Maybe, even likely, Patricia Neal and Gary Cooper had “chemistry” off screen. In the film, “Bright Leaf,” shown yesterday on Turner Classic Movies, they demonstrated incredible passion, both good and bad, on screen.
I had seen “The Fountainhead” and all it entails. That was from 1949 and now seeing “Bright Leaf” made a year later, I marvel at their work. The cast included Lauren Bacall, surely no slouch in the passion/chemistry department but she had her best “chemistry” with eventual husband, Humphrey Bogart.
Patricia Neal was a marvelous performer, who showed strength and determination throughout her life. One note: “Patricia Neal” is also the “real” name of actress, game show great, and author Fannie Flagg.
Yesterday was quite a day for Louisville basketball as the top seeded men’s team advanced to their second straight Final Four while the women’s team, a 24 point underdog, shocked top seeded Baylor to advance to the regional final.
The men’s team beat Duke handing its coach Mike Krzyzewski just his second loss in 13 regional finals games. Also yesterday, Michigan, a three point underdog, routed Florida to also advance to the Final Four.
On Saturday, after Syracuse went “wire to wire” and easily dispatched Marquette, Wichita State whose nickname is the Shockers, are a somewhat shocking Final Four participant after beating Ohio State. It was yet another disappointing big game loss for Ohio State. The Shockers, a four point plus underdog, had a 20 point lead and held on to win by four points.
Louisville has opened as a ten point plus favorite vs Wichita State in what will be the first game of the national semi-finals, this Saturday in Atlanta. In the nightcap, Michigan is a two point favorite vs Syracuse as those schools meet for the first time ever in the NCAA Tournament. That first meeting will be on a big stage, the national semi-final game.
Shockers
There will be a rematch of the 1986 NCAA Final when top seeded Louisville meets Duke in the Midwest Regional final. It will also be a coaching rematch of one of the most famous regional finals games ever played.
Louisville, a ten point plus favorite, won by eight points vs Oregon while Duke, a two point plus favorite, won by ten points vs Michigan State to set up the rematch.
Louisville won the 1986 Title tilt vs Duke but has not won the title since. Duke has won 4 titles in their history, their first in 1991. In 1992, in that great regional finals game, Duke needed a last second shot by Christian Laettner to beat Kentucky, whose coach was Rick Pitino, the current Louisville coach. Duke’s coach, Mike Krzyzewski is in his 33rd season at the helm.
The miracle win by two point underdog, Michigan vs Kansas evoked memories of Kansas’ miracle win vs Memphis to win the 2008 title. Next for Michigan is the South Regional Final vs Florida. Florida won it all in 2006 and 2007. Last night 14 point favorite Florida, won by 12 points vs tournament surprise, Florida Gulf Coast University.
watch Louisville vs Duke 1986: 1986 National Championship
1986 Louisville vs Duke
There will be at least one Big East team in the Final Four in this the final season for the current Big East Conference.
The certain Big East team will come from the East Region where Syracuse is a three and a half point favorite vs fellow Big East team, Marquette.
Both Syracuse and Marquette cruised to victory as five point underdogs in their regional semi-final games vs one seed, Indiana and two seed, Miami of Florida respectively.
In the West Region, for a second straight game Ohio State won by three points on a three point shot in the waning seconds. On Sunday past, Aaron Craft hit one to beat Iowa State. In the regional semi-final La Quinton Ross did the same to sink three and a half point underdog, Arizona University.
Wichita State University, in their first Elite Eight round since 1981, will be Ohio State’s opponent in the West Regional Final. Ohio State, seeking a second straight Final Four appearance is a four and a half point favorite.
Wichita State is seeking its first Final Four appearance since 1964-1965, the year after a Wichita State star, Dave Stallworth played his final game for the school. Wichita State made the Elite Eight by easily dispatching La Salle. They were a four point favorite in the game.
Dave Stallworth
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.
Non-Stop Talking and Hype
Amidst all the annoying talk about Kevin Ware’s injury, Louisville University is a 3 to 2 favorite to win its first NCAA Basketball title since 1986. Of course I hope Ware gets well, but it is a linear event and despite what Rick Pitino or the CBS hype might indicate, not really important!
After Louisville University (which won the title in 1980) faces Wichita State University, the 1989 champion Michigan University meets the 2003 champion Syracuse University.
A rare prediction here is for Louisville to win vs Wichita State but by less than ten points. I will pick an all Big East Final as Syracuse will win a close game vs Michigan.
One sure thing: Clark Kellogg, the CBS commentator with the same name as Matthew Broderick’s character in “The Freshman,” will not stop his incessant talking. If only as with some of the species depicted in “The Freshman,” the incessant talking, ex athlete, know it all were extinct; at least from the airwaves.
Sadly, and beyond irritating to me, the opposite is true. The copycat producers, who permeate the sports television business will not stop “inflicting the pain” and will continue to hire the incessant talking, ex jocks for the foreseeable future.