Good Vibrations!

*I reserve the right to change these opinions if Angry Michigan QB Accuracy God and Angry Michigan Kickoff Catch God conspire to ruin our fate.

Good Vibrations - the tune that made reality sink in during Michigan's blowout win over Iowa yesterday.  It was near the under-12 media timeout, Iowa had called a quick 20 to stop the momentum Michigan had gathered.  It was all a moot point by that time; Michigan was up by twenty-some points.  As I basked in the glory of the whooping and it's consequences (more on those later), I heard an oldy but goody playing over the house PA system.  It was Marky Mark, now known as Mark Wahlberg, belting out his classic white man rap/dance tune.  The title said everything I was feeling at that moment.  The decade long streak of meaningless Selection Sundays, (likely)* over.  The years and years of bottom dwelling in the Big Ten, (likely)*, over.  The days of 33 point games and Thursday exits in the Big Ten Tournament, over.  All of the pathetic memories of games that I watched - with players spanning from Josh Assellin, Dominic Ingerson, Avery Queen, Courtney Sims, Graham Brown, Jarret Smith, Ron Coleman, and Sharrod Harrell - all put to the back burner.  Instead, they are replaced by something that was not thinkable at the beginning of the year.  A Michigan basketball memory featuring the words - Big Dance.  I'm talking real, tangible, taste it in your mouth, feel it in your ass like a giant baseball bat poop, memory.  For that, I give a big thank you to this years squad.  A squad that has done nothing but over achieve every step of the way.  A squad that plays a 6'4" 210 lb. white kid at the power forward in a power conference.  A squad that plays two walk-ons at point guard that would have trouble dominating the Oak Harbor Old Man's League.  A squad that relies on two kids that resemble people from Oak Harbor (Zach Gibson - Brian Hemminger, Stu Douglas - Ricky Brimmer) to give them a spark every game.  This is my squad - MY TEAM!  And they are finally dancing. (likely)*

 

Gibson (above, with semi "H" Face)

Hemmi (below, with near "H" Face)

Douglas (above) Brimmer (below) Are they the same person?

Of course Michigan (likely)* getting into the NCAA Tournament has bigger implications than erasing the Peter Vignier era of Michigan basketball out of my memory.  For the first time since 1998, I will be forced to pick with my heart instead of my brain in my annual NCAA Tournament bracket challenges.  I pride myself on my ability to pick winners, and consider myself to be the early 1990s Buffalo Bills of Bracket Challenges; always the bridesmaid, never the bride.  I have come to the realization that Brent Musberger has a better chance of being popular with any teams fan base than I do of winning these.  How about Musberger, though?  If you talk to Fan of Team A, Fan of Team B, Fan of Team C, or Fan of Team D, they will all tell you that Musberger hates their team, always roots against them, and anally penetrates their mascot and cheerleaders before each contest.  The reality is that Musberger is just a bad announcer that tries to root for everyone.  In doing so, he sounds like a complete douche when he goes over the top in shilling a player.   These stick out to the fan of the opposing team, but go over the head of the complimented team fans.  Unfortunately, the Big Ten is stuck with Mus, unless you are fortunate enough to play on the BTN.  Then you get Gus.  Anyways, back to my bracket.  With Michigan (likely)* being in, I am obligated to pick them to win at least the first round game.  After the first round, I still may pick them just because my Michigan blinders won't allow me to see them lose.  As a result, many of my mid 90's brackets had Michigan to the Final Four, Elite Eight etc.  Not a winning solution for someone trying to get the bank at the end of the bracket challenge.  We'll see how it works out this year.  Depending on the match ups, I think I can get out of my mandatory pick after the first round.  Baby steps. 

NRTTS

Coach Deuce