Week's End: A weekend of exciting sports
By Steve Krehl
Friday, March 21, 2008 11:53 AM PDT
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament started yesterday and will crown a champion April 7.
It’s one of my favorite sporting events that isn’t related to a golf tournament, like the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and the PGA. You don’t have to have a favorite team to enjoy the games.
One of the neat things about the NCAA tournament is one loss and you’re done and out of here! There always seems to be an upset in the first round.
This year BSU made it in but faces Louisville. Their chances aren’t too promising as Louisville has a good record in a tough conference. They play tonight at around 7:30, and if the Broncos can use their great shooting they’ve shown in the past, the game should be very entertaining. I know it sounds like I’m tossing in the towel on BSU. I’m just trying to be honest. Last I heard the spread is 14 points. I’ll be rooting for the Broncos, but I won’t be putting anything down on them either.
I’ll also be pulling for another underdog, Arizona. They play West Virginia who has a 24-10 record to the Wildcats’ 19-14.
While I’m a long-suffering fan, I have to question the selection of Arizona getting in the NCAA tournament over its state rival, Arizona State, especially since ASU beat the U of A twice during the regular conference season.
I’m sure there are other stories of the same vein where the selections seem strange. Unless someday they let a computer make all the selections and pairings, there will always be second guessing. When and if that happens, it’ll take some of the fun away.
Filing out the brackets is always fun. One miss can lead to disaster. I try not to pick based on the heart but stay with the shoe-ins as much as possible.
I did pick UCLA (31-3) over Wisconsin in the finals. I did see the Bruins play Arizona on television. Their freshman center, Kevin Love, took charge in the second half. He played so solid with his shooting and rebounds that the ‘Cats couldn’t stop him even when they doubled up on him. If he stays healthy and plays like that, UCLA could be the champ. Wisconsin has a 29-4 record and is my second pick.
The word on the Badgers is they may have the best defense in the tournament. They allowed a very low 34 points to Michigan and a season average of around 54 points. Remember, I said I won’t bet with my heart. I can’t help it if I grew up close to Madison.
If CBS gives us the most interesting games and cuts away from the runaways, it could be a very good weekend for watching basketball. I’ll have to record the World Golf Championship, which has a great field, and watch it later. Tiger is shooting for another record and may get closer to it this weekend.
I’ve said it before, I’m not a fan of his, but he is the best overall golfer I’ve ever seen play the game. His 23-foot putt on 18 last Sunday did not surprise me at all. One thing about it, if you are a sports fan, you should enjoy what television has to offer over the next few days.
Have a great weekend and keep it in play.
Steve Krehl is the Publisher of the Argus Observer. He can be reached at SteveK@argusobserver.com
