Drat.

"...Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out."


For some reason the coda to "Casey at the Bat" by Ernest Lawrence Thayer seemed an appropriate bow to put on the championship game from last night.  Not to take anything away from Connecticut who showed how height, athleticism, and talent coalesce into great team play.  And how they went all Nelson Muntz on Butler in the paint.

UConn's Alex Oriakhi defending Butler's Andrew Smith

The story, however, was how Butler couldn't score.  At halftime we were thinking, "Ok, the Bulldog Butlers are up three, they have been defending very well, their two best players haven't done anything yet.  Butler has got this one, because they can't shoot that poorly all game."

And, no, they didn't shoot that poorly; they shot worse in the second half.  Any team that misses more than 80% of its shots is hard pressed to win any game, so the fact that it was a relatively close game speaks volumes to the scrappy defense that Butler played all game.  Holding Uconn to 53 points, ought to have brought home the championship, but time after time Butler missed open shots.  Their missed layups alone would have made up the difference on the scoreboard.

Credit goes to Connecticut for winning this one and surely, we would be remiss from pointing out that Jim Calhoun joined a very exclusive club last night.  Not only is he a cancer survivor, but also joins John Wooden, Adolf Rupp, Bob Knight, and Mike Krzyzewski as the only coaches with three or more National Championships.


Enough with the recap, we are certain you, dear reader, are impatiently scrolling down to find out the dramatic conclusion to the Team Ben vs. Team Wilson2 drama.  We prefer to announce the denouement not with a bang, but with a whimper just like the end to the tournament.


Leaderboard
2. Wilson2
3. Ben


Here is an image of the set of four (4) left-handed sporks awarded to our second place finisher.  Bryan was not able to attend the awards ceremony, so his award was accepted on his behalf by John McEnroe.

Thou dost covet my sporks.

"You can't be serious!"

Fraud Alert: It has come to the attention of the prize committee that there are shoddily made, foreign impostor sporks being passed off as genuine Bracket Prediction Contest Second Prizes.  If you see one for sale on eBay, or craigslist notify the proper authorities.  The offending knock-off is pictured below, and can be identified by it's separate fork and spoon ends, violating the 1973 International Treaty on Eating Utensil Combinations (ITEUC), as well as the addition of a serrated knife portion on the leftmost fork tine.  Labeled a spork, the offending implement is clearly not a spork, but a knifoonk.  Accept no substitutes.

Impostor

Which just leaves us with the prize presentation for Mr. Ben Wang.  Ben was able to attend the prize presentation gala, and here he is being awarded his 3rd place prize, a handshake and/or a pat on the back plus $17.  With his winnings Ben may chose to buy a knifoonk, iPad1, or other equally useless gadgetry.

(This is not the end.)

Final Four, now Penultimate Pair. Plus, A Memoir of a Kindergarten Run-DMC fan

April is here.  Baseball season has emerged from its den like a drowsy grizzly bear.  Pranks have been perpetrated.  Clocks have been advanced an hour enabling blackened mahi-mahi to be prepared on the barbecue at 7PM without need for lantern or candle.  (By the way, our definition of spring/summer is enjoying freshly grilled fish tacos while quaffing Lost Abbey's Avant Garde Ale as the sun sets slowly over the Pacific.)  David Beckham has returned, headband and all, to the LA Galaxy.  And, the Final Four is contested in some cavernous, domed, football stadium.

[rant alert]

Given that the NCAA is now fully embracing the Theory of the Big Lie by simultaneously pushing the mythology of the Student Athlete* and selling off every piece of it's amateur soul to the highest bidder.  Everyone, even the guy that took Brandon Knight's SATs knows why the NCAA forces tournament venues to remove advertising signage from the on-camera side of the building.  It's so they can protect their "corporate partners" who have paid obscene sums to elbow their way in to the manufactured aura given off by the Sacred Cult of College Sports.  (See also: Fronline from March 29th) And, therefore it should not come to anyone's surprise that the basketball finals are being held in a indoor gridiron football arena.  (Someone still needs to provide a rational explanation as to why they need a roof on a football field in Texas.)  But it should raise an eyebrow or two that there are sports fans willing to pay a king's ransom to sit a country mile away from floor in the era of free, ubiquitous, over-the-air HD broadcasting.  Of course, the answer is, no, there aren't sports fans willing to pay for that view of the game.  Those chairs are filled by butts attached to clients being entertained by NCAA corporate partners who are writing off the entire weekend as a business expense.  So, be thankful residents of Glendale, AZ, Arlington and Houston, TX, New Orleans, LA, Detroit, MI, Minneapolis, MN, Atlanta, GA, Saint Louis, MO, and Seattle, WA.  You will be the permanent members of the Final Four Hosts Club...until another municipality is extorted into paying to erect a new, state-of-the-art gridiron football cathedral.

*"Student Athlete is a registered trademark of the NCAA

[steps down from soapbox]



Game Recaps...

UConn vs. U. Con


Since this was the less interesting and less exciting game - even though UConn playing Kentucky in the reminds us of the 1990s when we were younger, idealistic, and quite certain that Eddie Vedder was the coolest person alive - we will tackle this one quickly first.  As alluded to in the snarky heading for this section both teams, or more accurately, both coaches are well acquainted with NCAA investigators.  Connecticut's Jim Calhoun will be suspended for three games next season and have many fewer scholarships to hand out, but that relatively short rap sheet pales in comparison to Kentucky's John Calipari's infamy.  Does anyone else find it funny that Calipari always seems to have a more lucrative job lined up just moments before his current employer is hit with sanctions for his recruiting violations?  Talk about a rat leaving a sinking ship.

Calipari's curriculum vitae

Anyway, this game was rarely interesting despite Kentucky erasing a ten point halftime deficit.  With all the talent on the floor at the same time, this one resembled a regular season NBA game.  The game belonged to the Huskies and their star, Kemba Walker.  He lived up to his billing as much as Kentucky's Brandon Knight did not.

The most noteworthy event occurred in the second half when the CBS broadcast team were confounded by the fact that the third TV timeout hadn't happened as scheduled, so they had to push the last two into the final three minutes.  I'm sure there were a few ad buyers sitting in a pool of their own flop sweat for a few tense minutes there.  This prompted us to form a truly radical idea.  What if the timeouts taken by the teams to control the tempo of the game precluded the TV timeouts if they happen in the same scheduled intervals?  Yeah, that's just crazy talk.


The Bulldog Butlers vs. VCU


This was the game of the night.  We were tempted to watch the games in reverse order, knowing that this one was going to be the better, more dramatic affair.  But, there were sure to be spoilers in the UConn/Kentucky broadcast, so we were forced to watch this one first.  Now, dear reader, you may have guess that we here at the blog have a serious weakness for the Cinderella stories in this fine tournament.  A little piece of us dies every time a George Mason is knocked out, and the cockles of our hearts are warmed every time they outlast a highly touted opponent.  Why is this?  To answer we must first take a stroll down memory lane.

Waaaaaay back in 1985...

Not the first, but one of the earliest memories we have of watching sports with our dad was the 1985 Final Four.  We were quite young and impressionable at the time, so we were certain that all the screaming morons on TV were correct in predicting that Georgetown, led by Patrick Ewing and His Adidas, (We were also HUGE Run-DMC fans back then, too.  So much so, that we made our mom buy us white Adidas sneakers so we could wear them without laces just like our heroes.  It turned out that we had great difficulty running around on the playground with the other kids at recess that way.  Being cooler than everyone else in Kindergarten had its price.) would mop the floor with Villanova.  Pops just shrugged as he said something like, "We'll see who has more points at the end of the game," which was an infuriating thing to say to our believing-the-hype brain, but was correctly informed by the wisdom of experience.  He knew full well that in one game anything can happen, especially when the underdog is on a hot streak.  Anything did indeed happen as we now recall the image of a disheveled and unhinged looking Rollie Massimino tearing around the court after 'Nova upset the top ranked Hoyas (This was back in the long forgotten past when Georgetown played well in tournaments.).  This was of course, a world-view changing moment in our life.  Never again would we be fooled into rooting for an overrated team from a powerful basketball school.

1985 Villanova Wildcats: worldbeaters

Which brings us back to this game where we were paradoxically pulling against the Bulldog Butlers.  Only in this years tourney can the real feel good story of the Butlers second straight appearance in the championship game be eclipsed by the even more feel good story of Shaka Smart and the Rams.

It was hard to have to say goodbye to one of these well-coached teams, but Brad Stevens was able to coax his team into settling down after the VCU pressure had them rattled early.  Butler never looked panicked the rest of the way and played the type of basketball that just gets the job done, and despite the media's hard-on for Matt Howard, this is Shelvin Mack's team.  His shot making in the second half sealed it for Butler, even though VCU would have won if partial points were awarded when the ball makes it 78% of the way through the rim, but still spins out somehow.  This is a cruel business, and only one team gets to win its last game.  Farewell Rams.  You made this one of the most fun tournaments, and consequently bloody bracket pools, in memory.

Shaka looking subdued, but knowing that job offers are pouring in...

Leaderboad?

As we announced in the last post, there are no more points to be had in the bracket prediction contest, but not all of the prizes have been awarded.  How can this be?  Well, if you recall our last post there is currently a tie between Ben and Wilson2 for 2nd/3rd place.  The two parties have met and after extensive negotiations, they have decided to break the tie.  So, the set of four (4) left handed sporks is still looking for a home, and no hands have been shaken or backs patted just yet.  So, come get your Team Ben or Team Wilson2 t-shirts, and stay tuned to the final on Monday to find out who will place and who will show...then be euthanized on the track after coming up lame.   What?  Too soon?

This Barbaro gag brought to your by the fine folks at Deadspin 

Tales of Adventure, Volume 4, Chapter 19: In which we learn the fate of our intrepid treasure hunters

Since we last left the tale of the 25 brave brackets seeking buried treasure in the treacherous jungle, combing the ruins of the lost civilization of the Jayhawk, Tarheel, and Buckeye peoples in the far away land of Basketballistan no word has been heard.  What can have become of their exploits?  Who of their party has taken command of the expedition?

On the morning of March 28, a telegram arrived at the headquarters of the Dutch East Indies Company.  After reading the communiqué the owner of the esteemed trading house, Sir Maximilian van Rheinenkugel, swore a particularly vulgar oath, then handed the note to the company physician, Dr. Marten van Nostrand.  Reading the telegram, Dr. van Nostrand’s face went ashen.  “Dear God,” he stammered.  “Not one…”

Curiosity piquing I awaited further elaboration from Dr. van Nostrand.  With none forthcoming, I then grabbed the telegram from the paralyzed Dr. van Nostrand.  There were three sentences typed:

“None survived.  Killed by natives.  Send replacements.”

And…scene.

That’s right.  After Kansas was unable to withstand the buzzsaw that is the VCU Rams and UNC dropped their game with Kentucky, the last live teams on any of the entries were eliminated.  And like a bunch of postal workers being mowed down by an unhinged former co-worker, all the brackets are dead.

Fear not, there will be other sports with other silly prediction contests, and the Final Four will still go on with its frequent TV timeouts, 30 second timeouts, and full timeouts.  We will still occasionally forget to fast forward through some of the ridiculous ads bought by spendthrift companies who are trying to sell us ridiculous products like motorized tricycles for adults or satellite television.  (Memo to the Can-Am company: a motorized trike is a stupid idea.  Who buys that?  The middle-aged suburbanite with disposable income aspiring to be a bad-ass outlaw, but can’t ride a bike?  And don’t get me started on that creepy DirecTV ad featuring what appears to be a wealthy Russian mobster…)  Oh, and there will still be some basketball played between all the revenue being generated to net a return on the $10.8 billion invested by CBS and Turner Broadcasting in the coverage of the tournament.  It’ll be okay.

The sun will come up tomorrow…

Li'l Orphan Annie says, "Better luck next year."

And now the final….

Leaderboard Name Total Matias 69 Ben 62 Wilson2 62 Dylann 60 Devin1 57 Cantaloupe 3 56 Tony 56 Joe R. 55 TD2 55 Devin2 54 Ryan 54 Wilson1 53 Healey 52 Regan 52 Steve A. 52 The Champ 52 Serena 50 TD1 50 A. Johnson 49 Oordt2 49 Cantaloupe 2 48 Cantaloupe 1 46 Oordt1 46 TD3 46 Hollah 45

Awards

The Ichiban Means Number One Award goes to Matias Garcia.  Matias wins the Big Prize, a lifetime subscription to MPMN magazine.  And as if that weren’t enough, Matias will also take home 58.4% of the prize purse.

The Thrill of Victory

The First Loser Award goes to…no one yet.  We have a tie between Benjamin and Wilson2.  They can chose to split 37.6% of the pot, which would give them each 18.8%, or they could wait until we get a final score in the championship to break the tie.  2^nd place was originally due 24.0% with 3^rd taking home 13.6%.  Talk it out – or hug it out, if you like – among yourselves, gentlemen.  Weigh the difference between a guaranteed present amount, or a possibly higher future amount.  Apply your best economic thinking and let me know which you prefer.

And most importantly, the Genius Lies On Both Ends Of Bell Curve Award goes to Matthew Hollister, also known to us as Hollah.  Our chum Hollah managed to ride the wave that is Pitt Panther basketball to a massive 45 point output.

The Agony of Defeat

That’s all for the bracket prediction contest.  Now that we’ve established a readership here at the blog, keep checking back for further posting.  I’ll be posting the rest of the week leading up to the semis and final.  Who knows, I might even try live blogging those games.  After that, we’ll keep the blog going with more hilarity, but probably less basketball analysis.

Where is Gus Johnson When You Need Him?

Ohhhhhhh, yes.  Yes.  Yes.  Yes, yes, yes.  I can't think of anything I would have wanted more than for the Bulldog Butlers to get to play VCU in the Final Four.  Plus, the highest seed to make it to Houston is the #3 UConn Huskies, as well as this being the first time no 1 or 2 seeds have made the Final Four.  I now have a grin on my face that will be cemented in place for a week.  Or, until reality sets in on Monday's first dive into the office email.  But until then, who cares.  I'm loving the college basketball gods right now.

#11 VCU vs. #1 Kansas
We all know how great a game this was to watch with the impressive Rams running away with the game late in the second half.  After falling behind in the early going (see below), VCU never trailed.  At one point at the end of the first half their lead was 18.  Naturally, the Jayhawks made a run and got within 2, but the experienced Rams held them off and expanded their lead down the stretch before finally winning by 10 in the end.  The last #1 seed went down to a team that "wasn't supposed to make the field of 68."  This is why I love this tournament.

Duck, it's more bullets:

• Most comical "analysis" from the screaming morons:  "VCU cannot let Kansas get out to an early lead."  What was it, 11-2 in favor of the Jayhawks in the early going?  Here's a better approach fellas.  "The team that scores more points than its opponents should win."
• Hats off to VCU head coach Shaka Smart, which is the best superhero alter-ego name I've ever heard.  He is getting the most out of his team through excellent motivation, preparation, and tactics.  This is why a lot of smaller hoops programs have a hard time sustaining success.  Every time a little school develops an up and coming coaching talent there are countless underperforming big conference teams waiting in the wings to lure him/her away with better facilities, more pay, greater media exposure, etc.  Let's hope the temptation to make an order of magnitude more money is less attractive than going 9-7 in the SEC for Shaka.
• In the current state of basketball economics, the biggest young talents get identified very early, shepherded off to the top prep, college, and/or pro teams.  VCU is a great example that sometimes athletic talent develops at different rates.  I'm sure none of the current Rams were heavily recruited, but given a chance to play regularly and gain experience, their talents and intelligence are now showing through.  They are no less capable of playing great ball than any of the blue-chip recruits destined for the high profile schools.
• Marv Albert and Steve Kerr were claiming that this was the biggest upset in Big Danced history.  I don't know about that.  It's definitely up there.  Top ten for sure, but NC State in 1983, or Villanova in 1985 have to be bigger upsets due to the way those games transformed college basketball.  Disagree?  Hit the comments with your biggest upset.
• I am still loving the whole storyline about VCU not being worthy to even be in the tournament.  Obviously, they have the talent, coaching, experience, and teamwork to make the Final Four, but does that necessarily mean their body of work from the regular season was strong enough to get an invite?  Thinking like an economist, we might question whether it does.  I'm not saying that I didn't think VCU was deserving.  I do.  It's just that on a purely objective basis, any team stringing together a bunch of impressive wins in a row can sometimes be a mere artifact of randomness.  Just like looking at random coin tosses, or in baseball when the Royals rattle off 10 wins in a row every so often.  They are still a terrible team.  Something like an infinite number of monkeys typing out the works of Shakespeare.
• Kansas has now lost to Northern Iowa and VCU as a #1 seed the last two years.  Parody anyone?

#2 North Carolina vs. #4 Kentucky

(Disclaimer: I'm, at best, a casual basketball fan who really only pays attention to the college game for no more than six weeks every spring.  NBA?  No thanks.  Plus, I never had enough free time to play it as a youth due to it's season being concurrent with hockey.)  Why was I not that into this game?  Was it because it was a matchup of traditional powers who were last relevant in the '90s?  Was it because both teams play disciplined, clean basketball with little flair or excitement like a regular season NBA game where the difference between the two teams is slight and the final difference in the games comes down to highly technical strategy and tactics that are inaccessible to the less knowledgeable fan?  Why couldn't I get behind Kentucky who beat Ohio St. or UNC with their argyle trim on their uniforms?

Ultimately, I blame Jim Nance.  He has to be one of the least interesting basketball commentators there has ever been.  He sounds like he'd be more at home covering golf or badminton.  If only there was some big golf tournament that CBS also regularly covers so that he could be better utilized...

I mean, come on CBS.  There was a freaking finger-roll in this game.  Somewhere Gus Johnson was loosing his shit in the privacy of his hotel room.  Nance didn't even mention George Gervin, or yell "The Ice-Man Cometh!"

Thankfully, the Tar Heels fought back to within two with about five minutes left, salvaging an otherwise bland game.

Not really complaining, though.  Three of the four games this weekend were sublime, and the fourth was very good.  Thanks Big Dance for filling our athletic drama quota for this week.

And now, it's...
The Leaderboard


...


(With the excitement of the chaotic results from this weekend I just can't focus on something so mundane as accounting.  Score update coming soon.  Stay tuned.  Same Bat channel, different Bat time.)

A Great Evening of Basketball

Saturday's games proved for the 4,000th time that the Regional Finals are where it's at in terms of exciting, close games in the NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Tournament.  Of course, we all remember - except those who don't remember -  the Duke/Kentucky game from 1992 when Christian Laetner was officially canonized into the sainthood of the Church of Disney Entertainment of Modern Day ESPN.  Today, though, there were two games that shall be remembered in the pantheon of great college basketball.

Southeast Regional Final: Florida vs. Butler
What a great game.  This one was tight all the way down the stretch after the Bulldog Butlers fought back to make it close at halftime.  Other than some bad fouls by both sides late, this was A Great, Close Basketball Game where the lead constantly fluctuates and the outcome is in doubt until the final buzzer.  Some observations:

• There were some silly fouls, far away from the basket in the late stages of this game.  I'd question the coaching acumen from both teams, but I know better.  This was likely the case of the pressure of finishing an important game getting to both teams.
• I was more than a little trepidatious when I saw that Reggie Miller was set to join the tremendous broadcast duo of Gus Johnson and Len Elmore for CBS, both of whom I f#@king love to listen to on a broadcast.  Remember, I'm the guy that argued for muting the center channel of your surround sound system, lest you be subjected to the annoying blather and/or embarrassing man-crushes of the other play-by-play teams.  Anxiety wasted.  Miller was an effective addition to one of the best sports commentator teams at work today.  Reggie, who is highly intelligent and well-spoken, was able to seamlessly integrate himself with the erudite and volatile Johnson, as well as the stately and wise Elmore.  This was a case of the sum being greater than the parts.  Amusingly, there were a couple of times when the excitable Gus Johnson was ready to "go all Vesuvius on our asses", but either a foul was called or the shot was missed, robbing us of a classic Gus Johnson freak-out.
• Shelvin Mack undressed the Gator defense with a great stutter step at about the 4 minute mark.  This sublime individual play prompted Gus Johnson to pontificate, "The Euro-Stutter-Step!  Manu Ginobili is jumping up and down on his couch right now!"
• The Bulldog Butlers head coach, Brad Stevens, looks so young that I bet he gets carded at Trader Joe's even after the clerks know him by name.  The 33 year old Stevens is slight of build and bespectacled, making him appear to be the answer to the question, "What would the Harry Potter of college hoops look like?"  Stevens must have a potion or two up his sleeve, because baby-face has a Coach K-like record of 116-24 as a head coach.  Yes, Virginia, that's an .828 win percentage.
• Butler got several favorable "shooter's rolls" in O.T.  Their free throws were often ugly, but they found the bottom of the net when it counted.
• Several times during the last few minutes Reggie Miller stated that "this is Matt Howard time."  Really?  'Cause it looked a lot like it was really the Ronald Nored and Khyle Marshall show to me.  Them and Shelvin Mack making his free-throws was the difference in the final minutes.
• Most of you know that I find cultural stereotypes corrosive to our collective journey from ignorant tribalism to enlightened transcendentalism, but Matt Howard is white.  He is so white that he makes Larry Bird look like Greg Gumbel.

West Regional Final: UConn vs. Arizona

This was a strange game.  The best analogy for the way this game proceeded would be a pendulum.  The final verdict was a narrow margin of victory, but there were wild swings in who controlled this game.  One side would assert dominance on the contest and go on a lopsided run, then the other team would take over in a similar manner.  The swings in this game were whiplash inducing.  Interestingly, the streakiness in scoring was perfectly correlated to the ability of one team to grab offensive rebounds.  Some observations:

• Arizona looking early on that they are going to run away with it.  If they hold on to win, their march to the Final Four is as inexplicable as the Wildcats' 1997 National Championship.  That year will always resonate with your intrepid blogger, because that was the year Brandon Johnson's girlfriend won our bracket pool solely by picking which mascots she liked better.  Simply evil.
• Verne Lundquist, who can finally stop talking about his man-crush on Jimmer He Who Will Not Be Named, claimed that Arizona had an advantage because the game was being played in Anaheim, CA.  To which I call bullshit.  Tickets for these events are allocated roughly evenly, and there is no shortage of wealthy, jet-setting alumni at any major D1 basketball school in the nation.  Listen close.  For every "U of A" chant, there is a rejoining "U-Conn" chant.
• Arizona was ridiculously dependent on Derrick Williams.  We saw what he did to the Dookie on Thursday, but when he had to sit down with foul trouble in the first half, UConn ran off a 22-7 streak.  After he returned in the second half, the 7 point UConn halftime lead evaporated, and then some.  Williams took more free throws than anyone else in D1 this year, meaning he was a disproportionately large part of the Wildcat offense.  The fact that he couldn't hit his shot in the waning moments sunk the 'Cats chances.
• It was nice to see Arizona coaching legend Lute Olson in attendance at this game.  Unfortunately, CBS thought it more important to put Wildcat alum, current Laker, and son of the Biggest-Blow-Hard-This-Side-Of-Oprah, Luke Walton on camera incessantly throughout the second half.  Definitely a case of inherited glory eclipsing true greatness.  Lute Olson is a class-act.  Luke Walton is an ass-clown.

A great day of college hoops today.  Let's hope tomorrow follows suit.  Score update to come afterward.  Enjoy.

"Driver 8 Take a Break..."

"...We can reach our destination, but it's still a ways away."
The poetic words of Michael Stipe notwithstanding, we have reached the Region Finals stage of The Big Dance.  The remaining eight teams, who have all earned their membership in an exclusive club through hard work, determination, grit and talent, are occasionally applied with the moniker, The Elite Eight.  Waaaaaaaaay back on Selection Sunday - all of 13 days ago - one member of this year's Elite Eight had their tournament bona fides questioned by the screaming morons on ESPN.

Well, funny story.  With a gutsy 72 - 71 overtime victory over Florida State, the VCU Rams not only played their way into the 64 team main field, but have also taken on all comers to make it into the last eight and serve notice to the basketball cognoscenti that the CAA is the new MAC.

Speaking of Middle America, the Bulldog Butlers defeated the Wisconsin Beavers Wolverines Rabid Squirrels Badgers, thus proving that Matt Howard is a better baller than Li'l Orphan Annie.

Without further adieu, here is:
The Leaderboard


Leading the pack with 62 points and a convenient one point lead is...

Ben

Followed by a virtual QMD meeting (Quality Assurance couldn't attend due to scheduling conflicts):
Matias - 61 points
Dylann - 60 points
Devin1 - 57 points

Still within striking distance:
Tony - 56 points
Joe - 55 points
TD2 - 55 points
Devin2 - 54 points
Ryan - 54 points
Wilson2 - 54 points

All tied up with 52 points are:
Healey
Reagan
Steve A.

50 points
Serena
TD1

49 points
A. Johnson
Oordt2


48 points
Cantaloupe 2
Cantaloupe 3

46 points
Cantaloupe 1
Oordt1
TD3

45points
Hollah
Wilson1

And earning today's Irony Defined Award is:
The Champ with 44 points.  Way to go Champ.  The Sombrero of Eternal Sadness is within your grasp.

Now it's more...
Awards
The Rising to Number Two on the Leaderboard with a Bullet Award goes to Matias for collecting 20 points in the Sweet Sixteen round.  Watch out hopeful winners of the big prize, a lifetime subscription to MPMN magazine, Matias still has three of his Final Four picks still alive.


The Why Are Mommy and Daddy Fighting?, Why Did They Stop Loving Me?, Are You Getting a Divorce? Award goes to Devin whose alma matter, the University of Florida, beat Dylann's alma matter, Brigham Young University, on Thursday night.  Now that the intra department cage match is over, the obsequious members of Product Development can now pretend that they were always Gator fans, and never, ever, ever, even looked at the Cougars or Jimmer for even a second.  Honest.


Now for some...
Sad News
One of our comrades has fallen.  With Friday night's elimination of The Ohio State University the Cantaloupe1 entry is deceased.  I remember when it was a newborn bracket, full of pluck, determination, insight, and the hope that Pitt, Notre Dame, Texas, and OSU would make the Final Four.  It was not to be, and a young bracket with so much promise for the future has been snuffed out like a drunk driving teen on prom night.  And like prom night Cantaloupe1 must have been at the wheel of his mom's station wagon stuffed full of his even more inebriated friends and their dates, because these entries -  TD2, Wilson2, Hollah, and TD3 - are all in critical condition, barely hanging on to life as they only have a possible 8 more points to gain.

R.I.P. Cantaloupe1

2011 - 2011

Fun Fact: a Google image search for "cantaloupe" turns up these two fun pics:

Cantaloupe fish sculpture

Cantaloupe sandals

The New Leaderboard, after Thursday's games

Lots of intrigue on Thursday leads us to a new order.

The leader with 54 points is:

Ben

52 points
Dylann
Tony

49 points
Devin1
Matias

47 points
TD2

46 points
Cantaloupe 1
Ryan
Serena
TD1

45 points
A. Johnson

And the rest...
Cantaloupe 2
Cantaloupe 3
Healey
Regan
Steve A.
Joe R.
Devin2
Oordt1
TD3
Wilson2
Oordt2
Wilson1
The Champ

Leading the chase for the Sombrero of Eternal Sadness with 37 points is...
Hollah