Let the work stop and the sports gambling begin!  March Madness is here, and this year I’m all geared up for what should be a great NCAA Men’s basketball tournament.  The 64 team field kicked off this morning, and several games are already at halftime. Will there be a Cinderella story this year, or will the top seeds advance through and make it to the final four?

My money is on the Kansas Jayhawks this year. I like their team and feel they are the most rounded team in the tournament.  I also think that the John Wall-led Kentucky squad has a good chance, although their team is a little young.

If I had to take a so-called long-shot to win, I have to put my money on the Wisconsin Badgers.  Big Ten, baby!

So, you can expect to see me getting very drunk, betting a lot, and hanging out at sports bars. Maybe I will even make a day out of it at Doral Hooters or Buffalo Wild Wings.  Or both….hmmm..

More Miami blogging coming later, I’m off to watch the second half of the Gator game!

For those of you who like wings, and HOOTERS, there is something special located off the 836 out in Doral.  Yes, I am talking about the nationally known chain that started in Clearwater, Florida, called Hooters.  If you haven’t been to a Hooters, then you are simply missing out.  “Delightfully tacky, yet unrefined,” is the tag line that goes on all of the marketing material, and although there is an owl in the logo, the “hooters” everyone thinks about are the ones on the waitresses that grace this fine establishment.

I’m proud to state that Miami’s own Doral Hooters location is the #1 Hooters. I’m not sure if that is in the world, or the USA, but it’s #1 status is heavily advertised in this location.  I’d have to say that although I’ve been to some great Hooters locations, stemming from my first visit at age 14 in the mighty Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, and spanning all the way down to Costa Rica, Panama, and even Medellin, Colombia, that the Doral Hooters is tops in my book as well.

For starters, the Doral Hooters is the only one that serves up ice cold Presidente Beer, my beer of choice in Miami.  Presidente is a beer made in the Dominican Republic, and ever since I visited that country in 2004 I have been a big fan of that beer.  Presidente beer is a common beer in Miami, but not so much in other markets of the USA.

Second, the bar is heavily influenced by Miami sports.  Whether you are a Hurricane, Dolphin, Marlin, Heat, or even Panther fan, the Hooters in Doral always puts on the game and has a nice crowd.  Recently, the Hooters also went to a full liqour bar, when previously it was just beer and wine.  So if you are into getting smashed on shots, your all good at Doral Hooters.

This location, in an area known for it’s awesome climate, also has an outdoor patio bar.  You can sit outside and relax while you drink and eat wings, that is, if traffic isn’t flowing as it normally is on 87th and Galloway Road.  If you are lucky enough to get a seat outside, the patio is an excellent choice for hanging out during Happy Hour.

Finally, and probably most importantly, is the quality of the staff at Doral Hooters.  This location features some of the most mesmerizing Latin women of Miami, mostly because this area of the city is inhabited by many settlers from Colombia and Venezuela.  Unless you have never seen a Miss World pageant, you know of the beauty that these women possess.  (They also are not afraid to get breast implants, which is always cool.)

Lovin the 305!

Doral, Miami Hooters

Doral Hooters Car Wash

Doral Hooters Car Wash

The annual Calle Ocho Festival, which takes place on S.W. 8th Street in the area of Miami known as Little Havana, drew over 1 million people this year.  The festival is a celebration that takes place each year on the street called “Calle Ocho,” and it’s Miami’s biggest party of the year.  There is dancing, food, golf, and even an event for those of you brave enough to take time off from partying and want to endure on a run of 8k.

In 1988, the festival was the scene of a Guinness World Record, as 119,986 people joined in the world’s longest conga line!

If that is not enough for you, here are some of the highlights of the 2010 Calle Ocho Festival that just wrapped yesterday….

• Domino Tournament
• Golf Classic
• Cooking Contest
• Miss Carnaval Miami

If you didn’t get there to enjoy this year’s Calle Ocho Festival, there is always next year.  This IS the largest Hispanic celebration party on earth, but anyone is welcome to attend the Calle Ocho Festival.  Many people come in from parts across the world to enjoy this annual celebration.

More Miami news for Monday, March 15, 2010…..

Ernie Els won the tournament at the Doral Country Club, beating a field that included last weeks’ Honda Classic Winner and Miami favorite, Camilo Villegas….

3 bodies were found stabbed in South Beach this morning….according to the Miami Herald.  More news on that report as it becomes available…..

Freshman Guard Durand Scott was named to the all tournament team for his efforts in Miami’s run at the ACC tournament. Center Reggie Johnson earned second team honors.  The “U” had an impressive run and lost eventually to powerhouse Duke, by 3 points.

More information to come later today, thanks for reading Miami Blog.

I wish I could report some better news about the Heat, but every time I turn around it’s just drama.  Last week I reported that Rafer Alston had left the team in a very bizarre, disgruntled fashion.  Well, today I have more to report.  Forward Dorrell Wright was arrested on South Beach and charged with a DUI and driving with a suspended license.

Several news sources reported that Wright’s 2005 Bentley was stopped on 8th Street and Alton Road (hey that’s in front of Dr. Kalil’s Vitality Institute, one of Geneva’s favorite places).  He was apparently driving 52 in a 25 mph zone.

I drink at Dewey’s on occasion, and I know that area well.  52 is going too fast.  It will get you in trouble every time you are seen doing that.  Especially if the hours are lets say “after  hours.”  I mean, that is a place where people constantly cross the street to visit the plaza that houses Yoko’s Sushi and other stores.  You have to be careful anywhere on South Beach, but especially in that area, which is only one block from the highly populated residential area of West Avenue, backing up to the Biscayne Bay.  Thousands of people that reside in the many high rises constantly travel on foot to nearby Alton Road.

He must have been out celebrating, because the Heat beat the Clippers quite easily on Wednesday night.  The wee hours of Thursday morning found Wright with red, wattery eyes, as well as slurred speech.  (According to reports I read online.)

I’m not sure what parties or clubs go off on Wednesday nights on the Beach these days, but there is no lack of entertainment one can stumble into on South Beach.  It’s unknown if Wright was with others at the time of the stop, but I’ll try to find out and report back.  In the meantime, if anyone saw the 24 year old Wright out partying, drop us a comment and let us know where, what he was drinking, and if he was with anyone noteworthy.  We aren’t trying to out the guy, just cover the story to it’s full extent.

We hope the Heat continue their winning ways and make it deep into the playoffs.  For that to happen, they need a full team, including Wright.  It’s tough enough to win with a full, healthy, trouble-free squad, and if the Heat want to make it deep into the playoffs this year and try to make a run at a title, they will most certainly need everyone on their best behavior.

In other news….. Camilo Villegas shot even par on the first day of the tournament at Doral.

The Miami Hurricanes will play favored Virginia Tech in the ACC tournament.

The Miami Heat face the Chicago Bulls in a battle for playoff position. Miami is a game over .500 at 33-32 while the Bulls sit at 31-33. Both are on the fringe of making it to the post season and they both could use this win desperately.  Go Heat!

How can you miss Camilo Villegas?  The 28 year-old Colombian golf legend has been making waves since his 2006 rookie season on the PGA tour with his flashy outfits, ripped physique, and spider-man-esque method of lining up putts.  Just last week, he ran away with another title, and improved his impressive run in 2010 that has him at the top of most major statistical categories on the PGA tour.

Camillo Villegas

It’s hard to say that this is a homecoming from Villegas, but it sort of is in a strange way.  With Miami’s large population of Colombians, especially the high concentration of those that choose to reside in the Doral area, Villegas will certainly be the most popular player at the tournament that starts today at Doral.  The Blue Monster may be missing a certain Tiger this week, but in his place is the PGA tours hottest name in Villegas.

Villegas is representing Colombians in a positive fashion – the calm, cool youngster is always media friendly, and never has any outbursts, ala John Daly.  (I love John Daly, don’t get me wrong – the guy is a legend, his book is great, and I hope he is back competing very soon).  Villegas, along with Nascar driver Juan Pablo Montoya, has Colombians proud of their major presence in the world of sports.

Born in Medellin, Villegas attended the University of Florida, making him a Gator.  While we won’t hold that against him, as Miami Blog has a strong bond with THE U, it’s good to know he has set up in Florida.  He lives in Jupiter between events, and spends a lot of his time practicing in the area.

The strong presence of Colombian supporters will set him apart from all others in the tournament this weekend at Doral.  Without Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson goes in as the Vegas favorite, but the local favorite will be Villegas.

Named in People Magazine’s 2006 issue of Hottest Bachelors, his fancy apparel and physical fitness will make him popular with the local Miami women.  Villegas is by far the best dressed golfer the tour has ever seen, and his flashy belt buckles look like something you would buy down at one of the boutique fashion stores on South Beach.

It should be an exciting 4 days of golf, and if Camilo Villegas is able to win again this week, he may just explode into mainstream sports super-stardom and the golf world may all but forget about Tiger Woods.

While it has been a few days since Rafer Alston was first suspended for now showing up to Saturday’s game versus Atlanta, it’s a mystery to me what in the heck could he be doing?  Alston, the point guard recently acquired from the New Jersey Nets, a popular player known for his boisterous personality and on-court razzle-dazzle display of skills, has not been in contact with the team since Friday, numerous news reports state.  Only a text message sent, prior to him missing Friday’s practice, in fact.  So what the heck is he doing with himself?  Certainly this one time member of the time he was so looking forward to re-unite with isn’t having second thoughts about playing in Miami, is he?

Sure, he was benched against the Lakers.  We all saw that.  But, by leaving the team amidst a playoff race, he has shown Miami that there is either something going on behind the scenes or he was frustrated to the point of walking away from a team that needs him.  Whatever it is, it’s an opening for another player.  While it remains to be seen if the Heat will seek another player to help fill in at point guard, the Heat do have superstar Dwayne Wade, along with Dorrell Wright, Carlos Arroyo, and second year player Mario Chalmers.

In the meantime, we’ll play “Where’s Rafer?” around town and let you know if he surfaces.

One of the hottest rappers in the game right now has listed his South Beach condo for sale.  Rapper Lil Wayne, who has a number of top hits under his belt, including “Mrs. Officer,” the track about romancing a female police officer, has listed his condo at South Beach’s Murano Grande for $2.8 million.  The rapper is about to go to jail for a gun possession charge, and certainly will have no use for the luxury unit in one of South Beach’s top condo buildings.  Miami real estate expert and blogger Kevin Tomlinson called the price “very reasonable” on his South Beach Condo Blog.

Tomlinson also reports that the rapper has a “penchant” for Miami Beach real estate, citing the rapper’s recent rental of a home of 15,000 square feet on the uber-fancy La Gorce Island.  Apparently he also has showed interest in the Apogee building on the very Southern tip of South Beach.

Murano Grande South Beach

For years, the Vitality Institute has been well-known among the Beach’s most discriminating skin care customers.  It is on this location of Alton Road and 8th Street, next to a dry cleaners and a tanning salon, that the famous Dr. A.F. Kalil has been performing nothing short of miracles to patients that are both local and vacationers. In this skin care mecca, the expert performs many types of cosmetic procedures to help people have flawless skin and look younger.

If you haven’t heard about this Institute, and you have any sort of correction you would like to make on your skin, due to damage or other reasons, this is something you should definitely check out.  King and founder of the “VI Peel,” Dr. Kalil is recognized worldwide for his leadership in skin care and anti aging practices.  Clients have included Demi Moore, among others….

In addition to having on site offices in Miami Beach, Beverly Hills, and Dubai, he also makes his own skin care treatments, called ViDerm.  You can buy ViDerm online by visiting his official web store.  There you can find many products for any skin care need you have.  Previously these products were only available in his offices or by a licensed Doctor/Distributor in his network, but now you can order them, no matter where you live in the world, from the comfort of your own Internet connection.

If you follow the below links, you can find Dr. Kalil in the news.

Dr. Kalil in the Media

He has been on Good Morning America, Deco Drive, and many of the local newspapers, (and even Miami Blog) recognize his commitment to skin care is second to none in the area.

More about Dr. Kalil…..

He founded the American Academy of Restorative and Aesthetic Medicine (AARAM), which focuses on teaching other physicians and perfecting the process of “True Repair” to the skin. Dr. Kalil is a proponent of the “Dentalization” of skin care, periodic office visits with simple maintenance between visits.  Basically, he believes that all skin care customers should view their skin like they do their teeth, and continue to have regular check-ups to ensure long-term success.

His internships, residencies and research work was done at Cornell University in New York, Bellevue Hospital in New York, Oxford Eye Unit and Kingston Eye Unit in England, Saginaw General Hospital in Saginaw, Michigan and Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida. Dr. Kalil was Board Certified in Internal Medicine in 1994; he eventually worked as an emergency room physician for five years in South Florida.In December 2000, Dr. Kalil established the Vitality Institute in South Beach and has passionately devoted himself to Restorative and Aesthetic Medicine and “True Repair” and rejuvenation of the skin. He stays on top of this new field of medicine by continuously developing cutting edge, out-of-the-box techniques and procedures that enhance his patients’ lives and keep them coming back.

With all of the skin care experts in the Miami area, there are a few that lead the way and pave the path for newcomers – Dr. Kalil is certainly one mind that blazes trails for the rest of the skin care industry, and Miami is proud to have him.

So, with the NFL Draft coming up, I’d like to weigh in on my thoughts on what the Miami Dolphins should do with their pick.  Recent drafts have been up-and-down for the Fins, and I think that Miami fans want that instant impact player that will contribute right away.  People seem to have mixed reviews on Pat White, the second rounder from last year, but I think in this league he was a great pick.  Jake Long was obviously a solid pick at #1 a couple years back, and Chad Henne looks to be a great pick with one year under center now.  As for Ted Ginn, well, that was a waste of a pick. I  love the guy’s energy and big play ability, but the drops just kill him.  I like the guy and am rooting for him to mature as a player, but so far, I’m thinking we should have went another route with that pick.  Then again, everyone wanted Brady Quinn, who has flopped so far in Cleveland.

So, as the draft approaches, and the Fins hold the 12th pick, it’s about time I release my thoughts on what exactly they should do with the pick.  We have a quarterback and two running backs that are ample, although Ronnie Brown may be trade bait according to a lot of people in the know.  While I think we’re fine with Ricky Williams, drafting a young runner like C.J. Spiller may be a good call.

Many people are looking at wide receiver and linebacker as well.  While there have been a lot of people stating that Anquan Boldin remains high on the Fins wish list, I just don’t see it happening.  The Cardinals played hardball last year and the result was that Boldin stayed put in Arizona.

That leads me to believe Dez Bryant, the punishing receiver known for his Brandon Marshall-esque size, who can even return kicks (what would Ted Ginn do then?) may be a good choice at number 12 if nobody has scooped him up yet.  I like the fact that he’s BIG, which the Fins need desperately.

I’m not up to speed on the linebacking options in this years draft, so I won’t comment on that in order to not embarass myself.  I do know that Joey Porter is all but gone from Miami, and that people aren’t all that thrilled with Channing Crowder as the elite linebacker on the team.  I have no issue with Crowder, and I’d actually love to see Brandon Spikes, another Florida defender, come to South Florida and join him.  Spikes is downright nasty. He can rush the passer, provide big hits, and even intercept passes, just like he did versus Georgia this year in the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party.

Whatever the Dolphins do, it’s an uphill battle in a strong AFC East.  The Jets showed everyone that Rex Ryan’s team is ready to play, and the New England Patriots are no slouches, to say the least.  Buffalo always puts up a fight, and you can count on them beefing up this off season after changing personnel.

A locally owned company, Green Smoke, makers of Electronic Cigarettes bearing the same name, was recently re-iterated as the top choice among electronic cigarette specialist Andy Gray.  The story is published below.

A respected electronic cigarette review specialist, named Andy Gray, has been voicing his opinion on the electronic cigarette craze for several months now. After reviewing several brands of e-cigs, he still says that Green Smoke is the best on the market.

Online PR News – 26-February-2010 – “It seems each week there is a new electronic cigarette brand making it’s way into the marketplace,” says Andy Gray, an electronic cigarette review expert and constant blogger on the subject of E-Cigarettes. “There seems to be no slow down in the industry even though some companies are having a hard time importing cartridges and getting hassled by the FDA,” Gray continued.

Electronic cigarettes, or ‘e-cigs,’ have been a hot topic lately, ever since one manufacturer won a ruling versus the FDA, who was stopping imported shipments in customs. While specifics about the customs issues are not readily available, the issue is being appealed. The court ruling on the importation of cigarettes of electronic nature will certainly be a landmark for the industry of what some people call ‘e-smoking,’ or ‘vaping.’

Meanwhile, Gray and his trusty review staff continue to be supportive of the electronic cigarette movement. His popular web blog gets “more traffic than I ever thought I’d be able to create,” according to Gray, and each week he continues to tweak it and add his thoughts and analysis as he tries new brands of e-cigarettes.

For his money, Gray has been highly impressed with the Green Smoke Electronic Cigarettes, which he has rated the top choice on his blog, although he suggests that people looking to make the jump to e-cigarettes also can try the Blu Cigs Starter Kit for a much more comfortable price point.

Green Smoke recently informed Gray that amidst all of the issues going on with the importation of e-cigarette components, they have sought out electronic cigarette manufacturing options in the United States. Certainly a well-thought out move by the leading e-cigarette company, Gray adds “The quality of Green Smoke impresses me, but the way they run their organization is even more admirable – they truly are setting themselves apart from the pack by the way they take time to think ahead.”

Gray added that Green Smoke is also customer-service oriented and takes time to educate customers on the idea of electronic cigarettes. “I hope to have more details I can share with the public about the state of Green Smoke, but for now you can refer to my blog and see an in-depth Green Smoke Review to see why most people agree they are the top electronic cigarette on the market today,” concluded Gray.

As people look for long term ways to save money and find a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, the electronic cigarette market continues to sizzle. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this truly unique niche.