Selection Sunday is this Sunday so buckle your seat belts folks, this is going to be a wild few weeks of college basketball glory. Next week we will provide you with pointers on picking your bracket. If you’re intimidated by the pool your boss is putting together, don’t fret, the Inaugural Last Night’s Game Bracket Challenge will launch next week. It's a no pressure bracket, just good fun and maybe a prize or two. Who doesn’t like swag?
Winning!
The Last Night’s Game Team
MLB (Major League Baseball)
- Buzz off. In a spring training game between Kansas City Royals vs Colorado Rockies, mother nature had plans to delay the game. The Kansas City Royals’ bench was swarmed with bees, but manager Ned Yost refused to let an exterminator kill them. A hero showed up in a retired beekeeper who was in the stands. He put the bees in a trash bag, making sure they were all safe.
NCAA Basketball (College)
- Basketball bliss. It’s the most wonderful time of the year for some fans. “Selection Sunday” takes place this Sunday at 5:30 pm (EST) on CBS. This is when the NCAA selection committee will announce when and where the 68 teams that will participate in “March Madness” tournament to determine who the best team in the nation is. (You may know this bracket as the office pool everyone is obsessed with each year. Lots of basketball to be played here folks, lots of basketball).
- So you’re saying there’s a chance? There are playoffs in most divisions (minus Ivy League) where the winner receives an automatic bid into the tournament. Notable Conference Championship final games this weekend are:
- ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference), Saturday at 9 pm (EST) on ESPN
- Big East, Saturday at 5:30 pm (EST) on FOX
- Big 12, Saturday at 5 pm (EST) on ESPN
- PAC 12 (Pacific Conference), Saturday at 10 pm (EST) Fox Sports 1
- Big 10, Sunday at 3 pm (EST) on CBS
- SEC (Southeastern Conference), Sunday at 1 pm (EST) on CBS
NHL (National Hockey League)
- Old habits die hard. 44-year-old Jaromir Jagr of the Florida Panthers made the ultimate sacrifice for Lent. He gave up his coffee habit. Jaromir's coffee consumption maxed out at 10 cups a day. Although a lack of caffeine it doesn’t seem to hurt his game. Last night he set the record for the oldest NHL player to score 50 goals in his career.
NFL (National Football League)
- At least we’ll have the memories. Free agency began on Wednesday. Free agency means the players whose contracts are up can sign with a different team. (I.e. the team that they we’re previously contracted with had until Wednesday to sign those players or lose them in the free market). The defending Super Bowl Champions, Denver Broncos had a rough first day. Here are some of the key departures that you may have heard of:
- Quarterback Peyton Manning (retired)
- Quarterback Brock Osweiler (signed with Houston Texans)
- Defensive tackle Malik Jackson (signed with Jackson Jaguars)
- Linebacker Danny Trevathan (Chicago Bears)
- Running back C.J. Anderson (Miami Dolphins)
Overtime
- Another athlete freak injury, Milwaukee Bucks guard OJ Mayo broke his ankle Thursday going down the stairs in his house. He will miss the rest of the season.
Sideline Stat
- NASCAR heads to Phoenix for the “Good Sam 500" on Sunday at 3:30 pm (EST) on FOX.
- It’s early in the season but the driver standings heading into the race are as follows:
- Kyle Busch (#18 car)
- Jimmie Johnson (#48 car)
- Kevin Harvick (#4 car)
Coaches’ Corner
- How are teams chosen to participate in the March Madness NCAA playoff tournament bracket?
- Teams are selected by 10-person panel.
- The bracket is broken down into four divisions - West, Midwest, South and East with 16 teams in each bracket. (If you're getting technical and doing the math, there are four teams that "play in" for a spot in the tourney).
- Each conference guaranteed one team for 32 spots total. Most conferences decide their guaranteed spot with a conference playoff with the champion entering into the tournament (aka “The Big Dance).
- 36 “at large teams” will be selected. These are teams that did not qualify by winning tournament but are considered 36 of the best teams in college basketball.
- As a rule of thumb, teams ranked in the top 25 at the end of the season are all but guaranteed a spot in the tournament.
- If you’re dying for more information, you can read it here.
