Rock Chalk, Championship!

Every year, I predict that my alma mater, the Kansas Jayhawks will win the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. Once every twenty years, I get it right.

In 1988, it was Danny and the Miracles. It wasn't long after I met my future wife. I was lucky enough to get tickets to see the Jayhawks play in the Sweet Sixteen and the Elite Eight in the Pontiac Silverdome. Tickets weren't nearly as difficult to come by then as they are today, and I had gotten two in the KU section, so I brought a friend to both games. On Friday, March 25th, I watched KU defeat Vanderbilt and Kansas State defeat Purdue. The Jayhawk and Wildcat fans were all very cordial -- most fans cheered on both of the Kansas teams. On Saturday, I had to travel to attend a wedding with Emily in Kalamazoo, then I headed back Sunday morning to watch KU vs. K-State. The K-State fans weren't nearly as friendly at this game. A week later, I was in Minneapolis with Emily during the semifinals and dragged her and a friend of hers to a pretty empty sports bar to watch KU beat Duke (it's a pretty good sign when the woman you love goes with you to watch your team play basketball). And, of course, in the incredible final game, KU beat Oklahoma, who had beaten them twice earlier in the season.

This time around, I watched the semifinals and finals with my family. And, once again, the final game was amazing. During the last eight minutes and the overtime (and particularly the last two minutes of regulation), my wife and kids were as tense and as loud as I was. It was great to share it with them.

When you add in the triple-overtime loss to North Carolina in 1957, it seems to me that Kansas has been a participant in three of the most exciting NCAA finals ever.

Roch Chalk, Jayhawk! Go KU!

Rock Chalk, Jayhawk!

The Jayhawks are in the Final Four! (for the 13th time)

Stephen Curry was very impressive in the finals of the Midwest Regional. As a KU fan, the game was agonizing to watch, though I suspect the agony felt by Davidson fans turned out to be a bit more acute.

This week, it's a bit frustrating to read all the articles about Roy Williams. If any members of the press are reading this -- it's the players who play the game, not the coaches.

I thought Roy was a fine coach (and, hey, I liked his name). I thought he did a lot for KU, but I felt he was never a closer -- that he wasn't the best bench coach in a close game. I think Bill Self is better in that regard. But, I've always disliked North Carolina and Duke (and UCLA and a few other teams). For me, the only difference with Roy Williams being at Carolina is that I now root for the Blue Devils over the Tar Heels instead of vice versa.

My prediction: KU vs. UCLA in the finals. KU by 6.

Bear in mind that I totally crapped out in my bracket -- I had Kansas, Duke, Tennessee, and Texas. At least I had Kansas right and hopefully I have them right again.

Go KU!

The Real March Madness

There are estimates that March Madness will cost businesses $2 to $4 billion dollars. That's a lot of change. But, it's about as much as we spend every week for the war in Iraq. In the five years the war has been waged, we could have run 50 tournaments every year for the same cost! And it would have been legal too.

If only Bush & Cheney were basketball fans -- maybe they would have been too distracted to start the war in the first place.

P.S. The Jayhawks are in the Sweet 16 again.