My Bracket Does Not Define Me

I refuse to support Pitt even though I have them advancing in my bracket. I refuse to cheer Ohio State over Georgetown even though that's what I have in my bracket. I cannot root for Duke over any team despite having them in my Elite Eight. I may have certain teams advancing in my bracket but that does not mean I will actually hope for them to win. My bracket does not define me or who I want to win. Oh, and in other news, my bracket is in bad shape.

Anyway, WVU is in the Sweet 16 for the second straight year. Take a moment to think about that...Sweet 16. Only 16 teams remain playing in the entire country. Out of 326 Division I schools that started the season, WVU is one of only 16 left. That's pretty amazing. Kentucky, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Syracuse...all of those teams have already been disposed of. But not West Virginia. Pretty cool if you ask me. Can they move on? Sure...they just need to continue to play good basketball.

Of course, WVU is not the Cinderella of this year's tournament...that title will go to Bradley, the improbable MVC team that took out Pittsburgh. Or, it could go to George Mason who found a way to stop Tyler Hansbrough and the 2005 champion Tarheels. Or maybe Wichita State...can you believe that either George Mason or Wichita State is goingt to be in the Elite Eight. There's no way around that happening. Somewhere, Billy Packer is choking on the fact that the Missouri Valley Conference got 2 teams into the Sweet 16. Packer is definitely not a big fan of the mid-majors and low-majors getting the at-large bids. Too bad, Billy. Looks like you were wrong...be a man and admit it like Jim Nantz.

In other NCAA tournament news, I'm about sick of the same commercials over and over again. I will never buy anything that Coach K is selling so give it a break. Do you really belive Coach K drives a Chevy? I don't care about Taco Bell's Chicken Caesar Taco. The Southwest Airlines commercials made me laught...but not after the 75th viewing when I started questioning if a basketball could really blow up like that. The insane State Farm fan would be kicked out of any real office...do you think a State Farm agent would really put up with that? And I don't know where Applebee's found the "Three Hour Tew-errrrr" guys but it may be the most annoying commercial ever made. And that was the first time I saw it. 300 viewing later...well, if I ever see those guys on the street...ah, they don't want me to see them on the street. And ditto for Doogie Howser...I don't care how he met your mother.

How about Burger King's bucking chicken? Or the "You go strong to your mouth" commercial? What kind of marketing geniuses at McDonald's decided to make a commercial about a guy drinking coffee and realizing he is married? Does that make me want McDonalds? No. And Cingular's "March Sadness" commercials just make me mad. Why? Because I heard the news reporter tonight talke about March Sadness for Pitt. That's Cingular's fault. Give me a break. But I guess that's life during these types of sporting events.

Ah, but that's all for now. Congratulations again to John Beilein and the Mountaineers. I guess the next game will be Thursday against either NC State or Texas...but it looks more like Texas as I type this. And Georgetown looks to have Ohio State under control. Until then, 10 < 50 if you didn't know that. Thanks Powerade.