Tourney Time Day 4

I did surprisingly well yesterday. I got Kentucky, Indiana, Baylor, Louisville, Marquette, Syracuse, Wisconsin and Ohio State right. But those were the teams everyone expected to win. Although, I will admit, since my bracket is so messed up, I did find myself rooting for the underdogs a lot. But like my friend Chris said on Twitter the other day, "You gotta have some expected teams win. No one wants to see two Cinderella teams play each other. Nobody cared when David beat up his little brother."

Today's slate is less certain. This is round number two for the "Crazy Upset Teams". Xavier is somehow the higher seeded team. We'll see if they can steal Lehigh's Cinderella mojo tonight at 8. I think if they play with the same fire they had against Notre Dame, they might have a good shot. And since I had Duke in that part of the bracket, I won't mind if Xavier gets to go to Atlanta next week with Kentucky, Indiana and Baylor. Tu Holloway is again going to have to be big. The difference is, if they move forward, they're gonna need more scoring out of Lyons, and more rebounding out of Frease. But who knows where this team could go if they're feeling good.

Cincinnati is in a bit of a different situation this time around. They're going up against the only team this year to beat both Duke and North Carolina. And not only did they beat both teams, but they beat both teams TWICE. That's a stiff challenge. But the 'Cats weren't exactly slouches this year. I like the way they match-up here, and I think if their 3-point shooting is on and Gates and Mbodj can stay out of foul trouble, I'd like to hope this will remain a tight game. I postured a match-up with Ohio State in Boston before the start of the Big Dance. It now seems possible. And, dare I say it, should they both run the table...the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout Part Deux?? Only time will tell.

We did lose Murray State from our 3-state, 9-team collective. But with Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio State and Louisville moving on, we'll have plenty of representation in the Sweet 16...but should Cincinnati, Xavier, Purdue and Ohio do their jobs, we can own half the 16 team field. Who would have called that before the tourney started?

It's gonna be difficult for a lot of people to keep an eye on these games though, as the finale of 'The Walking Dead" is on tonight. I won't have that problem, because I'll be at work til 11:45, so I'll miss it all. But don't ruin "The Walking Dead" for me. Or I'll make you one of them.

On a side, personal note, I got the keys to my apartment today. The bed is being delivered Tuesday. And I got some stuff to sort out with Cincinnati Bell and Duke on my FiOptics bill. And I haven't even gotten to enjoy it yet. "Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You're gonna love it." -Monica Gellar, 'Friends'

Twitter bio profile of the day: @yourvinylsiding

This is the twitter account of my good friend, Ryan. If you're wondering about his Twitter handle...well, so is everyone else. But that's Ryan's personality. He's an eccentric guy. But it's never a dull moment. He also throws down his own blog, where he plans to review over 2000 musical albums. If that's you're thing.

Ryan also has many opinions on sports, politics, and other such popular culture matters. And if you really want a laugh, ask him about the Harrison Open Invitational.