Sunday, 24 August 2008 14:35 by
Dave I was going to use this space to pound the Redskins for their abysmal performance Saturday night (don’t worry, I have the rest of the week). But Lebron James changed my mind.
It was somewhere north of 4:30 a.m. when this bleary-eyed old man saw James do something very classy. It had nothing to do with his play in leading the United States to a gold medal in a win over Spain, although I don’t think any of us ever tire of hearing the chants of “USA, USA” in such positive circumstances.
It was the show of respect James paid to Doug Collins, tradition, and the past.
I was 16 when Jim McKay and the rest of the ABC crew were televising the summer Olympics from Munich in 1972. Richard Nixon was about to win another term and his minions had already broken into DNC headquarters (although we didn't know it) at the Watergate hotel complex. There was unrest throughout the country, as on any given night, you could turn to your three channels (if you were lucky) of television and see civil rights marches, riots, and signs of the social change going on.
There were few things many could agree upon. But one we could get together on was Russia: we hated them the way a Redskins fan hates the Dallas Cowboys. Times ten. They were the evil empire that wanted to take over the country, shoot your dog, eliminate all religion and steal your girlfriend. They could play a game of bocce ball at 3 a.m. on a deserted island and we’d wait in line to watch. If we were beating them 999 to 3 with two seconds left, we’d want the U.S. to call a timeout, and go for 1,000.
Globally, it wasn’t any calmer. The Arab world and Israel were about as tense as John Edwards facing his wife to tell her 99 percent of the truth. The Cold War with Russia was, on a scale of 1 to 10, somewhere north of 13. The Vietnam war was in full gear. All the makings of the coming gas crisis were in motion. Even our music was wimpy: The No. 1 song for most of the summer was “Alone Again (Naturally)” by Gilbert O’Sullivan. That’s right, the legendary Gilbert O’Sullivan.
For at least a week or so, the Munich Olympics would change that, we thought. We’d win a bunch of gold medals, hopefully face the Red Menace in the basketball finals, then throttle them for a short-term burst of national pride before returning to the real world.
The real world, however, decided to intrude into the Olympics. McKay would become legend in broadcasting circles as he morphed from sportscaster to newsman, telling us in a bulletin the grisly details of the horrid kidnapping and eventual murder of 11 members of the Israeli team. McKay was on around the clock for two straight days, and we hung on every word he said.
Basketball became secondary, but as expected, the U.S. and Russia met in the finals. Burned in my memory is the image of a curly-haired kid from Illinois State named Doug Collins standing at the free throw line with seconds left. Hit these two, we all thought, and let’s go celebrate a gold medal.
Collins hit the free throws, the Russians threw the ball in, the ball was knocked away, and the buzzer went off. Our living room emulated the U.S. team, with arms held high, celebration, and a great feeling that we had beaten those hated Soviets.
But as we stopped our cheering, I looked back at our RCA 25-inch console and had the same puzzled look on my face as that dog in the RCA logo. The Russians were throwing the ball in again. A large clump of bodies were up in the air under a fullcourt pass that was about to land under the U.S. basket. The guy who caught it was wearing a red jersey. He laid it in, then threw his hands up in one giant celebratory “screw you” gesture to our nation.
At 16, I now knew the feeling of injustice. This couldn’t be happening. This was the biggest hosing I’d ever seen. It still is.
But it stood. To this day, the U.S. has never accepted the silver medal, so Collins has no Olympic medal, despite hitting what were the game winning shots that day. Collins, who has spent the rest of his life in basketball, got a chance to address the men’s team in Las Vegas before the games, and talked about 1972. He told them they had a chance to do something special, and they shouldn’t let anyone take it from them. Like what happened in 1972.
James, after hearing this, told Doug Collins (his son Chris is a coach with the U.S. team) they would win this year’s gold to make up for the one Doug’s team didn’t get.
It’s a nice sentiment. But today’s players are a bit more focused on themselves, they play for money (in 1972, only amateurs competed), and it’s a different day. It’s doubtful they would focus their energies on something that happened 36 years ago.
But as the final seconds ticked off, James jumped in the air, and instead of heading for his bench, went the other way. “Where is he going?” I wondered, because the only thing on that side of the court were the press tables.
Sitting at one, doing color commentary for NBC, was Collins. James went right to him, and shook his hand. As did just about every other member of the U.S. team. We didn’t forget, James said with his actions. It was a simple yet touching display of respect for the game’s past. And I’m sure Doug Collins had to wipe away a bit of emotion from his eyes after the last player shook his hand.
Most will remember the Olympics for Michael Phelps and his gazillion gold medals, mainly because we’ll see the replays a gazillion more times over the coming weeks, months and years. But the real jewel of the Olympics may have been in the wee hours of Sunday morning.
For this old man, it was well worth staying up for.
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Saturday, 12 April 2008 22:15 by
Dave There’s apparently nothing worse than a cat with an attitude.
That’s the lesson Cedar Lane Elementary’s staff learned Saturday night, as the Mill Run Elementary Mountain Lions beat the Cedar Lane Lions 50-38 before an overflow crowd at Stone Bridge High School. Sporting shirts that said “Baddest Cats In Town”, Mill Run Elementary jumped to a 7-2 lead in the first period of the charity event, and Cedar Lane was never able to draw any closer.
The game had a few unique wrinkles, as the contest was divided into eight 5-minute periods to allow for extra opportunities for the players to rest. “We want to play basketball,” said Cedar Lane Principal James Dallas, “but we don’t want to kill ourselves.”
The game also had a special area taped off to the right of the three-point arc at both ends. Should either principal make a shot from that area, their respective team would get five points for the basket. After Shawn “Lookout” Lyons hit the game’s first basket for Mill Run, Mountain Lions’ principal Paul “Bossman” Vickers did just that, hitting a 5-pointer to make it 7-0.
Dallas hit Cedar Lane’s first basket to make it 7-2, but Mill Run went on to a 23-13 halftime lead. The two teams battled evenly in the second half, but Cedar Lane got no closer than six points.
The game wasn’t really about basketball, as the big crowd was packed with students pulling for their favorite teachers. All players sported jerseys with their nicknames on the back, as students screamed for the likes of “Mr. P.E.”, “Guitar Hero”, and my personal favorite, “Third Degree” Burns.
Mike “Mr. P.E.” Kilgannon led Mill Run in scoring with 9 points, including one layup worthy of ESPN’s Top 10 as he passed the ball between his legs in mid-air while going to the basket. Matthew “Jet Settin” Joseph of Cedar Lane led all scorers with 11, followed by “Da Man” Dallas with 9.
All proceeds from the game went to the PTAs of both schools.
MILL RUN (50)
Mike “Mr. P.E.” Kilgannon 9, Matt “Tall Guy” Vinson 6, Mark “Wojo” Wojick 5, Jason “Automatic” Lutman 5, Paul “Bossman” Vickers 5, Ellen “Crusher” Usher 4, Shawn “Lookout” Lyons 4, Lauren “Haz Dogg” Hasley 2, Christine “The Warthenator” Warthen 2, John “Coach C” Cornely 2, Jim “Guitar Hero” Wolslayer 2, Michelle Nyhuis 2, Kadie Jones 2.
CEDAR LANE (38)
Matthew “Jet Settin” Joseph 11, James “Da Man” Dallas 9, Joe “Dunkin” Dougherty 8, Bill “Fierce” Fazzini 5, Greg “Semi Pro” Wuenschel 2, Sarah “Jumpin” Jones 2, Kimberly “Nothing But Net” Kniskern 1.
Halftime Score: Mill Run 23, Cedar Lane 13.
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Saturday, 12 April 2008 00:09 by
Dave The biggest crowd to see a basketball game in Loudoun County this season may be at Stone Bridge High School tonight.
Patiently waiting until the NCAA Tournament was over, the staffs of Cedar Lane Elementary and Mill Run Elementary will hold a charity basketball game tonight at Stone Bridge. And before you scoff at the notion of out-of-shape educators huffing and puffing up and down the floor, consider this:
Two years ago, I watched the game (then between Cedar Lane and Ashburn Elementary) and it was standing room only at Stone Bridge. “Congratulations,” I told my wife, who played in the game. “You just played in front of a bigger crowd the first night you ever stepped on a court than I did in 10 years of organized basketball.”
Tonight’s game can’t help but be a catfight, as the Cedar Lane Lions play the Mill Run Mountain Lions. What’s the difference between a Mountain Lion and a Lion? About two points, as the staffs of these schools go out of their way to keep the game close.
The kids at each school love it. They cheer their teachers and view the game with the same fervor as a Super Bowl. The players? Well, they’re great teachers. And every now and then, one of them makes a basket. If you're betting on the game, take the under.
Both schools’ PTAs have been working hard behind the scenes, and sponsors such as Amvorsia Restaurant, Harris Teeter, and Loudoun Credit Union have donated food, water, signs, and many other amenities. Everything, apparently, except oxygen. Even the Key Clubs at Broad Run, Stone Bridge and Briar Woods are helping as volunteers.
As of Friday afternoon, there were only 75 tickets left, so come early. Doors open at 5 p.m., and tickets are $4, $5 for a fun pack that includes face stickers and a pom-pom. Game time is 6:15. Proceeds benefit the PTAs at Cedar Lane and Mill Run.
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Wednesday, 9 April 2008 15:49 by
Dave The email had, shall we say, a certain attitude to it.
“Who is this yahoo from Fairfax that won the basketball pool?” asked one of the competitors.
That would be Tim Hogan of Fairfax. The only man to pick Kansas to win two games in the Final Four. The only man to be second-guessed by his own son when he scored a mere eight points through the Sweet 16 and Elite 8. And the only man who gets bold sports predictions right once every 30 years.
For a bit more background, let me take you back to a feature done in the May 27, 1978 issue of The Roanoke Times & World News. The story was on the Virginia Tech campus radio station, WUVT, and its live coverage of Virginia Tech baseball. The story, written by Jack Bogaczyk, focused on two seniors: Dave Scarangella of Norfolk and Tim Hogan of Fairfax.
Yep, we called baseball games back in the day, graduated from Virginia Tech in 1978, and never saw each other again.
That changed last April. The Virginia Tech shootings on April 16 stunned all Hokies, and I found myself calling and hearing from former classmates all across the country. The week after the shootings, the owners of the radio station I was running (WAGE) decided to fire the staff and go all network, resulting in a few stories in area media, including the Washington Post.
One of the people who saw that story was Tim Hogan of Fairfax. So after a 29-year absence, the voice on the end of the phone said, “ Since you don’t seem to have a job these days, you think you can break away from the couch and play in a golf tournament with me?”
It took only about 10 minutes of golf before we were back needling each other the way we did in college. Three of the four golfers in the foursome were Hokies, as we made fun of each other’s lack of ability, laughed about the old times, and got choked up about the current times in Blacksburg. One of Hogan’s daughters had been friends with one of the victims, and none of us could understand the senseless loss of life.
Another month or two went by before I got an email from Hogan, asking if I would be going to the Virginia Tech football game with East Carolina, the first time Hokie Nation would be together in one place since the shooting. “No,” I said. “It’s going to be too emotional.”
A week later he called, saying he’d secured a gig for me to keep stats for the Westwood One Radio network at the Tech-ECU game, thus forcing me to go to Blacksburg. “We all needed to be here,” Tim said to me when I made it up to the press box. I sat next to Terry Bowden, wiped away a huge buildup of fluid from my eyes when they released 32 balloons in memory of the victims, kept stats, then drove home. But Tim was right. We all needed to be there.
Hogan, as I learned from the golf course, has always been good with his foot in the rough.
So that’s who Tim Hogan of Fairfax is. During our years at Tech, he was a huge fan of any D.C.-area team, and seemed to predict every year that the Washington Bullets were going to win the NBA title. In 1978, he was actually right, as Dick Motta of “it’s not over until the fat lady sings” led them to a championship.
Thirty years later, he finally got another one right.
The fat lady sings again.
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Sunday, 6 April 2008 13:37 by
Dave Well, this should come as no surprise.
Although there is still another night of basketball left in the NCAA Tournament, the winner of the Loudoun County Magnificent 7 King Of All Media Basketball Challenge can already be determined.
That’s because NO ONE can get tonight’s championship game right. Three – Dan Sousa, Carl Lukat and Jason Rufner – picked UCLA to win, while the other four – Erica Garman, Paul Tenorio, Paul Draisey and myself – picked North Carolina. UNC and UCLA were both told “thanks for playing, enjoy the summer,” Saturday night by Kansas and Memphis State.
Nice job, folks. We’re now renaming it the Loudoun County Magnificent “0 for 7” King Of All Media Basketball Challenge.
This means Garman, of Living In Loco fame on LoudounExtra.com and Comcast Cable, won with 21 points. Garman was the only woman in the contest, and the only non-sportswriter in the competition. She’s also the only gun-toting member of the field, which may have intimidated the rest of the group.
I came in second with 20 points, and blame it squarely on Kristine Condie, the owner of Total Basket Cases in Lovettsville. Kristine, who was a guest several times on shows at WAGE, is a combustible ball of energy, and has a steely look of determination in her eyes. That, combined with a degree from West Virginia, and a company motto that starts with “We’re crazy…” convinced me it would be in my best interests to pick the Mountaineers to make it to the Final Four.
“You’re a good man,” Kristine emailed after I made the pick. Yeah, and a dumb man. A misguided man. A man who lost by a single point.
Lukat, of the Loudoun Times-Mirror, made the pick of the weekend, choosing Kansas to upset North Carolina, although he negated that brilliance by picking UCLA to win it all. The pick propelled him from the cellar to third place, edging The Washington Post’s Tenorio by a point. Dan “California Dreaming” Sousa of Loudounprepsports.com finished fifth, followed by the Loudoun Times-Mirror’s Rufner.
My Comcast broadcast partner, Mr. Draisey, finished dead last. Paul, who also left the Nationals’ season opener before Ryan Zimmerman’s dramatic game-winning home run, is having a tough week.
All is not finished in the general contest. Former WAGE news director Tim Jon leads everyone with 23 points, but can gain no more as he has neither Kansas nor Memphis State as the winner Monday night. Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney Jim Plowman is in second-place with 21 points, and has Memphis State to win the tournament. If Memphis wins, Plowman wins.
The most unlikely scenario, however, involves Tim Hogan of Fairfax. Hogan entered the weekend with a mere eight points – good for dead last and an email from me suggesting he actually watch a basketball game in the future before making such pitiful picks. But Hogan correctly picked Kansas to beat UNC to move up to 13 points, and he has Kansas winning Monday night. A correct pick there earns 10 points, and would tie Jon for the lead.
Since the first tie-breaker is who got the championship game right, Hogan would win. Hogan, who has been chanting “was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?” from the movie Animal House, could go from worst to first.
Even Dean Wormer couldn’t have seen that coming.
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Thursday, 3 April 2008 14:06 by
Dave One of the great things about writing a blog is the email you get. Each post gives folks the chance to comment, but the settings are as such that I have to approve them (I don’t want to be away for a few days and find an anonymous person has taught our group new fun words to use), so most choose to email me direct. Either way is fine, as both go to hphokie@comcast.net.
One that caught my eye regarded international basketball guru Tim Jon leading the NCAA contest. He picked all favorites, and was rewarded. John B. in Herndon found this an affront, challenging his manhood (he multiple times suggested Tim grow some new appendages to his anatomy) and said that all pools should have a rule where if you pick all No. 1 seeds, “automatically you lose but do qualify to pick the ladies brackets next year.”
Don’t know if John B. has noticed, but Erica Garman of LoudounExtra.com has turned the media contest into a “ladies bracket.” She’s leading.
Then there was a former co-worker of Jon’s, whose initials are Ron Kitzmiller, who said of Jon’s success “Really? Is that possible? Armageddon is soon to follow I am sure.” I see all those years of both of them working together at 5:30 a.m. has created mutual respect.
Another email regarded my observation that a hot dog, fries and a drink at the new Nationals Park will run you about $17.50. “At those prices, I’m guessing a light snack for you and Draisey was over $100,” said the email. Not so. While we are notorious for our ability to eat, we’re also notorious for being cheap.
But in watching baseball this week, I have seen a park Paul and I need to visit. The Major League baseball package on Comcast and DirecTV is always free the first week of the season, as they try to hook you into signing up. I watched the Pittsburgh-Atlanta game one night, and the Pirates are offering a special deal where for $35, you get a ticket to the game in a reasonable section. But with this ticket comes the privilege of getting ALL YOU CAN EAT at the concession stands.
We could easily bankrupt the Pirates franchise.
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Tuesday, 1 April 2008 11:36 by
Dave Looks like the winner of the Loudoun County Magnificent 7 King Of All Media Basketball Challenge may not be a “king” after all.
Pistol-packin’ Erica Garman of LoudounExtra.com now leads the competition with only the Final Four to go. Garman has 16 points, one better than Dan Sousa of Loudounprepsports.com and myself. The Loudoun Times-Mirror duo of Carl Lukat and Jason Rufner have 14, while Paul Tenorio of the Washington Post and Paul Draisey of Comcast are tied for last with 13.
Something about the name “Paul” and “last place” seem to be going together.
Since no more than three points separate first to last, the competition should still be wide open, as correct picks earn 5 points in the semfinal games, and a correct pick in the finals earns 10. Alas, Tenorio and I cannot win, as Garman, Tenorio and I have picked the same teams the rest of the way. Paul, if this is tough to understand, you may want to talk to someone from a top flight school – like Stanford – for further explanation. I think your editor may have gone there.
Draisey, Lukat and Sousa can all win, depending on the degree of success Kansas or UCLA have. A Kansas upset puts Lukat in the lead. UCLA winning out gives Sousa the nod. And if UCLA wins in the semifinals, then loses to UNC, Draisey’s looking good.
But the biggest surprise of all comes from the other participants in the contest. Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney Jim Plowman has done just as well as Garman with 16 points, but a former media member – Tim Jon – showed that blind squirrels do find acorns every now and then. Jon picked the No. 1 seeds to win, and got them all right. He leads everyone with 18 points. Ask him to name a single player on any of those four teams, and he will give you a glassy-eyed look.
Loudoun County School Board Chairman Robert DuPree’s bold picks continued to take him boldly into the cellar of the competition, as his pick of Wisconsin to win it all has earned him only 10 points. He’s not in last however. DuPree needs to send a thank-you note to Tim Hogan of Fairfax, as he missed three of his four Final Four picks to earn a measley 8 points and keep DuPree out of last place.
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Saturday, 29 March 2008 10:46 by
Dave Perhaps it’s just old age.
But I’ve reached the point in my life where I’ve gotten great joy out of seeing the children of friends and acquaintances do well. Call it the fraternity of being a parent: Once you’ve suffered the anxiety of watching your child on stage, experienced the tremendous pride of their success, or had to cope with the disappointment of their defeat, it changes you. You automatically pull for the kids of anyone you know because you know how good it can feel, and you know how bad it can feel.
I’ve said to many people that covering Stone Bridge’s run to a state football title wasn’t special because the Bulldogs won. It was watching Mickey Thompson accomplish a long-pursued goal – winning a state title – with his sons playing a key role in the victory that made it special. It was more special because Mickey’s own mother and father were on the field to see it.
It probably hit me a little harder, because my own father passed away about a year earlier. In coping with his passing, I started to realize that part of my routine when something good happened – like almost making a hole-in-one or getting great tickets to a sporting event – was calling the old man. When I finally got to go to a Super Bowl, I called him from my seats. If I met someone famous, he’d get a call saying “guess who I just met?” When I was named COO of a company, he got a call. He had no idea what a COO did or what it meant. But he was proud.
So it should come as no surprise when Davidson started its run in the NCAA Tournament that I would pull for the Wildcats. Their star player is Stephen Curry, whose father Dell played at Virginia Tech in the early to mid 1980s. I graduated well before Dell came to Blacksburg, but I covered the team and talked to him a few times. I then left newspapers for the furniture business and moved to High Point, N.C. The next year, the NBA put an expansion team in nearby Charlotte, and Dell Curry was taken in the expansion draft by the Hornets. So I’ve pretty much seen his entire college and pro basketball career.
Through it all, Dell played with poise and class. So does his son. The TV talking heads made a big deal about all the points he scored, but it was Stephen’s demeanor that really made me smile. As parents, we’re all trying to figure it out as we go along these days, and we never know if we really made the right decisions until our kids are adults. Seeing Stephen’s enthusiasm, discipline and selflessness was impressive. He was, as they say, “raised right.” Well done, Mr. and Mrs. Curry.
The shots of Dell and his wife were also enjoyable. Stephen’s mom wore her smile with a “that’s my baby” look that kids hate and parents can’t help themselves from. Dell wore a “that’s my boy” smile that was clearly covering incredible nervousness. I played in hundreds of games as a youngster, and never felt as nervous as the night I watched my daughter give a solo performance in the fifth grade. I smiled, and when it was over, smiled some more. But it was a smile of relief as well as pride. Dell had that look on him when the cameras approached. We’ve all been there.
I doubt Davidson will get past Kansas. But it has been a great show to watch: A young man, after years of hard work, gets the success he deserves while a proud mother and father watch.
That's a show I'll never get tired of watching.
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Friday, 28 March 2008 11:30 by
Dave I had done the calculations. Everyone’s picks were so similar, the early lead in the Loudoun County Magnificent 7 King Of All Sports Media Basketball Challenge would hinge on the West Virginia-Xavier game Thursday night. I’d picked WVU, and if WVU won, I’d be the only one with a 4-0 record if UNC, UCLA and Louisville won, which was the case.
So when West Virginia scored in the final seconds of regulation and had a free throw opportunity that would put them ahead, it all seemed so simple. As a Virginia Tech graduate, it’s hard for a Hokie to pull for a Mountaineer, but I put it all aside, yelling “Go ‘Eeers” at my television.
They missed the free throw. Then they lost in overtime.
As a result, Dan Sousa of Loudounprepsports.com, and the dynamic duo of Erica Garman and Paul Tenorio of LoudounExtra.com now lead with 4-0 records. Not surprisingly, there was an email in my inbox this morning from Garman, saying “sorry for your loss.”
There were others who went 4-0. Former WAGE news director Tim Jon got his wife Lisa to send in his picks, and Lisa decided to fill out a form herself. Good thing she did, as she went 4-0. Tim? Well, let’s just say he’s a wonderful actor who knows a lot…about Shakespeare.
Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney Jim Plowman also went 4-0, but one of the more interesting picks came in just under the wire Thursday from Robert DuPree, the chairman of the Loudoun County school board. Writing “I have to be bold” on his picks, DuPree boldly picked Wisconsin to win the entire tournament. He also boldly picked Tennessee and West Virginia to win, and is now boldly in last place. Plowman, I should point out, is a Virginia Tech graduate. DuPree received his degree from the University of Virginia. One’s in first, one’s in last. Hmmmmmm.
Tonight’s another night, and the Stanford-Texas matchup should be an interesting one over at The Washington Post. In case you missed the comment in yesterday’s blog, one reader took exception to Paul Tenorio’s remark of “go back to school, smarties” in picking Texas over Stanford. Turns out Tenorio overlooked the fact that his editor, Ed Guzman, is a Stanford alum.
Something tells me if Stanford wins, Tenorio will be getting an email from his editor. Something also tells me it’ll probably be a bit stronger than “sorry for your loss.”
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Thursday, 27 March 2008 01:10 by
Dave They know how to write and talk. But do they know what they’re talking about?
The “they” represent the “Magnificent 7” of Loudoun County sports media (yeah, I know I included myself, but “Magnificent 6” didn’t sound as good) and all have turned in predictions on the final two weeks of the NCAA basketball tournament. If you listen to this group, either North Carolina or UCLA will win the national title.
The group consists of Erica Garman from LoudounExtra.com/Comcast; Paul Tenorio of LoudounExtra.com and The Washington Post; Carl Lukat and Jason Rufner from the Loudoun Times-Mirror; Dan Sousa, who covers every local sport ever played at Loudounprepsports.com; and Paul Draisey, who along with myself cover high school sports locally for Comcast.
This is not a daring group. Everyone likes UNC to win both its games in the East, and with the exception of Lukat, all expect UNC to be in the championship game. Lukat, we believe, is under undue influence from Sousa. If you’ve not met Dan, he carries a huge West Coast bias, as no matter what the sport, he likes a team from California. Sousa and Lukat had lunch together Wednesday, and they both ended up picking UCLA to win it all. Wonder who paid for that meal?
The Midwest was virtually unanimous, as Kansas is the strong favorite with the exception of our Washington Post duo. Someone obviously leaked some information to Garman and Tenorio that Wisconsin has a chance, but if this tournament had an honor code, one of them might be on trial. If you’ll notice closely, their picks are nearly identical.
Tenorio wasn’t content with just picking winners. In turning in his picks, he also explained WHY his picks would win while taking jabs at Stanford (“go back to school, smarties”), chanting “Go Big Ten” and suggesting that Michigan State guard Drew Neitzel has been playing in East Lansing for “about eight years.” This is because Tenorio grew up a University of Michigan fan. Let it go, Paul. Think of Rich Rodriguez as a nice consolation prize.
Rufner claimed little enthusiasm for the contest, saying his focus was purely on the NIT. This is because Rufner is also a Virginia Tech graduate. Now that the Hokies have been eliminated, I seriously doubt he’s planning an NIT party this weekend to watch Mississippi play Ohio State. He’s the third person picking UCLA to win it all, and I’m guessing Sousa will be sending a plate of sandwiches over to him before the week is out.
There is still time to get in on this contest, as I’ll take emails with picks right up to game time tonight. And you don’t have to worry about any shenanigans in picking a winner. One of our entrants is Jim Plowman, Loudoun County’s Commonwealth Attorney. His picks? He’s totally unimpressed with Carolina, as he has Louisville making it to the championship game before losing to Memphis State.
For Jim’s sake, let’s just hope the Tigers don’t have to shoot many free throws.
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