-Does the tournament make the tournament or does the bracket make the tournament?  I wondered that as I was watching my home state WV Mountaineers lose to Xavier last night in OT.  Gordon was standing there and said something to the effect that this game doesn’t really mean anything to him.  I thought maybe he didn’t care about either team but really it’s because he had Duke in the Elite 8 in his bracket and they had already been eliminated.  While we love the games, the upsets etc. in the end I think the Tourney’s popularity is what it is because of those brackets.  It gives us a reason to care about the games we normally wouldn’t care about.  It’s similar to how Fantasy Football has contributed to driving the success of the NFL.  What cracks me up though is Gordon hates Fantasy Football but what he doesn’t realize is that the bracket is pretty much the same thing.  I guess that’s what happens when you’re the station defending champion!

-We caught up with Ute QB Brian Johnson yesterday on the Big Show (Listen to entire interview in the Audio Section here).  Much like Max Hall, this kid is all class and you just hope that this upcoming season he can stay injury free.  Gordon asked him about focus and not stumbling against lesser teams like they’ve done the last few years.  Johnson brought up the 2004 Ute team in how there minds were always on football.  I’m sure he didn’t mean it this way, but the comment can be read as indicting to the lack of discipline of this program and that falls on Kyle Whittingham.  While Coach Whitt has had some bad luck in injuries etc. you know the coach before him (Do I need to say his name?) wouldn’t have allowed a loss to UNLV no matter what the injuries.  I think this is a big year for Whittingham and not so much that they have to win a MWC Title but they better challenge for one and definitely have to be more consistent.

-RSL starts the season tomorrow hosting Chicago and I’m curious to see a) if this franchise can take a step forward on the field and b) whether the fan support will remain strong or continue to erode.  Obviously if they can do a), b) won’t happen.  We’ve had GM Garth Lagerwey on several times (including yesterday) and I will say I’m impressed.  As many of you probably know, I’m not much of a soccer guy but just the fact he’s willing to bash players as he did on our show yesterday for taking dives makes him ok by me.  Now whether that will translate to building a competitive team I guess we will soon find out.

-If there is one Utah Blaze game to attend this season, tomorrow would be the one.  They are holding a celebration for the late Justin Skaggs who passed away last year towards the end of the season due to a cancerous brain tumor leaving behind his wife Tara and two young children, Jake and Abbie.  Having the privilege to broadcast the games last year, I had a chance to talk with him a few times.  He was a pretty low key down to earth guy who happened to be a solid football player.  I’ll never forget attending that funeral.  It was one the saddest events I ever witnessed.  He was way too young.  It’s a cliché but it reminds you that your time could be up any day so enjoy every moment while you can. 

-Check out Andrew Bogut here after he makes a free throw.  Is he a Mime or does his teamates not like him?