Shortly after 12:20PM today, LSU and Butler will tip off in an 8/9 game that heralds the start of one of the best events in all of sport.
It's certainly not perfect. There will always be beefs about teams and conferences getting snubbed, the commercialization is a little over the top and that annual survey about lost workplace productivity is tiring and nothing more than a guess. Still, we love it and it's all the better when your team is in the field.
A sampling of the many reasons to tune in today:
- Will the Tar Heels hang a hundy on Radford?
- Can the Gophers spring the upset on Texas?
- Will Clemson do the world justice and lay a beat-down on Michigan?
- Does Akron spring the start of the Ohio school upset streak by taking down Gonzaga?
If the answers to the above turn out: meh, yes, yes, and yes, I know my weekend will be off to a good start.
Now, while some of you are fortunate enough to be able to watch the games as God intended (on a plasma with sodas and some snacks) those stuck at work aren't completely out of luck. The NCAA and CBS are making it easier and easier to catch the games online. This includes airing every game online and in HD and the handy widget you see to the right.
And if your network is blocking the games -- or worse yet, you're on the road, you could always spring for the iPhone app.
Comments
Did anyone else pick Ohio State to win it all? I tried to pick again them, but I just couldn't bring myself to do so. I'm such a sucker.
again=against
I know this is random, but there is something about jim nantz that makes me want to kick him in the balls. then when he is grabbing his nuts in pain, a swift uppercut.
haha...we're all homers in our own sense..but on a side note..can anyone get video from that widget? just getting audio sometimes with the windows media player kinda art thing going on
thanks for the awesome flashback...sodas, hahahaha
'able to watch the games as the God intended, on a plasma with sodas and some snacks'
I immediately thought of the awesome Chris Farley in Tommy Boy, when finding the mini-fridge in his office saying, 'you can fit 6-packs of Be-, uh soda in here'
so great to see my bracket in early tatters - I have the Manservants over LSU and the polygamists over the Ags. so far so bad. good to just blow it early and be done with any dream (or delusion) of winning a bracket challenge.
I can't believe what I'm watching in Kansas City.
doesn't calipari look like he's a maffia guy? death to all acc and sec schools
Memphis just put a scare into most people's brackets. I am running the office pool at work and I feel a little bad for the lady who had BYU taking home the title.
Georgia Buckeye - you are so right. I always think he is saying to his team in the huddle "someday I will call for you and you will come" in this fierce whisper...
Don't diss on nantz-greatest thing to ever come out of my high school in marlboro, nj
I'm here in Philly for the 4 games today...,lots of osu gear in the crowd good to see
The widget appears to be getting beat on. Hopefully they'll fix that soon.
Purdue is looking good early.
I too like Nantz too, meet hm here in Cbus during the Memorial one year. Down to earth and really personable. Plus he does a good job
Drunk already? ;)
LOL no doubt
Shhhh, don't tell the boss!
Man why couldn't Memphis lose, I have them in the final 8 but it would be great for a team crying about not getting a #1 seed to be taken out by a 15.
is everyone perfect with their bracket thus far? i know that only 3 games are over with, but i thought for a while that butler might be the first one that i got wrong. i didn't think cal st. could beat memphis.
2 out of the first 3, with purdue and maryland looking good as well. if all goes to plan ill be 6 out of 7 here in a little bit. missed the butler / lsu game.
I just hope the B10 kicks ass this year. Im so tired of the media not only piling on the football, but the bball too. I actually heard just the other day, the B10 has had a "down" year. We have seven friggin teams in the tourney for cryin out loud!!! Not only that but B10 teams have beaten and played well against the so called "big boys".
I think all these media guys have grown up watching their schools get trounced by B10 teams. And now the B10 is a little down they are taking every oppurtunity to get their shots in while we're down. A non-biased media is a thing of the past, these guys now are just a bunch of jealous immature litlle bitches.
Word
I'm missing Vegas right now.
Tell me about it. Next year, it's back on.
Digger Phelps is the basketball equivalent of Mark May. He just hates on the B10. Nice highlighter fucktard.
I did. I figure if I'm going to be such a tOSO/B10 homer, I might as well take the plunge..
Anyone else ready to get "Out of Hound"? I am, rocking the T and all. Memphis is going down soon.
Missed Butler and Miss State
My kids got to meet the entire Clemson team after a game - each one of them personally signed their program. My son has a friend who knows #5 - just a freshman - great kid. So I am rooting for Clemson because there is no way in hades I am even thinking for pulling for go blow blue. Who was hte cheap go blow who hit PJ?
I still want to punch Todd McShay in the face.
Novak clocked Hill
thanks its 8:19 and michigan still sucks
Jason, can you tell me how to get 11W fixed to my facebook homepage?
I dont care, Im pulling for scUM. I want the B10 to whoop some ass.
Northland beat Grove City 70-64
Congrats scUM you now get to be pummeled by Oklahoma.....I'm at this American Villanova game...AU lead by ten at half and continued to lead until 5 min left-great coaching by Jay Wright-im really concerned if osu was in novas place tonight we would not have won this game
i'm winning right now... that might be my last chance to say that so i'm making sure it gets out there now
well tied with alex and corey, i'll take what i can get tho
For state? sorry I am in ACC land now, and out of the loop...
Way to take each city's individuality out of it by having standardized court designs for each site, NCAA. Brought to you by the organization who wants to make excessive celebration in football reason enough to invalidate touchdowns.
nothing fun has happened in the NCAA's since 2006, is it so much to ask for a 12 or higher seed to win in the first round? IS IT REALLY SO MUCH?!?
Regionals.
I don't know about Sullinger, he is 300 lbs and had problems getting up and down the floor at times.
Corey and Alex suck.
The Big 10 does not need Western Jelly to upset the Illini
Man, do ALL the networks have a grudge against the Big 10. As Western KY slammed home a dunk they called Illinois the Big 10 Illini!
Sure - can you shoot me an email with the specifics of what you're trying to do?
jason @ eleven warriors com
illy will get their shit together, i'm not worried about them. i think as long as two out of MSU, purdorks, and us get into the sweet 16 the big 10 will be vindicated
or rather, illy, purdorks, and MSU. i don't think anyone expects us to beat louisville and siena seems to be a sexy pick for an upset against us anyhow
while not disagreeing that the media seems to hate on the Big Ten every board for every team says about the same thing... let's face it: the media hates everybody and does all it can to stir the pot and cause anxiety and unhappiness. it's their job (they think)
Even Duke? :)
I'm in Kansas and the prevailing feeling among the Big 12 contingent, is that they are ignored not hated on. There seems to be an animosity to the Big 10, compared to a disregard or discounting that the Big 12 fans feel.
Though I will concede that applies to Eddie Hightower. Every team in the Big Ten thinks he's out to get them. And they're all right.
uuuhhh you know what, take back what i said about illy. they might just be screwed.
The 'wealth has a chance to beat UCLA
Wow that game was slow and boring the whole way but what a great finish
Nice goin' Illini, thanks.
just watched the end of the illinois/wku game...
um, its too bad we can't get a decent ref for a tourney game. im not sure it would have changed the game but the illini fouled every wku player on the court 3 different times in the last 10 seconds before the refs called it.
i was watching the lakers play the mavericks the other day and jeff van gundy went on a rant about college refs that included, "you think the refs in the NBA are bad...the refs in college you can't figure out what a foul is from one minute to the next."
of course ed hightower would disagree.
the only one i got wrong was illinois. i judged that game off of the seeding. it should have been the other way around with western kentucky a 5 and illinois a 12.