As a note of full disclosure, I almost forgot today that I have a blog, hence my throwing together a quick post at 5:45.

In regards to last night’s game, I’d be just another flutist in the London Symphony Orchestra if I talked about how Memphis blew last night’s game. Look, it’s this simple: Make your free throws. Today, I was driving by a basketball court, turned around, parked my car, got out, and drained two free throws. Unorthodox? Sure. A little weird? Perhaps. But I did this for two reasons:
1.) I really wanted to play basketball. I continued past the 2 free throws to shoot around, in jeans and a long sleeve shirt, for 45 minutes. It was great.
2.) I wanted to, with no mental preparation, jump to the line and hit free throws. I am a terrible basketball player. I couldn’t play Division III basketball for the worst Division III program. However, I hit my free throws. And no, I’m not doing it in front of millions of viewers on television and thousands in San Antonio, but everybody knows that when you’re in a crunch situation, as a basketball player, you’ve got to take yourself out of the moment and just realize it’s you, a ball, a basket, and 15 feet. And that’s it. It’s all mental.

Kudos to Kansas (mmm…alliteration) for sticking in and going with a philosophy Rick Barnes should have gone with in the Elite 8 against the Tigers. FOUL THEM! It would have been easy to have conceded defeat, down 9 with 2 and a half to play, but Kansas and Bill Self played their cards and played them right. And for that, they have a much deserved National Title and Bill Self will soon be T. Boone Pickett’s favorite person ever.

MASSIVE KUDOS to the Red Sox (see the CAPS) for doing what I was calling for after the 2004 World Series, in having Bill Buckner throw out the first pitch this afternoon at Fenway. And an even BIGGGGGGER KUDOS to “The Nation” for standing up and applauding the man, like he deserved for the past 21 years.

There’s another National Title game tonight that could very well be just as good as last night’s game, which leads me (in this abbreviated post) to today’s:

Game O’ The Day: Candice vs. Candace…er…..Stanford vs. Tennessee in the Women’s College Title Game. But really, this is about the two best players in women’s basketball, Candice Wiggins of Stanford and Candace Parker of Tennessee, going head-to-head for a second time. The Cardinal won in Palo Alto in December, in what was a “get-away” game (the day before Christmas Eve. Candace Parker nearly missed her flight out of SFO that night because the game went to Overtime). Parker is now playing with a dislocated left shoulder and a banged up right shoulder. Parker plays with the better supporting cast. However, Stanford has a fully healthy Wiggins who has dominated the tournament to this point. The key to this game is Nikki Anosike of the Vols. I guarantee is she scores at least 15, the lady Vols will win the title. If she doesn’t, they’ll need even more from the injured Candace Parker. Anosike will score 10. Parker will put up a valiant 20/10, but it will be Wiggins who shines tonight as the Cardinal win the National Title with a 60-53 victory in St. Petersburg.