The Final Four Chronicles: The Departure

 

April 4, 2023

We all leave Houston today, and return to our normal homes and lives.  Some of us are travelling again later this week, so that continues.  I assure you that this post will be sparse, as we are exhausted.  But, there are some things of note.  See everyone next year in Phoenix (as the NCAA says), Glendale (where it really is), and Scottsdale (where we will be)!  For now, here goes travel day.

Way too early - All ar up and awake.  Some for work obligations, some for travel, some for both.

9:15 - Sinickal and Tony off to the airport.  Sinickal sleeps through most of his flight to DCA.

10:00 - Checkout of the AirBnB!  So long 606 Oakley Street!

10:13 - Kevin and Pepster head to Katz's deli for a leisurely meal.

11:57 - Kevin leaves Katz's Deli for the airport.  Pepster heads downtown.

12:38 - Pepster enters Shay's.

13:35 - Hey, a free Yuengling.  (Pepster was drinking Hopadillo.)

13:59 - Kevin:  To book-end the weekend, gate agent jumped from first class and diamond straight to main cabin 1 boarding groups.  People bum rush the gates.

14:10 - Then, everyone proceeded to stand 3 wide when the gate agent realized it and then called comfort plus.

15:15 E.D.T. - Tony lands at LaGuardia.

15:23 -  Tony notes that everything seemed goofy at the airport this morning.

14:25 C.D.T. - Kevin notes that the line for clear was as long as the actual Pre-Check line.

14:26 - Tony remarks that pre-check was moving faster earlier in the day, and that he was "randomly" selected for the additional screening for the 4th straight flight.  Believes he is being stereotyped as an Italian.

14:27 - Lady in Shay's shows the guy sitting next to Pepster a picture of her and Dwyane Wade taken earlier in the weekend.  Pepster asks them (her, the guy next to him - who is not with her - and the guy next to her - who is) if they saw the mis-spelling of Wade's name at the Final Four.  Guy next to the lady showing the picture says, well, I guess his name is spelled a little differently.  He continues in saying that Wade's parents were much like her parents - pointing to the lady at the bar - in that they made a mistake.  They named her Kristi - K-R-S-T-I."  Pepster responds, maybe they just liked Family Feud and wanted her to buy a vowel?"

14:31 - Kevin wheels up to MSP.

14:32 - Pepster heads to the airport.

16:11 - At Hubcap in the A terminal and George Bush International, and some R&B song comes on the radio.  It is too faint for Pepster to realize what it is.  The bartender asks the two ladies next to him at the bar - who were already there when Pepster arrived - if they had heard the Megan remix of the song.  They had not, but one of the ladies says, "People say I look like Megan.  Pepster thinks, wants to say, but is able to stifle, "The hell they do!"

19:28 - Pepster wheels up to Fort Lauderdale.

19:45 (approx.) - Kevin sits next to a guy in the Delta lounge who is sending him a case of Drip Drop, which is used to stay hydrated or help hangovers.  Kevin was too afraid to ask which one the guy thought he needed!

21:02 - Kevin just watched an older white lady ask the flight attendant to wipe down the entire seat, belts and everything because she didn't want to touch anything herself.

21:03 - Her seatmate arrives and she is Asian.  First lady "does not look pleased!"

22:34 E.D.T. - Pepster wheels down in Fort Lauderdale.

21:46 C.D.T - We all agree that Roy Wood, Jr. needs to host The Daily Show after his Angel Reese take.

00:00 - Kevin wheels down at DCA.

Welp, we are done. And like UConn throughout this tournament, Caleb Huff was dominate! Below is the final tally for the block pool. 35 different people hit at least one block, a few of you hit a lot. Sadly, I got nothing!

I will be contacting all of the winners today. Thanks a lot for playing!

The Final Four Chronicles: The Interregnum

 

Sunday, April 2

No games today, and we are in for the traditional play day.  We will have some more guest appearances, have some food and drink, and we hope a lot of laughs.  Let's see what happened....

7:30 - Pepster arises.

8:18 - Kevin comes downstairs.

8:41 - Tony come downstairs.

8:44 - Starbucks is on the way thanks to Kevin.

8:49 - Sinickal comes donwstairs.

9:03 - Sinickal calls Allison to wish her Happy Anniversary, gets her voicemail.

9:15 - Watch XXX as we mentally prepare for this brunch.

9:25 - Talking about a scene in which drug lords are fighting, Kevin says, "I know you want to kill us because of our profitability stream!"

9:27 - Anticipating having to say, "Sorry we are late for brunch.  We were watching XXX and riffing on it pretty good.  [Ed. Note - we didn't have to say that.]

9:47 - "Ever get punched in the face for talking too much?"  Despite what you might think, this was not said to us, but said by Xander Cage!

10:03 - After sending a pretty funny dad joke on the siblings group text, Pepster's sister Brittany asks, "Will this make it into your blog itinerary?"  Pepster responds, "Maybe."  The final answer - No it won't, but the fact you asked will!!!

10:14 - Kevin is talking to his wife.  Sinickal yells out, "Susie - you can tell me Happy Anniversary!"  She responds, "Happy Anniversary Allison!"

10:43 - The Southwestern Central coaching staff is ready for brunch!

10:46 - Waiting on Lyft for brunch at Bosscat.  Honda Civic pulls up.  Sinickal immediately orders another rideshare.

11:00 - Arrive at Bosscat Kitchen!  Pam and Whitney are waiting for us.  This place LOVES its bourbon selection.  Check out this private dining room:

11:15 - Kevin's gourment cocktail, The Wake Up Call, arrives.  It is made with Tito's vodka, black coffee liquer and irish cream.  Whitney asks, "Is that like a Black Russian?"  Kevin, "Yes, but lighter."  Pepster chimes in, "In the Caucausus they just call it a 'Russian'!"

11:20 - About Whitney's t-shirt, "I think they used the wrong action verb!"

11:22 - Sinickal's ten-minute tangential Galleria Mall story.

11:27 - First mention of Galleria Mall in the story.

11:28 - First carafe ordered.

11:33 - Andrea - Pepster's friend from college arrives!!!!

12:21 - Guy leaves the private room pictured above, which was right in front of our table, to go to the restroom.  He was wearing a t-shirt with a picture of Fred Sanford on it and the words, "You Big Dummy."  Pepster tells him, "Solid shirt!"  Sinickal then says to him, "I was going to say that!"

12:40 - Andrea learns the story of Southwestern Central!

13:02 - Andrea is hired as the Southwestern Central team psychologist!  After Sinickal explains what is expected of the position, Andrea remarks, "At least I will have future job security!"

13:07 - Something about the manager and a romper makes Tony a wee bit uncomfortable!

13:12 - Leaving Bosscat!  Great brunch.  Planning our next stop, Pam and Whitney state that they are "curtzying out!"  Andrea has to go as well.  Always great to see friends when travelling.

13:26 - Say our goodbyes, and Andrea asks where we are going because she could take us.  She has her "Mom Car!"

13:28 - Starts the car, and The Fly channel on SiriusXM immediately pops up!  We compliment her and she says, "I have to teach my son about good music!"

13:31 - 13:39 - Andrea tells us that all of her son's friends are afraid of her.  Sinickal says, "All boys are afraid of moms - except in porn!"  The conversation that ensues spreads to everything that a son should learn before going to college .  When we arrive at Little Woodrow's we all fall out of the "Mom Car" still laughing.

13:40 - So, we go back to Little Woodrow's in midtown (there seem to be about 40 Little Woodrow's around Houston), primarily because Sinickal thinks he left his card there Friday night.  We could have called to see if they had his card, but Sinickal says, "Gotta drink somewhere."

13:45 - Bartender finds Sinickal's card, after thumbing through about 40!  The crazy thing is at Little Woodrow's they run your card to hold open the tab, and return it!!!

13:54 - Discussion turns to the movie Bachelor Party when Pepster asks, "How was this NOT Tom Cruise's first Academy Award nomination?"  Without missing a beat Sinickal responds, "Because it was not Tom Cruise!"

13:55-14:15 - Watching the pre-game for the women's championship.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Redacted to protect the innocent.)

14:05 - Elle Duncan from ESPN putting on a pre-game SHOW!

14:13 - So, Little Woodrow's does not serve food.  They have a food truck parked out front - which is where Sinickal ordered his cheesesteak from Friday evening - and a guy that walks around with a tray full of wrapped tamales for sale from Pepe's Tamales.  Yes, my reach is that strong.  His shirt says, "If you want be happy - Pepe's Tamales".  This is not a typo.

14:21 - Kevin returns, hears the last sentence of a conversation with the remaining three of us just doubled over laughing, and says, "I've been gone 4 minutes!"

14:27 - We ordered our first couple of rounds of drinks from the bar before migrating to a table.  Our new waitress walks by.  Silas brings her into our soccer discussion.  He queries, "Do  you like English Premier League soccer?"  Her response, "That is a lot of words for 9 in the morning!"

14:32 - Kevin is talking about a strip club outside of Waco at which he and his wife had a - let's say interesting - experience one time.  Club was named "Buddy's BYOB."  Tony exclaims, "That's a farm!" [Ed. Note - Tony was correct.]  Kevin texts his wife to confirm the name of the place.  She responds immediately with, "It's is Sunny's BYOB!"  No questions asked.  Kevin notes that SHE wants the story to be accurate.

14:45 - Kim Mulkey - LSU's coach - shows up on court looking like Joe Exotic.

14:52 - Waitress tells us her name is Christina.  Sinickal asks her if it is the traditional Ukranian spelling or Russian.  She doesn't know how to respond.

14:53 - Tip-off!!!  This bar has become PACKED!

15:00 - Mike, Kevin's friend that lives in Houston, arrives.

15:07 - Someone remarks that Kim Mulkey will use a loss to Iowa as an excuse to recruit 12 5'7" white girls.

15:47 - We are pretty sure we found Jimmy Hoffa.  Tried to get a picture but couldn't.

16:08 - Woman wearing a denim jacket with a UCONN 1999 championship patch on the back.  Tony says, "That patch is old enough to drink."

16:10 - Prediction that if LSU blows this lead Kim Mulkey might say at the presser that black women don't have the mental fortitude to hold a lead.

16:11 - We notice that a whole lot of white people rooting for white women!

16:13 - Ke$ha comes on over the sound system and it made me remember a story from last night's dinner at Mai's.  Sinickal was telling a story that started, "I wake up in the morning" and Pepster immediately says, "Feelin' like P Diddy."  Pam decides that she is going to sing that song for the rest of the evening.  After the third time she starts - and every subsequent time - Pepster apologizes to the group.

16:16 - Shannon, Kevin's sister-in-law arrives.

16:48 - "If Kim Mulkey starts to cry, does her face melt?"

16:52 - While looking at Mulkey, Kevin says "That Tiger King/Tales from the Crypt" crossover is going to be awesome.

17:07 - We see Kemba Walker with Lady Gaga (or at least a reasonable facsimile!)

17:26 - Sinickal and Pepe get Tony in the door with some LSU fans!

17:30 - We explain Southwestern Central to these two women.  They love it and immediately inquire how long we keep up the charade.  We tell her that we always ultimately tell people because, "If you got got, it's no good if you don't know you got got!"

17:41 - Women say they are going to start their own school for next year!

17:45 - Same women decide they are going to start telling people that they graduated from Southwestern Central!  Stick 'em Scorpions!

17:49 - Sinickal:  "I have so much beer and water in me that I am peeing as a hobby!"

17:54 - Mike leaves.

18:12 - Sinickal goes to pay his tab and there are 3 cucumber peaches on the tab!  He has them removed.

18:26 - The ladies that loved our Southwestern Central story say to us as we leave, "We hope you win next year!"

18:27 - As Pepster and Sinickal are in the bathroom on the way to exit Little Woodrow's, a guy in the stall just yells out, "This feels good!"  We leave!

18:28 - Literally.  We leave Little Woodrow's.

18:33 - Enter Guy-Kaku for Japanese barbecue!

18:40 - When looking over the buffet-stye menu, Shannon remarks, "Where are we, in Kissimmee, Florida?"

18:54 - Waitress refers to Tony as "Sir."  Pepster tells her she doens't have to be so formal.  She asks what she should call us.  Tony says, "Asshole."  Pepster says, "Well, I am called that about three times a day - just at home!"  [Ed. Note - he isn't!]  She immediately asks, "Are we roommates?"

19:02 - Sinickal gets into a discussion chastising Kevin about his phone choice because Sinickal only believes in iPhones.  Turns into a big discussion regarding Samsungs and iPhones.  Kevin says, "I really want to argue with you, but I don't care!"

19:05 - Discussion about Kevin's wife for a bit when Shannon exclaims, "You are talking about her like she's not my sister!"

Lots of time just cooking and eating.  For those that are unfamiliar with Japanese barbecue, you pick from a number of items (in our case 37) some pre-cooked, like spring rolls and gyoza, some sides, mushrooms, edamame, white rice, and lots of versions of seasoned meats.  They just keep bringing little plates of different items to cook anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes each.

20:21 - Shannon starts talking about Neils Bahr, which we actually love and which she is surprised that we know, and pulls out tickets from a concert on Saturday featuring The Dan Band.  This immediately starts a conversation about the two main movies in which they appear, Old School and The Hangover.  We find out for the first time that Tony has never seen either.  Pepster calls him a Communist.

20:24 - Sinickal says, "We don't have to cook it just 'cause we have it."  Tony responds, "Yes we do.  These animals died for our sins!"

20:56 - Conversation about Shannon's suitcase.  She reminds us we are not talking about her baggage.

21:09 - Enter Coaches' Pub.

21:11 - Pepster tells the bartender that he can't drink anymore.  So he has a Lone Star.  He turns to Bulleit later.

21:12 - Shannon orders a Jameson.  They are out.  She orders a Bushmills.  They are out.  "How 'bout a Tully?"  "Out of that too."  "Just give me a whiskey!"

21:13 - Sign in the bathroom says, "Least drunk doesn't mean sober!"

22:01 - Six older guys just start singing Love Potion #9.  The song is not playing on the jukebox.

22:11 - Clown wearing a Texas Rangers polo going up and down the bar complaining about "Classless Angel Reese!"  Sinickal and Pepster immediately shut him down.  He slinks back to the other side of the bar as we gloss him "Walker".

So, to set the scene, there are 3, and only 3, sets of people in this bar.  We are one set, the older guys singing random songs is a second.  The third, which includes Walker, and about 6 other people that all either work at the pub, or are dating those that work there.  This becomes important later.

22:13 - Sinickal swears he is going to leave this tourney and turn to bulimia.

22:39 - Guy at the end of the bar just said, "Tumor, it's not a tumor" loud enough for everyone to hear.  Pepster tells the group, "He actually said that 21 years ago and it just echoed in the bar right now!"

22:47 - Somebody mentions the word Catholicism in a conversation between Kevin and Shannon.  Pepster, Sinickal, and Tony all immediately turn.  Shannon, noticing us, says, "It's a metaphor!"  Tony asks, "what's a metaphor?"  Shannon:  "Wouldn't you like to know?"

22:47:30 - Pepster says that there are a whole lot of Facebook shareholders that would like to know what is a Meta for!

23:18 - We decide we have to leave because Tony has an early work call in the morning.  We decide to just order 1 more while paying the tab.  Tony orders a Guinness!

23:38 - So, the jukebox has played a couple of different Disney songs, and one of the ones from Hamilton all in a row.  Pepster and Sinickal attempt to take control through their TouchTunes apps, but it is an AMI machine.  Too much effort to download the app and sign up the account to our cards, so we just try to bear it.  Next song is I Just Can't Wait to be King.  Kevin has to go to the bathroom, or so we thought.  He walks up to the AMI machine, and UNPLUGS IT!!!!

23:38:12 - Girl who played the song, follows Kevin back to us just livid that he unplugged her song.  She was from the group of employees.  Only person from that group that follows her up, is Walker.  [Ed. Note - Upon later conversation with a really huge dude that worked there, he told us he was concerned at first, but then saw how calm we all were that he realized he didn't have to intervene.

23:39 - She tells Kevin that she was going to pay our tab and we could go.  We tell her thank you for the offer, but we could pay our own tab and preferred to stay.  We figure out she is an actual manager of the place - but off duty and drinking this night.

23:41 - Kevin apologizes.

23:43 - She offers to buy Sinickal and Tony a shot.  They say, "Fireball.  What are you having?"  She says, "Vodka.  I can't drink Fireball - I have to drive home!"

23:46 - Hakuna Matata comes on the plugged-back-in and rebooted AMI machine.  Tony immediately says, "Who has a monkey?"  We don't actually know what Kim Mulkey would answer.

23:49 - Sinickal just asks them to please put on something good, like Earth, Wind & Fire.  Walker says, "Earth, Wind & Fire is fine.  I like them."  Pepster stands up, tells him not to ever call EW&F "fine" ever again, as they are the greatest band of all time!  Walker slinks back to his bar stool.

00:20 - Backstreet Boys come on.  We start a discussion of the best boy bands of all time.  Pepster initially says "New Edition."  Then, changes his mind as it is probably really the Beatles.  Sinickal first agrees, but then says, "Or Kriss Kross!"

00:31 - On the way home.

So, the most important part of the whole Coaches' Pub jukebox incident is that nobody, and we mean nobody, came to support the manager try to get us to leave.  And, her group consisted of employees and employee-adjacent people.  So that means, without actually doing anything except unplugging a jukebox, we immediately exerted control over a bar that none of us have ever set foot inside before.  But seriously, this was so funny.  Even some of the regulars understood exactly what happened for what it was, and were outwardly happy that the manager was stopped from playing constant Disney songs.

00:38 - Kevin tells us that after he unplugged the jukebox, Shannon asked him, "What the fuck did you do?"

00:41 - Tony goes upstairs to go to sleep.  Pepster says, "Peace up A-Town!"  Sinickal says, he is from Queens, it should be "Q-Town."  Kevin asks Sinickal, "Why do you think that was something you needed to correct?"

00:42 - Pepster ask if Sinickal felt Tony has lost a bit of himself since he moved from Brooklyn to Queens.

00:43 - Some brief tv to unwind, and then back to bed.

I Hate Gambling: The Block Pool Final Four Results

No time for pleasantries this morning. I hate life and I hate that I still haven't won anything in this damn pool. Here are your results from last night

San Diego St (Home) beat FAU (Away) 72-71. Marto Gonzalez is the winner.

UConn (Home) beat Miami (Away) 72-59 Jason Murray is the winner.

One more chance on Monday for all of us....

The Final Four Chronicles: The Semi-Finals

 Saturday, April 1

April Fool's Day, and more importantly - IT'S BASKETBALL DAY!  The Semi-Finals are tonight with San Diego State opening against Florida Atlantic, and Connecticut against Miami.  This is what we all came here for - to watch the games, but we also like to have a bit of fun, food, and drink.  There might be some strong language, but as journalists, sometimes we have to use the exact quotation where a reasonable facsimile doesn't tell the same story.  Here was our day ...

7:35 - Pepster rises.

8:59 - Tony awakens.

9:12 - Silas arises.

9:24 - Silas talks about how he loves living in a real city where he can go to a Cuban place and get tacos at 3:00 a.m.  Pepster says, "I call that my house."

9:31 - Discussing Caitlyn Clark and how she is so good and just toys with opponents.  Silas goes, can I add that "She's white?"  Pepster says, "Not if you are Isaih Thomas!"

9:45 - We hear rumblings of a dick.  [Ed. Note - "Dick" is Kevin's last name.]

10:00 - Kevin comes downstairs and he is already showered and dressed for the day!

10:04 - Kevin and Sinickal discussing some posts in their golf club's group chat when one of them says that a guy they know is "So trying to be Ryan White."  Pepster asks if he is trying to get a blood transfusion that kills him?  Everyone stunned that we all actually get this reference.

10:06 - Sinickal on his computer because he might "have to send something home tomorrow."  It's his anniversary.

11:00 - Sinickal talking about his LA-DCA-HOU flights from yesterday and complaining about flying Southwest says, "And on Southwest you have to sit next to some fat, sweaty person."  Pepster responds, "I'm right here!"  Sinickal replies, "I was talking about me!"

11:23 - We find out our house is basically next to a college campus.  Which college?  St. Thomas.  Pepster says, "I doubt that's a real college."  That is probably the last religious reference of they day.  [Ed. Note - it is not.]

11:41 - Uber to Goode Company Barbecue.  

11:50 - Inside Goode Company and their is a sign for "restrooms" posted on the inside of a side door looking out.

11:52 - Lady sporting an FAU shirt in line in front of Sinickal.  Talking FAU hoops with Sinickal she tells him that her friends with her live in Houston.  Sinickal then asks, "Are FAU graduates allowed to live anywhere but Boca?"

12:05 - Kevin dazes out a bit.  Tony tells him to "Always keep one ear to the conversation because you never know when it will go off the rails.  Great advice!

12:07 - Out of context sentence, but Kevin adds to the conversation with, "I don't get to speak a lot at home!"

12:20 - Sinickal again complaining about not being in a real city with real transportation, and Kevin responds with a statement about the DC Metro yellow line being down forever.  Sinickal says that he could just take the blue line.  Kevin answers with, "And just swirl around Rosslyn for an extra 30 minutes?"  Pepster adds, "Isn't swirl around Rosaline what Romeo did before he met Juliet?"

12:30 - We buy mid-level tickets for $65.  Usual price for upper-level seats is $200 to $220.  Tony says, for $200 they might let us coach.

12:45 - Leave Goode Company and cross the pretty busy 5-lane road to Christian's Tailgates.  Kevin gets a little gun shy and does not run when we do. (To be fair, an Impala turned onto the road and was gunning it.)

12:46 - Enter Tailgate's sans Kevin.

12:47 - We see Kevin, still on the other side of the street, light up a cigarette.

12:48 - Strong Miami contingent in Tailgate's!

12:49 - Kevin enters Tailgate's.  Good thing we didn't order him a beer (Lone Star) as he orders a Shiner Bock.

12:50 - Discussing Kevin's initial failed attempt to cross the street, Sinickal emphatically declares, "One Die, All Die!"

12:50 - Pepster askes the bartender "Villareal" - more on that later - if the owner's name is Christian.  She answers, "No, it's Alan."  Pepster then asks if only Christians are allowed in the bar or if they let in heathens.  Her response, "a couple!"

13:02 - Free jello shots!  Villareal says they may or may not be roofied.  Kevin says, "just trying to plan for the rest of the day!"

13:10 - Watching the Astros - White Sox game on television.  Sinickal is upset that they have "Chicago" written on their uniforms.  He says there is only one team in Chicago.

13:58 - Sinickal regaling us with some Hank Aaron stories.

14:20 - Kevin, who relayed the stories to the biggest Atlanta Braves fan he knows.  His friend replies simply, "What the fuck!"

14:22 - Villareal is wearing an Astros jersey with the number 07 and "Villareal" on the back.  Pepster asks if her last name is Villareal or does she just really like 2008 baseball.  She responds that its her last name.  [Ed. Note - Oscar Villareal is a pitcher that played in MLB from 2003-2008, including for the Astros in 2008.]

14:38 - Pam and Whitney arrive at Tailgate's!!!  Hugs all around.  For those that are not frequent readers of the Chronicles, Pam is one of Sinickal's college roommates from Syracuse, and Whitney is her wife.  They live in Houston.

14:39 - Pam's shirt reads, "I Sweat Champagne".

14:51 - Two women walk into Tailgate's.  One is in a dress with a baseball cap that reads, "Girls Are Drugs!"  We all concur.

15:27 - Simmons and Laura arrive, just as we are thinking about Ubering to the Stadium!  Simmons is Pepster's friend from South Florida.

15:28 - While greeting Simmons, an older lady at the bar taps Pepster on the shoulder to ask him to slide over a bit one-way-or-the-other as he is blocking her view of the Mississippi-Auburn softball game.

15:42 - Simmons asks Sinickal how long we are staying.  Sinickal responds "How fast can you drink a beer?"  Simmons replies, "45 seconds."  Then, Sinickal orders one last beer for himself.  Simmons goes, "How fast can you drink a beer?"  Sinickal says, "43 seconds."  Simmons - unbeknownst to Sinickal, starts the stopwatch feature on his phone and lays the phone on the bar.  While drinking and talking to us, Sinickal sees the stopwatch, picks up the beer and finishes it.  Simmons stops the stopwatch and says, "39 seconds!" Tony adds, "If they start unzipping, I'm outta here." Laura quickly quips, "I already know who is going to lose!" Uproar ensues.

15:43 - Uber to NRG Stadium.

16:01 - Simmons tries to trip up Pepster with some Houston trivia that he learned.  The question is, "what sporting event annually brings the most income to Houston?"  Knowing that this has to be something a bit unusual, and thinking of Houston, Pepster responds, "the Rodeo,"  Simmons is despondent.

16:15 - Arrive at NRG.

16:24 - There are way more Miami football jerseys than Miami basketball jerseys.

16:58 - After milling around the festival outside the stadium, we enter NRG.  Really easy ingress.

17:01 - While on the escalator, Sinickal starts his first, "Let's Go O-Range!" chant.

17:08 - FAU/San Diego State tip-off.  Radio silence during the game.

17:09 - OK, I lied.  This stadium is NOT EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE TO FULL!

17:38 - Sinickal looking around the stadium trying to see where all the teams fans are sitting says, "I hate it that both teams are red."  Pepster responds, "You know who else hated that the Aztecs were red?  Europeans!"

17:45 - During a time out "Tootsie Roll" blares from the loudspeakers, and they show pictures of fans in the stadium.  Not one of them does the Tootsie Roll.

18:00 - During halftime they announce the Hall of Fame inuctees for the Class of 2023.  Right now they are announcing the 1976 silver medal-winning US Women's Olympic basketball team.  Pepster says, "They would have been inducted much earlier if they had won the gold medal!"  [Ed. Note - when researching teams elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, the 1976 Soviet Union team - the gold medalists - are not listed.]

18:05 - They mis-spelled Dwyane Wade's name - IN THREE SEPARATE PLACES!!!  Pepster - a Miami Heat fan - is absolutely livid!!!  He has not been this angry at a Final Four since the Lexi Thompson situation in 2017.  If you want a refresher, here is where you can find out about THE LEXI THOMPSON SITUATION at the 18:16 mark.

18:08 - Watching the San Diego State dance team, Kevin remarks, "I don't think this was the safety school for any of them."

18:19 - Lady saunters down the aisle next to us and sits down with two guys two rows in front of us.  One of the guys looks and acts like his is uncomfortably out-of-place.  Kevin asks, "Why did that woman bring her coke dealer with her?"

18:46 - As FAU takes an 8-point lead, Pepster wonders if this is now the time to tell the San Diego State fans that the Aztecs played a primitive form of basketball in which the losing team was sacrificed to the gods?"

19:28 - SDSU - WOW!!!  Lamont Butler with a buzzer-beating to defeat FAU 72-71.

19:53 - They bring the students into the student section behind the baskets after clearing out FAU and SDSU.  UConn students rushing to their seats; Miami fans trickling in.  Pepster says, "UConn students rushing to support their basketball team, Miami students are still doing coke in the hallway!"

19:54 - UConn fan behind us, "I like that I went to UConn.  I didn't develop a coke problem until AFTER I graduated!"

20:15 - Miami-UConn tip-off!

20:42 - Sinickal asking UConn fans questions about some of the differences between the two schools playing, and the UConn fan says, "No comment."  Pepster and Sinickal rephrase their original questions, and UConn fan exclaims, "No comment on the no comment."

20:43:  Sinickal summarizes, "Your no comment on the comment is the no comment that I wanted on the comment."

20:44 - Discussing who Calcaterra of UConn reminds us of:  Pepster says Calcaterra is trying to be Donte DiVincenzo.  Sinickal says, "Grayson Allen!"  Pepster receives a message from his friend Jeremy that says, "Calcaterra is the Kirkland Brand Grayson Allen," and his timing was impeccable.

20:56 - Once UConn's Donovan Clingan is finished with basketball, he could always play Frankenstein's monster in a remake.

21:47 - Pepster sees a message from his friend Raj regarding the mis-spelling of Wade's first name.  Raj said, "Some employee is going to blame it on autocorrect.  Then some manager is going to replace the employee with ChatGPT!"

21:51 - Leaving NRG.  Yes, there are 11 minutes left in the game!  Egress was EASY!!!  Of course it is when the stadium is not full.

21:59 - In the parking lot walking to light rail and a guy is preaching to the crowd through the microphone, saying that we "Have to lose ourselves in him.  Lose ourselves to the Lord.  Lose ourselves to him."  Pepster says back, "You better lose yourself in the music, the moment. You own it, you better never let it go.  You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow.  This opportunity comes once in a lifetime!"  Crowd gets into it.

22:01 - Another preacher through a megaphone talking about his body this, his body that, your body this, my body that and Sinickal sings, "My body is a temple," while Pepster starts in with "Your body is a wonderland!"

22:14 - Leaving early has its privileges, as we don't have to wait for the light rail.  It is waiting for us and there is no line.

22:18 - Packed train and we ARE the entertainment.  Sinickal by the door on one side, Pepster on the other, with Kevin, Tony, Pam, and Whitney in between.  Well, Pam found a seat a bit away from us, but still.  Talking Houston sports since we are leaving NRG Stadium and Pepster comments that he "forgot Earl Campbell played for the Titans!"

22:20 - FAU guy asking at which stop he should exit the train.  Someone asks him where he was trying to get to.  Pepster answered, "He was trying to get to the Finals!"  FAU guy laughs.

22:23 - Sinickal and FAU dude have a conversation that none of us can hear that ends with, "Is somebody going to have to cut a bitch in the next 9 stops?"  Tony responds with, "Do you think you are the only one on this train packing?"  Pepster says, "Is Wayne Brady on this train?"  Neither Sinickal nor FAU dude were being serious.

22:28 - Sinickal gets into it with some UConn people talking about Syracuse being an actual basketball power.  Pepster reminds him that Syracuse is a former basketball power.  Sinickal's response of "Fuck you" has the entire train laughing!

22:31 - Exit train secure in our knowledge that everyone on that train would have said they wanted a quiet ride home if asked, not realizing they actually needing us as entertainment.

22:36 - At Mai's Restaurant - a 24-hour Vietnamese place.

22:39 - First bourbons of the evening.

22:43 - Mai's is REALLY GOOD!!!!

23:45 - Walk across the street to Wooster's for one last nightcap.  Old people are getting tired.  Pam says she is going home.

23:47 - Enter Wooster's for a nightcap. Pam is still with us.  [Ed. Note - Wooster's is a cool looking place with some damn good craft cocktails.  Pepster ordered a beer.

00:23 - Home!

The Final Four Chronicles: The Arrival

 

Friday, March 31

So 2/3 of the WeMakeItRain crew, and 3/4 of the Southwestern Central coaching staff, are travelling together for the Final Four.  Allison and Racecar once again choose not to attend.  This makes 2 years in a row, after two missed final fours in 2020 (Covid - canceled) and 2021 (Covid - rampant.)  And although Houston was nowhere near close to our favorite Final Four city based upon its performance in 2016, we are determined to make this a fun trip - and give Houston another chance.  This is a highly unusual Final Four - Connecticut, Miami, San Diego State, and Florida Atlantic - which could make this more interesting.  The fact that South Florida makes up half of the teams, coupled with the fact that we all know people that live in Houston, we are certain that there will be several guest appearances this weekend.  So, here we go with our arrival day.  [Ed. Note - all times are the local times in which the event occurs.]

8:45 E.D.T. - Pepster begins the drive to FLL, when Racecar texts him asking him to leave the mail key.  Pepster returns to leave the mail key.

9:01 - Kevin enters the Delta Sky Club in Reagan National and upon entering they thank travelers for being a diamond medallion member.  As he walks in the door, the person in front of him his taking a video for Instagram.  Kevin believes that person should immediately lose their Diamond medallion member status.

6:15 P.D.T. - Sinickal is waiting for an Uber at the JW Marriott in Los Angeles.  The Wrestlemania crowd has been wild for the last few days.

6:24 - Sinickal says he can't wait until we figure out how to weave seeing Ric Flair in a pink and black blazer yesterday into this.  (AND WE DID!)

10:21 E.D.T.  Tony, in LaGuardia, exclaims to us via text, "There should be a MFing test that potential travelers need to take and pass with a min score of 85% before being allowed near any airport!"

10:27 - Pepster - thankful that their isn't such a test - is in Terminal 1 at the Fort Lauderdale airport checking into his flight at the Southwest counter.  Pepster is flying Spirit.  This is not going to go well.

10:28 - Kevin texts us that "In 2022, I gave everyone a pass because of the pandemic, but we are all past that now.

10:29 - Tony responds, "So, what you're saying is that you lowered your standards and now we are all paying for such a mistake?!

10:29:30 - Kevin, "It's possible."

10:44 - Pepster walks to Terminal 4 to check into is flight on Spirit.  Has to sign a waiver understanding that his luggage may not arrive on the same flight.  After he completes his check-in, the agent tells him that he now has to walk back to Terminal 3 for his gate.  F'in Spirit.

11:16 - Pepster boards his Spirit airlines flight - and it is a BRAND NEW PLANE!!!  A few obvious Final Four goers on the plane as several people are rocking FAU and Miami gear (I mean - the plane is leaving Fort Lauderdale), a few UConn, including the couple in Pepster's row, 1 San Diego State, 1 Gonzaga, 1 Kentucky and a whole lot of people who do not understand the fuss over "baloncesta."

11:40 - Kevin, "I do admire people boarding this plane walking past open luggage slots as the attendants are announcing that it's full if you're seated past a certain row."  [Ed. note - this is textbook sarcasm.]

11:45 - From Kevin's plane - a male flight attendant yelled loudly on the topic of gate-checking bags because of the full flight, "I'm trying to tell them but they aren't listening to the words coming out of my mouth!"  Man, Chris Tucker has fallen on hard times.

9:00 P.D.T. -Sinickal has a double Woodford and soda.  Guy next to him nods approvingly and orders a double vodka soda.  And, we're off. 

12:11 E.D.T. - Pepster wheels up to Houston (50 minutes late so his bag better arrive on time too!)'

13:33 C.D.T. - Pepster arrives!

14:03 - While waiting (and hoping for his luggage) Pepster notices that apparently taupe is a popular color for luggage nowadays.

14:07 - After gathering his suitcase, Pepster heads to First Glass Bistro and Bar outside Terminal 1 security to wait for Tony.

14:20 - Three people at the bar are taling about somebody they know from some small town in upstate New York, and they then punctuate it by saying, "Upstate Upstate!  You know, because some people consider Pougkeepsie upstate!"  Pepster tells them, "And some people consider Westchester Upstate!"  All 9 people in the bar laugh together!

14:28 - Bartender turns the volume up on the television (it was inaudible previously) just as the video for Wham's Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go comes on.  Twenty-something girl at the bar starts snapping her fingers to the tune, which draws the attention of the 5 of us remaining in the bar.  She quickly apologizes.  Pepster tells her not to apologize, and to keep having fun.  She starts snapping her fingers again - after a sip of wine.

14:31 - Tony arrives!

14:48 - Tony arrives in First Glass.

14:49 - Tony tells Pepster that he does make it hard to find him as Pepster is sitting in the first bar stool in a very small bar but behind the one column in the place.

14:52 - Pepster and Tony toast with the first joint beer of the weekend.

14:53 - Tony exclaims that it is nice to be one of the early arrivals.

14:53:18 - Pepster tells him he is not early, he is a year late! Tony says "well, better late than never!" (paying a homage to Cheech Marin in Ghostbusters). [Ed. Note - due to bad weather and canceled flights - Tony was not able to make New Orleans last year.]

15:58 E.D.T. - Kevin tells us via text that he just saw Teen Wolf.  Not the movie Teen Wolf, not any of the actors that played Teen Wolf, but an ACTUAL teen wolf (primarily because of his - let's say overzealous - beard!)

15:58 E.D.T. - Sinickal lands in DC.  Dude is mowing people down trying to exit the plane first.

15:30 C.D.T. - Pepster and Tony head to the AirBnB!

16:12 - Arrive at AirBnB!  This place is pretty nice.  A new four-floor townhouse nestled next to some older houses and wierdly unusual sidewalks.  But the place is nice.  Check out this shower!!!

16:50 - Pepster and Tony walk the neighborhood a bit with the purpose of finding a liquor store for some supplies - primarily Bloddy Mary ingrediants - but also to see what else we have nearby.

17:03 - Pop into Chapultapec Lupita - a quaint looking Mexican place - for a beer.  There is no bar!!!  They serve yes, so we had a beer.  Felt bad taking up a table so we also grabbed a couple of tacos.  Robert Downey, Jr.'s Doctor Doolittle is playing on the television. [Ed: recommend the beef tacos.]

18:05 E.D.T. - Sinickal wiating for his Uber on Capitol Hill to go back to the airport.  Caught a smelly car - always the worst!

18:07 - Kevin receives word from his wife that some guy at their local bar just hit on her by asking if she liked sports.  Kevin asks us to guess that dude's favorite teams - it is the Cowboys, Lakers, Yankees and UNC.

18:10 - Pepster, "Your wife got hit on by Drake?"

18:19 - Kevin relays that his wife responded to the guy by saying, "So you managed to pick 4 dynasties at their collective low point?  Impressive!"

17:47 C.D.T. - Head across the street to the liquor store.  They don't sell vodka.  Well, they have one brand of peach-flavored vodka.  We decide to pass.  Good thing too, because they also only sold Clamato as their Bloody Mary mix.  Looks like we will be ordering delivery.

18:07 - Kevin wheels down.

19:45 E.D.T. - Sinickal hates the Southwest Airlines business model.

18:58 C.D.T. - While waiting for Kevin to arrive at the AirBnB, Pepster introduces Tony to The Seventh Floor Crew.  He had never heard the song before, but somehow was familiar with "G-Reg!"

19:22 - Kevin arrives at the AirBnB.

20:07 - In Uber to Gloria's.

20:14 - At Gloria's.  The restaurant is hopping, but plenty of seats available at the bar.  Right in front of the television for some Women's Final Four.  We realize we missed the first game, which LSU won.

20:17 - As South Carolina and Iowa warm up for their semi-final game, LSU's coach Kim Mulkey arrives for her interview wearing some big, flowy, showy, pink suit with what can only be described as arms made of boas?!  Kevin remarks that she looks like Bret "The Hitman" Hart.

As an aside, Silas was in Los Angeles for work, and due to his work's travel regulations has to fly home to D.C. before flying to Houston.  While in LA, he shared a hotel with the Chicago Bulls, and investment conference and the stars of Wrestlemania.  Among those stars was Ric Flair in a pink and black blazer.  Basically, looking like Kim Mulkey.

20:25 - The way this menu describes the burrito basically sounds like the voice-over introduction to a Tex-Mex porno.

20:28 - Sinickal on the ground in Houston - where the road ends!

20:47 - Tip-off to the most anticipated basketball game in the Final Four - South Carolina versus Iowa.

20:57 - Pepster notices that the lady 4 seats down the bar from Tony is still sitting by herself, despite the bartender having placed two napkins on the bar; one for her seat and one next to her.  We imagine that she is being stood up, probably thinking, "But I got all this surgery for you!"

21:04 - A lady walks in a greets her and they look remarkably similar - even in attire.  Kevin asks us, "Mother, sister or aunt?"

21:07 - Discussing the phenomenon that IS Caitlyn Clark ...  Kevin says she is basically Larry Bird.  We start discussing how good Larry Bird could have been had he not hurt his back.  Tony asks, "Do you know how he hurt his back?"  Pepster responds, "Running and twisting his way away from his daughter?"

21:13 - We remark that the ladies down the bar were probably attractive with their original faces.

21:15 - WE ARE WHOLE!!!

21:15 - Sinickal sees the group and screams WHO WILL SEX THE SILAS!

21:21 - We notice a guy directly across the bar from us wearing a UConn hoodie eating by himself.  We figure that he is the perfect embodiment of the State of Connecticut in that he was alone, and not really wanted by any of his neighbors.

22:18 - After leaving Gloria's to walk to Little Woodrow's and we hear music coming from a nearby establishment.  Tony immediately recognizes the song as a dance remix of Taylor Swift's Anti-Hero, and he is absolutely confused that Pepster and Kevin did not know the song.

22:27 - Enter Little Woodrow's.  This place is packed.

22:29 - Silas is on the ground.

22:38 - The DJ in Little Woodrow's just played a techo dance re-mix of Peanut Butter Jelly Time.  Kevin remarks that it is like triple-stamping a double stamp.

22:42 - Tony, noticing one of the big screens on the outdoor patio states that he wants a yard just to put THAT up.  I could watch it all the time and annoy the neighbors, and show scrambled 80s porno when not there.  Pepster tells him that when not watching it he could just show an ad for Kenny Rogers' Roasters.

22:41 - Iowa's McKenna Warnock goes down hard, and hits her head solidly on the court.  She immediately grabs her head writhing on the ground.  Pepster remarks that she is holding her head like it would hurt after debating Herschel Walker.

22:50 - Iowa wins!!!  Caitlyn Clark is THE TRUTH (sorry Paul Pierce!)

22:56 - We just found out that Little Woodrow's will not have turtle racing tonight, as they only have turtle racing on Thursdays.  Pepster says they could just turn some drunk kids on their backs and see which one stands up first.

23:23 - Pepster friend Rich Samuels from Palm Beach Gardens arrives at Little Woodrow's with his wife Jessica and friends from Houston.  His friend Measha from Houston is parking the car.  Rich, Jessica and Measha are all long-time participants in Pepster's NCAA Tournament Pool, although Measha did not enter this year because he "didn't have a printer!"

00:06 - During conversation about the Paltrow lawsuit, Kevin refers to her as "Gwyneth Orakpo!"

00:10 - Sinickal has a life altering cheesesteak at Little Woodrow's.

00:47 - While Pepster is at the bar ordering a round, the guy next to him - that has 2 Miller Lites and 2 bottled waters ont he bar in front of him - tells the bartender that he just wanted glasses of water not to pay for bottles.  The bartender takes the bottles (all 4 of them - including the Miller Lite) away, and tells him, "Just stand here, I will give you all your money back."  And she does.

01:20 - Pepster is giving his definitions of the 1-10 scale.  That he has a definitive rating system for just about everything is its own discussion.

01:25 - Completely out of context quotation, but still somehow funny.  "Not checking a bag is like leaving it in!"

01:36 - Uber home.

See everyone tomorrow!!!

You Can't Sell What You Don't Know: The Block Pool Elite 8 Day 2 Results

Are you excited for the Final Four? 

Ah, storylines. Every year I hear people talking about how refreshing it would be if March were truly madness. The tournament would be so much better if Duke wasn't winning every year and we got some new teams to root for. What about the Cinderella's and true underdogs? 

Well, you got it. And now we will see if that is what you really wanted. 

My guess is that you don't want this. I am heading to Houston this weekend for the Final Four, and I am going to guess that game tickets will not be that expensive and TV ratings won't be overwhelming. I mean, I think the ratings will be better than a LIV tournament, but that isn't saying much. 

There is a reason that four of the five most watched non-NFL sporting events of 2022 were the Alabama-Georgia BCS Championship Game, the UNC-Duke Final Four semi-final, the Kansas-UNC Final Four final, and Celtics-Warriors Game 6 in the NBA finals. Familiarity and sustained success matters, and people tune in to both root for and against "important" teams. 

In other words, congratulations on getting this Final Four.

Your tournament host is in Los Angeles this week and didn't get to watch much of any of the Elite 8 games. What that means is that I was spared having to watch Wooga Poplar make a free throw with 5 seconds left in the Miami-Texas game to take me out of the money. 

I. HATE. GAMBLING.

With that Emily Lawson continues her streak of winning a box in every round of the tournament so far. And for some of us, there are only three opportunities left. Here are the full results from the Elite 8.

Stakes double again on Saturday to 400 units per win. Good luck out there. 

We Should Appreciate Dominance: The Block Pool Elite 8 Day 1 Results

I was on a cross-country flight today with no live TV and poor Wi-Fi, so I didn't get to watch any of the two games today. Yeah, that Delta flight felt like 2021. It was that kind of day.

Anyway, I don't have anything to say about the games today except that when I went to look at the scores, the UConn - Gonzaga game really jumped out. The note for today is that UConn is pounding teams in this tournament. They have played only one team that wasn't supposed to be there by seeding (Arkansas) and the closest game they have played so far has been a 15-point win against St Mary's. In fact, St Mary's was the only one of four teams UConn has seen to stay within 20 points! This is a dominant run so far by UConn and no one seems to be noticing. Well, I am. 

I am still posting a goose egg in this tournament, and I may start lashing out at some people because of it. Results for Saturday's games are below.

I hate everything about this pool right now. 

Football Is Our Second Sport: The Block Pool Sweet 16 Day 2 Results

Well, that was interesting...

San Diego St, Creighton, FAU, Kansas St, Miami and Texas. All of a sudden, we are staring down a Final Four that will include three of those teams! This has been truly fascinating. 

So, what is my favorite storyline going into today's games? It is that Texas may be a basketball school! That's right, Friday Night Lights might as well be a story about a sweaty gymnasium just north of downtown Austin. 

Thank goodness for that I guess, because the football team is currently a mess. Given the money and resources the football program there has, it is sort of amazing that they have been no better than a middling program for more than a decade. This story is reminiscent of the 1989 University of Michigan basketball team that lost it's head coach right before the NCAA tournament and was led to a national championship by interim coach Steve Fischer. Granted, Bill Frieder didn't get charged with a felony in 1989, but you see my point. And Michigan football at the time? A middling program with a couple of bright spots through the 1980's and early 90's. 

I am a little hungover this morning so I don't really have a point here. You should trust this though. We are looking at a arc with the University of Texas that is familiar, and I am positive that the boosters there are not as happy as you think. Schools like Oklahoma and Michigan and Texas and Alabama (?) don't want to be basketball schools, they just want to be good at basketball.

I am still winless in this damn pool, and I am starting to get angry. For that, I am not even going to congratulate anyone today. Here are the f$#king results.

Point totals double again today to 200 per game. Good luck everyone.

Gambling Sucks: The Block Pool Sweet 16, Day 1 Results

I am working on deadline today at my real job, so no time for thoughts about last nights game. I will just say congratulations to Emily Lawson who is the only person in the pool so far to win a game in every round. Of course, this sucks because I am still shut out. Gambling sucks. 

Good luck in tonight's games

Don't Ever Bet On The Big Ten: The Block Pool Day 2 Results

I really have nothing smart to say about yesterday's action in the tournament. As usual, the first round produced a good amount of drama and surprises, but in the end we still have a lot of "blue bloods" hanging around. You might ask about Purdue losing in the worst tournament upset ever but if you know me, you know that I have never thought much of the Big Ten in this tournament (or at all). Afterall, its most recent national championship belongs to a team that was in the ACC when they won it and that happened 20 years ago. 

In other words, I have no faith in the Big Ten teams and you shouldn't either. Just set your money on fire if you are betting there. It is faster. Seriously, that slow, lumbering team with horrible guard play won a major conference? Seriously?

Anyway, the small money games are done, and Steve Hofmann continues to rack up wins. Also, a nice birthday gift for Adam Miller yesterday as he won two games. His wife Lindsey Parobek won one also. Actually, it was a good day for couples overall as Justin and Christy Nielson also won games. With that, here are yesterdays winners.

On to Round 2. Good luck everyone!

Your commissioner.

Virginia Is A Dumpster Fire: The Block Pool Day One Results

Just an observation from yesterday's games before we get to the pool results...

I should be congratulating all of you Furman fans, but I just can't. A heavily favored Virginia team underachieving like this should be the least surprising outcome of the tournament and we are only one day in. Historically, they seem to be destined to only one of two outcomes, a bracket busting early exit or the national championship. The fact that Virginia sandwiched a National Championship run in 2019 between two first round exits should be the subject of 30 for 30. That group is hot garbage! 

In their last eight appearances in this tournament, Virginia has been eliminated in the 1st round three times (2012, 2018 and 2021) and in the 2nd round two other times (2015, 2017). In more than 60% of their appearances over a decade, this trash fire is gone before the second weekend of the tournament. That program has been at wrong end of maybe the two most ridiculous and famous upsets of all time! Just an embarrassment of a program.

As for our Block Pool, it was a good first day for Bill Greaves, Matt Hopps and Steve Hofmann. Congratulations on multiple wins yesterday. The results for the first 16 games are below. Please let me know if you see something incorrect.

Home Team	Final	Away Team	Final	Winner
Maryland (8)	67	West Virginia (9)	65	Fuji Briscoe
Virginia (4)	67	Furman (13)	68	Adam Kemp
Missouri (7)	76	Utah St (10)	65	Matt Hopps
Kansas (1)	96	Howard (16)	68	Mike Lyons
Alabama (1)	96	Texas A&M-CC (16)	75	Matt Hopps
San Diego St (5)	63	Col of Charleston (12)	57	Nehemias Gonzalez
Arizona (2)	55	Princeton (15)	59	Steve Hofmann
Arkansas (8)	73	Illinois (9)	63	Bill Greaves
Iowa (8)	75	Auburn (9)	83	Andrew Neill
Duke (5)	74	Oral Roberts (12)	51	Bill Greaves
Texas (2)	81	Colgate (15)	61	Kwan Anderson
Northwestern (7)	75	Boise St (10)	67	Kevin Dick
Houston (1)	63	N Kentucky (16)	52	Caleb Huff
Tennessee (4)	58	Louisiana (13)	55	Steph Kerr
Texas A&M (7)	59	Penn St (10)	76	Steve Hofmann
UCLA (2)	86	UNC Asheville (15)	53	Matt Doherty

I will close with one more thing, my favorite Twitter exchange from yesterday

I freaking love this tournament!

Your Commissioner