March Madness

[O Really]

It was a great ending. I gotta admit I felt sorry for the Zags, though. I guess for winning to mean anything, somebody has to lose, but they had a lot of heart and definitely deserved to be in the title game. That last steal and stuff pretty much took them out and they all knew it.

Crank it up... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2yKhdRxRig

[Vrede too]

Congrats. Was working but followed the score. Talking heads said it was a bit of an ugly win, but a win's a win.

I bombed at work early. The Yahoo! $25K winner had 6 of 8 of the Elite 8 and all of the Final 4 (SC!), Final 2 and NC correct. Wow.

Out of 96 entries including 3 celebs - Adam Sandler 13th, Picks-by-Seeds 18th, and me at 20th x 2, 32nd and 92nd. Just 5 months until college football!

[O Really]

Most all of the game was ugly - long periods of scoring slumps, turnovers, lousy officiating totally dragging the game along... Neither team's best showing. But hey - somebody has to win it anyway. Might as well be the Heels.

[Vrede too]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/officiatin ... 37595.html

Ewww. Maybe I'm glad that I worked regardless of the winner.

[k9nanny]

Most all of the game was ugly - long periods of scoring slumps, turnovers, lousy officiating totally dragging the game along... Neither team's best showing. But hey - somebody has to win it anyway. Might as well be the Heels.

True, that.
I'm a loyalist, not an aficionado, and even I got frustrated. Give me a game that is fast, smooth, and executed with the finesse of great choreography. This wasn't.

Still, Carolina won.
The other great moment of the tournament was South Carolina knocking Duke out of the running.

[Vrede too]

I like to like the teams I'm rooting for when I gamble. Maybe I'd be different if all of my gambling wasn't penny-ante. This year is especially tough because of:

Exclusive: Federal documents detail sweeping potential NCAA violations involving high-profile players, schools

More cheaters:

Forde Minutes Big Dance Edition: Everything to know about this college basketball season before filling out your bracket

The Midwest Region (includes Auburn) was really hard, all of the good and the decent teams have been busted. So, no known cheaters to win it all, and cheaters picked against at the margins. This affects all NC teams except Davidson. My 4 brackets at $5 each are:

Cincinnati > KS, Xavier and WV losing in the Final 4, Auburn to the Sweet 16.
Michigan > Purdue, Michigan State and VA losing in the Final 4, Auburn to the Sweet 16, New Mexico State to the Elite 8 .
Villanova > Gonzaga, Duke and VA losing in the Final 4, Auburn to the Elite 8, Davidson to the Sweet 16.
VA > Duke, Michigan and Villanova losing in the Final 4, Auburn loses to Clemson in the 2nd game.

[billy.pilgrim]

I like to like the teams I'm rooting for when I gamble. Maybe I'd be different if all of my gambling wasn't penny-ante. This year is especially tough because of:

Exclusive: Federal documents detail sweeping potential NCAA violations involving high-profile players, schools

More cheaters:

Forde Minutes Big Dance Edition: Everything to know about this college basketball season before filling out your bracket

The Midwest Region (includes Auburn) was really hard, all of the good and the decent teams have been busted. So, no known cheaters to win it all, and cheaters picked against at the margins. This affects all NC teams except Davidson. My 4 brackets at $5 each are:

Cincinnati > KS, Xavier and WV losing in the Final 4, Auburn to the Sweet 16.
Michigan > Purdue, Michigan State and VA losing in the Final 4, Auburn to the Sweet 16, New Mexico State to the Elite 8 .
Villanova > Gonzaga, Duke and VA losing in the Final 4, Auburn to the Elite 8, Davidson to the Sweet 16.
VA > Duke, Michigan and Villanova losing in the Final 4, Auburn loses to Clemson in the 2nd game.

I'm more with Obama - Auburn wins two games.

Have you watched an Auburn game? We have no size. We win when Brice and Jared each hit four or five threes. When one of them has an off-night and McElmore not there to block shots anymore, it doesn't always turn out so well.

I'll be wearing my luck shirt.

There's next year. Word is that the two starters we lost to rules violation before the first game will play next year.

I sure hope Pearl is clean and hammers these rules into the players.

[Vrede too]

#7 Rhode Island > #10 Oklahoma in OT is good for me. I picked Rhode Island in all brackets.

OMG! I picked #11 Loyola Chicago > #6 Miami (FL) in my VA > Duke bracket, but not to win any more games. It will hurt a couple of my brackets, but maybe not much more than most others. First win in 33 years. I like Cinderellas even if they're not good for me.

Several close games for the first day, not many upsets.

#12 Davidson almost pulled it off vs. #5 Kentucky.

#4 Gonzaga barely held on vs. #13 UNCG.

#8 Seton Hall > #9 cheating NCSU was good for 3 out of 4 of my brackets.

#6 Houston squeaked by #11 San Diego St., good in 3 out of 4.

#9 Alabama barely over #8 Virginia Tech hurt me in 3 out of 4, but I have Nova winning the next game in all.

#13 Buffalo slaughtered #4 Arizona 89-68. Fine with me, I think. I picked Buffalo in one bracket and didn't have Arizona advancing past the Sweet 16. Go Buffalo vs. Kentucky!

[Vrede too]

Cincinnati > KS, Xavier and WV losing in the Final 4 - 12/16, same as Obama, lost 2 Sweet 16s.
Michigan > Purdue, Michigan State and VA losing in the Final 4 - 10/16 , lost 3 Sweet 16s and an Elite 8.
Villanova > Gonzaga, Duke and VA losing in the Final 4 - 13/16 , lost 1 Sweet 16.
VA > Duke, Michigan and Villanova losing in the Final 4 - 13/16 , lost 1 Sweet 16.

The Pac12 is out of the tourney .

[Vrede too]

#7 Texas A&M > #10 Providence hurts. I took a chance and went with Providence in all 4 brackets and on to the Sweet 16 in one of them.

#13 Marshall > #4 Wichita St. doesn't bother me even though I only picked Marshall in 1 bracket. I have Wichita St. losing the next game in all.

I correctly picked #2 Purdue > #15 CSF in all 4, but Purdue center Isaac Haas to miss the rest of the season with fractured elbow. That will hurt my Michigan > Purdue, but I otherwise had it in the Final 4 in only 1 bracket. It may hurt others worse.

#10 Butler > #7 Arkansas doesn't bother me even though I only picked Butler in 1 bracket. I only have Arkansas making the Sweet 16 in one.

Wow! #7 Nevada came back from 14 down to force OT, take its first lead in OT since 5-2 and then win vs. #10 Texas. I picked Nevada in 3 out of 4.

#3Michigan St. barely escaped #14 Bucknell 82-78.

#4 Auburn dodged the bullet vs #13 Charleston 62-58, congrats. I did not watch the game, but I surfed to some commentators afterwards. They were bitching about a clear Auburn foul on a 3-point shot by Charleston near the end that was not called by the refs. I don't know what else they said about the game or the refs. I just thought it was funny given your frequent gripes about anti-Auburn refs.

Whoa! #16 U. MD Baltimore County is leading #1 Virginia 52-40 with 7 minutes left. I have VA winning in one bracket and Final 4 in 2 others. A #16 has never beaten a #1 . . . Wow, 74-54! It'll hurt me more than some, but I don't care. Go MD, if it had been College Park I might have picked it to win in one bracket. I love March Madness.

It's great that #11 Syracuse beat #6 TCU, I just wished I'd picked it to happen in one or more brackets. Oh well, I did not pick TCU to win any more games, so I'm better off than anyone that did.

"Michigan > Purdue, Michigan State and VA losing in the Final 4 ... New Mexico State to the Elite 8 ."
Oh well, I do have Clemson winning in the other 3 brackets.

Too bad about #9 Florida St. > #8 Missouri, I had Missouri in 3 brackets. Good thing I picked Xavier to win the next game in every bracket.

I like to like the teams I'm rooting for when I gamble. Maybe I'd be different if all of my gambling wasn't penny-ante.

#8 Seton Hall > #9 cheating NCSU was good for 3 out of 4 of my brackets.

NC State subpoena shows college hoops scandal not slowing down

Getting caught cheating AND having a sucky team is really bad.


Cincinnati > KS, Xavier and WV losing in the Final 4 - 12/16, same as Obama, lost 2 Sweet 16s.
22/32, have lost 3 Sweet 16s and an Elite 8.

Michigan > Purdue, Michigan State and VA losing in the Final 4 - 10/16 , lost 3 Sweet 16s and an Elite 8.
21/32 , have lost 5 Sweet 16s, 2 Elite 8s and a Final 4. Cincy beating NV is the only points I can still score in the entire South Region.

Villanova > Gonzaga, Duke and VA losing in the Final 4 - 13/16 , lost 1 Sweet 16.
24/32, have lost 2 Sweet 16s, an Elite 8 and a Final 4.

VA > Duke, Michigan and Villanova losing in the Final 4 - 13/16 , lost 1 Sweet 16.
21/32 , have lost 2 Sweet 16s, an Elite 8, a Final 4, a Final 2 and the Champion.

[O Really]

So, billy.p, you don't have to worry - no matter what Auburn does, you won't feel as bad as Virginia.

entertaining game comments here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk ... &ocid=iehp

[Vrede too]

So, billy.p, you don't have to worry - no matter what Auburn does, you won't feel as bad as Virginia.

entertaining game comments here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk ... &ocid=iehp

, but maybe we're being too Cavalier about the whole situation.

"Yes, UMBC, there is a Santa Claus," just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Q: What did the boyfriend of the distraught Virginia fan that ran shrieking off into the night have to do?
A: Retriever.



I didn't get the "Sharpie" reference. Here:

CBS analyst Seth Davis guaranteed a Virginia win when it took a 2-0 lead over UMBC

Despite growing up about 30 miles away, I don't remember ever even hearing about the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

[billy.pilgrim]

I wondered if that no call on the foul by Auburn had anything to do with the three no call fouls by Charleston in the previous minute or so. Maybe a ref was compensating for his earlier mistakes, or maybe it was just one of many no calls in a basketball game. Completely different story if it had been going on all game

I thought that one of the two fouls against our team leader in the first minute was bogus. He sat on the beach the rest of the half.


About 30 years ago I read a book by a retired professional baseball umpire. He said that they do the best they can and try to make up for bad calls by making other bad calls.

[O Really]

[

Despite growing up about 30 miles away, I don't remember ever even hearing about the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Me either - it's been around since 1966, but apparently Balteemore-centric. Chesapeake Retriever mascot, Natty Bo the official beer. Don't know how long it's had a sports program, but they apparently got into the Dance about 10 years ago for about 40 minutes.

[billy.pilgrim]

So, billy.p, you don't have to worry - no matter what Auburn does, you won't feel as bad as Virginia.

entertaining game comments here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk ... &ocid=iehp

, but maybe we're being too Cavalier about the whole situation.

"Yes, UMBC, there is a Santa Claus," just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Q: What did the boyfriend of the distraught Virginia fan that ran shrieking off into the night have to do?
A: Retriever.



I didn't get the "Sharpie" reference. Here:

CBS analyst Seth Davis guaranteed a Virginia win when it took a 2-0 lead over UMBC

Despite growing up about 30 miles away, I don't remember ever even hearing about the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Established 1966



is an American public research university, located in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, mostly in the community of Catonsville, approximately 10 minutes (8.3 miles) from downtown Baltimore City. With a fall 2016 enrollment of 13,640 students, 48 undergraduate majors, over 60 graduate programs (36 master, 24 doctoral, and 17 graduate certificate programs) and the first university research park in Maryland,[6] UMBC has been named the #1 Up-and-Coming University for six years in a row, since 2009, by US News & World Report.[3] In addition, US News & World Report has placed UMBC in the top ten for best undergraduate teaching six years in a row, being placed at #5, the second highest-ranked public university.[3][not in citation given]

[Vrede too]

Me either - it's been around since 1966, but apparently Balteemore-centric. Chesapeake Retriever mascot, Natty Bo the official beer. Don't know how long it's had a sports program, but they apparently got into the Dance about 10 years ago for about 40 minutes.

Everything you need to know about UMBC

... Not only did the school’s website crash on Friday night,

it was also one of the hottest Google search trends.



Is it the same school as University of Maryland-Baltimore?

Nope, that’s an entirely different school.

Is the basketball program well known?

Nope. Prior to 2018, UMBC had only made one appearance in the NCAA tournament, a first-round loss to Georgetown as a No. 15 seed in 2008....

Is the mascot really a retriever named True Grit?

Yup. The school had a mascot naming contest when it opened in the mid-60s and the winning entry was from a student who nominated a Chesapeake Bay retriever. A 500-pound bronze statue of a retriever named “True Grit” sits in the middle of campus.

Who are the most famous people who have attended UMBC?

The most famous UMBC alumni is undoubtedly actress Kathleen Turner, who earned a fine arts degree in 1977. But there’s also “Ace of Cakes” star Duff Goldman and Dan Patrick, the conservative radio host turned lieutenant governor of Texas. Oh, and the men who just became the answer to “who engineered the greatest March Madness upset of all time,” of course.

Damn, I could have gone to school with Kathleen Turner.



Of course, I would have had just as much a shot as I did 2000 miles away.

[O Really]

Or maybe you lucked out...

[Vrede too]

Were my jokes that bad?

Or maybe you lucked out...

I'm not as pretty as I used to be, either.

Kathleen Turner net worth:
$20 Million

So lucky.

Seems that she never had lived in MD and transferred from Missouri State University just to get a degree in theater from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Who knew that it was (is?) an actor factory?

Early life

Turner was born June 19, 1954, in Springfield, Missouri, the daughter of Patsy (née Magee 1923-2015) and Allen Richard Turner, a U.S. Foreign Service officer who grew up in China (where Turner's great-grandfather had been a Methodist missionary). She has a sister, Susan, and two brothers.

Turner was raised in a strict conservative Christian household, and her interest in performing was discouraged by both of her parents: "My father was of missionary stock," she later explained, "so theater and acting were just one step up from being a streetwalker, you know? So when I was performing in school, he would drive my mom [there] and sit in the car. She'd come out at intermissions and tell him, 'She's doing very well.'" ...

Then, her very first film was Body Heat.

[O Really]

Were my jokes that bad?

Or maybe you lucked out...

I'm not as pretty as I used to be, either.

Kathleen Turner net worth:
$20 Million

I dunno - I think I read she had health issues contributing to her appearance, but I think a good use of part of that 20 mill might be to hire a nutrionist and trainer. Not everybody who is 60ish looks like she does:

[Vrede too]

IS it too late to throw in a "ROLL TIDE!"?

Is it too soon to throw in a "ROLL HOME TIDE!"?

No. 1 Villanova makes 17 threes, routs No. 9 Alabama

99 brackets including *****Barack Obama ***** & ***** Picks by Seeds *****.
8 of us picked Buffalo to win over Arizona.
11 of us picked Marshall to win over Wichita State.
A surprising 35 picked Syracuse to win over TCU, not me.
A surprising 38 of us picked Loyola (IL) to win over Miami.
A surprising 65 of us picked Butler to win over Arkansas.
Nobody had picked Maryland BC to win over VA.

As of last night, not counting Nova - AL.:
The leader has 26 points.
7 players have 25 points.
***** Picks by Seeds ***** has 23 points, tied for 24th.

Cincinnati > KS, Xavier and WV losing in the Final 4 - 12/16, same as Obama, lost 2 Sweet 16s.
22/32, have lost 3 Sweet 16s and an Elite 8.
Tied for 46th.

Michigan > Purdue, Michigan State and VA losing in the Final 4 - 10/16 , lost 3 Sweet 16s and an Elite 8.
20/32 , have lost 5 Sweet 16s, 2 Elite 8s and a Final 4. Cincy beating NV is the only points I can still score in the entire South Region.
Tied for 76th.

Villanova > Gonzaga, Duke and VA losing in the Final 4 - 13/16 , lost 1 Sweet 16.
24/32, have lost 2 Sweet 16s, an Elite 8 and a Final 4.
Me and *****Barack Obama *****, tied for 8th.

VA > Duke, Michigan and Villanova losing in the Final 4 - 13/16 , lost 1 Sweet 16.
21/32 , have lost 2 Sweet 16s, an Elite 8, a Final 4, a Final 2 and the Champion.
Tied for 63rd.

A lot of us had VA in the final game, a few of us winning it.
A few people had AZ in the final game.
One person had Creighton in the final game.

Barack Obama:
Michigan State > VA, Villanova & UNC losing in the Final 4.