March Madness
By Tom Grout
March 20, 2008
March madness starts today. It’s suppose to snow and it march so I am mad. Just kidding, sorta.
I really don’t get into college basketball like some people, but I do start to pay attention come tournament time especially when it gets down to the final four.
My youngest son and I are filling out our brackets like millions of other Americans only this will be just between us and there is no money involved, at least not yet. Sometimes, though, bragging rights are more important than any monetary value, especially when it’s in same household.
I really don’t have any idea or expertise as to who to pick as I looked at the brackets. But I still did it in about five minutes. As you all know it’s not only the expert that can win March Madness pools a lot of time is doofeses like me. A few years ago my daughter, who was working at a radio station in southern Minnesota, won the station pool. She knows even less than I do so talk about upsets. Anyway, she did the girl thing and picked the winners by the colors of their uniforms. It was the year some team, and I apologize for not remembering which one, pulled off a few upsets to get to the final four. Nobody in any pool across the nation had this team picked to go this far, all except my daughter, who like I said won the pool. This team must have had some pretty uniforms.
Before this years Super Bowl I had heard on the radio that at some zoo a camel had been picking games all season and had an outstanding percentage of being right. The announcer then told the radio audience that the camel had picked the Giants. I’m sure there were a lot of groans and “yeah right’s” going on when this was announced but now we all know the camel was right. I here rumor that the camel is going to be on Fox’s pre-game show next season sitting next to Terry Bradshaw. Bradshaw’s agent is protesting though because Terry doesn’t want anyone sitting next to him that is smarter and better looking than he is.
I’m not going into all of my picks here because it would take forever and quite honestly it wouldn’t be helpful to anybody. I do have a few mild upsets picked. You have to pick some upsets because it happens all the time and picking the right ones is how you win this thing. After all of the five minutes I took filling it out this is what I had for a final four: Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA, and Memphis. Not real earth shattering picks I know, and I have Memphis over North Carolina.
So I wish you all luck on your picks.
Tournament time in the NCAA's is really a lot of fun.
If you're not filling out your own bracket, with your picks to win their respective slots, then you are systematically picking the front runners that will most likely make the Regionals or even the Final Four.
College Basketball is truly an American game. It boasts the NBA players of the future along with the drama of the more purist of games.
Tubby Smith didn't make it to the NCAA's like I thought he would, but for the "U" to get so close is certainly proof that the University of Minnesota is back on the NCAA map for basketball.
The NIT's will show that the Gophers belong.
Camels, goats, chickens or whatever can probably pick winners in some games as good as Jimmy the Greek could.
The idea that Jimmy Kimmel was making NFL picks not too long ago, show that the "entertainment" value of that nonsense is worth something, I guess.
Look for the usual suspects to make the FF this year.
UNC looks terrific and Kansas is a perennial power.
My sentimental pick, University of Kentucky, is already out after having a tough year and losing their best player 3 weeks ago. ( at least their streak of 17 consecutive appearances is still intact)
March madness only happens when there are major upsets to number 1, or number 2 seeds. Look for that to happen again this year!
Tubby Smith had a great first year as Gopher men's basketball coach.....a tremendous coach and motivator of players.....the fans and players love him, and there is real pride and excitement when people enter Williams Arena....Kudos to the Gopher women's basketball program as well.....
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