After parking my car, I put money in the meter and happened to look down.  There I saw a “walk of fame” type stone of current Atlanta Braves pitcher, and former Auburn star Tim Hudson.

Tim Hudson

I then walked across the street to the famous Toomer’s Drug Store, that has been there for over 100 years. I ordered up a large cup of their famous freshly made Lemonade, and I can say I was quite happy.

Toomer's Drugs on Toomer's Corner

Directly across the street from the drug store is the famous tree that everyone toliet papers and parties around after big football wins. It is probably the most visited site that sits on the edge of campus.  There was a fence going all around it so you couldn’t get to close, probably after the idiot poisoned it last year.

The famous tree

Fence around tree

As you walk around campus, and throughout the whole town of Auburn, there are constant reminders that the 2010 Football team won the BCS National Championship.

National Champions

The thing I must do on all my campus tours are to see as many athletic facilities as possible. Some become very hard to get into, settling for walking around the outside, but at Auburn I had great success.  My first stop was at the very large football stadium.  I was shocked at the number of bleachers in the stadium, with very few actual seat backs.

Outside the stadium

Lots of Metal

Field is all ready to go, just needs lines painted

The next stop was to the baseball stadium, where I found an open gate.  As you can see from the pictures, the field is being torn apart and worked on.  Four former players have their pictures on the outfield fence, Tim Hudson, Frank Thomas, Bo Jackson and Gregg Olsen.  I have seen nicer college baseball stadiums, but this one was pretty cool.

View down left field line

Field kind of torn up

Tim Hudson honored on wall

Directly across the street from the baseball field was a fairly large arena. I figured this is where they played basketball and I wiggled my way into it.  Things inside were fairly old, and reminded me of many arenas I have been in.  I walked out onto the floor and took some pictures.  All the lights were off so I had some trouble getting good ones.

Old Basketball Arena

Walking back through campus I found a map at the student union bookstore.  On the map I spotted another arena, that said “new and under construction.”  Very confused I headed that direction.  I was greeted by a brand new state of the arena athletic facility for both teams to play in. This building was incredible with a build in Hall of Fame, gift shop, luxury boxes with outdoor patios and much more.

Setting up for summer graduation

Hall of Fame inside arena

Yes, that David Ross!

Team shop inside arena

Although I was melting from the heat, I enjoyed my visit to Auburn. I finished it off with some Fro Yo at a new place called Chill and continued back to I-85 to head to Montgomery, Alabama.

Every professional baseball player dreams of appearing in the Major Leagues for at least one at-bat, one half inning on defense or take the mound to throw one pitch.  To these athletes, getting any sort of chance in the big leagues is a “cup of coffee.”  For some that lasts one day, and for others it lasts numerous seasons. But once you have taken a sip, it is yours forever.

Although I will never step between the lines during a real Major League game, I have dreamed of getting my “cup of coffee.”  I am proud to say that after three years of working with the Dayton Dragons, a Class-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, I am getting my first taste of coffee this season.  I have accepted a job as a Clubhouse Assistant with the Atlanta Braves. I will be working all 81 home games at Turner Field with the team assisting in numerous duties.

This truly is a dream come true to be able to work for a Major League Franchise, especially one as storied and successful as the Atlanta Braves.  I feel very fortunate to fill a few of my dreams so young in life, working for eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bearcats Men’s Basketball Team and now getting my shot in the majors.

I hope you will continue to check this website, and follow me on Twitter (@coreybrinn) as I try to bring you adventures from the season and life as a “Clubbie.“

I try to avoid sports talk radio at all costs, usually getting frustrated by the ignorance of some of the callers.  One common theme I heard this week was how the NCAA should “re-seed the tournament,“ for the Final Four, so that the top two seeds this year, Kentucky and Connecticut, don’t have to face each other in the semifinal, while the other two low seeded teams, Butler and VCU, get to face off in the other semifinal, with one having a chance to play for the championship.  Can someone please give me a GOOD reason why this is a bad thing?  The tournament brackets are completed on Selection Sunday, and should be left alone from there.   Reseeding the tournament for the Final Four in my opinion would be a ridiculous activity.

To say I am traditionalist or a purist would be an understatement.  I have a hard time with chance and getting use to things that are different and out of the norm.  It will be probably take me several years to get use to the NCAA Tournament field expanding to its current format of 68 teams. But as VCU proved, it works and those teams still have a fighting chance also.

Major League Baseball is by far my favorite sport to watch and follow, but not even the World Series can hold a candle to the NCAA Tournament.  The excitement and passion shown for those few weeks is unmatched by any other. I only wish NCAA Football could take a hint and follow the lead.   Tonight, four teams dream will be dwindled down to two.  And no matter who is playing or how the games go, my eyes will be glued to the TV.  The calendar may say April, but March Madness is still in full swing.

For a product to pass Major League Baseball standards, it must have been properly tested and stamped with the “NSF” sticker, meaning National Certified For Sport.  But the biggest pain is that these products must be purchased from the team, directly from the company.  For example, a product that is certified to take cannot be bought at a GNC store or Vitamin Shop.  Those products are said to be produced differently and COULD contain ingredients that would force an athlete to test positive.

The product I want to talk about is Muscle Milk, made by Cytosport.  To me, Muscle Milk has the best tasting product on the market.  This is the newest protein powder addition to the approved list for professional baseball players to take.  But only four flavors have been approved, cookies and cream, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.  Again, only Muscle Milk that is bought through the dealer of a team is approved.  What really gets me are the RTD products, which stands for “ready to drink.”  These are the premixed bottles that you would find at a gas station in the cooler.

As of last season, these were not allowed to be consumed by professional baseball players and if consumed, they could lead to a positive drug test.  But what makes me laugh is that Muscle Milk has become a huge sponsor in Collegiate Athletics, and the RTD’s are what they push.  They even go far enough to place college logos on the bottles and sell to their athletes and students.  So you are telling me that these things are safe and legal for college athletes (who do get drug tested), but a pro athlete cannot take them because they may get popped with a positive test?

It appears the entire supplement industry has become about money. If a company has enough, they can “buy” a license to have their products legal, but if they don’t pay, they will not get certified.  This became evident to me when Black Powder, by MRI, was being utilized in professional baseball.  Black Powder came in three flavors, orange, fruit punch and blue raspberry, but only the orange and fruit punch were certified. When I asked a strength coach about this, his answer to me was, “MRI only paid to have two tested and didn’t want to put enough money up to have all three tested.”

Love the idea and concept about drug testing, having products certified and checked out to make sure they are legit, but it is getting out of hand.  You are not going to have me belief that the ones sold at your local drug store are made separate from the ones sold to athletes that are certified. But, athletes can never take that chance, because if they test positive, they have no case.

I fear this problem will only get worse until some organizations stands up and gets it fixed.

Signage at College Events

Lots of schools are jumping on board with the RTD's

Georgia Tech Muscle Milk RTD

As soon as the pairing s for the tournament is announced, the word “bracket” becomes the favorite word to use in the dictionary.  People that have not even seen a Division One College Basketball game this season fill out a bracket and try to make the correct picks, usually playing for a monetary prize.  Some pick winners based on “expert” knowledge, some based on team colors. Some pick winners based on past history and some on who has the coolest team mascot.  Whatever the reason, everyone thinks they have the perfect bracket, but no one ever does.

I can’t explain how many times I am asked about my bracket, called for advice, and asked to predict the future on who will win each game. This could come as a surprise to some, but I do not, did not, have not and never will fill out a bracket for the NCAA Tournament.  My reason may not make much sense to some, but it does to me.

I feel filling out a sheet with what I think will happen ruins the fun of the tournament for me.  Being as competitive as I am, and wanting to win every poll I enter, I would force myself to cheer and root for certain teams, specific upsets and exact results.  That is something that I never want to do.   My goal during the tournament is to sit back, relax and hope every game is a buzzer beater in triple overtime.

Sure I have a few teams I pull for, this year wanting Coach Huggins (West Virginia) and Coach Martin (Kansas State) to lead their teams to the championship, but for the most part I do not care on the outcomes of each game.  Filling out a bracket would force me to do so and put added stress into an event that I just want to enjoy.

Many people think I am nuts when explaining this to them and giving my reasons for not filling out a bracket.  I don’t think less of the people that I do fill out the pick sheets, it is just not my cup of tea.

I cannot wait until Thursday afternoon at noon, when the traditional first day of the tournament starts and teams begin their journey towards their “One Shinning Moment.”

Ole Miss is in the process of trying to recover from an awful start to their Southeastern Conference (SEC) season to climb back into the West Division race.  That did not happen Saturday as they came out flat in the first half.  May factors could be pointed to, lack of rebounding, poor shot selection, no transition defense and hot Alabama shooting leading to the early deficit.

A credit to Coach Andy Kennedy and his squad is that the Rebels did not roll over a give up, fighting to get back in the game and cutting the lead to as little as six in the second half.  Reginald Buckner could not stay out of foul trouble, and guard Chris Warren did not get his game  going until midway through the second half.

Announced as a sell out in Coleman Coliseum, many empty seats were noticed throughout the arena.  I am so glad I made the three hour drive from Atlanta to see AK and his team play. It was nice spending a few minutes with him before the game and I really appreciate the awesome floor seat he gave me behind the bench.

Please enjoy my pictures from my experience below.  As always, please check back for more pics of the Alabama campus and future articles.

Coleman Coliseum...This place needs a nickname

Very nice lobby before you enter the gates

CM Newton room...where i picked up my ticket and nice recruiting, event, conference room

Cool trophy cases inside the Newton room

View from the endzone seating

Stands on the sidelines are deep going upwards

A very nice scoreboard

Media seating on the side

Students arrive early for the first come first serve seating

Honor the Alabama greats around the concourse

View from midcourt, upper level

For some reason this "A" reminds me of the Braves

Very limited Student Bleacher space available on the floor

Passed the arena weight room on way to my floor seat

I like Southern Girls...

Chris Warren, he good...

Huge fan of the sideways shot clocks on basket support

Watching game from my awesome seat on floor

Ole Miss huddle during a timeout

I like Big Al's nose...cool mascot

Andy Kennedy (AK), one of the finest in the business

AK can still shoot the ball

The Human Slinky

I did an article on him when I saw him at a baseball game

CLICK HERE

Human Slinky

The Cincinnati Reds appeared in the playoffs for the first time since 1995 allowing October Baseball to extend to the Queen City. Although it was a quick exit thanks to a great Philadelphia Phillies team, I will never forget the Sunday evening I spent with my father at the Great American Ballpark.  We were probably the only two in the sold out park that weren’t waving their Rally Towels, but I couldn’t imagine a place I would rather be.

As I have talked about before, this season meant so much more to me as I had just completely working my third year in the Cincinnati Reds organization, working with most of the players and staff members at Spring Training during that span. I like the direction the club is going, and look forward to more playoff runs in the near future.

My second top sports love is College Basketball. Having spent eight years at the University of Cincinnati, I have seen my Bearcat Family members expand and grow, leading other teams across the nation towards the Big Dance in March.  The 2010 NCAA Tournament could not of gone much better as Bob Huggins lead the West Virginia Mountaineers to the Final Four in Indianapolis, and Frank Martin took the Kansas State Wildcats to the brink of Indy, falling to an extremely hot Butler Bulldog team.

I watched both those Elite 8 games with tears in my eyes knowing what those coaches, and their staffs go through on a day to day basis to advance just one more game.  I have been in the trenches with Kansas State staff members Andy Assaley and Dylan Lockwood at Cincinnati and know how much it means to survive and advance.

On a personal note, 2010 didn’t seem that different than the last few years for me. I worked Spring Training with the Reds, and had an underachieving season with the Dayton Dragons at Fifth Third Field.  But watching the Reds, Wildcats and Mountaineers succeed made 2010 a great year.

As usual, I am nervous, but yet excited to see what 2011 holds.  As your clock strikes midnight this evening, I wish each and every one of you a Happy New Year.  I hope you all will continue to follow my blog and thank you for reading my entries. I love the comments and emails that I do receive and please keep them coming.

Cincinnati Reds National League Central Champions 2010

Kevin Jones celebrates as the 'Eers are going to the Final Four

Denis Clemente leads the Wildcats as they fall short in the Elite 8 against Butler

Covering sports over the years, it is hard to stick to the facts and not second guess an athlete or coach for a decision that was made on the playing field.  Having said this, my mouth dropped when reading a quote by Mark Bradley in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) considering the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Basketball team and Head Men’s Coach Paul Hewitt.

I have attended a few games the last few seasons with the my cousin Scott and his family and have started to follow the team closely.  It is obvious to everyone that they have struggled the last few seasons, continuing to take steps backward.  That was never more apparent this season’s with early losses at Kennesaw State and at Siena.

I laughed at a recent headline where the AJC called Hewitt, “The Wizard of Techwood,” a jab-comparison to the great John Wooden who was known as “The Wizard of Westwood.”  But the line that had my mouth drop was the opening one in the article.

“If Paul Hewitt isn’t the worst basketball coach in the country, it’s only because ours is a mighty big country.”

A bold statement, yes, but the way things are going may not be too far off. Having a strong background in college basketball, and working alongside of the greatest to ever roam a sideline, I feel I am allowed to be a bit critical.  I sat in amazement watching the Georgia game on TV and the play calling down the stretch.  Down three points at home with under ten seconds on the clock, Hewitt runs a play to go for a two pointer and then a quick foul.  I challenge you to find a coach at ANY level who thinks that is a good idea.

Hewitt’s contract is large and long, and his buyout is even bigger.  Spend around $7 Million to cut ties and start fresh, or save the money and struggle more.  I feel for die hard Tech fans who must suffer what will be a long ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) season.  I can’t wait until Wake Forest rolls into town for what could be the battle for the basement in the league.

In today’s society, fans want results, especially in the month of March. If you aren’t dancing deep into the Madness, the natives will get restless.  This true stat speaks for itself, “In the spring of 2004 he won five NCAA tournament games in 15 days (going to the Championship Game); in his other nine seasons at Georgia Tech combined, he has won two.”

In a mere couple of hours, I will be sitting courtside with my cousin Amy and her daughter Brooke watching the Yellow Jackets take on Fordham.  I have no idea what to expect and would never put money on predicting the outcome.

I just keep re-reading Bradley’s quote about Hewitt wondering how far off it really is and what the future will hold for the coach and Georgia Tech Basketball.  A new renovated arena is right around the corner and a resurgence is desperately needed. The Rambling Wreck needs to get back on track any way possible.

UPDATE:  Just saw this story come in after I had already written the article and scheduled it to appear on my site…But I am sure I will make it another game soon.

“ATLANTA — Georgia Tech‘s game against Fordham has been canceled because of a severe winter storm.

The Rams were scheduled to play in Atlanta on Monday night, but they couldn’t fly out of New York because of a blizzard that is expected to dump more than a foot of snow in the Northeast.

More than 1,400 flights were canceled Sunday out of the New York City area’s three major airports, and more cancellations are expected Monday.

The game will not be made up. Georgia Tech says fans with single-game tickets can exchange them for a game against Mercer or Charlotte next weekend. Season-ticket holders will be credited $20 toward their accounts next season.”

Georgia Tech opened the season with a win against Charleston Southern

.

Notice the kid in green...

I have to admit life as a college basketball fan was easier when I was younger, as I only had one team to cheer for.  The University of Cincinnati Bearcats were the squad I lived for.  Never did I miss a home game at the Cincinnati Gardens, Riverfront Coliseum or later the Shoemaker Center.  And if the ‘Cats were on the road, I tuned into the radio or TV if they were on.  This made it even more special when I was lucky enough to sit the bench for eight seasons and work for one of the top programs in the nation.

Over my eight seasons at UC, I developed relationships with many staff members who have all moved on to programs of their own.  I have very happy to say that they are all very successful, but it has also broadened the teams I watch and cheer for, making my schedule of game watching that much more hectic.

At 8 PM eastern time the Mississippi Rebels take the floor at the “Tad Pad” to open the season against Arkansas State.  Head Coach Andy Kennedy is trying to get his team into the NCAA tournament for the first time since he joined the school as head coach.  He is coming off a NIT Final Four berth last season and looks to build upon that.  Kennedy and I spent numerous years together at Cincinnati and even shared an office before moving across campus into our new digs.  The major downside is that it is difficult to catch Rebels games on TV in the nonconference schedule, so I am forced to listen to the audio feed from the computer or follow the gametracker online.

Two games begin at 9:00 EST that I have heavy interest in.  The first is the West Virginia Mountaineers taking on the Oakland Grizzles in Morgantown at the Coliseum.  I know that place will be packed and loud as fans get their first glimpse of the ‘Eers, fresh off their Final Four Appearance last year.  The two lost a few of their top scorers,  but knowing Head Coach Bob Huggins like I do, his teams do not rebuild, they reload.  Huggs and I became great friends during my eight year stay with him at Cincinnati and have the upmost respect for him.  He always treated me like a son, and I will defend that man until the day I die.

The other 9:00 EST tipoff has quickly become one of my favorite teams in the country.  I have added quite a bit of purple to my wardrobe as I have become a diehard Kansas State Wildcat fan.  The Wildcats enter the season as the number three team in the country preseason, coming off an Elite 8 appearance last season.  The Wildcats take on James Madison in Bramlage Coliseum, otherwise known as the “Octagon of Doom.”  This game is the first round of the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic.  The game will be televised on ESPNU for your viewing pleasure.

After sitting out a year of coaching following his days at Cincinnati, Huggins went to Manhattan, Kansas to help rebuild their program.  After a great first season, Huggins was offered the chance to go home and left for Morgantown and the Mountaineers.  He left behind the new Head Coach Frank Martin, Director of Basketball Operations Andy Assaley, Video Coordinator Dylan Lockwood, and Strength and Conditioning coach Scott Greenawalt, all of whom I feel fortunate to call great friends.  I have made it a point to visit “The Little Apple,” each year and have loved every minute of it.  Manhattan, Kansas and Kansas State University are wonderful places.

I also feel fortunate that during my personal day of College Basketball Tip-Off, I will be able to attend a game in person.  My cousin Scott has an extra ticket to the Charleston Southern against Georgia Tech game that I will be using.  His tickets are fantastic, just a couple of rows off the floor behind Paul Hewitt and the Yellow Jacket bench.  I plan to bring you some pictures from this contest after it happens.

To whomever you cheer for in NCAA Division 1 Basketball, good luck and enjoy the ride towards March.  Although I miss the game of baseball terribly this time of year, watching some great college hoops will always ease my pain.

Here’s to hoping all my favorite teams end the season in the city of Houston at Reliant Stadium the first weekend of April.