Total Eclipse Of The Scribe...

 Hello, hope you're all having a good week. A lot has happened so far this week, most notably the total solar eclipse that occurred on Monday. I missed the one in 2017; I was in the hospital because I had suffered my stroke just days beforehand. This one I had the privilege of sitting outside for, and I got a "picture" of the sun just as the moon passed over it:

I caught it off a reflection off my camera phone through the sunroof of the kitchen in my house. I wanted to try to get a better shot during the peak of the eclipse, which just shy of 60% here in the northern reaches of Tampa Bay, but my elder sister (who can be somewhat overprotective like my late oldest sister, just less annoying and petty) decided to hang out to smoke, so I couldn't really do that. But, I did notice the sky get a little darker, and the surroundings not as bright as they normally would on a clear spring day down here. And no, nothing monumental happened, like a rapture or the Apocolypse. I swear some people take things like an eclipse and overthink it, or what I called it in the Navy, "nuke it out." What's that? You mean "the rapture" will allegedly take place in a couple of weeks? Okay (makes cuckoo gesture).

I Like It When I'm Right...Sometimes.

Also on Monday, the college basketball national championship took place, and as I told you on this very blog a couple of weeks ago, Connecticut took it all, dominating every game they played in the tournament. They're the first to repeat since Florida in 2006-07 and have solidified themselves as one of college basketball's bluebloods. Now if only the ACC allowed them in several years ago. Speaking of the ACC, what a run by the NC State Wolfpack! They came up short against Purdue, but still, a magical run for what some college basketball fans as the third wheel in the three-team rivalry in the Raleigh-Durham area. Speaking of which, Duke appears to be the way too early favorite for next year, but don't be too surprised if UConn pulls off the threepeat, which I believe has only been done by UCLA.

Pro Wrestling Is Back!

For those of us who love the "sport" known as professional wrestling (like me), that particular term is back in the WWE. In the past generation, such a term was taboo in the powers that be (Vince McMahon) of the WWE, but since he's gone (and there's more beer for us) the term "Sports entertainment" has been put on indefinite hiatus, and "professional wrestling" is back. And did it come back with flair (WHOOOOOOO)! WrestleMania 40 this past weekend from Philadelphia was arguably the best WM of all time, carried by an outstanding program on Sunday. Cody Rhodes finished the story, ending Roman Reigns' 1,316-day reign as WWE Undisputed Champion. It was an emotional victory, heck I even cried after he won; Dusty Rhodes (his late father) was my favorite wrestler as a kid. In fact, the last two times I shed tears was over wrestling; Sting's final match a month ago being the other. You could hear the emotion in ring announcer Samantha Irvin's (who by the way, shot to superstardom) voice. All the babyfaces celebrated in the ring. It was quite the moment. 

The same cannot be said about the company he helped found, All Elite Wrestling. Last night on their weekly Dynamite program, footage aired of an incident involving former talents CM Punk (who was promptly scooped up by WWE after his ouster) and Jack Perry (who's working in New Japan Pro Wrestling) at 2023's All In event at Wembley Stadium in London, in which the latter goaded the former into a brawl. Punk on a podcast had some not-so-flattering things to say about his former employer, or his boss, Tony Khan. Turns out, Punk was speaking the truth, and in doing so, made Khan look like an idiot. There's one GIF that encapsulates the decision by Khan to air the footage, if you know, you know:

Tuesday Was A Good Day

Tuesday was my first day out since the disaster of last month, and it went well. I only drank water, but did have one shot of Fireball, and it didn't taste well. So, I promptly abandoned that idea, even though I made a toast to myself saying, "here's to someone else's bad decision with one of my own." I think you may know who I'm referring to there. I won't get into what was discussed, but I left 1) sober and 2) feeling much better about things. Afterwards, I went to Cracker Barrel to have lunch, and on the way there, I noticed a siren coming down US 19. However, it wasn't an ambulance, police, or sheriff's deputy. It was a truck for the US Forestry Service. I've never known Forest Trucks to carry sirens on them, but I guess they're allowed to, even though there wasn't a forest fire in the area; it was a hauler carrying two trucks. I have no clue as to why they were travelling on US 19 either, as Ocala National Forest is nowhere near that road, unless it was coming from the Panhandle (Apalachicola Forest). Rather curious to me. Anyway, I had a nice dinner a Cracker Barrel and an even nicer rest afterwards. Now, I'm back to burning the midnight oil again. I guess I'll never learn.

Coming Up

Tomorrow, I should have my flashback feature for y'all, even though I haven't rolled my D20 die to determine which year I will choose. This weekend is also The Masters golf tournament (yawn), and at the beginning of next week, my one sister turns (gasp) 70. Plenty to look forward to this weekend and beyond. So, until tomorrow, I hope, take care.

Bony Scribe 

Bracke-Tyner-gy 2024

 Hello again, everyone. Well folks, we made it. Tournament time is upon us, and we get to see how our brackets will be obliterated this year. This year's bracket caused some serious headaches for some programs that felt as if they were slighted by the selection committee; Indiana State, USF, St. John's, I know that feeling. All in all, this college basketball season was mid to say the least. It seems like whoever was number 1 in the polls would lose their following game, and there were some weeks where multiple teams in the top ten of the polls would lose. 

Be that as it may, the number one seeds are defending national champion Connecticut, Houston, Purdue, and North Carolina. Of those teams, only UConn won their conference tournament. The others fell in the conference finals or semis. In the East region, three of last year's Final Four teams are in: UConn, Florida Atlantic, and San Diego State. The other one, Miami, failed to reach the tournament this year. What's interesting to note is that all three teams are in the top half of the region; FAU is seeded eighth, while SDSU is seeded fifth. This means that a rematch of last year's title game would take place in the Sweet Sixteen. I don't think it matters all that much though. The only team I see giving Connecticut any competition is Illinois, and even if they do, they have to do so in Boston. So, UConn gets the East.

(Connecticut Post)

In the West region, North Carolina is the top seed, and with the exception of their ACC Final loss to NC State, have been playing really well down the stretch. Now watch them get upended by Michigan State (who has zero business being in the tournament imho) in the second round. Beyond that, I think the best teams that could take down the Heels are Arizona, the number two seed, and Baylor, the three seed. Watch for Grand Canyon and New Mexico to pull first round upsets. My pick for the West? Arizona.

(Bleacher Report)

In the South, Houston (and Robeson County's very own Kelvin Sampson) is the top seed. I don't think they reach the Final Four though, to me, we may get a rematch of the 1992 East Regional classic between Duke and Kentucky. Potential upsets include #11 seed NC State, and #12 seed James Madison. Florida is in this region too, although I strongly doubt the get past the second round. My pick to win the South? Kentucky.

(Antonio Reeves, from AZ Central)

Finally, we have the Midwest, Purdue looks to exact revenge from the last year's tournament debacle, which is why Florida Atlantic got to the Final Four to begin with. They shouldn't have trouble this season, unless Tennessee or Creighton play out of their minds this year and pull the surprise. If any upsets come out of this region, it could be 13-seed Samford over 4-seed Kansas; the Jayhawks will be without their leading scorer for the tournament and have been sputtering down the stretch. But I think this is the year Purdue gets over the hump and reaches the Final Four.

Zach Eady

In Glendale, I have Connecticut outlasting Arizona and Purdue beating Kentucky to set up a matchup between last year's champ, UConn and the team with the best player nationally Purdue. The only other time that a top seed was knocked out in the first round was in 2018, when UMBC upset UVA, and Virginia wound up winning the whole thing the very next year. I don't think That will be the case this year, as UConn's devil magic will prevail in the end. So, my national title pick this year? The Connecticut Huskies.

Good boy!!

Bony Scribe