For the last few years, I've said March Madness commercials are more entertaining than the Super Bowl ads.
Here's one of my favorites from this year's batch. From good ol' Apple showing off its latest iPhone.
Poor Cookie Monster.
Update 4.24.2016: Here's some outtakes from the commercial.
And while I'm at it, I really enjoy this year's Buffalo Wild Wings spots, especially the one with the Wisconsin cheese curds shoutout.
Showing posts with label March Madness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label March Madness. Show all posts
4.07.2015
No Wisconsin, part Duke
I thought I would feel better this morning, but this is proving a little harder to swallow than I thought it would be when I went to bed last night.
After so much success against Kentucky Saturday night, our hopes of a national championship for Wisconsin were dashed last night. Duke got the best of them for the second time this season.
Sigh. It sort of has the feeling of the Royals losing Game 7 of last fall’s World Series, with Alex Gordon on third base in the bottom of the ninth inning. … Then again, I consider myself pretty lucky to have had the chance to see two of my home teams reach the championship games in their respective sports within the last year. Plus, I can count on the Packers to be a Super Bowl contender for as long as Aaron Rodgers is healthy and sticking around, but I digress …
Much like the day of Game 7, I found it hard to concentrate on much else yesterday. The girls and I met at home after school and work. Then I took Phoebe to her gymnastics class at 7 and anxiously sat through it, knowing the game was tipping off around 8:15 – and I had set the DVR to record it, knowing I was going to miss the first part of it. Phoebe’s class ended at 8, we came home and it was my night to put her to bed. By 8:50, with both girls in bed and settled, Kates and I settled on our living room couches and started watching the game with the national anthem and introduction of the starting lineups. We zipped through the first half commercial-free and caught up to real time about midway through the halftime break.
They opened the second half well and took a nine-point lead with 13 minutes left in the game. All was well.
Then the freshmen, Grayson Allen and Tyus Jones, took over for Duke, and when Allen tied it at 54-54 with an off-balance jump shot, my heart started to sink with the feeling that the game was changing in Duke’s favor. Wisconsin held in, but the momentum was pretty much in Duke’s favor the rest of the way.
Even then, I said at halftime that Wisconsin should have had a five or six-point lead at that point. They were relying a little too freely on outside shots that weren’t falling. And they missed some key opportunities inside. They weren’t aggressive enough driving to the basket. Sam Dekker was off. As one CBS analyst said afterward, it wasn’t the same Wisconsin team that beat Kentucky Saturday night …
And there’s no need at this point to even touch the ball that supposedly didn’t roll of the fingertips of Duke’s Justise Winslow.
Here's a good read about the team by the Wisconsin State Journal's Andy Baggot. ... And from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ...
And so another college basketball season ends, and I’ll wait to see what the next season holds. The chills covered my body the second “One Shining Moment” tipped off, and I felt as though I was holding back tears as the highlight reel played out.
Bring on the baseball. The Royals won 10-1 yesterday, while the Brewers lost 10-0. And the Cubs opener, by fans’ accounts, was a disaster.
After so much success against Kentucky Saturday night, our hopes of a national championship for Wisconsin were dashed last night. Duke got the best of them for the second time this season.
Sigh. It sort of has the feeling of the Royals losing Game 7 of last fall’s World Series, with Alex Gordon on third base in the bottom of the ninth inning. … Then again, I consider myself pretty lucky to have had the chance to see two of my home teams reach the championship games in their respective sports within the last year. Plus, I can count on the Packers to be a Super Bowl contender for as long as Aaron Rodgers is healthy and sticking around, but I digress …
Much like the day of Game 7, I found it hard to concentrate on much else yesterday. The girls and I met at home after school and work. Then I took Phoebe to her gymnastics class at 7 and anxiously sat through it, knowing the game was tipping off around 8:15 – and I had set the DVR to record it, knowing I was going to miss the first part of it. Phoebe’s class ended at 8, we came home and it was my night to put her to bed. By 8:50, with both girls in bed and settled, Kates and I settled on our living room couches and started watching the game with the national anthem and introduction of the starting lineups. We zipped through the first half commercial-free and caught up to real time about midway through the halftime break.
They opened the second half well and took a nine-point lead with 13 minutes left in the game. All was well.
Then the freshmen, Grayson Allen and Tyus Jones, took over for Duke, and when Allen tied it at 54-54 with an off-balance jump shot, my heart started to sink with the feeling that the game was changing in Duke’s favor. Wisconsin held in, but the momentum was pretty much in Duke’s favor the rest of the way.
Even then, I said at halftime that Wisconsin should have had a five or six-point lead at that point. They were relying a little too freely on outside shots that weren’t falling. And they missed some key opportunities inside. They weren’t aggressive enough driving to the basket. Sam Dekker was off. As one CBS analyst said afterward, it wasn’t the same Wisconsin team that beat Kentucky Saturday night …
On Monday, Wisconsin opened the game uneasily. Sam Dekker’s first shot was an air ball, and Nigel Hayes dropped his first pass. The Badgers missed 12 of their first 18 shots, falling behind, 21-17. After driving for a layup attempt midway through the first quarter, Winslow looked at Cook and mouthed, “They’re soft.”Then again, Duke fans could have said a lot of the same things had Wisconsin won the game. Duke missed a share of opportunities in the game also that could have helped them put away Wisconsin sooner.
And there’s no need at this point to even touch the ball that supposedly didn’t roll of the fingertips of Duke’s Justise Winslow.
Two minutes, probably dozens of views of multiple angles of replays and three highly trained officials, deemed good enough to be reffing in the biggest game of the year, disagreed with all three CBS analysts, all of Twitter and every American watching. Even a non-delusional Duke fan had to know this ball was out on Winslow.It hurts, but it was still a darn fun game to watch. And a darn fun run to watch with the Badgers.
Here's a good read about the team by the Wisconsin State Journal's Andy Baggot. ... And from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ...
The Badgers will have to settle for a 36-4 mark, a runner-up finish and the knowledge that they took their followers on a magic ride and captivated others with a mix of on-court wizardry and off-court goodwill.At the same time, it's hard for me to begin to think what the future looks like for Badger basketball. To me, Dekker seems like a guy who is wise enough to stick around and finish what he started, but then again I'm not wearing his shoes.
And so another college basketball season ends, and I’ll wait to see what the next season holds. The chills covered my body the second “One Shining Moment” tipped off, and I felt as though I was holding back tears as the highlight reel played out.
Bring on the baseball. The Royals won 10-1 yesterday, while the Brewers lost 10-0. And the Cubs opener, by fans’ accounts, was a disaster.
4.05.2015
On Wisconsin!
Holy moly, they did it. Wisconsin beat Kentucky in the Final Four tonight, ending Kentucky's bid for a perfect season and claiming a spot in Monday night's national championship game.
Just as I predicted when I filled out my bracket, thank you very much.
All week long, rightly so, the national media were categorizing tonight's game as a title bout, and it totally lived up to the billing. Already the guys on Sportscenter are calling it one of the greatest college basketball games.
On the other hand, it also seemed as though the national media was barely giving Wisconsin a chance of winning the game. Meanwhile, me and every other Badgers fan who has paid any attention to this team believed Bo Ryan and Wisconsin had the DNA to knock off John Calipari and Kentucky.
Yes, the Wildcats were undefeated: 38-0 entering Saturday’s Final Four rematch at Lucas Oil Stadium, the well-earned favorites to win a ninth national title. But if you thought Wisconsin was going to be intimidated, was going to quake before Kentucky’s mountainous frontcourt and its N.B.A.-quick guards, oh, boy, were you wrong.Even now as I'm watching the postgame and Sportscenter, the so-called experts are debating Kentucky's place in history as the greatest game. I don't buy it.
Only when Kentucky went up 5-0 - emphasized with an ally-oop and dunk - to start tonight's game did some doubt creep into my mind. Then Wisconsin came right back to tie it and take a lead, and I thought, Oh yeah, this is going to be Wisconsin's night.
I stood pat in front of TV, cheering and pumping my fists for most of the first half, turning away to do other tasks only during the commercials and whenever Kentucky players were shooting foul shots. Phoebe wanted to watch some of the game with me while Kates put Faye to bed, and we let her even though it was past her bed time, even on Easter eve with a big day tomorrow. I put Phoebe to bed at halftime, and told her as I tucked her in to dream of a Wisconsin victory tonight. Man, is she going to be happy tomorrow - especially since she had Wisconsin winning this game in her bracket, too.
Once the second half began, I couldn't look away if I tried. Wisconsin came out again and clearly played as the better team, even though Kentucky stayed close. The Badgers are too patient, so efficient, so fundamentally sound.
Yeah, there were some bad calls by the referees. Yeah, Wisconsin should have been slapped with a shot clock violation.
But Kentucky never took advantage. Wisconsin continued to execute - even when they were down by four and the defense pinned Kentucky for three straight shot clock violations.
College officiating is like Missouri weather. Just wait a bit. It'll be in your favor soon enough.
— Carrington Harrison (@cdotharrison) April 5, 2015
But Kentucky never took advantage. Wisconsin continued to execute - even when they were down by four and the defense pinned Kentucky for three straight shot clock violations.
By the final minutes I had dropped from my standing position in front of the TV To a crouch and was banging the floor on every critical play. Kates was upstairs preparing the girls' Easter baskets for the morning, and I held off from calling her down until I was sure the Badgers were going to hang on. With about a minute left in the game, I called up to her, "Kates, you gotta come down here." She did, and we cheered together for the final minute as Wisconsin absolutely closed it out.
Thank you sports gods. We needed this. Please continue your magic for the last :24.5
— Wayne Drehs (@espnWD) April 5, 2015
A game for the ages. No matter what happens Monday night against Duke, I will cherish this win for a long time. ... But if Wisconsin wins, I win my office bracket pool.
Good reads (Updated 4.06.2015) ...
This picture though | Getty Images pic.twitter.com/qxIRhyhROK
— Brandon Wall (@Walldo) April 5, 2015
And I think I speak for the majority of Americans when I say, "Go Badgers, beat Duke!"
— Chris Vanderveen (@chrisvanderveen) April 5, 2015
Good reads (Updated 4.06.2015) ...
- Wisconsin stuns previously unbeaten Kentucky in Final Four ... A great breakdown of the game.
- Tom Izzo says 'it’s going to be harder for Duke to handle Wisconsin' than in December
- After the miracle: Can Wisconsin follow historic upset by beating Duke? ... Oh, I remember Duke's defeat of UNLV -- and Kansas -- in 1991 because that was the year fell in love with Jayhawk basketball.
- Wisconsin senior Frank Kaminsky is a rare gem in one-and-done culture
"Immersed as we are in the ephemeral freshman star era of college basketball, let us take a moment to appreciate the rare senior who is a different kind of one-and-done. We will watch Kaminsky play his final game for Wisconsin on Monday night, and there likely will not be another like him. Who could imagine another faintly recruited prospect enduring two generally anonymous years at a power conference school, staying the course to become a national player of the year, all while demonstrating no discernible self-awareness as he danced and strapped GoPro cameras to his chest and defended his skills in FIFA 14 Soccer. ...
"Few 7-footers are as slippery and slithery as Kaminsky, with nimble footwork and nifty finishing ability around the rim, while also representing a threat at the arc. (He’s hit 6 of 11 three-pointers during the NCAA tournament.) And fewer still of these players appear out of thin air as college juniors. And still fewer stick around once affixed with first-round draft pick grade no one would have applied to them just months earlier."
3.27.2015
Awesome Spring Break week
So the university's spring break was this week. Typically, that means the students are gone, but staff continue working and all is mostly quiet around the campus. But this week, for the first time in my six years of work there, I took the entire week as vacation. ... I was in desperate need of some me time, and -- as challenging as it was for me to ignore my university work for the week -- I took advantage of it. I had a glorious week.
Like I told Kates at the beginning of the week when she asked if still would take Faye to daycare each morning: I'm still going to work at 8. I'm just having a different kind of work day.
I spent almost all of Monday working in the yard, clearing brush and preparing the yard for spring. The weather was sunny with temperatures in the 70s. It was awesome.
Tuesday was quite the opposite. We had a wonderful thunderstorm roll in that produced some loud crashes at times, but the temperature also dipped considerably. The weather change reduced my mojo for work considerably and forced me to take on a lot of indoor work. But I was still productive, patching some cracks left in the walls from our foundation work last summer and continuing prep work on our new kitchen cabinets.
I took off Wednesday for a day of shopping. In all our years since moving from K-Town to The 'Ville, I have not set foot in a Menards store because the nearest one is nearly an hour's drive away -- until Wednesday. I made the drive in conjunction with some other stops I wanted to make and was overtaken with such excitement when I arrived that I could hardly stop smiling from the time I walked through the big sliding front doors. The store clerk who passed in front of me in the greeting area probably wondered if I was baked. (... That actually happened once. Years ago, my friend Jeff and I visited an electronics store in Madison, as part of a tour of the city during a day off from work. We were having a great time and, admittedly, were acting silly when a long-haired male store clerk pulled me aside, leaned in, looked me in the eyes and asked, “Dude, are you baked?” I laughed and answered, “No.” The embarrassed clerk apologized and I went on my way.)
Unfortunately, the temps have stayed cooler since Monday, and I've stayed in the rest of the week, continuing to take care of projects inside. Which is a good thing because they're are plenty of things to do -- that I can't focus on under normal conditions with two little girls running around the house.
Yep, it's been a glorious week. I need to take advantage more often -- like this commercial says.
Here are some of the awesome things I came across on the Internet during the last couple weeks ...
“The Office” premiered 10 years ago this week. To celebrate, Mashable posted 50 best moments from the show. Many of these made me laugh out loud as I read them. You were a good one, Office.
The Ridiculously Sweet Story Behind Mister Rogers' Cardigans ... This is awesome. I had no idea. God bless Mr. Rogers for the impact he had on mine and so many childhoods.
Amazing but true: America is only four presidents’ lives old ... Fascinating.
I've never gotten in to watching “South Park.” But, boy, do ever I remember the craze as ‘The Spirit of Christmas” made its way the floor of my freshman dorm -- and laughing until my side hurt. Here's a good read about how it came to be.
Here are clips from the “Harry Potter" movies cut as the opening of "Friends."
While I missed the video of the “crying 'piccolo girl,” I did catch her appearance on Monday's “Tonight Show.” Jimmy Fallon's a swell guy for inviting her on the show, and the girl was a great sport about it. Plus, she's going to see Taylor Swift!
Here's a good read from Rolling Stone about “Glee,” which apparently put a wrap on its show Friday night. I learned that only when I noticed the tweets start to come in late Friday night with links to recap stories. ... Kates and I bowed out early in Season 2 -- another casualty of the infamous exploding TV and our chaotic lives that year -- but as the Rolling Stone article fairly points out, the series was starting to losing its direction at that point. All the reviews I read about what we were missing did nothing to pull me back in, nor did the insistence on themed shows. In the end, I had no idea it had moved to Friday nights.
Like I told Kates at the beginning of the week when she asked if still would take Faye to daycare each morning: I'm still going to work at 8. I'm just having a different kind of work day.
I spent almost all of Monday working in the yard, clearing brush and preparing the yard for spring. The weather was sunny with temperatures in the 70s. It was awesome.
Tuesday was quite the opposite. We had a wonderful thunderstorm roll in that produced some loud crashes at times, but the temperature also dipped considerably. The weather change reduced my mojo for work considerably and forced me to take on a lot of indoor work. But I was still productive, patching some cracks left in the walls from our foundation work last summer and continuing prep work on our new kitchen cabinets.
I took off Wednesday for a day of shopping. In all our years since moving from K-Town to The 'Ville, I have not set foot in a Menards store because the nearest one is nearly an hour's drive away -- until Wednesday. I made the drive in conjunction with some other stops I wanted to make and was overtaken with such excitement when I arrived that I could hardly stop smiling from the time I walked through the big sliding front doors. The store clerk who passed in front of me in the greeting area probably wondered if I was baked. (... That actually happened once. Years ago, my friend Jeff and I visited an electronics store in Madison, as part of a tour of the city during a day off from work. We were having a great time and, admittedly, were acting silly when a long-haired male store clerk pulled me aside, leaned in, looked me in the eyes and asked, “Dude, are you baked?” I laughed and answered, “No.” The embarrassed clerk apologized and I went on my way.)
Unfortunately, the temps have stayed cooler since Monday, and I've stayed in the rest of the week, continuing to take care of projects inside. Which is a good thing because they're are plenty of things to do -- that I can't focus on under normal conditions with two little girls running around the house.
Yep, it's been a glorious week. I need to take advantage more often -- like this commercial says.
Here are some of the awesome things I came across on the Internet during the last couple weeks ...
“The Office” premiered 10 years ago this week. To celebrate, Mashable posted 50 best moments from the show. Many of these made me laugh out loud as I read them. You were a good one, Office.
The Ridiculously Sweet Story Behind Mister Rogers' Cardigans ... This is awesome. I had no idea. God bless Mr. Rogers for the impact he had on mine and so many childhoods.
Amazing but true: America is only four presidents’ lives old ... Fascinating.
I've never gotten in to watching “South Park.” But, boy, do ever I remember the craze as ‘The Spirit of Christmas” made its way the floor of my freshman dorm -- and laughing until my side hurt. Here's a good read about how it came to be.
Here are clips from the “Harry Potter" movies cut as the opening of "Friends."
While I missed the video of the “crying 'piccolo girl,” I did catch her appearance on Monday's “Tonight Show.” Jimmy Fallon's a swell guy for inviting her on the show, and the girl was a great sport about it. Plus, she's going to see Taylor Swift!
Here's a good read from Rolling Stone about “Glee,” which apparently put a wrap on its show Friday night. I learned that only when I noticed the tweets start to come in late Friday night with links to recap stories. ... Kates and I bowed out early in Season 2 -- another casualty of the infamous exploding TV and our chaotic lives that year -- but as the Rolling Stone article fairly points out, the series was starting to losing its direction at that point. All the reviews I read about what we were missing did nothing to pull me back in, nor did the insistence on themed shows. In the end, I had no idea it had moved to Friday nights.
It began eating its own tail, trying too hard to keep up with pop culture references and hit songs in an attempt to stay on top of the charts. Between Gaga-centric episodes and a lesson devoted entirely to twerking (no, really), most of these attempts to soak in the mainstream were ill-conceived. Worse, as Glee began to stray from its satirical roots, it found itself delving more and more into After-School Special territory.
3.24.2013
March Madness
So I’m officially on Spring Break.
It sure doesn’t feel like it, though. At about 5 o’clock last night, the snow storm weather forecasters had been talking about for days actually arrived. … And it’s still snowing.
This is the scene in our back yard this morning …
And this is Phoebe’s baseball tee. She got it out last weekend and was playing with it while it was 70 degrees and sunny. This morning, it’s buried in white stuff.
We might as well get out the Christmas decorations.
On one hand, I guess it’s a good timing. Most of my Spring Break week will be spent buried in graduate work, finishing my research project and compiling my portfolio. I have less than a month to go.
So the snow is good because it will deter me from wishing I could be doing things outside. And we desperately need the precipitation.
But it's bringing a whole new meaning to March Madness.
Confession time.
With all the chaos in our lives during these winter months, I’m as clueless about college basketball as I’ve felt in a long time.
Then again, maybe I’m being too hard on myself. After all, I’m aware enough to know there hasn’t been a consistently dominant team this year. I’m also aware enough to know that Louisville, Indiana, Miami and Kansas have been among the best.
Nonetheless, I filled out my bracket with pure guesses Thursday morning – usually I do at least a little research – and went on with my work day. Usually I follow the early games through score alerts and social media, too, but when I left my office around 5:30 Thursday evening, I knew nothing about the outcomes of the afternoon games. Later, we attended Phoebe’s spring concert – she was great, by the way, and sang all of her songs with gusto – and it wasn’t until we arrived home around 7:30 that I was able to finally catch up on some of the scores and highlights.
It was during that time that I also carried on my March Madness traditions of filling out brackets for the kiddos. Building on the precedent set last year, I helped Phoebe fill out her bracket and filled one out for Faye.
Sadly, and just like last year, Phoebe’s bracket was nearly shot up during the first round (I don't count the play-in games) and officially finished off last night. As we filled out her bracket Thursday night, I read off the matchups one-by-one and she picked the teams she thought would win. My theory holds again this year that she picks her winners based on the names with which she’s familiar – or the ones that simply sound fun to her.
Therefore, she picked Wisconsin to win it all. And we all know now that’s not happening after Friday afternoon.
The rest of her Final Four consisted of Pacific, Northwestern State and Memphis. She has a friend at her preschool named Memphis.
Phoebe also picked Iona to advance to the West regional against Wisconsin (oops). And she picked Missouri to advance to the Midwest regional against Memphis (oops and oops). She picked Pittsburgh to win two games – before falling to Wisconsin – because she has a teacher named Mrs. Pitts (oops).
Phoebe, however, correctly picked Florida Gulf Coast to upset Georgetown. Amazing.
She correctly picked 12 of the first 40 games and, after just three days of play and heading into this afternoon’s games, the only teams she has left standing are Kansas and FGCU.
Faye and I are faring much better, thank you very much. Keeping with the tradition established during the magical run that was 2008 (and no, I'm still not tired of bringing that up ... ), the baby’s bracket finishes with Kansas as the national champion. Rounding out Faye’s Final Four are Michigan State, Wisconsin (doh!) and Miami. … Wisconsin was supposed to meet Kansas in the national championship game.
Faye also accurately picked No. 1-seed Louisville and No. 12-seed Oregon advancing to face each other, and she picked No. 9-seed Wichita State upsetting No. 1-seed Gonzaga.
As for my bracket, I have Kansas, Miami, Wisconsin and Louisville in my Final Four, with Louisville and Miam facing off in the championship. Seriously, I really thought Wisconsin, it seemed, had been flying under the radar for most of the season and they were going to have a better showing. One of the talking heads on ESPN – I can’t remember who now – even said as much the other day. … And for the record, I also picked the Louisville-Oregon matchup. The only other upsets – if you want to call them that – I predicted were Iowa State over Notre Dame and Wichita State over Pittsburgh.
Good reads ...
In N.C.A.A. Basketball Tournament, Field Looks Wide Open
Bubbling Up: The Downside of Being No. 1
Darlings of Yore Hear the Cheers, but Not for Them
And whaddaya know, coming up this afternoon, Kansas has a matchup with ol’ Roy Williams and North Carolina.
Bring it. … Sorry, Hitler.
It sure doesn’t feel like it, though. At about 5 o’clock last night, the snow storm weather forecasters had been talking about for days actually arrived. … And it’s still snowing.
This is the scene in our back yard this morning …
And this is Phoebe’s baseball tee. She got it out last weekend and was playing with it while it was 70 degrees and sunny. This morning, it’s buried in white stuff.
We might as well get out the Christmas decorations.
On one hand, I guess it’s a good timing. Most of my Spring Break week will be spent buried in graduate work, finishing my research project and compiling my portfolio. I have less than a month to go.
So the snow is good because it will deter me from wishing I could be doing things outside. And we desperately need the precipitation.
But it's bringing a whole new meaning to March Madness.
* * *
Confession time.
With all the chaos in our lives during these winter months, I’m as clueless about college basketball as I’ve felt in a long time.
Then again, maybe I’m being too hard on myself. After all, I’m aware enough to know there hasn’t been a consistently dominant team this year. I’m also aware enough to know that Louisville, Indiana, Miami and Kansas have been among the best.
Nonetheless, I filled out my bracket with pure guesses Thursday morning – usually I do at least a little research – and went on with my work day. Usually I follow the early games through score alerts and social media, too, but when I left my office around 5:30 Thursday evening, I knew nothing about the outcomes of the afternoon games. Later, we attended Phoebe’s spring concert – she was great, by the way, and sang all of her songs with gusto – and it wasn’t until we arrived home around 7:30 that I was able to finally catch up on some of the scores and highlights.
It was during that time that I also carried on my March Madness traditions of filling out brackets for the kiddos. Building on the precedent set last year, I helped Phoebe fill out her bracket and filled one out for Faye.
Sadly, and just like last year, Phoebe’s bracket was nearly shot up during the first round (I don't count the play-in games) and officially finished off last night. As we filled out her bracket Thursday night, I read off the matchups one-by-one and she picked the teams she thought would win. My theory holds again this year that she picks her winners based on the names with which she’s familiar – or the ones that simply sound fun to her.
Therefore, she picked Wisconsin to win it all. And we all know now that’s not happening after Friday afternoon.
The rest of her Final Four consisted of Pacific, Northwestern State and Memphis. She has a friend at her preschool named Memphis.
Phoebe also picked Iona to advance to the West regional against Wisconsin (oops). And she picked Missouri to advance to the Midwest regional against Memphis (oops and oops). She picked Pittsburgh to win two games – before falling to Wisconsin – because she has a teacher named Mrs. Pitts (oops).
Phoebe, however, correctly picked Florida Gulf Coast to upset Georgetown. Amazing.
She correctly picked 12 of the first 40 games and, after just three days of play and heading into this afternoon’s games, the only teams she has left standing are Kansas and FGCU.
Faye and I are faring much better, thank you very much. Keeping with the tradition established during the magical run that was 2008 (and no, I'm still not tired of bringing that up ... ), the baby’s bracket finishes with Kansas as the national champion. Rounding out Faye’s Final Four are Michigan State, Wisconsin (doh!) and Miami. … Wisconsin was supposed to meet Kansas in the national championship game. Faye also accurately picked No. 1-seed Louisville and No. 12-seed Oregon advancing to face each other, and she picked No. 9-seed Wichita State upsetting No. 1-seed Gonzaga.
As for my bracket, I have Kansas, Miami, Wisconsin and Louisville in my Final Four, with Louisville and Miam facing off in the championship. Seriously, I really thought Wisconsin, it seemed, had been flying under the radar for most of the season and they were going to have a better showing. One of the talking heads on ESPN – I can’t remember who now – even said as much the other day. … And for the record, I also picked the Louisville-Oregon matchup. The only other upsets – if you want to call them that – I predicted were Iowa State over Notre Dame and Wichita State over Pittsburgh.
Good reads ...
In N.C.A.A. Basketball Tournament, Field Looks Wide Open
Bubbling Up: The Downside of Being No. 1
Darlings of Yore Hear the Cheers, but Not for Them
And whaddaya know, coming up this afternoon, Kansas has a matchup with ol’ Roy Williams and North Carolina.
Bring it. … Sorry, Hitler.
4.02.2012
Not this year, Baby
Oh, Kansas.
What can I say?
I’m not the least bit a Kentucky fan. Nor am I a John Calipari fan. And I’m so sick of hearing about Anthony Davis.
Kentucky was the better team tonight.
But Kansas also missed some opportunities.
Kentucky put Kansas in a hole in the first half.
Then, the Jayhawks, like they’ve done throughout the season, turned it up a notch in the second half and clamped down on defense. They cut the lead and made it a competitive game.
But a couple missed dunks and bad passes were killers. The death knell was the travel call on Elijah Johnson as he was setting up for a three-pointer from the corner with just over three minutes left. Kansas was on an 8-0 run at that point and Johnson's three-pointer would have cut Kentucky's lead to four points.
Those Kansas miscues go the other way and the game might have had a different ending.
We all knew Kansas had to play a near-perfect game to beat Kentucky. Being down 18 points in the first half doesn’t cut it.
It was a fun game to watch. A heck of a run for Kansas. Unlike so many frustrating Kansas teams over the years, this one overachieved and put together a season of which us Jayhawks fans can be really proud. … I’m watching the Kansas City news as I write this and seeing the hordes of fans smiling and high-fiving as they crowd Mass Street says it all.
Beyond the Kansas run, when you think of all the close games, comebacks and upsets -- Lehigh over Duke, Norfolk State over Missouri -- this year’s NCAA tournament was one for the ages.
In the end, I correctly picked Kentucky as the winner in my bracket.
Although, what I really wanted was for Baby 2’s bracket to have the luck of Phoebe’s bracket in 2008. Baby 2 had Kentucky and Kansas in the national championship game with Kansas winning it all.
We came close, Baby. Maybe next year.
Good pre-game reads ...
a In title game, ground rules established
a Jayhawks refuse to lose faith while facing a deficit
a No Easy Path to the Rim for Either Tourney Finalist
a Kansas is running on Releford time
a Legacies at stake in Bill Self-John Calipari national title matchup
(Updated 04.04.2012) Good post-game reads ...
a KU can’t dig out of hole in 67-59 NCAA title game loss
a Coronation for Kentucky, and for Its Coach
a Valiant effort falls short as Kansas runs out of magic in title game
a NCAA Championship photo gallery
a Kentucky: Thanks for a memory ... Fifteen years or so down the road, after they’ve experienced the emotional bumps and bruises of both NBA and everyday life, they may come to the realization they never had more fun playing this game than they did with each other. They could have gotten more out of it.
What can I say?
I’m not the least bit a Kentucky fan. Nor am I a John Calipari fan. And I’m so sick of hearing about Anthony Davis.
Kentucky was the better team tonight.
But Kansas also missed some opportunities.
Kentucky put Kansas in a hole in the first half.
Then, the Jayhawks, like they’ve done throughout the season, turned it up a notch in the second half and clamped down on defense. They cut the lead and made it a competitive game.
But a couple missed dunks and bad passes were killers. The death knell was the travel call on Elijah Johnson as he was setting up for a three-pointer from the corner with just over three minutes left. Kansas was on an 8-0 run at that point and Johnson's three-pointer would have cut Kentucky's lead to four points.
Those Kansas miscues go the other way and the game might have had a different ending.
We all knew Kansas had to play a near-perfect game to beat Kentucky. Being down 18 points in the first half doesn’t cut it.
It was a fun game to watch. A heck of a run for Kansas. Unlike so many frustrating Kansas teams over the years, this one overachieved and put together a season of which us Jayhawks fans can be really proud. … I’m watching the Kansas City news as I write this and seeing the hordes of fans smiling and high-fiving as they crowd Mass Street says it all.
Beyond the Kansas run, when you think of all the close games, comebacks and upsets -- Lehigh over Duke, Norfolk State over Missouri -- this year’s NCAA tournament was one for the ages.
In the end, I correctly picked Kentucky as the winner in my bracket.
Although, what I really wanted was for Baby 2’s bracket to have the luck of Phoebe’s bracket in 2008. Baby 2 had Kentucky and Kansas in the national championship game with Kansas winning it all.
We came close, Baby. Maybe next year.
Good pre-game reads ...
a In title game, ground rules established
a Jayhawks refuse to lose faith while facing a deficit
a No Easy Path to the Rim for Either Tourney Finalist
a Kansas is running on Releford time
a Legacies at stake in Bill Self-John Calipari national title matchup
(Updated 04.04.2012) Good post-game reads ...
a KU can’t dig out of hole in 67-59 NCAA title game loss
a Coronation for Kentucky, and for Its Coach
a Valiant effort falls short as Kansas runs out of magic in title game
a NCAA Championship photo gallery
a Kentucky: Thanks for a memory ... Fifteen years or so down the road, after they’ve experienced the emotional bumps and bruises of both NBA and everyday life, they may come to the realization they never had more fun playing this game than they did with each other. They could have gotten more out of it.
3.31.2012
Let's get together and do it again
Today was a pretty great day.
I slept in until almost 9 this morning. The day was sunny with temperatures in the 80s.
Kates went to church in the morning to rehearse with the choir for its Palm Sunday cantata tomorrow. Phoebe played in the living room and watched the Food Network.
And I worked in the baby’s room. I did some cleanup of my paint job, washed the hardwood floor, nailed down the new quarter-round and started unpacking some of the baby items we’ve been storing in the closet.
After lunch, Kates took Phoebe to a friend’s birthday party at the bowling alley and did some grocery shopping. I headed outside to spend the afternoon in the yard.
Besides the usual mowing and trimming, my objective for the afternoon was to begin the process of moving a section of the chain-link fence that surrounds our backyard. I’m willing to put my dislike for chain-link fences aside, but a section of the fence that ran along one side of our yard has bugged me since we moved in.
We have a shed in the back corner of our yard. But the shed sat outside of the fence, at a corner of our yard that is opposite of where the fence gate was located. So when I worked in the backyard -- inside the fence -- and needed something in the shed, I had to walk the length of the yard to the gate, exit the fenced portion and then walk to the back corner of the yard to access the shed. To me, it made a whole lot more sense to have the shed inside the fenced portion.
So I got my plan approved with the city officials. Plunked down $10 for a permit. Had the utilities mark off cables and pipes. And today I dismantled the side in question, which was a cinch to do, by the way. As I find time in the next couple weeks, I’ll dig new holes for the posts and reinstall the fence about 10 feet over from its original location. Outside our shed.
While I was outside this afternoon, I came upon a little friend I scooped up for Phoebe to see.
As much as Phoebe begged for us to keep him -- and as tempting as that was -- we finally did say goodbye. After we had been inside for awhile, I looked out the window just in time to see him hopping away.
I would’ve worked in the yard until the sun set had it not been for a certain college basketball game tonight.
By the time I did come inside and turn on the TV, the Kentucky-Louisville game was in the second half and Kentucky was widening its lead. … For a little while, Louisville looked capable of pulling off the upset. But Kentucky took back control of the game and advanced to Monday night’s championship.
I hope Kansas sticks it to them Monday night. I’ve never been a Kentucky University fan, and now that John Calipari’s coaching them, I dislike them even more.
But Kansas had better learn to play in the first half, if they have any hopes of winning the national championship. … These tournament games are making my hair turn grayer by the minute.
Tonight, against Ohio State, they looked absolutely awful in the first half. They were out of control, attempting fancy passes that were landing out-of-bounds and tossing -- to quote one of the CBS analysts tonight -- "dipsy-dos" at the basket. To Ohio State’s credit, the Buckeyes were playing tight defense and a slow tempo that had the Jayhawks out of whack. Ohio State also was knocking down its shots, and Kansas was not.
Good thing for Kansas that college basketball is a game of two halves. Especially in this year’s NCAA tournament. My goodness.
I lied emotionless on the couch for the first half, preparing myself for what could have been the end.
The energizing second half had me sitting up and paying closer attention. To yet another comeback. … As Kansas closed in on the lead I let out a burst of excited laughter and shouted to Kates, “They’re doing it again!”
Then, when Kansas finally took its first lead, since leading 2-0 to start the game, a weight was lifted. But it was hardly the end. Multiple lead changes as the clock wound down kept me on edge.
During that last minute, all I could think was, Here we go again. …
I was sweating and literally sitting on the edge of my seat. Every time there was a shot, turnover or whistle I was springing off the couch, pumping my fists, clapping and pacing to the back of the living room before returning to the couch.
When Withey caught a pass in the paint, turned and tossed a shot into the basket with 27 seconds left, I let out a loud cheer and started jumping around the room, thinking he sealed the game -- only to turn around and realize the referees waved off the shot because he traveled. The basket would have put Kansas ahead by five.
Back on the couch I went to sweat it out some more. Every time Kansas took another step toward sealing the game, they followed it with a careless mistake. With 3 seconds left and Kansas ahead by three points, Tyshawn Taylor stole an Ohio State pass, drove the court and then threw the ball away. Maddening!
It left Ohio State with time to do something as Aaron Craft went to the foul line.
Finally, the Jayhawks got the break they needed when Craft made his first shot and then drew a whistle on his second for racing into the lane in an attempt to rebound the shot, which he missed on purpose.
Before any of the Ohio State players could figure out what happened, Kansas inbounded the ball and the game was over.
Jayhawks fans across the land breathed another sigh of relief and rejoiced.
At one point in the second half, I noticed my TweetDeck was eerliy quiet, which I took to mean that people were paying so much attention to the game.
But when the game ended, Twitter and Facebook blew up. Here’s a sampling of some of my favorite posts …
… Tonight I’m going to bed a happy man.
Meanwhile, in Manhattan. ... What a saga this Frank Martin thing has turned out to be, after he emphatically denied during one of the tournament games last weekend that the news of him moving to South Carolina was totally untrue. The Star's Sam Mellinger had a good take on it this week.
Good reads ...
a Kansas Tops Ohio State in Tense Stretch Run
a Bill Self's good point about the "easy" job he's had this year
a Davidson loss was a turning point for KU
a Withey’s volleyball background was a building block
a Sullinger, Robinson truly the elite in matchup of Ohio State and Kansas
a The Onion: Exhaustive Investigation By Broadcasters Finds Every Player In NCAA Tournament Just A Great Kid
I slept in until almost 9 this morning. The day was sunny with temperatures in the 80s.
Kates went to church in the morning to rehearse with the choir for its Palm Sunday cantata tomorrow. Phoebe played in the living room and watched the Food Network.
And I worked in the baby’s room. I did some cleanup of my paint job, washed the hardwood floor, nailed down the new quarter-round and started unpacking some of the baby items we’ve been storing in the closet.
After lunch, Kates took Phoebe to a friend’s birthday party at the bowling alley and did some grocery shopping. I headed outside to spend the afternoon in the yard.
Besides the usual mowing and trimming, my objective for the afternoon was to begin the process of moving a section of the chain-link fence that surrounds our backyard. I’m willing to put my dislike for chain-link fences aside, but a section of the fence that ran along one side of our yard has bugged me since we moved in.
We have a shed in the back corner of our yard. But the shed sat outside of the fence, at a corner of our yard that is opposite of where the fence gate was located. So when I worked in the backyard -- inside the fence -- and needed something in the shed, I had to walk the length of the yard to the gate, exit the fenced portion and then walk to the back corner of the yard to access the shed. To me, it made a whole lot more sense to have the shed inside the fenced portion.
So I got my plan approved with the city officials. Plunked down $10 for a permit. Had the utilities mark off cables and pipes. And today I dismantled the side in question, which was a cinch to do, by the way. As I find time in the next couple weeks, I’ll dig new holes for the posts and reinstall the fence about 10 feet over from its original location. Outside our shed.
* * *
While I was outside this afternoon, I came upon a little friend I scooped up for Phoebe to see.
Phoebe, of course, was enthralled and we had a good time petting the little bunny. He, or she -- we never did figure that part out -- stayed with us in the yard for much of the afternoon.
As much as Phoebe begged for us to keep him -- and as tempting as that was -- we finally did say goodbye. After we had been inside for awhile, I looked out the window just in time to see him hopping away.
* * *
I would’ve worked in the yard until the sun set had it not been for a certain college basketball game tonight.
By the time I did come inside and turn on the TV, the Kentucky-Louisville game was in the second half and Kentucky was widening its lead. … For a little while, Louisville looked capable of pulling off the upset. But Kentucky took back control of the game and advanced to Monday night’s championship.
I hope Kansas sticks it to them Monday night. I’ve never been a Kentucky University fan, and now that John Calipari’s coaching them, I dislike them even more.
But Kansas had better learn to play in the first half, if they have any hopes of winning the national championship. … These tournament games are making my hair turn grayer by the minute.
Tonight, against Ohio State, they looked absolutely awful in the first half. They were out of control, attempting fancy passes that were landing out-of-bounds and tossing -- to quote one of the CBS analysts tonight -- "dipsy-dos" at the basket. To Ohio State’s credit, the Buckeyes were playing tight defense and a slow tempo that had the Jayhawks out of whack. Ohio State also was knocking down its shots, and Kansas was not.
Good thing for Kansas that college basketball is a game of two halves. Especially in this year’s NCAA tournament. My goodness.
I lied emotionless on the couch for the first half, preparing myself for what could have been the end.
Kansas was on the ropes at halftime Saturday against Ohio State. With the Jayhawks' chances of playing for their second national championship in five years hanging in the balance, they turned the screws defensively and sped past the Buckeyes 64-62 and into Monday's final.
Trailing by 13 points late in the first half and nine at intermission, Kansas (32-6) held OSU to eight second-half field goals on 33 attempts. (USA Today)
The energizing second half had me sitting up and paying closer attention. To yet another comeback. … As Kansas closed in on the lead I let out a burst of excited laughter and shouted to Kates, “They’re doing it again!”
Then, when Kansas finally took its first lead, since leading 2-0 to start the game, a weight was lifted. But it was hardly the end. Multiple lead changes as the clock wound down kept me on edge.
During that last minute, all I could think was, Here we go again. …
I was sweating and literally sitting on the edge of my seat. Every time there was a shot, turnover or whistle I was springing off the couch, pumping my fists, clapping and pacing to the back of the living room before returning to the couch.
When Withey caught a pass in the paint, turned and tossed a shot into the basket with 27 seconds left, I let out a loud cheer and started jumping around the room, thinking he sealed the game -- only to turn around and realize the referees waved off the shot because he traveled. The basket would have put Kansas ahead by five.
Back on the couch I went to sweat it out some more. Every time Kansas took another step toward sealing the game, they followed it with a careless mistake. With 3 seconds left and Kansas ahead by three points, Tyshawn Taylor stole an Ohio State pass, drove the court and then threw the ball away. Maddening!
It left Ohio State with time to do something as Aaron Craft went to the foul line.
Finally, the Jayhawks got the break they needed when Craft made his first shot and then drew a whistle on his second for racing into the lane in an attempt to rebound the shot, which he missed on purpose.
Before any of the Ohio State players could figure out what happened, Kansas inbounded the ball and the game was over.
Jayhawks fans across the land breathed another sigh of relief and rejoiced.
At one point in the second half, I noticed my TweetDeck was eerliy quiet, which I took to mean that people were paying so much attention to the game.
But when the game ended, Twitter and Facebook blew up. Here’s a sampling of some of my favorite posts …
YYYEEEESSSSS!! Holy mother of Xanax we WON!!!
Who can watch NEWS after a game like that, Greg Gumbel!? Anyone with a pulse should be rewatching that second half. #Kansas
HOW do they keep DOING that?!
Boom. Kansas.
I think my heart beat is back to normal now.
Not bad for a rebuilding year!
Bill Self really needs to start giving his half time speeches at the beginning of the game...
I love having the opportunity to hit "like" on so many of my friends' status updates! Rock Chalk!
Thanks to Charles Barkley and Bill Walton for continuing to pick against KU, I'm counting on you again monday!
Thinks it's funny that I have so many KU fans from so many different eras of my life. Must be good people.
Oh man. no crappy first half Monday night jayhawks! Let's do this!
… Tonight I’m going to bed a happy man.
Meanwhile, in Manhattan. ... What a saga this Frank Martin thing has turned out to be, after he emphatically denied during one of the tournament games last weekend that the news of him moving to South Carolina was totally untrue. The Star's Sam Mellinger had a good take on it this week.
Good reads ...
a Kansas Tops Ohio State in Tense Stretch Run
a Bill Self's good point about the "easy" job he's had this year
a Davidson loss was a turning point for KU
a Withey’s volleyball background was a building block
a Sullinger, Robinson truly the elite in matchup of Ohio State and Kansas
a The Onion: Exhaustive Investigation By Broadcasters Finds Every Player In NCAA Tournament Just A Great Kid
3.25.2012
Final Four. Jayhawks. It's happening, Baby.
This year's ride with the Jayhawks just gets better and better.
I was parked on the couch at 4 this afternoon for the Kansas-North Carolina, and nothing else mattered for two hours.
Against Purdue, it was Elijah Johnson. Friday night, it was Jeff Withey to the rescue. And today, Tyshawn Taylor finally showed up to play.
Welcome to the NCAA tournament, Tyshawn, tweeted Seth Davis at one point after Taylor hit a big shot for the Jayhawks.
Given Kansas' recent success against the Tar Heels and their former leader Roy Williams, I was fairly confident going into the game ...
And I'll say this to all the people who might blame North Carolina's loss on Kendall Marshall, who didn't play because of the injury he suffered earlier in the tournament: I believe, no matter the sport, that teams earn championships by not only playing well but by staying healthy. By overcoming adversity. The stars must align. North Carolina's star point guard broke his wrist and the Tar Heels' game arguably suffered. Bottom line: Kansas was the better team today.
Still, that's not to say this game wasn't a stomach-churner like those of the last week. There were 13 lead changes and 15 ties before Kansas finally put the squeeze on North Carolina.
My heart was racing and my mouth went dry for that last minute-and-a-half.
My friend Wren tweeted ...
To which I tweeted back hastily ...
Finally, it ended. With a KU win.
Kates was away at a church choir rehearsal, and Phoebe had been playing in her downstairs play room for most of the game. ... But she understands my love for the Jayhawks and joined me on the couch for the final minute or so.
As the clock ran down, I stood up in front of the TV and began clapping and cheering. Phoebe joined me and for several seconds we danced around the living room together singing KU's praises. With similar emotions to that epic night of the 2008 national championship -- the baby who was already pulling so heavily on my heart that night, and now a KU-winning bracket for the child on the way -- I caught myself in the moment with my eyes welling up a bit.
Not long afterward, Kates arrived home to Phoebe and I now resting on the couch. Kates looked at me wide-eyed and asked "Did they?!"
"They did. Jayhawks in the Final Four, Baby!" I said with my arms outstretched over my head.
(Updated: 03.26.2012) Good reads ...
a KU returns to its identity as it reaches Final Four
a Self has shaped the Jayhawks into muscle
a First Look at the Final Four
a Postgame Interviews, Some Net Cutting and a Sweet Homecoming
On top of the Kansas win, the only thing that would have made a better cap to my spring break week would have been watching tonight's “Mad Man” Season 5 premiere.
Unfortunately, Kates and I lost track of the show during Season 4 when our TV blew up, and we're still working to get caught up. Distractions like graduate school and baby preparation have made it a little more difficult than we’d like.
I was parked on the couch at 4 this afternoon for the Kansas-North Carolina, and nothing else mattered for two hours.
Against Purdue, it was Elijah Johnson. Friday night, it was Jeff Withey to the rescue. And today, Tyshawn Taylor finally showed up to play.
Welcome to the NCAA tournament, Tyshawn, tweeted Seth Davis at one point after Taylor hit a big shot for the Jayhawks.
Given Kansas' recent success against the Tar Heels and their former leader Roy Williams, I was fairly confident going into the game ...
And I'll say this to all the people who might blame North Carolina's loss on Kendall Marshall, who didn't play because of the injury he suffered earlier in the tournament: I believe, no matter the sport, that teams earn championships by not only playing well but by staying healthy. By overcoming adversity. The stars must align. North Carolina's star point guard broke his wrist and the Tar Heels' game arguably suffered. Bottom line: Kansas was the better team today.
Still, that's not to say this game wasn't a stomach-churner like those of the last week. There were 13 lead changes and 15 ties before Kansas finally put the squeeze on North Carolina.
My heart was racing and my mouth went dry for that last minute-and-a-half.
My friend Wren tweeted ...
What an unbelievable game! I don't want it to end.
To which I tweeted back hastily ...
I want it to end -- with a KU win!
Finally, it ended. With a KU win.
In a fast-paced Midwest Region final that was tight throughout, Kansas scored the last 12 points to win, 80-67, at the Edward Jones Dome. The top-seeded Tar Heels collapsed down the stretch, missing their final nine shots and 14 of 16 in the face of a Kansas triangle-and-two defense ... (The New York Times)
Kates was away at a church choir rehearsal, and Phoebe had been playing in her downstairs play room for most of the game. ... But she understands my love for the Jayhawks and joined me on the couch for the final minute or so.
As the clock ran down, I stood up in front of the TV and began clapping and cheering. Phoebe joined me and for several seconds we danced around the living room together singing KU's praises. With similar emotions to that epic night of the 2008 national championship -- the baby who was already pulling so heavily on my heart that night, and now a KU-winning bracket for the child on the way -- I caught myself in the moment with my eyes welling up a bit.
Not long afterward, Kates arrived home to Phoebe and I now resting on the couch. Kates looked at me wide-eyed and asked "Did they?!"
"They did. Jayhawks in the Final Four, Baby!" I said with my arms outstretched over my head.
(Updated: 03.26.2012) Good reads ...
a KU returns to its identity as it reaches Final Four
a Self has shaped the Jayhawks into muscle
a First Look at the Final Four
a Postgame Interviews, Some Net Cutting and a Sweet Homecoming
On top of the Kansas win, the only thing that would have made a better cap to my spring break week would have been watching tonight's “Mad Man” Season 5 premiere.
Unfortunately, Kates and I lost track of the show during Season 4 when our TV blew up, and we're still working to get caught up. Distractions like graduate school and baby preparation have made it a little more difficult than we’d like.
3.24.2012
So maddening
Dang, Jayhawks. You do like to make it interesting.
Good thing Jeff Withey blocked a gazillion shots and North Carolina State actually allowed Thomas Robinson to score in the paint.
And Elijah Johnson. There he was again tonight with a clutch layup to seal the win for Kansas during the final seconds. Elijah is the man for KU right now.
With the win, of course, Kansas moves on to play Sunday against the vaunted North Carolina Tar Heels. For a trip to the Final Four.
My heart was pounding as the clocked ticked away on regulation of that Ohio-North Carolina game earlier tonight. But Ohio couldn't put the game away, and North Carolina got the best of them in overtime. ... It would have been glorious had Ohio pulled off the upset. Dare I say it, after the way North Carolina looked tonight, I think Kansas has a decent shot of winning Sunday.
There was a time tonight that I thought Indiana was going to pull off the upset of Kentucky, which also would have been glorious had it panned out. But it didn't.
So at this point Baby’s bracket is faring best of the three we filled out in our house. ... Not sure what it is about babys in the NCAA tournament. Phoebe's bracket outdid mine in 2008.
Phoebe’s bracket died last night when Wisconsin lost that heart-breaking thriller to Syracuse -- which Jim Boeheim and others called one of the best-played tournament games ever, in a tournament that's shaping up to be one for the ages. … The game was in the Badgers’ hands for the taking. Oh, it was tough to watch those final 20 seconds and the botched play on the last possession. But I give Syracuse a lot of credit. Watching them play that suffocating zone defense was something special.
Meanwhile, Kentucky and North Carolina are the only Final Four teams I have remaining in my bracket, and the Baylor-Kentucky matchup is the only regional final that I accurately predicted.
Good reads ...
a KU needs Robinson’s ‘A’ game in NCAA Tournament
a Thomas Robinson: Talent chiseled by hard knocks
a KU's Elijah Johnson is on course in life
a Fun-loving reporter Sager's wardrobe speaks loudly ... No TBS sports broadcast would be complete without him and his rainbow-colored suits.
For the first few minutes Friday night, Kansas’s Midwest Regional semifinal with North Carolina State suspiciously resembled its third-round tussle with Purdue. The Wolfpack, like the Boilermakers, jumped out to an early lead and made the second-seeded Jayhawks sweat right to the finish. (The New York Times)They play like a junior varsity team the first 10 minutes of the game and need the rest of the first half to chip away at the deficit. Then, just when you think they’ve taken control in the second half, they go turn the ball over five times and let North Carolina State outscore them 17-10 in the final 11 minutes. Yeesh!
Good thing Jeff Withey blocked a gazillion shots and North Carolina State actually allowed Thomas Robinson to score in the paint.
And Elijah Johnson. There he was again tonight with a clutch layup to seal the win for Kansas during the final seconds. Elijah is the man for KU right now.
With the win, of course, Kansas moves on to play Sunday against the vaunted North Carolina Tar Heels. For a trip to the Final Four.
My heart was pounding as the clocked ticked away on regulation of that Ohio-North Carolina game earlier tonight. But Ohio couldn't put the game away, and North Carolina got the best of them in overtime. ... It would have been glorious had Ohio pulled off the upset. Dare I say it, after the way North Carolina looked tonight, I think Kansas has a decent shot of winning Sunday.
There was a time tonight that I thought Indiana was going to pull off the upset of Kentucky, which also would have been glorious had it panned out. But it didn't.
So at this point Baby’s bracket is faring best of the three we filled out in our house. ... Not sure what it is about babys in the NCAA tournament. Phoebe's bracket outdid mine in 2008.
Phoebe’s bracket died last night when Wisconsin lost that heart-breaking thriller to Syracuse -- which Jim Boeheim and others called one of the best-played tournament games ever, in a tournament that's shaping up to be one for the ages. … The game was in the Badgers’ hands for the taking. Oh, it was tough to watch those final 20 seconds and the botched play on the last possession. But I give Syracuse a lot of credit. Watching them play that suffocating zone defense was something special.
Meanwhile, Kentucky and North Carolina are the only Final Four teams I have remaining in my bracket, and the Baylor-Kentucky matchup is the only regional final that I accurately predicted.
Good reads ...
a KU needs Robinson’s ‘A’ game in NCAA Tournament
a Thomas Robinson: Talent chiseled by hard knocks
a KU's Elijah Johnson is on course in life
a Fun-loving reporter Sager's wardrobe speaks loudly ... No TBS sports broadcast would be complete without him and his rainbow-colored suits.
3.19.2012
The Madness, continued
Oh, Jayhawks.
They nearly did it to me again last night. But I’d rather have them leave me speechless -- the way they did last night -- than heartbroken. Like they've done so many times before.
This weekend, I went to work hard on Baby 2’s room. In doing so, I moved our 19-inch TV from our master bedroom to the baby’s room and stretched a long cable cord down the hallway so I could keep tabs on the basketball games while I worked.
How exciting were Saturday’s games!? They picked up right where Friday night’s thrillers left off and I my Saturday could not have been better, as I watched the games from morning 'til night. Syracuse knocked off Kansas State. Ohio State beat Gonzaga. Indiana topped VCU in a thriller. Louisville put away New Mexico. And Wisconsin squeaked by Vanderbilt on a missed last-second shot, which of course had our house roaring Saturday evening.
I didn’t get much work done in the baby's room during last night's Kansas-Purdue game, however. … And when I did make progress with my painting, it was only because Kansas was playing so poorly I couldn’t stand to watch.
After all, Purdue should have won that game. They led for like 39 of the 40 minutes that make up a regulation game. The Boilermakers had totally shut down Thomas Robinson, and Tyshawn Taylor was cold.
Then Elijah Johnson happened.
When he nailed that three-pointer to give Kansas its first lead with three minutes left in the game, I had one of those moments where I had to do all I could to squelch my excitement because Phoebe was sleeping in the next room.
My eyes were glued on the TV the rest of the way, and by the final minute I was on all fours. Chewing my T-shirt collar.
Purdue took back the lead and had a chance to put the game away with 20 seconds left. But Purdue’s Lewis Jackson lost control of the ball. … Good ol’ Elijah was there to snatch it up and run it up the floor for what proved to be the game-winning layup.
Purdue had two more attempts to win or tie the game in the final 20 seconds, but both failed. Kansas won 63-60. Unbelievable finish.
When it was finally over, I sank back on the wall and burst into anxious laughter.
“Why are you laughing?” Kates asked from downstairs.
Good reads ...
a KU hopes flaws were one-time deal
a Kansas Rallies Past Purdue and Into Final 16
a Lower Profile, but No Longer Overlooked by N.C.A.A.
a Hanging From the Rafters, Lasting Symbols of Success and Pride
a Which teams have the best chances to upset powerhouse Kentucky?
They nearly did it to me again last night. But I’d rather have them leave me speechless -- the way they did last night -- than heartbroken. Like they've done so many times before.
This weekend, I went to work hard on Baby 2’s room. In doing so, I moved our 19-inch TV from our master bedroom to the baby’s room and stretched a long cable cord down the hallway so I could keep tabs on the basketball games while I worked.
How exciting were Saturday’s games!? They picked up right where Friday night’s thrillers left off and I my Saturday could not have been better, as I watched the games from morning 'til night. Syracuse knocked off Kansas State. Ohio State beat Gonzaga. Indiana topped VCU in a thriller. Louisville put away New Mexico. And Wisconsin squeaked by Vanderbilt on a missed last-second shot, which of course had our house roaring Saturday evening.
I didn’t get much work done in the baby's room during last night's Kansas-Purdue game, however. … And when I did make progress with my painting, it was only because Kansas was playing so poorly I couldn’t stand to watch.
After all, Purdue should have won that game. They led for like 39 of the 40 minutes that make up a regulation game. The Boilermakers had totally shut down Thomas Robinson, and Tyshawn Taylor was cold.
Then Elijah Johnson happened.
When he nailed that three-pointer to give Kansas its first lead with three minutes left in the game, I had one of those moments where I had to do all I could to squelch my excitement because Phoebe was sleeping in the next room.
My eyes were glued on the TV the rest of the way, and by the final minute I was on all fours. Chewing my T-shirt collar.
Purdue took back the lead and had a chance to put the game away with 20 seconds left. But Purdue’s Lewis Jackson lost control of the ball. … Good ol’ Elijah was there to snatch it up and run it up the floor for what proved to be the game-winning layup.
Purdue had two more attempts to win or tie the game in the final 20 seconds, but both failed. Kansas won 63-60. Unbelievable finish.
When it was finally over, I sank back on the wall and burst into anxious laughter.
“Why are you laughing?” Kates asked from downstairs.
Good reads ...
a KU hopes flaws were one-time deal
a Kansas Rallies Past Purdue and Into Final 16
a Lower Profile, but No Longer Overlooked by N.C.A.A.
a Hanging From the Rafters, Lasting Symbols of Success and Pride
a Which teams have the best chances to upset powerhouse Kentucky?
3.17.2012
The Madness
So I filled out my bracket -- half asleep -- around 12:30 a.m. Thursday.
My bracket made it through Thursday’s first round games mostly intact. Although I foolishly picked Wichita State to beat VCU and Long Beach State as an upset over New Mexico; after VCU’s success last year, I should have known they were capable of taking out Wichita State, and Long Beach State -- I’m not sure what I was thinking. I also missed on Gonzaga over West Virginia; in recent years, it seems, Gonzaga has underachieved during the tournament, so I bet on them getting knocked out in the first round. The only other game I failed to pick was Colorado’s upset of UNLV.
On a side note, WTMX, the Chicago radio station that I listen to faithfully each morning had a good bit this morning: Every time anyone mentioned VCU coach Shaka Smart, the intro of Chaka Khan’s “I Feel For You” charged over the airwaves. It made me burst into laughter every time.
Then, today happened.
I arrived home from work in time to catch the second half of the Missouri-Norfolk State game. As hard as I was trying to finish another piece of my graduate homework for this week, I couldn’t look away from the TV. … Missouri couldn’t seem to knock down any shots, and Norfolk State was just plain outplaying the Tigers.
Then the game got really good during those final seconds. When Phil Pressey hit that 3-pointer to cut Missouri's deficit to 85-84 with 10 seconds left, I thought, Whoah! Missouri could still pull this thing out! ... Then, Norfolk players suddenly lost their ability to make free throws. Missouri almost stole the game on a botched inbounds pass. And the Tigers had a chance to grab one more possession after a Norfolk missed free throw. But Norfolk held on.
I had Missouri in my Elite Eight.
Upset city. And it got better.
North Carolina State upset San Diego State (picked it!), Creighton beat Alabama by one (picked it!), Xavier upset Notre Dame (picked it!) and Purdue upset St. Mary’s (picked it!). I was wrong, however, on Florida over Virginia, St. Louis over Memphis, South Florida over Temple, and Ohio over Michigan.
Kates and Phoebe arrived home and we settled in for the Duke-Lehigh game.
That was the big one.
Like Missouri, Duke seemed out of sorts. And Lehigh was running all over them, tossing balls up the court like a quarterback throwing passes to a wide receiver streaking down the sideline. Lehigh played with such tenacity and fearlessness -- it was something special to watch.
Norfolk State and Lehigh put on such exciting shows in their defeats of Missouri and Duke -- which I had going to the Sweet Sixteen -- that I didn’t mind the impacts on my bracket. ... It was the first time in NCAA tournament history that two No. 15 seeds defeated No. 2 seeds -- and they did it on the same day.
That kind of excitement is what March Madness is all about. Look how tired it made Phoebe ...
For the record, my Final Four consists of Kentucky, Michigan State, North Carolina and Florida State. Then I have Kentucky and North Carolina facing off in the championship game, with Kentucky taking the whole she-bang.
Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina, of course, are popular picks as No. 1 seeds. … But I’ve been impressed with Florida State the last couple weeks, and I think they’re getting hot at the right time. I predict they beat Syracuse in the regional final for a trip to New Orleans.
Other notables: I’ve got Wisconsin winning its first game, but falling to Vanderbilt in the second round. I have Kansas losing to Georgetown in the Sweet Sixteen. I have Murray State upsetting Marquette to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. And Baylor meeting Kentucky in the Elite Eight round.
Phoebe filled out a bracket, too.
In past years, I’ve simply filled out an extra bracket and submitted it under her name. But this year I wanted to giver her the chance to make her own picks. … So last night -- I let it slide that some of the games already had been played -- I printed a bracket for her, and we sat on the couch with me reading each matchup -- line by line, round by round -- so she could select her teams.
Needless to say, almost all of her picks were lower seeds. Her Final Four consists of Duke (oops!), BYU (oops!), Belmont (oops!) and Wisconsin. She has Duke and Wisconsin in her championship with Wisconsin winning it all.
By picking mostly lower seeds, however, she successfully called VCU over Wichita State, South Florida over Temple, Ohio over Michigan, North Carolina State over San Diego State, and Purdue over Saint Mary’s.
She also picked Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri to go deep into the tournament.
Thus, my theory is that her picks were based on teams she was familiar with because I talk about them and watch them a lot. Or because she liked the way their names sounded -- like St. Bonaventure.
Of course, Baby No. 2 got a bracket this year as well. Because let’s not forget the luck that came when I filled out a bracket for Phoebe the year she was born. Her bracket had Kansas winning it all -- and as luck had it -- it happened.
So, it should come as no surprise that Baby No. 2’s bracket features Kansas as the national champion. (Hey, I had to get my Jayhawks in there somehow.)
The rest of her Final Four includes Missouri (oops!), Kentucky and Syracuse, with Kentucky advancing to the final against Kansas.
Like Phoebe's the year she was born, I think Baby No. 2 has the best bracket of all of us.
I contemplated advancing Missouri to the championship against Kansas, and even throwing Wisconsin into the Final Four instead of Syracuse.
But that wouldn’t be realistic now, would it?
a KU professor researching Naismith, religion and basketball
a Old rivals sharing close quarters in Omaha
a Thursday in Bracketland: VCU Signs In
a Long, strange trip it's been: Fired in disgrace, Eustachy is back
a In 1956, a Racial Law Repelled Harvard’s Team
a For Two-Way Referee, It’s N.F.L. One Day, College Basketball the Next
a No Dribbling and No Passing, but Free Throws Are Nonstop
a The Onion: Report: Only Matter Of Time Before A 'SportsCenter' Host Snaps, Blows Brains Out On Live Television
My bracket made it through Thursday’s first round games mostly intact. Although I foolishly picked Wichita State to beat VCU and Long Beach State as an upset over New Mexico; after VCU’s success last year, I should have known they were capable of taking out Wichita State, and Long Beach State -- I’m not sure what I was thinking. I also missed on Gonzaga over West Virginia; in recent years, it seems, Gonzaga has underachieved during the tournament, so I bet on them getting knocked out in the first round. The only other game I failed to pick was Colorado’s upset of UNLV.
On a side note, WTMX, the Chicago radio station that I listen to faithfully each morning had a good bit this morning: Every time anyone mentioned VCU coach Shaka Smart, the intro of Chaka Khan’s “I Feel For You” charged over the airwaves. It made me burst into laughter every time.
Then, today happened.
I arrived home from work in time to catch the second half of the Missouri-Norfolk State game. As hard as I was trying to finish another piece of my graduate homework for this week, I couldn’t look away from the TV. … Missouri couldn’t seem to knock down any shots, and Norfolk State was just plain outplaying the Tigers.
Then the game got really good during those final seconds. When Phil Pressey hit that 3-pointer to cut Missouri's deficit to 85-84 with 10 seconds left, I thought, Whoah! Missouri could still pull this thing out! ... Then, Norfolk players suddenly lost their ability to make free throws. Missouri almost stole the game on a botched inbounds pass. And the Tigers had a chance to grab one more possession after a Norfolk missed free throw. But Norfolk held on.
I had Missouri in my Elite Eight.
Upset city. And it got better.
North Carolina State upset San Diego State (picked it!), Creighton beat Alabama by one (picked it!), Xavier upset Notre Dame (picked it!) and Purdue upset St. Mary’s (picked it!). I was wrong, however, on Florida over Virginia, St. Louis over Memphis, South Florida over Temple, and Ohio over Michigan.
Kates and Phoebe arrived home and we settled in for the Duke-Lehigh game.
That was the big one.
Like Missouri, Duke seemed out of sorts. And Lehigh was running all over them, tossing balls up the court like a quarterback throwing passes to a wide receiver streaking down the sideline. Lehigh played with such tenacity and fearlessness -- it was something special to watch.
Norfolk State and Lehigh put on such exciting shows in their defeats of Missouri and Duke -- which I had going to the Sweet Sixteen -- that I didn’t mind the impacts on my bracket. ... It was the first time in NCAA tournament history that two No. 15 seeds defeated No. 2 seeds -- and they did it on the same day.
That kind of excitement is what March Madness is all about. Look how tired it made Phoebe ...
* * *
For the record, my Final Four consists of Kentucky, Michigan State, North Carolina and Florida State. Then I have Kentucky and North Carolina facing off in the championship game, with Kentucky taking the whole she-bang.
Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina, of course, are popular picks as No. 1 seeds. … But I’ve been impressed with Florida State the last couple weeks, and I think they’re getting hot at the right time. I predict they beat Syracuse in the regional final for a trip to New Orleans.
Other notables: I’ve got Wisconsin winning its first game, but falling to Vanderbilt in the second round. I have Kansas losing to Georgetown in the Sweet Sixteen. I have Murray State upsetting Marquette to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. And Baylor meeting Kentucky in the Elite Eight round.
* * *
Phoebe filled out a bracket, too.
In past years, I’ve simply filled out an extra bracket and submitted it under her name. But this year I wanted to giver her the chance to make her own picks. … So last night -- I let it slide that some of the games already had been played -- I printed a bracket for her, and we sat on the couch with me reading each matchup -- line by line, round by round -- so she could select her teams.
Needless to say, almost all of her picks were lower seeds. Her Final Four consists of Duke (oops!), BYU (oops!), Belmont (oops!) and Wisconsin. She has Duke and Wisconsin in her championship with Wisconsin winning it all.
By picking mostly lower seeds, however, she successfully called VCU over Wichita State, South Florida over Temple, Ohio over Michigan, North Carolina State over San Diego State, and Purdue over Saint Mary’s.
She also picked Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri to go deep into the tournament.
Thus, my theory is that her picks were based on teams she was familiar with because I talk about them and watch them a lot. Or because she liked the way their names sounded -- like St. Bonaventure.
* * *
Of course, Baby No. 2 got a bracket this year as well. Because let’s not forget the luck that came when I filled out a bracket for Phoebe the year she was born. Her bracket had Kansas winning it all -- and as luck had it -- it happened.
So, it should come as no surprise that Baby No. 2’s bracket features Kansas as the national champion. (Hey, I had to get my Jayhawks in there somehow.)
The rest of her Final Four includes Missouri (oops!), Kentucky and Syracuse, with Kentucky advancing to the final against Kansas.
Like Phoebe's the year she was born, I think Baby No. 2 has the best bracket of all of us.
I contemplated advancing Missouri to the championship against Kansas, and even throwing Wisconsin into the Final Four instead of Syracuse.
But that wouldn’t be realistic now, would it?
Good reads ...
a Inside the Jayhawks: They don't eat bird fooda KU professor researching Naismith, religion and basketball
a Old rivals sharing close quarters in Omaha
a Thursday in Bracketland: VCU Signs In
a Long, strange trip it's been: Fired in disgrace, Eustachy is back
a In 1956, a Racial Law Repelled Harvard’s Team
a For Two-Way Referee, It’s N.F.L. One Day, College Basketball the Next
a No Dribbling and No Passing, but Free Throws Are Nonstop
a The Onion: Report: Only Matter Of Time Before A 'SportsCenter' Host Snaps, Blows Brains Out On Live Television
4.05.2011
Championship madness
Somehow, some way, after all of the upsets and chaos, and with my bracket shot, I was excited to watch the NCAA championship game last night. Something I don't think I could honestly say the last couple years.
But those Butler Bulldogs have some charm. After coming oh so close last year, and their remarkable run through the tournament this year, I really thought we'd be calling them national champions this morning.
That, and I was rooting for my doppelganger, Brad Stevens.
Seriously. Since Butler grabbed the national spotlight last year, I've had friends from miles around mention the resemblance. Take some of the comments, I drew on Facebook last night ...
That the score was a measley 53-41 is evidence of how ugly the game was. Butler shot 18.8 percent and had more fouls than baskets. Yikes.
At least CBS brought back Luther Vandross's "One Shining Moment."
But those Butler Bulldogs have some charm. After coming oh so close last year, and their remarkable run through the tournament this year, I really thought we'd be calling them national champions this morning.
That, and I was rooting for my doppelganger, Brad Stevens.
Seriously. Since Butler grabbed the national spotlight last year, I've had friends from miles around mention the resemblance. Take some of the comments, I drew on Facebook last night ...
Too bad the game was awful.
That the score was a measley 53-41 is evidence of how ugly the game was. Butler shot 18.8 percent and had more fouls than baskets. Yikes.
At least CBS brought back Luther Vandross's "One Shining Moment."
3.27.2011
Crazy madness
My NCAA tournament bracket -- which had held up miraculously well during this crazy tournament year -- officially died at about 2:40 this afternoon when the No. 1-seeded Kansas lost to the No. 11-seeded Virginia Commonwealth.
I may not have cared about yesterday’s games. But with North Carolina and Kansas forecasted in my championship game, I was sitting in prime money territory heading into today’s games.
Neither survived.
I had a hunch Kentucky would take care of North Carolina, but a Kansas loss … aye.
The Jayhawks repeatedly shot themselves in the feet by trying to match VCU’s three-point shooting and not pushing the ball inside. Plain and simple.
Ah, well. I wasn’t too attached to this year’s team anyway. And I was prepared for this, given that No. 1 has rarely been good for Kansas, and the favorites have been dropping like flies during this tournament.
The legend of 2008 lives on.
As for the office pool, after a quick skim, the facts are amusing. When it’s over, not one of our 56 participants will have predicted the national champion. What’s more, not one participant correctly predicted any of the teams eligible to play in the championship game. Only four people predicted one of the remaining teams left in the Final Four. (I should've gone with Butler ... )
With three games left to play, the final standings are already sealed -- and the winner picked Duke to take it all.
For the record, I’ll finish in seventh place.
(Updated: 04.01.2011) Good reads ...
a Rock choke: KU stumbles again in Elite Eight
a Bill Self’s Knack for Being Liked
a Uncanny Partnership of Morris and Morris
a Teams take their best shot at Goliaths like KU
a V.C.U.’s Brightest Star May Be the Head Coach
a Cinderalla, say hello to Cinderella
a The MVP of the NCAA tournament: The mute button
a Head-Scratching Plays Dominate the N.C.A.A.
a Squeezing juice from tourney
a Coaches Calhoun and Calipari Share a Genuine Dislike
a For Butler’s Stevens, a Career Change Paid Off
I may not have cared about yesterday’s games. But with North Carolina and Kansas forecasted in my championship game, I was sitting in prime money territory heading into today’s games.
Neither survived.
I had a hunch Kentucky would take care of North Carolina, but a Kansas loss … aye.
The Jayhawks repeatedly shot themselves in the feet by trying to match VCU’s three-point shooting and not pushing the ball inside. Plain and simple.
Ah, well. I wasn’t too attached to this year’s team anyway. And I was prepared for this, given that No. 1 has rarely been good for Kansas, and the favorites have been dropping like flies during this tournament.
The legend of 2008 lives on.
As for the office pool, after a quick skim, the facts are amusing. When it’s over, not one of our 56 participants will have predicted the national champion. What’s more, not one participant correctly predicted any of the teams eligible to play in the championship game. Only four people predicted one of the remaining teams left in the Final Four. (I should've gone with Butler ... )
With three games left to play, the final standings are already sealed -- and the winner picked Duke to take it all.
For the record, I’ll finish in seventh place.
(Updated: 04.01.2011) Good reads ...
a Rock choke: KU stumbles again in Elite Eight
a Bill Self’s Knack for Being Liked
a Uncanny Partnership of Morris and Morris
a Teams take their best shot at Goliaths like KU
a V.C.U.’s Brightest Star May Be the Head Coach
a Cinderalla, say hello to Cinderella
a The MVP of the NCAA tournament: The mute button
a Head-Scratching Plays Dominate the N.C.A.A.
a Squeezing juice from tourney
a Coaches Calhoun and Calipari Share a Genuine Dislike
a For Butler’s Stevens, a Career Change Paid Off
3.26.2011
Crummy
It’s been a crummy day.
I’m feeling the frustration of not accomplishing near as much as I’d hoped during my spring break.
This is about the time I tend to get burned out on the NCAA basketball tournament. The first three rounds are exciting. But by the Elite Eight games I’m usually feeling like a hostage to the TV and thinking, C’mon, let’s get on with the Final Four and wrap this thing up. That mentality usually has a lot do with how well my bracket and favorite teams are doing. ... Not to mention the distractions of my personal life. Trying to settle into a new house. Work. Parenthood.
Worst of all, it snowed nearly all day. After a couple weeks of beautiful spring-is-here days and warm temperatures, watching the big white flakes falling outside our window today nearly made me cry. Or just groan really loudly.
Then, there was Phoebe, who was in rare form today.
While Kates took off for the day on a shopping spree, Phoebe and I stayed in The ‘Ville to run some errands and take care of things around the house. We went to the recycling center. She got a sucker during our stop at the bank. We stopped at the post office where she played like a monkey on the metal bars that divide the lobby area. At the library, she picked out two new movies for the week and played a Dora game on the computer. For lunch, I made her a peanut butter sandwich in the shape of a butterfly -- just the way she likes it.
Then she refused to take a nap and the rest of the afternoon was an adventure in parenthood.
If I wasn’t scolding her for doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing, she was throwing a tantrum about something she couldn’t do. And the madness continued right up to the point we tucked her into bed at 7:15 tonight.
I’m feeling the frustration of not accomplishing near as much as I’d hoped during my spring break.
This is about the time I tend to get burned out on the NCAA basketball tournament. The first three rounds are exciting. But by the Elite Eight games I’m usually feeling like a hostage to the TV and thinking, C’mon, let’s get on with the Final Four and wrap this thing up. That mentality usually has a lot do with how well my bracket and favorite teams are doing. ... Not to mention the distractions of my personal life. Trying to settle into a new house. Work. Parenthood.
Worst of all, it snowed nearly all day. After a couple weeks of beautiful spring-is-here days and warm temperatures, watching the big white flakes falling outside our window today nearly made me cry. Or just groan really loudly.
Then, there was Phoebe, who was in rare form today.
While Kates took off for the day on a shopping spree, Phoebe and I stayed in The ‘Ville to run some errands and take care of things around the house. We went to the recycling center. She got a sucker during our stop at the bank. We stopped at the post office where she played like a monkey on the metal bars that divide the lobby area. At the library, she picked out two new movies for the week and played a Dora game on the computer. For lunch, I made her a peanut butter sandwich in the shape of a butterfly -- just the way she likes it.
Then she refused to take a nap and the rest of the afternoon was an adventure in parenthood.
If I wasn’t scolding her for doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing, she was throwing a tantrum about something she couldn’t do. And the madness continued right up to the point we tucked her into bed at 7:15 tonight.
When Connecticut finished off Arizona -- which was another black mark on my day because I needed an Arizona win to help my standing in the office pool -- I turned the TV off.
The silence never seemed so golden.
3.21.2011
March Madness!
The first weekend of March Madness is complete, and -- dare I say -- I’m liking where my teams are sitting.
I nearly didn’t fill out a bracket this year.
In the midst of all the chaos in our lives the last few months, I’ve watched exactly two college basketball games this year -- Kansas’ thriller over UCLA early in the season and then No. 1 KU’s loss to K-State, which I predicted given KU’s reputation for playing inconsistently and complacently on the big stages, not to mention the tense in-state rivalry and that the Jayhawks were playing in The Octagon of Doom.
It’s also worth noting that, after making our move, we didn’t have a TV last week until I made a run home during my lunch break Thursday and set it up so I could catch some of the basketball. Thus, I missed all of the talking heads on ESPN analyzing every team, picking the sleepers and influencing my picks.
And speaking of the TV coverage, I am loving the new partnership between CBS and TNT/TBS/TruTV. When the deal was announced last year, I wasn't keen on the games being shown by a network other than CBS -- it just seemed wrong -- but the the ability to watch any tournament game of my choosing -- or flip back and forth to watch bits of multiple games -- this weekend, and not a regional matchup of the local network's choosing, has been a dream come true -- or should I say Tru.
Still, I’ve watched, read and listened to enough sports highlights this season to think maybe I had a shot of at least being in the hunt for some prize money. I threw my bracket together on Thursday morning, just hours before the tournament’s opening games and submitted it for the Funnest Office Pool Ever.
Given my lack of time and knowledge of the competition this year, I didn’t fill out a bracket for Phoebe, as I’ve done the last two years. Next year I’ll get her into it again.
Usually, I’m liberal with my upset picks, but I played it conservatively this year -- once again because I haven’t watched enough basketball to feel confident in any major upsets or have many doubts about the higher seeds. … I picked two No. 11 seeds -- Marquette and Missouri -- as my only upsets. As it turned out, Missouri -- the one of which I was more sure -- was the only 11 seed not to advance.
As for my Final Four, I went with three No. 1s -- Duke, Pittsburgh, Kansas -- and No. 2 North Carolina, which I’m betting puts together a good run in the tournament. I then put North Carolina and Kansas in my championship game with the Jayhawks winning it all.
Don’t ask me why I’m picking Kansas to win it all. Any one who follows them closely and understands their tournament history knows this cannot end well. But I seem to fall for it every year and place them at or very near national champion status. ... Although, now it looks like they'll have a cake walk to the Final Four with the way the high seeds fell in the Southwest Region this week. But never say never.
And now, at the close of the first weekend, would you believe I’ve ranked as high as No. 4 and no lower than No. 9 in the standings (out of 60-some participants)? ... So far, it's paid off to stay with higher seeds -- teams like San Diego State, BYU and Florida -- that I might not have backed in typical years. I also was a believer in Wisconsin, which I picked to beat K-State; the Badgers play tough defense, and I thought K-State was overrated.
Only now, after watching this weekend’s games, I’m wishing I had Butler and Ohio State going deeper. Butler is looking like they still have the tournament mojo that carried them last year. ... The ending of the Butler-Pittsburgh game last night was the most mind-boggling, make-you-want-to-scream-at-the-TV ending to a game I think I've ever seen.
And Ohio State is looking so good that I’m starting to think I took a big risk by having North Carolina beat them in the Elite Eight round.
I’m also watching Connecticut closely. My bracket has UConn advancing to the Elite Eight before losing to Duke. Given the run they put together in the Big East Tournament, I’m thinking the Huskies could be one of the toughest teams to knock out of the tournament, or they could be dropped any time.
Good reads ...
a Perfectly improbable: A flawless NCAA bracket ... “By taking the classic 64-team bracket, the number of possible outcomes for those games is 9 quintillion, 223 quadrillion, or 9,223,372,036,854,775,808. So if everyone in the worldfilled out a bracket once a second (impossible), it would still take them about 42 years to fill out all the possible combinations.”
a NCAA Tournament’s beauty rests on a bracket
a The Onion: Office Pool's Low Number Of Bracket Printouts A Reminder Of How Many Employees Were Laid Off Last Year
a Will bigger field scare folks out of the pools?
a The Awkward Officiating Dance at the N.C.A.A. Tournament
a Madness worth watching
a Talent Is Nice, but Luck Is Vital
I nearly didn’t fill out a bracket this year.
In the midst of all the chaos in our lives the last few months, I’ve watched exactly two college basketball games this year -- Kansas’ thriller over UCLA early in the season and then No. 1 KU’s loss to K-State, which I predicted given KU’s reputation for playing inconsistently and complacently on the big stages, not to mention the tense in-state rivalry and that the Jayhawks were playing in The Octagon of Doom.
It’s also worth noting that, after making our move, we didn’t have a TV last week until I made a run home during my lunch break Thursday and set it up so I could catch some of the basketball. Thus, I missed all of the talking heads on ESPN analyzing every team, picking the sleepers and influencing my picks.
And speaking of the TV coverage, I am loving the new partnership between CBS and TNT/TBS/TruTV. When the deal was announced last year, I wasn't keen on the games being shown by a network other than CBS -- it just seemed wrong -- but the the ability to watch any tournament game of my choosing -- or flip back and forth to watch bits of multiple games -- this weekend, and not a regional matchup of the local network's choosing, has been a dream come true -- or should I say Tru.
Still, I’ve watched, read and listened to enough sports highlights this season to think maybe I had a shot of at least being in the hunt for some prize money. I threw my bracket together on Thursday morning, just hours before the tournament’s opening games and submitted it for the Funnest Office Pool Ever.
Given my lack of time and knowledge of the competition this year, I didn’t fill out a bracket for Phoebe, as I’ve done the last two years. Next year I’ll get her into it again.
Usually, I’m liberal with my upset picks, but I played it conservatively this year -- once again because I haven’t watched enough basketball to feel confident in any major upsets or have many doubts about the higher seeds. … I picked two No. 11 seeds -- Marquette and Missouri -- as my only upsets. As it turned out, Missouri -- the one of which I was more sure -- was the only 11 seed not to advance.
As for my Final Four, I went with three No. 1s -- Duke, Pittsburgh, Kansas -- and No. 2 North Carolina, which I’m betting puts together a good run in the tournament. I then put North Carolina and Kansas in my championship game with the Jayhawks winning it all.
Don’t ask me why I’m picking Kansas to win it all. Any one who follows them closely and understands their tournament history knows this cannot end well. But I seem to fall for it every year and place them at or very near national champion status. ... Although, now it looks like they'll have a cake walk to the Final Four with the way the high seeds fell in the Southwest Region this week. But never say never.
And now, at the close of the first weekend, would you believe I’ve ranked as high as No. 4 and no lower than No. 9 in the standings (out of 60-some participants)? ... So far, it's paid off to stay with higher seeds -- teams like San Diego State, BYU and Florida -- that I might not have backed in typical years. I also was a believer in Wisconsin, which I picked to beat K-State; the Badgers play tough defense, and I thought K-State was overrated.
Only now, after watching this weekend’s games, I’m wishing I had Butler and Ohio State going deeper. Butler is looking like they still have the tournament mojo that carried them last year. ... The ending of the Butler-Pittsburgh game last night was the most mind-boggling, make-you-want-to-scream-at-the-TV ending to a game I think I've ever seen.
And Ohio State is looking so good that I’m starting to think I took a big risk by having North Carolina beat them in the Elite Eight round.
I’m also watching Connecticut closely. My bracket has UConn advancing to the Elite Eight before losing to Duke. Given the run they put together in the Big East Tournament, I’m thinking the Huskies could be one of the toughest teams to knock out of the tournament, or they could be dropped any time.
Good reads ...
a Perfectly improbable: A flawless NCAA bracket ... “By taking the classic 64-team bracket, the number of possible outcomes for those games is 9 quintillion, 223 quadrillion, or 9,223,372,036,854,775,808. So if everyone in the worldfilled out a bracket once a second (impossible), it would still take them about 42 years to fill out all the possible combinations.”
a NCAA Tournament’s beauty rests on a bracket
a The Onion: Office Pool's Low Number Of Bracket Printouts A Reminder Of How Many Employees Were Laid Off Last Year
a Will bigger field scare folks out of the pools?
a The Awkward Officiating Dance at the N.C.A.A. Tournament
a Madness worth watching
a Talent Is Nice, but Luck Is Vital
4.25.2010
Random
Clearing my desktop and consciousness of stuff from the last few weeks that isn’t related to houses, work and our transition …
It’s been a gloomy, rainy, dark weekend in The ‘Ville …
Yesterday, we nearly had a tornado swoop in. The inspector and I were standing in the kitchen when, all of a sudden, the tornado sirens began to sound. It was an odd thing, we thought, because the temperature hadn’t been that warm and the sky didn’t look very menacing. Then again, 12:43 p.m. was an odd time to be testing the sirens.
It turned out a funnel cloud was spotted near campus, but it quickly dissipated. Check out this photo of the cloud that was posted on Facebook …
I stumbled on this video a couple weeks ago. Apparently it’s made its way around the Internet a few times, but this was the first I’ve seen of it. It might make you cry …
Watch CBS News Videos Online
I have more than 5,000 tracks on that playlist and haven’t heard a song more than once in weeks. Talk about a no-repeat work day … I’ve kept it going at work, in my car, at home.
It’s been fun hearing songs I don’t hear as often as the songs I have on multiple playlists. I've heard lots of deep cuts and songs I forgot I had on my iPod.
We’ll see how long I can stay on the playlist until my desire to listen to The Shins, Guster, Death Cab for Cutie or one my other favorite bands becomes too overpowering.
In the meantime, here’s a good bit from “Funny or Die” with John Hamm …
With my new job -- in addition to taking advantage of the easy way to communicate with Kates when needed -- I’ve finally realized the benefits of texting. And I like it!
When the NCAA announced the other day it was expanding its basketball tournament to just 68 teams I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
As the plan was debated, I said several times that I’d be done watching the tournament if it expanded to 96 teams.
At least we’ll have a competitive tournament for a couple more years -- until the supposedly inevitable 96-team expansion.
* * *
It’s been a gloomy, rainy, dark weekend in The ‘Ville …
Yesterday, we nearly had a tornado swoop in. The inspector and I were standing in the kitchen when, all of a sudden, the tornado sirens began to sound. It was an odd thing, we thought, because the temperature hadn’t been that warm and the sky didn’t look very menacing. Then again, 12:43 p.m. was an odd time to be testing the sirens.
It turned out a funnel cloud was spotted near campus, but it quickly dissipated. Check out this photo of the cloud that was posted on Facebook …
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I stumbled on this video a couple weeks ago. Apparently it’s made its way around the Internet a few times, but this was the first I’ve seen of it. It might make you cry …
Watch CBS News Videos Online
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A couple weeks ago, I clicked the “My Top Rated” playlist on my iPod, and haven’t moved from it since. I have more than 5,000 tracks on that playlist and haven’t heard a song more than once in weeks. Talk about a no-repeat work day … I’ve kept it going at work, in my car, at home.
It’s been fun hearing songs I don’t hear as often as the songs I have on multiple playlists. I've heard lots of deep cuts and songs I forgot I had on my iPod.
We’ll see how long I can stay on the playlist until my desire to listen to The Shins, Guster, Death Cab for Cutie or one my other favorite bands becomes too overpowering.
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We learned this week that “Mad Men” will return on July 25 … Can’t wait!In the meantime, here’s a good bit from “Funny or Die” with John Hamm …
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I discovered recently that I sent 224 text messages last month. Yikes. … A year ago, it was an incredible feat if I sent more than four text messages in a month.With my new job -- in addition to taking advantage of the easy way to communicate with Kates when needed -- I’ve finally realized the benefits of texting. And I like it!
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When the NCAA announced the other day it was expanding its basketball tournament to just 68 teams I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
As the plan was debated, I said several times that I’d be done watching the tournament if it expanded to 96 teams.
At least we’ll have a competitive tournament for a couple more years -- until the supposedly inevitable 96-team expansion.
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