MARCH MADNESS, DAY ONE

Initially, it's a pleasure to point out two nice things about this tournament:

1. The perfect, beautiful and free internet broadcast of ALL the games being played, a refreshing change from having to overcome the greed and incompetence of attempting to watch baseball or football on the internet.

2. Time difference between US and here allows me to come home from work right when the tournament is starting.

Now, down to the results of the first day, in no particular order:

1. Maynard's last-second miss blew my VCU over UCLA upset but until that last second, the chances looked very good.

2. Is Coach Jim Calhoun no longer considered an integral element to U Conn's success after demoliting Chattanooga? UConn recorded the second-largest margin of victory in an opening-round game by a one seed since 1985.

3. Western Kentucky, everyone's favourite
upset pick over the Illini, nearly blew a 17 point lead but eventually won.

4. 14th seeded American held an incredible 10 point halftime lead over #3 Villanova before they were eventually worn down later in the second half by a deeper, better team.

5. Technically, #9 Texas A&M's 13 point victory over #8 BYU is not much of an upset but as I had BYU winning this in both my brackets, I'm not too pleased but their next opponent is U Conn, so pay back is due. This is the 2nd year in a row BYU have lost to Texas A&M so if they face each other next season again, well guess who everyone is going to pick? Wrong - there will be just as many saying now it's BYU's time. Blech, this is the ugliness of Bracketology.

6. Very happy to see #10 Maryland hold off #7 Cal not just because I had them winning in both brackets but because I'm rooting for Maryland and Syracuse both to make it to the final, irrespective of how unlikely that is.

7 Got killed by #8 LSU's victory over #9 Butler - don't think I had LSU on any of my brackets (not the main two anyway) - no regrets though, with the SEC denigrated to chump status towards season's end and Butler being an attractive, trendy pick, well, whodda thunk it?

8. Nothing else earth-shattering to note. The usual in most every other game, eventually anyway (not to mention the Memphis Scare against a 15 seed) so perhaps Friday will be a bigger day.

9. 12 of the 16 higher seeded teams advanced.