Physical Education

Like most of the readers out there, I never thought teaching phy. ed. was that difficult of a job. One of my favorite quotes about gym teachers is this beauty, "Do you think gym teachers sit around and think, 'I want to teach, but I don't want to read. How about kick ball for 40 years!'". Jim Gaffigan (Larry Johnson in Super Troopers) gave us that nugget of what I used to think was pretty accurate. I mean really, all you do is let a bunch of kids run around and make sure no one gets hurt, let the kids play games, you have nothing to really teach to them, you're there for supervision and guidance, right? As I learned yesterday, this isn't the case.

With my mom needing to substitute for another teacher at her school, I was asked to substitute teach for her physical education classes. I of course said I would because I am broke and I need the money. When she told me the kids were in the bowling unit, I figured I would have to do nothing, and the day would fly by. Just let them bowl and make sure no one gets hurt doing anything stupid is what I thought the day would entail. I was wrong. I was teaching at a private school, the largest class probably had 21 kids in it, so it's not like I had a throng of kids to supervise, plus the size of the "gym" is about 50'x30', so all of the kids were well within my vision. In fact, I didn't have to turn my head to see all of the kids. My schedule went something like this; from 7:45-10:45 I had the following classes (in order) 5th, 4th, 3rd, 1st, Kindergarden, 2nd. I then had a 5 minute break, had 7th grade for an hour, lunch, and then 6th grade from 12:30-1:30. Eigth grade would have been next, but they were able to go to a real bowling alley yesterday with my mom (I then had to watch the class she was substituting in for the last period of the day, but that's neither here nor there).

The half hour classes were fine. After I called roll and two classes watched a short bowling video, there was only about 18 minutes left for them to bowl. The half hour goes by quickly, especially when the younger kids need help with scoring the frames. The hour long classes seemed to take forever. I was ridiculously bored, and all I do all day is sit in my room, watch TV and surf the net, so it takes a lot to make me bored. The 6th and 7th graders had no problem bowling, no problem scoring, and had no questions to ask me. I simply sat and watched kids bowl with rubber balls, rolling them on 30 foot pieces of carpeting which were designed to look like bowling lanes, and hitting 10 plastic pins, I wanted to pluck all the hair from my body!

See, an easy day, right? I think that if I was to do that for... not 40 years, not 20 years, not 1 year, not 1 month, but 1 week I would go CRAZY!

The younger kids would come up to me all the time and ask questions which didn't even have anything to do with bowling, or get mad because things weren't going there way, or just tell me about jewelry they got in Mexico, it was just annoying. Plus, I don't know how gym teachders can come up with curriculum which will keep kids involved and... well, not happy, but content for all 9 years they are taking gym at a private school. It's amazing to me that more gym teachers don't go crazy after a while, or at least deaf from all of the screaming which goes on.

In a "desk job" you have different things coming to you if not daily, probably weekly, for sure monthly. As a gym teacher, you do the same thing for weeks at a time, for 40 years. You see the kids as kindergardeners and then watch them grow up and go to high school. Just like that, 9 years of your life is gone. Before you know it, you have the children of some of the students you used to have. You get a constant reminder of your mortality and aging everyday. It would be too much for me to handle. I give nothing but credit and have nothing but respect for those who are physical education teachers after my experience. You really don't know how hard it is and how demanding it would be until you do it, even for a day.

-Until next time...

College Hoops III

I will start this out by saying I was unable to watch any college basketball games this weekend as I was busy. The only games I watched were Syracus/Rutgers, OK State/Oklahoma, and Illinois/Wisconsin. Well, I also watched the late game on Monday, but already forgot who played.

With respect to the OK State/Oklahoma game, I will say this; neither of these teams will be ranked this week. Both showed signs of great things to come, but I can't give Oklahoma an edge, even though they dominated early on, because the game was at home. The Sooners came out more aggressive and more pumped up than the Cowboys and jumped out to a 13-4 lead. However, senior led Oklahoma State came roaring back and was only down 5 at halftime. They withstood the great shooting of the Oklahoma front line (Kevin Bookout and Taj Gray) and were right back in the game until a run in the mid second half by Oklahoma pretty much ended the game. Coming back on the road and making it at least not a blow-out was very impressive by the slow starting Cowboys. The reason I am not ranking either of these teams is because I want to see what happens in two weeks in Stillwater.

So for me the list this week is just two teams. Don't worry, I'm done reffing on February 19th, so I will be able to witness almost every game on television. Remember early on when I told you conference road wins would be much more impressive than conference home wins? Well, I refer you to Syracuse and Illinois both overcoming deficits and winning in hostile environments. Syracuse at The Rac against Rutgers and of course last night when Illinois ended Wisconsin's 38 game home winning streak (the longest in the nation now belongs to Oklahoma State with 25 straight home wins). I wrote in the diary that I would have no problem in ranking Illinois number one. After sleeping on this decision and thinking about the game more, I decided that wasn't exactly true. I was so impressed by the way Syracuse came back in the game against the Scarlet Knights they had to be on top of the list:

2.) The University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana Fighting Illini- (20-0)

The number one ranked team in the country ends the longest home winning streak in the country. For those of you who watched it you know how good of a game this was until the last 2 minutes. For those of you who didn't watch it; scroll down and read my diary.

Illinois faced its first second half deficit of the season, and it reached 8 points with 12:48 left in the game. Unfortunately for Badger fans, the Illinois defense took over for a little while and didn't allow Wisconsin to score for almost 4 minutes after that. This allowed Illinois to get right back in the game and eventually take the lead for good with under 5 minutes remaining. To see how patient and well coached this Illini team is; you need to look no further than the back-to-back dunks they had out of their base offense with under 3 minutes to play. Illinois just outworked the Badgers on these possessions and got two easy buckets to increase the lead.

Wisconsin showed some inexperience in the final minutes by not making easy shots, trying to do too much with the ball, and taking bad shots. Illinois looked poised and confident the entrie game, even when they were down 8. Bruce Weber has this team playing very well as the 20-0 record indicates. The next question is wether or not they can make it through undefeated. I don't think they will enter the tournament unbeaten. I just think a letdown game on the road is in their future. Maybe at Michigan State or at Iowa, but one will happen. If for some reason this doesn't happen, I don't see any way in which they won't be in St. Louis.

The three guards they have; Dee Brown, Deron Williams, and Luther Head showed why they are the class of the Big Ten. The trio combined for 39 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds, and went a combined 11 of 14 from the free throw line. This is exactly the kind of guard leadership which is needed to win the NCAA Tournament. Add to the terrific guards the solid post players in James Augustine and Roger Powell Jr., and it's difficult to picture this team not being in St. Louis.

Next games: Saturday vs. Minnesota; Tuesday at Michigan State- 6:00 ESPN

With the win last night; the Illini became the second team to reach 20 wins this season. Who was the first team to reach 20?...


1.) Syracuse University Orangemen- (20-1)

The Orange had to come from way behind to win their 13th game in a row on Monday night (their last loss by the way was to Oklahoma State 74-60, on a neutral court in the Jimmy V classic). Rutgers played like a team possessed in the first half and led by as much as 19 before they went into halftime up 54-36. It was at this point that Jim Boeheim may have had the halftime speech of his life as his team went out and scored the first 9 points of the second half (in the first 50 seconds) to cut the lead down to a manageable 11.

The quickness of the defense and the great hands on the press impressed me very much. I was also impressed by the way Hakim Warrick came up huge in the second half, just like seniors are supposed to. Add to his performance of 21 points and 7 rebounds, the great shooting of Gerry McNamara who also had 21 points, and what you have is a team who knows how to win. Just two years off of a National Championship, this Syracuse team is playing like they could cut down the nets again in 2005.

Rutgers used gritty performances by Ricky Shields (20 points, 11 rebounds) and freshman Ollie Bailey (18 points, 5 rebounds including 4 offensive) to come within one shot of beating the fourth ranked team in the country.

If you watched this game you know how loud it was in The Rac that night. For a team to come back, on the road, in that atmosphere takes something more than just a good team. It takes a great team, with a coach who never gives up, and players who believe they are never more than a few plays away from turning a game around. The difference with Syracuse is they have the players who can make the key plays, and they did. Boeheim and his team escaped with a win, which will help them in the tournament, and maybe more importantly, more confidence and respect.

Next games: Saturday at Pittsburgh- 6:00 ESPN

Badger Game

First Half

It's 7:58pm and I am ready for some basketball. I'm in my basement enjoying some cokes and will be joined by my dad who will enjoy popcorn and diet coke. Now that you know our refreshments, his pregame thought, "I think we're going to get killed." I think it will be a good game, but think the streak will end. My dad's prediction, 63-45. My prediction, Illinois 66 Wisconsin 58.

Coverage begins at exactly 8:02 pm. How long will it be before Dick Vitale mentions Duke? I am a huge Duke fan, but hate that they get talked about all the time, in every game regardless of what conference is playing. If you haven't heard already, Wisconsin has won 38 games in a row at home and Illinois is number 1 in the country at 19-0.

State from Erin Andrews, tickets in the lower ring have been going for $800-$1200? This is incredible.

8:05pm

Tipoff- the Badgers go small to start, we'll see how it goes. The first 4 minutes of this game are probably the biggest for the Badgers. They cannot get off to a slow start and expect to win this game. Also, the Badgers need to win each 4 minute period before media time-outs. I love watching games in these 4 minute incriments, seeing who won the most, and if that translates into victory. Don't worry, I will be keeping track of this for you.

8:08pm

The Badgers need to slow down and not be so careless with the basketball, or it will be a long game. One turnover already and if Wilkinson wouldn't have been in the right spot on the floor, they'd have 2

8:09pm
17:28

The third Badger turnover leads to an Illini three pointer, and a Wisconsin timeout. It won't be long until we see the Bo Ryan serial killer face.

8:12pm
15:48

The first media time-out. The first four minutes goes to the Illini, and not just because they are winning. The Badgers are trying to force things and are making bad passes and taking bad shots because of this. Also, a weakness for the Badgers on defense has been exposed as Clayton Hansen is trying to defend Luther Head. Hansen isn't quick enough to handle this match-up, so it will be something to keep an eye on. By the way, Cool Runnings is on the Disney Channel right now. Funny movie, not great, just funny.

8:17pm
13:11

If this becomes a three-point contest as the last 5 baskets have been; I like Wisconsin, as long as Ray Nixon stops doing his best Ricky Davis impression.

8:19pm
11:40

As my mom is screamin, "NO!", Shareef Chambliss nails a 25 foot shot to pull the Badgers back within 3. Even though the Badgers played tough, this second four minute period also goes to Illinois. The Illini withstood a 6-0 run by Wisconsin and 4 three pointers in 5 possessions, to maintain a lead. Right now, this is like New England and Pittsburgh. The more experienced team is winning, holding the home team from doing what they want to do in the game, and coming back when it seems like the more inexperienced team is about to go on a run.

8:24pm

I'm amazed as Vitale didn't even take a forced opportunity to talk about Duke, even though a promo for tomorrow night's game came on; way to show restraint Dick.

8:29pm
7:16

Wisconsin is in the midst of a 5-0 run and have tied the game at 26. The Grateful Red is so loud I can't even hear Dan Shulman or Dick Vitale; that may also be because my mom is yelling at the television and clapping loudly after every play. Those four minutes go to the Badgers as they have played with more intensity on defense and continue to make their shots. With only 2 more time-out periods in the first half, the score is 2-1 Illinois.

8:39pm
3:08

Well, being outscored 9-4 since the last time-out wasn't that bad. However, what was really bad; the two free-throw misses by Zach Morley and the horrible decision on the fast break just before the time-out by Michael Flowers, the original shot and then trying to drive against a 7'2" Nick Smith. All of that leads to another period going to the Illini. They will win this half at least 3-2.

8:44pm
1:25

Hey, maybe the Badgers can make a free-throw in a bonus situation. They are 4 of 9 and are down only 2. Well, make it 4 of 10. Talk about the antithesis of Wake Forest against UNC; let's keep an eye on this.

8:46pm
Halftime

Wisconsin wins the final four minutes by playing physically, forcing misses, and cutting the lead to 2. I still am not liking the 40% free-throw shooting and 7 turnovers by Bucky. Underdogs usually don't win games by shooting less than 60% from the free-throw line and having over 10 turnovers; even at home. Otherwise, the Badgers seemed to slow down mentally and not make so many mistakes late in the half. So far my prediction is better than my dad's, and I am letting him know about it.

Here's a preview of tomorrow's Marquette/Louisville game; Louisville will use pressure defense to wear down on Diener and the Golden Eagles. Marquette will have trouble getting into its offense (I still haven't figured out what it is), and will commit many turnovers. Although, I thought Louisville would dominate this game last year as well. I hope I'm wrong, because Marquette is my favorite Wisconsin basketball team.

I really like Dan Shulman's voice. I enjoy when he does games, and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite play-by-play men. In the summers, he does Sunday Night Baseball for ESPNRadio. His voice will someday be as recognizable as Keith Jackson, Dick Vitale, Brad Nessler, or my personal favorite, Brent Musburger. He is pretty much only my favorite because I sat in front of him at a Bucks game and walked out with him. He was a nice guy to talk to and he seemed to enjoy talking with me.

The halftime show has kind of been picking on both Wisconsin and Brian Butch being over-rated. The arguments made were solid; the Badgers haven't been that tough away from home (but I don't really think they are necessarily think they are the most over-rated team in the Big Ten, Michigan anyone?), and I never thought Butch was that good. When I saw him in the WIAA High School state tournament against Milwaukee Vincent, I thought he was soft and slow. He has put on weight, but is still slow. Anyway, the game is coming back on.

9:05pm
Start of 2nd half (Cool Runnings is over. The Jamaican's lost).

Wisconsin needs to take the lead by the 10 minute mark if they are going to win this game. I just don't think the team is solid enough at the guard position yet to rely on them to score down the stretch. By the way, Illinois hasn't trailed in the second half all season.

9:07pm
18:35

Dick Vitale mentions Duke and shooting guard J.J. Reddick. This happened about 20 game minutes later than I thought it would. Not too bad of a job by him holding back is Duke bias.

9:08pm
17:00

Wisconsin has gone on a nice little run here and has actually tied the game at 44. This is like when the Jamaican's in Cool Runnings moved up in the placings at the Calgary olympics and had a chance to medal on the final day; only to fall at the end. Hopefully this act ends better than it did ffor the bobsledders from Jamaica.


9:12pm
16:28

Illinois is down in the second half for THE FIRST TIME ALL SEASON!

9:13pm
15:56

The Badgers won the first four minutes in the second half helped by a none call on Mike Wilkinson. A three by Tucker and now the Badgers are in the driver's seat. Like I said, they needed to take the lead by at least the 10 minute mark, now they need to hold it until at least the 10 minute mark, and not let Illinois go on any runs.

9:18pm
14:58

The Badgers are surprisingly up 7 points right now. The place is rocking, can't hear the announcers, let's see if Wisconsin can keep up this intensity. Hopefully this isn't one of those situations where a team plays superbly for a long period of time and because of that doesn't have enough to finish.

9:21pm
13:00

Tucker hits a shot, starts limping and then by the time I am writing this sentence, he hits a three to put Wisconsin up 8, incredilbe. I was going to say this is something which needs to be watched, but apparently he is feeling good enough to hit big shots. The Badgers need him on the court to have a chance to win this game.

9:24pm
11:39

The Badgers have won a third straight period and have taken a 4-3 lead in this category. Remember the famous line by Michael Corleone, "Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in!"? That's kind of the way this game is going for me. The second half didn't start out that great, but the Badgers showed why they have won 38 straight games at home and are still winning by 8. Just when it seemed like Illinois could break away from Wisconsin or make a run back at the lead; Wisconsin makes a defensive stand or hits a big shot. Let's see if this kind of great play is sustained for the rest of the game.

9:30pm
9:22

Michael Flowers doesn't look like he is ready to play in a game this intense. He has made a few stupid mistakes right now, and these are exactly the things you can't do against the number 1 team in the country. Right now he's like
James Gounaris who played Anthony Vito Corleone in The Godfather: Part II. He is just a young kid surrounded by all of these great college players; Mike Wilkinson, Alondo Tucker, Dee Brown, and Darrin Williams, just like Gounaris acting wide-eyed along side; James Caan, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, and Diane Keaton. By the way, we have yet to see the Bo Ryan "I'm ready to kill someone" face.

9:34pm
7:29

No doubt Illinois won that period after a 13-2 run to take a 61-58 lead. I don't have anything to say; they are doing what they need to in order to win the game and the Badgers aren't. This is a different Wisconsin team than what we saw for the first 10 minutes of this half, and I don't like it.

9:43pm
3:51

Wisconsin wins the last four minutes period, just playing inspired and taking every shot the number one team in the country has to give them. Right now I would compare the Badgers to Daniel LaRusso in his last fight against his former dojo at the All Valley Karate Championship. He took everything his opponent threw at him, but was simply the better fighter that night.

9:48pm
2:20

It's over. I have no confidence that Wisconsin can win this game now, and even less now that Chambliss misses a wide open three.

This was a great game and I will have no problem putting Illinois at number 1 Wednesday in my college hoops column. Illinois wins the final four minute period of the game and those are tied at 5. This stat (even though it is completely based solely on my feelings) shows just how close this game was. 38 games in a row is nothing to sneeze at; I'm just sad that now the Badgers will only be 16-1 when Mike Wilkinson's fiance sings the national anthem. That may be the greatest stat I have ever heard in my life. Just one more thing Dan Shulman brings to broadcasts; incredible stats.

I will expand on this in college hoops, but Illinois did what great teams do; come through in the end. They got two straight dunks to extend the lead to 3 and 5 points respectively with over 2 minutes left. The final score will be 75-65 and Dick Vitale must be happy because the fans gave the kids a standing ovation at the end of the day. I really don't see the Badgers being with in 15 points in the rematch, but this was a great college basketball game.

On a side note; I like Erin Andrews as a side-line reporter. Good info and good looking, can't beat it. Well, it's time for the Simpsons, so here is the unedited version of the diary; enjoy.

-Until next time...

Diary Tonight

To all of those of you out there who check in to see what I have written for the day; my post today will come shortly after the Big Ten clash between the Badgers and Illini. I am going to have a running diary of the game; so check back either tonight after the game or tomorrow to read it.

-Until next time...

Weekend Thoughts

I know the "Rambling like School Girls" column usually comes out later in the week, but I really wanted to say just a few things I was thinking about over the sports weekend, so here they are.

I can't believe how bad Kansas looked in its loss at Villanova, what is this 1985?

My friend Justin, who comments under VinDigiorgio, has a new nickname for McNabb, "McNothing". We'll see after the Super Bowl.

Get ready for two weeks of the following questions: Will T.O. play, Does another win make the Patriots a dynasty or does just getting there again justify it, If Tom Brady wins the Super Bowl and the MVP again is he the best quarterback ever, can the Eagles win, who will win the Madden 2005 showdown before the game (and who will be the competitors), and what is the bet between mayors?

I still can't believe Duke is number two, in the actual ramblings column I will go into this more in depth.

I was way wrong about the Falcons on Sunday, but wasn't so wrong about Vick.

Remember, Roethlisberger was a ROOKIE this season.

Gaddis and Garcia getting together is always good times.

Finally, one thing I learned over the weekend; two intentional fouls on the same player is an ejection.

Check back for the regular ramblings later in the week.

-Until next time...

Whistling Straits

It seems as though the record breaking 2004 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits was good enough to persuade the club professionals of the PGA of America to award the Kohler Golf Course three more major events. The three events will be the return of the PGA Championship in 2010 and 2015; as well as one event which Kohler Co. CEO, Herbert V. Kohler Jr. has been saying he would love to have Whistling Straits host, the 2020 Ryder Cup (a biennial match play event which pits American and European golfers against each other). This is quite a commitment by the PGA, and if the 2004 PGA Championship is any indication, these three events will be outstanding successes.

The 2004 PGA Championship held August 12-15 and broke records for attendance, tickets sold, and economic impact by the Major Championship event. Over 300,000 people attended the tournament and $76.9 million was brought into the area because of it, shattering the previous record of $50.4 million set in 2002.

While I am quite excited Wisconsin is having the best golfers in the world back in the state at least 3 more times in the next 15 years, there are some things which need to happen to make the events all the more enjoyable for those who are lucky enough to go the tournaments. I was lucky enough to have received a free ticket for Sunday's final round of the PGA and was absolutely thrilled to be there. I saw Tiger, Phil, Vijay, and Ernie up close, saw each of them play at least one hole, but ended up watching the final holes and the playoff on a giant television screen.

Before I start making suggestions on how to improve a tournament which broke the records I have already spoken of, just let me state that I really enjoyed being there, however, a few improvements could be made. First of all, I will mention a few things which can't really be changed just because of how the course is designed. I mention these items just so people who will attend the future events know what to expect.

The rolling terrain which makes Whistling Straits such an outstanding and scenic course also hinders the ability to watch the players golf. It is almost impossible to walk along with any group of golfers during the event. When spectators get to the course, they spy out a spot in which they can see more than one hole (hopefully) and stay there all day. When the more popular golfers start their respective rounds, the crowds swell and those trying to walk along with a certain group are standing 5 or 6 people deep on the hole as the early arrivals stay at one hole all day. There is nothing wrong with people staying at a hole all day, or trying to walk along with a group, I'm just warning people about the traffic. The best spot to watch the tournament from was a hill on the front nine in between holes 2, 3, 4, and 5. You were able to see shots on all 4 of these holes from the top of this hill, so obviously it was one of the first spots filled. One more thing about the terrain is that when standing, you will rarely be on even ground. Obviosuly the course isn't going to be flattened for the next events, so beware. The final item which the terrain hindered was the grandstand seating. Grandstands cannot be all over the course because they are not supposed to interfere with the integrity of the course, so I understand why there was not that much seating. The 9th and 18th holes had the biggest grandstands, as well they should. For those who are looking forward to sitting in grandstands in the next events, get there early. Those two grandstands were full at 8:30am.

Onto the items which could be changed; more concession areas on the course, more bathrooms on the course, more scoreboards, and more names on the leaderboard. The concessions and bathrooms were littered around the course, but the problem with the huge crowds was that it was up to a half hour wait to use the bathroom or get to the front of the concession line. This is too much time to not know what's going on in the tournament.

I was disappointed by how few scoreboards there were on the course and by the lack of names on the leaderboard. I really feel there should be a scoreboard the fans can see at every hole. These scoreboards really only need to have 4 or 5 names on them, but would be a huge help to the fans who are sitting at one hole and can't see a scoreboard. There should also be scoreboards by the concessions stands and bathrooms. If we are going to have to wait in line for a period of time longer than 5 minutes; we should be able to see how the tournament is going.

The final item which needs improvement is the leaderboard at the 18th hole. Usually the leaderboard on the 18th has as many names on it as possible, especially on a Sunday. At the 86th PGA Championship, by the time the leaders had made the turn; two name were on the board. TWO NAMES! The only golfers who were on the board were leaders Vijay Singh and Justin Leonard. It was not until the gallery at the 18th started chanting, "MORE SCORES! MORE SCORES!" that the people standing at the leaderboard obliged and put up more scores. I don't care if someone is winning by 12 strokes in the final round (Tiger in the US Open at Pebble Beach in 2000), the leaderboard at 18 should be full of names, if for no other reason than it just looks better. Plus, the people who got to the tournament early enough to be able to enjoy the winner's moment on the 18th want to know where everyone stands in the tournament.

There is one item which will undoubtedly be taken care of. The Ryder Cup matches will only be held at Whistling Straits if "a sufficient number of guaranteed quality hotel rooms" are available. Does anyone really think Mr. Kohler won't simply build another first class hotel in the area like the American Club? If this is what stands between him and hosting a Ryder Cup, it will be done.

With all of this said, I have no doubt the next events will be as successful as the 2004 Championship. Improvements will be made and even if not, the event was a moment I will never forget. My dad and I spent the final two hours of the tournament watching it on a huge television screen on the Wanamaker Club Deck. We were there with about 500 of our closest friends, watching the final holes play out, having a few drinks, and smoking cigars. If I have a chance to go back, I will in a heart beat, and even with the improvements, may still watch the ending on a television. It was a great way to end the day.

At any rate, I wish the Kohler Company and Whistling Straits congratulations and good luck for the next events. I only hope Vijay Singh doesn't win again (more on my feelings toward Singh in my Master's preview in April).

(Whistling Straits will also host the 2007 Senior US Open, and the new PGA Championships will most likely take Straits out of the running for the US Open in 2012.)

-Some information in this column was taken from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

-Until next time...