I just realized that this will be the second straight blog post in-which I open with the phrase "you ever have" but that's ok.
You ever have a day that you look forward to that is usually pretty awesome from beginning to end? It doesn't necessarily have to be a weekend day or anything--just a day with a groovy routine that you can't wait to experience even if you know how the entire day will go.
Mondays have become that day for me. I know that sounds pretty strange to a lot of people. I mean, Mondays are usually dreaded by most. "Looks like someone has a case of the Mondays." But in my line of work, Mondays aren't scary. I'm rarely, I mean, very rarely, off on the weekend and Mondays are just another day in the routine for me.
Anywho, at work, Monday is generally the busiest day of the week and goes by pretty fast. I work until 8pm and as soon as I'm done closing up shop, I head immediately to my local bowling alley to partake in my new, favorite passion: Bowling.
Monday night at this particular alley is "Dollar game night" from 8-10. You only pay $3 for shoes and each game that you bowl is a dollar. Bowling has become one of my favorite things to do and I use the Monday night dollar games to both practice for the league I'm in and de-stress. I normally bowl about 5 games and sometimes they don't even charge me for the shoes. Bowling can be a pretty inexpensive hobby if you don't become obsessed and you know when the cheap nights are.
I normally finish up around 9:30 and then head home. I get home just in time to turn on CBS and watch my new favorite show: Hawaii Five-0.
It's the updated version of the original classic that was created by Leonard Freeman and starred Jack Lord and company. It aired on CBS from 1968-1980 and was one of my all-time favorite television programs.
When I heard that they were going to make a new version, naturally, I was skeptical. I mean, how could they improve upon the greatest cop show of all-time? However, I liked it pretty much from the first episode, and soon started watching it every Monday.
Is it as good as the original? Well, the first is always better, but this show is pretty entertaining, with really good acting. Beano Cook--a huge Five-0 fan himself--said the original cast was made up of actors whereas the new group is made up of models. Well, it is true that the new cast of Hawaii Five-O is quite attractive, but that shouldn't detract from their acting ability. Obviously, the new version has a lot to live up to, but the fact that they made it 30 years after the Jack Lord version went off the air helps keep things fresh. Had they tried to remake Five-0 in 1982 with a different cast, that would probably have failed.
So, that's my current Monday routine, and if you can't get a hold of me for some reason, there's a good chance I'm either trying to bowl my 2nd 200 game or watching Mcgarrett, Danno, Chin Ho, and Kono try and catch the bad guy of the week.
Lastly, since this is a sports blog, I wanted to share the most recent stuff I've posted on Behind the Steel Curtain.
What was your most depressing loss as a sports fan? Well mine was the 1992 NLCS.
Ever been accused of a crime you did not commit? Well that's kind of how I felt when some people mistakenly thought I was a Raiders fan..
Remember how gut-wrenching yesterday's Penguins 8-2 home playoff loss was? Well, Heinz Field has had its share of playoff games in-which the Steelers fell behind big and I wrote a little something about that.
Finally, I attended my first arena football game last week and shared some thoughts on it.
Happy Easter!!!!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
The Penguins might be in trouble
Ever have a game where the home-team is getting beat so badly that you start rooting for the worst defeat possible just for the heck of it? That's how I was feeling when I was listening to the Penguins' 8-2 thrashing at the hands of the Tamp Bay Lightning yesterday afternoon. The Penguins were trying to clinch the series in just 5-games. I think everyone assumed that since the game was at the Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh would just have to show up and the series would be over.
But Tampa had other plans and by the end of the 2nd period, it was 5-0 and Marc Andre Fleury was out of goal. Any thoughts of a miraculous comeback were put to bed pretty quickly in the last period when the Lightning scored 2 more goals and were up, 7-0. This is when I was openly rooting for a double-digit defeat. I mean, they were going to lose, why not do so with some gusto, right?
Of course, it's easy for me to say that because I'm not a huge hockey fan. It had to be rough for true Pens fans because that wasn't just a fluke. The Lightning have played the Penguins pretty evenly in the series. Just because Pittsburgh was up 3-1 in the series heading into yesterday's game didn't mean the Pens were dominating.
Game 1 was scoreless heading into the 3rd period, game 2 was dominated by the Lightning, game 3 was 3-2 in favor of the Pens, and game 4 went into double-overtime.
A bounce here or there and Tampa could have been the team heading into game 5 with a 3-1 lead.
Yes, even after yesterday's meltdown, the Penguins are still up 3-2, but now it appears that Tampa's weapons, Stamkos and St. Louis, are getting hot. The Penguins, on the other hand, have been without their major firepower since mid-season. They've been relying on the likes of Tyler Kennedy and Aaron Asham to score key goals. That was fine as long as Fleury was dominating, but now after yesterday, one has to wonder if his confidence will be rattled for the remainder of the series.
If Tampa's key guys remain hot and Fleury goes into a slump, the rest of this first round series could go a lot like yesterday's game.
But Tampa had other plans and by the end of the 2nd period, it was 5-0 and Marc Andre Fleury was out of goal. Any thoughts of a miraculous comeback were put to bed pretty quickly in the last period when the Lightning scored 2 more goals and were up, 7-0. This is when I was openly rooting for a double-digit defeat. I mean, they were going to lose, why not do so with some gusto, right?
Of course, it's easy for me to say that because I'm not a huge hockey fan. It had to be rough for true Pens fans because that wasn't just a fluke. The Lightning have played the Penguins pretty evenly in the series. Just because Pittsburgh was up 3-1 in the series heading into yesterday's game didn't mean the Pens were dominating.
Game 1 was scoreless heading into the 3rd period, game 2 was dominated by the Lightning, game 3 was 3-2 in favor of the Pens, and game 4 went into double-overtime.
A bounce here or there and Tampa could have been the team heading into game 5 with a 3-1 lead.
Yes, even after yesterday's meltdown, the Penguins are still up 3-2, but now it appears that Tampa's weapons, Stamkos and St. Louis, are getting hot. The Penguins, on the other hand, have been without their major firepower since mid-season. They've been relying on the likes of Tyler Kennedy and Aaron Asham to score key goals. That was fine as long as Fleury was dominating, but now after yesterday, one has to wonder if his confidence will be rattled for the remainder of the series.
If Tampa's key guys remain hot and Fleury goes into a slump, the rest of this first round series could go a lot like yesterday's game.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
"It's playoff-time. Where's the buzz, Pittsburgh?"
I was listening to sports talk radio last night and the host mentioned that he didn't sense the usual buzz from Penguins fans the night before the start of their team's first round playoff match-up against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
I quickly changed the station, not because I was afraid of finding out why there wasn't much of a buzz, but because I seem to hear this topic brought up on the eve of the playoffs in every sport.
Whether it's the Pitt Panthers preparing for the NCAA tournament or even the Steelers set to start the NFL playoffs, radio hosts are always questioning our lack of excitement. What do they want us to do? Have a parade before the playoffs start?
Just like with athletes, fans don't want their enthusiasm to peak too soon, especially in the NHL playoffs where your favorite team must win 4-series and could play as many as 28 games. You want the excitement to build with each round. I remember back to the Steelers memorable march to their 5th Lombardi trophy. At the beginning of the team's 8-game winning-streak, the fans weren't necessarily acting giddy, but as time went along and it looked like something special was about to happen, the enthusiasm of the fans rose to a fever-pitch.
This is Pittsburgh. We're used to winning. We've witnessed 3 Super Bowls and 2 Stanley Cup Finals over the last 6 years. You think we're going to go nuts and wear ourselves out before the first round starts? That's what rookies do. We've learned to pace ourselves.
Besides, if there was ever a time when it was okay for Pens fans to be cautious it's this season. The team is heading into the postseason without its two best players-Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
This is just a guess, but I think the fans want to tread lightly before investing too much emotion in their team's quest to bring home Lord Stanley.
I quickly changed the station, not because I was afraid of finding out why there wasn't much of a buzz, but because I seem to hear this topic brought up on the eve of the playoffs in every sport.
Whether it's the Pitt Panthers preparing for the NCAA tournament or even the Steelers set to start the NFL playoffs, radio hosts are always questioning our lack of excitement. What do they want us to do? Have a parade before the playoffs start?
Just like with athletes, fans don't want their enthusiasm to peak too soon, especially in the NHL playoffs where your favorite team must win 4-series and could play as many as 28 games. You want the excitement to build with each round. I remember back to the Steelers memorable march to their 5th Lombardi trophy. At the beginning of the team's 8-game winning-streak, the fans weren't necessarily acting giddy, but as time went along and it looked like something special was about to happen, the enthusiasm of the fans rose to a fever-pitch.
This is Pittsburgh. We're used to winning. We've witnessed 3 Super Bowls and 2 Stanley Cup Finals over the last 6 years. You think we're going to go nuts and wear ourselves out before the first round starts? That's what rookies do. We've learned to pace ourselves.
Besides, if there was ever a time when it was okay for Pens fans to be cautious it's this season. The team is heading into the postseason without its two best players-Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
This is just a guess, but I think the fans want to tread lightly before investing too much emotion in their team's quest to bring home Lord Stanley.
A little Tony review
Haven't done one of these in a while:
*I had my first verbal confrontation with a customer on Monday at the business I help manage. That evening around 6pm, the cashier called me to the front because a customer wanted to return an item. The man had purchased a pork fillet earlier in the day and discovered that it was bad. Fair enough. Sometimes meat goes bad, right? It's a perishable item. I gave him his money back ($9.37) and thought things would be done and over with, but that's when the fun began. The second I handed him his change, he said, "It was $10 something!" Of course, it wasn't. The price was clearly marked on the package. He then proceeded to follow me to the back of the store and started cursing like a sailor: "That was old meat. The was f**d up. You better not sell that to someone else." What a moron. I walked to the back and remarked on what an a-hole the guy was being. A few minutes later, the girl working the deli told me the guy wanted to see me. I asked him what he needed. He said, "You've wasted a good deal of my f***in time today. Unless you want me to raise a stink over the bad meat, you'll give me this $14.94 package of steaks for the price of $9.37." I told him I couldn't do that and he decided to throw the steaks back in the meat case, and that's when I had had enough. I told him if he wanted to raise a stink about it, go right ahead but he had no business acting like a jerk, and the argument ensued. He called me every name in the book and was basically implying that we were intentionally selling bad meat. "I could have been sick. You're a f**kin a-hole, etc, etc." Wow. It's amazing how so many people walk around with this sense of entitlement just because they are spending money. Newsflash: You're entitled to great service and good quality. That's it. Sometimes, the quality can be bad, but when that happens, you're still only entitled to get your money back and an apology. You're not entitled to act like a douche-bag and get verbally abusive. There have been times over the years when I really wanted to give it back to a customer who was giving me the business, but they never really gave me probable cause. Monday night was the first time I ever had someone act in such a way and I wasn't about to take it. It was certainly a watershed moment for me and a banner day and I do not regret a single second of it other than maybe not telling him what I really thought of him. So next time you're out shopping somewhere or dining at a restaurant and maybe you don't feel the service or quality is up to par, it's okay to complain, but it is not okay to belittle someone or act like a fool. The end.
*I went to the Pirates home-opener with my girlfriend last Thursday and it was a very fun experience. The game wasn't great (the Pirates lost 7-1) but it was a beautiful day. Early April games are generally hit-or-miss in-terms of weather, but it was gorgeous and it was almost nice enough to break out the shorts. We even got to see some drunk-idiot run onto the field. It was a first for yours truly. After putting on a few drunken moves, the security guards finally tackled the guy and took him away (James Harrison would have been proud).
*The only bad part about the day (other than the loss) was the traffic jam afterwards. Not surprising that there would be a traffic jam after the Pirates home-opener, but I unfortunately made things much worse due to my horrible sense of direction. We parked a couple of miles from PNC park at the Humane Society. It's near the West End Bridge and pretty ideal since I don't live too far from the bridge, and other than some traffic, I didn't think it would take too long to get home. However, I had to make a left out of the lot in-order to get to the bridge, but the traffic was bumper-to-bumper and I decided it might be a better idea to turn right and see if I could avoid some of that mess. I thought wrong. After driving around the North Side for about 15 minutes, it became pretty obvious that there were no other alternatives so I had to get back on the road I should have turned left on in the first place. Instead of being at point A on said road, I found myself way back at about point X. You talk about frustration. There was a point where we did not move for literally 30 minutes. It was crazy. I had a volleyball game to get to and naturally, it was an early game and my anger boiled over to the point that I was pounding my own car door. In total, it took about 80 minutes to get home. I did make my game, although I think I frightened my woman.
*Speaking of volleyball, this is my first season back after taking the Winter off and I think I've finally shaken off most of the rust. The main reason I decided to take a break was because of injuries. I've had a chronically bad shoulder for years and last Summer it really started acting up to the point where trying to hit a volleyball was almost unbearable. Also, I sprained my foot in a game last Fall and it just took forever to heal. I wasn't too worried about the foot. I figured it would just be a matter of time for that to get better. My real concern was with my shoulder. It was starting to bother me to the point where even day-to-day tasks were becoming quite painful. I wondered if maybe my volleyball playing days were coming to an end. But then something weird happened. You see, I also enjoy bowling and one day back in February, I decided to change my style in order to improve my game. For about two years, I had my own unique-style of bowling that not only was sometimes effective, but highly entertaining (I've been complimented on the entertaining aspect at parties). It had been described as a side-wind motion, a kung fu approach, everything under the sun. However, I could only reach a certain level with that style and one day in February, I bowled an 85. I couldn't believe it. I thought I was making progress and I went and bowled an 85? That's when I decided to start bowling more traditionally. I wanted to progress, not regress. After I started bowling that way, I noticed that my shoulder felt looser, and I didn't have the chronic kink in the left side of my neck. It was so bad for a while there right after New Years, if I wanted to turn my head to the left, I'd have to twist my entire body. Now I could actually turn my head and look left. I guess whipping the ball out there like so many people do is really good for your shoulder, at least mine. Anyway, in conclusion, my left shoulder still isn't the greatest, but it hasn't been 100% for years. However, I feel as good as I did before it started giving me trouble last Summer and now I'm able to play like I did before.
*As far as bowling goes, thanks to my new style, I've finally started to improve and my average has been increasing. But just like with any sport you play, the second you start to get too-confident about things, you get knocked back down to Earth. I was on a roll (at least for me) in the PSL bowling league I belong to and before last Sunday's match, my average stood at 147. I'm used to 120 or, at best 130, and 147 just looked really awesome on paper. But last week, I managed to knock ten-points off my average by averaging about a 115 over the three games that I bowled. Oh well. Back to the drawing board. Even legendary bowlers like Linda Johnston and Josh Lehrman bowl bad games every once in a while. Heck, Tiger Woods has been in a golf slump for over a year. Everyone has bad days.
*Who would have thought that something that I decided to do on a whim would become such a passion of mine? And unlike volleyball and flag football, where I fret over every little mistake I make, even when I bowl a bad game or three, it's still just a tremendous amount of fun. I absolutely enjoy being at the bowling alley.
*Oh well, that's about it for today. Later.
*I had my first verbal confrontation with a customer on Monday at the business I help manage. That evening around 6pm, the cashier called me to the front because a customer wanted to return an item. The man had purchased a pork fillet earlier in the day and discovered that it was bad. Fair enough. Sometimes meat goes bad, right? It's a perishable item. I gave him his money back ($9.37) and thought things would be done and over with, but that's when the fun began. The second I handed him his change, he said, "It was $10 something!" Of course, it wasn't. The price was clearly marked on the package. He then proceeded to follow me to the back of the store and started cursing like a sailor: "That was old meat. The was f**d up. You better not sell that to someone else." What a moron. I walked to the back and remarked on what an a-hole the guy was being. A few minutes later, the girl working the deli told me the guy wanted to see me. I asked him what he needed. He said, "You've wasted a good deal of my f***in time today. Unless you want me to raise a stink over the bad meat, you'll give me this $14.94 package of steaks for the price of $9.37." I told him I couldn't do that and he decided to throw the steaks back in the meat case, and that's when I had had enough. I told him if he wanted to raise a stink about it, go right ahead but he had no business acting like a jerk, and the argument ensued. He called me every name in the book and was basically implying that we were intentionally selling bad meat. "I could have been sick. You're a f**kin a-hole, etc, etc." Wow. It's amazing how so many people walk around with this sense of entitlement just because they are spending money. Newsflash: You're entitled to great service and good quality. That's it. Sometimes, the quality can be bad, but when that happens, you're still only entitled to get your money back and an apology. You're not entitled to act like a douche-bag and get verbally abusive. There have been times over the years when I really wanted to give it back to a customer who was giving me the business, but they never really gave me probable cause. Monday night was the first time I ever had someone act in such a way and I wasn't about to take it. It was certainly a watershed moment for me and a banner day and I do not regret a single second of it other than maybe not telling him what I really thought of him. So next time you're out shopping somewhere or dining at a restaurant and maybe you don't feel the service or quality is up to par, it's okay to complain, but it is not okay to belittle someone or act like a fool. The end.
*I went to the Pirates home-opener with my girlfriend last Thursday and it was a very fun experience. The game wasn't great (the Pirates lost 7-1) but it was a beautiful day. Early April games are generally hit-or-miss in-terms of weather, but it was gorgeous and it was almost nice enough to break out the shorts. We even got to see some drunk-idiot run onto the field. It was a first for yours truly. After putting on a few drunken moves, the security guards finally tackled the guy and took him away (James Harrison would have been proud).
*The only bad part about the day (other than the loss) was the traffic jam afterwards. Not surprising that there would be a traffic jam after the Pirates home-opener, but I unfortunately made things much worse due to my horrible sense of direction. We parked a couple of miles from PNC park at the Humane Society. It's near the West End Bridge and pretty ideal since I don't live too far from the bridge, and other than some traffic, I didn't think it would take too long to get home. However, I had to make a left out of the lot in-order to get to the bridge, but the traffic was bumper-to-bumper and I decided it might be a better idea to turn right and see if I could avoid some of that mess. I thought wrong. After driving around the North Side for about 15 minutes, it became pretty obvious that there were no other alternatives so I had to get back on the road I should have turned left on in the first place. Instead of being at point A on said road, I found myself way back at about point X. You talk about frustration. There was a point where we did not move for literally 30 minutes. It was crazy. I had a volleyball game to get to and naturally, it was an early game and my anger boiled over to the point that I was pounding my own car door. In total, it took about 80 minutes to get home. I did make my game, although I think I frightened my woman.
*Speaking of volleyball, this is my first season back after taking the Winter off and I think I've finally shaken off most of the rust. The main reason I decided to take a break was because of injuries. I've had a chronically bad shoulder for years and last Summer it really started acting up to the point where trying to hit a volleyball was almost unbearable. Also, I sprained my foot in a game last Fall and it just took forever to heal. I wasn't too worried about the foot. I figured it would just be a matter of time for that to get better. My real concern was with my shoulder. It was starting to bother me to the point where even day-to-day tasks were becoming quite painful. I wondered if maybe my volleyball playing days were coming to an end. But then something weird happened. You see, I also enjoy bowling and one day back in February, I decided to change my style in order to improve my game. For about two years, I had my own unique-style of bowling that not only was sometimes effective, but highly entertaining (I've been complimented on the entertaining aspect at parties). It had been described as a side-wind motion, a kung fu approach, everything under the sun. However, I could only reach a certain level with that style and one day in February, I bowled an 85. I couldn't believe it. I thought I was making progress and I went and bowled an 85? That's when I decided to start bowling more traditionally. I wanted to progress, not regress. After I started bowling that way, I noticed that my shoulder felt looser, and I didn't have the chronic kink in the left side of my neck. It was so bad for a while there right after New Years, if I wanted to turn my head to the left, I'd have to twist my entire body. Now I could actually turn my head and look left. I guess whipping the ball out there like so many people do is really good for your shoulder, at least mine. Anyway, in conclusion, my left shoulder still isn't the greatest, but it hasn't been 100% for years. However, I feel as good as I did before it started giving me trouble last Summer and now I'm able to play like I did before.
*As far as bowling goes, thanks to my new style, I've finally started to improve and my average has been increasing. But just like with any sport you play, the second you start to get too-confident about things, you get knocked back down to Earth. I was on a roll (at least for me) in the PSL bowling league I belong to and before last Sunday's match, my average stood at 147. I'm used to 120 or, at best 130, and 147 just looked really awesome on paper. But last week, I managed to knock ten-points off my average by averaging about a 115 over the three games that I bowled. Oh well. Back to the drawing board. Even legendary bowlers like Linda Johnston and Josh Lehrman bowl bad games every once in a while. Heck, Tiger Woods has been in a golf slump for over a year. Everyone has bad days.
*Who would have thought that something that I decided to do on a whim would become such a passion of mine? And unlike volleyball and flag football, where I fret over every little mistake I make, even when I bowl a bad game or three, it's still just a tremendous amount of fun. I absolutely enjoy being at the bowling alley.
*Oh well, that's about it for today. Later.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Getting excited over the Pirates. Is that a good idea?
Right at this very moment, the Pittsburgh Pirates are 3-1, and that really shouldn't make anyone go out and buy playoff tickets, but that doesn't mean we can't be a little bit excited, right?
On his blog this morning, Bob Smizik pointed out that decent starts for the Pirates have been fairly common in recent years and that we shouldn't read too much into this modest 3-1 start to the season.
It is true that the team has given us some false hope at the beginning of recent seasons, but those teams were made up of players that weren't expected to be with the team for the long-haul. Players like Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, and Jason Bay were all targeted as key pieces to be used in Neal Huntington's plan to replenish a barren farm system.
The roster of the Pittsburgh Pirates changed considerably from April to September in each of the last three seasons and with that kind if instability, a significant drop-off in performance by season's end has to be expected.
However, this year could be a different story because there really shouldn't be any wholesale changes to the roster. Over the past two seasons, Andrew Mccutchen, Jose Tabata, Neil Walker, and Pedro Alvarez have been added to the big league roster and are making contributions on a daily-basis.
These are four guys with great upside if there's ever a season in-which we should see improvement from beginning to end, it's 2011. I'm not saying the Pittsburgh Pirates will compete for a division title, but I'd be shocked if this team didn't improve by at least a dozen games this season.
Call me crazy, but I think they have some bona fide Major Leaguers on this roster and this could be the year Pirates fans finally have reason to believe.
On his blog this morning, Bob Smizik pointed out that decent starts for the Pirates have been fairly common in recent years and that we shouldn't read too much into this modest 3-1 start to the season.
It is true that the team has given us some false hope at the beginning of recent seasons, but those teams were made up of players that weren't expected to be with the team for the long-haul. Players like Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, and Jason Bay were all targeted as key pieces to be used in Neal Huntington's plan to replenish a barren farm system.
The roster of the Pittsburgh Pirates changed considerably from April to September in each of the last three seasons and with that kind if instability, a significant drop-off in performance by season's end has to be expected.
However, this year could be a different story because there really shouldn't be any wholesale changes to the roster. Over the past two seasons, Andrew Mccutchen, Jose Tabata, Neil Walker, and Pedro Alvarez have been added to the big league roster and are making contributions on a daily-basis.
These are four guys with great upside if there's ever a season in-which we should see improvement from beginning to end, it's 2011. I'm not saying the Pittsburgh Pirates will compete for a division title, but I'd be shocked if this team didn't improve by at least a dozen games this season.
Call me crazy, but I think they have some bona fide Major Leaguers on this roster and this could be the year Pirates fans finally have reason to believe.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Butler is in the National title game for the second year in a row. Does this ease the pain if you're a Pitt fan?
I think it's safe to say that Butler was underseeded as the 8th seed in this year's Men's basketball NCAA Southeast region. They knocked off a pretty decent Old Dominion team in the first round, then they went on to upset the Panthers, who were seeded number 1, in the second round, the Wisconsin Badgers, seeded 4th, in the 3rd round, and then the Florida Gators who were the 2nd seed in the Southeast Region Finals to make it to their second-straight Final Four.
Tonight, in the national semi-finals, they may have faced their weakest opponent in VCU, a team that had to participate in a play-in game and were the 11th seed out of the Southwest bracket.
The Butler Bulldogs have advanced to their second-straight National Title game and will face the winner of the UConn-Kentucky matchup.
So, if you're a Pitt fan, does this take the sting out of that disappointing loss two weeks ago or does this make you even more disgusted and wondering "What could have been?"
I personally feel that Butler should have been seeded higher and when I saw that they were a potential second round matchup for the Panthers, I was a bit concerned. Now that they've advanced as far as they have, I actually feel a little better about Pitt's early exit. I don't think it's as huge an upset as it initially appeared to be.
Tonight, in the national semi-finals, they may have faced their weakest opponent in VCU, a team that had to participate in a play-in game and were the 11th seed out of the Southwest bracket.
The Butler Bulldogs have advanced to their second-straight National Title game and will face the winner of the UConn-Kentucky matchup.
So, if you're a Pitt fan, does this take the sting out of that disappointing loss two weeks ago or does this make you even more disgusted and wondering "What could have been?"
I personally feel that Butler should have been seeded higher and when I saw that they were a potential second round matchup for the Panthers, I was a bit concerned. Now that they've advanced as far as they have, I actually feel a little better about Pitt's early exit. I don't think it's as huge an upset as it initially appeared to be.
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