The Corner Pocket

Demolition Derby

2011-03-07T15:35:00.003-05:00

It started at 0-0. The #1 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles were technically tied with the #4 Oakland Golden Grizzlies on the scoreboard of Sioux Falls Arena. But in the minds of many, this game was already over, and Oral Roberts ticket to the Summit League final had already been punched.

It finished at 96-62. The #4 Oakland Golden Grizzlies steamrolled the #1 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles and punched their own ticket to the Summit League final.

And all the while, the very things Coach Beckie Francis said that her team needed to improve on all season long were the very things that crushed the Golden Eagles spirit.

Oakland did not turn the ball over. Nine turnovers by the Golden Grizzlies, compared to 22 assists. Last year's team, which was so successful, regularly produced these high assist-turnover ratio games. This year's team has struggled to keep the turnover numbers down and Coach Francis has regularly talked about the turnover numbers, emphasizing games when they've kept the figure low, and pointing out a need to improve other times. Oakland kept the turnover number down throughout the game, and only gave up 9 off TOs. Meanwhile, they forced steals (6), and scored 20 points off ORU turnovers.

Oakland's ball movement was top rate today. The Golden Eagles employ a trapping defense, attempting to double team everybody at the same time, essentially. It's an interesting defense, and if the trappee drops the ball, it results in a ton of turnovers. However, Oakland held on to the ball, and used Brittany Carnago effectively on the perimeter, utilizing her height to break double teams over the shorter ORU guards on the outside. The big problem with ORU's set was the gaping maw in the paint. Oakland regularly drove through the lane, got to the cup at will, and finished their shots. The Grizzlies ability to finish in the lane has been problematic at times, but they were fantastic at the rack today.

Oakland also executed defensively. Like with Challis Pascucci from Southern Utah, they denied Kevi Luper the ball in dangerous areas. They forced her to either shoot jumpers from a long way out (she hit two NBA-range 3-pointers), or made her shoot contested shots inside the ar. Though she had 24 points, she only went 8-22 from the floor. The rest of the team didn't fair much better, only connecting on 13 FGs through the game.

Oakland also stayed out of foul trouble for the most part as well. When Carnago gets into foul trouble, Oakland tends to struggle a bit in the paint defensively. BC stayed out of foul trouble, and though Sharise picked up 3 in the first half, give credit to Malika Glover and the rest of the Grizzlies bench for stepping up defensively in her absence. Not to mention 16 points out of Kirstie Malone, who was phenomenal today.

Anna Patritto is the unsung hero of this team. She shut down Pascucci in the Southern Utah game and made life very difficult for ORU today as well, defensively. Took a big charge in the first half that helped maintain an Oakland run, and though she's been a defensive stalwart all year, she's playing her best D right now.

This game got out of hand fairly quickly. ORU's body language changed rapidly beginning around the 8 minute mark of the first half. By the second half, shots weren't falling, and they began forcing. OU stayed with them defensively and made ORU run up and down the court, getting out in transition, while getting back defensively.

This Oakland team has come out hungry to win, with an intensity I haven't seen all year. That's saying something, considering some of the emotional roller coasters they've been through (Penn State, Illinois, ORU to name a few). But their intensity and focus is off the charts. They aren't afraid of anybody in this conference, and showed that by absolutely pasting the unquestioned #1 team in the league on the biggest stage.

Now it's on to South Dakota State or IPFW. After handling Luper and company, the Grizzlies have to be feeling pretty good about their next game is going to finish on the scoreboard, too.

Oakland vs. Southern Utah/ORU vs NDSU

2011-03-06T09:27:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the late post, but here are my thoughts on Oakland's win over Southern Utah, 82-66, last night, as well as some musings on Oral Roberts 72-65 defeat of North Dakota State.

FIrst off, let me begin this by saying that Oakland needed a blowout here. This Southern Utah team played them tough a week ago, and talked some trash to the media. They were planning on coming out physical and they did. Will Hudson, again, took the brunt of it, getting pushed, pulled, yanked, tugged, and thrown around on the low blocks. Credit to the refs for picking up most of it, so it didn't carry over to the second half. But Oakland needed to wax this team, make a definitive statement in the first round of the tournament. They did just that, obliterating SUU from beyond the arc (8-18 3-pt FG). Kito also did his duty in the paint, going 8-12 from the floor, while also showing off some of the range. Meanwhile, Reggie had 21 in the first half, and knocked down three big triples for the Grizzlies. Not really much we didn't know here. Guard play, as well as big man ability, has been far superior to SUU all season. Still, they are a younger team, and could make some racket in a year if they progress well in the offseason.

Meanwhile, ORU showed me exactly what I thought they would. Talent-wise, ORU may be the most talented team in the conference. The raw ability of some of their guys (Morrison, Roundtree, DBH) is freakish. Still, they are the most inconsistent team in the conference. They are a constant threat to either blow out or be blown out by anybody in the league on any given night. Saturday night simply showed me more of that.

Now to the game itself. Remember, I've been saying that out of all the Day 1 games, this one would be the closest. Under 10 minutes left and North Dakota State tied the game somewhere around 5 times, but was never able to take a lead. The Bison made life very difficult for ORU till the end, but the lack of true PG play sank NDSU in the end. Some very sloppy turnovers on these possessions, ill-advised passes, and overall bad shots cost them a chance to take a lead over an ORU team that is fairly lackluster defensively.

ORU eventually took the lead and pushed it to 6 with under a minute left. Lundberg went to the line for NDSU and split the pair, but Trayvonn Wright lost the rebound out of bounds that could have closed it to a one point game or even tied it with 18 seconds left. Still, Steven Roundtree received an outlet pass with 29 seconds remaining that left him literally alone in the frontcourt. He looked around, gathered himself for the dunk and bombed it off the iron. Right there, it would have been game over if he had gone for a layup.

NDSU poses one of the most difficult matchups in the conference because of their height. Their guards are gigantic and their forwards are simply taller guards. Tveidt is one of the best players in the conference, and I'm really looking forward to what he does as a pro. Though ORU is far more talented, NDSU plays a full 40, and they play well within their system, which maximizes that height advantage. Trayvonn Wright figures to be one of the premier young men in the conference, as he had 19 and 7. He's only a freshman for NDSU with wads of talent and the potential to go off for ridiculous numbers on any night.

This ORU team is very inconsistent, but incredibly athletic. Morrison scored 18, and DBH had 14, plus 7 rebounds (4 offensive) for ORU. The Golden Eagles only shot 42% from the floor, and again, it took 3 of the 4 primetime fellas to carry the load. Roundtree only had 7, but Warren Niles had 19 points. Bench scoring is an issue for the Golden Eagles, but that 4-headed beast of Bell-Holter, Morrison, Niles, and Roundtree is good enough to run with anybody. I know it sounds like I'm kind of harping on ORU, a bit because of some aspects of their game... but the fact that they win despite seemingly not showing up for a full 40, despite not having bench scoring, despite getting in foul trouble all the time... what does that tell you about how good those four guys are?

ORU can be scary good when they want to be. In a rematch vs Oakland in the Summit League title game... I think they'd want to show up for that. #justsayin

That's me! WIth Ari Boynton of the Madison Daily Leader. Check it out.

Follow me on Twitter at @Cornerpocket422. Follow Bryan Everson at @Bryan_Michpreps. Check out his exclusive postgame interview with Oakland coach Greg Kampe at podcasts.wxou.org

Game 1: (1) Oral Roberts vs. (8) Western Illinois

2011-03-05T15:19:00.002-05:00

Not much to write about this one.

Kevi Luper is a monster. She's got size, handles, a great shot, aggression, defensive awareness, athleticism... everything you want in a college basketball player.

Jaci Bigham played a couple of minutes on a torn ACL. Warrior.

ORU set a new Summit League record for points in a game. 108-79 final, that 108 is a record tally.

Just recorded a video blog with Ari Boynton of the Madison Daily Leader about Oakland. http://madisonet.com/site/news.cfm?brd=1302&pag=460&dept_ID=181986 is the link to his site.

Oral Roberts is flat out beastly. This was a beatdown. They jumped out to a 14-0 lead and never looked back. ORU has to be the clear cut favorite right now.

Not much else to say, really. I'll probably have more thoughts on this next game.

Maynard back at practice.

2010-11-30T14:31:00.003-05:00

Oakland Golden Grizzlies G Drew Maynard returned to practice today for the first time since his suspension. Follow me at @cornerpocket422 for all the details as they break. Expecting a statement later today regarding his return to practice from the team. Also follow @PaulKampe @Maghielse and @OUGrizzlies for more info as it breaks.

Feast and Famine... Boise Edition.

2010-11-27T09:46:00.006-05:00

So, it finally happened. The BCS Buster’s worst nightmare, essentially. Forget about TCU, Boise State was the poster child of the anti-BCS campaign, and now the mighty Broncos are down and out, at the hands of Nevada and that ridiculous pistol offense. Not just losing, but really allowing the Pack back into that football game.

Every BCS fan out there, or heck, just every fan of a major program in general, has awoken from their delightful slumber to find the shocker in the scoreline.

Instantly, each of them used this loss as validation for the fact that Boise State doesn’t deserve a shot, that NO small conference school deserves a shot because NONE of them are really as good as we think they are and they’d all get destroyed in a power conference…

I’ll trail off there because we’ve all heard the arguments.

On the contrary, though, I still think that Boise State is every bit as good as we thought they were. Talent-wise, Chris Petersen is still putting kids in the NFL (more than Rich Rod at Michigan, last I checked). He’s still obliterating cupcakes at will. Until last night, he had the longest active winning streak in the country, and he STILL has the highest home winning percentage this decade.

…but the feast finally caught up with BSU.

I didn’t get a chance to tune in until late, right after Kellen Moore connected with Doug Martin for that wonderfully executed 79-yard screen-pass touchdown. What I saw after that told me all I needed to know.

That Boise State defense came right back out there and couldn’t stop a stationary bike. Those guys were sucking wind like they’d already been out there for a long drive, and they were four plays into the new one. Cold blasts of breath shot into the Nevada night from a defense that’s been very good this year, but suddenly felt helpless against this pistol offense.

Let’s go back to Week 1. Virginia Tech, an away game for Boise at a “neutral field.” Virginia Tech’s Tyrod Taylor had a chance to put that game away on third down and couldn’t complete the pass. Boise was actually down at the time, 30-26, and the defense came up with a stop on 3rd down, giving Kellen Moore enough time to do his thing, and you knew he would.

He did. Boom. 66-yard touchdown drive, game winner from 13 out to Austin Pettis. But the defense NEEDED to get a stop. That or no ball for BSU, no chance for a miracle comeback.

They handed it back to that offense with enough time left, timeouts or not, for this team to destroy anybody.

Late in the 4th quarter, in the middle of Nevada, you never got the feeling that this defense was going to get a stop. Very good defense? Yeah, I’ll say so. But one that’s no longer conditioned to play a full football game.

I believe Louisiana Tech was the last time starters got any meaningful playing time in the second half. Is that on coaching? Not necessarily. Even in games where they did run out the clock into the third quarter, nobody in the WAC was capable of starting those long drives that would test your game endurance, that would keep you out there for a long time.

You spend so much time eating cupcakes, you start to get a little chubby. Boise got fat.

The defense couldn’t get off the field, and Nevada punched it in. Still nine seconds though, one timeout, still plenty of time from around your own 40.

And once again, Kellen Moore got the magic from Austin Pettis. A miraculous completion than finished the process (wink, wink) and set them up with a 26-yarder from straight out.

And Kyle Brotzman shanked it wide-right.

Mind you, he missed a 30-yarder in the VT game, which was a critical kick at the time. Still, as overtime set on, you knew Nevada would get a stop, and Brotzman would come back out there. And you knew he’d miss again, with the game on the line. Not because he’s a bad kicker, but because that’s just what happens. Last time he wasn’t needed to win the game again. This time he was.

And you knew that despite all the talent, despite the electric offense, which, keep in mind, has dotted every “i” and crossed every “t” in their system, and despite the coaching and the hopes of half the nation, that they wouldn’t leave that stadium with a shot at a national title.

Again, it’s important to emphasize that it wasn’t the talent that let them down, but the very thing that the BCS-frenzied have been yelling at us about. Boise’s schedule.

We always talk about how the only way to really be ready is to get in game reps. Most important part of conditioning. Well, when the offense is rolling, not missing a beat, and scoring 19 touchdowns a game, it’s not difficult for those boys to get reps in.

When the defense forces one “3-and-out” after another, simply because of the other guys’ offensive ineptitude, it’s tough for them to get in as many game reps.

And though the loss was delivered off the right leg of Kyle Brotzman, it was the oven full of cupcakes that did the Broncos in on Friday night. That schedule they always whine about finally took over, just not in the way they thought it would.

Oh well. It’s a shame. Cam Newton made it rain on the Alabama scoreboard earlier in the day, anyway, so the big fellas were always going to win out, though.

Untitled.

2010-10-21T00:05:00.001-04:00

It’s really a shame.

We live in such an advanced age. Technology is at our disposal like never before, the ability to do miraculous things at the touch of a button.

We have history at our disposal. We have all of the knowledge, experiences, and opinions of our forefathers to learn from, adapt to, and shape the way we change the world.

Which is why it’s really such a shame.

I’m talking about the death of Corey Jackson, an Oakland University sophomore. Kid was 19. Warren Woods Tower, just 2 miles from my home. Killed himself. Kid had apparently just gone public with his homosexuality, and though the circumstances around his suicide aren’t yet known… The logical assumption is that it probably had something to do with his recent revelation.

Now, we don’t know for sure if he was bullied, hazed or anything like that. But let’s face it, even if it didn’t happen in this circumstance, bullying based on sexual preference does happen.

Why?

Look, I realize that homosexuality is something that makes a lot of people uncomfortable. It’s not something that many people want to openly advocate. But there’s a difference between openly advocating it and minding your own damn business.

I wrote a few months ago on this very page about how us Americans have a problem with minding our own damn business. We butt our noses in where they don’t belong, we tell other people how to live their lives, and we try to force others to be happy according to our picturesque ideal of happiness.

The one thing that we lose track of the fact that we’re dealing with living, breathing, human beings. People with thoughts, feelings, and emotions like me and you. People with mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. And I’m not just talking about in regards to sexuality. Race, religion, politics, the whole nine yards. Too many times, we try to get people to act and behave according to how we want them to.

STOP!

MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS!

What do I think of homosexuality? I can’t say I’m a huge fan of it. Just ain’t my thing. So can I honestly say that I “support” homosexuality unequivocally? No. Like I can’t “support” being a liberal, believing in the ancient Roman gods, or being an Avalanche fan.

But if somebody were to come up to me and ask me what I would say if they announced their homosexuality? I would tell them what I would tell liberals, pagans, and Avs fans.

If it makes you happy; if you can wake up and approve of what you see in the mirror; if you think that it’s the way you want to live your life, then I will back you up 100%.

We always talk about this “being true to yourself” crap. Then when the time comes, we force others to be true to OURselves. Well no more. Stop trying to control how other people live their lives. Bullying accomplishes one thing and one thing only. Satisfying your own massive ego. Heightening your own sense of self-worth and importance.

And in the process, you kick everything this society is allegedly about to the curb.

Why, when Corey died, do we have to talk about his sexual preference? Why, when Corey died, aren’t we asking about who he was as a person? As a human being? Why, when Barack Obama ran for President… Why did such a large part of the argument revolve around the fact that he’s African American?

Why couldn’t you just vote for or against him based on his politics? Why couldn’t people base their opinions of Corey and other homosexuals based on who they are as complete human beings, rather than based on one aspect of their lives?

If somebody’s a jerk, then they’re a jerk. If somebody’s cool, then they’re cool. Judge them based on how you interact with them, not how they line up against your preconceived notion of “good people.”

I’m sick of all of this talk about people’s differences. I’m sick of all of this divisiveness in America today. America needs to come together, and it’s a shame that it takes somebody’s death to finally see people unite! I don’t mean that we all have to think exactly the same, have the same beliefs, and live the same lives. I mean it’s time that we stop crucifying people for how they’re different than we are, and time we start working together as a campus, a city, a state, a nation. We’re all together in this life, gay, straight, men, women, conservative, liberal.

It’s just such a shame that it took the death of a 19-year old college sophomore from Warren, MI, graduate from Warren Woods Tower HS, to finally come together over something.

And as you look back on his legacy and think about how for one night, one week, whatever it is that we came together as a campus, think also about this… In those moments, wasn’t the world a better place? Wasn’t it better to be united than divided? Friends rather than adversaries?

Let’s live our whole lives like that. Then, whenever we talk about Corey, or Martin Luther King Jr and his dream for a better world, we can actually live out those dreams, rather than fantasize about them.

You’ll be missed, Corey Jackson. As a fellow Warren-ite, as a Tower grad, and as a fellow Golden Grizzly. Rest in peace, kid. You didn’t live to see it, but I dearly hope that I live to see a day when black, white, gay, straight, Christian, Muslim, or whatever… when instead of judging by these terms, we look at them as the small details that are part of what a human being is, and look past them to see the men and women we are really dealing with. And then we can come together in one Untitled world.

Shocker?

2010-10-19T10:42:00.007-04:00

Boise State should be the #1 team in America today.

Today.

Now follow me through this, ladies and gents, because this is something that's been swimming through my brain since the end of last night's show. Actually, it's something I've been wrestling with for a while, but I think I've found my ground, and I'm gonna stick with it.

Boise State should be the #1 team in America right now for a couple of reasons. They've got some nice non-conference wins over a highly ranked (at the time) VA-Tech squad, who has only gone on a 5 game winning streak since then, looking like WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE (actually, we've said all along that Tyrod Taylor isn't THAT good).

Oregon is ranked #2. Oregon is a fraud and will not be up there at season's end. Everybody's in love with their offensive firepower, but there's just one problem... their D. Their defense is downright bad sometimes. Not Michigan Wolverines bad. But bad.

"THAT WAY, BOYS!"

Oregon is going to lose because of that defense. And while we're talking about bad conferences, let's start with the PAC-10, where your perennial title contender USC no longer even counts as any points in the BCS rankings. Essentially, the one consistently good team in the rankings is now an extra bye week... just one you can lose in. USC's a good team. But there are very few positives in beating them, thanks to the heavy weight of the computers. There are tons of negatives.

So scratch Oregon. They won't survive.

Now it's Oklahoma. What about Boomer Sooner? Don't they have an impressive body of work? And they're a Big-12 team! Surely they must be #1!!

Actually, this is where my opinion comes in, but I think Boise has been a little more impressive than Oklahoma, at least to the naked eye.

So what you're telling me is that the #1 team in America struggled to put away an awful Utah State team (who will be cannon fodder for Boise State at season's end, I might add), 31-24? They also struggled against a decent Air Force team. Decent. They also BARELY put away an OK Cincinnati team.

Conversely though, they demolished Florida State and got a nice close win over Texas, which I'm not trying to discredit. Their crushing of Iowa State equates to Boise's trainwreck win over Toledo (closer than I predicted... Toledo got on the board...).

Oklahoma is a team that looks to me like they play to their level of competition. Living daaaaaangerously, especially in a conference like the Big-12, where the muffin teams are tasty to feast on, but killers are sprinkled throughout. Boomer Sooner has Mizzou next week, Oklahoma State to end the season, and a match against Baylor right before that.

I'm not going to get into the 3 SEC teams too much, but they factor in. There's no doubt that Bama is the best team in CFB right now. Best talent, all that. No doubt. If LSU and Auburn lose, Bama leapfrogs both, and rightly so. Not saying that means National Title with 1 loss, but they're good enough to be considered. If either Auburn or LSU stay undefeated, they certainly belong in the mix because of their body of work.

Sparty? Not playing Ohio State hurts. But if they get past another trap game in Northwestern, then beat Iowa, their last trial is Penn State, a game I think they'll win unless they've already gone into the tank. But not playing the Buckeyes hurts. I think the general consensus is that, everything else being equal, the Buckeyes are "better." With no shot to prove them otherwise on the field, that'll be tough to make a case.

So wait a minute... let's back this up... I've got Boise with the most impressive start. 2 nice ranked wins, and complete destruction of their cupcakes that Oklahoma just doesn't have. And they have a defense against Oregon.

BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT.

They shouldn't be there at season's end.

Because except for Nevada, a borderline Top 25 team after their loss this week, Fresno State (interesting matchup, but they are not Ole Miss, South Carolina, or anywhere close), and Hawaii's ungodly passing totals, their body of work is cupcake after tasty, frosting-covered cupcakes. The only thing these games will mean is live-fire practice against moving targets. Nothing more. They will destroy everybody, including Nevada, by 4 score.

LSU and Auburn play EACH OTHER this week. Then Auburn gets an interesting Ole Miss team. Oh, and they play Alabama at season's end. THEN, they play the SEC Championship game against another ranked team (if they survive, that is). LSU gets Alabama NEXT WEEK, and plays Arkansas at the end of the year. With same potential said championship game against same said ranked team.

Oh, btw, Alabama gets BOTH. Plus the rest of their schedule. Plus possibly that championship game if they dispatch both of them, which surely vaults them back into contention.

Oklahoma has those games I talked about earlier.

Heck, Utah and TCU play each other. TCU has kind of a cakewalk in front of them, but Utah plays a surprisingly good schedule down the stretch, which will help them creep up the standings, while Boise plays nobody.

Look, I love Boise. They will be in a BCS Bowl, and if I had my way, they'd be in the championship. I do think they have one of the best teams in college football, and I think they should be given the chance to showcase it. I'm not going to talk about a playoff, because that discussion is irrelevant. It bears no weight. It's not going to happen anytime soon. Period.

But Boise just doesn't play anybody down the stretch. That will hurt them. That's just the way the computers work, that's what they were designed for. When you play good teams, it beefs you up. When you play patsy after patsy, it hurts. Doesn't matter why. Boise will showcase their amazing team against the best high school talent Wyoming has to offer and nobody will care, because it's just a high school team.

The other teams will have to pull off some incredible feats to stay undefeated. Easy justification for being in a title game. Boise will have to have a major slump to win by less than 20 the rest of the way (except MAAAAAAAYBE Nevada).

But that's the thing about college football. With so few games compared to hoops, there's more weight on going undefeated. With such a smaller sample of games, you need to make some snap judgements. If this is basketball, Boise plays 5, 6 more good teams and has a nice body of work. But it's football, there just isn't room for it.

So at season's end, unless TOTAL CHAOS has happened...

I can't justify Boise's 60-3 win over Idaho over Auburn's 6 point win over LSU, 10 point win over Ole Miss, 3 point gut-check over Alabama, and 14 point win in the SEC Championship.

Sorry guys. I'm rooting for TOTAL CHAOS. But unless it happens, Boise ain't lifting the crystal ball.

Nor should they.

#1 right now. Not at season's end. I hate agreeing with these damn computers....

Save-A-Lot Spartans, Wal-Mart Wolverines, and a Nice Cup of Shut Up

2010-10-14T16:27:00.002-04:00

That’s it.

I’ve had it.

I’m at the point where I’m coming out of blogging retirement to address this tom-foolery, this haberdashery, that is sweeping our great state of Michigan right now.

Because that’s all this “Wal-Mart Wolverine” talk is. It is smart-alecky, mindless drivel of the most ridiculous degree. It stands in complete ignorance of... well, everything.

That’s right, MSU fans, I’m calling you out. Not because of your 34-17 trouncing, yes, trouncing, of the Michigan Wolverines in the Big House, UM’s holy-of-holies. I’m not calling you out based on the fact that you guys are the superior power in the state of Michigan for the first time since... well, ever.

I’m calling you out because you won’t shut up about this “Wal-Mart Wolverine” garbage.

I’ve heard all the arguments. I’ve heard all the definitions. “You didn’t go there, so you can’t really be a fan.” “They’re just Michigan fans because they bought a t-shirt at Wal-Mart.” “Look at them jumping overboard like rats on a sinking ship.”

Shut up. Listen for a change.

1. I didn’t play for the Detroit Red Wings, did I? I didn’t go to Warren Mott High School did I? I also didn’t go to Rochester, Rochester Adams, Troy Athens… Yet I’m fans of all of these schools for a multitude of reasons. Heck, if anything, you would think that “The Voice of Cousino” probably wouldn’t be a big Mott supporter, seeing that we’re arch-rivals.

You couldn’t be more wrong.

Because of the personnel working in the athletic department, including football coach Tom Milanov and Athletic Director Dave Noble, I am a STAUNCH supporter of Warren Mott. I’m just as rabid a fan of them as any student that went there. And believe me, I’ve taken a lot of flak from people I graduated with for it.
As for UM-MSU? I was born in the state of Michigan. I think that gives me a God-Given right to root for whoever I please. Besides, how about all of the people who went out and scooped up Lebron jerseys when he was with Cleveland? How about all of the new Heat fans? I don’t see you Spartys calling THEM out, when it’s a very blatant case of fair-weather-fanism.

Also, there is a GIGANTIC number of State fans out there who have never attended a single class at that university, either. That is a fact. Why don’t they take flak for not going there? Right, I forgot about the double-standard. My mistake. We don’t rip on you guys for it, don’t rip us.

2. So? People are fans of different teams for different reasons. Growing up, I had a little Green Bay Packers sweatshirt from my grandparents. I loved that sweatshirt, and I loved my Packers. It’s just something that is. And yes, I’m also a Lions fan. No, it doesn’t make much sense. But that’s fandom for you. Sometimes, it’s just a simple little thing like that. I like what I like for a reason. Let’s not forget about the MULTITUDE of Sparty fans out there who go out and buy MSU t-shirts, or had one given to them, and that sparked the fandom there. Again, we haven’t called out Save-A-Lot Spartys until you guys brought up this Wal-Mart Wolvie nonsense.

3. Darn-tootin’ we are. Many of us didn’t want Rich-Rod in the first place. If you listen closely, above your jubilant cries of Wal-Mart-ism, you may notice that many of us have been calling for Rich Rodriguez’s coaching head since Day 1. I for one, wanted power football again. I was disturbed by the fact that all of the complaining from our fan base was about not being able to stop the spread. I was more disturbed by the fact that our new hire was not intended to address that, and I said from Day 1 that it was a bad hire. “They’re not trying to stop it, they’re trying to run with it.” You can’t win in the Big Ten without defense, and Rich-Rod “DON’T COACH THAT STUFF.”

But if you keep listening… You’ll realize quickly that we aren’t abandoning our program. We’re turning on a coach we didn’t want, on a system unlike what we’ve grown to know and love. We’re turning our backs on a program that turned its back on us. Look at how Wings fans panicked a season ago. Armageddon was happening before our very eyes, and we only finished 5th in the Western Conference!

That’s what winning does! And when you win, it brings fans! Fans buy t-shirts! Sometimes at Wal-Mart!

Think Spartan hoops has brought a couple of fans to the program?

Go ahead. Talk your trash. MSU is superior, there’s NO question about it right now. This coming from a Michigan die-hard, and many more of us. But when you start questioning whether or not we’re true fans, I present this. I tell you to look at the facts. I tell you to look at the world of sports that we live in. I tell you to look at the Miami Heat season ticket sales this year. I tell you to look for all the Lebron shirts in this area.

And I challenge you ask all of your Sparty brethren that you meet on the street, “Hey, did you go there?”

And stop with the Wal-Mart Wolverine talk. Talking smack because of the team somebody follows is fine. Questioning their loyalty on which team they follow? Well, let me ask you again.

Where’s your birthright?

Non-story.

2010-07-17T10:24:00.003-04:00

Ever hear of a non-story? You know, something that everybody makes a big deal about, but it's not actually news? Oh, they may tell you it is. They ask their questions, write their speculative articles... but it's not really news.

I'm talking about this hooplah of the Detroit Pistons moving to Las Vegas.

It's not going to happen. Period. Ever. Never, ever, never, forever, never. The Pistons have said it, many media has said it, and I'm saying it. Why? Because money talks, and BS walks.

The Detroit Pistons were recently valued at $480 million by Forbes magazine (tad more than the Silverdome, eh?). It's a big investment to make, to purchase the team, and then of course to package it up and move it to a suitable gym in Vegas.

But you have the conundrum of Palace Sports and Entertainment, which most assuredly marks up the price of the deal. PSE is a ginormous money-making operation, and it employs an awful lot of people down the line. DTE, the Palace, Meadowbrook. Not to mention, parking operating by PSE, concession deals, etc., etc.

Though you could move the Pistons without buying PSE, why in the blue hell would Karen Davidson do that? It's financial suicide (well, you get the idea).

Let's assume that the Pistons are sold, they move to Vegas, and we suddenly have an empty Palace. It gets booked for maybe 50 nights with prime gigs to augment DTE and Meadowbrook, similar to what it is now as a music venue.

Alright, what else are you going to do with it?

Gone is the revenue stream from Pistons games, gone is the Palace as a hotspot in the area.

Gone is the money truck that was backing up to Davidson's door.

Without the Pistons, the Palace takes a massive loss to its value, and since Davidson is also looking to sell off PSE, she is well aware of the circumstance where one is sold without the other. And that's what will make the sale of the Pistons so difficult to begin with, the fact that potential buyers need to scrounge up the cheese to buy all this, let alone worry about a move.

Whoever buys the whole deal will make a commitment to staying here. The total property is worth more as a package, and the new owner will not want to sabotage his new investment. No, whoever buys the Pistons will either buy the whole package, thus securing the franchise's future here, or they will throw almost a billion dollars into the team in the FIRST YEAR ALONE to move it to Vegas, a monumental investment, considering the roster that they'll field in the first year or two. Sure, maybe initial ticket sales will be high, but who cares about Ben Wallace in Vegas? It's a great story-ish here, but his return to the franchise is meaningless in Vegas, and hence, will sell no jerseys.

The point of my musings would be that THIS STORY ISN'T A STORY. It just isn't. The team can't be moved because they have Davidson's financial gain in mind. And Bill Davidson, knowing that when his family moved to sell the team, split the Palace off from the team, and made a muuuuuuch better investment out of it for his family.

Back that money truck up. Pistons aren't going anywhere. These non-reports that I keep seeing bore and disgust me. Bore me because they're pure imagination. Disgust because people suddenly treat them as a genuine possibility despite every inclination of common sense, financial gain, and Karen Davidson's supposed (by these reports) lack of knowledge of her own self-interests.

I'm done talking about this.

Unity

2010-06-27T01:09:00.004-04:00

The idea for this post has been swirling in my head for a few days now. Well, tossing between my head and my heart, to be exact. I'll give a review of the team in a couple of days.

Kind of amazing how controversial it seems this World Cup has become. And I'm not just talking about the officiating.

I mean people domestically saying they can't wait for us to lose, that they can't wait for it to go away. Simply because they aren't a fan of The Beautiful Game. And because of the (to be fair) inordinate amount of bandwagoners to rally to US Soccer this year. They revel in yesterday's 2-1 defeat in Ghana, simply because they think that this memory will fade away into obscurity.

But isn't that the problem? I'm talking about on a political and social level here, not just in terms of athletic competition. Isn't the biggest problem with this country, the one that most of us whine about in a moment of seriousness, divisiveness? Isn't division what we, supposedly, abhor? We prefer when others agree with us, think like us, work like us. Yet we seek things to attack each other on.

Let's take a look at how America stands right now. Partisan politics dominate the news. Candidates are elected based on which party line they can convince more voters of in their region. You either dislike certain social groups, support tax cuts, and support the war; or you're for hope and change, tax cuts for EVERYBODY (not just the rich), and against a war that you see no reason for.

Everybody wants the BP oil spill cleaned up. Supposedly. Yet over a month has passed and the only thing that's been done is create MORE partisan division. Over capping a leaking oil well. Seriously. We've found a way to turn something simple, that we can agree to find a solution for that works for everybody, and turn it into a hardline partisan dispute, to the point where it seems that people are willing to slit each others' throats if they think differently in some way about it.

Well, isn't it bad? Shouldn't it be fixed? Then what's the big deal? Shut the hell up, work together and fix the damn thing!

I'm sick of the partisanship! I'm sick of the division!

So why do people try to divide each other on this team? Now, of all times, when we need it the most?

Football is a game that most in this country know little about, supposedly. They aren't familiar with the pace, flow, terminology, offsides rule, how players should be penalized, etc. Supposedly. Yet, I've been to two establishments over the last 2 games of the United States' run, and you know what I saw? I saw soccer fans who understood what they were watching. And there was a lot of them.

Guys in business suits at BDubs, as the place went bananas after the Landon Donovan goal. Then the hardcore fans at Hamlin Pub for the Ghana match, living and dying with every moment for THEIR team.

And on a day like yesterday, with one of the biggest football matches in this country's history, there was no place for division. Democrat, Republican, it didn't matter. We all came together, glued our eyes to the football ground, and watched the beautiful games as AMERICANS.

When Donovan scored, we felt our joy together. When Ghana took that lead in extra time, we felt pain, desperation, and dejection together. Dissenting voices were lost in our collective pain.

Because this country finally found something that we can ALL be PROUD of. Instead of negativity and division, we found unification and positivity. There was no oil debacle. There was nothing partisan about football. We all came together, and we all rode with this team.

So as Donovan, The Outlaw Jozey Altidore, B-B-B-Benny (Feilhaber) and the Yanks, and TIMMEH Howard head back home, I'm not sure if they realize just how important they were. Not just to football in America, but to the American spirit during this trying time.

We found heroes on a football ground in South Africa. And though the dream is over, the memory will last. The haters can hate, they can revel in defeat. But folks, as we go back to our jobs, our lives, our politics, and our ways of life, just keep one thing in mind.

Life feels so good when we can believe in something together. That's what the whole spirit of the World Cup is about.

Money Issues.

2010-05-23T10:50:00.002-04:00

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=5208536

Check out this little quoteable.

Ted Leonsis, the owner of the Washington Capitals, and soon the Washington Wizards, says the the NHL is in better financial shape than the NBA. Which makes you kind of giggle at first.

Until you think about and realize he's right.

At first, it seems absurd. With the muuuuuuch publicized war that the NHL is waging with Phoenix (and the team will stay at least one more year), plus several expansion teams that have had, shall we say, mixed results, AND their... interesting TV contract, it seems like an asinine comment at best to say that the NHL is in better financial shape than anybody right now.

But ladies and gentlemen, let me present the NBA.

Raise your hand if you understand the current salary cap. What's that? You don't? Neither do most owners, it would seem, so the chirping of crickets is understandable.

Darko Milicic..... DARKO MILICIC... is making $7.5 MILLION dollars this year.

$7,500,000.

Seriously.

And we wonder why it's just the Lakers and a few other teams competing every year. Well, some of us do.

The NBA is a league of dynasties right now. Teams assemble players over a year or two, and this core group sticks together with little or no change. This group ages, matures, and declines as a unit, and the fall from grace is very noticeable and almost impossible to stop. In other leagues, if you have an aging star, you can move him for a number of different things. In the NBA, with the even-money trades, and massively bloated contracts in the first place, you can't unload these aging veterans. As your ship begins sinking, you find your feet stapled to the deck. Just look at the Pistons and the Spurs. The 'Stons have no flex room, and are trapped there for several years. The Spurs? That team hasn't changed in 10 years. And Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan are impossible to move, even if you wanted to.

So you're trapped in purgatory. 7 years of hell before you emerge in a good place. Some teams never make it that long.

And it's partly the owners and GMs taking the stupid pills that Leonsis spoke of. They keep shelling out 7.5 to Darko, 6+ to Anderson Varejao, and Elton Brand, seriously, makes almost $15 million per year. Seriously.

And owners continue to simply pony up the dough. Because they really are on stupid pills. And the soft cap is more of a recommendation than a regulation, but teams seemingly defy this at will. Of course, once they go over, they can't sign free agents (except for certain ones, mid-level exceptions, or some other weasel way), it's tough to trade out, and you need other teams to sell themselves out to help you.

Owners can't afford to keep paying these ridiculous salaries, and giving 15 mil a year to Elton Brand. Players are in a wonderful position, and have very little reason to back off. Now, sure, some guys rot in hell for their careers and never have a chance to win a championship, some guys happen to be on a team that purchased a title, but either way EVERYBODY GETS PAID.

And the CBA is expiring. Owners can't back down. Players have no reason to.

Lockout in the making.

The NHL has been through their turbulence already. After having a year locked out, losing a ton of money, it made both sides give in or risk losing their entire league. Popularity dipped, the league structure was changed.

But it's a stable financial world in terms of the cap rules. Everybody knows how much money they can play with each year. Some teams still lose money (Phoenix, Dallas, etc.) but that's due to poor management during the Days of Plenty, years ago, when things were peachy. Some owners are looking to sell, and people are willing to buy.

The NBA has the opposite issue. Teams are on the market, and nobody's interested. The Pistons, and until recently, the Wizards, to go with several other teams seeking new ownership, have drawn little interest for long stretches. And though Karen Davidson has posted the team for sale, we're looking at a timeframe of 3 or 4 years, likely, before something happens. It's a long way out.

And a lockout looms.

The NHL has had their dark days. Their Days of Plenty became trials and tribulations. But they are rebounding. There will be no drastic climate shift approaching that league. The NBA is drifting towards its date with financial destiny, and it's not looking pretty. A year locked out might just cripple that league, as owners already disinterested in their projects might just decide to scrap the idea altogether, and not even attempt to field competitive squads.

The NHL is in better straights than the NBA going forward. At least as it stands right now. And Ted Leonsis may be the man to help reshape the NBA. He had a money-hogging powerhouse at the turn of the century, and has rebuilt through the draft and player development (something else the NBA doesn't have, a profitable minor-league feeder system for player development... no leagues hold any semblance of a working relationship with them, save the NBADL, which is more of a punch line than a farm system). Leonsis may be the man to help the NBA shape up, or they will ship out.

And continue paying Darko $7.5 million a year.

God of Love

2010-05-04T23:04:00.003-04:00

Seems like a weird title, eh? What's that have to do with it?

I'll show you.

The news is plagued with tales of tragedy, a fall from grace for a sports figure, a tale of glory to shame. We see it, we analyze, dissect, assume it as just part of "how the world works."

Then you have the guy that only comes up when you go out of your way to have a discussion about "The Good Guys in Sports." We analyze, dissect, assume it as the antithesis of the first type.

Then there's the one that transcends it all. The guy who is so good that he is beyond comparison. The guy who is the impossible standard to reach. The guy who is so classy, yet talented, that he is not only above reproach, but he is held up as a community icon, revered by fans and non-fans alike.

But Ernie Harwell died today.

When I think about what Ernie was, as a fellow broadcaster... He did not have the same brand of "pressures" that athletes face (which I think is a load of bull to begin with... you choose to expose yourself to situations and circumstances), yet stood out ANYWAY as that deified example. Miguel Cabrera goes out partying and gets caught drunk as hell? Ernie wouldn't have done it. Team personnel at the strip club? Ernie's at home with his family.

It's one thing to be a quality broadcaster, and to use your position for your own promotion/achievement. I'm on record as saying that, in this business, you need somewhat of an ego to make it, especially at our level, in college radio. You need to go out there and PROVE in any way that you are the best of the best, that you are good enough to make the cut to anybody who's willing to listen. You need that overinflated ego to an extent, simply to survive.

Ernie got by without it. Ernie didn't promote things simply because HE cared. Ernie didn't simply become a community presence because HE cared. He did it because he knew that WE would care.

And that's precisely how he meant it to happen when he passed at the age of 92 years, today.

We thought about contacting Ernie, and requesting an interview with him for The Corner Pocket radio show. I discussed it with Grieser and Joe, and we thought it was a good idea. We were pumped for it. I even opened the e-mail window.

I closed it. I couldn't even begin typing. How do lead off?

"Hey Ernie, just heard you're going to die. Sorry, pal."

"Hey Ernie, I worship you like a God."

"Hey Ernie, longtime fan, and I'm craving an interview."

Nothing worked. I couldn't find a way to begin typing it that would preserve the essence of what HE was about. I don't care about my own legacy... I just turned 20, I don't have a legacy. I thought about HIS, and how I wanted to host this interview while trying to keep it all in that context. And I just couldn't.

Because Ernie wasn't about Ernie. Because if he'd read it, he WOULD have probably said yes, or sent me an apologetic letter explaining why he couldn't. And because if we got him on the phone, all we'd do is sit there and blubber stories that be entirely self-serving. And he'd laugh and play along, but it wouldn't be about what he wanted it to be about.

People. And Baseball.

Ernie loved people, everybody. Ernie loved baseball, all of it. In his position? He got to do both. He did what he loved. And he was worshiped for it.

And if I'm even HALF the play-by-play man, HALF the MAN that Ernie Harwell was, then I'm going to be able to look at myself in the mirror every morning and be DAMN proud of who I am.

Ernie Harwell's life was lived as a life of love. He became an almost-deity for it. He has been loved, and will continue to be, until the day when we forget all about our heroes, when we forget about the guy who is the impossible standard.

He is the God of Love in Detroit. His life was love, and his passing is met with love. We love you Ernie, we will miss you. God bless you and your family. Thank you so much for being as honest, genuine, and selfless as you were. My life, and the life of every Detroiter, has been made better for it.

Ernie Harwell has transcended this plane, and become in memory what he was in life. Rest in peace.

Shenanigans

2010-05-03T13:52:00.004-04:00

Today's lesson, children, is about that travesty in Southern Cali last night.

And Brad Watson is at the heart of this genocide again.

First off, this was not Jimmy Howard's fault. Kid was fantastic last night, he made big stop after big stop. The only goal I can say that he coulda done more on was the Pavelski PPG, but good job by The Big Show Joe (as opposed to No Show Joe) for putting it high blocker side. Unless you catch it flush, anything can happen.

Then let me say that Todd Bertuzzi may have been the best guy on the ice (very debatable with Holmer). Bertuzzi was vintage last night. He skated hard, he forechecked, backchecked, drove to the net, created havok in the offensive zone. Very impressed last night with Bert's play.

Then let me say that Brad Watson blows major donkey loads. What a disgrace. Evgeni Nabakov and the Sharks main superstar diving all over the ice, drawing calls, and looking like the wrong end of a donkey. What the hell is it with the Sharkies? Their "superstars" are pretending to be tossed around like rag dolls, while failing to score goals... their unheralded talents get back up, hit, and skate hard. Nabakov, Setoguchi, and the rest of their stars are a disgrace.

But it's on the ref to make 'em stop.

After Setoguchi's obvious dive in Game 1 (much analyzed, I might add), at a critical juncture in the game, you'd think NHL officiating would tell the refs to keep a close eye on dives throughout this series (especially after what they pulled in the Colorado series), but nope. The NHL fails again. It is the ref's responsibility to watch for dives, and if you realize that they're starting to show you up, you'd DAMN well better stop it. Diving IS a penalty in this league, and you'd better start enforcing it, and watching closely. Because it keeps them honest, and it keeps you from getting shown up.

And that's the problem. The NHL doesn't seem to be keeping tabs on a lot of this stuff, such as the dives, etc. Last night's game, they let some obvious trips, slashes, and hooks, but they called Marleau on that crappy little boarding call (I'da given him 2 minutes for being a dumbass and missing, not boarding...), and they gave Bertuzzi that lame goalie interference penalty. It's ridiculous. There's no consistency. I understand they're watching the goalie interference, but penalize the flops as well.

Do I blame the Sharks for flopping? Yes and no. The old saying, "It's not illegal till they catch ya" does apply, but at the same time, there is sportsmanship and common respect for the game. It's the refs responsibility to catch it, but guys do dive and embellish. Still, this is ridiculous, especially when Nabakov can't stop a damn puck in the 1st period. Focus on the game, go out and play, don't be too much of a douche.

Still, the Wings stopped skating in stretches, and hung Jimmeh out to dry for a while. If they want to take this series, which I think they are fully capable of, they'd better stay out of the sin bin. 18 minutes of penalties, bs or not, is too much. Stay out of the box, skate hard, and don't hang your goalie out to dry like that.

Because if he gets interfered with, he takes penalties for beating the hell out of someone, rather than flopping like a fish.

GOIN' SHARKS! WE'RE GOIN' SHAAAAARKS!!!

2010-04-19T11:56:00.005-04:00

It’s something that we’re starting to call “Sharks Going Sharks,” if you frequent the Facebook circles of hockey thought

As the San Jose Sharks begin their playoff run, they also have to deal with the unwanted stigmatism of being a choker. A team with high expectations that crashes and burns under pressure.

Looks like 2010 is going to wrap up the same way as usual.

Hit with another string of awful luck against a suddenly hot goaltender, the ever-present penchant for the disappearing acts of star players like Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley, and the occasional wacky bounce, it looks like the Sharks are on the verge of being bounced from the postseason by the Colorado Avalanche.

"We didn't beat their goalie," said San Jose head coach Todd McLellan. "We found a way to beat ours."

No kidding. Craig Anderson, Tomas Vokoun’s backup in Florida a year ago, turned away 51 shots through 61 minutes of play, earning first star honors in the process. Meanwhile, Evgeni Nabakov only 16 shots, letting one go past him on an awkward (to say the least) clearing attempt by Dan Boyle. Boyle intended to pass it behind the net, but missed, sending it past Nabakov and into his own goal for the overtime winner.

The final score was 1-0 in the game, and the series score moves to 2-1 in favor of the Avalanche.

In Game 1, it was Sharks defenseman Rob Blake with the honors, as a centering attempt from the red line deflected off of his skate and past Nabakov, giving Colorado a 1-0 lead in the series.

“There's nothing we can do about that. It's a break that went their way. Bad break," McLellan said after Game 1.

So is it a curse? Or is there something about the Sharks roster that lead to these inglorious exits?

The answer is simple. This supremely talented roster has a rotten core.

Joe Thornton, Olympian, All-Star and the man saddled with a large part of the public blame for the Sharks run of playoff struggles, has two assists through three games in the series. His linemates, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley, haven’t scored a goal either. Heatley was not in the lineup for Game 3 due to an injury.

Since coming into the league as the first overall pick in the 1997 entry draft, Thornton has never scored more than three goals in a postseason, a feat he accomplished once, with Boston in 1998-99. Through 79 career playoff games, Thornton has a pitiful 12 goals. A far cry from the 11 he put in the net for Sault Ste. Marie in 1996-97.

Despite his high profile, Thornton seems to shy away from the spotlight, which usually isn’t a problem. However, given his high level of expectation, and the high level of surrounding talent, Sharks fans expect more from the power forward. Thornton is a team-low -3 in the postseason this year.

Thornton is a big player who does not utilize his full physical talents. He prefers to pass the puck, rather than take it strong to the net and finish the play himself. Though a fantastic passer, given his huge frame, he is not a dominant physical presence. He tends to avoid crashing the net for rebounds, and gets tossed around below the goal line like a much smaller skater.

Given that this guy is one of your leaders, it’s no wonder that Sharks aren’t able to recover well after horrific losses.

Bad bounces happen in hockey. The happen to great teams and they happen to bad teams. Teams also don’t win every game that they’re supposed to. To use a popular cliché, “it’s why you play the games!” Neal Ruhl, a broadcaster on WXOU radio who has been a vocal supporter of the Sharks, understands that these can happen to anybody. “That’s the problem with hockey. You can dominate a team for 60-plus minutes, but it doesn’t matter. One lucky bounce and you lose,” said Ruhl.

But good teams need to find a way to rebound, and to do that, you need leaders who go out there and change the tempo of the game. Given that Joe Thornton and Co. disappeared for Team Canada in the 2010 Olympics as well, forgive me if I’m not holding my breath, waiting for a Sharks comeback effort. His line was rendered ineffective throughout both of their important games against Team USA.

Still, Ruhl has confidence in the Thornton-Heatley-Marleau trio. Thornton and Heatley assisted on Joe Pavelski’s tying goal in the closing moments of regulation in Game 2, giving the Sharks the opportunity to win in overtime.

“Have they dominated? No. But when they had to have it, they came through,” said Ruhl. “San Jose can still win this series.”

But they need leaders to step up. And I’m not convinced that No Show Joe and Friends have what it takes to put this team on their collective fin and take the Sharks to victory over the Avs. Or to the Promised Land of Lord Stanley’s Cup for that matter.

What it comes down to is the Sharks are staring the unhappy prospect of “Going Sharks” right in its beady little eyes again.

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS

2010-04-12T11:13:00.003-04:00

There's something that's been bugging me lately, and it has to do with this Tiger Woods nonsense, as well as some events in my personal life.

People need to mind their own damn business.

When the news broke of Tiger Woods infidelity, and the scandalous, sensationalized stories that followed, America reacted with shock and horror. "HE CHEATED ON HIS WIFE?? WHAT A TERRIBLE MAN!" America responded for Elin, feeling sorry for her, and condemning Tiger Woods as an dirty cheater, a filthy liar, and a poor example of The American Dream.

Guess what. Your [crap] don't shine, either.

Divorce rates are high. Go onto a high school/college campus and you'll hear ENDLESS tales of boyfriends/girlfriends who were unfaithful. Folks, Tiger Woods is no aberration. In fact, we hear these same stories all the time, and we barely bat an eyelash, but SUDDENLY, because it's Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer of all time, everybody's a freakin' expert and they're soooooo angry at him for cheating.

CUT IT OUT!

Because most of these folks who are so shocked and horrified at his transgressions... look at your own pitfalls. Many of you have cheated, many of you have been unfaithful in some way or another. And ya know what, the rest of you still make mistakes, too. Not saying what Tiger did was a mistake... You don't make 15+ mistakes of a sexual nature. But I am saying that everybody does things that aren't right, and we don't instantly rush to judge and condemn you.

But everybody has to see the spectacle. We don't know why, but we have to see it so that we can talk about it like we're suddenly a bunch of freakin' experts! BS! A week ago you didn't know the first thing about it! And you weren't all that interested in looking! Because most people are just fine with swallowing what they're fed, but they have to see it, even in a condensed form somewhere, so they can pass their judgements on to everybody else.

It's the cause of the week, and you've got to get offended for somebody.

I'm sick and tired of this, the Tiger Woods thing, and every other story that people suddenly spring up on and learn all their other quick facts and stories, blah blah blah. Tiger Woods doesn't need you to be offended to regret/not care about what he did. Elin doesn't need you to be offended for her, either. They have their problems to worry about, you have yours. And at the end of the day, are you going to watch Tiger kiss and make up to his family?

Nope.

You're going to watch him swing a golf club.

Because that's all the spectacle is. You only care because he's really damn good at hitting a golf ball. Watch him hit the damn ball, think whatever you want. Just stop bringing up "the Tiger Woods thing." Mind your own damn business. Let him worry about his. Let Elin worry about hers. You can't change it, you can't do anything about it, it doesn't impact the course of your life.

So I'm sick of the cause of the week, whatever it may be. Don't start bashing people because they crack jokes at stuff, however moronic they may be. Because at the end of the day, they think what they think, and there's nothing you can do to change it. Tiger Woods is one we just won't drop. It's not a "can't drop," it's a "won't drop." Because everybody wants to watch him play a damn game of golf, then pass down condemnation of his personal life. For what? For their own over-inflated ego.

And that's the gist of this post. A moral condemnation of the slappies out there for the cause of the week, that they didn't know about, didn't care about, before somebody told them to be concerned. The "cause of the week" is more important than you. It's more important than anybody sitting at a computer and yammering on a Facebook status, or shooting text message darts back and forth. Because at the end of the day, you're only concerned to make yourself feel good. You're not hoping to change anything, and if you've convinced yourself that your facebook status is going to change the world, then you're an airhead. And feel free to slam me, I don't care. I'm just sick of people carrying on about Tiger, and all this other stuff. Mind your own business.

Your [crap] don't shine, either.

Evil What Now?

2010-04-05T13:46:00.004-04:00

OK, I get it. Duke is bad. The Evil Empire. The Scourge of God. The end of life as we know it.

Blah. Blah. Blah.

I'm sick of the talk. I'm not a Dukie, by any stretch. But when you get down to it, Duke is not the New York Yankees. It's easy to like Coach K. It's tough to like NYY unless you're a rabid follower. You don't have to like the program, but it's tough to truly hate Coach K. But Duke is not the Evil Empire, the destroyer of the college basketball landscape. Not when USC buys up top talent in every sport. And not when this is Duke's first Final Four in 6 years. Especially since this is considered "the worst Duke talent-wise in a while." B.S.

Also, stop giving me this load of crap telling me that Butler is Cinderella. Butler's a 5 seed. There's nothing Cinderella about a 5 seed. Besides, Butler's built well, they play tough defense, they force turnovers and score points off of them. Things that solid, well-built basketball teams just do. And Butler has been in the dance so many times, they've been a top-25 team most of the year, they destroyed the Horizon League. So ya know what? Butler's not that much of a surprise, folks, get used to the idea that they're here this late.

As for tonight's game, I've got the key number to watch for. Butler's points off turnovers. Absolutely critical. If Duke shoots a high percentage again, but turns the rock over... Butler will be in it. But the Bulldogs have to force turnovers. if Scheyer, Singler, and Co. just shoot at will again, and take care of the rock, it's curtains for Butler. But if the Dawgs force turnovers, and capitalize on them, then they'll take those guys out of the rhythm. That's how Butler's gonna win this game. Not just turnovers, but the transition game off of them.

Well, that's a Tuffy...

2010-03-29T12:43:00.007-04:00

Now that Oakland is out of the tournament picture (well, that was a while ago), it's kind of tough to come up with the inspiration to write for an Oakland basketball blog.

That being said, this tournament has been thoroughly enjoyable since it kicked off. Game after amazing game, it's been nothing but fun watching every game develop throughout this tournament. Which, I guess brings me to my topic for today.

Tom Izzo.

Oregon is reportedly going to offer Izzo the largest contract in college hoops, in order to lure the Izzone to Oregon and lead the rebirth of their program.

Well. That's an interesting proposal. It most certainly is, and if they do pony up the cash, Izzo would at least have to LOOK at the contract. You don't just simply pass up this kind of reported jack.

But I think looking at it is the MOST that Tom Izzo is going to do. Oregon can't offer the contract until after the Spartans NCAA Tournament run is over. Which gives Izzo about a week until the rumored contract becomes official. Not that he'll need it.

Now, I don't want to hear any of this crap about how "Tom Izzo IS MSU hoops!" "The community loves Tom Izzo! He loves the community!" "He's done so much here!" I would like to believe that for most coaches, but quite frankly, many coaches don't really step up to the plate when the time comes to defend those statements from new contracts, and enough crazy moves have happened, so I'm tossing those arguments with no logical bearing out the window (though I fall into that camp who thinks that's one reason why he'll stay, I'm tossing it out because we have enough test samples to the contrary).

I will allow this kind of stuff to enter my courtroom though: Recruiting, legacy, location, conference. The Big Ten is a conference conducive to HIS team winning. Michigan State has been built into a national power by him. He is locked into recruiting in this area, and has his pipelines established. Top-tier kids who are looking to stay close to home line up to wear green and white. Plus, he's from Michigan. Let's fact it, it's one of the premier gigs for him.

So what does Oregon offer? Not much. A middling PAC-10 program that lost to OU two years in a row, and needed a couple of strange events to top them in a year that they only went 15-15. And let's not discredit the hyphenated words (PAC-10) and the implications there. USC, though always in trouble, is always a threat JUST BECAUSE they can pull the whole "Come to Southern Cali!" line of crap. It's been a sexy trend for a while, simply by the merits of location and the huge hunks of cash they deal in. They can be cellar-dwellers one year and national powers the next. Plus there's UCLA with all of their tradition. But the overall state of the conference might get more hate than the Big Ten for being an underachieving league.

Not to mention recruiting pipelines, connections, etc., would have to be formed to become a recruiting power. Likely can't pull too many of those Michigan kids who want to stay close to home anymore, huh? How much top-level talent comes out of Oregon every year? And being Tom Izzo can only get you so far, especially when it comes down to being a Bruin, a Trojan, or a Duck.

Not to mention he'd have to spend more time dressing his players with the right uni combo than teaching them how to defend a pick-'n'-pop. Bottom line is I don't think it flies. All he does is look at it. Then turn it down.

But that is an AWFUL lot of cash....

Jobbed.

2010-03-21T00:16:00.005-04:00

Alright, let me preface this by saying that this is not my season recap. That's forthcoming soon. Also, let me announce that WXOU Sports will be looking at the possibility of covering Oakland basketball.

Let me preface this by saying that the NCAA Tournament may have been the greatest experience of my life. The Bradley Center was PACKED to the gills for Xavier and Minnesota. They stuck around for my Golden Grizzlies and the Pitt Panthers and rocked the house. If I'd been doing play-by-play, I might have shorted out the mic with excitement and energy. But Neal Ruhl did a FANTASTIC job on the call of a game that quickly devolved into a blowout. Very much a pleasure to work with Neal again.

Let me also preface this by saying that I'm proud of our boys for getting there. You finished the job. You're Summit League Champs. And after 2 months of fantastic moments (the Oral Roberts wins come to mind instantly), this was not how it should have ended.

Now let's get down to business.

Oakland got screwed.

Flat out. Plain and simple. 100% jobbed.

Now, I get it. They lost by 23. No denying that they were outplayed for 30 minutes of that ballgame. But through the first 10 minutes of that game, this team looked like they were playing as a better team than the Pitt Panthers. Derrick Nelson went one-on-one on Brad Wanamaker and destroyed him. Flat out. When Nelson went out around the 10 minute mark, Wanamaker had a goose egg on the board. He had 2 by the 7:56 to go mark. By the half, he had 8. When Nelson came back, Wanamaker struggled to find his way offensively. And if you were courtside, you'd see why. D-Nels was in his jersey the whole time. No room for a guy considered the fastest guy on the court to move, and he struggled whenever he touched the basketball. When Nelson went down, things opened for Wanamaker, and he was instrumental toward the huge run the Panthers went on.

Nelson got elbowed in the head, which split him open bad. He was leaking blood and staggered off the court under Tom Ford's assistance. He returned at the half, but it was over by then. The weird part was that he got saddled with the foul, and NOBODY in the arena or at home, watching on TV, understood HOW THE HELL THE FOUL WAS ON HIM!!! If anybody, it should have been an over-the-top call on Kito. Or, hell, an elbow called against McGhee. Or is that too much to ask for? A foul on a Panther who committed one? Seemed like it at times.

Oakland came out slow from that. But things looked good with a possession or two in a row. Ledrick hit a layup, a beautiful shot from a few feet out where he collided with the defender, got the blocking foul called, and kissed it off the high glass. The referee under the basket called a block right away, but the referee from BEHIND THE PLAY (note for you IM refs, or armchair refs reading at home.... it wasn't his zone) came over and reversed the call to a charge. Egregious call, because the defender was in the act of shuffling from side to side, and just kind of threw himself in the way after Ledrick had left his feet. Nowhere close to a charge.

The very next possession, Will moves in the way to take a charge, gets his feet down, gets contact, whistle blows, and...

It's called a blocking foul.

At this point, everybody in the arena is thinking the same thing. "GOOD HOLY GOD!!! WHAT IN THE EVERLOVING HELL IS GOING ON HERE??!?!" Because after reversing Ledrick's call, it was the SAME DAMN GUY who called the foul on Will. Not to mention, around there (can't remember if it was before or after), Will took a blatant charge, had his feet down for 2 seconds, because the guy was driving at the free throw line. No whistle, just a funny look from the ref on a blatant charging call. At this point the game changed.

There was no consistency in the calls. One possession, a guy is given a charge when the defender was shuffling from side to side. The very next possession, a guy who has clearly established position is tagged with a block. Oakland had no basis of understanding for how the game was going to be called. What is a foul? What is OK? ESPECIALLY with ticky-tack handchecks being called every few seconds.

It changed the game. Oakland had to take a different mindset after that, and without their top matchup defender, it was only a matter of time. JJ did a great job on Ashton Gibbs, who didn't score for 25 minutes, and though he averages 16 a game, only scored 7, shooting 1-7 from the floor. But the offense didn't turn around, and the defense came apart. Kito was attacked defensively, and looked poor positionally, especially defending on the dribble-driver. But Pitt didn't scare me all too much. Oakland just fell apart. And with Nelson in the game, I think we could have won that game. With Nelson out, and the officials changing the expectations of how the game would be played 10 minutes in, what the hell do you expect?

So do I blame the team for playing poorly after that stretch? Yes. I blame them for giving up open shot after open shot.

But I'm gonna go ahead and be a homer and saddle the refs with this one. 10 minutes in, and we're still screwing around with how we're going to define fouls in this game, which should be clearly defined from the... Ya know what, it should be clearly defined PERIOD. The officiating was bad on both sides, but those calls changed how this team was going to approach the game. They stopped being physical, because that's how it was being called. Meanwhile, Pitt, a team used to being the aggressor, is allowed to fire at will. And they did. The officials changed the game in favor of one team. And it wasn't a fix against the Golden Grizzlies, but it was bad officiating that jobbed them.

And THAT, my friends, is how the Golden Grizzlies got screwed over on Friday. It's not how I want to remember JJ and D-Nels, along with the rest of this season, because, despite their preseason struggles, this doesn't feel like the team that was so fun to love through the year. It just doesn't fit. Not after scoring a tight win over IUPUI at home, with Ron Hunter's cell phone incident. Not after destroying everybody in the Summit League Tournament. Not after JJ sinking the Homecoming game winner against Oral Roberts.

But don't worry folks. This isn't going to be how we remember this team that we love to love.

This is.

CHEESEBURGER FROM PARADISE

2010-03-17T00:20:00.008-04:00

As the Oakland Golden Grizzlies prepare for the NCAA Tournament, local fans and media know that the team has a little-known secret weapon on their side.

It’s a cheeseburger toy that’s building a record-setting legacy.

Neal Ruhl, who calls men’s basketball games on WDFN and WXOU radio, is confident in the hamburger’s lucky streak as the Grizzlies go into the tournament. “It’s had a dominating performance. It’s had one loss in the calendar year,” said Ruhl.

Though the entirety of the team doesn’t know about it, many fans and staff surrounding the team have known about the trinket for some time. The results were evident from the start.

THE BEGINNING

It all began at the Maybee Center on the night of January 7, 2010. Oakland was visiting Oral Roberts in a Summit League conference game. The Golden Grizzlies hadn’t defeated the Golden Eagles in the Maybee Center since 2000, and it was at a critical juncture in Oakland’s season.

“When we were on the bus after the plane landed, and Coach [Greg Kampe] was really fired up because he liked our chances to win that game and he wanted that game badly,” said Ruhl. Oakland looked strong in the first half and led at halftime.

Still, Oral Roberts played well and began climbing back into the game. “Oakland was gripping a little bit,” said Ruhl. But the Golden Grizzlies received a shot of luck during one of the breaks.

Fans at the Maybee Center participate in a cheeseburger toss contest. Fans are allowed to purchase a cheeseburger toy with a number on it, then toss it onto the court during a certain timeout. The number of the cheeseburger closest to the spot placed at center court wins a contest.

But one of the burger toys rolled over to the broadcasters table. Ruhl picked it up and placed it in front of WDFN’s equipment. Shortly after, OU’s Ledrick Eackles made a 3-point shot that helped give Oakland enough distance to hang on for a 67-64 win, their first at Oral Roberts in a decade.

“I was a believer from the get-go, just because we had horrible luck at Oral Roberts,” said Scott MacDonald, OU’s Director of Athletic Communications. “As soon as we won that game at ORU, I said, ‘This is going to be our ringer this year.’”

Even Mario Impemba, the play-by-play voice of the Golden Grizzlies on WDFN, is a believer. “[The Cheeseburger] hasn’t lost in a long time, and even the game it did lose… You might make the argument we brought it out a little bit late that night,” said Impemba.

CONTROVERSY

A bit of controversy began to stir about the Ruhl cheeseburger after Oakland’s 78-54 loss at IUPUI midway through conference play. Though the cheeseburger was on the desk, the Golden Grizzlies suffered their first loss in conference play.

MacDonald had a simple explanation for the burger’s ineffectiveness against the Jaguars, however. “[It was] because he didn’t have it out on the table. He was a little late on the draw,” said MacDonald, who noticed that the toy wasn’t in play during the opening tip.

Ruhl wasn’t quite so sure that the failure of the cheeseburger was the main reason for the Golden Grizzlies loss at IUPUI Gymnasium. “The fact that Robert Glenn was in a position to pick up his second foul, five minutes into the game and he didn’t get called for it had a lot more to do with it,” he said. “We lost at IUPUI with the hamburger, but I don’t know that the hamburger could have saved us in that game.”

Still, Oakland’s 11-game winning streak since the loss at IUPUI has renewed confidence in the burger toy. “We started talking about it, and he started busting it out at every game after that and we just started winning,” said MacDonald.

Fans in the know about the cheeseburger have come to believe in the culture of winning that the hamburger has inspired. Anthony Lewis, one of the leaders of the Grizz Gang student section, realizes that, going into postseason play, a team needs any advantage it can get.

“I like the cheeseburger, and all I’ve got to say is Neal had better do everything right. Put it out before the game, get everything going.”

OTHER RITUALS

In a season with two separate winning streaks of 9 games and 11 games, fans tend to hook on some rituals to keep a winning streak going. And in a passionate fan base like the Grizz Gang, some of the traditions become a little more intriguing.

Lewis has built a legacy around his own superstition, as well. After purchasing a Grizz Gang t-shirt in the 2007-2008 season, Lewis decided to continue wearing that shirt to all home games in the following year. During the ’08-‘09 season, OU went 14-0 at home, and Lewis wore the older shirt to each one of those games.

“[I] bought the new Grizz Gang shirt this year, wore it to the Eastern [Michigan] game, and we all know what happened,” said Lewis. “We lost. I went back to the other one and now we’re 27-0 when I have this shirt on.”

Lewis is also convinced that his shirt, like Ruhl’s burger, works on the road. He wore it on the IPFW student road trip and to this March’s Summit League Tournament.

Though he’s had a few other rituals, Lewis is convinced that a few of them matter more than some of the others. “It’s more about the shirt and the burger.”

Impemba has seen his share of odd rituals as well, from broadcasting Angels baseball in the Rally Monkey’s day to Gum Time of the ’06 Tigers. But he’s also participated in some odd rituals in the broadcast booth to try and propel his team to victory.

Impemba remembered that the Angels farm team in Cedar Rapids, IA had a mascot named “Mr. Shucks,” who was literally a shuck of corn. Impemba tried to use a little Mr. Shucks momentum to give the Angels a boost.

“We got a hold of a stuffed Mr. Shucks in Anaheim, and we decided that he was going to be our mascot. We hung him on our microphones every night,” said Impemba. But the plush mascot didn’t work out so well for the pro club. “Mr. Shucks was like 2-12 and we decided, well, shuck Mr. Shucks.”

Even with the Rally Monkey, and the brief legend of Mr. Shucks, Impemba believes that none of them can compare to an almost-forgotten cheeseburger tossed on a January night in Tulsa.

“The Rally Monkey can’t touch the cheeseburger,” he said.

THE FUTURE?

“I see it in the radio traveling case for the next ten years,” said Impemba. “I see it going with the radio equipment wherever the Golden Grizzlies basketball team goes.”

During the reign of the cheeseburger, the Golden Grizzlies have won 11 straight since the loss at IUPUI, on their way to a conference-record 94% winning percentage. “You can’t argue with the results of the hamburger,” said Ruhl.

Though questions abound as to the future of the fake beef, there is no doubt that this little toy, recovered from the floor of the Maybee Center and transformed into a broadcasting icon at OU, will always have a place at Oakland University. “If we win the [conference] championship, it’s staying at Oakland,” said MacDonald before OU’s victory over IUPUI to send the Grizzlies to the NCAA Tournament.

“I think the cheeseburger will be a staple of my broadcast career, wherever I go,” said Ruhl. And switching back to his “Real Deal” persona from his talk show on WXOU, he provided one more argument for his cheeseburger from paradise. “The cheeseburger gets results. That’s a fact.”

Another big day.

2010-03-07T23:52:00.005-05:00

More action from Sioux Falls, SD as Day 2 of the Summit League Tournament wraps up. North Dakota State's women's team fell 76-75 to the UMKC Roos in women's action in a tight game, but the big stories come from the late action in the men's bracket.

First off, how about the bruising slugfest between South Dakota State and IPFW? After IPFW's women's team was mashed by the Jacks, the two men's teams came out and went to war. Garrett Callahan with 20 and Kai Williams scored 17 to give the Jacks a chance, but IPFW did just enough to win, 71-66. Despite Deilvez Yearby taking a seat on the bench (why, might you ask? Coach Dane Fife said it was because he "looked tired") for good chunks of the 2nd half, and Ben Botts in the same situation, AAAAAND Jeremy Mixon getting his ankle stepped on by a teammate.......... IPFW somehow kept it all together in a win that has Golden Grizzlies fans breathing slightly easier.

Whyyyyyyy, might you ask?

Because Jacks fans showed up in force. The partisan crowd packed Sioux Falls Arena, and backed their Jacks the whole way. SDSU responded with an energetic effort, but fell short as IPFW pounded them on the glass, 37-27, and took advantage of the Jacks 25% from 3. Still, OU is a well-rebounding team, and would surely like to avoid the added factor of the crowd. Hey, when you're playing in somebody else's backyard, eliminating as many extra factors as you can is a bonus, and if you can take on a team that you know you can match up against in IPFW..... you'll take what you can get.

------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, scary times in the latecap. 65-64 win for Oral Roberts IN OVERTIME after holding a double digit lead midway through the second half. Though Oakland fans certainly wouldn't argue the fact that NDSU would be a better potential finals matchup than Oral Roberts....... that's only the ideal situation if neither team were to play again. As it stands, the winner of ORU and NDSU takes on IUPUI tomorrow, with the winner going up against OU/IPFW on Tuesday. OU's ideal situation is to, obviously win against IPFW. BUUUUUUUT, though they shouldn't be thrilled to face either one of their potential finals matchups, they must be pleased by the prospect of those two teams beating the holy hell out of each other.

Why does tonight's game not play out favorably for that situation?

Because Oral Roberts is dead tired! Gotta play a game like that, going into a tough overtime session with NCAA tournament vet Michael Tviedt dropping 20+ on you, knowing that a win simply gets you into a late game with IUPUI???!?!! Not :a pretty prospect... And it only helps IUPUI's paper chances going into tomorrow's 9:30 EST matchup.

Oral Roberts strikes me as a team with a TON of individual talent, but lacks cohesion as a unit. Our consensus is the lack of a true point guard to bring it all together. They will still be a very tough matchup for IUPUI tomorrow because of all that talent, and IUPUI had a hellish nightmare last night against Western Illinois. But IUPUI is still the favorite going into this game. It will be a war, something that favors OU (once again, assuming they win).

Folks, we still got a TON of basketball to play, and tomorrow's games are the most important in each team's season to this point. EVERY game from here on out is a must-win, and each team also hopes that the guys across the way get knocked around a bit too much, and are super-sore coming into Tuesday's final.

More to come.... check back here and at www.oaklandpostonline.com for Dan Fenner's blog of the week's events.

Trial by Fire...

2010-03-06T21:43:00.005-05:00

Well, that was certainly an interesting first 24 hours in Sioux Falls. First off, the hotel we were stationed in was absolute garbage, so we had to pack up and move on to a Motel 6 to simply get the internet connection that blessedly allows me to communicate with all of you.

Second, the people here in Sioux Falls have been fantastic. We've met some Michiganders, some locals, but everybody along the way has been great. From Summit League officials to volunteers, to, heck, our cab driver. Got to meet some dignitaries along the way, including the Summit League commissioner, and others.

Oakland's women lost 68-57 to (7) Western Illinois. Read it again. A team that shot 25% or worse in their first two matchups seemed invincible on their way to this win over Oakland. Not kidding. They shot the lights out at times, with Borgertpoepping nailing shot after shot. O'Brien and Kodde kept hitting big shots as well. BORGERTPOEPPING had 20, after sitting down in the first half with 3 fouls. Western Illinois only shot 44.4% from the field (a drastic improvement over earlier matchups against Oakland), but felt like they shot about 80% in clutch situations.

As for OU? I think Beckie Francis said it best. "God didn't want us to win." Because I can't use physics, geology, astronomy, or any other science you want to pick out to explain what the hell happened. There were AT LEAST a dozen shots that were down the cylinder that mysteriously kicked out for absolutely no reason. None whatsoever. And I'm still trying to come to grips with what I watched. The gameplan was solid (OU was a little weak defensively, and didn't have their trademark stop of 5 minutes or more, but still...), they took very high quality shots, and they were on the way down.... only to magically pop out time and again. Easy layups, 3-pointers... nothing was safe. It wasn't bad execution... It was simply the worst luck I have EVER seen.

Next up? Cheer on the #1 seed, Oral Roberts. I know, I know, it's anticlimactic to have the team that everybody picked to win actually win... but if ORU wins the tournament, SOMEBODY's gotta take the WNIT bid... and that somebody is the #2 team in the conference. And the #2 team in the conference is........... Oakland. GO GOLDEN EAGLES. They're waiting on IPFW and UMKC tomorrow in the (4) (5) matchup.

----------------------------

Men's team: Wow. UMKC hung around for a little while, but Kito had it going on. 85-70 over UMKC, Kito wth 14, 13 rebounds, including 7 on the offensive end. Ledrick with a gigantic slam on an alley-oop, and Cushingberry with a big game was well, with 10... as a starter.

Drew Maynard suffered a sprained ankle on Wednesday, during practice, and will likely miss the Summit League Tournament, according to Paul Kampe of the Oakland Press. Maynard didn't play, and Cush took his spot in the lineup and tore it up, hitting some big 3s and snatching some rebounds. Look for him to start the rest of the tourney, as the difference between his start/bench play is greater than the difference between Will Hudson's start/bench play. Will's in a rhythm off the bench, that's why he didn't start. He did an excellent job, again, of providing energy for the squad with offensive rebounding and overall energy plays.

Larry had a great game shooting, with 16 points. Nelson got popped in the face, and had an ice bag over his nose before the first media timeout of the game. However, he came back to the bench before the half ended, and played most of the second half, tallying 14 total. Drew Valentine took his place in the first half, and played VERY well for a freshman in his situation. Ledrick, as I mentioned earlier, played very well, also. Kudos to the kids for stepping up.

UMKC had ZERO seniors. They'll all likely be back next year, but they have some work to do. Interesting dynamic going forward, but they're tiny. No size on that squad. Very athletic, however, and that will be a strength going forward.

South Dakota State and IPFW tip-off at 7:00 EST tomorrow to decide who faces OU in Round 2. Another effort like that 2nd half, and OU will be fine.

Wrap-Up

2010-03-01T00:40:00.001-05:00

2 more wins, one each by the men’s and women’s teams, wrap up the regular season for the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. We saw a number of major events happen.
--- Our first 90-Foot Putt winner of the season. On the last media timeout of the last home game of the season, our lucky (well, talented) winner sank the shot in what has become one of the greatest sporting spectacles on this campus, winning free tuition for the semester. Congratulations, and way to get the standing ovation!
--- Kito Benson moved into 2nd all-time in career blocks in the Summit League. What a beast. Congratulations Kito. He exploded last night and IPFW, not having a whole lot of size, didn’t really have an answer for him
--- In Johnathon Jones time here, Oakland has a higher conference winning percentage than any other team in the state. Impressive, and very interesting stat.
--- Bethany Watterworth just annihilated IPFW yesterday. To the 7:16 mark of the first half, she only had 4 points… Finished the half with 16, the game with 32. As I’ve talked about NUMEROUS times, her post game is so well-developed, so polished… It’s amazing to watch the confidence she exudes every time she touches the basketball in the paint. Probably her toughest move to defend is when she catches with her back to the basket, the one power dribble, and the strong take to the hoop with both hands. Nobody seems to have found an answer to that power move. Very developed offensive game, and the combo of her and Jeltema will help carry the Grizzlies into the tournament.

After tying it at 58 on a jumper by Chelsey Jackson at 11:38, IPFW……… you guessed it, didn’t hit a field goal until the 6:20 mark, a period of just over 5:00. Another 5+ minute defensive stand by this defense, and this has been at least 5 games in a row that I’ve watched this team do that in. This win streak has been built off that, and if they carry this momentum into the tournament, they will be very difficult to defeat.
As for the men’s team, it’s something that Greg Kampe talked about on the show on Friday. The men’s team has seemingly found a new way to win every game over their win streak, but it hasn’t always been pretty. Guys splitting free throws down the stretch, allowing uncontested layups by IPFW to avoid putting them on the line in an and-1 situation, really made this game tighter than it should have been. This team found another way to win, and that was with Larry Wright blocking a shot and coming up with the loose ball. Great play by a player who has become much more solid for the Golden Grizzlies as the season has gone on. Huge play for Larry going into Sioux Falls next week.
And how about the game by Kito? 32 pts, 10 rebs, and 4 blocks? For a guy who hasn’t looked too good lately, facing double teams and tough matchups on a nightly basis, this was a heck of a time to have a breakout game. Now this puts the focus right back on Keith Benson, trying to find a way to stop him. There hasn’t really been a single player in the conference this year to find an answer for him, but he has struggled on the double team. Of course, the problem with the double team is it leaves OTHER options open for the Grizzlies, and with plenty of guys who can score, it has resulted in other guys being able to carry the load, such as Nelson or JJ. Still, a big game for him coming into the tourney, this was what he needed.
Summit League tournament play begins this Saturday in Sioux Falls. Golden Grizzlies open up at 3:30 EST with women’s hoops against IPFW. Tune in at 88.3 FM WXOU (www.wxou.org) for COMPLETE coverage of OU’s tournament run, men’s and women’s teams, live with me from the floor of Frost Arena.

Clincher.

2010-02-20T00:12:00.004-05:00

With last night's 88-83 win over South Dakota State, the Golden Grizzlies locked up at least a share of the conference title in the regular season, the 1st place big in The Summit League Tournament in March, and the automatic qualification to the NIT.

Say what you want about the NIT: It doesn't matter. It's not the Big Dance. "Not Invited Tournament." Say whatever you want about the NIT, and granted, it's not NEARLY as prestigious as the NCAA Tournament. Still, when you want to take a mid-major program and turn it into a legitimate contender, to be like Oral Roberts or Butler or any of those mid-majors that are name-brands, you have to find a way into postseason play. And while an NCAA Tournament appearance is preferable, locking up that NIT bid is a very important first step. It shows that your team has been good enough ALL SEASON to secure this bid. And putting together an NIT run can be a very impressive step toward putting your program on the map.

Let's be real about the NIT, and I'll quote myself from a paragraph ago... "It's not the Big Dance." It never will be. But it's a tournament that has existed for a while, that is broadcast on ESPN, that brings media coverage if you show up and put together a run on a level that the collegeinsider.com tournament can't bring. It is still a premier, name tourney in College Basketball. And hardcore hoops junkies will still watch it.

All in all, it's more postseason play. It's another chance to get to watch your Golden Grizzlies play basketball with this incredible group of players that wear the jerseys now. Johnathon Jones and Derick Nelson graduate and their contributions, personalities, and talents will be missed next year, as Erik Kangas, Dan Waterstradt, and Ricky Bieszki were missed this year. And the opportunity, should they not go to the Big Dance, to watch this group of guys play more basketball together is something that should have Golden Grizzlies fans very excited. I'm pumped for the NIT berth, and while I want the Golden Ticket punched, I'm not the least bit disappointed in the fact that we just scored a berth in a major tournament for our fantastic conference season.

WILL HUDSON had a career high 22 points for OU. He really benefited from SDSU throwing double teams at Kito all night. As soon as he touched the ball, they collapsed on him, which meant OU needed to try new things. Will got hot early and stayed hot throughout the game, with 6 of his 7 boards on the offensive end.

JOHNATHON JONES with 25 for the Grizzlies, including 8 points in a 4:30ish stretch midway through the second half. JJ stepped up, hit monster shots (shot 5-8 from beyond the arc), dished the ball well (7 assists, 2 turnovers), and brought confidence to the Grizzlies in the 2nd half as they withheld several surges by the Jacks.

KAI WILLIAMS is a legit offensive threat. He can shoot the inside shot, the outside shot... The problem with the Summit League is that so many teams are "small" by typical standards. Williams is a big forward for SDSU... who stands at maybe 6-7. But he tends to get the defense to lose track of him, then reappears and drains a shot. Watch him going forward in the Tournament.

4 Golden Grizzlies and 6 Jacks in double figures. Wow. GARRETT CALLAHAN had 16 in the first half, but failed to find the scoresheet after the break.

Big effort by Oakland, especially with NDSU coming to town for a doubleheader on Saturday. Thoughts on that to follow this weekend.

...and one more for the road.

2010-02-16T17:18:00.004-05:00

Oakland topped Southern Utah on the road last night, 68-52, another convincing win for the Grizzlies women's team on the road. 5th road win in a row for this team, 3rd straight overall for this team.

MJ continued to impress, as she knocked down a career high 26 points. Jeltema added 10 rebounds in the win as well. At one point this season, she had something like 31 straight games with double figure points. That streak was broken against SUU earlier this season, when foul trouble, plus Oakland's ginormous lead kinda cut into PT and the need to have her on the floor. Still, what a monster she's been this year, really picking up the slack from Carnago's injury and from the graduations a year ago.

Watterworth had 11 and 8 for Oakland. Fantastic player. I talk about her every single broadcast, probably more than anybody else on this team. Her poise, consistency, and overall athletic moves are just fantastic. Her moves on that low block are fantastic, but she's able to drift around a bit and help out away from the basket to create baskets for everybody else. Just the total package.

Reising with 10 off the bench.... I was a bit surprised by the move to the bench for her early this season, but she seems to be comfortable in the role, has been able to score lots of points in stretches, and I think it's given Victoria Lipscomb a shot in the arm as well. She's had a lot of confidence as well this season, and part of it is because Reising has made such a seamless transition to the bench. Still leads, plays hard, plays big minutes, but it's less of a pressure situation and allows the Grizzlies to just do more in terms of personnel.

Last game this season I won't get to watch for either team. Women return to the O-Rena on Saturday for South Dakota State, the early part of a doubleheader. Men play on Thursday, though, as they host North Dakota State. Should be a fantastic couple of games (women get NDSU on Monday), against some really good teams. You can hear all of them with me on 88.3 FM WXOU.

By the way, THURSDAY's game will be followed by the OU postgame show, LIVE from the RED OX Tavern. Show up, get some good food, have some fun, be a part of a great atmosphere, and be a part of the chase for the Summit League Championship!

Oakland vs. Centenary 2-8-10 (W)

2010-02-09T21:06:00.003-05:00

Score: 66-46 OU.

Key stats:

--- 10:15. Janecia Cook hit back-to-back triples at this point and brought the Ladies within 1. They did not have a field goal from this point.

--- 21 and 18. Melissa Jeltema's points and rebounds line. 'Nuff said.

--- 29-28. Oakland's Offensive to Defensive rebound totals. Yes. You read that right. They had more offensive boards than defensive. Spectacular to watch. They got them every which way, too. Guards waiting, guards crashing, forwards battling...

Tide-turner: Cook's back-to-back 3s, second time in a few minutes that Centenary had back-to-backers, and it looked like they were in for the long haul. But OU went on a 20-3 run to put the game away.

High five of the game: OU's defense. Centenary shot 50% in the first half. They shot 5-27 in the second half. That's just a disgusting number, and really, a true testament to the defensive intensity. They were ballhawks all night.

Extra high five: MJ. Just look at that stat line. What a fantastic night for her. Had a double-double in the first half.

Double-take: Ashley Jackson, Centenary. 1-11 from the floor. Just throwing it up there all night. Took very few shots that I would grade as "quality shots."

I'll be working on the format a bit more in the coming weeks. But what a big win for the Grizzlies, coming off that loss to ORU, and heading into their final road trip. More thoughts to come.

Brett Favre. The definitive review of last night...

2010-01-25T14:36:00.006-05:00

Wow. I just don't know what else to say, for starters. The guy went out there and played one hell of a great game, except for the... you know... glaring mistakes he made.

Those of you who have followed me lately know how much I've just come to loathe the Brett Favre saga. But watching him sling it around the yard for 3 and a half quarters last night, I came to realize something...... I can't hate him! He's a vile, media-clutching scumbag who betrayed my Packers, but he's still just Brett Favre, and he's still fun to watch play football. None of this, line it up, and X's and O's stuff. But just a guy going out and playing street ball, tossing it around the parking lot. That's what was fun to watch.

A few musings on his interceptions, and I've come to realize why he throws all of these picks. Some of them, yes, tossing into traffic. But I'm not sure if he's ever really seen it that way. On that last pick, he's rolling right, he's looking right, scanning the defense, and he made a great read. From Brett's eyes, he saw a LB/S (not sure which) about 6 yards to the right of Sidney Rice. His eyes read it and he knew he couldn't lead Rice too much. Now, as he scanned the field and read the defense, he made the critical error. He saw his receiver and locked in on him. His eyes stopped moving. He failed to look at the weak side of the field for a defender (a critical mistake on a play where you flood one side of the field, and leak a receiver on the backside), which was the smart, stay-at-home play for the DB, and the damning move for all QBs at any level. And that's why he throws so many picks. He stopped moving his eyes, and locked in one Rice. Boom. Pick. game over. He did the same thing on the first pick. He stopped moving his eyes, locked in on one man, and threw it up there, thinking he was open, but not KNOWING he was open.

I know that's a lot to process, but that's exactly how he saw it. And I hated defending the guy, but they should have put that game away a long time ago. But Childress kept stuffing Peterson back out there and he kept fumbling, not really seeming to understand the implications of HOW, WHEN, WHY, and WHERE he hacked up the ball. Chester Taylor is on the bench. He's a 1000 yd. rusher. Use him, dammit. Brad Childress will be a punch-line in my family for years to come.

Endgame... I want Brett back this time. I've moved on from the whole HE BETRAYED GREEN BAY thing. At this point? He played them. He won twice. Move on. I'd love to see it again. But he's still got some game, and I'm gonna miss that streetball style. And when you get down to it.... isn't the reason he "came back" the first time? Because this isn't how he wanted the end of his career to be remembered?

Know your role, Jabroni.

2010-01-13T16:28:00.002-05:00

John Terry's statement that the trio of him, Didier Drogba, and Frank Lampard have been the controlling elements of Chelsea F.C. over the last few years disturbs me on several levels. Frequently, you'll hear me harp on about a coach who seems to have lost the respect of the players. What about when you never had it to begin with???

OK, I get it. You're a leader, John. You captain Chelsea, one of the most well-known football clubs around. You captain the English national team. But Steve Yzerman was a leader, too. And Nick Lidstrom never once came out to the media and said, "Steve is such a great leader, he's MORE IMPORTANT THAN OUR COACH." There's a reason for that. You don't undermine team members, and that includes the skipper. How does this look for Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea's current club boss, right now? You're trying to balance the needs and desires of this group of guys, trying to hold on to the top spot Premiership right now... And your team's captain has labeled your position to be next to irrelevant. What if you feel that you need to pull somebody from a game (card trouble, poor form, etc.), and he doesn't like it, be it Drogba, Terry, or anybody else? All said player needs to do is gang up and go to the owner. Or simply protest to the manager and not come out of the game. Hell of a precedent there, huh?

I get it, the trio has pulled Chelsea through a rough stretch... 5 managers in 3 years... And I have no problem with Terry stating as much. What I DO have a problem with is Terry slamming the position of the boss, a major slight to the man sitting in it and trying to keep your team on top of the table. And for the next guy??? Good luck. The second you try to do something that you think you have to do as a manager, and the Holy Annointed Trio doesn't agree? You're instantly on the hot seat. Not exactly great for job security. Or getting recommendations on your next resume.

Get off your damn high horse, John Terry. And try not to fall on your arse getting off too. It'll remind Chelsea fans of your horrendous foul-up against hated United... In the Champions League final... In penalties...

Last night's action.

2010-01-08T06:42:00.003-05:00

Wow, what a couple of games from last night. We'll start with the Golden Grizzlies @ Oral Roberts.

-Larry Wright scores 3 points and continues to struggle. My observation is that he can't feel the basketball like he should be, and just can't get that jumper into a rhythm.

-Derrick Nelson, on the other hand, looks like his body and confidence has returned after missing last year with the foot injury. D-Nels fouled out but had 14 and 6 for the Grizzlies, and played very well against IUPUI a few nights ago, as well.

-Oakland is the best team in the Summit League right now. They beat IUPUI, the other preseason contender, at the O'Rena, then went down to Oral Roberts, to a building that nobody on this team has ever won in, save Greg Kampe himself, and won a nailbiter over ORU.

Oral Roberts' poor shooting aided to Golden Grizzlies to no end last night. No Oral Roberts player made all of his free-throw attempts, and they shot sub-40% from the floor for most of the game. And how about Ledrick Eackles, the freshman, stepping up and hitting that big 3 in the final couple of minutes. He continues to play tenacious defense, and really set the tempo for OU defensively, disrupting the passing lanes and showing a lot of confidence.

All things said and done, a big win for the Golden Grizzlies for the 2nd game in a row. Taking care of business against a good ORU team on the road... Kampe and Co. should be proud of this W.

-----------

Now for the BCS Title Game. First thing's first, Mark Ingram is a MONSTER. Reminds me a lot of Marian Barber, how he's always looking to rush into contact and take on defenders one-on-one. Doesn't have the agility and quickness that Barber has, but certainly the raw strength for him to succeed at the next level.

Terrible way for Colt McCoy to go out. Biggest game of your life and you play 2 minutes of it. What a shame. And you could tell how much this all meant to him during his postgame interview. But, hey, that's football. It's a violent, physical game (see Mark Ingram above...), and guys get hurt. Still, I'd like to give him some props for still staying Colt McCoy about it. Instead of blaming somebody or getting ticked off, he talked about how much he loved the game, his faith, and the respect he had for Alabama with his closing remarks, going OUT OF HIS WAY to tell the world that he was proud of the way they played. Three cheers for Colt McCoy, best of luck in the league.

Corner Pocket is today with Stefan Jagot and Rob Grieser. We'll be commenting on the state of Barclay's Premier League, the BCS Title game, Stefan's Central Michigan Chippewas, ANOTHER injury for the Wings, and plenty more. 88.3 FM WXOU (www.wxou.org) from 1-2 PM.

The Beginning.

2010-01-07T08:18:00.001-05:00

Well, here it is. The Corner Pocket has taken to the blogosphere. I will attempt to update this as frequently as possible with musings from the world of sports. And occasionally life lessons for everyone along the way. Stick around... and enjoy!