Between yesterday and today I filled out my 2008 NCAA Tournament bracket. It looks like, unless I change it again before it’s all said and done (which is likely) I’ve got Kansas and Texas facing off in the final game. Carolina is getting knocked out in the Sweet 16 by Notre Dame. Notre Dame? Yes, that’s what I said. Carolina has had so many close games this year that it’s bound to catch up with them, and I’m just hoping the Fighting Irish have what it takes to do it. A lot of people are saying that Indiana, should they beat Arkansas in the first round, will be a tough matchup for Carolina. Knowing the way things go and how much Carolina doesn’t lose when they should, I decided to give them one more round.
I originally had them losing to Tennessee in the Elite 8, but I didn’t feel right about that one. Mainly I just didn’t want them in the Final Four in my bracket, and I didn’t feel good about one of the top teams beating them.
Duke. Duke I’m having a really tough time with. If they play well they can get to the Elite 8, and I think if they’re playing well they can beat UCLA, their most likely matchup at that point. If they can beat UCLA, you might as well push them on through to the final game. However, if they’re playing like they did towards the end of the season then they may not make it to the Sweet 16. In fact, a lot of analysts are picking the Blue Devils to lose to Xavier in the third round.
Of course I personally want Duke to do well too, of course, which also makes it tough. So I think I’m settling on them going out against UCLA in the Elite 8, as a safe play. I’d gladly be wrong and lose my bracket if it means that Duke will go further than I have them.
Tonight was the first time we moved small group to 6:30. We met at McAllister’s, all of us but Elliot and Melissa. We were expecting them, and I wish, since part of the reason we’re going to McAllister’s is so they don’t have to go as far, that they’d shown up, but them’s the breaks. Kristen, who talked to Melissa earlier today, said told us that Elliot was getting laid off from his job. They may be looking at jobs in other areas, which sucks. I don’t have enough friends here to root for Duke with me. No, seriously, it does suck that this is happening to them, and I hope they can find something new for Elliot here.
The weather was nice today. It was a bit windy, but nicely warm. Around the time it was starting to get dark it got really windy and I think it rained a bit tonight, but it was nothing major here.
The midwest is flooding though.
In other bad news, a firefighter was killed yesterday when the helicopter he was piloting crashed. That’s really sad in and of itself, but it was nearly more tragic than that. According to the newspaper article he was going to take his family up in it a few days ago, but they got bury around the house and didn’t end up going out. Oddly enough, Mike Ashcraft, the preacher at Port City Community Church, was also going to go up in it with a photographer recently but didn’t. I assume that since the problem was a motor malfunction or something to that effect that it would have happened with either one of those flights. It’s sad that he died, but it would have been even more tragic should either of the other circumstances have happened.
On American Idol, Kristy Lee Cook was in the bottom three once again. Her luck will run out soon, but it didn’t happen tonight. Tonight it was Amanda Overmyer. I wasn’t too surprised- all of her stuff was starting to sound pretty much the same.
Harvey seems to be extremely gassy lately.
Zach Dotsey