You may have heard that VCU advanced to the Final Four by upsetting #1 seed Kansas on Sunday.  VCU's run to Houston has been simply incredible.  Not only did they advance to the Final Four by having to play an extra game in the ridiculous "First Four," they rolled through competition from the Pac 10, Big East, Big Ten, ACC, and Big XII to get to the Final Four.  I mention those victories over 5 power conferences (you're next Horizon League!) to spotlight the loud cries from Bristol that the Rams never belonged in the tourney over, you guessed it, mediocre power conference schools.  

You may have also heard that many ESPN analysts weren't big fans of VCU before the tourney started.  Don't worry, human leech Skip Bayless is still beating the drum even after VCU's F4 berth.  At least ESPN's anti-VCU crew hasn't broken down into tears like one of the Morris twins.  Way to back up your pregame trash talk by crying like a baby and turning the ball over 58 times.  Well played.

For your enjoyment is this video collection of ESPN analysts and their thoughts on VCU and the selection process before the tourney with quotes as well.  I realize that VCU's miraculous F4 doesn't change the logic involved in defending their existence in the tournament, but seeing the Rams in Houston is remarkable considering the hate that faced them before the dance began.  Credit Jay Bilas for eating his crow like a man, but these videos sure are fun to look back on...

*Who should have got in instead of VCU...



Hubert Davis - "We can make a case for any team being into the NCAA tournament, we can make a case for any team being out of the tournament.  I can't make a case for UAB.  I can't make a case for VCU."

Jay Bilas - "These teams haven't accomplished anything... VCU vs Virginia Tech ok, that's arguable here and there, I don't think it's as arguable as some of these numbers make it look... but, these were bad decisions, we talk about the eye test, this one fails the laugh test."

*Dukie V's rant...



Dick Vitale - "My wife knows diddly about basketball, but if you put her here and said look at Colorado's resume, look at UAB, and look at VCU, it'd be an M&Mer, a mismatch man.  It would be like a beauty contest, Roseanne Barr walkin in vs Scarlett Johansson.  No shot, none whatsoever."

As Reggie Miller explained in his best Bill Cosby voice, this is an ol' fashioned shooootout and the winner goes to the Final Four in Houston! After Butler came back from a double-digit deficit, it was a thrilling back-and-forth affair for the final minutes of regulation and overtime, inducing plenty of AHHHHHHHHHHs from Gus Johnson. So, the final 10 game seconds as seen in the video below, doesn't really give this one justice, man. In fact, if you missed this game, you'd be best serving your time by camping out on vault.ncaa.com and continuously clicking refresh until the game is available.

H/T Bubbaprog

Another unbelieveable finish in one of the wildest tournaments in NCAA history. Here's VCU taking the lead and holding on in the final seconds to reach the Elite 8. Marv's calling the action here, and I like that his excited voice sounds as if he's choking on something. I'm kind of bummed that he didn't sneak in his patented "yes!" call on the layup nor his well-known "rejection!" call on the game-clinching block at the buzzer.

Ok America, get ready to stomach two days of "VCU Shaka's The World" headlines highlighting the "smart" coaching job he's done there.

[Video via Bubbaprog]
 

The Elite Eight is here and here is your full announcing schedule for it. All games will be televised on CBS now. Thanks for everything, TNT, TBS, and even you, truTV. You were all great.

Play-By-Play/Analyst//Reporter

Saturday, March 26:

4:30 PM           CBS              New Orleans       (2) Florida vs. (8) Butler :  Gus Johnson/Len Elmore/Reggie Miller//Marty Snider

7:05 PM           CBS              Anaheim              (3) Connecticut vs. (5) Arizona: Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery//Lesley Visser

Sunday, March 27:

2:20 PM           CBS              San Antonio I      (1) Kansas vs. (11) VCU: Marv Albert/Steve Kerr//Craig Sager

5:05 PM           CBS             Newark I             (4) Kentucky vs. (2) North Carolina: Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg//Tracy Wolfson

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Hello friends, here's Jim Nantz calling the final hectic seconds in UK's bracket-busting upset of the Buckeyes. Yep, I'm surprised as you he's not speaking in his patented Masters whispering voice. The win puts Calipari one win away from the Final Four...let's see if he can make this one stick.

[Video via Bubbaprog]

(Photo Credit: @bubbaprog... again.)

Charles Barkley is a studio analyst for the NCAA Tournament coverage on CBS and TBS tonight. There's been multiple occasions tonight where he's seen reaching under the desk, grabbing a drink, and sipping on the drink.

Is the drink booze? It's pretty much impossible to tell, but with Chuck, we're to assume it is, right? He sure sounds like he's had a few drinks tonight.

And I'm not hating; I'm laughing. I mean, I'd be doing the same thing in his position. He's sitting back, watching the NCAA Tournament, and having a good time. It's not like we take most of what he says seriously anyway. He's there for entertainment. We just want him to say something outrageous or speak the truth, both things booze will only help with.

Anyway, here's video of Charles sipping on his drink, via @yankeemeginphl:

So I have on the Kansas-Richmond game, and Craig Sager came on for a sideline report. As is the case frequently, Sager has on an "easter egg" purple sportcoat. Just Sages being Sages.

But even with all of the crazy suits Sager's had, I don't know if I've seen a worse tie(or better depending on how you look at it) than this one:

What do you think: Is this Sager's worst tie yet? I'd love to see some other pictures/videos to prove otherwise, so feel free to post them away in the comments.

H/T: @bubbaprog

The live cut ins on Pardon The Interruption have always been a good source for laughs from time to time. Today provided a classic as the brief 10 second look into what happens when the show is technically on break shows Kornheiser singing the new viral sensation "Friday" by Rebecca black.

 

Right before the break they were talking about Youtube.  During the first commercial I'm sure Kornheiser continued on that tangent leading him to here. This song seems to be driving lots of folks crazy as it's poised to reach 50 million views in the coming day or so. 

  

If you haven't subjected yourself to this modern day classic, hit play below but only if you are not near any sharp objects or in a tall building with access to a roof. 

There are some stories throughout the week that we may have missed, but are interesting enough to bring to AA.  These are some quick takes from around the AA universe.  This week's stories include a couple of additions at ESPN, a former coach ripping an ESPN analyst, and the curious case of a major analyst and his relationship with his alma mater...

*ESPN adds Bill Parcells...  again (ESPN)
-For the third time,  Bill Parcells will rejoin the self-proclaimed leader as an analyst.  Parcells will tape some sort of 90 minute draft special for the network, although few other details are clear at the time.  Big Tuna also worked for Bristol in 2001-2002 and 2007, so this could start his third go-round with ESPN, after a mysteriously quiet departure from the Dolphins organization.  I've never been a big fan of Parcells as an analyst, especially how Berman would bow down to his feet on Countdown.  ESPN is already oversaturated so much with NFL analysts, that I doubt we'll notice his presence one way or the other.

*Rick Pitino dominates the airwaves (Fang's Bites)
-First, Rick Pitino joined the CBS studio to talk about the NCAA Tournament.  In his second act, Pitino has joined ESPN to talk about the Madness as their star guest analyst for the tourney.  Well, I should take that back.  Pitino's first act was to get knocked out in the first round thanks to Morehead State.  I give credit to Pitino for being a good sport about the loss when ribbed by Charles Barkley, but shouldn't Louisville fans wonder about Pitino being so eager to get on television right after an embarrassing first round loss?  Furthermore, isn't it a little awkward to see Pitino chum it up with the folks at ESPN while totally turning a blind eye to the scandal that has rocked the coach.  Why are Dick Vitale and many others so keen to criticize players who get in trouble, but completely ignore it when it's their buddies who get on set in Bristol?

*Jay Bilas vs VCU and America (SportsGrid)
-One of the stories of the tournament has been VCU's three victories to get to the Sweet 16.  Unfortunately, the story of Jay Bilas has clung to VCU like a piece of used toilet paper.  Ever since Bilas destroyed VCU on Selection Sunday, the analyst has become part of the story.  Bilas has defended his criticism of VCU & UAB getting into the tournament over mediocre major conference schools.  What Bilas doesn't get is that it was the way he criticized and demeaned the schools that got in, which made his analysis a story.  It's been a needless distraction to the real story of VCU's tournament run, and it comes off as the lawyer in Bilas needing to have his day in court to defend his attacks on the Rams.  Former Houston coach Tom Penders had to say about Bilas and his analysis.  I'm generally a fan of Bilas, but this is pretty accurate...

"Takes himself and his opinion far too seriously. I know he works hard and knows the game as a former player, but he goes over the top when he tries to demonstrate a play or gets too technical...  He rarely gives credit to the mid-major teams, and when one of them makes the NCAA Tournament as an at-large entrant he throws a fit... He works the Maui Classic every year with Raftery and Sean McDonough and tries to dominate the telecast with his academic ‘know it all’ approach to basketball... He needs to lighten up and let the game flow once in awhile... I wonder if he’s given any thought to becoming a professor."

Oh no.  It's the moment that all Gus fans have dreaded.  "Rise and Fire" himself botched a call at the end of a Tournament game...... GASP!!!  At the end of regulation during the BYU-Florida game this evening, Gus asked his partners if BYU should foul.  This would have been fine if the game wasn't knotted up at the time...

"If you're BYU, do you foul here.... at all?"- Gus Johnson "NO!!!"- declared Reggie Miller.  Obviously Gus thought BYU was still down one, which is an honest mistake, but come on....YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT, Johnson!!! I mean Reggie Miller had to call you out.  Geez.  In other news, Florida just officially destroyed my already destroyed bracket.