 Saturday, March 10, 2007
Georgetown or Notre Dame? Fughedaboutit
Friday's Big East Conference Tournament semi-final presented the
penultimate dilemma for the Tank. Who to root for?
Georgetown or Notre Dame?
I can't root for Georgetown as I am die-hard Syracuse fan. The rivalry ran so deep that I could NOT root for the Knicks from 1985 until 1999 since Patrick Ewing
played for Georgetown. I finally let that anger go in 1999 when
Ewing's career ended with the Knicks and LJ sunk the four point play on
June 5, 1999. Linda may have not understood the deepness of the
rivalry until PermaGuest Outlaw Jack's girlfriend, Michelle, confirmed
her similar anti-Georgetown feelings later Friday evening with "Friends
don't let friends go to Georgetown" in addition to other unprintable quotes.
I can't root for
Notre Dame because they beat Syracuse on Thursday. Furthermore, I
didn't attend but was offered admission to the University of Miami
("The U"). Miami was a fierce football rival of Notre Dame
so I have more reasons not to root for Notre Dame. The Catholics
versus the Convicts was one of the best storylines in college football
of all time, especially the 1980s.
To paraphrase Vladimir Lenin's "What Is To Be Done?", Who should the Tank root for?
Neither team which is a first in any sport from baseball to
cricket. I only went to the game because Linda had never been to
a live college basketball game or I would have sold the tickets.
Her theory of basketball is that the final five minutes of the
game are most watchable proved true. I didn't watch the game
except for the last minute of the first half and the last five or
six minutes of the second half except for taking the photo below.
I regaled (or bored) her with college basketball stories and trivia. For instance, the Tank's team at Jim Boeheim's
Basketball Camp won the Camp Championship in 1985. This one of
the highlights of the Tank's life as our group of hustling
overachievers won the Camp Championship on the very same floor as the
Orangemen play on. During that same Camp, I also met then Philadelphia 76er Charles Barkley. Since the Tank didn't play in a band, this was his "Band Camp". Priceless memories 
Four
short years later in March 1989, the Tank ran onto the court
after the Billy Owens led Orangemen beat Alonzo Mourning and
the Georgetown Hoyas.
I was psyched to learn that Linda is a distant relative of Saint John's Hall of Fame Coach, Lou Carnesecca. How cool is that?!
Back to the game, the Hoyas were down as many as 14, 35-21, in
the first half. I put my glasses on in the second half and
watched them rally. The game went back and fourth in the second
half. Ewing's son, Patrick Junior, played well including a nice
touch on some shots that many Knicks fans wished his dad had more
of.
Notre Dame tied it late at 78-78 but Georgetown pulled out the victory 84-82.
Posted by the Tank from the world's Greatest Arena, Madison Square Garden, in NY.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Jack's 3:30 pm Meeting on Wednesday
Perma Guest Outlaw Jack thought he was going to a 3:30 pm meeting Wednesday afternoon. His sales guy surprised him with tickets to the Syracuse-UConn game. Darn it! I knew I should have gone into sales.
Jack reported that Syracuse was toying with the Huskies for the last five minutes of the game. Just the news the Tank wanted to hear.
Mega thanks to Jack for sharing the photos! Please send your March Madness Memories to Steve or the Tank.
Photos by PermaGuest Outlaw Jack and posted by the Tank in NY.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Orange Crush
The Tank's dream of watching his beloved Orangemen win their third consecutive Big East Tournament Championship was crushed when we lost to Notre Dame 89-83 this afternoon at the Garden. We fought valiantly but came up just short.
I will now be a nervous wreck until Sunday's selection show. Please join me in thoughts and prayers for an "At Large" invitation to the Dance.
Thank you very much!
Sincerely,
The Tank
Posted by a saddened Tank in NY.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Why Aren't You Listening to the Game?
As the Tank was about to put on his walkman headphones while exiting the elevator at lunch, I thought a lady with glasses was talking to me when she asked me "Why aren't you listening to the game?" No, she was actually talking to her young female colleagues that we walking out the door. One of them replied it was halftime of Nova-DePaul game so they were going out to grab a bite to eat. Gotta love March Madness.
First up for Syracuse today was the Connecticut Huskies (UConn). The Huskies always play the Orangemen tough and winning the Big East would salvage a tournament bid and a disappointing season for the young Huskies. This may not be Basketball Hall of Fame Coach Jim Calhoun's best team but they are feisty as they beat the Orangemen, 67-60, on February 5.
Today's game became a "win and in" game according to ESPN.com's Andy Katz this morning on ESPN 1050 AM "Mike and Mike in the Morning". Katz also noted that the Selection Committee's initial ballot is due today. These are the about 20 or so "at large" of the 35 teams each voter thinks should be in. A Syracuse win today would help that first impression and case.
Since Butler lost to Wright State last night to win the Horizon Conference Tournament, the Tank was very apprehensive as that loss meant that the winner of that game, Wright State, got the automatic bid and Butler will probably get at a large bid.
After a slow start, the Tank is grateful that the Orangemen won 78-65. Let's Go Orange!
Posted by the Tank in NY.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
March Madness Dance Card Fills In
Nine of the 65 slots in the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament are filled as the Tank writes this. By this time on Sunday, all 65 spots will be.
Even though you may follow one conference, "everything (and everyone) counts in large amounts" as Depeche Mode sings. For instance, if a team with a bad or losing record in a small conference wins their conference tournament, they get the slot and the team that had the best regular season conference record is on the fence. If your "at large" team is in a major or mid-major conference, your "at large" team is less likely to make it because the NCAA Committee might also take the team that had the best regular season conference record as well.
This is a convoluted formula -- even more so than the Tank's mind. I pretend to not know how the Committee or its formula works (or doesn't). Just remember this as a factor if you team doesn't make it on Sunday. Good luck!
Posted by the Tank in NY.
Monday, March 05, 2007
"Tell Them You Are My Husband" (AKA Welcome to the Tank's March Madness)
March Madness got off to an early start when the Tank recently traveled to Mexico via Houston.
After Jet Blue cancelled all flights to Houston on Saturday the 17th, the Tank was lucky to get the last seat on the whole plane in first class on a Continental flight on Sunday the 18th.
After taking a brief nap, the Tank listened to "No Doubt's" Greatest Hits and read an interesting cover story article in Time magazine about the abortion debate. I didn't discuss it with anyone on the plane but debated it inside my head as I do with the death penalty and whether Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame or not.
Before long, I heard the ramblings of a striking blonde to my right, Leisha, who had too much to drink. We struck up a conversation and she was telling me about her loser (now ex-boyfriend) named Tony who had stood her up in NYC. (I wish I met her a few days earlier as I would have asked her to the Rod Stewart Valentine's Day concert.) Not only did Tony stand her up, he took her ID and the keys to her Mercedes.
Having unfortunately been stood up before, I could relate with Leisha's plight. Using my newly identified Healer skills, I listened to her for the remainder of the flight. Her story made me want to reprimand Tony the Jabroni. Though I have been idiotic (at times) but you don't stand someone up in a hotel in some faraway city. I guess this is why women become lesbians.
Anyway, Leisha continued to drink but I became concerned when she started showing me her bottles of uppers and downers. She referred to the recent Anna Nicole Smith tragedy and I feared for a repeat of the same. The parallel didn't end there as Leisha was also a 30 something blonde but with even more beautiful check bones and more natural than Anna Nicole. Yes, the Tank notices and appreciates natural beauty as I am a sucker for blondes, brunettes, and red heads.
As we were about to land, Leisha grabbed my arm and exclaimed "Tell them you are my husband!" Wow! The uppers and downers she showed me were real I said to myself. I ensured that she did not take any uppers or downers in my presence given her heavy alcoholic consumption.
She fixed her make-up and asked me to get a wheelchair because she claimed to have a broken leg. She didn't as she kicked her leg in the air. However, the Tank went along because she started to yell out that "The Captain has had a heart attack!" and "Let me out of here!"
Since Leisha was making a scene and not taking no or "shsh" for an answer from the Tank or the flight crew, I asked Sarah the Stewardess to get a wheelchair and I would transport Leisha to luggage claim where her friends Becca and Jodi would pick her up.
One of the ground crew got a wheelchair and I started to wheel Leisha away from the plane. The Anna Nicole parallel got scarier after Leisha put on her oversized black sunglasses as we went to baggage claim.
As the Tank coordinated with Leisha's friend Jodi to meet at Luggage Claim C6, Leisha's mobile phone died. I asked Leisha for Jodi's number but it was the wrong area code as Houston has many more area codes than it used to like many metropolitan areas when I worked for the phone company about a decade ago.
While Leisha waited in the wheelchair for her luggage, I took my Blackberry charger out of my carry-on NYC Marathon nap sack. The port was thankfully compatible to her Motorola phone and I charged it at the Information Booth. I then asked for a luggage porter to transport her bags. Leisha's mobile phone charged enough so I could get Jodi's correct phone number (Area Code 832, not 713) and asked her to meet-up at Luggage Claim C6.
Leisha screamed out that she wanted to ride the moving luggage carousel at Luggage Claim C6 like an amusement car. I asked her to stay put in the wheelchair for just a little while longer (mere moments seemed like forever).
Everything thankfully converged together as Leisha's and my bags, the baggage porter, and Becca and Jodi arrived at almost the same time within a minute. (Think of the chaotic scene at of the end of "Blues Brothers" as they converge upon the courthouse.)
I tipped the baggage porter for taking Leisha's bags. I then asked Jodi to monitor Leisha's medication as she had drunk heavily. Becca wheeled away Leisha as Jodi thanked me and apologized. No worries, the Tank replied. Just trying to do a good deed and my duty as a gentleman. Kind of balancing out Tony the Jabroni's treatment in some small way.
Posted by the Tank enroute to Houston from New York.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Will the Orangemen three-peat as Big East Basketball Champions?
As March Madness is underway, the Tank wanted to share some memories from last year's Big East Tournament held at the World's Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden. The Tank was thankfully blessed to get tickets to see his beloved Syracuse Orangemen win the 2005 and 2006 Big East Tournament Championship.
After the Orangemen won four consecutive games in as many days, the Tank rushed the floor to celebrate the Orangemen's victory. The Tank is pictured below with former Syracuse and NBA star Derrick Coleman and a woman he has never met before or seen after -- her friend was nice enough to take the picture of us. (Taken on Saturday, March 11, 2006, on the floor of Madison Square Garden.)
As unlikely as it maybe, the Tank hopes the magic continues this week (God Willing, lucky rabbit's foot, touch wood, etc.) for a third consecutive Orangemen Big East Championship. It won't be easy as the Orangemen face Connecticut on Wednesday at 2 p.m. so we (the Orangemen) have to again win four consecutive games in as many nights.
Whatever team you root for, enjoy Championship Week and March Madness!
Posted by a hopeful Tank in NY. Go Orangemen!
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Cozumel Tequila Tasting Seminar
After a very bad experience of drinking Jose Cuervo Tequila in the summer of 1993, the Tank threw up on a friend's floor that he was subletting from. Since the Tank is the "world's heaviest lightweight drinker", I dared not challenge tequila's supremacy in any decade in the near future.
Therefore, I employed the assistance of my Cozumel roommate, Michael from Utah, to sample tequila bottles for friends and family back home. Michael happens to be of Japanese descent but many people think he looks Mexican and they started speaking to him in Spanish.
When Cozumel tequila vendors like the gentleman pictured below asked Michael if he would like to taste tequila, the Tank replied in Spanish that Michael would. They were a little surprised that a gringo looking hombre like the Tank could speak Spanish. Hey, five years of high school Spanish, a year of college Spanish, and travels to the Spanish speaking countries like the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico (Tijuana in 1996), and Argentina have served the Tank well.
Michael and the Tank continued to work as a flawless team as Michael sampled drinks and the Tank negotiated the best discounts for friends and family. Since Michael is from Utah, he enjoyed himself as Utah is pretty restrictive on alcohol purchases because of Mormon control of the state. For the record, the Tank doesn't have a problems with Mormonism as I would gladly forsake alcohol (empty calories and usually not good tasting tasting) and marry three wives as on the HBO hit show "Big Love". Say no to alcohol and say yes to being married to Chloe Sevigny, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Ginnifer Goodwin.
El Tanque escribio en Cozumel y Nueva York.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Welcome to Spring Training!
I normally don't get too excited about Spring Training but the Knicks have the Tank singing the blues.
My main goals with Spring Training are too make sure veterans tune up and stay healthy as well as young talent has a chance to develop.
The Yankees and Mets thankfully had good games yesterday. The Yankees and Mets continued their momentum this afternoon with come from behind wins against the D-Rays and Cardinals, respectively.
Posted by The Tank in NY.
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