Don't get upset, but the second best part of March Madness, the opening weekend, is over. That first four-day orgy of hoops provides a rush, and a sense of community, for American sports fans like no other event on the planet. Now we get the big payoff weekend, the one with the real pressure. Sixteen teams start Thursday afternoon. Sunday night only four emerge, glory bound. While we pause to savor this delightful moment of the sports year, let's consider what we have learned thus far in this Madness called March.10: Bill Raftery is still insane
It's comforting, like that favorite old uncle you see every year at the holidays who, for no clear reason, loves to shout "Onions!" at the top of his lungs.
9. "Pardon me, miss. But you're riding my pumpkin."
When the tournament's designated "Cinderella team" has Final Fours and a National Championship to its name, Arizona, the definition of "Cinderella" has become grossly distorted.
8. Didn't you used to be Gator basketball?
Wondering aloud here: How can Billy Donovan win two straight NCAA titles, a stunning achievement, and then just vanish into the NIT for the next two years? It's weird. Did he decide to stop recruiting and just coast for a few seasons? Because it doesn't work like that. Anyway, you would think Donovan would get in the big tournament anyway, on some kind of past champions' exemption or something.
7. Wake Forest hates your bracket
And ours.
6. Five out of sixteen? Why even let other conferences play?
After years of rewarding you for picking against them, the Big East didn't suck it up this year. Whatev.
5. Signs and Wonders
The NCAA doesn't allow any signs at tournament games, not even a John 3:16 sign. Viewers of the Ohio State-Siena game saw a man with such a sign get it confiscated by an NCAA guard.
Oh, don't get your civil liberties in a tizzy. This isn't a free speech issue. The NCAA figures that the billions of dollars their corporate sponsors pay means those sponsors should have the only visible signage at the games. Which makes sense, really. And it isn't like losing those fans signs are a tragedy or anything. It isn't like people are dying to see what clever new way there is to use "CBS" as an acronym.
Werner, by the way, is the official ladder of NCAA Basketball. Yes, NCAA Basketball has an official ladder. Hey, the players have to climb up something when they cut down the nets. The good folks at Werner makes sure it's their products that get stepped on.
4. Blake Griffin is good.
Cole Aldridge will be a better pro, but Griffin sure is a blast to watch. Beyond the considerable talent, he cares about the game. A lot. Which is what makes this game so dang fun to watch in the first place.
3. Dick Enberg hearts Jay Bilas.
Can you blame him?
2. Jim Calhoun is more than little scary.
Connecticut won their games by 56 and 26 points. They are on a mission. Also, weirdly, two times in tournaments past, Jim Calhoun missed a game because he wasn't feeling well; 1999 and 2004. Both years, Mike Lopresti of USA Today notes, were years Huskies won it all. Is Calhoun weird enough to miss a game on purpose as some kind of psychological ploy. Probably not. Maybe not. Well, maybe so. Who knows really? It's…. possible.
1. The Truth Hurts
Deep in your heart, in a place no one else knows about, in a way you won't even admit to yourself, you miss Billy Packer. You can't believe it, but it's true. You genuinely miss having that crotchety, old bastard to kick around.
