Tomorrow night there will be four more, round of sixteen games at two locations.
There will be two games at cavernous Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Florida University is a 13 point favorite vs 15th seed and the biggest tournament surprise thus far, Florida Gulf Coast University.
That is the nightcap of a doubleheader that matches 1988 champion Kansas University and the 1989 champions, Michigan University. Kansas and Michigan were also tournament runners-up in consecutive years, Kansas in 1991 and Michigan in 1992.
Duke University captured those 1991 and 1992 titles and are a 2 point favorite vs Michigan State in the second game at Indianapolis tomorrow night. In the opener, overall tournament top seed, University of Louisville is a 10 point favorite vs Oregon University.
I wonder if the round of sixteen has ever had as many as 13 previous champions still competing for the crown. That is the number this year as only Miami University, Wichita State University and obscure Florida Gulf Coast University, among the 16 remaining teams, have never won the title. Oregon won the first title in 1939 and La Salle with their great star, Tom Gola, did win it all in 1954.
Obscure Florida Gulf Coast University
The round of sixteen is set and it includes Florida Gulf Coast University. The Fort Myers school is the first 15th seed to make the round of 16. Of course no 16th seed has ever won a tournament game.
Ohio State is an even money choice to win the West Region but only a three and a half point favorite vs Arizona in one regional semi-final game. Upstarts, La Salle a 13th seed and Wichita State a 9th seed clash in the other semi final game in the West Region. Those games are on Thursday night.
Also on Thursday night, after ACC Tournament and regular season champion, Miami of Florida meets Marquette there will be a redux of the 1987 Title game as Indiana faces Syracuse.
In the 1987 Title tilt, Keith Smart’s shot in the waning seconds lifted Indiana to the crown. The last four, “7” ending year, champions are in the round of sixteen. In addition to Indiana the 1987 champion, Marquette (1977), Arizona (1997) and Florida (2007) are still playing.
Helen Reddy mixed songs and stories and provided a fabulous evening of entertainment at B.B. King Blues Club and Grill last night in New York City.
Ms. Reddy, who had not performed for ten years, sang at her older sister’s 80th birthday and liked the way her voice sounded. It is good for us that she felt this way and came back.
Two of her biggest hits, “You and Me Against the World,” which was written by the prolific songwriter, Paul Williams, and “I Am Woman,” sounded as great as ever.
The audience at the fabulous B. B. King Blues Club and Grill on 42nd Street was upbeat and very encouraging. Helen joked about being 71 and about granddaughter Lilly’s “Facebook” page saying she still used pen and paper.
Helen Reddy held the audience in the palm of her hand sitting, standing, joking and most of all singing.
Oh can she still sing! There were times during the show that I closed my eyes and went back to a better time. Yet I also had my eyes “wide open” and really enjoyed both the show and the venue.
I remember rooting for Ohio State in the 1968 Final Four. Then the tournament was nowhere near as big as it is now. I believe only one of the two semi final games were nationally televised. Perhaps I am wrong but I was 12 years old at the time and believe that was the case.
North Carolina beat Ohio State in one semi final game earning them the right to lose to a great UCLA team which featured Lew Alcindor, before he became Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
Now with Jim Nantz gushing over and likely following them, the Buckeyes of Ohio State are in the round of 16 for a fourth straight year.
With the other top seeds out of the way, Ohio State will be a big favorite to make a second straight Final Four. By the way, I do not root for Ohio State but they are the most likely Final Four participant at this moment.
If only I had read a back issue of AARP magazine a day earlier. It turns out that both Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, who co starred in “Hope Springs” (see August 31, 2012 post) last year, were both associated with the famed 1968 “Harvard beats Yale (29-29)” football game.
Perhaps then I would have “vibed” the best Harvard sports moment since, when their basketball team upset West Region “3” seed, New Mexico in a second round game last night.
For the record, Tommy Lee Jones played in the (29-29) game as a Harvard lineman. Harvard scored two touchdowns and converted both two point conversions in the last minute to tie Yale (29-29). Streep, then a Vassar College undergraduate, attended the game.
The next day’s “Harvard Crimson” headline read “Harvard beats Yale (29-29).” Such was the magnitude of gaining the tie in such a fashion as a big underdog. Next for this Harvard team, 45 or so years later, is a third round game vs Arizona University. The latter is favored by ten points.
Last year the rich and glorious Kentucky basketball team was loaded with players who were there for the short term (term is a school word and how little this has to do with school and education). Those players were dominant as Kentucky won its eighth national title.
This year with most of those players gone, Robert Morris ousted Kentucky in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament. Kentucky failed to make the 68 team NCAA field.
Last year as 15th seeds in the NCAA Tournament, both Lehigh and Norfolk upset two seeds in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. That was big news. Now very far below the radar, this year each school lost in the first round of minor tournaments. However, the losses were by less than the perceived margin.
Speaking of Norfolk State that evokes memories of the great basketball player, Bob Dandridge. Last week I recalled Jim McMillian and it was Dandridge matching up vs Mc Millian in the 1972 NBA semi finals in which McMillian’s Los Angeles Lakers won in six games vs Dandridge’s Milwaukee Bucks.
Recently the famous wrestler, “Bully Ray,” who stars on Spike TV’s “Impact Wrestling” Show every Thursday night, held his bachelor party at the fabulous Rick’s Cabaret Gentlemen’s Club in New York City.
Rick’s Cabaret is a great place for a party. There were beautiful showgirls every where you looked, a first class atmosphere, gourmet food, and a staff that is eager to please.
I stole Bully Ray away from the party for a quick interview with me. The fans say he is a “bully” in the ring, but the “bad guy” wrestler may just be a “good guy” outside of it. (Although he may not want anyone to know that side of him.) Check it out.
Click here for my interview with “Bully Ray”
Someone was asleep at ESPN.com yesterday afternoon. On their site pertaining to college basketball scores they listed Pacific as a (55-53) winner vs California Irvine in The Big West Conference championship game. Actually, that was the score of the Pacific vs Cal POLY (!) semi-final game played the night before.
ESPN.com listed the semi final score (Pacific vs Cal Poly) as though it was the FINAL SCORE of that night’s upcoming Championship game which matched Pacific and Cal IRVINE (!). They listed it well before the start of the 10:30 Eastern game.
The score read Pacific 55 Cal Irvine 53. For the record the game was played and Pacific beat Cal Irvine won 64-55.
Cal Poly
Cal Irvine
Rita Coolidge is an amazing, talented performer. Her show last night at The Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck, New York was great. Coolidge sang a number of her hit songs and showcased a good repertoire of other people’s hits/songs.
Despite a throat problem, Rita sounded great doing such songs as “We’re All Alone” and “Higher and Higher” which were her hits, and “The Cherokee National Anthem” to close the pre encore part of the show.
Her stories were extremely interesting as she talked about meetings with Princess Diana, Prince Charles and Ray Charles, among others. In England for the Royal premiere of the James Bond film “Octopussy,” for which Rita sang the opening theme, “All Time High,” both the Prince and Princess talked about money with her. They essentially were hoping and inquiring about good pay for Rita’s efforts.
Then to top off a wonderful evening, endearing this beautiful performer to so many people, Rita took the time in an engaging manner to talk with many fans after the show. She openly conversed with them, taking significant time in doing so. I truly liked Rita before last night and that feeling is going “higher and higher” as I think back on the wonderful evening watching and hearing Rita Coolidge.
The great basketball player Elgin Baylor never played on a World Championship team yet made an amazing, unselfish contribution to one of the great championship teams in any sport.
The 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers, the same team in the news of late as the Miami Heat approach their record 33 consecutive game win skein, started the season in mediocre fashion.
Then Baylor, who made the decision on his own, elected to retire. That gave Jim McMillian the chance to start at the so called, small forward position.
The incredible 33 game winning streak, still the record, began the Friday night “Jim Mac” (When are good times such as those with that great team and “Jimmy Mac” coming back?!!) was inserted into the lineup. The team set a then NBA record going (69-13) and won the first Los Angeles NBA title.
I remember reading Merv Harris’ book “The Fabulous Lakers” about that great team and how after they won the title Elgin Baylor stood alone at the victory celebration. Someone, perhaps coach Bill Sharman, approached Elgin and told him he “was a part of this too.”
Dare I say, that of all Elgin Baylor’s gravity defying great moves in the actual games his best “move” was his unselfish retirement decision. It enabled the great “71-’72 Lakers to make history that is talked of to this day.
Bonus video: The Greatness of Elgin Baylor
Andy B Sports 