Well - I figure I'm a bystander at this point, so may the best team win!

While most of you are watching the Final Four, we'll be trying to find a place to watch the Frozen Four. Bemidji State (yes, there is such a school) is in my old stomping grounds--my brother taught there for years) upset Notre Dame to advance to the Frozen Four Collegiate Hockey Championships--Go Beavers :
From The Wall Street Journal

* SPORTS
* MARCH 30, 2009, 9:47 P.M. ET

The Count
Could Bemidji State Pull Off the Biggest Upset Ever?

*

Bemidji State, a liberal-arts school in northern Minnesota, has an endowment of about $12 million. Notre Dame, a somewhat more prominent university in northern Indiana, spent roughly five times that much on athletics last year.

This is why Bemidji State's ascension to college hockey's Frozen Four -- which included a 5-1 rout of No. 2 Notre Dame Saturday -- is one of
the greatest upsets in collegiate sports history.
[ultimate underdogs]

No upset may ever match Chaminade's 1982 victory over Virginia in men's basketball. Virginia entered that game ranked No. 1, while Chaminade
had recently lost to Wayland Baptist. Still, it was just a regular-season game.

If one also takes into account the direct impact the upset had on its sport's championship, others rank higher. Michigan's title chances
ended in Appalachian State's landmark 2007 football upset. Top-seeded Stanford became the first (and only) team to fall to a No. 16 seed,
when it lost to Harvard in the 1998 women's basketball tournament.

The closest parallel to Bemidji State is last year's Fresno State baseball team, which became the lowest-seeded team to win an NCAA title
(the Bulldogs were seeded below 48 of 64 teams). But Bemidji State is by far the lowest-ranked team in this year's hockey tournament, plus
the Beavers hail from a four-team conference that is in danger of disbanding. So if they keep their run going, they may become the biggest surprise of all.
—Darren Everson

Peggy - who knew! Not me. I always have thought of Bemidji as a place where kids I knew in school went to camp every summer. I learn so much on these boards. Since I know nothing about hockey I'll follow you and say "Go Beavers!"

Oh my gosh, Peggy, our similarities never end - Greg's brother went to Bemidji State! By the end of VIKING, we're sure to uncover more!!!

Kristin, if Greg's brother took a course in biology or geology, my brother was probably the Professor. The world just gets smaller and smaller. Most of you LCT'rs probably don't know this, but we found out by accident that Kristin's husband Greg and my husband Jerry were both born in the same tiny town in Wisconsin (Ladysmith,population maybe 1000--I said it was tiny). What are the odds....

It is uncanny...at this point, maybe we should buy lottery tickets with the exact same numbers for the same night and see if we win? :D

Yes, small world - asked Tony, born and raised in Milwaukee about Ladysmith? He went there with his parents to a lake cottage about 20 minutes from Ladysmith - many yrs go :rolleyes: :rolleyes: so many he cannot remember name of lake -

Ah ... Ladysmith, WI. Not sure if I ever stopped but remember it from highway signs.

Being a fellow Minnesotan, Peggy, and having cousins who are proud graduates of Bemidji State, I say GO BEAVERS. Home of not just Bemidji State but also sporting Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues (tho I think of Brainerd as the Paul Bunyan center of the universe).

Sue, as a fellow bystander I agree .. may the best team win.

Women are playing the second half of Elite Eight tonight to get to the Final Four. So sorry I will miss it! Flying home tonight instead.

Cheers, Anne

Anne, I don't follow BB till the big final but am rooting for any team YOU like!!! I did live in E. Lansing in the 60's and have a few credits from MSU - loved Michigan - love the midwest the best people!

Well for heavens sake, who knew Ladysmith was so well known. And Bemidji too for that matter--lets not forget in addition to Paul Bunyan and the Blue Ox, it's the home of Itaska State Park and the mouth of the Mississippi River. Ladysmith and Bemidji--both great places to be sure ;)

Oh (with a closed o) don'tcha know. :) I am loving this.

Joanna, I am sure Greg will be able to jog Tony's memory on that. If it was 20 minutes to the north of Ladysmith (maybe near the Chippewa Flowage), then that was exactly where Greg spent the first 19 years of his life!

My OU men couldn't do it - but the ladies will be going. Bring on those Cardinals, then the Huskies. Boomer Sooner. :ch: :ch:

Can't believe the lady Jayhawks are playing so well in the WNIT - a touney I rarely remember but this year I'm watching!

Sue - Best of luck in the title game on Saturday afternoon. It's good you're the home team. Even so, USF is a very tough team. They beat us at home during the conference season. Lightning fast, with the added benefit of one player in particular who shoots the lights out. San Diego State's team reminded me a lot of USF. I haven't followed the Kansas women's team this year, but wish the Lady Jayhawks a great run for the championship.

Penn State beat Baylor for the men's NIT title last night. Another really good game!

Cheers, Anne

Well Anthony has got to be a happy Camper.
His Tar heals are in the Championship game Monday. :woh:

Our pool winners are as follows:

Main pool - if North Carolina wins, Rudi is first and Betty is second. If Michigan State wins, Arlene is first and Rudi is second.

Second Chance pool - Betty & Larry are the winners; Betty comes in second. No dogs still hunting in that pool.

Congratulations to our winners and everyone who played. Keep those lucky pencils in a safe place - or find a luckier one for next year. You'll need 'em when next year's brackets are announced on March 14, 2010!!

As we wind down on another GREAT March Madness, here's where we stand:

Men's NIT Championship: Penn State beats Baylor
Women's NIT Championship: University of South Florida beats Kansas
Men's NCAA finals: North Carolina beats Michigan State
Women's NCAA finals: UConn beats Louisville

Jim, MY Tar Heels are in, too!!!

Sorry Beth.
I did not mean to leave you out.
Congratulations. :app:

Thanks, Jim. Wanted you to know that there are a few more of us True Blue folks around here. Just 40 more minutes to play this season!!

Yea I know.
It was just that Anthony went to a number of games this year and talked about it on Face book a lot.

We have house divided allegiance to 2 schools - have UF and USC grads - may best team always win -(big edge to FL ) and now the Spartans and Tar Heels - I lived in East Lansing for 7 yrs and have great memories of the school and town - rooting for Beth and Anthony BUT wish success to Spartans, too!!! It'll be a great game - :ch: :ch:

Head says Tar Heels cruise to the win this evening. Heart says Spartans change the world in an 'away' game gym stacked with local fans. Will this be the year the NC stranglehold over Big Ten teams is broken?

Big East tournament finals get a do-over on the women's side. UConn was totally on their game vs. Stanford Cardinals.

Louisville, the other Cardinals, has earned plenty of respect this season. Angel McCoughtry has been amazing this tournament and my hat is off to her. Oklahoma had Louisville for the first half; they mysteriously lost their mojo in the second. Even so, they came thisclose to beating Louisville in the last few seconds on Sunday.

Huskies crushed the Cardinals; will they crush the other Cardinals again (three times is the charm)? Prediction: It's Husky Nation time, and undefeated to boot. Quite an amazing season. Blue Demons will have a lot of work to do before November with those two powerhouses in the conference.

Cheers, Anne

Head seems to be right Anne....TH's are cruising

WOW! Congrats Beth, Anthony and all other Tar Heel fans! They were truly dominant throughout the tournament and deserve the championship!

Ditto - no doubt about the best team last night. Tar Heel Nation again until next year ...

Agreed! And to quote from a long time Tar Heel fan "And that, folks, is why God made the sky North Carolina Blue"

Congratulations!

Speaking from Michigan, at least the final four play-offs brought an extra $50 million or so to the Detroit area businesses. If the Spartan's had managed to win that would have been icing on the cake.

very true, Kathy. Having a local team make the Final Four certainly added excitement. With all the bad news swirling around the auto industry, it had to be a welcome development for the Michiganers.

Get ready for the women's finals tonight. Louisville takes on UConn. The spread is 18 points.

Thanks, Sue. This is one of my favorite Tar Heel quote.

It was a long hard year, but Roy's Boys stayed in school, worked hard and achieved their goal.

Beth - so true! Another story where hard work, focus and support results in a dream realized.

UConn made it an undefeated season, beating Louisville handily. Another phenomenal win and season.

<img border="0" alt="[naughty]" title="" src="graemlins/naughty.gif" /> Should we expand the saying to "And that, folks, is why God made the snow Husky White"? Given the annual snowfall in Storrs, it MUST be true.

See you next season!

Cheers, Anne

Greeting to all. It has been a while. I was lurking and saw this thread. Paige and I attended the final four, and except for the location, it was an unforgettable experience.

Being there made this an experience I do not think either of us will forget. We have followed this group at games for the last four years and they are something special.

Go Heels!

Tom and I were thinking of you Anthony...knew how exciting this was for you and Paige! What a great experience!

Hi Anthony and Paige!!!! Great to see you post we miss you both - hope we all get to laugh and be crazy again - Joanna and Tony