Question for you: Is the first day of the NCAA basketball tourney the greatest single sports day of the year?You're darn right it is.
No other sporting event whips people into a frenzy more than the Big Dance. Some might argue the Super Bowl is greater. To that I would say you're wrong. First, you're not guaranteed a good game. Second, you don't always like the teams, sometimes there's even a touch of hatred. In the big dance only one team gets the gas face, say it with me, Duke! Lastly, too many people get hyped up for the commercials during the Super Bowl. Remember commercials? The things you fast-forward through with your DVR.
What about the final day at the Masters? Here's another question, what if Tiger Woods isn't in the hunt. The debate ends there.
World Cup final? If you're nodding your head yes in agreement, get out of my country.
NASCAR at Daytona? The kick-off to the NASCAR season is always a big deal. I do enjoy NASCAR, but the causal sports fan does not. Rubbing might be racing, but interest in racing ain't rubbing off on the woman in the cubicle next to your (unless you work in the South).
Baseball's Opening Day? Another great sports day. Perhaps #2 on this list. But what comes after opening day? 161 more games! Wake me up in October.
Hockey? Tennis? Ahhh, no!
Moving on.
The Olympics (Summer and Winter games)? This one got me thinking. The opening ceremony always makes me feel proud to be an American. The problem, no events take place on opening day. I would argue the Olympics are the greatest two+ weeks in sports.
The first day of the Big Dance usually brings with it unpredictability, camaraderie and a seemingly endless amount of hoops. It's not uncommon to hear bracket chit-chat at the office, at the local tavern and yes, even from your wife. The Big Dance brings the causal fan into the action, mostly because of the brackets, but regardless, they're there. And at what other time do you hear, now where's Siena? How about American? And Davidson is where? (if you notice, the answer will inevitably come back..."I think out East somewhere, or maybe in Indiana.")
And I'll leave you will this thought, the best part of the opening day of the NCAA Tourney, the next day is the exactly the same. And the basketball doesn't stop until Sunday night. Then guess what, it starts up again the next Thursday.
I gots myself a basketball jones.
2 comments:
I was asked "Where is Davidson" three times this weekend!! It's in Davidson, NC... where else?! The committee loves to give the Wildcats a free road to the final four every year. It's ridiculous. Davidson is just 159 short miles to Raleigh, NC. That is where the the 'cats played their first two rounds. To make things worse, Kannapolis, NC is on the way. Do you know what's in Kannapolis, NC? You guessed it the Dale Earnhardt Museum. If that's not enough reason for the one-toothers from Davidson to take the roadie to Raleigh, I don't know what is. Gonzaga and Georgetown were practically playing on Davidson's homecourt.
And while we're on the subject, where the hell did the NCAA take their geography courses? Apparently Miss South Carolina has all of their maps. Davidson is supposedly in the Midwest bracket and played in Raleigh, NC.
Did you know that Tampa is in the West? I know what you're thinking. There are places in Tampa that look Watts, CA. But really, it's in the southeastern portion of the country. And Tampa is precisely where one portion of the West Regional was played.
But wait, that's not the worst offender. Washington D.C. was home to first and second round West Regional games. Again... looks like Watts, smells like New Jersey.
Did you know Denver is in the East? According to the NCAA it is. 15 years ago, our friends running college athletics needed to move teams around to balance the brackets. There simply wasn't enough good teams in the West and Midwest to make a fair tournament and stay geographically correct. But those days are gone. The Big East is no longer "The Beast of the East." You can watch teams named the Gauchos and Toreros on national television practically every night. I believe Tom Cruise once said, "ESPN, you'd be amazed at what you can pick up." Days of Thunder was an incredible movie. I heard that Cruise and Nicole Kidman really hit it off on the set.
Back to geography... Why does 7th seeded Gonzaga, a team from Spokane, Washington, travel to Raleigh, NC to play Davidson? Why send 13th seeded San Diego, a team that hasn't seen the tournament in 5 years to Tampa? Wouldn't it be great if you were a San Diego fan to take the trip to Anaheim and cheer on the Toreros? What the heck is a Torero?
How about this matchup? Marquette takes on Kentucky. What an incredible game featuring two Midwestern teams with great tradition. If you had a chance to watch it, the game did live up to it's billing. Too bad only a select few Golden Eagle and Wildcat fans could attend because this South Regional game was played at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.
I'm Andy Rooney... I'll see you next week.
Liking the 3rd Bass reference. Serch still looks like Gelfman. Lechner Blog gets tha Gas Face...
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