Hope you had a fun time.  See ya next year!  Mayhaps they suffered from "Just Happy To Be There" syndrome or Mayhaps they weren’t all that good (they did lose to us at home, afterall).  Either way, I’m happy with this outcome.  They made it to the Tourney, so that 6 Pac10 teams made it.  Go Westcoast Pride!  And they got embarassed.  Go Bears!  Win-win!

Also, Drexel fans can be happy.  They went ballistic when their team did not make it and the "Fraudinal" were Public Enemy Number One.  Given how poorly Drexel did in the NIT, it seems doubtful they would have done any better had they made the tournament.  Right below genuine success and victory, nothing feels better than indignant outrage and anger being vindicated.  It probably feels a lot better than the crushing disappointment that Stanford fans are feeling now (and Drexel alums such as my uncle and cousin would most likely feel had they made the tournament).  Really, a win-win for everybody!  

Except for Stanford!  Nah nah nah nah!  Nah nah nah nah!  Hey hey hey,  GOOD BYE!

GO BEARS! 

…but without Cal, I somehow don’t really care.

I mean, I care as a sports fan.  I love the thrill of the underdog upset, the nerve-wracking pressure of the single-elimation tournament, the cinderella celebration of victory by teams I’ve never heard of (oh, come on, like you’d heard of George Mason before last March…)

Still, since Cal has been effectively out of the hunt for weeks now (with only a brief glimmer of hope last Thursday night), this whole tournament kinda snuck up on me.  I didn’t watch Selection Sunday.  In fact, I haven’t filled out a single bracket this year for the first time in many years.  I’ll root for the Pac-10 teams (I wasn’t sure if I’d root for Stanford this year, but since the tournament’s about a half hour old and the Cardinal are already down by 20, I guess it’s a moot point), and of course root for the major upset (No. 13 Davidson (who?) is giving No. 4 Maryland all it can handle right now…), and I suppose I’ll watch the Final Four regardless, but maybe not.  I just haven’t been that into college basketball this season, and consequently, I hardly know who any of the players are.

I suppose I’m more of a Cal / Pac-10 fan than a college basketball fan, and that’s probably healthy.  Last year at this time, I got almost zero work done, instead watching the scores tick by on ESPN’s scoreboard page.  I mean, as someone who blogs about college sports, I already obsess about this stuff far too much, so I suppose tempering my enthusiasm somewhat lets me still lead a somewhat normal life (something I’m sure my fiancée appreciates).  College football only overtakes my Saturdays; getting into college basketball overtakes one’s entire winter.  Maybe next year.

(God, Stanford is getting embarrassed.  44-16 Louisville, and the first half isn’t over.  Should I revel in it?)

<Update 2:35pm> This tournament sucks so far.  Every higher seed has won so far, only 1 game (BC-Texas Tech) has been decided by less than 10 points, and that game by 9, and in the only game on right now, Vandy is up 43-14 on George Washington.  If you’re bored (like me), go read Bill Simmons’ running diary.  Hilarious, and much easier than actually watching the games.