While imagining March, some people think of the warmth pushing out the last remnants of winter, the planting of flowers, four leaf clovers, Irish beer on St. Patrick's Day, or even spring cleaning. Graham and I (along with every other Tar Heel fan in the nation I presume) think of NCAA basketball. As I type, I'm in the middle of a little spring cleaning myself (much needed) and enjoying the first round games of March Madness. Every year I look forward to cheering my Heels on to hopeful National victory--I think we all know I'm cheering them on in a slightly different tournament than usual this year. From NCAA to NIT champions? We'll see I guess...
Graham came home with a great suggestion that we have a bracket just between the two of us, which of course at the opportunity of competition I gladly accepted the challenge. Unfortunately, at the moment I am realizing my certain demise as Villanova (who I have in the final four) is currently losing to Robert Morris. Robert Morris? Who is that anyway?? My elite eight looks like this: Kansas vs. Goergetown, Syracuse vs. Kansas St., Kentucky vs. West Virginia and Duke vs. Villanova. As badly as I want Duke to lose early on, I am facinc the reality that there is a good chance they will go pretty far. BUT being a purebred Tar Heel, I mustn't let them advance past the elite eight (at least in my bracket). Then my final four: Kansas vs. Kansas St. and Kentucky vs. Villanova (fail.). I have Kentucky going on to win the whole tournament as I am not a Kansas fan. I'm not super in love with Kentucky either, but I made this pick with the hope that at least the Fendley fam would be proud of me (my only connection to Kentucky) :).
UPDATE: Villanova and Robert Morris are tied at 55. I'm still hoping.
Also, I expect all of you readers to be pulling for UNI tonight at 6:10 PM Central Time. That's 7:10 PM for all you NC'ans. They are so much fun to pull for! Believe me, watch and you will fall in love with the team just as Graham and I have found ourselves doing. Even though my bracket doesn't match up, I am hoping deep down in my heart that somehow, just somehow, we can beat UNLV tonight and then somehow beat the overall number one seed Kansas in the 2nd Round. Who knows, right?? They don't call it March Madness for nothin'!
Grahambo and I got to enjoy some time together yesterday in Des Moines where Graham had a couple of meetings for work. Since I don't have anything else to do I rode along, where we got to enjoy a hardy St. Patrick's day parade where I have never seen so many people crowded down one street cheering for Irish pubs, party buses and even Irish families as they advanced through. There were thousands of school aged children cheering for the green mardi gras beads that were being thrown out by each float. Even scarier than the all green-clad children were the green parents who had green painted faces, hair, beards, etc. Wow. I thought a 55 year old man was going to take out a 4 year old little girl for a set of beads. This was an intense atmosphere and of course, I was wearing my blue and white stripe oxford tshirt, blue JCrew blazer and somewhere underneath was my green beaded necklace. I guess I wasn't feeling very spirited this year, and this was definitely not the place to underrepresent the holiday. Graham and I both were getting dirty looks as we marched through the crowds of leprechauns in our everyday wear (Graham in a suit). All in all a great experience. We topped the day off with a trip to Chick-fil-a for a little chicken action that we have missed the past month (we have no Chick-fil-a in Cedar Falls...tragic.) They even had sweet tea! It was a great day.
P.S. Villanova and RM are in OT. Here's to hoping!!
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