[BuonRotto]

Well, OK, I did leave out the real argument for dramatic effect. The real deal was that she was testy, and she slipped and blew up at me. At that point, she felt like she couldn't back down. Like I said, she's a fighter. But I'm not. On the other hand, I don't mince my words. I told her that I wasn't going to issue any apology for such a trite thing, and I didn't need to. After some back and forth, she upped the ante, asking if I wanted her to leave. Rather than play into her hands and say no, I said that she could do whatever she wanted. So she tried to call my bluff, but felt terrible outside, and the phone call was really her trying to rectify things. She realized that she took it too far. It became a game of emotional chicken. She expected me to "fight" for her, but I'm so passive and spiteful when angry, that I didn't bite. So she felt like I didn't care and I was just trying to point out how crazy this little "test" was. In the end, I showed her how out of hand she can get, and that I'm not out to control her, nor do I have some unhealthy dependence. Not so psycho, but she is someone who won't admit her mistakes sometimes.

But I really can't say word one about how silly the whole hate-Duke (or Carolina, State... whomever)-to-the-core-of-your-being thing is. She was literally raised like this since before she could sit up. She knows no other way. I hope we can live somewhere else at some point -- away from a college town -- so she can see how everyone else lives.

Of course now that I've aired out dirty laundry here, she comes over, curious about this forum for the first time. Gotta go!

[torifile]

Argghhh! March Madness time and I'm stuck reading about the games on espn.com because I'm in Japan!

Go heels! Number 1 seed, baby. I wonder if I can score some tix to the first round games...

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by BuonRotto But I really can't say word one about how silly the whole hate-Duke (or Carolina, State... whomever)-to-the-core-of-your-being thing is. She was literally raised like this since before she could sit up. She knows no other way. I hope we can live somewhere else at some point -- away from a college town -- so she can see how everyone else lives.

LOL Try reading this: http://www.amazon.com/Hate-Like-This...5724421&sr=8-1

It's hilarious, and a great read.

[PKIDelirium]

I just filled in my bracket. Now back to waiting to see if Wright State gets into the CBI...

[Partial]

Whisky has a great road to the final four.. Coming in as a 3 in the weakest region, I like their chances a lot.

Does anyone really think there are as many as 11 teams considered better than them? I sure don't.

[SKMDC]

When I look at my Brackets, Wisconsin is kind of representative of all my problems filling out the field. You can make a case for them getting to Final Four or you could make a case for them getting beat in the second round. Same with Georgetown.
I do like Wisconsin's D, that's always a big plus in march.

[Mancomb Seepgood]

Notre Dame/Washington St. will be one of the best games of the entire tournament.

[Kickaha]

Agreed. I look forward to UNC beating Wazzu afterwards.

(My brother and I have a decades long UW/WSU rivalry... since UW has been pulling a plaeco in hoops recently, and the Apple Cup is always a toss-up, this is the first time I'm pretty positive I can go into a game like this with a good expected outcome. Of course, if Wazzu beats UNC, I won't stop hearing about it. Hell, he'd probably have the score put on my tombstone.)

[Mancomb Seepgood]

That entire East region is complete bullshit. There's no way Tennessee should have been stuck in that region. They could have easily been a #1 seed over Kansas. Louisville is arguably a #2 seed, Butler is the best mid major in the entire field, while Indiana, Notre Dame, AND Wash St. are seriously good/talented enough to get to the Final Four.

Worst fuckin' bracket I've ever seen. Compared to the Midwest and West region, UNC as a #1 seed got punished for winning their conference tournament.

[SKMDC]

Originally Posted by Mancomb Seepgood UNC as a #1 seed got punished for winning their conference tournament.

Yeah they get to sleep in their own beds for most of the Tourney.

[Mancomb Seepgood]

That's not as significant as you think.

Carolina actually is a better road team. Their only losses are at home.

[SKMDC]

Twice, once to Duke with Lawson on the bench, (ankle sprain) and the night Maryland manhandled Hansbrough and won by two. They didn't have a very tough road schedule Duke and Clemson were the only rated teams they played, maybe Kentucky was when they met in December.
I'm sure they can trade places with Duke, the only two seed to be sent out of their time zone.

Guy on TV just mentioned, no Illinois colleges in the final 64. humbling.

[Kickaha]

Ouch, that kind of stings.

[Partial]

Originally Posted by Mancomb Seepgood That's not as significant as you think. Carolina actually is a better road team. Their only losses are at home.

That and Tennessee was made a two in that region because its close to home.

[World Leader Pretend]

Originally Posted by SKMDC Matchup I'm most grateful for the NCAA online live games service. Kansas State vs. USC. Beasley vs. Mayo.

This will be a great game, and don't forget that there will be both Kansas and Kansas State fans swarming all over Omaha. It will be a tough home-court advantage.

Originally Posted by jdcfsu It's going to be a tough call between Beasley and Psycho T. It could really go either way, but I think it'll go to Hansbrough because he's got a bit more exposure and is a junior. We'll see though.

I've watched Beasley play in person quite a lot this season and there is no doubt this guy is better than Hansbrough. People do not realize that he is such a complete player. He is by far a better player than Hansbrough.

Hansbrough does most of his scoring right at the basket: Highlights

Beasley is just, well... yeah: Ignore the music

[zsummers]

Originally Posted by SKMDC Twice, once to Duke with Lawson on the bench, (ankle sprain) and the night Maryland manhandled Hansbrough and won by two. They didn't have a very tough road schedule Duke and Clemson were the only rated teams they played, maybe Kentucky was when they met in December. I'm sure they can trade places with Duke, the only two seed to be sent out of their time zone. Guy on TV just mentioned, no Illinois colleges in the final 64. humbling.

Woof. SIU maybe has a small gripe. My Illini, however, laid down for Wisconsin, so no complaining there. It would have been a travesty, had they stolen someone's ticket.

[SKMDC]

Originally Posted by zsummers Woof. SIU maybe has a small gripe. My Illini, however, laid down for Wisconsin, so no complaining there. It would have been a travesty, had they stolen someone's ticket.

I wasn't complaining, I was just amazed, my wife's college is the only major college that's never been to the NCAA's that amazes me as well, but they've never deserved it.
SIU? I think you have to win the MVC outright to get it.

I wish the bracket sight that we play on would list a) where the schools are from and b) where the games are played at. I keep having to switch back and forth, seems like a lot of the mid majors are from Maryland-DC area.

[AppleNewbie]

So is Beasley the player of the year?[/quote]

As much as it hurts my Jayhawk sensibilities, Beasley SHOULD be the POY by a long shot. Hansbrough is a helluva player and leads the nation in floor burns, but Beasley is just far, far more talented.

That being said, the East Coast/ACC bias that predominates the national sports media (See: Billy Packer and Dick Vitale) will come shining through for the Tar Heel junior.

I guess Beasley will just hafta settle for being the NBA's next ubermillionaire as consolation.

[torifile]

Billy Packer? The man hates life and everything about it. He's full of bile and has nothing good to say about any of the kids he gets paid so well to cover. I hate him.

[jdcfsu]

Originally Posted by AppleNewbie That being said, the East Coast/ACC bias that predominates the national sports media (See: Billy Packer and Dick Vitale) will come shining through for the Tar Heel junior.

I'd beg to differ. The media bias is and always will be toward the Pac-10, regardless of the sport. I was watching ESPN on Sunday afternoon and they said that despite the ACC being the RPI determined top conference in the league this year, the toughest and overall best conference is still the Pac-10. They say the same thing about football as well. The Pac-10 might be the best conference when it comes to women's softball and soccer, but not in basketball and surely not in football.

On another note, FSU's run at the nation's oldest and most prestigious men's basketball tournament came to an early and unexpected end tonight -- but that's what sloppy ball handling and 20+ turnovers will get you. There's always next year I guess.

[SKMDC]

All the talking heads agree this year that the Pac 10 was the best conference, but I think by media bias it refers to coverage, west coast schools don't get shown on TV as much, and the majority of sportswriters are concentrated on the east coast and cover east coast teams more extensively.
Back when UNLV was king (late Eighties) it seemed like ESPN show more late night games from the PAC 10 and whatever the conference New Mexico and New Mexico State were in back then. They were rockin' games with Duke-Like student fervor at the arenas.

[Elysium]

There's also the revenues that can be generated by adding more west coast schools to the tournament. It was never more apparent than last year when Drexel and Syracuse were both left out for an inferior Stanford team.

The ratings are already going to be there for the east coast schools, so it's only logical to bring in a moneymaker from the west coast.

This years controversy- Arizona.



At least Syracuse won their opening round in the NIT. That's where they belong this year. Next year is the title run, just like 2002-03 all over again.

[PKIDelirium]

Holy NIT action. Creighton pulls of a last second win over Rhody.

[sirnick4]

Filled out my bracket.

I have Tennessee, Wisconsin, Texas and Xavier in my Final Four with Texas winning it.

I'm a little biased

[BuonRotto]

That bracket sounds just a tad insane.

As far as Packer and Vitale, the general consensus here in ACC country is that Vitale is so pro-Duke over all others that he might as well be considered a Cameron Crazy with a microphone. Packer is pro-ACC (I personally think he just knows it a lot better since he covers the ACC games on the regional network), but has a bit of a bias against Duke and UNC.

The networks like Duke-Carolina, and therefore the ACC simply for the religion rivalry, it having reached ludicrous levels (and speeds). If there were such clear and competitive vis-a-vis rivalries elsewhere, they would probably get the same attention. But first the population has to go completely batshit crazy like here in the Triangle.

[zippy]

I don't really follow NCAA basketball, so I figure that my $3 entry into a pool here is just a contribution to the winner. My final four is Tennessee, Kansas, Memphis and Duke, with Duke over Tennessee in the final.

[jdcfsu]

Originally Posted by zippy I don't really follow NCAA basketball, so I figure that my $3 entry into a pool here is just a contribution to the winner. My final four is Tennessee, Kansas, Memphis and Duke, with Duke over Tennessee in the final.

$3 entry...?

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by BuonRotto That bracket sounds just a tad insane. As far as Packer and Vitale, the general consensus here in ACC country is that Vitale is so pro-Duke over all others that he might as well be considered a Cameron Crazy with a microphone. Packer is pro-ACC (I personally think he just knows it a lot better since he covers the ACC games on the regional network), but has a bit of a bias against Duke and UNC. The networks like Duke-Carolina, and therefore the ACC simply for the religion rivalry, it having reached ludicrous levels (and speeds). If there were such clear and competitive vis-a-vis rivalries elsewhere, they would probably get the same attention. But first the population has to go completely batshit crazy like here in the Triangle.

*VIGOROUS NOD* QFT, What he said, +++

Ya gotta love a good rivalry, and the Duke/UNC one has credible claim to the fiercest one in college athletics.

Vitale has actually become quite the Heels cheerleader this season... I think he wants Hansbrough's man babies.

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by jdcfsu The Pac-10 might be the best conference when it comes to women's softball and soccer...

Er... Pac-10? Women's soccer?

UNC: 28 years. 18 national championships. Overall record: .927

Probably the most dominant team in all of collegiate athletics. I mean jesus, when you have a *national championship* win/loss ratio over .640...

And they're not getting that good playing against horrible teams. The rest of the conference pushes them.

[sirnick4]

Originally Posted by BuonRotto That bracket sounds just a tad insane.

Tis the season.