Posted in Humor, sports, tagged Buck Back Pool, college basketball, Humor, Monty Python, NCAA Tournament, sports on March 16, 2012 | 3 Comments »
Norfolk State’s epic victory over a shell-shocked Missouri basically guaranteed that I will have my worst Buck Back performance ever. Although my picks have been dismal and the results embarrassing, it’s impossible not to enjoy — a little bit — a huge underdog’s win, especially when they are led by a guy named Kyle O’Quinn on the day before St. Patrick’s Day.
In any case, this classic footage from Monty Python aptly captures the state of my Buck Back team.
Posted in Columbus, crime, Work, tagged Columbus, crime, Downtown Columbus, Gay Street, Shooting, Stabbing, Work on March 16, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Those of us who work on Gay Street have been dealing with the aftermath of the stabbing and shooting incident that happened on our street on Wednesday.
We’ve learned about the heroism of one of the workers in the office where the madman attacked. The worker fought the assailant, helped to save a fellow employee, and was stabbed in the commission of his good deed; he remains in critical condition in a local hospital. We’ve also heard about friends and colleagues who were in the building when the attack occurred. Two of the people at our firm were eating at the deli in the lobby when they heard a scream, saw the melee, and ran for their lives. And all of us who work in the area and eat lunch at local establishments like that deli have thought, uneasily: It could have been me.
The most frightening aspect of the awful incident is that it apparently was utterly random. The lunatic was new to Columbus and had lived here, with his aunt, for only a month. He had a history of mental health problems and a criminal record. His aunt told him to move out, and that might have been what set him off. So, a paranoid, deeply disturbed individual armed with two knives found himself in downtown Columbus and went on a rampage for no rational reason, at a location that probably was chosen solely by his inner demons. It’s troubling to think that those demons could easily have selected our building instead.
Posted in Columbus, sports, tagged Columbus, Georgetown, Memphis, Michigan State, nationwide arena, NCAA Tournament, North Carolina State, sports on March 16, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Columbus gets some first-hand exposure to March Madness this weekend, as the NCAA Tournament comes to town.
Four games will be played today in Nationwide Arena, and the winners will match up in two games on Sunday. Among the teams who will be playing are Michigan State, Georgetown, North Carolina State, and Memphis, so we’ll be seeing lots of Spartan green — well-time for St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow – Hoya blue, and Wolfpack red, among other school colors, over the next few days. I’ve already noticed fans of the some of the teams, proudly wearing their gear, in the downtown area.
It’s great to have NCAA Tournament games played in Columbus. It’s good for the local economy, good for our fair city’s national visibility, and good for local sports fans who just want to see some top-flight college basketball. Unfortunately, it’s a rainy day today — but because the games will be played indoors, we’ll hope that the showers don’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm for their visit. Have fun, folks, and come back again!
