Sport talk

It's another quite night at the circulation desk in the law library. Its Friday night, what do you expect? There are a few baby lawyers about, but they pretty much keep to themselves. There mustn't be any tests on the near horizon because none of the baby lawyers have that drawn out, thousand yard, i've-been-studying-torts-too-long look.

I haven't been able to get to a tv all night, so I wasn't able to watch the hardwood battle between Butler University and Florida State, but I logged onto espn.com and was able to keep track of the game. Sadly, Butler lost 65-57. The computer updated itself every 30 seconds, so I was able to see the changing score. It appeared that one of two thing happened: 1. Butler fell asleep in the last three minutes or, 2. Florida really turned it on. I have a feeling it was more the latter as opposed to the former. Either way, all the Indiana teams (Hoosiers, Nortre Dame, Purdue, and lil ol Butler).

So who to root for now? I'm tired of hearing about Greg Oden, das basketball-wunderkind, and Florida, well, they beat the last Indiana team, so seeing how Indiana is my newest adoptive home, I can't very well root for Florida-- besides they won last year.

I am going to root for Memphis State, this I know. The reason being one my friends/former co-worker (who takes me with him to IU basketball games) is a graduate of Memphis. So, I feel I should root for them. I don't know much about the team, but I'll root for them.

This is actually the first year I have ever really paid that much attention to the NCAA basketball tourney. Last weekend I watched as many games as I could and I found myself yelling at the tv. I really got into it. It was tremendously fun.

I have never been able to play basketball. It has something to do with the fact that I can neither dribble the ball nor run at the same time. I also have a hard time getting the big rubber ball into the round, orange hoop. I'm just not that athletic. (To be perfectly honest: I can't play baseball, football or volleyball, either).

I do enjoy watching sports, though. Well, most sports. Golf and tennis I can't abide. And the "sport" of NASCAR... I'm sorry. I just won't go there, though I've tried. I have in the past forced myself to watch the Daytona 500 or one of those inane round and round they go races.

Speaking of sports: there was an interesting Op-Ed in the New York Times today (why, yes, I do read the NYT daily). In case you didn't know this the Cricket World Championships are being held in Jamaica right now. This is a big deal. Supposedly, that 3/4s of the world that used to be British Colonies are rabid for the sport. I guess it is a big deal, because there was tragedy recently. The Pakistani cricket coach was found murdered in his hotel room after a loss.

It seems that, according the Od-Ed writer, we Americans are a crass bunch that don't understand the finer things in life like, well, cricket, and baseball is for the ignorant. Ever try an explain baseball to a Brit? Its easier to herd cats.

All I know about cricket is that 1. it is a small insect that makes a lot of noise in the summer, and 2. there is a group of Indian students here on campus that play cricket on Friday afternoons. Oh, and the "field" that cricket is played on is a "pitch," and they use a flat bat to whack the ball and that the game can go on for not hours, but days. Let me say that again: games can go on for
days.

So, now that Butler has been eliminated I shall wait expectantly for the start of that most barbaric of games: baseball to commence. My Mets take on the St. Louis Cardinals on April 1st in St. Louis. It will be on the boob-tube on ESPN2. Sign me up, I'm there.