Game One was all about my heart and passion for the game, the players, and the teams. And my belief that all of that combined with team loyalty and integrity should outweigh the actual business of basketball. Let’s just say that in Game One of this Best of 3 series, the Business of Basketball completely annihilated The Love of the Game.

Game Two:  My, How the West Has Won

When I sat down and tried to figure out exactly why the thought of watching the NBA makes me roll my eyes and, I kiddingly said  “the Lakers always win so what’s the point.”

Turns out, that joking statement wasn’t so far off base.

Did you know that since 1991, 17 out of the last 21 seasons have been won by:

• The Los Angeles Lakers: 5
• The Chicago Bulls: 6
• The San Antonio Spurs: 4
• Either the Dallas Mavericks or the Miami Heat  (For the purpose of the post, they will only count as one team since they were both in the finals twice but both times, played each other and each won one game)

And, in two of those remaining four seasons, the Lakers were actually in the Finals, they just didn’t win.  So 19 out of the last 21 seasons, featured one (or more) of those four (okay 5) teams. In a league of 30 teams.

The only two years that didn’t were 1994 and 1995 when the Bulls were on hiatus and the Lakers…well, they didn’t really exist yet. Phil Jackson was still coaching the Bulls (but without Mike) and Kobe was in like junior high. So the Houston Rockets went on a back-to-back winning streak.

You think that’s bad? Just wait.

Let’s expand my earlier list to include the Rockets. And the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics.

Since 1980, 31 out of the last 31 seasons featured one of those 7 (8) teams.

Since 1980, 30 out of the last 31 seasons have been won by one of those 7 (8) teams.

Do you know how many different teams in the West have made it to the finals in the last 31 years? Only Eight.

And in the East, only 10.

Total Western Domination

If you like the Eastern Conference, at least your team has a chance of getting into the Finals. In the West, there is no point in rooting for anyone other than the Lakers, the Spurs or the Mavericks. Because no other team has even made it into the finals in 13 years, since the Utah Jazz in 1998.

The East has at least been kind of a crap shoot every year since the Bulls dynasty (A whole 9 different teams in the finals since 1999! Whoo!).

But what’s the point in getting excited about which Eastern team will make it through the playoffs and in to the Finals?  The West has been a total domination. The East Conference has only won the championship 3 times since 1999.

So it appears that my choices are to either:

1. Become a Lakers Fan
2. Don’t watch the NBA

And being that I was raised in a Celtics household in the early 80s, there is not a chance in hell of me becoming a Lakers Girl. Even if I loved the 90s Bulls and think Phil Jackson is God.

What I love most about it, is that the NBA seems truly oblivious of all of this. Every year come playoff time, they show those awesome NBA commericals that end with “The NBA Playoffs: Where Will Amazing happen this year?”

Really should change that to “Where in the West will amazing happen this year?”

Um. Probably in L.A. or San Antonio....

Stay Tuned, the final game in this Best of three Series is coming up next!

But last year, something started to shift. I began to realize it’s been a very long time since I’ve voluntarily put on a basketball game (March Madness excluded). Yet I live for Sundays in the fall. And you can put me in front of any NFL football game, any time, any where, and I’ll watch it. Even most high profile college games I’ll go out of my way to watch.

I’m not surprised by the shift. It’s been a long time since I’ve had love for the NBA. But usually when the Finals come around I’ll become interested enough to watch. But this year, I found myself turning my nose in disgust at the thought of having to watch it, which did surprise me. I was always the girl who could watch any basketball game, any time, any place.

So what happened?

When I sat down to write this post, I thought I knew where this story was going. I was all prepared to talk about why after March Madness I go on hiatus because of how loooooong the NBA post-season is and that’s why I lose interest. Which is why I don’t usually get into baseball.  And that since football is back, so is Stiletto Sports.

But then I typed that question “so what happened” and it made me really think. I kiddingly said “well, it’s because the Lakers always win so what’s the point since you hate them?”

I laughed. Then said, “huh….That’s kind of true.” So I Googled it. (By “it” I mean, “NBA Champions” not “why do I not like basketball anymore….”) And I think I finally figured what happened to my passion for basketball.

It can be best explained in a Best of Three Series of Posts.

Game One:

The Business of Basketball:

Back in high school (without disclosing my true age, let’s just say it was mid to late 90s), I was introduced to college basketball and March Madness. I was wowed by the passion and intensity that these kids played with. As if every game could be their last. Because to most of them, it was their last. As the commercials say, most student athletes go pro in fields other than their sport. Or some other cheesy version of that statement.

Then there was the NBA. Obviously skilled players. Duh. But, something really bad started to happen to the NBA in the ’90s. It wasn’t about the team or the players. It became all about money.

I grew up in a family in New York that inexplicably loved all things Boston during the Celtics Dynasty. It made me love the idea and the integrity of a TEAM and the team history. I was taught to love the players and the coach and the unit that they built together. To respect the rivalries and HATE that other team with all your heart.

I grew up in the era of basketball when team loyalty actually meant something.  I grew up with Larry Bird (Boston Celtics 1979-1992), Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers 1979-1992ish), Isiah Tomas (Detroit Pistons 1981-1994), Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls 1984-1998, minus his “I retire” years) Reggie Miller (1987-2005) and Patrick Ewing (New York Knicks 1985-2000).

Obviously, trading was not unheard of in in those days. But those team leaders and players wouldn’t dream of leaving their team, their city, their fans (and bad mouth them) to pack up and move to Florida to join their buddies on a team. Just saying.

I got my first taste of this trading business when B.J. Armstrong of the Bulls was moved out to Golden State. Then to Charlotte. Then Orlando. Then back to the Bulls. And suddenly, Scottie Pippen and Charles Barkley were teammates on the Houston Rockets.  While it wasn’t an actual rivalry between the Suns and the Bulls, there was definitely no love lost between them in the playoffs. And Pippen even wound up back on the Bulls. Patrick Ewing (who I don’t even care for) was uprooted from his team of 15 seasons and shipped off to Seattle. And how many teams has Shaq even been on?

It left a really bad taste in my mouth. And that way back in 2000. Things have not improved in the last 11 years.

As Jesse Dorsey of Bleacher Report said, ” The NBA is a  league in constant flux. Players are constantly going from one team to another more so than any other sport, as teams are constantly looking for that one player to get them over the top or get them preparing for their future.”

Instead of building an actual team with a history, loyalty and rivalries, it’s all about the quick fixes and big ticket money makers. Sorry, I don’t want to invest my time and loyalty into that fickle of a “business.”

Basketball might be a sport. But since the late ’90s, to me, it’s been a money hungry, greedy, boring business.

Stay Tuned! Game Two: My, How the West Has Won! is coming up next in this Deflated Hoop Dreams & the Business of Basketball Best of Three Series.

This year, Stiletto Sports is participating in the CBSSports Bracket Challenge and we’d like to extend an official invite to all the Stiletto Sports fans!

The bracket challenge is totally free to sign up, super easy to play and even easier to win!

Never done a bracket before? No problem! Check out our posts about Bracketology and then go have fun!

Yeah, there is some research to do, but I promise it’s lighthearted easy reading!

• Girl’s Guide to March Madness: How Brackets Work
• Bracketology 101: 11 Common Ways to Pick Brackets
• Advanced Bracketology: 5 dos and don’ts for filling out brackets
• Mascotology: what happens when a memphis tiger meets a missouri tiger (or in the 2010 version, a Clemson Tiger meets a Missouri Tiger)

If you really want to take the time to analyze all the stats and stuff, feel free. But…. if you would rather pick your teams based on the mascots, hot boys and school colors… then you have come to the right bracket challenge!

And if it’s your first time doing a bracket, feel free to ask us any questions! Shoot an email, leave a comment below or send a tweet on twitter to @stilettosportsJ.

The whole point is to get everyone involved in playing!

Oh… and the prizes!

The winner will get a custom designed shirt from Stiletto Sports in their favorite school colors! Plus a mug, keychain and bumper sticker!

How to Play:

Head over to: Stiletto Sports Bracket Manager (http://stilettosports.mayhem.cbssports.com/e)

Password: rockchalk

OR…. you can play with us on Facebook! Stiletto Sports Facebook Bracket Challenge

Oh, and anyone who picks KU to win it all, gets a cookie!*

*okay there is no cookie, I’ll be too busy watching the games to bake but you will be held in the highest regard!

It wouldn’t be March Madness without a few underdogs pulling an upset or two. But to have Butler, Northern Iowa, Cornell and St Mary’s, all lower ranked seeds, going to the Sweet 16 dance is practically unheard of. The other day I wrote a post asking, Will the Real Cinderella team Please Stand Up. I’m a sucker for a Cinderella story so I want to know which one is the true princess…er, prince….of the dance so I can officially declare my alligance to them in the tourney.

But the more I thought it these four underdogs heading into the next round, the more I’m left wondering, can too many cinderellas ruin the big dance?

I don’t think the Big Dance is ruined quite yet. In fact, I’m okay with the four teams going into the Sweet 16. Gives us all something to talk about. And you know millions will be tuning in to see which of the four manages to pull off the next round upset and declares “We’re the Cinderella Team, bitch.”

Afterall, don’t we all love a good underdog story? That’s why movies like Rocky, Rudy, The Bad News Bears, the Mighty Ducks, etc., capture our hearts.

But can you imagine if all four teams manage an upset and land in the Elite 8? It would be like watching Dancing with the Stars with the final four contestants as Jerry Springer, Cloris Leachman, John Ratzenberger and George Hamilton.

As it is right now, a quarter of the Sweet 16 can be considered Cinderella teams (and that’s not including Michigan State who was arguably last year’s Cinderella story despite being a No. 3 seed. They are back this year and again, no one expected much from them). Can all four teams really pull off an upset, probably not. But if they do….. Half of the Elite 8 would be underdogs. Might as well call it the Extra Ordinary 8 (please note that is Extra Ordinary not, extraordinary)

If it were to happen, the East Region would have Cornell against Washington for the Elite 8 matchup. Their own students wouldn’t fill their field houses for a regular season matchup of those two teams, why on earth would the entire nation tune in to watch it?

Al Dannity of Sports Interaction said it best. In fact, he took the words right out of my mouth even in his headline “Too Many Cinderellas Ruin the Fairy Tale”.

“If one of Butler, Northern Iowa, Cornell, or St Mary’s make the Final Four it will be great for Basketball. If all four do it would be nothing short of a disaster. A great tale of fantasy and romance has room for just one Cinderella at the ball.”

And this year…. well it kinda feels like Prom with all the Prom Court nominees in a catfight vying to be the Queen. It’s a total distraction from the Big Dance and it’s pulling everyone’s attention away from the rest of the hoopla (yes, hoop-la was a semi-intention pun.)

Plus, as Tom Van Riper from Forbes.com pointed out,

“It’s just that too many Cinderella’s dilute the story. The occasional upset is always fun and is part of the tournament’s charm. Plenty of fans undoubtedly got a kick out of Ohio University’s thrashing of Georgetown and Old Dominion’s squeaker over Notre Dame. But do most fans necessarily want to see Ohio U. and Old Dominion a round later? No, they want to see Georgetown and Notre Dame.” 

Think about it. What if the glass slipper fit Cinderella, all her step-sisters and her step-mom? It would have been a totally different story, that’s for sure!

My only hope as we go into the Sweet 16,  is that the real Cinderella takes the throne and the others fall. I do hope one makes it through because like I said, we all love a good Cinderella story!

***Update: Butler decided to throw their princess crown into the Cinderella of the Dance Competition as they took down Syracuse. Yes they are a No. 5 seed, but they took down a No. 1 to the shock of , pretty much everyone.

Which means we have Butler and either Kansas State or Xavier representing the West Region in the Elite Eight…… That sounds…..swell……

*photo from Broadway World

I’m a sucker for a good Cinderella story. I love the come from behind, little unknown teams that make a run for the championship. Don’t we all? I mean isn’t that why we all tune in every year with our brackets clutched in our sweaty palms as we hold our breaths during the last second shots?

It’s certainly not to see teams like Kentucky or Syracuse dominate the opposition by 2o points, even if we did pick them in the brackets and have them in the Final Four.

No, we watch for the underdogs. We wait to see who will be the Cinderella team of the year that will shock everyone. Typically in March Madness, a team is a Cinderella if they are seeded 10-16 and they somehow advance to the Sweet 16.  And there will always be one. There is always some team that wins when all odds were against them and takes down one of the best, most powerful teams in the country. And we all gasp in stunned disbelief, even though it’s what we were secretly hoping for all along.

But what happens when there are four teams?

When the dust settled after the first two maddening rounds of the 2010 NCAA Tourney, it became clear that there was going to be a big problem: too many Cinderellas in this Big Dance. In fact, a quarter of the Sweet 16 can be considered Cinderellas.

So I  gotta ask: Will the real Cinderella Team please stand up? Or I suppose, which Cinderella will the glass slipper fit….

Is it…Cinderella-Cornell: the No. 12 seed who beat No. 4 Wisconsin by almost 20 points in the second round when before this year, they had never won a single NCAA tournament game, ever.

Or maybe it’s Cinderella-Washington, the No. 11 seed that knocked off No. 3 New Mexico to the shock of, well, everyone.

Is it Cinderella- St. Mary‘s?  They would make a great Cinderella. Afterall, they are the No. 10 seed virtual unknown who took down No. 2 NCAA tourney powerhouse team Villanova.

Or, perhaps it’s Cinderella-Northern Iowa? The little No. 9 seed that came out of nowhere and took down not just a No. 1 seed, but the No. 1 seed of the entire tournament, the Kansas Jayhawks.

I’m sure the real Cinderella won’t be crowned until after the Sweet 16 dance is over, but I’m casting my ballot for Northern Iowa. Yes, they are the highest seed of the four but like I said, they took down the No. 1 seed.

Cast Your Ballot for this year’s Cinderella of the Big Dance:

[poll id="39"]

Determining who is rightfully this year’s Cinderella Team isn’t the only problem. Tune in tomorrow to find out if Too many Cinderellas Can Ruin the Big Dance!

The tournament tipped off with the Florida-BYU game that went into 2OT and the weekend ended with a Texas A&M-Purdue matchup that went into OT. And somewhere in between the beginning and the end, four double digit seeds (ok 3 double digit and one No. 9 seed) advanced to the Sweet 16 and are battling out to be the Cinderella of the tourney. And the No. 1 seeded team of the entire tournament was taken out by that No. 9 seed, busting everyone’s brackets wide open.

After over 42 hours of basketball in four days, we get a three day hiatus to contemplate our picks for the Sweet 16 which tips off on Thursday, March 21. True, your brackets are already locked in for your office/internet pools. But CBSSports offers a Round by Round game that you can enter. And if your bracket is as busted as mine, most of the teams you picked aren’t in the Sweet 16 so it’s time to pick new teams!

Here’s a rundown of all the teams that made it into the Sweet 16 and their matchups. As the week goes on, I’ll do some in depth looks at some of the key points of the next round but this all the basics that you need to know to help you pick who you want to move on to the Elite 8!

South Region

No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 1 Duke

Duke

• ACC Champs
• Location: Durham, North Carolina
• Nickname: Blue Devils
• School Colors: Royal (Duke) Blue and White
• Coach: Coach K, Mike Krzyzewski
• Fanatical Fans: The Cameron Crazies. You do not mess with these people. They will f&%$ you up.
• Rivals: UNC. It’s known as the Tobacco Road rivalry and is quite possibly the most famous war in sports.
• Players to know: Kyle Singler, Jon Schever,

Purdue

• Big Ten
• Location: West Lafayatte, Indiana
• Mascot: Boilermakers
• What is a Boilermaker?: It’s actually an old slang term for engineering. Pretty interesting story
• School Colors: Old Gold and Black
• Coach: Matt Painter
• Players: Chris Kramer. Yum.

In My Brackets: Chris Kramer is so hot that he’s actually made me like Purdue. I didn’t think that was possible! I was screaming my head off for them at the end of the nail biting game, only to remember that I actually didn’t pick them in any of my brackets. But even though I’d love to see Chris for a few more weeks, I’m still going to go with Duke for my boy Mark!

No. 10 St. Mary’s vs. No. 3 Baylor

Baylor

• Big 12
  
• Location: Waco, TX
• Nickname: Bears
• Mascot: Bruiser and Judge. also have two black bears named Joy and Lady
• School Colors: Green and Gold
• Why you may have heard of them: In 2003. Player Patrick Dennehy was murdered by a  former player becuase of a shocking illegal recruiting/drug scandal.

St Mary’s (College of California)

• WCC
• Location: Moraga, CA
• Nickname: Gaels (formerly the Saints)
• Mascot: Gael Force One
• School Colors: Red and Blue
• Fame: They just took down the No. 2 seed in their bracket, the powerhouse Villanova.

In My Brackets: Eh….. Um….. Eh….Well, since I picked Notre Dame to go to the Sweet 16, I’m kinda screwed no matter what. But St. Mary’s is not my favorite Cinderella team out of the bunch of princesses (princes?) in this big dance. I really wanted Villanova to advance to take on Duke so I’m a little ticked at that upset. I think I’m going to go with Baylor here.

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East Region:

No. 12 Cornell vs. No. 1 Kentucky

Kentucky

• SEC
  
• Location: Lexington, KY
• Nickname: Wildcats, Big Blue
• School Colors: Blue and White
• Fanatical Fans: Called “Big Blue Nation” and “Big Blue Mist”
• Coach: John Calipari
• Fame: The winningest program in college basketball. Also credited with beginning Midnight Madness, the night that kicks off official start of NCAA college basketball practices.

Cornell

• Ivy League Champs
• Location: Ithaca, NY
• Mascot: Big Red (apparently, from looking at the logo, Big Red is a scary Teddy Bear)
• School Colors: Carnelian Red and White
• Coach: Steve Donahue
• Funny Facts and Legends: “According to legend, if a virgin crosses the Arts Quad at midnight, the statues of Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White will walk off their pedestals, meet in the center of the Quad, and shake hands, congratulating themselves on the chastity of the University.” -Wikipedia

In My Brackets: Kentucky. I don’t care about all the crap surrounding John Calipari. He is one of my favorite coaches and has been for years. I don’t really like Kentucky, but I like him! Cornell is the lowest seed that advanced to the Sweet 16, which gives them Cinderella rights. And they totally beat the crap out of Wisconsin to the shock of…well, everyone. But as much as I would love for the little guys to pull off another upset, I just don’t see them being able to take down the Big Bad Wildcats.

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No. 11 Washington vs. No. 2 WVU

Washington

• Pac-10
  
• Location: Seattle, Washington
• Nickname: Huskies (used to be the Sun Dodgers because as Twilight fans will tell ya, that area is the rainiest, least sunny area in the country!)
• Mascot: Harry the Husky. Also, Dubs, an Alaskan Malamute similar to a husky is known to make an appearance….
• School Colors: Purple and Gold
• Fan Section: The Dawg Pack
• Coach: Lorenzo Romar
• Claim to Fame: The Huskies like to take credit for the invention of the ultimate crowd reaction “The Wave.” Rumored to have been created in October 1981 in a game against Stanford.

Western Virginia University

• Big East
• Location: Morgantown, West Virginia
• Mascot: Mountaineers
• School Colors: Old Gold and Blue
• Coach: Bob Huggins
• Roll out the red, er, blue and gold carpet: The team gets to walk down their very own VIP carpet during home games! Oh and John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” is like an unofficial school song.
• Players to know: Da’Sean Butler and Joe Mazzulla

In My Brackets: Hmmm….. very interesting. WVU just barely beat Missouri. While Washington took down No. 3 New Mexico as if the Lobos were a crappy seed instead of team expected to dominate the tournament. Ya know, I’m think I’m going to pledge my loyalty to the Huskies here. But I reserve the right to change my mind over the next few days as I carefully weigh all the factors. WVU’s Joe Mazzulla and Da’Sean Butler are very sexy…..

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West Region

No. 5 Butler vs. No. 1 Syracuse

Butler

• Horizon
  
• Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
• Mascot: Bulldogs
• Student Fan Section: The Dawg Pound
• School Colors: Blue and White
• Coach: Brad Stevens
• Claim to Fame: The final championship in the 1986 movie Hoosiers was filmed in Butler’s basketball arena!
• *** This is a great little team to root for. Once a virtual unknown, in the last decade, they have really made a name for themselves as a regular in the NCAA tourney!

Syracuse

• Big East
  
• Location: Syracuse, NY
• Nicknames: Orange, Orangemen
• Mascot: Otto The Orange
• School Colors: Orange….. are you noticing a theme here?
• Coach: Jim Boeheim
• Home Court : The Orange play in the Carrier Dome–I’ve even heard of it! It’s the largest domed college stadium in the country. My school had a dome. It was small.
• Players:  Arinze Okanadu (Jonny Flynn, last years key player is now a player in the NBA on the Minnesota Timberwolves)
• Fame: VP Joe Biden

In My Brackets: Syracuse. Even with Arinze Okanadu injured the Orange have had no problems dominating through the tourney and Butler looks like one more little hurdle on their road to the Final Four. Butler on the other hand struggled with UTEP and almost lost in the final seconds to Murray State.

No. 6 Xavier vs. No. 2 Kansas State

Xavier

• Atlantic 10
  
• Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
• Nickname: Musketeers
• Mascot: “D’Artagnan the captain of Musketeers of the Guard” and also, The Blue Blob. Um. Okay.
• School Colors: Navy Blue, Grey, White
• Coach: Chris Mack
• Rivals: Cincinnati Bearcats. They play each other in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout

Kansas State

• Big 12
  
• Location: Manhattan, KS
• Nickname: Wildcats
• School Colors: Purple and White
• Coach: Frank Martin
• Rivals: Kansas. They even have a Sunflower Showdown between the two teams
• Famous Alumns: Michael Beasley, Miami Heat

In my Brackets: Eh. I think it’s a safe bet to now bet against all things Kansas after KU’s disasterous loss to UNI. I’m going Xavier. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth to think about rooting for Kansas State if KU is not in the tourney too.

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Midwest Region

No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Ohio State

Tennessee

• SEC
  
• Location: Knoxsville, Tenn
• Nickname: Volunteers.  That’s just plain weird. Also shortened to just Vols
• Why?: Because Tenn is known as the volunteer state. The people are historically known to jump in and fight any war, from the Revolutionary War to the Civil and even the Alamo. Which was in Texas.
• Mascot: Smokey IX the Bluetick coonhound
• School Colors: Orange and White
• Coach: Bruce Pearl
• Song: the official fight song is “Down the Field” but the most popular request for The Pride to play is “Rocky Top.”  I personally would request “Tennessee” by Arrested Development. Or “Tennessee Line” by Chris Daughtry

Ohio State

• Big Ten
• Location: Columbus, Ohio
• Mascot: Buckeyes
• What the heck is a buckeye?: It it Ohio’s offical state tree. Hmmm….
• School Colors:  Scarlet and Grey
• Coach: Thad Matta
• Facts: Ohio State fans scare the bejeezus out of me. They are CR-Razy and die hards. They rival Florida’s Gator Nation for “peeps you don’t want to hear you talking smack about their team.”

In My Brackets: Well Tennessee took down one Ohio team already……..  Ohio State actually struggled with Georgia Tech a bit where Tennessee rolled right over Ohio. But Ohio State is not Ohio. They are going to play hard. Even though Tennessee’s creamcicle looking sneakers are one of my fave things about the tourney (if they were to win the whole tourney I really think someone needs to make a commercial that says “it’s gotta be the shoes….”) I’m still going to go with OSU.

No. 9 Northern Iowa (UNI) vs. No. 5 MSU

Northern Iowa

• Missouri Valley
  
• Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa
• Mascot: Panthers. The actual mascot, TC (The Cat) Panther is award winning. But I have no idea what awards….
• School Colors: Purple and Old Gold
• Claim to Fame: Been ranked “best in the Midwest” by the Princeton Review a lot
• Coach: Ben Jacobson
• Fun Tradition: ” The UNI campus comes alive Friday night of Homecoming week each year. At the stroke of midnight, students flock around the tower to sneak a kiss from a long time lover or someone you just met.” Wikipedia
• Fame: They just took down the No. 1 team in the entire tournament Kansas. In fact, UNI lead almost the entire game.

Michigan State

• Big 12
  
• Location: East Lansing, MI
• Mascot: Spartans
• School Colors: Green and White
• Coach: Tom Izzo (for shizzo)
• Players: Kalin Lucas, Derrell Summers, Delvon Roe
• Claim to Fame: They have won 2 Championships. The most notable was the 1979 game that pitted Spartan Ervin “Magic” Johnson against Indiana’s Larry Bird. Perhaps you have heard of them? That win fueled the rivalry that extended into the NBA with Magic on the Lakers and Bird ont he Celtics.
• A Cinderella Story: Last year MSU were the Cinderellas in the Big Dance. They made it all the way to the championship against UNC!

In My Brackets: I…….. geez. This is like when someone asks me to choose between cheese and chocolate. Or McDreamy and Josh Jackson. Those kind of intense decisions make me freeze up. Here’s the problems.

• MSU beat KU last year in the tourney yet went on toe become my last year’s Cinderella Story.
• UNI beat KU this year in the tourney yet is now going on to be my this year’s favorite Cinderella Story.
• Erik’s team is MSU and I have spend 42 hours in the last 4 days watching basketball at his house.
• UNI is Nic and Luke’s team and they are both very hot boys (this is not to imply that Erik is not a hot boy. He is too!)
• UNI’s Ali Farokhmanesh is a cutie patootey with a sick 3-point shot that does funny things for me, even though his shot was the nail in KU’s coffin. But his name has a KH and an M strung together with no vowels. That’s just crazy.
• MSU’s Korie Luscious sunk the 3-pointer that won the game against Maryland at the buzzer. And he is hot too. And his last name looks like it’s lush-iss even though it’s pronouned loo-shush.

What do you think? Who should round off my Super Sweet 16? MSU or UNI? Leave a comment below or shoot me a tweet @StilettoSportsJ and let me know your thoughts!

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By this point in the tourney, we’ve all watched well over 1,000 commercials since there seems to be a commercial break every 20 seconds at the end of a close game.—and there have been a lot of really close games! For this week’s Sunday Funday, it’s time to look at the best and the worst commercials and ad campaigns of the NCAA Tournament!

The Best:

Miller Lite

Hands down, Miller Lite wins the NCAA March Madness Best Commercial Shootout. No one else even comes close! Even though we have seen the commercials no less than 50 times in the first four days of the tourney, they have yet to get old. In fact, we find outselves cracking up laughing more each time it airs. The campaign is based on man’s inability to express their real deep emotions….except when it comes to the important things in their lives: like beer.

My absolute favorite commerical is the Miller Lite “Ditto” one where the guy and his lady are in a picnic in the park and he is gushing about how much he loves his Miller Lite but when she asks why he loves he, he can barely articulate it. The actor totally makes the commercial. And the “I love all your teeth” is priceless!

Honorable mentions for best March Madness Ad Campaigns/Commericals:
HP/Beats Audio

Featuring Dr. Dre and some British/Aussie Guy. Truly hysterical. Every time the British/Aussie guy goes “Bitty Bitty boo, yeah, yeah” we laugh till our sides hurt.

ETrade Babies:

They will always top my commercials list. I love their Super Bowl ads and they make me laugh every time.

The Worst

Southwest

Southwest, on the other hand, totally dropped the ball. Considering they are a huge sponsor of the tourney and their ads have aired during almost every commercial break during every single game for four days, you would have thought they would have poured some money into their campaign.

Instead we are stuck watching the exact same commerical over and over and over….And yes, it was funny the first three times we saw it. But it got old real fast. They should have come up with a few variations and it would have had so much more impact!

Honorable mention for Worst March Madness Campaigns/Commercials:
Coke. Maybe it’s just me, but for the last year or so, it’s starting to seem like the ad directors for Coca-Cola are actually on Coke. Or acid. The commercials get weirder and weirder. And are starting to make me think if I drink Coke I’m going to start having crazy hallucinations.

Planter’s Peanuts: Same thing as Southwest. If you are planning on showing the same commercial over and over and over to promote a great feature or a brand new product, you better make sure it’s damn funny. Not just “funny the first time you see it”

Taco Bell “New Shrimp Taco:” First let me just say that it’s not just the commercial that sucks. The whole idea of a shrimp taco from Taco Bell is totally nauseating.  I can’t think of anything I’d like to eat less than that. And I eat a lot of weird stuff. In addition to my notes for Planter’s Peanuts, if you are going to launch a new product and show the same commercial over and over to promote it, you might want to make sure the product isn’t absolutely disgusting and makes people want to vomit every time they think about it. (For the sake of all my viewer’s stomachs I will not be posting this video. Makes me queasy just thinking about it.)

Capitol One: But then again, I haven’t liked a Capitol One commercial since they started using those Viking people as they “mascot.” Totally don’t get the commercials. At all.

Do you agree? What are you fave commercials of the tourney or is there one that you truly can’t stand? Leave me a comment below or send me a tweet @StilettoSportsJ

How did you do in your brackets? I didn’t do as well as I did last year when I went 28-4 going into Saturday’s games but, considering I did my brackets in literally, 5 minutes, I’m not mad.

Now, it’s on to Round 2! For the Lucky 32 I’ve given a complete breakdown of all the teams and their matchups. Oh, and I threw in my bracket picks too so you can see how I’m doing!

Who do you have advancing to the Sweet 16? Leave me comment or send me a tweet @StilettosportsJ and let me know where you stand!

NCAA March Madness Round 2 Matchups: South Region

No. 1 Duke vs. California/Louisville

#2 Duke

• ACC Champs
• Location: Durham, North Carolina
• Nickname: Blue Devils
• School Colors: Royal (Duke) Blue and White
• Coach: Coach K, Mike Krzyzewski
• Fanatical Fans: The Cameron Crazies. You do not mess with these people. They will f&%$ you up.
• Rivals: UNC. It’s known as the Tobacco Road rivalry and is quite possibly the most famous war in sports.

California

• Pac-10
• Location: Berkley, CA
• Nickname: Golden Bears
• Mascot: Oski the Bear named for Okskee-wow-wow yell:
  “Oski Wow-Wow!
  Whiskey Wee-Wee!
  Olee! Muckie-eye!
  Olee! Berkeley-eye!
  California! Wow!”
• School Colors: Yale Blue and California Gold
• Coach: Mike Montgomery’

In My Brackets: Duke. One of my fave people in the whole wide world, Mark, is a huge Duke fan. I never root against Mark. Unless Duke meets KU….

No. 5 Texas A&M vs. No. 4 Purdue

Texas A&M

• Big 12
  
• Location: College Station, Texas
• Mascot: Aggies
• What the heck is an Aggie?: I always get the mental image of a witch. I have no idea why. But I was sad to find out that an Aggie is just slang used to describe someone that goes to an Agriculture College, ie Texas Agriculture & Mechanical College
• School Colors: maroon and white
• Coach: Mike Turgeon
• Howdy Partner: The official greeting of Texas A&M is “Howdy.” Seriously.

Purdue

• Big Ten
• Location: West Lafayatte, Indiana
• Mascot: Boilermakers
• What is a Boilermaker?: It’s actually an old slang term for engineering. Pretty interesting story
• School Colors: Old Gold and Black
• Coach: Matt Painter
• Players: Chris Kramer. Yum.

In My Brackets: Chris Kramer is so hot that he’s actually made me like Purdue. I didn’t think that was possible!

No. 11 Old Dominion vs. No. 3 Baylor

Old Dominion

• Colonial Athletic Association
  
• Location: Norfolk, VA
• Nickname: The Monarchs (not like the butterfly as I originally thought. It’s more like the Monarchy, elite royalty)
• Mascot: Big Blue
• Why is it called Old Dominion?: It’s actually an the nickname for the state of Virginia!
• School Colors: Slate Blue, Silver, Cerulean Blue
• Coach: Blaine Taylor
• Famous Alums: Ben Bailey, aka the host of Cash Cab!

Baylor

• Big 12
  
• Location: Waco, TX
• Nickname: Bears
• Mascot: Bruiser and Judge. also have two black bears named Joy and Lady
• School Colors: Green and Gold
• Why you may have heard of them: In 2003. Player Patrick Dennehy was murdered bya  former player becuase of a shocking illegal recruiting/drug scandal.

In My Brackets: Eh….. Um….. Eh….Well, since I picked Notre Dame to go to the Sweet 16, I’m kinda screwed no matter what.

No. 10 St. Mary’s vs. No. 2 Villanova

St Mary’s College of California

• WCC
• Location: Moraga, CA
• Nickname: Gaels (formerly the Saints)
• Mascot: Gael Force One
• School Colors: Red and Blue

Villanova

• Big East
  
• Location: Villanova, PA
• Nickname: Wildcats
• Mascot: Will D. Cat
• School Colors: Blue and White
• Coach: Jay Wright
• Rivals: Part of the Philadelphia Big 5, which is the rivalry between the schools of the city. “The Holy War” is the battle between Nova and St Joseph’s.
• Claim to Fame: When the famous Liberty Bell cracked, a new one was made called “the Sister Bell.”  Nova proudly houses the bell on their campus

In My Brackets: ‘Nova. Even though they don’t deserve it after they way they played in Round 1. But my boy Shelton, also one of my fave people, is a huge Villanova fan. And him and Mark are BFF. Those of you who tuned in to Stiletto Sports this time last year may remember the controversy that developed  as the Duke-Nova game approached. Well, I’m hoping for a rematch this year. With a different outcome.

How did you do in your brackets? I didn’t do as well as I did last year when I went 28-4 going into Saturday’s games but, considering I did my brackets in literally, 5 minutes, I’m not mad.

Now, it’s on to Round 2! For the Lucky 32 I’ve given a complete breakdown of all the teams and their matchups. Oh, and I threw in my bracket picks too so you can see how I’m doing!

Who do you have advancing to the Sweet 16? Leave me comment or send me a tweet @StilettosportsJ and let me know where you stand!

NCAA March Madness Round 2 Matchups: East Region

No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 9 Wake Forest

Wake Forest

• ACC
  
• Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina (bout an hour down the tobacco road from Duke & UNC )
• Mascot: Demon Deacons
• What the heck is a Demon Deacon?: WF used to be the Fighting Baptists but back in 1923, after a game against Duke, a newspaper said WF “fought like Demons.” They felt a Deacon gone Demonic was far more intimidating than a Baptist that was fighting.
• School Colors: Old Gold and Black
• Coach: Dino Gaudio
• Famous Alumni: NBA stars Tim Duncan and Chris Paul! Also Tyrone “Mugsy” Bogues who was the shortest player ever in the NBA and is currently an announcer!

Kentucky

• SEC
  
• Location: Lexington, KY
• Nickname: Wildcats, Big Blue
• School Colors: Blue and White
• Fanatical Fans: Called “Big Blue Nation” and “Big Blue Mist”
• Coach: John Calipari
• Fame: The winningest program in college basketball. Also credited with beginning Midnight Madness, the night that kicks off official start of NCAA college basketball practices.

In My Brackets: Kentucky. I don’t care about all the crap surrounding John Calipari. He is one of my favorite coaches and has been for years. I don’t really like Kentucky, but I like him!

No. 12 Cornell vs. No. 4 Wisconsin

Cornell

• Ivy League Champs
• Location: Ithaca, NY
• Mascot: Big Red (apparently, from looking at the logo, Big Red is a scary Teddy Bear)
• School Colors: Carnelian Red and White
• Coach: Steve Donahue
• Funny Facts and Legends: “According to legend, if a virgin crosses the Arts Quad at midnight, the statues of Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White will walk off their pedestals, meet in the center of the Quad, and shake hands, congratulating themselves on the chastity of the University.” -Wikipedia

Wisconsin

• Big 10
  
• Location: Madison, WI
• Nickname: Badgers
• Mascot: Bucky the Badger
• School Colors: Cardinal and White
• Coach: Bo Ryan
• Claim to Fame: Was ranked “#1 Party School” in 2006 by Playboy!
• Fanatical Fans: Known as the Grateful Red. Quite possibly because they sucked for a long time but don’t anymore.

In My Brackets: Wisconsin…… maybe…… I hate to turn my back on Upstate NY. And Wisconsin could barely handle Wofford…..whatever the heck Wofford is….

No. 11 Washington vs. No. 3 New Mexico

Washington

• Pac-10
  
• Location: Seattle, Washington
• Nickname: Huskies (used to be the Sun Dodgers because as Twilight fans will tell ya, that area is the rainiest, least sunny area in the country!)
• Mascot: Harry the Husky. Also, Dubs, an Alaskan Malamute similar to a husky is known to make an appearance….
• School Colors: Purple and Gold
• Fan Section: The Dawg Pack
• Coach: Lorenzo Romar
• Claim to Fame: The Huskies like to take credit for the invention of the ultimate crowd reaction “The Wave.” Rumored to have been created in October 1981 in a game against Stanford.

New Mexico

• Mountain West
  
• Location: Alberquerque, NM
• Nickname: Lobos
• Why?: Lobo is Spanish for wolf. So are you team vampire? Or team Lobo?
• Mascot: Lobo Louie or Lobo Lucy
• School Colors: Silver and Cherry
• Coach: Steve Alford
• Stadium: The Pit
• Tradition: Their chant is “Everyone’s a Lobo. Woof, Woof, Woof…” yeah…….

In My Brackets: Very very very interesting. Am I team Edward or am I team Jacob? Yes. I can make this about Twilight. New Mexico is the Lobos, as in wolves. Washington is from Seattle, very close to Forks, the rainiest place around so vampires can live and roam freely. Hmm…..And I’m almost finished with Breaking Dawn……. Normally I’m team Edward but in this case, I’m team Jacob. Let’s go Lobos!

No. 10 Missouri vs. No. 2 West Virginia

Missouri

• Big 12 Champs
• Location: Columbia, Missouri
• Nicknames: Tigers, Mizzou
• School Colors: Old Gold and Black
• Mascot: Truman, after former President Harry S. Truman. He’s been voted best mascot in the country multiple times
• Coach:  Mike Anderson
• Arch Rival: Kansas
• Fame: Mizzou is credited with having the first Homecoming ever! It was way back in 1911. Alumni were invited back for a big football game against rivals KU. And since then, the concept it has spread to nearly every campus and high school in the country.

Western Virginia

• Big East
• Location: Morgantown, West Virginia
• Mascot: Mountaineers
• School Colors: Old Gold and Blue
• Coach: Bob Huggins
• Roll out the red, er, blue and gold carpet: The team gets to walk down their very own VIP carpet during home games! Oh and John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” is like an unofficial school song.

In My Brackets: Mizzou. Not sure why but since last year I’ve kinda been into the Tigers!

How did you do in your brackets? I didn’t do as well as I did last year when I went 28-4 going into Saturday’s games but, considering I did my brackets in literally, 5 minutes, I’m not mad.

Now, it’s on to Round 2! For the Lucky 32 I’ve given a complete breakdown of all the teams and their matchups. Oh, and I threw in my bracket picks too so you can see how I’m doing!

Who do you have advancing to the Sweet 16? Leave me comment or send me a tweet @StilettosportsJ and let me know where you stand!

NCAA March Madness Round 2 Matchups: Midwest Region

No. 9 Northern Iowa (UNI) vs. No. 2 Kansas

KU: Kansas University

• Big 12
• Location: Lawrence, Kansas. Allen Fieldhouse
• Mascot: Jayhawks
• School Colors: Blue and Crimson
• Song: Rock Chalk, Jayhawk (totally worth clicking the link and hearing the story. Could be most peculiar Fight Song of the tourney)
• Coach: Bill Self
• Fame: After years of being seeded high and failing to go all the way, the Jayhawks broke out and won the 2008 Championship! Rock Chalk boys, rock chalk…
• This year, KU isn’t just  seeded No. 1 for their region, they are the No. 1 team in the entire tournament!!!!
• Why You Should Cheer them on: Because they are MY team!

Northern Iowa

• Missouri Valley
  
• Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa
• Mascot: Panthers. The actual mascot, TC (The Cat) Panther is award winning. But I have no idea what awards….
• School Colors: Purple and Old Gold
• Claim to Fame: Been ranked “best in the Midwest” by the Princeton Review a lot
• Coach: Ben Jacobson
• Fun Tradition: ” The UNI campus comes alive Friday night of Homecoming week each year. At the stroke of midnight, students flock around the tower to sneak a kiss from a long time lover or someone you just met.” Wikipedia

In My brackets: Do you even have to ask? I suppose if you are new to Stiletto Sports you don’t know that I”m a huge Jayhawks fan! Not much waivers my loyalty to KU. I’m always all about Rockin’ Chalk! I feel bad because three of my favorite people are from Iowa and are big UNI fans. And they are all very hot guys. But not even that can sway me from the Jayhawks!

No. 5 Michigan State (MSU) vs. No. 4 Maryland

Michigan State

• Big 12
  
• Location: East Lansing, MI
• Mascot: Spartans
• School Colors: Green and White
• Coach: Tom Izzo (for shizzo)
• Players: Kalin Lucas, Derrell Summers, Delvon Roe
• Claim to Fame: They have won 2 Championships. The most notable was the 1979 game that pitted Spartan Ervin “Magic” Johnson against Indiana’s Larry Bird. Perhaps you have heard of them? That win fueled the rivalry that extended into the NBA with Magic on the Lakers and Bird ont he Celtics.
• A Cinderella Story: Last year MSU were the Cinderellas in the Big Dance. They made it all the way to the championship against UNC!

Maryland

• ACC
  
• Location: College Park, Maryland
• Mascot: Terrapin. In other words, a freaking turtle.
• Slogan: Their rally cry is “Fear the turtle.” Well, I suppose they are fearsome. Snapping turtles do bite. If they can catch you.
• School Colors: Red, white, black and gold
• Coach: Gary Williams
• Famous Alumni: Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets!

In My Brackets: Despite my love for all things Maryland right now, I’m all about MSU! Even though they played like crap in the opening round. Considering I’m watching all march madness games at Senior Correspondent Erik’s house and he is a diehard Mich State fan, it’s in my best interest to root for his team. Plus, when MSU wins and KU wins, they will be playing each other next weekend and Erik and I look great in photos with our warring jerseys!

No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 14 Ohio

Tennessee

• SEC
  
• Location: Knoxsville, Tenn
• Nickname: Volunteers.  That’s just plain weird. Also shortened to just Vols
• Why?: Because Tenn is known as the volunteer state. The people are historically known to jump in and fight any war, from the Revolutionary War to the Civil and even the Alamo. Which was in Texas.
• Mascot: Smokey IX the Bluetick coonhound
• School Colors: Orange and White
• Coach: Bruce Pearl
• Song: the official fight song is “Down the Field” but the most popular request for The Pride to play is “Rocky Top.”  I personally would request “Tennessee” by Arrested Development. Or “Tennessee Line” by Chris Daughtry

Ohio

• MAC
  
• Location: Athens, OH
• Nickname: Bobcats
• Mascot: Rufus the Bobcat. Who has been described as a “fierce but friendy looking bobcat”
• School Colors: Green and White
• Coach: John Groce (who used to the the assistant coach for Ohio State)
• Fan Section: “The O-Zone”

In My Brackets: Tenneessee. My best friend was raised there and again, I hate all things Ohio. But……. considering Ohio really didn’t even have a place in the tourney except they happen to win their conference Championship game, yet they took down Georgetown in Round 1….. they could be the Cinderellas this year. But I don’t really want a Cinderella from Ohio. That would greatly upset me.

No. 10 Georgia Tech vs. No. 2 Ohio State

Georgia Tech

• ACC
• Location: Atlanta, GA
• Nickname: Yellow Jackets
• Mascot: Buzz & Ramblin’ Wreck
• School Colors: Old Gold and White
• Coach: Paul Hewitt
• Rivals: Georgia (The Clean, Old Fashioned Hate) Clemson, and Auburn
• Fame: Garth Brooks, yee haw! Also, Stephon Marbury, Chris Bosh
• Song: “Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech” It’s, by far, the best College song lyrics I’ve ever seen:

“A helluva, helluva, helluva, helluva, hell of an engineer.
Like all the jolly good fellows, I drink my whiskey clear.
I’m a Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech and a hell of an engineer.

Oh! If I had a daughter, sir, I’d dress her in White and Gold,
And put her on the campus to cheer the brave and bold.
But if I had a son, sir, I’ll tell you what he’d do–
He would yell, ‘To hell with Georgia!’ like his daddy used to do.

Oh, I wish I had a barrel of rum and sugar three thousand pounds,
A college bell to put it in and a clapper to stir it round.
I’d drink to all the good fellows who come from far and near.
I’m a ramblin’, gamblin’, hell of an engineer!”

Ohio State

• Big Ten
• Location: Columbus, Ohio
• Mascot: Buckeyes
• What the heck is a buckeye?: It it Ohio’s offical state tree. Hmmm….
• School Colors:  Scarlet and Grey
• Coach: Thad Matta
• Facts: Ohio State fans scare the bejeezus out of me. They are CR-Razy and die hards. They rival Florida’s Gator Nation for “peeps you don’t want to hear you talking smack about their team.”

In My Brackets: I picked Ohio State. Yes, I know I hate Ohio but my roommate got me into watching OSU football last year. And it would be fun to see them meet up with KU down the road. I promised him we would go to Wild Wings for some beer and wings. But after hearing Georgia Tech’s School Song, I may have to switch sides!