Monday, March 28, 2011

Kentucky vs. UConn

Ok guys…here’s where we stand… Most of us are done scoring points.

Although everyone will (surely) be more interested in the Butler vs. VCU game, the Graves Family Pool will be determined by the Kentucky vs. UConn game. Wisemen, who is currently in 6th place, has selected Kentucky to win in its Final Four matchup. If Kentucky wins, Wisemen will win the Championship. kgraves766 1 selected UConn to win its Final Four matchup. If they do, she will score more points. If UConn wins the Final Four game but does not win the championship game, then kgraves766 1 will win. Also on the Husky train is NC Big Ticket. He has the Huskies winning the overall championship. So, if UConn wins the next 2 games, NC Big Ticket will win the pool.

See you next weekend.

The Commissioner!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

King for a Day

bone.graves is “King for a Day.” With yesterday’s Butler victory, Bone now sits atop the leader board in sole possession of 1st place. Enjoy 1st place today, Bone. You will be de-throwned by sunset. Your tank is now officially empty. See you next year.

As mentioned yesterday, the Traveling Diva is still sitting pretty. Perfectly positioned in 2nd place, she is perched to ride the Kansas wave all the way through the final game. Can anyone in our pool stop her? Answer: No. Again, the only hope for a shake-up would be a VCU victory over Kansas tonight. Will that happen? Answer: Probably not. So, enjoy yourself, Traveling Diva. You may just be the next Champion!

Speaking of people who still have gas in their tank…Corbin Jake Jake has been driving so slow, he has half his tank left. With a UNC overall victory, Corbin stands to score a lot of points late in the competition. Will it be enough? Stay tuned!

The Commissioner!

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Wildcats! Wildcats! Wildcats!

As the Commissioner, I have certain rights and privileges. So, yesterday, I called John Calipari (Kentucky Head Coach) to cash in a favor. He was so moved by request that he placed me on speaker phone and allowed me to give the pre-game pep talk to his Wildcats. I explained to these young men that “Sometimes you have to play for reasons that go beyond personal success. Sometimes, you have to play for reasons that have nothing to do with your teammates and coaches. Sometimes you are playing for reasons that go beyond your lengthy school tradition, the students, the faculty, your parents, the kids who look up to you… Sometimes you have to play to be bracket busters! Today I call on you for such an occasion. I need for you to upset The Ohio State Buckeyes. I need for you to completely unravel the Graves Family Pool!” At that point the locker room went ballistic! I lead them in a rendition of “On! On! U of K” (the Kentucky fight song) and then I let them complete their final preparations for the game. I don’t need to tell you how it ended…the Wildcats sent the Buckeyes home. It was a beautiful sight.

As I mentioned yesterday, as the Buckeyes go, so goes Doris Smith0722. With the Buckeye loss, Doris Smith0722 now sits on shakey ground. No longer is she the “soon-to-be-champion.” Yes, she can score points with a Florida victory tonight…and Kansas winning will help her cause…but that’s when her tank runs dry. Things are starting to look bleak for the 2007 Champion. Bleak indeed. Unless…dare I say it? Virginia Commonwealth. I’ll come back to them. :-)

bone.graves currently finds himself in 2nd place. Good job, Bone. Of course he’s looking for victories from North Carolina and Butler tonight…but that will be all she wrote for him. No more possible points after tonight. bone.graves, you fought the good fight…but it’s not looking good. Unless…no, I shouldn’t say it… Virginia Commonwealth?

The Traveling Diva is sitting pretty. She’s comfortably sitting in a tie for 3rd place with me (The Commissioner) and Brandon the Beast. The difference between the three of us is that she has Kansas winning the championship. So, she is hopeful that UConn wins today (for additional points) and then she’s looking for the Jayhawks can carry her through to become the 2011 Graves Family Pool Champion. Who does Kansas play? Oh yeah…Virginia Commonwealth. Hummmmmmm…

Brandon the Beast will score points if Kansas continues to wins…but he will not be able to pass his mother, the Traveling Diva. Good try, Beast. Good try. Others hoping for points from Kansas will be NC Big Ticket’s Dad and Tamieka G-Low End. Neither of these guys can win the pool but they can finish with respectable rankings.

Yep, The Commissioner’s tank has just about run dry. Currently sitting in 3rd (my lowest ranking of the tournament…fyi) I can only score points with victories from Kansas. Unfortunately, Kansas winning helps my opponents as well. Which is why I am willing to sacrifice my future points…just like last night’s Ohio State debacle. Yes, I selected OSU but wasn’t it much more interesting to see Kentucky win? :-) The outcome of our pool becomes much more interesting if Kansas falls. Can you say..."Virginia Commonwealth?"

Jodi (currently in 8th) and kgraves766 1 are others hoping for Kansas victories. If Kansas holds on, Jodi will have made one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the Graves Family Pool. Just a few days ago, she was sitting in 24th…today, 8th…and with a couple of Kansas victories, (she won’t win but...) she could finish near the top. (Hey Comeback Kid…this is what a comeback looks like.) Unfortunately, I am not hoping to see her finish near the top. Come on Virginia Commonwealth!!!

So, needless to say, I'll be putting in a call to Shaka Smart (Head Coach at VCU). Sorry Traveling Diva, Jodi and kgraves766 1…I just can’t give up that easy.

VCU Facts:

Name: Virginia Commonwealth University

Nickname: Rams

Mascot: Rodney the Ram

Colors: Black and Gold

Enrollment 32,000 students

Location: Richmond, Virginia (2 Campuses)

Conference: Colonial Athletic Association

Conference Regular Season Championships: 9

Conference Tournament Championships: 7

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 10

NCAA Tournament Round of 32: 6

NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 1

NCAA Tournament Elite Eight: 1

Number of times defeating a No. 1 Seed to move on to the Final Four: 0

Come on VCU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Rams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Side note - - Yes, I see you Wisemen. Nice move from 26th to 11th. A little late…but nice move. Also, if UConn, Florida and and UNC move on, Corbin can make a serious play for the title. He has UNC winning the championship. If this happens, Corbin could be the champ. Stay tuned.)

The Commissioner!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Duke Disappoints!

The Arizona Wildcats put a beating on the Duke Blue Devils! Not only did Arizona beat the Blue Devils, they also destroyed the hopes and dreams of 10 people (bone.graves, Tamieka G-low End, jernie and Jay G the Big Shot, among others) in our pool who selected them to win the championship! Yes, I, The Commissioner, am one of the 10 who may be watching from the sidelines for the rest of the tournament. Although I am currently tied for second place, something magical will have to occur in order for me (and others) to have a shot at winning the family pool. Something like…Kentucky beating Ohio State tonight! “Come on Kentucky Wildcats! Be like the Wildcats from Arizona! We need an upset!”

Congratulations are in order for Doris Smith0722. She remains in 1st place…and she did not select Duke to win the championship. As long as Ohio State continues to roll, Doris will keep rolling. As mentioned earlier…“Come on Kentucky Wildcats!”

Brandon the Beast 32 is battling his mother, Traveling Diva, for the lead. Both are tied (with The Commissioner) for 2nd place at the moment. Neither has Duke winning the championship…so, both will soon leave old Commiss behind. Again…“Come on Kentucky Wilcats!”

I would be remiss if I did not mention that Jodi has made a great comeback. She has moved from 22nd or 24th place to being tied for 10th place. Good job, Jodi. …and no, she did not pick Duke to win. :-(

Another notable move up the list is shelbilaurenn1 who is currently tied for 6th. Nice job, Shelbi. Unfortunately, I don’t think she will move up much more. I’m not sure what kind of Kool-Aid she was drinking when she selected Purdue to win the championship. Whatever kind of Kool-Aid it was, KDarnellAdams must have been sipping on it as well. Apparently, none of his picks have worked out.

The more things change…the more they stay the same. Hello Momma Graves, Jordan and Cam Jae. Thanks for securing those bottom three positions.

Come on Kentucky Wildcats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Come on!

The Commissioner!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Weekend 1...Done ~ Doris Finishes on Top

At the end of the first weekend, Doris Smith 0722 1 (2007 Champ) is in sole possession of first place. One game back, there is a 5-way tie for 2nd. We’re right on your heels, Doris. Enjoy this week. The weekend will be here before you know it…and we’ll be right back at it.

The Commissioner!

The Madness Continues...

After another day of college basketball, the Graves Family Pool finds Brandon the Beast still in first place…but he’s not alone! He’s in a 4-way tie with The Commissioner, NC Big Ticket’s Dad and Tamieka G-Low End. (Note to self - - Next year, all nicknames will be reviewed by The Commissioner before being allowed in the tournament.)

Others near the top of the list (…only one game behind the leaders) are Doris Smith0722, Jay the Big Shot and Morgan B. This is still anyone’s tournament to win. Well…maybe not anyone (Cam/Jordan)…but we’ll get back to that in a bit.

Before the first tipoff on Saturday, Momma Graves conceded defeat. Her conversation has already turned to next year. “I’ll be ready for you next year.” “I’ll have a new strategy next year.” It’s a shame when some folks fall out before the first weekend is over. It would be nice if everyone could enjoy the entire tournament. Oh well… Good luck next year, Momma Graves!

Speaking of next year, KDarnellAdams 2 and shelbilaurenn1, perhaps you should take a page from Momma Graves’ playbook. …start thinking about next year. If you continue to bother with this year, you’ll only frustrate yourself.

Jodi and Wisemen are on the move. They’re a little more impressive than the day before. (…but who am I kidding…it wouldn’t take much for them to impress me considering they were in the back of the pack. Any forward movement on their part would be impressive.) They have moved up to 14th and 17th place. How does it feel to be in the middle of the pack? How does it feel to be AVERAGE?

It appears the comeback kid (formerly known as the Champion) has taken my advice on changing his nickname. Again, it looked funny for someone who has never won…and usually finds himself toward the bottom of the list to call himself “Champion.” Unfortunately, I don’t think the new nickname (comeback kid) is any more fitting. See...“comeback kid” implies something…a COMEBACK! Ain’t gonna happen. Sorry. Maybe a more appropriate name for Will Banks is “Participant.” You can’t go wrong with that. Think about it…

Last, but not least (…well, actually, she is the least)…Cam. With a whooping 0.7 percentage, Cam is still bringing up the rear. Honestly, I didn’t know ESPN had computers that calculated that low. Come on Cam…see if you can break their computers!

The Commissioner!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Plano Makes a Play

After Day 2, the Traveling Diva and Brandon the Beast are tied for 1st! As most of you may recall, Big Tex won 3 years ago and Easy E finished near the top last year. Is there something in the water in Plano? How can one family dominate like this? Can they hang on? I don’t think so…it’s only Day 2. I’m sure they will fall…soon.

Last year’s champ, Jernie, is showing what she’s made of. She’s currently tied for 3rd with bone.graves and Jay the Big Shot. Good job, guys.

Yes, the Commissioner is still near the top. Only 2 games behind the leaders, the Commissioner, NC Big Ticket’s Dad, Tamieka G-Low End, kgraves766, KDarnellAdams 2 and Alice the Great are still contenders.

I want to congratulate Morgan B. I left her off of the newbie list yesterday. She is doing very well for her first tournament. Also, I want to send out an apology to Morgan B. Yesterday, Jodi decided to attack her. She made accusations of rule infractions. She even had the audacity to say Cam deserves a prize for completing her own bracket. Really…a prize for pointing? House pets have been known to do better than last place. Get serious. Jodi and her family are becoming less and less relevant with each passing day. Comfortably sitting in 22nd, 24th, 26th and 28th place (out of 28 competitors), the Phillips family is just about done. I am almost certain we won’t hear much more from them after today. Next year, I suggest you guys drive up to Plano to make your picks.

Momma Graves (24th place), as I mentioned on our phone call, please stop calling me to talk smack. If you want to talk crazy, call Jodi, Jordan and/or Cam. They’re the only ones you’re in front of… As a general rule, the lower your ranking, the less you talk. Get it?

The Commissioner!

Friday, March 18, 2011

The Commissioner (...and others) Lead the Pack!

Well boys and girls, that’s how it’s done. After day 1, The Commissioner is on top. Yes, I know…there are others (Brandon the Beast, Morgan B, Tamieka G-low End, bone.graves, NC Big Ticket’s Dad, kgraves 766, Alice the Great, and Jernie) struggling to remain atop the leader board with me…but they’ll find their way out of the top ranking fairly soon. You can bet on it!

I am a bit surprised to see that Doris Smith0722, Big Tex and Easy E have already shown their true colors this early in the tournament. They usually hover around the top for the first weekend. What’s up?

There’s something to be said for “premature celebration.” (No…not the other thing. Keep your minds out of the gutter.) With regard to premature celebration…DON’T DO IT! Yesterday, I received a call from Jay G Big Shot. Since he was in first place he thought he needed to walk me through his thinking on how to fill out a bracket. Thanks Jay. Enjoy the view from 10th place. Momma Graves was another one who felt the need to contact the Commissioner. She’s usually a bottom feeder…she starts at the bottom and stays at the bottom for the entire tournament. Yesterday (day 1), mid-day, she was in the middle of the pack. From the smack she was talking, you would have thought she’d won the entire tournament. As Lee Corso would say… “Not so fast Momma Graves. Not so fast.” Keep doing what you do, and you’ll soon be back at home…with Jordan and Cam. Enjoy 18th place today. It won’t get any better. (NOTE - - Dt Graves 42 and NC Big Ticket 1 are currently tied with their Grandmother. What does that tell you? Enough said.)

Speaking of 18th place, hello Wisemen. First of all, are you representing more than one person? Will someone help him with a nickname next year…please? If you will recall, before the tournament began, Wisemen sent a note to us referring to the trophy and how it should be in Katy, Texas. I just took a look at your family…18th (you and Jodi), 24th (Corbin) and 27th (Cam) won’t get it done. Sorry. Thanks for playing. Now go sit in the corner.

Will Banks (…or should I say, Champion?) I see you’re in 24th. One of two things needs to happen. Either you need to make a dramatic comeback…OR you need to change your name. Put some thought into it and get back to me.

Traveling Diva and KDarnellAdams 2…I have no problem with you…yet. Just stay where you are and everything will be ok.

A quick shout out to the newbies: alexstower 1, shelbilaurenn1, Ali and KeenanDaGreat 27. Welcome to the pool. As you can see, you have to earn your keep around here. Step it up!

Day 2. Bring it!!

The Commissioner!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Let the 2011 Madness Begin!

Welcome to the 9th Annual Graves Family Pool! Some of you have created your accounts and filled in your brackets. Others are still trying to develop a bracketology strategy. In either case, I am looking forward to a very competitive tournament. (One correction to note - - In my e-mail, I stated that you must have your bracket completed by Tuesday's tipoff. That is incorrect. Brackets must be completed before tipoff on Thursday.)

Before we get started, Jay Graves has developed a list of rules for March Madness. As the Commissioner, I now sanction these rules as a part of the official governing of the Graves Family Pool. If you have not seen these rules on TheJayGravesReport.com, please review them here:

"1. You can only fill out one bracket! I hate when people show up to work with 10 brackets filled out and look to win the office pool. That's shady and you now it. When the tournament is over this person gallivants around like they really knew something about college basketball. Sorry excuse for a sports fan!!!

2. Don't fill out your kids bracket! If he or she can't talk or walk they can't participate. That's final. I get tired of losing to some kid that's 13 months old.

3. Don't pick the freaking teams based on the uniforms! If you haven't watched the games to this point just say that you don't know and bow out gracefully.

4. Don't try to change your bracket once your final four teams lose! I get tired of the guy that picks a certain team to make it to the Final Four and then on Friday he's got somebody else on his bracket because they're already out.

5. Don't show up to the sports bar on Thursday talking trash or wearing your team logo if your school isn't in the tournament. You're on punishment for crying out loud!! If your school sucks then you have to stay at home.

6. Don't install that stupid software with the fake graphs on it to try to fool your boss when he walks past your computer. He knows that your watching the games because he is. Just keep it real and order pizza and go to the conference room and watch it together.

7. Don't get on Facebook lying about being at the games. Who cares?

8. If you win the bracket challenge and get the traveling trophy don't try to keep the stupid thing! Return it next year and I mean it!!

9. Don't call in sick Thursday and Friday you'll look stupid! Trust me.

10. Finally, don't spend the next twenty four hours asking folks who's your Final Foul teams so you can pick yours. This is an independent project tonight. No cheating!" Jay Graves

Good luck to all!
The Commissioner!