Monday, March 12, 2007
Don's Blog: Bracket Babble
Well the brackets are out, and so is UConn. Yes, I am disappointed about this year's team, which also did not get an invite to the NIT. However, we have been spoiled with such a great program in Storrs, it is only fair to accept a year of growing pains with a team filled with freshman and sophomores. Now I am not saying that this group of players will win a National Championship, but just remember that in Rip Hamilton's freshman year, UConn was left out of the NCAA Tournament and we all know what happened two years later.
As for Central, we knew they would be playing a number 1 seed, so why not Ohio State? Why not the number 1 team in the country (by the AP Poll)? Why not against big, bad Greg Oden? The Blue Devils of course have their work cut out for them, but it sure will be fun seeing the underdog play the Buckeyes in prime time (7:10 pm) on Thursday. Central had a great season, and was a great story this year no matter what the outcome is. (Blatant NBC 30 plug coming up) Be sure to watch Kevin Nathan as he travels with Central as far as they go in the tournament. Live reports start on Wednesday at 6:00 pm.
Now if you are like everyone else in the country today, everyone is carrying around and studying their brackets, filling them out for office pools, and talking about sleeper picks. Its amazing, but this time of year everyone is an "expert". People who don't even follow sports are talking about whether Wright State can beat Pittsburgh. The funny thing is, when people talk about their picks, they do so with such assurance. "Oh, Winthrop will absolutely beat Notre Dame."
Here's the thing with brackets, no one knows what they are doing. Whether you are working in a cubicle or you are one of the NCAA experts on TV, no one gets these things right. It is always someone's mother who wins because she picks the team based on if she ever visited that city or state before (which was the case for the pool I was in last year). Another example: in an on-line ESPN pool last year, only two people picked George Mason to go to the Final 4, and one of them only made the pick because they thought it was actually George Washington! Legend has it that Mike Francesa of WFAN in New York got his first TV job because he picked every game correctly one year as an intern. Now that's impressive.
I have never won an NCAA pool. One year in college, I picked every game but one in the first two rounds, but then only won a handful of games the rest of the way and finished in the middle of the pack. I have a habit of always picking UConn to win. I just can't go against them for fear of them winning and I did not have them in the final position (I of course was right in '99 and '04!). So this year I will not have that problem. I won't win any pools again this year, even though I will try. So don't look to me for help, I'm just as bad as the next guy.
Final 4 picks: Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, Ohio State
Enjoy the tourney
Don
As for Central, we knew they would be playing a number 1 seed, so why not Ohio State? Why not the number 1 team in the country (by the AP Poll)? Why not against big, bad Greg Oden? The Blue Devils of course have their work cut out for them, but it sure will be fun seeing the underdog play the Buckeyes in prime time (7:10 pm) on Thursday. Central had a great season, and was a great story this year no matter what the outcome is. (Blatant NBC 30 plug coming up) Be sure to watch Kevin Nathan as he travels with Central as far as they go in the tournament. Live reports start on Wednesday at 6:00 pm.
Now if you are like everyone else in the country today, everyone is carrying around and studying their brackets, filling them out for office pools, and talking about sleeper picks. Its amazing, but this time of year everyone is an "expert". People who don't even follow sports are talking about whether Wright State can beat Pittsburgh. The funny thing is, when people talk about their picks, they do so with such assurance. "Oh, Winthrop will absolutely beat Notre Dame."
Here's the thing with brackets, no one knows what they are doing. Whether you are working in a cubicle or you are one of the NCAA experts on TV, no one gets these things right. It is always someone's mother who wins because she picks the team based on if she ever visited that city or state before (which was the case for the pool I was in last year). Another example: in an on-line ESPN pool last year, only two people picked George Mason to go to the Final 4, and one of them only made the pick because they thought it was actually George Washington! Legend has it that Mike Francesa of WFAN in New York got his first TV job because he picked every game correctly one year as an intern. Now that's impressive.
I have never won an NCAA pool. One year in college, I picked every game but one in the first two rounds, but then only won a handful of games the rest of the way and finished in the middle of the pack. I have a habit of always picking UConn to win. I just can't go against them for fear of them winning and I did not have them in the final position (I of course was right in '99 and '04!). So this year I will not have that problem. I won't win any pools again this year, even though I will try. So don't look to me for help, I'm just as bad as the next guy.
Final 4 picks: Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, Ohio State
Enjoy the tourney
Don
Posted at 10:25 AM by Don
3 Comments:
Dear Don, Enough Whining! Here is a live, local, late breaking doppler 3000 newsflash for you: Most of Connecticut HATES UCONN Men's hoop. My friends and I pray for occasions such as this. We are sick and tired of UCONN being treated as the only team that matters in Connecticut. Half of the Uconn fans grew up rooting for Syracuse any way.
we are oversaturated with Uconn and all the undue praise Coach Marblemouth Calhoun gets. if I had to hear "9 first year players again" I would die. Do you know what Roy Williams does with 9 first year players? he wins national championships. I can NEVER get Coast Guard or Fairfield U highlights on your broadcasts for example.
30's uconn bias reminds me of the fall when your Friday football coverage seems to be in Southington every week for a game no one cares about. We all know the best football is in the Valley, and we all know Ansonia is the premier program in America-how about some coverage there?
I couldn't agree more!
Maybe now that UConn is out we can get some hockey coverage that doesn't involve Al Victor and dreams of the Whalers! 4 teams within 90 minutes of here all in the playoff chase, and we're lucky to get 10 seconds of the score, as long as it doesn't get in the way of Mets preseason highlights
I would like to respond to "Ansonia Football Dynasty's" blog under Don's comments on the brackets. But first, I wanted to tell you at NBC 30 that your sports broadcasts at night are the best in CT. I have seen all the other local channels and honestly, they stink. Your sports broadcasts are filled with to the point and up to the minute sports scores, stats, info. I can watch your sports broadcasts nightly and find out what happened that day rather than watching some other local station and find out news from the 70's, like when Lou Ferrigno pulled a truck up a hill by a rope with his teeth OR watch the anchor laugh at a squirrel water skiing. I would rather watch you and find out what happened in the NCAA tournament and pro baseball scores, etc. Also, your specials that you run on Auriema, Calhoun, etc. are top notch as well. Kudos to all of you and please keep up the good work.
Now, I do not know where 'Ansonia Football Dynasty' gets off bashing UCONN basketball. How do you live in CT and not root for your home team? Also, it is the only 'home' team that we have to root for and the only team that matters in CT. Please don't think for one second that I am going to be so into the Ravens (if they still exist) or the Rockcats or the Bluefish. You have to be out of your mind to think that there are better teams or sports programs in CT to root for, especially in college sports...and please don't say Sacred Heart or Gibbs College either. And, I still would not want to hear you cry about the Whaler's since they are gone and people just need to get over it.
Also, as an avid UCONN fan and also as just a God fearing and decent human being, I find it really disturbing and rude for 'Ansonia Football Dynasty' to hide behind his pseudonym and bash Coach Calhoun. I haven't heard someone bash someone that badly since when 'The Concerned Fisherman' did that in the Valley Times to some innocent upstanding citizen. It's ok to say things to criticize but at least be woman enough to stand up and critize someone in the open instead of you cowering in the shadows of 'Ansonia Football Dynasty.' You may not like him as a coach, but calling him 'marblemouth' is just plain wrong.
So, to you at NBC 30, please keep up the good work since what you know is what you are.
Thanks,
Hollywood Shangrala.
Post a Comment
<< Home