The 10 Best Names in Mountain West Men's Basketball

When Colorado State eked out an 83-82 win over UNLV on February 7th, I thought my ears were being deceived every time a certain UNLV player scored. After hearing the name called multiple times, I realized it was true: UNLV had a player with the first name of "Goodluck." Immediately, the idea for a new list was conceived. I now give you The 10 Best Names in Mountain West Men's Basketball.

1. Goodluck Okonoboh, UNLV

I mean, come on... he is the reason this list exists. And his name is Goodluck. That name is good enough luck to land No. 1 on this list. 

Parker U'u

2. Parker U'u, San Diego State

This guy's last name has two letters. Each of those letters is the same. In fact, each of those letters is u. And there's an apostrophe in the middle. Someone tell me how you're supposed to pronounce this.

3. Stelios Papafloratos, Nevada

Averaging a solid 0.0 points per game to go with an output of 0.3 rebounds per game, you won't find this guy on the 10 Best Players in Mountain West Men's Basketball list. He's from Athens, Greece, but he's right at home at No. 3 on this list.

DeLovell Earls

4. Igor Hadziomerovic, Boise State

Once again, I'll need the pronunciation guide.

5. DeLovell Earls, Air Force

I feel like he was a 70's funk artist in a past life.

6. Princeton Onwas, San Jose State

If you made a list of the 10 best teams in Mountain West Men's Basketball, San Jose State wouldn't find the list. Heck, they haven't even found three wins this year. But they do have a guy named Princeton, so that counts for something, right?

Viko Noma'aea

7. Viko Noma'aea, Utah State

He's from Las Vegas, has a very Hawaiian name, and plays at Utah State. This guy IS the Mountain West.

8. Emmanuel Owootoah, Fresno State

His first name is Emmanuel. His last name is Owootoah. 'Nuff said.

9. Kibret Woldemichael, San Diego State

Besides having a last name as cool as Woldemichael, this dude stands at 5'7" and has a roster spot on the Mountain West's current first-place team. You can do anything if your put your mind to it and you have a cool last name.

10. Lake Lutes, Air Force

I might be a little biased, but I'm honored that somebody would name their kid after my last name (just assuming that's what happened). 

The 10 Best 'Not as Common' Board Games and/or Card Games by Logan Watson

As I spent my Valentine’s Day playing board games with a bunch of dudes, basically cold brochillin’ on a nice winter’s night, a great list idea dawned on me for The Ten Things Blog: The Ten Best ‘Not As Common’ Board Games and/or Card Games:

1. Settlers of Catan

Settlers of Catan

Who doesn’t like pretending they’re Meriwether Lewis or William Clark or heck, even Sacagawea on a Friday night, exploring the mysterious, beautiful, unsettled land of Catan.

2. Ticket to Ride

Let’s face it, us board gamers were born in the wrong generation! Ticket to Ride helps us live out the glory days of passenger railroads dominating the United States transportation system, instead of this Federal Highway stuff.

3. Bang!

I seriously cannot stress enough the joy of pretending to be in a different era and location! “Bang!” takes you back to the Wild, Wild, West…or is it Italy? Who cares?! This game is a hit.

Pegs and Jokers

4. Pegs & Jokers

The fact that this game flies under the radar, (it’s not even mass produced) helps build up the true fun Pegs & Jokers brings. Finding its roots in the old game, Aggravation, you will want to play Pegs & Jokers again & again.

5. Carcassonne

Farms. Towns. Roads. The goal of the game is getting your meeples to maximize your points on these three things. Don’t understand? You’ll have to check it out for yourself!

6. Munchkin

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I really want to play Dungeons & Dragons” but you know, you don’t actually want to play Dungeons & Dragons? This is the game for you.

7. Dominoes

Whether it’s Mexican Train, Matador, Chicken Foot, Draw, or just the old-fashioned way of playing, Dominoes will always be a staple for a fun, rainy day.

8. Hand & Foot

There are many different ways to play this game, and I’ll admit, the way my folks and I play it is way more fun than any other variation I’ve seen, but again, the rainy days fly by when you play hand and foot. Disclaimer: you don’t even have to have all your hands and feet to play!

9. Monopoly Deal

A fun, new spin off a tried-and-true game.

10. Forbidden Island

Are you tired of everyone leaving your game nights mad at each other? Look no further! Everyone competes on a team in Forbidden Island against the board. Everyone leaves mad at the game, not each other!

The Top 10 Most Important People at Colorado State University

Today, I was thinking about the role of athletics in the university setting. Just how important are they? With the recent rise of Colorado State athletics, I got to thinking about this dynamic at my own university. Who's REALLY influential across the scape of Colorado State University? How much power do athletics officials and coaches have compared with university administration? Here's my take on the top 10 most important people at Colorado State.

1. President Tony Frank

Absolutely no dispute here. Everyone knows Tony's in charge - including former CSU Athletic Director Jack Graham, whom he fired unexpectedly during the summer of 2014. Fear the beard, because the beard's in charge. 

p.s. If you're not convinced he's the most important person at CSU, take a tour of his office. You'll know.

2. Head football coach Mike Bobo

When longtime Georgia assistant Bobo was recently hired to replace now-Florida head coach Jim McElwain, he took the reins of a revolutionized football program and became the new face of CSU Athletics while doing it. 

3. Interim Athletics Director John Morris

John Morris is doing an incredible job in his role as Interim AD at Colorado State (Need proof? CSU Athletics has the most combined wins between football, men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's volleyball of any Division I athletics program to this point in the 2014-2015 academic year). He also hired the man who's sitting at No. 2 on this list, so that counts for something.

4. Provost Rick Miranda

See note about Tony Frank's office. Rick's office is a little smaller, but still screams "I'm a big deal" (although like Tony, he doesn't act like he's a big deal). 

5. Vice President for Student Affairs Blanche Hughes

Blanche Hughes is an integral part of the CSU student culture. In the newly renovated Lory Student Center, quotes by her are engraved on the walls. If you pass your own quotes on your way to work, you've probably done a pretty good job. 

6. Head men's basketball coach Larry Eustachy

Coming to Colorado State as a unique example of redemption, Larry won't accept mediocrity for Colorado State basketball. He may be quite the character, but he gets the job done and has built a winning program in a very short amount of time (see Rams' 21-4 record). 

7. Chief Financial Officer Lynn Johnson

If you're the one that handles the money, you're important anywhere... especially when there's a lot of it involved.

8. CSU football wide receiver Rashard Higgins

He's the most important player on the most important team at CSU. A large portion of the national exposure Colorado State receives is due to the high top fade that makes plays for days.

9. Head volleyball coach Tom Hilbert 

Hilbert has been the one constant through an extended period of change for CSU Athletics, and will start his 19th season as the Rams' head coach in the fall of 2015. Guess how many seasons the Rams have made the NCAA tournament since he's been head coach? All of them. Yep, all of them.

10. Cam the Ram

Don't mess with the horns. 

*Editor's note: You may think I'm biased toward sports. You're right. But that's how universities work.

The Top 10 "Must-Hear" Beach Boys Songs by Logan Watson

You might notice pretty quick, this list-maker today is not Nate Lake. In fact, I am his foil, his exact opposite: Zach Ponds. Nate has graciously invited me to comment on the Ten "Must Hear" Beach Boys Songs.

What a hard list to make! With around 400 songs to choose from, how do you narrow it down to only ten? You listen to the Beach Boys for hours, and then you very, very, very subjectively pick your personal favorites. Without further delay...

1. "You're So Good To Me" off the album Summer Days and Summer Nights!!
At the very peak of the Beach Boys' popularity, they released this heart-warming love song.

2. "Do You Like Worms?" Don't let the goofy name of this track from The SMiLE Sessions fool you. The extraordinary use of ordinary band instruments paints a beautiful picture of Americana, late 60's music.

3. "Wouldn't It Be Nice" from Rolling Stone Magazine's Number 2 Album of all time, Pet Sounds. A hauntingly beautiful tale of high school romance.

4. "California Girls" from Summer Days and Summer Nights!! With its catchy, easy to remember lyrics, this song was a gimmie. 

5. "Help Me, Rhonda" (Summer Days and Nights!! version). After a little re-working of Mike Love's vocals from the track originally off the Beach Boys Today! album, this song gave the Beach Boys their second number one hit of all-time.



6. "Surfin'" from the album Surfin' Safari. When Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson's parents left for a trip to Mexico, they invited their cousin Mike Love over. After spending all the food money their folks left behind on instruments, Surfin' was born, the Beach Boys had written their first song. A legacy was born.

7. "Catch A Wave" from the album Surfer Girl, a classic, feel-good, sixties surfing jam. Hang ten, bro.

8. "All Summer Long" from the album, All Summer Long. No matter what season, what weather, this song will get you longing for the summer, the beach, and bodacious babes.

9. "I Get Around" from the album All Summer Long: Giving the Beach Boys their first Number 1 Hit track back in 1964, it's hard not to rank this song even higher! The Beach Boys simply have too many good hits!

10. "Child is the Father of the Man" from The SMiLE Sessions helped complete an already perfect album.

There ya go folks! I hope you have a fantastic freaking day kicking back and listening to America's Band's Top Ten Hits of All Time. According to one man's opinion.

10 REASONS I STARTED THIS BLOG

As you may have already concluded, this blog will consist of lists of 10 things. What things, you may ask? Well... any things. You'll just have to wait and see. To start off, I'll give you the 10 reasons I'm starting this blog.

1. I had to.

I'm enrolled in a social media class, and we were required to start a new blog. I already have a personal blog, so I had to come up with another idea.

2. People like lists.

Seven reasons you should ______. Nine things you can _______. Five coolest _______. Lists are everywhere, especially online, and people like to click on them. 

3. Anything is fair game.

I can write a list about whatever I want, and it won't fall outside the scope of this blog. 

4. It's a way to file random thoughts.

That's a really weird album cover. Oh, so is that. How about I make a list of 10 weird album covers?

5. The posts won't take much time to write or read.

I'm a college student.

6. Anyone can make a list of 10 things.

Friend collaboration will certainly be a part of this blog, and I couldn't be more excited to see what random things my friends come up with.

7. Outburst.

Shout out to the fairly antiquated board game that's becoming a favorite pastime for my friends and I. Outburst is a game of lists of 10 (I promise I won't steal any).

8. Social media.

Anyone who knows me knows I'm looking for any excuse to post something on social media (my sincere apologies). Well, here's another one. 

9. It will start good arguments.

Tell me if you find somebody who doesn't like arguing about why their favorite movie, band, etc. is the best movie, band, etc... By the way, Guardians of the Galaxy was terrible.

10. Marshawn Lynch.

"Yeah."