Pitt Basketball Sighting in San Jose

When I checked into my hotel here in San Jose two nights ago, I saw a flyer announcing open practice for the four NCAA men's baskteball teams that were scheduled to play in this weekend's Sweet 16 action here in San Jose.

One of those teams is Pittsburgh. How ironic.

Their free open practice was scheduled for Wednesday at 1 PM -- the same time I was due to pimp STBD at the Network2 booth.

How doubly ironic.

So, I decided I would forego my Pitt basketball schmoozing for the week.

Then, two nights ago, while eating (and drinking) at Original Joe's with the videoblogging community, the front door opens and a litany of the tallest men I've ever seen walks in and heads upstairs for dinner.

The Pitt men's basketball team. How ironic.

As luck would have it, I was already en route to being drunk at the time. This resulted in me not only shouting "Aaron Gray" as he walked past me (obviously thinking I was the world's biggest douche) but also wishing Coach Dixon good luck in this weekend's action. Of course, after two beers and a shot in 45 minutes, I instead extended my hand and shouted "Coach Dixon! Great job tomorrow!"

Coach Dixon benignly takes pity on this drunkard and shakes my sweaty hand. "It's Thursday, actually, but thanks," he says, and heads upstairs to avoid me like the plague.

And that was my Pitt Men's Basketball sighting.

Side note: Our hotel, the Fairmont, is evidently half-booked for VON and half-booked for the University of Kansas, whose men's basketball team is playing here as well this weekend. LOTS of t-shirts tucked into jeans around here...