There is no question that from some at Game Over World Headquarters that this is the happiest time of the year (with all deference to X-mas).  Are there any better four days of basketball than the four days /48 games of the first two rounds of the Men's NCAA Championship?  It's a basketball junkies fix.  The only thing, its over too fast.

You get in your comfortable chair or couch, spread out your bracket sheets, check on the profiles from USA Today (Monday edition when the barckets are announced), make sure the 'frig is filled with goodies, and have the phone with caller ID close by so you can fake a cough when the boss calls.  Then opening tip comes and you see some blow-outs, some you knew-would-happens, AND THEN the buzzer-beaters, AND FINALLY the bracket-busters.

We almost saw one in Duke-Belmont.  Who didn't think of (for those of us old enough you will smile, for the rest of you, we're sure it can be found on the internet somewhere) Danny Ainge of BYU driving the length of the court, through 5 defenders (yes, all five could have stopped him), down the middle for A LAY UP!, to beat Notre Dame coached by Digger Phelps (yes kiddies, before he was the talking mouth on ESPN Digger was actually a coach).  Gerald Henderson (son of the former Knick of the same name did the same) did the same to stop Belmont's upset bid.

But then Friday happened.  And there were numbers we were not used to, such as 12.  In fact, two number 12's beat their respective #5 opponents (Western Kentucky beat Drake and Villanova over Clemson).  Siena, for those in the know, and apparently there are a lot of you out there, as a 13 seed beat #4 Vanderbilt.  Best story of the day was Stephen Curry leading Davidson over perrenial Cinderella Gonzaga.  But the biggest upset happened early, to make all the late editions on the East coast.  Little known (to the East Coast media) San Diego shocked (well, shocked is too light a word), STUNNED Big East powerhouse UConn in overtime.  And there was, as always, the ever classy Jim Calhoun, telling in public what should have been left in the lockerroom - his motivation speech.  "Don't let them think they can play with you" he says he told his team prior to coming out for the game.  Hey Jim, I think thats what was said in the the San Diego lockerroom.  Only they listened to their coach.

The weekend saw more upsets.  First UCLA, Stanford, and Tennessee advanced after scares.  UNC scored back-to-back 100 point games.  But Georgetown apparently watch UConn from Friday and gave up a double-digit lead to lose to Davidson.

Check with us Thursday for our picks on Thursday's games.  Game Over

Day 1 of the best time of the year just concluede with little or no fanfare.  No great upsets occurred, but then again with such partiy in College Basketball, would any of us truly been surprised if Belmont beat Duke?  Don't get us wrong, we would have loved to seen this bracket-buster for all those reading this while they should be at work, but then Gerald Henderson (yes the son of former Knick of the same name) pulled of a Danny Ainge and went coast-to-coast with Belmont offering no defense in fear of commiting a foul.  Note to self, if faced in similar situations in the future, have speedy guard go down middle cause in matador defense will allow the basket.  How many times does this have to happen?  Do coaches not learn from previous events?  Now we are not suggesting fouling Henderson, but how about diverting him as he comes streaking down the middle?

Second note to self.  even after the basket was scored, Belmont had chances to win.  Why is it that coaches don't pound the ball inside (no different in concept of going down the middle for a lay-up or foul) and do the same?  Win it at the foul line.  Survive and advance.  Jimmy Valvano was right, that is all that is asked of any team, to survive and advance, not how preety you win.  Jump shots and timing plays have too much downside, as we just evidence.  Put the ball inside and win at the line.  Instead Belmont is saying "What if" and Duke is getting ready for West Virginia.

Without disclosing top secret info, we can tell you that we remember when the Milwaukee Bucks and then the Los Angeles Lakers  made their respective winning streaks of 20 and 33.  There wasn't ESPN and most of the Laker games were played onthe west coast so news didn't come our way until the morning as we were prepping for school.  It was a ritual to here if or when the Lakers would ever lose another game.  It was curiosity, fascination, and also concern.  Concern for our Knicks (yes, they were once good).  The season was winding down and the Knicks were locked in a battle in the East with the Celtics and the Bullets (now Wizards).  How could anyone beat the Lakers of Chamberlin and West?

There isn't that same trepidation with the Houston Rockets.  They are heading into a five game stretch that includs the Celtics, Lakers, and Hornets.  It is highly unlikely they will come out unscathed.  They have accomplished a minor miracle of extending their streak to 21 without Yao Ming the past 8 games and are to be applauded.  However, they still, unlike the Lakers with Chamberlin, the team to be feared in their own conference.  The Hronets, Lakers, Spurs, and Jazz are still considered the class of the West and would be the likely winners in a playoff series with the Rockets.

We don't take away the Rockets accomplishment.  We admire it and revel in what they have accomplished.  However, it will all mean nothing come playoff time if they can't win 4 out of 7 in a series.  That's where a streak really counts.  And without Yao, that will take a miracle.

The 2008 Game Over Classic  will be held June 20 - 22 in New York City.  Age groups for the Classic are:

10 and Under; 11 and Under; 12 and Under; 13 and Under; 14 and Under; 15 and Under; 16 and Under; and 17 and Under.

The Entry fee is $425.00 per Team.  Money Orders and Bank Checks accepted (no Personal Checks).  Please make checks payable to GO Sports, Inc.

Registration Deadline is Friday, June 10, 2008

For additional information, please contact:

Dana Dingle - 646-773-4878 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Shandue McNeill - 516-924-9921 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Darryl Jones - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Eric Jones - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Be sure to check out all the Game Over Classic action at www.gameovernyc.com.  Click on the Game On tab and then the Game Over Classic button OR http://www.gameovernyc.com/basketball/go-classic/ 

Our NBA correspondent A. Katz (not that A. Katz from ESPN) reports: 

Watching the Sixers play the last few weeks has been a lot of fun.  They play hard, they push the ball and they have fun.  They exemplify what are both worst and best in the NBA.  Why the best?  That's pretty obvious:  well-executed fast breaks, hard nose defense, good team basketball and consistent improvement.  Why the worst? Because despite all the good stuff, they are actually moving further away from a chance to contend for an NBA title. Improved or not, they still can't compete with teams that have bona fide Superstars.  By trying and caring a little too much, the Sixers continue to play themselves to a lower spot in the first round of the draft where there are no franchise saviors to be had.  Their young players put up better stats in the short term thereby making them harder or more expensive to re-sign (even with Billy King gone) and making it less likely the team will spend money on incoming free agents.   On their current trajectory, the Sixers slow growth will ultimately hit a low ceiling with a first round playoff win (within the next couple of years) and then start on a slow decline.  They won't be in the NBA finals for another ten years.  Compare this situation to the Miami Heat whose postage budget for mailing in games this year is almost as high as their salary cap.  They still have Wade and Marion (or a high priced replacement) and will own a top 5 lottery pick this year.  They will likely be back in the Conference Finals within 2-3 years.  There's something very wrong with a system that rewards the binge and purgers and punishes the teams trying to win the right way. 

- A. Katz, Philadelphia, PA

Game Over welcomes All American Signs & Awards Plus as an official Game Over trophy retailer.  All American is located on the Queens / Long Island border in Valley Stream, NY.  All American is able to fulfill all your Game Over trophy needs: from team awards to Camp and Clinic trophys.  For Participation, Sportsmanship, MVP, to Team Awards.  So to order your Game Over trophies in NYC and Long Island, give All American a phone call.  516-87-AWARD (516-872-9273

Ever see the movie Scent of a Woman with Al Pacino?  He defends a young man who saw three of his classmates pull a pratical joke on the dean of the prep school they attend.  Instead of being pressured to sell out to protect himself, as one of the three has done, he stays honorable and will not give in to coercion to give up his classmates.  The lesson learned is that honor still has a place in our society, though it seems lost on many who are more concerned about looking out for themselves. 

We were kicking it at Game Over Headquarters when word came down that Kelvin Sampson accepted a $750,000 buy out of his contract to resign immediately.  Whoa, the hypocrisy meter went up and we all put our two cents in.  Here is how we see it.

First, Indiana University knew of the allegations against Sampson, in fact, he was hired with full knowledge AND the NCAA penalties that came with him.  In fact, Sampson was put on notice at the time of hiring that he could not conduct himself in the same manner if he expected to stay as head coach. - First Game Over reaction - Sampson, seriously, how in the world do you commit the same infractions?  Or have your staff do it for you?  Yeah, competition in the Big Ten, and the whole NCAA is tough for recruits, but that means you have to do a better job selling the program with less face time - and to explain to the recruits that the reason you are not flooding their cell phones three times a day is not that you don't love them but that you don't want the school to go on NCAA probation when they got on campus. 

Second, the NCAA got its teeth into Sampson the way they did former UNLV head coach Jerry Tarkanian and just wouldn't let go.  Okay, so he flagrantly violated NCAA rules, in fact, the same rules they just nailed him on back at Oklahoma.  But why are you keeping him on such a tight leash?  He ia already paying a penalty of a lost scholarship at IU.  Other coaches are out there for you to teach a lesson.  Now we are not saying that he isn't possibly guilty of the allegations, but why is the microscope on him like an ant?

Finally, the best for last, Indiana University.  An institution of higher learning.  Oh, the lessons they are teaching.  First, the always good, throw the alleged guilty under the bus to save your hide.  Lets look at the facts, the NCAA was investigating and had not as yet made formal charges against Sampson.  Sampson would have 90 days to then rebutt the allegations. Worried of the possible sanctions and loss of face, IU launches its own, ad hoc investigation for one week.  Its intent, to head the NCAA off at the pass and if they find Sampson and staff guilty, take their own action to stave off whatever harsher sanctions may occur by NCAA punishment.  So they find that one of their own has violated the rules, and then take the harshest of actions.  They look to fire their head coach three quarters through the season.  Whatever happened to the street ethic of protecting your own?

Was there truly any thought about the current student athletes and staff that have at this date put together a tremendous season?  Is the school too far to the right in its view that these are Student athletes and it is a privelege that they enjoy.  That IU is a school of higher learning and athletics come second.  We can understand that.  But what about innocent until proven guilty?  How many attorney's defend known guilty parties because that is a constitutional right of all persons.  While IU is no attorney, do they have any responsibility to honor and defend one of their own?

What about the affect it has on the student athletes under its care?  Most have only known Sampson as their coach as he recruited them.  They are on the verge of capturing a Big Ten championship, don't they deserve to have their head coach when they enter the NCAA's?  Or is this just a day care center for ball players as they then move on to the pros.  You can't condemn student athletes for coming in, using the system as a means to move on to the NBA or other professional league if the system is using them (how many uniform tops are sold throughout the USA with the number and/or name of the student athlete on them) without the student athelte seeing one dime?  If this is a business (no fooling), don't get your britches tied in a knot when the student atheltes you are "looking out for" treat it as a business too.

So what could have, should have been done?  One possible solution was for IU to investigate and hold onto its results until after the season was concluded so as to not upset the team.  Or, acknowledge the infractions by Sampson and tell him and the NCAA that appropriate actions will be taken at the end of the season.  The NCAA can accept the findings of IU and agree not to impose any greater sanctions when IU does punish and/or fires Sampson.  It shows institutional control on the part of IU and demonstrates that the self-policing system works to the NCAA.

Perhaps no other aspect of the NCAA is reviled more by the general public than its manner of imposing sanctions.  If the idea is for schools to not violate the rules, and if they do, correct it, than why is a hammer necessary to kill a fly?  Great life lessons we teach the student athletes, and all students around the world.