Saturday, March 20, 2010

The High Holy Days of Sports

College basketball has, by far, the best postseason of any sport.

And we're proving it again this year.

There's not a whole lot I can say about the first round of the NCAA tournament that hasn't already been said, so I will direct you to Bleacher Report, or CNNSI.com, if you want game breakdowns. Just a couple of notes from me.

1) Jordan Crawford and Armon Bassett scored 60 points between them in the first round, as Xavier and Ohio advanced. Crawford and Bassett could have been IU's starting back court this year. Everybody still on board for rebuilding, because I'm not sure I am. Seriously.

Bill Simmons asked a question in his live coverage of the tourney yesterday. PS - Sports Guy is the ONLY reason to read ESPN. The Question: Would you rather root for a college basketball team that wins all the time but might have ethical concerns, or a team that wins occasionally but is painfully honest?

I know which way Indiana administrators lean. And I gotta say, I disagree.

2) UNC - Mississippi State is on right now, in the NIT. Great game, as UNC leads on the road at The Hump. 36-33 at the half. Why expand the Tourney when the NIT is finally a good product? And no, I don't wanna talk about Northwestern. I don't even wanna think about it.

3) Oregon AD Mike Bellotti just resigned. A week after firing his basketball coach, Ernie Kent, who had been there for over ten years, I think? Anyway, Oregon's athletic program is in some serious trouble between Kent leaving, football players getting arrested and suspended, including your star QB Jeremiah Masoli, and now the head main bails? After one year on the job?

Something stinks here. Why aren't we hearing more about it? Oh, right. Bellotti got hired by ESPN as a commentator. No negative pub on the Worldwide Leader! I assume their ombudsman will jump right on this, and get ignored, just like always.

4) Enough negativity. Today I'm excited to watch Butler-Murray State and Washington-New Mexico, along with another former Hoosier, Ben Allen, playing for St. Mary's.

2 comments:

  1. I love the fact that Crawford has IU shorts on in that Picture

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  2. Nice eye, noffke... definitely did not catch that.

    Crawford has 55 points and his number is 55. Tourney coincidences.

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