text:
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Post-Race Comments: Sprint Cup Series On ESPN From Atlanta
ESPN moved the Infield Pit Studio and Tech Garage down the road, but most of the production team stayed for the Tuesday race coverage.
There was no pre-race show for this event. The highlight of pre-race activity was the Grand Marshal saying "Gentlemen, spark your engines!" That was a classic.
Allen Bestwick was in the TV booth with Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree. On pit road were Jamie Little, Dave Burns, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch.
The stripped-down telecast resulted in a show focused much more on the racing and less on the hype and 11 on-air voices we normally hear. Bestwick kept things on the right track through a rain delay and several awkward incidents on the track.
The TV team sat through one red flag for rain, but hung in there and brought the telecast home before 4PM ET. While the information offered from the booth was accurate, the telecast started with the same type of focus on the early race leaders and the lack of an overall perspective on the field.
Late in the race, ESPN stayed commercial free for a significant amount of time. The rumor was that the network was going to practice with side-by-side commercial breaks in the second half of the telecast, but that did not happen.
The finish coverage focused on the two leaders crossing the line, but never cut back to watch the others on the lead lap racing. Announcers tried to reference it and after the race the drivers talked about it, but once again fans watching on TV never saw it. Tony Stewart fans were not happy.
Post-race consisted of interviews of tired drivers by tired reporters. It was a surprise to see a feature on Jeff Gordon's record run in full after the race. It was a long and extended race weekend and perhaps all parties are just happy it's over.
We invite your comments on the TV coverage of the Sprint Cup Series race from Atlanta on ESPN. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below.
31 comments:
- w17scott said...
Mr Editor -
Sadly the production team faded from a strong commercial-free run to the finish into same-ole, same-ole race end ...how important was it to see crew chief kiss baby and son ...and again to see 41 other race teams and hundreds of team members dissed when all cars running were not shown crossing the finish line ...when will NASCAR choose to properly respect those who 'make it happen' ...just a small gesture to show all cars that finish the race ...patience can only last so long
- September 6, 2011 at 4:29 PM
- WB said...
I don't always understand many of the complaints I read on this site regarding how any of the three TV partners present a race. (I particularly don't see why everyone gets in an uproar over having to see all the cars cross the finish line.)
Nevertheless, I think it's obvious that "less is more". Not having the infield pit studio, and the extra voices/opinions that go with it made today's race much more listenable. I don't know whose big idea it was to add more commentators, but I've always thought it was a mistake, and days like today with the stripped-down broadcast prove it. Do we have to race on Monday or Tuesday from now it to make these races tolerable?
- September 6, 2011 at 4:36 PM
- OSBORNK said...
The coverage started out well and the "less is more" program was working well. However, as the day wore on, both the commentators and director apparently tired and began mailing it in. The coverage reverted to the same coverage we have grown tired of and they never recovered. A great beginning evolved into a disappointing end. If the rain had stopped and the wind had calmed down, I would have found something else to do.
- September 6, 2011 at 4:51 PM
- Anonymous said...
I'm both surprised and pleased that they got the entire race in. The never ending changes to the track raised havoc with the teams. Many in the front at the start wound up in the back and vice versa. I know that's the challenge, but it certainly scrambled where people had been running. In general, the booth was solid as it has been since AB,DJ and Andy stepped in. The pit reporters on all the Nascar networks have an anoying habit of embelishing how well even the driver with dismal results is doing. They try to make it sound like each driver/team has a stellar record and just got a raw deal during this race. I don't notice that with other sports. I wasn't the least bit surprised that the booth had no comment after clint Bowyer unloaded on Montoya. No one in media will criticize the little punk. I thought for sure that Bowyer would wreck him when he came back onto the track. Glad the race is over.
- September 6, 2011 at 4:54 PM
- BToS JD said...
Throwback TV NASCAR broadcast with modern technology. I loved it.
- September 6, 2011 at 4:58 PM
- Bobby O said...
I'm not a Smoke fan in general, but if I was I would be pissed as you stated JD.
As a race fan, I am pissed!
How can NO one in the broadcast notice five cars fading, and one car passing them all to get third place?
In general I wish ALL races would be rain delayed till Monday or Tuesday. When the useless rest of the broadcast team leaves, we get a decent "race" broadcast.
How does espn not see this???
- September 6, 2011 at 5:09 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
WB, because the race is NOT over when the leader crosses the line.
On big tracks like Atlanta, there is plenty of racing still being watched by the fans in the stands after the leader has finished.
The job of the TV networks is to present to the viewers at home what the fans in the stands are watching.
No one in the stands is watching the leader slow down.
- September 6, 2011 at 5:09 PM
- Anonymous said...
I have good eyes and an HDTV but unless I watch a quarter speed replay on my dvr, finish line racing details (when we're lucky enough to see them) are much more difficult to follow on TV than in person. It would help if the final camera shot was from the grandstand instead of the usual cars coming toward the camera shot.
- September 6, 2011 at 5:37 PM
- ChrisK said...
While it would have been nice to know what was happening with Stewart, when you have that kind of battle for the lead, I want to see that. I would have been upset if they had cut away to show something else.
They should have shown everybody finish, though.
- September 6, 2011 at 5:59 PM
- Roland said...
Well thaqt race gave us a lot to ponder.
First off Im so happy this race is over so I never have to hear about the Sprint Freaking Summer Freaking Showdown. Thank god thats over.
Big thank you to ESPN for a mostly commercial free second half of the race.
The coverage was pretty good. Just like Michigan and Watkins Glen DJ came out of the box like he had chugged 5 Red Bulls and swallowed a bottle of No Doz. He would not shut up for anything. He was "hittin the chip" so to speak. He seemed to crash after halfway, thankfully. Somebody needs to calm him down. For real.
AB called the first half of the race from the perspective of a person who had never seen a race before. And thats understandable considering SportsCenter was supposed to be on. This is usually incredibly annoying, but AB just has a way of covering all topics and covering them well. His beginner level explanations of things did not annoy me at all. As the race went back to calling the race from the perspective of a race fan.
Jamie and Vince were completely useless today on pit road. It was just plain bad. They really need to be sat down and be shown tapes of their poor performances on pit road.
Espn really was a let down though at the end of the race from about 70 to go till the finish they just showed the 24 the whole time. I like mostly seeing the leaders, but they only showed the 24 and rarely anyone else. I dont care about only showing the leader cross the line. When theres 10 or less laps to go I only want to see the leader, not a battle for 11th. But up until then Id like to know where people are running.
The tuesday afternoon atmosphere for the race is just really cool. I cant explain it but I always enjoy these rained out races.
Congrats to Jeff. Excellent interview by Jerry at the end. I used to hate Jeff cause growing up thats what everybody did. Theres nothing to hate about that man. Great win and great interview.
- September 6, 2011 at 6:02 PM
- Vicky D said...
I set the dvr to record the race, but nothing recorded so I don't have any comments. Hopefully we'll be able to see the replay.
- September 6, 2011 at 6:08 PM
- SnowdogBob said...
- Editor
So can i ask what might be a silly question? Why aren't all the people we're glad to be rid of required to show up for a Monday/Tuesday race. I mean i'm glad they're not there...but if they're not deemed essential or important to the broadcast when it's on a weekday, what does ESPN think they're adding on Sunday they can get away without on Tuesday?
Is it just that their contract requires them to show up on a certain day and go home whether they put in a full days work or not while the ABs and APs are expected to work the race whenever it falls?
I know you might not know the answer, but i just find it confusing...is it a practical matter that the stage is already en route to Richmond to setup for this weekends race.
Whatever the reason...I've enjoyed a couple rain outs the last few weeks.
- September 6, 2011 at 6:26 PM
- rich said...
First things first--Hurray for 85. Now, once again the K.I.S.S. method is proven. All that money spent on all those useless voices is wasted. Todays stripped down coverage was better that the usual tripe that they shovel on us.
The last 20 laps were when the SPLIT SCREEN should have been used. Perhaps they could not find that button in the booth. Amazing. Totally ignore the rest of the field in the last part of the race and especially the finish. TOTAL FAIL.
Had the usual problems with Raceview. I will have to think hard about paying for that service next year.
- September 6, 2011 at 6:29 PM
- Michael Stoffel said...
I was at work and missed seeing the race, but thanks to frequent refreshes here, (and that nice NASCAR.com lap by lap commentary), I got the feel for it.
BTW, whoever writes the lap by lap on NASCAR.com hates Jr. and his fans!
- September 6, 2011 at 6:51 PM
- Bobby O said...
I agree with you that the lead was the place for the live camera shots.
But pxp in racing is not like stick and ball sports. They can actually talk about something without it being shown on the TV. DUUUUHHH.
There are many things happening at once in racing, and that's the information I expect from the TV guys.
When I go to races, I expect to be a bit lost on who is where, and who is moving forward or back, I never expect to know more than the TV crew when I'm watching at home.
Somehow now days, I always do... hmmmm?
- September 6, 2011 at 7:12 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
A significant amount of NASCAR TV in terms of event production is logistics.
The Tech Garage, Infield Pit Studio and SPEED Stage along with as much additional equipment as possible moved to Richmond as planned.
These tracks are not pre-wired like NBA facilities or even some college football stadiums. The TV guys lay every cable to serve all kinds of purposes.
It's going to be a thrash to get things sorted out for the SPEED telecasts of practice and qualifying.
I hope everyone travels safely and things go off next weekend without a hitch.
- September 6, 2011 at 7:36 PM
- Zieke said...
During the last half of the race I kept thinking about going to the restroom at the next commercial. That was quite a wait, but well worth it. I thought the booth guys were quite good, but I've always liked AB for announcing. The last laps were classic, with 2 of the best going at it tooth & nail. Shows just how good those guys really are.
Clint Bowyer- what a mistake he made cutting down on JPM. He should have known better, because of what he said in his interview afterwards.
And did anyone hear JPM say a word about Clint looking for a ride? No one in the booth mentioned it, but it was very clear.
- September 6, 2011 at 8:37 PM
- PhoenixHotZonie said...
With 28 laps to go I noticed there had been no commercials for awhile. That was about 10 after the hour. Then, no commercials till they left the broadcast, 50 plus minutes of the finish & post race interviews.
Good for Jeff Gordon with 85 wins and his well earned place in the NASCAR history book. JG's driving skills are impressive today as they have ever been.
Trivia, I was at Eldora Speedway (a long time ago) and if I remember correctly, they(other sprint car drivers)would not let a certain young man race that night.Know why?
He was too young to possess a valid drivers license. Yes, that was Jeff Gordon.
If they only knew then what they know now. Race fans witnessed history in the making today(as they say).
Therefore, all the focus on the 24 & 48 at the finish...understandable & acceptable. Good post race interview by Dr Punch. "Oh yeah by the way, congratulations on your 85 wins" by Dr Punch to Jeff Gordon(and Jeff's ah ha moment) was priceless.
Today offered something for everyone, good or not as good...Racing.
- September 6, 2011 at 8:53 PM
- DewCrew88 said...
Alan Bestwick was fantastic.
95+ laps of no commercials was fantastic.
The rest...........................
- September 6, 2011 at 11:09 PM
- Anonymous said...
I have to say that listening to the race on PRN was a joy and had me on the edge of my seat. ESPECIALLY the last 25 laps. Too bad the booth can't call the races like PRN/MRN radio does. Their excitement when calling the race is contagious.
- September 7, 2011 at 5:36 AM
- GinaV24 said...
I was at work so didn't get to see the race on TV. Obviously I am very happy that Jeff won the race and esp that he beat the 48 to do it. congrats to Jeff on 85 wins!
I caught the highlights on RaceHub last night and will record the replay on speed today to watch later.
- September 7, 2011 at 8:45 AM
- Kyng said...
One thing that was bothersome was the split screen near the end with the on-track action between the 24 & 48 in only a SLIGHTLY larger window than the two others, which were showing each crew chief spinning around and around to watch the cars as they circled. Yeah, no kidding - they are the crew chiefs - I'm SURE they are watching.... and so would I !!!
- September 7, 2011 at 10:48 AM
- Anonymous said...
They totally missed Tony coming up through there...when I learned he finished third I had no idea he was up there seeing as how they chose to show only the first 2 guys for the last waning laps....I understand, that was a great battle..but split screen would have shown what ELSE was going on also...I just don't get it...and apparently ESPN will never get it either..
- September 7, 2011 at 11:46 AM
- Anonymous said...
I recorded and watched the race last night. It was great without all the other people they usually have. I wish they all had less media on tv. The finish was fun to watch with both JG and JJ sliding and pushing for the win. My main disappointment was at the finish when I saw Tony finished third. What happened and how did he pass everyone to advance to that spot? Would have loved to see that.
Thanks, JD for your articles and letting us speak our mind!
GA Red
- September 7, 2011 at 1:32 PM
- The Mad Man said...
Now that Jeff has tied Bobby Allison with 85 wins and passed DW's 84 wins, I expect some sniping to come out of DW being the egotist that he is.
Maybe JD can find out but why does every pit reporter have to say the brand of race fuel? We know what it is. There's only one brand. Is there something in the TV contract that makes it mandatory for the pit reporters to say the name of the fuel every time there's a pit stop?
Showing the crew chiefs kissing their kids is fine but not at the expense of showing the cars crossing the finish line. Just because the winner is across doesn't mean that somebody else isn't battling for position in the field that could make or break them getting into the play-offs, landing a sponsor, signing a new contract with their race team, or possible even a wreck from drivers trying to improve their position before the finish line.
- September 7, 2011 at 3:32 PM
- Palmetto said...
I gotta go with ChrisK. I had Stewart on my fantasy team and was pleased he improved 4 positions in 2 laps. I would have liked seeing him do it, but a show like Gordon and Johnson put on is why I watch racing in the first place.
- September 7, 2011 at 8:16 PM
- Anonymous said...
Great race and I think we had another 70-90 some odd laps without a commercial again! That finish was good, even if JJ was sideways! Why does NASCAR not think Atlanta needs two races? Even the drivers were saying this was fun! Viewers at home, especially just getting home from work, looking for SportsCenter, or even soccer or tennis had to enjoy that, especially the explanations from AB. He really brought something special to the broadcast Tuesday.
I don't know if it was just me, but Andy Petree really was jumping in on everything, especially when DJ and AB were going to say something. He was as some on this blog would say, pulling his "inner Waltrip" out.
You could tell AB was really trying to get excited for the finish, especially with the history of Atlanta. DJ was right. When you have a finish like we saw Tuesday, especially with 85 wins for Jeff, you had to stay with that race since it decided the winner. The only other thing you could have done was split screen the chase by Tony up through the field, but then people would have complained about it. The race for the lead was the best on track at the time, and it decided the winner. ESPN did well on that in my opinion.
ESPN has had two rain plagued races. Pocono and now Atlanta. In both of those races, we have seen the 70-100 laps of no commercials. I wonder if ESPN has learned to air the commercials during the delays and then show the racing, something FOX or TNT hasn't done yet?
Overall, great broadcast I thought, except for Petree. He is normally good, and provides good insights, but was just talking over DJ and AB all day imo.
- September 8, 2011 at 2:42 AM
- MRM4 said...
I would have bashed the announcers for no updates on Stewart passing 4 cars on the final 5 laps. But I was also caught up in the battle for the lead that I didn't pay attention to it either, and I'm a Stewart fan.
- September 8, 2011 at 8:47 AM
- GinaV24 said...
I'm not sure why they didn't use a split screen to show the race between Gordon & Johnson and showing Stewart coming through the field -- that would have been better than watching the crew chiefs watch the cars go round and round.
Now that I've seen the race via DVR, I can say that.
- September 8, 2011 at 11:38 AM
- Palmetto said...
Anon 2:42, the simple reason Atlanta has only one race is the same as why Darlington has only one and Rockingham has none: because there weren't enough butts in the seats.
- September 8, 2011 at 4:20 PM
- Jonathan said...
I agree I think we should see most cars cross the start finish line! I remember when every race would finish with at least showing the top 10 finish with a drop down menu
Theres is still plenty of time to show everyone celebrating
Its like watching a great movie w a bad ending!
- September 8, 2011 at 6:36 PM


text:
Selecting your Performing Arts Dance Instructor or Studio
When you are selecting a Performing Arts instructor or studio, use the following questions as a base.
- Does the school furnish a list of instructors with their professional credits, teaching credentials and related degrees with accomplishments? If the studio is reluctant to publicize their credentials, you can be sure that they are hiding the fact that they are unqualified, do not know who will be teaching the class, or has instructors with little or no background. Older students teaching class should be frowned upon.
- Do the teachers have membership in professional societies or organizations that certify their members to teach? All schools should have a professional affiliation. Beware of one that does not.
- Is the studio in which they teach suitable as a dance classroom, with proper floors, barres, mirrors, mats and music system? Classes that are not conducted in a suitable location may result in eventual injury to the student. Flooring without the proper give or bounce can put undue stress on both the leg and spinal joints. Improper space, lighting, mirrors, mats and sound system can result in an uncomfortable atmosphere in the classroom and many times results in the dancer being inattentive or, worse yet, injured.
- Does the school clearly state, in their advertising and/or brochures, information on the school year, tuition, refund policy, observed holidays, vacation days, dress code, conduct code, competition, recital and concert rehearsal schedule and what is expected of both the parent and student? It is very important both the parent and the student understand all of the school policies. Everyone should know exactly what is expected of them. They, in turn, should know exactly what the school will provide. All should be aware of exactly when and where recitals, concerts and competitions take place.
- Is the school staffed to handle pre-school, beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, and are the classes designed specifically for pre-school, grade school, teens and adults? Parents and students should be aware of the difference in the teaching of all ages and levels of dance and should understand how many classes per week it will take to reach their desired goals.
- Is the school capable of bringing students to a professional teaching or performance level, and if not, what are it's policies regarding the advancement of it's students? A professional school should be able to produce a list of past successes and accomplishments of their former students, and if not, a list of schools they recommend for further advancement.
- Does the teacher or school offer the opportunity to qualified students to take master classes when they are available in their metropolitan area? These classes are always good to stimulate the students and their desire to work harder to excel in their art.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
For yonks, rumours have buzzed about Valve selling its own pre-built PC, fondly nicknamed the 'Steam Box' by fans. Yesterday Valve and Xi3 announced that the Half-Life creator and Steam mastermind had invested in the fledgling hardware company, and that the pair are working on a mini-PC aimed at living rooms with the codename 'Piston.'
The Piston is a diddy little PC intended to plug into your living room screen and run games in Steam's Big Picture mode. Xi3's thing is modular computers which you can upgrade by switching modules out, looking far less intimidating than upgrading a big desktop box. The company hasn't revealed Piston's specs yet, but told Polygon it's based on its X7A model.
Starting at around $1,000, the X7A packs a Quad-Core processor with 384-core integrated graphics, which I'd haphazardly guess is AMD's A10 series. It boasts 4GB or 8GB of RAM, oodles of USB ports, and four eSATAp ports for extra external storage. Now, Piston's specs and price won't necessarily line up, but this gives a fair idea of what to expect.
Xi3 attempted to Kickstart its boxes in 2012, but fell far short of the $250,000 crowd-funding goal. Exactly how much Valve invested in Xi3 and what it gets in return is unknown.
Valve head honcho Gabe Newell commented in December that bringing Steam to Linux would be a boon for its then-still-not-officially-announced living room PCs, so Linux should be an option. "Certainly our hardware will be a very controlled environment," he said at the time. "If you want more flexibility, you can always buy a more general purpose PC." Yep, that's the X7A all right.
So, Valve has the best PC digital distribution platform, which looks grand on televisions, and now a shiny little PC to sit in your living room. Interesting times ahead for PC gaming.
Here's a video from October, looking at Xi3's modular hardware:
[Story image snapped by Polygon, which has more photos too.]


text:
* Pan American Teachers of Dancing
Colin Hillary
Member Since 1977
Pan American Teachers of Dancing was formed at USBC, Waldorf Astoria, New York City in 1975, incorporated November 11, 1977, and inducted as a full member of the NDCA January 1978. Original board of directors: President, David M. Key (OH); Vice President, Roy Mavor (TX); Secretary/Treasurer, Lorrie Llamas (CA) and board member at large Laurie Haile (CA).
The original board felt the need in the United States for an independent curriculum for American Style dance instruction. Mr. Key and Mr. Mavor formulated the syllabus. After much debate, our independent teaching organization was christened "Pam Am" due to the fact that Roy and his wife, June Mavor, directed dance events entitled Pan American Dance Championships.
After NCDTO's (NDCA) review of our application and curriculum by Chairman John Monte and the executive committee, our Degree System of dance training was ratified. Originally, Pan American Teachers of Dancing, Inc. utilized Alex Moore's Revised technique for our International Modern examinations, and Walter Laird's Latin Technique syllabus for International Latin. Over the years, the ISTD revised their descriptions of Latin technical components to the extent that they have been universally accepted by all international teaching organizations, including Pan American Teachers of Dancing, Inc. In the early 1990's, Pan American Teachers of Dancing, Inc. developed a performing arts (PA) department encompassing the dance fields of ballet, tap, and jazz. Our PA department continues to grow.
Being a member of America's representative organization (National Dance Council of America) to the World Dance and Dancesport Council has been a privilege and an honor for Pan American Teachers of Dancing, Inc. and we hope to maintain our involvement for many years to come.
Pan American Teachers of Dancing's current Board of Directors include David M. Key, President; Mary K. Race, Secretary; and Lorrie Llamas, Treasurer. Delegates to the Board of Governors of the NDCA also include Lawrence Elkin and Joy and Colin Hillary.
Mr. David Key wishes to honor our founders: Roy Mavor, Lorrie Llamas and Laure Haile. Also, loyal delegate, John Morton (CA) and fellow and examiner, David Osborne (FL).


text:
Monday, March 01, 2010
Bracketology 101's Field of 65 - March 1
"The Outs"
Virginia Tech - We've been the biggest supporters of the Hokies for the better part of a month now, but after two brutal losses, we don't see how they can make the field (or how the ACC can get seven bids.) They dropped two games this week - at BC and home against Maryland - that we had penciled in as wins form them in their quest to finish 10-6 in conference. Getting to 10-6 now would mean a win at Georgia Tech in their regular season finale this weekend, which we don't see them getting. A 9-7 finish won't be enough to overcome an OOC SOS of 338 and a lack of any good conference road wins.
Rhode Island - Remember when we insisted the A-10 was a four-bid league when some bracketologists gave the league six bids, week after week? Well, it turns out even four may have been too many. URI's loss at St. Bonaventure, coupled with Charlotte's loss at George Washington and Dayton's loss early in the week to Temple leaves the A-10 with just three bids this week. The Rams have two winnable games this week, but we don't have much faith that they will win both. There is still a possibility that the league gets four bids down the road, but it's going to have to involve URI, Charlotte, Dayton, or Saint Louis winning two games this week (not likely given their schedules) or, better yet, one of the four bubble teams making the A-10 final. Given the way those teams have played the last two weeks, we don't like the chances of that happening, either.
UConn - The Huskies were a home win over Louisville from really looking like a solid at-large candidate, but in true schizophrenic UConn fashion, they blew a 13-point first half lead and lost a heartbreaker to the Cardinals. The loss was damaging enough because it dropped them to 7-9 in the Big East, but for our purposes projecting ahead, it meant being removed from the bracket altogether. The Huskies have two road games this week, including a ginormous one in South Bend on Wednesday. The game is a coin-flip, but in the end we gave the edge to the resurgent Irish, who will in all likelihood have Luke Harangody back (on Senior Night) for that game. A loss to ND would probably mean an 8-10 finish for UConn, which means they would have to win at least two games in the Big East tournament to get a bid. That's too much to project right now for a team that has lost as many big games as the Huskies have this season.
"The Ins"
Notre Dame - The Huskies' loss was Notre Dame's gain. The Irish had the best week of any bubble team in the country, knocking off Pitt at home and Georgetown on the road (all without Luke Harangody) to improve to 8-8 in conference. We like their chances to beat UConn on Wednesday, and then they have to play at Marquette (not easy) this weekend. A 1-1 split means they'll have to win a couple of Big East tourney games to be safe, but they'd be ahead of UConn in terms of an at-large (provided they beat them) going into NYC.
Washington - The Huskies' name may have a caused a double-take, but we have them in this week as a bid-stealer out of the Pac-10. Cal clinched an at-large berth by winning at least a share of the Pac-10 title on Saturday night, but we still aren't sold on the Bears winning the Pac-10 tourney. We picked Washington as the bid-stealer because we like the fact that they have already beaten Cal once (at home, but still) and that they've played their most consistently good ball of the season over the past three weeks (they've won seven of nine overall). If they end up finishing second or third in conference, which is likely, they would also avoid Cal until the final. The other reason we made this choice is because of the reality of bid-stealers during Championship Week. Every year at least one bid, and usually two to three bids, are stolen due to conference tournaments and we like Cal's chances to lose more than we like Butler's, Gonzaga's, and Northern Iowa's.
St. Mary's - We have been against putting the Gaels in the field for a while now, but the bracket has gotten so soft that they might get a bid on Selection Sunday after all. We think there is a slight chance that they win the WCC tourney, but even if they don't and instead lose in the final to Gonzaga, their wins at Utah State and at home against SDSU are decent enough to fall back on. They are still a shaky inclusion at best, but right now, they have far less left to do than a lot of other bubble teams do in the race for the final few at-larges.
The other notable changes this week were Duke replacing Purdue as a 1 seed and Minnesota staying in the bracket on the 13 line. The Blue Devils, who were knocking on the door of the 1 line anyway, were the biggest beneficiaries of Robbie Hummel's torn ACL. Purdue looked awful offensively without Hummel against Michigan State, and going forward, we don't see them making it past the Big Ten tourney semis without him. We also think that the committee will weigh his injury heavily considering how important a role he played for the Boilers on both ends of the floor. If their first game without him was any indication, Purdue's more likely to drop seed-wise from here on out than they are to get back to the 1 line. Duke, meanwhile, has continued to tear through the ACC, and is the favorite to win the ACC tourney. That title alone might be enough to get them a 1 seed, even if they end up tying with Maryland for the ACC regular season title.
The Gophers are still in the field - as our last team in - because of their win at Illinois on Saturday. We thought going into last week that they would beat Purdue at home and then lose in Champaign. They did the opposite instead, but that was enough to keep them in the field because of the other happenings around the bubble. We like their chances to go 2-0 this week (they play at Michigan and at home against Iowa), and then they would have to get to the Big Ten semis to be a lock. If they end up finishing sixth in conference, that would mean winning two games in the Big Ten tourney. If they finish fifth, they would have to beat the four seed (Wisconsin?) to get a bid. We admit that's not an easy road, but it's an easier one than UConn or anyone on the A-10 bubble faces right now, so that's why we opted for the Gophers again this week.
Seed-wise, the biggest moves up were made by Baylor (from an 8 to a 5) and Cal (from an 11 to a 9), and the biggest moves down were made by Georgetown (from a 3 to a 5) and Wake Forest (from a 5 to a 7). We had to move two teams for grouping purposes: Louisville went from a 9 to a 10, and Illinois went from an 11 to a 12.
Bracket Breakdown
Last Four In
Mississippi State, Notre Dame, St. Mary's, Minnesota
Last Four Out
Connecticut, Virginia Tech, Rhode Island, Dayton
Next Four Out
San Diego State, Charlotte, Mississippi, Saint Louis
Conference Breakdown
Big East (8), Big XII (7), ACC (6), Big Ten (6), SEC (5), A-10 (3), MWC (3), C-USA (2), WCC (2)
America East - Stony Brook
ACC - Duke, Maryland, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech
Atlantic Sun - Lipscomb
A-10 - Temple, Xavier, Richmond
Big East - Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Marquette, Louisville, Notre Dame
Big Sky - Weber State
Big South - Coastal Carolina
Big Ten - Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota
Big XII - Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma State
Big West - UC-Santa Barbara
Colonial - Old Dominion
Conference USA - UTEP, UAB
Horizon - Butler
Ivy - Cornell
MAAC - Siena
MAC - Kent State
MEAC - Morgan State
MVC - Northern Iowa
MWC - New Mexico, BYU, UNLV
Northeast - Quinnipiac
Ohio Valley - Murray State
Pac-10 - Washington, California
Patriot - Lehigh
SEC - Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi State
Southern - Wofford
Southland - Sam Houston State
Summit - Oakland
Sun Belt - Troy
SWAC - Jackson State
WAC - Utah State
WCC - Gonzaga, St. Mary's
The Seeds
The 1s
Kansas, Syracuse, Kentucky, Duke
The 2s
Purdue, Kansas State, Ohio State, Villanova
The 3s
New Mexico, West Virginia, Temple, Michigan State
The 4s
Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, Tennessee
The 5s
Georgetown, Butler, Baylor, Gonzaga
The 6s
Xavier, Texas A&M, BYU, Maryland
The 7s
Texas, Missouri, Richmond, Wake Forest
The 8s
Oklahoma State, Clemson, Marquette, Northern Iowa
The 9s
UTEP, California, Florida State, UNLV
The 10s
Louisville, Utah State, Florida, Georgia Tech
The 11s
Old Dominion, UAB, Cornell, Notre Dame
The 12s
Illinois, Mississippi State, St. Mary's, Siena
The 13s
Minnesota, Washington, Kent State, Murray State
The 14s
Oakland, Wofford, Weber State, UC-Santa Barbara
The 15s
Sam Houston State, Morgan State, Coastal Carolina, Troy
The 16s
Stony Brook, Lipscomb, Lehigh, Quinnipiac (Play-In Game), Jackson State (Play-In Game)
The Bracket
(Bracket courtesy Matt Reeves)
Questions? Comments? E-mail Bracketology 101 at email@example.com
64 comments:
- Jeff said...
Just wondering about Florida's inclusion/seeding. Their resume is pretty good overall, with wins over Michigan State and Tennessee, and with bad losses to South Alabama and recently Georgia, and an OK loss at South Carolina. However, they're 20-9 and 9-5 in the SEC with two games remaining, hosting Vandy and at Kentucky. Saying they lose both those games (they could easily knock off Vandy at home), and get bounced in the SEC tourney before the semis, are they in or out?
- Jeff said...
Temple a 3 seed. I love it.
-Another Jeff
After tonight's loss to Clemson how safe is FSU? They have games against Wake and @Miami before likely playing one of the ACC bottomfeeders in the first round of the ACC Tourney. Let's say they lose to Wake, beat Miami, and then drop a game to UNC in Greensboro. Would you like FSU's chances of getting in?
Most Noles think 9-7 in the ACC will be enough regardless but I'm not so sure. Especially since they have don't really have any marquee wins (Marquette and GT are the only ones of note). Your thoughts?
- Bracketology 101 said...
We like Florida's chances at home against Vandy too, but if they go 0-2, they will have to win two SEC tourney games to get in. That first game would do nothing for their resume, and the second game would be against a fellow SEC bubble team, making a victory all the more important.
If they finished 3rd in the East, they would (right now at least) have to play LSU and Mississippi to get to the semis. If they finished 4th, they would play Alabama and Mississippi State.
- Bracketology 101 said...
We agree with you (and disagree with the rest of Seminole Nation) that FSU is safe with a 9-7 finish in the ACC. If they lose to Wake at home, win at Miami, and lose to UNC in the ACC tourney, they'd likely be left out. They would need to win at least one ACC tourney game under that scenario to be worthy of an at-large.
What if FSU were to beat Wake and lose to Miami in the same scenario. Would that change things at all?
- Bracketology 101 said...
They'd be a little safer, but they'd still want to win their first ACC tourney game. You're asking for trouble as a bubble team if you end the year with two straight losses to non-tounrey teams.
This bracket has a known 2nd-round rematch. New Mexico defeated Texas A&M by three in December... a "neutral" game in Houston. Having one 3/6 or 2/7 rematch was unavoidable without reshuffling the entire top 16, and even then there would have likely been trouble.
What qualifies Michigan State as a 3 seed? Other than their name, their resume doesn't scream protected seed. They had an RPI of 27 before today's win against a Hummel-less Purdue squad. Record against the RPI top 50 is 3-5 after today's win. Only notable OOC achievement is beating Gonzaga at home (losing to Texas, UNC, and Florida).
In comparison, Wisconsin has an RPI of 16 and split with MSU this year. They are also 4-4 against the RPI top 50. Wisky also beat Duke.
Another one, Pittsburgh has an RPI of 10 with a top 50 record of 7-3.
I know you guys project out, so are you projecting Pitt and Wisky to lose a few more games from here on out and MSU making a run in the Big 10 tourney? I know the committee will take into account the Lucas injury, but even with him, they don't seem real impressive.
Michigan State is too high as a 3. All year they have been too high. Coming into Sunday, their best road win is at Minnesota. Their resume rests entirely on home wins against Wisconsin and Gonzaga. 7 losses with a SOS of 45 and they still deserve a 3? Even with their win over a hummel-less Purdue, their resume still lacks a lot.
Speaking of resumes, coming into Sunday Maryland had a better resume than Michigan State. I don't know what makes Maryland three seed lines lower than MSU (even two is too much, assuming you moved MSU up after their win at Purdue), since Maryland has more good wins, no bad losses (MSU lost to North Carolina), and a higher strength of schedue. Strictly speaking, Maryland and Michigan State's resumes are about equal at this point, so I don't understand the difference in seeding (or in the polls, but that's neither here nor there).
Unless you're predicting Mississippi State to win the SEC Tourney how in the world can you justify including them in your field? Right now they have 4 AWFUL losses (Alabama, WKU, Arkansas, and Rider) and only one top 50 win (against Old Dominion who is a bubble team at best).
So what if they're in first place in the pathetic SEC West. If the Pac 10 had divisions would Arizona St. be in the field because they were leading the "Pac 10 East"?
Even if you're predicting them to beat Auburn and Tennessee I have no idea how this team would be tournament worthy without at least a run to the SEC Championship. This resume is pathetic.
- Philip said...
I'm not sure if you're aware, but New Orleans is only the fourth closest site to Lexington, KY. Most brackets have them going to Milwaukee, which is in fact closest. (I'd rather not have to share the New Orleans arena with a bunch of UK fans.)
If Minnesota wins out and Illinois loses out (putting the gophers ahead of Illinois in the BT standings) is there any way the Gophers are left out? A big win at Illinois and probably the same RPI at that point. I see no way they can take Illinois over Minn unless they leave them both off?
We've been sticking to our guns with UK going to New Orleans or Jacksonville for several weeks now... none of those four closest sites are very geographically advantageous. This pick was backed up by the NCAA mock selection with the media a few weeks ago.
- ScarShoulders said...
Boy do I love this new bracket as a MD fan. They would be angry as an underrated 6 seed, get Temple who tey beat in a scrimmage AT Templ in round two and then maybe a reeling Purdue team before a not ready for prime time Kentucky team. Too bad MD is gonna beat Duke and UVA and people will start giving them the credit they deserve and mess it all up by getting a higher seed...
- Bracketology 101 said...
Michigan State is maxed out as a 3, but we think they belong there for a couple of reasons. They may only have three Top 50 wins, but they also have wins two wins over Minnesota and a win over Illinois on their resume. That's six solid wins. We also project them to improve their resume from here on out. They should finish 14-4 in the Big Ten (which is solid) and we like their chances to make the final or win the Big Ten tourney now that Purdue has taken a step back. If they don't make the final, they'll be back down to the 4-5 range on Selection Sunday.
- Bracketology 101 said...
Mississippi State's resume is definitely weak, but they are in because of the overall weakness of the bubble and because we think they'll win their last two games and finish 11-5 in conference. Their last game is at home against Tennessee, which would give them another Top 50 win, and if Mississippi can creep into the Top 50 (they are 55 right now), that would give them four Top 50 wins heading into the SEC tourney.
- Bracketology 101 said...
If Minnesota wins out and Illinois loses out, the Gophers would be in the driver's seat for the Big Ten's fifth bid. Illinois will have lost four of five heading into the Big Ten tourney and would be on the outside looking in. Minnesota would have the same conference record, but will have won five of six down the stretch and would have a head-to-head win at Illinois to boot.
- Joe said...
Couple of bracketing questions for Matt?
-It seems like you are following the S-curve to do the seeding. In the media mock they attempted to get teams into their home regions i.e. New Mexico out west, Ohio St in the Midwest. Have you tried it this way.
-If Gonzaga is a 5 seed, don't you think they are almost guaranteed to be playing in Spokane? To me it makes more sense to do it that way than send both Wisconsin and Georgetown out west. What do you think about Gonzaga/Vandy in Spokane, GTown/Wisc in Jacksonville, and Tenn/Butler in NO?
I think Notre Dame will choke in the next two weeks. They are a better team without Gody.
This S-Curve vs home region thing is a good question, and this placement of the top 16 actually does not follow the S-Curve as closely as you might think. There is not even mention of an "S-Curve" in the bracketing principles, but this is the first sentence in the bracketing section: "A top priority for the committee is to achieve reasonable competitive balance in each region of the bracket."
How the committee treats this is one of the more unpredictable things I've seen. In 2008, Tennessee was in the running for a 1-seed, certainly the top 2-seed, but they were placed with the #1 overall UNC in Charlotte. When Jim Nantz asked the chairman of the committee about this, he said he thought it was more of a reward to keep Tennessee close to home. Then in 2009, the very next year, Memphis was in the running for a 1-seed, so again likely one of the top 2-seeds. They were sent out west to play the fourth best #1 seed.
So my feel for this is to strike a balance when we can. In this last bracket Purdue is the #5 overall. S-Curve placement would put them out West, but instead we put them in the East with the #3 overall seed. And, due to all the conference conflicts (lots of Big Ten, SEC and Big East in the top 16), as soon as we placed Purdue in that spot, every other top 16 team fell into place.
The problem with your 4/5 matchups is that the 4-seeds determine the first/second round sites, so Vandy in Spokane and Wisconsin in Jacksonville goes against the attempt to keep the 4-seeds close to home. We would have put Gonzaga in Spokane if possible but Gonzaga-Wisconsin is a rematch and to avoid several other potential rematches, they could not be placed in the other Spokane spot. If they can climb back to the 4 line or higher, they should be playing in Spokane.
If the Zags can get through the conference tourney unscathed will they be in spokane? The latest bracket you've got them as a 5 in New Orleans, but wouldn't it make more sense for them to be in spokane and have baylor in NO? Obviously things are going to change, but I'd love to see them a little closer to home.
- Paymon said...
B101 and Joey Brackets (at least, per what he said on College Bball Tonight last night) agree on St. Mary's. It's a sad day.
I understand the weak bubble, but unless they win their conference tournament, there will be bids stolen during Championship Week that will put them into the last eight out.
Since another Gonzaga question comes in, here are the gory details:
(A) Mississippi State was locked into the Midwest/Spokane (three top-16 SEC teams already placed).
(B) Illinois and St. Mary's already played Vanderbilt leaving Siena as the only option for South/New Orleans.
(C) Gonzaga already played Illinois and St. Mary's (who at this point are in West or East), leaving Midwest and South as possibilities for Gonzaga, and Midwest would be a rematch with Wisconsin.
Are we having fun yet?
- Bracketology 101 said...
We know, Paymon. Any day we agree with Lunardi is a sad day.
If St. Mary's doesn't win the WCC tourney, they are going to need a lot of help (and next to no bid stealers) to get a bid.
Side note:
Last week we left a possible second-round matchup in with 13 Minnesota just to let Gonzaga play in Spokane. This time there were just too many problems.
They have to get to the 4 line if they want be 99% sure to stay home.
How safe is Utah State should they lose the WAC tourney final against one of the pretty good teams, for example, New Mexico State?
- Bracketology 101 said...
Utah State would be in the same boat as St. Mary's if they lose in the WAC final. They would need as few bid stealers as possible, and they'd have to root for BYU to keep winning.
If both Utah State and St. Mary's lose in the final of their respective tourneys, it's going to be a tough call as to whose resume is better. St. Mary's won at Utah State, but the Aggies still have a better "big win" in BYU and they won their league, while the Gaels finished second in theirs. Utah State also has a 10 point RPI edge and the WAC is rated four spots better than the WCC.
While they haven't impressed me at all lately, hard to see the Hoyas on the 5 line with a 13 RPI and quality wins (in number and substance) that match up with anyone in the country...
Still not completely sold on Georgia Tech.
It seems to me that they have sort of coasted on the name and the few good in-conference home wins that they have. I realize that the bubble is weak or, as I am sure the NCAA would say, parity is high, but GT will likely end up no better than .500 in conference (assuming loss at Clemson and win at home v. VT), and with only 1 in-conference road win (at 4-10 UNC). Yes, they have 2 good home wins over Duke and Clemson, but they have also had an easier ACC schedule with Wake and Maryland only once each. Their OOC is hardly impressive -- only good true road win (at Charlotte) is rapidly losing luster, and only other true road win is @ Chattanooga (6-12 in the Southern Confer). Best overall OOC win is probably at home over Siena. They lost on neutral against sort-of-bubble team Dayton and on the road to Georgia.
I would assume that if they lose both remaining regular season games, GT would end up on the wrong side of the bubble at 7-9 in-conference. However, if they split, and end up 8-8 in league and as the 6 or 7 seed in the ACCtourney, their first game v UNC, NCSt or Miami will probably not help them much. Will that be enough or would they need 1 more ACC tourney win v. one of the other ACC middle-of-pack teams (VT, Clemson, Wake, FSU) to feel safe?
- Howard Salwasser said...
Joey Brackets' new projections are up and he still can't seem to separate Temple from Georgetown.
Oh, and thanks again for providing this forum and all the great info (yes, blatant suck-up, but still true.).
- Bracketology 101 said...
GT will probably get in if your scenario unfolds (8-8 and 1 win in conference tourney). A lot will depend on how everything shakes out this week in the ACC and what place teams fall in. What GT doesn't want to happen is having to play VT or maybe even FSU in a possible elimination game. Ideally they lose to Wake in that second game for their sake.
- Jeff said...
"get Temple who tey beat in a scrimmage AT Templ in round two"
But can you guys beat Lemoyne?
Give me a break...
- Jeff said...
Joey Brackets has UConn in(!), and not even on the last 4 in list. C'mon man! They're 17-12!
-Different Jeff
I don't understand how St. Louis is even close to the tournament. RPI 84 with no OOC wins against the RPI top 100, and 2 losses OOC to teams with an RPI higher than 100. Sure, they beat Dayton, Rhode Island, and Richmond, but that's not nearly enough to overcome their weak OOC performance and their terrible RPI/SOS, is it?
- Bracketology 101 said...
St. Louis has the potential to go 12-4 in conference if they can pull off some upsets this week and the only other options for the next four out line were Big East teams who we have lost faith in (Cinci, Seton Hall, and USF).
I'm surprised you think the A10's chances of stealing a 3rd bid are so low. Is it really that hard to imagine either Dayton, Rhode Island, Charlotte, or St. Louis winning the A10 Tournament? I don't think Temple, Xavier, and Richmond are that much better those 4 that they couldn't lose to them on a neutral floor.
As far as "you need to win this many games in your conference tournament" I think that's kindof overrated. Every year, the selection committee says that they made up their minds about whose getting into the tournament by like Friday and that the rest of the time is spent on seeding.
- tlbs101 said...
Assuming New Mexico wins-out (v. TCU) and wins the MWC tourney, wouldn't you expect them to be a 2-seed?
- Bracketology 101 said...
We don't think it's impossible for one of the A-10 bubble teams to win the conference tourney, but their results against the "Big Three" - who they would have to beat to win the tourney - aren't exactly inspiring. URI, Charlotte, Dayton, and Saint Louis are a combined 4-11 against Temple, Xavier, and Richmond this year, and two of those wins were by the 49ers, who have really hit the skids of late. URI, who some people still have in as at-large, is 0-4 against those teams. The best chance for a fourth A-10 bid right now might be Dayton. The Flyers play at Richmond on Thursday, and if they win that game, they might be able to slip into our bracket on Friday.
Conference tournaments are obviously just a part of a team's body of work, but this year, they are shaping up to be extra important. There will be key second round bubble battles in the Big Ten, ACC, and possibly the SEC, all of which will make or break some teams' chances.
New Mexico's shot at a 2 seed is really tied to Villanova and Ohio State. If the Wildcats or Buckeyes lose earlier than expected in their conference tourneys, and if the Lobos win the MWC tourney, they could sneak up to the 2 line.
You have Old Dominion ahead of Illinois, Mississippi State, Saint Mary's and Minnesota. So if they lose in the confrence finals, how good of a change do they have of making the tournament? Would it matter who they lost to?
- apissedant said...
Again, I like this bracket better than Lunardi's. he has UNM as a freaking 2 seed and Temple as a 5 seed. Absolutely insane. New Mexico is bragging they beat six ranked teams this year, but that only works if you count one team twice, and only count what teams were ranked on the day they played them, not where they are now.
The only out of conference ranked team they have a win over is 24th ranked Texas A and M. The in-conference team, BYU, has 0 wins over ranked opponents, because UNM is the only one they played, and BYU has a loss to ORAL FREAKING ROBERTS.
Can you honestly tell me how UNLV is not ahead of UTEP. UNLV has wins at UNM, BYU, SDSU, Louisville and what does UTEP have UAB and a backtracking Oklahoma squad.
- Bracketology 101 said...
If the season ended today, UNLV would be seeded ahead of UTEP. Looking ahead, though, we have UTEP three spots higher on the S-curve because we think the Miners might not lose again until the NCAA tournament. They should finish up a season sweep of UAB at home on Saturday and then they'll be the clear favorite to win the C-USA tourney next week. UNLV might make the final of (and might win) the MWC tourney, but they also might lose in the semis. If they lose in the semis, they'll be right around a 9 seed on Selection Sunday.
- Bracketology 101 said...
Old Dominion is ahead of all of those teams right now because we think they will win the Colonial tournament.
If the Monarchs were to lose in the final, they would definitely be in the at-large mix, but a lot of factors would be in play. Who they lose to in the final would definitely matter - losing to W&M or Northeastern isn't awful, but losing to anyone else would hurt.
If ODU, St. Mary's, and Utah State all lost in their conference finals, the most likely of the bunch to get an at-large would be Utah State, followed closely by St. Mary's and ODU.
The A-10 tournament is a neutral court, but Temple will have a clear home-court advantage over the other contenders with the tournament being held in Atlantic City. I see Temple taking the A-10 auto bid.
Did you see Jerry Palm has Rhode Island as an 8 seed (still!)? Hard to believe.
- Bracketology 101 said...
URI as an 8 is insane.
We'll discuss that - and plenty more - in Questions for the Competition tomorrow.
What if UNLV were to win out most likely knocking out New Mexico and BYU in rout to the MWC crown? I think they could slide into a 7 seed at that point. What do you guys think?
Also I speak pretty confidnetly that UNLV would take BYU out in the semi's just because of UNLV's recent success against BYU and the matchups that favor UNLV. They played BYU tough and could have very well won if some calls would have went their way. Also it was well noted the flat dominance the Rebels had in their Feb 6 game at the T&M. Obviously the venue where UNLV will host it. On a confidence level I that UNLV would beat BYU from 1 to 10 I would say a 9
- Bracketology 101 said...
If UNLV beats BYU and New Mexico to win the MWC tourney, they could get as high as a 6.
- RB said...
I still have a really hard time with Marquette...I know, you have them as a #8, so not even on the bubble, but I think they're inclusion is a bit of a 'rising tide' based on their conference.
I have them at 18-9 (I don't include D-II wins). Yes, they are 9-3 in last 12, but that includes a terrible loss to DePaul and not a single victory over a tourney team. Despite the Big East's status as 'deepest' conference, there are still very mediocre teams in the bottom half.
South Florida
St. John's
Seton Hall
Those are the wins in the last 12...this is a team that has 10 BE wins and those are 9 of them (early season W vs. GT is the other).
With 16 teams and an unbalanced schedule, it is very importan to look at who teams have played in conference. Louisville and Marquette, have played the 'easiest' conference schedule if you look at the conference winning percentage of their opponents (.469 & .457, respectively).
Contrast that with Seton Hall and Providence at .543 and .535. Is that the most important thing? Obviously not, however, it seems relevant to the discussion.
Relevant in ACC as well...how about Wake w/ the easiest schedule--opponents conf Win % is .429.
Contrast that with Clemson, 8-6 record and second toughest conf schedule at .531. FSU, Maryland & Duke x2 and UVa, Miami, NC St & UNC x1. Last two games vs. GT & Wake will only increase that.
What happened to 5 Atlantic 10 teams in your field?
No way Louisville is a 10 seed. Just won't happen. 8 or 7 seed yes, 10 see no.
"Remember when we insisted the A-10 was a four-bid league when some bracketologists gave the league six bids, week after week?"
No, because you guys had five A-10 teams in your bracket.
- Bracketology 101 said...
Marquette doesn't have a lot of wins over the ranked Big East teams, but winning eight of nine in conference and winning five straight road games in conference are pretty impressive accomplishments. Two of those road wins came at UConn and Cincinnati, which are solid (and potentially tournament) teams. Even with a split this week, the Golden Eagles are going to win 11 Big East games, which is going to get them a single-digit seed.
Could you see Oral Roberts winning the Summit tourney? Everyone seems to think Oakland is a shoo-in, but I think it will be Oral Roberts or IUPUI.
- Bracketology 101 said...
All along we have said that the A-10 was getting too many bids. We never gaave the league six bids when every other major bracketologist did, and this week we have only three A-10 bids when some people still (somehow) have five. We hated having to put that fifth bid in a few weeks back and even when we did, we did it while saying that a lot would have to break right for five to get in. Do we wish we never put that fifth bid in so we could say we maxed out a four? Sure. But we also never went six when every bracketologist (and a lot of commenters) were convinced the A-10 would get that many.
- Bracketology 101 said...
Any one of those three teams could win the Summit, but right now we like Oakland.
Fun fact: The regular season champ in the Summit was won the conference tourney four years in a row.
Nobody forced you to put 5 A-10 teams in the bracket. You did it willingly and were wrong. Why is it that when other bracketologists make a mistake, you rip them? But when you make a mistake, you make excuses for it? The fact is you had 5 A-10 teams in your bracket.
Ohio state is overrated for sure. New mexico won't get respect til tourney time.
- Bryan said...
I would sure love to see Butler fall to a 6 seed. As big of a fan of the Bulldogs as there is, a 6 seed is a better draw through to the Sweet 16 and beyond.
- Jeff said...
New Mexico isn't that good.
are they going to play in anaheim?
[p]Yet, continually exert understanding with regards to an internet site . This [url=http://www.fashionhermesbagsuk.co.uk]discount hermes bags kelly[/url] kind of bag is a well-known name within the industry of designer bags . If this suit isn't going to fits completely, you should not fret about it, I have ability to cope with the make a difference is only the Herve Leger gown which can be a bit of cake . Most of Hermes bags Cheap replica handbags have been renamed immediately after the popular icons of Hollywood's like Kelly and Birkin . types and types in varied inductive leather at EuroHandbag truly are a open spell using eyes . Coach Outlet Bags Gucci Outlet Presently, gals rather have selecting persons totes which might be streamlined, hip yet still efficient along with in which,Coupons For Coach Outlet Replacement Move bags include the most suitable alternative . Victoria appeared with a hermes handbag birkin in New York
Just as we said before that there could not be such a place as good as New York and Paris for you to meet top stars and [url=http://www.springhermeshandbags.co.uk]hermes handbags birkin[/url] celebrity . Hermes loved types is divided into three parts
Hermes loved types is divided into three parts
Today, Hermes loved types is divided into three parts: Hermes Sellier; La Montre Hermes; and Hermes Parfums . Refer to it's origin, there is a little story: one day of 1984, while the famous celebity Jane Birkin seated next to Hermes CEO [url=http://www.springhermeshandbags.co.uk]hermes handbags sale
[/url] Jean-Louis Dumas on a Paris to London flight, she opened her Hermes-made datebook and a flurry of loose notes fell to the floor.[/p][p]This creates these bags so unique and distinctive brand name of bags within the market area that potential customers wait for these bags with abated breath . Hermes has many masterpieces . In 1961, she wears a white hat and gloves and a green Givenchy dress, with a Kelly Bag to return to the United States, its elegant charming style to try reading charms are not telling secretly Kennedy, a skirt around his fashion dialogue, suddenly bring fashion and round of "Grace agitation" . They are available in a number of different leathers and skins, which is another reason for the beginning price tag of $7000 . Super sized favorites like the Hermes Birkin or Chanel Denim Cabas announce to the world that you take your purse needs very seriously and are willing to pay for it . Thanks to modest sizes, [url=http://www.fashionhermesbagsuk.co.uk]hermes bags kelly[/url] Kelly bag constantly produces exclusive tasteful impression . A massive a component relating to functioning moreover other [url=http://www.fashionhermesbagsuk.co.uk]hermes belts women
[/url] commonly effective communication . But whatever [url=http://www.springhermeshandbags.co.uk]hermes handbags kelly uk[/url] the reason is, it looks as if the couple茅聢楼忙陋職 relation was hardly affected.[/p]


text:
Training Requirements for School Nurses and Medication Technicians
As a result of legislation from the 2004 session of the Maryland General Assembly, the Board of Nursing developed training requirements for school nurses and medication technicians.
Training Requirements for Registered Nurses in Schools
Registered nurses (RNs) in Assisted Living, Developmental Disabilities Administration, Juvenile Services, and School Health (public and nonpublic) settings must complete a Case Manager/Delegating Nurse training program. The curriculum covers topics including, but not limited to: delegation requirements, principles of adult education, communication, and how to teach the updated medication technician training program. RNs who want to teach the medication technician training program must complete this curriculum. The Maryland Board of Nursing required parochial and private school RNs to complete the delegation course by the first day of school in August/September 2006.
Availability of RN Courses
The Maryland Board of Nursing approved the RN Case Manager/Delegating Nurse Training Program for School Health. At least one school health services supervisor in each jurisdiction and several RNs (who are independent contractors) are available to conduct the course for school nurses.
RN Instructors for Case Manager/Delegating Nurse Course
Medication Technician Training Program
All unlicensed school staff who routinely administer medications are required to completed the training program. They must also complete a clinical update every two years. There are three major components to the training program:
1) Successful completion of 20 classroom clock hours;
2) Simulated laboratory demonstration in the classroom setting of a medication administration pass under instructor observation; and
3) Demonstration of medication administration to a client in the practice setting under instructor observation.
Click here for more information.


text:
Looking to update your bathroom without breaking the bank? Let the Monticello Collection by Creative Specialties do the job for a fraction of the price of heavy renovations. From smart grab bars to chic toilet paper holders, you'll have your bathroom looking like new in a matter of minutes. So jump in, and see what this fresh selection of bathroom hardware has to offer.
Creative Specialties combined soft details with bright or matte finishes to give you a set of bathroom hardware that's pleasant to look at as well as to use. Toilet paper holders are convenient tools for ensuring that the toilet paper stays where it belongs all the time, so you have it when you need it. Polished brass toilet paper holders are bright and friendly, and the smooth design is comfortable for everyone. Grab bars follow the same logic. These are important bath installations that ensure safety and security at a potentially hazardous juncture. Polished chrome grab bars will illuminate the way as well.
Combining fashion and function is the only way to go when it comes to bathroom hardware. Try brushed nickel towel racks for a subtle décor statement. Regardless of the finish, towel racks are useful for housing hand, bath and decorative towels with plenty of room to spread out. Robe hooks keep your change of clothes off the floor, and they're solid enough to hold a heavy bathrobe as well. Coordinate your robe hooks with the rest of your bathroom hardware for an impressive overall appearance. From the robe hooks to the towel racks and everything in between, Creative Specialties has the décor accents you need to create the look you want. Act now, and learn what it means to get a lot for less.


text:
- News
- Business
- Sports
- Entertainment
- Lifestyle
- Health
- Travel
- Technology
This spring we traveled to Silicon Valley to meet a handful of the thousands of Canadians who have moved there to work in tech. We chose six of the best and brightest as our Silicon Six. These are there stories.
1. Debbie Landa
Company:Founder of DealMaker, which hosts conferences including DealMaker LA and NYC and GROW in Vancouver.
From: Landa grew up in Saskatoon but headed towards a warmer climate once high school was done. She now lives in San Francisco.
Quote: "Canadians have a much bigger issue with being Canadian than anyone else. Nobody here cares."
2. Gideon Hayden and Eran Henig
Company: Co-founders of Tradyo, a GPS-based app that lets users sell items to local buyers.
From: Hayden is Vancouver born. Henig was raised in Israel and later moved to Toronto, where Tradyo is currently based. The two spent this winter in Palo Alto, California.
Quote: "Venture capitalists in Silicon Valley are willing to take more risk. Canadian venture capitalists are generally conservative."
3. Theo Ephraim
Company: HighScore House, a kids video game that offers rewards for doing real world chores.
From: Ephraim is originally from Washington, D.C. but he went to school in Montreal where he now lives. His partner, Kyle Seaman, is from P.E.I. Both spent this winter in Mountain View, California.
Quote: "Salaries are much more reasonable in Montreal and there is not nearly as much of a talent crunch."
4. Dan Martell
Company: Flowtown, which was recently bought by DemandForce. Martell's latest venture, Clarity.fm, will be based out of Moncton.
From: Dan is from Moncton but moved to San Francisco in 2008. He now splits his time between the two.
Quote: "I didn't come here to be American."
5. Todd Simpson, Mozilla
Company: Simpson is Chief of Innovation at Mozzila, the maker of Firefox.
From: Simpson is from Calgary. He moved to Saratoga, California five years ago.
Quote: "When it's Sharks/Flames I cheer for the Flames. When it's anyone else I cheer for the Sharks."
6. Yen Lee, Uptake
Company: Uptake, a travel search engine recently bought by Groupon.
From: Lee was born in Singapore and moved to Vancouver when he was 10. He lives in Palo Alto now.
Quote: "When I go home to Vancouver people don't ask me how my company is doing...We talk about things like the Vancouver Canucks, our kids and where we're going to go hiking that weekend."


text:
By Inyoung Hwang & Namitha Jagadeesh - Aug 12, 2013 12:27 AM PT
European stocks have risen half as much as global benchmarks this year, leaving them cheaper than equities in the U.S. and Asia as the region's economy starts to recover from the longest recession on record.
After a 7.2 percent gain in 2013, the Euro Stoxx 50 Index (SX5E) trades at 12.5 times projected earnings, 6.7 percent less than in 2009, the last time the euro area was in the final quarter of a contraction, data compiled by Bloomberg show. In the U.S., where the economy is in its 10th straight quarter of growth, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index is valued at 15.3 times estimated profit and Japan's Topix trades at 14.2 times income after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to end two decades of deflation.
Investors from JPMorgan Chase & Co. to Barclays Plc say European stocks are cheap as the first expansion for euro-area manufacturing in two years helps drive forecasts for profit growth of more than 10 percent in 2013 and 2014. Bears point to concern that next month's German election may lead to a push for tougher austerity measures in Europe's weakest economies.
"Compared with the last time the euro zone was improving, stocks look relatively cheaper," Kerry Craig, a London-based market strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management, said by telephone. His firm oversees $1.5 trillion globally. "If you have a continued period of things not getting worse and data getting better, that will build confidence in markets and people will move into equities."
2013 Performance
The Euro Stoxx 50 rose 0.5 percent last week as China's industrial production topped economists' forecasts. The gauge of the 50 largest companies in the euro area has trailed this year's 14 percent rally in the MSCI World Index of developed-market shares, while also lagging behind the S&P 500's 19 percent gain and the Topix's 33 percent surge, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The euro-region index slipped 0.1 percent to 2,821.58 at 8:26 a.m. in London today.
Stocks in Europe will increase another 3.5 percent by the end of 2013, according to the average forecast of 14 strategists surveyed by Bloomberg. In the same period, the S&P 500 (SPX) will fall 0.9 percent, according to a separate poll. European equities offer better value than other developed markets, according to Nader Naeimi, head of dynamic asset allocation at AMP Capital Investors Ltd. in Sydney.
"A lot of good news is already priced into the U.S. share market, whereas in Europe we're restarting a recovery," Naeimi, whose firm manages more than $130 billion, said by phone on Aug. 8. "Earnings recovery usually has a lag with economic data, so we expect some tangible results coming in by end of this year or early next year."
Economic Growth
Economists project the euro-area economy will expand in the fourth quarter after seven straight contractions. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of 34 economists calls for 0.2 percent growth in the final three months of 2013.
The last time the region was poised to exit a recession, in 2009, the Euro Stoxx 50 traded at an average of 13.4 times projected profit, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The S&P 500 traded at 17.5 times estimated income in the final quarter of 2009, while the Topix was valued at 35.1 times forecast earnings, the data show.
A manufacturing index for the 17-nation currency bloc rose to 50.3 in July, according to a survey of purchasing managers by London-based Markit Economics, the first time since July 2011 the gauge topped the 50 level that indicates growth. Separate reports showed unemployment in Spain and Portugal fell for the first time in two years during the second quarter, while Germanindustrial production in June jumped the most in 23 months.
Easing Austerity
Europe's economy is showing signs of growth as governments relax efforts to trim deficits, according to Pierre Lapointe, the Montreal-based head of global strategy and research at Pavilion Global Markets Ltd. The European Commission in May gave France and Spain two more years to meet budget targets, easing austerity policies championed by Germany to combat the region's debt crisis. Portugal won one extra year.
"European fiscal austerity is now receding," Lapointe wrote in a report on Aug. 1. "Most European countries will see a significant reduction of fiscal tightening in 2014. This is a very big deal, as it removes a large headwind to aggregate demand."
The euro-region debt crisis is far from resolved and campaigning in the weeks preceding Germany's Sept. 22 parliamentary elections may focus investor attention on the issue, according to Andreas Hoefert at UBS AG. Social Democratic candidate Peer Steinbrueck is looking to unseat Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose Christian Democratic Party rules in coalition with the Free Democrats.
Berlusconi Conviction
In Italy, the conviction of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for tax fraud is creating tensions in Prime Minister Enrico Letta's government. Berlusconi's party has rallied around its leader, possibly seeking a presidential pardon and threatening a mass resignation of deputies in parliament.
"We are still not out of the woods," Hoefert, the New York-based chief economist and regional chief investment officer for Europe at UBS Wealth Management, which oversees $1.7 trillion, said in a phone interview on Aug. 7. "We still have the German election. Some anti-Europe rhetoric may come back into play. At this point we feel more comfortable in the U.S. than in Europe."
While economic reports indicate Europe will return to growth, the recovery may be too weak to boost earnings, according to Andrew Milligan, head of global strategy at Edinburgh-based Standard Life Investments Ltd.
'Knock-Out Figures'
"There are fewer negatives for European equities than in the past, but still not that many positives," Milligan, who helps oversee about $277 billion, said by phone on Aug. 8. "Although valuations are very certainly supportive, it's difficult to see any knock-out figures that encourage you to go decisively overweight in European equities."
The Euro Stoxx 50 plunged 19 percent during July and August 2011 amid concern Greece would default on its debts and leave the euro region. The speculation pushed European Central Bank President Mario Draghi to pledge in July 2012 to do everything possible to preserve the single currency and later announce an unlimited bond-purchase program.
The worst days of the fiscal crisis are over, according to Barclays's wealth-management unit. Analysts project profits will climb 29 percent for Euro Stoxx 50 companies in 2013 and 13 percent in 2014, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
"Investors should allocate more to European equities since the risks involving the euro zone have been reduced," Henk Potts, who helps oversee about $310 billion as an investment strategist at Barclays Wealth & Investment Management in London, said by phone on Aug. 7. "We have taken advantage in recent months of cheap valuations in Europe."
Book Value
The Euro Stoxx 50 is trading at 1.31 times the value of its companies' assets, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The ratio of share prices to so-called book value for the S&P 500 is 2.49.
"European stocks are more undervalued than U.S. or Japanese equities," David Herro, the Chicago-based manager of the $21 billion Oakmark International Fund, said in an Aug. 8 phone interview. "As we're now seeing signs of stabilization, people are going to start to want to take advantage."
Herro's fund has beaten 96 percent of its peers in the last five years, data compiled by Bloomberg show. He owns shares in Daimler AG (DAI), the Stuttgart, Germany-based maker of luxury cars, and Fiat Industrial SpA (FI), the maker of commercial and agriculture vehicles spun off from Fiat SpA in 2011.
Auto Market
Daimler, which has jumped 31 percent this year, forecast in July significant gains in second-half earnings as the western European auto market bottoms out and new models spur demand. Shares of Turin, Italy-based Fiat Industrial have climbed 15 percent in 2013 as second-quarter revenue rose 3.1 percent.
"We're very pleased with the performance of our stock this year," Heinz Gottwick, a Daimler spokesman, said by phone on Aug. 9. "We're sticking to our statement that earnings will improve in the second half of the year, giving us a good starting point for 2014." A spokesman for Fiat Industrial declined to comment.
Financial firms and companies most reliant on economic growth have the biggest potential for gains, according to Credit Suisse Group AG. Andrew Garthwaite, a strategist at the Swiss bank who upgraded continental European equities to overweight last week, recommends buying shares of media, airline and software companies, as well as banks.
French Banks
BNP Paribas SA (BNP), Societe Generale SA (GLE) and Credit Agricole SA (ACA), France's largest banks by market value, reported second-quarter profit that exceeded analysts' estimates. Paris-based Societe Generale, which said income more than doubled from a year earlier, trades at 10.8 times projected earnings, 64 percent below its 2009 high. Credit Agricoletrades at 8.6 times projected profit and BNP Paribas at 10.7 times, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Julia Boyce, a spokeswoman for BNP, and Antoine Lheritier, a spokesman for Societe Generale, said they had no comment on the stock performance of their respective companies. Anne-Sophie Gentil, a spokeswoman at Credit Agricole, could not be reached for a comment.
While the S&P 500 has recovered all of the losses from the global financial crisis, the Euro Stoxx 50 is trading 38 percent below its July 2007 peak. Spain's benchmark IBEX 35 (IBEX)remains 45 percent below its November 2007 high and Italy's gauge is 61 percent lower than the level reached in May 2007.
That gives the potential for European shares to beat those in the U.S. and Asia in the near term as the recession draws to a close, according to Francois Savary, chief investment officer of Reyl & Cie.
"Europe may surprise within the global economic recovery and recent numbers have proved that this is the case," Savary, whose firm oversees about 8 billion Swiss francs ($8.7 billion), said by phone from Geneva. "The stabilization is coming earlier than expected, which means you have good potential for equities in the next six to 12 months."
To contact the reporters on this story: Inyoung Hwang in London at email@example.com; Namitha Jagadeesh in London at firstname.lastname@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew Rummer at email@example.com