I can't remember an NCAA basketball championship in which I have had less rooting interest (which for me includes rooting against as often as rooting for) than tonight's game. So I can just watch it and enjoy it as a ballgame with high stakes, with minimal emotional investment in the outcome.
I don't have any particular affection either team, but I'm not strongly disposed against them, either. I don't loathe the Florida Gators, especially now that Spurrier is gone from the football scene, and I liked Billy Donovan back when he was JJ Redick for Providence, although his haircut kinda bugs me now. UCLA is a challenger to UNC as the Best Alltime College Basketball Program, but then again it is in a category unto itself, with an unrivaled golden era and then a mixed modern record, so I can't get too worked up about them, either.
Maybe I'll pull for the team with the best-looking cheerleaders, which given that it's Florida-UCLA could be a real contest.
First, Billy the Kid was a better basketball player than JJ was and his shooting percentage supports this. Facts are facts.
But I tend to agree. Not a compelling match-up. Ben Howland will have a better team next year than this year, however, so I am rooting for Florida, despite their streaky guard play.
Tonight's match-up reminds me of the 96-97 match-up when Arizona (Please retire Lute) upset defending champs UK in OT when Tubby's kid couldn't hang with Bibby. Like tonight, it was a game with a bunch of father-son stuff. How many times will we see Sidney Green and Yannick Noah in the stands tonight?
Thank God for Tivo.
Posted by: G/ | Apr 03, 2006 at 03:01 PM
By what I've seen so far, UCLA wins the cheerleading contest.
Posted by: jsykes | Apr 03, 2006 at 09:28 PM
But Florida won the basketball contest!
To the neutral fan, it was not an interesting game. Maybe 3 lead changes, and Florida up big early in the 2nd half. But for Gator fans like me, it was the perfect way to cap the best season in team history.
Posted by: Jim Caserta | Apr 04, 2006 at 09:21 AM
It was not a thrilling game, but...congrats, Jim, and all Gator fans, your team was the best in the end.
Posted by: Ed Cone | Apr 04, 2006 at 09:23 AM