Also known as: "The Last Tournament Breakdown you Need."
Check back daily as I'll be revelaing a new quarter of the bracket in the days leading up to Thursday's tip-off.
1. North Carolina – Love - I’ve had a soft spot for the Heels since they were still sporting the tar-on-heel logo due to the Jordan factor, but it’s tough to loathe a team that is the heaven to Blue Devil hell. Roy Williams’ arrival made things a bit more difficult, but still, they’re not Duke and that’s the ultimate recommendation.
16. Eastern Kentucky – Love – When Colonel Sanders is your mascot, and the Six Million Dollar Man went to your school, well, what’s not to love?
8. Marquette - Loathe - Have we decided on an official nickname for this team yet?
9. Michigan State - Loathe - It's not your fault MSU. Everyone on ESPN calls you Sparty and, for some reason, that drives me crazy.
5. USC – Loathe – As hard as it is to spurn the Song Girls, I cannot approve of their recent level of success in all sports. Nobody likes a winner.
12. Arkansas - Loathe - I've got nothing against Arkansas. 40 minutes of Hell was way more fun to watch than it sounds, but then you went and put "Hogs" across your rumps, ruining a perfectly fine uniform.
4. Texas – Loathe – Much like Notre Dame and THE OSU, I understand the allure. If I was from Texas I’d probably drive a burnt-orange pick-up. I’m not and I don’t. Like Georgetown, I have a feeling that they’ll be spent after their deep conference tourney.
13. New Mexico State – Love – Reggie Theus has done an amazing job with the Aggies, but it’s really nothing compared to his work with the Deering Tornadoes on Saturday mornings. I mean, they had a girl on the boys varsity team…in Indiana. Talk about tough.
6. Vanderbilt – Love – Another school on my second-life shortlist. Where was my guidance councilor when it came time to choose a school?
11. George Washington – Love – Another “the” school, I’m willing to overlook it due to the fact that the school’s official colors are Buff & Blue? All this time I thought they were gold, but it turns out that’s actually the color of buffalo leather. “Hail to the Buff & Blue” indeed.
3. Washington State – Love – Forget Wisconsin, Wazzu has their own creamery and produces their own brand of cheese: Cougar Gold. Mmmm.
14. Oral Roberts – Loathe – I often wonder what it must be like to be a student athlete at ORU. The school was founded by a televangelist and the students aren’t allowed to lie, curse, steal, gamble or “engage in illicit sex acts,” all things that are virtual requirements for athletes at any other school. Maybe if it was Fulton J. Sheen University I could get behind them, but not here. I’m holding out for Joel Osteen.
7. Boston College – Loathe – If you want major college athletics in Boston, the Eagles are your only bet and I don’t like that. This is probably another football reflection, but I don’t care. One thing in BC’s favor, they’re definitely the only school to have their fight song covered by the Dropkick Murphys.
10. Texas Tech - Love - Anything that results in a Bobby Knight press conference is definitely worth supporting. Break out the whips!
2. Georgetown – Love – Even the University doesn’t know what a Hoya is and somehow that’s reassuring. The most likely explanation is that it’s a combination of Greek and Latin terms, making the word “hoya” the most recognizable term in the Greekin language which, for the record, is second only to Spanglish in terms of linguistic mutts. Love those grey jerseys, but I have a feeling they may have peaked in the Big East tourney.
15. Belmont – Loathe – I don’t want to say that Belmont University has single-handedly ruined country music, but the school’s College of Entertainment and Music Business is probably one of the bloodiest. While Mike Curb didn’t attend, he is one of the university’s primary patrons and anyone who signed Nemesis Rising to a recording contract simply cannot receive my support.
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