everything that's on my mind
(as if there's not already enough people doing this)Monday, February 27, 2006
A few new books
I'm way behind in my reading. I love to read, and would like to read at least 2 or 3 books a month, but have only finished a couple so far this year. One thing is true, however - I generally continue to buy books faster than I can read books. Therefore, it's not too surprising that I obtained a few new books over the last week, all of which I'm excited about reading in the near future (i.e. in the coming years).
First, I won a copy of To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever : A Thoroughly Obsessive, Intermittently Uplifting, and Occasionally Unbiased Account of the Duke-North Carolina Basketball Rivalry by Will Blythe on eBay. I didn't want to pay full price because I d
on't know enough about it yet, but managed a cheap copy on eBay (which was great for a newly released book.) From what I understand, Blythe is, like Art Chansky (author of Blue Blood), a UNC graduate, and therefore I'm a little cautious about reading another book on the Duke-UNC rivalry from a UNC grad. However, no matter what bias may (or may not) lie within the pages, I suspect it will be an enteraining book nevertheless. Plus, from the synopsis' I've seen, it is not (like Chansky's book) strictly a book about the Duke-UNC rivalry, but also to some degree about his family (especailly his father) and his love for college basketball (and more specifically, UNC basketball). I anticipate a good read here.
Next is the much-anticipated (by me, at least) Last Dance: Behind the Scenes at the Final Four by John Feinstein. I've loved the Feinstein books I've read, especially about basketball (including The Last Amateurs about Patriot League basketball, and A March To Madness about ACC basketball). It's unfortunate that the
book was written during the 2005 Final Four when UNC won, instead of, say, 2001. Nevertheless, I'm excited and anxious to get started on this soon. The NCAA tournament is the greatest sporting event in the world as far as I'm concerned, and the Final Four is the culmination of the basketball season. Some would argue that the first weekend of the tournament - when the teams are whittled down from 65 to 16 - is more exciting, and, on the whole, that may very well be true. But the last weekend is indeed "the last dance" and when your team is there (like Duke has been every other year on average for the last 20), nothing is more exciting. Feinstein's take on the weekend and all involved will likely be as entertaining for college basketball fans as anything else he's written. I read A March To Madness during March a couple of years ago, so I may just have to start this one as I watch the March Madness action this year.
Finally, a new book by Don Miller. I loved reading Blue Like Jazz and Searching For God Knows What a couple of years ago, so I suspect his newest will also be an excellent read. This book is titled To Own a Dragon: Reflections On Growing Up Without A Father, and authored by Miller and John MacMurray (who Miller describes as the man who taught him the things his dad never did.) While I did not grow up without a father, I still look forward to the
benefit of Miller's insights that will be important to me in developing my spiritual life as well as growing as a father myself. I will try to post some from this book as I begin reading through it.
A couple of interesting quotes about Miller's book:
First, I won a copy of To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever : A Thoroughly Obsessive, Intermittently Uplifting, and Occasionally Unbiased Account of the Duke-North Carolina Basketball Rivalry by Will Blythe on eBay. I didn't want to pay full price because I d
on't know enough about it yet, but managed a cheap copy on eBay (which was great for a newly released book.) From what I understand, Blythe is, like Art Chansky (author of Blue Blood), a UNC graduate, and therefore I'm a little cautious about reading another book on the Duke-UNC rivalry from a UNC grad. However, no matter what bias may (or may not) lie within the pages, I suspect it will be an enteraining book nevertheless. Plus, from the synopsis' I've seen, it is not (like Chansky's book) strictly a book about the Duke-UNC rivalry, but also to some degree about his family (especailly his father) and his love for college basketball (and more specifically, UNC basketball). I anticipate a good read here.Next is the much-anticipated (by me, at least) Last Dance: Behind the Scenes at the Final Four by John Feinstein. I've loved the Feinstein books I've read, especially about basketball (including The Last Amateurs about Patriot League basketball, and A March To Madness about ACC basketball). It's unfortunate that the
book was written during the 2005 Final Four when UNC won, instead of, say, 2001. Nevertheless, I'm excited and anxious to get started on this soon. The NCAA tournament is the greatest sporting event in the world as far as I'm concerned, and the Final Four is the culmination of the basketball season. Some would argue that the first weekend of the tournament - when the teams are whittled down from 65 to 16 - is more exciting, and, on the whole, that may very well be true. But the last weekend is indeed "the last dance" and when your team is there (like Duke has been every other year on average for the last 20), nothing is more exciting. Feinstein's take on the weekend and all involved will likely be as entertaining for college basketball fans as anything else he's written. I read A March To Madness during March a couple of years ago, so I may just have to start this one as I watch the March Madness action this year.Finally, a new book by Don Miller. I loved reading Blue Like Jazz and Searching For God Knows What a couple of years ago, so I suspect his newest will also be an excellent read. This book is titled To Own a Dragon: Reflections On Growing Up Without A Father, and authored by Miller and John MacMurray (who Miller describes as the man who taught him the things his dad never did.) While I did not grow up without a father, I still look forward to the
benefit of Miller's insights that will be important to me in developing my spiritual life as well as growing as a father myself. I will try to post some from this book as I begin reading through it.A couple of interesting quotes about Miller's book:
Don writes with candid humor and unembarrassed honesty. He rips himself open. This book sings to those who have felt responsible for their father's demons. The truth is our real father is perfect in everyway, especially in his love for us. Thanks Don and John. This book spoke to a place deep inside of me.- Jeff Foxworthy, comedian
Donald Miller is such a gifted writer. In the span of two paragraphs he can have you doubled over in laughter, and then on the brink of tears. His honesty in To Own a Dragon can be all at once brutal and refreshing if that's possible. If you couldn't get enough of Donald's style in Blue Like Jazz or Searching for God Knows What, wait until you see what he's done with John MacMurray in To Own a Dragon. They shoot from the hip and from the heart ... and don't miss.I look forward to them all.- Ernie Johnson, studio host for NBA on TNT
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Barney
In all of television, I would have to say the The Andy Griffith Show is probably #1 on my favorite shows list. I am a huge fan of Seinfeld, but even it ranks #2 behind Andy and Barney. And so I was saddened by the news this weekend that Don Knotts had passed. He
was the "Kramer" of that show - the one that got the most laughs and the favorite character of most who watched the show.
Can you imagine if Kramer had left Seinfeld in the middle of the series? The show would have died pretty fast, I think. That's what happened to The Andy Griffith Show when Don left after 5 seasons. The show was never the same after he left. And comedy is never the same when one of it's best performers leaves us. Barney will be missed.
I've been hearing more of Don recently as I've been watching some videos created by Max Lucado recently with my kids. They're about a worm named Hermie and his pal, Wormie. Tim Conway is the actor behind Hermie's voice, and Knotts is the voice behind his friend Wormie. These short films are a lot of fun, too.
I'd also like to mention Joey Fann's website at BarneyFife.com. I met Joey a few years ago as I began attending Twickenham Church of Christ in Huntsville, Alabama, when we lived over there. Joey is a member there and had produced a series of Bible studies based on The Andy Griffith Show, and also this website. It's a great site and I highly recommend visiting and checking it out.
Also of note was the passing of Darren McGavin, star of the short-lived 70's television show Kolchak: The Night Stalker - which I remember watching as a kid and always liked - and also star of one of my favorite Christmas movies, A Christmas Story. I love that movie, and McGavin is a big reason, as he was just oustanding it it.
was the "Kramer" of that show - the one that got the most laughs and the favorite character of most who watched the show.Can you imagine if Kramer had left Seinfeld in the middle of the series? The show would have died pretty fast, I think. That's what happened to The Andy Griffith Show when Don left after 5 seasons. The show was never the same after he left. And comedy is never the same when one of it's best performers leaves us. Barney will be missed.
I've been hearing more of Don recently as I've been watching some videos created by Max Lucado recently with my kids. They're about a worm named Hermie and his pal, Wormie. Tim Conway is the actor behind Hermie's voice, and Knotts is the voice behind his friend Wormie. These short films are a lot of fun, too.
I'd also like to mention Joey Fann's website at BarneyFife.com. I met Joey a few years ago as I began attending Twickenham Church of Christ in Huntsville, Alabama, when we lived over there. Joey is a member there and had produced a series of Bible studies based on The Andy Griffith Show, and also this website. It's a great site and I highly recommend visiting and checking it out.
Also of note was the passing of Darren McGavin, star of the short-lived 70's television show Kolchak: The Night Stalker - which I remember watching as a kid and always liked - and also star of one of my favorite Christmas movies, A Christmas Story. I love that movie, and McGavin is a big reason, as he was just oustanding it it.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Friday potpourri
I saw this story over at Radical Congruency, regarding a man named Cory Maye in Mississippi. Maye had no criminal record, but is now on death row for killing an intruder who broke down the door of his home. He lived in a duplex, and the police had a drug-related warrant for his neighbor, but also proceeded to storm into his side of the duplex as well. He was sleeping and awoke to the noise of someone breaking through the door to his home. He was unaware it was the police, and in order to protect his 18-month-old daughter, shot and killed the first person through the door. When the remaining officers announced themselves as police, he ceased firing. He was only doing what any of us would do - trying to protect his family. Unfortunately for him, the man he shot and killed was the son of the white police chief. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot - Maye is black
I find this hard to believe (although considering it's in Mississippi, maybe I shouldn't.) There's a lot written about it online, so Google and blog searches will turn up a number of stories. There are a few links in the post I've linked to above, and those with further links. I am going to try to follow this story more and see what happens, as I find it a pretty troubling story.
I heard about this story a couple of days ago, first by seeing the highlights on ESPN, then on Good Morning America. It's the story of Jason McElwain, who is a senior manager of his high school basketball team. He is also autistic. In the teams final home game, the coach had promised him he'd let him dress with the team. With the team well on it's way to winning the game, the coach inserted McElwain into the game.
Over the course of his 4 minutes on the floor, McElwain hit 6 of 10 shots from 3-point range and scored 20 points. At the final horn, the students emptied from the stands and poured onto the court, mobbing McElwain. He was then carried off the floor by his teammates.
Check out this post over at Pastor Jon's blog about needing more faith. I thought this was a pretty good response by the radio host.
I find this hard to believe (although considering it's in Mississippi, maybe I shouldn't.) There's a lot written about it online, so Google and blog searches will turn up a number of stories. There are a few links in the post I've linked to above, and those with further links. I am going to try to follow this story more and see what happens, as I find it a pretty troubling story.
I heard about this story a couple of days ago, first by seeing the highlights on ESPN, then on Good Morning America. It's the story of Jason McElwain, who is a senior manager of his high school basketball team. He is also autistic. In the teams final home game, the coach had promised him he'd let him dress with the team. With the team well on it's way to winning the game, the coach inserted McElwain into the game.
Over the course of his 4 minutes on the floor, McElwain hit 6 of 10 shots from 3-point range and scored 20 points. At the final horn, the students emptied from the stands and poured onto the court, mobbing McElwain. He was then carried off the floor by his teammates.
Check out this post over at Pastor Jon's blog about needing more faith. I thought this was a pretty good response by the radio host.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
It's always nice to share
Unless, of course, you're talking about the ACC regular season championship. Duke clinched a share of the title on Sunday, and needed either one more win or an NC State loss to win the regular season outright.
Last night, they got both, as Duke beat Georgia Tech 73-66 and UNC hammered NC State 95-71. (By the way, UNC is starting to play really well, it seems. I'm also predicting Hansbrough will be playing for ca$h next year instead of in Chapel Hill.) Georgia Tech folded up in the last 10 minutes in much the same way that they did against UNC last week (which is the only other time I've seen Tech play this year.) After shooting near 70% in the first half, Duke's defense clamped down and when Redick finally started to score, Duke was on it's way to 14-0 and the ACC title. No sharing this year.
Shelden Williams had an outstanding game last night with 26 points and 11 r
ebounds. He is often overshadowed by the high-scoring and overall great play of J.J. Redick, particularly among sportscasters and other media types, but he showed last night why he's so important to this team. With Redick having an extremely rare 5-21 shooting night, Williams came up huge. I think he had at least 5 dunks in the game. He was just magnificent on both ends.
Shelden is now third in career rebounds for Duke, and will move into second place past Christian Laettner this weekend at Temple. He is one behind Laettner, and if they play the maximum post-season games, he could possibly catch Mike Gminski for number one, although I think it's unlikely.
Redick could not hit anything last night. Krzyzewski mentioned Tech's defense in the post game comments, but while they did a good job, J.J. missed several shots that he normally makes, including some open shots he normally knocks down. He even missed a wide open layup. I would consider that the pressure of the record he could have broken might have gotten to him, but there are two reasons I won't buy that. One, he hasn't let pressure get to him at all this year, and two, he just did the same thing in the last game, i.e. breaking a record. My feeling is that it really was just an off night. It could've been the arena - sometimes, when playing on the road, a shooter just can't get the right feel and get in a groove.
He did, however, come up big in the last 10 minutes, scoring 18 points to finish with 22 on the night. He hit a bucket to put Duke up by 2, and then followed it with his only 3-pointer, which gave Duke a 5-point lead and they never looked back. He now needs 10 more points to become the all-time leading scorer in ACC history, and that should happen at Temple this weekend. I also noticed he is 19th on the list of assist leaders at Duke. He should move into 16th place by season end, with an outside shot at passing Chris Carawell for 15th place.
Talk is now shifting to whether Duke can win it's last two ACC games and go undefeated. It's certainly within reach, but these could be their two toughest games in a few weeks. FSU played them well in Cameron. However, FSU has lost some home games this year, and while Virginia Tech played Duke close at Cameron, Duke won easily in Blacksburg. So, maybe they will repeat that in Tallahassee. UNC, on the other hand, is looking very good and, even though the game is at Cameron, there's never a guarantee in a Duke-UNC game. If Duke beats FSU, UNC would love nothing more than to spoil Duke's perfect season, as well as spoil Duke's Senior Day (especially for Redick), so this will be no easy task. If they do it, then great. But the goal is not going undefeated. It's winning the last game of the year. Anything else is nice, but not the primary target.
Just a side note for those keeping score in the player of the year race - Redick's 5-21 field goal shooting was his worst for the season. Adam Morrison's worst, while slightly better, was in a recent game when Morrison went 7-20 from the field.
On a humorous note, an interview with current ACC scoring record-holder Dickie Hemric (who played for Wake Forest) was aired during the game (which I did not see), and according to Duke Basketball Report, Hemric said of Redick breaking his record, "Better a Devil than a Tar Heel." Even after 50 years, he still hates the Tar Heels. You gotta love this guy.
As if there needed to be more articles about J.J. Redick, here's a very good one written by Pat Forde this week on espn.com.
Last night, they got both, as Duke beat Georgia Tech 73-66 and UNC hammered NC State 95-71. (By the way, UNC is starting to play really well, it seems. I'm also predicting Hansbrough will be playing for ca$h next year instead of in Chapel Hill.) Georgia Tech folded up in the last 10 minutes in much the same way that they did against UNC last week (which is the only other time I've seen Tech play this year.) After shooting near 70% in the first half, Duke's defense clamped down and when Redick finally started to score, Duke was on it's way to 14-0 and the ACC title. No sharing this year.
Shelden Williams had an outstanding game last night with 26 points and 11 r
ebounds. He is often overshadowed by the high-scoring and overall great play of J.J. Redick, particularly among sportscasters and other media types, but he showed last night why he's so important to this team. With Redick having an extremely rare 5-21 shooting night, Williams came up huge. I think he had at least 5 dunks in the game. He was just magnificent on both ends.Shelden is now third in career rebounds for Duke, and will move into second place past Christian Laettner this weekend at Temple. He is one behind Laettner, and if they play the maximum post-season games, he could possibly catch Mike Gminski for number one, although I think it's unlikely.
Redick could not hit anything last night. Krzyzewski mentioned Tech's defense in the post game comments, but while they did a good job, J.J. missed several shots that he normally makes, including some open shots he normally knocks down. He even missed a wide open layup. I would consider that the pressure of the record he could have broken might have gotten to him, but there are two reasons I won't buy that. One, he hasn't let pressure get to him at all this year, and two, he just did the same thing in the last game, i.e. breaking a record. My feeling is that it really was just an off night. It could've been the arena - sometimes, when playing on the road, a shooter just can't get the right feel and get in a groove.
He did, however, come up big in the last 10 minutes, scoring 18 points to finish with 22 on the night. He hit a bucket to put Duke up by 2, and then followed it with his only 3-pointer, which gave Duke a 5-point lead and they never looked back. He now needs 10 more points to become the all-time leading scorer in ACC history, and that should happen at Temple this weekend. I also noticed he is 19th on the list of assist leaders at Duke. He should move into 16th place by season end, with an outside shot at passing Chris Carawell for 15th place.
Talk is now shifting to whether Duke can win it's last two ACC games and go undefeated. It's certainly within reach, but these could be their two toughest games in a few weeks. FSU played them well in Cameron. However, FSU has lost some home games this year, and while Virginia Tech played Duke close at Cameron, Duke won easily in Blacksburg. So, maybe they will repeat that in Tallahassee. UNC, on the other hand, is looking very good and, even though the game is at Cameron, there's never a guarantee in a Duke-UNC game. If Duke beats FSU, UNC would love nothing more than to spoil Duke's perfect season, as well as spoil Duke's Senior Day (especially for Redick), so this will be no easy task. If they do it, then great. But the goal is not going undefeated. It's winning the last game of the year. Anything else is nice, but not the primary target.
Just a side note for those keeping score in the player of the year race - Redick's 5-21 field goal shooting was his worst for the season. Adam Morrison's worst, while slightly better, was in a recent game when Morrison went 7-20 from the field.
On a humorous note, an interview with current ACC scoring record-holder Dickie Hemric (who played for Wake Forest) was aired during the game (which I did not see), and according to Duke Basketball Report, Hemric said of Redick breaking his record, "Better a Devil than a Tar Heel." Even after 50 years, he still hates the Tar Heels. You gotta love this guy.
As if there needed to be more articles about J.J. Redick, here's a very good one written by Pat Forde this week on espn.com.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Knight School
It's no secret to those who know me that I hate "Reality TV". Primarily because it's far from reality and the participants are usually shallow, immature people. "Reality TV" has brought us such fine entertainment as "Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire?", "The Bachelor", "Survivor", "Joe Millionaire" and "Man vs Beast" - all shows that are so far from reality it's ridiculous. They're usually just game shows in disguise.
My wife has been watching some of this "Dancing With The Stars", which is not as bad as the aforementioned shows, but not something I care to watch. (Now I see we have "Skating with the Stars", too, which just seems to have major injury written all over it.) The only "reality" show I"ve watched with any regularity at all was "Extreme Home Makeover" which I liked just to see what kind of cool toys they put in the house, but grew tired of it after a year or so of watching.
So, I say all that to say that I watched a new "reality" show this week. Evidently, ESPN and Bob Knight have teamed up for Knight School. This is, like most reality TV, about winning a contest - in this case, to see who can win an opportunity to walk-on to the Texas Tech basketball team next fall
. Under the direction of Coach Knight and his Texas Tech staff, 33 players are trying out for the spot. (This is at least the third reality show by ESPN, although there may have been more.)
Now, I love Bob Knight. Sure, he has his faults, which are well-publicized. However, I think he has been a great coach for many years, and I find him pretty entertaining. His post-game press conferences, especially in March (which have been fewer in recent years), are usually worth watching. He is, at times, hilarious. Therefore, I was pretty anxious to watch this show. Finally a reality show with something interesting to me - Bob Knight and basketball.
In the first show, which I viewed on Sunday night, the group was narrowed to either 16 or 12 players (I can't seem to recall now). Bob says in the article above that he did all of the basketball, but some of the other aspects of the show were done by others associated with the show (for example, the "boot camp" scenes in an upcoming episode - which also displays that this show, like the others, is not total reality, either). So, it's not all Bob and basketball - but I enjoyed watching the first show. I have to admit that some of the personal interviews with participants - you know, where they're sitting there alone in front of the camera talking about what the feel and how they don't like some other guy - annoys me, just like it does from other reality shows I've seen. But overall I enjoyed watching it and seeing Bob in action. I don't know if I'll stick with it until the end, but I'll probably be watching again this coming week.
So maybe I won't hate all reality shows. Just most of them.
More "Duke-haters"?
It's no secret that Kentucky sucks this year. Anyone who has watched them play can attest to that. They play in a conference in which the other 11 schools have basketball programs only to kill time between football season and spring football. And most fans of these schools don't even know they have basketball teams (trust me - I lived in Alabama for 4 years.)
Perhaps in order to make himself feel better about Kentucky failing to win in a football conference, and possibly missing the NCAA tournament (although I expect the Kentucky name will get them in regardless), some guy has written this article about the relative lack of success by former Duke assistants under Krzyzewski. Duke is having an outstanding year, so he can't belittle them for the current season. Instead, he goes after former assistants? I suppose in the absence of anything positive to write about Kentucky's season, and considering Tubby hasn't made it to the final four in 8 years now (yes, I'm including this year), and never with his own players, you have to attempt to disparage those you are most jealous of - which, not surprisingly, is Duke. I guess they still can't let go of 1992.
At least Kansas doesn't suck, but what was the point of this article posted yesterday? No, not 3 years ago, but yesterday. Again, Duke is having a great year, and Redick an unbelievable year, and so someone (I don't see a name attached to this article, but I don't blame him/her for not wanting to be associated with it) chooses to write about a game from Redick's freshman year when Kansas beat Duke. He's pretty proud of Heinrich's defense on Redick who, basically, was just a shooter then. I guess when you haven't won a national championship in nearly 20 years (Duke, by the way, has won 3 since Kansas' last one in 1988), you have to revel in the glory days of shutting down a one-dimensional freshman. Congratulations.
All of the Duke-haters out there really, really need to get a life.
Wilbon on white players
As for a good article by someone who actually knows a little bit about sports, here's one from a couple of days ago by Michael Wilbon about the lack of prominent white American players in the NBA, which also discusses the future of Duke's J.J. Redick, Gonzaga's Adam Morrison and UNC's Tyler Hansbrough and their potential impact.
Nobody really wants to talk about it - matters of race, especially something like pointing out the best two players in college basketball right now are white, sometimes make people nervous. Nevertheless, the fact that the two best players in college basketball (along with what may be it's best freshman player in Hansbrough) are white is pretty unique. There may be various reasons for that (see this article), but it's still true.
One quote from the article:
Johnny Mac is back
Some other time I'll talk about how much I loved watching John McEnroe play tennis during his prime (or any other time, for that matter). He was great and is by far my favorite tennis player. I also love him behind the mic as a tennis commentator, where he's been most of the time since his retirement. So, it was great news to hear he's actually playing on the ATP tour again, and this past week won a doubles title in San Jose. I've heard rumors he might be interested in playing singles as well, although I don't know if he'd be able to have much success there. But I hope to see him playing again soon.
My wife has been watching some of this "Dancing With The Stars", which is not as bad as the aforementioned shows, but not something I care to watch. (Now I see we have "Skating with the Stars", too, which just seems to have major injury written all over it.) The only "reality" show I"ve watched with any regularity at all was "Extreme Home Makeover" which I liked just to see what kind of cool toys they put in the house, but grew tired of it after a year or so of watching.
So, I say all that to say that I watched a new "reality" show this week. Evidently, ESPN and Bob Knight have teamed up for Knight School. This is, like most reality TV, about winning a contest - in this case, to see who can win an opportunity to walk-on to the Texas Tech basketball team next fall
. Under the direction of Coach Knight and his Texas Tech staff, 33 players are trying out for the spot. (This is at least the third reality show by ESPN, although there may have been more.)Now, I love Bob Knight. Sure, he has his faults, which are well-publicized. However, I think he has been a great coach for many years, and I find him pretty entertaining. His post-game press conferences, especially in March (which have been fewer in recent years), are usually worth watching. He is, at times, hilarious. Therefore, I was pretty anxious to watch this show. Finally a reality show with something interesting to me - Bob Knight and basketball.
In the first show, which I viewed on Sunday night, the group was narrowed to either 16 or 12 players (I can't seem to recall now). Bob says in the article above that he did all of the basketball, but some of the other aspects of the show were done by others associated with the show (for example, the "boot camp" scenes in an upcoming episode - which also displays that this show, like the others, is not total reality, either). So, it's not all Bob and basketball - but I enjoyed watching the first show. I have to admit that some of the personal interviews with participants - you know, where they're sitting there alone in front of the camera talking about what the feel and how they don't like some other guy - annoys me, just like it does from other reality shows I've seen. But overall I enjoyed watching it and seeing Bob in action. I don't know if I'll stick with it until the end, but I'll probably be watching again this coming week.
So maybe I won't hate all reality shows. Just most of them.
More "Duke-haters"?
It's no secret that Kentucky sucks this year. Anyone who has watched them play can attest to that. They play in a conference in which the other 11 schools have basketball programs only to kill time between football season and spring football. And most fans of these schools don't even know they have basketball teams (trust me - I lived in Alabama for 4 years.)
Perhaps in order to make himself feel better about Kentucky failing to win in a football conference, and possibly missing the NCAA tournament (although I expect the Kentucky name will get them in regardless), some guy has written this article about the relative lack of success by former Duke assistants under Krzyzewski. Duke is having an outstanding year, so he can't belittle them for the current season. Instead, he goes after former assistants? I suppose in the absence of anything positive to write about Kentucky's season, and considering Tubby hasn't made it to the final four in 8 years now (yes, I'm including this year), and never with his own players, you have to attempt to disparage those you are most jealous of - which, not surprisingly, is Duke. I guess they still can't let go of 1992.
At least Kansas doesn't suck, but what was the point of this article posted yesterday? No, not 3 years ago, but yesterday. Again, Duke is having a great year, and Redick an unbelievable year, and so someone (I don't see a name attached to this article, but I don't blame him/her for not wanting to be associated with it) chooses to write about a game from Redick's freshman year when Kansas beat Duke. He's pretty proud of Heinrich's defense on Redick who, basically, was just a shooter then. I guess when you haven't won a national championship in nearly 20 years (Duke, by the way, has won 3 since Kansas' last one in 1988), you have to revel in the glory days of shutting down a one-dimensional freshman. Congratulations.
All of the Duke-haters out there really, really need to get a life.
Wilbon on white players
As for a good article by someone who actually knows a little bit about sports, here's one from a couple of days ago by Michael Wilbon about the lack of prominent white American players in the NBA, which also discusses the future of Duke's J.J. Redick, Gonzaga's Adam Morrison and UNC's Tyler Hansbrough and their potential impact.
Nobody really wants to talk about it - matters of race, especially something like pointing out the best two players in college basketball right now are white, sometimes make people nervous. Nevertheless, the fact that the two best players in college basketball (along with what may be it's best freshman player in Hansbrough) are white is pretty unique. There may be various reasons for that (see this article), but it's still true.
One quote from the article:
Chris Mullin ... studied the moves of black stars Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe while growing up watching the 1970s Knicks. But he wore John Havlicek's No. 17 and looked up to Larry Bird. Of the dwindling number of white American kids playing basketball, Mullin said: "It's not seen as realistic. Suddenly, people don't see someone whose skill set they can identify with, and they think playing at a high level is far-fetched. In Spain, kids now are saying, 'Look at Pau Gasol.'"No matter how much we try to be colorblind, sometimes we identify with those most like us. For that reason, it seems that having more prominent white players in the game would be a good thing.
Johnny Mac is back
Some other time I'll talk about how much I loved watching John McEnroe play tennis during his prime (or any other time, for that matter). He was great and is by far my favorite tennis player. I also love him behind the mic as a tennis commentator, where he's been most of the time since his retirement. So, it was great news to hear he's actually playing on the ATP tour again, and this past week won a doubles title in San Jose. I've heard rumors he might be interested in playing singles as well, although I don't know if he'd be able to have much success there. But I hope to see him playing again soon.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
2557
A number of things happened tonight in the Duke-Miami game. First of all, Duke beat Miami 92-71. That was the most important thing of all. Miami is a dangerous team with some very good guards. They're capable of biting you if you're not ready to play them. They won earlier this year in Chapel Hill against a young, but very good, North Carolina team. They weren't going to be afraid of playing at Duke. But Duke won rather easily (despite a lot of silly turnovers in the first half), and should now be #1 again in the polls this week after UConn's loss this week.
Secondly, Duke won at least a share of the ACC regular season title (one more win, or an NC State loss, and it will be theirs alone.) This is their seventh regular season title in the last ten years (finishing below first in 2002, 2003, and 2005). They have also won the ACC tournament six times during that stretch - hoping to make it seven this year. At 13-0 in conference play, they're also looking to match the 1999 team's feat of a perfect record in conference play at 16-0 (and 19-0 including ACC tournament games). I believe it will be difficult for them to match that with their remaining schedule, and especially the tournament. They play at Georgia Tech and Florida State, before finishing at home against Carolina. (They also play out of conference at Temple this weekend - so they have three straight road games ahead of them.) So, we'll see.
And, the most celebrated thing that happened, of course, was J.J. Redick's 30
points, which meant he passed Johnny Dawkins' Duke record of 2556 career points and made him the all-time leading scorer in Duke history, with 2557 points. Redick set yet another record, just one game after breaking the NCAA record for 3-point baskets made. He needed 30 to pass Dawkins, and 30 he got. He started off the game with 11 points in the first four minutes, and it looked for a while like he might get the record by halftime. He ended the half with 22 (which put him on pace to match Adam Morrison's 44 points from Saturday), but Miami's defense slowed him down in the second half. He was often double-teamed when touching the ball and did not get very many shot opportunities. But he did make them count when he did. With a little over four minutes remaining in the game, Redick hit a 3-pointer from the corner to break the record. Cameron erupted. Associate head coach Johnny Dawkins stood briefly at Duke's bench, smiling and applauding Redick's accomplishment.
Redick's next record to set will come this week - either Wednesday at Georgia Tech, or this weekend at Temple. He is now 30 points away from becoming the all-time leading scorer in the ACC as well, and he shouldn't have trouble reaching that quickly. I'll be a little surprised if he doesn't drop 30 on Georgia Tech, but even if he doesn't, it should happen early in the Temple game. He's scored 30 or more in five straight games now, and seven of his last nine - including games of 40 and 41 in that stretch. It amazes me that he continues to put up these numbers in ACC games. Everyone knows he is the first man they need to stop, but nobody can stop him.
It's just been incredible to be able to watch him this year, and I will miss watching him play for Duke when this season is over. He's gone from being a good freshman, to a better sophomore, to a very good junior, to a great senior. I honestly thought he might not be able to get 30 on Miami's guards - whose defense was much better in the second half - but that just shows what kind of player he is. He knows how close he is, and everyone is asking him about it, but the pressure doesn't affect his play. He went out and did it anyway - not because he wanted the record, but because he wanted to win the game, and he played his game the way he always does, and the record came because he did.
One
thing that has come up in recent commentary on this record, and came up in the post-game interviews tonight, is whether or not we'd be having this conversation if Johnny Dawkins had had the 3-point shot available to him when he played. When asked about it in a post-game interview, Dawkins sort of laughed and then didn't answer the question, instead saying that nothing should detract from J.J.'s accomplishment. It was a good answer, but considering the question, I would say that I'm not sure how much difference it makes.
If you wanted to compare them, you could take all of Redick's 3-pointers and c
ount them as 2-pointers. As of now, he has around 420 for his career, so you could take away 420 points from Redick's total. He's still close. Then, you consider he still has games to play and points to score, and at his current average of 29 ppg, he could end up with another 300 or more by years end. You could also consider that, without the 3-point shot, Redick's shot selection would be different - probably fewer long-range shots - and he might actually have scored as much as he has, or more.
On the other hand, you give Dawkins a 3-point shot, his shot selection would've been different as well. He would've taken the three's and probably hit a lot as well, but being a lower percentage shot, he might not have any more points than he does now. Some of those 2-pointer's he made may have turned into missed 3-pointers. And, considering again that Redick might score 300 or more additional points in the coming weeks, they would still likely be neck and neck anyway. On top of all of that, you consider the game overall is quite a bit different than it was 20 years ago. So, in the end, it may or may not be a valid comparison, but the record is based strictly on points scored, not on how they were scored, and so we have what we have. Dawkins was proud of the record while he held it, and he's also proud of J.J. - having coached him for four years - and what he's done to set the new record.
In related news, freshman and Melbourne, Arkansas native Jordan Davidson (whose older brother Patrick is also on the team) scored his first Duke points, hitting a 3-pointer in the final minute. It was nice to see a fellow Arkansan get in the books for Duke.
Secondly, Duke won at least a share of the ACC regular season title (one more win, or an NC State loss, and it will be theirs alone.) This is their seventh regular season title in the last ten years (finishing below first in 2002, 2003, and 2005). They have also won the ACC tournament six times during that stretch - hoping to make it seven this year. At 13-0 in conference play, they're also looking to match the 1999 team's feat of a perfect record in conference play at 16-0 (and 19-0 including ACC tournament games). I believe it will be difficult for them to match that with their remaining schedule, and especially the tournament. They play at Georgia Tech and Florida State, before finishing at home against Carolina. (They also play out of conference at Temple this weekend - so they have three straight road games ahead of them.) So, we'll see.
And, the most celebrated thing that happened, of course, was J.J. Redick's 30
points, which meant he passed Johnny Dawkins' Duke record of 2556 career points and made him the all-time leading scorer in Duke history, with 2557 points. Redick set yet another record, just one game after breaking the NCAA record for 3-point baskets made. He needed 30 to pass Dawkins, and 30 he got. He started off the game with 11 points in the first four minutes, and it looked for a while like he might get the record by halftime. He ended the half with 22 (which put him on pace to match Adam Morrison's 44 points from Saturday), but Miami's defense slowed him down in the second half. He was often double-teamed when touching the ball and did not get very many shot opportunities. But he did make them count when he did. With a little over four minutes remaining in the game, Redick hit a 3-pointer from the corner to break the record. Cameron erupted. Associate head coach Johnny Dawkins stood briefly at Duke's bench, smiling and applauding Redick's accomplishment.Redick's next record to set will come this week - either Wednesday at Georgia Tech, or this weekend at Temple. He is now 30 points away from becoming the all-time leading scorer in the ACC as well, and he shouldn't have trouble reaching that quickly. I'll be a little surprised if he doesn't drop 30 on Georgia Tech, but even if he doesn't, it should happen early in the Temple game. He's scored 30 or more in five straight games now, and seven of his last nine - including games of 40 and 41 in that stretch. It amazes me that he continues to put up these numbers in ACC games. Everyone knows he is the first man they need to stop, but nobody can stop him.
It's just been incredible to be able to watch him this year, and I will miss watching him play for Duke when this season is over. He's gone from being a good freshman, to a better sophomore, to a very good junior, to a great senior. I honestly thought he might not be able to get 30 on Miami's guards - whose defense was much better in the second half - but that just shows what kind of player he is. He knows how close he is, and everyone is asking him about it, but the pressure doesn't affect his play. He went out and did it anyway - not because he wanted the record, but because he wanted to win the game, and he played his game the way he always does, and the record came because he did.
One
thing that has come up in recent commentary on this record, and came up in the post-game interviews tonight, is whether or not we'd be having this conversation if Johnny Dawkins had had the 3-point shot available to him when he played. When asked about it in a post-game interview, Dawkins sort of laughed and then didn't answer the question, instead saying that nothing should detract from J.J.'s accomplishment. It was a good answer, but considering the question, I would say that I'm not sure how much difference it makes.If you wanted to compare them, you could take all of Redick's 3-pointers and c
ount them as 2-pointers. As of now, he has around 420 for his career, so you could take away 420 points from Redick's total. He's still close. Then, you consider he still has games to play and points to score, and at his current average of 29 ppg, he could end up with another 300 or more by years end. You could also consider that, without the 3-point shot, Redick's shot selection would be different - probably fewer long-range shots - and he might actually have scored as much as he has, or more.
On the other hand, you give Dawkins a 3-point shot, his shot selection would've been different as well. He would've taken the three's and probably hit a lot as well, but being a lower percentage shot, he might not have any more points than he does now. Some of those 2-pointer's he made may have turned into missed 3-pointers. And, considering again that Redick might score 300 or more additional points in the coming weeks, they would still likely be neck and neck anyway. On top of all of that, you consider the game overall is quite a bit different than it was 20 years ago. So, in the end, it may or may not be a valid comparison, but the record is based strictly on points scored, not on how they were scored, and so we have what we have. Dawkins was proud of the record while he held it, and he's also proud of J.J. - having coached him for four years - and what he's done to set the new record.
In related news, freshman and Melbourne, Arkansas native Jordan Davidson (whose older brother Patrick is also on the team) scored his first Duke points, hitting a 3-pointer in the final minute. It was nice to see a fellow Arkansan get in the books for Duke.
I watched Arkansas beat Florida in overtime on Saturday. Arkansas was in desperate need of a good win if they have any chance of making the NCAA tournament (and Stan Heath was equally desperate if he has any chance of keeping his job.) It was a good, exciting game which was at times ugly, but it was still nice to see the Hogs win a big game again. It's been a really long time...
Evidently the NBA All-Star game was this weekend. I had no idea. Is there anything more irrelevant these days than All-Star games? I haven't watched an All-Star game of any kind in years. I remember in college the NBA All-Star weekend was always a big deal. We watched Dominique and Michael compete in the slam dunk contest. And watched Spud Webb win it one year. We watched Larry and everyone competing for 2nd place in the 3-point contest. It was great.
But those days are past. I have no idea who won the contests - assuming they still exist. And could care less who won the "game" - if you can call it that. From the few highlights I saw, it looked like any other NBA game, except with less defense (if that's possible.) Any time you have a guy throwing a pass off of the backboard so that a teammate can catch it and dunk it - with a defensive player standing in the lane watching it - there can't be much of a game going on.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Longing for home
I heard this song on the radio as I was coming in to work this morning. Normally, I'm listening to one of the greatest inventions of mankind - sports talk radio. However, this morning, I turned on to a local "Christian" music station as I drove my daughter 
to school and myself to work.
I wrote last fall about Rich Mullins on the anniversary of his death, and I mentioned one my favorite lyrics, which was from this song. I especially like that last line about "longing for home." When Rich talked about heaven in his songs, he usually called it "home". He knew he was an alien in this world, that he belonged to another, and that someday he'd leave for home. He talked about it like we might talk about our own home when we're in another city, state, or country. I wish he was still here to write more songs about home, about God, about his love for us, because he was one of the best at it during his time here. But his goal was not to write more songs. His goal was not to live here as long as he could. His goal was to make it home. And he did.
It's hard to say if this is my favorite song of Rich's. "Sometimes By Step", "The Color Green", "My Deliverer" and "Hold Me Jesus" also stand out for me, but this is probably one of my top three. Since I'd heard it again this morning, for the first time in quite a while, it's on my mind again, so I thought I'd share it here.
to school and myself to work.I wrote last fall about Rich Mullins on the anniversary of his death, and I mentioned one my favorite lyrics, which was from this song. I especially like that last line about "longing for home." When Rich talked about heaven in his songs, he usually called it "home". He knew he was an alien in this world, that he belonged to another, and that someday he'd leave for home. He talked about it like we might talk about our own home when we're in another city, state, or country. I wish he was still here to write more songs about home, about God, about his love for us, because he was one of the best at it during his time here. But his goal was not to write more songs. His goal was not to live here as long as he could. His goal was to make it home. And he did.
It's hard to say if this is my favorite song of Rich's. "Sometimes By Step", "The Color Green", "My Deliverer" and "Hold Me Jesus" also stand out for me, but this is probably one of my top three. Since I'd heard it again this morning, for the first time in quite a while, it's on my mind again, so I thought I'd share it here.
If I Stand
Rich Mullins and Steve Cudworth
There's more that rises in the morning than the sun
And more that shines in the night than just the moon
It's more than just this fire here that keeps me warm
In a shelter that is larger than this room
And there's a loyalty that's deeper than mere sentiments
And a music higher than the songs that I can sing
The stuff of Earth competes for the allegiance
I owe only to the Giver of all good things
So if I stand let me stand on the promise
That you will pull me through
And if I can't, let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to You
And if I sing let me sing for the joy
That has born in me these songs
And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home
There's more that dances on the prairies than the wind
More that pulses in the ocean than the tide
There's a love that is fiercer than the love between friends
More gentle than a mother's when her baby's at her side
And there's a loyalty that's deeper than mere sentiments
And a music higher than the songs that I can sing
The stuff of Earth competes for the allegence
I owe only to the Giver of all good things
So if I stand let me stand on the promise
That you will pull me through
And if I can't let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to You
And if I sing let me sing for the joy
That has born in me these songs
And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Caution: Falling records
Duke had little trouble last night with a Wake Forest team that has completely gone south this year, winning 93-70 at Cameron. I'm still not sure what has happened to them. Granted, they lost Chris Paul, but with returning seniors Justin Gray, Eric Williams and Trent Strickland, a lot was still expected of them, and I'm more than a little surprised that they're last in the ACC right now with only 1 win. There have been those who suggest that Skip Prosser may be interested in the Cincinnati job, and I have to wonder if he's not completely committed to this team. If so, I feel bad for the seniors, because they should be having a better year than this.
One note for the conspiracy theorists: Duke had 18 fouls, Wake 17, at Cameron. Wake also shot 2 more free throws. Granted, a small difference, but with all of the talk the last 2 weeks, you'd have expected Duke - playing at home - to have only 2 or 3 fouls, and Wake to have 37. So much for that...
During the game, J.J. Redick passed Curtis Staples (Virginia) for the record of career 3-
pointers made in the NCAA. Redick now has 416 made, passing Staples' previous record of 413 made. He scored 33 on the night, and he's now scored 30 or more points in 12 games this season, and this is the 4th in a row (a school record). He will pass Johnny Dawkins to take over first place on the Duke career scoring list either this weekend or next week, and will soon become the all-time scoring leader in the ACC as well (also, likely next week). And, as his college career approaches it's end, he is still the NCAA career free throw percentage leader as well.
Duke also moved to 12-0 in the ACC, with 4 games remaining, and Redick scored 30 or more for the 4th straight game, and 12 times this season. Duke plays Miami at home this weekend, before going on the road to Georgia Tech and Florida State, then finishing at home against North Carolina, all of which will be difficult games to win. Also, they play at Temple in the middle of those four games. A win against Miami this weekend would likely move them back to #1 in the polls, with Connecticut losing this week to Villanova.
Redick continues to amaze me. Equally amazing are the people who continue to claim he's not that good. Surely, no matter how much one hates Duke basketball, they will at some point return to reality and admit he is a great college basketball player having an unbelievable year. But then again, some people are just stupid.
Tony Kornheiser is pro-J.J. Here's a good article from a yesterday.
One note for the conspiracy theorists: Duke had 18 fouls, Wake 17, at Cameron. Wake also shot 2 more free throws. Granted, a small difference, but with all of the talk the last 2 weeks, you'd have expected Duke - playing at home - to have only 2 or 3 fouls, and Wake to have 37. So much for that...
During the game, J.J. Redick passed Curtis Staples (Virginia) for the record of career 3-
pointers made in the NCAA. Redick now has 416 made, passing Staples' previous record of 413 made. He scored 33 on the night, and he's now scored 30 or more points in 12 games this season, and this is the 4th in a row (a school record). He will pass Johnny Dawkins to take over first place on the Duke career scoring list either this weekend or next week, and will soon become the all-time scoring leader in the ACC as well (also, likely next week). And, as his college career approaches it's end, he is still the NCAA career free throw percentage leader as well.Duke also moved to 12-0 in the ACC, with 4 games remaining, and Redick scored 30 or more for the 4th straight game, and 12 times this season. Duke plays Miami at home this weekend, before going on the road to Georgia Tech and Florida State, then finishing at home against North Carolina, all of which will be difficult games to win. Also, they play at Temple in the middle of those four games. A win against Miami this weekend would likely move them back to #1 in the polls, with Connecticut losing this week to Villanova.
Redick continues to amaze me. Equally amazing are the people who continue to claim he's not that good. Surely, no matter how much one hates Duke basketball, they will at some point return to reality and admit he is a great college basketball player having an unbelievable year. But then again, some people are just stupid.
Tony Kornheiser is pro-J.J. Here's a good article from a yesterday.
Olympic Update
I have successfully avoided watching any of the Winter Olympics thus far. I did watch about 5 or 10 minutes of the opening ceremonies, during the time when the teams from each country were walking in. However, when the Uzbekistan team came out with The Trammps "Disco Inferno" playing in the background, I was forced to turn it off.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
A new pen...Sweet!
My wife went out this afternoon to run some errands and do a little shopping, an
d came back with a gift for me. When she told me, she appeared as though she was trying to avoid laughing. With a big smile on her face, she told me to close my eyes, and so I complied. Then, I was told to open them, and this is what I saw in front of me - the Napoleon Dynamite Talking Pen.
I love this movie, so I was thrilled. It says the following 7 phrases from the movie:
d came back with a gift for me. When she told me, she appeared as though she was trying to avoid laughing. With a big smile on her face, she told me to close my eyes, and so I complied. Then, I was told to open them, and this is what I saw in front of me - the Napoleon Dynamite Talking Pen.I love this movie, so I was thrilled. It says the following 7 phrases from the movie:
Yesss!!
I caught you a delicious bass.
Sweet!
I told you, I spent it with my uncle in Alaska hunting wolverines!
Lucky!
Whatever I feel like I wanna do, gosh!
Freakin' idiot!
I have no idea how long this will last, but I figure I'll enjoy it while it does. Sweet!
I have no idea how long this will last, but I figure I'll enjoy it while it does. Sweet!
Still "not our rivals"
I watched Duke beat Maryland for the second time this year earlier today in College Park. Duke never trailed in the game. Redick had 35 again, just like in the Carolina game a few days ago. He didn't score until nearly seven minutes into the game, and only had 11 at the half, I think. Then he took off in the second half. Shelden had a huge game, too, with 26 points and 13 rebounds.
The great news in today's game, however, is the help. Redick and Williams are going to get theirs most games, but when they have help, Duke is hard to beat. Today, Paulus had 16 points, including four 3-pointers, and Dockery had 15 points, with three 3-pointers. On top of that, Josh McRoberts also had 12 rebounds. Considering McRoberts big scoring against Carolina (17 points), and his rebounding today along with Paulus' and Dockery's play, I'd say Redick and Williams are starting to get more and more help. If Lee Melchionni can find his shot again, and Nelson continues to get back in the flow of things, Duke is going to be very hard to beat in March.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Winter Olympics
Just found out last night that the Winter Olympics start tomorrow. I'd completely missed that, and now that I know, it changes my life in no way whatsoever. I will likely watch the same amount of Olympic coverage as I would have if they were not being televised.
I heard a local radio show co-host mention that the Winter Olympics would be much more interesting if they released some grizzly bears at the games. Now that would probably get them some ratings, and I'd definitely tune in for that.
Here's a story from The Onion about the upcoming games:
I heard a local radio show co-host mention that the Winter Olympics would be much more interesting if they released some grizzly bears at the games. Now that would probably get them some ratings, and I'd definitely tune in for that.
Here's a story from The Onion about the upcoming games:
Americans Disappointed To Learn Olympics Will Be Televised
NEW YORK — Although American citizens are proud of the athletes representing their country at the Turin Olympics and wish their team the best of luck, their patriotism does not translate into a desire to actually watch the events, according to informal studies conducted by NBC, the network that will televise this year's Winter Games. "It's important to almost 100 percent of the viewers of NBC, MSNBC, and our partner networks that Team USA does well, especially in high-profile sports such as hockey, figure skating, and skiing," said NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol, whose network will provide 416 hours of coverage to as many as five times that number of people. "However, almost all those we spoke to said that they would be perfectly satisfied to see highlights and scores during commercial breaks on Law & Order, Fear Factor, and Late Night With Conan O'Brien." Although Ebersol admitted that the estimated numbers were low compared to the legendary Winter Games of the 1980s, he said they were almost double those from the 1998 Olympics in Nagano.
It reminds me of a previous Onion headline:
Several Gearing Up For 2006 Winter Olympics
I think that about says it all.
Bilas on Duke and the officials
One last comment on the "controversy" regarding officiating at Duke games, this from Jay Bilas:
I listen respectfully to all reasonable people, and I do so with an open mind. However, I am growing weary of the illogical and unsupportable "Duke gets the calls" discussion.
The "no-calls" at the end of Duke's close games against Boston College and Florida State have spawned another specious debate about whether Mike Krzyzewski's team gets special treatment from officials. The last time I recall this discussion was when Duke won the 2001 National Championship over Arizona, and a play made by Jason Williams was reviewed about as closely as the Zapruder film.
It is perfectly reasonable to question whether a particular call was correct. I believe that the officials missed a foul when Tyrese Rice drove to the basket on Shelden Williams at the end of the Boston College game. But to suggest that the no-call was part of some loose plot to give Duke a leg up is absurd and insulting to fair-minded people.
I may actually end up saying more at some point, if this nonsense continues, but I thought that Jay's comments were a good way to end it for now.
Well, okay, maybe one more article.
Well, okay, maybe one more article.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
I'm glad that's over
A few thoughts... 
I mentioned the McRoberts-Hansbrough comparison in my last post. Perhaps McRoberts has heard some of the same remarks about Hansbrough. Josh came to play and ended up with at least equal numbers, probably slightly better. He ended with 17 points, 7 rebounds (6-8 FG, including 1 three-pointer, and 4-4 FT) compared to Hansbrough's 14 points, 9 rebounds (4-11 FG, 6-9 FT). You can't read anything into that either, except that maybe McRoberts was trying to make a point.
Duke, despite shooting 49% from the field, went on a few stretches where they couldn't score, and also had a number of unforced turnovers. A more consistent game and they win easily. UNC also was inconsistent, but I thought Duke's defense bothered them a lot. I thought much of Duke's problems were shooting themselves in the foot.
So much for getting all the calls. Fouls: Duke 20, UNC 19. UNC shot 29 free throws to only 24 for Duke.
Lee Melchionni didn't score. That's not really good. And Nelson only had 2. The good news, McRoberts, as I mentioned, had 17.
Also good news, after failing to hit 20 in three years at the Smith center, Redick exploded for 35 tonight. He's now 1 point behind Christian Laettner, and 96 behind Dawkins. He should be the all-time Duke scorer in a couple of weeks.
Once again, as in the BC game, a big lead evaporated. I thought BC did more to initiate the comeback, but when Duke left the door open for UNC, they seemed to hit three's during those times. Also, as in the BC game (and FSU, too, I believe), they nearly gave it away in the closing minute. A couple of missed free throws, subsequent foul (what was Dockery doing???) and another bad turnover gave Carolina new life after Duke was up 7 with around :50 left. A more experienced team (than UNC) would've won this game. But, Duke knows how to win, and the young UNC team is still learning. Their day will come, though.
A win is a win. I'm too tired to try to think of anymore comments, so I'm going to bed...
Blue Tuesday
Well, the time has come. I'd say the most anticipated game every year for both Duke and UNC fans is that first week of February when they get together for the first time. This year it's at Chapel Hill, and it should be another great game. Carolina was supposed to be down after losing Felton, May, McCants, J Williams and M Williams last year. That was quite a loss, but they have a solid freshman class and have played very well so far. I've only seen them play a couple of times, so I honestly don't fully know what to expect out of them, but all signs point to a good, albeit young, team.
Duke is coming off of a rough week, with two close wins against BC and Florida State, and is playing their third game in 7 days, so they could be slightly tired. However, I expect that won't factor in for this particular game - they should be ready to play against Carolina any day.
Bill Brill has written a good article about the game and the rivalry, including discounting some idiot who claims the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry is the best in college basketball. I don't even know how to respond to something so ludicrous. Anyway, it's worth reading.
So, will I make a prediction? No, because these games are often unpredictable. I will say that I think Duke is clearly the better team, and if they play their game, it will be difficult for UNC to win, even in Chapel Hill. Their defense, I believe, will be key. I think Redick and Williams will have good offenseive nights, most likely. If everyone else plays well, Duke should be in a position to come out with a win. Duke has recent history on their side, too, having won 15 of the last 18 games against Carolina.
But even so, this is still Duke-Carolina. Nothing is guaranteed, and just about anything can happen.
Duke is coming off of a rough week, with two close wins against BC and Florida State, and is playing their third game in 7 days, so they could be slightly tired. However, I expect that won't factor in for this particular game - they should be ready to play against Carolina any day.
Bill Brill has written a good article about the game and the rivalry, including discounting some idiot who claims the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry is the best in college basketball. I don't even know how to respond to something so ludicrous. Anyway, it's worth reading.
So, will I make a prediction? No, because these games are often unpredictable. I will say that I think Duke is clearly the better team, and if they play their game, it will be difficult for UNC to win, even in Chapel Hill. Their defense, I believe, will be key. I think Redick and Williams will have good offenseive nights, most likely. If everyone else plays well, Duke should be in a position to come out with a win. Duke has recent history on their side, too, having won 15 of the last 18 games against Carolina.
But even so, this is still Duke-Carolina. Nothing is guaranteed, and just about anything can happen.
One other note: I saw something today - and I've heard this several times before now - about how Duke's freshman big man Josh McRoberts had more preseason hype, yet UNC's freshman big man Tyler Hansbrough has had the better year. It makes me laugh to see stuff like that, usually in the context that Hansbrough is a better player than McRoberts and that UNC got the better deal. He may very well be, but that simply cannot be judged based on this season. That will have to be determeined next year (if they both are still playing in college next year.) McRoberts is playing with senior All-American center Shelden Williams, and is simply not going to get the playing time or the attention on the court that Hansbrough gets at UNC, who lost their entire frontcourt from last year. If Sean May had stayed in school, I find it hard to believe Hansbrough would be getting the playing time (and, therefore, the hype) he's getting now. Who's better? Only time will tell.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Not so super
Well, I watched the Super Bowl last night. For some reason, I was wanting the Steelers to win. Probably because of Jerome Bettis. I just wanted him to win one. And I like Cowher, too. So, I was happy about the outcome.
As for the game, it wasn't one of the better ones in recent years, and the officiating was called into question - as has been common during the playoffs - but it was worth watching. The commercials have been getting as much hype as the games in recent years, but usually falls well short of expectations. This year was no exception. There were a few I liked, the FedEx with the cavemen and the Bud Light with the bears chasing the campers being my favorites (at least of what I can recall at this time.) Also, the monkeys in the Careerbuilder commercial were good as they usually are. And as Tony Kornheiser noted on PTI today, "Monkeys are gold."
As for the game, it wasn't one of the better ones in recent years, and the officiating was called into question - as has been common during the playoffs - but it was worth watching. The commercials have been getting as much hype as the games in recent years, but usually falls well short of expectations. This year was no exception. There were a few I liked, the FedEx with the cavemen and the Bud Light with the bears chasing the campers being my favorites (at least of what I can recall at this time.) Also, the monkeys in the Careerbuilder commercial were good as they usually are. And as Tony Kornheiser noted on PTI today, "Monkeys are gold."
Duke and officials
The "Duke gets all the calls" controversy has been revived this past week. After close wins against Boston College and Florida State, officiating in both games was questioned due to supposedly bad calls. Whether or not these calls affected the outcome is unknown, but the Duke-haters will surely affirm that they did. They will, however, conveniently ignore bad calls in favor of BC or FSU.
Found this very good article detailing some of the so-called controversy (from a different point of view), starting back with Billy Packer's comments at the 2001 Final Four. Now, I've not yet commented on my dislike of Billy Packer on this blog (which I will no doubt do next month as we're forced to listen to this arrogant windbag throughout the NCAA Tournament), but allow me to simply say - I don't care for him. Anyway, the article is a bit long, but worth reading, and makes some very good points that you won't hear on ESPN from idiots like Doug Gottlieb and Digger Phelps. Brian Dilsheimer also has some good points regarding this in this post.
Speaking of Duke basketball, there's an excellent article in TSN about J.J. Redick.And I'll have some comments on the first Duke-Carolina game of the year tomorrow. This is actually a big game for Duke. Besides just being the rivalary game that it is, it would be a big win because, including this visit to Chapel Hill, they still have 4 conference road games left, and may need to win most of them to stay in front of NC State in the ACC.
Brokeback To The Future
Mark Elrod posted this on his blog. This cracked me up and you have to see it.
Click here
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Welcome to the ACC
I watched the Duke - Boston College game last night. There were several games I recognized as potential losses for Duke when I first saw the schedule. One of those was the game at Boston College last night. BC was ranked #11 preseason and expected to finish second in the ACC behind Duke. So the expectation was that it would be hard to beat them at home.
There was some hope a few weeks ago when BC was playing it's way to 0-3 in the ACC, including a home loss to NC State by 18 points. However, they'd picked it up the last few weeks and started looking like the team they were supposed to be this year. So once again it began to look like a tough game to win for the Blue Devils.
Duke won 83-81. After being up by 18 with 12 and a half minutes to go, BC hit some threes and got a few turnovers and jumped back in it. In the closing seconds they cut it to one, but Duke shot free throws to go up three, and with under 10 seconds Shelden Williams managed his 7th blocked shot of the night to end the comeback.
Al Skinner complained about the difference in fouls called and free throws taken. Duke had 19 fouls, BC had 27. Duke shot 37 free throws, and BC shot 13. However, at least four, maybe six, of those fouls on BC were in the last minute and a half when they were sending Duke to the line during their attempted comeback. That's an additional 8 to 12 more free throws right there. So, I'm not sure you can count "intentional" fouls and free throws - which makes the difference a little smaller.
As for the rest of the difference, Duke was taking it to the rim more often than BC, and that creates more foul opportunities (and usually shooting fouls, too). You're going to shoot more free throws if you take it inside more. Shelden alone shot 16 free throws - he didn't do that by shooting three's. He got the ball a lot. So, I don't put much stock in his comments about fouls and free throws. Maybe if they'd prevented Shelden from getting the ball here and there, Duke would've shot less free throws, and Al would be a little happier right now.
Update: I watched the last 10 seconds again. There's been so much talk about Shelden's block being a foul, I wanted to look at it again - and I did about 8 or 9 times. Last night, I thought there was contact. Looking at it again, there was clearly a foul. However, that's looking at if from the camera shot behind the basket. If you watch the replay from the sideline, it's hard to see how much contact was really there. The referee under the basket didn't have a good angle on it, and the guy out on the side was nearly in front of the camera, so he basically saw the same thing, and it's hard to see much contact there was from that angle. Yes, it was a foul, but I'm not sure any of the officials had the right angle to make the call on a play like that. Yes, I'm probably biased, but that's the way it looks on the replay.
There was some hope a few weeks ago when BC was playing it's way to 0-3 in the ACC, including a home loss to NC State by 18 points. However, they'd picked it up the last few weeks and started looking like the team they were supposed to be this year. So once again it began to look like a tough game to win for the Blue Devils.
Duke won 83-81. After being up by 18 with 12 and a half minutes to go, BC hit some threes and got a few turnovers and jumped back in it. In the closing seconds they cut it to one, but Duke shot free throws to go up three, and with under 10 seconds Shelden Williams managed his 7th blocked shot of the night to end the comeback.
Al Skinner complained about the difference in fouls called and free throws taken. Duke had 19 fouls, BC had 27. Duke shot 37 free throws, and BC shot 13. However, at least four, maybe six, of those fouls on BC were in the last minute and a half when they were sending Duke to the line during their attempted comeback. That's an additional 8 to 12 more free throws right there. So, I'm not sure you can count "intentional" fouls and free throws - which makes the difference a little smaller.
As for the rest of the difference, Duke was taking it to the rim more often than BC, and that creates more foul opportunities (and usually shooting fouls, too). You're going to shoot more free throws if you take it inside more. Shelden alone shot 16 free throws - he didn't do that by shooting three's. He got the ball a lot. So, I don't put much stock in his comments about fouls and free throws. Maybe if they'd prevented Shelden from getting the ball here and there, Duke would've shot less free throws, and Al would be a little happier right now.
Update: I watched the last 10 seconds again. There's been so much talk about Shelden's block being a foul, I wanted to look at it again - and I did about 8 or 9 times. Last night, I thought there was contact. Looking at it again, there was clearly a foul. However, that's looking at if from the camera shot behind the basket. If you watch the replay from the sideline, it's hard to see how much contact was really there. The referee under the basket didn't have a good angle on it, and the guy out on the side was nearly in front of the camera, so he basically saw the same thing, and it's hard to see much contact there was from that angle. Yes, it was a foul, but I'm not sure any of the officials had the right angle to make the call on a play like that. Yes, I'm probably biased, but that's the way it looks on the replay.
Here we go again...
I've seen this posted on at least a couple of blogs now. I guess Chad Allen is old news already. Next up - Will, Grace and Britney. I find it interesting that the AFA is so worked up about this. Apparently they've never been inside of a Christian bookstore. Testamints, anyone? I suppose it's okay for us Christians to commercialize Jesus all we want, but if someone dares to ridicule us for doing so, well...they'd better watch out for the AFA.
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