The Final Four Chronicles: Day 3 - The Interregnum

 

It is the day off between the games, which is the most unpredictably fun day of the entire weekend.  No tip-off time, no specific plans.  We could do a little, or we could do a lot.  Who knows?!

07:30 - Pepster comes downstairs.

07:52 - Sinickal awakens.

08:14 - Tony rises.

09:45 - The Distinguished Gentlemen in on television. We always seem to find an Eddie Murphy movie on television, year-after-year.

09:57 - "Zeke, you sunbitch.  I'm runnin' around here crazier than a dog in a hubcap factory."

10:10 - "Except for this one.  That woman got her shoes back!"

10:27 - Enter Nola for brunch.  On time for our 10:30 reservations.

10:32 - Remember that our last Uber driver from the night before had her car just riddled with hail damage.  And driver discussing how her 18-yr old daughter bought a motorcycle before she even had a license.  And she made the daughter change the breaks, and re-paint it before she could ride it.  Which happened BEFORE she got her license.

10:40 - As we order our first course at brunch, Sinickal tells the waitress that Tony is going to need another fork.

10:44 - So, for our first round of drinks, Sinickal had a bloody Mary and Pepster, Tony and Kev-O had various types of mimosas.  Kev-O decided he needed a change and asked for a screwdriver.  It was then - and only then - that we learned Nola does not have a liquor license, only a beer and wine license.  Since the Bloody Mary obviously confused us, waitress explains that it isn't technically made with vodka, but with a wine-based alcohol, at 11 ABV.  Kev-O asks if he could have that "vodka" with OJ.  Waitress says she will ask "our very superficial bartender."

11:12 - Tony drops fork.

11:14 - We ask waitress for another fork.

11:16 - We ask waitress for another fork.  She says, "Oh, you were serious?!"  Believes we somehow manifested Tony dropping it.

11:34 - Leave Nola.  It was great.  Gumbo, Boudin Balls, Catfish Po'Boys, Fried Chicken and Collard Greens Po' Boy.  Almost as if we were in New Orleans.

11:39 - Enter River North Icehouse.  Turns out this is the sports bar in town where Barstool Sports hosted shows Friday and Saturday night.  Glad we weren't there then.  This place is HUGE.  It must have been a zoo!

11:40 - Tony orders a Topo Chico, and they are out.  Seems like everywhere is out of Topo Chico.  The stadium on Saturday ran out.  What is up with this town and Topo Chico?  Anyway, because of the Barstool parties, apparently this place was out of a lot, but not necessarily anything we wanted.

12:00 - We have the Chicago Bulls game on; the Valero Open on, the Washington Capitals game is on, and most of the bar to ourselves (for now).  This is the start to a good day.  We might be here for awhile.

12:20-12:45 - We have a way too long discussion on brothers in sports, and which brothers have the largest disparity between their talents and/or impacts on the game.  Conversation starts as Sinickal brings up Seth Curry, and just that no matter how good Seth really is, he can't live up to the talent/impact of Steph.  Kev-O points out that in Charlotte, Seth isn't even the second-most admired basketballing Curry, because of his dad, Dell.  As we are thinking of brother combos, most are pretty similar - the Barbers, the Lopezes, the Mannings.  Then we discover two of Rob Grokowski's brothers made the NFL.

12:53 - OVI BREAKS GRETZKY'S RECORD!!!  Alexander Ovechkin scored his 895th goal against the New York Islanders.

13:02 - Sinickal asks about Ovechkin's wife, "Is she capable of tears?"

13:03-13:09 - We come up with scenarios that would make the celebration more interesting:  (1) Ovechkin takes the microphone and praises Putin; (2) A Ukranian sniper somewhere in the arena looking for his shot; (3) Ovechkin just takes off his skates and pads and retires right then; and (4) Gretzky sucker-punching Ovechkin starting a brawl in which all the Capitals come onto the ice and all of Gretzky's old teammates come out of nowhere.  Spoiler alert:  None of those happened.

13:32 - The Houston Astros are on television now, Tony looks up and sees Ronel Blanco pitching.  "Funny, he doesn't look like a blanco!"

13:41 - We all have a discussion about Racecar!

13:57 - Lady comes up to the bar and orders three beers.  Bartender asks if she needs help taking them to her table.  She puts both hands around all three beers and says, "This isn't that big!"

14:16 - Tipoff of the Women's NCAA Championship game.

14:18 - Leader in the Clubhouse!

14:21 - Dude has been sitting next to Tony since we got here.  He hasn't looked up from his phone except to order drinks the entire time.  We feel his attitude is such that he was rooting for Duke last night!

15:16 - See a "Fudd Around and Find Out" t-shirt in the stands of the women's game.

15:18 - Azzi Fudd's mother's pheromones are coming through the television!

16:10 - The UConn |Huskies are your 2025 Women's National Champions - although this game has been over for a long time.

16:12 - We ask each other if there is a One Shining Moment for the Women's Tournament.

16:25 - We don't know if it is One Shining Moment, as we don't have sound - but it is a montage of highlights.

16:29 - This bar must have like a Royal Rumble type of schedule for its workers, as another bartender just seems to show up out of nowhere every 45 minutes.

17:35 - Leave for downtown/Riverwalk.  As we make our way to the parking lot, Kev-O receives an e-mail that our parking is about to expire.  Perfect timing.

17:52 - Enter Yardhouse.

17:53 - Our bartender is Jaime Jacquez, Jr.

17:55 - As Prince's Raspberry Beret comes on through the Music system.  Sinickal tells a story that starts, "One of the first stalkers I ever had ..."

17:55:30 - Kev-O states, "One of?"

18:43 - 3 Stalkers.  The total was 3 stalkers.

18:49 - Enabler!  Us to Jacquez.

19:10 - Young dude sitting at the bar next to Pepster didn't just outkick his coverage, he outkicked the coverage of everyone he knows!

19:12 - To Fogo de Chao!

19:14 - Enter Fogo.

19:23 - While waiting for our table, we notice that there is a button to press to activate the hood by the front door in case of fire.  Tony states, "Who knew that Fogo de Chao was uncircumsized?"

19:26 - Kev-O remarks, "I couldn't tell you the number of times I have made reservations under the name 'Kevin Parker'".

20:54 - Waitress asks if we might want some more food or look at the dessert menu.  Sinickal tells them yes, if they have a wheelbarrow to take us home.  Pepster immediately starts the company, "UBarrow."

21:41 - Head home from Fogo de Chao.  Yes, an early evening, but we ate A LOT!

The Final Four Chronicles: Day 2 - The Semifinals

 

Yes, we are here for fun and camaraderie, but it is all about the games - AND BOY WERE WE TREATED TO TWO GREAT ONES (at least the endings).  But, we will get to that.

07:00 - Sinickal awakens.

07:30 - Pepster comes downstairs.

07:42 - Liz, who was too tired to drive home last night, stayed in our spare bedroom.  She departs for home.

08:00 - Kev-O comes downstairs, all showered and ready for the day.

08:44 - Talking football and in somehow defending Bryce Young in that he just has a horrible team around him.  To prove it, Kev-O starts asking us (a) if we know who some of the players on their roster are; and (2) if we know where they went to college.  Pepster gets way more right (3) than he should have, but we went through like 20 people on the roster.  It is putrid.

0:900 - Nothing like a pre-10:00 Fat Joe reference.

09:45 - 8 mile is on, and it is the final rap battle scene!

10:12 - Everybody screaming "3-1-3.  Fuck Free World!"

10:30 - No Crossover:  The Trial of Allen Iverson.  Got to start off with a basketball 30-for-30.

11:00 - Heading to the Pearl for breakfast.

11:12 - Find $14 per 24-hour parking.

11:24 - Enter Southerleigh.  It turns out that Southerleigh received a Michelin Bib Gourmand.  And they are very proud of that.  Something "Michelin" is on every apron, and other accoutrements of the employees.

11:25 - See a Happy Hour table tent that advertises $1 wings.  Sinickal asks the bartender if those are available now.  Bartender says no, only on happy hour during the week.  Sinickal goes - well that was my next question.

11:42 - Tony drops fork, with sausage link still attached. Tony nearly jumped out of his skin trying to catch the falling fork. This was way funnier than it should have been.

11:52 - Our primary orders arrive (2 chicken and waffles, 1 sausage hash and 1 fried chieken-egg-cheese-bacon sandwich), and it is good.

13:03 - Tony comes back from the restroom and says, "You should never take a phone call while you are grunting in the bathroom."

13:05 - Sinickal and Tony's friends arrive, whom they know from "The Profession." Rozbeh and Krystina have their 2-year daughter Riley with them and although she is super tired, she is high fiving, toasting, and giving kisses to everyone. She is having a ball and so are we. 

13:25 - Sinickal relays the story from Krystina and Rozbeh's wedding of another of their geotechnical engineering friends, who asked Allison "Do you work outside of the home?"  Allison only is able to reply with, "Do you mean do I have a job?"

13:53 - A group of Houston fans walk in with a shirt that reads:  "Ready 4 more" - More what?  Final Four losses?

13:58 - Great discussion on the overrated academic credentials of the University of Virginia.

14:28 - Group picture before we all have to spilt up.

15:21 - Uber Ordered.  Not giving up this precious parking space.

15:37 - Driver immediately calls us to negotiate a route and a drop off point. He takes a weird route, but gets us really close to where we wanted to be in the Riverwalk!

15:41 - Holey Moley?  Kev-O asks.  "You mean like the Steph Curry tv show?"

15:41:15 - Yes, it is.  We are not here for indoor mini-golf, but they do have beer!

15:58 - Start our way up out of the Riverwalk and toward the Alamodome.

16:27 - Stop into Francis Bogside Irish Pub, one of a string a bars just a couple of blocks from the dome.  Turns out it is the Duke home bar.  Interestingly, the bartender only pours Kev-O, who is wearing his Kentucky shirt - a half pour.

16:30 - Sinickal walks out back to discover that Duke has used the patio areas in the back to link four bars together. All one big Duke bar. This makes Kev-O very unhappy. He doesn't need another reason to hate private equity.

16:34 - Discussed possible majors of some of the Duke fans we see.  That is all.

16:42 - Stop one Duke fan to ask, "Why are you wearing Carolina blue Jordans?"

16:43 - Tell another group of Duke fans to, "Not get cocky.  You only have Cooper Flagg for a few more days.  Maybe 1!"

16:49 - Discuss possible reactions by Duke fans if Kev-O makes, and wears, his "Christian Laettner was offsides" t-shirt.

16:54 - In Alamodome.

17:08 - In seats!!!  We are way up!

17:09 - Dude about 12 rows in front of us wearing a Harvard Jeremy Lin jersey.  Sinickal remarks that you couldn't even buy one of those when he was playing for Harvard.

17:10 - Tipoff of Florida-Auburn!

17:11 - Radio Silence for the first half.

17:11:05 - Pepster says, "A 7'9" guy would have won that tip!"

17:12 - Who are we kidding.  Kevin had this gem, "Is there a limit on ear size for males to be admitted to Auburn?"

17:13 - And, we found the blimp parking!

17:19 - From up here we can't tell the difference between Condon, Haugh, and Handlogten.  Chinyelu, though ...

17:52 - The McNeese State team manager comes up the stairs.  He is two seats in front of us and is a star.  We watched him take pictures with practically everybody.

18:39 - Auburn player flops.  Tony says, "Shoot him like a horse!"

18:57 - An older Duke fan was walking down the stairs.  He stops, puts on his sunglasses, and then puts two hands on the railing as he goes step-by-step, Kev-O asks if he is repelling.

19:49 - Florida wins behind Walter Clayton, Jr.'s 34 points and Alijah Martin's mesmerizing slam over two defenders.

20:25 - Auburn kids sitting next to Tony do not return to their seats for game 2.

20:26 - Tipoff Game 2.

21:19 - Kev-O, observationally, "Do they not teach college guys to wear a belt anymore?"

21:44 - On the concourse, Sinickal encounters members of the USA Basketball Under 19 team. They are trying to pick up some University of Houston students. Elite work from the young men.

22:43 - Put back dunk!!!!  WOW!!!

22:50 - HOUSTON WINS!!!

22:57 - As we are outside the Alamodome making our way off the campus, we pass an older guy with a really big Southern drawl talking on the phone.  he says, "They were crying like a little bitch!" Kev-O then walks into a pole.

23:04 - Head back to Francis Bogsides - Duke's home bar.  The bourbon tastes just a little sweeter.  Tony orders a vodka - ginger ale - with Duke tears!

23:42 - Head to Yardhouse, as it is the closest above-street access point to the Riverwalk.

23:43 - On our way out of Bogsides, Pepster starts a "Fi-re.  Shey-er!" Chant.

23:51 - Enter Yardhouse.  It is crowded!

23:52 - Exit Yardhouse.

00:09 - Pass by a Mobile smoke shop.  Think food truck, but for weed!

00:15 - Enter Dick's.

00:23 - We are in the streetside entrance, which has a bar for about 15 people.  Lots of Houston fans in this area of Dick's.  One of the particularly friendly Houston fans is from South Africa.  We tell him to take Elon back.

00:23:20 - "Elon is f'in American.  He is yours now!"

00:29 - White boy walks into Dick's wearing a "White Boy of the Year" hat!

00:57 - Acquiesce.  It's a big word like mayonnaise.

01:10 - Sinickal and Pepster explain the story behind Pepster's 2003 R. Kelly joke to Kev-O.

01:25 - Head home.

01:40 - Kev-O orders Taco Cabana breakfast tacos. Shooting for Bacon,egg and cheese. Uber Eats shows that the delivery person is on a bike. on the interstate. Shows up completely wrong order, but hey free tacos...