the mad sports man

 End of March has arrived.  What happened? NHL hockey, NCAA final four tournament, the Brier, the Canadian mixed doubles championships, and some Nascar racing. Monday they ran on dirt in Bristol for the first time since 1970 (or thereabouts). April will have baseball (season starts tomorrow), more hockey, the men's and women's world curling championships, the end of the NCAA final four tournament,a couple of grand slam tournaments between the men's and women's worlds, and more Nascar. That is it for this month.

 It will be UCLA vs Gonzaga in the second final four game.  UCLA beat Michigan 51-49 while Gonzaga beat USC 85-66. The UCLA/Gonzaga game and the Baylor/Houston games are on Saturday and the championship game is on Monday night.

 It will be Baylor vs Houston in one final four game.  Baylor beat Arkansas and Houston beat Oregon State. Other final four matchup will be decided tomorrow.  Gonna be good now.

 Last two elite eight matchups set.  Gonzaga faces USC and Michigan faces UCLA. Both games are Tuesday. By this time Tuesday night, we will have our final four matchups set.

 We're getting into the elite eight here. The first two of four elite eight matchups has Baylor vs Arkansas and Oregon State vs Houston. Tomorrow will decide the other two. The final four will be here before you know it.

 Today in men's figure skating, Keegan Messing finished 6th at the world's in Stockholm Sweden and assured Canada a men's spot at the winter Olympics in Beijing. (I heard he had claimed a second). Canada had also claimed a spot in the women's event and two in the pairs.  Great. Plus Canada had qualified a men's and women's hockey team. The Canadian team will round out nicely in the coming months for 2022. 

 As mentioned, Kerri Einarson and Brad Gushue will be representing Canada at the mixed doubles championship in Aberdeen Scotland from May 16-23 with a top seven finish qualifying for the winter Olympics next year. Note 1.  Einarson will be busy for a good month. She won the Scotties in March (2 in a row), and will represent Canada at the women's worlds April 30 to May 9. She then will be off to Scotland to join Gushue at mixed doubles worlds. There are a couple of grand slam tournaments between the men's and women's worlds (men's worlds are April 2 to 11).  I'm thinking she may have a busy 5 week stretch if she is in the grand slam tournaments. Wow. Note 2.  The men's and women's worlds also serve as Olympics qualifications.  Top 6 finishers automatically qualify for the Olympics (top seven if China finishes in top six). So there's those notes.  Devin Heroux would like these notes.

 Kerri Einarson and Brad Gushue are Canadian mixed doubles champions after beating Kadriana Sahadiuk and Colton Lott 9-6.  They will represent Canada in Scotland from May 16-23 for the world's. This event also serves as qualifying for the 2022 winter Olympics.  Top seven qualify. If China finishes in top seven, then top 8 qualify. (China is host nation for 2022 winter Olympics).

 It's down to the final of the Canadian mixed doubles championships and it's Kerri Einarson and Brad Gushue vs Kadriana Sahadiuk and Colton Lott.  Einarson and Gushue just beat Danielle Schmiemann and John Morris 7-6 in the semi final.  The winner will represent Canada at the world mixed doubles championship in Scotland from May 16-23.  (Yes the world's are in Scotland.  That was announced a few days ago).

 This season had 8 teams and a 48 game schedule.  Montreal Maroons and New York Americans struggle financially. Americans almost fold, NHL buys team. Americans also get stuck with influenza, sending them from first to last. They also lose Roy Worters to hernia. He ends up retiring.  Eddie Shore has a broken vertebrae and misses rest of seasons. Worst injury was Howie Morenz. He suffers a series leg injury after being checked by Earl Siebert. Morenz skate got stuck in the dasher and had it broken after landing awkwardly.  While healing, blood clots were discovered.  One blood clot was discovered near his heart. As his operation was getting set up, the clot stopped his heart. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and he died from complications.  In the postseason, the quarter finals had the Maroons beat Boston 2-1 while the Rangers beat Toronto 2-0. Semi finals had the Rangers beat the Maroons 2-0 while Detroit beat Montreal 3-2. Detroit beats the Rangers 3-2 for their second Stanley

 Oral Roberts did it again.  This time Florida are the victims on the end of a 81-78 loss to Oral Roberts.  They get Arkansas in the sweet sixteen.

 This time it's Syracuse. Two days after taking out #6 San Diego State, they took out #3 West Virginia 75-72. The #11 seen joins Loyola and Baylor in the sweet sixteen.

 Yup this just happened. #8 Loyola just beat #1 Illinois 71-58.  Loyola is the first team into the sweet sixteen.  The hits keep coming.

 Ho hum another upset what a surprise. Abilene Christian university (I have no idea where that is or even heard of them) had knocked off the Texas Longhorns 53-52.  Yikes. That's five I've mentioned plus two I never mentioned. All brackets must have been thrown out now.

 This time it was #13 Ohio beating #4 Virginia 62-58.  Ohio faces Creighton next round. Top seeds are slowly dropping like flies.

 Officially arrived at 3:37am today.   Although it has been here for the past week to ten days. A lot of the snow has melted.  Summer will be here soon enough.

 First the Olympians. Alannah Yip and Sean McCall are heading for Tokyo in sport climbing - a new Olympic sport.  They'll do awesome. Now for upset #3. #13 North Texas has knocked out #4 Purdue 78-69. The hits keep coming.  Damn I missed this last year.

 As reported earlier, an upset was brewing, and it happened. Oregon State beat Tennessee 70-56.  I think there are some brackets busted now.  Will there be any more? Stay tuned.

 First full day of March madness and so far has produced the first upset of the tournament as #15 Oral Roberts knocks off #2 Ohio State 75-72. Wow. And a potential upset brewing as #12 Oregon State leads #5 Tennessee 33-19 at half time. Stay tuned for that.

  9 more Canadians heading for Tokyo. Not sure they will sail there. They are: Sarah Douglas in laser radial, Nicola Girke in RS:X, William Jones and Evan DePaul in 49er, Tom Ramshaw in Finn, Jacob Saunders and Oliver Bone in 470, and Ali ten Hove and Mariah Millen in 49er FX.  

 .....a stretch where: 1. the Canadian mixed doubles championship began (had the first draw already).  2. NCAA final four tournament begins later today with the first four play in games and 3. The CONCACAF men's Olympic qualifying begins today. (Will Canada make the Olympics? Don't hold your breath).  Stay tuned.

 Happy St Patrick's Day.  That time of year where people pretend they're Irish, wear green, drink green beer and see the Chicago River (I think it's that one) turn green for a day.  Enjoy the day. 🍀☘️

 Three of them from Aspen Colorado.  Mark McMorris and Laurie Blouin are big air world champions, while Max Parrot finished with a silver behind McMorris.  Not a bad day.

 Alanna Bray-Lougheed, Andreanna Langlois, Michelle Russel, and Madeline Schmidt were chosen to represent Canada for the K-4 kayaking team in the 500m event. Awesomeness.

 This happened on Friday. Katie Vincent qualified for the Olympics in the C-1 canoe event, which I find is a brand new event.  She qualified after winning a race off.  Excellent.

 After three straight Brier losses, Brendan Bottcher finally wins his first Brier beating Kevin Koe 4-2.  Bottcher will represent Canada at the men's worlds starting April 3rd and at next year's Brier.  Congratulations to Brendan Bottcher.  Next curling bonspiel is the Canadian mixed doubles championship from March 18-25.

 It will be Kevin Koe vs Brendan Bottcher for the Brier championship. Bottcher stole two points in the tenth end to beat Matt Dunstone of Saskatchewan 6-5. It was going to be a doozy of a final irregardless.  Who will represent Canada at the men's worlds? Stay tuned.

 Tomorrow being the last day of the Brier and a potential tiebreaker (which included a possible midnight Prince Albert time tiebreak) was avoided. Kevin Koe of Alberta (was wild card here) finished first in the championship round and will play in the final tomorrow night. Matt Dunstone of Saskatchewan and Brendan Bottcher of Alberta will play in the semi final tomorrow afternoon. Story was Wayne Middaugh. Hadn't played in awhile after shattering a leg five years ago in a skiing accident. He has a 15 inch rid in leg. He ended up skipping Glenn Howard's team (Howard broke a couple of ribs snowmobiling). This was Middaughs 4th Brier. (First in 1993, he was a second). So two games left. Who will win? Stay tuned.

 That time of year when it's time to change your clocks ahead an hour.  Meaning you lose an hour of sleep.  Unless you are in place where you don't have to touch your clocks, then carry on as usual.

 Start with yesterday. In Doha Qatar, Melissa Humana-Paredis and Sara Pavin won silver in beach volleyball. In Aspen, Sebastien Toutant won a slopestyle silver. Today so far has had: 1. Marion Thenault win aerials gold and Lewis Irving win aerials bronze in Almaty Kazakhstan.  2. Reece Howden win skicross in Sunny Valley Russia.  3. Megan Oldham win ski slopestyle bronze in Aspen.  Aaahh yes

 Devin Heroux posted this on twitter. The lowest combined score (3) for the 4th time and the 6th shutout.  Brad Jacobs of Northern Ontario beat Jason Gunnlaugson of Manitoba 3-0. Last Brier shutout was 1998 when Dale Duguid of Manitoba beat Garth Mitchell of Prince Edward Island 8-0.  That game went six ends. Yiye.

 Boy did they ever.  Mikaël Kingsbury won the moguls title and the dual moguls title. In speedskating, Charles Hamelin won 3rd ever title in the 1500m, and Courtney Sarault is vice champion (finished second overall). In wrestling, Erica Wiebe won gold in the 76kg, Michelle Fazzari won gold in the 62 kg, Amir Dhesi won gold in the 125kg, Diana Worker won silver and Samantha Stewart won bronze in the 53kg and Olivia Dibacco won bronze in the 68kg. In snowboard cross, Eliot Grondin won his first ever gold. So how's that for a weekend?

 On this day in 1984, Dale Hawerchuk of the Winnipeg Jets sets an assists record that still stands.  He scored 5 assists in one period in a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings.  A record Gretzky never got.

 The Brier is here. The first draw starts at 7:30pm Prince Albert time tonight.  That Curling Show begins an hour before hosted by Devin Heroux and Colleen Jones. One thing I'm guessing will be discussed is the women's worlds being in the bubble. Yes they will be having the women's worlds from April 30 to May 9. The mixed curling championship will be held from May 16-23.  The men's and women's worlds will serve as qualifications for the 2022 winter Olympics.  I think the mixed tournament as well. So my news of the day.

 On this day in 1920 the Montreal Canadiens recorded the most goals scored in one game as they beat the Quebec Bulldogs 16-3. Ouch.  Newsy Lalonde and Harry Cameron each scored four, Odie Cleghorn and Didier Pitre each scored three and Joe Malone, who scored seven in a game a month prior, scored one. (Don't know who got the 16th).  This is a record that will be around awhile.

 So this blog is now 17 years old.  SEVENTEEN YEARS ALREADY!!!!  Seventeen years of sports, fun facts and totally random stuff.  And a few photos as well.  Loads of memories.  Let's see what the next year brings this blog when we get to #18.

 March has begun quietly here.  We're into the lull between the Scotties and the Brier.  So what else is happening? Oh I don't know, maybe some preseason baseball, some hockey, some car racing.  Speed skating is done. Not sure about the skiing and snowboarding.  Not sure if the March madness is happening this year or not.  I think it's supposed to start around the 15th.  St. Patrick's Day is soon.  Any excuse to wear green.  I think I covered everything. Oh yeah spring is on the 20th and the time change for everyone else but Saskatchewan and other places.  Now I think I covered it.