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The Sports Fan Project Bracket Challenge – Update 2
NCAA Basketball
The Sports Fan Project Bracket Challenge – Update 1
And then there were 32!
While you all have access to the March Madness app and can check your own status, we aim to please here at The Sports Fan Project.
Only eight of us are participating so each of us has a 12.5% chance at bragging rights:-)
- 1. Jim L., 26 points
- 2. Alex P., 25
- Mike M., 25
- 4. Doug H., 24
- Carol H., 24
- Mike O., 24
- Tim P, 24
- 8. Jerry H., 22
Last Call to Join the Madness with our Sports Fan Project Family
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The Sports Fan Project Bracket Challenge
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The Fan Teaser: Week 125 Solution
Back in 2010, Butler University was a cute little over-achieving team from the Horizon League. It had the baby-faced coach in Brad Stevens and, thanks a roster filled with returnees from the previous season (in which it won the Horizon League regular-season championship, earned a nine seed in the NCAA Tournament, and finished the season ranked No. 25 in the final polls), it debuted at No. 10 in the preseason rankings. It remained ranked throughout (dropping to as low as No. 24 and rising to as high as No. 8) and went 18-0 in league play, won both games in the Horizon League Tournament, and entered the NCAA Tournament as a five seed in the West Region.
Still, few expected Butler to go on the run it did, beating the University of Texas-El Paso 77-59, Murray State 54-52, Syracuse 63-59, and Kansas State 63-56 in Regional play to earn its first trip to the NCAA Final Four which just so happened to be in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium, a scant 6.2 miles from Butler’s home of Hinkle Fieldhouse.
In its semifinal matchup, Butler defeated defending national runner-up, Michigan State University (the only Big Ten school Butler had never played), 52-50.
Comparisons to the 1986 film, Hoosiers, abounded as tiny Butler (enrollment about 4,500) was the smallest school to play the National Championship since Jacksonville in 1970. Duke, itself a private school with only about 6,500 students, but with three NCAA Championships on its resume at the time, was the David in this David and Goliath story.
A back-and-forth game, it came down to the waning minutes and, utlimately, Butler sophomore Gordon Hayward‘s halfcourt heave that was the subject of this week’s Fan Teaser.
Here’s a wonderful 10-year reflection story (March 2020) from Jim Boeheim, Frank Martin, Tom Izzo, and Mike Krzyzewski (the coaches of Butler’s final four opponents during its tournament run).
As though to prove 2010 was no fluke, Butler – now without Hayward who was the No. 9 draft pick by the Utah Jazz – played in the 2011 National Championship Game as well, losing to UConn, 53-41, in Houston’s Reliant Stadium.
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.
Giving Indiana Basketball the Old College Try
On the left is the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center (home of the Grace College Lancers) and at right is Hinkle Fieldhouse (home of the Butler University Bulldogs). (Hinkle photo by Brandon Hill)
Ours was an Indiana University household during my youth. I’m really unclear how or why, but it might have had something to do with one of my dad’s high school buddies, Erv Inniger, playing basketball and baseball in Bloomington during the mid-1960s.
I recall seeing one of IU’s big stars of those 1970s teams, Ken Benson, at a speaking engagement in our home county. The details are hazy, but I recall him seeming larger-than-life (which, at 6-foot-11, I suppose he was to my 9- or 10-year-old self).
As noted in an earlier post, college basketball was the far superior product to the professional game in my part of the state and it was the choice for spectating during my childhood. Whether it be those Hoosiers’ teams of 1975, 1976, and 1981, the University of Notre Dame teams of the late 70s and early 80s with the likes of Kelly Tripucka and Orlando Woolridge, or that out-of-nowhere Larry Bird-led Indiana State University team of 1978-79, it was hard to be an Indiana native and not have some rooting interest in the college game. Heck, I suppose I could even include that Purdue University Final Four team of 1980 led by Joe Barry Carroll that was upset by UCLA in the national semifinal in Indianapolis’ nearby Market Square Arena.
All of which is to say I was very much looking forward to seeing some college basketball action while embedded in my native state for Event No. 14 of my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project. Likewise, my father was excited to see the two venues and some on-campus hoops action.
Up First – The Crossroads League Men’s Championship Game
Indiana’s official state motto is the “Crossroads of America,” so it should come as no surprise that a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) conference featuring eight of its 10 schools from the state would go by the name of the Crossroads League.
It turned out the week I was planning to be in Indiana coincided with the Crossroads championship game. Even more fortuitously, that game was played on Monday night when no other basketball action was scheduled. The 2025 participants were Grace College and Huntington University.
Grace is located in Winona Lake, a small community just east of Warsaw in the north-central part of the state. It was about an hour, 45-minute drive from my dad’s place and even after enjoying dinner at the nearby American Table Restaurant, we still arrived in plenty of time for the 7 p.m. tip off.
We had our pick of seats in the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center (MOCC) and, after looking at our options, settled in the first row of the permanent grandstands. It was a decision we’d later regret.
The venue opened in 2007 and still has a certain new feel to it. As it’s a multi-purpose venue there is a stage at one end with a red curtain pulled closed for athletic events. The website lists capacity for athletic events from 1,800 to 2,800. I’m believing on this night it was closer to the upper range.
Clockwise from upper left, I can’t recall too many cattle companies that advertise at college basketball games, but here’s one; the Grace logo; a small concession stand offered all the typical gameday fare; the view from one end of the MOCC; the view from our seats; this was one of two athletic trophy cases crammed with hardware; the Lancers were going for a 4-peat on the night we visited.
As the crowd began to fill in around us, I quickly deduced our seats were directly behind the Grace student section which didn’t seem to be a big deal … until the game started and, wouldn’t you know it, those youngsters were unwavering in their desire to stand and root on their hardwood heroes. My dad commented during our drive home that it “might have been the best game I’ve ever attended in which I didn’t really see much of.”
He wasn’t lying on either account.
The teams were rarely separated by more than two possesions and Grace’s winning margin of eight points (80-72) was its largest lead of the night. Huntington’s largest lead of seven points occurred early in both the first and second half and only ever-so-briefly. The atmosphere was, truly, electric. Huntington brought a couple hundred fans and the Grace faithful turned out en masse. The aisleway at the top of the bleachers was easily four patrons deep during a mid-second half restroom break.
And, while we maybe should have been standing because – as referenced above, our seats were somewhat obstructed – we really weren’t that invested to be on our feet the entire time.
At left, our view of the near basket. At right, our view of the far basket.
One thing I was able to see – though I was not entirely sure what I was seeing – was the halftime break line dance led by Grace’s mascot, the Lancer, to the song “Church Clap” by KB. (Note: It took a sharing of the following video to my 20-something daughter, Helena, before I was clued in to what exactly this was all about.)
Up Next – Xavier University at Butler University in a Big East Game
While the Huntington-Grace game was a lovely bonus amuse bouche during my week of Hoosier Hoops, the main course was a few hours south in a nearly 100-year-old barn on the campus of Butler University.
Oddly enough, I’d never been to Hinkle Fieldhouse. My dad, sister, and I had driven by a couple years ago with the plans of taking the self-guided tour only to discover it was student move-in day and Hinkle and it’s parking lot were being used as staging areas.
So, on the afternoon of March 5, 2025, my dad, his high school friend, George, and my cousin, Brandon, took our collective 250-plus years of fandom south on Interstate 69 to pay homage to this shrine of college basketball that none of us had ever visited before.
It. Did. Not. Disappoint.
Our time in Indianapolis began at Plump’s Last Shot, a tavern near the Broad Ripple neighborhood that’s home to Butler’s campus. It’s an ode to former Bulldog and Indiana schoolboy legend, Bobby Plump, whose last-second shot in the 1954 Indiana State Championship game against Muncie Central proved decisive for his upstart Milan Indians, 32-20, and provided the inspiration for the 1986 movie Hoosiers. (I’ll write more about Plump, his Milan team, and the eponymous restaurant in a coming post.)
With full bellies and wide-eyed anticipation we strode through Gate 1 and into the this fieldhouse which was constructed in 1928 and, rightfully, has the National Parks Service’s distinction of National Historic Landmark.
The main concourse is a bit like a history lesson. Whether it be the many photos, the Butler Athletics Hall of Fame wall, the various showcases, the 18 plaques that note the many momentous events in this storied site, visitors are really unable to escape that they’re visiting someplace historically significant to the campus, the community, and the state.
Clockwise from upper left, signs such as this one noting the first game at Hinkle (March 7, 1928) and the IHSAA’s State Championships through 1971 (a certain John Wooden played in the first!); the Fieldhouse included a pool until 2002; a look into the Men’s Basketball Office; the 2010 and 2011 team’s run to the Final Four are commemorated with banners; and with the regional championship trophies; when it first opened, the court ran in the opposite direction; the view from my seat; Tony Hinkle did a bit of everything at Butler and thus, has this building named in his honor; the Butler logo is illuminated during the Star Spangled Banner; high school basketball and the movie “Hoosiers” have their own showcase; the Athletic Hall of Fame runs the length of one side of the concourse; the Bulldog mascot is given the banner treatment on one of the ramps to the upper levels.
There was a game on the night of our visit. The visitors from Xavier University (just a couple hours to the east in Cincinnati) brought plenty of supporters with it to cheer on their Musketeers who, on paper, were the better team and, likewise, on the court. In the hunt for a NCAA Tournament bid, they posted a 91-78 victory thanks in large part to the play of Zach Freemantle who scored 24 points on 12-of-17 shooting in just 31 minutes of action. The Bulldogs had no answer for senior from Teaneck, NJ.
While the game on the floor was certainly entertaining, for me – at least – just being in the building, hearing the band, the cheers, the banter between Xavier and Butler fans, and bearing witness to the history around me in this venue that first hosted a game on March 7, 1928 (just shy of 97 years to the day of our visit) had me a bit mesmerized.
That something so old and so cavernous could at the same time feel so intimate was both remarkable and heartening. It was an evening I won’t soon forget nor will this Xavier fan, quite likely.
Previously
- Indiana’s Professional Game – Setting the Pace for a Week of Hoosier Hoops
Phileas Phogg Visits Phog Allen Fieldhouse
Yeah, yeah, I know I’m not really Phileas Phogg, but since my entire Around the World in 80 Sporting Events retirement project was – in some small way – inspired by French author Jules Verne‘s 1872 work, Around the World in Eighty Days, and since I absolutely love me some alliteration, well, the heading on today’s blog post is on point.
As my dad and I made our way west from Kansas City bound for Lawrence and the University of Kansas for Event 13 of my project – a KU game in its historic Phog Allen Fieldhouse – I began reflecting on the last time I’d attended an on-campus, power conference basketball game as a fan with the students in session.
The answer, I quickly realized, was a long, long time ago … if ever.
My most-recent trip to a power conference game (Nebraska at Indiana on December 29, 2016) did not qualify nor, would I wager, any of the times I staffed University of Michigan games for my former employer, the Ann Arbor News, because I wasn’t attending as a fan. If my foggy (see what I’ve done here;-) memory is correct, I’m guessing it might have been the 1986-87 Louisville (defending NCAA champs) at Indiana (eventual NCAA champs) game, but upon further review, that game was played on December 23 and I’d imagine the students were on break.
So the answer, it would seem, is either never or sometime during my adolescence that I cannot remember.
Either way, what a way to return, in one of the most revered sights in all of NCAA men’s basketball. The folks in Lawrence call it “The Cathedral of College Basketball” and it just might be.
The Exterior
Clockwise from left, a statue of 39-year Kansas head coach Forrest “Phog” Allen adorns the plaza outside the Booth Family Hall of Athletics entrance; Dr. James Naismith’s original rules of basketball are displayed on this facade; connected at the back of Allen Fieldhouse is the Wagnon Student-Athlete Center.
It was bitterly cold the night we attended so I did what any responsible son would do: I left my dad in the parked vehicle with the keys in the event it got too cold for him and set out to take a lap around Allen Fieldhouse before all semblance of daylight was gone.
Candidly, I was expecting more of a Jenison Field House (Michigan State University’s old gym) or Bowen Field House (Eastern Michigan University’s old gym) feel. That is, a large quonset hut-looking structure that you’d swear doubled as an airline hangar in the off season.
While that look may well have been present when Allen Fieldhouse was dedicated in 1955, it’s now obscured by many of the exterior additions/renovations that have occurred. To say it’s received some aesthetic work is no understatement. The most noticeable of which is the Booth Family Hall of Athletics on the east face of Allen Fieldhouse. It’s a 26,000 square foot facility that houses oodles of KU memorabilia as well as the KU Athletics’ Hall of Fame. Originally opened in 2006, it underwent its own renovation within the past year and reopened prior to the start of the 2024-25 season.
Beyond a statue of longtime KU men’s coach Forrest “Phog” Allen – which sits in a plaza in front of the Booth Family Hall of Athletics – there’s only one other noteable feature on the exterior. The verbiage of Dr. James Naismith‘s original rules of basketball are visible on the facade of a enclosed walkway which connects buildings on this complex. Naismith founded the KU basketball program in 1898 and, ironically, sports a career record under .500 at 55-60.
The Booth Family Hall of Athletics
Clockwise from upper left, a wide angle shot of the expansive Booth Family Hall of Athletics; this pillar honors KU alum Wilt Chamberlain; Dean Smith’s notice of election to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (note the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Curt Gowdy); my father and I in front of the of the original Allen Fieldhouse center court; mementos of Danny Manning’s time at KU; a showcase in the Hall of Athletics; the original “Pay Heed” sign; this pillar highlights some of KU’s many Olympians; the Athletic Hall of Fame wall is lengthy; the collection of Championship Trophies adorn this showcase.
As I wandered into this palatial KU athletic museum on the main concourse of Allen Fieldhouse, I found myself wondering just who the heck this Booth Family was/is.
The short answer is that Gilbert and Betty Booth were longtime Lawrence residents (they actually lived on Naismith Drive just down the street from Allen Fieldhouse) and ardent Kansas supporters. The pair raised a family in this home, sons David and Mark, and daughter Jane, before they died; Gilbert in 1985 and Betty a decade later. This gift was intended, per David Booth, to honor their parents.
“Ultimately it’s about doing something for our parents,” he told KUsports.com shortly after the contriubtion.
From my basic research, David seems to be the driving force behind the philanthropy to the university. He one of the founders – and current Chairman – of Dimensional Fund Advisors that’s clearly done very well. In addition to the donation of nearly $9 million for the facility I stood in at Allen Fieldhouse, he’s also donated $50 million for upgrades to the KU football stadium, and won the auction of the Dr. Naismith’s original rules of basketball for $3.8 million and then donated it to KU. In 2018 he signed the Giving Pledge promising to donate half his wealth to philanthropy.
Apologies for the digression.
How honored are Gilbert and Betty?
Marvelously!
There is showcase upon showcase in this space each filled with artifacts from all variety of Jayhawks’ athletics (not just those contested in Allen Fieldhouse). Additionally, an entire wall in this space features the KU Hall of Fame with photos and basic information about each inductee. Other artifacts abound as well, there is the original Allen Fieldhouse center court for a photo op, the original “Pay Heed” sign (see below for more on this), pillars covered with facts and photos of some notable Jayhawks.
A pair of my favorite KU HoF finds: Former coach (and Detroit Pistons coach) Larry Brown as well as Olympic thrower, Al Oerter.
It is, in my humble opinion, a must-visit sort of place if you’re a sports fan and find yourself near the KU campus. My dad and I agreed the downside about visiting on a game night was not having access to this Fieldhouse until 60 minutes prior to tip off. With an influx of 15,000 fans, it was challenging to see – and linger, if desired – everything one might want to see.
Legends Concourse
Further along the ground level of the Fieldhouse, we were confronted with a throng of people near one of the four entrances to the court. It took me a second, but I finally deduced this was the route from the Jayhawks lockerroom to the floor.
Beyond the crowd outside the lockerroom is the “Legends Concourse” that features photos and information about some of KU’s All-Americans (men and women) through the years. It was a relatively quiet stroll (most folks were in the Booth Family Hall or outside the lockerroom, I guess) and provided an opportunity to study some of the KU greats.
As I looked at many names familiar to me, one that I’d heard of but was unfamiliar with was Clyde Lovellette. My dad was quick to note that he was an Indiana native (born in Petersbug and a product of Terre Haute Garfield High School). One of his teammates at Kansas was a fella named Dean Smith. Both men are now enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Lovellette was the first basketball player to win an NCAA and NBA championship as well as an Olympic Gold Medal, known as the Basketball Triple Crown.
Clockwise from upper left, Danny Manning led the Jayhawks to the 1988 NCAA Championship; the view down “Legends Concourse;” Paul Pierce was one of KU’s all-time greats as was Wilt Chamberlain; Clyde Lovellette was one of first Kansas greats; and Lynette Woodard is considered one of women’s college basketball’s all-time greats.
Naismith’s Original Basketball Rules
You’ll notice we still haven’t set foot inside the actual, you know, part of Allen Fieldhouse you see on TV all the time. And we still had one more stop to make.
The lovely facilities staff member, Sandy, who assisted with our entrance mentioned that Dr. Naismith’s Original Rules of Basketball were on the second level. We certainly couldn’t find them. Maybe it was disappearing museum glass???
Only after asking an Allen Fieldhouse employee did we know to head down a hallway toward the DeBruce Center. There, along a hallway, that featured quote after quote from noteworthy Jayhawks on one wall and massive displays dedicated to Coach Allen and Dr. Naismith on the other did we spot the queue to view the Rules.
Clockwise from upper left, KU pays homage to longtime coach Phog Allen; my father checking out Dr. Naismith’s Original Rules; current Coach Bill Self seems to understand the responsibility for coaching in Lawrence; the Original Rules; a tribute to Dr. Naismith.
I’m not going to say it was anti-climactic, but a button needed to be pushed to illuminate the display for a fixed amount of time and a recorded voice explained what you were seeing (only the recorded voice was difficult hear due to the ambient noise).
Nonetheless, I can now check this off my list of things I’ve seen
A View to Thrill
We entered our section from the third level of Allen Fieldhouse and were in a corner diagonally from the Colorado Buffaloes’ bench. We could have been in the last row of the venue, it would not have mattered one iota as it seemed each of the 15,300 seats was excellent.
As for the interior, it was as seen countless times on television. The massive Jayhawk across the center of court, the student sections behind both baskets, banners aplenty hanging from the rafters, and the KU pep band keeping everyone engaged. It is, truly, a venerable sight steeped in tradition that should be experienced.
We were seated in time for the famed Rock Chalk, Jayhawk chant that dates to the 19th Century and was originated by the university’s science club. It was simultaneously eerie and awe-inspiring and, I’ve heard, it’s known to reverberate hauntingly in the visitor’s lockerroom.
Beyond this cheer, it was evident everyone who attends KU home games is quite familiar with the traditions and what is expected of them as fans.
Anytime an opponent is shooting a free throw the students are fully engaged. Any song performed by the band that might include a call-and-response was supported in full-throat.
Pay Heed … Beware the Phog … What Does it All Mean?
The expression was virtually unavoidable: “Pay Heed, All Who Enter: Beware of ‘The Phog’.”
It was visible on a large banner near the east entrance in the Booth Family Hall of Athletics, it’s also visible in Allen Fieldhouse above KU’s National Championship banners, and portions of it are emblazoned in two of the corners of the facility.
The expression “Pay Heed, All Who Enter Beware of ‘The Phog'” is virtually everywhere in Allen Fieldhouse.
I assumed, incorrectly, that the expression dated to the early days of this venerable 70-year-old gym. Thanks to the beauty of the Internet and search engines, I was able to suss out where it originated.
It turns out it came to life during my lifetime. A handful of fans cooked up the idea leading up to the February 20, 1988, game against Duke. It was Duke’s first – and final – visit to Allen Fieldhouse and was, understandably, the featured CBS game. (Check out Verne Lundquist and Tommy Heinsohn on the call here.)
The original banner (on display in the Booth Family Hall of Athletics) was actually created on a series of shower curtains (swiped from a KU dorm) that were stitched together. The story of how it came to be is, in fact, wildly fascinating and worth reading. Please do so at this link.
Some Final Phog Thoughts
If I lived closer to Phog Allen Fieldhouse I could very easily see myself attending a home game or two each season.
The environment – for an opponent that was 0-13 and in last place in the Big 12 on a cold and soon-to-be-stormy night – was absolutely electric. It exceeded my expectations.
As noted previously, the sightlines were exceptional, it crowded yet spacious, clean, the crowd was well-schooled in what to do, and the band was splendid. Throw in the Booth Family Hall of Athletics and – probably – a few other amenities I didn’t get a chance to discover, I’d say it’s a sports pilgrimage worth making no matter your alma mater.
The Fan Teaser: Week 75 Solution
A recent visit to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame (more on this trip coming Monday) led to this week’s Fan Teaser.
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.
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.
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.
The College Basketball Diaries
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:
- 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.
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.
The Fan Teaser: Week 74 Solution
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.
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.
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.