Army West Point Athletics
Monday, March 15 - Feeling A Bit Left Out
March 15, 2010 | General
It's a quiet Monday at West Point. Not only are the cadets on spring break, the office is missing a few folks who are also having some fun in the sun. And by fun, I mean work. Brian Gunning, one of a few staffers holding down the homefront, with you on this wet and windy afternoon.
I feel kind of left out. I didn't get to go on a big trip this week. Tim and Ryan both headed west for lacrosee and hockey games at Air Force, while Mady and Bob both headed to the Sunshine State for softball and baseball spring trips. I will say, I'm not too disappointed. After being on the road with football and basketball since September, a little time at home isn't such a bad thing.
So far, so good on team travel as well, which wasn't such a sure thing given the weather around here this weekend. It started raining on Friday and didn't stop until this morning. Compounding the rain were high-velocity winds that dropped trees and power lines all over the area. The lacrosse team made it back safe and sound, but a day late. My commute this morning wasn't too bad, but the downed trees and flooding made it an adventure for a lot of people. Much of the Hudson Valley, New York City, Connecticut and Long Island will be cleaning up this mess for a few days.
Aside from the wet weather, the big event of the weekend in the sports world was selection Sunday for the NCAA men's basketball tournament. It was a bittersweet day. The tournament is one of my favorite events on the sports calendar, and having been a part of it a couple of times in my previous jobs, it always stings a little when I don't get the opportunity to experience the madness. That being said, let the fun begin. If it were up to me, the first Thursday and Friday of the tournament would be holidays. As an employee of an NCAA-affiliated institutuion, I'm not allowed to fill out a bracket, but taking a quick look, there are definitely some upset specials out there.
Army ended up playing one team that made the field of 65. Patriot League champion Lehigh is a No. 16 seed and will face No. 1 overall seed Kansas. Black Knights' head coach Zach Spiker will have a few teams to keep an eye on. Cornell, where he coached for the five previous seasons, is a 12th seed and will face Atlantic 10 champion Temple. Winthrop, another former employer, will take on Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the opening round on Tuesday, while his hometown team, West Virginia, garnered a No. 2 seed and will face Morgan State.
With all the talk of basketball sure to come in the next couple of weeks, don't forget about football. Believe it or not, we're already working on things for the 2010 season. The Black Knights will wrap up their spring practice session after the break with a workout on Wednesday, March 24 before the annual Black-Gold Game on Saturday, March 27. The game starts a 1 p.m., but a mini version of Black Knights Alley with live music, inflatable games for kids and an autograph session with head coach Rich Ellerson will start at 11 a.m. just inside Gate 3. There is no admission charge for either Black Knights Alley or the spring game.
GO ARMY!
