Survivor All-Stars finale

The Survivor All-Stars finale airs a week from Sunday, and will be followed by a live one-hour reunion from Madison Square Garden, where the winner will also be revealed. (Tickets are being auctioned off if you want to go.) But according to a report from SurvivorNews.net, that won't be the last episode: The following Thursday, CBS is planning a special that "will reportedly feature such things as 'America's favorite Survivor of all time.'" As the site points out, promos during last night's episode prompted viewers to vote for their favorite Survivor moment, possibly for inclusion in that broadcast.

Megan was Star of the Week

Megan was the Star of the Week in her class. She got to bring pictures in, a favorite toy, a snack, etc. Today she brought home a folder that had a note from everyone in her class. It was very nice. Everyone wrote something about how nice she was and how she helped them in class. She was very proud.

New Pups in Town

Today, a litter of Mexican wolf pups was born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The pups will be off exhibit while their mother raises them in their den until they are about 4 weeks old. Visitors will be able to view the pups via a live video feed from a camera installed in the den starting early next week.

This is the fourth successful litter of Mexican wolves born at the Columbus Zoo. The endangered Mexican wolf has been exhibited at the Zoo since 1992, when the Zoo became an active participant in the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan.

Mexican wolves have been extinct in the wild since 1980. Historically, they could be found throughout western Texas, central Arizona and northern Mexico. However, after a decrease in natural prey due to overhunting by humans, the Mexican wolf began attacking livestock. This led to efforts to eradicate the species.

Looking for a slightly used Wedding Gown

Check this out. I thought it was hilarious.

Rex and Ruby's resumes are out

The first steps to giving away Rex and Ruby are underway. Shelley put together a little resume with pictures of them, what they like, etc. Someone is now trying to find them another good home.

When Shelley and Jack were dropping off the information, they starting talking. The short version of the conversation went a little something like this.

Jack: "Mom, will we be able to visit Rex and Ruby after we find them a new home?"

Shelley: "Probably not. We won't know the people, but it will be a good home."

Jack started to get a little sad.

Jack: "Did you ever have to give away a cat?"

Shelley: "Yes, after my mom died, Pa made me give away my cat because he didn't like cats."

They had a short discussion about that and then, so Jack wouldn't get sad, Shelley changed the subject.

Shelley: "When we were at the wedding over the weekend, our friends John and Paola mentioned that they have dog and live up by the lake. Don't you think it would be fun to go up there? Then we could play with their dog and we could go out on the lake."

Jack: "Mom, we're talking about cats here."

Shelley with a little chuckle, thought to herself, "You little s#@t".

Lesson learned: Don't try to pull anything over on Jack.

Chicago Bears Draft Craig Krenzel

QB Krenzel more than just another smart guy from OSU

A championship resume, great intangibles, good mobility and a world-class brain -- that's the formula the Bears found in their newest quarterback, fifth-round pick Craig Krenzel of Ohio State.

''He might be the smartest guy in the building,'' Bears director of college scouting Greg Gabriel said of Krenzel, who is majoring in molecular genetics.

The question Gabriel asked Krenzel before the Bears drafted him is one the player has heard throughout the offseason.

''I said, 'Do you want to be a doctor or a quarterback?' He said quarterback,'' Gabriel said. ''But then again I'm getting old, so maybe he's a quarterback for a few years, goes to med school and then I have a doctor and he'll owe me.''

Krenzel said the media made so much of his academic accomplishments and his dream of attending medical school like his older brother, Brian, that every team he interviewed with asked if he really wanted to play football.

''It's always been my No. 1 goal, my No. 1 aspiration and dream to play football in the NFL,'' Krenzel said. ''Medical school has always been a backup plan for me if football doesn't work out the way I wanted it to, just to have something that I enjoy, something that I know I could be successful at and something that I know I could do to help other people and affect other people.

''Someday when I'm done playing football -- hopefully it's not for a little while -- I'll probably entertain the thought of going back to school, even if it's 10, 12, 15 years from now, which is when I'm hoping it is.''

Not a bad backup plan for Krenzel or the Bears, who figure he showed enough mobility in his college career that he'd be a good option as a No. 3 quarterback. Given that the position represents an emergency situation when two guys already have been injured, it's important to have someone capable of running for his life.

Also, the presumption is that Krenzel is smart enough to learn the Bears' system while not getting a lot of repetitions in it since the major goal of the offseason and training camp is teaching the system to starter Rex Grossman. Krenzel earned his college degree last month and plans to marry his fiance, OSU senior Beth Barr, before the start of training camp.

Gabriel acknowledged Krenzel is a streaky passer who can struggle when his mechanics break down, but attributed that to the offensive system at Ohio State. Gabriel said Bears offensive coordinator Terry Shea became enamored with Krenzel at the Indianapolis scouting combine after observing how well he set up in the pocket and noting his overall footwork.

It didn't hurt that Krenzel went 26-3 as a starter and led Ohio State to the national championship in 2003.

''What else can you ask him to do -- he won big games when he had to win,'' Gabriel said. ''He's always come up with the big play when he's had to make the big play. They won a lot of close games with him at quarterback.''

Krenzel will be the No. 3 quarterback behind starter Rex Grossman and reserve Jonathan Quinn, who was signed in free agency. The Bears could add a veteran if someone like Kurt Warner becomes available and has a desire to play for the team. But the team is convinced Krenzel is a keeper with a chance to become more than a career backup.

''I see him as a guy that's going to come in as a third and work his way up to a two, and then if he's really good you're going to have to make a decision after four years because he'll be [un unrestricted free agent],'' Gabriel said. ''A lot of teams have success with guys like that. You develop a quarterback and then you trade him and get a high pick for him and then you bring in the next guy.''

Ohio State Sets Record With 14 NFL Draftees

Buckeyes now hold record for most players taken in seven rounds

Shane Olivea believes the record book is going to reflect fondly on the outgoing class of Ohio State football players.

With the 2002 national championship already on their resume, these Buckeyes added another mark with 14 players selected yesterday in the NFL draft, the most from one school in a seven-round draft.

There were OSU players seven taken Saturday, including three in the first round, led by defensive end Will Smith. There were seven drafted yesterday, capped in the seventh round by Olivea going to San Diego and fellow offensive lineman Adrien Clarke going to Philadelphia. Both would have preferred earlier calls, Olivea said, but what's important is they were picked.

"This group, we left on a high note," Olivea said. "We set a record not only as the No. 1 class in a seven-round draft but also as the most players ever taken from Ohio State in any draft. And it would have been 15 if Maurice Clarett hadn't been blocked by the courts.

"But that record, that's something we're going to be able to (enjoy) for a very long time."

The previous high for a class from OSU was 12, taken both in 1971 and 1975, in 17-round drafts.

The previous overall record in the 11-year history of the seven-round draft belonged to Miami, which had 11 players taken in 2002. The Hurricanes set another record Saturday with six players picked in the first round, but they didn't have another player go until the seventh round, when three were called.

OSU, on the other hand, almost hit for the cycle, with three players going in the first round, four in the third, two in the fourth, three in the fifth and two in the seventh. Included were quarterback Craig Krenzel, a fifth-round pick by Chicago, and receiver Drew Carter, who, only five months removed from knee surgery, was taken by Carolina in the fifth.

Yesterday started for OSU with center Alex Stepanovich being the fourth player picked in the fourth round, going to Arizona. He had a feeling a cascade of Buckeyes would follow, and it did, including safety Will Allen going in the fourth round to Tampa Bay and linebacker Robert Reynolds going in the fifth to Tennessee.

Reynolds laughed at his good fortune. His parents live in Bowling Green, Ky., just 40 miles north of Nashville, and have had season tickets to Titans games.

"That's why this whole town of Bowling Green just blew up when I got picked by Tennessee," Reynolds said by phone. "I couldn't think of anything better."

He was the 12 th OSU player taken overall, which made him the record breaker. But it's the group as a whole that will stand out, Stepanovich said.

"Miami might have had six guys taken in the first round, but we're more the blue-collar types," Stepanovich said. "We were always hungry, we were always fighting, and we've always wanted to prove ourselves against the best in the country. I think you're going to see this turn out to be one of the best classes ever from one school."

Having 14 players in one draft says a lot, Carter said.

"It means we were a talented group, that everything we did, it wasn't just luck," Carter said. "We worked hard for it, and I think this draft proves Ohio State has got some players."

The poster boy for that respect quotient would have to be Krenzel. Despite Krenzel leading the Buckeyes to a 25-2 record the last two seasons, some experts thought he might not get a call. Then the Bears reinforced a draft secret: You only need to convince one team of your worth. Rex Grossman is the Bears' starter, but they looked at Krenzel's body of work and think he can help them at least as an understudy.

"What else can you ask him to do? He won big games when he had to win," Bears director of college scouting Greg Gabriel said. "He has always come up with the big play when he had to make the big play."

Besides, based on Ohio State's conservative offensive philosophy, "he's probably a little underdeveloped," Gabriel said. "But that's not his fault. That's just the system he's been in. He's got a lot of talent."

And apparently he had a lot of talent around him, as the 2004 NFL draft will attest.

OSU's Smith, Gamble, Jenkins go in first round

Will Smith could have left Ohio State after his junior season, but the dominating defensive end chose to return to the Buckeyes last year because he wanted a chance to play in the Sugar Bowl.

Well, Smith got his chance yesterday, although not exactly the way he had planned.

Instead of visiting the Superdome for the 2004 national championship game, Smith will spend more time in New Orleans after the Saints selected him 18 th overall in the NFL draft.

Two other OSU players went in the first round: cornerback Chris Gamble to 2004 Super Bowl participant Carolina at No. 28 and receiver Michael Jenkins to Atlanta at No. 29.

Ohio State last placed three players in the first round in 1999 with David Boston, Antoine Winfield and Andy Katzenmoyer.

Tight end Ben Hartsock went to Indianapolis in the third round, the 68 th player selected. Buffalo took defensive tackle Tim Anderson at No. 74, Green Bay picked punter B.J. Sander at No. 87 and Minnesota took defensive tackle Darrion Scott at No. 88.

Smith joins former Buckeyes Cie Grant and LeCharles Bentley with the Saints.

"I guess I get to play in the Sugar Bowl this year," said Smith, who grew up in Queens, N.Y., and accompanied his family to Manhattan for the draft. "I thought I’d go earlier, not 18 th, but I’m just thrilled to be in the draft."

Most draft experts projected Smith as a top-15 pick; some had him going in the top 10 and as high as No. 7. The Saints were glad he slipped a bit.

"He’s been in our scope, if you will, for a long time. He is one of a group of four or five players that we thought we might have a chance at, but truthfully, we really didn’t think he’d be one of the guys available at 18," Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said. "We thought he was the best end available in the draft, and we figured someone else would pick him before we had the opportunity to get to him."

Smith thought the same thing, especially after holding discussions with San Francisco and Chicago less than an hour before he was picked. But both teams went in different directions.

Jenkins was caught by a more pleasant surprise.

"I didn’t know Atlanta was going to do what they did," he said. "I had actually just walked outside the house to get some air and didn’t know what was going to go on, and then they called me."

The Falcons traded up from the second round to take Jenkins.

"We talked to every single team from 24 on until we could get a deal with Indianapolis that we thought was a fair deal," general manager Rich McKay said. "The reasoning was pretty simple. He’s a three-year starter at Ohio State. A real big guy (6-4½) with a lot of speed. He ran 4.4 in the Ohio State workout."

Smith, meanwhile, nearly ended up with the defending Super Bowl champions.

"We did have a couple of calls when we were on the clock," Saints coach Jim Haslett said. "(New England) coach (Bill) Belichick called and wanted to know if we were going to move down. He said Smith was their second guy on the board and we got a great pick."

Smith already has a nickname in the Bayou. The Saints’ media relations department has dubbed their No. 1 pick "Man in Black" — a play on the team’s secondary color and the movie starring Will Smith.

The defensive end surprised some Buckeyes fans when he announced after OSU’s national title season in 2002 that he would return for his senior season. He likely would have been a first-round pick had he left school early.

"I think coming back last season helped me, not necessarily in the NFL draft, but as an overall person," he said. "I probably would have been selected about the same as I was this year, so I don’t think it helped me out that much, but educationwise it helped me out a lot. I’m very close to graduating and excited about that."

Gamble chose to leave Ohio State after his junior season.

"My main goal was to get my degree, but I felt like I was ready to play in the NFL and play against the best receivers," he said. "With Carolina being a good team and being in the South, it’s a good fit for me."

Hartsock felt a similar fit with the Colts.

"This is as good as I can imagine happening," Hartsock said. "My parents will be able to come see me play, it’s a team that’s a contender and I get to play with a guy you could say is a future Hall of Famer (quarterback Peyton Manning)."

The seven players drafted in the first three rounds tied an OSU record set in 1995.

Roethlisberger goes to Steelers at No. 11

PITTSBURGH - Tommy Maddox's dreams of cashing in on a lucrative contract extension evaporated at 2:01 p.m. Saturday.

That's when the Pittsburgh Steelers used the No. 11 pick in the 2004 NFL on their franchise quarterback of the future - Ben Roethlisberger of Miami (Ohio).

"This kid's potential is unlimited," said Kevin Colbert, director of football operations, after the Steelers took a quarterback with a first-round pick for the first time since 1980 (Mark Malone).

"He hasn't peaked yet," Colbert said of the 6-4, 242-pound rookie who declared for the draft after his junior season. "We're excited that when he does peak, he's going to be a Steeler."

Colbert was referring to Roethlisberger's limited experience at quarterback - one year in high school and three years as the RedHawks starter.

Not a factor

Steelers coach Bill Cowher said Roethlisberger's lack of experience didn't cause the Steelers to hesitate even though they were using their highest pick since 2000.

"It's too golden of an opportunity to pass," Cowher said. "He's only going to get better the more he plays."

Cowher said it's too soon to predict when Roethlisberger, who led the RedHawks to a 13-1 record last fall and the Mid-American Conference championship, will start.

"We'll wait and see what happens," Cowher said. "There's no preconceived thoughts. With four quarterbacks, this is a good situation."

The Steelers' roster also has the 32-year-old Maddox (the NFL's least-paid starting quarterback who replaced Kordell Stewart in the third game of the 2002 season), Charlie Batch (29-year-old free agent signed in 2002) and Brian St. Pierre (24, fifth-round draft pick in 2003).

Roethlisberger was rated among the top three quarterbacks available. When Mississippi's Eli Manning and North Carolina State's Philip Rivers were taken - then swapped - with the number one (Chargers) and four (Giants) selections, the Steelers' chances of taking a quarterback flickered.

But when the Redskins and Browns took University of Miami's safety Sean Taylor and tight end Kellen Winslow with the fifth and sixth picks, the Steelers realized that Roethlisberger could fall to them because the next four teams picking - the Lions, Falcons, Jaguars and Texans - already have young, expensive quarterbacks.

Has no idea

Roethlisberger said he has no idea when he might take over the starting role, but said he hopes he can develop a good working relationship with Maddox.

"I am more than willing to do whatever it is that Coach asks of me that is best for the team, whether that is coming in and playing right now or learn behind Tommy for a little while.

"The big thing is that I'd like to learn as much as I can from [Maddox]," Roethlisberger said. "I'm more than willing to learn everything that he's willing to teach me."

Roethlisberger acknowledged that his lack-of-experience and not coming from a high-profile football conference is creating pressure with his high selection.

"People knocked me for the time I played and the limited competition," Roethlisberger said. "[But] Randy Moss, Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich came out of the MAC. They're not doing too badly in the NFL."

Growing up in Findlay (near Toledo), Roethlisberger said he didn't cheer for the Browns, Bengals or Lions as a kid.

"I was a 49ers fan," Roethlisberger said. "I am a huge Joe Montana fan."

Not the Browns?

"I didn't necessarily hate them, but I wasn't a big fan. My dad is a Giants fan [because] he grew up in New York. But [my parents] are big Pittsburgh fans now."

Heading to Youngstown

Shelley and I are heading to Y-Town tonight. Z's getting married. Should be a good time.

Home of the Youngstown State Uninversity Penguins!

Don't forget about Pete and Penny

TV Land Goes Dark for 'Friends' Finale

It's not like the final episode of "Friends" will need much help in the ratings, but cable's TV Land is planning to shut down when the show says goodbye on Thursday, May 6.

Rather than air its regular classic-TV slate that night, TV Land will devote the hours prior to the finale to pre-"Friends" appearances by the six principal cast members on other shows. The network will then go dark from 9 to 10 p.m. ET, when the finale airs.

According to Jim

Watched it tonight. This was a great episode. Cheryl caters to Jim's every whim to make amends for a big fight they had the night before — except Jim doesn't remember the fight at all.

One of the funniest scene's is where, the ladies are trying to get more information out of Andy (played by Larry Joe Campbell, he's one of my favorite characters). And he says, "I'll never teeell". (from the scene in Don't Say A Word)

Tornado hits Utica, Illinois

Tornadoes struck parts of at least three states on Tuesday evening, killing four people and causing widespread property damage, officials said.

The hardest hit area appeared to be the town of Utica in northern Illinois, west of Chicago, where older brick buildings in the commercial district were flattened, trapping patrons inside one restaurant.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency said four people had been killed in the Utica area. Some of the victims may have been among a number of people trapped inside the Milestone Restaurant and Lounge.

An elementary school, part of a grain elevator, dozens of houses and a number of businesses were heavily damaged in the town of 2,000, where residents said they fled to basements when warning sirens sounded the alarm minutes before the storm hit.

"A major portion of the downtown was either damaged or destroyed," LaSalle County Sheriff Tom Templeton said. Damage was also reported at Joliet, southwest of Chicago, and in several other areas including northern Indiana. More than 12,000 homes were left without power in the area.

Federal court blocks ruling, bars Clarett from NFL draft

A federal appeals court on Monday barred Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett from entering Saturday's NFL draft, overturning a ruling by a lower court.

In February, Clarett was declared eligible for the NFL draft by U.S. District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin, who ruled the league violated anti-trust laws. She later refused to suspend the ruling.

As part of the league's collective bargaining agreement, NFL rules stipulate that players must be out of high school three years to be eligible for the draft. But Clarett challenged the rule in a September 23 lawsuit.

Had the top off the Jeep today

For the first time this year we took the top off the Jeep. We spent most today riding around town. The kids and I went to 4 different parks. Shelley was at a Creative Memories crop for National Scrapbooking Day.

New Basketball Hoop

I spent the better part of today assembling a portable basketball hoop. It's a nice hoop and the kids love it, but what a pain to put together. It's one of those ones that adjust from 7.5 to 10 feet.

Woody Stacker doll

The Woody Stacker doll will be available at the Ohio State spring game on Saturday, April 24th. Then on Monday, April 26th, they'll be available at the Team Shop online and Kroger.

The Team Shop announced that Archie Griffin, Eddie George, and Chris Spielman have all agreed to participate in the Stacker Doll program. Archie will appear in September 2004, Spielman will arrive in October 2004, and Eddie will be released in November 2004. They are also currently working on a new, 4th Legend of the Shoe to be released in December of 2004. This legend is one that has been long overdue in being granted his legendary status.

Cubbies beat the Pirates, again

Cubs win 10-5 today and take the series.

The Cubs' offense struck again, banging out four home runs and four doubles. Michael Barrett enjoyed his first career two-homer game and Aramis Ramirez hit his third home run in two games. Moises Alou also belted his second homer in as many games to help support Carlos Zambrano who coasted to an easy win.

Special day for Ozzie

A look at Ozzie Guillen's daily planner for Tuesday, April 13 would probably include the following entries:
"Get to ballpark early for first home game as new White Sox manager. Should be fun after playing 13 years on the South Side. Meet with the media for close to an hour starting at 10 a.m.

"Be introduced to a thunderous ovation from the sold-out crowd. Throw out the ceremonial first pitch to former teammate Carlton Fisk, along with fellow Venezuelan greats Chico Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio, Magglio Ordonez and Davey Concepcion, with chants of 'Ozzie, Ozzie' ringing throughout U.S. Cellular Field.

full story

Will Athens be Ready for the Olympics

In the summer of 2004 all eyes will be on Athens Greece as the city hosts what might possibly become the most important Olympics ever. Unless things change drastically before then, these Olympics will take place in a time where war and terrorism is on the minds if not the streets of just about everyone reading this.

These are uncertain times to be sure. But the spirit of the Olympics is that for this two week period we put our troubles behind us and stop fighting. We forget the things that separate us and come together in the spirit of competition and friendship.

On the evening of August 13, 2004, the world will turn its eyes to the Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games. Approximately 4 billion people will view this historic event. It will be a proud moment for the people of Greece and an exciting beginning to the sixteen days of stunning competition to follow.

Will Maurice Clarett be drafted?

The NCAA filed a legal brief Monday in support of the NFL's appeal to keep former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett out of the draft.

President Myles Brand said that college sports' largest governing body asked the federal appeals court to consider six points regarding antitrust legislation before issuing a decision. The points were not cited in the statement.

The court will hear the dispute over whether Clarett can enter the NFL draft less than a week before its April 24 start.

The NFL has asked the court to overturn a lower court ruling that said the league's rule that a player must be out of high school three years for draft eligibility violated antitrust law.

Clarett announced his intention to enter the draft after U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin in February tossed out the league rule. Clarett played at Ohio State and won a national championship his freshman season but was suspended last year.

Brand said the NCAA was supporting the NFL not because of its economic interests but rather that it would lead more college athletes to make poor decisions.

Mickelson Victory Caps Augusta Shot-Making Special

Phil wins his first major
The 68th U.S. Masters will go down as one of the most memorable in the tournament's history.

Fans at Augusta National were treated to a breathtaking display of shot-making over the closing holes, with Mickelson and South Africa's Ernie Els (news) rising to the fore in one of the game's greatest duels.

Left-hander Mickelson, with five birdies in the last seven holes, covered the back nine in 31, trumping the earlier efforts of Els, who appeared to have a fourth major title within his grasp after eagling the eighth and 13th.

Happy Easter!

The Easter Bunny is coming tonight. I have a sneaking suspicion that the kids will each get a Gameboy Advance SP and have to search for 47 eggs hidden all around the house.

Hazardous Materials

This is great, I found it on someone else's site. Click the thumbnail below to see the data sheet.

Women of "The Apprentice'' Featured in FHM's May Issue

"These women were hired because of their great intelligence," said Donald Trump of Katrina Campins, Kristi Frank, Amy Henry and Ereka Vetrini, four of the women contestants on his mammoth reality show hit "The Apprentice." Added Trump, "But they also turned out to be beautiful, and that's not so bad."

Photographed at the World Bar in New York City's Trump World Tower, the four "Apprentices" are featured in the May issue of FHM in a seven-page photo portfolio shot by Luciana Pampalone (page 88). Reportedly offered $250,000 to pose nude for Playboy, the women instead chose to be photographed by FHM wearing lingerie, and for no payment.

Chicago Goodies

One of my favorite DJ's Kevin Matthews.

The Superbowl Shuffle

Billy Goat Tavern

Sloganator

"Create your own poster: it is as easy as 1-2-3!"

The prompt that launched a thousand PDF's.

Sloganator, we hardly knew ye, but you were graciously paid for by Bush/Cheney '04.

Sloganator Memorial: a hilarious flash video compiling a bunch of the posters made by visitors to the Bush/Cheney website, before they wised up and took the app down last month.

Cute Chicks

Three Humboldt penguin chicks were recently hatched at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The chicks are now about 5 weeks old. They are currently residing in their nest boxes in the penguin indoor habitat. Visitors can just see them through the glass.

"They should be out within the next couple of weeks," said Yvonne Clippinger, Region Manager of Shores. They will leave the safety of their nests and learn to swim. The chicks are completely gray right now. Once they start swimming they will turn a darker gray and get the white bellies that are common to the Humboldt penguin. They won't get the white ring around their necks, Clippinger explained, until they molt for the first time. That usually happens when they are one year old.

A common misconception is that all penguins hail from cooler climates. While many do, the Humboldt penguins are native to the warm climate of the coastal islands of Peru and northern Chile in South America. The penguins in Columbus enjoy the warmer summer days but prefer cooler water. They keep the water at 70 degrees during the summer and 50 degrees throughout the winter.

Georgia Tech got beat bad

It wasn't a very entertaining game. Georgia Tech just wasn't ready or maybe tired. But Emeka Okafor for Connecticut looked awesome.

Georgia Tech looks like crap

Not much of a NCAA championship game so far. There's 17:21 left in the second half and they're down 47-29. Pretty pathetic showing.

Cubs win Opener

Corey Patterson apparently likes the bunting and hoopla of Opening Day.
Patterson homered for the second consecutive opener to back Kerry Wood and lift the Chicago Cubs to a 7-4 victory Monday over the Cincinnati Reds in front of a sellout crowd of 42,122 fans at Great American Ball Park.

Maddux pitches tomorrow.

Cats

1. Cats do what they want.
2. They rarely listen to you.
3. They're totally unpredictable.
4. When you want to play, they want to be alone.
5. When you want to be alone, they want to play.
6. They expect you to cater to their every whim.
7. They're moody.
8. They leave hair everywhere.
CONCLUSION: They're tiny women in little fur coats.

Dogs

1. Dogs spend all day sprawled on the most comfortable piece of furniture in the house.
2. They can hear a package of food opening half a block away, but don't hear you when you're in the same room.
3. They can look dumb and lovable all at the same time.
4. They growl when they are not happy.
5. When you want to play, they want to play.
6. When you want to be alone, they want to play.
7. They leave their toys everywhere.
8. They do disgusting things with their mouths and then try to give you a kiss!
9. They go right to your crotch as soon as they meet you.
CONCLUSION: They're tiny men in little fur coats.

Georgia Tech makes it to Championship game

The 2004 NCAA basketball final two are decided.

Georgia Tech won today. Unfortunately Duke lost. Duke played well, but couldn't hang on the win. So, it will be Georgia Tech against Connecticut in the Final Monday night.

I'm pulling for the RamblingWreck!

Did you ever wonder why the letters on the NCAA logo are off center? Oh. Well I have, they're nuts.

Guess who's coming in town?

Suzy is coming in today. The kids are really excited, they haven't seen her in a long time.

The Egg survived!

Megan's egg survived in the annual egg drop contest. They threw them out the window, about 2 stories high.

Look here to see what we did in preparation.

Who says Georgia Tech can't win?

Georgia Tech Out to Prove It Belongs in Final Four

Despite outplaying some illustrious teams, Georgia Tech is considered the Cinderella story of this year's Final Four, a group of mostly underclassmen lucky to be in contention for the national title. While other members of this year's contenders have big names from big-time programs, Georgia Tech's players are unheralded, largely unknown and without doubt largely underrated.

"You guys have a chance to be as good as anyone in the country," coach Paul Hewitt remembers telling his team during the first 10 days of practice.

He was right.

Saturday, Georgia Tech face Oklahoma State with the victor playing for the national title Monday against the winner of the Duke-Connecticut match-up. Hewitt's Yellow Jackets have come a long way, expected before the season to finish in the lower echelon of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Losing freshman Chris Bosh to the NBA was expected to be a fatal blow to this year's team. With the team's lone big name succumbing to the lure of the professional ranks, Georgia Tech was left with a crew of unproven yet talented players. But they won their first 12 games and seemed to find their swagger.

"The fact that we have a lot of depth, people may not value the talent we have," Hewitt said. "We have some very talented players. What we have are some very mature and unselfish players."

That became obvious during a 77-61 whipping of Connecticut earlier this year and a late-season 76-68 victory over Duke.

Afterall, they have sophomore sensation guard Jarrett Jack.