March Madness: Top 5 Moments!

Hey there sport junkies! Today is one of the most exciting days in all of sports....March Madness begins tomorrow. So in honour of the tourney that creates so many memories and names that will go down in history or in my case, brought up whenever basketball is talked about, here are the Top 5 Tourney Moments! Enjoy!

#5- Christian Laettner, 1992- Duke Vs. Kentucky
   
Ok this play has a few questions that still have me baffled, but before I answer let me set the scene. Duke is down one in the dying seconds. Duke's Grant Hill hits the big lug Laettner with a 3/4 court pass. Laettner drains the fade away and Duke would go on to win the National Championship. What baffles me is who is the jack knob to not guard the inbound pass and why the f*** is Leattner that wide open?Do not kid me wrong, Laettner got the ball off in time and made a very athletic and difficult shot. This highlight is shown about 30 times every weekend throughout the tournament.


#4-Ali Farokhmanesh, 2010- Northern Iowa Vs. Kansas

Not only is this beauty's name one of the toughest to pronounce, Farokhmanesh showed how a sweet stroke can be deadly for a sleeper like Northern Iowa. Northern Iowa is up 63-62 with under a minute to play. As N. Iowa inbounds the rock, Farokhmanesh gets his sniper like paws on them. Instead of dribbling in and knocking down a simple jumper he shows the world the size of his stones by dropping a 3 ball in the face of two Kansas defenders. What makes this play even more magical is the charge that is drawn 10 seconds later. Farokhmanesh and N. Iowa would go on to the elite 8 and run out of gas against Michigan State and perennial winning coach Tom Izzo. I wish I could move this play up in the list but you'll see why it can't.



#3- Mateen Cleaves, 2000- Michigan State Vs. Florida

Born in the D, Mateen Cleaves attended Michigan State and led them to the National Championship game. Everything was coming full circle for this scrappy but very talented guard when all of a sudden Cleaves breaks his ankle late in the first half. Cleaves could not walk and needed assistance moving. Now here is guy who missed 13 games that year due to a fractured foot and now this happens. Cleaves would come back from the locker room to a thunderous eruption from the fans. Cleaves went on to play on one leg leading Michigan State to their second championship and first since 1979. The pure guts and determination from Cleaves leaves me with shivers  and for that I give you Jim Nantz!



#2- Larry Bird and Ervin "Magic" Johnson, 1979- Iowa State Vs. Michigan State

Considered by many the greatest match up in March Madness history Larry Bird and Magic Johnson would introduce the world to the first round of many bouts between the two. Both would go on to Hall of Fame careers and enjoy success in the NBA but it all started in the 1979 National Championship game. Bird led the Sycamores against the Spartans which featured the 6'7" guard Magic Johnson. From the get go, both Bird and Johnson lit it up with Johnson's Spartans taking home the title with a final score of 75-64. To top things off, Windsor's Mike Brkovich of W.D. Lowe was in the starting five and allowed Magic and Greg Kelser their one on one match ups because of his timely and rarely off jump shot. Now could you imagine is their was a three point line?!?!



#1- Lorenzo Charles, 1983- N.C. State vs. Houston

Talk about a mismatch if I have ever seen one. N.C State's Jim Valvano leads his  Wolfpack against Guy Lewis and the famous "Phi Slama Jama" featuring Clyde "the Glide" Drexler and Hakeem "the Dream" Olajuwon, both future NBA Hall of Famers. These Cougars slammed everything and anything into the 18 inches of opening. They were an act and Jimmy V had his work cut out for him. The Wolfpack hung around but in the dying seconds of the game, Dereck Wittenburg gets caught in a half court press and throws up a desperation attempt. Lorenzo Charles, who is in the worst spot on the basketball court (directly underneath the basket) has a gift drop into his hands and he dunks it home with no time left on the clock. What is most memorable is Jim Valvano running onto the court looking for someone to hug which he eventually did. Like Jimmy V would later say in his imfamous 1993 ESPY Speech, "Don't give up, don't ever give up!".




That is it for me folks, I hoped you enjoyed it! Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Cheers!

'Round The Table

Hello sport junkies and welcome back. I am fresh off reading week and pumped to post some fresh material. Today is the first ever 'Round The Table episode featuring yours truly Vincenzo Liburdi aka. The Irate Italian with special guests Jenna Lamantia, Quinton Rossini, Ivo Frankovich and Mark Hebert. We talk March Madness and this week will be dedicated to what many consider to be the best month in sports. 64 teams that eventually whittle down to two teams. Along the way we experience blowouts, upsets and heart breakers, all of which make up the ever illusive reason of why I watch sports.

So here you are folks, 'Round The Table Episode #1. Enjoy and comment below

 

Stay tuned throughout the week as March Madness Moments continue all month starting with the Top 5 moments in Tourney History!!! Yes I said it, I will dive head first into hundreds if not thousands of feet of film to give you the best of the best. Even honourable mentions (thank you to Lights Out publisher Quinton Rossini for that idea). Anyways, take care and see you all soon.

Jenna Lamantia's blog http://popculturesportsworld.blogspot.com/

Quinton Rossini's blog http://lightsouthockey.blogspot.com/

Ivo Frankovich's blog http://frankovfootball.blogspot.com/

Mark Hebert's blog http://theoepsteinforpresident.blogspot.com/

The Irate Italian ft. Mark "O'Hebes" Hebert

Hello everyone and welcome to the inaugural edition of what will be many rant filled, uncut and raw filled podcasts. Today's topic dives into many topics including the NY Giants and the Jake Ballard injury, the Winter Classic in Detroit, the Detroit Tigers and their spending and finally the Cuban defect prospect, Yonas Cespedes and where her might land. Today I have a very special guest, the author of http://www.theoepsteinforpresident.blogspot.com/, Mark "O'Hebes" Hebert. Mark has all the info on anything happening in the MLB especially his Chicago Cubs. Check it out, you will not be disappointed.

 

Anyways folks, enjoy the podcast and I look forward to the comments!

Keep Your Mouth Shut!

Hello fellow followers and welcome to the recently updated Irate Italian, which is formerly known as Headshotz Hockey. Some may ask why the change and the answer is simple, because I want to talk about more than just hockey and I realized that over the weekend. So as the first post from the new Irate Italian I hereby give you the main reason why men will want to drive their vehicle into oncoming traffic...... Gisele Bundchen.

Too most men, Gisele stands for the epitome of good looking but what God gave her in physical assests he definitely did not in mental abilities. For most women the ability to communicate in a verbal, functioning state comes naturally. Apparently for Gisele her mouth, which usually gets her into good situations, put her in a bad one. (Take it anyway you want) On Superbowl Sunday with her husband, Tom Brady leading the New England Patriots against the New York "Football" Giants, Gisele broke a cardinal rule in any sport by being the first to comment about the game before her husband could. Gisele said "My husband cannot f---ing throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can't believe they dropped the ball so many times." Gisele should have never even opened her mouth. A women who is known to make her money by shedding her clothes has no idea what goes on during the 60 minutes on the field. She has no right to criticize Brady's receivers as they are never one to criticize Tom when he has a bad game, mind you that does not happen to often. But when it does you know it is probably due to his irrelevant wife.

What is she even good for? Men look at her and wish they could  "tap that" but in no way would they ever want to be with her in the long run. I understand that what she did say might have been in the heat of the moment but by opening her mouth has now made Tom Brady public enemy number one. I can just imagine what the boys are thinking in the locker room, maybe "Hey Tom, keep your f***in woman in check" or "You serious Tom? This how you treat me? F*** you!" and for the most part I would not blame them. Brady's reciever's have said it was their fault but that is not to be said in any fashion except from the receiver's mouth, not Gisele.

The funny thing about Gisele is that this is not the first time she has sounded idiotic nor will it be her last, but that is just a matter of time. Tom and Gisele finally have been able to move into their new mansion which was started in 2007! Gisele tells E! that the house is economicallyu and environmentally friendly. How in the hell can a  22,000-square foot mansion which boasts eight bedrooms,  a six-car garage, a lagoon-shaped swimming pool with spa, a weight room for Tom to train in and a wine cellar be environmentally friendly? The mansion is a mansion and it would be nice to just tell people what it is instead of trying to justify building it. She is seriously a problem and possibly a reason why Tom has not won a Superbowl in his last two appearances. Tom won without her but not with her. Seems like a distraction to me!

Next time Gisele, instead of sounding like a bamboon's a** just shut your mouth and let your man handle it!

Anyways, I am through with this useless waste of space. Leave your thoughts and comments below!