The NCAA tournament brackets came out last night. Today, millions of workers scurry to the network printer to retrieve copies before they can be accused of abusing their office supply privileges. I propose that we pause for a moment of reflection before the upcoming four day basketball binge that is the glorious first two rounds of the tournament.
First, as a University of Kentucky fan who for the first time in his adult life must manufacture an interest in the NIT, I reflect upon how sometimes bygones should be bygones. Coach Pitino, all is forgiven. If you come back we can work this thing out. I swear. You can even reopen the Italian restaurant. I’ll even go try it out this time. Promise.
Second, I reflect upon a wonderful comment that a helpful reader posted following an online article about UK basketball earlier this season. This UK fan complained that the basketball team was playing like a bunch of “pre-madonnas.”
Well, then. There’s a couple of ways this could go.
First, I suppose the fan may have been thinking of “Madonna” in the “mother of Jesus” sense. Thus, “pre-madonna” would be akin to “before Christ.” I suppose claiming that the ball team was playing ball like they did during “B.C” could imply he thought they were playing like cavemen.
Second, perhaps the fan was thinking more along pop culture lines. Considering that pop star Madonna became famous in the 1980’s, maybe “pre-madonna” implied that UK basketball had devolved back to the 1970’s. I reject this interpretation because in context his comment seemed intended as an insult, and UK had some very good teams in the 1970’s. Thus I come to the possibility that he meant a literal interpretation of “pre-madonna” in the pop culture context. Maybe he was trying to say that the team was playing so poorly they somehow reminded him literally of, say, Cher.
His criticism must have been brilliant because it works on many levels. Well done, sir.