Tuesday March 1, 2003 michigandaily. corn sportsdesk@umich.edu ReTSidigalil 9 The Daily's Do and Mott resigns as Blue assistant coach Don'ts to the Madness JEFF PHILLIPS Ramble on his is, without a doubt, the most wonderful time of the year. For- get Christmas. This is the time of year where we should get school off and businesses should shut down. Over the next three weeks, students will become distracted wondering how they should fill out their brackets. Workers' minds will wander as they constantly check the web for updates. But all of this is accepted. Everyone wants advice on how to bet and wants to know the insider information. I have no insider information to offer. So rather than boring you by repri- manding the NCAA for forgetting that Brigham Young doesn't roll on Sundays and not respecting the Big East's best teams, I will tell you how to make the most of the next three weeks of ecstasy. Without further ado, the "Do's" and "Don'ts" to enjoying the NCAA Tour- nament ... Do make a bracket that takes up a wall in your living room. There is no better way to make the tournament seem larger than life than blowing it up on an 8-by-12 wall. You can either just write plainly on the wall with a Sharpie (although your landlord probably won't like it and might have to paint it after- wards) or you can go to Meijer and build one from poster board. With an exhibit like this, there is no forgetting that the tournament is in the front of everyone's mind. Plus, it's a conversa- tion piece. Don't talk about how good or bad your bracket is going. Too often every year I hear someone at a party say, "God, if only Kansas didn't choke again, I would be money" or "It's a good thing I knew that Oklahoma was so good." Save it. It will just piss off anyone around you. In a tournament pool, rarely do those who know the most about basketball win and if they do, it is plain luck. Just relax and have fun with it. Don't claim that you knew what would happen. Part of what makes pools so great is that anyone can win. Do fill out as many brackets as possible. I liken this to the old women that play Bingo with five cards at a time. Not only does it increase your chances of winning, but it also helps keep your interest for the entire day. Also, since someone will come out of nowhere to win an online bracket chal- lenge, you have to make sure that your entry is diverse. As with other brackets, don't pick every No. 1-seed, pick a No. 12 over No. 5 upset, etc. That said, don't make it ridiculous. It is so disappointing to see yourself at the top of the ESPN.com rankings after one round, just to see that you have Southern Illi- nois in the Final Four. Don't bet on the NIT to pass the time until the next NCAA Tournament game. This is just bad business. The NIT, while enjoyable in small doses, is no way to make money. There is no telling who will show up for a game and who won't. The spreads are an absolute crapshoot. If you must bet, bet on a Big East team winning it all. Not only does the conference make up half the teams, but the NIT concludes back at Madison Square Garden, home of the Big East Tournament. Nevertheless, it is perfectly acceptable to bet on an NCAA Tournament game if your bracket is already through. Do hope that the United States resolves its issues with Iraq quickly. When it comes right down to it, some things are just too important to inter- rupt, and the NCAA Tournament is one of them. CBS has said it will disrupt coverage to report on a war. CBS should know by now that it isn't a war that unites the people, it is the NCAA Tournament. Why would they pay $6 billion for something that will never be aired? Don't forget to make time to bathe. I can't stress this enough people. It is going to be a constant struggle to eat, to go to the bath- room and to get fresh air over the next few weeks, just make sure that you clean yourself. Your stomach will survive without eating and your kidney will function when over- loaded, but your friends won't stand for a dirty, funky, disgusting mess if you come over to watch the games. This is especially true if you sweat when you get nervous. If you follow these guidelines, you - and your friends - will have plenty to be happy about three weeks from now, whether or not you have a winning bracket. Good luck and Happy NCAA Tournament! -JeffPhillips can be reached at jpphilli@umich.edu. By Jim Weber Daily Sports Writer The Michigan women's basketball team has lost anoth- er member of its program. A team that has been plagued by players leaving in Sue Guevara's seven seasons as head coach lost assistant Mott coach Ron Mott to resignation yester- day, according to Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women's Adminis- trator Megan McCallister. Mott, 66, confirmed he was no longer with the team, but declined further com- ment from his home in Okemos. One player on this year's team, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said last week that Mott was the most encouraging coach on staff, which also consists of Guevara, assistant coach Molly Murray and associate head coach Angela Jackson. The player also said she didn't think Mott was treated fairly by the others coaches, and that it was "easily seen." "In practice, when he would try and show us a different play, or go through a scouting report, other coaches would be like, 'Next thing,' " the player said last week. Guevara could not be reached for comment and McCallister declined to elaborate on Mott's reason for leaving. It should be noted that former assis- tant Yvette Harris is a past assistant that did not feel she was treated fairly. Har- ris, an African American, is currently suing the University for racial discrimi- nation, age discrimination, defamation and wrongful discharge in a $20-million lawsuit after being fired in 2001. This was Mott's third season at Michigan. He focused on scouting, practice planning, video exchange and working with the post players. Before coming to Michigan, Mott was an assistant for the NCAA Divi- sion III Alma Scots (1998-2000) after coaching for 38 seasons at Okemos High School. Mott compiled a 652-142 record in his time there. Last year, he was inducted into the Michigan High School Hall of Fame and the Greater Lansing Hall of Fame because of his accomplishments. Regionals at Yost may be coming to a close By Dan Rosen Daily Sports Writer Last season, Michigan rode its home crowd straight to the Frozen Four in Minneapolis with NCAA Tournament wins over St. Cloud State and top-seeded Denver. Next week, Yost Ice Arena will again play host to the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament. And if the Wolverines make the field, as is expect- ed, they will remain in Ann Arbor by NCAA rule. But Michigan fans should not get too comfort- able with seeing their team play its most important games of the season on home ice. As the NCAA Tournament expands, new and more neutral sites will be interested in hosting games. And the NCAA would probably favor their use to help balance competition. "We haven't had enough options, particularly out West, to consider more neutral facilities," Mass- achusetts Athletic Director and NCAA selection committee chair Ian McCaw said. "Most of the bids we've received (for) Western Regional sites have been on-campus buildings. But it is something, again, that the committee has discussed." This year's tournament will include 16 teams (four more than last year) and two more regional sites. The games in the two Eastern locations will be played at neutral arenas in Providence, R.I. and Worcester, Mass. Mariucci Arena, home of the University of Minnesota, and Yost Ice Arena are campus sites that will host the Midwest and West brackets, respectively. As far as who else might take the ice in Ann Arbor, the only thing that is decided is that Michi- gan won't face another CCHA team in the first round. The NCAA likes to mix things up when it comes time to dance. "We just feel it causes too much familiarity," McCaw said. "Part of what you want to do with a national tournament is bring the different leagues together where there is interleague play and try to really have those crossover games." There will be 10 at-large bids granted into the field of 16. Wayne State and New Hampshire have already clinched spots after winning their respec- tive conference tournaments. Ysu'v !aaw*y s g abg C p " iT r e . o. - ri taF: b ~I I I I Student Discounts Professional Bartending Training Tips on Finding a Top Paying Job Become a Talented, Socially Conscious Bartender ~ National Restaurant Association Alcohol Awareness Program ~ Great Part-time or Summer Job LEARN TO BARTEND IN A WEEKENDI -Hoy Call Now! 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