There is very little reason to talk about anything other than what it is on everyone’s mind, so let’s get to it.
I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore
Shock. Disbelief. Gloom. Despair. Agony on all of us. Whoaaaa. Northern Iowa, with two big farm boys who look like they ought to be playing in bib overalls and the son of an Iranian olympian, put on a display of heroics worthy of the mighty Olympians of myth. Kansas, the overall #1 seed in the tournament (or so they said), crashed and burned like Hindenberg. Oh the humanity! 325 contestants lost a Final Four team. 167 lost their national champion. The reaction was almost immediate as incredulous contestants updated their aliases.
- "Kansas Karnage"
- "BRADinated again…FAIL!"
- "Nuked by an Iranian"
- "Gloom, despair., and agony on me"
- "Bill ‘I hate my’ Self"
- "Stinkin’ Kansas"
- "Kansas did what?!! Really?!!"
Did anyone actually pick Northern Iowa? Of course they did! These folks get the You’ve Gotta Be Kidding Me award for taking what had to be a wild guess and hitting the jackpot. This was one of two Scategories bonuses awarded today, by the way. We’ll get to the other one in a minute. For now, these award winners are: Margaret Dean, Corryne Fairchild, Nathan Kopp, France McKone, Irene Ramirez, Connie Randazzo, Isen Schafer, GARIVALDO (what is that, like a stage name?), and Liana Wilson.
And the hits just kept on coming
While certainly the most shocking, Kansas’ loss was not the only upset of the day. In fact, three of the eight games played today were won by the lower seed, advancing two double-digit seeds to the Sweet Sixteen. 11 seed Washington silenced the Pac-10 critics and beat the Lobos of New Mexico, while 10 seed Saint Mary’s shocked (maybe) the 2 seed Villanova Wildcats. Actually, anyone who had been paying attention to Villanova lately would have seen this coming, and in fact, 20 of us did, earning the day’s second Scategories bonus. To put this in perspective, it is rare for a single Scategories bonus to be awarded in a contest, let alone two…in the same day.
The rest hold serve
There was a close game or two among the rest, most notably Butler’s heart-attack special over Murray State. Murray State gets the Heartbreaking Play Of The Day award for failing to even attempt a shot in the game’s final possession.
Just for your amusement
I received this gem today from contest rookie and newlywed Veronica Geistwhite, paraphrased here for your enjoyment.
"Loving the commentary, and learning an entire set of ‘new rules’ during my first year of marriage to Mr. Bradley Geistwhite. In case you are curious.
#1 – When at the dining establishment, I need to sit closest to the screen that the game is playing on. This way my husband has to look in my general direction to see the game, which makes me feel as though he still realizes I am, in fact, alive.
#2 – Don’t leave home without your picks print-off list, as I learned last night. It went like this. Veronica said, "Brad, hey, you brought your picks list. Did you print mine off?" Look of complete shock creeping over his face, Brad replied, "Um, you carry this list in your back pocket for 4 weeks, okay? You don’t leave home without it." I didn’t know.
And my new favorite, #3 – If my husband has to leave the table for any reason, it is my sole responsibility to be able to give him a play-by-play recap of what he missed. Of course, when he asks, "What happened?!?!" I can only come up with something like, "Well, the player in red, the really tall one with that scar over his left eye, he threw it to that other player. Well, he meant to, but it was intercepted – I mean ‘caught’ by that one guy from the other team." Right. Baby, just don’t leave the table during a footb—I mean a basketball game.
I’m completely fascinated by this world of sports. Thanks for letting me in for a couple of weeks. Sometimes, I repeat what you say, just so it sounds like I know what I’m talking about. 🙂 Veronica."
It’s the end of the world as we know it
Cue the REM tune, folks. If this is what we get in the 2010 March Madness, I’m not sure I want to witness the 2012 version. (You’ll get it in a minute.) Not only are we witnessing upsets of mammoth proportions, but my beloved contest is in a condition I find to be unconscionable It is being dominated by KIDS AND WOMEN!!! Somebody wake me up from this nightmare!
Seriously, at this point the Top 10 is a lot like the Big 10, because it actually contains 11 contestants (there is a tie for 10th). Among the top 10 we have three kids under 12 (including the top 2), a teenage girl, three adult women and a partridge in a pear tree. The good news is that I am tied for 10th. The better news is that I am beating my wife. The best news is that I am beating Wayne Murray.
Awards
Just a couple of awards for the first half of the Sweet Sixteen.
- The Boy, Did Your Parents Ever Name You Right award goes to Lucky "What’s March Madness?" Ongko. A quick look at Lucky’s profile reveals that he is a twentysomething from Jakarta. Yes, THAT Jakarta. Lucky is in 9th place. Lucky him.
- The Justin Long award goes to Scott Whitlow, who just had to interject his Mac fandom into my contest. His alias: "MacsAreBetterThanYourScoringSystem". Yeah? Well, I’m a PC, and I’m tied for 10th. What’s your rank, Mac Man?
- The I Feel Your Pain award goes to Joel Paine, who expressed his contest experience this way: "Wish I was Ashlyn Little". At this point, so do I, and she lives at my house!
Ok, hoops nuts. One more day of madness, and then the re-pick round begins. I hope you all are enjoying yourselves as much as I am. Expect the round two awards tomorrow along with instructions for the re-pick round. Good night!
NOVA = won’t go