<p>ld - I FEEL for the Duke fans…lol! I truly do. I guess Packmom (?) made a good point earlier; if you don’t live in the state, you don’t understand the irrational hate part.</p>
<p>“I’ll be rooting for UCLA vs. Florida too…that Noah kid is just too obnoxious. I could take the silly dancing and arrogance, but after he took a swipe at a cheerleader…well that’s just a no-no.”</p>
<p>Noah, he’s a guy you either love or hate. He’s genuine tho and good for the gators- gets them going. Every team needs a Noah.</p>
<p>I didn’t hear about him taking a swipe at cheerleaders- what’s that about?</p>
<p>I’m so upset about the death of UNC Mascot. What a tragic loss. This tournament has not been the happiest experience for the Tar Heels I’m afraid. Between this terrible, terrible loss of our mascot, the death of Coach Roy’s sister last week (he had to tend to her funeral between tournament games), Tyler’s injury…it’s just been a rough road.</p>
<p>Prayers for all who are suffering.</p>
<p>since this is CC, I thought this link would be appropriate:</p>
<p>just some graduation rates, with the most recent data…
<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/03/24/GR2007032400046.html[/url]”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/03/24/GR2007032400046.html</a></p>
<p>highlights include (bball teams):
Tennessee: 8%
UNLV: 10%
Ohio State: 10%
Oregon: 0%</p>
<p>I’m not so much concerned with graduation rates for a thread that is, after all, about the basketball tournament and the Final Four…ummm…let’s see…someone remind me who holds the record for the most NCAA hoop championships?</p>
<p>Thanks for that link soccerguy. I found it interesting. How does a school graduate 0%? Not one student received a degree?</p>
<p>EM: that would be UCLA, I think.</p>
<p>Note that the stats are for the entering classes of 1996-1999. For UCLA, that’s the tail end of the Harrick era and the beginning of the Lavin era. Both were odious coaches with a “play & go to the NBA” mentality. If you look at the players under Howland, including the current team, it’s a much different picture. Note that the stats are somewhat misleading in that players who leave early to go pro are counted as “not graduating,” so stats for some colleges need to be adjusted.</p>
<p>TheDad: yep, that would be UCLA. I admire your ability to pull stats, and I believe we are on the same team here. I hope, because it seems the East Coast fans trump us here in cyberspace. Frankly, if we can beat DH’s Gators, then I consider that the ultimate triumph!</p>
<p>Unfortunately, when it comes to the UC’s in general, I’m not sure who generates more income, the sports teams or their Patent Licensing div.</p>
<p>“I’m not so much concerned with graduation rates for a thread that is, after all, about the basketball tournament and the Final Four.”</p>
<p>As I noted in a previous post, a statistician friend of mine figured out that, over a 10-year period, this is the single best algorithm to use in choosing the favorite for all head-to-head games in the NCAA tournament. Always pick the one with the lowest graduation rate. Over time, you will make LOTS of money.</p>
<p>(This indicates a UCLA/Ohio State final, with Ohio State winning.)</p>
<p>Mini, if that were strictly accurate, then Tennessee would be favored to win the Final Four. They lost earlier.</p>
<p>It isn’t strictly accurate. It is an algorithm that has proven itself over time and a variety of situations over 10 years as expressing probabilities better than any other single algorithm than has been developed thus far.</p>
<p>(By the way, by the algorithm, Oregon would be the national champ, not Tennessee. The current probabilities for the final four are as I noted.)</p>
<p>“algorithm” why the former vice president’s dancing is so bad.</p>
<p>doubleplay - sorry I didn’t respond to your question about Joakim Noah’s swipe at a cheerleader. Don’t remember which game, but Joakim fell on his face right in front of the opposing team cheerleaders. One of them shook her poms at him and yelled ‘go whateverteam’. She didn’t move from her sitting position, but did address him directly since he was so close to her. He responded by taking a swing at her. He missed, thank goodness. </p>
<p>She shouldn’t have addressed him directly; but what if he had hit her? No excuse for what he did.</p>
<p>Resurrecting this thread, bleary eyed over a cup of coffee and trying to get the sand out.
Glad it’s over, and glad about the outcome.<br>
ld, I hadn’t heard that one. Reason I asked is I had heard something about a cheerleader from another team calling Joakim ugly or something like that a while back and didn’t know if it was related.</p>
<p>I do know that he takes a lot of crap from opposing teams (verbal insults) that we don’t hear on TV. For some reason he is a target for insults about his physical looks, which I think is really cheap and thinly veiled bigotry at that, but that’s my opinion.
Liked the way he jumped up in the stands looking for a hug from mama. </p>
<p>Can’t get that Paul Simon song out of my mind, though.
Daaah DatDat Daa, Daaah DatDat Daa, If you’ll be my bodyguard, I will be your long lost pal…Daaah DatDat Daa, Daaah DatDat Daa…I can call you Betty and Betty when you call me You can caaaall meeee Aaal, Call me Al.
Go Gators.</p>
<p>Back to the tournament for a moment.</p>
<p>What Coach John Wooden did at UCLA over the years is amazing and probably will never be replicated. I don’t think any of last weekend’s final four teams could have been a Wooden team from the glory years; Goodrich, Hazzard, Alcindor, Walton. 88 straight victories, come on? Growing up in Seattle, I saw Wooden’s 1970s UCLA teams beat Washington State University by 49 on Thursday night, and then come to Seattle and beat U of Washington by 50 on Saturday night. As for academics, Wooden’s players graduated for the most part and became solid citizens. Alcindor/Abdul-Jabbar has a graduate degree in history from Harvard, if I recall correctly. Fred Slaughter became was a top administrator at UCLA. At least one point guard became a doctor. Mike Warren, Wooden’s all-time favorite player, is an actor who has appeared in many serious films and TV dramas, including a starring role on 'Hill Street Blues." Even a successful businessman who feuded with Wooden over the years because he never got much playing time, reconciled with Coach Wooden awhile ago because he realized the valuable life’s lessons that the coach passed on to his players. Quite simply, John Wooden was the best of all worlds for his UCLA student-athletes.</p>
<p>“Alcindor/Abdul-Jabbar has a graduate degree in history from Harvard, if I recall correctly.”</p>
<p>I actually debated against him in high school. It was a “tall order”. 
(He is really a very, very smart fellah!)</p>
<p>
BUT IT’S NOT OVER YET. GO RUTGERS!!! (or Tennessee). The semi-finals were a bit disappointing, especially LSU looking SO bad at the hands of Rutgers. I had originally picked LSU and Fowles to take apart everyone, but Parker has made Tennessee almost unbeatable right now. Prediction: Rutgers will make an exciting game, especially in the first half, but Tennessee will prevail in the end. I just hope hope hope that it’s not a blow-out. TONIGHT 8:30 EDT (ESPN).</p>
<p>Then March Madness will be over for this year.</p>
<p>One more thing: I love the fact that one of the best NCAAW players in the country (Ivory Latta) is only 5 feet 4 inches tall. Too bad UNC lost to Tennessee in the semi-finals Sunday.</p>
<p>Go Rutgers (or Tennessee - either one - just hope it’s a close game).</p>
<p>Latta is 5’ 6" according to her bio.</p>
<p><a href=“http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/latta_ivory00.html[/url]”>http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/latta_ivory00.html</a></p>
<p>My D and I already had this discussion. D plays basketball and she is not 6 feet… ;)</p>
<p>Hey Mini,</p>
<p>Why did Power Memorial High School (Abdul-Jabbar’s high school) close? You would have thought it’s location and academics would have kept it going. Did the Archdiose abandon it? While there’s a hunger in urban communities for the academic discipline of Catholic schools, officials just keep closing them.</p>