Posts tagged ncaa
enlightened conflict college football 2011
Nov 30th
Every year I seem to get motivated to enlighten everyone on college football. This year it is the bowl games where I feel it is time to enlighten.
Let me begin with some assumptions:
- Oregon will be Pac-12 champ (beating a 6-6 chump UCLA)
- LSU will destroy Georgia (assuming they don’t decide to just go directly to New Orleans and forget there is a game in the Georgia Dome)
- Virginia Tech will beat a dangerously good but seemingly lost Clemson
- Wisconsin is gonna thump Michigan State for ruining its season earlier in the year with the luckiest play of the entire NCAA season
- Oklahoma State will beat Oklahoma because it won’t come down to their field goal kicker.
- Louisville wins the Big East (which is absolutely irrelevant because I am not sure they are even a top 20 team)
Next.
I am going to ignore the BCS and polls (because I have never understood how some teams end up where they are anyway … oh … sure I do .. the polls are based at the beginning of the year on how you finished the year before … and name brand status) and suggest that there is LSU and then a bunch of teams who are good enough to win an important game against a very good team.
And there are some teams in the top 15 teams who will are not on my list of teams that could do the “win the big game”.
Georgia, Stanford, South Carolina, Oklahoma and a couple of others are good teams but using the “eye test” they just aren’t that good. All teams this year seem flawed (even LSU on offense) but some teams, even though they have a good record, are really just not that good.
I also believe if you don’t win your conference you shouldn’t play in a BCS championship game. That unfortunately knocks out 2 teams, Boise State & Alabama, from contention (although I will also point out another reason why Bama should go somewhere else and play with someone else).
Regardless. Let me enlighten you …
1. No one outside of Alabama wants to see LSU play Alabama (that includes LSU people).
No one wants this game. Why would they? LSU has won … in Alabama home stadium … in one of the world’s most boring ugly games of the century. This game would prove nothing more than what we already know … they are both good teams. They both have good defenses. They are both offensively challenged. They both have 2 of the best coaches in college football.
Let them now go out and really prove it. Take on the best of the rest and if they win we know they are the top 2 and that LSU won when they played.
Alabama had their chance and blew it (or maybe they lost to a better team). Sorry. No do-overs. No mulligans. Go take your game elsewhere and take it out on someone else.
Plus (ok … here comes some heresy). Is Alabama really that good? Maybe they need to give us some more proof. Other than a good win against a flawed Penn State team in UnHappy Valley the best thing on their resume is a loss … to LSU. Now. Just to prove I haven’t completely lost it I am not suggesting Bama isn’t a very good team. I am simply enlightening people to the fact that they really haven’t beaten a bunch of very good teams (uh oh, here is where all the SEC lovers come out of the woodwork and start giving me some good ole fashion conflict whoop-ass). Maybe instead of begging for a rematch they should just go out and beat someone on a neutral field.
2. Broncos. Oh. That is the Denver Broncos not Boise State.
What the heck. Let the Denver Broncos play LSU. They are playing a college offense with a college quarterback with an NFL-like defense.
The Broncos last game? The special teams got three field goals and a 31-yard punt return that setup their lone touchdown. And they have no offense other than the fact it is heavy on Tebow. Last game Tebow carried 22 times (a record for a quarterback since the NFL-AFL merger) for 67 yards. He is not an overly skilled quarterback. Look. I bet he is a great guy and he is certainly a great leader.
But. I have one stat for you. 0-4.
That is what he was at half time one game. Huh? My quarterback was 0-4? Yup. I swear to you that this is really the Air Force Academy (or Georgia Tech) in NFL uniforms. The NCAA should be questioning some players on what they are doing with their Sundays. That’s why all those Broncos players are wearing those Darth Vader visors … it’s a cover up. The Broncos are clearly a top 5 BCS contender. Let Tebow play another season. Bring on LSU.
3. Teams with losses (or maybe I should call this the teams you don’t want to play for just one game because they are really really good even though they have lost some games)
There are some really dangerously good one game teams this season. Their records may not be the best but no one really would want to play a one game season with them.
- Wisconsin
I don’t know if it’s just because they play in Canada or because they only show their games on ESPN3 but no one talks about the Badgers (maybe if they were something different than a Badger?). These guys are good. Really good. And really big. And they could beat anyone on any given Saturday. And maybe even some teams that play on Sunday. And unlike LSU or Alabama they have a real quarterback to go along with a Heisman worthy running back.
- Virginia Tech
Quietly Virginia Tech has won seven in a row. The team has gotten progressively better as the season has unfolded behind the play of an evolving defense and the maturation of the offense. These guys are rarely flashy. These guys never seem to have what it takes to sustain a season. Ok. Maybe it’s that like some other teams they get dinged in the bowls for some early season struggles. I know I should always look at full season results but a part of me says … “look at the team at the end of the year and tell me what you think.”
That said. Right now. One game. One day. Any field. They are very very dangerous. And as long as they don’t wear one of their wacky uniforms they would never embarrass themselves in a big game.
- USC.
Ok. There is no doubt which team is the best in college football this season – LSU. But if there’s another team out there that looks scary to play right now … it is the one that is making being put in the NCAA outhouse look like a Port-a-Potty mansion.
That’s the Trojans who have become the anointed “Team Nobody Wants To Play” (that is a direct pull from FoxSports).
Of course, nobody has to because the Trojans are banned from a bowl. The reality is that since a miserable showing against ASU it has gone 7-1, beating Notre Dame in South Bend, Oregon in Eugene and UCLA in one of the most lopsided games in that rivalry and lost a multiple overtime game to a good Stanford team that they could have won if there had been one more second left in regulation.
USC finished its regular season as one of the half-dozen or so best programs in the country and maybe the hottest team in the NCAA. An LSU – USC game would be awesome.
- Air Force Academy (disguised as the Denver Broncos).
Tim Tebow lost eligibility but has recreated the entire program in Denver (sorry … couldn’t resist bringing it up again).
- Boise State (the real college Broncos).
Say what you want about their schedule. Say what you want about living in Idaho. Say what you want about playing on Smurf Turf. No one wants to play these guys in a bowl game. They win.
Maybe because they actually play like a team. A complete cohesive team without any superstar (and they play with a chip on their shoulder).
A dangerous team to play in a bowl game. In fact I would suggest that over time Boise and USC may be the most dangerous bowl game opponents of all time.
4. Field goal kickers
I am not sure anyone would ever call this “the year of the field goal kickers.”
I haven’t done any research to confirm my feeling but I am not sure I can remember a year that has had more games, and important games, decided by missed field goals.
It was not a good year to be a field goal kicker trotting out onto the field looking to be the hero. Because many more were goats.
If some of those field goals were made the BCS standings would look very very different. Okla State, Boise State, Oregon and maybe even Alabama has a different record.
5. Good teams outside the SEC
Could everyone remember that outside of LSU and Alabama the SEC doesn’t have any elite teams? Please? I would have rephrased that if Marcus Lattimore hadn’t been hurt. With Lattimore and that Gamecock defense South Carolina could have been elite. There are some good teams but it is those 2 and a cloud of dust.
Oh. And there are some pretty horrible teams in the SEC this year. I am not claiming they are the Big East but playing in the SEC was no great shakes this year. And I am probably the only one in the country that doesn’t think Alabama is that good. Defense? Awesome. Offense? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm … they will struggle to run up the score on anyone (even Georgia Southern).
My point?
SEC fans just take a break on your elitism (this year).
Your good is good. Really good. But conference wise? C’mon. Even you have to admit it was a down year.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm … and if you do … does that mean that possibly you assess Alabama’s resume a little differently? Oops. Another enlightenment thought that will generate some conflict.
6. Heisman is for best player isn’t it?
I get confused on this.
I vaguely remember that the Heisman was for the best college football player.
Period. Regardless of the record of the team they were playing on (mostly because if you didn’t do it that way you would be penalizing kids who made the wrong college choice).
Oh. But we don’t do it that way.
So all of a sudden to win a Heisman your team has to be in a BCS game. What’s up with that?
Andrew Luck. Yup. He is good. As is Trent Richardson. But what about Montee Ball (who they call MoneyBall because he scores so many touchdowns)? And Robert Griffin 3? And, yes, Case Keenum deserves discussion. And what about Tyrone Mathieu? Ok. I admit. The Heisman is tough. Comparing what Case Keenum has done to the level of his competition versus, say, what Trent Richardson faces weekly is silly. On the other hand Keenum is significantly more valuable to the Cougars than Richardson is to the Tide. What I mean is that if you take each player off of his respective squad for several weeks and check which team has the greatest drop-off. Both are terrific players …. but terrific in different ways.
I say all that to give my enlightened vote (which will certainly generate some conflict).
Kellen Moore.
Does anybody think that Boise State is a top ten team without Kellen Moore? And with the overall stats he has how can he not be in the discussion?
Oh. And I am probably the only person in America who isn’t sure Luck is the best quarterback in NCAA. Oops. Different post.
Anyway.
I have two words for everyone. Paul Hornung. Only player to win Heisman on a losing team. And you now what? He was a fucking good player and best in college football and deserved the Heisman.
7. The 2011 enlightened bowl line up
So. What would I do if I could ignore all the polls and BCS mumbo jumbo.
BCS championship game:
LSU. Just give it to them. Oh. We can’t. And Alabama is a no-go because they had a chance … and lost. Ok. Let LSU finish proving they are the best. Make them play either Wisconsin or Oklahoma State. Ok. Wisconsin. I believe Wisconsin is better (I am not sure Oklahoma State could keep the Oklahoma high school champion out of the end zone).
This would mean that LSU has already beaten the best of the Big Least, the SEC and the Pac 12 and this game would give them another ‘best’ to see what they do.
Being biased I would put USC in this game in a second. Being practical I cannot. USC is sitting on a toilet bowl watching everyone and hoping Barkley stays in college so they can smack someone in next year’s BCS championship game.
LSU versus Wisconsin. I don’t give a shit the Badgers have 2 losses. They are big & tough & have a quarterback & a great running back & an offensive line that could double as a herd of Herefords.
Other bowls:
Alabama versus Oregon. It’s the best Bama can do to find a comparison point against LSU to try and convince us they are better than LSU. Oregon is better now than when they played LSU in game 1. Let the Ducks see what they can do against Bama. And what Alabama can do against another set of butt-ugly uniforms.
Plus. LaMichael James versus Trent Richardson is a nice matchup. And Bama may be surprised when they play a team that actually has a real quarterback.
Oklahoma State versus Virginia Tech. I actually believe these 2 teams are slightly behind Wisconsin in talent. But are very very good.
Good defense against non stop offense. No offense against a defensive sieve.
What a great match up.
Stanford against Boise State.
Ok. No matter what anyone tells me Stanford is not that good (unless all their receivers are healthy). They are just not deep enough to have significant injuries.
Ok. No matter what anyone tells me Boise State is better than TCU. In fact Boise State is better than pretty much anyone thinks.
I would love to see Kellen Moore finish his career against Andrew Luck making a point that he is a pretty darn good quarterback in his own right.
Houston versus TCU (or Oklahoma or South Carolina or Georgia or whatever quasi-top ten team you want to throw in here).
No one will watch anyway. No one will care. Houston can go undefeated and whine about never getting a chance to play one of the big boys.
Oh. But they won’t win. TCU is good. And will smack Houston around like a dead fish on the wharf (assuming TCU players even know what a wharf is).
Note: insert any of the other team names I included above if you don’t like TCU.
Uh oh. No Big East teams in a big bowl game? Yup. None deserve it.
That’s it.
It was an odd year of college football. And if it wasn’t for a rash of bad field goal kicking it would have been absolutely boring.
An enlightening post? Heck. I don’t know. Fun to write. Sure to create conflict.
enlightened college football conflict analysis
Sep 2nd
Opening weekend in college football. My look at the top 25 and some other stuff and my enlightened expert analysis.
First.
Because I have been very very consistent on this issue I need to comment on BYU going independent (I have always believed the Mormons should just have an all-star team and beat the crap out of everyone). Oh. I also believe an all star team would constantly receive NCAA violations for too many tickets allocated for the wives section so maybe that is a vote against that idea.
Anyway. Awesome. The Mormon team can now be free to do what Dean Smith of UNC used to do. Promise incoming players they would schedule games where they were from or their families were. BYU can now travel the world to play maybe in Africa, Latin America or even Easter Island. Now THAT is a recruiting ploy (the bastards).
Second.
No Notre Dame in the top 25 so I don’t get to make any Charlie Weiss jokes or talk about jimmy c’losin’ or Knute spinning in his grave over their win loss record. But. Suffice it to say my prediction is they will be better than last year. Yeah. I know. I really stuck my neck out on that one.
Third.
The top 25. A quick look at the games enlightened conflict style.
No. 1 Alabama vs. San Jose State
Alabama plays ‘san’s Mark Ingram. No way Jose! Oh. Saban is still stuck on sport center set playing ginga with Mack Brown. Doesn’t matter. Bama fraternity parties will have more drunks then in the stands by the end of the 3rd quarter.
No. 2 Ohio State vs. Marshall
I still don’t think Pryor is a great quarterback. But. He is absolutely a thundering herd as he rolls down the field. He is kind of a Tebow-lite player. I didn’t like Tebow either. Doesn’t matter. Buckeyes won’t look as good as everyone wants them to look. Everyone will start questioning how good they are. But. They will win. And Tressell will sport a brand new argyle sweater vest which will wow the boys from West Virginia.
florida fan
No. 3 Florida vs. Miami (OH)
Don’t misread. This ain’t THE Miami. How Florida is number 3 is beyond me. Talented? Yes. Number 3? You gotta be nuts. Yeah. Gator country celebrates this week. Florida. Enjoy it while you can. By the end of the season you ain’t number 3.
No. 4 Texas vs. Rice
Longhorns eat rice. Makes for leaner beef. No mad cows here.
No. 5 Boise State vs. No. 6 Virginia Tech
Broncos leave the smurf turf to try and make a point they belong in college football instead of high school football. The Hokies are young and inexperienced and the crowd will be drunk. They will play lights out in the first half. Then Boise will remind themselves that if they lose they end up playing a bunch of games on silly looking turf in -5 degree weather and no one will care … and they win.
No. 7 TCU vs. No. 22 Oregon State
Whoever scheduled a game between Horned Frogs and Beavers should be given a raise. Purple and obnoxious beaver orange and black and random colors appear on the field will be offensive to the eye. The score? Who cares. Every fashion designer in the world will find inspiration in this game. Dammit. But beavers are bigger than frogs I believe.
No. 8 Oklahoma vs. Utah State
Oklahoma starts their run at another BCS bowl loss. They are better than everyone thinks they are. Doesn’t mean they won’t lose another bowl game but today they start showing everyone how good they are.
No. 9 Nebraska vs. Western Kentucky
This is awesome. This is probably the closest most Nebraska boys will ever get to Kentucky. The only hope for the Kentucky team is that all the Nebraska boys will be staring at their cheerleaders thinking “wow, that’s what girls are supposed to look like” and forget to play. Well. Won’t happen. But don’t be surprised if some second team Nebraska boys transfer to a southeast college afterwards.
No. 10 Iowa vs. Eastern Illinois
Nobody probably remembers but last year Iowa sucked in their first game and almost lost to some high school team in northern Iowa. Won’t happen this year. They will focus. That just means they will suck in their second game this year.
No. 11 Oregon vs. New Mexico
boise state
Well. having been in New Mexico I will first point out green and ducks are a rarity. So. The Lobos will come out and not only be befuddled by whatever wacky uniforms the Ducks are wearing but also spend at least a half researching this new color they are seeing as well as “what the fuck is a duck and do they only get that big in Oregon?” By then the game will be done and Nike will be happy and the Lobos can go home and talk about rain and this new amazing color called green and ‘have you ever seen that big a fucking duck?”
No. 12 Wisconsin vs. UNLV
So. Wisconsin chooses to go to Vegas to start the season. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Badgers are good but the cheese boys are just gonna be getting in from the tables and the strip clubs and this game is gonna be closer than everyone thinks. Plus. Let me go on record. Wisconsin suspends at least three players after this weekend.
No. 13 Miami (Fla.) vs. Florida A&M
Being 13 is nuts (they should be higher). Miami is pissed. The rattlers get crushed. And watch Miami (as long as they stay pissed) start their run up into the top 10.
No. 14 Penn State vs. Youngstown State
Joe Paterno forgets to bring his Depends. Keeps leaving the sidelines. No one notices. Penn state is already focused on next game. It doesn’t matter. Its games like this that make you wonder why college football just doesn’t have a preseason game before really having games count.
No. 15 Pittsburgh at No. 24 Utah
This will be an awesome game even if you don’t care about Mormons, Indians, wildlife or anything outside of SEC football. I have no clue who will win. But I will watch this one.
No. 16 LSU vs. No. 18 North Carolina
Another awesome game. Everyone seems to be picking LSU but I actually believe UNC will suck it up and win this one. Now. UNC will end up losing some bonehead games later on in the season and underachieve but this one? Yeah. I think they make Miles throw his hat on the ground in frustration.
No. 17 Georgia Tech vs. South Carolina State
Well. Just having been in Atlanta I think that the rambling wreck fans will have other things to do than attend this game. I think it is Pot Festival weekend. The engineers (fans) all go off and get stoned, go to the Varsity and pig out and wander into the stadium after the game is done to see that Tech won and then go off and eat pizza and do whatever engineers do for fun.
No. 19 Arkansas vs. Tennessee Tech
Ryan Mallett is awesome. He will look even awesomer against Tennessee Tech. If he stays in the game long enough he is gonna put up better numbers than a Texas Tech quarterback. I will say it here and now. Mallett is gonna be an awesome pro quarterback if he stays healthy.
No. 20 Florida State vs. Samford
At first I thought it was Stanford and I was going to call this the IQ versus no IQ game. Nuts. Missed opportunity. Regardless. Seminoles can save whatever IQ they may have for another game. In fact. Maybe they should use this opportunity to go to some classes and skip the game because they would win anyway.
No. 21 Georgia vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
I am assuming Georgia scheduled this game thinking somehow it would prepare them for the ‘real’ Louisiana game. Whatever. UGA has the best looking girls in the top 25. Hands down. That’s all that really matters.
auburn frat boy
No. 23 Auburn vs. Arkansas State
So. Here’s a random fact. Auburn is the only team in the SEC to retain their entire coaching staff from last year (USA Today). Huh? Who cares? This is one of these stupid games that will tell us absolutely nothing about how good any team is. I hope it is 100 degrees and 90% humidity and everyone is miserable. Because if you tune into his game you will be miserable. The fans may as well share in your pain.
No. 24 West Virginia vs. Coastal Carolina
WTF. Who schedules these games? Ok. I admit. I liked the Mountaineers offense with Rodriguez and I do think they have a cool logo. Sorry. That’s all I got for this game. If West Virginia loses this game they should go to Chile and utilize their mining skills and get those miners out and stay there until December doing that.
april madness 1
Apr 4th
a recap of the semifinals. Oh. I almost didn’t watch because The Outlaw Josey Wales was on another channel but I figured what the heck.
how cool
How cool would it be to play horse with the president of the United States? (pretty cool) I have been fortunate enough to be in the same room on two different occasions with two different presidents and whether you voted for them or not it is pretty intimidating (awe inspiring) to be in the same room. So. Try to make a shot with a president ragging on you? (and all those secret service guys eyeing you) Okay. I would be willing to bet George Washington had a shitty jump shot but Obama has some game. He was correct that Clark Kellogg gave him a couple of misses in the middle and I loved when the president said “hey, I have had some other things on my mind” but it would be very cool to play horse with the president. And I think it was kinda cool he won (although it was POTUS – president of the united states instead of HORSE).
Butler on to final.
I will say upfront I didn’t care who won this game. I will also say there was nothing about the style of this game I liked. It just isn’t the kind f basketball game I prefer. It was plodding. Ugly. And bruising. I did think Michigan state was going to pull it out of only because maybe midway through the second half they were down by 5 and it seemed like they hadn’t made a shot in an hour, hadn’t got a call yet in the game, turned it over every other time they touched it and acted like when they did get to the free throw line that they were blindfolded. Boy. I thought butler played a smart game. Boy. I don’t think Michigan State didn’t get a call the entire game (and half their team had 4 fouls) and I did think Tom Izzo’s head was going t explode a couple of times begging for a call. But. Butler in the finals is pretty cool. Plus. A couple of their players look older than their coach which has to count for something.
De’ Shaun and Huggins.
I was impressed with De’shaun Butler when he won some award for being a great player and his scholastics and his community work and how he handled the questions and discussion. A well spoken young man. Any kid who stays in school for four years and is that good a player and does that much good deserves a lot of credit these days when players half as good as him leave after one or two years. Then. When he hurt his knee (which you don’t like to see happen to anyone), Bob Huggins (who I have already noted I am not fond of) stepped up. I may reconsider. When he came out on the floor and hugged his player on the floor and tried to console his player. Well. I don’t know. I don’t know that I have ever seen a top level coach get on his knees and cradle one of his players on the court. It was touching. It made me remember why coaches never leave the college ranks for the pros.
Duke to finals.
Well. This game was a lot prettier to watch then the first one. That’s for sure. I think even before Butler went down with an injury you could feel that West Virginia wasn’t going to be able to find a way back from the hole they were in. Duke has won ugly all tournament long. Not today. Today was one of those days that showcases what it looks like when Duke is looking good. For all the poor shooting in the first game Duke made up for it all in spades the way they shot in their game. Whether you like Duke or not they were a pretty team to watch today. I am mostly pleased to have watched it and they don’t have a JJ Redick or a Christian Laettner type player to hate.
NCAA Musing Part 3
Mar 24th
Syracuse
From the first time I saw Syracuse play on TV early in the year I felt like they were a monster team. I have always felt like they were the best team in the nation (sometimes we get fooled by the ups & downs of a season). Anyway. Through the first two rounds (playing without their center) they did what they had to do and demolished who they played. Their 2-3 zone is stifling. They are deep. They are mature. And they are by far the best front runner in a game team in the conference (Boeheim seems to teach that killer instinct well). And they get their center back from here on out. Doesn’t mean someone on a given day couldn’t beat them. But they are very very good. Big East has 2 teams left. Both very different. West Virginia is a ‘banger’ team. Loose refs and they could shove their way into Final Four with Syracuse.
Refereeing
This isn’t a gripe about referees (because in general I believe they do a great job). Nowhere do you have the opportunity to do referee comparison than you do during the tournament. Because there are so many games being played at exactly the same time you can watch a game where the teams are pounding the shit out of each other and its like they forgot to give out whistles before the game and then they switch to another game and some team had gone to the foul line 40 plus times (and it seems like they miss about half of them). If a coach isn’t careful and they don’t realize they are in a “non physical referee game” fast enough they can have some of their best players rack up some fouls very quickly.
Cornell, Northern Iowa, Butler, St. Mary’s
How awesome is it to be able to type these names after the first weekend of the tournament. (I would like to also point out how awesome it was that I typed pretty much these same names in my first college basketball post in January). How good are they really? Heck. I don’t know. But we are sure gonna find out by the end of next weekend that’s for sure. I am not sure any of them have an ice cube’s chance in hell (especially Cornell against KY). But. All I know is I have a Cornell baseball hat and win or lose I am gonna wear it.
The Young Faces
Holy cow. When they get interviewed some of these kids are … well … kids. For the most part they are amazingly well spoken but that isn’t really the point. They are kids. And the top tier teams who have these kids on camera all the time? Their kids are calm and mature. The Cornells, Northern Iowas and Old Dominions … well … they are so excited and so happy it reminds you why everyone should love college basketball. They mumble. They smile. They say goofy things. But, damn, they love the moment. Awesome.
Game Endings
Maybe it’s just me but I cannot remember more close game endings than this year. The end of the Michigan State – Maryland game was funny and amazing. While it certainly wasn’t the closest buzzer beater win there is a moment when a pass goes cross the top of the key where the big man has to duck so he doesn’t get smacked in the head as it goes from one guard to the other. And even if he would have caught it I am not sure he would have had enough time to get it back to someone who could make a shot. But beyond that funny moment the clutch shooting to win games has been amazing. You have to give those teams a boatload of credit because in almost every case every team found “their guy” had the ball at the right time in the right place to even give themselves a shot at the win.
The Most Interesting team Left that can Win It (to me)
Duke. Year in and year out they play beyond their capabilities. I personally believe Krzyzewski is one of those rare special coaches who gets lots of very good players to his program and gets them to play on occasion like really great players (and their record outstrips their true abilities). C’mon. This is the coach who made Bobby Hurley, Mike Gminski, Danny Ferry and Christian Laettner high round NBA draft picks. That’s why they are my most interesting team. They shouldn’t win the entire thing. But. There’s that but.
The Team that Should Have Made the Madness
Connecticut. Women’s team. In case you haven’t paid any attention once again they are playing the role of the Harlem Globetrotters while everyone else gets to be the Generals. They would have made it out of the first weekend of the men’s tournament. I also hear they beat the Canadian hockey team in an exhibition game (hockey, not bball) before the olympics which shows their athletic talent. oh. They celebrated with beer on the ice afterwards. Canadian beer.
March Madness Part 2
Mar 20th
I love college sports. And this time of the year is awesome. It’s not just the basketball tournament but also the NFL draft and spring break (oops. different post). It’s the time of the year when we have mock drafts, mock brackets and mockingbirds.
My pool got thrown a loop when I picked Tim Tebow to beat New Mexico State but other than that things are rocking along. Here are some things I am lovin’ about this year’s March madness:
Freaks of nature
Taylor Mays. Height: 6’3″, weight: 230 lbs., 40 yard dash: 4.43 (4.24 unofficial was one of the highlights of the combine), Bench Reps of 225 pounds: 24
I am not sure I need to say anything more other than maybe don’t let him get a 40 yard head of steam before he runs into you.
Bruce Campbell. Height: 6’6″, weight: 314 lbs., 40 yard dash: 4.85, Bench Reps of 225 pounds: 34
Look. This 314 lb guy who looked like he didn’t have an ounce of fat on his 6’6” frame ran a fucking 4.85 40. Oh. And he benched a tremendous 34 reps of 225 pounds. No matter how drunk you are I recommend not picking a fight with him if he asks to dance with your date.
The Big East
One of the things I love about the tournament is it becomes conference put up or shut up time. For years we have always heard “ACC is the best tournament” and it seems every other year their middle tier teams get crushed too early in the tournament. This year it looks like it’s the Big East conference’s turn. Doesn’t mean their top teams won’t end up in the final four just that maybe the rest of their teams weren’t as good as we thought. Oh. And maybe the Pac10 teams weren’t as bad as everyone thought.
The state of New Mexico
Whoda thunk New Mexico had two universities let alone two basketball teams worthy of making the NCAA tournament (and winning). The only thing I know about New Mexico teams are one is the Lobos (which is an awesome nickname), one of them must play in Albuquerque (the only city I know in New Mexico) and I love that city and Geronimo had an awesome crossover move but couldn’t keep his grades up and lost his eligibility. I also love the fact one of the teams figured out how to beat Montana who cheated by having two huge rock trolls (Lord of the Rings reference) who trundled up and down the court bashing everyone out of the way and missing layups.
Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow this. Tim Tebow that. He shouldn’t even be drafted in the first 3 rounds (despite the fact he is a first round media story every frickin day). But. The NFL draft is so tough to predict because there are just way too many stupid teams in the league. I guarantee two things. 1. Someone will be stupid enough to draft him in the first 2 rounds. 2. That same someone will look 2 years from now at someone they passed on they should have picked playing in the Pro Bowl.
Bob Huggins
I don’t know Bob Huggins personally but for some reason I haven’t really liked him. His style of coaching or his attitude or maybe just how he handles himself when he actually has an opportunity to talk. Anyway. The guy can coach. Doesn’t matter where he is and what kind of team he has he figures out how to coach them to win. And he makes his teams tough. That I appreciate.
Baseball
The University of Texas is the favorite to capture the 2010 College World Series. Look. Their pitching staff had a team ERA of 2.95 last year. That is good enough for Cy Young consideration. And this is college baseball. And this is the ENTIRE staff ERA. They have a bunch of other players but that is gonna make them tough to beat.
A look at the current poll:
- Texas
- LSU
- Virginia
- Cal. St. Fullerton
- Arizona St.
Oh. Just in case you weren’t paying attention. Something to note. The ACC. 6 teams in top 16. Doesn’t seem that long ago the west coast had a stranglehold on college baseball. No more.
Lastly. Two names for you. South Dakota State and Dallas Baptist. They are predicted to be in the college baseball 64 team tournament. Awesome. Where else would that happen?
The West Coast
Finally. Finally I have found the true benefit of moving to the West Coast. An extra 2 to 3 hours of NCAA tournament. 9 a.m. and there is a game on. Awesome.
Some Brief Thoughts on the NCAA Tournament
Mar 19th
The first four days of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament have always been like a mini-holiday for me; as a huge fan of the sport, it’s something I look forward to for months. I love the shear overload of games going on simultaneously, the matchups of powerful programs against unknown mid-majors, the chances for upsets, hell, even the camaraderie of a bunch of people hanging out in a sports bar taking a “long lunch” and playing hooky from work(I remember skipping some classes my senior year of high school to watch the early games on a Thursday afternoon).
I have to admit that due to the extremely disappointing season for my team, the UNC Tar Heels, I didn’t think I would be as in to the tournament this year. I didn’t even fill out a bracket, which felt strange. And before you say it, yes, I know they won the National Championship last year, and I couldn’t be happier about that. I don’t want to sound ungrateful for such a successful program, but maybe it’s that success that makes years when they don’t make the tournament that much harder. Anyway, I decided to head to a local sports bar for lunch yesterday just to see if I could feel that spark again.
After about 5 minutes of watching three games simultaneously, I quickly regained that excitement(the ice cold Fat Tires I had didn’t hurt either). In fact, in those three games I remembered exactly what I love about this tournament:
- The “One Fan from the underdog team”: Sixth seed Notre Dame was playing #11 seed Old Dominion. Sitting by himself at the bar, a gentleman in an ODU t-shirt, focused intently on the TV above his head. Unfortunately, the bar’s speaker system was switched to another game, so he just sat there in silence, clapping and cheering quietly under his breath every time his team pulled even or ahead of the Irish. When the Monarchs pulled off the first upset of the day, several of us at the bar applauded, congratulating the guy sitting by himself in his ODU t-shirt. As he left he told us, “I’ve got to get back to work, but I’m wearing my shirt at the office the rest of the day!” You gotta love that.
- The “Almost Upset”: With Robert Morris on the verge of knocking off #2 seed Villanova, you could almost feel the excitement running through the bar as everyone considered the implications of such a huge upset. The general consensus was “it might really screw up my bracket, but I’d still love to see it happen.”
- The “I hate that team so I hope they lose”: Ok, this one might sound a little petty, but c’mon, we all do it. We all have that team or teams we hate and love to see lose. Well, for me one of those teams is Florida, and they were locked in a fairly awesome battle with #7 seed BYU. By the time the second OT ended with BYU victorious, I was almost ready to move to Utah and become a Mormon. Now, if The Golden Lions of Arkansas-Pine Bluff could only pull off a miracle against Dook later today…
Well, after three games (and a couple of beers), my love for the NCAA Tournament was reaffirmed. So the Heels aren’t in it this year…I can live with that. And in fact, my alma mater is in the tournament for only the fourth time ever. Yes, the UVM Catamounts will be trying to become the first 16 seed to ever knock off a 1 seed when they face Syracuse tonight, so history is not on their side…or is it? In 2005 UVM pulled off a shocking upset of then #4 Syracuse. I remember that well, as I was the guy sitting there in a UVM shirt, much like my buddy from ODU yesterday. Well, at least I know what I’m wearing when I’m watching the games tonight.
Ok. Time for Random College Basketball Thoughts.
Feb 13th
This is the time of the year I start paying attention to college basketball. Most teams have worked out all the kinks and the kids are starting to get tired transitioning from high school to college and the coaches have figured out how to juggle what they have and don’t have. In addition, I believe the NCAA has become incredibly good at encouraging teams to schedule those awesome interconference games on occasion which college football season begs for. So. Here you go. Not everything I am thinking, just some highlights.
The Big B’east’
Big East. This conference is a beast. I think it is consistently the toughest and best conference (sorry ACC) top to bottom. I don’t know that I particularly care for the conference style (a little rough & tumble) but boy they are good. And they have an elite group of coaches on top of it all. Figure Connecticut is a fucking good team and they cannot even crack the top 8 teams in the conference. And their top 6 will pound or run with anyone (where the heck do all these 6’6” to 6’8” greyhounds come from?):
Lately Georgetown is kicking the crap out of everyone. And it isn’t even the best team in the Big East, let alone the country. Like all the top teams this year, Georgetown runs into problems on the road.
In the end I believe Syracuse and Villanova will be the only two who keep it going because they have coaches who can figure out how to get their teams to win on the road. But. Don’t count Connecticut out. If Calhoun comes back, like him or not, the guy can coach and bring out the best in a team. And if push comes to shove maybe they could borrow Gino from the women’s team for the tournament (he doesn’t lose either).
Those random little guys you gotta love
New Mexico, Rhode Island, Siena, Butler and Northern Iowa just to name a few (thank you ESPN 2 for showing some of their games). I still tend to believe if they were in conferences with bigger more talented teams they would get worn down and lose some more games.
But. One game. One day. Can get one win.
Sustainable? Nope. But put them on the big stage for a game and this is one of those games you love to watch. Come the Big Dance they make it out of first weekend and get knocked out weekend two. Except for one. And, no, I won’t tell you who I think that one is gonna be (mostly because I have no clue).
The Ivy League
Cornell. Princeton. Harvard. All three will end up with over 20 wins at the end of the season. Sure. No one truly believes they can knock off any of the big boys (let alone any of the top notch mid majors) but it sure is fun to see them playing “smart basketball” as everyone inevitably says when talking about one of these schools. I always chuckle about that. Look. They don’t play any smarter than say a Duke team or a Carolina team or a Gonzaga team. They are talented teams. Period. It is impossible in this league to sustain over a period of years but I truly hope Cornell’s ‘Big Red’ (the best of them) steps up and wins some games in the Big Dance.
They’re Kids
I had a fun conversation with a buddy of mine after Texas beat the crap out of Carolina. I simply pointed out that Texas’ kids just manned up better. Well. Let’s remember. Freshmen are maybe 17 years old. They are kids. They may look like men but they are not. All the top level teams dependent on a youngster or two in their lineup are gonna run into some problems at some point. John Wall. Awesome. Can still look like a freshman every once in awhile. And UK is still very young and continues to make mistakes. Turnovers and the inability to maintain intensity with a lead are the big problems. And Kentucky is just one example (throw in Texas, Syracuse, Connecticut, etc.). Great coaches, a Tom Izzo or a Rick Pitino or whomever, always figure out how to rattle a kid at the time they need to do it. When in doubt, for a long run in the Dance I still bet on a mediocre great team that has a very good senior tandem than a great team dependent upon a freshman superstar.
But. When in doubt (should your team be dependent on a ‘diaper dandy.’) Remember Kevin Durant. I think he weighed 100 pounds at 6’ 8” when he left Texas after his freshman year. I was relatively confident he would turn out to be another one of those college greyhounds who got killed in the NBA. Wrong wrong wrong. Cool as a cucumber in college. Ain’t disappointing in pros. So. It can happen.
The Mysterious Big Guys
Texas, Duke, Gonzaga … they tease us. Almost every year in fact. Just my opinion but some of these team are coached over their true ability. Works to a point. A point where they rack up a boatload of wins and everyone overlooks who and what they really are. And then they run into a reality buzzsaw in the form of a team that has talent.
So. How do I tell them apart? Less talented teams overachieve in big games. And surprise you upwards. The truly talented teams surprise you downwards sometimes. They underachieve when not focused. The great coaches make talent focus when it counts (the NCAA tournament).
How cool is this? Old friend on ESPN
Feb 12th
So. Here I am minding my own business typing and emailing away with SportsCenter on in the background and a familiar voice comes on in the background. You know. One of those voices that sound slightly familiar but you haven’t heard it in a long time so it’s just a slight tickle in your memory banks. And then the ESPN announcer (can’t remember which because they are mostly interchangeable) says “and now we have Gavin Keefe in Connecticut covering UConn for ESPN.” Next thing I know Gavin is yakking away about the UConn-Syracuse game and Jim Calhoun back on the bench coaching UConn men’s basketball.
Gavin and I went to high school together in Vermont. I don’t remember how and when we met (I moved to Vermont in-between freshman and sophomore years) but we ended up in this inseparable group of 4 or 5 guys who did everything together in high school. We all continued to keep in touch through college. And then marriages kept getting us back together for awhile. Then, as high school friends do, we started slipping apart. But it doesn’t mean that all those great memories don’t pop back up again when you regain contact. When I heard his voice I immediately started chuckling over some pretty funny and stupid memories. Gavin was the guy who slept through the SATs with me. He had stayed over at my house when my parents were away on a trip. Anyway. Story for another day.
Oh my. How cool is it that he is on ESPN.
Gavin has worked at The Day since 1990 and is in his 19th season of covering the UConn men’s basketball team, including the national championship teams of 1999 and 2004 (what an awesome gig). I think it’s kind of funny because he went to St. Michael’s College in Vermont (living in a pit called ‘The Slant’ because the entire building slanted) where college basketball ranked behind beer drinking, ice hockey and snowball fights on the popularity scale. And now he is on ESPN. He just started doing stuff for ESPN last year. And was on ESPN First Take yesterday talking about the UConn-Syracuse game. And did another ESPN NEWS segment again today.
Well done my old friend. I think it’s just cool when someone you know from a completely different world and in a different way end up doing something that … well … you didn’t think wasn’t possible for them … but is just so far removed from the kid you grew up with … well .. it’s cool. That’s the only way I can describe it.
Oh. He is very worried because now that he is in the big time I have a boatload of pictures from high school and college. What he doesn’t realize is that I am in all those pictures too. Plus. Why would I wreck it. Now I can say “hey, I drank beer with that guy on ESPN.”
