Blog No. 3, first half

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Well, Fresno State fans. I have some bad news and some worse news. Worse news first: Baylor 27, Fresno State 14; 7:53 left, first half. And, word back from the home office is that they aren't showing this game on ESPN2. They're showing Auburn vs. George Washington, and based on the number of calls the Bee office is getting, there is relatively little interest in the Fresno area in either Auburn or George Washington women's basketball. Shocker.

You can call the Fresno Bee office to complain, but surprisingly, we have little control over which NCAA game ESPN decides to show. They don't even ask our opinion.

This blog might be your only means to updates, and I'm down to two blogs left this half. Yikes. See if you can find a radio.

The Pit is cool, by the way. I've always wanted to see a game here -- I didn't think it would be Fresno State women's basketball, but what can ya do? -- and it's excellent. The ends of the arena have bench seating, which I've always maintained is the best for college basketball. Allen Fieldhouse has bench seating, and it just makes everything better. You get to pack more people in, makes you bond with your neighbors, has cute co-eds sitting on your lap (Hey, it was college.)

I always wondered how The Pit felt any more like a pit than any other arena. I mean, you don't know you're underground when you're inside the building, right? But it does feel that way. It just seems kinda dark. The only light out in the crowd is up at the very top of the place. I can imagine how a packed Pit might be louder than Grand Funk Railroad. That's an old fogey reference. Kids, ask your parents. It was a three-man band from the '70s that was really loud. I'm told. I'm not old enough to remember either. They had that song, "We're an American Band," which was solid in a my-eardrums-just-exploded kind of way.

Fresno State has cut the lead to 33-21. Four minutes left in the first half.