Tuesday: More predictable: that ‘Cats won or that couches burned?; Fun with puns
"Roar" go the wildcats -- all the way to the title.
-You guys can tell me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think I missed much. Kentucky led 41-27 at halftime. Kansas never led after the first few minutes. There was a sense of inevitability about this Kentucky run that came to be. Now the stars are likely off to the NBA, led by Anthony Davis, who had 16 rebounds, six blocks, five assists and three steals.
-Just as predictably, up in flames went some couches in Lexington. Police report that several dozen people were arrested celebrating the win.
"Roar" go the couches, up in flames.
SO LONG, TECH
-For the fourth straight year, one of Seth Greenberg’s assistant coaches is leaving to become an assistant at another school. This time it’s Rob Ehsan, who is departing for UAB.
BOUND FOR THE HALL
-Former UVa star Ralph Sampson has been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “The reality of seeing myself pictured next to the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; it’s just starting to sink in,” says Sampson, an Atlanta resident who turns 52 this year. “It’s still six months off, but I’m sure I’ll be emotional.”
SMOOTH MOVE
-Tech’s Antoine Exum says he feels comfortable in his switch from safety to cornerback. “I’m taking it as an attitude that I’m the starting corner for however long, until they move me back,” he says. “I’m not sure really what their plans are. I’m just trying to get better at what I’m doing now.”
I don't care what anyone says. Bad puns rule.
-If only we could get A’s pitcher Brandon McCarthy to join our little blog community. I thought I was reading one of our commenters when, after Matt Cain re-upped with the Giants for five years and $112.5 million, McCarthy tweeted this: “It appears that Matt Cain will be ‘Abel’ to buy a lot of nice stuff after this extension. You all better laugh at that masterful wordplay.”
-Later, after news broke that a certain ex-quarterback had been arrested again, McCarthy tweeted this: “I think Ryan should turn over a new ‘Leaf.’”
TAKE A SEAT
-Indians pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez is suspended five games for throwing at Troy Tulowitzki.
"It's on the 45..." (I had limited "safe" photo options with today's lyrics.)
Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Everybody needs a bosom
Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Everybody needs a bosom
Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Everybody needs a bosom
Mine’s on the 45…
April 3, 2012 - 8:14 AM
I didn’t watch the game either, so don’t feel bad. Ok, granted our TV is somewhere in the contiguous United States being checked to see if it can be repaired, but I still would not have watched even if we still had it in the living room. Once NC State lost to Kansas, I lost my desire to watch the games. But thanks to Kentucky winning last night, I finished tied for 2nd in my office bracket pool, scoring a free lunch. My other 3 brackets were awful though.
The constant revolving door of assistants in the hoops program does not strike me as a good thing. Continuity is key to building a program. I find it odd that while a couple did leave for head coaching gigs or assistant coach slots at other BCS schools, some have left for what would seem to be lesser jobs as assistants for mid-major programs. Not sure what can be read into that…but the perception is that this is not a good thing.
Ryan Leaf…one of the biggest wastes of talent and potential in recent memory. Though, it’s not like it took a long time to know this…his immediate attitude problems were all the evidence needed to know he’d be problematic. Hope he can turn it around, addiction ruins lives.
I’m yet another who didn’t watch even a moment of the game last night. It doesn’t sound as though I missed a lot. I heard this morning that Anthony Davis was MVP, excuse me MOP of the Final Four. I also heard he went 1-10 last night, so he must have been gangbusters in every other way.
So Ralph Sampson made it into the HOF? Remember when e was playing at UVa, and they never even won the ACC tourney, much less an NCAA championship? Then I think of Jabbar and his accomplishments. Interesting.
Brimful of Ahsa – Cornershop. Bring on Baseball Season!
OK. Aaron thru down the glove. UAB Rob Eshan from Tech. Ex Kentucky QB injured in fire at alma mater. Exum exits from safty position. Well, you did say bad puns, didn`t you?
I went to bed at 8:45, so I could conveniently fall asleep watching the thing . . . . and I did, before it even started. I woke up enough to hear the halftime score and just turned it off. It doesn’t sound like I missed much. As my son so eloquently put it on Facebook . . . ‘now the countdown to vacating the title begins . . . . .’
Disappointing to see Ehsan leave Tech, but it sounds like he has a bud that he wanted to be with, no matter where. But, I mean, UAB, come on? That’s life in the coaching world, though.
It does sound like you need to tweet McCarthy and get him on board. This place would rock with somebody in The Show contributing. I bet he’d do it – life on the road is brutal.
I used to work with a guy whose wife was Ryne Sandberg’s wife’s cousin (you all follow that – the wives were cousins) – anyway, Ryne used to call our office just to chat, not just him, but some of the other guys, too. They were bored as crap in hotels on the road (of course, this was pre-internet – yes, there was once a time when the internet didn’t exist, just like cable TV didn’t exist, once a long while back).
It was pretty cool, though, if the guy he was calling wouldn’t be there, Ryne would just start talking to whomever was there. He didn’t care.
Proof positive exist that West Virginia is an evil influence on our nation. Couch burning? Seriously? And here I thought that stupidity only was limited to Morganton.
I agree with OJ about Greenberg’s assistants. Continuity is what make a successful program, and I wonder what the future holds now.
Another thing that didn’t make it into the briefing was an all-out brawl between the Flyers and Penguins. It was so bad even the coaches got into a shouting match.
LOL.
Uptheriver scores!
I really enjoyed that game. What impressed me, besides UK’s superior play, was the way players on both teams conducted themselves. No in your face celebrations over lay ups, no fisticuffs, arguments or shenanigans of any sort. Just intense basketball. It was fun to watch. Those kids came to play. Good game. It was easy for me as I really didn’t care who won but by mid first half it was apparent who had the upper hand. For Kansas to win they would have had to do so on a last second buzzer beater as there was no way they would be able to sustain a lead against UK.
Kansas did actually lead in the. 2-0 and 5-3. I don’t think they led after that.
Greenberg has only seen modest success since Brad left. This gives the SG excuse making brigade time to come up with a new angle on why VT can’t make the NCAA (and here is a hint-it is never Greenberg’s fault).
How long did it take for UMass to vacate their final four appearance? Memphis?
I like what your son said, Rick, and I’m wondering if anyone have a over-under for when Kentucky have to vacate theirs. The NCAA seem to have some kind of vendetta against Cal.
Trevor, there is no vendetta, the dude is simply a cheater. That’s why Pitino doesn’t like him any longer. The interview done with the two of them on Saturday (or shown on Saturday) was hilarious. You could see the tension between them. Pitino can coach, Cal can cheat. Cal did it at UMass, he did it at Memphis.
They are both good at what they do, but Cal may have cornered the market on it now, since he does so much ‘one and done’ – he’s unlikely to have anybody stick around long enough to run their mouth and get Big Blue in trouble. He may just fly under the radar now.
Hmm…You’re right, Bob. The AP called it a “wire-to-wire victory” but it wasn’t. I’ll edit.
I was still a little groggy this morning when my dog We Go brought me the morning paper. On the sports page of the N&A it read Ralph Sampson to be Indicted. I thought oh no Ralph`s late again. Then the coffee kicked in and I saw it said Ralph Sampson to be Inducted. Sorry. Way to go Ralph, way to go. “Here`s to you Mr. Robinson” Thomas Robinson. Now there is a guy you can be happy for. Last year his 9 year old sister calls him from D.C. to tell him that their 45 year old mother has died. A month after two grandparents passed away. He made a vow to his deceased mother that he would take care of the little girl. A certain lottery pick, that vow will now be realized. KU stood behind him thru all this, but now it is time to move on. Players leave early for the pros for many reasons. As for Thomas` reason..well, I`m glad he won`t be in Kansas anymore.
Did Ralph get any money for Hall of Fame ? If so, maybe he can pay to support the kids he fathered all over the country. When did they make ” Dead beat Dads ” Hall of Fame members ? Also, I seem to count his championships in college on a stub foot. O for 4 !!! I also understand he lived in Hollands basement apartment for 2 years, where was the NCAA ?? Oh, I forgot, a hoo rep was on the infractions committee.
As a Vandy alum (we beat UK, by the way), I’m not a big Kentucky fan. However, it’s hard not to be impressed by this team. Their toughness really struck me last night — Michael Kidd-Gilchrist took a hard foul to his shoulder early in the first half, then bounced the back of his head off the court later on, and both times shook it off. Similarly, Jones rolled an ankle (it was tough to watch on replay) and never even looked to the bench for a sub. Very impressive will to win.
If nothing else, I wish they had played at full throttle for the entire game. Their one ‘flaw’ as a team was a tendency to take their foot off the gas when they had a big lead in the 2nd half. It cost them in their losses vs. Indiana & Vanderbilt, and it allowed Kansas to make the game much closer than it should’ve been.
I’ll be curious to see how Davis’s game translates to the pros. Larry Brown is comparing him to Oscar Robertson & Connie Hawkins, and Bob Knight compared him to Bill Russell. Pretty lofty praise, even if I never saw any of those three play…
All the more reasons why the NCAA have a vendetta against “Slick” Cal. He’s a repeated offender and tainted schools he coached at. Of course, the Big Blue probably have the most irrational fan bases in the country, second perhaps to Ohio State’s football fans, and they will protect “Slick” Cal for as long as he keeps bringing home the pig.
#16 “Irrational” fan base? I’m not a UK fan but being consistently one of the programs to beat for as long as the tournament has been held and winning the thing now 8 times kind of gives them some right to crow about their team, don’t you think? Shoe on the other foot, how many folks here think VT football fans are “irrational” and that team hasn’t come close to what UK has done in basketball.
I watched most of the game last night. It looked to me like Kentucky was just fiddling around with Kansas. If the Kentucky players had another year or two of experience, and a little more of the attitude and experience required to really put a team away, it should have been a 25+ point game.
In the faux sports arena, yahoo says that Brock Lesnar has returned to WWE. I guess getting his clock cleaned in real fighting made him appreciate Vince McMahon’s choreographed ‘sports entertainment’ just a little bit more.
It’s a lot easier to fake some routine in WWE than it is to actually get your jaw hit by a serious fighter in UFC. Lesnar certainly found that out.
Hey, whatever you’ve got to do to pay the electric bill, right Brock? Even in Minnesota, it gets expensive.
As to couches burning in mountianous areas after national chapionships, that is one thing that Va Tech and Blacksburg has not had to experience. I pray that one day we will win a national championship in something but please, please, please no couch burning. Lighting candles at the memorial for the 32 students and professors who were slain would be so classy.
For all those excited about the Masters and breathless over ‘Tiger’s Return To Greatness’, here is an interesting read.
http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/page/MastersRickReilly/tiger-brother
#21 Of course we don’t know all the family dynamics, but that is really sad. I remember Feinstein saying Earl taught Tiger not to give anything away, literally and figuratively, and he doesn’t. I followed him twice at Masters practice rounds and the guy does not acknowledge the fans at all. Not a tip of the hat, a sideways glance, a smile. A pretty cold hearted fellow if you ask me.
I’m eager to see Tiger up close for once so I can make an educated comment on this. Jim Justice, your move!
It’s not Jim Justice’s move, it’s up to Tiger. If he would ever dare to stray from his short list of favorite courses, he might really help the PGA, not to mention prove his skill.
SW is correct. I followed Tiger twice at Pinehurst. He might as well have been alone on the course. I’ve never seen an athlete who displayed less appreciation for his fans’ loyalty and dedication. It’s more than obvious that, for Tiger, he only notices you if you’re giving him money.
Personally, I hope Tiger never comes to Greenbrier. They don’t need the farce, they have a great tourney without him.
I sure hope for the A’s sake that Brandon McCarthy is able to get his pitching down.. at this point, he appears to be all thumbs! (Get it? Tweeting…thumbs…ahhhhh oh well, I tried).