How about a first try at blogging running-diary style? No better time to start than with the event that grabs America by the La-Z-Boy and doesn’t let go for three weeks. With the sub regional here in Buffalo, I decided to give it a whirl for my loyal readers, all three of them.

12:00 Brother-in-Law, hereafter known as “Mark”, or occasionally “Marky-boy” rolls in to the driveway. Scramble ensues in trying to disentangle from my two boys, but contact is broken and the day begins.

This just goes to show the difference that ten years can make in one’s life. Ten years ago I would have had to set the alarm so I woke up by 10:00 to shower (probably while drinking a beer). I would have met up with a group of guys by 11:00 to start drinking, maybe at someone’s apartment, maybe at a bar (probably at a bar). We would have watched the tip-off of the game at the Aud from the bar, and left to go downtown with about 5:00 left in the first half.

Instead, it’s all carefully laid-out and planned. Up at 7:00 to get the kids breakfast. Shower, with no beer! Take the oldest to school by 9:00, then head home to watch my youngest so my wife can get in a rare morning workout. I’m not saying it’s worse, or better, just different.

12:20 Missed the 12:15 train to Downtown. It seems such an inconvenience that these things only run every 12 minutes. Buffalo has an interesting subway. It runs in a straight line for about 12 stops. I live right near one, but 95% of the people in Buffalo don’t. Sucks for them. This explains why this is Mark’s first trip on the train.

1:03 Took our seats for Texas Tech / Charlotte. Tech is up 28-20. I know we missed the tip, but I’m going to be here for like ten hours. I think the key is going to be minimizing the sitting through the boring stretches. First thing I do: look for Bobby Knight. That’s the kind of power this man has over hoop fans. The sub is here in my hometown, and I’m not even checking the crowd…just looking for The General. Spotted. And he looks thinner than I remember.

1:06 1:06 left in the first half. Tech goes up 35-20. CBS is probably switching coverage.

1:08 Butter Johnson hits a running one-hander for Charlotte. With a name like Butter, aren’t you destined to play hoops? Or perhaps be a chef. I wonder what Stuart Scott would do with this guy. “They should call him Butte…Uh, never mind.”

1:37 Two monster Charlotte slams cut the lead to 43-35. Knight gets a TO. I’m too far away to see what color he’s turning.

1:41 Tech sends out their “spirit squad”, which consists of seven girls and four guys. I like the guys when they’re throwing the chicks around and catching them, but there is something unnatural about a man doing a round off on a basketball court.

1:50 Tech back up by 14 with about nine minutes left.

2:09 Charlotte cuts it to seven with 5:22 left. The antennae pick up, the crowd starts to make noise. It has that “Something could happen here” feel.

2:11 Charlotte still down 7. 3:51 left. Both teams trading misses.

2:15 Tech throws down a huge slam to go up nine. To rip off Gregg Easterbrook (and why not, I’m ripping off every good writer anyway today. Maybe next I’ll have “Eleven Things I Suppose I Suppose”) this report writes “game over” in his notebook.

2:31 Game officially over. Charlotte got to within three, but they hit a very late three, and then another with 0:00 on the clock.. It was never really in doubt, and we get to see The General again Saturday. Announcer tells us Manhattan upset Florida, which makes me feel good. I picked it in both my pools, and it’s nice to nail the day’s first upset.

2:57 Back to the seats in time to see Liberty and St. Joes take the floor for warm-ups. The difference in the teams is evident even in warm-ups. I just watched two straight Liberty players clang their lay-ups off the bottom of the rim.

2:59 The St. Joes mascot may turn this crowd ugly. He’s running around like Whitney Houston on “National Crack Day”. The guy next to me says he never, ever stops flapping his wings. So far he’s right. As for the Liberty mascot, well, he appears to be AWOL. “Apparently Liberty couldn’t afford the mascot. Rumor has it it was supposed to be a big bell,” cracks Mark.

3:05 St. Joes section very vocal. They have the best alumni thus far through casual observation in the halls. I always figure the older the alumni you see at these things, the more loyal the fan base. After getting behind a few alums while walking, I would call these guys quite loyal.

3:08 Jameer Nelson hits a long two (toe on the line), then a three.

3:11 Nelson hits his throws. Joes up 7-0.

3:12 Nelson drains a 10 footer. 9-0. He’s not bad.

3:14 Nelson misses a three. Liberty hits one! 9-6. Enjoy it Liberty fans.

3:21 I just noticed Liberty has no band. And when their “spirit squad” was called on to the court, they didn’t even bother. There’s something like 8 kids there, and one looks like none of the guys are going to volunteer to lift here. Meanwhile, St. Joes band has about 30 kids, and their “spirit squad” looks like one of those ESPN cheerleader competitions. More on “spirit squads” later…

3:27 Nelson hits another three. Joes up 25-8, and Nelson has 14 points.

3:29 Nelson hits a hanging ten-footer. This kid is getting it done in a big way, just the way you’re supposed to as a one seed in the first round. Take advantage of the stage Jameer!

3:30 The St. Joes cheerleaders have definitely earned my respect. ‘nuff said.

3:43 St. Joes up 36-16. Me sleepy.

3:56 Halftime. Joes up 46-26. Nelson has 22 points.

4:08 Time to hit the head. One important point you may not realize is that they don’t serve beer at the tourney. None. The building is totally dry. Hypocrisy aside, this is very hard to get used to. I can’t think of an occasion that I’ve been in this building and not consumed at least one beer. (Okay, upon writing I can. I took my oldest boy to two open Sabres practices and a basketball game here. No beer those times). I don’t think I’ve ever pissed so clear in here before. And the lines are short.

4:17 Something tells me we’ll be leaving before this game ends…

4:37 How’s this diary thing work again? Should I actually be writing things down even if nothing is happening?

4:42 Sweet mercy. Time to head out and get some food and drink. Hopefully we can beat the rush. 64-43 Joe’s with 10:27 left.

4:48 Lucky with the Metro (that’s the above-ground train Downtown). Hopped right on. Time to head way uptown to dodge the tourist crowds and hit some local spot. Talked to a buddy who’s going into the eye of the storm, a bar right by the arena. To each his own, I guess, but that’s not my speed.

5:00ish Made it to a local joint. Plenty of room at the bar and the Syracuse game is on. Syracuse is the closest thing we have in Buffalo to big league college sports, and the majority of Buffalonians are Orange fans, so this should be a good spot to watch.

5:15 Gerry McNamara has how many points??????? Another tough part with events like this….The Dads who bring their nine-ten-eleven year olds in to an adult bar because they have to wait to eat. I love kids, but stay out of my way when I’m watching hoops and trying to get a beer. They don’t know the social etiquette situation in a SRO bar. Mark, however, does not love kids…hey, how’d that kid fall?

7:20 Time to head out. We played the “stay at the bar game” too long and were late getting a table. Oh well, four beers and a solid burger later we head back.

7:44 UConn-34 Vermont- 24. No Sabres score. Vermont came equipped with enough goofy white guys to outfit the entire Eastern Conference with 12th men. The bench looks like a cub scout meeting. The worst part: Vermont can’t hit their threes.

8:12 Halftime is winding down. UConn band is playing “Call Me Al”. Mark wonders if perhaps Chevy Chase is a UConn Alum, because there is no other reason for a band to be playing that song. How did that become a band staple anyway? There are no other songs with trumpets in them?

8:22 Just noticed Vermont’s cheerleaders. 12 Chicks, no guys. My sons going to Vermont!

8:30 Definitely a pro-Vermont crowd, and they think Vermont is getting ticky-tacked with the fouls. This crowd is also learning how dominant Okafor can be. They don’t show rebounding stats on the scoreboard, but he has at least six since we sat down.
The UC spirit squad takes the floor and stands around. “If that’s all your gonna do, lose the skirts!”. The beers are effecting Marky, and in a good way.

8:39 UC 56-41. Okafor has some nasty in him…threw down a mean two-hander. UConn is pulling away. Vermont can’t go underneath, and they can’t hit three’s. Their fans, however, are undeterred. Probably 3,000 people wearing yellow tee-shirts and going nuts. There are zero UConn fans here as far as I can tell.

8:48 Number 20 for Vermont fouls out. Zero points, helluva round of applause. Must be more to him than showed tonight.

8:51 4:12 left. 63-48. Would be worse but UConn is missing throws.

8:56 It hit me. UConn knows how, and loves to, play nasty. Going through the rigors of the Big East and playing goon squads like G-Town and others makes you a tough team. Vermont looks shocked at the very concept…it’s like they never heard of an elbow. That’s the difference in leagues.

9:03 :33 left. Standing O by Vermont fans. Class game. No stupid fouls at the end.

9:04 Game over. Another standing O from Vermont. I think they’re going to break out a “Thank you U Conn” chant soon. The final was 70-53, and Vermont looks thrilled to have played.

9:36 The Dayton crowd is really energizing the building. They have the best contingent thus far. Huge fan section, big, energetic band, huge cheer squad. This looks like what college is supposed to look like. I’m kind of surprised a big-time program like UConn didn’t have more of this energy. Maybe #2 seeds don’t show it until the games get tough. My head hurts, and it’s frigging hot in here. 19,000 people sitting for nine hours does not keep the building cool.

9:48 Found out MSU lost. I was banking on their tough schedule paying off…like all the way to the elite eight. They were playing UNLV, who I wasn’t aware was allowed to have a team any more. I figured they’d knock off Gonzaga and I would be rightly hailed as a genius. Why is it I loved the Zags when they were an eleven seed, but when they’re a two I won’t pick them? Good job on Manhattan though Kevin…

10:00 Close game with Dayton and DePaul. The Vermont coach comes walking through and he gets a standing O. I love that small-school stuff.

10:24 Halftime. Time to bolt…it’s been a long day.

11:05 Made it home. Grab a beer, flip on the games. Dayton-DePaul is close, and winding down, like me. Kids are asleep, wife is getting there.

11:30 Dayton-DePaul is going to overtime. Very glad I’m home. Take more Tylenol. Make a big decision…no more writing. See you tomorrow live from Malone’s Bar, where the Friday games will be blogged.