March Madness Is Canceled After AllThe NCAA had previously floated playing games without fans, but Duke and Kentucky dropping out likely made than plan untenable.
Bethenny Frankel Gets InkedThe Real Housewives star gets a book deal, Lindsay Lohan has a sex picture, Keith Olbermann may be a nepotist, and more in our daily roundup of what’s in New York’s best gossip columns.
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A Look Back at the Other March MadnessWith the end of March, and, tonight, the end of its best-known Madness, we thought we’d let you in on a secret: There’s a different March Madness, and it took place last month on a different set of hardwood courts. It’s the College Squash Association Individual National Championships, which were held at the University of Pennsylvania’s Ringe Squash Center, and they were — you may be surprised to hear — as exciting to watch North Carolina State’s legendary comeback against Houston in the 1983 NCAA finals, just a little more understated.
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New York’s Greatest Tourney Tradition Is DeadThe NCAA announced its tournament brackets yesterday, and now, finally, March is duly heading into Madness. To commemorate the occasion, we asked Will Leitch — the editor of Deadspin and, we hereby proclaim, Daily Intel’s senior bracketologist — to share with us his tale of a New York tournament tradition now, sadly, lost to history:
A week ago, one of those only–in–New York traditions bit the dust; the famous “Jody’s Pool,” based out of Staten Island watering hole Jody’s, will be discontinued this year. The pool was notorious for its massive pots; last year’s grand prize was $1.5 million, making it the biggest pool in the country. The problem is, when you have a pool that’s worth that much, people tend to notice. First, the press; then, the IRS. And with three words from grizzled owner Jody Haggerty — “Definitely no pool” — it was over.
