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* I’m shutting down the blog sometime in the early afternoon today. I desperately need a vacation, so I’ll be back a week from Monday. If you’ve been mulling over a comment, now would be the time to post it.

Until then, use this as an NCAA tournament open thread.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:23 am

Comments

Have a good vacation. Illinois politics can wait a while.

Comment by DuPage Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:25 am
Have a great vacation Rich. You deserve a break.

Comment by Flynn's Mom Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:26 am
Loyola. Enough said. Now you and Oscar can go to Branson.

Comment by A guy Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:27 am
what NCAA tourney thread? #Go Blue

Comment by Dozer Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:31 am
The last open thread I asked y’all how you thought Loyola was going to do and I distinctly remember the first response being “about as well as Ives in the primary”. Well Ives only lost by 3 points and Loyola’s in the elite eight so how do you like dem apples?

Comment by TheRambler Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:33 am
Blessed vacation Rich
Thanks for your wonderful work.

Comment by Honeybear Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:34 am
Enjoy Rich, go Loyola, so fun to watch.

Comment by Rutro Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:34 am
Those Ramblers sure are fun to watch. Just what the doctor ordered, given the sports viewing desert between the Super Bowl and Opening Day, given the state of the Hawks and Bulls.

Weber’s KState team can ball, too. Should be a heckuva game.

If Purdue loses, this would be the first time that none of my Final Four picks even makes the Elite Eight. That would be a big heaping bowl of wrong, even by my sad bracketolgy history.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:35 am
The Chicago Tribune no longer has a beat writer for the White Sox and Blackhawks? Sad!

Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:36 am
Good on you, Rich. Unplug. “See you on the other side”

To the brackets…

Coach Weber’s K-State Wildcats… so glad Illinois dumped a coach that’s taken three different programs to the #Sweet16, maybe Coach Self, who plays tonight had it right?

K-State, Loyola, Florida State… three Cinderellas

Michigan was seeded way wrong, was easily a 2-seed, the 3-seed was so disrespectful. Good on the Maize and Blue.

It’s the ACC on display tonight. Syracuse, Duke, Clemson, all in Omaha.

No real surprise teams on that side of the bracket tonight, save Syracuse, but they’re a bad penny team, they seem to show up then confuse prognosticators every year, good and bad.

Should be great basketball.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:36 am
Have a great vacation. Thanks for your hard work.

Comment by The Way I See It Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:39 am
In Disney since Sunday….

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:40 am
Gotta stay up past bedtime to watch Purdue. #sucks.

Comment by A guy Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:41 am
Have a great break, Rich.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:45 am
Happy Spring , Rich.

Comment by Anon221 Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:52 am
My team utterly crapped the bed in the first round, and brackets are shot anyway, so Go Ramblers. Party like it’s 1963.

Comment by ChrisB Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:54 am
Sweet dreams Rich. I think I need time off too. I have gone from anger to indifference. I find myself agreeing with Word too much this week. I know thats a sign of fatigue

Comment by Blue dog dem Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:55 am
Go Ramblers and Go Boilers
At Loyola for one year. Had practice jersey from Egan on the 1963 champs. Father knew Coach Ireland.
Graduated from Purdue and was there when they lost to UCLA and Lew Alcindor in the Final Four. Rick Mount at Purdue

Comment by very old soil Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:56 am
Enjoy, Rich!

Comment by Mike Cirrincione Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:56 am
OW - The Big 12 is on display - KU, West Virginia, and Texas Tech

I’m writing in Sister Jean for Governor.

Comment by Montrose Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:59 am
Enjoy the R&R. You’ve earned it and the time until November is going to be terribly busy. Thank you for the really exceptional coverage you’ve given to the primary season.

Comment by Aldyth Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:59 am
Have a good vacation, Rich-If you leave the state, hope it is some place warm; will miss you…
What’s the NCAA?

Comment by downstate commissioner Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 12:04 pm
- Montrose -

Also true, and with family alums of Texas Tech, I feel shame, then I’ll go free.

#EastCoastBias #BigXIIGoingBig #BasketballConferences

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 12:04 pm
My bracket has been wrecked since late Saturday night, so I’m going to jump on the Loyola bandwagon. I’d love to see the little guy win a tournaament for once. If Clemson can beat Kansas tonight, I can enjoy the rest of the tournament in peace.

Comment by Osborne Smith III Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 12:04 pm
Thank goodness, because this blog has been taking me away from my work. I started reading a few weeks before the election and have become obsessed. Although I wish it didn’t lean democrat (like the governor’s race now does), I’ve enjoyed the content and the witty comments and insight from the writers. I’m hoping a week away will be enough to keep me from coming back though. But I have a feeling it won’t.

Comment by Anon Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 12:07 pm
Greetings from sunny California!

Comment by Soccermom Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 12:08 pm
Hope your vacation is in a nice tropical spot… like JB’s money

Comment by Near West side Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 12:16 pm
Well, if Rich is leaving for a well-earned vacation, I hope to run into Tom Cross at Fox Bend and finish that round we played, right up to when he threw my sticks, bag, and all “accidently” in the pond on 12.

That’s if it doesn’t snow, so…

Go Ramblers, Go Boilermakers, Go Villanova

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 12:20 pm
It was a pleasure watching the Loyola and Kstate games last night. Great to see offense, defense and hustle succeed at Loyola, and Kstate’s team effort besting the tree topping future NBAers. Both teams extremely well-coached. Missing Bruce Weber.

Also, compare these games to recent NBA games while they position for draft picks or stay healthy for the playoffs. Tough to watch.

Comment by Res Melius Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 12:29 pm
I find it kind of funny that I can’t even comment here without being censored. Smh.

What are you thinking? You do need a vacation.

Comment by cdog Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 12:56 pm
Dez caught it.

Comment by A State Employee Guy Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 1:01 pm
Go Loyola. Illinois was right to fire Weber when they did. They were in a downward spiral with him. Good for him to be doing well elsewhere, but it doesn’t mean it was the wrong move for Illinois at the time. Hiring Groce was the wrong move. I have faith in Underwood that they will be back in the tourney in probably 2 years.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 1:08 pm
OK Rich. I guess I will give the exclusive to somebody else then.

Only kidding. Have good vacation.

Comment by walker Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 1:13 pm
–The Chicago Tribune no longer has a beat writer for the White Sox and Blackhawks? –

Is that for real?

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 1:22 pm
Amazing work Rich.
You deserve a break. Hopefully a break that involves a cold drink and a sunset.

Comment by Red fish blue fish Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 1:29 pm
Have a great vacation. I am sure that there will plenty of fun stories when you get back.

Comment by very old soil Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 1:31 pm