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The morning begins with some non-sports thoughts.
Chuck Norris, famous martial arts protagonist/hero, and the man who played the eponymous lead on CBS’s series, Walker Texas Ranger, died yesterday at age 86.
So, what shall we do now? Wasn’t Chuck Norris the guy whom the sun sought permission from before rising, and other extraordinary powers like that?
We are now left with the death-defying duo of Willie Nelson (age 92), and Keith Richards (age 82). If these fellas go, who among humanity shall be able to survive a disastrous series of events?
In the meantime, the NCAA men’s, and women’s round of 64 championship tournaments launched this Thursday and Friday, respectively.
Nebraska – a traditional football power whose most recent gridiron seasons have been a struggle – put together a solid squad who picked up their first NCAA tournament win Thursday afternoon in the Oklahoma City venue.
This is – in relative terms – not as big a schlep as it would seem in this part of the country (approximately 455 miles, 6 ¾ hours), and their battle with Troy State University was in my recent memory the closest thing to a home game for the triumphant Huskers. The crowd was mostly a sea of red, and the fans were loud in a good way of course.
Indiana – conversely – is about two months past celebrating its first College Football Playoff national title after carrying the losingest record among Division 1 football programs, but the “basketball school” has come upon tough times in its signature sport.
I believe we shall not see teams like Ohio State nor Michigan viewing their trips to Memorial Stadium in Bloomington as a bonus (home away from) home game. Cignetti and his staff seem capable of reloading just as well as the two aforementioned programs.
IU even had a Husker-esque title season with a Heisman trophy to accompany the “Natty.”
They’re watching the postseason on television following a loss to Northwestern March 11.
This reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George Costanza (played by Jason Alexander) decided to do the opposite among all his future decisions while Elaine Benes (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) experienced a run of plummeting fortune.
Once again I am not filling out brackets this season. Just channel hopping and enjoying the panel between contests that include together or scattered apart: Jalen Rose, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley.
Of course, fellow 216 area code native Clark Kellogg facilitates the groups assigned to his table with CBS.
Thank Heaven with all the NBA and college basketball broadcast/analyst coverage and network shakeups these gentlemen have survived… and – dare I say – advanced?
We’ll see former TNT/current ESPN Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson when the tournament action moves to the Final Four.
A group of college hoopsters you’ll see on streaming, but not on national television – the NAIA Championship tournament – has its share of local and Crossroads League (CL) color. At least 9 teams among men’s and women’s championship round of 64 team berths hail from the aforementioned high-caliber league.
The survivors among those waking up yesterday morning were for the men – Grace College, and for the women – Indiana Wesleyan (10 seed), Spring Arbor (6 seed), St. Francis (IN – 2 seed), and top-seeded Marian University out of Indianapolis (1 seed).
This is testimony to the level of respect CL programs get from the assignment committees in the NAIA. Most NAIA conferences with the exception of an elite conference in the Great Plains comprised of many Iowa schools, get maybe two top finishers from their leagues.
There are many area athletes past and present who competed for these programs as well as the other schools I had not mentioned who were eliminated in the first two rounds before the Sweet 16 in Kansas City this weekend.
Catch some NAIA basketball action next year. Their conference games, which are the most exciting, usually land on Wednesday nights or Saturday afternoons among area programs. Their schedule conflict against your favorite high school program’s slate tends to be rare, and CL venues have great crowds.
Finally, we wish the Triton Trojans boys’ basketball squad the best in its two-game grind beginning at noon and ending Saturday evening if they advance from the matinee round. This is the second consecutive season Triton hoisted regional championship hardware.
Two of the four North semistate contenders have lost at least 10 games, but every Trojan will tell you not to sleep on those opponents’ won-loss records. Through years, Class 1A schools have carried won-loss records with double-digit losses, or something close to it because of their aggressive approach to non-conference opponents who get them tournament ready.
If you can make your way to Lafayette Jefferson’s massive gym, safe travels to you, and here’s hoping you have to hang around for the evening clash, too.
