Finally, some pictures from Mercer

As you are all well aware, I took a trip to Macon, Georgia to begin the year (and eventually to Fort Myers, where they will get the internet just as soon as they stop doing the Charleston) to catch a game betwixt the Mercer Bears and the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. I used my phone to take some pictures, then got a new phone, and anyways, I finally uploaded them, so here are the pictures from my time in Macon.

 Of course, I have to start with the greatest picture of them all... the coin operated cologne sprayer in north Georgia

Heading into the game, I had to take a picture of their baseball field. Alma Mater of the great Mike Mimbs!

This was the Mercer pep band. All of it.

A couple of shots of the arena. It filled up a bit by game time a bit more, but there was still a week until classes began again.

 This is where the FGCU women's team eventually sat.

I like the one guy for FGCU that tucked in his practice jersey. Nerd.

Growl!

A little more full, see? And GET PUMPED IT'S MERCER BASKETBALL.

It's game time! FGCU would have a huge challenge, playing against a Mercer team playing at home for the first time in a few weeks.

Also facing a huge challenge: This chair.

This is actually the Student Union/basketball arena, pictured the next day. IT was definitely a quaint campus.

GROWL!

This is outside my hotel the day I left Macon. Hard to tell, but the fountain outside is completely frozen. I'm glad I headed south for that. 

I enjoyed this trip quite a bit, actually, mostly because I really like the south, and I had Steak and Shake in Illinois, but the game was pretty good too. (Mercer won 76-54)

Highlights from Mercer - Florida Gulf Coast

As you can see, I was, in fact, at the game last night. An AP photo is out to prove it.

Now, some thoughts from the game. First, it was incredibly cheap. The ticket, a hot dog, water and slice of pizza ran me only 9 dollars. Total. Fantastic.

First, the arena. It was rather small, but the university did a good job giving the the game something of a big time feel. The concessions and what not were decidedly small time, but the action on the court was very competitive. Mercer players seemed more into the game than any team I had visited before. Even FGCU played like they knew what they were doing, which I can't say for certain other games I have attended. And the beginning of the game began with spotlights and a video played on a middle school geography class style projector screen. Still, I applaud the effort the school put forth in making the game important.

In this contest, it seemed like the big problem was the Eagles and their ball handling ability. They seemed to be better on defense when they were able to get back and get set. The most dramatic scoring opportunities came in the break for the Bears, especially when they were able to get the ball to Justin Cecil, who was white hot and clearly the best player on the court last night. Still, the Eagles clearly weren't comfortable with how they were playing, changing their defensive look regularly, and not really getting consistent stops until they upped the pressure on the ball, but that came far too late.

Perhaps it was the angle I sat at, but I would say it was the most technically sound game I have seen in my travels. Murray State played well two years ago, but in this game, both teams looked prepared, if not effective.

The Bears got out to a 20 point lead early, then kept their foot on the gas for most of the game. They had a deeper bench, a short guy named Shaquille, more energy, a black guy named Paul Larsen and frankly, more composure that FGCU who had a white guy named Eddie Murray.

For more in the moment, comical observations from the night, take a look at my Twitter feed. Some time this week, I will have some pictures and more in depth commentary on what it was like to be at the game.

All set for Macon

As you may have remembered, I am planning a trip to Macon, Georgia to catch the Mercer Bears in action against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. There has been less time to prepare for this trip than there was for the trip to Wyoming back in October, so I haven't mentioned it quite as much, but yes, I will head out on New Years Day, with central Georgia as my destination. (I will also visit a friend in Tennessee and my parents in Florida... My first multi-tasking trip yet.)
Mercer has been having a pretty good year. They've defeated the teams they should have and lost to some pretty good teams, like Missouri, Belmont and Seton Hall. The only real blemish is a loss to South Dakota State, but even the Jackrabbits look strong this year. The Bears are lead by sophomore guard Langston Hall and forwards Justin Cecil and Jakob Gollun, who is somehow from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, playing for the Bears. Did I mention that Mercer has a medical school? Even if it is in central Georgia, they attract some good minds down there.
Florida Gulf Coast hasn't been quite as successful, but have been in a lot of games this season. In 4 of their 6 losses, they were within 3 points, and within 1 in three of those games. In fact, the largest deficit was a game at Miami, when they lost by 10. The Eagles definitely play a more defensive game, as Sherwood Brown (who sports some wicked dreads, by the way), the top scorer on the team, only averages about 12 a game. Distribution might be part of it, but I think it has more to do with low scoring games. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't point out that they have a player named Filip Cvjeticanin.
I bring up the game so far out because I secured my tickets and reservations in Macon the other night. Any guesses on the cost of the tickets? Three dollars. Three stinkin' bucks. I have it waiting for me at will call. I think, given the Eagles propensity to stay in games, this will be three dollars well spent.

The 2012 Sports Adventure teams have been picked

As I'm sure you are all aware and yet completely indifferent about, I picked the two teams that I will try to watch live and in person during the 2012 calendar year. For those that don't know, here's how it works. I lump every team from NCAA basketball and football, the NFL, NHL and MLB into a random number generator, as well as a series of numbers, so as to pick a game off of a selected team's schedule. Then I go to the game. Simple as that. The randomness of this is what makes it an adventure, you see.
So without further ado, the teams. This is the 6th year I have done this, and I had yet to select a professional sports team. Additionally, I had never yet picked a team from the same city as a previous selection. It all changed this time! The 4 that just missed out were the Colorado Avalanche, Baylor basketball, South Carolina basketball and UC-Santa Barbara.Instead, I will be attending week 5 of the Chicago Bears 2012 season~

The Bears are, as I said, the first professional sports team that I have drawn in this little game, and the second team from Chicago. Two years ago, the University of Illinois-Chicago was selected, but due to a blizzard, I was unable to go to their game. Obviously, next season's schedule is not yet known, but the potential opponents are. The Bears could, of course, play at home, but also have potential road games at Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota, Arizona, Saint Louis, Tennessee, Jacksonville or any of the 4 NFC East teams, depending on how this season finishes.

Another trend when picking these teams is that I have never failed to select a college basketball team. This trend continued for 2012. I didn't draw a team from a state I had selected in the past. In fact, this was from a conference that I have until now left untouched. The last 4 out, as Joe Lunardi might say, were the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans basketball (in their final D-1 year) Maryland basketball and Utah State football. The team that I selected had another ursine mascot... the Mercer Bears.

Wow, if the Bears have a home game, I can just wear Mercer gear and probably fit in, huh? Mercer is located in Macon, Georgia, and has, if I recall, a pretty decent medical school. They also have a home game on January 2nd against Florida Gulf Coast University, the 16th game on their schedule, which was the game I drew to attend. Mercer plays in the Atlantic Sun conference, long dominated by Belmont, and finished 11-9 in conference last season, good for 5th. Most importantly, I'm heading south in January!