NCAA March Madness

And what a tournament it has been this year. This is hands down one of the best tournaments in years. And I even say that over last year when my team, UConn, went to the final four (and lost) because last year was predictable. It was 3 no 1 seeds and a no 2 seed in the Final Four. This year we have two #5 seeds and a 1 and 2 seed. 4 seeds were knocked out of the first round (Vanderbilt) 2 seeds were knocked out of the 2nd round by 10 seeds (St. Marys over NOVA). And while many people want to see the best teams in the country go at it, this to me is what this tournament is really about.

Unlike the MLB or NBA playoffs, it comes down to which team shows up in 40 minutes. Not in 7 games because in 7 games the better (higher seeded teams) is almost always going to win. In one game, 40 minutes, you really find out which team has the grit and the heart to pour everything they've got into that one game. Especially for these lower seeded teams they've got nothing to lose and this is where you see these players shine. We've seen it in past years from teams like Davidson and this year in St. Mary's or Cornell. It's even become a saying from the 2006 George Mason team... an 11 seed who made it to the final four: "Who's going to be this years George Mason?"

While I was in my freshman year at UConn we pretty much were the team to beat. We had everything we needed to win a championship. That year, that tournament was what made me love this sport and this tournament. We were watching the UConn/Washington game in the dorms, the Huskies v. the Huskies. Everyone together in a room rooting UConn on. We ended up winning in Double OT and you could have thought we'd already won the championship, however that was only to get us to the Elite 8. While we were focused on watching our team win George Mason was ruining brackets and surprising everyone. We meet George Mason in the elite 8, a game I'll never forget. In short words, we lost. In OT to a team that wasn't even close to the team we had... (Rudy Gay, Hilton Armstrong etc). Once the time ran out no one said a word, and we all pretty much went to bed. It was heartbreaking and no one can understand that heartbreak until they're team has lost a game like that.

While the loss was devastating, I have to give it up for George Mason. They were an 11 seed facing a 1 seed. A 1 seed that was dominating the tournament and had won the championship 2 years before. They didn't succumb to the pressure, they didn't cave, they did just the opposite... they rose. They rose to the occasion and ultimately became the better team. They played a better game, scored more points, got the rebounds and beat us. It's still heartbreaking and I DO NOT like to discuss it but George Mason really proved that it's anyone's tournament to win. At any moment a team can turn something magical and be the upset. David can conquer Goliath.

This years tournament was saw three 1 seed teams go down. The first being Kansas losing to a #9 seeded Northern Iowa. Despite so many people who had Kansas going deep, or even winning the tournament, they have to respect what Northern Iowa did. They truly played a magnificent game and for that team, that community, that school, it's their moment. They'll forever remember it as the day they beat the overall #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. That is something no one can ever take away from them. This tournament is a chance to prove to everyone that just because you have a lower seed or a less difficult conference to play in, you're not down for the count. It's 40 minutes of basketball. 40 minutes to make mistakes, do things right, hit a three, make a foul, call timeout, grit your teeth through the sweat and pain. 40 minutes to win.

In one week we will know who will be playing for the championship between the Final Four teams: Butler Bulldogs (5), Michigan State Spartans (5), West Virginia Mountaineers (2) and the Duke Blue Devils (1). These 4 teams are playing for another 40 minutes of game time. Another 40 minutes for the chance to claim the championship. It all comes down to one number... not the number on the scoreboard, or the number of points an individual player can score. But rather one measurement of time that will determine who was the better team.

40 minutes.

Please forgive me, if I act a little strange

So last night I had a hot date w/ my friend Sara. We went to the David Gray concert @ the Riverside here in Milwaukee. It was definitely a new experience going to a concert where I had no idea what the show was going to be like. Oh and btw we had 4th row no big deal.


He came out around 9 and it was fantastic from the very beginning. Many of the songs I didn't know by heart seeing as I only really started listening to him a few weeks ago but that didn't matter. It was all amazing. He did play the 3 songs that I do know well: Babylon, This Year's Love, and Please Forgive Me. You can really hear him putting it all out there in his voice. I think that my favorite thing are his mannerisms and the way he moves on stage. It's all just so cool to see a different musician than my usual DMB concerts and to see what they are like in concert. It was a completely different vibe than a DMB show, kinda similar to a Dave & Tim concert. The Riverside is an older theater in Milwaukee and a very classy kind of feel to it. Even the entire band, including David Gray, were wearing suits. At the end of some songs or during some other ones there were a good amount of people standing, but since the 3 rows in front of us weren't dancing we stayed seated as well so as not to disturb the view of those in front of us. He closed w/ Please Forgive Me and it seriously was one of the best songs I've seen live. He extended it from the original version and got the crowd into it. David Gray is definitely a show I'm going to go see again and would recommend that if you get a chance to go and see him to do it.


On another note, it's March Madness and Madness doesn't even begin to descirbe how crazy this tournament has been. #9 No.IA defetaed overall #1 Kansas. Villanova lost to St. Mary's, New Mexico lost to Washington, Cornell got the first Ivy League win since 1998. There have been so many upsets and ridiculous amounts of brackets are shot to hell but that's what this tournament is about. I love it. THIS is why college basketball is the best, these teams are just incredible and it's so much fun to watch. More to come after the rest of these 1st round games are done.