Let the games begin!

The madness of March has enveloped the Yard. Vast resources and focus groups have been redeployed. In an effort to corral the economic woes of the day, the Yard has invested heavily in trying to hedge which upsets could potentially dismantle one’s tournament pool. Forget the $165 Million the AIG boys are trying to justify, is Arizona going to upset Utah? Is UCLA running out of gas? And is USC for real for another day? Which school will have the thrill of victory? CNN and Fox News will fill in the agony of defeat.

The Yard does question why CBS Studio Host Greg Gumbel would encourage a national television audience to visit CBS.com to watch these 60+ games at work if they were unable to stay home and watch it on television. Marketing is not a core competency at the Yard. But even we might suggest that with double digit unemployment, encouraging the employed to f—k off at work and watch hoops might seem..well just a bit disconnected. NCAA championship hoops are huge, but CBS, get a grip? The US economy is already in the “play in” game and CBS.com is not your end game.

CBS does a great job with March Madness. In contrast, Fox could not have been any worse with the BCS. CBS does 60+ games over three weeks across the entire nation. Fox had six games over seven days in NFL Cities. Fox trotted out several announcers for BCS games that would never work at another network. CBS brings knowledgeable voices to every hamlet that the tourney is played. The games are memorable and the announcing is not the story. Fox will always be about American Idol not American Sports.

And damn, does it not seem that ESPN has become more about ESPN than the “SP” DNA that founded this unique enterprise? Sunday we had Jay Bilas and Dick Vitale bitch slapping each other about St. Mary’s being left out of the tournament. Young Jay against and grumpy Dickie V for, in a UFC ESPN Face-Off. First thought, St. Mary’s? Second thought, St. Mary’s? Jay B. and Dick V slapping each other over St. Mary’s in Prime Time was great theater. Dickie V, hello can you spell Billy Packer?

USC got up off the deck and became the 6th team from the Pac-10 to make the tournament in a year when the conference deserved four. Sorry, St. Mary’s, the Yard voted you ahead of the Trojans but they won their conference tournament. DeMar DeRozan showed the Nation why he is another “one and done” at USC with his play this past week. Not sure how the Trojans won three games in four days after losing six of seven the previous 21 days but with their only chance to the dance on the line, they were dancing fools.

What happened to the Bruins this year? Senior Luc Richard is playing 26 minutes a night in Milwaukee averaging 7.5/6.1. Sophomore Kevin Love is playing 25 minutes a night for the T-Wolves averaging 10.3 pts and 8.3 rebounds. And Junior Russell Westbrook is playing 33 minutes while scoring 16 points nightly for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

March Madness is not just rooting for the teams that you love, it is rooting against the teams that you hate. Yard dictum is clear to not let such emotions bleed into your brackets. UCLA Myopia has tortured us the past three seasons in our picks. Last year, we finished behind Big Ron and he chose his picks based on mascot names. Let the devil be gone!

The Yard roots against Duke and not sure why? It seems to be the school that the White Boy McDonald’s All-Americans attend. The Yard fretted that Duke might surpass UCLA’s legacy some years back when this vitriol was first brewed. The Yard will root against them and their coach with the funny mouth ad infinitum. Duke has lost so many times in the first round since, it seems like beating harp seals to root against them so follow your heart.

UNC might make the Final Four but dangummit if we do not hate those Tarheels always. In the case of UNC, it is their myopic fan base. They are like USC Football fans with mullets. You can argue with the Yard about our Tarheel nation vitriol and our legal counsel rebuts with two words…dental floss.

Tyler Hansbrough has 26 assists while taking 366 shots over twenty eights games this season. He is the way, the light and the third round loss of a team that has to rely on a Pyscho T who never gives the ball up. He is not the second coming of Larry Bird, he is the third coming of Mitch Kupchack.

The Florida Gators were Bruin arch rivals and they kicked some Bruin booty for two straight years. It is not just fair to call the Gators out when they can no longer get into the tournament. The SEC is a football conference. Billy Donovan, the Orlando Magic was a dream job. You should have followed your pocketbook; the heart can always be fed.

Christian Laettner, Tyler Hansbrough, Joakim Noah, they are all featured on the Yard dart board. What do they have in common besides Yard angst? They took all of their most important shots in college. None of these college stars was or will ever do squat in the NBA.

There is work to be done on the court, off the court and in our neighborhoods. The Yard has calibrated our priorities in these trying times but the spirit, passion and momentary brilliance of these next few weeks can kick start all of our spirits! Keep your friends and family close and your enemies closer.

“You never know who is swimming naked until the tide goes out.” Warren Buffet