Middle America Picks the Brackets...

Ever get a wild hair up your ass to go and do something… It happens to SpartyMSU periodically.. The inner voice recently said “You’ve got to go talk to America.. Need the People to help me fill out the brackets.. “   That meant No phone a friend, not a open window shout out, but sort of ask the audience.. find a local pub somewhere in the USA and talk to the locals..

Since the NCAA finals are in Indy this year, why not go some place near there…

After arriving into Indy via Delta... I was lucky enough to see the police escort of the Butler team headed off to their first round game in San Jose…  Kind of cool, police cars, lights a go’in, escorts in the front and back…. A couple proud busses headed off to try to kick some ass in the tourney full of the top 64 teams in the USA…

Jumped in a retal car, and finally I found myself in Tere Haute..  A lovely town either south or west of Indy…  From the Herzt map in the car, it looked like a decent spot to go to....

Once there, I meandered until I settled on the Sonka Irish pub… Why there you might ask…  I asked the same thing.. But, why not…


Suffice it to say, There I be…  and There I stayed…   At least they had Murphy’s Stout on tap..  and it was the day before St’ Patty’s day… Hot damn, I picked a good sunny Indiana Day..

I began to canvas the locals. Sonka’s in Tere Haute is as good a place as any to get a feel of Middle America as the NCAA tourney getting underway.. Indiana has a couple teams giving represent to the state..  Butler, Purdue, and Notre Dame… Michigan has 2 teams in as well: Oakland Golden Grizzlies and the Michigan State Spartans…  So, they should have some opinion....

After filling out a few brackets, they were the different regions were varying as widely as Wabash River is long…  One seeds, two seeds, local favorites were all discussed…   Some asked Pine bluff who…??, Whats a Morgan state…  Is Sam Houston in San Antonio ?  Not too many commonalities seemed to be in teh brackets, some went with all top seeds, others went with the names they recognized, others were too imbibed to find the floor, let alone respond to my own semi coherent questions……  

I was Filling out bracket after bracket with anyone who’d stop and give it a try..  And I have to admit.. its probably as good as throwing darts at the board..  Take a look at the median Final Four picks from a day of pounding Murphy’s and talking to Tere Haute locals…

Thank God I made it back to Detroit in time for the games to begin… Not sure what I gained from this, or if it was worthwhile.. I do know, I’d visit there again..  But, don’t think I’ll be taking their advice for brackets again anytime soon…

Sparty On…. !!!