celticdb15
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BTW Kramer came up huge last night, and boy is that kid ripped.
2010 NCAA Tournament
- Thread starter Jack Lambert
- Start date
- Status
"...Out of curiosity, do Ivy League schools even give out Scholarships for their Basketball players?..."
No athletic scholarships in the Ivy League. Nor do schools temporarily suspend academic standards to stock a team or two with 'deserving youths'. It would be obvious and there would be heck to pay. Yes, I said it, heck itself to pay.
A gentlemen's agreement. Of course it works in the other direction as well. The Ivies and MIT have a mutual unofficial minimum quota of 8% NAMs. Fortunately the third world still has plenty of prosperous dictators willing to pay full price to educate their prawn spawn.
Being a good athlete helps during admissions but only for excellent students. Admissions departments care most about what happens after graduation. Who's going to send in big checks to keep the endowment fat and healthy. The Cornell players will possibly end up managing a hedge fund or starting a venture capital firm. Can we say the same about Villanova's student-athletes?
At best graduation with a phys ed degree. Instructing 8th graders in the finer points of kickball. One day, perhaps, a house and marriage to one of the baby mommas. Edited by: Charlie
No athletic scholarships in the Ivy League. Nor do schools temporarily suspend academic standards to stock a team or two with 'deserving youths'. It would be obvious and there would be heck to pay. Yes, I said it, heck itself to pay.
A gentlemen's agreement. Of course it works in the other direction as well. The Ivies and MIT have a mutual unofficial minimum quota of 8% NAMs. Fortunately the third world still has plenty of prosperous dictators willing to pay full price to educate their prawn spawn.
Being a good athlete helps during admissions but only for excellent students. Admissions departments care most about what happens after graduation. Who's going to send in big checks to keep the endowment fat and healthy. The Cornell players will possibly end up managing a hedge fund or starting a venture capital firm. Can we say the same about Villanova's student-athletes?
At best graduation with a phys ed degree. Instructing 8th graders in the finer points of kickball. One day, perhaps, a house and marriage to one of the baby mommas. Edited by: Charlie
Fightingtowin
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I had a 3.8 gpa and 26 act and before I sustained a career ending injury had received letters from multiple Ivy League schools about football, talking on the phone to one. I clearly didn't have the grades or act score, but me getting in--they said--wouldn't be a problem.And although they don't give athletic scholarships I was also told that they would find me other scholarships to cover the cost. Don't know if that is how it usually works--or if i was being sold a bill of goods--but that's what I was told back in 98-99.Edited by: FightingtowinCharlie said:
Jimmy Chitwood
Hall of Famer
i know we don't often talk about women's athletics here at CF, but i wanted to recognize a tremendous player in women's basketball who ended her collegiate basketball career tonight with a loss in the NCAA Tourney against Kentucky.
Michigan State's 6-9 senior center Allyssa Dehaan finished her senior season being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
also, i think she is a really attractive gal.
Michigan State's 6-9 senior center Allyssa Dehaan finished her senior season being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Dehaan is a brilliant student, as well.
also, i think she is a really attractive gal.
Fightingtowin
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Very agile and excellent touch and ball handling from the perimeter. Hope she succeeds at the next level, and if she doesn't, look forward to her modeling career!Jimmy Chitwood said:i know we don't often talk about women's athletics here at CF, but i wanted to recognize a tremendous player in women's basketball who ended her collegiate basketball career tonight with a loss in the NCAA Tourney against Kentucky.
<div>Michigan State's 6-9 senior center Allyssa Dehaan finished her senior season being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. </div>
<div> </div>
<div></div>
<div>Dehaan is a brilliant student, as well. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>also, i think she is a really attractive gal.</div>
<div> </div>
<div></div>
pic with former msu great Drew Neitzel
Her and her coach, Suzy Merchant
Jimmy Chitwood
Hall of Famer
she is very gifted, and lovely, as i said.
as for the posters above who mentioned that St. Mary's and Cornell need to play "their game" in order to have a chance to win ... this statement is true for nearly every single team in the Tourney. also, St. Mary's likes to run. and despite his statements about being slow, Samhan runs pretty well for such a big man. that's just him being modest.
Cornell needs to hit shots to win, but so does every team. if they knock down some jumpers early, then they could give Kentucky fits. if not, well, it's hard to win if you can't hit shots.
as for the posters above who mentioned that St. Mary's and Cornell need to play "their game" in order to have a chance to win ... this statement is true for nearly every single team in the Tourney. also, St. Mary's likes to run. and despite his statements about being slow, Samhan runs pretty well for such a big man. that's just him being modest.
Cornell needs to hit shots to win, but so does every team. if they knock down some jumpers early, then they could give Kentucky fits. if not, well, it's hard to win if you can't hit shots.
blue_mentos
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I have confidence in St. Mary's. A lot of times you see a cinderella team in the tourney just get lucky a couple times. They hang around because the higher rated team shoots below average, commits unnecessary turnovers and the underdog hits a million 3s and hits a buzzer beater at the end to edge out the higher seeded team. This is not the case with the St. Mary's games I've watched. From the tip, the Gaels have controlled the game, dictated the tempo, and honestly looked like the better team, not the luckier team. Villanova is also typically a running team. Many "experts" picked them to beat Duke in the elite 8. why? Because of their superior "athletesism". I think St. Marys will do just fine in their game against Baylor, especially because it seems like they keep their nerves well and under no circumstances panic. Lets hope this run continues.
If UK wins against Cornell, you will hear endless talks about Kentucky's great athletecism. Whenever any TV analysist picks a team like UK over a well schooled team oriented team like Cornell or Duke, the reasoning is always speed, better athletes, blah blah blah, etc. Yes, Cornell will have to shoot well to beat UK, but they have to shoot well to beat every team. Although they have Foot, they rely heavily on perimeter shooting and thats their game. If they play their game, I think they can keep it close, and hopefully get another win. The Big Red have played to win, rather than to not lose in their first 2 wins.
I hate that my Boilermakers have to match up against Duke, who I like very much as one of them will have to go out. It should be a tough but very entertaining game. BOILER UP!
If UK wins against Cornell, you will hear endless talks about Kentucky's great athletecism. Whenever any TV analysist picks a team like UK over a well schooled team oriented team like Cornell or Duke, the reasoning is always speed, better athletes, blah blah blah, etc. Yes, Cornell will have to shoot well to beat UK, but they have to shoot well to beat every team. Although they have Foot, they rely heavily on perimeter shooting and thats their game. If they play their game, I think they can keep it close, and hopefully get another win. The Big Red have played to win, rather than to not lose in their first 2 wins.
I hate that my Boilermakers have to match up against Duke, who I like very much as one of them will have to go out. It should be a tough but very entertaining game. BOILER UP!
white is right
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ESPN is talking up the mid-majors and possible Final Four run for one of them...UNI's upset one of many shakeups
Bracket-busting aside, this year's tournament is one to remember
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Wojciechowski By Gene Wojciechowski
ESPN.com
Archive
MILWAUKEE -- My NCAA bracket looks like I passed out on the X key of my laptop. It's a bracket in need of a tourniquet.
The hoops carnage:
Villanova x-ed out by Saint Mary's.
Wisconsin and Temple x-ed out by Cornell.
Georgetown x-ed out by Ohio, Notre Dame by Old Dominion.
And thanks to the most audacious 3-pointer since Reggie Miller played the Knicks, Kansas was x-ed out by the University of Ali Farokhmanesh.
Is this heaven?
[+] EnlargeAli Farokhmanesh
Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesAli Farokhmanesh changed the entire course of the tournament with one shot.
No, it's (Northern) Iowa.
UNI's victory over Rock Chalk Road Kill makes all things possible in this tournament. Think about it: If KU, the overwhelming favorite of presidents and the majority of bracketologists, can lose, so can anyone else.
The Jayhawks were a foregone conclusion to win the whole thing. Now they're just gone -- returned to Lawrence as one-and-dones. More madness is possible, even probable.
"It's March,'' said Ohio State's Evan Turner after the No. 2-seeded Buckeyes beat Georgia Tech, 75-66, at the Bradley Center on Sunday. "Anybody can beat anybody.''
With Kansas' shocking departure, Ohio State now becomes the favorite, if there is such a thing, in the Midwest Regional. No. 1 seed Syracuse remains the fave in the West Regional, No. 1 seed Kentucky in the East and No. 1 seed Duke in the South. But all of that can disappear in a Saint Mary's minute.
"Seedings and being a mid-major don't mean anything,'' said Ohio State guard William Buford.
He's right, and it doesn't stop there. Bill Self and his championship ring of two seasons ago means nothing. Big East pedigree and swagger means nothing. President Obama taking your team in his White House bracket means nothing.
The only basketball currency that really matters is what's paid on the floor. Farokhmanesh had a wallet's worth of it for Northern Iowa; KU didn't.
From this point forward, the term "mid-major" should be deleted permanently from the hoops dictionary. It is obsolete, like two-handed set shots and game shorts above the knees. Nobody knows this better than Ohio State coach Thad Matta, who spent quality coaching time at Butler and then Xavier before OSU hired him.
"The parity of basketball today is incredible,'' said Matta. "And probably most importantly, [are] matchups. I've always said this: the draw -- whether you're a 2 [seed], a 3, a 1 "¦ whatever you are -- I'm more concerned about who we're playing and how they play and how we match up. I think that's what you see probably more than the upsets; it's the matchups.''
The Buckeyes were in their Bradley Center locker room late Saturday afternoon when they caught the end of the UNI-KU game. They saw Kansas put ice on a swollen Northern Iowa lead in the waning minutes. And then they saw Farokhmanesh stick that outrageous 3-pointer to clinch the upset.
"I knew he had hit the game winner in their first game [versus UNLV],'' said Buford. "Then I had heard about him [Saturday]. But before that I'd never heard of him. But I was just thinking he's a tough kid. Not a lot of people have the heart to pull that shot.''
Buckeyes guard David Lighty did his best to pretend he wasn't stunned by the KU loss. A little less than 24 hours earlier he had sat in the same locker room chair and watched the end of the UNI win on the wall plasma.
"Northern Iowa never played KU before, so you can't say it was really a big upset,'' said Lighty. "It's just what people think.''
Really? Not a big upset, eh? So if Lighty had filled out an office pool bracket he would have had UNI beating the Jayhawks?
"Most likely not,'' he said. "But hey, that's the tournament. That's why it's March Madness.''
Up is now down and down is now up. As easily as I can make an argument for a Final Four that includes Syracuse, Duke, Kentucky and Ohio State -- the seeded heavyweights -- I can make an equally compelling argument for more bracket weirdness.
[+] EnlargeCornell Celebrates
Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesCornell and its cohorts are proving the term mid-major is becoming obsolete.
Syracuse stumbled late in the season and has an injury issue. Duke can impress you and then exasperate you. Kentucky might have the most talent, as well as the most postseason inexperience. Ohio State essentially survives on the brilliant Turner and a six-man rotation. So there are flaws everywhere.
If you've watched this tournament, you know we could turn on our TVs for the April 3 Final Four semis in Indianapolis and actually see No. 9 seed Northern Iowa versus No. 5 seed Butler and No. 10 seed Saint Mary's versus No. 12 seed Cornell. Will it happen? In the words of Lighty, most likely not, but it could. At the very least, one of those teams could sneak through the barbed-wire fences.
Anyway, you think Cornell is scared of Kentucky in the East Regional semis? Respectful, but not scared.
You think Saint Mary's and Omar Samhan, after beating Richmond and Villanova, are terrified of Baylor in the South Regional semis? Or Xavier and Butler are nervous about facing Kansas State and Syracuse, respectively, in the West semis? Or UNI is in awe of the possibly Kalin Lucas-less Michigan State in the Midwest semis?
No way. Farokhmanesh's shot changed all that. Samhan's dominance changed all that. Cornell's 13- and 18-point wins against Temple and Wisconsin changed all that. Butler's growing rep changed all that.
"There's no given you're going to win just because you're the No. 1, the No. 2 seed,'' said Ohio State's Jon Diebler. "We've seen that throughout the whole tournament so far.'' And the way it's going, you're going to see it again. The more, the better.
Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at gene.wojciechowski@espn3.com. Hear Gene's podcasts and ESPN Radio appearances by clicking
Bracket-busting aside, this year's tournament is one to remember
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Wojciechowski By Gene Wojciechowski
ESPN.com
Archive
MILWAUKEE -- My NCAA bracket looks like I passed out on the X key of my laptop. It's a bracket in need of a tourniquet.
The hoops carnage:
Villanova x-ed out by Saint Mary's.
Wisconsin and Temple x-ed out by Cornell.
Georgetown x-ed out by Ohio, Notre Dame by Old Dominion.
And thanks to the most audacious 3-pointer since Reggie Miller played the Knicks, Kansas was x-ed out by the University of Ali Farokhmanesh.
Is this heaven?
[+] EnlargeAli Farokhmanesh
Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesAli Farokhmanesh changed the entire course of the tournament with one shot.
No, it's (Northern) Iowa.
UNI's victory over Rock Chalk Road Kill makes all things possible in this tournament. Think about it: If KU, the overwhelming favorite of presidents and the majority of bracketologists, can lose, so can anyone else.
The Jayhawks were a foregone conclusion to win the whole thing. Now they're just gone -- returned to Lawrence as one-and-dones. More madness is possible, even probable.
"It's March,'' said Ohio State's Evan Turner after the No. 2-seeded Buckeyes beat Georgia Tech, 75-66, at the Bradley Center on Sunday. "Anybody can beat anybody.''
With Kansas' shocking departure, Ohio State now becomes the favorite, if there is such a thing, in the Midwest Regional. No. 1 seed Syracuse remains the fave in the West Regional, No. 1 seed Kentucky in the East and No. 1 seed Duke in the South. But all of that can disappear in a Saint Mary's minute.
"Seedings and being a mid-major don't mean anything,'' said Ohio State guard William Buford.
He's right, and it doesn't stop there. Bill Self and his championship ring of two seasons ago means nothing. Big East pedigree and swagger means nothing. President Obama taking your team in his White House bracket means nothing.
The only basketball currency that really matters is what's paid on the floor. Farokhmanesh had a wallet's worth of it for Northern Iowa; KU didn't.
From this point forward, the term "mid-major" should be deleted permanently from the hoops dictionary. It is obsolete, like two-handed set shots and game shorts above the knees. Nobody knows this better than Ohio State coach Thad Matta, who spent quality coaching time at Butler and then Xavier before OSU hired him.
"The parity of basketball today is incredible,'' said Matta. "And probably most importantly, [are] matchups. I've always said this: the draw -- whether you're a 2 [seed], a 3, a 1 "¦ whatever you are -- I'm more concerned about who we're playing and how they play and how we match up. I think that's what you see probably more than the upsets; it's the matchups.''
The Buckeyes were in their Bradley Center locker room late Saturday afternoon when they caught the end of the UNI-KU game. They saw Kansas put ice on a swollen Northern Iowa lead in the waning minutes. And then they saw Farokhmanesh stick that outrageous 3-pointer to clinch the upset.
"I knew he had hit the game winner in their first game [versus UNLV],'' said Buford. "Then I had heard about him [Saturday]. But before that I'd never heard of him. But I was just thinking he's a tough kid. Not a lot of people have the heart to pull that shot.''
Buckeyes guard David Lighty did his best to pretend he wasn't stunned by the KU loss. A little less than 24 hours earlier he had sat in the same locker room chair and watched the end of the UNI win on the wall plasma.
"Northern Iowa never played KU before, so you can't say it was really a big upset,'' said Lighty. "It's just what people think.''
Really? Not a big upset, eh? So if Lighty had filled out an office pool bracket he would have had UNI beating the Jayhawks?
"Most likely not,'' he said. "But hey, that's the tournament. That's why it's March Madness.''
Up is now down and down is now up. As easily as I can make an argument for a Final Four that includes Syracuse, Duke, Kentucky and Ohio State -- the seeded heavyweights -- I can make an equally compelling argument for more bracket weirdness.
[+] EnlargeCornell Celebrates
Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesCornell and its cohorts are proving the term mid-major is becoming obsolete.
Syracuse stumbled late in the season and has an injury issue. Duke can impress you and then exasperate you. Kentucky might have the most talent, as well as the most postseason inexperience. Ohio State essentially survives on the brilliant Turner and a six-man rotation. So there are flaws everywhere.
If you've watched this tournament, you know we could turn on our TVs for the April 3 Final Four semis in Indianapolis and actually see No. 9 seed Northern Iowa versus No. 5 seed Butler and No. 10 seed Saint Mary's versus No. 12 seed Cornell. Will it happen? In the words of Lighty, most likely not, but it could. At the very least, one of those teams could sneak through the barbed-wire fences.
Anyway, you think Cornell is scared of Kentucky in the East Regional semis? Respectful, but not scared.
You think Saint Mary's and Omar Samhan, after beating Richmond and Villanova, are terrified of Baylor in the South Regional semis? Or Xavier and Butler are nervous about facing Kansas State and Syracuse, respectively, in the West semis? Or UNI is in awe of the possibly Kalin Lucas-less Michigan State in the Midwest semis?
No way. Farokhmanesh's shot changed all that. Samhan's dominance changed all that. Cornell's 13- and 18-point wins against Temple and Wisconsin changed all that. Butler's growing rep changed all that.
"There's no given you're going to win just because you're the No. 1, the No. 2 seed,'' said Ohio State's Jon Diebler. "We've seen that throughout the whole tournament so far.'' And the way it's going, you're going to see it again. The more, the better.
Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at gene.wojciechowski@espn3.com. Hear Gene's podcasts and ESPN Radio appearances by clicking
Jimmy Chitwood
Hall of Famer
Michigan State's Kalin Lucas reportedly has a blown Achilles ... if that's true, then he is done for at least 6 months. UNI has one less afflete to "worry" about.
Fightingtowin
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MSU's starting SG is also doubtful and the backup PG, Lucious, is a good shooter, yet a pretty poor ball handler for a pg. If N. Iowa can put any kind of pressure on him, I think they'll win. MSU may get so desperate, you might see their PF, Green, bringing the ball up the court sometimes. It looks good for UNI making the Elite 8.Edited by: FightingtowinJimmy Chitwood said:
celticdb15
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Of the 3 Northern Iowa has the best chance of moving on. Michigan State is banged up. Even if they were healthy i'd take Northern Iowa. Cornell and St. Mary's can go either way..
Jimmy Chitwood
Hall of Famer
with so many things getting intense, it's easy to get frustrated. so, i thought it was time for some laugh-out-loud humor.
enjoy, gentlemen.
[TUBE]3uejv2zz6bU[/TUBE]
enjoy, gentlemen.
[TUBE]3uejv2zz6bU[/TUBE]
Man, it's tough to follow a hilarious video like the Hitler rant on KU, but I can't pass up a great article posted on CBS.Sportsline that just got posted earlier today. Mike Freeman's the writer & I usually don't agree with 90% of the stuff he writes but he completely NAILS this article. It contains the exact same stuff we see & talk about but this column is going out to a lot of DWF's. Maybe a few of 'em will see the light!! Great column!!
Underdogs bring to light: Time to fight trite, white stereotypes
March 24, 2010
By Mike Freeman
CBSSports.com National Columnist
Saint Mary's Omar Samhan owns a vicious big-man game and significant athletic ability, which made it all the more strange why, when during the Gaels' embarrassing defeat of Villanova the Wildcats' coach, Jay Wright, decided to mostly single-cover him.
"I get it," Samhan said. "I'm a slow white guy, and I'm overweight. So maybe you don't respect me because I have good numbers. But after I kill you the first half, what are you waiting for? I don't know what he wanted. Did he want me to have 40?"
He ended up with 32 points. Close enough. I pulled aside Samhan, my new favorite player in the tournament, and asked him to elaborate on that quote. He summed up beautifully a phenomenon that is again creeping into fan and media dialogue as the NCAA tournament progresses.
"Some people still see a white team or white players and think we can't play," Samhan explained. "It's offensive sometimes. It still goes on. That perception is wrong. It makes no sense. We're all good athletes. White, black, red, whatever."
Thank you, thank you and thank you.
If I were a white college basketball player right now, especially if my team made the Sweet 16, I'd be angry at some of the comments I've heard in the media. I'd be looking for someone to punch. I'd be furious.
Because it's starting again. White = overachiever. White = non-athletic.
The rhetoric that white basketball players are all smart and non-athletic was supposed to die in the 21st century. But now ... it's baaaaacckk.
As mostly white teams like Saint Mary's, Northern Iowa, Cornell and even Duke have advanced, a certain type of rhetoric has returned with tornadic vengeance. It's all over the media, blogs and even spoken during some of the televised broadcasts of the games.
The New York Times called Saint Mary's heady. I've heard Northern Iowa called "gutty." Cornell has been called "gutty" and "scrappy." New York radio host Mike Francesa -- whom I like -- said this about Cornell and Kentucky.
"The perception is we're a bunch of white guys who can't play and some of us are from Australia so we're not all that talented," said Saint Mary's player Mickey McConnell, speaking of the five Australian players on the team. "We can play. Period."
I know non-athletic. I see it in the mirror daily. Each of these mostly white teams is athletic as hell. You don't get to the Sweet 16 by not being elite athletes. You don't make the tournament by not being extremely athletic. Hell, you don't make a Division I basketball team by not being a supreme athlete.
Again, we were supposed to be beyond these infantile stereotypes and primal desires to stupidly categorize. Instead, here we are. Again.
These stereotypes continue to work both ways, too. If white players are smart and hard-working what does that make African American players? Imbecilic and lazy?
Syracuse has played steady and smart basketball (for the most part) all season. Kentucky's young team has played "heady" basketball (for the most part) all tournament. They're both mostly black teams.
Samhan plays up Saint Mary's underdog and blue-collar attributes, but don't let the holes in his high-tops fool you. Samhan has arguably been the best player in the tournament so far. Against Villanova, a supposedly vaunted Big East team -- the athletic cream of the crop -- Samhan was the best athlete on the court. He was quick, mobile and dangerous. Villanova seemed stunned.
Maybe now we know why.
My firm belief is Kansas lost because some of the Jayhawks players looked across the floor and saw a white team and thought: "We can take these guys. Jeez. Look at 'em."
Then the Jayhawks got smoked and didn't realize until the end they were playing a bunch of talented athletes.
Some of these underdog teams, underestimated and underappreciated because of their ethnicity, might lose this weekend. They all might.
Opponents should still be weary. Teams ignore and downplay the athleticism of a Saint Mary's, Northern Iowa or Cornell at their own risk.
Just ask Kansas and Villanova.
Underdogs bring to light: Time to fight trite, white stereotypes
March 24, 2010
By Mike Freeman
CBSSports.com National Columnist
Saint Mary's Omar Samhan owns a vicious big-man game and significant athletic ability, which made it all the more strange why, when during the Gaels' embarrassing defeat of Villanova the Wildcats' coach, Jay Wright, decided to mostly single-cover him.
"I get it," Samhan said. "I'm a slow white guy, and I'm overweight. So maybe you don't respect me because I have good numbers. But after I kill you the first half, what are you waiting for? I don't know what he wanted. Did he want me to have 40?"
He ended up with 32 points. Close enough. I pulled aside Samhan, my new favorite player in the tournament, and asked him to elaborate on that quote. He summed up beautifully a phenomenon that is again creeping into fan and media dialogue as the NCAA tournament progresses.
"Some people still see a white team or white players and think we can't play," Samhan explained. "It's offensive sometimes. It still goes on. That perception is wrong. It makes no sense. We're all good athletes. White, black, red, whatever."
Thank you, thank you and thank you.
If I were a white college basketball player right now, especially if my team made the Sweet 16, I'd be angry at some of the comments I've heard in the media. I'd be looking for someone to punch. I'd be furious.
Because it's starting again. White = overachiever. White = non-athletic.
The rhetoric that white basketball players are all smart and non-athletic was supposed to die in the 21st century. But now ... it's baaaaacckk.
As mostly white teams like Saint Mary's, Northern Iowa, Cornell and even Duke have advanced, a certain type of rhetoric has returned with tornadic vengeance. It's all over the media, blogs and even spoken during some of the televised broadcasts of the games.
The New York Times called Saint Mary's heady. I've heard Northern Iowa called "gutty." Cornell has been called "gutty" and "scrappy." New York radio host Mike Francesa -- whom I like -- said this about Cornell and Kentucky.
"The perception is we're a bunch of white guys who can't play and some of us are from Australia so we're not all that talented," said Saint Mary's player Mickey McConnell, speaking of the five Australian players on the team. "We can play. Period."
I know non-athletic. I see it in the mirror daily. Each of these mostly white teams is athletic as hell. You don't get to the Sweet 16 by not being elite athletes. You don't make the tournament by not being extremely athletic. Hell, you don't make a Division I basketball team by not being a supreme athlete.
Again, we were supposed to be beyond these infantile stereotypes and primal desires to stupidly categorize. Instead, here we are. Again.
These stereotypes continue to work both ways, too. If white players are smart and hard-working what does that make African American players? Imbecilic and lazy?
Syracuse has played steady and smart basketball (for the most part) all season. Kentucky's young team has played "heady" basketball (for the most part) all tournament. They're both mostly black teams.
Samhan plays up Saint Mary's underdog and blue-collar attributes, but don't let the holes in his high-tops fool you. Samhan has arguably been the best player in the tournament so far. Against Villanova, a supposedly vaunted Big East team -- the athletic cream of the crop -- Samhan was the best athlete on the court. He was quick, mobile and dangerous. Villanova seemed stunned.
Maybe now we know why.
My firm belief is Kansas lost because some of the Jayhawks players looked across the floor and saw a white team and thought: "We can take these guys. Jeez. Look at 'em."
Then the Jayhawks got smoked and didn't realize until the end they were playing a bunch of talented athletes.
Some of these underdog teams, underestimated and underappreciated because of their ethnicity, might lose this weekend. They all might.
Opponents should still be weary. Teams ignore and downplay the athleticism of a Saint Mary's, Northern Iowa or Cornell at their own risk.
Just ask Kansas and Villanova.
Fightingtowin
Guru
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2008
- Messages
- 462
Excellent article!
PhillyBirds
Mentor
Terrific article. Need more of this in the MSM.
ToughJ.Riggins
Hall of Famer
Agreed. That article was spot on!
JC, I also liked that Hitler parody on his angry rant on Kansas losing...what a bracket buster! It gave me a good laugh.
JC, I also liked that Hitler parody on his angry rant on Kansas losing...what a bracket buster! It gave me a good laugh.
ToughJ.Riggins
Hall of Famer
Guys, I've got a short continuation of the Hitler March Madness Parody. I just wrote it. Hopefully it will give you guys a laugh:
Gestapo 1: Fuhrer, Presidential candidate Obama was wrong. You know the whiter team usually wins! You shouldn't listen to those Yankees. And who cares about Kansas and all their tornadoes, let them get ripped apart.
Hitler looks to be getting angrier.
Gestapo 2: The thing I'm worried about is the underdogs winning...
Gestapo 1: Could mean trouble for the Reich. The Allies could be the next "Cinderella" story! We may not be able to pound those underdogs into submission unless we get some tornadoes in Kansas to help us out.
Hitler: YOU DAMN FOOLS! MY FATHER DIED IN A TORNADO IN BERLIN. YOU WILL BE GIVEN 100 LASHINGS EACH! HOW DARE YOU MAKE HUMOR OF TORNADOES!
Gestapos (at once): Fuhrer..PLEASE DON'T!
Gestapo 1: Sorry, it was....
Hitler: YOU GOT PUNKED! I Ashton Kutchered your arse. Hahahahaha!
Gestapos: Thank you Fuhrer!
Hitler: Well, actually I can't tell a lie. I have a liking for Jim Carey and his Liar Liar movie...You will both get the lashings, but can wear 10 underhosen and can use a pillow on your Fanny- May if you'd like!
Gestapo 1: Actually for good luck, I think it should be the other way. Let Fanny Mae put the whipping on America. An economic disaster will doom America's war effort and get appeaser Obama elected!
Gestapo 2: Yes, McCain could be trouble!
Hitler: Hahahahahahaha! Yes great idea, but bad luck. It will make the U.S a Cinderella story! Dirk is the greatest basketball player in the world. He must be sent to America, so WE are the underdogs!
Gestapo 1 (whispering): Pssst... What in the hell is he talking about?
Gestapo 2 (whispering): Doesn't he have syphilis or something, from his nights with hookers at Oktoberfest? He's been crazy ever since.
Hitler: We cannot whip Cinderella. The more a Cinderella America becomes, the more it means she will do the whipping! We are doomed.
Gestapo 1 (whispering): For some reason I think he's talking about the Jewish Gypsy ho- who refused to marry him again...was her name Cinderella? She gave him syphilis. He's been crazy and hateful ever since.
Gestapo 2 (whispering): Could have been worse...could have been HIV.
Gestapo 1 (whispering): We are in 1942 YOU MORON!
Gestapo 2 (whispering): Well since we know about the future, let's invent a condom brand called "OKTOBERFEST" the slogan will be "safe sex. Don't wind up like our Fuhrer!"
Gestapo 1: Got a better idea. Let's invent a never ending "documentary" called "Girls Gone Wild at Oktoberfest"!
Gestapo 2: I think we'd be arrested for that, it's 1942 YOU MORON!
Gestapo 1: What? Are you stealing my lines now?
Gestapo 2: We better let the Fuhrer know we lose the war on June 6 1944, and to make peace with Cinderella. He still thinks the stuff we brought back from 2008 is his mind playing tricks on him. On second thought forget this mess...Back to the future!
Gestapo 2 Hits a button on the wall and disappears.
Gestapo 1: Damn it, he left me behind! There goes my chance of escaping to America and building a time machine- to go back in time to help the Nazis win"¦unless I can be two places at once. Could I? HOLY CROW, I JUST SAW MYSELF! Ahhh!
Gestapo 1 passes out.
Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins
Gestapo 1: Fuhrer, Presidential candidate Obama was wrong. You know the whiter team usually wins! You shouldn't listen to those Yankees. And who cares about Kansas and all their tornadoes, let them get ripped apart.
Hitler looks to be getting angrier.
Gestapo 2: The thing I'm worried about is the underdogs winning...
Gestapo 1: Could mean trouble for the Reich. The Allies could be the next "Cinderella" story! We may not be able to pound those underdogs into submission unless we get some tornadoes in Kansas to help us out.
Hitler: YOU DAMN FOOLS! MY FATHER DIED IN A TORNADO IN BERLIN. YOU WILL BE GIVEN 100 LASHINGS EACH! HOW DARE YOU MAKE HUMOR OF TORNADOES!
Gestapos (at once): Fuhrer..PLEASE DON'T!
Gestapo 1: Sorry, it was....
Hitler: YOU GOT PUNKED! I Ashton Kutchered your arse. Hahahahaha!
Gestapos: Thank you Fuhrer!
Hitler: Well, actually I can't tell a lie. I have a liking for Jim Carey and his Liar Liar movie...You will both get the lashings, but can wear 10 underhosen and can use a pillow on your Fanny- May if you'd like!
Gestapo 1: Actually for good luck, I think it should be the other way. Let Fanny Mae put the whipping on America. An economic disaster will doom America's war effort and get appeaser Obama elected!
Gestapo 2: Yes, McCain could be trouble!
Hitler: Hahahahahahaha! Yes great idea, but bad luck. It will make the U.S a Cinderella story! Dirk is the greatest basketball player in the world. He must be sent to America, so WE are the underdogs!
Gestapo 1 (whispering): Pssst... What in the hell is he talking about?
Gestapo 2 (whispering): Doesn't he have syphilis or something, from his nights with hookers at Oktoberfest? He's been crazy ever since.
Hitler: We cannot whip Cinderella. The more a Cinderella America becomes, the more it means she will do the whipping! We are doomed.
Gestapo 1 (whispering): For some reason I think he's talking about the Jewish Gypsy ho- who refused to marry him again...was her name Cinderella? She gave him syphilis. He's been crazy and hateful ever since.
Gestapo 2 (whispering): Could have been worse...could have been HIV.
Gestapo 1 (whispering): We are in 1942 YOU MORON!
Gestapo 2 (whispering): Well since we know about the future, let's invent a condom brand called "OKTOBERFEST" the slogan will be "safe sex. Don't wind up like our Fuhrer!"
Gestapo 1: Got a better idea. Let's invent a never ending "documentary" called "Girls Gone Wild at Oktoberfest"!
Gestapo 2: I think we'd be arrested for that, it's 1942 YOU MORON!
Gestapo 1: What? Are you stealing my lines now?
Gestapo 2: We better let the Fuhrer know we lose the war on June 6 1944, and to make peace with Cinderella. He still thinks the stuff we brought back from 2008 is his mind playing tricks on him. On second thought forget this mess...Back to the future!
Gestapo 2 Hits a button on the wall and disappears.
Gestapo 1: Damn it, he left me behind! There goes my chance of escaping to America and building a time machine- to go back in time to help the Nazis win"¦unless I can be two places at once. Could I? HOLY CROW, I JUST SAW MYSELF! Ahhh!
Gestapo 1 passes out.
Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins
Blue Devils
Mentor
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2008
- Messages
- 1,763
Butler up by 5 with a 33.9 left.
Blue Devils
Mentor
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2008
- Messages
- 1,763
Butler held on to win 63-59
Jimmy Chitwood
Hall of Famer
BUTLER WINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!
Toby Hillis
Guru
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2009
- Messages
- 447
The announcers are DEFINITELY drooling all over the affletes, Kalo! Cornell looks somewhat shakey, maybe a bit intimidated. They have to play their game, keep it close until late in the 2nd half.
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