Dancing Queen
DeepSouthSports Honors Joakim's Return to the Final Four
All farks courtesy of RaulAzul of BruinReportOnline.com
Wednesday, March 28
Blog Comment of the Day
Thank you to "UkraineNotWeak" of Deadspin
In Response to this here video clip:
O-H...I-O - Click Here for more great videos and pictures!
"Oden suffered worse when he was in Nam."
Via Deadspin
Tuesday, March 27
Did You Catch the Barton Game Last Night?
Who? The Division II National Champs, Fool
This clip is long but very nice. Actually, it's amazing. This is college basketball in its purest form. I would dare say that nobody is rollin' a Yukon on 22s in this bunch.
In case you're not as enlightened as I am...Winona State is in rural Minnesota and Barton is in Wilson, North Carolina and probably has fewer students than your high school.
Monday, March 26
Friday, March 23
Wednesday, March 21
March Madness - Memphis Tigers
Sweet Sixteen Week
My thoughts about Memphis Basketball. I grew up on Tiger games in The Coliseum, and now I'm one of many blogging about the Tigers in the Tournament at The Commercial Appeal's sports blog, TheMemphisEdge.com
It's the same old song and dance for Tiger fans. Everywhere I turn, I hear "Memphis hasn't been tested."
You know, I expected this kind of treatment before the tournament and even before Nevada, but Memphis is now in the Sweet Sixteen and this lazy storyline is getting tired. Suddenly "the experts" are trying to tell us that beating a top ten team (Nevada - AP & USA Today # 10) is not good enough. The double digit drumming was probably just a fluke, right?
After witnessing Memphis's dominance over The Wolf Pack, ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski moved Memphis down to a 3 seed in his recalibrated bracket! Yeah...I know. Do tell, Wojo:
"Maybe it's because I expected more in the North Texas opener (15 point win), or that I thought Nevada would beat the Tigers in the second round (16 point win)"
This is a leading basketball opinion maker, folks. I don't know what's in the water up in Bristol, but if you thought Memphis would lose, and then they win by SIXTEEN, you might want to think about giving them some credit. Instead we get another slap in the face. This from an anonymous Sportsline.com writer:
"It's difficult to measure how much the Tigers have been hurt by dominating Conference USA. The team is relatively untested, with road losses to Georgia Tech and Arizona and a one-point win over Gonzaga at a neutral site (Spokane)."
First off, I think Memphis should start playing back at The Coliseum and calling it "a neutral site." As for the rest of that statement, I wonder how much Ohio State was hurt by playing in the Big 10 (they are the only team from their conference remaining, just like Memphis) OSU came within a Greg Oden shove of packing their bags (OT win against a 9 seed!)
By the way, Wojo rated The Buckeyes above Memphis at a 2 seed because Xavier was "a tough 9-seed."
If only The Tigers could go to overtime with a 9 seed...Then Memphis would turn some heads.
Monday, March 19
March Madness - Memphis Tigers
Gonzo Tiger Blogging - Nevada Game
My stream of consciousness about Memphis Basketball. I grew up on Tiger games in The Coliseum, and now I'm one of many blogging about the Tigers in the Tournament at The Commercial Appeal's sports blog, TheMemphisEdge.com
1) I come into the game late because CBS is a bunch of Communists.
2) It's clear Fazekas has never been heads up with athletes like Dorsey and Co. In the first few minutes Dorsey has already altered a shot, Dozier blocked him, and he's had the ball stolen from him a few times.
3) Memphis is flying to the ball and fast breaking all over the place, however Nevada is keeping pace.
4) Fazekas with another turnover, next possession for Nevada = pressure induced turnover. They don't get the pleasure of playing teams like this every week in the WAC. I recall that Nevada's coach compared The Tigers to a NBA team. I love it!
5) Prediction: Nevada WILL NOT be able to hold this pace with Memphis. The Tigers will pull away big, late in the game.
6) Fazekas looks more like The Great White Hype in the early going.
7) The CBS "experts" hate Memphis (imagine that). They both picked Nevada as the upset of the day. That's about par for the course.
8) This Kemp guy for Nevada is pretty dang good. It makes me wonder it he's one of the NBA's great procreators, Shawn Kemp's offspring. The Seattle Supersonic's star spent a lot of time on the west coast, and he fathered roughly 15 children. I guess the odds are pretty good actually. I check out Marcelus Kemp's profile - "Hometown: Seattle, Washington" - I scare myself sometimes.
9) As the second half progresses, the game is still too close for comfort, but that just goes to show us why Nevada has come up on the short end of the score just four times this season. Neither team will blink.
10) If it's not CDR killing you, it's Jeremy Hunt or Dozier or Mr. Anderson. I love how all these Tigers play their roll so quietly until one of them is called to step up. Luckily, it seems somebody different steps up each possession.
11) I've never know a Memphis basketball team to play this way. There are constantly four guys on the court that can either beat you off the dribble or spot up for a three with confidence. Oh, and even if you miss, Dorsey is there with the offensive board. Amazing! It's one thing to play like this against Southern Methodist in the Forum, but it's a completely different thing to play like this on a national stage against Nevada.
12) On the other hand, Nevada is the poster child for two dimensional play. It's Kemp, Fazekas and a bunch of extras from central casting. (A post game look at the box score reveals the difference maker in this game: Bench Points - Memphis 31, Nevada 2)
13) Wow, you gotta love the free-throw free-for-all Memphis has got going on. I think Cal should become a motivational speaker when he retires. His shtick could be "Visualize Your Goals." I wish I could visualize a few beers right now, but I gotta work in the morning. Such is life.
14) Oh Snap! CDR is hurt bad. Twisted ankle. I hate that for him. I hope he can get back in the action soon...otherwise, we'll really find out how deep this team can be.
15) From the CDR injury on, Memphis rallies and shows Nevada a little about depth and bench scoring. What a stretch run. Like I said, Nevada could not hold the Tiger's pace. Final: 78-62. So much for "the experts" opinion.
Thoughts and Concerns:
- Please let Chris Douglas-Roberts be ok.
- 76.5% from the line?! Sure, why not.
- This Sweet 16 includes all three major basketball programs from the state of Tennessee...Sounds good to me.
- Memphis played like a 1 seed today. The Tigers fought through injury and a solid opponent, and still came out with a 16 point win.
- Yes, it's the luck of The Tigers that they have to play a regional against a team whose campus is less than 200 miles away, but A&M had to beat Louisville in Kentucky so we shouldn't complain too much...But we will.
Another Reason Why America Loves Duke Basketball
Duke Basketball...French Soccer...The line is blurred
Friday, March 16
March Madness - Memphis Tigers
Gonzo Tiger Blogging – North Texas Game
My stream of consciousness about Memphis Basketball. I grew up on Tiger games in The Coliseum, and now I'm one of many blogging about the Tigers in the Tournament at The Commercial Appeal's sports blog, TheMemphisEdge.com
1) Another busy day at the office. The TV, which I think was intended for inclement weather updates, is prematurely tuned to CBS and Bob Barker’s thrilling Showcase Showdown. I can’t wait to get this early morning Tiger tip-off underway.
2) Does this game scare me? No, not really. I don’t know enough about “The Mean Green” to be worried. I just know the committee thought so much of them that they are a 15 seed.
3) The pregame storylines: We are to believe that Dorsey is a reformed hothead, and Memphis players are now obsessed with skull art. Great. Let’s hope the Tigers took a little time away from the barber shop to practice this week.
4) Memphis seems to have a pretty strong contingent of fans in the lower bowl. I wonder how many of them were hugging the toilet bowl early this morning after hard fought night in the Casino and out on Bourbon street. Let’s hope they get loud.
5) Tip-off. Here we go. Wait…What’s this? No 14-0 lead for Memphis?!? North Texas scores first? It’s not really what I had in mind, but whatever. Dorsey got smacked in the nose going for an early rebound. He seems pretty steamed, but he hasn’t ripped anybody in half yet. So we got that going for us…which is nice.
6) Memphis seems like the more nervous of the two, and North Texas can’t miss! Memphis is probably shooting 60%, but that won’t cut it at this point. I look up the stats on the game tracker and after several minutes, Memphis is shooting 62% and UNT is at 77% (or 7-9) from the field! Holy Shnikies! Are those regulation rims, or what? This is high octane basketball.
7) One of the announcers just said that Memphis is 324th in Division I at the foul line. I didn’t even know there were 324 teams in Division I! Not cool.
8) You’d think a close game between a 15 and a 2 seed would indicate poor play from Memphis but that’s just not the case. Not yet anyway. You know that Coach Cal is saying to himself, “They can’t shoot 75% all day, can they?”
9) Things are looking up. Now that Memphis is starting to pull away in the first half, it’s almost like North Texas Coach Johnny Jones told his players to just go out on the court and fall down. They are flopping more than a French soccer team, but for the most part, the refs ain’t buyin’ it.
10) As the first half comes to a close, Memphis is in the midst of one of their patented adrenaline induced runs. As usual, The Tigers’ superior athletes and fresh legs start to take over, like the house odds at Harrah’s. Memphis up 37 to 28 at the break.
11) Stat of the Half: North Texas started 7 of 9 then went cold (understatement): 3 of 18 or 17%! And I thought The Tigers were icy hot.
12) The second half started off much like the first; The Mean Green come out strong and narrow the already too-close-for-comfort gap. This is not quite the statement game I was hoping for.
13) You’d think Coach Cal would pull Andre Allen aside and inform him that someone has replaced his basketball shorts with Capri pants. There is far too little shin on display. What am I saying? The guy has an “M” and a tiger carved in his hair. He’s above the law.
14) As soon as I write that, Allen starts to single handedly take over the game in a flash of steals, fast breaks and all around clutch point guard play. He’s just in a higher gear than everyone else. What a great asset to this team. I think he should shave “Clutch” on the other side of his head. He’s the anti-Sampson. Somebody fly his barber down to Nawlins, stat!
15) Memphis is up double digits for the first time. I start to wonder if Memphis will come anywhere near “the line.” (can’t find out – work blocks those naughty gambling type sites)
16) I guess CBS seems to think that Memphis has this game in hand, because they cut to the Georgia Tech vs. UNLV game. Thanks guys! I can’t even watch the game online because “This game is available on your local CBS affiliate.” Now, I’m no rocket scientist, but this sure doesn’t look like Memphis. Just another example of The Man keepin’ us down.
17) Well, CBS was right. Memphis wins the game in semi-convincing fashion: 73-58.
18) Thoughts and Concerns:
- 24-59 shooting from the floor (40%) - Boo.
- 19-27 from the free throw line (70%) - I like.
- CDR’s fouls were a concern because he was the only player that shot above 50% today and he spent way too much time on the bench.
19) Overall – Memphis played like a 7 seed today.
Wednesday, March 14
Hate for Joakim Runnith Over
I thought to myself...you know, maybe I'm just being a little too harsh on the guy. He's really is good at what he does, and maybe I should just respect that.
Then I saw this vile footage:
Damn You, Joakim!!! Damn You.
Via Edsbs
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