March 4, 2003

March ... Hoop Fever ... Spring Fever.

Before we enjoy the beginning of March Madness and the spring sports season (which actually started several weeks ago), The League would like to take a second to remember "one of the good guys."

Former Bucknell football coach Tom Gadd passed away over the weekend. More than compiling a 48-28 record in seven seasons in Lewisburg, which tied the team's coaching record for most victories, Gadd earned the respect, friendship and admiration of his peers, throughout the community and the college football world.

An on-campus service, celebrating his life, will be held for Coach Gadd Wednesday afternoon. Our thoughts are with his family and the entire Bucknell community. College football lost one of the good guys. The press release from Bucknell is included in today's PL Newsletter.

Another celebration, the 13th Annual PL Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament, will be held over the weekend at The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Md. Twelve games in three days will narrow it down to two women's teams and two men's teams that will play for the PL championships and automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament.

The women's championship will be played Wednesday, March 12, at 7 p.m. (DIRECTV channel 611) while the men's title game will be contested Friday, March 14, at 4:30 p.m. (ESPN). All four PL Tournament semifinal games on Sunday (March 9) will also be available live on DIRECTV (ch. 611), beginning at noon.

Meanwhile, Patriot League spring sports teams in baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, golf and track & field will be competing over the weekend throughout the country. Several schools are on Spring Break, allowing teams to travel to warm-weather sites to maximize their scheduling opportunities. Ahhh, Spring time. Sunshine ... warm weather ... green grass ... looking out the window of the office to see ... A foot of frozen snow from last week. UGH!

Good luck to all the teams.