Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt has no answer for why his teams are ranked near the bottom of Div. 1-A College Football in penalties. The Dawgs were ranked 113th in penalties.
There are about 120 Div. 1-A college teams. Many of those penalties came in very close games. Some of those games they won, and some they lost. Richt brought discipline to the Dawgs when he arrived in Athens in 2001. That discipline led to an SEC Championship and BCS bowl win in 2002.
Many of these penalties are non-physical penalties such as jumping off sides, illegal procedure, delay of game, things like that. Those penalties indicate a lack of discipline and concentration. Other kinds of penalties such as pass interference, holding, face mask or late hit out of bounds are more understandable because they involve aggression. However, too many of these types of penalties are unnecessary. Some how , some way, Richt must get this corrected. I'm not sure that running stadium stairs or suspending a starter for the first quarter are going to be enough to stop penalties. Those punitive measures have been tried and for the most part, they have not worked.
I have an idea. On all teams, players have decals placed on their helmets as rewards for excellent play on the field. In the case of Georgia, they get dog bones placed on their helmets. At Florida St., they get tomahawk's. If a player who commits a stupid penalty like jumping off sides or a personal foul, take their dog bones off their helmet. In fact, they lose ALL of their dog bone decals which they worked so hard to get. Players have pride in their play. The dog bones represent, in a sense, how good they are and how hard they have worked. If they commit a stupid penalty or penalties, take all the bones off the helmet. I don't know if it will help, but it might be worth a try.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
With Mid Majors Gone, Tournament Not As Interesting
Now that Northern Iowa and St. Mary's have been eliminated from the dance by Michigan St. and Baylor respectively, the NCAA Tournament, at least to me, doesn't seem as interesting anymore.
I see the teams from the so called "power conferences" all the time from November till March. We know how good the are. They are so predictable. There is no intrigue, no suspense with these "name brand " teams. There is a renewed excitement when a Northern Iowa, St. Mary's or other teams from the smaller conferences advance in the NCAA Tourney to the elite 8 and, as in the case of George Mason in 2006, to the Final Four. Most of us Americans are "little guys". We work ordinary jobs and make ordinary salaries. In short, we live ordinary lives. The Dukes, Kentuckys and North Carolinas of the world remind me of the celebrities in life who are elitists and don't want anything to do with the common man. As I've said before, may college basketball fans root for the lower seeds because, in some way, they can relate with them. Northern Iowa is like your next door neighbor, or your barber or your friends you go out to lunch with. Duke and Kentucky are like Michael Jackson, David Letterman or any other celebrity who are too big for their britches and wouldn't give you the time of day.
What really gets me is the attitudes of people in the media such as ESPN. They all seem to want the power conference teams to win all the time. What is wrong with someone like George Mason or Northern Iowa crashing the party at the Final Four? If they can beat these so called "power conference" teams, then they must be better, at least on that occasion. As I was riding home with my Father, I heard Fred Coleman on ESPN Radio say that Kansas St., Baylor, West Virginia and Duke would make the Final Four. That's fine. That's his opinion. But then he added "At least we'll have all power conference teams". What an elitist, conceited attitude. Are your ratings really effected if the big boys don't get to the Final Four? Fred, are you afraid of losing your job? I am lamenting that Northern Iowa won't have a chance to beat Tennessee to go to Indy. I think they would have had a good chance. At least there is one mid major team left: Butler. They play Kansas St. Tomorrow at 4pm. Should the Bulldogs win, they will go home, home to Indianapolis where they will play in the Final Four in front of their home crowd. Butler has even more incentive to win Saturday. If Kansas St. wins, they will go to Indianapolis and will probably practice at Butler University. What an insult! That would be embarrassing for Butler.
Well, even though the Final Four will once again be made up of mostly power conference teams, at least there might be new faces. Perhaps Baylor, Tennessee and West Virginia will make it. The Vols have never made it to the elite 8 let alone the Final Four like their female counterparts. Baylor, unlike their female counterparts, has not made it this far either. The Mountaineers last trip to the elite 8 was in 2005 when they lost to Louisville. In their way are Michigan St., Duke and Kentucky respectively. Three power house programs with tons of Final Four appearances and championships combined. Butler, do it for all the Mid Majors. Make it to Indy. Please!!
I see the teams from the so called "power conferences" all the time from November till March. We know how good the are. They are so predictable. There is no intrigue, no suspense with these "name brand " teams. There is a renewed excitement when a Northern Iowa, St. Mary's or other teams from the smaller conferences advance in the NCAA Tourney to the elite 8 and, as in the case of George Mason in 2006, to the Final Four. Most of us Americans are "little guys". We work ordinary jobs and make ordinary salaries. In short, we live ordinary lives. The Dukes, Kentuckys and North Carolinas of the world remind me of the celebrities in life who are elitists and don't want anything to do with the common man. As I've said before, may college basketball fans root for the lower seeds because, in some way, they can relate with them. Northern Iowa is like your next door neighbor, or your barber or your friends you go out to lunch with. Duke and Kentucky are like Michael Jackson, David Letterman or any other celebrity who are too big for their britches and wouldn't give you the time of day.
What really gets me is the attitudes of people in the media such as ESPN. They all seem to want the power conference teams to win all the time. What is wrong with someone like George Mason or Northern Iowa crashing the party at the Final Four? If they can beat these so called "power conference" teams, then they must be better, at least on that occasion. As I was riding home with my Father, I heard Fred Coleman on ESPN Radio say that Kansas St., Baylor, West Virginia and Duke would make the Final Four. That's fine. That's his opinion. But then he added "At least we'll have all power conference teams". What an elitist, conceited attitude. Are your ratings really effected if the big boys don't get to the Final Four? Fred, are you afraid of losing your job? I am lamenting that Northern Iowa won't have a chance to beat Tennessee to go to Indy. I think they would have had a good chance. At least there is one mid major team left: Butler. They play Kansas St. Tomorrow at 4pm. Should the Bulldogs win, they will go home, home to Indianapolis where they will play in the Final Four in front of their home crowd. Butler has even more incentive to win Saturday. If Kansas St. wins, they will go to Indianapolis and will probably practice at Butler University. What an insult! That would be embarrassing for Butler.
Well, even though the Final Four will once again be made up of mostly power conference teams, at least there might be new faces. Perhaps Baylor, Tennessee and West Virginia will make it. The Vols have never made it to the elite 8 let alone the Final Four like their female counterparts. Baylor, unlike their female counterparts, has not made it this far either. The Mountaineers last trip to the elite 8 was in 2005 when they lost to Louisville. In their way are Michigan St., Duke and Kentucky respectively. Three power house programs with tons of Final Four appearances and championships combined. Butler, do it for all the Mid Majors. Make it to Indy. Please!!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
March Madness Living Up To The Name and Then Some
What an incredible three days we have seen in the NCAA Tournament. A #1 seed and by most, a favorite to win it all, Kansas, was gone by Saturday night. Most people had Georgetown going to at least the Sweet 16, but they get bounced, or trounced, by Ohio U, not Ohio St. The Racers of Murray St. topple Vanderbilt and very nearly made it to the Seed 16 but fell just short to Butler.
The tourney is playing out just as I like it. Mid Major schools are sending the giants home early. St. Mary's, led by forward Omar Samhan and guards Mickey McConnell and Matthew Deladova beat a strong Richmond team who some thought could make the Sweet 16. But they didn't stop there. They toppled #2 seed Villanova, led by Scottie Reynolds. The Wildcats were fortunate to even be playing the Gayles since they were nearly taken out in the first round by 15 seed Robert Morris. St. Mary's faces Baylor in the Sweet 16. Who would have thought of that. The biggest upset of all so far was the Panthers of Northern Iowa shooting down, literally, the top dog in the whole thing; the mighty Kansas Jayhawks. I, like many people, had them cutting down the nets in Indy. Just like Ali/Frazier, it was Ali/Kansas. Down goes Kansas! I'm referring to Northern Iowa's Sharpshooting Guard Ali Forukmanesh. He shoots the winning shot to beat UNLV in the first round, and then, with 36 seconds left and UNI with a tenuous 1 point lead on the Jayhawks. He shoots what most coaches would call an ill-advised three pointer and makes it to go up by four. It was the shot of the game and the knock out punched that sent Kansas to the canvas.
The upsets continued as 13 seed Cornell knocked out Temple, Ole Dominion toppled Notre Dame before falling to Baylor in the second round. Could we be seeing another "George Mason" in the Final Four. Some think Northern Iowa might be this year's George Mason. Why Not? They beat the overall No. 1 seed Kansas. Kansas St. needs to be considered now as a possible national title contender. The Wildcats, led by shooting guard Jacob Pullen and PG Danny Clemente, put on a show as they knocked out BYU. The Cougars themselves faced K St. as a result of their double OT win over Florida. K State's Pullen had 34 points and connected on 7 three pointers. The state of Kansas may yet have a national champion, just not the one most thought it would be.
There is still a lot of ball to be played. Today, Syracuse, a No. 1 seed and picked by many to win it all, takes on Gonzaga. Cornell tries to continue their upset ways as they face Wisconsin. Duke faces a tough California team. Georgia Tech, who is peaking at the right time, faces red hot Ohio St. Pitt faces Xavier, Michigan St. takes on Maryland. Many more chances for madness, buzzer beaters and upsets. I love it!
The tourney is playing out just as I like it. Mid Major schools are sending the giants home early. St. Mary's, led by forward Omar Samhan and guards Mickey McConnell and Matthew Deladova beat a strong Richmond team who some thought could make the Sweet 16. But they didn't stop there. They toppled #2 seed Villanova, led by Scottie Reynolds. The Wildcats were fortunate to even be playing the Gayles since they were nearly taken out in the first round by 15 seed Robert Morris. St. Mary's faces Baylor in the Sweet 16. Who would have thought of that. The biggest upset of all so far was the Panthers of Northern Iowa shooting down, literally, the top dog in the whole thing; the mighty Kansas Jayhawks. I, like many people, had them cutting down the nets in Indy. Just like Ali/Frazier, it was Ali/Kansas. Down goes Kansas! I'm referring to Northern Iowa's Sharpshooting Guard Ali Forukmanesh. He shoots the winning shot to beat UNLV in the first round, and then, with 36 seconds left and UNI with a tenuous 1 point lead on the Jayhawks. He shoots what most coaches would call an ill-advised three pointer and makes it to go up by four. It was the shot of the game and the knock out punched that sent Kansas to the canvas.
The upsets continued as 13 seed Cornell knocked out Temple, Ole Dominion toppled Notre Dame before falling to Baylor in the second round. Could we be seeing another "George Mason" in the Final Four. Some think Northern Iowa might be this year's George Mason. Why Not? They beat the overall No. 1 seed Kansas. Kansas St. needs to be considered now as a possible national title contender. The Wildcats, led by shooting guard Jacob Pullen and PG Danny Clemente, put on a show as they knocked out BYU. The Cougars themselves faced K St. as a result of their double OT win over Florida. K State's Pullen had 34 points and connected on 7 three pointers. The state of Kansas may yet have a national champion, just not the one most thought it would be.
There is still a lot of ball to be played. Today, Syracuse, a No. 1 seed and picked by many to win it all, takes on Gonzaga. Cornell tries to continue their upset ways as they face Wisconsin. Duke faces a tough California team. Georgia Tech, who is peaking at the right time, faces red hot Ohio St. Pitt faces Xavier, Michigan St. takes on Maryland. Many more chances for madness, buzzer beaters and upsets. I love it!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Mississippi St. Situation May Call for Tournament Expansion
If Mississippi St. does not get an at large bid after missing the field by just a tenth of a second, it will be a shame. Utah St., although they finished 27-7 and won their league's regular season championship, did not play the schedule and beat the teams the Bulldogs did.
With so many teams like Mississippi St. riding the fence as far as their NCAA Tournament chances, their may in fact be a need to expand the tournament to 80 teams. They can play instead of one play-in game in Dayton, OH, 8 games on Tuesday. They can include all of the regular season champions in the mid-major conferences. Also, if there is any doubt whether to take a Mississippi St. or Utah St., have the two teams square off as one of those Tuesday games to decide who gets an 8 or 9 seed on the following Friday. Expanding the tourney to 96 is too much. I think 80 is plenty.
Mississippi St. (23-11, 9-7 in SEC) played an outstanding game against Kentucky. Had it not been for a shot made with just a tenth of a second left, the Bulldogs would be going dancing. However, the Bulldogs missed three critical free throws during regulation which, if made, would have iced the game and their ticket for them. If they don't make the field of 65, they cant just blame DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall. They will have to also look back on those missed free throws.
Nevertheless, back to my point. Their are a few more teams who won't make the tournament this year that perhaps deserve to. If there are any doubts as to whether a Mississippi St. or Utah St. should go, invite them both, but have them play each other as one of 8 games played on Tuesday night, two days before the "tournament proper" begins.
With so many teams like Mississippi St. riding the fence as far as their NCAA Tournament chances, their may in fact be a need to expand the tournament to 80 teams. They can play instead of one play-in game in Dayton, OH, 8 games on Tuesday. They can include all of the regular season champions in the mid-major conferences. Also, if there is any doubt whether to take a Mississippi St. or Utah St., have the two teams square off as one of those Tuesday games to decide who gets an 8 or 9 seed on the following Friday. Expanding the tourney to 96 is too much. I think 80 is plenty.
Mississippi St. (23-11, 9-7 in SEC) played an outstanding game against Kentucky. Had it not been for a shot made with just a tenth of a second left, the Bulldogs would be going dancing. However, the Bulldogs missed three critical free throws during regulation which, if made, would have iced the game and their ticket for them. If they don't make the field of 65, they cant just blame DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall. They will have to also look back on those missed free throws.
Nevertheless, back to my point. Their are a few more teams who won't make the tournament this year that perhaps deserve to. If there are any doubts as to whether a Mississippi St. or Utah St. should go, invite them both, but have them play each other as one of 8 games played on Tuesday night, two days before the "tournament proper" begins.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Bubbles Turn To Tears For Dancing Dreamers
As I have mentioned before, the NCAA Tournament is the most exciting American sporting event of the year, but the "preliminaries", that is the conference tournaments, can be just as exciting. But as a result of upsets in the conference tournaments, such as New Mexico State over Utah St. in the WAC Championship, teams that were "on the bubble" have seen their bubbles burst into tears.
According to ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi, as of right now, Mississippi St., Illinois, Ole Miss, Florida and Seton Hall are out of consideration for inclusion into the Big Dance. this being as a result of automatic bids taken by conference tournament winners New Mexico St. and Houston. Houston was the 7th seed in the Conference USA Tournament, and the Cougars defeated #1 seeded UTEP (Univ. of Texas-El Paso) to win the automatic bid to the dance. UTEP is a lock to make it as an at large due to their record of 26-6 overall and 15-1 in conference play. The Cougars will make their first appearance in the dance since 1992, and they probably stole a bid from Illinois or Ole Miss.
Illinois had their chances during the season to shore up an at large bid, but losses to Georgia, Bradley, Utah, Minnesota, Missouri and Northwestern will probably do them in despite wins over #24 Vanderbilt, #5 Michigan St. and #13 Wisconsin. If Illinois had toppled Ohio St. in the Big 10 Tournament, they might have earned themselves a bid. As it is, they will have to sweat it out come Sunday Night at 5 pm CST when the brackets are announced.
The Gators also might be crying "alligator tears" come Sunday night. They finished the regular season with an over all record of 20-11 and 9-7 in the SEC, but they too have crucial losses against Georgia (14-17, 5-11 SEC), South Carolina (15-16, 6-10 SEC), Xavier, Richmond and a bad loss to a mediocre South Alabama team. Xavier and Richmond are solid teams and will make the tournament, but Georgia and South Alabama had average to poor seasons. Minnesota really helped themselves with big wins over Michigan St. and Purdue, both top 10 teams, and with a win over #7 Ohio St. in the Big 10 Final Sunday 3/14, the Gophers will have doug themselves out of a huge whole which will truly be "Golden". Teams like Florida, Ole Miss, Rhode Island and Memphis will probably be sorely disappointed come Sunday night if the Golden Gophers win.
It is situations like this that are making officials in the NCAA think about expanding the tournament to 96 teams. I would say that if they were to allow more RSVPs to the dance, then expand it to 80. That's 15 more teams. Ninety-Six is too many, but I'm getting away from the topic at hand. Bid stealing by lesser teams who win their conference tournaments make it clear that every game during the regular season from November to February is so important. You never know what can happen in the first week of March.
Mississippi St., as of right now according to ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi, is currently out of the tournament, but that can change with a win over Kentucky in the SEC Tournament Final. Obviously should that happen, they would get the automatic bid. That will be a tall order. The Cats have clawed their way through the SEC tourney field to a probable No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
As mentioned earlier, New Mexico St. upset Utah St. to win the WAC automatic bid. However, Utah St. will probably still go to the tourney. I could be wrong and some experts such as ESPN's Doug Gottlieb think they won't be chosen. They are the regular season champions with a record of 27-7 and 14-2 in the WAC. They have a strong RPI of 26 (the lower, the better). The suspense is exhilarating. None of us really knows till Sunday night. It's exiting. March Madness, in a sense, is already begun.
According to ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi, as of right now, Mississippi St., Illinois, Ole Miss, Florida and Seton Hall are out of consideration for inclusion into the Big Dance. this being as a result of automatic bids taken by conference tournament winners New Mexico St. and Houston. Houston was the 7th seed in the Conference USA Tournament, and the Cougars defeated #1 seeded UTEP (Univ. of Texas-El Paso) to win the automatic bid to the dance. UTEP is a lock to make it as an at large due to their record of 26-6 overall and 15-1 in conference play. The Cougars will make their first appearance in the dance since 1992, and they probably stole a bid from Illinois or Ole Miss.
Illinois had their chances during the season to shore up an at large bid, but losses to Georgia, Bradley, Utah, Minnesota, Missouri and Northwestern will probably do them in despite wins over #24 Vanderbilt, #5 Michigan St. and #13 Wisconsin. If Illinois had toppled Ohio St. in the Big 10 Tournament, they might have earned themselves a bid. As it is, they will have to sweat it out come Sunday Night at 5 pm CST when the brackets are announced.
The Gators also might be crying "alligator tears" come Sunday night. They finished the regular season with an over all record of 20-11 and 9-7 in the SEC, but they too have crucial losses against Georgia (14-17, 5-11 SEC), South Carolina (15-16, 6-10 SEC), Xavier, Richmond and a bad loss to a mediocre South Alabama team. Xavier and Richmond are solid teams and will make the tournament, but Georgia and South Alabama had average to poor seasons. Minnesota really helped themselves with big wins over Michigan St. and Purdue, both top 10 teams, and with a win over #7 Ohio St. in the Big 10 Final Sunday 3/14, the Gophers will have doug themselves out of a huge whole which will truly be "Golden". Teams like Florida, Ole Miss, Rhode Island and Memphis will probably be sorely disappointed come Sunday night if the Golden Gophers win.
It is situations like this that are making officials in the NCAA think about expanding the tournament to 96 teams. I would say that if they were to allow more RSVPs to the dance, then expand it to 80. That's 15 more teams. Ninety-Six is too many, but I'm getting away from the topic at hand. Bid stealing by lesser teams who win their conference tournaments make it clear that every game during the regular season from November to February is so important. You never know what can happen in the first week of March.
Mississippi St., as of right now according to ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi, is currently out of the tournament, but that can change with a win over Kentucky in the SEC Tournament Final. Obviously should that happen, they would get the automatic bid. That will be a tall order. The Cats have clawed their way through the SEC tourney field to a probable No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
As mentioned earlier, New Mexico St. upset Utah St. to win the WAC automatic bid. However, Utah St. will probably still go to the tourney. I could be wrong and some experts such as ESPN's Doug Gottlieb think they won't be chosen. They are the regular season champions with a record of 27-7 and 14-2 in the WAC. They have a strong RPI of 26 (the lower, the better). The suspense is exhilarating. None of us really knows till Sunday night. It's exiting. March Madness, in a sense, is already begun.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Johnson Brings Montana To The Dance
Another team from a Mid-Major conference has just punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. The Montana Grizzlies. led almost single-handedly by Senior Point Guard Anthony Johnson, won the Big Sky Conference Tournament with a come from behind victory over top seeded and tournament host Weber St.
What is even more amazing is that the Grizzlies were down by as much as 22 points. Johnson, almost single-handedly, led Montana to the victory by scoring 34 of his 42 points in the second half. He did it from the outside by shooting three pointers as well as inside with dribble penetration. Johnson's performance set both a championship game record and Big Sky Tournament record for most points scored in a game by one individual.
If you did not watch the game on ESPN2, trust me. This Montana team is going to be a tough out for one of the higher seeds. The Grizzlies will probably be a 14 or 15 seed so they will play someone from one of the "power conferences". Nevertheless, if Johnson can perform anywhere close to what he did in the Big Sky Championship Game, the Grizzlies' opponent will face anything but a walk in the park in their first round game. One other footnote: The Big Sky Conference Tournament is the second oldest conference tournament in NCAA Div. l Basketball next to the ACC.
What is even more amazing is that the Grizzlies were down by as much as 22 points. Johnson, almost single-handedly, led Montana to the victory by scoring 34 of his 42 points in the second half. He did it from the outside by shooting three pointers as well as inside with dribble penetration. Johnson's performance set both a championship game record and Big Sky Tournament record for most points scored in a game by one individual.
If you did not watch the game on ESPN2, trust me. This Montana team is going to be a tough out for one of the higher seeds. The Grizzlies will probably be a 14 or 15 seed so they will play someone from one of the "power conferences". Nevertheless, if Johnson can perform anywhere close to what he did in the Big Sky Championship Game, the Grizzlies' opponent will face anything but a walk in the park in their first round game. One other footnote: The Big Sky Conference Tournament is the second oldest conference tournament in NCAA Div. l Basketball next to the ACC.
March Madness Shows America's Love For The Underdog
It's here again, finally. In my opinion, the greatest American sporting event of the year. In a way, it defines what America is all about. Anyone, no matter skin color, race, religion, social background, etc., has a chance to succeed if they believe and are willing to work hard to make the dream come true.
Realistically, about 8-10 teams have a shot to win the national title, teams like Kansas, Duke, Syracuse, Kentucky. Perhaps Villanova, Kansas St. and a few others. However, many teams in the field of 65 have absolutely no shot of winning the title. Their best hope is winning a first round game, and even that, for some is a pipe dream.
However, it has happened in the past. In 1998, Valparaiso University, a 14 seed, made it to the Sweet 16. Hampton, a 15 seed in 2001, scored one of the biggest first round upsets by beating one of the top teams in the country at that time, the #2 seed Iowa St. Cyclones. Perhaps the greatest of all underdogs was the 2006 team from George Mason. They were a #11 seed. You might give them a chance to beat the #6 seed Michigan State, which they did in the first round. However, almost no one gave them a chance to beat defending champion North Carolina, but they did.
Wichita St. wasn't that much of a "Shocker", but absolutely no one, save the boys from Fairfax, VA themselves, saw them beating Connecticut to get to the Final Four. They did just that.
Hampton, Valparaiso, George Mason, Gonzaga in 1999, UT-Chattanooga in 97; these are the ordinary people, the "Mom and Pop" businesses, the people struggling to make ends meet. There is a reason why these underdogs are cheered for vociferously during the tournament. They represent most of American society. They represent the "average Joes". Teams like Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Syracuse are the IBMs, Chase Manhattans, Microsofts and other Fortune 500 companies. They have the tradition, talent and resources the smaller schools don't have. When someone like Hampton or George Mason pulls off a major upset, it gives me hope as an individual. It reminds me that opportunity for great success is there for me as well. That's why I root for the "Mid-Majors", as they are called.
America itself was an underdog in its beginning. We had to overthrow the greatest military power on earth at the time, Great Britain, and of course, we did it. The concept of "Cinderella" or "Underdog" was part of America's inception. Therefore, in a sense, it is no surprise that many Americans who are fans of March Madness will cheer like heck this year for Wofford, Cornell, Oakland, ETSU and other hopefuls still to be decided. Again, to re enforce my point, most people relate to past teams like Hampton, Valparaiso and George Mason, as well as teams of the present such as Wofford, Cornell and East Tennessee St. (ETSU). They are like most of us; struggling day to day to make ends meet and eventually climbing to the top of the mountain. Bring on the madness!!
Realistically, about 8-10 teams have a shot to win the national title, teams like Kansas, Duke, Syracuse, Kentucky. Perhaps Villanova, Kansas St. and a few others. However, many teams in the field of 65 have absolutely no shot of winning the title. Their best hope is winning a first round game, and even that, for some is a pipe dream.
However, it has happened in the past. In 1998, Valparaiso University, a 14 seed, made it to the Sweet 16. Hampton, a 15 seed in 2001, scored one of the biggest first round upsets by beating one of the top teams in the country at that time, the #2 seed Iowa St. Cyclones. Perhaps the greatest of all underdogs was the 2006 team from George Mason. They were a #11 seed. You might give them a chance to beat the #6 seed Michigan State, which they did in the first round. However, almost no one gave them a chance to beat defending champion North Carolina, but they did.
Wichita St. wasn't that much of a "Shocker", but absolutely no one, save the boys from Fairfax, VA themselves, saw them beating Connecticut to get to the Final Four. They did just that.
Hampton, Valparaiso, George Mason, Gonzaga in 1999, UT-Chattanooga in 97; these are the ordinary people, the "Mom and Pop" businesses, the people struggling to make ends meet. There is a reason why these underdogs are cheered for vociferously during the tournament. They represent most of American society. They represent the "average Joes". Teams like Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Syracuse are the IBMs, Chase Manhattans, Microsofts and other Fortune 500 companies. They have the tradition, talent and resources the smaller schools don't have. When someone like Hampton or George Mason pulls off a major upset, it gives me hope as an individual. It reminds me that opportunity for great success is there for me as well. That's why I root for the "Mid-Majors", as they are called.
America itself was an underdog in its beginning. We had to overthrow the greatest military power on earth at the time, Great Britain, and of course, we did it. The concept of "Cinderella" or "Underdog" was part of America's inception. Therefore, in a sense, it is no surprise that many Americans who are fans of March Madness will cheer like heck this year for Wofford, Cornell, Oakland, ETSU and other hopefuls still to be decided. Again, to re enforce my point, most people relate to past teams like Hampton, Valparaiso and George Mason, as well as teams of the present such as Wofford, Cornell and East Tennessee St. (ETSU). They are like most of us; struggling day to day to make ends meet and eventually climbing to the top of the mountain. Bring on the madness!!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Zach Mettenberger, Welcome to Idiot University
If you are in your Sophomore year in college, and your a backup quarterback at a major college program. When you have an opportunity win the starting job as the quarterback of the University of Georgia, I would think you would do everything you can both on and off the field to earn that job. you are competing with two other guys who are as good, maybe better than you. You cant slip up.
Unless, that is, you are Zach Mettenberger. Sunday night, Mettenberger was charged with under age drinking, obstruction of justice (in this case, lying to the police) and disorderly conduct, plus two other charges at a bar down in Remerton, GA near Valdosta. It is Spring Break at UGA, and the players got a break from Spring practice as well. there is no doubt that Coach Mark Richt told the guys to keep their noses clean and stay out of trouble. Mettenberger, apparently, didn't get the message. To be the starting quarterback at a place like Georgia requires not only superior physical talent but leadership ability as well. Mettenberger has the talent. By all accounts, he has a great arm. However, if you cant make wise decisions off the field and do the right things, how can your teammates trust you on the field.
Zach Mettenberger's idiotic behavior over the weekend will cost him dearly. There will be some sort of suspension. He will lose valuable practice time in which Logan Grey and Aaron Murray, the other two QBs vying for the spot, will move ahead of him. He has put himself behind the 8 ball. For his sake, I hope he gets a second chance, but his chances of becoming the Dawgs' No. 1 guy, at least for 2010, have been severely diminished. Ironically, while Mettenberger was engaging in his stupidity, another more accomplished QB with the name of "Berger" was misbehaving some 100 miles north of Remerton. Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roeflisberger is under investigation for sexual misconduct in Millidgeville, GA, where he has a home on Lake Oconee. This is obviously nothing more than a coincidence, but a strange one indeed. It was a bad weekend for the Bergers in Georgia. Zach, I hope for the best for you and I hope you at least get some playing time at UGA if you never start, but you did it to yourself. Zach Mettenberger, welcome to Idiot University.
Unless, that is, you are Zach Mettenberger. Sunday night, Mettenberger was charged with under age drinking, obstruction of justice (in this case, lying to the police) and disorderly conduct, plus two other charges at a bar down in Remerton, GA near Valdosta. It is Spring Break at UGA, and the players got a break from Spring practice as well. there is no doubt that Coach Mark Richt told the guys to keep their noses clean and stay out of trouble. Mettenberger, apparently, didn't get the message. To be the starting quarterback at a place like Georgia requires not only superior physical talent but leadership ability as well. Mettenberger has the talent. By all accounts, he has a great arm. However, if you cant make wise decisions off the field and do the right things, how can your teammates trust you on the field.
Zach Mettenberger's idiotic behavior over the weekend will cost him dearly. There will be some sort of suspension. He will lose valuable practice time in which Logan Grey and Aaron Murray, the other two QBs vying for the spot, will move ahead of him. He has put himself behind the 8 ball. For his sake, I hope he gets a second chance, but his chances of becoming the Dawgs' No. 1 guy, at least for 2010, have been severely diminished. Ironically, while Mettenberger was engaging in his stupidity, another more accomplished QB with the name of "Berger" was misbehaving some 100 miles north of Remerton. Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roeflisberger is under investigation for sexual misconduct in Millidgeville, GA, where he has a home on Lake Oconee. This is obviously nothing more than a coincidence, but a strange one indeed. It was a bad weekend for the Bergers in Georgia. Zach, I hope for the best for you and I hope you at least get some playing time at UGA if you never start, but you did it to yourself. Zach Mettenberger, welcome to Idiot University.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Fox Must Capture Gwinnett For the Hounds
I have many times already mentioned that there is a ton of talent in the Gwinnett County area of Atlanta, GA. Unfortunately, with the exception of a few talented Gwinnetian players, Georgia has lost several big time basketball recruits from this county: Jody Meeks, Tony Naismith, Chris Allen, Kevin Anderson, Avery Jukes and a few more.
These players mentioned above have gone to places like Kentucky, Michigan St., Butler, Richmond and Auburn. Yes, Georgia was able to get guys like Ricky McPhee, Billy Humphry, Mike Mercer and Trey Tompkins. I know UGA cant sign all the Gwinnett starts, but what will it take to get more in. There is so much talent in Gwinnett County, as well as the rest of the Atlanta metro area and the state of Georgia. Georgia Head Coach Mark Fox doesn't have to even recruit out of state.
Is it the out dated "Stegasorous" as one talk show host calls Stegmen Colosseum, Georgia's basketball arena? Is it the lack of tradition? Georgia Basketball doesn't have much of it. The Dawgs made it to the 1983 Final Four, but none of these high school phenoms were even born then. Georgia has had some "blips on the screen" if you will. The most recent one came two years ago when the Dawgs, in last place in the SEC East, made a miraculous run to win the SEC Tournament in Atlanta. A terrible tornado ripped through the city that weekend making the Georgia Dome unsafe for further competition. The Dawgs beat Kentucky and Mississippi St. on the same day, and beat Arkansas to win the tourney and a ticket to the Big Dance. All of this took place at Georgia Tech's Alexander Colosseum.
Georgia does have the talent to do the same this year. They have beaten Tennessee, Vandy, South Carolina and Florida. The problem is they won all those games, along with the rest of their wins, at home. Incredibly, they went winless on the road for the entire season. If they had won even half of their games on the road, they would be at least "on the bubble". Instead, they are 13-16 going into the tourney next Thursday.
But back to my original subject, Georgia is losing top Gwinnett talent left and right. Hopefully, Fox has the salesmanship of a Zig Ziggler. He's got to find a way (other than cheating) to get the best local talent into Athens. Perhaps they should blow up Stegman and play in the Gwinnett Arena for the next two years until they get a state of the art on-campus arena. Does Georgia want to be more than just a football school. A new arena might be the answer. there is already talent in Athens, fortunately. Fox needs to find a way to keep it there and get more local, preferably Gwinnett talent, on campus. Howard Schnellenberger, the former Univ. of Miami Football Coach back in the early 80s, brought in the best talent from the Miami area into Coral Gables. The rest is history: Four national titles in a decade. Mark Fox should try the same strategy.
These players mentioned above have gone to places like Kentucky, Michigan St., Butler, Richmond and Auburn. Yes, Georgia was able to get guys like Ricky McPhee, Billy Humphry, Mike Mercer and Trey Tompkins. I know UGA cant sign all the Gwinnett starts, but what will it take to get more in. There is so much talent in Gwinnett County, as well as the rest of the Atlanta metro area and the state of Georgia. Georgia Head Coach Mark Fox doesn't have to even recruit out of state.
Is it the out dated "Stegasorous" as one talk show host calls Stegmen Colosseum, Georgia's basketball arena? Is it the lack of tradition? Georgia Basketball doesn't have much of it. The Dawgs made it to the 1983 Final Four, but none of these high school phenoms were even born then. Georgia has had some "blips on the screen" if you will. The most recent one came two years ago when the Dawgs, in last place in the SEC East, made a miraculous run to win the SEC Tournament in Atlanta. A terrible tornado ripped through the city that weekend making the Georgia Dome unsafe for further competition. The Dawgs beat Kentucky and Mississippi St. on the same day, and beat Arkansas to win the tourney and a ticket to the Big Dance. All of this took place at Georgia Tech's Alexander Colosseum.
Georgia does have the talent to do the same this year. They have beaten Tennessee, Vandy, South Carolina and Florida. The problem is they won all those games, along with the rest of their wins, at home. Incredibly, they went winless on the road for the entire season. If they had won even half of their games on the road, they would be at least "on the bubble". Instead, they are 13-16 going into the tourney next Thursday.
But back to my original subject, Georgia is losing top Gwinnett talent left and right. Hopefully, Fox has the salesmanship of a Zig Ziggler. He's got to find a way (other than cheating) to get the best local talent into Athens. Perhaps they should blow up Stegman and play in the Gwinnett Arena for the next two years until they get a state of the art on-campus arena. Does Georgia want to be more than just a football school. A new arena might be the answer. there is already talent in Athens, fortunately. Fox needs to find a way to keep it there and get more local, preferably Gwinnett talent, on campus. Howard Schnellenberger, the former Univ. of Miami Football Coach back in the early 80s, brought in the best talent from the Miami area into Coral Gables. The rest is history: Four national titles in a decade. Mark Fox should try the same strategy.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Steve Alford Headed Back to IU? Quite Possible
New Mexico Head Mens' Basketball coach Steve Alford has guided the Lobos to their greatest season in school history. They are currently ranked #10 in the country and have just clinched the Mountain West Conference Regular Season Title. They currently are 28-3 overall and14-2 in conference play.
As for Alford's alma matre, Indiana University, the season could not be more opposite. The Hoosiers are 9-20 overall and 3-14 in the Big 10. Tom Crean has had two years to get the program back on track to the excellence it enjoyed under Bob Knight and, to a certain extent, under current UAB coach Mike Davis. I know that Indiana lost their best player to injury. However, this is the second year in a row that Indiana has had a losing season. For those who didn't care for Mike Davis, he did not do this bad. Crean will get another year, but if next year is just like this year, Crean may be out. If Steve Alford has another fantastic year with the Lobos next year while Crean and Indiana are struggling again, look for Steve Alford to "finally come home." No disrespect to UNM, but Indiana is a better job than New Mexico. Basketball is King in the State of Indiana, as is Indiana University. Alford will get the best players in the state. He turned around a mediocre New Mexico program and now they are in the top 10.
I don't think anyone expected Alford to get New Mexico where it now is. He is a fine coach and a great recruiter. As a fan of the "Mid Majors" (if you consider the MWC a Mid Major conference), I don't want Alford to leave UNM. But let's face it. IU would be willing to throw big time money at Alford to lure him back to Bloomington. If things continue as they are at both Badminton and Albuquerque a year from now, there's a great chance that Steve Alford will come home to Bloomington to be Indiana's next head coach during the 2011-12 season.
As for Alford's alma matre, Indiana University, the season could not be more opposite. The Hoosiers are 9-20 overall and 3-14 in the Big 10. Tom Crean has had two years to get the program back on track to the excellence it enjoyed under Bob Knight and, to a certain extent, under current UAB coach Mike Davis. I know that Indiana lost their best player to injury. However, this is the second year in a row that Indiana has had a losing season. For those who didn't care for Mike Davis, he did not do this bad. Crean will get another year, but if next year is just like this year, Crean may be out. If Steve Alford has another fantastic year with the Lobos next year while Crean and Indiana are struggling again, look for Steve Alford to "finally come home." No disrespect to UNM, but Indiana is a better job than New Mexico. Basketball is King in the State of Indiana, as is Indiana University. Alford will get the best players in the state. He turned around a mediocre New Mexico program and now they are in the top 10.
I don't think anyone expected Alford to get New Mexico where it now is. He is a fine coach and a great recruiter. As a fan of the "Mid Majors" (if you consider the MWC a Mid Major conference), I don't want Alford to leave UNM. But let's face it. IU would be willing to throw big time money at Alford to lure him back to Bloomington. If things continue as they are at both Badminton and Albuquerque a year from now, there's a great chance that Steve Alford will come home to Bloomington to be Indiana's next head coach during the 2011-12 season.
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