The man upstairs doesn’t like me. He just torpedoed my favorites while still rewarding my upsets.
This is why I claim to know nothing of March Madness, and subsequently, don’t put any money on brackets.
It’s pretty trendy, as sports writers come, to claim “expert” on a multitude of subjects. Basketball is a hot choice. And with the proliferation of the word “expert,” we’re seeing more and more folks lose their humility in the journalism business and cry upset every time their team loses.
That’s BS in my book. I don’t claim to know anything about college basketball. (Except for John Wall. I know who John Wall is.) Or tennis. Or golf. Or NASCAR. Or the Kansas City Royals. It’s much like I don’t claim to know anything about college football, however much more I watch.
A pretty esteemed writer for the Boston Globe wrote a month or so back about college basketball, and while doing so made a very apt point. He noted the differences between those of us who watch college basketball prior to March, and those of us who just care come bracket time.
My question for him, and folks like him, is simple: Why should I care? I’ve got the NBA, NFL, and Major League Baseball (minus the Triple-A Kansas City Royals and such) to worry about. And let me tell you another thing, the offseasons of the big three are more important than four days of golf (the Masters) will ever be.
I’m just a stick and ball kinda guy. And just at the pro level, at that. However, the irony is I cover high school sports for a living. My passions can’t get more complicated than that.
Friday picks
Here are my remaining teams in the NCAA bracket after Thursday’s genocide, the effects of which you will not see here until Round 2. For Thursday’s scores, click here.
South
Cal over Louisville
Duke over AR Pine Bluff
Texas A&M over Utah St.
Purdue over Siena
East
West Virginia over Morgan State
Temple over Cornell
Missouri over Clemson
Wisconsin over Wofford
Midwest
Michigan St. over New Mexico St.
Georgia Tech over Oklahoma St.
Ohio St. over UCSB
Maryland over Houston
West
Xavier over Minnesota
Oakland over Pittsburgh
Florida St. over Gonzaga
David
/ March 19, 2010as long as most or all of your Great 8 teams are in tact, you’re still in the hunt. Did you have G-Town in your Great 8?
Christian
/ March 19, 2010Hey Zuri it was Murray State and Old Dominion wasnt it!!!!
Zuri
/ March 19, 2010Yup, both of them screwed me. Although I think Murray State was a lot worse than Old Dominion. Had Notre Dame out in Round 2. And Georgetown certifiably screwed up everything.
Zuri
/ March 19, 2010I had Georgetown in one of my final fours.
Cyndy Burgey
/ March 21, 2010I don’t normally post to blogs but I enjoyed this post so keep up the good work. -cheers-