So I’m a little late on this, but I really would feel bad if I spent the whole day at home, watching basketball, and not sharing the thoughts that passed through my slightly-aching head.

(For a much more better effort, not to mention the one where I’m stealing alot of material from, swing by Deadspin.)

-This Papa John’s “We Got the Meat” commercial disturbs me. It will also be the title of my autobiography.

-I hope it’s just the commentator at the BC-Pacific game, because if calling the basket/rim “the tin” is this year’s hot tourney catchphrase, I might have to shoot someone. Billy Packer has dibbs on firstsies.

-With each bomb threat-related minute that passes in San Diego, the chances of Utah State-Washington pre-empting CBS’ Early Show go up exponentially. Also, the Today Show won’t be able to show highlights.

Best bomb threat-related comment so far? Courtesy AZZ.com:

“Hot dog stand + Dog. Stupid handler. The dog was obviously just hungry.”

-This Dudley kid is one ugly sumbitch. Was it totally unexpected to see Pacific curl up and die coming out in the second OT? Ballgame BC, in what might be my first win on this year’s bracket.

4:48pm – Solidifying this as the most half-assed liveblog ever, I decided to come back a couple hours later.

-Tennessee is doing a great job of making the afternoon games exciting.

-I’m 1-2 in the money bracket so far, but had neither Seton Hall or Oklahoma going past round two, so I’m all right there. For now. Damn Vols.

-Applebee’s is the devil. In fact, I hate just about all of the tourney advertisers about now, and there’s still PLENTY of hoops left.

6:31pm – Continuing with the horrible liveblog…

-Did Dick Enberg just (and by “just”, I mean an hour ago) comment that a guy shooting 8-of-10 from the line for the day is “well below” his 90% average for the season? I may not be a math whiz, but is one missed shot really “well below” his average?

-CBS gets abruptly dumped for “an abbreviated” full half-hour newscast. Coming off a 20-minute swing that saw sick finishes to the Tennessee-Winthrop game, and to a lesser extent Marquette-Alabama, can’t someone at CBS do something so that doesn’t happen tomorrow? And it’s not like the local news was even that good. (Content or talent-wise.)

-Brackets seem a little healthier, which is normally the case. Tennessee, Montana, BC and Florida scored me wins, Oklahoma, Seton Hall and Marquette can all rot in one-point first round hell. Not entirely sure who tips tonight, but I know that Indiana, Gonzaga, UCLA, Washington and Illinois (plus I think four others) damn well better post wins.

7:43pm – From a distance, I keep thinking Iona is Iowa. Then I see that the jerseys are maroon. Been burned at least six times so far.

-Is there really a guy named “Jerry Springer” playing in this game? At worst, it’s “Stringer”. Sitting online, listening/watching a basketball game, and I’m still too lazy to look it up.

-Dear Cingular… I really want to beat the crap out of the Asian guy in your commercials. I get the idea, but I’m hoping that you’ve got a spot in the can for the Final Four where the goofy white guy drops his phone, looks up and shouts, “What the hell’s your problem, man?” And then bloodies his face.

Oh, and I can’t personalize my phone for college basketball, because your college basketball scoreboard doesn’t let me include the MAC. And my signal drops out when the wind changes direction. But thanks for the annoying commercials.

9:20pm – Time for Verne Lundquist to hang it up. In the closing seconds of the UNCW-GW game, he’s blown two obvious play-by-play calls. First on the blatant foul on the GW 3-point shot, then shouting “It’s over!” when the horn sounded at the end of regulation of a tie game. OT should be a peach in this one.

-LSU gives me another win in the bracket, which is nice.

-The scene of an empty arena at the start of the Air Force-Illinois game was interesting. I know they wanted to get things close to schedule after the bomb threat earlier, but starting a game in an empty arena? If I’m an AF/Illini fan with tickets to that and I don’t get to my seat until the late stages of the half, I’m one pissed off Falcon/Illini (or would that be “Illinus”?)

9:46pm – Thanks to world class choke jobs by UNCW and (to the ever-popular lesser extent) Xavier, I pick up two more wins, now sitting at 7-3 for the day.

11:17pm – Need to stop a three-game losing streak? Play the Rangers and Canadiens!

-In other non-hoops news, apparently the US baseball team lost to Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Apparently, that’s also “breaking news” to ESPN.com.

-Some close games at the half of these “evening” games, although I presume Duke will win by 30. A&M could be pulling away, up 11 with 12 left, but don’t underestimate Gerry McNamara coming back to rep the ‘hood… errr… trailer park.

11:28pm – CBS informs us that “non-power conferences” are 2-6 vs. “power conferences”. They’re gonna hold onto that company line as long as they can, aren’t they?

-Southern still within five of Duke, 14:36 left. Duke may only win this by 25 after all.

12:39am – As much as I hate Indiana, and the fact that every game they win makes my job that much busier, part of me really wants to see them do well. Knowing the attitude of a number of Hoosier fans toward Mike Davis, and cashing in this season with his resignation, I look forward to calling them out for climbing back on the bandwagon. Of course, a 40 point loss to Gonzaga on Saturday would make me and my bracket happy.

-Speaking of brackets, I’m 12-3 on the day in the money bracket, with Washington up 8 with 4 to play for my lucky 13th.