Finally--65 teams, 64 games

Those guys from Winthrop crack me up.

I DVR'd the selection show since I was busy watching the Wild take out the Avalanche once again at the X and the Winthrop guys have already mugged twice for the camera. Go to the ND locker room and they looked like they just found out their older sister was going to college locally and living at home. I smell an upset.

Things that make me warm and fuzzy?

1. Duke as a #6 seed.
2. Gonzaga beating Indiana in the first round. Again.
3. Dick Vitale's enthusiasm.
4. K-State being left out of the tournament. All that discussion on Saturday for nothing.

Things that make me want to poke out my eyes with a needle?
1. The annoying screeching noise every time a team was revealed on CBS (have they been watching FOX lately??)
2. The fact that they go to the trouble of ranking the #1 seeds 1 through 4 and then let the #4 seed play the winner of the play-in game. Huh? They need to go to bracket school because I thought the #1 overall seed was guaranteed playing the perceived "worst" team in the tourney. If that's Jackson State, they should be in the play-in game. End of story.
3. This is the fewest at-large bids for mid-majors over the past five years (10, 12, 9, 8, and 6). I finally agree with Seth Davis--it's bad for college basketball however, if they truly don't deserve it, they shouldn't get in.
4. When Billy Packer opens his mouth. (But then he likes Winthrop too! UGGGGGHHH!!!)
5. Butler and Old Dominion facing each other first round. Conspiracy theory??

Observations
1). Somebody's been giving Packer personality tips because he's been kissing mid-major butt this entire show. He loves Albany and pointed out their near miss against UConn in the first round last year. He challenged the NCAA selection chair on the fact that fewer mid-majors were in this year. And he was pretty much non-confrontational.

Will the alien who now possesses Billy Packer's body, please leave so I can have something to complain about?

2). I wouldn't want the selection chair's job for any amount of money in the world. If I did, I would have put Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, and UNI in the tournament just to create controversy.

3). Assistant Tournament Director Raap was doing report cards while I was watching the selection show and I caught her looking up several times. She plays this "innocent, I don't follow college ball and don't care who wins" card but, in reality, she's cagey.

4). Is there a way we can get Dicky V. on CBS to call the games on Thursday and Friday? At least he enjoys calling the games. At first, much like John Madden, it was a novelty act that was infectious at first but grew old after awhile. But then he didn't change, he didn't go away, he just kept at it and, at the same time, kept many people interested and excited about the games. Packer and Nantz call the games as if they've got something sharp in an uncomfortable place (and, at the same time, making us all feel the same way).

5). There's been more talk about expanding the tournament to more teams. I say no and the best argument I heard this weekend for it is that the conference tournaments are the extension of the Big Dance. Face it, everyone gets a chance in those conference tournaments--it was the only reason Iowa got in the tournament in 2001 by beating Indiana in the final.

Let's start the posts! What annoys you (other than my rants and diatribes)? Who is your favorite? Who is going to take the first shot at the Godfather?? (Not me---I know my place in the "family"). Who got left out?

The brackets are in your email...let the picks begin!

Cheers...
Reg