Show 10: April 15, 2011

We have a podcast this week!  To watch it, click here: SHOW 10

On the docket:

BARRY BONDS TRIAL

·         Baseball’s Steroids Problem:

o    Ramirez retired over charges, Bonds in trial again, etc. etc.

o    What are your thoughts?

o    Should these players still get into the hall of Fame?

·         Which is more humiliating: Bonds’ verdict or Ramirez retiring?

·         Who won: Bonds or the government?

NBA PLAYOFFS

·         Are the Bulls the favorite to win the NBA title?

·         Who has the best chance to go all the way? Who will win NBA playoffs?

·         Older vs. Younger teams: changing of the guard?

MASTERS

·         Analysis of Tiger’s performance: better or worse than expected

·         How will he do the rest of the year?

o    Win another major?

BASEBALL

·         Josh Hamilton injury: do you agree with his decision to go for home?

o    Was it aggressive or stupid?

o    Do you agree with how he handled it after the fact?

o    Can the rest of the Rangers lineup pick up the slack?

·         Rockies have the best record in the major league: how long can they keep this going?

SWEARING

·         Kobe Bryant/Wayne Rooney swearing incidents

o    Are the leagues going too far in regulating conduct?

UNDER REVIEW

·         NASCAR IS NOT A SPORT

PREDICTIONS

Show 9: April 8, 2011

To listen to the show, click here: SHOW 9

On the docket:

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

·         National Championship: worse game ever?

·         Does UConn deserve to be the #1 ranked team in the country at the end of the season?

·         Is Butler ever this good again?

·         Next topic: Women’s BBall winner…next topic, MLB:

MLB

·         Short run:

o    Biggest surprise so far?

·         Which early slump is more worrying: Manny Ramirez or Derek Jeter?

·         Long term:

o    What team is the most underrated, and has an outside shot at getting to the World Series?

o    What team is the most overrated?

·         Do you think pitchers will dominate again this year like last year?

o    Why were pitchers so dominant?

MASTERS/GOLF

·         What are Tiger’s chances of winning this year?

·         What will be the key factor? Short-game, accuracy, putting, etc…

·         Who will win?

UNDER REVIEW

·         Tyler Sanborn: GTown will not make the Final 4 in the next 20 years

PREDICTIONS

Awful ending to a great tournament

Congrats to UConn for being slightly less horrendous than your opponent.

And for the love of God, stop the dog jokes.  "Butler gets muzzled."  "UConn is the top dog."  "Huskies are the best in show."  Not funny.  Especially after the miserable performance we witnessed last night.  The Bulldogs played like puppies.

Up until last night, the 2011 NCAA Tournament was phenomenal.  We had dramatic upsets, acrobatic game-winning shots, and some close, fast-paced action. 

But last night was different.  To be fair, neither team played well.  UConn shot 35% and made 1 of 11 three-pointers.  Butler shot 18.8% and made 9-33 threes.  Even worse, Butler didn't make a single shot in the paint until 6 minutes left in the second half!  I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard when watching a team shoot brick after brick. 

Let's see if the women's game tonight is any better.  That is, if anyone watches it.  Who's playing again?

Show 8: April 1, 2011

April Fools! To listen to our show, click here: SHOW 8

On the docket:

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

·         Since the Sweet 16, which game was the most fun to watch?

·         How good was Kansas really? 

o    Does small-market affect how they are perceived?

·         FINAL FOUR!!!!

·         Previews of each game:

o    VCU vs. Butler

o    Kentucky vs. UConn

·         Which run is more impressive – VCU or George Mason (2006)

o    Note: both were 4^th in Colonial Conference, neither won their Conference tourney, both finished behind 3^rd-place Hofstra who did not make it into the tourney

·         Which Final Four team had the toughest road to get to where they are?

·         Which had the easiest road?

·         Who deserves the Naismith Award?

·         Calipari and Calhoun vs. Smart and Stevens

o    How do these young coaches compare to the older ones?

o    What does this mean for the future of college basketball?

UNDER REVIEW – APRIL FOOLS EDITION

·         Austin Freeman gives up hopes of NBA to join the Jesuits

o    Will he make it through Ignatain Retreat? What class will he teach? Will his sermons be boring? Etc.

PARTING SHOTS

PREDICTIONS Nick (20-13) Jordan (18-15) Tyler (15-18) Ed (15-18)

Podcast for Show 7 now available!

Due to some technical difficulties, we were not able to record our show last week.  However, we did webcast it!  Click here to view our Youtube Channel.

NCAA players and the money issue

There was an interesting piece in the USA Today about college athletes and how they contribute to their schools' financial success.  This front-page story had Arizona star Derrick Williams sinking the game-winning free throw against Texas, which apparently earned his school an extra $1.4 million. 

Epic championship performances by high profile athletes certainly add to their school's bottom line.  The question is: should they get a cut of their contribution?

My answer: no.  Imagine if Chris Wright or Austin Freeman were in Derrick Williams' shoes (hard to imagine, I know).  They don't need any "extra" compensation because they are already receiving a full tuition (which totals over $200,000 in a four-year period) plus additional services and benefits like tutoring, free tickets and medical coverage.  USA Today found that a men's basketball scholarship can total over $120,000 annually!

The point is, they are not being employed by the university; in the end, they are simply students.  On the other hand, coaches are employees, so don't be complaining when guys like Rick Pitino get $7.5 million extensions.  That's their job.

Jordan Was Right, Na Nana Boo Boo

For those of you who missed the show on March 25^th, I would like to include the transcripts of the sound bytes played during the show. Little bits of factual information will be included after key points in the transcript, just to drive those points home.

5:28-6:00

Jordan: I am cynical of this Georgetown team because Georgetown…Georgetown has not shown me what they need to show me this year. They won 8 games in a row and that’s excellent, great for them. But they have not shown me the resolve that I think that they need to do well in a tournament. And Tyler’s slapping his head, well, you know, when you’re playing down the stretch and you’re playing without your best player and you need wins and you just fall flat on your face every single game…show me something, get something going, this team is soft…

--Georgetown lost their last 5 games by an average of 15.2 points while scoring just 52.4 points per game--

8:45-9:20

Nick: So, what does VCU have to do to beat Georgetown?

Jordan: Three-pointers. They have to hit their three-pointers because Georgetown cannot guard the perimeter. If VCU hits their three-pointers, then they will win this game.

Nick: It’s that simple? Really?

Jordan: Yeah, I think it is that simple. I think when you look at how Georgetown gets beat, they get beat because they can’t guard people on the perimeter…

Ed: That is not true at all.

Jordan: We have been to soooo many of their basketball games this year and what is it? The opposing teams are always getting wide open three-point looks and they’re hitting them.

Ed: That is not true, that is not true.

Jordan: In Georgetown losses, they hit their three-pointers. Look at the stats, look at the stats.

--In Georgetown losses this year, Georgetown opponents shot a combined 67-179 on three-pointers, a whopping 37.4%. In Georgetown wins, opponents shot 108-345, only 31.3%. The 12-25 (48%) performance by VCU on Friday evening was the only game this year in which Georgetown had allowed an opponent to hit more than 9 three-pointers--

10:38-10:50

Jordan (on what Georgetown has to do to win the game): I think it’s gotta be interior play. I think for Georgetown, in order to succeed in this game, they have to get some sort of presence inside. Julian Vaughn is gone.

11:12-11:49

Jordan: But see in case you haven’t noticed, the big men have been bad during our losing streak…

Tyler: Because they don’t have Chris Wright…

Jordan: I don’t think you can completely blame Julian Vaughn’s lack of ability to hit a shot on Chris Wright not getting him the ball. Julian Vaughn cannot hit a shot, and that’s why…

Ed: Julian Vaughn does not have opportunities to hit shots…

Jordan: Julian Vaughn takes ten shots a game! I think that’s plenty of opportunities. If you hit one of those shots, that’s not very good…

Ed: And they’re all poor quality shots…

Jordan: No, when you’re on the interior, there are no open looks. You’re never gonna get an “open look” unless it’s a dunk with nobody around you…

--During Georgetown’s 5-game losing streak to end the season, Julian Vaughn shot a miserable 2-21 to end the season. In fact, Julian Vaughn went from 6:47 into the FIRST Cincinnati game to 5:05 left in the 1^st half against VCU without making a shot. His scoring draught spanned 168 minutes and 8 seconds of basketball. To top it all off, Georgetown’s three big men, Lubick, Vaughn, and Sims, combined for an astonishing 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 8 turnovers, 7 fouls, and TWO points--

12:08-12:26

Jordan: You’ve got to hit shots on the interior in order to keep your exterior game from becoming way too exposed. In case we haven’t noticed, Georgetown isn’t exactly good at hitting three-pointers lately either. So if you can’t score inside and you can’t score outside, you’re not gonna score at all.

--In Georgetown’s last 7 games, they shot a dismal 40-148 (27%) on three-pointers, capped by their 5-26 performance against VCU--