NCAA finals pre-game notes

ATLANTA, Ga. - We are about two hours from tipoff of the Florida-Ohio State NCAA final as I write this from the Georgia Dome – which is surprisingly empty at the moment but about to fill up with 53,500 fans. While we’ve got a few moments, here are a few of my favorite things about this Final Four so far:

• Joakim Noah’s hair. Greg Oden saying he wanted to "tear the rim down" on that ferocious missed dunk Saturday. Thad Matta’s odd resemblance to Gene Hackman.
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported this one. There was supposed to be this great Final Four party thrown by a couple of high-society artists on Saturday night, March 31. "Backs were stabbed to get on the guest list," the newspaper wrote, because the guest of honor was going to be actor George Clooney. At 12:01 a.m., the party hosts rolled out a large cardboard cutout of Clooney. It was April Fools’ Day by then, you see.
• Atlanta’s Olympic Centennial Park. On a sunny day like Monday, it is always filled with kids, happy and getting wet in the fountain.
  (bullet) Ohio State’s colors – one of the best combinations in the college game.
• The fact that Florida is only four hours away from an unprecedented trio of national championships – basketball-football-basketball in a 12-month period – if the Gators win tonight. That’s astounding, and gives this game a little more weight. -- Scott Fowler