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A few hours until the thrilling part of the NCAA Tournament gets started. I don't know if the media has been more enthralled with chronicling the tournament or the efforts by bosses to control employees filling out brackets on company time. Even the President's doing it. But there's plenty of talk by party poopers that the whole thing should be looked at by law enforcement, just because it's illegal in many states to gamble. Despite the ongoing hoops action, those of us not in front of a TV have plenty to do around here on the first actual sunny day of spring -- including yet another Mayoral debate at 2:30 today at Manual High School. If you're following the C-J Editorial Board interviews, you're learning a lot about them. And a lot about the editorial board, which wouldn't let up on Tyler Allen, using up 2/3 of his hour harping on him about a topic on which they disagree -- the bridges. Today they're talking to Jim King and Greg Fischer, so tune in. Last night, both Allen and Chris Thieneman (who was also treated rather rudely at Sixth & Broadway) appeared on Ed Springston's radio show, an odd Democrat/Republican conversation/debate on topics important to Ed. Read John LaFollette's account here. And while all the serious candidates are collecting endorsements and planning ad campaigns, there's what I'll call the fringees, doing things that will naturally get them attention, enemies and cries that they're lunatics. Nimbus Cousin, one of two independents in the race (that means he's with us 'til November), popped off in his Fox41 interview about a six-month old topic that is still an emotional bomb around here. He said: "Parents send their kids to school with the expectation of an education, not to have their kid come home in a box," he said. "We really need to look at what we can do on making academics our focus." Cousin thinks there's too much emphasis on sports at educational institutions, but in picking on former PRP coach Jason Stinson, he got some reaction. Surprisingly, when WHAS-TV called for a comment, Cousin refused the interview request. But in PRP, Rodney Daugherty was pissed. He appeared on Renee Murphy's story, calling out Cousin and asking for an apology. None was offered. I expect Daugherty may be paying a visit soon to Ray's Monkey House. He's writing a book about the trial of the PRP coach, "Factors Unknown: The Commonwealth of Kentucky vs. David John Stinson and Football." As you recall, Stinson was acquitted of any crime, but only after the case got national attention. Another story crossing the news/sports landscape. . . It's the first day of the NCAA Tournament, so we were sure there would be some Karen Sypher news. Mojo's Jeffrey Scott Holland has the story that the trial of the Rick Pitino extortionist will start June 1. And she's got another new attorney. The Cards are in Jacksonville, and play the late game Friday night. Enjoy the games.

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As presidents go, Barack Obama is probably our best-informed chief executive when it comes to sports. And especially basketball. Let's just say he's the first national leader to fill out his own NCAA tournament bracket. Of course, the anti-Barack faction of Kentucky voters still blame him for the Cats' loss at South Carolina this year, especially after he congratulated the team by phone after its fund-raising efforts for Haiti. He then gave the team a bit of a pep talk, after which the Cats went out and got their butts kicked in Columbia. Is he making it up to Wildcat fans by putting the Big Blue in the final? Will he actually be pulling for UK, as a way of making up for the mid-season slight? And could the Cats become Obama's team, to the chagrin of all the rural Kentuckians who didn't vote for him. At least he didn't go to Duke, like Rand Paul, whose brackets haven't been made public, and who would have to choose between his alma mater and the teams from the state where he wants to win an election. Kentuckians, of course, have made voting decision for less important issues. Obama doesn't pick many upsets in the early rounds, but one is #13 seed Murray State over Vanderbilt. But he pretty much goes with higher seeds, picking 2 #1s and 2 #2s in his Final Four. And he's got Louisville winning over Cal but falling to Duke. But this president knows his hoops, so don't be surprised if his bracket beats yours.

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	rob   wed mar 17 2010 at 3:31 pm         ·  He loves Kentucky's freshmen, and said the UK-WVU game could be the best match-up of the tournament. He also said UL would be Duke's toughest game in the region. I think he's angling and wants our commonwealth to be a blue state in 2012.
	Steve Coomes   wed mar 17 2010 at 4:42 pm         ·  <>All hail the demi-god Barack Obama. Not only is he the savior of the world in the minds of many, he's the ONLY president who can fill out his own NCAA bracket. You've convinced me 2.5 years in advance to vote to re-elect him. He no more filled out his brackets than W. reviewed Cheney's evidence for WMD.
	rob   wed mar 17 2010 at 4:52 pm         ·  Steve- Don't forget the $500,000 he gave to support abortion in Africa.
	Steve Coomes   wed mar 17 2010 at 4:53 pm         ·  Hooray for B.O.! Hoops genius, promoter of abortion. What a guy.
	rob   wed mar 17 2010 at 4:58 pm         ·  So you're voting for him?
	Steve Coomes   wed mar 17 2010 at 5:29 pm         ·  You bet. Finger on the lever (guess which one). Registering Independent soon.
	rob   wed mar 17 2010 at 6:18 pm         ·  Ok, I can read between the lines. And I agree. Steve is sitting in front of his computer doing the John Wall dance. As am I.
	Steve Coomes   wed mar 17 2010 at 6:51 pm         ·  Even as a Card fan, I likes me some John "one and done" Wall. Since my Cards will surely do something goofy and blow it, let's hope the Cats bring their A game this tourney.
	rob   wed mar 17 2010 at 7:34 pm         ·  I'm glad we can both be moderates when it comes to basketball. I'll be pulling for the Cards if they win Thursday, and will be screaming bloody murder on their behalf on Sunday.
	king35   wed mar 17 2010 at 8:40 pm         ·  look im a die hard kentucky fan hell i bleed blue but kentucky will go out in the second round when they play texas, they CANT hadle the zone!
	Steve Coomes   wed mar 17 2010 at 10:01 pm         ·  King, you might be right. Kentucky is clearly beatable--not as beatable as freakin' Syracuse--but they're young and inconsistent. Talent may cover that in the regular season, but it doesn't last that long in the tourney. But, man, Texas is playing crappy ball. Maybe you're like some others I've heard who believe the Longhorns will snap out of it and perform to their potential? Certainly possible. But I think they're rattled beyond repair, yet I'd advise no one to risk a nickel on my hoops forecasts.
	DavidsonDuke   wed mar 17 2010 at 10:36 pm         ·  Barack Obama is usually the smartest guy in the room . . . until he picks Villanova over Duke. Boo Hiss.
	Right_in_KY   thu mar 18 2010 at 8:16 am         ·  Not sure Obama's the most informed POTUS when it comes to sports. Gerald Ford played Div. I football at Michigan, the Bushes both played college baseball and W was owner of the Rangers, and there are many other examples. None of that is really important - just like to throw a little reason in the unabashed Obama praise sometimes. As for his brackets - I watched him on ESPN last night and think he gave pretty sound reasoning behind his picks. I'm a huge UK fan - but Kansas has to be the favorite. Everyone says talent beats experience - but with Kansas - you have experienced talent. Sure UK can play with and beat Kansas on a given night, but I'd certainly not be brave enough put a lot of money on that one.
	Mark S   thu mar 18 2010 at 10:32 am         ·  Right in KY, who do you suppose was Bush's Cheney with the Rangers? He may have been a decent athlete playing the games but I wouldn't expect him to know much about managing it. This isn't a comment about his intelligence he just doesn't have the interest in the details. Steve, you're right that KY is beatable, and I also agree Texas is toast and not the team to do it. I think Wisconsin can. Defense and rebounding. Nova can certainly beat Duke if they right their ship, though it seems that the committee treated Duke as if they were the overall number 1 seed.

I'm not sure where the Men's Journal writer was when he wrote this, but I don't think he was observing anything on Bardstown Road: To some, Louisville is just bourbon, baseball bats, and a famous horse race; to those who know better, it's artistic funk and gentlemanly class. Packed with eclectic coffee shops, thrift stores, skate punks, and bluegrass street musicians, Bardstown Road is a slice of weirdness in the midst of an upscale neighborhood. Bourbon's re-emergence as a sophisticated beverage rather than redneck swill parallels the city's cultural renaissance. I was polling my Mojo colleagues, and we haven't seen many "bluegrass street musicians" around here. Or skate punks, for that matter, though I did spot one there today. At least Men's Journal magazine thought we deserved a spot in its "Best Places to Live" feature.

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	J.S. Holland   wed mar 17 2010 at 3:04 pm         ·  I think he's operating on old data. I dimly recall, about 10 years ago, there was a city-sponsored effort to plant street musicians at various points around the city. I remember reading about it and thinking about getting in on the action, but I was living in Berea at the time.
	davilledude   wed mar 17 2010 at 4:24 pm         ·  There's a guy playing sax by Jack Frys a lot of nights and some guitar/grunge guys across Eastern Parkway by DooWhop...and there's always always skateboarders but blues? Nope, not happening. Been walking my dog at night on Bardstown/Baxter and haven't heard da blues yet.
	Steve Coomes   wed mar 17 2010 at 4:26 pm         ·  Street musicians? Where? Skate punks? Everywhere.
	davilledude   wed mar 17 2010 at 4:29 pm         ·  There's a guy playing sax by Jack Frys a lot of nights and some guitar/grunge guys across Eastern Parkway by DooWhop...and there's always always skateboarders but bluesgrass? Nope, not happening. Been walking my dog at night on Bardstown/Baxter for 25 years and haven't heard bluegrass yet.
	J.S. Holland   wed mar 17 2010 at 4:44 pm         ·  And then there's the guy with a portable amp who would plug in an electric guitar near Fourth Street Live last summer and blast some really whacked-out atonal crude space-metal, like someone trying to play Eddie Van Halen's "Eruption" while wearing oven mitts.
	Mark S   thu mar 18 2010 at 10:37 am         ·  davilledude, maybe you should start it by playing "Walking the Dog" whie you're walking the dog. :)

On the outside of the census form I got yesterday, it says I'm required by law to fill it out. Nothing about what happens if I don't. So we'll see. And it's St. Patrick's Day. If you forgot to wear something green, you may get pinched. It's actually a celebration of all things Irish, not just an excuse to drink, even though it actually feels like it's become a business development exercise for Irish pubs. I suggest Molly Malone's or the Irish Rover. Hoops at the Hall: There's plenty of women's basketball this week at Freedom Hall, starting with tonight's game featuring the U of L women against Bradley in the Women's Basketball Invitational. First-round games in the Women's NCAA Tournament, featuring UK, will be played Friday and Sunday at the Hall. Live with Hal, Chris, Shannon: You can really pick up some insight into the Mayoral candidates at these C-J Editorial Board interviews, today featuring Republicans Hal Heiner and Chris Thieneman, and Democrat Shannon White. Tomorrow it's Jim King and Greg Fischer. Watch them online. Compromise on Rainy Day Fund: A key Metro Council Budget committee meeting was held yesterday to debate how to pay the $29 million still owed for the firefighter settlement. The question -- borrow the money or use Rainy Day funds. Option 2 could affect the city's credit rating. Jim King suggested a combination, saying using $20 million would not affect the rating. I Like Them All: The Today's Woman ballot is out for its Most Admired Woman contest in various fields. Who do you like in Media -- Candyce Clifft, Angie Fenton, Lynda Lambert, Carissa Lawson, Janelle Macdonald or Mindy Peterson? I'm going to keep my choice a secret. Vote here. We'd Vote for This Image, For Some Reason: Yes, that's Fox 41's Jennifer Baileys brandishing a BB gun, explaining how that 11-year-old boy was killed after getting shot with one. Toyota Backlash: It turns out people who drive Toyotas, all over the U.S., are trying to take advantage by falsely claiming their cars are accelerating. And a lot of the claims are from people in the midst of personal financial crises. Human nature at work, as Bill Lamb noticed. No Brainer - Student Journalism: The C-J is right to support House Bill 367, which simply allows students freedom to comment freely on policies at their schools, or anything else they damn well please to, in school-backed media.

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	Candizzle   wed mar 17 2010 at 9:40 am         ·  If you don't fill out your census form, then that means they will call and come knocking and just aggravate you by any means possible. Have fun :)
	Beverly Bartlett   wed mar 17 2010 at 9:43 am         ·  Why don't you want to fill out your census form? It's kind of the highlight of my week!
	Steve Magruder   wed mar 17 2010 at 2:36 pm         ·  It should be noticed that this is Bill Lamb's "Point of View", commonly referred to as an opinion, and you all know what they say about opinions and backsides. Lamb has definitely formed a hypothesis, but he is far from having proved it.
	Mark S   thu mar 18 2010 at 10:41 am         ·  Don't fill out your census form. Then they will hire people to knock on your door for an interview, which will make all the wingnuts who whine about the unemployed happy.