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It’s How You Play (or Write About) the Game

By JP Stormcrow

A kinder, gentler intro to the rituals of surrogate warfare this weekend. I will attempt some calm, cool, collected liveblogging of the NCAA semis (~6:00 and 8:45 PM EDT Saturday) and invite all to join in (even if you are not watching the games.) [And I might throw a little Pens in there if I need a fast-paced break from the giants lumbering up and down the hardwood.] 

In the meantime, Open is as Open does, so have at it. A suggested topic is folks’ favorite sports writing (fictional, autobiographical or actual sportswriting.) [And despite my transparently dishonest attempt at taking a positive approach above, I will note that even Grantland Rice’s famous Against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again piece focuses on oppositional fear.]

Oh, and I just wanted to say There is nothing old under the nebular collapse created by a supernova shock wave again, because I can and it is so original. A continuing hat tip to James Killus.

[Update: Picked up this amusing link from Crooked Timber. You may also want to try this blast from the past future or this little escapade.]

[Update #2 - Monday evening: Please go ahead and liveblog tonight’s championship game on this thread. I am at a family member’s house out here in meatworld - so need to maintain minimum level of social interaction, but will try to pop in on breaks. In comments spyder points out what is at stake tonight:

Aaaahh the state that stole another presidential election for Bushco competes against the first state]

A Fan’s Note - March Madness and the Agony of Defeat

By JP Stormcrow

[Very Late Update 04/07/07: An MB post at Pandagon on Chocolate Jesus reminded me that I forgot to put on the list:  October 12, 1980 - Philadelphia 8 Houston 7 (10 innings)]

[Update 3/25/07: Ignore the anxiety-ridden shell who wrote this thread Intro. It is a beautiful spring day, my teams have passed the “Humiliation Barrier” (see comment #30 here, - comment linking roolz!) and maybe, just maybe, a third-rate burglarly has come to light to semi-save us all.]

Please use this thread to discuss the tournament, your bracket, sports in general, or anything else the MOJ you desires. Reading Exley’s A Fan’s Notes and Coover’s The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop. recommended, but not required. And in the spirit of those books (as well as my considered reaction to the trials and tribulations of “my” teams in the tournament) let me say this: Let no one deceive you, there is no symmetry or balance in sports fandom. The badness of a bad loss is to the goodness of a good win as the GNF is to a nice spring day. To wit:

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