For the 3 people who care (me being one of those people), here is the list of Thursday and Friday's games, along with the broadcasting duos that will be calling them. (Announcers stay in the same region for Saturday and Sunday's finals)
Thursday:
Xavier vs. West Virginia (Phoenix, 7:10pm) -- Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery
North Carolina vs. Washington St. (Charlotte, 7:27pm) -- Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas
UCLA vs. Western Kentucky (Phoenix, 9:40pm) -- Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery
Tennessee vs. Louisville (Charlotte, 9:57pm) -- Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas
Friday:
Wisconsin vs. Davidson (Detroit, 7:10pm) -- Gus Johnson and Len Elmore
Texas vs. Stanford (Houston, 7:27pm) -- Jim Nantz and Billy Packer
Kansas vs. Villanova (Detroit, 9:40pm) -- Gus Johnson and Len Elmore
Memphis vs. Michigan State (Houston, 9:57pm) -- Jim Nantz and Billy Packer
This is great news for fans of Davidson and Villanova. Gus and Len were dealt a bad hand when all of their Denver games where underwhelming last weekend. I'm sensing that Gus has some built up energy that's just dying to get out, and hopefully he'll be able to work some of that out in the games on Thursday. Imagine if the Davidson vs. Wisconsin game is tied with 2 minutes to go! Good times! I like the games that Raftery and Lundquist were given. Bill should have a blast with the Xavier vs. West Virginia contest. And we should take note that Packer wasn't given a game featuring a mid-major. Nantz and Packer get what could be two amazing games, let's hope that Packer doesn't ruin them by talking about how Duke isn't in the tournament anymore, or worse, defending a blatant non-call for the entire game. I like these pairings a lot.
The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament is over, and for a brief moment (hardly a shining one), I thought this blog was over too. There is more to life than March Madness. And while I knew this fact before I began the ambitious endeavour buzzing on the screen in front of you, the project (as well as myself) felt as if it had run it's course. This was meant to be an entertaining creative outlet for myself, as well as a distraction.....and after a little more than a month, that's exactly what this feels like, a distraction. My brackets are horrendous, I'm exhausted, and I'm burnt out.
However...there is something to be said for completing what one starts...and for following through on a commitment that one has made. This blog is not going to "make" my life, and it's not going to change the bigger things taking place in and around my universe. But the parallels between this project and my current world are oftentimes scary. If I cannot demonstrate the simplest forms of commitment, character, and resolve with this blog...how could I possibly expect the same from myself with regard to the actual, moment-to-moment existence that is my life? There is nothing noble in running. There is nothing honorable in simply giving up. When our heart and our gut lead us somewhere, there was probably a damn good reason as to why we ended up at that "somewhere" in the first place. Being frustrated, confused, and exhausted should never be permitted to triumph over one's initial desires and ambitions. There is something to being honest. There is something to staying true. There is something to never giving up. There is something to making a commitment. There is something in following through. And there is something to being there for the people that were there for you all along.
It is for these (and many other) reasons that I am going to push forward, continue with, and finish this blog. Thank you my friends and loyal readers. For the random hits this blog has received from places like Honolulu, Berkeley CA, and Arizona, I thank you. For the devoted readers I've had for awhile but didn't even realize, like Brian in Notre Dame and the person who keeps checking out this blog from Oak Park, I thank you. And a very HUGE and heart-felt thanks to all of the loyal friends who have contributed to this blog, shared comments, and have been reading since the beginning: Annie, Phil, Chaz, Liz, Matt G., John S., and Senator Nate...I thank you.
I'm back. We're down to 16 teams. 15 games left to be played. Let's rock and roll!
Mr. Raftery, do you have anything to say in closing?
Bill: "This blog is going to be followed through to completion.....with ALACRITY!!!"
With the announcing duos for Thursday and Friday's games being released yesterday, it is time to highlight one of the greats...Mr. Bill Raftery. As I've said multiple times throughout this blog, it won't completely be NCAA Tournament time until I hear Raftery announce: "Verne Lundquist, (insert team name) goes MANTAMAN!" His personality, enthusiasm, and style is as much a part of March Madness as brackets and 12 over 5 upsets. I hate to bring Billy Packer into this, but Raftery excels in the areas where Packer sucks. Raftery approaches his job with humility and doesn't see himself as bigger than the game, he has a sense of humor, and he adds to the overall viewing experience. He is able to do these things because first and foremost, Bill Raftery is a fan of college hoops just like us. He is a fan of the sport, fan of the competition, and fan of the pageantry of March Madness. There is a sense of genuineness and authenticity when one hears Raftery calling a game. One gets the feeling that Bill would be doing the same thing if he were watching the game in his living room and there wasn't a microphone in front of him (or a big check involved). The best announcers and announcing duos rise to the top, due in large part to the following three things: 1) Chemistry - The play-by-play guy and the color commentator have to click on some level. If they don't, neither one of them is going to be any good, and the broadcast is going to suffer. This is why good friends and life-long announcing partnerships are usually the best (is this turning into a marriage/relationship column?). Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery are an outstanding duo because they get along so well, allow each other the space to contribute to a broadcast, and have been paired together for so long. Verne's style makes Bill better and Bill's style makes Verne better. It's a perfect combination. 2) Enthusiasm - This is the factor that sets Bill Raftery apart as an individual announcer. He comes across as genuinely excited and enthralled during college basketball games. He's a fan of the game, this is very important. Some announcers speak and act as if it's a struggle for them to be commentating on a particular game for us, the viewing public. This is not a problem for Bill Raftery as he would be as jazzed for a game featuring Utah State as he would be for a UNC/Duke match-up. This enthusiasm is infectious as he can make the viewer care about any game at practically any time. He's happy doing his job. And this translates over the television so well as we should be happy to have the opportunity to listen to him. 3) Individuality - Chemistry and enthusiasm are essential to being a great broadcaster, but they have to be joined with (and maybe, in part, help to create) an announcers overt individuality. Raftery has this in bunches. He was a college basketball coach for more than a decade and has been announcing games for over 23 years. This experience gives him credibility when sharing his unique insights and opinions. Time and experience has only allowed Raftery to expand his ever-growing repertoire of hoops related catch-phrases. Some of my personal favorites:
"Give it to the big fella!"
"Send it in, (insert player's name)!"
"...with the kiss!"
"With the sweet kiss, off the glass..."
"With a little dipsy do"
"Dagger!"
"Onions!"
"With disdain to the tin!"
"Put a little english on it"
"With the teardrop, that'll make you cry"
"We got a little nickel-dimer here"
"With authority!"
"A Large Edifice!"
There was also this exchange:
Verne Lundquist: "I hope Dwyane Wade likes cajun cooking!" ... (dramatic 5 second pause) ... Bill Raftery: "JAMBALAYA!" - I actually remember this exchange, I don't think I saw it live but I believe it was played on Sports Center over and over again. (This is a Seinfeld/Newman reference by the way) The long pause followed by Raftery's over-the-top delivery just kills me. I wish this clip was on Youtube, because just thinking about it makes me laugh.
In 2007, Raftery along with his broadcast partner, Verne Lundquist, made a classic exchange after Memphis' Douglas-Roberts made an emphatic jam in Ohio State's regional final victory. Raftery: "The speed! Done with alacrity! Sitting over there, he was salivating at an opportunity." Lundquist: "I'm still stunned at 'alacrity'." Raftery: "Don't ask me to spell it."
In the clip I'm posting, Raftery uses the word 'alacrity' again. It is a word, it means promptness, eagerness, and willingness. A good SAT word. Bill Raftery is not only entertaining, he is downright educational!
Bill Raftery is beyond hype and shtick. I'm a huge Gus Johnson fan, but Johnson is riding a wave of hype and popularity that is almost Obama'esque. Hype can only go so far and last so long. Let's hope that Johnson can sustain his 'game' and his abilities long past this period of hype. Raftery is not only beyond the hype, he transcends it. He was throwing out catch-phrases when the current crop of Sports Center anchors were in nursery school. Raftery is so steady and so consistent that his name really shouldn't come up when discussing "good" and "bad" college basketball commentators. This is because he practically IS college basketball announcing! There will never be another Bill Raftery. There can't be. He is the archetype. He is the prototype. He is THE college basketball color commentator of the last two generations. Earlier in this blog I commented on how we should be thankful for being able to experience the era when Gus Johnson was in his prime. The exact same should be said for being able to experience Bill Raftery in his prime (he's still there right now, I'll fight anyone on this). Granted, he doesn't have as many quality years left in him as Johnson, but when the day comes to tell my kids about Gus Johnson, I'd be remiss in not mentioning the Legend, Bill Raftery, first. Without Bill Raftery and his unique style, there never would have been a place for Gus Johnson in basketball. When Raftery finally calls it quits and retires the catch-phrases, it will truly be a time for "Onions."
Information that is almost as important as the actual brackets came out yesterday when CBS announced which broadcasting duos would be calling the games on Thursday and Friday. The bracket gods are truly shining on me this year because Pitt won the Gus Johnson sweepstakes! This Pitt team HAS to be a team of destiniy! WE GOT GUS! Mr. Johnson will be paired up with Mr. Len Elmore to call the Pitt/Oral Roberts, Michigan State/Temple, Notre Dame/George Mason, and Washington State/Winthrop games. You better believe that CBS wanted Gus Johnson announcing a pair of 5 vs. 12 games. Phil...I have some bad news...Billy Packer and Jim Nantz are doing the Davidson/Gonzaga game. I don't know what to tell you. You can always hit mute or turn on an internet radio fee. In other Big Dance announcing news...fans of Tennessee, American University, South Alabama, Butler, St. Joseph's, Oklahoma, Boise State, and Louisville can rejoice because they will have the outstanding tandem of Bill Raftery and Verne Lundquist calling their games. I can't wait until Friday, around 12:16 pm, when Raftery announces that Tennessee opens in the "MANTAMAN!!!"
Thursday Games:
(12) Temple (21-12) vs (5) Michigan State (25-8) 12:20 PM South (Denver): Gus Johnson and Len Elmore
(14) Georgia (17-16) vs (3) Xavier (27-6) 12:20 PM West (Washington, DC): Craig Bolerjack and Bob Wenzel
(16) Portland State (23-9) vs (1) Kansas (31-3) 12:25 PM Midwest (Omaha): Kevin Harlan and Dan Bonner
(11) Kentucky (18-12) vs (6) Marquette (24-9) 2:30 PM South (Anaheim): Dick Enberg/Carter Blackburn and Jay Bilas
(11) Baylor (21-10) vs (6) Purdue (24-8) 2:50 PM West (Washington, DC): Craig Bolerjack and Bob Wenzel
(9) Kent State (28-6) vs (8) UNLV (26-7) 2:55 PM Midwest (Omaha): Kevin Harlan and Dan Bonner
(13) Oral Roberts (24-8) vs (4) Pittsburgh (26-9) 3:00 PM South (Denver): Gus Johnson and Len Elmore
(14) Cornell (22-5) vs (3) Stanford (26-7) 4:55 PM South (Anaheim): Dick Enberg/Carter Blackburn and Jay Bilas
(11) Kansas State (20-11) vs (6) USC (21-11) 7:10 PM Midwest (Omaha): Kevin Harlan and Dan Bonner
(15) Belmont (25-8) vs (2) Duke (27-5) 7:10 PM West (Washington, DC): Craig Bolerjack and Bob Wenzel
(13) Winthrop (22-11) vs (4) Washington State (24-8) 7:20 PM East (Denver): Gus Johnson and Len Elmore
(9) Texas A&M (24-10) vs (8) BYU (27-7) 7:25 PM West (Anaheim): Dick Enberg/Carter Blackburn and Jay Bilas
(14) Cal State Fullerton (24-8) vs (3) Wisconsin (29-4) 9:40 PM Midwest (Omaha): Kevin Harlan and Dan Bonner
(12) George Mason (23-10) vs (5) Notre Dame (24-7) 9:50 PM East (Denver): Gus Johnson and Len Elmore
(16) Mississippi Valley State (17-15) vs (1) UCLA (31-3) 9:50 PM West (Anaheim): Dick Enberg/Carter Blackburn and Jay Bilas
(10) Arizona (19-14) vs (7) West Virginia (24-10) 9:50 PM West (Washington, DC): Craig Bolerjack and Bob Wenzel
Friday Games:
(15) American (21-11) vs (2) Tennessee (29-4) 12:15 PM East (Birmingham): Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery
(10) Davidson (26-6) vs (7) Gonzaga (25-7) 12:25 PM Midwest (Raleigh): Jim Nantz and Billy Packer
(10) St. Mary's (CA) (25-6) vs (7) Miami (FL) (22-10) 12:30 PM South (Little Rock): Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel
(12) Western Kentucky (27-6) vs (5) Drake (28-4) 12:30 PM West (Tampa): Tim Brando and Mike Gminski
(10) South Alabama (26-6) vs (7) Butler (29-3) 2:45 PM East (Birmingham): Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery
(15) UMBC (24-8) vs (2) Georgetown (27-5) 2:55 PM Midwest (Raleigh): Jim Nantz and Billy Packer
(13) San Diego (21-13) vs (4) UConn (24-8) 3:00 PM West (Tampa): Tim Brando and Mike Gminski
(15) Austin Peay (24-10) vs (2) Texas (28-6) 5:00 PM South (Little Rock): Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel
(16) Play-In Winner (TBD) vs (1) North Carolina (32-2) 7:10 PM East (Raleigh): Jim Nantz and Billy Packer
(11) St. Joseph's (21-12) vs (6) Oklahoma (22-11) 7:10 PM East (Birmingham): Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery
(13) Siena (22-10) vs (4) Vanderbilt (26-7) 7:20 PM Midwest (Tampa): Tim Brando and Mike Gminski
(9) Oregon (18-13) vs (8) Mississippi State (22-10) 7:25 PM South (Little Rock): Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel
(9) Arkansas (22-11) vs (8) Indiana (25-7) 9:50 PM East (Raleigh): Jim Nantz and Billy Packer
(14) Boise State (25-8) vs (3) Louisville (24-8) 9:50 PM East (Birmingham): Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery
(12) Villanova (20-12) vs (5) Clemson (24-9) 9:50 PM Midwest (Tampa): Tim Brando and Mike Gminski
(16) UT Arlington (21-11) vs (1) Memphis (33-1) 9:55 PM South (Little Rock): Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel
It's over. The end finally came. I'm exhausted. The final 5 Conference Tournaments wrapped up on Sunday. The results have already been forgotten as the Official Bracket has been released and the nation has moved on to things like office pools and plotting how to skip work on Thursday. But these Conference Tournament results have not been lost on me. My ambitious project of filling out 30 Conference Tournament brackets has come to an end. What an experience it was. If any of you readers know of anyone else in the nation that did or has done what I did...please direct them my way because I'm going to need a support group. My Final Stats: I correctly predicted 12 of 30 Conference Champions (40%). Overall I got 174 of 265 games correct (65.7%). I don't know if that's good or bad. But I do know that it's over. CBS and ESPN...if you'd like me to do this for you next year...I'd more than welcome a personalized check and a chance to meet Bill Raftery (CBS) or Erin Andrews (ESPN).
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC):
Actual Champion: North Carolina (40th NCAA appearance)
My Predicted Champion: North Carolina
Bracket Winning Percentage: 72.7% (8 of 11 games correct)
Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 68.6% (155 of 226 games correct)
Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 42.3% (11 of 26 correct)
Big 12 Conference:
Actual Champion: Kansas (37th NCAA appearance)
My Predicted Champion: Texas (lost in finals to Kansas)
Bracket Winning Percentage: 63.6% (7 of 11 games correct)
Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 68.4% (162 of 237 games correct)
Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 40.7% (11 of 27 correct)
Big 10 Conference:
Actual Champion: Wisconsin (14th NCAA appearance)
My Predicted Champion: Wisconsin
Bracket Winning Percentage: 60% (6 of 10 games correct)
Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 68% (168 of 247 games correct)
Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 42.9% (12 of 28 correct)
Southeast Conference (SEC):
Actual Champion: Georgia (10th NCAA appearance, first since 2002)
My Predicted Champion: Tennessee (lost in semifinals to Arkansas)
Bracket Winning Percentage: 27.3% (3 of 11 games correct)
Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 66.3% (171 of 258 games correct)
Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 41.4% (12 of 29 correct)
Southland Conference:
Actual Champion: Texas-Arlington (1st NCAA appearance)
My Predicted Champion: Stephen F. Austin (lost in semifinals to Northwestern State)
Bracket Winning Percentage: 42.9% (3 of 7 games correct)
Overall Bracket Winning Percentage: 65.7% (174 of 265 games correct)
Overall Predicted Champion Winning Percentage: 40% (12 of 30 correct)
For the 3 people who care (me being one of those people), here is the list of Thursday and Friday's games, along with the broadcasting duos that will be calling them. (Announcers stay in the same region for Saturday and Sunday's finals)
