When Barack Obama was in the White House, a visit from Andy Katz was an annual tradition ahead of the NCAA Tournament. The 44th President of the United States of America filled out an NCAA Tournament bracket for ESPN all eight years he was in office. It was a unique spin on the celebrity bracket bit that could only be pulled off by a national network taking advantage of the right politician.
That doesn’t mean that sports stations across the country couldn’t find a local spin to put on it. Since 2018, 99.9 The Fan in Raleigh has made a tradition of its own out of visiting the North Carolina Governor’s Mansion ahead of March Madness each year and 2023 is no exception as the hosts of The OG brought a camera, blank bracket, and marker to Governor Roy Cooper.
“I’m so sad about my Tar Heels that you’ve gotta pour your soul into what’s left,” the governor, an alum of the University of North Carolina and a diehard college basketball fan, said.
The Tar Heels started the season as the number one team in the country but missed out on an invite to the NCAA Tournament. Coach Hubert Davis also declined an invitation for his team to play in the NIT.
Host Joe Ovies asked Governor Cooper if he would have had to bring a blank NIT bracket if Davis had a change of heart.
“Oh, absolutely we would have!” Cooper answered. “Sure, yeah. It would have been maybe the most important tournament going on.”
The governor did give the ACC teams from his state some love even if they are the two most-hated rivals of UNC. He had North Carolina State making it to the Sweet 16 and Duke returning to the Final Four alongside Arizona, Houston and UConn. He picked Houston to win the national championship. Ovies warned him against the pick as co-host Joe Giglio made the same prediction.
“In 2021, we did a zoom version of the bracket where Giglio roasted Cooper’s picks,” Ovies told Barrett Sports Media. “Turns out Cooper was right with Baylor, so Giglio drew up a certificate that said ‘You were right, Cooper’ and we presented it last year. So that’s what sort of started the running gag between him and Giglio.”
While Roy Cooper did make a point to say that he was rooting for Houston because head coach Kalvin Sampson is a North Carolina native, he gave solid basketball reasons for his selection.
“Even though they are not Phi Slamma Jamma, they are a smothering defensive team. They are a balanced offense. That have it all cooking,” he said. “If they can put it together, Houston can be the national champion. We can actually have number one seed do it.”
Joe Ovies was not surprised by how much thought Roy Cooper put into his NCAA Tournament bracket. The governor has a reputation in North Carolina for being passionate about all of his favorite teams, including the Carolina Hurricanes, who play in Raleigh.
“Cooper isn’t doing this as some sort of stunt He legit watches the local teams and he listens to the shows and podcasts,” Ovies said. “Especially Canes Corner. So when the Tar Heels didn’t make it, he felt it deep. He made it to the Final Four last year and sat in UNC’s section.”
