Traina Thoughts: All These Years Later, It Still Stings That Gus Johnson Doesn't Call The NCAA Tourney

Gus Johnson's absence from March Madness has left an unfillable void.

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

1. This will be the seventh year in a row that Gus Johnson has not called an NCAA tournament game after leaving CBS for FOX in 2011. As we get closer to the start of the Madness on Thursday, that void feels deeper and deeper. Yes, there are plenty of great announcers calling tournament games, such as Kevin Harlan and Ian Eagle, but nothing can change the fact that Gus and March were a match on par with peanut butter and jelly, Jim and Pam and sports hot takers trolling on Twitter for attention. 

All these years later, Gus's memorable calls are still entrenched in the minds of many fans. I threw out this tweet Tuesday morning. 

One of the great national tragedies of our time is Gus Johnson no longer calling NCAA tournament games. This will always be my favorite Gus moment. pic.twitter.com/gvIfd5gerT

— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) March 13, 2018

People immediately began sharing their favorite Gus calls. That's how good Gus was calling the tournament—he doesn't have one stand-out call. He has several. Enjoy this trip down memory lane.

This was not a tournament game but listen to Gus and Raft on OK ST-Gonzaga in 2006. It’s amazing.https://t.co/TjyhSheQmR

— Travis Hancock (@TBoneWFNZ) March 13, 2018

Pretty much every call in this, but especially the one at 1:28. Also nominated is "Sorrentine from the parking lot." https://t.co/pPBB4iwDZH

— Gabriel Baumgaertner (@gbaumgaertner) March 13, 2018

2. Steve Kerr dancing at Steph Curry's 30th birthday party is something you need to see.

Klay Thompson also got down ... literally.

3. Most of you have seen Tom Brady chugging the beer with Stephen Colbert last night, but here is the full interview, which included the Patriots quarterback lotioning up the host toward the end.

4. Forget the actual content of the note. Former Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta penned what has to be the most aesthetically pleasing goodbye note to a team ever yesterday when he bid Chicago farewell. Just look at that presentation from pen to handwriting to paper. So fancy.

🙏🏻🏆✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/vFGFQArISb

— Jake Arrieta (@JArrieta34) March 13, 2018

5. Good job by the U.S. government on missing out on an easy way to make money.

Of The $10 billion projected to be bet on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, 97% estimated to be bet illegally. https://t.co/VxRmvIr84C

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) March 12, 2018

6. Cellular phones have come a long way since 1984, but my biggest question after seeing this tweet is, how could Zack Morris afford a $4,000 phone as a high school student???

World's 1st mobile phone: 8000X
Available: March 13, 1984
Weight: 2.4 lbs
Talk Time: 30 min
Charge Time: 10 hours
Cost: $3,999pic.twitter.com/60EZz3IAZ5

— Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) March 13, 2018

7. RANDOM WRESTLING VIDEO OF THE DAY: Paul Heyman and Jim Ross were very underrated as a commentary team as proven here.

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