Writing Helps - Sports are Safe[r]

    Some drink coffee, some drink booze. Others smoke or take drugs. Some do things in excess, like eat, or other things. Like watch a lot of different entertainment. I like watching certain live sports, perhaps that is a drug. My drug, or opiate, or stimulant. Some people like to fish, some hunt, some race, or drive. Or sail. Or read. Or pour over reports, or analysis, or investments, or trades and stocks and funds. Some people write and play music. Some have all kinds of hobbies. Some work more, or serve, or tinker. Some preach. Some minister. Others tinker, and others figure

    Making money makes sense. Good habits and actions if you can do it. Some of us poorer, less financially savvy schmucks pay attention to the vagaries of organized sports, like in college and professional levels. Me, I am a sucker and a chump, virtually an addict for college basketball. I love it, I hate, I want some more of it.

    However, what I do not want in college basketball at the end of this season is for seven teams, that are more or less good enough, to win the final night in April. No more championships for the following. And then I will explain why.

    The No-No No More List:

    North Carolina (6 all time)

    Kentucky (8 all time)

    Duke (5 all time)

    UConn (5 all time. Really?)

 

    Kansas (three all time?)

    Villanova (three all time)

    Baylor (One all time)

    Anyone else in the tourney would be all right with me. Purdue, Houston, Tennessee, Auburn. Who else threatens? Iowa State, St. Mary's, Creighton, Marquette. Of course, my BYU Cougars would be so awesome to go all the way, and on some streak of amazing luck my long shot Indiana Hoosiers would be incrediball. Anyone but the above seven. Why?

    The UNC Tar Heels of Chapel Hill, stealers and drug dealers:

    Enough of these Indiana talent stealers! They have won rings three times since Indiana last won its last ring in 1987, with Indiana big men. One from Indianapolis, the second from Bloomington, the last from Jasper. They won again without any Hoosier players more recently, but still. Enough, North Carolina! Enough of your rings. How many now? Six? Ugh. Stop. At least this year they have no Hoosiers either. Win the right way. Use your own guys. Not my home state's.

    The Duke Blue Devil barf bags:

    Ugh, they are so cool (read: gross) and All-Americans play there every single year for decades. ENOUGH! Bob Knight's protege Mike Coach K Krwzshevski -- I can never spell it, has fashioned them into a perennial power. Anyway, the legendary coach who recently retired, Coach K, got five championships, just him, which is a modern record since the Wizard of Westwood did his craziness in the 1960s and 70s. Krzyzewski was under our Indiana guy's tutelage and then went on to outdo him, especially in recruiting.

    The Kentucky Weasel Wildcat Whackos:

    When IU won its fifth NCAA championship when I was in high school (1987), we tied Kentucky with five all time. The Weasels have won three more since; but have had 95 percent better talent. Tired of you, you rodent swine! You guys cheat a lot, and luckily for the rest of us, you have not won more. I hope you know that IU and Indiana will play you again and again, and we are not afraid to visit your arena, as you have been with ours. More like Scaredy Cats. Yeah.

    The University of Connecticut Homer Hateful Huskies:

    Ugh, they win again and again, and make me feel old. They win it all, too much, consistently in the last quarter century. They had the miracle run back in 2011, and they won it before and since. Last year, too. Which would make it especially egregious if they won it all in 2024. Go back to Alaska and mush on up there, Husky dogs!