Dayton fans ignoring plea to stay ‘calm’

Dayton’s upset-fueled run through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament was one of the most uplifting stories of the tournament’s first weekend.

The No. 11-seeded Flyers first upset in-state rival Ohio State, then beat No. 3 seed Syracuse in Saturday’s round of 32 to get to next weekend’s Sweet 16, the first time they’ve made it that far since 1984.

Saturday’s victory in Buffalo, N.Y., started quite the party back on its campus in central Ohio.

Students gathered in the streets and, according to the Dayton Daily News, burned couches and got UD President Daniel Curran involved in the festivities.

The newspaper quoted one witness who said “students rushed Curran and lifted him into the air in celebration” and was seen “crowd-surfing” with celebrating students.

Curran said he was “very proud” of the Flyers and added that Coach Archie Miller wanted Dayton fans “to be calm but happy.”

Not much of a chance for that after a weekend in which its school beat an in-state rival that refuses to play it and reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

It can wait

College basketball fans let their devotion shine in a myriad of ways every March. Colleen Beck found a new way this weekend.

Beck, an 81-year-old Memphis Tigers fan, entered a Memphis hospital on Friday for surgery to repair three broken ribs and a collapsed lung. That just happened to be the same night Memphis played George Washington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

So, according tot he Memphis Commercial Appeal, Beck asked the doctors: “Could we wait until we see how this ends?”

The doctors did, the Tigers won 71-66 and Beck was in and out of surgery without complication.

“Honestly,” Beck told the newspaper, “it didn’t take much persuading. Everyone wanted to watch.”

The newspaper reported that Beck suffered a fall at her home Wednesday, but couldn’t get an appointment for surgery until Friday. She drove herself to Methodist Hospital, and as soon as the game was over, surgery began.

Memphis played Virginia late Sunday, and as of Saturday, Beck planned to watch it in her hospital room.

“She’s a tough old bird,” Bob Beck, her son, told the Commercial Appeal.

New fan

The Florida Gators had a new fan sitting int he stands cheering for them to a round of 32 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday: New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick.

The coach who has won three Super Bowl titles sat in the stands wearing a white visor with a Gators logo on it as Florida, the No. 1 seed, beat Pittsburgh 61-45 to advance to the Sweet 16.

Florida Coach Bill Donovan responded sarcastically when asked after the game about Belichick’s attendance.

“Well, he put the scouting report in today,” Donovan said.

Donovan went on to explain a friendship that began years ago when he went to Boston to meet with Belichick. Earlier this month Donovan said that Belichick was in Gainesville, Fla., for the Gators’ pro day and stopped by his office to ask for tournament tickets.

“Coach has been great to me,” Donovan said. “I don’t know how many years it’s been, I went to Boston and met with him and maybe after their third Super Bowl and have developed a very, very good relationship with him and got a great respect for him.”Quote of the day

“It’s a little different when you don’t know what’s coming to you.

I think that showed the last two days.” Arkansas pitcher Chris Oliver

Sports, Pages 14 on 03/24/2014