Saturday, March 26, 2005

... and the four walls, they collide until the blue-eyed girl decides to let me go home

Don't say I didn't warn you.

I said I wouldn't be able to feign indifference forever. I had to give up the ghost last night. I now have March Madness.

We were painfully slow at work last night, so I was able to keep one eye on the NC State v Wisconsin game, one eye on the Duke v Michigan State game, and still work. Although it isn't proper to root against ACC teams, you have to remember the cheer all good Tar Heel fans learn at a young age:

Duke is puke, Wake is fake, but the team I hate is NC State.


I was ecstatic to see Duke go down. In all three of my March Madness pools, I picked this to happen just like that. I had already picked NC State to be done, so my bracket had no bearing on my interest in that game. Just that the team I hate is NC State.
I actually wore my WISCONSIN t-shirt under my work shirt, so I could wear it out after work. This was much to the consternation of many of our regular customers who are Pack fans. "You're not even from Wisconsin! How can you wear that?" I don't really have an explanation of why I own the shirt other than I visited Madison one time and liked the town a lot. Anyway, it was good that State lost, and even better that Duke lost.

I was off early enough to watch the Carolina game in its entirety. I was, admittedly, worried in the first half, but everything turned out just fine.

More later... It's almost time for work.

Now playing:Hayden -- Elk-Lake Serenade
Hayden Elk-Lake Serenade

5 comments:

doug said...

Awww, but it's State! Ah well, I have to admire your UNC fandom - just like I can't ever pull for UNC - well, until now, I'd like to see them take it to a big 10 team, and I'm not a big Big East fan either. But, I didn't see that game because I was busy pulling my hair out watching UK in an ugly one vs. Utah. And, btw, Billy Packer and Nance are the worst announcers ever. It was like watching Utah vs. UK on Lifetime. They told more stories about the history of Utah basketball, it was just awful. Anyway, Go Big Blue (both of em)!

Oh, and you have a Wisconsin shirt, because I had one...maybe? "I got my ass kicked in Wisconsin once..."

doug said...

Awww, but it's State! Ah well, I have to admire your UNC fandom - just like I can't ever pull for UNC - well, until now, I'd like to see them take it to a big 10 team, and I'm not a big Big East fan either. But, I didn't see that game because I was busy pulling my hair out watching UK in an ugly one vs. Utah. And, btw, Billy Packer and Nance are the worst announcers ever. It was like watching Utah vs. UK on Lifetime. They told more stories about the history of Utah basketball, it was just awful. Anyway, Go Big Blue (both of em)!

Oh, and you have a Wisconsin shirt, because I had one...maybe? "I got my ass kicked in Wisconsin once..."

d-lee said...

You're right about a couple of things there, Doug. I will admit, now that I've been called out on it that my WISCONSIN t-shirt ownership has a lot to do with the fact that you had one and loved it. Same reason that I have a CZECHOSLOVAKIA t-shirt. It's just like Wisconsin.

I really dislike Billy Packer, but not as much as my dad does. I heard my dad actually wish death upon Billy Packer. I was telling my friend Karen that a lot of folks around here mute the TV and put Woody on for the UNC games. I thought it was common practice throughout the land, but some people I've talked to think that's the stupidest thing ever.
Now, my dad over-reacts about this, but he's onto something about the heavy anti-UNC bias shown by Packer. He can never say "UNC did a really good defensive job on that possession" or "Wow! That was a great pass and catch by UNC" He'll instead say things like "UNC was in the right place at the right time" or "Wake Forest got robbed on that possession. There should have been at least 3 different fouls called on UNC". I don't want him to die. I just wish he was a better commentator.

Anonymous said...

What's your take on that travelling call at the end of the 'Nova game though? Was it a phantom call? Granted, it would have only given the Wildcats the chance to tie and send it to overtime. What a crazy weekend of hoops tho. Fun stuff and I think we've got two great matchups next weekend. I picked Lousiville in the pool, but I think Illinois/Carolina would be a phenomenal national championship game.

d-lee said...

Yeah. Phantom call. I've watched it like eight times, and I just didn't see how that could have been travelling. There could have easliy been a foul called against UNC as well.

You're dead on, though about how the bad call didn't "hand Carolina the game". Nor did the controversial plays in their National Championship games in '82 and '93.
In '82, had Georgetown's Fred Brown not thrown the ball DIRECTLY TO Carolina's James Worthy, they still would have had to make a shot. UNC was already ahead with the clock winding down.
In '93, had Chris Weber not called the illegal time-out, Michigan still would have had to make a shot just to send it to overtime. Carolina was already ahead in that game with the clock winding down.

Anyway, it was a foul, not a travel, but I don't think it changed the outcome of the game.

GO HEELS!