Stadium may be too small for fans’ ego
Brace yourself, Texas. Even you haven’t seen an ego like this.
The Kentucky Wildcats are coming to town for the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, and Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram knows what that means.
“Just when you thought Wal-Mart could not possibly grow any bigger, it rallied to defeat Target in a thriller at margin call,” Engel wrote. “The Wal-Mart of college basketball, often referred to as the Kentucky Wildcats, demonstrated once again they own the market while the others, which include national power Michigan, are merely trying to get the leftovers.
“For the third time in as many games, Kentucky’s freshman-laden lineup rallied to defeat a higher seed in the final seconds. This time, UK freshman guard Aaron Harrison, who is from Richmond, Texas, hit a looooong three-pointer with 2.6 seconds remaining to give the Wildcats a 75-72 win in the Elite Eight. It was the end to a brilliant, highly entertaining three games for Kentucky in this latest tournament run.
“Kentucky is now the second team to reach the Final Four starting five freshmen; the first was Michigan in 1991, which reached the title game with the Fab Five. This time, because college basketball has changed so dramatically since then, do not be surprised if UK’s Fab Five win the title.
“ ‘It doesn’t matter about the age anymore,’ Aaron Harrison said.
“Yes. We’ve noticed.
“Somehow, Kentucky was seeded eighth in this latest NCAA Tournament, and on Sunday the Wildcats shot the selection committee’s better judgment all to hell by relying on a wide array of NBA-level talent to reach another Final Four.
“Arlington, plug your ears, Kentucky Nation and its merry band of student-athletes are coming to Jerry World this week.
“A warning: This may be the single most obnoxious, self congratulatory, priority-skewed fan base in a nation full of them.
To them, Sunday’s outcome is a birthright.
“To their credit, they are usually right.”
A nice fallback
Comedian Argus Hamilton said there is a perfectly good explanation for why former President George H.W. Bush was on hand last week to watch quarterback Johnny Manziel’s workout in front of NFL scouts at Texas A&M.
“Before this past season the quarterback had numerous public drinking episodes,” Hamilton pointed out. “President Bush was there to offer him a job with the Secret Service.”
You don’t say
To no one’s surprise, Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins declared Monday for the NBA draft.
Our favorite quote from the news conference?
“I wish I just had more time,” Wiggins said. “College goes by so fast.”
Especially when you are a one and-done.
Quote of the day
“It’s tough right now, but I’m absolutely optimistic about the future.”
PGA Tour golfer Tiger Woods, after undergoing back surgery that will force him to miss next week’s Masters
Sports, Pages 22 on 04/02/2014