For a basketball nut like me, the first Thursday of the NCAA Tournament is like Christmas morning, Thanksgiving lunch and New Year’s Eve all on one day. In fact, I was so excited to get to work early to watch a full day of basketball in the office that I actually hugged my bus driver.
Here’s what happened next:
11:02 a.m.: As a preregistered VIP for the ncaasports.com Web cast, I am No. 353 in line to watch games online. There are 54,985 suckers in the general admission line. Damn, I’m cool.
11:03: My browser crashes, and I set the feed up again on a co-worker’s computer across the room. Damn, I’m a dork.
11:15: When Chicago guy Greg Gumbel talks, it’s like he’s his talking just to me. Magical. TIP IT OFF!
11:30: Got Seton Hall vs. Wichita State on one TV, UW-Milwaukee vs. Oklahoma on another. Using the standard and HD broadcasts. Not using pronouns. No time.
11:46: Ever sit at your desk thinking, “How could I smuggle a couch into my cubicle?” I’m so right there right now.
11:55: While tracking three games on five sources (two TVs, two computers and a cell phone) I think of our ancestors who were forced to follow one game on one TV way back in, oh, 1997.
12:15 p.m.: Another question: How much Diet Coke is too much Diet Coke?
12:25: Boston College tied Pacific 34-34 at the half. That’s the game I want, but it’s on my co-worker’s computer. It’s this simple: He needs to move his desk over here.
12:45: Just got an e-mail from my dad asking about visit this summer. Not now, Dad, not now.
1:03: E-mail alert! The arena for Alabama vs. Marquette was temporarily evacuated after bomb-sniffing dogs found a suspicious package. There’s today’s reality check.
1:45: Wichita State and UW-Milwaukee win, and Pacific just forced OT. Good thing I didn’t fill out a bracket, because brackets are for suckers.
1:46: OK, I confess. I filled out a bracket. Stupid Pacific.
2:11: Just got a press release trumpeting Duke as AOL’s “most searched school” this month and JJ Redick as the “most searched player.” Duke … never … loses.
2:50: Thanks to that bomb-sniffing dog, Marquette vs. Alabama just started. Sleeping bag–that’s what I forgot this morning.
3:15: No Bill Raftery sightings yet. It’s Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas from San Diego. It’s not like watching paint dry, more like listening to paint dry.
3:24: Instead of “blogs” cbssportsline.com has “glogs,” or game logs. Wish they’d call them “G-blogs.” Meanwhile, ‘Bama is shooting the lights out there.
3:40: Lunch = popcorn and Diet Coke. And forget that Diet Coke question earlier. There’s no turning back now. And it’s good to see Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl keep the flop sweating in check.
4:05: It happens every year. I find a kid and demand that he become a Bull. This year, Jean Felix is thy name. Five–NO SIX–threes!
4:18: HOLY MASSIMINO! WINTHROP TIED TENNESSEE! … AND TENNESSEE SINKS A SHOT WITH 2.9 LEFT … AND TENNESSEE WINS! AND WHY AM I SHOUTING?
5:15: Montana’s win brings an intermission after seven games. If I’m at the opera, I’m mingling in the lobby. But I’m not, so I order Thai food.
5:45: GAMES ON! It’s a bad sign when you’ve spent more time with CBS announcers than with your wife. Then again, if my wife were a CBS announcer, we wouldn’t have this problem.
6:17: A Washington Post story says some firms use software to block employees from slacking off and watching games at work, but I can’t finish the story since Iona vs. LSU is now under way.
7:01: Halftime score: No. 13 Iona 37, No. 3 LSU 32. Looks like Iona’s got
I-ONIONS! Boy, I miss my couch.
7:21: With Gonzaga trailing Xavier, a co-worker came by and said, “What did I tell you about Gonzaga?” And then with his head down, he walked away. That’s passion, people.
7:40: Illinois opens against Air Force in a near-empty arena as fans trickle back in past security. After a busy day, that bomb-sniffing dog should get a courtside seat.
8:09: Here’s a fun game: Assign tourney seeds in your life. For example, my car is a No. 6 against my 11th-seeded bike. Tough draw for my 15th-seeded cat, which faces my dog, a No. 2 with a real title shot.
8:21: NC-Wilmington and GW go to OT because, you know, there isn’t enough basketball on right now.
8:30: LSU wins. Water. I have to drink more water.
8:45: Stopped using the live Internet video. The brain can’t handle more than one game right now. Not only am I hallucinating that Tim Brando is sitting next to me, but he’s also hogging the Diet Coke. GW wins.
8:50: AAAH! Accidentally clicked espn.com’s NIT scoreboard. I’m OK, shaken but unscathed. Gonzaga wins. It’s like election night here, folks, with 67 percent of precincts reporting.
9:12: Illinois vs. Air Force was the only game on, then Syracuse vs. Texas A&M and Duke vs. Southern started. At this rate, Utah State vs. Washington tips off at dawn. Ugh.
9:34: “One Shining Moment” is on my iPod, but to play it before title night is a federal crime. Illinois wins. Jamar Smith is the real deal.
9:40: As San Diego State vs. Indiana rolls along, my wife e-mails me to ask if I want dinner. Sweet. Let me add that she sent the e-mail from our couch. Grrrr.
10:14: The games aren’t over, but I’m done. Not even 12 hours, but I’m losing feeling in my butt cheeks. Pitiful. I have failed you all. Thankfully, iTunes sells highlights. And, of course, I’m doing this again on Friday.
