Should Auld Aquaintance Be Forgot

Chef's Log: 1/1/09

With a big day in college hoops yesterday, we welcome in the new year with an important mantra. As in the famed chorus of a song we all heard very early this morning, "Should auld aquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind". Like a home-made beef chili gone wrong, one can't dwell on the past and thus must get back to the cutting board, back to the saucepan, and back to the stove. While previous experience plays a role in college hoops, it is "the now" that we should focus on. Just because teams like Kentucky & Indiana have decades of proven worth, does not mean that they are necessarily worthy this year. Likewise, simply because teams like Baylor & ASU are newer to the world of bball fan-dom, does not mean that they can not simmer to smooth perfection like a rustic bolognese sauce.

Minnesota entered conference play yesterday with their best start in over 60 years. Fans got amped. Yesterday, they were muted. Only this time, these were not the sylistic sounds of Miles Davis' muted trumpet off "Kind of Blue". The Golden Gophers chugged down a serious bottle of yesterday's holiday 'bubbly' we'll call... reality. Yesterday marked the gradual descent of Minnesota, a team that will be fortunate to grab a below average seed this March, with their home loss to seasoned winner Michigan St. In the same crockpot we'll call the Big Ten, Wisconsin rolled into #24 ranked Michigan and reminded the Wolverines that "Bo knows bball", Bo Ryan that is. Coach Ryan proved defense can still win games. Come Monday's updated polls, look for Michigan to say good by to a top 25 ranking for the remainder of the season. They'll be pushing simply for a tourny bid come Selection Sunday in March.

Out of the Big Ten and into scalding hot fryer we'll call the Big East, which took a bit of a hit yesterday, we'll talk about a few big names that fell or came dangerously close. Louisville is one of those teams that if solely looked on past performance, is a near lock to win most games. But they ran into a vocal UNLV team as hungry to state their case as a carnivore walking into Peter Luger's Steakhouse. Rick Pitino's team squandered their 3rd loss of the season to an underrated UNLV team, in Louisville. When all is said and done, look for UNLV to grab a middle seed between #7-#10. In continuing with a strange day in Big East conference play, #3 ranked Pitt was pushed to the brink by... Rutgers? A team as overlooked as a raw egg in a an authentic Caesar dressing, the Scarlet Knights kept Pitt fans on the edge of their seats until the final minutes where the Panthers held on and avoided joining a slew of upsets. Pitt is sure to jump to #2 overall with UCONN's loss to Georgetown this past Monday.

The Zags of Gonzaga fell for a third straight time, this time to ESPN's bball analyst Joe Lunardi's favorite, Utah. Are the Utes for real? It's been some time. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Don't get your hopes up. Gonzaga in, Utah out, come March that'll be the story. Should auld aquaintance be forgot? In the words of one Garth Algar, "Live in the Now".

Yesterday proved just that, and if there's one thing to keep in mind, everyday is a new day. Anything can happen from this point on. Anything will happen from this point on. Tie on your aprons. Sharpen your knives. It's going to be a smokin' '09 in the March Madness Kitchen.

Naked Chef
Happy New Year