I watched the first ten minutes of the Duke-Michigan game. Exactly how much is Billy Packer getting from the Duke PR department? I didn't think they were doing all that great, but he could barely breathe for all his compliments.

And Mike Dunleavy? With the extra weight? Not hard on the eyes.

So, anyway, I know Mike and Hannah will be here soon.

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

Answers

Not to jump in on Al's territory, but please give a little love to the Alabama men's b-ball team. They are ranked this year, (currently at 21st in the coaches' poll I believe), and Bill Lowe played for the Tide back in the day.

What more reason do you need?

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

Plus they are owed by the basketball gods for the NCAA's big diss last March. Don't ask me how Georgia made the Big Dance while the Tide stayed home.

Do any of y'all get the ACC Sunday Game of the Week on Fox Sports? My Lord! Apparently they've decided that objectivity is out as a criteria for selecting broadcasters. Having Phil Ford and Kenny Smith at the UNC-Georgia Tech game was just brutal to listen to.

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

We are going to some Tide b-ball games this year. I hope they can stay ranked.

Regarding broadcasters, I used to put the tv on mute and listen to the game on the radio. It helps if you have a fave radio guy.

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

Was Alabama the team that had two coaches in a row kicked out for sexually harassing and/or having affairs with women in their office? Or did the evil anti-Tide gods plant that in my head?

I haven't had a soft spot for them since the Robert Horry days, but it's certainly better than rooting for Auburn. And no, Georgia should not have gotten a pass last year; that was just silly. I think the NCAA masters wrote "Georgia State" twice, and just erased the "State" when they saw their mistake.

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2001

Did anyone see that BC player on College Hoops Tonight last night? The one who has played the last two games with a broken jaw?? That's hardcore.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Speaking of broadcasters, What the hell is Dennis Miller doing on Monday night football? Oops wrong thread!

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Was Alabama the team that had two coaches in a row kicked out for sexually harassing and/or having affairs with women in their office?

It was just the one coach. Wimp Sanderson, of basketball and Bill Lowe fame. And that wasn't harrassment - he and that lady got into a slap fight, I think.

And then later, filling me with pride, it came to light that our former football coach Mike DuBose (or, as we called him "Fatass DumBose") had an affair with his secretary (secretart). However, he wasn't fired for that because that year we were SEC champs. The next year, he lost nearly every game, so they fired him.

I was glad to see him go, but I miss Wimp.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Ah, Wimp. Pardon me for a moment if I type badly. All I see is plaid.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

And then later, filling me with pride, it came to light that our former football coach Mike DuBose (or, as we called him "Fatass DumBose") had an affair with his secretary (secretart). However, he wasn't fired for that because that year we were SEC champs. The next year, he lost nearly every game, so they fired him.

And that, in one short paragraph, sums up the coaching experience. Win games, and nothing else matters. Lose, and the personal stuff becomes unacceptable.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

So the Duke-Maryland game is tonight. Where's the smack-talking?

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2002

I know! Mike will surely swoop in and deliver some smack. Go Terps, is all I have to say.

In other news, I saw Alabama beat Georgia last night in Athens. It was a beautiful thing.

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2002

I'm very torn about my basketball watching tonight. Of course, Duke is playing Maryland on ESPN at 9, but the Spurs are playing the Jazz at the same time on TNT.

Perhaps I'll forego the Spurs game tonight in favor of their game against the Lakers (boo! hiss!) on Saturday, which I hope doesn't conflict with my Eagles watching time.

And their is nothing sweeter than seeing Alabama beat Georgia in Athens. At one point Alabama sank two tres in a row to stop a Georgia run and as the Georgia PG was bringing the ball up to halfcourt the Alabama player covering him just stuck his tongue out and shook his head as if to say, "BLLLAAAAHHHHH!!!! You suck!"

Very classy.

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2002

MOC - the game is on ESPN? That's good to know - C was going to head to a sports bar, but I told him it would surely be on a main cable network (not that we have that, either, but it's easier for him to go to Josh's house than a bar).

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2002

Yup. ESPN at nine.

You know, I'm oddly calm. It's the first of (hopefully) 3-4 meetings between the teams, so I'm conserving energy.

But if Maryland wins at Duke for the third year in a row, they should leagally change Cameron's name to [Juan] Dixon Indoor Stadium.

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2002

See, that's more like it. I've missed you, Mike.

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2002

Very classy.

Hey, let's not get into what's classy, what with GA's rape scandal. Also, who could ignore their TOTALLY obnoxious students shouting "AIR- BALL!" every time Rambo touched the basketball last night?

By the end of the game every time he came in I hung my head and said "Oh, God. Not Airball." I mean, I was calling the kid Airball. And that ain't right. Also on the not-so-classy-tip, let us not forget the huge blow-up Dawg they had clumping around the court all night, getting on my nerves in every direction.

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2002

It's funny ... every school does the "Airball" chant for the first guy on the other team who misses the iron (in a matter of speaking). Half the time, the guy goes on to score 25 points, but they're still chanting it even as the coach is begging the home team to at least make an attempt at guarding the guy.

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2002

Hey, let's not get into what's classy, what with GA's rape scandal.

No kidding. That scared me silly til I remembered my brother's ex- girlfriend is living in an off-campus apartment. And then I remembered that she has a very large, loyal dog.

Jim Harrick? Is an ass. Talking about the "sense of urgency" in gettting his starting center cleared. As if the girl who was RAPED is all blasé about the process.

We could get into a whole treatise about student-athletes and rape. Mark Bradley tried to, but just came off as second-rate Anna Quindlen.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2002

Please tell me somebody else is watching Alabama win against Kentucky?

Aw, hell. I know you're not. But it's a beautiful thing. Beautiful.

-- Anonymous, January 26, 2002

I watched UC kick some ass, yet again. Go Bearcats!

-- Anonymous, January 26, 2002

So. Saturday. My parents are at a Stanford alumni thing, having to answer a million times "How could you let your daughter go to USC?" So nice when they called me to tell me this, and I asked if they'd happened to catch the game. I've become a Bibby convert, kids.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

How about Alabama?!

And how about my Terps? I know this won't make the MOC happy, but it made my entire week to see Maryland come back from nine down in the final three minutes to stun (and for a change, silence) the Virginia Cavaliers.

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2002

Bitter as I was about missing the UCLA/USC game last night because of class (in which we watched 1941- don't be telling me film school ain't hard), it was even harder to watch the recap on the news. So close.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

USC and UCLA are all well and good, but just as in football, Oregon basketball is the class of the Pac-10. 17-5 (9-2), first place in the conference and #13 in the nation. Big game against Stanford tonight, go Ducks!

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

Look, people, college hoops this year is all about Alabama. Forget all your personal favorites and cheer on the Tide. After the NCAA sanctions on the football program, this may be the only sport that gets Alabama into a post-season game.

Also, call me crazy, but I am predicting that Georgia Tech will beat Duke this week. I know! I know! Wouldn't that be great?!

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

MOC, I love how you live in your own sweet little fantasy world.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

Alabama? #6 in the standings.

Bearcats are at #5, clearly still going strong. Shhh, Charlotte. Don't cry.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

Yes, I am perhaps living in a bit of a fantasy world regarding the chances GaTech has against Duke. But, then again, in a world where th Lions where able to win a few games and the Patriots can beat The Rams, anything is possible.

It will just require Duke to have a really BAD day and GaTech to have one or more deities on their side.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

I don't think Coach K or any of the other basketball deities are going to be on Tech's side, though, man.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

I don't think Coach K or any of the other basketball deities are going to be on Tech's side, though, man.

More importantly, Coach K will have his Three Ministers of Destruction (i.e. the refereees) ready to ensure Tech's defeat.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

Mike: refeeres:Duke::judges:Iron Chefs?

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

It looks like Al and I will be heading to Tuscaloosa next weekend to see The Tide destroy Tennessee. How great is that?!

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

WG, that's hilarious, because it made me think of how cool it would be to have Iron Chef judges referee basketball games.

"You know, I really liked that play ... it had both sour and sweet elements. Still ... I'm going to have to call a technical foul."

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

Personally, I find it funnier that I spelled it refeere. As if in reference to their possible pre-game consumption.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

Only at UVA.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

So, Mike, how does a nice girl get you on IM?

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

[at which point I realize I'm off-topic]

So, the NIT is expanding to 40 teams. Does anyone care?

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

So, Mike, how does a nice girl get you on IM?

WG, it doesn't shock me that someone with the poor judgement to root for Duke would also be unable to distinguish between boys and girls.

Heh.

I'm on public record as advocating more low-profile teams for the NIT (i.e., taking the regular-season SWAC champion who loses in the conference tournament final as opposed to the 12th place Big East team at 14-14), so I hope that's what they do with the extra eight spots.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

WG, it doesn't shock me that someone with the poor judgement to root for Duke would also be unable to distinguish between boys and girls.

Have I ever been anything except WriterGirl? Damn. I'll go sew up the huge hole I just got from being shot down.

In the meantime -- I wish commentators would stop referring to the NIT winner as "the 65th best team" after having endless debates about the quality of "bubble" schools and the like. A slightly higher- profile NIT wouldn't hurt. Does it pull in revenue for schools like the NCAA tournament does?

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

Hey, I'm a moron and totallymisread your post. My sincerest apologies...I'll e-m you my YM.

On the NIT ... I think it just about breaks even ... I know there was a furor when they were talking about giving the Preseason NIT the boot that doing so would mean cancelling the postseason version.

-- Anonymous, February 10, 2002

Well, MOC, as Dick Vitale mentioned 82 times yesterday, there's no shame in an ass-whupping when that whupping comes from Duke. This was the first Duke game I actually got to see this season- I can't believe how good they are. Cannot believe it.

And I love Duke and all, but lord. I kept waiting for Dick to go back to the locker room and fellate them all already.

-- Anonymous, February 10, 2002

I think even Coach K is embarassed by that now. He's ridiculous.

Also, Carolina is truly awful. And they have no fundamental skills at all.

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2002

THANK YOU. Finally, about 800,000 posts after I start this thread, somebody actually bothers to bash some Carolina.

Anyway. Roll Tide!

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2002

Oh, it's just that it's too easy this year. I don't mind kicking Tar Heel when Tar Heel is down, but when Tar Heel is down, and playing like they've all got broken ankles, puppies who have just died, and mothers who have just been run over by Mack Trucks, and they're all blind, it's too easy.

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2002

Steve Blake's steal at the end of the first half yesterday may be the greatest play I've ever seen.

-- Anonymous, February 18, 2002

Mike, the tears of joy that came from my face when Stevie Blake stole that ball from Jayson Williams could have drowned a small family of rats, or for that matter, Duke fans! What a showing from the Terps! Their defense yesterday was the best I have ever seen from them and Chris Wilcox was phenomenal! They led that game the entire time - not once did Duke ever have the lead! By the way, did you all hear what Mike Dunleavy (Mr. Lipgloss) said after the game? What an ass - he said that Maryland was more tuned into the game then Duke was and that Duke was looking past that game. Looking past that game? What the hell does that mean? What were the Dukies looking past Maryland to their next game against Clemson? Were they looking forward to Christmas? What a ridiculous thing to say! Anyway - TERPS RULE - #2 BABY!!!!

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2002

P.S. I am so glad that Al has led me to this discussion thread! I hope you all live and die by the same rule that I do - ABCD - Anybody But Carolina or Duke!

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2002

Dawn, I am crying -- crying! -- with happiness to have another Maryland fan here. There are an awful lot of Duke people to contend with. Maybe they're all taking a long weekend?

My first reaction to Dunleavy's quote was "Well, that's what you say when you lose." Because if he were honest, he'd have said "We lost because Chris Wilcox kicked my ass all over the court."

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2002

I thought he meant that he figured Duke could let y'all have this game, since Duke was looking ahead to the winning of its ACC and NCAA titles.

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2002

I would love to see Duke go down. I will take any ACC team over Duke. Or any team at all.

The Celtics beat the Lakers last night. And it's not 1982. Bill Lowe is a happy man today.

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2002

Hannah - See, I thought that Dunleavy meant that he was looking ahead to the hummer that Coach K promised him if they beat Maryland.

Mike - The other thing that was killing me through the whole Maryland/Duke (notice whose name I put 1st) game was Billy Packer. If he wasn't talking about the 2001 54-second loss for the 427th time, he was saying that he just could not understand why Duke was so off their game. Well, I don't know Billy, you dumb-ass, maybe because Maryland is killing them defensively?

By the way - SO FUNNY - my brother (the bastard) got a last minute call from a friend of his that had an extra FLOOR seat for the Maryland/Puke (intentional misspelling) game! He calls me after the game and asks me if I saw him. I said, "Well, no, I did not know that you were there and I was to busy watching Duke fall apart". He said, "You mean you didn't see me when we rushed the floor at the end of the game and I was jumping around screaming 'We're number 1?'?" To which I replied, "Dude! That was your index finger in the air??!! I knew I recognized it!" - what a nimrod! Anyway, he got to tell Gary Williams "Good game Coach" and high-five him and he high- fived a bunch of players at the half because he was sitting at the end of the player's tunnel. Soooo incredibly jealous!

Anyway - Maryland v Clemson tonight - just hoping that they stay on their game and don't let anything go to their head. We need to maintain #1 in the ACC so we get the bye game this year!

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2002

Okay. Y'all realize that my anti-Dookie acquaintances were making slash jokes about Christian Laettner and my boy Bobby back in the day? The difference is that they were all 13.

In other words, way to make your team look classy in victory, trash.

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2002

(So I posted that, and then realized that Dawn, new to this board, might not realize the etymology of the italicized word trash. I would attribute it to Hannah Beth, but I'm not sure.

At any rate, having not seen the game in question, I will simply smile gracefully, acknowledge defeat, and await inevitable, bloody, glorious revenge come March. Or should I say April?)

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2002

Siiiigh.

If any of you were unfortunate enough to see Alabama lose like a bunch of girls to Arkansas just now, please join me in my pain.

In other news, I somehow missed my beloved Celtics beating the hated Lakers last night, and not to go off-topic by mentioning the NBA, and not to speak too lightly of my most dearly departed, but that game could have only been won by the divine intervention of my daddy.

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2002

I may have to start biting my nails. The Bearcats-Marquette game (2nd half) is tight. Tight!

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2002

Congratulations to Alabama, SEC champions. (Or at least co-champions, guaranteed.)

-- Anonymous, February 23, 2002

I didn't see that game, but from what I read, it was another nail biter. I'm sorry I missed it!

-- Anonymous, February 23, 2002

Maryland v. Florida State tonight...I am just praying that they play better than they did on Sunday v. Wake Forest.

I swear, I was so tense during the Md/Wake game that my ass hurt for 2 days! The only game in recent memory that I have that was that tense was when Maryland beat Wake at Wake about 4-5 years ago when they had Tim Duncan and it went into overtime. I could not believe that Josh Howard called timeout! In the newpaper articles the next day he said that he just was not paying attention to his coach during their last timeout in which the coach said twice that they did not have anymore timeouts!

I love Juan Dixon...the media asked him whether he felt sorry for Josh Howard and Juan said, "No, I do not feel sorry for him, he played a great game."

Go Terps!

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002

A big congratulations to all you Maryland fans, who are now supporting the ACC champions thanks to Duke's wonderfully pitiful loss to Virginia last night.

I think that's the case, anyway. Where's Mike? I need some backup.

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2002

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

And Duke goes down!! Love it Love it Love it!!

Terps #1 in the ACC Babeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2002

All I'm saying is this...

Maryland = 15-1
Duke
13-3

Maryland: One lonely all-ACC player.
Duke: Three all-ACC players.

WTF? Is Gary Williams that great a coach, or is Coach K that bad?

Also, Jason Capel third-team all-ACC? Why?

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

I don't get it either Mike...how can we be #1 in the conference and only have 1 player in First All-ACC team? How can Lonny Baxter not be in the 1st team? I swear to all that is holy, if Juan Dixon does not win the John R. Wooden Award, my brain will melt.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Mike, do you know what my intended just bought? Well, I'll tell you: he bought his tickets to the Final Four here in Atlanta, because he is a devoted Terps fan and knows that he will be able to see his team win.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Good LORD, T. How did he do it? I bet he pawned your ring, didn't he? Well, all in the name of basketball...

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Actually, they're not all that expensive - four games for $200 - or at least, not as expensive as I'd expect them to be. And to see Maryland win, and not Duke? Totally worth it.

(Actually, I think that is a lot of bank, but the guy's been working his ass off, and if $200 gets him four nights of abject happiness, it's fine by me. And in the meantime, I'll be getting a manicure. And a pedicure.)

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

If it's the Final Four, T, it's one afternoon and two nights -- Saturday afternoon and evening for the semifinals, Monday night for the final. Frankly, I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd said $200 for the last game by itself.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

For Maryland fans, the first-round tickets at the MCI Center may be harder to get than the Final Four ones.

But I'll worry about that if the Terps make it that far. Plenty of basketball left to play.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Frankly, I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd said $200 for the last game by itself.

Actually, the final game tickets are easier. The fans of the losing teams usually go home. Last year, they were being sold for face value or less on Sunday-Monday.

Of course, last year's was in Minneapolis, which is harder to get to than Atlanta. That could make a difference.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Friends of ours here in Maryland went to the Final Four in Florida in 1999 (I think it was in St Petersburg). They had gone to several Sweet Sixteens and even more opening round games in the past, which allowed them to be on the "preferred list" for tickets. Well, apparently, the "preferred list" did not mean dick. They had to send in their entries 10 months prior to the games with a check for $200 per ticket. The NCAA held their money for the next 10 months and then did a lottery drawing for tickets after they had collected a sufficient amount of interest on their money. They did get the tickets, but friends of theirs were not picked and the NCAA just sent them back their money...3 months after the lottery drawing (over a year all together).

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2002