Thursday 13 - Madness

Posted: Thursday, March 15, 2007 by Travis Cody in
14

Here are 13 things I love about the NCAA Tournament.

1. Pete Carril and Cinderella Princeton, on one of the most basic plays in the game - a simple back door cut - beats defending champion UCLA 43-41.



2. I love the score/stat tickers at the top and bottom of the screen.

3. My CBS affiliate is channel 7. And Comcast has a secondary channel 117 for CBS. So now I can flip between the channels during commercials and halftime.

4. I have so much respect for the Kentucky Unforgetables - Richie Farmer, Deron Feldhaus, John Pelphrey, and Sean Woods - but for Duke fans this is the moment of moments in the game of games. This is arguably the best college basketball game ever. It was the 1992 East Regional Final, #6 Kentucky against #1 Duke. Duke won on this incredible play, 104-103 in overtime.



5. The moment in the game between a 16 seed and a 1 seed when you think the upset might just be possible. Sometimes it's the first basket scored by the lower seed, and the score is 2-0. Sometimes the moment comes late in the game, when the #1 seed just hasn't been able to pull away, and the lower seed gets within a bucket. And you think...is this the year? It's a fleeting moment. And it's a pure tournament moment. A 16 seed has never beaten a 1. But the day is coming when it will happen.

6. Selection Sunday.

7. Moments of heart-stopping joy and mind-numbing defeat.



8. More unreal moments.



9. The rise of the mid-major conferences is changing the tournament. Butler, out of the Horizon League, is a 5 seed in the tournament, while Duke, one of the premier college basketball programs of the last 20 years out of the Atlantic Coast Conference, is seeded 6.

10. Filling out the bracket and trying to figure out which 12 will beat a 5, and whether this year it makes sense to pick a 15 upset over a 2. Where's the gotcha game for a 1 seed? What hot highly ranked team will fall to a determined lower seed on a buzzer beater? How quickly will your bracket be busted?

11. Coming to grips with the fact that your expertise will most likely be eclipsed by the total novice who fills out his/her bracket based on which school mascot would win in a cage match.

12. Where else will you find terms like Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final 4? It's March Madness baby!

13. One Shining Moment.


14 comments:

  1. Oh. My.

    I'm still wiping the tears from my face, and the goosebumps are still raised on my arms.

    You know, I adore football, but there is something magical about the NCAA tournament, and I think it's because "at any given moment" a game can be decided in the final .1 second of a game. While that outcome can be heartbreaking to the losing side, a fan of the sport HAS to appreciate the fact that Cinderella CAN wear the slipper.

  1. Oh yeah, BTW - EXCELLENT post, and thanks for the shout to my Butler Bulldogs again.

  1. this is another sports thingy, right?

    smiles, bee

  1. Claire says:

    Ok i will just go with a hello!
    As i am totally clueless on this.
    Thanks for visiting and i would love to see some real 'English' in one of your stories. Now there's a challenge for you!lol!

  1. Songbird: I love March!

    Bee: Yes, it's more sports. Thanks for dropping by!

    Claire: now that's an interesting challenge. I will have to think on it.

  1. BeckEye says:

    Here is one thing I love about basketball: squeaky shoes.

    Here is what I hate right now: because of basketball all my Thursday night shows are repeats!!

  1. Travis - I love what Desert Songbird said. I can say that about so many things but sports is just not one of them...I used to love to participate - I was actually goalie on my field hockey team in H.S. - but I've never liked watching...I'm sorry! It's great for fans!!!

  1. Piacere says:

    May I add a #14??? Virginia Commonwealth University upsetting DUKE last night...PRICELESS!!!!!!

    Hugs,
    Pia

  1. Drizel says:

    I really know nothing about NCAA, but I did enjoy reading it...
    Most sports invoke this is their fans.7. Moments of heart-stopping joy and mind-numbing defeat.
    hihih.....enjoy the channel flipping:)

  1. Liz Hill says:

    You ripped my heart out yet again. Can you fathom how it felt to be in the 'better' Blue and watch that????---after all we'd been through--oh my--it still kills me. How can it still get me after all these years? Oh yeah--I Bleed Blue.;-)

    Yay VCU

    The DH and I met 14 years ago watching UK and MIchigan in the Final Four. So he knew i was a beer drinkin' cussin' basketball lovin' hoochie from the start.

    Great post sugar--well except for #4.

    Smooch!

  1. Schmoop says:

    I went 13/16 yesterday Travis!!

  1. JAM says:

    Sorry to be late visiting. I wish I liked basketball, this would be a great month. I'm watching less and less TV these days, and sports is the first thing to go.

    I remember working for an air line, and in the break rooms in March there was it's own kind of madness. Even someone like me can get caught up in the "my team" "your team" friendly arguments.

    Enjoy!

  1. Beckeye: Squeaky shoes!! Sorry about your shows though.

    Gracie: No worries dear.

    Pia: See I don't think that was an upset - Duke was way over-seeded.

    Etain: Thanks for stopping by!

    Turn: I cannot apologize for #4. It is a moment for a Duke fan. But I do feel for ya!

    Matt: Me too! I missed on Davidson, Marquette, and Texas Tech. Not too bad.

    Jam: Thanks!

  1. Unknown says:

    Enjoy your March Madness =)