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Chapter 15: March Madness
 By Jim Caple |
Previously at 24 College Avenue
After her pregnancy and miscarriage, Jenn Robbins has returned as Bubby the Red Devil mascot, a role she reluctantly shares with the arrogant Clay Ellum. Orion Winfield is the star freshman on the State College basketball and his twin brother, Sirius, has moved into the house with Josh, Jenn and the others . . .
Jenn triple-checked the carabiners to make certain she was safely attached to the harness. She glanced down at the court precisely 68 feet below, gripped the rope and took a deep breath. Her heart was beating sp hard she thought she could actually hear it. This was her first major routine since returning to her role as Bubby the Red Devil and it required perfect timing. As soon as the broadcasters announced State College’s seed in the national tournament Jenn would swing down from the Buckley Sheaffer Fieldhouse rafters, spreading brackets over the standing room only crowd of fans.
“And the No. 1 seed in the Portland region and the No. 1 seed over all . . . is Marlboro University.’’
A groan of disappointment rose from the crowd. Thanks to the spectacular (if inconsistent) play of freshman Orion Winfield, the Red Devils had expected to get the No. 1 seed. Instead the honor went to their hated rival. Jenn could just imagine the Marlboro mascot, Toby the Tobacco Leaf, lighting up his enormous cigarette and gloating. God, how she hated that guy. She tugged the rope and listened for the rest of the seedings.
“The No. 1 seed in the San Antonio bracket goes to . . . the University of San Marco.’’
Another groan. The San Marco Brawlin’ Italians were the perennial football powerhouse whose controversial, referee-aided victory over the Red Devils had led to the campus riot the previous fall. That their basketball team now had a No. 1 seed simply added salt to the wound.
The broadcasters continued the bracket seedings with schools from literally all four corners of the nation. That was the beauty of the tournament. The Super Bowl may draw bigger ratings, the World Series may have more history and tradition but the basketball tournament bracket connects everyone in the United States as surely as the interstate highway system. For three glorious weeks that bracket outlines our lives. We work the office copier more enthusiastically than when we’re Xeroxing our naked rear ends. So many of us go back to school each March that we should be charged tuition. It is a national tournament in every sense of the words.
And when broadcasters announced the final school, the Red Devils fans sat in stunned silence because their beloved team had not been invited to this national reunion. Despite a 28-5 record, State College did not get a tournament bid. For the first time in coach Jimmy Medici’s tenure, the Red Devils were not in the tournament.
March madness, indeed.
Up in the rafters, Jenn could not believe her ears. What the hell happened? How could State College not get into the tournament? The Red Devils were the No. 5 ranked team in the nation. Perhaps she simply hadn’t heard correctly because she was so high up. Perhaps she just needed to get her ear closer to the floor. She leaned forward.
And then she slipped.
# # #
This, Medici thought as he took his seat in the office of athletic director Hudson Bay, completes the worst week of my life.
Dealing with that earlier “situation’’ – it was so upsetting that he still could not bring himself to think of it in any other way – was bad enough but at least Medici thought he had successfully swept it under the rug. But to not make the tournament due to some sort of violation? That was more than he could take.
He looked across the office to American University Sports Conglomeration investigator Lynn Wood seated arrogantly on Bay’s leather couch. “This is intolerable,’’ he said, glaring at Wood. “You better have a damn good explanation why we didn’t receive a tournament bid. I’m sure our lawyers are already preparing the lawsuit.’’
Seated behind his antique redwood desk, Bay raised his hands with his palms open. Like Medici, he was enduring a miserable week, much of it brought on by the basketball coach who had acted so irresponsibly. But Medici was so popular a coach that there was virtually nothing Bay could do to punish him. And for the sake of the program, he also had to keep it out of the media. Which wasn’t easy in the age of MyWeb and camera phones. He had though, only to get blindsided again.
“Easy, Jimmy,’’ Bay said evenly. “Mr. Wood said he would explain everything so I suggest we give him time.’’
Wood smiled and glared back at Medici. He was going to enjoy bringing this arrogant SOB down a peg or two. “Oh, I’m sure your school’s lawyers will be working on this case. But they won’t be arguing about the tournament. Frankly, what is intolerable is how you handled Orion Winfield.’’
Bay groaned. What had Medici done this time? He knew the coach was smart enough to let the boosters handle the cash payments and the free cars. He looked to Medici, his eyebrows raise in question. Medici didn’t even look his way. The coach just stared at Wood, revealing no hint of what this was all about.
“I don’t know what you mean.’’
“Oh, I think you do. In fact, I know you do.’’
As the two men stared at each other, Bay turned back to Medici. “Jimmy, what is this about?’’
“Nothing,’’ Medici said.
“Nothing?’’ Wood asked, getting up from the sofa. “You call it nothing? Interesting.’’ He walked over to the door and grabbed the doorknob. “I think Dr. Aberdeen has a different view.’’ He opened the door and called into the waiting area. “Dr. Aberdeen? Could you come in a minute?’’
Dr Aberdeen? Bay wondered. Wasn’t he a psychiatrist?
# # #
Jenn felt a horrible rush of fear as she began to fall, followed by an amazing rush of adrenaline when the ropes caught and began swinging her as planned over the floor. The only problem was she was swinging upside down and completely out of control.
“AUGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!’’
The brackets, the ones she had printed up ahead of time that showed State College going all the way to the championship, spilled from her backpack and drifted over the crowd that watched in horror as Jenn came swinging down from the rafters. The panicked fans in her path were able to duck out of the way at the last second as Jenn came flying by.
Jenn was still gaining speed when she realized that she had miscalculated the arc of her swing and thus was now beyond the last row of seats and heading straight for the gym’s back wall. She was just able to regret not paying more attention in geometry before closing her eyes for the impact. But instead of slamming into the brick wall that would have surely brought her body to a bone-shattering half, she hit something much softer that safely padded the crash.
It was her fellow Red Devil mascot, Clay Ellum.
Before Jenn could get a good luck to see whether Clay was doing what she thought he was doing, she felt herself swinging back over the court. Fortunately, she had slowed considerably and she did not swing nearly as far back. Within a minute Jenn’s swing had stopped completely and she found herself dangling seven feet above the court.
“Ummmm,’’ she said. “Could someone help me down?’’
To be continued
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