Bracket City USA
MAC, Knifed: A lot of watercooler talk this morning is and will be centered around the Mid-American Conference, more specifically the lack of at-large teams from such. Even Dickie V, who was born on Exit 16W but made his coaching hay in the MAC's geographical sphere of influence, was all over the cablewaves last night talking about how those poor kids got robbed, jobbed and maybe even Bobbed.

Tourney Central 3/10/2005
Northeast: (1) Fairleigh Dickinson 58, (6) Wagner 52 (story) - The Knights aren't all about Steed and Stallion, you know. Italian big-boy Andrea Crosariol had 18, and guard Chad Timberlake justified himself with an 11-point performance after an oh-fer in the semis. FDU fought off a brave bunch of Seahwaks, who dug themselves out of a 2-15 start and rode a six-seed all the way to the title game.

Epilogue, The Sixth - We Never Change
There were two days of return culture-clash, when our everyday decadence and indulgence appalled me to the point of sickness. But then, suddenly, I forgot about all those lofty and tearful promises. My heart hardened again, and I built my defenses back up. After three days back in the U.S.A., I was swearing too much, acting rude towards strangers, and being overly suspicious of people's motives.

Mock Selection
INDIANAPOLIS -- In 2005, Davidson was a perfect 16-0 in the Southern Conference's regular season, but was snubbed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee after elimination in the tourney semifinals. The following year, Hofstra, Western Kentucky and Missouri State were left out despite strong RPI's in the top 40 nationally.

The Worst Pizza Ever Made
The difference between being a Real Actual Sports Journalist and a citizen journalist (or "blogger," if you prefer) goes far beyond the fact that coaches and sports information directors actually answer my telephone calls now. One of the biggest perks of my new life as a travelling scribe (as opposed to my life as a travelling fan) is that I've been fed pretty well.