By DISH Contributor: Jayme Lamm

Our city has waited since 1971 for the Final Four to make its way back around and this weekend, we welcome it with open arms.
The entire city has been making preparations for years as the NCAA and its fans are finally here to overtake the town for the 73rd edition of the Final Four. We haven't seen any real sports action (big games, big series) since the 2005 World Series and we are excited for some...excitement!

Not to take the wind out of everyone's sails, but the tournament is lacking comparatively speaking. The Final Four is used to hosting big name schools with huge basketball programs. Adorning fans travel the country to cheer their team on, celebrities quickly fill the venues and local hotspots. But this year may be different. Still a little too early to tell. There have only been 3 times in the history of the tourney (since seeding began) that at least one #1 seed didn't make the Final Four - 1980, 2006 and 2011! Another notable point of contention is that an #11 seed is the lowest seed to make an appearance in the Final Four. LSU did it in 1986, my Alma Mater George Mason did it in 2006 and VCU is doing it this weekend.

The National Semi-Finals take place at Reliant on Saturday. With more than 330 NCAA colleges and universities initially eligible for the championship each year, only 68 get invited to play in March Madness. Of those 68, we are down to these Final Four:

#4 Kentucky vs #3 UCONN
#11 VCU vs #8 Butler

The winners of each of those games will compete in Monday's National Championship game. Both games will be televised on CBS, but why on earth would you miss the excitement right in your own backyard? Remember, since some of the bigger name teams didn't make it, there are plenty of tickets being sold at face-value.

The chance to celebrate this kind of event doesn't come often. Check out a live slam dunk contest, dribble all the way from George R. Brown to City Hall, shoot hoops for charity, enjoy free concerts by some of your favorite bands in the beautiful weather. Bracket Town is taking place at the George R. Brown Convention Center and Discovery Green today through Monday (other notable sports events are listed below happening all over town):

Bracket Town™ refreshed by Coca-Cola Zero™

Location: George R. Brown Convention Center
Admission: $10 (ages 12 and over), $6 (ages 3-11, college students*, senior citizens (55 and older), and military*) Free (ages 2 and under)*Appropriate ID required
Hours: 5 - 10 pm All Weekend
Description: Come play with the best at Bracket Town refreshed by Coca-Cola Zero - the ultimate fan experience. Fans of all ages can test their skills and enjoy championship action with basketball competitions, clinics, performances, autograph sessions and photo ops, the latest in interactive games and demonstrations, prizes and more. Everyone's a champion at Bracket Town.

23rd Annual State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3 Point Championships

Location: University of Houston, Hofheinz Pavilion
Admission: Start at $10; tickets can be purchased at HERE                                                               Hours: 6:30 pm
The Annual College Slam Dunk & Three Point Shooting Championships bring together college basketball’s top three-point shooters and slam dunk artists in Houston and will be televised by ESPN2 on Thursday, March 31 at 8:00pm.

FRIDAY, APRIL 1

USBWA Awards Breakfast

Final Four Friday® - Team Practices

1 - 1:50 p.m. Game No. 2 Lower Seed
2:10 - 3 p.m. Game No. 1 Higher Seed
3:10 - 4 p.m. Game No. 2 Higher Seed

Reese's® - College All-Star Game

Location: Reliant Stadium
Admission: Free
Hours: 4:30 - 6:30 pm
The Reese's College All-Star Game features two teams comprised of the top collegiate senior student-athletes in the country. For the third year, the game will be played in the Final Four venue and will provide Texas residents and other NCAA basketball fans the chance to see many of the best college basketball players perform in action for free!

The Big Dance® - Concert Series

Headliner: SUBLIME WITH ROME
Location: Discovery Green
Admission: Free
Hours: 4 - 10:30 pm

Discovery Green will be fenced for the event. There will be four entrances with security. No dogs, food or beverages are allowed inside the gates.

SATURDAY, APRIL 2

POWERADE® NCAA Youth Clinics

Location: University of Houston, Houston Baptist University, Texas Southern University and John H. Reagan High School
Admission: Free (Participants must be between 8-16 years of age [boys and girls] and pre-registered - pre-registration is highly encouraged)
Hours: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
Registration: Log on to www.NCAA.com/finalfour for details. Online registration will be available for the first 300 youth at each site at www.NCAA.com/youthclinics.
The Powerade NCAA Youth Clinics are a community outreach program that connects kids ages 8 – 16 with the basketball championship and provides them with resources designed to have a lasting impact. Participants receive sport instruction from NCAA coaches and student-athletes and get valuable information on fitness, healthy lifestyles and sportsmanship. The clinics also feature a session for parents and guardians with information on recruiting, academic and eligibility issues.

The Big Dance® - Concert Series

Headliner: THE KINGS OF LEON
Location: Discovery Green
Admission: Free
Hours: 11:30 - 8:00 pm

Discovery Green will be fenced for the event. There will be four entrances with security. No dogs, food or beverages are allowed inside the gates.

SUNDAY, APRIL 3

NCAA Final Four Dribble® presented by Lowes Senior CLASS Award®

Start: Herman Square at Houston City Hall; 900 Smith Street, Houston, Texas 77002
Finish: George R. Brown Convention Center (Bracket Town)
Admission: Free
Hours: Dribble begins at 2 p.m.; All participants, including pre-registered, must check-in prior to 1:30 p.m.
Registration: Log onto www.NCAA.com/finalfour to register for the NCAA Final Four Dribble presented by Lowes Senior Class Award. Online registration will be available to the first 3,700 registrants.Onsite Registration: Onsite registration will be available to the first 800 registrants who did not pre-register online.
Basketball fans, under the age of 18, will have the opportunity to dribble from Houston City Hall to the George R. Brown Convention Center. Participants will receive a free basketball and t-shirt courtesy of the NCAA, Lowes Senior Class Award, Wilson Sporting Goods and the Houston Local Organizing Committee. Participants wearing their Final Four Dribble t-shirt will also receive free admission to Bracket Town on event day. Participants must be present to receive complimentary items and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The Big Dance® - Concert Series

Headliner: KENNY CHESNEY
Location: Discovery Green
Admission: Free
Hours: 3 - 10:30 pm

Discovery Green will be fenced for the event. There will be four entrances with security. No dogs, food or beverages are allowed inside the gates. Please read the following rules before you head to The Big Dance!

MONDAY, APRIL 4

National Championship

Location: Reliant Stadium
Admission: Sold out. Seating capacity is approximately 76,000
Hours: Tipoff is approximately 8:23 p.m. (Gates open at 6 p.m.) 
Description: This is the game everyone has waited for. The top two teams in the nation will play each other for the most coveted title in every intercollegiate sport - National Champions!

NABC Championship Trophy Presentation Celebration

Location: Final Four Winning Team Hotel
Admission: Free
Hours: Postgame
Description: Winning coach and student-athletes will be presented with the NABC championship trophy in a pep rally setting for all fans to enjoy.

Be sure to check out DowntownHouston for updated info on the event schedule.

Our friends over at Big Fuel told us about Buick's fan interaction with the Human Highlight Reel taking place throughout Bracket Town.

Other notable sporting events this weekend alone are the Shell Houston Open, Astros Opening Day and Houston Rockets

Tennis fever has clearly hit Houston!! Mardy Fish became the No. 1 player from the U.S. on Wednesday with a straight sets win over David Ferrer in the Miami quarterfinals. When the new rankings are released Monday, Fish will be ranked higher than Andy Roddick, who has been the top American since 2008. Fish is projected to climb from his current career high of No. 15 to No. 11 by reaching the Miami semifinals, and would likely reach the Top 10 if he were to advance to the Miami final.

Ryan Sweeting's wild card brings the total number of Americans in the field for 2011 to eight, including six of the seven Americans who are ranked in the Top 100. The 23-year-old played a brief collegiate career at the University of Florida and was the 2005 US Open junior champion. This will be Sweeting's third main draw appearance in Houston, including last year when he reached the second round as a qualifier before falling to Chile's Nicolas Massu in a third set.

Four players have been added to the field this week. In addition to Sweeting, former Australian Open finalist Rainer Schuettler of Germany, Russian Igor Kunitsyn and Germany's Mischa Zverev have joined the field. Schuettler took the place of 2010 champion Juan Ignacio Chela, who withdrew for personal reasons, while Kunitsyn and Daniel entered the field after all possible special exempt spots from Miami were eliminated.

Twenty-four of the field of 28 players has been set, with four more to enter through this weekend's qualifying tournament, including Americans James Blake and Ryan Harrison, who join Sweeting as the wild card entrants. The top four seeds for this year's event will be Fish at No. 1, 2010 finalist Sam Querrey at No. 2, Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez at No. 3 and American John Isner at No. 4. These four players will have first round byes.

DISH will have tickets to give away so follow us on TWITTER or Facebook to win your tickets!

The US Men's Clay Court Championship will once again be much more than just a tennis tournament at River Oaks Country Club as a number of ancillary events will complement the event next week. 

Main draw play will begin on Monday, April 4, for the tournament, but action will begin around the Club on Friday and the first players hitting the courts on Saturday in an attempt to qualify into the main draw.

Here's a look at the schedule for the week:
Friday, April 1
Draw Day - The singles main draw and qualifying draws will be made. The main draw will be made Friday afternoon in a special Twitter event. Follow the tournament on Twitter (www.twitter.com/mensclaycourt) for more information later this week. The qualifying draw will be made late Friday evening, and the draw along with Saturday's Order of Play will be posted on www.mensclaycourt.com by 11 p.m. Friday.

Saturday-Sunday, April 2-3
Qualifying tournament for FREE! - Four main draw spots are on the line in the qualifying tournament. In 2010, one of the best matches of the tournament took place in qualifying, as Fritz Wolmarans of South Africa fought off eight match points in a 6-7(9), 7-6(12), 6-3 win over Haydn Lewis of Barbados in 3:31. The 2010 top seed in qualifying, Kevin Anderson, is a seed in the 2011 main draw. In 2007, Mariano Zabaleta qualified into the main draw and advanced to the final, losing to Ivo Karlovic in the title match.

Monday-Friday, April 4-8
Main Draw play - The tournament takes center stage during the week with day sessions beginning at noon and night sessions at 6 p.m.

Monday, April 4
Junior Night - Youth tennis will be celebrated as the USTA's 10-and-Under Tennis takes center stage. Through smaller courts and lighter equipment, tennis is becoming more accessible to younger players. Try out QuickStart tennis during special activities geared to younger players prior to Monday's night session.

Tuesday, April 5
HLTA Ladies Day - The Houston Ladies Tennis Association will host a special clinic and Q&A with Wayne Bryan at 10:30 a.m. The special ticket price includes both the clinic and a ticket to the day session.

Wednesday-Thursday, April 6-7
Tootsies Fashion Show SOLD OUT - A fabulous brunch is served while fashions and accessories from Tootsies are showcased on the runways over the pool at River Oaks Country Club. This popular event once again sold out in just minutes for 2011.

Friday, April 8
USTA Member Appreciation Day and Wheelchair Tennis demonstration - USTA members will receive a gift with proof of their membership from USTA Texas. In addition, a wheelchair tennis demonstration will take place on stadium court at 10:30 a.m.

Saturday, April 9
Singles Semifinals and Doubles Final - The singles semifinals will be played back-to-back beginning at 1 p.m., and the doubles final will be held at 6 p.m. Tennis Channel will cover all three matches live.

Sunday, April 10
Singles Final - The singles final will be held at 2 p.m. and broadcast live on Tennis Channel.

All Week
Texas Childrens Ticket Turnback - Patrons with tickets they will not able to use may return them to the River Oaks box office. Those tickets will then be on sale at the box office for face value with the entire purchase price being donated to the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Childrens.

Tickets for select individual sessions at the 2011 US Men’s Clay Court Championship remain available. The Champ Pass and season ticket packages have sold out for the 2011 event.  Information on tickets can be found at www.mensclaycourt.com or by calling 713-874-6294.

We thought we were free of them and actually grateful Canada took them... but when it sounds too good to be true it usually is and the Crazy Quaids are back.

We've heard of them telling judges and lawyers they thought people were following them trying to kill them. They even gave the imaginary group a name! "Star Whackers"! They even mentioned writing a book about this sneaky group...but alas you won't have to bother to read it because straight from the minds of Evi and Randy Quaid comes Star Whackers, The Movie.

According to an official release, the documentary (yes we said DOCUMENTARY) chronicles their escape from Hollywood and the "star whackers". Evi announced their "docu-drama" in the following statement:

“This is a work in progress and highly experimental with nudity, adult language and content throughout. For the first time I would like an audience reaction to my art as a work in progress, so I may understand its content through other eyes.”

So....was this whole thing real in their minds or not...because she just called it art however they actually used this as an excuse to not show up in court.

LUCY! Somebody has some 'splanin to dooooo!

If you're interested in seeing this art pice, it will premiere on April 22 at the Rio Theatre, along with a screening of Real Time, the last "real" film Randy was in. But that's not all! After the brilliant double feature, you can stick around and participate in a Q&A with the couple! The theater is dubbing it “An Evening With the Quaids."

Note To self: Be busy that night...

The Westin Houston Memorial City officially opened over the weekend  on March 24th and it's been the most anticipated addition to the Memorial City District. The early opening date will allow the hotel to join the city of Houston in welcoming NCAA basketball fans to THE FINAL FOUR 2011.

With skybridge access to Memorial City Memorial Hermann Medical Center and Memorial City Mall, and in close proximity to the Energy Corridor, Westchase District, Citycentre, numerous restaurants, shopping areas, entertainment venues and international corporations, The Westin Houston Memorial City will offer Houston’s West Side a convenient, uniquely refreshing hotel experience. Bounded by I-10 and Gessner in Houston’s prestigious 77024 zip code, the 570,000 square foot newly-constructed property features 267 spacious guest rooms including 25 suites with oversized work stations, some with office alcoves; over 30,000 square feet of unconstrained meeting and banquet space; an 18^th-floor infinity pool with panoramic views of Houston’s skyline, the 024 Lounge; as well as world class shopping nearby with regular shuttle service for guests.

You should see this pool DISHIES! It's breathtaking! What a way to spend the evening! A glass of vino, a hot date, the sun kissed air and the view of our gorgeous city over the 18th floor infinity pool! BE STILL MY HEART!

Upon entering the new Westin Houston Memorial City, guests will be transported by the complete Westin sensory experience blending ambient lighting, relaxing music, beautiful botanicals and soothing scents. In the lobby is an elegant three-story glass and wood staircase ascending to the meeting and banquet spaces. A second-floor terrace offers a view of Houston’s skyline or a breath of fresh air.

The Westin Houston Memorial City ballrooms and banquet spaces are designed to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The modern, sophisticated interiors feature a soothing color palette of neutral tones complemented by rich accents of white oak with a walnut stain in the ceilings and custom mill work trim.

The Westin Houston Memorial City offers a full list of Westin’s signature amenities including the Westin Heavenly® Bed; Westin Heavenly Bath® products; Westin WakeCup; SuperFoodsRX, Westin’s exclusive nourishing, healthy eating options available for in-room dining; the Ingredients Café proudly brewing Starbucks coffee plus a Club Lounge and two full Club floors.

The 18^th floor Infinity Pool with a stunning waterfall feature, the only one of its kind in the city, offers unparalleled views of Houston and the surrounding area. Also conveniently located on the 18^th floor is the WestinWORKOUT facility with meditative yoga spaces; state-of-the-art fitness equipment; and rejuvenating in-room spa treatments which are also available in the spa treatment room on the 18^th floor.

For business travelers, the Westin Houston Memorial City features a Hertz Rental Car desk and a full service Business Center with a UPS service desk.

The new hotel will feature a Trattoria Il Mulino from the restaurateurs who created the world famous West Village institution, Il Mulino New York. Trattoria Il Mulino will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner in a casual, family-friendly atmosphere. Executive Chef Michele Mazza offers a menu emphasizing classic Italian cuisine from the Abruzzi region of Italy that also incorporates local culinary influences. Trattoria Il Mulino promises to become one of the city’s finest destination restaurants.

The intimate 024 Lounge will be a meeting place for Houstonians and out of towners; a perfect spot to relax with friends, business associates or clients. Guests will be welcomed into the refreshing interior with a cascading water wall, comfortable over-stuffed furnishings, flattering lighting and several flat-screen televisions to catch up on the latest news and sports scores. At 024 Lounge, guests are invited to indulge in specialty cocktails and Lite Bites from Trattoria Il Mulino.

DISH is going on a STAYcation!! See you there DISHIES!