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Post by Patcat on Mar 17, 2010 10:15:13 GMT -5
You may have heard there's a basketball tourney going on (g).
The way that Techguy feels about hockey--I may be close to that regarding college hoops. I don't want to feel this way about them. The system is riddled with corruption. The greatest priority of an institution of higher education should not be its athletics program. Basketball coaches should not be paid more than presidents. And yet...
I love it. I love its speed and grace and strength and the Cinderella teams and the teams someone loves to hate and another someone loves. (My personal hate--Kentucky. The team I love others hate--Duke). I'm sure part of this is that I grew up in Indiana and went to Indiana University during the schizophrenic glory years of Bob Knight and that I now work for Butler University (where, as the football coach stated, "Our athletes don't major in eligibility.")
So, even though I will stay far away from downtown Indianapolis when the Final Four arrives in April, I'll be watching.
GO DAWGS!!!
Patcat
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Post by Techguy on Mar 17, 2010 16:50:23 GMT -5
I'm not into college basketball until the NCAA tournament starts. Part of the fun is the office work pool, filling in brackets, to see who wins the pot. From personal experience I can say that sometimes it helps not to know so much about the teams going in. More often than not luck plays a role in who ends up the NCAA champion as well as the office pool winner.
About PC's mention of corruption: I just read that if graduation rate statistics played a role in which teams get selected for the tournament, at least 12 of the teams wouldn't qualify. To me that's disgraceful, another example of how our priorities of real life vs sports get skewed out of whack.
Techguy, *whose brackets haven't already imploded but expects the inevitable once weekend play is finished*
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Post by Patcat on Mar 19, 2010 8:30:24 GMT -5
The Butler Bulldogs came out on fire in the second half and are on to the next round to face Murray State. I'm a bit worried, thought--you live by the three pointer, you can die by the three pointer.
Patcat
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Post by Techguy on Mar 20, 2010 22:08:27 GMT -5
PC: Butler 54 Murray St. 52, thanks to some late free throws. Congrats to the Bulldogs for making the Sweet 16.
Oh well, my brackets are busted and I haven't even left town for DC yet. I never saw this coming--UNI's upset of Kansas or St. Mary's win over Villanova. On the positive side, no one else in my office pool saw this coming either so I'm still in the running.
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Post by Patcat on Mar 21, 2010 15:42:29 GMT -5
And now the Bulldogs must face Syracuse. I hope they take inspiration from Northern Iowa.
Patcat
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Post by Patcat on Mar 22, 2010 11:18:27 GMT -5
As an IU grad and a Butler employee, I'd never thought I'd say this, but "How about those Boilermakers!"
Patcat
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Post by Moonbeam on Mar 22, 2010 20:07:16 GMT -5
I love being in Indy during final four weekend. I've always enjoyed meeting and talking to the fans that blow into town over that weekend. I'm an IU grad too and I say, "Please, please don't let Kentucky win it all." ;D
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Post by Patcat on Mar 23, 2010 8:08:16 GMT -5
Kentucky evil. Evil. Evil. Nicole Wallace evil.
Patcat
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Post by Patcat on Mar 26, 2010 9:28:20 GMT -5
How about those DAWGS!!!!!
Patcat
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Post by aintnocrime on Mar 26, 2010 11:20:51 GMT -5
Please Bruce Pearl, make me a happy woman tonight and most importantly, keep my bracket alive.
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Post by jaquimichel on Mar 27, 2010 15:45:45 GMT -5
I had 5 brackets and now down to three. I have WV winning it all on two, Kentucky on the third. I really hope WV brings for the Big East.
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Post by Patcat on Mar 28, 2010 18:48:14 GMT -5
Well, how about those DAWGPatcat
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Post by Moonbeam on Mar 28, 2010 21:09:06 GMT -5
Damn that Duke. They find a way in every time.
GO DOGS!!!
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Post by Techguy on Mar 29, 2010 20:18:41 GMT -5
I'm baaack! As I predicted, my brackets are toast so I'm going with the Cinderalla underdog team the Butler Dawgs who incredibly are in the Final Four.
BTW and OT: the DC trip was awesome. The Cherry Blossom Festival, 2 trips to the Smithsonian, and lots of hockey although the tix for yesterday's game didn't come through. However, we did go to the Pens game last week, plus my friend arranged for all of us to get into 3 Caps practices. Mrs. T got lots of pics, plus some autographs. Ovie and the other Russian Alex Semin are her prizes which was the icing on the cake for her. She said it was the best anniversary gift ever, and I don't think I can top it. I'll just try to duplicate it next year...unless my friend can do some more magic for the Caps playoffs games. I can get very used to this.
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Post by Patcat on Mar 30, 2010 9:00:49 GMT -5
Techguy;
Glad your trip went so well. The Smithsonian is wonderful.
I'm ridiculously proud of the Butler team. Matt Howard, the starting center, is a finance major. Gordon Hayward, the wonderful sophomore forward, is a computer engineering major. There's two academic All-Americans on the team.
I'm sorry to bore the board with my extolling of the DAWGS. I certainly hope the other teams do well. I just hope Butler does a little better.
Patcat
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