From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V12 #348 Reply-To: shindell-list@smoe.org Sender: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk shindell-list-digest Tuesday, February 5 2013 Volume 12 : Number 348 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] March Madness ["Michael & Linda Marmer" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:46:56 -0500 From: "Michael & Linda Marmer" Subject: [RS] March Madness While Zachbs astonished five were fitted with glass slippers, a confused and beleaguered Mozart team slipped away and disappeared from the arena (and the tournament) even before the adoring Mozart student body could stop them. In the very definition of a stunning, cliffhanging upset, No.16 Zach upended No.1 Mozart, 2980-2975, in first round action of the Classical Regionals, at the National Classical Composer Association championships. Zachbs backcourt played gamely throughout the high-scoring contest, led by its sure-handed point guard Contrapuntal, who dished out 493 assists, a record high for a player from a No.16 team in the history of the NCCA Tournament. The Zach guards shot 97 percent from the stripe, and better than 50 percent from deep range. Likewise, Zachbs frontline ran the baseline well from start to finish, creating open shots for its fine small forward Chorale Prelude. Nonetheless, as the crowd could clearly see, this game was not won by Zach but lost by Mozart. bMozartbs got a lot of fire power, anybody can see that,b said an elated Coach Jan said at the post-game interview, bbut we worebem down by sheer rote repetition.b This is the first visit ever to the tournament for the tiny ecclesiastical school, winner of the four-team OPOC (Obscure Polish Organists Conference). Zach posted a regular season record of 13-15, and did not play a ranked team all season. On Tournament Selection Sunday, protests had been heard over Zach receiving an invitation. bSure,b said Coach Jan, bon paper we knew like everybody else we didnbt stand much of a chance bginst Mozart. But I guess that shows you, donbt it, you have to give small conferences their due. We play some mean ball, too. And damnit, y'know, like they say, no matter what's on paper, you still gotta come out and perform. We saw'em come out flat, and our boys went right at'em. Then the crowd got behind us and carried us. An awesome feeling, I'm telling you. I'm astounded. This here's what the NCCAs are all about." Mozart flat? The charge has been leveled before against Coach Wolfgang Amadeus, that he did not adequately prepare his team for opponents who posed little or no potential threat, but relied instead on his teambs innate athleticism. Perhaps the Mozartians were looking ahead to a possible second round match-up with arch rival Papa Mozart (which, it turned out, also lost its first round game to Brother Michael Haydn College. But Mozartbs talent so far outweighed Zach's, even after the slow start the game should have been a walk for the genius coach and his band of exquisite blacktop b-ballers. In the post-debacle aftermath, blame has been spread around thicker than florid organum, but most of the blame must rest with the players, not the coach. Mozartbs trio of stars - power forward Jupiter, Don Giovanni underneath, and Magic Flute at the point b at times seemed flummoxed in the face of the crowdbs furious hostility, which mounted throughout the contest into an Anti-Mozart rant. The Zach squad, with well-practiced, adept execution, took advantage of the Mozartiansb befuddlement. Magic Flute, the key to Mozartbs fast up-and-down game, went mute up top. Jupiterbs brilliant, high-arching jump shot dimmed. Don Giovanni got into early foul trouble with an over-aggressive reach, eventually fouling out on a call vehemently questioned by Coach Wolfgang Amadeus, who bent over and farted at the ref, eliciting a technical foul on his struggling team at a crucial moment late in the fourth quarter. At the end of the bench, Don Giovanni wailed, bI'm in hell!b Ronbs Shindell March Madness reminded me when a classical radio station in Washington DC did this in 2001. There was a upset. Thought I would share one of the email updates I still have! Mike For the Mozart student body, who failed to show up until halftime, it is a most bitter loss, and not easily accepted. Many Mozartians blame themselves for being as overconfident as the players, evidently. A few have even hurled charges of unfair officiating. One official spokesperson for the NCCA dismissed such charges as bnonsense, the hysteria of unhappy fans, with whom we sympathize.b Privately NCCA officials are deeply unhappy over the loss of one of its biggest draws. bNo comment,b Coach Wolfgang Amadeus curtly announced as he exited the arena. But earlier in the locker room this reporter met fleetingly with the great coach, whose teamsb improvisatory play and early exits are legendary. He offered no excuses for the loss. bI donbt know,b he said, visibly shaken, bmaybe my time has passed. Maybe itbs Beethovenbs time now.b In other first round actionb& the Baroque Regionals saw, Telemann, No.4 barely survive against Versailles Conference champion No.13 Marais, 427-423, thanks to an impossible shot by its freshman guard Don Quichotte. Likewise, No.3 Vivaldi escaped excommunication from the tournament in the highest-scoring contest thus far, 3690-3565, at the hands of No.14 Lully, which had received a controversial at-large bid. And No.11 Pachelbel, led by its double-double center Canon (bDb to his teammates), upset the richly-ornamented flex-motion offense of No.6 Rameau, 1024-988. The Early Romantic Regionals offered few surprises, with top seeds winning in every contest but two. Offenbach University (9) won 1375-1374 over JSU Jr. (8), in a buzzer-beater that included lead changes every fourth beat. And No.10 Weber edged No.7 Berlioz, 256-250, extending Weberbs invitation to the Big Dance into the second round, where it will face No.2 Schubert, an easy winner over No.15 Field, 147-10. Schubertbs big men Trout and Earl King pounded the little frontline of Field, and owned the glass at both ends all evening. Following the old-fashioned mad dog lickinb his squad gave to hapless Field, winner of the FIPC (Forgotten Irish Pianists Conference), Schubertbs soft-spoken Coach Franz Peter was uncharacteristically blunt with the press about the competition. bI hope this sends a message to the selection committee: donbt keep inviting these puny collages from nothing conferences. They got NO GAME!b Only hours later, puny Zach from a nothing conference ousted Mozart, believed to have been as deep a team as any ever assembled in college basketball. Today Mozartians are in shock, but the madness continues. ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V12 #348 ************************************