[absturgill]

How bout those George Mason Patriots, doing us DC area residents proud. Forget Maryland, go Pats

[thesportscritic]

That was a great game. Hopefully GMU will do you DC folks well in the Final Four.

[Sly Fox]

They did everything they could to keep UConn in it. But they are a fantastic story. And given how thuis tournament has gone, I wouldn't rule them out of the final.

[absturgill]

I was commenting with a friend earlier how this was possibly one of the best games I have ever seen. I am 0 for 4 in the pool finals for our group but oh well, it's March

[bigsmooth]

after rashad anderson's guarantee of a UConn win last last on comcast i had a feeling......great win for mason and for the commonwealth!

[TIMSCAR20]

I had to go up to DC this weekend myself to get a closeup of the Mason Mania. Me and a couple of my old teammates met up there and had a blast. They got to go to all the games this weekend but I prefer to watch Vern Lundquist and Bill Raftery (my favorite as everyone knows). What a game. As I have said in other threads I have been praising all things GMU for about 7 years now and I have gotten to know coach Larranaga and his son John pretty well. Couldn't happen to a better guy is so cliche but so true in this case.

[Sly Fox]

I'm putting together a story to runin our 4pm newscast right now on GMU's Cinderella story. Its not just limited to the Mid-Atlantic region.

[TIMSCAR20]

That is good news! See what Winthrop had to look forward to if they would have beaten Tennessee? Really though this tournament is crazy. Billy Donavan had it right yesterday when he said if we played this tournament over again we may have 4 different teams in the final 4.

[PAmedic]

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/5446974

These moments aren't about your brackets

Peter Schrager / FOXSports.com
Posted: 1 hour ago

Like millions out there, I watched Sunday afternoon's George Mason-Connecticut game in awe.

With every Verne Lundquist shout, every Jim Larranaga whistle, and every Jai Lewis drop step, the impossible became more and more—well—possible. And though I'd never met anyone associated with George Mason University, and despite the fact that I'd only been to Fairfax, Virginia once in my life (the Chinese food stand in the Springfield Mall food court is truly delightful), I found it impossible NOT to root for the Patriots of GMU.

After all, what they were doing — in such heroic and gutsy fashion — was exactly why we watch the NCAA tournament. Cinderella was in green and gold, and for some bizarre reason, the clock was not striking 12. The shoes were fitting, the ball was turning into a raging fraternity party, and there was no reason this fairytale had to end.

With three minutes left to go in the regulation, Tony Skinn nailed a three pointer to give George Mason a 67-63 lead. Watching the game with my father, I jumped off the couch in excitement. This was a reality. George Mason — not George Washington, not George Gervin, not George Mikan, not George Takei, but George MASON — was going to the Final Four. After a few chest pumps from Dad and an absolutely unbelievable version of the "George! Mason!" chant, I noticed that my phone was ringing. It was my buddy Adam.

Him: "I'm having a heart attack over here."

Me: "Yep! This game's amazing!"

Him: "I'm miserable."

Me: (As I search for a Jai Lewis jersey on the George Mason University bookstore site) "Miserable?"

Him: "I have UConn winning the tourney in my office pool. If UConn loses, I'm eliminated."

Me: (Confused) "Oh."

Adam's call depressed me. Is that really what he was thinking about? A huge college basketball fan, he's stayed up until 3 am on weeknights dissecting Nick Fazekas' inside game and Boise State's Coby Karl's shooting skills. He's a college basketball fanatic. He could name every Final Four team, MVP, and broadcasting tandem since 1990. How could he, during arguably the greatest upset in college basketball history, at all be concerned about a lousy NCAA tournament pool? I was baffled.

I chalked it up to finances. Maybe he really needed the $90 he'd take home by winning his office pool. Maybe the rent was late. Maybe his girlfriend demanded a dinner at Nobu for their anniversary. I didn't want to think about it much longer, but there had to be a really good reason for him to care more about an office pool win over Phyllis from accounting than an earth-shattering moment in NCAA tournament history.

After the final buzzer, the kids from George Mason had completed the unimaginable. Jay Larranaga's boys had done it. They were going to the Final Four. En route to Indianapolis, Larranga had ousted Tom Izzo, Roy Williams, and Jim Calhoun. This March, the Patriots have had more than one shining moment, they've had a million. And there could very well be more to come.

For a college hoops die-hard, this was what it was all about, right?

The phone calls started coming in left and right.

"That game screwed me."

"Ah, my brackets are done."

"What a terrible day!"

These comments were not from casual sports watchers and Sunday fans. They were from friends, family members, even colleagues. KNOWLEDGEABLE college hoopheads. FOXsports.com editor Andy Nesbitt — usually a smart, reliable sports pundit — was devastated by the George Mason win. With the loss, the man that dots the i's and crosses the t's on Charley Rosen's mailbags, missed out on a free iPod, "I want an iPod. And my needs are more important than the memories those kids will have for the rest of their lives. iPod, Peter. iPod!"

He wasn't alone. Everyone I spoke to about the game somehow tied their NCAA tournament brackets into the conversation about George Mason's miraculous win. Nobody was altogether pleased. What was going on, here?

After a slew of text messages, instant messages, and emails from people echoing the same exact sentiments, I began to wonder: Was I the only one who found the whole thing bizarre? Aren't we supposed to root for the Cinderella teams regardless of brackets and pools? Isn't rooting for a one seed over an 11 selfish? Materialistic? Un-human?!

For all the worthless fantasy league chatter I've endured in my life (everyone has the buddy who plays in eight leagues and has to tell you about each and every one of his free-agent transactions throughout the season), no talk has become more grating than the NCAA tournament pool bracket stuff. Everyone's got 10 brackets, on 10 different websites, with 10 different groups of people. Who cares about what COULD have happened in your pool if UConn won? Picking the number one seed to win a region does not make you an expert. It makes you a wuss!

Now, if you had George Mason emerging from the Washington bracket, then let's talk. If you had all four final four teams making it to Indy, let me shake your hand.

Out of the hundreds of thousands participants playing in FOXsports.com's "Bracket Challenge," none of the top fifty leaders had the correct Final Four. Over at the yahoo.com pool, a guy named Tim Mckenna has all four final four teams still alive in his bracket — including George Mason. Now, THIS is a guy I'd like to speak with. Tim Mckenna, who are you? And would you be interested in wearing a tie that matches your hi-liter next March? For those of you with Vegas interests, Mckenna has UCLA beating Florida next Friday. ESPN.com has two participants with the correct Final Four, too. These are the individuals who should be calling and texting me about their brackets. Not Adam — who ALMOST got two of the four Final Four teams correct.

Frustrated and confused, I beg of you America — forget your brackets! Tear them up. Don't work out the possible scenarios in your head. Don't tell your friends about what could have been. If it makes you root against George Mason, something's wrong.

There's more to the NCAA tournament than $90 pots, water cooler chat, bragging rights, and rooting for the favorites. There are unlikely heroes. There are miracle runs like the one George Mason is putting together now. There's joy, sadness, and triumph.

Most importantly, though, there's basketball. And regardless of the status of your tournament bracket, that basketball's still going to be played next Saturday.

You might as well enjoy it.

[#1 seed disappoint.]

Yeah- UCONN screwed up a few times. The roof was being raised in the CT house. Oh well,
congrats. to George.

[LUconn]

they didn't screw up. They absolutly couldn't stop them in the post. Double down and they kick it out for a 3. They did it everytime. They just soundly beat them.

As for Rashad, I think he has made a gauruntee for every game this year. He's just that type of guy. I doubt GMU took it personally enough to put them over the top.

[bigsmooth]

the point is you just dont make comments like that, esp to a team like mason.

[LUconn]

I guess I'm not following you. He has guarenteed a national championship banner all year long. That would include a win over any team that they played in the Elite 8. I don't see why GMU would have changed his point of view.

[bigsmooth]

his guarantee has got much run in the news. i have never heard his guarantees before. it is simple. "mid-major" teams feel dis-respected, so any "bulletin board" material is really not necessary. im sure it did not play into the game, but sometimes bulletin board material can juice the opposing team up. granted mason played a great game, but if UConn plays like they should, mason would have never had a chance.

[TIMSCAR20]

I have to disagree with that last statement about UConn/Mason Smoothie. I thought UConn played very well. They played their best game of the tournament. Only 9 turnovers, 47% field goal percentage. What more do you want? They were outplayed by Mason but truth be told Mason has a serious amount of talent. UConn has future NBA stars in the middle and they couldn't guard Lewis and Thomas one on one. The guards are better than Uconn's guards in terms of knowledge of the game. Anderson is one dimentional, Williams has no weaknesses but he is the only one. Denim Brown is a 3 point shooter and a rebounder. Laranaga had a great game plan and they executed it. We need to stop looking at the schools and look at the players. These guys are in the final 4 because they are talented and well coached period. They won 25 games in the regular season and were a top 25 team. The selection committee evaluated Mason and gave them an at large because they deserved it.

[bigsmooth]

what more do i want?? when you have a double digit lead and the talent and tournament experience UConn has you put them away. UConn has more talent than mason. im not dogging the patriots b/c they are a very good team, but i will take UConn in a best of 5 over mason anyday. i respect mason for what they have done, and they did win head to head but the better team did not win on sunday.you also make it sound like UConn is not well coached. i know you have a personal friendship with coach larranaga but cmon brotha!. i too am looking at players, and i will say it again , they play a best of five or a best of three and UConn wins. it is amazing how everyone jumps on the mid-major bandwagon this time of year. the whole issue i was bringing up is that rashad should not be guaranteeing games, not who has better players, or who got out coached. with all of this said i cannot believe i am talking up a big east team!!!! yuk!

[TIMSCAR20]

That is funny you championing a Big East team . I hear ya about the talent level of UConn. It sounds to me that the players got a little full of themselves. From what I understand they were walking around during timeouts, looking into the stands and overall generally disrespecting coach Calhoun. I would take UConn in a best of 5 too but I would have taken them on Sunday as well. I do think they would have a tough time playing in the Patriot center though but it would be even worse on Mason going up to Connecticut....One other thing, I have not seen anyone jump on a bandwagon of a mid major this late in the year Even Kent making the elight 8 and others recently, none, none have made the final 4. Amazing! What a ride this has been. I hope they win it all. I want to add coach Laranaga to my Championship coaches whom I have met list.