Before the season, the initials weren’t very recognizable.

By now, the initials are definitely known: FGCU. Write them down. Remember them.

The fans at the Wells Fargo Center got to know Florida Gulf Coast University quite well following wins over No. 2 Georgetown and No. 7 San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament.

These No. 15-seeded Eagles are on their way to Arlington, Texas, to face the third-seeded Florida Gators. For the first time in NCAA Tournament history, a No. 15 seed is headed for the Sweet 16.

“We’re FGCU,” coach Andy Enfield said. “Hopefully by now, they’re learning these initials.”

They sure are.

FGCU’s players are having fun, high-fiving, celebrating with bird dances on the bench. And they’re winning on the biggest stage.

“I grew up about 20 minutes from FGCU,” said senior forward Eddie Murray. “I chose FGCU and stayed along for the ride when coach Enfield came along. Did I think we’d be in this position? That’s hard to fathom. I could see us getting better and we still are. I think we have a team where everyone gets along.

“The coaches have a lot of trust and confidence in us and it’s been paying off. We want it to continue as long as we can. We got here through hard work and even though we’re having fun and joking around, believe me, the work is being put in.”

When you’re winning, you can do all the bird dances you want.

“I know I can say for all the players, this was the biggest game for us (because) none of us have played on this stage,” point guard Brett Comer said after dishing out 14 assists. “We are blessed to be here.”

They belong on this stage after busting up brackets throughout the country. Florida could be next.

“We’re not thinking about the next game yet because we’re still enjoying this one,” said forward Chase Fieler. “We’ll take the night and enjoy this and get ready for the next one. This is awesome. We’re going to enjoy every minute of this. We have to because so much has gone into it with our program. We’ve have come so far so fast. We want to keep going and I think that’s natural. But it’s also important to enjoy the moment.”

It’s also important to remember these initials. Who knows how far this group of players can go? This is uncharted territory for sure.

“It’s pretty surreal, but at the same time, we’ve earned it,” Murray said. “No one has given us anything along the way.”

The post Florida Gulf Coast shocks world again appeared first on Metro.us.

The Madness begins (for real, none of this First Four filth) on Thursday at noon when Greg Gumbel bumps the local news and then proceeds to infuriate all 29 fans of “The Young and the Restless.” It’s a few of the best few minutes of the year for any sports fan. Cliched for sure, but you truly get that “Christmas morning feel” around 11:59 a.m. on the first Thursday of the tourney.

One of the biggest storylines we’ll be following as soon as the Big Dance tips is, “Which female fan will steal the show, Katherine Webb-style?” during this year’s tourney. I just filled out my bracket and wittled my way down to a Final Four: Kate Upton out of the Anna Nicole Region, Katherine Webb herself out of the Kathy Ireland Region, Amanda Marcum out of the Brooklyn Decker Region and Juli Boeheim out of the Nina Hartley Region.

Kate Upton has always been associated with the sports world, because it seems that sports fans are the only people out there who truly appreciate her. Critics call her fat. We defend her. Critics say she’s dumb. We defend her. Critics wanted her to stop dating Justin Verlander. We put an end to that.

She seems to be gearing up for a big run this March, considering what has gone down the past few days. A teenage boy, who claims to be a huge nerd (that’s in these days, remember), asked Upton via a Youtube video if she would go to prom with him. Upton curiously responded via Twitter, tweeting to young Jake Davidson, “you can call me Katie if you want! How could I turn down that video! I’ll check my schedule.”

That’s right, if there’s one thing Upton knows how to do, it’s finding a way to stay relevant.

Katherine Webb’s fame is waning but if she can get on CBS cameras in the next few weeks and cause Jim Nantz to break code and not act like an alien, she could win our hearts all over again. Just confirming — we all know that’s still her role in American pop culture, right? … appearing at the biggest events in college sports and making old play-by-play men tingly?

In the relevancy category: Webb is starring on that diving TV show that I purposely forgot to watch.

Amanda Marcum is a sleeper, but she is about to endure one hell of a media ride. Marcum, a former Maxim cover girl and Victoria’s Secret model, is actually married to Florida Gulf Coast head coach Andy Enfield. Jake Davidson, take note: It is possible to land a major league woman even if you’ll always be a Birmingham Baron.

“I thought he looked like a great driver that would give me a free ride,” Amanda said jokingly. “And we had lots of things in common — especially sports — and we talked and talked about that. I thought he was really funny and very confident. And I’m a sucker for sports guys, obviously.”

Obviously.

Finally we get to Juli Boeheim. Yup, she’s like a team with three or four fifth-year seniors making it to the grand stage, but she’s a proven winner this time of year. On an annual basis, we all see her in the stands on TV and gaze in amazement at just how in the world Jim could have scored that. I’m sure it had nothing to do with him being a millionaire hoops coach.

She was a big deal when I was in college, but her fame has sadly plummeted (@JuliBoeheim has a whopping 328 Twitter followers) in recent years.

Here’s saying Juli’s got one more magical month left in her.

Matt Burke is sports editor and a columnist at Metro Boston. Follow him on Twitter @BurkeMetroBOS

The post Playing the Field: The sports chick Final Four appeared first on Metro.us.

Even though St. Johns won’t be a part of this year’s March Madness tourney (they lost to Villanova in the second round of the Big East tournament on March 13), the team has impressed New Yorkers over the years with its winning ways. We had Dixon show us some of the moves he has his players do, all of which can be done on a basketball court or at the gym.

Depth Jump
Why: In order to prepare your knees and lower body to handle the repeated jumps and increase knee stability
How: Start in an elevated position 3 to 6 inches off the ground with your feet hip width apart. “Bunny hop” off the edge and as you drop, transition your feet to just outside your shoulders and absorb the impact with your quads. Allow your knees to bend so you end up in a squat position. The trick is to keep your chest upright and allow your legs and hips to do all the work.
Tricks: Think of your body as a shock absorber so that rather than fighting the landing, you welcome it. Keep your feet flat and work on your balance as well.

Push-Up
Why: It’s a great upper-body strengthening exercise that doesn’t require any equipment and can be done anywhere.
How: Laying flat on your stomach with hands placed just outside your shoulders, push against the floor to lift your body. The real trick here is to suck your belly button in so that your core stays engaged and your entire body moves like stiff board. Your elbows should bend and follow a 45-degree arc between your side and arm. If you find your arms staying close to your body, your tricep is doing more work. If you elevate your elbows more toward your shoulder, it works your deltoids more.
Tricks: If the push-up is too difficult, try placing your hands on an elevated box or bench to place more weight on your feet. For more of a challenge try an unstable surface, like a foam roller, or adding a rotation to the movement.

Single Leg Split Squat:  
Why: This exercise strengthens the quad and hip as well as adds a balance and stability component for the ankle.
How: Standing upright, take one leg and place it in an elevated position behind you. Then bend your front leg until your femur is parallel to the ground. Make sure that your front knee always stays over your shoelaces. As you move you may have to squeeze your hip to keep everything in line.
Tricks: If your knee goes in front of your toes, you either need to lengthen your stance or sit back more and keep your chest upright.

Single-Leg Dead Lift:
Why: This exercise strengthens the hamstrings and glutes as well as adds a balance and stability component.
How: Standing in place, lean forward and reach an arm down to your opposite toe while hinging from the hip and simultaneously raising the opposite leg. As you move, there should be a straight line between your shoulder and the heel that is moving.
Tricks: Squeeze your butt cheeks together. All of the movement should come from your hips. Also, make sure that your hips stay straight and level. Think of them as a door hinge.

Post-workout fueling
We asked celeb nutritionist and fitness trainer Diana Le Dean to help us navigate our food choices after a tough session.

What types of food and drink are ideal to consume post-workout and why?
After a workout, a small meal of protein and carbohydrates is ideal for restoring glycogen levels and building muscle: Try a piece of fruit and a whey-protein shake. It’s also a good idea to stick with water, since most of us don’t get enough during the day.

How long after a workout should you start eating?
Don’t wait longer than an hour to eat once you workout. Your body needs to star digesting food as quickly as possible for maximum effect to take place.

What should you do if you’re not hungry right after a workout?
Wait fifteen minutes. You’ll probably start to feel a little appetite. Try at least to get some whey-protein and water down. Your body needs them no matter what your brain is telling you.

Our pick: TruMoo Chocolate Milk
Research has shown that chocolate milk is a great post-workout drink because it replenishes your muscles with carbs and protein. TruMoo’s reformulated drink now has 35 percent less total sugar than the leading competitor and 40 percent less added sugar than its previous recipe.

The post Follow the St. John’s Red Storm workout appeared first on Metro.us.

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament field of 68 was announced Sunday and, for once, much of the snub controversy seemed subdued.

The four No. 1 seeds are Louisville (29-5), Kansas (29-5), Gonzaga (31-2) and Indiana (27-6). The Cardinals are the top overall seed and landed in the Midwest region (Indianapolis), meaning they get to play the first few rounds in their own backyard. No. 4 Saint Louis (27-6, champions of Atlantic-10), and No. 3 Michigan State (25-8), appear to pose the biggest challenge to Louisville making a return trip to the Final Four.

The top opening game during the tourney’s first two days could very well be No. 8 Colorado State vs. No. 9 Missouri, two teams that dominate on the glass. Higher seeds on upset alert should be No. 5 Oklahoma State, which faces No. 12 Oregon (who won the Pac-12 tournament) and No. 7 Creighton, which opposes No. 10 Cincinnati. Creighton junior forward Doug McDermott (23.1 ppg, 7.5 rebs) might be the best player in the country and could have landed the Wooden Award if his team didn’t have a tailspin late in the regular season.

Gonzaga has a nice path to the Sweet 16 in the West region (Los Angeles), starting in Salt Lake City, although a matchup with No. 5 Wisconsin looms and the Badgers are always a tough out. No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 New Mexico also appear on a collision course.

Once again, an 8-9 game provides a great matchup with Pittsburgh taking on Wichita State – two under-the-radar but very solid teams. No. 10 Iowa State has a great chance to beat No. 7 Notre Dame and maybe this is the year that No. 11 Belmont finally gets a win (they’ll meet No. 6 Arizona).

The Jayhawks were rewarded with arguably the toughest region (South), in terms of the other high seeds. Kansas begins in Kansas City and No. 2 Georgetown, No. 3 Florida, No. 4 Michigan and even No. 5 VCU all have the capability to reach the Final Four.
Michigan vs. South Dakota State should be highly entertaining as Big Blue sophomore guard Trey Burke (19.2 ppg, 6.7 asts), the likely Wooden Award winner, takes on senior guard Nate Wolters (22.7 ppg, 5.8 asts, 5.6 rebs).

The Hoosiers looked like the top team for much of the season but they kept losing whenever they were ranked No. 1. They are in the East region (Washington D.C.) and will start things off in Dayton. Other than No. 2 Miami, which had a legitimate case for a No. 1 seed, the rest of the East looks pretty weak. It is definitely Indiana’s to lose but there could be plenty of juicy upsets. No. 11 Bucknell meets No. 6 Butler, No. 14 Davidson could scare No. 3 Marquette and No. 10 Colorado is basically a pick ’em against No. 7 Illinois.

The post Metro’s NCAA tourney bracket breakdown appeared first on Metro.us.

For the next several weeks, we’ll be inundated with news about college basketball. We might as well embrace it and enjoy some beer specials.

Whether supporting your alma matter or just partaking for the love of the game, check out these deals around the city.

1. The Sea Fire Grill
The Sea Fire Grill isn’t your average sports bar. This spot boasts a more high-end clientele. Think businessmen looking to enjoy some college basketball. During the games, all draft beers will be half off. Draft beers include Blue Point, Magic Hat IPA on Tour, Eurotrash, Pacifico, Duvel Belgian Golden Ale and more.
The Sea Fire Grill
158 E. 48th St.
212-935-3785
www.theseafiregrill.com

2. Ainsworth Park
With more than 65 televisions to watch the games, March Madness is taking over the Ainsworth Park as well as its sister locations in Chelsea and 121 Fulton Street in the Financial District. The Ainsworth is your one-stop-shop for food, drink and basketball madness.
111 E.18th St.
2212-673-2467
www.ainsworthparknyc.com

3. Virgil’s Real Barbecue

Things are heating up at Virgil’s barbecue throughout March Madness. In addition to great barbecue, Virgil’s will be offering up a special Magic Hat Happy Hour and tasting events. Game day specials include $15 pitchers of Widmer, Hefewiezen and Bud Light.

Virgil’s Real Barbecue
152 W 44th St
212-921-9494
www.virgilsbbq.com

4. Amigos
Looking for some Mexican food while catching the game? Amigos has an offer you can’t refuse. During the games, the restaurant will offer ½ dozen jumbo chipotle wings and a Negra Modelo beer or a frozen margarita for $12.
Amigos
2888 Broadway
212-864-1143
www.amigosnyc.com

5. Brother Jimmy’s BBQ
You can’t go wrong at Brother Jimmy’s. With more than 30 televisions at each location, it’s the perfect place to catch some basketball. All locations will be broadcasting games on their televisions during the entire tournament. Certain locations root for specific teams. The Union Square location is home to Michigan, Duke and Villanova fans; Lexington Avenue supports UNC and Miami and if you’re rooting for Syracuse, head over to the 8th Avenue location.
Brother Jimmy’s BBQ
Multiple locations
www.brotherjimmys.com

6. Hudson Common
One of the city’s newest burger joints is teaming up with ESPN analyst Jay Williams for a March Madness kick-off party. Have a beer with the former Blue Devils player while watching the games. Hudson Common will also feature regional burgers such as “The Midwest Region” (pickle relish, sports pepper, tomato, celery salt) and “The West Coast” (daikon, napa, bean sprouts, preserved lemon mayonnaise) in honor of the tournament.

Hudson Common
356 West 58th St.
(212) 554-6000
hudsoncommonnyc.com

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant

The post Slam-dunk deals in NYC during March Madness appeared first on Metro.us.

“Mad Men” isn’t my favorite show on TV, but it’s right up there. (I love you “Breaking Bad,” please don’t leave me.) And who doesn’t love the NCAA basketball tournament? The first four days — this upcoming Thursday through Sunday, if you hadn’t heard — are the best days of sport in the entire calendar year. It’s a veritable all-you-can-eat buffet of basketball.

The latest viral video to hit the interwebs is the video you see above, which blends “Mad Men” and March Madness in an absolutely terrific “supercut.”

OK, go ahead and watch now. (Yeah, you probably already did.)

I don’t know what Official Comedy is, but I salute you guys and gals for the effort it took to come up with all of these video clips. The best part is working all of the school names in. And granted the characters were just talking about the city/state, but working in this year’s mid-major darlings St. Louis and Mexico was a stroke of genius. Official Comedy has some real sports fans over there.

Also, should Virginia take their inclusion as a good sign? The Cavaliers are 21-11 and firmly on the bubble. They do have quality wins versus Duke and N.C. State and at Maryland and Wisconsin.

I’m going to go with the “March Mad Men” video over bracketologist Joe Lunardi any day of the week.

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports. You know Megan Draper will totally win the Sterling Cooper Draper pool just because she likes some stupid mascot.

The post Playing the Field: ‘Mad Men’ tackles March Madness appeared first on Metro.us.