First of all, hats off to the Blue Devils. Love them or hate them, they're national champs -- again. It was certainly no fluke. Coach K and the pride of Durham earned every bit of it. Bravo, and well done indeed.
There were those in Big 10 country that crowed about having two of their teams (Wisconsin and Michigan State) make it to the Final Four. While others all season long had claimed the Big 10 was having a "down" year, the Rust Belters finally got their five minutes in the limelight. Look at us now, they boasted, before the festivities in Indianapolis started. It might be an all-big Ten final on Monday night, they claimed. Michigan State has always been tournament tough and was underrated as a mere #7 seed. And Wisconsin has been in the Top 5 nationally for pretty much the whole season. Look out Dukies and Wildcats -- here we come.
They had it half right. In somewhat of a surprise, the Badgers indeed dethroned the then 38-0 and presumed eventual champion Kentucky.
However, Michigan State was totally demolished by Duke in the other semi-final. The score of 81-61 was indicative of how the game played out. There was no doubt which team was vastly superior. The #7 Cinderella Spartans were put in their place by the #1 Dukies in most convincing fashion.
That left the Durham blue-bloods to slug it out with the Cheesers for all the marbles. We know how that turned out. In a very hard fought game, Duke eventually prevailed 68-63. Again, champs are champs, and credit where credit is due.
But really it was no surprise when one considers how the Blue Devils fared against Big 10 competition earlier in the season. Actually, they only squared off against two Big 10 teams. Ironically, they were -- yep -- Wisconsin and Michigan State.
Way back on Nov. 18, Duke beat MSU 81-71. In the same Indianapolis.
On Dec. 3, the Blue Devils knocked off Wisconsin 80-70. In Madison.
True, 10 point victories weren't exactly blow-outs, but given one was at a neutral site and the other in a hostile road arena, it was fairly impressive stuff.
Fast forward back to the events of the last couple days. As mentioned above, Duke blistered MSU by 20 points in the semis. Then went on to out-tough UW by 5 in the Finals.
So they played 4 games against the best competition the Big 10 had to offer, three of them at the same neutral site and one on the road, and won all four games by a combined 45 points. That's a bunch.
Whether or not the Big 10 had a "down" year is certainly debatable, given two of its teams made the Final Four.
But one thing is not. They're not in the same league as Duke, in more ways than one. The results speak for themselves.
On an unrelated note, here's a shout-out to CC. I still can't believe you parted with the best looking, most tricked-out sporty there ever was. Alas, an era has ended indeed. I hear it wound up in North Carolina somewhere. Wouldn't it be something if that bike ended up being owned and ridden by Coach K? Hey, one legend deserves another to carry it on. You never know...
Monday, April 6, 2015
Sunday, April 5, 2015
UConn and the Frese factor
Likely to the surprise of few, Geno Auriemma's Lady Huskies just rolled into another national title game. They did this by dismantling Maryland in the semi-finals. The Lady Terps are pretty good. A 34-3 record entering the game speaks for itself.
Their head coach, one Brenda Frese, is certainly a fiery sort. She appears quite adept at getting her team geeked up in the moments before a game. Just prior to taking the floor to face UConn, Frese was shown in the Maryland locker room giving her Lady Terps a last second pep talk. This is OUR time. We EARNED this. We BELONG in this game. There is NOTHING we can't do if we stick together and play the way we're capable of. Now let's go out there and show the world what Maryland basketball is all about.
A very impressive rant, as such things go.
Pity she omitted one small, but quite relevant detail. The steamroller competition that awaited them. This would be like the ancient Romans psyching up a gladiator before he went out into the Colosseum bare-handed to face a pack of hungry lions. You can do it. YOU CAN DO IT!!. Oops, sorry, guess not. Whoa, that got ugly.
Such was the predictable result when Frese sent her troops out to clash with Geno's Bambinos. They would be mauled to the tune of 81-58, a 23 point beatdown. Ala the contests of old, from start to finish, there was never a doubt which side would emerge victorious. The only question in the hoops game was by how much? These two teams could play each other ten times, and Frese could rant and motivate her players before every one of them, but guess what? They'd be 0-10 when it was all over, and likely none of them would be by fewer than a 10 point margin.
Love them or hate them, the Lady Huskies under Auriemma have become the gold standard in ladies college basketball. They've reached such a level of continued excellence that it's seldom a team, ANY team, despite how good they are in their own right, can even give them a decent game over the entire 40 minutes of such contests. Yes, there are ebbs and flows to any game. A run here or there either way is quite common. Yet with UConn, it just seems to be a matter of time before they go into warp drive and zoom out of sight. One minute a viewer might see a close score, but after returning from a nature call or fridge run, wham, the Huskies are up by 20. Game over. Again. And convincingly.
Which brings me to Geno Auriemma. One never sees him ranting and psyching up his players the way Frese has. What goes on behind closed doors at UConn practices is anybody's guess, but few would question the results speak for themselves. Whatever they're doing has obviously been working in a huge way for a long time.
No, the three words your truly once saw Auriemma speak to his players just before taking the floor for a big game didn't need any spit-spraying, arm-waving, neck vein bulging rants. The message was quite simple.
Leave no doubt.
Seems to be working. The lions knew it in days or yore, and I suspect after the good Ms. Frese saw her team get dismembered, she has few doubts either anymore about who's who in the food chain when it comes to a face-to-face showdown.
Their head coach, one Brenda Frese, is certainly a fiery sort. She appears quite adept at getting her team geeked up in the moments before a game. Just prior to taking the floor to face UConn, Frese was shown in the Maryland locker room giving her Lady Terps a last second pep talk. This is OUR time. We EARNED this. We BELONG in this game. There is NOTHING we can't do if we stick together and play the way we're capable of. Now let's go out there and show the world what Maryland basketball is all about.
A very impressive rant, as such things go.
Pity she omitted one small, but quite relevant detail. The steamroller competition that awaited them. This would be like the ancient Romans psyching up a gladiator before he went out into the Colosseum bare-handed to face a pack of hungry lions. You can do it. YOU CAN DO IT!!. Oops, sorry, guess not. Whoa, that got ugly.
Such was the predictable result when Frese sent her troops out to clash with Geno's Bambinos. They would be mauled to the tune of 81-58, a 23 point beatdown. Ala the contests of old, from start to finish, there was never a doubt which side would emerge victorious. The only question in the hoops game was by how much? These two teams could play each other ten times, and Frese could rant and motivate her players before every one of them, but guess what? They'd be 0-10 when it was all over, and likely none of them would be by fewer than a 10 point margin.
Love them or hate them, the Lady Huskies under Auriemma have become the gold standard in ladies college basketball. They've reached such a level of continued excellence that it's seldom a team, ANY team, despite how good they are in their own right, can even give them a decent game over the entire 40 minutes of such contests. Yes, there are ebbs and flows to any game. A run here or there either way is quite common. Yet with UConn, it just seems to be a matter of time before they go into warp drive and zoom out of sight. One minute a viewer might see a close score, but after returning from a nature call or fridge run, wham, the Huskies are up by 20. Game over. Again. And convincingly.
Which brings me to Geno Auriemma. One never sees him ranting and psyching up his players the way Frese has. What goes on behind closed doors at UConn practices is anybody's guess, but few would question the results speak for themselves. Whatever they're doing has obviously been working in a huge way for a long time.
No, the three words your truly once saw Auriemma speak to his players just before taking the floor for a big game didn't need any spit-spraying, arm-waving, neck vein bulging rants. The message was quite simple.
Leave no doubt.
Seems to be working. The lions knew it in days or yore, and I suspect after the good Ms. Frese saw her team get dismembered, she has few doubts either anymore about who's who in the food chain when it comes to a face-to-face showdown.
Ding dong. The wicked witch is dead
With apologies to the Kentucky faithful, such would seem to be the sentiment in most other areas of the country.
The coronation has been cancelled. A trip to the White House to meet the hoopster Prez just went poof. The big engine that could -- couldn't. The one and doners are -- well -- done.
Like the mighty Casey of old, there will be no joy in Calipariville. The Wildcats have done struck out.
Yep, Wisconsin knocked them off fair and square. On Wisconsin to the title game to lock horns with Duke on Monday night in what should be a terrific matchup.
In the Wizard of Oz, all it took was a little water to melt the Wicked Witch of the West. Who would have thunk it? Then again, anybody that had worn the same outfit for years and was deathly allergic to bathing would likely have been mighty ripe by the time some dopey kid from Kansas showed up with her goofball friends. So maybe that worked out for the best, but I digress.
At any rate, we now know that a den of Wildcats can be rendered harmless by feeding them too much cheese. And the Badgers smothered them with it. The Kentucky thoroughbreds were taken out of their run and gun comfort zone and reduced to trotters -- forced to play a methodical half court game that favored Wisconsin.
Though the Wildcats had an array of almost 7-footers, they were killed on the boards by the shorter Badgers. Kentucky's vaunted defense was shredded, even embarrassed, repeatedly by Wisconsin's patient offensive execution.
Instead of Kentucky's length and depth finally wearing out Wisconsin, as many, including yours truly, thought would happen -- the opposite occurred. Time and again, the Wildcats struggled to get off a decent shot against the tenacious Badger defense, and even had a few shot clock violations when they couldn't. Who would have thunk such a thing possible indeed, given Kentucky's offensive prowess and supposed invincibility?
Actually, the Wildcats played rather well offensively. They shot for a high percentage on both 2 and 3 pointers, made most of their free-throws, and committed relatively few turnovers. But the Badgers made them work hard all game long. Throughout the season, when other teams have remained close to Kentucky for most of the game, they would eventually blink under the relentless pressure and wind up on the short end. After all, Kentucky was 38-0 entering this game, so they must have been doing something right.
But not this time. It was the Wildcats that wilted in the waning minutes of the game. Too much cheese, and badgers have always been known as tenacious little varmints.
So now King Smugness and his Court, have to endure the trail of tears on their way back to Lexington. The bluegrass clan has been round-upped and killed off for another year. Good luck with the media, Mr. C. You have some 'splainin to do. Not so much for the players. They can just grunt and/or utter a semi-intelligible response to any such questions. Business as usual at Kentucky. And heck, many of them will be millionaires via the NBA in a few months anyway. You really think they're going to lose much sleep over losing a college game? Please.
The Final is definitely an intriguing game. Wisconsin vs Duke. Cheesers against bluebloods. Coach Bo matching wits with Coach K. Wisconsin hasn't won a basketball title since shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Dukies have hoisted several banners in just the last couple decades.
Pretty sure I know who the sentimental favorite will be amongst most.....
The coronation has been cancelled. A trip to the White House to meet the hoopster Prez just went poof. The big engine that could -- couldn't. The one and doners are -- well -- done.
Like the mighty Casey of old, there will be no joy in Calipariville. The Wildcats have done struck out.
Yep, Wisconsin knocked them off fair and square. On Wisconsin to the title game to lock horns with Duke on Monday night in what should be a terrific matchup.
In the Wizard of Oz, all it took was a little water to melt the Wicked Witch of the West. Who would have thunk it? Then again, anybody that had worn the same outfit for years and was deathly allergic to bathing would likely have been mighty ripe by the time some dopey kid from Kansas showed up with her goofball friends. So maybe that worked out for the best, but I digress.
At any rate, we now know that a den of Wildcats can be rendered harmless by feeding them too much cheese. And the Badgers smothered them with it. The Kentucky thoroughbreds were taken out of their run and gun comfort zone and reduced to trotters -- forced to play a methodical half court game that favored Wisconsin.
Though the Wildcats had an array of almost 7-footers, they were killed on the boards by the shorter Badgers. Kentucky's vaunted defense was shredded, even embarrassed, repeatedly by Wisconsin's patient offensive execution.
Instead of Kentucky's length and depth finally wearing out Wisconsin, as many, including yours truly, thought would happen -- the opposite occurred. Time and again, the Wildcats struggled to get off a decent shot against the tenacious Badger defense, and even had a few shot clock violations when they couldn't. Who would have thunk such a thing possible indeed, given Kentucky's offensive prowess and supposed invincibility?
Actually, the Wildcats played rather well offensively. They shot for a high percentage on both 2 and 3 pointers, made most of their free-throws, and committed relatively few turnovers. But the Badgers made them work hard all game long. Throughout the season, when other teams have remained close to Kentucky for most of the game, they would eventually blink under the relentless pressure and wind up on the short end. After all, Kentucky was 38-0 entering this game, so they must have been doing something right.
But not this time. It was the Wildcats that wilted in the waning minutes of the game. Too much cheese, and badgers have always been known as tenacious little varmints.
So now King Smugness and his Court, have to endure the trail of tears on their way back to Lexington. The bluegrass clan has been round-upped and killed off for another year. Good luck with the media, Mr. C. You have some 'splainin to do. Not so much for the players. They can just grunt and/or utter a semi-intelligible response to any such questions. Business as usual at Kentucky. And heck, many of them will be millionaires via the NBA in a few months anyway. You really think they're going to lose much sleep over losing a college game? Please.
The Final is definitely an intriguing game. Wisconsin vs Duke. Cheesers against bluebloods. Coach Bo matching wits with Coach K. Wisconsin hasn't won a basketball title since shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Dukies have hoisted several banners in just the last couple decades.
Pretty sure I know who the sentimental favorite will be amongst most.....
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Michigan State and the Peter Principle
Against Duke in the national semi-finals, the Spartans started very well. After a few minutes of play, they were leading the Blue Devils 14-6. But then the tide turned, and in a big way. Over the last 15 minutes of the first half, Duke would outscore MSU by a margin of 30-11 to lead 36-25 at halftime.
Even a dummy like me can do that math. After a slow start, the Blue had outscored the Green by a whopping 19 points.
In hindsight, the game was all but over at that point. But one never knew. Perhaps the Spartans could start the second half on a run and get back in the game. Alas for the East Lansing faithful, the opposite happened. Duke would methodically extend its lead.
The Dukies would eventually prevail 81-61. "Garbage time" in the waning minutes of the game didn't affect the score. The Blue had outscored the Green by another 9 in the second half in similar convincing fashion. In totality, it was what it was -- a 20 point blow-out.
Yes, Michigan State has been to a lot of Final Fours and once even won it all way back when a guy named Clinton was still in the White House.
Yet over the years, Duke has always seemed to have their number. The Spartans are now 1-9 against the Blue Devils. Granted, Duke was a 5 point favorite going into this game, so the Blue Devils coming out on the winning end was no great surprise. But 20 points? And this was no fluke, but rather a systematic beatdown. Few would have foreseen that outcome. For that matter, the Peter Principle seemed to come into play whenever MSU tangled with either North Carolina or Duke in a big game over the years. It's a hurdle they just can't seem to overcome.
Though the Spartans should be commended for making it to yet another Final Four, no small feat, there's really only one objective way of describing what happened against Duke.
Michigan State was out-played, out-smarted, out-coached, and out-toughed by a vastly superior team. The final score was very much indicative of the overall level of play during the 40 minutes of action.
Let's not forget, Duke was a #1 seed going in, while MSU was only a #7. A number seven is not supposed to beat a number one. Maybe that NCAA tournament selection committee isn't as dumb as many thought.
So the Dukies move on to the title game, while the Sparties limp back home to lick their wounds after being blistered on national TV.
That's just the way it goes sometimes......
Even a dummy like me can do that math. After a slow start, the Blue had outscored the Green by a whopping 19 points.
In hindsight, the game was all but over at that point. But one never knew. Perhaps the Spartans could start the second half on a run and get back in the game. Alas for the East Lansing faithful, the opposite happened. Duke would methodically extend its lead.
The Dukies would eventually prevail 81-61. "Garbage time" in the waning minutes of the game didn't affect the score. The Blue had outscored the Green by another 9 in the second half in similar convincing fashion. In totality, it was what it was -- a 20 point blow-out.
Yes, Michigan State has been to a lot of Final Fours and once even won it all way back when a guy named Clinton was still in the White House.
Yet over the years, Duke has always seemed to have their number. The Spartans are now 1-9 against the Blue Devils. Granted, Duke was a 5 point favorite going into this game, so the Blue Devils coming out on the winning end was no great surprise. But 20 points? And this was no fluke, but rather a systematic beatdown. Few would have foreseen that outcome. For that matter, the Peter Principle seemed to come into play whenever MSU tangled with either North Carolina or Duke in a big game over the years. It's a hurdle they just can't seem to overcome.
Though the Spartans should be commended for making it to yet another Final Four, no small feat, there's really only one objective way of describing what happened against Duke.
Michigan State was out-played, out-smarted, out-coached, and out-toughed by a vastly superior team. The final score was very much indicative of the overall level of play during the 40 minutes of action.
Let's not forget, Duke was a #1 seed going in, while MSU was only a #7. A number seven is not supposed to beat a number one. Maybe that NCAA tournament selection committee isn't as dumb as many thought.
So the Dukies move on to the title game, while the Sparties limp back home to lick their wounds after being blistered on national TV.
That's just the way it goes sometimes......
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Tiger, the Masters, and Hamlet
"To be or not to be. That is the question.
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing, end them".
Those immortal words were uttered by Lord Hamlet in the Shakespearean play. Things didn't work out so well for Hamlet in the end. Something about a poison tipped sword, if I remember correctly. The Bard of Avon seemed to be big on poison in many of his tragedies -- but I digress.
Yet the above quote could also be applied to one Tiger Woods when it comes to playing in the Masters tournament this year, which starts next week.
Should he play or should he not play? An interesting question indeed.
Over the years, Eldrick Tont Woods has certainly been regarded as nobility amongst many golf fans (and the media), and few would doubt he's suffered his fair share of slings and arrows while amassing his outrageous fortune along the way. Should he take up arms against the sea of troubles that Augusta National annually presents to the world's best golfers?
On the surface, it would seem to be a no-brainer. After all, what golfer would turn down the chance to play at the fabled course for likely the most coveted prize in the game every year? It's not about the money -- though it's a lot -- it's about the green jacket and the "immortality" that comes with winning one. The Masters isn't an "open". The field is reserved for the best of the best, primarily former winners of other tournaments. A tournament of the elite.
Sure, Tiger already has four such jackets in a closet somewhere, and his place in the golfing Hall of Fame has long since been assured. But you just KNOW he would like nothing better than to add a fifth.
And hey, getting an invite to the Masters certainly has its perks. Tiger can fly in on his Lear or Gulfstream, pal around in the exclusive room reserved for former champions, enjoy the finest cuisine prepared by world class chefs, and play at least two rounds of golf on a magnificent course -- all for free. Does anybody really think he has to pay for his own jet fuel? Please. That's what sponsors are for.
But those two rounds of golf just might be the problem. It's no big secret that, after turning in the most dominant decade in the history of the game, winning everything in sight and being #1 for seemingly forever -- Woods' downfall has been just as spectacular as his original ascension.
Though once thought to be a shoo-in to surpass Jack Nicklaus' 18 majors mark, Tiger hasn't won one since 2008. Seven long years. Given Father Time and the never-ending string of fearless young guns with serious games themselves that keep popping up the world over, that window is now all but closed. It's not going to happen.
It's also not exactly classified information that Tiger's game has not only fallen off, but totally gone in the dumpster of late. Forget being in the hunt to win on Sunday. He wasn't even coming close to making the cut. It got so bad as to be embarrassing, even to Woods. All the sponsors, nostalgic media hypesters, and legions of Tiger groupies were of no help. When you stink -- you stink -- and credit to Woods for finally admitting it.
So he took a sabbatical from the Tour to work on his game. Nobody knows for sure exactly what he's been up to of late. But travelling all the way to Europe to watch his girlfriend ski down a mountain, only to wind up getting a tooth knocked out, of all things, had to be a bit embarrassing itself. Let's just say Tiger has seen better days.
What also remains a mystery is whether Tiger has been able to re-invent his game in private while the other guys on Tour travel hither and yon playing in various tournaments. Like the old Memorex or Clairol commercials, only Woods knows for sure if he's the real deal again and worthy to compete in the Masters.
Best case scenario is he comes back out of seclusion and tears up the field at the Masters.
Pretty good scenario is he's in the hunt on Sunday, even if he doesn't win it.
Mediocre scenario is he at least makes the cut and gets to play on the weekend.
Worst case scenario is he's 20-some shots back after Friday and, after the mandatory Tiger press conference (old media habits are hard to break and some things die hard despite their irrelevance), Eldrick disappears back to Florida again to do whatever it is he does.
But here's the thing. Tiger knows if his game is Masters worthy. Hopefully. Would he show up to play and enjoy the perks and press coverage anyway, even if he knew in his golf brain his game was still nowhere near being able to compete at the elite level?
Though yours truly surmises the above-mentioned best case scenario is a long shot at best -- here's at least wishing him the "pretty good" one.
But if he totally bombs out at a course he's oh-so familiar with and you just know he's been preparing for over the last couple months -- then perhaps a harsher assessment would be warranted.
Stick a fork in him. It's over.
Guess we'll all find out next week. Tick, tick, tick......
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing, end them".
Those immortal words were uttered by Lord Hamlet in the Shakespearean play. Things didn't work out so well for Hamlet in the end. Something about a poison tipped sword, if I remember correctly. The Bard of Avon seemed to be big on poison in many of his tragedies -- but I digress.
Yet the above quote could also be applied to one Tiger Woods when it comes to playing in the Masters tournament this year, which starts next week.
Should he play or should he not play? An interesting question indeed.
Over the years, Eldrick Tont Woods has certainly been regarded as nobility amongst many golf fans (and the media), and few would doubt he's suffered his fair share of slings and arrows while amassing his outrageous fortune along the way. Should he take up arms against the sea of troubles that Augusta National annually presents to the world's best golfers?
On the surface, it would seem to be a no-brainer. After all, what golfer would turn down the chance to play at the fabled course for likely the most coveted prize in the game every year? It's not about the money -- though it's a lot -- it's about the green jacket and the "immortality" that comes with winning one. The Masters isn't an "open". The field is reserved for the best of the best, primarily former winners of other tournaments. A tournament of the elite.
Sure, Tiger already has four such jackets in a closet somewhere, and his place in the golfing Hall of Fame has long since been assured. But you just KNOW he would like nothing better than to add a fifth.
And hey, getting an invite to the Masters certainly has its perks. Tiger can fly in on his Lear or Gulfstream, pal around in the exclusive room reserved for former champions, enjoy the finest cuisine prepared by world class chefs, and play at least two rounds of golf on a magnificent course -- all for free. Does anybody really think he has to pay for his own jet fuel? Please. That's what sponsors are for.
But those two rounds of golf just might be the problem. It's no big secret that, after turning in the most dominant decade in the history of the game, winning everything in sight and being #1 for seemingly forever -- Woods' downfall has been just as spectacular as his original ascension.
Though once thought to be a shoo-in to surpass Jack Nicklaus' 18 majors mark, Tiger hasn't won one since 2008. Seven long years. Given Father Time and the never-ending string of fearless young guns with serious games themselves that keep popping up the world over, that window is now all but closed. It's not going to happen.
It's also not exactly classified information that Tiger's game has not only fallen off, but totally gone in the dumpster of late. Forget being in the hunt to win on Sunday. He wasn't even coming close to making the cut. It got so bad as to be embarrassing, even to Woods. All the sponsors, nostalgic media hypesters, and legions of Tiger groupies were of no help. When you stink -- you stink -- and credit to Woods for finally admitting it.
So he took a sabbatical from the Tour to work on his game. Nobody knows for sure exactly what he's been up to of late. But travelling all the way to Europe to watch his girlfriend ski down a mountain, only to wind up getting a tooth knocked out, of all things, had to be a bit embarrassing itself. Let's just say Tiger has seen better days.
What also remains a mystery is whether Tiger has been able to re-invent his game in private while the other guys on Tour travel hither and yon playing in various tournaments. Like the old Memorex or Clairol commercials, only Woods knows for sure if he's the real deal again and worthy to compete in the Masters.
Best case scenario is he comes back out of seclusion and tears up the field at the Masters.
Pretty good scenario is he's in the hunt on Sunday, even if he doesn't win it.
Mediocre scenario is he at least makes the cut and gets to play on the weekend.
Worst case scenario is he's 20-some shots back after Friday and, after the mandatory Tiger press conference (old media habits are hard to break and some things die hard despite their irrelevance), Eldrick disappears back to Florida again to do whatever it is he does.
But here's the thing. Tiger knows if his game is Masters worthy. Hopefully. Would he show up to play and enjoy the perks and press coverage anyway, even if he knew in his golf brain his game was still nowhere near being able to compete at the elite level?
Though yours truly surmises the above-mentioned best case scenario is a long shot at best -- here's at least wishing him the "pretty good" one.
But if he totally bombs out at a course he's oh-so familiar with and you just know he's been preparing for over the last couple months -- then perhaps a harsher assessment would be warranted.
Stick a fork in him. It's over.
Guess we'll all find out next week. Tick, tick, tick......
NCAA picks
In a recent email to my boss, sometimes referred to as a "dastardly editor", yours truly laid out his NCAA picks and the reasons why. It follows.....
Boss
Once again, it's been a while. So staying true to my lifelong credo -- when in doubt, rattle the boss's chain and see what happens next. Time to weigh in on the NCAA picks.
Boss
Once again, it's been a while. So staying true to my lifelong credo -- when in doubt, rattle the boss's chain and see what happens next. Time to weigh in on the NCAA picks.
On the men's side, it would be nice to see an all Big 10 final, but I don't
think it's going to play out that way. Yeah, the Dukies knocked off Izzo's boys earlier in the year, but State
seems to be on another one of their tournament rolls. In a bit of an upset, I'm
picking the Green to win in a nailbiter. Maybe overtime.
Wisconsin likely has the best all-around big man in the country with
Kaminsky, and it's tough to underestimate them. But the Cats are too long and
too deep over the course of 40 minutes. Good grief, they've got TWO starting
fives that are better than most everybody else. I think the Cheesers get worn
out late in the game. Kentucky by 10.
In the Finals, grit and determination aren't enough to overcome superior
talent. The one and doners finish running the table to join the 72 Dolphins, 76
Hoosiers, and Geno's Lady Huskies not long ago amongst the undefeated teams. A
hard fought game, but the East Lansing magic carpet ride comes to an end. Cats
by 8.
On the ladies' side, Notre Dame and South Carolina is a coin flip. But Miss
Muffett has been on this tuffet before, while the Gamecocks (helluva name for a
girl's basketball team, lol) are in uncharted waters. The Irish prevail.
Maryland knocked off the post-Summitt Lady Vols -- no small feat. But their
reward is a date with UConn. Geno's Bambinos look even more unstoppable than
Calipari's crew. Give me the Lady Huskies by at least 10. Maybe 20.
In their Finals, I see absolutely no reason why the Storrs juggernaut
doesn't roll on once again. Seems to me they went into South Bend earlier in the
season and trashed the Irish to the tune of 18 points. Now they meet again on a
neutral court? Methinks the result will be similar. Luigi Auriemma gets his
tenth title.
So what say you?
End of email.
No word back yet. That can mean one of two things.
Either the boss man is so overwhelmed with my impeccable logic that he's been rendered dumbstruck, speechless, and in absolute awe of my brilliance. Put another way, when something is absolutely perfect, there's just no way to improve it -- ya know?
Or..... he could be tied up in those pesky staff meetings where they talk about boring things like budgets, and hasn't had time to respond yet.
Then again, I suppose a third reason is remotely possible. The poor overworked, underpaid devil is still wondering why he took on a nitwit like myself in the first place and is doing his best to ignore me in the hope I go away some day soon. Hah! Little did he know, I'm like the Bushs, Clintons, or a bad case of black mold. Once given a chance to sprout, it NEVER goes away. Bwahahahaha.
At any rate, there's the picks of yours truly. Maybe the boss will weigh back in -- and maybe he won't. One never knows when it comes to editors. Very unpredictable creatures indeed.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
What happened to the Lady Vols?
Not that long ago, the Tennessee lady hoopsters had something very close to a dynasty going on. In coach Pat Summitt's heyday, the Lady Vols reaching the Final Four was almost a given. Indeed, they won eight national championships. Very impressive stuff.
As we know, Coach Pat had to recently step aside due to early onset Alzheimer's symptoms at the relatively young age of 59.
As we also know, the Vols were only a #2 seed in their own region this year and would be eliminated in an Elite 8 game by #1 Maryland.
Forget winning another national championship. The hard truth is -- the LVers haven't even made it to the Final Four since 2008. Seven years. So what happened to the once proud program that they keep coming up short? A couple things.
One has to remember that ladies' college basketball wasn't even taken semi-seriously until the early 80s. It's still not, compared to their male counterparts. Be it filling arenas, TV broadcasts, or all-around press coverage -- it's not even a close call.
But it was even worse, almost nonexistent, until Pat Summitt came along. Though she was barely older than the players she was coaching when she got her start, a lion's share of the credit for transforming women's collegiate basketball into the entity it is today should rightly be given to Coach Pat.
Yes, in the beginnings there was very little serious competition. Way back in the day, little schools like Louisiana Tech and Old Dominion were amongst the best of the bunch. That's because most larger universities saw pouring resources into ladies' basketball as a complete waste of time and money. Despite the landmark Title IX legislation which forbade discrimination on the basis of sex, one has to remember that bill was signed into law way back in 1972 by President Nixon. Sure, the girls have long had equal rights and access to any and all collegiate athletics. But why bother? Nobody was interested in lady hoops anyway.
Yet Summitt saw things differently. She was able to routinely recruit the best high school players and started winning everything in sight. Finally, other schools started sitting up and paying attention. Maybe this lady hoop thing has possibilities.
To their credit, Stanford has been there since the start and remains a perennial top contender to this day. Others came fully on board as the years passed. The competition for recruiting prep stars was on. Summitt no longer enjoyed a blue chip monopoly, though her teams remained very good.
Notre Dame has become an annual force to be reckoned with, and other schools have had their time in the limelight. Baylor won a championship. The Aggies of Texas A&M came out of nowhere to win another a few years ago. South Carolina was the pre-season #1 this year and the Terps from Maryland are certainly no slouches. Duke and North Carolina are, well, Duke and North Carolina. Big time basketball schools, including the ladies. There are others on the cusp and likely still others will emerge in future years -- a very good thing.
Again, the Lady Vols remain a top contender. But the seed of their downfall from "elite" status was planted some 20 years ago. That's when a guy named Luigi Auriemma took over the reins at a relatively small school named the University of Connecticut. How Geno was able to pull it off is a very good question. But he improbably put together a basketball program that quickly became the proverbial elephant in the room, and UConn is going as strong as ever. He's already got nine national championships under his belt, is highly favored to win yet another one this year, and success breeds more success. The super blue-chippers that would have once flocked to Coach Pat now have other options to choose from, and UConn is a prime destination for the best of the best.
Sure, Summitt once accused Auriemma of "cheating" and, while never substantiated, it always smacked a bit of "sour grapes". In other words, Pat's teams had been relegated to also-ran status on the national stage by that pesky mini Italian stallion -- and she didn't like it one bit.
So in the end, what happened to the Lady Vols? They're still really good and likely will continue to be so. But at the elite level -- basically two things.
Other schools devoting resources to hiring very good coaches and competing for the prep talent pool, and the ongoing juggernaut in Storrs.
Idle thought: Current Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick spent TWENTY NINE years as an assistant under Summitt before finally getting the head job? Wow, that has to be the longest apprenticeship in the history of sports.
As we know, Coach Pat had to recently step aside due to early onset Alzheimer's symptoms at the relatively young age of 59.
As we also know, the Vols were only a #2 seed in their own region this year and would be eliminated in an Elite 8 game by #1 Maryland.
Forget winning another national championship. The hard truth is -- the LVers haven't even made it to the Final Four since 2008. Seven years. So what happened to the once proud program that they keep coming up short? A couple things.
One has to remember that ladies' college basketball wasn't even taken semi-seriously until the early 80s. It's still not, compared to their male counterparts. Be it filling arenas, TV broadcasts, or all-around press coverage -- it's not even a close call.
But it was even worse, almost nonexistent, until Pat Summitt came along. Though she was barely older than the players she was coaching when she got her start, a lion's share of the credit for transforming women's collegiate basketball into the entity it is today should rightly be given to Coach Pat.
Yes, in the beginnings there was very little serious competition. Way back in the day, little schools like Louisiana Tech and Old Dominion were amongst the best of the bunch. That's because most larger universities saw pouring resources into ladies' basketball as a complete waste of time and money. Despite the landmark Title IX legislation which forbade discrimination on the basis of sex, one has to remember that bill was signed into law way back in 1972 by President Nixon. Sure, the girls have long had equal rights and access to any and all collegiate athletics. But why bother? Nobody was interested in lady hoops anyway.
Yet Summitt saw things differently. She was able to routinely recruit the best high school players and started winning everything in sight. Finally, other schools started sitting up and paying attention. Maybe this lady hoop thing has possibilities.
To their credit, Stanford has been there since the start and remains a perennial top contender to this day. Others came fully on board as the years passed. The competition for recruiting prep stars was on. Summitt no longer enjoyed a blue chip monopoly, though her teams remained very good.
Notre Dame has become an annual force to be reckoned with, and other schools have had their time in the limelight. Baylor won a championship. The Aggies of Texas A&M came out of nowhere to win another a few years ago. South Carolina was the pre-season #1 this year and the Terps from Maryland are certainly no slouches. Duke and North Carolina are, well, Duke and North Carolina. Big time basketball schools, including the ladies. There are others on the cusp and likely still others will emerge in future years -- a very good thing.
Again, the Lady Vols remain a top contender. But the seed of their downfall from "elite" status was planted some 20 years ago. That's when a guy named Luigi Auriemma took over the reins at a relatively small school named the University of Connecticut. How Geno was able to pull it off is a very good question. But he improbably put together a basketball program that quickly became the proverbial elephant in the room, and UConn is going as strong as ever. He's already got nine national championships under his belt, is highly favored to win yet another one this year, and success breeds more success. The super blue-chippers that would have once flocked to Coach Pat now have other options to choose from, and UConn is a prime destination for the best of the best.
Sure, Summitt once accused Auriemma of "cheating" and, while never substantiated, it always smacked a bit of "sour grapes". In other words, Pat's teams had been relegated to also-ran status on the national stage by that pesky mini Italian stallion -- and she didn't like it one bit.
So in the end, what happened to the Lady Vols? They're still really good and likely will continue to be so. But at the elite level -- basically two things.
Other schools devoting resources to hiring very good coaches and competing for the prep talent pool, and the ongoing juggernaut in Storrs.
Idle thought: Current Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick spent TWENTY NINE years as an assistant under Summitt before finally getting the head job? Wow, that has to be the longest apprenticeship in the history of sports.
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