"March Madness - Your Thoughts" by TEE Shots (Senior Writer Tom Embrey)

March Madness - Your Thoughts

March 15, 2010

Okay, its March Madness time. In just a few days many of us will be glued to TVs, handheld devices, computers and possibly, but not likely, radios, taking in all the basketball we can. The first four days of the NCAA tournament are like nothing else.

And I am sure many of you will be filling out online or office tournament brackets. For fun, of course.

Love to hear your thoughts on the bracket, but first, here are mine.

The Pac 10 sucks. It doesn't deserve a second team. Sorry, you can't justify it. No way, no how. The league was dreadful all season.

Why, if Kansas is the No. 1 seed overall, don't the Jayhawks play the winner of the play in game? Why does that honor go to the Dookies, who were the No. 3-rated top seed.... Why are the four strongest Sweet 16 teams (Top 4 seeds) in with KU and Syracuse and the weakest in with Duke and UK?

Why are a 23-win Virginia Tech team a and a 22-win Mississippi State team out, while Notre Dame, Minnesota, Wake, Clemson, California, and Notre Dame in -- all with fewer wins -- in?

Did anybody really think Illinois deserved to get in the tournament? Maybe they thought MJ had some pull....

First No. 1 seed to go out: Syracuse.

Upsets in the opening round: Cornell (12) over Temple (5); San Diego State (11) over Tennessee (6) and Murray State (13) over Vanderbilt (4).

I also like Richmond, Baylor, and Siena to have solid tournaments.

CSmithson 3 years, 2 months ago

Who cares? The Heels aren't in it.

Tom_Embrey 3 years, 2 months ago

Oh, so I should do a blog about the NIT?

CSmithson 3 years, 2 months ago

@Tom No NIT blog, but I must admit those two NIT games I saw at the Smith Center a few years back were a lot of fun. No "wine and cheese" crowd when you have general admission!

debsalomon 3 years, 2 months ago

Let's just rally round the NC contender and stop dissing Duke for a few weeks. Wouldn't it be nice if a NC team brought home the championship for two straight years? Your faithful girly fan.

smith78 3 years, 2 months ago

MARCH MADNESS IS NOT THE SAME THIS YEAR.. THE HEELS ARE NOT IN IT AND I WILL NOT PULL FOR DUKE.. I WOULD PULL FOR THE RUSSUIANS BEFORE I PULL FOR THEM..

GoldenDreams 3 years, 2 months ago

Does anyone follow women's basketball? And it doesn't have to be NC, either. There are some powerful and talented women's basketball teams out there that are very enjoyable to watch.

debsalomon 3 years, 2 months ago

For Smith78: I am writing a term paper on why folks hate Duke. Would you help me out? Really, you can't hate a team that takes out Dick Vitale, like Kyle Singler did in the ACC tournament! True-Blue Girly Fan, class of '60 (which gives me some perspective).

jkrahnert3 3 years, 2 months ago

Kansas is definitely the team to beat, and yeah, they got a tough road. Seems like Duke has the easiest road, but I think they'll still get beat by Nova (sorry Deb).

Why is Minnesota in the tournament?

Tom_Embrey 3 years, 2 months ago

@bethanylady No real reason to worry about the women's tourney unless you are a fan of the UConn Lady Huskies. UConn will destroy every opponent on the way to another title, extending their win streak to near 80. Everybody else is playing for second place.

debsalomon 3 years, 2 months ago

Dear John, I'm not naive enough to think Duke will bring home the big prize...but I do think they should be given more credit (respect?) for being the only NC team to have made it. This whole passionate hate Duke thing has me puzzled. I don't see people hating Duke so much that they boycott the medical center, usually ranked in the Top Ten nationally. Or refuse to attend performances at Durham Performing Arts Center, backed by Duke funds. UNC's got a lot of Yankees enrolleld, too, and they're allowed at basketball games despite their New York accents. I have watched HBO's excellent "Battle for Tobacco Road" *about the rivalry numerous times and I still don't get the bloodletting...on both sides, since the Dookies are almost as ardent Tar Heel bashers. Well, better luck luck to Light Blues at the NIT. All North Carolina basketball is good basketball.... OK Expatriate or whoever, bring it on. debster

jkrahnert3 3 years, 2 months ago

@ Deb

To be honest, while I"m a unabashed Duke hater, I don't hate this team as much as other Duke teams in the past. It seems that a lot my hatred departed with Melchionni, Redick and Paulus. I'm not a fan of Kyle Singler — he seems to have inherited Redick's cockiness — but Scheyer doesn't bother me as much as he does a lot of people. I like the Plumlee brothers.

I started hating Duke because of Wojo — slapping the floor, crying, etc.

jkrahnert3 3 years, 2 months ago

and by the way, Wake Forest is located in NC. They'll get bounced early, but they're in the dance.

debsalomon 3 years, 2 months ago

I was just coming back to post an OOPS. Mea Culpa, mea culpa. Of course we'll be cheering for the Deacons...deb

CSmithson 3 years, 2 months ago

@Deb Try reading Will Blythe's "To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever: A Thoroughly Obsessive, Intermittently Uplifting, and Occasionally Unbiased Account of the Duke-North Carolina Basketball Rivalry." It does a pretty good job of explaining why we hate Duke.

I was a late-blooming Duke hater. I was actually a long-time NC State fan until I went to UNC. I still root for State unless they are playing the Heels.

The only time I have rooted for Duke at all was when I lived in Maryland for a few years. The entire state roots for the same ACC team! We are lucky in NC that we have some good in-state rivalries. I grew to despise Maryland enough that I would root for the visitor whenever Maryland and Duke played.

@John The floor-slapping has to be one of the top 3 reasons to hate Duke.

ktrip123 3 years, 2 months ago

O-H

jmfbowles 3 years, 2 months ago

I-O

Tom_Embrey 3 years, 2 months ago

I started hating Duke when UNLV throttled them in the 1990 title game, and the stupid Dookies couldn't score enough points to stay close enough to allow me to win the tournament bracket pool I was in... Sadly I found myself in a Mr. Gatti's Pizza parlor in Louisville, Ky. rooting, no, yelling at the top of my lungs, for Tark the Shark and the Runnin' Rebels to run up the score because Duke was so woefully inept.

RD28327 3 years, 2 months ago

On the Final Four, I'll go with Cal-Santa Barbara, North Texas, Wofford, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. LOL

As for my "real" bracket, let's just say the letter 'K' factors in greatly .....

BRING ON THE MADNESS!!!

debsalomon 3 years, 2 months ago

For CSmithson: I've had Blythe's book for years. I read as much as I can, until the gag reflex kicks in. I hope Mr. Blythe has a good gastroenterologist to treat his ulcers. With all in the world to get excited about...a grown man seething over a student body he characterizes as "arrogant?" I guess that means no arrogant Yankees matriculate down the road. As for the players, who in sneakers is cockier or more obnixious than Grievas VAsquez but he's a great shooter == and no reason to hate the Terps. At least now I know some folks hate the team because of the players' personality traits, not basketball skills. John Scheyer is a cool cookie and seems to be a gentleman/sportsman. Nolan Smith keeps a poker face, Singler is nothing more than colorful, the Plumlees seem like well-behaved preppies and Big Z is like a friendly Saint Bernard. But what's the difference, as long as they obey the rules and play their hearts out? Is the hate only for the basketball/football teams or do you fellas hate the faculty, staff and me? Watch out,, Embry. No cookie tomorrow.

jkrahnert3 3 years, 2 months ago

I don't hate Duke as a school. I just don't understand why you'd go there when there's a fine institution like Boston College out there ;).

debsalomon 3 years, 2 months ago

Excellent point, John. Could it be because of the basketball team? Or maybe because, back then, the student body listed 1.200 women and nearly 5,000 men? We got free cigarettes, too; there they were, on our beds, when we returned from class. And Perry Como sang at Joe College Weekend. All gone, except the basketball team....debster

RD28327 3 years, 2 months ago

OK, here's my Final Four: Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky and Duke. Kentucky defeats Kasas for the championship.

GoldenDreams 3 years, 2 months ago

Hey Tom Embrey: I am a huge UConn Lady Huskies fan because I graduated from UConn. I believe they will go all the way again this year. Do you really think Geno would have it any other way? LOL! Other women's teams are still fun to watch, though, just as they are in the men's competition.

Tom_Embrey 3 years, 2 months ago

@bethanylady

If they don't win it all it will be the biggest upset in any sport in a long, long, long time.

jkrahnert3 3 years, 2 months ago

At this point, I'm convinced that the UConn women will never lose another game. Ever.

As for my tournament pick, I need Murray State to stun Vandy, and Siena over Purdue. Those are my two big upsets.

I think Kansas is too strong to lose, but look out for the 'eers of WVU.

ASU88 3 years, 2 months ago

Got to go with the Jayhawks!!! I do however enjoy an upset! Let the games begin!

HeelsHoopFan 3 years, 2 months ago

The more I studied the brackets this year the more interesting the tourney became to me. With my beloved Heels out of the scenario, I think there are some interesting matchups this year. I've got Kentucky beating Duke by three in the finals, but Kansas, WVA, KSU, OSU, Notre and Syracuse all look strong.

I still say the Masters is going to steal the show and everyone else will be sucking wind.

Tom_Embrey 3 years, 2 months ago

Good first day for basketball fans, and Day 2 is shaping up to be a good one also. Nice effort Richmond. Thanks Spiders. Happy with 11-5 in both brackets after day one, with only Georgetown out in the second round.

jkrahnert3 3 years, 2 months ago

Well, my bracket is now completely destroyed. Thanks for the memories Villanova and Kansas.

debsalomon 3 years, 2 months ago

For RD28327: Re the "K" that figures heavily in your bracket...I assume you mean Coach K, not Kentucky. Great weekend...the best thing about supporting only one team is that you don't live by brackets. I know y'all think I'm some batty old broad elbowing for a seat at the bar. You're right -- so much easier, and what fun it is to see my arrogant, preppy boys-in-blue advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Whether they win big or not, it's been a great ride. John, now that your bracket is destroyed, how about cutting your losses and hopping aboard mine? Girly fan.

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