While it’s a little surprising to see him engage in such a stylish, choreographed, and “fly” handshake with a an old white guy in spectacles, it’s entertaining nonetheless.

Okay, so it might be fake. But it admit it: for a split second you thought it was real and chuckled. Kudos to whatever clever Internet magician created this.

That’s how many Americans were killed on September 11, 2001. That’s over 500 more than the number of deaths at Pearl Harbor. It’s the most deadly attack our nation has ever been hit with from a foreign enemy.

Image credit: Doug Kanter/AFP/Getty Images via Boston.com

I’m sure you, like me, remember exactly where you were when you got the news. Maybe you were driving in the car or at your desk at work. For millions of us, we got the news from a teacher at school…while we were surrounded by our closest friends.

Being a sports fan is an awesome, yet often confusing experience. The most awkward moments often come when we realize that sports, at the end of the day, just don’t really matter that much.

Don’t get me wrong, I think sports are important. Like it or not, there are few things in this country that can universally lift us up or bring us down like athletic events. Just ask viewers of last week’s Women’s World Cup Final, who shared the agony of that defeat, or spectators of Jason Lezak’s amazing comeback in the Olympics, who rejoiced in unison.

But there are always those weird epiphanies – usually following a tough loss – where we realize that sports just really don’t matter. As awesome as it was to watch the Dallas Mavericks beat the Heat, Jeter chase 3,000 hits, and Phelps break all those records, none of those events would even come close to making a list of our nation’s 100 most important moments.

To be honest, the first time I ever had one of those moments was on September 11, 2001. To my undying shame, I have to acknowledge that the first thought I had that day was, “Oh great, they better not cancel our soccer game tonight.” When you’re 14, life is only as important as the next big event in your own schedule. But as the day stretched on, and we all crammed into the English room to watch it unfold on those tiny televisions, we all realized that something much bigger than sports was happening.

I will never forget that day.

I don’t think any of us ever will.

And that is precisely why the NFL should not be opening up its season on September 11 of this year.

As amazing as this sounds, it’s already been ten years since terrorists attacked us. Ten years since 343 firefighters courageously ran into buildings that had been hit by airplanes. Ten years since 184 innocent people were brutally murdered at the Pentagon. Ten years since some oft-forgotten heroes took down Flight 93 in the middle of a field in Pennsylvania – preventing a tragedy of unknown proportions from happening in Washington.

It’s the most important anniversary of all. Personally, I think that September 11 should be a National Holiday. But regardless, we should spend this September 11 doing one thing: honoring the Americans that died.

Image source: Trempealeau County Trunk

As much as the lockout turned me off to the NFL, I’m not asking everyone to boycott it. It’s our nation’s most popular sport, and it will be for a good long while. I love watching the greatest athletes on earth play one of the most exciting games on earth. I will be cheering on Peyton Manning and my beloved Colts as hard as ever this year.

Just not on September 11.

Did you know that they are reopening the World Trade Center that day? They are setting up a memorial for all to see. There will be television specials, parades, and ceremonies. These are things that we as Americans should be viewing that Sunday.

Instead, I fear it will all get lost in the eleven hours of football.

It seems a little ironic that instead of honoring 2,977 Americans that died, most of us will be honoring a group of humans that took four months trying to figure out how to split up $9 Billion.

Nevermind, that’s not ironic; that’s just sad.

And to be honest, it’s probably a fact as well.

There is a time and a place for sports in this country. And you know what? There is a time and place for sports on this September 11.

If you were to ask yourself, “If there was a sport that I remember from Fall of 2001, what was it?”

That’s right, it was baseball.

I remember exactly three sports moments from that year:

1. I remember Jason Sehorn and some of the other Giants’ players crying into the camera and begging the NFL to cancel that week’s games. “Nobody’s thinking about football right now,” they pleaded. The League kind of complied…and postponed the games until the end of the year.
2. I remember the bald tenor singing “God Bless America” at Yankee Stadium. I got chills then, and I get chills now just thinking about it.
3. I remember President Bush, just a few days after the attack, striding out to the pitcher’s mound – clad in a bulletproof vest – and telling the world, “Do your worst, but America won’t back down.” I remember him firing the ball across home plate, not just lobbing it up there hoping to avoid embarrassment. I remember being inspired like I never was before, and quite frankly, never have been since.

Yes, sports held an important place in our country’s heart during that difficult time, and I think it could do the same this year.

What if instead of trying to absorb an entire day’s worth of football, we were treated to resounding Patriotic marches, songs, and television memorials all morning.

Then, at 1:35 ET, George H.W. Bush could throw out the opening pitch in Washington, DC, to start off the Nats-Astros game.

Shortly after that, President Obama himself returns to his hometown of Chicago, and at 2:10 ET, he commences the White Sox-Indians game in his own way. Around that same time, Jimmy Carter could throw out the first pitch at the Braves-Cardinals game.

Then, less than an hour later, George W. Bush could start things off in Texas before his Rangers play the Athletics.

Then, in the night capper, President Clinton could throw out the first pitch in New York City, just miles away from where it all started as America watched the Mets battle the Cubs.

In a matter of seven hours, we could have every single one of our living presidents throw out meaningful first pitches all across the country. We could truly honor the 2,977 Americans that had their lives brutally stolen from them.

Look, I don’t think we need to boycott the football season because we are mad at the players and owners. I’m not advocating a “protest out of principle.” Football is important to many Americans, and it definitely has its place in our society.

I’m simply saying that the NFL needs to do the right thing here. It is the most popular sport in our country – by far. That won’t change if they miss one Sunday in early September when most of us should be caring about something far more important. In fact, it might even go as far to recapture some of the good graces that the sport has lost with its fans over the past few months.

Even so, they probably won’t. “The show must go on,” and they will beat the money cow until it dies.

I really am looking forward to following this season closely, and I will definitely end up being sucked in soon, especially after Manning leads the Colts out to another hot start.

Just not until September 18.

The President’s official bracket will be revealed on ESPN later today, but the Worldwide Leader has already released a short behind-the-scenes video with Andy Katz and Doris Burke chronicling their trip to the White House.

———-

According to this article about President Obama’s bracket, Obama went with mostly top seeds, especially to reach the Final 4, where has has all of the top seeds advancing. Some people will likely criticize him for not going out on a limb, but the bracket I filled out based on a weighted average KenPom’s AdjO and AdjD rankings predicted the same thing.

Once the President’s bracket is revealed, I’ll get a screenshot and post it here.

Update: And here it is, with screenshot and video below of Andy Katz and the President discussing his picks.

———-

———-

In addition to predicting the men’s bracket, Obama went through the women’s bracket as well. He also chose the top seeds to advance to the Final 4 in the women’s bracket, but something tells me no one will criticize him for that – nor should they.

Episode #13 in this unique YouTube series was released yesterday and it is predictably entertaining and catchy. Weezer is the musical guest and it features President Obama, Charley Rangel, and a hilarious clip from Anthony Weiner acting kind of like a weiner.

Watch and enjoy:

Answer: who the hell knows, but it’s here, it’s not the first time Rick Astley has been a featured MSF guest, and I promise it will be entertaining if you’re anywhere close to as big of an Internet junkie as I am.

So as Bob Knight once famously said, just sit back and enjoy it. …Continue Reading

I saw a great infographic today (included at the bottom of this post for your reference) that traced the history of the Rick Roll, one of the more well known Internet memes in history.

Since I was a little late to the Internet / social media game, I was not introduced to the concept of Rick Rolling until about 5-6 months ago, about a year later than most. As my co-workers can surely attest, however, I’ve done my best to make up for lost time.

And now, since I’ve watched so many of these damn videos, I figured it only made sense to count down the best of them. So without further ado, here are the 9 best Rick Rolls of all time.

#9 – Telemarketer Rick Roll

This takes a little while to get going but is relatively clever.

#8 – Telephone Rick Roll

1-985-655-2500

Go ahead, dial that number. I dare you.

I got the people at the office good with this one. Give them a sticky note with the number on it and tell them you took a message. Assuming they are not a seasoned Internet veteran, you’ll have a pretty good chance to get them.

#7 – Sex Tape Rick Roll

There are tons of YouTube videos purporting to be porn that end up playing good ol’ Rick when you click play. This one took some time to produce so it gets the nod.

#6 – Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Rick Roll…with Rick!

Good for Rick for having a sense of humor.

#5 – Peter Griffin Gets Rick Roll’d

The facial expression at the end is priceless; and it’s Peter Griffin, so it has to be funny.

#4 – Subway Rick Roll

This is the most recent of the bunch and breathed new life into Rick Rolling, moving it off of the Internet and into annoyingly enclosed spaces with live singers across the country.

#3 – Barack Roll

I’m a big fan of this one. The dancing is perfect and almost as cheesy as Rick’s in the original, just minus the killer denim. And the mashups to match the lyrics is, well, awesome.

#2 – The Bill O’Reilly Flip Out Rick Roll

This one is just bloody brilliant. It combines two of the greatest viral videos ever. Surely you’ve all seen Bill O’Reilly flipping out back during is Inside Edition days. This Bill O-Rick Roll mashup shows us exactly what it was on the teleprompter that had the angry one so angry.

#1 – The Original

Hey, it’s been viewed over 24 million times. It has to be #1.

And here is the very nicely done infographic I was telling you about earlier. Everything you ever wanted to know about Rick Rolling.

[Source: Online Schools for Urlesque]

While wearing the obligatory Washington Nationals jacket today to while throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Nationals-Phillies game, President Obama made a special point of pulling out his White Sox hat before throwing his pitch.

Watch the video below.

Video: Barack Obama Throws Out First Pitch at Nationals-Phillies Game

And yes, for the record, there is truth to the speculation being started right now on MSF that it is a decidedly good sign for your team’s chances when POTUS wears your hat on Opening Day.

How do I know this? Well, because I am a Chicago baseball fan. We are a partisan and delusional lot…but at least the White Sox have the best pitching rotation in the baseball to back their smack talk up.

Also, let it be stated that I have not watched the video in full. I stopped it right at the point when President Obama donned his Sox cap. I needed a screen shot and really did not need to see is rather unmanly throwing motion.

Why? Well there is no way Obama was going to top this; and besides, he much more at home (like me) on a basketball court.

Via the Tribune:

President Obama heard via email about Mark Buehrle‘s perfect game on his way to the Cleveland airport. In the presidential limousine, Obama immediately cell-phoned Buehrle, who stepped into Jerry Reinsdorf’s office to take the call.

He congratulated him, called it an “unbelievable achievement” and said maybe it happened because he (Obama) wore the White Sox jacket at the All-Star game.

Buehrle became the 18th pitcher in Major League history to throw a perfect game.  Courtesy of Dallas Sports Fans, here is the all-time list of pitchers who have thrown perfect games.

And here is video of Mark Buehrle at the post-game press conference.  Watch at the end, the press conference gets interrupted when Buehrle receives the call from President Obama:

 

The disappointing part is right around the 0:30 mark.

I was a little disappointing in President Obama’s somewhat condescending description of White Sox fans who hate the Cubs and actively root against them, mainly because I fall firmly in this category.  I guess he has to toe the line somewhat and not totally ostracize the larger of the two fan bases in his home city.  Again though, he makes up for it later in the interview by subtlely getting in a few digs anyway.  

I know that deep in his heart of hearts Obama hates the Cubs.  (He even discussed dissolving them as a franchise in this “interview.”) How could he not?  He’s a winner.  If Obama was a Cubs fans, he would have found a way to bartman the election at the last minute and John McCain would be president.

He just needs to work on his pronunciation and throwing ability a little bit.

The Prez delivers (barely),
The Host Does Not,
And a Team To Watch in the Second Half.

—————

After a loooong pre-game show which at times was boring to everyone not from St. Louis, we were all ready to play some ball. However, there were some fun moments I made mental notes of while waiting out the 45-minute pre-game.

– I liked watching the player intros from the reserves that are truly happy to be there and might never be back. Not Jeter or Pujols, who get to do this every year, but guys who are just cracking into the limelight. My old buddy Zack Duke of Pittsburgh didn’t even get to play Tuesday night, so taking off his hat and smiling was his only big moment. Go Waco Midway Panthers! Although I must say Duke and the other reserves gotta feel like second-class citizens after getting introduced completely separate from the starters.

– I’ll always like looking at Sheryl Crow, who still looks hot despite being 47. Oh and she sings too.

– The wide stadium shots showed off the cool Arch and Courthouse design in the outfield grass. And there was some weird new MLB marketing things on banners I didn’t really pay attention to.

– And there’s the First Fan, President Barack Obama, who just gets cooler and cooler, even when he’s dorky. Before the game, he was shown joking around with Pujols and Prince Fielder. “Hey Albert what happened with the derby?” he teased. “In your home park, huh?”

Even though he’s the President, it’s awesome that he has the stones to tease the hulking Pujols and do it in a way that makes Pujols like him even more. In fact, Pujols bailed out Obama once it was time for the first pitch. Obama had said he was trying not to bounce it, and that’s exactly what would have happened if Pujols had not reached way in and scooped it up centimeters before it hit the dirt. (Here’s why you didn’t see the pitch live.)

Obama’s take on how he did: “I did not play organized baseball when I was a kid and so, you know, I think some of these natural moves aren’t so natural to me,” he said.

Here is the video of President Obama throwing out the first pitch at last night’s All Star game in St. Louis:

– Now to Pujols….After checking out in Round Two of the Derby on Monday, the King Cardinal looked to do a bit more in the “real” game. And once Obama left the stage, it was Pujols’ for the taking. I guess he didn’t get the memo.

His fielding error in the first inning allowed the A.L. to score a run. He made some nice plays in the field after that, but he did go 0-3 and his team did lose by that one run. He said he wasn’t affected by all the attention he was receiving

“I won’t use the word ‘stress,’” Pujols said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I wish it could be like this for the rest of my career. I enjoy it. I was so happy for (Ryan Franklin) and Yadi (Molina). And having it here, in our city, I knew our fans were going to receive us with open arms.”

Pujols is still the man, don’t get me wrong. He’s the best hitter in baseball and his career All-Star numbers are still great: 6 for 17 (.353) with three RBIs in eight All-Star Games (seven appearances and six starts).

Still, the experience of serving as centerpiece for the two-day festival left a lasting impression on the two-time NL MVP, who received the loudest and longest applause during pre-game introductions.

“It was almost getting to the point where I got a little bit emotional yesterday and today the way the fans received me, Franklin and Yadi,” Pujols said. “It was pretty special.”

It would have been even more special had he done more to help the NL win its first ASG in 13 tries! So home field advantage in the World Series will be with the AL once again. So as we start the second half, which team will represent the Junior Circuit in October? New York? Boston? How about Seattle?

Zuh?

Okay, the M’s won’t win it all, but they may be in the postseason conversation, which is amazing.

The Ms are being called this year’s Rays. After a 100 loss-season, new skipper Don Wakamatsu has them 4 games over .500, just 4 games behind the Angels in a weak AL West division. They have gotten good pitching surprises from closer David Aardsma (22 saves) and starter Jarrod Washburn (2.96 ERA). Eric Bedard has been good and is finally healthy. Russ Branyan (who?) is having a bounce-back year and should have been an All-Star with his 22 HRs, 49 RBI, and .280 BA.

The M’s that were All-Stars are Wakamatsu, who was in St. Louis as a bench coach, pitcher “King” Felix Hernandez, and 9-time All-Star Ichiro in the outfield. Ichiro went 1-3, Hernandez pitched a perfect sixth inning, and Wakamatsu’s team won.

Not a bad night, even if it belonged to a guy on the losing team.

* – Barack Obama / Albert Pujols photo credit: Chris Lee / St. Louis Post-Dispatch

* – Don Wakamatsu photo credit: AP via SeattlePI.com

———-

Scott Reister is a featured contributor to Midwest Sports Fans, as well as Dallas Sports Fans.

He is a Sports Anchor for the NBC affiliate in the Tri-Cities and Spokane, WA. To learn more about Scott, visit the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Local Sports page on KNDU.com.

To contact Scott: sreister@hotmail.com

It made me think about just how much pressure is on people of President Obama’s stature when they step onto the mound to throw the first pitch.  I know, I know…what he deals with in the White House and as The Most Powerful Man in the World is far more important and pressure-packed over the long haul.  Still, this ‘aint reading off a teleprompter.  This is a physical action, one that is relatively difficult, which is being done in front of millions.  And as the President, you have an image of greatness to uphold.

Bouncing a ceremonial pitch certainly does not project an image of greatness.

I expect President Obama to do well tonight, mainly because this isn’t his first rodeo (as “we” say down here in Texas). Obama threw out a first pitch during the 2005 playoffs, and seems to have the right mindset about the whole process:

Obama is no stranger to the pitching mound.  In 2005, his first year as a senator from Illinois, Obama threw out a first pitch at a White Sox playoff.  The devout Sox fan admitted afterwards that he was feeling the pressure.

“Had I thrown a one-hop, I think, whatever aspirations I had, they would have shown that clip over and over again,” he said in an interview with the Springfield State Journal-Register that year.

“I was more nervous than I was before the Democratic National Convention” the year before, he said.

So he understands the importance of not bouncing the ball, which is his first step to success.  Now he just needs to warm himself up properly and do his best Mark Buehrle impression and exhibit pinpoint control.  (Actually, he doesn’t even need to be pinpoint…just somewhere in the area of Albert Pujols’ mit. He could settle for John Danks’ control.)

Update: Well, he didn’t bounce it…but he came close. It was a nice save by Albert Pujols. Follow the link to watch the video of Barack Obama throwing out the first pitch at the 2009 MLB All Star Game.

But any president throwing out a first pitch will always, for me, harken back to the greatest single presidential first pitch of all time.  And I’d imagine that nearly everyone reading this knows exactly which first pitch I’m talking about, even if the headline and pitcture didn’t give it away at a glance.

Back in 2001, not long after the horrors of 9/11, George Bush threw a perfect strike in Yankee Stadium before Gam3 of the World Series.  This was, almost undoubtedly, one of the high points of his 8-year term in office.  

I’m not trying to get political here, just stating facts: as a nation, we all were behind President Bush then, and his steely resolve in the face of the terrorist attacks inspired a nation. His ability to throw a perfect strike before Game 3, with the world watching and with admitted nerves, was a symbol of his ability to be a steadying and rallying force in the months after 9/11.

What happened in the ensuing years is for everyone to have their own opinions on, but what happened that night proved that George Bush was capable of Rivera-like clutchness at a time when our nation needed it, even if only symbolically.  And it’s fitting that such a moment would come for Bush on the baseball field.  He used his tenure with the Texas Rangers to propel himself into the Texas Governer’s mansion, and we have never had a more unabashed baseball fanatic in the White House.  

So forget politics for a moment and just watch the video below.  It’s a great behind-the-scenes look at the build-up to Bush’s first pitch at the 2001 World Series, and the strike he fired with the lights shining bright.  

Now hopefully President Obama can do White Sox fans and America proud tonight by piping one similarly…right down the middle.

And now some other links from around the web to carry you through the rest of this beautiful Tuesday afternoon. Then it’s back to work for me, then to the airport to pick up KVB, who will be spending a week down here in Dallas.  Get ready for a podcast…

Who Will Shoot the Three? — (by The Zoner at Pippen Ain’t Easy)

Senator Hatch Wants BCS Investigated — (The World According to MoonDog)

15 Horrible Places to Be High — (Hail Mary Jane)

Top Ten Reasons Tony Romo Split from Jessica Simpson — (Gunaxin)

Tribute to Cinema’s Best Slugging — (Screen Junkies)

MLB All Star Game: Making Memories — (Josh Q. Public)

Browns, Maiava Agree to Deal — (Orange & Brown Report)

Former UT Kicker James Wilhoit is now Coach Wilhoit — (SEC Rivals)

A.I.: Memphis or Miami? — (My Sports Rumors)

How moods trigger the panties your GF wears — (Regretful Morning)

The Future for Ric Bucher — (Zoner Sports)

Really Interesting Bob Gibson Take — (Sharapova’s Thigh)

Why the AL West is better than people think — (Dallas Sports Fans)

ESPN’s New Ombudsman: Don Ohlmeyer – (Real Clear Sports)

Bob Costas Didn’t Think Judge Sotomayor Was an All Star — (Hugging Harold Reynolds)

‘Cause it’s root, root, root for that guy’s girlfriend — (Great Moments in Christory)

Thoughts and Observations on Cubs’ 1st Half — (The Friendly Blogfines)

* – George Bush photo credit: ESPN.com

Anyway, we’ve been providing updates on the conference tournaments, the men’s bracket and the women’s bracket, and providing useful tournament picks and upset predictions to help you fill out your bracket.

Of course, why would you listen to a hack like me when the admitted basketball loving POTUS is filling out his own bracket?

If you watched SportsCenter yesterday, you saw the report on Barack Obama filling out his 2009 NCAA Tournament bracket with Andy Katz of ESPN. President Obama did not really go out on any limbs, with #3 seed Syracuse being the only non-#1 or non-#2 seed making his Elite 8. Obama did show the Big Ten a little bit of love, sending Michigan State to the Elite 8, Purdue to the Sweet 16, and picking his home state Illini to overcome Chester Frazier’s injury and win their first round game before bowing out in round two.

Check out the bracket of President Barack Obama for yourself. First, a link to the actual bracket on ESPN.com’s Tournament Challenge, and then an image of the President’s actual hand-written bracket:

LOTD: 2009 NCAA Tournament Bracket of President Barack Obama — (ESPN.com)

• Andy Katz Story: President Barack Obama Picks 2009 NCAA Tournament — (ESPN.com)

It would have been interesting to see how Barack Obama’s bracket would have played out had his brother-in-law Craig Robinson been able to lead Oregon State to a Cinderella victory in the Pac-10 Tournament. Surely he would have picked them for a first round upset, but how far after that?

With a lot of criticism being directed at his administration right now, and obviously a lot of challenges facing he and the country, I’m sure that March Madness will provide a few cherished moments of relaxation for President Obama over the coming weeks.


And how about Andy Katz? He scores the scoop of March Madness so far by getting to report the President’s bracket picks, and also talks to all 65 tournament coaches yesterday. Impressive. I think Andy Katz can officially lay claim to the title of “Hardest Working Man in March Madness.” Well, other than the trainer at North Carolina, who I’m sure is leaving no stone unturned trying to get Ty Lawson back and ready to play as soon as possible.

And by the way, if you have not filled out your bracket yet, or have no home for bracket competition, join in the fun with Midwest Sports Fans. ESPN.com is hosting our 1st Annual Midwest Sports Fans Bracket Challenge, and we’d love to have you join. Prizes are not promised, nor they have been announced, but you’ll definitely get some pub on the site if you win. Follow the link below for directions on how to join the fun:

• Midwest Sports Fans 2009 NCAA Tournament Bracket Challenge

And now, some more links for you on this gorgeous Wednesday afternoon, the eve of the first full day of NCAA Tournament action:

Aaron F’n Boone to have heart surgery — (Josh Q. Public)

Best Sports Blog Name Tourney — (Zoner Sports)

Bob Kraft’s Israeli Football League — (Hugging Harold Reynolds)

NBA Contraction Isn’t the Answer — (NBA FanHouse)

Astros Close to Signing Pedro — (Baseball Prospectus)

Bengals to Consider Beanie Wells with #6 Pick — (Dayton Daily News)

We did not do a Pac 10 Tournament Preview this year at MSF…but Matt did at DSF. Follow the link to DSF’s Pac 10 Tournament Preview.

Okay, I lied.

I said I was done with the college basketball conference tournament previews, but after doing five out of the six BCS conferences I had to add the last one.

So here we are, discussing the Pac-10 Tournament.

Before we get too far into this, a quick preview of the 2009 Pac-10 Mens Basketball Tournament:

• What: 12th Pac 10 Mens Basketball Tournament
• Dates: March 11 – March 14
• Tournament Site: Staples Center — Los Angeles, California
• Official Website: 2009 Pac-10 Tournament
• StubHub Tickets: 2009 Pac 10 Basketball Tournament Tickets
• StubHub Tickets: 2009 NCAA Tournament Tickets

Is it just me or does the Pac-10 seem especially irrelevant this year? I am a die-hard Big Ten fan, and obviously the Big Ten has taken its fair share of flack in recent years — and deservedly so. But I can tell you right now that unless the matchups are just ridiculous, I doubt I will have an Pac-10 teams advancing past Round 2 in the NCAA Tournament.

And while that may have more to do with my lack of knowledge and exposure to the Pac-10 than it does with any in-depth analysis, it goes to prove my point that the Pac-10 has seemed especially under-exposed and irrelevant this season.

Take a look at the most recent college basketball rankings. Washington is the highest rated Pac-10 team at #16. Then UCLA and Arizona State check in at #’s 19 and 20. By way of contrast, the Big Ten has Michigan State, Purdue, and Illinois in the Top 25, at #8, #19, and #23 respectively. And while the differences are not huge, the Big Ten does at least have one team in the top 10.

But, the Big Ten does not have a team like UCLA that has been to three straight Final Fours. The Big Ten also does not have President Obama’s brother-in-law coaching one of its teams.

So maybe I am just biased and Midwest-centric and the Pac-10 isn’t that down this year. But what did you expect? This site isn’t called Pacific Coast Sports Fans. At least I’m trying to expand my horizons and learn more about the other conference tournaments going on this week.

For those interested, the schedule and bracket for the 2009 Pac 10 Tournament is below. If you are thinking about attending any of the games, here is a useful link to the StubHub page for Pac 10 Tournament tickets. You should be able to find as good a price there as anywhere:

2009 Pac 10 Basketball Tournament Tickets

(Note: Follow the link for a printable 2009 Pac 10 Mens Basketball Tournament Bracket.)

The Pac-10 Tournament is a lot like the Big 10 and Big 12 Tournaments in that there is not a lot of history. The Pac-10 actually started their conference tournament before the Big 10 and Big 12, back in 1987, but the first iteration only lasted four years because of poor attendance and coach opposition. It came back in 2002 and will be in place until at least 2012, with all future Pac-10 Tournaments scheduled at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Here is your breakdown of the past champions, tournament MVPs, and tourney sites:

(Note: Follow the link for more background on the Pac-10 Tournament)

And with that, our week-long look at the major conference postseason mens basketball tournaments is complete. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed this impromptu series of posts and have learned a little something about these March Madness appetizers that we will treated to this week.

The conference tournaments always play a huge hand in shaking up the final Field of 64 brackets, and always seems to provide ample drama and excitement. I how I can’t wait for them to kick off and build the momentum for Selection Sunday.

Just watched the best Super Bowl I can remember. So did 98.7 million other viewers across the country, making it the highest-viewed Super Bowl ever. XLIII’s ratings haul was second to only (you guessed it) that unbeatable 1983 MASH finale I always hear about and have never seen.

Pittsburgh’s amazing win was the culmination of a thrilling 12-team playoff, with surprises and high-ratings at every turn.
Don’t you think the college football power brokers would see the eye-popping profitability of that format and at least consider switching to a playoff system?

Not a chance.

College bowl game ratings for a single game will never approach that of a Super Sunday, but when there are 34 bowl games, including five Bowl Championship Series games, it’s okay if none of them are “super.”

Collectively, everyone in the system is getting their piece of the pie, and that pie is getting larger and larger. As ridiculous as the current system is, it has made the decision-makers and participating schools stinking rich.

As much as it pains me to do it, I’ll play devil’s advocate and tell you why the common arguments are not enough to change college football for the better. The response to each argument for a playoff? Money. (For more detailed ratings and revenue info click here.)

POINT: Without a playoff, there’s not a true national champion.

COUNTERPOINT: Most fans don’t believe that. More and more are watching, validating the system’s authority and perverse logic. The five BCS bowl games averaged 17.6 million viewers each, up 14 percent from last year. That’s a total of 88 million viewers, more than a lot of Super Bowl games. And that’s just the BCS games. If the TV says a team won the national title game, we believe it. Who do you remember more from 2004? LSU or USC? LSU, because they won the BCS title game. USC won the AP vote.

POINT: It’s not fair to the smaller schools. Boise State went undefeated and played in the Poinsettia Bowl!

COUNTERPOINT: The smaller schools are the ones that profit the MOST from this wacky system. For every small school that gets denied a BCS title shot, there are 30 more getting a big payoff and a national TV audience. 34 bowl games. 68 teams. It’s a very profitable pity party and everyone over six wins is invited. Bowl payouts ran an estimated $240 million last season and have totaled 1.84 billion over the last 10 seasons. Over the next 10 years, bowls are projected to pay $2.5 billion to the teams and conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision who participate. Any change in postseason format would jeopardize the appeal of the lesser bowls. School presidents won’t rock that boat, especially when it’s a boatload of money.

POINT: Even President Obama wants to change the system!

COUNTERPOINT: In this case, it’s change we can’t believe in.

College football, which makes its partners tons of money, has broadcast commitments from every major media sports outlet: ESPN on ABC, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, NBC Sports, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN360.com, the Big Ten Network, CBS College Sports Network, NFL Network, Fox Sports Net. Fox’s current BCS TV contract runs through 2010. ESPN has acquired rights from 2011-2014.

That’s a lot of standing contracts with a lot of people. Try changing that.

Furthermore, each bowl game has dozens, if not hundreds, of employees working year-round to maximize attendance and profits. An entire industry has been born from the lack of a college football playoff. A system that frustrates Joe Q. Fan has the decision-makers laughing all the way to the bank. Bowl game attendance was an all-time high last year at 85 percent combined stadium capacity.

College football fans would love to see a playoff, but we don’t matter. Money matters. So enjoy the bowl games next year, it is football after all. But the most competitive, meaningful bowl on my viewing list will always be the Super Bowl.

Scott Reister is a featured contributor to Midwest Sports Fans, as well as Dallas Sports Fans.

He is a Sports Anchor for the NBC affiliate in the Tri-Cities and Spokane, WA. To learn more about Scott, visit the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Local Sports page on KNDU.com.

To contact Scott: sreister@hotmail.com

This highlight of the night for this White Sox fan, however, was President Obama asking U.S. troops from Illinois Army National Guard 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Unit where their true allegiances lie: White Sox or Cubs?

President Obama’s questioning occured during his stop at the Commander-in-Chief Ball. The troops went one-by-one introducing themselves and President Obama asked them “White Sox or Cubs?” And one-by-one, to no Chicago sports fans’ surprise and to the dismay of our new President and official First White Sox fan, “Cubs” was the answer.

Not until the fifth or sixth person, a young lady, did we hear “White Sox” answered.

For White Sox fans, the moment was a great reminder that we share an affinity for the South Siders with our new President. It was also a reminder that absolutely nothing can defeat the ridiculous love affair that Chicago, and foolish baseball fans nationwide, have with the lovable losers. For goodness sakes, what more do you need to give up on being a Cubs fandom? You have no chance at a World Series crown, your team is renowned for being one of the losingest franchises in American sports, and even your own President is a White Sox fan.

Come on people. Seriously.

As we usher in this new era of change, maybe one of the changes can be an end to the ridiculous nationwide love affair with the Cubs. As I have always maintained, sucking — and being annually either terrible or choke artisits — should not be a criteria for idolatry. As we move into a new era of accountability and pragmatism, ushered in by Barack Obama, maybe baseball fans will begin to hold the Cubs accountable for 100 years of ineptitude.

Okay, so maybe not. But guess what Cubs fans? The White Sox have the better team right now, we have a World Series title this century, and now we have the most powerful man in the world as our biggest fan.

As Matt Damon famously said in Good Will Hunting: “How ya like them apples?”

(Update: Just found video over at The Huffington Post)