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!