It’s April, and this month’s forecasts call for confetti showers to fall onto the Division I Men’s Basketball National Champion. Florida is no April fool, and neither are competitors UConn, Wisconsin, or Kentucky. Coming at you faster than a Little 500 rider rounding the final laps, I’m Tori Ziege.
In honor of the “World’s Greatest College Weekend,” I’m splitting this month’s “First and Ten” in two. Five sports storylines to expect through the coming weeks, and five storylines that are exclusively Little 500.
On your mark, get set, go.
1. Play Ball! No, the White House petition to make Opening Day a national holiday didn’t pass, but it’s still okay to celebrate. The majority of MLB teams kicked off the regular season yesterday. According ESPN’s Opening Day Power Rankings, the Cardinals, Dodgers, Rays, Red Sox, and Nationals are the top five teams to watch. So far, the Dodgers have kicked off not one, but two Opening Day celebrations. One in Sydney, Australia and the other in San Diego on Sunday night. In other news, the Red Sox started their campaign for back-to-back World Series. They fell to the Orioles yesterday 2-1 in their 2014 debut, but it followed the loss up in style today with a trip to the White House. Of course, the Yankees had to have a day all their own. They play at Houston tonight, with first pitch set for approximately 7:10 . So why not complete the trifecta, and make Opening Day a three-day party?
2. Hot Potato... A rather lackluster month turned even more sour for the Pacers last night as they fell to the streaking San Antonio Spurs, dropping their March record to 8-10. With the loss, Indiana relinquished the top spot in the Eastern Conference to Miami. The Heat endured their own struggles last month, going just 10-8. It all begs the question, does anyone actually want to claim the East? Who knows? Paul George finds it all rather fishy, though. Possession of the East will likely come to the final showdown between the two teams. You can catch that game on April 11.
3. Don your Green Jacket No, it’s not St. Patrick’s Day. Round one of The Masters starts Thursday, April 10th, progressing one round a day until the finals on Sunday, April 13. The lush green courses of Augusta National could be a nice change of pace after NCAA madness has no doubt turned our hair gray. But then again—maybe not. Tiger Woods withdrew from the major today after undergoing surgery on a pinched nerve, causing fans across the country a great deal of stress. Woods’ surgery guarantees that he will not have won a Major in over six years. If that doesn’t make you feel old, kudos. As for the Masters, the field is wide open. Now is as good a time as ever to start hunting for a new favorite golfer.
4. As in, Final Four Florida, the overall number one, is the only top seed standing following another March mad enough to get itself locked up in an insane asylum. The Gators are riding a 30 game win-streak, last beaten by—you guessed it—UConn. The Huskies’ star player Shabazz Napier has been all the buzz. Kevin Ollie has coached UConn to the Final Four in his first ever tournament appearance, upsetting consensus favorite Michigan State along the way. The team’s trek through the Garden has fans from 2011 screaming “Cardiac Kemba!” but it won’t be enough this year. I’m staying loyal to my bracket, and giving the win to Billy Donovan. On the other side we have Wisconsin, who’s playing in Bo Ryan’s Final Four debut. They are taking on preseason No. 1 Kentucky, who has the most talented roster in the NCAA. The star-studded lineup has come together at the right time under John Calipari, defeating three of the last year’s Final Four teams during their tournament campaign. But I say, it’s Badger time. Wisconsin will take on Florida in the Championship on April 7th. Gators win, 60-54. You heard it here first.
5. Elite Eight The women have a tournament of their own to play, and everyone around the country hopes that it will be undefeated UConn and Notre Dame squaring off in the championship on April 8. The two teams have remained perfect through March, punching their tickets to Nashville with wins last night. The Fighting Irish await a matchup with either three seed Louisville or four seed Maryland, and the Huskies face a potential showdown with either two seed Stanford or four seed North Carolina. Both of those games are available back-to-back on ESPN beginning at 7. As for my prediction? This South Bend girl is sticking close to home. Despite the questionable status of star player Natalie Achonwa, who left at halftime due to an apparent knee injury, the Lady Irish will hoist the trophy. It may be wishful thinking, but I call for Notre Dame’s first championship since 2001.
Now, time for the exchange
6. Little 500: What is it? Well, first off, it’s anything but little. The largest bike race in the US takes place annually during the third weekend of April. 33 men’s and 33 women’s teams qualified last weekend, earning the right to compete in front of a crowd of 25,000+ fans. The teams-- comprised of four competitors each-- will race 200 laps (50 miles) and 100 laps (25 miles) respectively at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Their prize? The Borg Warner Trophy, modeled after the Indy 500 trophy of the same name.
7. Little 500: Who competes? Fraternities, sororities, resident halls, oh my! Even independent groups can qualify. Phi Delta Theta and Alpha Chi Omega won the men’s and women’s poles, but most teams at quals are just concerned with making it through. Come April 25 and 26, it could be anyone’s race, especially when unpredictable factors-- such as weather and accidents-- come into play.
8. Little 500: So there’s a movie… It’s called “Breaking Away.” Filmed right here in Bloomington, this film is a great way to introduce new fans to some of the traditions surrounding the race. The Cutters, a real-life team named after the one in “Breaking Away,” is one of the most successful in the history of the race. They won five consecutive titles from 2007 to 2011.
9. Little 500: I’m not a cycling fan. That’s okay. For the casual fan, this weekend is really about celebrating the university as a whole. The entire atmosphere changes around campus, students let loose, and IU demonstrates why it’s known as one of top party schools in the country. There’s a little something for everyone.
10. Little 500: I heard Macklemore was coming? Almost. He was last year’s performer at the Little 500 concert. This year, artist Schoolboy Q takes the stage in the IU Auditorium. His debut album “Oxymoron” currently tops the iTunes charts, featuring hip-hop style tracks “Collard Greens” and “Man of the Year.”
Wave that checkered flag.
Until next month,
Tori Ziege
