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Knowing nothing about this year's March Madness men's "bracket" turns out not to be much different from being an "expert." Eight of the final 16 teams have been determined, and check out their seeds:
Washington - 11
St. Mary's - 10
Northern Iowa - 9
Tennessee - 6
Butler - 5
Baylor - 3
Kansas State - 2
Kentucky - 1
If the seedings had been right, nobody up there would be a larger number than a 4.
Comments (5)
How about that kid on Northern Iowa? His name is Ali Farokhmanesh and he was born in Pullman, Washington.
Kansas was pressing so hard North Iowa could barely advance the ball over half court.
Then when it was absolute crunch time, Ali shoots up a 3 with over 30 seconds left on the shot clock and drains it.
That was remarkable. Not Hoosiers last-second remarkable but remarkable in its own way. How do you have the courage to try that and not wait for the clock to force you to shoot?
It also marked the first time I bagged the TV game and watched a game on the computer. Not bad.
There was a 7-second differential between the shot clock and the game clock at that point, and he had been 0-for-6 from three-point territory in the second half. But they left him wide open, and he showed real guts.
I listened to the second half on the car radio, which wasn't bad, either. Whoever the guy is who called the play-by-play over there was really first-rate.
They always use the phrase "dagger three." Now, that was a dagger three!
It was extra-devastating because it didn't make sense. In some parts of Iowa, it would have been second-guessed harshly for the rest of the players' lives: "We had 'em. We were ahead, time was running out, then dummy here fired off a 3 with over 30 seconds left on the shot clock."
Yes, the guy was wide open, but even being wide open can lead to big problems with the nerves - especially as the team appeared to be folding under pressure with more turnovers than a pastry shop.
But this young man said, "I've got this" and launched. It was a classic case of, "Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid."
And along the way, the mighty Jayhawks fell. Unbelievable. We've all heard of Iowa, and Iowa State, but Northern Iowa? The Panthers? Does Iowa even have panthers?
That could be the most memorable upset, at least until something crazy happens today. But there is no doubt that it was one of the great dagger threes ever.
Games not over yet but under 3 minutes and 21 point differential, so number 12 seed Cornell will be in the Sweet 16 too. I'd love to see the Big Red take out Kentucky for a number of reasons.
Charamba, Douro 2008
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Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Grigio 2011
Avignonesi, Montepulciano 2004
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Purple Moon, Merlot 2011
Purple Moon, Chardonnnay 2011
Abacela, Vintner's Blend No. 12
Opula Red Blend 2010
Liberte, Pinot Noir 2010
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Indian Wells Red Blend 2010
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2011
King Estate, Pinot Noir 2011
Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010
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14 Hands, Hot to Trot White Blend
Familia Bianchi, Malbec 2009
Terrapin Cellars, Pinot Gris 2011
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Campo Viejo, Rioja, Termpranillo 2010
Ravenswood, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2010
Waterbrook, Reserve Merlot 2009
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills, Pinot Grigio 2011
Tarantas, Rose
Chateau Lajarre, Bordeaux 2009
La Vielle Ferme, Rose 2011
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Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir 2009
Lello, Douro Tinto 2009
Quinson Fils, Cotes de Provence Rose 2011
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Buenas Ondas, Syrah Rose 2010
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14 Hands, Pinot Gris 2011
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Atalaya do Mar, Godello 2010
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Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2009
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14 Hands, Hot to Trot Red 2009
Rodney Strong, Cabernet, Sonoma 2009
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Portuga, White 2010
La Bourgeoisie, Red 2009
Januik, Red 2009
Three Rivers, River's Red 2008
Kirkland, Alexander Valley Merlot 2008
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Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
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La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
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Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
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Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
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Laforet, Burgogne Chardonnay 2009
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
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Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007
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Neil Young - Waging Heavy Peace
Mark Bego - Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2012 ed.)
Jenny Lawson - Let's Pretend This Never Happened
J.D. Salinger - Franny and Zooey
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
Timothy Egan - The Big Burn
Deborah Eisenberg - Transactions in a Foreign Currency
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five
Kathryn Lance - Pandora's Genes
Cheryl Strayed - Wild
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The Brothers Karamazov
Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt
Road Work
Miles run year to date: 21
At this date last year: 52
Total run in 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269
Comments (5)
How about that kid on Northern Iowa? His name is Ali Farokhmanesh and he was born in Pullman, Washington.
Kansas was pressing so hard North Iowa could barely advance the ball over half court.
Then when it was absolute crunch time, Ali shoots up a 3 with over 30 seconds left on the shot clock and drains it.
That was remarkable. Not Hoosiers last-second remarkable but remarkable in its own way. How do you have the courage to try that and not wait for the clock to force you to shoot?
It also marked the first time I bagged the TV game and watched a game on the computer. Not bad.
Posted by Bill McDonald | March 20, 2010 10:01 PM
There was a 7-second differential between the shot clock and the game clock at that point, and he had been 0-for-6 from three-point territory in the second half. But they left him wide open, and he showed real guts.
I listened to the second half on the car radio, which wasn't bad, either. Whoever the guy is who called the play-by-play over there was really first-rate.
Posted by Jack Bog | March 20, 2010 10:08 PM
They always use the phrase "dagger three." Now, that was a dagger three!
It was extra-devastating because it didn't make sense. In some parts of Iowa, it would have been second-guessed harshly for the rest of the players' lives: "We had 'em. We were ahead, time was running out, then dummy here fired off a 3 with over 30 seconds left on the shot clock."
Yes, the guy was wide open, but even being wide open can lead to big problems with the nerves - especially as the team appeared to be folding under pressure with more turnovers than a pastry shop.
But this young man said, "I've got this" and launched. It was a classic case of, "Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid."
And along the way, the mighty Jayhawks fell. Unbelievable. We've all heard of Iowa, and Iowa State, but Northern Iowa? The Panthers? Does Iowa even have panthers?
That could be the most memorable upset, at least until something crazy happens today. But there is no doubt that it was one of the great dagger threes ever.
Posted by Bill McDonald | March 21, 2010 9:22 AM
Games not over yet but under 3 minutes and 21 point differential, so number 12 seed Cornell will be in the Sweet 16 too. I'd love to see the Big Red take out Kentucky for a number of reasons.
Posted by LucsAdvo | March 21, 2010 1:50 PM
and don't forget that St. Mary's is carrying the honor of the WCC into the sweet 16 . . .
Posted by umpire | March 22, 2010 5:38 PM