I'm sitting here watching NBC's "Deal or No Deal." What a stupid show. This show takes no skill. Ya know, just pick a few numbers and see if you pick the right one. It's like the lottery on tv. I watched it for about 10 minutes and changed the channel. Wife swap is on. Now there is a show that takes some talent! Um, right.

So for the second straight year, I have won my NCAA bracket pool. Yes, I am the king. It helps that both LSU and UCLA made the final four. I picked those two. Thanks guys. I already lost my national champion when UNC went out in the 2nd round; however there were so many upsets I was able to lock up both pools before the final four even starts. Not too shabby.

Also for the second straight year I have stumbled across Final Four tickets. Mom had the pleasure of going with me last year, so this year it is Dad's turn. He'll probably be driving to Nashville on Friday and then Saturday morning we will drive up to Indy. My dear friends Kacie and Joe have offered their spare bedroom, but we might end up springing for a hotel room. They live about an hour out of Indy, so we might want to avoid the driving. Regardless, it should be a lot of fun. Dad and I finally get to hang out as guys. Go watch basketball, have some beers, eat some good food. We haven't done that in a long time, so it should be a great time.

Life is moving on and I am indeed growing up ... finally. My lady friend is moving up here for good around the end of May. Ok, she's more than a lady friend. Actually, I love her dearly so I am so pleased she is taking a risk by wanting to live with me! If you haven't seen my kitchen sink recently, it is a risk. Regardless, I cannot wait for her to be up here this summer. Nashville is a great place to be during the spring and summer. There is so much to do outside. It will be nice to have her here to do all of those things.

Last week we hosted some NCAA WBB. It was a lot of work, but it actually turned out going quite well. Yes, there were a few details missed but some folks, but the majority of things were taken care of, and if they missed someone picked up on them quickly. It is over, and I am relieved. Now it is on to SEC Women's Golf, which we host next month. It never ends.

Life will slow down in May, which is nice. Baseball will be the only thing in full swing for me. I'm looking forward to the summer and just enjoying it. I've got a couple of weddings to attend, one of which I am a part. More on those in future Lowe Down's.

Finally, WWE Raw is on. Now THERE is some real television.

Absolutely an incredible job this basketball season by Roy Williams. Masterful. I certainly loved watching the Heels waltz into Cameron and knock off the Dookies on Senior Night. I was hoping to see J.J. cry, although it didn't happen. That kid is a player for sure, but the Heels have created a few of their own. Roy has taken a young group of guys and turned them into the absolute definition of a team.

As most of you know, I grew up watching Carolina basketball. My Pappy, my mom, my dad ... they all enjoyed watching Dean Smith lead the Heels, and I followed suit. Spending that time with my family either in front of the TV, or listening to Woody or at the games is such a fond memory. Watching this Carolina team, with so much youth, evokes memories of my own youth and the Tar Heel teams of the past. They are hard working. They listen to their coach. They play great team defense. They take good shots (ok, Terry had one terrible shot last night). The fire and passion Roy Williams has brought to his team is just what the Carolina faithful has needed. Yes, there was that little National Championship win last year, but this season might end up being more rewarding for Tar Heel fans.

We concluded our regular season men's basketball schedule yesterday with a home loss to Tennessee. Needless to say, there are always fireworks when UT and Vandy occupy the same facility. I just didn't think those fireworks would involve me.

I take a lot of pride in my work, and I take pride in the fact I am diligent with my prior planning. With yesterday serving as Senior Day, it was important for me to get information to UT earlier in the week so they could prepare properly. To make a long story short, their prior planning wasn't up to par, and it cause a heated conversation between me and their head coach. I'm not proud of myself for getting into the exchange, but the pride I take in my job wouldn't allow me to just sit around and allow them to disrespect us. It as bush league and they know it was. I understand the rivalry. Hell, I just watched the greatest in sports last night. However, there should always be a certain level of respect. I was disappointed in their staff, that is for certain.

Work will pick up the next few days. Nashville is host to the SEC Men's basketball tournament later this week, and then we host 1st and 2nd rounds of NCAA Women's basketball next week. In some ways I am dreading it, in other ways I'm sure it will be fun. Time flies when you busy, right? Please tell me it does.

This past Wednesday, the SEC lost one of its Associate Commissioners to a short battle with cancer. In turn, I lost a great mentor. Brad Davis was a great man. Working with him over the past 2 and a half years, I realized just how important he was to this conference. I was fortunate enough to work with him for numerous SEC championships, as well as various event management meetings. He was just a kind soul who always wanted to help others. Brad will be missed by so many people, I just feel fortunate to have known him and worked with him.