I tuned in to catch the Notre Dame vs Northeastern finish. It did not take long, less than a minute, for me to get upset with the NCAA basketball coverage on CBS TV.
After seeing Northeastern turn the ball over down by two points giving Notre Dame the ball with just one second left, a subsequent free throw gave Notre Dame a three point lead. Next a timeout was called.
At this point, lead announcer Brian Anderson said, “We are in for quite a finish here” as the game went to one of the interminable number of commercials.
Why say that? Why the hype? A good announcer like Bob Costas would just let the game speak for itself. If Anderson felt the need to embellish the contest, he should have done it when Northeastern had the ball down 1 in the last half minute.
At that point, they had at least a realistic chance of winning the game.
Down 3 with one more free throw coming for the leading team, Notre Dame, the trailing team, Northeastern, had little if any chance to win. Yet Anderson “hyped” at that point. Why???!!!
Notre Dame made the free throw and won the game by four points.
Despite last night’s surprise overtime home win vs the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, it has been a very disappointing season for the New York Knicks and their first year coach Derek Fisher.
But it was a good effort on their part last night, which is not what Spurs’ coach Greg Popovich thought about his team’s performance as he was most critical.
I envision improvement for the Knicks, and that the Spurs embarrassing loss will provide motivation for the Spurs, who seek their 6th NBA crown and first ever back to back titles.
Yesterday I hinted at my final four predictions with mention of three teams with the nickname Wildcats and today I will make my final four predictions.
It would be “foolish” not to predict Kentucky to win the Midwest region. In fact, I will pick Kentucky, surely prohibitive favorites, to win the Midwest Region.
Their opponent in the national semi-finals will be Arizona which would be a redux of the 1997 final, won by Arizona. The Arizona Wildcats are my pick to win the West Region.
Despite a warning by a respected and knowledgeable friend, I will pick yet another Wildcats team to make the final four and that is Villanova to win the East Region.
The only “non Wildcats team,” I am predicting to make the semis/final four is Duke. The Blue Devils, a viable title threat even vs Kentucky, will win the South Region.
The NCAA Tournament can be called the “Wildcats” tournament just on the fact that top rated (35-0) Kentucky is better than an even money favorite to win it all.
In addition, two other teams with the nickname Wildcats are among the top contenders and have a great chance to emerge as champions if those other Wildcats (Kentucky) do not.
One of those teams is Villanova University, the Philadelphia school, hoping to win the title 30 years after their incredible title win in 1985. That is their only title to date.
Villanova is the top seed in the East Region.
The other Wildcats with a big chance are the Arizona Wildcats, who won their only title 18 years ago in 1997.
Arizona is the second seed in the West Region.
No matter the result of today’s American Athletic Conference Championship game, some credit has to be given to the University of Connecticut’s basketball team. The question is how much?
First off, their title last was an example of how an unexpected team can win the NCAA Tournament, especially with a few breaks.
Connecticut’s big break was playing the Regional Finals at Madison Square Garden, where they enjoyed a nice home advantage.
That stated, their improbable run to a fourth men’s title in fifteen seasons was truly impressive and will resonate in college basketball lore.
This year they are one win away as today they are slight underdogs vs regular season champion S.M.U. (coached by Larry Brown) from qualifying for the NCAA Tournament despite at best a mediocre regular season.
Playing virtually at home in Hartford Connecticut, “U. Conn” was a huge favorite in its first game, just a slight underdog in its second game, a slight favorite in its third and as cited, a slight underdog in today’s title game.
Thus their chances of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament were not that formidable but bottom line is this Kevin Ollie coached team has won 9 consecutive must win games over a two season span and that is a true accomplishment in just about any sport at any point in time.
Kevin Ollie
“Lonesome Traveler,” at the 59 E 59 Theater A is a remarkable show in its scope of folk music. Amazing performers, great historical clips, and stories, (oh the stories of folk music!) resonate throughout the performance.
Meanwhile the performers deliver big time: singing folk songs, that honor some of the greatest singers the country has known.
The show is in chronological order from the (1920’s-1960’s) with a “trick” here or there, for example, introducing the great Judy Collins a bit early, with a “reminder” she would see Pete Seeger at the Newport Festival in 1963. A really nice touch.
In addition to Seeger and Collins, so many other greats are represented with their music as the incredible 9 person team (9 evokes baseball and this is a great team) perform songs by such legendary performers as Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and “Peter Paul and Mary.”
It allows your mind to race with thoughts, memories and inspiration as “This Land Is Your Land,” “Good Night Irene,” “Puff the Magic Dragon” and many others are brought to life, in the two hour plus journey into folk music and some major U.S. history.
“Lonesome Traveler” was written and directed by James O’Neil. Original Musical Direction and Musical Arrangements by Dan Wheetman. Musical Direction by Trevor Wheetman. Orchestrations by George Grove of The Kingston Trio.
The “folk nine” are Matty Charles, Justin Flagg, Sylvie Davidson, Jamie Drake, Anthony Manough, Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper, Jennifer Leigh Warren, Trevor Wheetman, and Sam Gelfer.
This is a great show in a limited run through April 19th. I highly recommend seeing the performance. For more info, click here.
Sadly, Orestes “Minnie” Minoso, who died recently at age 90, did so without realizing his hope of making the Baseball Hall of Fame.
I surely believe he deserved such an honor and certainly more than some who were so honored.
The one time I met the affable Mr. Minoso, he told me if his election to the Hall is posthumous, his family will decline the honor.
That was both a long time ago and likely will not become a relevant issue.
Let’s hope it does become an issue because Minoso was an outstanding player.
He did receive honors including a ring associated with one of his former teams, the Chicago White Sox winning the pennant and World Series in 2005.
The race for seeding in the N.H.L. is as the great Red Barber might say, “closer than your next breath.”
All four division leaders have 91 points and surely that has not happened this late in an NHL season.
Those leaders are the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators and the Anaheim Ducks.
The Rangers have played the least games and technically have the advantage, bidding to be the team with the most points in the regular season for the first time since 1994.
That year the Rangers won their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. Last year the Rangers made it to the finals for the first time since 1994, losing to the L.A. Kings.
This year with at least a point in 18 of their last 20 games the Rangers are having a fine regular season.
The New York City Vegetarian Food Festival will take place this Saturday and Sunday, March 14th and 15th at Metropolitan Pavillion (21 West 18th Street) from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
There will be food to sample, truly inspiring speakers, a chance to learn about the many non profits affiliated with the festival, and just plain fun.
The festival also has an entire kids area. This includes activities that are specifically geared to help our valued youngsters get on the path to wellness.
In a Festival preview, I heard and was moved by Dr. Robert Ostfeld and his views on diet. He has dedicated his life to helping and caring, after losing his brother at a very early age.
He is a cardiologist and the founder and director of the Cardiac Wellness Program at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, New York.
High praise goes out to the event’s founder and all around dynamo, the indomitable Sarah Gross, whose visions for healthy eating, and dedication in that regard has turned life around for so many and so many yet to come.
For more info, click here.
Last year the University of Connecticut men’s team shocked the basketball world by winning the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
They richly deserved to win it all, and were fortunate to have played the Regional semi-finals and finals at Madison Square Garden, where they enjoyed quite a home court advantage.
This year they will have to do very well or win their conference tournament (The American Athletic Conference) just to make the N.C.A.A. Tournament.
The conference tournament venue will provide a big home court advantage, as the venue is The XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.
