March Madness 2014
Update I
March 24, 2014
Front Page Obituaries
Upsets Abound in the First Two Rounds
(Duke, Villanova, Syracuse, Wichita State, Kansas OUT!!)
Early action in the first round even before the weekend saw Mighty Mercer take out
the Blue Devils. “And DOWN goes DUKE!” Always a great tournament with an early
Krzyzewski and his band of weasels exit!. 32 games commenced and before the dust
settled, where else in sport are there so many chances for the little guy to become the
dragon slayer. Even a Buckeye loss by the Flyers of Dayton (why they never play during
the season!) pales to the Bears of Mercer, once nicknamed the Baptists. Where are they
from? Macon, Georgia, population 91,234. You know, the town you stop in to sleep on
your vacation to Florida going down I-75 late at night, because you are too tired to make it
there before the sun comes up. This, the team, that beat “Dunk City”, Florida Gulf Coast
(remember them?) in the Atlantic Sun Conference championship just to get there.
Rubbing the head of old Jesse Mercer for good luck! Unfortunately, the magic ran out as
the upstart Tennessee Volunteers, sans Bruce Pearl, now at Auburn (yay!) steamrolled
Mercer to become the third SEC team in the sweet 16 since 2007. In other first round
action, Steven F Austin, of Alamo fame, took down VCU, and Harvard brains outsmart
Bearcat braun. Several exciting overtime games made for an impressive two opening
days.
Beaten down by a gut wrenching and grueling victory over the Colonels of Eastern
Kentucky University (gamely led by junior center and local Castle high grad Eric Stutz with
15 points, Jesus with the long mane), the Jayhawks of Kansas were jayjacked by
Stanford 60-57. The #10 seeded Cardinals secured a wild last minute victory sending
lottery pick Andrew Wiggins home to contemplate his millions in the NBA, holding the
phenom to a mere 4 points!. Yep, good luck against LeBron and the grown men of the
professional league. STAY IN SCHOOL son! Hey just listen to Charles Barkley. He
knows.
In the best game of the day, Blue Chip outlasts Blue Collar, 78-76, as #8
Kentucky outlasts #1 Wichita State, the first top seed to exit. My goodness, they hadnʼt
lost a basketball game in a whole year!. And well deserving of their #1 ranking. Despite
heroics by a seasoned college veteran, Cleanthony Early with 31 points, and Ron Baker
with 20, a final potential winning shot by Fred Vanvleet was wide right, and the Shockers
fall.
Louisville awaits Kentucky in the marquee game next weekend! The Cardinals out
pointed St. Louis 66-51. Congratulations however again to former Evansville coach Jim
Crews, who brought the Billikens to the second round, after being down 16 points late in
the second half to oust NC State in the first round.
The Dayton Flyers, seeded #11 ousted Ohio State in a nail biter, then dispatched
Jim Bonerheim and the big ugly Orange of Syracuse, 55-53 in a tremendous battle.
The big boys, Florida, Michigan, and Michigan State safely roll to the sweet 16.
Three #12 seeds took out #5 seeds, again.
And Look Out!! Iowa State is in the Sweet 16 as well. What a thriller. Going hard when
they turn the spotlights on. Ride the stormy weather, button up if you wanna getta, Itʼs the
Cyclones, Like a Cyclone. Entourage and their own paparazzi. UConn will be goinʼ down!
Players in the News
After round one with 32 games completed, Chris Tilley led the field. Homing from
Washington DC, and the presumed inventor of the Tilley hat (lifetime guarantee even if you
lose it), he drops to 23rd after round 2. Wempe rounded out the top ten, but fell from grace
to 76th place. Hmmm, sounds like the NFL pool. Many players are still in the mix despite
the standings as over half the field still have their final four intact. Current standings after
round 2 are listed below:
Second Round Leaders
1st Patty Gowdy (You Go Girl!! A new leader and Big Blue fan, but savvy enough to
take Louisville over the Freshman Cats in the sweet 16. Blood only runs so blue,
and well, then the blue bloods go down.
2nd Todd Lang (Only Kansas Man in the mix. Had to see it coming with the Jayhawks,
Kansas State, and the Shockers out early. Rides Tennessee to the rocky top)
3rd Todd Lang (Your twin brother is likely to go down. However, what a statement!
Two brackets in the top 3. What else to expect from a former March Madness
Champion however.
4th Scarlet Begonias (Dog gone it! The four legged one looks for another blue
ribbon. This time far from Westminster. Cheesehead Badgers need to win.
Banking on the Big Ten.)
5th Gary Gurtcheff (After all these years, can the webmaster catch a break? Many
thanks for the work you do!)
6th Dan Marco (Making the bid with a strong push. Go Aztecs!!
7th Clay Miller (2010 March Madness champion hailing now from Loveland, Ohio.
Do you know BEEENCE? The Propster?)
8th Chris Jesop (Iowa State and Baylor remain the ticket. I like your chances!!)
9th Brandon Crane (United holdout missing his hapless brother)
10th Dennis Dewey (Community man rooting for Hewey and Louie!)
Bridesmaid Rick Martin and Erick Trice
Goat Maureen Martin
Last Gary Gurtcheff (Way to go GMoney)
Charity Update
Our March Madness Endowment Fund continues to grow in part due to interest earned
and of course your donations. The fund was established 6 years ago with proceeds from
the March Madness tournament and additional outside donations. Our current fund value
administered through the Warrick County Community Foundation stands at $40,945!!
Additional recipients of our charitable contributions include the following two organizations.
Patchwork Central
Patchwork Central began in 1977 as a faith‐ based neighborhood outreach organization
for an inner city neighborhood in need. Today, Patchwork Central continues its outreach
to Evansville area neighborhoods with a food pantry and many unique children's
programs. As part of the community fabric, Patchwork Central changes the lives of those it
serves by giving them a sense of hope, a place of acceptance, and a bright outlook for the
future.
Since its founding, Patchwork has worked to serve its neighborhood through flexible and
innovative programming that matches the talents and interests of those involved to the
needs of our community. Today, Patchwork serves individuals and families with a food
pantry (since 1982), neighborhood hospitality (a cup of coffee, telephone usage, someone
to listen, etc.), a community garden (created in 1995), low‐rent facilities for other
community organizations, an artists' teaching studio and cooperative gallery, a bicycle
program for the homeless, and unique art/education programs (Arts & Smarts) that have
been available free of charge to at‐risk children and youth since 1980.
In a single year, approximately 5000 people come through our doors to receive services
directly from Patchwork. Many additional people attended special events, meetings,
workdays, arts events, and Patchwork celebrations. Additional people visited with the
other organizations that use space in our buildings. As part of the community fabric,
Patchwork Central changes the lives of those it serves by giving them a sense of hope, a
place of acceptance, and a bright outlook for the future. Please take the time to learn
more about this organization by visiting their website.
Covenant House
Covenant House is vision is to help homeless kids. Covenant House doesn't forget about all
the kids who are no longer here because no one cared. They have the right to a home; the
right to food; the right to guidance and an education; the right to be free from sexual,
emotional, or physical abuse; and the right to be free from exploitation. These kids have
the right to be safe and, most important, to be loved.
Homeless kids come to Covenant House in crisis. Immediately and without question, we
meet their basic human needs ‐ a nourishing meal, a shower, clean clothes, medical
attention, and a safe place away from the dangers of the street. Covenant House protects
the children from the perils of the street and offers that important sense of security.
Covenant House is dedicated to serving all God's children with absolute respect and
unconditional love ... to help suffering homeless kids ... and to protect and safeguard all
children in need. Learn more about this worthwhile organization, in several locations
about the US, by visiting their website.
Pool and Statistical Information
Unofficially, we have 427 entries. For the fourth year in a row, we have eclipsed the
400 mark. Not a record, but consistent!. Florida was the consensus top pick with 32% of
pool entries choosing the Gators to win it all. 22% chose Michigan State. 9% chose
Louisville. 10% chose Virginia and Arizona combined. All these teams still alive, but itʼs the
upsets that get you the points. Check the website for current updates. When you click on
the standings page, you can easily scroll through to find your position, and your friendsʼ
picks, with brackets displayed, by clicking on the top black row which reads RK (rank), Entry
Name (how you listed your pick), Info-1 (alphabetize by first name), Info-2 (alphabetize by
last name), Score (current point total), etc. Final four picks and chances for you to win
money are also listed. Also go to the drop down menu to see the current tournament
bracket, and other options.
Best of luck in the tournament and again thank you for participating. If you have not
mailed your entry donation and extra contributions, please do so immediately! Remit to:
John P. Morgan, MD
PO Box 1136
Newburgh, IN 47629-1136
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow.
Learn as if you were to live forever.”
-Ghandi in the “Ville” seeing Irish