College Crunch

As a sports fan, it doesn't get much better than early spring. During the course of a few weeks, there's March Madness, spring training and opening day, the Masters, and, of course, the beginning of the NBA Playoffs. After a long and arduous 82-game season, we're treated to a veritable buffet of truly meaningful action. This year promises to be filled with drama, as marquee teams — such as the Lakers, Spurs, Celtics, Bulls and Heat — featuring marquee names will each vie for the championship, and the inclusion of teams — such as the upstart Thunder and new-look Knicks — add interesting storylines. It all starts in the first round, which has provided memorable, often overlooked series in years past. The ones listed below are the best (in our humble opinion) since the playoffs expanded to the current 16-team format in 1984. If we're lucky, we'll see an upset or duel this year worthy of placement on such a list in the future.

1. 2009 — No. 2 Boston vs. No. 7 Chicago: When it comes to sheer drama, this one takes the cake. The Celtics were without one of their big three, Kevin Garnett, due to a knee injury that sidelined him for all but four games over the final two months of the season. The youthful Bulls, led by rookie phenom Derrick Rose, took full advantage, pushing the series to seven games. Four games reached overtime, and a total of seven overtime periods were tallied when it was all said and done. Ray Allen hit clutch shot after clutch shot, including the game-winner in game two and nine threes in his 51-point game six performance in a loss, ultimately leading the defending champs to the series victory.
2. 1989 — No. 6 Chicago vs. No. 3 Cleveland: "The Shot" completed an early chapter in Michael Jordan's storied — and absolutely clutch — career and created yet another moment of Cleveland sports misery. After the teams traded wins in the first four games — game four featured a 50-point performance from Jordan in an overtime loss that extended the series — the fifth and final game took place in Cleveland. A close contest throughout, Jordan carried his team on his back, scoring 30 points in the second half. With six seconds remaining, he hit a jumper to give the Bulls the lead, which was followed by a well-executed inbounds play after a timeout that resulted in a Craig Ehlo layup with three seconds remaining. That set the stage for Jordan's buzzer beater over Ehlo and the ensuing celebratory leap that has since been a staple of every Jordan career highlight film. The series victory was somewhat of a surprise given that the Bulls lost all six games to the Cavs during the regular season, though the Cavs were battered by injuries come playoff time.
3. 1994 — No. 8 Denver vs. No. 1 Seattle: It was the first time in NBA history that a No. 8 seed defeated a No. 1 seed, a remarkable occurrence in a sport in which the "best team" almost always wins. The mere 42-40 Nuggets didn't seem to stand a chance versus the 63-19 Gary Payton-and Shawn Kemp-led Sonics, who finished the regular season with the league's best record. After the first two games of the series, the Nuggets lost by a combined 34 points. Surprisingly, they returned the favor during the next two games at home before a deafening crowd in McNichols Arena, winning by a combined 26 points. In the fifth and deciding game in Seattle, the Nuggets held off the Sonics in overtime, thanks in part to Dikembe Mutombo's eight blocks, which gave him 31 in the series, a five-game series record. As the final buzzer sounded, he fell to the floor, emphatically clutching the ball over his head in joy and disbelief.
4. 2007 — No. 8 Golden State vs. No. 1 Dallas: The Baron Davis-led Warriors weren't satisfied with just making the playoffs after a 13-year drought. From the first game of the series, a 97-85 Warriors win, it was evident they held a competitive edge with the leadership of Don Nelson, the Mavs' former coach, and the confidence that resulted from sweeping the regular season series. The Mavs, who had the league's best record at 67-15, were shell-shocked — the combined margin of their first round losses was 59 points. The sixth and final game was highlighted by a third quarter 18-0 run by the Warriors, seven three-pointers from Stephen Jackson and just eight points on 2-13 shooting from Dirk Nowitzki. The Warriors became the third No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed — the Knicks were the second to do it with their win over the Heat in 1999 — and the first to do it in a seven-game series. Almost as memorable as the upset itself were the fervent (understatement) crowds at Oracle Arena, which gave the Warriors a true home-court advantage.
5. 1984 — No. 6 New Jersey vs. No. 3 Philadelphia: Considered one of the best teams in NBA history, the 1983 76ers lost only one game during the entire playoffs. A year later, the playoffs featured a new format in which four more teams would compete and the first round bye was eliminated. Anchored by stars Moses Malone, Julius Erving and Maurice Cheeks, the Sixers weren't supposed to have any trouble in the opening round versus the Nets. Behind Michael Ray Richardson, Darryl Dawkins and Buck Williams, the Nets won the first two games in Philadelphia by a combined 19 points, dropped the next two games at home, and took game five in a close-fought affair. It's the only time in playoff history the road team won every game in a series.
6. 1999 — No. 3 Utah vs. No. 6 Sacramento: As one team was beginning its decline from the top of the Western Conference, another was beginning its ascension. Reaching the playoffs for just the second time since 1986, the Kings were newly rebuilt, featuring Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, flashy rookie point guard Jason Williams and veteran coach Rick Adelman. On the other hand, the Jazz, the two-time defending Western Conference champs, relied on 15-year and 14-year veterans John Stockton and Karl Malone, and coach and perennial winner Jerry Sloan. The difference was evident in game one when the Jazz won by 30 points. The Kings, however, proceeded to take the next two games, and were on the verge of pulling the series upset in game four before the usually raucous crowd in Arco Arena. But John Stockton's long two-point shot in the waning seconds saved the Jazz and enabled them to take the deciding game five in Salt Lake City.
7. 1991 — No. 2 Boston vs. No. 7 Indiana: The 56-26 Celtics accomplished their position with a mixture of old and new talent. The frontline still consisted of Bird, McHale and Parrish, but arguably the team's best player was guard Reggie Lewis, whose consistent play throughout the first round enabled it to hang with the upstart 41-41 Pacers. The fifth and final game, though, belonged to the 34-year-old Bird, who went toe-to-toe with sharpshooter Chuck Person in the Boston Garden. Despite an ailing back and an additional neck injury he suffered in the second quarter, Bird matched Person with 32 points in just 33 minutes, once again willing the Celtics to a playoff series victory.
8. 2006 — No. 2 Phoenix vs. No. 7 LA Lakers: Led by two-time MVP Steve Nash, the Suns' up-tempo, run-and-gun style of play was transforming the NBA. The Lakers could score too, but most of that responsibility fell on Kobe Bryant, who averaged 35 points per game during the regular season, most notably scoring 81 points in a game versus the Raptors. En route to a 3-1 series lead, his best work occurred in game four, when he made a layup to send the game into overtime and a game-winning pull-up jumper. It was the high point of the series for the Lakers because they wouldn't win another game. Fifty points from Kobe in game six wasn't enough to close it out, and game seven was a forgettable 30-point massacre.
9. 1993 — No. 1 Phoenix vs. No. 8 LA Lakers: Favored to emerge from the Western conference and challenge the two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls, the 62-20 Suns, who boasted the best record in the league, certainly didn't expect much of a fight from the 39-43 Lakers. With James Worthy, Byron Scott, Sam Perkins and AC Green, the aging remnants of Showtime, the Lakers stunned the Suns in the first two games of the series in Phoenix, forcing Charles Barkey's troop to have to win three consecutive games to advance and avoid becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 8 seed in playoff history. After winning two in Los Angeles, the Suns returned home to win game five, beginning their difficult run to the Finals.
10. 1987 — No. 7 Seattle vs. No. 2 Dallas: Twenty years before their surprise loss to the Warriors, the 55-27 Mavs were stunned in four games by the 39-43 Sonics, becoming the first No. 2 seed to lose to a No. 7 seed. It happened rather swiftly. Following a 151-129 blowout win by the Mavs in game one, the Sonics eked out two-point victory in game two, taking away the Mavs' home-court advantage. Before their always-rowdy fans in Seattle Center Coliseum, the Sonics ended the series by winning games three and four by 10 and 26 points — it didn't help the Mavs that Mark Aguirre, their leading scorer during the regular season, was battling strep throat. The Sonics proceeded to upset the defending Western Conference champion Rockets in a difficult six-game series in the semis, advancing to play the Lakers in the conference finals. One of the most improbable runs in playoff history, few fans of 1980s NBA basketball have forgotten the work of the Sonics' dynamic trio of Tom Chambers, Dale Ellis and Xavier McDaniel.

It's quite an ego boost to know you're the only person in the history of the world to have accomplished something, especially when you've devoted your life to achieving it. World records are documented proof that you're the best of the best, and that hard work pays off; however, the lengths at which people go through to achieve records can be mighty costly. Since world records have been kept — the advent of the Guinness Book of World Records hasn't helped in recent years — many people have lost their lives in their quests to do the seemingly impossible. The nine deaths below are just a few of the ones that have been documented. The tragic outcomes, however, didn't overshadow the impressive courage they displayed.

1. Deep Dive — Audrey Mestre (1974-2002): It may not involve blistering speeds or months-long treks, but freediving is equally as dangerous. At the time of Mestre's death, about 100 freedivers were dying each year out of the 5,000 around the world. Mestre, a French woman who came from a family of scuba divers and snorkelers, had spent most of her life underwater and certainly didn't lack experience. She trusted her abilities, and therefore in 2002, had the confidence to dive 561 feet in the deep waters 81 miles east of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. When she blacked out at 300 feet with an empty air tank, she was rushed back to the surface. After spending nine minutes under water without oxygen, there was nothing that could be done to save her.
2. Deep Rebreather Dive — Brigitte Lenoir (1970-2010): Not long after setting the world record for the deepest rebreather dive of 505 feet, Lenoir focused on establishing a new one. While training in preparation for the next attempt in DeHab, Red Sea, a technical malfunction resulted in oxygen toxicity at 482 feet, causing her to die. The accident occurred despite the fact that multiple safety drivers were stationed below the surface and more than 100 tanks were mounted on the downline. Her ultimate goal was to reach 754 feet In Egypt.
3. Water Speed — John Cobb (1899-1952): A fur broker by day and speed demon by night — or when he wasn't working, at least — Cobb strove to become the fastest man on earth and water. In 1939, he broke the land speed record by hitting just under 367 mph and broke it again in 1947 when he hit 394 mph. in 1952, he set out to achieve the water speed record at Loch Ness using the jet speedboat Crusader. Traveling 240 mph, it skid in the water and disintegrated. Cobb is still regarded as an English patriot for his gutsy attempts.
4. Water Speed — Donald Campbell (1921-1967): Campbell was a English speedster extraordinaire who could do it on land or water — in 1964, he became the only person to hold both land and water speed records. The eight-time record breaker couldn't get enough of the thrill and met his demise doing it in 1967. While trying to break his own water speed record in his jet-powered boat, the Bluebird K7, at 300 mph, it ascended into the air as he was just a split-second away from achieving his goal. He died immediately as the boat hit the water and crumbled. Many people believe the crash occurred because the boat was lighter due to a lack of fuel. It wasn't until 2001 that Campbell's body would be recovered.
5. Land Speed — J. G. Parry-Thomas (1884-1927): Parry-Thomas holds the unfortunate distinction of being the first driver to die in pursuit of the land speed record. A chief engineer for Leyland Motors, he understood the function of a quality motor car, and received numerous patents for his inventions. After acquiring the Chitty 4 from the estate of fellow racer and engineer Count Zborowski, he rebuilt it solely for the purpose of capturing the land speed record, which he did in 1926. A year later, he was killed while trying to break the record when the right-hand drive chain busted at 170 mph and he suffered a fatal head injury.
6. Land Speed — Frank Lockhart (1903-1928): One of the early legends of racing, Lockhart was an Indy 500 winner who held the all-time qualifying speed record for decades. Naturally, he strove to obtain the land speed record, and attempted to do so in 1928 in a car named the Stutz Black Hawk Special. During the run, one of the car's tires was slashed causing it to lose control and tumble 140 feet down the beach on which it was racing. Lockhart's lifeless body came to rest 51 feet from the vehicle. It was the first of several tragic deaths that have affected the motorsports community.
7. Land Speed — Athol Graham (1924-1960): Fear never stood between Graham and his goal to reach 400 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The popular mechanic from Salt Lake City was well-aware of the dangers that came with driving at such speeds, telling spectators prior to his 1960 attempt not to be alarmed if his car skidded early. Unfortunately, it did just that as he was traveling 300 mph, flipping end over end until it came to a stop. Graham, always the tough guy, wasn't killed immediately — he held on for two hours before the extensive injuries became too much.
8. Motorcycle Jump — Javad Palizbanian (1961-2005): Evel Knievel famously attempted to jump 13 buses in London, and ended up suffering severe injuries and announcing his retirement afterward. In 2005, Palizbanian, an Iranian daredevil, attempted to leap over 22 buses but landed on the 13th bus, dying immediately. Prior to taking off, he announced that he was "going to break the world record and do something for my country to be proud of." Like Mestre, he was hardly a novice. A month earlier, he successfully cleared a 51-yard-wide river on his bike.
9. Solo Flight — Bert Hinkler (1892-1933): Early in his adulthood, Hinkler was a gunner and observer in the British Royal Naval Air Service during World War I. Perhaps more importantly, he contributed to the military by inventing aviation instruments that were used until World War II. An expert aviator, he successfully flew from England to Australia for the first time in 1928 in just 15 and a half days — the previous record was 28 days. Five years later, he attempted to break the flying record to Australia of eight days and 20 hours, but he disappeared until his body was found in the Tuscan Mountains in Italy. He was laid to rest with full military honors.

You know it's officially springtime when CBS dusts off its "Augusta" piano riff for promos, most of which were fittingly aired during March Madness. After golf fans were mercilessly teased for three weeks, golf's most prestigious event has finally arrived. If you didn't already know, this year's tournament promises to be a doozy. Phil Mickelson, last year's Masters champion and one of this year's favorites, is entering competition after a three-shot win at the Shell Houston Open in which he scored rounds of 63 and 65. Then, of course, there's the elephant in the room, the struggling Tiger Woods, who would love to upset the naysayers and prove he's still the best golfer in the world. Both Phil and Tiger have cemented their places in Masters lore by securing spine-tingling victories in years past, and either could do it again this year. Before driving up Magnolia Lane, be sure to take a stroll down memory lane to relive the great Masters performances from golf's legends.

1. Jack Nicklaus, 1986: At the age of 46, Nicklaus's best golf seemed to be behind him — coming in to the 1986 Masters, he hadn't won a major since the 1980 PGA Championship or the Masters since 1975. Assumptions can be foolish. En route to his record sixth Masters win and 18th major championship, he shot a 65 in the final round and a 30 on the second nine, tying a course record. Despite proving that age is just a number, he later acknowledged that it is a factor in golf, stating "The older you get, the stronger the wind gets — and it's always in your face."
2. Tiger Woods, 1997: From the oldest to win the Masters to the youngest. The man who's currently chasing Jack's major championships record clinched his first at the legal drinking age of 21, and he did it in resounding fashion. In round one, he shot a 70, impressive for a kid. But it was nothing compared to his next two rounds, in which he shot a 66 and 65. When it was all said and done, he boasted a 12-stroke victory over Tom Kite, becoming the first non-white player to win the Masters.
3. Gene Sarazen, 1935: It doesn't get more clutch than Sarazen's 1935 performance. Golf historians remember it for his double eagle at the par-5 15 that enabled him to make up a three-shot deficit and tie Craig Wood. Sarazen won the ensuing 36-hole playoff to claim his first Masters victory and his seventh and final major championship. Perhaps the most memorable shot in the tournament's history, the "shot heard 'round the world" is commemorated at Augusta with the Sarazen Bridge.
4. Byron Nelson, 1942: When reflecting back on past Masters champions, names such as Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan are typically among the first who people recall. In the case of Nelson, his most memorable Masters victory — each had two — came in a nerve-racking 18-hole playoff after Hogan rallied from three strokes behind in the final round. Hogan's strong play continued in the extra round, and he earned a three-stroke lead after five holes. But Nelson made a comeback of his own, shooting five-under during the remaining 13 holes and winning by a single stroke.
5. Sandy Lyle, 1988: Lyle knows how to win the Masters uncomfortably and in style. His four-stroke lead in the final round in 1988 vanished as Mark Calcavecchia's rallied, and the two were tied entering the final hole. The poor fortune mounted for Lyle when his tee-shot found the bunker. But the golf gods were on his side as he conjured an amazing shot that put the ball right on the green and in position for a birdie, which he sunk. The Scotland-native became the first Briton to win the tournament.
6. Gary Player, 1978: Down seven shots after three rounds, Player made a miraculous comeback, birdying seven of his final 10 holes, shooting a 30 on the back nine and a final round 64 to win by one stroke — it's hard to imagine anyone experiencing a better round on such a grand stage. It was the 43-year-old South African's last of nine major championships and his third Masters title.
7. Nick Faldo, 1996: Sure, it was a memorable victory for Faldo, but it was a more memorable collapse by Greg Norman, who began the tournament with an a course-record 63. He maintained his lead until the final day when his meltdown commenced. Not only did he lose his six-stroke lead to Faldo, but he lost the tournament by five-strokes after shooting a 78. The epic choke-job featured three consecutive bogeys on holes nine through 11 and two subsequent shots in the water. A Masters win just wasn't in the cards for Norman, but he can boast three second-place finishes.
8. Ben Crenshaw, 1995: Recognized as one of the game's elite putters, Crenshaw knew how to keep his cool under intense circumstances. A week prior to 1995 Masters, his mentor Harvey Penick died, and Crenshaw served as a pallbearer the day before the opening round. With his composure fully intact through all four days, he positioned himself to connect on a final putt to beat Davis Love II by one stroke — he then famously collapsed in tears, finally allowing his emotions to win out. It was the 43-year-old's second Masters title.
9. Phil Mickelson, 2004: Lefty, always a fan favorite, finally won his first major championship in 2004, bringing tears to the eyes of his many adoring spectators who watched it in person. The back nine provided all of the drama, as Phil collected five birdies to catch Ernie Els. His putt on 16 placed him in a tie for the lead, and after he put his second shot on the green on the final hole, he sunk a dramatic putt to seal the win.
10. Bob Goalby, 1968: This one is more laughable than tear-jerking. After shooting a 66 in the final round, Goalby prepared to enter a playoff with Roberto DeVicenzo. But an erroneous scorecard prevented it from happening, and Tommy Aaron, the 1973 Masters winner, was responsible for the mistake. Instead of marking a three on 17 for DeVicenzo as he should have, he incorrectly marked a four, and DeVicenzo signed the card without thinking twice. According to Professional Golfers' Association, the higher score signed by the golfer always stands, and therefore Goalby was the champion. DeVicenzo must still be kicking himself.

The 2011 Final Four is the most improbable ever. According to Neil Paine at College Basketball at Sports-Reference, there was just a 0.00008 percent chance (about 1 in 1,229,650) of it happening. Compare that to other improbable years such as 2006 — 0.00213 percent chance — and 2000 — 0.00092 percent chance — when brackets were unmercifully brutalized by upsets and surprise runs. Years like this encapsulate the spirit of March Madness, providing memorable storylines. Virginia Commonwealth and Butler are national darlings, and even though Kentucky and UConn are college basketball powerhouses, few people expected them to reach Houston. The following teams (from recent history) weren't supposed to be in their respective Final Fours — and in the case of VCU and Butler, aren't supposed to be in this year's Final Four — but they persevered against the odds and proved they were among college basketball's best.

1. VCU, 2011: By now, VCU's story has been well-documented. The Rams' bubble had seemingly burst after losing 11 games with an unimpressive schedule. But when their name was announced on selection Sunday, it was met with outrage by television analysts, namely those at ESPN. Using the reactions of guys such as Jay Bilas and Dick Vitale as motivation for his team, Shaka Smart has become the latest early 30s wunderkind coach. His offense has been firing on all cylinders, scoring more than 70 points in each of its games, excluding the play-in game, and winning four of VCU's five games by margins of 13, 18, 18 and 10 points. Can No. 11 seed VCU ride the hot streak for two more games? Butler may have something to say about that.
2. Penn, 1979: Any time an Ivy League school does damage in the tournament, it deserves recognition. Lost amid the hoopla surrounding Princeton's upset and near upset of Georgetown in more recent years is the fact that Penn actually strung together four wins en route to the Final Four. Along the way, the Tony Price-led No. 9 seed — the Big Dance consisted of 40 teams in 1979 — upset No. 1 seed North Carolina 72-71, but the dream ended when Magic Johnson's Michigan State Spartans, the eventual national champs, obliterated the Quakers 101-67 in the national semifinal.
3. George Mason, 2006: In 2010, Butler was that year's George Mason. Virginia Commonwealth is this year's George Mason. In other words, the Patriots hold the distinction of being the first true mid-major to earn a Final Four berth, and each team that has since duplicated its run is just imitating. Their journey as an 11 seed included wins over traditional powers Michigan State, North Carolina and UConn, the latter of which was the game of the tournament. They exemplified team play throughout the season — remarkably, five players averaged double figures in scoring.
4. Butler, 2010: Last season's Butler team will be remembered as the first true mid-major to play for the national championship — note that Memphis's status as a mid-major is highly debatable. Coach Brad Stevens did his best Norman Dale impression as the No. 5 seed Bulldogs, which represent an Indianapolis school of 4,500 students, made a Hoosiers-like run. In a fitting matchup against goliath Duke, Butler, or David, hung close throughout the game, and Gordon Hayward's desperation heave nearly caused the underdogs to pull the upset before the hometown crowd.
5. Butler, 2011: Minus its best player from the 2010 team, Gordon Hayward, Butler is one game from repeating its 2010 performance. Despite returning key players Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack, the Bulldogs weren't exactly dominant during the regular season, and they weren't projected to accomplish what they have. Their 23-9 record and Horizon Conference tournament championship earned them a No. 8 seed and matchups against No. 9 seed and equally dangerous mid-major Old Dominion, No. 1 seed Pittsburgh, No. 4 seed Wisconsin and No. 2 seed Florida — the Pittsburgh and Florida games were two of the best of the tournament. Because they're so battle tested, anything short of a national title will be a disappointment.
6. LSU, 1986: It's amazing to think the 1986 LSU team, a No. 11 seed, experienced more success in one year than the entire Shaq and Chris Jackson era that started not long after. But it didn't become the lowest seed to make the Final Four — VCU and George Mason, of course, would later reach the Final Four as No. 11 seeds as well — without a little help. The Tigers had the fortune of playing their first two games at home in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, where they defeated No. 6 seed Purdue and No. 3 seed Memphis State with a thrilling last-second basket. Impressively, they would also upset No. 2 seed Georgia Tech and No. 1 seed Kentucky in a hard-fought contest between SEC foes.
7. Wisconsin, 2000: The 2000 Final Four, the second-most improbable ever, featured two No. 8 seeds (Wisconsin and UNC), a football school (Florida) and a season-long power (Michigan State). The Badgers did it how they've always done it — by slowing the pace of the game with tough defense and a conservative offense. During the season, only one Wisconsin player, Mark Vershaw, averaged double figures in scoring. Most notably, the grind-it-out style enabled them to knock off a No. 1 seed Arizona team that was stacked with talent — Gilbert Arenas, Richard Jefferson, Loren Woods, Michael Wright, Jason Gardner, Luke Walton and Josh Pastner were all contributors, though Pastner contributed more to Lute Olson's game planning than the actual on-court action.
8. North Carolina, 2000: If North Carolina had lost its regional final, then Bill Self's Tulsa Golden Hurricane would've become the first modern mid-major to reach the Final Four, and 2000 would've been even more bizarre. The Heels did manage to overcome Tulsa's best effort, winning 59-55. Their March surge, led by veteran point guard Ed Cota — who played on Carolina's 1997 and '98 Final Four squads — made up for an underachieving year in which they posted an 18-13 regular season record and fell out of the polls for the first time since 1990-91. Coach Bill Guthridge, Dean Smith's longtime assistant, felt the heat all season, and even the Final Four run didn't stop him from retiring after it was all said and done.
9. Providence, 1987: It was Rick Pitino's first taste of tourney success. Inheriting an 11-20 team, he built the Friars into a Final Four squad in just two seasons. With point guard and now two-time national title-winning coach Billy Donovan as the floor general, three of the No. 6 seed's four wins came by margins of 22, 21 and 15 points, the latter two were against No. 2 seed Alabama and No. 1 seed Georgetown respectively. As evidenced by VCU this year, there isn't a better time to play your best ball of the season than March.
10. Villanova, 1985: Nova is the one team on this list to actually win it all, and the Cats did it in impressive fashion, playing the "perfect game" and shooting 78.6 percent from the field to upset the ultra-talented Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown Hoyas. As a No. 8 seed, nobody — including the Philadelphia media — expected them to take home the title, let alone reach the Final Four. Today, they remain the lowest seed to have won it, and serve as inspiration for recent underdogs such as VCU and Butler.

Despite the fact that nearly every little kid has wanted to be an astronaut at some point during their childhood, there are a staggering number of facts that the general population just doesn't know about space and space travel. With worlds of information available to us on virtually any subject, it is not terribly difficult to overlook important and interesting facts that are integral to our understanding of the world and universe around us. While not every child who dreams of becoming an astronaut will succeed, the scientific discoveries made possible by space travel and exploration translate to almost any discipline of study. Whether you become an artist, a business executive, a teacher, or a famous scientist, the following 9 facts will help you realize the phenomenal potential every person has when they put their minds to something.

1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Although NASA is one of the world's leading programs in space exploration and scientific discovery, many Americans remain uneducated as to what the acronym NASA actually stands for. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established on July 29, 1958 by the National Aeronautics and Space Act. NASA was set into motion by the "space race" that began with the Soviet space program's launch of the first human-made satellite in 1957. The United States government was alarmed by the perceived threat Soviet space exploration posed to our national security and technological leadership status and, thus, urged President Eisenhower to create a U.S. space program.
2. Neil Armstrong: American astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. Space mission Apollo 11 landed on the moon on July 20, 1969 with astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, while Michael Collins orbited above. The success of Apollo 11 was a major accomplishment for the United States space program, beating out the Soviet space program as the first mission to reach the moon.
3. Becoming an Astronaut: In order to apply to be an astronaut, you must be a pilot who has completed up to 1000 hours of flying time in a jet aircraft. The first seven U.S. astronauts were selected in 1959 when NASA requested that the U.S. military provide a list of people who met very specific qualifications. Since the original seven American astronauts were chosen in 1959, only 339 astronauts have been selected from the thousands of applicants.
4. The Skylab: The Skylab was the first space station that the United States launched into orbit. From 1973 to 1979, this almost 100 ton station orbited Earth, with the purpose of studying gravitational anomalies in other solar systems. The Skylab was the second space station visited by a human crew (the first being the Soviet Salyut 1). Skylab was visited by crews three times before the station reentered Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated in 1979. The Skylab collected significant scientific data, including photographs of solar flares, 127,000 frames of film of the sun and 46,000 of the earth, and information concerning the existence of coronal holes in the Sun. The space shuttle also aided in NASA's understanding of an astronauts' adaptation to extended periods of low gravity.
5. Explorer 1: On January 31, 1958, Explorer 1 became the first satellite launched into space by the United States. Onboard the spacecraft was a cosmic ray detector designed to measure the radiation environment in Earth's orbit. It was the first spacecraft to detect intense bands of radiation (now known as Van Allen radiation belts). This is now marked as the first major scientific discovery of the space age. Explorer 1 remained in orbit until 1970 and has been followed by more than 90 scientific spacecraft in the Explorer series.
6. Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Launched in 2003, NASA's robots, Spirit and Opportunity, landed on Mars in 2004 as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission. The scientific objective of the mission is to search for and characterize a wide range of rocks and soils from Mars' surface that might hold clues to the history of water on Mars. Still currently on the surface of Mars and collecting data, both robots have outperformed their initial missions, which were supposed to last only three months.
7. Titan: Saturn's moon Titan is the second largest moon in the solar system. It is larger than both Mercury and Pluto and would almost certainly be considered a planet of its own if it orbited the Sun. Titan has been of particular interest to scientists because of its known similarities to Earth. Titan is one of the few known moons with its own dense atmosphere. This atmosphere is thought to be very similar to what Earth's atmosphere was in the past. Therefore, scientists believe that by learning about Titan we can learn more about our own planet.
8. Cassini-Huygens Mission: Currently studying Saturn and its moons, Cassini-Huygens was launched in 1997, entering Saturn's orbit on July 1, 2004. Cassini-Huygens' landing on Titan was the first landing ever accomplished in the outer solar system. What is particularly remarkable about this mission is that it is an international collaboration between three space agencies and 17 nations. More than 250 scientists worldwide will study the data collected by the deep space mission.
9. Galileo: While all of these modern day scientific discoveries have been revolutionary to our understanding of space, the solar system, and our own planet, we must not forget the groundbreaking discoveries made be the people who shaped science as a discipline. Galileo was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who is credited with many scientific achievements. He made major improvements to the telescope, discovered spots on the Sun, and found that the Milky Way was composed of millions of faint stars. However, his most stunning (and controversial) discovery was of satellites orbiting Jupiter, invalidating the concept that Earth was the center of the Universe.