Bracketology - December 29th

East                                                                                    Midwest 

1 Duke	1 Virginia
16  Morgan State  / Gardner Webb	16  Hofstra  / Grambling
Columbia	Columbia
8 St. John's	8 Creighton
9  Iowa State	9  UCF
4 Wisconsin	4 Kentucky
13 Texas State	13 Niagra
Hartford	San Jose
5 Arizona State	5 NC State
12 Maryland / Furman	12 North Texas
3   Texas Tech	3 Michigan State
14 Northern Kentucky	14 Penn
Tulsa	Salt Lake
6  Indiana	6 Houston
11 Ole Miss	11 Missouri
7 Oklahoma	7 Villanova
10 Temple	10 Xavier
Salt Lake	Tulsa
2  Nevada	2 Kansas
15 Sacramento State	15 South Dakota State
West	South
1 Tennessee	1 Michigan
16  UC Irvine	16 Stony Brook
Jacksonville	Columbus
8 Notre Dame	8 Clemson
9 Providence	9 George Town
4 Ohio State	4 UNC
13 Drake	13 Fordham
Columbus	San Jose
5 Marquette	5 Miss State
12 Seattle	12 Stephan F. Austin
3  Auburn	3 Va Tech
14 Belmont	14 Lehigh
Milwaukee	Tulsa
6  Buffalo	6 Iowa
11 TCU/ Boston College	11 Wofford
7  Nebraska	7 South Florida
10 Pitt	10 San Fransisco
Columbus	Jacksonville
2  Gonzaga	2 Florida State
15 NJIT	15 St. Francis

On The Bubble 

Last 4 IN 

Maryland
TCU
Boston College
Furman

First For In
Louisville
Syracuse
Vanderbilit
Oregon

Next for In
Butler
Seton Hall
Utah State
Alabama 

Business Plan

Mission Statement: To provide Opportunities for Everyone to Succeed

Core Values: Love, Inclusion, passion and Safety

Goals: A Christian based organization that encourages people to find their inner child and strive to accomplish their goals that people feel overwhelmed to accomplish. We are entering a scary part in our society, a society where overdosing happens too frequently and people are falling away from God’s word.

I want to install trust back into people’s minds, customer service that is second to known and reconfirm what it means to be a brother and sister in Christ.

No one should be left alone and we will try and do our best to accommodate anything that people approach us with.

I want to create a Profitable tourism business that gives fans a chance to enjoy a city with what they see fit. Flexible packages will be put together for anyone who wants to take part on a planned vacation. 

After I break even from expenses, my goal is to put a portion back into the world and help our community, province, country and world. Half of what I make will go to my savings account to help more projects in the future and half will go to helping people get on their feet. 

This would include various things are projects locally and abroad.

Greg's Vision: Going the extra mile to Find Success

We are dedicated to going over the top in various projects that will make the world a better place. We want to see people succeed and we are not stopping until we are physically unable to do so.

Projects include: 

Sports Tours 

Mentoring 

3 on 3 Basketball 

4 on 4 hockey 

7 on 7 flag football 

Young Adults 

ESL in third world countries 

Shelter Help 

Later, I'll be working on a schedule to get everything to fit on a calendar. 

Why I Feel Stuck

In 2013, I found myself in a hard place. I liked college a lot but something felt missing. I like a lot of what I do but I kinda felt that my life was heading into a dead end and that there was better chance of me doing something wrong than doing something amazing.

It took me 18 months later for me to grab myself and write down things that I wanted to accomplish. I was asked to come to Vancouver, at first I was really nervous and after awhile I thought honored and excited that a friend of mine wanted to hangout with me.

The thing is, why do I feel tied down to stuff. If I say I want to do something I have people in my life that will put their own opinion on it and it feels like their trying to convince me that I shouldn't do that. This is a huge pet peeve of mine as I need space to spread my wings and make choices by myself.

This has held me back the past few years, I think if there is anything good that comes from this is that I will be more prepared to do so many things that I want to do when the time comes.

I don't know where I would be if I dropped out of school in 2013. I had about 23,000 which was quite a bit but I never clued in how fortunate I was. Somehow I feel I would have ended up ok but it wouldn't have been easy. In fact, most of the money I had was tied up in investments that wouldn't have been smart to sell.

So 18 months later, I was in Vancouver. Now with 33,000 to my name and again it never clued into me that I had more money than most. Things in Vancouver were going alright but I took a break from my goals while my Grandpa was sick with cancer.

I got off my feet in March of 2016 but limited hours hurt my momentum from accomplishing goals again.

Between that and all of the above that I mentioned, things have never sat right with me. In late August, I took a sabbatical from Vancouver in hopes that I can regather my thoughts for 2019. If I'm not in 100% control of my life with no judgment and support, I feel lazy. That is my biggest challenge.

What Would A 11 Team CFP Playoff Look Like

The dust has settled, it is obvious that the CFP selection committee favors the 1 loss conference Champion over a two loss team that was most likely better if they played on a neutral field.

If that's the case, we should have all the conference champion plus the best Independent team go in a 11 team playoff where the opening round games would take place starting this Saturday on the lower seeds stadium.

Here is how it would work:

#1 Alabama
#2 Clemson
#3 Notre Dame
#4 Oklahoma
#5 Ohio State
#6 UCF
#7 Washington
#8 Fresno State 
#9 App State
#10 Northern Illinois
#11 UAB


The Top 5 would get byes to the Quarterfinals, which makes sense considering there is usually one team that feels like they get left out of the playoff. Here is the bracket:

#8 Fresno State                         #1 Alabama
#9 App State
                       
Game at 7:30 on ESPN                Game at 9AM on ESPN             


                                                    #4 Oklahoma
                                                    #5 Ohio State


                                                     Game at 5pm on ABC                                                       

#6 UCF                                       #3 Notre Dame
11 UAB

Game at 5PM on ABC                 Game at 12:30 on NBC

#7 Washington                             #2 Clemson
#10 Northern Illinois

Game at 12:30PM on ABC            Game at 4pm on ESPN


Wildcard round would be on December 8th with the Quarterfinals on December 15th. Semi Finals and Final would be remain unchanged. This draw is fair to every conference and makes every game a huge game as there is no back door like Alabama used last year. Yes, I have been a Georgia activist all week but it's because of my jealousy of how Alabama got in last year.

Bracketology - December 4th

East                                                                                    Midwest 

1 Gonzaga	1 Duke
16  Howard / Radford	16 Charleston  / Grambling
Salt Lake	Columbia
8 Texas	8 Creighton
9  Houston	9 Davidson
4  UNC	4 Auburn
13 Texas State	13 Rider
Hartford	San Jose
5 Iowa	5 Ohio State
12 TCU / Colorado	12 North Texas
3   Texas Tech	3 Michigan State
14 Northern Kentucky	14 Penn
Salt Lake	Tulsa
6  Nebraska	6 Iowa State
11 Oregon State	11 Arkansas
7 Maryland	7 Marquette
10 Temple	10 Texas Tech
Jacksonville	Jacksonville
2  Nevada	2 Michigan
15 Northern Colorado	15 South Dakota State
West	South
1 Virginia	1 Kansas
16  UC Irvine	16 Stony Brook
Columbia	Tulsa
8 St. John's	8 Clemson
9 Oklahoma	9 George Town
4  Va Tech	4 Kansas State
13 Drake	13 Boston College / Minnesota
Columbus	San Jose
5  Arizona State	5 Villanova
12 New Mexico State	12 Stephan F. Austin
3  Wisconsin	3 Kentucky
14 Belmont	14 American
Milwaukee	Tulsa
6  Miss State	6 Purdue
11 Pitt	11 LMU
7  Furman	7 Buffalo
10 NC State	10 Utah State
Columbus	Hartford
2  Tennessee	2 Florida State
15 NJIT	15 St. Francis

On The Bubble 

Last 4 IN 

Butler
USC
Ohio State
Iowa State

First 4 Out 

Cincinnati
BYU
VCU
Notre Dame 

Next 4 Out 

Louisville
Baylor
Arizona State
South Carolina 

Review of My Essay From 2010

The college football regular season is coming to the end and again there is some major controversy about who should be in the National Championship in early January. In most sports there is a playoff system that consists of six to sixteen teams depending on the sport. In college football there is something called the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). The system is odd in many ways and it is time to get rid of the BCS because it is unfair, there are  great match-ups to be had with a playoff system,  and  there is loads of revenue to be made from a playoff system which would benefit other sports as well.

 Firstly, the BCS is extremely unfair because of a team’s schedule. It is better to have a hard schedule in the first part of the season than the last part of the season. For example, If you have two teams with 11-1 records at the end of the season then the team that lost their game early on in the season would have a higher BCS ranking between the two teams.  In 2008 the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns both finished the season with an 11-1 record.

Texas had already beaten Oklahoma during the season for Oklahoma’s loss but since Texas got upset by the Texas Tech Red Raiders, that opened the door again for Oklahoma to get in the National Championship game.  With a playoff system we wouldn’t have this problem because both Oklahoma and Texas would be in the playoffs. 

 Also, with a playoff system comes great match-ups that we wouldn’t see with the BCS. The BCS determines which teams get into which bowls. Therefore, we see the same games year after year in the same bowl. For example, the Rose Bowl played annually on January 1st is between the Pac 10 winner and the Big 10 winner. Consequently, it is possible for the same two teams to play two or three years in a row in the same bowl. With a playoff system you would have a variety of match-ups as the teams in the playoffs would be seeded differently each year. 

 Lastly. a playoff system would work better than the BCS because of revenue. If a team makes a bowl game, they get money for their school and conference. If you have a playoff of 10 teams you could possibly be in four extra games. These playoff games would have the same hype and attention as a bowl game. If your team keeps wining in the playoffs your team keeps getting on TV. Therefore, your school would make even more money. For example, the Boise State Broncos are a very small college which has a powerful football team. They get punished every year for being in the Western Athletic Conference  (WAC). This team would really benefit from extra nationally televised games against teams that are in major conferences. Also, the more revenue a team brings in helps that school keep other lesser sports running. College football brings in 85% of all revenue which helps all sports, not just football.

 In conclusion,  college football needs to implement a playoff because the BCS is unfair,  there are great match-ups to be had in  a 10 team playoff,  and there is lots of extra revenue to be generated from tv and other sources currently unavailable.

The CFP Mess

Another year of College Football that ends with agony for the team that doesn't get into the CFP. I realize that Oklahoma won a Conference Championship but would they have really beaten Georgia? For three quarters on Saturday, Georgia controlled the game against not only the best team in College Football this year but maybe the best team in this decade. 

I have said this since the invention of the College Football Playoff that the system is rigged. It is set up to maximize revenue from the most teams as possible. However, if the right team is on the outside looking in, like Alabama was last year, they will sneak them in. 

Lets break down the selections by the committee and why they were flawed. I'll skip over #1 and #2 cause they are by far the two best teams this year. 

#3 Notre Dame 

Great season, undefeated and everything but who did you play that was Top 7 caliber? Michigan was your best win and it was because you guys were at home. The rest was slightly above average teams the rest of the year. If conference championships matter, why are they so high at 3? Oklahoma would be the best team you guys have played all year. I guess ND has the luck of the Irish this year. 

#4 Oklahoma 

Remember when the Big 12 didn't have a conference championship? Ya, if this was four years ago they wouldn't have. They won way too many close games to be considered the #4 best team in college football. You guys lost to Georgia last year. That right their confirms they shouldn't have gotten in. 


#5 Georgia 

This is where I have a big problem. They got snubbed because they had two loses. They are the third best team in college football. If a conference title means something than Notre Dame shouldn't be third. Now that they are maybe every SEC team should go independent so they can pick their schedule and avoid a conference championship game. 

#6 Ohio State

Purdue 49-20. That is all. Glad the committee got this right by putting them #6. UCF actually should have been ahead of them. 

This is why I don't like the CFP because of the Georgia paragraph. They say a conference title means something but than they give Alabama a free pass last year after not winning the division even. 

As my friend noted on a facebook comment on Sunday, "but I hate the 4 team system , all it does it create senseless debates about who should get in... the rules are too vague , 4 best teams? 4 most Deserving? 4 Conference champs? Biggest TV market ? All just stupid .. 8 or 16 teams in playoff format ... " 

The quote couldn't be more right. This is why I have been tired of the 4 team playoff since 2015. UCF shouldn't be punished for having a soft schedule. 

There are 11 conferences in College Football right now if the Independent as a conference. Lets do an 11 team playoff to decide everything. 

I don't care if its not the 11 best teams. The 68 best teams aren't in March Madness. 

Cano Trade Sends Message That Mets Want to Win Now

The Mets - Mariners trade shouldn't have been a surprise. They have been talking about it for the last seven days. However, the pieces that were exchanged were a bit eye opening. 

I have blogged for the Mets for a few years now and just down the interstate from Seattle. I have a good feeling on these two teams. 

The Mets will be knocking on the door of a tight wild-card race next year if Bryce Harper leaves the nation capital and the Mets stay healthy. They won 77 games last year but it was a decent year if you take away their forgettable June. Getting Cano boosts their offense for a loaded and deep pitching staff that will work with a closer next year that has been lights out his entire career. 

For the Mariners, winning a division has never seemed farther away as of this morning. The Houston Astros and Anaheim Angels control the division for the next 2-3 years and therefore, going into a rebuild is a difficult move but the right move to make. Trading Cano is a positive as it looked like he was untreatable when he signed the lucrative contract years ago. Unfortunately, what they got back is a bit soft considering their prospects are younger. 

For package coming back to Seattle is Bruce, Swarzak, Kelenic, Dunn and Bautista. Five players coming back but non of their Top prospects. Kelenic and Dunn are #3 and 4th respectively while Gerson Bautista had a 12.46 ERA in five games last year.

If you look over the Mets lineup when they were on fire at the start of the year, they rolled out a lineup like this on their 13th game of the season:

Mets Hitting

HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	AVG
M. ConfortoCF	3	1	0	0	0	.250
A. Cabrera2B	4	0	0	0	0	.321
Y. CespedesLF	4	0	1	1	0	.208
J. BruceRF	4	0	0	0	0	.239
A. Gonzalez1B	3	0	0	0	0	.242
T. Frazier3B	2	0	1	0	1	.293
A. RosarioSS	3	0	1	0	0	.244
J. LobatonC	1	0	0	0	1	.200

The one notable young guy in the roster that I thought the Mets would have to give up is Amed Rosario. He could have fit right in with Seattle's infield. On top of this, the Mets didn't have to give up Domminc Smith, Peter Alonso or Andres Gimenez their two top prospects. 

I would have thought those players would have been included in a package with Noah Syndergaard. 

That being said, Robinson Cano's contract might turn out to be a cancer and if playoffs don't happen in 2019 or 2020 for the Mets than this trade will blow up in their face as they will be too old to compete by 2021. 

For the Mariners. Boosting their farm system is a big step in the right direction. Unfortunately for them, they have had great prospects in the system before when they had Dustin Ackley, Nick Franklin, Mike Zunino and Kyle Seager that went along with a future pitching staff of James Paxton, Taijuan Walker and Danny Hultzen years ago. 

The Mets will win this trade if they make the playoffs in the next two year and the Mariners will win the trade if they next make the playoffs if one of these players is on their team when they do. 

This trade could be a win - win or it could be a lose - lose with anything in between.