Day 355: They Don't Call it March Madness for Nothing.

Every year I claim that I won't give two minutes to March Madness. I don't like basketball and I don't care about this tournament. I say I won't fill out a bracket or enter a pool. Come mid, March, I plan to shun all things college hoops. I don't watch it during the regular season and I know nothing about any of the teams, so why would I watch now?

But I was just fooling myself.

Like several millions of other crazies, I got sucked into that stupid Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge on Yahoo. I foolishly thought I had a chance of winning Warren Buffett's $1 billion prize. (Ok... I didn't really, but a girl can dream, right?) I'm not going to lie, I didn't spend more than two or three minutes filling out the bracket—since I have no idea about any of the teams, it was all a great big crapshoot. But obviously, that first loss stung... my dreams of being a billionaire were dashed by Ohio State. Jerks.

So now... I'm obsessed. But I'm obsessed with watching just the last two minutes of the games. Since I'm not really a fan of the game of basketball, the thought of watching a game early in the first half when the score still sits in the single digits, makes me sort of want to kill myself. I'm happy if I can turn it on with two minutes or less in the game—and it's even better if the game is close. At this moment, the Cal Poly vs. Wichita State game is on and boy is it booooo-ring. It's not even a wee bit close. Guess I'll switch over to North Carolina vs. Providence match up...

I've had some moments that have been lucky guesses, perhaps. I did pick Harvard to beat Cincinnati and Stanford over New Mexico. That Mercer win over Duke this afternoon was awesome—even though I didn't pick them. Duke is annoying. And with Tennessee's commanding win over UMass, well, that bracket is pretty much blown and can only be rescued by Michigan.

My final four: Syracuse vs. Michigan State AND Wichita State vs. Creighton

My final two: Syracuse vs. Wichita State

My National Champion: Wichita State

Let's see how this all shakes out. I have absolutely no chance at winning any money and usually, the only way you can get me to watch basketball is to dangle cash in front of my face, so I'm not sure what's wrong with me! It's MAD I tell you!

Day 354: Slugger the Sea Dog Plans a Walk for Tourettes

Slugger, the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs furry, seafaring mascot is taking his act on the road. If you're a fan of the Sea Dogs, you're familiar with Slugger's antics—his resounding rendition of YMCA, his never ending failure to beat those little kids in a race around the bases, and his general presence at the ballpark during every home game. He's sort of a wise ass too. I can't tell you how many times he's stuck his grimy paw (flipper?) into my french fries rendering them inedible.

On May 7th, Slugger turns 20... it's hard to believe that the Sea Dogs have been in Portland for 20 years! Seems like just yesterday I was standing in line in the wee hours of the morning in front of an unfinished Hadlock Field, desperate to score some inaugural Opening Day tickets. (I did... it was cold.) But it's been two decades and two major league parent teams, but Slugger hasn't aged a bit.

To commemorate his 20th birthday, Slugger is planning a bit of a walk. On May 4th at 12pm, just before the Red Sox host the Oakland A's, he'll depart Fenway Park and begin his walk back home to Hadlock Field. Boston to Portland. 114 miles. He plans to arrive back home by May 8th in time for that evening's game.

But Slugger isn't doing this just for the exercise. He's not doing it because he can't drive. He's embarking on this walk to raise money for Tourette's related non-profits including Tourette's Syndrome Association for their Youth Ambassador Program and Camp Twitch and Shout. Tourette's is a neurobiological disorder characterized by involuntary sudden movements and vocalizations, known as tics. Slugger's goal is to raise $20,000 in honor of his 20th birthday.

If you would like to help him reach his goal, donations can be made by clicking HERE, and everyone who donates will receive a special gift from Slugger.

If you would like to follow Slugger's journey in early May, you can follow him on Twitter at @Slugger_SeaDog. And no worries, some radio folks will be catching up with live interviews with his trainer during the walk. I just hope he doesn't become weak being out of the water for that long...

Day 353: Bruins On a Roll... Winners of 10 Straight.

I'm going to apologize right now to all you die hard Bruins fans. All of you who religiously watch each and every game and live and die by the black and gold. I'm apologizing because I'm afraid by writing of their recent winning streak, I'm going to jinx them. But I can't help myself—they've been so awesome, they deserve to be revered.

I do love Bruins hockey, but I haven't been as loyal as some of you—I can think of a couple of family members for sure who rarely miss a B's game. I do enjoy their passion on social media while watching. It wasn't until this morning that I actually realized what was going on. The Bruins have won 10 straight games and are 10-1 in the month of March—the last time they won 10 straight was November of 2011. They've outscored their opponents 41-15 (if I've added correctly) in those 10 wins and sit comfortably atop the Atlantic Division with 99 points. The stand second in the NHL behind only the St. Louis Blues who have 101 points. Color me impressed.

Tuukka Rask is tied for second in the NHL with a 2.07 goals against average as well as in save percentage with a .929 average. Rask leads all goalies in shutouts with six. The Bruins have four players in the top 10 overall for plus/minus with Patrice Bergeron #1 at +34, followed by David Krejci at +33, but only Krejci cracks the top 10 in scoring, sitting with the tenth most assists. He leads the team in scoring with 60 points. Sounds to me like this team likes to spread the wealth! It's good not to rely on just one guy, right?

Jarome Iginla, who passed up a chance to play with the Bruins last season and went to Pittsburgh instead for a better chance to win the Cup, continues to build on what was already a Hall of Fame career. On March 17th, he played in his 1300th career game where he scored two goals and recorded his 14th 25-goal season. A night later he scored to reach 556 goals tying him for 25th on the all-time goals list and is one of only six Bruins to play in every game so far this season. I wonder what would've been if he had joined the B's last year instead...

And it's not like they've had an easy schedule. Tuesday's game, their 10th straight win, was the fifth game in seven days. They played three games in four days and two games in a row. That has to be exhausting! They get a bit of a two-day breather this week with their next match not scheduled until Friday when they'll travel out to Colorado to face the Avalanche. I guess I know what I'm doing Friday night.

Friday's game will be the real test of my jinxing abilities. If they win, I'm in the clear. If they lose, I will no longer be allowed to write about the Bruins. Don't poke the bear... DON'T POKE THE BEAR!!

Day 352: Baseball for Beginners: Lesson #9 - Dress the Part

Just two lessons left which means that the Balls of All Sizes quest is nearing its finale—just 13 days left. Up until now, Baseball for Beginners has covered the following areas: Pitchers, Catchers, Infielders, Outfielders, the Lineup, Some Basic Rules, Lingo and More Lingo. I'm sure I could do another half dozen posts on baseball lingo, but I figured you have enough to get you started and make you sound like you know what you're doing.

One of the most important lessons for new female baseball fans is the wardrobe. And we're not so much talking about what the players are wearing on the field. They were uniforms, by the way... not costumes or outfits. What I'm talking about is what you are wearing to the ballpark.

If you plan on attending a few games, please just purchase a hat. It's a pretty inexpensive item and can serve dual purposes. The hat can show your allegiance to your team, but also keep the sun out of your eyes if you're enjoying a day game in the bleachers. However... please, PLEASE never, EVER purchase a pink hat. If you're not under the age of five, this is not allowed. There's not much that screams "I have no friggin' idea what I'm doing" more than the pink hat.

Sometimes you might hear someone referred to as a "pink hat." This is not a compliment. Urban Dictionary defines a "pink hat" as "an over zealous, typically female fan of a recently successful local pro sports franchise. Characterized by the brand spanking new, officially licensed pink team hat. Typically spends the majority of the game chatting on cell phone, waving to TV camera, asking idiotic questions, and being a stupid, annoying nuisance in general." If you're trying to be a respectable, new baseball fan, steer clear of the pink hats. Don't let this happen to you!

There's no law that says you must wear a team-inspired t-shirt. But if you're next purchase happens to be a shirt, the choices are endless. I try to stay away from shirts with players' names on the back strictly because it bugs the shit out of me when you see a person sitting in Fenway Park wearing a NIXON jersey when Trot Nixon hasn't played for the Red Sox since 2006. The only exception are #8 Yastrzemski or #9 Williams shirts—or anyone else who played the majority of their career AND retired while with the Sox. (If you're not a Red Sox fan, this applies to your local team too!)

However... I would rather have you buy a shirt with someone's name on the back than a shirt that has any type of embellishment or bedazzles. Victoria's Secret has a PINK sports gear line that is absolutely the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen in my life. Click on the link HERE to view the absurdity, but please refrain from purchasing anything from this website. If the shirt sparkles or glitters, put it down and walk away from it... fast. I know there's a lot of gear made specifically for women. If you must buy it, go ahead. Just please make sure it won't blind someone when the sun hits it, and it displays the team colors.

Just follow these simple rules in clothing yourself for a trip to the ballpark and now one gets hurt. And I'll definitely let you sit next to me!

Day 351: Sox Score St. Paddy's Day Spring Win

Opening Day is exactly two weeks away. TWO WEEKS! Is it just me or has this spring training absolutely crawled by? Or wait, maybe it's because this winter has been never ending and all I want is to see some green grass and some dirt and some friggin' baseball. The temperature is supposed to bottom out at -2˚ overnight. That's just ridiculous. RIDICULOUS! It's mid-March for crying out loud. I'm not sure the snow is going to melt in time for baseball to happen in northern New England.

But I digress... the Red Sox have won six of their last ten spring training game so thing are looking up... sort of.

The Red Sox celebrated St. Patrick's Day with green uniforms and a nice 10-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. And there were even a few fireworks. Mike Napoli, Dustin Pedroia and Ryan Lavarnway all launched home runs, while Grady Sizemore went 3-for-4 in the leadoff position making a bid for a starting job come March 31st. Napoli and Pedey both had three RBIs to lead the scoring.

It's nice to see Sizemore have success with the Red Sox—he's currently batting .381 in Grapefruit League play. If you remember, Sizemore has struggled with injuries over the past few years which forced him to sit out of baseball completely in 2012 and 2013. In addition to his strong offensive outing, he also made two spectacular catches—one as he crashed into the wall, the other a diving catch that saved what would surely have been a run-scoring double. Click HERE to see both catches!

Unfortunately, Sox starter John Lackey did not have the best day on the mound. In five innings, he game up five earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks. He managed to walk away with the win (saved by the bats), but in the spring, his ERA is a whopping 9.39. The bullpen held the lead and Koji Uehara continues his scoreless spring. (Ok, so he's only pitched four innings...)

Well... I can't wait for this season to start and I've already marked myself off on the calendar at work for the afternoon of the 31st so I can sit back, relax and enjoy the Opening Day festivities! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Day 350: Patriots Sign Edelman and Two Brandons

Geez, I go away for the weekend and what happens? The Patriots start signing guys left and right. And here I was up in the boonies with no laptop! Oh well... more good news out of Foxboro so I guess that's the important thing.

When I heard that Julian Edelman was meeting with the San Francisco 49ers, I broke out into a cold sweat. I had horrible visions of a repeat of last off-season when Tom Brady's favorite target, Wes Welker, left the New England Patriots for a Rocky Mountain high. Edelman had taken over Welker's role as that pesky slot receiver that Brady just loved to hit over the middle. They couldn't lose Edelman too. He caught 105 passes which was the fourth most in the NFL last season, and led the NFL with 53 catches over the final six games of the regular season.

But fear not, there won't be another Welker drama. The Patriots and Julian Edelman agreed to a new contract on Saturday, but as it stands right now, the details of the deal have not been made public. I thought I saw somewhere that it was a three-year deal but I can't actually confirm that anywhere and I possibly just made that up. Who cares... I'm just happy they got a deal done and we're not faced with another situation.

I reported in Friday's post that there were rumors that the Pats were interested in signing Seattle Seahawks corner, Brandon Browner—a recent member of that Legion of Boom thingy. Those rumors are now the truth. New England signed the former Seahawk on Saturday to a reported three-year, $17.5 million contract. Browner, who just came off a Super Bowl Championship season, will be serving a suspension to start the 2014 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. But all in all, he seems pleased with the opportunity to play in New England.

Today, I am proud to announce that I am a New England Patriot. I am honored that the Patriots are making me part of their legendary organization, and am grateful for the opportunity Mr. Kraft, Coach Belichick, Nick Caserio and the entire team have given me. I intend to diligently work with the same passion and dedication that I have displayed since coming into the NFL to uphold the great traditions and qualities that are embodied by the Patriots. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the Seattle Seahawks for giving a CFL player the once in-a-lifetime opportunity to return to the NFL, making a young boy's dream come true. To Coach Pete Carroll, GM John Schneider, John Idzik, Coach Richard, Rocky Seto, the LOB, my teammates, the training staff, the equipment guys the Seahawks organization as a whole and most importantly the 12th Man, I say thank you for everything you have done for myself and my family. I am a truly blessed person.

The Patriots also locked up another target for Tom Brady, signing former Panthers receiver Brandon LaFell. At 6 feet 2 inches and 210 pounds, LaFell will give the Patriots' receiving core some much-needed size. He caught 49 passes for 627 yards and five touchdowns while starting all 16 games. He caught more passes than Kenbrell Thompkins (32) and Aaron Dobson (37) so I think if he studies that Patriots playbook hard, he could be very successful in New England.

It also doesn't appear that the Patriots are stopping just yet. They're scheduled to meet with former Tennessee Titan wide receiver, Kenny Britt. The 25-year-old Rutgers product caught just 11 passes for 96 yards in 12 games in 2013. Britt was with Tennessee for five seasons and in that time, caught a total of 157 passes for 2,450 yards and he was a first round draft pick in 2009. More importantly, Britt has size—at 6 feet 3 inches and 215 pounds, he would be the biggest wide receiver on the team by about six pounds.

Things are looking good for the Patriots for the upcoming season—now we just need to keep all these guys healthy! And if Gronk comes back in good shape and doesn't get broken again... oh, boy!

Day 349: A Most Incredible Buzzer Beater

For those of you who have been loyal readers of Balls of All Sizes, you know I'm not a big basketball fan, so it must have been pretty damn cool for me to want to write about it. So here's something you just have to see to believe. Two high schools in Michigan squared off for their Class D regional final and what transpired could be the best buzzer beater I've ever seen. I dare you to watch it just once!!

With just 0.8 seconds left on the clock, the Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart team was down by one with almost no chance to pull out the win. And I'm sure the opposing team, Middleton Fulton High was thinking they just needed to get a finger on that ball to ensure their victory—surely nothing crazy could happen with less than a second on the clock. But oh how wrong that assumption would be.

Just the in-bound throw was impressive enough, so for the whole play to work without a hitch was pretty freaking amazing.

If you're not quite sure what you just witnessed, here's a recap. The player inbounding the ball fired it towards the backboard where it ricocheted off the glass, bounced once off the floor falling right into the hands of one of his teammates who waited just beyond the 3-point line. He grabbed the ball and immediately fired up a hail Mary that just barely went in. Mt. Pleasant wins 49-47.

And the crowd goes bananas!