...talks about how UConn hasn't been in contact and how they're out. (HT: UMHoops)
smwilliams
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| Date | Title | Body |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days 20 hours ago | Lawsuit |
Ed O'Bannon just high-fived himself after this comment. |
| 1 week 1 day ago | Not Hard |
I haven't attended too many sporting events at different stadiums, but... BEST 1. Wrigley Field - I was there for the first ever night game (even tho I was younger) and still remember the buzz when the lights came on and the sky went black and it was just this scene out of time. Been a bunch of times and even though the stadium foundation is shit, the overall feel of the place can't be duplicated. 2. Michigan Stadium - Went for the first time a couple of years ago and I've never had chills like I had walking down the train tracks towards the tailgate and then going into the stadium and seeing this awesome mass of people all waiting for the same thing. 3. Madison Square Garden - Great place to see a hockey/basketball game and the way it just opens up into the middle of New York is fantastic. The amenities aren't there, but otherwise it doesn't feel like a crumbling structure. HONORABLE MENTION: Comcast Center at University of Maryland. Beautiful facility for college basketball. Petco Park. Great location, nice stadium. Nobody gives a crap about the team though. WORST 1. Qualcomm Stadium - Old, decrepit, there's nothing around there within walking distance and it's impossible to get to. The sight lines are awful if you aren't at field level and the extras simply don't exist. Just awful. 2. FedEx Field - If you are in the second or third level be prepared to duck your head to see anything like you're looking under a car for spare change or something. Why they built it all the way out in the burbs is beyond me, but I want my stadiums to be SOMEWHERE, if that makes sense. Considering they ditched RFK (another dump) for this place is at best, a mild upgrade. 3. The Meadowlands - Ugh. New Jersey. Haven't been there since the renovation, but it was always cramped and drafty and there was nowhere to use the bathroom or get a beer. I only went twice, and both times I had zero fun. Would love to check out AT&T Park, PNC Park, some of the SEC stadiums, and |
| 3 weeks 1 day ago | Blackhawks |
I can't speak for all Blackhawks fans, but since this is a MICHIGAN board, populated by RED WINGS fans for the most part, I sometimes check in on the pulse of Wings fans, but mostly stay the hell away from NHL posts on here. Why? For the same reason, I'd expect a Wings fan brought along to a bar in Chicago to stay quiet too. I'm not going to hide who I'm rooting for, but I'm not going to be that idiot going "YEA! TOLD YA LOSERS! WINGS SUCK!" Just know that the city of Chicago has lots of Hawks fans slowly coming back after being driven off during the mid-90s, 2000s. And lots of has to do with the fact that anybody between the ages of 18-35 right now wasn't able to see Blackhawks games for 15 years on local television. That kind of puts a damper on building a fanbase. So, yes, I'm extremely happy the Hawks won tonight. And, yes, I'm hoping they win in Game 7. Good luck to you guys as well. This will be my last post on the series/subject. |
| 5 weeks 2 days ago | Wow |
This thread is an epic bitch fest. I've seen complaints about the Bulls playing rough, David Stern, the NBA's quality of play, LeBron, people who hate LeBron, the city of Chicago, the referees, and several other topics. I'll refrain from weighing in as I have a horse in the race (from Chicago) and love the NBA (considering I grew up in Chicago in the 90s, I don't think anyone should be surprised). What I will say is this. Pistons fans, let it go. Our teams are no longer rivals. Don't be Illini fans. |
| 8 weeks 5 days ago | Minutes... |
Quick minutes breakdown going under the assumption that the breakdown is similar to last year (i.e. 9 guys averaged more than 8 minutes a game). PG-Derrick Walton (28) / Spike Albrecht (12) SG-Nik Stauskas (30) / Zak Irvin (6) / Spike Albrecht (2) / Caris LeVert (2) SF-Glenn Robinson III (20) / Zak Irvin (10) / Caris LeVert (6) PF-Mitch McGary (24) / Glenn Robinson III (15) / Jon Horford (1) C-Jordan Morgan (20) / Mitch McGary (10) / Jon Horford (10) Totals Robinson - 35 mpg McGary - 34 mpg Stauskas - 30 mpg Walton - 28 mpg Morgan - 20 mpg Irvin - 16 mpg Albrecht - 14 mpg Horford - 11 mpg LeVert - 8 mpg Deep Bench rounded out with Biefeldt, Donnal, a scholarship guard (3* probably), and a walk-on wing type.
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| 8 weeks 6 days ago | Good Points |
Point 1 Lowering the shot clock seems to be a wise move and '30' seems like the best bet. It gives teams time to set up their offense and execute, but penalizes teams that want to bleed every possession out of a game, leading to ugly, unwatchable 49-47 games. I know a 5 second cut doesn't seem like a lot, but theoretically you'd be adding about 12 possessions a game (40 min * 60 sec = 2400 sec, divided by 35 is 68, divided by 30 is 80), probably more, given that more teams would try and speed up their offense to accomodate. Faster basketball (but not too fast) is better basketball, and would also better prepare kids for the NBA. Point 2 The problem I have with Point 2 is it contradicts Point 1. The game needs to be sped up, but more fouls equals more foul shots which leads to a more drawn-out contest. I get what you'd like the rule to do (prevent teams like Wisconsin, Georgetown, etc. from turning the game into a brawl), but I'm concerned that referees would be averse towards getting Wisky in the bonus with 16 minutes left in the first half. Biggest issues for me would be drastically reducing the number of charge calls and calling more hand checks (which you mention, granted). Too often I see defenders slide underneath an already airborne player and get a charge call. The spirit of the charge is to prevent out of control offensive players from barreling through defenders to get to the rim. If Adrien Payne gets the ball on the wing and runs straight through Caris LeVert, who is in "good defensive position", that's a charge. Very simple instruction to referees. If an offensive player's knee or elbow or chest hits a defender in the chest and the defensive player has made no forward or side-to-side motion since the player took off in the air, that's a charge. Anything else is a block. Point 3 Love the idea of high schoolers getting drafted for the NCAA, not so much for the NBA. The problem being, college tends to "weed out" high school frauds who dominated inferior competition. However, I'd like to increase attention towards the college game by having NBA prospects on college teams. For example... The New Orleans Hornets take Trey Burke with the #5 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. The Hornets can either begin paying Burke immediately or delay the contract and Burke could return to school. While this is unlikely for teams with lottery picks (as in the example above), what about this example. With the 28th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select Mitch McGary from the University of Michigan. Now, McGary would be a 12th man on the Spurs next year. So, why not let him return to Michigan (not being paid by San Antonio) and play. Not only are Spurs fan suddenly invested in Michigan basketball, but McGary benefits as well. Oh, and let's say McGary leads Michigan to the title next year. Season ends April 7th. The Spurs say, "Mitch, we could use some more size and young legs off the bench for the playoffs". |
| 9 weeks 5 days ago | Caris |
If Irvin is starting, no way Caris is averaging 25 mpg. Tick Irvin up to 30, Stauskas up to 35 and drop Caris to 5 at the 2 and 10 at the 3 and I think that's probably about right.
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| 9 weeks 6 days ago | Uh Huh |
I absolutely see what you're saying and I think in those cases it's because you feel both the team and the player will eventually suffer (which is true in most of these cases). The system has agents, managers, and the like telling fringe prospects "you're definitely going 1st round", they declare and go in the 2nd or undrafted and all those suits disappear as quickly as they arrived. Not only has the player's school and college team suffered a loss, the player himself was hoodwinked into making a poor decision for his future. As far as Carter-Williams, it's pretty unanimous he'll be a 1st round pick at the very least, and more than likely a lottery pick. |
| 9 weeks 6 days ago | Opinion |
My opinion is that if a kids wants to go the NBA, he shouldn't face any backlash from the fanbase. Most guys who stay either want to move up to a higher salary slot (see Trey's rise from mid-low 1st round to potential Top 10 pick this year) or really love college (hopefully see Mitch McGary). |
| 10 weeks 1 day ago | I Don't |
This is amazing. I love this blog. I love this team. Just over two hours to go until tipoff. Win or lose, it has been an amazing year. |
| 10 weeks 1 day ago | Confirmed |
Since I was hanging with SoCal I can confirm it was pretty nuts on Saturday, but a damn good time. |
| 10 weeks 3 days ago | Diet Coke |
For now a Diet Coke, until I head out to the bar and then whatever suits my fancy. I hope they have Hennepin. |
| 10 weeks 5 days ago | GR3 |
I'd argue that if Burke and Timmay were to leave (I can't imagine Burke staying at all, but I thought Lewan was gone too), that we'd be more likely to weather the storm than if GR3 departs. Why? While Derrick Walton has big shoes (and I mean big) to fill, he's a highly touted recruit in college basketball where more than enough freshmen make an immediate impact. Plus, Spike is there to help the adjustment period and we know Spike can play 15-20 minutes a game if need be. Timmay has an obvious replacement in Caris Levert, who has put in meaningful minutes this year. Caris also has a replacement in the freakin' Mr. Basketball of Indiana, Zak Irvin. But, GR3 brings a unique skill set to the table. A bigger body who can bang with 4s down low and hold his own (mostly) while being able to shoot it from the outside. Right now, there isn't an obvious replacement who brings a similar game to the table. I mean... Walton/Levert/BLOUSES/GR3/McGary/Spike/Irvin/Horford ...looks perfectly fine. Not nearly as good as our team this year, but all our chief rivals will lose guys to the pros/graduation too. Walton/Levert/BLOUSES/Horford/McGary/Spike/Irvin/Biefeldt That doesn't look nearly as good. |
| 11 weeks 22 hours ago | Haha |
The fact you put the NBA ahead of boxing shows that while you do have a grasp on the level of riggedness (is that a word?) in pro sports, you really need to watch more boxing. Boxing decisions are routinely called outrageous and if you are fighting a guy in his home country/city, be prepared to knock his ass out or lose. I used to love boxing before a series of terrible decisions (culminating in the Pacquiao-Bradley fight) turned me off the sport for good. Now, the NBA certainly, um, has delved into some questionable tactics in the past (that Kings-Lakers game is certainly Exhibit A), but it's not outwardly fixed like boxing. Some series off the top of my head... '94 Eastern Conf. Semis (Hue Hollins calls phantom foul on Scottie Pippen, handing Knicks the series over MJ-less Bulls) '93 Western Conf. Finals (Barkley's Suns shoot three times as many free throws as less "sexy" Sonics team to win series in 7) '02 Western Conf. Finals (as seen earlier) '06 NBA Finals (enough fans swore off the NBA because of Wade's reckless drives to the basket being called fouls on Dallas) '07 Western Conf. Semifinals (Horry hipchecks Steve Nash into scorer's table, Suns bench reacts, two starters suspended for crucial Game 5) '99 Eastern Conf. Finals (phantom 4 point play for Larry Johnson, every game has at least 2-3 calls go against Pacers so Knicks can make the Finals) I'd say the '00 Blazers got screwed (without looking it up, Lakers shot 40 free throws in Game 7, Blazers shot like 10), but they also turned the ball over a zillion times and looked lost throughout the 4th quarter. |
| 11 weeks 2 days ago | BANG BANG |
This is the best thing since the 1997 version of The Game. |
| 11 weeks 2 days ago | Awesome |
Did something happen today? Did we win? Is this the Best Easter ever? |
| 11 weeks 4 days ago | Because |
Yea, but Wichita State is. It's the tournament. Shit happens with matchups and such. |
| 11 weeks 4 days ago | JerryWorld |
Can we just stay the fuck out of JerryWorld in the future? Nothing but bad memories at that accursed temple to American capitalism. |
| 11 weeks 4 days ago | Closer |
Every time we gets this down to 4 or 6, we shoot ourselves in the foot and it goes back to 8 or 10. Biggest issues so far: Burke forcing too much, Horford playing like Charmin |
| 12 weeks 12 hours ago | Besler |
Jesus, Besler is getting worked like a speed bag so far. Maybe giving a guy with 1 cap in a friendly a spot in the First XI against Mexico in Azteca wasn't so brilliant a ploy Jurgen? |
| 12 weeks 1 day ago | Accurate |
This is the most accurate post in the entire discussion. MGoBlog provides analysis of Michigan sports (primarily football, basketball, and hockey). Analysis is meant to be completely objective and without emotion. But, Brian and other contributors are diehard fans of Michigan sports teams. How do you balance those two things while refraining from backsliding into "WHY U SUCK SO BAD BURKE" territory? The answer is, you don't. You break down what you see through the lens of someone who cares passionately for Michigan sports and realize an immensely talented team probably mailed in over half the season only to turn it on towards the end in an effort to salvage what they had wasted. You try and find other, more satisfying explanations beyond "a bunch of 18-23 year old kids didn't give a shit", you can't, and you do the best you can to excuse them for that while lamenting one of the prouder athletic accomplishments the school has, vanished. Hell, now that I think about, following one of the more painful basketball losses this year I posted something to the effect of: "It hurts ten times more when potential doesn't equal performance because WE like to think that WE would've done more if given the same opportunity" Nobody could lay waste to losses at Indiana or a home loss to Purdue the last few years, because let's face it, the Novak teams had their ceiling, we all knew what it was, and they for the most part reached that ceiling. This hockey team had the potential to be a 1 seed in the tournament and wasted it. |
| 13 weeks 1 day ago | What I do |
Couple things... |
| 13 weeks 2 days ago | ESPN |
Everybody at the WWL is talking like we're going to lose. |
| 13 weeks 2 days ago | It's WeOn! with no space |
It's WeOn! with no space between "we" and "on". |
| 13 weeks 3 days ago | 3 seed |
On Bracket Matrix (which I tend to put more stock in than one single bracket), we are still a 3 seed, in fact, ahead of Ohio on the S-curve. We're currently the last 3 seed on Crashing the Dance as well. Basically, we are rooting hard for Kansas, Louisville, and UNLV today with a Sparty win doing a little more good than an Ohio win. All those things line up and Wisky DOESN'T win the Big 10 tournament and we should be a 3 seed. |
| 13 weeks 4 days ago | NCAA |
The best part about the NCAA Tournament is anything can happen. Two years ago all the talking heads and fans were wondering why the hell VCU got into the field over better, more qualified teams. They made the Final Four. This team could lose another 4-13 game or 3-14 game or win the whole thing. You just don't know. |
| 13 weeks 4 days ago | Potential |
Today, I was reading the Chris Webber section in the Bill Simmons Book of Basketball. At the time, it was just something to skim through as I waited for the game to start. But it became more and more relevant as the game went on. The crux of Simmons argument is Webber had the potential to be one of the top 30 players but ended up in the 70s. An acomplishment to be sure, but his career ultimately was about unfulfilled potential and bad breaks. That "waste" ends up being perplexing and infuriating because we feel like we would've worked harder. |
| 13 weeks 4 days ago | Ugh Spike |
We do such a piss poor job of seeing the ball at all times. |
| 13 weeks 4 days ago | Perplexing |
I think what is ultimately so frustrating is they can't seem to put anything together and there's a startling lack of intensity on this team. Like everybody is getting high as balls before the game. Whether it's the missed FTs or the lack of hustle/smarts on the defensive end, Morgan unable to catch the ball or make a layup, there's just something missing. |
| 13 weeks 4 days ago | Wisky |
Have hit 9 of their last 10 shots. Poor post defense by Robinson. Poor perimeter defense by everybody else. Trey Burke heroball time going about as well as you'd expect. Game not over by any stretch, but not looking good. |
