Bradley! For cryin' out loud, Bradley!




















After being in the double bonus for most of the weekend, here are some things I've read (yes, I read a lot) or noticed:

Luke Winn of SI had an interesting note on team defense for the NCAA Tournament. Something to look at for next year's bracket's obviously. Check it out, the 6 teams seeded 2-6 with defense efficiencies outside of the Top 75 were: Gonzaga, BC, Michigan State, Tennessee, Oklahoma, West Virginia. MSU (1st round), Tennessee (2nd round), Oklahoma (1st round) are already at home. Gonzaga has played two games and gave up 75 and 80. BC kept Montana close in round 2 for a half. Only WVU seems to be defying the odds. The ride will end soon for the remaining three, I would say.

I rarely agree with Roger Brown, but I cannot patronize Applebee's after that godawful "Gilligan" commercial. Who greenlights that crap? Might be tolerable, but the "tour" pronunciation puts it over the top. And Papa John's "We Got The Meat" ain't much better.

Mike Davis is done at Indiana, and this guy is happy.

My favorite Bill Raftery Quote of the Day: "He uses his derriere better than anyone in the country...and he's not even a dancer."

Billy Gillispie talks about his Texas A&M team. Remember, "They play defense like you stole somethin' from their monmma."

Because of the long lines at Goodman's on Friday, I didn't get any corned beef there. My Dad made some that was very good and I wolfed that down today, but I went to the Old Brooklyn Deli, and it was pretty good. People tell me they get the same meat as Slyman's. Maybe not as good, but the line was much shorter, as I was still inside county lines.

Looks like I changed the channel on the Cavs-Lakers game too early.

SportsTime Ohio is now on my Adelphia Digital package in the 170's. Needless to say, there is no programming yet.

Does March Madness On Demand deserve the Nobel Prize?

Add it up.

Meal of Links

While traversing the remote landscape before the Toney-Rahman fight on HBO, I noticed NBC was televising a "Saturday Night Main Event". Hah, wrestling back on network TV. The beauty of it is IT NEVER CHANGES. I mean, I tune in to see Shane McMahon battling the Heartbreak Kid! Am I in a time machine? Of course, Vince McMahon cheated and Shane-O won with the Sharpshooter, as a final slap to HBK. Admittedly, a pleasant, unexpected diversion.

BTW, not much to say about Rahman-Toney. Toney only weighed 4 more lbs. than his last fight, but Lamps referred to him as "a tub of goo". Rahman clearly won, as Toney seemed to be gassed after Round 4, but it was ruled a majority draw. A real yawner.

More TV stuff. If you haven't seen the ESPN documentary on Sebastian Telfair, watch it. Without question, the best basketball film I've seen since "Hoop Dreams". I think "Into The Fire" is already out on DVD. It shows how hoops may be the only way out for some folks and really how Telfair had an entire neighborhood hoping he would get to the NBA. ESPN should run this as much as that awful Pete Rose (remember Tom Sizemore's hair, he looked like Friar Tuck) movie or poker.

Exercise Yard

After watching the "Brad Pitt" (Brad=Bradley, Pitt=Pittsburgh) game today, I really have to check my man-love for the Pitt Panthers. Another disappointment. To Bradley, of all schools. Now the refs did not cost Pitt this game, but I have noticed a huge disparity in some of these games, regarding foul shooting. Bradley attempted 32 foul shots to Pitt's 11. Of course, Pitt's FG% contributed mightily to the loss, as usual.

But in the Illinois-Washington game last night, the Illini attempted their first foul shot in the second half with 15 seconds to go and had 9 for the game. The Huskies attempted...(gulp)...39. Wichita State had 29 attempts to Tennessee's 13. I had the Huskies and Shockers, so I am not complaining and I understand styles of play mean a lot. I just happened to notice these things. The oddest stat of the tournament was George Mason outrebounding Michigan State, 40-24. The stars must have aligned properly for that to occur.

Visitor

None, it's the end of a long hoops weekend.