NCAA Tournaments Are Over

By far, my favorite part of the sporting year.  And this year's edition did not disappoint. We had some upsets and a lot of close games.  As usual, I pulled mostly for the Little Guys even if they were playing favorite Big Guys teams of mine.

And, this year, I was even paying attention to the women's games more because, of course, of the Kaitlyn Clark hoopla.  Sure enjoyed the University of Iowa women's games.  Hopefully all this will carry over to the future college womens games and the WNBA.

I do think CBS made a major mistake in only offering the Final Four mens games on cable stations TBS and TNT.  They should have been on CBS.  And, even worse, the championship game last Monday came on at 9:15 pm in the Eastern Time Zone.  Another mistake.

I was pulling for Iowa to win in the womens tournament and Purdue in the mens.  However, it was not to be.  Both Iowa and Purdue gave good games in the first half, but were destroyed in the second half.  UConn and South Carolina were just too good.

Congratulations to UConn and South Carolina.

--RoadDog

Tournament Time Is Here!! Whoopee!!

MARCH 21--  THURSDAY

Well, we are upon my favorite sporting event of the year, the NCAA Road to the Final Four and National Basketball Championship.  And it arrived today (well, other than the four play-in games).  

This is a time I pull for the Little Guys vs. the Big Guys, even if the Big Guy is one of my favorites like Duke, UNC or Kansas.  For me, it's all about the upsets and especially Cinderella stories.  I remember when Gonzaga made that deep run which sent everyone to maps looking to find the location of Gonzaga.

I also like to see a high seed upset a low seed.

And, every year we get a lot of upsets and close games.  I am no fan of blowouts, even when it is one of my teams doing it to someone.  I especially liked it the last years when a #16 beat a #1.  Now that is just plain fun.

And, it is here.

I went to Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, and watched the game with my buddy Rich who knows aa while lot about college basketball.  I then came home and continued watching games in Margaritaville while enjoying my Ultimate 300-disc Juke Box.

--RoadB-Ball

Was That Ever A Great Weekend for College B-Ball!!

As boring as the games were the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, this past weekend more than made up for it.  We had four of the greatest games I've ever seen. (Actually, five when you count the Friday Duke-Va. Tech game.

And, even better, BOTH of the One-And-Doner teams are gone.  (Teams that start all or mostly all freshman who will be gone to the NBA next year.)   That was my biggest fear that the championship game would be played between Duke and Kentucky.  I figured I wouldn't watch if they were.

And, Duke used to be one of my favorite teams, but not anymore.  I'm thinking of burning my Duke hats and shirts.

We watched in bars and at home.  We're planning on watching the Final Four on Saturday at Half-Times in Johnsburg which attracts more of a college crowd.

Friday, Duke barely squeaked by Va. Tech 75-73.  Then Saturday Texas Tech upset #1 Gonzaga 75-69 and Virginia beat Purdue 80-75.  But Sunday was the best when Auburn beat Kentucky 62-58 and best of all, Michigan State defeated Duke 68-67.

This was a real fun weekend.

Final Four!!  Hope They Keep the Close Games Going.  --RoadDog

TOP TEN TRIVIA:  A swarm of 20,000 bees followed a car for two days because their queen was trapped inside.

What a Run!! Congrats to Loyala

Was I watching the NCAA Tournament?  You Betcha.!!  And it was a great one.  A whole lot of fun.  To me, the NCAA Basketball Championship is the best sporting event of the year.

And, even with all the close games and upsets, especially the UMBC win over Virginia, the best time was watching Loyola.  It was the only team from Illinois or Wisconsin in the game and talk about your underdogs.
I didn't say anything before this because that would be the kiss of death.  But since they were eliminated in the Final Four Saturday, I am going to say it now.

Wow!!  We sure had fun and so did a whole lot of people around here.  The first game we watched at Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, and it was a big Loyola crowd.    We watched the Nevada game at Fatty;s in DeKalb, Illinois, and again, it was a huge Loyola-pulling crowd, even though DeKalb is home to NIU.

Then, the regional championship game we saw at Half-Times in Johnsburg, Illinois, and it was a standing-room only crowd as well.  Lots and lots of cheering.  We saw the Final Four game at Half-Times and it was even more crowded.

Looking Forward to Next Season With a Ramblin' On the Mind.  --RoadDog

Best Sporting Event of the Year: NCAA Basketball Tournament

Which means I'll be watching a whole lot of college B-Ball the next several days.  I have my favorites, BUT always pull for the underdog, even if they are playing one of my favorites.  My two favorite conferences are the MAC, ACC and Big 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.

My favorites by regional:

SOUTH--  Kansas, Wichita State, Buffalo, Iowa,

WEST--  Duke, Northern Iowa, Green Bay, Oklahoma

EAST--  North Carolina, Indiana, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Wisconsin

MIDWEST--  Virginia, Butler, Purdue, Iowa State, Gonzaga, Utah, Michigan State

Greatest Sports Event in the World.  --RoadDog

RAMBLINGS OF A RETIRED MIND:  I have gotten that dreaded furniture disease.  That's when your chest falls into your drawers.

Final Four Today

The Elite Eight games last Saturday and Sunday were as good of games as you can get.  Even the Duke-Gonzaga game was a great one until the end when Duke blew them out.

And then, there was that Notre Dame-Kentucky game.  Had that last Irish shot game in, the game just might have replaced the Duke-Kentucky Christian Laettner shot that made that game the greatest in college basketball-ever.

Anyway, I know what I'll be doing starting at 5 p.m. tonight.  It promises to be two interesting games.

It's Duke vs. Michigan State.  I like both teams.

Then, Kentucky vs. Wisconsin and I have a definite favorite here.

On Wisconsin.  --RoadDog