Big Storm Fizzles in Mid-Atlantic; Paul Ryan's Trials and Tribulations; CBO Puts Out Dud Story on Health Care Costs, And Post Season Basketball Begins; Maryland's Baseball Win Streak Ends

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Wednesday, March 15, 2017 - The big storm wasn't a big storm, at least not in Baltimore, at least not yet.  It did snow here - three to five inches give or take - before it changed to sleet, freezing rain, and a bit of rain, before changing back to all snow. When the precipitation changed back to all snow, we were told we aren't close to being out of the woods yet, because the storm is a 'Noreaster,' which means it is a huge rotating storm reminiscent of a large hurricane.  These kind of storms sometimes have their biggest impact after they've passed you by.  That's because they start, literally, ripping cold air from ahead of the front and spitting it out behind it.  If there is still precipitation about, it gets mixed in with the strong winds and leaves a real mess. But this one didn't do much of that, either. Oh, we got the cold - it was 21 degrees at daybreak - but the threatened snow saved itself for further up the coast. The threatened wind didn't even materialize. 

House Speaker Gets Caught Saying He Won't Defend Trump, But Here is Rest of Story
On a recording made long before the November elections, but shortly after one of the President's more cringe-worthy diatribes, Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Former GOP Vice-Presidential Candidate, can be heard saying he will not defend Trump and will leave it up to each House member to handle the same question as they see fit.  I think it was the time Trump lampooned a left-wing reporter's physical handicap.  And, I heard the tape way back when Ryan first said it.  So it can't be a secret tape.  There is another Ryan hot mic release on the internet, although Ryan says he is not the voice uttering the f-bomb.  Trump says he could care less about either tape.  I know I couldn't care less, at least not in the big scheme of things.  The GOP is handling Trump with a long stick.  They don't want to be close to him because they are sure he will do something they will be blamed for.  As a result, the good hard work Trump is doing isn't being supported in Congress as it should.  The Loony Left, on the other hand, are in melt-down mode about the very idea of Obamacare (Obamashame) being repealed.  If the GOP cannot keep their promise and repeal that embarrassing piece of legislation, I hope they all lose in the upcoming elections.  I honestly don't care if they replace it with blank paper or red paper as long as it says "repealed" on it.  It was Marxist from the gitgo, far more aimed at soaking working folk for the health insurance of others.  If somebody buys health insurance and government "needs" to tax the transaction to provide medical care for indigents, I say, "go for it."  But the whole detestable idea of forcing people to buy something so that the government can provide some people with a freebie while poor working class folk go without the same benefit is absolutely detestable.

CBO Report on GOP Health Plan Gets A Big "So What?" Here
The Congressional Budget Office, which "scores" proposed legislation for economic impact, says thousands of people will lose health insurance that have it under Obamacare.  The Left is ecstatic.  How dumb can you get?  Recall, folks, that a terrible component of Obamacare - in fact, the number one component in earning the law its 'Obamashame' moniker - is the requirement, backed by stiff fines, that all citizens buy health insurance.  Naturally a law that invades your life and makes you do something will have more takers than one that makes participation optional.  Get it?

NIT Sets 32 Team Field and First Round Match-ups; 
There is a real and palpable let down for the teams in the NIT.  The tournament itself has evolved from the most prestigious of the post-season tournaments to a decided second fiddle.  But it the last few years, the fact that the NCAA now owns the tournament and is setting the match-ups, interest has grown.  Some teams get automatic bids.  Those are the teams that won the regular season title in their conference, but lost the conference's automatic NCAA bid by losing in the conference tournament and then not receiving an at-large NCAA bid.

This year's field includes three Big Ten Schools that did not get NCAA bids.  Seven Big Ten Schools received NCAA bids. Indiana (18-15) will play at Georgia Tech (17-15) on Wednesday night at 9 pm, with TV provided on ESPN.  Illinois (18-14) will host Valparaiso (24-8) on Wednesday at 7:15 pm, with ESPN2 carrying the game.  And Iowa (18-14) will host South Dakota (22-11) Thursday at 7 pm on ESPN2.

These are the other first round games:

• North Carolina - Greensboro (25-9) at Syracuse (18-14), Wednesday, 7 pm, ESPN;
• Mississippi (20-13) at Monmouth (27-6), Wednesday, 7 pm, ESPN3
• Belmont (22-6) at Georgia (19-14), Thursday, 7 pm, ESPN3
• CSU Bakersfield (22-9) at California (21-12), Wednesday, 11:15 pm, ESPN2
• College of Charlston (22-9) at Colorado St. (23-11), Wednesday, 9 pm, ESPN3
• Texas - Arlington (25-8) at BYU (22-11), Thursday, 9 pm, ESPN2
• Akron (26-8) at Houston (21-10), Thursday, 7:30 pm, ESPNU
• UC - Irvine (21-14) at Illinois State (27-6);; Wednesday, 9:30 pm on ESPNU
• Colorado (19-14) at University of Central Florida (21-11), Wednesday, 7 pm on ESPN3
• Boise State (19-11) at Utah (20-11), Tuesday, 10 pm on ESPNU
• Fresno State (20-12) at Texas Christian (19-15), Wednesday, 8 pm on ESPN3
• Richmond (20-12) at Alabama (19-14), Tuesday, 9:15 pm on ESPN3
• Oakland (24-8) at Clemson (17-15), Tuesday, 8 pm on ESPNU

Some of these games have now been played.  The scores up-to-the-minute include MIssissippi over Monmouth, 91-83; and Illinois defeating Valparaiso, 82-57.  The Crusaders again played without one of the nation's very best players, Alec Peters.  The 6', 9" Senior led Valparaiso to over 100 wins over his career there, but a leg injury did not get better as expected and an orthopaedic re-evaluation in early March convinced doctors that he should not play again this season. 

In other NIT games, Oakland rallied from way back to win at Clemson, 74-69, Colorado State defeated the College of Charleston, 81-74, Georgia Tech defeated Indiana, 75-63, Richmond got by Alabama, 71-64, Boise State whacked Utah, 73-68, and California State University at Bakersfield used a strong first half to down California, 73-66. 

NCAA First Four
The 68-team NCAA Championship Tournament actually started Tuesday and continued on Wednesday with the so-called "first four" games.  The winners advance to first round games along with most of the rest of the field.  Tuesday Night, the Kansas State Wildcats (20-13) beat back Wake Forest (19-13), 95-88, earning a chance to take on Cincinatti on Friday.  In the other game, Mount St. Mary's (19-15) got 17 points and 11 rebounds from Freshman Guard Miles Wilson and used that performance to defeat the University of New Orleans (20-11), 67-66.  On Wednesday, UC Davis (23-12) held on to defeat North Carolina Central University (25-9), 67-63. and later, Providence (20-12) and Southern California (24-9)will collide.

Maryland's Baseball Win Streak Ends in Loss at North Carolina
The University of North Carolina Tar Heels routed Maryland, 9-2, on Tuesday Night to end Maryland's 8-game win streak.  Nick Dunn knocked in both Maryland runs.