Right out of the gate I need to give a huge shout out to UVA Baseball and LaCrosse. Both teams are ranked #1 in their respective sports. That's what I'm talking about. That's how you come strong for the Director's Cup, especially with the top dog revenue sports (football and basketball) not performing. Baseball remained at #1 even though they dropped a game to Wright State on Friday. The LAXers were #2 and had a tilt against #1 'Cuse this past weekend. The Cavaliers jumped out early and held on for a 11-10 win to shot them up to the top spot. Let me tell you something, everyone needs to try and get in the mix for a UVA LAX game. These deals are on point. Especially when the weather is crispy and the fellas are dominating. So chalk that up as something that needs to be done. Plus you're killing two birds with one stone: A. You're visiting me in Charlottesville and B. Getting down with the fastest sport on the grass. Ya dig?
Now, to my main men holding it down at Cintas Center, 3800 Victory Parkway to be exact. By victory I mean hanging banners and straight slinging bling. Yup, that's right. Chalk it up for a fourth A-10 Title in a row. How's that sound? Pretty good if I may say so myself. Xavier got busy on Fordham last Wednesday and then dropped the hammer on St. Bonaventure this past Saturday. Saturday was Senior Day, so the lone senior, Jason Love went out the way he should a winner and a champion. He is currently the top dog when it comes to all time wins at Xavier and that number continues to rise. You can't say enough about this guy's career. The numbers don't lie, improvement every year. Arguably the hardest worker in all of college basketball if I have a say in things. Jason Love fits the mold of a Xavier basketball player. If you have to ask what that is, just go look at his stats, ask about his work ethic, look at the dramatic improvement over the four years, and look at the banners that hang above the court at Cintas Center. Enough said. Like I said, Xavier wrapped up the A-10 title and will have the #2 seed in the A-10 Tourney. They will face the winner of Dayton and GW on Friday at 6:30. So in honor of GW going to Dayton check this classic out, get some Karl Hobbs.
That's how you go into that dump of an arena and win. Speaking of winning, St. Louis crushed the dreams of all of Dayton's seniors by stomping them on senior day. Their fans cried as the Bilikens went into that dump and got the job done on Saturday. I digress, the regular season awards and teams were dished out yesterday. Jordan Crawford got first team and Jason Love got third team. Immeditately you should see some serious issues with that past sentence. Jordan not being player of the year and Love being on third team. First of all, how do you not give the best player on the best team the POY?! I mean seriously. Crawford dominated the A-10 the entire year. No one had an answer for him. Not to mention he means more to his team than Kevin Anderson does for Richmond. You have got to be kidding me. Love, on third team?! This may be the biggest joke I've ever seen in my life. The A-10 coaches mean to tell me that there are two more centers better than Love in the league? You must be crazy. How many times are these coaches going to get it wrong before they get it right? This goes all the way back to 2008 when Stan, Drew, and Josh got absolutely robbed of what they deserved. I personally think that the coaches in the league have a serious beef with Xavier. Look, if you have a problem with us dominating, get over it. Face the facts, the tradition of excellence runs right through Xavier. I think the banners, the Elite 8's, the NCAA tournament appearances, and NBA jerseys speak for themselves. Clearly Xavier is the cream of the crop not only in the conference but in the country. As one of my friends put it, is it even good to have Bobby Lutz, Brian Gregory, and Jim Barron vote as their teams choke?! Seriously, facts don't lie. Love and Crawford got robbed and the fact that Terrell Holloway didn't get any love is bogus too. The last thing you coaches needed to do was to give those guys any extra added incentive as this conference tournament approaches. I hope you're well prepared to feel the wrath because the hammer is about to be dropped. Looking to the NCAA tournament, I have to think if Xavier can finally win the A-10 Tournament they are looking at a 3 or 4 seed. If not I would say anywhere between a 5 and 7 is possible for the fellas. I would like to say they will go no worse than a 5 but you never know when that committee sits down what goes through their heads. Again, as I look at their resume, there is not a SINGLE bad loss. So that has to play in their favor among other things i.e. RPI and strength of schedule.
Unfortunately, Gordon College fell in the first round of the NCAA D3 tournament at Middlebury. It just wasn't their night. That's about all that can be said. Just one of those deals where the better team won. I got to hand it to the five seniors. They came into Gordon on the heels of a D3 tournament appearance. They worked their butts off to get back there and they did. They left a legacy and are walking out slinging bling and hanging a banner. Boom.
The Buckeyes wrapped up the Big 10 regular season title. Evan Turner is still my vote for national player of the year, as long as A-10 coaches aren't voting he should get it. If they win the Big 10 tournament I have to think they have a good shot at a #1 seed. But again, you never know what's going down behind those closed doors of the selection committee.
Smokin' Trees & Strokin' Threes fell in the intramural tournament. But not without controversy. We were down 10 in the second half, came back and even took the lead by 3 with about 7 minutes to go. We ended up losing by 6. But let me tell you something. I want everyone to take a good hard guess at what the foul differential was? For those of you unable to make a guess, it was 25-7 in favor of the other team. You have to be kidding me. 25 to freaking 7?! How the hell is that possible? Especially when we were attacking the basketball all night? I'll tell you how it's possible, out of shape and clueless refs afraid to make a call. Wait, they weren't afraid to blow the whistle, just in favor of the dumb mormons we were playing. Absolutely pathetic.
The Browns signed Joshua Cribbs. Thank God because if they didn't do this move I would be furious and drop all allegiances to that franchise. The Browns are also in the market for a QB. Rumor has it both Anderson and Quinn could be out the door as The Walrus claims that neither are capable of leading the Browns to the promised land aka the Playoffs. Who knows who they are going to get as the Eagles claim to not be dealing Kolb and likely will try to keep McStabb. David Carr signed with the 49ers. Seneca Wallace is bad. I mean do they go after Jason Campbell? Who knows. Just please don't trade draft picks. That's the future there and I prefer that you don't tamper with that.
Be on the lookout for a big time post next Sunday night or Monday. I've got a NCAA Tournament Special in the works. I would also like to take the time now to promote my man BernBomb as he and his brother have started a blog of their own. Consider us partner's in crime when it comes to Xavier hoops coverage and all things sports. Check it out...
Before I get started I would like everyone to check out this article. It’s a great piece about Sean Miller and how he got to where he is now.
Let the Chris Mack era begin! As Xavier fans everyone has to be happy. But, was there really any other choice? In my mind, no. Mack was definitely ready for a head job and he got the job he deserved. He grew up in Cincinnati, hooped at St. Xavier, spent 2 years at the University of Evansville before coming home and being a two-year captain at X! Coach Mack eats, sleeps, and breathes basketball. He knows what he is doing and he will be a great recruiter. I think early on you’re going to see some similar stuff to what Sean ran but Mack will definitely have his own stuff in there. He has a great relationship with the players that allows him to gain their respect. I’m so happy that we finally announced it so I can start looking forward to next year’s season. November can’t get here quick enough. Mack is in for one heck of a year. He arguably is taking over the most talent ever assembled at Xavier and he’s taking on a schedule that is easily in the top 10 in terms of strength. Oh by the way, did I forget to mention a team with potential to be a preseason top 10 squad and a team already receiving praise to be in the ‘Naptown next year for the Final Four. Wow. This sounds like a lot to handle as a first year head coach, but I’ll tell you what I expect big things out of Mack. He is going to have this team playing at such a high level. Mack’s first priority is going to be to try and get Kevin Parrom to still come to Xavier. If he does that, consider his start an immediate success. As far as his staff is concerned expect to see Akron’s Jeff Boals named as Macks top assistant. According to some sources of mine it looks like Sean Miller is going to hire his brother Archie at ‘Zona. This most likely means Jeff Boals will fill Arichie’s spot at Ohio State. An intriguing hire for Mack as his top assistant may be another Xavier guy, Pat Kelsey, who is currently on staff at Wake Forest. I think you’ll see Travis Steele moved into a coaching position as well. Steele is deep within the AAU circuit especially in Indiana. This is just speculation, but seem like some obvious moves.
In other news, Isiah Thomas took the head coaching position at Florida International Univeristy. Wow awesome. Great hire FIU. Let’s see which way were you looking for your university to go down? Sex scandal? Coach uses daughter to cover up OD? I’ll tell you this, ‘Zeke is not going to get it done there. At least he's going to donate his first year's salary to the University. Personally, I don’t even know what the guy is thinking. So maybe I don’t know him personally but from what I’ve seen this is not good. If he couldn’t win in New York then how is he going to be successful at FIU? In the NBA talent is presented to you. At the collegiate level you have to recruit. The guy has no personality. How is he going to recruit? I guess we’ll just have to wait this one out and see how it goes down. There is one thing I know about FIU……they like fighting The U! One thing I learned about that brawl, you better not come in the OB disrespectin’. That’s a good way to get your ass kicked.
The Cleveland Cavs secured home court advantage throughout the playoffs after polishing off the Pacers the other night. This is fantastic news. I won’t say anything, but look at their home record this year and tell me what you think. The Cavs mopped the floor of the Q with the Celtics on Easter Sunday. As the game got into the 4th quarter the route was on. Both teams were playing the scrubs. While Ray and Paul looked on with disgust ‘Bron and his homies were dancing and having a great time on the bench. This seemed to upset the C’s, their media, and some of their fans. Several Celtics media personnel asked Commissioner David Stern what he was going to do about the behavior of the Cavs on the bench. Stern replied, “Nothing.” Eat that Celtics. Quit complaining. You were EMBARRASSED on national TV. Maybe if you had scored more than 9 points in the first quarter and didn’t get waxed by 30 then maybe the dancing wouldn’t have occurred. It is what it is. The Celtics just need to pipe down and just use it as bulletin board material or whatever. I mean this is the same team who dumped Gatorade on Doc Rivers after the NBA Championship. Congratulations on winning the Title, but the Gatorade was uncalled for. This is the same team where Glen “Big Baby” Davis sounded like an idiot announcing that he was going to Disney World to play with all the “little characters.” I see nothing wrong with the dancing. Just avoid a blow out next time and it won’t happen.
Update: Someone better tell the Celtics that it’s playoff time. The baby Bulls got after it on Saturday and laid the lumber to the C’s and as I write this the Bulls have already fought off a 12 point deficit to take a 3-point halftime lead. I don’t mind the Celtics and was pretty happy to see them win last year. But, it’s pretty obvious that with out KG they just may not be able to repeat. Oh yeah, that and the force that is the Cleveland Cavs this year. Despite my renewed love for the NBA I’m not really going to discuss the NBA playoffs until the finals are in place. As much as I’d like to see the New Orleans Hornets come out of the West I just don’t know if they have it this year. I think you’re going to see a Lakers vs Cavs NBA finals. Kobe and ‘Bron are going to battle it out and it’s going to be awesome.
If you don’t like the Dave Matthews Band then stop reading right now because I’m about to share my review of their two shows here in Charlottesville this past weekend.
First of all it has been four years since the Dave Matthews Band has released an album. The June 2nd release of Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King is much anticipated and already receiving some riveting reviews. Per davemtthewsband.com, “Produced by Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance), Big Whiskey has been hailed by Rolling Stone as the group’s “heaviest album yet, both musically and emotionally,” which went on to note: “Throughout, Carter Beauford beats out elaborate, propulsive groves; bassist Stefan Lessard lays down Flea-style funk bass lines; violinist Boyd Tinsley plays cresting, intense runs; and Matthews mirrors Moore’s saxophone lines with scatlike singing.” Billboard, in a cover story on Dave Matthews Band, praised Big Whiskey as “its best album yet….Highlights include the funk-rock rave-up Shake Me, the stirring ballad In the Hands of God, the swampy rocker Alligator Pie (Cockadile), radio-friendly fare like Why I Am, which features playful horns over a solid rock riff and a hooky chorus, and Funny the Way It Is, which parlays a subtle intro into a soaring, syncopated anthem.” That being said, I attended my 14th and 15th shows this past Friday and Saturday night. Going into the shows I had decided that no matter what, this weekend is basically like reaching the pinnacle of DMB fandom. I was seeing them in their hometown, the place where it all started, I was expecting something big and that’s exactly what I got.
Night 1 I was fully anticipating a Don’t Drink the Water opening song but was caught off guard as they opened with Rapunzel. Obviously they were looking to ease into the show as Satellite followed. I was very excited to finally hear this timeless classic. Still keeping it somewhat mellow the band played the laid back When the World Ends. The energy began to pick up when they played You Might Die Trying. Tim Reynolds and Jeff Coffin both were in the mix during this version. The first new song off the album, Funny The Way It Is was next. The Band then covered the Talking Heads’ Burning Down the House and basically burnt down John Paul Jones Arena while doing so. We were almost halfway through the show and I still felt the band was holding back. After a full band Stay or Leave they finally caught fire. Rarely played Raven was next and Boyd rocked it hard. It was clear by this point that the band was really having fun on stage and enjoying the hometown crowd and atmosphere. Grey Street was next. I really like this song and Jeff Coffin ripped the sax solo and took it to an entirely new level. Banjo genius Danny Barnes came on stage and guested on new song Spaceman. I have already fallen in love with this song and see it becoming a staple as long as DMB remains touring. As the song finished Danny Barnes and Carter began battling it out as the outro slowly segued into a rocking Cornbread. Everyone was up, out of their seats, and rocking at this point. Barnes laid down an unreal banjo solo and Tim Reynolds tore his guitar apart as big Rashawn and Jeff Coffin laced the end of the song with a terrific “hoe down” outro. Just as I was catching my breath from cutting a rug in my seat the melodic guitar strums, Carter’s riff on the hi-hat accompanied by the heartbeat-like bass drum, slow violin, and stirring saxophone riff of #41 hit the airwaves. Those who know me are well aware that this is by far and away my favorite Dave song. It probably fluctuates in the top three, but still, you can’t beat this song with a beat, especially live. I have heard it a few times live, but this version was unreal as everyone seemed to add their own part. They jammed #41 out for nearly 18 minutes and it set up for one heck of a close to the night. A third new song, Why I Am was next and this song is clearly Tim’s track as his electric guitar is heavy throughout. The band would close out the set with a very strong and always crowd pleaser Ants Marching. At this point in time I really didn’t know what to expect for an encore. Let’s just say they didn’t disappoint. As Dave, Carter, Tim, and Rashawn came on stage I knew we were about to get Sister. Sure enough, a very nice version of Sister. What transpired over the next 25 minutes can only be described as utter musical genius. The Maker, my favorite cover by the band was next complete with the extended outro. What a beautiful song. Next was So Damn Lucky, a song off the Dave solo album Some Devil. However, over the past year the band has been playing it full band and really turning it into an unreal live song. I cannot wait to get my hands on this version because the extended outro was unreal. What came next took the roof right off JPJ. The Stefan solo only meant one thing. All Along The Watchtower. The energy the band put into this was something I had never seen before. Tim did a Stairway to Heaven interpolation and Boyd broke out the waw waw pedal for the violin. As it closed out Dave’s eyes actually rolled in the back of his head like he was possessed by the devil. This was really weird but only a sign of the passion he put into that song. An awesome night but you could tell the band had unfinished business. Especially since they ended somewhat early.
Night 2 Equally as night 1 was really mellow for the most part, night 2 would only be described as the most high energy show I’ve ever witnessed. As the band sauntered on stage around 8:20 and the long pulls on the violin by Boyd only meant one thing, Bartender was opening. Again, I was caught off guard by the opener as I was expecting One Sweet World or at least Don’t Drink the Water. It was obvious that the band was trying to honor the late, great LeRoi Moore as Jeff Coffin played If I Only Had a Brain on the pennywhistle just like ‘Roi used to do. Next was Pig, another rare gem that had the crowd at a loss for words as I turned to my friends and said are you kidding me? Granny was next, again, another rare gem, and boy did Dave really rock this one out hard at the end with some great scatting. Dave teased Old Dirt Hill by singing the last chorus and segued the chords of Old Dirt Hill right into Why I Am. The more I listen to this song the more I like it. It clear with the three new songs we’ve heard so far that Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King is going to be something special. Dancing Nancies was next and Boyd really went to town as he and Coffin battled it out on stage. I finally got my Don’t Drink the Water but mid set and not as an opener. Either way, the energy couldn’t get any higher at this point in time. Somehow the band kept the frantic pace as Funny the Way It Is followed and again we were treated to another Boyd solo and Tim solo. The band toned it down but only by a notch when they broke out an oldie but a goodie, Recently. Band friend and very early contributor John D’Earth joined the band for this classic. Everyone got a solo and we were treated to the Pretty Pretty Girl and On Broadway outros just like in the live release of the 1995 Red Rocks performance. I was so pumped to hear this song live with the extended jams and outros because I had really been jamming it lately in my whip on the way into work. The recognizable bass lines of Crush were next and the roof blew off and would stay off for the rest of the night. The band jammed this song out to a ridiculous level. With John D’Earth still on stage Danny Barnes came back up to guest on Spaceman. Just like the night before at the end of Spaceman Danny segued right into Cornbread. I was expecting this and was so happy to get Cornbread again as it is fast becoming a favorite of mine. Again, Barnes crushed a banjo solo, Dave did his dance on stage, and Rashawn and Coffin broke out the hoe down outro again. I was out of breath again and all of a sudden they bust out Jimi Thing. I was speechless and couldn’t believe the pace the band was going at this point. Jimi Thing rocked like I’ve never heard it before and was easily the highlight of the night next to Crush. Keeping with the theme of the night, energy, So Much To Say was next, pretty basic and as it ended and the entire arena went dark I just assumed the band had ended their set. Not so fast. The new and popular Freeze Time intro to Anyone Seen the Bridge carried on for nearly 3 minutes and obviously segued into Too Much. I couldn’t believe my ears what I heard next. Boyd’s strumming of the violin and Dave’s strumming of the guitar, Two Step. Unreal. Dave did his extended intro and this became Carter’s time to shine. Carter is easily my favorite member of the band just because he makes playing the drums look so easy when he’s laying down the most complicated beats I’ve ever seen someone play. Carter busted out an unreal drum solo and had the entire crowd fooled as he teased the intro to Ants Marching at the end of Two Step that lead into the entire crowd slow clapping. As the band came out for the encore everyone was chanting Last Stop. Dave teased the crowd by pretending not to hear us. Stefan really got ruthless and teased the opening lines of Last Stop. At this point in time I was convinced they were actually going to play the rarest of gems, Last Stop. That was not the case but the first encore song, #27 was really good and I hope they keep this song around even though it’s not on the official track list of the new album. They closed the two night stand with Stay (Wasting Time). Everyone was singing along at the end as they jammed the popular catchy tune for about 8 minutes. I have never left a show thinking it was not worth the price of admission. I must say, once again, the band did not disappoint. Seeing them perform where it all started was everything I thought it would be and more. It’s so nice to see the band with this renewed energy on stage especially with the loss of LeRoi last summer. You can tell the new album has them energized and they are really enjoying themselves on stage.
If you just stumbled upon Firin' Off and are looking for the news, you have come to the wrong place. The goal of this blog is that there is no goal. My hope is that prior to visiting this site each and every day, one will not know what to expect. Pictures of cute little furry dressed-up kittens? Sure. A degenerate gambler venting his losses on the weekend? Standard. TMI posts concerning encounters with females? Let's hope (not).
