It’s the most wonderful, err hypocritical time of the year

Who you picking to win?

My pick is Gonzaga.... feel like this year they breakthrough

@ReluctantO'sFan posted:

Who you picking to win?

My pick is Gonzaga.... feel like this year they breakthrough

Could be. They have had "Few" long runs in the tourney with their current coach.

when i was growing up in hawaii, we had an NCAA D1 school and 4 (I think) NAIA schools in state. the NCAA tournament is a spectacle, but the NAIA tournament, for us who were gathered around the radio as Hawaii Hilo made its annual run in Kansas City, was way more exciting and engaging. kind of like the movie Hoosiers but on a national level and on steriods. 

True multi-tasking is back in 2021.   On a zoom call, streaming the VT / Florida  basketball game (on mute) and posting on HSBBWeb.  Good stuff on a Friday!

This is the only time I enjoy basketball without my kids in the game. I used to make an exception for the Knicks, but one season of 500 ball will not bring me back after decades of heartache

@RJM posted:

Don’t get me wrong. I love March Madness. I also love the NCAA baseball tournament. But pa-leeze NCAA! Stop telling us how wonderful you are. Stop with the most student-athletes will leave college with something more valuable than a multi million dollar contract. Keep the piece of paper. Send me the multi millions.

Stop blowing smoke up our tails while you’re making billions off tv contacts and tickets any other year while taking advantage of college athletes. Stop blowing smoke about academics while players miss two days of classes to help you make billions.

How about the NCAA is really the Mafia of college sports (we’re here to extort, err protect you)? How about how the NCAA screws athletes (transfer rules) when athletes are mislead by coaches or just don’t win a starting position and want to play elsewhere?

Meanwhile, back to the game. I love this time of year!

If you find the NCAA’s commercials hypocritical, you should sit through their legal workshops for their advertising partners.  

The worst is when they start to preach about how the kids have worked their enter lives for this opportunity so don’t jeopardize them by using their image improperly.  What?!!?!  Wait a minute ?!?!  If an athletes image is used improperly to no fault of their own, then the athlete is punished by the group that is making billions on them?!?!?  

Yes.  That is how they protect their money machine with zero labor cost by their main employees!!!!

Hopefully this will end with CA and FL passing laws putting and end to student/athletes not being able to profit from their own image.

I wish we could go back to the early/mid 90’s for college sports. I’ve pretty much given up on watching college football and hoops. College baseball is about the only sport I watch on tv now

@Around_The_Horn posted:

Hopefully this will end with CA and FL passing laws putting and end to student/athletes not being able to profit from their own image.

I believe this was on the Iowa legislative agenda as well. Not sure where it stands now.

@Around_The_Horn posted:

Hopefully this will end with CA and FL passing laws putting and end to student/athletes not being able to profit from their own image.

While I would like to see something done about this, I would prefer they address transferring, punishment for over-recruiting, and the shadiness of team medical staffs first.

An athlete will always have time to make money. Whether it's as an amateur, a pro, or a regular adult. But to me the big issue is they tell you you're not allowed to play while the clock continues to tick. There will always be money, but there won't always be an athletic career.

@TerribleBPthrower posted:

I wish we could go back to the early/mid 90’s for college sports. I’ve pretty much given up on watching college football and hoops. College baseball is about the only sport I watch on tv now

TBPT - The other day, I was thinking along the same lines but in a different era...the mid 80s' were monster years for the Big East...and it was exciting, physical, and in your face.  The coaches and players did not like each other.  The Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden was an event.

On another note entirely.....Did anybody notice the ACC took it on the chin more than a couple times this weekend?  7 teams in.  2 teams survived the FIRST ROUND....Florida State and Syracuse.  Somebody stick a fork in the notion that ACC hoops is the best in the land.   Not this year, and not even close.

Virginia Tech lost in OT to Florida.  Done.

UVA #4 seed (and defending National Champion) lost to Ohio University.  Done

Florida State #4 seed  beat UNCG.

Clemson #7 seed lost to Rutgers.  Done

Georgia Tech #9 seed lost Loyola.  Done

Syracuse #11 seed beat San Diego State.

UNC #8 seed lost to Wisconsin.   Done

@TerribleBPthrower posted:

I wish we could go back to the early/mid 90’s for college sports. I’ve pretty much given up on watching college football and hoops. College baseball is about the only sport I watch on tv now

But man, that Abilene Christian/UTexas basketball game was just amazing.  That's why you have to watch, for games like that.

It took Texas turning the ball over 23 times and allowing AC 27 more shots to lose. Texas proved play poorly and you can suffer an embarrassing loss despite an overwhelming talent advantage.

ACU's defense was smothering, and they never let up.  Some of their players looked exhausted in the first half, and I didn't think they could sustain the level of aggressive defense the whole game, but they did.  Texas couldn't cope and made all the turnovers, but ACU gets the credit.

And down goes Illinois.

Big Ten men not looking good

@PTWood posted:

And down goes Illinois.

and with it yet another year of old school's brackets in the trash!!

@old_school I think you are in good company with the men's bracket. Especially after yesterday. As the wife of the power forward of the original 15 to beat a 2 seed...I'm a fan of broken brackets but I don't want one today on the women's side (it will be a different story on Wednesday if we are still dancing then!).

I saw that there are NO perfect brackets left, as of Saturday.  I mean, Oral Roberts?  Oregon State?

Good luck to the NWU women!

@anotherparent posted:

I saw that there are NO perfect brackets left, as of Saturday.  I mean, Oral Roberts?  Oregon State?

Good luck to the NWU women!

Patting self on back ...

In a side bet pool we had to choose the double digit seed we believed would go the farthest. I picked Oregon State. They were 11-11 at one point. They’re now 19-12. They had to win the PAC12 tournament just to get in. They did it. The PAC12 is grossly underrated due to most games start at 10pm Eastern, end after midnight and people aren’t watching.

Three of my of my Final Four are still in. I have Baylor beating Gonzaga after beating Houston (out) with Gonzaga beating Alabama.

I dare anyone to claim they have Loyola as the top remaining seed in their region. According to Vegas there isn’t one perfect pool bet remaining.

Good luck to Northwestern women today. It just dawned on me why Steve Burton didn’t do Weekend Sports Wrap last night.

Steve Burton is the best sports anchor in Boston. He does a one hour Sunday night show. His daughter Veronica and PT’s daughter are teammates.

It’s about the ugliest game I’ve seen them play but we are up 8 with 2:28 left to go in the third. And Veronica Burton and Syd are best friends!

@PTWood posted:

It’s about the ugliest game I’ve seen them play but we are up 8 with 2:28 left to go in the third. And Veronica Burton and Syd are best friends!

The woman who does the ATT ads does a “Basketball Made Uncomplicated” set. How do you win games?  Score more than the other team.

Playing ugly is a concern in the moment and for the next game. But winning replaces Rolaids every time.

Survive and advance.

Do you root for your hated conference rival to lose? Or do you root for your conference to win another game?

For the most part you win when someone in your conference wins...there’s always that one team though...it’s just personal. 😂

I grew up in Durham, NC.  I never, ever root for Carolina. I don't even wear light blue.  Any other ACC team, but not Carolina.

Told my son we should root for another team in the conference, since our team wasn't in the tournament. He said, "Mom, we can never root for that team, just like you told us about Carolina."

In my area I am fortunate to have multiple teams in major sports in both amateur and professional ranks. I think that is the reason why most folks I know root against them when their teams are out...I am sure we would score well on the misery index

@PTWood posted:

For the most part you win when someone in your conference wins...there’s always that one team though...it’s just personal. 😂

I had childhood friends who played various sports at that school. I have adult friends who attended that school. My two roommates after college attended that school. One showed up with a clock that played the fight song on the hour. I told him to turn off the music or the clock would be missing in action. While tattered, worn and faded I still have my tee from the 80’s that says, “Eight straight. What rivalry?”

It’s nice to say the conference has four in the Sweet 16. But three would have been fine and still bragging rights.

@2022NYC posted:

In my area I am fortunate to have multiple teams in major sports in both amateur and professional ranks. I think that is the reason why most folks I know root against them when their teams are out...I am sure we would score well on the misery index

Jets fans should be suicidal.

@anotherparent posted:

I grew up in Durham, NC.  I never, ever root for Carolina. I don't even wear light blue.  Any other ACC team, but not Carolina.

Told my son we should root for another team in the conference, since our team wasn't in the tournament. He said, "Mom, we can never root for that team, just like you told us about Carolina."

I’m with you on this one. I played at Texas A&M. I will never root for the Texas Longhorns in any sport and it makes my day when they lose anything. When my youngest son played youth football he was on the Longhorns. I was the only coach who wouldn’t wear the team coaching attire. Some things just run deep.

There must be some ACC or SEC basketball teams under here. There’s only one left on the table. ....

Arkansas?  but still pretty funny.

@RJM posted:

There must be some ACC or SEC basketball teams under here. There’s only one left on the table. ....

In terms of the ACC, just horrible..(pronounced "Hahr-ible" if you grew up on the east coast).   Very disappointing.

how else would you pronounce it??

Alabama was too big, too fast, too strong, too athletic, too deep and too talented for UCLA. There was just one problem in crunch time under pressure ... It’s hard to win going 11-25 from the free throw line. It’s worse than ordinary high school numbers.