7:30 Why can't I watch every game? Why couldn't they start the early games at 4pm, so I could see every game. I would have left work early to watch! Or at least time it so that the entire half time How is it profit maximizing to show 2 games tonight when you could have shown 4!? In particular, not being able to see Xavier AND Washington State really irritates me, as those two head coaches are currently the favorites to get the IU position - at least, if you read ESPN or the IU news blogs.
7:37 Holy shit - they flashed back to the Xavier game - they're up 26-10. I feel like I missed the whole game!
7:39 I'll have to admit that this is the first time I've seen WashState play. My first thought: Wow they're really white! Whiter than the Ivies, and competing with BYU!
7:42 While I'm thinking about it - has anyone noticed that the Big 10 network does not put any stats up on the screen during the game? Watching CBS or ESPN is much, much better. If you're in a bar, you absolutely cannot tell what's going on in the game. You have to count fouls yourself! Which brings me to the Big 10 in general. All year I've been irritated about the greed of the Big 10 schools. These are public universities, and as such, are providing a public good in a sports team - or, at least, that's the justification for spending millions on the athletic programs. But then they try to monopolize their product and increase revenue (though, one nice benefit is being able to provide an outlet for other sports, and womens sports, even if I never watch these). Meanwhile, the local cable monopoly doesn't carry the Big 10 network. The whole thing blows my mind, as do the ineffectual efforts of local politicians who "write letters" to Comcast or Insight telling them to carry the channel. Write letters? That's something an 8 year old or a grandpa would do. You're a fucking congressman, why don't you hold some hearings about telecom monopolies. You're the fucking mayor, why don't you regulate that shit! Speaking of which, Comcast just sent me a letter raising my rates 15% (this is after Insight had just raised the rates by 25%, and after they failed to increase the quality of the service or, say, the having the Big 10 networkness of the service) so I just signed up for DirecTv. This change will still cost me about 10% more (though 5% less than Cable)... but I figured that every IU game I go see in a bar costs me $20 - $30. To be honest, its quite amazing to me that Insight and or Comcast has pursued these tactics. It used to be in your best interest to get cable because it was about 10-20% cheaper than a similar package with DirecTv. Now, DirecTv has the best price, and like 30 more HD channels.
8:00 The announcer just declared how great of a defensive team UNC is and said "They might even be a top 20 defensive team in the country." I sure as fuck would hope so if they're ranked #1 overall!
8:20 The only thing thats more irritating that someone's car alarm beeping outside is the car that's continuously beeping on the VW commercial on TV. Funny the first 5-10 times, not so much anymore. Also, Apple used to change their commercials regularly. We've had this Airbook commercial for several months now. I'm done with it. Enough.
10:00 So, the jury is still out - Sean Miller? Or Tony Bennett. Sean Miller's team almost blew a 18 point lead to a lesser team. Tony Bennett's team got annihilated, just like everyone else to UNC (and we didn't get to see it).
10:41 There's been a lot of talk that IU should try to get Bruce Pearl or Rick Pitino. First of all, we're not going to get either. Both are quite happy where they are, and there's no way that IU has enough money to pry them away. I think I saw a memo recently which advised that IU is currently paying $3 million a year to coaches who are no longer coaching at the school. Fire the athletic director! Watching this game however, makes me doubt both as coaches. SO many turnovers. Both teams are playing completely out of control - wildly throwing the ball around the court and heaving up ill-advised shots. The announcers call this "organized chaos". If either team could just slow the ball down and stop attempting 30 yard passes, they'd clearly dominate the game. Neither of these teams can possibly compete against UNC with this kind of carelessness. The two teams, combined, are averaging 1.4 turnovers per minute of play!
11:00 Why is Isaiah Thomas' job safe? I'm cheering the decision, because with each year the Knicks continue to be comically bad (which is every year under Thomas) the smaller the chance that LeBron would want to leave Cleveland for NY. Granted he might go elsewhere, but to the commentators who have been talking about LeBron's guaranteed departure for New York in several years, I feel quite safe, as long as Thomas is in charge!
11:25 While I'm here at the computer... Who are the 'draftniks' who supposedly know how good these college players are going to be in the pros? Do they watch the games? Do they care whether or not a player is any good in college? Here's the point: Eric Gordon is terrible. He can't dribble, he can't pass, he's a turnover machine. Yet on the draftboards he's still in the top 10. He's only leading in scoring because he takes more shots than anyone else in the NCAA. His 23 ppg scoring average was bolstered by the amount of crappy teams that IU played who couldn't guard him at the beginning of the season. Meanwhile DJ White, who single-handedly carried the Hoosiers to the tournament, and who nobody could stop, is projected as late first round. If I were GM, I would take White over Gordon any day - forget about upside - you have to be able to dribble to play in the NBA. White will be like Carlos Boozer, Gordon is the second coming of Dajuan Wagner, or Derek Anderson. For the record, I'll put OJ Mayo in the same category as Gordon. The fact is that these guys get hyped when they're 15 years old, and nobody ever reevaluates the decision to hype them.
Also while I'm here at the computer since people are considering their fantasy baseball drafts - if they haven't had them already - I'd like to comment on fantasy baseball affirmative action. This is where, when in doubt, you draft the guy from the team you like. I ended up drafting about half the Indians this year. Then, after the draft, I traded Johan Santana and Roy Oswalt for CC Sabathia and Josh Beckett. Maybe this is why I haven't finished in the top half of my league in at least 5 years.
11:27 - Does anyone else think that Rick Pitino resembles Joe Pesci? Whenever they have Pitino mouthing words, I keep hearing Pesci's irritating voice.
Identical twins.
12:10 Back to the WKY UCLA game. What the fuck is a hilltopper? Does it refer to mountaintop removal coal mining - a horrible practice for the environment? Or does it have to do with moonshine makers? Or - perhaps none of the above? As it turns out, it is completely meaningless. From the WKY website: "Since the summit of "the Hill" rises 232 feet above nearby Barren River and the comparatively level plain that surrounds it, it was only natural that the athletes who represented the institution should come to be known as the "Hilltoppers."" Naturally. Try getting a name that makes sense... like Hoosiers.
12:18 WKY is looking more and more like George Mason, until UCLA throws up a dagger - a line drive at the basket with 2 on the shot clock that happens to go in, extending the lead back to 9, sealing WKY's demise.
12:29 1.7 million reasons that IU isn't going to hire Tom Izzo, Thad Matta, or any other major established coach. Some delusional Hoosier fans believe that these characters would jump at the chance to coach at IU. First of all, they're wrong. Second of all, if the hiring of Sampson is indicative of what IU is willing to spend on a coach, we're looking at about 1.1 million a year. Here is what some of the top coaches actually making now (realize that to hire them away from their current school, one would assume we'd have to pay them at least 20% more!)
Thad Matta 1.75 million
Rick Barnes 1.8 million
Tubby Smith 2 million
Tom Crean 1.7 million
Tom Izzo 1.7 million + 2 cars, + a 9.8 million signing bonus
So, to any Hoosier fans out there - never mention these names again for the IU job. Its simply not possible, unless Mark Cuban decides to pony up $2 million a year to hire a big name coach.
But - how about the Western Kentucky guy as an up and coming name. I mean, we can probably do better but nobody's mentioned his name... Darrin Horn - who is 82-41 in previous 4 years with the Hilltoppers, was an assistant under Crean, and clearly did well this year with the Hilltoppers. More on the future of the IU coaching position later.
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