Is there anything worse than quitting?
(If you're struggling to come up with the answer, it is No)
Here we are, with what is in my opinion the major flaw of baseball's obscenely long season--almost every team has to eventually decide to give up. By season's end, there are at most 6-7 teams from both leagues that are still playing hard.
That's because it's pretty obvious in baseball when you're out of it. For example, the Pittsburgh Pirates knew they were out of it about 10 games into the season (okay, maybe it took 15). From that point on, they have stopped playing as hard, only trying for a win when they are with a run or better in the eighth inning.
That is a fact of every sport though. The doormats stop playing and start dumping guys as soon as possible to prep for next year. What's weird about baseball is that can happen 100 games into the season.
Take the New York Mets, for example. They headed into the All-star break eight games above .500, in second place in the NL East by 4.5 games and a half game out of the wild-card. Just 11 games into the second half, though, the Mets have stopped trying to make it to the playoffs.
They started things with 1-3 series in San Francisco, then lost their first game at the woefully bad Arizona Diamondbacks. Then they brought back Ollie Perez, the surest sign of all that they were not concerned with a playoff run.
Make no mistake: Ollie is one of the worst pitchers in the majors. I've never seen a guy with as little control as him. If he inherits runners on first and second with two out, there is as strong a chance of him walking in a run as there is of him getting out of the inning.
So the Mets bringing him back up was their way of waving the white flag. We quit. They aren't going to use Ollie, seeing as he's their third best left-handed reliever. There aren't going to be many situations that call for him.
Essentially, it is a situation of the organization placing him on the roster because they don't believe they will contend, and they won't have a mult-million dollar player in the minor leagues.
How about this though: if you're going to call up Ollie from now on, or do anything else that signifies the team is done for this season, at least be fair to the fans. Lower ticket prices. If you aren't playing hard, why should they pay full price? At least tell the fans you are finished, and let them know you'll be gearing up to go all-out next year.
Just don't pull this "We've got our pitcher back and that's a good thing" routine. It's not a good thing. It's a bad thing. If you're gonna pull this kind of stunt, own up to what it is: giving up.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Let's Turn this thing around!
Since my last post we have learned something very important: the New York Mets evidently read my blog.
Scroll down a little bit and you will read about me ripping the Mets apart, how its unbelievable that they can spend so much and still be so bad. Well, to say that they have turned things around since that point would be an understatement.
My beloved Metropolitans have enjoyed a 9-1 homestand, including sweeps of the Braves and Dodgers. All of a sudden their pitching (with the exception of Ollie Perez, of course, who will never be good), is dominant. Mike Pelfrey has thrown 24 consecutive scoreless innings, Johan Santana is looking in form, and the rest of the gang (John Niese, John Maine) have pitched above their heads in getting some wins.
The other noticeable difference? Ike. The Mets called up first baseman Ike Davis, something they were clearly hoping to be able to hold off on at the beginning of the season, and it has coincided with the run to first place in the NL East. Now, is Ike the only reason for the wins? Of course not. Other players have finally started to hit as well, but Ike's .355 batting average has certainly made a difference in comparison to whatever garbage Mike Jacobs and Frank Catalanotto were bringing to the table. They weren't doing anything like this either.
At 13-9, the Mets actually look like a legitimate team this again. Keep an eye on their results this weekend, though, when they have to take on the Phillies in Philly. Then we'll see if they actually have a chance of contending come September.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
$132 Million never bought so little
Dear New York Mets,
Quit wasting so much money. If you are going to be this bad, just go ahead and put your money to better use. Give it to the community in Queens or something. Better yet, give it to me. I could do a whole lot with just shy of $133 million. I mean, that is a whole lot of cabbage. I could fulfill my dream of owning a space shuttle, for one thing.
Now, I realize that I am writing this the day after the Mets managed to pull out a 2-1, 20 inning win over the Cardinals, but honestly that is most likely going to be the greatest highlight for the team this season. An 0-7 performance from your lead-off man is going to be your most memorable highlight from the season. Cause let's be honest: this rotation is simply not going to get the job done.
The one bright spot for the boys this year has been Mike Pelfrey, who is 2-0 on the season, and happened to get a save in last night's marathon game. Pretty impressive. Hopefully Mike can keep up the play, cause in my experience he has been inconsistent.
So this being the first baseball post of the new year, it is only natural that I talk about my RMOB stat. I plan on keeping track of things again this year, and will hopefully have a season ending RMOB standings to really judge the experiment. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out this post. Looking forward to seeing how that plays out.
Quit wasting so much money. If you are going to be this bad, just go ahead and put your money to better use. Give it to the community in Queens or something. Better yet, give it to me. I could do a whole lot with just shy of $133 million. I mean, that is a whole lot of cabbage. I could fulfill my dream of owning a space shuttle, for one thing.
Now, I realize that I am writing this the day after the Mets managed to pull out a 2-1, 20 inning win over the Cardinals, but honestly that is most likely going to be the greatest highlight for the team this season. An 0-7 performance from your lead-off man is going to be your most memorable highlight from the season. Cause let's be honest: this rotation is simply not going to get the job done.
The one bright spot for the boys this year has been Mike Pelfrey, who is 2-0 on the season, and happened to get a save in last night's marathon game. Pretty impressive. Hopefully Mike can keep up the play, cause in my experience he has been inconsistent.
So this being the first baseball post of the new year, it is only natural that I talk about my RMOB stat. I plan on keeping track of things again this year, and will hopefully have a season ending RMOB standings to really judge the experiment. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out this post. Looking forward to seeing how that plays out.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Little Man in the Garden
It's been far too long since I've posted, and a lot of pretty cool stuff has happened lately. My excuse is that I've been posting like a mad man on the Flyer News blog and then it was Easter.
I'm back now though. Madison Square Garden is cool though. Sitting on press row in the Garden when you could extend your feet and be on the court is even cooler. To give you an idea of where I was sitting, just look at the basket in the picture. I was underneath that. Hanging out on the court after Dayton won while the players were going nuts is even cooler.
So I had a great time. Part of me is glad that Dayton went to the NIT, cause this might be the only two times I ever cover a game in MSG. Hopefully not, but maybe. At the same time, though, it was the NIT. I mean honestly, as great as it was to see the guys play well and win the tournament, it was the NIT. Don't go bragging to your friends or shouting it in the streets. The fact remains the season was a disappointment. The NIT Championship is a consolation prize.
Now the Flyers have to move on. London Warren, Kurt Huelsman, Rob Lowery, Mickey Perry and Marcus Johnson are not going to be here next year. The way I see it, Kurt and Marcus are the two big losses from that group. Everybody else is easily replaceable, especially since there were a lot of negatives that came with the positives London and Rob brought to the table.
It is going to be interesting to see who Dayton actually has next year. Chris Wright might go to the NBA, and rumors abound about Chris Johnson and Paul Williams both transferring. Personally, I think all three will be back next year. Wright isn't good enough, and CJ and PW are going to be starting all next year and the focal points of the offense. Them and Wright (if he comes back) could be Dayton's Singler, Scheyer and Smith.
I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Monday, March 22, 2010
What a Weekend
March Madness is my favorite time of the year, and this time, it lived up to its bidding. This has been the greatest tournament I can remember.
The first day alone--unbelievable. A one-point game to start things off, two overtime games, upsets, a buzzer beater (Murray State over Vandy). Just incredible. My bracket was already hurting badly after day one (just 10 out of 16 games correct) and I didn't care. Seeing all those close games--there is just nothing like it.
Then Friday was a little bit meh. Nothing all too exciting happened, but I'm not sure those of us watching could have taken much more drama. you just needed a little bit of a break from the absurdity.
No worries though, things got back to insane for the weekend. Saturday and Sunday games were awesome, with Northern Iowa's major upset of Kansas being the signature game from the two days. All in all, the greatest opening two rounds in my tournament-watching career: mid-major's have ruled so far, the majority of games have been close and Duke is still alive and playing well.
Surprises
How about Cornell. The 12th seeded Big Red have won by 13 and 18 points in their two games. They have just been raining threes, and its been phenomenal to watch, even though they beat Temple in the first round.
Jon Diebler. The Ohio State guard has been absolutely on fire, and making the Buckeyes look like a legit title contender all of a sudden. He's shooting 50 percent from distance, and that is cause for concern for the rest of the field. If he keeps that up, Ohio State is actually good.
Disappointments
The A-10. Being a fan of the conference I came in hoping they would do well in this tournament. Instead, Richmond and Temple both laid eggs in the first round. Granted, the teams they lost to then dominated in the second round, but still. They looked like garbage in their games. Xavier has barely survived its first two games now, but they of course always seem to do that.
Purdue. The Boilermakers came into the NCAAs looking like a d2 team against Minnesota. They barely reach double digits as a team in the first half of that game. Then, they were a popular pick to get upset by Siena in the first round without Robbie Hummell. Now my boy Mike Liberio's squad is in the Sweet 16. Pretty awesome turnaround from them.
The first day alone--unbelievable. A one-point game to start things off, two overtime games, upsets, a buzzer beater (Murray State over Vandy). Just incredible. My bracket was already hurting badly after day one (just 10 out of 16 games correct) and I didn't care. Seeing all those close games--there is just nothing like it.
Then Friday was a little bit meh. Nothing all too exciting happened, but I'm not sure those of us watching could have taken much more drama. you just needed a little bit of a break from the absurdity.
No worries though, things got back to insane for the weekend. Saturday and Sunday games were awesome, with Northern Iowa's major upset of Kansas being the signature game from the two days. All in all, the greatest opening two rounds in my tournament-watching career: mid-major's have ruled so far, the majority of games have been close and Duke is still alive and playing well.
Surprises
How about Cornell. The 12th seeded Big Red have won by 13 and 18 points in their two games. They have just been raining threes, and its been phenomenal to watch, even though they beat Temple in the first round.
Jon Diebler. The Ohio State guard has been absolutely on fire, and making the Buckeyes look like a legit title contender all of a sudden. He's shooting 50 percent from distance, and that is cause for concern for the rest of the field. If he keeps that up, Ohio State is actually good.
Disappointments
The A-10. Being a fan of the conference I came in hoping they would do well in this tournament. Instead, Richmond and Temple both laid eggs in the first round. Granted, the teams they lost to then dominated in the second round, but still. They looked like garbage in their games. Xavier has barely survived its first two games now, but they of course always seem to do that.
Purdue. The Boilermakers came into the NCAAs looking like a d2 team against Minnesota. They barely reach double digits as a team in the first half of that game. Then, they were a popular pick to get upset by Siena in the first round without Robbie Hummell. Now my boy Mike Liberio's squad is in the Sweet 16. Pretty awesome turnaround from them.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
...And so it begins
It's noon, and the dance is starting in just about 20 minutes. I haven't been this excited in a long time. I've got some studying to do, and I can't think of a better way to do it than with some Florida-BYU/Old Dominion-Notre Dame/Robert Morris-Villanova in the background. There is no better time than this.
Three games going on at the same time to start things off. 16 games will be played today. 16! O man its going to be great. I finished my bracket late last night, and think it is a pretty decent one. I went with the boring pick of Kansas to win the national championship, but still made some gutsy picks in the earlier rounds, so it isn't the lamest bracket of all time.
Things to keep an eye for today:
Saint Mary's vs Richmond: Should be a really good 10-7 matchup between two great mid-major programs. I'll be looking for Richmond to win. They are a lot of fun to watch and it would be good to see an A-10 team do well. By the way, without even meaning to, I picked the A-10 teams in this tournament to do extremely well. I have Richmond in the Sweet 16 and Xavier and Temple each going to the Elite Eight. Kinda Crazy.
Wake Forest vs Texas: Maybe the dog game of the tournament. These two teams were both looking waaaaaayyyy better than they finished on the season. They are probably the two biggest end-of-season collapses in the entire tournament field.
Okay, its 12:18, time for me to concentrate on other things. Hope everybody is able to watch the games. If you don't know about it, check out March Madness on Demand to watch any of the games in the Tournament.
Three games going on at the same time to start things off. 16 games will be played today. 16! O man its going to be great. I finished my bracket late last night, and think it is a pretty decent one. I went with the boring pick of Kansas to win the national championship, but still made some gutsy picks in the earlier rounds, so it isn't the lamest bracket of all time.
Things to keep an eye for today:
Saint Mary's vs Richmond: Should be a really good 10-7 matchup between two great mid-major programs. I'll be looking for Richmond to win. They are a lot of fun to watch and it would be good to see an A-10 team do well. By the way, without even meaning to, I picked the A-10 teams in this tournament to do extremely well. I have Richmond in the Sweet 16 and Xavier and Temple each going to the Elite Eight. Kinda Crazy.
Wake Forest vs Texas: Maybe the dog game of the tournament. These two teams were both looking waaaaaayyyy better than they finished on the season. They are probably the two biggest end-of-season collapses in the entire tournament field.
Okay, its 12:18, time for me to concentrate on other things. Hope everybody is able to watch the games. If you don't know about it, check out March Madness on Demand to watch any of the games in the Tournament.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Atlantic City behind the scenes
As I said in my last post, I was going to Atlantic City to cover the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Covering and watching the games was cool, but there is just so much more that happened from the time before I even got here until now.
It all started at about 5:40 a.m. Friday morning. I was getting picked up to drive to the airport, and was tired but ready to roll. it was still pretty dark out at that point in time, and I can only assume that some student who had been having a great time Thursday night decided it would be a great idea to remove the cover from the sewer drain outside of Lawnview Apartments.
See where this is going?
If you can't, read on. I began to walk to the car, and this sewer just so happened to be in my path. Being tired and not able to see very well, I walked right over this hole in the ground, and all of a sudden my waist was even with the ground. It took me about two seconds to realize what had even happened to me (one doesn't fall into a manhole very often), but when I finally did get it, the pain took over. I still have the bruise on my right hip and the cut on my left shin to show for it.
Sooooo not the greatest start to the trip. We got to the airport and the flights went off without a hitch, so that was good.
We made it to AC and I posted up in my media spot before the UD game and started to get ready. It was fun blogging and tweeting (my first experience with that), and the game was great to watch from a fanboy standpoint until the final 10 minutes. O well.
One thing that was cool during that time was Verne Lundquist showed up. He is going to be calling the championship game on CBS Sunday and was stopping by to start preparing for his broadcast and watch some basketball. He was sitting two seats down from me, so I talked to him after the Dayton game. He is a really nice guy, and we talked for a few minutes about the games that day. Never talked to a big time broadcaster like that, so that was cool.
I've learned that Terrell Holloway and Chris Mack are both punks this weekend. I have no problem with them being affiliated with the team I dislike the most. Holloway doesn't shake hands, and Mack smiled at the crowd when he called a completely unnecessary timeout with two seconds left and got booed. Coming from a coach, that is embarrassing if you ask me.
It all started at about 5:40 a.m. Friday morning. I was getting picked up to drive to the airport, and was tired but ready to roll. it was still pretty dark out at that point in time, and I can only assume that some student who had been having a great time Thursday night decided it would be a great idea to remove the cover from the sewer drain outside of Lawnview Apartments.
See where this is going?
If you can't, read on. I began to walk to the car, and this sewer just so happened to be in my path. Being tired and not able to see very well, I walked right over this hole in the ground, and all of a sudden my waist was even with the ground. It took me about two seconds to realize what had even happened to me (one doesn't fall into a manhole very often), but when I finally did get it, the pain took over. I still have the bruise on my right hip and the cut on my left shin to show for it.
Sooooo not the greatest start to the trip. We got to the airport and the flights went off without a hitch, so that was good.
We made it to AC and I posted up in my media spot before the UD game and started to get ready. It was fun blogging and tweeting (my first experience with that), and the game was great to watch from a fanboy standpoint until the final 10 minutes. O well.
One thing that was cool during that time was Verne Lundquist showed up. He is going to be calling the championship game on CBS Sunday and was stopping by to start preparing for his broadcast and watch some basketball. He was sitting two seats down from me, so I talked to him after the Dayton game. He is a really nice guy, and we talked for a few minutes about the games that day. Never talked to a big time broadcaster like that, so that was cool.
I've learned that Terrell Holloway and Chris Mack are both punks this weekend. I have no problem with them being affiliated with the team I dislike the most. Holloway doesn't shake hands, and Mack smiled at the crowd when he called a completely unnecessary timeout with two seconds left and got booed. Coming from a coach, that is embarrassing if you ask me.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tournament home games are weird
...At least this one was. UD beat George Washington last night in an okay game for the Flyers. It was nice to see them win a close game anyway. Still, that was really not what caught my attention during the game.
What did have my eyes and ears perplexed was the fact that the UD employed people that work at the scorers table were wearing black sweater vests instead of red. In addition to that fact, the PA announcer was announcing the game from an unbiased perspective. Think about that for a second. I've never heard that dude's voice unless it was championing Dayton's cause.
I'm used to "THREEEEEEEEEEEEEE Chris Johnson!"
Instead I got "Chris Johnson, three points."
It was bizarre, I'm telling you.
It was also weird that only 6,930 people made it out to the game. I mean, come on. Even if the fans have given up on the NCAA Tournament and are disappointed in what Dayton has done this season, they should still be coming to the game. BG said something I really like after the game: "Some of our faithful have put conditions on their faithfulness." He's right, and that is embarrassing. Fans should be fans no matter what, and that Arena should have been full like usual last night.
At any rate, I'm going to Atlantic City, which should be pretty cool. I'll be blogging and taking pictures and what not for Flyer News a lot, but hopefully I'll be able to get over and get a post or two up on this thing for the weekend.
What did have my eyes and ears perplexed was the fact that the UD employed people that work at the scorers table were wearing black sweater vests instead of red. In addition to that fact, the PA announcer was announcing the game from an unbiased perspective. Think about that for a second. I've never heard that dude's voice unless it was championing Dayton's cause.
I'm used to "THREEEEEEEEEEEEEE Chris Johnson!"
Instead I got "Chris Johnson, three points."
It was bizarre, I'm telling you.
It was also weird that only 6,930 people made it out to the game. I mean, come on. Even if the fans have given up on the NCAA Tournament and are disappointed in what Dayton has done this season, they should still be coming to the game. BG said something I really like after the game: "Some of our faithful have put conditions on their faithfulness." He's right, and that is embarrassing. Fans should be fans no matter what, and that Arena should have been full like usual last night.
At any rate, I'm going to Atlantic City, which should be pretty cool. I'll be blogging and taking pictures and what not for Flyer News a lot, but hopefully I'll be able to get over and get a post or two up on this thing for the weekend.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Ruh Roh
What is it Scoob?
I'll tell you what it is. A story involving Mets outfielder and shortstop Carlos Beltran and Josey Reyes showed up on ESPN.com today.
Basically the story says Beltran was questioned by federal officials about a doctor he saw for a knee injury. This doctor also happens to be involved in some activity with some banned substances, Actovegin and HGH. The story goes on to talk about how Beltran and Reyes are probably fine, whatever help they sought was legitimate, and the doctor's troubles are unrelated to them. Forgive me for not wiping the sweat off my brow just yet.
It just seems like in baseball lately there is nothing but bad news when drugs are involved. Any time a guy gets involved in a drug-related discussion, he denies it until there is no way to do so anymore. We've seen it with Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez and most recently Mark McGwire, who held out longest of all.
I realize this is not quite the same thing with Beltran and Reyes, because they were simply questioned because they have been in contact with the doctor for other reasons (so it seems). Still, I wouldn't brush this story aside.
The thing that makes this really aggravating is that Jose Reyes is my favorite player in all of baseball, and CB isn't far down on the list. Both are lean, athletic guys that play great defense, steal bases and hit for a pretty good average. Neither of them looks anything like they could be taking steroids. Unfortunately, I don't think there are as many tell-tale signs of PEDs as there used to be. It would stink to find out those guys have been juicing.
I just don't want to be let down like so many other baseball fans have recently. Please don't let me down, Jose.
I'll tell you what it is. A story involving Mets outfielder and shortstop Carlos Beltran and Josey Reyes showed up on ESPN.com today.
Basically the story says Beltran was questioned by federal officials about a doctor he saw for a knee injury. This doctor also happens to be involved in some activity with some banned substances, Actovegin and HGH. The story goes on to talk about how Beltran and Reyes are probably fine, whatever help they sought was legitimate, and the doctor's troubles are unrelated to them. Forgive me for not wiping the sweat off my brow just yet.
It just seems like in baseball lately there is nothing but bad news when drugs are involved. Any time a guy gets involved in a drug-related discussion, he denies it until there is no way to do so anymore. We've seen it with Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez and most recently Mark McGwire, who held out longest of all.
I realize this is not quite the same thing with Beltran and Reyes, because they were simply questioned because they have been in contact with the doctor for other reasons (so it seems). Still, I wouldn't brush this story aside.
The thing that makes this really aggravating is that Jose Reyes is my favorite player in all of baseball, and CB isn't far down on the list. Both are lean, athletic guys that play great defense, steal bases and hit for a pretty good average. Neither of them looks anything like they could be taking steroids. Unfortunately, I don't think there are as many tell-tale signs of PEDs as there used to be. It would stink to find out those guys have been juicing.
I just don't want to be let down like so many other baseball fans have recently. Please don't let me down, Jose.
Monday, February 22, 2010
At the Brink
I can't say I didn't think another loss was out of the question, but for some reason the false hope in me rose up again, and I thought Dayton would finally figure things out on the road.
WRONG!
The Flyers lost at Duquesne Sunday, 73-71. Eesh. Chris Wright scored 13 points in the first half and only two in the second half. Eeesh. Chris Johnson shot 13 three point attempts. Eeeesh. Dayton turned the ball over 21 times. Eeeeesh. 10 of those were by their two senior point guards. Eeeeeeeeeeessshhh.
Just another absolutely demoralizing loss, where Dayton allowed themselves to be beaten. They actually shot free throws very well, did pretty well from beyond the arc, and got good offensive production from Kurt and Paul Williams (completely out of the blue). Didn't matter though. You can't win with 21 turnovers. I've never seen so many dropped passes. The game made me feel like I was in the stands watching a Corpus Christi League matchup between St. Rita's and Immaculate Conception. Gosh, it was bad.
This brings me to the title of the blog. Dayton is now officially at the brink. They have five losses in conference play. In my opinion, nothing worse than 11-5 in the A-10 will receive an at large bid to the NCAA Tournament, and even then it would be iffy. So Dayton needs to win out. That means getting four straight Ws--at Temple, vs. UMass, at Richmond and vs. St. Louis. Anybody else think things are looking more than just a little bleak?
Ah, well. I'll still be rooting as hard as ever, but with very little expectation now, and no false hope.
WRONG!
The Flyers lost at Duquesne Sunday, 73-71. Eesh. Chris Wright scored 13 points in the first half and only two in the second half. Eeesh. Chris Johnson shot 13 three point attempts. Eeeesh. Dayton turned the ball over 21 times. Eeeeesh. 10 of those were by their two senior point guards. Eeeeeeeeeeessshhh.
Just another absolutely demoralizing loss, where Dayton allowed themselves to be beaten. They actually shot free throws very well, did pretty well from beyond the arc, and got good offensive production from Kurt and Paul Williams (completely out of the blue). Didn't matter though. You can't win with 21 turnovers. I've never seen so many dropped passes. The game made me feel like I was in the stands watching a Corpus Christi League matchup between St. Rita's and Immaculate Conception. Gosh, it was bad.
This brings me to the title of the blog. Dayton is now officially at the brink. They have five losses in conference play. In my opinion, nothing worse than 11-5 in the A-10 will receive an at large bid to the NCAA Tournament, and even then it would be iffy. So Dayton needs to win out. That means getting four straight Ws--at Temple, vs. UMass, at Richmond and vs. St. Louis. Anybody else think things are looking more than just a little bleak?
Ah, well. I'll still be rooting as hard as ever, but with very little expectation now, and no false hope.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
And it all comes crashing down
So I just read my last post, and I can't help but feel like it is so appropriate for how I'm currently feeling.
This is the problem with loving sports: something that is pointless in the grand scheme of things ruins your day. It's a double edged sword to root hard for a team, especially one like the Dayton Flyers.
That's because they are part of a very unique breed of team that can play like a top 15 team for 5 straight halves of basketball, beating Xavier and Charlotte by a combined 52 points and have a 14 point lead on St. Louis at halftime, then just completely lose focus and blow a HUGE game on the road.
That was devastating. I am still mad about the loss. Say what you want about UD getting unlucky on that final shot. All they have to do is go 11-20 from the foul line (still awful, by the way) and that shot doesn't matter. All they have to do is go 2-13 from the 3-point line (still horrendous, by the way) and that shot doesn't matter. Nope, Dayton couldn't do either of those things.
I said I had no confidence that they could play as well on the road. For the first half, I ate my words. They were up 33-19. Their defense was great, their offense was efficient. The threes weren't dropping, but they were scoring inside. In the second half, they decided to stop going inside, and I have no idea why.
I hate to say it, but I think BG made some mistakes with personnel at the end of the game and in the overtimes. No reason London is not in there more than Rob. No reason to have Paul Williams in at the end of the game, even if he is a good free throw shooter. He doesn't have the late-game experience. Give it to CJ in the situations where you need a free-throw. He's done it before.
Ugh, I don't even want to think about this anymore. Looking ahead, you could still say that Dayton has a chance to make the NCAAs. If they win their final six games, they'll be 12-4 in the A-10, and are a no-doubter. But how can anyone honestly think they will be able to win at Temple or at Richmond, if they lay an egg like this against St. Louis? I just don't see it happening.
My prediction? Three seed in the NIT.
This is the problem with loving sports: something that is pointless in the grand scheme of things ruins your day. It's a double edged sword to root hard for a team, especially one like the Dayton Flyers.
That's because they are part of a very unique breed of team that can play like a top 15 team for 5 straight halves of basketball, beating Xavier and Charlotte by a combined 52 points and have a 14 point lead on St. Louis at halftime, then just completely lose focus and blow a HUGE game on the road.
That was devastating. I am still mad about the loss. Say what you want about UD getting unlucky on that final shot. All they have to do is go 11-20 from the foul line (still awful, by the way) and that shot doesn't matter. All they have to do is go 2-13 from the 3-point line (still horrendous, by the way) and that shot doesn't matter. Nope, Dayton couldn't do either of those things.
I said I had no confidence that they could play as well on the road. For the first half, I ate my words. They were up 33-19. Their defense was great, their offense was efficient. The threes weren't dropping, but they were scoring inside. In the second half, they decided to stop going inside, and I have no idea why.
I hate to say it, but I think BG made some mistakes with personnel at the end of the game and in the overtimes. No reason London is not in there more than Rob. No reason to have Paul Williams in at the end of the game, even if he is a good free throw shooter. He doesn't have the late-game experience. Give it to CJ in the situations where you need a free-throw. He's done it before.
Ugh, I don't even want to think about this anymore. Looking ahead, you could still say that Dayton has a chance to make the NCAAs. If they win their final six games, they'll be 12-4 in the A-10, and are a no-doubter. But how can anyone honestly think they will be able to win at Temple or at Richmond, if they lay an egg like this against St. Louis? I just don't see it happening.
My prediction? Three seed in the NIT.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Great day for Basketball
This is why I follow sports, and live and die with the teams I root for.
Cause when they win, it feels so good.
Dayton beat Charlotte tonight, 75-47. O my gosh, did they look good. Chris Wright scored 30, and he was able to do that because he hit a couple threes in the second half. If he hits jumpers and forces a team to guard him everywhere, it's not even fair.
CJ looked great too, just hitting threes and taking what came to him. He finished with 14. Marcus had 13, including the best dunk by a UD player I've seen this year.
Not to mention the fact that they outscored Charlotte 45-20 in the second half. It was just ridiculous how good their defense looked. So now Dayton has won two big games in a row, and climbed back into the thick of things in the conference. Here's the catch-22 though: both games were at home. Now they have to go on the road for some tough games. If they continue playing this well, they will probably run the table. The thing is, I have no confidence they will ever play that well away from home. It just never seems to work out that way. I will hope, however.
In other news, Duke beat North Carolina for the first time in what seems like forever. I have hated watching Duke blow game after game against UNC because they come out guns-a-blazing and then get tired and lose it down the stretch. Sure, UNC is terrible this year (2-7 in the ACC), but it still feels good. I can only imagine how it felt for Jon Scheyer, who is a complete man. He's got to be at least 40.
Anyway, loving the wins now, and I'll enjoy them at least until Saturday, when both teams will almost certainly keep me sweating for the two plus hours they are playing.
Cause when they win, it feels so good.
Dayton beat Charlotte tonight, 75-47. O my gosh, did they look good. Chris Wright scored 30, and he was able to do that because he hit a couple threes in the second half. If he hits jumpers and forces a team to guard him everywhere, it's not even fair.
CJ looked great too, just hitting threes and taking what came to him. He finished with 14. Marcus had 13, including the best dunk by a UD player I've seen this year.
Not to mention the fact that they outscored Charlotte 45-20 in the second half. It was just ridiculous how good their defense looked. So now Dayton has won two big games in a row, and climbed back into the thick of things in the conference. Here's the catch-22 though: both games were at home. Now they have to go on the road for some tough games. If they continue playing this well, they will probably run the table. The thing is, I have no confidence they will ever play that well away from home. It just never seems to work out that way. I will hope, however.
In other news, Duke beat North Carolina for the first time in what seems like forever. I have hated watching Duke blow game after game against UNC because they come out guns-a-blazing and then get tired and lose it down the stretch. Sure, UNC is terrible this year (2-7 in the ACC), but it still feels good. I can only imagine how it felt for Jon Scheyer, who is a complete man. He's got to be at least 40.
Anyway, loving the wins now, and I'll enjoy them at least until Saturday, when both teams will almost certainly keep me sweating for the two plus hours they are playing.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Return to the Radio
Well, it was an exciting weekend and an exciting Monday.
The big highlight of today (yesterday?) was resuming the radio show I do with my roommate, Statler-Waldorf Sports.
It was a blast. We had to be taken out last semester because we didn't get a time slot that worked, so we were pretty disappointed to be off the air for so long. However, that made it all the better to be back.
We talked on UD basketball and the Super Bowl for just about the entire show, and it was great. It went pretty smoothly, with just one slip-up during the show. Not bad for the first run back. I got to run the board, which is always cool.
Speaking of the Super Bowl, that is gonna be awesome. The two best offenses in the NFL and the two best quarterbacks in the NFL going head to head. It should be a great shootout. One like what happened to my Packers a few weekends ago. I mean, it could honestly be some ridiculous final score like 56-49. Just touchdown after touchdown after touchdown.
I think I'm probably going to write more on this game later, as I do a bit more research on the two teams. For now, I just wanted to post about the excitement of the Radio. Hopefully we will be able to get some podcasting capability. Steve and I would really like to work on that, it could be pretty baller.
The big highlight of today (yesterday?) was resuming the radio show I do with my roommate, Statler-Waldorf Sports.
It was a blast. We had to be taken out last semester because we didn't get a time slot that worked, so we were pretty disappointed to be off the air for so long. However, that made it all the better to be back.
We talked on UD basketball and the Super Bowl for just about the entire show, and it was great. It went pretty smoothly, with just one slip-up during the show. Not bad for the first run back. I got to run the board, which is always cool.
Speaking of the Super Bowl, that is gonna be awesome. The two best offenses in the NFL and the two best quarterbacks in the NFL going head to head. It should be a great shootout. One like what happened to my Packers a few weekends ago. I mean, it could honestly be some ridiculous final score like 56-49. Just touchdown after touchdown after touchdown.
I think I'm probably going to write more on this game later, as I do a bit more research on the two teams. For now, I just wanted to post about the excitement of the Radio. Hopefully we will be able to get some podcasting capability. Steve and I would really like to work on that, it could be pretty baller.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
O Crap
So I know I'm the worst blogger ever, but there are more important matters at hand...
Dayton has lost two in a row. By a total of two points. In fact their six losses this year are by a grand total of 22 points. What does this tell me? That at 14-6 they have about a one percent chance of making it to the NCAA Tournament, something that was more of an afterthought at the beginning of the season. In October it wasn't "You think they'll make the tournament?" It was "You think they'll make the Elite 8?" O how quickly things can change.
These guys can't seem to win in close games, which they did in droves last year. I don't know why, I can't tell you what they are doing wrong in these games. In the case of Nova, KState and New Mexico and St. Joe's, the biggest problem was that they decided to play from behind the entire game. Then, when they made a run, it was not enough. Xavier and Rhode Island they just lost it. So when they need a big win at Richmond or at Temple or in the A-10 Tournament to make a statement for the NCAA Tournament and it's a close game, what's going to happen. Their play this year says its gonna be a loss.
How about I start a new section called Hoorays and Boos? Name subject to change.
Hooray London Warren. London, you played the greatest game of your career and one of the greatest games played by a point guard in the entire nation this season. John Wall would not have known what to do with your defense. I'm not convinced anyone could have stopped your moves to the basket. Your dunk was awesome. Your angry comments after the game to the Fox 45 guy interviewing you were hilarious. Sorry the rest of the team couldn't help you out, man. Except this guy...
Hooray Kurt Huelsman. You set a record for consecutive starts. You played your best all-around game of the year, shutting down the inside, scoring points and grabbing rebounds. For the first time in your career you deserved to be (and should have been) in the game in the closing minutes. You were the best option UD had to grab a board, something they had a lot of trouble (out of the blue) with last night. Congrats on the record, and keep that kind of offensive play up. If you score six to 10 points a night, this team just might be able to go on the run they need when your teammates figure out whatever is going on with them.
Boo Chris Wright's defense. You left multiple three point shooters open in last nights game. And I mean egregiously open. Not to mention one of those guys you left was Marquis Jones, who made you pay. Hedge a screen man. You have been having a great season until last night. As much as I like that your jump shot is improving and you are a clear leader for these guys, it's hard to ignore the defensive mistakes you've made in A-10 play. The deal with Jones, fouling Delroy James for 3 shots last night, and the foul on Jason Duty when Duquesne visited. Can't have those.
Boo Rob Lowery. Rob, you bring a new dimension to the offense, but only if you are scoring. When you put up bad shots, it does nothing for us. We can't have the "I'm gonna take over now, I don't care what is happening around me" Rob. We need a much more calm and cool version of that guy, who makes better decisions throughout the game, but especially late.
Boo UD fans that don't like the substitutions. It's been seven years. This is how it will work. There will be lots of substitutions from UD. But you know what? The guys who should be playing will play the most minutes. Yeah, every game Chris Johnson, Chris Wright, Kurt Huelsman, Marcus Johnson, London Warren, Marcus Johnson and Mickey Perry play the most minutes. Paul Williams will play a pretty good amount too. That's eight guys. That's not very many. Luke, Devin and Josh are there to give people a rest. They don't play 20 minutes a game. Give it a rest. Guys come in and play for four hard minutes. If you don't believe me, keep track next time. London will come out 2 minutes into the game, and after that, everybody will play for at least 3:30, unless there is foul trouble involved.
There you go, I'm hoping to change the look of this thing as I learn how to do cooler stuff with Web sites.
Dayton has lost two in a row. By a total of two points. In fact their six losses this year are by a grand total of 22 points. What does this tell me? That at 14-6 they have about a one percent chance of making it to the NCAA Tournament, something that was more of an afterthought at the beginning of the season. In October it wasn't "You think they'll make the tournament?" It was "You think they'll make the Elite 8?" O how quickly things can change.
These guys can't seem to win in close games, which they did in droves last year. I don't know why, I can't tell you what they are doing wrong in these games. In the case of Nova, KState and New Mexico and St. Joe's, the biggest problem was that they decided to play from behind the entire game. Then, when they made a run, it was not enough. Xavier and Rhode Island they just lost it. So when they need a big win at Richmond or at Temple or in the A-10 Tournament to make a statement for the NCAA Tournament and it's a close game, what's going to happen. Their play this year says its gonna be a loss.
How about I start a new section called Hoorays and Boos? Name subject to change.
Hooray London Warren. London, you played the greatest game of your career and one of the greatest games played by a point guard in the entire nation this season. John Wall would not have known what to do with your defense. I'm not convinced anyone could have stopped your moves to the basket. Your dunk was awesome. Your angry comments after the game to the Fox 45 guy interviewing you were hilarious. Sorry the rest of the team couldn't help you out, man. Except this guy...
Hooray Kurt Huelsman. You set a record for consecutive starts. You played your best all-around game of the year, shutting down the inside, scoring points and grabbing rebounds. For the first time in your career you deserved to be (and should have been) in the game in the closing minutes. You were the best option UD had to grab a board, something they had a lot of trouble (out of the blue) with last night. Congrats on the record, and keep that kind of offensive play up. If you score six to 10 points a night, this team just might be able to go on the run they need when your teammates figure out whatever is going on with them.
Boo Chris Wright's defense. You left multiple three point shooters open in last nights game. And I mean egregiously open. Not to mention one of those guys you left was Marquis Jones, who made you pay. Hedge a screen man. You have been having a great season until last night. As much as I like that your jump shot is improving and you are a clear leader for these guys, it's hard to ignore the defensive mistakes you've made in A-10 play. The deal with Jones, fouling Delroy James for 3 shots last night, and the foul on Jason Duty when Duquesne visited. Can't have those.
Boo Rob Lowery. Rob, you bring a new dimension to the offense, but only if you are scoring. When you put up bad shots, it does nothing for us. We can't have the "I'm gonna take over now, I don't care what is happening around me" Rob. We need a much more calm and cool version of that guy, who makes better decisions throughout the game, but especially late.
Boo UD fans that don't like the substitutions. It's been seven years. This is how it will work. There will be lots of substitutions from UD. But you know what? The guys who should be playing will play the most minutes. Yeah, every game Chris Johnson, Chris Wright, Kurt Huelsman, Marcus Johnson, London Warren, Marcus Johnson and Mickey Perry play the most minutes. Paul Williams will play a pretty good amount too. That's eight guys. That's not very many. Luke, Devin and Josh are there to give people a rest. They don't play 20 minutes a game. Give it a rest. Guys come in and play for four hard minutes. If you don't believe me, keep track next time. London will come out 2 minutes into the game, and after that, everybody will play for at least 3:30, unless there is foul trouble involved.
There you go, I'm hoping to change the look of this thing as I learn how to do cooler stuff with Web sites.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Packers Playoff Game Journal
This will be the longest post in my blogging history--not necessarily in length, but in how long I take to post it. I will be writing this entry as a journal of my thoughts and reactions to the Packers at Cardinals playoff game today at 4:40. I don't know how much of the game I will actually be able to watch, because I am going to be spending a great deal of time in the Flyer News office on deadline day, which is devastating. Still, I will catch as much as I can and have it on gamecast at all times. Go Pack Go!
Okay, so the Patriots-Ravens game just ended which means the Packers game is closer than ever. It supposedly starts at 4:40 today, I'm not sure I buy that. I'll have the TV in the office here on the channel by then, but I don't think I'll worry too much about watching until at least 10 til 5. On a side note, the Ravens massacred the Patriots, which surprised me. They scored 24 points in the first quarter and basically won the game then. The Patriots losing is delicious though, so despite me dropping to 6-10 (ugh) on Streak for the Cash this month, I'm okay with it.
Alright, here we go. The game has begun. On time as well, I'm impressed.
Well, it was about as bad a start as you can possibly have, but the Pack is in the game down 17-7. Still, the defense is going to need to make some drastic changes, because every time Kurt Warner has stepped back to pass his receivers have been wide open. Charles Woodson will not be able to bail the D out with a fumble every single drive. They might actually have to get a stop if they plan on winning. I'm not worried about the offense producing, they are good. Especially if Ryan Grant keeps have these holes to run through. The O-line is gaping the Cards on the run but has given up three sacks already. Not sure why that is. At any rate, the Pack have got to score at least once more before the half. Can't be worse than 20-10, or they aren't coming back.
Also, kudos to Fox Sports for their statistical blunder. When the Cardinals were up by 14-0, Fox said the Packers had never trailed by 14 all season. I immediately thought, "I guarantee they were down by more than 14 in at least one of the Vikings games." Sure enough, as they came back from a commercial later, Joe Buck informed us they trailed the Vikings 24-3 earlier this season. Well done boys, well done.
Well, Early Doucet just scored his second touchdown because the Packers secondary forgot to bring their ability to tackle to the game. Budget meeting is done, so I am going to attempt to save this and then go home and resume it on my laptop. We'll see if it works. If not, there's no way I'm going to type all of this again, it'll be a shorter post.
Well, it worked. I'm back at home and posting on the same blog as before. And amidst a game of League of Legends and making dinner, the Packers have somehow come back to tie the game at 38. They got it to within seven points by virtue of getting an onside kick and scoring without giving the ball to the Cardinals. Then they finally got a defensive stop and capitalized. Now, of course, they're just teasing me. The Cardinals are driving, and it's one of those eight-minute-drive-that-gives-us-the-lead-with-two-minutes-left-and-breaks-your-spirit drives. Seriously, they have converted multiple third downs this drive, and are getting no more than 15 yards for every first down, so it's eating up clock and field.
...And there it is. The doom of the Packers perhaps.
Nope, sometime while I was interviewing Brian Gregory the Packers stormed down the field. I came back while they were on the 11 yard line, and then they scored immediately. Unfortunately, the Cardinals have 1:56 to score. I know you don't know when I'm typing this, but I'm predicting the Cardinals will score and win. I'll come back at the end of the game.
Well, I was wrong. The Cardinals didn't score. Neil Rackers choked so badly that the Packers had to be the winners. Then the Pack won the toss--game over right? Right, but not the way anyone watching would have expected. Aaron Rodgers missed his first pass in forever to Greg Jennings for the win, and then fumbled for the loss. The Cardinals defense finally stepped up.
The Packers had better draft a cornerback that actually is good this year. No more Tramon Williams or Jarrett Bush please. Just get someone good. Trade for someone good. I don't care, but you've got to have multiple guys that can cover if you're going to always run man, which they do.
The Favre trade is a success for the Pack, because Rodgers is a top 3 quarterback in the NFL, and he'll have them back here next year.
Lets go 2010 Packers.
Okay, so the Patriots-Ravens game just ended which means the Packers game is closer than ever. It supposedly starts at 4:40 today, I'm not sure I buy that. I'll have the TV in the office here on the channel by then, but I don't think I'll worry too much about watching until at least 10 til 5. On a side note, the Ravens massacred the Patriots, which surprised me. They scored 24 points in the first quarter and basically won the game then. The Patriots losing is delicious though, so despite me dropping to 6-10 (ugh) on Streak for the Cash this month, I'm okay with it.
Alright, here we go. The game has begun. On time as well, I'm impressed.
Well, it was about as bad a start as you can possibly have, but the Pack is in the game down 17-7. Still, the defense is going to need to make some drastic changes, because every time Kurt Warner has stepped back to pass his receivers have been wide open. Charles Woodson will not be able to bail the D out with a fumble every single drive. They might actually have to get a stop if they plan on winning. I'm not worried about the offense producing, they are good. Especially if Ryan Grant keeps have these holes to run through. The O-line is gaping the Cards on the run but has given up three sacks already. Not sure why that is. At any rate, the Pack have got to score at least once more before the half. Can't be worse than 20-10, or they aren't coming back.
Also, kudos to Fox Sports for their statistical blunder. When the Cardinals were up by 14-0, Fox said the Packers had never trailed by 14 all season. I immediately thought, "I guarantee they were down by more than 14 in at least one of the Vikings games." Sure enough, as they came back from a commercial later, Joe Buck informed us they trailed the Vikings 24-3 earlier this season. Well done boys, well done.
Well, Early Doucet just scored his second touchdown because the Packers secondary forgot to bring their ability to tackle to the game. Budget meeting is done, so I am going to attempt to save this and then go home and resume it on my laptop. We'll see if it works. If not, there's no way I'm going to type all of this again, it'll be a shorter post.
Well, it worked. I'm back at home and posting on the same blog as before. And amidst a game of League of Legends and making dinner, the Packers have somehow come back to tie the game at 38. They got it to within seven points by virtue of getting an onside kick and scoring without giving the ball to the Cardinals. Then they finally got a defensive stop and capitalized. Now, of course, they're just teasing me. The Cardinals are driving, and it's one of those eight-minute-drive-that-gives-us-the-lead-with-two-minutes-left-and-breaks-your-spirit drives. Seriously, they have converted multiple third downs this drive, and are getting no more than 15 yards for every first down, so it's eating up clock and field.
...And there it is. The doom of the Packers perhaps.
Nope, sometime while I was interviewing Brian Gregory the Packers stormed down the field. I came back while they were on the 11 yard line, and then they scored immediately. Unfortunately, the Cardinals have 1:56 to score. I know you don't know when I'm typing this, but I'm predicting the Cardinals will score and win. I'll come back at the end of the game.
Well, I was wrong. The Cardinals didn't score. Neil Rackers choked so badly that the Packers had to be the winners. Then the Pack won the toss--game over right? Right, but not the way anyone watching would have expected. Aaron Rodgers missed his first pass in forever to Greg Jennings for the win, and then fumbled for the loss. The Cardinals defense finally stepped up.
The Packers had better draft a cornerback that actually is good this year. No more Tramon Williams or Jarrett Bush please. Just get someone good. Trade for someone good. I don't care, but you've got to have multiple guys that can cover if you're going to always run man, which they do.
The Favre trade is a success for the Pack, because Rodgers is a top 3 quarterback in the NFL, and he'll have them back here next year.
Lets go 2010 Packers.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
The A-10 is nasty
Got back from the Dayton-Duquesne a bit ago, and what a way to start off the Atlantic 10 for Dayton. It was completely apropos for these guys to take a shot in the gut early and come roaring back with defense, and some of the best cheering from a crowd in a long time. UD Arena was absolutely rocking, and it was great to be a part of it.
For those of you who don't know, Dayton won in overtime. Duquesne probably should have won the game at the end, but missed free throws. It evens out though, cause UD missed a ton of free throws earlier on. At any rate, it was a gutsy, gritty performance by both teams. A loss would have really hurt UD, so I'm glad they won. Just got to keep it up. They have so much heart and toughness in games, they are never out of it.
The amazing thing is Duquesn is 0-2 in the Atlantic 10. That team is GOOD. They would have a shot being champions in a lesser conference. The MVC is a bit down this year, I guarantee the Dukes would be challenging for that title. Hopefully they can string some wins together and beat up on the weaker teams in the A-10 to get themselves into the discussion for the tournament or at least the NIT, cause they are deserving.
If a team like that is going to just be middle of the road in the A-10, then the conference is going to be amazing. I don't even want to think about how grueling the schedule is going to be. As awesome as the win was, it only makes me worry about how tough it will be to go 12-4 or better in the A-10, which is pretty much as bad as I was projecting at the beginning of the season. Five losses in the conference would mean eight losses on the season, and that is no sure thing for a tourney berth.
On the plus side, Chris Wright's jumper seems to be coming along, and Luke Fabrizius is back. His instant offense is going to be a big boost. Anybody who scores 10 or so points in 10 or so minutes is valuable, even if he needs some improvement on defense. The Flyers are back close to full strength for the first time this season, and that is encouraging.
Hopefully they can keep the wins coming, and hopefully the talking head recognize how strong this conference is, and not penalize teams for going 11-5 or 10-6. That would be more of an accomplishment than a disappointment in my opinion.
For those of you who don't know, Dayton won in overtime. Duquesne probably should have won the game at the end, but missed free throws. It evens out though, cause UD missed a ton of free throws earlier on. At any rate, it was a gutsy, gritty performance by both teams. A loss would have really hurt UD, so I'm glad they won. Just got to keep it up. They have so much heart and toughness in games, they are never out of it.
The amazing thing is Duquesn is 0-2 in the Atlantic 10. That team is GOOD. They would have a shot being champions in a lesser conference. The MVC is a bit down this year, I guarantee the Dukes would be challenging for that title. Hopefully they can string some wins together and beat up on the weaker teams in the A-10 to get themselves into the discussion for the tournament or at least the NIT, cause they are deserving.
If a team like that is going to just be middle of the road in the A-10, then the conference is going to be amazing. I don't even want to think about how grueling the schedule is going to be. As awesome as the win was, it only makes me worry about how tough it will be to go 12-4 or better in the A-10, which is pretty much as bad as I was projecting at the beginning of the season. Five losses in the conference would mean eight losses on the season, and that is no sure thing for a tourney berth.
On the plus side, Chris Wright's jumper seems to be coming along, and Luke Fabrizius is back. His instant offense is going to be a big boost. Anybody who scores 10 or so points in 10 or so minutes is valuable, even if he needs some improvement on defense. The Flyers are back close to full strength for the first time this season, and that is encouraging.
Hopefully they can keep the wins coming, and hopefully the talking head recognize how strong this conference is, and not penalize teams for going 11-5 or 10-6. That would be more of an accomplishment than a disappointment in my opinion.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Resumption of Activities
Well, it has been a long, long time since I have posted on this thing and I'm sure all of my followers have long since stopped checking on my Web site. In all honesty, I would prefer it that way. I'd rather have a follower that isn't someone from my family happen across this blog and enjoy it.
At any rate, I am restarting the blogging experience, and I am going to try and change the name to Spack on Sports. I think the alliteration is much more enticing, and it can go along with my column title in the Flyer News. Also, this blog will be able to serve as a fulfillment of the assignments I will undoubtedly get in my New Topics in Journalism class this semester. Again, I hope to post every weekday with some on the weekends as well. At any rate, nobody really cares about this rambling, it is just to reintroduce myself. Now to the important stuff.
I find myself at a very special time in sports as I reenter the blogosphere: the heart of the college basketball seasons. Most teams in division 1 are wrapping up their nonconference schedules and getting into the truly important part of the season, conference play. While for teams in the major conferences the beginning of conference play means their strength of schedule will skyrocket, it means just the opposite for most mid-majors. The non-conference schedule represents most midmajors' chance to notch an impressive win for the tournament committee come March.
That brings me to my University of Dayton Flyers, who most people have probably heard of, especially after their tournament appearance and first-round win last year. I'll be honest: after the success from last season and losing basically nobody (some people liked Charles Little's play, I wasn't one of them), the tournament was an afterthought for me. All I was thinking was "They could get to the Sweet 16, or even the Elite Eight, they're that good!" Not so fast. As UD enters into A-10 play this weekend, the NCAA Tournament is all but a guarantee.
The point of UD's nonconference schedule was for them to get one or two big wins. Coming into the season, Dayton had five games that had potential to be considered big wins: Creighton, Georgia Tech, Villanova, at George Mason and at New Mexico. In those five games, Dayton went 3-2. The unfortunate thing is the two losses are to Villanova and New Mexico, the two most important games they have played. Of the three wins, none of them are certain to be big ones come of the end of the season. Creighton almost certainly will not. The Blue Jays are 6-8 and 1-2 in the MVC so far, so they will most likely not even make the postseason this year. Georgia Tech is still ranked 17th in the nation, but I'm not sold on them. The Jackets are young and 0-1 in the ACC right now. If they end up with a .500 or worse record in the ACC, you can scratch them off the big-win list. George Mason doesn't look great either. They are 8-6, but 3-0 in the CAA. If the Patriots manage to get hot and win the Colonial, it could look like a good win for the Flyers at the end of the season.
Put simply, Dayton is 11-3 (most likely 12 wins after the Ball State game tonight) and doesn't have a single good win or bad loss going into A-10 play. Joe Lunardi has them slated as an 11 seed--one of the last several teams to get in. I don't think they would get in if it was picked today.
This means that UD has to impress in the conference. With as well as the A-10 has been playing, that is no guarantee either. I would say to get a 10 seed or better in the tournament, UD needs to go at least 14-2 in the conference. They have to get through games at Saint Louis, at Duquesne, at Richmond and at Temple, not to mention two games against Xavier. Duquesne, Richmond and Temple have all gotten impressive wins in the nonconference. UD does not appear to be the clear favorite they were at the beginning of the season, and that makes me nervous.
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