If your memory’s good, this should be more than enough to go on.
As CBS play-by-play man came on the air March 20, 2010, he welcomed viewers to snowy Oklahoma City, OK.
It was, perhaps, apt that there was a quasi-blizzard raging outside when 9th-seeded Northern Iowa played top-seeded Kansas in the Round of 32 for a spot in the Sweet 16.
The upstart Panthers fairly well snowed in the Jayhawks, jumping to an 8-point halftime lead, forcing 15 Kansas turnovers for the game, and clinging to a 1-point lead with 35 seconds left.
That’s when the subject of this week’s Fan Teaser, Ali Farokhmanesh, drained a deep three to give the Panthers a two possession lead which they turned into a 69-67 upset victory. Farokhmanesh just completed his first year as head coach of the Colorado State Rams who qualified for the NIT this season with a 21-12 record.
Will (or has it already!?!) similar March Madness occur during this year’s tournament? I guess we’ll just need to wait and see.
Northern Iowa’s Ali Farokhmanesh celebrates after his 3-pointer with 35 seconds remaining gave the 9th seeded Northern Iowa Panthers a 4-point leader over top-seeded Kansas in the NCAA Men’s Tournament’s Round of 32 back in 2010. UNI went on to win, 69-67. (Photo by Ronald Martinez)
Farokhmanesh hits the open three.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
What will become of my friend Ben once I introduce him to sports books in Las Vegas?
(Reminder: You’re receiving this edition of Inside Baseball because you’re a subscriber to The Sports Fan Project. It’s just my way providing a behind-the-scenes glimpse as to what’s happening [and being planned] here and at our podcast, Conversations with Sports Fans. If you know of others who might enjoy our content, please invite them to subscribe. The link to do so is found along the righthand column on the website.)
Channeling my inner-founding fathers: I cannot tell a lie, the last five weeks have been an absolute whirlwind.
Venice, Cortina, Milan, Rome, Los Angeles, San Juan (via New York City), Phoenix, and – as of tomorrow – Las Vegas. All since February 6th!
Events Nos. 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, and 50 (maybe!) of the Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project will have all been attended by late Sunday which means I’m firmly – I believe – on track to get to 80 by my self-imposed deadline of June 30, 2027.
In this edition of Inside Baseball I’m looking for some assistance and provide our valued subscribers an opportunity to compete in The Sports Fan Project’s now annual Bracket Challenge.
Your Assistance Welcome … and Needed!
A look at the Westgate Super Book in Las Vegas from 2018. (Photo by John Locher/Associated Press)
Full disclosure, I am not a gambler.
I’ve always been of the belief I’d just as soon light my currency on fire rather than play games of chance because I’m, well, terrible at games of chance!
That said, on the Around the World in 80 Sporting Events list is spending time in Las Vegas for the opening week of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments.
I’ve done it once before on purpose (2017) and again by accident (2018). It was a crazy environment with a lot of (mainly) middle-aged men wandering form sports book to sports book looking for an extra half-point or the best possible parlay to turn their wager into big winnings.
I was not among the winners.
Still, I’m heading back with a group of five buddies and we’re going to have a blast I’m sure, but I’ve set a limit for myself.
The image of Ben Franklin above is all that I’m permitting myself to play with while I’m in Sin City. It will all be wagered on basketball games (no craps, no slots, no blackjack … only the tourney).
So what say you, TSFP subscribers?
Do you have any sure things? Any hunches? Is there a game I should throw $5 on and see how it plays out? Should I put the entirety of my hundy down on a game early Thursday and either play with house money the rest of the week or wallow in my liberation from wagering?
Please let me know either by commenting below or by emailing me directly at hilldouglast@gmail.com.
Brackets are Back
Who’s going to cut down The Sports Fan Project Bracket Challenge nets this year?
We’re competing soley for bragging rights, but I might have something in the prize bin this year to send along to the ultimate winner. Those bragging rights for the past year have belonged to my wife, Carol, who finished six points clear of longtime supporter Michael O’Connell. Oddly, Carol hardly bragged at all which was welcome for this sixth place finisher.
You may need to reactivate your NCAA account and/or start a new one. Please note that we’re doing the men’s bracket not the women’s bracket (though I’m thinking about adding that for next year:-).
A reminder the first games begin later today (6:40 p.m. EDT) so if you’re looking to nab a point for these First Four Games you’ll want to get your bracket submitted yet today. If that’s not so important to you and you’d rather have the Field of 64 set, then you’ll need to have submitted by noon EDT, Thursday.
Upcoming Conversations
As I’m a bit pressed for time, I’ll not go deep into the details of each of these, but here’s what’s in the queue:
Joe Grezlik – Freshmen dormitory floor buddy who’s retired from a career working in the Michigan Department of Corrections, is a massive golf fan and an employee at Whitmore Lake Golf Links. He’s pursuing his PGA of America Membership so you know that’ll be a topic of our Conversation.
Joe Flynn – A longtime employee in the non-profit sector, Joe capped his executive certificate class at George Washington University with the creation of the Fantasy Football for Good Draft Guide that documented the foundations and charitable work for 180 NFL players in one spot to, as Joe says, “Highlights the humans under the helmet.”
Sports Fans at AZ Sports Cards in Phoenix – Thanks to owner John Gola III, I was able to spend a couple hours at his AZ Sports Card store recently and talk to sports fans and hobbyists of all stripes and from around the country who are in town for Cactus League baseball. It’ll test my editing capabilities, but I think this will be a fun listen.
University of Washington Men’s Soccer Fans – Part of my ongoing effort to highlight the fans oof the so-called non-revenue college athletic programs, I’m delighted to share this second installment, featuring a quartet of Huskies fans following their national championship.
For 25 consecutive years Greg Gumbel was a part of college basketball fans’ annual march to madness.
As CBS Sports’ studio host of the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament each spring, I dare say he was as much a part of the action as the players and coaches themselves. His cool and steady hand navigating the studio team and – during his early years – handling the cutaway coverage of fantastic finishes that inevitably popped up.
Broadcaster Greg Gumbel was as much a part of the CBS coverage of the Men’s NCAA Tournament as the madness itself. He died in December 2024. (Photo by Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)
Gumbel missed the 2024 Tournament when he was away for what was described as “family health issues.”
He died on December 27, 2024 at 78-years-old from pancreatic cancer.
The past two NCAA Tournaments were the first he was not a part of since taking the reins of the studio in 1998, a remarkable 25-year stretch.
In later years, CBS and Turner Sports have teamed to televise the tournament and Ernie Johnson (a cancer survivor himself), Charles Barkley, Clark Kellogg, and Kenny Smith paid tribute to Gumbel at the beginning of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
The field of 68 will be revealed later today and, no doubt, some teams will be missing.
There will be something else missing as well:-(
Ernie Johnson and company kick off this year's NCAA Tournament with a moving tribute to longtime host Greg Gumbel. pic.twitter.com/ktizs9RDST
Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
March 26, 1979 … the night March Madness was born.
Top-ranked and undefeated Indiana State University, led by a fella named Larry Bird, met the third-ranked Michigan State Spartans and a dude named Earvin “Magic” Johnson on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City for the 1979 NCAA Championship.
At the time the pair met, the NCAA Tournament was a quaint little affair of just 40 schools. The next year it was bumped to 48 and by 1985 it was at 64. The ratings for this game topped out at 35% of U.S. televisions and led to seismic jumps in rights fees to the current amount of roughly $900 million per year. What’s more, back in the 1970s, not all games were televised nationally. Today, someone with solid remote control skills and plenty of caffeine for the early rounds could see the tips and finishes of every game live.
Much of this is attributed to the two men in this week’s Fan Teaser. As former Marquette University coach and later NBC college basketball analyst Al McGuire said, “The college game was already on the launching pad. Then Bird and Magic came along and pushed the button.”
Kaboom!
Earvin “Magic” Johnson, left, and Larry Bird during their first of many high-profile matchups at the 1979 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship in Salt Lake City, UT. (Photo by James Drake/Sports Illustrated)
For more reading, check out this Michael Wilbon piece from the Washington Post back in 2009, when the game was but a mere 30-years-old.
A highlight package of Bird vs. Magic during the 1979 NCAA Championship Game.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
Before he matriculated to the University of Cincinnati, Oscar Robertson, was a standout at Indianapolis Crispus Attucks High School. A 3-year starter at Attucks, he led the team to a 62-1 record over his final two seasons (including 45 straight wins at one point!) and won back-to-back state championships.
Oscar Robertson (12), Cincinnati’s All-American, is seen midair in a spread-eagle position after a rebound during the NCAA regional elimination game in Lawrence, KS, March 1959. The Bearcats won, 85-75. Standing at right is All-American (only partially visible) Bob Boozer (30) of Kansas State. Robertson and Boozer later became teammates for the NBA’s Cincinnati Royals. (Photo by the Associated Press)
At the University of Cincinnati, Robertson averaged 33.8 points per game, was named All-American and the College Player of the Year each of his three seasons of eligibilty. As a team, the Bearcats went 79-9 during Robertson’s tenure and advanced to two consecutive Final Fours (1958-59 and 1959-60), taking third in each.
Footage from the game against Kansas State in 1959.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser comes courtesy of longtime buddy, Pat Schutte. The cropped photo below and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
Oakland University’s Jack Gohlke made time in isolation a bit more enjoyable for the author. (Photo from The Athletic)
An untimely – or was it, perhaps, timely? – positive COVID test found me isolated to my room for the first few days of this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. That kind of time alone with one’s thoughts is good fodder for a blog post.
Lions, Tigers, & Grizzlies … Oh, My!
Oakland University’s Jack Gohlke‘s shooting display Thursday night during the Golden Grizzlies’, 80-76, win over Kentucky took me back. Back to Lincoln, NE, in March, 1988 when 15th-seeded Eastern Michigan University gave the second-seeded Pittsburgh all it could muster in the first half.
EMU trailed, 52-49, at the break and the then-Hurons had freshman Brad Soucie‘s eight first-half 3-pointers to thank for the narrow margin. Like Gohlke, it seemed as though everything Soucie threw near the basket was going to be pure.
Unlike Gohlke and the Grizzlies, EMU was unable to seal the deal and wound up losing, 108-90, but what a game it was to witness.
As a happy bonus, about the time OU’s game was ending Thursday night, I traded a couple of Twitter messages with Ben Braun, the EMU head coach March 18, 1988, in Lincoln. He and I hadn’t communicated in a good long while, but it was nice catching up and talking college hoops.
Yeah, I’d Try That
You get plenty of time with commercials when you’re stuck in a room by yourself for days on end. To that end, here’s a couple of quick takes:
Tool Shaq
I’m down to try a bite of KFC’s new Chizza (boneless fried chicken, marinara, mozzarella, and pepperoni). Seriously, this sounds like a chicken parm with pepperoni. What’s not to like?
Conversely, the Buffalo Wild Wings’ “box out” commercial is making me never want to visit BW’s again.
The Tool Shaq spots from Home Depot featuring Shaquille O’Neal are fun. I’m pretty sure O’Neal would be a remarkable spokesperson should an ice maker ever want to sell product to the Eskimos. He just seems able to connect across demographics and at various levels. “I only build’em, I don’t sit on’em. … I’m just playin’!”
And, call me crazy, but the Wendy’s commerical “Get Hyped,” is amazing! I could – and probably will have to – watch it endlessly, especially the part after the plug is pulled and the two fellas freestyle the beat.
Start Time Outrage
I ranted about this on my socials late Saturday morning, but television networks continue to harm college sports. My ire this time was directed at the start times of tournament games on Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, television apparently deemed it OK for the UAB-San Diego State game in Spokane, WA, to begin at 1:45 p.m. EDT which, it should be noted, is 10:45 a.m. local time! And, lest we think it was a fluke, the very first game to tip off on Saturday was the Salt Lake City subregional game between Dayton-Arizona that began at 12:45 p.m. EDT (or 10:45 a.m. local time!). To further confound the mind, TV dictated that the Oregon-Creighton game (from Pittsburgh) was scheduled to begin at 9:40 p.m. on Saturday – though it didn’t start until after 10 thanks to an overtime game before it.
Here’s a novel concept … start the games in the Eastern Time Zone in early window and those further west in the later window. Amazing how easy it would be to correct this issue.
New Rule: All high school and college start times must have local start times between noon and 8 p.m.
March or January?
It was not lost on me that Friday was, technically, the third full day of Spring in southeastern lower Michigan. We received close to four inches of snow in my neighborhood. Which means I can officially say there was more snow on the ground for during opening round games of the NCAA Tournament than there was for the Rose Bowl on January 1.
The view outside my isolation space on Friday.
Catching Up with Friends
One of the cool byproducts of this annual event, is the ability to – in real time – reconnect with friends from around the nation who share an interest in their team’s success. On Thursday it was Kevin who’s the long-time public address announcer for Oakland University, on Friday it was Tom who’s spent more of his life in Colorado than not and Donald a Vermont lifer, and then on Saturday I ran it back with Tom as well as Ashley – a huge Washington State Cougar fan – and Sara who roots for Iowa State.
Not Missed
I doubt I’m in the minority with this thought: CBS’s longtime voice of the tournament – Jim Nantz – was not missed. Ian Eagle does a fine job and seems to have a terrific rapport with color commentators Bill Raftery and Grant Hill. I might actually watch some of this year’s championship game rather than tune into the radio call.
This was certainly a shining moment. What’s going on here?
When the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament kicks into full gear each March so too does a requisite amount of Madness.
In the spring of 1998 that meant Bryce Drew and his Valparaiso Crusaders (now Beacons) springing an improbable upset of Ole Miss, 70-69, in the opening round when Drew and his Crusader teammates executed the play “Pacer” to perfection (video below) in the final few seconds.
Drew is back in the tournament this week as the head coach of 12th-seeded Grand Canyon University which upset fifth-seeded St. Mary’s in Friday’s opener, 75-66, for its first NCAA Division I tournament win school history. Up next, Alabama in the second round from Spokane, WA.
After hitting his game-winning basket in 1998, Bryce Drew dove headfirst onto the floor and then was mobbed by teammates. (Image courtesy of a YouTube screen grab)
Shortly after being hired by Grand Canyon in 2020, the Lopes Insider Blog with Paul Coro published a story of Drew’s recollections of that magical moment. Check it out here.
The final 2.5 seconds of Valparaiso’s shocking victory over Ole Miss.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser comes courtesy of longtime buddy, Pat Schutte. The cropped photo below and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
As the madness almost begins, who’s wearing it well here?
We’re a week away from Selection Sunday, so why not callback one of the most fantastic finishes in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament history?
It was a slam dunk that led to this iconic photo of North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach, Jim Valvano, and Lorenzo Charles (to Valvano’s left).
Charles famously dunked an errant, desperation shot by Dereck Whittenburg just before the buzzer to allow the sixth-seeded Wolfpack the, 54-52, upset win over the heavily favored University of Houston (led by Clyde Drexler and Akeem [now Hakeem] Olajuwon)
The North Carolina State Wolfpack pulled off a remarkable upset of the top-ranked Houston Cougars in the NCAA Championship Game in Albuquerque, NM, on April 4, 1983. Above, Lorenzo Charles and N.C. State coach Jim Valvano celebrate with others the Wolfpack’s.(Photo by Rick Clarkson/Sports Illustrated)
Sadly, both principal subjects in this photo were gone too soon.
Valvano following a bout with cancer barely 10 years after this shining moment and Charles in 2011, as the driver of an empty motor coach that was in a single-vehicle accident.
The waning moments of North Carolina State’s 1983 victory.
Prior to “One Shining Moment” there was this diddy, “All Right,” by Christopher Cross. Enjoy this trip back 40-plus years.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser comes courtesy of longtime buddy, Pat Schutte. The cropped photo below and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
