March Madness: Day 2

by Craig Kwasniewski

(Updated at 8:35 PM)

After hitting screwdrivers and Coronas since 9:00 AM, the body's slowing up a little. So I thought I'd head up to the room for water and an update.

Here's a breakdown of Day 2: The First 16 Games

9:30 AM: The action starts. There's a buzz in the sportsbook. Guys are "blowing their wads" on the first 3 buckets, hooting and hollering with the score at 4-2. Easy guys... there's 38 minutes left in the game (or 18 minutes in the half for the 1st half wagers.) You can always tell the March Madness virgins by how much the cheer the opening tip.

11:00 AM: There's a bomb scare in Cox Arena. Seriously, are the terrorists going to blow up the Alabama-Marquette game? I IMMEDIATELY put money on Marquette because the necks from Alabama are scared of the big city (culture, racial diversity, bomb scares). I'm guessing that they'll be worrying about dying during the game.

(Late Note: Marquette lost, ending my 5 game streak (Montana +5.5, Pacific 1st Half +4, Wisc-Milwaukee +2.5, Winthrop +6.5, BC -4) I made of the mistake of betting with my emotions.)

11:50 AM: The BC game has the place buzzing! Favored by 8, they send the game into OT, giving everybody a second chance for a BC cover (I just can't see BC outscoring Pacific by 8 in five minutes, put keep hope alive). Webb of Pacific kills BC with 2 El Juevos Gigantes three pointers off fast breaks. My friend Dan takes 30 minutes to get a round of beers. The blackjack table must have tackled him on the way back.

12:05 PM: Double OT for BC. Somehow Pacific couldn't put them away. Everybody is on their feet as they get a third chance at BC covering.

12:15 PM: BC IS AMAZING!!! They end up outscoring Pacific by 12 in the second OT. The guy next to me (who's a dead ringer for Slim Pickens) almost flips his chair celebrating the cover. I'm guessing he won $5.

SHOCKING DEVELOPMENT: There's a reason why the Sportsbook gives free drinks with every bet. My friend Dan bets against himself not once, but twice. ($11 on both S. Alabama and Florida and $11 on Seton Hall and Wichita St.). This is not a rookie mistake, he's been doing the March Madness vegas trip for 11 years. I buy a round of drinks to encourage more mistakes.

1:00 PM: The over-under of CBS taking a "live look-in" right into a commercial 275. I'm taking the over.

1:15 PM: The NBA posts their injury report. Michael Olowokandi is listed as doubtful for "dental" reasons. The guy was the #1 pick overall in the 1998 draft and he's missing games because of a tooth ache? Somewhere Benoit Benjamin is laughing.

2:23 PM: Tennessee hits a 18 foot baseline jumper flying out of bounds for a 2 point winner. Why am I happy? Because I had Winthrop +6.5 and there's no OT for the Vols to cover.

4:30 PM: To the shock of nobody, the redneck group who were dropping "they" and "those people" when talking about the black players were sporting a "Ags for Bush" t-shirt. Ladies and gentleman the 35% who approve!

6:40 PM: That "worthless" layup by Xavier at the buzzer to end the game down by four... not worthless here! Xavier was +5.5 over Gonzaga. Lots of pissed off Zag fans.

7:30 PM: On the Illinois-Air Force feed, CBS goes to an extended "live look-in" of the Duke game. A rash of "CBS sucks" and "Fuck Duke" is heard throughout the sportsbook. Seriously, does anyone really need to see Duke roll by 30 in the first round? Anybody? CBS should just cut to the chase and change the name from "live look-in" to "24 hours of Duke."

8:30 PM: Dilemma that's not really a dilemma: I have 7 drink tickets in my pocket that expire at midnight. We are leaving the Dust for the LV Hilton. Since I'm hitting a bad streak (4 losses in a row) I feel the need to "use" all the drink tickets. If I die from alcohol poison tonight, Brett you have my Laker tickets!

Comments

[J.E. Skeets]

Syracuse screwed me.

I almost hit a 7-game ML parlay, picking the NBA's Miami, Seattle and Golden State along with the NCAA's Duke, Gonzaga, Illinois, UCLA and Syracuse all to win. F-bomb!

Thank God it's St. Patrick's Day today because I hate the color orange right now...

[Brett]

Please tell me you were in the sportsbook for the end of the Georgetown game, that would have been crazy.

[Craig]

Syracuse screwed me also. I was also surrounded by A&M fans whoping it up since 2-0. So I just sat there and stewed about.

[Dan Sargent]

It is Monday morning, time for me to respond to some March Madness days of my own since I was there .
There is 1 thing Craig AKA Blog Man forgot to mention. During the first day of the games craig disappears for 2 hours. Now for all of us who know him, he would never be tackled by some black jack tables. Instead he goes up to the room to type his BLOG. If your going to go to Vegas during march madness to type on the blog I would of stayed at home.

By the way all of us who have been at the dust for 10+ years have been mis-led. The Las Vegas Hilton is the place to be to gamble. They have prob bets, a drink lady who comes around to you and free soda re-fills as well. We have found our new home.

It is Friday Morning and Craig challenges me to see who can hold thier Alchol better. Lets see there is no contest there. By 2:00 and 8 or 9 shots later and 4 or 5 beers Craig's eyes are very blood shot and he wants to take a little nap... I will say he man's up and just chews on some sunflower seeds...

I will say that Craig would of had a 3 team round robin if one of our friends didnt bet on spring training baseball where the Dodgers and Mets Tie....

March Madness is the best time to be in vegas.... Especially with "BLOG BOY"

[supra shoes]

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