Sunday 2:17pm - Back in Business

Was the West Virginia-Wake Forest game one of the greatest tourney games over the past 10 years? Wake gets a 3 to send it into OT and then another one when needed to send it into double OT.

Have you noticed more than one mid-major team has a cheerleader with glasses? I guess the nerdy look is in at some schools.

West Virginia and Villanova (playing Florida right now) are the two Big East teams left...who would have thought that?

Anyone else looking forward to seeing the OC's Shannon Lucio (Lindsay) in Spring Break Shark Attack tonight? The made for TV movie probably gets promoted 10 times/game.

12:17am - Rough Night

1 for 6 in my bets tonight. The one that kills is that I had Geo Washington/Georgia Tech 147 and the outcome was 148.

Kansas falls to Bucknell in a shocker. What a night - Kansas (#3) and Syracuse (#4) both fall. Bucknell gets the Patriot League's first NCAA tourney win in history. I'd have to say that Kansas losing is an even bigger shocker than Syracuse losing, as many pundits were predicting a Vermont win.

Day 2 and round 1 is done. I expect to see some sunlight tomorrow, and I mean that in the literal sense.

Puffy MIA btw.

9:23pm - What a Finish

this was definitely the greatest block of games this year so far. Vermont stuns Syracuse in OT, McNamara definitely did not have a great game (4/18 from the field) culminating with a key turnover with 16 secs to go in OT. Wisconsin won by 5 in a close one over Northern Iowa and Louisville squeaked by Louisana-Lafayette by 6. Great games, great finishes.

I had the honor of calling play by play over the phone for Puffy, who if you missed it earlier was at a lacrosse game.

8:53pm

Vermont hasn't beaten a ranked team since 1950! They're leading by 4 with 4:09 to go in the game. That tidbit is probably as interesting as Niagara not having their own band and borrowing a high school band from the Tucson area whose school colours happen to be purple like theirs.

BTW, can anyone tell me what the weather is like outside? I haven't been outside in the last 2 days.

8:00pm - Puffy Weak

Pitino looking sharp, will he ever unbutton his suit jacket though?

Some close games at the half - Syracuse up by 4, Louisville by 1, Wisconsin by 8 and suprising with 5:38 to go in the 1st half, Duke is only up by 2.

Where is Puffy? That's been the recurring theme today. Well apparently he's at the Toronto Rock lacrosse game tonight. About as weak as getting tickets for a play on Super Bowl Sunday.

7:07pm - Don't Wake the Sleeping Giant

That was a great nap. Are these not the two greatest days every year for a sports fan? I say that cause I don't think I've changed clothes in the last two days and I've worn a hole in my couch.

Bets tonight:

Duke/Delaware St. Over 128.5
George Washington/Georgia Tech Under 147
Louisville -11/Northern Iowa +7 parlay

I've got to total up all my bets in the last two days but I think I'm up about $10

5:22pm

Nova stinks. Puffy had New Mex +5.5 and they couldn't cover. But props to the oddsmakers for setting the 2nd half line at New Mex -3, they obviously new something I didn't know.

Nap time, back in 90 minutes. These 12 hr days are killing me.

5:20pm

New Mexico flubbing their chances to close the gap. Danny Granger for 3 off rim, off backboard, off the rim again. Damn it! Down 5 with 26.1 secs now. This was my big 12 seed - 5 seed upset. Nova now 1 for last 6 free throws down the stretch.

5:02

Puffy: i'm getting fucked
Ho: literally?

the rest I can't publish. But nice cover by UCF, losing 77-71. Send the cookies to papa.

5:00pm - Puffy's alive

are you kidding me? Oakland just missed 2 layupsd for the cover
Ho: you're alive
Puffy: i had them by 27.5 and they lose by 28

New Mex making a furious run, down 42-33 with 3:58 to go. Come to daddy boys.

4:38

where is Puffy? where is the Laffer (Justin)? I was getting used to almost real time updates on his pool website.

one more question: does Boston Rob (Amazing Race via Survivor) annoy anyone else? is he going to get some of his own medicine soon?

4:26

2nd halves of the games underway. UNC blowing out Oakland (Michigan, not California), and oh my Lobos mounting a comeback - now only down 18 (do you believe in miracles?).

Puffy re-appeared but now MIA again...he's on the verge of being fired. Applicants please apply within.

Nice shot of the Saluki cheerleaders (even better in HD), go Southern Illinois!

4:10 - 2nd half spread?

wow 2nd half spread of New Mexico -4?? I wonder how they set these spreads? they expect New Mexico to come back strong after being stripped to their underwear and forced to walk off at halftime half naked?

this Puffy disappearance really has me worried...but a few of us have an idea what he might be doing....

4:05 - Puffy MIA

where is Puffy? MIA for the last 20 minutes. New Mexico getting thumped 34-11 at the half. My 2005 pool days could be numbered. But I got UCF +16.5 and they're hanging in tough.

BTW, I really miss my Picture and Picture function on my TV, where you can split the screen in two vs. Picture In Picture (PIP) where you get a little box in the corner. For some reason you can't do PAP with the HD box. HD is like going from black and white to colour...imagine when they get porn in HD?

3:45

Ho: in between commercials, channel XXX: man some of these movies from Eastern Europe are dubbed like the old kung fu movies. BTW, how can we import some of these ladies? oh sorry, I think we have already.

Announcers ask what's a Saluki? I was just thinking that myself.

3:35

Ho: thank god for Sportsnet or we'd have to suffer thru more commercials than necessary. looking fwd to my 5:25 nap for 1.5 hrs...these first 2 days are really gruelling....12 hr work days.

Villanova is killing me.

Puffy has been radio silent for a few minutes..is his pissed at my comment that I said he was talking too much? or is he "busy"?

3:30

Puffy: while dehnam brown is making a run at juan mendez for player to recieve most annoying phone calls from leo rautins in the next 3 months

Ho: is Leo Rautins really married to a --------?

3:28

Puffy: while southern illinois a dangerous tourney team is making me look good with a 12 point jump on Saint mary's not to be confused with st mary's
do you think UCF stud daunte culpepper is at today's game and if not, why the hell not

Ho: Lobos looking Loco now. (staring at Puffy across cyberspace) You talk too much man.

3:25

Ho: Love it too...greatest invention since the yellow line in the NFL?
Puffy says: couldn't agree more.
a bettors dream
nova up 10-2, 4 turnovers already, apprently new mexico is a 12 seed for a reason

Puffy - 3:23

don't you think charlie villineuva is the ugliest man ever to be on TV.
I'm loving this second by second ticker at the top of the screen.
1st 5 possesions for new mexico 0=for-2 and 3 turnovers, Ho not liking his parlay.

Ho: I need New Mex to win in a bad win for all my pools.

NCAA Running Diary (Eat this Bill Simmons)

Settings: Puffy in puffy daddy mansion, sans big teddy, Ho in his humble bachelor's pad (don't ask the last time it was vacuumed)

3:21 - Puffy: 16-4 in my bracket and just 1 sweet 16 pick on the sidelines looking to bounce back from a 1-3 rec against the spread in the early games. Ho: I was basically eliminated in one pool after the first set of games yesterday where I missread the rules and thought that you only get bonus points (based on the seed #) if the lower seed won, turns out the bonus was for any winner (favorite or underdog). Needless to say I took mostly underdogs and am wiped out. Not doing too bad in the Laffer's pool. (I love that name - Laffer).