I am completely wiped out from a huge day in hoops yesterday. I even started practicing for March Madness by having games playing on my TV, computer, and phone. My fiance laughed at me saying that I could not possibly be able to pay attention to all of the games. True, but that would never stop me from trying. I swear, I must have missed about 5 bathroom breaks for myself before I finally forced myself to leave the games and go. Yes, I went Joey and Chandler from Friends, the episode when they found out they had free porn and could not stop watching. Yep, college hoops is my porn- Yes, insert jokes here, I left myself open for that one.
Alright, let us get on with the big weekend of hoops and sports.
Lin Watch
Okay, we probably already know of a certain World Wide Leader in Sports embarrassing little gaffe this weekend. As I explained earlier in the week, when you create and build up a story into the magnitude of Jeremy Lin, then there will be pitfalls and land mines to contend with. And now that you have shot yourself in the groin, how will the main culprit of sports hype and overexposure handle themselves in the wake of the backlash and controversy that is already in play.
All you had to do was point the camera and shoot the story. Instead you had to continue with the exposure and you got burned. Big time. I always equated the media exposure of Lin to the movie Anchorman and their coverage of Panda Watch, complete with Brian Fantana being court side at the Knicks game to get an exclusive. Rather, we saw the World Wide Leader go Ron Burgundy and follow the teleprompter to their demise. Can't wait to see you try to wash off the Sex Panther now, ESPN. It won't be easy.
On a lesser, but more sports related note, what now that Linsanity has finally lost a game? Can we now knock him down a peg with the 9 turnover night he had. Yes, he is a young guard, but his turnover rate is way too high. He needs to be patient and not force the action, especially when you have Amare out there, who gets a lot of attention, which should lead to kick outs to wings Fields, Novak, Shumpert, JR Smith- more on him later- and Melo. The Knicks have found their PG, now it is up to Linsanity to grow up quickly to keep a handle on possessions.
Last thought on the Knicks and that is the JR Smith signing. I'm not a fan of the signing. You have a young point that is figuring out the game and trying to handle the spotlight of NY, a superstar trying to fight off accusations of being a ball stopper/bad teammate while his team is winning without him, the other superstar coming back from injury who needs the ball. Hey, Knicks, unless they changed the rules then they only play with one ball, so why bring in JR Smith. If Denver, a chemistry team, has no interest in him, then I'm thinking that is a huge red flag for a Knicks team that doesn't need any knuckleheads in the locker room. Yeah, he brings offense and 3's, but at what cost? The Knicks lost their first game, to the lowly Hornets, no less, the same day they sign Smith, showing the Knicks are already infected with the bad juju of their new signing. I believe that fully.
The Wild, Wild West and the Mid Major
I wanted to go Bart Simpson and just keep writing Wild across the screen to properly emphasize how crazy the left side's basketball prowess is right now. There are the standouts- Gonzaga, UNLV, San Diego St., New Mexico; then their are the tough outs- St. Mary's, BYU, Nevada, and New Mexico St.; and then their are the emerging teams- Loyola Marymount and Long Beach St.
Oh, where is the Pac 12 teams, you ask? Well, when the, supposed, Power Conference out here can get a team to crack the Top 25 and stop playing, as John Henderson accurately wrote, JV Ball then I will write on their prospects. To illustrate the fall of the Pac 12, all you had to do was watch UNLV/New Mexico today and see UNLV star Mike Moser and New Mexico's Drew Gordon, two players that transferred from UCLA, becoming stars in another conference. The real dagger to the conference came when Arizona St. scored 8 lousy points in the first half against Washington St. They were playing by two's and three's, right? This wasn't a make it, take it game or some other weird rule being implemented? I just wanted to make sure. All of this adds up to a stinker of a conference. However, as I mentioned before, the West is filled with some stellar teams and plenty of talent in the cupboard to make up for the Power Conference.
All of which brings me to this point. The NCAA, with big conferences (Pac 12 and SEC) and major programs (Pitt, Illinois, UCLA) all having down years, needs to implement a system that allows more mid majors to get more teams into the tourney. I would site how European soccer has operated their leagues based on performance. The Europeans let the teams play talk for themselves and the teams success, or lack thereof, coincides with their future. If a team is successful then they get to play in the top division, and if they falter they are moved out of the way and the teams from a lower division are moved up. Sounds kind of like NCAA tourney, huh? All of it except for the fact that it is the play on the field in the Euro league that dictates the soccer results. The NCAA , though, operates in a different way, with a committee to make a decision on a field of 65 from a hotel room conference room in Sheboygan the week of the conference tourney. Now, I am sure the committee works hard to give us our bracket, but what and how are they basing their decisions? Most Big Monday games? If Dick Vitale has done a game there? If you don't have to Google their location and conference? (Hello, Drexel of Pennsylvania and the Colonial Athletic Association) All of those factors use to be relevant a decade ago, but now, with the emergence of the Mid Major firmly cemented into the college landscape, doesn't the NCAA have to eliminate the leverage and influence of the world of the Power Conference. A team should not be rewarded a spot because of their conference affiliation or perceived to have played better competition in their league.
The last two days I watched mid majors duke it out, in a March Madness type atmosphere, and saw veteran teams, with now developed players that major programs passed on, that shoot the three well and play smart, well coached basketball. These are the teams, come March, people will still call Mid Majors or Cinderella when they make a march to the Sweet 16 or the Elite 8, even while knowing that the last two years featured three Mid Majors in the Final Four, while one of those teams, Butler, found a spot in the championship game in back to back years.
It is not just the West that is being hit by the Mid Major bug, but all over the college landscape; especially with the exodus of one and dones from the major programs, transfers, and major colleges whiffing on talent, it is a trend that will continue from here on out. Therefore, no conferences should get automatic bids, which means if a team like Long Beach St., who deserves a bid, does not win their tournament then they should not be ousted from the tournament in favor of a depressed Illinois or be guaranteed to the carcasses of middling Big East teams, like UConn, because they play in the WCC; instead the WCC and conferences like it (MWC, WAC, MVC) should be judged by their performance and not the conference they reside in. There are still little guys out there in college basketball, they just are not as little anymore.
Speaking of the little Engine, or Racer, that could...
Racing Into The Tournament
Last week, I commented on how this Murray St. team reminded me a lot of the St. Joseph's team led by Jameer Nelson and Delonte West in 2003, who took their team to the Elite Eight. The parallels between the two teams are striking in they both had great guard play, flirted with unblemished records, were dismissed throughout the course of the season because of their conference, and then went on a run through the tournament. Okay, so the last part is still up in the air for Murray St., but by the looks of how they played last night against St. Mary's, I firmly believe you can not sleep on this Racers team. Yes, St. Mary's is not the same team the committee had in mind when they set up the game, with St. Mary's in a mini slide and hit with some injuries. However, if you saw the energy and the confidence that the Racers played with throughout the course f the game, it would be hard to find any team in America that could have beat them last night.
They had the look of a team that was going out to prove something and they did just that with their uptempo, guard play, which harassed St. Mary's all game long. Don't think that Murray St. was not ready for this showdown, having heard all the doubters and media members talk about their schedule, their lack of size (size is not an issue), and their conference. Well, you can check off all those concerns and put the Racers down as a legit contender. If you are looking for a possible "Kemba Walker" impersonator in the tournament then a distinct possibility is the Racers own Isaiah Canaan, who turned the 2nd half of the game into his own personal highlight reel, a quick, strong sharp shooting guard that dropped 17 points in the 2nd half to finish with 23. Canaan is matched up with Donte Poole in the backcourt, who added 11 and that 11 came in bunches in the 1st half, to create the newest version of Jameer Nelson and Delonte West.
The NCAA tournament, a tournament that is broken down into small compact segments, is dictated by guards. You won't find a better duo than the two at Murray St.
The Tormentor
It is really hard to hear and see LeBron talk. Earlier this week he stated that if people want to get a reaction or blame somebody then they always talk about "Lebron". Yes, it turns out that LeBron is responsible for famine in Africa, unemployment in America, obesity in kids. I mean just shut up. LeBron needs to go Robert De Niro and talk to Billy Crystal to analyze his mental stability. In the next couple years, championship or not, I feel LeBron will have a breakdown on par with Dave Chapelle, Brintey Spears, or maybe he will go Ed Norton in Fight Club and create an alter ego- an alter ego that wins championships.
But this last week against his scorned lover the Cavs, LBJ had it leaked that he would be open to re-joining the Cavs when he can opt out of his contract in 2014. Hearing that is almost this cringe worthy. I have not seen this type of on the fence action since Italy in both World Wars. I wrote earlier this season, when LBJ was having his 4th quarter meltdowns, about LeBron's need to be loved by everyone. I attributed his 4th Quarter disappearing act to The Decision, when the Clevelanders he thought loved him unconditionally, turned on him, as did many other fans, which was a huge shock and blow to LeBron. The look on his face as he watched them burn his jersey showed a vulnerability, Superman being given kryptonite, and he has not been the same LeBron since. More pauper than king.
I suggested that he make a true and honest apology to his scorned fan base, an apology that may not make everything right, but it may help him to move. Instead, he continually pokes little jabs and hangs these veiled hopes over his former team and city, a slap in the face to Miami at the same time, that makes me understand that LeBron does not understand. That is why Lebron needs a Jerry Maguire or a Jerry Maguire type moment to set him straight. LeBron, remember wen you played the game with a smile, like a child, and you didn't care about being a name brand or mega star. Stop trying to be LeBron, Inc. and start being the guy who is funny, charismatic, and one of the most gifted athletes of our, or anyone else's, generation. It's not about being a global icon anymore, it is about being a person of substance and respectability that doesn't play head games, but rather shows us inspiring play from their heart. You do that and the world will show you love.
Hangover of the Week Award
The Horned Frogs ran away with the award early. Tell me, is there a better way to come into the Big 12 and major college football than a drug scandal for your football team TCU? I know the guys at Accidental Commentary (All Badger fans) would like a piss test done on all Horned Frog players from the 2011 Rose Bowl to get their Badgers the win.
I'm not surprised by athlete's selling drugs, hell, I'm not surprised by anyone selling drugs, but as a guy that wishes he did get that shot to play sports, I would have just sat in my dorm room or frat house with all the ladies or cheerleaders and never left. Why take a chance with your future and having that cloud over your head everywhere you go. This is not Varsity Blues or The Program, this is the world of internet, of camera phones, of not getting away with anything. Athletes have too much to lose and only a stupid looking mug shot posted all over the internet to gain. The last thing you want is the NCAA or Yahoo looking into your program.
Annoying Guy at The Bar Award
Some ref's act like the doorman or bouncer at a club. You give a half educated, worldly insignificant person just a little bit of power and they feel like they have you by the balls. The one time they serve any type of purpose and they use that time to be a dick, frustrating and annoying customers almost as if you are in their living room stomping around on their new carpet with dirty shoes. Hey, doorman, I just came to have a few drinks and I have every right to be pissed that you are treating this line like you are airport security during the Holiday Season. Check the ID and step aside.
That is why last nights NC State/Florida St. game and the ref that threw Tom Gugliotta and Chris Corchiani out of the game for extolling their sentiments that he was having a subpar night for ref's gets Annoying Guy status. Fans have more than a right to boo, taunt, and call the ref out. They pay for these tickets, okay so Googs didn't pay, but a ref should be concerned about his job and not what fans are heckling to him. Hey, don't these guys have their jersey's retired at NC State? So how is it that a single ref can turn the game into a "Look at me. I'm a badass sheriff" even occur at NC State? I think the wrong removal was made and it should have been police escorting the referee out of the game for violating the "Too much power for an insignificant person" law that I just made up.
Thanks for stopping by. Check back for next week for previews of Duke Florida St., BYU/Gonzaga, NBA breakdowns, and general ramblings and stories by this guy.
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