I Hate State.

Michigan State University is playing the University of North Carolina for the NCAA Division I title tonight, and I don't care on all kinds of levels.

For starters, it's basketball. I still think that the comedian David Brenner is right: give each side 100 points and play two minutes. Sure, I will watch if a team I care about is involved or if a friend or relative is playing, but I'll watch anything with which I have a connection for the sake of the connection. Other than that, basketball is actually a rather uninteresting game.

Then there's the fact that Tigers baseball starts tonight. I would be quite surprised if I am not the only one more interested in how they open the season in Toronto against the Blue Jays than in who wins the tournament. Baseball is a better game, my friends, and even the first of 162 matches merits greater attention than an overhyped tourney ender.

Consider as I mentioned that the NCAA thing is a tournament rather than a championship. No one game really tells us who is a better team. The better team may have already lost; anyone can have a bad night in any given sport. So who wins this evening may not actually be the best: they may only be fortunate.

Do I care at all? Yes, to one point only: I hate Michigan State. I hope the Tar Heels clean their clocks. MSU turned traitor on the University of Michigan awhile back, and I do not cater to such acts, persons, or institutions. Under better circumstances I would perhaps root for the Spartans, but if they have no in-state loyalty then I have none for them.

However all that may be, I will not watch a minute of the game and will only find out who won because someone will insist on telling me. I just hope I can find a place which will let me watch the baseball game in peace.