This one.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/155/4...e5d7db2070.jpg

I was in a pub at lunch time today and saw the end of this game. BTW - I was there because I had business with the owner (I don't drink - I'm diabetic). When the winning shot went in, a guy at the bar threw down his beer mug and it bounced about 3 times then finally broke. Another guy asked him, "What - you went to Drake?" The reply - "No, you idiot. I just lost two grand!" I don't think he meant a couple of pianos. Ouch!

The 'not having to listen to Billy Packer: Priceless!' sign.

At the end of the video, after the clock ran out and the kids are celebrating on the floor, I hear several whistles. Were the officials still there? If so, what were they doing? The only thing I can think of is that they wanted to review the video, but the shot was well before the buzzer.

JT

SD-UConn

OT block call on Johnson after Dyson drive. Happens at the elbow/FT line. Lead comes out with big call and big sell.

Why did Trail not make that call? :confused:

...and what a shot! It's GM all over again...

f*%#ing UConn. F*%#ING UCONN!!!!!! SD deserved that game...never wilted...never backed down. My bracket is officially screwed.

I wonder if anyone has told the players that the logo is not the center circle? They all seem to want to stand outside the big blue logo on the tips I've seen.

I'm with ya, BZ. Now I know how Cubs fans feel on tax day.

There's always next year.

Okay, I see how to get the NCAA MMOD thing going, and I seem to be able to make it work. But it says "Watch every Men's 2008 March Madness game On Demand". Is there anyway to get the MMOD thing for the women's games?

I promise no editorial remarks. Just looking for info.

Packer just commented on an obvious palming call....and called on younger players to "get it out of their game", also calling it a "lazy, sunday league move".

Gotta give him props for that.

I unfortunately only picked one of the record-setting FOUR Tampa upsets today.

What's in the water down there?

Lotsa broken brackets out there, I'm thinking, Mark....

Cmon, no one had the Hilltoppers and Toreros advancing?:)

3.95 million brackets on ESPN and ZERO perfect brackets. Wow.

It's a supply/demand thing.

Edit: I don't see anything on ESPN's web site.

My theory: Too many strip clubs within walking distance of the St. Pete Times Forum...oh yeah...and it's spring break. Stoopid college kids.

ESPN has that contract...might want to check their site.

Thanks Bad Zebra. I had to do some hunting around, but it's at ESPN360.com. I can't afford cable TV at home, so it's nice to be able to get this without having to sit in a sports bar all day like a.... well, fanatic.;)

Is ESPN360 showing the women's tourney for free? I'd love to be able to watch the entire GW game without worrying about whip-around coverage leaving me dry.

Can you actually get ESPN360? It's limited to certain areas (that have certain cable/broadband companies). I wanted to watch certain games on it a while back but I couldn't get it, even with broadband in the house.

Holy, Duke and WVU are hammering the $h!t outta each other...

New mechanics?
 

Anyone else notice a handful of times where we've had two L officials (both men's and women's sides)? The K-State/UW-Madison game just had a foul whistled in the paint, with one official on each side of the lane - both called it.

Please tell me this is some new mechanic of which I haven't been informed.

That said, if any of the officials are caving under the pressure, I'm sure a few people on here are more than willing to take over for them.

We just noticed it in KState/Wisconsin, (edited to add) as you said.

looked like it might have been intentional, but of course, that's hard to imagine. Still, it did give an excellent angle on lots and lots of contact/

Wis - KS
 

That was TOTALLY a block.

And why did the C run all the way in to make the call (and the wrong one at that)?

Mark - Juulie - might be an over-anxious C going too low down? :confused:

might be

but it's hard to tell. He was totally set up. THey both were. I'm gonna go back and replay pretty soon, but the it wasn't obvious at the instant.

why don't you come into the chat room to discuss these things?
we're having fun!

how bout posting the link. Keep having to find post 69.

March Madness Chatroom

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:
Originally Posted by Snake~eyes
The March Madness Chatroom has been setup, as it was last year, so chat it up.

http://chat.parachat.com/chat/login.html?room=OfficialsForum&width=1000&height=6 00&bg=FF9933&fg=000099',%20'parachat',%20'width=10 00,height=600 ,location=no,menubar=no

Thanks,


Notes:
Java required
no website registration required
username required before entering room

Self-help. I like that.

Also, there's a thread called "Chat Room -- with link" by Eyezen. I just Bttt'd iit. Or you could bookmark.

The timing difficulties are getting ridiculous in the Xavier/Purdue game. Can the NCAA start utilizing PTS please?

yup. you're right. We've got one of the companies that they list, but apparently that company has chosen not to put it into our neighborhood (I'll restrain my comments about living inside the red line...). So I'll be spending a lot of time at the local sports bar.

I'm sure this will come up after the season - 3 times in the last 90 seconds the refs went to the table.......

Stanford - Marquette. I noticed that when Lopez of Stanford scored the final bucket with 1.3 to go in OT, one of his teammates came close to going out on the floor to celebrate but another teammate grabbed his jersey and pulled him back. Smart.

Of course it was followed by a State Farm commercial that showed what ostensibly was an NCAA official wearing a shirt with a collar. It wouldn't have cost them anything to research that. Can't have confidence in a company that stupid. ;)

How about the ejection of Trent Johnson in that game!
I'm pretty sure the guy deserved it but do any of you have opinions?

ha. the shirt with the collar. Way to go Stanford.
Stanford ast. coach: ok here is the game plan. Give the ball to a Lopez. The rest of you guys go grab them a coke.
CBS needs to cut down on all the ads...

The guy deserved it.

Definitely, he goes and yells at Curtis Shaw who didn't even give the first TF. Any coach who can't tell officials apart deserves to be ejected.

The screwy thing was it was after a missed FT at the other end. Why in the world the C went to L, I have no idea.

Just watched the Kevin Love show. At his old HS, they have a banner up honoring former US Olympian Katy Steding. I wonder how long it will be before they get one up for him. :)

Love just took over that game in the last five minutes. He and Brook Lopez just dominate down low. The refs did a great job too and most of those block looked clean. At least the Pac-10 won't look bad this year. Wash St. is in it too
errrr-all the damn ads were really annoying.

UCLA Final Score
 

I thought that the refs waved off the UCLA dunk at the end, making the final score 51-49. Anyone know why it's been reported as 53-49?

They counted it.

I saw the replay. It was close enough, I thought.

The C very mildly waved it off, so someone else must've thought it was good.

Or they looked at the video. That would be odd, but not surprising.

From the camera behind the backboard, it was clear it was late.

That's what I saw, so I wonder if the table didn't see the signal.

On replay, shot was clearly late, but the crew wouldn't go to the video in a situation like this.

Since the dunk did not affect the result of the game, the argument about the final score sounds like one for Tim Donaghy. ;)

The light was clearly on. But it really had no bearing on the game result. Who cares if any bookies took it on the chin anyhow?

Besides, sitting around in a bar all day costs more than cable.

Did you notice that four of the five starters today for San Diego were named Johnson, Johnson, Jackson and Jones? This team gets the tournament trophy for being the most generic. :)

The spread was 10.5 points. Vegas didn't care either :D

Depends. Can't get cable for just one month. SO I have to figure 6 months worth of cable into the calculation

Sitting at an empty bar nursing one beer and a basket of fries for two hours is only about $6. And if it's not busy, the staff don't care if I sit through another game for nothing.

They've got a guy on the bench named Johnson, too. In Friday's game, the announcer said, "If you can't get it to Johnson or Johnson, you have to settle for Johnson!"

Guys, since we're on the subject, let me quickly explain to you why bookies don't care who wins. This was explained to me when I was just a wee lad by my grandfather, who at one time worked for Al Capone in the gambling "bidness" back in Chicago (and no - I am not making that up, he really did - and then he moved to Tahoe then Vegas to finish out his career). The bookies set the point spread based on what spread they think will get an equal amount of money bet on each team. As the money comes in, if it is heavy on one team, they will move the spread to encourage more to be bet on the other team. When you place a bet with a real bookie, you in effect pay a service charge. That's why they want to eliminate their risk by having an equal amount bet on each team - they make their money on the service charge (sometimes inaccurately referred to as the "vig" - that's something else entirely). If, during the betting process, they have a surplus bet on one team, they will lay off a lot of that with other bookies to get themselves back into a "balanced" position.

So the next time there is a major upset and you hear someone say that the bookies took it in the shorts, you can just laugh because you know it's not true.

who's the wise guy?

I forgot. I'm used to airports. $6 buys a beer. Add fries and a tip and you're up $15. Do that twice a month and you've almost paid for basic cable, at least at Spokane rates.

Here's four o' dem.

http://z.about.com/d/tvdramas/1/0/k/7/thesopranos4.jpg

So ESPN columnist Gene Wojciechowski is calling Stanford coach's ejection "ticky tack".

He still says Johnson was dumb - but not for walking out to the middle of the floor to be an idiot....but for talking to an official who has "a reputation as having a short fuse and a quick whistle."

What a moron.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/colum...4&sportCat=ncb

I think there's a shot you can take for that. :p

So in summary: the house always win, right?

Wow!!! Even in the NCAA tourney it happens...
 

This one had me wondering - in NFHS, we'd only assess the T when (and if) the sub came into the game and we added them to the scorebook then. I looked through the NCAA rulebook, and thought it was a bit vague on this regard. Is there an actual requirement that everyone be listed at the beginning of the game?

Mark, in NFHS we don't 'T' immediately when the name is added?

We do, but the team has the option of not adding the person's name to the book. If it's some JV player who never gets into the varsity game, the team might be better off leaving them out of the book and not getting the T.

That's why bookies have been around for thousands of years. I remember placing bets on the Roman chariot races.

Damn that Ben-Hur. I dropped a bundle on him. :mad:

If Ben-Hur was a male, his name would be Ben-Him.

Silly (sexist) monkey!

Saw on the news today that next year, 1st and 2nd round men's games will be played at the Rose Garden here in Portland. It's the first time in 30 years the NCAA is coming here for the tournament.

Let's all plan a slumber party at Juulie's house! :)

chat room

Has anyone posted this yet?

http://www.ncaa.com/basketball-mens/...aspx?id=153256

It may be the first time in 30 years that the MEN come to Portland, but the women had a round here about 10 years ago.

And, no you can't have a slumber party at my house.

Party pooper. And I just bought new hair curlers, too. :(

Davidson College, the university that washes the students clothes, has set up a fund to offer transportation, 2 nights lodging and tickets to any of their students that want to go to Detroit for the tourney.
I guess tuition to Davidson is around $42K per year.

I just Googled it. For tuition, all student fees, room and meals, it's $40, 814 in 2007/08. Good guess, Mick.

I guess tickets are available.
A lot of Spartan fan early birds bought tickets to watch Michigan State play in Detroit.

I guess that I'll have to pretend I am a Spartan fan then, since I do have tickets to watch them tomorrow night. :)

So the next time there is a major upset and you hear someone say that the bookies took it in the shorts, you can just laugh because you know it's not true.[/QUOTE]

Not quite true........you're assuming that their 'network' of books allows them to layoff. For example, if everyone jumps on a team, as a book you would want to lay that off. Your other book may not want or take any more action on said team. This is not a problem usually in Vegas but with small time bookies in smaller towns they do take it in the shorts. Also consider if the action is heavy one way and the line goes up or down, you could lose both ways.

Detroit or Houston ? :)

As I look at the below headline, I just wonder how our own Mark is going to decide this game.......:D

"Padgett key for Louisville vs. Tennessee"

well, since they aren't playing in Detroit, I guess I will watch them in Houston. ;)

If I were a Texas fan perhaps I would be chanting some things at Robin during the game...


From a recent Sports Illustrated article, via Sports by Brooks:

Robin Lopez is dating Stanford’s current most famous female coed, golf phenom Michelle Wie, although both have tried to keep things as quiet as possible.

I'm getting help from this guy.

http://www.brooktheatre.org/images/kreskin.jpg

Amazing.

You're getting help from that doctor guy from the Love Boat? :confused:

And you call yourself Canadian. Harumph.

Speaking of Davidson....How much fun is Curry to watch! :cool:

Kid is a ball player....

I have Kansas/Texas in the Final game...but at this point...I'd love to see little Davidson knock off the Jayhawks. That team doesn't seem to fear anybody and they obviously have a special player in Curry. My only fear is if he goes cold, do they have some other guys who can step up.....Curry is averaging close to 35ppg in the tourney.

I'd love to see Davidson do well also. I have never had a bracket blow up like this. I got 2 of 8 right in the elite 8 and a max of two right in the final 4. I'm at the point where good games are the only enjoyment now. I let my brackets go last week. Oh well, better luck next year.

Most overused phrase next weekend
 

"The committee certainly did a great job of seeding."
http://thenastyboys.files.wordpress..../06/vitale.jpg

I was pleased with KU's defense down the stretch; Curry only had 3 points in the last 8 minutes.

Most Overhyped topic this week?

Roy Williams versus KU.

I have been mathematically eliminated from the bracket chamionship. :) Funny how this year, with all the early upsets and destroyed brackets, the four left standing are all the #1 seeds. For the first time in the history of the men's tournament.
Maybe next year none will make it.

Well, the women's side won't be all four #1's. #2 LSU already surprised #1 UNC, beating them 56 to 50, and #2 Stanford has a 10 point lead over #1 Maryland at half time. I don't expect Rutgers to beat UConn tomorrow, though, although they've beaten them once this year, and I doubt Tennessee will be bested by Texax A& M.

I don't blame the committee for seeding Stanford as a #2. Although they have Candice Wiggins, the team as a whole has been a little unpredictable this year. But tonight my personal hero JJ Hones from Beaverton, Oregon is hitting big time, ( scoring 17 in the first half), and the team has hit 7 of 11 3-point shots. They are definitely on their game so far. I just hope it lasts.

It did! Stanford goes on to Tampa next weekend. The bad news is they'll meet UConn. Well, they beat Tennessee early in the season. We'll see if they can pull off another upset! (JJ Hones scored 25 points, the second best on her team, and third best for the game. Woo-hoooo!!!)

Top Ten
 

Signs you're watching way too much NCAA basketball courtesy of David Letterman:

10. At a dinner party, you make guests tip-off for every pork chop
9. You’ve got a tattoo of Jim Nantz where a tattoo of Jim Nantz shouldn’t be
8. You name your child “Gonzaga”
7. You just checked into rehab to kick a $500-a-day nacho cheese addiction
6. You got a 35 second shot clock in your bedroom
5. Constantly asking “What would Michigan State coach Tom Izzo do?”
4. Snack plus lack of activity equals sweet sixteen chins
3. You’re so caught up in basketball, you don’t even care that “The Hills” Audrina is about to go on her first date since breaking up with Justin Bobby
2. Kick everyone’s a$$ in Scrabble by putting “Krzyzewski” on triple word score
1. You’ll watch anything leathery and orange on CBS – even Letterman

Personally, I think number 6 is by far the funniest.

BTW - Letterman even made fun of how Coach K pronounces his name vs. how it's spelled. He said that's like pronouncing "L-E-T-T-E-R-M-A-N" as "Schnauzer".

The scrabble one is pretty funny, but any scabble player worth his salt will challenge the use of a proper noun. On the other side of the coin, what is proper about Duke?

Or Krzyzewski?

Rutgers is AHEAD of UConn!?!? Holy Cow, they led by 10 at the half, but UConn is catching up. Great game!

Well, it was a great game, but Rutgers lost in the end. Doggone it. So the final four will be two #2's and two #1's. I think the chances of either of the #2's getting to the final are slim to none, but it's gonna be a great final four. Lots of terrific competition.

Is there a game on? I thought the Final Four was on Saturday. You must be talking about an NIT game.

Actually, I am hoping for an NIT final to feature FL-OSU. Wonder if that has ever happened? NCAA finalists in one season play for NIT title the next.

Ha.

Ha ha.

Ha ha ha.

I watched Tennessee, actually. I always do, as I went to grad school and worked my first varsity hoops schedule when I lived in Knoxville.

They pulled it out. What chance do they have against UConn?

They need to beat LSU first.

Parker dislocated her shoulder twice in the first half. She came back and probably was the difference at the end.

UConn/Tennessee is always a battle, though, if it comes to that. Lately, Tennessee has had the better of women's basketball, but it could be UConn's year. Probably depends on how much a factor Parker can be.

Don't you think Parker will be fine in a week? I'm just assuming they'll beat LSU, but I haven't seen LSU this year, and they did beat UNC. And we're also assuming that UConn will beat Stanford, but I suppose pigs MAY fly...

Regardless, it's gonna be an interesting weekend. Men's and women's both ought to be competitive and interesting.