 |
||||||||||||||||
Going
Down With the Ship I've been asked if I still keep track of the calls with the "Infamous ACC Index Card".... Well, the answer is "Yes". You can click on the icon to the right side of the blog and follow along during the college hoops season. And remember: don't shoot the messenger....all I'm doing is supplying the info to a demanding public. And if you think your team is getting hosed....then, you're probably right. Can you believe all the upsets in college basketball over the weekend? I wonder how many were really upsets.....think about it. There are only a handful of teams that appear to be a cut above the rest of the field. Every team in the country ranked #8 or lower is fair game on any given night. However, the performance by previously #3 ranked North Carolina has me scratching my head. The Heels found a way to mail it in while visiting Tallahassee and lost by 33 points to Florida State. Now granted, this is the same FSU team that a week earlier was being run out of Littlejohn Coliseum by 20 points to Clemson. For the record, this Clemson team appears to be average at best and not to be confused with the ones that have been to the last four NCAA Tournaments. This is the same FSU team that scored 10 points in the first half against mighty Princeton. It was so bad for North Carolina, that Roy Williams worked out some telepathic message with Noles coach Leonard Hamilton to take his team completely off the floor with 14 seconds remaining. So Ol' Roy left his 5 walk-ons to play out the the final seconds of the drubbing while his 5-star, future NBA stars could get a head-start on packing-up for the trip home. It was bizarre....almost as crazy as watching the Noles beat them into oblivion. I doubt any of the FSU fans had any interest in messing with UNC's blue-chippers....they wanted to celebrate at mid-court and act the fool in front of ESPN's cameras. I hope this isn't a trend that teams can now walk out of an ass-kicking. I kidded around on Twitter that I bet Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney would have liked to pull that move while the Mountaineers were posting a "70" spot on his team in the Orange Bowl. With that said, I wonder if Roy Williams hired Kevin Steele, the former CU Defensive Coordinator, because the Heels decided not to play anything resembling defense in Tally. I even mentioned on Twitter, that the moronic captain of the Italian cruise-liner took a page from Roy and left the ship before wrecking it. It was an ugly episode for the ACC's best team.....but I'll say this....practice is going to be brutal this week in Chapel Hill, and I still think the Heels are the class of the ACC. Joe Paterno continues to fight his battle with lung cancer, and now the Penn State icon wants to tell his side of the story. It is shaping up to be one of the more interesting stories of 2012....and Paterno has admitted that he backed away from the Jerry Sandusky episode. Paterno has been a pillar of honesty and integrity during his amazing run at Happy Valley....but the incident that clouds the school and his legacy has the potential to get uglier with each passing day. The fact that Paterno has now admitted that he could have done more, makes the story even harder to comprehend. Jerry Sandusky will have his day in court and his chance to prove that he is innocent of the harsh charges brought forth against him....and the Penn State community will have to brace for what is sure to be an uneasy ride in the upcoming months and possible years ahead. The newest school President claimed last week that he cringes when he hears people mention the "Penn State scandal"....he feels that it should be described as the "Jerry Sandusky scandal". He's wrong. If Penn State had nothing to hide....Joe Paterno would still be coaching....the AD and his VP of Finance would still be conducting business....and Dr. Spanier would still be in charge of the university. The "Penn State scandal" is the worst ever in college athletics.....there is no spin in this case. I just hope we finally get to the truth....because it is long overdue. The NFL Playoffs continue this weekend, with the conference championship games on tap. The AFC Championship game showcases New England and Baltimore, while the NFC Championship game has San Francisco and New York. The only thing we know about this year's playoff is that we'll be crowning a new Super Bowl champion. It should also be noted that until the Giants knocked off the Packers on Sunday night, the home team had won every single playoff game. Is it possible that the G-Men can continue their hot streak like they did a few years ago when they ran the table, including a win over undefeated New England in the title game? It would be hard to imagine that Eli Manning can have more Super Bowl wins than his brother, Peyton...but at this rate it is a possibility. Can the San Francisco 49ers return to the Super Bowl where they have never lost a title game? Can the Harbaugh brothers both meet in the title game.....it could happen. We all know that Tom Brady and the Pats feel right at home in the big game, too. There are tons of scenarios and sidebar stories, and I'm excited to see how it plays out on Sunday. Just when a percentage of America was screaming for joy that Tim Tebow had been removed from the national spotlight with the Broncos' elimination from the playoffs.....it appears that Tebow has been asked to join the CBS coverage of the AFC title game. Take that, Charles Barkley. I'll have my picks for Sunday's winners on the "Packman on Sports" TV segment this Friday night on the WJZY 10pm newscast. |
|
|||||||||||||||
