Recent Game Recaps

Challenge 11: Final Four Memories

Challenge 10: Tourney Memories

Challenge 9: Shock The Neighborhood

When somebody pretending to be Tom Petty asked a question 49 minutes into our eight-hour marathon BracketBusters chat, it seemed at the time like any other funny non-sequitur we've encountered in four-plus years of doing those things. But then the Heartbreakers references kept flying for the next seven hours -- it was as if the music of this stringy-haired, nose-talking, marijuana-loving minstrel was the one thing that all mid-major fans could agree on, despite our differences in creed and (team) color.

With a week of retrospect, it's no surprise at all that Mr. Petty is indeed the de facto poet laureate of Hoops Nation. Guys like Mellencamp and Springsteen are too regional, and it's easy to forget that the artist formerly known as Charlie T. Wilbury, Jr. is from Gainesville, Fla. (I always think he's Californian, for some reason). He also never attended the revolting, oversized power-conference school in his hometown, to his eternal credit. His lyrics have always incorporated and emphasized themes we know well here: yearning, losing, struggle and toughness. And his vision of the top of the world includes a $1,000 bank balance, so he's definitely our kind of guy. Bally's always been a big fan, too.

While it's possible to buy your way into Bally's Playaz Club this week, many others of you have opted to take part in our weekly contest. The mission was simple: take a Tom Petty song and rewrite the lyrics to form a Selection Committee plea on behalf of your favorite team. No fewer than 42 of you took the time to do this, and entries were judged on the basis of awesomeness, ass-kicking rawk content, and phrasing. We'll now put the final four to a vote, then announce a winner on Tuesday.

Louis went with the orange guy's favorite Petty tune, "Breakdown." His William & Mary Tribe aren't in position to make the heroic title game run they made last year, but this year's version likely has a much better theme song.

It's all right if you love them

but it's more likely you don't

There's plenty of seats for you to sit down in

But I get the feeling you won't



Last March's hot streak in Richmond

was no fluke, so we'd pray

They took down Northeastern but lost to Manhattan

It's the 2009 CAA



(so watch the)

Breakdown, go ahead, one-bid league

Breakdown, honey, screw the RPI

Breakdown, the parity, can't you see?

Breakdown, it's alright



It's all right?

It's all right.

"Free Fallin'" was a popular choice, mostly because it captures the dilemma of a team trying to explain away a late-February losing streak. But Travis out in Idaho was able to substitute in an actual player's name, so his entry goes to the head of that particular subregional.

He's a good boy, son of a legend

Drains jumpers and cleans up the glass

He's a good boy, crazy 'bout lay-ups

Dishes to Watson and Big Jefferson too



It's a long night, playin' in Boise

Been ten years, since Idaho won there

And the Broncos, they slink off in shame

He's a bad boy for breakin' their hearts



And he's Mac, Mac Hopson

Yeah he's Mac, Mac Hopson



All the Vandals, playin' in the Spectrum

Should be Dancin', 'cos Verlin's the man

All the hoops fans, cheering in the sta-ands

See a mid-major, whose glory's restored



And he's Mac, Mac Hopson

Yeah he's Mac, Mac Hopson



I wanna dance now, into the tourney

I wanna see Don's 'stache on TV

I wanna 12-seed, chance for an upset

Gonna dream now, of the Sweet 16



And he's Mac, Mac Hopson

Yeah he's Mac, Mac Hopson

Some teams really need to get in the heads of the Selection Committee, and get them humming their song. Here's Josh's toe-tapping ode to Davidson, to the tune of "Runnin' Down a Dream."

It was selection Sunday

The committee bore down

I had CBS on

I was hopin'



The seeds went by

Me and Dell [Curry] were pleading

for a Wildcat bid

for our triple superhero guy



Yeah runnin' and shootin' threes,

and ganging up on D,

McKillop working on the referees,

Steph going where ever he needs,

Yeah runnin' and shootin' threes

Heath likes VCU and Dayton in equal measure, and submitted this general explanation for to the tune of "Learning to Fly."

Well, we started out

Down a Non-con road

Started out, on the road

As Christmas neared

And conference play began

We played our foes

And won again



We're learning to fly

But we don't have wins

Gaining RPI

Is the hardest thing.



Well, the good old days

They did return

And 3's rained down

And their defense burned.



We're learning to fly

But we don't have wins

Gaining RPI

Is the Hardest Thing.



We're learning to fly

Around the clouds

When Cinderella goes up

The big boys go down.