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It's Easter Sunday. At least if you're in a Western Christian religion. Did you know this is the earliest Easter has fallen on in your lifetime? Unless you were born before March 23, 1913 that is. If you are that old and reading this blog, good for you!
Easter won't be on March 23 again until 2160. And if we're still alive then, you can all come over to my place to watch the NCAA Tournament. Bring your own Soylent Green. And some dip.
The gory details about the debate to settle the date for Easter can be found here. (It involves St. Polycarp, often described as the patron saint of "The Far Side.") And there is an easy to use formula here.
Now that I've whetted your appetite with those exciting links, here's what's on tap for Sunday, all times PT.
9:10 am - #13 Siena vs #12 Villanova in Tampa (Midwest) - The Saints and the Wildcats get the spotlight to themselves early in the morning. Siena is a Franciscan school and Villanova is an Augustinian school. The winner gets Kansas.
11:15 am - #7 Miami (FL) vs #2 Texas in North Little Rock (South) - Longhorns looking for revenge for 1991 Cotton Bowl humiliation. The winner faces Stanford.
11:30 am - #7 Butler vs #2 Tennessee in Birmingham (East) - The Bulldogs are the last hope for the state of Indiana. Tennessee is not the last hope for the Volunteer State. The winner faces the other winner from Birmingham.
about 11:40 am - #13 San Diego vs #12 Western Kentucky in Tampa (West) - These two teams have actually played each other twice before. The Hilltoppers have the 15th most wins in NCAA history. San Diego is one of those schools you don't think is Catholic, but it is. The winner faces UCLA.
11:50 am - #10 Davidson vs #2 Georgetown in Raleigh (Midwest) - The Wildcats put the nation's longest winning streak up against a team that went to the Final Four last year. Billy Packer will mention the fact that Lefty Driesell used to coach Davidson about 15 times. Georgetown is a Jesuit school and also the only one of the 16 schools playing today that I've visited. The winner faces Wisconsin.
about 1:45 pm - #8 Mississippi State vs #1 Memphis in North Little Rock (South) - Will Mississippi State be the last Bulldog team to fall? Or will Memphis be the last Tiger team? The winner plays Michigan State.
about 2:00 pm - #6 Oklahoma vs #3 Louisville in Birmingham (East) - There is a Louisville High in Los Angeles which is a Catholic school. The University of Louisville is not a Catholic school. But just be prepared in case the school switches allegiances. The winner plays the winner of the other game that I couldn't say who the winner would play after they won.
about 2:20 pm - #9 Arkansas vs #1 North Carolina in Raleigh (East) - Rematch from the 1995 Final Four. Billy Packer will call Roy Williams "Roy" most of the game, but John Pelphrey will never be called "John." The winner plays Washington State.
There is a three-way tie for first in the Griddle's bracket's contest. Four entries are one point behind. Ham Fighter Nation has the highest number of possible points left.
2 Coach Howland has referred to the almighty twice in the last 3 weeks, after Westbrook's free throw against Stanford and on Collison's lay up that gave the Bruins their final go-ahead basket.
Just find that interesting considering you always knew that Coach Wooden was a religous man but that is a side that Coach Howland has kept to himself until recently.
Meanwhile, does that Nationwide commercial with the painters/windowwashers and the red car gtetting smashed up show one of the painters/windowashers comically falling to his death at the end?
If only St. Joe's had come through for me . . .
You didn't have to switch to the LDS just to avoid being in the same religion as Bill Plaschke and I.
http://tinyurl.com/3ah4xd
I think Maples Pavilion used to have floorboards that run the other way. Back when it was all bouncy.
http://tinyurl.com/3an93v
But think of the guilt! The guilt! How can you pass it up?
And let's compare the number of Catholic schools left in the NCAA tournament compared to LDS schools?
There will be at least two and possibly four Catholic schools in the Sweet Sixteen! In fact, we may have to call it the Benedict XVI.
Congrats, on having the control to not trip Plaschke.
Tackling people in church while going to receive Communion is frowned upon.
The priest also came from a country that started with an I. But it wasn't Ireland or Italy.
She really wanted me to take communion.
You may not like that either.
Or you can go to one of those upstart Protestant churches and they don't really care if you're a member.
Excuse, I've got to go work on my 96 theses. I'll show that Luther guy! I'll go one better.
It's Episcopalian. The netherworld between Catholicism and Protestantism.
Ahh, a doubting Daniel. You will not believe that I walked with Plaschke unless you can stick your hand in the wound in his side and put your fingers in the holes in his hands?
Are you and your family barricaded in your house for fear of reprisal from the Pharisees?
The latter pretty much lets it all hang out.
True to its teachings?
I'd go inside and find out, but since I don't have any tweed jackets, I stay out.
The Episcopal church had a big sign out for Ash Wednesday saying that there would be "Imposition of Ashes." Catholics just distribute them. We don't want to impose on anyone.
I have a brother named Thomas too. You know, the name means "twin."
How come there are no late games today as there were yesterday? CBS, what's wrong? "60 Minutes" takes precedence?
Which must not be a lot of fun for people in the 49th or 50th states.
Of course not, we're a humble people who would never think of interfering in anyone's lives.
You can barely tell the difference between a Catholic and a Quaker.
Didn't work out so well, but still, it's the thought that counts.
The family motto is "Can't somebody else do that?"
Then I remember that I can't even get them to do their homework.
Brock too, it sounds like. Fighting an old woman over communion doesn't sound like something a person who was headed in the right direction would do.
I would assume that those of us out in Southern California will get the Toreros vs Hilltoppers.
UCLA has never played WKU.
Should have been fired for that alone.
Reminds of me of the Braves in the NL West.
The year when Georgetown, Maryland, and one other school from the DC area (GW?) had to go to Boise made the NCAA rethink the whole idea.
Evidently Bobby Knight does not know more about basketball in his pinky then the rest of you combined.
How come the female cab driver in the Verizon baby is due commercial is wearing a hard hat? Couldn't Larry Bowa lend her a more attractive helmet?
I'm guessing that was Westbrooks worst game since he started playing competitive basketball.
Explain to me again how Bayless is a better pro prospect then Kevin Love?
The first cab driver isn't really a cab driver, she's a Verizon engineer.
Their logo is a red towel.
They also could've been the alternative fox hunting term - "gaters" - which would have just looked like a typo.
The evolution of the nickname "Hilltoppers" is obvious to those who have seen the Western Kentucky campus.
The operations of Western Kentucky State Normal School were moved from its forerunner, Southern Normal School, to a commanding hill on the southwestern portion of Bowling Green on February 4, 1911. The move was completed as the entire student body marched to the new site, carrying various articles of school equipment.
USD is on top of a hill also.
http://tinyurl.com/257xv2
We're Western Kentucky, we're the Fightin' Red Blobs on a Hill?
Lame.
Long Beach State had its appearance vacated too, but that was back when Jerry Tarkanian coached there.
Hey, here's a fun question for y'all - do you know what a Hokie is?
It's not pretty.
http://www.vt.edu/about/hokie.html
http://www.tailgatefever.com/Handler.cfm?action=WhatIsAHokie
I thought it was a castrated turkey, but Va. Tech will tell you otherwise. Either way, it's got a nice sound to it.
I also fear the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan.
Butler and Davidson within striking distance!
Exciting game.
That last thing of course just being speculation on my part.
I actually didn't have a lot of confidence Georgetown, but I picked them to go pretty far just so when they lost I could commiserate.
You can't be nominally non-everything, Bob. Some of us need guidance.
Not that we might want to see closer matchups.
I look forward to it.
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/recap?gid=200803220606&prov=ap
He would have wanted it that way.
Big East - 3
Pac-10 - 3
Big Ten - 2
Big XII - 2
ACC - 1
Sun Belt - 1
Atlantic 10 - 1
Southern - 1
C-USA - 1
SEC - 1
Packer and Vitale are both gnashing their respective teeth.
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