The remarkable implosion of the Big East has surely wreaked havoc upon brackets across the nation and mine was not spared. However, through the help of Yahoo!'s scenario generator, I have figured out that I can still win my group with Mock & Co. if all the teams I still have going continue to win. Here's hoping!
The first weekend of the tournament is always great fun: wall-to-wall games. I love the simultaneous CBS/TNT/TBS/Tru.tv coverage. How can one not? It would seem objectively that the San Diego State/Temple double overtime thriller was probably the most exciting game thus far but I missed it. The game I enjoyed the most was Washington/North Carolina. I have found over the years that sentiment trumps my bracket pick in my rooting interest almost every time. Naturally, I had the Tar Heels winning the game but couldn't help pulling for the Huskies. I love a scrappy point guard and the Huskies' Isaiah Thomas is one of the nation's best. It is sad, however, when a great game ends with a mistake as it did with Washington's errant in-bounds pass.
My PE teaching colleague had a bunch of us over to watch the games on Friday night. He needs a pseudonym here. We shall call him Orange Man as he is a Syracuse fan. It was great fun, though I'm sure we spent more time gabbing about work than watching basketball. Orange Man has assembled a new home theater system and is eager to share it. The evening also gave my family what I expect was a welcome break from inane basketball commentary.
Current Standing: 16th My MVP for the Week: Novak Djokovic (Serbia) with $605,500 for defeating Rafael Nadal (Spain) for the title at the BNP Paribas Open
The Djoker is definitely on the rise. He officially supplants Roger Federer (Switzerland) as World #2 this week and appears to have Rafa in his sights as well. Can he reach #1? Sure. Will he? Well, that's another matter, isn't it? By the third set of their match on Sunday, the ultimate outcome was in little doubt. Djokovic is definitely the hottest player on tour and arguably #1 on hard courts - not a given until he wins the US Open. There's no reason to believe that he can't continue his great run in Miami.
But clay season is right around the corner. If Djokovic is going to make a serious run at #1, he's going to have to put a dent in Rafa's clay court dominance. Rafa will have a lot of points to defend over the next few months but he's just the man to do it. Novak is no slouch on clay himself. However, only four of his 21 career titles are on the dirt and he hasn't won a clay tournament since 2009. His best Roland Garros finish is the semis.
He does have the advantage of being nearly a year younger than Rafa. So, it's reasonable to think that he'll make it to #1 eventually. But this year? I don't think so.
The twelve nations to qualify for this year's championship are as follows:
Denmark Canada China Czech Republic Germany South Korea Norway Russia Scotland Sweden Switzerland USA
Denmark qualifies as host, Germany as defending world champions. Norway, Russia, Scotland, Sweden and Switzerland qualified as top 7 finishers at the 2010 European Curling Championships. The 8th place finisher, Latvia, lost in a playoff with the Czech Republic, the European Group B champion, thus the Czechs won the eighth and final European slot.
Canada qualifies as the top team from the Americas region at the 2010 World Championship. USA is in as the Americas' second team as they were not challenged for the spot by any other Western Hemisphere nation. South Korea and China were the top two teams at the 2010 Pacific Curling Championships.
This year's championship doesn't have the bearing on the 2014 Olympics that it would have under the previous qualification system. Apparently, now only the two World Championships prior to the Olympic year have a direct bearing on the qualification standings. For 2010, it was the three prior years. However, there will now be a separate Olympic qualifying event in 2013 in which the 2011 World Championship nations shall be the participants.
Canada has won the women's championship 15 times, easily the most in the event's 32-year history. As such, they must always be considered among the favorites. Team Saskatchewan won the 2011 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, earning the right to represent Canada at the Worlds. This is skip Amber Holland's first senior World Championship appearance. Kim Schneider, Tammy Schneider, Heather Kalenchuk and alternate Jolene Campbell round out Holland's rink.
Germany is skipped once again by Andrea Schöpp (pictured above). She has won the world championship twice, including last year's. Sweden is the current Olympic and European champion as well as the top ranked nation in the world. The Swedes are represented once again by Anette Norberg, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion.
China won the championship in 2009, the first Asian nation to do so. Bingyu Wang is their skip, making for three women who have previously skipped a world champion in the field. South Korea, however, are the current Pacific champions.
USA has only won the world title once, in 2003, but they've finished as runner-up five times. The US team is lead by skip Patti Lank. She is Canadian born but resides in Lewiston, New York. This will be her fifth World Championship. Her best finish was a silver medal in 1999. The rest of her team are Caitlin Maroldo, Jessica Schultz, Mackenzie Lank (Patti's daughter) and alternate Christina Schwartz. The rink qualified for the World Championship by winning the 2011 US Nationals.
It appears there will be no live television coverage of the event in the United States. However, if you are fortunate enough to get NBC Universal Sports, they will air the championship game, tape delayed: March 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st at 5 pm EDT on all four days. So, I will be following online. If you care to join me, the event website is at http://www.wwcc2011.com/.
I'm thinking that to commemorate the occasion, I will try to work curling lingo into my daily conversation - "Man, you really burned the rock on that one!"
Ohio State-Kentucky, Ohio State-Kentucky, Ohio State-Kentucky... I've been puzzling over the potential Sweet 16 game between Ohio State and Kentucky ever since the draw was first announced on Sunday. To me, that game is the key to whole tournament. If Ohio State can win that game, I think they'll run the table. But here's the thing: I think Kentucky will beat them.
I do believe that Ohio State is the best team in the country. But the best team does not always win the NCAA tournament. Ever since the NCAA selection committee introduced the idea of an overall #1 seed for the tournament, that team has only won the title once. Plus, Ohio State ended up in the toughest region of the draw. Kentucky's only part of the problem. The Buckeyes may well have their hands full with George Mason in the second round (I refuse to call it the third round!).
By the time this posts, the first game should be underway. And so, my Final Four picks: Kentucky, Duke, Kansas and Pittsburgh. Duke was my preseason pick and it's difficult for me to let go of that. But I cannot ignore the fact that real live basketball games have been played since then. As such, I feel that Kansas will beat Duke in the finals. KU was my pick last year, too. But this year, the burden of top overall seed will be on Ohio State instead. The Jayhawks will be under less pressure - except from the folks back home, but there's nothing to be done about that. So, that is my pick in my group with Mock & Co. and also at work.
I did make a fairy tale bracket this year in which I go entirely by my own rooting interest. For that one, I have a Final Four of George Mason, Bucknell, Georgetown and UNC-Asheville. In my fantasy world, the Hoyas shall top George Mason for the crown.
Last July, I read and reviewed The Last Amateurs, John Feinstein's account of basketball in the Patriot League. My review is here: On the Coffee Table: John Feinstein. Inspired by the book, I watched not only the finals of the Patriot League Tournament this year, but also parts of the semi- and quarterfinals, thanks to the expanded coverage offered by the CBS College Sports network.
I watched parts of the two American University games: a bit of the quarterfinal against Colgate and most of the semifinal versus Lafayette. AU is, in fact, the closest Division I university to the house where I grew up. And yet, I've never paid any attention to the program until now. With Georgetown and the University of Maryland nearby, there was never much reason to follow the many other college teams in the area. Now, of course, it seems a shame. I can only imagine that tickets to AU games would have been a lot cheaper and the arena more accessible.
The Colgate game wasn't too exciting but the Lafayette game was another matter entirely. In fact, I would say that the double-overtime thriller is a serious candidate for game of the year. The Lafayette Leopards are quite a scrappy team, coming into the tournament with a losing record, but they found their groove. Clutch shooting by Leopards Jim Mower and Ryan Willen carried Lafayette through to the final.
I was a bit disappointed in Alaa Abdelnaby who handled color commentary for the game. He clearly had a man crush on AU's Romanian forward Vlad Moldoveanu and wasn't able to change gears when the game narrative shifted in favor of Lafayette. Moldoveanu is an impressive player and probably has a decent future in European pro leagues but it bothers me when announcers treat basketball, a team game, as an individual hero epic.
American will not play in the NCAA tournament but they did leave us this little gift on YouTube:
I didn't watch too much of the second semifinal but enough to see John Feinstein himself doing the color job for the Bucknell-Lehigh match - quite capably, too.
I had a difficult time deciding whom to root for in the final. In principle, I love underdogs and Lafayette certainly qualified in facing regular season champ Bucknell. But I don't like it when teams with losing records go to the NCAA tournament. It just doesn't sit well. Furthermore, in any league where only the conference tourney champ is likely to go to the Big Dance, it seems only right that the best team should go as the league's strongest representative. In the end, I found myself pulling for Bucknell, the ultimate winner. They were never seriously threatened en route to victory.
The Bucknell Bison may not make it past the first round of the NCAA tournament but they're plenty good enough to give their opponent a good game. They move the ball beautifully and offer a balanced attack with multiple threats both inside and out. They defend and rebound very aggressively. The league shall be well represented on the big stage.
Unlike Abdelnaby, LaPhonso Ellis did an outstanding job as color commentator in the final. He is both insightful and articulate. I hope that CBS will use him in some tournament games. Plus, he has a great hair style at the moment. Sadly, the photo below does not offer a view of the pony tail in the back:
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer is essential to the baseball experience. What true fan of the game doesn't know all of the words to the chorus by heart? But how many of them know the song also has verses? There are, in fact, two different versions of verses: the first written in 1908, the second in 1927. Here's the original as sung by Edward Meeker:
My Wife, the alleged Cubs fan, insists that I include the inimitable Harry Caray. She's right, of course.
A Yankees fan I am not. But how can one not love Bernie Williams?
Harpo Marx
Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, from the film Take Me Out to the Ballgame. I must say, I'm impressed that Frank can keep up with Gene on the dance steps.
Buck O'Neil. I believe this is from the Ken Burns documentary. I don't care what he says. What a great voice, speaking as well as singing! The man was a born storyteller.
Last but certainly not least, Glenn Donnellan on his electric violin/bat.
Baseball has its own poem. How fantastic is that? Following is the text in full:
Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in 1888 by Ernest Lawrence Thayer
Published in The Examiner, 6/3/1888
The Outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day: The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play. And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same, A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast; They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that - We'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.
But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake, And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake; So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat, For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.
But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all, And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball; And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred, There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.
Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell; It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell; It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat, For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.
There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place; There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face. And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat, No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt; Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt. Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip, Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air, And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there. Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped- "That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.
From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar, Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore. "Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand; And it's likely they'd a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shown; He stilled the rising tumult; he made the game go on; He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew; But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."
"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud; But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed. They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain, And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.
The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate; He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate. And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go, And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.
Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light, And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout; But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.
"Phin"
The poem is a cultural institution all its own and portrays a game which, at its heart, has changed very little over the past 123 years. As fans, we still hold out hope that the stars of our team will bail us out in the end. Still, whether because of their arrogance or the inherent injustices of the game, they fall short more often than not.
Consider Ichiro Suzuki, certainly the most dependable contact hitter of the current era, though just as surely a humbler persona than Casey. For his major league career, Ichiro has a .315 batting average, meaning he has failed to hit safely 68.5% of the time - more than 2/3. He's better in Casey's situation: .348 with runners in scoring position and two outs. But that's still a 65.2% failure rate. As outstanding as this first-ballot Hall-of-Famer is, he still disappoints the Mariner faithful far more often than not.
Following are a few pop-culture interpretations of Casey.
There's not much to offer visually here but what better speaking voice to start us off? Just imagine if Darth Vader had been the Mudville manager!
