The Daily Dose/March 16, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
HUT, HUT, HIKE…SORT OF: Longtime reader(s) of the crap may well remember when this feature chronicled the fortunes of the University of Mount Union Purple Raiders football team. They play in the NCAA’s Division III and have been a power since 1993 when they won their first of a record 13 NCAA football championships. (Their last was in 2017, though they’ve played in two championship games since then.)
Dry, Technical Matter: In recent seasons they’ve developed a nice little rivalry with Wisconsin-Whitewater, affectionately known here through the years as UW-Wherever. Mount Union and UW-Wherever have played in nine D-III football title games – the Amos Alonzo-Stagg Bowl – with the Wherevers holding a distressing 6-3 advantage.
You Can Throw The Records Out…: Tonight in Fort Wayne, Indiana they meet for the first time in the D-III basketball playoffs, in a national semifinal game, just their second meeting ever on the court. It’s Mount Union’s first basketball Final Four appearance, while UW-Wherever has won four national championships, the last in 2014. The winner plays the winner of Swarthmore/Christopher Newport winner Saturday for the national title.
FunFact(s): The NCAA has been conducting a D-III men’s basketball tournament since 1975, when LeMoyne-Owen won the first title, defeating Rowan 57-54 in the championship game. North Park University of Chicago has won the most titles, five, and the first D-III women’s tournament was held in 1982.
Oh, Jesus H.: Before separating into three divisions, the NCAA was divided into University and College divisions.
The Bottom Line: The NCAA has a lot to answer for, but their running of small college sports isn’t one of them. Every D-III tournament – from football to rowing – features genuine college students paying their own way, playing to learn the lessons their sport has to offer and to impress the opposite – or, perhaps, the same – sex. There probably won’t be too much action above the rim tonight, but it will be some fine, fundamentally sound basketball.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – At the VSO, Sparrow cordially replies to an email. Today’s Diary.
So we wrote back and actually apologized for not having produced sufficient applicants, a direct byproduct of 13 years of Lutheran schooling…We also pledged to keep the posting up on the website and to keep an eye out for good candidates and managing to make both sound like Herculean efforts…
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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
Editor’s Note: Due to time constraints, these items originally ran in 2019.
In 1916 – The United States Army invades Mexico when both the 7th and 10th cavalry regiments cross the border in search of Mexican revolutionary Panch Villa. Despite searching for most of the next year, the search was unsuccessful and the expedition marked the first time the US Army used aircraft and trucks in an operation.
In 1900 – Owners of teams in the Western League, meeting in Chicago, announce they are changing their name to the American League in an effort to attain major league status. The American League would have eight teams in 1900, with Chicago winning the pennant by four games over Milwaukee. The new league would not be recognized as a major league until the following year.
In 1963 – The Four Seasons are at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the third and final week with Walk Like a Man. It was the third of five #1 songs for the group, following Sherry and Big Girls Don’t Cry. The song was written by Bob Crewe and Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio and the production session is noted for a fire in a room above the studio, with Crew not breaking up the session until he was pulled out of the studio by firefighter.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Then in the morning he would lie in bed, not wanting anything…Then he would think: If I don’t get up I can’t go back to bed.
Robert Penn Warren
All The King’s Men
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The first Russian tsar of the Romanov dynasty was Michael of Russia, who ruled from 1613-45.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Name the Five current American League teams that were part of the Western League’s first season in 1894? – Answer next time!
