Detroit Free Press

SEATTLE -- Finally, when they were close enough to smell the gumbo, the years seemed to melt off them, the ...

Once again, it's time for Mr. Oscar, the man with the Academy Award answers. He's the Best Boy! The Key Grip! Let's go to this year's mailbag.Dear Mr. Oscar: What is the secret of "The Crying Game?"I (boo hoo) can't tell you.Dear Mr. Oscar: If Clint Eastwood actually wins Best Actor this year, what will his acceptance speech be like?"Unnnh . . . rrrr . . . thank you . . . rrrnnn."Hey dude. I don't see "Wayne's World" nominated for nuthin', dude. What's the matter with those sphincter boys dude?Shouldn't you be in wood shop class?

SEATTLE -- There are nights when the Michigan Wolverines play basketball as if God controlled their bodies, and there are nights when they play as if they were asleep in church. Friday was the latter.Congratulations, fellas. In a season full of amazing feats, this was a real coup: You managed to win a tournament game and lose respect."It wasn't our best effort," said Jalen Rose, after Michigan survived against 12th-seeded George Washington, 72-64, and advanced to the final eight. "We need a little fine-tuning."

SEATTLE -- The last time he was here, he wore a cast on one foot and street clothes to the game. He sat behind the Michigan basketball team as it played for the national championship. And when that championship was won, and the buzzer sounded, he ran onto the floor, cast and all, and celebrated in a happy pile of players. The whole world was ahead of Eric Riley in those days. He was a redshirt freshman, an apprentice to glory, just waiting for his turn in the uniform. "I thought," he says now, "I would be celebrating like that again. Only with me playing."

As the plane began to descend over Texas, Jimmy King stirred from his sleep. Maybe he heard his hometown calling. ...

TUCSON, Ariz. -- They were hanging on the cliff, staring into the abyss. All their promise, all their ...

TUCSON, Ariz. -- He didn't want much. Just one basket. That's not a lot to ask from a college career, is it? One ...