March Madness

We start the Sweet Sixteen tonight and being that I am a Bracketologist, I have pick 83% right for the first two rounds. I love this time of year. However, I also have come to hate some of the things this "Madness" creates. It creates stars out of role players. And, what's worse, it gives marginal first or second year coaches the title of being "hot". This year it is Anthony Grant. First off, beating Duke is not that big of a deal. If he had beat them in November, I might've raised an eyebrow. By March, Duke was shell of the team that Dick Vitale had painted on a nude boy. I think this Grant guy is a dick. I don't have any proof, but his court side mannerisms and the way he dealt with the press gave me that impression. I am sure that Michigan or Iowa or even Utah will be stumbling all over themselves to get him. They'll rally their alumni clubs for all the nickels and dimes they can get to give this guy a long expensive contract. All because his team went 28-7 and busted up a suck ass Duke team. 28-7 in the CAA? IN THE CAA! Yeah, let's look at the giants they dropped to:

• Xavier (a tourney team, not bad)
• Toledo (wha...)
• App. State (3rd in the Southern Confernce...yup.)
• Hofstra (well it was on the road)
• Old Dominion (Hey, didn't they retire Dave Twardzik's number?)
• Bradley (that was a BracketBuster. I guess it was busted)
• Pitt (it was a good loss, but still a loss)

My other favorite is when these "hot" coaches go on to say, "My heart is here. At UNC-Wilson" or "I am not interested in going to UCLA. My family and I are comfortable here at Mankota State." It is all of our natural desire to move up in the world. That's why I went back to college and graduated 9 and a half years later. That's why Matt is going to be a crude slick lawyer. That's why 3000 is going to get that graphics company off the ground. We need to advance in life. Staying in one place? I have never believed that. NEVER! Gregg Marshall was this first coach I have ever seen leave his program, get all teary eye while driving on the road and literally turn around.

I was at the College of Charleston during their NCAA glory years. I worked with the basketball team. We were ranked 16th in 1997 and 14th in 1999. We made it to three NCAA Tournaments in a row and beat Maryland and gave eventual champs, Arizona, a full 40 minute fight in 1997. The school had only been in D I for nine years. It was kind of big, but John Kresse had been coaching there for over two decades. There was talks of switching conferences from the Southern to the A-10. There were talks of a brand new arena, paid for my the Charleston tax payers. Then in 2000, College of Charleston stop going to the NCAA. They didn't even get a NIT bid. Now, College of Charleston hasn't made the NCAA in over six years and I kind of doubt, with Bobby Kremins at the helm, they ever will again. Where is the new arena? Nowhere. I can only imagine all the sh*t George Mason tried to get.

I'll be amazed if Anthony Grant is at VCU next year.