For those so lucky as to attend an athletics-obsessed undergraduate instituition, it comes as firsthand knowledge that any sort of "learning" is put on hold for most of March, so that basketball players may pursue the sweat-soaked glory of a NCAA championship. But a student at the University of Florida, whose team plays in tonight's final against UCLA, reports that the madness has hit a new high:

michael chabon was supposed to speak at my college tonight (uf, gainesville) and he cancelled at the last minute because "of basketball (seriously)." despite the brilliance of mysteries of pittsburgh, the man's a royal dick. the uf center for jewish studies, which was hosting the event, says no one's ever cancelled this way.

When the Jews give in to the athletic department? It's more than just a shonda — it's an identity crisis.

Update: A clarification: Chabon himself didn't cancel the appearance; it was a decision made by the school's Center for Jewish Studies. Shift the blame, but the identity crisis remains the same.

An Evening With Michael Chabon - Cancelled [UFCJS]

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