The Redeem Team

Here's the 2008 Olympic schedule for Team USA.

Sunday, August 10 - 10:15am. USA v. China

Tuesday, August 12 - 8:00am. USA v. Angola

Thursday, August 14 - 8:00am. USA v. Greece

Saturday, August 16 - 10:15am. USA v. Spain

Monday, August 18 - 8:00am. USA v. Germany

Wednesday, August 20 - Quarterfinals TBD

Friday, August 22 - Semifinals TBD

Sunday, August 24 - Finals TBD

Bracket Busters and More Madness

Two days of the NCAA tournament have come and gone - and they have been great!

I worked short days both Thursday and Friday to come home and watch games. Highlights include:

• Purdue looking seasoned and capable of at-least a Sweet Sixteen bid.
• Butler looking equally poised to make a run on greatness.
• The Big Ten started out 3 for 3, until the under-performing Hoosiers fell to Arkansas.
• The Bittersweet Glory of the Tournament comes with Upset City:
• The First was W. Kentucky over Drake (12 over 5)
• Then UConn killed me (one of my Final Four) losing to San Diego (?!)
• There are TWO 12 v. 13 games. That is absolutely unheard of
  
• The one upset I picked was Villanova over Clemson (the other 12 over 5)
  

(This is one of my 4 brackets)

• In the work pool, I was leading after day one
• I've got 4 brackets all together (21, 23, 24, and 25 out of 32, respectively)

PURDUE v. XAVIER - Today at 4:40

Boiler UP!!!!!!!!!!!!! (that's for you Bob T.)

March Madness, and more

March Madness begins! Selection Sunday was exciting as usual. Glad to see Purdue as a six seed. More glad to see Indiana as an eight (ha)! I'm trying to fix my work schedule so that I can be home to watch some games either Thursday, Friday, or both.

And just a few things of note recently:

• A nerdy, but nostalgically addictive addition to my "regular websites" in VirtualNES.com and Nintendo8.com. Thanks Faulkner. Thanks a lot.
• Obama came to Indiana. I did not get to see him. Maybe next time.
• The Ides of March came and went again.
  
• St. Patty's Day is tomorrow (unless you are Catholic, and then it was yesterday)
• And speaking of Catholic, did anyone else see that the Pope added to the list of Mortal Sins (meaning, you need absolution for them). I want to talk with a practicing Catholic on what they think.
  
• Environmental pollution
• Genetic manipulation
• Accumulating excessive wealth
• Inflicting poverty
• Drug trafficking and consumption
• Morally debatable experiments
• Violation of fundamental rights of human nature
  

Boilermakers: I'll drink to that!

Big Ten Leader Purdue Knocks of #8 Michigan State

Before last season began, I decided to rededicate my fandom to Old Black and Gold. And I believed in them, in their ability to rebuild a program driven into the ground by faded Hall of Fame-r in Gene Keady (worst comb-over in history?) And alum Matt Painter stepped in and resurrected the Boilers. Last year's return to the Big Dance was the warning shot. This year, they've taken charge of the Big Ten.

Sure, there was an embarrassing loss to a no-name school (literally, I can't remember if the school had a name) in the early season. But since the Big Ten season has started, they have steamrolled their way through the competition. And it will all come to a head next week, when the youngest team in the Big Ten heads to Bloomington and face the pre-season favorites.

As for me, I think Player of the Week Robbie Hummel is holding his own against the presumed savior of IU basketball, Eric Gordon (the good angel to Sampson's bad angel? Or is it two bad angels - Gordon did pull a "Sike!" on Illinois, which they vocalized their disgust last week).

And, not to get ahead of ourselves, but this is just the first year for the Purdue young'ens. Where Eric Gordon will almost undoubtedly catapult into the NBA after a single year, Hummel is going nowhere. And neither are the other four freshman (two starters) or four sophomores. They'll only lose one senior. So, I'll blow my trumpet now and hope for the best this season, looking toward a possible championship and perhaps a Sweet Sixteen birth, but I can rest upon the fact that the same team will be back next year. Then, maybe then, we can restore the glory days of the Big Dawg, Glen Robinson, and return to the Final Four.