The Victors | Project OSPREY
On the telephone with a kinsman on Friday, he remarked that he was almost more excited that the valiant Wolverines had made it to the Final Four than by the prospect of a berth in the national championship game & a potential national title. I agreed with him, citing achieving the Final Four as a goal unto itself. The season-long television coverage is often branded, the "Road to the Final Four." Not the road to Monday night's game to decide the championship, but to the Final Four. In the forty minutes of a collegiate basketball game, almost anything can happen—any given club can beat any other given club on any given day, which is why we play the games—so earning a place amongst the Final Four is perhaps more indicative of a given club's ability than it's performance in that weekend's games.

I am quietly, calmly confident that the valiant Wolverines will solve the riddle of the epithetless Orange(men)'s zone defense & prevail & advance to the title game. However, I allow for the possibility that we might lose. Win or lose, it's always great to be a Michigan Wolverine, & no one can ever take away from us that the 2012-2013 squad of valiant Wolverines survived & advanced to the Final Four.

Go Blue!

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day: SKApril
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Hell of a Hat" (live) from Live from the Middle East (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: I would have loved to select "The Victors" or Robbie Williams & Rupert Everett's duet of "They Can't Take That Away from Me" as the R.B.D.S.O.T.D., but, you know, SKApril. There's no such thing as a free lunch, buddy boy.

Why do I usually choose live versions of Bosstones songs? They're a great live band, & there is a verse & an immediacy to the live tracks, but mostly I simply prefer the sound engineering on Live from the Middle East. There is a bigger, fuller sound than on their studio albums, a different & preferable proportion 'twixt the horns & the strings & Dick Barrett's distinctive vocals.

"Hell of a hat you're sporting, Jack,
Diamond cuff links and a sweet tie tack,
The pocket watch must have set you back,
You're the Man, man, you're the mack.
Yeah, the pinstripe number—me oh my, that's rude,
And that's a hell of an attitude,
You made the scene and you set the mood,
I'm only staring 'cause I'm nervous, dude.

"Sharpest motherfucker, we repeat,
No other motherfucker can compete,
The clothes you chose are stylin', son,
Why you gotta wear the gun?
We question one accessory,
Don't think the piece is necessary,
We agree you're dressed to kill,
We wonder if you will."