With the new NCAA scheduling for Saturday and Sunday games, it is tough to get motivated for one game at a time after having mostly 3-4 games at a time throughout Thursday and Friday. Call it Vegas' s version of a letdown (because there really isn't anything in this town that is a letdown). Don't get me wrong, the anticipation for Sunday's Iowa and UNI games was enough to keep me going. Hell, being in Vegas alone was enough to keep me going.
Still, with the NCAA's new scheduling, a Kentucky/Cincinnati opener to begin the day was not my idea of scintillating television. I know, I know--any given team on any given day. But if Kentucky is going down in the tournament, it is not at the hands of Cincinnati. Or West Virginia. Or anyone, really, in the Midwest.
So we went to a dive bar off the strip. Money Plays. I highly recommend it. During broad daylight, there was no one there--video poker and the finest craft beer selection anywhere. And they comp'd the beer if you played. Go figure. It even refers to itself as a dive bar in its literature (website, menu, beer list, etc). Halfway through the game, two gentlemen came in and went to the other side of the bar. They were fairly outspoken which was a little annoying until one of them hit a Royal Flush for $1,000 and bought a round of shots for the house. We were basically what comprised "the house." Good start during a boring game.
Back at the casino, I sat at a video poker bar listening to a throng to my right and behind me cheering loudly for Notre Dame versus Butler. Due to the young age (can't believe I'm writing that) of the group, I assumed they were alumni. Squealing (yes, even the men) at every basket the Irish made down the stretch. Funny how that illusion was shattered when Butler made a meaningless dunk at the buzzer to shrink a five-point deficit to three, just under the spread. All of a sudden, the crowd dispersed. Very, very quickly. I'm guessing they liked Notre Dame but only to the extent the Irish could beat Butler by more than 4.5. Typical Vegas sports fan. Even the homers bet their team on a ridiculous spread. Which brings me to....
Me. And Iowa. And Northern Iowa. By the time Sunday rolled around, I was really, really ready to come home. The couple trips where I left on Sunday, I regretted it because I was in the air while games were being played. And they do not have betting windows on airplanes--even ones taking off from the legal betting state of Nevada. But staying until Monday is rough because at my age (again can't believe I just wrote that) the body does not handle a five-day Vegas road trip very well (save me the lecture--I am a frim believe of "when in Vegas...").
But back to me. And Iowa. And Northern Iowa. Of course, I took both teams against the spread. Truthfully, I didn't believe Iowa could win. But 6 points seemed like a lot to get against a Gonzaga team that had lost at home to BYU and played in the WCC. Silly me. The Hawks were so tired from playing defense against Davidson (who knew Fran had that "Defense" play in his playbook) that they couldn't even begin to repeat that level of effort against Gonzaga.
As for Northern Iowa, after having the life sucked out of me by Iowa, it seemed like a foregone conclusion the Panthers would crumble. And they did. The refs didn't help--UNI is a tough defensive team and when the refs call a close game, the tough defensive team is the one to suffer the most. It ended up being the kind of finish that makes you want to head to the airport before its even over.
But I couldn't. Until 5am the next morning.
Brutal finish.
Excellent trip.
Peace,
Reg
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