Rhubarb Report 063

It is now time to take a deep breath. Whew. Week one of the NCAA men's basketball tournament is officially over. If 2 nights and 4 full days of basketball isn't exhausting, I am not sure just what is.

I think that there really should be a new ICD-9 code established for MMS - March Madness Syndrome. It is a seasonal affliction that presents with a number of hallmark signs and symptoms. Those affected by MMS have buttock discomfort associated with prolonged sitting, a subconscious ability to recite RPI rankings and scoring statistics, eyes dilated from prolonged viewing, and a sense of hangover-like symptoms the day after an extended viewing period without having consumed an ounce of alcohol.

Fortunately, the intervention for MMS is simple: more basketball - at least for a couple more weekends. There will be plenty of time after April 8 to recover.

The latest episode of the Rhubarb Report celebrates two of the reasons that make March such a great month - college basketball and the beginning of a new Formula One season. Enjoy!

1. Not only did March Madness begin last week, but it also made an appearance in Austin this past weekend. The Frank Erwin Center was host to six games over two days - for a total of about 15 hours of live hoops. Not for the faint of heart.

This year's tournament draw in Austin had no local or conference ties whatsoever. Strangely enough, no Texas schools are in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1977. To make matters worse, 4 of the 6 games were decided by margins of 14, 20, 29, and 32 points. Please insert multiple yawns here. But it's still the Big Dance, and it is still a spectacle no matter how you cut it.

2. Speaking of spectacles, the Formula One season is officially underway. Though we are only two races in thus far, my thoughts have already turned to the US Grand Prix scheduled for the weekend of November 15 - 17. The apocalypse may be upon us that weekend as the F1 weekend is the same weekend as a UT home football game. Remember, the most important thing in Texas is football, so this could prove interesting. The harsh reality is that there will be 100,000 fans in town for Saturday's game against OSU and 100,000+ fans attending the F1 festivities that weekend.

At least they won't all be downtown at the same time. Maybe.

3. It would appear that there will be plenty of drama in F1 this year, which could be boiling over by the time the teams get here in November. This past weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix set the tone for races to come. Sebastien Vettel made the unilateral decision to go against team orders - essentially stealing the win from his teammate. What becomes more intriguing is that he disregarded the wishes of the same team that made him what he is today. But it was the half-hearted apology and excuses after the fact that really made it stink.

His ego has now officially got the better of him and, as they say, he may now be a little too big for his britches.

Hey Red Bull, have fun dealing with that later on this season. I am certain this won't be the last time it happens.

Photo credits: Wikipedia