It's Time for College Football (Fashion Edition)!!!!!

It's almost here!!!!!!!

It's the end of August, the weather is (hopefully) starting to cool down, the college kids are back in school, the leaves are turning....this can only mean one thing.....COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!!!!

Most people in my neck of the woods (Midwest) are Big 10 (Ohio State, Michigan, etc.) or Big East (The Mighty Bearcats of UC, Pitt, UConn) and SEC (Vandy, UK, Tennessee (woof.)) - my allegiance lies with the SEC - as my Vanderbilt Commodores are ready to blow the roof off the conference!

For all my non-Vandy Facebook friends, you may have noticed that for the past week or so, I have been posting shared pictures of different Vanderbilt Football players with the phrase 'Anchor Down!' next to it. This is the new battle cry for Vandy, introduced by 2nd year Head Coach James Franklin - Cornelius Vanderbilt, who founded the University, was a Commodore (the Ship Captain, not a bird), so 'Anchor Down!' is an ode to Vanderbilt's roots. The 'Dores, as we lovingly call them, start their road to the BCS Bowl on NATIONAL TELEVISION Thursday against 'The OBC' (The Old Ball Coach) Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks of South Carolina. Many of my friends will be in attendance as this weekend is the wedding of a dear dear friend and fellow 'Dore in Nashville (Love you W.H and A.O.K!). Sidebar: did you or your guy friends in high school have the University baseball caps for South Carolina that said in big letters 'Cocks' on it? A number of my guy friends had them and it always made me snicker :)

FUN FACT: The quarterback for Vanderbilt, Jordan Rodgers, is the kid brother of none of other than the pride of Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers (quarterback for the Green Bay Packers). He's improving on the field and he's easy on the eyes if you know what I mean...

Now to the important stuff...FASHION. Now going to school in the SEC, for the most part we 'dress' for football games: meaning girls wear dresses and boys wear a shirt and tie (the ACC (Clemson, UVA, etc.) also does this). It was so nice in college because I always had an excuse to buy a new dress. To this day I will not step foot into an SEC football game without a dress and pearls on. In the early months of the season, you will see a smattering of Lily Pullitzer and fun colored dresses, but many of the ladies of the SEC and ACC faithful will incorporate their team colors into their ensembles in their dresses or accessories. I got lucky that Vandy is black and gold, so I have many a black dress and gold accessories, and sufficed to say, my Gold Jack Rogers sandals saw their fare share of wear. Below is a picture of how we keep our Vandy pride in the cooler months - i.e. slap on a sweaterdress, tights and boots with black and gold accents.

For conferences that do not 'dress' for gamdeay there are many ways to support your team while still remaining fashionable. If you are going to get a jersey, buy a more fitted jersey - kids sizes work great and they're usually cheaper than the adults (great buy!). Or if you're going to buy an adult size jersey, wear it as a tunic with leggings and maybe belt it in one of your school's colors. If you're not into jerseys. consider buying a tee to pair with skinny jeans or colored skinnies or leggings in your school colors. Victoria's Secret PINK Collection has a great selection of apparel for over 50 schools. If you just want to go the school colors route, try color -blocking with different accessories over a solid top and jeans. Accessories and shoes are a great way to show your school pride and complement an outfit!


Here are some links to some great sites to create your gameday wardrobe:

http://www.reddressboutique.com/
http://www.victoriassecret.com/pink/choose-your-school
http://store.americanapparel.net/
www.francescascollections.com/
http://pinterest.com/search/?q=gameday+dresses (for some Gameday getup inspiration!)

Here are some gametimes for my other Ohio Folk:

-The UC Bearcats have a bye this week and play the Pittsburgh Panthers next Thursday 9/6 at UC's Nippert Stadium at 8PM - this will be on ESPN :)
-The Buckeyes of Ohio State, under new coach Urban Meyer (formally of the Tebow era Florida Gators) will open their season Saturday against another Ohio school, Miami of Ohio (Big Ben Roethlisberger's Alma Mater) at 'The Horseshoe' (OSU's stadium) Saturday 9/1 at Noon.
-Aaaaaand the Kentucky Wildcats open their season away against their state nemesis the Louisville Cardinals, Sunday September 2nd at 3:30PM

What are you wearing on Gameday? Send me your pics and I will post them next week!

Happy Gameday y'all and ANCHOR DOWN!!!!!

xoxo

The Skinny

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack! 

Sorry for the extremely long hiatus folks! But I'm back and just couldn't resist all the amazing sports action going on in the Olympics! So heeeeere we go...

The London Olympics had a blockbuster opening weekend from the jaw-dropping opening ceremony (David Beckham driving a speedboat in a tux? Yes please!) to the action in the pool and at the Greenwich Arena. I'll spare everyone the commentary on how the US Teams uniforms for the Opening Ceremony, designed by the uber talented Godfather of American Sportswear, Ralph Lauren, were manufactured in China, and go straight to my favorite sport in the whole wide world...Gymnastics. 

I have loved gymnastics as long as I can remember, and spent most of my formative years in a gym, either competing or coaching. Though my dreams of actually becomming an olympian have passed, i always look forward to watching the Olympics.

This year is no different and both the US Men's and Women's teams are bursting with talent, as both teams are in first place going into the Team Finals. Unlike the qualifying rounds, where 4 compete on each event, and only 3 scores count towards the team total, the team final counts all scores, which means everyone has to be on their A-Game. The men compete this afternoon, but the event will be broadcast in the States on NBC this evening at 8PM. Lead by All-Arounders (they compete in all 6 events: Floor, Parallel Bars, High Bar, Rings, Vault and Pommel Horse) Danell Levya and Jon Orozco, this team is destined for greatness. They need to clean up a little bit on Pommel Horse (which many say is the Men's equivalent to the Women's Balance Beam), but I think they have a good chance of medaling (knock on wood). Google them and take a look at the team, they're not so bad to look at, especially Sam Mikulak :) 

The Women's Team final is tomorrow and they lead the pack not only as a team, but individually as well. In the qualifying round yesterday afternoon, the women dominated on the first three events (Vault, Uneven Bars, and Balance Beam), but faltered a bit on floor. That floor must have been incredibly springy, because three out of four US women (Gabby Douglas, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber) all jumped out of bounds in their routines. They still came out on top of Russia, China and Romania going into the team final.

Now, this is where I have a little rant. The rules for the Individual All Around (where a gymnast competes on all 4 events for an individual medal) is that the Top 24 All Around gymnasts from the qualifying round compete for the gold. BUT the flaw in the rule is that each team can only send their TWO top gymnasts, even if more than 2 of the gymnasts have a top 24 All-Around score. Thus, is the plight of Jordyn Wieber. For those of you who watched last night, you know what I'm talking about. Wieber, the reigning World Champion, was shut out of the All Around competition by teammates Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman (who KILLED it on floor). While I do think that Wieber was a bit of a poor sport in how she acted after finding out her fate (I'm sorry Jordyn, but save you tears for the locker room honey and be happy for your teammates), I think the this rule is ludicrous. Wieber had the 4th highest all around score out of ALL the gymnast competing last night, and just because her two teammates had the #1 and #2 highest scores, Wieber cannot defend her title as #1 in the world. This All Around competition will not be the Top 24 gymnasts in the world, and it is high time that the IOC and the International Gymnastics Federation need to sit down and rethink this rule. It is unfair that some of the best gymnasts are not being given the opportunity they so rightfully deserve, going for the gold, because of a stupid formality. Ok rant over.

Good luck to all the gymnasts over the next couple days - can't wait to watch what happens!

Fun Fashion Fact: Team Italy's leotards allegedly were designed by legendary Italian designer, Miuccia Prada.

Hot Olympic Athlete of the Day: While US gymnast Sam Mikulak holds a flame in my heart, I'm going to the pool for this one: Ryan Lochte, whose drive and determination catapulted him past Michael Phelps in the 400 IM, is one hot tamale! Check him out tonight in the 200m Freestyle - maybe he'll sneak his red, white and blue grill onto the podium this time!

Oh! And in completely unrelated news, my loves, the Cincinnati Reds have won 10 STRAIGHT and are tied with the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees for the best record in baseball!!! Their attempt to lengthen the streak begins tonight at home against the Padres. GO REDLEGS!!!

That's it for now kiddos, check back soon for more posts! I promise I won't leave y'all hanging for so long this time...

xoxo

The Sports Skinny

It's finally here! Who will be National Champion?

Soooooo tonight is the Big Night - the field has been narrowed down to two. 3rd seeded UConn Huskies against the 8th seeded Butler Bulldogs. Butler was in this position last year and played a great game, only to lose on a last second shot to the Duke Blue Devils. UConn has also been waiting for this moment all year, after winning 5 games in 5 days in the Big East tournament and then fighting their way through their opponents in the Big Dance to get to this point. The Huskies haven't lost a tournament game yet this season, having won the Maui Invitational to start the season. If the Huskies are victorious this evening, Coach Jim Calhoun will join an elite group of coaches to win three National Championships: this amazing group includes legendary coaches like John Wooden of UCLA and Coach K of Duke.

I'm going to keep this short and sweet: This game is being slated as 'Good vs. Evil': the young talented Butler team being lead by their baby faced Coach, 34 year old Brad Stephens, defying all odds and nay-sayers to make it back to the National Championship for the second year in a row. This year, they won't be playing in their back yard in Indianapolis, they'll be playing in Houston. Huskies Coach Jim Calhoun has already been suspended for the the first three games of the Big East season next season for 'failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance' for having knowledge of a former player receiving money and gifts from a pro agent (according to ESPN.com). Kemba Walker, Shabazz Napier and Alex Oriakhi have been ploughing through their opponents like the Evil Empire. It's the big dog Big East Champion against the small market small conference team. But I think they are evenly matched and I expect a great game.

I personally love both teams; I love UConn's intensity and I adore Kemba Walker, and I love Butler's story, their play and how humble Coach Stephens has kept his team. I also love the Butler Bulldog - he's so cute! I cannot wait to watch this game, and hopefully, this year Butler will be able to bring the National Title home to Indy. Here's a great article written by Pat Forde on ESPN.com about how Butler's feel good story and how it's good for the tournament in light of the number of NCAA violations by teams this year.

I will end this post with a fun fact that I had forgotten about the entire tournament!! Pay attention when the analysts are talking tonight, and pay special attention to my good old boy, Digger Phelps. If you've been watching the tournament the whole time, think back - did you notice anything odd about Digger? He always matches the highlighter he holds in his hand during the broadcast to his tie :) Gotta love a guy who takes fashion so seriously and color coordination to the extreme :)

xoxo,

The Skinny

The Final Four - Short and Sweet (Oh, and a little Reds Opening Day recap too)

Happy Saturday Readers!

The jubilation and utter joy that ensued on Thursday afternoon as the Reds won their first Opening Day since 2007 has finally started to die down and baseball season has officially started. The Reds won in the typical fashion that they won last year, a down to the wire three run walk off homerun (i.e. homerun in the bottom of the 9th = win the game and 'walkoff' the field) by the unassuming Catcher, Ramon Hernandez, who was a stunning 4 for 5 with a homerun for the game. The Reds managed to come back from back to back leadoff (def. first hitters or the game or inning) homeruns and a 6-3 deficit going into the 9th. The Reds clinched the National League Central Division last year in walkoff fashion as well: that's just how they roll, hustling to the end. The last time the Reds won Opening Day was in 2005 with a Joe 'the Panda' Randa walkoff job for the win. This Opening Day was such a boring game until the 9th - half the spectators had left by the 7th Inning Stretch, but those Reds faithful who stayed til the bitter end got their money's worth, and celebrated into the wee hours of the night. I had the pleasure of watching the game with my fiance (the biggest Reds fan I know) and his two of his buddies from high school. It was a great time and a great way to begin the season! The fashion at the game was good, but the win was even better. Looking forward to a great season - wire to wire baby! Card lose (how can you win when Albert Pujols grounds into three double plays in one day? Way to start your contract year...), Cubs lose. Oh, and Suck it Phillies.  R-E-D-S! REDS! REDS! REDS!


Hokay, now that I've got that out my system :) we'll move on to the task at hand - The Final Four. So I think only two people out of like millions who did brackets on ESPN.com have all 4 Final Four teams correct, it's nuts! Too bad the two teams I'd love to see in the Championship game Monday have to play each other today. Here's my two cents about the two Final Four games being played today in Houston:

Butler (#8) v. VCU (#11) @6:09pm. This game is a matchup of tournament underdogs, Cinderella teams if you will. Butler was not supposed to make it past Pitt in the second round, they were not supposed to have the opportunity to get far enough in the tournament to make it to back to back National Championships, but they've played their little hearts out and they play tonight for that opportunity. They will try to slow down the fast paced game of the VCU Rams, who no one thought in their wildest dreams would make it to this point. I bet Jay Bilas, who publicly spoke out against the Rams making it into the tournament, is eating a big old piece of humble pie right now. The Rams clawed their way through their opponents, most recently sticking it to #1 seed Kansas to make it to the Big Big Dance, the Final Four. I think this will be a great game, and I don't know who I want to win, because I really like both of their stories, but I think I have to go with the Bulldogs of Butler, as I think if they win tonight, they have a very very good chance of winning the National Title. This game makes for a great story and I look forward to watching it. I also love the name of the VCU coach - Shaka Smart. Almost as good as Shabazz Napier :) And the Butler Bulldog is adorable. Case closed.

Kentucky (#4) v. UConn (#3) @ 8:49pm: This is going to be a great game. Coach Calipari's Wildcats are ready to make it back to the National Championship game for the first time in 13 years. According to my dear friend and die hard 'Cayets fan Kyle, in 1998 (the last time they made it to the Championship) they were the Comback 'Cats, this year they're the Payback 'Cats. Every team they beat in the SEC tournament, they lost to in the regular season. West Virginia knocked the 'Cats out of the tourney last year, and they lost to UNC and UConn in the regular season. To get to this point, the 'Cats knocked off Huggy Bear and his WVU Mountaineers as well as the Tarheels of UNC. So if the theory is correct, then UConn should be the 'Cats next victim. I hate to disappoint my legion of 'Cats faithful friends, but I don't think the Huskies are going to take this lying down. Coach Jim Calhoun's Huskies have been working for this moment all season. They excelled in the Big East and throughout the tournament, picking off their opponents with grace and agility. Kemba Walker and his supporting cast of Shabazz Napier, Jeremby Lamb and Alex Oriakhi are going to be tough to beat. Can a young Wildcats team that has 3 freshmen in their starting lineup shut down a dominating Kemba Walker? We will see this evening. This is going to be a hard fought game, and to keep the peace with my UK buddies, the victor in this matchup is too close to call - may the best team win.

Lots of sports on today! Baseball! Basketball! Even cricket (go India!)! So before I leave you for my day of running wedding errands and checking scores on my phone, here's a little fun tidbit I heard about on the ESPN radio morning. One of the few people who has all four Final Four teams correct in their bracket is a woman who had these teams going to this far solely because their mascots are all dogs, and she is a dog enthusiast. Hilarious. At least I nailed in the #2 spot in my bracket pool, only to be topped by my fiance's aunt, who has one team right in the Final Four.

Have a great weekend y'all!

xoxo,

The Skinny

It's the most wonderful time of the yeeeeaaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!

Well Ladies and Gentleman,

We have gotten through the Ides of March (literally, Mr. Clooney, Ryan Gosling and their film crews packed up their equipment and left the 'Nati weeks ago), the Madness of March is in its final weekend (see post this weekend), and we are approaching the beginning of April, my favorite month this year, because not only is it the month of my handsome fiance's birthday, Junior League Fashion Show, AND my wedding, but it also is the start of the 'Most wonderful time of the year'.....BASEBALL SEASON!! And today is the start of it all and probably my favorite sporting event of the entire year.....

OPENING DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! R-E-D-S! REDS REDS! REDS!

Baseball season in general is the best time of the year: it means longer days, warmer days (hopefully), and spending a ton of time down at the ballpark with great friends watching America's pastime. 

Fun Fact: My hometown team, the mighty Cincinnati Reds, are considered the 'First Team in Baseball' as they were the first all-professional baseball team (other teams had amateur and professional players), and because of this, for many years the Reds opened the Major League Baseball season with the first Opening Day. But now, due to to the Yankees (who are ruining baseball, according to my fiance) with their ridiculous roster, payroll, and new shiny stadium (sorry Shari), the Reds are no longer the first game of the year, they are overtaken by the larger market teams that have more of what the media says is a 'National Appeal'. However, the Reds are always guaranteed opening up their season at home.

Opening Day in Cincinnati is full of wonderful festivities: the Opening Day parade (a great Cincinnati tradition), free cheese coney day at Skyline, and of course running into the hoards of people who are skipping work or cutting class to witness the current NL Central Division champs defend their title against the Milwaukee Brewers. Our Dominican Rocket, Edinson Volquez (who also plays in the off season for my grandparents hometown team, the La Romana Toros in the DR), will face Yovani Gallardo (who the Reds have dominated in the past) and a much improved Brewers team, headed up by the abnormally large Prince Fielder (son of Hall of Famer Cecil Fielder). Prince is a first baseman and a very strong bat, he's in a contract year (meaning a good season will fatten his wallet a little more on his next contract), so I have a feeling he will be on his A-Game. Our Redlegs are coming off a banner year, where they won the division but then fell to the NL East Champions, the Philadelphia Phillies, who have the sickest pitching staff in Major League Baseball (Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Roy Halladay and Joe Blanton). This year, our National League MVP, first baseman Joey Votto (our Canadian love), right fielder Jay Bruce (my projection for this year's NL MVP), 2nd baseman Gold Glove winner and all around good guy Brandon Phillips, will lead this team to VICTORY!!!!!!! Gotta love my Reds. I will also be rooting for the Red Sox (much to my fiance's chagrin) and the San Francisco Giants (until we face them in the playoffs) this year. To get you jacked up at least for Reds Opening day, watch this link to the greatest day in recent Reds history: the shot heard 'round the 'Nati: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=12563755

What to wear to the game: You don't have to sacrifice fashion to support your team! Especially now that almost all teams have a women's line of apparel. But please for the love of God, do not buy a pink team shirt/hat/anything - your team is NOT pink. Also, for 23 of the 32 MLB teams Victoria's Secret has created the Major League Collection for their PINK line - it's really cute and girl friendly, unfortunately, the Reds are not included in this collection :(. If you want to get  jersey tshirt (looks like a baseball jersey, but is a tshirt), I would go for the Children's sizes for a more tailored look - and they're cheaper than the adult sizes! If you do not want to wear a team logo, but still want to support, I suggest going to the nearest American Apparel or department store and investing in a tee in your team's colors. I switch back and forth from Reds tshirts, red polo or red polo dress, and an American Apparel red deep v. Shoes are always a great way to support as well - I am currently in the market for a pair of red Tory Burch flats or Jack Rogers sandals to wear to games. Also, wear a baseball cap! It's great for a bad hair day and it's an excuse to put your hair in pigtails :).  There is no need to sacrifice fashion to support your team! Support them in style!

Today it is a high of 43 degrees in Cincinnati, so I will be wearing skinny jeans, Uggs, a black long sleeve tee under my Aroldis Chapman (the Cuban Missile) jersey tee shirt, an awesome Reds team jacket, my worn in Reds fitted cap and my Reds earrings. A perfect outfit for a chilly Opening Day.

Readers, send pictures (to cassiessportsskinny@gmail.com) of your Opening Day outfits and I will post them to the blog tomorrow!

Well, it's time for me to get ready to head down to the ballpark, so I wish all of you a happy Opening Day and a little something to get you into the baseball mood....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04KQydlJ-qc

xoxo,

Cass

Oh What a Weekend!

Greetings Sports Enthusiasts!
  Well the first weekend of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament did not disappoint! Buzzer beaters, nailbiters and upsets galore royally screwed many a bracketologist (def. those who study the tournament bracket and project who will win each game). Luckily, I was able to predict a few of the upsets and am sitting pretty in third place in my tournament pool...well above my fiance, the Xavier fan :)

For me and my hometown peeps, this weekend was a mix of emotions:

-Vanderbilt, as we've come to expect from them, blew a significant lead at the half to lose once again by a
last minute shot to the Richmond Spiders, the A-10 champs, who are also continuing on this weekend to
the Sweet Sixteen. I know I shouldn't be shocked, since this is the THIRD, count it, THIRD time the
'Dores have made an early exit from the tourney, at the hands of a higher seeded team: 13 seeds Siena in
2008, and Murray State last year. Will Vandy fans ever be able to go into the tournament with any
semblance of confidence that their team won't get trounced by a significantly higher seeded team? The world may never know....

-Much to my fiance's chagrin, the Xavier Musketeers also made a first round exit, as they were trounced by 11th seeded Marquette. That's what will happen when your leading scorer, Tu Holloway, is held to only 5 POINTS in the game. Marquette was on him like white on rice. This is the first time in 4 years that the Muskies will not play in the Sweet Sixteen. Fun Fact: According to ESPN.com, Michigan State and Xavier are the only two teams that have made it to the Sweet Sixteen in each of the past three years...both were bounced in the first round this year. Funny how things change! Marquette made it past Syracuse in another close game in the 3rd Round and will face #1 seeded UNC Tarheels on Friday. I wish the Golden Eagles the best of luck, and Muskies, I know you'll be back strong next year.

-The most surprising performance of a team from the tri-state area were my local faves - the UC Bearcats.
Mick Cronin, the leprechaun-esque head coach of the Bearcats was on the chopping block if his team did not have a good season. But he was able to pull his team together and with the heart of the team being Yancey Gates, local boy Cashmere Wright, Ibrahima Thomas and Dion Dixon, the Bearcats excelled through their Big East schedule and scored a 6 seed in the tournament, the first NCAA tournament appearance since good old Huggy Bear (Bob Huggins) coached the Bearcats.The Bearcats schooled the Mizzou Tigers in the second round and put up quite a fight in the third round against fellow Big East team UConn Huskies. The Huskies Kemba Walker just could not be stopped. Bearcat Yancey Gates has been questioned by the media and Bearcat Nation about his dedication to the team. If you were watching as the final seconds ran down on Saturday night's game, and saw an inconsolable Gates on the bench, tears streaming down his face, you knew how dedicated he is to this team and that he plays with heart. I look forward to seeing the Bearcats play with the same power and heart next year.

OK! Now for teams to watch this weekend:
-Fun Fact! The City of Richmond, VA has as many teams in the Sweet Sixteen as the Big East and the SEC! The Rams of Virginia Commonwealth and the Spiders of the University of Richmond have both made it to the Sweet 16. This is the first time since 1980 that one city has had two teams in the Sweet 16 (LA was the last city to do this). VCU had quite the journey to the round of 16 - they had to 'play in' to the tournament in the first round, then upset Georgetown AND Purdue to get to the Sweet Sixteen. All those VCU haters out there - they're for real! Take that Jay Bilas! Richmond had a bit smoother trip to the Sweet Sixteen. They beat my 'Dores in the second round and then blew out Morehead St. (who upset #4seed Louisville) in the third round. VCU plays #10 seed Florida State and Richmond plays #1 seed Kansas, both on Friday. These should both be interesting games, if the these two teams continue to play at the level they've been playing in the tournament thus far. And if VCU and Richmond win, they will play each other in the Elite Eight, which is very rare that two teams from the same city would play each other in the tournament. I'm rooting for this!

-#1 Overall seed Ohio State Buckeyes play my SEC brethren #4 seed Kentucky Wildcats. This should be a great game, two very talented teams with diehard fanbases - I have a feeling you'll see a ton of Scarlet&Grey and Blue&White in the crowd. My money is on The Buckeyes, as I have them winning the national title, but I know many of my southern pals will be rooting for the 'Cayets', as my dear friend Hillie says. I will be with one of my diehard UK pals during the game, and I have a feeling we will need to sit far far away from each other during this games. Should be a great one - they play at 9:45pm on Friday night!

-My favorite Cinderella team from last year, the 8th seeded Butler Bulldogs knocked off Pitt in the third
round, the first #1 seed ousted from the tournament. They face a formidable opponent in the #4 seed
Wisconsin Badgers. Check this game out tomorrow, it's a late one with tipoff at 9:57!

Here's the schedule for the rest of the games for Thursday/Friday:
-#1 Duke (Coach K says the Kyrie Irving will get 'significant minutes' in this game) v. #5 Arizona (coached by former Xavier coach Sean Miller) Thursday at 9:45
-#3 UConn (lead by my man Kemba Walker - he's unstoppable!) v. #2 San Diego State Thursday at 7:15
-#3 BYU (Jimmer Fredette is an animal!) v. #2 Florida Gators (who I hate on principle) Thursday at 7:27

Now for my favorite name of the tournament: Shabazz Napier - guard for UConn. I mean come on, Shabazz could be the coolest name EVER. Love it. Thought I would bring it to the public's attention :)

For all your men, my dear friend Shari has made me aware of a promotion that the company she works for, Molton Brown, is doing through April 4th! The winner receives an “elite 8” pack of Molton Brown body washes! Sounds good to me! Below is the link to all the fun sweepstakes information: http://on.fb.me/iizjLu. Check it out and get some goodies for your guy or for yourself!

Lastly, this weekend I will be taking my talents to the Dirty South, aka Atlanta, to see my lovely friend Amanda get hitched. I can't wait to see my amazing friends (including my love Jacq, who is graciously housing me this evening and will be my roomie for the weekend) as well as watch basketball with my buddy Josh, the diehard UK fan. I forgive him for that, because like me, he loves the Reds :)

ONLY 1 WEEK TIL OPENING DAY!!!

Peace, Love, and College Basketball (and Baseball too)!!

Cass

It's March Madness Ladies! Who to watch! What to wear! Who's hot?

Happy March Everyone!

So for my first foray into blogging, it is only appropriate that I write about my second favorite sports day of the year (behind Opening Day of course), the first day of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The fact that this year it falls on St.Patrick's day makes it even better. Might as well be Christmas!

Here's some 'need to know' info for the NCAA tournament - impress your friends with these little nuggets of knowledge and they may help you fill out your bracket!

-The 'Bracket' is broken into 4 'Regions' (East, West, Southeast, Southwest): each region has a #1-16 seed.

-The 4 #1 seeds are: Ohio State (East), Kansas (Southwest), Duke (West), Pitt (Southeast)

-For the local ladies here is some info on our tri-state area teams

-Ohio State is a #1 seed and will be playing on Friday 3/18 at 4:40pm against UT San Antonio, the winner of this evening's play-in game. According to espn.com, the odds on the Buckeyes to win the National Title are 7-2 - that's pretty good odds!

-The Univeristy of Cincinnati Bearcats (6) are playing Mizzou (11) Thursday at 9:50pm: this will not be a definite win for Mick Cronin and the Bearcats, as Mizzou is a tough team from the Big 12. Watch out for UC's star, Yancey Gates. Born and raised in Cincinnati, if this Withrow grad is on point, the Bearcats should prevail.

-In another 6/11 matchup, Xavier plays Marquette at 7:40pm. This should be a good A-10/Big East battle. Watch for the Musketeers star, Tu Holloway: the undisputed leader of the team and a great shooter. He's easily one of the best guards in the game, but was snubbed for the Cousy Award this year and was not named in the Top Ten finalists.

-The good ole Wildcats of Kentucky (4) play Princeton (13) at 2:45pm on Thursday. I don't know if this will be an easy win for Kentucky, as Princeton is coming off a buzzer beater win against Harvard in the Patriot League Conference Championship last week.

-The mighty Commodores of Vanderbilt (5) will face off against the Richmond Spiders (12) at 4:10pm Thursday. Now I wish I could say that this is a lock for the good ole 'Dores, but considering their track record of the past few years, aka the epic losses to 13 seeds Siena and Murray State, I am 50/50 on this. Saying a little prayer that they do not choke in a way only Kevin Stallings knows how - blowing a 20 point lead in the last 10 minutes of the game. However, I still bleed black and gold, and will support my 'Dores regardless. WHO YA WITH???

Players to watch:

-Jimmer Fredette: This wholesome point guard from BYU has busted out on the scene this year and has captured the hearts of the ESPN talking heads. Will this good guy guard lead his BYU Cougars to the title game? We'll just have to wait and see...their journey begins tomorrow against Wofford.

-Kemba Walker: This talented point guard from the Bronx lead the UConn Huskies to 5 wins in 5 days and a Big East Championship. Lauded as one of the frontrunners for National Player of the Year (along with Jimmer Fredette), this team player is ready for the challenges that face them in the Big Dance. With big wins against Kentucky, Georgetown and Pitt, their first opponent Bucknell should be shaking in their boots.

-Nolan Smith: The Duke senior has really excelled this season and has shined while his fellow teammate, Kyrie Irving, was benched back in December with a toe injury. Another National Player of the Year candidate, Nolan is not only one of the leading scorers on the team, but he's also the motivator, known for giving pep talks to the team since his freshman year. With sources saying that Irving will be available to play in the tournament, will this reunited dynamic duo be able to lead the Blue Devils to back to back national titles? Their road begins Friday against the Hampton Pirates.

Now for the fun stuff....

Q. How do you dress to support your team AND celebrate St. Patty's Day?

A. If one of your team colors is green, then you're set! In my case, and for many of my local friends, we are not lucky. Since tomorrow I will be supporting my 'Dores AND celebrating St.Patty's day, and still want to look fashionable. I am going to work accessories into my outfit that represents Vandy and their team colors (black and gold). I plan on wearing a sea foam green American Apparel deep v-neck tee (a la Tosh.O = love him), black cardigan, skinny jeans and orange Tory Burch flats. I will accessorize with a gold necklace, and the piece de resistance, Vanderbilt croakies on my aviators. For your teams find a cute way to represent your school on this day of green beer and basketball - with jewelry, an appropriately sized college tee with a green cardigan or scarf, or even the color of your shoes. Hopefully all of your teams will experience the luck of the Irish and bring home a winner! Except if you're a fan of Mizzou or Richmond, then I hope your teams choke :)

And last but not least, the Hot Athlete of the Week:

-Since Opening Day is only TWO WEEKS AWAY (I'm not counting down or anything), this week's hot athlete comes from Major League Baseball, and from my hometown team, the Cincinnati Redlegs. While many may think the obvious choice would be our handsome right fielder, Jay Bruce, I thought we would go for a more 'unsung cutie' on the National League Central Division Champs roster : Paul Janish. The shortstop who shared playing time last season with Orlando Cabrera will be the starter this year, being relieved periodically by 2011 World Series MVP, former San Francisco Giant, Edgar Renteria. Janish is adorable, and I can't wait to see him in the uniform this season. He's one of the few players that still hikes up his pants so his red socks show! I highly recommend giving him a google :)

That's all for now, I hope I've given you enough knowledge to last through this epic sports weekend! Please stay tuned for more posts on the Sports Skinny, enjoy March Madness and Erin Go Braugh!

xoxo,

Cass