It’s that time of year again! The time of year when we furiously fill out brackets and try to predict what wild and crazy ending will come from the NCAA Tournament!

I don’t know about anyone else, but this year has been absolutely crazy when it comes to college basketball. Last year, everyone knew Kentucky was the best and would likely win it all. This year, it truly is anyone’s game. Get hot at the right time, and your team could be hoisting that trophy!

We’re only one day in and there have already been some pretty big upsets, such as Harvard taking down #3 seed New Mexico and Oregon beating Oklahoma State, although that really wasn’t much of an upset since a lot of folks thought Oregon was seeded too low.

We’ve also seen some ridiculous blowouts! VCU took Akron behind the woodshed and left them there for the woodland animals. Syracuse did the same, dismissing Montana by 47 points. And Gonzaga narrowly escaped the first #16 seed upset of a #1 seed.

Personally, I like my Buckeyes’ chances again this year; especially for getting back to the Final Four. We shall see, though. You never know until the games are played!

Have you filled out any brackets? Who do you have going all the way?

I know Tiger Woods is a controversial personality to a lot of people. I don’t care about any of that. Yea, it was messed up how he disrespected his wife and marriage. But, unlike the masses, I didn’t really care about Tiger, the man. He was Tiger, the amazingly talented and exciting golfer. Always has been. I don’t give a you-know-what about golf most of the time, unless Tiger is playing.

Fun fact: our 2 year old cat is named Tiger. But mostly because he’s orange.

So, naturally I was watching this past weekend when he won at Doral! He’s had a long road back after his fall from grace, and I think it’s good not only for him, but also for the sport. People care when Tiger’s relevant and performing well. Just how it is!

But I must say I’ve watched far more golf, in 2013, than I probably have in years, but it’s not all Tiger. My Dad had a 2-week stint in the hospital last month and I went to visit him every day. And if it was Thursday-Sunday, he had golf on. Thus, I’d watch golf with him for hours, with or without Tiger Woods.

One thing I kept noticing, every time we’d watch, is all the hats plastered with Cleveland Golf. Living in Ohio, I thought “ahh, Cleveland!” Later my Dad informed me that they don’t really have any connection to the city of Cleveland. Of course. The founder’s last name is Cleveland. But, as a non-golfer/fan, that I even know the brand is pretty big, right?

Based in Huntington Beach, CA, Cleveland Golf offers a myriad of products for the casual golfer all the way up the professionals. You can get clubs like golf putters and/or golf drivers, and yes, I know the difference between those close as well. You can also get accessories, like bags, towels, and gloves, as well as an informational blog and tour schedule.

Between the brand name plastered on hats and bags, to the commercials, and super sleek website, I’d say Cleveland Golf is doing a great job of marketing themselves. When my Dad gets back to full strength, maybe I can hook him up w/ a little something from Cleveland Golf? Father’s Day is coming up…

So, maybe I’m not such a non-fan after all? Well, I did take golf lessons as a child! But that was mostly because my older brother was taking them and I just had to do everything he did. Y’all know how it is!

Even though I am a sports fan, professional football and basketball aren’t exactly my favorite. I’m more of a college sports girl, when it comes to the major sports. I don’t claim any team or fandom. I just look for competitive and entertaining games. That’s all I was hoping for from Super Bowl XLVII. For a while, I didn’t think we were going to get a good game, then the lights went out at the Superdome and momentum shifted, making it exciting right down to the final 4 seconds! Congrats to the Baltimore Ravens!

Now, I took my bathroom breaks, and other absences from the TV during the game. I wasn’t going to miss any of the commercials. They’re a big reason a lot of people even bother tuning in.

Here are my Top 5, in no particular order! (more…)

No, he doesn’t play for my school, and yes, he sometimes makes questionable decisions/comments. But seriously, how fun is Johnny Football?! That dude looks like he’s living his life to the fullest and having as much fun as is humanly possible along the way. I know it’s probably not a popular opinion to have, but it’s mine and I’m not ashamed of it!

We had the “Tebow Years” of college football (and yes, I like him too), but the Johnny Football years are going to be sooooo much more entertaining, for pretty much the completely opposite reason. The CBS/SEC shills spent The Tebow Years telling all of us how we would want our daughters to bring home a guy like Timmy. In this era, they’ll probably start telling us that Johnny is the kind of guy we want to party with. At least that’s how I view him. And no, there’s no way I’d be able to keep up!

But I like him, douchebag or not. I don’t need entertainers/athletes/singers etc. to be saints in order to like them. I’ve always been able to separate their exploits from their careers. I’m also not looking for a role model. Mine are in my immediate family; not complete strangers. I’m just looking for ENTERTAINMENT, and Johnny Manziel provides an abundance. He’s a treat to watch on the football field, and even more amusing off of it!

For example, check out this sweet video of him with the Dude Perfect guys.

So, I say, leave Johnny alone and let him continue to entertain me, dammit! I bought all this popcorn, and he’s the perfect reality show to eat while watching!

A month and a half ago, I pleaded with Les Wexner, the head of Limited Brands (Victoria’s Secret) to expand the Victoria’s Secret Pink Collegiate line to include Ohio State. Since Mr. Wexner had recently stepped down from the Ohio State University Board of Trustees — which apparently provided a “conflict of interest” — he was now free to get ‘er done. And he has!

The Columbus Dispatch reported yesterday that Ohio State would be added to the Pink Collegiate line beginning today, December 11, 2012. Awwwwwwzyeah!

It’s such a fine line when it comes to women’s sports apparel. Most of the time, we’re either ignored (cool t-shirts only offered in Men’s sizes) or they stick some sequins on a tank and market it to us. Real women sports fans don’t need pretty colors or bling in order to wear items from a sports clothing line. Do we want it to look cute? Well, obviously! But that can be accomplished without frills, patterns, shiny things, and the actual color pink. I think Victoria’s Secret does this well. Their designs are simple, yet stylish. Yes, the price tag is steep, but what did you expect from VSPink?

Buckeye Ladies, and any men who want to get the female Buckeye in their life a little somethin’ somethin’, click here to check out the offerings. They’re available online and in select stores.

I’m trying to decide which piece I want first. Thanks, Les!

You all know I’m obsessed with Ohio State Football. It’s not just a fall thing. It’s a year-round obsession. The kind that renders my fall Saturdays spoken for for 4 months out of the year. And for the remaining 8 months, I’m still all up on news about the team and recruiting. I simply can’t get enough!

So, after a turbulent year with an interim head coach, the Buckeyes hired Urban Meyer and he just lead the team to just its 6th undefeated season in history. Yea, there’s no bowl game, but I’d be willing to bet that by the second week of January there’s only one undefeated team in the country; and that’ll be the Buckeyes.

So, tonight, the school had a huge pep rally to celebrate the team going 12-0. The team, coaches, cheerleaders, marching band, the mayor of Columbus, and more came out to recognize what the team did!

Here are my pictures! (more…)

When Victoria’s Secret launched its PINK Collegiate line, 4 years ago, the young women of Central Ohio (the Worldwide Headquarters of this company) were shocked to see that The Ohio State University was not on the list of participating schools. This was also a bit surprising because the founder of Victoria’s Secret, Les Wexner, is an Ohio State grad and was a member of the school’s Board of Trustees.

At the time, we were given the following explanation, via The Columbus Dispatch:

“We wanted to be careful, because Mr. Wexner is a sitting member of the board of trustees,” said Rick Van Brimmer, director of trademarks and licensing for OSU. “As a state-supported school, we have to be cautious about conflict-of-interest issues.”

We collectively grumbled afterwards, but understood. We wouldn’t want anyone to get in trouble although it was hard to see the Buckeyes’ most hated rival, from that state up north, on the list of schools with custom collegiate PINK gear. Heck, the only Ohio school is the University of Cincinnati. Um, ok…

Four years later, and Les Wexner has now resigned from Ohio State’s Board of Trustees. So it seems that “conflict of interest” is no longer an issue, now is it?

All I can do is hope that somewhere along the chain of command, that this situation has been or will be revisited. Buckeye fans, in general, wear their OSU clothing with pride. On any given day, any time of the year, you will see the people of Central Ohio wearing Scarlet and Gray. I’ve had friends visit and they’re always shocked at how many people wear Buckeye themed clothing. I believe one even suggested that it was the official uniform of the city. I can’t argue! There is scarlet and gray everywhere you look, so finally making this line available to the company’s founding city would be a great business move, in my opinion.

So, Les, if you’re out there, please make this happen! We’re counting on you! GO BUCKS!

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a massive College Football fan. My obsession is probably unhealthy, but we all are probably a part of some type of fandom; be it sports, movies, books, TV shows, musicians etc. I’m so into my Ohio State Buckeyes that I rearrange several parts of my life so that I never miss a thing. Case in point: I redo my workout schedule so that I don’t have anything set for Saturdays. Yes, I’m that serious.

Well, college football came back into my life today and I couldn’t be happier! Couple that with the fact that I will be going to the 2012 Ohio State season opener Saturday and I can barely contain my excitement. (I don’t expect to get any sleep tomorrow night) I will sit and watch any college football game that comes on TV, no matter the team. There’s no other sport where I do that. March Madness doesn’t count. That’s just 2 weeks. I mean, as I write this entry, I’m watching BYU and Washington State. I care not for either of those teams!

And although I’m obsessed with the College game, the same can’t be said for pro ball. I follow exciting players and all former Buckeyes, but it’s not the same to me. Every year, I’m tempted by Fantasy Football and the betting scene, but haven’t been able to take that next step. I’ve seen how my friends/family are, when it comes to Fantasy Football, and I don’t need another obsession like that to distract me from the one I already have!

And I probably would give betting a go (the legal way), but there’s so much to learn! It’s been recommended I take a look at http://www.nflbetting.org, but I’ma scurred. It’s a lot to absorb and I’m not much of a gambler. We’ll see, though!

But for now: ZOMG, IT’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON! GO BUCKS!

I grew up playing basketball. Everyone in my family did, to a point. My Uncle even played and coached in the NBA. Up until last year. I grew up on Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Isiah Thomas. Those guys. I was alive and old enough to remember the Dream Team. That was the brand of NBA I liked. Sure there were superstars, but people were fans of the teams first and foremost.

Fast forward 20 years and it’s allllll about the superstars. And, at this point, it’s pretty much an NBA thing, because I don’t see what irks me going on in baseball or football.

People can like whomever they want, but I respect those who are fans a team through its failures, its history, and its success far more than these new-age fans who really only care about the stats of their superstar and whichever team they happy to play for at the moment. Case in point, Miami Heat fans, Oklahoma City Thunder fans, and earlier this year, Los Angeles Clippers fans. I’ve really never seen anything like it, and hope other sports fans are able to keep their integrity a little better.

When Peyton Manning announced he was signing with the Denver Broncos, there weren’t a ton of Indianapolis Colts fans saying “Oh shit! I’m #TeamBroncos now!”, were there? No. Most of the ones I came across on Twitter stated that they’d always be fans of his, wished him well, and continued to pledge their allegiance to the Colts. I love and respect that. (more…)

I shocked the world when I posted that WNBA post last week. Yes, the entire world. Well, I hope y’all are ready because I’m going to do it again! It’s follow-up time!

The WNBA Draft was held Monday afternoon, and my girl, Sammy Prahalis, was the 6th selection by the Phoenix Mercury. And she looked fab!

I am definitely jealous Phoenix fans right now. While I’ve been spoiled by easily being able to see Sammy play, they are now get to enjoy the massive swagger of Styles P for the forseeable future. Enjoy it!

P.S. A friend and I have already circled the date when the Mercury head to the Midwest and play the Indiana Fever. Don’t be surprised if we make that short road trip to Indy to check her out.

P.P.S. Check out the highlight video she just uploaded. You’ll understand why I love what she brings to the women’s game.