon Pyle – Pyle of List

#8 One More Dying Quail   44% (392 votes)

#14 Jon Pyle – Pyle of List  56% (494 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 886

AFC NORTH RESULTS

#1 Jay Busbee – Sports Gone South vs #19 Run Up the Score

#1 Jay Busbee – Sports Gone South  54% (387 votes)

#19 Run Up the Score  46% (332 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 719

#3 Paul Shirley – ESPN vs #7 Brien – East Coast Bias

#3 Paul Shirley – ESPN  48% (221 votes)

#7 Brien – East Coast Bias  52% (239 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 460

#10 Darren – I Want To Be A Sports Agent vs #10 Sunday Morning Quarterback

#10 Darren – I Want To Be A Sports Agent  54% (372 votes)

#10 Sunday Morning Quarterback  46% (318 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 690

CAMPBELL CONFERENCE RESULTS

#3 Scott – Holy Dog Water vs #9 Brian Cook – MGoBlog

#3 Scott – Holy Dog Water  51% (263 votes)

#9 Brian Cook – MGoBlog  49% (253 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 516

#6 Mike Samways Sammy’s Sports Sermons vs #12 Digital Headbutt

#6 Mike Samways Sammy’s Sports Sermon  44% (254 votes)

#12 Digital Headbutt  56% (325 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 579

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST RESULTS

#3 Awful Annoucing vs #9 Pete Holiday – Fanhouse Alabama

#3 Awful Announcing  47% (513 votes)

#9 Pete Holiday – Fanhouse Alabama  53% (569 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 1082

#5 TC – It’s Still Football vs #13 Joe Speaker – Up for Sports

#5 TC – It’s Still Football  38% (1032 votes)

#13 Joe Speaker – Up for Sports  62% (1697 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 2729

#12 Matt Jones – Kentucky Radio Blog vs #17 Kevin D – With Leather

#12 Matt Jones – Kentucky Radio Blog  86% (3680 votes)

#17 Kevin D – With Leather  14% (577 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 4257

Dads are one of the reasons why we have sports in the first place though!  We can talk sports with our fathers, despite what Lou Piniella says, who needs hotties when you can focus on the game and share a tray of nachos with dear old dad!  So scroll down and join us as we talk baseball, football, and basketball shoes with our dads!

Happy Father’s Day, Dads!

Before we jump in here dear reader, you must know one very important trait about my father – he is possibly one of the driest people on the planet. He speaks in a slow, measured tone and considers every single word before it leaves his mouth. This isn’t to say that he is cold and distant, because he is a very warm and funny man, but he is just so very, very dry.

I think it’s the engineer in him, because most other engineers I’ve ever met, (including the one engineering professor I dated, and no I don’t have any daddy issues, that man found me in a club and asked me out, thank you very much), seem to have that same thoughtfulness. I think it has something to do with being good at math. Anyway, I just needed to get that out of the way so the next few paragraphs would have a bit more gravitas.

(And here’s the other thing about my dad; he not really sports guy. Sure, he’ll go to a couple of ballgames here and there, but he doesn’t follow sports nor does he quite understand people that take more than a passing interest in the box scores. A couple of years ago he at some sort of reception and some one brought up that the Penguins had recently been on a winning streak, to which my father replied with something along the lines of, “Oh, I really don’t pay attention to that sort thing.” Who did he say this to? One of the minority owners of the Penguins, naturally. This is my father.)

(Two set-ups later and we get to the actually story. Hang in there with me.)

When my sister and I were young, about 9 and 11 years-old respectively, my father called us together in the dining room, for a “talk”. We had both read our fair share of Judy Blume by that age, so we thought this could only mean one thing, “the talk”. The talk that meant we were no longer daddy’s little girls, and that we were on the verge of being little women and he was okay with that, but no, no boys just yet, please. In a rare display of solidarity, we braced ourselves, knowing that nothing was every going to be same after “the talk”. The words that came out of his mouth will forever be seared into my brain.

“Now, I want to show you something so you don’t learn it on the street.”

We sat frozen. What could it be? A doll? Did he have a book? Oh god please, not another textbook, why does everything have to be a lesson in something? And if it is a book, please don’t let there be pictures, this is difficult enough. This is not how the dad in “Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret” acted.  Why does this man take so long to speak?

He pulled out a deck of cards.

“First, you need to know the ranking of the cards. Ace is the highest, but it can also be the lowest.”

Things never were the same again, because that night begat hundreds upon hundreds of family poker nights. 7-card stud, 5-card draw, blackjack, how to count cards in single-deck and four-deck blackjack without looking like you’re counting the cards, Omaha, and everything else between the high and the low was played. To this day, the only natural royal flush I’ve ever had in a 7-card stud game was at that dining room table.

It was playing poker with my father that made me a stronger player. It did not matter how silly or how serious we were in any hand, when it came to cards he was impossible to read. He always used his same voice, his same tone, and his same inflection no matter if he was raising or folding. Dry. Thoughtful. And mindful of the math. It was maddening to play against.

Years later he admitted that one of the reasons he had taught us how to play is that he did not want us to go to college and loose all of our clothes in a game strip poker at a frat house. Frat houses and auto mechanics were the two things my father always wanted us to be ready for once we were on our own. I ended up at college that didn’t have a Greek system while my sister went to a Brainaic U, so it was a lot of worry for nothing.  (Although being able to look under the hood of my car has been very helpful over the years.)

I still play a lot of cards, although the big poker fad of a few years ago has kind of ruined some of the fun of it for me, especially around the home games. Living in Los Angeles means I’m never more than twenty minutes from a casino, and I slip down to the Bike enough that they call and check on me if my player’s card goes unused from time to time. It does not escape me that when I am playing at my best is when I most like him, and that when I am floundering is when I more like, well, me.

So thank you Dad for teaching me how to play cards. I’ve never lost at strip poker, (which really, as an adult makes me feel like a stick in the mud), and I’ve made a fair amount of money along the way.

(I couldn’t find the picture I wanted for this post, so instead I pulled a couple of clips from the 12 volumes of home movies my father has sent me. Now you can see where I get the ‘PROP COMIC AT WORK’ and love of Teddy Bear Picnic videos from, because that is one man who loves time-elapse photography. And if I ever get my own film or TV vanity card, I am totally using that ”A Barf Beer Production” clip.   The making sure there was better quality of some type of video or audio clip? Totally something my father would do to.)

Congratulations to San Antonio Spurs on their elevenity-billionth NBA Title and your new Mega-Dynasty, (or so ESPN and Dan Patrick say), and to Tony Parker winning the MVP.

National League West Results   #1 Will Leitch – Deadspin vs #12 Matt Jones - Kentucky Radio Blog #1 Will Leitch – Deadspin  17% (887 votes) #12 Matt Jones – Kentucky Radio Blog  83% (4431 votes) Total voters for this poll: 5318   #4 HG – You’ve Been Blinded vs #17 Kevin D – With Leather #4 HG – You’ve Been Blinded  46% (551 votes) #17 Kevin D – With Leather  54% (638 votes) Total voters for this poll: 1189   #7 Marco – Just Call Me Juice vs #9 Pete Holiday – Fanhouse Alabama #7 Marco – Just Call Me Juice  43% (567 votes) #9 Pete Holiday – Fanhouse Alabama  57% (737 votes) Total voters for this poll: 1304   #3 Awful Announcing vs #15 Shorty – Milk Was A Bad Choice #3 Awful Annoucing  57% (621 votes) #15 Shorty – Milk Was A Bad Choice  43% (460 votes) Total voters for this poll: 1081   #2 Techmo Bowl Bo Jackson – Pittsburgh Sports and Mini Ponies vs #13 Joe Speaker – Up for Sports #2 Techmo Bowl Bo Jackson – Pittsburgh Sports and Mini Ponies  37% (1579 votes) #13 Joe Speaker – Up for Sports  63% (2727 votes) Total voters for this poll: 4306 Campbell Conference Results #1 Orson Swindle – EDSBS vs #12 Digital Headbutt #1 Orson Swindle – EDSBS  44% (568 votes) #12 Digital Headbutt  56% (709 votes) Total voters for this poll: 1277

	#6 Mike Samways – Sammy’s Sports Sermons vs #19 Davey – Blown Coverage
	#6 Mike Samways – Sammy’s Sports Sermons  58% (323 votes)
	#19 Davey – Blown Coverage  42% (235 votes)
	Total voters for this poll: 558

	#9 Brian Cook – MGoBlog vs #16 Marius Janulis for Three - Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician
	#9 Brian Cook – MGoBlog  56% (313 votes)
	#16 Marius Janulis for Three – Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician  44% (246 votes)
	Total voters for this poll: 559

	#3 Scott – Holy Dog Water vs #15 Rupert – The Ghosts of Wayne Fontes
	#3 Scott – Holy Dog Water  58% (366 votes)
	#15 Rupert – The Ghosts of Wayne Fontes  42% (260 votes)
	Total voters for this poll: 626

	#5 Tom Mantzouranis – NFL Fanhouse vs #5 TC – It’s Still Football (Play-in from NL West Bracket)
	#5 Tom Mantzouranis – NFL Fanhouse  50% (300 votes)
	#5 TC – It’s Still Football – (NL West)  50% (300 votes)
	Total voters for this poll: 600

Since the #5 Tom Mantzouranis – NFL Fanhouse vs #5
TC – It’s Still Football match up is tied, the voting in this poll will be open
until 5 PM PST sharp!  Please vote here -

http://www.polldaddy.com/p.asp?p=51417

	#2 Sean – Too Much Sports vs #10 Sunday Morning QB
	#2 Sean – Too Much Sports  38% (231 votes)
	#10 Sunday Morning QB  62% (370 votes)
	Total voters for this poll: 601

MAC Results

#1 Dan Shanoff vs #12 Signal to Noise #1 Dan Shanoff  55% (726 votes) #12 Signal to Noise  45% (591 votes) Total voters for this poll: 1317

	#4 Goldfish Cowboy – A Pudge is a Sandwich vs #17 Mini-Me - WBRS Sports Blog
	#4 Goldfish Cowboy – A Pudge is a Sandwich  50% (506 votes)
	#17 Mini-Me – WBRS Sports Blog  50% (511 votes)
	Total voters for this poll: 1017

#7 Monday Morning Punter – Kissing Suzy Kolber #14 Jon Pyle – Pyle of List # 7 Monday Morning Punter – Kissing Suzy Kolber  47% (501 votes) #14 Jon Pyle – Pyle of List  53% (576 votes) Total voters for this poll: 1077

	#3 Slick Bomb – On the Show vs #8 One More Dying Quail
	#3 Slick Bomb – On the Show  47% (399 votes)
	#8 One More Dying Quail  53% (455 votes)
	Total voters for this poll: 854

	#5 Burnsy – Blumpkins for All vs #18 Matt – Joe Sports Fan (Play in from AFC North)
	#5 Burnsy – Blumpkins for All   52% (1412 votes)
	#18 Matt – Joe Sports Fan  48% (1280 votes)
	Total voters for this poll: 2692

	#2 Precious Roy – Kermit the Blog vs #13 J-Fizzle – It’s Still Football
	#2 Precious Roy – Kermit the Blog  41% (332 votes)
	#13 J-Fizzle – It’s Still Football  59% (472 votes)
	Total voters for this poll: 804

AFC North Results

	#1 Jay Busbee – Sports Gone South vs #11 Zach – The Big Picture
	#1 Jay Busbee – Sports Gone South  57% (417 votes)
	#11 Zach – The Big Picture  43% (318 votes)
	Total voters for this poll: 735

	#6 T Kyle King – Dawg Sports vs #19 Run Up the Score
	#6 T Kyle King – Dawg Sports  46% (457 votes)
	#19 Run Up the Score  54% (527 votes)
	Total voters for this poll: 984

	#7 Brien – East Coast Bias vs #9 Phony Gwynn – Here Come the Pretzels
	#7 Brien – East Coast Bias  53% (256 votes)
	#9 Phony Gwynn – Here Come the Pretzels  47% (224 votes)
	Total voters for this poll: 480

#3 Paul Shirley – ESPN vs #8 Jack Cobra – Cobra Brigade #3 Paul Shirley – ESPN  54% (354 votes) # Jack Cobra – Cobra Brigade  46% (302 votes) Total voters for this poll: 656

	#2 Peter Bean – Burnt Orange Nation vs #10 Darren – I Want To Be A Sports Agent Blog
	#2 Peter Bean – Burnt Orange Nation  17% (589 votes)
	#10 Darren – I Want To Be A Sports Agent Blog  83% (2847 votes)
	Total voters for this poll: 3436

No hits and 12Ks.  Justin Verlander, you are beyond hot.

And your girlfriend…

…is as cute as a button. 

I’ll leave all the hyperpole about what this means to Verlander, the Tigers,  and to the game of baseball to the very cute Karl Ravech.  But anything that makes Jim Leyland tear-up, must be pretty amazing to experience.  I was shocked just to see the crusty old GM hug anyone!

I’m having a very hard time writing about the NBA Finals.  Really.  I’ve been staring at this image for at least twenty minutes now.  The homer in me is secretly happy that Cleveland is suffering.  The friend in me is afraid to call my pal Jeremy, but know I really should just to make sure he’s not suffering too much.  So can we just pretend that Tim Duncan and Sasha Pavlovic are just in a heated game of Twister and that Game 3 hasn’t happened yet?  That the last second foul on LeBron, which of course was not called, was all just  a terrible dream?

In news that probably only I find interesting or hot, the Swiss and the Kiwi’s are already sniping at each other regarding the future of the nationality rules, and the America’s Cup still does not get underway for ten more days.  (For those of you who do not follow sailing, the keeper of the America’s Cup is also the keeper of the rules.)   The billionaire you see on the left, Ernesto Bertarelli – #76 out of the 946 billionaires in the world if you keep track of that sort of thing –  is not only the principal behind the Swiss team Alinghi, but also is a member of the sailing team itself.  

Don’t worry.  They show the races on Versus, so most of you will never have to pay attention to the results anyway.   Hard to believe there was a time when these races were the anchor on ESPN2.

Have you ever tried to run a bracket with 88 teams? It’s pretty fucking hard, and we’d like to think we’re pretty smart dames.  More than half of us, (I think, again this math thing is hard), can cop to taking AP Calc in high school.  I even was a calculus tutor in college if you can believe that.

88 teams.  Doesn’t work with 16 very well.   Something about the power of 2, and I had to have that explained to me by someone else, well, because college was awhile ago now.  So what does that mean for you Bracketeers?  It is not as fucked as it seems…

Next round some people are going to get wacked sans Journey musical background.  Much like David Chase, we haven’t quite figured out the gory details, most likely it will have something to do with seeding.  Or maybe we’ll feel generous and see if we can make 11 into 16.  (NOT BLOODLY LIKELY!)

Either way, eight ladies means eight different fickle mood swings and we’ll decide when we decide.  (At which point you are more then welcome to roll your eyes and say, “Yes, dear.” Or if you are unhappy, “Jimminy Christmas woman, do you know what you’re doing?!? Give me the wheel and I’ll drive.”) 

Since the graphics are still from the first round, this is what the brackets look like on paper if you want them.   (Teams in Red reflect blogs that had to play – Inter-Bracket Games.)

PDF - Campbell League Match Ups

PDF – National League West Match Ups

PDF – MAC Match Ups

PDF – AFC North Match Ups  

See? It is not that bad. 

Now here the Penguins are, down 3-1 to the Senators with Game Five back in Ottawa tomorrow night.  Things are not looking good.  0-5 on the power play last night.  One of the young up-and-comers, Erik Christensen, benched.  SI and MondesisHouse taking out “Missing” ads for for Malkin. 

Thank goodness for Jordan Staal, for his strength, for his scoring, and for his habit that I always find hot with hockey players –  chewing on his mouth guard.

Oh, and Daniel Alfredsson?  I take back naming you to the all NHL Hottie Team.  You too, Jagr.  No real reason for you other than I hate the Rangers and you’re killing the Thrashers and my boy Kovy.

On a much hotter note, the Pirates just swept the Cards in a two-game series in St.Louis, giving me an excuse to run a sweet picture of my new obsession Xavier Nady stealing second base in Tuesday’s 6-1 win.  Don’t look now, but the Buccos have the best road record in MLB…

(Kudos to one the commentors at Where Have You Gone Andy Van Slyke. Nice mojo there.)

OK, I might be the only Lady who finds Randy Johnson completely hot, but in the off-chance someone else likes their men tall and intense, Randy Johnson is going to play one more game for Triple-A Tucson on Thursday night before returning to the Diamondbacks.  I cannot wait to see him in D’backs new red jerseys.

Speaking of Arizona…Matt Leinart, who are you kidding.  You came to mini-camp looking like what?  You do not look good rocking the neck-beard.  I don’t care how late you were up with baby and how many diapers you changed.  
Shave.

Farewell to Kansas City Chief’s 12-time Pro-Bowler Will Shields, who announced his retirement this week via his website WilltoSucceed.org this week.   The man never missed a game in his career, and was a starter in 223 out of 224 appearances.  Amazing.   Be sure to check out his website and the work he and his wife are doing in Kansas City giving back to the community that supported him his whole career.  A man with a cause is always hot.

And finally, I know we talked at length about Alyssa Milano’s new clothing line Touch the other day, but be sure to check out her official Dodger blog.   Looks like it could be pretty cute if she would update more.