Tim McGraw | March Madness (Women’s Version) | March Madness (Men’s Version) | YouTube Rabbithole
Good Morning @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune on this Saturday of Sports is Tim McGraw by Taylor Swift. This song came out on her debut album in ‘06 called Taylor Swift. The arsehole who will not be named still has ownership rights of this album so Fellas it’s okay to listen to it for now even if it doesn’t have a (Taylor’s Version) next to it. It would be quite poetic for her debut album to be the last one she remasters.
Tim McGraw was not only on her debut album but this song was her debut single. Therefore, this song means a lot to her, “This song means so much to me, that's why we wanted it to be the first track on the album. The idea for this song came to me in math class. I just started singing to myself `When you think Tim McGraw.'… After school, I went downtown, sat down at the piano, and wrote this with Liz Rose in fifteen minutes. It may be the best fifteen minutes I've ever experienced."
Thoughts and prayers to the boy in the Chevy truck.
Tim McGraw is this month’s Taylor’s tune from the calendar that was gifted to me by my mother for Christmas. After last year’s Peaky Blinder calendar and now this, how is she possibly going to one up next year’s theme?
@TaylorSwift last September (Saturday Sports 9/9 '23) with You’re On Your Own Kid on in the background was written in confidence! We don’t need to remind the readers it puts me in a puddle every time.
I’m sure the hook to this tune brings her back. After listening to this song, I couldn’t help but pick a Tim McGraw tune for tomorrow’s Stumblin’ Along.
I still can’t get over how Taylor gifted me a The Tortured Poets Department card from her desk via Spotify. It was one of the first things that I read this Thursday. I’m absolutely floored to be a proud card-carrying member. As the #1 Swiftie Sports Blogger in all of the land I promise to represent all Swiftie Fellas out there to the best of my capabilities. 🫡
During Taylor Swift’s start to her music career, she opened up for Tim McGraw and his wife Faith Hill’s ‘07 Tour. McGraw said, “We knew early on, when she was opening for Faith and I on our ‘Soul2Soul’ tour, just her and an acoustic guitar, and spending time with her. Faith and I both knew that there was no stopping her.” Pretty cool.
Very tortured poet of her to end with the verse she started with.
On to the sports…
March Madness (Women’s Version)
Okay, ladies, I’ll be honest it’s tough to get to know even all the guys’ teams during March Madness and I’ve been covering them since last summer with team previews or player profiles. I know a handful of the star women players so I’ll do player profiles on them in preparation for the Women’s March Madness Tournament that started its Round of 64 yesterday. Ideally, I keep working with Week to Week Notes, and eventually down the line, we have the means to hire someone to cover women’s sports more in-depth. That’s probably a ways away and I have a ton of Notes to write before then but that is the plan.
Here is the breakdown of each region and my reasoning behind the picks. I’ll probably get more of these right than what I have for my men’s bracket…
Region 1 (Albany)
- South Carolina is the #1 Overall ranked team in the nation. They are the only undefeated team left at 32-0. Winners of the ‘17 and ‘22 Women’s March Madness, they are a powerhouse. I went with North Carolina over Michigan State in this bracket because I picked the Spartans to beat the Tar Heels in the Mens. Hedging my bet, one of them will be a winner. Oklahoma and Nebraska just feel like they would be solid women’s programs that know how to get out of the first round. I know people who went to Fairfield and Oregon State so I went with them there. I’ve always liked Marquette a bit because Dwayne Wade went there and no way in hell I’m picking against the Fightin’ Irish.
Kamilla Cardoso was born in Montes Claros, Brazil. She moved to the United States when she was 15 years old and played 4 years of high school basketball in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Amongst her recruiting Class of ‘20, Cardoso was the #5th rank player and #1 ranked center out of high school. Her first choice was Syracuse University. As a freshman at Syracuse, Cardoso became the first Orange woman to win an ACC Freshman of the Year as she averaged 13.6 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game. After a year at Syracuse, she would transfer to South Carolina and help off the bench for the Gamecocks to win their 2nd National Championship. Last year Cardoso also came off the bench at South Carolina, she averaged 9.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks while being named the SEC 6th Woman of the Year. This season she has started 27 times while averaging a career-high in points (14), rebounds (9.5), and blocks (2.6). Cardoso banked in a buzzer-beater to keep the Gamecocks undefeated in the SEC Women’s Semifinals. Unfortunately, she would get into a scrap fight with the LSU team in the SEC Women’s Finals and is now suspended in SC’s opening matchup with Presbyterian.
Region 2 (Albany)
- Caitlin Clark and Iowa ain’t losing to Holy Cross. I have family who coach hockey at Princeton. Drake couldn’t get it done in the men’s tourney, but I’ll double down with the women’s. I didn’t know Portland had a University that’s a total wildcard. Louisville will surely slug their way against Middle Tennessee. LSU won the National Championship last year so I figure they’re still pretty good. Las Vegas seems like a much more fun place than wherever Creighton is. UCLA is about to baptize CA Baptist.
The face of Women’s Hoops is from West Des Moines, Iowa. When she was in grade school, her parents signed her up to play in boys’ leagues. By the time she was in middle school, Iowa was recruiting her to play for her home state’s school. In high school, Clark had a 60-point game while hitting 13 3-point attempts. Clark as a freshman at Iowa unanimously won the Big Ten Freshman of the Year as she averaged 26.6 points per game with 7.1 assists. In her freshman year, Iowa would lose to the #1 Seed UConn in the Sweet 16. As a sophomore, Caitlin Clark averaged 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists per game. For the first time, she was named Big Ten Player of the Year, she would win in the past 3 seasons. Unfortunately in her sophomore season, Iowa would lose in the 2nd Round of March Madness to Creighton. Last year, Caitlin Clark averaged 27.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game while winning all of the Player of the Year awards. Clark led Iowa to the NCAA Championship where they would LSU. This season Caitlin Clark averaged a career-high in points (31.9) and assists (8.9) as she became the new All-Time NCAA Record Holder for points in a collegiate career, breaking Pistol Pete Maravich’s record. Clark has mentioned that although she is eligible for one more year of college hoops, she will join the WNBA after this season. Bringing home a National Championship is all that is left for her to check off.
Region 3 (Portland)
- A USC-Michigan matchup would be a cool old-school gridiron game so I’ll root for them to advance. When I visited Fowler down in Nashville, he lived right by the campus of Vanderbilt so we’ll take them over Baylor. As soon as I saw Marshall on the bracket I immediately thought of the movie We Are Marshall so they’re advancing to the Sweet 16 in my mind. *Both Vanderbilt and Marshall lost yesterday and were eliminated.* I’m a bit of a homer so I’ll go with Syracuse over Arizona. UConn women’s basketball still has Geno Auriemma in charge so they ain’t losing to Jackson State. Duke as a 7 Seed seems a bit odd, maybe as an underdog, they can be frisky. Ohio State is too big of a school to lose to Maine.
Paige Bueckers is from Hopkins, Minnesota eh? She was the #1 recruit from her freshman year class of ‘20, winning the ‘19-’20 Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year. Before UConn, she won a gold medal for Team USA’s ‘19 FIBA U19 World Cup and was the team’s MVP. As a freshman at UConn, she immediately took Women’s Hoops by storm as she was the 1st freshman to win the John Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, and AP Player of the Year. She averaged 20 points and 5.8 assists per game for the Huskies who lost in the Final Four. As a sophomore, Bueckers dealt with a knee injury and was only able to make 13 starts as she averaged 14.6 points per game while gutting out the injury to lead UConn back to the Final Four. She was named to the ‘22 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team. That following summer of ‘22, Bueckers tore her ACL and would miss all of last season’s Women’s Hoops. Determined to recover from the ACL setback, Bueckers this year returned to full strength leading the Huskies again in scoring with 21.3 points per game. The 6’ guard is a career 43% shooter from beyond the arc with great range from deep. UConn won this year’s Big East Tournament as Bueckers had one helluva game with 27 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 5 blocks. When asked by reporters how she would like to reintroduce herself back into the NCAA Tourney, she simply responded, “I just want to win and play UConn basketball.”
Region 4 (Portland)
- Sticking to the Region 3 theme, Texas and Alabama is always a must-watch College Football game. Already picked enough upsets so Gonzaga and Utah feel like winners. Green Bay is another place I didn’t know had a university so that’s cool. I always get confused with NC State and South Carolina, must be the red they wear. I know people from Maryland. Stanford is the top #2 Seed as they are ranked #5 in the country.
Cameron Brink was born in Princeton, New Jersey. In her younger days, she spent 3 years living in Amsterdam. Her parents know Steph Curry’s family well as her mother was roommates with Sonya Curry and her dad was teammates with Dell at Virginia Tech. Cameron is the goddaughter of Steph’s parents. Her family would move to Beaverton, Oregon, where in high school she was twice named Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year. As a 5-star recruit, Brink chose to play for Stanford. As a freshman in ‘21, she averaged 9.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game. She became the first freshman to block 3 or more shots in her first 6 career starts since Brittany Griner. Brink and the Cardinals won the NCAA Championship that season as the team went undefeated with her in the starting lineup. She returned in her sophomore season averaging 13.5 points, 8.1 boards, and 2.6 blocks per game, which got her named the PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Year. In her sophomore season, Stanford would lose to UConn in the Final Four. Last season, Brink once again dominated on defense as she was named the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year with 3.5 blocks per game. She also chipped in 15.1 points with 9.6 rebounds. Stanford was upset in the 2nd Round in last year’s March Madness. This year, Cameron Brink is a senior averaging a career-high 17.8 points and 12 rebounds while still dominating on defense with 3.5 blocks per game. At 6’4”, Brink is one of the best-shot blockers and rebounders in Women’s Hoops. She also has solid guard skills as a dribbler, passer, and she can even hit a 3-pointer at a 30% clip.
Full Bracket
March Madness (Men’s Version)
Day 2 Recap Notes
East Region
- The nerds of Yale and Northwestern are both advancing to the round of 32. It shouldn’t be legal for the likes of John Poulakidas to get a degree from an Ivy and also have a fadeaway high-arching jump shot like that the GIF above in his bag. Charles Barkley, an Auburn alum, was frustrated by the loss. “Shoutout to Yale, the Bulldogs. I never thought a Bulldog would beat a Tiger, but they did. Congratulations to Yale.” He will probably drain some of his sorrows at Faces & Names in NYC, his favorite bar during the NCAA Tournament. As for Northwestern, G Ryan Langborg had 27 points. Langborg had transferred from Princeton last season. We are a UConn and San Diego State loss away from a Yale vs. Northwestern Sweet 16.
West Region
- Grand Canyon’s Tyon Grant-Foster led the Lopes in scoring with 22 points in their win over Saint Mary’s. Grant-Foster has had quite a journey to get to this point. He started off at a JUCO in ‘20 before transferring to Kansas. While he was a Jayhawk, he got little playing time so he transferred the following season to DePaul. In the first half of his first game with the Blue Demons, TGF scored 9 points but as he was entering the locker room he collapsed. His heart had to be shocked back into rhythm 3 times and he had a cardioverter-defibrillator inserted in his chest. A year later, while he was playing pickup hoops with Christian Braun (now of the Denver Nuggets), he once again collapsed and would get his 2nd heart surgery in the spring of ‘22. Tyon Grant-Foster put his basketball career on pause so he sat out last year before transferring to Grand Canyon. “Everything I went through, it gives me more of an edge,” said the 6’7” guard from Kansas City. This season he was the Grand Canyon Lopes leading scorer at 19.8 points per game and he is certainly one of the many cool stories we get to learn a bit about this time of year. Grand Canyon will now take on Alabama in the 2nd Round.
South Region
Seeing Duke’s Jon Scheyer win his 2nd career March Madness game as a coach made me wonder what Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, and Brian Zoubeck were up to. Singler retired from hoops in ‘19, Smith is now an assistant coach for the Louisville Cardinals, and according to Brian Zoubeck’s LinkedIn, he is the President/CEO of Zoubek Properties based out of Philadelphia. Back to the kids, the Duke Blue Devils handled business against Vermont pulling away in the 2nd half after a close 1st. James Madison University defeated Wisconsin in Brooklyn. In typical Wisconsin fashion, they couldn’t buy a bucket in the first half. It took the Badgers 11 minutes of game time to score 10 points. JMU’s TJ Bickerstaff had 12 points to go with 9 boards. Duke will play the Dukes this Sunday at 5:15 PM ET.
Midwest Region
- Purdue’s Center, Zach Edey, had a season-high 21 rebounds in their win over Grambling State. He was 1 rebound away from tying his career-best 22 boards from a year ago. Edey also had 30 points and 3 blocks as Grambling State was no match for his 7’4” size. Purdue will take on Utah State as the Aggies defeated TCU to snap their 10-game March Madness losing streak. Utah State has not reached the Sweet 16 in the modern era of March Madness, the last time they did so was in 1970 when there weren’t 68 teams in the bracket, but only 25. The Utah Aggies 1970 run was the furthest they ever had been in the NCAA Tournament as they finished in that year’s Elite 8.