Down to 8

UCLA came back from 17 down to beat Gonzaga (John Stockton's alma mater) and barge into the Elite 8 vs. No. 1 seeded Memphis. It was a heartbreaking loss for College's top scorer Adam Morrison, who was in tears after the loss. Whether he'd turn pro or play in his senior year is still up in the air. He's 6-8, a bit slow but a good ball-handler, and can shoot the ball like Dirk, ehem, and many experts consider him a lottery pick. Hmm...Surely New York and Orlando are watching him closely.

In other games: No. 1 Duke went down to LSU (Shaq's alma mater); Texas beat upstart WVU on a 3-ball at the buzzer

Madness is The Method

US NCAA's March Madness is upon us. While this type of hit-or-miss, sudden-death tourney appeals to the purest of sports fans, I imagine how it sends gamblers into fits. Here, rankings don't mean squat. Great teams can't afford an off-night. And marquee players have little room for mistakes---think Chris Webber's timeout fiasco in '91. Forty minutes is all you have, enough time for a little-known college to 1-up a big university and its, ehem, much revered, million-dollar, athletic program. There are no second chances, only crying and agony, and choking and more crying, and it's all good. With titles such as the saccharine "Sweet 16", the snobbish "Elite Eight", the iconic "Final Four", what's not to love? Let the games begin...