I Heart Washington State...

10:00a – Mews, Tim and Brendan arrive at the Salt N’ Pepper to find me waiting for them. There is a slight pause as they are not expecting me to be here from Jamaica. According to all three of them, I’m running a dirty program.

10:30a - There are no winners in the Big 10. If you're in the big ten you're a big loser. – Mews

10:58a – For some reason, Hi-Tops is getting all of their deliveries this morning which means a large back door is open (take that any way you want) and there is a serious freeze in this joint. Time quips, “I'm gonna need a drinking glove it's so cold in here.”

11:20a - Tip off Maryland vs. Davidson. The tourney has begun. WE’ve been waiting a long time for this.

11:30a – Lauren is our waitress and kicks off the day by bringing a full tray of beers before we really settle in. Hi-Tops has a special this year: $20 gets you “all you can eat/drink” access to a buffet and drinks. We like her already.

11:31 – Tim thinks to “tip waitress in advance” and she’ll be great to us, to which Mews quickly shouts, “Keep the drinks comin!"

11:37a – Man down. First spill of the day belongs to Chad, one of Mews’ co-workers. Diskin quickly chimes in, “And it wasn’t me!” LD replies, “Mews brought him.”

11:48a – Lauren comes back and asks, “You guys want me to just keep bringing 'em?” Chad replies, “Yeah, can you bring me a tippy cup?” Lauren reports back a few minutes later that after asking all of her co-workers, nobody knows what a ‘tippy cup’ is.

12:05p – Davidson is doing a rain dance at the free throw line. – Brendan

12:45p - Godfrey shows up with luggage in tow.

1:05p – The first final of the tournament. BC knocks off Texas Tech and Bobby Knight has yet another first round loss. The highlighter to mark victories on our brackets is officially dubbed the “Victory Marker.”

1:25p - I gave up victory for Lent. – Bren

1:30p - It's 1:30 and Marquette hasn't been eliminated yet. – LD

1:50p – Mark to Bren, “Here's the victory pen.” "Yeah I don't need that yet,” he dryly replies.

2:00p - Logan is painfully reminded that his Alma matter, Iowa St, a 2 seed, was upset by the Hampton Pirates, a 15 seed, in 2000. Arrrrgh!

2:30p - Tim to LD – “You don't liike vommiting. I don't have such a problem with it.”

2:43p - Washington St is full old dirty hippies. That guy could make out with Joakim Noah and you wouldn't know who the dude was. – Tim

2:44p – Tim to Logan: “You know what you have that the rest of us don't? Visual proof that Mews hooked up w/ a girl.”

3:03p - Waldo is missing March Madness for the first time since its inception. He is in Louisville, going to school and is at this weekend’s games. At the moment, Tim and I are on the phone with him and using every means necessary (guilt, bribery, shame, etc.) to pressure him to sell his tickets and drive up here.

3:18p – Oral Roberts University loses and Mews let us know, “There will be no more Oral in the tourney.”

4:35p – The games are coming to a close and whoever is working the remotes here at Hi-Tops are not on the ball so some TV’s have Dr. Phil on them. Godfrey proclaims, “I don't wanna watch no anorexic twins. I wanna watch basketball.”

6:20p – The Marquette/Michigan St. game starts. Turrets Syndrome all around.

6:30P – Marquette doesn’t score a point for most of the first half. Brendan wonders, “Who's the Big 10 team here?”

6:35p - Kebone arrives still in work attire. He 'makes it rain' with coasters from a bar.

6:45p -Mitch and Balcer arrive at the Upper Deck to much heralding from the crowd.

6:55p - Ibok dislocates his elbow in the Marquette/Michigan St. game and they keep showing it. The crowd winces and screams every time. It’s pretty gross.

7:00p – There is always Dong in Michigan St basketball – Tim

7:40p – My first taste of Nemo's in a year. While we are in line Manny asks if he can get one of the t-shirts Brendan has made for the tournament.

7:57p - The Marquette game, an obvious loss, has lost our interest. Everyone is now pinning their excitement, attention and hope on VCU possibly besting Duke.

8:20p - Waldo isn't answering his phone. He's either on his way or not answering because he doesn't want to be harassed anymore. – Tim

9:15 - If you're not too busy, you should do that. – Godfrey

9:20p - Tank Johnson is dirty. He's from the desert. - Godfrey

9:30p - Godfrey's autobiography – ‘Me, Bill Self and I.’ - Brendan

9:40 - If you go to Champaign you'll get robbed by Rod Zook – Godfrey

12:15p - LD watches (in secret) as Diskin and Logan join hands and spin in a circle while punching each other. It is very reminiscent of the 'Beat It' video only it's a million times funnier b/c of their current condition.