March Madness----Down to 32

.....and two of them are from Richmond, VA!!!!!

Saturday, The Richmond Spiders playing the biggest cinderella so far, Morehead State, around 5:15pm. They certainly have a shot to win to make it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1988, and they won't overlook Morehead. Chris Mooney would never let that happen.....

VCU, tonight, played arguably their best game ever in the NCAA's (their biggest win was the Duke victory in '07, tonight's win over GTown was more complete and dominant, therefore their "best"....) and, if they can keep the momentum going, they certainly can hang with Purdue. Richmond beat Purdue earlier this season, so it is definitely doable.

Other Tourney thoughts after one round....

---My Final Four is intact (Ohio State, Kansas, Connecticut and Pitt)
---Seven of my Elite Eight are alive (Darn you, Xavier!!)
---I have VCU making the Sweet Sixteen. I hope I'm right!
---I have Richmond losing in Round 3. I hope I'm wrong!

Finally----WILL N.C. STATE PLEASE CALL SHAKA SMART AS SOON AS VCU'S SEASON IS OVER!!!

Thank you.....from a concerned Wolfpack fan of 37 years....... :)

25 Years Ago: March 26, 1983 was a GREAT day!!

It was a Saturday. A beautiful Saturday. My Dad took me up to Charlottesville so I could participate in the Virginia High School League's Annual Forensic Competition.

Two weeks previously, just before NC State's miracle run to win the ACC Tournament, I finished a surprising second in the regional competition, qualifying me to go to the state tourney. I was pleasantly stunned!

So, I worked and worked and poured over my 3 X 5 cards containing what few notes you get, and it was best to do it from memory, so that you tell a compelling story and make a compelling argument as to whatever your speech's premise may be.

Mine was an expose on the trials faced by college sports regarding graduation rates, drugs, and the "failure" of the student-athlete due to outside forces (and sometimes inside).

The event was held at the University of Virginia.

NC State beat Virginia 81-78 two weeks earlier to win the ACC Tournament and get the automatic bid into the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

So I, a HUGE Wolfpack fan, give this speech, on the UVA campus, on THE DAY NC State and UVA face each other for the 4th time that season; this time in the West Regional Final with a trip to the Final Four at stake.

After the speech I remember listening to some of another game (Louisville/Kentucky)on the radio. Then Dad and I went to the award ceremony, and I was STUNNED to hear my name called as winning 3rd place in the Original Oratory category. I got up, went down the aisle and picked up my medallion (which I definitely still have!!!), then went back, sat down, and looked at Dad. He looked at me. It was a "proud" moment and neither one of us had to say a word. :)

Then, headed home, I'm trying to decipher Dick Stockton's call of the frantic final seconds of the game on CBS......then I hear the best sentence of the day:

"NC STATE WINS!"

I went nuts! We're going to the Final Four!!!!! AND BETTER YET, WE ENDED UVA'S SEASON AND THE CAREER OF OUR FOUR-YEAR NEMESIS, RALPH SAMPSON!!!!

To this day I've never taken credit for my presence at UVA that day having anything to do with that 63-62 final score. Don't plan to. I went to UVA and did my job, then THE CARDIAC PACK went on the same floor as UVA and did theirs, too.

What a great day. :)

Giving Him The Business!!!

I LOVE referees who cut to the chase and have a sense of humor; especially when my team is being shutout!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLOG!!!

Happy Birthday to Blog, Happy Birthday to Blog.......

.....sorry, I know, a little carried away I am. :)

I cannot believe today begins year four in the blogosphere; it's been so much fun.

I'm not Drudge or Arianna or my lady Blonde Sagacity, but I am proud of my finite slice of the world of blogging.

Why do I do it? It's a place to talk when I have something to say, a place for releasing what my brain thinks is creative writing and discussion (all depends upon your definition of "creative", of course!), a place to share the events of this, the Witham Nation, the events in my heart, a struggle with OCD and depression, even reviews of the high school football games I get to call on the radio (my alma mater, too!)

So, to those of you who actually invest a few moments here, a big thank you! For the people I run into in the blogosphere thanks to tags and keywords, thanks to God! I enjoy meeting lots of people from all walks of life. After all, that's what My Boss did. :)

Off to year four. What's coming? One can only hope for a resurgence of NC State basketball, another Moody Blues concert, and lots of hot se.......oh. Wifey may read. She wouldn't like that comment released to the world. Wouldn't be prudent to post that at this juncture. Thanks Bush 41 for those words of wisdom!

Go NC State Wolfpack!!

It's been a good weekend for Sidney Lowe, his red jacket, and his NC State Wolfpack.

I was excited when State hired Sidney as basketball coach, because the program finally restored connection to its glory years of Jim Valvano, esp. the 1983 Cardiac Pack National Champions (Lowe was our point guard).

So, I got to see NC State put away Duke Thursday in overtime, and Virginia last night (it's always sweet to see UVA lose!!), and I wake up this evening to find out they defeated Virginia Tech for the 3rd time this season. State is in the ACC Tournament final!!

Here's hoping that this great run ends like the 1983 ACC Final, when State had to win to make the NCAA Tournament; they beat UVA and Ralph Sampson by three, opening the door for them to make the most improbable run to the NCAA Championship ever (sorry, Villanova).

As opposed to 1997, 2002 and 2003, when surprising Pack runs ended on Sunday afternoon, losing to UNC, Duke, and Duke again, in that order.

Go get 'em Sidney! Now, where can I go buy myself a red jacket??

All Things Witham---On The Road For The First Time EVER!!!

Welcome to my first blog post outside of Virginia!!

We're live tonight in New Bern, North Carolina, as we traveled here earlier this evening to celebrate two milestone birthdays!

On Monday, our wonderful daughter, Rachel, turns the big 10!! I'm still trying to figure out where in the world those ten years disappeared to!!!!

Then, the person she shares that birthday with, her Papa (my Dad), turns the big 75! So, at the risk of letting a big day go by, we came down to celebrate both birthdays tomorrow, since we have to be back home at this time tomorrow night so the kids can get to school Monday.

I, on the other hand, had at least some foresight and am taking Monday off to snooze. :)

There is a chance of some storms tomorrow PM, so I'm hoping they will either not develop or we can dodge the bullet.

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Quick, few, end-of-week musings:

1) Lots and lots on my mind right now, about things happening, things that may happen, things that may not. I'm very happy that, in spite of all that rambling through my mind at warp speed, I still made the trip here to NC. But, let it be said, next week could turn out to be extremely pivotal. Plus, my jury duty "on-call period" will be done soon, and that will make me happy, no matter what other emotions come my way.

2) NC State.....will they ever be able to recruit with UNC and Duke at their side door? They used to......hopefully Sidney Lowe can, because Lord knows we need some players. The poor guys there now, when you run only seven players, you run out of steam. I don't look forward to seeing their "March legs". They'll probably be tired. I hope at least an NIT bid, so the guys, and the coach, can play some March tournament basketball. All experience is a positive right now.

3) The Taco Bell gutted by fire next to work last Thanksgiving has been open a few weeks now. No word as to whether they plan to add rats as their latest attraction, a la NYC.

Good night from North Carolina!! Happy birthday Papa and Rachel! February 26, 1932 and February 26, 1997. :)

The Wolfpack frustration continues.....

....as Chuck Amato is let go as N.C. State head football coach.

I credit him with the Philip Rivers era (the highlight being the slaughtering of Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl New Years Day, 2003), but with it comes responsibility for the past few years, especially 2006.

It's sad, because he injected some serious life into the football program. Now it's time for another dosage. But who comes to Raleigh??

Butch Davis is moving in at Chapel Hill, Wake Forest just won the ACC Championship (congrats to the Deacons!), and Duke doesn't count in football. :)

I have no idea who may be on the list, but think of this.....

---When Amato came in 2000, it was still basically Florida State and the rest of the league. State beat FSU four out of the past six years, including the first league win by anyone against FSU in Tallahassee.

---Now, going into 2007, it's wide open in terms of which ACC team wants to step up and be the "Wake Forest" of the year. So.....

...would this not intrigue some coach (a good, hungry one; I don't care about name recognition at all) into coming to Raleigh, recruiting voraciously, adopt and follow a set plan, and, maybe, sooner than you think, it's the Wolfpack in the BCS??

This is how open the ACC is now.....Virginia beat Miami this season. Virginia stunk. Questions?