The only one clapping in Conte tonight...that is except for Doornekamp when they showed him his nightly episode of "Spongebob" during halftime...which he then acted out under the boards...
Monday, February 28, 2005
Worst Case Scenario
Worst Case Scenario 3: BC loses the game...CHECK.
Worst Case Scenario 2: BC loses the game badly, at home, silencing the fickle BC crowd, and humiliating themselves in front of a national audience especially the committee...CHECK.
Worst Case Scenario 1: BC loses the game by more than 20, shows a total lack of heart, fails to make any kind of comeback after getting behind, and ultimately puts their tails between their legs and bows to the physical Pitt defense...CHECK.
What happened? This is what happened, Pittsburgh showed everyone watching how to beat BC, and don't think for a second that everyone headed to the Big East and NCAA tournaments won't take note.
Rebound, rebound, rebound. It's a mantra basketball players hear from the minute they lace them up when they're 7 years old. The winner of the battle of the boards generally wins the game. Tonight Pitt: 49 boards, BC: 27 boards. While the difference in offensive rebounds was only 3 (16-19 Pitt) at crucial junctures they were the difference. On three occasions Pittsburgh outside shots actually failed to graze iron but were scooped up by unmolested Pitt interior players and laid in uncontested. That is unacceptable and Doornekamp, Smith, and Williams are clearly to blame.
Speaking of Doornekamp...well I'll get back to him later.
Defense wins championships, blah, blah, blah, but it's the team with the most points when the buzzer sounds that wins the game. Shooting percentage is not always a good indicator of the game's outcome but when the margin as dramatic as it was tonight it tells a story. BC shot a paltry 31.1% (19-61) while Pitt shot 48.3% (28-58). While the difference here is already indicative, take Craig Smith out of the BC shooting percentage and it falls even further to 26.8% (11-41). BC played good D, holding a top 25 opponent under 50% from the field is relatively impressive, but to shoot under 40% is awful and to tip-toe around 30% is a recipe for disaster. They couldn't throw it in the ocean from the beach.
While BC couldn't shoot a lick the swarming physical Pitt defense certainly came to play. They pounded the BC interior players and packed the lane all night long, making for difficult entry passes to Smith, forcing him to catch the ball further from the hoop than he would like. With the clogged lane Hailey, Hinnent, and Watson couldn't get closer to the hoop than the free-throw line and Dudley was smothered from the opening tip. They took away what BC does best and exposed their greatest weaknesses. Make it tough for Smith, take away Dudley with physical play, pack it in and force them to shoot the ball from outside, contest everything, and get up big. Once they did that it was over. BC has so little firepower and is so weak from 3 point range overcoming large deficits is nearly impossible and if Dudley doesn't show up there is just too much attention paid to Smith for him to be effective.
Speaking of Dudley, he simply forgot to get out of bed this morning. He was completely shut down all night long scoring only 4 points (16.5 season average) and pulling down only 3 rebounds. If this kid is allegedly the second option on the #5 team in the country he needs to show up in big games against tough defensive players. He showed an inability to do that tonight. It was a weak concerning performance for an allegedly big-time player. If they see Pittsburgh again the Big East tournament he has a lot to prove.
As long as we're blasting people, let's get on Doornekamp. Let's start with this, he is over 7 feet tall, by far the tallest Eagle and normally the tallest player on the court. He grabbed one rebound in this game...one. He was exposed tonight, for exactly what he is. He's tall. That's about the nicest thing I can say about his game tonight. He totally failed to show up defensively and while they don't rely on him for much on the offensive end he was almost more pathetic with the ball. First, defensively he was completely unable to keep Taft and the rest of the Pitt interior players off the boards. He was badly beaten on half a dozen occasions and was caught chasing his man through the lane only to not get there in time and ended up meekly waving as Pitt players made lay-ups. On the offensive end he actually provided some levity, probably the only thing I smiled at the whole game. Late in the first half he caught the ball on the block, tried half a drop step, knocked his man over, stood there for 3 seconds unable to move his cement block feet towards the unchallenged basket, eventually got moving towards the hoop, found the path blocked, and tried the most hilariously awful reverse lay-up in the history of the NCAA. He looked like a drunk Shawn Bradley on ice-skates. I say again, much more S. Williams, much less N. Doornekamp.
Finally, lost opportunities early buried BC. Pitt couldn't hit the broad side of a barn for the first 10 minutes. Unfortunately, neither could BC, had they been able to score a few quick points they could have easily pulled away at the beginning. At the 10 minute mark of the first half the score was 9-9 and BC looked so bad I would have gladly settled for a 36-36 score at the end of regulation and a fresh start in overtime. They survived a seven minute scoring drought in the first half, and went nine minutes without a field goal but entered the locker room only down 3. Twice in the second half they got within 2, but for all intents and purposes the game was over at 15:59 when Pitt went up 41-32. After that point BC never got closer than 9, never mounted a serious charge, and never looked like a top 5 team. Hell, they didn't look like a top 50 team.
I detract my previous statements about the Villanova game, it didn't resemble the Syracuse football game at all...at least not compared to tonight's game.
"All BC has to do is beat middle of the pack Big East team Syracuse for a trip to the Fiesta Bowl."
"All BC has to do is beat middle of the pack Big East team Pittsburgh for at least a share of the Big East Championship and a shot at a #1 seed."
"Oh crap, BC is getting blown out by Syracuse here in the beginning, gee whiz I sure hope they come back. They will right? They are the 'better' team...aren't they?"
"Oh crap, BC is getting blown out by Pittsburgh here in the beginning, gee whiz I sure hope they come back. They will right? They are the 'better' team...aren't they? Wait didn't this already happen in football...am I losing it?"
"Wow BC looks like they totally rolled over here in this huge, huge, huge game, guess we'll get 'em next year."
"Wow BC TOTALLY rolled over AGAIN on national TV on this HUGE stage with the tournament seed world watching. How are we this bad? Doornekamp would get wasted in a 40 yard dash by Dan Marino, no one can hit an outside shot, Dudley might be better off on the "And One" mix-tape, and how the hell am I supposed to keep these players straight if they keep changing from 'fros to rows every freakin' week!?" (just imagine what this will look like if the hockey team loses in the Frozen Four)
How can one school choke twice in 4 months in potentially season making games? How can they get blown out in both games...at home? They aren't even the same damn team! How? Because they're big time BC sports and they are destined to shut it down just when they need to show up the most.
Way to peak at the right time boys.
Worst Case Scenario 2: BC loses the game badly, at home, silencing the fickle BC crowd, and humiliating themselves in front of a national audience especially the committee...CHECK.
Worst Case Scenario 1: BC loses the game by more than 20, shows a total lack of heart, fails to make any kind of comeback after getting behind, and ultimately puts their tails between their legs and bows to the physical Pitt defense...CHECK.
What happened? This is what happened, Pittsburgh showed everyone watching how to beat BC, and don't think for a second that everyone headed to the Big East and NCAA tournaments won't take note.
Rebound, rebound, rebound. It's a mantra basketball players hear from the minute they lace them up when they're 7 years old. The winner of the battle of the boards generally wins the game. Tonight Pitt: 49 boards, BC: 27 boards. While the difference in offensive rebounds was only 3 (16-19 Pitt) at crucial junctures they were the difference. On three occasions Pittsburgh outside shots actually failed to graze iron but were scooped up by unmolested Pitt interior players and laid in uncontested. That is unacceptable and Doornekamp, Smith, and Williams are clearly to blame.
Speaking of Doornekamp...well I'll get back to him later.
Defense wins championships, blah, blah, blah, but it's the team with the most points when the buzzer sounds that wins the game. Shooting percentage is not always a good indicator of the game's outcome but when the margin as dramatic as it was tonight it tells a story. BC shot a paltry 31.1% (19-61) while Pitt shot 48.3% (28-58). While the difference here is already indicative, take Craig Smith out of the BC shooting percentage and it falls even further to 26.8% (11-41). BC played good D, holding a top 25 opponent under 50% from the field is relatively impressive, but to shoot under 40% is awful and to tip-toe around 30% is a recipe for disaster. They couldn't throw it in the ocean from the beach.
While BC couldn't shoot a lick the swarming physical Pitt defense certainly came to play. They pounded the BC interior players and packed the lane all night long, making for difficult entry passes to Smith, forcing him to catch the ball further from the hoop than he would like. With the clogged lane Hailey, Hinnent, and Watson couldn't get closer to the hoop than the free-throw line and Dudley was smothered from the opening tip. They took away what BC does best and exposed their greatest weaknesses. Make it tough for Smith, take away Dudley with physical play, pack it in and force them to shoot the ball from outside, contest everything, and get up big. Once they did that it was over. BC has so little firepower and is so weak from 3 point range overcoming large deficits is nearly impossible and if Dudley doesn't show up there is just too much attention paid to Smith for him to be effective.
Speaking of Dudley, he simply forgot to get out of bed this morning. He was completely shut down all night long scoring only 4 points (16.5 season average) and pulling down only 3 rebounds. If this kid is allegedly the second option on the #5 team in the country he needs to show up in big games against tough defensive players. He showed an inability to do that tonight. It was a weak concerning performance for an allegedly big-time player. If they see Pittsburgh again the Big East tournament he has a lot to prove.
As long as we're blasting people, let's get on Doornekamp. Let's start with this, he is over 7 feet tall, by far the tallest Eagle and normally the tallest player on the court. He grabbed one rebound in this game...one. He was exposed tonight, for exactly what he is. He's tall. That's about the nicest thing I can say about his game tonight. He totally failed to show up defensively and while they don't rely on him for much on the offensive end he was almost more pathetic with the ball. First, defensively he was completely unable to keep Taft and the rest of the Pitt interior players off the boards. He was badly beaten on half a dozen occasions and was caught chasing his man through the lane only to not get there in time and ended up meekly waving as Pitt players made lay-ups. On the offensive end he actually provided some levity, probably the only thing I smiled at the whole game. Late in the first half he caught the ball on the block, tried half a drop step, knocked his man over, stood there for 3 seconds unable to move his cement block feet towards the unchallenged basket, eventually got moving towards the hoop, found the path blocked, and tried the most hilariously awful reverse lay-up in the history of the NCAA. He looked like a drunk Shawn Bradley on ice-skates. I say again, much more S. Williams, much less N. Doornekamp.
Finally, lost opportunities early buried BC. Pitt couldn't hit the broad side of a barn for the first 10 minutes. Unfortunately, neither could BC, had they been able to score a few quick points they could have easily pulled away at the beginning. At the 10 minute mark of the first half the score was 9-9 and BC looked so bad I would have gladly settled for a 36-36 score at the end of regulation and a fresh start in overtime. They survived a seven minute scoring drought in the first half, and went nine minutes without a field goal but entered the locker room only down 3. Twice in the second half they got within 2, but for all intents and purposes the game was over at 15:59 when Pitt went up 41-32. After that point BC never got closer than 9, never mounted a serious charge, and never looked like a top 5 team. Hell, they didn't look like a top 50 team.
I detract my previous statements about the Villanova game, it didn't resemble the Syracuse football game at all...at least not compared to tonight's game.
"All BC has to do is beat middle of the pack Big East team Syracuse for a trip to the Fiesta Bowl."
"All BC has to do is beat middle of the pack Big East team Pittsburgh for at least a share of the Big East Championship and a shot at a #1 seed."
"Oh crap, BC is getting blown out by Syracuse here in the beginning, gee whiz I sure hope they come back. They will right? They are the 'better' team...aren't they?"
"Oh crap, BC is getting blown out by Pittsburgh here in the beginning, gee whiz I sure hope they come back. They will right? They are the 'better' team...aren't they? Wait didn't this already happen in football...am I losing it?"
"Wow BC looks like they totally rolled over here in this huge, huge, huge game, guess we'll get 'em next year."
"Wow BC TOTALLY rolled over AGAIN on national TV on this HUGE stage with the tournament seed world watching. How are we this bad? Doornekamp would get wasted in a 40 yard dash by Dan Marino, no one can hit an outside shot, Dudley might be better off on the "And One" mix-tape, and how the hell am I supposed to keep these players straight if they keep changing from 'fros to rows every freakin' week!?" (just imagine what this will look like if the hockey team loses in the Frozen Four)
How can one school choke twice in 4 months in potentially season making games? How can they get blown out in both games...at home? They aren't even the same damn team! How? Because they're big time BC sports and they are destined to shut it down just when they need to show up the most.
Way to peak at the right time boys.
BC Pre-game
For those of you living under a rock in New England, BC basketball is playing a HUGE game tonight at Conte Forum against #17 Pittsburgh...please oh please let someone hear the following prayers.
1. BC wins the game, first and foremost and ultimately most important.
2. If BC wins, for the love of all that is holy, keep the students off the floor. Shoot the first one that tries to rush and continue as such until they stop, don't let them embarass a good team with such a bogus lack of respect...AGAIN! (please remember we're ranked 14 spots higher, please oh please oh please...)
3. Much more S. Williams and much less N. Doornekamp.
4. Let them play like the #3 team, come out and stomp on a Pitt team that has lost 3 in a row and make a loud statement going into the Big East tournament.
Yea I know that last one is really pushing my luck....sorry.
More during and after the game.
1. BC wins the game, first and foremost and ultimately most important.
2. If BC wins, for the love of all that is holy, keep the students off the floor. Shoot the first one that tries to rush and continue as such until they stop, don't let them embarass a good team with such a bogus lack of respect...AGAIN! (please remember we're ranked 14 spots higher, please oh please oh please...)
3. Much more S. Williams and much less N. Doornekamp.
4. Let them play like the #3 team, come out and stomp on a Pitt team that has lost 3 in a row and make a loud statement going into the Big East tournament.
Yea I know that last one is really pushing my luck....sorry.
More during and after the game.
A February Sunday
I know that I've mentioned this already but annually between the Super Bowl and March Madness we enter the Dark Ages of sports. Thus, there was nothing better to watch on a cold soon to be snowy Sunday night than the Oscars...there really must have been something better...
I came to a decision tonight, there is only one way to watch the Oscars effectively and that is in a large group. You NEED to have something to talk about during the speeches, they are agonizing. I simply do not care about how deeply the Academy Award winning Sound Editor feels about the contributions of his staff, I don't and if you weren't on that staff it's pretty likely that you don't care either. Thank God I was lucky enough to be watching with helpful souls willing to distract me from my rage against the very idea of Antonio Banderas singing...EVER.
In terms of the actual awards I can't really say much about them. I haven't seen most of the nominated movies and to be honest I don't plan to. However, I was thrilled to see "Million Dollar Baby" clean up the big awards (actress, director, picture) over "Aviator" Here's why:
1. I hate Leonardo DiCaprio. I don't know why, it's totally irrational, maybe it's his involvement with "Titanic", maybe it's because he was almost able to ruin one of the best Hollywood stories of all time in "Catch Me If You Can", maybe it's the fact that he looks like the biggest, whiniest, Hollywood worm. I just can't stand him. I don't want to hear about "Basketball Diaries" that was a million years ago and he was a different guy then.
2. I am against simply giving the Oscar to the "biggest" movie of the year, and I mean biggest in several senses. Of course it should go to one of the more financially successful movies, if the film didn't make it in theaters chances are it isn't worthy of the award. However, I'm referring more to the recent Hollywood trend of giving the Best Picture award to the biggest spectacle film rather than the legitimate best. See: "Gladiator". (Yes, I know "The Return of the King" which I am nerdishly *not a word* obsessed with won last year, but to a dork like me that was legit.) I also use biggest to refer to the film with the biggest buzz about its release. Just because everyone says pre-release that it's a sure-fire Oscar candidate does not mean that it should ultimately win. Finally, biggest names do not guarantee the biggest results. Hillary Swank is no B list relegate, but her name carries less weight than that dink Leo.
3. I hate Leonardo DiCaprio, yes it gets a second mention, yes it deserves it.
Other things from Oscars '05:
- Where was everyone? There were empty seats all over the place, what was the pre-show gram laced with laxitives or were the seat fillers on strike?
- Chris Rock blasting the Hollywood B-list is a hell of a lot funnier than Billy Crystal's usual song and dance, which always makes me vaguely uncomfortable in that Uncle Earl sort of way.
- Was that really weird Adam Sandler Chris Rock monologue planned or did Catherine Zeta Jones not come out because she got her hand stuck in Michael Douglas' grease mop backstage?
- That crazy looking Johnny Depp statue they put in his seat...wait you mean that was really Johnny Depp?
- If I never see Halle Berry's "acceptance nervous breakdown" again it will be far too soon. Why did they feel the need to re-run it twice?
- Selma Hayek, the Lifetime Achievement Award winner's daughter...what do they have in common...ask your boyfriend that you forced to watch with you, believe me he'll know.
- Antonio Banderas moonlighting as the lounge singer from the Palms, all he was missing was the cigarette burning in the ash-try and the snifter of scotch.
- Beyonce will sing anything, anywhere, if you put enough bling on her. That was actually her dressed up as the crazy guy from the Counting Crows with the fake dreds. Is she really that hot right now that we need to see her sing ALL of the female parts in the best song nominees?
- Giving out awards in the audience is weird...giving out an award in an opera box is really really freakin' weird, what was that!?
- The classic awkward "man aisle pass" when the winner of one of the "audience" awards was seated (whose idea was this?) on the inside of one of the losing nominees, and then had to very awkwardly pass him on his way out of the aisle to accept the award. How awful is that, you lose the Oscar then you have to stand up and have the entire world watch the winner rub either his ass or his junk on your crotch on the way to collect the trophy you didn't win. Maybe he could make out with your girl and stomp on your dog while he's at it.
- And last but not least, the cruelty shown by the writers in suggesting, as they headed to commercial, that Natalie Portman would be on in the next segment and then not having her glorious appearance take place until an hour later. You don't do that to straight men who watch the Oscars, we obviously don't have much going on anyway if we're watching, don't add insult to injury by toying with us.
Thank God BC is playing tomorrow night...did I really just write all that about the Oscars...oh I'm ashamed...
I came to a decision tonight, there is only one way to watch the Oscars effectively and that is in a large group. You NEED to have something to talk about during the speeches, they are agonizing. I simply do not care about how deeply the Academy Award winning Sound Editor feels about the contributions of his staff, I don't and if you weren't on that staff it's pretty likely that you don't care either. Thank God I was lucky enough to be watching with helpful souls willing to distract me from my rage against the very idea of Antonio Banderas singing...EVER.
In terms of the actual awards I can't really say much about them. I haven't seen most of the nominated movies and to be honest I don't plan to. However, I was thrilled to see "Million Dollar Baby" clean up the big awards (actress, director, picture) over "Aviator" Here's why:
1. I hate Leonardo DiCaprio. I don't know why, it's totally irrational, maybe it's his involvement with "Titanic", maybe it's because he was almost able to ruin one of the best Hollywood stories of all time in "Catch Me If You Can", maybe it's the fact that he looks like the biggest, whiniest, Hollywood worm. I just can't stand him. I don't want to hear about "Basketball Diaries" that was a million years ago and he was a different guy then.
2. I am against simply giving the Oscar to the "biggest" movie of the year, and I mean biggest in several senses. Of course it should go to one of the more financially successful movies, if the film didn't make it in theaters chances are it isn't worthy of the award. However, I'm referring more to the recent Hollywood trend of giving the Best Picture award to the biggest spectacle film rather than the legitimate best. See: "Gladiator". (Yes, I know "The Return of the King" which I am nerdishly *not a word* obsessed with won last year, but to a dork like me that was legit.) I also use biggest to refer to the film with the biggest buzz about its release. Just because everyone says pre-release that it's a sure-fire Oscar candidate does not mean that it should ultimately win. Finally, biggest names do not guarantee the biggest results. Hillary Swank is no B list relegate, but her name carries less weight than that dink Leo.
3. I hate Leonardo DiCaprio, yes it gets a second mention, yes it deserves it.
Other things from Oscars '05:
- Where was everyone? There were empty seats all over the place, what was the pre-show gram laced with laxitives or were the seat fillers on strike?
- Chris Rock blasting the Hollywood B-list is a hell of a lot funnier than Billy Crystal's usual song and dance, which always makes me vaguely uncomfortable in that Uncle Earl sort of way.
- Was that really weird Adam Sandler Chris Rock monologue planned or did Catherine Zeta Jones not come out because she got her hand stuck in Michael Douglas' grease mop backstage?
- That crazy looking Johnny Depp statue they put in his seat...wait you mean that was really Johnny Depp?
- If I never see Halle Berry's "acceptance nervous breakdown" again it will be far too soon. Why did they feel the need to re-run it twice?
- Selma Hayek, the Lifetime Achievement Award winner's daughter...what do they have in common...ask your boyfriend that you forced to watch with you, believe me he'll know.
- Antonio Banderas moonlighting as the lounge singer from the Palms, all he was missing was the cigarette burning in the ash-try and the snifter of scotch.
- Beyonce will sing anything, anywhere, if you put enough bling on her. That was actually her dressed up as the crazy guy from the Counting Crows with the fake dreds. Is she really that hot right now that we need to see her sing ALL of the female parts in the best song nominees?
- Giving out awards in the audience is weird...giving out an award in an opera box is really really freakin' weird, what was that!?
- The classic awkward "man aisle pass" when the winner of one of the "audience" awards was seated (whose idea was this?) on the inside of one of the losing nominees, and then had to very awkwardly pass him on his way out of the aisle to accept the award. How awful is that, you lose the Oscar then you have to stand up and have the entire world watch the winner rub either his ass or his junk on your crotch on the way to collect the trophy you didn't win. Maybe he could make out with your girl and stomp on your dog while he's at it.
- And last but not least, the cruelty shown by the writers in suggesting, as they headed to commercial, that Natalie Portman would be on in the next segment and then not having her glorious appearance take place until an hour later. You don't do that to straight men who watch the Oscars, we obviously don't have much going on anyway if we're watching, don't add insult to injury by toying with us.
Thank God BC is playing tomorrow night...did I really just write all that about the Oscars...oh I'm ashamed...
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Amendment
In my sobriety this afternoon I found the link to the real Bayless bash, the one which sets the standard for moron bashing by which we will all be judged from this point forward.
http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/facts/013005bayless.php
That's it for now.
http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/facts/013005bayless.php
That's it for now.
One might say...
How can I post something in response to an article about a movie I haven't seen?
The answer is simple, the response was written by Skip Bayless.
Is there anyone in sports journalism that enrages me more than Skippy? Yes, Woody Paige is more annoying, but he will occasionally agree with the consensus, especially if the consensus is right. You tell that stupid bastard Bayless that up is up and he will immediately write an article about how up is prophetically destined to be down and if you disagree you will get that obnoxious grin that Skippy gives to everyone on Cold Pizza and at every other moment in his pathetically skewed life where he finds himself confronted by mere mortals.
He makes all of us who enjoy writing about sports look bad, arrogant, and misrepresented. He makes us all look like fiesty CNN Crossfire commentators that so grossly misrepresent the US in one direction or the other, and that is the problem, he can't pick a direction.
See for example, any article about the Patriots ever written by Skippy, it either hails them as the greatest team ever, or berates them as a group of over-ranked imbeciles...depending on and ultimately varying from the popular consensus at the time regardless of its accuracy.
I wasn't there the day someone coroneted Skippy the God of dissention but had I been there I would have been the first man in the, "If anyone here believes this union should not take place..." line and would have loudly voiced my opposition to the idea that anyone should ever read any of Skippy's brain farts.
I can't even write any more on this topic, there are so many blasts about this clown on the internet already that I have nothing original to say on the topic.
http://cbs.sportsline.com/messages/message/8171008/1107825472-tmacfan101
http://www.sportsfilter.com/comments.cfm/3840
And, this is embarssing, I can't find the link to the best Skippy bashing site, which followed his Page 2 article about Brady/Belichick/Montana/Parcells, but on some site a guy, or several guys ripped him a new one so deep that I think he's still waddling. If you ever find it you'll know it, it's a step by step annihilation of every phrase he foolishly utters. I envy everything about it.
He is a moron of the "Woody Paige" degree, which means he is someone whose mere voice can make me semi-suicidal. Some people deserve nothing more than a Pete Rose style banishment from sports coverage, as of now that category includes only Bayless and Paige, but agree with Skippy's article on "Million Dollar Baby" and you'll be in not so glamorous company.
I just can't stand that guy...class be damned...he sucks!
The answer is simple, the response was written by Skip Bayless.
Is there anyone in sports journalism that enrages me more than Skippy? Yes, Woody Paige is more annoying, but he will occasionally agree with the consensus, especially if the consensus is right. You tell that stupid bastard Bayless that up is up and he will immediately write an article about how up is prophetically destined to be down and if you disagree you will get that obnoxious grin that Skippy gives to everyone on Cold Pizza and at every other moment in his pathetically skewed life where he finds himself confronted by mere mortals.
He makes all of us who enjoy writing about sports look bad, arrogant, and misrepresented. He makes us all look like fiesty CNN Crossfire commentators that so grossly misrepresent the US in one direction or the other, and that is the problem, he can't pick a direction.
See for example, any article about the Patriots ever written by Skippy, it either hails them as the greatest team ever, or berates them as a group of over-ranked imbeciles...depending on and ultimately varying from the popular consensus at the time regardless of its accuracy.
I wasn't there the day someone coroneted Skippy the God of dissention but had I been there I would have been the first man in the, "If anyone here believes this union should not take place..." line and would have loudly voiced my opposition to the idea that anyone should ever read any of Skippy's brain farts.
I can't even write any more on this topic, there are so many blasts about this clown on the internet already that I have nothing original to say on the topic.
http://cbs.sportsline.com/messages/message/8171008/1107825472-tmacfan101
http://www.sportsfilter.com/comments.cfm/3840
And, this is embarssing, I can't find the link to the best Skippy bashing site, which followed his Page 2 article about Brady/Belichick/Montana/Parcells, but on some site a guy, or several guys ripped him a new one so deep that I think he's still waddling. If you ever find it you'll know it, it's a step by step annihilation of every phrase he foolishly utters. I envy everything about it.
He is a moron of the "Woody Paige" degree, which means he is someone whose mere voice can make me semi-suicidal. Some people deserve nothing more than a Pete Rose style banishment from sports coverage, as of now that category includes only Bayless and Paige, but agree with Skippy's article on "Million Dollar Baby" and you'll be in not so glamorous company.
I just can't stand that guy...class be damned...he sucks!
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Halfway to a Disaster!
Yawn Saturday morning...noon...hmmm...I should get up...Yawn.
"Hey, isn't BC playing this afternoon?" I think they are...Yawn. I should go check. Oh right, they're playing Seton Hall who only has like 3 guys on their active roster right now, shouldn't be much of a game...
Warning! Warning! Assuming that BC basketball will ever blow out even the most inferior of opponents guarantees horrible soul crushing upset! Warning! Warning!
Okay I'll go check the score...Hmm 4 minutes to play in the first half BC up 3...
Wait did the announcer just say BC was trailing until the last possession?! This is freaking Seton Hall!
Frantic search for TiVo remote...damn not set!
Wait did he just say that the Hall was outrebounding BC 21-14? Was that another offensive rebound!? Sweet Christ they're doing it again!
Please blow someone out for once. Just one time could you please win an important Big East game at home against a completely dilapidated opponent by more than five points. Seriously, take back my two front teeth just blow them out and LOOK for the first time this year (exclude some parts of the Syracuse game) like a top 5 team.
They just flashed the first half stats Seton Hall 36% from the field and the score is 33-30. 36% freaking percent and we're up 3? Oh rebounds right, 24-17. We stink!
First Seton Hall possession of the second half, missed shot, offensive rebound, Doornekamp gets torched for a layup...shocking.
Please Al take Marshall out, he hasn't hit a shot since October and his fro blocks most of his shots and they have to stop the game to get the ball out of his nap. We're losing by 4, say it ain't so!
Doornekamp was just dribbling the ball off of a rebound. He almost made it to half-court. I think I just shit myself and started crying.
Craig Smith is 4-14 from the field and the game is tied with 13 to play, and BC just gave up a two handed put back dunk to Whitney.
Okay we're up two on a Dudley put back, the crowd's back into it, let's....nevermind Copeland just blew past Hinnett for a lay-up. If BC isn't a scoring team and can't stop a 5'10" point guard, then what are they?
OH! Williams, the freshman center from Houston just stuffed Whitney's dunk attempt back into his grill on a 4 on 2 break. That kid is a SICK shot blocker! He should play every minute, keep Doornekamp on the bench, hell cut him for all I care, I want Williams!
Dudley just threw an airball, that kid makes me insane, he is everything good and everything bad about X-Singletary and Kenny Harley all over again.
BC up 4 with 8 minutes to play...please pull away (see afore mentioned 2 front teeth bargain).
Wait a sec, the kid with the fro is Haley not Marshall, who the heck is Marshall? Is he even on the team, they say he used to score occassionally...
BC up 6 with 6 minutes to play, please pull away, please, please, please, Seton Hall has nine guys dressed, please pull away!
* Sidenote: This is probably the most boring basketball game in the history of the NCAA, if I wasn't a BC alum I would have changed the channel half an hour ago. There is no running, no shooting, lots of missed shots, fouls, and turnovers. This looks like the first five minutes of an NBA game between Sacramento and Orlando in March when all the players have packed it in.
BC up 5 with 2:42 to play. All I can think about is if BC's up 2 at the end 5'10" Copeland will take one step over half-court and nail a prayer with as time expires to give Seton Hall a one point win. This just looks like that kind of day.
Jermain Watson just blew a dunk on a break with no one within ten feet of him...take me out back and shoot me.
BC up 10 with 5 seconds to play, how did we get here? Nothing has happened in the last 4 minutes, BC is the most boring team to watch ever. I swear they don't win games they hypnotize other teams into losing, or maybe they just put us all to sleep and we don't even realize what happened until we read about it the next day.
Ughh! This is not the #3 team in the country. It can't be, thank God they didn't lose to Seton Hall. Why can't they blow anyone out? Why!? Why!? Why!? This is what this team has reduced me to, incoherent babbling.
Is it baseball season yet?
"Hey, isn't BC playing this afternoon?" I think they are...Yawn. I should go check. Oh right, they're playing Seton Hall who only has like 3 guys on their active roster right now, shouldn't be much of a game...
Warning! Warning! Assuming that BC basketball will ever blow out even the most inferior of opponents guarantees horrible soul crushing upset! Warning! Warning!
Okay I'll go check the score...Hmm 4 minutes to play in the first half BC up 3...
Wait did the announcer just say BC was trailing until the last possession?! This is freaking Seton Hall!
Frantic search for TiVo remote...damn not set!
Wait did he just say that the Hall was outrebounding BC 21-14? Was that another offensive rebound!? Sweet Christ they're doing it again!
Please blow someone out for once. Just one time could you please win an important Big East game at home against a completely dilapidated opponent by more than five points. Seriously, take back my two front teeth just blow them out and LOOK for the first time this year (exclude some parts of the Syracuse game) like a top 5 team.
They just flashed the first half stats Seton Hall 36% from the field and the score is 33-30. 36% freaking percent and we're up 3? Oh rebounds right, 24-17. We stink!
First Seton Hall possession of the second half, missed shot, offensive rebound, Doornekamp gets torched for a layup...shocking.
Please Al take Marshall out, he hasn't hit a shot since October and his fro blocks most of his shots and they have to stop the game to get the ball out of his nap. We're losing by 4, say it ain't so!
Doornekamp was just dribbling the ball off of a rebound. He almost made it to half-court. I think I just shit myself and started crying.
Craig Smith is 4-14 from the field and the game is tied with 13 to play, and BC just gave up a two handed put back dunk to Whitney.
Okay we're up two on a Dudley put back, the crowd's back into it, let's....nevermind Copeland just blew past Hinnett for a lay-up. If BC isn't a scoring team and can't stop a 5'10" point guard, then what are they?
OH! Williams, the freshman center from Houston just stuffed Whitney's dunk attempt back into his grill on a 4 on 2 break. That kid is a SICK shot blocker! He should play every minute, keep Doornekamp on the bench, hell cut him for all I care, I want Williams!
Dudley just threw an airball, that kid makes me insane, he is everything good and everything bad about X-Singletary and Kenny Harley all over again.
BC up 4 with 8 minutes to play...please pull away (see afore mentioned 2 front teeth bargain).
Wait a sec, the kid with the fro is Haley not Marshall, who the heck is Marshall? Is he even on the team, they say he used to score occassionally...
BC up 6 with 6 minutes to play, please pull away, please, please, please, Seton Hall has nine guys dressed, please pull away!
* Sidenote: This is probably the most boring basketball game in the history of the NCAA, if I wasn't a BC alum I would have changed the channel half an hour ago. There is no running, no shooting, lots of missed shots, fouls, and turnovers. This looks like the first five minutes of an NBA game between Sacramento and Orlando in March when all the players have packed it in.
BC up 5 with 2:42 to play. All I can think about is if BC's up 2 at the end 5'10" Copeland will take one step over half-court and nail a prayer with as time expires to give Seton Hall a one point win. This just looks like that kind of day.
Jermain Watson just blew a dunk on a break with no one within ten feet of him...take me out back and shoot me.
BC up 10 with 5 seconds to play, how did we get here? Nothing has happened in the last 4 minutes, BC is the most boring team to watch ever. I swear they don't win games they hypnotize other teams into losing, or maybe they just put us all to sleep and we don't even realize what happened until we read about it the next day.
Ughh! This is not the #3 team in the country. It can't be, thank God they didn't lose to Seton Hall. Why can't they blow anyone out? Why!? Why!? Why!? This is what this team has reduced me to, incoherent babbling.
Is it baseball season yet?
Friday, February 25, 2005
The Mad Mad World of Danny Ainge
"I got traded back to where!?"
(Inner-monologue, the brain of Danny Ainge, fall 2003...)
"So...ready for this...okay so here's what we're gonna do...okay so...ready? We're gonna trade a beloved team leader and 20 point scorer for the white kid from Kansas and that European guy!"
"Yes precious....yes we will..."
"Then! Oh this is great you gotta hear this! Then we're going to drag Gary Payton here from Los Angeles, you know because I LOVE over the hill former stars with huge egos and inflated price tags! LOVE 'em! Hell I am one! HA!"
"Yes precious...yes we will..."
"Then we're going to trade the European guy AND Gary Payton in the same week to get...oh you're gonna love this...seriously it's a killer...oh I can't even say it it's so genius...okay, we're gonna trade 'em to get....ANTOINE WALKER!"
"Yes precious...yes we will...wait huh?"
"So you get it, we're gonna make lots of deals, spend lots of money, piss off lots of people and then we're gonna end up with the exact same team we started with! HA! That'll drive the Chief crazy at the reunion, oh it'll bring the house down! I crack myself up, can you believe they gave a crazy-bag like me this job? I wasn't even that good of a player, what a sham! Where's my crack? Can you believe they let me trade McCarty for NOTHING? I told them what would happen if they tore down the old Garden....we told them didn't we precious?"
"Yes precious...yes we did..."
"All is going according to plan....Hahahahahahahahaha...."
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Sportscenter Relevant - Ultimately Not
It's that time of year again. The time between the Super Bowl and the beginning of Major League Baseball when there is precious little to talk about especially when you fear losing your entire readership with another article about BC hoops. There is the NBA, but on this coast it's hard to get excited about sub-500 teams that will likely make the playoffs in the pathetic Eastern Conference, but will ultimately get swept in the first round by the Heat or Pistons. There's hockey...college hockey...youth hockey...European hockey...okay there's no hockey.
This is never more present than on ESPN's Sportscenter, which tragically strives to fill far too many hours each day for it to be maintained merely by college and professional basketball. Thus, this week's five part series on steroids, which looks oddly similar to previous multi-part series on the same topic. Today's topic: steroid use among kids. Cue the dramatic post-tragedy music and add the regretful tone in Andrea Kreamer's voice and you have the makings of a heart wrenching tale of lives ruined by the evil steroid empire. They make it sound like the steroids were given to these kids by Darth Vadar with a swastika logo imprinted on the side of the box. Note to Sportscenter, steroids are not a conspiracy to destroy our youth, the integrity of our games, or our faith in mankind. They are the device of cheaters, competitive athletes who believe that they need an edge on their competition and will sacrifice the legitimacy of their accomplishments to get it. These are isolated incidents perpetrated by insecure players who are afraid of hearing the silence after the cheering stops. Yes it is a problem, especially in baseball and something needs to be done about it but let's stop trying to make this a human interest story because it isn't. Start the games and this stuff will fall off the radar. Steroids are bad, but they are not cancer, they are not AIDS, they are not hunger, let's keep this in perspective.
Next "Sportscenter Relevant" topic, NFL trades and signings. As the roomate Minnesota Dave's sports interests command a bit of attention and respect, especially on our TiVo, and as such I find myself with more than a passing interest in the Vikings, Twins, and Wolves. The big news out of the frozen tundra of the Twin Cities is the trade of the troublesome Randy Moss to the Raiders for Napoleon Harris (3rd year linebacker with a history of disappointment), the 7th overall selection, and a "late round pick". As sports magazine shows are likely to do during this down time in sports news Sportscenter has made this into a huge story, which in some respects it is, but come next January we will be looking at this deal as a wash. The Vikings needed to dump Moss and his baggage to finally allow Daunte Culpepper to be the leader of the team. Culpepper is a top tier quarterback and a solid personality to build a team around. He is not a vocal whip cracker who will keep Moss in line. With Moss in the locker room there was always dissention and no true leader, now this is Culpepper's team without question. With a big time QB, a shallow but talented receiving core of Campbell and Burleson, and a deep and diversely talented backfield the Viking's O should be fine once they get used to playing without the idea of Moss coming back.
The fact remains however that this team just cannot stop anybody, and nothing they have done here will change that. Harris is just another young defensive player with loads of talent who is prone to mistakes (see EJ Henderson, Chris Hovan etc.) and is likely not the solution to the Viking's problems. They could draft defense at #7 and likely will, but they have been drafting defense every year under Tice and it hasn't made a lick of difference.
Maybe they will finally stop drafting big mobile defensive players who aren't quite big and mobile enough and trade down to #10, draft Mike Williams and go right back to where they were this past season offensively except without Moss's drama.
On paper this deal looks much better for the Raiders. They already have a deep threat with Jerry Porter and a QB who can throw it a mile in Kerry Collins. Couple that with the offensive minded Norv Turner and the silver and black should be fun to watch, but they are still not a playoff team in my mind. There are too many egos here, Porter and Moss will spat with each other over catches and Collins is a career underachiever who is by no means a congenial locker room presence. If they start the season 0-2 it's over and Turner will be out of the job, forced out by his owner's desire for the biggest name / biggest story possible and the subsequent melt down / shut down by his team's "stars". And don't forget Moss can't play defense (ahem...Troy Brown)...neither can the Raiders.
The other big "story" out of the NFL this week is the reunion (geez this laughable to a Pat's fan) of Bill Parcells and Mr. Fleet of Foot Drew Bledsoe in Dallas. Now to be fair there is only one guy who knows Drew Bledsoe better than Bill Parcells, and that is Bill Belichick (evidence: how bad Bledsoe looks everytime they meet), and Parcells did get a lot out of Bledsoe years ago in New England, but this is a match made in hell. Bill must be getting old and losing it. Bledsoe is in his mid-thirties, throws like he's in his mid-twenties, has vision like he's in his mid-fifties, and moves like he's cemented into the ground. Seriously, I hate to blast the guy but have you ever seen a professional athlete with less mobility? The guy who lost both of his legs to steroids would torch Bledsoe in a 40 yard dash (see Sportscenter steroid series part 2).
Yes this is an upgrade from Vinny Testaverde, but he was in his forties for Chrissake! Now if Parcells can find a way to keep Bledsoe upright and statuesque (he'll be a statue regardless) in the pocket then they could find some success here, at least at first. Let's not forget however, how Drew "loves" the big game, and by loves I mean loves to choke it away. Just look at the last game of this season against the Steelers. The game meant nothing to the Steelers, the Bills needed it to have a shot at the playoffs. The Bills were the hottest team in the NFL, the Steelers played like half their guys. The Bills just had to show up in front of their 73,000 blood thirsty fans, even a little bit, and they would have won easily. Drew never got out of bed. He looked awful, pathetic even, going 16-30 for just 189 yards, with no TD's and an INT. Don't forget that Dallas and don't forget that the best game Drew ever played was a meaningless week 17 game against the Dolphins in the mid '90's where he threw up something like 50 completions in Foxboro. After an 8-8 year Parcells will quit or start tanking the team like he did before the '96 Super Bowl in New England, Jones will hire someone who will finally start Henson and down the road the Boys will be back in business, and finally the NFL will realize that it's all done for Bledsoe.
Hey, I might be a wrong about all this, and I wouldn't bet my house on any of this prognostication, but if I have half a clue the Raiders and Cowboys will be viewing next years playoffs from the same seats they watched last years, right in front of their TV's. And come next February we'll all be saying that the Moss / Bledsoe deals were a wash.
Thank you Sportscenter for providing us with mid-February "relevant" news which will be ultimately "not". Who am I to criticize, I'm talking about it too.
This is never more present than on ESPN's Sportscenter, which tragically strives to fill far too many hours each day for it to be maintained merely by college and professional basketball. Thus, this week's five part series on steroids, which looks oddly similar to previous multi-part series on the same topic. Today's topic: steroid use among kids. Cue the dramatic post-tragedy music and add the regretful tone in Andrea Kreamer's voice and you have the makings of a heart wrenching tale of lives ruined by the evil steroid empire. They make it sound like the steroids were given to these kids by Darth Vadar with a swastika logo imprinted on the side of the box. Note to Sportscenter, steroids are not a conspiracy to destroy our youth, the integrity of our games, or our faith in mankind. They are the device of cheaters, competitive athletes who believe that they need an edge on their competition and will sacrifice the legitimacy of their accomplishments to get it. These are isolated incidents perpetrated by insecure players who are afraid of hearing the silence after the cheering stops. Yes it is a problem, especially in baseball and something needs to be done about it but let's stop trying to make this a human interest story because it isn't. Start the games and this stuff will fall off the radar. Steroids are bad, but they are not cancer, they are not AIDS, they are not hunger, let's keep this in perspective.
Next "Sportscenter Relevant" topic, NFL trades and signings. As the roomate Minnesota Dave's sports interests command a bit of attention and respect, especially on our TiVo, and as such I find myself with more than a passing interest in the Vikings, Twins, and Wolves. The big news out of the frozen tundra of the Twin Cities is the trade of the troublesome Randy Moss to the Raiders for Napoleon Harris (3rd year linebacker with a history of disappointment), the 7th overall selection, and a "late round pick". As sports magazine shows are likely to do during this down time in sports news Sportscenter has made this into a huge story, which in some respects it is, but come next January we will be looking at this deal as a wash. The Vikings needed to dump Moss and his baggage to finally allow Daunte Culpepper to be the leader of the team. Culpepper is a top tier quarterback and a solid personality to build a team around. He is not a vocal whip cracker who will keep Moss in line. With Moss in the locker room there was always dissention and no true leader, now this is Culpepper's team without question. With a big time QB, a shallow but talented receiving core of Campbell and Burleson, and a deep and diversely talented backfield the Viking's O should be fine once they get used to playing without the idea of Moss coming back.
The fact remains however that this team just cannot stop anybody, and nothing they have done here will change that. Harris is just another young defensive player with loads of talent who is prone to mistakes (see EJ Henderson, Chris Hovan etc.) and is likely not the solution to the Viking's problems. They could draft defense at #7 and likely will, but they have been drafting defense every year under Tice and it hasn't made a lick of difference.
Maybe they will finally stop drafting big mobile defensive players who aren't quite big and mobile enough and trade down to #10, draft Mike Williams and go right back to where they were this past season offensively except without Moss's drama.
On paper this deal looks much better for the Raiders. They already have a deep threat with Jerry Porter and a QB who can throw it a mile in Kerry Collins. Couple that with the offensive minded Norv Turner and the silver and black should be fun to watch, but they are still not a playoff team in my mind. There are too many egos here, Porter and Moss will spat with each other over catches and Collins is a career underachiever who is by no means a congenial locker room presence. If they start the season 0-2 it's over and Turner will be out of the job, forced out by his owner's desire for the biggest name / biggest story possible and the subsequent melt down / shut down by his team's "stars". And don't forget Moss can't play defense (ahem...Troy Brown)...neither can the Raiders.
The other big "story" out of the NFL this week is the reunion (geez this laughable to a Pat's fan) of Bill Parcells and Mr. Fleet of Foot Drew Bledsoe in Dallas. Now to be fair there is only one guy who knows Drew Bledsoe better than Bill Parcells, and that is Bill Belichick (evidence: how bad Bledsoe looks everytime they meet), and Parcells did get a lot out of Bledsoe years ago in New England, but this is a match made in hell. Bill must be getting old and losing it. Bledsoe is in his mid-thirties, throws like he's in his mid-twenties, has vision like he's in his mid-fifties, and moves like he's cemented into the ground. Seriously, I hate to blast the guy but have you ever seen a professional athlete with less mobility? The guy who lost both of his legs to steroids would torch Bledsoe in a 40 yard dash (see Sportscenter steroid series part 2).
Yes this is an upgrade from Vinny Testaverde, but he was in his forties for Chrissake! Now if Parcells can find a way to keep Bledsoe upright and statuesque (he'll be a statue regardless) in the pocket then they could find some success here, at least at first. Let's not forget however, how Drew "loves" the big game, and by loves I mean loves to choke it away. Just look at the last game of this season against the Steelers. The game meant nothing to the Steelers, the Bills needed it to have a shot at the playoffs. The Bills were the hottest team in the NFL, the Steelers played like half their guys. The Bills just had to show up in front of their 73,000 blood thirsty fans, even a little bit, and they would have won easily. Drew never got out of bed. He looked awful, pathetic even, going 16-30 for just 189 yards, with no TD's and an INT. Don't forget that Dallas and don't forget that the best game Drew ever played was a meaningless week 17 game against the Dolphins in the mid '90's where he threw up something like 50 completions in Foxboro. After an 8-8 year Parcells will quit or start tanking the team like he did before the '96 Super Bowl in New England, Jones will hire someone who will finally start Henson and down the road the Boys will be back in business, and finally the NFL will realize that it's all done for Bledsoe.
Hey, I might be a wrong about all this, and I wouldn't bet my house on any of this prognostication, but if I have half a clue the Raiders and Cowboys will be viewing next years playoffs from the same seats they watched last years, right in front of their TV's. And come next February we'll all be saying that the Moss / Bledsoe deals were a wash.
Thank you Sportscenter for providing us with mid-February "relevant" news which will be ultimately "not". Who am I to criticize, I'm talking about it too.
Typical BC
It seems rather fitting that my first real blog should come so easily, bump, set, spike, from one of my favorite traditions, major BC sports choking in big games that they simply need to win.
I will spare us all the comparisons between BC basketball's performance tonight against Villanova and BC football's performance against Syracuse a few months ago, but let there be no doubt, these are the work of the same program.
To be fair, there is little shame in losing to the number 23 team in the country, especially a team with a legitimate horse like Randy Foye (23 pts) and a history of knocking off big time Big East opponents, especially at home (they've already rushed the court 3 times). But there is a history here, and in my mind it cannot be ignored.
See for example the second round game of the '01 NCAA tournament against USC. After rolling through the regular season with an undefeated mark at home, and marching through the Big East tournament on the shoulders of Troy Bell, X-Singletary, and Uka Agbai BC entered the tournament with a 3 seed and met Southern Utah in the first round. After trying as hard as they possibly could to lose that game (they were saved in the end by Bell and snuck away with a 3 point victory) BC advanced to the round of 32 . Despite their weak performance in the first round and the title of "turnaround" team following them the Eagles still entered their second round matchup with USC as the favorite, but it was not long before the haze through which they seemed to play against Southern Utah enveloped and ultimately swallowed them.
Granted, they made a ferocious comeback after being down 11 with just 8 minutes to play, but with time winding down Kenny Harley cemented himself at the top of the BC, "What were they thinking?" list when he drove to the basket and missed a lay-up rather than attempting a potential game tying three point shot. Turnaround over, season over, another avoidable BC choke. "Shoot the ball Kenny!"
Of course tonight's loss was nowhere near as heart-breaking as that season ending debacle against a lesser opponent, but this team looks strikingly similar. Just in terms of tonight's game at one point Villanova was held without a field goal for 9 minutes and BC only managed to pull within 2, in the '01 USC game the Trojans suffered through a 17-2 BC run in the second half but stayed in control. Overall, there is one undeniable star on each roster, Craig Smith in '05, Troy Bell in '01. That one star is flanked by supporting players who likely wouldn't see the floor on any team in the ACC excluding Clemson. Jared Dudley hits big shots, but he also takes a lot of shots; Kenny Harley hit some big shots but he also took a lot of shots. X-Singletary was all heart and grit, in '05 Watson is all heart and grit (and wheels). The '01 team won a lot of games, but a lot of those wins came against mediocre competition during the Eagle's customary cupcake pre-conference schedule, this team is no different. The '01 team actually has the edge on this year's team in terms of margin of victory, it seems as though every time BC takes the floor they are just sneaking away with wins (16 games decided by 10 or less and TWO overtimes to beat Yale).
Yes I am aware that this year's BC squad has significant victories over Syracuse and Connecticut, and that this is certainly an "up" year for the Big East, at least in terms of likely NCAA bids, but I am not ready to coronate this year's BC squad just yet. This edition of the Eagles has only two losses, but they were tough avoidable losses. Notre Dame is a tough team and a legitimate rival but they are still an unranked underachieving squad. BC is a better team, even in South Bend. Villanova is a good team with good wins, but they are by no means great and while BC managed to split the season series their victory earlier in the year came by the slimmest of margins in Chestnut Hill. Neither of these losses were blowouts, the Eagles were in both games and had chances to win, chances they simply didn't take. Any team can have a bad night, but to be in the game and not make the plays is, to me, more distressing.
This team needs to run the table the rest of the way, which does not just mean they have to beat Pittsburgh, and they need to win the Big East tournament like the '01 team before they'll get big respect from me. Most importantly, if they do beat Pitt they need to make darn sure that they blow out Rutgers to end the regular season, if for no other reason than to rid me of the eerie feeling that if they are playing a mediocre team for a likely number 1 seed in the NCAA's following a big win at home that they will just find a way to lose.
Of course I'm rooting for them...I just know better...prove me wrong boys.
I will spare us all the comparisons between BC basketball's performance tonight against Villanova and BC football's performance against Syracuse a few months ago, but let there be no doubt, these are the work of the same program.
To be fair, there is little shame in losing to the number 23 team in the country, especially a team with a legitimate horse like Randy Foye (23 pts) and a history of knocking off big time Big East opponents, especially at home (they've already rushed the court 3 times). But there is a history here, and in my mind it cannot be ignored.
See for example the second round game of the '01 NCAA tournament against USC. After rolling through the regular season with an undefeated mark at home, and marching through the Big East tournament on the shoulders of Troy Bell, X-Singletary, and Uka Agbai BC entered the tournament with a 3 seed and met Southern Utah in the first round. After trying as hard as they possibly could to lose that game (they were saved in the end by Bell and snuck away with a 3 point victory) BC advanced to the round of 32 . Despite their weak performance in the first round and the title of "turnaround" team following them the Eagles still entered their second round matchup with USC as the favorite, but it was not long before the haze through which they seemed to play against Southern Utah enveloped and ultimately swallowed them.
Granted, they made a ferocious comeback after being down 11 with just 8 minutes to play, but with time winding down Kenny Harley cemented himself at the top of the BC, "What were they thinking?" list when he drove to the basket and missed a lay-up rather than attempting a potential game tying three point shot. Turnaround over, season over, another avoidable BC choke. "Shoot the ball Kenny!"
Of course tonight's loss was nowhere near as heart-breaking as that season ending debacle against a lesser opponent, but this team looks strikingly similar. Just in terms of tonight's game at one point Villanova was held without a field goal for 9 minutes and BC only managed to pull within 2, in the '01 USC game the Trojans suffered through a 17-2 BC run in the second half but stayed in control. Overall, there is one undeniable star on each roster, Craig Smith in '05, Troy Bell in '01. That one star is flanked by supporting players who likely wouldn't see the floor on any team in the ACC excluding Clemson. Jared Dudley hits big shots, but he also takes a lot of shots; Kenny Harley hit some big shots but he also took a lot of shots. X-Singletary was all heart and grit, in '05 Watson is all heart and grit (and wheels). The '01 team won a lot of games, but a lot of those wins came against mediocre competition during the Eagle's customary cupcake pre-conference schedule, this team is no different. The '01 team actually has the edge on this year's team in terms of margin of victory, it seems as though every time BC takes the floor they are just sneaking away with wins (16 games decided by 10 or less and TWO overtimes to beat Yale).
Yes I am aware that this year's BC squad has significant victories over Syracuse and Connecticut, and that this is certainly an "up" year for the Big East, at least in terms of likely NCAA bids, but I am not ready to coronate this year's BC squad just yet. This edition of the Eagles has only two losses, but they were tough avoidable losses. Notre Dame is a tough team and a legitimate rival but they are still an unranked underachieving squad. BC is a better team, even in South Bend. Villanova is a good team with good wins, but they are by no means great and while BC managed to split the season series their victory earlier in the year came by the slimmest of margins in Chestnut Hill. Neither of these losses were blowouts, the Eagles were in both games and had chances to win, chances they simply didn't take. Any team can have a bad night, but to be in the game and not make the plays is, to me, more distressing.
This team needs to run the table the rest of the way, which does not just mean they have to beat Pittsburgh, and they need to win the Big East tournament like the '01 team before they'll get big respect from me. Most importantly, if they do beat Pitt they need to make darn sure that they blow out Rutgers to end the regular season, if for no other reason than to rid me of the eerie feeling that if they are playing a mediocre team for a likely number 1 seed in the NCAA's following a big win at home that they will just find a way to lose.
Of course I'm rooting for them...I just know better...prove me wrong boys.
The IN-troduction
The pressure finally got to me. Of course the pressure was minimal and came mostly from within, but regardless (and this may be rather indicative of my will power) I gave in.
Short and sweet here it is. I'm a floundering college grad (yea, yea we've heard this mantra before) with a passion for sports, especially New England sports (yea, yea I know it's real easy to come out of the woodwork when your teams are winning). I am fanatical about my Red Sox, my Patriots, my Eagles (yes I went there), and those other two teams that play in Boston...okay the one other team that plays in Boston...the green one. Of course, simply being a fan in no way qualifies me to comment on Boston sports whatsoever, nor does it differentiate me from most men in New England with a pulse. But I think I have interesting things to say and I think I say them well. I hope you agree, and I hope you enjoy.
Short and sweet here it is. I'm a floundering college grad (yea, yea we've heard this mantra before) with a passion for sports, especially New England sports (yea, yea I know it's real easy to come out of the woodwork when your teams are winning). I am fanatical about my Red Sox, my Patriots, my Eagles (yes I went there), and those other two teams that play in Boston...okay the one other team that plays in Boston...the green one. Of course, simply being a fan in no way qualifies me to comment on Boston sports whatsoever, nor does it differentiate me from most men in New England with a pulse. But I think I have interesting things to say and I think I say them well. I hope you agree, and I hope you enjoy.
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