Morning Wood: Your Monday Links

I call this the "Post-Decision Chip McDivot Face"

• The Butler/VCU effect: NCAA final four tickets average is $586, down 14% from last year. Finals tickets average is $438, down nearly 30% . . . ticket brokers are not big Ram fans.

• This definitely is not the way CBS drew it up when they re-upped with the NCAA for the rights to March Madness, but some experts think the VCU/Butler matchup won't kill ratings.

• The scene at the Lexington airport upon Kentucky's triumphant return. Turns out Kentucky is a basketball school. The streets around VCU were shut down immediately following the game. Party time in Richmond.

• I was mediocre at best in college physics but I can tell you right now the people in those dumb commercials standing near the Coors Light train that is traveling 94 mph wouldn't be smiling and dancing after trying to catch a full beer thrown from that sucker. There is no good outcome there. If you man up and try to get you body behind it that thing is either breaking your sternum or going right in your chest Temple-of-Doom-style. If you alligator arm that thing and try to just get a hand on it, you'll be heading to this year's halloween party as either Captain Hook or Jim Abbot. Well, anyway, despite their stupid ads, it appears Coors Light is closing the gap on the number two spot in the world of hops.

• Memorable wonderlic scores from the scouting combine. A score of 10 basically proves you are literate. Vince Young got a 6 on his first try. Makes sense.

• Who cares more? John Calipari made himself a cool $175,000 for winning yesterday's game. That is $2,303 per point. Bill Self lost out on a $100,000 escalator, but don't feel bad. He already cashed in on $75 K for Big 12 regular season/tourney wins. And at $3 million a year, Self makes 8.5 times the salary of VCU's Shaka Smart.

• This is what it would be like if Gus Johnson commentated the World Cup games. Sigh. Thats the world I want to live in.

• This 14-year-old USC recruit truly believes Lane Kiffin will still be there in 5 years. Ah, to be young and stupid. Sorry, kid, but you have the same chance of playing for Lane Kiffin as Jim Tressel does of keeping his job.

• Red Sox owner John Henry recently purchased Liverpool FC of the English Premier league from beleaguered former Ranger's owner Tom Hicks for about 15 cents on the dollar. One of the greatest fan bases in the world. Picture Browns fans only their team has a rich history of winning. Just watch these fans singing Liverpool's anthem, "You'll Never Walk Alone". Reason #23,587 you have to love sports.

Sorry if I was a little soccer-heavy this morning. Have no fear. Keanu Reeves' Oscar-worthy performance will make up for it: