Saxman: March Madness, Vince Carter, and Andy Williams
So how do we roll up business, politics, and March Madness?
*raises hand*
Yes, in the front row.
“Vince Carter’s le dunk de la morte?”
Excellent answer!
That’s right class. On September 25th, 2000 during the Sydney Olympics, American basketball player Vince Carter intercepted the French national team’s break out and then went to dunk the….
“YEAH! Right over Weis! It was amazing. I still get chills!”
As I was saying, Vince Carter dunked over, not on, Frederic Weis of France…
“ALL SEVEN FOOT TWO OF HIM HE DID!”
That’s right. And in France it’s called Le..
“LE DUNK DE LA MORTE!”
Yes. Thank you. Again. It’s called the Dunk of..
“DEATH! How cool is that?”
Okay, let’s just go to the video screens in front of you for the replay. The best one is the French announcers calling the play.
One of the great things about this play is that Carter didn’t know he had gone completely over Weis, he was just going for a distance dunk.
“YEAH OVER 7 FOOT 2 WEIS!”
YES. thank. you.
Maybe this came to mind because of the pending national frenzy that is about to be unleashed this weekend or maybe it’s because of the Colorado Gas and Oil Association brilliantly turning the tables on North Face.
Straight from CBS Denver:
DENVER (CBS4)– The North Face is being celebrated by the very industry it snubbed. The Colorado-based company recently rejected an order for 400 jackets from a Texas oil and gas company because it reportedly didn’t want to be associated with an industry that doesn’t meet its brand standards.
Ironically, the jackets and almost every product The North Face produces and sells is made with nylon, polyester and polyurethane, all of which come from petroleum.
So, the Colorado Oil and Gas Association decided to have some fun with the situation. It bestowed its first-ever “Extraordinary Customer Award” on The North Face, saying it appreciates the company for its abundant use of oil and gas.
Dan Haley, who heads up the industry trade association, held a mock award ceremony that was more like a roast. The CEOs of oil and gas companies lampooned The North Face, pointing out that its parent company is even building a hangar at Centennial Airport for its private jet fleet.
“To have such a large percent of what they make, probably three-quarters of the mass they ship, is actually our product. So, it’s hard to top the all-in nature of The North Face as a consumer of our product,” said Chris Wright, CEO of Liberty Oilfield Services.
COGA is using The North Face incident as a springboard for a new campaign called Fueling Our Lives. It’s aimed at educating Coloradans about all the things that are made from petroleum – from electronics and sports equipment to medical devices, appliances, even dentures and soft contacts.
“I think too often we think of oil and natural gas as just as fuels — something to put in our cars or heat or cool our homes,” said Haley. “And, as we’ve seen in recent weeks across the country that is hugely important part of what our industry – supplying affordable and efficient clean-burning natural gas to heat our homes and help power our grid – but we often forget just how many other things we have and enjoy in the 21st Century that are made possible because of oil and natural gas.”
The North Face did not respond to CBS4’s request for comment. In a statement to the Financial Times, the company said it investigates product requests to make sure they align closely with the goals surrounding sustainability and environmental protection.
In the world of corporate communications, that’s pretty much a Vince Carter over Frederic Weis moment. While just two points in a game, George C. Scott in Patton summed it best (yes, in French no less)
L’audace, l’audace. Toujours l’audace!
Audacity, audacity. Always audacity.
So while you’re filling out your brackets this week, here are some tips to go by.
- Be audacious!
- It’s all about the big points. First round upsets have little value. Fun? Sure. But not a lot of value.
- Focus on the Sweet Sixteen and on in.
- Get the final game decided early. Those points are YUGE. Bigly.
Side story. In 2008, I was #4 in the country on Yahoo at the Final Four. I had correctly picked the entire Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four.And then got destroyed by air balling the two semi final games. I sunk in the rankings faster than 2021 Andrew Cuomo.But it was a fun ride. Even did some press interviews. Anyway…
- Use good data. Use good data. I prefer KenPom Rankings and pay the annual subscription. It’s not blind luck – it’s data. KenPom has a ton. In the last twelve years his #1 ranked team has made the Final NINE TIMES. OF those nine times, EIGHT won the title.
- That means PICKING GONZAGA to win it all is a good bet BUT so will every body else. #Strategery (h/t Will Farrell)
- Over the last eight years, the Final Four teams have been made up by three of KenPom’s Top Ten teams except 2014 when only two made it. 75% of the Final Four have come from his Top Ten.
- The Top Ten in order are Gonzaga, Michigan, Illinois, Baylor, Iowa, Houston, Ohio St., Alabama, Loyola Chicago, and Wisconsin. Virginia is at #11, VCU is #45, Virginia Tech #50. Congrats to Liberty and Norfolk State for making the Big Dance. (watch Liberty next year) And JMU was sooo close. Great year for the Commonwealth.
- Duke didn’t make the tournament because they weren’t good enough. It wasn’t because a walk-on got COVID. #FakeNews. (yes, I just HAD to put that in)
- Focus on DEFENSE. KenPom breaks out the rankings on offense and defense. Virginia’s defense is having a sub par year ranked #33. Loyola Chicago is #1 on defense this year. Also in top ten on defense – Alabama, Michigan, Illinois, Tennessee, Kansas, and…Gonzaga.
- DO NOT MAKE UP YOUR BRACKETS until you have all the information on COVID eligibility. Audacity and Patience!
I’ll be break down the games throughout the week while I am down in south Louisiana catching alligators, fishing, cooking for a group of Oklahoma spring breaking seniors, and generally engaging in crawfish gluttony.
Pray for me. I just finished my second week on Peloton (a strong strong recommendation) and I don’t want to slip back.
Anyway folks…
This time last year we were stunned when major events were being cancelled. It was a shock to our culture and eventually we realized the severity of the pandemic.
We’ve lost a lot. Too much.
But we’ve been resilient and dynamic and hopeful and, sadly, divided.
Perhaps this tournament can start bringing us back together – politics never does.
EVER.
Culture always leads politics.
So, grab your brackets! Fill them out. Have fun. Make a bet with a friend. Join a betting pool or start one of your own. But PLEASE revel in this uniquely American event.
We deserve a chance to cheer and celebrate.
Here is a “I’ll leave you with this”
Andy Williams singing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”
That’s what our oldest son, William, calls this season – the most wonderful time!
(He was a manager on the 2017 South Carolina Final Four team. It was sooo magical!)
Still here?
Awesome!
Thank you for reading this newsletter.
I’ll be updating folks on the Virginia Statewide Candidate Rankings – things are quickly changing. Especially with Republicans since they FINALLY set their nomination process and with just 57 days to spare.
Better news! Virginia is still in the top ten in vaccination rates this week.
We’re currently #7 – last week we were #4 according to Becker Hospital Review.
We’re getting there. Keep grinding folks. We’re getting there.
Cheers.
