Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

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Final Four hopes

As a Washingtonian during the first Thompson-Ewing era (also the Reagan era), I can’t help but hope that Georgetown goes all the way (a sentiment not necessarily popular in Ohio, I’m well aware).

As a long-standing Georgian, I’m for any team that can beat a team from Florida.

As a San Francisco native (and one-time northern Californian), I hate to have to support UCLA, but I will against Florida. My only consolation is that John Wooden (may he continue not to rest in peace) once coached UCLA.

As a Michigan State alum (during the Woody Hayes era), I’ll reluctantly support Ohio State, should it make the finals against either Florida or UCLA.

Summary, in case you can’t (be bothered to) figure out my place-based considerations: Georgetown, then OSU, then UCLA, then (shudder, groan) Florida. Note that none of these considerations has anything to do with basketball excellence.

Update: If you need another reason to root against Florida, there’s always this.

Discussions - 8 Comments

Both Georgetown and Ohio State are where they are through some rather incredible luck. I’m a Georgetown fan and (even more unfashionably, I guess) think the present John Thompson is a great coach. Nonetheless, Green did travel when making the game-winning basket against Vanderbilt (which played a near-perfect game in some ways), and North Carolina--although surely bothered by Georgetown’s disciplined zone--missed a very abnormal number of open shots of one kind or another in the last minutes of of regulation. And on the OS side, at the end of the day we have to say that choking on the part of of Xavier and Tenn. played a larger part than the unflagging spirit of the Buckeyes...
I’m picking Georgetown, which has a lot more untapped potential at this point.

I have a problem rooting for dynasties (so I don’t root for the royals (UK, not KC) and other aristocrats either), and having Ewing I and Thompson I in the stands eyeballing their like-named offspring play in the very same roles on the court just leaves me cold.
That said, the GTown thugs had the victory-seeking emotion on the floor; Carolina played as if they’d been fed Prozac at the half.

Peter,

In a single-elimination tournament, luck will always play a role. I’m all for having a championship series, since that would mean more college basketball.

Coming from Rensselaer, I really don’t care at all unless it’s hockey.

I’m of a different mind.

  • As a graduate of Michigan State, I make it a point to pull for Big Ten teams when competing outside the conference.
  • Given that Florida won the football championship over the Buckeyes, I do not favor them winning the basketball crown as well.
  • Even though I now live in Arizona, which is Pac-10 country, I still remember all the times the Pac-10 has spanked the Big-10 in football during the bowl games. I’m generally disinclined to support the Pac-10 in anything.
  • But I hate Georgetown more than anything else.

So, my order is: Ohio State ... that’s it.

I think it should be observed that excellence at Georgetown only occured when key personnel moved from Princeton to Georgetown. I’ll say no more.

Other than, Hoya Saxa!!!!

Patrick,

You’re right; the Princeton offense has two parts. The Hoyas are reclaiming their Reagan-era glory on the hardwood. What’s left?

Reagan era, perhaps, but not Reaganesque, surely. The Princeton offense stresses teamwork, the subordination of the individual to the good of the whole. Pete Carrill ("The Smart Take From the Strong") realized that in the Ivy League, absent the likelihood of superstar players, one had to rely on superb teamwork to defeat often athletically superior opponents. This is how Princeton (then) almost beat the more truly Reaganesque 1980s team - ironically enough, Georgetown - in the first round of the tournament in 1989. Yes, they didn’t win, but of course, in a way they did.

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