by John Walters

Starting Five

1. Bayern Munich Über Alles

Last year’s UEFA Champions League finalist, Juventus, owned a 2-0 lead on Bayern Munich yesterday in the second half of their  second leg of their Round of 16 matches. The first game, in Turin, had ended in a 2-2 draw.

Things looked good for the Italians. They were up 2-0 and their world-class goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, had not conceded a goal in their Serie A play in 900 minutes. Crazy, right?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iICXghg6gxQ

Then Robert Lewandowski of Bayern scored in the 73rd minute to wake up the fans at Allianz Arena in Munich. Still, it was 2-1 Juve entering stoppage time. But then the world’s premier German player, Thomas Muller (hero of the 2014 World Cup), scored in the 91st minute, necessitating a 30-minute extra time period. The Germans scored twice in that span, beating Juventus 4-2 (and 6-4 in aggregate goals).

I don’t know if if made SportsCenter or if you’ve heard about it, but that’s a pretty remarkable comeback.

2. Medium Happy Knockout Pool!!!

Valuable cash prizes! Fun for the whole family!

Here’s how it’ll work. Each DAY (not round, day) of the tournament you pick ONE team to advance from that day’s play. If that team wins, you survive. Of course, you cannot pick that team more than once.

The winner will receive $50. If we have multiple winners, you may receive a little less.

How to enter. Go down to the Comments and provide your name and team for today!!

Yes, MH will open briefly on Saturday and Sunday so that you can enter your knockout teams on those days. It’s totally transparent, as everyone will see your pick. Also, it costs NOTHING to join.

Enter today, kids!

3. Bring Your Child To Work (Every) Day

This is Senifeld-ian. Chicago White Sox DH Adam LaRoche brought his son Drake to every game with him last season. Even had an adjoining locker for him. So ChiSox GM Kenny Williams gently sits LaRoche down and patiently explains to him that, no, the Sox do not have a 26-person roster. Drake is welcome to visit, just not EVERY day.

So LaRoche retires, walking away from $13 million this season. Stillwell, angel, be a good boy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPHQkRkXoNU

If Bill Veeck were still alive and owned the White Sox, he’d sign Drake LaRoche today without giving it a second thought.

4. Munificent Miler*

*This story was suggested to us by Jacob Antsey. Thanks, Jacob!

In late February Izaic Yorks, a senior at the University of Washington, ran a 3:53.89 indoor mile, the fastest indoor mile EVER RUN by a U.S. collegian. So you’re guessing that two weeks later Yorks breezed to victory in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships, right?

Wrong. Yorks did not enter.

He is also the anchor leg on the Huskies’ DMR team, and the two races took place too close to one another for him to enter both (yet another flaw in another NCAA system). When U-Dub coach Greg Metcalfs asked Yorks if he wanted to drop the DMR to run the mile, he replied, “No way. I want to do the DMR. That’s what I told these guys I would do. And I’m gonna stick to that word.”

The Huskies lost to Oregon in the DMR by one second, finishing in second place.

5. John Boler, 1934-2016

Last weekend I attended the funeral of John Boler, the father of a close friend of mine from college. John was born in the midst of the Depression in Marion, Ohio, the only son in family of six kids. His “bedroom” was a closet adjacent to the bathroom.

Fast forward to a great American business story. Mr. Boler earned vast sums owning and running the types of Midwestern manufacturing companies the likes of which you’d see in Tommy Boy. And then he became the ultimate philanthropist. He endowed the John and Mary Jo Boler College of Business at his alma mater, John Carroll University.

He gave his son’s (and a daughter’s) alma mater, Notre Dame, an eight-figure sum so that they’d name the ice at the school’s new hockey arena the Lefty Smith Ice Rink. His family, along with former coach Ara Parseghian’s family, gave Notre Dame a check for $10 million in order to endow the school’s new Center for Neglected and Rare Diseases.

But here was one of my favorite stories of the weekend about John Boler, who with his wife Mary Jo brought five children into the world, who have since had 13 grandchildren. In  2005, after Mr. Boler needed a life-saving heart procedure from Chicago’s Rush Medical Center, the hospital’s president, Larry Goodman, told him that Rush could really use a $20 million gift to build imaging centers to better diagnose patients.

Mr. Boler later returned and handed Goodman an envelope. Inside it were two lottery tickets. He said, “Here, that might be the key to your $20 million.” After Goodman stammered for a few moments, Mr. Boler pulled out a check for $20 million. the largest gift Rush Medical Center has ever received.

I, too, was often the beneficiary of John Boler’s largesse. John, his son, Matt, and I watched the 2005 USC-Notre Dame “Bush Push” game together in the stands. After the crushing defeat, as the three of us headed back to Chicago, John Boler pulled off the Indiana Toll Road and bought us all hot fudge sundaes. It didn’t relieve all of the pain, but it sure did some of it. I’ll remember the three of us leaning up against the back of the Boler car, eating our sundaes and talking about how much we loathe Pete Carroll, for the rest of my life.

Rest in peace, Mr. Boler. You did it all.

Music 101

I’m a Rover

“I’m a rover/Seldom sober/I’m a rover/O’ high degree/It’s when I’m drinking/I’m always thinking/How to gain my love’s company.” Everybody now! This one is from The Dubliners, an Irish folk group founded—guess where—in 1962. Only the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem gained more fame in this genre. Slainte!

Remote Patrol

March Madness!!!

DUKE-UNC Wilmington

NOON CBS

Texas Tech-Butler

12:30 p.m. truTV

Colorado-UConn

1 p.m. TNT

Iowa State-Iona

1:30 p.m. TBS

Spring has sprung! That’s just the first four of 16 games on the day. There are 63 games in the NCAA tournament, and 32 of them, or more than half, take place in the first 36-plus hours. Get ready for a bonanza. And it’s St. Patrick’s Day. So long, sobriety.’

Three most intriguing games: Yale-Baylor (2:45, CBS), Wichita State-Arizona (9:20, TNT), Seton Hall-Gonzaga (9:57, truTV). Best chance for a 16-seed to upset a 1: Florida Gulf Coast-North Carolina (7:20, TBS)