Friday, March 20, 2009

If You're Wondering Where I'm At...
I would be in front of the t.v., watching some more basketball!


It's the most wonderful time of the...sporting...year.

Yes indeedy, I love College Basketball Tournament Time and so far I am enjoying this year immensely.

Except, of course, for a few minor problems...

One--My Crimson Tide is not in the tournament this year.We had a rough year, with our coach being let go and our leading player quitting the team, and although we ended up on a high note, our record wasn't good enough (i.e., It stunk!) to get us in.

Two--So far, my brackets are not looking good! I've already missed three games in the first round (I am a big Texas fan, but I actually chose against them in the opening round of the brackets. I really felt like Minnesota was playing better. That will teach me, though, to pick against my heart! And I also mistakenly picked Clemson over Michigan and Mississippi State over Washington. What was I thinking?) I do feel redeemed, though, that my upset special (#12 Western Kentucky over #5 Illinois) did happen. We'll see what happens as the tournament continues today and over the weekend.

I love the tournament for so many reasons.

The main one is that I just love sports in general (you all knew that!), and the tournament is a wonderful two weeks filled with everything that sports has to offer. The close victories, the underdogs winning out, the human drama of having to play and keep playing and play some more in a short span of time. Characters emerge, and stories are told, and tournament-defining plays are made (plays that may go on and make it on a "Top 10 Best Plays in History" sort of list).

The other reason I love it, though, is that it takes me back to my childhood. My Dad is a big tournament fan as well, and he introduced me to it when I was just a small child. I've done brackets with my Dad since I was maybe 12-years-old; we'd write our brackets out, watch the games together, and just have wonderful Father-Daughter time.

Today, there is a similar experience in our own family. Gary and I both do our brackets (Funny Fact...Gary had never watched the tournament until we got married. In a strange twist on typical male-female habits, I introduced him to the joys of it and now he wonders about the years and years he missed out on it!), the girls (except Sydney) do their brackets, and we watch as much basketball as we can (well...I watch as much as I can, and often the girls just shake their heads at me!).

Which comes to a few questions for you...

* Do you think I'm totally crazy, or do you do the tournament too?

and, most importantly...

* Since Alabama is not in the tournament, what teams can I cheer for?

I'm cheering for Texas, of course, but my favorite team in the tournament this year is Purdue. My blogging friend, Phats, is a former Purdue cheerleader and is as big a sports fan (almost!) as me, and he has got me cheering for his beloved Boilermakers.

In fact, yesterday I wore my Purdue shirt (won last year for being the Champ on his blog's bracket challenge) while I filled out my brackets for this season. Purdue won, by the way, and I think they are well on their way to having a good run.

(Phats, I promise that's my Purdue shirt on behind my brackets. But, just in case, I had Delaney take a picture where you can actually see it. LOL)

But, I need another few teams to cheer on.

If you're team's still in it, let me know, and I will support them all the way!

And now...
the weekend is almost here. The weather is absolutely gorgeous, I've got some fun stuff planned (and it's not just basketball!), and life is good.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend as well...enjoy it, whether it involves basketball or not.

18 comments:

Unknown said...

GO MEMPHIS!

~Telah said...

I usually do the brackets with my hubby but we've not been too into it this year. I'm sure we'll watch some games here and there.

Cheryl Wray said...

Gary--
Yes, Memphis is a good one to cheer for!

Telah--
Hey girl! You know he'll get sucked in to some of the games. :-)

Linda said...

Hey C, thanks for the comment on my blog. yes, I have been a bad blogger lately, got a lot going on at work and home (yard work)...lol. The weather has been nice enough to finally get in the back and get moving on it.

Me, for some reason I just cannot get into basketball. I've tried, but I just get so bored by it. And it is huge here in Sacramento, everyone I know is a huge basketball fan.

I know...I just had to be different...heeheehee..glad you are doing well friend.

Phats said...

First off totally agree best time of the year. We were not in the tournament 4 yrs ago, and I still loved it but it is more fun when your team is in it!

I have filled out probably 100 brackets and in some I had Minny and some I had Texas ha! That's one way to deal with that problem eh? Gary is doing quite well in the bracket challenge so far, I can't believe he never watched it, you showed him the light haha.

I LOVE the Purdue shout out, GO BOILERS!!!! BOILER UP!! Thanks for cheering us on we have a tough one Saturday but I feel we can do it!

Anonymous said...

I don't understand the obsession over basketball and the brackets. I don't even get as into the Stanley Cup as basketball people do over this time of year. But I say have fun with it!!!! It's great that it's such a family thing.

Happy Spring! NYC woke up to flurries this morning (unexpected ones at that). Nothing stuck, but it was an odd way to greet spring.

Nina Diane said...

oh you know Cheryl I'm right there with you!! One of the best times of the year....I pull for all ACC teams. Of course you know I was pulling for VCU (CAA champs) because we live here in Richmond where VCU resides! one point, one point ....can you even believe it! Thought for sure we would see and ending like 2 years ago when they beat Duke. oh well.....

Adrienne said...

It's that time of year!!

Cheryl Wray said...

Linda--I have found myself distracted from blogging lately too. I think it's the nice weather here too (and also that the kids are out for Spring Break). Hey,the world takes all types--we can't ALL be sports freaks! LOL

Phats--HA ha at Gary now, though. The loss by Tenn has his region all screwed up. Now we're almost in the same boat. LOL Purdue is MY team this year!!

Jeff--I can't believe you guys got snow today. Crazy!!

Nina--I thought VCU was gonna get that win last night. That was a good game...sorry it didn't turn out like you guys wanted!

Adrienne--Yep, it is. Yay!!!

Phats said...

WOOHOO!!! I love the shirt! :0)

I haven't updated the scores on the blog, but I knew that was going to be a tough pick for Gary, gutsy but tough haha

hippo chick said...

We're all things "Big East". Syracuse is still in (though I can't for the life of me imagine how - they had a rough start this year). Jim is a rabid BE fan. We'll see how it all works out. We don't do brackets. Have lots of fun.

~hippo hugs~

Cheryl said...

Oh Ross LOVES Memphis! My cousin lives in Memphis and she picked up some shorts and t-shirts for me for Ross's birthday. He is a hugh basketball fan. I like watching myself but do not know much about the teams. I don't think Ross is coming to UAB. Unless he changes his mind (again) he is going to stay close to home. I surely hope he does. I alway knew that you would have been very helpful in giving me information to get him into a safe neighborhood. Thanks so much! Hope all the teams you picked are winning or have already won!;)Have a wonderful weekend girl!

Edleen said...

Happy Sunday to you & family Cheryl!!!
you still watching TV??? hehe...

Take care and have fun :)

joy said...

So a bracket is that piece of paper you're holding? I have always ignored sports, but I'm having second thoughts now because it seems to make people so happy.

Cheryl Wray said...

Phats--I just LOVE my Purdue shirt. What a game yesterday; I'm so proud of them and excited for you! (Yeah, Gary is now as frustrated with his bracket as I am of mine! LOL)

Hippo--I am absolutely cheering for Syracuse.I have them going to the Final Four in my brackets. Tell Jim I'm cheering for them!

Cheryl--We are cheering for Memphis too! One of the few Southern teams left that I'd want to cheer for! :-)

Cheryl Wray said...

Ed--Yep, still watching tv. There are more games going on right now (it really never ends!).

Joy--Yep, that paper is my bracket (it's where you pick the teams you think will win each game, all the way through the end of the tournament). I'm a HUGE sports fan, so it makes me happy!

Phats said...

Well going into the sweet 16 you're still alive to defend your title, but you really really need Pitt to win and win their region haha.

Monogram Queen said...

Nope, I have never even did football brackets cos' I just can't understand them!
Sometimes i'm such a girl! hehe..