LAWRENCE, Kan. – As CBS embarks on another NCAA Tournament, it is important to remember just how good they are at doing this event. Sure, they will miff some viewers by jumping around from site to site to update other games – the necessary evil known as “walking the dog” – but when your game is on the line, you can be sure you’ll see it live.
LAWRENCE, Kan. – What is it with male athletes in the Big 12 these days? Specifically, I’m talking about the Big 12 North. Okay, so to be fair, it’s hardly a trend. But being in the heart of Jayhawk country, it is definitely a theme that stood out immediately.
While the blogosphere is having mixed reactions to Deadspin’s rumor-based exposé on sex scandals involving ESPN management and talent, I was drawn to a different sex-related story on their home page, one about Chase Mejia.
To be honest, what caught my attention even more than “X-Rated” in the story’s headline was the mention of “Kansas State” in its description. That piqued my interest. Sure, I’m typically neutral with regard to sports teams, but I’m still a Jayhawk. I can’t help it.
After reading through Barry Petchesky’s post, I was led to a story on Herm’s Perm, posted yesterday. Already entertained by the header image and slogan, I read more about Mejia, who apparently attended the Herm’s Perm crew’s high school alma mater, Shawnee Mission Northwest.
ROSWELL, Ga. – As the 2006 NCAA Tournament enters its second week of competition, I will be in Atlanta, somewhere neither of “my teams” – the Kansas Jayhawks and Syracuse Orange – will be: the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. In the Atlanta bracket, a superior #12 Texas A&M team defeated Syracuse, an overrated 5 seed that only made the tournament because of its unlikely run in the Big East Tournament. Meanwhile, #4 Kansas was in early-season form, looking like a shadow of the Jayhawks that won the Big 12 Tournament the week before, losing to Missouri Valley runners up Bradley, an at-large 13 seed triumphant in the opening weekend. Bradley will play top-seeded Memphis in the Oakland regional semifinal tomorrow night. The early departure for the Jayhawks and Orange marks the second straight year that both 2003 finalists have failed to win their first round games.
ROSWELL, Ga. – Chalk one up for the BCS. This was the last year of the Bowl Championship Series’ TV contract with ABC, and without a last minute deal with Fox, we might have witnessed a change in the bowl system. Needless to say, the BCS is here for at least another four years. For all the criticism that the system has endured since its inception in 1998, however, this year it appears to have worked – more or less.
While the rankings may still need some work as a majority of top ten BCS-ranked teams lost their respective bowl games, the elite bowl games certainly lived up to expectations. As my trusty stat man pointed out to me after last night’s National Championship, all but the Fiesta Bowl were decided by three points, each with its own set of quirks. The Sugar Bowl had a huge lead and a subsequent comeback; the Orange Bowl was slow developing and mistake prone; and the Rose Bowl was an exhilarating neck-and-neck race of two tremendous football teams. Blowouts are no fun to watch, and this year’s games were infused with endless storylines and matchups that endured well into the final minutes of each game.