Daps, Slaps and other random musings

I live and die with my beloved alma mater, The University of Cincinnati. Last season was the longest, 11-19 and 2-14 in the Big East, when the regular season ended with another loss at West Virginia, the powers that be in the Big East basically said that Cincy was felina non grata, cat not welcome to the Big East Tourney in New York. This season looked to start the same way with dishearening losses to lightweights like Belmont and Bowling Green. But the Bearcats have nicely rebounded with a road win at Louisville (The Cats were winless on the road in Big East play last year) and home upsets of Pitt and Villanova. The Cats had a 12 point lead on UConn, not a Big East power this year but a dangerous team nonetheless. The Cats would continue to turn heads with their strong Big East start at 5-2. The Cats instead blew the lead and despite a late basket to give a slim one point lead Rashad Bishop committed a rather silly foul in the backcourt to give the Huskies the free throws, they were made and despite a couple of decent looks, the Cats dropped a tough one to the Huskies 84-83.
Now I'm not laying blame on Bishop, he played a decent game. The Cats made a number of careless turnovers and played sloppily at times. I'm banking on the Cats to at least make the Big East tourney and possibly qualify for the NIT this year. I know that is a comedown from the 14 straight NCAA appearances the Cats made from 1992-2005, but this team has the talent, however raw to get to the postseason. I want to see that happen.
Ok, enough of my rants on my beloved alma mater. I feel like I have to address comparisons of the postseasons in college football and basketball. I have heard the argument that a playoff in college football would make the regular season meaningless and that the college basketball season is a boring prelude to the tourney. Those that argue that did not see the Baylor-Texas A&M game last night 116-110 in quadruple overtime...
Check that number 5 OVERTIMES
That number of overtimes isn't an NCAA record (my alma mater Cincinnati beat Bradley in a 7 overtime epic in December of 1981) but it was a Big 12 record and watching that game with both teams leaving everything out on the floor. If you think that these games are meaningless and boring, you need to check your pulse. Now I admit that I dont really get into the swing of college basketball until the new year. I have no desire to see Duke beat up the little sisters of the poor or Kentucky beat up on Gardner-Webb and San Diego (Oh wait a minute, UK lost to both of those tomato cans, my bad) The conference play showcases the real battles and games, and the occasional non-conference game in the middle that has really good teams are always fun to watch. Those that say that the college basketball season is nothting special to watch and that the teams have nothing to play for need to take another look.

Some people cant let things die out...
Tiger Woods had to outright state that he was cool with Kelly Tilghman and did not go off on her lynch remark. He had little to say about the Golfweek cover, which like a lot of people I think the subject is dead. But here comes Jim Brown chastisizing Woods on not speaking up more on the lynching subject. Woods has a tendency to be robotic at times, but in his defense I think that Woods should not have to be the spokesman on every touchy subject that comes down the pike. He spoke out on Tilghman's comments saying that he did not believe that they were malicious in their intent. It should be left alone. It reminds me of a situation that I was in when I was in junior high, I flirted with a girl not knowing that she was dating some guy who was bad enough to pound me into the ground. I took a chance and went to this guy and apologized to him and his girl cause I didn't know that they were dating. The guy shurgged it off and said it was cool and he appreciated the apology. Another guy heard it and said "You gonna let him off the hook?" He later tried to jump me saying if the guy wasn't gonna kick my butt, he would. Needless to say he wasn't nearly as tough as the guy I apologized to and I knocked his block off. But like others that won't let something die out when it clearly has, this person tried to restart and issue that clearly was resolved. Brown should mind his business.


Ok I know its a day late but here is the weekly Phat Daps and Head Slaps of the Week

PHAT DAP
Though its a bit on the quirky side, I have to give one to Ron "Fang" Hunter coach of IUPUI, he is coaching against Oakland University tonight barefoot, to raise awareness for children in need. His stated goal is raise enough funds to send 40,000 shoes to children in Africa as part of the Samaritan's feet organization. If you want to learn more about Hunter's project go to www.samaritansfeet.org Though the methods are a bit kooky, I have to give Hunter dap for raising awareness and going to a great length to do so.



HEAD SLAP
I would like to give one to ESPN and TMZ.com who are delving into the type of tabloid journalism that is getting to be a real nuisance these days. TMZ.com who has a tendency to skulk about to stir up rumors and innuendo took pics of Pats QB Tom Brady who had a protective boot on his foot. Brady was visiting his girlfriend in New York on his off day. Now TMZ jumping on this is one thing, but ESPN to report the pics and run wild as if Brady was actually seriously injured is irresponsible. ESPN should know better, but they have gotten to the point where they feel that they are the unchallenged authority on sports. ESPN should report the news and facts along with discussion on these, not stir up rumors and sink to the rumor mongering level of a gutter website like TMZ who normally preys on the hollywood party type.
But this weeks head slap kind of pains me, cause I kinda have a crush on her. Dana Jacobsen of ESPN's First Take got herself suspended for a week for getting rather plastered and making a host of derogatory comments about catholics and Notre Dame at the Mike & Mike celebrity roast last week. Now I can't fault someone for knocking Notre Dame. Knocking the overhyped self-righteous football university is ok with me. Anyone who knows about the radio/TV sports morning talk show knows that Mike Golic is a Notre Dame Alum and regularly takes his lumps on the woes of the Irish. It is also a well known fact that in a roast most everything is going to be fair game to get cracked on, but leave the religion out of it. Jacobsen who otherwise is a good reporter and a fine talk show host should be thankful that the insensitive remarks didn't get her canned. This isn't the time to be out of work, believe me.

Until Next Post Fellow Sports Fans!