Piazza Now Chooses the Easternmost in Quality

Steve Jacobson of Newsday writes that former Dodger Mike Piazza is a New Yorker all the way now:

“He comes from Norristown, Pa., which is sort of Philadelphia territory, and he grew up as a baseball player in Los Angeles, which is someplace else. New Yorkers like to feel the natural superiority over Los Angeles, in spite of the weather, and of course we’re right.

“‘I’m an East Coast guy,’ [Piazza] said. ‘West Coast attitude is different. The East Coast is more passionate. It has a deeper history; the fans are more intense, less laid-back.’�

Intense, or rude? But we won’t quibble, Mike.

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Trivia time: When did UCLA first play in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament?

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A true visionary: Jack Curry of the New York Times on the exceptional eyesight and depth perception of the Yankees’ Jason Giambi:

“[He] has 20/13 vision in his right eye, his lead eye as a left-handed batter. That means he can identify an object from 20 feet that a person with 20/20 vision can see from 13 feet.

“But even more important is his depth perception. Bill Harrison, an optometrist who has worked with professional athletes for three decades, said Giambi is in the top 1% of thousands of baseball players he has tested.

“‘I can pick up the ball right when [a pitcher] lets it go,’ Giambi said. ‘It’s a huge advantage. I got God-gifted when it came to the eyes.’�

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Trojans are in: Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post has already selected his Final Four. And they are: “Southern Cal from the South, Arizona from the West, Maryland from the East and Kansas from the Midwest.�

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More Wilbon: “My hero today is Dickie Vitale. Did you see him go ballistic on ESPN’s selection show? Called out the selection committee for being the chumps they are, called out Digger Phelps for refusing to let Notre Dame play the University of Detroit when Vitale was coach there. I love Vitale for this.�

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It won’t happen: Ron Rapoport in the Chicago Sun-Times: “Boo to the NCAA tournament committee for lacking the imagination to put Indiana and Texas Tech in the same regional.

“The only way Bob Knight’s old and new teams can meet now is in the national championship game.�

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Never a doubt: Chris Ross made a 50-foot shot with seven-tenths of a second remaining that sent San Antonio Jay past Dallas Kimball, 54-53, for the Class 5A high school state title in Austin, Texas.

Ross scored his only basket of the tournament on his 17th birthday.

“Just like I drew it up,� said Jay Coach Romy Vela.

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What, no A-1 sauce? Gary Trent of the Minnesota Timberwolves comparing himself and teammates Kevin Garnett and Marc Jackson to a menu: “We’re using our beef inside. Kevin is the flank cut, Marc is the porterhouse and I’m the New York strip.�

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Trivia answer: 1950. The Bruins lost to Bradley, 73-59, in a first-round West Regional game in Kansas City, Mo., on March 24, then lost a consolation game to Brigham Young the following day, 83-62.

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And finally: Bud Geracie in the San Jose Mercury News: “Instead of a playoff, the three-way tie atop the Ivy League standings was settled by SAT scores.�