They're no Cinderella

OK lets put a stop to this before it start, Butler is not a Cinderella. If you call them a Cinderella then you know nothing about college basketball. This is a good team. During the regular season they beat UCLA, Ohio State, Xavier, and Siena. So during the regular season the Bulldogs beat two teams that where in the Sweet 16. Then in the tournament add Syracuse and Kansas State. Now those are quality wins. Hey when was the last time a top 10 team was considered a Cinderella.

Professional Tailgating: March Madness

During the last couple of years the OTWT crew has made the trip over to Atlantic City for the A-10 semifinals and this year was no different.

The old ladies looks like she needs some help

The Dayton mascot gets the crowd worked up and it really did not work.Temple Mascot, Hooter, gets ready to coach his team.
Blimbs in doors, not a fan
A free throw shooter during half time of one of the games, he did not make a shot.

Thoughts on the Big Dance

The NCAA Selection Committee has spoken and some teams are happy and others are not going to be happy for some time. Here are OTWT first thoughts on the just released brackets.

• For a team that might have been the last at large in Arizona has a game that no one is going to be scared of Utah.
• I would not be surprised to see Utah State beat a fast sliding Marquette.
  
• For all of the talk of Maryland being on the edge of the bubble, it looks like they were safely in the tournament as a 10 seed.
  
• Wisconsin is the type of team that is going to give Florida State some issues.
  
• Portland State vs. the X-Men. Don't sleep on Portland State. They are the have beaten some good teams this year, including a win at Gonzaga.
  
• This year Western Kentucky beat the number one overall seed Louisville, so playing Illinois will not be that intimidating.
  
• I understand how the Big East has been the greatest conference in the history of the world, but how could three teams be number one seeds. I just don't understand how the third best team in a conferences warrants being a number one seed. Two teams from one conference is hard to take. I think that you should at least win your conference to be considered for a number one seed. I would have love to seen Memphis as the final number one.
• Final Four at first glance: North Carolina, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Louisville.
  
• I do know this. The tournament is always fun and will be again this year.
  

Bracketology with Joe Wolf's Vertical Jump

With the brackets out here are a couple of quick thoughts about what the selection committee has done.

• A week ago, everyone in the Philly was talking about there would not be a Big Five team in the dance. Boy was everyone wrong cause half of the group are part of the field.
  
• Tim Floyd and USC knocked out Kevin Durant and Texas last year, this year he gets his shot at another Big12 freshman hot shot in Micheal Beasley and Kansas State, in the game of the first round.
• The selection show is cruel and the committee and CBS made Baylor wait to the last spot before announcing their name. Its good to see the Bears in the dance following all that they have had to gone through over the last decade.
• The committee did not do A-10 regular season champion Xavier favors as they hooked them up with SEC Tournament Champion Georgia.
• After three years of using the city of the regionals as the name of the regionals its good too see that they have gone back to the East, South, Midwest, and West.
  
• It's fair to say that Villanova was the last at large team in the dance.

Professional Tailgating: A night at the A-10 semifinals

For Friday night of Championship Week, I spent the night at Boardwalk Hall for the A-10 semifinals. The building actually looked like a basketball arena. The only time that I have ever been there was for two different WWF events. St. Joe's battled Xavier and Temple battled Charlotte in the two games.

The building actually looked like a championship venue including bunting.

Move over Cameron Crazies, the St. Joe's students do not stop all game singing and dancing.

The Hawk never dies

The very underrated Charlotte 49er mascot

Nothing says a conference tournament like inflatable jerseys and student shooting contest.