Praise and congratulations here

[Brasky]

Good morning, all.

Rather than be bombarded by messages in my personal inbox I felt it might be easier for you all to heap all of your well wishes, congratulations and praise here in one thread.  I can't really tell you yet how it feels to be the inaugural champion.  In some ways nothing any of you ever accomplish can mean as much.  There is just something really special about the 1st.  I feel like Roger Bannister.

Aaron, try to send me out an XL.  I hate when the shirt fits at first but then gradually shrinks until you look like that guy who intentioally buys extra medium shirts to show off his guns.

If any of you need any advice on anything please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to try to get back with you.

Brasky

P.s.  I know I let some of you down with my final score prediction of Duke 74 Wisky 69 however I did nail the 5 point spread.

 

[Aaron Carrara]

We will hand deliver it as well, your excellence.

 

[Epictetus]

If I have my facts straight...

the 8th player, by rotation and substitution,, Mr. Grayson Allen, a fire plug built, freshman spark plug, came in midway in the 2nd half and fired a rally to start the tide turning away from a Whisky 9-pt lead, and to me demonstrated the style of play coming with Shaka Smart: diving to the floor, sliding out of bounds, for loose balls, driving into no-man's land for twisting layouts against players half a foot taller, showing no fear what so ever and leavning it all on the hardwood.

-------- ESPN article , quote -------

...... INDIANAPOLIS -- It became a routine. Every day, practice would end and, one by one, the Duke Blue Devils would gradually peel off for the showers or the training table or class or dorm rooms. Every day, the sounds of a full practice -- the whistles, the cheers, the symphony of sneakers squeaking on the floor -- would recede. And every day, when everyone else was gone, one ball still bounced, one pair of Nikes still squeaked, the sounds of one player, the same player, pushing himself to do more.

Every day in November, when he was both the No. 21-ranked prospect in America and the rarely mentioned afterthought of Duke's star-studded freshman class. Every day in December, when his minutes, even in blowouts, dipped into the single digits. Every day in January, when he took seven game shots all month, when his coach, Mike Krzyzewski, didn't trust him with even the briefest of runs against Louisville and Notre Dame.

Every day in February, when he started to get more time. Every day in early March, when he finally carved out a role. Every day of Duke's dominant four-game run through the South Regional, when the rotation tightened anew.

Every day before the Final Four -- when all of Grayson Allen's work paid off.

"At the start of the year, he wasn't playing a lot, and literally every day he was the last guy in the gym, putting work in after practice," Duke assistant coach Jon Scheyer said. "Then he started playing a little bit, and he was still the last guy in the gym. Then maybe he would have a game where he didn't play. And the one thing that was constant was the work he put in after practice."

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http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/106875/grayson-allens-hard-work-pays-off

 

[castlebravo1]

I have a hard time rooting for a Tournament Challenge player who is just playing the Hornsports bracket contest as a one year tryout for professional Vegas gambling.

 

[Planohorn]

IMHO there should be a prize for totally dominating the Sweet 16.

 

[Grandpa Zorro]

In the immortal words of Ricky Bobby...or Ricky Bobby's Daddy..."If you ain't first, your last!"

I was 3rd...dangit.

 

[joeywa]

Don't hold your breath on that shirt Brasky......just sayin'.  :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: