Thursday night - MARCH MADNESS....

[Lax_Stats]

Looks like they have the same officials from the Superbowl doing the Washington vs UConn game as well!!!!

[laxfan25]

While my allegiance is fairly obvious, it was distressing to see the blown goaltending call toward the end of the game. It doesn't necessarily mean UW would have pulled it out, but it was at a crucial time and was obviously wrong. They do multiple reviews to add 0.2 seconds on the clock after a basket - that one definitely merited a replay.
Rashad Anderson is pretty clutch though.
Brandon Roy is head and shoulders better than JJ Redick and Adam Morrison - that was the first time I've seen him play - and he is the TOTAL package. He will have a terrific pro career.
Another key moment - Appleby sinks a 3 pointer to pull them within two, makes a great steal of the inbounds pass and looks like he has an uncontested path to the hoop for a two or a foul - and inexpicably circles outside and they throw it away! Big sigh of relief from this Huskie fan!

[Dan Wishengrad]

I'm pretty pissed-off 10 hours later. Sleeping on it didn't help.

When there is such a disparity between the number of times each team goes to the foul line, it doesn't necessarily mean the refs were biased, of course. If a team is full of jump-shooters (for instance) who don't attack the basket, they shouldn't be rewarded with fouls called on the opponents. But Washington WAS taking it in inside on UConn all night long, yet the refs consistently failed to see any contact from the guys in the white unis, somehow. They call a foul on Brandon Roy where there was no contact made with Rudy Gay at all, then compound it with a ridiculous and unnecessary double-technical that results in TWO personals called on Roy and sends him to the bench for over eight critical minutes of the second half. THAT was the key turning point of the game, in my opinion, with Washington coasting to a convincing victory before and UConn chipping away at the lead after.

Rashad Anderson's 3-pointer was a terrific clutch shot, but I'm sorry he should have been mugged well before he launched it (c'mon Coach Romar -- your bad!). When the game got to O.T., Washington had little chance with their entire team either with 4 personals or already having fouled-out. Yeah, that goal-tending that wasn't called was just one more glaring example of a very, very poorly officiated contest. But the game was really over in my book already. We weren't going to beat a tremendous team like UConn with a bunch of bench scrubs like Brendan Burmeister on the court, guys who hadn't played all season.

When either UConn or Memphis cuts down the nets as National Champs (they are clearly the two best teams left), if it's the Huskies they should acknowledge the help and assistance they got along the way from those guys in the black-and-white striped shirts. But personally I'd prefer if the Zebras let the teams decide themselves who will advance each round, rather than over-officiating the games and doing so to blatantly favor only one of the teams.

[CATLAX MAN]

All that being said, Washington still wins the game if they don't foul on the drive to the bucket towards the end of regulation. That was a true bonehead play. I'd be willing to bet the farm that the last thing that Romar said to his team coming out of the time out just before that play was "NO FOULS!!!" That's your game right there. The game was in their hands and they choked it up . . . . .and the zebras had nothing to do with that.

[Kyle Berggren]

It wasn't that it was just a foul, it was a touch foul resulting in a 3 point play... What a bonehead! I was pretty upset about the 'trip' that fouled out the UW point, which I thought was actually the most crucial play (other than the goal tend). He keeps the pressure on UConn, and helps control the ball as a huge threat to get to the basket, taking pressue off Roy and everyone else.

[CATLAX MAN]

He just had no business being anywhere around that guy. Let him take his layup and you're still up by 2 with 10 seconds to go. Conn has to foul and, even if you only make 1 out of 2, the worst you do is tie, but probably will win the game. Just a pure dumb play.

[Brent Burns]

The moniker, "March Madness" continues to live up to its billing each year with us seeing LSU and UCLA becoming the first two teams to get into Final Four with wins over Texas and Memphis, respectively.

Will UConn and Villanova hold on to their tourney #1 seedings tomorrow?

[FormerTiger]

Gents, I have my blinders on. Almost anywhere in the south down here, we all have our blinders on. So I want some none biased input. We beat duke, beat texas, had a really good regular season. We were up by as many as 20 on UCONN at UCONN and lost by one. Beat WVU at WVU. We lost 5 games by a combined 9 points. Are we gonna bring this thing home?

[Sonny]

Gents, I have my blinders on. Almost anywhere in the south down here, we all have our blinders on. So I want some none biased input. We beat duke, beat texas, had a really good regular season. We were up by as many as 20 on UCONN at UCONN and lost by one. Beat WVU at WVU. We lost 5 games by a combined 9 points. Are we gonna bring this thing home?

Tough to say. Weird things happen come tourney time. LSU is looking good though.

[KnoxVegas]

Did you feel it? The world just shook!!!!

NoVa represent!

Mason goes to the Final Four and UConn goes home. UConn fans, you lost to a commuter school. Wow!

Now all we need is for the Lady Huskies to lose against UGA.

[laxfan25]

Oh Knox, you're such a hater!
I bet you did a little gulp when UConn managed to pull out a tie in regulation. (Memories of the UW game dancing in your head.) I thought they were done well before that! If I wasn't a Huskie, I'd have been very strongly on the Patriot bandwagon. Nothing to lose, smiles on their faces - very refreshing. I hope they take it all - a big win for conferences that don't get any respect (like the USLIA).

[Brent Burns]

Hate to be a broken record, but unpredictability is the best surprise of all. That is why we have March Madness!

It is nice to have a different team in Final Four such as George Mason. Something different. No question, George Mason is going to be on the front cover of SI.

[Sonny]

UConn fans, you lost to a commuter school. Wow!

Now that is funny.

[KnoxVegas]

No question, George Mason is going to be on the front cover of SI.

I thought they were last week. Or maybe that was an email that a friend of mine sent me. Either way, as I type, I am pretty sure that Fairfax Circle is burning to the ground. I have been trying to get a hold of my mom, to make sure she is safe and that the wet towels are under the doors but the circuits are busy. Who would have ever thought that "The Stanford of the Mid-Atlantic" would be playing in the Final Four? They lost to Hofstra twice this season.

To everyone heading to Fat Tuesday's later, be safe and enjoy this feeling! Good luck in football season! Wait, you don't have football! Good luck in track & field!

To all my fans in Storrs, I will see you when the thaw happens in July. Until then, good night now!