And the answer is:

Who was George Mason? Nobody knew two weeks ago but now the word has spread across the land. I won’t bore you with stuff about the real guy; nobody cares that without George our constitutional system of government which is the envy of much of the world might be quite different. He’s the fellow who could not in good conscience support the great document because in it’s original state it failed to provide the protections he had championed all his adult life and which he authored as the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Based on his drive and work, the Bill of Rights came into being in the form we know it.

George Mason is now the answer to an even greater trivia question. The question is: what university was represented by the best college basketball team of all time? You scoff? The question wasn’t which was the greatest? Nor was it which had the most talented players? No, George Mason University’s basketball team which is headed for the final four in Indianapolis this week is simply the best team ever, far greater than the sum of its parts. It’s not the tallest or close to the best by position. Each team that it faced in this improbable run through the NCAA tournament had faster, taller, more talented players, but none of them played with the precision team work, dedication, and heart of the Patriots.

Knocking off Michigan State, North Carolina, Wichita State and UConn simply could not have happened, but it did. And now the conquerors of these high powered programs move on with a chance – still outside – of becoming national champions. This is a great tribute to the coach and players on this wonderful team, clearly the little engine that could.

Never heard of George Mason University? You have now and you will again. It’s the largest college in Virginia and it is gearing up to challenge the more senior members of the higher education clique in the Commonwealth. Most of you know of the great reputations of the College of William and Mary, The University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech, academic and research powerhouses all. But Mason that began as simply a branch of The University (of Virginia) didn’t become an independent school until the early 1970s.

Its professors have won two Nobel prizes and it has recruited several other Nobel laureates to the faculty. The president and governing board are committed to making it a major research university on a par with the University of Maryland, Carnegie Mellon, Virginia Tech and other world class institutions, and as with the basketball team, don’t sell this engine's effort short

Disclaimer: in addition to being a neighbor to the school – it’s right up the road from me, I’m the proud Dad of a GMU Ph.D. in economics – one of the truly outstanding programs at the university.

Never heard of George Mason or his University? You won’t be able to say that again.

Blog on!

Wild Bill