Chiefs are getting ready!!!

Chalmers is a Timberwolf

Fierce by nature, Timberwolf by selection. Mario Chalmers was selected as the 4th pick in the second round of the NBA Draft. Going #34 overall wasn't what we had in mind, but we are definitely glad that Mario has moved on to the next level. Yes, we would have LOVED to have him in the Jayhawk uniform for the 2008-2009 season, but this is a good move for him.

Congrats, Mario, we'll be cheering for you!

Movers and Shakers

Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur will likely not be staying where they were drafted tonight.

It was proposed that Rush would be traded to Indiana this evening where he will join his brother Kareem. Likewise, Arthur is going to potentially be traded to Portland.

Will there be any other moves for these guys? Only time will tell.


JUST IN: Arthur was traded to Portland for cash considerations from New Orleans.

Arthur's time to shine

He's done it! First round draft pick. Not where he wanted to be necessarily, but Darrell Arthur has made it to the professional basketball level. As the 27th pick in this years NBA draft, Arthur was selected by the New Orleans Hornets.

Rush-ing to the NBA

Well the first round of the 2008 NBA draft was filled with elation and disappointment for Jayhawk fans around the nation.

Brandon Rush was drafted at number 13, to the Portland Trailblazers. This means that he was selected as a lottery pick in this year's draft! Congrats to B. Rush!

Now on to more disappointing news. After Darrell Arthur announced that he would return to the University of Kansas if he wasn't going to be in the top 16 drafted this year, I am just hoping that he gets drafted in the first round. At this time, Houston is making the 25th pick in the first round, and Arthur's name has not been announced yet.

And beyond Arthur's late blooming in the draft, Mario Chalmers has not been picked up yet either.

Hopefully both of these talented young athletes make it to NBA teams during the first round.

Only time will tell!

Rock Chalk.

Mock Draft - the night before

The NBA Draft is tomorrow night. Three Jayhawks are projected to be in the top 25. Where will they actually be going? We will have to wait until tomorrow night to find out.

There have been many mock drafts set up by the pundits, but the most recent one I have seen was found on the KC Star website.

16. Philadelphia 76ers - Darrell Arthur

21. Denver Nuggets - Brandon Rush

24. Seattle SuperSonics - Mario Chalmers

Tomorrow night, we will see if these mock draft predictions hold true, or if any of our guys will be lottery picks (top 14). We wish them the best!

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Office Battle - Could this happen at your office?

Boston Celtics win the NBA Finals

Lead by Paul Pierce, the 2008 NBA Finals MVP, the Boston Celtics dominated the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the Finals.

Ending the game with the score 131-92, the Celtics earned their 17th NBA Title. What a storied team. Seventeen out of 62 NBA Titles belong to the Celtics. Rock Chalk this one up as the most recent Title since 1986.

The Boston Celtics came in with 24 wins last season, last in the Eastern Conference. This season they turned it around and earned 66 hard-fought wins to lead the NBA. The addition of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett sent a spark through the team that allowed them to come together and crush the opposition.

Note: NBA Finals MVP - Paul Pierce attended the great University of Kansas as did Scot Pollard. Two great Jayhawks earning their share of the 2008 NBA Finals Championship the same year their alma mater earned the NCAA National Championship.

It's definitely been a great year to be a member of the proud Jayhawk Nation! Go Hawks!

Social Media Trends

According to Hitwise, MySpace continues to dominate the social media realm when it comes to visits.

This is a message to business to begin utilizing MySpace as an avenue to reach the targeted demographic, if it makes sense. There are a variety of businesses, schools, and people on MySpace, and this is a great outlet to increase exposure and brand awareness on the internet.

I, myself have a MySpace account, but haven't been as active in the community as I am on Facebook. Craigslist is another social outlet that I haven't really taken advantage of. I have heard of Craigslist being a great way to buy and sell items to local people online.

So let this Hitwise report be a call to arms for business who are not currently active in the social media realm. The longer you wait to create a profile, the more time you waste not exposing your brand as much as you could.

What social sites are you actively participating in right now?

Decision made, more Jayhawks going to the NBA

Sunday came, and went. The last day to withdraw from the 2008 NBA Draft. Both Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur have made the decision to stay and hope to be a lottery pick.

The LJWorld posted an article with this information on Monday to much of the Jayhawk Nation's dismay. Although this is a great opportunity for both young men, what about the rest of the Jayhawks?

With only 4 scholarship athletes left from the National Championship team, the 2008-2009 season is going to be interesting. With new recruits, junior college transfers and the return of Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich, hopefully the 'Hawks will take a stab at the Big XII title.

All in all though, Arthur and Chalmers will be missed, but they are where they deserve to be and I wish them all the success in the world.

After winning the NCAA National Title, hopefully they will each fall in Wayne Simien and *Paul Pierce's footsteps to earn the NBA Title ring as well!



*Note - At the time of publication, the Boston Celtics lead the LA Lakers 77-48 with 5:58 left in the third quarter of Game 6.

Running for Fun???

A few weeks ago, I ran my first 5k. Me, running a 3.1 mile race. I had never done one before and thought that it would be a way to help PlattForm out with Kansas City Corporate Challenge.

So the KCCC 5k was early on a saturday morning and the course was a hilly one at Shawnee Mission Park. I wasn't really sure what to expect, I just knew that cross country runners in high school run a 5k for every race. I was not a cross country runner, but the helpful XC Manager for a few years during high school.

With little practice and preparation, I went for it. I ran what seemed to me to be forever. I even had to walk or fear passing out. I finished the race with a time of 36:09. I had hoped to be around 35 minutes, and so this was not far off of my goal. I did finish the race and that was important also. I actually placed in the top few of my age group for our Division, so I was able to earn a few points for PlattForm.

Since that day, I have been running more and more often, and have actually signed up for a half marathon in October. Both my wife and I are training for the Kansas City Marathon's 13.1 mile race.

We still have some time before the competition, and we will use that time to train. We've got a training schedule that should adequately prepare us for the race, and will also help us get into shape.

Wish us luck, we'll need it!

18th and Vine - the Blue Room

We went to the Blue Room on Friday night at the Historic 18th and Vine Jazz District of Kansas City. There were eight of us that went, and it was each of our's virgin experience in that neck of the woods.

As soon as we arrived, the jazz was playing. There was a live band - BMW - that was there, comprised of 5 guys that got down with the Jazz within them.

The Blue Room is in part of the American Jazz Museum, and the lounge itself is reminiscent of a museum. Along the walls, memorabilia was showcased. The back wall of the bar held a timeline of events that had transpired. I was only able to take a quick look at it, but it was definitely something that I will return to look at more indepth. There were a few tables in the main lower area that had memorabilia within the actual table top. There were items with the table and then it was overlaid with glass to make it usable.

Drink specials during Indigo Hour at the Blue Room included $3 rum and cokes and the like and $3.50 mixed drinks. No cover charge either. Normally it is $10 to get in on a normal night, but happy hour on Friday (5-730) is free.

Our first experience to the 18th and Vine area was great, and I can't wait to go back. Have you ever been to the Jazz district?

Jayhawks visit the White House

The National Championship Team visited the White House last week. Video of Bush's speech below:

Vinino!

We recently went to the new Italian restaurant in the Power and Light District, Vinino. It was a quaint place that seemed like it would be great for a casual dinner, or a place to meet friends and grab a drink. Watch out for cougars though!

Although they didn't have a great selection at the bar, it was stocked fairly well. A friend requested a Blue Moon once the waitress informed us that they had anything we could want, and he was denied. Boulevard was a mainstay though. Can't go wrong with that when you are in KC.

Our meals were excellent: Fruitte Del Marre for me and Shrimp Tortellini for the lady. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals and were impressed by the price. $10 for the tortellini and $20 for the broth based Lobster, Shrimp, Squid and more. Delicious.

Vinino has made a happy camper out of me and I can definitely say with confidence that I will return, and return often!

Have you experienced Vinino yet?

American Copywriter

What does American Copywriter and the Boulevard Brewing Company have in common? If you are in the advertising field and listen to industry-related podcasts, you know the answer is John January and Tug McTighe!

John and Tug, the hosts of the popular podcast American Copywriter, were also the hosts of Thursday nights 2008 AdWars at the Boulevard Brewery.

I had a chance to meet our hosts for the evening and was able to get a picture taken with them (below).

American Copywriter is one of my favorite podcasts and so I was honored to be able to meet them. John works at Sullivan Higdon and Sink in the Crossroads and Tug works at Callahan Creek in Lawrence. Both have a knack for comedy and are great on their semi-regular podcast.

I encourage all of you to check out American Copywriter if you get the chance and are interested in listening to something not only interesting, but pretty funny.

What's your favorite podcast?

AdWars 2008

Thursday night - Muehlebach Suite at the Boulevard Brewery in Kansas City. Fourteen teams comprised of members of different Kansas City area advertising agencies competed for the Silver Cup, the grand prize of AdWars.

PlattForm had a team of nine competitors for the 2008 AdWars competition. I was one of the few who competed with the team. We came in the top 10 overall, and that was a great showing compared to last year. The 2007 PlattForm team came in second to last. So that is some great improvement this year.

There were six rounds of Advertising-related trivia questions. I can proudly say that I knew a variety of the answers ranging from what the action is of a "twitter" and how many times Google changed their algorithm in a given time frame!

Laci wrote a great article about AdWars on the PlattForm blog, so you should definitely check that out as well.

All in all it was a great time and I definitely look forward to next year! Plus, what beats fresh and free Boulevard beer and free food. Heaven in Kansas City, I tell ya!

Helicoptor Game Addiction

This game is very addictive. You've gotta check it out though. It is really simple to play and once you start, you won't stop. My personal best is 1,938.

Click here for the Helicopter Game!

Fly the helicopter around the barricades. It is a very simple game, yet fun and even a bit challenging. Reminds me of the good old days of playing games on the Apple 2E.

PBR Big Sky

We went to the Country bar on Saturday night in the Power and Light District, PBR Big Sky. I didn't know quite what to expect in there, but we decided to venture in and check it out.

What we found was awesome!

There was a live band playing a variety of popular country songs and a mechanical bull in the center of the bar. A lot of the people in the bar were crowding around the center, watching the adventurous ones who with liquid courage go for a ride on the mechanical bull.

I was one of the few from our group who rode the bull that night. I didn't last for long, but it was fun while I was on there.

It was $3 cover to get in, and well worth it. The drinks were $3.75 for domestic bottles and $7 for mixed drinks. Not terrible for down in the Power and Light District.

When you do go, beware of the ladies with bootie shorts and leather chaps on. They get up on the bull and go crazy just like everyone else. They are really good at it though because I am sure they do it every night.

All in all, PBR Big Sky is a great place and definitely the place to go if you are feeling a little country inside you!

I recommend it.

Video Making fun of Facebook ... Hilarious!

In person it's creepy, yet online at your own computer it's acceptable. Gotta check this out:

NFL Draft - Talib KU's latest First Round Pick

Aqib Talib was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday as the 20th pick overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. This is KU's most recent first round draft pick, and the first one since 1993. It's been a long time coming, but Talib is definitely the guy who deserves it.

With other Jayhawks being drafted in the 4th and 6th rounds, and free-agency deals being worked out, we'll hopefully see more Jayhawks in the NFL. Anthony Collins was drafted 112th to Cinncinati, and Derek Fine was 132nd to Buffalo. Then comes Brandon McAnderson, the Lawrence native, who has agreed to a preliminary free-agent deal with St. Louis.

Congrats Jayhawks on making it to the next level!

Rock Chalk Jayhawk, we'll miss you!

'Hawks during Springtime

I am pumped. We've already ordered our 2008 Football Season Ticket package and are ready to cheer on the 'Hawks at Memorial Stadium this fall.

The Spring football game was held on Monday night. Since it was moved from the previous Saturday to Monday because of weather-related issues, I was unable to attend. I did watch it on Metro Sports (one of the best channels for area-sports coverage) that night.

The team definitely had its moments. Todd Reesing through a couple of interceptions and one of those was stolen away by Patrick Resby. That kid has got some speed on him. I think he will do pretty well replacing the thieving skills of Aqib Talib on defense. Reesing also connected with Kerry Meier several times as well and made great gains!

The Blue team won 17-3, but it was an experience that identified weaknesses and areas of opportunity. With Mangino at the healm, we'll get this ship on course for another good season.

Back-to-back bowl appearances would be something good. Back-to-back BCS bowl appearances would be better. Let's go for it though and get back-to-back BCS Championship wins! Rock Chalk!

Complete 2008 Schedule

Blue-White scrimage recap

Arthur and Rush declare

On thursday afternoon, Darrell Arthur and Brandon Rush held a press conference with Bill Self and the media to declare their intentions of entering the 2008 NBA Draft.

This is Rush's second time declaring, so the Junior Jayhawk is for sure not returning to KU next season. He has not signed with an agent yet, but will do so in the coming weeks.

Arthur has made his hopes clear that he wishes to go in the first half of the first round of the draft. He says that if he doesn't go in the first 15, he'll return to Kansas for his Junior season. This is a viable option because he is not going to be signing with an agent. He'll just tread the water, see what people are saying, and then make his final decision.

Coach Self is standing firm with his stance that these gentlemen are making very difficult, but good decisions. Yes it may be true that both would really help the Jayhawks next year, but to repeat the Championship would still be extremely difficult. Supporting them is great though, and I support their decisions as well.

Only time will tell if more Jayhawks will be gone next year, and that same time will tell how big of a force Kansas will be in the Big XII.

Good luck 'Hawks, we wish you the best in all that you do!

ADDITION (4/28): Chalmers has also decided to put his name in the box for the NBA draft. He hasn't hired an agent, so there is hope for his return if he isn't projected to go in the first round.

Sleeping through an earthquake

Yesterday at approximately 4:30am, ripples from an 5.2 magnitude earthquake in Illinois rippled ever so slightly through the metro area. Some people in Overland Park and the surrounding suburbs felt the tremors, but up on the 21st floor of our downtown apartment, we did not.

It was kind of shocking that there would have been the tremors of an earthquake in KC. But then again, Missouri does contain the New Madrid fault and people are projecting that a major earthquake will develop at some point in the future.

This was the first earthquake for my wife and I, and we both slept through it. The news coverage was kind of shocking at first because I wasn't used to hearing about earthquakes here.

I guess it is true that anything can happen, anywhere.

Click Here to view a video about the earthquake.

Boulevard Brewing Company

My buddy Shawn and I decided to go and vist the Boulevard Brewing Company at 2501 Southwest Boulevard on Saturday. We did not have reservations for the brewery tour, but decided to walk-in and see if we could join the 2pm group.

The sign at the door said that if you didn't have a reservation, take a hike, but we went for it anyway. Twenty minutes later, the tour began and luckily enough there were people who didn't show up. So we got right in.

The tour began with our tour-guide giving a brief history and overview of Boulevard and its beers. Then we watched a short video that took us through the factory and told a bit more of the history behind it all. The next phase was the actual tour of the facility. It is much bigger than it looks from the outside.

After the facility tour, the sampling began. Free samples of any beer on tap. There were seven beers on tap that day: Maibock, Zon, Lunar Ale, Dry Stout, Bully! Porter, Pale Ale and Wheat.

Some of you Boulevard lovers may not have heard of that first brew - Maibock. It is a new brew and is currently being distributed through a test market. It is an attempt at the great-american lager. A little fun fact - all Boulevard beer is currently from the old-world German style. So this one is more like the typical light beer of today. The taste of it was familiar, but there was a lack of carbonated bite that some experience with Miller Lite or Bud Light. All in all though it was a good beer.

Samples that I enjoyed included a range from the newest brew, the Maibock to the oldest brew, the Pale Ale. I still maintain that Wheat is my favorite Boulevard brew and it's that way for 72% of Boulevard drinkers.

I encourage all of you to take a tour of the Boulevard Brewery. Not only will you get to have a few free samples of a great local brew, but you can also see how and where this delicious beer comes from.

What is your favorite style of Boulevard?

National Championship Video

Got this in an email and thought I would share it...



Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Go KU!

Helping premature babies; you can help too!

Join me in the quest to help with research for premature babies. My little nephew was born premature. March of Dimes is dedicating a fundraiser to help fund research regarding premature babies.

"The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality."

Any help is appreciated. Visit my page to learn more.

Rock Chalk Championship

It was two days ago that KU won the National Championship, and we are still watching highlights and press conference coverage. I will include more information and video later on, but I had to be sure to get a little post out about the game.

7th overtime in the history of the NCAA tournament.
The most exciting National Championship I have ever seen.

KU wins 75-68 in overtime versus Memphis on Tuesday night. It will definitely be a night to remember. With Mario Chalmers hitting a three pointer to tie the game with 3 seconds left, oh it was exciting.

We watched the game at Allen Fieldhouse with a few thousand of our closest friends. After Chalmers sank that shot, everyone was screaming and jumping up and down. It was so crazy!!!

I will write more later, but I for sure had to get something going on this.

WOOOOOOOOO!

Design and Coding Rap - Excellent Work

You gotta check this out. A great philosophy of how to build websites.

KU dominates UNC

We got to Fatso's in Lawrence around 2pm. The UCLA-Memphis game was at 5:20. KU - UNC was at 8:50. A lot of time to spend at a bar on a nice day :)

Memphis took everything away from UCLA, and even Kevin Love was posterized on a monsterous dunk at one point during the game.

And then it was our turn...

WE DID IT. WE KICKED THE TAR OUT OF THE TAR HEELS. REVENGE IS SWEET, but I still respect Roy!

With a dominant effort in the first half, KU took a 40-12 lead. All of our shots fell and we got after every loose ball. UNC couldn't hit a basket and went on a 9 minute drought without hitting a field goal in the first half.

Hansbrough was getting dominated by Cole Aldrich, a super freshman from Minnesota.

The half ended with Collins hitting a lay-up as time expired. KU was up 17 at the break, 44-27.

The game was truly a game of spurts and Carolina came back and cut the KU lead to 4 with only a few minutes left in the game.

Then KU put the stompin' shoes on again and took off on another spurt of their own. Ending the game with the score of 84-66.

We now face Memphis tomorrow night in the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP game!!! WOOOOOOT Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

I will try to put up some videos and pics soon.

Mass street was crazy after the game, absolutely insane. I will include pics and video of that as well soon.

Now we gotta get ready for the game tomorrow night. Less than 24 hours away and I am PUMPED.

Rock Chalk, Jayhawk Nation, Rock Chalk!

Chalk up another win!

Elite 8 | Detroit, Michigan | Davidson

After hearing all of the hype about Stephen Curry, I wasn't really sure what to think. After seeing him perform, my respect for him grew. Giving up a last second shot to his team-mate was a tough call for him to make, but he did it. As two defensive-minded Jayhawks zeroed in on Curry with just a few seconds left, he had to throw it all out there. The ball landed in Jason Richard's hands and he threw up a three-pointer.

If it goes in, Davidson wins and earns their piece of the Final Four. If it misses, Davidson loses by two points, and the Jayhawks advance as the fourth #1 seed in the Final Four.

Glancing off the left side of the rim, the ball misses the hole and the Jayhawks win!

That was one of the most agonizing games that I have seen in a while. It just looked like the 'Hawks weren't ready to play. Careless mistakes by the guys and questionable calls by the referees (equally bad on both ends of the floor) lead to a very low scoring Elite 8 game.

The 'Hawks came out on top though, winning by two, 59-57.

Leading the Jayhawk attack were Mario Chalmers and Sasha Kaun. Chalmers hit key three-pointers when no one else could make them in the first half, and Kaun gave the 'Hawks that much needed spark several times throughout the game. They each ended the game with 13 points and the Midwest Regional Final trophy.

Bill Self has earned his first Final Four appearance and now has the monkey off of his back. Let's hope that transfers into Kansas dominating and winning its first National Championship in 20 years.

So the Jayhawks will face off against the Tar Heels of North Carolina on Saturday just before 8pm. This will be a huge game for the 'Hawks, and may be equally as big as the actual National Championship game. If we come out swinging like we did against Texas in the Big 12 Tournament, it will all be fine.

Good luck 'Hawks and ROCK CHALK!

How Sweet, the Sweet 16 can be!

Tip-Off was at 8:57 or so on Friday night. In Detroit, KU was facing Villanova in the Sweet 16 game of the 2008 NCAA tournament. It was a bit nerve-wracking going into the game, but our worries were soon put at ease when the Hawks came out swinging.

I believe there were four alley-oop dunks within the first 8 minutes of the game by KU, and by four different players. Nova came out doing their best, but the first half ended with the score of 41-22.

The second half came and was out of Nova's hands for quite a while. There were spurts made, but the spurts were just not strong enough.

Each team had three players with double figures for scoring. Scottie Reynolds just didn't contribute enough with his 11 points, while KU's Brandon Rush led all scorers with 16. Coincidence, I think not.

The Sweet 16 ended Friday night with the Jayhawk win, 72-57. With Davidson knocking off Wisconsin in the earlier game, they will meet their demise facing KU on Sunday in the Elite 8. The tip-off is at 4:05pm CST and the winner will go to the Final Four in San Antonio.

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK, GO KU!

Do you have what it takes?

This got past around my office earlier this week and it is too much fun not to share.

"If you can go longer than 18 seconds you are phenomenal. It's been said that the US
Air Force uses this for fighter pilots. They are expected to go for at least 2 minutes.
Give it a try but be careful...it is addictive!!"

It may seem like a simple game of move the red square and don't get hit, but it is so much more.

Check it out. My personal best is a bit over 20 seconds.

How did you do?

SMX Social Media - Long Beach, CA

Coming up in just under a month is SMX Social Media. This conference is put together by Search Engine Land's Danny Sullivan, quite a big name in the Search industry. I saw Danny at the Search Engine Strategies conference in Chicago and was very impressed with him. He is a down-to-earth guy and not just some intelligent stick-in-the-mud.

Key components to SMX Social Media will be learning how to harness the powers of popular sites now such as Facebook, Wikipedia, Reddit, StumbleUpon and more. For more in-depth program information, visit the agenda of the conference on the SMX Social Media website.

Located in Long Beach, California this year, the April 22-23 conference is sure to be a hit. This is a premier event for the social realm, as the SES conference I attended last year spoke very little about this medium.

Are you going to SMX Social Media?

And then there were 32...

The basketball game on Saturday evening proved to be a great exhibition of KU's talent. The vast majority of the game was not shown on tv. Due to the Stanford vs Marquette game going into overtime at the begining of the Kansas game, and the drubbing that KU was laying on UNLV towards the end of the game, CBS opted to show the other games at that time.

Mario Chalmers led the team again, knocking in 17 points. Robinson and Rush followed suit scoring 13 and 12 points, respectively. KU laid down the law with the Runnin' Rebels beating them 75-56.

That ends the 1st weekend of action for the Jayhawks in Omaha.
Friday will match the Jayhawks against Villanova in the Sweet 16 in Detroit. With a win, KU will make the Elite 8 for the second straight year and be put up against the winner of the Wisconsin/Davidson match-up that will occur earlier that night.

Tip-off will be at 8:40pm on Friday night. All you can say is Rock Chalk, baby!!!

First Round of the NCAA Tournament

Didn't get to watch KU's game today, but I was able to listen to it on my old school Sony Walkman radio. I barely had enough reception to hear anything, but I made due.

The opening rounds are in Omaha, Nebraska for KU and today's game tipped off at 11:25am versus Portland State.

From what I could tell, it was lop-sided from the beginning. KU pulled away to an early lead, and was up by 23 at halftime, 49-26.

Same situation in the second half, KU dominated and won by 24 points. The final score was 85-61.

Brandon rush led all scorers with 18 points. If he keeps playing the way that he's played in the last few games, we'll be unstoppable!!!

Now we'll play the UNLV Runnin' Rebels on Saturday at 5:50 in Omaha. This should go as well as the first round game and then we'll be in the Sweet 16.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Fritz's Railroad Restaurant

On Saturday for lunch, we decided to go to Fritz's Railroad Restaurant in Crown Center. It was a short drive from downtown, only a few blocks, but it took several minutes because of the Big XII traffic.

We arrived at Crown Center and were pointed in the direction of the kids. Yes, the line at Fritz's was packed with kids and their parents going out for a nice saturday family lunch. My wife and her mother were not very excited about going to it, but her dad and I were pumped.

It was the first time that any of us had ever been there, and I can for sure say that I am excited to go back.

Once we were sat down, we looked at the menus and put together our order. Instead of ordering from a waiter or waitress, we ordered from a telephone. Each booth had a phone rigged up so that you could place your order.

I ordered Fritz's famous burger. The name has escaped me, but it was a double patty with ketchup and mustard and hashbrowns right in between the buns. A bit greasy for sure, but it was delicious. An order of krinkle fries accompanied my burger. My wife had a grilled cheese sandwich and onion rings. She wasn't too impressed with her sandwich but her dad and I were loving our burgers. Her mom got a chicken sandwich and a bowl of meat, I mean chili. Her sandwich was good but the chili was only meat, and not soupy at all.

It was $40 for four people and so that wasn't terribly expensive. The atmosphere was worth it for sure.

When the food arrived, it came by train. A track was set up a foot away from the ceiling and when the train came out, it dropped the food off at the proper table and lowered it down. You really have to be there to understand it, but I have a video that will show it as well. Hopefully I can get that uploaded to here.

All in all, a great experience. Definitely one for the kids, but the young at heart will enjoy it too.

Next time I am getting a conductor's hat!!!



Another Video, when our food is arriving.

Championship Game

Texas vs Kansas

2:10pm

The game went back and forth throughout the first half. KU would go up by six or seven and then Texas would drain a three. I don't think I have seen more threes in a game than today (27 overall)! The first half ended with a score of 46-45, Texas.

The second half began and it was neck and neck the entire way through. It was truly a game of spurts, and one of the best college basketball games I have ever seen.

Chalmers scored 30 points and had 6 assists and Rush scored 19 points and had 6 assists, both leading the Jayhawks to an 84-74 victory. Well done boys, well done!

It was enough to hold off Abrams and Augustine and Kansas pulled off the third Big XII Conference Tournament Championship in a row.

Texas has never one a Conference Tournament championship and I think we have taken it away from them the last few years.

Now on to the NCAA's fellas. Get ready to dominate!

Additional Notes:
Chalmers and Rush made the first team for the Tournament with Rush earning the MVP!
Augustine, Abrams and James also made the first team for the tournament.

Third Round - Semi-Finals

I'll be brief because I have much better things to talk about than recapping these games.

Texas won by 28, 77-49 against Oklahoma. Things just fell apart for the Sooners.

Kansas beat the Aggies from Texas A&M by 6, 77-71. Rush did have a career high with 28 points. He was the definitely the guy who stepped up and became the leader of the team for this game.

So Texas and Kansas were lined up to square off in the Big XII Championship game on Sunday!

Technorati set-up

I'm getting this blog set up on technorati. Technorati is a blogger search engine, if you will. I want this blog to appear there, and I want others to appear there, too. Here is what you have to do to get it set-up.

1. create a Technorati Profile: a username and password
2. claim your blog. you will do this one of three ways. I am claiming mine by adding this blog post.
3. Then click Release the spiders
4. That's it. now go in and fill in any additional info you would like in your profile and then you are done.

That was easy enough. Enjoy!

Ted's Montana Grill

Today we ate at Ted's Montana Grill in the Power and Light District. It was a packed house with all of the fans watching the Big XII tournament. We went towards the end of the Colorado vs Oklahoma game and apparently got there just in time. They told us it would be a 40-45 minute wait, but surprisingly enough it was only a 15 minute one. Right as we were being seated, several more people came in the door looking for a good meal.

As would be expected of this establishment, Bison was a main dish on the menu. Reasonably priced at $22.99 for an 11oz KC strip of it and $23.99 for a 14 oz ribeye, it was surprising to me. I ordered the ribeye and it was a delicious meal of Bison steak, roasted asparagus, a loaded baked potato and a biscuit. A very good meal indeed. My wife ordered the Brick Chicken plate and had a cheese and bell pepper topping on a chicken breast. A side of broccoli and baked potato accompanied her meal. It was a reasonable $9.99.

So not only is it a little bit different (it serves Bison) but it's also very reasonable. They had delicious looking dessert, but we were all too full to try any of it.

All in all, a good place to go. I think I can safely say that we will be returning to that establishment once we try the rest in the P&L district!

Have you had your helping of Bison today?

Second Round of the Tournament

Well today was the second round of the Big XII tournament. The games started at 11:30am and were finished just before 11:00pm. Another full day of basketball, but this time, we got to see our beloved Jayhawks play!

The morning session's games were less than exciting. The Oklahoma State vs Texas game was very sloppy, but it was close. Texas ended up winning 66-59. Texas scored the most points in a game today.

The Colorado vs Oklahoma game was close all the way through, except for the beginning when Colorado didn't score in the first five or six minutes of the game. Oklahoma pulled out with a 10-0 lead. Then Colorado went on a 14-2 run or so and made the game interesting. Oklahoma ended up winning 54-49.

So now in the first game of the Semi-Finals, Texas will face-off against Oklahoma. The top seed versus the four seed. This is the way it was supposed to work out. We'll see tomorrow who will reach the finals!

The evening session began with the Kansas Jayhawks vs Nebraska. KU looked pretty awful during the first half, committing careless turnovers throughout. They ended the game with 18 turnovers, 12 of them coming in the first half. Nebraska led at half 27-22, but KU was able to pull it together and make things happen on the court in the second half. The Jayhawks pulled away at the end to win by 10, 64-54. Again, not the greatest game though.

Finally, K-State and Texas A&M. It started out close, and A&M went slightly ahead. Up by 5, then by 7. It rocked back and forth throughout the majority of the game. A&M was lead by #22 Kirk who made several threes. With four minutes left in the game, Beasley and the wildcats went ahead by one. Then A&M regained the lead and kept it for the rest of the game. The wildcats had an opportunity to win the game with 7.9 seconds left and Beasley missed the lay-in, they got the rebound and sent it out to Pullen who missed. A&M was fouled on the rebound and drained the two free throws. A&M over KSU 63-60.

So now in the second game of the Semi-Finals, KU will play against Texas A&M. The number two seed versus the six seed. Not exactly how it was supposed to work out, but we'll take it. Hopefully the Hawks will have it in them to stomp the Aggies and reach the finals!

First Round of the Tournament

So i guess the afternoon session of the Big XII tourney was a bit more exciting than the evening session. Colorado crushed Baylor in double overtime 91-85. This was the first 12 seed to win a game in the Big 12 Tournament. Well done Buffs!

Oklahoma State beat Texas Tech with a 76-72 win also. Now Oklahoma State will face Texas this morning with tip-off at 11:30. I'll definitely be cheering for Okie State!

We attended the evening session last night and saw Nebraska beat Mizzou and Texas A&M beat Iowa State. We went there to cheer for Nebraska and Iowa State, and I even wore an ISU football tee-shirt (but I still had my KU hat on).

It's always good to see Mizzou lose, but really neither team played very well. And the ISU game was a little crazy because it was such a low scoring game.

Hopefully the games today will be a bit more exciting than the evening session's games played out to be. But I guess how can it not, since we're getting to see KU play!!!

Texas vs Oklahoma State 11:30am
Oklahoma vs Colorado 2:00pm

Kansas vs Nebraska 6pm
Kansas State vs Texas A&M 8:30pm

Rock Chalk Jayhawk, go KU!

Howl at the Moon!!!

Well after the evening session of basketball last night, we decided to give the dueling piano bar, Howl at the Moon a try. It was actually a lot of fun. I had heard that it was very expensive, so I had my reservations about this place.

Cover was $5 to get in, so that was less than the piano bar that we'd been to in WestPort, which was $7.

12oz Boulevard = $5. This is a little pricey since you can get a 6-pack of Boulevard at the store for $7.50, but it was still cheaper than some bars in KC.

22oz Fat Tire = $7. This may be the deal of the day, nearly two beers for just a smidge more than the 12oz Boulevard. Not too shabby!

The music there was great, too! They had at least 4 guys that would alternate. They would play the dueling pianos, electric guitar and drum set. The combination on some of the songs was really good.

They played a lot of the typical piano bar songs that everyone would sing to and then they got into the Fight Songs. I requested them to play the KU Fight Song, I'm a Jayhawk. They did it and then they played it until someone gave them more than $2. The next dude gave $22 and he was from Nebraska. So they played that fight song until someone gave more than $22. A nice KU alum (I'm assuming) gave a whopping $45 to seal the deal for KU. So they played our fight song a couple of more times and then we were declared the winners!!! Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Now let's turn the Howl at the Moon victory against Nebraska into a Second Round victory tonight at 6pm. Rock Chalk baby, Rock Chalk!

I will try to post some pics of Howl at the Moon later. Stay tuned!

Have you howled at the moon lately?

Power and Light District

Since the Big XII Men's Basketball tournament is starting tomorrow, life Downtown is about to get crazy. From people running through the streets, to frustrated fans trying to find a parking spot, it will for sure be interesting.

I am definitely looking forward to trying out some of the new restaurants in the P&L district, right across the street from the Sprint Center.

We ate at Famous Dave's Barbecue joint a couple of weeks ago, and it was pretty good. I must say I haven't had BBQ for quite some time, and after eating there, it made me want barbecue much more often! For the lunch portion/price, though, it was well worth it. The menu selection is decent, and the BBQ sauces are even better.

Dare to try Devil's Spit, and there's no looking back - you are in for a treat. Mixed with several chili peppers and a variety of other ingredients, this flavor will knock your socks off. Definitely a delicious choice, but not for the faint of heart.

Check back as I give my perspective on the other restaurants that I dine at in the coming days.

Where have you eaten at in this new area of Downtown?

Big XII Tournament - Sprint Center

The Big XII Men's Basketball Tournament is getting ready to begin at the end of this week. The Kansas City Star has posted a brief article featuring the pairings of the first round of the tournament. For a much cleaner version of the bracket, the official Big XII website is your resource. This PDF version of the bracket gives the pairings in an excellent format and includes tip-off times.

Downtown is really gearing up for the fun to begin. Our apartment staff told us today that they would not be selling Parking Garage Spots to the public, and this was a great relief. Being only 4 blocks away from the Sprint Center can get pretty congested at times, and I am glad we won't have to compete with anyone for a parking spot.

Some Downtown business such as Perk Up,1103 Grand, are extending their hours for the tournament. Rather than remaining open until 9 PM, Perk Up will stay open until midnight during the tournament to capitalize on the thousands of people looking for an ice cream treat, or just some good old coffee.

Stay tuned to Downtown KC this weekend, as it sure will be something special!

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

To Twitter or Not to Twitter?

Twittering or tweeting can be something that you do in your spare time, or it can be something that you do non-stop. The choice is yours. I choose to twitter whenever I am thinking about it, so probably not as often as I should.

An article that I found on Sphinn this evening from Cornwallseo.com, "Twittering Naked in the Bath" basically says that twittering is over-rated. I have heard this from many people. But if it is so over-rated, why are so many people still doing it?

I am not crazy about it, but I do enjoy it. It is a great way to snoop on others and see what they are up to, should they choose to tweet.

In fact, I will tweet this blog post as soon as it is published.

What are you tweeting about today?

Welcome to my world

Hello, Kansas City!

Well I have now set up a blog hosted on Blogger. I am going to give this a try. This blog really will be about A Little Bit of Everything. I plan to write about Kansas City SEO, Search Engine Marketing in general, Sports (especially of the Jayhawk persuasion), Food/Beverages. A variety of items, but some of my favorite things.

Come back often, as I will always have something new for you to view! At least I am writing this with that intention in mind!

Be sure to keep it real, while living the dream!

~mulvhawk