See ya

I don't have much to say about last night's freak show, but here are three links that pretty much sum up my feelings. What I find interesting was how quiet my normally boisterous Facebook friends were last night. There are lots o friends in Cleveland, and no one even felt like posting anything about this mess.

We've experienced a lot of competitive heartbreak in Cleveland, but this is much more like when the Browns moved in '95 than any other disappointments. LeBron didn't even get us as close to the title as the '86 Browns, '87 Browns or '97 Indians. And he basically quit in his last series with the Cavs.

http://www.cleveland.com/livingston/index.ssf/2010/07/whatever_his_voiced_reasons_it.html

http://nymag.com/daily/sports/2010/07/lebron_react_never_has_being_a.html?imw=Y&f=most-viewed-24h10

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/13618008/lebron-comes-out-looking-like-coward-not-king?tag=coverlist_footer;coverlist_photo_content

Recalling Mars

Sometimes I'm having a bad day, and then I think about this video. "I'm climbing ze mountains of Maaaaaars!"

Seeding doubt

This has been a great NCAA men's basketball tournament. I'm a longtime fan of upsets and underdogs, and there has been no shortage of those. In a strange twist, I'm actually looking forward to No. 1-seeded Kentucky meeting No. 2-seeded West Virginia today--it restores some order to the world. No doubt, though, I'm pleased that either No. 5 seed Michigan State or No. 6 seed Tennessee will go to the Final Four. And that Butler is playing for a Final Four berth today.

Still, you really must suspend belief to enjoy big-time college sports. These are not student-athletes vying for regional championships today. They are (mostly) minor-league basketball players who take a few classes on a college campus. It's a tired complaint, but it keeps coming up because the charm of the sport is so tied to the campus life that so many viewers and supporters remember. It's probably why we root for the upsets--the little schools are a bit more likely to have actual college students on the team.

Aspects of the book, "The Blind Side," recently made into the famous movie, seem to confirm the pseudo-student concept. In the book, the college football recruit's grades are propped up just before enrolling in college. With the help of a tutor, he aces several summer correspondence courses and tops the minimum grade point for college.

Let's face it: many big-time men's basketball coaches are maniacs. Basketball seems to breed these coaches more than other sports. Because the players come and go in a few years, and coaches stay, they become cult leaders. They can get away with anything, and their behavior reflects it. Several of these figures will be on display this weekend. It will be great entertainment, but it's best not to think too hard about it.

Fourth quarter

8:01 -- The Saints appear to have held on a big third down. But the Colts appear to be going for it.

8:02 -- And they get it on a pass to Reggie Wayne.

8:04 -- Former Ohio State star Malcolm Jenkins makes a tackle. I forgot he was even on the Saints.

8:05 -- Matt Stover, the ageless one, misses wide left on a 51-yard field goal try.

8:12 -- Saints driving again. This is looking pretty good for them. The clock is ticking fast.

8:13 -- Touchdown! Jeremy Shockey. Probably the most notable football accomplishment in his off-the-field focused career.

8:15 -- Saints fail on two-point conversion, though the replay shows Lance Moore came darn close to making the catch.

8:18 -- This is such a weird play, and the Saints are challenging it. I'm going to guess the Saints won't get the call.

8:19 -- Oh my, the Saints get the two points! They had so many calls go in their favor in the NFC Championship Game. Maybe they're charmed this year.

8:29 -- A big third down and Peyton Manning throws an interception! Tracy Porter returns it for a touchdown. The Saints are going to pull off the upset!

8:32 -- CBS has done a nice job of sticking with shots of the game when they could have shown us Kim Kardashian all night. We've hardly seen the French Quarter, the Manning family or sappy player profiles.

8:41 -- The Colts are scrambling, but I still don't see how they can tie this up.

8:42 -- Is there a more tired tradition than the Gatorade bath? Waiting for the inevitable...

8:43 -- Manning incomplete on fourth and goal (Reggie Wayne dropped it). The Saints have clinched it.

8:46 -- And the Saints have done it. Coach Skywalker is on the shoulders of his team. French Quarter is excited. I have to think Brees will win the MVP. The crows are roosting. Good night now!

Third quarter

7:22 -- Onside kick! One of the gutsiest calls in history!

7:23 -- Saints ball!

7:26 -- At the half, the analysts said the Saints should take to the air. They're doing that now, but I hope they still keep the running game going. It's the more sustainable approach.

7:27 -- Pierre Thomas! A beautiful catch and weaves his way into the end zone. Saints lead.

7:34 -- Seeking totals from the great storm of 2010? Here is a nice compilation from The Weather Channel.

7:34 -- I stand corrected regarding Phil Simms. He's been pretty good so far.

7:37 -- The Colts answer with a touchdown by Joseph Addai. Maybe we will see more offense in the second half.

7:38 -- The second half of the Super Bowl is actually about football. The first half is all about the commercials and the hype. Now we're down to football.

7:40 -- Pawnbroker Scott Lee Cohen, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in Illinois, has finally quit the race. Another ugly chapter in Illinois politics.

7:46 -- I like the Steve Tasker-Solomon Wilcots sideline reporting duo. CBS has mostly done away with NFL sideline reporters; it's refreshing to hear from two people who actually provide salient information.

7:50 -- Garrett Hartley makes a 47-yard field goal for the Saints. They trail by one.

7:52 -- Colts kicker Matt Stover (20 seasons) is the longest-tenured player in the game. Mark Brunell, Saints quarterback, is next with 17 seasons.

Second quarter

6:09 -- How shocking is this: Colts coach Jim Caldwell's record at Wake Forest was 26-63. If the first quarter is any indication, he's on his way to a Lombardi Trophy.

6:11 -- Yum, chicken cacciatore over cornmeal mush.

6:14 -- Here come the Saints!

6:15 -- Saints running back Pierre Thomas is from the Chicago area and played at Illinois.

6:17 -- I guess Dwight Freeney is healthy enough. The injured Colts defensive end just registered the first sack of the game.

6:22 -- What's with the themed commercials? First, elderly people getting tackled. And now consecutive commercials with pants-less people.

6:24 -- Is it "new or-lins" or "new or-lee-ins?" Phil Simms favors the latter.

6:32 -- I'll take the Saints' receivers over the Colts' receivers.

6:35 -- Big third and goal here. And it goes down to the two-minute warning.

6:37 -- Late second quarter diversion--check out the mascots for the Vancouver Winter Games: http://www.vancouver2010.com/mascot/en/meet.php.

6:39 -- The Saints' Mike Bell slips and it appears the Colts have held. Unless Coach Skywalker goes for it...

6:42 -- And they are going for it! Gary Brackett stuffs Pierre Thomas. This could be a turning point, but you have to give the Saints credit for going for it.

6:50 -- The Saints get the ball back and put up a field goal. Not too bad of an outcome after the fourth-down failure.

First quarter

5:32 -- I really have nothing against the Colts. Maybe a little dislike because they moved from Baltimore and started the events that led to the Browns moving.

5:34 -- If you were really immature, you'd think that Jermon Bushrod was a funny name. But you'd have to be really immature to think that, maybe if you were Beavis and Butthead. It is kind of funny, though.

5:38 -- The Saints' Darren Sharper must be the only William & Mary alum in this game. He also may be a Hall of Fame safety.

5:42 -- RIP to the deceased Golden Girls--Beatrice Arthur and Estelle Getty.

5:43 -- That Tim Tebow ad wasn't as painful as I was expecting. He may be the most overtly conservative big-name athlete ever, though.

5:47 -- Super Bowl Shuffle ad. Yikes.

5:51 -- A delayed note on Colts kicker Matt Stover. He played for the Browns--not the current Browns but the real pre-1995 Browns.

5:59 -- A 26-yard run on third down by Joseph Addai. If this keeps happening it could be a long day for the Saints.

6:01 -- Touchdown for Pierre Garcon of the Colts. Garcon went to Division III football powerhouse Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio. It'll also be mentioned on the telecast that his family is from Haiti. More random though is that he went to high school in Florida before attending college in Vermont and then transferring to Mount.

6:05 -- Ugh, Danica Patrick commercial. I'm skeptical of her endorsement choices.