Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Elite Coaches Since 1990: No. 9


***UPDATED: Given the Spurs recent win over the Heat, Popovich would be higher in this list if it were made again. 

9. Gregg Popovich

Sure, he may be a little candid and blunt with reporters during press conferences or in-game interviews. But, so are Phil Jackson, Bill Belichick, and Nick Saban. I can't necessarily say I blame these guys. They are elite coaches, focused on their teams and winning. I can't blame reporters for asking tough questions to gain more insight on how these coaches think either.

 

San Antonio may not receive the attention it deserves because it is the 36th largest TV market, but the Spurs have arguably been the most consistent franchise in professional sports since the mid 1990s. 

In 18 seasons, Popovich's Spurs have only missed the playoffs 1 time: his first season. The Spurs have made 17 straight postseason appearances. During that period, they have also played in the NBA Finals 6 times and won 5 of them. In addition to these amazing feats, Popovich has a habit of taking no-name players, using them in his system, and making them very effective assets (Danny Green, Bruce Bowen, etc). Don't forget that Tim Duncan has taken a few pay cuts to stay with Pop and the Spurs. Must be a great coach to play for. 

Don't forget to check us out @GRHuddle. Who do you think are elite coaches? Submit your feedback to us with the hashtag, #GRHEliteCoach

No. 10: Pete Carroll

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Brain Droppings is NOT Racist

To prove that Brain Droppings is not racist, today's column will equally hate on everyone with hopes that we will not be banned for life from GRH.

1) #ClipperMess - What do you do if you're a Clippers fan? All three of them must be feeling like they got kicked in the gut. They've managed to be the worst franchise in sports for 30 years and when they finally get good, their idiot owner spouts off some of the most racist bigotry one could imagine to his girlfriend who most likely gets paid to hang out with him. I have to admit, I like the Clippers. I was cheering for them. How could you not/. They've been awful forever. It's nice to see them in a position to make a run. Even though it's not the players who did anything wrong, why would I want an organization that is owned by a man like that to win a championship? Wow. In case you missed it (I'm sure you haven't), David Sterling has been fined 2.5 million dollars and rightfully received a lifetime ban from the NBA. He will have to sell the Clippers. That's not a light penalty but unfortunately it's just a drop in the bucket for this guy.

2) #PacerDisaster - Hey, if we win home court advantage we won't have any problem beating the Heat in the 2014 playoffs. May be, but what about the Hawks. It appears for the 6th time in NBA history, an 8 seed is on the verge of upsetting a #1 seed. The Pacers limped into the playoffs. The Hawks got healthy. The Pacers lost 8 home games all year. The Hawks have beat them 2 out of 3 in Indy in the playoffs. Larry Bird watching the game appears to have severe indigestion. Lord McFather feels bad for the Birdman but quotes Red Auerbach,  "I won't make a trade for talent at the expense of team chemistry." Bird might have screwed himself with that midseason trade because it's been downhill since then.


3) #BravoPitching - Don't look now but the Atlanta Braves have the 2nd best record in MLB. Ahead of the Nationals, who were picked by most to win the division, by 4 games. It's still early, so I'm not saying that's a big deal. What I am saying is a big deal is the Braves starting pitching. Their starter's ERA is 3/4 of a run better than the next team. That's with the young guns, Julio Tehran and Alex Wood, who will soon be household names outside of Georgia. It's also without their innings and strikeouts leader from last year, Mike Minor who was replaced in the starting rotation by journeyman, Aaron Harangue, who has been dealing. It's also with David Hale and late preseason acquisition, Ervin Santana. This kind of pitching can't last all season, can it? By the way, Minor is supposed to return this week. Who goes to the bullpen?


Monday, April 28, 2014

Who Should I Follow?!? (4/28)


It was Jeremy and I's goal to do a weekly Who's Who in Sports on Mondays. While we would still like that pursue that goal, our work schedules have made it hard to do so. Should we come across notable names and have the time to interview them, we will run that segment on Monday.

In the meantime, we'd like to start providing interesting Twitter accounts on Mondays for you to follow. Jeremy and I will come up with a Top 3 each Monday. Let them know we clued you in.


Brian

1. @PMQPizzaMag (Pizza Magazine Quarterly): Everything you need to know about the latest trends in the Pizza Industry

2. @Chuck_facts (Chuck Norris Facts): Superhuman facts about Chuck Norris

3. @Big_ben_clock (Big Ben Clock): Twitter account that announces the time by Big Ben's number of bongs

Jeremy 

1. @OhWonka (Sarcasm): Playing off the sarcastic Willy Wonka meme. This site lets you know everything you're doing wrong.

2. @nachosarah (Woe is Her): Comedian and SNL contributor Sarah Beattie mostly laments about her love life in comedic fashion

3. @edsbs (Pop Culture Sports): Fellow Georgian (but Florida alumnus) Spencer Hall writes a sports blog. With a twisted sense of humor, he even occasionally tweets about it too.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

JD's Deuce Points: The Return of the Bugle Boy

1. How bout them pants?

Lady expressed some sincere dislike for me continually featuring her on the blog. She peed in my corn flakes the other morning, and it smelled like asparagus.

So, I want to tell you about an entrepreneur who I really admire. William Mow was born in Hangzhou, China, and received his PhD from Purdue University. Before forming his own business, he worked for Litton Industries for two years. He then founded Macrodata, an electronics design company. After getting in trouble with the Securities in Exchange Commission, Mow left the technology industry. 

Mow then formed Bugle Boy. You may remember this prominent clothing company from the 1980s and 1990s. The company went bankrupt in 2001. 

Bugle Boy Pants

2. When the stuff hits, the fan, clean it

I switched the direction on the fans over the weekend, as the weather is becoming warmer here in Alabama. While switching the direction of the blades, I noticed how much dust there was. So what did I do to solve this mystery? Robert Stack, I used Windex with lemon scent. Worked like a charm and left my living room smelling like lemons. 

If life gives you dust, make lemonade, tear the club up, and raise the roof. 


Thursday, April 24, 2014

Trivia Challenge Winner


Nicole A. is our 15 Week Trivia Challenge winner. Congratulations!

Week 14 Scoreboard
Name
Week Score
Cumulative
Matthew T.
0
20
Derrick D.
30
96
Bruce B.
40
103
Jonathan S.  
0
20
Tanner C.
0
6
Jeff F.
0
30
Nicole A.
50
122
Sallie W.
0
27
Tyler S.
0
3
Burt F.
0
35
Evan K.
0
3
Jarred S.
0
19
Bryan M.
20
75


WEEK 15 TRIVIA QUESTION (4/17)

No Outside Resources. This means you cannot use other people, the internet, or other means to help your answer. 

ESPN came out with a list of the 25 best sports films from 1979-2004. This list can be found here. The final trivia question will be based on the ESPN Expert Panel's Top 25 list, not the SportsNation users list. Please read the following description very carefully:

There are multiple actors, who have been at least nominated for an Academy Award, to be cast in multiple movies on the Panel's Top 25 list. Your task is to, without outside resources, identify these actors.

Initially, I was going to do a wagering question, but upon further analysis, I like this point structure better:

I am leaving the number of actors out intentionally. I will tell you that there is more than 1 correct answer, but less than 6 correct answers. You will receive 10 points for each correct guess, but will lose 10 points for an incorrect guess.

You can also earn an additional 10 points if you guess all the actors correctly, and another 10 points if you can name which actor has been cast in the most Top 25 sports movies. 

Summary Points:
1. Name the Academy Award Nominated Actors who were cast in multiple ESPN Top 25 Films. These actors could have won an Academy Award, but they had to at least be nominated to count.

2. You will receive 10 points for each correct guess, but will lose 10 points for each incorrect guess. The absence of a guess will not count against you. For example, if there are 5 Academy Award Nominated actors who have been cast in multiple sports films and you submit only 3 answers, you will not lose points for not listing 5 actors. You would receive 30 total points if your 3 guesses are correct. However, if one of your 3 answers is incorrect, you would lose 10 points. If you correctly guessed all 5 actors, you would receive 60 points (10 for each correct answer and an additional 10 points for guessing all correctly). 

3. Guess which of your answers has appeared most often in ESPN's list for an additional 10 points. Using the above scenario with 5 actors, if you guessed all 5 actors correctly, and guessed which one has appeared in the most top 25 sports films, you would receive 70 points (10 points for each correct answer, an additional 10 for guessing all correctly, and another 10 for guessing which actor has been in the most top 25 sports films). 


1. Kevin Costner (3), 2. Denzel Washington (2), 3. Tom Cruise (2)

Check out the trivia question and scoreboard from Week 14

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Elite Coaches Since 1990: No. 10


If you have been following, on Wednesdays, I have been compiling Top 10 lists which are meant mostly to be entertaining. The lists also give sports fans to reminisce on the accomplishments of great things related to sport. 

The first top 10 list was my Top 10 Sports Movies, followed by the Top 10 Athletes with Killer Instincts. And now it's time for a new Top 10 list: Elite Coaches Since 1990. Please note that my list is limited to coaches from the 3 main revenue sports in the United States: baseball, basketball, and football. 

The primary criteria for ranking these coaches included wins and championships. However, other criteria, such as dominance in sport coached, long-term success, and impact on the sport were also considered. 


10. Pete Carroll

There certainly was controversy surrounding Pete Carroll at USC, but there is no denying Pete Carroll's greatness as a coach. The primary reason Carroll made this list is due to his success at both the college and professional level.

In college, Carroll led the Trojans to the 2003 AP National Championship, the 2004 BCS Championship, and a 2005 National Championship loss to the Texas Longhorns. While at USC, Carroll's teams were dominant offensively and defensively while sending numerous players to the NFL.

And, in the NFL, Carroll led the Seattle Seahawks to a landslide Super Bowl XLVIII victory over the Denver Broncos. While most will note his recent success with the Seahawks, previously, Carroll had a relatively successful stint with the New England Patriots. 

Honorable Mentions

Tom Osborne (Even though he won 3 National Titles in the 1990s, he retired in 1997. Would definitely be on a all-time greatest coaching list)

Tony LaRussa (1 of his 3 World Series Championships was in 1989)

Steve Spurrier

Tom Coughlin

Urban Meyer

Billy Donovan 

Jim Calhoun

Jim Boeheim

Roy Williams

Bill Self

Skip Bertman (LSU Baseball Coach 5 CWS Titles)

Bobby Cox

Rick Pitino


Don't forget to check us out @GRHuddle. Who do you think are elite coaches? Submit your feedback to us with the hashtag, #GRHEliteCoach

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

The SEC Rules

Ok. I know that the NBA playoffs have tipped off. I know that the NHL playoffs are in full swing. I understand it's baseball season. I even know that it's spring and the golf course is calling. But when ESPN releases 14 commercials highlighting each team in the SEC for the SEC Network's launch in August, everything kind of gets pushed to the back if you live in the Southeast. I'm biased, so here is the one for UGA.


However, I watched all 14 of them (they're only 40 seconds each) and if you want to see them all yourself check out http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2014/sec-network-promos/ Alabama features the Bear, Auburn features Toomer's Corner, Kentucky features basketball (so does Vandy actually), Ole Miss features The Grove and so on. The idea is to take something that defines each school and show it. So you'll see a mother singing Rocky Top to her baby, Arkansas fans calling the hogs, and Gators doing the chomp. It's not really sport, but it does encompass a good bit about being a fan at these schools in a matter of seconds. So, with that being said, I am greatly anticipating the launch of the SEC Network. I hope that your provider is going to be carrying it.

#DinosaursVsRaptors - When I was a kid, I had never heard of the Raptor (short for Velociraptor) until I read Jurassic Park. I was far more interested in T-Rex, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus.  However, after reading the book, I couldn't help but be impressed by the ferocity of such a creature. Then the movie only solidified my obsession with these long extinct animals. Prior to the Toronto Raptors first playoff game, the Toronto Sun ran this on their back page referencing the Nets age:
Paul Pierce obviously doesn't care too much for Raptors as the "dinosaur" pieced together a pretty solid 4th quarter against the less experienced team and leading the Nets to a 1-0 advantage. I know it's early but our man Lord McFather has picked the aging Nets to not only beat the Raptors in Round 1 but also the defending champion Miami Heat in Round 2. I'm not sure these old men have enough in the tank but it'll definitely be worth keeping an eye on.

#WussyRiot - The #8 seed Atlanta Hawks strolled into Indianapolis and beat down the #1 seed Indiana Pacers in their first game of the playoffs. This prompted Charles Barkley to call the Pacers a bunch of "wussies" on television. Chuck has never been known to mince words but somehow I get the feeling he was holding back. The Pacers were not good down the stretch but the Hawks could make a case for one of the more injury riddled teams over the course of the year. I'm not convinced the Hawks will pull such a remarkable upset in Round 1 but I'm guessing they can most certainly push the Pacers in this series. On a side note, why do NBA teams need 3 nights off after a game? I know that doesn't happen all of the time, but I'm out of shape and can play a game of basketball on Monday and be ready to play again by Wednesday. There's no reason the playoffs last 1/3 of the time of the regular season. Just sayin'

#BleakOutlook - Hey, you know the old saying that you can't win an Major League pennant in April but you can certainly lose it? Could be true for a couple of teams. The Houston Astros already find themselves 7.5 games out of first place 3 weeks into the season. The Chicago Cubs are 8 games out, as are the Arizona Diamondbacks. I know the Astros and Cubs are bad, but they at least compete (I guess). The Arizona Diamondbacks have a run differential of -55. On average, even if you include wins, they get outscored by more than 2 runs a night. That's not good. In fact, it translates into historically bad. I hope things get better in the desert or it's going to be a long season for Diamondback fans...both of them.

Those are the thoughts for the week. Keep watching those playoffs and if you don't already, follow us on Twitter @GRHuddle and like us on Facebook. Hope everyone has a great week!

Monday, April 21, 2014

Who Should I Follow?!? (4/21)


It was Jeremy and I's goal to do a weekly Who's Who in Sports on Mondays. While we would still like that pursue that goal, our work schedules have made it hard to do so. Should we come across notable names and have the time to interview them, we will run that segment on Monday.

In the meantime, we'd like to start providing interesting Twitter accounts on Mondays for you to follow. Jeremy and I will come up with a Top 3 each Monday. Let them know we clued you in.


Brian

1. @ABoringUser(Boring Tweets): Nothing better than hilarious, mundane tweets

2. @WolfpackAlan (Alan Garner): Like Alan from the Hangover movies? Someone has decided to personify Alan daily on Twitter

3. @ShitNobodySays (Shit Nobody Says): Pretty self-explanatory


Jeremy 

1. @genuineDOB (Hodegepodge): Dave O'Brien is actually the AJC's beat writer for the Atlanta Braves, but his personal twitter page will tell you where to find the best eats and music in his travels.

2. @the_ironsheik (Mostly Threats): Former WWF World Champion lets everyone know they are not safe from his infamous Camel Clutch, that is unless they are "Iron Sheik Class."

3. @DrinkCraftBeer (Libations): If you want to know what craft beers to give a try, these guys have already had them.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Athletes with Killer Instincts Since 1990: No. 1


1. Bryon Russell

Those who know notorious, Hall of Fame speeches will know why Bryon Russell is sarcastically listed as the #1 Athlete with Killer Instincts Since 1990. 

Was there any doubt who the #1 Athlete would be? You may disagree, but in major sports, is there someone you think could perform better in the clutch than Michael Jordan? I'm all ears...


While Jordan was one of the most well-rounded and clutch scorers in NBA History, many fail to understand the extent to which Jordan was an elite defensive player. When Jordan wanted to shut down other players, he did. He made the NBA All-Defensive Team 9 times and led the NBA in steals 3 times. These are remarkable feats for someone hailed as a scorer. Of course, that is why Jordan is the best. Check out these other statistics and highlight video:

1. 6x NBA Champion
2. 6x NBA Finals MVP
3. 5x NBA MVP
4. 14x NBA All-Star
5. 10x NBA Scoring Champion
6. 9x NBA All-Defensive First Team
7. 3x NBA Steals Champion
8. 3x AP Athlete of the Year
9. 2x NBA Slam-Dunk Champion
10. NCAA Champion (1982, UNC)
11. Playoff PPG of 33.4, FG% of .487, RPG of 6.4, APG of 5.7, SPG of 2.1
12. Highest Player Efficiency Rating (PER) for Career (27.91)
13. Part of Bulls Record 1995-96 winning season with 72 wins out of 82 games





Don't forget to check us out @GRHuddle. Who do you think the top athlete should have been? Submit your feedback to us with the hashtag, #KillerInstinct.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

15 Week Trivia Contest (Final Question)


Here's how it works:

1.Over 15 weeks, we will be asking a trivia question each Thursday. The challenge started January 2, 2014. 

2. Answers must be submitted to groundrulehuddle@gmail.com by 11:59 PM Eastern Time the day the question is posted. 

3. Scoring will be based on each week's question. 

4. During the 15th week, we will have a final bonus question in which wagering (based on your cumulative 14 week score) will be used. 

5. The winner will receive an Amazon Gift Card and an opportunity to be featured on the blog. 

WEEK 15 TRIVIA QUESTION (4/17)

No Outside Resources. This means you cannot use other people, the internet, or other means to help your answer. 

ESPN came out with a list of the 25 best sports films from 1979-2004. This list can be found here. The final trivia question will be based on the ESPN Expert Panel's Top 25 list, not the SportsNation users list. Please read the following description very carefully:

There are multiple actors, who have been at least nominated for an Academy Award, to be cast in multiple movies on the Panel's Top 25 list. Your task is to, without outside resources, identify these actors.

Initially, I was going to do a wagering question, but upon further analysis, I like this point structure better:

I am leaving the number of actors out intentionally. I will tell you that there is more than 1 correct answer, but less than 6 correct answers. You will receive 10 points for each correct guess, but will lose 10 points for an incorrect guess.

You can also earn an additional 10 points if you guess all the actors correctly, and another 10 points if you can name which actor has been cast in the most Top 25 sports movies. 

Summary Points:
1. Name the Academy Award Nominated Actors who were cast in multiple ESPN Top 25 Films. These actors could have won an Academy Award, but they had to at least be nominated to count.

2. You will receive 10 points for each correct guess, but will lose 10 points for each incorrect guess. The absence of a guess will not count against you.For example, if there are 5 Academy Award Nominated actors who have been cast in multiple sports films and you submit only 3 answers, you will not lose points for not listing 5 actors. You would receive 30 total points if your 3 guesses are correct. However, if one of your 3 answers is incorrect, you would lose 10 points. If you correctly guessed all 5 actors, you would receive 60 points (10 for each correct answer and an additional 10 points for guessing all correctly). 

3. Guess which of your answers has appeared most often in ESPN's list for an additional 10 points. Using the above scenario with 5 actors, if you guessed all 5 actors correctly, and guessed which one has appeared in the most top 25 sports films, you would receive 70 points (10 points for each correct answer, an additional 10 for guessing all correctly, and another 10 for guessing which actor has been in the most top 25 sports films). 


Check out the trivia question and scoreboard from Week 14

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Joy and Pain


We all love sport for various reasons. Some of us feel as if we are able to live vicariously through others talents. Others want something to get behind. Sometimes people get caught up in the excitement that can permeate a city or a region when a team takes off. Others just grew up involved in it. Regardless of why you began to follow sport, there are certain scenarios that every fan can understand. One of those is the absolute kick in the gut feeling that we all inevitably feel when our team reaches a certain point only to fall short. Sport allows us to the outlet to feel as on cloud nine or as low as dirt. Occasionally those feelings swing in the blink of an eye. Even cooler is when these moments are caught on tape. 

If you haven't seen the following clip, take a moment to watch it. It sums up the utter highs and bitter lows of being a fan in less than 2 minutes. Let me set the stage: The Philadelphia Phillies had just scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 8th to lead the Atlanta Braves 6-5 with only three outs left in the game. The Braves managed to load the bases in the 9th but after a strike out of Braves catcher Evan Gattis, fans in Philadelphia felt they may be able to wiggle away with an improbably win. Then, this happened...



Can you imagine if this had been a post season game? Better yet, Game 7 of a playoff series. How devastating would that be? As a Brave fan, I still hate Kirby Puckett and the Minnesota Twins for beating my team of destiny in the 1991 World Series. Kent Hrbek is still a crook for pulling Ron Gant off of 1st base and Lonnie Smith will never be thought of highly because he allowed Chuck Knoblauch to fool him into not running for 3rd. This would pale in comparison to all of that if it had happened in the post season. 

Fandom is what it is because we allow it to be. But all of these highs and lows are why I keep coming back. You literally never know what is going to happen next. UCONN winning the national championship. Bubba winning one green jacket (let alone two). The 1991 Braves and Twins. 1985 Villanova. You just never know what is going to happen. It's why I won't taunt these fans. I've been in their shoes. My guess is, if you're a true fan, you have too. And you know what, we'll all feel like this again one day. So will they. It's why we watch and why we'll keep watching. Because those these fans were on the wrong side of it, Braves fans have huge smiles on their faces this morning. While these guys faces dropped, the bar I was watching the game last night in erupted with joy. It's what being a fan is all about.

No #'s today. Just wanted to share my thoughts on the joy and agony of fandom. Check us out on Twitter @GRHuddle and don't forget to like us on Facebook to keep up with everything Ground.Rule.Huddle

Sunday, April 13, 2014

JD's Deuce Points (With a hint of potpourri...)

1. The Principles of Patience

Patience. Like a field of of blooming colors do I hinder thee for thy whispering eye. For many a time you have called and come to my surprise, but I have yet to respond to thee o' countless wonder of silence. Help me, save me, give me thy wisdom for gerunds and of other devices which blunder thy bosom. Time is ending, the season is changing, and I can't find K-Mart. I turn left, I turn right. No blue light. No special. Help me now. Where is it? Patience.




2. Jog-A-Boo like a Piece O'Poo

Frontin. U can't play me no mo like dat, gurl. I smell yo tricks, they ain't got me fooled no mo. Sip on da Lysol, pour dat Hennessey and get me a Zima, trick. U messin with tha wrong playa now. U can't catch me, U can't chase me, U can't even hide from me. Sniff a trick from a mile away. U wonderin where Waldo is. But he ain't wonderin where u are. Run all u want, Ms. Ghetto Graffiti, with tha dunk in the plunk. 

We're here. Unload the bags and allow the concierge to escort us to our room, dear. 



Friday, April 11, 2014

Bracket Challenge Winner


Congratulations to Derrick Daniel for winning our 2014 Bracket Challenge and an Amazon Gift Card. His bracket placed in the 99th percentile. 

Thanks for supporting our blog and playing!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Making it Up To You


As mentioned here on Tuesday, Brain Dropping has been behind and there's been quite a lot going on in the world of sport. Therefore, I wanted to jump in with some thoughts and we'll hopefully get back to the column next week. No hash tags for this one, just things right off the top of my head...

1) This Guy - You've all probably heard of Derek the RA at UCONN by now. If you haven't, feel free to read his letter to the students who live on his floor prior to the NCAA Championship game on Monday:

UConn RA Will Not Tolerate Basketball Excitement On His Floor

Derek caught a lot of flack for his comments and I can certainly understand why. However, I don't think Derek is getting credit for what this truly is...laziness. Derek just doesn't want to have to work. I've seen first hand the destruction that rabid fans can do in the wake of a major victory. It takes a lot of clean up. Derek would probably have to fill out a lot of paper work as RA. The bottom line is, nobody has time for that. So, Derek has done what any red-blooded American would do...pass the buck.


So, all of these other sport websites have trashed Derek but here at GRH, we applaud him. Because, well, we're American. If you wanted to make the translation that all those other sports blogs are Un-American then those are your words, not mine. But you can't say that about us and you can't say that about Derek either. Good job, man. Keep fighting the fight.

2) These Guys - The good news for Derek is that he is not an RA at the University of Kentucky. After they lost the championship game, there were 29 arrests and more than 35 fires set in Lexington.


UK has officially turned into the Hooligan capital of the US. Let's be honest, it's almost acceptable to turn over cars and rampage in the street after your team wins. I just hope I'm not too old by the time UGA wins a championship of significance (though it does have the only National Championship for an SEC team this year in Women's Swimming). However, when your team loses in the shameful way that UK did on Monday (basically by not making free throws), then you crawl into your hole and shut the hell up. You don't burn 19 couches (which is totally a WVU thing, come on Cats, be original at least). I'm glad they only get riled up about one sport there.

3) Pleasing the Patrons - This morning the Masters officially teed off right up the road in Augusta. It's hard to argue with the tradition of some of the legends of the tournament teeing it off ceremonially. There is no Tiger in this year's field which makes a lot of fringe fans pass on watching. I can't stress how exciting the last day of the Masters can be even without the most famous golfer in the world. Last year's finish by Adam Scott was must see TV as was the year before when Bubba Watson took home the green jacket. I don't know who is going to win, but there are some things I can guarantee: (1) Justin Rose will be on the leader board at some point today. He might even be leading after day 1. But don't expect him to be there on Sunday for some reason. (2) Fred Couples and Angel Cabrera will play well even if they don't win. (3) Uncle Verne will give us a good chortle sometime on Sunday. (4) The Eisenhower Tree will not be missed because it didn't matter for the pros. (5) Someone will forget that the ball always rolls towards Rae's Creek and miss a big putt because of it.


There's lots of other things but we'll leave it at that for now. Brain Droppings will be back on Tuesday in its regular time slot so keep an eye out for us. Also, don't forget to follow us on Twitter @GRHuddle or like us on Facebook. Have a great week!

15 Week Trivia Contest (14)



Here's how it works:

1.Over 15 weeks, we will be asking a trivia question each Thursday. The challenge started January 2, 2014. 

2. Answers must be submitted to groundrulehuddle@gmail.com by 11:59 PM Eastern Time the day the question is posted. 

3. Scoring will be based on each week's question. 

4. During the 15th week, we will have a final bonus question in which wagering (based on your cumulative 14 week score) will be used. 

5. The winner will receive an Amazon Gift Card and an opportunity to be featured on the blog. 

WEEK 14 TRIVIA QUESTION (4/10)

No Outside Resources. This means you cannot use other people, the internet, or other means to help your answer. 

Today is a grab bag of MLB questions. You will get 2 points for each question you answer correctly and an additional 4 points if you answer all correctly.

1) Who is the only person to win consecutive manager of the year awards? Bobby Cox

2) Which Royals Hall of Fame hitter did Nolan Ryan face more than any other in his career? George Brett

3) With 511 wins, which pitcher has the most career wins? Cy Young

4) Which pitcher holds the lowest walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP) for a single season? Pedro Martinez

5) Reggie Jackson leads MLB with 2,597 total strikeouts (as a batter). Who is 2nd all-time? (Retired in 2012) Jim Thome


Week 14 Scoreboard
Name
Week Score
Cumulative
Matthew T.
0
20
Derrick D.
4
66
Bruce B.
8
63
Jonathan S.  
0
20
Tanner C.
0
6
Jeff F.
0
30
Nicole A.
14
72
Sallie W.
0
27
Tyler S.
0
3
Burt F.
4
35
Evan K.
0
3
Jarred S.
0
19
Bryan M.
2
55




Check out the trivia question and scoreboard from Week 13