Day 7 Of March: Dunk City

You'd be hard pressed to find a more exciting team than Florida Gulf Coast last year. Led by Andy Enfield, one of very few college basketball coaches with a supermodel wife, the Eagles busted just about every bracket, and put themselves on the national map with wins over Georgetown and San Diego St. They became the first fifteen seed to ever advance to the Sweet Sixteen. With a quick strike transition offense and a barrage of monster dunks, Gulf Coast overwhelmed both teams in dominating and entertaining fashion. Usually with upsets this big, it happens with a ton of threes and a favorite going cold, but both the Hoyas and the Aztecs were completely dominated for the duration of the games. Sherwood Brown, Chase Fieler, and Brett Comer stole the show, and earned millions of fans for the tiny school who had never played in the NCAA Tournament. Florida Gulf Coast ensured that they will forever be remembered as one of the greatest Cinderella stories.

Day 6 of March: Our First Onions

Anyone who has ever watched college basketball knows that the greatest honor a player can ever receive is to make Bill Raftery scream "Onions!". For Demonte Harper and Morehead St, to have it called on a game winning upset of an instate power, it doesn't get any better than that. The Eagles were led by current Denver Nugget Kenneth Faried and guard Terrance Hill who was 5-6 from three, but coach Donnie Tyndall had a dream in which Harper won the game, and he stuck with his gut. Of course it worked out, and when Faried blocked the shot at the buzzer, it was the Cardinals hopping on the next flight back to Kentucky. I'd also like to point out that this was part of the 12:00 slate of games, along with Juan Fernandez's game winner to help Temple beat Penn State. This means that the idiots who went to class that day missed two fantastic finishes. I cannot stress this enough: Going to class or work is not worth skipping any basketball, regardless of what games are on. I have great memories of both games that afternoon, but do you really think I would've remembered what we talked about in Physics anyway? You gotta be able to prioritize, its a basic life skill. See you back here tomorrow as we take a trip to Dunk City for day seven.

Day 5 of March: Hampton Takes Down Iowa St

There's nothing quite like a huge upset in March, and considering no 16 seed has ever won (yet) this is as close as its gotten. There's also nothing quite like the way a neutral crowd jumps all over a massive underdog once they begin to smell an upset. You've probably never seen so many Hampton Pirates fans in Boise, Idaho. And when Senior forward Tarvis (that's not a typo) Williams hit the go ahead bucket late in the game, the Boisians all went nuts. Almost as nuts as Steve Merfield, the Hampton coach, that is. You gotta love the coaches who get just as excited as the players in these big games. Finally, while we're talking about my favorite things about March, why can't they go back to playing on the real floors instead of the stupid generic NCAA ones. The orange and blue is so much cooler than the plain, dull courts they play on now. Anyway, this is one of the best parts of March Madness - rallying around some school you probably have never heard of as they take on a Goliath. Sure, they'd probably lose 99 out of 100 times, but every game has the chance of being that 1%. That's what makes this the best time of the year.

Day 4 of March: Demetri Goodson Coast to Coast

Yesterday, we took a look at Western Kentucky's nice run in '08 and a year later they were back in the Second Round after another upset over Illinois. This time they were matched up with the original Cinderella, Gonzaga, coming off a double digit win over Akron. Down nine with just over two minutes left to Gonzaga, the Hilltoppers went on a crazy run ultimately tying the game on a Steffphon Pettigrew put back with seven seconds left. Those seven seconds were all it took for Demetri Goodson to drive coast to coast and bank in the runner sending the Zags back to the Sweet Sixteen. It also led to one of my favorite scenes in basketball, where an angry coach shakes hands with the winning team and pretends to show good sportsmanship. This was the highlight of Goodson's basketball career, as he ended up transferring to Baylor to play football and has entered this year's NFL Draft. Anyways, the moral of today's story is to get back and play defense. Finally tying the game up with so little time left only to lose on an uncontested runner has to be one of the most gut wrenching ways to lose, but then again 63 teams have to end their season on a bad note (I know I said 63 - the play in games don't count).

Day 3 of March: Ty Rogers' Shot

One of the most popular small conference schools every March is the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. They dominate the Sun Belt and always seem to have their name called on Selection Sunday. They have a unique nickname and a really cool mascot who has been blatantly copied by about 50 schools. In the first round back in '08 they faced a Drake Bulldogs team led by Klayton Korver who loved to chuck threes and not play defense. The result was a game in which 200 points were scored and 30 total three pointers were made. The Hilltoppers were led by Tyrone Brazelton's 33 points and also featured future NBA players Jeremy Evans and Courtney Lee but it was Ty Rogers who hit the game winner at the buzzer and then proceeded to do the soccer celebration of running around while being chased by teammates. This sent Western Kentucky to the second round to take on the 13 seeded San Diego Toreros, who used similar heroics to send the Connecticut Huskies home. WKU ended up in the Sweet Sixteen, while a very sad Klayton Korver went back home to Iowa, but that's just the way March works. Stay tuned tomorrow as we move to number four on my list of great March moments as we see the Hilltoppers on the other end of a game winner.

Day 2 of March: A Hail Mary For Saint Mary's

Not gonna try to sugarcoat it, its been a rough year for the Saint Mary's Gaels with thirty point beatdowns by their biggest rival and recruiting players out of the Twilight movies. But back in 2010, things were a lot better in Moraga. Led by Omar Samhan and a slew of short skinny Australians, the Gaels won the WCC Tournament and stormed into the great town of Providence, Rhode Island to upset the Richmond (Rich-what?) Spiders and the Villanova Wildcats. Most memorably, this was done in front of the legendary Bill Raftery. Down the stretch, the Aussies made some crazy plays including Matthew Dellavedova executing a flawless rendition of Biggie Little before nailing a three with 4 and a half minutes left, Omar Samhan blocking more shots than Stretch (sorry for the excessive NBA Street references) and finally Mickey McConnell's "kiss to be remembered" which nearly caused Bill Raftery to faint. When it was all said and done, the Australian National Team exited the Dunkin' Donuts Center with a 75-68 win, and their first trip to the Sweet Sixteen in over 50 years in the second of El Fuerto's top sixteen March moments. Stay tuned tomorrow for number three.

Guess Who's Back... And Lucious For The Win

Yeah, I kinda figured MIB was dead too. We had peaked with the White Man Tourney, and really there was nowhere else to go. Everything we had to say had been said. But, much like Jesus and CT from The Challenge, some things just can't go away forever. Plus, it's March and I have plenty of inspirations. I've had more discussions and arguments over the best NCAA Tournament games than Kyle Korver has had three pointers drained. Since we're sixteen days away from Selection Sunday, and sixteen is such an appropriate number for March (ie the round the Bearcats never seem to make it to) I thought I'd list out my sixteen favorite March Madness moments. Anyway, here are some rules on how this will go:

1) All the games will be from my lifetime. They don't count unless I watched them live, which means we're starting at the 1999 Tourney. Yes, I skipped school in first grade to watch March Madness. Did you really expect anything else?
2) All the games also have to have a Youtube video for me to link you to. Its no fun if you can't actually see it, which very much limits many games played before 2008. Salim Stoudamire's game winner against Oklahoma St, BJ Raymond's shot against West Virginia, Michigan St vs Kentucky in 2005, and the Ohio St vs Xavier game unfortunately had to be left out for this reason.
3) Bonus points for upsets. Sure it's cool when a one seed wins on a buzzerbeater, but it's way cooler when a 13 seed does.
4) Bonus points for games called by Gus Johnson or Bill Raftery. Honestly, this should go without saying.
5) Finally, this list is very subjective and biased. I also came up with it during an hour long business law class. Long story short, if you don't agree with it, come up with your own. With that said, here is number sixteen.

Korie Lucious For The Win

It wouldn't be March Madness without Tom Izzo and the Spartans, and this game shows why. First of all, Lucious shouldn't have even been in at the time - he was filling in for Kalin Lucas who was injured earlier in the game. Then, when Greivis Vasquez, clearly the greatest Venezuelan to ever play at Maryland, hit the go ahead floater with 6.6 to go, Lucious had to step up. His shot sent Sparty back to the Sweet Sixteen and ultimately another Final Four. Also, quick sidenote here, I love how Tom Izzo barely holds off calling a timeout right before the game winning shot. How funny would it have been if he took it, the shot didn't count, and they had to take a rushed shot off an inbounds play with less than two seconds left. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video, and keep checking back here every day until Selection Sunday for more.

Fantasy Matchup: Lil Bow Wow vs Aaron Carter

In the latest new segment on Mack Is Berning, we are matching up two sports legends in a fantasy matchup whatifsports.com can only dream of simulating. As a huge fan of basketball and late 90s/early 2000s pop music, I am more excited for this than Joe Rogan watching people eat spiders. With that said, here is our first matchup which pits Lil Bow Wow and his magic MJ shoes against Aaron "The Shaq Killer" Carter.

Lil Bow Wow aka Calvin Cambridge
Hit Song: Basketball

In one of the most surprising twists in recent NBA memory, Cambridge was signed after an impressive performance during a halftime contest, and eventually led the Los Angeles Knights/Clippers to a playoff bid before an even more shocking retirement. During that time, he showed unmatched ballhandling, court vision, shooting, and vertical, going so far as to even win the Slam Dunk Contest. While many people initially doubted that a 4'8 kid could hack it in the NBA, his 5'3 wingspan quickly shut them up. He proved himself as a clutch player making numerous game-winners, and showing poise with his game-winning assist in the last game of the season, passing out of a double team, and earning himself a head nod from Vince Carter. Although we will always be left wondering what could have been if not for his abrupt retirement, it is clear that Cambridge had the talent to go down as a legend of the sport.

Aaron Carter
Hit Song: That's How I Beat Shaq

Although he did not have the continued success of Cambridge or play in the NBA, Aaron Carter proved that he can compete with anyone in the world in a game of one on one, pulling off a victory over the great Shaquille O'Neal. While he isn't quite as physically gifted as Cambridge, Carter showed off a good all around game. He has great ability to get to the hoop, and a nice shooting touch. He also pulled off an excellent trick play, convincing Shaq that his shoelace was untied, demonstrating his intangibles. One would certainly wonder how he could perform in a team setting, or even playing against other players, but it is certainly clear that Aaron Carter is an NBA-level player. Why he never got or took the chance will continue to baffle fans for years.

Fuerto's Pick


While I would love to see more film on each player, particularly Carter, whose only tape lasts 3 and a half minutes, much of which is spent dancing, this looks like a very interesting matchup. Carter looks to have a size advantage and would use it to get to the hoop and create shots. However, his defense and lateral quickness appear to be issues, as he got beat off the dribble by Shaq constantly. Cambridge, who blew by the likes of Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, and Vince Carter during his NBA stint, has a huge advantage here. He uses his superior athleticism and offensive game to pull away with the win in a high scoring affair.

Seven Weeks Deep

I'm out of extended absence jokes, but regardless I'm back baby. 6 game win streaks tend to rekindle flames. Over a quarter of the way through the year and it's hard not to be excited about the battlin fuggin Cincinnati Reds. I see no reason why the Reds can't win this division by 10 or more games. The stars have aligned and I am not mad about it.

 Let's first talk about this pitching. As our boy Thom Brennaman might say, Holy Moses. We won't go there with Cowboy. 4th in the NL with a 3.37 ERA and coming in with the 2nd best bullpen at 2.63. And with Leake and Latos starting to get it going, the numbers will only get better. So much for Great American Smallpark. Keep in mind the bullpen was supposed to tank after the injuries to Madson, Masset, and Bray. We all know about Aroldis and his filthy ways, but Ondrusek, Arredondo, Hoover, and even Chicken Alfredo Simon have all been absolute nails. It's hard to imagine they will keep this up all year, but in the mean time I'm absolutely loving it. The new closer by committee really doesn't bother me at all either. I never bought in to the whole psychological argument for having a steady 9th inning guy. It's all about the match up and it's good to see the Dustbowl finally realized this.

 Let's not fail to consider two big keys to the excellent pitching besides the pitchers themselves. Number one, defense X defense (clap, clap). While having the second fewest errors in the NL is a good indicator of how well they've fielded this year, it's what doesn't show up in the stats that amazes me. The outfield of Heisey, Stubbs, and Bruce can track down virtually anything. They all have cannons and cover the outfield like All-Pro safties. I'm a big fan of this trio, and regardless of offensive production you know these guys will bring it everyday in the field. Long gone are the days of Adam Dunn or Wily Mo misreading fly balls by 50 feet. The infield has been equally as impressive. You know what to expect from Phillips, but Votto has shown Hatteberg-esque scooping capabilities and Cozart isn't shy on Web Gems himself. The hot corner is and always will be shaky if Rolen isn't in the lineup, but overall the defense has been a major factor in helping out the pitchers.

 The second factor of the outstanding pitching goes to who I think has been the MVP of the team so far this year, Ryan Hannigan. The Jason Dulle look alike calls one of the best games of anyone in the league, and the numbers show. In games Hanigan starts, the Reds boast an 18-7 mark proving he is one of the most underrated catchers in the game . You have to consider he typically catches Cueto, Arroyo, and Latos, but still winning games is winning games, and the Reds have a sub 3 ERA when he's behind the dish.

 After last night's win, the Reds are now 22-3 when scoring 4+ runs in a game. Now that's just silly. With numbers like that the offense just has to be average in order for this team to run away with the division. But as of now, calling this offense average would be a stretch. My man Hanigan leads the team with a .322 average with Votto at a respectable .295 and that's about it. As a team the Reds rank 23rd or worse in runs, batting average, and OBP. It's really pathetic considering how much pop you'd think this lineup would have. Playing in GABP 81 times a year shouldn't hurt either. The home run production is starting to come around but what really bothers me is the low on base percentage and AWFUL hitting with runners in scoring position. Votto and Hannigan are honestly the only two players who consistently work the count. Despite Votto leading the league in walks, as a team the Reds are among the worst in this category. After Votto's 41 walks, no one else has more than 12 free passes. That is beyond pathetic. The same is true for hitting with RISP as a team with a shade under a .200 batting average clip in this situations. Yet another concern has to be striking out. For Christ's sake put the ball in play. The league batting average on balls that are in play is above .290. Not to mention a K never amounts to a productive AB in advancing the runners.

 With all of this said, allow me to make a few suggestions. First and foremost, move Hannigan up in the lineup. Is there some rule the catcher has to bat 8th? The guy puts the ball in play and gets on base, something Votto has seen very little of ahead of him in the lineup. I respect the fact Baker's dozen sticks with his players (almost to a fault), but it's a GD travesty Dusty has yet to even consider batting Hanigan 2nd in the lineup. At least give it a fuggin whirl. Second, get rid of Ryan Ludwick. He's slow, has terribles ABs, can't field, and did I mention he's ugly as crap. For all these reasons and more, spare us all, Walt Jocketty. And finally, at least consider trading for Kevin Youkilis. It would take a prospect and be a gamble getting a pricey, injury prone, 3rd baseman, but my goodness can you imagine what a healthy Youk would bring to this struggling lineup? When healthy he averages about .285, 23 bombs, 80 RBI, and scrappy as all get out at bats. The "Greek God of Walks" coming home to Cincy would stir up some interest and even if it's just a one year gig, THE FUTURE IS NOW.

 On their longest win streak since August of 2010, the Reds are poised to keep it rolling this weekend against the lowly Rockies. Just keep beating teams they're supposed to and there's no turning back for this ball club. In the mean s'go s'go Redlegs; In Dusty We Trusty. I'm out.

The Race is on for Novak

First of all, apologies for the lack of posting/semi-retirement over the past winter. But like the great Michael Jordan, every once in a while you just have to take some time off to sharpen up your baseball game and/or save the Looney Tunes from enslavement. With that said, we are back just in time for the biggest race of the year in sports. As you already know, over the past few decades basketball has become increasingly dominated by speed and athleticism and there just isn't as much room for your average skinny white boys. Fortunately, there is one thing ensuring that they will never be completely pushed out: the three point line. Over the past decade, players such as Fred Hoiberg and Jason Kapono have kept their spot on an NBA roster and won yearly awards for best three point percentage. This year, with just over a week left in the season, Steve Novak of the Knicks looks to follow legends Kyle Korver and Matt Bonner to make it a Caucasian three-peat. It is a tight race as Novak and45.8% three point shooting is followed closely by Ramon Sessions, Ersan Ilyasova (a respectable European, but still), Stephen Curry's half season stats, and Ray Allen all within one percent.

If there are any doubts about Novak's skills I will quickly clear them up with a few stats. Despite being 6'10, he has chucked up a total of 238 three pointers and just 53 twos giving him an 81.7% three point selection percentage. For comparison, Kyle Korver is at 66.1%, J.J. Redick is at 46.7%, and Jimmer Fredette is at 49.6%. Even Jason McElwain drove to the rim more often than Novak. While he is nowhere near Korver's NBA record 53.6% shooting, Novak is burying his treys at a pretty damn respectable rate. And since I'm just throwing out random stats, I'd also like to point out that he's whiffed on about 60.4% of his high fives this year.

Anyway, if you want to know how he became the superstar he is today, the fact that he grew up in a town called "Brown Deer, Wisconsin" pretty much speaks for itself. During his time at Marquette, he broke fellow star Travis Diener's school records for three point shooting and free throw shooting, led his conference in three point shooting every year, and also managed to pick up a degree in communications studies (don't know how you make it in the NBA without one). His road to the top of the NBA was never easy, bouncing between Houston, LA Clippers, and San Antonio with a few stints in the D-League before shining in New York. Clearly fueled by the fire of not making the cut of the MIB White Man Tourney, Novak has exploded with one of the most impressive seasons in recent memory, largely due to him trying to jack Aaron Rodger's Discount Doublecheck celebration, and his decision to wear the same #16 as a former St Xavier football legend. Now, he looks to finish the year off strong and securing the three point crown, carving out his spot as an all time white legend.