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Davidson had just pulled off two improbable victories. Stephen Curry scored 30 points in the second half, including a 3-pointer with a minute left to lead the Wildcats to a mild upset of Gonzaga, 82-76, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Curry then helped Davidson erase a 15-point second-half deficit to stun Georgetown, 74-70, to advance into the Sweet Sixteen. The cheering in the RBC Center in Raleigh was deafening. Students on campus were screaming and yelling. And the school's marketing director was probably popping champagne. The college's newspaper, unfortunately, did not post anything on its website, leaving readers of the Davidsonian with a column on racism and a feature assessing student involvement on campus. (By the way, the paper gave fans an A- for fan support at basketball games but only a D+ for support at other school athletic events.) That schools do not regularly post online is -- I feel like Vizzini from the Princess Bride but I'll say it anyway...

I feel like putting on my dancing shoes, baby. It's time for the Big Dance where a Cinderella always pops up. And it's also that time when cliches run rampant. Writers and editors especially love using the Big Dance, but they also enjoy many other cliches. Many of these cliches are overused well before the NCAA Tournament begins. Games are frequently called tilts , teams fight back when their backs are against the wall , victories are hard-fought , and players assert their will . Headline writers particularly love to use Big Dance. TV Guide plays off the Irish dance troupe, writing: "Lords of the Big Dance : NCAA March Madness 2008 Preview." And Austin Peay's editors are excited that the "Govs advance to the big dance," although the reporter refrained from using that term. ESPN writes that "Cinderellas at Big Dance share common attributes." Detroit Free-Press editors wrote that Michigan State's women were "left off 64-team Big Dance...

Here are a few more highlights from two sports panels I attended a few weeks ago during the Illinois College Press Association. As expected, the writers and editors at the Chicago Tribune offered some terrific advice on a wide range of topics. On writing blogs This is where writers put breaking news, notes and observations. For example, if Lou Piniella says anything during spring training, the paper’s baseball writer, Paul Sullivan, will add those comments on the blog. “We reserve the nuanced, analytical stories for print,” says Tribune sports editor Dan McGrath. … Many blogs offer fan perspectives, but this information is not always verified. Instead, many blogs offer rumors or rely on reporting done by newspapers. That’s where news organizations play a key role. “Somebody has to provide that content,” McGrath said, “But it has to be responsible content. … Everybody has an opinion. We try to have an informed opinion.” … Journalists love to get recognized for breaking stories online. S...

Greg Hardy lists some items to consider during spring training in his most recent column for The (Columbia) State , something that also serves as a primer for the upcoming major league baseball season. Greg, who is a friend of mine, also regularly writes irreverent columns for cbssportsline.com’s Spin. Check him out. Greg’s column elicited more than a few smiles, reminding me of great times spent in Florida ballparks before I moved to Illinois. There really is no better line than “catchers and pitchers report to spring training.” And there is truly no better place to be than a spring training game. Greg inspired me to offer my own spring training list, one that is alphabet challenged since it only goes from C to Y (with a few other letters left out.) Here goes. C – Conversations with fans sitting nearby, hearing stories from old men (and women) about retired players like Harmon Killebrew , Ted Williams and Sandy Koufax . D – Thinking of my dad who taught me respect and love throug...