Masters, Mad Men, and Passive Entertainment

What these men do might have more in common than you'd think.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

The 78th Masters Golf Tournament ended on the same night that the 7th and final season of Mad Men premiered. Is this a coincidence? Yes, it is, actually. The Masters always ends on a Sunday (just like every other major golf tournament), and Mad Men has aired on Sunday nights ever since its second season in 2008.

The Finale of Breaking Bad, AMC’s other tent-pole program over the last half-decade, ended on a Sunday night last September, preceded by several hours of football. This is also merely a coincidence. Football is played on Sundays, and Breaking Bad aired on Sunday nights throughout its entire broadcast run.

But these coincidences provoke thought. No, there’s no subliminal message behind Mad Men airing on the same night as a golf tournament and Breaking bad airing on the same night as football, but there are connections to be drawn. Breaking Bad airing after 10 hours of fast-paced blood sports, with Mad Men airing after slow-paced peaceful recreation is too interesting to ignore.

Tragedy at the Boston Marathon

From the SuiteSports Team

The SuiteSports team would like to extend its thoughts and deepest condolences to all those affected by yesterday's terrible tragedy at the Boston Marathon.

Seeing as this site is run by two guys that live in Boston, love sports and have been known to enjoy themselves on Marathon Monday, yesterday obviously hit home. The senseless attack of innocent people that were watching their loved ones complete a life goal, taking in one of the greatest sporting events in the world, or simply enjoying a holiday is unthinkable, and puts a black eye on one of the best days of the year in Boston.

We obviously do not have all the facts yet, but to those that tragically died, those that were injured, those that are still fighting for their lives, those that suffered emotional trauma, those robbed of achieving a life goal and those that finished or were unharmed, but will always remember this as a day of horror, we are thinking about you.

And, to the heroes that emerged yesterday-- All those that ran in to help immediately following the blasts, firefighters, police officers, first responders and the entire staffs of the fantastic hospitals the city of Boston has to offer-- thank you. As has been said everywhere in the wake of this unthinkable act of violence, you represented the best of humanity, and offered hope that we're not too far gone as a species.

There is still good in people.

The Marathon has endured two World Wars, a Great Depression, numerous socioeconomic changes and seven Police Academy movies, so we have no doubt the people of Boston and everyone that comes to the city for the greatest event in running will be back next year.

But it will never be the same.

Central Mass Represented Well on ESPN's All State Lacrosse Team

Algonquin senior Davis Kraft does it all for the T-Hawks

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

This is the first entry into our new "SuitePreps" section that will feature coverage of high school sports and recruiting throughout Massachusetts. Today, editor Joe Parello takes a look at Central Massachusetts and the growing high school lacrosse community in the heart of the Commonwealth.
While the depth of talent is not quite on par with the Boston area yet, the game is growing rapidly, and the quality of play is quickly rising.

The Best Video Game Athletes Ever

No dude, you can't use Ken Griffey Jr. in Ken Griffey Jr's game!

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

With the NCAA men's basketball Final Four in the books, ESPN is set to unveil the Final Four of its annual Madden NFL Cover Vote tomorrow. It's the 25th Anniversary of EA Sports' fantastic football franchise, so this year's cover voting features not only the brightest stars of today, but 32 "old-school" players fans can vote for as well (One from each team).

As of now, Joe Montana faces Barry Sanders in one Elite 8 matchup, while Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders go head-to-head in the other. If you're wondering, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is taking on Arian Foster in a "new school" semifinal, and Robert Griffin III is battling Adrian Peterson in the other.

Obviously, all deserving players, and each of them (Except for Wilson, who wasn't even a starter in last year's game) have been a dominant force in Madden. But who are the greatest video game athletes of all time? Not just in Madden, and not just in football games, but in the history of virtual sports? Well, I am here to tell you my favorites. And no, there is no Bo Jackson or any other Tecmo Bowl players. That game came out when I was 10 months old.

So heck, let's start with the best-selling sports game franchise of all time, branded by a man that also did ads for (BOOM!) tough actin' Tinactin

Football

Michael Vick: Madden 2004

SuiteSports on the Radio: NCAA Championship Preview

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Joe Parello and Jeremy Conlin of SuiteSports welcome in Roundball Daily's Kels Dayton to break down the upcoming national championship game between Louisville and Michigan, as well as the scandal at Rutgers and John Calipari's insane recruiting at Kentucky. All this, and more, in this championship edition of "Taking You to School," the only college basketball show on the RF Sports Radio network.

A Case for CM Punk to End Undertaker's Streak

By Andrew Simak

In writing this article, I must preface any and all of my opinions by stating the fact that I have nothing but the highest respect for The Undertaker. The man is a first ballot Hall of Famer, and in my opinion, (just waiting for the dirty replies on this) the true “Mr. Wrestlemania."

Wrestlemania for Dummies

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

Wrestlemania, the greatest spectacle in sports entertainment, is this Sunday. For those that don't know, Wrestlemania is the flagship pay-per-view event of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), formerly the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).

This year's event, the 29th installment set to be held inside MetLife Stadium, new home of the NFL's New York Giants and Jets, seems to be the realization of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon's dream from the original Wrestlemania way back in 1985.

Meaning that Wrestlemania is now far more than a wrestling show. It is a week long festival full of celebrities and special events in a host city that has fought for the right to host McMahon's grand variety show. Make no mistake about it, this is the Super Bowl of wrestling, with all the pageantry and possibility for great moments. Careers have been defined at WWE's annual "Showcase of the Immortals."

Before we get to this year's card, let's take a look back at some of the superlatives from 'Manias past.

March Man Crushes: The Final Battle

By Jeremy Conlin and Joe Parello

We've finally made it to the finals of our March Man Crushes Tournament, and the Grand Man Crush will be crowned today. Our final showdown features Mad Men star Jon Hamm and wrestling/action movie sensation Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

To see how we got to this point, head to our home page and click through each of the brackets to see which Man Crushes made deep tournament runs, and which were shot down in the early rounds.

Now, without further ado, editors Jeremy Conlin and Joe Parello debate the ultimate man crush battle.

1. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson vs 8. Jon Hamm

SuiteSports on the Radio: Final Four Preview

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SuiteSports' Joe Parello and Jeremy Conlin join Kels Dayton of Roundball Daily to discuss the NCAA Tournament to this point, and preview the Final Four. Plus, who's NBA Draft stock is on the rise, and which big names could be falling to the bottom of the lottery. All this, and more, on this Final Four Special Edition of "Taking You to School," the only college basketball show on the RF Sports Radio network.

March Man Crushes: The Final Four

By Jeremy Conlin and Joe Parello

As April approaches, we've reached the best of the best in our March Man Crushes Tournament: The Final Four. With brackets converging, editors Jeremy Conlin and Joe Parello are finally forced to argue it out to determine who makes the finals and ultimately takes home the most prestigious title in all of SuiteSports, Grand Man Crush.

You can check out out the rest of the stories on our home page and click your way through the tournament. Now, without further ado, here are the semifinals.

1. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson vs 2. George Clooney

March Madness in Vegas: It's Even Better Than You Think

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

So, it's been a while since I last posted and you will have to forgive me if this piece makes little or no sense. I am still insanely jet lagged and a little hungover from what was an eventful and triumphant Bachelor Party weekend in Las Vegas.

Every guy thinks that doing the first weekend of NCAA Tournament in Vegas will be a little piece of sports heaven, but I'm here to tell you that it's better than that.

Wait, wait, let me qualify that statement. Doing the first weekend of March Madness in Vegas is absolute sports nirvana, IF you have a bunch of friends that are willing to spend a good amount of money (betting on games and other endeavors), not sleep, and stay intoxicated for four consecutive days.

Now, if you have all those pieces in place, here is why taking in the most exciting weekend in sports in Sin City is the best sporting decision you can possibly make.

1. Where to Watch the Games?

Your NCAA Tournament Primer

By Joe Parello

Ok, so the tournament technically starts tonight with a pair of play-in games, but the round of 64 is still a weekend affair. Since I will be in Las Vegas for my bachelor party this weekend, I thought I would share with you some picks and sleepers that are sure to all be false and cause you to lose your bracket group to you buddy's kid sister, and lose me a ton of money.

But that's the beauty of the tournament, right? Nobody knows anything. That being said, here are some teams that I like, and some observations I have made about this year's bracket.

Joe Parello Talks Brackets w/ The Real SportsJAM Crew

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SuiteSports' Joe Parello joins the crew of the Real SportsJAM to talk all things March Madness. Listen in for sleepers, a surprise Final Four pick, and the team that will cut down the nets in Atlanta.

SuiteSports' Selection Sunday Special

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SuiteSports brings you the most comprehensive Selection Sunday pre-show on all of the interwebs. Listen in as our own Jeremy Conlin and Joe Parello team with Roundball Daily's Kels Dayton for a journey across the country telling you who's in, who's out, and what to watch for during the NCAA Tournament.
All this and more on the "Taking You to School" Selection Sunday Special, presented by RF Sports Radio.

The Suite 16: Part II

By Jeremy Conlin

Joe kicked us off with the first half of the Suite 16 yesterday in our continuing coverage of March Man Crush Madness. I'm here with the second half, covering the next round from The Leo Bracket and The JT Bracket. Here we go:

The JT Bracket - Round 3

The Suite 16: Part 1

By Joe Parello

Now we get down to the nitty gritty.

With preliminary rounds in The Rock, Timberlake, Brady and Leo Brackets done, we have arrived at the Suite 16. Today I will take a look at four different matchups- Two from The Rock Bracket and Two from The Brady Bracket- and determine which guys move on to the even more prestigious, but less awesomely named, Elite 8.

The Rock Bracket Round 3

The Leo Bracket

By Jeremy Conlin

Alright, here we are - the last bracket to be whittled down to its own Final Four. When we're done here, we'll be left with The Suite Sixteen. At that point, it won't be long before Joe and I drop the gloves and argue about who The Bro-sen One is. The Bro-est of the Bros. The Brolander. Let's not waste time.

Round 1

1. Leo DiCaprio vs. 16. A.J. McCarron

SuiteSports on the Radio: Taking You to School Vol.3

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Kels Dayton of Roundball Daily joins SuiteSports' Joe Parello for an hour-long edition of Taking You to School, the only college basketball show on The RF Sports Radio Network. Listen in for tournament sleepers, bubbles bursting, title contenders and all the other Madness of March.

March Man Crushes: The Brady Bracket

By Joe Parello

With The Rock Bracket and Timberlake Bracket in the books so far, the Suite 16 is coming up quick. We continue today with the The Brady Bracket, named for New England's three-time Super Bowl winning quarterback.

But this bracket isn't all about Tommy boy, his teammate Rob Gronkowski figures to be a tough out, as does hip hop mogul Jay-Z and movie studs Will Smith, Matt Damon and Ryan Gosling.

So, without further ado, let's make our way through the first two rounds of The Brady Bracket.

Round One

1. Tom Brady vs 16. Shia LeBouf

March Man Crushes: The Timberlake Bracket

By Jeremy Conlin

Joe got March Man Crushes started off yesterday with The Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Bracket, headlined by the #1 seed from the "miscellaneous" category. Today, we're tackling The Justin Timberlake Bracket, headlined by the #1 seed from the "musician" category. This is rather strange, considering for the last three years, both Johnson and Timberlake are substantially more recognized for their work as actors than for anything else. But we make the rules around here, and JT is still a musician (although if it weren't for his newly released single and forthcoming album, putting him in the music category would have been much more difficult to justify). Here's the breakdown:

Round One

1. Justin Timberlake vs. 16. Nate Silver