UMBC who?? NCAA Tournament upsets signal the ‘End of Days’ (March 21)

BILL NEAL

:10—I am talking “Hot off the Press!!!” This just in—Texas A&M 86, North Carolina 65. Another upset of Biblical Proportion in the NCAA Tournament. First, Donald Trump is elected president and now this. It truly is the ‘End of Days!’
:09—And no, of course I didn’t forget about Virginia getting slapped around by ‘ABC’…I mean ‘FBI’…No, no. it was ‘FICA’. Wait, hold on a minute. OK, it was UMBC (aka the University of Maryland-Baltimore County), as if you knew, please! And I am being insensitive when I tell ya Virginia got slapped around 74-54, making it the first time in NCAA history a #16 seed beat a #1 seed. Let alone the #1 seed in the tournament.
:08—More basketball. No surprise here but the latest tally has eight players in the Pitt BB camp jumping ship. Stay tuned for the final count.
:07—And yet, still more basketball. Word on the street has three names on the board for the Pitt head coaching job. Top of the list is embattled Arizona coach Sean Miller. Also, Danny Hurley from Rhode Island, and former Ohio State coach Thad Matta.
:06—It’s been official for some time now but in case you’ve been under a rock the past month, Tiger is back. Coming close but no cigar yet. Finished in a tie for 5th place at -3 this past weekend. Not to worry, boys and girls, I stand by my word—Tiger will win again and he will win another major.
:05—Now is a good time for a shoutout to longtime reader and even longer City League cat… “Brother Solomon.” I was in the cut and he spotted me. Thanks for reading, “Brother Solomon,” you are now in “The Locker Room.”
:04—Speaking of the Locker Room, as in Kenny Durrett’s Locker room. The sports store from back in the day. Kenny and I were at a City League playoff game about a year before he passed away. When we went in the gym he said let’s sit up top so we can watch the game without talking to a lot of people. As was his way K.D. never, never, never ever bragged on himself or his teams. But I put the question to him, and mind you these were two very good teams —at the time it was Schenley vs. Peabody. And I said, if your 1966 state championship team played these teams how would they do? And he said, and I quote, “Neal… we would beat Peabody by 20, go get a chipped ham sandwich and a Pepsi and come back in an hour and beat the Schenley team by 20!” Nothing but love for everybody but I have no doubt about it. I miss you my brother!!!
:03—Do-Not-Forget… the upcoming memorial salute to the late, great Connie “The Hawk” Hawkins and the 1968 ABA World Champion Pittsburgh Pipers Championship team Welcome Home reception is Friday, May 4 at the Savoy. Come one – Come all. $5 cover – Free Parking – R&B music – cash bar – and the best wings in town. Saturday, May 5 the celebration is at the Downtown Marriott Centre City (Next to PPG Paints Arena). $50 ticket includes dinner – meet the Pipers – VIPs and celebs – vendors and a salute to “The Hawk.” Call Achieving Greatness Inc. for more information – 412-628-4856 Monday thru Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
:02—By now if you don’t know, you slide back under that rock. Tune in every Wednesday for Pittsburgh’s newest and most exciting sports talk show. Soul Take – Champions Live – starring your hosts Kevin Cameron and Bill Neal. Go to urbanmediatoday.com and get caught up on what’s really happening in the world of sports from coast-to-coast at Soul Take Champions Live.
:01—Attention…attention…attention…! You’ve been waiting for the announcement and here it is. The 2018 Connie Hawkins NCAA/Pro-Am Hall of Fame inductions. The best of the best in one of the nation’s top 10 summer basketball leagues get inducted at the Connie Hawkins Salute on May 5 at the Pittsburgh Marriott Centre City – 6 p.m. – 412-628-4856 for info. Gene Wilson – Steve Vandivier – Stu Lyons – Nate Duck – Gerald Warrick – Gary Nelson – Levi Taylor – Jimmy Nichols – Jeff Baldwin – Keith Starr – Donny Gambridge – Marvin Bailey – James Eli – Kevin Murphy – Vicki Slater – Debbie Coleman … “Come fly with the Hawk … One More Time!”
GAME OVER.
 
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