Final Four trip won’t disrupt class for Butler
Butler has made history in many ways in the NCAA Tournament, not the least of which is qualifying for the Final Four in its hometown of Indianapolis.
The unique opportunity does have its drawbacks for the Bulldogs, however, as they won't get to take full advantage of the experience.
The players still will be attending class up through Friday, according to a story in the Indianapolis Star.
"Thursday we have practice at Lucas Oil (Stadium) and some mandatory media sessions, so we'll shuttle guys back for some of their afternoon classes," Butler coach Brad Stevens told the paper Tuesday. "Then Friday, a couple of our guys have morning classes before the open practice at noon, so we'll shuttle them back to campus."
Players from the three other schools arrive in town this morning and are not likely to have much reading, writing or arithmetic on their minds between then and game time.
The Bulldogs would play in the national championship game Monday if they knock off Michigan State in the semifinals Saturday.
Fans of the program better hope none of the key players have any Monday evening classes.
■ SORRY, MOM -- Minnesota's Denard Span lined a foul ball into the stands to the immediate right of the Twins dugout leading off their spring training game Wednesday against the Yankees in Tampa, Fla.
The ball struck a woman wearing a Denard Span jersey.
Unfortunately for the center fielder, the woman turned out to be his mother, Wanda Wilson.
The foul ball hit Span's mother squarely in the chest, according to a Twitter posting from Minneapolis Star Tribune writer Joe Christensen.
"When I saw her go down, I just couldn't do nothing but go after her," said Span, who ran over to the stands and stayed with his mother as she received attention from ushers.
Christensen posted that paramedics checked out Span's mother, and she was cleared to return to her seat.
Span was not so lucky.
He has been sent to his room, where he is not allowed to watch television or use the computer.
■ D'OH -- Much of America was introduced to Mikhail Prokhorov, the future owner of the New Jersey Nets, on Sunday in a lengthy feature on "60 Minutes."
It was one of the first U.S. interviews with the Russian billionaire.
A story on his new boss wasn't enough to get Nets center Brook Lopez to watch the program, though.
The former Stanford standout instead chose to watch a rerun of one of his favorite shows, "The Simpsons."
"I'm a loyal fan. I love those middle seasons, and I am still going to watch it. I don't catch it too much on Sundays," Lopez said in an interview on WFAN in New York. "It was just a coincidence. I was sitting in my living room and I looked at my clock and it was 7:15, and I decided I was going to watch 'The Simpsons.' "
If Lopez admitted this while working for Mr. Burns, he'd probably be fired.
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