(AP Photo/Jim Prisching)
Ok, maybe not the Final Four. This is simply a congratulatory post to VCU. Nothing more. When the “play-in” games for the final 64 teams of the NCAA March Madness Tournament were announced, I immediately assumed USC would beat VCU. Why? Well, despite hating USC, I knew for a fact that those letters stood for University of Southern California. When I saw VCU, I guessed it was Virginia Commonwealth University, but I really had no clue. Could’ve just as easily been Vermont Capital University… which I just made up. Here’s what I didn’t know about them. They are the Rams. Their mascot’s name is Rodney. They are in the Colonial Athletic Association. Their head coach looks like he’s 12 years old and his name is Shaka Smart. Shaka. Smart. That seriously sounds like a term of endearment in Hawaii. “Hey bra, howz it living with that barney, Rick Kane?” “He’s good bra, he may be a haole, but he’s shaka smart.”
VCU Guard Joey Rodriguez and Coach Shaka Smart - (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)
So, cheers to you, VCU, for giving me and the entire nation the finger. These guys are just killing it, and those gigantic smiles on their faces spell Sweet Sixteen. They beat USC to get into the dance… the beat Georgetown to get to the second round, and then they crushed Purdue in a game that looked like Purdue had been paid to lose. Very impressive, VCU… here’s to you being this year’s Butler… except that, well, Butler’s still in the tournament…you get the point. Keep winning.
-bp