.
Wednesday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud..........(Author unknown)
13) My time as a student manager of the UAlbany basketball team ranks right up there with the most fun I've ever had; every day was fun, and I wasn't a player, just a student assistant. Why do I bring this up?
The more I think about Pat Knight’s rant last week against his seniors, it just makes me sad; by all accounts, Pat Knight isn’t a mean bastard like his father, but there is no way anyone connected with Lamar basketball is having fun this year, and dammit, its supposed to be at least a little fun.
I know it’s a business, and people get fired for losing, but Lamar has a winning record this year, and Knight still obviously despises several of his players. I mean, I can think of better ways of spending my college years (or adult years, for that matter) than being miserable every day.
12) One of the odd quirks of college basketball is that teams need teams they’ve played to do well, to enhance their strength of schedule. For instance, Washington needs South Dakota State to win Summit League, since the Jackrabbits beat U-Dub by 19 in December. Harvard needs Florida State/LMU to keep winning, in case the Crimson gags away the Ivy league title, which now could happen.
A win against Pitt in November doesn’t look that good now, but back in the fall it was a big deal. And so on and so on........
11) OK, who knew that spreading Tide detergent on asphalt made it easier to drive on? The 2-hour delay during the NASCAR race Monday was alternately bizarre/entertaining.
10) Dave Blaney led the race during the 2-hour delay; he needed an 11pm rainstorm to end the race and give him his first win in 398 NASCAR tries, yes 398; too bad he didn’t get it. Blaney’s brother, by the way, was a basketball standout at West Virginia.
9) Under is 49-43 in games involving NBA teams that had 2+ days off prior to the game; under is 29-24 with a rested road team, 20-19 if the home team was rested.
8) Breaking down pointspread records of rested teams is a little more helpful: home favorites: 19-7, home underdogs: 3-8. Road favorites: 11-7, road underdogs, 15-16. That’s favorites 30-14, underdogs 18-24.
7) At the All-Star break, NBA teams were shooting a combined 34.6% behind the arc, the league’s worst mark since they were shooting 33.8% in 1999, the last time they had a shortended season. Makes sense.
6) The Mets desperately need a catcher with some experience in case Josh Thole isn’t the answer, or to back him up either way. Future Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez needs a job. This is a logical connection, right? Why hasn’t this been done?
5) The name Scott Sizemore doesn’t mean much to you, but he tore his ACL Monday, and now the A’s don’t have a big league third baseman. I mean, Sizemore isn’t Longoria or Zimmerman, but he is competent, and now he’s out for the year. His likely replacement? Either Josh Donaldson, who was a minor league catcher until last August, or Wes Timmons, the guy we talked about earlier this week who spent the winter as a substitute teacher. Good God this could be a long summer.
4) Ratings for the NBA All-Star Game were down 22% from last year, not sure why anyone would watch it. if players don’t take a game seriously, why should I watch?
3) Meanwhile, the Daytona 500 did a 7.7 rating Monday night; it did an 8.2 on Sunday afternoon LY, and a 7.0 in 2010. I’d expect to see more primetime NASCAR next season.
2) Tuesday was National Pancake Day. We need more days like that. Nothing like a stack of flapjacks smothered in maple syrup. Now I’m hungry.
1) Free NBA Full Court package this week, as NBA/DirecTV try to sucker us in on buying the second half of the condensed (and shortened) season for $85. Ain’t happening, but we’ll enjoy watching games this week, before March Madness kicks it into full gear next week.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday's six-pack
-- For the record, first two teams eliminated in March Madness were Gardner-Webb and Radford, losers in the Big South Tourney Monday.
-- Home court held in the four Horizon League tournament games, with Butler getting the first of four wins it needs to get back into NCAA's.
-- NFL moved 2012 season opener up to a Wednesday night to avoid conflict with President Obama's speech at Democratic Convention.
-- Think Brook Lopez makes a difference for the Nets? Big guy had 21 at the half, wound up with 38 as the Nets won 93-92 at Dallas.
-- Montana thrashed Weber State 66-51, clinching the regular season title in the Big Sky Conference.
-- Today is February 29; if you know someone who has a birthday, give him/her a hug- they only get a birthday once every four years.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FROM ONION SPORTS
http://www.theonion.com/articles/high-school-team-denies-winning-for-dead-teammate,6142/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Len’s Top 5
http://thatssports.com/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vintage Commercial -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-aCP3SVu-Q&feature=relmfu
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actual Headline -
http://stupidknews.com/2012/02/25/parking-enforcement-officer-tickets-mayor/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RETRO TV -
http://xoteria.com/CH66.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
H.S. player scores 71, team still loses -
http://network.yardbarker.com/high_...r_anders_broman_scores_71_team_loses/10159585
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“If horses can't eat it, I won't play on it.”
(Dick Allen.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The fox and the hound: Meet unlikely friends Sadie the Jack Russell and Anuska the orphan cub... who's learnt a few dog tricks -
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...nuska-orphan-cub--whos-learnt-dog-tricks.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UFO spotted over Carrickfergus -
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/n...-can-you-help-solve-the-mystery-16123218.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cute Kitten Begging For Attention -
http://www.vidiload.com/video/108039/Cute_Kitten_Begging_For_Attention/
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUCH -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGqscAfgMls&feature=player_embedded
----------
http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/media/image/d/l/police_dogs_18.jpg
----------
http://www.break.com/index/todays-lesson-vodka-un-sticks-tongues-2303550
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IDIOTS -
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fd1_1330254061
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://sportsnationblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/crazy-fan-at-raiders-game-737513.jpg
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBSQf0wWiKw&feature=player_embedded
----------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-ki4XvKAzE&feature=related
----------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K9DaWgUtkg&feature=relmfu
.
Wednesday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud..........(Author unknown)
13) My time as a student manager of the UAlbany basketball team ranks right up there with the most fun I've ever had; every day was fun, and I wasn't a player, just a student assistant. Why do I bring this up?
The more I think about Pat Knight’s rant last week against his seniors, it just makes me sad; by all accounts, Pat Knight isn’t a mean bastard like his father, but there is no way anyone connected with Lamar basketball is having fun this year, and dammit, its supposed to be at least a little fun.
I know it’s a business, and people get fired for losing, but Lamar has a winning record this year, and Knight still obviously despises several of his players. I mean, I can think of better ways of spending my college years (or adult years, for that matter) than being miserable every day.
12) One of the odd quirks of college basketball is that teams need teams they’ve played to do well, to enhance their strength of schedule. For instance, Washington needs South Dakota State to win Summit League, since the Jackrabbits beat U-Dub by 19 in December. Harvard needs Florida State/LMU to keep winning, in case the Crimson gags away the Ivy league title, which now could happen.
A win against Pitt in November doesn’t look that good now, but back in the fall it was a big deal. And so on and so on........
11) OK, who knew that spreading Tide detergent on asphalt made it easier to drive on? The 2-hour delay during the NASCAR race Monday was alternately bizarre/entertaining.
10) Dave Blaney led the race during the 2-hour delay; he needed an 11pm rainstorm to end the race and give him his first win in 398 NASCAR tries, yes 398; too bad he didn’t get it. Blaney’s brother, by the way, was a basketball standout at West Virginia.
9) Under is 49-43 in games involving NBA teams that had 2+ days off prior to the game; under is 29-24 with a rested road team, 20-19 if the home team was rested.
8) Breaking down pointspread records of rested teams is a little more helpful: home favorites: 19-7, home underdogs: 3-8. Road favorites: 11-7, road underdogs, 15-16. That’s favorites 30-14, underdogs 18-24.
7) At the All-Star break, NBA teams were shooting a combined 34.6% behind the arc, the league’s worst mark since they were shooting 33.8% in 1999, the last time they had a shortended season. Makes sense.
6) The Mets desperately need a catcher with some experience in case Josh Thole isn’t the answer, or to back him up either way. Future Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez needs a job. This is a logical connection, right? Why hasn’t this been done?
5) The name Scott Sizemore doesn’t mean much to you, but he tore his ACL Monday, and now the A’s don’t have a big league third baseman. I mean, Sizemore isn’t Longoria or Zimmerman, but he is competent, and now he’s out for the year. His likely replacement? Either Josh Donaldson, who was a minor league catcher until last August, or Wes Timmons, the guy we talked about earlier this week who spent the winter as a substitute teacher. Good God this could be a long summer.
4) Ratings for the NBA All-Star Game were down 22% from last year, not sure why anyone would watch it. if players don’t take a game seriously, why should I watch?
3) Meanwhile, the Daytona 500 did a 7.7 rating Monday night; it did an 8.2 on Sunday afternoon LY, and a 7.0 in 2010. I’d expect to see more primetime NASCAR next season.
2) Tuesday was National Pancake Day. We need more days like that. Nothing like a stack of flapjacks smothered in maple syrup. Now I’m hungry.
1) Free NBA Full Court package this week, as NBA/DirecTV try to sucker us in on buying the second half of the condensed (and shortened) season for $85. Ain’t happening, but we’ll enjoy watching games this week, before March Madness kicks it into full gear next week.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday's six-pack
-- For the record, first two teams eliminated in March Madness were Gardner-Webb and Radford, losers in the Big South Tourney Monday.
-- Home court held in the four Horizon League tournament games, with Butler getting the first of four wins it needs to get back into NCAA's.
-- NFL moved 2012 season opener up to a Wednesday night to avoid conflict with President Obama's speech at Democratic Convention.
-- Think Brook Lopez makes a difference for the Nets? Big guy had 21 at the half, wound up with 38 as the Nets won 93-92 at Dallas.
-- Montana thrashed Weber State 66-51, clinching the regular season title in the Big Sky Conference.
-- Today is February 29; if you know someone who has a birthday, give him/her a hug- they only get a birthday once every four years.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FROM ONION SPORTS
http://www.theonion.com/articles/high-school-team-denies-winning-for-dead-teammate,6142/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Len’s Top 5
http://thatssports.com/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vintage Commercial -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-aCP3SVu-Q&feature=relmfu
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actual Headline -
http://stupidknews.com/2012/02/25/parking-enforcement-officer-tickets-mayor/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RETRO TV -
http://xoteria.com/CH66.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
H.S. player scores 71, team still loses -
http://network.yardbarker.com/high_...r_anders_broman_scores_71_team_loses/10159585
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“If horses can't eat it, I won't play on it.”
(Dick Allen.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The fox and the hound: Meet unlikely friends Sadie the Jack Russell and Anuska the orphan cub... who's learnt a few dog tricks -
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...nuska-orphan-cub--whos-learnt-dog-tricks.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UFO spotted over Carrickfergus -
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/n...-can-you-help-solve-the-mystery-16123218.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cute Kitten Begging For Attention -
http://www.vidiload.com/video/108039/Cute_Kitten_Begging_For_Attention/
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUCH -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGqscAfgMls&feature=player_embedded
----------
http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/media/image/d/l/police_dogs_18.jpg
----------
http://www.break.com/index/todays-lesson-vodka-un-sticks-tongues-2303550
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IDIOTS -
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fd1_1330254061
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://sportsnationblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/crazy-fan-at-raiders-game-737513.jpg
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBSQf0wWiKw&feature=player_embedded
----------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-ki4XvKAzE&feature=related
----------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K9DaWgUtkg&feature=relmfu
.