(Boston, Massachusetts)

I was thrilled to see the St. Mary's College Gaels win the West Coast Conference Basketball Championship last night. The upset win over Gonzaga means the Gaels get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament!

I am a student at St. Mary's, working on my doctorate. I also attended Marquette and Florida, so I hope they both make the tournament as well.

Both of the latter are big schools. It's the size of St. Mary's which makes this win so special. Nestled on a beautiful campus in the hills above San Francisco Bay, it has only about three thousand students, but remains a powerhouse in the world of academics and, sometimes, athletics, too!

The win was big, 81 to 62. Congratulations to #50, center Omar Samhan, who played at San Ramon Valley High in Danville. Cheers to coach Randy Bennett, who has built a world-class program in his nine years as coach.

Where will the Gaels play in the first round? I am not sure yet, but the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, RI, is hosting first-round games, so maybe I will get to go.

Now, where can I find a St, Mary's College t-shirt on the East Coast?

"Go Gaels!" And may the luck o' the Irish be with you!

(Providence, Rhode Island)

I love the Academy Awards, going way back to the days when legends such as Bob Hope and Johnny Carson hosted.

I admit I have seen only two of the nominated movies, and I loved them both. “Julie and Julia” is sensational, both from an acting standpoint and for all the glorious food. When I saw it, I immediately said Meryl Streep would win another Oscar. My one and only interview with Julia Child remains one of the highlights of my career—both as a newsman and as a foodie!

But then I saw “The Blind Side” with Sandra Bullock. I had never thought much of her acting skills, as--in my book--she played too many similar characters. But she was wonderful as the mentor and adoptive mom of future NFL star Michael Oher. Her Oscar nomination is well deserved. (Streep and Bullock are pictured above.)

In fact, I am torn. I hope it is a tie. Didn’t a tie occur once before at the Oscars? Sure enough, in 1968, Katherine Hepburn (“A Lion in Winter”) and Barbra Streisand (“Funny Girl”) tied for Best Actress.

More than anything else, what I love about “Julie and Julia” and “The Blind Side” is that they are both true stories. I tire of some of the fiction Hollywood puts out, as well as some of its revisionist history and its endless list of re-makes. Be original, Hollywood! There are many good, true stories out there that would make great films, both at the box office and with critical acclaim. “Julie and Julia” and “The Blind Side” proved it!

The one movie I really am dying to see is “Crazy Heart,” based on the book written by Rhode Island College Professor Thomas Cobb. I love movies about the music business.

We carry the Oscars “live” on ABC-6 at 8 p.m., Eastern Time, as well as our “Oscar Night America” party “live” at 6:30 p.m. Check in at www.ABC6.com.