UNLV: This Cinderella is Headed to the Big Dance, Not the Ball

Emily Hartig — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:24:12 -0400

Every year, millions of fans take the time to diligently fill out their NCAA tournament brackets.

They spend hours meticulously deciding what team has the best chances of coming out on top, who's making an early exit, and who's boogeying their way into the big dance.

And, just like those who spend hours going back and forth, comparing odds and statistics, depth charts and shooting percentages, there undoubtedly ends up being that one person who puts a blindfold on, hangs a dart board on the wall with all the teams, and essentially plays pin the tail on the donkey to determine his or her bracket.

The odds and stats checkers despise these people.

They are the ones who spend painstaking hours mulling over their brackets, in hopes to win $50 in the office pool. But it's always those who go down the list and pick the team with the nickname they like better who end up winning those million dollar prizes.

So, I figured, if I can't beat 'em, I better join 'em.

As I scrolled through the list of this year's competitors, I realized (but not to my surprise) that I didn't know enough about any one team to make a valid point saying which team would shock the college basketball world with an unexpected upset.

Because I knew I still wanted to have a say and make a cinderella selection, I did what any woman would do. I thought with my heart and not with my head.

So, for this year's NCAA Tournament, I selected No. 8 seed UNLV as my sleeping beauty.

My reasons might bewilder a bracketologist, but I'm sticking to my guns.

Las Vegas holds a special place in my heart. I am in love with this sparkling city. I visited there in 2003, and, as somewho who is turning 21 this April, I plan to return as soon as possible. It would be great to return to a city that just had its team tap dance into the Sweet 16 or even the Elite Eight.

Also, those Runnin' Rebs have such stunning scarlet uniforms, and they just look so cute hustling up and down the court. I could just wipe the sweat off them. That alone warrants a victory. Cutest always wins in my book.

In addition to major cute points, UNLV has a player named Wink. Wink Adams. I think it's a given that, if your name is Wink, you are bad ass.

Last year, UNLV was able to sneak their way into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1991, after winning the Mountain West conference and taking down Wisconsin and Georgia Tech.

I mean, if all these things don't convince you, then I don't know what will.

It just makes sense—if you have cute boys playing on your team and a handsome coach like Lon Kruger, you just can't lose.

In the first round, they will take out No. 9 Kent State, and, when they do, they will face Big 12 champion Kansas.

But, and this is the one 'but' that always holds true without fail each year—anything can and will happen; this has been proven. So I feel like I have as good a chance as any of those odds and stats checkers to come out on top.

My cinderella team might be dancing their way from the Strip to San Antonio, and I just might shock everyone, too.

New Slogan for the Pittsburgh Pirates?

Emily Hartig — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:39:19 -0500

"Come hungry."

"We will."

For several years, the Pittsburgh Pirates marketing department has been diligently trying to bring hope to the hopeless fans with its slogans.

But, in those same several years, the Bucs have found new ways to make us lose our appetites and beat a dead horse coming up with countless pithy comments to insert after, "We will."

Although the Pirates have been and always will be my big league team, I have come to terms with the fact that loving my Bucs is nothing more than an unrequited romance.

I know going into each season that it most likely will not be that season, and the only record they're breaking is the one for most consecutive losing seasons.

I have even made the statement aloud that Bud Selig should allow the Buccos to pump up with some performance-enhancing drugs, just to give them the chance to compete.

When I look and consider the saxophone guy on the Clemente Bridge, the SkyBlast fireworks, and the Styx and Clarks' concerts to be the highlights of the season, I know things are pretty futile on the field.

But the Pirates are like that boyfriend you keep coming back to, even though you don't know why. Sure, he's pretty to look at in uniform and makes a lot of promises, but he always breaks your heart in the end.

I can only wonder what the marketing team is working on for the 2008 season. My heart goes out to them. I can't imagine bein responsible for trying to come up with a motto for a team whose Jolly Roger is getting depressed from being raised so rarely.

Bleacher Report - Articles by Emily Hartig

UNLV: This Cinderella is Headed to the Big Dance, Not the Ball

New Slogan for the Pittsburgh Pirates?