“Do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals.”
That’s a quote from JC himself – uttered those many years ago at the first tip-off.
I bring it up because, as you’ll recall, last year Likens submitted his picks some 10-or-so-minutes after the first game had tipped. Hot garbage, needless to say. As previously chronicled, it was confirmed that first game was tied at the time and, more importantly or at least more predictably, Likens was clueless as to the goings ons or score of that matchup. And so we let it slide. Likens finished bottom third, as the sharps had forecast.
I can’t let it go, though. He lives less than 12 miles from the College Basketball Hall of Fame (called the Experience, OK?). KC is a great college ball town. Not good – great. Likens representing Kansas City is like the Pizza Hut deliveryman representing Italian Americans. Not since the embezzlement scandal of former treasurer Jon Heinz in ’11 have we suffered this kind of hit to our standard of excellence. The league’s got eyes on this situation, rest assured.
Bob Davis hangs up the headset at the end of this year’s run. He and Max Falkenstein formed the most enduring and most memorable broadcasting tandem in school history – the very voices to which all of us cut our teeth, knocked back bong rips, made it with our best gal in the back of an ’86 Honda, dipped cheap pizza crust in cheap ranch, tacked up tapestries, played Ultimate Frisbee, worked hard to avoid working… the common threads of the formative years; halcyon days. Am I wrong? I’m not alleging Davis to be the best. But he’s a sentimental favorite, who deserves our respect. “Up that court… SWISH! Right through there!”
I also find it appropriate that all league members consider toasting Bill Self when they next imbibe with company. Something easy, classy and respectful. Maybe just, “To Bill Self.” Ya know? Down the hatch. I’m sure everyone says their prayers at night. There, too, is a chance to give thanks.
They say it’s wide open this year. No dominant team. We’ll see. What’ll any of it mean for Keep It In The Family? Remember, we’ve got a sample size now of 13 tourneys. That to go with our roster of 12 participants. And yet only six names grace the rafters. The big turkey gets the grain. Lotta TCUs among us.
And now, if you’ll please remove your caps and pay tribute:
2003 Jon Heinz
2004 Matt Cullen
2005 Matt Cullen
2006 Dan McClure
2007 Dan McClure
2008 Kevin C. Wilson
2009 Trevor Schmidt
2010 Dan McClure
2011 Brennan Hitpas
2012 Kevin C. Wilson
2013 Kevin C. Wilson
2014 Brennan Hitpas
2015 Matt Cullen
2016 ?
Nobody can take that away from them. Not never. Champions. Who too will be remembered by the generations hence?
League business is handled here in the clubhouse. Peep the new features of this ongoing masterpiece. We’ve again contracted with CBS to administer brackets and man the scoreboard:
The password is and shall forever be “1609.”
Entry stays at $30 + PayPal per. Winner take all. Cash, pride, dignity, resulting trim – all of it.
Godspeed,
-Commissioner Sheforgen
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