Having worked for 17 years in Connecticut, I was there for the beginning of UConn’s rise to power in the world of college basketball. With it came the rise of their fanbase as a bunch of insufferable blowhards. Given the way this tournament has gone so far, I don’t think that’s changing anytime soon (probably should have added a trigger warning for this post for Husky nation).
UConn’s 77-52 blowout win over #3 Illinois marked the 4th straight tournament game where they lead their opponent by at least 30 points. Coincidentally, UConn at one point went on a 30-0 run against the hapless Big 10 champs, dashing Mrs. Commish’s GAMM hopes as she had Illinois in the finals. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think anyone can stop them from winning a second consecutive title. Man oh man, how excruciating would a UConn vs Duke title game be for me?
The Commish’s personal nightmare scenario
The next team to go up against the Storrs buzz saw will be Maddie Hammond’s #4 Alabama squad, who survived a tough battle vs #6 Clemson. The Commish happens to own both a Clemson and Alabama tee shirt, so I was ready no matter what for the winner of that game to face UConn in the Final Four next week.
As of this morning, the pride of Grandview Heights, Leo Readey, and Paige Amazon find themselves temporarily in 1st place with 83 points. Their respective stays will be short-lived though given their Gonzaga and Marquette picks:
Looking at things from a “Max Points” perspective though, keep an eye on my cousin and GAMM XV runner-up, Suzie Gallagher, whose 160 max points are the highest in the pool. She has Duke winning though, so while blood may be thicker than water, it’s not thicker than March Madness. Sorry, Suzie!
The Elite Eight concludes today with 2 games on tap. #2 Tennessee vs #1 Purdue leads us off, followed by #11 NC State vs, well, you-know-who:
Here at Great American March Madness, we always love celebrating the success of our participants, so a big congratulations to longtime participant Michael Marcagi on cracking the the Billboard Hot 100 with his hit single “Scared to Start!” Be sure to catch him at one of his upcoming Cincinnati tour dates:
Entry fee update: As of this morning, there are still 3 people who have yet to pay their entry fees. To avoid being publicly shamed, please Venmo me your entry fee prior to the April 1st deadline.
https://account.venmo.com/u/Greg-Dennehy
And finally, thanks to everyone who contributed to TCBF (The Commish’s Beer Fund). Here’s the Commish enjoying some of his favorite beer, Banks Caribbean Lager, at GAMM Headquarters last night with his “The Commish” beer glass:
Enjoy your Easter Sunday!
The Commish