All Over The Place, Ripping Nantz, Raftery And The Greed Epitomized by the NCAA

Instead of a Sunday to Thursday wait from the second real round (the first games are 68 to 64 in my “book”), it is Monday until Saturday, with “quarters” on “school nights” Monday and Tuesday, with 10 or so P.M. Eastern Time starts, as a wild (4 double digit seeds still playing) NCAA Basketball Tournament progresses. (No it regresses, Nantz, his network which includes the never shuts up Raftery, rakes in the $, while the athletes get a box lunch and some deodorant. PUN INTENDED The Whole situation STINKS!! —

Yet since it once was great, some notes with death and some of the many recent deaths of sports greats noted.

Bob Gibson went to Creighton, Tom Seaver attended USC. Al Kaline can be linked to Michigan and Baylor which like the great Elgin has never won a title is favored to at least make the national semis.

Syracuse is in a third final 16 as a double digit seed, all in recent years. This year Buddy Boeheim’s hot shooting has helped his father, the team’s coach, Jim Boeheim.

Also “Syr” is doing in a period of time within a year of the great football player, Floyd Little’s death as well as that of the great actor who played him, in “The Express” about Ernie Davis, namely Chadwick Boseman.

Tournament overall seed, Gonzaga is a double digit favorite for a third straight tournament game vs Creighton, the winner to meet the USC/Oregon winner.

The lightly regarded Pac 12 has 4 teams in the final 16, (UCLA and Oregon State are the other two. I watched as posted before, “Southside and Me” regarding Barack and Michelle–how about a “vibe” (where “first brother in law” Craig Robinson once coached) on Oregon State, which made their bettors a fortune, winning 3 straight since I saw the movie and 5 straight as nice dogs, overall).

Now Oregon State, again is a big underdog, this time vs Loyola Chicago, which still has Sister Schmidt praying for them and the fact that since Mr. Robinson is no longer the Or St coach, that Barack and the former Ms. Robinson, each Chicago linked, probably are rooting for Loyola “Chi.”

Speaking of the Ramblers, they won the ’63 title when they beat defending two time champion, Cincinnati (60-58). Illinois scored 58 points in a no show, first game of the long day, Sunday vs Loyola.

Once together in the no longer Southwest Conference, Baylor (vs 2 time recent champion, Villanova, under current coach, Jay Wright) and Arkansas (a double digit one vs 15 seed Oral Roberts) are decent sized “faves” to meet in the “quarters.”

Houston, almost as near and dear to the mercenary, hard a-s (too bad the mic was on when you expressed your opinion about the players kneeling)Nantz, as his hedge funds, is a seemingly too high 6 plus point(s) fave vs Syracuse, the winner to meet the Or.St/Loyola Chi winner.

In ’99, each won titles, first Michigan in hoops when another Mr. Robinson “Rummealed” two all-time clutch free throws and then Florida State in “pig.” Now they meet in the round of 16, the winner to face the battle between the teams with the most hoops and pig titles.

Of course they are UCLA in hoops and Alabama in football.