People of the Jewish persuasion have recently completed their annual solemn celebration of Passover. This is the holiday that contemplates the exodus under the leadership of Moses from Egypt.
The plagues. Parting of the red sea. Forty years in the desert. Unleavened bread — matzoh — because they were in such a hurry to leave, there was no time for the bread to rise. That stuff.
The first two nights of Passover are set aside for sacred dinners, known as Sedars, where the story is repeated so as not to be forgotten. Part of the liturgy that precedes the meal are Four Questions, asked of the elders, the answers to which explain the importance of this remembrance.
Since basketball is religion in these parts. And the Final Four the holiest of holy destinations, I thought I’d present the Four Questions, which must be answered if the Louisville Cardinals are to succeed.
(Which is not to mention, I needed a hook to reel you in, given how much you’ve already read and reread about the upcoming weekend in Atlanta.)
1. Will U of L misunderestimate Wichita State?
Admit it, until last weekend, when Wichita State upset Ohio State — I have purposely avoided use of the word “shocked,” since it is now cliche — you really hadn’t considered the MoValley school much. Maybe you saw them go down to Creighton during Arch Madness. Maybe you discovered Cleanthony Early, when fashioning an All-Name team. But other that that, the team hardly registered on the radar, right?
The numbers prove my point. Less than 1/4 of 1% in the ESPN Bracket Pool have the Shockers in the Final Four. Only 3.3% had them penciled into the Round of 16. Read More »
This will be the first of, I expect, several communiques about the championship game. But far from the most in depth.
