12610: March Madness Offensive Karma.

Gee, it looks like Offensive Karma applies during NCAA March Madness too. To review, Offensive Karma is defined by a team’s display of offensiveness in the form of words or actions rooted in bigotry, discrimination and ignorance—which then leads to the team’s ultimate demise in a championship tourney. In the case of the NCAA Tournament, it actually worked in reverse. That is, Kentucky Guard Andrew Harrison used a racial slur in reference to Wisconsin Forward Frank Kaminsky during a post-game interview—after the Badgers had beaten the Wildcats. But hey, let’s not get caught up in technicalities.

11805: Fouling The Crazy Ones.

Once again, the NCAA blocked CBS series The Crazy Ones. If only there were more rounds in the tournament.

11799: The Crazy Ones Timeout.

NCAA March Madness bounced CBS series The Crazy Ones from its regular timeslot. Awesome, baby!

11211: ReKKKruiting Patrick Ewing.

From The New York Daily News…

Georgetown and Knicks great Patrick Ewing says on UNC recruiting trip, area was hosting KKK rally

Ewing said he was considering teaming up with Michael Jordan and Dean Smith in Chapel Hill, but Klan rally at hotel was a deal breaker.

By Daniel O’leary / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Patrick Ewing, a North Carolina Tar Heel?

Hard to imagine, we know. But when you hear the Georgetown legend’s reasoning for not picking the Tar Heels, it would be hard to knock him for not teaming up with Michael Jordan under head coach Dean Smith.

Ewing appeared on “The Dan Patrick Show” and explained why he didn’t head to Chapel Hill.

“You know, I was close [to attending UNC]. I was close. North Carolina was a very good school but, you know, when I went down there they put me in that Carolina Inn and there was a big Ku Klux Klan rally in North Carolina when I was there,” Ewing said. “And I’m like, ‘You know what? I’m not coming down here. I’m staying my butt back in Boston.’”

“So the reason why you didn’t go (to UNC), or the major reason, is the KKK had a rally going on at the time?” Patrick asked.

“Big rally man. I was like… They stuck me in that Carolina Inn. And at night down in North Carolina it gets pitch black and I hear all the crickets and I’m jumping, I’m like ‘what the heck?’ I said, ‘Nah, I’m going home.’”

Ewing said that Georgetown was his first choice and his second choice was UCLA. And even that Hall of Fame Tar Heels coach Dean Smith advised him to go to Georgetown if he was not going to pick North Carolina.

The former Knicks center was named associate head coach of the Charlotte franchise recently. The Bobcats, who are in the middle of switching their name back to the Hornets, are owned by Ewing’s long time friend Michael Jordan.

Ewing has publicly stated his desire to be a head coach in the NBA.

After Jason Kidd was named head coach of the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday, the Hall of Famer’s son, Patrick Ewing Jr. tweeted: “For real though I’m mad J Kidd got a head coaching job a year after retiring n my pops been coaching 10 years n barely gets a look.”

10339: Say It Ain’t So, JoePa.

Buh-bye.

9554: Allstate Mayhem Extends Losing Streak.

Here’s yet another reason to hate the Allstate Mayhem campaign: A sports-related commercial glorifying mob violence directed at referees. Nice. Anyone who has ever produced advertising with the NFL or NCAA knows it’s forbidden to denigrate the officials. Additionally, coaches and players who criticize the refs can expect to face league reprimands, penalties and fines. So why is Allstate allowed to run this shitty spot during game broadcasts?

7331: Putting Diversity In The Game Plan.

From USA TODAY…

Minority coaches gaining traction in football

By Steve Wieberg, USA TODAY

College football is seeing some minority hiring gains.

Virginia on Monday became the third major school in a little more than a week to name an African American as head coach, giving Richmond coach and former UVa defensive coordinator Mike London a five-year contract for $1.7 million a year.

It brings to 12 the number of minority head coaches in the 120-school Football Bowl Subdivision. That’s a record, though the representation is low in a sport in which nearly two-thirds of all players are minorities. African Americans were named last month to lead programs at Western Kentucky (Willie Taggart) and Memphis (Larry Porter).

Ongoing searches could yield more. Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong has talked to Louisville. Buffalo head coach and ex-Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill, who already counts among the 12, is a Kansas target.

Floyd Keith, executive director of the Black Coaches and Administrators, said he’s hopeful of a turning point. “We’ll know at the end of this (hiring and firing) cycle,” he said. “But I don’t think I’ve ever seen the front end of the cycle be this productive.”

Ex-NFL coach Tony Dungy, who is working with the NCAA on the issue, expressed encouragement, though he’s tracking the location of hires as much as the numbers. Randy Shannon of Miami (Fla.) was the only one of 2009’s nine minority coaches in one of the six marquee conferences: Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pacific-10 and Southeastern.

Virginia’s London makes a second, and Louisville and/or Kansas could raise the count.

“I’m hoping this is a signal,” Dungy said. “But … the BCS schools, that’s the place we have to look, because that’s where you have a chance to win a national championship.”