Hollywood Nights: Zubaz in Westwood

Posted on March 22, 2013 by AD

Or, The Disconnection Between Supply And Demand In Corporate America // Are You Afraid Of The Dark (possibility that many consumers actually think this is a good idea)?

All the angry emails.

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Previously
Hollywood Nights: The Detroit Pistons’ Season in One Play
Hollywood Nights: Generally, No man is an Island
Hollywood Nights: No World Peace in the Windy City
Hollywood (Disco) Nights: A Hero at the Forum
Hollywood Nights: A Magic Haiku
Hollywood Nights: Z-Bo and Bishop Don The Magic Juan

The madness nearly is upon us

Posted on March 21, 2013 by AD

In about ninety minutes, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament tips off in Auburn Hills, where Valparaiso meets Michigan State in a 14-3 matchup at 12:15 Eastern. That means you still have time to do the following while you aren’t working today:

Complete your entry in ALDLAND’s bracket challenge.
Listen to Brendan and Marcus break down the bracket in the newest ALDLAND Podcast.
Look back at the first available preview of the 2013 Final Four, published right here at ALDLAND.
Catch up with two college basketball coaches not appearing in this year’s tournament, Jerry Tarkanian and John Calipari.
Get ready to watch the games on your computer if you mistakenly make it back to the office from lunch.

UPDATE: Last-minute insider tip from a family with a strong athletic background:

In case you're wondering, Derek's Final Four: Louisville, VCU, Indiana, Ohio St // Susan's Final Four: Michigan St, Kansas, Miami, Ohio St

— Tedeschi Trucks Band (@DerekAndSusan) March 21, 2013

Kentucky’s loss in the first round of the NIT is in the Wildcats’ best interest

Posted on March 21, 2013 by AD

You may say that John Calipari is a schemer, but he’s not the only one. Or rather, this current Wildcat team isn’t the only one on Coach Cal’s mind. In fact, it hardly ever is. Having embraced the one-and-done player more than any other coach, Calipari’s by-the-seat-of-his-pants recruiting method recalls a radio DJ’s live programming of a music show, always listening to upcoming songs in cue while barely conscious of the broadcast as it plays out over the air in realtime. Calipari always has at least one eye on the future because he has to restock his starters every year. He is concerned with his current team’s performance insofar as it helps him bring in future recruiting classes.

In general, the best way to do this is by winning. When you don’t win, though, and perception is as important to you as it is to Kentucky, you need to mitigate your damages. Plenty of teams whose seasons didn’t work out quite as they’d hoped would be glad to be a number one seed in the NIT. For these Wildcats, though, a top seed and an NIT championship would sit on their heads like a crown of thorns, a mockery of discounted prestige. Sure, people would be distracted once the NCAA tournament begins in earnest today, but there are plenty who take pleasure in lampooning teams like Kentucky (or Kentucky in particular), and each additional NIT game played would be something of an embarrassment for the current players, sure, but really for a coach whose sights are set a year or two in the future. Better to stop the bleeding right away, take yourself out of whatever sort of light it is that shines on the NIT stage, and regroup for next year. The coach already has.

ESPN’s disjointed approach to social media

Posted on March 20, 2013 by AD

The right and left hands are not talking to each other at ESPN when it comes to social media forays. While everyone’s busy rubbernecking at the bizarreness that is the Worldwide Leader’s entrance into the Tumblr world, the folks trying to coordinate excitement about ESPN.com’s NCAA tournament contest on Twitter have come up with a veeerrrryyyyy creative suggestion:

As Kenny Mayne would tweet, hash mark bracket.

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ALDLAND Podcast

Posted on March 20, 2013 by bpbrady

It’s that time of year again. That’s right, it’s NCAA hockey tournament time! But that preview is coming next week. For now, join my co-host Marcus “Primetime” Paschall and I as we break down our picks to advance far in this year’s NCAA basketball tournament. Due to time constraints (mainly the fact that we had to finish this thing by the time Justified aired), we aren’t getting too in depth (no coverage of the play-in games), but there’s enough here to ensure that you finish dead last in your bracket pool. So take a listen and make all the opposite picks.

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Download the ALDLAND podcast at our Podcasts Page or stream it right here:

ALDLAND’s 2d Annual Mad as a March Hare March Madness Challenge

Posted on March 18, 2013 by bpbrady

It’s that time of year again when attention turns to the NCAA basketball tournament and everyone fills out a bracket in hopes of winning something, whether it be pride, money, or super-duper cool prizes like you will find in ALDLAND’s 2013 Bracket Challenge. Plus the winner of this contest gets a write up about them like DRTAZ1 got for winning ALDLAND’s Bowl Pick ‘Em Challenge. So click on the link and make your picks in hopes of winning one of the four awesome prizes listed below:

Continue reading →

Mike Piazza attempting to extort The Band’s Garth Hudson [UPDATE]

Posted on March 15, 2013 by AD

Yambands.com reports:

A New York State judge has granted a restraining order that puts a planned auction of legendary The Band keyboardist Garth Hudson’s belongings on hold. The move was made after Hudson’s attorneys filed a complaint with the courts alleging that the organ whiz was the victim of attempted extortion.

Last month, a Kingston, NY landlord sold a number of Hudson’s belongings to the public after claiming that he had failed to pay more than $50,000 in storage fees. Hudson’s supporters gathered at the event after the musician requested that his Facebook fans buy the items and allow him to reimburse them. The landlord had planned to sell more of these items—things like sheet music, photos, reel-to-reel tapes and his instruments—at another auction on April 6. However the new restraining order will keep that from happening for the time being. Hudson is now demanding that the landlord, Mike Piazza, return his possessions and pay damages and legal fees.

Hudson also accuses Piazza of moving his belongings on two occasions without his permission, which he claims damaged some of the items. Hudson also claims that Piazza stole a number of his possessions—including a pump organ—before selling them on eBay.

Lawyers from both sides are inspecting the items, which have been moved to a new location. A meeting between the lawyers for both parties is scheduled for April 11.

The former catcher’s old team continues to be in financial straits, and he’s been hawking his “bizarre” book in hopes of a post-retirement paycheck, so maybe we shouldn’t be surprised, if nevertheless saddened, that Piazza appears to have turned to a life of crime.

UPDATE: Garth Hudson’s lawyer, John Clark, dropped by this afternoon to share his thoughts on this story. As promised, I have reposed his statement here:

Attn: Adland. I am an attorney and represent Garth Hudson in the litigation discussed in your story above. Please note that the Mike Piazza who is the defendant in the litigation IS NOT THE Mike Piazza of baseball fame. Same name, different person.
Please correct your story immediately.
John E. Clark

Bay of Cigs: The Departed

Posted on March 14, 2013 by AD

Last baseball season, I kept a Detroit Tigers diary here called “The DET Offensive,” a nod to all of the offensive firepower Detroit added in the offseason, primarily in the form of Prince Fielder. This season, the return of Victor Martinez and the acquisition of Torii Hunter make the Tigers even more of a threat with the bat. Their biggest question headed into the year is at the closer position. Jose Valverde had a perfect season two years ago, but he dropped off significantly last year, and GM Dave Dombrowski sent him packing as a result. Phil Coke filled in at that position quite admirably during the playoffs, but for whatever reason, he isn’t being considered for it as we head into the 2013 season. Instead, management seems to be waffling between minor league sensation Bruce Rondon (intriguing) and Rick Porcello (GAHHHHH!). Continue reading →

Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood is very good at basketball, Spanish?

Posted on March 13, 2013 by AD

No?

This version of the Harlem Shake is undeniably hokie

Posted on March 11, 2013 by AD

(After spending a mesmerized morning starring at this, I decided just to hit publish instead of continuing to fail to come up with something gif-witty about jigs and jacked-up trucks.)