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THE SPORTS JOURNAL | NEWS FILE |
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March Madness, Reaching Full Throttle
Moss | Friday, March 12 2004 Saint Joseph’s gets routed by Xavier, T-Mac puts up a whopping sixty-two against the Wizards, and a hockey player named Bertuzzi ends two seasons with a single blow to the back of another hockey player’s head. March has always been filled with madness, but never before has the term ‘March Madness’ taken flight so early in the month. Less than two weeks into March we don’t even know who will make it to the field of sixty-four, but with all of the craziness we are all left wondering what in the world can happen next? What does the month of March have left to serve to our imagination? Before we ponder those questions, let us first take a look back on what has already been a quite memorable, and forgettable month of March.
The Undefeated become Defeated
Coming into March there were still two undefeated teams in college basketball. Stanford and Saint Joseph’s each had the opportunity to enter the NCAA tournament with a big fat zero in the loss column, and both were eyeing the first undefeated season since Bob Knight’s Indiana team made a clean sweep to the championship two and a half decades ago. The possibility of one or both of the teams losing was not inconceivable; in fact, most experts expected that one of the teams would lose before the NCAA tournament. What we didn’t expect was that both would lose, and that one would lose so badly that they are in jeopardy of losing a number one seed.
Stanford walked into the home of the Washington Huskies on March 6th and walked about a losing basketball team. There would be no miracle comeback in this game as the Huskies gained the lead and held it until the final buzzer sounded. The Washington game got away from Stanford towards the end of the game and the final score ended up being 75-62. However, that margin of defeat pales in comparison to the absolute beating that Saint Joseph’s took at the hands of Xavier earlier today. Xavier got out to a big lead quickly and at one time led by thirty points. A wouldn’t be that unexpected, but for the number one team in the country to lose to a bubble team by twenty points is something I cannot fathom. It leaves me wondering if Saint Joseph’s really wanted a number one seed, if they really wanted to finish the season undefeated, and it leaves me wondering if they even ate breakfast this morning?
When Retaliation become Assault
Monday night was a night that Steve Moore of the Colorado Avalanche will never forget. While skating on the ice and playing the game he loves, Todd Bertuzzi blatantly and aggressively attacked Moore from behind. Steve was knocked unconscious by Todd’s first blow to the back of the head, but that wasn’t enough revenge for Todd Bertuzzi. After Moore had fallen idly to the ice Bertuzzi continued his assault. This attack created an image that has been shown on television shows across the country, and an image that few who have seen it will ever forget. Bertuzzi has been suspended for the rest of the season and playoffs, and his eligibility for next year remains in doubt.
The most discerning thing I have gotten out of this hockey affair is that Bertuzzi said afterwards that he did not intend to harm Moore. I believe Bertuzzi, but that also makes me wonder why you would attack someone if you had no intention of hurting him? Fights in hockey are more frequent by far than in any other sport. No one in a fight probably ever wants to see his opponent get seriously injured, but that begs the question of why do you fight in the first place? From the time I was a wee little boy I knew that if you punched someone they were going to get hurt. The same applies to adults. If an adult punches another adult, they are going to get hurt. Now why haven’t hockey players figured this childish concept out? Is all of the padding they wear getting to their heads?
Tracy Goes for Sixty-Two
Tracy McGrady exploded Wednesday night for sixty-two points against the Washington Wizards. Lost in the game was that Gilbert Arenas scored forty, a number that seems small to sixty-two. McGrady took advantage of a somewhat suspect Washington defense, but it wasn’t all Washington’s fault. McGrady was on fire. He drove the lane and scored, he went behind the three-point arc and scored, and he went behind the half court line and scored. Actually, the half-court shot didn’t count, but did prove just how hot, and lucky T-Mac was on Wednesday night. To put McGrady’s sixty-two point game in perspective, four NBA teams have failed to score sixty-two points this year.
In case you were wondering the Magic did win the game 108-99. To add to McGrady’s great night he also grabbed ten rebounds and five assist. The 60-10-5 feat has only been accomplished by seven players in NBA history, including McGrady. McGrady’s sixty-two was the highest single game total of any active player surpassing the sixty-one Shaq put up in 2000. To summarize last night’s game it was McGrady with the bucket, McGrady with the jump shot, and Tracy McGrady with a franchise record sixty-two points. I will refuse to mention that he was playing with a sore knee, whoops, too late. Now if only we could all have sore knees before we lace up the sneakers.
March is known for madness, and madness usually has a way to find March. This March is off to a fast start and leaves us wondering what will happen next? It is unlikely that another NBA player will score sixty-two, and impossible for another undefeated to fall in college basketball. Hopefully we will not see a repeat performance with another brutal hockey fight, and hopefully hockey will start to clean up the act. March is a month that is symbolized by college basketball, as October is with the World Series. The great thing about this month is that there are still over two weeks left before April comes knocking. That gives us two more weeks to be immersed in the madness that is March, and two more weeks to hope that Cinderella finds her shoes and make it to the Big Dance.
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