I got Mizzou in the Final 4, how about you?

That title really has nothing to do with this blog, but I'm proud, damn it!

I'm always amazed at how certain teams are stereotyped by the Dukie Vitales of the world. Isn't it obvious that there is much more coming into play in their descriptions of a team than what we actually see on the floor? Did that sentence confuse you? Yeah, me too. Sorry.

Let me try and break it down for you as simply as possible. According to Dickie, Digger, Jay, Clark, Jim Nantz and the rest of the babbling heads, if you are from a certain school then you have to have a certain type of team, year after year. To mention just a few:

Pitt: Always gritty, hard-nosed, tough, never-say-die. Just like the city. It's Steel Town, USA! They will do what it takes to win, including beating your girlfriend, stealing your dog and punching your mother in the temple. I'm sure this perception has absolutely nothing to do with all the tats and braids. Think Georgetown, circa 1985.

I got my swagger back, baby! And oh yeah, this blog happened for a reason.

That photo has nothing to do with this blog, but it was taken at 4:30 AM after the Louisville game. Good times.

Do you ever get sick of hearing certain statements from the sports world? God knows I do. I started with 20+ phrases that I'm absolutely sick of or simply don't understand, but I narrowed it down for y'all. Why? Because quite frankly I was boring even myself. Anywho, I really need to get these off my chest. Those close to me are probably sick and tired of hearing me bitch about them, so consider this a bit of a soul cleansing exercise. Here ye be:

"Giving 110%"

I hate this phrase, and I’m not sure why it’s 110%. Why stop there? Why not 120%? 200%? 587%? Anyway, my point has always been you can’t give 110%. If you don’t believe me, try withdrawing 110% from your savings account or eating 110% of a pie. You can't do it, damn it. Hell, I'd venture to say you can’t even give 100%. It would more than likely kill you, right? I’d say the most ball-busting, hard working, crazy-ass athlete out there is giving around 85%. Hey, you gotta rest sometime.

By the way, Pete Rose? 97%.