Just a day after the NCAA Tournament’s Selection Sunday show, The Piffcast announces its own bracket for TV and sports fans alike…
TJ and I reveal the participants of our new TV Character Madness tournament. Voting will begin here on MichaelPiff.com Thursday morning (3/17), as the NCAA Tourney tips off, and YOU will decide who advances toward Television Supremacy.
Also, take a listen for how you can enter our TV Madness Contest and win a Piffcast Prize Pack (Trust us. It’s worth it). Below is the full bracket and you can get copies of your own to fill out on Facebook and Twitter.
(Before you freak out about some of your favorites being left out, the bracket goes back to 2000.)
For a closer look at each region…
Subscribe to The Piffcast on iTunes here. Again, voting begins Thursday morning, March 17th. Have a favorite character you want to win? Let your friends know, and follow along on Facebook or Twitter.
Monday morning, CBS Sports staff writer Matt Norlander helped us all get to know the coaches who will be patrolling the sidelines for the next few weeks during March Madness. I think musical taste could say a lot about a person, and Norlander asked each of the coaches who their favorite band or artist was.
While I have Xavier making a deep run, I might be questioning it more based on head coach Chris Mack’s answer. There is a lot of Eagles and Bob Marley love among the field. I do enjoy Northern Iowa’s Ben Jacobson mentioning his dad’s band. John Calipari’s is NOT Drake. And of course Mike Krzyzewski was the only one not to answer back…
…so Norlander designated Beyonce to Coach K.
Here are the answers the rest of the coaches gave from each region. I hope this totally influences how you fill out your brackets if you haven’t already.
The South
The West
The East
The Midwest
Which coach do you respect more (or less) based on their taste in music? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.
(3) Michigan, (3) Seton Hall, (1) Illinois, (2) Duke
National Championship:
Michigan over Seton Hall, 80-79 at the Kingdome in Seattle, WA
Most Outstanding Player:
Glen Rice, Michigan
Leading Scorer:
Glen Rice – 184 points/30.6 ppg.
Fun Fact:
Two #16 seeded teams (Princeton and East Tennessee State) came within one point of upsetting #1 seeds (Georgetown and Oklahoma). All four #11 seeds advanced to the second round (Minnesota, Texas, South Alabama and Evansville).
Check out our discussion on this year’s tournament and who to keep in mind when filling out your brackets. Subscribe to The Piffcast on iTunes here.
This month, college hoops takes center stage. What better way to get you prepared for March Madness than talk to a pro that knows everything going into the tourney? Scott Phillips from NBC Sports and I talk about the elite teams, stars who should shine, the bubble teams, potential Cinderellas and more. (Interview starts at the 30:35 mark if you want to jump ahead)
TJ and I also get into some TV talk, the Ballpark Foodie series, and tease next week’s “Selection Monday” show for our TV Character Madness Tournament. We also introduce the Piffcast Cork Board for those of you who have a project, event or cause you’d like to promote. Listen to find out more about it.
Join the conversation by interacting with us on Facebook or Twitter!
In the year New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde was born…
The Daily Show aired for the first time on Comedy Central
Nintendo 64 was released in Japan
The Ramones performed their last show
The OJ Simpson civil trial began
Steve Jobs’ company NeXT was bought by Apple, which he also founded
Tupac Shakur was shot and killed at the age of 25.
To this day, people are trying to prove he’s still alive.
AND in the worlds of movies, music and sports…
Movies
Comedy
Happy Gilmore, Swingers, Kingpin, Matilda, 101 Dalmatians, Don’t Be A Menace in South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, Tin Cup, The Nutty Professor, Bio-Dome, The Cable Guy, Beautiful Girls, The First Wives Club, That Thing You Do, Striptease, Jack, Multiplicity, Kazaam, The Birdcage, Beavis and Butthead Do America, Down Periscope, The Stupids, Black Sheep, Bulletproof, One Fine Day, Spy Hard, Sgt. Bilko AND…
Space Jam
Action/Thriller
Scream, Independence Day, The Rock, Escape from LA, A Time to Kill, From Dusk Till Dawn, Twister, The Craft, Fear, Eraser, Broken Arrow, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Ghost and the Darkness, The Frighteners, Chain Reaction, Ransom, Executive Decision, The Fan, Last Man Standing, Maximum Risk, AND…
Mission Impossible
Drama
Trainspotting, Jerry Maguire, The English Patient, Romeo + Juliet, Sling Blade, Sleepers, Secrets and Lies, Shine, Michael Collins, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Evita, The Mirror Has Two Faces, Kolya, Bullet, The Mirror Has Two Faces, Jude, Mother Night, Phenomenon, Gotti, Emma, Before and After, The Juror, Fly Away Home, Marvin’s Room, AND…
Fargo
The 69th Academy Awards
Best Actor
Tom Cruise, Jerry Maguire
Ralph Fiennes, The English Patient
Woody Harrelson, The People vs. Larry Flynt
Billy Bob Thornton, Sling Blade
Geoffrey Rush, Shine – Winner
(The first of 4 nominations for Geoffery Rush. His latest was in 2011 for The King’s Speech)
Best Supporting Actor
William H. Macy, Fargo
Armin Mueller-Stahl, Shine
Edward Norton, Primal Fear
James Woods, Ghosts of Mississippi
Cuba Gooding Jr., Jerry Maguire – Winner
(Cuba Gooding Jr. won the only time he was nominated)
Best Actress
Brenda Blethyn, Secrets & Lies
Diane Keatin, Marvin’s Room
Kristin Scott Thomas, The English Patient
Emily Watson, Breaking the Waves
Frances McDormand, Fargo – Winner
(Frances McDormand has been nominated 3 other times, most recently for North Country in 2006)
Best Supporting Actress
Joan Allen, The Crucible
Lauren Bacall, The Mirror Has Two Faces
Barbara Hershey, The Portrait of a Lady
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Secrets & Lies
Juliette Binoche, The English Patient – Winner
(Juliette Binoche was nominated once more in 2001 for Chocolat)
Best Picture
Fargo
Jerry Maguire
Secrets & Lies
Shine
The English Patient – Winner
(The English Patient won 9 of the 12 Oscars it was nominated for, including best Director)
In the year the world DIDN’T end (looking at you John Cusack)…
After 244 years of publication, Encyclopedia Britannica discontinued its print edition.
Felix Baumgartner became the first person to break the sound barrier without machine assistance by diving out of a helium balloon from outer-space.
Key & Peele made their Comedy Central debut.
Whitney Houston passed away at the age of 49.
And here’s what happened in Movies, Music and Sports…
Movies
Comedy
Ted, 21 Jump Street, The Dictator, Pitch Perfect, Wanderlust, American Reunion, What To Expect When You’re Expecting, This Is 40, Project X, Think Like A Man, Dark Shadows, Rock of Ages, The Lorax, Wreck-It Ralph, The Campaign, Casa de Mi Padre, Safety Not Guaranteed, For a Good Time Call…, The Guilt Trip, The Three Stooges, Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, Magic Mike, The Five-Year Engagement, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Hit and Run AND…
Moonrise Kingdom
Action/Thriller
Skyfall, The Avengers, Savages, Safe House, The Hunger Games, Taken 2, The Bourne Legacy, Man on a Ledge, Looper, Safe, Stolen, Jack Reacher, Resident Evil: Retribution, Premium Rush, End of Watch, Sinister, Contraband, Erased, Battleship, Seven Psychopaths, Dredd, Total Recall, Prometheus, The Amazing Spider-Man, Chronicle AND…
The Dark Knight Rises
Drama
Django Unchained, Silver Linings Playbook, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Lincoln, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Les Miserables, The Master, Cloud Atlas, The Vow, Flight, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Mud, Disconnect, Red Tails, Promised Land, Amour, Trouble with the Curve, Hitchcock, The Place Beyond the Pines
Argo
The 85th Academy Awards
Best Actor
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln – Winner
(This was his 3rd win out of 5 nominations dating back to My Left Foot in 1990)
Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin, Argo
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained – Winner
(Waltz has won both times he was nominated. Both for Tarantino roles)
Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook – Winner
(JLaw was nominated 3 times in 4 years, beginning in 2011 for Winter’s Bone)
Best Supporting Actress
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables – Winner
(Hathaway was nominated once more in 2009 for her lead role Rachel Getting Married)
Best Picture
Amour
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Les Miserables
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty
Argo – Winner
(Argo won 2 more Oscars out of 7 nominations, for Best Writing and Editing)
Music
Rock Albums
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Hip Hop Albums
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Pop Albums
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Billboard Year-End Top 25 Songs
“Somebody That I used to Know” – Gotye featuring Kimbra
“Call Me Maybe” – Carly Rae Jepson
“We Are Young” – fun. featuring Janelle Monae
“Payphone” – Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa
“Lights” – Ellie Goulding
“Glad You Came” – The Wanted
“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” – Kelly Clarkson
“We Found Love” – Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
“Starships” – Nicki Minaj
“What Makes You Beautiful” – One Direction
“Wild Ones” – Flo Rida featuring Sia
“Set Fire to the Rain” – Adele
“Sexy and I Know It” – LMFAO
“Some Nights” – fun.
“Wide Awake” – Katy Perry
“Good Feeling” – Flo Rida
“Whistle” – Flo Rida
“One More Night” – Maroon 5
“Drive By” – Train
“The Motto” – Drake featuring Lil Wayne
“Where Have You Been” – Rihanna
“Everybody Talks” – Neon Trees
“Take Care” – Drake featuring Rihanna
“Titanium” – David Guetta
“I Won’t Give Up” – Jason Mraz
Sports
Baseball
League Leaders
Offensive
Average: Buster Posey (SF) – .336
Hits: Derek Jeter (NYY) – 216
Home Runs: Miguel Cabrera (DET) – 44
RBI: Miguel Cabrera (DET) – 139
OPS: Miguel Cabrera (DET) – .999
Stolen Bases: Mike Trout (LAA) – 49
Pitching
Wins: Gio Gonzalez (WSH) – 21
ERA: Clayton Kershaw (LAD) – 2.53
Strikeouts: Justin Verlander (DET) – 239
Complete Games: Justin Verlander (DET) – 6
Shutouts: Felix Hernandez (SEA) – 5
Saves: Jim Johnson (BAL) – 51
MVP
AL – Miguel Cabrera (DET)
NL – Buster Posey (SF)
CY Young
AL – David Price (TB)
NL – R.A. Dickey (NYM)
Rookie of the Year
AL – Mike Trout (LAA)
NL – Bryce Harper (WSH)
World Series
San Francisco Giants sweep the Detroit Tigers 4-0
Basketball
NCAA
Final Four
(1) Kentucky (2) Ohio State (2) Kansas and (4) Louisville
National Championship
(1) Kentucky over (2) Kansas 67-59
NBA
League Leaders
Points Per Game: Kevin Durant (OKC) – 28.0
Rebounds Per Game: Dwight Howard (ORL) – 14.5
Assists Per Game: Rajon Rondo (BOS) -11.7
All-NBA Team
Kobe Bryant (LAL)
Kevin Durant (OKC)
Dwight Howard (ORL)
LeBron James (MIA)
Chris Paul (LAC)
MVP – LeBron James (MIA)
Rookie of the Year – Kyrie Irving (CLE)
NBA Finals
Miami Heat over the Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1)
Football
NCAA
Heisman Trophy – Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M)
BCS National Championship
(2) Alabama over (1) Notre Dame 42-14
NFL
League Leaders
Passing Yards: Drew Brees (NO) – 5,177
Passing Touchdowns: Drew Brees (NO) – 43
Passer Rating: Aaron Rodgers (GB) – 108.0
Rushing Yards: Adrian Peterson (MIN) – 2,097
Rushing Touchdowns: Arian Foster (HOU) – 15
Receiving Yards: Calvin Johnson (DET) – 1,964
Receiving Touchdowns: James Jones (GB) – 14
Receptions: Calvin Johnson (DET) – 122
AP MVP – Adrian Peterson (MIN)
Super Bowl XLVII
Baltimore Ravens over the San Francisco 49ers (The Harbowl) 34-31
Hockey
League Leaders
Goals: Steven Stamkos (TB) – 60
Assists: Henrik Sedin (VAN) – 67
Points: Evgeni Malkin (PIT) – 109
Hart Memorial Trophy: Evgeni Malkin (PIT)
Stanley Cup
Los Angeles Kings over the New Jersey Devils (4-2)
In the last palindrome year you’ll see until 2112…
The Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City, Utah
NASA discovered water ice deposits on the planet Mars.
The Sims became the all-time best selling computer game.
Joe Strummer of the Clash passed away at the age of 50.
And here’s what happened in Movies, Music and Sports…
Movies
Comedy
National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, Austin Powers: Goldmember, Punch Drunk Love, About a Boy, Mr. Deeds, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Friday After Next, Sweet Home Alabama, 40 Days and 40 Nights, The New Guy, Barbershop, Adaptation, Two Weeks Notice, Kung Pow! Enter the Fist, I Spy, Undercover Brother, Showtime, Bubba Ho-Tep, Slackers, AND…
Jackass: The Movie
Action/Thriller
Spider-Man, Minority Report, The Transporter, 007: Die Another Day, Panic Room, Red Dragon, Signs, Murder By Numbers, Blade II, The Sum of All Fears, Phone Booth, K-19 The Widowmaker, Equilibrium, Swimfan, Star Trek Nemesis, 28 Days Later, Insomnia, One Hour Photo, XXX, Resident Evil, Changing Lanes, Reign of Fire, The Ring, Enough, Bad Company, Collateral Damage, AND…
The Bourne Identity
Drama
Catch Me If You Can, Gangs of New York, 8 Mile, The Pianist, City of God, The Hours, 25th Hour, Secretary, About Schmidt, We Were Soldiers, Frida, Chicago, Antwone Fisher, Far From Heaven, The Magdalene Sisters, A Walk To Remember, Road to Perdition, Unfaithful, Amen, Bloody Sunday, The Count of Monte Cristo, AND…
John Q
The 75th Academy Awards
Best Actor
Nicolas Cage, Adaptation
Michael Caine, The Quiet American
Daniel Day-Lewis, Gangs of New York
Jack Nicholson, About Schmidt
Adrien Brody, The Pianist – Winner
(Adrien Brody won his only nomination, and kissed Halle Berry in the process)
Best Supporting Actor
John C. Reilly, Gangs of New York
Christopher Walken, Catch Me If You Can
Ed Harris, The Hours
Paul Newman, Road to Perdition
Chris Cooper, Adaptation – Winner
(This was Chris Cooper’s only Oscar nomination)
Best Actress
Salma Hayek, Frida
Diane Lane, Unfaithful
Julianne Moore, Far From Heaven
Renee Zellweger, Chicago
Nicole Kidman, The Hours – Winner
(Nicole Kidman won once out of 3 Oscar nominations, also for Moulin Rouge and Rabbit Hole)
Best Supporting Actress
Kathy Bates, About Schmidt
Julianne Moore, The Hours
Queen Latifah, Chicago
Meryl Streep, Adaptation
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago – Winner
(Like Brody and Cooper, this was Catherine Zeta-Jones’s only nomination and win)
Music
Rock Albums
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Hip Hop Albums
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Pop Albums
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Billboard Year-End Top 25 Songs
“How You Remind Me” – Nickelback
“Foolish” – Ashanti
“Hot in Herre” – Nelly
“Dilemma” – Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland
“Wherever You Will Go” – The Calling
“A Thousand Miles” – Vanessa Carlton
“In the End” – Linkin Park
“What’s Luv” – Fat Joe featuring Ashanti
“U Got It Bad” – Usher
“Blurry” – Puddle of Mudd
“Complicated” – Avril Lavigne
“Always on Time” – Ja Rule featuring Ashanti
“Ain’t It Funny” – Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule
“The Middle” – Jimmy Eat World
“I Need a Girl (Part One)” – P. Diddy featuring Usher and Loon
“U Don’t Have to Call” –
“Family Affair” – Mary J. Blige
“I Need A Girl (Part Two) – P. Diddy featuring Ginuwine and Loon
“Gansta Lovin” – Eve featuring Alicia Keys
“My Sacrifice” – Creed
“Without Me” – Eminem
“Hero” – Enrique Iglesias
“All You Wanted” – Michelle Branch
“Get the Party Started” – Pink
“Hero” – Chad Kroeger featuring Josey Scott
Sports
Baseball
League Leaders
Offensive
Average: Barry Bonds (SF) – .370
Hits: Alfonso Soriano (NYY) – 209
Home Runs: Alex Rodriguez (TEX) – 57
RBI: Alex Rodriguez (TEX) – 142
OPS: Barry Bonds (SF) – 1.381
Stolen Bases: Luis Castillo (FLA) – 48
Pitching
Wins: Randy Johnson (AZ) – 24
ERA: Pedro Martinez (BOS) – 2.26
Strikeouts: Randy Johnson (AZ) – 334
Complete Games: Randy Johnson (AZ) & Bartolo Colon (CLE/MON)
Shutouts: AJ Burnett (FLA) – 5
Saves: John Smoltz (ATL) – 55
MVP
AL – Miguel Tejada (OAK)
NL – Barry Bonds (SF)
CY Young
AL – Barry Zito (OAK)
NL – Randy Johnson (AZ)
Rookie of the Year
AL – Eric Hinske (TOR)
NL – Jason Jennings (COL)
World Series
Anaheim Angels over San Francisco Giants (4-3)
Basketball
NCAA
Final Four
(1) Maryland, (1) Kansas, (2) Oklahoma, and (5) Indiana
National Championship
(1) Maryland over (5) Indiana 64-52
NBA
League Leaders
Points Per Game: Allen Iverson (PHI) – 31.4
Rebounds Per Game: Ben Wallace (DET) – 13.0
Assists Per Game: Andre Miller (CLE) – 10.9
All-NBA Team
Kobe Bryant (LAL)
Tim Duncan (SA)
Jason Kidd (NJ)
Tracy McGrady (ORL)
Shaquille O’Neal (LAL)
MVP – Tim Duncan (SA)
Rookie of the Year – Pau Gasol (MEM)
NBA Finals
Los Angeles Lakers sweep New Jersey Nets (4-0)
Football
NCAA
Heisman Trophy – Carson Palmer, USC
National Championship
(1) Ohio State over (2) Miami 31-24 in the Fiesta Bowl
The Ultimate Warrior defeated Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania for the WWF Title.
Microsoft released Windows 3.0.
The Berlin Wall was destroyed, East and West Germany reunify into single Germany.
The first ever Web Page was written.
Muppets creator Jim Henson passed away at the age of 53.
And here’s what happened in Movies, Music and Sports…
Movies
Comedy
Home Alone, Pretty Woman, Back to the Future Part III, My Blue Heaven, Air America, Gremlins 2, Another 48 Hours, Cry-Baby, The Freshman, Green Card, Cadillac Man, Bird on a Wire, Look Who’s Talking Too, Alice, Coupe de Ville, The Nasty Girl, Kindergarten Cop, Mermaids, Men at Work, Three Men and a Little Lady, AND…
House Party
Action/Thriller
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Total Recall, Die Hard 2, Darkman, Dick Tracy, Hard To Kill, Captain America, Predator 2, RoboCop 2, Marked For Death, Days of Thunder, Death Warrant, Rocky V, Quigley Down Under, Revenge, Peacemaker, Young Guns II, The Ambulance, The Rookie, It AND…
Tremors
Drama
Dances With Wolves, Edward Scissorhands, The Godfather Part III, Ghost, Miller’s Crossing, Awakenings, Misery, The Hunt For Red October, Presumed Innocent, The Krays, State of Grace, Lord of the Flies, Memphis Belle, King of New York, Avalon, Reversal of Fortunes, Welcome Home Roxy Carmichael, Life Is Sweet, Henry & June, Havana, AND…
Goodfellas
The 63rd Academy Awards
Best Actor
Kevin Costner, Dances with Wolves
Robert De Niro, Awakenings
Gerard DePardieu, Cyrano de Bergerac
Richard Harris, The Field
Jeremy Irons, Reversal of Fortune – Winner
(Reversal of Fortune was the only time Jeremy Irons was nominated for an Oscar)
Best Supporting Actor
Andy Garcia, The Godfather Part III
Graham Greene, Dances with Wolves
Al Pacino, Dick Tracy
Bruce Davison, Longtime Companion
Joe Pesci, Goodfellas – Winner
(Joe Pesci was nominated once more in 1980 for Raging Bull)
Best Actress
Anjelica Huston, The Grifters
Julia Roberts, Working Girl
Meryl Streep, Postcards From the Edge
Joanne Woodward, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge
Kathy Bates, Misery – Winner
(Kathy Bates was nominated twice more for Primary Colors and About Schmidt )
Best Supporting Actress
Annette Bening, The Grifters
Lorraine Bracco, Goodfellas
Diane Ladd, Wild at Heart
Mary McDonnell, Dances with Wolves
Whoopi Goldberg, Ghost – Winner
(Whoopi Goldberg was nominated once before in 1985 for The Color Purple)
Best Picture
Awakenings
Ghost
The Godfather Part III
Goodfellas
Dances with Wolves – Winner
(Dances with Wolves won 7 of the 12 Oscars it was nominated for)
Music
Rock Albums
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Hip Hop Albums
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Pop Albums
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Billboard Year-End Top 25 Songs
01. “Hold On” – Wilson Phillips
02. “It Must Have Been Love” – Roxette
03. “Nothing Compares 2 U” – Sinead O’Connor
04. “Poison” – Bell Biv DeVoe
05. “Vogue” – Madonna
06. “Vision of Love” – Mariah Carey
07. “Another Day in Paradise” – Phil Collins
08. “Hold On” – En Vogue
09. “Cradle of Love” – Billy Idol
10. “Blaze of Glory” – Jon Bon Jovi
11. “Do Me!” – Bell Biv DeVoe
12. “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” – Michael Bolton
13. “Pump Up the Jam” – Technotronic
14. “Opposites Attract” – Paula Abdul and The Wild Pair
15. “Escapade” – Janet Jackson
16. “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You” – Heart
17. “Close to You” – Maxi Priest
18. “Black Velvet” – Alannah Myles
19. “Release Me” – Wilson Phillips
20. “Don’t Know Much” – Linda Ronstadt
21. “All Around the World” – Lisa Stansfield
22. “I Wanna Be Rich” – Calloway
23. “Rub You the Right Way” – Johnny Gill
24. “She Ain’t Worth It” – Glenn Medeiros and Bobby Brown
25. “If Wishes Came True” – Sweet Sensation
Sports
Baseball
League Leaders
Offensive
Average: Eddie Murray (LAD) – .330
Hits: Willie McGee (STL & OAK) – 199
Home Runs: Cecil Fielder (DET) – 51
RBI: Cecil Fielder (DET) – 132
OPS: Rickey Henderson (OAK) – 1.016
Stolen Bases: Vince Coleman (STL) – 77
Pitching
Wins: Bob Welch (OAK) – 27
ERA: Roger Clemens (BOS) – 1.93
Strikeouts: David Cone (NYM) – 233
Complete Games: Ramon Martinez (LAD) – 12
Shutouts: Mike Morgan (LAD), Bruce Hurst (SD), Dave Stewart (OAK) & Roger Clemens (BOS) – 4
Saves: Bobby Thigpen (CHW) – 57
MVP
AL – Rickey Henderson (OAK)
NL – Barry Bonds (PIT)
CY Young
AL – Bob Welch (OAK)
NL – Doug Drabek (PIT)
Rookie of the Year
AL – Sandy Alomar (CLE)
NL – David Justice (ATL)
World Series
Cincinnati Reds sweep Oakland Athletics (4-0)
Basketball
NCAA
Final Four
(1) UNLV, (4) Arkansas, (3) Duke and (4) Georgia Tech
National Championship
(1) UNLV over (3) Duke 103-73
NBA
League Leaders
Points Per Game: Michael Jordan (CHI) – 33.6
Rebounds Per Game: Hakeem Olajuwon (HOU) – 14.0
Assists Per Game: John Stockton (UTAH) – 14.5
All-NBA Team
Charles Barkley (PHI)
Patrick Ewing (NY)
Magic Johnson (LAL)
Michael Jordan (CHI)
Karl Malone (UTAH)
MVP – Magic Johnson (LAL)
Rookie of the Year – David Robinson (SA)
NBA Finals
Detroit Pistons over Portland Trailblazers (4-1)
Football
NCAA
Heisman Trophy – Ty Detmer, BYU
National Championship
(2) Georgia Tech was awarded the National Championship after defeating Nebraska in the Citrus Bowl 45-21
The 44th President of the United States LOVES his sports. He is an unapologetic Chicago White Sox fan. He fills out March Madness brackets for both Men and Women’s tournaments on SportsCenter each year. He also has no problem mixing it up on the White House basketball court.
So on his 54th birthday, lets put the partisan blah blah blah on the back-burner and appreciate something we all enjoy…Sports.
March Madness
I look forward to the President’s annual segment on ESPN where he joins the rest of the nation in the Madness. Since he was elected, President Obama is interviewed by college basketball reporter Andy Katz from the White House to talk out each of his picks. Last year he took regular season undefeated favorite Kentucky to win it all (like many of you did) over Nova, and was obviously incorrect as Duke beat Wisconsin in the National Championship.
President Obama finished in ESPN’s 72.9 percentile in 2014 and was most successful in 2011 with a bracket in the 87.4%. Both years, UConn won the National Championship and he didn’t pick them. The President did choose a National Champion for his first year in office, North Carolina in 2009.
ESPN isn’t the only network who gets to share air-time with the Commander in Chief as one of CBS’s best color analysts, Clark Kellogg, took him on in a game of HORSE…err POTUS.
I don’t even want to know what would’ve happen if the President got skunked.
He Loves His Chicago Teams
Despite referring to his White Sox’s home stadium as “Kaminskey Field” early in his first term, the President has never wavered as a Chicago die hard. When the Bulls re-signed All-Star Jimmy Butler to a longterm deal, he was on it…
butler's a great player on o and d; let's sign him up long term. go bulls! https://t.co/IqbyUmcbmJ
(Ironic that it was Mike Ditka handing the President his jersey since he also wanted to run against him for a Senate seat in 2004)
The ’85 Bears and the Blackhawks may be the only Chicago teams that the President has hosted at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but he always seems to get a quick shoutout in for his favorite squads when he hosts other teams.
We all remember the drama surrounding Red Sox DH David Ortiz’s selfie with the President and the handful of athletes who make a thing out of not going to visit the White House, despite it being a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (looking at you, Tim Thomas)…
michaelpiff 