The Beginning Of The End: Championship Game Follow Up

(How the hell did this happen?)

Due to popular demand (and the guilt I have for never finishing what I start), I'm closing out this blog with 5 columns. This brief recap of the Championship Game and the Tournament in general is the 1st of these final posts. I thank everyone for reading and contributing to this elaborate project. My thoughts and ideas only go so far...it was the encouragement, suggestions, and comments from all of you that really helped take this NCAA Tournament Blog to another level. (Annie...I have no idea what Bill Self was trying to prove with that red/white/blue striped tie. But it wasn't as bad as Roy Williams wearing that gaudy Kansas sticker/button (?) in the stands. What's The Matter With Kansas?!?!? Indeed.)

As for the Championship Game:

I don't take much away from this game. Maybe it's because I didn't have a chance to win money in any of my NCAA pools. Maybe it's because the game represented not only the end of the tournament, but the end of this blog. Maybe it's because a match-up between North Carolina and UCLA would have been a lot more engaging and "sexier". Or maybe it's because the Championship Game of the Final Four is always (on some level) going to be a letdown. We won't make the argument now for which weekend of the tournament is "better", but the first two weekends of March Madness are hands-down the most interesting and captivating weekends of the event. I claim that Thursday and Friday of the first weekend are the best two days in sports for the entire year. The Final Four and Title game can't help not living up to the hype and expectations that are unfairly thrust upon them. March Madness is marketed and publicized as an event that spans weeks. Interest peaks nationally between Selection Sunday and the following Sunday. By that time the teams have been reduced from 65 to 16. After that, the interest just isn't at the initial level. Is there any other sporting event that peaks at the beginning of said event? None that I can think of. This is what the NCAA Tournament has going against it. I'll probably only ever be truly excited about a Championship game for 3 reasons:

1. I have a vested interest in the game. Meaning that I have a pool and/or certain amount of money that I could personally win/lose on the game.
2. My home team, or a team I am personally involved with on some level, is playing in the Championship game. This would include (but not be limited to) Pittsburgh, Iowa, Davidson, and Notre Dame.
3. If the match-up in the Championship game was amazing. I don't mean good...I don't mean great...I mean outstanding. Even though Memphis and Kansas were both #1 seeds...and even though the game ended up being decent...the match-up was not outstanding. There wasn't a lot of star-power and the coaches were trying to overcome hurdles and preconceived notions rather than assert their genius and dominance.

Other than those three reasons...I'll probably never be excited or thrilled about an NCAA Championship game. That doesn't mean that I won't watch. That doesn't mean that I don't appreciated the sport. That doesn't mean that I don't appreciate and give much credit to the winner. And that DEFINITELY doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the structure of the Tournament (see NCAA Football). It simply means that I personally love the first two weekends of March Madness the most. After that...almost anything feels like a let-down.

As for the Championship Game (haven't I done this before?):

Chalmers hit a game-tying three pointer that Kansas never should have been in position to make. Coach Calipari out-dressed Coach Self. Memphis missed some free-throws (surprise). John Calipari was seconds away from winning his first Championship. Bill Self was seconds away from not winning his first Championship. Billy Packer called yet another Championship game (CBS...PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS). We had an overtime title game, but it really didn't feel like it and wasn't very exciting as the entire Memphis squad was exhausted. Kansas won a National Championship without Roy Williams. Bill Self found himself in the unlikely position of cutting the nets down. John Calipari still remains a Clarion University alumni. And...perhaps most perplexing...I missed one shining moment because I was on the phone or cooking or cleaning up something.

So that was that. Good enough game I suppose. They really need to let Gus Johnson call the Final Four next year. I swear...Billy Packer must have some incriminating pictures of someone at CBS. So we may be stuck with him for another 35 years. I must give credit where credit is due. Congrats to the Kansas Jayhawks and Bill Self. I doubted your abilities and you all proved me wrong. I'll have to find other ways of making fun of you and demeaning you next year.

1020 & 8101

Predictions For Friday's Sweet Sixteen Games

I picked 3 out of 4 games correctly on Thursday (only missing the Xavier overtime win over West Virginia). Now it's time to do one better and go a perfect 4 of 4 on Friday.

Davidson over Wisconsin

Reasons:

• Has any other team in recent NCAA tournament memory been more of a media darling than this Davidson team? Screw George Mason...what they did was unexpected, but nobody out there, just two years later, can name a single player from that team. Davidson has a superstar and, for whatever reasons, are extremely likable. Maybe that's what happens when a team actually has student-athletes. Plus...the University of Davidson is covering the hotel, bus fare, and tickets for all students who want to road trip to Detroit for Friday's game against Wisconsin. I ask again...has there been a more endearing team in recent NCAA tournament history than Davidson? I think not. This story NEEDS to continue.
• Wisconsin is a pretty good (and boring) team. The problem with the Badgers and Bo Ryan's system is that they are never too far ahead in a game, and they're never too far behind. All that needs to happen for a Davidson upset to happen is for Wisconsin to let the Wildcats stick around, gain confidence, and let the Cinderella wave carry them through.
• Nobody outside of Packer (that's Green Bay, not Billy) country is excited about seeing Wisconsin in the Elite Eight. (actually...Billy Packer hates mid-majors, so he's probably rooting for Wisconsin to move on as well)
• Davidson has the hottest player in the tournament so far wearing their uniform. So that's a good thing. By the way...did you know that Stephen Curry is (former NBA player) Dell Curry's son?
• I want Davidson to win. Good enough reason? Phil and Annie will be rooting for Davidson tonight, and so will I. As I told Phil a few days ago, I'm officially on the Davidson bandwagon. They are my adopted team for as long as they last in this tournament. Go Cats! (Plus...Gus Johnson is calling this game. That's a good omen.)
• Confidence in this pick: 7.5

Stanford over Texas

Reasons:

• I have this sneaky feeling that we're not quite done seeing and hearing about the Lopez twins just quite yet.
• I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't trust Rick Barnes in an important game at all. I'm sorry for any Texas fans out there, you have a very talented team, but I don't have any confidence in your head coach.
• A Stanford vs. UCLA contest in the Final Four would be outstanding. (It would be their 4th meeting this season) Plus, I think Trent Johnson wants to see if the refs would have the guts to give him a double technical in a Final Four game. He's quoted as saying, "Why should my approach change?" So he's obviously saying that Stanford has won every game this tournament that he has been eject from, so why would he mess with success? If the refs actually DID throw him out of a Final Four game, this would prove, without a doubt, all of the conspiracy theories out there about UCLA getting every favorable call (and non-call). We shall call this the 'John Wooden Rule'.
• Texas point guard D.J. Augustin is outstanding. But I'm on-board the Mitch Johnson bandwagon right now and if Johnson could handle the pressure and play of Marquette's guards, I'm thinking he can hold his own against Augustin.
• I've railed against Stanford all season (blog) long. And now they're going to prove me wrong. I can just feel it.
• Confidence in this pick: 6.3

Kansas over Villanova

Reasons:

• Kansas simply has too much talent with Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers, and company. The Jayhawks are probably the most athletic and most talented team in this NCAA Tournament. (My apologies to Cornell...you're good too.) (sorry Matt)
• Can a fashionable coach win the NCAA Tournament? I'm not so sure. When was the last time that happened? Jay Wright's greatest strength may turn out to be his greatest weakness. Stay tuned. (sorry Matt)
• If Bill Self can reach the Elite Eight with this Kansas team, I may finally stop giving him a hard time about being a choke artist in the NCAA Tournament. He's good at not being good in March. So I believe that to avoid further ridicule from me, Self and his Kansas squad will be properly motivated to win this game. (sorry Matt)
• The Jayhawks have depth and experience that Villanova cannot come close to matching. Unless Kerry Kittles still has some eligibility left at 'Nova, then they might have a shot. (sorry Matt)
• I picked Kansas to win it all in Tim's pool. So what am I supposed to do here? Have them losing to a #12 seed in the Sweet Sixteen? I think not. (sorry Matt)
• Confidence in this pick: 9.4

Memphis over Michigan State

Reasons:

• I thought about this one for awhile, because I really want to go with Michigan State. You might ask, "Why not just pick Michigan State here? This is a stupid blog that 6 people are reading. So who really cares?" Now that's a very good point and it's well taken. But more than anything, I want to get my pick right. So I'm going with the team that I think will win the game, it's as simple as that. If Michigan State wins, it would make Pitt's loss look much better. I just don't think it's going to happen.
• One reason I don't think it's going to happen - Michigan State is from the Big Ten. Michigan State scored 36 points in a loss to Iowa earlier this year. I cannot pick Michigan State with this kind of information bouncing around in my head.
• What's that John S.? Memphis coach John Calipari is from Western PA and attended the prestigious Clarion University? If that's the case, then I MUST pick Memphis in this game.
• If Memphis loses by 5 points or less, and missed free throws were involved, then we're going to have to hear Calipari defend his team and defend their free throw shooting for another 12 months and I can't deal with that anymore. So my pick here is partially reflecting my prayer that this doesn't happen.
• Memphis is a darn good team. I don't know how many rounds they have to get through before the nation starts to realize this. It's going to take more than Tom Izzo and Michigan State to bring down the Tigers. Speaking of which...remember when Memphis used to be Memphis State and had Anfernee (later to be known as Penny) Hardaway on their team?
• Confidence in this pick: 8.2

1020 & 8101

Announcers For The Regional Semifinals & Finals

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.

1020 & 8101

Pitt vs. Oral Roberts: Running Diary

Ok...I'm done from my little vacation away from this blog. The NCAA Tournament is underway and it's time for me to get back on the horse. All of my brackets have been filled out, and three games are already in the books. I'm feeling better now that it's a more reasonable time of day for me to be awake and people to be alive. I also have a mini-fridge full of bottled water and beer along with some amazing chicken from Sesame Inn, so I'm more than ready to go. I have a new rule for myself this year: Anytime Pitt wins the Big East Tournament as a #7 seed, is picked by Coach Bob Knight to win the National Championship, and plays Oral Roberts in the first round...I just have to keep a running diary of what takes place. Here are some things you should know about Oral Roberts before the action gets underway:

• Oral is almost always a crowd pleaser
• More often than not, Oral comes out on top
• Oral has a knack for getting hot at the right times
• It's almost impossible to overrate Oral
• Oral is good

Whew...after getting that out of my system, let us get to the game.

3:05 pm - Gus Johnson and Len Elmore welcome us to Denver for the Pitt/Oral match-up. I'm so glad to be listening to Johnson doing a Pitt game. Even though Gus shines at the ending of close games, I'm hoping we avoid that scenario this afternoon.

3:38 pm - Sorry for the delay...phone call and food. Pitt is currently on an 18-0 run and has pulled out in front of Oral 28-13. Gilbert Brown has been impressive (on the one dunk, he looked as if he was still elevating as he threw it down) and Levance Fields has, again, been a master at running the point. Pitt has also made 6 of 7 free throws. This is very fun to watch.

3:42 pm - Pitt 34 - Oral 15, Ronald Ramon just made a three point jumper. The kid knocks them down as if they were free throws. Errr...he knocks them down as if they were free throws for a team that shot free throws well.

3:47 pm - Is it possible that Gus could become bored with this game? Is it possible that a game like this allows him to conserve his energy and be absolutely outlandish later in the tournament? Is it possible that I'm jinxing things by talking about this in the first half?

3:49 pm - I'm sorry...but (this) Oral is terrible! Pitt is good...but I've never seen them get such easy chances on offense. Every possession it seems like we're getting an uncontested 13 footer, a wide open three-point shot, or an all too easy lay-up. They have been picking and choosing which shot to take and make every trip down. I can't wait until the second half when Ramon will only shoot NBA-range three-pointers and Sam Young will only shoot fade-aways, just to add a degree of difficulty. This is unreal.

3:52 pm - Pittsburgh 47 - Oral 24 at Halftime. Wow. Coming up...Live Look-Ins!!!

3:55 pm - Kent State has a total...TOTAL of 10 points at halftime against UNLV. I'm sure glad I didn't pick Kent State as a Bracket Buster team. Yep...I'm sure glad of that.

4:08 pm - These 2:30 games are all disasters right now! Pitt is up by 23, UNLV is up by 25, Purdue is up by 19, and Marquette is up by 9. No wonder the ratings have gone down the last couple of years. I need to start drinking to make this more interesting. Bring on the spelling errorz!!!

4:11 pm - Did you know that Len Elmore has a law degree from Harvard? One finds these things out during blow-outs in the Thursday afternoon games.

4:14 pm - Pitt isn't going to show Oral anything new or special here, they want to have a few surprises for teams down the road in the Tournament. I fully expect Jamie Dixon to pull a Milton Berle here in the second half...only putting (pulling) out enough to win.

4:26 pm - I just spent over 10 minutes trying to find a good link about that Milton Berle urban legend and I can't find a good one. When I do, I'll let you know. This is what I'm doing with my day now. And to think that people are out there right now at work using their skills and abilities to build self-esteem and support their families. By the way...Pitt 61 - Oral 37.

4:32 pm - This sad display by Oral Roberts is making me even more angry that they defeated IUPUI in the Summit League Championship game, costing me a valuable Conference Champion pick.

4:35 pm - CBS keeps cutting away to the Marquette vs. Kentucky game during timeouts in an attempt to sell us on the idea that an 8 point game is "competitive" compared to the 20+ point blowouts going on everywhere else right now. People might actually go outside or spend time with family if the games keep going like this.

4:44 pm - Although all of these games suck right now, this is still fun. But Phil...this would be ten times more fun if we could sit around all day and watch these games together while bs'ing, making fun of each others picks, and commenting on various announcers and coaches. Someday we will.

4:50 pm - Marquette beat Kentucky, it was never really close. Levance Fields has 23 points and Pitt is leading by 23. I'm more interested in the Pittsburgh Steelers cutting Cedrick Wilson for allegedly punching his ex-girlfriend at Patrone Mexican Bar and Grill in Wexford, PA. For those who don't know...Wexford is in the north suburbs of Pittsburgh and is about 12 minutes from my house. This north-suburb crime is getting out of hand! Didn't Santonio Holmes do the exact same thing a few years ago? But because it happened out of state and because he was a 1st round draft pick, he's still on the team. Gotta love the Rooney family setting different standards depending on the quality of their players.

4:56 pm - No upsets so far today. Back in the day I remember it almost being the rule that there was a notable upset during the afternoon session of the Thursday NCAA Tourney games. The top teams are just too good. As much as I hate to say it, I'm feeling a lot of chalk over the first two days this year.

4:58 pm - As I expected, Dixon didn't throw anything new at Oral Roberts in the second half. (Oral has actually outscored Pitt in the second half so far, 36-33) He knows that there are scouts from Michigan State and Memphis in the crowd, he's not letting them see anything until they potentially see it for the first time. Smart move. The Pitt lead has "shrunk" to 20, Pitt 80 - Oral 60.

5:05 pm - PITT WINS! PITT WINS! PITT WINS! After unloading his bench and putting in the walk-ons, Pittsburgh defeats Oral Roberts, 82-63. Another outstanding game by the Pitt defense. The only thing Oral had going for them was their three-point shooting, and once Pitt was able to defend that properly and shut them down, Oral didn't have a chance. The coaching staff did a great job preparing for that game, Pitt made it look downright easy. Outstanding game by Levance Fields. Michigan State is next on Saturday. I like this Pitt team's chances. By the way...Pitt was only an 8.5 point favorite here, so they easily covered the spread. I don't know why the hell I didn't put $50 down on this game, my mistake. Well done boys. Now I need a cigarette and a bathroom break.

Announcers for Thursday & Friday's Games

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

March Madness Profile #1: Gus Johnson

It's time to start profiling some of the essential participants that make the NCAA Tournament so rich from year to year. I do not give a rat's posterior that I'm completely piggy-backing off of ESPN's Bill Simmons, not to mention multiple fan sites and message boards, in devoting this first profile to the one, the only, Gus Johnson. Best known as a play-by-play announcer for CBS during March Madness, Johnson is loved for his enthusiasm, energy, and the potential that his head may actually explode during a particularly exciting three-on-two break. Johnson's calls of particular games are becoming legendary, and if anyone in recent memory was made for the youtube generation, Gus would be that man. One of his most passionate and insane calls was during the epic UCLA vs. Gonzaga sweet-sixteen matchup in 2006. Adam Morrison would never really be the same. Johnson has that unique ability (much like Gary Thorne with hockey) to increase his energy and intensity to the level that the crowd and the game itself dictates. His insanity is infectious, which seems completely appropriate for March Madness. It's not just a bunch of Generation X punks and pop-culture oriented sports writers who like Gus, crabby and getting older by the minute Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette even enjoys what Johson brings to the table that is college basketball broadcasting. Johnson can make a game against Butler and Pepperdine seem not only important, but ESSENTIAL...and within the landscape of the NCAA Tournament, the game most certainly is essential. Every game counts. The tournament is single-elimination, there is no tomorrow, it's win or go home. Gus captures this vibe with the urgency in his voice and the...madness...in his tone. (See what I did there?) I'm a sentimental bitch at heart and I have a hard time letting things go. To me, Sports Center should always be hosted by a combination of Dan Patrick, Keith Olberman, Charlie Steiner, Linda Cohn, & Rich Eisen. Monday night football should always be led by Frank and Al and Dan (even if they, as a group, sucked) because that's who broadcasted the games while I was growing up. Baseball Tonight will never be the same without Karl Ravech, Harold Reynolds, and Peter Gammons. My point is that things easily get romanticised as we get older. Whether things are really better or really worse, we'll always have a tendency to remember them being much better, even ideal, in the past. We're lucky enough right now to be living with something that is ideal. Gus Johnson and March Madness go hand in hand. I know that I can count on hearing Gus Johnson calling NCAA Tournament games next month and that is very comforting. I wouldn't have it any other way. Some day, CBS will get very stupid or Gus Johnson will just get too old and I'll have to tell my kids (God willing) about the legend that was Gus Johnson announcing games in the Tournament. We're lucky enough to enjoy him now, and his presence next month is as guaranteed as the fact that I'll be filling out at least 20 brackets. (I can't help but push more clips of Gus, so here is a highlight reel from last year's Tourney)